Greenwich, CT, – In Targets of Deception, which suspense master Robert K. Tanenbaum called “a fast-paced thriller,” we were introduced to CIA agent Jordan Sandor in a story praised by bestselling author Steve Alten as “terrific.” Now Sandor is back in Jeffrey S. Stephens’s riveting Targets of Opportunity (Gallery Books; August 30, 2011; $24.00), playing for bigger stakes and facing deadlier challenges.
Whisked from his Manhattan townhouse to a gabled CIA safe house in Virginia, Sandor faces off with a top terrorist agent from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In exchange for protection from his own side, Ahmad Jaber is offering the CIA explosive information: word of a secret, unholy alliance forged among operatives in the Middle East, a ruthless South American, and Kim Jong-II’s North Korea. Jaber claims not to know specific details, only that the strike will target the heart of America.
The fanatics stage a stunning diversion in the Caribbean, mercilessly downing a passenger jet and unleashing an assault on a French intelligence installation. Sandor, however, has already moved in a different direction. Leveraging Jaber’s information, he assembles a small strike force to penetrate North Korea. The team knows they will not all return, but the intel they gather will be vital to American security. What they ultimately discover plunges Sandor into a frantic race against time, struggling to defeat a shadowy figure—a master terrorist with a plan of destruction so perfectly disguised that even with the new knowledge he has gathered, Sandor cannot guess where or how he will strike.
As a storm rages in the Gulf of Mexico, word comes that two submarines have penetrated U.S. waters. With the U.S. military hampered by the hurricane, Sandor turns to a few daring U.S. Navy SEALs to duel with the enemy they cannot see…for now they know only that there are two nuclear weapons aimed at a target of opportunity whose destruction would change the world order forever.
Brilliantly conceived, electrifyingly paced, Targets of Opportunity captures a terrifying twenty-first century reality: terrorists can—and will—try as many times as they need to attack the United States. For the brave men and women who defend our country, failure is not an option. Targets of Opportunity will leave every reader hanging on for Jordan Sandor’s next step, staying with him through to the end.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey S. Stephens began the Jordan Sandor series with Targets of Deception, published in 2009 to rave reviews. Born in New York City, he now lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with this wife, Nancy, not far from their sons Graham and Trevor.
TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY By Jeffrey S. Stephens Gallery Books; August 30, 2011; ISBN 978-1-4516-2432-8; $24.00
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TIP SHEET:
Vince Flynn, #1 NY Times bestselling author: “A ripping good yarn of intrigue.”
Publishers Weekly: “In Stephens’s solid second Jordan Sandor thriller…the explosive finale will leave readers more than satisfied.”
Booklist Online: “Targets of Opportunity is a plot-driven, action-heavy thriller that will appeal to fans of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor.”
Publishers Weekly: “…regular series hero Jordan Sandor goes up against Arab-inspired terrorism. Stephens also involves the North Koreans in a major way, adding a new emphasis and making [TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY] fresh and original.”
The Mystery Gazette: “The stupendous second Sandor thriller …is a great action tale…The story line is fast-paced and never slows down…Readers will relish this taut suspense thriller.”
Seduced by a Book Review: “I loved the fast pace of the book. The reader gets to see from both perspective what is happening. Just like those hired to conduct the attack, however, we don’t get the full picture only pieces until the end. The book is well written…filled with lots of action, twists, and drama this book delivers a most enjoyable read. I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses.”
Southlake, TX, – With 80,000 centenarians currently in the world and more expected in the future, scientists predict that children born today may well reach their 150th birthday. And that doesn’t mean their last fifty years will be in a nursing home; it means living life to the max – good mental faculties, physically active and also enjoying sex – the new ‘doorway to the fountain of youth!’
