Lovely Torment Kimberly Quinn (Savage Hearts Syndicate, #2) Publication date: November 18th 2025 Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance, Suspense
He’s cold, calculating, and lethal. A killer.
He’s also my hero.
Finn Decker rescued me from a life in captivity, but not out of mercy. I’m his key to destroying the Bratva leader who shattered both our lives. A pawn in his ruthless game of vengeance.
I should be afraid. I should run.
Instead, I’m drawn to the darkness in his eyes, the craving he ignites, and the promise of retribution he offers. And I realize—I want him to use me in ways that have nothing to do with revenge.
Only, it’s hard to tell if I’m his leverage, his weakness, or something far more dangerous.
His.
Because in a war this savage, there’s no room for mistakes.
Or love.
It was sharp and vivid, and suddenly, I was drowning in him. In his heat, in his scent, in the way his body caged mine like he was the only thing keeping me upright.
“Don’t lie,” he growled. “You can be pissed at me. You can be scared. You can feel whatever the fuck you want. But don’t pretend you don’t want something more from me. You’ve been clinging to me since the day I took you out of Rykov’s house.”
“Well, I wasn’t angry before.” I lifted my chin and let all my irritation flow into the glare I gave at him. “But now? Yeah. Now, I am.”
“Good. Get angry for a change. Stand up for yourself. Prove you’re not just a victim looking for a goddamn savior.”
“You think that’s what I want from you? That I’m so weak and desperate I can’t stand on my own?” The words tumbled out, fueled by a courage I didn’t recognize. A fire I’d never dared stoke before.
“No, Lena,” he growled. “I think you’re a thousand times stronger than you know. And I think if you knew me at all, you’d understand why friendship isn’t something I can give you.”
“But you’re friends with Robin.”
“I don’t want to fuck Robin.” His voice was rough. Like the words had clawed their way up his throat.
And they stunned me.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Was I even still breathing?
He twisted my arm higher up my back—the dull pinch of it, reminding me I was at his mercy. “I can’t be your friend. Because every time you get close, it gets harder to hold back. Harder to pretend I’m not about to lose my fucking mind.”
His hold loosened, just slightly, like he was about to let me go. But before I could process it, his fingers flexed, and in a swift, merciless motion, he’d wrenched my other arm behind my back, pinning both wrists in one unyielding hand.
“You want something safe. Someone stable. But that’s not who I am.” His free hand slid up to wrap around my throat, his fingers pressing into the side of my neck. “This is the kind of man I am.”
And God, despite the edge of fear, despite the voice in my head telling me to run, my panties were soaked.
He leaned in, his mouth hovering at my ear and breath rough against my skin. “What I want is to tie you up and then take you apart. Slowly. Thoroughly. Until you forget every man who ever came before me. I want to ruin you for anyone that isn’t me. Then build you back up from the wreckage. Stronger. Fiercer. Like the queen I already see when I look at you.”
He paused, his breath hitching. “And then do it again. And again. And a-fucking-gain.”
Author Bio:
Kimberly is a contemporary romance author, born procrastinator, and lover of morally gray heroes. She enjoys lively conversations, usually with imaginary people, and can often be found daydreaming at work.
She writes gritty, messy, dangerous romances, featuring beautifully flawed characters, pursuing love at all costs. It's romance with rough edges.
When she’s not busy writing, you can find her with a coffee in hand, dog at her side, and exploring the wilds of her hometown in Ontario, Canada… Or on her couch, getting lost in a good story.
A Sabre in the Hemlock Dorothy Dreyer (Blade Bound Saga, #2) Publication date: November 18th 2025 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
With enemies closing in and magic slipping from her control, Celeste draws closer to unraveling a prophecy that could cost her the man she loves—as well as her soul.
In the wake of the carnoraxis attack on Ivystone Citadel, Celeste Westergaard’s battle for her future has only just begun. Trapped under the king’s watchful eye and hiding the magic awakening within her, Celeste must play the role expected of her, all the while uncovering secrets buried throughout Terre Ferique.
As the royal court embarks on a tour to solidify Dante’s claim to legitimacy, whispers of war and treachery follow their every step. The Shadow Tsar’s reach is growing, and the prophecy that fuels his reign foretells the rise of a power that will bring his downfall—one tied to the blood of the fae.
