New Book Release: United States of Ghosts

United States of Ghosts: A History of America's Hauntings by Richard Estep and Tim Shaw

Flickering lights and mysterious presences have haunted America since the founding of the republic. Explore the history and read the spine-chilling stories of America’s ghosts!

Join paranormal researcher Richard Estep as he plunks you into the middle of the unsettling action of captivating true ghost stories and encounters with the supernatural from throughout American history. From 1776 and Boston’s Granary Burying Ground to the spirits that arose after the brutality of the Civil War, the whispered voices heard in the White House, and eerie tales of dead celebrity sightings, United States of Ghosts: A History of America’s Hauntings delves into the true eerie tales from both historical documents and personal accounts, including …

• Ghosts of the American revolution found in the Boston Common, the American Philosophical Library in Philadelphia, and elsewhere
• Poltergeist outbreaks, a brutal murder in a haunted house, and other extraordinary events before and after the Civil War
• The lingering specters of Gettysburg, the Battle of Antietam, and other Civil War battles
• Ghostly encounters with famous men and women, including John Belushi, Harry Houdini, Rudolph Valentino, and Mark Twain
• Spirits from the Wild West that continue to wreak havoc on the jails that incarcerated them and the mines that buried them
• The brutal mutilation mystery of the Roaring Twenties’ Black Dahlia
• First lady and president apparitions that haunt the White House
• Davy Crockett and ghosts of the Alamo
• Haunted hotels, cemeteries, and burial grounds
• … and much more!
  
  
  Master storyteller Richard Estep presents 250 years of hauntings in United States of Ghosts. You’ll meet a whole host of other supernatural manifestations, haunting this bone-chilling collection of true ghost stories spanning our nation’s history!

New Book Release: UFO Sightings and Alien Visitations

UFO Sightings and Alien Visitations: Facts and Falsehoods by Kevin D. Randle

Removing the misinformation and disinformation to reveal the truth behind the UFO phenomenon!

From the beginning of recorded history, people have seen unusual things in the sky and witnessed strange beings arriving from the heavens. There are cave drawings and carvings from prehistoric peoples and hieroglyphics from the Egyptians; there are statues erected in Greece and Mesoamerica and paintings from the Middle Ages. Puzzling artifacts in many other places around the world strongly indicate alien sightings and encounters have always been a part of human history.

Considerable evidence indicates that visitors have been to our world for eons, but there is also evidence of a concerted effort to suppress and obfuscate knowledge of past and modern visitations. Military veteran Kevin D. Randle examines the truth behind these stories and why the government fears the public knowing about them. Interviewing hundreds of witnesses, analyzing documents, and using his military service as a public affairs officer, a general's aide, and an intelligence officer to unravel the facts behind government investigations, Randle refutes some accounts while validating others in UFO Sightings and Alien Visitations: Facts and Falsehoods. This in-depth examination breaks down a variety of the UAP stories and possible alien visitations, including …

• Ancient gods as alien visitors
• Coral Lorenzen’s encounter
• Project Mogul balloon
• The Kingman UFO crash
• Radar sightings
• Alien space probes circling Earth
• Foreign objects entering the solar system
• Hybrid offspring
• The Allagash abduction
• The Nimitz encounter
• The 2025 Congressional hearings

And a thorough analysis of the UFO phenomenon!

Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer in the possibility of aliens coming to Earth, UFO Sightings and Alien Visitations will have you scanning to the skies with renewed wonder!

New Book Release: Handy AI

The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book by A.G.G. Liu and Aishwary Pawar

What is artificial intelligence? How does it work? Who is behind it? What can we expect from it in the future? Good questions, and we have the answers!

Artificial intelligence is popping up everywhere: in Google searches, calls to customer service, and in healthcare, education, and personal assistants—to name just five. It’s rapidly changing businesses and our lives. Covering the basics, its history, and the science behind it, The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book is the perfect starting point to understanding the emerging AI revolution, what is currently possible, what might be possible in the future—and what’s just hype. Tackling what has been, what is, and what will be—and the “what ifs”—of AI, this informative book answers more than 1,400 questions, such as …

• What does the term "artificial intelligence" actually mean?
• What real-world AI tools do people use daily, like Alexa, Netflix, and facial recognition?
• How do AI algorithms adapt to changes in search trends and user behavior?
• What is AI-based image stabilization in smartphones and cameras?
• How does AI assist in surgical procedures and robotic surgery?
• How does the use of AI in surveillance affect human rights?
• What industries are most vulnerable to automation and AI-driven job loss?
• How can AI recognize human emotions and adapt its responses accordingly?
• What can we learn from other technologies as we consider how AI will shape our world?
• And hundreds more!

