Vinny O'Hare's Blog

About The Thirteens: Spooky Short Stories for Kids Who Love Goosebumps

Thirteen Floors

Thirteen stories. Thirteen chances to shiver, squirm, and quiver in the dark.

From a birthday party where the dolls aren’t as lifeless as they look… to a pig that won’t stop copying its owner… to the elevator that never should have stopped at Floor Thirteen: each tale will pull you in, twist your nerves, and refuse to let go.
Creepy, funny, and just the right amount of scary, Thirteen Floors is perfect for fans of Goosebumps, Roald Dahl, Coraline, and kids who like their bedtime stories with a bite.

Whether you read one story at a time – or race through all thirteen in a single night – you’ll never forget what waits behind the next door.

For ages 9-12. Enter if you dare.

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Author Bio:
Mallika Auplish lives in New York with her husband and their easily-spooked dog, Mika. She loves reading late into the night, taking long road trips, and rewatching The Office. The Thirteens is her first collection of creepy tales, though she promises most of them did not come from her own nightmares.

About Deep Earth by Huey Carroll

Deep Earth – A gripping science fiction adventure of transformation, sacrifice, and cosmic consequence.Jack Morgan thought he’d buried the pain of his past. Life in Boston with Liz Simmons—the woman he loves—feels safe, even redemptive. But when his Aunt Gail vanishes, Jack is pulled back to the Louisiana swamps he swore he’d never return to.What begins as a search for missing loved ones spirals into a nightmare. Jack’s childhood friend and former flame disappear into the mist. Then Jack himself is taken—dragged deep underground by creatures unlike anything he’s ever imagined.Held captive in a hidden world beneath the Earth’s surface, Jack uncovers the horrifying truth about his family’s fate—and the monsters responsible. But the deeper he goes, the more he realizes: these creatures aren’t mindless killers. They have a reason. And it’s bigger than anything Jack could have guessed.As war erupts above and below, Jack must choose between returning to Liz and the life he built—or embracing a transformation that could save billions. Every decision carries weight. Every action echoes into the future.Deep Earth is a sweeping, emotionally charged sci-fi epic about love, loss, and the terrifying beauty of what lies beneath.

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Author Bio:
Raised among the deep woods and swamplands of the American South, Huey Carroll grew up hunting, fishing, and working as a commercial fisherman from the age of 13—all while helping his single mother make ends meet during the lean years of the 1960s. After earning a college degree and serving a stint in the military, he spent over two decades in the high-pressure world of business, a path that eventually led to burnout and a desire for a different kind of life.

Trading in the corporate grind for the open road, he and his wife embraced a nomadic lifestyle, spending more than 25 years traveling across the United States in an RV. Along the way, they wore many hats—Commodity Futures Brokers, customer service reps, campground managers, telemarketers, webmasters, artists, and now, authors.

Today, they enjoy a quieter life in a small Midwestern town, where Huey Carroll continues to draw from a lifetime of rich, unconventional experiences to tell stories rooted in grit, resilience, and the American spirit.

About SOD 101: The Ultimate Homeowner & Landscaper Guide by Cameron Mooklal

SOD 101 is the ultimate guide for homeowners and landscapers who want to transform their Florida yards. Written by lawn care expert Cameron Mooklal, this eBook takes you through the entire process of planning, installing, and maintaining sod. With step-by-step instructions, checklists, and seasonal tips, you’ll learn how to choose the right sod for your climate, prepare your soil, lay sod properly, and keep your lawn green year-round. Whether you’re a DIYer or a professional landscaper, SOD 101 provides the insight and confidence to create a healthy, lush lawn.

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Author Bio:
Cameron Mooklal is a Florida-based lawn care expert and CEO of Stocks Holdings Corp. With years of experience helping homeowners and contractors install and maintain sod, he wrote SOD 101 to demystify the process and share practical techniques. Cameron’s mission is to help people create beautiful, sustainable lawns without breaking the bank.

The Spinster Strikes Back: A Slow Burn Regency Romance by Ava Devlin

Dot Fletcher’s happiness turned to horror when she was abandoned at the altar, humiliated in front of the cream of London Society. One year later, when the woman she was scorned for shows up at her front door, heavily pregnant and just as scorned, the two join forces to destroy the man who betrayed them both. They’ll have to go up against the most formidable barrister in London to do it.

