Books with author Alexis Alexander

Ten days in Sydney, Australia with my first boyfriend! My Spring Break couldn’t be better. Sure, it’s a mission for GASI, but we lucked out with our cover story. We are boyfriend and girlfriend traveling with a group of American high school students. I mean, sure, we have some terrorists to stop. And some of the teens on the trip aren’t the nicest. Then there’s this guy, Aaron, who seems to be watching us. With Grandma, Nic, Christie, and some help from the Australians, how can we lose? Except some of our help is actually a hindrance and we’re down to the wire on stopping the terrorists from blowing up the Sydney Tower. The brutal truth is that missions fail, but can we live with ourselves if we don’t succeed?

The hilarious story of two brothers, a truckload of batteries, and a brilliant plan to bring light--and new business opportunities--to Ghana.At age 47, Whit Alexander, the American co-founder of the Cranium board game, decided to start a new business selling affordable goods and services to low-income villagers in Ghana, West Africa. His brother Max, a journalist, came along to tell the story. Neither of them could have anticipated just how much of an adventure they’d find there.In Ghana, Whit's initial goal is to market a high quality rechargeable AA battery that off-grid villagers could use to power their flashlights and radios, as well as to charge their cell phones. If successful, he planned to grow a larger for-profit business based on those batteries--creating a trusted African brand that would provide life-enhancing products, services, and jobs, without relying on charity.Ghana, however, presents extraordinary challenges, and the brothers wage daily battles against deadly insects, insane driving conditions, unspeakable food, voodoo priests, corrupt officials, counterfeiters, and ethnic rivalries on their way to success. From signing up customers who earn a few dollars a month at most to training employees with no Western-style work experience, the brothers quickly learn that starting a business in Africa requires single-minded focus, a sense of humor, and a lot of patience.Along the way, Whit and Max relive their own childhood, bickering across the African bush and learning a great deal about Africans as well as themselves. Irreverent, hilarious, and ultimately inspiring, Bright Lights, No City challenges accepted notions of charity, shows the power of broadening your horizons, and suggests that there is hope and opportunity in Africa.Praise for Bright Lights, No City:"An affectionate, good-humored and finally inspiring account of one American's determination to make good things happen."--Kate Braestrup, New York Times bestselling author of Here If You Need Me"My boss, Bill Gates, coined the phrase 'creative capitalism' to encourage the use of market forces to address the needs of the poor. But my friend, Whit Alexander, moved creative capitalism from ideas to bold practice. Bright Lights, No City will scratch your travel bug, tickle your business brain, and touch your heart."--Patty Stonesifer, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation"I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure, which helps to prove that what much of the developing world needs is a hand up, not a hand out." --John Wood, founder of Room to Read and author of Leaving Microsoft to Change the World"I loved, loved, loved Bright Lights, No City. A tour de force! Bravo. It's perceptive, informative, thoughtful, engaging, funny."--Carey Winfrey, editor emeritus, Smithsonian magazine and former Africa correspondent, New York Times"Max Alexander has woven a compassionate and oft-times hilarious tale of the Brothers Alexander's attempt to save the world, one rechargeable battery at a time. If you have any interest in a great story or helping the other 4 billion, read this book, now."--W. Hodding Carter, author of Westward Whoa and A Viking Voyage"A lyrically written universal testimony to the humanity that binds all people together on this fragile planet, Bright Lights, No City is a deeply moving and funny, can't-put-it-down book."--Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy for God"This book is filled with the passion and relentless pursuit that it takes to make dreams come to life, and reminds you that it takes compassion, luck, and humor to make history. A must read for every entrepreneur."--Richard Tait, Co-Founder, Cranium; CEO, Galazo

In the Carolina hills, a friend reaches out from beyond the graveHis parents dead, Timor is brought to America to live with his uncle in rural Appalachia. Although half-American, this shy young boy has never lived outside of Indonesia and finds it hard to adjust to life in the mountains. His only friend is Wiley Pendergrass, a mysterious old hermit who sees magic in discarded wood. For Timor, Wiley makes a ladder-back chair out of sassafras—a hard yellow wood with powers that will change Timor’s life forever. Accused by a local gem collector of stealing a precious box, Wiley pushes his ancient pickup as hard as he can to escape the police. Screaming around a hairpin mountain turn, he loses control and sails off the side of a cliff. Soon after, the chair begins speaking to Timor in Wiley’s voice. His friend may be gone, but with the help of a little Appalachian magic, Timor has a chance to clear Wiley’s name.