One of the greatest discoveries of all time for the science world was the ability to identify the genes that make up human DNA. This gave us a road map to the body that allows doctors to understand diseases and treatment on a whole new level and target drugs to groups of individuals – not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Researchers recently found that aging is caused by the shortening of telomeres, the protective strands of DNA at the end of our chromosomes. Since we now know that heart disease, diabetes and cancer can shorten the telomeres, we have to avoid even the earliest stages of these diseases if we want to live to 100 plus!
Overall, treat your body like a temple and be aware of what you put in it. Play safe; if you can’t pronounce an ingredient – don’t eat it!
Go through life with a good attitude and thinking positive thoughts because thinking negatively releases cortisol and other hormones that can cause aging, whereas positive thoughts create serotonin that helps increase sleep quality – another essential to longevity.
It’s apparent that if people want to live happy and healthy lives and become tomorrow’s centenarians, they need to take control of their lifestyle choices now. To help them do this, doctors Walter Gaman and Mark Anderson of Executive Medicine of Texas (named ‘Best Doctors in Texas’ by Newsweek Magazine), know just what it takes and they share it all in their ground-breaking book, co-authored with Judy Gaman, Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health (George House Publishing).
While these internationally recognized leaders put their main focus on anti-aging through preventive and proactive measures, some of the tips they offer might surprise you. New studies show that having an active sex life can increase longevity and these experts will tell you why that is and how much you need.
The team of experts at Executive Medicine of Texas are currently being booked on television shows around the country with segments that include visual tools and offer real advice on staying young. They show a chromosome model and explain how shortening the telomeres causes aging; they present foods that keep you younger longer, and discuss the need for sleep and how being on the computer or phone at night can disturb sleep patterns. Everything in their live presentation is geared towards giving viewers/listeners the tools to increase longevity.
Ellaville, GA, – Jackie Carpenter lived through an experience that no parent should have to go through. It began in June of 2008 when her son apprehended thieves in the act of stealing copper from his work site. The thefts were increasing and, on the advice of a deputy, he was armed and trying to keep the men there while he called police when the gun accidentally fired, and one man died from his wounds.
The Bridge: Between Cell Block A and a Miracle is Psalm 91 (Xulon Publishing) by Jackie Carpenter tells the powerful and compelling story of her terrifying journey that began the morning she received a frantic call from her son’s wife telling her that he had been arrested for felony murder, and it did not end until the jury returned its verdict ten months later.
Jackie had been living the great life; she had a wonderful husband, good health, two married sons and four beautiful grandchildren. She had it all. But after her son was taken into custody and charged with felony murder and four other serious charges, and the deputy recanted the advice he gave her son, her world fell apart.
Jackie clung to Psalm 91, asking God for a miracle. During the trial, her son’s attorney had asked her not to bring her Bible into the courtroom for fear of offending a non-believing juror. Jackie couldn’t do that. She was asking God for a miracle – how could she take the chance of offending Him? The Bridge is the story of a ten-month journey up to that fateful day in April 2009 when Jackie got her miracle in the form of an acquittal.
While The Bridge: Between Cell Block A and a Miracle is Psalm 91 is a story of a mother’s love and her walk of faith, the sequel Georgia Justice: A Story To Faith acts as a guide for building faith in the face of tragedy and grief. Jackie had never believed that she would serve to be a resource for people facing a crisis in life – but it took the worst crisis in her life and the miracle that stemmed from it to drive her to write her heart-wrenching story. It is a powerful testimony to the spiritual strength this small-town girl found in the promises of Psalm 91 and how she built her faith up during the tormenting ten months leading up to her son’s trial.
Jackie Carpenter has been a featured guest on television, radio, and in newspaper articles. Her two powerful books will be produced into a motion picture that will be in theaters the fall of 2012. For more information on this author and her miraculous story of faith, hope and love that brought her to victory, please visit her website at: www.bridgetoamiracle.com
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TIP SHEET:
Bob Etier, Blog Critics: “The Bridge is a book for people who believe in miracles. It is also for people who need to be reminded that during troubling times, God is not the guilty party. Even devout Christians sometimes need to be reminded that their strength is in the Lord, and The Bridge serves as that reminder.”
