The Awakening! Another Great Jake Vincent Mystery by Terry S. McGhee

..."Are you ready for a morning run, Jake? What say we get the kinks out about six?"

"Little early, but I'm game. It'll be dark."

"There are so many lights in this town because of the tourists. I bet DC has one of the highest electrical power consumptions of any city of comparable size. I have a one hour route I like to take. We'll run west over to Fifteenth Street, south past the Monument, Jefferson Memorial, then out onto Hains Point."

"Great," I said. "The Tidal Basin-Hains Point was a common running route for me when I worked the district. I'll never forget the eeriness of The Awakening sculpture out on the point--the terrorized face, arms, and feet sticking out of the ground."

Sam and I greeted each other in the lobby of the Lex the next morning...

We started the jog out to Hains Point on Ohio Drive with the

"Shit, Jake, that's a real human body
laid out just like Steward Johnson's
original sculpture...

Washington Channel and Fort McNair on our left and the Potomac on our right. The sun was just peeking over the eastern horizon, giving some early daylight to our nation's capital. A peek back over our shoulder showed the top of the Washington Monument just turning pink to pale yellow as the sun rose. As we approached the end of the island, Sam pointed and said, "Right over there, Jake, is where the original Awakening sculpture used to be. Now--what the hell?" Sam grabbed my arm and froze in place just as I saw what he was looking at. I thought that they might have installed a new statue

but of a smaller size. We both slow walked to the very spot. "Shit, Jake, that's a real human body laid out just like Seward Johnson's original sculpture. Stay put while I go check."

Sam finally motioned to me, and I walked over to view our grisly discovery. The yellowish, low-sodium part lights made the body look more grotesque. Sam had a small pocket flashlight and was kneeling and examining what was clearly a dead male human body buried with his face, right arm, left hand, left knee, partial left leg, and right foot protruding out of the ground. The body's posture mimicked the original sculpture. A small three-by-four cardboard sign was hanging by a string from the victim's right hand. The letters in the message had been cut and pasted out of a local newspaper. It read, "WAKE UP AMERICA. You're watching the grave of America being dug."

~~~

It's early 2017 and America is gearing up for a new president, to be elected in November. But the rumblings, the concern of many Americans has been building for many, many years. People are beginning to question the political atmosphere in Washington and early campaigning has already become rougher than usual... 

For Jake and Murphee, they were happy to be up and heading for their first walk in the morning. His wife of 50 years wanted nothing to do with either of them and promptly banned them from returning to the bedroom for at least a couple of hours... Breakfast...everything was wonderful, away from the world, far in the mountains...Until Breaking News interrupted...

Even after so many years working with the government related to security issues, Jake was still caught off guard by hearing about a released report by one of America's leading research centers, Just the Facts, regarding the growing negative view and diminished respect for America by world leaders...and that a significant political polarization existed among the American public...our country was becoming divided... Jake realized that being off from the center of activity allows people to become separated from the reality of the world situation. He was concerned more than shocked, given all that had happened during past years...

Nothing, however, prepared him for what was happening under the surface...what actions were being taken to ensure things happened as certain people wanted them to... Jake had already been scheduled to do a security consultancy for the FBI related to their physical facilities. He had worked with the agent, Sam, for many years and was looking forward to a little time, and extra money coming in during their retirement.

What he wasn't prepared for was the murders and disappearances that were happening there in Washington. There was no way he wouldn't become involved, much to his wife's disappointment and concern. As various investigations were pulled together, everybody soon realized that the victims were deeply involved in politics and their murders likely to have been politically motivated!

The conceptual storyline for those who were pulling the strings and acting as executors, was unique, yet very possible. This made for an intriguing and dangerous hunt--and Jake wound up right in the middle, even if he was really there to evaluate and recommend security improvements!

On a personal level, I truly appreciate seeing older writers, writing about older individuals who continue to be involved and interested in what is happening in the world. While the story has little to do with the actual events of that November election, it is a timely book, fringing on the reality of today's ever-increasing divide in America. I found it intriguing that many of the political thoughts of the characters could easily have been those of one party versus another...I think that attracted me more to the book than anything else... That is, are we really so different? And what is causing the great divide? 

One final comment on the fascinating book cover! I loved it...turn it upside down and see the location in Washington where "The Awakening" occurred! I enjoyed this exploration and finished the book in one setting!  Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

Lawrence W. Gold Presents One of His Finest in Latest Brier Hospital Novel!

When Joyce and Norman returned home with David and Luke, it was clear in an instant that life would never be the same. Suddenly, they needed to confront the reality of needy twin baby boys. Norman, a modern, enlightened father, had taken time off to help, but due to male physiology, his contributions were limited to occasional bottle feeding at night. In the first two weeks, they’d averaged three hours sleep each per night as the boys refused to sync their needs. 
“Can we send them back?” Joyce said in exasperation. 
Norman smiled. “I don’t think so. We’re beyond the return date.” “Maybe we can trade them for a couple of teenagers.” 
“Yes, and a whole new set of problems.” 
Two professionals, compulsive and determined to get everything right, had the CDC Developmental Milestone chart on the wall in the babies’ room. They drew two columns, one for David, the other for Luke. “You’re not going to check-mark them, are you?” Norman asked. “As a scientist, you know how much variation exists between two individuals. Do it, and you’re going to drive us both crazy.” 
Despite his protestations, as the weeks passed, check marks appeared on the chart. Both boys had demonstrated smiling, grasping, and reaching for swinging objects, but they were inconsistent with tracking objects. They took a photo of the chart and brought it to their pediatrician. After he examined the twins, he said, “You guys are doing a great job. The boys look wonderful. Do me a favor and eighty-six the chart. If there are problems, you’ll know and we’ll deal with it.” 
In spite of the recommendation, the chart remained in place, each child fulfilling his milestones, Luke lagging a bit behind David. After a month, Norman returned to work. 
At four months, after an exhaustive search, background check, review of recommendations, and enhanced interrogation, they hired a nanny. By the time they were two, it was obvious that both boys were physically and intellectually gifted. Moreover, they were beautiful—many suggesting they might be child models. 
Norman shook his head. “I’ll be damned if I let my boys stand before a camera in their Fruit of the Looms.”
“Not to worry, sweetheart.” More important to Joyce and Norman were the earliest indications of their goodness and easy-going natures. “What did we do to deserve such great boys?” asked Joyce. 
“You picked the right father.”
Like many parents looking back on their children’s past, time flew by. The boys thrived in high school playing football, basketball, and running track. Luke ranked number one in their class with David a close second. Luke studied Russian, while David learned Mandarin. They were top players in the school’s chess club, often competing against each other. Both boys were tall, blue-eyed, and ruggedly handsome. In their senior year, the student body crowned both as kings of the prom.

