This story is really about a multicultural extended family’s experiences with a level of unity, values, and a genuine respect for each other. Strife and suffering was always present in their lives from day to day, all day. These experiences also show the less-than-admirable side of life perpetrated by the Caucasian’s insatiable desire to have it all, which always brought pain and suffering to the less fortunate. Big Joe Brown is the idealist in this manuscript; he’s the one who thought he was superior to the whites because he thought the African man to be the granddaddy of all human kind. He was the youngest of four siblings in the 1860s, whose mother (Willa) passed on giving birth to him. His father, Joe Brown Sr., was killed by the land-grabbing Klansmen when he was three years old, and as a consequence, he was raised by his older siblings on the four-hundred-acre spread their father left to them. The town is Dodge City and on the fast track of becoming more and more industrialized with the coming of the iron horse. This anticipated economic boom was enhanced by the state coming into statehood in 1861. This wild western novel reveals the deep rooted experiences between Africans, African slave descendants, Negroes, and theAmerican Native in their quest for a piece of the American dream. These ties with the native people referred to as Indians (when in actuality are one and the same as Africans), Chinese, Mexicans, and the grief they shared at the hands of the white man. They stood up for their beliefs, and many died as a result at the hands of a few who conspired to cause people of color problems in owning land. Let there be no mistake; the Caucasian brought a lot to the table, which was overshadowed by the greed from a few. Big Joe Brown is the one character who set the temperament for the entire story by becoming the target of bigotry and hate. He managed this by standing up to adversity and always lending a helping hand to everyone, including known critics. Joe Brown became the target of the white man’s secret society (Ku Klux Klan) due to his size, strength, and convictions. Joe would take you on, no matter what or who you were, as long as he felt right in doing so. Big Joe Brown was the proud owner of the Blacksmith Shop in town, which was a very well-respected business. Plus he owned a one-thousand-acre spread, beautiful ranch house, with slightly over two thousand five hundred head of cattle. Joe was a gentleman but alwayspoised for trouble when it showed up. This attitude caused many people to look to him for support as their big brother when in trouble.

Besieged by memories of a brutal abduction, Claire Nichols wakes in an unfamiliar bedroom, within a luxurious mansion. Her recollections have one common denominator, the man she just met, Anthony Rawlings. Unbeknownst to Claire, for a very long time, she has been within Anthony’s sights. Many of the pivotal events in her life occurred, due to his sinister manipulation. Every action has a consequence, and his actions result in their chance meeting. More than a psychological thriller, Consequences is a vivid story of one woman’s struggle to survive incomprehensible circumstances. Every aspect of her being suddenly depends upon the tall, wealthy, dark haired, dark eyed businessman. Anthony Rawlings is known to the world as prosperous, benevolent, and kind. Claire quickly learns that he can also be a menacing controlling captor. With few options but concession, Claire attempts to earn her freedom, while enduring a hellish existence that truly appears perfect. Persevering tests and trials, she struggles to retain her pure Midwest values and beliefs. Encouraged by memories of a loving upbringing, she gains strength in the simplest of joys: solitude in nature and good in the face of evil. His goal in sight, Anthony’s calculated agenda encounters an unforeseen detour. He becomes captivated by Claire’s beauty, resilience, and determination. The interaction of these two compelling characters instigates strong emotions: fear, anger, love, and lust. Claire and Anthony’s tumultuous journey flows into uncharted waters of intrigue and passion. Utilizing vivid detail, this 165,000-word novel unfolds like a movie, before the eyes of its readers. From the opening criminal abduction, through twists and turns, to the unlikely romantic thrills, the suspense climaxes as Anthony’s motivation becomes evident. Anthony and Claire must decide if they will stay true to one another, or allow preceding actions to result in justifiable Consequences.

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Some people tell stories. Some people live them. This man did both.

He charmed Air Force Generals and CEO’S of huge companies and just as often invited guys with no teeth to dinner. He loved life in spite of an atypical childhood and flew his little Piper Cub (with only a watch and a ruler for instruments) until he was 83years old. He had many incidents flying into major airports, got asked to never come back to Sea-Tac Airport, dropped rocks on our high mountain lakes to see if the ice was solid enough on which to land.

He had an amazing sense of humor and could turn any situation into a pun or story. (As you will see.)

This book is about motivating and encouraging mostly young black men to want to live a free productive successful life. It discusses and gives suggestions on how to deal with the major factors that influences our young black generation and provides a fresh simple way to empower young people to make life changing positive choices that will help them reach their greatest potential and never make another bad decision in their life.

Join the exhilarating adventure of Los Angeles in the 1970s as you enter an era where fast muscle cars, bright neon lights, and that urban street style ruled…

Steve was having the worst day of his life. He lost his job; he lost his family; and he found himself in the worst part of the city where he almost lost his life. As he wanders through neighborhoods filled with street walkers, tweakers, gangs and the homeless, lives from those very streets begin to intermingle with his own. Chris and his crew confront him. Richie rescues him. Angelica learns to love him. In the pulse of the city, other lives change. Chris wants to change, to start to give back to a community that has always been his home. In spite of a negative home and life in a hard-core school, Juan learns the true meaning of responsibility and family and allowing one’s talents to shine. There are heroes here too. Juan and Steve, from very different worlds, both save lives. Chris uses his street smarts to mentor a troubled youth. As the lives of gang members and victims, heroes and everyday people play out in a neighborhood of poverty and pride, the reader begins to understand the complexity of intertwining lives and the victory in personal bests, positive change and the ability to accept and forgive.

