About the Newsletter

A chronicle of reinvention told through e-biking in Europe — essays on family, health, hardships, and love, written by an international development professional following unexpected career disruption.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed, or Tracks by Robyn Davidson.

Reader experience:

• candid

• atmospheric

• restless

• unsentimental

What to Expect: Thoughtful travel stories that explore adventure, resilience, and the courage to keep moving forward. Through cycle tours, memorable places, and personal reflections, this newsletter celebrates our ever-changing life’s journeys.

Why I Chose This Newsletter

by Jen | Author Gold

I had the privilege of working with Jane in international development. I know her to be genuinely kind, thoughtful, and adventurous. I’m navigating a similar career transition, and I love following her cycling journey through Europe (and maybe some day I’ll do this myself). She always brings honest storytelling, beautiful photos, and genuine reflections.

Three Questions with Jane Gindin

Q: What first inspired you to write this Newsletter?

Jane: I was living in Austin, Texas; I had a good job and planned to stay until retirement. But in 2025 my professional world—working for USAID implementers in global health and development—turned upside down. Within a month, we were all laid off. USAID’s good work was abruptly cancelled and I lost my income, my job, my industry, my retirement funds, my colleagues, and my entire professional community.

So I went for a bike ride. I started in the south of France, travelled north up La Vélodyssée, across to the coast of Normandy, and made a small loop in Belgium. In the Netherlands I did a big loop then crossed the channel and cycled across England and Wales to meet some friends near Dublin. A total of 4,200 kilometers, solo.

Q: What do you hope readers remember after they read your Newsletter?

Jane: I learned that while it seemed that I’d taken this journey because my career was tragically disrupted, it soon became clear that I had come seeking love. I found it every day in the greens and blues of the earth and sky, the touching conversations with the kind people I encountered, and the discovery of my self—my strength, determination, and capacity for joy.

Along the way, I wrote. I wrote about the rain, the swans, flowers, and hills. The people who showed me again and again that we are all here seeking love and connection. I wrote about emerging from years of chronic illness and pain and learning to live with limitations, discomfort, and fear. About my continuing health issues and the frustrations finding balance between my visions of adventure and my physical reality.

Q: What are you writing next?

Jane: I'll keep writing my Substack and eventually, my memoirs. I'd also like to establish myself as a memoir writer for others.

Ready to explore?

📰 Subscribe to Jane Gindin’s Newsletter, e-Jane!

Need a writer? Learn more about Jane Gindin’s services at https://engelseschrijver.com/

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About the Book

Armed with a map and guided by their trusty compass, Ping and Zippy navigate a world filled with brain-teasing riddles, intriguing puzzles, and thrilling obstacles. Book 1 of 3.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Adventure stories like Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, solving clues and riddles, and having interactive fun while reading.

Reader experience:

• interactive

• mystery

• adventure

• puzzles

Synopsis: .

Two adventurous friends follow a mysterious map into an abandoned mine, where hidden treasures, clever puzzles, and long-forgotten secrets await. As the mystery unfolds, Ping and Zippy discover that courage, friendship, and teamwork are the greatest treasures of all.

Why I Chose This Book

by Jen | Author Gold

I read The Lighthouse Legacy (Book 3 in the Ping and Zippy series) with my daughter and we very much enjoyed it. Posner creates a very memorable setting featuring Oregon’s beautiful coastline, history, and small towns. The book was engaging and easy for young readers to fall into. Posner’s short story, also featuring the characters of Ping and Zippy, received an Honorable Mention in the Author Gold Short Story Award.

Three Questions with Bill Posner

Q: What first inspired this story?

Posner: This series started with a conversation, not a plan. A friend and I got to talking about being kids, how we used to wander around convinced we were master detectives on the trail of something big, fueled by a steady diet of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books. Neither of us had actually solved anything more mysterious than a missing bike, but that never stopped us.

That idea turned into two 13-year-olds, best friends, solving mysteries up and down the Oregon Coast, which is a lot like giving my own childhood a second draft.

The Adventure of the Abandoned Mine was where it all started, short, a little rough around the edges. With the fourth one coming out this fall, this is the first book and the best place to meet Ping and Zippy for the first time.

Q: Without giving anything away, what moment do you hope readers remember after they finish this book?

Posner: Friendship and respect for others.

Q: What are you writing next?

Posner: The fourth Ping and Zippy book is with my editor. I’ve outlined the fifth book in the series. I continue to practice writing with short stories, scene exercises and my memories growing up, which are shared on my Substack.

Ready to explore?

Learn more about Ping and Zippy, and Posner’s other books and nature photography.

