Picker of the Kingdom
David Howard
Sharon Meeds is 14, she's black, and she's got troubles. Her momma's dying in the hospital, and she doesn't want anyone at school or her residential welfare hotel to know about it. And she especially doesn't want the Children's Welfare Society to know when her momma actually passes away. That's when she feels she has to take off. Picker of the Kingdom tells the story of Sharon's difficult journey to find solace and a place for herself. Competing in her emotions are her struggle to deal with the loss of her mother, and her need to escape from the clutches of the system, which only wants to put someone in charge of her. No one is interested in the feelings churning inside her. Author David Howard has written a moving novel of an adolesecnt girl trying to find peace, but what she encounters is a series of pimps, drug dealers, overly concerned social workers, and weird relatives. It takes all her strength and courage not to get drawn into future-less situations, but to keep seeking what she knows must be out there-a special place for her. New York City is vividly portrayed as a tough, remorseless, bitter, and wanton jungle as Sharon criss-crosses through neighborhoods, searching for a place to live and be herself, when she doesn't know who she is or what she really wants.

PICKER OF THE KINGDOM
David Howard
360 pages, softbound
ISBN 1-57087-410-7
Price: $14.95
324 E. 61st Street, #4 RW
New York, NY 10021
(212) 838-1586

Orchids in the Snow
Charlie Hudson
Andrea Randall, an Air Force wife and mother, is facing a year of separation from her husband, Larry, even as she has only recently adjusted to the adult status of their two children. Yet what she anticipates will be a routine year becomes instead a time of surprise and emotional turmoil. An unlikely friendship leads Andrea through a series of events that cause her to examine her structured life as a military wife, the stability of her marriage, and the definitions of social acceptability she has always accepted without question. The life a military wife has a particular complexity for a woman and her family, with strains and expectations not known in the civilian world. Some of these become evident in Orchids in the Snow, but Charlie Hudson goes beyond this setting and explores the options many women face and the difficult decisions they must make--decisions with long-term effects--about family, career, and meeting the expectations others have of them. She has a sure touch with the emotions of women, and her book is a touching celebration of friendship and self-discovery.

From Orchids in the Snow... Kathy held out the napkins. "Andrea, I love you to death, but you can't go back and change any of that. He did go to Turkey, but he didn't go because he was bored with you. And if he's gotten mixed up with this woman, it's not because you have new friends. Things like this happen to a lot of people and you either deal with it or let it drive you apart." I blew my nose and tried a smile. "There aren't a lot of choices, are there?" "That's about the size of it," she said. "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of magic answers."

Comments on Orchids in the Snow posted on Amazon.com: "An insightful look into the world of the military community." "A wonderful story that had me hooked from the beginning." "A true keeper--a thought-provoking and entertaining read." "This is a great gift book for women whose lives are in transition!"

Charlie Hudson, a military veteran as well as a military wife, turns from professional technical writing to providing a fictional, but profoundly insightful glimpse into the personal lives of post-Vietnam-era military families. While it is set in a military community, the issues are applicable across other segments of society.

ORCHIDS IN THE SNOW
Charlie Hudson
280 pages, softbound
ISBN 1-57087-447-6
Price: $11.95
Perrico Publishing
PO Box 251
Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD 21005

The Pink Fazenda
Ruth Louise Clark Rambo
When Dr. Jose Andrade offered to save her life, he was a perfect stranger to Ruth Vanderlay. An assistant nurse at the New York Clinic in 1938, she was expecting a child, but the father, her fiance, had died. She was without family and money. On an impulse, the handsome Brazilian doctor offered to marry her because his own heart had been broken when his fiancee had married another man. They married, and he immediately left for Brazil. Ruth would follow, to help him in experiments for a medical venture he planned. These would take place on his fazenda, or plantation, with its elegant rose-colored villa. Before Ruth could join him, she had a miscarriage and fell in love with the tender-hearted doctor who attended her. She set off for Rio de Janeiro to tell her husband in name only that she wanted a divorce. Then the complications begin... The Pink Fazenda is suffused with vivid descriptions of the beauty of the Brazilian countryside. Ruth Louise Clark Rambo also offers a sharp portrayal of the manners and elegance of wealthy families in pre-war Rio. It makes for an exotic setting for this charming romantic novel, in which we find bandits, crossed intentions, and the reappearance of the Dr. Andrade's perfidious fiancee. Rambo lived in several parts of Brazil while her diplomat husband opened and closed American consulates before and after World War II. She resides in North Palm Beach, Florida, but she and her grown children visit Brazil as often as possible.

