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Spotlight on Texas is a biannual cassette publication announcing
the latest audio books produced by volunteers at the Talking Book
Program Volunteer Recording Studio in Austin and at the Recording
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Midland. The
audio version of "Spotlight on Texas" is distributed on
request to Texans with disabilities who are registered to receive
the Talking Book Program's free library service.
Since 1978, Talking Book volunteers have recorded thousands of
fiction and nonfiction titles by Texas authors or about the history,
culture, folklore, and people of the Lone Star state. Titles recorded
include biographies, histories, westerns, romances, mysteries, self-help,
travel, and children's books. Approximately 10 new books are completed
each month, including some in Spanish. In addition, volunteers record
three Texas magazines: Texas Monthly, Texas Parks & Wildlife,
and Texas Highways.
If you would like to receive an audio cassette copy of "Spotlight
on Texas," please contact the Talking Book Program through
the phone numbers, e-mail address, postal address, or fax number
listed at the bottom of this
page.
To order any of the books listed below, note the titles and CT
book numbers you would like to request. Then call a Reader Consultant
toll-free in Texas at 1-800-252-9605 or, in Austin, at 512-463-5458.
A voicemail message service is available after hours and on weekends
for you to leave book requests or other messages. Say your full
name and patron number (if known) clearly when leaving messages
and give the CT book number and title for each request. Book orders
may also be sent in an e-mail message to: tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us.
Following the list of titles recently recorded by our volunteers,
we also feature in this issue a section on short stories recorded
in years past. We are pleased to provide you this reminder that
these short story books are available.
Note the titles and book numbers you would like to request, then
call us at any time with your order.
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Fiction
The Age of the Bicycle: A Twenty-First Century Novel
CT 6573
by Miriam Webster, Narrated by Janice Goodspeed, 2 cassettes
What if one afternoon all the cars in the world slowed down and
then stopped in their tracks. Set in Tinny Waters, Texas, a fictional
town reminiscent of Austin, Texas, The Age of the Bicycle explores
what happens when all the cars on the planet suddenly cease working.
Would society fall to its knees, or would lots of great things start
happening?
Alamo Heights
CT 6562
by Scott Zesch, Narrated by Dianna Dorman, 2 cassettes
Set in San Antonio in 1907, this novel is inspired by the true story
of the women who fought to save the Alamo from demolition. In fictional
form, Zesch has dramatically recreated this second battle of the
Alamo and a woman who barricaded herself within the stone walls
to save them from the wrecking ball. This book contains: some sex
and profanity
All the Dead Lie Down
CT 6433
by Mary Willis Walker, Narrated by Janice Lathin, 2 cassettes
When true-crime reporter Molly Cates' father died more than twenty-five
years ago, his death was ruled a suicide, and Molly's obsessive
efforts to prove otherwise led to nothing but anguish and the breakup
of her family. Now new information comes her way and she reopens
the old investigation with a vengeance, but the answers she finally
wrests from the past leave her with a moral dilemma she never anticipated.
This title is also available as RC 49717. This book contains: violence
and profanity
Apologizing to Dogs
CT 6540
by Joe Coomer, Narrated by Dorothy Blair, 2 cassettes
It's one hectic day in the lives of 12 antique dealers on sleepy
Worth Row in Fort Worth, Texas. Verda has collapsed in her store
and no one knows. Aura is nine months pregnant and doesn't realize
it. Mr. Haygood and Mazelle have been having an affair for over
30 years underneath the garden tended daily by their spouses. Then
during a violent thunderstorm, secrets are revealed, destinies are
charted, and it's clear that nothing on Worth Avenue will ever be
the same. This book contains: some sex, violence, and profanity
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The Apothecary's Demise: A Houston Heights Mystery
CT 6555
by Anne Sloan, Narrated by Jeanne Guichard, 2 cassettes
In this sequel to "Murder on the Boulevard" (CT 6371), the inexplicable
suicide of a successful Houston pharmacist draws impulsive and headstrong
Flora Logan of Houston Heights into a new mystery. Involved in planning
Houston's first suffrage parade and the passage of Hortense Ward's
Married Women's Property Act, Flora is drawn to investigating the
unusual death of the pharmacist. She soon discovers the Washington
Avenue apothecary is a deadly place to be. It seems linked to the
tragic illness of Flora's friend and a young black woman's disappearance.
