Walter Williams, RIP

The great free-market economist Walter Williams has died. I loved his work and was especially grateful to him for giving me a testimonial for my first novel, Noble Vision. I always admired his ability to explain economic principles in a clear, common-sense way that everyone could grasp---and with a touch of humor. Read Thomas Sowell's moving tribute to his longtime friend:

https://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2020/12/02/walter-e-williams-19362020-n2580965

Patrick Peterson's review of Just the Truth

 Here's a very thoughtful review of Just the Truth posted on Goodreads by Patrick T. Peterson. I love how he grasps the essential issues of the book and points out the timeliness of what I wrote to the disturbing trends that are actually going on today in our streets. He also mentions the optimism; I wanted to leave the readers with hope.

Review of Just the Truth by Patrick Peterson on Goodreads:

Just finished this last night on a tear - Wow!
So timely. - Presidential elections, free speech, demonstrations/vandalism/mobs, etc.

So full of reasonable optimism. - Easy to get depressed these days due to so much bad news. This book is a good antidote.

Great ideas and analysis of important issues. - Descriptions of bogus and destructive but popular ideas and convincing and short refutations abound.

Characters that ring true - good and bad - some bigger than life to look up to or down on, but also some about exactly as mediocre (morally) as one often sees in real life.

This is the latest book by Gen LaGreca, who's other books:
Nobel Vision
A Dream of Daring
Fugitive from Asteron
I have really enjoyed and have reviewed on GR.

Here are a few quotations to show you how timely the book is:
"The Advocates for Peace and Democracy held a demonstration yesterday in Atlanta that got a little out of hand.” “I’ll say. Ten people hospitalized, dozens of stores looted, police cars overturned, and a fire set in a shopping mall. Very few of the rioters and thugs were arrested, and they promise another round of street fighting tonight.”

"What would Laura think of me if I equated the police with the rioters? But reluctant to challenge his new boss, Sean conceded."

From The Epoch Times, "Gen LaGreca’s ‘Just the Truth’: A Mirror for Our Time"

The Epoch Times just published a glowing review of Just the Truth, tying it to major cultural and political issues of our times! My thanks to Jeff Minick for this insightful review and for his revealing look into the troubling cultural and political trends of the past century. This article is eminently worth reading, not only for its analysis of my novel, but also for Mr. Minick's penetrating historical perspective on how socialist/communist/fascist movements of the past century have destroyed free expression and caused an upheaval around the world.

Here is an excerpt:

Given the pandemic and the socialist mobs that today dominate our news, we must wonder what crystal ball LaGreca consulted while writing her novel. The plot and themes of “Just the Truth” could not be more pertinent to that news and our current unrest. Here we see the corruption of our politics, the machinations of the “deep state,” the growing threat of federal agencies to private enterprise, and the constant calls to change our way of voting. Here too we see the means by which mobs “spontaneously” appear out of nowhere to attack free speech and American liberty, and the misinformation and sometimes downright deception provided to us via “fake news.” 

Read the rest at The Epoch Times.

My Interview for Authority Magazine at Medium.com

Authority Magazine

Top Lessons. Top Authorities.

Author Gen LaGreca: “We need to discuss what’s happening to truth in journalism. Are we in danger of losing it?”

Read the interview at:

https://medium.com/authority-magazine/author-gen-lagreca-we-need-to-discuss-whats-happening-to-truth-in-journalism-are-we-in-danger-5c99c7f11647

The Many Reasons to Love America by Gen LaGreca

 On Independence Day let’s remember to honor our country—and to fight for its future.

I love America for being the place where an upstart group of colonists, imbued with the ideas of liberty, launched an impossible battle against the Goliath British Empire, the most powerful force in the world—and won.

I love America for establishing a groundbreaking new country in which every individual has sovereignty over one's own life and possessions, and government’s only purpose is to protect that sacred right.

I love America for recognizing that not only is it illegal for a criminal to steal your property, rob you of your liberty, or hijack your life, but the government cannot do these things to you, either. I love America for being the first country in history to establish through its founding charter that government cannot act like a common criminal, but must be accountable to moral law, which means it must respect the rights of the individual.

I love America for igniting a firestorm of liberty that led to the abolition of slavery, the suffrage of women, and the expansion of freedom around the globe. It was America's founding principles that fueled the movements to bring liberty to all people.

I love America for unshackling the minds of its people so that they could think, dream, create, and achieve, triggering an explosion of scientific and industrial advancement and a standard of living unmatched—and unimaginable—in history.