Emory Daniels, Book Reviews: “The Bridge clearly demonstrates that God still performs miracles in the 21st century. A key point is that when bad things happen it’s better to trust God than to blame Him. The story also reveals that it is certainly possible to survive a tragedy without losing faith.”
Monique, Book Pleasures: “This is a good, inspirational story…you can absolutely see the conviction in her (Jackie’s) heart that God’s love and grace alone brought her through this difficult time…she simply wants to share her miracle with you.”
Las Vegas, NV, – Writer H. Lee Barnes lives in Las Vegas and teaches English and Creative Writing at the College of S. Nevada – a far cry from his days on the battlefield as a member of a Special Forces A-team in Vietnam. Typical of many young men in the early 60’s, Barnes was in college and drifting along as an average student when a letter from his Draft Board made the decision of what he would be doing for the next couple of years of his life. He enlisted in the Army and became, much to his own surprise, a member of the elite Green Beret.
There are the legends of the Green Berets and their clandestine, special operations that are celebrated in story and song, and then there’s the reality of one soldier’s experiences. In When We Walked Above The Clouds: A Memoir of Vietnam (University of Nebraska Press) by H. Lee Barnes, we share first-hand the day-to-day loss and drudgery that more accurately conveys the daily grind and quiet desperation behind the polished-for-public-consumption accounts of military heroics.
Barnes tells what it was like to be a Green Beret; first in the Dominican Republic during the civil war of 1965, and then at A-107, Tra Bong, Vietnam, where he eventually came to serve as the advisor to a Combat Recon Platoon which consisted chiefly of Montagnard irregulars.
While Barnes sees his months of simply doing what the mission demanded as nothing to get excited over (after all, bad coffee, heat, insects, sickness, killing rats, cleaning guns and building bunkers, make up the routine nature of war), he skillfully communicates how this predictability makes the intensity of patrols and attacks all the more menacing, and his book makes for a very sobering read.
He recalls a particular routine patrol that had gone wrong and four of his own and a large number of Vietnamese and Montagnard tribesmen were killed. As he lifted a buddy’s decomposed body off the ground, both a hatred for the enemy and the stupidity of the war emerged and he began his own patrols. He learned to do what few other Americans in his outfit could – climb the treacherous mountains and survive the unforgiving conditions as well as a native. Learning to trust the jungle and all its dangers, he felt more alive than he had before or ever has since.
Barnes’s story is one of loss – of morale lost to alcoholism, teammates lost to friendly fire, of missions that were aborted, and those that were endlessly and futilely repeated. As the story advances, so does the attrition – teammates get transferred, innocence is cast off, and confidence in leadership dwindles. But against this dark background, Barnes manages to honor these men who nonetheless carried the day.
This rare look into life as a Green Beret makes a compelling read. Nearly fifty years later, Barnes writes that “Vietnam is the only thing in my life that isn’t fiction,” and his book stands as a tribute to the contribution the men of this elite group made, both the routine and the brave.
Before Vietnam Vet H. Lee Barnes entered the field of higher education, he worked in various law enforcement positions and as a construction laborer and a casino employee. He is a hiker and biker who loves to tour the highways of the southwest and occasionally rambles down its inviting back roads…just curious to see what’s around the next corner.
For more information on this award-winning author, please visit: www.hleebarnes.net.
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TIP SHEET:
Kirkus Review: “…offers a moving memoir of his time at war in Vietnam…Nearly 50 years later, Barnes writes that “Vietnam is the only thing in my life that isn’t fiction.” In the grand scheme of things, not much happened at Tra Bong; “the life of a trooper out here meant little, except to those who were out here.” But with sharp and unsentimental prose, Barnes makes it matter a great deal. A war remembrance of beauty and unadorned brutality.”
McKinney, TX, – Howard Stephen Berg is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for reading more than 25,000 words a minute and writing more than 100 words a minute. But it’s not just his reading and writing skills that make him a well-known figure; it’s his brain-based learning strategies that make it possible to comprehend and retain the information. Since his strategies can be learned by anyone, the possibilities are mind-boggling!
