Title ‘The Girl with Braided Hair’
Author Margaret Coel
Publisher The Berkley Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York
10014-3658
www.penguin.com
Price $16.29 Amazon
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (September 4, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425217124
ISBN-13: 978-0425217122
Reviewed by Connie Gotsch
Liz has to get off the rez, or angry AIM members will drive her off--into a grave. Packing her baby into her old car, she scrapes money together for gas, and heads for Denver.
With that incident, Colorado mystery writer Margaret Coel begins her thriller, ‘The Girl with Braided Hair.’ A professional historian, Ms. Coel has spent much of her career researching the Arapaho and their lives on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, first for nonfiction books, and now for novels.
She has written 13 mysteries featuring Arapaho lawyer, Vicky Holden, and Catholic priest, Father John O’Malley as protagonists. Together they solve murders. Sometimes the police, Vicky’s children, people working at Father John’s mission, or Vicky’s love interest, Adam Lone Eagle, help out. Sometimes they hinder the process.
In ‘The Girl with Braided Hair,’ Vicky and Father John must identify the skeleton of a person killed in 1973 and left to rot in a shallow grave along a highway. The plot has all the elements of a typical mystery: false leads, uncooperative witnesses, threats to Vicky and Father John, cliffhanger car chases, and an explosive climax that reveals both the killer and the victim’s identity.
This model might lead to repetitious themes and predictable twists, especially after 13 novels. Margaret Coel avoids that trap. The components required for a good whodunit serve her as a framework around which to weave thoroughly researched Arapaho history, adding education to the fun of a good thriller.
For ‘The Girl with Braided Hair,” Coel examines the American Indian Movement (AIM), its origins, the struggles that drew people into it, and the related attitudes about it that linger today on the Wind River Reservation.
Her characters come off as solidly three-dimensional against this background. Vicky Holden is a kind, sincere person who wants to use her education as a lawyer to do right for her people by supporting ordinary individuals. She eagerly accepts a request from her neighbors to find the identity of the skeleton.
Her lover, Adam Lone Eagle, carries on the struggle by looking at the actions of large entities, in this case corporations discriminating against Native Americans in hiring practices. He does not approve of Vicky’s choice to leave an important case and chase down the name of a long-dead person about whom no one has cared before.
Father John struggles with alcoholism, an impending transfer, and a spirit that would much rather deal with people than the invoices, checkbooks, memos, and papers required to run a mission on a reservation. Perhaps he also harbors a love for Vicky that he cannot fulfill
In the end, the murder victim while undeserving of death, has by choice trusted vicious people. Thirty years after the heyday of AIM, the individuals who both loved and hated this person suffer repercussions from their emotions, and related decisions.
However, strong characterization and presentation of Arapaho history alone do not raise ‘The Girl with Braided Hair,’ above the typical good ole murder thriller. Margaret Coel adds one more element to make that happen. She uses the story to introduce several good and universal questions that everyone must face in some way.
What is the right way to lead a struggle for equality? What’s important to fight for in that process? What do people do at any given time that leads to good or bad outcomes? What decisions haunt them 30 years later? How important is individual identity and why? How long should a person hold on to something he loves? When is it time to move on?
Margaret Coel’s approach makes readers think about their own life decisions, and the effect those decisions have on themselves and others. An author who does that is always fresh, even if she writes a thousand stories about a particular set of characters.
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Reviewer Connie Gotsch is the author "A Mouth Full of Shell" and "Snap Me a Future" published by DLSIJ Press.
She is featured in "The Complete Writer's Journal" published by Red Engine Press --www.redenginepress.com
She is also a radio host for KSJE.
-----------------------------
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Conor and the Crossroads: At It Again!
Title - Conor and the Crossworlds: Book Two: Peril in the Corridors
Author - Kevin Gerard
ISBN - 9781583852385
Genre - Young Adult Fantasy
From Journal - Front Street Reviews
Publisher - Cold Tree Press
Reviewer's Rating - Top Shelf!
Reviewed by Mary Aycock for Front Street ReviewsConor and T
This second quest into the Crossworlds brings us into our main character’s life two years after the first story. The Lady of the Light appears in Conor Jameson’s bedroom and asks him to accompany her back into the Crossworlds to assist with a problem that was actually created when our young hero and his mentor, Purugama, had their first adventures together. Completely by accident, Purugama and Conor unknowingly created a situation whereby the Crossworlds corridors have been weakened and are now in danger of being destroyed by the Circle of Evil. Many horrible and treacherous evildoers had escaped their bonds when the corridors were weakened and could no longer hold them captive. Now they are on a vengeful drive to destroy all forces of good and all means of traveling through the Crossworlds corridors.
Conor decides to accompany the Lady of the Light to the Glade of Champions, where he meets Maya and the other Crossworlds Champions, Eha, Ajur, Surmitang and Therion. All of the Crossworlds Champions are amazing and endearing but GIGANTIC members of the cat family, just as Purugama was. Anyone who is a cat lover, including myself, would give their left arm to be in Conor’s position, meeting and being mentored by a giant Panther and Cheetah and Tiger and Lion, not to mention Maya, who has the outward appearance of a gigantic domestic cat, but is the Lord of the Crossworlds Champions. All are vested with special powers, which Conor gets to feel and enjoy and practice, as he accompanies Maya on several perilous quests to repair the Crossworlds corridors. Maya is the only one of the huge cats who can travel with Conor through the Crossworlds, but the other cats are able to lend Conor their powers and magical abilities to help him fight the many terrifying foes that are trying to prevent the corridor repairs. In order to give Maya the time he needs to work the repairs on the corridors, Conor must battle and defeat a human-dragon mutant, a formless entity and a shape-shifting master of darkness. Oh, the deliciously scary things we come face to face with on this journey!
The action-packed fast pace will have you turning page after page as fast as possible to see what comes next, because this author holds nothing back in his quest to show you every corner of the Crossworlds and all the dangers that lurk within. As Conor battles each wicked foe, your heart beats faster as you try to think past what is happening to all of the possible outcomes, only to be surprised by the turn of events.
The battle scenes are huge in dimension and impact as Conor fights for his life, using his wits and the powers of the mighty Crossworlds Champions. What incredible powers he wields as he fights the best (or is that the worst?) that the Circle of Evil can throw at him. Entire worlds are involved; the span of our imagination grows with each battle. As I was reading, I kept envisioning these scenes on a big screen, wondering how the movie world would create the amazing things that come straight from this author’s incredible imagination. This mind-blowing series of battles against the Circle of Evil’s finest team of destroyers would be quite a feat to translate to the big screen, but my goodness, what an awesome thing that would be to see and to hear! Hollywood, are you paying attention here????
I was impressed with the first book of "Conor and the Crossworlds” and was wondering if the second book would be as good as the first or, as sometimes happens, not live up to the promise. Well, let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed after reading the second book in a series that is turning out to be a highly entertaining and enjoyable read. There is so much MORE in this second book for everyone to enjoy, fast paced action, close calls around every bend, tender moments between Conor and the amazing giant cats who are the Crossworld Champions, surprises, treachery, deception, battles to end all battles and foes that will curl your hair!
There is a wonderful sense of right fighting against wrong in Conor’s perilous journey and you see him grow stronger and wiser with every confrontation. I truly think that we, as readers, grow with him and learn with him and come away with the sense that we want to change our world for the better, now that we know what can go horribly wrong if we continue as we are. Three cheers to the author, Kevin Gerard, for giving us reality’s lessons disguised as enchanting fiction.
I was carried along on this journey with Conor and Maya and the other Crossworld Champions and they will always be a part of my heart. This book will have to be reread, slowly this time, just so I can savor the relationships and the experiences once more. The author has left me with a deep hunger for the NEXT book in this series and, for all the world, I have NO idea where his imagination is going to take me next time, but I am ready for the ride! Bring it on, Kevin, but please bring it on SOON!
The author, Kevin Gerard, lives in San Diego, CA, with his wife and four children. When he is not busy being a successful professor of sociology and statistics for California State University, San Marcos, you will find him doing fun things with his extended family in and around the San Diego area. The Crossworlds series provided the main impetus for his decision to pursue a professional writing career and may prove to him that he can now concentrate on writing full time, to the exclusion of all other endeavors.
----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author - Kevin Gerard
ISBN - 9781583852385
Genre - Young Adult Fantasy
From Journal - Front Street Reviews
Publisher - Cold Tree Press
Reviewer's Rating - Top Shelf!
Reviewed by Mary Aycock for Front Street ReviewsConor and T
This second quest into the Crossworlds brings us into our main character’s life two years after the first story. The Lady of the Light appears in Conor Jameson’s bedroom and asks him to accompany her back into the Crossworlds to assist with a problem that was actually created when our young hero and his mentor, Purugama, had their first adventures together. Completely by accident, Purugama and Conor unknowingly created a situation whereby the Crossworlds corridors have been weakened and are now in danger of being destroyed by the Circle of Evil. Many horrible and treacherous evildoers had escaped their bonds when the corridors were weakened and could no longer hold them captive. Now they are on a vengeful drive to destroy all forces of good and all means of traveling through the Crossworlds corridors.