~~~

When Joyce and Norman had twin boys, they knew their family was just about perfect...Both boys were gifted and went on to into Medical School...

Until the Accident...

But both boys survived thankfully. It was Luke, however, that had been seriously hurt and, afterward, they realized that he had acquired Asperger's Syndrome, which is normally discovered at birth. Additionally it was discovered that he was a Savant now...and with most of the symptoms of Asperger's, Luke became a stranger in a strange world he hadn't a clue to live in... Perhaps a part of my love for this book is because of my personal relationship with a relative of mine as I was reminded of the various issues that we saw as our little boy grew up... I'm not going to tell much about Part I which is about the twins and the family adjustments and decisions that needed to be made. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, the latter because of the closeness of the family and, in particular, Luke's twin brother, David...

In fact. I was so involved with the family drama, that I was shocked when suddenly the whole story switched into an entirely different story!

But that's when the medical thriller for which Dr. Gold is becoming well know with his Brier Hospital Series, really takes off...and, as always, the main character for the series. Dr. Jacob Weizman, who represents the spirit of the series, takes on his important role at the Hospital...

Once again, we are looking at the actions of government operations and find that there is much being done that could lead to  catastrophes, by accident, but also on purpose! And, when there is somebody watching, the type of criminal acts can be stopped through the sometimes dangerous action of a whistleblower...I am thankful he took the chance...

But even the exciting action you'll be reading did not deter me from watching and mostly enjoying the work of the twin doctors who soon were in the spotlight whenever some puzzling case needed to be solved. Dr. Gold has done an outstanding job in creating medical settings in which our new Savant could not only help, but add his skills to solve many cases that were not able to be addressed by others. Kudos, Dr. Gold, for tackling and sharing about this important problem, autism, as it increases for many more people than in the past...