Informative, provocative, and intriguing, The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book looks at this emerging technology and what the past might tell us about the future. Ponder the potentials—and the perils—with this enlightening examination of AI!

New Book Release: The LGBTQ Almanac

The LGBTQ Almanac: 500 Years of Queer Culture in American History by Deborah G. Felder

Influential! Remarkable! Groundbreaking! Discover and celebrate the amazing stories and achievements of some of America’s most inspiring artists, athletes, scholars, advocates and activists, political and civic leaders, entrepreneurs, physicians, educators, and more. Explore the vibrant experiences and vital roles of LGBTQ people in America!

Honoring the history and the impact of LGBTQ people on the United States across a variety of fields, The LGBTQ Almanac: 500 Years of Queer Culture in American History is a fascinating mix of biographies, little-known or misunderstood historical facts, enlightening essays on significant legislation, and cultural changes. It features a large collection of 450 biographies of both celebrated and lesser-known influencers in the community, such as …

● Harvey Milk, Politician ● Henry Gerber, Activist ● Marsha P. Johnson, Activist ● Bessie Smith, Blues Singer ● Bayard Rustin, Activist ● James Beard, Chef ● Barbara Gittings, Activist ● Kevin Jennings, Educator, Administrator, Author ● John J. McNeill, Priest, Theologian ● Nergis Mavalvala, Scientist ● Christine Abizaid, Intelligence Officer ● Sylvia Rivera, Activist, Community Organizer ● Frank Kameny, Activist ● Edith Windsor, Computer Programmer, Activist ● Billie Jean King, Tennis Player ● Larry Kramer, Writer ● Tammy Baldwin, Politician ● Emily Shilling, Naval Officer ● Pete Buttigieg, Politician ● Gilbert Baker, Activist, Artist ● Kathy Kozachenko, Politician ● Ellen DeGeneres, Actor, Comedian ● Elizabeth Birch, Attorney, Activist ● Michael Callen, Activist, Musician ● June Chan, Activist, Neurobiologist ● Walter W. Cole (Darcelle XV), Entertainer ● Laverne Cox, Actor, Producer ● J. C. Leyendecker, Illustrator ● Little Richard, Singer ● Lana and Lilly Wachowski, Filmmakers, Writers, Producers ● David Bohnett, Technology Entrepreneur, Investor ● David Geffen, Business Executive, Music Producer ● Dan Choi, Army Officer ● Julie Dorf, Human Rights Activist ● Ruth Ellis, Entrepreneur ● Cecilia Gentili, Activists ● Lucy Diggs Slowe, Educator, Athlete ● Jasper Johns, Painter, Graphic Artist ● Tim Gunn, Fashion Mentor, TV Personality ● Nathan Lane, Actor ● Ben Barres, Neurobiologist ● William Masters and Virginia Johnson, Scientists, Sexologists ● Sarah McBride, Congresswoman ● Phyllis Frye, Lawyer, Judge ● James Hormel, Business Executive, Diplomat ● Beth Ford, Business Executive ● Eric Fanning, Secretary of the Army ● Helen G. James, Airman Second Class ● Megan Rapinoe, Soccer Player ● Brittney Griner, WNBA Basketball Player ● David Kopay, NFL Football Player ● Lia Thomas, Swimmer ● And many, many more!

Celebrating Queer history and achievements, The LGBTQ Almanac is a unique and valuable resource. This massive tome is devoted to illustrating the moving and often lost history of LGBTQ people in business, politics, the military, art, entertainment, sports, media, religion, science, and across America life and throughout its history. Commemorating and honoring Queer achievements, honors, and influence, this important book brings to light all there is to admire and discover about LGBTQ Americans! Numerous photographs and illustrations, a helpful bibliography, and an extensive index add to its usefulness.

New Book Release: Ghostly Encounters

Ghostly Encounters: Terrifyingly True Hauntings by Richard Estep

Your spine tingles and the hair rises on your neck. You look around and at first you see — nothing? But then you notice … !!!! Step into the world where the line between the living and the dead is paper-thin in this bone-chilling collection of ghost stories!

From cursed houses where restless spirits whisper in the dark to shadowy apparitions lurking in the corners of forgotten places, Ghostly Encounters: Terrifyingly True Hauntings delves into eerie and unexplained tales that still baffle, intrigue, and terrify us to this day. Encounter malevolent poltergeists who wreak havoc on unsuspecting families, ghostly figures bound by tragic pasts, and haunted locations steeped in mystery and fear. Explore legends of cursed objects, spectral warnings, and the unrelenting presence of those who refuse to leave the mortal world behind.