To her, she’s just another foster kid. To them, she’s the queen who will save them all.From when she was little, Lanie has known she was meant for more than just the girl who was abandoned at birth –little does she know the truth behind her history is much more than she could have ever imagined.The prophecy of a dead man names Lanie the future queen and savior of Yvaeka, a world she’s never known. Lurking in the shadows are those who would see her true identity kept from her forever.In her seemingly average high school girl world, the truth lies in the eyes of a Hummer-driving mystery boy and behind every mirror she walks by.From a band of brothers who desire her birthright for themselves to her own people, all of the odds are against her.Will the obstacles Lanie must face be enough to twist fate away from her destiny?Will her lioness heart be enough to make her irrepressible?

A pint-size robot with a big spirit goes on an interstellar adventure Running low on metal, an assembly line spits out something unusual: a peculiar little robot, no bigger than a boy. His name is Sprockets, and though he is small, he has the most powerful electronic brain on Earth. “Destroy him!” cries the foreman, but Sprockets escapes. He runs through the moonlit city, pushing his little body as hard as he can until rain starts to fall—and he begins to rust. But Sprockets is rescued just in time by Jim and his father, Dr. Bailey—a brilliant inventor who sometimes has trouble with fractions. Luckily for him, there is no finer tabulator than Sprockets. They adopt this little robot as their own, and soon set off for another world—where Sprockets will be charged with saving the universe and learning what it is to be alive. Sprockets is the 1st book in the Sprockets series, which also includes Rivets and Sprockets and Bolts.

Amanda and Will are back! This time, they're heading to New York City the day after Christmas. The mission: stop an assassination plot against the UN Secretary General. Aunt Christie and her partner Nic, are back as well, and playing the role of the parents on the undercover operation. As for Amanda and Will, they're still adjusting to the boyfriend-girlfriend thing, but while in the Big Apple, they are pretending to be brother and sister. Oh, and don't forget Grandma. She's on the team as well. Can Will and Amanda convince the New York teens that they're twins? Can they track down the bad guys before the ball drops in Times Square? Because if they fail, lives will be lost and the UN and the US may never be the same.

"Juli Alexander is simply magic."-- Niki Burnham, author of Royally Jacked and Shot Through the Heart Fifteen-year-old Zoe has managed to turn her crush into a boyfriend without using any magic at all. But can it really work with Jake when Zoe’s father is dating Jake’s mother? Talk about a dysfunctional family.After the Frog Fiasco, the Council is watching Zoe’s every move but studying under renowned Potions Master, Martin Finnegan, fulfills a lifelong dream of Zoe’s, even if the ninety-five-year-old man looks like a teenager. Zoe can’t juggle friends, school, potions, and dating without letting something slide, and Trouble’s Brewing as her tutor is forced to reveal deeply hidden truths about her experiments and those of her ancestors._________________________________________________Excerpt:Jake stepped closer and put his hand on my waist. “Your tutor’s on the phone.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “We could spend a few minutes together.”The thought of stealing a few minutes to kiss Jake appealed to me way more than it should have. If only I hadn’t been all too aware that Finn was not on the phone. He was not otherwise occupied. The ninety-five-year-old man who I was eager to impress was waiting for me to resume my studies, and that same man from a previous century had nothing better to focus on than my whereabouts. No way was I going to make out with Jake right now. I held my hand against his chest to keep him at bay. “Not a good idea, Jake.”“I think it’s a great idea.” He leaned in again, and gave me the lightest of kisses on the lips.“Can’t,” I said with a sigh. “I really can’t.”Your download will include the first chapter of Amanda Brice's Pointe of No Return and Juli Alexander's The Karma Beat.

The Caterpillar and the Butterfly is a story about a little boy named Tommy who makes friends with a caterpillar he meets on his windowsill whose name is George . They become very good friends and have great conversations every morning. One day George is gone, and Tommy thinks George has died. But, as time passes a friendly butterfly, whose name is Georgia, appears on Tommy's windowsill and starts morning conversations with Tommy. Tommy wonders why Georgia seems to know somethings about George even though she never met him.In the process, Tommy leans about life, friendship and trust. He knows that someday, he will meet both of them again.