Books published by Aventine Press

Hannah, a young woman, raised by her, "old school", grandmother, is living on her own, in New York City. Vacillating between a strict conservative upraising and learning to maneuver the political formalities of corporate America, Hannah finds herself becoming more and more frustrated and angry as she attends, one interview after another. Hannah believed graduating Suma Cum Laude from one of the most prestigious Universities in the country would open the door to an equal position in corporate America, not so.Finally, Hannah''s frustration and anger, caused a collision that meld together two cultures, opening the door to ancestral secrets, catapulting Hannah into a position of power beyond her wildest dreams. A journey destined to bring her face to face with her past, present and future.

How do we keep control over our lives when events seem out of control, especially while hiding from our past? In Chasing the Dream and Declining Fortunes, Kathleen Haun introduced us to the self-reliant and determined Lucy Murphy. In Kathleen's seventh novel, Lucy becomes involved in a mystery that takes place in 1862 Placerville, a gold rush town mentioned in several of her books. While pursuing the solution of a number of ruthless acts challenging the town, Lucy has to confront some difficult truths, both about herself and those closest to her. We also get the full answer only hinted at in Declining Fortunes, as to why she moved her family to Placerville during the Civil War.

The Leap Year Series is a trilogy of coming of age stories of three teenagers, each at successive ages, each growing up during a different leap year in the 1960s - a decade which began flowered in hope, only to steadily wither as it became infected by systemic poisoning of increased turmoil and despair. An intelligent high school freshman endures the established, conventional discipline as he causes trouble and problems, either accidentally or by design; desperately struggles to exhibit his athletic ability; suffers from a parent's abandonment and aftermath; all exacerbated as he begins to seriously encounter teenage girls; ultimately forced into making some hard choices. An older high school boy, almost a loner, cannot deal with the military death of his father whom he worshiped, especially when his father's reputation is called into question, yet continues to emulate him while a related blackmail and murder occur; he awaits baseball season while pursuing dating haphazardly with his attempts failing to fulfill his dreams until he sees 'her', whose true essence is more complex, even mystical than her delightful, warm persona exudes. A pampered, highly attractive, self-centered college girl wants excitement in her perceived boring life, bolstered by her endless string of boyfriend failures; the return of a lost letter thrusts her into an insidious involvement with the sadistic campus drug pusher, his activities, his followers; convictions the world is in chaos and her life in disorder become reinforced during her travels, as she is exposed to political crises and personal pain; returning home, she experiences the hidden ugliness of war, the continuing political upheaval while campus brutality seeps into the town. Within The Leap Year Series, integral persons reappear and are interwoven throughout parts of the trilogy; some for brief periods of time, others longer. Many lesser ones also return for short appearances or mention.

Sittin' around the mountain campfire after a long day of camp cooking and trail riding, this old camp cook entertains the guests with stories of life in the High Lonesome. A few years back she put a bunch of the tales together in a little book called "Campfire Smoke and Trail Dust." She felt real bad on the last book when she got one of the "Wreck" stories wrong and got accused of not being truthful. No problem. There are always more stories to tell when life consists of roaring streams, impassible snowbanks, cliff trails, half-broke mules, and other entertaining stuff. So, being retired and armed with 50 years worth of stories, "Mad Dog" Kritz went ahead and wrote this second book.In this book she went ahead and threw in a few outright lies just so she didn't have to feel bad about messing with the truth. It's also funnier that way. Of course, you folks have no way of telling which ones are true and which are not. Here's a clue. Stories that involve dogs, marmots, mountain lions, mules, and deer are all true. Hope you enjoy it. And by the way, being named "Mad Dog" isn't one of the lies.

The lithium-ion batteries' attributes of being rechargeable, high density, large storage capacity, and versatility in design from hearing aid batteries to batteries for electric vehicles makes lithium batteries desirable for a variety of uses. The large number of smart phones and laptops, plus the expected demand for electric vehicles could cause a great need for lithium. Therefore, The Lithium Rush is On for a worldwide search to find and mine lithium.

The journey of Islam from its place of origin in the Middle East to the remote islands of Eastern Indonesia is an interesting, complicated one. There are many factors involved, but the two primary ones are commerce and Sufism. The spice trade is fairly easy to understand, but Sufism is much more complex. This book draws on several, recently-completed, scholarly works on the teachings of Sufism and their spread throughout the world. It attempts to show how Buton has uniquely preserved elements of this mysticism in its "womb."

