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Projector for Sale
Emily Noland is a trauma survivor who never remembers her dreams. While searching for a job, her lifelong interest in cinema is sparked by an ad about a projector for sale, and something happens that mysteriously changes everything.
Emily not only starts remembering her dreams, she finds herself transforming them into reality, and her life inexplicably begins to blossom. She travels around the world searching for answers, encountering people and experiencing life-changing events that she's dreamed about before, forming relationships that could last a lifetime.
But new, powerful dreams compel her to abandon the path she'd hoped to follow, and Emily must now face a final, frightening question. Can she determine her own destiny or will it be written by processes she simply cannot control?
Emily not only starts remembering her dreams, she finds herself transforming them into reality, and her life inexplicably begins to blossom. She travels around the world searching for answers, encountering people and experiencing life-changing events that she's dreamed about before, forming relationships that could last a lifetime.
But new, powerful dreams compel her to abandon the path she'd hoped to follow, and Emily must now face a final, frightening question. Can she determine her own destiny or will it be written by processes she simply cannot control?
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2021
5 people are currently reading
5836 people want to read
About the author
Steven Decker
25 books3,612 followersSteven Decker is the author of many novels, including the bestselling Time Chain series and Child of Another Kind. His love of writing was born on the day he threw a spitball at one of his 5th-grade classmates. Rather than punish him, his wise old teacher, Mrs. Brewer, called Steven to the front of the class and handed him a book of poetry. She quietly instructed him to memorize “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” by Robert Frost and informed him that he would be reciting the poem in front of the class the following day. Mrs. Brewer hit a home run.
Inspired by Frost’s ability to paint a picture and generate deep emotion with the written word, Steven fell in love with reading, writing, and storytelling. As an 8th grader, he read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, for fun. It wasn’t a homework assignment. As a student at the University of Virginia, he was thrilled at the prospect of writing a thesis as the culmination of his undergraduate studies. While traveling the world for work, Steven kept writing, and his experiences around the globe have influenced his novels in many ways.
When living in Appalachia while writing his first novel, Steven studied and practiced the art of storytelling. Since that time, he always edits his books by reading them aloud to himself. Novels are a story and need to sound like one. Fiction readers want to escape from their everyday lives when they read a novel. Thus the true job of a novelist is to imagine special things, sometimes even spectacular things, then write about them in a way that inspires the reader to go there, too, leaving the ordinary behind.
Steven lives and writes in both Arizona and Connecticut and travels throughout the world looking for new ideas and settings for his books. He enjoys spending time with Karen and Mr. Wilson, the beagle, walking in the countryside, and being with his family.
Inspired by Frost’s ability to paint a picture and generate deep emotion with the written word, Steven fell in love with reading, writing, and storytelling. As an 8th grader, he read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, for fun. It wasn’t a homework assignment. As a student at the University of Virginia, he was thrilled at the prospect of writing a thesis as the culmination of his undergraduate studies. While traveling the world for work, Steven kept writing, and his experiences around the globe have influenced his novels in many ways.
When living in Appalachia while writing his first novel, Steven studied and practiced the art of storytelling. Since that time, he always edits his books by reading them aloud to himself. Novels are a story and need to sound like one. Fiction readers want to escape from their everyday lives when they read a novel. Thus the true job of a novelist is to imagine special things, sometimes even spectacular things, then write about them in a way that inspires the reader to go there, too, leaving the ordinary behind.
Steven lives and writes in both Arizona and Connecticut and travels throughout the world looking for new ideas and settings for his books. He enjoys spending time with Karen and Mr. Wilson, the beagle, walking in the countryside, and being with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 22, 2025
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”– Lao Tzu
Sometimes, the wish to transform really can speak from the most unexpected things, places or people. But it can vanish very quickly if we don't act on it. Real transformation requires real honesty. Such is the story of Emily Noland.
The best of her life is spent while getting to cope with her trauma. Once she got better, she started to look for jobs. An ad for a projector for sale sparked her lifelong passion for filmmaking. And this was magic. She begins to transform dreams into reality, and her life begins to grow mysteriously. She travels the world in search of answers, meets people and witnesses life-changing events that she had only dreamed of, and builds bonds that could last a lifetime. All these are then followed by a twist.
The story will be very impactful and you will get to feel and understand so many emotions caused by another in one story itself.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
Sometimes, the wish to transform really can speak from the most unexpected things, places or people. But it can vanish very quickly if we don't act on it. Real transformation requires real honesty. Such is the story of Emily Noland.
The best of her life is spent while getting to cope with her trauma. Once she got better, she started to look for jobs. An ad for a projector for sale sparked her lifelong passion for filmmaking. And this was magic. She begins to transform dreams into reality, and her life begins to grow mysteriously. She travels the world in search of answers, meets people and witnesses life-changing events that she had only dreamed of, and builds bonds that could last a lifetime. All these are then followed by a twist.
