A Girl with a Bad Reputation by Dave Gioia

The author of "A Girl with a Bad Reputation" specializes in character- driven stories that explore the complexities of life and relationships. While his novels feature characters of all ages, he finds young characters to be particularly fertile ground creatively, as they navigate the challenges of young adulthood. These stories allow readers to witness the characters' quest for understanding, as they question the unexpected events that shape their lives and the lives of others. Having grown up an Army brat, moving every two or three years with his family as his father's assignments changed, the author developed a knack for quickly making new friends. This upbringing instilled in him a deep curiosity about human nature and a genuine interest in people from various societies and cultures. Through his extensive travels, he has met countless individuals whose stories, along with his own life experiences, inspire the narratives in his novels. The author hopes that readers will enjoy his books as much as he enjoyed writing them and encourages them to review and recommend his work. For more information, please visit DaveGioia.com.

In "A Girl with a Bad Reputation," we follow the story of fourteen-year-old Colleen Hanrahan. Despite her bad reputation, Colleen is a smart and proud young woman who navigates her relationships with boys on her own terms. She believes that as long as her father, a successful yet controlling criminal defense attorney, remains unaware of her promiscuous behavior, it doesn't matter what others think of her.

Colleen finds solace in her mother, a family law attorney who shares a secret with her daughter. Together, they support each other, providing a defense against Colleen's father and the judgment of others. Born and raised in Newburgh, NY, Colleen takes pride in her hometown's historical significance. However, she becomes concerned about the racial tensions arising from the arrival of poor Black residents from the South, leading to "White flight" and the deterioration of downtown.

As Colleen witnesses the racism within her own community, she begins to identify with the Civil Rights Movement. Inspired by the fight for equality, she contemplates a future as a lawyer or even a politician, dedicated to advocating for the civil rights of all oppressed individuals. Set in the mid to late 1960s, Colleen's story unfolds against the backdrop of a pivotal and turbulent time in American history. The events of the decade profoundly impact her, as she encounters significant people who shape her journey into young adulthood.

For more information visit davegioia.com.

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CyberKnight and the Hand Puppet Commandos: Origin Story by Robert J. Gold

CyberKnight and the Hand Puppet Commandos is the " Origin Story " in a series of novels that reveal the epic adventures of Dr. Daryl Daxler (known as "Dax"). From childhood puppeteer to achieving her status as a “Triple Doc” (Ph.D.'s in Astrophysics, Electronic and Parapsychology) and SETI Scientist where she makes a discovery of historic importance, Dax is thrust into the quest of a lifetime. Her development of her life-long dream to build her synthetic telepathy invention, known as the ReAmplifier, ends with results that are not what she expected. When the device links her into the “ Great Mind Wave ” and downloads the “ World Protector Kit ” (WPK) into her mind, it is only the beginning of a journey that will transform her life from purely scientific pursuits to being Earth's “ CyberKnight ”, the reluctant – at first, leader of a powerful group of miniature super heroes, the Hand Puppet Commandos - the likes of which the planet has never seen before. The...

DOUBLE CROSSED AND UNRAVELED by Kelsey Carlee

This memoir recounts the relationships that a young Kelsey experienced, such as how her whole world got turned upside down when she met Howie. It touches on her complicated relationship with her mother, and how the love she developed for Cole nearly cost her life. The plot makes a full circle from when the author was younger to the adult version of herself, as she grieved the loss of her mother and had to look back at the past to be able to call things what they really were. This book chronicles the author's unraveling through poetry, letters, and recollection as an outlet to heal her past traumas. Double Crossed and Unraveled is for every survivor of neglect and abuse. It touches on domestic violence, PTSD, sexual assault, complicated grief, addiction, and recovery. It’s easy to get lost in this "riveting" story that's difficult to set down once you begin reading. https://a.co/d/aBAoWDU

The Ishtar Cup | Murray Lee Eiland Jr.

Bart Northcote vigorously defies stereotypes. He is a Los Angeles private detective who also writes books that are loosely disguised as fiction. He has a keen sense of making money from every job, and has a voracious appetite for art. Here he is involved in tracking down the whereabouts of a fabulous antiquity, called the Ishtar Cup, which has been smuggled out of Iraq after the Gulf War. The problem is that his client, who refuses to giver her real name, wants Bart to follow one of her co-conspirators to make sure they know that they are being watched. Bart suspects he is being played, but he has no idea why. www.amazon.com/Ishtar-Cup-Bart-Northcote/dp/1517362288

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