“You’re intelligent and perceptive people, and you, Joyce, as a psychologist, have more than average insight into human behavior. What conclusion would you come to if I described a person with extreme social discomfort, high intelligence, the ability to focus intensely and concentrate, almost to the exclusion of all else, and a penchant for memorization of minutia? Talk with Luke for a few minutes and you’ll be listening to detail on the most arcane subjects.” “Autism or Asperger’s syndrome,” Joyce said. Michael tapped his nose with his index finger. “I tested Luke on the Asperger’s Quotient test, and he scored forty. Anything over thirty-two is, by definition, Asperger’s Syndrome.” “But Autism Spectrum Disorders are developmental,” David said, “they don’t come out of nowhere.” “Oh,” Michael said, “but they do. Most often it happens as the result of brain injury, infection, or brain surgery itself. It’s rare, but many have ascended, if that’s the right word, to the genius level.” David’s eyes widened. “The savant syndrome—Luke is a savant!”

I believe this one is a must-read so that readers will become more informed about Asperger Syndrome... But, adding this drama into an exciting, suspense medical thriller made this book a personal favorite for 2017.


GABixlerReviews 

Deliverance - Poetic Verse by Robert Fultz with Complementary Music...

Deliverance

Many were his enemies

For many years, he fled

To keep from killing his own sons

King David prayed instead.

One day came his deliverance

From all his evil foes

That day he sang unto the LORD

And this is how it goes:

My Rock and my Deliverer
My Fortress and High Tower

My God, my Strength, 
in Whom I trust

To Whom belongs all power.

I will call upon the LORD

Who’s worthy to be praised

In my distress, I cried to God

And now I stand amazed.

~~~

Robert Fultz

May 8, 2017

Psalm 17:1 ¶ « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, » I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

~~~

Raven Eyes by Michael Steven Tunstall during National Poetry Month

Raven Eyes

When I looked into her raven eyes,

like two enchanting sirens of ancient times,

they drew me in and held me tight.

But like all exotic things,

this love I could not cage,

and so I set her free, to fly away.