Conor decides to accompany the Lady of the Light to the Glade of Champions, where he meets Maya and the other Crossworlds Champions, Eha, Ajur, Surmitang and Therion. All of the Crossworlds Champions are amazing and endearing but GIGANTIC members of the cat family, just as Purugama was. Anyone who is a cat lover, including myself, would give their left arm to be in Conor’s position, meeting and being mentored by a giant Panther and Cheetah and Tiger and Lion, not to mention Maya, who has the outward appearance of a gigantic domestic cat, but is the Lord of the Crossworlds Champions. All are vested with special powers, which Conor gets to feel and enjoy and practice, as he accompanies Maya on several perilous quests to repair the Crossworlds corridors. Maya is the only one of the huge cats who can travel with Conor through the Crossworlds, but the other cats are able to lend Conor their powers and magical abilities to help him fight the many terrifying foes that are trying to prevent the corridor repairs. In order to give Maya the time he needs to work the repairs on the corridors, Conor must battle and defeat a human-dragon mutant, a formless entity and a shape-shifting master of darkness. Oh, the deliciously scary things we come face to face with on this journey!
The action-packed fast pace will have you turning page after page as fast as possible to see what comes next, because this author holds nothing back in his quest to show you every corner of the Crossworlds and all the dangers that lurk within. As Conor battles each wicked foe, your heart beats faster as you try to think past what is happening to all of the possible outcomes, only to be surprised by the turn of events.
The battle scenes are huge in dimension and impact as Conor fights for his life, using his wits and the powers of the mighty Crossworlds Champions. What incredible powers he wields as he fights the best (or is that the worst?) that the Circle of Evil can throw at him. Entire worlds are involved; the span of our imagination grows with each battle. As I was reading, I kept envisioning these scenes on a big screen, wondering how the movie world would create the amazing things that come straight from this author’s incredible imagination. This mind-blowing series of battles against the Circle of Evil’s finest team of destroyers would be quite a feat to translate to the big screen, but my goodness, what an awesome thing that would be to see and to hear! Hollywood, are you paying attention here????
I was impressed with the first book of "Conor and the Crossworlds” and was wondering if the second book would be as good as the first or, as sometimes happens, not live up to the promise. Well, let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed after reading the second book in a series that is turning out to be a highly entertaining and enjoyable read. There is so much MORE in this second book for everyone to enjoy, fast paced action, close calls around every bend, tender moments between Conor and the amazing giant cats who are the Crossworld Champions, surprises, treachery, deception, battles to end all battles and foes that will curl your hair!
There is a wonderful sense of right fighting against wrong in Conor’s perilous journey and you see him grow stronger and wiser with every confrontation. I truly think that we, as readers, grow with him and learn with him and come away with the sense that we want to change our world for the better, now that we know what can go horribly wrong if we continue as we are. Three cheers to the author, Kevin Gerard, for giving us reality’s lessons disguised as enchanting fiction.
I was carried along on this journey with Conor and Maya and the other Crossworld Champions and they will always be a part of my heart. This book will have to be reread, slowly this time, just so I can savor the relationships and the experiences once more. The author has left me with a deep hunger for the NEXT book in this series and, for all the world, I have NO idea where his imagination is going to take me next time, but I am ready for the ride! Bring it on, Kevin, but please bring it on SOON!
The author, Kevin Gerard, lives in San Diego, CA, with his wife and four children. When he is not busy being a successful professor of sociology and statistics for California State University, San Marcos, you will find him doing fun things with his extended family in and around the San Diego area. The Crossworlds series provided the main impetus for his decision to pursue a professional writing career and may prove to him that he can now concentrate on writing full time, to the exclusion of all other endeavors.
----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Harry Potter and Tolerance! Big Subject to Consider!
Short Title: Prejudice in Harry Potter
Full Book Title: Prejudice in Harry Potter's World: A Social Critique of the Series, Using Allport's "The Nature of Prejudice"
Genre: Commentary on popular culture and literature; Literary Criticism
ISBN-10: 1602641536
ISBN-13: 978-1602641532
Author's Website: http://www.thelppc.com/featuredbook-prejudiceinharrypotter.html
Summary:
Prejudice in Harry Potter's World is a very readable academic study and a social commentary which the author discusses the discrimination issues raised in Rowling's series. All types of societal prejudices are metaphorized through Rowling's subplots: For example, the conditions in which werewolves live is a social parallel for disability prejudice in the modern world. And, of course, the Mudblood subplot teems with racial and anti-Semitic overtones. There are many other examples, all of which are highlighted and explained in Brown's work. These Harry Potter-related issues have so far been ignored or glossed over by the mostly-mainstream Harry Potter audience, commentators and literary critics. Of all the companions, study-guides, commentaries, etc., that have been written about the Harry Potter books, none have dealt with its social themes in depth until now. Brown's study is therefore the first of its kind, and a very worthy piece of scholarship.
Comments made by Erin Jade on Book-Related Discussion Topic (This is NOT an Amazon review):
"I actually just finished writing an essay on this very subject for a British Lit class. I always thought Rowling's themes about prejudice, racism, and discrimination were very clear, but discussing the books with others they always said they "hadn't thought about it," which I found disturbing. In searching for sources for my paper, I only found a few sites/books that mentioned it at all (and I must admit, I checked our library for your book, but with no luck). I think that it's partly because people are afraid, but also because the topic makes most people very uncomfortable.
One thing I pointed out in my essay is that Rowling has characters that are both good and bad display prejudice and discrimination, because we are ALL prejudiced in one form or another, and I believe that having to think closely about their own prejudices makes people horribly uncomfortable."
(Source: http://www.amazon.com/tag/harry%20potter/forum?%5Fencoding=UTF8&cdForum=FxZZNCHJFAFY3A&cdThread=Tx10XJ3SA8YY7CI )
----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Full Book Title: Prejudice in Harry Potter's World: A Social Critique of the Series, Using Allport's "The Nature of Prejudice"
Genre: Commentary on popular culture and literature; Literary Criticism
ISBN-10: 1602641536
ISBN-13: 978-1602641532
Author's Website: http://www.thelppc.com/featuredbook-prejudiceinharrypotter.html
Summary:
Prejudice in Harry Potter's World is a very readable academic study and a social commentary which the author discusses the discrimination issues raised in Rowling's series. All types of societal prejudices are metaphorized through Rowling's subplots: For example, the conditions in which werewolves live is a social parallel for disability prejudice in the modern world. And, of course, the Mudblood subplot teems with racial and anti-Semitic overtones. There are many other examples, all of which are highlighted and explained in Brown's work. These Harry Potter-related issues have so far been ignored or glossed over by the mostly-mainstream Harry Potter audience, commentators and literary critics. Of all the companions, study-guides, commentaries, etc., that have been written about the Harry Potter books, none have dealt with its social themes in depth until now. Brown's study is therefore the first of its kind, and a very worthy piece of scholarship.
Comments made by Erin Jade on Book-Related Discussion Topic (This is NOT an Amazon review):
"I actually just finished writing an essay on this very subject for a British Lit class. I always thought Rowling's themes about prejudice, racism, and discrimination were very clear, but discussing the books with others they always said they "hadn't thought about it," which I found disturbing. In searching for sources for my paper, I only found a few sites/books that mentioned it at all (and I must admit, I checked our library for your book, but with no luck). I think that it's partly because people are afraid, but also because the topic makes most people very uncomfortable.
One thing I pointed out in my essay is that Rowling has characters that are both good and bad display prejudice and discrimination, because we are ALL prejudiced in one form or another, and I believe that having to think closely about their own prejudices makes people horribly uncomfortable."
(Source: http://www.amazon.com/tag/harry%20potter/forum?%5Fencoding=UTF8&cdForum=FxZZNCHJFAFY3A&cdThread=Tx10XJ3SA8YY7CI )
----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Mayra Calvani Brings Us Crash and Marcelo!
Crash!
By Mayra Calvani
Published by Guardian Angel Publishing
Children's Picture Book, 24 pages, $10.95
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/crash.htm
Reviewed by Lea Schizas, for the Muse Book Reviews, http://themusebookreviews.tripod.com/
Anyone who is a parent with a child that has begged, hollered, and begged some more for a pet will enjoy Crash and Marcelo, the little boy who gets his wish. The glee and joy in his cute little face is described vividly by author Mayra Calvani.
Reading “Crash”, a child and a parent discover the responsibilities that come with owning a pet. Marcelo also discovers that naming his new family member is not as easy as he thought. Many ideas come to his head, none really fitting in with the cute Golden Retriever.
The name he finally picks surprises his parents. But as you read, you realize this is the PERFECT name.
Maybe it’s me but as I read Crash and several other children’s books I’ve purchased this week from some of my guest bloggers, the writing is so simple one would say, “Why didn’t I think of this?” Yet, writing for children isn’t as simple as one would think so I have to tip my hat to Mayra for yet another great read. The first book I read written by Mayra Calvani was The Magic Violin and, as in Crash!, I loved the descriptive details bringing the story alive. Her young character’s love and interaction with his new puppy came through, loud and clear.
