DALLAS, Dec. 9, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brown Books Publishing Group presents their "2014 Holiday Reading Roundup" for family, friends, and colleagues. Celebrating twenty years of publishing excellence, publisher Milli Brown is pleased to welcome readers to the Brown Books family. What better gift than a book to inspire, teach, and offer great adventure.

For fans of the "Downton Abbey" television series and an era where the quality of homebuilding and attention to detail was the norm, new book "Building a Timeless House in an Instant Age" by award-winning builder Brent Hull, founder and president of Hull Historical, challenges readers to reevaluate the way we think about building homes today in the fast-paced world that is obsessed with what's next. The contrast between the way we build today and how structures used to be built has become increasingly more pronounced. Our values and what we believe about life have also changed. Now is the time to examine ourselves, our motives and our hearts.

Vietnam War veteran Bob Ford, a Huey helicopter Aircraft commander who flew over one thousand missions from July 1967 to July 1968, pays tribute to the valiant men he served with and to those who risked their lives for the troops on the ground in his praiseworthy memoir "Black Cat 2-1: The True Story of a Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and His Crew," a gripping page-turner that reads like a thriller, captures the humor of the men at war, and resounds with respect for those who served with honor.

Enthusiasts of nature, photography and the outdoors will be mesmerized with "For the Love of Wild Places: Finding Adventure and Beauty in Nature" by gifted photographer and writer Greg Dimijian. Glorious photographs and vividly descriptive text take readers on a magical journey of exploration through some of the most fascinating and amazingly diverse habitats of our planet.

Art historian and educator W.N. Varvel offers readers an eye-opening look inside da Vinci's Mona Lisa in "The Lady Speaks: Uncovering the Secrets of the Mona Lisa" as he adeptly decodes a tapestry of hidden messages that points toward the biblical argument for Theological Gender Equality. Written in easy-to-understand language, he reveals the meticulousness with which the artist wove a calculated fabric of clues, symbols and images to establish not only his belief but also Michelangelo's belief in Theological Gender Equality. Varvel further concludes that the book of Zechariah in the Bible led to the revelation of the secrets.

March Madness® Meets Money Management in "Bulls, Bears, & Basketball: Financial Planning for College Hoops Fans," by financial expert Chuck Thoele. Under the guise of collegiate basketball, he skillfully masters the art of teaching readers the key principles to building financial security for life. Whether zone- or man-to-man defense, his unique approach succeeds in instructing the reader in a decision-making process that can be easily understood, simple to apply and entertaining at the same time.

"The Reluctant First Lady" by Venita Ellick invites readers to take a contemporary look inside the life of a presidential candidate's wife who refuses to give up her position as director of a prestigious art museum to take on the traditional role of First Lady, should he win the election.

Be inspired by brain injury survivor Donna Valentino, as she reflects on her long journey back in "Headstrong: Surviving a Traumatic Brain Injury without Losing My Mind." Deeply insightful, she reveals how she found the strength to persevere, overcome and thrive. A spiritually uplifting read.

"Child of the South Dakota Frontier," based on the writing of Lenna Kolash, invites readers inside her personal journey as the daughter of homesteaders in 1915. Fans of the long-running, popular American television series “Little House on the Prairie,” or the pioneer lifestyle, will find this book hard to put down. Well-told stories coupled with visual details will find readers wanting more long after the last page has been read.

New cookbook author Shahla Niazi offers up nourishing recipes such as Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup in “Shahla's Kitchen, Cooking with Fire and Ice: Recipes for Balanced Energy and Healthy Living." Her bold, contemporary style coupled with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and healthy oils ensures heart-smart cuisine.

To learn more, please visit: www.brownbooks.com.

About Brown Books Publishing Group

Founded by Milli Brown in 1994, Brown Books Publishing Group is a full-service, independent publisher of high-quality books across all genres, from non-fiction to fiction. Committed to producing award-winning books for authors who choose to retain the rights to their intellectual property, Brown Books publishes more than one hundred titles a year and has won numerous, prestigious awards including the Writer's Digest Grand Prize, Mom’s Choice Award, Foreword Book of the Year, Gold Ink Award, Axiom Business Book Award and many more. Brown Books authors have appeared on programs such as Piers Morgan Live, Oprah, the Today Show, FOX News, and Face the Nation.

# # #

CONTACT:Cindy Birne
         Brown Books Publishing Group
         Cindy.birne@brownbooks.com
         972-381-0009