And while in nightly rest,

as my mind sweeps away its cluttered stores,

it oft brings to memory those raven eyes

that forever hold me close...

~~~

Nellie Leverette Wasilewski Shares The Weakest Link during National Poetry Month!

The Weakest Link 

(A Prayer for Strength)

In the stillness of morning,

I wait in churning anxiety.

I pray The Lord will open

the shutters to my heart and still

its frantic beating.

Oh, that I could be stronger

and wait patiently for God's

answers to prayer.  I pray

to be mired, so deeply, in trust

with him that all doubt is

extirpated.

Condition the channels

of my thinking, oh Lord,

and let me rest on the wings

of peace that you have promised.

Condition my soul to place hope

in you and discard the things

of earth.

Teach me through trust and hope

to wait for your divine guidance.

Give me strength as we forge

an everlasting chain of faith--

a chain as strong as its weakest

link--please God, forgive my

human frailties

--Nellie Leverette Wasilewski

I am a Poet/Writer and live in a small southern town, seventy miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee with my husband Walter. I retired from the mortgage industry in 2011 and began pursuing my lifelong dream of writing. My writing has been greatly influenced by my faith in Jesus Christ, personal experiences. and nature. I am currently working on daily devotionals. My work has appeared in Haiku Journal, Barefoot Review, Three Line Poetry, Poetry Quarterly, 50 Haikus, Dual Coast Magazine, Romance Magazine, Ruby Magazine, Hedgerow Journal, The Quiet Hour, Tanka Journal , and numerous others.

Used by Permission at Book Readers Heaven...

Poet Regis Auffray Shares Dust in the Sigh of Time during National Poetry Month!

It is really all about love without which for me,  there is no life...

Dust in the Sigh of Time

Historically

I loved you

I have always loved you

Eternally

My love for you will never fade

The blaze of passion

That burns in my soul

Will never be doused

Presently

But time is passing

My body will wilt like a flower

I will be but dust in the wind

Sifted through the hands of destiny

Eternally

I will love you

As I always have

Used by Permission

© Regis Auffray 2017

Guest Blogger J. J. White Shares "Will History Repeat Itself?" Plus Info on his Novel, Nisei...

Will History Repeat Itself?

J.J. White

President Trump’s travel and immigration ban for the citizens of Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya, though controversial, is certainly not unique. Many past presidents have issued similar bans, including Bush, Obama, Carter and Reagan. Trump’s biggest mistake in using the 65 year-old provision of the Federal Immigration and Nationality act to authorize the ban, was his bad timing. In all the previous bans, the presidents justified their actions because a crime had recently been committed against the U.S., as in the case of the 1979 kidnapping of U.S. embassy employees in Iran. Had Trump waited for another terrorist attack on U.S. soil before issuing the ban, few in our country would have questioned his motives.

          My newest novel, NISEI (nee-say) is the story of Hideo (Bobby) Takahashi, a Hawaiian-born Japanese-American who, after Pearl Harbor, must overcome prejudice, internment, and the policies of his own government to prove his loyalty to his country and then go on to fight with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most highly decorated regiment in WWII.

While researching the book, I came upon a copy of the Immigration Act signed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1924, which essentially banned all travel and immigration of Asians to the U.S. At the time, the country had been brought to a frenzied state of paranoia by the media and politicians who had convinced U.S. citizens that any more Asian immigration would cause a loss of jobs and bring about a threat to their safety.

 As I continued my research, I observed this jingoistic attitude carried on into 1942 when all Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans were classified as enemies of the U.S. and were interned in concentration camps after President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. To be fair to Roosevelt, there was a legitimate threat of an attack on the west coast of the U.S. from the Japanese Imperial Navy at the time, and so, by incarcerating all Japanese descendants in the U.S., he eliminated any threat of spies aiding the invasion. Still, try explaining that to a Nisei like my protagonist Bobby Takahashi who was born on U.S. soil.

Is it possible that the same type of prejudice and incarceration suffered upon the Japanese-Americans during WWII could also be impressed upon Muslims in the years to come? Anything is possible, of course. It’s hard to say how our country would react to something as horrific as a nuclear or biological attack from foreign radical extremists, but the comparison of the prejudice of the Japanese-Americans of past decades and the Muslims of today is palpable and amazingly similar.

If we don’t want history to repeat itself, we need to stay diligent and strive to defend our republic from those who would allow fascism to prevail over democracy. 

~~~

·         First Place in the Columbus Creative Cooperative Great American Novel competition. (Ohio)

·         Second Place in the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards. (Florida)

·         Second Place in the Southwest Writers 31^st Annual Novel Competition.  (New Mexico)