I love America for being the place where wealth was created and earned, rather than looted and plundered, a place where it was understood that if persons were to be free, then their economic activities had to be out of the grip of government.

I love America for being the place where it was possible for genius to flourish, where the greatest innovators formed ground-breaking new industries that moved mankind forward.

I love America for spawning the American Dream, the worldwide symbol of the boundless opportunity and achievement that results from the freedom to carve one’s own destiny.

I love America for offering freedom and opportunity to so many of our ancestors who arrived as immigrants, who came here to work—not to collect handouts or to break the law—and who knew that in America nothing was owed to them and everything had to be earned, and who rose to the challenge, creating a spectacularly better life for themselves and for us, their descendants.

I love America for its vision of a truly civilized society, one of independent, resourceful, industrious, wealth-creating, and life-loving people, who live in peace and good will toward their fellow man because no one can stake a claim to anyone else’s life, wealth, or property.

I love America for being the country where people could work hard, rise, and be proud of their success, because production, profit, wealth, and achievement are life-giving values to attain and enjoy, not to envy and loot.

The America I love is fast becoming a distant memory. Every day we wake up to frightening new assaults on our statues, our heritage, our sports events, our culture, our children’s education, and more. America is under assault by growing nihilistic bands that want to force totalitarian speech and behavior codes on the rest of us, replacing our liberty with their whims. They want zones of “autonomy” to make demands—but where’s their autonomy to support themselves? They’re destroying our America, with their form of government ready to step in when the time comes.

No matter how much angry mobs try to erase our country's moral stature, I will never forget that I am an American. I will never forget that our ancestors forged a continent not with big government, intrusive restrictions, public aid, and bailouts but with the shining vision of a better life and the self-reliance to attain it.

When we enjoy our barbecues and fireworks on the Fourth of July, let’s remember the real meaning of this holiday. The day America was born is the day the individual broke free of the shackles of government to forge his own life. The result was unprecedented and spectacular. The cause was liberty; the effect was the flourishing of human life.

Speaking of statues, there’s one that the expropriators and budding tyrants would love to topple: the Statue of Liberty. We the people must never let them molest her.

The Pioneer vs. the Welfare State: Essays on Liberty in Peril

Get your FREE EBOOK, The Pioneer vs. the Welfare State: Essays on Liberty in Peril. FREE ON AMAZON KINDLE JULY 2 THROUGH JULY 6, 2020.

Gen LaGreca is also the author of four novels that celebrate individualism and liberty. Her latest one, Just the Truth, explores: What is happening to our free press? Are we in danger of losing it? Available from Amazon and other retailers.

Copyright© 2020 by Gen LaGreca. Permission to reproduce this essay is given with attribution to the author.

June 14 is Flag Day

To those of us who will never apologize for America and her founding principles. To those of us who will always stand for the National Anthem. To those of us who will always defend America against her enemies that want to tear her down. To those of us who cherish our liberty and the great nation that spread the ideals of freedom across the globe. To those of us who will always strive to correct injustices in a lawful way and never excuse violence and anarchy. To those of us who honor individual rights, capitalism, limited government, the rule of law, and a free society. We honor Flag Day.

Listen to Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag”---and never forget this special day! 

"An intriguing, original, and well-written story. Highly recommended."

I love this Amazon Customer Review of JUST THE TRUTH written by Don Hauptman:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page-turning new thriller is amazingly relevant and timely in 2020

Years ago, a popular way to describe a book was “Ripped from the Headlines!” That phrase applies perfectly to Gen LaGreca’s new novel, “Just the Truth.” As the story begins, an imminent presidential election may be compromised by voter fraud. The setting isn’t primarily politics, however, but rather a media empire run by a family dynasty. Its heir, a courageous newswoman named Laura Taninger, investigates and discovers the plot. When her key source within the administration is murdered, she faces retaliation herself, but persists in a quest to uncover the facts. In addition to a gripping story, the novel spotlights an important theme: the threats to a free press in an era of growing, unchecked government. You’ll cheer the indomitable spirit of an intrepid heroine who risks her career, her reputation, and ultimately her life to defend the pursuit of truth in journalism. An intriguing, original, and well-written story. Highly recommended.