This book contains: profanity
C.O.P. Out
CT 6448
by Nancy Herndon, Narrated by Gratia, 2 cassettes
Elena Jarvis is an officer in the Crimes Against Persons department
of the Los Santos, Texas police. The Citizens on Patrol program
was intended as a way for Los Santos locals to support the police,
but relations take a turn for the worse when a C.O.P. volunteer
is killed while accompanying a rookie officer on foot patrol. This
book contains: profanity
Death at Devil's Bridge
CT 6445
by Robin Paige, Narrated by Karen Phipps, 2 cassettes
Sir Charles Sheridan is a renowned photographer, amateur scientist,
and a skilled detective. Kate Ardleigh is his Irish-American wife
and a writer of crime fiction. Newlyweds Charles and Kate Sheridan
have moved into Kate's ancestral home Bishop's Keep, where Kate
plans to devote herself to her writing and Charles to the responsibilities
of the landed gentry. He agrees to host an automobile exhibition
and balloon race at Bishop's Keep attended by Europe's foremost
investors and inventors. This book contains: violence and profanity
Death at Gallows Green
CT 6456
by Robin Paige, Narrated by Karen Watkins, 2 cassettes
Kathryn Ardleigh is everything the Victorian English gentlewoman
is not-outspoken, free-thinking, American … and a writer of the
frowned upon "penny-dreadfuls." She shocked her ancestral home at
Bishop's Keep and captured the interest of detective Sir Charles
Sheridan as they solved their first case together. Now the brutal
demise of a local constable and the mysterious disappearance of
a child have the sleuthing couple on the trail of deadly greed and
criminal mischief once again. And with the help of a shy young woman
who calls herself Beatrix Potter, Kate intends to uncover the sinister
secrets of Gallows Green.
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Death at Rottingdean
CT 6543
by Robin Paige, Narrated by Linda Fox, 2 cassettes
For Kathryn Ardleigh and her newly Lorded husband, Charles, a seaside
holiday in Rottingdean is a much-needed respite. Known as Smuggler's
Village, the cozy hamlet sits upon a labyrinth of hundred-year-old
tunnels through which contraband goods were once smuggled in and
out of England. But when the body of a coast guard is found on the
beach, the couple suspect the town is still plying the illicit trades
of its past. And with the help of an imaginative young writer named
Rudyard Kipling, they're about to discover that something is rotten
in the town of Rottingdean. (5th in the series.)
Do Unto Others
CT 5875
by Jeff Abbott, Narrated by Dick Collins, 2 cassettes
When Jordan Poteet leaves his editorial job in a Boston publishing
firm to return home to Mirabeau, Texas, he expects a peaceful, quiet
life as the town's librarian. Serenity flees as Jordan is forced
to lock horns with Miss Beta Harcher, the local religious fanatic,
in a battle over book censorship. When Jordan finds her murdered
body in the library, he learns that Beta is much more dangerous
dead than she ever was alive-especially to him, since he is the
prime suspect in the crime. This book contains: profanity
Engineered for Murder: A Mystery
CT 6522
by Aileen Schumacher, Narrated by Jeanne Guichard, 2 cassettes
Tory Travers is a young, widowed structural engineer, living with
her son on the outskirts of a campus town in New Mexico. Her life
changes when a scandal erupts regarding the mishandling and structural
problems of the new stadium. From every angle, Tory's business is
threatened if she carries out her duties as inspector. Things escalate
when the son-in-law of a major subcontractor disappears along with
the lab records, and the quality control technician is found murdered.
Enter Detective David Alvarez, who soon discovers Tory's connection
to the death. When Tory starts receiving death threats, the two
work together to solve the mysteries. (1st in the series.)
A Family Secret
CT 6552
by Jean Brashear, Narrated by Alyson McInturff, 2 cassettes
Once, Boone Gallagher had forsaken his ranching heritage for a society
princess, but now he swore city girls would never lasso his heart
again. But suddenly Boone was being forced to share his ranch with
Maddie Rose Collins for thirty days in order to receive his inheritance.