Master storyteller and seasoned paranormal investigator Richard Estep presents more than 200 years of hauntings in this fright-filled read that spans the nerve-wracking realms of the spirit world. You will …

• Visit the lonely farmhouse where an animal spirit haunted an innocent family
• Walk the battlefield of Gettysburg where echoes of the Civil War battle still resonate today
• Go behind the walls of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, the tuberculosis facility in Kentucky where thousands lost their lives to an insidious disease — some of whom still walk its empty hallways
• Journey to Tombstone, Arizona, home of the famous 1881 O.K. Corral gunfight, where ghosts apparently still roam the entire town
• Tour the Borley Rectory, which was said to be the most haunted house in England
• Investigate “The Enfield Poltergeist” and “The Black Monk of Pontefract” (featured in the movies The Conjuring 2 and When the Lights Went Out, respectively)
• Meet the Bell Witch, the malicious poltergeist that tormented a family in 19th-century Tennessee
• Venture behind the walls of haunted prisons, hotels, inns, hospitals, mansions, and more
• And meet a whole host of other supernatural manifestations, haunting this bone-chilling collection of true ghost stories!
  
  
  Unsettling and enthralling, Ghostly Encounters will linger in your thoughts long after you’ve turned the last page! Can you face the darkness, or will the darkness find you first?

New Book Release: Latino Firsts

Latino Firsts: Trailblazers and Milestones in United States History by Nicolas Kanellos

Salute the Latino legends, pioneers, and trailblazers! Celebrate the Hispanic milestones, accomplishments, and victories!

An inspiring exploration of 1,250 groundbreaking individuals and pioneering events, Latino Firsts: Trailblazers and Milestones in United States History honors the an indelible mark Hispanics have made on American history and society. Featured are brigadier general Richard E. Cavazos, Nobel laureate Gabriela Mistral, actress America Ferrera, playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Francisco Ayala, artist Jen-Michel Basquiat, weightlifter Sarah Elizabeth Robles, and many, many more notable people and accomplishments, such as …

• The first Latinos—three Mexican American lawyers—to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court: Gustavo C. García, Carlos Cadena, and John J. Herrera prevailed in Hernandez v. Texas to have juries in the state of Texas desegregated in 1954
  
• The first Latina to represent the United States in the Olympics in archery: Jennifer Muciño-Fernández in 2020
  
• The first Hispanic American to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his years of work on behalf of civil rights for Latinos: President Ronald Reagan honored Hector Pérez García in 1984
  
• The first Latino to be named executive director and president of the Academy of American Poets: Puerto Rican Ricardo Alberto Maldonado in 2023
  
• The United States’ first recorded Latino labor organizing activity: Juan Gómez organized cowboys in the panhandle of Texas in 1883, leading several hundred cowboys on strike against ranch owners
  
• The first Latino to hold the rank of brigadier general of the U.S. Marine Corps: Angela Salinas in 2006
  
• The first Hispanic to be inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame: Opera soprano Martina Arroyo in 2020
  
• The first Puerto Rican and first U.S. Latino to win the Academy Award for Best Actor: José Ferrer in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac
  
• The first Latina to serve as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company: Cuban American Geisha Williams became the CEO the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 2017
  
• The first Latina to serve as a bishop of the United Methodist Church: Minerva G. Carcaño in 2004
  
• The first Latino known to have graduated from an Ivy League school: David Camden DeLeón graduated in 1836 from the University of Pennsylvania
  
• The first Latina dancer to star on Broadway: Puerto Rican Chita Rivera was the principal dancer in 1952’s Guys and Dolls
  
• The first Hispanic spy for the United States: Captain Román Antonio Baca in 1862
  
• The first Latino to be named chief scientist for NASA: France Anne-Dominic Córdova in 1993
  
• The first Latino to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism: Peruvian American journalist Carlos Lozada in 2019
  
• And thousands of other milestones and firsts!
  
  
  Milestones, victories and success are not always noticed when they happen. Sometimes an achievement is only recognized years later. Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields—arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more. Latino Firsts illuminates the rich and important history of Hispanic Americans!

New Book Release: Dark Spirits

Dark Spirits: Monsters, Demons and Devils by Richard Estep

Take a dark descent into a world of supernatural evil! Explore true horrors of sinister spirits, ominous ghosts, angry souls, menacing monsters, malicious demons, and cursed creatures in this collection of the malevolent paranormal!