From glittering courts to bloodstained battlefields, Celeste must walk a knife’s edge between duty and desire, deception and truth. Because if the tsar discovers who she really is, he won’t just come for her magic, he’ll come for her soul.
A Sabre in the Hemlock is the thrilling sequel to the award-winning A Dagger in the Ivy, weaving romance, danger, and dark intrigue into an unforgettable tale of power and sacrifice.
“You promised you wouldn’t,” he says, voice quiet but taut, threaded with frustration. “You said you’d wait. You said you’d let Ezra figure it out.”
“I never promised,” I snap back, chin lifting. “You asked me not to, but I never agreed.”
“You bled, Celeste.” He leans closer, his voice low, heated. “I could tell something was wrong, even from the water. And what I couldn’t see, Nadya filled me in on.”
Of course she did.
“I had to help you.” The words come out louder than I intend, sharp with the emotion I’ve been burying all day. “They sent armed soldiers after you. You were bleeding underwater. You could have been pummeled by a f***ing tsunami. You don’t get to ask me to sit and watch you die.”
His hands flex, fists clenching just beneath the surface. “And what if helping me had killed you instead?”
I stare at him, my breath shallow. I don’t have an answer—not one that would make him feel better.
He paces a few steps through the water, raking a hand through his hair until it curls wild and damp around his temples. “Gods, you’re so damn stubborn.”
“And you’re so damn arrogant if you think you can tell me when and how I’m allowed to use a power that’s mine.”
He turns sharply, water sluicing off his chest, his gaze fierce enough to stop me in place. He crosses the space between us with quick, sure strides—and suddenly, he’s there, his hands finding me beneath the water, one arm locking around my waist, the other curling so that his hand is tugging the hair at the nape of my neck.
The heat of him burns through the chill. My breath stutters.
“Of course you’d fight me,” he mutters, his voice hoarse against my cheek. “Even when I’m trying to protect you.”
“And of course you’d push me,” I breathe back, “even when I’m trying to save you.”
The air thrums between us, thick with something neither of us is willing to yield. My pulse hammers as his thumb grazes the side of my throat, slow and reverent, like he’s trying to memorize the beat of my heart.
“I told you,” he says, his forehead almost brushing mine, “you bleed for no one.”
“And I told you,” I whisper, “you don’t get to decide that.”
His jaw tightens—and then, in one breath, his lips are on mine.
Author Bio:
Dorothy Dreyer is a Philippine-born American living in Germany with her family. She is an award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy, romance, and horror books that usually have some element of magic or the supernatural in them. Aside from reading, she enjoys movies, binge-watching series, chocolate, take-out, traveling, and having fun with friends and family. She tends to sing sometimes, too, so keep her away from your Karaoke bars.
CHINESE GANGS CLASH WITH THE OLD-SCHOOL ITALIAN "FAMILIES." It's 1990 in New York City. The AIDS pandemic is raging, murder is at an all-time high, an arsonist burns 87 people to death in a Bronx social club, and garbage and graffiti overwhelm the city. Though a sense of lawlessness pervade the city, being a gangster just isn’t the same anymore. In fact, it may be the twilight of the Italian mob: Under pressure from the feds and their loss of new recruits, the real menace facing them is the other ethnic gangs that are encroaching on their territory—in particular the Chinese.
What if the only way to protect the one you love is to destroy everything you've ever known?
New York City, 1990-a city teetering on the brink of chaos. The AIDS pandemic is ravaging communities, crime is at an all-time high, and the streets pulse with the tension of gang warfare. The once-dominant Italian mafia, now in its twilight, faces a new threat: the rise of ruthless ethnic gangs determined to carve up their territory.
Enzo DeCarlo, heir to a fading mob empire, is caught between two worlds. His father, the old-school Don Vincenzo, clings to the traditions of the past while the DeCarlo family crumbles under pressure from the feds and encroaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean gangs. Enzo's loyalty to his family has always been unwavering-until he meets the captivating Jen Mo Li, a woman with secrets as dangerous as her beauty.
Jen, the daughter of a powerful Chinese crime family, is no stranger to the brutal world of organized crime. Overlooked and undervalued by her own family, she fights to prove herself in a male-dominated world, growing colder and more ruthless with each passing day. But when her brother is murdered, and the blame falls on Enzo, Jen's desire for revenge spirals into something far more deadly-especially as her heart betrays her by falling for the enemy.
