Tuesday, September 16, 2025

The Tide Waits for No Woman by Richard K. Perkins

  

Historical Fiction, American Civil War

Date Published: September 16, 2025






Newlywed Abby Anderson is unsure whether to call herself a widow. In July of 1860, as the nation teeters on the brink of war, word comes that her merchant captain husband, Clifford, has been lost to the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Rejecting social expectations regarding proper mourning, Abby agrees to assist in an Underground Railroad operation out of her hometown of Woolwich, Maine. But an early October winter storm catches Abby and the fugitive slave family she’s smuggling, and they find themselves snowed in with Bill Boudreaux, an Acadian trapper and farmer, and two Abenaki teenagers in the remote Maine wilderness.

The unlikely companions must work together to ensure their survival through the long, harsh winter and find themselves growing closer, creating an unexpected family few societies would approve of—and leaving Abby with what feels like an impossible choice. When spring comes, she will continue her quest to see the fugitive family safely to Canada. And then, she must decide where she truly belongs.

 

About the Author

 

 Richard K. Perkins was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and grew up in two New England villages. He is a US Naval Academy graduate, a career naval officer, and a systems engineer in the aerospace sector. He earned graduate degrees from the National Intelligence University, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He has contributed nonfiction columns for The Doctor T. J. Eckleburg Review and published short fiction in Penn Union. He lives with his wife in Southeastern Virginia, where he spends his time penning historical fiction.


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Wednesday, September 10, 2025

The Crooked Medium’s Guide To Murder by Stephen Cox Genre: Spooky Paranormal Victorian Murder Mystery

 

To solve a baffling murder – search both sides of the grave…

The Crooked Medium’s Guide To Murder

by Stephen Cox

Genre: Spooky Paranormal Victorian Murder Mystery

London 1881. Can two crooked women stop a murder?

 

Extravagant medium Mrs Ashton and her lover, blunt working-class Mrs Bradshaw, run a spiritualist scam. Mrs Ashton secretly reads minds.

Believing that Mrs Ashton is genuine, grieving Lady Violet craves the truth behind her mother’s untimely death. But Lady Violet’s powerful husband Sir Charles hates spiritualists. Has he killed before?

Uncovering this MP’s wicked crimes will put all three women in terrible danger…

 

To solve a shocking murder, look on both sides of the grave.

 

"An astonishing feat of twisting plots and perceptions"

“It's deliciously twisty, with women who won't be told, a young bride in peril, and the delicate art of a con.”

“A book I've been looking for all my life. Queer found family all wrapped up in a supernatural murder mystery. Absolute perfection.”

“a brilliant, gripping story. .. if you're looking for a great new book to read, I encourage you to check it out.”

"...an actually intriguing mystery.”

“with a new murder thrown in and a couple of pre-existing ones uncovered, we get an astonishing story of redemption with well-plotted but never signposted twists and turns thrown in at every stage.”

“…a murder mystery with a supernatural spin. … the premise and plot were great. The story is very atmospheric with a very nasty aristocrat villain. ..an entertaining read..."

 

**Only .99cents!**

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Stephen Cox is a writer living in London. He’d read every Holmes, Christie, and Sayers before he was 21 and did Holmes fanfic in school. He has also read The Moonstone six times. With a science degree, he has always been a fan of history and the imagination.

The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder contains the strong characterisation, women protagonists, authentic period setting, and wide-roaming imagination of his other works.

He says ‘It’s a rip-roaring twisty story, with relationships under stress and surprising readers at every turn.”

His first two novels, Our Child of the Stars and Our Child of Two Worlds, were called “heartfelt, imaginative and gripping”, with wide praise in the national press.

Stephen says, ‘I wanted female rogues as my leads – people who lead a crooked life, who need to keep secrets, yet can be kind and generous too. This is a rigorous detective story with a client in trouble and old crimes to be solved. It has everything – a brutal man, a Lady in danger, and the past and present feeding the action. Can these outsiders possibly win? Queer women certainly existed and made lives together in Victorian England, as those with eyes to see can see,’

 

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Tuesday, September 9, 2025

The Blue Riders by Jim Lester

 

Historical Thriller

Date Published: June 28, 2024






New York, 1890s

The newspaper war between William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World is raging, while in Cuba a brave band of Cuban rebels are struggling to overthrow the tyrannical rule of Spain.

As war fever builds, Cassie O'Conner, one of the first female reporters of the era, goes undercover in an insane asylum, where she makes a discovery of historic proportion: a plot to assassinate President William McKinley. But before she can act on her discovery, Cassie is kidnapped and whisked away to Cuba, forcing the Journal and the World to join forces in a daring rescue attempt.

