Bøger af Robert M Johnson

Every day we add another spoke to the wheel of our life. When we bring our full self, our complete insight to this awareness, we make the spokes stronger and we give our life greater determination and meaning. The first man or woman who invented the wheel changed the course of humanity. Where we had been beings with just two feet, we relied on and depended on, the ability to carry something less than one hundred pounds of baggage. With the wheel, all of a sudden new horizons were opened before us. It was the wheel that made the difference and allowed us to expand the reach of our existence and the fullness of our potential. Without the wheel we would never have been able to plant civilizations around the world as we have. Without the wheel we would never have been able to fly and lift ourselves into the air and move about with extraordinary speed and agility. The wheel has given us access to the heavens and has given us access to the depths of the earth. The wheel is truly a magical development in human history. Things would never be the same once the wheel came to be. We quickly learned that wheels have to have support and that their support must come from within the circle. Two things make up that strength, the axle and the spokes. A strong axle and many strong spokes make a wheel capable of carrying unlimited material. When the horizons of life open for us unlimited, mankind forges ahead with gusto. The one who invented the wheel was a poet, someone who looked at life and saw there something that no one had seen before. The vision that they saw made magic for the followers of that generation. Once the wheel had entered into the social structure of human nature everything had to change. No one can trace the actual development of the first wheel and probably that's not important. But we always will know that that one invention, like the invention of fire, has moved mankind ahead by leaps and bounds. Each day of our life is like a spoke in the wheel that turns round and round. Moving us forward, the spokes get stronger as we pay attention and reach out to them with love. The poems that follow are the spokes of life and they have the potential for making life an even greater gift.

The Templar Testament is the sixth volume of the Templar Series which began with the story of the great Crusade: Jihad 1095 A.D. It began in the year of Our Lord, 1096, a young intellectual from Cologne in northern Germany took up the cross and became a Crusader. His name was Matthew of Cologne, son of the Mayor of that city. He became the protégée and eventually the adjutant of Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, one of the four leaders of the Crusade. After hundreds of miles and numerous battles the army of the Crusade finally took the Holy City of Jerusalem in 1099 A.D. Matthew's story is told in volume one of this series: Jihad 1095 A.D. The Great Crusade. With time, Matthew is Knighted and becomes the military leader of the garrison at Jerusalem under King Baldwin II. His skill as a soldier and his fighting reputation gain him the name of The Hammer of God. This is the title of the second book in the series and recounts the journey of this young man toward the realization of his vocation: the joining of his religious ideal and his military dedication to the cause of Christ. Along with another Crusader, Hugh de Payans, Matthew takes part in the inspired planning that will lead to the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Temple, later called the Knights Templar. Matthew is now Master of the Temple and along with his brother knights is beginning to forge the legacy, the history, the TESTAMENT of the the Templars. This sixth volume sets before the reader the saga of those first years of trial and triumph.

Homeland Security Agent Joe Maki was completing the aftermath mop up of the Boston Marathon Bombing investigation when something came up. It was an encounter with a former Russian operative, one of the famous embedded spies, known to the agency as Milton Ericson. His chilling account of the latest Russian espionage would set in motion a vast gathering of Homeland and FBI agents in a desperate effort to head off what was being called World War Zero Sum DAY! New advances in computer technology coupled with far-sighted Russian Bureaucrats made the impossible into ominous reality right here on American soil! Since it no longer was needed for information purposes continuous news coverage and cell/Satellite phones took care of that, the Russian spy network could actually become the front line for a war waged against American financial supremacy. The Cold War had just become Cyber War! The reader will be joining the Homeland Team as they investigate this dangerous plot. For those who willed the Cold War to be over, things are heating up again!

The year of 1846 would prove to be one of extraordinary adventure for Sam Ogden. The previous year had seen the frontier rampage of Carlos Reyes, whom Sam ultimately killed in a mountainside confrontation. But three years earlier Sam had been the guide and confident of an English nobleman who visited Grand Valley, Colorado on a hunting expedition. The two became friends during the expedition and they continued a regular correspondence during the years that followed. Volume fifteen of the Sam Ogden series describes how the friendship turned into an invitation and a subsequent visit to London by Sam and his family. This new story, "Riding the Whirlwind Seas," is the 16th volume in the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series. It completes another stage in the evolution of 19th Century Frontiersman and his amazing life journey. It is 1846, and after a successful visit to London, spending time with friends, Earl John of Wickham and his wife Lady Carolyn, Sam and Little Fire are returning to America with their daughter, fifteen-year-old Amanda. They have left their son, Jacob to follow his dream of entering Oxford University under the guidance of the Earl. The westward voyage is filled with adventure for the three Ogdens. The author has made the journey by ship from Boston to England, and recently experienced an Atlantic ocean storm while on a cruise out of Baltimore, MD. The reader will find the weeks at sea an amazing panorama of the beauty and danger faced by travelers from Europe in the 19th century. It is still an astounding testimony to the courage and wanderlust of human nature that thousands of ships crossed back and forth during the first half of the century.