Silas Cain, the secret bastard brother of the rakish Earl of Bentley, will protect his badly behaved little brother at all costs, no matter how drawn he is to the fiery and determined Miss Fletcher.

The Spinster Strikes Back is an enemies-to-lovers regency romance with a twist. It is the the first installment in the Ladies’ Revenge Club series, but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. If you enjoy a steamy slow burn, witty banter, and a sweet happily ever after, grab your copy today!

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Ava Devlin writes romance that’s spicy, sweet, and snarky. Her stories center around banter, longing, steamy entanglements, found family — and just enough rebellion to keep things interesting.

For over a decade, she’s called New York City home, where escaping into the Regency is her favorite way to survive modern chaos.

She’s been obsessed with love stories since her teen years, when she devoured every romance novel she could get her hands on. In her twenties, she moved to Britain, wandered through crumbling manor houses, and soaked up every scandalous bit of Regency history she could find.

Later, she lived in the French Alps as a governess (okay, okay, au pair) — basically her own Gothic subplot come to life.

These days, Ava writes books by day (and sometimes night), wrangles her mischievous rescue dog Hera, and spends too much time on the internet. She loves hearing from readers — especially if you come armed with book recs, Regency trivia, or dog selfies.

Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes: Return to Southampton County by David J. Mason

With a victorious end to the Civil War, Parson Sykes fulfilled the goal of self-liberation, but he grew frustrated with the Reconstruction programs. At the suspension of open hostility, he recognized the need for complete emancipation. Following the defeat of the Confederacy, he must advance civil and human rights to gain real freedom. As post-war planning emerged, new challenges arose. Parson grew frustrated with the connivance practices in racial superiority and inferiority that hindered everyday freedom.
Parson experienced the chaotic end of the Civil War while serving in the Union Army. Grappling with military-civil affairs duty, political uncertainty, and the unfulfilled promises of emancipation, Parson realized the Emancipation Proclamation did not go far enough. Following the defeat of the Confederacy, vicious racial violence characterized the resistance to integrating Black people.
Parson joyously learned that Federal government created the Freedmen’s Bureau to help formerly enslaved people transition to freedom with humanitarian aid. Parson relentlessly advocated and pursued education, political participation, and full citizenship. With the creation of the Bureau, he felt less pressure.
Parson witnesses the final year of the Civil War and the chaotic dawn of Reconstruction, learning about the complex political fight for civil rights from mentors and personal observation. Parson’s insights taught him that in war, the victory is just the blossom, and nothing is more frustrating than a bloom that refuses to morph into some fruit.
Parson returns to Virginia, where he confronts the defeated confederates, including the rise of hate groups and violent insurgents. In Southampton County, the Bureau mediated sharecropping agreements between white landowners and Black families after the constitutional end of enslavement. Despite granting freedom, the federal government took little action to help Black families acquire the promised land.
Through his interactions with mentors, Parson becomes a fierce advocate for the human and civil rights of Black Americans, focusing on education, land ownership, and political participation. He navigated the legal and social struggles surrounding the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, revealing both the hope they inspired and the violent backlash they provoked.
With the passage of these amendments, they guaranteed equal rights for all citizens and prohibited states from denying the right to vote based on race or color. Simply put, Parson’s efforts to gain freedom, citizenship, and equality required long-term commitment, resilience, and perseverance.
Having secured his right to vote and purchase land, Parson married, started a family, and established himself as an independent community leader in Southampton County, achieving a hard-won personal liberation despite the systemic failures of the Reconstruction era.
As revealed by Parson’s genealogy, Reconstruction has ongoing effects, especially in the importance of addressing root causes and the need for ongoing human and civil rights enhancements. Racism is an inescapable reality in the American society. Still, the complexities of social problems, with their cultural subtleties and interconnectedness, demand a deeper understanding and more nuanced approaches than those used in managing a political solution.

