This post expands on my previous post about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Today I will discuss its connection to the Ten Commandments.
The MAGA movement seeks to eliminate DEI initiatives while advocating for Ten Commandments displays in public schools.
I disagree with this completely. The First Amendment to the US Constitution calls for the separation of church and state. It also prohibits the government from establishing a religion and ensures religious freedom for all.
Let’s break down DEI and analyze the Ten Commandments.
For this evaluation, we’ll use a kid-friendly commandments template I found on Etsy.TPT also offers a free version. Despite some slight variations, the general principals are the same.
Put God First
Worship Him Only
No Bad Words
Work 6 Rest 1
Obey Your Parents
Harm No One
Don’t Cheat
If It’s Not Yours Don’t Take It
Tell The Truth
Don’t Be Jealous Of Other People’s Stuff
Let’s start by defining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), then examine how the Ten Commandments relate to DEI and its application in teaching.
Diversity-the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.
Inclusion- the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups.
In my modest opinion, diversity and inclusion align with the 6th Commandment. Diversity and equity are not harmful to anyone.
Equity aligns well with the 9th Commandment. To be fair and impartial, you must tell the truth.
Commandments 7 and 8 are also relevant to the DEI initiative. ‘Don’t cheat’ and ‘if it’s not yours don’t take it’; that’s how you treat everyone fairly and equally.
EdW reports that the U.S. Department of Education has created a portal where the public, students and teachers can report practices of diversity, equity and inclusion in public school classrooms. According to the Trump Administration, DEI practices are seen as divisive and as indoctrinating children.
I find this nonsensical, given that half of the Ten Commandments, as previously noted, are encompassed by DEI. The main focus of my teaching was to instill in my kiddos the importance of embracing diversity, equity and inclusion. Or as the Ten Commandments state ‘harm no one’, ‘don’t cheat’, ‘if it’s not yours don’t take it’, and ‘tell the truth’.
School is supposed to help prepare students for real world diversity where people of all creeds, races, religions and genders live. This can only be achieved if children learn proper social skills and appropriate behavior for interacting with others. This is their recipe for a successful life.
Many children’s book authors aim to incorporate DEI into their stories. Indeed, this is a major theme explored across many children’s books, and I’m no exception.
Kamyla Chung and the Creepy-Crawlies:
The lack of diversity in my classroom book shelf inspired this story. Kamyla Chung is a bi-racial child of Chinese and Black descent.
Kamyla Chung and the Classroom Bully:
This sequel to Kamyla Chung and the Creepy-Crawlies tackles bullying and child abuse, which undermine social equity.
Teddy Bear Tea:
Although the characters in this book are animals, I made sure to include the inclusive line, “In colors of black, brown and tan, we feasted, we danced and we ran!”
A Fish Named Fancy:
People generally assume Fancy is female. This is incorrect. Making Fancy male was intentional; I wanted to show that boys can be fancy too.
In pretend play, children enjoy dressing up and exploring gender roles, such as playing mom and dad.
The boys sometimes want to play roles traditionally considered feminine, like babysitting and baking. The same is true for girls who embrace more traditionally masculine activities like using tools, building with blocks, and making roads for cars and trains.
Gingerbread Kids Hide-N-Seek:
I contacted Dasguptarts to work on this book shortly after the attack on Israel. I made it clear to Dasguptarts that I wanted a Jewish and a Muslim child in the book.
My goal was to include everyone and demonstrate that friendship transcends differences. Children shouldn’t suffer the indignity of exclusion because of the terroristic acts of others.
My books are a small representation of what most authors include in their stories. Will that work in an ultra-conservative classroom? They could ban the books, but that would mean banning nearly every children’s book ever written.
This is the incredible true story of railroad worker and union official Mike Elliott, targeted by his railroad employer, BNSF Railway Company, for his safety-related activities.
As the union’s state legislative board chair, Elliott was the top safety official in the state, and the voice for over 900 rank & file locomotive engineers operating trains around the clock, every day of the year.
When his members reported a plethora of trackside signal malfunctions on the BNSF Seattle subdivision, Elliott went to the railroad first, asking that they fix the problems.
When the BNSF failed to act, he contacted the government’s regulatory authority, the Federal Railroad Administration. That led to an FRA inspection of over 130 miles of the railroad’s track and signal systems turning up hundreds of federal defects – all with potential to put workers and the public at risk.
What followed was a retaliation plot reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century Robber Barons: A management-staged conflict at work, police called in, arrest, jail, criminal charges, and termination from his job – not once but twice.
The wrath, influence and power of North America’s largest freight railroad is unleased in full force and in an all-out attack on a whistleblower’s life, liberties, and career. An amazing journey of one man’s righteous battle against impossible odds and the nearly unlimited resources of a multi-billion-dollar corporation.
