Bonfire of the Vanderbilts

Bonfire of the Vanderbilts PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2018-09-19

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 0996543813

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From the acclaimed author of 2020 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorites Clifford's Spiral and Preacher Finds a Corpse. In 1892 Paris, Julius Stewart painted The Baptism, a Vanderbilt family scene that contains an embarrassing secret. In the present day, art historian Grace Atwood becomes obsessed with the painting and its hidden clues for reasons that have more to do with her personal ghosts. Either her doting husband is trying to make her think she’s crazy, or she really is in the early stages of dementia. The author says, "Since this book was released, my whitepaper, "Deconstructing the Scandalous Narrative of The Baptism" was featured in the Fall 2016 issue of the prestigious Journal of Art Crime. Readers are curious (as am I), and art curators are not telling, what will happen next in the real-world mystery behind this painting."

Bonfire of the Vanderbilts: Scholar's Edition

Bonfire of the Vanderbilts: Scholar's Edition PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2018-02-06

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 0996543856

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From the acclaimed author of 2020 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorites Clifford's Spiral and Preacher Finds a Corpse. This special scholar's courseware edition of The Bonfire of the Vanderbilts includes the full text of the novel, along with the author's research whitepaper "Deconstructing the Scandalous Narrative of The Baptism," which appeared in the Fall 2016 issue of The Journal of Art Crime. Also included in the endmatter are rare photographs from the private collection of the painter's family and links to related audiovisual supplementary materials, including the recording of the author's presentation on the The Baptism to the American Art Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In 1892 Paris, Julius Stewart painted The Baptism, a Vanderbilt family scene that contains an embarrassing secret. In the novel, art historian Grace Atwood becomes obsessed with the painting and its hidden clues for reasons that have more to do with her personal ghosts. Either her doting husband is trying to make her think she’s crazy, or she really is in the early stages of dementia. "I must say, I am impressed with your sleuthing, your imagination and your ability to weave a story. Your theory is fascinating, and I personally would be quite excited if any piece of it proved true." -- Carson Joyner Clark, biographer of painter Julius Stewart "Alva Vanderbilt Belmont would be very grateful to you for researching a Vanderbilt family painting - as will all the family. And as I do. Historians keep us alive!" -- Margaret Hayden Rector, Vanderbilt biographer, author of Alva,That Vanderbilt-Belmont Woman "Of the many inquiries we get, this has been the most interesting in a long time." -- The Very Rev. Harry E. Krauss (retired) "I think you've done an extraordinary job of researching and speculating on the painting. You've certainly convinced me that this was a Vanderbilt affair!" -- Mary Sudman Donovan, Historian, Episcopal Church USA, Author of A Different Call: Women's Ministries in the Episcopal Church, 1850-1920

Bonfire of the Vanderbilts

Bonfire of the Vanderbilts PDF

Author: Gerald Jones

Publisher: Lapuerta

Published: 2021-08-10

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 9781735950242

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The Baptism has an inscription on the back that the artist took pains to remove. Bonfire of the Vanderbilts is historical fiction, based on years of research, that presents a plausible theory about the painting's secrets.

Christmas Karma

Christmas Karma PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2018-09-18

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 0985622776

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From the acclaimed author of 2020 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorites Clifford's Spiral and Preacher Finds a Corpse. Christmas Karma is author Gerald Everett Jones's homage to Anne Tyler, whom he regards as his literary mother. It's about the travails of a dysfunctional family around the holidays, narrated by an angel who has a wicked sense of humor. Main character Willa Nawicki is bewildered by a series of curious karmic events that literally ring her doorbell during the frantic season, awakening years-old resentments and stimulating ever-more-intense personal confrontations. These bizarre visitations include a grizzled old man claiming to be her father, who has been missing for some thirty years but now says the title to the family home is in his name - and now he wants the place back. As the angel observes, "The surest way to invoke the laughter of the universe is to make plans, particularly devious ones."

Paris

Paris PDF

Author: Stephanie Larkin

Publisher: Red Penguin Books

Published: 2023-09-22

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1637774877

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Step into the enchanting embrace of Paris as you embark on a captivating literary journey. A symphony of vivid stories awaits, painting a breathtaking portrayal of the timeless and romantic city. Lose yourself amidst the cobblestone streets, each one adorned with ornate buildings that bear witness to passions ignited and hearts broken. Beneath the iconic Eiffel Tower, budding romances bloom like fragrant roses, interweaving with the pulse of a city imbued with enchantment. And yet, along the meandering Seine River, you may encounter the ache of lost connections, where the echoes of what once was linger in the air. Discover the intricate tapestry of human relationships, delicately explored by these heartfelt poems, stories, and short plays, while transported to the essence of Paris, where every sight, sound, and aroma evokes a vibrant sensory experience, enveloping you completely. Let the allure of Paris whisper to your heart and kindle emotions you never knew existed.

Willie K. Vanderbilt II

Willie K. Vanderbilt II PDF

Author: Steven H. Gittelman

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-10-01

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0786458232

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The Vanderbilts were one of the great American families of the industrial era. This book explores the life of one of its lesser-known scions of the fourth generation, William Kissam Vanderbilt II, known simply as Willie K. An inheritor, not a builder, Willie K. lacked the drive and ambition necessary for furthering the Vanderbilt dynasty, especially in the political atmosphere of bank failures, the dawn of progressivism, and the First World War. This biography, while the story of one man, is also an exploration of the burden of enormous wealth, the danger of inherited dreams, and the struggle for self-actualization regardless of wealth or social status.

