Blue Ridge Writers
of Central Virginia
Blue Ridge Writers
of central Virginia
Member Books
Many of our members are seasoned authors with multiple published books. Some examples follow below.
R. Morgan Armstrong
R. Morgan Armstrong, born in Martinsville, Virginia, was a prosecutor, trial attorney, and General District Court Judge there. While a judge, he wrote the Unauthorized Practice of Law section of the Virginia District Court Judges Bench Book.
He joined the National Ski Patrol (NSP) in the fall of 1980. He was elected director of the Southern Division, then elected to two terms on the national board of directors, and in 2019 was inducted into the National Ski Patrol Hall of Fame.
A Serving of Revenge
A Cubley's Coze Mystery
It's June 1955, and William Boyer Gunn—Billy—is a 12-year-old resident of Highland, Virginia. Billy longs for excitement. "A boy about to have a big adventure," he narrates, "is like a sleeping dog on the road before the car hits it—not a clue." Highland has its small-town charms, but it also has a huge problem. Big John McCulloch owns the McCulloch Wood Products plant, a major local employer, and the Green Mountain Resort. He also owns the police department, where his son is a hotheaded sergeant. When the plant rejects a trucker's safety concerns, it leads directly to a terrible accident and a local farmer dies. Things really heat up when the farmer's sons, Jacob and Joash Beamis, come to town, armed with a thirst for revenge of a biblical order. Meanwhile, a vigilante sniper begins picking off some of the town's unsavory characters.
As the story progresses, the tension escalates, and the work does not lose sight of its obligation to keep the plot humming along. The story is an exhilarating tale of municipal intrigue and drama.
A Serving of Deceit
A Cubley's Coze Mystery
In this book, two boys are attacked by three bullies. The police refuse to act without the approval of the local prosecutor, who has vanished. When the prosecutor is found murdered, the boys land in the middle of that investigation; and as lies are told to protect the bullies, the town youngsters retaliate. The population is divided into warring camps as tension mounts to solve the murder stop the bullies, and prevent the town from tearing itself apart. Which side will win? Will justice prevail? And will the murder be solved?
"A string of crimes and accusations turns residents of a small Virginia town against one another in this sequel. A brisk, entertaining story of feuding youngsters and adults alike." — Kirkus Reviews
A Murder at Cubley's Coze
A young man working in his uncle’s hotel becomes embroiled in the search for a guest’s killer in this murder mystery. In 1932, Matt Cubley enthusiastically begins a summer of fun—he travels from his home in Washington, D.C., to Highland, Virginia, to work at Cubley’s Coze, a hotel owned and operated by his uncle TJ. He happily makes the acquaintance of Sarah Jones, a guest at the hotel and a beautiful girl notorious for her “shenanigans”; TJ lovingly warns him to keep his distance. Her parents—Harry and Lady Madeline—are unhappily locked in a tempestuous marriage, and there is reason to believe both are guilty of infidelity. The bucolic quiet of the hotel is shattered by a scandal when Harry Jones is found murdered in his room, a knife left deeply buried in his chest. The knife is a rare one—a Wusthof Amici 1814 with an 8-inch blade—and belongs to Andre Brazier, the hotel’s head chef. Andre had recently quarreled bitterly with Harry and is immediately arrested for the crime. The prosecutors seem to have an airtight case against him and plan to seek the death penalty. However, Matt refuses to believe he’s the culprit: “I had known Chef Andre since I was little, and to think he might be hanged was something I couldn’t comprehend. That only happened to criminals, and I just couldn’t think of him that way.” Andre is a Black man, and when the murder is sensationalized in the newspapers, the Red Bandana Gang, a group of racist vigilantes, readies itself to lead an assault on the hotel. Matt and TJ prepare to defend the property while Franklin Boyd, a private detective formerly employed by Matt’s father, searches for evidence to exonerate Andre.
The narrative is precisely what is desired in a pulp-fiction mystery: an intricate but not Byzantine plot, well-crafted suspense, and intelligently drawn characters. [Kirkus Reviews]
Order these and other R. Morgan Armstrong books from www.RMorganArmstrong.com
Patsy Asuncion, Ed.S.
Patsy Asuncion’s poetry collections include Cut on the Bias, Lineage of Weeds, and Universal Belonging, with poems in twenty-plus
publications, including the New York Times, Sixty-Four Best Poets of 2019, About Place, Artemis, and Cutthroat.
Patsy, a bi-racial first-generation immigrant, promotes diversity through national and community events.
website www.patsy-asuncion.com
Cut on the Bias - about my bi-racial identity
Lineage of Weeds - about my immigrant family and other immigrants
A Universal Belonging - about the connectedness of all life (divided into earth, wind, fire, water)
Poetry collections on Amazon:
Website - Works, Reviews, Events
YouTube Channel (25,200+ VIEWS SO FAR)
2024 PSV Jeffrey Hewitt Memorial - First Place
John Darrin
John Darrin worked as a radiation health and safety professional, most recently as a consultant on nuclear and radiological disasters and homeland security.
After graduation from Colgate University, he trained in a radiation safety and studied further at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia. His full-time life included such experiences as the entire ‘60’s phenomena, the anti-war movement, arrests on three continents, running businesses that manufactured electronics in Finland and the U.S, and co-creating one of USA Today’s Top 10 Cyber Cafés.