The history of our times is the history of the computer. Starting with the "personal computer" in 1981, and progressing into the digitalizing of modern media, the computer is the core of progress and societal growth. Despite the starts and stops of the Dot.Com bubble, the magnificent "number crunching" machine has produced marvels from mapping the genome to social networking. The real life characters that have influenced this modern evolution are well known: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg come to mind. Allen Dowling is a fictional character who personifies the intelligence and drive of an internet entrepreneur. In the era where the computer is now in most homes, the laptop and tablet computers vie for the attention of a younger generation raised on the mini-computer that is the cell phone. After two major commercial internet successes, Allen Dowling was called into the world of politics, first to assist in the re-election campaign of the President and then to salvage the rollout of the President's signature legislation on healthcare. From there the restless entrepreneur set out to create a series of upscale restaurants: The Gary-Allen Eateries. This book describes the journey into the world of Food Service. It is another step forward for a society now enmeshed in the genius of the computer!

The year is 1855 and the gold rush in California has entered another level of intensity, with a population explosion no one could have foreseen. People were coming from as far away as China and Australia to join those Forty-Niners, seeking their fortune in the gold fields. The land grant of Fremont Enterprises along the Merced River in south central California, continues to produce gold in great abundance. Jeremiah Warner, the fictional partner of John Charles Fremont, is becoming a rich man in his own right. Fremont is away now, living as a professional politician in Washington City, thousands of miles from his business. After a short time as Senator for the new state of California, he is now involved in a run for President. He is deeply committed to the cause of freedom for the Negro Slaves of the Southern States. He has turned the management of his gold mines over to one of his partners, Jeremiah Warner. They continue to stay connected through letter writing. This 22nd volume of the Mountain Man Series, entitled, "The Wilderness Ranch," takes up the story of Jeremiah Warner as he decides to start his own cattle ranch in south central California. His skills as a Mountain Man are once again put to the test. This is volume number twenty-two in the Jeremiah Warner Mountain Man Series.

It is 1832, winter still holds southwestern Colorado in its icy grip. Little Jacob Ogden was born in June and is about to take his first steps. His parents, Sam and Little Fire, have chosen to settle down in Grand Junction, Colorado. It has been a year of many changes, so far all good. In this ninth volume of the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series, Sam and his Partner Clyde Patterson have decided to give up the life of a free trapper. They have decided to settle down in southwestern Colorado, in a new settlement called Grand Junction. Sam and Little Fire have made some new friends at the settlement of Grand Junction, the Olivers. John and Kate Oliver own and run the General Store, formerly the Trading Post of Grand Junction. They have adopted Sam and his family, sharing their home in Grand Junction. Sam, in turn, has invested his money from trapping in the Store, and is now part owner. Sam and Clyde bring many skills to the community. They have built a sleigh for the winter hauling of goods back and forth from the major supply center on the Santa Fe Trail: Bent's Fort. In this ninth volume of the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series, "Bent's Fort Run," Sam and his partner, Clyde Patterson, are on a "run" to Bent's Fort for supplies to restock the store. As usual, they face challenges from renegade trappers, Indian hunting parties and the rough winter weather of Colorado. The Sam Ogden Series is as follows: 1.Hard to Kill 2.Winter Down 3.Rendezvous Prize 4.The Deerslayer's Destiny 5.Sam, My Warrior 6.Rocky Mountain Cabin 7.Free Trappers 8.Wilderness Wagoneer 9.Bent's Fort Run

In this third volume of the Sam Ogden series, Rendezvous Prize, young Sam is about to take his place among the great Mountain Men of his times. Trained by his mentor, Clyde Patterson, in the use of both wilderness tools and weapons, he shows his exceptional skills in the competitions so loved by the Mountain Men at their Rendezvous gatherings. He is declared the winner of all three tournament events: Hatchet Throwing, Knife Throwing and the Rifle Shoot. For winning all three events, his exciting prize will be an important part of his brand as a Mountain Man! Young Sam had never seen an Appaloosa horse before that day at the Rendezvous. The horse was an exquisite dappled white mare, and her coloring showed her to be of the blood lines of those horses called Leopard Appaloosas. These special horses came from breeding farms in Spain that had been developing horses since the Middle Ages. This mare would be his prize for winning the tournament competitions that year of 1825. This Rendezvous of 1825 also marked Sam Ogden's first encounter with the Mandan Indians who will become his adopted family. Some of the friendly tribes gathered with the Mountain Men at their Rendezvous and the Mandans were especially impressed with the skills of young Sam. They will play an important part in his next adventures, in Volume Four.

The 19th Century in America was remarkable for many things that formed and shaped the new country that was rapidly expanding from ocean to ocean. Men like the fictional characters, Sam Ogden and Clyde Patterson had been among the first to participate in the wilderness trapping bonanza spawned by the beaver trade and the culture of the top hat. Now, it is the mid-1840's, and the need for beaver pelts is over. The West was about to see the first signs of a real Western migration, the Oregon Trail. Sam Ogden had invested his "wealth," from his days as a trapper, in the General Store of a southern Colorado settlement, at Grand Junction. With his wife, the Mandan woman, Little Fire, Sam has settled down and is beginning to raise a family. His reputation with the Long Rifle, the frontier Hawken rifle, followed him into the more stable life of the settlement. The Indians at the Rendezvous, started calling him "Sam Long Rifle." His partner, Clyde Patterson, a veteran of the War of 1812, and quite a bit older than "Young Sam," has also taken up life in the settlement. In two previous volumes, "Sam Long Rifle," and "The Stalking Moon," Sam has taken on the challenges of frontier living. This new volume, "Fire and Fury on the Frontier," finds Sam enlisted by the U.S. military governor of Colorado in his most dangerous mission to date. He must bring to justice a known killer described by one hardscrabble frontiersman in these chilling words "He's as mean as mean is!" The man has been terrorizing the frontier with his ruthless brutality, bringing Fire and Fury into the lives of innocent settlers. He has been joined by two shiftless trappers, men as depraved as he, a killing triad was terrorizing the frontier. Sam has his work cut out for him.