The Good & the Hard Times in LOS ANGELES is a true marriage of novel writing and film making. The text provides a hard-hitting, lean-and-mean look at the less glamorous streets of LOS ANGELES that manage to produce some of the finest people. The stories of Chris as he develops a sense of social responsibility, of Juan, as he matures into a hard-working, talented artist and family provider and of Steve, who discovers that the worst day of his life has brought him the most happiness he has ever known. Their stories are vibrantly told in gripping chapters where street dancing, gang confrontations, and graffiti competitions spring from the pages.
Scribendi Canada…

The Good & The Hard Times in LOS ANGELES, is a fast-paced, interesting look at the lives of very special people and how they connect. It is a good glimpse into the people and the situations that made the 70’s in LA a special time in a special place. Xlibris Indiana.

Los Angeles, CA - The Good & The Hard Times In L.A. is a compelling story of life in the inner city streets of L.A. in the 1970's.

Brooklyn, NY - Look forward to the release of The Good & The Hard Times In L.A. , a witty master piece by Jordan Farar.

Hollywood, CA - The Good & The Hard Times In L.A. is super entertainment, one of the most streetwise book of its time. Join the exhilarating adventure of Los Angeles in the 1970s as you enter an era where fast muscle cars, bright neon lights, and that urban city street style ruled...

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

“Anna-Maria 101 Breathings' of Leonard Oprea is an outstanding novel, a human condition -symphony about the American family's misery, about the American society's failure today, in the 21st Century. In order to build his masterpiece, the artist composed 101 Breathings. Leonard Oprea created the Breathing, a new, an original type of essay in the whole world literature. The Breathing is a simple yet profound meditation on human condition, a meditation ended by a haiku. But - this haiku does not finish the meditation. In fact, it RE-opens this reflection to new questions and responses on human destiny. Thus, in this so genuine and different work there are short stories, poetry and essays, all perfectly mixed. Great wit and irony, and a deep sense of morality. And, even a special kind of suspense. You read an unforgettable odyssey. Leonard Oprea is an atemporal artist. His genius is of an iconoclast novelist, poet, essayist. His works are forever. His mission, God-is-Love.”
(Theophil Magus – philosopher, novelist, poet and essayist)
***
“Leonard Oprea's dominant perspective is one of a cold objectivity, too little disposed to easy emotions, other than those hidden, profound feelings and questions. Themes are the life purpose, the ultimate springs of human actions... Intelligence, laconic sarcasm, humor, right targeting. How could we not be indebted to the author? He put his talent of storytelling to serve an exhortation which is nothing else than the health response in the presence of the morbid, the simplicity in the face of artificial, the man-loving of light against darkness and evil.”
(Nicolae Steinhardt – philosopher, essayist and author)
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“A novelist and essayist of Leonard Oprea's literary value does not need any introduction. From no one.”
(Valeriu Gherghel – philosopher , essayist, literary critic and author)
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"NOTA BENE - in this unique book, 'Anna-Maria 101 Breathings', the reader will find, not by random there positioned, a few blank pages.These un-written pages are for the reader's commentaries, drawings and, why not? the reader's breathings.Thus, the reader will become a co-author of this sui-generis novel. Enjoy."
(Leonard Oprea - the author)
***

Profoundly simplistic, The Book of Sun Chaser: Life As Eye See It, is a collection of divinely appointed life inspired wisdom, insight, and knowledge transcribed with an intention and purpose to motivate, encourage, challenge, question, inspire, illuminate, and help. As Johnathan mentions in this book, all that he has ever gone through, experienced, learned, been privy to, etc, he shares in the most genuine and sincere hope that it can help another.LoveRespectHeal

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In today’s fast-paced, results-oriented world, we often find ourselves rushing through life, seeing only the forest through the trees - the big picture. Rarely do we have time to enjoy the small details that make the forest so beautiful. The Trees Through the Forest is about the colors, patterns and textures that surround us and make the world a more interesting place. From the vibrant colors of fresh flowers to frozen ice crystals following a snowstorm, the author has found a great deal of art in nature. A kind of photographic journey through the elements, this book is a collection of artistic designs and inspiring images the author has captured along the way in hopes that you will take a moment to enjoy the trees through the forest.

What on earth is that smell? Follow the silly antics of Blitz as he tackles the “No” container and learns a valuable lesson about messing with the trash!

The Lonely Little Horse is based on the real life adoption of the author’s daughter Amanda and is written in an animal fable genre, some true names and facts and some good old fashioned storytelling!

This story is based on a true story. As I remember it. It seems like I was just there yesterday. What I like about my book, I liked how we kids did everything together. Through thick and thin we helped each other. When one got hurt we all shared the grief. When we were put in our foster home on the farm we found out what hard work was. We learned the importance of studying hard in school. That is the basics of life, what you learn is what you become. Like learning how to read. Seeing parents do the things they do. They watched their parents closely. I know my kids did. Kids learn by watching you cook, sew and canning vegetables and everything. If they do hard work kids will also be hard workers. Always set an example for them. Don’t always do things for them that they can do for themselves. Like cleaning there rooms, buying their own things that mean a lot to them. They will take better care of it. Because when we had our bikes that we ourselves paid for every time it rained we were cleaning them off. We live what we learn. We also love others more when we first learned to love each other at home. At the foster home we sure learned to work hard and care for others who had less than us. You feel happy when you give to others. The more you give and share the bigger your love grows. That’s all when there is love at home