Handpicked by the unread team

The story "RISAN IS TEUTA" was published 2019 in the Croatian language in the Montenegrin literary Magazine ARS by publisher OKF Cetinje: ARS : 2019. Nr. 1-2 (pages 141-150) : https://okf-cetinje.org/marisstella-octek-risan-jest-teuta/The story is Historical literary Fiction, which is why it is presented in some versions of the WIKIPEDIA in the content of Historical topics about the Illyrian tribe, the Illyrian Queen Teuta, and the small city Risan in BOKA KOTORSKA - BOCCHE DI CATTARO - BAY OF KOTOR.Author is Writer, Essayist, and Editor of the City-State Boka Kotorska (CSBK-CSBC): known as th...

Charming B&B Turns Crime Scene: Ghostly Clues Unravel Murder Mystery. Local Author's Death Unveils Scandal, Love Child, and a Heroic Ancestral Spirit.In Murder with a Terrace View, Molly Harrington and her brother Kevin breathe new life into their inherited Classic Revival Manor home, transforming it into a bustling bed and breakfast. However, their idyllic country retreat quickly turns into a chilling crime scene when local celebrity author Aubrey Rhodes is found dead on his room's terrace following a successful book launch party at their B&B.Aubrey's death plunges the Harrington sibl...

In The Wedding Planner’s Secret, Molly Harrington never expected murder to crash the Chamber of Commerce gala. But when Molly and her coroner friend Rick discover wedding planner Brandi Wrocklage dead in the country club's rose garden, her calm life running the Harrington House Bed-and-Breakfast is upended, and she's driven to uncover the truth.As Detective Tony Shannon leads the investigation, Molly finds herself drawn into Brandi’s tangled world of secret clients, suspicious finances, and a cosplay-themed wedding with a guest list no one wants to talk about.  The arrival of antique ...

Stories: true and some not-so true, including war, drama, science fact/fiction, horror, fantasy, faith, adventure and a bio.We can ask ourselves time and again about where it all ends for us, and the answer is always the same - nothing; and then we try to see Beyond, without success. Sure, some think they know the answers, but in reality, like me, they know virtually nothing, as we all grope around in the dark, while squatting here on our lonely planet. Anyway, I have a bent on some of it here, so take it or leave it, I'll have my say.The Greek word Paradigm underlies the theories and methodol...

Three disappearances. No witnesses. No explanations.A colony vanishes from the New World.A pilot dissolves into open sky.A ship drifts on calm seas—intact, abandoned, wrong.History calls them mysteries.These stories suggest something else noticed them first.The Last Known Position is a collection of literary folk horror where isolation is not an accident and landscapes are never empty. Forests watch. Oceans wait. The air itself keeps its distance.Each tale reimagines a real-world vanishing through quiet dread, ancient patience, and the unsettling idea that some places do not forget—and do ...

Every family fights.
This one runs the afterlife.

Heaven and Hell aren’t at war anymore.

They’re just… poorly managed.

Styx and Stonez—immortal twins, rival administrators, and lifelong adversaries—are responsible for keeping eternity on track.

No one is in charge.
Nothing is documented.
And the complaints are piling up.

Worse—no one remembers how the system is supposed to work.

Fans of Good Omens will recognize the chaos.

The Creed was born from a lie.AD 325. The Council of Nicaea.Constantine demands unity. The bishops deliver anything but.They chose the wrong scribe.Behind closed doors, there is no divine consensus.Only threats. Bargains. Quiet coercion.And ink remembers everything.As factions close in and a forbidden connection threatens to expose him, Archelaus faces an unthinkable choice:Tell the truth—and die for it.Or rewrite it—and decide what the world will believe.The Last Heretic is a razor-edged historical thriller for readers of Circe and I, Claudius.One man holds the quill.And history will beli...

