From the beloved author of Desert Fire comes a sizzling new Southwestern love story full of amorous adventure and fiery passion. Lovely Flame Chadwick is bound for West Texas in search of her fiance, who took her innocence and left her to bear his child. But waiting on the lawless frontier is a different kind of man: rugged army scout Matt Jackson.

Cornered beasts fight more like demons than men. Tohmas Galanth has arrived in the north, outnumbered on every front. To survive his commitments to his besieged uncle, he must defeat the hordes, but their leader DoomDragon is no easy foe, and the battles are fought in steady retreat. Even after reaching his uncle, city walls and fortifications give only the illusion of safety; DoomDragon and his allies have been biding their time. Now they will take the land as their own and drive Tohmas and Sol across the tundra. Morale of the dogged forces is further pressed by fights among the religious leaders, where Inac’s followers plot a sinister take over. Where once balance was maintained, now domination is planned. Fires and assassinations thrive among Tohmas’ trapped army as the winter moves in. Unless Tohmas turns the tide, the Galanth forces will not see spring.

Daniel Berrigan (+2016+) is most notorious for dramatic anti-war actions at a Catonsville draft board and a Pennsylvania nuclear weapons plant in the ‘60s and ‘80s. Indeed, with friends, he was practically devising what’s been called “liturgical direct action.” Berrigan was also teacher, pastor, and friend to author Bill Wylie-Kellermann. Celebrant’s Flame is a well-researched, but personal book, a debt of gratitude—in the end a tome of love to his mentor. Reflecting on aspects of Berrigan’s person and work—from poet, prophet, prisoner, priest, and more, Wylie-Kellermann sketches this warm portrait of a figure whose impact on church and movement only deepens in the present moment. The book includes considerable material by Berrigan himself, some previously unpublished—a wedding homily, a long poem, a controversial speech, plus much in the way of personal letters, poetry, and memoir. Written with Berrigan’s hundredth birthday in mind, these reflections help keep the flame of this beloved celebrant burning for the stunning new movement generation arising among us.

The Cool Cats are students from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth who assembled during a creative writing class in the Fall of 2016. Every Thursday night, they gathered to work on personal writing pieces and spent countless hours laughing, sharing, and growing as writers. This book is a collection of short stories from the Cool Cats. We hope you enjoy!