Anna: A Life of Faith and Courage
by Travis E. Short
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 245 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Publish Authority
Release date: July 2023
Content Rating: G. Suitable for all readers; no sexual content, and no vulgar language
Anna’s story begins and ends in a convalescent center in Michigan and is told by the author, whose brother looks after her in her waning years. The story is based on a short memoir written by Anna for her children. Her life is filled with trials and tribulations that test her faith to its limits. With a desperately impoverished and undernourished childhood in an itinerant and abusive family living in rural Pennsylvania, Anna is faced with obstacles that could break most people. She finds solace in God with constant prayer and attendance in church services. Although she has little formal education, she is nominated by her pastor to attend bible college. where she excels and meets her future husband. They start a family and despite their own hardships, they devote their lives to helping others. Her powerful story of sacrifice, faith, and courage is an inspiration to us all.
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Book Details:
Book Title: The Adventures of Faraday Fox: A story for Young Readers by Travis E. Short
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 65 pages
Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Publish Authority
Release date: January 2024
Content Rating: G. Suitable for young readers
The Adventures of Faraday Fox is the story of a domesticated red fox that is released back into the Cherokee National Forest to find happiness. Instead, he encounters perils, danger, and hunger, and he decides to return to the home he left in Georgia. His adventures take him across the United States by walking and hitching rides on a train, a tractor-trailer, a boxcar, and in the luggage compartment of a bus. He meets many wild and domesticated animals along the way. When he arrives in California, a wonderful surprise awaits him. The story contains many life lessons and is written with readers, eight to twelve years old, in mind. It contains over twenty prints of original paintings of forest scenes, bears, birds, and other animals by accomplished artist Shirley Adams.
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Book Details:
Book Title: Killers Can’t Hide by Travis E. Short
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 270 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Publish Authority
Release date: May 2024
Content Rating: PG-13. Contains cursing, street talk and sexual implications, no explicit sex.
Glamour, passion, and horses are a deadly combination for Carmen Cantrell. When the former beauty queen is murdered on her horse ranch, the logical suspect is her estranged husband, Delbert Cantrell. Caught in the throes of a bitter reelection campaign for sheriff, Delbert, a wealthy contractor, must find a way to clear his name. He enlists the help of renowned lawyer Sydney Saperstein and a local investigator by the name of Isadore Holt. Their investigation takes them to Mexico and the southwest USA. More murder, treachery, and romance keep the reader guessing as to the outcome.
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Book Details:
Book Title: Corner of My Mind: American Short Stories by Travis E. Short
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 329 pages
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: Publish Authority
Release date: September 2024
Format available for review: print-softback (USA only), ebook (Gifted Kindle, EPUB, PDF)
Tour dates: Sep 2 to Sep 29, 2025
Content Rating: PG-13. Most stories are G rated, but some contain curse words and street language. No explicit sex.
Step into the captivating world of Corners of My Mind, a rich tapestry of new American short stories. In this collection by a master storyteller, ordinary people navigate the unexpected twists of fate with resilience and heart. From soldiers and warriors—both real and imagined—to revival preachers and lonely women, each takes a window into the human experience. Drawing inspiration from real-life encounters, dreams, and whimsical imagination, the stories are as diverse as they are compelling. Meet men of action, contemplative souls, and even talking dogs whose thoughts will linger in your mind long after you turn the last page. Whether you seek moments of laughter, tears, or thrilling surprises, Corners of My Mind promises an unforgettable journey.
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Interview With Author Travis Short
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Q-1: In your book, Anna: A Life of Faith and Courage, who was Anna, and why did you write about her?
Ans: Anna was a lady I met at a convalescent center in Michigan, when she was 86, while visiting my brother’s invalid wife. I saw Anna every year after that when I visited. I came to know her as a talented musician, a woman of determination and perseverance. I learned of her life from a small memoir she wrote for her children, describing an impoverished and battered childhood. Through her faith, she overcame the numerous obstacles in her life. Her story is compelling and inspirational.
Q-2 There are so many children’s books on the market. What makes your story, “The Adventures of Faraday Fox,” different?
Ans: You will note that the subtitle is. “A Story for Young Readers”. My story does not talk down to them. The language is straightforward, assuming that the youngsters will be inspired by Faraday’s friendly demeanor and acceptance of all people and creatures he meets along his journey.
Q-3 Why do you write?
Ams: I write for the pure joy of it. It can be a very uplifting endeavor to realize you are creating characters and determining their lives, their fortunes, misfortunes, and the outcomes of their situations. I am often asked whether I know what my characters might do or say. My response is that I usually see how a story begins and ends, but don’t always know how I will make it all happen. I try to get inside each character and imagine what each would do in certain circumstances. That approach determines the outcome most of the time.
Q-4 What makes your story “Killers Can’t Hide” different from other crime novels?
Ans: Well, for one thing, I believe my characters are unique. Murders mysteries usually cover the gamut of love, sex, jealousy, and/or money. I suppose, in that regard, Killers Can’t Hide covers all the bases. But Killers hosts a variety of characters, a beauty queen, cowboys and cowgirls, a corrupt sheriff, a dim-witted deputy, and a wealthy suspect who will spend any amount of money, travel anywhere he must, and face any foe without fear. A little hint of sex adds to the intrigue.
Q-5 How would you describe the stories in your book, Corners of My Mind?
Ans: Something for everyone and a whole bunch of excellent reading for most. The volume contains 31 stories of varied lengths. It starts with “Crimson Shoes”, a tale of a good-natured Duffus who inherits his father’s shoe emporium only to be seduced by Ruby Rhinestone, from the other side of the tracks.
The stories range from a soldier lost in the frozen mountains of North Korea during the Korean Conflict in “In From the Cold”, a middle-aged widower who falls for a seductive dancer n “Pole Dancer”, A dog who talks to his master and vows him to secrecy in “Julius the Talking Dog”, and the straying husband who is counted twice in the census in “The Census Taker Cometh to the young Georgia girl who discovers herself and breaks away from an abusive boyfriend in the story “Discovering May:.
There is something for every reader to enjoy in Corners of My Mind.
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Meet Author Travis Short:
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Travis Short is the writer and author of several books, including Anna: A Life of Faith and Courage, Killers Can’t Hide, and The Adventures of Faraday Fox. Among other books, he has also published the illustrated epic poem, Old White Men, a story of the sacrifices by America’s warriors since 1775. His favorite pastime is writing short stories, many of which are contained in this book.
Retired as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, he pursued a career in shipbuilding and manufacturing. He has extensive experience in technical writing and business consulting. He is a graduate from the U. S. Navy Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, with a degree in Engineering Sciences. He is the father of four daughters and three sons, and currently resides in Moss Point, Mississippi, with his constant companion, A Lhasa Apso named Choi.
Travis Short Multi-Book Book Tour Giveaway
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These look very intriguing. Thanks for sharing.
This sounds like a fascinating story.
Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Fabulous set of books.