Books

Books and other published items

The Mongol Ascension: A Jump in Time Novel, Book Three

by Andrew Varga

Mission: Save the world. Destination: Ancient Mongolia. Seventeen-year-old Dan Renfrew leads a normal high school life full of all the usual challenges: homework, bullies, and the enigmatic world of dating. It would be enough for most teens, but Dan has a secret.
"Third book in an excellent series for middle school readers. Time jumping allows contemporary characters to interact with historical characters in a way that shows the past era as well as what remains the same in human actions and relationships. Creative plots and good use of characters."--Doug Yonce, Educator Goodreads.com
"5 Stars! Another winner from author Andrew Varga! This is the 3rd book, & the 3rd 5 star rating from me in the ‘A Jump in Time’ series and while it can be read as a standalone, I’d highly recommend reading this series in order, I’ve loved every book so far. his really is a great series and one of my absolute favorites! Highly recommend this book & this series! 100% absolutely worth it!"--Carey Hoy, Goodreads.com
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The Celtic Deception: A Jump in Time Novel, Book Two

by Andrew Varga

Every second counts in the fight to save all time. Dan Renfrew hates that he’s a time jumper—seventeen-year-olds should not be stuck with the responsibility of saving history.
"The history presented is genuinely rendered alongside the captivating fantasy and fictional elements. The storyline is replete with ancient battle action and tactics, flashes of romance, clever humor, and unexpected turns in events. Exceeding my expectations throughout, the book delivers not only fast-paced fun and adventure but engaging historical insight into a time of turmoil and change. Unreservedly recommended for readers of all ages."--Thomas J. Howley, Historical Novel Society
"This second “Jump in Time Novel” is another hit out of the park. Varga has succeeded in combining history with adventure, imagination, tension, and a bit of humor to create another journey for Dan Renfrew." --Susan Heller, Educator, Johnson Park Elementary School, California NetGalley FIVE STARS
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Rubicons: A Freaks Novel

by Brett Riley

Finding themselves. Fighting together. Growing apart. It’s junior year in Quapaw City, Arkansas. With it comes a new foe that even the Freaks cannot thwart--adulthood....
"I've been reading the Freaks Saga since the beginning and I've enjoyed each entry getting stronger and stronger. The characters themselves have grown and been done really well, and I've enjoyed the plot and going through this world. I can't wait to read more from Brett Riley as this series has made me a fan. "The next day, Kenneth and Ty went to Elvis Schott’s funeral. None of the other Freaks had come. No big surprise. Any of them would have looked and felt out of place after all those years when Marla had ignored or tormented them."--Kathryn McLeer, NetGalley FIVE STARS (09/16/2022)
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The Last Saxon King: A Jump in Time Novel, Book One

by Andrew Varga

The Last Saxon King
One Jump to Save All Time Life is just the usual homework and video games for sixteen-year-old Dan Renfrew--until he accidentally transports himself to England in the year 1066. He soon realizes that he’s trapped there, and that’s not his only astonishing discovery. Dan learns that he’s descended from a long line of time jumpers—secret heroes who travel to the past and resolve glitches in the time stream that threaten to alter subsequent history...
"For fans of alternative history/ historical fiction and time travel. As an adult who enjoys YA, this was a fun read. As a mom with a houseful of boys, this was a terrific find. It's a more grown up version of Haddix's time travel series and all around better than Harry Turtledove's Cross Time Traffic series...This book features professional level writing, good editing, strong plots, and well developed characters. It is suitable for ages 13+. I stayed up to finish this book. I can't wait to read the whole series. I will be buying these for my boys."--Kathryn Lichtenfels, NetGalley (05/13/2022) Five Stars
"The Last Saxon King is a riveting story. Although aimed at the YA genre, I have a feeling many an adult will love the premise of the story and the characters. Well researched and beautifully written, you can practically sense the sights, sounds and smells of 11th century England."--Historian Sharon Bennett Connolly is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and the author of Heroines of the Medieval World, Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest, Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England and Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey. (07/14/2022)
"This novel is a really well-constructed, strong story, with believable characters. The author gets into the minds of teenagers and the difficulties they can face at what is a very tough age in so many ways and the relationship between the two main characters is very touching."--Annie Whitehead, historian and author of Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England, Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom, To Be A Queen, Tales of the Iclingas Series, and Alvar the Kingmaker (07/11/2022)
"As a historical fiction writer and as a homeschool parent, I loved every page of The Last Saxon King. Varga presents an impeccably researched historical account of the Battle of Hastings within an adventure story that brings history to life. Modern characters swept back in time give readers a vivid, vicarious experience as they interact with historical figures and gain a broad range of perspectives. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in Varga's Jump in Time series."--Lynn Dean, creator of educational history resources for homeschool families (07/13/2022)
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Fly Fishing Houston & Southeastern Texas

