From Mick Bennett, author of The Belmar Trilogy, comes a new insight into the lives of those of the Belmar region. Beat the Blues focuses on the lives of Katie Kline and Ronny Hopkins.Katie Kline, a hip, introspective eighteen year old, spins classic blues records and reads Susan Sontag. Rebellious next-door neighbor Ronny Hopkins loves everything about her. A Polaroid photo launches them on a tempestuous, romantic odyssey stretching from the Kent State shootings ...

The Missing You in Belmar, NJ trilogy concludes with Summer Mirrors, where change shapes the lives of the five main characters, drawing them closer to their shared core—resilience. As Labor Day nears, Jimmy is determined to heal his family relationships and earn respect. But the summer's twists aren't over yet. With autumn's harsh reality on the horizon, Jimmy comes to understand that empathy doesn't require shared blood, courage often works quietly in th...

In the second volume of the Missing You in Belmar, NJ trilogy, Boardwalk Man, Jimmy Hanlon makes his difficult return from Key West to Belmar. As old suspicions come to light, the familiar party bars lose their charm, and a strange tragedy changes the course of the summer. Ronny, once a companion to June, shifts into a source of conflict as July unfolds. Amidst the turmoil, Jimmy strives to support Alice while navigating both old and new heartaches. Despi...

It's the summer of 1987, and Jimmy Hanlon, a closeted bisexual in his late forties, is searching for a new sense of identity in his Jersey Shore hometown after a laryngectomy. In this first installment of a trilogy, Jimmy pins his hopes on a fresh start with a 33-year-old lifeguard. Together, they dive into the summer scene, mingling with the boardwalk's eclectic mix of locals and bar regulars. But when both men fall for the same attractive nurse, tensions rise, and the journey takes a cha...

In the summer of 1987, Jimmy Hanlon is navigating life in his Jersey Shore hometown, where image is everything, and he's struggling to keep up. At nearly fifty, Jimmy is an overweight grandfather who's lost his larynx to cancer and is living in a time when A.I.D.S. has fueled suspicion of anyone with a complicated sexual past. In his quest for connection, Jimmy faces a whirlwind of bar encounters, prejudice, romantic entanglements, and lies. As the summer unfolds, his journey of redemption...

In TAKE THE LIVELY AIR, a minor traffic collision escalates into a confrontation between two families haunted by their pasts and apprehensive of their futures. Rage and regret butt heads against the background of America's toxic cultural climate. But saner voices discover that human frailties are best viewed through the microscope of compassion, and our common humanity must be acknowledged to make way for our futures.

Pen & Pulse: Essays on Writing, Craft, and the Writer's Journey is a compelling collection that delves into the heart of the writing life. Edited by Summer Stewart, this anthology gathers the voices of seasoned writers like Jennifer Clark, John Biscello, Kelli Allen, and others, each contributing essays that are thoughtful, honest, and meticulously crafted. From the intricacies of storytelling to the personal challenges and triumphs that shape the writing process,...

Meet Jimmy Hanlon. It's summer, 1987. Jimmy's a closeted bisexual in his late forties, nine months removed from a laryngectomy, and in this first part of a trilogy, he's anxious to find a new identity in his Jersey Shore hometown. He hitches his hopes to a 33 year old lifeguard. The two cruise into summer with an assortment of boardwalk denizens and bar hounds. When they both fall for the same pretty nurse, the ride starts to get bumpy. In Jimmy's story of redemption, dreams, familial and ...

The Missing You in Belmar, NJ trilogy concludes with Summer Mirrors. Change dominates the five main characters and brings their orbits ever closer to their common sun—resilience. As Labor Day approaches, Jimmy strives for mended familial relationships and respect. But summer's chicanery isn't quite done. With the harsh reality of autumn looming, he realizes empathy doesn't need a common last name, courage can be a silent partner, and redemption doesn't need to be acknowledged by others—onl...

In the trilogy's second novel, Jimmy travels a harsh road back from Key West to Belmar. Old suspicions are confirmed, party bars turn ugly, and a bizarre tragedy marks the summer's turning point. Ronny, June's companion, becomes July's antagonist. As Jimmy tries to accommodate Alice, and despite old and new heartaches, he attains his dream job, finds touching rapport with a surrogate daughter, and reconnects with his perceptive, gutsy self."In Boardwalk Man Jimmy Hanlon faces and c...

Meet Jimmy Hanlon. It's summer, 1987. Image is everything in his Jersey Shore hometown. Jimmy hasn't kept up. An overweight grandfather in his late forties, he's lost a cancerous larynx, and on top of that, A.I.D.S. has spiked fears of anyone with a questionable sexual history. In a search for companionship, he encounters a blur of bars, prejudice, familial and romantic love, misogamy, and lies. Throughout his redemptive summer, Jimmy's empathy reveals how individual compassion trumps soci...

A hugely entertaining debut—the first novel in a wickedly funny gothic mystery series set in the withering landscape of the southern Illinois coal country known as "little Egypt"—that blends the wry humor of Kevin Wilson, the dark violence of Urban Waite, and the electric atmosphere of Greg Iles.In the depths of the Knight Hawk, one of the last working collieries in downstate Illinois, the body of a reporter is found, his mini-recorder tied around his neck and a notepad stuffed in ...