Books with author Michael Thomson

Mother and Father Koala are suspicious of the other bears. They don t like the panda bears' looks and they don t trust the polar bears. The black bears are too noisy and the brown bears have big teeth. . .But all of their grumpiness melts away as they watch the littlest bears play together and realize that all their similarities and common needs far outweigh their differences.The Other Bears is an eloquent tale about tolerance and acceptance that will appeal to readers of any age.

Mother and Father Koala are suspicious of the other bears. They don t like the panda bears' looks and they don t trust the polar bears. The black bears are too noisy and the brown bears have big teeth. . .But all of their grumpiness melts away as they watch the littlest bears play together and realize that all their similarities and common needs far outweigh their differences.The Other Bears is an eloquent tale about tolerance and acceptance that will appeal to readers of any age.

Combine a suspenseful murder mystery with theology (the study and explanation of religious faith, practice, and experience) and you have The Rector—with an allegory of Christ’s ministry! Martha McRae is a widow living in a small Mississippi Delta town in the 1950s. She’s obsessed with the sudden death of her Episcopal church’s young rector. A murderer could go free if she doesn’t investigate. But Martha is torn. If she pursues the suspect, her Bible study friend’s awful secret could be revealed. It would be devastating, and life-changing. When the new rector arrives, she encounters a new puzzle--one that takes her into Parchman Penitentiary, where she comes face to face with evil. “Michael Thompson offers a tantalizing murder mystery filled with chilling explorations of hypocrisy, true faith, and small-town secrets. It’s about sin and redemption. It’s about the search for truth, in both the physical and spiritual realms. And it’s all wrapped up in a puzzle that keeps even skeptics on their toes. The writing is compelling with a plot that grows ever thicker and offers even ardent mystery fans delightfully unexpected twists and turns. The intrigue is well developed with well-placed clues and cliffhangers. The characters are multidimensional and fascinating. The faith themes are so masterfully woven in that those who aren’t religious should simply find the novel to be top-notch suspense.” Diane Gardner, ForeWord’s Clarion Review. The Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine, writes: “Michael Thompson is an author who takes you by the hand and leads you down unexpected paths. His ability to create believable characters instantly draws you into their world. You will find yourself rooting for goodness to prevail as you follow the twists he so brilliantly weaves in this story.” Richard L. Pratt, Th.D., Harvard, professor of Old Testament theology: “The Rector penetrates the facades of southern cultural Christianity to take us to the true gospel … There is no Savior but Jesus and no salvation from the judgment of God but faith in Christ alone.” “Michael Thompson has brought to life the Mississippi of my youth, complete with small town scandals, murders, prison, and the powerful southern female. Sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy a glass of sweet tea and a romping good tale.” ~~ Carolyn Haines, author of 68 mysteries and the on-going Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series.

