Book Title: Attracting Your Ideal Weight: 8 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight and Keep it Off
Author: Zaheen Nanji
ASN: B00G7V4IZE
Publisher: Aviva Publishing
Genre: Health and Fitness
Publication Date: October 19, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 48
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
This is not just another diet book. In fact, it’s not really a diet book at all. Instead, Zaheen Nanji has incorporated her life coaching and her passion for Law of Attraction into a new way of eating—and living. Attracting Your Idea Weight: 8 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight and Keep it Off explores the relationship between how we view food and how we view life.
The book is geared towards people who are ready to delve into the reasons behind their struggle with weight, as this is only way to permanently transcend the obstacles. For example, many women sabotage their diets because their husbands may be uncomfortable with them becoming thinner and therefore potentially more attractive to other men. Attracting Your Ideal Weight teaches us how to heal these other issues even as we are improving our physical health.
Nanji’s plan does include nutritional planning and healthy food choices, but unlike so many diet plans, it does not include self-denial. It’s all about changing one’s mindset. For example, if one of her clients wants a cookie, she encourages them to choose another, healthier food that will satisfy that craving for sweets. Eating a Fiber One or a granola bar will stave away the craving and keep him/her empowered and motivated.
More importantly, Attracting Your Ideal Weight does not focus on society’s fluctuating—and often unattainable—standards of beauty. The person’s goal is not to be thin, but to reach the weight at which they feel comfortable in the own skin. Success is measured not by the size of their clothes, but the ease with which they move in them.
The best part of this book is that it gives us the tools to change many areas of our lives, not just the number on the scale.
Showing posts with label book with a view. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book with a view. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Yvonne Perry’s latest book: Light Language Emerging
Humanity attempts to settle on an answer to the question of “reality”. Philosophy and religion attempt to encapsulate thoughts on the matter into an idea, the oldest idea known to man: That being is one, identical with God the Creator. In every age and in every corner of the world that idea is rediscovered. Humanity finds that idea fulfilling. And humankind can rest comfortably on the fact that it will never perish. Assuredly, nothing will ever finally replace it in human consciousness. There remains only the problem of communication: A language is needed to communicate in an “all being as one reality”. Thus, Yvonne Perry’s Light Language Emerging beacons and fires the imagination with sounds, movements, and images that arouse joy, exhilaration, and the anticipation of a new day on the earth.
Perry speaks to the possible human experience with fresh, new words and images that render imaginings fitting to the present moment in evolution. Light Language Emerging is captivating and nearly impossible to put it down, hypnotically leading into an immediate second reading. While the Church limits light language to church services and prayers, without reservation, Perry blows the doors off that stifling prison of thoughts about its purpose and potential by using varied candid stories of speaking, signing, drawing, and dancing in light language. In so doing, she catapults readers into a world of galactic portals and dimensions where communication does not necessarily depend on reason, understanding, and context. Simultaneously, Perry plants readers into deep communication with the unknown world of infinite mystery while appealing to all the senses, both spiritual and physical. I conclude light language can lead to personal discovery and an entirely new human experience for many individuals.
S. L. Brannon
Author of The Two Agreements: A Good News Story for Our Time
Perry speaks to the possible human experience with fresh, new words and images that render imaginings fitting to the present moment in evolution. Light Language Emerging is captivating and nearly impossible to put it down, hypnotically leading into an immediate second reading. While the Church limits light language to church services and prayers, without reservation, Perry blows the doors off that stifling prison of thoughts about its purpose and potential by using varied candid stories of speaking, signing, drawing, and dancing in light language. In so doing, she catapults readers into a world of galactic portals and dimensions where communication does not necessarily depend on reason, understanding, and context. Simultaneously, Perry plants readers into deep communication with the unknown world of infinite mystery while appealing to all the senses, both spiritual and physical. I conclude light language can lead to personal discovery and an entirely new human experience for many individuals.
S. L. Brannon
Author of The Two Agreements: A Good News Story for Our Time
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
WITS Book Reviews
Title: Before (B4: Book I)
Author: Mia Zabrisky
ASIN: B00IT7QP2I
Publisher: Mia Zabrisky Books
Genre: Thriller
Publication date: (March 4, 2014)
Book Length in Pages: 71
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Well, she has done it again! Mia Zabrisky, who, is in my opinion one of the best kept literary secrets out there, has written another un-put-downable thriller.
Whereas Zabrisky’s earlier books spent time in the past, Before (“B4: Book I”) explores a dark, totalitarian future. A man wakes up in a strange hotel room with no memory of how he got there, or even who he is. He also doesn’t know the identity of the beautiful and very dead woman lying next to him. He is soon chased from the room by men who clearly want to capture him…or worse. Now, slinking around the back alleys of a dismal, unfamiliar city, he tries to figure out what has happened to him. The only clue he has is the strange “B4” tattoo on his wrist, which he discovers has branded him a violent patient of a nearby mental hospital. He is also the number one suspect in the woman’s murder; his face is posted everywhere and he is being hunted by the drones patrolling the city.
Not far away, in another dilapidated motel room, another amnesiac commits a brutal murder for hire. This young woman is not paid with money, however, but with a few precious moments in which she is given access to her memories.
Is this Zabrisky’s commentary on where our society is headed, or simply the product of an incredible imagination and a cynical view of runaway technology? We don’t know, and it really doesn’t matter. We will have the nightmares either way.
