Author of Young Adult Fantasy Novels, Creative Non-Fiction Books, and Murder Mysteries and a true story of her childhood........ JAN FRAZIER

HIDDEN HEROES -- An American Revolutionary War Tale

America was born of a revolution in 1775. It began with a single shot fired in a small New England village -- Lexington, Massachusetts -- with "the shot heard 'round the world." Nathan Hoyt left his hometown to find George Washington and sign up as a Patriot to fight for what was soon to be America.

General George Washington saw in Nathan Hoyt something special, and Hoyt was soon asked to join the elite Culper Ring -- a spy ring that was run directly by George Washington. The Culper Ring risked their lives daily as they presented themselves as Loyalists (those who were loyal to the crown) and got inteligence messages to the General. Needless to say, the seven members of the Cuper Ring were, indeed, Hidden Heroes.

ROAMIN' 'ROUND EUROPE

     The experience of taking a study abroad course is always an adventure in itself, but Professor Kira and her nine college students had no idea of the exploits that awaited them.

     Three weeks in Europe perusing some of the most awe-inspiring sights of London, Paris, and Amsterdam should have been fun as well as educational -- which it was. However, the students seemed to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time all too often. Robberies, gang activity, terrorism, the Red Light District, and even murder were only a few of the exploits that the students encountered.

     At the end of their trip, the nine students all agreed that after three memorable and eventful weeks, they were going home more mature and wiser. Roamin' 'round Europe had been an undertaking that would live on forever in their memories.

Danger in Disguise begins with J.C. van Winkler and Smitty, the ghost, boarding the Starlight Laser Express on another time-warped adventure. The duo race from one exciting exploit to another -- visiting the Swiss Alps, Germany's Christmas Markets, Auschwitz-Bircenau concentration camp as well as the Normandy area from WWII. They go to Italy, Greece, and Spain before returning to the Big Apple, New York City. Each stop provides them with a danger in disguise as J.C. and Smitty assist the victims -- all is distraught predicaments -- until they arrive at their final destiny in NYC. The reader now understands the significance of saving each of the victim's life as the entire plot is finally uncovered. It's another exciting adventure for a young adult viewing J.C.and Smitty in their worldly and time-warp travel.

Now, available at Amazon, Hellgate Press, and on e-books.

The Christoph Dully family entered the New World in 1859 from Germany on the cusp of the Civil War, which would soon completely engulf the United States. Settling in Elm Grove, Illinois -- in the heart of the Midwest and the center of Abe Lincoln's homeland -- Christoph and his son Michael immediately become involved in the dangerous activities of the Underground Railroad, established to aid Black slaves escape bondage from the Confederate States. Based on true stories of not only the Christoph Dully family but also of those struggling, fighting, and surviving during the Civil War -- combined with actual scenarios from the Underground Railroad -- Prairie Points -- A Civil War Sanctuary is an historical novel that will enlighten as well as entertain. Available on Amazon as a paperback or ebook. Enjoy!!

In 1617, eleven-year-old Jeremiah Clements arrived on the shores of the New World with his mother, Elizabeth, and three siblings. Geoffrey Clements, his father and stockholder in the Virginia Company, had unexpectedly died the previous year before his dream of coming to Jamestown could be fulfilled. Elizabeth -- courageous and filled with determination -- single handedly took her family to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. As seen through Jeremiah's eyes, Catch the Watercolored Wind: Jamestown 1617 is an exciting story that explores the tragedies, adventures, and incredible achievements of those early colonists.

Can be purchased on Kindle or Nook. Hard copies as Amazon and BN.

Tasha Nelson -- romantic, inquisitive, charming and in need of a break from life after her husband dies -- asks for a leave of absence from her teaching job. She wants to get away for six months in order to "put her life together again." Little does she realize the extent of what she will discover about her inner-most self during her travels.
Tasha visits some awesome cities in Europe -- London, Amsterdam, Paris, Venice, Verona, Rome, and Salzburg -- and everywhere she goes, she makes friends who influence her and lead her to important discoveries about the person hiding within. Because of these friends -- who become lifelong -- Tasha's philosophy and understanding of life is changed forever. It is a page-turner which you won't want to put down.

At the age of four, I sat in the corner of our small, modest living room, my knees pulled up under my plaid dress. As my mother vacuumed, my eyes searched the room for my Dickie Doll. If he sat on my lap, I wouldn't be alone. Fear -- that can be a huge factor in a child's life if he/she is growing up in a dysfunctional family. With the death of my nine-year-old brother, my mother seemed to withdraw from life as we had known it and tried to comfort her agonies alone.
This is my true story that I have struggled writing. I didn't know if I wanted the world to know. However, I finally decided to share my journey in hopes that it can help others in their quest of healing the Inner Child.

It is available right now on Kindle as well as on sale as a paperback.

