SILENT MUSHROOMS: A Provocative Texas Crime Thriller with a Disabled—And Deeply Flawed—Lead
By GlobeNewswire Published on June 25, 2025, 20:00 IST
Charleston, SC, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A riveting new Texas-based crime thriller launches from Palmetto Publishing, featuring political scandals, government corruption, and a man with a deeply flawed past caught in the crossfire.
Silent Mushrooms stars Tomas Peapers, a man diagnosed with nonverbal Asperger's whose voyeuristic tendencies have frequently put him on the wrong side of the law. When a savage crime takes place—the brutal murder of three women in their home—Peapers is the perfect scapegoat for hiding secrets the powerful want buried, and the judge sentences him to death row.
But when Texas Ranger Jackie Morris returns from an assignment in Costa Rica after losing the love of her life, she soon comes across the Peapers case—and red flags begin to flare. Now in a new role as Chief of Detectives for Harris County and battling overwhelming grief, Morris is asked by Houston mayor Sandy Waters to look deeper into the case. As she does, she uncovers corruption at the highest levels of government. As the humanitarian organization and legal advocacy group the Justice Project works to release Peapers, Morris may have another chance to track down the real killer—if the pair can find a way to communicate.
Following a trail of lies and debauchery from Texas to Costa Rica, the two will soon be pitted against political giants, corporate collusion, and dark plans for the state they call home. Silent Mushrooms is the unfolding story of a conspiracy more sinister than its characters imagine, a bleak and gritty psychological drama featuring a damaged hero working side-by-side with a morally compromised protagonist.
This book by author Gerald Thompson is a thriller made for fans who aren't afraid of the dark corners of the human soul. Blending courtroom drama, political intrigue, and a relentless pursuit of justice, it is a story about how hope comes from unlikely places—a powerful meditation on redemption and human complexity in the face of corruption.
Silent Mushrooms is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of his social media platforms.
Website: geraldraymondthompsonauthor.info
Facebook: Jerry Thompson
Instagram: @Geraldthompson95
Twitter: @GeraldT81843576
Truth Social: GThomp@JayThomp
About the Author:
Gerald Thompson is the author of the novels Silent Mushrooms and BARU , and he is an executive producer of the 2025 feature film Daisy . He was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 1970s, later attending Western Michigan University, then building a successful business in Houston, Texas. He writes believing that everyone has a story to tell. Gerald is currently working on his third title, The Ryders , a contemporary western rodeo for fans of Hatfields and McCoys-style conflicts.
Media Contact:
Gerald Thompson
Email: [email protected]
Available for interviews: Author, Gerald Thompson
Attachment
Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash
GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
The 29 best 50-year anniversary gifts for celebrating half a century together
50th anniversary gifts quick picks To celebrate the promises you made 50 years ago: Minted Your Vows: Square Orientation Custom Foil Print For the couple who remembers the decades through music: Uncommon Goods Personalized Gold LP Record If they don't want more stuff: UrbanStems The Peony Sky For the bookworm: Made by Mary Birth Flower Bookmark Romance is eternal, and so should be finding meaningful ways to celebrate marriage milestones. Whether you're the gift-giving type of couple or prefer to show affection through a different love language, wedding anniversary gifts themed by year offer a special way to honor and celebrate the time you've spent together. 'Fifty years — that's legacy,' etiquette expert Elaine Swann said. As both the traditional and modern anniversary gifting theme, gold gifts speak to the preciousness of a half-century partnership that has thrived through life's inevitable changes, ups and downs. 'It's perfect because it represents something that's stood the test of time,' Swann said. 'To me, anniversary gifts have always felt like little markers along the path of a shared life,' Leigh Batnick Plessner, chief creative officer of Brooklyn-based jewelry brand Catbird, said. 'I love that the tradition is deeply human,' she said, referencing the centuries-old custom in which husbands would give their wives a silver wreath on their 25th anniversary and a gold one on their 50th. 'It represents a quiet but meaningful celebration of endurance and devotion.' Ahead, our selection of thoughtful 50-year anniversary gifts ranges from literal to symbolic, with each giving you the chance to consider what will truly delight your life partner — or any couple you know celebrating this milestone. Framebridge Antiqued Oval Tabletop Frame You can't go wrong with framing a family portrait, wedding photo or special quote, said etiquette expert Myka Meier. She recommends putting whichever would be most meaningful to your spouse in a gold or gold-accented photo frame — and we love this vintage-inspired option from Framebridge. Simply upload the photo of your choice, and Framebridge will take care of the rest. Papier Monogram Navy Leather Notebook When it comes to a super special anniversary gift, etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts recommends taking a trip down memory lane — literally. 