One of my favorite things about Zabrisky is that she is a serial series writer. It allows me to savor each book, waiting for the delicious cliffhanger that will undoubtedly be waiting for me and knowing that the next installment will still manage to up the ante.
Title: Pinkslipped
Author: Romina Wilcox
ISBN-10: 1493627333
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Fiction
Publication date: (February 12, 2014)
Book Length in Pages: 290
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
I have always loved Romina Wilcox’s work; her cybercrime novels kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me a peek into the world of Silicon Valley. I am equally impressed with her departure from cybercrime. Her new novel, Pinkslipped, is the all too realistic story of one family dealing with the loss of employment, as well as financial and emotional security, during the Great Recession.
By all accounts, Jennifer and Ed Tesler lived an enviable life, with three children, a beautiful home in an upscale California neighborhood and luxury cars. Jennifer had climbed the corporate ladder in a male-dominated field and, after fifteen years at Tri-Tech, was probably on her way to breaking the glass ceiling as well. Her office was her second home, and she felt like she was part of a corporate family, indispensible. That illusion was shattered after the global economy went into freefall, resulting in huge layoffs at Tri-Tech. Jennifer is shocked to learn that she is one of the casualties. She will spend the next two years not only trying to get another job, but trying to recover her sense of self-worth and stop her family from losing everything they’ve worked for.
Pinkslipped also takes an honest look at the nature of the American Dream. The economic meltdown of 2008 was terrifying, not only for those directly affected by it, but by all Americans. We all felt as if the rug had been ripped out from under us, with no idea of how far we’d fall.
Ultimately, however, Pinkslipped is about the resiliency of that dream. It reminds us that it not only survived the Great Depression, but came back stronger than ever, and it will do so again. The book is also about the power of faith—in God, in family, and in one’s self –in helping us overcome even the scariest of circumstances.
Author: Mia Zabrisky
ASIN: B00IT7QP2I
Publisher: Mia Zabrisky Books
Genre: Thriller
Publication date: (March 4, 2014)
Book Length in Pages: 71
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Well, she has done it again! Mia Zabrisky, who, is in my opinion one of the best kept literary secrets out there, has written another un-put-downable thriller.
Whereas Zabrisky’s earlier books spent time in the past, Before (“B4: Book I”) explores a dark, totalitarian future. A man wakes up in a strange hotel room with no memory of how he got there, or even who he is. He also doesn’t know the identity of the beautiful and very dead woman lying next to him. He is soon chased from the room by men who clearly want to capture him…or worse. Now, slinking around the back alleys of a dismal, unfamiliar city, he tries to figure out what has happened to him. The only clue he has is the strange “B4” tattoo on his wrist, which he discovers has branded him a violent patient of a nearby mental hospital. He is also the number one suspect in the woman’s murder; his face is posted everywhere and he is being hunted by the drones patrolling the city.
Not far away, in another dilapidated motel room, another amnesiac commits a brutal murder for hire. This young woman is not paid with money, however, but with a few precious moments in which she is given access to her memories.
Is this Zabrisky’s commentary on where our society is headed, or simply the product of an incredible imagination and a cynical view of runaway technology? We don’t know, and it really doesn’t matter. We will have the nightmares either way.
One of my favorite things about Zabrisky is that she is a serial series writer. It allows me to savor each book, waiting for the delicious cliffhanger that will undoubtedly be waiting for me and knowing that the next installment will still manage to up the ante.
Title: Pinkslipped
Author: Romina Wilcox
ISBN-10: 1493627333
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Fiction
Publication date: (February 12, 2014)
Book Length in Pages: 290
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
I have always loved Romina Wilcox’s work; her cybercrime novels kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me a peek into the world of Silicon Valley. I am equally impressed with her departure from cybercrime. Her new novel, Pinkslipped, is the all too realistic story of one family dealing with the loss of employment, as well as financial and emotional security, during the Great Recession.
By all accounts, Jennifer and Ed Tesler lived an enviable life, with three children, a beautiful home in an upscale California neighborhood and luxury cars. Jennifer had climbed the corporate ladder in a male-dominated field and, after fifteen years at Tri-Tech, was probably on her way to breaking the glass ceiling as well. Her office was her second home, and she felt like she was part of a corporate family, indispensible. That illusion was shattered after the global economy went into freefall, resulting in huge layoffs at Tri-Tech. Jennifer is shocked to learn that she is one of the casualties. She will spend the next two years not only trying to get another job, but trying to recover her sense of self-worth and stop her family from losing everything they’ve worked for.
Pinkslipped also takes an honest look at the nature of the American Dream. The economic meltdown of 2008 was terrifying, not only for those directly affected by it, but by all Americans. We all felt as if the rug had been ripped out from under us, with no idea of how far we’d fall.
Ultimately, however, Pinkslipped is about the resiliency of that dream. It reminds us that it not only survived the Great Depression, but came back stronger than ever, and it will do so again. The book is also about the power of faith—in God, in family, and in one’s self –in helping us overcome even the scariest of circumstances.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
WITS Book Reviews April 2014
Book Title: Letting Go
Author: Belinda Tors
ASIN: B00GHTT9RI
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: literature, fiction
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 236
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It is not easy to write a novel about domestic abuse; in fact, it may be one of the hardest topics to write about. Imagine juggling an author’s desire for a happy ending with the all too common tragedy that befalls women in this situation. The author wants the victim to be a victor, without seeming like a parody of a superhero. Belinda Tors skillfully achieves that balance in her novel, Letting Go.