He says this is his life.
The problem is, it won’t stay the same.
Elba Kramer is a memoir that revises itself as it goes—starting with a childhood that can’t agree on what happened.
Memories contradict.
Facts dissolve.
The narrator insists he’s telling the truth.
This time.
But if every version feels real…
what does “real” even mean?
You won’t believe this book.
You won’t be able to leave it alone.

Justin Case is twelve.
He writes things down so they make sense.
School.
Rules.
People.
And his dreams—
where everything fits a little too well.
But the more Justin writes, the more things stop lining up.
Memories shift.
Details don’t match.
And a second story begins to emerge—
one that doesn't quite match the first.
The question isn’t whether Justin is wrong.
It’s whether everyone else is.
For readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Flowers for Algernon, Dear Dairy is a haunting, intimate portrait of a voice trying to be heard in a world that won’t listen.

The Aerie stands as a bastion of peace within an expansive multiverse. A kingdom of soaring spires, living magic, and an ancient power tethered to the heart of The Nexus; the pathway between worlds. Davros Steiner bears the weight of scars etched in flesh, family, and memory. With his beloved wife, Kaiaa'Soumia, and their formidable brood of children, he strives to rebuild a world splintered by war and time.But peace is fragile, and old shadows are stirring.When monstrous voidborn creatures known as Thesekar breach The Aerie through ruptured skies, their sanctuary is thrown into chaos. The inv...

100 Days of Trump is a foretelling of what Trump's second term will be like.

This is a historian's view of the future based on the past. From Henry VIII, this book looks at the trauma ahead and the future of Canadian-American relations.

A prognosticator of the future, the wit of Colbert and Pepys, the author demonstrates his skill in English and his range of poetic forms. This book will enthrall historians and political scientists alike.

This eclectic memoir spans nearly 70 years, including over 50 years of medical experiences, and describes the intriguing journey of a doctor in a changing world. From working class roots in Glasgow, the author includes student adventures and travels, the rigours of postgraduate training, and the richness and variety of a peripatetic medical life. It is a rollercoaster ride of joy, disappointments, serenity, turbulence, poignancy, adventures, mishaps, serendipity and discovery. Firmly rooted in reality, the narrative includes unique insights into the human condition: the challenges of inner-cit...

Moments charts the intriguing journey of a Scottish doctor's life, traversing  twelve countries across five continents, on a rollercoaster ride of personal and professional experiences. Spanning sixty years and embracing six themes (clinical, sublime, terrifying, salutary, quirky and eclectic, the thirty-six informative and entertaining vignettes explore the beauty and complexity of the human condition.Dramatic narratives such as  "A night on Shawanabis Lake" and "Encounter on the Falls Road" complement the quiet reflections of "Morag's last journey" and "Compassionate companions" an...

Some secrets just won’t stay buried. A construction site provides a horrific discovery when a worker uncovers the skeleton of a small child wrapped in a sleeping bag. Police Chief Matt Foley soon links the murder to another cold case, the hit-and-run death of Attorney Josh Bradford.The long suppressed memory of the young victim’s childhood friend, Sara Bradford may hold the key to both crimes. But Matt has mixed emotions about Sara—his prime suspect in her husband’s murder. Matt soon discovers the twenty-five year old mystery has the power to stretch across decades to kill again.

In Shadow of Justice - The Fall and Rise - someone guns down Detective Robert Cooper outside his apartment, leaving his partner, Detective Josh Watson, devastated. A strange, unsettling occurrence soon makes him question his own sanity. Ignoring his captain’s orders to stay away from the case, he is driven to seek justice. His investigation uncovers a web of deceit stretching beyond the city, leading him to dangerous places, putting his life at risk. As time runs out and the stakes rise, he must piece together the clues to bring the shooter to justice, all while facing unseen dangers and mou...

The Ultimate Math Riddles & Logic Activity Book for Kids!Turn learning into an exciting adventure with this interactive math riddles and logic puzzle activity book designed for kids ages 9–14.Packed with 101 fun brain teasers, step-by-step challenges, and real-life logic puzzles, this book helps kids think smarter, not harder!What Makes This Book Special?101 engaging math riddles & brain teasersStep-by-step problem-solving challengesLogic puzzles based on real-life situationsInteractive write-in activity pagesClear answers with easy explanationsFun illustrations that keep kids engage...

