Welcome to Connor, My Hometown is a novel about a small town in Ohio and, more importantly, its various people, their lives, loves, failures and successes, and their interactions with one another. It employs a device, first seen in Thornton Wilder's Our Town, whereas, in that play, the stage manager would talk to the audience several times throughout the play. In this case, the town's editor of the Connor Gazette speaks to the reader. He himself is one of the strongest characters in the novel, and his love of the town and its people becomes readily apparent. There is romance. Jenna, owner of the Chit Chat Cafe, which is the public gathering place for many of the town's locals, meets Brian, an engineer and contract specialist from Sedwick Electronics, and they fall in love and get married. Both of them are in their mid-thirties. Pastor Barry Yoder and his wife, Sherry, are among the most beloved of the town's inhabitants, and they minister to the people. They come alongside a couple who have separated and help restore the lost love from their marriage. Jim and Bessie Benson are loved by everyone. He owns the town's Marathon gas station, and Bessie makes the best pies in the town, but she finds out she has cancer, and the whole town comes together and prays for her. There is Miss Ruth Hennessey, principal of Marshall Middle School, who is a no-nonsense woman on the outside but has a heart of gold on the inside. There's Jim Morrison, general contractor, and Randy Colthirst, the town's dentist. All three hang out nearly every weekday at the Chit Chat café, and their interactions and banter make for some lively discussions. And that's what makes the Chit Chat Cafe seem more like a home than a restaurant. There are many more memorable characters, including the mayor, police chief, fire chief, other pastors. You will grow to love the town and its people. The editor, who used to be a columnist for a major Chicago newspaper for twenty years, brings it all together. I would love to live in Connor myself!

Includes excerpt from Murder on an Irish Farm.

The people who built Newgrange were a special people. With their magnificent works they have left their imprints on the sands of time. Their legacy tells us much about them. They were a highly organised neolithic society. They had advanced engineering skills. They had the courage to undertake massve projects. They were skilled in art and astronomy. They had a multi-dimensional view of the cosmos that illuminated their world. They held powerful beliefs. Part of them no doubt still resides deep within ourselves. We need to know them better. We can learn much from them. Ireland is at a cusp at the moment, as it also was in their time. For inspiration we need to look no further than the mounds of Meath. This book will take you inside the minds of those who built Newgrange and help you share their Neolithic imagination, courage and beliefs.

Previously published in hardcover: New York: Free Press, 2012.

When a Predator drone is hijacked by Taliban forces and used to kill US marines, Major Nathan Connor and his Delta Force unit are deployed to destroy it. The only problem is Connor must also keep a promise -- to find and protect his dead friend's son, Hassan. Delta Force burst into action to track down the Predator drone and Hassan before it's too late, and before more innocent blood is spilt... Explosive action and a thrilling, high-paced read is guaranteed in these gritty war adventures, which follow the behind-enemy-lines exploits of a squad from the US special combat unit known as "Delta Force". Craig Simpson is the author of the critically acclaimed "Special Operations" series. This title is published by Franklin Watts EDGE, which produces a range of books to get children reading with confidence. EDGE - for books kids can't put down.

Kwame, the son of a tribal chief, wants more from life than can be found in his small West African village. Working as a houseboy at the management residence of a foreign-owned gold mine, he listens to the conversations of the residents and fantasizes about one day traveling the world himself. But after mysterious deaths and disappearances are blamed on the revenge of jungle spirits, Kwame overhears something that he wishes he hadn’t. Unable to ignore what has happened, he becomes entangled in a web of theft, murder and a political power struggle that will forever change his life, and the lives of everyone around him.

He believes in science, but only magic can help his mom. Twelve-year-old Finn is used to people in his family disappearing. His twin sister, Faith, drowned when they were three years old. A few months ago, his mom abandoned him and his dad with no explanation. Finn clings to the concrete facts in his physics books—and to his best friend, Gabi—to ward off his sadness. But then his grandmother tells him a secret: the women in their family are Travelers, able to move back and forth in time. Finn's mom is trapped somewhere in the timeline, and she's left Finn a portal to find her. But to succeed, he'll have to put his trust in something bigger than logic. "This is an incredible book, no matter which time universe you're in. I couldn't put it down. One of my favorite debut novels of the year."—Erin Entrada Kelly, New York Times bestselling author and 2018 Newbery Medal winner

Conor, a young Irish aristocrat, was recruited by the Queen of England due to his incomparable looks and talent. Around the same time, Emma started attending the queen’s court as a lady-in-waiting. However, she was actually sent there as a spy to investigate Conor, who has great influence over the queen! But the more she gets to know him, the more these forbidden feelings grow in her heart. “I can’t believe I fell in love with him!”

Packed with superheroes, supervillains, and epic showdowns between good and evil, The Unforgettable Logan Foster from debut author Shawn Peters shows that sometimes being a hero is just about being yourself. Logan Foster has pretty much given up on the idea of ever being adopted. It could have something to with his awkward manner, his photographic memory, or his affection for reciting curious facts, but whatever the cause, Logan and his “PP’s” (prospective parents) have never clicked. Then everything changes when Gil and Margie arrive. Although they aren’t exactly perfect themselves—Gil has the punniest sense of humor and Margie’s cooking would have anyone running for the hills—they genuinely seem to care. But it doesn’t take Logan long to notice some very odd things about them. They are out at all hours, they never seem to eat, and there’s a part of the house that is protected by some pretty elaborate security. No matter what Logan could have imagined, nothing prepared him for the truth: His PP’s are actually superheroes, and they’re being hunted down by dastardly forces. Logan’s found himself caught in the middle in a massive battle and the very fate of the world may hang in the balance. Will Logan be able to find a way to save the day and his new family? 2024 Illinois Bluestem Reader's Choice Award Nominee