The story shifts back and forth in time, from when Margery Arturo is desperate to leave her violent husband but cannot see a way out, to when she is counseling other abused women. Her first attempts to leave Tony ended in failure, after Margery realized that she would get no help from her parents or from the shelter system she once contributed to. She returns home, but this time, she has an escape plan that includes getting therapy and an education to increase her earning potential. However, when she puts that plan into action, she learns it is only the beginning of her struggle. Like so many other abusive husbands, Tony is not going to let her, or his children, go so easily.
Domestic violence is an epidemic, and one often discussed, but Letting Go tackles it in a very unique way. She tells the story of what happens after a woman leaves-- and the very real problems she faces, even beyond being stalked by the abuser. It explores not only the lack of funding for domestic shelters, but the divide between abused women of different socioeconomic groups and how any one of them can slip through the cracks.
Compelling, raw and brutally honest, the power of Letting Go lies in Tors’ ability to convey realism, strength, and best of all, hope.
Author: Belinda Tors
ASIN: B00GHTT9RI
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: literature, fiction
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 236
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It is not easy to write a novel about domestic abuse; in fact, it may be one of the hardest topics to write about. Imagine juggling an author’s desire for a happy ending with the all too common tragedy that befalls women in this situation. The author wants the victim to be a victor, without seeming like a parody of a superhero. Belinda Tors skillfully achieves that balance in her novel, Letting Go.
The story shifts back and forth in time, from when Margery Arturo is desperate to leave her violent husband but cannot see a way out, to when she is counseling other abused women. Her first attempts to leave Tony ended in failure, after Margery realized that she would get no help from her parents or from the shelter system she once contributed to. She returns home, but this time, she has an escape plan that includes getting therapy and an education to increase her earning potential. However, when she puts that plan into action, she learns it is only the beginning of her struggle. Like so many other abusive husbands, Tony is not going to let her, or his children, go so easily.
Domestic violence is an epidemic, and one often discussed, but Letting Go tackles it in a very unique way. She tells the story of what happens after a woman leaves-- and the very real problems she faces, even beyond being stalked by the abuser. It explores not only the lack of funding for domestic shelters, but the divide between abused women of different socioeconomic groups and how any one of them can slip through the cracks.
Compelling, raw and brutally honest, the power of Letting Go lies in Tors’ ability to convey realism, strength, and best of all, hope.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
WITS Book Reviews March 2014
Title: Six Degrees of Film: The Future of Film in the Global Village
Author: Mary L. Johnson
Publisher: iUniverse
Publication Date: October 12, 2013
ASIN: B00FUZ8Q8S
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Like most people, I love the movies. But a book about the movies? I thought it might be well…dull! Mary L. Johnson’s 6 Degrees of Film: The Future of Film in the Global Village disabused me of that notion on the very first page. Her book is not only chock full of facts, it’s also a fast, fascinating read about the level of artistic talent, business acumen, and collaboration that goes into creating our favorite films.
6 Degrees discusses the development of film through the decades—in terms of cinematography, writing, directing and acting. It also traces the rise of the big studios and the men--the Mayers, the Goldwyns, and the Selznicks—who used blood, sweat and tears (their own and others!) to build them. The movies they produce, from Casablanca to Con Air and Blazing Saddles to Blood Diamond, all have their own stories that are unique to the time and circumstances under which they were created.
What I found particularly interesting, though, was Johnson’s exploration of the role that films—good and bad—have in defining our social norms, and even our politics. Films play on our emotions—they make us feel sad and they make us laugh; they bring our attention to a little known social issue or the good deeds of a forgotten hero. They cheered our grandparents up during The Great Depression and galvanized a reluctant America to move against the Nazis. Of course, most of us go to the movies to escape our lives for a few hours, but it’s nice that someone is there to remind us of the deeper contribution. Johnson’s book reminds us that when we learn about film, we learn about ourselves.
Author: Mary L. Johnson
Publisher: iUniverse
Publication Date: October 12, 2013
ASIN: B00FUZ8Q8S
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Like most people, I love the movies. But a book about the movies? I thought it might be well…dull! Mary L. Johnson’s 6 Degrees of Film: The Future of Film in the Global Village disabused me of that notion on the very first page. Her book is not only chock full of facts, it’s also a fast, fascinating read about the level of artistic talent, business acumen, and collaboration that goes into creating our favorite films.
6 Degrees discusses the development of film through the decades—in terms of cinematography, writing, directing and acting. It also traces the rise of the big studios and the men--the Mayers, the Goldwyns, and the Selznicks—who used blood, sweat and tears (their own and others!) to build them. The movies they produce, from Casablanca to Con Air and Blazing Saddles to Blood Diamond, all have their own stories that are unique to the time and circumstances under which they were created.