NYPD Detective Josh Watson returns from a transformative trip, haunted by the memory of a woman he left behind. As he tries to move on, a new drug lord rises in the syndicate he previously investigated, only to be overthrown by a ruthless South American rival, plunging the city into chaos. Josh picks up the investigation into the murder of a cop, but his passion for justice fades, leaving him disillusioned.Seeking solace in a new relationship, Josh dives deeper into investigating a mysterious crime organization that threatens his life. As the stakes rise, someone close to Josh faces mortal dan...

Why waste time chasing love when you can be matched by a number?Age, looks, intelligence, wealth — the Attraction Abacus counts it all and gives you your entire romantic worth as a single, eye-opening score. Or does it?When doom-dreaming author, Evelyn Foster, takes an Attraction Abacus flyer from the infuriatingly charming Luke, her carefully unplanned life changes in ways she never expected. Evelyn is soon caught up in fake-dating chaos, questionable matchmaking, and finds herself falling for a man she knows she shouldn’t.Is Luke really the one? Can Evelyn help make the Abacus a global d...

The Night Doctor of Richmond by Tony Gentry is a deeply researched and richly imagined biographical novel about the Medical College of Virginia’s notorious 19th Century grave robber Chris Baker, who readily admitted to robbing hundreds of graves from the city’s Black cemeteries across his long career. Reviled in his time, Baker was regularly featured on the front page of local papers, which called him a ghoul, a witch doctor, a suspected murderer and even a cannibal. He was hounded, jailed, beaten and shot, finding his only shelter inside the walls of MCV’s Egyptian Building, where he pr...

Soon: Martial law declared. U.S. elections canceled. Congress and the courts dissolved. An audacious plan is underway to racially purify the land, one region at a time. In Richmond, Virginia the lights go out. The town is renamed Covenant City and remade as a model for a “homegrown heritage” white Christian nation. This is the story of a young white man who falls in with a cadre of multi-ethnic rebels. They enlist him to go into the city as a spy. Once there, to his surprise, a heritage survey uncovers a heritage from Jamestown settlers. Welcomed with special privileges, he has a fron...

Poetry is a puzzle of expression.  We poets enjoy piecing together images and rhymes to complete a puzzle of our experiences, of our feelings.  Trying to make the pieces fit challenges and liberates us, unleashing the creativity that builds up inside us.  As we add each allusion, each alliteration to the puzzle, it becomes a recognizable picture.  It may not be the most beautiful, yet it is the perfect representation of our momentary selves.  Soul of A Rose is such poetry.Since Rosemary Musachio was twelve, she has written poetry.  Since she cannot verbalize what ...

What happens when a parent’s pursuit of respectability costs a child their sense of belonging, and can that fracture ever be repaired?Scarlet Birthright is a multi-award-winning novella about family, inheritance, and the quiet reckoning that follows abandonment. When Joromi Enoch leaves Trinidad to build a life in America, he also leaves behind his firstborn daughter, Trisha. Years later, both father and daughter are shaped by that choice in ways neither fully understands.This story is for readers who carry complicated family histories, who want narratives that honor cultural truth without s...

She's gone. Vanished from a city so slick it looks like it’s been sprayed with high-gloss paint. But underneath, it's as rotten as a week-old banana in your gym bag. Where silence and deceit are bought and sold like just another commodity.Life as a private investigator was supposed to be easier than being a cop, but for Elias Gentry, it was anything but. Stumbling into forced retirement, a burned-out Gentry reflects on his past, haunted by the memories of a lost cousin, a partner who’s no longer around, and ghosts that whisper about bad decisions, threatening to unravel him.But when he tak...

