Quiet Before the Storm

In The Quiet Before the Storm, witness the aftermath of nature’s fury and the resilience of the human spirit. This powerful visual and emotional journey explores the catastrophic aftermaths of hurricanes Ike and Michael, the devastating tornadoes in Garland, Texas (2016), Dallas, Texas (2019), and Mayfield, Kentucky (2021), and the record-breaking flash flood in Wimberley, Texas (2015).

As an Austin firefighter and Texas Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, I’ve captured the wreckage, miracles, and profound moments of despair and hope through my camera lens. This book is more than just photographs; it reflects on the interconnectedness of our lives and the forces of nature that shape them.

Each photograph, short story, and poem testifies to the enduring impact these events have had on me and the communities I serve. Amidst the devastation, there is beauty and resilience in the faces of those who rebuild their lives and the moments of kindness that emerge in the darkest times.

As you turn these pages, ponder the questions at the heart of our changing world. Is the increasing frequency and intensity of these disasters a result of global warming, human intervention, weather weapons, or ‘Acts of God’? While I may not have all the answers, I hope to spark conversations and inspire action to understand, prepare for, and mitigate the impact of the next rounds of storms.

Join me on this journey and find strength in the quiet before the storm, as we brace ourselves for the storms of weather and the chaos we face in our government.

Ra Finds a Kingdom

This story takes place in the year 3,500 B.C. in Africa’s Nile River valley. Princess Akilah rescues a lion cub she names Ra from the river. Ra was floating down the river tangled in a branch. He lives with Princess Akilah until he matures. Ra is courageous and noble. One day, he sets out to find a home in the wild.God has a heavenly kingdom for you.

Radical Resilience

In this incredible world of diversity, there is a darkness that blinds us from recognizing the beauty and value of all humanity. We are held hostage by our misconceptions, prejudices and fears.

How do we break free?

There is hope in the darkness. Beacons of light shine amongst us revealing the goodness of mankind. These courageous ones are moved by the people before them. They see into the human heart and respond with compassion. They understand their responsibility to partner for justice, creating a Radical Resilience that causes people to rise above their circumstances to thrive.

May the power of partnership create a Radical Resilience that changes the world.

Ralph the Star Elf

Ralph the Star Elf adds a memorable new character to Christmas lore. The story begins when the delivery stork becomes disoriented in flight and drops off Ralph at the wrong Pole. Will he reach the right Pole in time to help Santa save Christmas for children everywhere?

Rearview

Rearview unfurls a tapestry of America’s transformative canvas during the evocative epochs of the sixties and early seventies. Amidst the burgeoning tides of a new era, the nation navigates through the growing pains that intricately intertwine with the hopes, ideals, and lives of a generation predestined to redefine society’s blueprint.

As the pages turn, readers are transported through a time-lapse of evolving ideologies and lifestyles that not only mirror the nation’s metamorphosis but also herald the dawn of a reimagined social landscape. Through the rearview mirror, the essence of an era that reverberated through the corridors of history comes to life, painting a vivid imagery of a time that sculpted the contours of modern-day America.

ReAssigned

With a biological weapon poised to be sold to the most dangerous international terrorists, Dr. Savannah Dawson embarks on another critical assignment, this time in a city known for its extravagance: Singapore.

Alongside her trusted friend and fellow operative Lacey, Savannah faces multiple challenges including a natural disaster, the whirlwind arrival of her crew of besties, and her demanding work caring for patients at their most vulnerable moments. Each of these elements threaten to derail their mission.

Despite these trials, Savannah edges closer to the crucial information the CIA needs to stop a plot that threatens global security. Moreover, the relentless demands of espionage test her ability to keep her work hidden while maintaining her integrity as a physician. 

But above all, Savannah must stay focused on capturing a wealthy and powerful adversary willing to drag the entire world into chaos and destruction.

Reconsidering Medicine

This is an original book on the philosophy of medicine. It considers philosophy of medicine as a subdiscipline of philosophy of science. This volume is grounded on an epistemological bottom-up account that arises from the clinical situation, the epidemiologic, and the resulting public health account. It is not a review of the literature, and it is not intended to frame the debates, or to analyze and compare the various number of viewpoints.

Medicine is the human activity, which begins by a linguistic act that identifies the negative norms of health: it begins with a first distinction that splits biological processes into three conventional parts, normal, abnormal and pathologic. Neither of them is a natural kind. Being abnormal is intrinsically bad and admits of degrees, while being pathologic is dichotomous. Being normal is factitious and counterfactual much the same as frictionless planes in physics. Leaving apart the ethical aspects, this book endeavors to uncover the implicit conceptual network, the chief junctures of medicine, should they be found, and their articulations with clinical and community medicine. It results that medicine is pervaded with dichotomous concepts such as scientific vs pragmatic discourse, function and malfunction, abnormal and pathologic, needs and wants, causation and explanation, clinical vs community-oriented care, physical vs psychiatric diseases, mental illness vs deviancy, and so on. Medical thinking has two dimensions intrinsically interweaved, namely a constant amalgam and admixture of biological and normative aspects, so that this essential hybrid nature of the grammar of medicine endorses opposite approaches, naturalistic or normativist, biological or value-laden, realist or instrumental, reductionist or holistic, phenomenological or analytic.