THE PINK FAZENDA
Helen Clark Rambo
424 pages, softbound
ISBN 1-57087-491-3
Price: $11.95
11361 Ellison Wilson Rd., No. 1
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
(561) 626-6135

The Politicats
Tom Williams
Everyone knows cats have minds of their own, but the felines in The Politicats have political savvy an experienced Washington spin doctor would envy. In his new novel, Tom Williams has created two shrewd cats who conspire to sabotage the presidential campaign of a conniving, villainous and extremely wealthy U.S. senator. Meet Napoleon and Mr. Grover, the feline protagonists of The Politicats. Mr. Grover, a cynical elderly cat, allows Governor Goodfellow to share his home, but is not excited when the governor decides to run for the U.S. presidency. But the cat changes his mind when he meets the governor's opponent: Mr. Grover recognizes him as the scoundrel who many years before had plans to vivisect him. The old cat meets an ally in the aristocratic Napoleon, whose "human," a Washington reporter, is hired to handle media relations for the governor. The two cats agree that the country would be a disaster for animals in general and for cats in particular with the despicable Senator Durth in the White House. How they foil the senator's dirty tricks fills the story with suspense and surprise. Tom Williams, a former newspaper reporter and editorial writer, has headed his own advertising agency since 1970. He has handled advertising and public relations for more than 50 political campaigns. He is presently owned by four cats. He is also author of Always Paddle Your Own Canoe: The Life, Legend and Legacy of Anna Safley Houston.

THE POLITICATS
Tom Williams
184 pages, hard cover
ISBN 1-57087-478-6
Price: $16.95
W R Corporation Publishing
P.O. Box 108
Chattanooga TN 37401
(423) 265-4571

Sandcastles
Book 1
Robb S. Michaels
A seductive Spanish butler, a desperate mother trying to overcome her guilt, a wealthy but unloved young man, a father obsessed with his daughter, a young man searching for a long-lost love, and an impulsive young girl caught in a bitter love triangle--these are some of the neighbors, lovers and rivals at Sandcastles, an exclusive condominium community on Cape Cod. Readers will find there an array of characters connected by blood, friendship, romance, and happenstance--all brought to life by Falmouth resident Robb S. Michaels. This is the first installment of serialized novel, in which he presents his intertwined characters with their differing hopes and objectives in a world that offers scenic beauty and the best of expensive living. Their whirlwind of emotions--love, rage, passion and betrayal, along with abiding friendship and familial love--keep the pages turning. At the end of this first installment, readers are hooked on the lives of Dianne, Kristyn, Darren, Ramon and others, and the "To be continued..." locks them in suspense. Was the man at the pool actually killed? Will Kristyn be able to free herself from her overbearing father? Will Rose be able convince her son she had to abandon him to be able to create a better life? Does Darren have a dark secret? Some of them will see their lives crumble like sand castles... Robb S. Michaels is a lifelong resident of Cape Cod, who makes his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts. A twenty-eight-year-old first-time author, he uses detailed descriptions of actual Cape Cod locales for the settings and activities in his novel.

From Sandcastles... From where he stands at the top of the stairs, Ramon can very easily see Dianne as she walks across the lawn up to the front door. Except for Donna, the cleaning lady who is working the room down the hall, he is the only person in this part of the house, and it is a perfect time to see what is going on without being noticed. On the floor below, Shane and his stupid friends dressed in their bathing suits are in the kitchen, and he can hear their talk and laughter. If it weren't for him, useless Shane would still be in bed sleeping right now. Dianne looks troubled, too. Her face wears a mask of frustration. He knows exactly what would take the frustration right out of her. Before she can enter the kitchen, Ramon walks down the flight of stairs and greets her at the bottom. "Mighty hot day today, isn't it?" he asks nonchalantly. Dianne's hazel eyes sparkle with interest and excitement. "Depends on how you look at it. In your situation, all you have to do is loosen that shirt. We, on the other hand, can relax and feel cool at the beach." He laughs, and it is a cold, chilling laugh. "I always liked a girl with a great face, great body, and great sense of humor." "Do you want to join us at the beach, or are you hard at work here in the house?" "No, I am on duty right now. Some of us do have to work for a living around here. But after work, I was thinking of shedding these clothes and jumping in that pool. Are you sure you won't take off that top and join me? I sure would love the company." His voice is a low and sexy whisper. They stare at each other and their passion boils like a volcano about to erupt. "I'm glad Shane pays you for more than just trying to seduce his friends," Dianne says and heads toward the kitchen.

