A L Smith

"The love of money is the root to all evil, but poverty and wealth are its greatest companions..." A. L. SmithHuman trafficking is often considered an international phenomenon and women from third world countries are the first images that come to mind. However, "familial human trafficking" is a more intimate crime due to the dynamics of the underlying relationships. Human trafficking is one of the largest criminal entities in the country today, second only to drug trafficking...200,000 cases reported each year. Abject poverty, visible obscurity and other socioeconomic disparities are contributing factors. Behind Closed Doors 2 is the riveting tale of one little girl's struggle to overcome circumstances beyond her control. Born and raised on the ruthless streets of East St Louis, Dana Toussaint was accustomed to a life of privilege, thanks to her father, a Haitian-born immigrant and notorious drug lord. Dana's mother, a materialistic southern belle from South Louisiana, is consumed by the good life, as memories of her upbringing in an East New Orleans housing project become a distant memory. In spite of the similarities between the Haitian and Louisiana Creole cultures, the marriage unravels and the unthinkable occurs when Dana's father abruptly abandons the family. At the age of 12, Dana becomes the ultimate sacrifice and her mother brokers the deal. ReviewAn uncompromising but profound urban tale from an incisive author KirkusThe author is a master storyteller and should be commended for crafting a plot that is so absorbing. I look forward to reading more books in this series. For a time, I felt like I was transported to East St. Louis and Dana's world. Maybe her world wasn't such a good place to be, but I had no choice. Really good books can do that to a reader Onlinebookclub.org

Ava should have been the happiest woman alive. She had married the man of her dreams. She had meant every word of the vows she took to Richard on their wedding day. However, things have changed, could she leave him, should she leave him? A sequence of events occurs which leaves Ava questioning everything she has ever believed in. A new job opportunity and new friendships open Ava's eyes to a new way of living. Meanwhile, Michael retraces old roots and reunites with his best friend Mia who nurtures his broken heart.

Weather solutions know no boundaries as this book will demonstrate. Eddie Stormbart had a winning idea and he created a huge cloud machine that had a rain-making capacity four times that of current models and he called it 'Cloudtanic'. In Scarborough the town council hired a drizzle to quell any trouble from agitated holidaymakers. Oban's 'Fresh Food Gathering' was saved by fresh water deliveries and watercress was the main beneficiary. Great Yarmouth's 'slot machines' provided a jackpot shower. The Cloud Museum in deeper Salford is a revelation. Crime extends to all sectors of society and the world of weather is no exception. Two amorous undergraduates completed work experience aboard cloud machines. A honeymoon cruise onboard a cloud machine was a dream come true for an American couple. You can enjoy all this stuff without getting wet, but it would still be advisable to have an umbrella handy - better to be safe rather than drenched!

From the Flight Engineer's station on board the Nimbus almost any kind of weather could be produced to order and order it was for purposes galore. Whether it is for fund raising, industrial sabotage or TV Dramas, it was available from Wythenshawe Weather Centre, and aboard the Nimbus it was the Flight Engineer who controlled it all. This is the third book on weather making by the author, the first being -'Making Rain and Other Things Is Our Business!' and the second, - 'A Clouds Life'. Tony Smith is a retired Further Education Lecturer and former RAFVR(T) and SCC RNR Officer. He has a wealth of experience of young people and all things flying. As a Bachelor of Education and former glider pilot, he is suitably qualified to waffle on about a lot of things. When Tony's head is not in the clouds he builds model aircraft and helps a local Brass band. Tony is married and has two daughters, two grand daughters and a grandson. He lives in Atherton, a former mining and mill town in the North West of England.

The life of a cloud, or at least, one of those made by a machine operating from Wythenshawe Weather Centre, is unbelievably varied. Rain and drizzle you might expect but delivering spies, saving ships in distress, helping with missile tests and keeping amorous couples apart will probably come as a complete surprise, but the man in the driving seat sees it all and more. Why not join him or her and see (well at least read) for yourself.