The city sophisticate was everything he vowed to stay clear of,
but that proved to be a challenge. Especially when he found himself
drawn to Maddie's irrepressible spirit as she delighted in the simple
pleasures of ranch living. Still, once the mystery behind Maddie's
past-and the discovery of a secret half sibling-was revealed, would
Boone's wounded heart allow him to offer Maddie a permanent place
to call home? This book contains: some sex and profanity
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Fax Me a Bagel
CT 6420
by Sharon Kahn, Narrated by Janice Lathin, 2 cassettes
This mystery introduces Ruby, the Rabbi's Wife, who has to dodge
a cunning killer from her favorite bakery in Eternal, Texas, to
the streets of New York's Lower East Side. Though widowed for a
year, Ruby can't escape her least favorite member of the congregation,
Essie Sue Margolis. At the Hot Bagel, Ruby's favorite bakery, Essie
Sue's sister goes into a convulsion and dies leaving many unanswered
questions. This book contains: profanity
Frontier Woman: Sisters of the Lone Star
CT 6414
by Joan Johnston, Narrated by Denise Descouzis, 3 cassettes
Cricket Stewart, youngest of the three beautiful Stewart sisters,
was raised to shoot, ride, and fight as well as any man on the Texas
frontier. No man would be her master-until Texas Ranger Jarrett
Creed thundered into her world to challenge her cherished independence.
But all too soon their love would be threatened by vengeful Comanches
and a traitor's desperate plot. Explicit descriptions of sex. This
book contains: heavy sex, violence, and profanity
Going Out in Style: A Very Fashionable Mystery
CT 6561
by Chloe Green, Narrated by Dana Schuff, 2 cassettes
Stylist Dallas O'Connor, who arranges fashion shoots for a major
Dallas, Texas, department store, leads a hectic and sometimes chaotic
life. But it hardly prepares her for finding a knife-wielding man
next to a young model's dead body on the set of an upcoming photo
shoot. The man, Cuban photographer Raul Domingo, protests his innocence,
claiming that he picked up the knife accidentally. After learning
that the police view her as the chief suspect, Dallas agrees to
join Raul in a hunt for some photos that they hope will clear them
both of the murder charge. This book contains: violence and profanity
Hank the Cowdog: Slim's Good-Bye
CT 6554
by John R. Erickson, Narrated by Jack Huff, 1 cassette
Things are not looking good for the ranch. So when Loper heads into
town to negotiate with the banker, Slim hits the road in search
of a new home. Meanwhile, Hank and his faithful sidekick Drover
hitch a ride in the back of Slim's pickup. And when Slim lands himself
a new job, Hank finds that he's no longer the Head of Ranch Security,
but the Head of Chicken House Security. Hank knows that this new
life is for the birds, but will he ever see the ranch again?
Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
CT 6556
by John R. Erickson, Narrated by Charles Watson, 1 cassette
Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, comes to the rescue when
marauding trespassers are threatening to stampede the cattle. Hank
tracks down enemy agent Mysterious Esther, escapes the relentless
Vampire Vacuum Sweeper, and confronts Buster and his gang. Will
Hank prevail and save the ranch?
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Hank the Cowdog: The Garbage Monster From Outer Space
CT 6488
by John R. Erickson, Narrated by Ric Furley, 1 cassette
Someone has been raiding Sally May's garbage barrels! Hank knows
the crime is the work of a notorious gang of raccoons, but in a
tragic case of mistaken identity, the Head of Ranch Security is
himself forced to take the heat. More trouble lies ahead. Rip and
Snort, the good-for-nothing coyote brothers, are planning to pull
an even bigger job. Not only is Hank powerless to stop them, he's
compelled to fight on the side of evil-and comes face to face with
terrifying forces!
Hell's Half Acre
CT 6345
by Frederic Bean, Narrated by Harold Steadman, 2 cassettes
Hell's Half Acre in Fort Worth was a district known for its lawlessness
in the 1870s. For nearly three decades it remained the most notorious
strip of land west of the Mississippi, a place filled with temptations
and dangers that changed lives. Annabelle Green, a penniless sixteen-year-old
caring for her dying mother, faces those temptations and dangers.
Sinful work at the Pink Lady would provide more money than Annabelle
has ever had to ease her mother's last days. But it would cost her
the love of Cody Wade, a young deputy who may not be able to forget
her transgression even though he knows first-hand about the desperation
poverty breeds. This book contains: heavy sex and profanity
In Big Trouble: A Tess Monaghan Mystery
CT 6559
by Laura Lippman, Narrated by Janice Lathin, 2 cassettes
Reporter-turned-private investigator Tess Monaghan may have broken
up with her old boyfriend, Crow, but when she gets an anonymous
letter with a newspaper clipping of her ex-beau's photo beneath
the words "In Big Trouble," she hightails it to Texas where Crow
was last sighted playing the music scene in Austin and San Antonio.