When the first manned spacecraft to Mars disappears and its crew explorer vehicle crashes onto the Brown's wheat farm, what Ben discovers leads him on an adventure that he could never have imagined. He builds a flying machine and flies off to a planet in another universe where he finds himself fighting free its enslaved people, eighteen foot giants, and then to save his own planet. Ultimately, it's a story about faith and a young man's quest for love and redemption for his father's untimely death.Three excerpts from Ben Brown's Flying MachineExcerpt 1: Chapter 11: No AccidentBen glided out of the barn on his platform and passed the dimly lit farmhouse and skimmed over the wheat fields towards Maryann’s house.He approached her bedroom window and saw her unclipping the back of her bra. He froze, too terrified to move, and stood there watching her putting on her nightie, but as she did so, she caught sight of him and spun around indignantly and rushed up to the window.“What do you think you’re doing?”“Nothing, I...”“Nothing?”“Just wanted to say sorry ‘bout last night.”Her face softened.“See if you wanted to go for a ride.”Her eyes lit up. Then she threw on a sweater, pulled some jeans up over her nightie, and approached the window, smiling excitedly.Excerpt 2: Chapter 12: 75th National High Schools’ Science CompetitionBen and Maryann arrived at their booth and stared at its bare concrete floor and faceless wooden frame with a cardboard sign marked “121” stapled to it. Maryann nodded towards the next booth and Ben saw the panel of four judges shaking the students’ hands and one of the judges looking quizzically at his platform.“Let’s hope it’s not all about presentation,” he said, lifting it down.At that, Maryann pushed the wheelbarrow away into the far corner.Moments later, the leader of the judging panel approached their booth and stared stoically at the dented platform and glanced around the empty booth at the wheelbarrow. ‘Exactly why they need a qualifying round,’ he thought to himself, intending to make an issue of it later. He looked down his list of entries and then at the other judges.“121, do you have it? I can’t see it,” he asked one of the female judges.She looked down her list and shook her head, prompting the others to flick through their piles of registration forms. The lead judge looked around at Ben and Maryann.“Registration?” he asked.Maryann handed him their copy, and he skimmed through it, writing down their details.“Mr. Brown?”“Yes, sir.”“A flying machine,” he articulated clearly, reading their form.“Yes, sir.”“Any paperwork, documentation?”“No, sir.”“Care to describe how it works?”“Through particle displacement, sir.”“Particle displacement,” he echoed, looking at him above the rims of his glasses.“Yes, sir.”“Care to elaborate?”Ben hesitated and saw all the judges staring at him in wide-eyed anticipation. “Sure,” he said. “It uhm... it uses three particle vacuum drives. Each induces particle displacement around a vacuum, which provides forward and directional thrust.”Silence. Not one of the judges batted an eye lid.“I see,” the lead judge said.“It’s kind of new.” Ben smiled.The lead judge smiled and looked around a little incredulously at the others.“I can start her up and show you.”“By all means. It’s safe? Not going to shoot off anywhere?”“No, sir. But it might pay to step back a bit.”Excerpt 3. Chapter 12: 75th National High Schools’ Science CompetitionA shutter slid back inside the confessional box, revealing the outline of a priest.“Father, I’m not part of this church,” Ben said, “but I was...”“God welcomes one and all.”“Even if you’re not sure he exists?”“One and all. What’s on your mind, son?”“I was wondering about God’s will... his hand, how far it might extend if he wanted to do something.”“No one can presume the infinite power and wisdom of God.”“He could use someone of little faith?"

In this fantasy adventure, Earnest, the earthworm, works with his friends from the animal and insect kingdoms to grow a record breaking sunflower. Without his invitation, humans join in to nurture the special plant. Along the way, discoveries about the challenges of life, gardening, and the importance of teamwork are revealed.This wonderful story is for all ages and can help spark an interest in gardening, one of the most rewarding and enjoyable lifelong hobbies a person can embrace.

Will Tom ever be allowed to nap? One day, Tom is napping in the window when Buttons passes by in a playful mood. Happily pouncing around Tom, Buttons refuses to allow Tom to resume his nap until he tells the story of his lost tail. In response, Tom recites a series of increasingly unbelievable lies about his tail. A quirky picture book with a great odd-couple between lovable cats, “Tailless Tom and The Tales of Lost Tail” is sure to capture your imagination and have children pouring over the illustrations until the pages are worn through.Stay up-to-date on all things Tailless Tom at taillesstom.com or check out Tom's Facebook page at https://fb.me/taillesstom

Pax Romana: Escape from Babylon continues the story of Captain Mark Knutson, who lives in a Rome now in ruins. Seren has risen to power, and his evil influence is spreading. The sequel to Pax Romana: The Rise of Seren features fascinating new characters who prepare Mark for his eventual confrontation with Seren: his mysterious Chinese mentor Mei-Li, the beautiful Swedish kickboxer Rakel, and Japanese tech-whiz Tomoyuki. As a warrior, Mark transitions from using technological weapons to wielding supernatural ones in a dazzling display of the powers of good against the growing darkness. Mark engages in clashes with hideous creatures, culminating in the ultimate battle with the ultimate evil. MICHAEL THOMAS first dreamed of becoming a space traveler—or at least a science fiction writer—after seeing the 1956 film, Forbidden Planet. He held on to that dream all the way up to the writing of Pax Romana: The Rise of Seren and Pax Romana II: Escape from Babylon. He currently teaches Spanish and world literature and philosophy in the Great Texts Program at Baylor University.

“Uuuuh, the black hole’s big, big!” Fred held up his arms in fear, pushing away the view through the window.“Aaaah,” I screamed. “Don’t look,” shouted Battie. We put our hands over our visors. The engines roared. We trembled. The spaceship shook. We screamed. Join Battie and his friends. Fly through space in their home made space ship. Discover new planets. Escape from Battie's enemy and danger ahead. Rescue fearsome animals. Visit amazing places and help others on planet Earth. All this, but can you keep the secret from your people at home? A fantasy adventure story for 7-10-year-olds.