War veteran Johanna Halverson gives up living until the love of a Newfoundland service dog helps her recover. Unable to return to her real love, flying, she takes a job in Rhode Island coaching a girls’ soccer team, where she meets Mac, an amputee vet and his service dog. Facing his bullying father, Mac and Johanna team up to save Mac’s farm. Mac’s dysfunctional family, an adversarial coach and a disturbed veteran endanger Johanna’s emotional stability. When it seems Johanna has conquered all obstacles, she learns that an operation to remove shrapnel near her spine could result in total paralysis.

If your heart longs for revival, you will savor this book. If you could care less about revival, this book is what you need. We have the resources in Christ and in God’s Word to live lives empowered by the Holy Spirit and set apart to God.  Yet too many do not live passionately committed to the will and purposes of God. There is still time to experience God’s healing and reviving work, so what are you waiting for?  Will you be one who lets Christ’s power do His reviving work in you? 

In Houses, his first poetry collection, Homer Starkey explores past trauma, sudden loss, self-isolation, and the spirit's ultimate rejuvenation. At times pithy and playful, other times a stream of somber consciousness, these collected poems interlace humor and sorrow to reflect the beautiful struggle of life.

This eagerly awaited sequel to Dear Carrie, Letters From the Eastern Sierra 1878-1899 is Kathleen Haun's second work of historical fiction, set in the wild beauty of the Eastern Sierra. The saga of the Eastman and Perry families continues in a memoir written by Whitney Eastman in 1940 to reveal the long-hidden events occurring in her life between 1900 and 1908. Raised by doting parents and a loving community, Whitney marries and moves north to Bridgeport expecting an equally happy life on a cattle ranch. But she soon discovers that the cloistered security of her childhood was poor preparation for dealing with stunning revelations about her new family, devastating loss, and betrayals that challenge Whitney and those she loves as they weather the passing storms in their lives.

Wolfe Studies: Essays and Critical Reviews is written to start verbal fistfights and maybe settle a few.  It is an uncompromising, no-holds-barred critical look at various portrayals of and approaches to Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin, and company, from films of the 1930s to television in the twenty-first century, and more.  Based on dedicated research into the attitudes, opinions, and statements of actors, authors, directors, critics, readers, writers, and viewers, Wolfe Studies undertakes a clear-eyed observation behind the curtain at what, why, and how these characters are presented.  You might even come to want to take a verbal swing at the author yourself.  You’ll like it.  Or hate it.  Or both.  It is a must-read for the Nero Wolfe devotee.  “In an ever more homogenized world, both real and fictional, Wolfe and Goodwin are not just different from each other; they remain exceptional from everything else.”

Father Don Osuna shares memories covering fifty years of travel experiences with his good friend, classmate and fellow priest, Tony. "As in Kerouac's classic On the Road and Steinbeck's evocative search for America in Travels with Charlie, Don uses a travelogue format to explore the values of friendship, leisure, travel and play.""We've had a lot of enriching experiences," the author writes, "as we covered much of globe. If you're interested and have the time, buckle up, come along and join Two Padres on Holiday

In 1873, the little town of Whitegrass, Texas, located on the Pecos River, is full of hope and ambition. Reverend Josh Hill and his wife, Sarah, minister to a small congregation at the Whitegrass Community Church. Unfortunately, others have grander ambitions, and the murder of a close friend, followed by the arrest of an innocent man, launch Josh and Sarah on a journey that will test Josh's faith.

In Kathleen Haun’s sixth historical fiction novel, packed with actual events of the 1880’s, Amanda and Roger Murphy (introduced in No Trees for Shade) learn that sometimes secrets are revealed in layers.  These secrets dramatically impact the lives of those who are keeping them, as well as those who uncover them.  Meanwhile, the fortunes of once fabulously wealthy mining towns like Bodie in California and Virginia City in Nevada, are changing rapidly, as are the lives of their citizens –- and the society in which they live.

Dr. Skolnick has written a gripping account of her journey from loss back to life. The untimely death of her husband was a life-altering experience that propelled her into an abyss of grief and desolation. How she moved forward slowly from her despair is the subject of this book.