A cross country bicycle trip mired, bolstered by life reflections

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. - The autobiography of Thomas A. Reis, "Headwinds: The Dead Reckoning of the Heart" (published by AuthorHouse) is a story of perseverance and overcoming, a journey into meaning and hope.

In 1981, at 22 years old, Reis embarked on a solo, 58-day bicycle trip from Florence, Ore. to Chesapeake Bay, Va covering almost 4,000 miles. The journey within proved much greater than his trip on the bike - it became a journey of the heart and soul. Events along the way triggered flashbacks from earlier times in Reis' life, starting with his birth, when the doctor encouraged his parents to pull the plug, to overcoming his disabilities, to surviving the heart-wrenching loss of his twin boys in a unique way.

Other events occur on the trip that are flash forwards into Tom's current life as a professor and therapist as he leads students into discovering the meaning of life, love and relationships.

"People want to know about how to make relationships work, understand love better as so many are so confused by love and want to know the meaning of life," Reis writes. "This book has all of that as well and more."

The story encompasses his experiences as Reis pedals through unexpected snow storms, climbs over 11,000 foot passes, and crosses the Continental Divide. Along the way he has a near death experience as he struggles to complete his trip, hampered and emboldened by his life reflections.

This is a story of redemption and transformation. In it are lessons of inspiration, sorrow, courage, tragedy, hope and joy. It's a book that has it all: Adventure, Pain, Meaning and Love. "You can't help but become a better person by the time you get to the end of the book," Reis reflects.

 

"Headwinds: The Dead Reckoning of the Heart"

By Thomas A. Reis

Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 212 pages | ISBN 9781491819531

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 212 pages | ISBN 9781491819524

E-Book | 212 pages | ISBN 9781491819548

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

 

About the Author

Thomas Reis was born in Chicago, Ill. He has graduate degrees in social work and marriage and family therapy. He also worked as a licensed therapist for 12 years. He currently resides in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. He has taught over 5,000 students as a professor in the past 22 years. In 1981, Reis rode his bicycle across the United States, almost 4,000 miles.

Author David Alan Cohen Unveils a Hilarious Tale of Adventure, Adultery and Treachery in New Book

'If It Flies, Floats, or Flirts...turn the page' chronicles the lives of wealthy and mischievous individuals who were tempted to follow this lifestyle and ultimately face the consequences of their decision.

HILTON HEAD, S.C. - (Release Date TBD) - If It Flies, Floats, or Flirts...turn the page by David Alan Cohen is a humorous and engaging account of dysfunctional and bored wealthy males who subscribe to this lifestyle and the potential repercussions that ensue as shared by the author who has been an employee and confidant to these participants for decades.

The flies, floats and flirts lifestyle of Harp, who prefers to rent women with his famous tagline of 'how much, how long, and when do we get started' is compared to that of Herschel, a wealthy industrialist from the Great White North.  They fly their own seaplanes, are married with children and grandchildren and addicted to male erectile dysfunction medicine.

Herschel seeks women for companionship, be it for weeks, months, or years, introducing all of them as the current 'girlfriend' to his male friends much to the chagrin of his suspicious and ill wife Sadie, who knows he is doing this but can't prove it. Throughout the course of the story, Harp cuts to the chase for sex while Herschel entertains the women in his fleet of aircraft, hoping to score with the multi-mile high club in his jet and savor a victory at sea in the seaplane. His family fears for their inheritance with each new 'girlfriend' he acquires.

Cohen has worked for other wealthy males who fly their own aircraft but can only flirt with women. Acting as tough, alpha males within their own peer group, they are spineless at the thought of losing their fortunes should they ever get caught in any affair. Insanely jealous of Harp and Herschel, they lavish exorbitant sums of money on their aircraft and boats who have become their mistresses.

If It Flies, Floats, or Flirts...turn the page demonstrates that excess time and money leads to mischief and wandering minds turn to the thought of having an affair. This book is a highly interesting volume that reveals money and material possessions cannot always provide happiness and not all that glitters is gold.

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

About the Author

David Alan Cohen has observed and humorously recorded the behavioral eccentricities of his very wealthy friends and clients in private and corporate aviation since 1986. Cohen is a licensed FAA maintenance technician and inspector and rated to fly multiple corporate jet aircraft. As a nautical enthusiast, both a wooden sailboat and performance boat have been meticulously restored and enjoyed by Cohen. With regard to this title, he has not actively engaged in flirtatious behavior during this time as his clients and friends have permitted him to live vicariously through their own exploits and mishaps.

