NEW RELEASE: Rich & Lost in Prosperia by Doramas Jorge Calderon

Market economics 101: Field trip to Prosperia
Longtime economist teaches market economics in tropical tale


AUSTIN, Texas – Supply and demand. Scarcity. Subsidies. You may remember hearing these terms from your economics teacher once upon a time or reading about them in a long, dry textbook. With today’s economic uncertainty and instability, it’s more important than ever to have a firm grasp on the economic principles that affect us everyday, but how much do we really absorb from those fleeting high school economic lessons?

Because the principles of market economics have such a strong influence on our daily lives, longtime economist Doramas Jorge-Calderón wanted to make the subject more accessible to the general population. In his new book, "Rich & Lost in Prosperia: A Tropical Tale of Market Economics" (Mill City Press, April 2010), Jorge-Calderón takes a different approach to teaching economics by explaining the complex principles through a fictional tale. Set in the tropical paradise of Prosperia, two young entrepreneurs Richy and Losto set out to establish and expand their respective businesses, learning economic principles along the way.

“Teaching economics through story-telling instead of a series of lectures makes the complex subject very accessible,” says Jorge-Calderón, an economist for the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg. “I always wanted to write a book of popular economics because they are of great help to students. They certainly helped me.”

As Richy and Losto build their businesses from scratch, "Rich & Lost in Prosperia" provides an introduction to market economics. From scarcity and competition to trust and monopolies, Jorge-Calderón helps decode these economic terms that are often misunderstood.
Doramas Jorge-Calderón currently resides in Luxembourg, where he serves as a senior economist for the European Investment Bank. He previously served as an economics consultant for National Research Associates, Inc., in London. Jorge-Calderón holds a master’s degree and doctorate in economics from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.doramasjorgecalderon.com.

NEW RELEASE: When No One is Watching by Joseph Hayes

Sinning in secret

Lawyer/Ethicist explores personal integrity in political thriller



HOUSTON – Just as the changing of the leaves marks the onset of autumn, we know it’s election time

when the airwaves fill with scathing political attack ads. While we see this public mudslinging play out in the media, we may wonder: what are these aspiring leaders willing to do behind closed doors to secure votes and advance their political careers?

Longtime lawyer and chief ethics officer Joseph Hayes spins a tale involving integrity and personal responsibility in his new suspense novel, When No One is Watching (Synergy Books, October 2010, 978-0-9843879-4-6, $14.95). The novel follows Blair Van Howe, a promising young political star who causes a deadly accident and perpetrates an elaborate cover-up to salvage his political career



“There is a sharp focus in our society today on ethical issues, and more specifically, the increasingly

common incidence of ethical lapses among our business and political leaders who put their personal

agenda ahead of integrity,” Hayes says. “They often attempt to justify their actions as advancing the

greater good when in reality they are only concerned with their political survival.”



Ambition, corruption and betrayal feature prominently in this thriller, which is set in Hayes’s native Chicago.



“Having grown up in Chicago, I am intimately familiar with Illinois politics—a lot of the characters and

situations are rooted in personal experience. Recent events in Illinois politics should provide a sense of realism and timeliness that will resonate with readers,” Hayes says. “For example, the story of a charismatic political superstar rising from Chicago’s South Side to become a beloved and fabulously successful figure on the national stage should have a familiar ring to it—so should the array of shady politicians who are all too willing to skirt the rules to gain or maintain power.”



In another parallel to Hayes’s experiences, When No One is Watching also explores the volatile and tragic world of alcoholism through Van Howe’s best friend, Danny Moran, a struggling alcoholic who loses his career, his fortune and his family, yet somehow manages to hold onto his sense of hope and his moral compass. A good-hearted but seriously flawed individual, Danny’s character is inspired by Hayes’s father, an alcoholic who found lasting sobriety through AA and devoted his life to helping others do the same.

Joe Hayes is currently Assistant General Counsel and chief ethics officer for a Fortune 1000 Company based in Houston, Texas. He graduated with highest honors from De Paul University and obtained his juris doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. A member of the State Bars of Illinois, California and Texas and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, Hayes currently resides with his wife Susan and their three children in the Woodlands, Texas. For more information on Joseph Hayes and his novel When No One is Watching, visit www.joseph-hayes.com and www.whennooneiswatching-thebook.com

NEW RELEASE: Patch by Mucheru Njaga

Love the idea of Hogwarts? Think again.

Boarding school tale reveals a hidden world of abuse and bullying

SAN FRANCISCO – J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter has captured worldwide attention for years, keeping readers enthralled with tales from Harry, Hermoine and Ron’s picturesque boarding-school lives. But it’s not all magic—what if the romantic vision of boarding schools has a darker side? And what do you do with bullies like Draco when you don’t have a magic wand?

In his debut novel, Patch (M&K AuthorHouse, October 2010, ISBN 978-0-615-37877-0), YA author Mucheru Njaga illustrates what happens at Prince of Wales Boarding School, fondly nicknamed “Patch,” when teen bullying and cruelty are allowed free reign. Through the protagonist Gabriel’s struggles, Patch helps readers understand the origins and complexities of harassment, providing a benchmark for a modern-day narrative in bullying.

“My goal is to shed light on the growing epidemic of teenage bullying,” says Njaga, who draws on his personal boarding school experiences in the book. “Abuse of power can shape the very fabric of a society if left unchecked.”

Set in the serene countryside of East Africa, Patch follows Gabriel, a troubled American teenager who is transferred to an international all-boys boarding school for the wealthy and privileged. He soon comes to find that behind the high walls of the Prince of Wales Boarding School lies a world of physical and verbal abuse, intimidation and bullying, ruled by a group of well-established student leaders known as “Prefects.” Using the brutal sport of rugby, freshman Gabriel defies the status quo and challenges the authority of the prefects for the first time, forever changing what it means to be in Patch.

An alumni of the Prince of Wales Boarding School, Njaga experienced Patch from both the student and Prefect perspective—as a victim of the abusive system and one of its perpetuators. Since he understands both sides of what it means to be bullied, he is dedicated to bullying prevention by stigmatizing bullying as a cowardly act rooted in fear.


Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Njaga moved to New York City after his time at Prince of Wales Boarding School, where he studied creative writing at Hunter College. He currently lives in San Francisco with his fiancée and is working on a screenplay adaptation of Patch in addition to the book sequel. For more information on Mucheru Njaga or Patch, please visit www.mnjaga.com.