New novel follows a crafty firefighter’s quest to restore peace and harmony in his war-torn city
CLINTON, Utah – Jeffrey Stoker grew up reading L. Frank Baum’s Oz series and has always wanted to write a fantasy novel in that same vein as a tribute. “Iconic Reflections: Adventures in the Land of Staplehorn” (published by Xlibris) is the result of that desire. Adding his own style and sensibility to the book, he offers readers a story suffused with romance, mystery, theological and historical allusions, adventure, unpredictable plot twists and, above all else, the underpinnings of mythology.
Set in a fictitious, magical land named Staplehorn, the story revolves around a crafty firefighter named Peter Placket. Peter dreams of being a hero. Like most heroes, he is handsome, charismatic and intelligent. Also, he works at a fire station, the perfect venue for showcasing his bravery. There is just one small problem: he is made out of paper. How can Peter be heroic when the fire chief forbids him to get within 10 yards of fires?
The answer comes one day when the lower classes revolt against the aristocracy, turning the Apple Kingdom, Peter’s home, into a war zone. Realizing that someone must put an end to the violence, Peter flees to the countryside, searching for an ancient magical object that renders its user all-powerful. During the course of his journey, Peter will find both allies and adversaries. Ultimately, he will also find that the magical object he seeks may do more than end the revolution — that it may provide the answer to a mystery as old as time.
In its general outlines, “Iconic Reflections: Adventures in the Land of Staplehorn” is a blend of two popular literary genres, fantasy and historical fiction. According to Stoker, what ultimately distinguishes the book from other novels of its kind are the specifics. In as much as it is a work of fiction, it contains a fair amount of social commentary that is relevant to our modern times.
“Iconic Reflections: Adventures in the Land of Staplehorn”
By Jeffrey Stoker
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 258 pages | ISBN 9781984555304
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 258 pages | ISBN 9781984555298
E-Book | 258 pages | ISBN 9781984555526
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Jeffrey Stoker lives in Clinton, Utah with his wife and their dog. He enjoys writing novels and short stories, collecting DVDs and watching arguments ensue that have nothing to do with him. In addition to the novel “Iconic Reflections,” he has also written the short story collections “Slant Rhyme” and “Adventures in Bachelorhood.” For more details about the author and his books, visit www.jeffreystoker.com.
Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.
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Alexandria, VA—The American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) has just released its ratings of the 2018 meeting of the Utah State Legislature. ACUF’s Ratings—both federal and state—are an initiative of ACUF’s Center for Legislative Accountability. These ratings are designed to reflect how over 8,000 of the nation’s elected officials view the role of government and illustrate the differences between chambers of the legislature, while revealing lawmakers’ positions on a wide variety of issues that directly affect Utahns.
ACUF reviewed each piece of legislation voted on in both the Senate and House to produce average scores of each chamber as well as individual scores for each sitting member. According to ACUF’s Year in Review, the Utah State Legislature’s overall conservative score fell significantly compared to the 2017 session (from 66.7 percent to 53.0 percent).
Utah legislators voted on key issues during the 2018 session. In one or both chambers, they voted to block a ban on natural gas and oil production and reduce harmful licensing requirements and restrictive regulation of businesses.
“Utah lawmakers on both sides of the aisle found common ground in the 2018 session and protected citizens from bearing the cost of a politicized energy agenda by blocking a ban of natural gas and oil production,” said ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp. “We salute the small group of conservatives who created opportunities for Utah to grow when they won uphill battles to lift prohibitions of food trucks and reduce licensing requirements that prevent hard-working people from entering the workforce. We urge the Utah State Legislature to follow these conservatives who are fighting for commonsense policies that will benefit everyone.”
The average score for Republican Utah House Representatives was 63 percent, while just over 10 percent of all representatives earned awards for scoring 80 percent or better. Senator Dayton was the only Utah State Senator who earned an award. The overall average for the Utah State Legislature was 53.0 percent.
Click Here to view the 2018 Ratings of Utah online and Click Here to visit our website.
For questions or media inquiries regarding ACUF state ratings, email Luke Schneider, Public Affairs Coordinator for the American Conservative Union Foundation, at lschneider@conservative.org.
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4 Big Ways States Can Benefit
Economically From Legalized Marijuana
Marijuana’s legalization continues to spread across the U.S. In the midterm elections, Michigan became the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana use. Voters in Missouri and Utah passed initiatives to approve medical marijuana, growing that list to 33 states.
Popularity of the drug for medicinal and recreational use – and its positive economic impact on some states where marijuana is legal – could lead to more states legalizing it. A recent Pew Research Center survey shows 62 percent of Americans think marijuana should be legalized, with 74 percent of millennials in favor, along with 63 percent of Gen Xers and 54 percent of baby boomers. State tax revenues related to both recreational and medicinal marijuana sales in Colorado totaled nearly $250 million last year. Some projections see California collecting over $1 billion annually.
“The walls are coming down,” says Daniel Ameduri (www.futuremoneytrends.com), co-founder of the Future Money Trends newsletter. “Legalized cannabis is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, attracting investors and state governments.
“The landscape is changing because policy follows sentiment, and it’s a great economic growth opportunity for states on several levels.”
Ameduri explains four key ways cannabis legalization can benefit states:
Create Jobs. Nurseries and dispensaries, as evidenced in the cannabis-legal states, create many employment opportunities. In California, over 80,000 jobs came about – producing a $3.5 billion increase in labor income – due to legalized marijuana sales, according to a study by ICF International. Colorado, which saw an estimated $2.4 billion worth of cannabis-related economic activity in 2015, has over 40,000 occupational licenses connected to the cannabis industry. “Just for starters, you need people to farm, distribute, and sell products,” Ameduri says. “Then you have a whole host of industries doing support work for the cannabis-related companies.”
Boost tax revenues. Along with the big haul state governments can make are the ways that new state money could be invested in education and business development. “The potential of tax revenues is the carrot dangled before the states,” Ameduri says. “With so many states in a pinch or running in the red, why would you not legalize it?”
Save law enforcement costs. Making marijuana legal means many fewer court cases and incarcerations, Ameduri points out. “States that legalize marijuana would be adding millions to their coffers and subtracting millions from their wasted expenses,” he says. “They are likely to lower their law enforcement costs substantially, right off the top by removing it from the list of controlled substances.”
Help address social ills. Another offshoot of boosted tax revenues from cannabis sales: Colorado put some of the money into a fund to help create housing programs for the homeless and to address the state’s opioid epidemic.
“More people spoke at the midterms about marijuana, and the momentum for more legalization is strong,” Ameduri says. “More states are seeing it makes a lot of sense as a new component of the economic engine.”
About Daniel Ameduri
Daniel Ameduri (www.FutureMoneyTrends.com) is co-founder of the Future Money Trends newsletter, an authority for financial freedom and economic research in commodities, cryptocurrencies, personal finance and income ideas. A self-made multi-millionaire, Ameduri also has a YouTube channel, VisionVictory, that has received 10 million video views. He’s also been featured in The Wall Street Journal and ABC World News.
