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When confronted with truly life-changing circumstances, such as serious illness, injury or disability, most people find the situation extremely overwhelming and horrifying. Most of us think that something of the kind will never happen to us or our nearest and dearest, and when it does we do not know where to turn to and how to react.

Mr. Eldredge’s “You’ve Gotta Fight Back!” is an inspiring and very much no-nonsense book about fighting back when confronted with such adversity in life. Through more than a dozen touching and encouraging true life stories of people afflicted by different diseases, conditions or accidents we learn about their way of dealing with their conditions. We learn about different approaches to life-changing events and how different people learned to accept the changes and/or learned how to fight back. One of the simple, yet very profound insights in fighting back and being happy again is the so-called triumvirate of happiness: someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to. Even if we are not in a perilous situation at the moment, we would do well to remember those three simple rules.

Some of the most valuable advice I found in this book dealt with coping with the situation and how to make the best out of it. While the book is never mindlessly cheerful and it never promises any miracles, it clearly illustrates how it is possible to find happiness and fulfillment even under such extremely adverse conditions. It underlines the importance of working together with the doctors and other medical professionals; of having a positive outlook and attitude, of finding ways and means to still live life to the fullest, of finding humor even in the worst situations and more. Another segment of the book that I found very valuable was all the parts dealing with the role of caregivers, who are oftentimes forgotten or at least overlooked in the struggle.

My favorite part of the book is the author’s affirmations which I’ve copied on a card to carry with me. I do not know anybody who could not benefit from this: “I’m going to be a happy person. I will think happy, positive, enthusiastic thoughts and push out anxiety, fear, hatred, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. I’m going to enjoy life. I will try to make somebody else happy each day. I’m going to love my family and friends and know that they love me. I’m going to be a very confident person. I have a lot of successful experience, so I have every reason to be confident of myself and my ideas. I’m going to remember always that happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances. I make my own happiness in my own mind and my own unhappiness in my own mind. I choose to be a happy person.”

“You’ve Gotta Fight Back!” is an extremely valuable book for anybody needing encouragement and guidance while in a difficult situation. Written in a fluid, easy-to-read style, it should find a permanent home on your bookshelf – to help you, your family or your friends if help should be needed.

Loving Healing Press (2007)

ISBN 9781932690347

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (11/07)

Let’s Eat Out! Your Passport to Living Gluten and Allergy Free

by Kim Koeller and Robert La France

R & R Publishing (2006)

ISBN 0976484501

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (11/06)

According to the authors this is the first book dedicated to eating around the corner and around the world while managing ten food allergies including: corn, dairy, eggs, fish, gluten, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat. And, I couldn’t agree more. This book is full of extremely important information geared toward the most common food sensitivities.

Those of us with food sensitivities know how difficult it can be to eat out in restaurants. The authors of “Let’s Eat Out!” simplify the process. For example, the first chapter gives a step-by-step approach to eating outside the home. The first step is education. Koeller and La France insist on education, research, and support groups. Another step is to identify the eating options and preferences with the restaurant. This includes type (family, fast food, carry out,) cuisine (new, familiar) and the most important being to decide to go somewhere new, gluten/allergy friendly, and/or feature allergy-free menus. The question that the authors encourage us to ask ourselves is “How much effort do I want to spend on deciding what to eat at this restaurant?” Being sensitive to specific foods and loving to eat out, personally, I will do what it takes to do the research.

“Let’s Eat Out!” is the most concise book that I have seen. Not only do the authors lay out the process of obtaining allergy-free foods in a restaurant, they outline seven international cuisines: American, Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Mexican, and Thai. Each chapter gives an informative overview as well as traditional ingredients, gluten awareness, dining considerations, and a sample menu with ingredients and possible allergens.

But, there is more! The authors make it easy for us by giving sample questions to ask, reference guides, meal ideas, breakfast and beverage suggestions, multi-lingual phrases, global airlines meal options, product resources, as well as international organizations.

All this information is contained in one book, however, there is even more. Available by the same authors are small, compact booklets that can easily slip into a purse or pocket. Each booklet is a guide in itself that can be referenced while in a restaurant.

What can I say? I’m overwhelmed with all the information presented, and extremely grateful that I now have the most informative book in my procession. There is no more second guessing of what ingredients are in specific meals or questioning the wait staff that may or may not know the answers.

