The Life of Stephen F. Austin,, Founder of Texas 1793-1836, A Chapter in the Westward Movement of the Anglo- American People, Eugene C. Barker, Professor of American History at the University of Texas

It is over a hundred and fifty years since Stephen F. Austin began the transformation of the wilderness that Texas then was into an Anglo-American common wealth. Measured by what he accomplished, he is one of the great figures of American history. He was an unobtrusive, unassuming man and both inclination and circumstances required him to do his work without the blare of trumpets. All that has been written about him by his contemporaries could be printed in a few pages, and he has never been the subject of biographical study. That has determined the character of this treatment, which is primarily factual rather than interpretative. It is in what he did and the manner of doing it that the character and personality of the man must appear.

I particularly appreciate the layout of each chapter with note, etc. of what is to come: as follows:

Chapter I - In The Current of the Westward Movement

Chapter II - On the Missouri and Arkansas Frontier

Chapter III - The Inauguration of Texas Colonization

Chapter IV - Austin in Mexico

Chapter V - The Establishment of The First Colony

Chapter VI - The Extension of Anglo-American Colonization

Chapter VII - The Fredonian Rebellion

Chapter VIII - The Struggle for Stabilizing Laws

And so on through Chapter XIX, including Illustrations and maps.

I hope the reader will check Stephen F. Austin's Life from The Texas Bookshelves and live with Austin on those early days of our state's history.

Montana Dawn, Stone Wallace

When the remnants of a ruthless outlaw gang invade the peaceful desert setting Montana Dawn shares with her gentleman husband, little does the girl suspect that her long dormant spirit for a life far removed from domesticity will be passionately reignited and that circumstances will soon brand her as the most wanted female criminal in the Southwest.

With a bounty on their heads and a determined posse hot in pursuit, Montana Dawn and her outlaw companion Walt Egan share romance and danger across the unrelenting Nevada terrain as they attempt to stay ahead of the law and escape into Mexico to start a new life.

Freedom is close at hand. But will they survive to realize their ambition?

The Galilean Secret, a novel, Evan Drake Howard

When Karim Masalahe, a Palestinian on the run, seeks refuge in a forgotten cave near Qumran, he discovers a half buried clay jar that contains a fragile scroll. His quest to discover its origins takes him on a high speed chase through hostile Jerusalem and West Bank neighborhoods. Caught between his brothers relentless ambition for martyrdom and the forbidden love of a Jewish woman with ties to the highest levels of the Israeli army, Karim must choose between honoring his father or betraying him to serve a higher purpose.

The scroll's message also resonates with Judith of Jerusalem, a first century Jewish woman who under the cover of darkness, gallops on horseback into the desert with the brother of the man to whom she is betrothed. When her allegiance to the rising Zealot Revolution pits her against the Roman occupiers and their priestly collaborators, Judith sees the cruelty of war and realizes her mistake. But is it too late for her to escape and find forgiveness? A letter written by a mysterious Galilean holds the answers, but the Romans have placed a price on his head. Should she risk her life for someone she hardly knows, or risk her soul for a cause and a man she now rejects?

Bound by a letter that spans two millennia, both Karim and Judith will either succumb to hatred, violence and hopelessness, or reveal a wisdom that could save us all.

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