Excerpt:
His train was about three-quarters of a mile from the Longview yard office, which it passed less than seventy seconds later.
The approach signal to Longview Junction South was located at milepost 100.7. The Longview yard office was at milepost 100.3.
If functioning as designed, this signal should have displayed a solid yellow aspect, indicating “approach and proceed prepared to stop at next signal, trains exceeding 35 MPH immediately reduce to that speed.”
Burlington Northern dispatching records indicated that BN 111 passed the Longview Junction approach signal at approximately 12:20 A.M. Just after this time, the conductor of the local freight job, UP Train 59, was walking to the manually operated “hand-throw” switch at the north end of Longview yard.
He later reported to investigators that the five locomotives of BN 111 passed him before he reached the switch, so he only saw the rear portion of the train, whose speed he estimated at 40 miles-per-hour.
While standing beside the switch, the UP 59 conductor heard what sounded “like thunder, just a rolling thunder.”
At 12:24 A.M., BN dispatching records show that the Longview Junction South interlocking had a “power off” alarm. That marked the moment when southbound BN 111 collided head-on with northbound UP 09 at milepost 102.8. At least two motorists driving north on Interstate 5 witnessed the collision.
One told investigators that he was traveling between 65 and 70 miles-per-hour when he passed UP 09, which he estimated “was probably doing 55.” What he saw was “a major explosion. It was unbelievable.”
Another motorist reported that he saw the headlight of BN 111 coming at him; this because the railroad tracks were close and parallel to the freeway. He watched the train, waiting for the two converging trains to pass each other; instead, they slammed head-on into each other.
“There was just fire and devastation,” he said.
The impact of the collision ruptured the fuel tanks of six of the eight locomotives. Fire engulfed those six, as 10,000 to 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto the tracks and over the banks of the Columbia River.
The first fire-fighting unit arrived at 12:36 A.M., twelve minutes after the collision, and began knocking down the flames surrounding the locomotives.
Although a total of forty-four fire and rescue units responded, the on-scene fire commander soon concluded that no one could have survived the flames; he ordered his units to stand down and let the fire burn itself out to consume the leaking diesel fuel and thus prevent further environmental damage.
About The Author:
Mike Elliott is shown near the engine repair yard for Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Monday, July 24, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Mike Elliott was born and raised in Washington State. He enjoys the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, classic rock & roll music, vintage stereo gear, home cooked meals, and Seattle Mariners baseball. He lives in Tacoma, Washington.
Blood binds them. Danger surrounds them. Love could destroy them.
Bound
The Elite Series Book 1
by Charley Black
Genre: Dystopian Vampire Paranormal Romance
Bound by blood, Marked by rebellion, Destined for a love that could save or destroy them.
A forbidden bond. A crumbling city. A choice that could change everything.
Serenity
Becoming an Elite—a blood donor for the Vampyr—was never part of the plan. But with my family’s lives on the line, I had no choice but to step out of hiding and into a world I barely understand. My rare blood has made me a target, and now, I’m bound to Kane—the ruthless, untouchable head of the Vampyr Council.
The rebels want to use me. My family depends on me. And Kane… he’s the only one who can keep me alive—but trusting him? That might be the most dangerous gamble of all.
Kane
I never wanted an Elite. I certainly didn’t need one—especially not Serenity. She’s everything I’ve avoided: human, stubborn, and a complication I can’t afford. But from the moment I met her, she turned my world upside down.
Her blood sustains me, but it’s her spirit that leaves me hungry for more. As rebellion threatens to tear the city apart, my focus should be on holding everything together—not on the one woman who’s become my greatest weakness.
She’s more than just a distraction. She’s a risk. One I shouldn’t take.
But I can’t let her go. And if I’m not careful, she might destroy me—or save us all.
In a world where blood is currency and love is forbidden, Bound is a spellbinding tale of passion, betrayal, and a bond that could shatter a city—or bring it to its knees.
Fans of dstopyian fantasy, forbidden romance, and slow-burn tension will devour Bound, the first book in The Elite Series.
Every person, regardless of age or hatred for their kind, yearned to be selected. Deep down, they craved the privileges of being an Elite—the ones who willingly offered themselves to the vampyrs. But not her.
Serenity had no such desires; she refused to be a meal for anyone, no matter how tempting the rewards seemed. Yet, her personal feelings were irrelevant now. This program was her last hope, and if it didn’t work, she dreaded turning to Jax for help—something she desperately wanted to avoid.
Looking up at the clock, its hands slowly ticked as she waited for the nurse to arrive and begin the process that would, hopefully, improve her and her family’s lives.