Koeller and La France have a real winner here. This is a book that will become dog eared in my custody. Needless to say this is the best reference book regarding allergy foods that I have ever seen. There really is no need for any other book.

Siblings – if you have one or more, you probably know how that goes… Can’t live with them sometimes, and can’t live without them for sure. So often they are our mirrors – in which we see ourselves the way others see us, and at times the way we wish we would truly be. I just cannot imagine losing any of mine, and I realize all too well that they have helped shape me into the human being that I became, in many ways even more than my parents have.

Reading “Sixtyfive Roses” was incredibly sobering. I cannot imagine the courage Heather Summerhayes Cariou had to have to actually write this unbelievable story and have it published. But then, she had a lifelong training in “above-and-beyond” courageous behavior. Imagine knowing since early childhood that your baby sister is ill – and that she will never get better. Imagine promising her not to leave, and not to let her die alone. Imagine being her lifelong protector. Imagine living with this impenetrable black cloud surrounding you and your family. And yet, you have to grow up. And you realize all too well that one day your sister will be gone. Imagine the rage, the despair, the jealousy for not being the center of attention, the desperate desire to make your sister’s life easier… all those conflicting, oftentimes violent emotions. And one day the unthinkable happens… and your sister takes the last, labored breath. She is gone. And you are still here.

The story of how Pam, Heather’s younger sister, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of four, and how her family fought for her and other children with this debilitating disease is not a happy one, but definitely a positive and hopeful one. The strength and courage of everybody involved, from Pam herself to her family, her doctors and others with the same disease shows the world at least two perennial truths: that good does not necessarily win and that courage and fighting spirit can make an unbelievable difference. Back in those days children with CF tended to die very young, and Pammy’s prognosis was no better, yet she kept fighting for over two decades and lived to the age of twenty-six. And she did not merely exist in this world, she lived her life as fully as possible and she made a difference in many other lives.

Heather Summerhayes Cariou’s “Sixtyfive Roses” is a memoir, a tribute and a love poem, written in a clear, sometimes brutally honest and always sincere fashion. Her words are beautifully crafted, and her voice is distinct and unique. I have no doubt that Pammy is smiling at her big sister right now, and feeling mighty proud of her.

“Sixtyfive Roses” should be required reading for anybody dealing with a seriously ill person in their life, as well as anybody with any kind of a big or small problem. It certainly puts a lot of things in perspective, and it made me so very glad that I can go, pick up a phone and talk to my siblings right now, which is exactly what I am going to do tonight.

McArthur & Company (2008)
ISBN 9781552786789

Reader Views is happy to be talking with Kieran Harrop, author of the inspirational book “Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success.” Kieran is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor for Reader Views.

Juanita: Thanks for talking with us today Kieran. Please tell us about the inspiration and birth of your book “Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success.”

Kieran: Hi Juanita, it is a pleasure to talk with you. The inspiration for my book began as I was sailing into the open Pacific in my small sailboat, after graduating from university. I was living my dream and wanted to share the exhilaration I felt with as many people as I could. It occurred to me that sailing itself was the ideal metaphor for the journey to success, happiness and the realization of dreams. Just like sailing, if you want to be successful in life, you must choose a destination (know where you want to go), chart a course (create a plan of how you are going to get there), and then weigh anchor and set sail (take action on your plan).

The more I thought about the metaphor, the more I liked it. It is a simple and accessible theme we can all relate to. You can be a potato farmer plowing his fields near Boise, Idaho, and still want to stay on an even keel in the eye of a storm, come hell or high water. We all know what it’s like to weather life’s storms, to have the wind taken out of our sails, to go with the flow or be on the right tack because we experience these feelings in our everyday family, work and social lives. The metaphor also works for the inner journey towards peace, happiness and spiritual well-being. With-in us all is an infinite sea of potential. When we connect with this Source, we suddenly find ourselves in the flow of the moment, on the right tack and living life to its fullest.

Juanita: What type of guidance and information will your book provide to readers?

Kieran: Voyage to Destiny, Sailing to Success provides a simple methodology to achieve the potential we are all born with. There are simple, practical steps anyone can take to live life to its potential. I just mentioned some basic steps are to choose a destination, chart a course and to set sail. I go into these steps in detail and answer the all important question, “What is your purpose and ultimate destination in life and how do you get there?” The book also discusses concrete techniques such as visualization, treasure maps, positive thinking and affirmations that are designed to manifest the prosperity and well-being you deserve in your life. Voyage to Destiny teaches the reader how to become an explorer: To set a new course into the seas of success by breaking down limiting beliefs replacing them with fresh pathways in their minds to prosperity, health and happiness.

