Jeffery Martin Botzenhart

With Sebastian’s health deteriorating, his dad decides to risk them both crossing into Canada in efforts to meet with a physician friend in Montreal who might be able to help. Yet before even reaching the border they encounter new threats against them. Their escape is further complicated when after reaching Lee’s friend they are separated. This leads Sebastian to a perilous journey across the Canadian frontier, finding both a new friend and discovering a far more dangerous robotic conspiracy than anyone could have imagined.

Some souls were not meant to lead lives in the sun. They remain hidden within dark realms in fear of being seen and misunderstood. That is Ian’s fate after suffering at the hands of a demon blinded by rage and sorrow. Yet there exists a threat in the light, spreading lies driven by fear in warning others to be weary of the unknown prowling the depths of the forest. The unyielding belief in the justification of cruelty in seeking to end that which has been branded as profane proves all consuming. When entering the forest after twilight to pronounce final judgement for those in hiding, the threshold of good versus evil is blurred by the righteous. And thus a question may be asked. Who is the true creature of the night?

Amidst a world of cyber surveillance and advancing technology of 2035 San Francisco, Sebastian, a teen runaway, innocently access a sophisticated virtual reality program. The breach of this data proves the catalyst in unraveling corporate and government sanctioned deception of the most unimaginable type. And along with his computer hacker friend, Scotty, both are thrust into a dangerous conspiracy, linking them to a source exposing the truth.

Sebastian’s hopes of having a new life in Alaska quickly fade. Suffering in being the constant target for teasing from his high school classmates and understanding the dangers his dad attempts to shield them from, a sudden tragedy destroys any chances of this. He returns to San Francisco with the belief he can resume his previous life there as a runaway surviving on the streets. But as the old saying warns, you can’t go home. The dangers he faces here have multiplied, leading him to wonder if he can ever escape from the relentless hauntings of his past.

He has his father’s eyes…

Doctor Hydenberg has a theory. Not only does the human mind hold memories of people and places seen, but he believes the human eyes have the capacity to retain these same memories. What if a dead person’s eyes could be harvested and given to a new host? And what if this new host had the unique ability to read and see his benefactor’s memories? Unimaginable? Perhaps not if the right host can be found.

Emotionally suffering from what has happened to them, both Sebastian and Ben set out separately to confront their demons. Little do they realize how and when their paths will soon cross. For Sebastian, seeking closure in what happened to his dad and sister is what he most needs. For Ben, his growing rage consumes his desire for revenge.

Bullied by classmates and abused by his stepdad, seventeen year old Orrville Fletcher plans to leave his run-down home outside Birchwood Hollow, Tennessee once he turns eighteen. But one night after fighting off his stepdad, his escape from this small remote town in Appalachia is halted by an unimaginable invasion of space aliens, leading him to revelations of an unexpected truth.

Her last word before kissing him was, “Hush.”

Not love at first sight, but love at first whisper. Private Gregory Sheppard’s secret mission to German-occupied France has ended in tragedy. Severely injured and lacking the means to defend himself against the enemy, the help of a French woman offers him hopes of escape and a lifetime of love.

Sung with haunting vocals, a spares fragile melody strummed in the dark on a guitar can be one of many disguises for the lonely. Others, either victim of circumstance or of their own devices stay hidden behind colorful masks and pretty decorations to shield their pain. Yet these masquerades hold flaws for hearts searching to heal, revealing not desolate barren souls as any more than a painted desert, but desert angels waiting to lead the lost to the light.

A devil’s playground

Beneath the crisp white snow crowning the headstones of Shallow Hill, restless spirit voices echo warnings of danger. Brianna’s gift of conversing with the dead is tested to its limits when the man she loves falls victim to those suffering minds warped by greed and sadism. In waging battle against these all too human demons to save him, the once hallowed graveyard grounds alters its serenity when tainted by horrors and perversions, offering no escape for some

Who decided there’s a right and wrong side of town?

While passing through the small town of Fulton, North Dakota, a perfect place in America’s wide open, Scarlett meets the young man of her dreams. Mason is the sweet boy next door, the one most girls desire. But his dark past, hidden from him his whole life, unexpectedly surfaces, changing how people see him and how he sees himself. Somehow her love for Mason will remind him that he’s a good man, one of the best.

The apocalypse ended years ago. From the carnage of war, rival societies influenced by misunderstanding have sought refuge in the sky above Earth’s devastated surface. Having grown up in constant sunlight, never seeing traces of night, Sage, a daylighter, wonders why his dad is scared of the dark. Years later after a violent solar storm cripples his skyjammer, he briefly encounters exiles from Earth’s dark side. When captured by nightdwellers, people who live only in the darkness, he’s held prisoner in an unimaginable place. Sage learns why his father was afraid, as escape may be futile from those who lurk on the edge of night.

