The Life of My Dreams

In a big city in Brazil, there were two homeless boys, Richard, and James. They were skinny black teenagers, thirteen and fourteen years old.

They lived in a tent, under a viaduct close to the center of the state’s capital. In that place, there were too many tents and people living, each with its history.

One morning, Richard and James were sitting on a sofa old and dirty, close to their tent. They also were a bit dirty, because they did not have the opportunity to take a shower every day. Richard said, “How is the life of your dreams?”

James gave a small smile. He was ashamed of his smile because it lacked some teeth, and his teeth were not white. He said, “A life far from here.”

Richard also gave a small smile. He had the teeth, but they were too yellowed.

“Me too. But I wanna know what you imagine as a perfect life?”

James thought a little and said, “I imagine a life with a lovely family. A bedroom only for me. A hot shower, tasty food, and these things. And you?”

“I think the same things.”

James said discouraged, “But this is only a dream, I think we’ll never get it.”

“Why not?”

“Life is too hard, and I don’t believe in fairy tales.”

“Change life isn’t a fairy-tale, it’s a real possibility.”

James sighed and said, “Maybe. But we must live the reality.”

James got up, took a little bag, and said, “Let’s go to work!”

Richard got up and said, “Let’s!”

They walked towards a traffic light. When the light was red, they juggled. When the light was almost turning green, they passed through the cars to ask for money. Some drivers gave them, but others did not.

They stayed there for some hours. Then, they went to another traffic light.

This excerpt is part of the short story "The Life of My Dreams". Read this and other stories in my book Behaviors.

https://books2read.com/u/mdwW9w

First Workday

The alarm of a cell phone starts playing the music, “On the first part of the journey; I was looking at all the life; There were plants and birds and rocks and things… ”

“Is the time to wake up?” said a white man with an asleep voice, “Just a little bit more…”

A woman knocked on the door and said in a loud voice, “Leander! You’re going to be late on your first workday!”

“I’m going, mom! It’s still too early!”

She said firmness, “It isn’t early!” She entered the bedroom. A thin middle-aged white woman, with fair skin, average height, grey hair, and brown eyes. “It’s almost eight o’clock! You wouldn’t be like this if you had slept earlier! But you only stay on this cell phone all the time.”

“Oh mom, stop it! Will you start early?”

“Yes, I’ll start. Hum! An old man that seems more like a child!”

Leander breathed and said, “It will start…”

Mary began to walk into the room, which was very messy. There were clothes, shoes and other things spread throughout the whole room. She gesticulated and talked, “You have more than twenty-five years, and now it will be your first job.”

Still lying, Leander shook his head and gestured like his mother. He also had fair skin, short black hair, and light brown eyes.

“When I was your age, I was already married, working, and had a son to educate. And you, just want to have fun and tranquility.”

This excerpt is part of the book Approved for Life. Read and discover this adventure.

https://books2read.com/u/mZgxl2

Is This the Wedding of My Dreams?

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (1 Peter 3:7)

A white woman with tan skin, about thirty-five years old, was sitting on a double bed. She wore a nightgown like old-style: baggy, long, with sleeves and cotton tissue. She was combing her shoulder-length straight black hair, intending to put a cap on to preserve it during the night.

She got up. She had an average height and opened a door in one big wardrobe. She caught the black cap and put it on her head.

She went to bed, took out the duvet, turned the light off and lay down.

After some minutes, the door of the room opened violently. And someone turned the light on. It was a white man with tan skin, about forty years old. He was a bit overweight and had average height.

The woman hardly looked at him because of the light in her eyes. He had an unshaved beard and dark brown hair needing to be cut. She said in a half-asleep voice, “Raymond, I was almost sleeping. What do you want?”

He said in a joking tone, “Fernanda, you know what I want. You!”

“I don’t wanna sex today. I’m very tired.”

He said more serious, “You’re tired, but I’m not.”

She sighed and said, “You aren’t tired because you only have your job. I have to work, and I make everything at home.”

He smiled and said, “Housework is for women not for men.”

He sat on the bed and began to take off his clothes. Fernanda said, “Do you think we will have sex?”

He said in a serious tone, “I don’t think. I’m sure we’ll have sex.”