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COL (Ret.) David J. Mason, U.S. Army, is Owner and Founder of HMG ePublishing, LLC, and the great-grandson of Parson Sykes.
He is an online entrepreneur, author, digital publisher, and veteran senior executive who has been on the Internet since 1997. He has executive experience leading, administering, and directing scientific, technological, and military operations for a wide range of organizations, including government, academic, private industry, trade associations, and the public.
Mr. Mason became interested in the history of the Sykes family early in life while attending family reunions and hearing stories of his mother’s ancestors from Southampton County, Virginia. The family descended from Louisa Williams Sykes, an enslaved African American matriarch who had lived on Jacob Williams’ farm located on Barrow Road in the Cross Keys neighborhood. During the 1831 Southampton Insurrection, the farm came under attack by Nat Turner and his insurgents.
For over 150 years, Parson Sykes’ descendants passed down stories and adventures of Parson’s early life at family reunions and holiday meals, weddings, and other gatherings where the ancestors met. During the Civil War, Parson and his brothers, Joseph and Henry, made a challenging escape from bondage to reach Fort Monroe in early December 1864. After enlistment, they performed successful combat military duty with the XXV Army Corps, United States Colored Troops (USCT).
Intrigued by what he heard at family gatherings, David researched Parson, Joseph, and Henry’s military service. He published The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes, a trilogy based on the true self-liberation ordeal and actual events drawn from a variety of sources, including published materials and family chronicles. In the story, Parson and Jacob Williams are faced at opposite ends of the disputed points over the moral issue of slavery and secession, a political decision that led directly to war. The initial installment profiles Parson’s evolution from enslavement and emancipation by running away from Jacob Williams’ farm.
The pre-sequel to this documentary novel narrates Parson’s military service with Company I, First Cavalry Regimental USCT of the Union Army XXV Corps. On April 3, 1865, units of the Army XXV Corps were among the first to enter the city that for the past four years had been the capital of the Confederacy, where Parson arrived at his destination. At the conclusion of the Civil War, the army ordered the XXV Corps to Texas for border duty.
Mason’s meticulous research shines as he describes Parson’s heroic self-liberation, enlistment in the Union Army, and return to Southampton County, where he struggles to navigate a world steeped in systemic racism and political betrayal. Mason enriches the saga with detailed accounts of key milestones and encapsulates the tension of the era with the line: “In war, the victory is just the blossom, and nothing is more frustrating than a bloom that refuses to morph into some fruit.”
Mr. Mason holds a Master of Science degree from Hampton University in Virginia and a Bachelor of Science degree from Norfolk State University. He is a graduate of the Army War College.

Goodbye, Earl: A Second Chance Regency Romance by Ava Devlin

Five years ago, Claire Hightower ran away from the man she loved.
Freddy Hightower had once been her reckless a stolen groom, a whirlwind elopement, a future built on stars and scandal. But debts and dice chipped away at everything they had—until Claire fled with nothing but her unborn child and a fistful of pawnable jewels.

Now Freddy’s back.
Sober. Steadier. Still gorgeous and charming and chaotic—but also different. He’s returned to the Cotswolds for his mother’s wedding with an infuriatingly unflappable determination to win back his wife, his home, and his role as a father to the son he’s never met.

Claire isn’t handling it well.
She’s built a new life full of found family, sharp-tongued support, and exactly zero patience for handsome men with bread dough on their cuffs and cowlicks that match her son’s. But Freddy is relentless. Confident. Charming. And still so, so sexy. And he’s not the meddling heroes and heroines of books past are gathered around her table, judging gently—and helping themselves to pie.

Some love stories don’t start at the beginning.
Some start five years later, in an idyllic corner of the English countryside, unfolding alongside midnight banquets, whimsical summer games, and the second marriage of a woman who finally chose joy.

And some require a formerly estranged rake to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty, in more ways than one.

Goodbye, Earl is a second-chance Regency romance about flawed men, furious women, and the long road to trust. It’s the fourth book in the Ladies’ Revenge Club series and, while the story will make sense when read on its own, this one is best experienced when read in order. If you crave mature romance, found family meddling, slow-burn heat, and ensemble hijinks served with cherry pies and poor impulse control—this one’s for you.

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Ava Devlin writes romance that’s spicy, sweet, and snarky. Her stories center around banter, longing, steamy entanglements, found family — and just enough rebellion to keep things interesting.

For over a decade, she’s called New York City home, where escaping into the Regency is her favorite way to survive modern chaos.

