Books with author Gary Blackwood

Washington, D.C., 1864: In a city that’s weary of war and eager for entertainment, Joseph and his father’s mind-reading act has become the toast of the town. Even President Lincoln comes to see Joseph demonstrate his amazing mental powers. It’s all an elaborate hoax, of course, but Joseph is enjoying his fame. Then he meets Cassandra, a young girl who really does have second sight—the ability to foretell events. And she’s having terrifying visions about the president. Someone is plotting to murder him. But who would believe such an accusation? It’s up to Joseph and Cassandra to interpret the visions, expose the conspiracy, and save Lincoln’s life!

At 14 years old, Ryan Waite is not a bad actor -- in fact he's quite a good one. But when he messes up an audition for a part in Les Mis, he comes into contact with a character named Burton who launches the boy into the most challenging role of his life. You see, Burton is a private investigator out to make some big money the shady way. And he wants Ryan to impersonate the long lost son of a millionaire who is desperate to reconnect with his son before he dies. Suddenly, Ryan finds himself performing a part considerably beyond his depth, having to improvise complicated lies just in order to stay ahead of the game. Ryan knows discovery is inevitable and when the moment arrives, he has to dig deep to find the most graceful and honourable way of making his exit.

ALA Recommended for Reluctant ReadersWeekly Reader Book Club SelectionThe classic wilderness survival novel, available for the first time as an e-book. Bookish Timothy Martin lives in the shadow of his older brother, star athlete and outdoorsman. Their father takes Timothy on a camping trip to "toughen him up," but the boy gets hopelessly lost and injured. When his hopes of being rescued grow dim, he realizes that, if he's going to survive, it's all up to him. His fumbling trial-and-error efforts take him into a new dimension where he and the wilderness become partners in an adventure he never suspected could exist. " . . . the details of building shelter, finding food, and handling various dangers have a built-in appeal." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Blackwood moves away from the conventions and creates a suspenseful and philosophical survival story which is a cut above most in the genre." School Library Journal"The kid is a nerd, unlike the unbelievably competent protagonist of My Side of the Mountain, with which this book is an interesting comparison. A good booktalk title for young adolescents." Voice of Youth Advocates

Picking up where Around the World in Eighty Days left off, Harry Fogg, the son of Phileas Fogg, has just made a wager of his own. Harry bets that he can drive a steam-powered motorcar all the way around the world in only 100 days. Racing off with three companions, Harry undertakes a grueling journey that will pit him against flash fires, marauders, and even sabotage from within. In the tradition of the Jules Verne classic, this is one historical adventure that will have you racing to the finish!

Noted author Gary L. Blackwood grew up intrigued by crime fighters. In Bad Guys, the two-time Smithsonian Notable Book Award winner takes a look at the "other side." A motley crew of villians, their chronicles are, indeed, fascinating. Yet, Blackwood goes far beyond storytelling. Placing the shenanigans of highwaymen, outlaws, swindlers, gangsters, and pirates against the backdrop of history, he considers them each in terms of the places and times in which the culprits operated. Were they evil cutthroats? Or, were they driven to their deeds out of desperation? In general, readers will find very few Robin Hoods. They will also discover that the reality of many of these men and women lies somewhere between utter scoundrel and social casualty.

INSPIRATION FOR THE THRILLING AMAZON PRIME SERIES JACK RYAN . . . **'Exhilarating. No other novelist is giving so full a picture of modern conflict' Sunday Times**Someone wants Jack Ryan Dead - and fast...Covert operative Jack Ryan Jr is enjoying some well-earned R&R when an attempt is made on his life. He survives, only to learn that another attempt on his life is imminent. Having barely survived the first time, Jack sets out to find out who wants him dead, and why...Using clues left by his would-be assassin, Jack follows a trail that leads through France and Switzerland to Rostock, a shadowy security firm based in Germany. Jack knows its head, Jurgen Rostock, from a previous operation - one that has apparently drawn the man's fury.Without the resources of The Campus - the elite agency from which he is on a leave-of-absence - but with the help of an investigative journalist, Jack embarks on his own secret campaign to uncover the truth about Rostock. And what he finds is that they are up to something both big and very, very bad.But what can one man do against all Rostock's might?The world is about to find out.