This book contains: some sex, violence, and profanity
The Ladies' Man
CT 6035
by Lorraine Heath, Narrated by Linda Fox, 2 cassettes
In the heart of Texas lives a family as big and bold as the state
itself. The Daltrys are as different as they come, each with his
or her own strengths and weaknesses. When a Daltry turns twenty,
they are presented with a task by their grandmother. These challenges
are intended to teach them about character, but they often learn
quite a bit about love along the way. Lee Daltry, the charmer of
the family, is assigned to teach school for one year. He turns to
Meredith Lewis, the schoolmarm whose job he took, for advice. This
book contains: some sex
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Lockhart's Nightmare
CT 6498
by Wayne Barton, Narrated by Dick Collins, 3 cassettes
War hero James Lockhart is a drummer, or salesman, who works for
a company that prints and sells banknotes to individual banks. When
four banks are robbed, and two of the bank managers are killed,
Lockhart is the obvious suspect. Also arrested is an actress named
Marian Taylor, accused of being Lockhart's accomplice. She helps
them escape custody so they can go about the business of trying
to clear their names-and finding out who the real killer and thief
is. Marian turns out to not only be a big help, but Lockhart finds
himself falling for her. This book contains: violence and profanity
The Lonesome Chisholm Trail
CT 6558
by Johnny D. Boggs, Narrated by Jack Gazzale, 2 cassettes
Sixteen-year-old orphan Tyrell Breen leaves South Carolina and heads
West, hoping to make it to his uncle's ranch near San Antonio, Texas.
It's 1874, and Ty means to become a cowboy. On the way, Ty is robbed
of his money and his horse and arrives at his uncle's ranch a sorry
sight-but not as sorry as his uncle who has been neglecting everything
but his whiskey bottle. Then an affluent cattleman asks Uncle Cliff
to boss a trail drive and get his beef to market early. Cliff knows
that when he accepts the job, it will force him to quit drinking
and tend to business. This book contains: violence and profanity
Lorena
CT 6500
by Frederic Bean, Narrated by Dorothy Blair, 2 cassettes
In order to relay Confederate troop movements to the Union high
command, the beautiful and compassionate Lorena Blaire, a nurse
trained as a spy, infiltrates the medical unit attached to Confederate
General John Bell Hood's forces at the Battle of Franklin. She excels
despite awful circumstances-amputations performed without anesthesia
lack of medications and bandages. But Lorena's life changes when
one Confederate-blond, tall, and bearded Dr. Jonathan Cross-falls
in love with her. He knows that the South is doomed to lose, but
his mission is saving lives. When Lorena's treachery is discovered,
Dr. Cross must find a way to save her. This book contains: some
sex, violence, and profanity
Lovesong for the Giant Contessa: A Novel
CT 6557
by Steven Tye Culbert, Narrated by Dick Collins, 2 cassettes
William Herbert Bell, Jr., the novel's narrator, looks back on one
summer in his boyhood in a sleepy, dusty, hot South Texas town on
the Gulf of Mexico, a summer spent working at a restaurant and roaming
the highways with his friend, Chet, the son of junk dealers. During
travels with his compadre, Will meets an assortment of characters,
good and bad, who alter the substance of his life. He discovers
what it is to know love and its companion heartbreak, to see death
firsthand, and to understand that this business of living can be
a difficult venture. This book contains: some sex and profanity
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The Marauders
CT 6547
by Jason Manning, Narrated by Danny Ledford, 2 cassettes
They built a nation with their blood and courage. But with the battle
of Texas independence fought and won and the Union being torn apart
by civil war, a new threat is born in the brutal border town of
Brownsville. Heroic soldier John Henry McAllen thinks his fighting
days are over until the corrupt sheriff of Brownsville is gunned
down by a Mexican ex-soldier and Governor Sam Houston declares martial
law. His Rangers are soon outclassed and outgunned, and a volunteer
troop called the Brownsville Tigers is born. But when their newest
recruit, Gideon McAllen, is taken captive, John Henry must cross
the Rio Grande into a treacherous, violent frontier. With only a
few Black Jack fighters at his side, he will save his son-or die
trying.
Murder In Volume
CT 6541
by D. R. Meredith, Narrated by Robert Brown, 2 cassettes
Reference librarian Megan Clark has a passion for fictional crime-but
when she and her fellow book group members go from reading mysteries
to solving them, they discover that real-life crime is more complex
than the most puzzling whodunit. When an antagonistic member of
the book club, Murder by the Yard, is murdered after a meeting at
Time and Again Bookstore, Megan and the other group members are
prime suspects. Looking at their favorite sleuths for inspiration,
the mystery fans launch an investigation-and discover that this
brutal crime is just one chapter in a disturbing and deadly plot.
