Works
"A Boo or Two For You" (2025)
Ghosts, werewolves, haunted houses, trick-or-treating… All these and more await you within these pages!
"A Boo or Two for You" promises a fill of thrills and chills for any and all readers. These stories range from cute and humorous to creepy and horrific. Let the "Freaky Factor" be your guide. On a scale from 0 to 3, you can either be charmed or shaken—up to you!
Enjoy a super-short story before you turn in for the night, or delve into a full-fledged tale of terror. There are 14 tales in all for you to discover… It appears you just missed the unluckiest of numbers.
So climb down the Six-Foot Ladder, visit the Creatures' Tavern, and quench your Thirst on the 31st. We've been waiting for you.
Deborah F.:
"This delightful collection of 14 short tales that span from the mildly spooky to the downright chilling. Some stories come with a cute twist, while others tap into humor or delve into the horrific.
This anthology invites readers into a world where every episode offers a fresh, self-contained narrative featuring ordinary, and occasionally extraordinary, characters facing unsettling situations. Each story wraps up with a moral lesson or a macabre twist, ensuring a variety of experiences within its pages. The tales might evoke fear, but rather than graphic horror, they lean into psychological tension and eerie suspense, leaving readers guessing until the very last moment. Themes run deep, providing thought-provoking social commentary while blurring the lines between reality and imagination."
Allison R:
"Delightful Halloween read! I do loved diving into the different worlds that Swanson creates with incredible imagery and descriptive language. It’s kind of like if The Twilight Zone had a bit more humor. Reading these stories may become a new October tradition for me!"
"Curtains on A Christmas Carol" (2023)
It's December in Tennant Park, Colorado, and that can only mean one thing: The annual production of "A Christmas Carol" is just around the corner.
The cast is abuzz, full of community-theatre veterans and fresh-faced newcomers. All in this small mountain town is merry and bright...
Until Teena, one of the actors, makes a chilling discovery on opening night. Someone is going to murder Scrooge—or, rather, the actor playing Scrooge—right on stage, in front of the entire audience. Everyone in the cast is a suspect. Can Teena crack the case, save Scrooge, and figure out whogonnadoit...all while remembering her lines?
Amy's Bookshelf Reviews and Podcast:
"Dicken's A Christmas Carol this is not. However, it is a great back drop for this cozy mystery, where things are happening behind the scenes of the annual play of A ?Christmas Carol. In Curtains on A Christmas Carol the reader is introduced to the small ensemble of the cast members, but Teena, discovers something, and it's not looking good for Scrooge, at least the actor behind him. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. It's a fun and magical mystery that lingers with the whodunnit and why did they do it, or what will happen next. A Grand suspenseful story. A very unpredictable story, my favorite kind! Both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. Gripping and Incredible storyline."
Bay:
"I'm not a theatre kid. Im not a person who seeks out watching A Christmas Carol every year.
"Teena is the perfect lead character. Her transformation throughout Curtains was beautiful, and each character held so much life in them that I was rooting for them all at one point or another. Luke does a fantastic job with Percival who plays Scrooge, a character who embodies this role even in his day to day life. I hated him, I loved him, I pitied him, I rooted for him. Usually I can guess the “who” in a “who dun it”, but it took me almost as long as the character to figure out the antagonist. This truly was a cozy Christmas story, with the added element of mystery that kept me wanting more."
Also adapted as an award-winning screenplay:
"Epicenter" (2022)
Detective Jason Flynn of the L.A.P.D. is still reeling from the world-changing events he endured at the hands of the serial killer called Abel. He is scarred by run-ins with horrific killers, and his psyche can't take much more.
However, a monotonous morning in the L.A. heat will quickly devolve into the worst day of his life.
Tobin, a 13-year-old boy, unwittingly frees a hostage who was about to be executed by a brutal cartel. Jason is in the wrong place at the very wrong time, and he finds himself filling the role of protector as he evades cartel gunmen and ensures Tobin and the hostage get to safety.
And on top of all that... the "Big One" hits. The worst earthquake in L.A. history ravages the city. Amid the chaos and ruin, Jason and his reluctant allies need to find a way to survive.
justyolie:
"I didn’t know what to expect as I started reading this book. The beginning disturbed me and I didn’t know how the character was going to react. It was beyond me how a human being could be exposed to such rawness and despair at such a horrific crime, and yet, still have the capability to move forward and maintain his composure and his temper! You would think a natural disaster like an earthquake would bring humanity together, but that sure didn’t happen. There was the cartel and the Yakuza giving chase to the detective and the young boy with guns blazing! I honestly felt that I was a character in the book because by the time I was done reading, I was exhausted and very tired! Great exhilarating ride! A must read!"
