Come along as I travel through Morocco, from ancient city to endless desert. Enjoy the history and beauty -- as well as the excellent food (I'm food historian -- I have to write about the food) as I circle this wonderful and ancient country full of fascinating places and friendly people.

***Ranked #4 in Non-fiction - "It's a thing of beautiful nonsense to be young." ***Featured original non-fiction for Pivot TV's Secret Lives of Americans. I Drew a Monkey in a Math Book and Now I'm Married is the true story of how I met my wife Jennie and our awkward teenage romance that followed. The book began as little more than a simple blog post about what it is like being married at the age of 18 and life 10 years later. As I began to catalog more and more of our story, I realized that what I had written was far more than just a blog post. It was a full chronicle of the the year leading up to when we were married and the precious memories that serve as the genesis of our family's story. In the end, it was a poor man's gift to his wife on the morning of their tenth anniversary, dedicated to her and shared with anyone wishing to experience a true teenage romance. I Drew a Monkey in a Math Book and Now I'm Married includes our personal coming of age story between two lovers on the in the twilight of childhood and adult life. You'll see our real life twists of fate, pitfalls and triumphs together, what we learned along the way, and the anecdotes of the misadventures of youth, including, but not limited to a touch of vandalism and the rewards that come with taking risks. I hope you enjoy the first few pages of our Book of Love. Some of it is transcendental. Some of it's just really dumb.

Against the advice of every chef, I never taste my food when I cook. It is a part of the culture I grew up in. See what happens when I try to explain it to a trained French chef..... Read this and other stories! I will be posting a couple of times a week for the next few weeks starting March 24th 2014

Journey Home c.2013, Olan L. Smith Journey Home is a collection of poems that is a personal search for my spiritual home. I go about this search with the tools of poetry using the English language as my map. Love, peace and freedom, Olan L. Smith

#Wattys2014 Award Winner: This candid, heartfelt collection of essays addresses many of life's thorniest challenges. Whether you struggle with a perennially messy house, run away worrying, depression, an unhappy relationship, mega-stress or even the devastating loss of a loved one, give yourself the gift of The Power Of Rest. You'll find comfort, encouragement and inspiration here, and come away with a renewed appreciation of your own inner wisdom and innate desire for peace, gratitude and simplicity.

"Weeping with an Ancient God" is a novella set in July 1842 in the Marquesas Islands. Melvill, the protagonist, jumps ship from the whaler Acushnet into a wild, savage and exotically beautiful land. Melvill contemplates his dangerous present, sad past and wholly uncertain future on an island teeming with cannibals. The novella, which was named a Best Book of 2015 by Chicago Book Review, is based on the real-life adventures of author Herman Melville ("Moby-Dick") when he was a young seaman. "Weeping with an Ancient God" is also available in print, Kindle and Nook editions from Twelve Winters Press. The print edition includes illustrations by Adam G. Perschbacher and an interview with the author by Beth Gilstrap. Visit tedmorrissey.com and twelvewinters.com for full details, including information about the author's other books of fiction: the novels "Men of Winter" and "An Untimely Frost," and the novelette "Figures in Blue." The cover image for "Weeping" is courtesy photographer Corrie Scott -- visit at corriescott.net. CONTENT WARNING: The story you are about to read is intended for mature readers due to its sexual content and language. It may not be appropriate for all audiences. Read at your own discretion.

In Fallujah, during a particularly difficult time in the Iraq War, a group of Marines are deployed on a tour that will bring them closer together, while threatening to tear them apart. The Delta Company Outlaws are a group of USMC infantrymen deployed in 2004 to one of the most hostile war zones in the world. Through the memoirs of one Marine, this touching story encapsulates the drama surrounding everyday life during the Iraq War. With a bond formed through blood, sweat, and tears, a group of unfamiliar Marines will come together stronger than family. Memoirs of an Outlaw: Life in the Sandbox is a dramatic new take on the Iraq War that focuses more on the personal aspects of war rather than exclusively on combat. With a touching approach to the camaraderie, daily life, and unfortunate losses, this enlightening memoir by Robert M. Tanner delves into the brotherhood that’s formed throughout a deployment while documenting the combat experiences and daily life of a Marine. Using personal experiences, this engaging story hooks readers with drama, action, and honesty while painting an illuminating picture of both the funny and tragic sides of war. Inspired by a bond that’s stronger than blood, Memoirs of an Outlaw began as a therapeutic way to document wartime experiences and eventually led to a full-fledged memoir. Deciding to focus on the daily life and camaraderie of war, the story captures the tension, drama, and bonding that comes with combat and living in a hostile environment far away from home. By focusing on the humanistic side of the armed forces, Memoirs of an Outlaw perfectly captures a unique moment in time during an extraordinarily challenging part of the war.

Robin and Lindsay are both completely average teenagers, or at least until a car accident kills Lindsay. She wakes up a few days later… In Robin’s body. However, the amount of energy it would take to keep another mind alive in a single brain is incredible. Experts suspect Robin might even be a god. In an attempt to fix what has happened to them, Robin and Lindsay accept a full ride scholarship to one of the few parahuman colleges in the country qualified to teach potential gods, the California University of Supernatural Abilities. There, the two best friends meet other students like themselves, whose powers greatly outstrip the average parahuman. For every few hundred humans born completely normal, there are those born gifted. Most of those with abilities are just average people who can do something amazing, but there are a few parahumans whose ability transcends all others. Known as gods, these individuals can manipulate vast amounts of energy to their will, even bending the laws of the universe itself. The average parahuman simply exists alongside humanity; a god can reach far beyond it.

Damien and Jay don't exist. Officially. Unofficially, they're black operatives with an impossible mission. One of their agency's best operatives has gone rogue, and they're sent to stop her. But when Damien and Jay start to experience alternate memories and missing gaps in time, they realize there's more to this mission than they were supposed to know. And their hunt for the truth will take them to some dangerous places... "Packed with intense fight scenes and dizzying twists and turns, this is an adrenaline-pumping introduction to Farrugia's explosive new series." - Thriller of the Year, Apple Books "This is a page-turner, skillfully told." - Aurealis

“Like the howl of an accordion—half sorrow and half joy, wondrous and exquisite—these stories squeezed my heart.” —Sandra Cisneros, author of "The House on Mango Street" * In "Once More to the River," Erasmo Guerra writes a moving account of his boyhood on the Texas-Mexico border. An award-winning novelist and journalist, Guerra explores present-day political and cultural realities, and recounts the shattering loss his family suffered when his teenage sister was murdered. Told with lyrical prose and a reporter’s ear for the “Tex-Mex” language of the region, these stories capture the voices of South Texas. By turns humorous and haunting, powerful and tender, this collection is an intensely personal chronicle of tragedy and the triumph of survival.