THIS NOVEL WON A FIRST-PLACE STATE AND NATIONAL AWARD 2010

J.C. and Smitty become a twosome again as they visit some of the worst disasters that the world has ever seen. From the first century in ancient Italy to modern America, Smitty and J.C. have a chosen few that they must save. Each person who is safeguarded from the horrific devastation -- be it a volcano, war, earthquake, or terrorism -- will be significant to solving the final puzzle and to the life of Ken Andrews, the hero of the twenty-first century. Published by SterlingHouse 2009

Wicker -- the evil immortal being of the Netherworld -- has been kicked out of the underworld and is bent on destryoing masterpieces in Europe, especially cathedrals. Hoping to save the churches, J.C. and Smitty follow him. However, Wicker not only defaces the cathedrals but also murders innocent victims. Finally, in the dark, mysterious city of Venice -- amidst the shadowy canals and labyrinth of alleys and hidden calles -- Smitty and J.C. enter one of the most gruesome medieval prisons in all Europe. In the dark, ominous cells located below the Venice canals, the two meet the sinister, satanic Wicker.

J.C. van Winkler becomes entangled in still another adventure -- this time a murder mystery. While in Holland, she and her cousin, Jacob, encounter a murder. Always intrigued with mysteries, J.C. encourages Jacob to become a sleuth with her. Soon, the two get a glimpse into the life of an eccentric couple and become entrapped in a puzzling, inexplicable situation with no way out except to plunge forward in hopes of solving the mystery.

J.C. and Smitty go back in time to New York City during Christmas, 1864. However, they are not going to Macy's, Times Square, or Central Park. They are headed for Five Points, one of the most notorious, gangster-ridden parts of NYC in the 1800s. This lower section of Manhatten was the home of thousands of penniless immigrants from Europe, who faced a cholera epidemic in 1862 which changed their lives. The immigrants experienced the death of hundreds of friends and loved ones, causing those who survived to turn away from God and forget the joyous Christmas season. J.C. and Smitty return to the nineteenth century to try to bring peace to the gangs of Five Points as well as restore the blessings of Christmas through the creation of dozens of miracles. They must make December 25, 1864, A Magical Christmas for all!

J.C. and Smitty enter into their eighth adventure -- not in Europe but in the Secret Land of Goji. A beautiful, peaceful paradise, the Land of Goji houses people who have been the focal point of myths, legends, folklores, fairytales, and epics. Unexpectedly, J.C. gets sucked into Goji to learn about and enjoy many of America's and Europe's childhood stories. King Arthur, Odysseus, Paul Revere, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and Gulliver are a few of the characters that J.C. meets. Join her in this journey as you relive some of your favorite legends and fairytales.

J.C. and Smitty find adventure during the 1846 Potato Blight of Ireland. With people trying to escape starvation by going to America, the twosome must save four stowaways on the ship Perseverance,which is bound for NYC. Helping the stowaways, though, is not the only adventure on this journey. Murder on board the ship keeps J.C. and Smitty on their toes, looking for the guilty party and hoping that there are no more victims. As the Perseverance lands in NYC's harbor, Smitty must create a plan to get the illegal stowaways off the ship. And then they find that even the New World isn't safe with its gang-laden Five Points of NYC, where the immigrants must spend their first night. In search of a new and safer location, the immigrants travel up the Hudson River and through the majestic purple hills and valleys of New England towards the city of Chicago, where their future awaits them.

J.C. van Winkler enters her tenth time-travelers' adventure as she and Smitty travel to Plymouth, Mass., 1620. They enter the time-warp to save two Pilgrim children, Catherine and Pierce, but experience so much more. J.C. becomes involved not only in the lives of the Pilgrim children but also in the lives of young Indians. Much to J.C.'s surprise, the Pilgrims as well as the Indians have all been involved in time travel, and so their new adventures take on a new dimension as they explore the Nation of Nadie, The Secret Land of Goji, the Netherworld, and the World of William Shakespeare. They find that evil Wicker, who has been imprisoned in the underwater prison of Venice, has a son, Tank, who enjoys exhibiting sinister, vicious acts whenever possible. The young readers of this latest novel learn about the struggles of the Pilgrims not only while they were in Europe but also during their first difficult year in the New World. It's a novel of fun, adventure, history, and fantasy.

BEYOND THE AUSSIES AND ROOS...J.C.'s Adventures in the Outback
J.C. and Smitty visit a new and incredibly exciting place -- they go Down Under. Yes, Australia. It has amazing scenic views of mountains, ocean, and vast areas of nothingness called the Outback. J.C. get up-close-and-personal with such animals as the cockatoo, koala, kangaroo, echidna, and many more indigenous animals of Australia and with historic figures such as Ned Kelly, James Cook, Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, and Crocodile Hunter. She and Smitty become entangled with the arduous task of stopping Tank, the evil son of Wicker. Tank is after many people, but the Aborigines is at the top of his list. Smitty and J.C. are able to weaken Tank, but where is he going? Back to the underground prisons of Venice where his father, Wicker, is being held? Will J.C. and Smitty have the power and knowledge to to stop this demonic character??