What I found particularly interesting, though, was Johnson’s exploration of the role that films—good and bad—have in defining our social norms, and even our politics. Films play on our emotions—they make us feel sad and they make us laugh; they bring our attention to a little known social issue or the good deeds of a forgotten hero. They cheered our grandparents up during The Great Depression and galvanized a reluctant America to move against the Nazis. Of course, most of us go to the movies to escape our lives for a few hours, but it’s nice that someone is there to remind us of the deeper contribution. Johnson’s book reminds us that when we learn about film, we learn about ourselves.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
WITS Book Reviews February 2014
Book Title: Fiat
Author: Jeff Schlaman
ISBN 13: 978-1493560936
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Suspense Novel
Publication Date: December 17, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 308
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Set in an all too possible world a few years in the future, Jeff Schlaman's Fiat has the feel of a post-apocalyptic horror story; but instead of zombies or thugs brandishing weapons on a bloody field, the perpetrators are in the back rooms of Wall Street and Washington D.C. Their years of fiscal irresponsibility, coupled with a series of devastating super storms, has brought the country to its knees. As a result, America's political enemies have preyed upon it weakness, even placing bids to buy destitute cities.
Schlaman has created a terrifying page-turner that is all the more frightening because, in light of the Great Recession, no longer seems implausible. He captures the narcissism and all encompassing power of the few who hold the strings, usually while the rest of us live in ignorance of what is going on. At the same time, Fiat is a commentary on the runaway materialism that has taken hold of our society; while we may not be the architects of our financial ruin, we are complicit by virtue of our refusal to see the truth. We have come to expect the big houses, gas-guzzlers, and expensive electronics, without any thought to whether we can really afford them.
What made this book so hard for me to put down was the personal stories of people from all walks of life, in different parts of the country. That, along with the political subplots, made this one of the most suspenseful books I've read in quite some time.
Book Title: American Sycamore
Author: Karen Fielding
ISBN 13: 978-1781721179
Publisher: Seren
Genre: Narrative Novel
Publication Date: March 15, 2014
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It is a rare pleasure to be completely immersed in a book--when a writer is able to engage all five senses so the reader feels like they are truly there. That's what Karen Fielding did when she created the beautiful, tragic world of American Sycamore. It is the story of Alice Sycamore, a young girl coming of age in the rural Pennsylvania of the 1970s, as well as the turmoil of dealing with her mentally ill brother.
Fielding's prose is achingly beautiful, with descriptions of nature so vivid it reminded me of Alice Hoffman. With every page of American Sycamore, I could smell the brackish odor of the Susquehanna River, feel the desolation of walking along it on an icy winter day, and the insects landing on my skin during a hot, sticky summer.
But what I loved most about Fielding's writing is its subtlety. Humor in the face of emotional agony must be used by only the most skilled writers, and even then very carefully, lest it downplays the drama of the story. In Fielding's hands, it gives this drama yet another layer of realism. We see the ignorance of these times through the eyes (and funny, cryptic statements) of Joseph Lightfoot, a Native American who is trivialized by white society but gains wisdom from the ghosts of his ancestors. This also serves as a bit of irony, for Alice's brother, Billy-a manic depressive- also sees things that others cannot. Is Billy completely crazy, or does he also possess a particular brand of supernatural wisdom? While it is most likely the former, it did give me pause. I would be hard-pressed to name many authors--Joyce Carol Oates being one of them--that conveys human emotions and family dysfunctions so simply and so honestly.
Author: Jeff Schlaman
ISBN 13: 978-1493560936
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Suspense Novel
Publication Date: December 17, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 308
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Set in an all too possible world a few years in the future, Jeff Schlaman's Fiat has the feel of a post-apocalyptic horror story; but instead of zombies or thugs brandishing weapons on a bloody field, the perpetrators are in the back rooms of Wall Street and Washington D.C. Their years of fiscal irresponsibility, coupled with a series of devastating super storms, has brought the country to its knees. As a result, America's political enemies have preyed upon it weakness, even placing bids to buy destitute cities.
Schlaman has created a terrifying page-turner that is all the more frightening because, in light of the Great Recession, no longer seems implausible. He captures the narcissism and all encompassing power of the few who hold the strings, usually while the rest of us live in ignorance of what is going on. At the same time, Fiat is a commentary on the runaway materialism that has taken hold of our society; while we may not be the architects of our financial ruin, we are complicit by virtue of our refusal to see the truth. We have come to expect the big houses, gas-guzzlers, and expensive electronics, without any thought to whether we can really afford them.
What made this book so hard for me to put down was the personal stories of people from all walks of life, in different parts of the country. That, along with the political subplots, made this one of the most suspenseful books I've read in quite some time.
Book Title: American Sycamore
Author: Karen Fielding
ISBN 13: 978-1781721179
Publisher: Seren
Genre: Narrative Novel
Publication Date: March 15, 2014
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It is a rare pleasure to be completely immersed in a book--when a writer is able to engage all five senses so the reader feels like they are truly there. That's what Karen Fielding did when she created the beautiful, tragic world of American Sycamore. It is the story of Alice Sycamore, a young girl coming of age in the rural Pennsylvania of the 1970s, as well as the turmoil of dealing with her mentally ill brother.
Fielding's prose is achingly beautiful, with descriptions of nature so vivid it reminded me of Alice Hoffman. With every page of American Sycamore, I could smell the brackish odor of the Susquehanna River, feel the desolation of walking along it on an icy winter day, and the insects landing on my skin during a hot, sticky summer.
