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Centaur Books

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Centaur Books

Specializing in fiction, Centaur Books is dedicated to helping first-time and seasoned authors.

Based in Chicago, Centaur Books is an independent imprint of Joshua Tree Publishing. Specializing in fiction, Centaur Books is dedicated to helping first-time and seasoned authors in their writing careers.

“Whether you are a first-time author or an established one, we have the expertise to make your book a success by using cutting-edge technology and a network of experts. With 27 years of experie

nce, we know how to publish books,” John Paul Owles, President of Joshua Tree Publishing remarked.companies that are really vanity presses in disguise. While choosing that route may very well be a means to getting published, a writer's reputation is tarnished by association with companies whose main goal is to charge your credit card rather than read your book. That is why Joshua Tree Publishing started a new imprint called Centaur Books.

08/06/2016

Joseph Suste interviewed on Catalyst for Change on RTV at http://rvtv.sou.edu/

02/05/2014

It All Happened Living Miracles

Author: Jenn Daniels
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9886577-9-3 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound; 120 Pages
Publication Date: October 23, 2013
Retail Price: $14.95

It All Happened Living Miracles

Joan’s childhood wasn’t an easy one. Somehow, she could never quite accept life as a normal person. Her fears, coldness, and rather shallow feelings toward love, perhaps, were attributed to the environment she was forced to grow up in.

The difficulties in her life began when she was only six years old. Her parents were separated a few years prior, and Joan had been living with her mother in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now, with the costs of living expenses mounting, Joan’s mother had to make a grueling judgment—she decided to send Joan to some friends of the family who lived in a small town in Indiana. Although her mother was saddened, this was the only option available at the time—and it could give Joan some much needed stability.

On a Saturday afternoon, twelve-year old Joan decided to walk in to town. She almost passed the Roxy Theatre before the marquee caught her eye proclaiming, The B. A. Mansfield Show-Live in Person. A school friend, who worked as an usher, noticed her and let her in the side door. Joan sat spellbound throughout the entire show. Everything gave her an air of excitement, from the dancing girls to the lights.

That afternoon changed Joan’s life as she was given a part in the play after winning a talent contest. Her good looks and innocence brought her attention from the theater people. Keeping her real age a secret, she went on the road with that play, and others. Eventually she would find herself on stage in New York City.

Still underage, Joan embarked on a life young girls dream about in the big city. She searched for romance, was pursued by wealthy suitors, and discovered who Joan really was.

06/11/2013

THE SCAR LETTERS
Author: Richard Alther
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9886577-2-4 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound 236 Pages
Publication Date: September 5, 2013
Retail Price: $16.95

The victim of a brutal hate crime, never resolved, confronts his
assailants eighteen years later, courting both violence and romance...

“Beautifully written…a valuable player in the social battles today.”
-Elise Wallace, The Editorial Freelancers Association

“There is certainly no question that Richard Alther's new novel, The Scar Letters, transcends the genre of gay fiction, but to label it ‘literary fiction’ could too easily dissuade a sensible reader from picking it up, reading a few pages, and then sitting back with a sigh of satisfaction, knowing that here is a really good book.

"The Scar Letters is narrated by Rudy Dallmann, a gay man in his forties, who was brutally attacked and r***d some twenty years earlier, and has lived in semi-isolation ever since. Forced by his longtime and closest friend, Tex, to confront the issue, Rudy sets about in his own quietly determined fashion to reconcile his past with his present and hopes for the future. Rudy is not the sort to ‘assert himself into everything dead-center,’ but he is an honest man, with himself and others—not a small accomplishment in a gay or any other world.

“This is a very compelling story—a universal story—difficult to believe anyone could have told it better. Alther handles narrative and characters like a truly gifted film director or cinematographer. We are in Rudy's head, but the camera sweeps, darts, settles, focusing on one aspect and then another of the well-developed supporting cast. Location and action merge effortlessly into memorable scenes, and the often troubling past is filtered through the emerging present leaving narrator and reader (as Rudy says after hearing Mahler) "hushed, drained, somehow elevated." There is never an awkward sentence or a sentiment that disappoints.

“Alther intersperses his story with accounts—often just a few sentences, a full chapter in one instance—of the horrifying treatment homosexuals have encountered throughout recorded history. There is nothing heavy handed about this; it is simply there to remind the reader that it has always been there and for a variety of reasons. At this particular time, as the country grapples with the issue of same-sex marriage, Alther's calm recitation of this horrendous heritage should certainly give pause to those of us who have never lived with this kind of fear.