This is a great book to buy for your child, you know, the one who is begging and hollering and begging some more for a pet. It will teach and prepare them for the responsibilities surely to come when a pet finally comes gift-wrapped.
Note:
THE AUTHOR IS DONATING 50% OF HER ROYALTIES TO
ALMOST HEAVEN GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE AND SANCTUARY,
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
ALMOST HEAVEN-GOLDEN-RETRIEVER-RESCUE.ORG
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
By Mayra Calvani
Published by Guardian Angel Publishing
Children's Picture Book, 24 pages, $10.95
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/crash.htm
Reviewed by Lea Schizas, for the Muse Book Reviews, http://themusebookreviews.tripod.com/
Anyone who is a parent with a child that has begged, hollered, and begged some more for a pet will enjoy Crash and Marcelo, the little boy who gets his wish. The glee and joy in his cute little face is described vividly by author Mayra Calvani.
Reading “Crash”, a child and a parent discover the responsibilities that come with owning a pet. Marcelo also discovers that naming his new family member is not as easy as he thought. Many ideas come to his head, none really fitting in with the cute Golden Retriever.
The name he finally picks surprises his parents. But as you read, you realize this is the PERFECT name.
Maybe it’s me but as I read Crash and several other children’s books I’ve purchased this week from some of my guest bloggers, the writing is so simple one would say, “Why didn’t I think of this?” Yet, writing for children isn’t as simple as one would think so I have to tip my hat to Mayra for yet another great read. The first book I read written by Mayra Calvani was The Magic Violin and, as in Crash!, I loved the descriptive details bringing the story alive. Her young character’s love and interaction with his new puppy came through, loud and clear.
This is a great book to buy for your child, you know, the one who is begging and hollering and begging some more for a pet. It will teach and prepare them for the responsibilities surely to come when a pet finally comes gift-wrapped.
Note:
THE AUTHOR IS DONATING 50% OF HER ROYALTIES TO
ALMOST HEAVEN GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE AND SANCTUARY,
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
ALMOST HEAVEN-GOLDEN-RETRIEVER-RESCUE.ORG
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Sunday, 6 April 2008
The Ethnic Presidency: Talk About Timing
The Ethnic Presidency
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Reviewed by Nikki Leigh
I've never really kept track of the political process. I have my own opinions, but I never really understood the process of primaries, caucuses and so on. So, I had never noticed how various ethnic groups vote in specific ways. After reading The Latino Challenge and The Ethnic Presidency I have learned so much about the electoral process and the deeper ways that the issues affect various ethnic groups.
The Ethnic Presidency delves into the democratic and republican parties, the various candidates and the parts they are playing or have played in the primary process. It gives a large number of examples from past elections which show techniques that have brought in votes from all ethnic groups.
In the introduction to the book, Earl Hutchinson explains why this topic involves more than the fact that there is a woman and a black man running for president this year. That makes the 2008 election more unusual, but throughout the years the same elements and principals have come into play in many elections and that even applies to the elections when two white men were running for president.
For anyone of any ethnic background, any age or any gender who wants to learn more about how race, gender and ethnic background play a big part in the election process - this is a must read. This year, more than any other, race, gender and ethnicity will have a major impact on the presidential election.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Reviewed by Nikki Leigh
I've never really kept track of the political process. I have my own opinions, but I never really understood the process of primaries, caucuses and so on. So, I had never noticed how various ethnic groups vote in specific ways. After reading The Latino Challenge and The Ethnic Presidency I have learned so much about the electoral process and the deeper ways that the issues affect various ethnic groups.
The Ethnic Presidency delves into the democratic and republican parties, the various candidates and the parts they are playing or have played in the primary process. It gives a large number of examples from past elections which show techniques that have brought in votes from all ethnic groups.
In the introduction to the book, Earl Hutchinson explains why this topic involves more than the fact that there is a woman and a black man running for president this year. That makes the 2008 election more unusual, but throughout the years the same elements and principals have come into play in many elections and that even applies to the elections when two white men were running for president.
For anyone of any ethnic background, any age or any gender who wants to learn more about how race, gender and ethnic background play a big part in the election process - this is a must read. This year, more than any other, race, gender and ethnicity will have a major impact on the presidential election.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Monday, 31 March 2008
All The Romance of New Orleans in a Historical Novel
Title: A World Of His Own-In The Land Of The Creoles
Author: Arlette Gaffrey
Published by: Outskirts Press
Website: www.OutskirtsPress.com/ArletteGaffrey
Genre: Historical Novel
ISBN # 0-9788891-0-X
Reviewed by Amos Lassen for Amazon
I am originally from New Orleans and I never get tired of reading about my hometown.
From the moment I picked up this book I couldn't put it down. I find Arlette Gaffrey to be a very talented writer who knows New Orleans so well she really brings the city to life. The story line holds your interest from the first page to the last. This is a story of love, marriage and betrayal set against the background of the magical city of New Orleans.
As a child, Andre de Javon is torn from his family during the French revolution, and when he grows up he arrives in New Orleans to begin building a new life for himself. Through hard work and sheer determination he becomes wealthy and the owner of one of the most successful plantations in the territory.
Andre's mentor Jean-Claude Charlevoix has a young daughter Julie Marie who is in love with Andre even though she is still a child of eleven. She hopes Andre will wait for her to grow up so they can marry, but instead Andre marries the beautiful, spoilt, selfish Gabrielle Ste. Claire. Marriage to Gabrielle is a nightmare. Gabrielle sets their beautiful house on fire in a drunken rage, and she is caught in the fire and dies, leaving Andre with her illegitimate son.
Andre sees everything he's built go up in flames and is filled with grief and rage. But now he is at last free to marry the one he realizes he truly loves, Julie. However he is eleven years her senior and has a bastard son to boot. Will Julie still want to marry him?
This author Arlette Gaffrey has captured the color, charm and heart of New Orleans. She has also brought in several historical characters who played a part in that time in history. The infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson, Henry Shreve and others. Her historical facts are accurate, and the details of plantation life is true. Arlette also shines in her descriptions of the fashions of the day along with hair styles, fabrics and jewelry. She also very easily explains the French and Spanish Creole culture and this love story exudes romance.
The elements of a good story are here, the romance and historical background of 19th century New Orleans are all here.
Many years ago the author of this review actually lived in the building shown on the cover of the book, the courtyard is famous and the address is 734 Royal Street.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author: Arlette Gaffrey
Published by: Outskirts Press
Website: www.OutskirtsPress.com/ArletteGaffrey
Genre: Historical Novel
ISBN # 0-9788891-0-X
Reviewed by Amos Lassen for Amazon
I am originally from New Orleans and I never get tired of reading about my hometown.
From the moment I picked up this book I couldn't put it down. I find Arlette Gaffrey to be a very talented writer who knows New Orleans so well she really brings the city to life. The story line holds your interest from the first page to the last. This is a story of love, marriage and betrayal set against the background of the magical city of New Orleans.
As a child, Andre de Javon is torn from his family during the French revolution, and when he grows up he arrives in New Orleans to begin building a new life for himself. Through hard work and sheer determination he becomes wealthy and the owner of one of the most successful plantations in the territory.
Andre's mentor Jean-Claude Charlevoix has a young daughter Julie Marie who is in love with Andre even though she is still a child of eleven. She hopes Andre will wait for her to grow up so they can marry, but instead Andre marries the beautiful, spoilt, selfish Gabrielle Ste. Claire. Marriage to Gabrielle is a nightmare. Gabrielle sets their beautiful house on fire in a drunken rage, and she is caught in the fire and dies, leaving Andre with her illegitimate son.
Andre sees everything he's built go up in flames and is filled with grief and rage. But now he is at last free to marry the one he realizes he truly loves, Julie. However he is eleven years her senior and has a bastard son to boot. Will Julie still want to marry him?
This author Arlette Gaffrey has captured the color, charm and heart of New Orleans. She has also brought in several historical characters who played a part in that time in history. The infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson, Henry Shreve and others. Her historical facts are accurate, and the details of plantation life is true. Arlette also shines in her descriptions of the fashions of the day along with hair styles, fabrics and jewelry. She also very easily explains the French and Spanish Creole culture and this love story exudes romance.
The elements of a good story are here, the romance and historical background of 19th century New Orleans are all here.