With tensions between their families at a boiling point and betrayal lurking at every turn, Enzo and Jen's forbidden love becomes a ticking time bomb. When Jen takes control of the notorious Black Dragon gang, the violence escalates to all-out war in Chinatown, with blood flowing in the streets and power shifting hands. But Jen's bold moves come at a terrible cost, and when a tragic mistake links her to a human trafficking operation, she finds herself hunted by both the law and her enemies.
As their worlds spiral out of control, Enzo and Jen are forced to make impossible choices. Can Enzo defy his father and the mafia's brutal code to save Jen and their child? And can Jen survive long enough to claim her throne in the criminal underworld-or will the betrayals she's suffered drive her to a darker fate?
In this explosive tale of love, betrayal, and survival, nothing is certain, and no one is safe. Dive into the pulse-pounding world of gangland New York, where power, loyalty, and love collide. Will Enzo and Jen escape the deadly shadows of their families-or be consumed by them?
The streets are unforgiving. Are you ready to find out who survives?
Praise for Mayhem on Mulberry: Book One: Rise of the East:
"Mayhem on Mulberry is a fast-paced page-turner that readers will not soon forget, and that will appeal to fans of hard-boiled stories and more grounded crime novels alike." ~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review
How far would you go to destroy the ones who wronged you?
In Mayhem on Mulberry: Book Two, the ruthless battle between the Chinese mob and the Italian Mafia rages on—but this time, vengeance runs deeper than blood. It’s 2020, and Jen Mo Li, presumed dead for decades, is very much alive. Back in New York under an assumed identity, Jen has one goal—to annihilate the DeCarlo family. She’s spent years plotting her revenge, using her beautiful daughter, Julia, as the perfect weapon to tear them apart from the inside.
Nicky DeCarlo, son of Enzo, is determined to break free from the fading mob legacy and start fresh. But when Julia, under Jen’s manipulation, seduces him and lures him into a dangerous heist, Nicky’s dreams of escape turn into a nightmare. Unbeknownst to him, Julia is not just an enemy—she’s his sister.
As the Chinese mob tightens its grip on New York, the Italians plan one last high-stakes score, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Betrayal, forbidden love, and shocking family secrets collide in a deadly game where no one is safe, and loyalty could prove fatal.
Will Nicky uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will Jen’s plan for vengeance destroy everything he holds dear?
Dive into this pulse-pounding sequel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Get your copy today and find out who survives the mayhem!
Praise for Book Two: Fall of an Empire:
"Vincent deFilippo masterfully weaves a tale of power, betrayal, and survival, where every choice cuts deep. With characters who are fierce, flawed, and navigating a world where morality collides with necessity, this isn’t just a story; it’s a riveting, adrenaline rush." ~ Kathryn Dare, San Francisco Book Review
Book Details:
Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Crime, Action Published by: ViennaRose Publishing Series:Mayhem on Mulberry
Author Bio:
Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, an international financier and former CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, where he aided numerous executives and businesses in raising billions of dollars in capital.
Currently residing in New York, he is a Professor at Monroe College, where he mentors and teaches young people to achieve their goals. Driven by his passion for writing and storytelling, he captivates readers with his fiction works and provides practical business and financial advice through his non-fiction books.
Faster than details break in a news story, Kennedy Sloane gets scooped.
On a rainy Manhattan afternoon, career-obsessed writer and news producer
Kennedy loses the interview that was guaranteed to catapult her to senior
producer status. Hours later, revered and feared book editor Muffin Evans, aka
the Manuscript Eater, shelves the publication of her promising debut novel.
Over a night of tears and too many glasses of wine, Kennedy responds to an
internet ad for a villa on the picturesque island of Hilton Head. She books a
five-week “hiatus from life,” to focus on herself, free from
distractions.
However, soon after arriving on the island, J.P. Long catches Kennedy’s
hesitant eye. Despite a series of serendipitous encounters around the romantic
oasis, Kennedy knows there’s no room in her life for a charming
professional golfer turned businessman who is battling his own personal and
professional insecurities.
But maybe he’s worth the trouble.
If there’s one thing Kennedy’s learned, it’s that life
rarely happens as expected, and sometimes, the best stories unfold when you
stop chasing the perfect headline.
Kenny’s first instinct
was to quickly look away, like she was caught staring at something she
shouldn’t be. She felt like a kid who was caught with her hand in the cookie
jar. But, if she couldn’t look at J.P., who she was planning to spend the
morning with, where was she supposed to look.