Choke Hold

Choke Hold PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2017-09-14

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 153784394X

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From the acclaimed author of 2020 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorites Clifford's Spiral and Preacher Finds a Corpse. Hank Ellis was murdered in his own home for dissing the cops. Cynical personal-injury attorney Eli Wolff rediscovers his idealism for simple justice when he sues the city for the wrongful death of an unarmed African-American man at the hands of two police officers. Ellis was killed in his own home, choked to death, after angry officers stormed in without a warrant, anxious to teach him a lesson for disrespecting them in front of his neighbors.

Farnsworth's Revenge

Farnsworth's Revenge PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2018-09-19

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0985622733

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Even grown men get upset when you take their toys away. Rollo Hemphill has a history with a life-sized rubber doll he dressed up to look like glamorous Hollywood star Monica LaMonica. For a time, the doll’s worldwide travels provided convenient cover and sensational press for her living counterpart. But now, rubber-Monica has disappeared from crusty Hugo Farnsworth’s yacht in St. Tropez. Like it or (mostly) not, Rollo gets drafted as an unofficial government operative to deal with the kidnappers. The doll has become a pawn in an international game centered on an eccentric Turk who collects lookalikes – but who may have also collected state secrets, including the plans for cold fusion and a scheme for bankrupting the world’s money supply. All Rollo wants to do is get safely home to his estranged wife Felicia – who now happens to be pregnant. Is the child his? If not, will Rollo be bold enough to risk everything for a real life with a real woman? Once again, Rollo will prove that the male ego is as vulnerable as it is predictably deflatable. - “On the lam in Paris, computer geek-turned-shamus Rollo Hemphill is on the prowl for a kidnapped blonde. A rich old man’s plaything, this doll has a famous face, legs up to here, and all the right equipment. A soft-boiled dick if ever there was one, Rollo learns too late that as usual, the yolk is on him.” - Marvin J. Wolf, author of For Whom The Shofar Blows and other Rabbi Ben Mysteries “The first requirement to be a fan of Farnsworth's Revenge is an ability to suspend belief. While the scenario of a kidnapped life-size replica inviting international espionage seems far-fetched, the story succeeds in painting a satisfying blend of possibility and madness in a manner designed to attract male readers with an interest in fast-paced espionage stories that hold a healthy dose of angst, witty mishaps and misadventure... Blend all this zaniness with emotional reflections as Rollo strives to reconcile differences between many different factions (not the least of which is his girlfriends) and you have a blend of action, drama, humor, and laugh-out-loud reflections revolving around the male ego and its responses... Don't expect a book that's easily 'pegged': Farnsworth's Revenge provides a read that's out of the ordinary and excels in unexpected twists and turns of plot; all spiced by comedy and hilarious encounters between Rollo and forces that pull him in different emotional and intellectual directions. It's recommended for mature teens (ages 16 and older) as well as adult audiences.” - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Preacher Fakes a Miracle

Preacher Fakes a Miracle PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2020-10-24

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1735950203

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2020 NYC Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite in Mystery. The series has won nine awards. Amateur sleuth Evan Wycliff is a disillusioned divinity student who is fascinated by astrophysics and given up both. He's returned to his small-town farm roots in Southern Missouri. He is also disappointed in love. His beautiful fiancé was a brilliant Jewish scientist, a defense contractor who was killed in a rocket attack in Syria. These days Evan gets guest preacher gigs and uses his investigative skills as skip tracer for the local car and tractor dealership. In this second novel in the series, Evan counsels a boy who is afflicted with schizophrenia and has been accused of rape. Along with related abuses of the child welfare system, he uncovers a teen trafficking ring run out of a luxury casino resort by a Russian oligarch. “This is literature masquerading as a mystery. Carefully yet powerfully, Gerald Jones creates a small, stunning world in a tiny midwestern town, infusing each character with not just life but wit, charm and occasionally menace. This is the kind of writing one expects from John Irving or Jane Smiley.” - Marvin J. Wolf, author of the Rabbi Ben Mysteries, including A Scribe Dies in Brooklyn

Preacher Stalls the Second Coming

Preacher Stalls the Second Coming PDF

Author: Gerald Everett Jones

Publisher: LaPuerta Books and Media

Published: 2024-06-03

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13:

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The most controversial Preacher Wycliff mystery yet! Fourth in the multiple-award-winning mystery series A crazed scientist knocks on Evan’s door with a bizarre warning - the Deep State may be planning to fake the Second Coming of Christ with advanced virtual-reality technology. Meanwhile, a faith-healing evangelist is luring poor and homeless people to a religious retreat with promises of ample food, then exhorting them to prepare for the End Times by starving themselves to death. Evan can’t ignore these unbelievable stories when a young woman from his church disappears inside the cult leader’s farm. Previous novels in the Evan Wycliff series have won 9 book awards, including Mystery Gold and Silver in the New York City Big Book Awards in the same year. PRAISE FOR THE EVAN WYCLIFF MYSTERIES This is literature masquerading as a mystery. Carefully yet powerfully, Gerald Jones creates a small, stunning world in a tiny midwestern town, infusing each character with not just life but wit, charm, and occasionally menace. This is the kind of writing one expects from John Irving or Jane Smiley. Marvin J. Wolf, author of the Rabbi Ben Mysteries, including A Scribe Dies in Brooklyn.