Sometimes the monsters are monsters — swimming the murky waters of Loch Ness, stalking their victims the streets of small town America, or hunting innocents across the desolate British moors. At other times, the darkness lies within the human soul itself — the falsely accused who were executed for witchcraft in Salem, those hounded to their graves (and beyond) by cruel pursuers, or those cursed by all forms of vile spirits. Then there are the devils and demons lurking in the darkness, capable of possessing and tormenting the living.

Master storyteller and seasoned paranormal investigator Richard Estep presents sinister hordes of evil in Dark Spirits: Monsters, Demons, and Devils. This fright-filled read spans the darkest realms of the paranormal, including …

• Shapeshifters such as the menacing Skinwalkers of native mythology and ravenous, slavering werewolves
• Dreaded ghosts and ominous hauntings, including John Wayne Gacy’s ghost, the Amityville haunting, and the Villisca Axe Murder House
• Dark and evil curses, from the curse of Superman and Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist to the tomb of Egypt’s pharaoh Tutankhamun
• Deadly demons and devils, like Dozmary Pool’s deal with the devil; Ronald Hunkeler, the Exorcist Boy; and the inhabitants of the Ammons demon house
• Vampires and vampirism from Vlad the Impaler to Elizabeth Bathory, killer of hundreds, to the Highgate Vampire
• Horrific accusations and deadly consequences that ripped through society from the Salem witch trials to the supernatural hysteria caused by the rapid spread of tuberculosis to the 1980s Satanic panic
• Otherworldly encounters like the Black Eyed Children that appear out of nowhere, the Roswell Crash, unexplained animal mutilations, and abducted human beings
• Cursed places, including the Bermuda Triangle, London’s haunted Underground, and Los Angeles’ notorious Hotel Cecil
• And dozens more stories of dark and depraved paranormal beings and encounters.
  
  
  Walk into the abyss of the whispered and veiled legends, the myths and first-person encounters in Dark Spirits. Learn about these frightening experiences and how they scarred lives forever. Explore the dark supernatural world around you—if you dare!

New Book Release: Lost Loot

Lost Loot: Cursed Treasures and Blood Money by Jim Willis

Legendary treasures. Mythical robberies. Lost riches. Buried plunder and fabulous wealth. Hidden dangers. Ancient curses and deathbed jinxes. Captivating tales of lost fortunes, hidden caches, the eternal allure of wealth, and the heartbreak of mysterious curses!

Read about the pursuit of riches turning to grief in this mesmerizing story collection! A thrilling exploration of the world's most intriguing and dangerous treasure hunts, Lost Loot: Cursed Treasures and Blood Money collects dozens of fascinating stories of reward, riches, greed, and ruin, including …

• Curses, deaths, and centuries old treasure on Oak Island

• Searchers hunted down and killed before finding a gangster’s stolen riches

• The eternal quest for D. B. Cooper and his hijack ransom

• Elaborate booby traps protecting ill-gotten gains

• Cursed Aztec wealth lost as it journeyed to Spain

• Mysterious caves holding secrets in the Grand Canyon

• Montezuma’s revenge

• The train-robbing Robin Hood myth of the Sam Bass Gang

• Jean Lafitte and the Galveston Hoard

• The lost Dutchman mine

• Civil War coins hurriedly stashed after a brutal reign of terror

• The missing Fabergé eggs

• John Dillinger’s suitcase

• King Kamehameha’s burial chamber

• Captain Kidd's buried treasure

And more stories of doomed pursuits of plundered riches.

Tales of bewitching riches and hunts gone wrong, yet hope springs eternal. Lost Loot unfolds like a treasure map—but beware of the hidden, deadly obstacles!

New Book Release: The Book of Facts and Trivia: Science

The Book of Facts and Trivia: Science by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Entertaining, informative, and enlightening! Educational, eyebrow-raising, and profound. Science has never been this much fun! Take a weird and wonderful tour of the every branch of science with this treat of stories, trivia, and facts!

From Earth’s weight gain thanks to the many tons of cosmic dust that falls on the planet each year to William A. Mitchell, the inventor of Tang, Cool Whip, and Pop Rocks candy, The Book of Facts and Trivia: Science combines the educational, profound, and trivial into a fascinating collection of science facts! You’ll learn about yourself and the world through hundreds of absorbing stories and interesting tidbits such as …

• Kissing burns up to six calories per minute.

• One teaspoon of neuron star weighs about 10 million tons.

• There are more than 2 million ants for every single person on Earth. That’s approximately 20 quadrillion ants!