Browse the book on Amazon or Audible

Visit Author’s website

Follow on Facebook

Subscribe to Bill Posner’s Newsletter, Famous When Dead

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About the Book

A chilling thriller that asks what happens when humanity engineers its own extinction.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Michael Crichton, Blake Crouch, Philip K. Dick, and Brave New World-style speculative fiction with the edginess of a Dean Koontz world.

Reader experience:

• thought-provoking

• emotional

• eerie

• immersive

Synopsis: Combining DYSTOPIAN SUSPENSE, time travel, alien abduction horror, genetic engineering, and philosophical science fiction, Harvested: Fall of Nature is a technothriller that explores the unintended consequences of transhumanism, designer genetics, and technologies powerful enough to redefine what it means to be human.

Why I Chose This Book

by Jen | Author Gold

The most compelling sci-fi stories, to me, ask uncomfortable questions about our future. The book feels timely in its questioning about where technological advances might ultimately lead.

Three Questions with A.L. Smith

Q: What first inspired this story?

A.L. My co-author, Mike Anderson, approached with me a first draft of this story, and we spent a year rewriting it together. The initial idea came from a friend of his who once said, “Hmm… what if aliens are just us from the future?” And the story idea was sparked!

Q: Without giving anything away, what moment do you hope readers remember after they finish this book?

A.L. “Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.” Technology is advancing at a rate that is difficult to comprehend. The long-term consequences, and the ethical implications, of these decisions are unknown. I hope readers think about the ethical premises of this story long after they turn the last page.

Q: What are you writing next?

A.L. Book 2 in the series! It will follow the POV of two characters you meet in Book 1. This next installment will ask even more hard questions and put our characters in interesting predicaments.

Ready to explore?

Learn more about Harvested: Fall of Nature

Browse the book on Amazon

Visit Author’s website

📰 Subscribe to A.L. Smith’s Newsletter, Allison Ink!

Allison Ink

Emotion-based, self-aware editorial thinking for writers, shaped by 15 years in the industry. We’re all seeking connection. What’s your story?

See more Books—>

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About the Book

A speculative mystery where solving murders may cost Annie everything she hopes to save.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Adrienne Young's The Unmaking of June Farrow, who love how history and romance can shape an unfolding mystery laced with the fantastical, and Peng Shepherd's The Cartographers, who want a grounded mystery shaped by the impossible.

Reader experience:

• atmospheric

• sexy

• funny

• wild ride

Synopsis: While solving the murders of her friends, Annie learns she has to free herself from a jeweled imprisonment and stop a dynastic evil that threatens Willow Woods. If she fails, an ancient villain wins, and her final chance for freedom and love is lost forever.

Why I Chose This Book

by Jen | Author Gold

The premise: I can’t help but root for FMC in her midlife. I know the challenges of writing (and failing), querying, and building your fanbase. Many can relate to Cheryl Lemus’ journey. Cheryl writes about it with refreshing wit and profound perspective at An Educated Broad. Make sure to subscribe to her, to enjoy all her reads and be ready to bounce on her debut!

Three Questions with Cheryl Lemus

Q: What first inspired this story?

Cheryl: I work at a consignment store. The owner has been a fierce champion of my writing from the start. One day, she and I were joking, and she said, "You should write a murder mystery, where one of our consigners is found dead, and the killer is one of our employees." We laughed about it, but with each passing day, the idea blossomed. Now, the speculative side was added because I am a sucker for fantasy, anything magical, but I also can be a little dark and complicated and it comes out in my writing. Anyway, it was a joy to write. So much easier, yet it's better than my two prior manuscripts. I think I realized that while I am a fan of fantasy, I really like writing speculative stories grounded in our world.

Q: Without giving anything away, what moment do you hope readers remember after they finish this book?

Cheryl: That older female protagonists can be badass, and capture the heart of a younger man.

Q: What are you writing next?

Cheryl: Ideas come at the oddest times. My next book was inspired by an op-ed in the New York Times and the book The Change, and came to me when I was taking a shower. Let's just say, women in their 50s are sorely underestimated.

Ready to explore?

📰 Subscribe to Cheryl' Lemus’ Newsletter, An Educated Broad!

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About The Book

Can the sparks April and Simon share as roundtable writers survive their group’s shaky future?

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Cozy, bookish romances or the friends to lovers trope.

