Homeless, addicted, and helpless describes different characters who are struggling with hopelessness in Dumpsters. The eighteen short stories in this collection pinpoint a decisive moment in each person's life. The reader is introduced to a world of alcoholics and drug addiction, some who have no decision to change. For example, Pete wakes up in a snowstorm next to a dumpster, a six-pack nearby. He is homeless, as in Faye, who finds herself stuck in a small town with a bottle under her coa...

Can privatization really help solve America's prison problems? A mental health professional tells a compelling story of suicidal inmates and mistreated inmates, with staff working overtime without compensation while frustration grows.

Lindsay and Amber Kellen yearn to escape from the secluded life imposed by their domineering father, Jonas Kellen, a brilliant scientist. Since their birth they have resided on Earth A-2, an alternative dimension where they have been "called" to cleanse infected words—their father's words. When they were 4 and 6, their mother died under unexplained circumstances. Their efforts at attending real schools, finding friendships and outside interests are all thwarted by their father who has trai...

Bodies in Beds: Why Business Should Stay Out of Prisons by Sue Binder is a compelling critique of the privatization of prisons in the United States. The author shines a light on how the drive for profit has undermined the essential function of prisons: rehabilitation and the well-being of inmates. With a focus on privatized prisons' failure to provide adequate mental health care and the ongoing issues surrounding the prison-industrial complex, this book serves as both a personal a...

"Mr. Living History"--that's what divorcee Lexi Feinstein dubbed Nate Wilcox from the moment she almost ran over him and his horse on her first day of work at Winstead National Park. Wilcox represents everything distasteful to her. Because he's a re-enactor, she is sorely reminded of her father's "wannabe" acting career, which provides painful memories of her childhood. Nate still struggles with the death of his wife in an auto accident, in which he was the driver. His son, Justin, was cri...

Margaret Frazier struggles to hold onto her wheat farm, following the death of her husband. He had made all the business decisions and Maggie is having to learn from scratch how to budget and manage the farm. After two years, her efforts seem hopeless. On a late afternoon, during a fierce dirt storm, she almost runs Michael Warman down with her pickup. Once a successful songwriter, Mike no longer seems to fit into the new music business. Coming off a recent divorce, his finances are shatte...

We all experience grief. Often it comes through the death of a loved one—the most recognizable type of grief. Yet, loss takes many faces and creates sorrow in multiple ways, including burying our grief in silence. Many people do not realize how powerful other losses can be--the impact on individuals. For example, the death of a pet can be overwhelming. A missing child, a home lost to fire or a tornado, firing from an enjoyable job, a divorce and loss of child custody, a long-term relations...

Can privatization really help solve America's prison problems? A mental health professional tells a compelling story of suicidal inmates and mistreated inmates, with staff working overtime without compensation while frustration grows.

Lindsay and Amber Kellen yearn to escape from the secluded life imposed by their domineering father, a brilliant scientist. Since childhood they have resided on Earth A-2, an alternate dimension, where they have been "called" to cleanse infected worlds. As both women begin to question the nature of their work, they struggle with their father's alcoholic rages and mental unraveling.When Lindsay is lost during a quantum jump, Amber is forced to take on a new leadership role. She stru...

Little did Greg Bond realize the double storm he was in for when he moved his 15-year-old twin daughters to a small rural community during the midst of one of the largest blizzards to hit the area. The girls almost immediately stumble into a dangerous situation that leads them straight to counseling. Greg's meeting with the therapist, Joanne Keating, adds to the storm in his life. A single divorced dad with an ex-wife who is a drug addiction, an inherited bookstore in disarray, rebellious ...

Caution! Detour ahead! This collection of 15 short stories emphasizes how life's detours can significantly alter the course of a person's life. Some detours may lead to positive outcomes, success, fame, wealthy. Other decisions can take a person down a destructive path, a path that can be irreversible. Detour is the third book in this author's Road Trilogy and much like the previous two, deals with characters who must live with the consequences of their decisions. The reader will find a va...

If you've ever moved across town, to another city or state, you may have had to make tough decisions. What do you save? Throw away? Lyrics from the Loft describes how sorting through boxes of personal history can evoke powerful memories. Of course, a major problem with sorting old boxes involves the time, the energy. Each item produces memories and discarding can take great deliberation, difficult decisions. The author focuses on family flashbacks, memories of her deceased parents, a decea...