Local Authors
The shadow grows; the claws are out. It is the twenty-fourth century, and humanity has successfully breached beyond their limited solar system to colonize much of the known galaxy. Mostly located within the Orion Arm of the Milky Way, humanity has ventured into a prosperous and ever-expanding era of exploration and discovery, with several other new races joining one of powers in humanity's growing sphere of influence, either willingly or by force. However, mankind cannot escape the shadow of conflict that dared to follow them out beyond the stars. In the immediate aftermath of the Earthborn War between two galactic superpowers--the oppressive far-reaching-based Hagorian Alliance and the more egalitarian-minded and Earth-based Praetorian League--one young girl rises from the ashes of chaos to break the yoke of oppression that the tyrannical Alliance has leaned upon to enforce its rule over its section of the cosmos. While other nations exist, they are constantly and often caught in the crossfire between the Alliance and the League. The Alliance, based at the trailing ends of the Orion Arm, valued slavery, fear, and subjugation to control and rule its people. The League, while not ideal, was far more egalitarian if not apathetic. But for citizens of the Alliance, many had had enough.
One girl was chosen by fate to be the leader of these dissidents whom the Alliance would classify as militant rebels outright, viewing them as little more than vermin that need to be extinguished. From being an owned slave to a warrior and rebel leader, to empress and conqueror, this is part of the legacy that Ava'kra hopes to forge, but in the brutal maelstrom of seemingly unending war, can she? When facing betrayal at every turn, fighting outnumbered and outmaneuvered, can a young girl forge a new galactic nation free of oppression and live to tell the tale?
A Collection of Writing by Cleveland Teens. This anthology of poetry, short fiction, personal stories, and visual art created and edited by Cleveland area teens, collects responses to a question: what does blur mean to you? Teen creators answer by telling a story about a misty forest, snapping a photo through a foggy, rain-streaked window, and leading the reader on a journey to a refrigerator in the middle of the rainforest. (Yes, you read that right!) These are just a few of the many insightful, heartfelt, and powerful ways that the authors and artists in this collection explain what blur means to them.
Fierce, searing, and darkly comical, Garriga's debut collection of short-short fiction depicts historical and imagined duels, re-envisioning in a flash the competing points of motivation--courage and cowardice, honor and vengeance--that lead individuals to risk it all.
In this compact collection, "settling the score" provides a fascinating apparatus for exploring foundational civilizing ideas. Notions of courage, cowardice, and revenge course through Michael Garriga's flash fiction pieces, each one of which captures a duel's decisive moment from three distinct perspectives: opposing accounts from the individual duelists, followed by the third account of a witness. In razor-honed language, the voices of the duelists take center stage, training a spotlight on the litany of misguided beliefs and perceptions that lead individuals into such conflicts.
From Cain and Abel to Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickenson; from John Henry and the steam drill to an alcoholic fighting the bottle: the cumulative effect of these powerful pieces is a probing and disconcerting look at humankind's long-held notions of pride, honor, vengeance, and satisfaction. Meticulously crafted by Garriga, and with stunning illustrations by Tynan Kerr, The Book of Duels is a unique and remarkable debut.
The disappearance of a local girl leads Special Agent Graham Grassi right to the doorstep of the sexy redhead that has haunted him since they were part of a thwarted hijacking last week.
Questioning Mickey O'Shay cuts through him as he informs her about her missing goddaughter, one of the girls involved in his investigation. He wants to keep her safe, but she won't sit on the sidelines. The life of her goddaughter is in jeopardy and Mickey's determination has him ready to handcuff her-or kiss her-in place. As time runs out though, the stakes run higher. They both struggle to ignore their attraction as they try to unravel a web of deception-- before it's too late.
