Showing results by author "Robert E. Kearns" in All Categories

Enter the vibrant, gas-lit streets of 19th-century Dublin, where camaraderie and temptation collide in this enthralling tale of friendship, desire, and unexpected love. When charismatic London socialite Bertie arrives in Dublin at the behest of his old university friend Charles, the city’s allure promises a week of revelry. But Bertie’s insatiable appetite for adventure leads them to Monto, Dublin’s notorious red-light district, where a chance encounter with Cailín, a captivating Irish beauty with a mysterious past, turns his world upside down. As Bertie’s fleeting fascination ...

In the bustling heart of 1920s Dublin, Rita Reilly is born into a life of modest privilege; her family’s thriving shop promising a bright future. Raised in comfort and educated for success, Rita’s world is upended at fourteen when a violent assault shatters her innocence, leaving her pregnant and forced to confront a society that shuns her. Sent to a remote convent in Offaly, she endures isolation and judgment, giving up her daughter to an uncertain fate. Returning home, Rita finds her once-vibrant family crumbling under the weight of shame, financial ruin, and her father’s descent ...

In the bustling frontier town of Calvin, Texas, where the railroad fuels dreams of prosperity, a charismatic stranger named Marty Kilbride arrives with a smile that captivates, and with a past that is shrouded in mystery. Tall, well dressed, and exuding an almost regal charm and confidence, Kilbride soon ascends to the very heart of the community, claiming the title of Mayor and along with it, the adoration of its citizens. With a gleaming saloon and a knack for winning hearts, he seems the embodiment of the American dream—until his personality reveals a chilling second side. Beneath ...

Badington Bay, a quaint seaside hamlet lies quiet in the off-season, its vibrant summer charm shuttered and still. Into this ghostly coastal town steps Mr. Chelmsford, a sharply dressed gentleman with a hidden agenda and a purse full of promises. Arriving under the guise of sophistication, he seeks a clandestine arrangement orchestrated by a crooked, cunning local and his enigmatic daughter. But as the chilly winds of November sweep through the harbor, Chelmsford’s carefully laid plans unravel in a chilling encounter that defies reality itself. In this gripping tale of deception and ...

In the frost-bitten heart of County Kildare, where lush pastures lie buried under winter's unyielding grip, bachelor farmer Jeremiah Kildare unearths more than just fuel for his hearth. While digging peat from the ancient bog—a sacred family plot hiding secrets such as illicit poteen—Jeremiah disturbs a relic from Ireland's primordial past: a colossal wolf, preserved in pristine terror by the tannin-rich earth, its massive size twice that of any beast in legend. As Jeremiah hauls his incredible discovery home, thawing it before a crackling turf fire, what begins as curiosity spirals ...

In Ireland's cutthroat corporate landscape of late 1980s, Bill McQuarrie, a young man trapped in a dead-end job, is thrust against his will into another company. Hoping at least or a fresh start, he instead encounters Desmond Farley, a cold and calculating manager whose disdain chills the air. As Farley’s subtle tyranny and manipulative tactics erode McQuarrie’s spirit, a vivid nightmare of a lion-filled arena mirrors his growing dread, with Farley as the imperious emperor orchestrating his downfall. Meanwhile, Brian Healy, the cunning and ruthless managing director behind the recent ...

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Dublin, The Tan Yards by Robert E. Kearns weaves a haunting narrative of tradition, tension, and retribution. In a forgotten tract of land known as the Tan Yards, (a relic of a former village's extinct tanning trade), local youths gather each October to build a Halloween bonfire; a ritual that binds their community in primal celebration. Amidst the flickering flames and fleeting alliances, the story unveils the dark legacy of the Prizeman family, whose brutish presence looms large over the neighborhood. When Victor Prizeman, a volatile and feared outsider, ...

In the quiet chill of an Irish winter, Thomas McCabe, a retired everyman, wanders Dublin's streets, seeking purpose in the wake of an altered lifestyle. Each day, from the frost-kissed paths of St. Stephen’s Green to the bustling energy of O’Connell Street, McCabe observes the world with a keen eye, weaving stories for strangers and grappling with the weight of his own solitude. In this evocative novella, McCabe's daily walks become a canvas for reflection—on seasons that shift, a city that evolves, and a life that teeters between routine and revelation. As McCabe navigates Dublin’s...

Ronald Byrne, a teacher in in a 1980s Dublin school is the debating society's founder. He is fastidious in appearance, reliable, and never out sick. He dyes his hair, and almost always looks the same. However, he also possesses the condition of being unmemorable. Everyone knows little-to-nothing about his private life. Plus, they aren't the least bit inquisitive. Fr. Noel O'Loughlin, is an art teacher in the same school. He is cruel and sadistic, and punishes anyone who appears to have blemished the white walls of his classroom, which he paints himself. On the night of the season's opening ...