Juanita: Do you really feel that we can truly realize any of our dreams?

Kieran: Certainly! If you can think it, if you can keep that thought in your mind, believe in it, and persistently and consistently take action towards it, then your dream will come true.

Juanita: Tell us a little more about the metaphor of the sailing voyage and how you’ve applied it to the realization of one’s dreams.

Kieran: Life is like a voyage at sea. At birth your soul is put to sea in the vessel of the body. You can be on the right tack, going with the flow and sailing to success. Or you can be in the eye of a storm, beating to weather and even lost at sea.

When I left on my sailing voyage that lasted seven years, I was living my dreams. I keep meeting sailors who were much older than I (in much larger sailboats) looking at me in envy. I understood that although these successful men and women were realizing their dreams they wished they had realized them earlier in life. I decided to analyze what I had done to make my dream come true so that I could model the methodology for future endeavors and share my discoveries with others. First, I had the insight. A friend took me out on his boat, I felt the swell come in off the Pacific, and I instantly knew that I was going to sail off on an adventure. That I didn’t know how to sail did not deter me in the least. Then, I just kept the image of my dream (buying a sailboat and sailing it into the Pacific) emblazoned on the canvass of my mind. Although there were many obstacles, I seemed to sail through them. There is something that happens once you find your passion that makes you unstoppable.

Of course, I had a plan. I knew that I needed a sailboat and would have to learn to sail it. For that I needed money. I was a very good treeplanter and knew that with two years hard work I would have enough to buy a sailboat. Those were two wonderful years, because I had direction and I knew where I was going. Even though it was hard work, I was already living my dream. I planted mountains and valleys of good karma on my way to the coast where I bought my beautiful boat. So, to use the metaphor, I distill it into three basic steps.

First, you must know where you want to go (choose your destination). Second, you figure out how you are going to get there (chart a course). And third, you take action on your dream (weigh anchor and set sail). You take responsibility for where you are now, understanding that you, and no one else, is the captain of your ship. The trick is to be passionate about it. Have a big dream that will get you up out of bed each morning greeting the day and saying, “I’m so grateful for this day. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to take steps that will bring me closer to my dreams. I’m so grateful be living my dream!” Once you begin living a purpose-driven life with the wind of grace filling the sails of your mission, everything you do will be imbued with intention and passion.

Juanita: Why do so many people struggle with reaching their own potential?

Kieran: Most people struggle with reaching their own potential because of a lack of vision and focus. Once you know the purpose of your life and once you are passionate about it, there is little that can stop you from realizing your dreams. Life becomes a breeze and you cannot help but sail to success.

This is not to say there is magic pill for success. Sailing takes time. My sailboat averaged about 4 knots as I moved down the coast of North America, about the same speed as walking. This is not a quick-fix solution, but an organic process that works. The good news is once you decide that what is important to you and you decide to get it, you are on the course to success. The voyage itself is the reward.

Juanita: You mention “choice” frequently in your book – Choose a destination, choose success…etc. What are your thoughts on choice and how it affects all aspects of one’s life?

Kieran: Choice is of integral importance. Not only does Jean-Paul Sartre say that at every moment that we are free, but also that we are chained to that freedom. At every single moment during the day you are free to do anything that you want. You can, at this moment, follow your dream, or you can deny your freedom, power and responsibility for your life. Most people decide to abnegate the power and freedom in their lives. This in itself is a choice. They do this because to accept the power and freedom that they have is to accept responsibility for where they are in life. They cannot blame their parents or their teachers or their genetics or their environment anything else for where they are at this moment. This can be difficult to accept for people who have blamed, complained, judged and justified all their life.

Taking control of your life is like coming out of the musty dark hold of a ship that has been battered at sea. You open the hatch and pull yourself on deck only to discover there are no sailors or captain on deck. To your utter amazement you understand that you are the captain of this ship, because it is the vessel of your life. You stagger to the bridge and take hold of the helm in your shaking hands as you turn the ship in the direction of your dreams.

