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A Theology for the Rest of Us – Book Trailer

If God exists and is good, why is there evil? Avoiding such questions underlies the spiritual emptiness and anxiety in today’s world. A Theology for the Rest of Us explores how to approach the divine through Eastern and Western religious traditions without dogma, challenging readers to “be you lamps unto yourselves.”

In a time of internecine wars and all kinds of abuse of authority and trust, too many good, thoughtful people are “voting with their feet” and turning away from organized religion. Popular “spirituality”-a sort of mysticism-lite articulated in memes-is often unsatisfying as well.

A Theology for the Rest of Us is a straightforward approach to the fundamental questions of religion and philosophy:

– Does God exist?

– Is there free will?

– What is ‘evil’?

This book draws on the traditions of the East as well as the West-Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism in addition to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-to see what can make sense in today’s world. Whether exploring the implications of 17th century Enlightenment philosophers, quantum physics, or the insights of writers such as Dostoyevsky and Alan Watts, the reader is offered a rational, coherent approach that can provide understanding and a basis for hope in a world where the spirit has been all but decimated by doubt and worse.

Most important, the reader is encouraged to sift through these sources and choose what resonates and what does not. As the Buddha taught so many years ago, the Prime Directive is “Be ye lamps unto yourselves.” A Theology for the Rest of Us makes teachings accessible to those who have already begun their spiritual journeys, validating their questions and showing that reasonable answers are available.

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Saturday – Book Trailer

Dec 5

Posted by Literary Titan

Saturday is a take on the classic movie Mean Girls but has the unique twists and turns of a suspense novel.

Each page introduces you deeper to the main characters and the understanding of their personalities and challenges. Saturday covers a wide range of topics that teenagers face: dysfunctional families, bullies, and everyday issues that test their faith and strength.

Saturday takes the reader on a journey with seventeen-year-old Jessica, whose normal life is about to be turned upside down when her mother takes her away from her abusive father in California and leaves for a writing job in NYC. Jessica is faced with the dilemma of having to leave her friends, school, and the life she has been accustomed to.

Jessica is challenged by Macy, the antagonist, who takes Jessica down a dangerous road of jealousy, turmoil, and edge-of-your-seat drama. Jessica will have to rely on her inner strength, faith, and old friends to guide her through. Will she become the heroine, or just be another victim of Macy’s vengeance on anyone who challenges her?

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Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon – Book Trailer

Dec 3

Posted by Literary Titan

Everyone keeps secrets. And all kids keep secrets from their parents. But what if your secret were so big, so terrible, and so impossible, no one would believe you anyway?

Rieden Reece hides such a secret.

To an outside observer, Ri may seem somewhat average. A troubled kid from a broken home coping with his personal pile of problems. A snarky thirteen-year-old can only deal with so much.

The night the moon cracks changes him forever.

When the moon breaks, it starts a chain of events leading him on the greatest adventure of his life. By his side, a shadowy figure from another universe whom Ri calls the Shadow Man. Together they must fight the evil powers beyond Ri’s understanding. It forces him to muster up the strength, bravery, and grit he never knew he had.

And the countdown until complete collapse continues…

Will Ri be able to stitch the moon back together before his universe completely unravels? And can he reverse what is happening to his helpless mom…

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Jodie’s Adventure on Driftwood Island – Book Trailer

Nov 29

Posted by Literary Titan

Twelve-year old Jodie Jackson goes on a school excursion to Driftwood Island. They go on bush walks through the rainforest and swim in crystal blue lakes.

Jodie sleeps in a tent with her best friend Sarah Chan and one afternoon they spot a mother dingo with two pups. One of the pups is limping.

Jodie finds a teddy bear in the car park and gives it to Andrea, who was teased because she had brought her own teddy bear to camp.

Jodie helps Teela, the senior ranger, try and save a beached dolphin but sadly it dies. Teela tells her a story about dolphins and living in Lemeuria.

Jodie and her friends go on a boat to see the whales and she finds some more teddy bears and some white tubes hidden in the bottom of the boat.

When they arrive back at shore, one of the girls goes off by herself to collect a piece of driftwood, and a dingo starts to stalk her. The teacher tries to help but falls over, so Jodie and her friends run over as a group, shouting and screaming and rescue her.

