M. Bradley Davis Livres

The Grim Reaper's scythe barely missed his head. He wished it hadn't. Stephen Ingalls has quite enough on his plate. Starting his freshman year at Clarkstowne High School-a tough enough challenge for any young man-he finds that he and his friend Doug have been given the unprecedented opportunity to become the first student conductors of the high school orchestra. Dr. Donaldson, their teacher and mentor, will help them push the limits of their talents while weathering the storm of controversy and opposition to this innovative program. When Stephen meets Jason Anderson, he seems to know instinctively that the young man will also be important to him this new school year. It isn't that Jason is using a wheelchair, nor even that the boy is still grieving the loss of his best friend, Tony-killed in the same accident that caused Jason to lose the use of his legs. Jason has lost something else: The connection to a musical ability that Stephen is certain still burns inside. Jason is convinced that his music died with Tony, with the violin-a twin to his own-damaged in the accident. Doctors are certain that Jason's paralysis is psychological, that he could walk if only they could find and treat the dark blockage in his mind. Stephen, determined not to let either talent or hope disappear, must find the way to mend the pieces of the broken heart-and the broken violin-to help Jason overcome the past and live beyond the day the music died.

Runner 999 is a fast paced thriller about a disgruntled, psychotic former sniper, who wants nothing more than to see Harry Lucas dead. Lucas was the Navy front line combat surgeon who performed a double amputation in Vietnam in order to save the man's life. Gangrene had set in while he was dragging his badly wounded body back toward friendly lines after setting off a land mine in enemy held territory-- After stalking the doctor for several years the man, Leonard Glover, sees the perfect opportunity to get his revenge. He will kill the doctor as he crosses the finish line at the Honolulu Marathon. Lucas is now an orthopedic surgeon in San Jose California with a fine practice, and has his best friend stationed in the vicinity, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Paul Dugan. Together they attempt to determine who the person was that apparently attempted to run Harry down while on a training run, and who was making mysterious dead line, late night phone calls to the Lucas residence. In Honolulu, marathon officials are receiving anonymous death threats to an unknown participant, and Police Lieutenant Danny Kemakoma is in charge of trying to sort it all out.

FAITH, HOPE, LOVE... Stephen discovers how profoundly his six-week experience with Arianne changed him with school's resumption. He feels her presence daily and finds he must carry forward the lessons she taught. He meets Gina Cameron in his first class of the new term; she helps Stephen teach his first important lesson through song. Stephen's friends also make discoveries in their lives. Richard Fuller returns to his classes in Philadelphia more confident and assertive than in the past. Andrew Thompson finds changes in his high school orchestra ... some of which enormously displease him. His actions have repercussions far beyond Arianne's final lessons for him. As school progresses, Stephen, Doug, and Jason prepare the orchestra for their fall performances, the first of which takes them to an elementary school. Stephen meets second-grader Elinor Rogers through an unexpected musical duet. The little girl simply astonishes him. Andrew Thompson's outburst forces both his principal and orchestra teacher to reassess their positions on the school's music program. Andrew has thrown them a challenge which they simply cannot ignore. Consequently, Stephen and Doug make a return trip to the Philadelphia area, where they lead an orchestra clinic for Andrew's orchestra-the orchestra where Arianne once played. The trip inspires the young men from Clarkstowne to make new friends and deepen their friendship with Andrew. And, during this trip, Stephen has another encounter with seven-year-old Elinor, who will put everything he learned from Arianne to the test. She and her mother are on the bus with Stephen and Doug for the return trip to Clarkstowne; when the bus crashes, Stephen discovers that, suddenly, he is all she has left in this world ... where the only gifts he can give her are faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love...

Sixth graders Robert and Melissa love hating each other-- "You've been cruel to me all day, Robert," Melissa stormed at him. "I haven't done anything to deserve it!" "But, you're so much fun to tease! I can't help it!" Melissa shoved him. "I hate you!" Robert fell backward. The tunnel wall was made of old, rotted timbers. It gave way. Robert struggled not to fall by grabbing the wall. Large chunks of wood came away in his hands. Robert turned wide, surprised eyes on the wood. When he looked up, Melissa's shocked eyes met his in the dim light. She touched what he held. "What?" She exclaimed. "How?" They heard a rumbling and felt the ground start to shake. Robert frantically threw the pieces of wood away. Melissa screamed. He pulled her against him as dirt and wood pelted them. A three-foot long chunk of timber just missed hitting her as she fell against him. Mud and water splashed them, turning both an unrecognizable drab brown almost instantly. "No! No!" Melissa screamed. "I don't want to die!" She clutched at him. "Help me, Robert!" Robert held her close as the mud piled around them. In seconds, darkness and silence came.