Reader experience:

• banter forward

• family drama

• lovable side characters

Synopsis: Simon Evans and April Roundtree steal glances during writing workshops, but their attraction never moves beyond the editing table. When Simon’s screenwriting aspirations lead him to the other side of the country, the pair may be lost to the friend zone. But when Simon returns from L.A., the star-crossed friends navigate grief, class anxiety, and a shaky future for the Hudson City Writers along with their feelings for one another. Bookish, cozy, banter-filled, laced with correspondence and just the right amount of spice!

Why I Chose This Book

by Jen | Author Gold

I met and have gotten to know C.C. virtually during the course of our respective Substack writing journeys, where her genuine thoughtfulness stands out. The same authenticity shines through in her fiction, making this debut novel an easy choice to recommend.

Three Questions with C.C. Hammond

Q: What first inspired this story?

CC: I knew I wanted to write a romance, and I was intrigued by a will-they-won’t-they real-life couple in my writer’s group.

Q: Without giving anything away, what moment do you hope readers remember after they finish this book?

CC: There is a grand gesture moment that I hope they find as special as I do!

Q: What are you writing next?

CC: A romance set on a boat!

Ready to Explore?

Get the Book!

Visit C.C. Hammond’s Author Website

Subscribe to C.C. Hammond’s newsletter, Writing on the Side!

Writing on the Side

Your real-world, non-aspirational guide to novel writing. Learn the tools to cultivate a lifelong writing practice.

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Meet the Author

About the Award-Winning Story

What do we owe the people who have hurt us?

The story begins in what appears to be an ordinary visit to a rehabilitation center. Tom has come to see his aging father, who is recovering from multiple serious illnesses but remains as angry and demanding as ever.

This is a painful encounter written with remarkable restraint. Geraghty lets the emotional weight accumulate until the shattering final exchange.

Goodbye, Dad

By Patrick Geraghty

Content warning: themes of child abuse, trauma.

Tom’s dad sat a wheelchair in the common room with a big frown on. Where’s his goddamn son? Shouldn’t he be here? Tom had to be at least 50 now (Tom was 39) and where’s his phone? Now he was not only stranded in the surgical rehabilitation center, but he was also marooned in the common room. Other elder patients sat in groups and watched an old Hitchcock movie on the big screen tv, and some played cards or board games, and the bad ones stared into space, and there his dad sat, apart and alone. Where’s his goddamn son?

He stared at the door. How could he be stuck here? He had millions of dollars so he should be in a high-class place where they wash your feet in containers of warm soapy water. Where were the feet washers?

He sat and stared at the door to the hallway. What was he doing on this cruise ship? He looked out the window and didn’t recognize the port of call. He looked around the room. Was he at the Captain’s table? Good. Now, where’s his fucking son?

At that moment, Tom rounded the corner, and visibly flinched as he walked down the long hallway because his dad was positioned so he could send his nasty glare that way.

As Tom entered the common room his dad raised his scratchy voice, “Where the fuck have you been? Where’s my fucking phone?”

Tom sat down next to him in a padded folding chair at the empty circular table for eight. “Hey dad, how’s it going?”

“They took my phone,” he grumbled.

“Well they don’t want you calling the cops again.”

“Where the fuck am I? I shouldn’t be here.” Tom’s dad said.

“C’mon dad, you just had a stroke, and a heart attack, and your kidneys are failing and your gallbladder’s out. This is where you’ll feel better.”

His dad said nothing.

Tom looked down. “They’ve been amputating your toes dad.”

His dad looked down at his misshapen feet in his hospital flip-flops. All that was left were his outermost toes and one or two of inner ones.

“You’re rotting.” Tom said under his breath.

His father stared at him.

“The doctors say you’ve got advanced cancer too, and you’re too sick for them to operate.” Tom said. “You’re going to die dad, soon.”

His dad looked blankly at him. “Fine,” he spat, “what about this goddamn place? Get me out of here. I have millions of dollars.”

“Dad, there’s no millions of dollars, and you’re here because this is all Medicare will give you.”

“What the fuck?” he said, “where’s my fucking phone?”

“I’ll see if I can get it dad, but they’ll take it away again if you keep calling the police. You haven’t been kidnapped.”

“Fine. Where’s my fucking phone?”

Tom stood up and went out to the nurse’s station. “He’s asking for his phone,” Tom said, “can he have it?”

“Are you going to be responsible if he calls the police again?”

“I guess,” he said as he stood there, waiting.

They produced the phone, and he walked back into the common area, “Here’s your phone dad. I’ve got to go, I’ll be back later,” he said as he stood over his dad. “No calling the police, ok?”

“Yeah yeah,” he grunted, and Tom’s mind flashed to the huge, awful man his dad used to be. Now he had an obese torso with a big swollen grape of a head on top.