“You
made it! It’s fine to leave the bike up there, no one will bother it,” J.P.
shouted as he walked up the beach to greet Kenny.
“Hey there! I’m here,” she managed to reply
while she waved and pushed down the bike’s kickstand with her foot.
“I
should’ve given you my number in case you had a hard time finding me. I know
that walkway is a little off the beaten path, for lack of better words.” J.P.
laughed.
He’s here. He’s shirtless. He’s talking
about exchanging numbers.
“It’s
all good,” she said enthusiastically. “I figured if I made it all the way to
Oyster Catcher without noticing the sign, I would’ve taken one of the other
paths and walked down the beach until I found you.”
Idiot!
Don’t make it sound like you don’t want him to have your number.
She
could see that the stupidity of some people fired up J.P. in the same way that
thinking of the New York City subway system and failed attempt to make it to
Yankees stadium did. She found the reaction strangely adorable and giggled at
how animated the sheer thought of certain things made him. It also diverted her
attention from his chiseled abdomen and muscular chest that made her weak at
the knees; so, she thought it was in both of their best interests to keep the
silly, even if juvenile, conversation going.
“Oh,
yea? What’s the craziest question or assumption you’ve heard?” Kenny asked as
she grabbed the beach bag out of the basket on the bike handlebars and the two
walked down the sand toward the kayaks.
“Alligators.
In my opinion, any question or statement regarding an alligator is dumb. ‘Can
we feed the alligators?’” J.P. asked in a mocking way. “No, Sea Pines is not a
petting zoo,” he answered himself. “Alligators only prey on small mammals,
right? No! They’ll prey on you, after you fall in their pond while trying to feed them,” he continued. “But my
favorite question is when golfers ask me what I do with gators when I find them
along the course. ‘Nothing! I don’t do anything. Do I look like a relative of
Jack Hanna’s?’”
“No
wonder people come to you with gator safety questions, you seem to be quite the
expert.” Kenny laughed. “Here’s a question that I don’t think is dumb. I, of
course, would never approach an alligator but
if one ran after me for whatever reason, I’m supposed to run in zigzags
away from it, right?”
She
tried to maintain eye contact with him as he pulled his arms through the life
jacket and zipped it up. She could get lost in his perfectly round, bright blue
eyes that had navy rings around them with visible golden specks when the sun
hit them. But her curious mind was at high risk for directing her eyes to gawk
at his torso and shoulders, which she didn’t necessarily want to do, or get
caught doing. It was bittersweet knowing he was covering it all up with the
feminine-looking Kelly green and purple life preserver.
“I
should’ve assumed the reporter would have a question.” J.P. smirked and put his
hands on his hips. “It’s not a terrible one, though. That myth has been around
for years. But no, you should not waste your time or breath running in zig zags
if you’re being chased by an alligator. Just run. Run straight, fast, and far.
The only thing running in zigzags will do is slow you down and make you dizzy.”
About the Author
A graduate of Fordham University, Caila Klaiss is an award-winning network
news producer who spent seventeen years crisscrossing the country to cover
breaking and developing stories for platforms across ABC News. The bulk of her
career was spent producing true crime documentaries for 20/20.
Since making the difficult decision to leave a career she loved, Caila has
pursued her other life-long dream of becoming a writer. When she is not
reading, writing, or researching, Caila recharges by practicing yoga.
Born, raised, and currently living in northeastern Pennsylvania, Caila is a
New Yorker at heart whose happy place is a warm sandy beach, under a palm
tree.
Domestic Silence by Tut Yashar is a powerful poetry collection that
gives voice to the quiet battles many endure but rarely share. Written over
the span of 18 months, these poems weave a deeply personal yet universal
journey of survival and resilience in seek of liberation.
Through raw honesty and lyrical rhythm, Tut Yashar explores themes of love,
loss, injustice, silence and happiness. At its heart, this book reflects the
emotional reality of abuse—not only the pain itself but also the
loneliness, judgment, and shame that often follow. Each poem is both
confession and release, inviting readers to feel seen, validated, and less
alone in their own struggles.
Domestic Silence is not just about one story—it is about many. It speaks
to anyone who has felt trapped, silenced, or invisible, whether by
circumstances, relationships, or society. It reminds us that healing is
possible, that freedom can be reclaimed, and that our voices deserve to be
heard.
