The Charlie Collection

The Complete Charlie Collection

Get the complete emotional journey including both Charlie's Ladder and The Last Altar Boy.

Book 1: Charlie's Ladder

From the moment Charlie Houden stepped into Dina Epstein’s office, on a chilled November afternoon, his brilliant plan for suicide was doomed. To his chagrin, this shrink had her own agenda...

Unfortunately, exorcising demons comes at a price. For Charlie, that price will compel him down a path of unlocking doors, resurrecting nightmares, and facing the voices that haunt him. Through their quirky—often humorous—relationship, Charlie reveals a shocking past filled with betrayal, profound loss, and trauma.

Facing his past requires a journey for which he’s neither prepared, nor can any longer avoid: “Every time I swallow it down, it comes up harder. It’s as if my insides are on fire… like poison.”

Interweaving past and present, this novel takes the reader on an emotional journey. It reveals what a man who has survived childhood and adult tragedies will risk to reclaim his sanity and his soul, as only a survivor could do.

One small problem: not all of Charlie’s demons reside within his head.

ISBN: 978-1-7362149-6-1

Book 2: The Last Altar Boy

In a cold sweat on a hot June morning, Charlie Houden departs home, emboldened to return to the land of his origin...

Armed with an audacious plan for finding and saving his daughter, Charlie soon discovers he’s not the only one making plans. Omens and evil pursue Houden on the road between perdition and salvation. He confronts the contradictions of God’s choices; a haunting revelation from an ancient lighthouse; and a fated encounter with his former lover that leaves Charlie exposed to mortal danger.

Seeking counsel from a Catholic priest, Charlie finds, in Father Bill Ward, a true faith warrior. Perplexed and cautious of this stranger, Ward feels compelled to do something so anathema to his beliefs that it shakes the foundation of his faith.

While good and evil battle for Charlie’s soul, the truth of his origin compels Houden to one final, selfless act. His choice brings a timeless journey, wherein he faces his worst fears and his greatest joy… on this “road trip from hell,” with the Last Altar Boy.

ISBN: 979-8-9912805-0-1