So much of the literature about Africa focuses on the negative and brutal; "Rainbow Academy" provides a refreshing diversion from this stereotype. It follows the day-to-day activities of the Headmaster, Gregory Blackwood, over a two-year period as he battles with the challenges of trying to operate a school with limited resources and an uncertain future. The book explores the difficulties created in Africa by the lack of legislative protection and the bureaucratic and colonial attitudes still evident in some foreign investors. The characters and situations described are sometimes bizarre, sometimes sinister but always cleverly interwoven to make a credible tale with a thread of hope running through it that the corrupt and ill-intentioned may just be defeated in the end.

"Rainbow Academy" is dedicated to all the honest, hardworking people of Uganda who are the real people that have made this country prosper so much since the tyranny of the 1970's and 1980's. The author has included his own family in this dedication; Violet, his wife and their three children, Christopher, Vincent, and Clair.

"As we were getting drinks one day, a little girl said, "Mrs. Noser, when this fountain runs out of water, can you fill it with Kool-Aid?""

It is no secret that a group of five-year-olds have the ability to provide an interesting and entertaining perspective on life. Just ask Carol Porter Noser, a veteran kindergarten teacher who for thirty years listened in on the amusing and endearing comments made by her students.

Noser considers teaching young children to be one of the best jobs in the world. After one of her students asked her one day, "Do you have a job?" and another asked her, "Do you work?" she soon realized that they all instinctively knew she loved to teach. From early on, Noser jotted down the silly, sad, and funny comments her students made, eventually compiling a collection after she retired. As she shares one witty anecdote after another, she provides a glimpse into the very active and imaginative minds of five-year-olds who never let anyone forget how smart they really are about what is important in life.

From rather open discussions about their family, to the misuse of words, to questions about God, the children profiled in Kindergarten Conversations share their innocent and honest views of the world.

Truth, as they say, is stranger than fiction. In the case of "Hometown Police Blotter," real life is by far funnier than fiction. This collection of ludicrous, ridiculous and incredulous calls made to local law enforcement couldn't be more entertaining. "We couldn't make this sh*t up, even if we tried!," says co-creator/art director Sean Michael Beyer.

But wait, there's pictures too! The best of the best have been brought to life through the demented eyes of artist David 'Star' Fields with hilarious illustrations of how the caller, alleged perpetrator and/or responding law enforcement might look.

Co-creator Andy Spurlock says, "This book is destined to win a Pulitzer for 'Best Bathroom Reading!'"

And while you're laughing your arse off... whether you're in the bathroom or not, know that a portion of proceeds from the sale of this book help support scholarships and continued funding of the arts and music in schools. Enjoy!

"ROUTE STEP - Semper Facetious" is a rollicking recollection of service related memories and the fellow Marines, friends and family that helped make them famous. ROUTE STEP marches across decades, from the recruiting office that began my Marine Corps journey, to fun-filled shipboard and shorebased adventures alike. ROUTE STEP intoduces a wonderful cast of characters that left an indelible smile in my mind and heart. It is a tongue-and-cheek tribute to my comrades, a lavishly embellished record of days gone by. ROUTE STEP introduces the likes of John Robichaux, Al Garcia, Todd Baker, Elden Zirkle, Claudia Novick, and Crystal Myslinski to name but a few. They are not famous people, not in the Hollywood sense of the term, but they are wonderful people, fun people, people that you ought to meet. Finally, ROUTE STEP marches into retirement where it pays tribute to my wife's inability to hold her liquor. It examines professional wrestling and relationships with associates. It looks at foul fowl hairdos, considers man's bestfriends, and bemoans the onslaught of my golden years. ROUTE STEP, March

Until the night of his kidnapping Scott Richards was happy with his life as a grifter. He didn't want to be a hero, he didn't want to be taken to a world in the Snickers galaxy but he didn't have a choice. His mission was to save the population of a polluted planet, controlled by computers devoted to running a virtual game designed to entertain a species of unimaginative beings trapped in stasis. He knew he wasn't a hero, but he knew how to make a buck.

What would your life be like if God lived next door? What would you talk about? What questions would you ask? In Funny Conversations with God, author Dunn Neugebauer shares his fictionalized discussions with God.

In a noncontroversial, casual, humorous style, Funny Conversations with God shares Neugebauer's feelings, philosophies, and life experiences as if he were talking directly to God. They discuss and analyze the key points in Neugebauer's life, such as his passing relationships with women, his failed marriage, his nonexistent church-going habits, and his job at the local high school against the backdrop of pop culture such as sports, authors, popular singers, and current events and important issues.

During their candid give-and-take, Neugebauer gains insights not only into the experiences of his past, but obtains a direction for his future. He also grasps a deeper understanding of the all-powerful God who loves us and wants to be with us.

WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? London, England. The year two-thousand and whatever. The far right political group the British National Front (BNF) are gaining massive popularity and are expected to make huge inroads into British mainstream in the next general election. A secret agency semi-attached to the government cannot allow this to happen. To have a right wing group anywhere near government would make Britain an international laughing stock and the British like being taken seriously. The agency gets to work. Their plan is to arrange to allow some of BNF's lowest and stupidest members to kill an innocent Black youth. It should be as bloody, violent but most importantly be as public as possible. It's not the kind of operation that they like to perform on British home soil but needs must' and all that. It shouldn't be too difficult and they don't anticipate any problems. They just need to choose a Black youth. Any youth will do. It's not personal, it's just politics. Kob Armah is the Black youth they mistakenly choose. This story is about him. Kob (for short or Benjamin Kobla Nii-Armah for long) doesn't care about British politics. He has enough Londoneze African problems of his own. He survives the attack in one piece. The same cannot be said about two of his attackers. Kob chooses to hide in Ghana to until things cool off...but that's where his enemies follow him. All of them. WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? It's the Crime Comedy story that capers from London to Accra then back to London. It's got a cool inner-city star, beautiful women, urban to tropical locations, regular bad-guys, secret bad-guys, races, car chases, white van chases, knives, guns... and Supermalt. What more could you ask for?

"Mildred's Book Store" sounded like a catchy name for my collection of book titles and authors. Mildred, to me, seemed like a good name for an entrepreneur of a small business like an independent bookstore. As in any such retail outlet, there are different categories of books to appeal to any reader. As I began organizing my collection, I was able to arrange them in eight general categories, including a catch-all "Potpourri" section. Since they are only titles and not whole books, I hope that the reader finds favorites in all eight sections. I also hope that this will spur an interest in some of these various fields that leads to purchases of books in those fields. If, by having my collection published, it both entertains and creates interest in new areas of life, I will be completely satisfied.