Whether you are a survivor, an ally, or someone seeking deeper understanding
of the human condition, this book offers hope, comfort, courage, and
connection.
“I so need a break,
And a big piece
of cake.
Yet I’m not in
the mood for a cake:
I have an ongoing ache.”
About the Author
Tut Yashar is a poet and advocate for self-fulfillment whose words shine a
light on the hidden corners of the human experience. With a background in law,
finance and operations, she blends analytical precision with raw emotional
honesty to create poetry that resonates deeply with readers. Writing has been
her lifelong companion, a source of healing, and a way to transform pain into
strength.
Her work explores themes of freedom, resilience, love, and the silent
struggles we often carry alone. Tut’s poetry speaks to anyone who has
ever felt unseen, unheard, or silenced—reminding them that they are not
alone and that healing is possible. Domestic Silence is her debut published
collection, and she is also the author of two forthcoming poetry books.
Through her writing, Tut strives to inspire readers to embrace their voice,
reclaim their power, and discover self-fulfillment in the face of life’s
challenges.
Meet the Invisible Guest in your wealth-biased relationships
Non-Fiction
Publication Date: October 10, 2025
Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing
Successful families and business owners tolerate far too much angst and
pain surrounding their material assets and cherished relationships. What if
hope for a better way was closer than you knew to be possible?
Packed with uncommon insights, boots on the ground exercises, and real client
stories, you will emerge from the experience with a profound exhale of relief,
and practical steps to make the journey from friction to ease.
In the pages that follow, I have endeavored to create more
of an experience than a traditional book. Some people will power through
attempting a quick read, and others will find the popcorn of a new idea in the
pauses we have carefully infused throughout.
One of my favorite mottos is, “Hope is a great
conversation.” Through a combination of compassionate sarcasm, tender truths,
and dense prose, my hope is that families read for what they haven’t heard and
not what they already know. At times you’ll find yourself rereading a sentence
or a paragraph. When you do, please know that I have attempted to embed deeper
nuance into those nuggets of compassion and contemplation.
Each chapter offers deep thinking exercises, audio overviews
of our counseling concepts, and real client stories. In our decades of
counseling and teaching families and advisors, we know that personal
interaction with the material has a dramatic effect on the depth of influence,
and the speed and durability of progress. Beyond reading or hearing a
presentation, this deeper engagement helps families chip away at change. If you
are holding an actual 3D book, versus an e-book, you’ll find blank journal pages
at the back on which to capture your thinking from the exercises. If you don’t
have a hard copy, you’ll want to allocate a notebook or journal to do the work.
About the Author
Joe Strazzeri is an attorney and counselor to successful families and business
owners. With a lifelong desire to become a lawyer, he leveraged his second
career as a general contractor, hammering nails to pay for law school. He has
been self-made since his 20s.
He is a founding partner in four companies that serve multi-generational
affluent families and self-made business owners, and he teaches the trusted
advisors to both. Their life’s work centers on Three Systems of Family
Thriving: family wealth, family relationships and family business
relationships, and family advisory relationships. They focus on four key
capabilities: tax masterminding, business succession, cleaning up messes in
families’ existing planning, and Family Synergy Work.
Over 25 years in business, he and his teams have counseled more than 750
eight- and nine-figure net worth families, and thousands of others. This
experiential sample size renders the insights and perspectives shared in this
book.
Joe credits his entrepreneurial tenacity to the dichotomy of his
parents’ origins. His mother a German, Iowa farmgirl, and his father, a
crazy Sicilian entrepreneur, who began life as a teenage immigrant and drove
the success of several real estate enterprises.
Aging actor, Geoffrey Harrison, is struggling to resuscitate his flagging
romcom movie career—turns out romantic heroes are only getting younger.
So, when his agent cooks up a social media contest, Geoffrey agrees to a
romantic dinner with the winner . . . the unexpectedly attractive Eleanor.
When the publicity stunt blows up the internet, Geoffrey talks Eleanor into a
ten-day fake romance, complete with handholding, candlelight dinners, and, of
course, kissing. It’s like something straight out of one of his movies.
And just like in the movies, it isn’t long before their fake romance is
anything but. However, before Eleanor can admit her feelings for Geoffrey, her
fragile trust is shattered.