Choice equals creation. Once you realize you can do anything at this moment, the world becomes an incredibly beautiful place full of potential and flow. Oh sure, there will be times when you need to vacuum the house, wash the dishes and change diapers, but when you do these task under your own volition, fully in the moment, knowing that they are in alignment with the big dreams you are passionate about, day-to-day work become exhilarating.

Juanita: How important is spirituality in the achievement of success?

Kieran: Spirituality is a major component of success. Everything is imbued with spirit and energy. There is a life force that flows through us and all things in the universe. The chair you are sitting at, your computer and your body are made up of electrons and energy which flows from one object to another. Another word for this life force, this flow, this energy is spirit. Success is when life force flows through you in such a way that you have abundance in your life, material prosperity, balanced relationships, health, happiness, peace and presence. As you give freely of yourself serving others and as you follow your life purpose, you will find abundance flow into your life. You are in the flow, on a ship in the sea of life, and every moment counts. You can see people who have accumulated billions of dollars and yet they are unhappy. Better first to be happy, to be living life on your own terms, living your dream to your potential, connected in the Now – a spiritual being. The money, the health will follow once you begin to live your dreams.

Juanita: What significance do you give to meditation and journaling?

Kieran: The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn said, “It is not an option not to meditate,” and I agree. Meditation is the best way I know to become free of the mind and the ego. Our mind is constantly active throughout the day with thousands upon thousands of thoughts. The thoughts we have today are the same thoughts we had yesterday and the day before. Our thoughts can imprison us because we identify with them. In a sense, we are possessed by our thoughts. So to become free, to become a discoverer on the seas of success, to break our limiting beliefs and thought patterns, we must first become conscious. Consciousness is awareness of what we are thinking and feeling in the present moment. It is to become Present. It is an awareness of the “I” that is doing the thinking. Meditation is the best way to become aware of the constant flow of thoughts and to learn how to turn them off. We are not the thinker. We are not the emotion. We are something much deeper, much more peaceful and full of grace. To experience that greatness, that internal power, that deep peacefulness and secret that dwells within behind the static of the thinking mind, is the key to the universe.

I believe in journaling also. Perhaps if I was a painter, the canvass would be my medium. In Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success, I recommend buying a Ship’s Log (a journal) to record your dreams, goals, successes and life lessons. A study at Yale University showed that the three percent of people who had written goals were worth more than the other 97% combined. Catherine Cox studied the habits of 300 geniuses and discovered that all of them were compulsive diary keepers. Studies have also shown that retention of information is greater when the listener takes notes. Retention becomes much more effective when the listener reviews the notes between 2 hours and 12 hours after the lecture. All these notes can go into your Ship’s Log. When I am reading, attending a seminar, or listening to an audio book, I have my Ship’s Log handy where I can jot down great ideas that will propel me to my dreams.

Juanita: How do our thoughts – positive and negative – tangibly influence our lives?

Kieran: As you think so shall you be. Think positive, abundant, peaceful and loving thoughts and your life will be filled with wealth, abundance, peace and love. This is tangible. This is reality. You literally create your reality with your thoughts. A theory as to how this works is that all things are energy. That red Lamborghini that you’ve always wanted is nothing more than a pile of atoms. Atoms are made up of electrons, neutron and space. Look more closely at the neutrons and electrons and they too are mostly space – space and energy. Your thoughts, too, are energy and energy attracts like energy. So if you hold an image of that red Lamborghini in your mind, you can literally manifest that car into your life. How it works concerns me less than that it works. You don’t need to know how engine works in that Lamborghini for you to get in and drive. Likewise, even through we may not be sure how thinking positively brings positive change in our lives, this should not deter us from thinking positively.

Juanita: Have you always had your positive outlook on life?

Kieran: I think I was born a positive, happy-go-lucky soul. I was also fortunate to come from a loving home and receive an excellent elementary education in a private Catholic school. However, with the onset of adolescence, a combination of arguments at home, a hard time in the public high school system and escape into drugs almost knocked that optimism and confidence out of me. It took me almost losing my life and two months in the hospital for me to realize how precious life is. I had to rebuild myself from the ground up and discovered meditation along the way. There is no looking back. I feel I learn something new every day. Through the light of consciousness I dissipate limiting belief systems that used to hold me back. I feel like a child again, with times of peace, wonder and extreme gratitude for the present moment.