John's first novel, The Law of the Pack, won an international Best First Novel contest, and was followed in 2009 by Screenshot, a best-selling techno-thriller, and The Rockets’ Red Glare, a BookList selection as one of the best new novels of the year.
He lives in Charlottesville, VA and mentors writers through critique and editing groups.
His proposed epitaph - He was fun while he lasted.
The Rockets’ Red Glare: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Al Qaeda of North America successfully steals enough deadly Cesium-137 to execute a massive terrorist attack but has no hide their plan. And the White Aryan Resistance with their army of invisible members has no resources to exploit their anonymity. Together, these fanatics devise a plan to explode 16 dirty bombs disguised as fireworks and to turn Independence Day into Doomsday, and it’s up to a couple of rogue experts to try to stop the devastation.
Screenshot: Where virtual reality gets real. A cashed-out entrepreneur with too many dollars and too little sense decides to make a business model of creatively executing known criminals live, on the Internet. His revenue stream is the general public willing to buy a pay-per-view front seat, and even the auctioning off of the chance to “pull the trigger”. Law enforcement is baffled and it’s up to an unlikely trio to track him down, but he flips the story and they become his next scheduled spectacle.
Francesca Flood, Ed. D.
Francesca Flood, a native of Brooklyn, New York, has carved her path in the world of writing through a crucible of life experiences. Her award-winning work focuses on evocative speculative fiction that pushes the boundaries of imagination and explores spiritual realms. Her narratives create a tapestry of the metaphysical, mystical, and the mundane, inviting readers to delve into profound questions about life, choices, and reality. Crafting intricate plots and profound philosophical insights, Francesca’s work has garnered a diverse and dedicated following.
Dr. Flood is second-place winner of the 2025 Virginia State Golden Nib Writer's award for nonfiction and first-place winner in the Blue Nib Writer's award in both fiction and nonfiction. She has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and serves as an editor for Springer-Meteor. She has also been an editor/author for the American Bar Association’s book on suicide.
Francesca holds a Master’s in Pastoral Theology and a Doctor of Education.
You can order the books through Amazon by clicking the cover image.
Short Stories About Love
Love stories as raw, complex, full, and surprising as love itself.
· What would you do for love?
· Follow a soul across time?
· Die for your country?
· Stay in a life that's slowly destroying you?
In this rich and wide-ranging collection, love is explored in all its complexity — how it breaks us, redeems us, haunts us, and transforms us. These are stories about connection to family, to strangers, to communities, to ourselves — and what happens when those connections are severed, tested, discovered too late… or right on time.
Fiction and nonfiction woven together, each piece illuminates a different facet of our most human and powerful experiences. Stories end. Love never does.
Sometimes love destroys us. Sometimes it saves. But it always leaves its mark.
Short Stories with a Twist
Secrets, regrets, and a longing for redemption—what if one choice could change everything?
Life rarely unfolds as planned, and every choice you make shapes the person you’re becoming. Will you choose wisely or let regret define you?
In these eight captivating stories, relatable characters grapple with unexpected twists and moral dilemmas. Will their choices mirror your own—or challenge what you think you’d do?
Inside, you'll find:
• The secrets a hotel room door lock might spill if it could talk.
• A world without cash, where every misstep is tracked.
• Memories imprinted on your cells—could they transfer to someone else?
• The ultimate test: Would you rise to heroism or falter?
• What price would you pay for love, success, or wealth?
The Bench: A Parable About Hope, Death, and Beyond
Five strangers. Five shattered lives. One park bench that changes everything.
Why do bad things happen to good people? What comes after death? Can we ever truly forgive the unforgivable?
In this poignant and hopeful parable, an enigmatic stranger appears when all seems lost. As their stories unfold, these five souls discover unexpected connections—and life-changing truths about suffering, love, and what lies beyond.
For anyone who is:
· Grieving or searching for healing
· Seeking spiritual meaning without dogma
· Questioning life’s deeper purpose
“It’s not preachy or religious. It’s just beautiful.”
Gerry Kruger
Gerry Kruger, like her father, finds fulfillment in helping others succeed. It was her father’s dedication to making life better for others that inspired her to write TWO OF US: A Father-Daughter Memoir. As an essayist on National Public Radio, she also detailed the adventures of a lame Canada goose that walked to her pond. Gerry published these essays in ON KRUGER POND: Charlie’s Story. Gerry and her father believed people could overcome setbacks and obstacles—just as Charlie, the goose, did—with a little help and attention from caring individuals.
Catherine MacLaine
A nostalgic journey turns into an unexpected mission in this heartfelt memoir. In 2017, Catherine, a Canadian in her fifties, returned ot her childhood home in Tanzania-a land of wild memories, from fiesty mongooses to an alleged man-eating lion. But what began as a joyous bucket-list trip ended in heartbreak and hope when she adopted a disabled street cat, Stanley, and his mysterious neurological condition sparked a quest for answers. Blending childhood adventures with a present-day mission of compassion, this is a moving story of connection, resilience, and the unexpected ways the wild can follow us home.
Ryland Swain