Somewhere on the journey he’d lost his physicality, though he still acted like he could pound Tom at any moment. Tom remembered the time a few years back when his dad had tried to belt him and Tom had jacked him up by his lapels and almost thrown him to the ground. God, that was great. He saw fear there and he savored it. He’d love to do it again, but his dad was a pigeon now and Tom remembered the picture of his dad’s penis he used to carry in his head and the moment his therapist Cheryl had him look at that image and all the abuse unfolded and he collapsed with his head shooting off his neck like a toy rocket.

Get grounded, look at your hands and feet she said, hands and feet. He hadn’t had to do that in a while and, since then, he’d shared his story with the people in AA, and his mother, and even his old friend Steve who’d told him he hid it well when they were kids. Hid it well? He started drinking at nine years old. How well hidden was it? All because of this angry ripe tomato sitting in front of him.

Shame. It still skirted the edges of his mind but it lessened as he shared his story. Tom looked hard at his dad.

“I know what you did dad,” he said.

His dad didn’t respond and stared at him stonily.

“I remember it all.”

His dad said nothing so Tom got up; and tapped his knuckle on his dad’s skull. Knock knock. Anyone home?

“Do you hear me? I know.” Tom said in a hot voice and he stared in his dad’s eyes with his breath going in and out. His dad seemed to acknowledge his stare and he stared back with his chin out.

“You don’t know shit.” He rasped as he sat in his chair with his big hands on the armrests. Tom realized his dad was trying to get up and take a whack at him.

Tom stood over his father with his fist ready to go and his heart beating, but then he stepped back and looked down at his dad again, riddled with cancer and a small angry man who was dying a miserable death. That was ok with Tom. He turned and walked out.

He walked through the parking lot and went to his car. He opened the door and sat inside. He touched his steering wheel but it was hot from the sun so he put a rag over it and drove away.

After a few minutes, his phone rang. He glanced down and saw it was his father.

“Where the fuck am I?” the voice said.

“Goodbye dad,” said Tom.

One of my favorite parts of Author Gold is introducing readers to talented independent authors they might never have discovered otherwise. Visit the all new Author Gold Bookshelf to explore featured authors and books I think deserve a wider audience. Message me to learn how to get featured.

Learn more about Author Gold, and subscribe for free.

About Author Gold

This is a curated list of books written by Author Gold’s writers across fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, memoir, children’s literature, and beyond.

Some are thrilling, some are soulful, some are playful… and all deserve to be discovered and on your reading list!

Browse by genre below, and find your next book to love!

Have a book or substack you’d like featured on the Bookshelf? Message me

I highlight work from writers across genres, especially voices you won’t see everywhere else. If you enjoy discovering books early, connecting with authors directly, and getting insights into the publishing world, subscribing to Author Gold means you won’t miss what’s coming next.

Subscribe now

Scroll to the end to learn more about these talented writers!

Discover more reads on the Bookshelf: https://authorgold.substack.com/p/bookshelf

Thrillers, Speculative & Dark Satire

• Hell in Paradise by Taylor Ashley & Michael Bowen
  Thriller
  Set in the deceptively peaceful Inlet Point, Florida, this thriller blends murder, greed, betrayal, and sharp humor as a grifter’s deadly schemes collide with a tight-knit island community.
  👉 Buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G25NJM4J/

• Flight of the Windwalker by L.T. Noble
  Science Fiction
  In a dark future Earth, fugitive Jin Falen’s chance encounter with a pregnant Kastalyna pulls him into a fight against forces bent on global domination.
  👉 Buy: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/flight-of-the-windwalker

• A Kiss Too Late: And Other Stories by Chris Kalaboukis
  Dystopian / Suspense Short Stories
  From AI revelations to ancient devices that promise the future, these stories explore knowledge, power, and the consequences of choice.
  👉 Buy: https://thinkfuture.substack.com/p/books

• Classified Report: Prime Evil by Walter Winkwink
  Satirical Fiction
  A razor-sharp satire on convenience culture, corporate power, and a fulfillment center conspiracy that may—or may not—be entirely human.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0e5QqEiP

Fantasy

• Blue Moon (Fated Book 1) by Kate Tremillis

  Fantasy

  A dark force threatens three sisters of Fate in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, who maintain order by carefully orchestrating every mortal life.