Newly developed is a board game that incorporates the first three books in the series. The players don't have to have read the books in order to play, but it, of course, makes it more fun. The game incorporates Euros instead of dollars as well as many aspects of Europe which the reader has learned from the books (Eiffel Tower, windmills, Rembrandt paintings, ration cards from WWII, etc). The game comes in a handy, personalized bag which the owner can decorate. Contact Jan Frazier if you would like a game. janfrazier47@comcast.net or jfrazier@bradley.edu Soon, it may be available in stores.

ACTIVITY BOOK
Also available from Jan Frazier is a fun-filled activity book which incorporates all six books in the J.C. van Winkler series. There are mazes, crosswords, word searches, coloring pages, etc., from the fantasy series. Teachers as well as students will love this book!! Contact Jan Frazier at jefrazier@grics.net

STATE AWARD-WINNING BOOK 2009

Anneka and Layna Zimmerman find themselves in Haarlem, Holland, searching for a house of which they only have a picture. Their Opa (Grandfather) had hidden a chest in the attic floor of his home during WWII, and the twosome are in search of that chest. Wending their way through the winding alleys and the cobblestone streets of Holland, the girls find that all traces of evidence lead to a deadend. However, some very mysterious happenings keep the girls looking, and they scour the labyrinth of streets and canals of the old-world village of Haarlem in search of the treasure. Follow Anneka and Layna in their enduring insistence and the climatic uncovering of the hidden chest.

STATE AWARD-WINNING BOOK 2009

It's the summer of 1972, and Dee and J.J. are about to embark on a nine-week saga in Europe that neither of them could ever envision. Trying for three days to get out of O'Hare, the two young teachers find how easy it is to lose their hotel on their first day in London. Amsterdam offers its own set of experiences, starting with the "staircase to hell" in their hotel followed by incedible adventures in the city of Amsterdam which never sleeps. In Paris, the two are put into a tiny, hot, attic room in the hotel, and they find that they have to jump the metro wall in order to find their exit out of the subway. They are faced with an unexpected turn of events at a bullfight in Spain, and they nearly see the inside of an Italian prison in Venice. After a multitude of other adventures, they conclude on the suicidal highways in Italy in search of Dee's ancestry. This is a creative nonfiction, based on hilariously true experiences of the author, who has traveled throughout Europe with students and adults for over 20 years.

Life was difficult in the mid-nineteenth century Germany with disruptive economic conditions, lack of religious freedom, famine, and political unheaval. The Pollmanns were enduring all of these tragedies. When crops failed in mid-1800s, Christian Pollmann reacted by planning a move to the New World. The journey aboard the Don Quixote was an arduous one. The desperate lives of the emigrants included lack of food, sparse medical attention, cramped living space, and unadulterated filth. In addition, an unexpected murder on board drove Christian to search for extra protection for his family. Also, discovering and attending to two stowaway urchins became a dangerously incredible task. The historical novel is based on true facts yet is intertwined with fictional stories, helping readers to envision the emigrants' unheavel in the Old World, the undaunted passage across the Atlantic, and their struggle as they settled in America.

J.J. and her cousin, Sophie, decide to venture to Europe to discover their German roots. Because of an unbelievable flight complication, it takes them three days to even get to Europe, and then finding the tiny village of Hummersen -- tucked away between mountains of northeast Germany -- is an adventure all in itself. From there, they travel southwest to Wilgartswiesen,. Discovering their ancestors' homeland would have been excitement enough, but actually finding living relatives (and many of them) is a dream-come-true. However, after "finding their routs," J.J. and Sophie travel on to Paris and Amsterdam, where they encounter one escapade after another. They endure an unbelievable "attic room" in Versailles and live through the chaos of European driving while in France. Paris is both a dream -- seeing the Eiffel Tour, Montmartre, and Notre Dame -- and a nightmare -- getting stuck on the commuter train, trying to flush the toilets, and attempting to find the hot water in the bathrooms. Holland offers its own set of trials and tribulations. Getting trapped in the Red Light District of Amsterdam and finding themselves stuck in a Safari Park are only a few of the capers. Based on true-life experiences, the book has an endearing quality that will allow the reader to become immersed in the excitement and adventures of traveling abroad. This is a great sequel to I Visited Europe and Survived

NOW AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY ON THE KINDLE. GO TO AMAZON.COM TO LOAD THE BOOK ONTO YOUR KINDLE.

Lisa Marie Fox searches for information about her birth parents whom she believes died in the terrible flood of 1978 in Holland. At that time, she was a toddler and sent to America for adoption. Now, as she arrives in the awesome city of Amsterdam, she finds that they died not in the flood but were blugeoned to death and discovered months later in a deserted farmhouse in northern Holland. Han van Bolen, a travel agent in Amsterdam, takes Lisa Marie under his wing, and together they attempt to unravel the enigmatic circumstances of the murders. An entangled web has been spun throughout the past twenty-five years, covering the horrendous murder of Lisa Marie's parents, and she and Han are about to learn the truth.