Juanita: Who has inspired and influenced you throughout your life?

Kieran: In grade 4 or 5 I remember I was inspired by the life of St. Don Bosco. When Don Bosco was a very young man, he dreamed of a regal man and woman who dressed him for a great battle. The battle was on behalf of a multitude of poor, unruly and neglected children. He was told he had the character and traits to help these poor children, to conquer their unruliness and make them his friends. This dream was so powerful and vivid that it lasted for the rest of his life which he dedicated helping the throngs of abandoned young people living on the street in hopelessness. I love the stories of men and woman who where inspired by powerful dreams – from Joseph and his dream coat to Martin Luther King.

My two mentors right now are Eckhart Tolle and Dr. Wayne Dyer. Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now has put words and context to what I have experienced meditating. Every word of his books is pure gold. Dr. Wayne Dyer is a classic. His books have inspired me to higher levels of greatness and understanding of the human spirit. Like a lighthouse pointing a way through a channel in the rocks to new seas of human potential, his voice has guided me on my personal voyage to my destiny.

Juanita: Kieran, what would you say to someone that is struggling with finding their own personal power?

Kieran: Personal power can be generated by taking action on your dream. Procrastination is the opposite of personal power. Once you know your heart-felt purpose in life, you must take action. Every time you take a step on the path of your purpose, you generate personal power. For someone who is struggling with this process and is waiting for motivation I say, “Take action first and motivation will follow.” You must take action or you, the part of you that is most important, will be missing in action. At first your actions may be small (say buying a journal for your Ship’s Log), but notice how that small action makes you feel. That positive feeling will inspires you to take more action and generate more personal power. That first action has begun a perpetually expanding wheel of action to personal power to action to personal power. Soon you become unstoppable.

Juanita: Please tell us about Target Success Enterprises and your drive to help others achieve success in their lives.

Kieran: Target Success Enterprises is dedicated to help people and organizations realize their dreams. Working for a tier one companies I’m surprised to see the employees have no idea where the corporation is going. People and organizations need to follow the same process as a ship at sea. The first step is to ask the questions, “Where are we going?” and “How will we get there?” Then you must take action on your plan. In the case of an organization, the goal and the plan must be communicated to all the employees in person. If the organization is too large for the CEO to deliver the information at each location, then he or she has to delegate the message (in person) to someone who will. As with the individual, in a company of any size, understanding and communicating the goals and strategies of the company cannot be understated. Again the goal must inspire the employees to new heights of engagement, greatness and potential.

Juanita: How can your readers find out more about you and “Voyage to Destiny?”

Kieran: I encourage readers to visit my website at and send any questions to kieran@voyagetodestiny.com

Juanita: Kieran, thank you for this in-depth and inspiring interview. We appreciate that you had the time to talk with us today, and have given us much to think about. Do you have any last thoughts for your readers?

Kieran: Thank you so much, Juanita. I appreciate the opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions.

Last thoughts?

We have only one life to live. Seize the moment and make it yours. The world is at your feet. Simply set sail into the seas of your passions and desires and make your dreams come true.

Dean Ray Koontz came into this world on July 9, 1945, in Bedford, Pennsylvania. He says his family was very poor and his father was a mean drunk and womanizer. The home they lived in was a shack with four small rooms and a tar paper roof.

In 1967, Dean graduated from Shippensburg University with a degree in English. He married Gerda, his high school sweetheart the same year. They decided not to have children.

Dean took a job with the Appalachian Poverty Program, tutoring and counseling underprivileged children. His love of writing was always with him, so he continued to write after work and the weekends. His first published work, “Star Quest,” was a science fiction novel.

Dean had worked for about 18 months as a high school English teacher when his wife, Gerda, made him a proposition. She got a job in a shoe factory and offered to support the family for five years so that he could concentrate on his writing career. After the five years, Gerda quit her job and tends to the business side of Dean’s writing.

Dean has also written under these pseudonyms: W. H. Allan, David Axton, Brian Coffey, Deanna Dwyer, K.R. Dwyer, John Hill, Aaron Wolf, Leigh Nichols, Anthony North, Richard Paige and Owen West. He says he did this because publishers convinced him that because he was writing in different genres, he could wind up alienating his audience.