Redemption

Everett’s impossible choice sets off a chain reaction that alters everything. She has unwittingly provoked malevolent forces intent on exploiting human frailties, launching a bold assault on her family, her future, and the fate of humanity itself.

Sandra Steele cannot accept that her daughter has succumbed to a retributive protocol. Her suspicions are confirmed when she uncovers Everett’s link to Jacob Domanso and confronts his parents. Maureen Domanso, a top aide to Dr. Draeger – the notorious leader of the new administration – claims Everett’s death was due to the virus, just as her own son’s disappearance remains a mystery. Maureen is certain Draeger is behind it all, but how and why? United by the mysterious losses of their children, Sandra and Maureen join forces to take Draeger down.

In a frantic race against time, Everett saves Jake’s life, only to realize her return to the beginning is permanent. She grapples with the fallout of her decision as a volcanic eruption decimates the garden. From one crisis to another, it becomes clear that these events are far from natural, pushing them to the limits of their endurance.

The pair receives a glimmer of hope when Everett is sent back to rescue Pedro Ramon from Dr. Draeger’s clutches. Together, the three stand against the beast threatening to obliterate the beginning, while their families struggle to keep the Biodome intact under Draeger’s oppressive regime.

The power of love and hope are put to the ultimate test in this monumental clash between good and evil.

Reflections Before the Blessed Sacrament

Kneeling before Jesus in the tabernacle or being exposed on the altar is a magnificent gift of God. Aware of our sinfulness and the need to draw ever closer to Jesus, who did so much for us, we hope to show Him during these few minutes of prayer how much we love Him. However, being human, and despite our intent to focus on Him and nothing else, we often find our minds wandering or distracted only to suddenly realize we forgot where we were and what we wanted to do.

One way of trying to maintain our attention solely on Jesus is to use a reflection prepared ahead of time in a devotional book. In this humble book you will find a series of reflections, homilies given by the author over the years, to help you to offer yourself more fully every day, and especially when you are in Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.

Refrigerator Door

Refrigerator Door!

How one household item became the epicenter for cherished memories.

The refrigerator door – that communal billboard found in every home. Covered in photos, mementos, report cards, and takeout menus, this humble appliance takes on far greater meaning. It becomes a tapestry of everything important to a family.

In Refrigerator Door, author and father Thom reminisces on the refrigerator door of his childhood. This mosaic of fading photos and fridge magnets shaped his upbringing and brought his family together. Now Thom passes along the tradition to his own children, reminding them that even an ordinary door can be transformed into something extraordinary with the memories we choose to display.

Join Thom on this heartwarming journey that reveals how a refrigerator door quietly yet profoundly chronicles the story of a family. More than just a surface for sticking homework assignments and takeout menus, it is a celebration of all that gives our fast-paced lives meaning.

Reluctant Hero

After settling into a quiet life in Northern California, the protagonist’s past from his college days in Washington, DC, catches up with him in a lethal confrontation. This violent encounter propels him on a surreal journey through the thresholds of the afterlife: heaven, purgatory, and hell.

During these celestial visits, gatekeepers evaluate the protagonist’s life, sparking debates about his worthiness for each realm. Through these conversations, the protagonist not only defends his past actions but also lays out a blueprint for young American males navigating life’s trials, from sports and romance to dealings with law enforcement and face-offs with adversaries.

He shares unique strategies for the under-sized athlete to thrive in contact sports and offers insights into everyday challenges, urging others to approach them with extraordinary solutions. His encounters also delve deep into the intricacies of police work, a knowledge he showcases during his discourse with hell’s sentinel.

With unwavering support from his tight-knit circle of friends, the protagonist surmounts both earthly and ethereal hurdles, exemplifying the indomitable spirit’s triumph over adversity and fear.

Retiremental!

Retiremental! is a lighthearted and heartfelt book of advice to assist you throughout the retirement realm. Retiremental! is filled with informative, entertaining, inspirational, and thought-provoking advice in easy to digest bite-sized quotes and quips conveniently organized into alphabetically arranged categories. Give yourself or a retiree you care about Retiremental!

Retiremental! will:

- Help you transition into and throughout retirement.

- Help you define and redefine your new identity as a retiree.

- Help you reduce challenges in retirement.

- Help you build a solid retirement foundation.

Retiremental! will not:

- Help you maximize your Social Security.

- Help you navigate Medicare.

- Help you select your healthcare provider.

- Help you understand your retirement financial accounts.