For generations, in the shadowed heart of a small Irish town, O’Leary Funeral Directors have been renowned as the silent custodians of death. Their name synonymous with solemn expertise and an eerie, unbroken lineage of undertakers. But beneath their impeccable suits and stoic facades lies a chilling legacy that defies the natural order. When twin brothers Christopher and Andrew are born, the family’s rigid traditions begin to fracture. One boy embraces the macabre with a fervor that borders on obsession. The other recoils from the darkness that defines their trade. As the twins come of...

In a world that is doomed to cycles of war, three rulers (A Tribal Chief, A Modern Dictator, and a Post-Apocalyptic and Self-Appointed King) grapple with their inner demons, as the seasons shift and power corrupts them. Each faces the same quandary: can destruction give rise to salvation? From blood-soaked battles to nuclear annihilation, identical choices ripple through time, shaping empires and bringing about destruction. Seed is a haunting saga of ambition, betrayal, and the primal urge to conquer. And with each victory comes the burden of despair. Perfect for fans of dark, introspective...

Tommy is a music enthusiast and attends the Orchestra School of Music in Waterford,. There, he's a favorite of its head teacher, Tina. One day, Tommy comes to Tina and tells her that the flute he plays on went missing from its usual spot in the bedroom. Tommy then borrows a recorder from Tina as an experiment to find out who took it. Staying awake after dark, he leaves the recorder next to his open window, and is surprised when a huge Bigfoot creature approaches. Thrills and adventure await Tommy, when after stowing away to the North Pole, he finds himself in the igloo home of Tristan the ...

On the frost-kissed streets of Waterford in winter, Reggie Power, a reserved accountant plagued by arthritis and a history of romantic failures, finds his heart ensnared by the enchanting Delilah Phelan. Her radiant beauty and effortless charm awaken a longing he thought had long since departed. But the captivating Delilah is married, and Reggie’s growing obsession threatens to unravel his quiet existence. As their friendship blossoms over late-night chess matches at the Timber Ford Tavern, a single, stolen kiss ignites a dangerous spark. When Delilah confesses her crumbling marriage and ...

In the shadow of Ireland’s Great Famine, Myles, a resilient laborer, clings to hope as hunger and despair ravage his community. With his wife, Hannah, and their infant son, he tends a fragile existence in a stone cottage, warmed only by a dwindling turf fire. But as the potato blight devastates crops and ruthless evictions tear families apart, Myles faces an unenviable choice: remain in a land of starvation and loss or risk everything for a new life in America. Driven by love and desperation, Myles and his family embark on a harrowing journey aboard an emigrant ship bound for New York. ...

In the heart of rural Ireland, where winter’s chill seeps into both the home and the soul, Patrick Purcell lives a solitary life in his antiquated nineteenth-century farmhouse. A man of routine, tethered to a meat processing plant and haunted by the specter of a lonely retirement, Purcell finds solace in the flicker of his television screen. But then a mysterious encounter shatters his isolated existence. One stormy night, a one-legged young woman, Deirdre, appears on the stone wall outside his home, her presence as enigmatic as the rain that soaks her. Drawn to her quiet beauty and ...

A Trophy Life: A Tale of Discovery and Redemption When Allister, a retired Englishman with a penchant for routine, sets out for a morning walk with his spirited dog Digger, he expects nothing more than the usual jaunt through familiar lanes. But a glint of silver on a garden wall changes everything. A discarded golf trophy, etched with the names of forgotten champions, sparks an unexpected obsession, drawing him into the enigmatic life of Edward McEvoy, a man whose past is as elusive as it is intriguing.. As Allister polishes the tarnished cup and uncovers its history, he’s haunted by ...

Another beautiful collection of Poems & Short Stories from Award Winning Author Robert E. Kearns (1st Place 2019 Pencraft Awards for Hy Brasil: Island of Eternity) With Poems & Short Stories volume 2, Kearns gives us a further edition of his thought provoking poetry along with several of his highly entertaining short stories. If prose and poetry are your thing, this is the book for you.

Step into Middle Third, a beguiling suburban enclave in Dublin where the air is sweeter, the sun shines brighter, and a majestic an unusual tree stands as the heart of an almost magical realm. In this little slice of paradise, where cottages bask in an eternal spring, young Concepta Arkin is born under extraordinary circumstances. Her life is intertwined with the mystique of her home, yet beneath the idyllic surface lies a shadow waiting to strike. When Concepta’s first day at school turns into a harrowing encounter with a sadistic nun, the sanctuary of Middle Third is shattered by an ...