Many years ago the author of this review actually lived in the building shown on the cover of the book, the courtyard is famous and the address is 734 Royal Street.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Journey Through the Quintessential Immigrant's Tale
Title: Kisses from a Distance
Author: Raff Ellis
Genre: Memoir
Reviewed by Hani Bathis for the Beirut Daily Star
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, Beirut, Lebanon
Raff Ellis' 'Kisses from a Distance' delves into the lure of migration, a subject that resonates deeply for nearly every Lebanese family today
BEIRUT: Lebanese-American author Raff Ellis' "Kisses from a Distance" unfolds like a quintessential immigrant's tale. It follows a Lebanese story that is as relevant and familiar to today's Levantine audience as it would have been 100 years ago. Over the book's 311 pages, which are peppered with relevant and exhaustively researched history, Ellis tugs readers along on a journey down the snow-capped mountains of Lebanon, over land, across seas and oceans and into many strange and distant ports. The story anchors in New York and allows readers to experience the anxious excitement of the wide-eyed immigrant as he steps off the boat and sets foot in a new country for the first time.
In "Kisses from a Distance," Ellis chronicles a very intimate family history - his parents' marriage and migration to the United States and their struggle to raise a family and make ends meet in the small town of Carthage, New York, during the Great Depression. Ellis also gives readers a glimpse of Lebanon ravaged by war, famine and disease. But he also reveals the ways in which the country encompasses boundless hope and countless tales of courage, triumph and success.
That success, in particular, reflects the dogged determination of Lebanese immigrants to persevere against all odds, an attribute which continues to serve their adopted homelands well. The author's story is just one of innumerable ordinary, untold epics, a highly personal account of a sad history, presenting a proud and fiercely independent people who are all too often caught up in the region's tectonic political shifts.
The genesis of Ellis' family epic came after the death of his mother, when he discovered more than 200 letters among her personal affects. The letters from friends and family span 60 years, starting in 1925. They begin with traditional Lebanese greetings, and many kisses: "Kisses from a distance ... We kiss your cheeks ... I kiss you many times from this distance," thus inspiring the title of the book.
The real-life dramas unfolding between the pages of these letters, especially in the last half of Ellis' book, make for a very compelling read, turning "Kisses from a Distance" into a veritable page-turner.
The author's visits to Lebanon, his meticulous research and his tenacious quest to trace his family's roots - and those of all the characters involved in this complex story - further enrich the narrative. The well laid-out book, which is Ellis' first full-length effort, is divided into 41 chapters ranging from four to 12 pages.
Angele [the author’s mother], a prolific letter writer and a proficient linguist, corresponded regularly with her family in Lebanon, mostly with her brothers Youssef and Khalil, her sister Miriam and her mother Adela. Through their letters back to Angele, readers of Ellis' account learn of her death her new life in America, her pining for Lebanon and her unhappiness in marriage. The letters also peel back layers of her personality and in particular her religious fervor, which was a great source of comfort for her in the many family arguments that erupted over money and property.
As expressed in "Kisses from a Distance," the subject of migration resonates deeply for nearly every Lebanese family today, more so than at any time since WWI. Once again, many of Lebanon's youth are seeking work in foreign lands to escape the instability and uncertainty in their home country. And one suspects that when and if they return, they too, like Toufic [the author’s father], will be both disappointed and dismissive.
Through her correspondence with her family, Angele learns of their struggles and frustrations, too. She learns of her sister Miriam's untimely death from a burst appendix, her younger brother Khalil's passing and her mother's worsening health until her ultimate demise. Angele watches from a distance as one after another of her loved ones perish.
The real-life dramas unfolding between the pages of these letters, especially in the last half of Ellis' book, make for a very compelling read, turning "Kisses from a Distance" into a veritable page-turner.
The author's visits to Lebanon, his meticulous research and his tenacious quest to trace his family's roots - and those of all the characters involved in this complex story - further enrich the narrative. The well laid-out book, which is Ellis' first full-length effort, is divided into 41 chapters ranging from four to 12 pages.
As expressed in "Kisses from a Distance," the subject of migration resonates deeply for nearly every Lebanese family today, more so than at any time since WWI. Once again, many of Lebanon's youth are seeking work in foreign lands to escape the instability and uncertainty in their home country. And one suspects that when and if they return, they too, like Toufic [the author’s father], will be both disappointed and dismissive.
Raff Ellis' "Kisses from a Distance" is published by Cune Press, distributed in Lebanon by Levant, and available in the States in special edition hardcopy at www.raffellis.com, and in paperback at Amazon.com.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author: Raff Ellis
Genre: Memoir
Reviewed by Hani Bathis for the Beirut Daily Star
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, Beirut, Lebanon
Raff Ellis' 'Kisses from a Distance' delves into the lure of migration, a subject that resonates deeply for nearly every Lebanese family today
BEIRUT: Lebanese-American author Raff Ellis' "Kisses from a Distance" unfolds like a quintessential immigrant's tale. It follows a Lebanese story that is as relevant and familiar to today's Levantine audience as it would have been 100 years ago. Over the book's 311 pages, which are peppered with relevant and exhaustively researched history, Ellis tugs readers along on a journey down the snow-capped mountains of Lebanon, over land, across seas and oceans and into many strange and distant ports. The story anchors in New York and allows readers to experience the anxious excitement of the wide-eyed immigrant as he steps off the boat and sets foot in a new country for the first time.
In "Kisses from a Distance," Ellis chronicles a very intimate family history - his parents' marriage and migration to the United States and their struggle to raise a family and make ends meet in the small town of Carthage, New York, during the Great Depression. Ellis also gives readers a glimpse of Lebanon ravaged by war, famine and disease. But he also reveals the ways in which the country encompasses boundless hope and countless tales of courage, triumph and success.
That success, in particular, reflects the dogged determination of Lebanese immigrants to persevere against all odds, an attribute which continues to serve their adopted homelands well. The author's story is just one of innumerable ordinary, untold epics, a highly personal account of a sad history, presenting a proud and fiercely independent people who are all too often caught up in the region's tectonic political shifts.
The genesis of Ellis' family epic came after the death of his mother, when he discovered more than 200 letters among her personal affects. The letters from friends and family span 60 years, starting in 1925. They begin with traditional Lebanese greetings, and many kisses: "Kisses from a distance ... We kiss your cheeks ... I kiss you many times from this distance," thus inspiring the title of the book.
The real-life dramas unfolding between the pages of these letters, especially in the last half of Ellis' book, make for a very compelling read, turning "Kisses from a Distance" into a veritable page-turner.
The author's visits to Lebanon, his meticulous research and his tenacious quest to trace his family's roots - and those of all the characters involved in this complex story - further enrich the narrative. The well laid-out book, which is Ellis' first full-length effort, is divided into 41 chapters ranging from four to 12 pages.
Angele [the author’s mother], a prolific letter writer and a proficient linguist, corresponded regularly with her family in Lebanon, mostly with her brothers Youssef and Khalil, her sister Miriam and her mother Adela. Through their letters back to Angele, readers of Ellis' account learn of her death her new life in America, her pining for Lebanon and her unhappiness in marriage. The letters also peel back layers of her personality and in particular her religious fervor, which was a great source of comfort for her in the many family arguments that erupted over money and property.
As expressed in "Kisses from a Distance," the subject of migration resonates deeply for nearly every Lebanese family today, more so than at any time since WWI. Once again, many of Lebanon's youth are seeking work in foreign lands to escape the instability and uncertainty in their home country. And one suspects that when and if they return, they too, like Toufic [the author’s father], will be both disappointed and dismissive.
Through her correspondence with her family, Angele learns of their struggles and frustrations, too. She learns of her sister Miriam's untimely death from a burst appendix, her younger brother Khalil's passing and her mother's worsening health until her ultimate demise. Angele watches from a distance as one after another of her loved ones perish.
The real-life dramas unfolding between the pages of these letters, especially in the last half of Ellis' book, make for a very compelling read, turning "Kisses from a Distance" into a veritable page-turner.
The author's visits to Lebanon, his meticulous research and his tenacious quest to trace his family's roots - and those of all the characters involved in this complex story - further enrich the narrative. The well laid-out book, which is Ellis' first full-length effort, is divided into 41 chapters ranging from four to 12 pages.
As expressed in "Kisses from a Distance," the subject of migration resonates deeply for nearly every Lebanese family today, more so than at any time since WWI. Once again, many of Lebanon's youth are seeking work in foreign lands to escape the instability and uncertainty in their home country. And one suspects that when and if they return, they too, like Toufic [the author’s father], will be both disappointed and dismissive.
Raff Ellis' "Kisses from a Distance" is published by Cune Press, distributed in Lebanon by Levant, and available in the States in special edition hardcopy at www.raffellis.com, and in paperback at Amazon.com.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
The Wonders for Journaling Made Real in Memoir
TITLE: Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal
AUTHOR:Diana M. Raab
AUTHOR'S WEB SITE: www.dianaraab.com
GENRE: Memoir
ISBN: 978-0-8253-0575-7
REVIEWER: RJ
REVIEWER'S WEB SITE: http://3rsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: January 31,2008
Reviewed by RJ for 3Rs Book Reviews
Wow! What an incredible story. It's rare for this reviewer to "rave" or to liter my opinions with complimentary adjectives and yet, I have been exposed to a book that absolutely demands both...Regina's Closet: finding my grandmother's secret journal is a hauntingly beautiful story of two women, Diana Raab and her beloved Grandmother, Regina Klein. You will smile and cry. You will be shocked and astounded, the narrative is filled with such raw emotion that it reaches out from the pages and touches the reader in a very tangible way.