SANDCASTLES, Book 1
Robb S. Michaels
118 pages, softbound
Price: $6.95
ISBN 1-57087-510-3
David R. Snelgrove
86 Geggatt Rd.
E. Falmouth, MA 02536
(508) 564-4526

I Died in Rio
Arsen Pankovich
In this utopian novel, the Earth is at the end of the trajectory of an enormous celestial body and scientists are working day and night to create a way to destroy the object, or at least deflect in and avoid the collision. They're also working on remote cloning, robot parenting, and other technological advances that will save the human race, even though the planet and the everyone on it will be destroyed if the collision takes place. Naturally there's trouble. Every project, every approach to the solution is met with angry opposition as various groups and individuals fight about the ethical, religious and philosophical issues of playing God, about immortality, the soul and reincarnation, and about the cloning and memory manipulation needed to restart life in space. The hero, a man of intellect and compassion, risks everything to save the world. In charge of the ethnic and biological departments of the newly formed World Government, he disregards personal danger, cuts through moralizing, and acts according to the highest convictions. Arsen Pankovich was born in 1930 in the Bosnian city of Banja Luka to Serbian parents, both of whom were physicians. In 1944, he joined his father in the Royal Underground Forces. He attended medical school in Sarajevo and Belgrade, then emigrated to the U.S. He has taught at medical schools in New York and Chicago, and presently teaches at the NYU Medical Center.

I DIED IN RIO
Arsen Pankovich
510 pages
Hard cover
ISBN 0-9672101-0-0
Price: $25.00

Softbound
ISBN 0-9672101-1-9
Price: $15.00

201 E. 62nd St.
New York NY 10021
(212) 644-0824

One Small Favor
Jerry Parkhurst
With their graduation from Ole Miss behind them and their new marriage vows exchanged, Blake and Angela leave Memphis for romantic Paris for their honeymoon. Unknowingly, the couple is being watched as they travel lightheartedly through France. A seemingly chance encounter with someone, a request that they do "one small favor," and their romantic journey is transformed into a nightmarish ride of counterfeiting, extortion, robbery, and murder. Blake and Angela are drawn into a frightening web of deceit and terror--all because of one small favor. The twists and turns of this fast-paced novel take the reader through emotional ups and downs that contrast sharply with the mood and character of one of the world's most beautiful cities. Paris may never seem the same to you after following the distrubing events of Blake and Angela's romantic holiday. Jerry Parkhurst, author and Tennesseean, has worked as a fringe-benefit consultant most of his career and only recently put his creative thoughts on paper. His novel is based in part on a true story of newlyweds that he read about in Europe.

One Small Favor
Jerry Parkhurst
248 pages, hardcover
ISBN 0-915214-36-9
Price: $23
1911 Almadale Farms Parkway
Collierville, TN 38017
(901) 861-8055