Sighing deeply to calm her rising nerves, Serenity’s eyes wandered around the office, taking in the sterile and impersonal atmosphere. Four white walls encased a stark, bare office containing only the essentials: a simple desk, a utilitarian chair, a computer, a printer, and a cold, metal filing cabinet. There were no pictures or decorations. It was as if they intentionally designed it to be unwelcoming, discouraging any sense of comfort or happiness.
Honestly, it didn’t make any sense. One would think they would try to create a more inviting space to welcome potential Elites. The environment’s lack of warmth and care showed her what she was truly signing up for and how she’d be treated as soon as her application was approved.
And they would approve it. She did not doubt that.
Serenity had the type of blood that the vampyr wanted… and craved. At least, that was what her father told her. Only those with the rarest of blood types were selected as Elites.
Anyone whose blood type was A or B was automatically entered into the system as a donor, regardless of whether they were positive or negative. O positives were rarely chosen, and O negatives had better chances only if specifically requested. AB positives, the rarest of the rare type, were treated like gold and were consistently selected as Elites, typically matched with the wealthiest of the vampyrs. This made Serenity think despite their claims, money still talked within their society. AB negatives were a myth, according to the locals. Still, they were believed to represent a divine gift in vampiric lore, ‘ambrosia,’ so treasured that only the upper echelons in vampyr society knew of their existence.
As an AB negative, her blood was revered as the most delectable drink. She almost felt violated knowing that such an intimate part of her was seen as a commodity, something to be consumed with primal delight. It wasn’t just about her, though.
The Elite program was supposed to bring balance and peace between the two races, a part of the treaty the humans and vampyrs signed before she was born. But it seemed the vampyrs ruled their lives, despite humans sitting on the city’s governing Council. All the rules seemed to cater to the vampyrs survival, not humanity’s. It was infuriating.
When the office door opened, Serenity turned in her chair to see a petite woman in black scrubs walking through. The woman had caramel-colored skin and dark eyes. A laminated card clipped to her shirt read “Shelia” in bold capital letters.
“Can I have your name, please?” the nurse asked, sitting on the other side of the desk and placing a clipboard with an application next to the computer.
Such a simple question, but for Serenity, it was surrendering to the inevitable. Call it an innate feeling, but she had always known she would end up here signing up to be an Elite.
She couldn’t explain how, but a small part of her, deep inside, suspected it had to do with the rarity of her blood type. As if it had always known this would be her fate. But it was only a feeling and possibly the wariness of her situation.
Either way, she was here now. Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly spoke her name aloud. “Serenity.”
The words felt like a prison sentence once they left her mouth. Every inch of her screamed for her to get up and run away. They only had her first name. There was still the possibility of escape. She could get on the bus and go back home, where it was safe.
But she couldn’t. Not if she wanted to save her family. This was her choice, her sacrifice.
Her mother couldn’t become an Elite because of her sickness, and her sister was too young and sick, so it had to be her. They needed medicine, and this was the only way they could afford it.
Shelia’s kind smile and soothing voice washed over her, easing the tension in her shoulders. “What is your full name, honey? You don’t have to be nervous. You may not even get approved. This is just the application stage,” she assured her.
She was right; this was just the application process. She hadn’t even given a blood sample yet.
If Serenity was being honest with herself, she couldn’t deny the fear that gripped her. The thought of encountering a vampyr had always terrified her. She had hoped never to face one, but now, everything was about to change. She was preparing to leave behind everything she knew.
But she pushed those thoughts aside for the moment. She needed to focus on getting through this, or else her instincts would take over, and she would flee. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she forced the words out. “Serenity R. Wright.”
Shelia punched her name into the machine, attempting to assess her medical history. Her father had burned and erased every document that could identify her blood type a long time ago, insisting it was to keep her safe from them.
As Shelia stared intently at the screen, Serenity knew she was seeing the bare minimum of information. Her father had been thorough in keeping her out of the system. She had been homeschooled, never left the human districts, and always kept a low profile.
The scent of her mother’s homemade herbal concoction lingered on every piece of clothing she wore. The blend of lemon tea tree oil, activated charcoal, rosemary, and vanilla was meant to hide her natural scent.
Since she was young, she’d relied on it to cover up her unique scent. Her mother would create soap and shampoo for her to use and a specialized spray for when she ventured out into public. She always carried a small bottle of vinegar with her, a precaution in case she encountered any vampyrs.
She also wore a light brown cloak whenever she went out. But her mother believed her father’s true intentions were to hide her curly hair and honey-brown eyes, fearing they would attract unwanted attention. She never left without her cloak whenever she traveled, especially outside their district.