Can they return her to Washington, D.C. in time to stop the assassination of the president?

Full of action, adventure and romance, THE BLUE RIDERS is a fast-paced, hard-to-put down historical thriller.

 

About the Author

 

Jim Lester holds a Ph.D in history and is the author of three successful young adult novels--Fallout, The Great Pretender and Shadow Games as well as two exciting historical thrillers, Deadline:New York and Call to a Nightmare. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, he now makes his home in Colorado.

 

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Monday, September 8, 2025

The Rabbi’s Knight Prequel to Wages of Empire by Michael J. Cooper Genre: Historical Fiction

  


In possession of a cryptic ancient scroll, Rabbi Samuel, St. Clair and the others will risk everything to fulfill their shared and sacred destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount.


The Rabbi’s Knight

Prequel to Wages of Empire

by Michael J. Cooper

Genre: Historical Fiction


"The Rabbi's Knight is instantly compelling and fascinating in its arcane plot and propulsive pacing. Literally, a page turner!" -Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Is an Inside Job

"A well-written historical adventure story . . . with unexpected twists and turns that keep you hooked . . . an exciting and historically fascinating read." -Andrew Kaplan, New York Times bestselling author of Blue Madagascar and the Homeland novels

 

The year is 1290. At the twilight of the Crusades, war-weary Knight Templar Jonathan St. Clair is garrisoned in the port city of Acre in the Holy Land. In possession of an ancient scroll with a cryptic inscription, he learns that it holds the key to unlock the secrets of Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

But time is running out. Acre will soon come under siege, and the one man able to divine the scroll's meaning, Rabbi Samuel of Baghdad, has been targeted for assassination. St. Clair apprentices himself to Rabbi Samuel and together they travel to Jerusalem. On their pilgrimage, they are hunted by scheming emirs in the service of a bitter enemy of Rabbi Samuel. But they are aided in their quest by others: a brilliant young scholar, Isaac of Acre; a powerful young Scotsman, William Wallace; a learned Muslim mathematician, physician, and cartographer, al-Hasani; and a beautiful independent-minded woman, Zahirah, who avoids serving in an emir's harem by hiding in a leper colony on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Rabbi Samuel, St. Clair and the others will risk everything to fulfill their shared and sacred destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount.

 

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Wages of Empire

Book 1


Winner — 2025 Pacific Book Award for Best Historical Fiction
Winner — 2025 International Impact Award for Historical Military Fiction

Grand prize winner - 2022 CIBA Dante Rossetti Award for YA fiction
First place honors - 2022 CIBA Hemingway Award for wartime fiction
#1 Amazon Best Seller—Jan 2024—Historical World War I Fiction

 

In the summer of 1914, sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair leaves home to join the Great War for Civilization. Little does he know that, despite the war raging in Europe, the true source of conflict will emerge in Ottoman Palestine, since it's from Jerusalem where the German Kaiser dreams to rule as Holy Roman Emperor.

Filled with such historical figures as Gertrude Bell, T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, Faisal bin Hussein and Chaim Weizmann, Wages of Empire follows Evan through the killing fields of the Western Front where he will help turn the tide of a war that is just beginning, and become part of a story that’s still being written.

 

“Masterful storytelling will keep you furiously turning the pages of this compelling (historical WWI) novel. A winner!”–Andrew Kaplan, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Blue Madagascar and the Homeland Novels

 “The characters, historical and fictional, come to life on the page as the storyline drives relentlessly forward. Bravo!”–Matt Coyle, bestselling author of the Rick Cahill novels

 “A beautifully written tale...exhibits seamless research in illuminating unforgettable historical and fictional characters...a tour de force!” –Professor Ronit Meroz, Dept of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

 “This superb historical novel is a must read...directly relates to issues we face today.” –Rizek Abusharr – Emeritus Director General of Jerusalem International YMCA

 “Cooper has made this period of history come alive. It is a treat to read.” –Rabbi David Zisenwine, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Education, Tel Aviv University

 “A Young Indiana Jones–style adventure.” –KIRKUS reviews

 “Story is gripping and the characters that he describes come alive through his skillful writing. I couldn’t put it down!” –Rabbi Gordon Freeman, Ph.D., Rabbi Emeritus, B’nai Shalom, Walnut Creek, CA

 

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Crossroads of Empire

Book 2



Winner — 2025 International Impact Award for Historical War & Military Fiction

Winner of the 2024 CIBA Hemingway First Place Prize for 20th Century Wartime Historical Fiction

2024 SF Writers Conference Writing Contest Finalist-Adult Fiction

 

". . . both a gripping page turner and a series of carefully observed character studies. Beautifully written in a voice and in details that capture the era, Crossroads of Empire is a must-read for readers of all ages" -Chanticleer Book Reviews.