If It Flies, Floats, or Flirts...turn the page by David Alan Cohen

Publication Date: 9/20/2013

Trade Paperback; $15.99; 258 pages; 978-1-4836-2726-7

Trade Hardback; $22.99; 258 pages; 978-1-4836-2727-4

eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-2728-1

Author pens new book about life before and after an abortion

FORT MADISON, Iowa - The impact of Roe v. Wade in 1973 continues to affect public debate and personal lives. In her new book, "Spirits" (published by AuthorHouse) Paula Graham takes her teaching experience and turns it into a story of the effects of abortions on the lives of four people.

"When I was teaching middle school classes, one of the girls had an abortion," Graham explains. "She came to see me one day and told me that her mother had put her on birth control. This made me extremely sad to see the change in her life after she had the abortion."

In Burlington, Iowa, two unmarried couples, Emma and Jake and Chris and Sarah, make the decision to terminate their pregnancies. The decision changes their lives and how they deal with the ghosts of their pasts.

Graham hopes to draw attention to the after-effects of abortion and how it may impact the rest of a person's life. "Abortion is a very major topic in the national debate and raises extremely passionate emotions in everyone."

"Spirits"

By Paula Graham

Softcover | 5 x 8in | 116 pages | ISBN 9781587216947

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Paula Graham is a retired school teacher. She has four children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. An avid reader, she checks out books and magazines by the sackful from her small-town library. Graham has also published a book of poetry, "Poems Forever."

. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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Anna and Andy Hummingbird are back for more fun adventures in author Linda P. Young's latest tale

LAS VEGAS - (Release Date TBD) - Young readers, especially fans of a lovable pair of hummingbirds, have something to look forward to as author Linda P. Young brings Anna and Andy Hummingbird back in the fourth installment of her engaging series of picture books. The Adventures of Anna and Andy Hummingbird: Book 4 Stories 14,15,16,17 and 18 lets readers in the birds' fun new escapades.

In this book, The Nice Lady teaches Anna and Andy about bees and what they do. The hummingbirds also experience fear when they witness men cutting off the branches of their trees with a saw. They wonder if they are going to lose their home. The next adventures take Anna and Andy a little farther away from home and introduce them to new friends. They also get to experience for the first time, how frightening and dangerous it is to be in a storm.

Featuring vibrantly colored illustrations and a delightful plot, The Adventures of Anna and Andy Hummingbird: Book 4 Stories 14,15,16,17 and 18 will make a wonderful addition to any child's personal library. Parents can bond with their young ones as they follow the exciting adventures of Anna and Andy Hummingbird.

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

About the Author

Linda P. Young was born in Iowa City, Iowa and spent most of her life in the Midwest. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, twenty years ago, where she met her husband, Jerry. She owns a sign business and stays very busy with it. Her husband has worked in the woodworking industry most of his life. She wrote these books out of the enjoyment they would get watching the Hummingbirds on their back patio.

 

The Adventures of Anna and Andy Hummingbird * by Linda P. Young

Anna and Andy meet the Grandchildren Book 4 Stories 14,15,16,17 and 18

Publication Date: 10/24/2012

Picture Book; $21.99; 38 pages; 978-1-4797-2211-2

Picture Book Hardcover; $31.99; 38 pages; 978-1-4797-2212-9

Author Sandi Lorraine releases her new romance fiction, "Heartache VS. Heartbreak"

 

GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa - (Release Date TBD) - From the prolific novelist of The Escape, Love's Enduring Choices, and A Winter To Remember, Heartache VS. Heartbreak is Sandi Lorraine's fourth and latest addition to her treasury of romance fiction. This newly published book portrays a classic love triangle, set in the heart of Iowa, with an intriguingly fresh and unique storyline replete with surprising twists that will delight both Lorraine's avid fans and new followers alike.

 

The story revolves around the life of Sheriff Brice Hawkins. When he is called to investigate the disappearance of a seven-year-old boy, he is not prepared to come face to face with Jalynn, the mother of his ten-year-old son, Grady. She had deserted them years before, but now here she stands before him, wanting to rekindle the flame that had once been between them. As she crawls into his bed again, he realizes that he has never really gotten over her.

 

However, things are never too simple. Brice now had someone else. Mira Phillips is his best friend, favorite companion, and the woman that his son, Grady, wants for his mother. It was not going to make any difference how and where he leaps. Someone is bound to get hurt. The only question is: "Who would it be?"

