My name is Brent J. Rowley. I was born a fifth generation Mormon, and raised in Orem, Utah, where I have lived for most of my life. I'm an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. In high school, I decided to stay away from sports and car engines and involved myself instead in the Drama Club, the Stage Crew, the Yearbook Staff, and the Acapella Choir. I also performed for many years with an award-winning Indian Dance Team, which ultimately earned me an entertainment scholarship to Hawaii. I attended college at the Church College of Hawaii (which later became BYU-Hawaii).
I served a two-year proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in Colombia, South America, where I became fluent in Spanish. I later married a beautiful Colombian BYU student. We've been happily married now for thirty years and have five children: three boys and two girls, ages twenty-two through twenty-nine, including a set of twins. Three of our children are now married, and we have four grandchildren … with hopefully many more on the way.
During our early married years, I worked mostly in construction-related fields. I became a licensed General Contractor and had my own construction company and painting company. I also worked part-time for several years as a Real Estate Appraiser. I also spent a few years employed by the Church, maintaining all of the Church properties and chapels in Central America and the Caribbean, while living in San José, Costa Rica with my family.
In the mid-80s, I changed careers and discovered it was more fun working indoors on computers than it was working out in the boiling heat and freezing cold. I've been in the computer/network arena for about twenty years now, and have traveled extensively in the process. I've worked in (or at least driven through) forty-five of our fifty states, and, in addition, have been in twenty-two countries ... all in the western hemisphere..
In the mid-90s, I decided to try my hand at writing, having been an avid reader for most of my life. (I proudly declare myself as one of Chris Heimerdinger's biggest fans.) Publishing under the name of BJ Rowley, I currently has seven books in print … five of them action-adventure novels written mainly for Youth and Young Adults (and the Young at Heart), a non-fiction book written for Young Women, and a new, general-audience Christmas/Inspirational novel. I'm also a co-author of two "how-to" books published by LDStorymakers on how to write and get published in the LDS market. I hope to see one or two of my books converted into a movie in the near future. (more on that as soon as I know.) I do my writing in the evenings and during whatever other spare time I can arrange. I enjoy reading, and I take advantage of airplane flights for that purpose. When I'm at home, I like to play the piano and spend time with my family.
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Fiction - Since losing his wife and two daughters in a terrible bus accident, all Richard wants to do is hide from the world and wallow in self-pity. With the Christmas season fast approaching, Richard's despondent attitude affects everyone around him in a negative way. Richard's friend Stacie also suffers as her marriage careens toward failure. She is sure that her inability to have a child prevents her from having the relationship she craves with her husband. Could foster parenting be the answer? Meanwhile, a young homeless mother and her three small children hitchhike into town after spending several years living in primitive mountain conditions. Attempting to leave behind the bitter cold of Montana, they set their sights on sunny California. But God has other plans—for all of them. Strange, unexpected, and sometimes drastic events unfold, bringing them all together . . . for "God moves in Mysterious Ways, His wonders to perform." Price: $15.95 |
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Fiction - Imagine going to bed one night and suddenly finding yourself floating around on the ceiling—looking down at your own sleeping body! Imagine being able to leave your body anytime you want, and passing invisible through walls and doors—and even people! Imagine transporting yourself to your friends' houses in the blink of an eye—without them even knowing! Or floating right into movies and concerts for free! Or enjoying the Super Bowl on the fifty yard line—right behind the quarterback! Then, imagine finding yourself inadvertently and invisibly witnessing a secret meeting of some of the most dangerous criminals of our time as they plot a multi-million dollar conspiracy involving blackmail, kidnapping, and murder! Bart Elderberry experiences all this and more after becoming the recipient of a very unique and special God-given ability. A recent transplant from California to Utah, Bart is just beginning to enjoy the excitement of high school, driving, and dating, when his whole world is turned upside down by the bizarre events transpiring around him. And suddenly, his unusual ability is the only thing standing between life and death for himself and his new-found friends. Now…imagine trying to explain to ANYBODY about your rare skills and abilities without them thinking you're as crazy as a three-dollar bill and throwing you in the loony-bin for life. My Body Fell Off! delivers a fast-paced, heart-pounding adventure that will leave you gasping at every turn. An adventure that, once begun, will be impossible to put aside until its final, dramatic conclusion. Price: $11.95 |