Berg once completed a 1,100 page book on Cleveland’s Morning Exchange and achieved a perfect score on recall – what makes it truly astounding is that he was retested three years later on the same book and again had perfect recall. As a guest on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, he memorized a 200-page book, reading at the rate of 13-14 pages/minute, and scored 100% accuracy on an extensive test given by the author.
Berg has created more than 14 other accelerated learning programs that include speed math and memory. His Time-Warner book Super Reading Secrets is in its 28th reprint and his Nightingale-Conant program, Mega Speed Reading, grossed over $65,000,000 and earned him recognition as a leading expert on brain-based learning. He has been honored by both Who’s Who Among Emerging Leaders and 2,000 Notable American Men; two leading books that track outstanding professional performance.
Known as the world’s fastest reader, Berg’s talents are attributed to the cutting-edge, accelerated learning techniques he developed that turn information overload into information assets. His methods have not only enabled the unemployed to get back to work sooner by teaching them additional skills that make them more marketable, but by continuing to apply these skills they will stay on top of the information their success depends upon! He makes life easier by cutting learning time in half – giving everyone the opportunity to succeed but with more time left for the things they enjoy.
Howard Berg is an entertaining celebrity who has appeared on over one thousand radio and television programs including Neil Cavuto and Jon Stewart, and is the spokesperson for the Sony E-Reader along with Justin Timberlake, Peyton Manning and Amy Sedaris. He ‘walked the talk’ by completing a four year Psychology program in one year using his brain-based learning techniques, leading the way for many others to follow as evidenced by the testimonials on his website at : www.speedreadprogram.com.
W. Berry Fowler, Founder Sylvan Learning Centers: “Maximum Power Reading is not only one of the most effective ways an individual can increase their reading rate, it’s easy to learn. I congratulate you on your success and the success of your students.”
Maurice C. Thompson, Jr. Past President & Chairman of Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics: “I feel you have moved one step beyond speed reading to speed learning, bringing the discipline into the 21st Century.”
Claire Herthum Major, President ASTD Baton Rouge Chapter: “Evaluations showed 100% exceeded or met expectations…”
Albuquerque, NM, – ‘Just as talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals won’t make you dead’ – says Gail Rubin, author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die (Light Tree Press). Rubin uses gentle humor to convey vital information about funeral arrangements that most people don’t learn until faced with a death in the family.
With chapters named Over My Dead Body, I Got It At Costco, and It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To, Rubin has overcome society’s last taboo with a book like no other – a great resource minus the morbidity! Rubin’s book provides the information, inspiration and tools to plan and implement creative, meaningful and memorable end-of-life rituals for people and pets while taking the fear out of the subject of death.
Given the fact that only 24% of us pre-plan a funeral and less than 46% tell our family our final wishes – it’s evident we plan our finances, families and retirement, but rarely plan our funerals. Without end-of-life planning, all of life’s other plans can come undone. For this reason an annual event, Create a Great Funeral Day (that occurs every October), was started twelve years ago to remind people of the many benefits of planning their own end-of-life event.
Rubin’s new book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, goes one step further with resources to help reduce family conflict, avoid stress at a time of grief, prepare directives, obituaries, eulogies, ethical wills, cards and thank-you notes, and save readers thousands of dollars in the process. She also presents background on many religious traditions and creative non-religious rituals – especially helpful for interfaith families.
This Doyenne of Death speaks to groups on funeral planning issues using comedy films to lighten the conversation. A Certified Celebrant and event planner, Rubin has been interviewed on television affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, as well as on public radio. Her book was a finalist in the Family & Relationships Category of ForeWord Magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year Award; has been featured in Entrepreneur.com’s article ‘Weird Companies That Work!’ and quoted in a Kiplinger Retirement Report article ‘Selling a burial plot is a grave decision.’
