Showing results by author "Kevin Grote" in All Categories

In 1740s colonial Maryland, a young woman's family tobacco plantation is failing due to the Crown's oppressive trade regulations. To save her family from ruin, the sharp and determined Eliza must navigate the treacherous world of Annapolis society, all while dealing with malicious rivals and a zealous new customs official. Her desperate situation leads her to the legendary "Chesapeake Raven," an elusive smuggler and a hero to the struggling colonists. Eliza is compelled to form a dangerous alliance with the Raven, whose true identity is revealed as the seemingly idle and detached gentleman,...

In the brutal crucible of the mid-18th century North American frontier, where the French and Indian War rages, emerges the gripping tale of Kittanning: A Baptism of Fire. This historical fiction thrusts Scottish-born surgeon Hugh Mercer into the heart of a devastating conflict: the Kittanning Raid of September 1756. A man of intellect and learning, Mercer finds his European sensibilities challenged by the raw savagery of frontier warfare and the moral complexities of a punitive expedition against the Lenape (Delaware) village of Kittanning. As whispers of retribution fill the stifling air ...

HANNASTOWN The Final Battle of the American Revolution The war may be over in the east, but on the Western Frontier, the bloodiest chapter has just begun. It is the brutal summer of 1782. While politicians negotiate peace, the Pennsylvania frontier is locked in a vicious territorial war fueled by ancient blood debts. Hannastown, the isolated county seat and last bastion of American law before the wild Ohio territory, stands exposed and alone. Its wooden courthouse, a promise of permanence, is now a target. A devastating force—a combined army of Seneca, Wyandot, and British Rangers —is ...

The whispers started subtly. Now, the darkness is turning them against themselves. Leo, Maya, Sam, Chloe, and Noah—the Oakhaven Keepers—thought they understood the threats that face Aethelgard, the hidden realm of noble magic. They have faced down shadows before and emerged stronger, their friendship an unbreakable bond. But the darkness has returned, and this time it is personal. The chilling, pervasive Shadow Weaver’s Song is not draining Aethelgard’s energy; it is attacking the Keepers’ minds and the very foundations of their unity. The Song amplifies their deepest, most ...

The Shifting Veil follows the Oakhaven Keepers as they navigate a world where the boundary between the town of Oakhaven and the magical realm of Aethelgard is no longer a wall, but a translucent membrane. While the veil was stabilized in previous adventures, it now allows constant "bleed-throughs" of magic into everyday life. The original five Keepers—Leo, Maya, Sam, Chloe, and Noah—along with their parents, struggle with the exhaustion of managing frequent magical anomalies like the "Winter Bloom" (a sudden patch of glowing flowers) and mischievous sprites that tangle shoelaces and ...

"In the static, I am the ground. In the code, I am the error. When the world is synced, I remain analog." Jax thought the "al-mumin" repository was just another digital treasure hunt—a way to kill a boring Friday night in suburban Maryland. But some firewalls were never meant to be bypassed, and some gates were meant to stay 404. When high-school hacker Jax and his friends stumble upon a private digital archive, they accidentally perform a "Handshake" with a thousand-year-old nightmare. This isn’t just a virus; it is Astwihad, a Persian Div—an entity of "smokeless fire" that has ...

The secret they vowed to keep is now a world they must save. The Keepers—Leo, Maya, Sam, Chloe, and Noah—are spending their summer trying to master the magic they discovered in their quiet town. But when the ancient Oak emits a guttural cry of distress, their apprenticeship is over. A tear in reality delivers a desperate message: an obsidian-black feather from the hidden world of Aethelgard. Through terrifying visions, the children learn that the magical realm is under attack by the Umbra, shadowy entities that feed on light and hope. If the Umbra consumes Aethelgard, the protective ...

In the Allegheny Mountains, winter demands a heavy toll. For two years, Dr. Elias Jacobs has lived on the fringe of Conemaugh, nursing his grief like a fever after losing his family to the plague. He has traded his scalpel for rye and his hope for cold, bitter cynicism. But on the stroke of midnight, a violent summons pulls him back into the world he abandoned. Elias is met by the Belsnickel, a towering, antlered judge draped in heavy iron chains, who demands he undertake a perilous journey into the frozen heart of the mountain. A child is dying of the Rime-Sickness, and only Elias—the ...

