UNSEEMillions of people worldwide face the silent challenge of brain diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and epilepsy. These complex conditions affect not just memory, movement, and emotions but the very core of how a person lives and interacts with the world. For patients and their families, these neurological disorders can feel like an unseen battle—one that many struggle to fully understand.In *Unseen Battles: Living with Brain Diseases*, this practical guide offers ...

D.R. Ransdell would have never guessed that nostalgia for living in Durango, Mexico, would lead her to join a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. Nor would she have guessed that learning by ear could be such a devilish challenge or that the standard mariachi repertoire started with a list of a hundred songs. Despite scheming rivals and flirtatious compadres, Ransdell persevered. She participated in stage performances and rowdy house parties while learning one riff after another. In her music...

InSects follows Violet, a girl dragged by her mother and stepfather from Arizona to the rain-soaked coast of British Columbia. Violet now has to cope with losing her home, her friends, her family, and everything that made her who she was. At school, she is the oddball, the quiet, anxious new girl.Surrounded by cliques of collectors, she stands out as the strange one, with no cards, collectibles, or tchotchkes to claim.When she finds a fallen chrysa...

Before his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease in 1998, Fred Ransdell had dismissed thoughts of contributing to the field of paleontology, labeling them as "unrealistic" and "out of reach." Today Ransdell has spent years working on fossils at the Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas. He has been on dozens of trips out in the field to search for fossils and has even participated in official fossil excavations. Not just for fossil fans, however, Shaky Man Walking is a sincere account...

Gina Campanello is thrilled when Happy Travels Press offers her an internship. The college student envisions traveling between jungle palaces and island paradises. When she's assigned to drive between Arizona to Illinois, she's disappointed until she realizes she can include the International Carillon Festival in Springfield, Illinois, on her itinerary. She's thrilled to make virtual friends with the star-billed musician, but by the time she reaches the capital city, Vlinder Van de Velde h...

Although she appreciates the plentiful beaches and pristine ocean, Rachel Campanello doesn't travel to the Dodecanese islands for the beautiful scenery. She wants to meet with her Greek friends and enjoy a well-earned vacation from her mariachi job back in Tucson.She relishes the Mediterranean lifestyle: swimming laps in the morning, sipping frappés in the afternoon, and listening to bouzouki music at the local taverna at night. She's enthralled with the charismatic lead singer who...

Not every Greek island is a paradise!When Andy Veracruz flies to Greece for a holiday, the California native expects to spend afternoons swimming and nights making love. But at an outdoor café, he meets a fellow traveler who accidentally leaves behind a package. Before Andy can return it, the man disappears. Andy tries to enjoy time with his girlfriend, but he feels unsettled. He hungers to learn more about the man's history, but he can't find a concrete lead.Rachel thinks ...

"Andy, would you come up to my office for a minute?"What can you say when your boss makes a direct request?"Take a load off," Rolando said as I joined him. "Want a brandy?""All right," I said cautiously. For small favors he bribed me with beer."How did things go tonight?" he asked."You mean until that drunk insisted on singing with us?" Volunteer singers were a common nuisance. When they approached the stage while clutching a shot of tequila, we brac...

A reckless concertmaster, a determined conductor, and a priceless violin turn Andy Veracruz into a substitute soloist, but being a soloist is the easy part! At his first concert, a patron is found dead and a musician flees the scene. The orchestra nearly falls to pieces, but Andy takes control. Impressed with his quick thinking, the conductor recruits Andy for a European tour to secretly chase after the missing violinist. Andy relishes the challenge, but at every step he imagines that his ...

Some vacations make your head spin!Andy travels to Mexico to catch up with Rachel, a kindred spirit and fellow mariachi musician. He encounters difficulties on his trip down to Durango, however. While lounging at the pool, a fellow traveler asks Andy to keep an eye on her purse.She never comes back to claim it.By the time Andy reaches his destination, the jobless musician can't concentrate on vacationing. When he tries to investigate, instead of finding one woman, h...

A party house, bad wine, and a dead villager add up to murder! When Sofi Francese heads to Italy to restore the family property, she never expects it to feature a dead relative. She runs to the nearest police station, but Cenzo Bot ignores her until he learns that the victim is also the town's mayor. Together they follow leads, but the villagers only want to hear about Sofi's wine cellar. Now that the renovations are complete, won't she consider selling it to one of them?

Andy Veracruz routinely faces danger and betrayal, but none of his past experiences prepare him for his latest challenge—teaching! When he agrees to help his girlfriend mount a Vegas show featuring her original songs, he never expects to train junior musicians to accompany them. Nor does he expect Rachel to demand a personal commitment. After the theatre manager is kidnapped, Andy loses what's left of his concentration. Despite aid from his lookalike brother and a quick-thinking cousin, ho...