This excerpt is part of the short story "Is This the Wedding of My Dreams?". Read this and other stories in my book Christian Short Stories Volume II.

https://books2read.com/u/38Jy9L

The Judgment Seat of Christ

Now, they both are before the judgment seat of Christ, and each one will be judged according to their acts.

They are seated waiting for Christ’s arrival to judge them.

Dennis had the same appearance when he was a young adult, tan skin, thin, average height, short black hair, and light brown eyes.

Paul also had the same appearance when he was a young adult, thin, average height, dark brown skin, almost shaved black hair, and brown eyes.

Jesus gets into the room, and immediately Dennis kneels, recognizing his condition as a sinner, and the authority of Jesus.

Paul thought, This man must be a great sinner, that’s why he’s like that. Fortunately, I’m not like that. I always walked righteously before the Lord.

Noticing the arrogance of Paul, Jesus said in an energetic tone, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!”

One more time, Paul thought, For sure, this is for that man.

Jesus shook his head negatively and passed the hand over his face. He entered the court and called Paul, this one thought, The best ones are always the first chosen.

This excerpt is part of the short story "The Judgment Seat of Christ". Read this and other stories in my book Christian Short Stories.

https://books2read.com/u/bzrqYE

My 31st Book: Luke — The Gospel of the Son of Man

Reaching the milestone of 31 published books brings the certainty that the well of great stories is inexhaustible—especially when we are dealing with the greatest story of all time. It is with immense joy and a touch of reverence that I present to you today the third volume of our journey: the Voices of the Kingdom Collection.

If in Book 2 (Mark) we swallowed the dust and sweat of Galilee to the breathless pace of Jack London, now I invite you to clear your throat and settle into your armchair. The scenery has changed completely.

The Gospel of Luke is the detailed, deeply human, physician’s account. It is the Gospel of compassion, focused on the marginalized, on women, the sick, and repentant sinners. But it is also the book of great social masks, where Jesus sits at the table of wealthy Pharisees to expose their hypocrisies.

To rewrite this masterpiece of human analysis, maintaining 100% theological fidelity to the miracles and teachings of Christ, I needed an author who was a true “surgeon” of the soul. Someone capable of dissecting pride, prejudice, vanity, and etiquette with fine and elegant irony. There was no doubt: I summoned the brilliant Jane Austen.

In Luke: The Gospel of the Son of Man, you will witness the parables of Jesus as profound psychological dramas. You will see the Parable of the Prodigal Son not only through the eyes of the son who erred, but through the bitter resentment of the older brother who stayed home. You will sit at the Pharisaic banquet and watch the host’s false morality be shattered by the tears of a woman with a jar of perfume.

Luke — The Gospel of the Son of Man

Is Anyone Investigating?

If you have already gone to a police station in a big city in Brazil, you know how boring is. You see too many people on their desks, using their computers. Telephones ring the whole time, and nobody answers. So far, everything is working as usual. In Brazil, most of the public services work like that. But when you are there, you feel that nobody wants to give you attention.

Francis is facing this situation. He is a middle-aged black man with light brown skin and short grey hair.

He was waiting for the attendance of one detective. He was sitting for more than thirty minutes.

He already saw people getting in and getting out. Many police officers entered the room, and none of them asked what he wanted.

The commissioner arrived at the police station. He was a middle-aged white man with fair skin, tall, average weight, and his ear-length hair had some white strands.

Francis recognized him and got up. He had an average height and weight. Francis said, “Commissioner Gerald!”

Gerald looked at Francis and thought, “Oh my God! This man is here another time.”

He replied, “Are you Francis?”

“Yes. I’m. Do you remember me?”

“Yes. I do. What are you doing here?”

“Two weeks ago, I came here, and the detective in charge of my daughter’s case said he would call me, but he didn’t call.”

“All right. I’m sure there’s a reason he didn’t call you. Maybe he’s in another case. You know we are few people, and there are many cases.”

“Yes, I know about the difficulties the police officers face every day. But homicide is a case that deserves attention.”

Gerald sighed and said, “Francis. I know it’s hard to believe. But there’s no piece of evidence of a homicide. Everything indicates that it was a suicide. The detective has already said it to you.”

Francis said firmly, looking into his blue eyes, “But commissioner, I’m sure my daughter didn’t commit suicide!”

