Lone Star Book Blog Tours - The Grand Duke From Boys Ranch by Bill Sarpalius

                  

THE GRAND DUKE FROM BOYS RANCH

EUGENIA AND HUGH M. STEWART '26 SERIES

by

BILL SARPALIUS
foreword by Bill Hobby

  Genre: Memoir / Texana / Politics / Eastern European History

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
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Date of Publication: April 16, 2018

Number of Pages: 336 pages w/50 B&W photos

As a boy in Houston, Bill Sarpalius, his brothers, and their mother lived an itinerant life. Bill dug food out of trashcans, and he and his brothers moved from one school to the next. They squatted in a vacant home while their mother, affectionately called “Honey,” battled alcoholism and suicidal tendencies. In an act of desperation, she handed her three sons over to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch north of Amarillo.

At the time, Bill was thirteen years old and could not read. Life at Boys Ranch had its own set of harrowing challenges, however. He found himself living in fear of some staff and older boys. He became involved in Future Farmers of America and discovered a talent for public speaking. When he graduated, he had a hundred dollars and no place to go. He worked hard, earned a scholarship from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and obtained a college degree. After a brief career as a teacher and in agribusiness, he won a seat in the Texas Senate. Driven by the memory of his suffering mother, he launched the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in an effort to help people struggling with addiction.

Sarpalius later served in the United States Congress. As a Lithuanian American, he took a special interest in that nation’s fight for independence from the Soviet Union. For his efforts, Sarpalius received the highest honor possible to a non-Lithuanian citizen and was named a “Grand Duke.”

The Grand Duke from Boys Ranch is a unique political memoir—the story of a life full of unlikely paths that is at once heartbreaking and inspirational.

PRAISE FOR THE GRAND DUKE FROM BOYS RANCH: 

“The autobiography of Bill Sarpalius reads like a 20 -century version of the American dream – equal parts heartbreak and inspiration, culminating in an unlikely political career capped by three terms in the U.S. Congress.” -- University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs

“The Grand Duke from Boys Ranch is an inspiring tale of perseverance and personal courage.” -- Si Dunn, Lone Star Literary Life

CLICK TO PURCHASE

Texas A&M University Press
Amazon    

Bill Sarpalius talks about being a Rodeo Houston Scholar.

BILL SARPALIUS represented the Texas 13th Congressional District from 1989 to 1995, and from 1981 to 1989 he served in the Texas State Senate. He currently is a motivational speaker and serves as CEO of Advantage Associates International. He divides his time between Maryland and Houston, Texas.

WEBSITE   INSTAGRAM    TWITTER

MEET THE AUTHOR! 
BARNES & NOBLE, #2665
2:00 PM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018
2415 Soncy Road
Amarillo, TX 79124

CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

8/21/18	Notable Quotable	Hall Ways Blog
8/22/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
8/23/18	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
8/24/18	Video Interview, Part 1	The Clueless Gent
8/25/18	Review	Max Knight
8/26/18	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
8/27/18	Scrapbook Page	Reading by Moonlight
8/28/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
8/29/18	Video Interview, Part 2	The Love of a Bibliophile
8/30/18	Review	Kelly Well Read

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Blue Unicorn Book Review by Sherry Fundin

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By Sherry Fundin 

Format: Kindle Edition

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Get the book at Amazon.

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Uncaged Book Review

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You can buy the book at Amazon.

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Format: Kindle Edition

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Get the book at Amazon.

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Book Announcement

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The Dragonbone Chair is a fantasy novel (written in 1988) by American writer Tad Williams, the first in his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. The saga follows a young man named Simon as he is caught up in an epic adventure. You can get it at Amazon.

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Sybrina's Blue Unicorn Book Store

Where you'll find unicorns, more unicorns and nothing but unicorns!  Visit now.

Unicorn Wrist Band

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Brian Feinblum of Book Marketing Buzz blog has written a fine article presenting the question, "Which Old Books Are Worth Reading?"  I think this article is very much worth reading. It certainly makes you think.

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Sybrina's Blue Unicorn Book Store

Where you'll find unicorns, more unicorns and nothing but unicorns! Visit now.

  Brought to you by Journey To Osm

 

If you like this post and others on this blog, scroll all the way down to the bottom left of this page and click the FOLLOW button to receive more from Sybrina's Book Blog.

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Do you like your science Fiction and Fantasy short and sweet?  Subscribe to The Daily Science Fiction Magazine to get a daily story via email.  Here's a sample of fantasy/magic-and-wizardry:

Short Fantasy Story by 

Preston E. Dennett

Dispell

"You need what?" I asked, unsure I'd heard her correctly. I'd done love spells more times than I'd care to say, but a hate spell? A stunningly attractive woman stood before me. She had a rather plain look, but there was something indefinably gorgeous about her.

Finish Reading at 

Visit Preston E. Dennett's Amazon Author Page for more information about his books.

Sybrina's Blue Unicorn Book Store - Unicorn Beanie Hat

Unicorn Beanie Hat

Sybrina's Blue Unicorn Book Store

Where you'll find unicorns, more unicorns and nothing but unicorns! Visit now.

Brought to you by Journey To Osm

If you like this post and others on this blog, scroll all the way down to the bottom left of this page and click the FOLLOW button to receive more from Sybrina's Book Blog.

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The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow: Can You Really Dig a Hole to China?: Bubba says he can dig a hole to China, but his big sister, Squirt, doesn’t believe it. Bubba digs with a special shovel, and they're b...

Unicorn Books on Pinterest

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If you love unicorns books, you will find them here!  This board has over 200 Unicorn book pins and it is growing.  Check it out!

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Book Announcement

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Sea Dragons. Pirates. Sea Serpents. Wizards.

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Dive into this epic fantasy adventure filled with magic, hope, and peril. 

Smell the salt on the wind as dragon and serpent dive below the crystal blue 

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This is a book I think you'll enjoy and you can read the first 3 chapters for free at Booktrak. 

Enjoy!

You can buy the book at Amazon.

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Sybrina's Review of

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Great Story With Lots of Twists and Turns. . .

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