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Fiction - In My Body Fell Off!, Bart Elderberry discovered that he could leave his body—as an invisible spirit—any time he wanted. But he quickly learned that his special ability was to be used only for good. So he solved a murder, performed a couple of daring rescues, and put a trio of career criminals behind bars. Now, as Bart looks forward to his senior year in high school, his life has settled back into a seemingly normal pattern. But his enemies in prison haven't forgotten him, and they have been serving their time with exactly three things on their evil minds: Get Out. Get Rich. GET REVENGE! Now, they have mysteriously orchestrated their escape, and in one hair-raising adventure after another, Bart and his friends are framed for robbery and drug-dealing, chased across the country, and even thrown in jail. In the meantime, Bart's girlfriend, Roshayne, has been kidnapped, and, using her as bait, his enemies plan to lure Bart to destruction. Bart can use his special out-of-body abilities to find Roshayne, but it may not be enough to save her—or himself. He and his friends must somehow thwart the crushing forces of evil personified by Silver Hawk, a murderous old Indian who uses his own 'magic' powers to fight against all that is good. In the end, as Roshayne is swept toward certain death, Bart's skills are tested in ways he'd never imagined. Experience the heart-stopping excitement of Silver Hawk's Revenge as Bart and friends attempt to outrun, outsmart, and outmaneuver their deadly foes. Price: $12.95 |
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Fiction - "Her name is Jean," said Mrs. Jewell. "She was three and a half years old at the time. We were having a barbecue picnic in the park. I called her sister, Katie, and told her to bring Jean to the pavilion. But she couldn't find her. "We looked everywhere—in the rest rooms, up and down the streets, between all the cars. The men scoured the entire neighborhood for blocks around. But she was nowhere. We questioned everybody and finally found someone who remembered seeing a little girl leaving with a man. "Right then, I knew ... I'd lost my baby ... She was gone." And thus the search begins. Bart Elderberry and his new boss, private detective William G. Owens, are pressed into service in a frantic effort to solve a decade-old kidnapping and uncover an extensive black-market baby-snatching organization. Before long, Bart and his friends are dodging bullets, fending off tire-irons, and facing seemingly impossible odds in their desperate race against time. But along the way, Bart discovers some new and exciting ways to utilize his out-of-body abilities to help track down the dangerous and ruthless kidnapper/killers and to save himself and friends from certain death. Missing Children adds yet another exciting volume to the captivating Light Traveler Adventure Series—an action-packed episode that will have readers of all ages enthralled from beginning to dramatic and heart-touching end. Price: $13.95 |
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Fiction - Stephen Ray Fischer, otherwise known as Sting, has a very annoying little 'thing' about him. He can't seem to touch anyone without shocking them—literally. Even with rubber-soled shoes and standing on plain dirt or cement, everybody gets zapped. It's not serious, of course. Kids do it all the time. But not ALL the time. Now, as a junior in his small-town high school, Sting's schoolmates have long since learned to keep a wide berth, and as a result, true friends are hard to come by. The taunting and teasing are relentless, especially when Sting's little 'stings' start getting a little out of hand. After a curious incident with a high voltage power line, Sting finds he's suddenly becoming more and more electrically charged. Lights turn off and on, clocks spin like wall fans, radios and TVs change channels. Something VERY weird is happening, and Sting has no idea what it is or what to do about it. There's even talk of having him put away! Only one girl, a newcomer named Connie Phillips, has compassion for the walking, human lightening bolt. And her father, a retired scientist with a very mysterious past, takes the supercharged Sting under his wing and into his confidence as he works secretly on his 'project' in the garage. Then life gets complicated. Sting's jolted and electrocuted peers decide to teach him a lesson he'll never forget. Some unnamed government agencies from the big city want Sting locked up for scientific study. Church members want him 'Ex'ed. And a smooth talking businessman—with bodyguards—wants to 'employ' Sting for reasons he can't even begin to imagine. And as if that weren't enough, Mr. Phillips' project—a top secret, uniquely modified, VERY supercharged Corvette Stingray—has suddenly disappeared. Vanished! And all fingers point to Sting Ray Fischer. Price: $14.95 |