This excerpt is part of the book No Evidence. Read and solve this mistery.

https://books2read.com/u/mlMQW9

Leviticus

On a hot night, Yoel watched television in the living room. A young white woman talked about the weather.

“This year, the country has very little rainfall in all regions. Moreover, the temperatures remain high, above 104 degrees Fahrenheit  in all states.”

They showed videos of forests and other places affected by the drought. There were also videos of fire.

“According to the experts,” the journalist continued, “there is no scientific explanation for this extreme weather. Brazilian climatic history shows the country had excellent weather until the middle of the 21st century, with mild temperatures and regular rains.”

“I would like to live in that era,” Yoel said.

Devorah entered the room.

“Yoel, are you coming to church with us?”

“Yes. It’s my only option.” He replied, discouraged.

“You have a choice. If you don’t want go, don’t go.”

Yoel smiled and replied sarcastically, “If I don’t go, tomorrow I’ll get a call or someone will come here to find out why I didn’t go. I’ll have to answer endless questions; it feels like a police interrogation. I’d rather go and avoid that.”

“Okay. Let’s go?”

“Let’s go.”

They went to the Galactic Church of the Lord’s headquarters. Before they reached the temple, there was a large garden surrounded by metal railings and security cabins with armed guards.

Yoel’s family arrived at the garden’s main entrance. There were also armed guards and turnstiles to control membership access. Each family member placed their hand on the fingerprint reader, and then they were allowed to enter.

At another turnstile, there was confusion. A middle-aged white man discussed with the security guards.

“Are you trying to invade our church?” One of the security guards asked aggressively.

The man was nervous and scared. He replied stuttering, “I, I, I don’t. It’s I… I’m here as a guest.”

“Who invited you?” The guard replied aggressively.

“A friend.”

“And where is your invitation card?”

“Invitation card?” The man was surprised.

“Didn’t your friend give you a card?”

“Yes, but it’s not here with me.”

“Without the card,” said the guard while pushing the man, “you can’t get in. Go away!” 

“But I only wanted…’

“You didn’t want to do anything. Get out of my face!” The guard pointed his pistol at the man.

“Don’t shoot!” the man said desperately, “I’ll go away.”

The man ran, afraid of being shot.

This excerpt is part of the book The Flame of Truth. Read and find out this fascinating story.

https://books2read.com/u/br6gBA

II - Exposed lives

A few days later, Louis was in his bedroom with his laptop. He checked his emails, and there was a reply from his friend in the city administration, the email contained the following message, “Louis, I’ve analyzed your birth certificate, and we have a situation too strange.

The notary public mentioned in the birth certificate has worked just for a brief period in the year that you were born. And there is no information about the files of the public office.

In cases like that, you must seek the hospital of your birth to do a new birth register. With the document, you can demand it in court for a new birth certificate from another notary public.

At this point, there is another problem. The hospital where you were born has also closed, and there is no information about its files.

It’s a strange coincidence that both the notary public and the hospital were opened and closed at the same time.

I suggest you seek a lawyer to get information about how to proceed.

You probably will get a new birth certificate through a judicial decision, or it can be the judge decides the notary public should accept one of your documents to substitute the birth certificate.

In either case, it’s a simple and fast process.

I hope that I helped you. If you need something more, you can count on me.”

Louis thought, “What a strange thing!”

This excerpt is part of the book Exposed Lives. Read and find out the story of Louis.

https://books2read.com/u/bQGEOw

 

One Fun Night!

On Friday tonight, Charles passed close to the bedroom and saw that Susan was astonishing. She has put on makeup, dressed in elegant clothes and high heels. He thought, Wow! What an awesome woman I have!

She noticed he was looking, and she was glad because there was a long time that Charles did not look at her in this way. She said, “This is what you are leaving at home when you decide to enjoy it with other women.”

He tried to justify himself, “I don’t do anything with anybody. It’s only fun, drinks and these things.”

“Charles, fool me once! I know the things you do,” Susan said in an ironic tone.

“Only you know. I don’t know anything about it.” Charles tried to dissimulate.

“Okay. Anyway, today I’m gonna enjoy it!

“How so?” Charles was surprised.

“I gonna date it with my friends.”

“Where you go?”

