First there was Steve Reeves the ultimate, and in my opinion, incomparable world class bodybuilder. He won all the National and International bodybuilding titles without using steroids, artificial enhancers or unethical practices. Steve was hard-working and innovative. His sharp mind and determination mixed workouts with nutrition to create a magnificent male body. Next there was Steve Reeves the actor who filled our movie theater screens with sensational, larger than life portrayals. He played the lead in fifteen movies including Hercules, The Thief of Baghdad, Duel of the Titans, Son of Spartacus, and Goliath and the Barbarians. His personal favorite was Long Ride from Hell - his only Western Last there was Steve Reeves the rancher, horse breeder and author. Steve was never deluded about being a great actor. He made movies in order to build a nest egg which enabled him to own and enjoy a couple of ranches back home in the Western United States. Ranching was always his first love and passion. This Steve Reeves was mostly out of the limelight. He spent his time hard at work digging post holes and breeding gaited Morgan horses. This book is about my life with Steve Reeves, the rancher, during the last seven years of his life. It is written from the perspective of a woman who was (and will always be) deeply, madly in love with Steve Reeves I am writing these memories down now due to concerns that dementia, the disease which has devastated my mother's mind, may be germinating in me. It is a case of "before I forget what I can still remember." I have relied heavily on my personal journals to bring focus to that which the passage of time, my series of small strokes and what might be dementia, has fogged. I do not want the memory of my Stephen (Steve Reeves to millions of fans) to dissolve and become forever lost. He was such a remarkable man. Once I knew him, I would never be the same. Steve Reeves was more than just an actor with a powerful physique. He was quite brilliant. He would examine a machine, tool or product and then explain how he would change this part or that aspect to improve its function. He used a complex combination of his natural creativity with his work experience and logic to improve the workings or the designs of many things. Experiencing first hand his ability to improve on every-thing that arrived on the ranch (from a brand-new Featherlite horse trailer to halters and toilet roll holders) made me wish his fans could realize how much more there was to their Steve Reeves. His face, his physique, his movies and his voice were only a small part of the total man. Add to those attributes, among other things, his expert knowledge of physical training and nutrition. His work ethic was unsurpassed and his determination to improve the Morgan horse breed was tragically interrupted. (Full Color Version)

The life of Steve Reeves had three major parts: First there was Steve Reeves the ultimate, and in my opinion, incomparable world class bodybuilder. He won all the National and International bodybuilding titles without using steroids, artificial enhancers or unethical practices. Steve was hard-working and innovative. His sharp mind and determination mixed workouts with nutrition to create a magnificent male body. Next there was Steve Reeves the actor who filled our movie theater screens with sensational, larger than life portrayals. He played the lead in fifteen movies including Hercules, The Thief of Baghdad, Duel of the Titans, Son of Spartacus, and Goliath and the Barbarians. His personal favorite was Long Ride from Hell - his only Western Last there was Steve Reeves the rancher, horse breeder and author. Steve was never deluded about being a great actor. He made movies in order to build a nest egg which enabled him to own and enjoy a couple of ranches back home in the Western United States. Ranching was always his first love and passion. This Steve Reeves was mostly out of the limelight. He spent his time hard at work digging post holes and breeding gaited Morgan horses. This book is about my life with Steve Reeves, the rancher, during the last seven years of his life. It is written from the perspective of a woman who was (and will always be) deeply, madly in love with Steve Reeves I am writing these memories down now due to concerns that dementia, the disease which has devastated my mother's mind, may be germinating in me. It is a case of "before I forget what I can still remember." I have relied heavily on my personal journals to bring focus to that which the passage of time, my series of small strokes and what might be dementia, has fogged. I do not want the memory of my Stephen (Steve Reeves to millions of fans) to dissolve and become forever lost. He was such a remarkable man. Once I knew him, I would never be the same. Steve Reeves was more than just an actor with a powerful physique. He was quite brilliant. He would examine a machine, tool or product and then explain how he would change this part or that aspect to improve its function. He used a complex combination of his natural creativity with his work experience and logic to improve the workings or the designs of many things. Experiencing first hand his ability to improve on every-thing that arrived on the ranch (from a brand-new Featherlite horse trailer to halters and toilet roll holders) made me wish his fans could realize how much more there was to their Steve Reeves. His face, his physique, his movies and his voice were only a small part of the total man. Add to those attributes, among other things, his expert knowledge of physical training and nutrition. His work ethic was unsurpassed and his determination to improve the Morgan horse breed was tragically interrupted. (Black and White Version)

Steve Reeves electrified audiences for decades. Rising to stardom in two fields, he was the first bodybuilder turned actor long before Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sylvester Stallone hit the scene. Drawing on seven years of research and writing, author Chris LeClaire captures in photography and words the first biography ever written on Steve Reeves, the definitive portrait of the man who inspired millions, the man many believe to be the greatest bodybuilder ever.

A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL High-intensity bodybuilding advice from the first man to win a perfect score in the Mr. Universe competition This one-of-a-kind book profiles the high-intensity training (HIT) techniques pioneered by the late Mike Mentzer, the legendary bodybuilder, leading trainer, and renowned bodybuilding consultant. His highly effective, proven approach enables bodybuilders to get results--and win competitions--by doing shorter, less frequent workouts each week. Extremely time-efficient, HIT sessions require roughly 40 minutes per week of training--as compared with the lengthy workout sessions many bodybuilders would expect to put in daily. In addition to sharing Mentzer's workout and training techniques, featured here is fascinating biographical information and striking photos of the world-class bodybuilder--taken by noted professional bodybuilding photographers--that will inspire and instruct serious bodybuilders and weight lifters everywhere.

“THAT’S NO MOON.” –Obi-Wan Kenobi The Death Star’s name says it all, with bone-chilling accuracy. It is a virtual world unto itself–equipped with uncanny power for a singularly brutal purpose: to obliterate entire planets in the blink of an eye. Its annihilation of the planet Alderaan, at the merciless command of Grand Moff Tarkin, lives in infamy. And its own ultimate destruction, at the hands of Luke Skywalker, is the stuff of legend. But what is the whole story, and who are the players, behind the creation of this world-killing satellite of doom? The near extermination of the Jedi order cleared the way for Palpatine–power-hungry Senator and Sith Lord–to seize control of the Republic, declare himself Emperor, and usher in a fearsome, totalitarian regime. But even with the dreaded Darth Vader enforcing Palpatine’s sinister will, the threat of rebellion still looms. And the Emperor knows that only abject fear–and the ability to punish dissent with devastating consequences–can ensure his unchallenged control of the galaxy. Enter ambitious and ruthless government official Wilhuff Tarkin, architect of the Emperor’s terrifying dream come true. From inception to completion, construction of the unprecedented Death Star is awash in the intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and daring gambits of those involved on every level. The brightest minds and boldest egos, the most ambitious and corrupt, the desperate and the devious, all have a stake in the Death Star–and its potential to control the fate of the galaxy. Soldiers and slaves, loyalists and Rebels, spies and avengers, the innocent and the evil–all their paths and fates will cross and intertwine as the Death Star moves from its maiden voyage to its final showdown. And a shadowy chapter of Star Wars history is stunningly illuminated in a thrilling, unforgettable adventure. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

A 2015 Whitney Award Nominee! A powerful story of loss, second chances, and first love, reminiscent of Sarah Dessen and John Green. When Oakley Nelson loses her older brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend a few months in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try. In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on. If only it were that easy. But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and that’s when things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things? With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley knows she must learn to listen and trust again. But will she have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future? Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.