Why We Love Fiction, and How it Touches our Lives by Gen LaGreca

Are there great novels, short stories, plays, and feature films that thrilled you, shocked you, gave you moments of nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat suspense, or steamy, passionate love scenes? Are there works of fiction that got you thinking about important issues? Did you ever wonder about the power of fiction to inform and inspire us?

News stories, text books, essays, articles, white papers, and nonfiction books give us a straight-forward account of factual issues, whereas works of fiction tell us a story. Fiction comes from the imagination filled with adventure, excitement, romance, intrigue, suspense, and the full gamut of emotions.

Nonfiction or Fiction? Which do you remember more?

The difference between nonfiction and fiction is like the difference between reading a flight manual and actually being in the cockpit of a plane and going for a ride.

For example, let's take an historical event: Sherman's March and the burning of Atlanta during the Civil War. How do we remember it? Through a textbook account of military strategies, generals, battles, and timelines? Or do we remember Sherman's March far more vividly from a scene in the novel and film Gone With the Wind? We’re in the middle of Sherman’s seige. Atlanta is wildly ablaze and in utter chaos. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler are in a teetering wagon with a half-dead horse driving it. A mother and her just-born child are in the back of the wagon, with the mother trying to shield the infant from falling debris from the fires all around them. The characters are desperately trying to escape Atlanta, but the Confederate army is in full retreat coming at them, slowing them down—and an ammunition depot is about to explode.

You can see how fiction makes that historical event come to life in a haunting, shocking way.

Fiction depicts great struggles for freedom and independence.

The ancient myth of Prometheus relates how he stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. This empowered humans so that they were no longer subservient to the deities who ruled them. The gods were so infuriated by losing their power over mankind that they chained Prometheus to a rock and cruelly punished him for eternity. The quest of humans to break free from a ruling class echoes through time and is a great theme for works of fiction.

Did you know that storytelling played a role in the American Revolution? The popular 18th century play "Cato: A Tragedy" dramatized the struggle of a political leader of Ancient Rome, Cato, who fought for republicanism against Julius Caesar's tyranny. This play was so important to George Washington that he defied a Congressional order banning the performance of plays during wartime and had the work performed to inspire his troops after their harsh winter at Valley Forge. Washington didn’t give his troops a lecture or a pep talk to boost their spirits. Instead, he used the sweeping drama of a play.

In the prelude to the American Civil War, the most influential abolitionist writing was a novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was this book—a work of fiction—that became an international bestseller and galvanized the North against the evils of slavery.

Fiction has also shown us the face of evil in grim detail. The term Big Brother, which originated from George Orwell’s novel 1984, has become the enduring worldwide symbol of tyranny. We still use this term today, over 70 years since the novel’s original publication in 1949.

Novels have contained moving messages about freedom. Ayn Rand’s epic philosophical novel, Atlas Shrugged, shows us the role of the individual’s free, creative mind and productive activities as the generator of human progress. This novel has inspired millions to embrace the glory of freedom.

Stories that dramatize important ideas have always inspired me in my writing.

With no pretensions to the above works intended, I strive in my novels to create riveting plots interwoven with thought-provoking themes. My new novel, Just the Truth, is a political thriller that portrays the threats to a free press in an era of growing government power and the fearless spirit of one journalist who risks her career, her reputation—and ultimately her life— to uncover a plot that just might subvert free elections in America. This courageous newswoman battles a powerful bureaucracy to keep journalism, a free press—and truth—alive. It’s an entertaining novel that brings to life the importance of a responsible and independent press, a limited and accountable government, and the rule of law. It’s not only for those who care about modern threats to our country's founding principles, but for anyone looking for an absorbing political thriller and murder mystery.

I love to write fiction that offers a full plate of plot action served with a generous pour of intoxicating ideas. Are you ready for a sizzling read? I’m inviting you to my table.

Celebrating Women's Independence by Gen LaGreca

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which insured women's right to vote throughout our country. So let’s take a moment to celebrate women’s achievements and independence.

The heart of a woman’s independence lies in the right to think for herself. This year’s anniversary is a perfect time to reaffirm every woman's right to think, speak, and act according to her own best judgment and to hold true to her convictions, even if that places her outside of the mainstream. (While we honor women on this anniversary, of course the great virtue of independent thinking should be encouraged and celebrated in men, too.)