 

The story of Evan Sinclair that began in Wages of Empire continues in Crossroads of Empire. Having survived German artillery, poison gas, and friendly fire in helping to turn the tide of the war in its first months, Evan barely survives his hospital ship's sinking by a German U-boat. Left with amnesia, he no longer remembers who he is.

 Likewise, Evan doesn't recall that, despite the European war, the true source of conflict is in Ottoman Palestine, since it's from Jerusalem's Temple Mount that Kaiser Wilhelm II dreams to rule as Holy Roman Emperor over Arabian oil reserves and the Suez Canal.

 The Middle East Front soon explodes with pitched battles at Suez and Gallipoli as Evan's story is interwoven with those of historical figures Gertrude Bell, T. E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, Faisal bin Hussein, and Chaim Weizmann.

 During his quest to recover his memory Evan will discover far more: love for his father, grief for his late mother, and hidden secrets of his bloodline-an unbroken lineage that stretches back to the Crusades and will determine his future role in the Great War. 

  

"Cooper masterfully crafts a novel that intertwines vivid characters and complex themes, blending historical fiction with elements of mystery and intrigue. This unique combination makes it a must-read for fans of both genres."
   —BookTrib Review

 

"In page after page of Crossroads of Empire, I was thrilled with how the plot widened with various actors added as history unfolded one step at a time. The book picked up speed as it moved along with rising tension as disparate subplots charged forward to the conclusion. I loved it! Bravo!"
   —Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, bestselling author, teacher of Buddhist Insight Meditation, and co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center

 

"Crossroads of Empire dives into the tumultuous waters of World War I, presenting a thrilling narrative enriched by a blend of historical and fictional characters. Cooper's writing is compelling and richly detailed, offering a tapestry of scenes that bring early 20th-century conflicts vividly to life."
   —Literary Titan Review

  

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Michael J Cooper writes historical mysteries set in the Holy Land at major turning points of history—all the while subtly promoting the notions of coexistence and peace. His books have won multiple awards and include; set in 1948 Jerusalem Foxes in the Vineyard (winner of the 2011 Indie Publishing Contest Grand Prize); set at the twilight of the Crusades in 1290, The Rabbi’s Knight (finalist for the CIBA 2014 Chaucer Award for historical fiction); set at the start of WWI in 1914, Wages of Empire (winner of the 2025 Pacific Book Award for best historical fiction, winner 2025 International Impact Award for historical military fiction, the CIBA 2022 Grand Prize for young adult fiction as well as the Hemingway first prize for wartime historical fiction); A sequel of Wages of Empire, Crossroads of Empire (winner of the 2025 International Impact Award for historical war & military fiction as well as first place in the 2024 CIBA Hemingway for 20th Century wartime historical fiction, placed as a finalist in the 2024 SF Writers Conference and won first prize honors in the 2023 CIBA Hemingway wartime historical fiction category). 

 A native of Berkeley, California, Cooper absconded to Israel after high school and spent the next eleven years studying and working there. He lived in Jerusalem during the last year the city was divided between Israel and Jordan, studied at Hebrew University, and graduated from Tel Aviv University Medical School. He returned to the US to specialize in pediatric cardiology, and after 40 years of practice, he continues to return to the Middle East for biannual volunteer missions serving Palestinian children who lack access to care. Otherwise, he lives in Northern California with his wife and a spoiled-rotten cat. Three adult children occasionally drop by.

  

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Friday, September 5, 2025

Class War: Then and Now

 

Political Non-fiction



For nearly fifty years, America’s working and middle classes have been under relentless attack. Wages have stagnated, inequality has soared, and the vast majority now lives paycheck to paycheck—while trillions of dollars flow upward into the pockets of the wealthiest few. Class War, Then and Now is both a searing indictment of this economic and political order and an impassioned call to arms for a new left rooted in class struggle, solidarity, and socialist values.

Drawing on a decade of essays and articles originally published in outlets such as Dissent, New Politics, CounterPunch, Socialist Forum, Truthout, and Common Dreams, historian Chris Wright examines the deep roots of capitalism’s crises and the failures of the contemporary left to confront them. In sharp, accessible prose, Wright tackles:


The centrality of class struggle in building a movement that can unite working people

Why identity politics, while important, must not overshadow the fight against capitalism

The overlooked necessity of nuclear power in addressing climate change

Lessons from labor history, from Jimmy Hoffa to modern union battles

The catastrophic consequences of American imperialism and endless war

How organized labor remains humanity’s most universal force for justice


With the urgency of a manifesto and the depth of historical scholarship, Wright argues that only a rational, international, and truly Marxist left can stop the United States—and the world—from sliding into neofascism and ecological collapse.

