Books published by Beacon Publishing Group

A firstborn son entered this world with a glisten in his eyes revealing something special about the child. His underprivileged parents felt that he could do no wrong. He was special because of his ability, appearance, and will.An antagonizing family called the Majors cause Johnny and the rest of the family much misery throughout most of the story.Years later, another son was born unexpectedly and unwanted. He was growing up alone in a cold world during the depression of the 1930s. The big brother recognized the loneliness of his little brother and decided that he would ensure that the young boy would be treated fairly in life. He takes on a fatherly role in raising Joey, but WWII begins, and Johnny is soon drafted into the military after a short career as a street fighter.The once gifted Johnny comes back from war after suffering horrifying experiences and multiple wounds. He is a psychological wreck and the Majors will not go away.Joey ends up going into the Korean War and is placed into a suicide mission. Shortly after his brief war experience, he is sent home with a serious wound. After his recovery, he must take on the role as the leading brother when the Majors go too far.

When a billionaire game manufacturer finds out he''s dying from an incurable disease, he summons three former close friends from college to pilot a new murder mystery game his company''s developing.Estranged since graduation, each has fallen on hard times and see the invitation as a way of soliciting financial assistance from their wealthy friend. But there''s a reason that the men have not talked to each other since college and coming together means opening old wounds.After the billionaire dies from strange circumstances, the friends decide to continue to play in the hopes of collecting a sizeable sum given to the person that solves the game.  When it''s revealed that the game was designed to expose the individual guilty of a murder forty years ago in college, the true meaning of friendship is tested as the men compete not only for the prize but also to stay alive in the process.

Set in the backdrop of 1960s Coney Island, Detective Sergeant Roscoe Brown and his partner Detective Jimmy Walsh of the Homicide Unit solve some of the most strange and curious murder cases New York has ever seen.To the tourist, Coney Island is known as the "Playground of the World": home of the Wonder Wheel, Steeplechase Park, and the famed Cyclone roller coaster. On the surface, Coney Island is all fun and games, but there''s the dark underbelly of evil, depravity, and murder that is the world of Detective Sergeant Roscoe Brown.Detective Sgt. Roscoe Brown is a hybrid of iconic detectives of a bygone era; he is an amalgamation of the old school, hard-nosed, tough, no-nonsense cop. Who always goes by the book...most of the time. His cases involve serial killers, psychos, assassins, and Nazis. Bizarre cases that include everything from a murdering polygamist to a street gang cross-dressing killer. From a Nazi revenge executioner to the real untold story behind the JFK assassination. Finally, the sensational untold stories locked away for years in the dusty files of the NYPD are brought to light.In the sordid world of Detective Sergeant Roscoe Brown, there are only three kinds of people, either you''re a witness, a suspect, or you''re the victim.

Eight years ago, James'' friend Emory disappeared, leaving behind his memoirs and the promise of a hidden cache of $3 million. James published the memoir and became a famous professor. But his obsession with Emory''s disappearance destroyed his personal life. He never went to find the money. Years later, James'' former student, Melanie, knocks on his door with a clue that Emory might still be alive. Together, they take to the road with a copy of Emory''s memoir and a taunting riddle someone sent them. Is the riddle a hint from Emory? Why is he reaching out? And what happened to the money James never went looking for? ∩╗┐∩╗┐∩╗┐∩╗┐∩╗┐∩╗┐∩╗┐If You Find Emory Walden is author James Wallace Birch''s long-anticipated follow up to the reader-acclaimed Discontents: The Disappearance of a Young Radical. Join James and Melanie on a journey through claustrophobic cities, suburban nightmares, and wide-open roads as they chase down the riddle of the disappearance of a notorious fugitive. Follow their van life on the road. Sing along with them to early 2000s pop punk and emo bands. But don''t trust everything you read in this fascinating blend of suspense, mystery, adventure, and nostalgia.