'Revisit somewhere like your honeymoon spot,' she said, 'complete with a golden travel journal.' This notebook from Papier can be monogrammed with gold foil, making it a great choice for partners who prefer a subtle gold touch. Plumeria Original Art Original Violet Oil Painting Violets are the traditional flower for 50th wedding anniversaries, commonly seen as symbolizing faithfulness and loyalty. This hand-painted oil painting is a unique way of honoring the time-honored tradition. Made by Mary Birth Flower Bookmark Sometimes, the best gift is just one that acknowledges your partner's favorite hobby, pastime or passion. For those who love nothing more than snuggling up with a good book, this golden brass bookmark can be personalized with both their birth flower (or an anniversary-appropriate violet) and up to three characters. Arhaus Jules Frame Meier said a framed poem or letter might seem like a simple gift — but it's thoughtful, personal and gives you a chance to share your innermost thoughts and feelings with your life partner. A sleek frame like this option from Arhaus is the perfect vessel to showcase the keepsake of your choosing. World Market Antique Gold Peacock Trinket Dish Gold doesn't need to mean flashy or expensive. This trinket dish is fun, full of personality and perfect for holding everyday essentials like jewelry, keys or loose change. Michael Aram Heart Frame Ornament Whether you plan to hang it up year-round or during the holidays, we're suckers for a heart-shaped gift. This ornament is made from gold-hued metal with a heart motif and is a charming way to put your love center stage. UrbanStems The Peony Sky Meier recommends 'a bouquet of golden-hued flowers' for those who might not be into a more traditional gold gift. This stunning multicolored bouquet features beautiful yellow roses amongst an array of flowers, including peonies, white roses, ranunculus and delphinium. Dearest Forever Personalized Family Tree Art A celebration of the family and legacy you've created together, this family tree can be personalized to include four, five or even six generations. There are a couple different print sizes in addition to fonts, and you can work with the designers to get your piece just right before framing and gifting it. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Sargent Rose Brooch Brooches are such a classic way to accessorize, and this piece from the Metropolitan Museum of Art store is a true showstopper. It pays homage to a late 19th-century painting by American painter John Singer Sargent — perfect for the art lover. Williams Sonoma Wilshire Jewel-Cut Gold-Rim Champagne Flutes, Set of 4 Grotts recommends Champagne flutes — monogrammed if you can — to 'toast to 50 years with something as sparkling as your story.' Each of these four glasses is hand-cut with a slightly different pattern and complete with a 24-karat gold rim. Apollo Sundials Custom 50th Wedding Anniversary Engraved Gold Sundial Chances are you or the couple you're shopping for doesn't have an engraved sundial — yet! Perfect for placing in an outdoor garden or yard, each item is customized with your very own message on the front and calibrated for the location in which it'll be placed. Brooks Brothers Sterling Silver Engravable Rhodium-Plated Tie Clip An understated accessory for more formal occasions, tie clips are a simple way to bring the polish of any menswear look to the next level. This sleek option is made from sterling silver with a gold plating. Because we love the opportunity to make any present a bit more personal, it can be monogrammed too. Olivia Riegel Botanica Box Keepsake boxes like this one, which features a gold-cast pewter flower, are a perfect anniversary gift. Include a handwritten letter, a piece of jewelry or a thoughtful trinket inside for extra points. Pottery Barn Hawthorne Oval Wall Address Plaque For those who don't typically love gifts, we'd recommend opting for something that's both practical and thoughtful. This elegant and customizable plaque is a sweet way to celebrate the place where you've created countless memories and built a life together. Classic Touch Clear Glass Vase With Removable Gold Leaf Base If flowers are a common way to celebrate milestones in your relationship, opt for an elegant gold or gold-accented vase to accompany your latest bouquet. Whether it's their favorite flower or a violet-inspired bouquet (paying homage to the flower associated with this landmark anniversary!), this is a thoughtful way to go the extra mile. Uncommon Goods Love Grows Together Wall Art This charming piece of wall art captures all the themes of a 50th wedding anniversary gift — growth, strength and a deepening relationship over time. It's a beautiful daily reminder of your shared journey and a testament to the fact that love does grow together. Artifact Uprising Signature Layflat Photo Album What better way to remember memories from the past 50 years than with a photo album? You can opt for an elegant keepsake like this layflat album, which has gold detailing on the cover (a subtle way to reference the gifting tradition!) or make a custom scrapbook like Meier recommends. Uncommon Goods Personalized Gold LP Record This personalized gold record is a thoughtful and unique way to celebrate the soundtrack of your relationship. In addition to customizing the record's title, you can select up to five songs — perhaps one for each decade — to include on the record label. Mark & Graham Sarah Chloe Monogram Cufflinks When it comes to the perfect 50-year wedding anniversary gift for men (or anyone who wears suits), Meier recommends engraved gold-tone cufflinks. This monogrammed option is a smart alternative you can customize with two or three characters. Minted Your Vows: Square Orientation Custom Foil Print Wedding