This book contains: violence
Never Nosh a Matzo Ball: A Ruby The Rabbi's Wife Mystery
CT 6457
by Sharon Kahn, Narrated by Janice Lathin, 2 cassettes
A murder lays itself at the very doorstep of Ruby Rothman, (Fax
Me a Bagel, CT 6420), widow of Rabbi Stu Rothman, late religious
leader to the Jews of Eternal, Texas. This time, the person found
dead is Hubert Bogardis, known as Bogie, baseball coach of Essie
Sue Margolis' pet project, the synagogue's Center for Bodily Movement.
#2 in the series.
Newfangled: A Novel
CT 6566
by Debra Monroe, Narrated by Julie Shuey, 2 cassettes
Maidie Bonasso is on the road-moving from state to state, job to
job from one circle of intimates to another-ever searching for the
elusive prizes of love and fulfillment. Maidie's mother has been
missing since 1974. When Maidie left her childhood home in the name
of Self-Improvement-to make a better life-she left behind a father,
two sisters, and an ex-stepmother. She hasn't seen any of them in
eleven years. Maidie has two ex-husbands in different states and
a host of former neighbors and co-workers. In Newfangled, a woman
who's afraid of knowing anyone very well for very long suddenly
finds herself imagining what life would be life if she were to take
a chance, to stay. This book contains: profanity
Outlaw's Justice
CT 6533
by A. J. Arnold, Narrated by Ed Corrigan, 2 cassettes A winning
hand in a big-stakes poker game turns into a death sentence for
young Clay Clayton after an old man is robbed and killed and Clay
can't explain where he got his money. Tracking down the gambler
he beat is the only way Clay can clear his name. But first he has
to break out of jail, and when one of the desperadoes he escapes
with pins a second murder on him, Clay discovers he's wanted as
a cold-blooded outlaw. The only place he's safe is a secret camp
where every man is a gunman and Clay will be killed for one false
move.
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Rangers of the Lone Star: A Western Story
CT 6438
by Zane Grey, Narrated by Ev Lunning, 2 cassettes
Russ Sittell is a U.S. deputy marshal on special assignment from
the Texas Rangers to assist Vaughn Steele in putting a stop to the
lawlessness and rustling rampant in Pecos County. On a stagecoach
bound for Fairdale, a city in the heart of Pecos County, he finds
himself in the company of Longstreth, mayor of Fairdale and his
daughter Ray. Longstreth doesn't want interference in his domain
and finds it harder and harder to keep the ranger from discovering
his ties to the band of rustlers. This title is also available as
RC 52796. This book contains: violence and profanity
Remember Me: A Novel
CT 6551
by Laura Hendrie, Narrated by Karen Watkins, 3 cassettes
Rose Devonic, a wily, ferociously determined twenty-nine-year-old,
lives in the tiny mountain town of Queduro, New Mexico, where she-like
most others-makes her living selling traditional embroidery. But
Rose has no home or family. In winter she sleeps in a mostly abandoned
motel, and in summer she lives out of her car. A tragedy in her
past, which serves as a constant reminder to neighbors of their
complicity, has made her an outcast who trusts nothing except her
own ability to survive. Rose ultimately comes to understand that
only by facing down her ghosts will she be able to accept the ultimately
liberating challenges of belonging, identity, and love. This book
contains: profanity
Road Kill
CT 6444
by Kinky Friedman, Narrated by Dick Collins, 2 cassettes
Who would slap an Indian curse on a good ol' boy like country singer
Willie Nelson? Probably the same person who's been firing shots
into Willie's hotel room and sending nasty notes promising Willie
a one-way ticket to the big rodeo in the sky. Could it have something
to do with the medicine man who got run over by Willie's tour bus
one dark night? If anyone can find out, it's ace troubleshooter
and well-known troublemaker Kinky Friedman. This book contains:
some sex, violence, and profanity
A Rock and A Hard Place
CT 6564
by Darryl Wimberley, Narrated by Staci Finch, 2 cassettes
Barrett Raines is a black detective on an isolated police force
in Deacon Beach, a sweltering enclave on the Gulf Coast of northwestern
Florida. Barrett's worked all his career to live up to the faith
Ramona Walker, Deacon Beach's eternal Homecoming Queen, showed in
him when she pushed Barrett onto the all-white force in the face
of local and bigoted opposition. Seven years later, Raines has made
a place for himself and his schoolteacher wife in the hard-bitten
community. To all appearances they are accepted. But then Barrett's
despised elder brother, Delton Raines, becomes the chief suspect
in the investigation of the brutal rape and murder of Ramona Walker.
