Books published by publisher Strand Press

The Amazing Secret of the Player Piano... Being a teenager in 1968 comes with its own set of challenges, but Debra is focused and knows what she wants: the most important thing in her life is music, and if she works hard enough, one day she will inherit her grandfather’s wonderful baby grand piano. Money is tight for Debra’s family, and sometimes she feels that she isn’t good enough compared to her more affluent peers. One day when she is at her grandfather’s house, watering the lawn to earn some pocket money, she discovers that his old player piano has an astonishing secret. She triggers a mechanism that causes Middle C and his magic metronome to appear, and she starts an adventure she could never have imagined, traveling through time to a music conservatory where she and five other special kids have been chosen for individual instruction. If they do well, they will be rewarded with the opportunity to travel further and to meet composers and music icons of the past. Debra is thrilled by her travels, but better still, she finds her first love, and their special bond blossoms as they share their love of music. Will Debra hold her own at the conservatory and bring her new love back to the real world? Secrets of the Old Music Room is a charming romance for readers of all ages, crafted to reinforce positive self-esteem in teenage girls with the message that being authentic brings happiness and success.

In a parallel universe where humans evolved not only from apes but also cats, dogs, bears, weasels, and other animals, Duke Hazzard, a feline private eye, is hired to find the murderer of a prominent canine. It’s a tongue-in-cheek, fun murder mystery. Think of it as Philip Marlowe meets Fritz the Cat. The characters include Mathew “Duke” Hazzard, a feline who’d rather sleep or surf than do anything resembling work. We also meet his best friend, a big black lab that has an uncanny knack for showing up right when Duke’s about to get into trouble. There’s Gloria, a beautiful Siamese whose husband, Ralph, is found dead in his office at the local dog biscuit factory. Of course there’s Police Captain Ursalik, a big old grizzly who has been counting the days to retirement since he joined the force. And let’s not forget the de Katz brothers, who may or may not have been involved in the murder. Set in the twin towns of CatsCamp and Dogstown that straddle the Beaver Butt River just as it meets the ocean, this fun story takes us in and out of the surf zone and the local taverns before it culminates in a comedic chase scene down the rugged “Left Coast.” In the meantime, Duke gets into his share of scrapes—as any good tomcat does. He has to deal with a mother who thinks he’s lazy—even by cat standards. He also falls into a one-sided love affair with a beautiful gal from back east. You could never call Duke a successful cat, and it seems that few in town like him very much. All in all, we are torn between laughing at and crying along with our very reluctant hero, but we cheer for him in the end as he solves his first case.

The Melissma Sea migrates on Hytrae’s equatorial Salt Plain of Shilom, spending two years as sole but temporary property of three politically diverse provinces. At her leading edge, the massive Storm Zone’s fresh water dissolves old salt while in her shallow quiet evaporation zone, she returns the cleansed salt back to Shilom. The Naweci call the sea the Dissolver of Doubts and the salt plain the Peace Maker and teach their children the two form a holy union as is the marriage of truth and men. Fishermen swear the souls of those who die at sea are captured in the holy mist Locsoldrn, a mysterious cloud legend squeezed from the Melissma when she tasted the blood of man’s first violence against man. The silent lightning within Locsoldrn is, they say, the souls of the dead warning of the Day of Judgment. The Melissma is crossing the border into Ides. The Merchant Prince of Ides, Soroff Baejon, has discovered the mist can be used to resurrect the recently deceased. He assumes die once and live forever. Baejon prophesies his emperor will be assassinated at the Idean Onset celebration and, in two days, live again to lead Hytrae’s race of mortals into immortality. Never do men know all the consequences of even their smallest endeavors. The wicked come only like a feather on a breeze, gently upon the mind as in a dream until men step into their domain or invite them into theirs. Baejon believes he can merge the two dimensions to his advantage. This he declares Hytrae’s Singularity.