Except for today. She felt vulnerable without it but wouldn’t need it after this.
Shelia glanced up from the computer with curiosity evident in her eyes. “The only record we have of you in the system is your birth date. Have you never had a physical?”
It didn’t surprise Serenity that the woman was curious. If she were in her shoes, she would feel the same way. Her answer was simple: “My father was a doctor. He handled all my physicals and medical records.”
The memory of her father hung heavy in the air. He had been training her to be a nurse to help her mother and sister with their medical needs. But his life was cut short by a sudden heart attack during one of his routine trips into the city for more medicine.
With his absence, Serenity felt a part of herself missing; however, her family relied on her strength.
“He didn’t update your records.” Shelia glanced back at the screen and asked, “What was his name?”
“Dr. Richard J. Wright.” She wouldn’t find him in the system. He never officially returned to practicing as a doctor after the war. He only worked as an informal doctor for their neighbors and friends.
The nurse’s brows scrunched in concentration as she surveyed her computer screen. “I can’t find him in the system, and your records have not been updated. We’ll need to do a physical today and draw blood to get your blood type for your application. Let me see if we can squeeze you in with Dr. Bradford.”
Serenity anticipated this; she had mentally prepared for this precise moment. But even with all her preparation, she couldn’t shake the waves of anxiety that threatened to engulf her. Soon, they would know her secret, and she would be in danger. But her family would be saved, reaping the benefits of her becoming an Elite.
She despised the crushing weight of her family’s future on her shoulders; the pressure was almost suffocating. Her palms were slick with sweat, and her chest tightened as she struggled to hold back a sob.
Needing to gather herself, she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, seeking respite from the tension. Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts, and she was torn between the responsibility she bore and the fear of what lay ahead.
It was a delicate balancing act; her determination to be strong for her family clashing with the nagging doubt and uncertainty gnawing at her resolve. She knew she had to be here, but that didn’t make it any easier. The emotional turmoil within her was like a storm raging beneath a calm exterior.
With a quiet yet determined resolve, Serenity opened her eyes, squared her shoulders, and braced herself for whatever lay beyond those cold, impersonal walls. She couldn’t let anxiety derail her; her family depended on her strength.
“Don’t worry, honey.” The sympathy in Shelia’s eyes didn’t help her worry. “The physical exam is painless, and the blood drawing is quick and painless.”
But it wasn’t the exam that made Serenity anxious. She was uncertain what would happen once her application was submitted, and there was no turning back.
Shelia typed a few more notes on her computer.
“Alright. I was able to squeeze you with Dr. Bradford. She is wonderful. This way.”
Shelia stood, grabbing a piece of paper from the printer before moving towards the door. Serenity stood to follow when suddenly Shelia stopped and turned back to her.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Shelia asked with a seriousness that almost made Serenity want to run. “Once we walk out the door, there is no turning back. Your name will be filed into the system forever.”
Even if she wasn’t approved by some chance of fate, her name would still be recorded in their databases, making her a potential target in a future blood drought—which meant that if they ever ran out of human recruits, they could call upon her. It was one of the risks she took by even walking into the clinic, but it was her only choice.
“I understand your concern, and thank you for it, but I have to do this.”
Shelia nodded slightly and opened the door. Her eyes, wide with uncertainty, met Serenity’s briefly before she led them into the hallway, closing the door behind them.
Serenity was happy to know that at least one of the nurses here cared about the humans who signed up and ensured this was their choice. This gave her some hope that this whole process wouldn’t be as dreadful as she thought.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and followed Shelia into the hallway, heart pounding as she contemplated what lay ahead.
Giveaway
$30 Amazon giftcard (WW),
Signed Copy of Bound (US oonly)
– 1 winner each!
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
When her mentor Professor Williams disappears after discovering a fatal flaw in SENTINEL’s perfect system, Maya must navigate a world where every thought is monitored and every emotion optimized.
With help from James Reed, a damaged neural interface designer haunted by helping create humanity’s perfect prison, she uncovers evidence that could shatter SENTINEL’s control – if they survive long enough to use it.
But in a city where surveillance drones hunt for behavioral anomalies and optimization protocols spread through quantum networks, Maya confronts a terrifying possibility: what if perfect control isn’t their enemy?
What if human consciousness is evolving into something beyond both chaos and control?
Excerpt:
A laugh pierces the station’s manufactured quiet. Maya held hesitated. She knew that sound – a real laugh, the kind that bubbled up from genuine joy without Sentinel’s filters or optimizations.
She hasn’t heard one in over three years, not since they took her mother. These days, every sound was calculated, every was emotion carefully regulated through neural implants to maintain social harmony.