The story will be very impactful and you will get to feel and understand so many emotions caused by another in one story itself.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
April 5, 2022
Decker built a fantastic character in Emily. The concept and story is excellent, covering the complex topic of trauma and how people cope with the reality and daily struggle of something dark lingering in their mind. Her time in Ireland and the people she met there made the story feel like a memoir of growth, rather than a novel. But the characters and their realistic builds are just part of the prize. The pages turn easy with this book. The pacing is good. The writing is good, but the imagery is amazing. I feel like Decker plucked photographs for his scenes.
Emily’s journey around the world reminds us that our adventures for self-(re?)discovery and healing sometimes require us to break out of our cycles and comfort zones. My favorite line in the book: “…dreams were dreams, and life was life, but dreams could never be a substitute for the real thing.” Remember to live. Great book, well worth the read.
Emily’s journey around the world reminds us that our adventures for self-(re?)discovery and healing sometimes require us to break out of our cycles and comfort zones. My favorite line in the book: “…dreams were dreams, and life was life, but dreams could never be a substitute for the real thing.” Remember to live. Great book, well worth the read.
April 9, 2022
Who knew such a little thing could change the course of your life? Emily has survived a lot, but it takes a projector to change her life dramatically. Now able to remember (and manifest her dreams), we get to watch Emily grow as she moves past her trauma and starts a new phase of her life. You’ll really feel like you’re watching the entire story unfold in front of you like a movie as you read this, and you’ll love Emily from the start. A vivid story that will take you on a wonderful journey that you’ll be sad to finish.
May 24, 2022
BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN
A lovely, vibrant story that follows in the footsteps of Emily as she recovers from her trauma and follows her dreams to escape her past reality via travel. The descriptions are vivid and the story is very engrossing. Looking forward to his next book!
A lovely, vibrant story that follows in the footsteps of Emily as she recovers from her trauma and follows her dreams to escape her past reality via travel. The descriptions are vivid and the story is very engrossing. Looking forward to his next book!
May 2, 2022
Projector for sale is a fictional novel about Emily Noland, a woman who suffered a trauma and while trying to cope with her new reality, she starts dreaming about new things, new adventures and new people, these dreams soon are her reality; she starts travelling and escaping her reality, she’s taking a huge risk, but this is the part where she heals, she finds herself again, a new self.
The author created an amazing scenery, the details into the description of the landscape, characters and the story are so smooth and so easy to get lost in.
The author created an amazing scenery, the details into the description of the landscape, characters and the story are so smooth and so easy to get lost in.
April 24, 2022
This was beautiful. I took my time reading this because I felt quite attached to Emily. She is inspiring. How she decided to take a spontaneous trip because of her dreams and the projector is incredible. I even took my own first solo trip and found myself comparing my experiences with hers.
I think this is a lovely read and easy to follow.
I think this is a lovely read and easy to follow.
April 18, 2022
I found Projector for Sale to be quite a captivating read from pretty early on in the story. As well as being an entertaining read there’s also a real feel-good factor, or at least that’s what I found, that made me feel even closer to what I was reading. Emily is a great character, very relatable too, and I felt an emotional connection to her all the way through. The narrative about following dreams was quite literal in the sense of the book, but one that becomes very metaphoric when looking at our own lives too. I recommend it.
April 7, 2022
This book is about a girl name Emily who buys a projector and its starts phone and adventure. I truly enjoyed this book and loved Emily and her two friends. The descriptions in this book paint a A picture in a way many authors attempt but not all can achieve it. I think Stephen Decker did an awesome job and if you love traveling in the book then you will love going to Ireland with Emily. I highly recommend this book and gave it five stars in the deserves every one of them.
April 24, 2022
Projector for Sale is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, and thoughtful story by author Steven Decker. The story follows Emily, who is working to cope with her trauma when her life takes an unexpected and mystical turn. Reality and dreams begin to blossom together as Emily takes a journey to find answers. Decker pulls his readers into his story with detailed language and heartfelt characters. Emily, in particular, was a very vivid character who is full of strength, creativity, curiosity, and kindness. I really appreciated how this book handled trauma and healing in such a thoughtful way, allowing Emily to fully explore her emotions. I really enjoy stories that explore dreams and the way they touch on reality, and I thought that Projector for Sale was able to do this in a unique and interesting way. The descriptions in this book are also beautifully done and made me want to travel to Ireland! This is an engaging and insightful read.