Author, Diana Raab shares her grandmother's journal, which follows her difficult and frightening experiences in war torn Poland, events of World War I, witnessing the Russian invasion, atrocities committed by soldiers, the death of her mother in the cholera epidemic, the cramped trains evacuees spent weeks riding only to arrive in cities where the natives did not want them and had no reservations about expressing such in the most hurtful of ways. Even as a child, Regina was not sparred this degrading hostility. Over and over again she is forced to make adult decisions and each time her incredible strength and unusual ability to understand the ways of the world shines through the darkness that surrounded her. The family eventually immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York, where things remained tense between her grandparents, but Diana wouldn't realize until years later, while reading the journal the extent of her grandmother's marital unhappiness.
Meticulously and masterfully, Diana has woven her feelings, fears and experiences throughout this extraordinary narrative and the result is this once-in-a-lifetime novel.
Diana found strength and grace in those handwritten, time worn and yellowing pages. She began to see her grandmother in a new light, as she read about the horrific things she had witnessed and the hardships she had endured as a child, she couldn't help but wonder if these things had played a part in her grandmother's decision to take her own life. Growing up, Diana was always closer to her grandmother...she spent a great deal of time with Regina and had fond memories of things her grandmother shared with her. In 1964, at ten years old, Diana was home alone with her grandmother when Regina took an overdose of sleeping medication. The loss of her beloved grandmother had a profound affect on the young Diana and years later she would have an exceptional opportunity to reconnect with her grandmother, through the secret journal.
Regina (grandmother) was a true hero..wise beyond her years, with a quiet strength that crossed the generations via the words of her journal and influenced her darling grand-daughter, giving her courage and providing solace and sanctuary. She could not have known that years after penning the diary and many years after her death, her reflections would reach millions of readers. I applaud Diana Raab for recognizing the significance and beauty of her grandmother's words and for taking the initiative to share this intimate journey with us. The author has definitely inherited her grandmother's way with words and allowed her heart to flow freely within the pen strokes that created this literary masterpiece.
I recommend "Regina's Closet: finding my grandmother's secret journal" to all readers, everywhere...don't miss this heart warming, inspiring and life-affirming book-- this is one you will want to share with everyone!
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
AUTHOR:Diana M. Raab
AUTHOR'S WEB SITE: www.dianaraab.com
GENRE: Memoir
ISBN: 978-0-8253-0575-7
REVIEWER: RJ
REVIEWER'S WEB SITE: http://3rsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: January 31,2008
Reviewed by RJ for 3Rs Book Reviews
Wow! What an incredible story. It's rare for this reviewer to "rave" or to liter my opinions with complimentary adjectives and yet, I have been exposed to a book that absolutely demands both...Regina's Closet: finding my grandmother's secret journal is a hauntingly beautiful story of two women, Diana Raab and her beloved Grandmother, Regina Klein. You will smile and cry. You will be shocked and astounded, the narrative is filled with such raw emotion that it reaches out from the pages and touches the reader in a very tangible way.
Author, Diana Raab shares her grandmother's journal, which follows her difficult and frightening experiences in war torn Poland, events of World War I, witnessing the Russian invasion, atrocities committed by soldiers, the death of her mother in the cholera epidemic, the cramped trains evacuees spent weeks riding only to arrive in cities where the natives did not want them and had no reservations about expressing such in the most hurtful of ways. Even as a child, Regina was not sparred this degrading hostility. Over and over again she is forced to make adult decisions and each time her incredible strength and unusual ability to understand the ways of the world shines through the darkness that surrounded her. The family eventually immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York, where things remained tense between her grandparents, but Diana wouldn't realize until years later, while reading the journal the extent of her grandmother's marital unhappiness.
Meticulously and masterfully, Diana has woven her feelings, fears and experiences throughout this extraordinary narrative and the result is this once-in-a-lifetime novel.
Diana found strength and grace in those handwritten, time worn and yellowing pages. She began to see her grandmother in a new light, as she read about the horrific things she had witnessed and the hardships she had endured as a child, she couldn't help but wonder if these things had played a part in her grandmother's decision to take her own life. Growing up, Diana was always closer to her grandmother...she spent a great deal of time with Regina and had fond memories of things her grandmother shared with her. In 1964, at ten years old, Diana was home alone with her grandmother when Regina took an overdose of sleeping medication. The loss of her beloved grandmother had a profound affect on the young Diana and years later she would have an exceptional opportunity to reconnect with her grandmother, through the secret journal.
Regina (grandmother) was a true hero..wise beyond her years, with a quiet strength that crossed the generations via the words of her journal and influenced her darling grand-daughter, giving her courage and providing solace and sanctuary. She could not have known that years after penning the diary and many years after her death, her reflections would reach millions of readers. I applaud Diana Raab for recognizing the significance and beauty of her grandmother's words and for taking the initiative to share this intimate journey with us. The author has definitely inherited her grandmother's way with words and allowed her heart to flow freely within the pen strokes that created this literary masterpiece.
I recommend "Regina's Closet: finding my grandmother's secret journal" to all readers, everywhere...don't miss this heart warming, inspiring and life-affirming book-- this is one you will want to share with everyone!
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
New Publish America Novel "Unveiled"
The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist
By DJ Lyons
Publisher: PublishAmerica
ISBN 1604744774.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Order this book on Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Witch-Unveiled-Last-Poltergeist/dp/1604744774/
Find bookstores selling this book: http://www.bellwitchunveiled.com/Buy_Book.html
Who Was The True Bell Witch Of Tennessee?
John Bell, of Adams, Tennessee, died on December 20, 1820. Why not? He was old. He was sick. He was comatose. Yet dozens of newspaper articles; a handful of published books, movies, videos, and websites; and countless amateur and professional storytellers all erroneously claim that John Bell was killed by a poltergeist.
Who was this poltergeist many called the ‘Bell Witch’? Newspapers, books, websites, and countless people familiar with the 1817-1821 haunting gave the finger of blame to a neighbor woman, Cate Batts. Her alleged guilt was purely circumstantial. For the first time, this breakthrough publication reveals the actual identities and motives of the three poltergeists. These three male entities followed John Bell from his former home in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Adams, Tennessee, seeking their revenge. Within the covers of this book, the Bell Witch is unveiled at last.
About the Author: DJ Lyons
DJ Lyons earned her masters degree with a specialization in storytelling from East Tennessee State University in 1989. She has been a professional storyteller and writer ever since.
To make a very long story short, the storytelling professor requested that DJ research and write the story of the Bell Witch for a Halloween exclusive entitled "Special 1990 Halloween Edition: Appalachian Ghostlore." DJ wrote the story from the point-of-view of Betsy Bell, the teenage daughter. DJ refused to perform the story at the ETSU Halloween Storyfest as she found the story way too depressing.
Three years later, a Knoxville, Tennessee, high school art teacher hired DJ to tell scary stories at her school. This very insistent teacher wanted DJ to tell the story of the Tennessee Bell Witch. Initially, DJ refused. Then a whole series of events transpired that literally changed the whole course of DJ's life. The end result? Not only did DJ perform the story of the Bell Witch at this high school in late October of 1993, she spent the next two years of her life researching and writing this book called "The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist." Her goal? She wishes to empower the reader, alleviate superstition and fear, and to bring light to a story that has been shrouded in fear and mystery for far too long. Happy Reading!
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
By DJ Lyons
Publisher: PublishAmerica
ISBN 1604744774.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Order this book on Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Witch-Unveiled-Last-Poltergeist/dp/1604744774/
Find bookstores selling this book: http://www.bellwitchunveiled.com/Buy_Book.html
Who Was The True Bell Witch Of Tennessee?
John Bell, of Adams, Tennessee, died on December 20, 1820. Why not? He was old. He was sick. He was comatose. Yet dozens of newspaper articles; a handful of published books, movies, videos, and websites; and countless amateur and professional storytellers all erroneously claim that John Bell was killed by a poltergeist.
Who was this poltergeist many called the ‘Bell Witch’? Newspapers, books, websites, and countless people familiar with the 1817-1821 haunting gave the finger of blame to a neighbor woman, Cate Batts. Her alleged guilt was purely circumstantial. For the first time, this breakthrough publication reveals the actual identities and motives of the three poltergeists. These three male entities followed John Bell from his former home in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Adams, Tennessee, seeking their revenge. Within the covers of this book, the Bell Witch is unveiled at last.
About the Author: DJ Lyons
DJ Lyons earned her masters degree with a specialization in storytelling from East Tennessee State University in 1989. She has been a professional storyteller and writer ever since.
To make a very long story short, the storytelling professor requested that DJ research and write the story of the Bell Witch for a Halloween exclusive entitled "Special 1990 Halloween Edition: Appalachian Ghostlore." DJ wrote the story from the point-of-view of Betsy Bell, the teenage daughter. DJ refused to perform the story at the ETSU Halloween Storyfest as she found the story way too depressing.
