Landing on a Star in Umbria

This is a true love story of a Dutch-Indonesian immigrant woman, married to an American man of Italian descent, and how they followed their unimaginable dream of buying a vacation home in Italy. Although many books have been written about similar experiences, this uniquely different story tells the heartwarming tale of the perils and the wonderful people they encountered during their search to find the perfect home in Morcella; a meticulously well-maintained medieval Borgo built in 975AD, in Italy’s beautiful green belt region of Umbria.

Leaving Patriarchy Behind

Can we fight, and win, against an ideology that has been established and practiced for decades? In Leaving Patriarchy Behind, Leticia recounts her father’s disappointment at the birth of each daughter: “After each birth, Papa would turn to Mama and ask, ‘Mama, es un niño?’ But, out of 18 babies, Mama only had four boys.” With some challenging years behind her, Leticia considers the culture that informed her parents’ principles, those she knew she could not accept as her own. She realized from childhood that she was not one to follow the disparate rules set for boys and girls.

In these short vignettes, Leticia Aguilar recalls her life as a child in Mexico in the 1960s and as an adult in America in the ‘70s and beyond. Looking back, she reflects on her struggles as a girl, then a young woman, and the men who told her what she could and could not do. Instead, Leticia turned away from Mexican patriarchy, even as she was criticized and warned of her shortcomings in being independent. In a small mountain community in California where Leticia raised her family, she joined a variety of local organizations where she provided young women with a career, education, and family resources. Leticia’s memoir inspires others to rise above misogyny and racism.

Letters to My Daughter

He feared escaping the daily terror of drug dealing and violence would overwhelm him, as it had so many other young men of color growing up in the housing projects. His life, and their lives, seemed destined to become more cruel statistics of the ghetto’s unforgiving reality.

Life of the Party Girl

Life of the Party Girl is a raw and inspiring debut memoir of a top wedding planner reflecting on the moments that define us as human beings, both the traumatic and fantastic.

The author and subject, Megan Estrada, isn’t your typical wedding planner. She is tattooed, assertive, stylish, and doesn’t take no for an answer. She is reflective and decisive, in bringing a fresh and unique perspective to the special events industry. Estrada is a trailblazer in the event industry and harnesses her past experiences to create momentous occasions.

Before Megan Estrada became a nationally recognized wedding and event planner, she spent forty-years navigating a life of unexpected circumstances, one that was dictated by a twisted series of trauma and celebration. From enduring a school shooting, an unsuccessful suicide attempt, and a difficult marriage, to landing a record deal, becoming a mother of two, and leading the special events industry through the Covid-19 pandemic, Life of the Party Girl follows Estrada’s journey to self-worth and self-discovery.

Life on Ice

Ever wonder what life is like on a touring ice-skating show? How many people travel with the show, how do you pack two fifty-pound suitcases with a year’s worth of clothes, shoes, and supplies? Do you pay your own hotel and transportation? Speaking of pay, what do they pay? How do you cook in a hotel room? And who is hooking up with whom? This semi autobiography is a humorous look into the world of a traveling show about how to live this type of life on the road. It is a coming-of-age story where quirky characters become family, fall into and out of bed—I mean love—go on adventures, and grow up.

Live and Be Counted

In a poignant and hopeful memoir, Alfons Sperber’s courage, strength and unwavering faith shine through as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit during one of the darkest periods in history. Alfons has rarely spoken about his harrowing experiences during World War II – until now.

When the author’s 11-year old son, Eli, is assigned an immigration project for school, his Papa reaches deep into his past to unearth long-buried memories. Alfons begins to share his personal story with his great-grandson recounting how he came to America in 1948 – a journey that started at a parade in Vienna, Austria in 1938 when he too was just 11 years old.

As they talk regularly over Zoom, Alfons’ memories resurface with increasing clarity, and the depth of his story grows with each conversation as he describes his narrow escapes from the clutches of the Nazis through Vienna, France and Switzerland. In opening up about his past, Papa expresses fear that soon there will be no survivors left to share their experiences, and that the horrors of the Holocaust and stolen childhoods may be reduced to a mere footnote in history. Live and Be Counted stands as a testament to the power of strength and courage, faith and optimism, and above all, the love of family.

