Books with author Pat Alexander

Laburnum is a city of two moons and one faith: Logic. It’s also a city of rat empires, criminal gangs, slum boys, plotting politicians, curious princesses, the crimson men, drunkards and a talking cat. And there’s a bit of witchcraft going on, but we’re not allowed to talk about that.******************************************The Boy with Absolutely No Talents is part 1 of 6 from Alex Alexander’s debut novel Widdershins. In the Neo-Victorian city of Laburnum, the Academy have outlawed irrational thought. Religion, mysticism and magic have been forgotten and replaced with the Laws of Logic. The Academy’s Inquisitors police these laws and to break them is to commit the ultimate crime: Logicide. Niclas, The Boy with Absolutely No Talents, has made a promise to the talking cat Balthazar – a promise he intends to keep. But there is a dark side to his new master and the boy is about to find himself pulled into the underworld of the Black Science.“…”“…”“…The Whisperer whispers…”

A hurt leg kept Susan Stevens sidelined at the Halloween dance, and the flu ruled her out of the Christmas ball, but nothing can keep her away from the Peppermint Prom. Sue is ready to make her Taft Junior High debut, and she'll be wearing a perfect pink dress. The prom is as elegant as a fairytale, and it doesn't take long for Sue to meet her prince. Dave Young is dashing, graceful, with an attitude that Sue cannot resist. He offers his hand, and sweeps her into a dance that will change her life forever. Soon, she and Dave are an item, and Sue is a certified member of The Crowd. But popularity brings new pressures, and Sue will find that beneath their peppermint smiles, her new friends may have a darker side.

On the run from killers, a boy genius looks for strength in numbersWhen he steps on stage, Ronnie Cleveland feels his troubles slip away. He is the Blue Boy, a genius who sings, plays piano, and solves math problems faster than any calculator. His nightclub act is a great success, but he feels fear creeping into his heart. When a young Spanish girl warns him that trouble is coming, he knows she is right—and that it’s too late to stop it. Before his time in the spotlight, Ronnie worked for a pair of underworld accountants. Because he remembers every number he ever crunched, the Blue Boy’s head holds enough dirt to put the entire mob in jail—and that makes him a target. When his manager and bodyguards disappear, Ronnie runs to find the mysterious girl, and seek refuge in the most lonesome place in the world.

What do you get when ordinary e-mail spam becomes infused with magic? Spellspam—and it's not supposed to exist. As far as Thea and her friends know, computers are meant to be inert vehicles for storing magic spells, not magical processors themselves. But all that seems to have changed as students at Wandless Academy find themselves the victim of practical jokes—with magical consequences—simply by opening an e-mail.Now the spellspams are getting worse, and it's possible there's someone behind them who is not just bent on stirring up trouble but has a much scarier and more wide-reaching agenda. Until now, Thea has been the only person she's ever met who can reach through the computer using magic. But someone else is out there, and even her friends can't help her track down the source of the spellspam before it gets much, much worse.This sequel to Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage ups the ante on a fantasy world that is rich and nuanced, like our own, but with a core of wildly original magic.

On his deathbed, Alex Roy's father dropped tantalizing hints about the notorious Cannonball Run of the 1970s, the utterly illegal high-speed non-stop races from New York to LA. Inspired by his father's dying words, and against the advice of his friends, Roy enters this mysterious world - trying both to find himself, and to locate 'The Driver' - the anonymous organizer of the world's ultimate car race. In this riveting memoir, Roy straps you into his highly modified BMW M5, takes you on a terrifying 120 mph lap of Manhattan, then tackles the Gumball 3000 and the Bullrun - the two most infamous road rallies in the world. His bogus Polizei Autobahn Interceptor sticks out among the Lamborghinis and Ferraris driven by millionaire playboys, software moguls, Arab princes, movie stars, leggy Czech supermodels, gearheads, and tech whizzes.Armed with myriad radar detectors, laser jammers and police scanners, and his trunk crammed with a variety of fake uniforms, the obsessively prepared Roy evades arrest at almost every turn, wreaking havoc on his fiercest rivals and gaining the admiration of police forces around the globe. Filled with insane driving and Roy's quixotic quest to win both for his late father and himself, "The Driver" is the tale of one man's insatiable drive beyond life in the fast lane.

Annie LaFaye is a small town girl going to college in the big world. She’s talkative, polite, fun and… single. She dreads going to the holiday dinners by herself, until her roommate suggests something that’s so out of Annie’s comfort zone that it just might work!Annie finds a date for the holidays in Marcus, a confident, handsome curly-haired blond who has everything going for him. Annie feels lucky to be with someone who has it so all-together. But complications arise when Annie and Marcus find they can’t hide behind appearances. Will Annie’s feelings ruin everything?Light, fun and full of romantic moments, this sweet story will have you falling in love all over again!

A hurt leg kept Susan Stevens sidelined at the Halloween dance, and the flu ruled her out of the Christmas ball, but nothing can keep her away from the Peppermint Prom. As a ninth grader, Sue is ready to make her Taft Junior High debut, and she’ll be wearing a perfect pink dress. The prom is as elegant as a fairytale, and it doesn’t take long for Sue to meet her prince. Dave Young is dashing, graceful, with an attitude that Sue cannot resist. He offers his hand, and sweeps her into a dance that will change her life forever. Soon, she and Dave are an item, and Sue is a certified member of The Crowd. But popularity brings new pressures, and Sue will find that beneath their peppermint smiles, her new friends may have a darker side.

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