A Fine Gray Rain In The Shadow Of Mount Pinatubo

In 1991 the Philippines' Mt. Pinatubo near Clark Air Base awoke after 500 years dormancy. Base officials evacuated non-essential personnel to Subic Bay Navy Base. Soon, the first eruption sent ash and gas towering into the sky. A climactic explosion blew the top off the mountain. Day turned into midnight as thick ash blocked the sun and pumice and rock rained down. Aircraft hangars, warehouses and buildings collapsed. Earthquakes repeatedly rattled the area. Simultaneously, typhoon Yunya blew in causing muddy lahars to flood the countryside and sweep away bridges and homes. Volcanic ash buried parts of the base. Similar devastation occurred miles away at the Navy base. Military personnel and their families departed the devastated island via ships. However, some remained to conduct salvage operations before relinquishing the base. It was the 2nd largest volcanic eruption of the century. This is the exhilarating story leading up to this catastrophic event.

In 1991, Mount PInatubo awoke after 500-yrs dormancy. Nearby, America's Clark Air Base evacuated military personnel and dependents to Subic Bay Navy Base. One thousand Air Force and civilians remained to safeguard Clark AB. A series of violent volcanic eruptions hurled ash, rock and gas into the sky. At the same time Typhoon Yunya blew in off the Pacific and earthquakes repeatedly rattled the Philippines countryside. As the rain-laden ash fell back to earth, aircraft hangars, warehouses, homes and buildings crashed to the ground as muddy ash covered the terrain. When the eruptions let up, military officials began evacuating tens of thousands from the country while those deemed mission-essential began salvage operations. This is a true account of this historic event from the perspective of a small group of civilians who were present throughout.

Navy service school buddies ship off to Vietnam and find themselves temporarily abandoned upon their arrival. It's an ominous welcome to Da Nang. The young men are eventually assigned to a security police unit protecting Navy interests within the city. A tight knit group in the beginning, as time passes personalities clash and tension increases. Frequent rocket attacks and grueling shifts keep the men on edge. Personal differences cause dissension within the group.Financial opportunities within the country's thriving black-market prove tempting for some. An out of country visit only increases a risky involvement in the Southeast Asian underworld and an encounter with U.S. military and Vietnamese law enforcement authorities. Unforeseen events lead to a series of misfortunes and a sudden, unexpected conclusion. Outlast the Rain is a gripping, authentic tale of military life overseas; camaraderie and friendship, replete with greed, crime and betrayal in the exotic Far East during the Vietnam War era.

The 4 Seasons & Frankie Valli, rank among the top American vocal acts of all time. Collectively, they amassed seven #1 hits, 18 Top Ten, and an incredible 61 singles in the Hot 100. They also placed 32 LPS on the top albums charts. Their hit making years spanned more than a half-century. Their hits include: Sherry, Big Girls DonÕt Cry, Walk Like a Man, Rag Doll, Working My Way Back to You, CanÕt Take My Eyes Off of You, My Eyes Adored You, December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night), GreaseÉ Their stardom was no overnight success, as they struggled through lean years and recorded many flops while searching for that elusive hit record. The rag-to-riches story has been told via an award-winning Broadway musical & a Clint Eastwood produced motion picture. Learn about the hits, misses, obscure album tracks and B-sides as they sang their way from delinquents to esteemed members of the R&R Hall of Fame. The book examines the music they made famous and tells of all the glorious years that passed between.

Luck was with Bobby Goldsboro when Roy Orbison came through the area on tour. Orbison took on Goldsboro's band and Bobby stuck with him for the next three years. Bobby went solo and soon scored a modest hit with "Molly," a song that he despised. A short while later, however, he scored a top ten song with his own "See the Funny Little Clown." Other hits followed but his superb "Broomstick Cowboy" was mistakenly seen by many radio stations as a Vietnam War protest songs and they refused to play it. Going against the grain, a Detroit station did air it and it became #1 in that area. His "Honey" was the top record for 1968 reaching #1 on every chart. "Watching Scotty Grow" was also a big hit. The early 70s saw the excellent "Summer (The First Time)" make waves. England voted it the best summer song ever. Bobby hosted a top-rated TV variety program, The Bobby Goldsboro Show, wrote and produced an Easter special for Disney and took up oil painting, of which his art is highly regarded.

In the 1950s, country music merged with the rising new fad called ""rock and roll"" to form what would become known as ""Rockabilly."" In short, Rockabilly was fast paced, guitar and bass driven ditties with thundering rhythms. The songs were often less than memorable made up with a conglomeration of silly lyrics and phrases like ""bop,""""shake,""""mama,"" and""go cat!"" Cars, especially Cadillacs, and colors, pink and black, were prevalent in many of the songs. Songs like ""Oobie Doobie,"" ""Ubangi Stomp,"" ""Be Boppin' Baby,"" and ""Rockin' In the Congo"" were common record chart contenders. Many up and coming country crooners would go on to achieve widespread acclaim as names like Presley, Holly and Orbison conquered radio station playlists. They, among others, would become R&R legends. Others like Jack Scott, Boyd Bennett, and Dale Hawkins, found success to a lesser degree in the new genre. It's many of these ""lesser knowns"" that Hepcats & Rockabilly Boys explores. Here are some of their stories...

The beautiful Hawaiian Islands set the backdrop for this intriguing tale of romance and mystery. A young woman's body is found along a leeward beach. The discovery sets in motion a investigation into the cause of death. Was it an accident or was it intentional? HPD Detective Manny Piccolo delves into the mystery, checking leads that point to a nearby beachside homeless camp. In the meantime, Piccolo courts the lovely but flawed Daniela Puzon. Along the way, the reader encounters surf bums, dope dealers, military lawmen, beautiful island women, the rich and the poor. The multi-hued ORCHIDS and SAND is an exciting page-turner that races you across the exotic islands of Hawaii.

Tranquil woodland lives are turned topsy-turvy when Jowls, a malicious canine, is taken in at a nearby farm. The dog's violent upbringing plagues him making him the bane of farm and forest creatures. Encounters between Sebastian Rabbit and Jowls are hostile and trouble for the rabbit ensues. It's a tale of flight and fright. The story's climactic ending threatens animals and humans alike. Meet such memorable characters as the rabbits, Sebastian and Mari, callous Jowls, the mouse and squirrel families, Mole, Toad and conniving Snake in this stirring page-turner of a tale written an audience of both young and old! The Rabbit's Tale demonstrates how vastly different adversaries can rally together to the well being of all.