 

Here is a slice from one of Heartache VS. Heartbreak's evocative scenes:

 

Brice finally reached home about midnight, so he didn't want to disturb Grady and Mira. Instead of going to bed, he just stretched out in his recliner, thankful for a break for both mind and body. However, sleep didn't come, as he thought about so many things he had tried for years to forget, as far as Jalynn was concerned. Now in just a few short hours time, they were all rushing back to haunt him. He remembered the frustration he had felt after she had left. And for years, he didn't know if he dreaded or hoped she would return, just so he could release all the anger he felt towards her. Now here she was, and he still didn't know how he wanted or should feel towards her.

 

With its distinctive plot, unexpected twists and turns, and personable characters, Heartache VS. Heartbreak is a book that is sure to engage readers from beginning to end. They will be wrapped up in a love affair, waiting to find out how a stable new life and love can withstand the fires that a rekindled old flame can bring.

 

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

About the Author

Sandi Lorraine grew up in the Midwest farming area, married her high school sweetheart, and moved to the big city where their three children were born. Later, they moved back to that same small farming area so their children could grow up in a smaller school complex. Living in two different worlds taught her not only how to accept the different aspects of people that surround her, but how necessary it is. After their children left the nest, she returned to their local community college and took night classes to learn how to write and express herself on paper. Since that time, she has written several books and short stories as a way of relaxing, including The Escape, Love's Enduring Choices, and A Winter To Remember.

 

Heartache VS. Heartbreak * by Sandi Lorraine

Publication Date: December 7, 2012

Trade Paperback; $19.99; 176 pages; 978-1-4797-3692-8

Trade Hardback; $29.99; 176 pages; 978-1-4797-3693-5

eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4797-3694-2

L.L. Miller explores changing views of sensuality and sexuality among couples.

QUINCY, Mass. - (Release Date TBD) - The Fine Line written by L. L. Miller is intended for mature and open-minded readers. The book details how couples explore their sensuality and sexuality in a manner that they never thought possible.

Within the pages of this book, readers will follow the story of Carol Robbins, who had a challenging upbringing. In later years she would be introduced to the "alternative lifestyle" by her husband, Sam, a dentist. Sam was bipolar and had devils within that affected everyone around him, most of all Carol.

Along the way, readers will travel to some fascinating places, meet unique characters and witness some astonishing scenarios.   In   The Fine Line, the reader will examine the alternative lifestyle and discover a world that perhaps they never knew existed.

The Fine Line contains stories about non traditional roles of couples. It is for the reader to decide whether this may or may not be an option for him or her to explore.

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

About the Author

Linda Matthews is a registered nurse and attorney who is a lifetime resident of Massachusetts. Her love for writing began thirty years ago when she became fascinated with poetry and began a life-long journey of writing.

The Fine Line * by L.L. Miller

Publication Date: November 5, 2012

Trade Paperback; $19.99; 318 pages; 978-1-4771-3131-2

Trade Hardback; $28.99; 318 pages; 978-1-4771-3132-9

eBook; $9.99; 978-1-4771-3133-6

Author Sandi Lorraine weaves a tale of temptation and deception that will give readers "A Winter To Remember!"

GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa - (Release Date TBD) - In A Winter To Remember!, author Sandi Lorraine tells the story of a policeman who is framed of a heinous crime. As he tries to clear his name, he discovers a sinister conspiracy responsible for his predicament, and falls for the woman charged with defending him in court.

Deputy Tyler Patterson was a faithful enforcer of the law, before a one night fling leads to false accusations of rape that destroy his reputation and place him behind bars. He struggles to prove his innocence in the courtroom, and is aided by the beautiful Noreen Carpenter, the lawyer he was referred to. As the legal battle plays out, she proves to be as skilled in the courtroom as she is attractive and enticing, and he cannot help but find himself intensely drawn to her. Meanwhile, the case becomes even more complicated when they realize that a crooked senator was the one behind Tyler's setup, and that the politician has ties with the mafia.

To exonerate himself, Tyler must pursue the senator and his criminal allies, but this is no easy feat for the discredited lawman and his legal counsel and lover. As the stakes grow higher, he becomes caught in a tangled web of sex, corruption and deceit, and must find a way out of this maze of lies before he ends up in prison.

A Winter To Remember! is at once a thrilling legal drama and a story of an insatiable romance between a stern man of action and a brilliant yet beautiful lawyer who must contend with a powerful cabal of mobsters and politicians. Lorraine's work will greatly appeal to fans of both genres and casual readers alike with its exciting tale of sex, crime and passion.

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