“Bookreview.com considers The Scar Letters a must-read.”

Author Richard Alther

RICHARD ALTHER’S first two novels are THE DECADE OF BLIND DATES and SIEGFRIED FOLLIES.

He is also a Master’s Swimmer and exhibiting painter, living in Vermont and Southern California with his husband Ray Repp.

06/11/2013

Two Lost Souls
Author: Mahmoud Saeed
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9778311-0-4
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound 160 Pages
Publication Date: February 1, 2006
Retail Price: $15.95

A middle-aged Iraqi man is intent on leaving the United States to escape the difficulties of living as a foreigner in the aftermath of the events of September 11th. He meets a beautiful and young American woman in dire need of help. He extends a helping hand to her. This act of kindness leads to an extraordinary and unique love that transforms their lives. "I emphasize that the novel "." is truly distinguished in its ability to raise questions about topics not tackled by others." Yassin al-Nasir, a critic, Al Adab magazine. "It's an elegy that mourns our desperate time, the time of vicious globalization, whispering and expressing through poetic language our wounds and exile, from the Third World to the capitalist West." Ahmad Mohammad Amin, a novelist and critic, Al ALNAHAR Newspaper. "It's a dramatic and realistic documentation of the state of bitter expulsion from which Iraqi exiles suffer, particularly intellectuals and the politically conscious among them who came to Chicago, the Western city with its deeply-rooted, distinctive cultural traditions." Dr. Assad Mohammad Ali, a critic, Azzaman Newspaper Mahmoud Saeed, a prominent Iraqi novelist, has written more than 20 novels and short story collections. His first collection of short stories was published in 1957. The first military-Baathist Iraqi government seized two of his novels in 1963, one of which was a manuscript in the possession of the Iraqi Writers Union. The Iraqi authorities also destroyed another of Saeed's novels. Saeed was imprisoned several times and was frequently interrogated by the Iraqi police. He eventually left Iraq in 1985 after the authorities banned the publication of some of his novels.

06/11/2013

Looking for the Royal Flush
Author: Chuck Smalls and J Gambino
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9823703-3-9 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 120 Pages
Publication Date: January, 2010
Retail Price: $13.95

My name is Chuck Smalls, and I’ve been a plumber for most of my life. More important, I have been a willing (and unwilling) participant of the dreaded public restroom. So, it is my mission to go to popular vacation destinations, such as Las Vegas, and rate the restrooms for you, my good friends.

I will use an easy to understand 5 FLUSH RATING SYSTEM with descriptions of decor and comfort. That way, you can make the best of your situation and not have to fret over the uncleanliness of the toilet that you sit upon.

Fortunately, I have found a willing female participant in this experiment, although I’m assuming the women’s restroom is equal in comparison with the men’s (minus the urinals, of course). Anyway, I am bringing along my good friend J. Gambino.

J is a 5-foot giant of the industry. She has been a New York plumber, straight out of the Bronx (well, sort of), since she dropped out of the womb. Really, she lives and breathes this stuff! Her every waking hour is plumbing, whether it’s humorous conversation or tales of her on the job experiences. This plumber’s mind is in the right place for this book and will give a second hand account of the Las Vegas trip.

After Las Vegas, you can keep up with us as we owe it to our readers to navigate the country and check out the restrooms of New York, Orlando, Chicago, Hollywood, Nashville... We will keep you posted.

“Hey!
“Would you quiet down please!
You’re ruining the experience for me and others!”

06/11/2013

Centaur Books

06/11/2013

Lie To Love
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9778311-4-2 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 152 Pages
Publication Date: April, 2007
Retail Price: $13.95

Growing up basically by himself, Jeff learned about life the hard way. Always look out for number one. When love came into his life, he had no idea how the killing of one man could change so many things. Then to find out the woman he loved was involved left him speechless. No one chooses their family that they're born into it. Fate may hold many different challenges to overcome. Only God knows the final outcome of one's life. Only He will be the final judge of Jeff.

Author Niles Rader Author Niles Rader is the author of twelve books and a retired widower in the exciting city of Las Vegas. He enjoys writing books and playing golf, his favorite pastime.