Wendy is determined to stand her ground and not let Darsha, the most popular girl in school, intimidate her as the fireworks between them continue to fly. She has discovered to her amazement that Russell Rogers has stopped throwing snowballs at her and is starting to “woo her with his ways!” Brent Reynolds, her first love, has moved away to Idaho. Will she ever hear from him? Wendy’s hair has continued to grow, and she discovers that it has brought her positive attention! Why didn’t she grow it years ago? Being a teenager and going to junior high school is a never-ending adventure. Don’t miss the continuing saga of Wendy, her friends, and family.

Wendy is determined to stand her ground and not let Darsha, the most popular girl in school, intimidate her as the fireworks between them continue to fly. She has discovered to her amazement that Russell Rogers has stopped throwing snowballs at her and is starting to “woo her with his ways!” Brent Reynolds, her first love, has moved away to Idaho. Will she ever hear from him? Wendy’s hair has continued to grow, and she discovers that it has brought her positive attention! Why didn’t she grow it years ago? Being a teenager and going to junior high school is a never-ending adventure. Don’t miss the continuing saga of Wendy, her friends, and family.

Hurled into the time flow by a banishing spell, 13th century Edmund lands into the USA, 2007, in answer to Leona's fervent prayers for help to save her town.The corporation employing the townspeople has left, the bank foreclosures have created whole streets of empty houses, people are leaving in droves... the town is slowly dying.A black magician in his old time, Edmund is forbidden to do any magic if it is not for helping other people. He discovers and is fascinated by the magical powers of Internet and wants to bring instant relief to the townspeople, but Leona, who does not trust their dependency on magic, forbids him to do so.

Wendy has mixed feelings about starting junior high school. She wants to be popular and fit in by wearing the right clothes and saying and doing the right things. One minute she hates boys and the next minute she finds boys are pretty exciting, even Russell Rogers, who has bullied her all of her life. Being a teenager is definitely a confusing and challenging job! See what happens when the most popular boy in the school asks Wendy to dance and the most popular girl gets jealous of Wendy! Don’t miss this exciting story combined with laughter and a touch of romance that will keep you wanting to read more!

Sandtopia. It's a name that evokes images of swaying palm trees, soft breezes, and gentle waves: a true beach paradise. Yet the place is anything but a tranquil utopia. Sandtopia—a tropical island located in an alternate reality—is ruled by an evil queen made entirely out of sand. The Sand Queen. One day, on Earth, four kids stumble upon a temple in Hawaii inhabited by a religious man called the Sand Monk. His temple sits on an energy portal that leads directly to Sandtopia. The Sand Monk thinks the four kids may be part of an ancient prediction—the Hailona Prophecy—which states that "four young newcomers" to the island will end the Sand Queen's evil and depraved reign. The Sand Monk—the Sand Queen's sworn enemy—invites the kids to Sandtopia. After crossing through the portal, however, things quickly fall apart. The kids soon find themselves being pursued relentlessly by the Sand Queen and her vicious henchmen (lion men). Thus starts a dangerous quest/adventure in an exotic land filled with fantastic and menacing creatures, where the kids must test their mettle and try their best to topple the Sand Queen. Can they fulfill the Hailona Prophecy?

In a parallel universe where humans evolved not only from apes but also cats, dogs, bears, weasels, and other animals, Duke Hazzard, a feline private eye, is hired to find the murderer of a prominent canine. It's a tongue-in-cheek, fun murder mystery. Think of it as Philip Marlowe meets Fritz the Cat. The characters include Mathew "Duke" Hazzard, a feline who'd rather sleep or surf than do anything resembling work. We also meet his best friend, a big black lab that has an uncanny knack for showing up right when Duke's about to get into trouble. There's Gloria, a beautiful Siamese whose husband, Ralph, is found dead in his office at the local dog biscuit factory. Of course there's Police Captain Ursalik, a big old grizzly who has been counting the days to retirement since he joined the force. And let's not forget the de Katz brothers, who may or may not have been involved in the murder. Set in the twin towns of CatsCamp and Dogstown that straddle the Beaver Butt River just as it meets the ocean, this fun story takes us in and out of the surf zone and the local taverns before it culminates in a comedic chase scene down the rugged "Left Coast." In the meantime, Duke gets into his share of scrapes--as any good tomcat does. He has to deal with a mother who thinks he's lazy--even by cat standards. He also falls into a one-sided love affair with a beautiful gal from back east. You could never call Duke a successful cat, and it seems that few in town like him very much. All in all, we are torn between laughing at and crying along with our very reluctant hero, but we cheer for him in the end as he solves his first case.