This book contains: some sex, violence, and profanity
The Tale of a Dog: From the Diaries and Letters
of a Texan Bankruptcy Judge
CT 6546
by Lars Gustafsson, translated from the Swedish by Tom Geddes,
Narrated by Charles Watson, 2 cassettes
The year is 1992, and the rivers in and around rain-soaked Austin
are flooding their banks. The life of the city is thrown into confusion,
and Judge Caldwell, a comfortably married man, has an affair with
the owner of a small bookstore. His stepdaughter returns home after
being denied tenure at Harvard, her little boy in tow, and Judge
Caldwell learns of the death by drowning of the Belgian philosopher-semanticist
Jan van der Rouwers, revered by a generation of Texas university
students. Murder or suicide? Van de Rouwers is discovered to have
been not a World War II Resistance fighter as claimed but a Nazi
Collaborator and anti-Semitic apologist.
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Texas Lily
CT 6550
by Elizabeth Fackler, Narrated by Cindy Johnson, 3 cassettes
In 1875, along the Rio Panal in New Mexico Territory, wealthy rancher
Emmet Moss proposes marriage to the daughter of an old Texas friend
who was recently murdered in the opening act of a conflagration
that will soon flare into what became known as the Lincoln County
War. Sixteen-year-old Lily Cassidy accepts his proposal in the interest
of providing for her widowed mother and crippled brother, even though
she's in love with Jasper Stone, a young desperado everyone predicts
will have a short life. This book contains: some sex, violence,
and profanity
Texas Love Song
CT 6367
by Jodi Thomas, Narrated by Dianna Dorman, 2 cassettes
The Civil War has been over for three years but the bitterness toward
Confederate soldiers who changed sides to escape slow death in prison
camps still runs strong in Texas. Sloan Alexander is one of the
hated turncoats. McCall Harrison, the beautiful widow of a respected
Confederate officer, is searching for a man to help her return a
group of Cheyenne children to their home on the Great Plains in
the midst of warfare between soldiers and Indians. In Sloan, she
has found someone willing to face death for the chance to restore
his honor. A poignant story of two people who risk everything to
help a band of children and in the end find a future together. This
book contains: some sex and violence
Texas Woman: Sisters of the Lone Star
CT 6413
by Joan Johnston, Narrated by Janice Lathin, 2 cassettes
Sloan Stewart, eldest of the three beautiful Stewart sisters, was
raised by her father to be the son he never had. She knew exactly
what she wanted from life-to run the sprawling cotton plantation
along the Brazos River that was her legacy. Passion did not figure
into any plan for her future as her native Texas struggled over
the issue of statehood in the year 1844. But one man was determined
to challenge her dream of devoting her heart and soul to her family's
land. This book contains: heavy sex and violence
Three Dirty Women and the Garden of Death
CT 6542
by Julie Wray Herman, Narrated by Jeanne Guichard, 2 cassettes
Professional landscaping company, Three Dirty Women, unearths more
than they bargain for when Amilou Whittier finds her philandering
husband buried under a client's azaleas. Her friend and partner,
Korine McFaile, follows a twisting path to discover who really killed
Greg Whittier. Was it Susannah Graham, whose past relationship with
Greg Whittier may have been heating up again? Or was it Sally Tucker,
who ran away with Greg and broke up Amilou's marriage, only to come
back to town without him? Things get really complicated when a second
victim turns up.
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The Untamed
CT 6190
by Max Brand, Narrated by Ric Furley, 2 cassettes
A stirring tale of the West that features Whistling Dan Barry, a
wild man with an untamed nature. With his loyal companions Satan,
a mighty black stallion, and Black Bart, a wolf dog, by his side,
Whistling Dan confronts rival outlaw Jim Silent and beautiful Kate
Cumberland, the woman who seeks to tame him with her love. This
title is also available as RC 50459. This book contains: profanity
Wildcat
CT 6253
by Wayne Barton, Narrated by Kenny Rahmeyer, 2 cassettes
When Lee Temple, a young New Mexico cowhand, is released from the
Fort Worth jail, he heads for the railroad yard to hop a boxcar
going west for a fresh start. He finds adventure and danger in the
West Texas oil boomtown of Emilia where success could pay off in
millions-if he can survive the treachery and reckless greed of that
time and place. This book contains: profanity
Wooden Horseshoe
CT 6442
by Leonard Sanders, Narrated by Janice Lathin, 3 cassettes
Set in Texas in 1964, this is a novel about a small Texas city and
the men who run it. Sanders has combined the struggle for power
in a local city government and the human interest side of its effects
on the people close to the inside in an appealing and revealing
story centered around an ambitious water project designed to further
the city's growth. This book contains: profanity
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Nonfiction
Applause of Heaven
CT 6470
by Max Lucado, Narrated by Bob Jackson, 1 cassette
Max Lucado believes that the Beatitudes provide what we need to
discover the joy of God. This is much more than a "how-to" book
on happiness; it's an encounter with the source of joy. Max Lucado
helps us deal with fears that rob peace, bitterness that corrodes
the soul, arrogance that eclipses our view of God, and insecurity
that takes our sleep. Devotional readings.
Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child
CT 6572
by Elva Treviño Hart, Narrated by Sue Bilich, 2 cassettes
Elva Trevino Hart was born in south Texas to Mexican immigrants.
She spent her childhood moving back and forth between a small, segregated
south Texas town and Minnesota. This book is the autobiographical
account of a child growing up in a family of migrant farm workers.
It brings to life the day-to-day existence of people facing the
obstacles of working in the fields and raising a family in an environment
that is frequently hostile to those who have little education and
speak another language. Barefoot Heart is also the story of how
the author overcame the disadvantages of this background, discovered
her true talents, and, in the process, found herself.
A Breed So Rare: The Life of J. R. Parten, Liberal Texas Oil
Man, 1896-1992
CT 6560
by Don E. Carleton, Narrated by Ev Lunning 6 cassettes
J.R. Parten (1896-1992) was born in small town East Texas, studied
at the University of Texas from 1913-1917, served in World War I
as the youngest major in the field artillery, and entered the oil
business in 1919 where he became a pioneer of the industry. A lifelong
Democrat of moderately liberal cast, Parten was a player in state
and national politics, often crusading on the liberal and losing
side of elections and issues. As a generous philanthropist and political
activist-often behind the scenes-Parten supported world peace and
opposed nuclear and the Vietnam war.
Coffee in the Gourd
CT 5944
by J. Frank Dobie, Narrated by Jeanne Guichard, 1 cassette
A facsimile edition of Volume 2 of the Texas Folklore Society Publications;
includes one essay by J. Frank Dobie and many more by various writers
of Texas folklore.
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Cowboy Fiddler In Bob Wills' Band
CT 6563
by Frankie McWhorter as told to John R. Erickson; Introductions
by Lanny Fiel and John R. Erickson, Narrated by Ric Furley, 1 cassette
Frankie McWhorter grew up in Bob Wills Country (the Texas Panhandle)
and bought his first fiddle with his cowboy wages in 1950. McWhorter
later played with Clyde Chesser and the Texas Village Boys and the
Miller Brothers Band before being asked to join Bob Wills and the
Texas Playboys-a band that had a tremendous impact on the country-western
music field. McWhorter tells stories of touring with these bands
and of his hours spent listening to Wills tell his stories. McWhorter,
who began cowboying in 1948, also reveals his adventures and misadventures
with horses, cattle, and other cowboys. The book is part memoir
and part country-western music history.
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes: The Definitive Oral History
of America's Team
CT 6394
by Peter Golenbock, Narrated by Kenny Rahmeyer, 7 cassettes
More than a history of the Dallas football team, sportswriter Golenbock's
book chronicles four decades of America's social history viewed
through the prism of one of the most profitable sports franchises
ever. Cowboys haters may enjoy this book as much as fans do because
the author and the people he interviewed discuss all of the negative
stories about the team that have received media coverage, as well
as the more positive details of the glory years. This book contains:
profanity
Evil Among Us: The Texas Mormon Missionary Murders
CT 6553
by Ken Driggs, Narrated by Kenny Rahmeyer, 2 cassettes
This is the true-crime story of two young Mormon missionary men
who were murdered in Austin in 1974 by a man they were trying to
befriend and bring into the church.
Farewell: A Memoir of a Texas Childhood
CT 6443
by Horton Foote, Narrated by Ev Lunning, 2 cassettes
The prize-winning writer of drama and screenplays reminisces about
his family experiences in Wharton, a small Texas town. Describes
his parents' circumstances at the time of his birth in 1916 and
continues until he leaves home at age seventeen to attend the Pasadena
Playhouse in California. Foote was the first child of his generation
of Footes, born into an extended family of aunts, great-aunts, grandparents
and dozens of cousins once removed, all of whom discovered that
even as a young boy Foote was an avid listener with an uncanny ability
to extract a story-including those deemed unfit for children. Through
his child's eye view, we see Foote's growing understanding of all
sorts of trouble-poverty, racism, injustice, marital strife, depression
and fear. His memoir is both a celebration of the immense importance
of community in our earlier history and evidence that even a strong
community can't save a lost soul. This title is also available as
RC 49782.