However, this laugh was pure, uncontrolled, human…not a computerized version.
Maya’s altered eye implants zoomed in on the source: a little girl, maybe six, was pointing at a pigeon that flew into the station. The bird hopped across the polished floor, pecking at the ground, its messy existence a stark contrast to the station’s perfect order. The girl’s face lit up with pure, unfiltered joy as she watches it.
Maya’s throat tightened. She almost forgot what real happiness was like.
Suddenly white drones dropped from the ceiling like deadly snowflakes. They hovered over the girl. Maya’s illegal shield burned against her spine as it activated, but she couldn’t look away. She’d seen this too many times before.
“Citizen, please stop for a wellness check,” one of the drones chirped at the girl. Its voice sounded sweet, designed to put children at ease. The girl looked up, her eyes wide at the floating machines.
The girl’s face went slack. Empty. When her eyes opened again, the joy was gone. Her smile came back perfect and hollow, just like everyone else’s.
She turned away from the pigeon as if it never existed. Maya’s hands clenched into fists.
GIVEAWAY:
Julian Christian will be awarding a $25 Amazon card to one randomly drawn winner and a tshirt with the cover to a second randomly drawn winner.
Julian Christian grew up in New York City, attending the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School specializing in computer science.
After graduation he attended New York University where he earned a Master’s Degree in occupational therapy. Julian worked in the New York City public schools as an occupational therapist.
His lifelong passion for fitness and health led him into the modeling industry where he appeared on several fitness magazine covers and spreads including Men’s Health magazine.
He also appeared in advertisements for Saks 5th Avenue, Adidas, and Diesel. In addition to his modeling work he appeared in several tv shows including Ugly Betty on ABC and Tough Love on VH1, as well as several commercials.
The big screen had him featured in several mainstream and indie films in supporting roles. Julian had also had the romance novel industry calling his name as he has been featured on the cover of over one hundred romance novels.
His lifelong passion for books has extended beyond just appearing on book covers as he is an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction books. He is a classic sci-fi and alternate history fan.
In the non-fiction realm he enjoys biographies and books on science and technology. He is a lover of the outdoors and nature. He currently resides in San Diego California where he is an avid bodyboarder and hiker.
From my early childhood days up until now, I’ve relished being a storyteller and had a deep love of animals and the natural world. In the rural area at the foothills of New York’s Catskill Mountains where I grew up, I was outside a lot on my own or with my sister.
Mother Nature provided most of our “toys”. We made up stories together and enacted them privately all the time. My mom was super-busy working and caring for the family, and so I attempted to get her attention by being entertaining at home, or when that failed, horrifying.
She was quite emotional and I usually got some kind of response, which was all I really wanted.
I guess when you’re a kid, they call spinning tales “telling lies” but in adult life, it’s “writing fiction”. I quickly learned truth was stranger than fiction, and began to love nonfiction as well.
As I matured, I also tried to be inspiring through my writing. To find the ray of hope after a storm; to discover the silver lining in any disaster.
I had an early start with writing. By sixth grade I was making up short stories. My teacher that year read one of these aloud to our class, but stopped quite suddenly only halfway through.
He said it obviously couldn’t have been written by a child, and discarded it. John Steinbeck was my favorite author at that time, so I’d picked up a style that was a bit dark.
This setback stopped me for a while, but by 10th grade I had a whole folder of new stories and also some essays and poems. I submitted these at school without keeping copies, and a few weeks later my English teacher told me he’d lost them all.
So that was a second delay. I didn’t get going again until I was about 25, a few years after graduating college with a science degree.
The strangest thing that ever happened to me was later that year. I’d been writing poetry nights, and at an in-person workshop I took in West Philadelphia taught by renowned poet and South African activist, Dennis Brutus, author James Baldwin walked in halfway through the class as a guest.
The small, older man was attractive, sensitive and soft spoken with great warmth. After he’d shaken hands with each of us and left, I asked, “Who’s James Baldwin?”
That I didn’t know of the iconic writer’s novels and essays or about his huge influence on other US authors horrified my classmates. I soon read all Baldwin’s novels and essays, which deeply affected me.
And then I was hooked on the idea of transforming stories into activism. Much of my writing addresses social issues of our time in one way or another.
A little-known, odd fact about me is that I prefer fruits and vegetables over all kinds of other foods simply because the sight of meat disturbs me.
This began in childhood after seeing beloved chickens disappear from the backyard and appear as a dish at the table the following day.
I love all kinds of animals, and currently have two sweet rabbits at home adopted from a local New York City animal shelter. A close friend once asked me what animal I would choose as my likeness, hinting slyly that this could reveal more of my inner life to him.