anniversaries are the perfect opportunity to look back and reflect on the commitment you made to each other half a century ago. This custom print, made with real gold foil, is a stunning way to honor that day and the journey you've been on together since. Skylight Digital Picture Frame in Gold Digital picture frames are an incredible way to remember and celebrate the milestones of everyone in your life, especially if it involves friends and family across the country or the world. This chic gold option is intuitive, user-friendly and easy for loved ones to keep you up-to-date on all their special moments. The Million Roses Heart Gold Box Made from real roses and uniquely preserved to last for up to three years, these gold roses are a grand gesture that'll last way longer than fresh flowers. You can display throughout your home or as an impressive centerpiece. Fossil Men's Carraway Quartz Stainless Steel Three-Hand Watch A stunning piece of gold-toned jewelry doesn't have to come at designer costs. This stainless steel watch strikes the perfect balance between wearability and sophistication that works equally well in everyday and more formal settings. Tiffany & Co. Olive Leaf Stud Earrings When it comes to classic 50th anniversary gifts, you can't go wrong with jewelry, said wedding planner Laura Gardner. 'I would buy something they can wear,' she said. These elegant yet practical stud earrings feature beautiful pearls surrounded by 18-karat yellow gold olive leaves that symbolize peace and abundance. Catbird Dollhouse Oval Gold Locket Plessner, Grotts and Meier all recommend a gold locket as the perfect anniversary gift. You can include photos from your wedding day on one side with photos from today on the other, or choose a photograph and message with special sentimental meaning. Regardless, it's 'something she can wear close to her heart,' Plessner said. Rolex Pre-Owned Datejust 79173 'Gifting a watch for an anniversary isn't just about telling time, it's about telling your story,' James Thomas, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Reklaim, said. 'The right timepiece marks your shared milestones with meaning, elegance and intention.' Rolex describes this stunning option — made with stainless steel and 18-karat gold — as the first self-winding wristwatch to feature a date display. Frank Darling The Dad Band 'There's beauty in simplicity, and few things are more timeless than a pair of classic gold band[s],' Kegan Fisher, co-founder and designer of jewelry brand Frank Darling, said. 'I love the idea of coming full circle at 50 years with matching rings engraved with each other's names — which is complimentary at Frank Darling — and that are meant not just to wear, but to pass down,' she said. Brilliant Earth Homme Engravable Tag Pendant in 14-Karat Yellow Gold Plessner recommends engraving a piece of jewelry or a medallion with a special pet name as a sweet way to celebrate something only the two of you share. 'I hope me and my husband have pet names for each other at our 50th anniversary,' she said. 'Anniversary gifts are a moment to pause the day-to-day and reflect — not just on what your partner means to you, but on why you chose each other to begin with,' Fisher said. 'It's less about the gift itself, and more about the meaning behind it.' So use this landmark as an opportunity to consider your partner's unique interests, passions and hobbies. If you're stuck on where to start, Meier suggests the reason behind this celebration. 'Think about what the milestone represents, and what would feel meaningful and enjoyable to your spouse,' she said. This isn't necessarily going to be something you would want, though it can also be memorable to you. 'It can be something traditional, practical, creative, or sentimental,' she said. 'There's no one-size-fits-all.' Ultimately, it isn't about the price tag. 'Anniversary gifts are more than presents,' Grotts said. 'They're a sentimental mile marker, not just a calendar date.' Whether you're honoring gifting traditions or creating your own, 'the best present is one that honors the journey,' she said. For this article, we consulted the following wedding, etiquette and jewelry experts to gain their professional insights. Kegan Fisher, co-founder and designer of bespoke bridal and fine jewelry brand Frank Darling Laura Gardner, a wedding and event planner and owner of Love, Laura Lisa Mirza Grotts, also known as the 'The Golden Rules Gal,' a renowned etiquette expert, author and public speaker Myka Meier, a globally recognized etiquette expert, two-time bestselling author and founder of Beaumont Etiquette Leigh Batnick Plessner, chief creative officer of Brooklyn-based jewelry brand Catbird Elaine Swann, a nationally recognized lifestyle and etiquette expert and founder of The Swann School of Protocol James Thomas, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Reklaim, a secondhand platform for luxury designer goods We know you get tired of seeing the same gift ideas year after year, which is why CNN Underscored editors carefully curate each gift guide to include a selection of products tailored to the person, hobby or event you're shopping for (though, if you're seeing some repeat products in our coverage, it probably just means we really love them). To make sure each gift you give is a hit, we include products hand-tested by our team, foolproof presents we've given to someone (or have been given), the newest products from our favorite brands and other trending items taking over our social feeds. For this article, contributing writer Noelle Ike interviewed the pros to find the best wedding anniversary gifts for celebrating 50 years of marriage.