Poetry offers the reader an experience that is unique in the spectrum of written and spoken language. The poem is immersed in the rich symbolic essence of human thought. Words are meant to carry ideas from one person to another. They do this by a mutually accepted meaning that unites and inspires. Their limits are designed to be challenged and expanded. For the poet, a word is a symbol, richly exploited for what it says and what it might mean. The poet serves as Prophet and Pundit, as Scribe and Troubadour, giving readers and listeners a platform for reflection. The process of poetry is meant to awaken and inspire, encourage and challenge the thinking of those who want to look beyond the surface of daily life with its culture and politics. It is the task of the poet to reach into the core archetypal sense of what is happening, and what could be... Poetry is written for the mindful. This collection of poems was written between 2016 and 2018. Its themes are taken from nature and the politics of everyday life. Its title, "Dancing Word Flames," suggests the unpredictable and dynamic nature of these sonnets. It also reflects the archetypal inspiration of the bonfire with its power and beauty, its devouring force turning living wood to ash. Many poems in this collection were inspired at the fire's side and so are "FIRETALK," nurtured by the archetype of flame and fury. They are meant to gift the reader in the fire's warm glow. This volume is the fourth in a series of Poetry for the Ages.:

The Mountain Man Series chronicles the 19th century life of Jeremiah Warner. Tragedy claims his family in the Texas Panhandle when Jeremiah is only eighteen years old. His brief journey of vengeance is told in the first volume of this series: "The Windrider." Having accomplished his violent goal, the young man drifts toward the Rocky Mountain Wilderness where he hears of the lucrative beaver trade. He begins his trapping in the High mountain streams and develops a reputation among the native Americans as a powerful adversary, a great Warrior. This part of his life is told in the novel, "The Wolf Man Warrior." His life as a trapper in the mountains makes him feel closer to the Indians of the region than to the whites who are invading the territory in ever greater numbers. He is adopted into the Blackfoot Tribe and shares the traditions and struggles of this noble people. This part of his life is told in the novel, "Winter Wilderness." The epic journey of this man through time is filled with lessons and insight. He continues to follow the unfolding Destiny that changes the face of the wilderness each season. In the previous volume he was the Pathfinder, scouting the Oregon Trail through the Rocky Mountain Wilderness. Westward Wagons, Ho! wrote another chapter in the Story of the Wolf Man Warrior, Jeremiah Warner. The fifth title, Wolf Hound Vengeance, follows the traplines of the Mountain Man and his constant companion, a wolf dog mixed breed, who serves as his eyes and ears in the forest, and at times becomes a killing machine. The bond between them is one that gets challenged by a group of outlaws who have been terrorizing the frontier. They meet with frontier justice at the hands of the Mountain Man, and the jaws of his companion, the Wolf Hound. The story of Jeremiah Warner continues as he is confronted with the capture of his women and children by the Pawnee War Party. His primary weapon against overwhelming odds is his Wolf Hound. The massive dog serves as his eyes and ears, and as his guardian in fighting those who would violate his life. The wilderness law is a life for a life, it is inexorable. "So this is the way of the warrior, no?" Chief Red Fox asked. "It can be no other way, it seems, they threaten the lives of our loved ones, they kill those we cherish like old Chief Red Hawk, and in exchange we give back the same. In my culture when we barter, we give a service for something of value. In warfare the coinage is life, my life or your life, their life in return for mine. Honor among warriors is a deceptive mistress, it leaves no quarter to the other," the Mountain Man said. This 5th volume finds the Mountain Man defending what is his to protect, his family his adopted people, the Blackfeet. His companion the Wolf Hound makes them a fierce fighting force.

"Allen Dowling had learned that in politics you didn't really have to be telling the truth, all you had to have was good sound bytes. His brief readings on the matter of healthcare internationally had shown him quite clearly that there is no such thing as socialized healthcare or socialized medicine as the Republicans were calling it. "The American system was a hundred miles away from such a concept but President Robinson's adversaries continued to trot out this dog and pony show. The success of Medicare as a health program for older adults had proven that by delivering care for nearly fifty years now. Even the Republicans knew that if you wanted to start a political firestorm, just talk about eliminating Medicare or Social Security." The history of our times is the history of the computer. Starting with the "personal computer" in 1981, and progressing into the digitalizing of modern media, the computer is the core of progress and societal growth. Despite the starts and stops of the Dot Com bubble, the magnificent "number crunching" machine has produced marvels from mapping the genome to social networking. The real life characters that have influenced this modern evolution are well known: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg come to mind. Allen Dowling is a fictional character who personifies the intelligence and drive of an internet entrepreneur. In the era where the computer is now in most homes, the laptop and tablet computers vie for the attention of a younger generation raised on the mini-computer that is the cell phone. Allen Dowling has taken this wave of social and commercial energy and turned it into vast service networks, first as founder of Allen's List and then as founder and CEO of Coupit, a marketing network. His story is told in the first two volumes of this series: Allen's List and Coupon Explosion. In the third volume of the series, Campaign Victory Goes Viral, he and his team are invited to join the presidential campaign of President Paul Robinson, going for his second term. The assistance of professional computer people like the Dowlings helped the campaign's outreach succeed where others had failed and the election was won handily. In volume four of the series, Healing Healthcare, a new crisis has evolved thanks to the President's adversaries' obsession about socialized medicine. The efforts to provide healthcare to millions of uninsured Americans who had fallen through the cracks of managed care, began to crash and burn due to a flawed website rollout. The story of Allen Dowling and Healthcare begins right there. This is the fourth Allen Dowling novel by Robert M. Johnson and captures the challenges of managing a government for three hundred million people in the 21st Century. Bringing the vast resources of the internet to bear on the complexity of healthcare could make all the difference! Join Allen and his team as they tackle the problems of a national healthcare rollout. The country has been struggling to provide adequate healthcare to its citizens for many generations, but the fight has just begun anew. Progress comes at the price of obstinate opposition and downright aggression