Henry Davis kicks the bucket at a Los Angeles hospital. Unlike Elvis who has left the building, Henry's still there and aware of everything around him, including his toxic ex-wife's hookup attempt with his doctor. So begins Henry's stint in the spirit world.Contrary to what Hollywood would have us believe, the dead don't wear white sheets or sport human bodies. They have the outline of a body and face similar to their own and are covered with silvery transparent scales. They come and go as they please, but only spirits can see or hear other spirits. It's a good thing, too, because they look like something you might see on a bad LSD trip.Having come of age in '60s and '70s New York City, Henry quickly discovers he can get high by inhaling the second-hand smoke of the living potheads at the Santa Monica apartment building he inhabits. Much of this imbibing takes place at the pool.Whether hitching a ride on the back of an oblivious surfer's bike, helping his deceased buddy in apartment 105 find a dead mate in T.J. Maxx or stowing aboard a cruise ship to Cabo, Henry navigates the afterlife with heart and humor, encountering a diverse bunch of characters from both worlds."Stoner Ghosts of Santa Monica" is an optimistic spin on the afterlife, a place where fun, love, creativity and friendship flourish. It is a story of  people who are dead, but party on.

With her sister still lost in the Forest, apprentice mage Enkarini is practicing harder than ever in the hopes of finding some way of getting her back safely. A combination of natural talent and stubborn determination help her to quickly become one of the most skilled mages on Drenius, despite her tender age. When the green dragons of the Lost Lands become agitated and fly south, burning all in their path, Enkarini discovers she possesses abilities far beyond anyone's expectations.

When a body is found during a blizzard, Special Agent Aaron Barnum is called in to investigate. Immediately he discovers clues that makes the local sheriff’s theory of an accidental death seem absurd. There are too many questions left unanswered. What did the deputy who found the body see disappear into the storm? What made the strange tracks that were around the body when the deputy found it? Who or what dragged the body a quarter-mile from where it was originally found?, and what does the hermit Wildman Bob know that he isn’t telling?Agent Barnum’s meager outdoor survival skills in the cold will be tested to the maximum, and his ability to evade death when there is no escape tested even more.

Our Disunited States of America is about the self-destructive struggle between America’s two political tribes (the conservatives and the liberals). Each of these tribes have been trying to gain and maintain control of our country. Both have taken turns in leading our nation, and each tribe has been pushed aside after a few years, only to come back later. This is truly a back-and-forth type of government.The book does not take sides to favor one tribe over the other. Instead, it examines the problem of our political dysfunction by describing the competing visions, the end of moderation, tribal membership and painful histories. Then it looks at the causes by analyzing the underlying factors (psychological, social and experiential), the role of the media, manipulation strategies (that only exacerbate the conflict) as well as Russian disinformation.  Finally, the book focuses on solutions that range from winner-take-all approaches to structural changes in government, as well as moderating factors (population shifts, a greater role for women, generational changes, revitalizing rural and small-town America and dedicated moderation advocates).The bottom line is that our nation is in trouble. Countries, like Russia, that want us to “leave the stage,” are not only enjoying our political dysfunction; but they are also feeding us disinformation to raise the level of our internal struggles. This does not have to continue. We can do better; and we will do better.

Between the Earth and Heaven flows a sea without a shore. Faith Avalon, a junior at Zevon High, has no idea that her English assignment is about to make her a coffee-craving mariner on its otherworldly waves. The new kid, Tommy Connor, and her old friend Roy Belmont, the martial arts prodigy who studies with her father, are also caught in the riptide as messengers from the higher realms come sailing into town. And when all three of them begin to manifest strange powers, it only puts them in greater danger from a rising demon-cult.After Tommy and Roy start to bond by way of a cataclysmic fist fight and car chase, the FBI becomes involved—as does a purple-skinned princess from the land of the Elves. Events that have been simmering since the last of the Nephilim perished five thousand years ago are coming to a volcanic boil, and every denizen of the mystic sphere is suddenly looking for Faith and her friends. When they arrive in Faerie, not only demons and telepathic dragons come prowling from the shadows, but visitors from another planet as well. Roy barely has time to learn the rudiments of Elvish martial arts, nor Faith of Elvish magic, before Tommy is sent on a quest that will take them across the Bridge over Hell to whatever lies beyond.When the dust settles, the three friends will have surpassed the limits of their courage, friendship, and face-punching abilities. But in the town of Zevon, island in the Shoreless Sea, the dust never settles.