“I don’t know. I only know today we’ll have fun!” Susan was very excited.

Charles said in a sad tone, “And me, will I stay alone here?”

“If you will stay alone, I don’t know. That is on you.”

“But you can’t do it with me!” Charles continued in the same tone.

“Charles, you always do it with me, and now are you the victim? Stop it!”

“But the things in marriage can’t work based on vengeance!”

Susan said in a loud voice, and in a nervous tone, “Charles, please! We know that there is no real marriage here. Let each one do what they want. It’ll be better.”

This excerpt is part of the book The Path to Peace. Read and be moved by the story of Charles.

https://books2read.com/u/4jM212

New House

“Have you packed all of your boxes?” asked a female voice.

“Not yet!” a male voice replied rudely. “I’m doing my best, but for you, nothing is ever enough!” he completed irritably.

“For God’s sake, Caio!” she replied irritably. “It’s like I’m talking to a horse.”

“Tereza, it’s like I’m talking to a blind person. Look at all the boxes there are! And you come and ask me if I’ve already picked up everything?”

Tereza shrugged and went back into the house. Caio was putting the moving boxes into a truck. Many of them had already been placed there, but there were still many left.

In the couple’s bedroom, Tereza looked around at everything, the upholstered bed and its padded headboard. She smiled and remembered that that headboard had been used in many of the couple’s intimate moments. At the other end of the bed was a stuffed ottoman, and there were also many pleasant memories there.

This excerpt is part of the short story "New House". Read this and other stories in my book Life Is an Adventure.

https://books2read.com/u/4A17vJ

The Game of Life

One day, Alberto arrived home much earlier than usual. He threw his boots in any corner of the house and went to his room without speaking to his mother, Rosa. She went to the boy’s room and saw him lying in bed with his face on the pillow.

“What happened? Why did you come home so early?”

“I don’t wanna know anything more about soccer!” He replied, still with his face in the pillow.

“How can you not?” Rosa was surprised. “That’s your passion!”

“That was my passion,” he said as he turned to the wall.

Rosa noticed that he was crying. She sat on the bed and began to caress him.

“Talk to your mom about what happened.”

He turned to her and told her what had happened that day. Rosa became very nervous and sad.

“Alberto, take your boots,” she said decidedly. “We’re going back to that field now!”

“Mom, no!” Alberto protested. “That won’t do any good!”

“Of course, it will. Learn something in your life. There will always be people trying to humiliate and belittle you. You can never let them win. You must fight for your rights and for justice. That’s how life is. Things are not given; they are conquered. Now, let’s go!”

This excerpt is part of the short story "The Game of Life". Read this and other stories in my book Nobody Notices, But It Happens.

See the book: https://books2read.com/u/mdxZwO

My 30th Book: Mark - The Gospel of the Servant

Reaching the milestone of 30 published books is looking back and seeing a long road, traveled with an unwavering passion for telling stories. Today I celebrate this thirtieth literary milestone with you by delivering the second volume of our most ambitious journey: the Voices of the Kingdom Collection.

If in the first book (Matthew) we were introduced to the "Gospel of the King" with the epic scope and grand social compassion of Charles Dickens, now I must ask you to catch your breath. The scenery has changed drastically.

The Gospel of Mark is the account of urgency. There is no time for genealogies or a serene childhood. It is the Gospel of continuous action, of raw survival, where the word "immediately" dictates the pace. It is the story of a God who became a Servant and marches, sweating and exhausted, healing the sick, casting out violent demons, and facing death head-on.

To rewrite this breathless pace, without losing a single comma of theological and historical fidelity, I needed a pen that cut away the excesses. A raw, direct, and instinctual prose. That is why I summoned the genius of the master of American survivalist literature: Jack London.

In Mark: The Gospel of the Servant, poetic language gives way to the muscle of the narrative. Through London's aesthetic (reminiscent of the masterful rawness of The Call of the Wild), you will not just read about the miracles; you will feel your throat dry with the dust of Galilee. You will feel the primal terror of the disciples in the storm, the despair of the epileptic boy's father, the tension of a clandestine trial, and the bare, raw pain of the wooden cross.

The journey is hard and holds no romanticism. The Master leads the way, with cracked feet and a resolute gaze toward Calvary.