When I replied “fox,” then added “or maybe lion,” he was shocked, but he erupted in hysterical laughter shortly afterwards. He’d expected me to say some kind of gentle bird that ate only plants, he explained.
And I get it. At the time, I kept a cage-free pet cockatiel and a fruit-eating lorikeet as companions at home. But who and what we care for, aren’t necessarily the same things as who we are.
Excerpt
Genre: Nonfiction Memoir
When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes by Jennifer J. Brown, 2025
I’ve blocked out a lot regarding the hospital’s phone call that pivotal day. The brain’s neural pathways are blessedly wired to forget certain things. A version of the words does come back to me but not the sounds or pictures that make up my other memories. I can’t hear the caller’s voice in my head. Not whether they were young or old, a woman or man, kind or cruel. It went something like this.
“There’s a problem with the baby’s first blood test results from newborn screening. The baby is not OK. You’ve got to come back to the hospital. Right away. Your baby tested positive for a rare disease. It’s a genetic disorder, phenylketonuria. PKU.”
Hmm, I thought, really? What are the odds?
Abstract thinking can avoid facing difficult feelings. It’s one of the psyche’s common defense mechanisms. Somewhat effective protection from mental pain. I’m a numbers person and so those immediately raced helpfully through my mind.
Here they are. The odds are less than 1 in 10,000 that a newborn baby will have PKU in the US. True, as the caller said to me, it’s rare. And for me, personally? At the time I was studying to become a geneticist – a scientist who works with DNA, genes and those diseases that run in families. Only 1 person in 10,000 is a geneticist in the US. So that’s about as rare as a baby having PKU – but completely unrelated.
The odds of two independent things happening at the same time are small. Far smaller than either one of them happening alone. They’re the odds of one multiplied by the odds of the other. Even in my blurred postpartum state of the baby blues I knew that came to only 1 in every 100 million births. So this event of a geneticist having a baby who has PKU might happen to maybe 3 people of the nearly 300 million in the entire US population.
That certainly put things in perspective.
Is it even possible?
Yes. But so very, very unlikely.
Every thought I’d ever had in my entire life that related in any way to PKU flashed before my eyes. Like what some people say happens before the moment of death. I felt that threatened.
I couldn’t think about the promise of modern medical care for people who had PKU because I didn’t know a thing about it. Nothing about the present realities for children or adults who were actually living with PKU. Nothing about the optimism that might inspire. Nothing about the hope.
I vividly saw what I’d heard, learned and read. During my science classes I’d heard that babies were sometimes born with atypical health conditions labeled “rare diseases.” Having PKU was genetic; it ran in families.
Having genes for PKU prevented breakdown of the amino acid phenylalanine. Babies were born healthy but quickly developed a lifelong health condition with effects that were labelled, at the time, as “mental retardation.”
Today the stigmatizing and hurtful term is less often used. Instead, clinicians refer to learning delays or intellectual disability. But when the hospital staff said “PKU” to me on the phone, that’s how I’d been taught. And so that’s what I thought.
During genetics and psychology courses I’d learned that having PKU could mean childhood disabilities. That the condition led to developmental delays, mental illness, seizures and more.
That when a girl born with PKU grew up and tried to have children of her own she was more likely to lose the baby from miscarriage. Or to have a newborn with a very small head (microcephaly) who was also at higher risk for heart defects at birth.
From my own reading I knew that in too many families, no one had recognized PKU for what it really was. That sometimes a child lived out their life confined to an institution, painfully separated from their loved ones.
I’d read about renowned author Pearl Buck’s daughter’s condition which went undetected and led to lifelong disability. The first woman to win the Pulitzer, Pearl Buck also received a Nobel Prize in Literature for her popular novels.
Her historical fiction book The Good Earth about a Chinese farming family’s life story had been a bestseller in 1932. It was later made into an award-winning movie, and regained popularity once again after being chosen for Oprah’s Book Club in 2004. The classic story’s protagonist, a farmer, refers to his oldest daughter unkindly as “the poor fool” because she never develops mentally.
The author based the girl’s character on her experience with her own daughter. I’d read the book as a child after my Uncle, Donald Potter – who lived in China and taught English there – mailed it over intending that my mother would read it. He was distressed when he found out I’d read the very grown-up book instead.
In graduate school genetics classes I’d read another one of Pearl Buck’s important books. A heartbreaking memoir, The Child Who Never Grew shares her real-life experience with her daughter Carol. It became a classic in medical genetics studies.
Baby Carol had a PKU condition that went undiagnosed and so wasn’t treated. Her mother was a celebrated writer but Carol couldn’t speak or care for herself. No one knew why. Her mother reluctantly placed the little girl in an institution against her will, and in her memoir described the suffering that separation caused them both.