But what I loved most about Fielding's writing is its subtlety. Humor in the face of emotional agony must be used by only the most skilled writers, and even then very carefully, lest it downplays the drama of the story. In Fielding's hands, it gives this drama yet another layer of realism. We see the ignorance of these times through the eyes (and funny, cryptic statements) of Joseph Lightfoot, a Native American who is trivialized by white society but gains wisdom from the ghosts of his ancestors. This also serves as a bit of irony, for Alice's brother, Billy-a manic depressive- also sees things that others cannot. Is Billy completely crazy, or does he also possess a particular brand of supernatural wisdom? While it is most likely the former, it did give me pause. I would be hard-pressed to name many authors--Joyce Carol Oates being one of them--that conveys human emotions and family dysfunctions so simply and so honestly.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
WITS Book Reviews January 2014
Book Title: Dead Burn
Author: Jennifer Chase
ISBN: 978-0982953693
ASIN: B00CICE3YM
Publisher: JEC
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Publication Date: April 2013
Book Length in Pages: 357
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It’s not every day that a writer creates a character powerful enough to drive a novel; when that character is also powerful enough to drive a series, it’s an incredibly rare treat. Jennifer Chase is one of those authors, and Emily Stone, the star of four of her detective novels, is most certainly one of those characters.
Blond and beautiful, Stone has the looks of a swimsuit model, the heart of a vigilante, and a mind sharp enough to outwit the craftiest criminals in California. In her view, the only thing worse than those who prey on women and children is a justice system that lets let them get away with it, and that’s precisely what happens in the case of Timothy Devlin.
Devlin believes himself to be untouchable, and when he is acquitted of a brutal rape, it seems he is right. But Devlin is about to find out that there are things a lot worse than a jail cell. Immediately following the trial, a serial killer starts picking off everyone associated with the case, beginning with Devlin’s crafty and completely unethical attorney. The killer considers himself righteous, purging the world of sinners. He traps his victims, then sets them afire, leaving them burnt to a crisp and investigators baffled.
Emily wants nothing more than to catch the arsonist before he strikes again, but she soon finds herself in another equally desperate situation. GATE, a government anti-terrorist unit, wants her to work for them, and to ensure her compliance they have abducted her partner, Rick. Emily will have to use every weapon in her arsenal, and walk both sides of the law, in order to come out of this one alive.
Whether you are a fan of gory slasher stories or the thinking person’s whodunit, Dead Burn will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is not only an excellent continuation of Stone’s story, but a wonderful stand-alone mystery as well. I promise you this: if you haven’t already read the first three books, you will after reading Dead Burn!
Author: Jennifer Chase
ISBN: 978-0982953693
ASIN: B00CICE3YM
Publisher: JEC
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Publication Date: April 2013
Book Length in Pages: 357
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It’s not every day that a writer creates a character powerful enough to drive a novel; when that character is also powerful enough to drive a series, it’s an incredibly rare treat. Jennifer Chase is one of those authors, and Emily Stone, the star of four of her detective novels, is most certainly one of those characters.
Blond and beautiful, Stone has the looks of a swimsuit model, the heart of a vigilante, and a mind sharp enough to outwit the craftiest criminals in California. In her view, the only thing worse than those who prey on women and children is a justice system that lets let them get away with it, and that’s precisely what happens in the case of Timothy Devlin.
Devlin believes himself to be untouchable, and when he is acquitted of a brutal rape, it seems he is right. But Devlin is about to find out that there are things a lot worse than a jail cell. Immediately following the trial, a serial killer starts picking off everyone associated with the case, beginning with Devlin’s crafty and completely unethical attorney. The killer considers himself righteous, purging the world of sinners. He traps his victims, then sets them afire, leaving them burnt to a crisp and investigators baffled.
Emily wants nothing more than to catch the arsonist before he strikes again, but she soon finds herself in another equally desperate situation. GATE, a government anti-terrorist unit, wants her to work for them, and to ensure her compliance they have abducted her partner, Rick. Emily will have to use every weapon in her arsenal, and walk both sides of the law, in order to come out of this one alive.
Whether you are a fan of gory slasher stories or the thinking person’s whodunit, Dead Burn will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is not only an excellent continuation of Stone’s story, but a wonderful stand-alone mystery as well. I promise you this: if you haven’t already read the first three books, you will after reading Dead Burn!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
WITS Book Reviews December 2013
Book Title: Friending God: A Woman’s Quest through a Social Network
Author: Marsha L. Larsen
ISBN 10: 0989351807
Publisher: Lone Butte Press; First edition
Genre: faith, spirituality
Publication Date: September 30, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 136 pages
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It’s not too often these days that we read a truly unique book—an eye-opener. Of course, this is relative; one person’s eye-opener is another person’s cure for insomnia. I personally found Marsha L. Larsen’s Friending God: A Woman’s Quest Through a Social Network to be the former. It not only taught me about the author and her fascinating journey, it also forced me to take a hard look at my own beliefs.
The book is about Larsen’s desire to know God better. As she states in her introduction, she had been searching for Him for years, but her attempts had “paved a path to a closed door.” I loved this line, for who hasn’t felt this way at one point or another? So, in the interest of paving a new path, she decided to conduct a series of interviews with women from her social network.
She chose a mix of people from various walks of life, geographical areas and, most importantly, belief systems: Buddhism, Catholicism, pantheism, and Protestantism (four different denominations). She also interviewed an atheist—which, in my opinion, demonstrates her commitment to getting different points of view. In other words, she did not engineer her interviews to get answers she wanted. Her most important criterion was that she chose women who she “suspected would have ripened ideas on the subject.” She was serious about learning about her subjects, and about God through them. Of course, she also wound up learning a whole lot about herself, and she is extremely candid about what she found.
