A Giant Comes
Saxsma brings readers a darkly comedic & wonderfully inventive portrayal of a village’s brush with disaster, depicted with incredible depth, razor-sharp wit, and an unflinching eye for storytelling.
An orphan wandering a lonely road is taken on an unexpected adventure when a mysterious & enigmatic traveler offers him food, water, and an invitation to join his mission to a nearby village of unparalleled wealth and extravagance. The traveler’s purpose? To deliver the village a grim warning. A giant will come in three weeks’ time and deliver utter ruin & devastation to their peaceful corner of the land.
Though the orphan refrains from skepticism of his new caretaker, the traveler assures the villagers not to worry, he can save them!
As the village prepares for the impending threat under the traveler’s tutelage, A Giant Comes captures the complexities of human nature and the impact of fear & uncertainty on communities in the face of calamity, and soon doubts begin to emerge. It is not long before the orphan, too, can no longer ignore his own mistrust for the traveler’s claims creeping in.
With unpredictable plot twists and a cast of quirky, flawed, and wholly original characters, A Giant Comes is a pitch-black comedy that delivers heart, laughs, and horror in equal measure from a remarkable new voice in fiction.
“A deceptively simple plot that grapples with our faith in community and institutions.”
-independentbookreview.com
“Highly recommended to those who love observation of human nature.”
-Bookreviewdirectory.com
“Saxsma’s scrumptious prose make the pages fly by without a single hitch 5/5 Stars.”
-Readersfavorite.com
Morphosis
*Warnings* Disturbing; Highly stylized
“It may be early in the year, but I have a good feeling AJ has just delivered one of my favorite horror books of 2023!”
– independentbookreview.com
“That ending–perfection!”
– Kirkus
Can growth and tolerance be found in a town shrouded in fear and stagnation?
Dwayne, his romantic partner Ollie, and Ollie’s young children, Sam and Jodi Lee, flee to a rural farm outside small-town Larton for a fresh start. Dwayne craves acceptance and yearns for togetherness, for family in a place rife with old, narrow views. Ollie is bright-eyed and positive, the anchor of the family, and takes employment with the local Sheriff’s Department. Hope soon emerges and a better life feels within reach.
But the family’s pursuit of routine faces hurdles as Dwayne battles his chronic illness and bigotry while struggling to win over Ollie’s children. Stability further crumbles when a serial killer, known as The Visitor, begins preying on local teens, plunging Larton into frenzy and drawing Ollie’s intense focus as the Sheriff’s newest recruit, hoping to make a name for himself.
As Ollie’s obsessive, prolonged absences consume the family and the children’s exhaustive demands and ignorance intensify, Dwayne grapples with unraveling familial ties while fighting to break free from haunting cycles of past trauma, lest he succumb to his self-destructive patterns threatening to repeat themselves.
Saxsma’s haunting narrative delves into the human experience, weaving together love, codependency, narcissism, and the relentless, horrific need for validation. Discover the darker side of ordinary people. Grab your next must-read horror today!
Be Not Afraid
“Utterly mesmerizing…”
– IndependentBookReview.com
“Beautifully written…cathartic and entertaining.”
– BookReviewDirectory.com
“A highly accomplished work of dark and resonant modern drama.”
– ReadersFavorite.com
In the small town of Larton, Lloyd Wood daydreams of success and struggles to keep his failing restaurant afloat, all the while dodging developers eyeing his land. A ray of hope appears when a charismatic business guru promises to turn things around, luring Lloyd into a risky deal.
Toby, Lloyd’s son, obsesses over fitting in. Every day, he buries his true self deeper, hoping to blend into the background at school and at home. His quest takes an unexpected turn when he enrolls himself in a program that vows to erase his authentic self permanently, pushing Toby into a journey of unintended self-discovery.
Meanwhile, Dawn, Lloyd’s wife, finds solace in a new church in town where love seems more transactional than genuine. Lost in her family’s shadow, she adopts a new persona in the midst of a church community with questionable intentions.
As the Wood family labors to avoid their own realities, the gaps they create around themselves deepen, putting at risk the people they care about the most.
‘Be Not Afraid’ delves into identity, family dynamics, and the destructive nature of denial. With a strong narrative voice, the novel challenges our ability to accept the things we cannot change, leaving readers to ponder if change is ever truly out of reach.
Common Sense & Other Tales of Disillusionment
“Creative, unique, and fascinating, these short stories are both unexpected and satisfying.”
– Kathryn Dare, Manhattan Book Review
“Fiction writing at its very best!”
– ReadersFavorite.com
“Aj Saxsma’s storytelling shines…”
– Book Review Directory
Aj’s Common Sense & Other Tales of Disillusionment digs into the complexities of human nature in this compelling collection of short stories, revealing the profound and sometimes dark truths beneath the surface of everyday existence.
The unraveling of a family, a tormented film director, a future where robots are integrated into society, the intimate and fragile dynamics of a relationship tested by the burdens of everyday life, and the enigmatic disappearance of a man told through the fragments of a lost documentary.
Each story captures the essence of contemporary realism with a literary touch, weaving themes of disillusionment, familial tension, and the search for identity, making this collection a must-read for those who appreciate the nuanced exploration of the human condition.
© 2024 AJ Saxsma