State Park Ranger Chris Becker and his daughter Alicia have had their fair share of struggles since his wife left, but they have learned to depend on each other. As they both prepare for the changes that Alicia's first year of college will bring, their quiet life in the Cuyamaca Mountains is interrupted. A dead body--bitten, mangled and bloody--is discovered in the park. Chris and Alicia suddenly find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot, and it will take all their ingenuity and teamwork to come out of it alive.
Reviews: "Cuyamaca aficionados will be especially captivated by..."Old Bones". This novel sports our Jewel of the Mountains as its setting and snares the in-the-know reader...Encompassing the angst of a single father raising a headstrong daughter, the commitment of an energetic career ranger and the values of an ethical soul, the main character embodies a tale of intrigue and suspense." --Jo Fritz, CRSPIA
“As the clues mount—some provided by Becker’s observant daughter—Becker pieces together inconsistent forensic data and busily sifts through the suspects…The resultant web of bad blood and discoveries propel the novel toward a suspenseful, satisfying denouement. After all the twists and turns, Becker, who proves himself a thoroughly capable ranger and father throughout the novel, solves the case…Father-daughter writing duo Picard and Picard-Gorham supplement their mystery with Alicia’s believable pre-college jitters, the flourishing relationship with her father, and interesting facts and information on forestry and archaeology. An entertaining, uncomplicated whodunit seasoned with a likable hero and a bucolic sense of place.” --Kirkus Reviews
This book brings forth an illustrated, random collection of essay and thoughts born of many years while serving as a park ranger for the State of California. What follows is irreverent and iconoclastic, often scathingly humorous and sometimes deeply serious. There is no particular order, plan or even subject matter to it. This is a look at the inside life and times of one ranger while working for the government in the service of protecting our public recreation lands and the people who use them. It affords a unique perspective for the insider or uninitiated outsider. The book makes no effort to have a proper format, a goal or point of view other than to entertain and perhaps occasionally inform.
Reviews: "Written with a witty outlook on the quirks of working for the State bureaucracy, Picard enlightens those of us not in uniform of the 'whys' and 'why-nots'. His is a priceless insider's view of some of State Park's history." --Jo Fritz, CRSPIA
Connected: Remaining Human in a Networked World by Michael L. Rea Foreword by Wendy Picard Gorham
“Our world is changing at an incredible rate. The recent advances in technology -- computers that you can hold in your hand with the ability to connect with anybody anywhere-have suddenly made the world very small, and there have certainly been some amazing benefits. Technology is not, in and of itself, evil. However, like everything in this life, it must be managed properly. We must control it, or, if we are not careful, we might wake up one day and realize that it is controlling us, or perhaps even worse, it is controlling our children.”
Connected is an in depth analysis of how technology infringes upon interpersonal relationships, especially in our modern teen culture. Michael Rea has over 30 years of experience in education and provides a balance of enlightening anecdotes from the lives of his students and profound researched based evidence of an eroding culture.
John Ridley came across an intriguing discovery when doing the research for his thesis in English Literature. It turned out he had a personal connection to the ballad he was investigating, a connection he could have never imagined. This revelation will lead him on a quest to unravel a centuries old mystery, and in the end will change the course of his life...
Part I: Knowing ...For the first time, I began to question whether what we are doing is right. It is not a good thing to know too much about the future. I know that now. The question is--is it the future that must be or is it only the future that could be?
Part II: Providence ...With each leap into the future, I find myself once again questioning my own actions, and perhaps my motives as well. It is foolish to think that I am capable of remaining objective when confronted with knowledge about my friends and loved ones that I should never have discovered.
Part III: Guardian ...There was something about the way his grandfather had looked when he said it, something in his eyes. He had been completely lucid. but what could he have possibly meant? Who was this Guardian?
Christ at the Center is the result of a twenty five year ministry in Christian Apologetics and the hundreds of questions brought to the forefront by inquisitive and growing Christians. Janet Rea provides a unique approach of story-telling and informative research to provide a thoughtful and reasonable Christian apologetic for every Christian. “Even though truths exist which will not be fully known until we enter heaven, it is still possible to know much of what now is so often neglected… The people who know are the ones who really live and truly serve. They have found Christ to be the quiet center of their lives. Each day brings them closer to God on their journey of faith into the glory which will be revealed – that is, it will be made known, for it is real!”