Three years later, a Knoxville, Tennessee, high school art teacher hired DJ to tell scary stories at her school. This very insistent teacher wanted DJ to tell the story of the Tennessee Bell Witch. Initially, DJ refused. Then a whole series of events transpired that literally changed the whole course of DJ's life. The end result? Not only did DJ perform the story of the Bell Witch at this high school in late October of 1993, she spent the next two years of her life researching and writing this book called "The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist." Her goal? She wishes to empower the reader, alleviate superstition and fear, and to bring light to a story that has been shrouded in fear and mystery for far too long. Happy Reading!
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Monday, 17 March 2008
Rick Reed's Novel So Deadly Its Great
Title: Deadly Vision
Author: Rick R. Reed
Genre: Thriller/GLBT
ISBN: 1932300961
Quest Books / January 2008
Reviewed by Vince Liaguno for Dark Scribe Magazine Reviewer
Originally published in: Dark Scribe Magazine
Hot on the heels of his enjoyable gay serial killer novel – last year's IM – Rick Reed returns with another gripping thriller, Deadly Vision. Reed is quickly developing his own unique formula that blends suspense, fast-moving narratives, fully-realized gay characters, and a touch of the occult. His seeming bid to become a gay hybrid of James Patterson and Dean Koontz will not be lost on readers with this latest offering.
Cass D'Angelo, single mother to seven-year-old Max, is toiling away as a waitress in a small, depressed river town in Ohio. When Cass goes off after Max when he wanders off one afternoon during a thunderstorm, she runs afoul of a lightning strike and a falling tree limb. She awakens days later in the hospital – relieved to find Max safe – and discovers that the resulting concussion has left her with a newfound psychic ability. Before you can say Psychic Friends Network, Cass receives disturbing images of several local girls gone missing – their grisly fates playing out behind her mind's eye. Fearing more deaths, the reluctant psychic reaches out to the police and to one of the missing girl's parents – all of whom are skeptical. But when the father of a second missing girl begs Cass' help in finding his daughter and her decomposing body is found along the Ohio River banks, Cass finds herself the center of unwanted attention from a pair of devil-worshipping killers desperate to find out how she found their carefully hidden grave. It's here that the story kicks into even higher gear with a kidnapping, a manhunt, and – to a lesser extent - hints of a budding romance with a sympathetic female journalist.
As in IM, Reed again opts to tell his story through multiple points-of-view. And, again, it works surprisingly well even when minor characters like Cass' mother get their chance at the storytelling bat. Laying out the actions and motives of your villains for readers is a tricky proposition - give too much and risk predictability at the expense of the suspense. But Reed expertly walks the tightrope between disclosure and omission, crafting passages told from the killers' perspective that are appropriately chilling and give just enough away to readers so that their acquired insight translates into dread when the action switches back to Cass and company. It's foreboding at it s finest with readers left muttering, "If you only knew what I know" at the book itself.
Reed also imbues Deadly Vision with a strong sense of setting, creating in Summitville a bleak tableau of working class hardship. One gets a strong sense of inevitability for the fictional denizens of the town, like they surrendered master status of their own destinies somewhere between unplanned pregnancies and factory closings. He nails the idea of familiarity and disconnection as analogous functions of small-town life:
When Sheryl McKenna's mother opened the door, Cass felt as though she had already seen her. And maybe she had. Summitville was, after all, a small town. She could have passed the tired-looking woman on the street downtown, or served her in the diner. The woman stared at her with bright gray eyes, looking her over as if Cass were something she had discarded in the yard that had managed to make its way back to the porch. Mrs. McKenna was small, with no fat on her bones; she looked almost skeletal. Her skin was weathered, the result of too much sun, too much smoke. Her skin, combined with straw-like bleached blonde hair and hard eyes made her, Cass was sure, look older than her years. She held a cigarette in her hand, and the smell of tobacco smoke came out of the house in a wave when she opened the door.
Unlike IM, the lesbian romance is relegated to the background here, never even a glimmer of possibility until the third act - and even then it's only alluded to in a near future. This is the novel's only misstep – and a slight one at that – and an area where Reed missed an opportunity for deeper emotional investment in the reporter character of Dani Westwood. The lack of romantic connection to Cass keeps her at arm's length for much of the action, consigning her to stock character status.
The novel's supernatural elements are handled quite well, with Cass' understanding of her precognitive abilities evolving gradually over the course of the book and never coming off as forced or over-the-top. Only toward the end when Cass encounters the spectral vision of one of the victims does one get the sense that they're smack dab in the middle of an episode of Cold Case or The Ghost Whisperer – and that's either criticism or commendation depending upon your level of tolerance for either of those shows.
The literary equivalent of a hybrid vehicle, Deadly Vision powers forward on a combustion of supernatural suspense, murder mystery, and breakneck thriller. With psychics and serial killers rendered with the same deft hand in a propulsive narrative likely to increase respirations, it takes no psychic ability to see that Rick Reed is headed for the top of the suspense class.
--
Check out my most recent releases on Amazon:
High Risk: http://tinyurl.com/39dror
Deadly Vision: http://tinyurl.com/3eygd4
In the Blood: http://tinyurl.com/3dbb7k
IM: http://tinyurl.com/32rsy4
Find me at:
http://www.rickrreed.com and http://www.myspace.com/rickrreed
Coming in 2008
Orientation
Dead End Street
More information and excerpts at http://www.rickrreed.com
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author: Rick R. Reed
Genre: Thriller/GLBT
ISBN: 1932300961
Quest Books / January 2008
Reviewed by Vince Liaguno for Dark Scribe Magazine Reviewer
Originally published in: Dark Scribe Magazine
Hot on the heels of his enjoyable gay serial killer novel – last year's IM – Rick Reed returns with another gripping thriller, Deadly Vision. Reed is quickly developing his own unique formula that blends suspense, fast-moving narratives, fully-realized gay characters, and a touch of the occult. His seeming bid to become a gay hybrid of James Patterson and Dean Koontz will not be lost on readers with this latest offering.
Cass D'Angelo, single mother to seven-year-old Max, is toiling away as a waitress in a small, depressed river town in Ohio. When Cass goes off after Max when he wanders off one afternoon during a thunderstorm, she runs afoul of a lightning strike and a falling tree limb. She awakens days later in the hospital – relieved to find Max safe – and discovers that the resulting concussion has left her with a newfound psychic ability. Before you can say Psychic Friends Network, Cass receives disturbing images of several local girls gone missing – their grisly fates playing out behind her mind's eye. Fearing more deaths, the reluctant psychic reaches out to the police and to one of the missing girl's parents – all of whom are skeptical. But when the father of a second missing girl begs Cass' help in finding his daughter and her decomposing body is found along the Ohio River banks, Cass finds herself the center of unwanted attention from a pair of devil-worshipping killers desperate to find out how she found their carefully hidden grave. It's here that the story kicks into even higher gear with a kidnapping, a manhunt, and – to a lesser extent - hints of a budding romance with a sympathetic female journalist.
As in IM, Reed again opts to tell his story through multiple points-of-view. And, again, it works surprisingly well even when minor characters like Cass' mother get their chance at the storytelling bat. Laying out the actions and motives of your villains for readers is a tricky proposition - give too much and risk predictability at the expense of the suspense. But Reed expertly walks the tightrope between disclosure and omission, crafting passages told from the killers' perspective that are appropriately chilling and give just enough away to readers so that their acquired insight translates into dread when the action switches back to Cass and company. It's foreboding at it s finest with readers left muttering, "If you only knew what I know" at the book itself.
Reed also imbues Deadly Vision with a strong sense of setting, creating in Summitville a bleak tableau of working class hardship. One gets a strong sense of inevitability for the fictional denizens of the town, like they surrendered master status of their own destinies somewhere between unplanned pregnancies and factory closings. He nails the idea of familiarity and disconnection as analogous functions of small-town life:
When Sheryl McKenna's mother opened the door, Cass felt as though she had already seen her. And maybe she had. Summitville was, after all, a small town. She could have passed the tired-looking woman on the street downtown, or served her in the diner. The woman stared at her with bright gray eyes, looking her over as if Cass were something she had discarded in the yard that had managed to make its way back to the porch. Mrs. McKenna was small, with no fat on her bones; she looked almost skeletal. Her skin was weathered, the result of too much sun, too much smoke. Her skin, combined with straw-like bleached blonde hair and hard eyes made her, Cass was sure, look older than her years. She held a cigarette in her hand, and the smell of tobacco smoke came out of the house in a wave when she opened the door.
Unlike IM, the lesbian romance is relegated to the background here, never even a glimmer of possibility until the third act - and even then it's only alluded to in a near future. This is the novel's only misstep – and a slight one at that – and an area where Reed missed an opportunity for deeper emotional investment in the reporter character of Dani Westwood. The lack of romantic connection to Cass keeps her at arm's length for much of the action, consigning her to stock character status.
