J.P. Barelli

Author

Arizona Authors Association (AAA) Member

My professional career spans several decades in Kansas, Montana, Missouri, and Arizona courtrooms as a public defender or judge, so my novels are strongly influenced by the gritty dramas, comedies, and tragedies of real life.

With compelling, page-turning plots, my novels engage both adolescent and adult readers. Each story is rooted in timeless virtues such as duty, fidelity, bravery, honesty, and trust. My G-rated texts offer wholesome narratives suitable for all ages.

Contact Information:

J.P. Barelli, Phoenix, AZ

My email is revcounsel@gmail.com

Author John P. Barelli (second to the top row, fourth from the left) and his sixth grade class at Stanford B. Ladd School in Kansas City, Missouri.

On Sale Now!

https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/

Route 66: The Whole Enchilada

Historical Fiction; Coming of Age; Faith-Based

Route 66 - the legendary “Main Street of America” - connected the Midwest to the Pacific Coast. When it opened in 1926, it soon became a vital corridor for commerce, migration, and cultural exchange..

Route 66: The Whole Enchilada tells the story of the people of Santa Cuervo, a fictional town in New Mexico, located along the dusty bends of Route 66. Among its residents are a young boy and his teenage sister who struggle to flee poverty and isolation amidst the town’s culture of superstition and folklore. Their odyssey to maturity, love, and prosperity are tested as family secrets haunt their journeys. Can the boy muster the courage when duty calls?

As Route 66 carries strangers, omens, and change into their small town, the characters are pulled into a mystery that has long been buried in the dust and silence of the desert. The past is about to rise.

For additional literary works by John Barelli, please click the tabs above🔝

Esmaria and Her

Peppermint Prince

Historical Fiction; Inspirational; Faith-Based

Kansas City, 1970
When eleven-year-old Esmaria Paulk moves from Atlanta with her family, she expects nothing more dramatic than starting sixth grade at Sanford B. Ladd School. But at her family’s new Bible church, she witnesses an unexpected miracle: the long-lost daughter of one of the long-time congregation members returns after more than a decade—alive, troubled, and with a past that refuses to stay buried.

Among the swirl of whispers and celebration stands Lamont Jackson, the grandson Mrs. Jackson has lovingly raised since his birth. Quiet, proud, and charming, Lamont quickly becomes Esmaria’s first friend in her new city.

But when Lamont’s unstable mother resurfaces and, out of spite, tears him and his younger siblings away from the only home they’ve ever known, his world collapses. Forced into a life of neglect and hardship, Lamont runs away determined to survive the bitter Kansas City winter on his own terms. Hungry, cold, and alone, he relies on sheer ingenuity to stay alive.

Esmaria cannot bear to watch her friend disappear. Guided by fierce loyalty and a wisdom far beyond her years, she sets out to find the boy everyone else has written off.

Can Esmaria find Lamont before tragedy strikes? And will Lamont learn to trust the adults who want to save him—before it’s too late?

A story of courage, compassion, and the mysterious power of charity, Esmaria reveals what can happen when one determined girl believes a lost boy still has a future worth fighting for.

Companion novel and audiobook Street Prince —Lamont Jackson’s story in his own words—are also available. Please see the next page for a preview of the story.

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