If you care about economic justice, social reform, and the future of democracy, Class War, Then and Now will challenge your thinking, sharpen your arguments, and inspire action.


About the Author

 Chris Wright is a U.S. historian, author, and lecturer at Hunter College, City University of New York, specializing in labor history and radical political theory. His work explores the history of capitalism and social movements, with a focus on building an international left capable of confronting economic inequality, rising authoritarianism, and ecological collapse.

Wright is the author of multiple works of political nonfiction, including Worker Cooperatives and Revolution: History and Possibilities in the United States and Popular Radicalism and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great Depression. His newest release, Class War, Then and Now: Essays toward a New Left, compiles a decade of essays originally published in respected left-wing and independent outlets such as Dissent, New Politics, CounterPunch, Socialist Forum, Compact, and Common Dreams.

Over the years, his analysis and commentary have appeared in publications ranging from the Washington Post to Truthout, earning him recognition for his Marxist-informed, historically grounded critiques of capitalism and his advocacy of a democratic socialist movement.

In addition to his academic work, Wright has written philosophical essays, fiction, and poetry, reflecting a lifelong interest in art, music, and the human condition. His current research and writing center on the labor movement, anti-capitalist strategies, and the urgent need for systemic change to address economic, political, and environmental crises.


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Wednesday, August 27, 2025

The Ballad of Midnight and McRae

  

Literary Historical Fiction / LGBT Friendly

Date Published: 07-16-2025





For Caleb McRae--devout Baptist, Texas Ranger, hero of the Wild West--life's simple enough: lawmen bring bad guys to justice, and hellfire's a sinner's fate. At least it seems that way, until he falls in love with the notorious outlaw, Henry Midnight...

Thomas Anderson of Literary Titan calls The Ballad of Midnight and McRae "wildly entertaining" and recommends it "to lovers of literary fiction, fans of Cormac McCarthy or Marilynne Robinson, and anyone who believes that stories still have the power to save."

Poet Malcolm Guite writes, "In the story of Midnight and McRae we are enabled to hear the long conversation between Pagan and Christian, and within Christianity between protestant and catholic. and on a personal level between father and son, between lover and beloved, and deep within ourselves, the conversation between the person we are pretending to be and the person we really are. And all these vital conversations are enfolded in and arise from a compelling story set on the frontiers, the badlands, and the formative days of America itself, the place where so many of these conversations need to take place."


“Wildly entertaining… Jess Lederman writes with a fierce tenderness, blending lyrical prose with grit and grace.”

—Thomas Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Titan





About the Author


Jess Lederman lives with his wife and young son in Southern California, where he writes historical fiction. His debut novel, Hearts Set Free, was an award-winning Amazon best-seller. When he's not writing or playing with his son, he's usually at the piano playing Chopin and Brahms for his wife.


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Whiz Kid

  

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 07-01-2025

Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc.



Whiz Kid is a powerful coming-of-age novel set in 1950 Philadelphia, where Jewish Navy veteran Ben Green faces impossible choices.

Pressured by his pregnant wife to finish his novel or take a secure job at a prestigious ad agency, Ben must also navigate the era’s class divisions and antisemitism. His best friend’s elite world clashes with his working-class South Philly roots and Jewish identity.

Temptation, ambition, and loyalty collide—especially when Ilene, a captivating classmate, threatens to unravel his carefully balanced life. As the Phillies’ Whiz Kids chase a pennant, Ben’s own reckoning builds to a climax, culminating in a surprising decision that redefines his future.

Co-written with David S. Burcat, Joel Burcat’s late father, Whiz Kid is a deeply American story of resilience, legacy, and the true cost of following one’s heart.


 

About the Author


Joel Burcat is a novelist and retired lawyer living in Harrisburg, Pa. His previous novels, Reap the Wind, Drink to Every Beast, Amid Rage, and Strange Fire have been award-winning thrillers. He is a Gold Medal Winner from Readers’ Favorite, a Finalist of the Next Gen Indie Book Awards, and a winner of the PennWriters Annual Writing Contest. Strange Fire was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Week.

David S. Burcat was a Navy corpsman in World War II, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (English Literature and Dentistry), and a proud son of Camden NJ and his adopted town of Philadelphia. He worked in advertising in the 1950s before returning to Penn to study dentistry. He wrote Match Point, the novella within the novel, in about 1950. He died in 1998. Whiz Kid- A Novel is his first published book. Dave was the father of co-author, Joel Burcat.


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