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Texas' Arch Manning shares advice from Matthew McConaughey as popularity grows
Print Close By Ryan Gaydos Published June 30, 2025 All eyes will be on Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning in 2025 as he embarks on his first season as the starter. Manning committed to Texas before the start of the 2023 season. He appeared in two games as a freshman and 10 games as a sophomore as he sat as a backup to Quinn Ewers. However, with Ewers in the NFL, the keys are handed to Manning to lead Texas to the promised land. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON The fame attached to Manning because of his football status, as well as his last name, certainly creates a celebrity atmosphere around him in Austin. However, he told reporters at the Manning Passing Academy he received some advice from Matthew McConaughey about how to handle the attention. "A few. It depends on the night, but I stay pretty low key. … I had to get used to it a little bit," he said about receiving picture requests, via The Athletic. "I've actually talked to Matthew McConaughey about that. He's given me some advice. BYU'S JAKE RETZLAFF INTENDS TO TRANSFER AS QB EXPECTS HONOR CODE SUSPENSION AFTER ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: REPORT "He's been great to have in my corner. … He just told me different ways on how to handle things in different situations. He's way more known than I am, so it's good anytime you get advice from him. … He kind of told me you still have to live your life. He says he goes to the grocery store, walks down every aisle and he lives his life. You can't let you taking a picture or signing an autograph affect your life." Manning has already gotten NFL hype thrown around him, but he says he doesn't pay attention too much to the noise around him. "I really don't pay much attention to anyone, what they think besides my coaches, my parents and some close friends that will tell me the truth. But I'm not worried about what other people think. I'm just going to go out there and have fun and play my game," he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Manning had 939 passing yards and nine touchdown passes for the Longhorns last year. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Authorities saw open Bitcoin ATM to recover scammed money — almost $32,000 seized from machine
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Sheriff in Jasper County, Texas, located a little over 100 miles northeast of Houston, used a circular saw to break into a Bitcoin ATM after determining it was used for fraud. According to a Facebook post from the Sheriff's office, a county constituent was defrauded of $25,000 on a crypto scam, which they deposited into the machine. After securing the necessary warrants, the investigators broke open the Bitcoin ATM and seized $31,900 found inside it. Many elderly Americans are being targeted by online scammers. Fraudsters primarily use cash gift cards to circumvent the protections many financial institutions have in place to prevent activities like these. However, the advent of crypto ATMs, like the Bitcoin Depot ATM used in this incident, has made it cheaper and easier for perpetrators to access their stolen funds. The decentralized and anonymized nature of cryptocurrency has made it more difficult for the authorities to trace these transactions, and its global availability means that cross-border transactions do not require identification. According to the FBI, elderly Americans lost $107 million in scams in 2024 through crypto ATMs. Unfortunately, Bitcoin Depot seems to be a victim of this scam. After all, it converts cash to Bitcoin and only acts as a money transmitter or money services business. It also claims to proactively employ robust compliance, AML, and KYC protocols. That means the company and its franchisee, if the affected machine is owned by one, are on the hook (at least for now) for the damaged ATM and the seized contents. Bitcoin Depot told Decrypt that it 'regularly collaborates with investigators to clarify when recovery may be possible' and 'such efforts typically involve the receiving wallet provider or exchange, not the kiosk itself.' They also said, 'We actively support and educate law enforcement agencies, particularly those less familiar with cryptocurrencies. Even though the authorities have already recovered the cash from the ATM, it doesn't mean the victim will get their money back. They must first go through legal means so that the authorities can issue an order to seize the stolen funds. From there, their only hope is that the attacker made a mistake and used an exchange that cooperates with the authorities. Nevertheless, it's not impossible—for example, the U.S. Department of Justice recovered $2.3 million in Bitcoin paid as ransom in the Colonial Pipeline attack. Still, it will be a harrowing journey for the victims to reclaim their money—if they're able to recover it at all. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