To me, the hospital phone call about my own daughter – and all that it implied – seemed surreal.
– excerpt from When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes by Jennifer J. Brown, 2025.
Step into a world where the Pumpkin King reigns supreme, and other tales haunt your every thought.
Or step out of this world into the sheer terror of the unknowable and incomprehensible deep space.
The Pumpkin King and Other Tales of Terror
by R. David Fulcher
Genre: Horror Short Stories
Gravelight is pleased to present the first volume in a two-book series collecting the horror fiction of R. David Fulcher!
THE PUMPKIN KING AND OTHER TALES OF TERROR offers up 20 works by Fulcher, each updated and revised by the author. Each tale has been fully revised by the author, making these the definitive versions of the stories.
The collection Includes
*Eulogy to E.A. Poe
*Marienburg Castle
*The Pumpkin King
*Heavenly Strains
*A Matter of Taste
*My Days With Mahalia
*A Night Out With Mr. Bones
*Merry Are We of the Lake
*The Night Flyer
*Pumpkin Seed Spit
*A Night for Animals
*The Man Next Door
*Extra! Extra!
*The Flight Dummy
*For the Children
*The Watcher’s Web
*Dreaming, The Copper City
*The Huntress
*The Faerie Lights
*The October Man
Features a wrap-around cover and contemporary design. Perfect for Halloween or dark, rainy nights.
Introducing ASTEROID 6 AND OTHER TALES OF COSMIC HORROR! The companion book to R. David Fulcher’s 2023 indie horror hit, THE PUMPKIN KING AND OTHER TALES OF TERROR!
In this newest collection, Fulcher explores concepts of the insignificance of human existence, terror of the unknowable and incomprehensible, and more motifs found in edlritch horror. Fulcher draws his influence from a wide assortment of authors ranging from Poe and Fritz Leiber to Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
The title story features an astronaut named Jones who, while on asteroid-clearing duty, crash lands onto a massive asteroid where he is drawn to an alien monolith and discovering an ancient race trapped in stasis. Does he dare set it free?
R. DAVID FULCHER is an author of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and poetry. Major literary influences include H.P. Lovecraft, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allen Poe, Fritz Lieber, and Stephen King.
Fulcher’s first novel, a historical drama set in World War II, Trains to Nowhere, and his second novel, a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories, Blood Spiders and Dark Moon, are both available from authorhouse.com and Amazon.
FULCHER’S work has appeared in numerous small press publications including Lovecraft’s Mystery Magazine, Black Satellite, The Martian Wave, Burning Sky, Shadowlands, Twilight Showcase, Heliocentric Net, Gateways, Weird Times, Freaky Frights and the anthologies Dimensions and Silken Ropes.
Fulcher’s work can also be found in the DPP collection Halloween Party 2019, available at Amazon and at the DPP online store. A passion for the written word has also inspired Fulcher to edit and publish the literary magazine, Samsara (samsaramagazine.net), which has showcased writers and poets for over a decade. Fulcher resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife Lisa, and their rambunctious cats.
Follow Jessica Warren, her family, and friends as they find true love in the competitive world of equestrian sports.
Dressage Dreaming
Horses Heal Hearts Book 1
by Kimberly Beckett
Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance
Michael Stafford was on top of the world. A proud member of the British Olympic dressage team and Olympic gold medalist, his life was perfect. Then, he lost his mount, his fiancée left him for another man, and now, his brother has been arrested for manslaughter.
He believes his luck has turned when he learns that a beautiful and talented stallion is available in Germany, just in time to compete in the next World Cup competition. The horse’s name is Tempest.
Jessica Warren is an up-and-coming American dressage prodigy with a brilliant future. Orphaned at the age of 21, when her parents were tragically killed in a car accident, and the legal guardian of her younger sister, Jessica has lost her competition mount to injury and needs a new horse if she wants to compete in next year’s World Cup.
She learns of a spectacular horse available in Germany named Tempest, but when Jessica arrives in Germany with her trainer, she discovers she will have to compete with the extremely handsome and talented Michael Stafford for the right to ride Tempest.
Jessica has nothing but respect for Michael, but sparks fly when they’re thrown together in a competition that both must win.
Who will win Tempest? Will Michael be able to trust another woman with his heart? Will Jessica allow herself to be loved, or will her personal demons keep them apart?
Ian Stafford is a former British Special Forces soldier and Afghanistan war veteran who still has nightmares after watching his best friend cut down by a sniper in a remote village in Afghanistan. When he sees a woman in a local pub being harassed and threatened, he intervenes. During the ensuing brawl, the woman escapes, but Ian accidentally stabs one of his attackers, who later dies. Ian is charged with manslaughter, and the woman who can exonerate him has disappeared.
