Irish Short Stories: The Druids is a combination of research and fictional stories about the early wise men of ancient Ireland.This is the time before St. Patrick 432 AD. The druids were men who predicted weather, war, and seasons of the year. They began the tradition of story-telling, poetry, and legends of ancient Ireland: Eire. Some say the reading is heavy and ponderous. Most say it is thought provoking and captures the mood of the druid. Enjoy...

Indelible: Scrolls From the TeatroWhen the opportunity arose in a conference room of a bustling hospitality company, the unveiling of plans for an international resort destination, a Moroccan jewel, Marjorie awakened to the calling and headed across the Atlantic. Despite the camaraderie and lively cafe scene in Marrakech, when the financiers' scuffle broke out, a coercive attempt by their competition, the mysterious disappearance of her colleague,...

This fictional story is loosely based on true events that have taken place beginning in the 1950's in Iran and continuing up until the present in the United States. Some of these events happened in the author's life, and the rest are what he is aware of. The story is delivered in the first person, however, and fictional elements and characters have been incorporated, in order to better convey the author's intended message in a smooth storyline. The...

IN THE SHADOW OF 10,000 HILLS follows the intertwining stories of three women from vastly diverse cultures searching for personal peace in post-genocide Rwanda. Lillian Carlson, an African-American civil rights activist now in her early 50s, traveled to Africa from Atlanta in 1970 to grieve the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. She dreamed of bettering the world, one child at a time, with an orphanage in Rwanda's rift valley. Two decades later,...

The book tells the story of four Indian women bound by decades of friendship: Alka, a child of privilege and power; Mini, a beauty and a flirt; Priya, a nurturing earth mother; and Divya, who is insecure and envious of her friends. Now in their 40s and living in California, they find comfort and support in their weekly games of rummy-even as their private lives begin to unravel. In her younger years, Alka, the self-appointed leader of the group, was...

1950s, New Denver: Pavel and Nina are among 200 Russian Doukhobor children separated from their families and community, and placed in a residential facility in the Kootenay region of BC. Forcibly removed from their homes by the RCMP, the children attend mandatory school. They must speak in English and observe Canadian customs and religious practices. Seeking to protect the younger children and suffering mistreatment at the hands of the officials,...

In the history of the Near East, the high-flying royal falcon symbolizes "good-luck" and "prosperity." Surprisingly, the crossbar of a balance from the end of which the pans are suspended and the two equal arms or beams are also called "shaaheens" or "falcons." The handing down of these old traditions and customs leads us to believe that this was not just a mere random act of coincidence. Our judicious forefathers were aware of the secret of the Elixir...

Perhaps it was divine providence and not chance that Beaufort, South Carolina, was to witness the onset of the Civil War-occupation of the Union Army, and unlike its southern counterparts, spared the kindle torches of Sherman's determination to destroy the Confederacy. As a result, it preserved its natural beauty of live oak trees, picturesque homes, and cultural beliefs and customs generic to the Sea Islands. The plantation lifestyle was serene,...

In the England of James I, it is better to keep one's own counsel, especially when the Gunpowder Plot is afoot. Lady Elizabeth Cary has been invited for a stay at Baynards Castle by her friend and mentor Countess Mary Herbert. The two are attending a play at the Globe when Countess Mary's son Philip appears and tells his mother of the plot against the king. When the play ends, Countess Mary's party returns to Baynard's, where all await news of the...

Amani is a child of middle eastern immigrants, trying to escape the horrors of her home life. Amani hopes to the gain the approval of her abusive mom by doing well in school, but when her mom fails to show up for her high school graduation and berates her instead, Amani realizes that she will never get her moms approval. To make matters worse, Amani's father, a lifelong con artist, is released from prison and returns home. Tired of the family atmosphere,...