Moretti’s Castle

By Karin Harrison

When Alvaro Moretti comes to America in 1921 at the age of 18, he had no idea what the future has in store for him. Robbed on his first day in this land of opportunity, Alvaro’s prospects seem dim. His dream to work as a stonemason for a friend of his father is only a distant possibility. Entangled with gangsters during prohibition in New York City, he fortunately meets and marries Abby, an Irish immigrant. While working for Charles “Lucky” Luciano, Alvaro and Abby decide to move to Pittsburgh and follow their dream.

Alvaro creates the Moretti Company in Millersville, Pennsylvania and finally becomes not only an accomplished stonemason, but a very successful businessman and a rock-solid pillar of his community after acquiring a stone quarry. The Moretti name soon appears on roads, buildings and bridges in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Abby is the love of his life and he decides to build a castle fit for his queen. He begins construction in 1948 using rock hauled from the river. He finally finishes in 1953 and the castle is grand, but will fate allow Abby and Alvaro to move in and enjoy its beauty?

Available at the following retailers:

Published: January 15, 2023

The Secret Picture

By Karin Harrison

Exploring the passenger quarters of the Canadian cruise ship S.S. Keewatin with her parents, beautiful, free-spirited Maria Amoss leaves the group of tourists and stays behind to check out the bridal suite, where she falls asleep. She is awakened by footsteps pounding the passageway, accompanied by loud voices. The tourists, including her parents, are gone. Horror seizes Maria when she learns she has been transported back in time to 1920, and finds herself amidst a hostile takeover by a notorious, elusive band of pirates, whose theft of a valuable painting has spawned the chilling chain of events. Confused and terrified, Maria fears for her life as she embarks on a thrilling adventure where she meets the handsome Sebastian, a man of many secrets. What will become of her? Will she ever see her parents again? Or will she remain in the past with the mysterious stranger?

Available at the following retailers:

Published: July 29, 2019

Coffee and Peach Cake

By Karin Harrison

A Missouri-born family journeys west to start a new life. A murderous jewel thief meets justice in Hawaii. A young couple takes a tragic hike on the arches of Utah. A West Virginia coal miner discovers a personal talent that brings him sudden fame. Henry VIII becomes bored with his sixth wife and makes plans to be rid of her. Henry II imprisons his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, trapping her inside a cold castle in Wales for sixteen years.

This lively collection of short stories journeys across the world and through history to share diverse accounts of the human experience. Whether it’s married life in your seventies or losing touch with old friends, this collection depicts the quiet hardships faced in everyday life and the courage required to keep enduring them. Readers will empathize with and cheer for this colorful array of characters as they tread through tragedies and struggle for success.

With a humorous and unique voice, Karin Harrison shares her personal insight on life in a way that will move and inspire its audience. She was inspired by the people and places that have woven together her own life, and the resulting compilation of narratives is relatable, charming, and timeless.

Available at the following retailers:

Published: October 5, 2017

The Tainted Lens

By Karin Harrison

This taut thriller by Karin Harrison flashes between the past and the present as a desperate man fights for his life and strives to discover the truth behind a violent act.

Ever since his father died of a heart attack, Kyle Weldon has struggled, unable to understand how God could let such ruination happen to such a good man, to such a fine family. Despondent, he hides behind his camera lens and his dream of becoming a professional photojournalist.

Kyle pursues his passion through college and finally sets off for the Big Apple. Along the way, he meets friends, foes, and beautiful women-but his love life is hollow. Is someone out there for him, or is he destined to remain alone?

Before Kyle can find the answer, a shocking crime tears him away from everything he’s ever known, and every minute becomes a struggle to survive as his life is slowly swallowed up by the darkness.

The Tainted Lens will keep readers at the edge of their seats as piece by piece Kyle’s past links with the present in most unexpected ways-and as he turns for love and completion to someone he never would have imagined.

Available at the following retailers:

Published: August 26, 2016

The Wrath of the North Star (Second Edition)

by Karin Harrison

The Sullivan family is devoted to their church. They revere the clergy and raise their three children in accordance with church law. Their meeting with Sean, a young man studying for the priesthood at a local seminary, leads to friendship and he spends much time at the Sullivan home. Their lives change drastically when Sean introduces them to a fellow student, Mark Shelby. Mark’s exquisite looks attract attention. He exudes sophistication, polish, and style. The difference between the backgrounds of these two young men could not be more diverse. No one suspects that Mark harbors deep, ugly secrets. He has a hopeless disease, a result of the vicious exploitation of his innocent boyhood, and the cycle that perpetuates because there is no cure.

Available at the following retailers:

Published: October 15, 2013

Hermann’s Ruhe

By Karin Harrison

With her husband away fighting a futile war Helen, her three children and her elderly parents struggle to survive every single day. The Nazi Regime is oppressive and brutal. As war rages on, food is scarce, and their stamina wavers. When their town faces its final battle, they escape to Hermann’s Ruhe, a small cottage in the hills surrounding the town of Wildenheim. Hermann’s Ruhe, a place of quietude, is their refuge. From their front porch, they watch in horror the relentless bombardment of their town until its surrender a week later. Hermann’s Ruhe is their sanctuary, but their safety is deceptive. They are forced to flee Hermann’s Ruhe running for their lives while being chased by bullets. At a nearby village, they find shelter in a schoolhouse already crammed with people. Barricaded and cut off from the world they spend eight days under the most primitive conditions until the final defeat of Wildenheim. Celebrating their freedom from fear and death, they soon discover that chaos accompanies the invasion by the allies. Each day presents new crises, but Helen vows she will do anything to keep her family alive, even resort to criminal activity as she robs an American warehouse with the help of her son and daughter.

Available at the following retailers:

Published: April 28, 2011