The year is 1825, the year that the government of President James Munroe signed the Treaty with the Mandan Indians. The Indians are still trying to understand what kind of people these are who place such importance in documents that are just words on paper! But the effort to come to some kind of agreement with these usually nomadic peoples weighs heavily on Washington politicians. Young Sam Ogden has just completed his first Mountain Man Rendezvous, where he has become a celebrity for this skills with hatchet, knife and rifle. He and his mentor, Clyde Patterson, have committed to spending the winter at the Slanting Village of the Mandan Indians on the Missouri River. The Rocky Mountain frontier continues to be a volatile place with war parties and raiding parties, keeping the lives of Native Americans on edge. The Mountain Men have become fair game for the marauding bands of Crow and Blackfeet. In this fourth volume of the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series, "The Deerslayer's Destiny," it is time for young Sam to take his place in the history of the Rocky Mountain Wilderness.

The cannonade of Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861 brought to a head the American conflict that had been simmering and boiling over for nearly 100 years. The practice of slavery had become a commercial necessity to the southern colonies of the new American nation. South Carolina where Fort Sumter is located, had withdrew from the union of the United States just six months before the firing on Fort Sumter. The inevitable conflict had begun.It would be a bloodied, full-blown war in a country that had been at peace for over 30 years. By the spring of 1862, the Union army had enlisted 700,000 men and the Confederacy had armed over 300,000. The network of railroads spanning the southern colonies would play an important role in the way the war was fought and ultimately won by the northern armies. Lieutenant Brady Jenkins had graduated from the West Point Military College two years before the war began. Upon his graduation, he had quickly been enrolled in the military police. As a Provost Marshal, he would be responsible for any criminal activity exhibited by members of the Army or the United States Navy. With an army numbering only in the tens of thousands of soldiers, this responsibility of military policing, was a fairly manageable situation.There were no prisoners of war, and the military tribunals were all based in Washington DC. The Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, was involved in dealing with nearly every major crime committed within the ranks of the military. Then the war broke out and everything changed. Over the next four years, Brady Jenkins saw his mandate change as his rank progressed. He quickly advanced to the rank of captain, in 1862. He received his Major's oak leaves the following year. Six months before the armistice at Appomattox, he was named Major General, at age 28. When General Lee and General Grant signed the document that ended the war, Brady Jenkins was there in the parlor of the MacLean house at Appomattox, Virginia. When President Abraham Lincoln visited the city of Richmond immediately after the conclusion of the war, Brady Jenkins was at his side. He walked with the President, conscious that every tree and every building might've held a sniper, an assassin, wanting to kill the man who had reduced the South to a failed sedition, and an empty shell of its previous prosperity.The fictional story of Brady Jenkins, began on the fateful night of April 14, 1865, the night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by the fanatic, John Wilkes Booth. Jenkins had been close to the president through all the trouble times of the war and had been part of his personal security guard when the Pinkerton agency was determined to be inadequate. This book, "Provost Marshal Brady Jenkins 1865," tells the story of how that fateful night in 1865 changed the life of the young Major General, and sent him on his journey to discover America. He was discharged honorably, by his own choice, in the spring of 1866, he had simply not re-enlisted. Book One of his story tells of his journey west "Mississippi Crossing." Book Two takes up with his arrival in the bustling new city of Kansas City, Kansas. The territory had become a full State in 1861, as the war began. Now, five years later, it was experiencing the growing pains of being home to over 25,000 American citizens. The former Provost Marshal arrived as the two forces of commerce, cattle drives and wagon trains were converging on Kansas City. They brought with them the criminal elements of gun violence and graft. Book Two, "The Kansas City Crime Scenes, 1866," brings Brady Jenkins into the heart of the young city in the throes of lethal conflicts. His story goes on.

