Upcoming Publications

While riding on a bus as a tourist in Virginia, I found that a man was coughing loudly behind me. I stood up at the appropriate moment to move to the back of the bus. There were three open seats available and I took one of them. A few minutes later, a young man sat in the third seat, leaving one open seat between us. 

I was preoccupied checking my e-mail on my phone, but at one point I looked up and noticed that the bus was full, however, there were two open seats on the bus. One was a seat next to me, and the other was next to the man who had been coughing. He hadn't coughed for some time, and many of the passengers didn't know that he was sick, however, nobody sat next to him. The next thing I noticed was that this man was white. I hadn't been distinctly aware of race until that point, but this subtle, yet apparent avoidance of these two only remaining seats caused me to take note: those two seats were positioned next to the only two white people on the bus. 

I next noticed that the coughing man sat on the outer seat, preventing others from sitting there, and refusing to move for anyone. I noticed other young men move to accommodate older or younger women, but this man did not budge. The seat trio where I sat was completely unblocked, however. I watched as many individuals came on and off of the bus, all avoiding the open seat next to me.  Why was this the case?The Racist Within addresses the nuances of racism that we pass on to future generations in subtle and non-subtle ways, both consciously and subconsciously. It addresses the need to unlearn behaviors and attitudes that may have been passed down intentionally or unintentionally to ultimately annihilate racism by refusing to let it perpetuate in society. 

The Crystal Sword is a historical novel that intertwines the trouble-ridden history surrounding the Armenians and the Turks, and the adventure of a youth destined to stand between them. 

Raised in a modern, grey-scale world, 17-year old Joshua Hayman, happens upon the estate sale of Krikor Orullian, a mysterious Armenian man who died without a direct heir. There Joshua encounters an unusual looking piece of antiquity, apparently made from crystal, but soon discovers that it is actually a sword that can cut through almost anything. Anything, that is, but human flesh.

Joshua's search for answers about Mr. Orullian and the sword, he learns that much like the sword, some things aren't quite what they seem, including his own identity. Traveling with Joshua and his two friends through the hostile beauties of Armenia, readers will discover the true identity of Joshua as the anticipated leader and protector of the Armenians. As the parallel stories of Joshua and the 19th Century Armenian man collide, Joshua is faced with the decision to sacrifice his own life to lead the Armenian people to safety.