Twelve-year-old Courtney dreads the day when she will become a woman, for it is then, that she must leave Elysia, the world of light, goodness, and beauty-never to return again. Recently elected queen, Courtney knows the rules of Elysia are unyielding. Only children are allowed. Courtney's world was once normal. But after her father disappears, Courtney, desperate to escape her depression, begins entering a fantasy world every night as she sleeps. As young as she is, even Courtney knows this place cannot possibly exist; still, in this colorful world filled with delightful creatures, everyone wants to make her happy-including her new best friend and the boy of her dreams. But unfortunately, an evil civilization also exists nearby, and its king has stolen the magic crystal that provides power to the beautiful world she has come to love. Now Courtney and her friends must journey into the dangerous darkness to try to get the crystal back-before they become adults. In this fantasy tale, as Courtney and her new friends come of age, they must somehow find the strength and character inside each of them in order to save their world from destruction.

When Bob Williams, a handsome insurance broker, is elected to the Illinois state legislature as a Democrat from the Chicago suburbs, he finds a whole new world full of flawed characters clashing over ideas, policies, and money at the state capitol. He must learn the ropes and learn to play the politics within the politics. As his wife, Cindy, descends into madness and is committed to a mental institution, he is drawn to two beautiful Hispanic women legislators-Cynthia Rodriguez and Roberta Gonzales-who compete for him. Having risen from poverty, both are accomplished. One is a brilliant, compassionate, high-energy powerhouse, while the other is an enormously talented singer. But the one Williams ultimately chooses not only struggles with the conflicts in her nature, but faces Mathew Remington, a powerful billionaire who hatches a plan to destroy her and the cause so important to her and the nation. She's rebuffed Remington's advances, and he plans to get his revenge. Both humorous and tragic, "The Legislative Dance" provides a fictional inside look at the elected officials-foibles and all-charged with the task of deciding some of life's most important issues.

Courtney looked at her small, drab room and sighed. Her dolls sat in a corner along with her warrior princess outfit, sword, and shield. She spent countless hours playing with these toys, one moment giving tea to her dolls and the next fighting her friends as the warrior princess. While her real world life had become a much better place since she had visited Elysia every night, she still missed her earlier childhood when she and both her parents spent so much time together. She lived in a happy world then, one filled with family parties, trips to the movies and parks, and just time spent quietly together. Then, the anger and the darkness came. Her father and mother, suddenly lost their jobs, and the arguments started soon after. Her mom found work at another company, but her dad did not find a new job. Then one day after a long argument the police came and took her dad away. Courtney had seen him only once from afar since that terrible day. In her mind, she journeyed back to this time. Courtney, lay in her bed, waiting for sleep to come. Just a few months ago, Courtney had been able to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. When sleep finally came this night, Courtney found herself in front of an elaborate wrought-iron gate with a large sign reading "Elysia" set amid the swirling pieces of iron. The sun shone very brightly, birds sang happily, and sweet flower smells escaped from the spaces between the iron bars of the fence. The place looked very much like illustrations in her books, but instead of being pictures on a page or the more fuzzy parts of the dreams she remembered, this place seemed very real to her, as real as the life she ordinarily led. Even in her eleven-year-old mind, Courtney knew this place could not exist, but nonetheless she stood here.

Courtney looked at her small, drab room and sighed. Her dolls sat in a corner along with her warrior princess outfit, sword, and shield. She spent countless hours playing with these toys, one moment giving tea to her dolls and the next fighting her friends as the warrior princess. While her real world life had become a much better place since she had visited Elysia every night, she still missed her earlier childhood when she and both her parents spent so much time together. She lived in a happy world then, one filled with family parties, trips to the movies and parks, and just time spent quietly together. Then, the anger and the darkness came. Her father and mother, suddenly lost their jobs, and the arguments started soon after. Her mom found work at another company, but her dad did not find a new job. Then one day after a long argument the police came and took her dad away. Courtney had seen him only once from afar since that terrible day. In her mind, she journeyed back to this time. Courtney, lay in her bed, waiting for sleep to come. Just a few months ago, Courtney had been able to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. When sleep finally came this night, Courtney found herself in front of an elaborate wrought-iron gate with a large sign reading "Elysia" set amid the swirling pieces of iron. The sun shone very brightly, birds sang happily, and sweet flower smells escaped from the spaces between the iron bars of the fence. The place looked very much like illustrations in her books, but instead of being pictures on a page or the more fuzzy parts of the dreams she remembered, this place seemed very real to her, as real as the life she ordinarily led. Even in her eleven-year-old mind, Courtney knew this place could not exist, but nonetheless she stood here.

Courtney looked at her small, drab room and sighed. Her dolls sat in a corner along with her warrior princess outfit, sword, and shield. She spent countless hours playing with these toys, one moment giving tea to her dolls and the next fighting her friends as the warrior princess. While her real world life had become a much better place since she had visited Elysia every night, she still missed her earlier childhood when she and both her parents spent so much time together. She lived in a happy world then, one filled with family parties, trips to the movies and parks, and just time spent quietly together. Then, the anger and the darkness came. Her father and mother, suddenly lost their jobs, and the arguments started soon after. Her mom found work at another company, but her dad did not find a new job. Then one day after a long argument the police came and took her dad away. Courtney had seen him only once from afar since that terrible day. In her mind, she journeyed back to this time. Courtney, lay in her bed, waiting for sleep to come. Just a few months ago, Courtney had been able to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. When sleep finally came this night, Courtney found herself in front of an elaborate wrought-iron gate with a large sign reading "Elysia" set amid the swirling pieces of iron. The sun shone very brightly, birds sang happily, and sweet flower smells escaped from the spaces between the iron bars of the fence. The place looked very much like illustrations in her books, but instead of being pictures on a page or the more fuzzy parts of the dreams she remembered, this place seemed very real to her, as real as the life she ordinarily led. Even in her eleven-year-old mind, Courtney knew this place could not exist, but nonetheless she stood here.