The saga of the Mountain Man, Jeremiah Warner, continues in this eighth volume of the series called the Mountain Man series. It is 1836 and the Rocky Mountain wilderness has taken on a new danger for Jeremiah Warner. His life as a free trapper already presented many obstacles from weather and wild animals. But now a new threat has emerged: the Bear Clan of the Crow Indian Nation. His allegiance by marriage to the Blackfeet has made him an enemy of the Crow. And in this eighth volume, "The Warlock's Fire Talk" Jeremiah Warner once again shows why he is the ultimate survivalist. His Crow adversaries have already decided that his "medicine" is great, that he is not just a Warrior, but a Warlock, someone of superior fighting skills. His usually solitary life in the mountains is briefly interrupted by the companionship of two men: John Charles Fremont a young explorer, and later by the legendary Mountain Man, Hatchet Jack. In this volume the reader gets to know the legendary Mountain Man, Hatchet Jack, whose companionship provides Jeremiah with understanding and begrudging support. The previous volume, "Wolf Man Warlock," introduced the feud between the Mountain Man and the Crow nation. It was the beginning of many such skirmishes that would eventually turn into full-scale warfare between numerous tribes and the white intruders. The high mountain adventures continue unabated in this eighth volume of the Mountain Man Series.

It is 1827, winter is fast approaching and Rocky Mountain life is getting ready for the big freeze and the great snows. Wild animals find the presence of human hunters annoying, disturbing their own hunting routines. It quickly becomes a struggle for territorial rights, whether it be a mountain lion, a grizzly bear or a wolf pack, domination is key to surviving in the high mountain ranges. In this story, the sixth volume of the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series, young Sam and his Mandan wife, Little Fire are making a home for themselves in a cabin high in the Rockies. Along with their partner Clyde Patterson, the young couple will have to face the challenges to their survival from renegade Indians, outlaws, cougars, bears and wolves. The Rocky Mountain Cabin is their story, their adventure. The Mountain Man Rendezvous of 1827 took place in the Rocky Mountains at Popo Aggie. Once again, Sam Ogden and his partner Clyde Patterson were there for the tournaments that year: Hatchet Throwing, Knife Throwing and the Long Rifle Shoot. Tragedy had struck the last day of the Rendezvous when four mountain men tried to rape Sam's wife, the Mandan woman, Little Fire. That was a pain that would be a long time healing. At the Rendezvous, Sam and Clyde were offered the use of a mountain cabin in the Flattop range on the southwest flank of the Rockies. Big Bill Davis had built the cabin several years earlier and insisted that he wasn't going to be using it this winter. They took him up on his offer and headed south toward Grand Junction, Colorado Territory. In this sixth volume of the Sam Ogden Mountain Man Series, "Rocky Mountain Cabin," Sam, his wife and his partner Clyde Patterson settle in for the winter season of 1827. It will be a winter hard to forget. The Sam Ogden Series is as follows: 1.Hard to Kill 2.Winter Down 3.Rendezvous Prize 4.The Deerslayer's Destiny 5.Sam, My Warrior 6.Rocky Mountain Cabin

This western novel traces the early life story of a young man born at the beginning of the 19th century. His is a time of hardship and courage, dependency on the dry Texas land to provide sustenance to a family of six. Young Jeremy first loses his mother when he is 17. A year later his family ranch house is attacked by four violent drifters who beat him and then kill his two younger brothers. They then rape and murder his sister as he lays on the ground nearly unconscious from the beating he has received. At 18 years old he is now dependent on his alcoholic father for emotional support, and receives none. His ony alternative as he sees it, is cold, calculated revenge on the four men who destroyed his life. His journey of violence takes him into Colorado Territory and beyond. It is a gripping tale of violence and bloodshed. And it is only the beginning of the lifestory of Jeremiah Warner.

In the short few years that he has been in France since 1356, William Burton has achieved greatness well beyond his youthful expectations. He is caught up in the political and social upheaval of Northern France and is quickly taking his place among the noblemen of his times. He has put together the elements of success, both military and financial. It is the Year of Our Lord, 1358. But his real destiny would be forcefully revealed in his reconnection with his brother, Thomas Burton, called The Arrowsmith. This is the story of their partnership and what it meant to the military and political world of Normandy, France. It is a story of genius, tenacity and grit. The Burton Story is told in volume one of this series: "The Archer's Revenge." A second volume describes Will Burton's rise as a military force in: "Striker King, Warhorse." This third volume, "Archer and Arrowsmith," extends the saga to include Will's brother Tom, called the Arrowsmith.

The year is 1869, and Law and Order is still a precious and rare commodity on the frontier following the Civil War. Thomas Fletcher had followed in his father's footsteps and joined the cavalry. The horrors of the War drove all the "soldiering" out of young Fletch and he began to drift, first hiring on with Wells Fargo riding shotgun on their stagecoaches. That was where he developed his love of the 12gauge shotgun which became his life's companion. Warren Tate was a hired gun, known for his ability to bring law and order to the frontier towns of Kansas and Missouri. He and Fletch partnered up to help the folks of Lucking Mills, Kansas deal with a threat from marauding guerilla bands. These remnants of William Quantrill's Raiders were still a force to deal with, even years after the War was over. Tate and Fletcher will be called on to use all their courage and ingenuity in dealing with the contingencies. Then, after successfully eliminating one of the notorious criminal bands, the Goddard Gang, Fletcher and Tate were singled out by the governor of the territory. He wants to make them territorial marshals. Local Sheriffs have no territorial recognition, their jurisdiction is limited to the town line. In Texas, the Rangers were developed to deal with these larger, regional problems, in Kansas, it will be Fletcher and Tate.

