Author Gerald Kramer completes a back-to-back mystery fiction with the release of “The Dean’s List” just six months after his debut novel “Vanderbilt Reef”

On the third quarter of 2012, author Gerald Kramer published “Vanderbilt Reef,” a mystery novel that commemorates the sunken SS Princess Sophia’s maiden voyage. Not one to rest on his laurels, only six months after his successful debut novel, Kramer comes back with yet another mystery fiction that demonstrates that anyone can be put in jeopardy in a supposedly safe environment. Set in 1993, on the campus of a small university in a small town in the Midwest, his newly published book is titled The Dean’s List.

“I started this novel more than twenty years ago, because I found the university environment to be underutilized in mystery novels,” states Kramer. “All campuses are filled with characters who would easily fit into the genre. The story should appeal to readers who like the major characters to be more complex than cardboard figures who are pawns in keeping the plot moving.”

Two campus murders in less than a week shake a small university to its core. The deaths of the Dean of Business and Technology and a student leader have life-changing consequences for Roger Holt, a middle-aged professor who is pressured by top administration into assuming the duties and responsibilities of his late supervisor and to serve as the Interim Dean. Reluctantly, Holt complies because of his loyalty to Great Plains University.

Chet Evans, a detective on the police force, needs Holt’s knowledge of the campus and higher education in general to help solve the cases. Unfortunately for Holt, Evans is not alone in realizing that Roger may be an integral part of the solutions. Amid all this intrigue is the promising romantic relationship between Roger and an unexpected partner. Events spiral out of control until Roger is about to become the third victim.

Fast-paced and crime-centered while providing a realistic view of campus life, The Dean’s List is a book that sheds light on the attempted dominance of campus operations by external forces. The events and atmosphere described in the novel are an accurate reflection of Kramer’s 30 years of experience and the perceptions of many other experienced faculty members.

“A university setting could be threatened by greed and corruption and even violent actions. Optimism is vital for individuals and organizations to survive,” adds Kramer.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author

Gerald Kramer is a retired college professor who also has worked as a human resource administrator, census-taker, clothing salesperson, and factory worker. He is an avid reader of mystery novels and lists Tony Hillerman, Ross MacDonald, and Michael McGarrity as favorite authors. Western and film noir movies from the 1930s and ‘40s are also popular with him. Vanderbilt Reef: Finding Daniel is his first novel and reflects his admiration of Alaska. He may be reached through his email address, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or through his Facebook page.

The Dean’s List * by Gerald Kramer

Publication Date: February 28, 2013

Trade Paperback; $15.99; 154 pages; 978-1-4836-0263-9

Trade Hardback; $22.99; 154 pages; 978-1-4836-0264-6

eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-0265-3

Need is the mother of invention, which is why Jeff Rivera decided to create a line of children’s books that emphasis diversity.

“I’m the uncle of 12 nieces and nephews who live everywhere from Costa Rica to Australia to all over the United States, which is no longer the only melting pot in the world,” says Rivera, author of “Um…Mommy, I Flushed My Brother Down the Toilet” and “My Two Uncles & Me,” (www.jeffrivera.com), which have been endorsed by comic book icon Stan Lee and legendary best-selling novelist Jackie Collins. “There are just not enough books for little kids that represent families with diverse backgrounds, like mine, so I decided to create them.”

There are still segments of society that do not embrace differences of race, culture, religion and sexuality, which is why it’s all the more important for children of different backgrounds to feel included, he says.

Rivera reviews a few reasons why major publishers should consider children’s books for diverse families:

• Something probably makes you unusual, too: “Some of us had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia or emotional traumas. Some of us came from blended families, mixed-race families, or were adopted. Some of us had gay and lesbian family members, some of us were on food stamps and welfare growing up, or were homeless, like I was. There are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and atheists. Not everyone can be pegged into a nice square box, and our kids shouldn’t be,” says Rivera, a media personality featured in a variety of outlets.

• Together, ‘minorities’ become the majority: In the U.S., one out of five people has a learning difference; one in two children born are a minority ethnicity; and more than 14 million children have gay or lesbian parents. “When you add it all up, that’s easily the majority of people in our country,” he says. “It just does not make good business sense to ignore so many of us.”

• Overlooked entrepreneurs: American history is rife with examples of overlooked business opportunities. Just a few decades ago there was an emerging subculture created by inner-city youth. The most prominent feature? Hip hop, or rap music. For several years record company executives dismissed the budding genre, and all the while an under-the-radar entrepreneur named Russell Simmons helped present the new music to mainstream America and the rest of the world. As of April 2011, he had a $340 million net worth.

About Jeff Rivera

Jeff Rivera is a bestselling author, journalist and inspirational media personality whose work has been mentioned on TMZ, WABC, WNBC, WCBS, NPR and many other outlets. He is a full-time author whose humble beginnings living in poverty on welfare and food stamps as the child of a single mother, to his days living in his car and final success in media have inspired many.

Meet the new Davenport Public Library Director, Mr. KennethWayne Thompson, on Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 4 - 6:30 p.m. at the Fairmount Branch Library (3000 N. Fairmount Street).  This reception is open to the general public and gives residents a chance to meet the newest leader in the Quad Cities.  Please join the staff, library board, and FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library in welcoming Mr. KennethWayne Thompson to our community!  Light refreshments will be served.  KennethWayne starts as library director on Monday, April 8.

For more information contact Steve Hart, PR & Marketing Coordinator at (563) 328-6833.