Can Geoffrey script a Hollywood ending and win Eleanor back? Or will she deny
herself a second chance at her own happily-ever-after?
About the Author
I've dreamed of writing romantic fiction since I was fifteen and my older
sister sneaked a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss' Shanna to me and told me to read
it. Now I write women's fiction and contemporary romance under the name
Rebecca Heflin.
In case you're wondering, Rebecca Heflin is an abbreviated version of my
great-great grandmother's name: Sarah Anne Rebecca Heflin Apple Smith. Whew!
And you wondered why I shortened it.
I'm a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance Writers, RWA
Contemporary Romance, RWA Aged to Perfection Seasoned Romance Writers, and
Florida Writers Association. My mountain-climbing husband and I recently
located to central Virginia.
The Multiverse comprises different realms of reality as apparent in its
map.
The first realm is made up of different kinds of substances with
specific powers. These range from the world of pure matter (quantum fields) to
various embodied forms of life, consciousness and rational thought (microbial,
botanical, mammalian, et al.) to the world of pure spirit (angelic).
The second realm encompasses the agents who "operate" the substances.
These range from unicellular microbes to plants to animals to human beings to
angels.
Then there is the realm of purpose, beauty, the virtues, right and
wrong, good and evil.
Finally, we have the worlds that will never end: Plenitude on the one
side, Heaven; and Void on the other, Hell.
Our journey through the Multiverse begins with the Mission Control
Center.
Here we find the Source of all that exists, we discover that Its Life
has no beginning or end and, finally, that It is Tri-personal, Three Centers
in One infinite Mind and Will.
Next, we explore the Metaverse of Mind, the cosmos in which we live with
its five domains of mind.
Underlying the Metaverse is the MindField, infinite-eternal Mind.
We then move to the world of Homo sapiens, the highest form of mind in
the physical world.
From there we go to the realm of pure minds, the world of good and evil
spirits/angels.
Next up is the religious history of humanity that culminates in the
Incarnation of Infinity and the descent of the divine Spirit.
The Incarnation bestowed on Homo sapiens the God Gene, the Life of God.
Those who live with the divine Life offered to them enter into eternal
ecstasy; those who reject it suffer the endless agony of separation.
Finally, you will meet your Secret Lover.
Takeoff
Let’s
say today’s the last day of your life. 24 hours and you’re history. Dead. So,
what’s your “end”-game?
If
you didn’t know you had an expiration date, this is the guide for you. A
‘how-to” manual.
A
“how-to” for the end of the world––YOUR world. For tomorrow you’re going to
lose all the things that “everyone” thinks important: dwelling, family, job,
possessions. Everything and everybody. Gone for good. Gone!
It
doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or a bum, a celebrity or a nobody, an
introvert or a people person. There’s no escaping the end of your story.
Oh,
if this is “getting to you,” if you’re thinking of hanging up or switching
channels––don’t! None of this is
hypothetical.
You’re
going to die no matter what. For sure. The “tomorrow” could be 10 seconds or 109
seconds from now. You can’t know. Which means you need to be always
“ready.”
So
let’s head to the boarding gate.
Oh,
and by the way, my name is Melchizedek. You can call me Mel.
Flight
Announcements
Welcome
aboard the flight to “the other side.”
We
haven’t taken off yet. Time for the safety instructions.
So
here’s a checklist of items that are entirely irrelevant “going forward”:
●date of birth
●country of citizenship
●constitutional rights
●human and all other “rights”
●separation of church and state
●legal problems and issues
●frequent flyer miles
●bank account balances
●mortgage or rent payments
●stock market holdings and investment portfolios
●employment status
●health and life insurance policies
health condition
●education level
●personal and professional accomplishments
●expertise in science or economics or computer programming or
any other domain
●academic reputation
●entertainment or music industry or sports world achievements
●influencer status
●wokeness
●gun rights
●sexual orientation
●gender identity
●reproductive rights
●climate change
●becoming a billionaire
●business building prowess
●super AI
OK,
now perhaps you’re mad, beside yourself.
At least I’m not a loser, you say. I tried my
best. Even if I didn’t think about the “end,” I still lived life to the
fullest. So what if it’s all temporary? Better to do something with the hand
you’re dealt than to sit around moaning and groaning about the end. I have no
regrets and no one’s going to “shame” me for not sinking into depression and
despair.
Well,
excuse me!