On the North American Continent a new form of terrorism has come into existence in the sovereign country of Mexico. It is fueled by the extensive flow of drugs from that country into the American black market. Recent reports place the financials of this trade at over twenty billion American dollars. On the Mexican side of the international border, there have been killings in the tens of thousands, over fifty thousand by one accounting. On the American side of the border, Homeland Security and the American Border Patrol System have been on high alert manning major check points. A particular hotbed of violent activity and intense drug trafficking is the city of El Paso, Texas. Homeland Federal Agent, Joe Maki is being drawn into this festering region of illegal drug commerce by his boss, who is asking him to accompany a large supply of automatic weapons that are being transferred to the Border Patrol Unit in El Paso. The mission becomes a disaster when the C-17 transport jet is hijacked by the Mexican Cartel and flown into Mexico. But taking Agent Joe Maki prisoner might have been the Cartel's worse nightmare. In this third volume of the series: Boston's Counter-Terrorism Unit, Robert M. Johnson has crafted a story filled with action and insight. Joe Maki, Homeland Agent is suddenly thrust into the heart of the Mexican underworld, where an army of hoodlums seeks to control the lucrative flow of illicit drugs into America. The problem is so vast that the Mexican government has had to rely on their military to address the problem. As usual, time is of the essence, and with limited resources and time running out, Joe Maki is on his own. The results are fascinating! "HiJacked Terror" is a must read.

It is 1840 and the Oregon Trail continues to be a problem for those wanting to migrate to the rich lands of the West, beyond the Rockies. The Pathfinder, John Charles Fremont has funding for an expedition to map the way west. He needs a guide and his previous experience tells him that Jeremiah Warner, known as the Mountain Man, would be his best choice. It seems as though this might be a perfect reprieve from the vendetta of the Crow Bear Clan Warriors who have sworn to kill the man they call the Warlock, Jeremiah Warner. The high mountain adventures continue unabated in this ninth volume of the Mountain Man Series. Jeremiah Warner, the Wolf Man Warlock, has slowly garnered more attention than he ever expected or wanted, from the Native American tribes of the Rocky Mountains, making both fast friends and fierce enemies. But standing at a pivotal point in American history, he has even been sought after by the white population of the young American Colonies. In 1839 he had befriended a man who was just then becoming the leading force behind the Manifest Destiny, the expansion of the United Colonies through the Rocky Mountain Territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The young engineer's name was John Fremont. In this ninth volume of the Mountain Man Series, "The Warlock's Way," Jeremiah has been called upon to scout for the Fremont Expedition, a group led by John Charles Fremont with a mission of mapping the route west. Their first objective, the year is now 1840, is to make sure that the route through to the eastern edge of the Oregon Territory is passable. Up to that point, wagon trains had been advised to abandon their heavy wagons near South Pass and proceed on the final leg of their journey by horseback and pack animals. Fremont and his cartographer were determined to provide an accurate guideline for the travelers who would follow the trail, using readings of longitude, latitude and altitude to guide them. Previous expeditions, starting with Lewis and Clarke in 1805, had provided many crude maps as efforts were made to use waterways like the Columbia River to get through. Eventually it became clear that a land route would be needed as families migrated by the thousands toward the verdant farmlands of the west coast. Everything they owned was in those Conestoga Wagons and somehow they had to get through. This mission would find Jeremiah Warner at a difficult and confusing period of his life, struggling with the defense of his Blackfoot wives and his two small children against the threat of the Crow Indian Nation. The Crow Bear Clan had targeted the Mountain Man for death and committed dozens of their warriors to the pursuit. So far, they had all died at his hand, causing the Crow to consider him an enemy of "great medicine," a Warlock.

In the year of Our Lord, 1096, a young intellectual from Cologne in northern Germany took up the cross and became a Crusader. His name was Matthew of Cologne, son of the Mayor of that city. He became the protégée and eventually the adjutant of Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, one of the four leaders of the Crusade. After hundreds of miles and numerous battles the army of the Crusade finally took the Holy City of Jerusalem in 1099 A.D. Matthew's story is told in volume one of this series: Jihad 1095 A.D. The Great Crusade. With time, Matthew is Knighted and becomes the military leader of the garrison at Jerusalem under King Baldwin II. His skill as a soldier and his fighting reputation gain him the name of The Hammer of God. This is the title of the second book in the series and recounts the journey of this young man toward the realization of his vocation: the joining of his religious ideal and his military dedication to the cause of Christ. Along with another Crusader, Hugh de Payans, Matthew takes part in the inspired planning that will lead to the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Temple, later called the Knights Templar. In this third volume of the Crusader series, Matthew has now become Lord of the city of Gaza in southern Palestine. He is being called upon to defend himself and his Christian people against a new kind of warfare, that of the Assassins. His killing of one of the Assassins, assigned to kill the King of Jerusalem has caused him to become the enemy of Hasan-i-Sabbah the Old Master of the Castle of Alamut and creator of the deadly Assassins. Follow this exciting conflict in the present tale: The Assassin Avenger.

