Books

The sequel to Spring Canyon. When Jennie fell in love with Jim, and left home in Wyoming to marry him in California, she also embarked on an adventurous life of travel throughout the United States during the depression, while Jim worked for a company which decorated towns for rodeos, festivals, and state and national celebrations. Runaway trucks, flash floods, cricket plagues, an escaped maniac, a doomed school bus, and a shoot-out between bootleggers in a San Bernardino motel were only some of the adventures they encountered.

Hopscotch Days is a visit to a golden era which readers of that generation will remember from their own experience, and younger readers will find a fascinating glimpse of a vanished time…but not completely vanished. As Beverley Wood shares with us “the way it was,” to be a child growing up in the days between the World Wars, she reminds us that loving families thrive and survive in every era. Like the beautiful quilt her grandmother made for her, Hopscotch Days is a pattern of memories, carefully stitched into this warm and colorful book: Mama, Daddy, brothers and sister, family and friends, and her home, filled with treasures that could be touched, like the speckled shell which always sounded of the sea…and other, intangible treasures— belonging, security, warmth, and love.

What they say:
“An emotional roller coaster to the very end.”

“…a searing, thought-provoking, supernatural drama which probes the intriguing realm of regret.”

“Tense and compelling.”

Honoring The Power Of The Woman Within by Zibae & Akhlaghi, J.D. is the cure for the backwardness and disease we have inherited from centuries of inadequate and unbalanced relationships between male and female energies. The solution to the problems of 21st-century relationships between the sexes cannot possibly be addressed by 20th-century methods. Instead, we need to find the most powerful approach, which lies within each of us, to eliminate the oppression and abuse of the female energies that reside in our Mother Earth, our Country, our daily Environment, and most important of all, in our Women.

Featured on PBS

Politics, Money & Shtick by Jack Heselov is an informative and eye-opening book, written by an author whose energy and outspoken candor are both refreshing and inspiring! Mr. Heselov is a likeable man with wit and wisdom that he shares in a down-to-earth, yet erudite manner; a man whose experience in the world of business hasn’t made him cynical, just cautious and hard to fool.

San Francisco is one of the most exciting cities in the world! It’s also a complex place, with enough activities to last most visitors a lifetime. How do you choose from hundreds of restaurants, parks, museums, and unique landmarks, such as “the Crookedest Street in the world,” and the monument to the City’s Fire Department: Coit Tower? And once you’ve made up your mind on where to go, you need to figure out how to best get there. This book was created to help you get the most out of your visit.

With concise descriptions that reflect the many faces of San Francisco, the six authors help you plan your visit. Because they are long-term residents, with an average of ten years in San Francisco, they not only cover the well-known spots like Fisherman’s Wharf, but also introduce you to a San Francisco which most tourists never see, with listings like “Neighborhoods,” “Parks/Gardens,” “Late Night Eats,” and for the really adventurous, “Tattoos/Piercings!”

The authors list “10 Things for Kids”, “10 Places for Seniors,” “10 Places to Avoid,” which tells you where NOT to go in the City, and “10 Helpful Hints,” with tips on how to deal with everything from Earthquakes to “Critical Mass” (which has nothing to do with atomic fission!), as well as the best type of clothing to wear (keyword: Fog!), what those beautiful Rainbow Flags mean, and where to find an all-night pharmacy / convenience store. Almost every listing includes a Web Site. The San Francisco Address Book is definitely a visitor-friendly, insider’s guide to that spot where Tony Bennett and millions of other residents and visitors have left their hearts!

Never Giving Up On Love is a story of courage, survival and redemption. It is a touching, and at the same time, horrifying saga. Susan, Lisa and Sheila, three innocent little girls abandoned by their mother, abused by their alcoholic father, and tortured by their aunt, uncle and cousins, carry on a tragic and poignant struggle to keep their identity, and even more, their sanity.

The reader is drawn into the terrifying world of child abuse, portrayed with spare, uncompromising descriptions, bleak environments, and images of the vicious and sadistic people who occupy this world, contrasted to the kind and caring ones who are unfortunately few in number in this story, and often seemingly helpless or unwilling to intervene. In her writing, Lisa reveals the horror, anguish and hopelessness of the children’s lives.

The book is an important testament which will bring hope and inspiration to those who have suffered this loss of childhood and destruction of innocence. In the salvation through faith which the girls experienced in their lives, they are living proof that God brought them through the atrocities inflicted on them by uncaring adults.

Never Giving Up On Love also serves as a wake-up call to those who see the marks of abuse on their fellow human beings, but fail to take action, whether through ignorance, fear, or simple apathy. It is a book which will bring healing to many people, because of its ultimate message, as depicted in the title, the power of redemptive love.

After a successful career which began as an apprentice meat cutter in the Depression years and culminated in his owning his own chain of supermarkets, Sid Wallace retired at the age of 42 and began an exciting and even more active ‘career’: Captain of his own sailboat, the Constellation, a 102 ft, two-masted schooner.

Since his teenage years, he had dreamed of visiting exotic lands. “The only way to get there” in 1966 was to go in a private boat -there were no cruise ships or landing fields for aircraft-so in order to see the wonders of Easter Island, the amazing animals of Galapagos, or the mutineer-settled world of Pitcairn, Sid and his wife, Irene, had to buy and outfit their own boat.

On the Connie, as she was affectionately nicknamed, Captain Sid and his crew sailed to Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Pitcairn, and Hawaii, with many ports in between. During their voyage, they encountered fire on board ship, mountainous waves, a chilling mystery on Floreana Island, a film crew who shot a commercial on board the Connie, and a near-shootout between the FBI and one of the “ten most wanted,” who happened to be on a boat docked next to the Constellation!

Of deep and lasting value were the friendships forged among the crew members, and with the inhabitants of the Connie’s ports of call. From saving the life of a young mother in Mexico, to assisting a young shipwrecked honeymoon couple from France, the captain and crew of the Connie were always ready to help out. There were barbecues, luaus, and fiestas, as well, and encounters with fascinating characters on this unforgettable voyage of discovery and adventure.

A heartfelt and reasoned plea for compassionate and fair treatment of all animals. It is also a practical handbook with valuable information and guidance for those who wish to make a difference in the treatment of the domesticated, wild, and pet partner animals who share this world with us.

Beautifully illustrated with drawings by Mr. Julian’s daughter, Elizabeth Julian-Tuggle, and written with heartfelt conviction, the book appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The author is an advocate for animals and active in organizations which work for a humane approach to sheltering, spay/neutering, wildlife protection, conservation of habitat, responsible pet partnering, decent treatment of farm animals, an end to animal experimentation, and many other vital issues.

In the new Millennium, manufacturing companies will have to become “world class” to survive. Customers will demand the highest quality at the lowest possible cost and insist on deliveries that suit their schedules. High quality levels, exceeding 99 percent and approaching Six Sigma and reduced cycle times through flow manufacturing techniques will be a must in this new manufacturing environment.