What I found is that it’s impossible to read Friending God without learning about your own relationship with God… as well as your relationship with other people, yourself, and life. The interviews allowed me a window into each woman’s life, through the lens of her own spirituality. It forced me to re-examine my life as filtered through my beliefs, which is the first step to embracing those that work and those that are holding me back. She even included her questionnaire at the end—no avoidance allowed!
What I liked and appreciated most about this book (aside from Larsen’s smart yet down-to-earth writing style) was her approach. She conducted each interview with the professionalism of a journalist and the innocent curiosity of a seeker.
Author: Marsha L. Larsen
ISBN 10: 0989351807
Publisher: Lone Butte Press; First edition
Genre: faith, spirituality
Publication Date: September 30, 2013
Book Length in Pages: 136 pages
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
It’s not too often these days that we read a truly unique book—an eye-opener. Of course, this is relative; one person’s eye-opener is another person’s cure for insomnia. I personally found Marsha L. Larsen’s Friending God: A Woman’s Quest Through a Social Network to be the former. It not only taught me about the author and her fascinating journey, it also forced me to take a hard look at my own beliefs.
The book is about Larsen’s desire to know God better. As she states in her introduction, she had been searching for Him for years, but her attempts had “paved a path to a closed door.” I loved this line, for who hasn’t felt this way at one point or another? So, in the interest of paving a new path, she decided to conduct a series of interviews with women from her social network.
She chose a mix of people from various walks of life, geographical areas and, most importantly, belief systems: Buddhism, Catholicism, pantheism, and Protestantism (four different denominations). She also interviewed an atheist—which, in my opinion, demonstrates her commitment to getting different points of view. In other words, she did not engineer her interviews to get answers she wanted. Her most important criterion was that she chose women who she “suspected would have ripened ideas on the subject.” She was serious about learning about her subjects, and about God through them. Of course, she also wound up learning a whole lot about herself, and she is extremely candid about what she found.
What I found is that it’s impossible to read Friending God without learning about your own relationship with God… as well as your relationship with other people, yourself, and life. The interviews allowed me a window into each woman’s life, through the lens of her own spirituality. It forced me to re-examine my life as filtered through my beliefs, which is the first step to embracing those that work and those that are holding me back. She even included her questionnaire at the end—no avoidance allowed!
What I liked and appreciated most about this book (aside from Larsen’s smart yet down-to-earth writing style) was her approach. She conducted each interview with the professionalism of a journalist and the innocent curiosity of a seeker.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
WITS Book Reviews November 2013
Book Title: Echoes in the Universe: A Spiritual Memoir
Author: Leonard Goodwin
Publisher: Create Space (August 19, 2013)
ISBN: 978-1484985564
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Many people spend a lifetime trying to reconcile their spiritual beliefs with the physical world around them. The good things in life, such as family, friends, and prosperity, are easy enough to accept; other things, however, challenge these beliefs and might even make us abandon them altogether. Leonard Goodwin understands the true, overlapping nature of the spiritual and physical worlds, and he shares his deeply personal (and often universal) experiences in Echoes in the Universe: A Spiritual Memoir.
Goodwin’s decision to write his story in poetic form was an excellent one. His finely wrought verses provide beautiful imagery to the progressive march of history, from the dark days of the Great Depression and World War II to the election of America’s first black president. His spiritual experiences, including a near-death experience after a heart attack, flow like a waterfall through the mind, flooding both the conscious and subconscious. Most importantly, though, Goodwin masterfully ties these two worlds together, illuminating for his readers not only his path, but everyone’s. Echoes in the Universe is as “must read.”
Book Title: Transitions: A Nurse’s Education about Life and Death
Author: Becki Hawkins
Publisher: Ladyhawk Publishing (October 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-0984744503
Reviewer: Thomas Hill
Not many people see the world quite like Becki Hawkins. A retired oncology nurse and hospice chaplain, Hawkins has administered to the needs of many who have succumbed to a terminal illness. And yet, through all the emotional ups and downs that come in the professions in which she has worked, she is able to convey messages of hope and inspiration to her patients, her fellow nurses, and to the people who have been touched by the death of a loved one.
Some of these stories are available in her book, Transitions: A Nurse’s Education about Life and Death. Hawkins shares her unique perspective by animating the lives of several of her former patients. There they were, knowing that death was imminent. But, upon making peace with themselves, their families and friends, and their care providers, they offered messages of healing and unconditional love. Transitions is recommended reading for anyone who is caring for a terminally ill loved one, involved in care providing for the elderly or terminally ill, or anyone who seeks meaningful insights about living and dying.
Author: Leonard Goodwin
Publisher: Create Space (August 19, 2013)
ISBN: 978-1484985564
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Many people spend a lifetime trying to reconcile their spiritual beliefs with the physical world around them. The good things in life, such as family, friends, and prosperity, are easy enough to accept; other things, however, challenge these beliefs and might even make us abandon them altogether. Leonard Goodwin understands the true, overlapping nature of the spiritual and physical worlds, and he shares his deeply personal (and often universal) experiences in Echoes in the Universe: A Spiritual Memoir.
Goodwin’s decision to write his story in poetic form was an excellent one. His finely wrought verses provide beautiful imagery to the progressive march of history, from the dark days of the Great Depression and World War II to the election of America’s first black president. His spiritual experiences, including a near-death experience after a heart attack, flow like a waterfall through the mind, flooding both the conscious and subconscious. Most importantly, though, Goodwin masterfully ties these two worlds together, illuminating for his readers not only his path, but everyone’s. Echoes in the Universe is as “must read.”