Dean had written several science fiction books before he tried his hand at suspense thrillers. He says, “…even the most beautifully decorated, serene welcoming room contains a stunning array of fearsome weapons if one has even the most latent talent for Homicide.” Dean has also written graphic novels, short stories, non fiction and picture books. Some of his books were inspired by his beloved golden retriever, Trixie.

Dean has been called ‘a masterful writer and a quirky character.’ He’s a writer who has the uncanny ability to turn a safe and comfortable world into one of pure horror.

Most of Dean’s novels are set in and around Los Angeles. Several of his books have been made into films, and there is talk of the novel, “Odd Thomas,” being made into a television mini series.

Dean, and Gerda, make their home in southern California.

Books by Dean Koontz:

Series:

Tucker: (as Brian Coffey)
Blood Risk (1973)
Surrounded (1974)
The Wall of Masks (1975)

Moonlight Bay:
Fear Nothing (1997)
Seize the Night (1998)

Odd Thomas:
Odd Thomas (2003)
Forever Odd (2005)
Brother Odd (2006)
Odd Hours (2008)
In Odd We Trust (2008) (with Queenie Chan)

Stand Alone Novels:
Star Quest (1968)
The Fall of the Dream Machine (1969)
Fear That Man (1969)
Anti-man (1970)
Beastchild (1970)
The Dark Symphony (1970)
Hell’s Gate (1970)
The Crimson Witch (1971)
Demon Child (1971) (as Deanna Dwyer)
Legacy of Terror (1971) (as Deanna Dwyer)
A Darkness in My Soul (1972)
The Flesh in the Furnace (1972)
Starblood (1972)
Warlock (1972)
Children of the Storm (1972) (as Deanna Dwyer)
The Dark of the Summer (1972) (as Deanna Dwyer)
Chase (1972) (as KR Dwyer)
Dance With the Devil (1972) (as Deanna Dwyer)
The Haunted Earth (1973) (as Deanna Dwyer)
A Werewolf Among Us (1973)
Hanging on (1973)
Demon Seed (1973)
Shattered (1973)
After the Last Race (1974)
Dragonfly (1974) (as KR Dwyer)
Nightmare Journey (1975)
Invasion (1975) (as Aaron Wolfe)
The Long Sleep (1975) (as John Hill)
Night Chills (1976)
Prisoner of Ice (1976) (as David Axton)
Time Thieves (1977)
The Vision (1977)
The Face of Fear (1977) (as KR Dwyer)
The Key to Midnight (1979) (as Leigh Nichols)
Whispers (1980)
The Voice of the Night (1980) (as Brian Coffey)
The funhouse (1980) (as Owen West)
The Eyes of Darkness (1981) (as Leigh Nichols)
The Mask (1981) (Owen West)
The House of Thunder (1982) (as Leigh Nichols)
Darkness Comes (1983)
Phantoms (1983)
The Servants of Twilight (1984) (as Leigh Nichols)
The Door to September (1985) (as Richard Paige)
Twilight Eyes (1985)
Strangers (1986)
Watchers (1987)
Shadow Fires (1987) (as Leigh Nichols)
Lightening (1988)
Oddkins (1988)
Midnight (1989)
The Bad Place (1989)
Cold Fire (1991)
Hideaway (1991)
Dragon Tears (1992)
Mr Murder (1993)
Winter Moon 1993)
Dark Rivers of the Heart (1994)
Intensity (1995)
Tick Tock (1995)
Santa’s Twin (1996)
Sole Survivor (1997)
False Memory (1999)
From the Corner of His Eye (2000)
One Door Away From Heaven (2001)
By the Light of the Moon (2002)
The Face (2003)
Life Expectancy (2004)
The Taking (2004)
Robot Santa: The Further Adventures of Santa’s Twin (2004)
Velocity (2005)
The Husband (2006)
The Good Guy (2007)
The Darkest Evening of the Year (2007)
Your Heart Belongs to Me (2008)
Relentless (2009)
Breathless (2009)

Picture Books:
Trixie, Who is Dragon (2009)
Trixie and Jinx (2010)

Graphic Novels:
Trapped (1993) (with Ed Gorman)
Nevermore (2009) (with Keith Champagne)

Non Fiction:
How to Write Best Selling Fiction (1981)
Writing Popular Fiction (1992)
Bliss to You: Trixie’s Guide to a Happy Life (2008) (with Trixie Koontz)
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog (2009)