Vikare Publishing

02/11/2026

Downtown, Y Bridge City, 1939. A scene from The Man in the Hat:

Wheels upon a wooden cart creaked around the corner from the dark recesses of a shadowed alley. Veiled light glimmered across crumbling bricks as a drunken beggar emerged, howling praises like a town crier.

“There he is!” the toothless man squealed, “The Jack of Spades! He’s the chief in the hat!”

That was his nickname with the beggars. The Jack of Spades. The compliment made Jack blush, and he politely tipped his hat to the drunkard. His finger snapped.

“M-make it short. It’s Jack Spade."

The beggar resounded the howl.

“Jack Spade! That’s who he is!”

Jack Spade. That was his new name. It was intuitive and fit. If Jay Gatz could become Jay Gatsby, then he needed a new name as well. Jack Spade. It felt good to have a last name. Jack had been dropping the line for weeks. Especially with the beggars. They spread the word quicker than fire.

Jack pulled a couple of one’s out of his pocket, and handed the bills to the old man. He shrieked with glee as they trotted along past 320 Main Street; the grand Rose Radio Company. Bobby laughed at the act.

“Keep it up, Jack,” Bobby teased. “And you’ll be broke before we even get to the Deuce. I mean come on. That’s like the third or fourth one. You can’t just give all your hard earned bucks away like that. They can make it as easy as us. You gotta let people help themselves.”

“I'm b-buying luck, Bobby,” Jack stammered. “And I can help them. Everyb-body needs somebody.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Bobby said. “But you can’t be everybody’s somebody.”

He pinched his eyes and scoffed.

“And what do ya mean by buyin’ luck? You can’t buy luck, Jack. It just happens. That’s why it’s called what it is. Luck.”

Eyes widened. Jack shifted his brim and grinned.

“Sure you can, B-bobby. It’s m-magic. Give and receive. It helps them and it h-helps me.”

02/04/2026

I'm querying agents now with my upcoming novel 'The Man in the Hat.' Wish me luck on it getting picked up folks. There is definitely much more to come. If you want to know more about it the synopsis is below:

In 1939, Zanesville, Ohio, a broken-hearted shoe shiner named Jack—haunted by the death of his parents and a lost love—survives a violent encounter on the Y-Bridge, and vows to stop living quietly. He buys a new hat, sharpens his gift for cards, and begins betting on luck instead of money.

Taken in by a mechanic named Bobby and his sister Rosie, Jack finds a fragile sense of belonging—but his talent at the tables draws him towards higher stakes that grow increasingly dangerous. A devastating win at a backroom card house places him in the crosshairs of a secretive gambling society governed by rigid rules and brutal enforcement.

As his winnings grow and whispers spread of a lethal enforcer known only as the Pope, Jack is forced to make a choice. Flee town wealthy enough to reclaim a love he failed to keep or stay to protect the people who saved him. When violence erupts, he confronts the Pope, and discovers the cost of winning may be his freedom—and his soul.

12/29/2025

"Ethos, or The Spirit Who Endures"

This master work is going to take a lifetime to write. It is the key to the multilayered universe of books that I am building. I'm so far past where I started when I began writing. I never could have imagined this gift. Or burden

06/13/2025

When The Man in the Hat comes it's going to rain. The yield will flourish.

CHAPTER VIII: WAITIN’ FOR THE TRAIN TO COME IN

The hands of the clock turn, but still nothing has changed. Life seems to be teasing, playing a bitter game. A ravenous scourge burns deep in the blood. Passion and action, hoping you get what you want. Time itself seems to be having it’s fun.

"But still I rest here stuck in the mud. I’ll do anything to get there, I don’t care what it takes. All I need is a path, a key to the gate."

The stench of muck and filth permeated the air. Jack sat with his back against the wall stuck in a stare. His gaze burned vivid like the eyes of a cat, shadowed beneath the wide brim of his hat.
The alley rested desolate as he twirled the old match between his fingers, remembering a time that often lingers.

"I can feel the star still, somewhere out there flying. I’ll find it someday; only if I keep on trying."

Lurking rats scurried about the abandoned isle, searching for a meal amongst the heaping piles. Jack didn't pay the vermin any mind at all. He was used to the waste and debris of the squall.
At a cease, the twirling stopped, and Jack held the burnt match fixed, focusing upon the settled ash. In a brief instant he began to clear his mind, keeping the desires clear within the eye. He imagined the obstacles lifting away, clearing the path towards a better day.

"If raw will and intention can give me more; let this be the moment that opens a door."

Upon releasing the energy, Jack tucked the match away next to ‘The Fool’ card. Then he collected his belongings from behind the dumpster. The Great Gatsby sat in one pocket and his journal rested in the other. The shoe shine kit dangled in his grip, shadowing the broken colors. Jack fixed the brim of his hat once more, whistling to himself another score. The hat made him feel good, he had to admit. It gave him the sense of some newfound confidence.