Perfection is a dangerous concept.Terrorism, greed, and conspiracy interconnect with romance, assassins, and artificial intelligence, all in pursuit of perfection. Kamran, a wheelchair-bound British national of Iranian descent, arrives in Chicago to begin a promising career in cyber security. Within his first day of being in the city, he’s wrongfully accused of committing acts of terrorism. Surrounded by individuals who are not whom they appear to be, he’s assisted in escape during a dangerous snowstorm. From that moment on, pursued across the world by an assassin, he finds help from a master Russian computer hacker and an advanced artificial intelligence program, one that may have been programmed to commit the perfect murder.

One night only

Some of the most evil creatures are those buried deep inside us, waiting to be unleashed. Jacob is confronted by such horrors when wandering into what at first appears to be an abandoned town. Encountering an old man, he learns it’s Halloween and is warned to leave or hide until dawn. He’s stopped from getting out of town by a group of cruel young men. Terrorized and held against his will, at the town’s movie theater he’s forced to endure the one night only showing of the Creature Feature. Watching this, he soon realizes the nightmarish creatures aren’t just in the movie.

Arriving during the night on Christmas Eve, a toy soldier finds himself lost to the wonders surrounding him. Beneath the glistening ornaments of the tree, he not only hold hope for his future, but also falls under romantic notions for a beautiful ballerina doll. Enamored by her, his desire for her is threatened by a possessive clown doll who has also fallen under the ballerina’s spell. The clown’s painted smile masks the villain he is. Realizing the clown threatens all, the toy soldier must summon his courage to save the ballerina and others from the clown’s dangerous intentions.

Note from the author

Merry Christmas, my favorite reader! I’m honored you selected my story to read and hope you enjoyed this tale. I set out to write a different kind of holiday story, one with romance and gallantry. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart. Every story I write has some element of romance to it. There’s also a villain. Let’s face it, can any clown be trusted? What’s behind the mask? In the end

Traveling to sunny Florida for a week-long vacation, Michael is thrilled to see his grandpa. The retirement community of Gulf Shore proves the perfect place be. Its picturesque vintage boardwalk, fishing pier, and uncrowded beach are just what he needs. Surrounded by retirees having a strong zest for life, he realizes that the Sunshine State isn’t just a place. It’s a state of mind.

Left broken hearted by his former girlfriend, Michael is surprised to meet Everley, the granddaughter of another resident. At first, bold in her attraction to him, when she pulls back, distancing herself from him, he wonders what he did wrong.

As the week goes on, Michael finds out Everley’s reason for rejecting him, as well as uncovering a secret his grandpa has kept hidden for decades. In learning the truth of his grandpa’s love for another man, Michael is exposed to unexpected prejudice from some and unconditional acceptance from others. The old saying holds true. Love conquers all, especially when embracing the sunshine state.

At times, fate has a mysterious way of keeping those under true love’s spell apart. Yet lovers meant to be together will always find their way back to each other. In this romantic tale, three couples must confront this dilemma, as time, distance, and the unknown hinder their efforts.

One couple suffers the separation of time, existing both in the present and the future. A second couple finds separation through a misunderstanding, leaving both their hearts broken. The most challenging though is for a third couple who believe they have never met in person. Their love affair began with an unnoticed bond that must at first keep them apart.

Only by the use of objects of desire, enchanted relics of mysterious origin, do all three couples have any chance of being together. Love and faith in each other act as their guides as the passing hours turn desperate.

An unforgiving cocktail mixed with lies, crime, prejudice, cancer, porn addiction, identity theft, and drug and alcohol use has been served to the elderly residents of San Francisco’s Marberry Place. None ever imagined the angst of their youth would return to haunt them in their golden years. Each person living here finds themselves in a struggle to confront the past. Adding to their distress is the realization that each coming day is not guaranteed.

Amidst the summer months of the 2020 global pandemic, the past weighs heavily on them. Each resident must make peace with what they have lived through, though easier said than done. Some wounds will never heal, forcing some to make hard choices. And though the events of the outside world hold grim reminders of how fragile life is, the unconditional love and kindness of their devoted caretaker provides a constant anchor to weather such a long brutal storm.

