What might a two-month visit to Australia and New Zealand be like if the traveler were not distracted and overwhelmed by the spectacular scenery? In this book Dan Pukstas, a blind professor, answers this question by providing a series of humorous and insightful perspectives about the places and people he encountered. Whether he is trying to find his way out of a strange restroom or climbing to the summit of a dormant volcano after by-pass surgery, Dan is ready with a philosophical quip or amusing observation. In the company of his wife Nancy, Dan covers a broad geographical area from Auckland to Adelaide, from Ayers Rock to Sydney, and from Cairns to Brisbane along 2000 kilometers of Queensland highway. His topics of interest are just as broad-from his observations about food, wine prices, parenting styles, public transportation, human behavior to the joys and challenges of travel for the visually impaired. Those who like witty and pointed observations served up with a modest amount of inspiration will find this book a tasty treat. Those who have healthy vision might also find that they will see things a bit more clearly after reading this book.

Originally written in 1959, this is the hilariously explosive account of Youngdahl, a novelist, playwright, ex-Mormon, and father of seven. He is a frenzied man who is beginning a letter-writing campaign to escape his curiously ironic situation, and, of course, his profession. Along with Abner Klang, his not-so-literary agent who seems to have misplaced the F key on his typewriter, Youngdahl joins forces with a Mormon bishop, a TV adapter, and a prizefighter, among others, to spearhead a comic revolution.

Being a bad guy isn’t just a way of life. It’s an art. Eddie Ballard is a hitman who loves his job. He is also inexperienced and enjoys making the kind of noise that just isn’t professional. If Eddie wasn’t so good at what he does, He could be the next one put onto a slab. Cecil Marzynski is a quiet, skinny man with eyes that have seen all there is to see in the St. Louis underworld. Cecil is also a hitman, but one that uses a vast network of contacts as his primary weapon. So many important people on both sides of the law owe him favors that some have taken to calling him Marker. Eddie enjoys fast cars, loud guns and louder music. Cecil has been circling the same woman for months, trying to find the perfect angle to approach her without tipping her off that he is wanted for murder in several states. Eddie thinks he knows how to be a tough guy. Cecil has forced some of the toughest criminals to give up everything they held dear. The figure at the top of St. Louis’s biggest organized crime syndicate is known as Pyotr The Greek. Pyotr is the only man with enough power to convince Cecil to take Eddie under his wing and teach him about what it means to be a true professional. Along the way, perhaps Eddie can show Marker a thing or two about savoring the good things in a bad life. Unfortunately for both of them, there is a new threat coming to town that might hit The Greek hard enough to topple his entire family.

“Be warned—this series is addictive. You’ll soon be hooked on the small town of Partonville and its cast of assorted characters” (BookReporter). In her late eighties, Dorothy Wetstra is still going strong—getting around in her 1976 Lincoln Continental (nicknamed “The Tank”), playing bunco with friends, and catching up on local events while sitting at the counter at Harry’s. But her beloved car seems to be ailing, and as Dorothy packs up her possessions at Crooked Creek Farm and prepares to move to Partonville, Illinois, she’s determined to find a silver lining. For example, her new home is conveniently located—perfect for her new life as a pedestrian—and she gets to decorate it any way she pleases! Plus, her new friends Katie and Josh will be relocating from Chicago to Crooked Creek Farm. As the moving process proves more arduous than expected, Dorothy realizes it may be time for her to slow down. But old habits die hard, and Dorothy’s routines will prove as hard to break as The Tank itself . . . “Fans of Jan Karon’s Mitford or Philip Gulley’s Harmony will revel in the antics of the residents of Partonville.” —Publishers Weekly

Shasha and Percy had no reason to be friends but a day saved brought them together. Now Percy's ambition brings about more trouble than either of them can handle alone. Best efforts and good intentions go miles but only as a pair can they face the troubles to come. Without magic, weapon, or common sense Percy has nothing but Chutzpah to attempt to keep Shasha by his side to save both their hides from a threat that has followed them from the first.

LOVE TORE THEM APART. WAR WILL BRING THEM TOGETHER ENGLAND, 1913 Storm clouds gather over Europe, but for Jen Edwards, the future remains bright. Betrothed to a brilliant photographer, her path to married bliss seems guaranteed until tragedy upends the safe and comfortable life they’d planned together. Now desperate to escape the wreckage of her past amidst the onset of a World War, she enlists as a volunteer in the newly-formed Royal Flying Corps, and is dispatched to France. In the skies over the Somme, many young pilots will meet a brutal end, and Jen learns not to give her heart to anyone when love comes so cheap. Anyone, that is, until her past arrives at the airfield one day, camera in hand… Combining thrilling action with a heart-wrenching love story, The Air Between Us is a breathless descent into love and loss through impossible odds, and the horrors of war.

If you liked the flavor of Top Gun, you will love this military action thriller. It has handsome Marine F/A-18 pilots, hot chicks, plenty of steamy sex, magnificent aircraft carriers, stealth jets, SEAL and Force Recon teams, stealth submarines, and lots of air-to-air combat between US F/A-18s, F-35s, F-22s, and Chinese Su-30MK2 Flankers. It is a hoot to read.