Starting From Scratch, is an easy to understand and highly applicable introduction to the Bible and Christian faith as it clearly speaks to the reader. 
Intended to bring the reader to an understanding of the Bible and material in the Scripture itself, John R. Todd, PhD, begins with a discussion of human origins and continues throughout the book, addressing our relationship with God, and our purpose. 
Dr. Todd has given the reader an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, by setting a mood and attempting to pique the reader's interest while serving as a background for reading Biblical material. 
This is a journey that leaves the reader wanting more.

Starting from Scratch

Todd, John R.

Dickinson Publishing Group

“Black River Lantern is a deliciously sinister story, one steeped in all that rural Americana has to offer. It’s a tale of family and dark forces, fates and fortunes, a modern myth born at the crossroads of the old world and the new.” 
-Seattle Book Review 
“Throughout the tale, Grass’ prose displays a sharp, confident voice flavored with indelible metaphors.” 
-Kirkus Reviews 
“Black River Lantern is drama/horror/thriller operating at full speed, one hundred percent enjoyable.” 
-Manhattan Book Review 
“Grass has gathered a fascinating cast of characters, each speaking in unique accents and playing interlocking roles that take the tale to an unexpected climax – a tapestry of personalities that is just as fascinating as the intricately woven storyline.” 
-Independent Review of Books 
"Every sentence is beautiful and somewhat overwhelming." 
-Jay, Goodreads 
"Highly visual writing that gut-punches or gratifies a horror enthusiast." 
-IndieReader 
"It can be a challenge to make a book simultaneously engaging, horrifying, thought-provoking and funny, but the comedic aspects of the writing are undeniable, even if the humor leans dark." 
-Self Publishing Review 
"One of the best novels I’ve read in a while ... I was impressed, and it takes a lot to do that for me." 
-Ron, Goodreads 
Eddie Marivicos is trapped in a cycle of exploitation. And his daddy likes it that way. 
He was brought up by his father Papa Marivicos to work in the family carnival. Papa is a cruel man who runs his show like a labor camp. When it comes to the Marivicos Summerlong Carnivalé Festival, the show must go on… at any and all costs. 
Eddie has recently been “gifted” with the ability to hear others’ thoughts; to him, it’s a supernatural horror story that he cannot escape—a curse. Dubbed “second sight”, this condition propels Eddie to local stardom, and for Papa, Eddie becomes the goose that laid the golden egg. But there are other opportunists who would make use of Eddie’s powers for their own personal gain. 
As other people from Kayjigville come into Eddie’s orbit—the mafia, and a greedy businesswoman who resurrects her fortunes after being disgraced—their fates become intertwined with his. Dr. Chain, a clinical psychologist, is tasked with looking after the young man after an explosive accident caused by Eddie’s powers sends the town reeling. An escort named Lexi will cross paths with Eddie, and provide him comfort during a grim time in his life. 
Being close to the mind-reader does not come without consequence. In this paranormal horror story, everyone that comes within Eddie’s orbit will be bloodied and scarred before it’s all through. 
Papa Marivicos wants power and will stop at nothing to get it—extortion, murder, and perhaps even conjuring a Lovecraftian horror from another dimension, a presence that sends him into a spiral of grotesque mutation. Eddie wants nothing more than to break away from the darkness carved in his DNA, but will have to reach to the ends of the known universe to do so. 
The Marivicos family drama escalates as father and son learn to unlock the latent powers of their ancestors. One by manipulating sound, fire, and darkness; the other by harnessing the power of light. 
The 47th Annual Marivicos Summerlong Carnivalé Festival will kick off a chain of events that will usher in a dark and tragic horror upon the carnival, Kayjigville, and even realms thought to be the stuff of only the most far-flung paranormal fantasy… 
Feast your senses on this tale of dramatic supernatural fantasy tale!

Black River Lantern

Literature & Fiction

Grass, Alex

Genre Fiction

The Influencer

"Like the titular monster, this novel stands alone from other dark fantasy and horror in its absolute originality." 
-The Independent Review of Books\n"Driven by an unflinching protagonist who takes no guff and gives no quarter, this dark and raw-edged thriller will suck you in and keep you there." 
-Self Publishing Review\n"A supernatural tale that offers a peculiar but engrossing vision of the future." 
-Kirkus Reviews\n"Keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end." 
-Manhattan Book Review\n"A story of unique peculiarity that never fails to entertain." 
-Seattle Book Review\nA post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh has become the epicenter of strange events. Strange events that Long War veteran, Frank Attanasio, is unwittingly tangled into. 
When the man-beast known as Dreck appears in Frank’s mortuary, his already-weird world veers into the downright bizarre and inexplicable. 
A supernatural blizzard. 
Disturbing nightmares that are too real. 
Vivid Dreamscapes outside of time. 
An underworld of sewer-dwelling mutants. 
Vampiric currency. 
As Frank navigates his new reality, he discovers that he may not be the man he thought he was.

Dreck

"A darkly delectable, fresh blend of horror and Finnish myth." 
-Kirkus Reviews\n"A witty, immersive, and mystical adventure that will leave you laughing and thoroughly hooked. Grass leads readers through a maze of otherworldly drama and a rich cast of memorable characters. The descriptions are visceral and creative, while the prose shines brightest in the dialogue and scene-building, which crackle with wit and emotional depth. This action-packed read feels like a superhero origin story, but there are deeper themes that fuel this compelling new offering from a prolific and uniquely inventive writer." 
-Self Publishing Review\n"Filled with interesting characters and alternating POVs, Grass grips his reader’s attention and rarely lets it loose." 
-Independent Book Review\n20 years ago, Alan and his mother disappeared in a plane crash off the coast of Helsinki. 
20 years later, a giant man with his whole body covered in tattoos appears amidst the rubble of an explosion at a Philadelphia oil refinery. Detective Jefferson O’Brady, a dissolute alcoholic with a photographic memory, is brought in to piece together the mystery behind this behemoth. The hulking man says that he’s Alan come back from the realm of the dead, and Alan’s genius billionaire Aunt Mimi agrees. 
And the first thing the reappeared giant has to do? Return to Helsinki, Finland to find the means to craft Ukonvasara—the hammer of Ukko. 
All the while, strange happenings are underway in Philly: 
A resurrected serial killer. Hidden (oc)cult conspiracies. Bizarre murders that defy the laws of space and time. Aunt Mimi in a miraculous trance state that grants her unseen visions of prophecy and telekinetic powers. 
Detective O’Brady may be the only person capable of getting to the bottom of it all, but he can’t rely on the force, and his allies are few and far between. 
Something’s going down in the City of Brotherly Love.

A Boy's Hammer

Humor & Satire