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke) Roosevelt Theodore Franklin attempts to make it through life day by day. Roosevelt, a retired history professor, is a widower, who lost his beloved wife to cancer, and he has not stopped grieving. He along with his two closest friends, also retired and who have also lost loved ones, form a paranormal investigation group. They hope to find an answer to the question: is there life after death? When asked by a local teacher to investigate a possible haunting of her house, the group discovers an evil be...

SynopsisIn 1969, with thirty dollars stitched into the hem of his jeans and a rucksack slung over his shoulder, a young Indian man climbs the gangway of a cargo ship in Bombay. He has no visa, no guarantees, and no clear destination—only a stubborn belief that life must be larger than the one he has been handed.That single act of departure becomes the hinge on which an entire life turns.Thirty Dollars and a Dream is a sweeping, intimate memoir of migration, loss, resilience, and unlikely love. From the violence and upheaval of Partition-era India to the narrow lanes of Old Delhi; from a chil...

Whisk Of Dust is a book of poetry. It aims to uplift and inspire, as it speaks of love, peace, and life. Sending you on a poetic journey.

Written with great attention to detail, putting the reader solidly in John’s shoes.Cleverly Written, Dynamic Story TellingJohn survived Vietnam, but first, he survived Detroit     This collection of short-stories depicts growing up in 1960s Detroit, capturing the author's childhood adventures—alone or with friends—often marked by both fear and excitement. Vivid descriptions bring his experiences to life, revealing the innocence of boys who chase adventure despite the consequences. Readers may recall their own childhood moments, especially those spent running from danger in...

Detail-rich story that keeps the reader engaged
Great introduction to the life of a young man heading to war
Thought-provoking memoir with smiles and tears

     Mr. Podlaski is well-known for the accounts of his time served in the Vietnam War. However, this short story allows readers to see the beginning. He shares the emotions of being drafted into the U.S. Army on 2-27-70 and how it impacted not only him but also his family.
     If you want to know what these ‘soon-to-be soldiers’ experienced at the Induction Center, then this book is a good place to start.

Realistic and well-written
Great story written by an excellent writer.
Podlaski draws readers into the meat of his stories immediately.

John Kowalski makes it home from the Vietnam War in one piece, and his battles are finally over. Or so he thought. Home for less than a week, John must defend his family from a pair of unwelcomed thugs hell-bent on revenge.

This book is perma-free on Amazon.

The author’s style of writing engages all the reader's senses
This evocative, descriptive micro-read will trigger memories
Author, you got me believing in the bogeyman again!

     As a reward, two fourteen-year-old boys are offered a great first-time opportunity to sit up front in the open and watch a movie at a local drive-in theater. Little did they know the movie would affect them in ways neither had imagined nor would ever forget.
     Pick up a copy to find out what happened.

2025 International Impact Book Award Winner.John writes powerful descriptions of people, places, and things.Gripping story that keeps you in the moment. The author paints a vivid picture that has you right in the middle of the action.Thrilling with a lurking sense of constant danger and death.In this page-turning story of bravery, fear, anger, and determination, the soldiers come to life.Realistic and gritty. The author is a great storyteller“When Can I Stop Running?” is the forerunner to this book.     Only a couple of hours had passed since returning to the firebase. Now, ...

Amazon #1 Best Seller in its category for several weeks.2020 Rave Review Book Club Awards: BOOK OF THE YEARJohn Podlaski tells a military story like few others can. He is a gifted writer and will make all of your senses come alive.Written with great attention to detail, putting the reader solidly in John’s shoes.Cleverly Written, Dynamic Story TellingAn amazing story that brought a night of terror into perspective.     Step into the shadows of the Vietnam War and join two young soldiers, alone in a listening post (LP), in the pitch-black jungle of Vietnam. The night seems to g...

A painfully accurate description of the life of a combat infantryman serving in the jungles of Vietnam.For those who never served, it’s an eye-opener. For those who did, it serves as a reminder of that life long ago."Cherries" presents an unvarnished account, and upon completion, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the trials these young men faced throughout the year.It's a narrative that grips the reader throughout.     In 1970, John Kowalski was among many young, inexperienced soldiers sent to Vietnam to fight in a war that was already controversial. Referred to as �...