Book Title: Transitions: A Nurse’s Education about Life and Death
Author: Becki Hawkins
Publisher: Ladyhawk Publishing (October 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-0984744503
Reviewer: Thomas Hill
Not many people see the world quite like Becki Hawkins. A retired oncology nurse and hospice chaplain, Hawkins has administered to the needs of many who have succumbed to a terminal illness. And yet, through all the emotional ups and downs that come in the professions in which she has worked, she is able to convey messages of hope and inspiration to her patients, her fellow nurses, and to the people who have been touched by the death of a loved one.
Some of these stories are available in her book, Transitions: A Nurse’s Education about Life and Death. Hawkins shares her unique perspective by animating the lives of several of her former patients. There they were, knowing that death was imminent. But, upon making peace with themselves, their families and friends, and their care providers, they offered messages of healing and unconditional love. Transitions is recommended reading for anyone who is caring for a terminally ill loved one, involved in care providing for the elderly or terminally ill, or anyone who seeks meaningful insights about living and dying.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
WITS Book Reviews October 2013
Book Title: The Stockholm Octavo
Author: Karen Engelmann
ISBN: 978-0061995347
Publisher: Ecco/Harper-Collins
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 2013
Book Length in Pages: 432 pages
Reviewer: Deborah Wilbrink
PLAYING HER TRUMP: NEW NOVELIST USES TAROT’S HISTORY
Mystery, political intrigue, scandal, culture, and a search for love–all set in 1791 Sweden. Engelmann, who lived in Sweden for eight years, has written a masterful first novel that reeks of reality that could only have been founded on deep research.
Unfolding the story like one of the ornamental fans upon which the plot turns, young Emil Larsson relates how his secretaire job in the Customs House depends upon securing a stabilizing marriage. With no prospects and no family contacts to help, he shares this with his friend, Mrs. Sparrow. Not only does Sparrow preside over a popular house of gaming, she is also a seer. Using a specially developed deck of cards based on Masonic principles of Divine Geometry, Mrs. Sparrow spreads a golden path for Emil. His fate is entwined with eight others found in the spread, including her: The Stockholm Octavo. With Mrs. Sparrow’s ties to Sweden’s controversial king, the Octavo expands. With the intruding background of the French revolution and Sweden’s disempowered nobility, Engelmann entangles her characters in the larger intrigues and trends of the times.
I asked the author about the unusual deck of cards used by her character Mrs. Sparrow. The creation of the cards and spread were synchronous with her writing process. “The Octavo in The Stockholm Octavo is a form of cartomancy that was created for the novel,” says Engelmann, “and came out of the writing process and the research. The early drafts of the book included the concept of eight characters that surrounded and influenced a significant event, and I called this eight the Octavo. But it took me several drafts to discover for myself what the Octavo was and how it worked.
“The early versions involved loads of card games—a primary form of social interaction in Sweden during the period. The narrator, Emil Larsson, frequents the gaming rooms of Mrs. Sparrow. Her character was inspired by a historical figure, Ulrica Arfvidsson, who lived in Stockholm during that period. Ulrica used tea leaves, coffee grounds and cards to predict the future. My research of gaming revealed that using cards as a means of divination was formalized in the late 18th century; the first book on cartomancy was published in 1770 by Jean-Baptiste Alliette (under the pen name Etteilla.) Etteilla used a standard French deck of 32 cards plus one, but also mentioned an Italian deck used for the popular game tarocchi. This deck of 52 plus 22 trump cards was the tool of choice for another Frenchman, Antoine Court de Gèbelin. When his essay on the subject was published in 1781 it began the occult sensation we know as Tarot. It was a perfect method for Mrs. Sparrow and for my book.”
The well-played characters traverse all the social layers of Swedish society from King Gustav III to scullery maid and all between. All of course, seeking betterment, whether by sponsorship of an opera or by making the best rabbit pie to please one’s employer. Love lingers just beyond all the action, waiting to be claimed. Engelmann has written a first novel that dances with elements of mystery, history, romance, and treatise, a genuinely original work that delights, leaving one breathless for more.
Title: Protocol 7
Author: Armen Gharabegian
Publisher: Arctica Studios LLC (January 5, 2013)
ASIN: B00AXD8NHQ
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Have you ever read a book that’s dangerously good? Dangerous in the sense that once you start reading it, everything on your “to-do” list falls to the wayside because all you want to do is find out what happens? Armen Gharabegian’s Protocol 7 is such a book.
Protocol 7 opens in England, 2039. It is a world where artificial intelligence units are as commonplace as smart phones, yet some things have not changed; namely, relying on man’s best friend and a bottle of thirty-year-old Scotch for comfort. At least that’s what Oxford professor Simon Fitzpatrick does when he learns that his father, Oliver, has been killed in Antarctica. But while his beloved Great Dane, Jake, brings Simon some small measure of solace, the drink does nothing to dull the anger. For despite repeated attempts to get information on the circumstances of his father’s death, no one is breathing a word.
That all changes with a ring of the doorbell. When Simon answers, he finds his old friend and current CIA operative, Jonathan Weiss, standing at his door. Underneath his flippant demeanor, Weiss is there to deliver a very serious holographic message…from Oliver Fitzpatrick! At first Simon is thrilled to see his father’s face, but then he realizes that something is…off. His father is acting so cheerful that something must be wrong.