The life of frontiersmen like Sam Ogden is a constant struggle with the elements, changes in season, altitude, animal migrations, and human greed. In this first volume of the Sam Ogden series the reader is introduced to the initiation of the young Mountain Man. Many were to work in the beaver trade between 1820 and 1850 in the Rocky Mountain territories. Some would make a life of it, survive because they were "Hard to Kill." Men like John Colter and Hugh Glass showed what it took to be a Mountain Man. The author's first Mountain Man Series followed the evolution of Jeremiah Warner as he made the transitions and adjustments necessary as the frontier changed. The Sam Ogden character begins his mountain life at a younger age, finding it a difficult place to face the inner battles with greed and lust and high adventure. Yet the young man endures and to some extent thrives, because he is indeed, Hard to Kill. The first twenty years of the nineteenth century in America was marked by an intense spirit of national pride and frontier determination. While future President James Monroe was negotiating the Louisiana Purchase in Paris, his mentor, then President Thomas Jefferson was envisioning a nation from sea to sea, one nation. The struggle between slave and non-slave states was already shaping the politics of the young nation. The War of 1812 would be a stark reminder of just how fragile the American Union still was. The story of Samuel Ogden Leonard begins in 1820, the third year of the presidency of James Monroe, amid the flowering of the beaver trade in the Rocky Mountain Territory. At sixteen years old, Sam was looking for adventure, escape and new horizons. Springfield Illinois didn't provide enough incentive to make him want to stay down on the farm. A fur trading expedition was made to order, and young Sam signed on eagerly. His life became part of the legend and lore of the great Rocky Mountain Wilderness, Sam became a frontiersman. Mountain Men were known for their hard way of life, their innate toughness and their uncanny ability to just SURVIVE. "Hard to Kill" is the story of young Sam Ogden, and his first journey into the wilderness as part of the Jacob Astor Fur Trading Company, a dozen men ready to take on the hardships of the daunting beaver trade.

The saga of the English Archer continues in this fifth volume, now back on English soil. The son of the village blacksmith, Will Burton, has now become Duke of Devonshire, part of the English aristocracy, favorite of the Warrior King, Edward III. The year is 1360, the Hundred Years War is ongoing, and the excitement never ends. As part of his grandiose plan, King Edward made William Duke of Devonshire in southern England, to be a perfect imitation of his own son's role as Prince of Wales and Duke of Acquitaine in France. The story of the young Duke of Devonshire unfolds in this larger political scheme of uniting England and France under the King of England. 1360 Was to be the year when young Will Burton, the former English Archer, would see his life expand to immense horizons. In this exciting fifth volume of the English Archer Series, Will Burton gains the favor of the English King, Edward III, who sees in him the realization of his grand scheme to unite England and France. To achieve this grandiose goal, Edward names William to the Title and Lands of Devonshire, a duchy in southern England. "The Archer Duke" tells the story of this transformation of the onetime outlaw into a peer of the realm. It is the saga of the first glimmers of class warfare and the rise of the middle class in medieval Europe. Long before the French Revolution there was the Magna Carta in Britain and the "Jacquerie" in France. Will Burton has a foot in France and a foot in England. He is a commoner who has risen to the ranks of the nobility. He personifies the powerful changes that are taking place in the Europe of his times. Will's ascendency to the position of Duke of Devonshire was rare for the times, but was also symptomatic of what was coming: the upheaval of medieval structures. Hundreds of years before commoners toppled kings, there is the story of "The Archer Duke."

The treasures of our life can be identified by what they bring of truth and goodness, of pleasure, satisfaction and creativity. We face in the course of any day a multitude of circumstances that we can turn into meaning and value. As we look at the circumstances and the environment in which we find ourselves, a moment of vision happens. Through vision we have internalized and assimilated its richness. We own the vision of happening, the moment is ours. Poetry is the discourse at this apex of vision. The poet in each of us is able to turn the greatest of our life circumstances into the fiber of our meaning. Moment by moment this process is our greatest asset for happiness. Consequently, poetry is something to be cultivated every day of our life. As athletes train for the field of sport, so we are trained by poetry for the field of action. The poetry in us finds the layers of truth hidden in the happenings of each day. Truth is more complex and rich than we allow, and it is up to us to perceive the subtleties of these layers through the filters of poetic insight. The filter of insight is the poetic gift, it is the ability to look at life situations and see in those situations the potential, the becoming. In fact, life is much more than we can imagine, giving us numerous options in all the events of this day, this week, this month, and this year. We are challenged to pay attention, to truly observe what is happening around us. The poet is someone who is obsessed with being here, not with tunnel vision, but awakened to what might be, what has been, what will be. This requires the mindfulness of full mental health, and brings with it true happiness. Life is a posturing, it is an awareness of this moment, a sense of the fullness we stand before. What we do with this fullness depends on our perception of its depth, its breadth, its horizons, and the many purposeful things that can be derived from this moment in time. We are constantly telling the story of our life as reinvented by this moment in time. Life is always going forward, never back. Reading poetry is re-living this vision of fullness. Like the athlete practicing, the musician doing drills, the reader of poetry is refining the basic skills of insight. A poem is not a "figuring out," but instead, a "going within." It is a portal of insight that guides the mind into the riches of time. The poem activates those powers of the mind that are both pleasurable and transformative. In the play of words, the tone, the rhythms, a poem touches the depths of the intuitive mind, the mind of the child within. It is this deeper mind that brings fulfilment, satisfaction and happiness to life's daily experiences. One word encapsulates this process and gives it meaning: ENJOY!

