The Bookshelf
Five books.
No rulebooks.
A ghost with a grudge, a dystopian 2076, a widow out for blood, an empire that unravels, and a book you can read one page a day. Start anywhere.
01 · Literary Fiction
Pre-order · Out March 2, 2027The Indispensable Lottie Hot
His wife dominated him in life. In death, she returns as an angry ghost.
A family matriarch dies and comes back to get even for an offense she believes her surviving husband committed. It’s Madea meets War of the Roses in a genre-straddling literary banquet.
Runner-up, Literary Novel, Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest 2023. Forthcoming from Running Wild Press.
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Reader feedback
“The Indispensable Lottie Hot is a mordantly funny exploration of marriage, power, and the appetites that survive us. An innovative and gripping book from one of America’s most exciting voices, Carl Ehnis demonstrates that storytelling done well can still astonish and engage readers.”
“Carl Ehnis delivers a bold, darkly funny, and deeply moving exploration of grief, reinvention, and the ties that refuse to loosen—even in death. … Ehnis is a talented writer with a singular point of view and an irresistibly entertaining voice.”
“This novel packs a powerful punch… a cracking read which doesn’t let the reader rest.”
02 · Dystopian Thriller
2022 Maxy Award FinalistCome the Harpies
Orwell warned us. We didn’t listen. Now it’s 2076.
Egon Pace is a misfit senior in the violent, polluted, totalitarian America of 2076, where resistance is a capital offense. When his defiance finally snaps, he and his girlfriend Lynette make a run for a fabled utopia to the west. A coming-of-age thriller and a cautionary tale.
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03 · Corporate Thriller
MEDICUS
They killed her husband. They offered hush money. She wanted blood.
Lisa Parmenter is widowed on page one. When she learns her husband’s death was no accident but the product of corrupt policies at his former employer, MEDICUS Corporation, she sets out on a course of bloody revenge. A page-turning thriller with a pitch-black sense of humor.
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Reader feedback
★★★★
Mom’s Revenge
“A twisty, funny, sometimes shocking romp through the world of corporate greed and over-the-top criminals. Interesting characters and plot turns you don’t anticipate make for a good read.”
★★★★★
Frenzied Justice—The Good Mom
“Ehnis has constructed a lively story starring viable characters that possess traits, voices, and actions to match. … There’s plenty of trouble brewing in this book, and in the minds of most readers—that’s why I give it a high five, thumbs up, fist bump kudos.”
★★★★★
Corporate Greed at its Finest
“A fast-paced page turner whose three dimensional characters leap off of the first page. … Medicus is a carefully crafted, skillfully woven corporate intrigue, with murder thrown in as a main course, whose twists and turns you never see coming. … A captivating, fascinating ride.”
04 · Satirical Thriller
Race Riot
Ambition made him powerful. Arrogance made him vulnerable.
Nick Freeman’s scheme makes his grandest dreams come true: the trophy house, the Lexus, the empire. Then the trouble begins. His wife Nina strays, a buddy he rescued extorts him, and his best friend ends up arresting him. Meanwhile, Nina quietly builds an empire of her own.
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Reader feedback
★★★★★
Carl Ehnis is a Talented Writer
“Carl Ehnis is a talented writer. Like a running race, this novel has twists and turns right up to the finish line.”
★★★★★
A Great Read
“I had to read this book because I read the author’s previous work, Medicus, and loved it. Carl Ehnis is a great writer. His plot lines and complications keep you turning pages. … Ehnis has a sharp eye for the human condition, its frailties, failures, and redemption.”
05 · Experimental Nonfiction
One Page a Day
Your daily fortune cookie.
365 ultra-short chapters on everything under the sun. Each one is a crunchy little treat with a message that always packs a surprise.
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