PJ and Friends Play Marco Polo
0$4.99 – $12.99Laura is a native to New Mexico, she is married with two children and is a grandmother. She is an artist painting landscapes, dancers, spirituals and illustrations in Acrylic and water color.
Her projects include children’s books such as “PJ and Friends,” PJ and “Friends Say Nighty Night,” and she is currently illustrating for other authors.
Laura gives God the credit for her opportunities to paint and write.
Just Call Me Gatsby
0$3.99 – $17.99Like the classic American capitalist, Christopher “Gatsby” Brooks believes in the power of illusions. His seemingly deep pockets have made him preeminent in the business world and conspicuously wealthy. But when Shirley Frazier, a management consultant, discovers a substantial portion of Gatsby’s income was derived from selling millions of dollars in unregistered (possibly illegal) securities, her confrontation with Gatsby sets off a dangerous cascade of events that could culminate in Gatsby’s demise-or set the stage for his ultimate success.
With prosecutors pursuing the case, and a dead body connected to his dissembling, Gatsby risks everything on another secretive gamble: a new venture fund that will depend on his raising $100 million before Shirley and the legal “assassins” kill his reputation. As Gatsby puts his plan in motion, several of his major investors demand he repay millions of dollars in securities-money he doesn’t have. And his wife, Miriam (Claire to his Frank Underwood, if you are a House of Cards fan), decides to take matters into her own hands.
Just Call Me Gatsby explores the sometimes-contradictory forms of power that run the world: money, charm, trust, and the betrayal of that trust. The novel will appeal to a wide range of fiction readers including fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Norb Vonnegut’s The Trust, Joseph Finder’s Paranoia, and Christina Alger’s The Darlings.
Those who like entrepreneurial or business-related novels such as Louis Auchinclass’ The Embezzler, Philip Roth’s American Pastoral, and Thomas Wolfe’s A Man in Full will also enjoy this suspenseful story about the scheming that blurs the lines between wealth and the illusion thereof.Dancing Through the Cosmos
0$5.99 – $30.99Isabella Foster lived a life of much excess for as long as she could remember. She had achieved success as an actress in Hollywood at a young age in the height of Hollywood in the 1960s. She had achieved everything that she longed for and more than that, but something was still missing from her life. No, someone was missing from her life. In a quest for something more, Isabella will look in all the wrong places for what would make her happy and yet she will never find it. Dancing Through the Cosmos is a journey that many have taken but not returned from without losing everything. Isabella is a testament to what strength and determination will get you through even in those unspeakable and darkest moments of your life. Never forget to believe in the stars.
Thief Of Dreams
0$3.99 – $24.99Thief of Dreams by JP Powers is a crime thriller that takes readers on a captivating journey through the life of the protagonist, Kyle Stone. Set in the vibrant and tumultuous city of San Francisco in the 1980s, the novel is based on the author’s own experiences and offers a unique and fresh perspective on the genre. The story follows Kyle as he navigates the challenges of building a financial empire, but every time he faces a setback, he is mysteriously saved by a guardian angel or higher power, leaving him and the reader wondering about the identity and motive of this mysterious savior.
The novel is expertly crafted and offers a perfect balance of mystery, intrigue and action. The author slowly unveils the explanation for this phenomenon, creating a sense of anticipation and keeping the reader engaged throughout the novel. Alongside the crime elements, the novel also delves into touching relationship stories and provides an informative and educational family history. The portrayal of the Mafia in this book is refreshing and different from the typical stereotype. The book also balances the serious themes with lighthearted moments, providing a well-rounded and enjoyable reading experience.
The characterization of Kyle Stone is particularly noteworthy as the author paints a vivid picture of the character, his struggles and his triumphs. Kyle is a complex and multi-dimensional character, who evolves throughout the novel, and his arc is satisfying and relatable.
The ending of the book is dramatic and satisfying, leaving the reader wanting for more. Overall, Thief of Dreams by JP Powers is a must-read for fans of crime thrillers and anyone looking for a fresh and captivating novel. The book is expertly crafted and offers a perfect balance of mystery, intrigue and action, making it a page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Any Way Out
0$3.99 – $14.99A teenage Ashley Ames is painfully growing up in a rural area before the technology boom. Her parents are bitterly divorced and caught up in their own lives, too busy to care about what goes on with Ashley. However, she does find support from her stepmother Ruth.
Ashley bounces back and forth between her parents’ homes, with good reason. Either she moves because it’s gone bad or they throw her out.
Ashley’s behavior is erratic and self-destructive at home and at school. She gets selected to participate in a Scared Straight program, at a prison. It helps for a while.
A young man, Ryan doing a repair job at Ellen’s house, Ashley’s mother, notices Ashley. She has just moved back in with her. As Ashley goes through high school her escapades get her into trouble, while she deals with deep depression leading to a suicide attempt.
She has struggled but eventually finds her way out.
Stories From The Boxcar: A Spiritual Journey
0$4.99 – $54.99Frank Varro, author of ‘Stories from the Boxcar,’ is a retired Methodist pastor, prison and hospice chaplain, missionary, teacher, counselor, and musician. He is from a three-generation family of China missionaries. This ‘Quilogy’ (five-books-in-one) is the story of his paternal Hungarian-immigrant heritage, and his maternal-missionary heritage. It relates to his father’s boyhood home-a boxcar on a siding in Regina, Saskatchewan-from which came his father’s many stories and life’s lessons, which is the theme of Dr. Varro’s book, pictures of his own life, struggles, victories, and detours along the way. The journey takes us through his international childhood in Alaska, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and five states of the U.S. He graduated from Morrison Academy, a Taiwan missionary boarding school; he also graduated from Seattle Pacific University, where he met and married Margo Moore, his accompanist-now his wife of fifty-six years. The story goes on with their own radio and TV missionary work, and teachers at Taipei American School in Taiwan; it continues with the birth of their daughter in Taiwan, and an around-the-world trip through Asia and Europe; then back to Seattle at the University of Washington-earning a Masters of Music, and Doctor of Music Arts in Choral Conducting degrees. He taught elementary, middle school, high school, and college music in Taiwan, Seattle, Oregon, Ohio, and Texas. After fifteen years as teacher and college music professor, Dr. Varro held music positions in churches, and founded two community music ensembles. Following times of spiritual struggle and renewal, he graduated from Houston Graduate School of Theology with Masters of Divinity, Masters of Arts in Counseling, and Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling degrees. He trained and was Staff Counselor at Samaritan Counseling Center in Houston. He founded Varro Counseling, spending the next twenty-two years in pastoral counseling, free-lance music, prison, and retreat ministries, as an ordained minister, in first the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, then the United Methodist Church, and finally the Global Methodist Church.
The last two books outline his spiritual struggle and renewal before ordination. He and Margo are parents of Shelley, born in Taiwan; Steve, born in Oregon; and Rob, born in Ohio; they have five grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. He and Margo have lived in Houston, Texas, for thirty-nine years.
