THE BOOKS
Dan Groat's books cover a wide range of genres and major themes: historical fiction about racism (A PUNCTUAL PAYMASTER), a collection of one short story and two novellas about family (AN ENIGMATIC ESCAPE), literary mystery/adventure about homelessness (MONARCHS AND MENDICANTS), a collection of short stories and flash fiction about dozens of topics: coming of age, the Civil War, a return to youth, urban youth, unique families, tragedy, triumph, teaching, infidelity, abortion, wood carving and wisdom, war, work, lawyers, life paths, addiction, abduction, mental illness, mediocrity, miracles, God, dogs, funerals, birth, college, bank robbery, baseball and football, poker and pool, prison, ancestry, family secrets, homelessness, suicide, neighbors, childhood wishes, eternal life, spelling bees, floods, good and evil, love and romance, second chances, anger and fear, rebirth, parenthood, brothers, reunions, soul and spirit, gun rights, prejudice, old age and new age, victory and defeat, life and death (IMPRESSIONS), and the second book in the Gifford Ulrich Series, (Pianos and Penance), a mystery/adventure/detective novel.
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From Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame and Top 100 Reviewer: "Having read all of his books,
it is without question that Dan Groat is an author of major significance, a writer unafraid to take on the tough topics of the times and place us well within the confines of his adventures."
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READ SAMPLES
FROM EACH OF THE BOOKS
NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
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A PUNCTUAL PAYMASTER
ISBN-13-978-1481248341
A POIGNANT AND TIMELY NOVEL OF RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA
REVIEW COMMENTS
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"Beautiful. A journey you will never forget!"
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"If you only read one book this year, let this be the one."
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"An incredible debut novel."
A TOWN DIVIDED BY RACE IS HIDING A MIRACLE AMONG ITS SECRETS
Travel seventy years through the secrets of the white Thanos family and the black Taylor family, twisted like strands of yarn woven together on a loom. The wealthy, powerful Nikkos Thanos owns a woolen mill and almost everything else on the north side of Delphi, Missouri, and is the overseer of a fractured society. The brave, judicious Thaddeus "Cousin" Taylor owns a grocery store and a tavern on the south side and carries a past hauntingly shrouded in tragedy. Each man tries to shepherd his part of town through the turmoil of racism, the depression, and war. With the passage of time, those caretaker roles are filled by Evangelina, Nikkos' beautiful and strong-willed daughter, and T.J., the grandson who worshipped Cousin. Forty-five years after high school, two friends, Ab and Grady, return for the funeral of their mentor, T.J., and walk into the middle of a mystery. They unweave the black and white threads that are the town's concealed, troubled past, revealing an extraordinary tapestry of life and death, revenge and triumph.
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"This story is more than white and black differences. It's about what it means to be a man, to earn and give respect, to stand tall against adversity, to be a role model."
"LEARN WHAT IT MEANS TO "WALK WITH STRENGTH"
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AN ENIGMATIC ESCAPE
ISBN-13-978-1481943987
AN EXPLORATION OF FAMILY
"---of the seeds that produce three brothers who by turns of fate and differences of motivation are set out on their own to become indivicuals with only memories of the time they were together."
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THREE ESTRANGED BROTHERS
THREE STORIES
THREE SURPRISE ENDINGS
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REVIEW COMMENTS
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"A major and important new novel by a writer that demands our attention."
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"Infinitely intriguing."
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"Groat's genius is his wordsmith magic."
Three brothers are separated when they are 19, 17, and 11 years old. They never see nor hear from one another again. Events happening in their lives fifty years later are chronicled in the short story, "A Most Contemptible Whisper," an eerie narrative from the troubled mind of the youngest brother struggling to cope with the sudden death of his wife; the novella, "The Covert Carver," the touching story of a man who goes searching for a meaningful retirement and finds the middle brother and danger and insight; and the novella, "Mingaud's Cell," the quirky tale of the oldest brother fighting unwanted change forced upon him by the government.
From Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer, Grady Harp, "Much of the beauty of this book comes in the subtle way Groat allows us to recover their pasts."
MONARCHS AND MENDICANTS
ISBN-13-978-1492736004
BEWARE OF A MAN WHO HAS NOTHING TO LOSE.
A Navy Seal suffering from PTSD and a painful past returns to St. Louis from Afghanistan and loses everything. Homeless, he wants only to find work and be left alone, but he is drawn into a group of street people who are being hunted by a serial killer and used by the local mob boss. To save himself, he must fight his way from tragedy to triumph and lead his “friends” on a journey from despair to hope.