07/12/2024

If you have Spotify click the link and check out 'The Bridge Between Two Rivers' audiobook.

It's a story that takes place in Zanesville and it's all about growing up in the Y Bridge City. Everybody knows it can get kind of crazy sometimes and this is a story filled full of bad decisions and mistakes. I should be ashamed of it, but I'm not because the events of this story made me who I am today

No regrets

Listen to this audiobook by Ahnzerah Hawke on Spotify

07/02/2024

05/03/2024

I'm going to put these flyers EVERYWHERE. One is for online purposes and the other with QR codes is for everywhere else (physical world). Maybe if you go to Guam you'll find one there too 🤷‍♂️ idk.

I'd love for folks to share the online one, though. That would be pretty awesome. I'm really proud of these flyers. I think I did a good job

05/02/2024

The Man in the Hat is a different type of beast. Here is a sample:

The clouds rumbled overhead, and Jack shook in his stead. His eyes didn’t look ahead, but peered above at the flowing, seamless gray sky as he walked. Even the clouds have a path. They seem to stalk, Jack thought as he drew in a cold, chilling breath; a bitter savior pulling him from the throngs of death.

Suddenly, he felt a trickle go down his cheek; a stroke of sorrow running down in a streak. For a moment Jack believed it was beginning to rain, but the drops ran seamless with the crippling pain.

The heavy burden drained from his soft blue eyes; flooding the hope for a smile to disguise. He hung his head and wiped his cheeks dry quickly; seeking to hide what hung so grimly. I don’t want anybody to see. They will all just make a joke out of me.

Jack continued his walk through the razor sharp breeze with his head hung low to hide from the freeze. His swelling sockets bled full with the flood; his gaze it teetered finding rest in the mud. I wish I didn’t have to see the doctor today. He doesn’t need to see me this way. I don’t want him to perceive the decay.

Dr. Stanley normally never accepted patients in his home, but his office was destroyed in the most recent flood. The river it raged running across many towns; murderous waves, it’s victims they drowned.

Jack found refuge on higher ground, beyond the window thunder growled in the clouds. He rocked and teetered, clawing at the shaved sides of his head. The building it rocked, shaking in it’s stead.

Tremors of fear pursed across Jack’s sweating brow, dark strands they hung, shielding his eyes from the prowl. The pounding pitter patter seemed to never cease; the fear it rippled running it’s course like a disease.

The worn brogues on Jack’s feet clicked down the walk as he passed a group of old withered pines that held a hawk. The branches carved across the crow filled sky. The cawing of the crows is a constant hum within the mind. Another thought lost to the drear of time.

Cars cruised down the road in a seamless shuffle; the honking of horns stifled the muffle.

All of them, everybody it seemed had a destination to reach. A meager, mundane task subject to a routine. Everyone was at service to a deed. Not a sense of adventure where one could be freed.

A boy bounced his ball down the walk and ran towards Jack across the fading chalk. The sight of the child getting lost in the play brought joy to Jack’s heart; it was the first time he had smiled all day.

Ya see, kids always get to Jack the most, they always seem so happy. A faith in bliss, rising a sunken valley. Innocent sunshine bursts forth from their hearts; an unblemished soul not scarred by the marks.

Only over time does the world bring more clouds before it, sending the veil. The sun loses it’s shine and revolves towards the pale. The sky it blackens, and thunder it splits. Cries they rumble over what has become of it. The mourning of innocence that has been lost. Every action comes with a cost.

04/30/2024

I've had an article with the Times Recorder for the past couple of days and didn't even know it! No wonder why the sales have been going up.

I'm emailing everybody that I can. Hopefully I can get on a podcast next or start work on my own that I've dubbed "The Web of the Y."

If anyone knows anybody connected with the Zanes Trace Commemoration I've been trying to get in touch with them to be apart of there event as well.

It's the second installment of the Ghosts Never Die series by Ahnzerah Hawke

04/26/2024

CALLING ALL READERS!!!
If you have purchased one of my books or listened to it please rate and review on wherever you ordered it. That really helps boost the visibility

04/11/2024

The audiobook is now available on Spotify! Click the link to check it out folks and don't forget to rate and review--it boosts the visibility

Listen to this audiobook by Ahnzerah Hawke on Spotify

04/01/2024

The Bridge Between Two Rivers is officially available today through select retailers. Get your copy today folks!

Honestly, I'm not expecting much, but with time this story is going to boom. It establishes the whole series and many other books to follow. I debated on posting a sample of the audiobook, but I will wait until it passes quality control for Spotify, Audible, and many others. The audio retail sample is going to have people thinking wtf, but it's good. I can guarantee that 😉

The Bridge Between Two Rivers by Ahnzerah Hawke