The novel's supernatural elements are handled quite well, with Cass' understanding of her precognitive abilities evolving gradually over the course of the book and never coming off as forced or over-the-top. Only toward the end when Cass encounters the spectral vision of one of the victims does one get the sense that they're smack dab in the middle of an episode of Cold Case or The Ghost Whisperer – and that's either criticism or commendation depending upon your level of tolerance for either of those shows.
The literary equivalent of a hybrid vehicle, Deadly Vision powers forward on a combustion of supernatural suspense, murder mystery, and breakneck thriller. With psychics and serial killers rendered with the same deft hand in a propulsive narrative likely to increase respirations, it takes no psychic ability to see that Rick Reed is headed for the top of the suspense class.
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Check out my most recent releases on Amazon:
High Risk: http://tinyurl.com/39dror
Deadly Vision: http://tinyurl.com/3eygd4
In the Blood: http://tinyurl.com/3dbb7k
IM: http://tinyurl.com/32rsy4
Find me at:
http://www.rickrreed.com and http://www.myspace.com/rickrreed
Coming in 2008
Orientation
Dead End Street
More information and excerpts at http://www.rickrreed.com
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Spirtual Book That Goes Deeper
I Am Therefore I Am: Revelations of Truth
By Lawrence Doochin
website: www.lawrencedoochin.com/
Genre: Spiritual
ISBN: 0-595-36175-7
Reviewed by Karen Lawrence
I Am Therefore I Am author Says "We Are Not Here to Learn"
In a society where even spiritual growth is associated with striving and “fixing” ourselves, Lawrence Doochin’s message in I Am Therefore I Am: Revelations of Truth that "...we are not here to learn" is a refreshing one for spiritual seekers of all types. His soft approach to our most troublesome questions about life, love, spirit and the nature of existence is to say "Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to change anything about yourself? If all you had to do was remember and recognize who you really are?" As I read those words I was struck with how deeply they resonate in my own heart and how Doochin’s healing journey through what we see, experience, think and feel on this earth really captures the underlying simplicity of our existence as I FEEL it rather than how I THINK about it.
I Am Therefore I Am recounts what was revealed to Doochin during a time of deep personal introspection. He explores perception, faith, reality, emotion, morality and purpose. Lawrence starts the book with a question: “What is the difference between the following statements? The world is as I see it. I see the world as it is.” I was hooked. As he travels through the most difficult concepts we all grapple with in our lives, he encourages us to truly let go of our beliefs about the nature of the universe and where we fit in it. "If you release your beliefs, or you at least witness them, then the current carries you along effortlessly. Life becomes easier, much simpler."
So, you might ask, what do we get for dropping our beliefs and relaxing into who we are? We will experience a more frequent awareness of God, according to Doochin. By recognizing and remembering our true nature we can tap into the Love that “… is the essence of all that is." Doochin makes suggestions throughout the book for sparking our remembrance rather than trying to access it through our minds or figure out what we should BE or BE DOING. "You are not here to do anything. You are here to be. You are fulfilling your role on Earth just by being an expression of God in form, for this is Creation fulfilled. This is Love."
I was happy I overcame my resistance to what potentially was yet another book imploring me to study more and practice harder in order to “fix” my troubled soul and picked up I Am Therefore I Am. It is a reassuring reminder that we are all reflections of the Divine and need only settle into that awareness to find peace and joy. Doochin’s book is a refreshing resource for helping us recognize and remember who we truly are.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
By Lawrence Doochin
website: www.lawrencedoochin.com/
Genre: Spiritual
ISBN: 0-595-36175-7
Reviewed by Karen Lawrence
I Am Therefore I Am author Says "We Are Not Here to Learn"
In a society where even spiritual growth is associated with striving and “fixing” ourselves, Lawrence Doochin’s message in I Am Therefore I Am: Revelations of Truth that "...we are not here to learn" is a refreshing one for spiritual seekers of all types. His soft approach to our most troublesome questions about life, love, spirit and the nature of existence is to say "Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to change anything about yourself? If all you had to do was remember and recognize who you really are?" As I read those words I was struck with how deeply they resonate in my own heart and how Doochin’s healing journey through what we see, experience, think and feel on this earth really captures the underlying simplicity of our existence as I FEEL it rather than how I THINK about it.
I Am Therefore I Am recounts what was revealed to Doochin during a time of deep personal introspection. He explores perception, faith, reality, emotion, morality and purpose. Lawrence starts the book with a question: “What is the difference between the following statements? The world is as I see it. I see the world as it is.” I was hooked. As he travels through the most difficult concepts we all grapple with in our lives, he encourages us to truly let go of our beliefs about the nature of the universe and where we fit in it. "If you release your beliefs, or you at least witness them, then the current carries you along effortlessly. Life becomes easier, much simpler."
So, you might ask, what do we get for dropping our beliefs and relaxing into who we are? We will experience a more frequent awareness of God, according to Doochin. By recognizing and remembering our true nature we can tap into the Love that “… is the essence of all that is." Doochin makes suggestions throughout the book for sparking our remembrance rather than trying to access it through our minds or figure out what we should BE or BE DOING. "You are not here to do anything. You are here to be. You are fulfilling your role on Earth just by being an expression of God in form, for this is Creation fulfilled. This is Love."
I was happy I overcame my resistance to what potentially was yet another book imploring me to study more and practice harder in order to “fix” my troubled soul and picked up I Am Therefore I Am. It is a reassuring reminder that we are all reflections of the Divine and need only settle into that awareness to find peace and joy. Doochin’s book is a refreshing resource for helping us recognize and remember who we truly are.
-------
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Monday, 3 March 2008
A Double Whammy! A Special Offer and a New Life from Dr. Joe Capista
Title
What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? Discover Secrets to Achieving Total Success! Author
Author: Dr. Joe Capista
ISBN-10: 0965815951
ISBN-13: 978-0965815956
Genre: Business/Success/Spiritual
Reviewed by Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer
For anyone seeking a refreshing look at success and success principles, What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? Discover Secrets to Achieving Total Success! is one to add to your personal library.
“You can have anything you want in life if you want it badly enough and are willing to pay the price,” is the opening statement of the book.
With all the success and self-help books available, the last thing we need is another author claiming to have the answers to achieving what you want. The fact is, Dr. Capista doesn’t just talk about success, he lives it. He gives readers an intimate look into the years he struggled in school and grew up in an average blue-collar neighborhood to becoming one of the most successful people in his industry.
What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? is more than a book about amassing financial wealth. Readers will learn how Dr. Capista combines a pragmatic approach to life as well as a very spiritual approach.
Written in a very relaxed, easy to read style, What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? will show you how virtually anyone can achieve a life filled with happiness, abundance, joy, love and contribution. achieve your deepest dreams.
Dr. Capista covers everything from career to family and relationships to your relationship with money, to spirituality and finding purpose, to health and well-being. He shares the very strategies he used to build a multi-million dollar business; achieve optimum health, enjoy a loving marriage of over 34 years and live a life that he refers to as Total Success.
This is a must read!
We invite you to take part in a very special promotion that is taking place this week to promote Dr Capista's book. Order you own copy of What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? within the next 24 hours and receive over $2,551 in bonus gifts from experts around the globe. Go to http://www.joecapista.com/amazon.htm
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? Discover Secrets to Achieving Total Success! Author
Author: Dr. Joe Capista
ISBN-10: 0965815951
ISBN-13: 978-0965815956
Genre: Business/Success/Spiritual
Reviewed by Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer
For anyone seeking a refreshing look at success and success principles, What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? Discover Secrets to Achieving Total Success! is one to add to your personal library.
“You can have anything you want in life if you want it badly enough and are willing to pay the price,” is the opening statement of the book.
With all the success and self-help books available, the last thing we need is another author claiming to have the answers to achieving what you want. The fact is, Dr. Capista doesn’t just talk about success, he lives it. He gives readers an intimate look into the years he struggled in school and grew up in an average blue-collar neighborhood to becoming one of the most successful people in his industry.
What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? is more than a book about amassing financial wealth. Readers will learn how Dr. Capista combines a pragmatic approach to life as well as a very spiritual approach.
Written in a very relaxed, easy to read style, What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? will show you how virtually anyone can achieve a life filled with happiness, abundance, joy, love and contribution. achieve your deepest dreams.
Dr. Capista covers everything from career to family and relationships to your relationship with money, to spirituality and finding purpose, to health and well-being. He shares the very strategies he used to build a multi-million dollar business; achieve optimum health, enjoy a loving marriage of over 34 years and live a life that he refers to as Total Success.
This is a must read!
We invite you to take part in a very special promotion that is taking place this week to promote Dr Capista's book. Order you own copy of What Can a Dentist Teach You about Business, Life and Success? within the next 24 hours and receive over $2,551 in bonus gifts from experts around the globe. Go to http://www.joecapista.com/amazon.htm
------
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Friday, 29 February 2008
US Navy Veteran Reviews "Unsung Patriot"
itle: Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How The Stars and Stripes Began
Author: Virginia G. Vassallo
Websites: www.krazyduck.com www.unsungpatriot.com
Genre: Military history/ World War I/ Biography/ History
ISBN: 978-0-9776739-2-6
Reviewed by Richard Blakewww.midwestbookreview.com. See Reviewer's Bookwatch, August 2007, Richard's Bookshelf
Every generation has its' heroes. Many of these receive medals, and ribbons to honor them for their service to our country. Others receive plaques, trophies, and acclaim for personal accomplishments in business, sports, or entertainment. There is also that myriad of heroes who never receive the accolades. These are the "unsung" heroes serving behind the lines while others receive the applause.