Forget mild narratives. Take a deep breath and join us on this relentless walk.

The Gospel of the Servant

Important Update

juicy_fish / Magnific

Hello, readers!

Today I want to share an important update regarding the distribution of my most recent books, specifically the Gospels retelling project and my new international editions.

As many of you know, over the past few months, I have been exploring the intersection of creative writing and new Artificial Intelligence tools. The result was a very special project where the Gospels were retold with unique authorial voices, alongside the expansion of my catalog into new languages: German, French, and Italian.

The indie publishing market is going through a phase of major transformations to adapt to these new technologies. Recently, Draft2Digital (the platform I’ve used for over 4 years to distribute my books to stores like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo) implemented some strict new internal policies.

Due to the platform's bureaucratic compliance issues regarding public domain rights (in the case of the Gospels) and requirements for formal translation certifications, we mutually agreed to remove these specific works from their catalog.

What does this mean in practice?

The following titles will no longer be available in stores distributed by Draft2Digital:

• All versions of the Gospels retelling project.

• All works published in German, French, and Italian.

The good news: The project continues on Amazon!

If you were planning to read these works, don't worry! The removal only applies to the Draft2Digital network.

All books from the Gospels project and all editions in German, French, and Italian remain available, exclusively, on Amazon (KDP).

Amazon has different guidelines that perfectly accommodate public domain derivative works with added creative value, which allows me to continue offering this experimental and innovative work to you.

My traditional catalog in Portuguese, English, and Spanish remains available as usual across all platforms and customary stores.

I am immensely grateful for your continuous support of my journey as an indie author. Literature is always evolving, and it is a privilege to have you with me in each new chapter of this story!

To purchase the exclusive Amazon editions, simply visit my author page.

x

Spectacle

Magnific / kjpargeter

The script is written, the actors are ready,

The stage is set; the scenery is steady.

It is time for the great spectacle to start,

It is time for the reign of dramatic art.

Each actor plays their role with mastery,

Embodying the character with energy.

Everything is played with roaring perfection,

There is magic and poetry in each new action.

The audience is enchanted by what they see,

Eyes fixed, waiting for what will be.

Everyone awaits the end of the play,

Everyone longs for the next lines to say.

The climax has arrived; the story is done,

The actors thank the crowd, everyone.

The theater is closed, the lights fade away,

Tomorrow, life again is a lived and acted play.

Repeated Song

Flaticon / Icons Mind

Every day I hear the same repeated song,

I hear the same repeated lines all along,

I hear the same repeated rhymes.

The whole lyric, I know it by heart,

I already know everything that will be said,

I already know every note and every melody.

I play the same song without an end,

I cannot stop listening to it,

Something pulls me back to continue.

The repetition has already numbed my mind,

I feel nothing anymore when I'm listening,

I let it play even without paying attention.

How I wish I had the strength to turn it off,

To stop listening to the repeated song,

And be enchanted by a new and beautiful melody.

The Viper

Take care, if not, the viper will bite you,

She pretends to be a friend but wants to kill you.

She comes and likes too much to hug you,

But she always plans how to kill you.

 

The viper pretends to be innocent,

Cheating people and seeming good is her plan.

Everyone believes that she is the victim,

But in fact, she is a dangerous viper.

 

She spreads her poison to all sides,

Keep attentive and take care of your life.

Her tongue is more deadly than a gun.

Her effect leads you to the tomb.

 

She comes to lament after burying you,

To deceive everyone is what she wants to do.

They will not notice what she did,

The viper is a friend, they believe.

This poem is part of the book Diverse Poems Volume II.

See the book: https://books2read.com/u/m2Kpgr

My 29th Book: Matthew - The Gospel of the King

Reaching the milestone of 29 published books is a moment of profound gratitude in a writer’s life. Looking back and seeing every story I helped bring into the world is deeply moving. But I must confess that the project I’m announcing today has a different flavor. It is, without a doubt, the most ambitious, reverent, and immersive work I have ever dared to create.

Since the advancement of new technologies and Artificial Intelligence, I have noticed a global fascination with “alternative versions” and creative adaptations of everything we know. As a Christian and an author, a question began to echo in my mind: What if we could apply this concept to the greatest story of all time, uniting the sacred text with the highest classic literature?