Local award winning author brings history to life on the pages of Nisei, a passionate tale of life after a pearl Harbor for a Japanese American man.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States government encouraged all eligible young men to enlist immediately in the fight against its enemies overseas. All eligible young men except Japanese-Americans. Nisei is the story of Hideo Bobby Takahashi, a Hawaiian-born Japanese-American who must overcome prejudice, internment, and the policies of his own government to prove his loyalty to his country. Narrated by Bobby Takahashi and read by his son, Robert, 46 years after Bobby’s death, the story details the young Nisei’s determination to fight honorably for his country and return to the young love he was forced to leave, a girl he cannot have because she is white.

~~~

I will be discussing my book,
 NISEI in the Jane Von Thron room
 at the Cocoa Beach Library,
Wednesday, July, 20 at 6 pm.

A native of Vermont, J. J. was dragged kicking and screaming to Central Florida by his parents when his father relocated to work at the Kennedy Space Center. J. J. was a precocious and adorable little boy who overflowed with the creative juices that would prepare him for success as a noted author. Unfortunately that was stifled at a young age by an overwhelming desire to take things apart to see how they work. Thus, the left side of the brain won the battle over the right and he became an engineer. He graduated from The University of Central Florida with a B.S. in Engineering and has worked primarily in the electric and electronic engineering field for most of his career. While this was going on he married the lovely Pamela and they raised two daughters who grew into wonderful young ladies.

A while back, as luck would have it, he ruptured the L5 disk in his back playing tennis as if he were eighteen–years–old, again. With nothing to do but lie on his stomach for days on end, the right side of his brain saw an opening, and pounced on the left brain and thus the creative juices once again surfaced.

Since that time he has penned seven novels and over two hundred short stories. He has had articles and stories published in several anthologies and magazines including, Wordsmith, The Homestead Review, The Seven Hills Review and The Grey Sparrow Journal. His story, The Nine Hole League, was recently published in the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Volume 13. He has won awards and honors from the Alabama Writers Conclave, Writers-Editors International, Maryland Writers Association, The Royal Palm Literary Awards, Professional Writers of Prescott, and Writer’s Digest.

He was recently nominated for the Pushcart Prize for his short piece Tour Bus, published in The Grey Sparrow Journal. His novel, Prodigious Savant was published by Black Opal Books in October, 2014, and followed by Deviant Acts in 2015. He enjoys writing, surfing, golf and tennis and lives in Merritt Island, Florida with his understanding wife, editor, and typist, Pamela. http://jjwhitebooks.com/

Thanks so much to Author J. J. White for sharing at Book Readers Heaven! Please check out his book, Nisei... as well as his other novels.

As usual, pics, etc., were selected by me to complement the article.

Guest Blogger Harold Michael Harvey Shares Essay and Prayer for New Year...

http://haroldmichaelharvey.com/

No, I have never met my guest blogger, Harold Michael Harvey, but since I first got to know him on line, I've come to trust, admire and respect him. Especially after reading both of his books. I was so pleased therefore, when he agreed to visit Book Readers Heaven... I chose today, as we look both backward and forward, because many of us  are concerned about what may be happening in the new year... First, let me share a recent published essay by our guest...

Skeptical 70,000 black voters abstained from presidential vote

BY HAROLD MICHAEL HARVEY, CONTRIBUTOR - 12/19/16 06:20 PM EST

Previously Published on The Hill, 

Should 70,000 uncounted black votes cast in Detroit during last month’s general election matter? Are black voters like black lives in that they matter in American politics? Should black votes have the same chance of being counted as other American votes?
Detroit is not a 100 percent black city, but an overwhelming majority of her residents are black Americans.
Former presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein’s challenge to election results in Michigan and Pennsylvania ended in a crushing defeat. Federal court decisions halted recount efforts in both states. Although her recount challenge in Wisconsin played out to conclusion. She did not get a win there either. It resulted in President-Elect Trump increasing his victory total over Secretary Hillary Clinton by more than 1,000 votes.
Thanks to Stein’s call for a recount in Michigan, it was revealed that over 70,000 ballots cast in Detroit, Michigan were not counted in the presidential contest.
According to Michigan election officials, the 70,000 ballots were counted in down-ballot voting, but it could not be determined whom those 70,000 voters had selected for president. So the votes were tossed out. Had Clinton received those 70,000 votes, she would have won the state of Michigan hands down.
When the recount was ordered shut-down, those (probably largely black) votes were, metaphorically speaking, flushed down the toilet and there is no longer a legal means to have them reviewed by human eyes and counted by hand. Without recounts in other states, we have no way of knowing if other large urban areas, where black people tend to reside, had a big pool of votes discarded because the voting machine allegedly could not determine who the voter intended to select.
This blatant disenfranchisement of Black voters in Detroit follows a recent erosion of protections under the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court. In Shelby County, Alabama v. Eric Holder (2013), the Supreme Court destroyed section 5 of the Voters Rights Act by disallowing key provisions of the Act as being unconstitutional. Before Shelby, certain states and local governments had to obtain federal preclearance before implementing any changes to their voting laws or practices. While section 4(b) established a formula that determined which jurisdictions are subjected to pre-clearance based on their histories of discrimination in voting.
Two Michigan political sub-divisions came within the ambit of section 5 and 4(b), historically, Detroit did not fall within the purview of the act. Yet it is clear, given the callous response from Michigan election official.s, that “70,000 Detroit voters were so distraught with both major party candidates that they declined to vote for any candidate,” that the Supreme Court was wrong in its 5-4 decision in 2013, which weakened federal protections for black voters in state and federal elections.
Considering the fact that many black Americans believed the 2016 presidential election was their most important vote in the last 140 years, it is ludicrous to think that 70,000 of them in Detroit alone would elect not to vote for president. Many black Americans feared a Trump win would bring back the days of segregation and a resurgence of Klu Klux Klan activity. They were motivated to vote against his candidacy on this belief.
Personally, based upon 2016 campaign rhetoric, I find it hard to believe that nationwide, 70,000 black Americans voted for Stein, Trump and Gary Johnson combined.
Michigan election officials know that in 2013, the Supreme Court in the Shelby County case did essentially what President Hayes did in 1877, when Hayes removed the federal troops from the South in order to be selected president by the U. S. House of Representatives.
State officials no longer fear federal oversight over election laws. It is now possible for large demographics to be disenfranchised without recourse in the courts. And given the make-up of the Supreme Court, the fact that Trump will have at least four years to fill vacancies on the federal bench and Supreme Court – not to mention the prospect that Alabama Senator Jeff Session will be the next Attorney General - it is likely that other states will resort to the Michigan model for disenfranchising Black voters in federal, state and local political contests.
Suddenly, America feels a lot like it felt growing up black in the south in the 1950s. During that period, it was painfully clear that black lives did not matter and black voters were not welcomed at the polls.
Unquestionably, black lives should matter as much as all others in America. Black voters should have their votes counted too, along with the votes of other Americans. As a future best practice, when the electronic voting machines cannot determine how to apply a citizen’s vote, laws must require each such ballot to be processed by human eyes and counted by hand. If after human inspection, it cannot be deciphered, the voters should be given a chance to come back to the polls and cast that vote over again.