This is the biography of Guy T. Viskniskki, the founder, and first editor-in-chief of "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper, published during the fighting months of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I during 1917-1919.
At age forty, Guy put a successful career in newspaper editing and publishing on hold and responded to a sense of patriotism by enlisting in armed forces. He hoped to be placed on the frontline with the troops in Europe. However, he was assigned to General Headquarters guiding newspapermen throughout the American zone in France. While traveling through France he conceived the idea of a newspaper written "by and for the soldiers" of the A.E.F. He saw this as a need to raise morale among the troops.
By November in 1917 Second Lieutenant Guy T. Viskniskki was press officer and censor at the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Already a veteran of the Wheeler Newspaper Syndicate, and former editor of the Bayonet, a camp newspaper of the Eightieth Division, Camp Lee, Virginia Guy was asked to develop his idea and to explore the feasibility of publishing a newspaper for the AEF.
Once it was determined that an AEF newspaper could be produced in France, Viskniskki became the first managing editor of "The Stars and Stripes." Guy successfully faced the challenges of staffing, paper shortages, and maintaining editorial control with integrity. "Stars and Stripes" became Guy's legacy. After the war he again resumed his newspaper career, served as editor of several newspapers, and as a consultant in the publishing field.
Proud of her heritage and of her Grandfather's accomplishments Virginia Vassallo produced this book as a tribute to honor his memory. What started as a few notes and memories to preserve some family history for her grandson became a monumental project. Her fascination for one more bit of information drove her into writing this thoroughly researched and well documented monument to this "Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki".
Virginia used her grandfather's unpublished memoirs, various internet sources, interviews with family members, and numberless newspaper articles, and correspondence to research the background information this book. She contacted Jim Mayo, President of the Stars and Stripes Museum for help. Jim was eager to assist her in this project and provided additional valuable resource information.
Guy T. Viskniskki will long be remembered for his patriotism, integrity and perseverance for the things he valued. The book will provide inspiration to small town newspaper editors and the editor-in-chiefs of newspapers across the world. Veteran's Associations, Sons of the American Revolution, and members of the American Legion will remember Guy's indefatigable efforts for their causes. As readers they will applaud this tribute to a tireless mentor and for his advocacy for the peoples of United States of America.
Virginia's respect and admiration for the accomplishments of Guy T. Viskniskki came through beautifully. She masterfully created well-rounded word pictures of this dynamic, yet complex, man whose legacy is the "Stars and Stripes." Virginia is very articulate, her words are well chosen. Her organization is meticulous, and her presentation is convincing. I say "Bravo!"
----
Reviewed By: Richard R. Blake,
U. S. Navy Veteran, Korean Conflict
Book Store Owner
Christian Education Consultant
-------
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author: Virginia G. Vassallo
Websites: www.krazyduck.com www.unsungpatriot.com
Genre: Military history/ World War I/ Biography/ History
ISBN: 978-0-9776739-2-6
Reviewed by Richard Blakewww.midwestbookreview.com. See Reviewer's Bookwatch, August 2007, Richard's Bookshelf
Every generation has its' heroes. Many of these receive medals, and ribbons to honor them for their service to our country. Others receive plaques, trophies, and acclaim for personal accomplishments in business, sports, or entertainment. There is also that myriad of heroes who never receive the accolades. These are the "unsung" heroes serving behind the lines while others receive the applause.
This is the biography of Guy T. Viskniskki, the founder, and first editor-in-chief of "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper, published during the fighting months of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I during 1917-1919.
At age forty, Guy put a successful career in newspaper editing and publishing on hold and responded to a sense of patriotism by enlisting in armed forces. He hoped to be placed on the frontline with the troops in Europe. However, he was assigned to General Headquarters guiding newspapermen throughout the American zone in France. While traveling through France he conceived the idea of a newspaper written "by and for the soldiers" of the A.E.F. He saw this as a need to raise morale among the troops.
By November in 1917 Second Lieutenant Guy T. Viskniskki was press officer and censor at the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Already a veteran of the Wheeler Newspaper Syndicate, and former editor of the Bayonet, a camp newspaper of the Eightieth Division, Camp Lee, Virginia Guy was asked to develop his idea and to explore the feasibility of publishing a newspaper for the AEF.
Once it was determined that an AEF newspaper could be produced in France, Viskniskki became the first managing editor of "The Stars and Stripes." Guy successfully faced the challenges of staffing, paper shortages, and maintaining editorial control with integrity. "Stars and Stripes" became Guy's legacy. After the war he again resumed his newspaper career, served as editor of several newspapers, and as a consultant in the publishing field.
Proud of her heritage and of her Grandfather's accomplishments Virginia Vassallo produced this book as a tribute to honor his memory. What started as a few notes and memories to preserve some family history for her grandson became a monumental project. Her fascination for one more bit of information drove her into writing this thoroughly researched and well documented monument to this "Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki".
Virginia used her grandfather's unpublished memoirs, various internet sources, interviews with family members, and numberless newspaper articles, and correspondence to research the background information this book. She contacted Jim Mayo, President of the Stars and Stripes Museum for help. Jim was eager to assist her in this project and provided additional valuable resource information.
Guy T. Viskniskki will long be remembered for his patriotism, integrity and perseverance for the things he valued. The book will provide inspiration to small town newspaper editors and the editor-in-chiefs of newspapers across the world. Veteran's Associations, Sons of the American Revolution, and members of the American Legion will remember Guy's indefatigable efforts for their causes. As readers they will applaud this tribute to a tireless mentor and for his advocacy for the peoples of United States of America.
Virginia's respect and admiration for the accomplishments of Guy T. Viskniskki came through beautifully. She masterfully created well-rounded word pictures of this dynamic, yet complex, man whose legacy is the "Stars and Stripes." Virginia is very articulate, her words are well chosen. Her organization is meticulous, and her presentation is convincing. I say "Bravo!"
----
Reviewed By: Richard R. Blake,
U. S. Navy Veteran, Korean Conflict
Book Store Owner
Christian Education Consultant
-------
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
An Amazing Cross-Cultural Story
Title: Running From Coyote: A White Family among the Navajo
Author: Danalee Buhler
Publisher: iUniverse, August 2007
ISBN 978-0-595-40543-5
E-mail: danaleebooks@gmail.com
See Kirkus Discoveries review on author web site.
See Amazon Shorts story, "Finding a Navajo At The Bottom of the
Baptismal Tank"
Pre-print quotation from Tony Hillerman
"Running From Coyote is a remarkable book, a brilliant example of how a
writer can use memories of her own childhood to introduce the world to
another culture. Not only does Ms. Buhler provide a clear view of the
Navajo people, my own favorite Native American culture, she also tells
a wonderful story of a white girl growing up between the Sacred
Mountains. If I were still teaching my University of New Mexico
classes, I would have it on my required reading list."
The book is available from iUniverse, Amazon, Powells, Barnes and
Nobel, and other internet book stores.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Author: Danalee Buhler
Publisher: iUniverse, August 2007
ISBN 978-0-595-40543-5
E-mail: danaleebooks@gmail.com
See Kirkus Discoveries review on author web site.
See Amazon Shorts story, "Finding a Navajo At The Bottom of the
Baptismal Tank"
Pre-print quotation from Tony Hillerman
"Running From Coyote is a remarkable book, a brilliant example of how a
writer can use memories of her own childhood to introduce the world to
another culture. Not only does Ms. Buhler provide a clear view of the
Navajo people, my own favorite Native American culture, she also tells
a wonderful story of a white girl growing up between the Sacred
Mountains. If I were still teaching my University of New Mexico
classes, I would have it on my required reading list."
The book is available from iUniverse, Amazon, Powells, Barnes and
Nobel, and other internet book stores.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Publishing Consultant Reviews Frugal Book Promoter
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The Frugal Book Promoter
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Available on Amazon.com in paperback or as a Kindle book
Star Publish
Available as an e-book at Star Publish
Number 1 in the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers
Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith, publishing consultant, Texana Publishing
Become a master at the book publicity game
Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s PR background shines through as she shares dozens and dozens tips for preparing media materials and working successfully with the media.
The Frugal Book Promoter also offers advice on the effective use of galleys and ARCs, tips for getting blurbs, information on using Amazon’s promotional tools, ideas for book launch announcements and parties, tips for jump-starting sales of books that have been out for a while, and more.
This book is a great tool for both new and experienced authors. New authors will especially benefit from Howard-Johnson’s refreshingly realistic look at the not-always-glamorous world of book signings and book fairs.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