The Adventures of Lucy Lou (Book 1) is a compilation of six short stories. The stories were written over a period of several years. All of the stories have moral value. In the first book, Lucy Lou shows compassion for her mother and bargains with the ghost. The second book depicts how a handicap does not keep one from doing great things. This book originated from my forty-eight years of work with children who have disabilities. I worked with all disabilities as a special educator. The third book shows friendship between relatives. In the fourth book, you will find out how Lucy Lou, with help from the ghost, brought happiness to a little boy who had been bullied at school. It is the story about the gift of giving, which is the greatest gift of all. The fifth book shows cooperation between classmates and Lucy Lou's love for the ghost by granting his wish. The sixth book in the series is a story of compassion, forgiveness, repentance, and acceptance. It is truly a story for all ages.

“It all started to unravel the night she lost her dress in Connecticut. In fact, that was the first time I felt needed. Truly needed. Mental illness is a tricky thing. It manifests itself differently depending on decades. And if the mentally ill make it through their twenties medicated improperly, alive and unscathed, it just becomes more complicated. Many end their contracts there, but those who continue life beyond that decade have a mission, just one that can’t quite be grasped at such an early stage.” —GabrielAna Guida, plagued by confusion due to bipolar/schizoaffective disorder, has decided that the only way to allow her loved ones to live life to their fullest is to take herself out of the equation. With her untold story recorded in letters kept in her coveted backpack, Ana makes her escape from a Rhode Island State Hospital to the crystal blue waters of the Florida Keys to meet her romantic demise, unaware that there are other forces at work, helping or hindering her as she goes. It all depends on what is needed to unravel the knot in the tapestry.Sprinkled with illustrations by artists and photographers Angel Soto and Professor Audrey Sedlak-Barbati, and special artistic contributions by Michelle Giles, Jean Melancon, and Sean Tiernan, Paging Dr. Freedman braids hope, love, and purpose to show the resilience of the human spirit. The scientific meets the metaphysical, and the spiritual dance with the bodily in this untamed symphony defying time and space. A. Grieme, author and educator, lives with bipolar disorder and writes and advocates for the mentally ill, sharing that there is contentment in discontent. It exists.

The Rainbow Tree is a very special tree that grows in the center of a small village. The Rainbow Tree is very large, very tall and very old. Each leaf has a different color, a different shape and a different size. The leaves of the Rainbow Tree’s reflect the rays of the sun into everyone’s homes which make the villagers happy. Nearby, an old woman and her cat live in a small black cottage. The cottage has a big black fence. Inside the cottage are black furniture and dark curtains. Everything in her cottage is dark and gloomy. The old woman is sad and lonely, for no one in the village has visited her for more than one hundred years. One night, when no one is around, the old woman paints the leaves of the Rainbow Tree black. The next morning, the sun’s rays are not reflected into the villager’s homes. This makes the villagers sad and gloomy. The villagers are afraid of the old woman, but a small boy named Miguel decides to visit the old woman. Can Miguel find a way to bring back the Rainbow Tree’s colors and help the people of the village learn a valuable lesson?In this children’s story, after a lonely old woman paints the leaves of the village’s Rainbow Tree black, a little boy pays her a visit and helps the villagers learn the value of kindness.