She’s been obsessed with love stories since her teen years, when she devoured every romance novel she could get her hands on. In her twenties, she moved to Britain, wandered through crumbling manor houses, and soaked up every scandalous bit of Regency history she could find.

Later, she lived in the French Alps as a governess (okay, okay, au pair) — basically her own Gothic subplot come to life.

These days, Ava writes books by day (and sometimes night), wrangles her mischievous rescue dog Hera, and spends too much time on the internet. She loves hearing from readers — especially if you come armed with book recs, Regency trivia, or dog selfies.

About Gorillaphobia and the King Kong Kid

Meet Kyle, a kid with a peculiar problem – he’s terrified of gorillas!

Dubbed the King Kong Kid by his schoolmates, Kyle struggles with his irrational fear, which seems to have no logical explanation. Despite never encountering a gorilla in real life, Kyle’s phobia follows him everywhere, from his morning routine to his dreams at night. But when he finds himself face-to-face with the legendary King Kong, everything changes.

Join Kyle on an exciting journey filled with humor, adventure, and a surprising solution to his Gorillaphobia.

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Author Bio:
Born on January 14, 1942, in Washington, DC, Douglas Metcalf Curran led a life defined by creativity, dedication, and a deep connection to family and faith.
Doug’s love for music started early in the Methodist church choir and grew while he performed with The Lettermen. His passion for the arts extended to the written word, where he found joy in both creating and teaching.
Married to singer Mary Colleen Fitzsimmons, Doug built a life rich in love, music, and shared experiences. Together, they raised eight children, creating a family legacy filled with laughter, learning, and eternal bonds.
Doug’s career and personal endeavors reflected his commitment to education and service. He served as a missionary in South Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and later inspired students as a professor at BYU-Hawaii. A lifelong learner, Doug earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and two Master’s degrees, in English and American Studies.
His life exemplified the enduring power of creativity, compassion, and profound wisdom that inspired all who knew him.

About SAVED BY SECONDS: Memoirs of a Firefighter Paramedic’s Journey (That Lives May Be Saved) by Craig Prusansky

Life as a first responder is unpredictable — filled with moments of courage, heartbreak, and unexpected humor. In this memoir, Craig Prusansky shares stories from a career that has taken him from dispatch centers to the front lines.

From quiet nights in dispatch to life-or-death decisions on the front lines, these stories reveal the true challenges and rewards of serving a community in crisis. They offer an honest look at the people behind the uniforms — their struggles, their dedication, and the bonds that carry them through.

Whether you’re curious about what happens when the sirens sound or seeking stories of resilience and humanity, this collection invites you behind the scenes, where every call changes lives — including those who answer them.

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Author Bio:
For over 30 years, I served in emergency services in New York, Massachusetts, and Florida, where I witnessed the challenges, triumphs, and human stories that few get to see firsthand.

During my career, I gained extensive experience responding to emergencies and leading teams in high-pressure situations. These experiences provided the inspiration for my writing and shaped my perspective on courage, resilience, and human connection.

These real-life experiences inspired me to write my memoir, SAVED BY SECONDS, which shares the realities, challenges, and meaningful moments of life in fire and EMS. The book offers readers an inside look at the dedication and heart required in this demanding profession.

Since retiring from emergency services in 2016, I now work in technology for emergency services, specifically computer-aided dispatch and electronic patient care records systems.

When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and coaching youth softball.

About THE MASQUES OF NOBLE MANSION: An Erotic Short Story by Juliet Robbe

“If men can have their houses of pleasure, why can’t we?”

A daring Regency widow asks this question – and opens her own house to provide ladies with perfect masqued male companions. This is a steamy, romantic short story for adult readers. Book One of a three-volume series.

No part of this work was created using artificial intelligence (AI) software of any kind.

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Author Bio:
Juliet Robbe loves writing sensual romance, so venturing into the world of romantic erotica was a natural for her.

Juliet has been married to her high school sweetheart for many years. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family.

About My Life as a Gorilla

When mortal illness threatens Alan Parkman’s life, his only alternative is to undergo experimental head transplantation. However a human body is not immediately available and so he reluctantly agrees to have his head temporarily transplanted onto the body of a gorilla.

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Author Bio:
Renald Iacovelli is an American writer and the author of The Polity of Beasts, The Funeral Critic, New York Stories, and others.