The Elemental Witch League: The Fog by Malcolm Chester

As the third entry in the Elemental Witch League trilogy, The Fog raises the stakes to biblical proportions, opening with Satan and the Nephilim unleashing a supernatural “end-of-days” weapon meant to drown the world in terror and death. From there, the novel widens fast—into a globe-spanning, good-versus-evil conflict where a young “Fundamental Witch,” Susan, and her …

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Margaret Stenerson Releases Two Inspiring Books That Celebrate the Wonder of Teaching and Science in Everyday Life

Veteran educator and author Margaret Stenerson announces the release of two powerful books that shine a light on the transformative power of knowledge, curiosity, and lifelong learning: My Noble Profession (Third Edition) and The Joy of Knowing: Everyday Wonders and Science Stories. Together, these titles offer a heartfelt tribute to teaching as a calling, and …

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The Jesus Trail: Following in the Footsteps of Christ by Pierce Kelley

The Jesus Trail: Following in the Footsteps of Christ by Pierce Kelley is a deeply moving and contemplative novel that follows sixteen-year-old Mekhaeil Zacharias, a Coptic Christian, as he undertakes a pilgrimage from Nazareth through the Galilee to Jerusalem. Still reeling from the horrific murder of his two older brothers and nineteen other Coptic Christians …

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ISLE OF WRATH

The city of Lunaris is isolated from the pain of the past. Indeed, that’s the price its residents pay for asylum there: Their personal histories are erased from their memories, which allows them to live free from trauma. However, this apparent blessing may hide its own curse; as protagonist Ada Temperance Acevedo learns, “safety is …

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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Darnnell Reese. Desert Storm Veteran Breaks Decades of Silence on Trauma; Turns to Faith and Writing to Confront Bullies

My ALLi author guest this episode is Darnnell Reese, a Desert Storm combat veteran and former Military Intelligence analyst. During her service, she experienced trauma both on the battlefield and within her own unit, which she kept silent about for decades. With the encouragement and help of her daughter, she finally put that story into …

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THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Having observed, and often participated in, presidential campaigns for more than half a century, Sloan offered readers weekly commentary via Substack throughout the summer and fall of 2024 on the presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Even as a vocal minority within the Democratic Party questioned Harris’ leadership and viability, the author believed …

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BEAUTIFUL BLACK BOY

Each spread delivers a concise declaration: “Beautiful Black Boy, / You are imaginative. / Believe in the impossible. Dream big.” The text is simple but purposeful, presenting qualities such as strength, hope, and resilience with clarity and pride. Robinson’s rhythmic phrasing reads like a mantra, encouraging readers to internalize the message. Daley’s vibrant illustrations amplify …

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LITTLE BEE

As the holiday approaches, Ms. Tam announces a classwide party-planning contest; students will vote on their favorite idea. Excitement grows, but not all students are thrilled about the holiday. Bee, who has two fathers, was conceived via egg donor and carried by a surrogate, and she isn’t sure if her dads will even be invited. …

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WHAT IF IT WASN’T MY FAULT

Seventeen-year-old Indigo “Indie” Watson is a star soccer player at her school in Meadow Creek, Pennsylvania, and she’s also the emotional cornerstone of her family. At a Saturday night party, Indie drinks too much with her friend and crush, “Boy X”; the next morning, she doesn’t remember what happened, but she suspects that he raped …

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HERE WHERE WE LIVE IS OUR COUNTRY

Founded by young revolutionaries in 1897 in what is now Vilnius, Lithuania, the Bund was “a sometimes-clandestine political party whose tenets were humane, socialist, secular, and defiantly Jewish,” as writer and artist Crabapple has it. Descended from Bundists and Puerto Rican radicals, Crabapple (née Caban) immediately connects the Bundist experience with modern leftist struggles: “The …

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Substack as a Marketing Tool for Indie Authors, with Orna Ross

Is Substack a smart marketing tool for indie authors? In this episode, Orna Ross explores the platform’s strengths for marketing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books—including reader community, discoverability, and subscription options—alongside weaknesses like limited e-commerce, conflicting priorities, and the risks of building on a venture-backed platform whose goals may shift over time. She concludes that …

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