Me, Myself & I Remember Decatur (and Beyond)

This fun, engaging memoir is about a clever, strong-willed, mischievous, creative gutsy gal who was always out of the box. She proclaims she never saw that silly box! She has always questioned societal norms and injustices, insisting life should make more sense. This resulted in interesting, amusing experiences with fascinating people from diverse walks of life and cultures. For seventy-seven years when the world said ‘No’ she persevered with a resounding ‘YES!’

She has retained a childlike wonder and delight for life that is bold and entertaining. She has tried to make her planet kinder, especially for the downtrodden. Difficult setbacks only made her more determined to enjoy life to the fullest with meaningful lifelong relationships. Often, she’s had to pick herself up and dust herself off! Shunning bitterness, clinging to faith, she has showed the world real love. An encourager gifted at teaching, she has quick wit and is great fun.

Men in Pink Collars

What is it like to work in a sometimes literal ‘no man’s land’?

For decades, countless books, theses, and articles have explored what happens when women bravely cross gender lines in employment, taking on roles as lawyers, firefighters, or coal miners. But what about men who venture into traditionally ‘pink collar’ jobs?

Inspired by Studs Terkel’s seminal oral history Working, Men in Pink Collars delves into the lives of men who have embraced so-called ‘women’s work.’ This fascinating collection of interviews features male nurses, social workers, librarians, flight attendants, early childhood educators, stay-at-home dads, office workers, dental hygienists, nannies, midwives, interior designers, and musicians who play stereotypically ‘feminine’ instruments. It also highlights male cheerleaders, baton twirlers, synchronized swimmers, and even two men who could only publish their romance novels under female pen names.

The book examines why these men chose their careers, how they navigate their professional spaces, and the challenges they face from stereotypes and assumptions, both on and off the job. It also explores the unique advantages and limitations their gender brings, offering a compelling look at the dynamics of gender, work, and identity.

Mind of a Mixed State

Have you or anyone you’ve known suffered through the depth of depression or mania? What about both at the same time? Mind of a Mixed State follows the thoughts and emotional tribulations of a young woman riding the waves of a severe Bipolar mixed episode with psychotic features. Take a journey through the mind of someone struggling to find their voice as they navigate the nation-wide issues that plagues many of us: mental illness.

Modern-Day Palmistry

Palmistry can tell you many things about yourself, others, and the world around you.

Discover:

• - if you will marry
• - how many kids will you have
• - what kind of person would suit you as a partner
• - your career path
• - what kind of work would give you the most satisfaction
• - how to get the most happiness and success out of your life.

All of this and more inside of Modern-Day Palmistry!

More than Just Caregivers

More than Just Caregivers shows how the interplay of early childhood champions and stakeholders makes the field stronger to secure the infinite future for the youngest members of Guyanese society. As a memoir-documentary, it captures the how and why of specialised training needed to raise the professional status of the Guyanese early childhood workforce. Key takeaways include illustrations about how successful outcomes hinge on dedication, collaboration, and willpower, and why sustainability becomes possible with public buy-in, funding, and support.

Mourning Bands On

Mourning Bands On is an accessible journey into the hypersensitive world of today’s American law enforcement. The reader is brought into the law enforcement world through an introduction to the history, function, and development of the American police model. With an understanding of policing’s role in American society, the reader is then immersed into the raucous and contentious cultural upheaval which American policing is currently experiencing.

Using well-known examples, the reader is challenged to consider how American culture is affected by critical incidents and the portrayal of those events in our media intensive world. The reader will review the cases in the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, as well as others. The cases are presented as a narrative of events supported by the findings and legal conclusions of the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Each incident is reviewed with a view of how the incident effected American society and brought change to American culture and thus policing.

The reader will experience how American policing has changed through legislative, societal, and cultural pressure resulting from the reviewed critical incidents. With an appetite for more, the reader is encouraged to further explore the relationship between societal norms and American policing.

The work concludes with a final challenge to the reader. How do we, as a society, reform American policing to move forward after this unprecedented period of cultural change? The author offers several possible reforms to enact, what can you add to the conversation?