Annette Valentine

Eastbound from Flagstaff

Annette Valentine

A love story based on Annette Valentine’s father, Eastbound Bus From Flagstaff portrays an individual who comes to recognize the significance of family, loyalty, and the richness of his heritage. Simon Hagan is running from a lie, intent on believing his own efforts and perseverance can overcome anything. He abandons roots that are his foundational strength and hides behind his charm, living every moment as if life’s daring him to fail—again. He’s reckoning with his father’s God who could have delivered better outcomes but didn’t. This first installment in an epic trilogy that begins in the 1920’s, unique in its purposeful illumination of the human condition and its ideological indifference to God, asks the question: “Why was God silent when I needed him?” Simon’s return to the notion of forgiveness is the catalyst for a new beginning as it reunites Simon to the place he once thought was the impossible dream. The answer for Simon isn’t blowing in the backwinds of his dream chase; rather, it unfolds in the outstretched hand of a villain.

Down to the Potter’s House

Annette Valentine

<li>Nearly 1 in 5 students (21%) report being bullied during the school year, impacting over 5 million youth annually (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2018)</li> <li>Essential resistance to bullying comes out of core strength, and <i>Down to the Potter’s House</i> is a portrayal and model of core strength <li>Students who experienced bullying are nearly 2 times more likely to attempt suicide. <i>Down to the Potter’s House</i> is an attestation to finding hope for a life worth living <li>Current research suggests that suicide ideation and attempts among adolescents have nearly doubled since 2008 (Plemmons et al., 2018), making suicide the 2nd leading cause of death for individuals 10-34 years of age. My public speaking platform confronts the issues of human trafficking (sex trafficking) and nurtures efforts to combat all forms of lies that engender low self-esteem. <i>Down to the Potter’s House</i> is a creative example of overcoming persecution – even when, and especially when – it’s by a family member <li>Overall, approximately 135,200 individual allegations of harassment or bullying are on the basis of sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religion during the age 15-16 school-age years (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2019). Discrimination is certainly not a new issue, and from the vantage point of a 15-year-old school girl, the main character in <i>Down to the Potter’s House</i> comes to terms with how her conscience will deal with outright discrimination in 1922 <li>Nearly 76% of public schools reported providing training for classroom teachers or aides on recognizing physical, social, and verbal bullying behaviors (NCES, 2018). <i>Down to the Potter’s House</i> is the second novel in Annette Valentine’s trilogy that delves into the nature of lies and the hold they can have on individuals