Life often appears darkest just before the dawn of a new day.In Menagerie in the Dark, Chris Kauzlarich immerses us in a speculative journey that explores the darker aspects of the human condition before bringing us back to the surface with the light of a new day. Through fourteen stories, this menagerie of characters faces trials of sorrow, death, loneliness, regret, deception, murder, delight, wonderment, and bliss, revealing what will either strengthen them enough to survive or plunge them to their demise. A boy’s home burns down, forcing him to confront a terrifying new world. A man enters a door where he witnesses his wife’s death, leaving him devastated; yet, he cannot stop returning to the scene, convinced he can save her. A nurse’s patients continue to perish under her care, but she harbors a dark secret—an administered cocktail for nefarious purposes. These and other stories will stretch the limits of your emotions, from heartbreak to horror, leaving you yearning for more.

Chris is the author of the short story collection, Menagerie in the Dark, and the suspense horror novella, LAZARUS. He is also a member of The Authors Guild, AWP, and the Chicago Writers Association. In addition to writing and reading extensively, he enjoys hiking, playing video games, binge-watching a good show with his husband and daughter, and simply being a dad. He graduated from Purdue University and lives between Chicago, IL, and Naples, FL, or on the open road in their RV.#ChrisKauzlarich #shortstories #podcast #authorpodcast #authors #speakingofwriters #books

WILLING PREY is the perfect mix of spicy and sweet, making it the ultimate dark romance that’s easy to dive into for newcomers to the genre. Allie expertly balances intense, kinky chase scenes with clear, consistent consent and boundaries. The heroine knows exactly what she wants, and her love for primal play creates a sizzling, erotic dynamic. Allie Oleander writes spicy contemporary, dark, and monster romances with kink exploration and characters ages thirty-five and up. She loves anything with chase scenes, the marriage-in-trouble trope, and monsters (of both the spicy and un-spicy variety). When she's not writing, she's in the woods, trying to arrange a meet-cute with Bigfoot.#allieoleander #willingprey #authors #novels #romance #romancebooks #podcast #authorpodcast

Between May 21 and June 16, 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison went on a trip together through Upstate New York and parts of New England on horseback. This "northern journey" came at a moment of tension for the new nation, one in whose founding these Virginians and political allies had played key roles. The Constitution was ratified, and President Washington was in his first term of office. Whether the country could overcome regional and political differences and remain unified, however, was still very much in question. Hence why some observers at the time wondered whether this excursion into Federalist New England by the two most prominent southern Democratic-Republicans, both future presidents, had an ulterior motive.In A Journey North: Jefferson, Madison, and the Forging of a Friendship, Louis Masur writes that Madison maintained that the journey was for "health, recreation, and curiosity." That he and Jefferson needed a break from their public responsibilities, so off they set. #thomasjefferson #jamesmadison