Niles has recently completed the sixth in the series of detective mystery books about the Rice Brothers. The series includes Betrayed by Greed, Dumb Luck Pays Off, Death Was Inevitable, Death by Deceit, The Root of Evil, and Death Does Not Wait.

06/11/2013

Power and Greed
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9886577-3-1 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound 228 Pages
Publication Date: April 25, 2013
Retail Price: $16.95

Some politicians and dope dealers are all the same in many ways. Both want money and power—and don’t care who they hurt.

Maybe bend a few rules like changing a zoning law to meet what a few want or change laws for a club who wants to stay open on Sunday to sell what they want. A few gifts come your way, like a cruise or just money under the table. What a life!

Then came the dope dealers who deal to anybody with money; children are no exception. So people deal, rob, or murder—not their problem, as long as the money comes in for their drugs.

In the seventh book of the Rice Brothers Mystery series, Otis Rice is asked to look into possible corruption involving lobbyists and politicians on the take. What he does not expect is how prevalent the practice is. Working with the FBI and DEA, he soon finds himself involved with warring drug cartels seeking revenge for the deaths of their leaders.

06/11/2013

The Root of Evil
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9768677-5-3 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 156 Pages
Publication Date: April, 2008
Retail Price: $13.95

David and Mary Walls had married, and their life was good. Then suddenly Mary’s father, Bernard Thomes, was killed. She and David began receiving anonymous phone calls asking for a disk belonging to her father. Scared, they decide to ask Otis and Jim Rice, a private investigator and lawyer, for help in finding out just what is going on and with whom they are dealing. Mr. Thomes was in business with some disreputable people—and they want their money and a certain disk back.

Otis and Jim Rice go right to work on the mystery but do not have a lot of clues. The safe in Mr. Thomes’ home is open and supposedly money is missing. Finding out who is calling will take a while, and before long, another murder takes place. Otis has a hint of things to come, but he has no proof.

06/11/2013

Paid For Death
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9710954-8-9 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound 200 Pages
Publication Date: September, 2005
Retail Price: $15.95

Jessie Ruben was a young man who learned many things and gained unusual talents while in the service. He was taught by the government to kill. Before being discharged, he was approached regarding a job that would utilize his knowledge and his "special" area of expertise. Before taking on the new job, he wanted to see his ailing father. Passing away shortly after Jessie arrived, his father left a package for him that would become an integral part of Jessie and shape his future. It was just one of the cruel tricks that life plays on people in the form of death. With no family left, Jessie threw himself into his new assignment. He assumed a new identity in order to blend in with the organization where he could eliminate the leaders. No one knows all the agencies within our government. Most are known and above board. This one is not talked about.

06/11/2013

Retribution Vengeance Is Mine
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9778311-2-8 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 160 Pages
Publication Date: April, 2006
Retail Price: $13.95

Losing a loved one is hard, but to lose two by someone else's hand is more than one can take. This is the story of Gene Scardoa, a loving father who was tested, as this happened to him. By any means, he would have revenge for what was taken from him. If he lived, the guilty would pay.

06/11/2013

Dumb Luck Pays Off
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9768677-2-2 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 144 Pages
Publication Date: March, 2008
Retail Price: $13.95

Jim and Otis Rice came to the conclusion that some help in the office was needed. Paperwork on both ends of their law and investigation office was piling up. Little did they know, they were about to embark on one of the most challenging investigations of their careers. Having a good friend murdered is hard enough but telling his daughter is even harder. Promising her the killer or killers would be caught, Otis and Jim now had a formidable task in front of them. Their task was to involve traveling to other countries, eavesdropping, surveillance, political corruption, and breaking up a large smuggling ring, who dealt not only in dope but humans as well.

06/11/2013

Death Was Inevitable
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9768677-4-6 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 176 Pages
Publication Date: April, 2008
Retail Price: $14.95

Death does come to all you see,
Some die slow not fast like thee.
You already know why you must pay,
For one life you took is still alive today.

Longtime friends Frank Pitts and Harold Grimms, through a quirk of fate, accidentally shot a young girl. This act ruined a lot of lives, but they wouldn’t hear about it until they were grown and about to have families of their own.

Their nightmares started with a poem they had to solve before the truth of the matter came out. This was when the Rice brothers became involved. Frank Pitts retained Otis as the poems sounded like a sick person had written them. At times his group of friends usually played pranks on each other especially at Halloween; but he didn’t think they had anything to do with this.