G0:
"Epicenter is a suspenseful page-turner: a gritty crime drama featuring Detective Jason Flynn of the Los Angeles Police Department. Flynn's efforts to keep a young boy safe from a revenge-seeking cartel are made even more challenging when the worst earthquake in the city's history wreaks destruction and and threatens the safety of all its residents. Flynn is a well-written character, flawed and real with a deep sense of purpose and a true passion for his job. The pace is quick and the pages just kept on turning for me as I read long into the night."
"Spectators of War" (2022)
Imagine a world where battles between professional armies are fought in front of live audiences. Instead of pro sports and reality TV, the world is obsessed with watching war.
Everyone has a part to play in this new industry. There's Ranger Monroe, the dashing captain of the Army of Liberty. And Salvatore Caracas, a military recruiter who's wickedly good at his job. Oh, and don't forget Jody, a domestic terrorist who live-streams his attacks. And many, many more, all cogs in the war machine.
Yes, when violence is a commodity and spectatorship is prioritized, anything goes.
Jim Lind:
"Perhaps it is true that each of us has an inner desire to be significant and change the world. And what happens when those dark desires become tolerable...then acceptable...and drives humanity to new depths of depravity that become acceptable and entertaining to all?
Swanson's latest release takes us to the day where mankind does just that - they become observers of an international stage for "fun" viewing events, but at a very high cost. Entertainment becomes immortalized. Life becomes trivialized. Greed and selfishness blind the participants as they pursue their next achievement.
Swanson causes us to ask, "Could WE be on this same trajectory?" His lighthearted manner and clever wit allow us to encounter life and death situations in a new light, but causes us to pause and reflect on our own current events and priorities."
Clay:
"War is coming, get your tickets! An event worthy of peanuts and cracker jack, with a real risk of never getting back. War has been monetized in a way it has never been before. This is a thrilling exploration of the art of war displayed by Hollywood, but with actual ammo. You don't want to miss this adventure."
"The Other Hamlet Brother" (2021)
Meet Tim Hamlet, the identical twin brother of the famously melancholy Danish prince. Tim has abandoned royal life and is trying (and failing) to make it as a playwright in London. But then, tragedy rears its ugly head—King Hamlet dies, Claudius takes the throne, and young Hamlet dons an "antic disposition."
Tim charts a course for home despite his better judgment, setting sights on Denmark for the first time in years. On his journey, he crosses paths with Nick Bottom, Romeo Montague, Prospero, and other familiar faces, all the while on a collision course with fate. This tragically funny and funnily tragic adventure will keep you on your toes every step of the way, never knowing what exactly will happen next.
BooksandTravelForever:
"What a witty and delightful spin on Hamlet!! This book had me giggling, laughing out loud, and at times my heart was pounding like a true Shakespearean tragedy. The journey begins in a London theatre, then your suddenly in the middle of a bar fight with some crazy pirates before Tim, (Hamlet’s twin), escapes and boards a ship to sail home. Before you know it, there’s a fantastical island, and of course, the ghost of Hamlet’s father."
HFM:
"Lots of twists and turns throughout this adventure. I liked it much better than the real Hamlet. No prior knowledge of Shakespeare is really needed since the book provides a synopsis of the play. It’s still a tragedy at its core, but a hugely entertaining and enjoyable one, which tries to put meaning behind the events that occur in Hamlet the play."
"The Ten" (2016)
Thou shall not steal.
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
Thou shall not kill...unless it’s torture.
Abel believes he is chosen by God to rid the world of the unrighteous. One by one, he hunts down those who break the Ten Commandments and plots heinous deaths.
Odious deaths.
Monstrous deaths...
Abel’s goal is to smite one sinner per commandment, and with that, start a revolution. Others will follow. Others, who are equally as loyal and subservient to God’s wrathful side as he. Up until now there has been no one smart or brave enough to stop him…that is, until Jason Flynn.
Jason has been to more crime scenes than he can count, but the recent string of homicides has been extraordinarily gruesome. As the bodies continue to surface, Jason knows he is out of time.
He has only two choices…
Track down the elusive serial killer and save the next target from a grisly demise, or wait for Abel—the self-proclaimed assassin of God—to trigger the most horrifying religious war of his time.
Currently out of print.
Donna C:
"I was told by my grandson that it was a good read so I accepted the challenge. I love good mysteries and this certainly is one. When you start reading it you don't want to put it down. I read at least 1 book a day, sometimes more, so I felt comfortable undertaking this task. This story kept me guessing up until the last 10 pages or so as to who the killer was. The connection between the Ten Commandments and the murders was explained in depth and made it so easy to understand. I look forward to his many books in the future. If you like a good mystery, please check this out."
mycanoe:
"Police drama is not high on my list (maybe because my father was a cop, and it hits close to home), but I must say this one was really well done and held my attention all the time. The ending was a surprise - which is good in a mystery book."