Twelve year-old Lacey loves horses. Everyday, she goes to Second Chance Ranch to take riding lessons and hang out. But, when money gets tight for Lacey and her mom, Lacey believes she will no longer be able to ride. Her dream of having her own horse is lost, until Miss Liz, the owner of the ranch, surprises Lacey with a horse named Penny. Lacey gets her dream horse, and all goes well until Penny ends up missing. Lacey discovers the kindness of others as she searches for Penny.

In 1860, the Pony Express revolutionized the U.S. Mail service with young riders carrying mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in ten days. Ride along with fourteen-year-old Thomas Cummings as he becomes a rider for the Pony Express, enduring the risks and challenges many riders face. But, his journey doesn't end there. When he reaches California, he has another mission: to find his missing father as the nation teeters on civil war. Riding the Pony Express is a story of courage, determination, and heart, which is what it took to be a Pony Express rider.

Having spent ten years as Jayne Mansfield's press secretary, Raymond Strait knows intimately both the public image and the private person that were Jayne Mansfield. Sitting through hundreds of hours of interviews and private conversations -- not only with Jayne but also with her husbands, her lovers, and her children -- gave Ray the opportunity to present a revealing portrait of the woman. He records her drive for fame and success and her overpowering need to be loved and to love, needs that led her into numerous affairs with rich and powerful men -- including President John F Kennedy -- and with younger men from all walks of life. And he discusses frankly Jayne's ultimately successful plan to become pregnant by Nelson Sardelli because she wanted to have an Italian child. Know to millions as the consummate sex symbol who rivaled Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield received more press coverage than anyone else in Hollywood. The headlines were often sensational, causing society matrons and Baptist ministers to shake their heads and point their fingers. But under those sensational headlines there was a woman of greater complexity that any reporter could hope to understand. Strait goes below the surface to examine Jayne's emotions and motivations, revealing the truth about her many lovers, her three unsuccessful marriages, her love affair with Mickey Hargitay that lasted to the end and her battle against and her surrender to alcohol and drugs.

**This biography was originally published in 1983 and has not been updated. Any events after 1983 are not included.** Best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce on the award-winning TV series M*A*S*H, Alan Alda has made his way into Hollywood’s spotlight while keeping remarkably free of its whirlwind parties and endless gossip. He remains a private man—an actor whose personal life and politics are far different from the character of the womanizing, side-cracking army doctor that brought him international fame. In Alan Alda: The 1983 Biography, biographer Raymond Strait succeeds in presenting Alda’s life and career with illuminating, and sometimes surprising, details. Tracing Alda’s theater credits, from his early experience as a struggling New York actor to his starring roles in films like Same Time Next Year, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, and The Four Seasons, Strait also reports on Alda’s work as a screenwriter and director. A comprehensive look at Alda’s immense popularity, this biography contains revealing insights from friends, childhood sweethearts, and fellow actors. But this is not a sugar-coated star portrait, and Strait gives us Alda’s traumas as well as his triumphs: his childhood battle with polio, his parents’ divorce, and the tense moments that Alda's personal convictions have caused, both on the set and off. With unexpected revelations about Alda's views on women, his work, and the future, this fascinating biography promises to show new dimensions of this talented enigmatic man.

Internationally known as the star of three dozen movies and three television series, and a familiar face in TV commercials, James Garner is one of our finest actors. He is also one our funniest, but as he points out, "I don't do comedy. I do humor." And it is Garner's special brand of wry, subtle, carefully crafted funniness that has brought him widespread fame and a devoted following. Raymond Strait's pioneering biography discusses in detail Garner's movie and TV roles, taking us behind the scenes of the Maverick, Nichols, and The Rockford Files series, and on the sets of many of Garner's movie credits including Victor/Victoria and The Americanization of Emily. Strait also takes a close look at the man behind the roles—the family man and Hollywood maverick. Always an independent spirit, Garner had a tumultuous childhood that led him to a series of survival jobs, intermittent high-school football stardom, a stint in the Merchant Marine, and two Purple Hearts in Korea. He brought the resourcefulness and self-reliance of his youth to Hollywood, where he has earned a reputation for his off-screen battles with the industry's moguls as well as for his phenomenally popular on-screen persona. This is a story none of James Garner's many fans will want to miss.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! He's an American legend whose wisecracks entertained us for more than sixty years. Now you can enjoy all the glamour and fun of Bob Hope's fabulous life in this intimate, wonderfully detailed biography. Discover how an English immigrant named Leslie Downs Hope became the great Bob Hope, the funniest man in Hollywood, a comedian who won our hearts … and those of thousands of American troops. Don't miss: •HIS GET-TO-THE-TOP-ANY-WAY-YOU-CAN ATTITUDE … The truth about con games in Cleveland and the bluff that got him star billing in Vaudeville •ROBERTA … Not a lady but a Broadway musical, Hope's part in this hit promised a crack at Hollywood … until a misstep nearly cost him everything •ON THE ROAD … Shrewd or lucky? The facts behind teaming up with Bing Crosby on the hilarious Road to Singapore, his long movie career, and his fabulous wealth •THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING HIS MARRIAGE … Although he fell head over heels for the socialite who became his wife, secrets remain about another woman, a child, and a marriage certificate •DAMES, WAR, AND U.S.O … Patriotism or fame? What led Hope into three wars as he brought the boys risque jokes and sexy pin-ups … and earned a place in history? •GOLF AND POLITICAL GAMES … The behind-the-scenes story of his influence on America's presidents, his clout, and his golf—the game he loved enough to put his money where his tee was …

