dark comedy

Almost Over, Never Done: A Reluctant American’s Pandemic Tragicomedy

by

Post-apocalyptic survival meets a good laugh in this oddball adventure of suitcases, sarcasm, and life after loss. Then the really tough part starts.

Alone, sick, and unemployed in a pandemic, a fed-up nobody hatches an international plan to reboot her chances. There’s been too many decades of crazy already, and now the world is falling apart at a pace she can’t keep up with.

A gladiatorial combat of person-versus-policy begins. Stretching from sea shanty lyrics to the shores of a different republic, irreverent skits and tart objections to typical answers spit fire at a life that has always teetered on the edge of the American dream.

Current events, pop culture, and medical horror collide in an ongoing open mic night of unconventional takedowns. History gets hysterical on a snarky heroine’s double-edged quest for redemption and revenge. Or, at least, some toilet paper.

As plans become jokes and jokes become reality, can a dubiously-cast protagonist escape the dystopian parody of a country she’s sure will kill her?

Meet Amy A. DeCew

The saucy author’s backpages include stints in academic and research work, the fashion industry, and the eternal nonexistence of freelance writing. Her roles on stage and screen span many airline miles, from Bollywood extra to Vietnamese-British musicals. And if that sounds far-flung, just imagine what her books reveal!

Living in Cleveland with the Ghost of Joseph Stalin

by

It’s the summer of 1953. Calvin Jefferson Coolidge is thirteen years old when the ghost of Joseph Stalin appears to him in his Aunt Evelyn’s cluttered Cleveland attic and wants to dictate his memoirs to him.
“I want to tell my side of the story,” Uncle Joe tells him. “They’re giving me one year to set the record straight, so we need to get started right away.”


Calvin’s life is falling apart at the seams. He’s a misfit and loner whose only friends are famous dead people. He loves polka music and Westerns and sometimes wonders what it would be like to kiss a girl. His con man father is in Florida looking for his bipolar runaway mother. His cousin Buck is abducted and experimented on by aliens. The lady next door wants to coach him in the ways of love. His pastor thinks he’s headed straight for Hell. His English teacher thinks he’s a savant. The school psychologist wants to have him committed. His shrink thinks he’s just plain nuts. Sometimes, Calvin believes it too.
Everybody’s trying to figure out what makes Calvin tick in this quirky, fast-paced metaphysical romp through the heart and soul of 1950’s America.

Meet Marc Sercomb

Wisconsin Vamp

by

cover

Some vampires are destined for greatness. He’s not one of them.

When truckstop diner cook and mediocre bowler Herb Knudsen becomes a vampire, his once simple life gets a bit more complicated. Herb’s not even sure how it happened. He wasn’t bitten by a vampire, which means there’s no one around to help him learn the ropes. With no one to guide him, Herb fumbles into his newfound abilities, courting disaster with every step. Despite learning each new lesson the hard way, being a vampire isn’t all bad. He’s stronger, a little sexier, and a heck of a lot better at bowling. Even Lois, the girl of his dreams, is starting to notice him. But he can’t drink beer, the bodies are piling up, and his best friend Dallas isn’t just getting suspicious – he’s getting jealous. When Lois is caught in the middle of the two friends’ escalating rivalry, keeping his dark secret becomes the least of Herb’s concerns.

Booze, bowling, bake sales, bar fights, babes, blood and karaoke… Who would have thought that being undead would make life so exciting?

About the Monsters in the Midwest series: Herb, Dallas, and Stanley live in northern Wisconsin, where life is nice and simple. Until Herb becomes a vampire. And Dallas becomes a werewolf. And Stanley becomes a zombie. Join the three friends on their hilariously awkward journeys as they learn that there really are monsters in the Midwest, and that’s not always a bad thing.

Meet Scott Burtness

People say you should write what you know. That’s damned good advice, so Scott writes about ordinary Midwesterners making an extraordinary mess of things. Hey, if the flannel fits…

Teaching Frankenstein: A Cautionary Tale

by

cover

Every student has a story…

But you won’t find it here.

Dark, profane, and absurd, this comedy follows the journey of a young teacher on a misguided adventure to resurrect dead dreams. After being let go from his first school, the nameless narrator finds himself at a tough urban high school ready to quit. He decides that the only way to rekindle his passion for teaching is through his favorite novel. It’s a decision that leads him on an unsuspecting journey where he discovers that teaching a book about monsters means dealing with his own first.

The story exposes the importance of friendship and the truth behind what it means to be a teacher. Based on real events, the novel parallels Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic, Frankenstein, and shows that 200 years later, humanity still struggles to identify the real monsters.

It’s a must-read for aspiring educators, teachers, and those struggling with what it means to be a modern-day professional. (Newly Edited. 2nd Edition)