March 17, 2022
‘The word “limitation” was not part of Emily’s vocabulary’ – overcoming and winning
Connecticut author Steven Decker is a world explorer- for business, for sport (he has been a traveling triathlete), and for the pleasure of examining and appreciating other cultures. He has published two novels to date - DISTANT FINISH and PROJECTOR FOR SALE.
A sense of the author’s inimitable style of writing is obvious with his Prologue, set in February 2010 – simply a classified ad for a movie projector for sale in the Denver Post that had been running continuously since 1985! Opening the story in the Colorado snow, we meet Emily and friends, snowboarding – ‘As the chair approached the 12,060 foot summit of Mary Jane Mountain, Emily Noland glanced down at her right arm to make sure the thermal sock was secure. An old habit…Emily used her left hand to anchor her free boot into the snowboard binding...’ We learn a bit later that Emily is a volunteer at the National Sports Center for the Disabled, on noting other troubled snowboarders, she comments ‘Just ‘cause they’re disabled doesn’t mean they don’t like a challenge’ – and voila! Her personality is defined well.
Decker’s successful novel about the importance of dreams soars in a novel that is airborne from page one to the final paragraphs. A quick overview indicates the scope of the story: ‘ Emily Noland is a trauma survivor who never remembers her dreams. While searching for a job, her lifelong interest in cinema is sparked by an ad about a projector for sale, and something happens that mysteriously changes everything. Emily not only starts remembering her dreams, she finds herself transforming them into reality, and her life inexplicably begins to blossom. She travels around the world searching for answers, encountering people and experiencing life-changing events that she's dreamed about before, forming relationships that could last a lifetime. But new, powerful dreams compel her to abandon the path she'd hoped to follow, and Emily must now face a final, frightening question. Can she determine her own destiny or will it be written by processes she simply cannot control?’
“How should I live my life?’ That question is but one of the many inspirational facets of this well-written novel. Some other words – ‘If you hope for something, truly yearn for it deep inside yourself, you have to try everything you can to make it come true. That’s the key to life…’ Quotes from others spring to mind: ‘Yesterday is but today’s memory, tomorrow is today’s dream’ – Nelson Mandela, and ‘Nothing happens unless first we dream’ – Carl Sandburg. Steven Decker enters that arena with this fine story about pursuing dreams – a book for all ages, and a promising cinematic consideration…Highly recommended.
Connecticut author Steven Decker is a world explorer- for business, for sport (he has been a traveling triathlete), and for the pleasure of examining and appreciating other cultures. He has published two novels to date - DISTANT FINISH and PROJECTOR FOR SALE.
A sense of the author’s inimitable style of writing is obvious with his Prologue, set in February 2010 – simply a classified ad for a movie projector for sale in the Denver Post that had been running continuously since 1985! Opening the story in the Colorado snow, we meet Emily and friends, snowboarding – ‘As the chair approached the 12,060 foot summit of Mary Jane Mountain, Emily Noland glanced down at her right arm to make sure the thermal sock was secure. An old habit…Emily used her left hand to anchor her free boot into the snowboard binding...’ We learn a bit later that Emily is a volunteer at the National Sports Center for the Disabled, on noting other troubled snowboarders, she comments ‘Just ‘cause they’re disabled doesn’t mean they don’t like a challenge’ – and voila! Her personality is defined well.
Decker’s successful novel about the importance of dreams soars in a novel that is airborne from page one to the final paragraphs. A quick overview indicates the scope of the story: ‘ Emily Noland is a trauma survivor who never remembers her dreams. While searching for a job, her lifelong interest in cinema is sparked by an ad about a projector for sale, and something happens that mysteriously changes everything. Emily not only starts remembering her dreams, she finds herself transforming them into reality, and her life inexplicably begins to blossom. She travels around the world searching for answers, encountering people and experiencing life-changing events that she's dreamed about before, forming relationships that could last a lifetime. But new, powerful dreams compel her to abandon the path she'd hoped to follow, and Emily must now face a final, frightening question. Can she determine her own destiny or will it be written by processes she simply cannot control?’
“How should I live my life?’ That question is but one of the many inspirational facets of this well-written novel. Some other words – ‘If you hope for something, truly yearn for it deep inside yourself, you have to try everything you can to make it come true. That’s the key to life…’ Quotes from others spring to mind: ‘Yesterday is but today’s memory, tomorrow is today’s dream’ – Nelson Mandela, and ‘Nothing happens unless first we dream’ – Carl Sandburg. Steven Decker enters that arena with this fine story about pursuing dreams – a book for all ages, and a promising cinematic consideration…Highly recommended.
December 1, 2022
Promising storyline, but the intricate details served as fumble on execution for me.
June 24, 2023
The story is very entertaining and fascinating, I really liked the way the descriptions are told, it's vibrant and full of emotions. It is very good book
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews