The Friedmans and Gottliebs were ordinary people living extraordinary lives. Perservering through periods of war, persecution, personal tragedy and economic crisis, they always clung to the core values that marked them as the brave and decent family they are.

With this memoir they remember those who came before them, and honor them for passing down the beliefs that made them a family to be proud of. They passed down stories, too --and by putting these intimate fragments, favorites of the clan, into print, they hope to preserve family lore and inspire newer generations to do the same.

In an effort to identify the family members in a loose collection of old photographs, the memories -- humorous, poignant and sometimes heartbreaking -- intruded, revealing a compelling drama of two American Jewish families.

The Friedmans and Gottliebs were ordinary people living extraordinary lives. Perservering through periods of war, persecution, personal tragedy and economic crisis, they always clung to the core values that marked them as the brave and decent family they are.

With this memoir they remember those who came before them, and honor them for passing down the beliefs that made them a family to be proud of. They passed down stories, too --and by putting these intimate fragments, favorites of the clan, into print, they hope to preserve family lore and inspire newer generations to do the same.

In an effort to identify the family members in a loose collection of old photographs, the memories -- humorous, poignant and sometimes heartbreaking -- intruded, revealing a compelling drama of two American Jewish families.

When author Bianca Lyons-Brown was born to a drugaddicted mother in January of 1990, the four-pound baby experienced a plethora of health issues. She would be confined to a wheelchair, and doctors believed she would neither speak nor hear. In I Know I’ve Been Changed, Bianca shares her life story and narrates how, through God’s help, she has overcome a host of challenges to become a strong and talented black woman.

In this memoir, Bianca tells how her adoptive parents and her faith in God have helped her lead a productive life, including earning medals and traveling through her participation in the National Olympics. Now a mother and a college student, she shows how she persevered during the last twenty-three years—and how she intents to continue to grow and learn.

I Know I’ve Been Changed shares a message of inspiration— it is possible to achieve great things while living with a disability and major medical issues through a strong faith and reliance on God.

Through the lens of her hair struggles, Lynn Gauthier takes us on her life’s journey: hair salons, hairstylists (some she'd rather forget), and unforgettable hair stories. Gauthier’s experiences not only shaped her hair but also brought her astounding insight into the nature of her personal struggle with vanity and the search for perfection. She begins her story with excerpts from her daily journal that led to her epiphany that she had self-image issues, marking the beginning of her recovery from the vanity that had strangled her for years. She recalls seasons of hair changes and relates them to the pathways of an evolving spiritual life, from her early school days through two marriages and finally motherhood. Most every woman alive has a hair story and will relate to Gauthier’s stories about hair and our emotional attachment to it.

While growing up in a world where parents were like Ozzie and Harriet, Dee Dee Hixson was the good girl—the one who avoided trouble. Yet somehow along the way, she became convinced that she was not good enough. As the idealistic and innocent Dee Dee continued on the path of every young girl at the time, she had no idea that everything would change the moment she surrendered to love and lust.

Being pregnant at seventeen was never in her plan. As Dee Dee narrates the story of her poignant and enlightening journey through life’s greatest challenges, she shares the emotions that surround giving up her infant son for adoption, the miracle of life and death, and, finally, the life-altering reconciliation with her son thirty-eight years after he was conceived. Through it all, Dee Dee realizes that although her life is nothing like her idealistic dreams as a teenager, it has still shown her the power of love and its ability to overshadow even the most unimaginable sorrows.

Full Circle shares one woman’s incredible story of love and loss and how she ultimately found the courage to stand strong, cherish every moment, and experience the wonder of each day.

While growing up in a world where parents were like Ozzie and Harriet, Dee Dee Hixson was the good girl—the one who avoided trouble. Yet somehow along the way, she became convinced that she was not good enough. As the idealistic and innocent Dee Dee continued on the path of every young girl at the time, she had no idea that everything would change the moment she surrendered to love and lust.

Being pregnant at seventeen was never in her plan. As Dee Dee narrates the story of her poignant and enlightening journey through life’s greatest challenges, she shares the emotions that surround giving up her infant son for adoption, the miracle of life and death, and, finally, the life-altering reconciliation with her son thirty-eight years after he was conceived. Through it all, Dee Dee realizes that although her life is nothing like her idealistic dreams as a teenager, it has still shown her the power of love and its ability to overshadow even the most unimaginable sorrows.

Full Circle shares one woman’s incredible story of love and loss and how she ultimately found the courage to stand strong, cherish every moment, and experience the wonder of each day.

This memoir tells the brutally honest story of how author Sarah Ann Murphy learned to overcome serious depression and a failure-to-thrive childhood. She begins with her birth and traces her childhood with an Irish, alcoholic mother who abandoned her emotionally. As a child, her existence was barely tolerated by her Old Mother; birthdays were not acknowledged or celebrated at all. As she recounts the ups and downs—mostly downs—of her growing up years, she comes to the realization that the best times were with her animals.

She learned to thrive because her animals taught her that she was lovable and gave her a different perspective on life. This in turn gave her that spark that set her on the path to developing a strong backbone and a moral core—strengths she would need later with her abusive husband, who treated her much the same as her mother had. As she began to grow into her own person—someone who could love and be loved—she took the steps with her analyst to overcome serious depression and a failure-to-thrive childhood.

Journey into the mind of a boy struggling to become a man in a world full of chaos and confusion. Searching outside of himself for a peace that can only be found within. Experience the action and excitement of a man out of control. As his world crumbles around him, witness a spiritual awakening as the “boy” comes of age and begins to recover from the ravages of trauma and addicti on. Full of action, adventure, romance and drama, “Miles to Go” captivates from beginning to end.

The US Marines fighting in Korea between 1950 and 1953 were often outflanked and almost always outnumbered—but they were never outwitted. The marines of Dog Company, Second Battalion, Seventh Regiment (D-2-7) and their comrades learned quickly how to fight the erratic enemy’s unfamiliar tactics and strategies and the harsh weather conditions in which they operated.

Author Frederick P. Frankville, who fought up and down Korea with D-2-7 for nine months in 1950 and 1951, narrates in detail how the regiment succeeded in its mission and helped create a free South Korea. As he demonstrates, the “Dogs” adopted new tactics as they fought to accomplish what marines in every war are trained to do: inflict more pain and suffering on the enemy than they receive in return.

In this gripping, graphic, heartbreaking, and sometimes humorous memoir, Frankville shares his experiences and those of his fellow marines in wartime conditions and, more importantly, explores the true meaning of the Marine Corps’ motto, Semper Fi—always faithful.

The US Marines fighting in Korea between 1950 and 1953 were often outflanked and almost always outnumbered—but they were never outwitted. The marines of Dog Company, Second Battalion, Seventh Regiment (D-2-7) and their comrades learned quickly how to fight the erratic enemy’s unfamiliar tactics and strategies and the harsh weather conditions in which they operated.

Author Frederick P. Frankville, who fought up and down Korea with D-2-7 for nine months in 1950 and 1951, narrates in detail how the regiment succeeded in its mission and helped create a free South Korea. As he demonstrates, the “Dogs” adopted new tactics as they fought to accomplish what marines in every war are trained to do: inflict more pain and suffering on the enemy than they receive in return.

In this gripping, graphic, heartbreaking, and sometimes humorous memoir, Frankville shares his experiences and those of his fellow marines in wartime conditions and, more importantly, explores the true meaning of the Marine Corps’ motto, Semper Fi—always faithful.

Fifty-nine-year-old Robert LaPlante gave up cigarettes in his twenties, was never overweight, practiced good health habits, and had run marathons and many other foot races. He lived his life in a way he believed would ward off terrible things like cancer. But in November 2008, LaPlante received the devastating diagnosis of signet ring cell adenocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that begins in the appendix.

In Cancer No Chemo, LaPlante documents his three-year battle with cancer—from the initial diagnosis, to surgery to remove ten inches of colon and twenty-two lymph nodes, to winning the fight. Through journal entries, he shares his innermost thoughts during his treatment and recovery, including the fearful decision to forgo chemotherapy in favor of holistic healing methods that are gaining a place in the battle against cancer.

In this memoir, he shares how he believes a positive attitude is the most important tool that inspires positive action. Cancer No Chemo provides an inspiring look at how one man battled a foreboding cancer diagnosis and won.

Fifty-nine-year-old Robert LaPlante gave up cigarettes in his twenties, was never overweight, practiced good health habits, and had run marathons and many other foot races. He lived his life in a way he believed would ward off terrible things like cancer. But in November 2008, LaPlante received the devastating diagnosis of signet ring cell adenocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that begins in the appendix.

In Cancer No Chemo, LaPlante documents his three-year battle with cancer—from the initial diagnosis, to surgery to remove ten inches of colon and twenty-two lymph nodes, to winning the fight. Through journal entries, he shares his innermost thoughts during his treatment and recovery, including the fearful decision to forgo chemotherapy in favor of holistic healing methods that are gaining a place in the battle against cancer.

In this memoir, he shares how he believes a positive attitude is the most important tool that inspires positive action. Cancer No Chemo provides an inspiring look at how one man battled a foreboding cancer diagnosis and won.

On June 9, 2009, Carol M. Maloney, a veteran teacher, experienced a transient ischemic attack in the left hemisphere of her brain. She helplessly observed her mind deteriorate to the point where she could not speak, walk, read, identify household objects, or recall her family. Maloney traveled between the worlds of the surreal and the logical. The stroke resulted in aphasia, the loss of communication and other functions of her left hemisphere.

After eighteen months of rehabilitation, she was finally able to communicate with others by using her hand as a metronome. The frustration of having the words and sentences formed in her mind but being unable to share them caused frustration and depression. Her verbal abilities suffered, along with her reading and comprehension skills. Even so, hard work, strong will, and persistence has allowed her to reach out to other teachers to offer new insight into the minds of her beloved special-education and reading-disabled students.

In this, her story, Maloney turns her experience into a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of her students’ difficulties and to share that knowledge with other teachers.

“Ms. Carol Maloney has written a compelling story that chronicles her amazing life before, during, and after her devastating stroke. She writes with frankness that touches one’s heart. Her story will lend encouragement to those who have suffered a stroke as well as offer strategies to those who have a loved one recovering from one. Carol Maloney developed aphasia after her stroke. I am happy to say that she has survived and conquered both the devastation of her stroke and her aphasia. I know this first hand: she conducts amazing PowerPoint presentations to my graduate class at Rivier University each semester. She is an inspiration to all who want to improve themselves. In this book, Carol clearly describes the strategies that she used to help her become the functioning writer and speaker that she is today.”

J. Diane Connell, Ed.D.

On June 9, 2009, Carol M. Maloney, a veteran teacher, experienced a transient ischemic attack in the left hemisphere of her brain. She helplessly observed her mind deteriorate to the point where she could not speak, walk, read, identify household objects, or recall her family. Maloney traveled between the worlds of the surreal and the logical. The stroke resulted in aphasia, the loss of communication and other functions of her left hemisphere.

After eighteen months of rehabilitation, she was finally able to communicate with others by using her hand as a metronome. The frustration of having the words and sentences formed in her mind but being unable to share them caused frustration and depression. Her verbal abilities suffered, along with her reading and comprehension skills. Even so, hard work, strong will, and persistence has allowed her to reach out to other teachers to offer new insight into the minds of her beloved special-education and reading-disabled students.

In this, her story, Maloney turns her experience into a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of her students’ difficulties and to share that knowledge with other teachers.

“Ms. Carol Maloney has written a compelling story that chronicles her amazing life before, during, and after her devastating stroke. She writes with frankness that touches one’s heart. Her story will lend encouragement to those who have suffered a stroke as well as offer strategies to those who have a loved one recovering from one. Carol Maloney developed aphasia after her stroke. I am happy to say that she has survived and conquered both the devastation of her stroke and her aphasia. I know this first hand: she conducts amazing PowerPoint presentations to my graduate class at Rivier University each semester. She is an inspiration to all who want to improve themselves. In this book, Carol clearly describes the strategies that she used to help her become the functioning writer and speaker that she is today.”

J. Diane Connell, Ed.D.

Road Trippin is a peek behind the curtain of a comedian on the road, making strangers laugh while trying to deal with his demons…female fans. In this book, Jeff Hodge, a veteran stand-up comic, talks about his road experiences; events that “civilians” could never truly imagine. However, as Jeff takes his readers on this journey of fun and laughter, one begins to wonder; do the highs outweigh the lows? Does the fun top the danger? And what does it all mean when the stage lights are turned off and the next city waits?

Road Trippin examines and answers these questions as we track Jeff from his middle class, Caribbean Island upbringing to America where his dreams of performing were realized along with the adulation of female fans everywhere. But all the girls in the world can’t seem to fill the loneliness he carries with him, moving from town to town bringing the life to the party, but secretly wishing for that one special lady that he can truly call his own.