by Robert H. McConnell

Bayou City: An Angler’s Paradise. The fourth-largest city in the U.S. has a secret hiding in plain sight: All that water means it’s a fabulous place for fly fishing.
"This fine guide includes everything you need to find these forgotten streams: maps and descriptions, helpful information on fly patterns, behavior characteristics of the fish, QR codes showing the best place to park, and GPS coordinates for legal access points. Everything you’ll need for an hour, an afternoon—or a full day of fly fishing fun."Ron Watters, National Outdoor Books Award (NOBA).
"This guidebook should find its way into the glove compartment of every fly fisher who wanders the woods and waters of southeast Texas. With it, they're almost certainly within reach of fishable water in some of the most surprising places."— Chris Hunt, journalist and author of "Catching Yellowstone's Wild Trout: A Fly Fishing History and Guide"
"If you fish in Houston, you definitely need this guidebook. It's the essential source on freshwater angling in Southeastern Texas, complete with handy maps, captivating photographs, and enough savvy insider tips to ensure a place in your dry bag for years to come."--Wes Ferguson, former Senior Editor for Texas Monthly (06/09/2022)
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Travelers: A Freaks Novel

by Brett Riley

Travelers by Brett Riley
Falling in love. Evading the authorities. Chasing the rabbits.
Now high school sophomores, the self-styled “Freaks” are back in class in quiet Quapaw City, Arkansas. They grapple with the ordinary challenges of everyday teen life: cliques, cars, and crushes.
"Riley goes for the gusto...twists aplenty"Kirkus Reviews
"A fun romp that fans of Stranger Things, superheroes, and Marvel and DC stories will enjoy."—Aurora Dominguez, Booklist Magazine
"In the supernatural, coming-of-age story, four friends must do the right thing or perish."—Jenna Jaureguy, Foreword Magazine
"Riley possesses a rare, writerly ability to remain in the moment once the action heats up. In this installment, the Freaks face their most dangerous enemy yet, and the menace fairly leaps off the page.”--Paul Eberly, PaulEberly.com (12/27/2021)
"A great spin on the superhero story, told with genuine depth."—Mark Waid, best-selling author of History of the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange, and Superman Birthright.
"A fun and fresh twist on the superhero story! Fast-paced, strong characters, and twists and turns make this a must read!"—Jennifer Brody/Vera Strange, author of The 13th Continuum Trilogy, Spectre Deep 6, and the Disney Chills series.
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Scarecrow Has a Gun

by Michael Paul Kozlowsky

Scarecrow Has a Gun
Never trust other people's memories, and watch out for your own Although we’ve all seen The Wizard of Oz, few of us recall that the Scarecrow is holding a gun in the haunted forest. Strange it may seem, but this sort of thing happens all the time. Something jarring—something right in front of our faces—escapes our memory altogether, no matter how many times we witnessed it. Read more...

Urban Fly Fishing Dallas–Fort Worth

by Greg DeMars

Urban Fly Fishing DFW
The urban creeks of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex are just around the corner, and full of fish. Join long-time Dallas resident and dedicated fly angler Greg DeMars as he expertly guides you through the hidden world of urban creeks in the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Read more...

