Books published by publisher Xlibris Corporation 2015

Grace Garretson and Kee Notah fall in love, marry, and raise a daughter, Rena. Grace, a courier service driver, is robbed of priceless museum artifacts, the keys to a 400-year-old treasure on the Navajo Reservation. The thieves' quest for the treasure is thwarted by thirteen-year-old Rena's discovery of a secret that dates back to the time of the Anasazi. Not only is the case of the stolen artifacts solved, but also a forty-year-old trading post murder, and a revelation that changes the personal lives of the Notah family.Whistler's Gold is appropriate reading for young adult through seniors.

William and Miles Rabun visit their grandmother every summer for fun and family time, but the summer of 2006 was different from others. That's because these young authors, inspired by their grandmother's passion for nature and for other kids to enjoy their world of fun in Atlanta. When asked why this book was written, the boys exclaimed they wanted kids like them and their parents or other family to enjoy and explore with them the things that can be seen and done in one backyard! With illustrations by Atlanta illustrator, Tony Moore, My Grandma's Backyard, highlights a running water pond adorned with frogs and turtles, and also shares the boys' adventure of skipping rocks and reciting poems on the wide deck found in their grandmother's backyard. Learn more about Miles and William´s adventures by visiting www.mygrandmasbackyard.com.

When they acquired their cabin building site in Ski Tur Valley in the fall of 1967, things didn't turn out exactly as they envisioned. Jim and Louise Bennett and their five children thought they were going to build a simple, uncomplicated, leisurely, and totally carefree retreat in the mountains. Most their Valley neighbors felt the same way. But in fact, what they really acquired was forty years of beauty, adventure, excitement and testing. The vision of having a cabin in the mountains was exciting and compelling, but what they actually experienced turned out to be far more so. There were no phones, no power with television and computers, and only seasonal river water when they built their Castle in the Mountain. In the cold of winter it was two miles over snow just to get to their cabin from their parked car and back. They experienced this wilderness area as it went through many changes, beginning as a rough "undeveloped" development to its present status as a highly coveted and well organized mountain recreational community. The history of that evolution contains volumes of exciting stories of adventure for residents and visitors alike. Mother Nature with the help of Murphy and his law, contributed to these adventures in many unexpected and unusual ways. Everyone was put to the test! That evolution was fueled by what the author calls the Spirit of Ski Tur Valley, a Spirit which bonded members of the community into a vital force that overcame many threats to their pristine retreat. Some of those threats came from Mother Nature herself, in the form of blizzards, floods, and avalanches, but others from high powered land developers intent on destroying the Valley as members knew and loved it. THE SPIRIT OF SKI TUR VALLEY is filled with true stories, some poignant, some of evacuation from flooding, of rescuing ill-fortuned hang-gliders, of bears breaking into left over birthday cake. There are tales of Mr. Bates, and Old Blaze, the truck that rescued his owner after ten years of separation. Because he was involved in Ski Tur Valley from its inception in the late sixties, and had lived there full time on a couple of occasions, Bennett was asked to collect stories from community members and present them in book form along with other background history. This remarkable book is based on a family log, kept by his wife Louise, along with contributions from the memories of community members and also from the archives of the Community Association , consisting of legal records, minutes of meeting and records of legal activity. All of these sources combine to unfold the story of THE SPIRIT OF SKI TUR VALLEY.

A feel good mystery that starts with a kick-the-can game that leads to suspense, terror and humor as a rambunctious eleven-year-old boy and his twelve-year-old sister work to solve a case that has baffled the professionals. Scooter and Mary discover a box of counterfeit money but it disappears before they can show it to their doubting father. Through bold, resourceful and dangerous actions, the two young detectives obtain the necessary evidence to resolve the mystery attesting to what kids everywhere already suspect -- kids are smarter than grown-ups.