  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/01dTD215

Romance, Relationships & Feel-Good Fiction

• Tacos and True Love by Chris Candie
  Romance
  A rule-following NYC food critic meets an Austin food truck chef determined to break every rule - and her heart!
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/03bWTRab

• Holiday Face-Off by Chris Cox
  MM Hockey Romance
  A fake-boyfriend holiday deal between Eli and André spirals into something much more complicated and heartfelt.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0besKeVm

• Whispers of Echo Canyon by Marylee Pangman
  Inspirational Fiction
  Five women in a near-future desert community find friendship, purpose, and second chances in the next chapter of life.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0fIB8vg5

Memoir & Personal Growth

• A Life of Creative Purpose by T.H. Meyer
  Nonfiction
  A blend of personal journey and practical strategy to help readers uncover their calling and remove invisible barriers.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/02K1oMzP

• Joyful Creating by Kate Tremills
  Nonfiction
  A gentle, soulful guide for creatives feeling burned out or disconnected from their spark.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0012DxVg

• Keep Going by Arthur Kayser
  Nonfiction
  A meditation on persistence - not speed - through fatigue, detours, and quiet returns.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/02TVLrRP

  ---

  Quick question for readers:
  Which of these genres do you want more of? Thrillers, romance, fantasy, nonfiction, children’s?

  Leave a comment

  ---

  

• Who We Meet Along the Way by Brandon Tosti
  Memoir
  Stories of hardship, wisdom, and found family from Kentucky to the Rockies.

  Has an Audiobook version!
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0beEOJRx

• Bright Lights & Long Nights by Brandon Tosti
  Memoir / Sports
  An inside look at 18 years in the sports industry chasing the dream job - from empty arenas to buzzer-beater finales.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0errWKeg

Culture & Practical Guides

• A Tapestry of Colours 1 with C.C. Hammond (contributor)
  Short Story Anthology
  Stories from Asia exploring the shared human spirit across cultures and generations.
  👉 Buy: https://epigrambookshop.sg/products/a-tapestry-of-colours-1

• The Diamond Pyramid by Timothy Brice
  Nonfiction / Sports Policy
  A sharp argument for reforming American baseball through open systems, fairness, and accountability.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0fbRVlsK

  

• The Writer’s Guide to a Rural Life by Alley Hart
  Nonfiction / Writing Craft
  A rich blend of history, how-tos, humor, and lived experience for writing authentic rural settings.
  👉 Buy: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-writers-guide-to-rural-life-alley-hart/1147127285

• Zipping It Up by Irene Gabelnick
  Health & Lifestyle
  Simple habits and recipes to lose five pounds - and keep it off - for life.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0iNsKf4D4

YA, Children’s & Middle Grade

• Rapid City Summer by Connie Richardson
  Young Adult
  A heartfelt coming-of-age story about resilience, identity, and belonging in the American West.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/01b3kvXn

• The Lighthouse Legacy by Bill Posner
  Middle Grade Mystery
  Three young detectives unravel a century-old disappearance tied to a lighthouse keeper’s daughter.
  👉 Buy: https://bposnerpublishing.com/books/series/ping-and-zippy-adventure-series/l8pw20

• Eva and the Best Day Ever by Jen Simpson
  Children’s Picture Book
  A joyful story about imagination, patience, and birthday dreams coming true.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0hawAgxU

• Possibilities by Cindy Boudroux (illus. Caroline Harpring)
  Children’s Picture Book
  A celebration of difference and the limitless potential within special needs individuals.
  👉 Buy: https://a.co/d/0em2ysJw

Art & Creative Play

• Wildflower Friends Coloring Book by Caroline Harpring
  Art / Coloring
  Meet 25 wildflowers with unique personalities, each paired with an inspiring quote.
  👉 Buy: https://artistic-caroline.squarespace.com/shop/wildflower-friends-coloring-book

If You’re New Here

One more thing for writers

The Author Gold Short Story Award is a writing competition designed to spotlight emerging writers and original storytelling across genres!

👉 You can learn more here!

If you’ve ever thought about submitting your work (or know someone who should), this is the great place to start!

Meet the Authors

Many of the authors featured here also write on Substack. If you’d like to read more from them, you can find their publications below:

• - Life is always a rewrite

• - Connie Richardson Writes

• - Artistic Letters

• C.C. Hammond -

• - Faith & Fringe

• - Noble Tales

• - Porch Talks

• Timothy Brice -

• Walter Winkwink -

• - Nomads 50+, ThinkFuture, AIDaily

• - Joyful Creating

• Alley Hart -

• - Knowing Yourself Through Fiction

• Irene Gabelnick -

• - Famous When Dead

• Jen Simpson

Explore the Bookshelf for More Great Reads!

Bookshelf

To get yourself featured o the Bookshelf, please message me!

- Jen
Author Gold

If you enjoyed this list, I’d love to know: what book would you add?
Please share one recommendation and why you love it.

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