"The viciousness of the Templar attack was a combination of force and surprise. The Turkish Army was busy pulling up tents and staking tents and corralling horses and setting up a water supply for their encampment. They literally had no idea what was happening when the first Templar Knights struck their camp. As they looked up they saw a vision that would be burned into their minds as long as they lived. It was the vision of the great Warhorse, Armageddon, for the Turks the End of the World." It is early in the 12th century, half way between the Port of Jaffa (Today Tel Aviv) and the Holy City of Jerusalem. A band of Seljuk Turks led by Ab u Waleed a young sultan looking to make a name for himself are setting up camp, and planning to pillage a large band of pilgrims from Paris France. It is the first year of the newly formed Knights of the Temple, the Templars. These Knights are dedicated to protecting pilgrims on their way to the Holy City. Two men lead the Templars, Hugh de Payans and Matthew of Gaza, both have the title of Master of the Temple. Lord Matthew is known as the Hammer of God. The Saga of Matthew, the Hammer of God began during the Great Crusade, first told in the book, Jihad 1095 AD. Three subsequent novels chronicled his advancement toward what he saw as his destiny to become a Monk Warrior. Along with his friend, Hugh de Payans, Matthew is a co-founder of the famous Knights Templar. In this fifth book of the series, the Knights Templar have their first battle assignments. They have a chance to demonstrate their famous "Crushing Wedge" attack. The reader will share in the excitement.

"In 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, the government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established an amazing reservoir of fresh water which came to be known as "The Quabbin". The Indian word for Many Waters, the reservoir is a system of dams and aqueducts, put in place in the western section of the state, called the Swift River Valley. The waterways that made up the Swift River, then began to form a large body of water that would eventually exceed four hundred and fifty billion gallons of water." Seventy years later this system of fresh water continues to supply the city of Boston and some of the surrounding towns with water. But at the time of the creation of the dam, four well established villages in the Swift River Valley had to be erased by eminent domaine. Six thousand bodies were exhumed and transferred to grave sites outside the valley. The lives of thousands of people were disrupted, some never recovered. This story is about one family that never really got over the taking of their lands in the township of Dana, Massachusetts. Their story became a violent threat to the well being and safety of a whole generation. It would take all the forces of Homeland Security, and the military skills of Agent Joe Maki to reign in this terrorist threat. Robert M. Johnson has created a work of fiction in this present novel that explores the nature of homegrown terrorism. This concept had been without foundation until the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah building by Timothy McVeigh in April of 1995. Terrorism on American soil comes in many forms. In the present story, it is focused on the water supply of the City of Boston, MA. Homeland Counter-Terrorism Agent, Joe Maki will be called upon to thwart the plan of western Massachusetts right wing militia men who want revenge against the state. For them, Quabbin Reservoir is a symbol of all that is wrong with American government. They aim to rectify this problem! You won't be able to put this one down!

In the short few years that he has been in France since 1356, William Burton has achieved greatness well beyond his youthful expectations. He is caught up in the political and social upheaval of Northern France and is quickly taking his place among the noblemen of his times. He has put together the elements of success, both military and financial. It is the Year of Our Lord, 1358. But his real destiny would be forcefully revealed in his reconnection with his brother, Thomas Burton, called The Arrowsmith. This is the story of their partnership and what it meant to the military and political world of Normandy, France. It is a story of genius, tenacity and grit. The Burton Story is told in volume one of this series: "The Archer's Revenge." A second volume describes Will Burton's rise as a military force in: "Striker King, Warhorse." The third volume, "Archer and Arrowsmith," extends the saga to include Will's brother Tom, called the Arrowsmith. This fourth volume, "The Archer's Lightning Arrows," chronicles their adventures as they gain the attention of Edward III the king of England.

The Mountain Man Series chronicles the 19th century life of Jeremiah Warner. Tragedy claims his family in the Texas Panhandle when Jeremiah is only eighteen years old. His brief journey of vengeance is told in the first volume of this series: "The Windrider." Two other novels continue to follow his journey: The Wolf Man Warrior and Wilderness Winter. In this fourth volume, he continues to follow the unfolding Destiny that changes the face of the wilderness each season. In the present volume he becomes the Pathfinder, scouting the Oregon Trail through the Rocky Mountain Wilderness. Westward Wagons, Ho! writes another chapter in the Story of the Wolf Man Warrior, Jeremiah Warner.

"Campaign Victory Goes Viral" is the third novel in the Allen Dowling Series. Allen Dowling is an entrepreneur in the most American sense of that word, having made an early commitment to the development of internet computing. He knows he is riding a wave of modern progress and has the formula to make a success of his internet startups. Both Allen's List and Coupit have now made their IPO debut and their stock is stabilizing. Allen is just completing his contracted three years as founder of Coupit, a computer marketing program for businesses around the world. But, Allen Dowling was never a man to rest on his laurels. Having started two internet blockbusters and achieving multi-millionaire status would have satisfied most entrepreneurs. But that's when the presidential campaign director interrupted his dreams of summer vacation at Martha's Vineyard. His marketing success had become legendary and business magazines were doing feature articles on Allen Dowling, social media mogul. His management team of three associates were also being promoted as internet geniuses: Bill Larson, Wendy Jones and Allen's wife, Lindsey Walker Dowling. That finally got the attention of the Democratic Campaign, mired in a difficult expensive race for the White House. Efforts to get the first black President re-elected to a second term was proving tough. It was time to call on Allen Dowling to work his social media magic.