Kill the Benefactor	Mart Baldwin	ISBN: 1-57087-166-3	Price: $7.95
56 Fraunhofer	John A. Banasick	ISBN: 1-57087-297-X	Price: $25.00
Toward Cosmic Meliorism	William F. Bottiglia	ISBN: 1-57087-321-6	Price: $17.95
Western Madness	Harvey T. Boyd	ISBN: 1-57087-064-0	Price: $11.45
Get Off My Land!	E. Paul Braxton	ISBN: 0-939017-01-6	Price: $9.95
Page One	Gina Vasquez Cabral	ISBN: 1-57087-192-2	Price: $24.95
Murder in Martinsburg, West Virginia	Susan Crites	ISBN: 1-881562-00-x	Price: $12.95
Downeast Detectives	Mark Maxwell Dalton	ISBN: 1-880365-25-1	Price: $9.95
Being Here	Jaime P. Espiritu	ISBN: 1-57087-290-2	Price: $14.00
The Southern Renaissance Collection	Fletcher & Fletcher Publishing
The Dinetah Tapes	Dale Freeman	ISBN: 1-880365-85-5	Price: $7.95
Like Trees Walking	Dale Freeman	ISBN: 1-880365-42-1	Price: $5.95
My Soul To Take	Dale Freeman	ISBN: 1-880365-64-2	Price: $6.95
Moon Beam	George S. Gadren, Sr.	ISBN: 1-57087-426-3	Price: $19.95
Between the Cracks	Henry P. Gaewsky	ISBN: 1-57087-092-6	Price: $17.95
The Urban Travels of George	Myles Greene	ISBN: 0-9606994-8-1	Price: $9.95
Ahyah	Dorothy P. Hoover	ISBN: 1-57087-163-9	Price: $9.95
Audie	Dorothy P. Hoover	ISBN: 1-880365-82-0	Price: $10.95
Twiddy House	Dorothy P. Hoover	ISBN: 1-57087-063-2	Price: $12.95
The Dandelion Patch	Madeline J. Huss	ISBN: 1-57087-361-5	Price: $8.95
The Yarn of the Mitten	R. L. Jessop	ISBN: 1-57087-420-4	Price: $22.00
Dead Right, Dead Wrong	J. A. Kempner	ISBN: 1-57087-384-4	Price: $9.95
Mind Rape	Edna B. Kimball	ISBN: 1-57087-058-6	Price: $8.00
What Happened to Miss Emma	Charles H. Knight	ISBN: 1-880365-06-7	Price: $10.00
The Builders	Robert B. Kugel	ISBN: 1-57087-264-3	Price: $9.50
West Texas Adventure	Bill Lewis	ISBN: 1-57087-007-1	Price: $9.95
Bravely They Fought	Natividad Macaranas	ISBN: 1-57087-232-2	Price: $12.95
A Symphony of Love	Clancey Mellowe	ISBN: 1-57087-059-4	Price: $16.95
The Blake Streak	George P. Morrill	ISBN: 0-9658979-0-7	Price: $26.00
Prose & Cons	Richard Mendes, Editor	ISBN: 1-880365-41-3	Price: $8.95
Beyond Endurance	Terry Neild	ISBN: 1-57087-249-X	Price: $17.95
Queen of Darkness	Frances Nordan	ISBN: 1-880365-10-3	Price: $9.95
The Power of Women	Irene O. Ogbru	ISBN: 1-880365-49-4	Price: $10.95
One Small Favor	Jerry Parkhurst	ISBN: 0-915214-36-9	Price: $23.00
Libra, Angel or Vampire	Stephanie Queen	ISBN: 1-57087-336-4	Price: $24.95
Danger in Paradise	Myra Rankin	ISBN: 1-57087-102-7	Price: $6.95
Beyond the Egg Crate	Ruth Ann Reed	ISBN: 1-880365-79-0	Price: $5.95
Flying with One Wing	Robert Reese	ISBN: 0-9633351-2-x	Price: $8.95
Weida	Charline Thackston Rotha	ISBN: 1-880365-86-1	Price: $11.95
I'll Always Be Anthony	Anthony Saladino	ISBN: 1-880365-52-9	Price: $5.95
Something Passes This Rambling River	Alan Wade Schildroth	ISBN: 1-57087-063-2	Price: $15.00
The Green Team	George G. Siposs	ISBN: 1-57087-175-2	Price: $6.95
48H	Lois Smith-Burgess	ISBN: 1-57087-366-6	Price: $22.95
The Yelling Boys	Russell B. Sorrells	ISBN: 0-9640019-1-8	Price: $18.95
Is There Life After Love on the Internet?	Frank Spataro	ISBN: 1-57087-394-1	Price: $14.95
Shooter	Dennis L. Stull	ISBN: 1-880365-45-6	Price: $12.95
Venquetta	Barbara J. Williams	ISBN: 1-880365-14-6	Price: $5.95