Once a year, like the characters in Harold and Maude, Rubin attends funerals of strangers. During her second annual “30 Funerals in 30 Days Challenge,” she covered each one with a video and wrote about them on The Family Plot Blog. Rubin shares the creative ways people celebrate the lives of those they love and emphasizes that funerals are a life cycle event much like a wedding (and better if planned more than a few days ahead). Rubin sees this as a healthier way of dealing with death – “we know it’s going to happen to all of us some day so let’s make it more comfortable to talk about and plan for.”
Jacqueline Marcell, Author, Speaker, Radio Host: “…an upbeat guide book that brings a light touch to the “icky” subject everyone tries to avoid. Gail is our perky party planner (ok, so it’s for a party no one wants to go to) but hey, her humor will keep you reading and learning what most don’t learn until a crisis or a death–which is a really bad time to find out!… I think it is a must-read for Baby Boomers…and well, any adult still breathin’! Gail was a dynamic guest on my Internet radio program.”
Sylvia Martin, Marriage & Family Therapist: “Rubin approaches a taboo subject in a humorous, sensitive, compassionate manner. She has done her research fully and presents easy to follow, practical steps to take in funeral planning. ..It’s no secret that 67 per cent of American adults are overweight…These bigger bodies need bigger caskets for burial and that has implications for boomers with bad backs who may be pallbearers… This is a very readable book on a difficult subject. I was impressed with her humanism, psychological awareness and empathy.”
Sheryl Inglat, Comfort Keepers: “Rubin has taken a highly emotional subject and turned it into a topic that’s easy to chat about …Her perspective and casualness of the subject of death brings an acceptance most people can’t typically speak of openly. Most valuable to me, as a Gerontologist, were the notes on religious ceremonies – from Hindu to Mormon to Native American and everything in between. What a great resource!”
Boca Raton, FL, – “In Live Like a Fruit Fly, Gabe Berman shares his recipe for living a more joyful, worthwhile, and abundant life in every way. A witty, entertaining, and insightful read.” – Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
“Meet the new generation of consciousness-raising. Gabe’s simple, yet profound message can be a life-changer.” – Alan Colmes, Nationally Syndicated Radio Host
What more can one say after hearing the casually existential cliches, carpe diem, “live every moment like it was your last” or ‘live like there’s no tomorrow?” Blogger and Miami Herald columnist, Gabe Berman wants us to “live like a fruit fly.”
Berman reminds us of that cheerful thought; we are all dying. We’ve been dying since the moment we were born–which in the world of fruit flies seems enviable since they only get to enjoy a life span of a few weeks. Berman wants us to stop wasting time, to make peace and happiness our top priority. Sure, we’ve all heard this hundreds of times, but ask yourself: are you really embracing every moment?
Unconventional and endearing, Live Like a Fruit Fly: The Secret You Already Know (HCI Books –$14.95) makes the sage advice “Seize the day” feel like a revolutionary concept . . . a contemporary twist on an age-old maxim.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE LIKE A FRUIT FLY? Fruit flies are born, begin attending to their fruit-fly agendas almost immediately, and then succumb to old age before witnessing a single change of season. Likewise, we live and die in the virtual blink of an eye.
Live Like a Fruit Fly is a call to action. Through anecdotes, insightful musings, candid stories, and hopeful messages, it emphasizes the importance of following your passions as well as being grateful through Active Appreciation, the gentle but concentrated art of meditating on ‘thank you’ for everything that has happened, is happening,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gabe Berman is a native New Yorker who settled in South Florida after graduating from the University of Miami. An epiphany, a passion, and a trail of breadcrumbs led him out of Corporate America and into a writing career. His columns appear regularly in The Miami Herald and on Alan.com. Visit the author at: www.livelikeafruitfly.com
Available wherever books are sold or to order directly from the publisher, contact: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com.
LIVE LIKE A FRUIT FLY The Secret You Already Know $14.95 ISBN: 978-0-7573-1569-5 August 2011