06/11/2013

Death Does Not Wait
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9845904-2-1 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound 180 Pages
Publication Date: January, 2012
Retail Price: $16.95

When the case Otis Rice is working on gets complicated, he calls Pete, his FBI buddy, to get him involved.

When the majority of players meet their just ends, he is no longer needed by Pete. With a couple of other cases not finished, Otis and Peg, his wife, take a much needed vacation before he gets back to work. Little does he know the pain he will suffer when they return from their vacation.

On the road of life, there are many twists and turns. No one knows what is in store for them. The only thing we can do is hold on and enjoy the ride—the bad along with the good.

By putting God first, the ending will always work itself out.

06/11/2013

Betrayed by Greed
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9778311-3-5 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 136 Pages
Publication Date: April, 2007
Retail Price: $13.95

When Otis and Peg Rice are hiking on Mt. Diablo in California, Peg discovers three dead bodies-two women and one man. Otis, a renowned private investigator in business with his brother, is hired by Ray Clark who is looking for his sister-in-law. She had just collected a million dollar payment on a house, put the money into cashier's checks, and cashed them at banks around town. His investigative efforts take him from the mountains of the West to the Mexican border as he discovers there is a connection between this woman and the bodies on Mt. Diablo. As Otis digs into this mystery, his search becomes too effective. Someone wants him dead and hires a professional hit man to kill him.Betrayed by Love is a gripping story about Otis' search for the truth. It is dotted with warm moments between Otis and Peg, as they illustrate the meaning of a happy marriage. Betrayed By Greed takes the reader form the mountains of the West to the Mexican border.

06/11/2013

A Sister's Revenge
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9778311-6-6 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound 168 Pages
Publication Date: May, 2007
Retail Price: $14.95

As a young man, he drifted from foster home to foster home.

Ed Harris grew up learning how to make easy money. Getting in trouble at an early age left Ed without many friends. After being caught, tried and convicted, Ed was sent to a well-known young man’s penal institution in California called “Chino” where he found a friend named Mike.

Once released from “Chino” Ed was soon back in business with a local gang of thieves. This was the start of his downfall.

It’s funny how a beautiful woman would be the root of his trouble.

08/28/2011

Author: Niles Rader
Imprint: Centaur Books
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9845904-7-6
10-Digit: 0-9845904-7-1
Specs: 6" x 9" Perfect Bound
Publication Date: January 1, 2011
Retail Price: $16.95

Raymond Gulardi was a young man who, when discharged from the service, went to work doing what he was trained for. Cleaning up the scum that came into his country was his goal. While working on his latest assignment, he met a beautiful young girl and fell in love. With a life that now offered great promise, Ray abandoned his previous life.

Starting off this new life, newlyweds Raymond and Francine Gulardi combined their honeymoon with researching areas where they hoped to soon settle down. However, disaster once again plagued him. While leaving a motel, shots rang out from a vehicle driving by. Bullets hit his new bride, taking her life, along with the life Raymond had planned to share with her.

Afterwards, Ray extracted his own form of payback as he returned to his old job. There, he could try again to lose himself from the cruel hand that fate always seemed to deal him.

In this world there are many unsavory characters all out for the same things: money, power, or revenge.

This story tells how the gang war came to an end—and what happened when it did. Somehow the government ended up losing two men.

08/28/2011

Death by Deceit
Author: Niles Rader
13-Digit ISBN: 978-0-9823703-4-6 (Centaur Books)
Specs: 5" x 8" Perfect Bound 144 Pages
Publication Date: September, 2009
Retail Price: $13.95

The first few years of marriage Linda and Paul were very happy; they had two little girls whom they both loved very much. Eventually their life together changed dramatically due to Paul spending too much of his time at his job. Although Paul was a good provider, Linda needed much more out of this marriage than Paul was willing to give.

As they drifted farther and farther apart, Linda started attending classes at a gym to ease her tension. Here she met a young man who showered her with a lot of attention and soon was more than a friend.

When Paul and Linda finally separated, she married this new friend Mike—and the trouble began. First an accident that was not all it seemed to be. Then their lives started in a downward spiral, and death followed.

Paul asked for advice from Jim Rice, his attorney, on what he should do. The Rice brothers got deeply involved with their client when the accident happened.

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Chicago, IL

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+13127837525

Website

https://centaurbooks.com/

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