Jump Gate III – RoadMaker is the book that was destined to unite books two (Teleporter) and book four (Jump Gate). And sure to be the most difficult to write.This tale was intended to be the story of a journey to our closest, possibly habitable planet, orbiting Proxima Centauri. It is four and a half light-years away. There is, of course, an emergency. We needed one to build a story around. One that gives us a scant one hundred years to reach our destination.Mostly, between here and there are millions and billions of miles of empty space. Potential miles and days, months, years, of very empt...

"Bailey's Big Adventure: The Happy, Crazy Springer Spaniel" A magical, heart warming tale about a joyful dog and the unforgettable journey he shares with his best friend, a young girl named Mia. In their cosy home on Maple Street, Bailey, an energetic Springer Spaniel with floppy ears and boundless curiosity, brings laughter, love, and chaos to everyone he meets.When a simple backyard treasure hunt leads to the discovery of a rusty old key, Mia and Bailey stumble upon a hidden door and enter a secret garden filled with wonder, colour, and new animal friends. Guided by a wise old tort...

STINKERBELL the FARTING Fairy, and the TOYBOX Toys!Meet Tink, a fairy with a very unusual magical problem…Every time she waves her wand — PFFFFFT! — something terribly smelly happens!Inside the toybox, chaos erupts as teddy bears, robots, dolls, and dinosaurs try to solve the mystery of the terrible pong filling the room. Who is causing the thunderous toots? And can the Toybox Toys stop the stink before bedtime?Bursting with giggles, rhymes, and wonderfully silly surprises, Stinkerbell the Farting Fairy is a laugh-out-loud children’s picture book and audiobook perfect for storytime, ca...

What if the centuries between life and death were missing… and you were the proof?Joseph William Horne was born in Devonshire in 1739, the son of a country surgeon, educated in the brutal realities of eighteenth‑century medicine and the unforgiving logic of the Enlightenment. His life should be known only to parish records and fading archives.Instead, he is found alive in 1952.As Joseph recounts his youth, his voice carries the texture of another age: the smells of the anatomy theatre, the peril of Atlantic crossings, the rigid hierarchies of shipboard life, and the moral certainties—and...

Between Two Worlds: An Odyssey BeginsCharlie Barley is adrift—literally and figuratively. Once a Royal Navy man, now a castaway on the sleepy island of Petit St Louis, he’s haunted by heartbreak and the bottle, drifting through sun-bleached days and rum-soaked nights. But when a young journalist arrives, chasing the legend of the mysterious Splitwind, Charlie’s world is upended. What begins as a playful interview soon becomes a journey into the unknown, as Charlie is swept into the orbit of Captain Josiah Patch, a grizzled sea gypsy with secrets of his own.Together, they set sail aboard ...

Some places never forget.And some stories refuse to stay buried.Thirty years ago, young sailor Vincent Brown went ashore on a remote South Atlantic island with his shipmates, Frank and Nobbay. What should have been an unremarkable visit left him instead with a memory he could never explain: two young girls, a moment of strange joy, and whispers carried on the wind.Now, Vincent returns to the island with his daughter—older, haunted, and searching for answers. As he walks the scarlet slopes of diddle dee and the wind‑scoured cliffs above a restless sea, the past begins to surface. History, m...

When everything familiar is taken from her, Rosie Winterbourne does the only thing she knows how to do: she goes to sea.A gifted naval sailor with a fierce will to endure, Rosie is already fractured by loss when her life begins to unravel—her career derailed, her loyalties tested, and her sense of reality itself called into question. Haunted by memory, driven by guilt, and carrying a secret she barely understands, she turns to the one place that has ever offered her clarity: the open ocean.Alone aboard a small yacht, Rosie sets out on a journey that is as dangerous inwardly as it is outwardl...