In a mystery with heavy literary leanings, you will be reminded why no one wants to make eye contact with a beggar, but you will also discover that if you do it often enough, you may eventually stare into the soul of a king, for greatness is as often concealed by the robes of monarchs as it is by the rags of mendicants.
Walk the broken sidewalks leading through the middle of a struggle between individualism and collectivism where a society with too many followers can only be saved by a courageous, yet reluctant, leader. Monarchs and Mendicants is today’s political adventure dragged down to the gritty, personal level of the streets and alleys of an urban area. Its theme of honoring the individual not only embraces the substance of the American psyche but gives voice to man’s constant longing for independence.
WHAT READERS SAY:
”This page-turning intense drama will keep you questioning and wondering until the very end."
”A Story of deep and tragic truths.”
”Profound and moving prose that you won't forget.”
”Gifford is an intriguing and troubled character that makes for a fantastic read.”
QUOTE FROM THE BOOK
ABOUT INDIVIDUALISM:
”Without a singular devotion to self, your greatness will be lost. It remains for monarchs and mendicants to save one before saving others, to lead one before leading others, and that one is the self of you.”
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IMPRESSIONS
ISBN-13-978-1514180228
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A Collection of 55 Short Stories with something for everyone.
Grady Harp (Amazon Hall of Fame and Top 100 Reviewer) says in his 5-Star Review, "a richly detailed series of engrossing short stories and flash fiction each of varying length, some referencing history, some commenting on philosophy, some just simply humorous. Every entry is polished and once again displays the fine talent of Dan Groat. Highly recommended - to all writers (!) as well as of course to readers who love fine stories."
Stories about coming of age, the Civil War, a return to youth, urban youth, unique families, tragedy, triumph, teaching, infidelity, abortion, wood carving and wisdom, war, work, lawyers, life paths, addiction, abduction, mental illness, mediocrity, miracles, God, dogs, funerals, birth, college, bank robbery, baseball and football, poker and pool, prison, ancestry, family secrets, homelessness, suicide, neighbors, childhood wishes, eternal life, spelling bees, floods, good and evil, love and romance, second chances, anger and fear, rebirth, parenthood, brothers, reunions, soul and spirit, gun rights, prejudice, old age and new age, victory and defeat, life and death.
The shortest story can be read in one minute, the longest in ten minutes. Just enough time to laugh, cry, think, dream, remember, forget, learn fresh ideas, challenge old concepts, meet new people, recall former friends, find knowledge or wisdom or peace, escape and be entertained.
Go ahead, put on someone else’s shoes, walk in their footprints, see the world through their eyes, guess hidden motives, stumble into surprise endings, expand your imagination. Experience their anxiety, serenity, desire, joy, sorrow, danger, or freedom.
Be selfish. Take a few moments just for you. Disconnect, drop out, change your mood, vary your day with stories about the past, the present, the future.
Wander around in the author’s mind for awhile. Encounter the strange, wonderful people that live there. Invite them in.
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REVIEW COMMENTS:
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"These short stories deliver the reality that the author is a sensitive thinker and the most well-versed and talented writer I have encountered in a long time. I will read this work forever."
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"Short, sweet, and consistently great with something integrally optimistic that gave me a boost and a warm feeling."
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PIANOS AND PENANCE
ISBN-13-978-1500242817
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Gifford Ulrich Book 2
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"This author of major significance has produced a page-turning intense drama that will immerse the reader in the emotions of the hunter and the prey."
Death follows Gifford Ulrich. He lost his fiancee to a drunken driver, his two Seal buddies to an IED in Afghanistan, and his three homeless companions to the streets of St. Louis. Now, his friend, Renee Edwards, who played piano and sang the blues in a local club, has been murdered.
Giff, hired by her father to investigate, seeks help from a blind, retired homicide detective, a computer-geek neighbor, and an ex-military workmate. The team discover that other women have been killed in the same manner as Renee, and they work to find a connection despite the interference of a small-town police chief.
They match wits with a ruthless serial killer and struggle to connect the dots before someone else dies. With his team in increasing danger, Giff is forced to rely on himself and his hunches in an interstate manhunt that draws him into a life-and-death trap. Pulled by his desire for both justice and revenge, he fights to uncover the unimaginable secret behind the killings.
The series that began with the critically-acclaimed Monarchs and Mendicants, continues with Giff on a thrilling, action-packed journey as he discovers himself by fighting for others.
AMAZON
HOT NEW
RELEASE
COMING SOON
KING OF THE BLIND
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A novel set in Georgia during the Civil War about two friends, a white man with a troubled past and a sixteen-year-old slave. Together they make a life-changing journey through their war-torn state.
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RIVERS AND RIVALS
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Gifford Ulrich Book 3
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