A Coin for the Ferryman

by Megan Edwards

A Coin for the Ferryman
He came. He saw. She conquered.
In 1999, an elite interdisciplinary team headed by Nobel laureate Andrew Danicek gathered in California to carry out a ground-breaking time-travel experiment. While the rest of the world remained unaware, Julius Caesar was successfully transported from his last Ides of March to a specially-constructed covert facility.
"Picture a beautiful young woman racing down the freeway in a classic red Corvette with a distrustful Julius Caesar riding shotgun."--Sarah Rice, Booklist Magazine
"Fascinating characters and their often sad stories coalesce into an unforgettably wonderful tale of time travel and its consequences, thrilling one moment, tragic the next. In its diversity of settings and languages, its intelligent combination of experimental science with high culture, A Coin for the Ferryman creates a world in which Caesar emerges as a grand figure who is also a believably flesh-and-bone man, unperplexed by any adventure. Colossus though he is, Caesar cannot distract a reader from Cassandra, whose honesty and sensitivity render her a woman too strong to be hobbled even by historical inevitability."--W. Jeffrey Tatum, best-selling author of Always I Am Caesar, The Patrician Tribune, and Professor of Classics at The Victoria University of Wellington.
"Megan Edwards’ Julius Caesar takes charge of the narrative from the moment he appears. Neither the big brains of CALTECH nor the bright lights of Las Vegas intimidate him for an instant. Highly enjoyable!”–Greg Woolf, the Ronald J Mellor Professor of Ancient History at UCLA, and author of Et tu Bruté, The Life and Death of Ancient Cities, and Rome: An Empire’s Story.
“My love for Rome is eternal! You move through captivating twists of events with a plot within plot buildup. What kept me pondering even after I finished up the book was the part that was it all really fiction? What is myth – to me it’s only a fact with no evidence OR proof of the statement. But in this modern age, it doesn’t take time to gather facts and convert fiction to reality. From the days of Galileo to the present every fact was first considered either madness OR a myth. To me, this book presented that capability.”–Yamini Pandley, Goodreads.com
"In ironical concert with her detailed and daring fictions, her every account rings true. Indeed, historiographical theory informs the invented dialogues with Caesar as conqueror and writer of commentaries, of which the very Latin name avers, “made up.” –John Van Sickle, Professor of Classics & of Comparative Literature, City University of New York, Guggenheim fellow, and author of Virgil’s Book of Bucolics, the Ten Eclogues Translated into English Verse and The Design of Virgil’s Bucolics
“This is the best book I’ve read ALL YEAR. It was SO GOOD. I swear to god I haven’t read a book this good in so long I actually cried when I finished it. I’m not at all exaggerating. This is a new favorite book of all time for me. Whether or not you were considering reading this book, just do it. It is so enjoyable and interesting and intriguing from the very start.” Read more...

Freaks

by Brett Riley

Freaks by Brett Riley
Hunted by monsters. Wanted for questioning. Late for class.
Four high-school friends suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town.
"A great spin on the superhero story, told with genuine depth."—Mark Waid, best-selling author of History of the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange, and Superman Birthright. (07/12/21)
"A fun and fresh twist on the superhero story! Fast-paced, strong characters, and twists and turns make this a must read!"—Jennifer Brody/Vera Strange, author of The 13th Continuum Trilogy, Spectre Deep 6, and the Disney Chills series. (07/10/21)
"With Freaks, Brett Riley has accomplished something very few YA authors have: freakishly good writing, freakishly relatable characters, freakishly awesome premise -- all making for a freakishly great read."—M. P. Kozlowsky, author of Frost and Rose Coffin (05/04/21)
"Freaks begins at top speed and never lets up until the final page. Like some fascinating blend of Stranger Things and X-Men, Brett Riley’s novel explores what power means and how it is best wielded, making the book both timely and timeless. A fantastic read!"—Kevin Waltman, author of Nowhere Fast, Learning the Game, and Next (06/24/21)
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