Small towns in the heartland are prone to storms. Not always violent ones with twisters and thunder and lightning, the storm she’s confronted with is in the form of a handsome drifter, similar in age to her, and his elderly dad. Wesley Crane has put his own life on hold to care for and fulfill his dad’s wishes to see all there is to see in America. Yet following them is an emotional storm Kate wasn’t expecting. As Wesley reveals how fragile his life is behind his rugged facade, Kate finds herself confronted by her own vulnerabilities.

Some might think that the perfect place to hide is out in the open. From all directions one can see what’s coming. But what some fail to see is that what’s buried deep inside has another perfect place to hide. And when what haunts us chooses to be found, it can rival the worst of storms.

From an abandoned village claimed by the arid wastelands, a false prophet and a young man condemned as a heretic set out on a perilous trek to the cloud-veiled summit of a sacred mountain. The false prophet wishes to speak to the revered god said to reign from there. The young heretic seeks only revenge.

What these companions discover upon their arrival at the mountain’s summit are the beginnings of revelations and lies. With the false prophet’s decision to remain in sanctuary upon the mountain, the young man, no longer branded as a heretic, sets out for a hopeful future in the far west. Yet his journey there is hindered by a monstrosity told of only in fables.

From the frigid far north to a shadowed forest and from sun-drenched plains to the murky depths of the sea, the young man confronts his hidden past and unimaginable dangers. And he learns of his destiny to assume more than one throne as the true heir of realms.

A celebratory cocktail has glasses raised at Marberry Place. Yet the bitter aftertaste of alcoholism, dementia, regret, and lies spoils the love intended for the first sip.

As the happy wedding of Latoya and Max draws closer, the golden years of those who call Marberry Place home continue to be too complicated while the severity of the world-wide pandemic lessens. Wyatt does his best keep what Dorian calls his ‘unique Noah’s Ark’ afloat amidst the still troubled times. Handling fatherhood, his own romance, and his dedicated care for the residents, he is the rock they all cling to when times are hard.

A wedding is exactly what everyone needs to keep them relatively sane. But sometimes, a little insanity is what’s needed more. And the wedding of a former drag queen and sex toy shop owner and her Chinese dragon might be the cure to all their troubles.

A second round of an unforgiving cocktail mixed with love, death, prejudice, regrets, suffering, and fear has been served to the elderly residents of San Francisco’s Marberry Place. With some former residents now gone, the new residents bring to the house the skeletons of their own pasts. As always, Death looms as a constant companion in the shadows, but has not yet been invited as an honored guest to dinner.

Amidst the Autumn months of the global pandemic, Dorian insists on planning out every last detail of her funeral. With Wyatt’s help, she wishes to leave this life on her own terms and is determined to get the very last word. Recent deaths, though, weigh heavily on Wyatt as he struggles to keep hidden his emotions regarding those he loved and lost. Yet unknown to the residents until weeks later, his saving grace will be revealed to all as they celebrate Dorian’s funeral at Marberry Place.

Consumed with sorrow over the tragic deaths of his wife and infant son, Paul Tichnor suffers one restless night after another. His need to find the person responsible for their deaths forced him to leave his house each night in the hours surrounding when they were thought to have been killed by a car. He sits alone in his pickup truck near the crossroads where their bodies were found. There he waits in hopes the person’s guilt will force them to return to the scene of the crime. He intends to then follow their car and bring this killer to justice.

It is said that misery loves company. As he waits alone in the darkness Paul discovers some comfort and distraction in listening to country music and the soothing radio voice of Trisha Barons. Calling her radio station to talk to her a few times, the tenderness and sincerity of her words to him eases his distress in these lonely hours.

As the days go on, and with no signs of the person responsible for the deaths of his wife and son, Paul finds himself confronted by the presence of others needing his help. As each person he encounters becomes a reminder to himself of the good man he is, his former life with his wife and son begins to fade away and a new life is found as he continues following cars.

Eighteen years have passed since Audra left her small rural Georgia hometown only to return mysteriously months later. She carried back with her the burden of a secret she intended to never speak to anyone of. But secrets have a way of being revealed over time and her small hometown of Mineral Springs is haunted by such secrets.

Regan, a pretty young guest at Audra’s boarding house, unknowingly uncovers Audra’s secret when on a walk leading out of town she meets a shy and handsome young man named Storm who has never stepped foot in Mineral Springs. Having lived his entire life far up on a nearby mountain, when forced to leave the only home he has ever known, Regan brings him back to town with her, causing more secrets to unravel.

For Audra, as well as others, the origin of her secret can be traced back to a place not far into the forest called Liar’s Hollow. With the land rumored to be cursed by Native Americans, all who speak there end up telling lies. Yet only with the intention to lie is when the truth is revealed there.