iUniversity

Torture Central 

Do as you’re told and don’t ask questions. This culture of intimidation is one that Michael Keller says he became all too familiar with while serving in the army. And once he found himself in Iraq at the Abu Ghraib prison in 2005, what he saw and heard began to put him at odds with everything he believed in, everything he felt the United States stood for. After speaking up against what he saw and nearly being punished for it, Keller decided that all he could do was detail what he saw in the e-mails he sent back home. Those e-mails are compiled in his self published book, Torture Central.

Becoming Alice

For many years, Alice Rene kept a deep secret from her family. Years later, her grandson uncovered the secret as he interviewed her for a class assignment. What was her secret? She had escaped from the Holocaust at a time when Nazis were gaining power. Her grandson and family were so intrigued by her tale; they encouraged her to write a book about it. Join Rene in her first Author Talk interview as she reveals the story behind her escape and what it is like to be an immigrant in America

Still Alice 

From initially publishing Still Alice through iUniverse to getting the book acquired for a six-figure deal by Simon & Schuster, Lisa Genova’s publishing journey is an inspiring story. Even after she received rejection letters from several traditional publishing houses and literary agents, Genova always believed she had written a good story. And with nearly 5,000 people already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease before the age of 65, she knew that in order to raise awareness, her story had to get out.

 Jerry Parks - 2007 USA TODAY All-American Teacher 

With the school year rapidly approaching, many parents are facing the same daunting reality. Their children are in middle school and the    hard-to-handle teenage years are here. Because of the negative experiences sometimes associated with middle school, such as bullying, lack of motivation, and peer pressure, it can be hard to imagine how any child can do well. However, the right attitude and a good teacher can fix even the most terrifying school issues. Jerry Parks, a USA TODAY All-American teacher, helps parents and new teachers understand what they can do to help students succeed in his first “Author Talk” interview.

Warbird Recovery 

For Gordon Page, April Fools’ Day, 1992, began with a hoax. But the joke soon turned in to run-ins with the KGB, Russian Mafia, and a collection of gun-toting opportunist. In pursuit of his dream to recover rare World War II fighter planes, warbirds, Page found himself trapped in the middle of a real-life adventure in post-Cold War Russia. Not knowing if he would survive, Page documented his experiences into a journal—the inspiration for his autobiography, Warbird Recovery.

 A Garden of Words

Just like taking a walk through a garden of flowers, a conversation with Martha Barnette stimulates the senses. A co-host for the nationally syndicated radio show "A Way with Words," Barnette has captivated listeners as far away as Uruguay and Japan with her unique look at the history of words, regional expressions and family sayings. Join Barnette as she gives aspiring authors advice and brings new layers of details to some of her most sought after titles, A Garden of Words and Ladyfingers & Nun's Tummies: A Lighthearted Look at How Foods Got Their Names, during her first "Author Talk" interview.

Dream Cruises

Enter the exotic shallow beaches of Exuma, Bahamas, the domain of rare and exotic species of animals that inhabit the Galapagos Islands and remote realms off the coast of Alaska that most tourists will never experience. What might sound impossible to do on a cruise ship, is still possible if you're open to a new alternative – private yacht chartering. Kim Kavin, the author of Dream Cruises: The Insider's Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations, reveals secrets of how you can enjoy a more personalized travel experience on a yacht at the same price as a cruise ship vacation.

Geezettes

Who are you calling a Geezette? Mary Ellen Erickson, Ph.D., the author of Geezettes, provides a humorous answer to this question during her first “Author Talk” interview. Join Erickson as she discusses the key ingredient to enjoying ones retirement years, and learn why life after retirement gives her even more of a reason to focus on life.

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic

How can you find ways to cope and thrive with the stresses of the 21st century? While there are those who might believe it can’t be done, the mystic would seek a direct spiritual experience usually within a cloistered environment. Most of us would fall somewhere in between. This is the realm of the Urban Mystic. Coined by Darren Main, the author of Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, the Urban Mystic takes the path to finding the balance between meditation and mainstream life.

Gittin' Western 

After first-hand experiences with a wild grizzly bear, forest fires and chasing after runaway horses, Duane Wiltse began writing his experiences of life in the high country and ended up with a love story – Gittin' Western. Since his childhood on a small farm in Michigan, Wiltse has yearned for something different. For him it was the lure of the Rocky Mountains. But it wasn't until he decided to pack up his family and life and follow his dreams that he came to find out more about his true calling in life.

