Our Authors

“Why Tears”

William C. Gordon, a former San Francisco trial lawyer, has written a series of noir mysteries about San Francisco in the 1960’s. They have been well received in several languages and are now available in English. Gordon is a world traveler and a photographer and incorporates the diversity of his life experiences into his fiction.

A young, idealistic young man from Iowa comes to California to join the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1950s. The country is in the beginning of the Civil Rights era and many cities are in turmoil. After a two-year stint in street patrol in downtown L.A., Pete Felix achieves his goal of becoming a motorcycle officer. His fellow officers call themselves B.C.M.C. meaning, Big City Motor Cops. His first trial is to complete the rigid training required by the LAPD to be accepted as a motor officer. As Pete relates, it was not an easy task. During his motor officer training, Pete meets his future police partner and they begin to experience the challenges and dangers that motorcycle cops face daily on the crowded and mean streets of L.A.. Pete begins his story after his retirement as a middle-aged man watching the riots on TV that followed the Rodney King incident. He fumes at the lack of police attention to the crimes being committed in front of the cameras. Finally, he realizes that he can do nothing to stop the wild scenes and, in frustration, heads off to bed thinking of the past and his time on the job with the BCMCs. He then relates many of his activities, arrests and experiences, which include many humorous incidents mixed with some of the most terrifying times in the City of Angels. The reader will find out what it is like to be a traffic enforcement officer in one of the largest cities in the country. Pete tells how he learned the ins and outs of riding a big police motorcycle on the streets and freeways of L.A. and gives you a personal glimpse of the many personalities that make up the LAPD of that era. Look in on the rollicking times in the police roll-calls as they start their tours of duty. They challenge authority of supervision and generally raise hell at some of these roll-calls! Pete opens his police story with the chilling and most dangerous motorcycle police action: a pursuit! He describes his thoughts and actions as he chases the suspects and tries to stay alive while doing it. As the story unfolds, you get a picture of the private conversations and relationships between the officers with which Pete works in the various phases of his career. Accidents and confrontations with traffic violators are the daily challenge of a BCMC and Pete has his own way of dealing with them. The manner with which cops deal mentally with the horrors and the sadness of the real life and death that the cops must face will surprise you. Some will say that cops must be hardened and cynical to cope. Some are and some aren t. Go with Pete and his fellow officers as the City of L.A. erupts into the chaos of the Watts Riot. Feel the terror and dangers that faced the BCMCs and the innocent victims of the riot. Pete survives several minor accidents on his motorcycle but, while on a special detail chasing speeders in a busy part of L.A., Pete crashes into a car that makes an illegal turn in front of him. He receives major injuries that threaten his career as a motor cop. Pete recovers and regains his position on the job but things are never the same for him after that. As Pete ages, he looks back at the way things were and the way they for are him now. With a flare for comedy and a dedication to duty, Gary Smith tells the stories that he and other officers lived on the LAPD in his era. The stories in his book are true stories from his personal experiences and of some of his fellow officers. Names have been changed but the realities that Gary portrays here are.... The way it was!

Find out how the game of Hide and Seek is played with the men of the LAPD in their search for those who think they can evade justice by hiding out.

Hide And Seek will take you behind the scenes of the LAPD and its Warrant Services Detail of the 1970's. There, you will meet former motorcycle officer Pete Felix and a chosen few veteran officers who attempt to find and bring to justice those who have warrants issued for their arrest buy the courts.

Learn interesting facts about how the warrant game is played and the impact that unserved warrants have on the City of Los Angeles. You will taste the humor and danger that officers face each time they knock on doors behind which may lurk......death. The names have been changed. The stories are true.

House of Reckoning is John Saul’s thirty-sixth novel. His first novel, Suffer the Children, published in 1977, was an immediate million-copy bestseller. His other bestselling suspense novels include Faces of Fear, In the Dark of the Night, Perfect Nightmare, Black Creek Crossing, Midnight Voices, The Manhattan Hunt Club, Nightshade, The Right Hand of Evil, The Presence, Black Lightning, The Homing, and Guardian. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling serial thriller The Blackstone Chronicles, initially published in six installments but now available in one complete volume. Saul divides his time between Seattle, Washington, and Hawaii.

jerrianne.smith@biola.edu

http://www.amazon.com/Rhea-Frances-Tetley/e/B001H9RNTE

Rhea-Frances Tetley’s family developed the Valley of Enchantment section of Crestline, beginning in 1924, and she has been visiting the area since birth. She has lived there with her family, full time, since 1976. She is a past president and founder of the Crest Forest/Rim of the World Historical Society and is on the board of directors of the Mountain History Museum in Lake Arrowhead.

Douglas W. Motley is the senior writer for the Alpernhorn News, based at Crestline, California, and covering the communities of the San Bernardino Mountains. Motley has been married to author Rhea-Frances Tetley for four decades. They live in Crestline, California.

rassannie@gmail.com

Like her character Odelia Grey from the Odelia Grey mysteries, Sue Ann Jaffarian, is a middle-aged, plus size paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles with her two cats, B and Raffi. She writes mysteries and general fiction, as well as short stories.  In addition to writing, Sue Ann is sought after as a motivational and humorous speaker. Want to receive HOT FLASHES, Sue Ann’s newsletter? To subscribe, just send an e-mail to sue@sueannjaffarian.com with “Add Me” in the subject line. HOT FLASHES is distributed 3-5 times a year via e-mail. And rest assured, your e-mail information is never sold to or shared with anyone.
You can visit Sue Ann at her website: www.sueannjaffarian.com and follow her on both Facebook and Twitter.

I grew up in an old Quaker town called Whittier in Southern California. For college, I attended the University of Southern California where I wanted to be an English major, but my family convinced me to become an accountant so I could help run a family business. I spent the next few decades trying to get back to writing instead of balancing budgets. After leaving the family business behind in 2008, I started a foundation focusing on global poverty issues particularly their effect on children. I pursued a Masters Degree in Diplomacy and took several field visits with UNICEF, visiting schools around the world. After seeing the importance of education and literacy in the battle to end extreme poverty, I began to shift the focus of my foundation to improving and supporting literacy efforts. In 2009 I was invited to teach a course on social entrepreneurship at Chapman University and joined the full-time faculty for the next five years. Along the way, my passion for literacy and children came together when my 12-year-old son Alex challenged me to write a book he could read. I began writing the Legends of Orkney book series and haven’t stopped writing since that day.

Having been an avid reader my entire life, books based on mythology have always fascinated me the most. I think it’s the idea of magic and the unlimited potential behind the surreal. Building an entirely new world like the fantastical realm of Orkney in my series has been a wonderful challenge. When I think of stories that don’t involve some element of magic it feels dry and boring. I love characters that are deeply flawed and full of emotions like anger and frustration and a burning desire to understand why it is they are so flawed. There are so many wonderful writers out there that entertain children and adults alike, but my all-time favorite book is River God by Wilbur Smith because it tells such a powerful story of life in ancient Egypt and you can’t help but be swept back to that time and place.
When I’m not writing or teaching, I’m out hiking somewhere in the world or hanging out with my three boys who are my greatest joy. Thank you for visiting my page. I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I enjoyed writing them for you.

To learn more about my foundation visit: www.riseupfoundation.org

– Alane Adams
Alane is proud to be a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the International Reading Association, The Literacy Research Association, and the California Reading Association.

Theresa is the co-author of the non-fiction book, “Love, Luck and Lore” (2006 Conari Press). She has also ghost written for Knock Knock Productions. In addition, Theresa has blogged for Family.com’s ParentPedia site, iriswork.com and ToyDirectory.com.