From the moment we are born, someone is telling us to be careful. No matter what country we call home or what language we speak, these words follow us our entire lives. You might hear parents, friends, family or children lovingly say this phrase at least once a day. Think about all of the times that a loved one goes off to school, play or work, and you say, "I Love You, Be Careful!" I Love You, Be Careful is a heartwarming and uplifting book. There is a page to personalize it as a gift for adults and children. The book's beautiful illustrations capture poignant memories and cause one to reflect on all the "Be Careful" moments in life and smile. It is the perfect gift for grown-ups for a wedding shower, baby shower, mom's day gift, dad's day gift, etc. as it has a page to personalize it. it is only available in hard cover thru xlibris — See http://www.iloveyoubecareful.com Mom's Choice Award Recipient

Is it animal magic? Or the unique DNA of the wolf? This book presents three incredible stories that will transport you into a world of canine courage, endurance, bravery, and fortitude, which can be called nothing less than miraculous. Including the true story of an Arctic "mushing" experience, by author Mary Virginia Pittman, you will never look at the husky the same way again. Their demonstration of courage and bravery beyond imagination can only be attributed to the genetically imbued spirit of the wolf! The story of the 1925 Iditarod, Race of Mercy, is told in a unique way that will allow you to feel the arctic wind on your face and the husky s warm breath and to hear the musher yell, "Gee!" Animal lovers will be brought to tears, and new fans of the husky will be created for life. These are stories that are adventurous, heartwarming, and never to be forgotten.

An enchanting tale revolves around a young boy Kyle Janis. His journey begins when he stumbles upon the entranceway to the secret underworld realms of fairies, trolls, gnomes, and mysterious whosawhachits. He is held prisoner by the impish purple whosawhachits; and the realms must go to war to free him. He finds himself caught in their battle for the title of key holder of the realms and possession of the magical diamond key. The young boy befriends the fairy girl Annastarlis and the pixie boy Nerby. Their conflict is an adventure which has many twists and turns, some humorous, overlapping into the human world. The boy discovers that the underworld realms are responsible for many unexplained mysteries such as crop circles, and Bigfoot sightings. Kyle is rescued by the gnomes and returned home, only to find that no one believes the missing boys tales of secret lands and magical creatures. This book and its charming characters will capture the hearts of both boys and girls. This is book one of the series.

***Environmental Dramas featured in "EcoTheater for the Global Village" ***Three plays that confront environmental issues from an adult as well as a child's perspective are featured in "EcoTheater for the Global Village," recently published by Xlibris, a strategic partner of Random House. Featured are G. Thomson Fraser's, "Giants in the Wilderness," and two children's theater dramas, MacKenzie Louise Coffman's, "Forest Hideout," and Rebekah Lovat Fraser's "The Tree and the Village." Harold Wood, education chairman for the environmentally-focused Sierra Club, was the inspiration behind the book. He contacted G. Thomson Fraser about her play, "Giants in the Wilderness" and suggested that it be published, along with children's dramas with an environmental theme. "Giants in the Wilderness" features John Muir, the Scottish naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, and his role in the birth of the environmental movement in the late 19th century. "Wilderness" contains a Forestry Chautauqua Prologue and post-play Epilogue by Joseph K. Smith which can be used to open a discussion with the audience. The drama was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and matching funds from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management's Conservation Trust Fund. "Wilderness" toured as part of the 1997 Centennial Celebration of the Massachusetts State Forest and Park System. Drama critic Richard Duckett, writing for the Worcester (MA) Telegram and Gazette, characterized "Wilderness" as a history lesson. "By 1896, the destruction of America's forest wilderness had become so rampant many people believed that unless something was done soon, there wouldn't be any wilderness left... Three naturalists - John Muir, Charles Sprague Sargent and Gifford Pinchot - had divergent opinions on the best way to save them." MacKenzie Louise Coffman's children's theater piece, "Forest Hideout" is the story of two children, a brother and sister, who take matters into their own hands to save the family farm. Coffman is a fifth grade student in Western Massachusetts. A televised production of her play is planned for the Summer 2009 with Coffman playing the role of Isabel. Rebekah Lovat Fraser's "The Tree and the Village" is an environmentally instructive fable, a mythological saga that engages the audience and is a visual feast for children of all ages. Lovat Fraser is a graduate in Film Studies from Yale University and mother of MacKenzie. In the Preface to EcoTheater for the Global Village," G. Thomson Fraser observes, "We humans have taken center stage in a worldwide drama to preserve the planet that only the gods of antiquity might find amusing... Theater is now challenged to take up environmental global concerns, to serve as a tool for our continued survival." Playwright G. Thomson Fraser is a professor, journalist, poet and novelist. Her nonfiction novel, "In the Claw of the Tiger," which is based on the true story of a survivor of the Bataan Death March and POW camps in the Philippines and Japan, was published in 2007. Fraser holds a BA in Theater and Communications and an MFA in Playwriting.