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

Where have I heard that before? With music playing such a prominent role in our lives, it's a question that most of us have asked at one point. It's also the question that led Timothy English to write Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-Off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock and Roll. From John Lennon, Huey Lewis and Ray Parker Jr. to the Isley Brothers and Michael Bolton, song writers and musicians have often found themselves in the middle of scandal due to this very topic.

The Osgoode Trilogy

If a dead marriage and overbearing boss haven't caused enough frustration in the life of Harry Jenkins, then what happens when murder, fraud and deceit get thrown into the mix? Author/Photographer Mary E. Martin discusses how 18 months brought the protagonist of her legal thriller/mystery The Osgoode Trilogy back to life. She also describes the process involved in writing the three books.

Barbara Wood Collection

Join the New York Times best-selling, internationally-acclaimed author Barbara Wood in her first "AuthorTalk" interview. Wood spins tales of her travel experiences from Australia to Uganda, reflected in the 12 books of The Barbara Wood Collection, published in the iUniverse Back-in-Print program. She also shares stories about her long writing career and gives advice to new writers who want to get published.

What Time Is the Midnight Buffet?

There's no denying that ocean cruises have become increasingly popular vacations over the past few years. But with all the options available, how do you know if a cruise vacation is right for you? Author Richard Holleran and his wife Kris decided to take the leap and celebrated their 25th anniversary with their first cruise. The trip wasn't planned without a great deal of trepidation—would a cruise actually be fun, or would it just be an extremely slow way to get to destinations that were nothing more than touristy shopping malls? Writing under the nickname "ChesterH," Holleran shares his cruising experiences in a fun and humorous manner that will help you decide if your next vacation should include an adventure on the high seas.

Stolen Boy

A shocking criminal case made waves throughout Southern California in 2000 when a young drug dealer named Jesse James Hollywood kidnapped his rival's teenage brother in order to settle a drug debt. As events unfolded, a scandalous world of teenage decadence and immorality leading to a tragic end was revealed. In his new book Stolen Boy, author and attorney Michael Mehas provides a gripping fictional account based on the true story of these bored and privileged kids whose lives took a disastrous turn.

God Bless America

In modern society, it's easy to overlook the role of religion in the development of American government and culture. However, in the patriotic fervor that followed the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, the phrase "God bless America" was widely used by politicians throughout the United States. But what does that expression really mean? In their iUniverse Publisher's Choice and Reader's Choice title, God Bless America, authors Dean Coddington and Richard Chapman examine the world events that influenced the exploration and settlement of North America, as well as the major religious revivals that had a tremendous impact on American culture and the desire for self-government.

Head Trauma

Always Another Horizon

Few people get the chance to do what author Tina Olton and her husband Stephen Salmon did—spend almost eight years circumnavigating the globe aboard a 40-foot boat. Their experiences are vividly described in Olton's book Always Another Horizon. Listen as Olton shares the hilarious, harrowing and hectic details of a voyage that changed the couple's lives and tested the limits of their determination.

Take-Charge Living

What personal change would lead you to a happier life if only you could motivate yourself to take action? Listen to Dr. Marion Jacobs as she discusses her book, Take-Charge Living: How to Recast Your Role in Life in Six Acts, and learn how you can break through the resistance to change and become the director of your own life.

Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes

For the more than 3 million African Americans suffering from diabetes, finding a meal plan and resources that address their ethnic or regional food traditions has been a challenge. Constance Brown-Riggs, author of Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes, has changed all that. Learn how she is helping people out of "deniabetes" by providing culturally relevant nutritional advice that can make meals and snacks "soulful" once again.

A Time Before Me

A Time Before Me is not your typical work of gay fiction, most of which take place in a large urban American city. Rural Mississippi and New Orleans provide a unique backdrop for author Michael Perronne's second novel, the story of a young gay man as he comes of age. Perrone discusses what it's like to be gay in the South and the importance of defying stereotypes of gay literature.

Romance, Riches and Restrooms

How does an average guy deal with 15 years of chronic anxiety because of his dependence on a "bathroom" strategy? Listen as author Tim Phelan discusses living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and his hilarious book, Romance, Riches, and Restrooms: A Cautionary Tale of Ambitious Dreams and Irritable Bowels.

Digging to Indochina

Connie Biewald worked her way through three literary agents trying to get a novel published traditionally. She discusses what eventually led her to supported self-publishing and the "empowering" experience of self-publishing her first novel, Digging to Indochina.

Making News

Making News: A Straight-Shooting Guide to Media Relations is an in-depth look at the forces of change within the news business that are also changing how we must approach and work with journalists to get our story reported, today and into the future.