The cult
Reeves
Reeves' mother belongs to a cult. The cult believes that you must be a Soldier of Christ. But to be a soldier, you must fight.
Two novellas by Luke Gherardi
There are no heroes,only survivors.If that.
A bleak reality bloodies each and every page. In revealing the darkest side of real life, we discover there are no heroes, only survivors. If that. Amidst the carnage of dreams delayed and then destroyed, there are stories of:
And yet, as much as it challenges the reader to absorb, it dares us to not look away, and to see life for what it really is like for some.
A novella
Children of Violence
“In this debut novella, a group of Americans can’t escape the inevitability of violence. …The author deftly shifts clearly defined characters with discernible narrative voices. … engrossing tale of the seemingly endless damage that brutality causes.”
— Kirkus Reviews
A riveting, shocking, and perversely entertaining debut novella by Luke Gherardi, Children of Violence is a once-in-a-generation story that creatively and bluntly exposes the tragic, violent, meaningless, and hopeless side of life.
Children of Violence
Meet the four main characters
The projects
Robbie
Robbie is the son of an addict prostitute. He's raising his little brother alone, while trying to avoid his mother's pimp.
The suburbs
Gracie
Gracie is a pretty girl that lives in a nice house in the suburbs. Life is perfect for her family from the outside. None of her neighbors know the truth. Her father is an enforcer for the mafia.
The trailer
Cole
Cole's father is a neglectful alcoholic. His father lives only for one reason- to kill again.
These kids all have to face the violence eventually, and it all comes together in a climax where even the best of intentions results in innocence lost.
#1 Amazon Bestseller
Blessed are the Peacemakers
The hitman who would never speak finally opens up. Cole wants his version of events to be told to the world before he dies. He’s gotten away with unspeakable violence for years, protected and sanctioned by the mafia. As his world crumbles around him he fights back, driven by one desire: vengeance.
Bestselling and controversial author Luke Gherardi returns with his follow up to Children of Violence. This brutal portrayal of the dog eat dog landscape in a city’s struggle for power challenges societal norms and speculates that maybe, just maybe, there are necessary evils needed for the greater good.
Reviews
“Gherardi’s brisk but grim story cycles through a plethora of irredeemable characters… The innocent titular youngsters are surrounded by killers, racists, and child abusers.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Have you ever wondered how children raised in violence survive? Once an individual's life has been impacted by violence, is there any turning back? What makes an individual turn violent? In the short novella Children of Violence by Luke Gherardi, you will read about the lives of several individuals whose lives are impacted by violence. Violence comes in many forms. You can be a victim of a robbery, murder, suicide, child molestation, alcohol, gangs, prostitution, religion, or even from your parents or neighbor. Follow the stories of Gracie, Maria, Ron, Ramon, Cole, Randy, Reeves, and Lee to see how their lives unfold. … Gherardi has done an excellent job in developing each of his characters. … I recommend this book to mature adults.”
— OnlineBookClub.org“What a great read!! Loved the characters' stories and how their paths intermingle throughout the book. The clever writing and diversity of characters keeps you engaged all throughout. I even bought a few extras as gifts for the holidays.”
— Amazon: Thomas S.“Quick, easy, and enjoyable book! Truly engaging, couldn’t stop reading. Loved the twists and connections. Happy for another one soon.”
— GoodReads: Christina Jackson“A slice-of-life venture loaded with interesting, hard characters named Robbie, Frederick, Reeves, Paw Paw, among others. All directly or indirectly tied to a gal named Gracie. The characters address the reader with lived tough dialogue. The title says it all.”
— Amazon: Mike h“Great read! Finished in one night! I would recommend. 👍”
— Amazon: Jenny Mueller“The gritty feel of each character and their language reverberated through my mind with each chapter clearer than anything I've experienced. It felt like an audiobook! In this book, no one wins and there was no one to cheer for, definitely well done and worth a read.”
— Amazon: Tif“Well written! As soon as I hit the last page I had to start over, because I *had to know*. Two books for the price of one, kinda?”
— Amazon: KingFlathead“This was a fun book that really plays on the reader's emotions. Kids, bad guys, crazy events. I enjoyed the characters and could almost hear the author driving, plotting the narrative in my head. Cannot wait for a sequel.”
— Amazon: Toria“I bought this book after a friend had mentioned it recently. It was definitely a entertaining read. Written more like a movie then a book, the storyline had a good pace. I've already recommended it myself in brief conversation.”
— Amazon: Ritschard Zach“This is an awesome read. Best book I have read in a long time. The author creates an astonishing and truly captivating presence for each story.”
— Amazon: Jennifer
About Luke
He is a fighter. And a survivor.
Luke Gherardi is a writer of short stories. Children of Violence was his first novella, and Blessed are the Peacemakers is his second. He writes what he knows, basing his fiction on real-life people and inspired by his observations or first-hand experience of actual events.
He overcame childhood cancer – lymphoma. That was the easy part. Being raised in dysfunction was not.
Growing up in a suburb of St. Louis, Luke lived with his mother, a church-going, God-fearing woman from The Philippines, who provided anything but a sane childhood. To the outside world, everything seemed normal in this nice farm community. But in reality, he says his mom’s practice of her faith was more like a cult, where militaristic brainwashing went on. He grew up with survivalists.
His parents were divorced when he was very young. He would visit his dad on the weekend in a crime-infested part of St. Louis, where the gang-ridden streets were filled with people who cared nothing about their lives and even less about yours. His dad was a bit of a hustler and gambler. He drank excessively, popped pills, and smoked marijuana. He lived in a condemned building and suffered from mental issues. He later committed suicide.
As soon as Luke turned 18 and graduated from high school, he left home and never looked back. He moved to Denver, where he knew no one and had nothing. He made a life for himself, met a woman, and got married. They had a child together. A few years later, they divorced. He went to work for North Park Transportation, beginning as a dock supervisor and working his way up to fleet safety manager. He earned his A.A.S. in Avionics Engineering from Colorado Aero Tech. He lives just outside of Denver and enjoys raising his daughter.
