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Title: Adelita’s Secret

Sixteen-year old Jack O’Brien has never known the bittersweet stint of love, and romance is the farthest thing from his mind as he and his family arrives at a remote U.S. Air Force outpost in Japan where Jack’s father is base commander. The year is 1948. Jack’s life changes after a chance encounter with Fujiko Kobaysi, a beautiful and enchanting 17-year-old Japanese girl. Jack is immediately smitten.

Fujiko’s traditional parents are overly protective and monitor her every move, and Jack and Fujiko meet secretly at her garden, located some distance from her village. There is a good reason why Fujiko’s parents are so protective and Jack is devastated when Fujiko tells him that her parents have promised her in marriage to an older man, a practice common throughout Asia at the time. The marriage is only a months away. Jack devises a cunning plan, one that will overshadow her arranged marriage and bring Fujiko and him together.

Playing against a backdrop of swirling post-War social change, Voices of the Locusts tells the story of three families – one black, one white, one Asian. Told in Jack’s voice in vivid and sometimes haunting detail, Jack and Fujiko are frustrated in their romantic quest by story characters coming to terms (often violently) with the emotional scars of World War II.

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Christopher Cloud began writing fiction full time after a long career in journalism and public relations. Voices of the Locusts is his fourth novel. A multi-genre author, Chris Cloud’s choice of novels to write is determined not by genre, but by the weight of the story. Cloud graduated from the University of Missouri in 1967 with a degree in journalism. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist at newspapers in Texas, California, and Missouri. He was employed by a Fortune 100 company as a public relations executive, and later operated his own public relations agency. Cloud attended high school in Japan, and much of his Voices of the Locusts is based on personal experience. Cloud lives in Joplin, Missouri.

Visit Christopher online at http://christophercloud.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ron.hutchison.90

A Boy Called Duct Tape is a fast-paced, exciting adventure story for middle-grade readers about three kids in search of the long lost Jesse James treasure.

The story starts with 12-year old Pablo and his 9-year old sister diving for stones at Harper's Hole, in James Creek, at the base of Bear Mountain in Jamesville. A little while back, Pablo had discovered an underground spring feeding the hole. That's why the deep hole is always so cold. Harper's Hole has a special place in their hearts because it was first introduced to them by their father, now dead for 3 years.

This time, however, the kids find a $20 gold coin at the bottom of the hole. The coin has tiny stars around it and is dated 1879. Needless to say, the siblings get super excited by their discovery. As soon as Pablo gets home, he does an internet search and finds out that the coin could be worth $6,250!

A few days later their 13-year old cousin Kiki comes to visit for 2 weeks, just in time for the Outlaw Days Festival held in Jamesville. The festival happens to celebrate one of the town's most famous guests, Jesse James. At the festival, the trio purchase a 'fake' map leading to Jesse James' infamous treasure.

But what if the map happens to be real? And what if they're not the only ones after the treasure?

I really enjoyed reading this story! Suspense, mystery and adventure will keep readers turning pages. The whole concept about Jesse James' treasure and the coins is intriguing. The language is appropriate for this age group and the author uses lots of dialogue and action sequences to propel the story forward. The plot is well constructed and the voice of the protagonists genuine for their ages. There's just the right amount of danger and humor. Readers will especially enjoy the villains and the chase scenes in the caves.

Because of its historical and educational value (there's a lot in it about numismatology, the study of coins), A Boy Called Duct Tape would make an interesting classroom read. Recommended.