~~~

To me, Harvey's essay is symptomatic...It is not totally in the details presented that we must be concerned--it is about what this, plus so many other questionable actions, represents to us, our nation, the world... That's why I asked our guest to lead us in prayer for the new year... Will it be a happy one?

Gracious Creator of all that is and all that will ever be. Look kindly upon the earth in 2017. After all we are mere humans. We love, we hate, we make mistakes. We forgive and we are unforgivable. Some of us know you and some of us do not care to know you. Your life force is in all, yet a mystery to us. We see you move on the earth, but we can not decipher what you are doing or where you are going. We are at your mercy. Protect us from ourselves and from world leaders, some of whom we elected and others who have imposed their will upon us. Direct our path through the time-space continuum humankind call 2017. And when we pause in 365 days hence to reflect on the meaning of 2,017, we will pay homage to you for bringing us safely to that day. Amen. 

~~~

Our Father, 
I pray for those men and women, who like Harold Michael Harvey, speak out and against those things that negatively affect America...We are, indeed, a nation under God, we pray You will hear thoughts of fear from those of us seeing, possibly, a different world of tomorrow... Guide the path of each American, hearing your words of Wisdom and Love. For in that way, we can work to strengthen and hold on to what is right and good and just... We pray for those across the world that senses a different America and are also afraid... God Bless us one and all...

~~~

Harold Michael Harvey is an American award winning journalist, former lawyer, political pundit, novelist, essayist and publisher. He earned a degree in Political Science from Tuskegee Institute and a Juris Doctorate degree from Atlanta Law School. Harvey was honored for “Outstanding Work in Newspaper Journalism,” in 1976 by the National Newspaper Publishers Association. The Gate City Bar Association bestowed upon him their prestigious R. E. Thomas Civil Rights Award in 1996 after Harvey represented over 180 college students arrested in the City of Atlanta during a black college spring break ritual known as “Freaknic.”

Harvey is the author of the critically acclaimed legal thriller, Paper Puzzle. It was originally published in 2009 and republished in 2011 after Harvey formed the Cascade Publishing House to publish his works and the works of other authors who feel more comfortable in a small publishing house.
Cascade Publishing House released their second book on April 4, 2015. The book is a collection of essays by Harold Michael Harvey and is titled, Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System.
In 2016, Cascade Publishing House obtained the rights to publish Charles Steele, Jr.'s book titled, Easier to Obtain Than to Maintain: the Globalization of the Civil Rights Movement. Charles Steele, Jr. is President and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership conference.
Allvoices.Com assigned Harvey to cover the 2012 Democratic National Convention which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also, they honored him with two semi-monthly American Pundit Awards, once in February 2012 and again in April 2013.
Harvey lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Cynthia, who has doubled as Senior Editor for the past 35 years. Their son Coley is a Sports Reporter for a national broadcast company. When Harvey can convince Cynthia he needs some quiet writing time, he writes in the Great Smoky Mountains.