That is how the Voices of the Kingdom Collection was born.

The idea is simple in its essence, but colossal in its execution: to rewrite each of the Gospels, maintaining 100% theological and historical fidelity, but assuming the pen, style, and genius of great masters of world literature in the public domain.

To open this monumental series, I chose the Gospel of Matthew. Since this is the gospel focused on proving that Jesus is the promised Messiah—the King—the narrative called for an epic tone, a deep social compassion, and a fierce critique of the theatrical hypocrisy of the powerful. There was no doubt: I cast the grandmaster of English literature, Charles Dickens, to be the “voice” of this first book.

In Matthew: The Gospel of the King, you will not read fragmented verses. You will dive into a continuous epic novel. Through the vivid characterizations and monumental prose of Dickens, you will feel the heat of the sun in the Sermon on the Mount, the suffocating tension in Herod’s palace before the Magi, the fury of the waves in the Sea of Galilee, and the silent majesty of the cross.

The essence of the Sacred remains untouched; only the frame has been carved with the fine wood of classic literature. The result is a reading that moves, captivates, and makes us walk through the dust of Israel alongside the Son of God.

The Master is teaching on the mountain. I invite you to sit on the grass and listen.

Matthew - The Gospel of the King

Looking for a New Opportunity

I must start my seek every day,

I must seek a new workplace.

Until I find it, I seek it exhaustively with all my ways.

 

I access many sites and send many CVs,

I want the recruiters may see me.

I want them to know I can be productive.

 

My biggest desire is to get out of this situation,

To be unemployed brings me affliction.

It is a feeling of uselessness and devaluation.

 

I feel I am inadequate or unable to get it,

I think the doors will never open to me.

I feel no company will admit me.

 

I know I cannot think like that, I need to react,

I will continue fighting bravely until I get it,

I will continue fighting until my yes is heard.

This poem is part of the book Work & Soul.

See the book: https://books2read.com/u/4jM2Vl

First Contact

One day, what I wanted most finally came true,

You came to me, and I talked to you.

Oh my God! I did even not know what to say,

I was very touched because he was in my way.

I talked the first thing I was able to think,

I think what I said was not a good thing.

But you smiled and said I should calm down,

It was magic, your smile, and the words in your mouth.

I was a woman, but I seemed like an adolescent,

I was confused, you have affected my judgment.

There were many things that I wanted to say,

But I could not elaborate, not even a phrase.

I think he noticed my big nervousness,

I thought he would never talk to me after that.

At that moment, I thought everything was ruined,

I thought he would not even desire to be my friend.

For my luck, I was wrong,

He ignored my lack of words.

Before he left, he said something that made me happy,

He called me beautiful and praised me.

This poem is part of the book Destructive Passion.

See the book: https://books2read.com/u/47JgBE

My 28th Book: A visceral return to pure fiction. Discover “Obsession”

This release has a different flavor and represents a very special milestone in my career: my official return to creative and 100% original writing.

If you follow my work here, you know that lately I’ve been focused on other editorial fronts. I dedicated myself to expanding my works worldwide with translations into German, French, and Italian, and explored new technologies and curations in projects like Everyday Wisdom I and II.

They were incredible experiences, but the truth is that the call to tell raw, human stories knocked hard on my door. I needed to go back to my roots.

The result is my 28th book: Obsession: Desire and Madness.

I decided to return to the universe of short stories, a format I love, where intensity is key and there is no room for fillers. Every word must carry weight.

In this book, I wrote six independent stories about the pathologies of the will. I avoided the usual clichés—like romantic obsession or the pursuit of money—and shed light on the real and silent themes consuming modern life:

• Sports
• Politics
• Religion
• Renovation
• Conspiracy
• Online Gambling

My goal with this work was to put you, the reader, in the front row to watch the exact moment a desire turns into madness. And madness, as you will see on the pages, is a black hole capable of devouring everything and everyone around those who carry it.

Each of the six protagonists walks a distinct path, but they all reach the same fine line: the point of no return.

It was a painful, intense, and liberating work to write. And I can’t wait to hear what you will feel when you read it.

The book is available now. Get your copy and prepare yourself for a disturbing read.

After reading it, answer me: Are you sure you are in control of your ideas?