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Last of the Old-Time Texans
CT 6534
by Mackey Murdock, Narrated by Kenny Rahmeyer, 2 cassettes
Told in their own words by the builders of our state, "Last of the
Old-Time Texans" is an enlightening account of life at the beginning
of the twentieth century when it was lived and enjoyed with only
the essentials. Their stories of hardships and triumphs and everyday
living are gathered and told with great warmth and respect, and
a precious piece of history is lovingly preserved in the interviews
with these turn-of-the-century Texans.
Nine Years Among the Indians, 1870-1879: The Story of the Captivity
and Life of a Texan Among the Indians
CT 6458
by Hermann Lehmann, Narrated by Ed Corrigan, 2 cassettes
This is the tale of Herman Lehmann's captivity among the Southern
Plains Apache during the 1870's. Adopted by a war chief, Lehmann
was trained as an Apache warrior. He grew to love these people and
waged merciless war against their Native American and white enemies.
Against his will, he was returned to his family in 1879. The final
chapters relate his difficult readjustment to Anglo life. Lehmann's
unapologetic narrative is extraordinary for its warm embrace of
Native Americans and its stinging appraisal of Anglo society. This
book contains: violence
No Color is My Kind: The Life of Eldrewey Stearns and the Integration
of Houston
CT 6574
by Thomas R. Cole, Narrated by Kenny Rahmeyer, 2 cassettes
This is an uncommon chronicle of identity, fate, and compassion
as Cole and Stearns set out to rediscover a life lost to manic depression
and alcoholism. Over the course of a decade, they recovered Stearns'
life before his slide into madness-as a young boy in Galveston and
San Augustine and as a civil rights leader and lawyer who sparked
Houston's desegregation movement between 1959 and l963. This book
contains: some sex, violence, and profanity
Sniper In The Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders
CT 6396
by Gary M. Lavergne, Narrated by Charles Watson, 3 cassettes
Who was Charles Whitman? Why did he climb the University of Texas
tower on August 1, 1966 and shoot forty-five people before two Austin
police officers killed him? This chronicle of one of the most infamous
crimes in American history is also a biography of Charles Whitman
and a discussion of the problem of mass murder. This book contains:
violence
Stand-Off in Texas: "Just Call Me a Spokesman for the DPS"
CT 6503
by Mike Cox, Narrated by Jack Gazzale, 3 cassettes
As chief of media relations for the Texas Department of Public Safety,
Texas' state law enforcement agency, Cox has served as principal
spokesman during several nationally and internationally publicized
law enforcement crises, including the worst mass slaying in American
history-the October 1991 mass murder at Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen.
He also dealt with the news media following the April 1993 fiery
aftermath of the Branch Davidian siege near Waco, the Republic of
Texas stand-off in the Davis Mountains, and destruction of the Jarrell
tornado.
Uneasy Rider: The Interstate Way of Knowledge
CT 6392
by Mike Bryan, Narrated by Sergio Villarreal, 3 cassettes
Mike Bryan believes that the interstate highways show the traveler
"America as it is and as it is becoming." Not for him the blue highway
back roads that some writers believe are necessary to discover the
real America. Bryan's chosen route stretches west from Dallas, Texas,
to New Mexico and Arizona toward Los Angeles. Along the way he encounters
his own family's historical past. The author's father joins him
in Dallas for the segment of the trip that would take them to Stamford,
Texas, the small town where Mike was born. This book contains: profanity
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Spanish Nonfiction
Diabetes
CT 5470
by A. Polaino-Lorente and J. Roales-Nieto, Narrated by Marisol
Brown, 2 cassettes
A reference intended to answer the many questions of patients and
families, in Spanish.
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and are interested in volunteering to record books, please call
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available on this website: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/tbp/vrs.html
Talking Book Program, Austin, TX, January 2003.
Talking Book Program
Texas State Library & Archives Commission
PO Box 12927
Austin TX 78711-2927
1-800-252-9605 (in Texas)
512-463-5458 (in Austin)
512-936-0685 (fax)
tbp.services@tsl.state.tx.us
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