The story begins with a news flash that a Gambler's Special Turnaround bus has careened off the freeway in a dust storm on its return trip from Las Vegas to Southern California. Several passengers are killed, and one Grace Partain is missing in the desert. Grace is a forty-year-old school teacher who is struggling with anxiety and a workaholic husband who doesn't have time for her. Her husband Philip is a real estate mogul whose only concern is the next big deal. They have no children and their life together is empty. Grace isn't a gambler, but she hops on the Gambler's Special in an effort to escape reality for twenty-four hours so she can decide what to do about her marriage. Through an unexpected tragedy, Grace is faced with a decision that will change the course of her life, her name, and put her in great danger. Law enforcement, private investigators, a pastor, a bar maid, an old woman, and two greasy tow truck drivers become part of Grace's Turnaround story. There is deception, double-dealing, dishonesty, drugs, and deliverance with humor sprinkled along the way. Many twists and turns and misadventures will keep you entertained to the very last line.

As the Veteran's Day parade draws near, the horse that usually carries the American flag in the parade is not available to do the job, so another horse must be found. Shannon, an eleven year-old girl, comes up with the idea to have her cousin Jake's pony named Star tryout for flag horse position. Although Star hasn't carried a flag in years, she does her best to be chosen.

Peter Higgins is caught up in a confusion because he seems to have traveled through time. He and his companion, Dora, kept a journal tracing a path from a small Kansas town to the jungles of Mexico, Central America and various Mayan ruins. He meets the author, Greg Porterfield at a truck stop near the Mexican border and throughout the night Higgins relates his strange experience. On the journey Higgins and Dora encountered other travelers and unusual characters. He swears the journey took place in the year 2030... Will his trip through time alter our future?In Retrograde Amnesia, Peter Higgins tells his bizarre story. It offers a glimpse of a dark future that forced him and Dora to seek a simpler life in the jungles of Costa Rica. Their journey takes them places they never could have imagined and provides just as many questions as it does answers. Is anything in Higgins’ journal real?

While finishing her freshman year of high school, Amanda meets a mysterious boy named Brandon at a youth art exhibition. Intrigued by each other's artwork, they develop a friendship. Amanda soon finds herself attracted to Brandon, which complicates their relationship. Despite this struggle, Amanda continues to have faith in their friendship, and through it, she discovers a sense of purpose that directs her to a deeper understanding of herself and how others influence her life.

Sometimes life can change in the blink of an eye. Newlyweds Anne and Jake Maxwell face unexpected detours as they settle in their new Southern California surroundings. Stymied by the adoption process, Anne turns to rescue an unwanted dog to fill the hole in her heart. Fate puts an abused black Lab named Sadie in their path in ways neither expected. But the road is riddled with potholes. Growing up, Jake was raised to dislike all dogs. If forced into a choice, he preferred a hamster or a furry rabbit. Strong willed, Anne will not be denied. The gift of a four-legged child leads the young couple on an emotional journey of recovery and discovery. Sadie Girl tells the heartwarming story of the power of unconditional love and second chances for people and dogs alike. The twists and turns not only recount the special bond that people have with dogs but with each other.

So, there I was, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Mark Wahlberg. Most women would say, "A dream come true," but in my case, it was a prayer answered. He is adorable, but I'm over seventy, and I was on a mission. Sure, I've dreamed of being a movie star, but on that day my title was "unpaid extra" in a movie I would never go to the theater to see . . . R-rated . . . but I had a reason for being there and only God could have orchestrated it. It was October 2014. Here's the story of how I appeared in the ComiCon scene with Mark Wahlberg in Ted 2. I'll start from the beginning. In 2003, right after his fourth birthday, my grandson, Les Paul Fountain was diagnosed with medullablastoma, otherwise known as fast-growing pediatric brain cancer. As a result of the tumor, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, he would never be a "typical" kid again. He's Special. This is my story about Les and me. I know I'm not your average grandparent. When Les was diagnosed, I was retired. I'd been a teacher, administrator, success coach, clown, real estate salesperson, freelance writer, tour guide, and motivational speaker. I wanted to use all those skills to help Les. . . and I lived close and I had time. My motivation for telling this story is to encourage others whose lives are intertwined with a special person who needs your help. You might be a teacher, a doctor, a parent, a relative or a friend; this is for you.