When Jodie stubs her toe on a tent peg, and can’t walk to the shipwreck, she accompanies Teela on her ranger duties. At the Resort, Jodie notices two men having an argument, and one of them drops a box filled with the same white tubes. Later she sees the same men at the creek at the Old Village where they act suspiciously.

Jodie and Maddie drive to a historic cabin and discover some boxes containing white tubes, and Maddie is bitten by a snake. Jodie tries to call for help on her two-way but can’t get reception. She tries to drive the jeep to the main road but the same two men appear and Jodie convinces them to drive Maddie back to the Ranger’s Office. They leave her at the shack.
Jodie notices a reptile coming out of one of the white tubes and finds more reptiles in other tubes, and realizes the men are wildlife smugglers. She releases the reptiles in the bush and the men return so she hides. They discover her and are angry at her for releasing the animals and they tie her up and leave with a baby dingo that they had captured.

One of the men drops a cigarette and a fire starts. Jodie struggles to free herself but one of the men returns and releases her and puts out the fire. Together they drive back and notify the rangers that the other man is boarding a ferry with the baby dingo.

The police arrest both men and Jodie is praised for her assistance with the smugglers. Teela promises to look after the rescued baby dingo.

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Left for Dead at Nijmegen – Book Trailer

Nov 16

Posted by Literary Titan

The true story of an American paratrooper who had a unique encounter during Operation Market Garden and his experiences as a POW.

Left for Dead at Nijmegen recalls the larger-than-life experiences of an American paratrooper, Gene Metcalfe, who served in the 82nd Airborne during WWII. From his recruitment into the military at Camp Grant to his training with the 501st Paratroop Infantry Regiment at Camp Toccoa, it wasn’t until D-Day itself that he first arrived in England to join the 508th PIR.

When Metcalfe boarded the C-47 which would drop him at Groesbeek Heights, just outside of Nijmegen, Holland, he was handed a box of twelve dozen condoms by an overconfident British lieutenant. He was to be among the first to jump into what should have been a picture-book meadow, free of German troops. Instead, it was defended by three German antiaircraft cannon emplacements.

As he jumped into a hail of bullets and exploding shells he watched his plane roll over and plummet into the ground. It was at that moment he realized the condoms had either been a bad joke or the planners of Operation Market Garden had seriously underestimated German resistance. Gene was listed as KIA and left for dead by his patrol, who presumed the worst when they saw his injuries from a shell explosion.

The rest of his story is equally gripping, as he became a POW held outside Munich, being moved between various camps ridden with disease and a severely undernourished population. Eventually, after making an escape attempt and being captured within sight of the snow-capped Swiss mountains, his camp was liberated by American troops in April 1945.

Gene’s story is both remarkable for his highly unusual encounter, and his subsequent experiences.

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The Flight of the Mayflower – Book Trailer

Nov 15

Posted by Literary Titan

2080:The world is dying. Travel into the future to a time when nothing is certain. Where terrorist groups have joined forces with biohackers developing a deadly bio-engineered disease that marches across the continents like a conquering army, leaving millions dead in its murderous swathe. Where drought and famine plague an already overpopulated globe and massive waves of refugees stream across the planet, seeking sanctuary.

Meanwhile, some of the best and brightest minds on the planet are feverishly at work – constructing mega-gigantic Space Arks to shuttle hundreds of thousands of people to a colony on Mars. And it seems like there’s more good news: world leaders announce that a vaccine is ready – so roll up your sleeves and get on with your lives. It’s all good; it’s all returning to normal.

But the truth is very different. In The Flight of the Mayflower, the first novel in The Deneb Chronicles, Dr. Daniel Radu – project manager for NASA’s Space Ark Mayflower – uncovers a global conspiracy of immense proportions. World leaders and the elite are readying themselves for a one-way ticket to Mars, leaving the masses clutching at empty promises. Defiant and unwilling to become another casualty, Daniel cooks up a scheme of his own. Joined by a team of global experts, Daniel and his colleagues brace themselves for a journey of a lifetime as they trek across the galaxy in a quest for survival.

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Dream Walker – Book Trailer

Nov 10

Posted by Literary Titan

Koyu thought she had done her duty, but deep inside she knows it will never be over. She is bound to her master forever and will have to execute his every command. But when he demands she’ll invade his sworn enemy’s dreams, she chooses to rebel. Koyu risks her existence to help the ‘other side’ by purposely disobeying her master’s orders. Koyu knows she’ll pay with her life for her impertinence. Is there, indeed, no hope for her?