Richard Jackson Saga

Contains books one and two of the Richard Jackson Saga, a coming-of-age adventure series. The Beginning, book 1 Coming-of-age stories do not have to be full of teenage angst; they can be fun and lighthearted. Follow our young hero as he goes through life in the late 1950s, adventure after adventure, large and small. All you have to remember is that they are all true, give or take a lie or two.... Starting in the summer before his freshman year, the story follows him through his high school life. He finds fame and fortune as an inventor, and wealth in Hollywood as he searches for a girlfriend (...wealth and fame prove far easier to obtain than girls). The School Days, book 2 Rick in the first semester of the ninth grade. Using the lessons he learned on the road, he makes a serious start on becoming an excellent student. However, he still has to navigate the pitfalls of the Homecoming Dance, Sadie Hawkins Day, and other dangerous encounters with the fair sex. His thoughts of being a football star take him nowhere; he finds that chasing a little white ball around a field can be fun, and that being a hero is not all it is cracked up to be.

Contains books seven and eight of the Richard Jackson Saga, a coming-of-age adventure series. Third Time Is a Charm, book 7 Rick is making a movie he didn't want to do, singing a song against his will and trying to complete the tenth grade. Danger and adventure keeps coming his way, from a pedophile to the KGB. The world seems out to get him. Life is strange when the Hell's Angels consider you one of them. The State of California can't comprehend that self-study can be more efficient than a classroom. Flying multi-engine aircraft proves to be easy compared to getting and keeping a girlfriend. Oxford University, book 8 Rick is transitioning from being a tenth grade high school student to entering Oxford University as an underclassman. Fame, adventure, and even some danger keep coming his way as he moves to Oxford, England. He is back and forth across the Atlantic as he takes his exams and prepares for the US Open. Somehow, his courtesy job as a Queen's Messenger lands him in the Royal Air Force as a flight officer. How this ends up involving a French actress and the Mona Lisa remains to be seen. Includes "Mary, Mary", a bonus story from The Richard Jackson Saga.

Contains books five and six of the Richard Jackson Saga, a coming-of-age adventure series. Star to Deckhand, book 5 Rick is working and living in California, but learns that starring in a new movie has its challenges. As he gains skills in his new role as an actor he discovers that he can sing...to a point. A dark and dangerous side of the family comes forth when Soviet agents kidnap his sister. The move into Jackson House has its surprises. And while the family flies to England for their holiday, Rick works his way there as a deckhand on a freighter. Cuba, Argentina, Africa, and England all have adventure in store for our maturing young protagonist. Surfing Dude, book 6 While Rick continues working and living in California, he begins preparing for a surfing movie that will be filmed in Hawaii. He finds out that like the rest of the world, films do not always go as planned. From chipmunks to tigers, the entire animal kingdom has its dangers. Throw a group of crooked town officials and a flight crew with food poisoning into the mix and this young man has his hands full. While money keeps pouring in, he doesn't seem to have much luck with pretty girls...at least not the luck a 15-year-old boy wants.

Contains books three and four of the Richard Jackson Saga, a coming-of-age adventure series. Hollywood, book three Rick debuts in the movies. From being a supporting actor to winning a leading role, the young man finds out that being a star is real work. His invention of the adjustable faucet and electric hairdryer brings him money, and being in the movies brings him fame, but finding a girl who isn't a gold digger or hanger-on proves to be more difficult. Because finding a lady takes effort...like being nice to them and actually listening while getting to know them. In the Movies, book four Rick is now firmly in the movies. As the young man grows in his capabilities both on- and off-screen, he finds out that fame may not be all it is cracked up to be. Finding girls is no longer hard; between the boss' daughter, an old flame, and a bad girl from Hollywood, he has his hands full. Joined by his family in California, they buy a mansion with hidden secrets. The adventure continues, ranging from a stampede to a group of bank robbers running into the Square of Death. For the young, this is a coming-of-age adventure; for those who lived it, it's a trip down memory lane. This tongue-in-cheek saga is all true (give or take a lie or two) and contains Easter eggs galore.

Contains books 9 and 10 of the Richard Jackson Saga, a coming-of-age adventure series. Cold War, book 9 In the early 1960s, the Cold War is intensifying and so is Rick's involvement. The KGB and the East Germany Stasi started it, but Rick must finish it. Trying to capture him is one thing, kidnapping Mary is another. Taking Care of Business, book 10 Rick has to start paying closer attention to his businesses. Starting with an Oxford Don's challenge and ending with a serious look at his business empire, he finds that he has no choice but to get involved. If he doesn't pay attention, millions of people could starve due to the untimely death of Chairman Mao. He learns that being sent down from Oxford is not the end of the world, and is reminded that broken arms and bullet wounds hurt....

Contains books 11 and 12 of the Richard Jackson Saga, a coming-of-age adventure series. Interesting Times, book 11 The untimely death of Chairman Mao has set in motion enormous changes in the world. The new empress of China is a contact of Rick's, and this leads to his involvement in events in China, the Vietnams, and Hong Kong. At the same time, he starts his quest for being the second amateur to complete a Grand Slam in golf. He learns that a broken heart hurts. As the old Chinese curse says, "May you live in interesting times." Escape from Siberia, book 12 Rick's involvement with government continues at a high level. As he matures, he faces the greatest challenge of his life when he is kidnapped by the KGB. Taken to the Soviet Union and put on trial, he finds that he has to create his own way to safety. He creates such havoc in the government on his way out, that the Chinese promise never to kidnap him. His feud with the Kennedy brothers deepens. He learns that people can grow apart through no fault of their own. As Confucius says, "When setting out for revenge, dig two graves."