In a proud tradition that continues to this day, woman have gone against the tide for noble causes and played an active role in fighting injustice throughout our nation's history. For example, women were leaders in the abolitionist movement, enduring vicious denunciations and even physical violence when they spoke out for what they believed. In the period leading up to the Civil War, it was a novel written by one of them—Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe—that became an international bestseller and provided the most powerful arguments against slavery. Legend has it that Abraham Lincoln referred to Harriet Beecher Stowe as “the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.” Whether or not we like the “little woman" tag, and whether or not the anecdote is actually true, no one can deny the tremendous influence of one impassioned woman who dramatically exposed an unspeakable injustice and had a profound influence on righting it.

Fast-forward to women writers and journalists today. When public polling shows the nation's opinion of the media is at an all-time low, there are notable newswomen who courageously hold to the highest standards and integrity. For example, investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, whose motto is “Untouchable subjects. Fearless, nonpartisan reporting,” has written two books containing shocking behind-the-scenes exposés of political corruption at the highest levels of government. Lara Logan, a veteran foreign correspondent who proudly declares, “Nobody owns me,” suffered a brutal attack in a war zone that nearly killed her. Her response was: "I may have been a victim that night, but I am not a victim for the rest of my life." In our modern age, we have another towering woman writer, one who has offered profound ideas to the general public through the enchantment of fiction: Ayn Rand. This novelist and philosopher was a courageous, impassioned fighter for the freedom and sovereignty of the individual.

My new novel, Just the Truth, celebrates the storied tradition of women leaders and journalists in their fight for the truth. The heroine of the novel, newswoman Laura Taninger, risks her career, her reputation, and even her life to uncover a secret plan implicating powerful public officials in a scheme that just might manipulate an upcoming presidential election. Laura faces the crushing retaliation of her political foes as they pull out all the stops to silence her, but her resolve is unwavering. She’s an inspiration to all independent women as we celebrate our special year, our glorious past, and our boundless future.

Let’s keep making ourselves proud!

My new novel, JUST THE TRUTH, is coming out June 1, 2020.

A newswoman battles a powerful bureaucracy to keep journalism, a free press—and truth—alive.

Set in Washington, DC, in the near future, JUST THE TRUTH portrays the threats to a free press in the era of growing, unchecked government and the indomitable spirit of one journalist who risks her career, her reputation—and ultimately her life— to uncover a plot to subvert free elections in America.

JUST THE TRUTH is a political thriller and murder mystery that explores a pivotal issue facing America today: What is happening to truth in journalism? Are we in danger of losing it? This riveting drama raises questions and issues that concern us all. The novel examines how abuses of power can undermine our foundational freedoms, and it promises to have a profound and lasting impact on its readers.

“Find the truth, wherever it hides” was the slogan of firebrand newspaper mogul Julius Taninger (JT) in the mid-20th century. Then, politicians feared his scathing editorials. Now, 70 years later, with JT deceased and his son Clark and grandchildren Irene, Billie, and Laura Taninger running the company, have the tables turned? In modern-day America, does the press—and the broader business community—still have the freedom to criticize public officials, or do those officials have the power to silence their opponents? Laura Taninger is about to find out.

“Fox…” James Spenser whispers as he lay dying in Laura’s arms.

She cannot let Spenser die in vain.

As the president of Taninger News and host of its prime-time television show after the death of her intrepid grandfather, Laura becomes the sole journalist to hold President Kenneth Martin’s administration accountable. The signature program of his administration, SafeVote, puts control of national elections in the hands of the federal government, rather than letting the states manage the voting in their own jurisdictions. SafeVote is scheduled to launch with the upcoming presidential election in which Martin hopes to win a second term. Laura suspects foul play when she discovers a $400 million line item in the SafeVote budget allocated to pay an elusive company for performing undisclosed services.

James Spenser, who was Laura’s source within the administration, had vital information for her but was gunned down before he could reveal it. Facing the crushing retaliation of her political enemies against her family’s businesses, a smear campaign to destroy her reputation, and the intense pressure of her family to give up her investigation, Laura persists in her quest to learn the meaning of Spenser’s dying word and the secrecy surrounding SafeVote. As she gets closer to unraveling the mystery, she realizes that the facts point to shocking revelations about the man whose memory haunts her, the man who was her greatest business competitor and her most passionate lover—until he betrayed her and the ideals they shared. With Election Day looming and the country at a crossroads, Laura is determined to pursue the truth wherever it leads.

With controversies abounding about the integrity of today’s journalism and the election process, the plot and theme of JUST THE TRUTH could not be more timely.

Pre-order you ebook today at:

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1004049

 or Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M65GZ3/