• Neanderthals and Homo sapiens first mated tens of thousands of years ago.

• Under the right conditions, some dogs – the super-scenters – can smell you some 12 miles away.

• Nine out of 10 mothers of newborns, after having spent as little as 10 minutes with their babies, can identify their infant by smell.

• The body of Marie Curie (1867-1934), the physicist who discovered radium, is still radioactive.

• The first multiplication tables were used around 2000 B.C.E. by the Babylonians.

• Star Trek characters used devices that looked and acted quite a bit like cell phones—well before the technology came to market. Touchscreen computers too.

• And many more science facts!

An absorbing guide to science answers, The Book of Facts and Trivia will treat you to a smorgasbord of stories, trivia, and facts!

New Book Release: Handy Quantum Physics

The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book by Charles Liu

Quantum physics helps explain many mysteries of the universe. It underpins everything, but it need not be quantum difficult with this informative, accessible, easy-to-follow guide to the fundamentals and concepts of quantum physics and our quantum universe!

Quantum physics is all around us. It’s in electrical lights, lasers, and the color of the sky. Without it, the sun wouldn’t shine. It even explains how human eyes work. With its role in photosynthesis, it literally supports life. Yet, it had Schrödinger wondering whether his cat was alive or dead. It tells us that something can be both a wave and a particle and that two linked particles can communicate across the universe instantaneously! And it might even explain how the multiverse is real. Quantum physics is the key to understanding our complex world, yet even our most brilliant minds haven’t figured it all out yet.

Engaging and approachable, The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book helps untangle this complex subject, making quantum physics and its impact on us, the world, and the universe entertaining and easy to grasp. From the basics to the theories and from the practical applications to the future, this illuminating book answers more than 800 fascinating questions so you can easily understand quantum physics, including ...

• Did the Big Bang arise from quantum foam?
• When did philosophers first consider the existence of atoms?
• What is the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated?
• What are quarks?
• What is quantum teleportation?
• What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
• What is the quantum principle used in MRI machines?
• Does entangled time mean the present can affect the past?
• Why did Albert Einstein say, “God does not play dice with the universe”?
• How is a black hole a quantum object?
• How does quantum physics appear in portrayals of space?
• Do we live in a multiverse?
• What is artificial intelligence?
• Are human brains actually quantum computers?
• How does quantum physics affect me?

The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book provides a bridge between scientific concepts and everyday understanding, allowing you to grasp the wonders and implications of quantum physics. This compelling resource is for the casually curious as well as those seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most captivating scientific fields of our time. With 135 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its glossary of commonly used terms cuts through the jargon, a helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.

New Book Release: Handy Civics

The Handy Civics Answer Book: How to be a Good Citizen by David L. Hudson Jr.

Citizenship Unleashed: Nurturing Democracy and Strengthening America! Delve into the essence of citizenship and the part we play in the functioning of our government with this enlightening guide!

From rights and responsibilities to creating the Constitution and the shape of the government, citizens have a central role in the governance of the United States. A vital guide that explores the duties and responsibilities of an American citizen, The Handy Civics Answer Book: How to Be a Good Citizen also explains the three branches of government and the political processes that influence their functioning. From intriguing historical tidbits to the intricate inner workings of the law, this book is a treasure trove of civics knowledge. This illuminating book answers more than 600 of the most intriguing questions about civics, citizenship, and the government, including …

• What does the Declaration of Independence say?
• What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
• How did the Constitutional Convention delegates deal with the issue of slavery?
• Who actually wrote the U.S. Constitution?
• What were the Federalist Papers?
• What are the Powers of Congress?
• Why did the Framers want to limit the powers of Congress?
• What are the duties of the president of the United States?
• What is the presidential oath?
• How was the U.S. Supreme Court created?
• Can Supreme Court justices be impeached?
• What is the Bill of Rights?
• What rights do citizens possess?
• What are some leading civic responsibilities?
• What legal duties may only citizens perform?
• What does a citizen need to do to vote?
• How does one become a U.S. citizen?
• What is the Oath of Allegiance?
• What does the U.S. Constitution say about state government?
• Who funds public schooling in the United States?
• Do state governments have police powers?
  
  
  Whether through the vote, exercising our free speech rights, defending our country, serving on a jury, respecting laws, staying informed, or respecting the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others, The Handy Civics Answer Book will arm you with the knowledge you need to be an informed and active participant in the democratic process. This compelling resource to Washington, governance, and civic duties is ideal for anyone interested in American politics and government or who is simply seeking to become a more engaged citizen. With more than 120 photos, this tome is richly illustrated. It’s helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.