Sorry
partner! Nothing personal here. This is not about the way you lived your
life–at least not yet!
It’s
about facing reality at every level. And we’ve only just begun.
Let’s
look at it from another angle. Like it or not, you’ve been brainwashed, snowed,
taken to the cleaners. You’re living in an illusion.
And
it’s easy to demonstrate the deception.
People
joke that you can’t take “it” with you. Except it’s no joke. It’s a hard fact
that when “you” die, your earthly possessions remain earth-bound. Equally, it’s
a hard fact that you will die. Finally, in a ten plus billion-year-old
universe, all of recorded human history, a few thousand years, is a
nano-second. Here for an instant, gone tomorrow, forgotten forever.
Like
it never was.
But
does anyone speak of this? Do you think of it? No. Not ever.
You
hear the news, go to school, get a job, all the while never being told about
the oblivion right ahead.
There
are no cover stories, blaring headlines, breaking news bulletins, viral social
media posts, power-packed podcasts, about the one thing that matters most: the
imminent and all but immediate end of everything.
You’re
going full speed ahead–to nowhere!
Doesn’t
anyone know? Anyone care? Total separation, total aloneness, total end.
Inexorable. Inescapable. In your face.
This
is Reality 101.
Been
There, Never Done That
OK,
enough about you.
It’s
time to check out the Seven Stages of Grief table–shock, denial, anger,
bargaining, depression, testing, acceptance.
Take
shock, denial, anger.
Shock
– The abyss of annihilation is headed your way. Unthinkable yet undeniable.
Denial
– Let’s not think about it. Eat, drink and be merry. Merry?
Anger
– Who brought up this topic? Focus on the here and now. Abstractions are for
losers.
Well,
here’s the bad news. No matter how much you deny it or how angry you are, you
can’t escape “death’s dateless night.” Check the obituary section. Even as you
read this sentence, over one hundred people have left us. And you’re on the
same hit list.
Everything
you’ve achieved and become is destined for decimation. It will be as if you’ve
never been. The here and now is here now but gone forever tomorrow. No, “you”
don’t actually live on in your legacy or your family. You as an individual will
not make it once your time has come.
So,
snap out of it! And let’s get down to business.
Let’s
skip past the bargaining, depression and testing. Assuming you finally accept
it, how can you deal with your impending departure? This death threat.
The
Other Side
Which
brings us to a question you might now take seriously: what happens when you
die?
This
is where we talk about a map of the multiverse. Because, let’s face it, we live
in a multiverse.
Not
the kind of multiverse the scientists talk about–various physical worlds with
radically different physical laws. That’s so yesterday when you die–because
death means physical realms are no longer the point.
No,
the multiverse is about the kinds of dimensions that make up reality––the
physical, the non-physical, the physical integrated with the non-physical, the
spatial, the non-spatial, the biologically living, the non-living, the
time-bound of the physical kind, the time-bound of the non-physical kind and a
lot more.
I
know, I know. You say, there’s no proof of dimensions other than those we
encounter on Planet Earth. And nothing happens “after” death. It’s Poof! And we
vanish. Never to be seen again.
Boy,
I wish you were right! But, nope, there are no final exits, no “end of the
matter.”
Sorry
to say, there’s a final reckoning.
A
“phase transition” of a final kind.
How
do I know?
You’ll
see.
But,
first, fasten your seatbelts folks.
About the Author
R.A. Varghese is the author and/or editor of various books on the interface of
science, philosophy, and religion. His Cosmos, Bios, Theos, included
contributions from 24 Nobel Prize-winning scientists. Time magazine called
Cosmos "the year's most intriguing book about God." Cosmic Beginnings and
Human Ends, a subsequent work, won a Templeton Book Prize for "Outstanding
Books in Science and Natural Theology." His The Wonder of the World was
endorsed by leading thinkers include two Nobelists and was the subject of an
Associated Press story. He co-authored There is a God―How the World's Most
Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind with Antony Flew (a book translated into
Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, and Arabic). His The Missing Link
(2013), includes contributions from three Nobel Prize winners and scientists
from Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Yale. Varghese was a panelist at the
science and religion forum in the Parliament of World Religions held in
Chicago in 1993 and an invitee and participant in the Millennium World Peace
Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nations in August
2000. Varghese has been interviewed on numerous radio and TV shows. He has
also been profiled in different print publications.