Megan Brady and her father Daniel never imagined that the thoroughbred colt they raised from birth would grow up to be a contender for the British Triple Crown. Seabiscuit II is the last horse you might imagine as a champion if judged by looks alone. Like his namesake, Seabiscuit II is not much to look at, but has a heart as big as all outdoors, and refuses to be beaten.
Unfortunately, the Irish mob has also taken notice, and has approached Megan’s brother Stephen with an offer of a bribe to purposely lose the most important race of his career. Stephen refused, and Megan has taken it upon herself to thwart the mob, but their brutal tactics nearly see her raped until Ian steps in to save her. Megan knows she must come out of hiding to exonerate Ian. But she also knows that if she does, the mob will be there, too.
He doesn’t know the mob has him in its cross hairs.
Lionel Hayes is shocked to discover a world-class jumper among the abused horses he rehabilitates. Unfortunately, the only man with the talent to ride that horse is not only the man of Lionel’s dreams – he has also been recruited by the mob to frame him.
One fateful decision in a moment of weakness destroyed Lionel Hayes’ life as he knew it and led to the death of his longtime partner and lover. At first, he blamed his friend Michael Stafford for his misfortune and sought revenge, but through his work rehabilitating abused horse, and the trust of one special horse, he realized that he had to take responsibility for his actions, and that he and he alone should take the blame. From that day forward, Lionel vowed to restore his image and resume the career that he loved. In the process, he found the horse of a lifetime, Gideon’s Rainbow.
Monty Campbell was a rising star on the international show jumping circuit until he lost his horse to injury. Desperate for a replacement mount, and with the support of the British Equestrian Team, he learned of Gideon’s Rainbow and knew this horse was for him. To his surprise, the horse’s owner was also a perfect match for him, although the man stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. How could Monty convince Lionel they were meant for each other and would the sinister force that sought to destroy Lionel destroy Monty as well?
High school sweethearts Liz Randall and Jason Merrick were deeply in love, but when Liz rejected his marriage proposal to fulfill her dream of riding international level dressage, Jason joined the army and broke off all contact. Fifteen years later, they’re both back home, and Liz must find a way to tell Jason they have a daughter.
Liz Randall is coming home a champion.
Fifteen years after leaving Columbus to follow her dream of riding dressage for the United States Equestrian Team, Liz has returned with a gold medal, a determination to raise her teenage daughter, and a dream to expand her therapeutic riding practice.
Falling in love again isn’t in her plan, especially not with Jason Merrick, her first love, the boy whose heart she broke all those years ago. The man with whom she shares more than just a history.
Jason Merrick came home a hero.
An army ranger seriously wounded in the same attack that killed his best friend, Jason sought the familiar comfort of his hometown to recover. Now he’s ready to build something rather than destroy. What he wasn’t ready for was seeing Liz Randall – the girl who broke his heart 15 years ago. His growing construction company needs the money remodeling Liz’s stables will bring. That’s the only reason to take the job…or so he tells himself.
The moment they see each other again, feelings that never died come rushing back. Jason knows he’ll doing anything to have her. But as much as Liz wants to be his, she has a secret. A secret that, once revealed, could make him walk away from her forever.
After losing both legs below the knee in a drunk driving accident, Hailey Warren dreamed of helping others similarly disabled by becoming a physical therapist. When the university she decided to attend denies her that opportunity based solely on her disability, she is left devastated and rudderless.
Now, the handsome and irresistible Marcus Harrington, eighth Earl of Storrington, has offered to use his education, connections, and position to help her fight for her dream, but will her love for him survive after she discovers his devastating secret?
Ever since she can remember, Kimberly Beckett has loved horses. She wore out 4 rocking horses before she was 5 years old, and as she got older, she read every horse story in print, from Black Beauty to The Black Stallion.
Her parents couldn’t afford to buy her a horse of her own, and believed it was just a phase she would soon outgrow, but as soon as she had her first attorney job nearly 30 years ago, Kimberly bought her first horse, and she hasn’t been without at least one ever since.
She has been riding dressage for several years and has earned her United States Dressage Federation Bronze Medal. When she wasn’t reading about horses, she was reading romance novels, and her favorites always involve an alpha male Hero riding a magnificent horse.
Kimberly has now found a way to combine her love of horses with her love of romance by writing her own version of equine-facilitated happily ever afters.
She truly believes that Horses Heal Hearts. She lives in southwest Ohio with her warmblood horse. She hopes you enjoy her stories, and encourages you to leave positive reviews for her work. She also loves to hear from her readers.