A handsome insurance broker is elected to the Illinois state legislature as a Democrat from the suburbs at a time where he will be called upon to vote on the critical Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Unsure of how he will vote, Bob immerses himself in a Springfield world totally unlike any he has known full of flawed characters clashing over ideas, policies and money. As he works on becoming a good legislator and adapting to this strange world, his wife Loretta commits suicide rather than face a lifetime of mental illness. Meanwhile Bob falls in love with a very passionate, brilliant, and beautiful woman, Cynthia but this extraordinary woman has serious commitment issues. He also is attracted to a more stable, beautiful and very talented woman, Roberta, who is Cynthia's best friend. He must choose between these two women as the ERA amendment is decided. Meanwhile a billionaire, Mathew, who gives bribes to Illinois legislators to defeat the ERA begins to focus his attention on Cynthia, creating an uncertain future for Bob. The State Legislative Minuet in the two part Legislative Dance Series seems strange at times to most of us not accustomed to the legislative world but is never dull as our elected officials decide important issues in our lives and struggle with their all too human foibles. In the end, they are all partners in the Legislative Dance.

Courtney looked at her small, drab room and sighed. Her dolls sat in a corner along with her warrior princess outfit, sword, and shield. She spent countless hours playing with these toys, one moment giving tea to her dolls and the next fighting her friends as the warrior princess. While her real world life had become a much better place since she had visited Elysia every night, she still missed her earlier childhood when she and both her parents spent so much time together. She lived in a happy world then, one filled with family parties, trips to the movies and parks, and just time spent quietly together. Then, the anger and the darkness came. Her father and mother, suddenly lost their jobs, and the arguments started soon after. Her mom found work at another company, but her dad did not find a new job. Then one day after a long argument the police came and took her dad away. Courtney had seen him only once from afar since that terrible day. In her mind, she journeyed back to this time. Courtney, lay in her bed, waiting for sleep to come. Just a few months ago, Courtney had been able to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. When sleep finally came this night, Courtney found herself in front of an elaborate wrought-iron gate with a large sign reading "Elysia" set amid the swirling pieces of iron. The sun shone very brightly, birds sang happily, and sweet flower smells escaped from the spaces between the iron bars of the fence. The place looked very much like illustrations in her books, but instead of being pictures on a page or the more fuzzy parts of the dreams she remembered, this place seemed very real to her, as real as the life she ordinarily led. Even in her eleven-year-old mind, Courtney knew this place could not exist, but nonetheless she stood here.

As the legislative dance continues, Bob and Cynthia reach a crisis in their marriage, the billionaire Mathew becomes Cynthia's enemy after she rejects him, Roberta continues her efforts to have Bob for herself, and the ERA once again rises. Meanwhile, all three main characters achieve success, Cynthia being elected to Congress, Bob being elected Illinois House Speaker, and Roberta becoming a superstar singer. Cynthia's life is threatened but she courageously plows forward with her efforts to pass the ERA. Bob once again must choose between Roberta and Cynthia. At the same time, Mathew who faces his own threats plots his revenge. This faster pace second book in the State Legislative Dance series resolves the conflicts created in the first book and reaches an exciting action packed end to the legislative dance.

Twelve-year-old Courtney dreads the day when she will become a woman, for it is then, that she must leave Elysia, the world of light, goodness, and beauty-never to return again. Recently elected queen, Courtney knows the rules of Elysia are unyielding. Only children are allowed. Courtney's world was once normal. But after her father disappears, Courtney, desperate to escape her depression, begins entering a fantasy world every night as she sleeps. As young as she is, even Courtney knows this place cannot possibly exist; still, in this colorful world filled with delightful creatures, everyone wants to make her happy-including her new best friend and the boy of her dreams. But unfortunately, an evil civilization also exists nearby, and its king has stolen the magic crystal that provides power to the beautiful world she has come to love. Now Courtney and her friends must journey into the dangerous darkness to try to get the crystal back-before they become adults. In this fantasy tale, as Courtney and her new friends come of age, they must somehow find the strength and character inside each of them in order to save their world from destruction.

When Bob Williams, a handsome insurance broker, is elected to the Illinois state legislature as a Democrat from the Chicago suburbs, he finds a whole new world full of flawed characters clashing over ideas, policies, and money at the state capitol. He must learn the ropes and learn to play the politics within the politics. As his wife, Cindy, descends into madness and is committed to a mental institution, he is drawn to two beautiful Hispanic women legislators-Cynthia Rodriguez and Roberta Gonzales-who compete for him. Having risen from poverty, both are accomplished. One is a brilliant, compassionate, high-energy powerhouse, while the other is an enormously talented singer. But the one Williams ultimately chooses not only struggles with the conflicts in her nature, but faces Mathew Remington, a powerful billionaire who hatches a plan to destroy her and the cause so important to her and the nation. She's rebuffed Remington's advances, and he plans to get his revenge. Both humorous and tragic, "The Legislative Dance" provides a fictional inside look at the elected officials-foibles and all-charged with the task of deciding some of life's most important issues.