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Fiction - Celinda Russell has a date to the Jr. Prom with Travis Foxx, THE most popular guy at North High. She has her dress all picked out and knows just what to do with her makeup, hair, and nails. It's truly a dream come true. The only problem is: Celinda doesn't turn sixteen until the day AFTER the Prom. So—according to long-standing family rules—she can't even date yet. In a desperate attempt to solve the problem, Celinda makes a powerful wish that she could SOMEHOW find a way to go to the dance. "Whatever it takes!" she pleads. "Let the powers-that-be decide." Well . . . the Powers-That-Be decide to send Horace and Minuét, the "Special Agents in charge of all Time Related Yearnings and Aspirations." And her wish is suddenly granted. The result is that Celinda and her best friend Mandy "get" to age four whole days while the rest of the world slows to a crawl and advances a mere four minutes. It looks like time has stopped. But . . . she'll be sixteen a couple of days before the Prom, and, therefore, old enough to date. Right? There's only one major hangup: "You think our parents are going to believe any of this?" asks Mandy. "I don't THINK so." Join Celinda and Mandy on a rollercoaster ride of excitement as they turn Sixteen In No Time and experience a whole array of funny, scary, romantic, and disastrous consequences—most of which they cause, some of which they actually manage to prevent. In the end, their parents learn a thing or two about the Spirit of the Law, and the two girls learn some very valuable lessons about boys, rules, and what being a teenage girl in this day and age is really all about. Price: $14.95 |
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Fiction - What compels guys to do the strange things they do? What inspires them to think the way they think? Why do they say the things they say? How do girls affect those thoughts and actions? What do guys really want from girls? BJ Rowley answers all these questions and more as he shares with the Young Women his unique and revealing insights into the quirky minds and sometimes bizarre behavior of that strange, mysterious, and incomprehensible opposite gender—the BOYS. What Makes Guys Tick? (based on Brother Rowley's popular fireside) is an engaging, humorous handbook for all Young Women, as well as their parents and leaders. With the unique challenges facing girls in today's turbulent society, this book is a genuine treasure. After all . . . understanding GUYS may well be a matter of ETERNAL CONSEQUENCE. Price: $14.95 |
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Nonfiction - Tap into the minds and combined experience of thirteen successfully published LDS authors as they smooth your pathway to publication. Your questions can all be answered in this comprehensive volume. Pitfalls to Avoid. Contract Concerns. Choosing a Subject. Royalties ~ Facts & Figures. Complete Submission Guidelines. LDS Market ~ Unique Characteristics. AND MUCH MORE! Within these pages you'll find encouragement from people who have "been there, done that." They will root for you, cheer you on, and challenge you to stay the course and follow your passion. Written in a friendly, conversational manner, and packed with intriguing, insightful—and sometimes humorous—experiences, LDS Storymakers: Publishing Secrets is sure to become a well-thumbed addition to your writing reference library. Price: $14.95 |
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Nonfiction - Drawing on a wealth of knowledge, the answers to the pitfalls and problems faced by writers everywhere can be found within this comprehensive volume. Whether you've written all your life, or have just begun to experience the joys of putting pen to paper, this book has what you need, to keep you going, achieve more, and—most importantly—do it right. Refine ideas into workable, exciting plots. Pen a "can't-put-it-down" opening, Find the time and inspiration to write. Create seamless plots and subplots. Research fiction and nonfiction topics. Utilize positive (and negative) feedback. Overcome annoying Writer's Block. AND MUCH MORE! Written in the same easy-going manner as its companion volume, Publishing Secrets, LDS Storymakers: Writing Secrets offers just the right encouragement and advice needed when faced with two hundred empty pages. Learn from the extensive experiences—both good and bad—of fourteen successful LDS authors as they explain how, and how not, to write your story. Price: $16.95 |
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