Living in upstate New York, computer salesman Colin Hampton never thought he’d have to risk his life and soul to save his family. But after being attacked by the demon Apophis and left for dead, he learns that he may be the last person able to prevent Hell on Earth.Exorcist turned demon-hunter, Father Mitch Stackwell, witnesses Colin’s miraculous recovery and recruits him into service. If they can’t kill Apophis, the antichrist will start his reign ten days from now.But someone has found the legendary ring, Solomon’s Seal, and they aren’t done bringing unholy monsters into our world. Armed with sanctified weapons and a mysterious gift, Colin and Mitch must stab and exorcise their way through Satan’s lieutenants in a race to prevent Armageddon and save Colin’s family.

As a Captain in the King's army, Taryn Ellsbree led his men with courage and honor, winning battle after battle to become a decorated war hero. And though he escaped death, survived war and claimed victory, he paid a heavy price. Not only did he lose valuable men, his brothers in arms, he lost something even more precious - a piece of his soul.He returns home with a heavy heart, too overwhelmed by pain and guilt to forgive himself. Only just beginning to heal, he is thrust once again into the chaos of war, ordered to lead his young cadets to what he fears is certain death.A fateful error in judgement costs him his freedom and he suffers greatly at the enemy's hands. Struggling to survive, he is soon overcome by agonizing grief, and spirals into despair.Finally rescued, he realizes the error of his ways and attempts to make amends. Convinced his actions will serve the greater good, he embarks on a path of self-destruction until an unlikely ally forces him to confront his demons.The war may be over, but Taryn's inner battle has just begun, testing him in ways he never thought possible.

Leaving behind a corporate job in the suburbs of Boston, a middle-aged John Harrington returns home to West Cork, Ireland, where he discovers 100-year-old letters in the attic of his childhood home that draw him into a family mystery. The letters reveal his great-grandparents' obsession with the megalithic mound known as Brú na Bóinne and its ancient supernatural inhabitants … the People of the Flow.As John search for answers turns up more questions, a car accident and Near-Death Experience has a profound effect on his psyche. Recovering at his childhood home with a stash of morphine and Guinness, John hallucinates a Viking ancestor and companion who loves Led Zeppelin and crunchy peanut butter.As a recovering John starts a relationship with the local librarian, they join forces and follow clues to a barren stretch of Irish coastline and a druidic burial site inside a cliff-side cave. Their discoveries lead them on a spiritual journey to India, where they learn age-old mystical traditions about megalithic temples, divine sex, and the wonders of the afterlife.

Salvador Pitello is a middle-aged news writer from Brooklyn, New York. He is sitting at the funeral for Mary-ann, a prominent figure in the neighborhood, listening to Mary-ann's husband, Allan, speak. Though the event is somber, the mood is celebratory because of the impact Mary-ann had in her community.Three years earlier, Sal found an article about a woman who had wandered from home. After further investigation, he realizes the woman was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's. As the story unfolds, Sal sets out to write a novel about Mary-ann and tell her story. Known as 'Mama' by everyone in the neighborhood, Mary-ann opened a soup kitchen with her best friend, Sharice, in the 1950s and was an integral part in making most of Brooklyn a safe NYC borough.Sal watches as the disease begins to take Mary-ann further from reality; and he witnesses the toll it has on Allan and their six children. After being placed in the Rehabilitation Ward at a hospital, Mary-ann eventually meets a young boy with brain cancer, Landon, who has a knack for remembering everything. Their relationship blossoms and Mary-ann seems to feed off of his energy at times, showing signs who she once was. Until one day, Mary-ann gladly found a way to give her life for his.