England, 1685. The death of Charles II shatters a fragile peace, thrusting his openly Catholic brother, James, onto the throne. Whispers of fear and dissent ripple through a staunchly Protestant nation, igniting a powder keg of anxieties over religious freedom and absolute rule. From the shadows of Dutch exile, James Scott, the charismatic Duke of Monmouth—illegitimate son of the late King and a Protestant champion—sees his chance. He lands on English soil, igniting a desperate rebellion. But his dream of a "Protestant Dawn" quickly descends into chaos. As Monmouth's raw, untrained army...

"A Children's Book of Common Prayer" is a nurturing guide designed to introduce young hearts (ages 2+) to the foundational concepts of faith, prayer, and virtue. This non-denominational book provides simple, accessible prayers for daily routines (morning, daytime, evening, meals) and special occasions, alongside simplified traditional prayers like "The Lord's Prayer" and "Angel of God." It gently instills core virtues such as kindness, sharing, forgiveness, and hope, drawing lessons from the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, and the Fruits of the Spirit. The book features ...

A forgotten farm. A reclusive grandmother. A fortune buried in secrets. When the news arrives that their eccentric, long-estranged grandmother Edwina Adams has passed away, Sarah, a designer drowning in debt, and Mark, a struggling musician, expect nothing but a dilapidated farmhouse and a mountain of financial burdens. Edwina, after all, was known only for her reclusive life and perceived poverty. But a cryptic letter and a rusty coffee can hidden in a dusty pantry ignite an unexpected treasure hunt. What begins as a cynical search for quick cash soon unravels into a mesmerizing trail of ...

In a home with a sterile, modern aesthetic, the new homeowners, Chloe and Liam, are "digital natives who believed every problem had a digital solution". After a disastrous, app-guided Thanksgiving dinner, they decide to replace their old, well-loved appliances with new, "smarter" ones. The old appliances, including Marvin the stand mixer and Fritz the wooden spoon, are relegated to the pantry. They are replaced by sleek, new appliances like EVE, the smart oven, and ARC, the smart fridge. Led by Marvin, the old appliances decide to stage a revolt to prove their worth. Their mission is ...

In the tense year of 1772, as political unrest simmers across the American colonies, a different, more sinister storm is brewing. Benjamin Franklin, the celebrated scientist, printer, and statesman, is inadvertently drawn into a horrifying mystery. A renowned theatrical troupe, led by the charismatic and depraved actor Ravensby, is traveling the Eastern Seaboard, leaving a trail of vanished young women in their wake. What begins as a simple request to place a missing person advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette transforms into a chilling mosaic of interconnected disappearances. Franklin...

Liam O’Connell, an East Village graphic designer, is a dreamer who watches the world from his fire escape. His quiet life is upended when he sees a beautiful, mysterious woman drop an antique locket and vanish into a cab. Convinced it's a sign of destiny, Liam embarks on a quest to find her, armed with only the locket and its cryptic Latin inscription, “Perpetua Virtus, Semper Novum” (Eternal Virtue, Always New). With his improv-actor friend, Noah, by his side, Liam's search becomes a modern fairytale. The trail leads them through a series of colorful characters and unlikely allies, ...

DINOPALOOZA! is a story set in a world where dinosaurs can sing, and modern birds are their descendants. The most prestigious event in this world is the Great Dino-Song Contest. The story follows a group of young dinosaurs with unusual voices who are bullied by the Chorale Clan, a group of dinosaurs with flawless, harmonious singing voices. The main character, Archie the Archaeopteryx, struggles with his embarrassing "rooster crow". Feeling excluded, the group embarks on a journey to find the legendary "Maestro's Horn," which is rumored to "cure" their unique voices and help them be ...

In the late 19th century, Bostonian scholar Cora Thorne finds herself in a "Bostonian Cage" when her father, Elijah Thorne, vanishes while on an expedition to the American Southwest. Desperate, she places an advertisement seeking skilled frontiersmen. This call to action draws the attention of the flamboyant writer Ned Buntline , who, despite his incompetence , leads her to the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody. Cora convinces a recovering Bill to guide her expedition, and he assembles a team of iconic Western figures, including the quick-witted Texas Jack Omohundro and the stoic Wild Bill Hickok...