Citing the message as evidence that all is well, Weiss tells Simon to stay put, relax, and wait for his father to contact him directly. But Simon knows that if he waits he will really lose his father forever. Ignoring both Weiss and a UN quarantine on Antarctica, he heads off in search of Oliver, with no idea that he will stumble upon a conspiracy that makes the Da Vinci Code seem trivial.
Gharabegian is a beautiful writer; he has the ability—all too rare these days—to strike a balance between gripping commercial fiction and literary prose. He also manages to depict a technologically believable future while allowing us to hang on to the creature comforts of today.
As I reluctantly turned to the last page of Protocol 7, I was genuinely disappointed that it was over. The good news is that this is only Part 1 of Gharabegian’s Antarctica Trilogy. I have no doubt that Part 2 will be just as destructive to my “to-do” list—and yours as well. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
WITS Book Reviews September 2013
Title: Born to Lose
Author: P. J. Thomas
ISBN: 978-1-4787-0617-5
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com
Genre and Target Market: fiction; crime
Publication Date: 2013
Book Length in Pages: 249
Reviewer: Sarah Moore
I have written my fair share of book reviews over my career in the world of writing and book marketing, but today I will begin my thoughts on the new release Born to Lose by P.J. Thomas in a way that I believe is a first for me. I am offering a disclaimer.
If you are in search for a novel that is written with eloquent prose that immediately strikes you with its artistry, this is not the book for you. Born to Lose is presented in a way that jolts the senses and, if your reaction is similar to mine, makes you uncomfortable. At first you may question the rough style of the sentence structure and the manner in which the characters interact. But, as you become more invested in the story and personalities walking through it, I believe you soon will recognize the author’s incredible skill at creating just the right level of uneasiness with his readers. You are not meant to read this book snuggled into an easy chair with the intention of drifting off to sweet dreams. This book is one of powerful and disturbing grit that comes to life more clearly with every passing chapter.
Born to Lose shares the troubled life of Sammy Lamonte, who reveals in the first two pages that he was given the wrong date of birth on his birth certificate due to drunk inspection by those completing the paperwork and then discovered at an early age that the man he thought was his uncle was really his father. Like the title of the book indicates, Sammy presents such an introduction of himself to lay the groundwork for his lifelong struggle with the intense feeling that he cannot trust his own birthright identity. In order to fill that void, he comes to find refuge at the local soda shop in his hometown of Buffalo amongst friends with nicknames like Louie Scabs and Sneaky Pete. After failed attempts at success in school and then the military, these neighborhood friends become his collaborators in criminal activity that soon drives him into the dark world of mob bosses and hit men.
In Sammy Lamonte, author P.J. Thomas displays great talent in creating a ruthless killer who evokes sympathy and a connection with his loneliness. He parades multiple women into his apartment, sometimes more than one at a time, but never succeeds in winning back the love of the one girlfriend who ever really mattered to him. He shoots police officers and friends and casual bystanders all with the same sense of duty and detachment, but also shows flashes of contempt for his deadly calling. He plans elaborate heists that take months to develop and that employ technology and precision in timing that only a person of strong intellect could pull off. Much as the character Tony Soprano earned his humanity with viewers during those moments in which he exposed his soul to his psychiatrist, Sammy Lamonte becomes a three-dimensional man who proves much deeper than the typical mob caricature.
I am even more impressed with Born to Lose and the violent lifestyle it portrays because this is not the first work by P.J. Thomas that I have had the pleasure to read. Each novel has had a distinct crafting to it, with descriptive phrasing and character dialogue that seem perfectly suited to the environment into which the author wishes to lead his readers. I could not pick up a novel by Thomas and immediately recognize its content as belonging to another by the author. This is an indication to me that Thomas offers great attention to every element of his craft, refining it in each instance to share a specific and unique message.
To claim that I am an expert in mob stories would not be accurate. But in Born to Lose, Thomas took me on a journey with Sammy Lamonte that led me to a greater understanding how a young man can, when presented with a disconcerting home life and a lack of focus or purpose and a group of sidekicks who are ready to embrace the more unsavory side of life with you, turn to a life of crime for acceptance. While written about a young man of two generations ago, Lamonte’s story is one that could be told about teenagers in homes across our country today. It is startling and graphic and makes for a book that sticks in your gut long after you read the troubling end.
Title: First Semester Physics Survival Guide: A Lifeline for the Reluctant Physics Student
Author: Dr. Teman Cooke
Publisher: Three Friendships Company (July 28, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0989320502
ISBN-13: 978-0989320504
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
If someone Googled “reluctant physics student,” the first thing they would see is my picture…at least, that’s what they would have seen before I read Dr. Teman’s Cooke’s, First Semester Physics Survival Guide: A Lifeline for the Reluctant Physics Student. When I was in college, just the thought of those complex equations made me want to run for the nearest Organic Chemistry class. So one can imagine my surprise when, while reading Dr. Cooke’s book, I did not run; nor did I stay and cry and pull my hair out (as I have in the past when dealing with anything involving numbers). Instead, I stayed, I read, and I understood.
Yes, understood. Dr. Cooke does not dive headfirst into the scary equations. Instead, he focuses largely on the concepts behind them, using very accessible examples, not from a laboratory, but from everyday life. The physics became part of a larger picture that I could visualize and learn from contextually. Only then does he ask the student to apply these concepts to problems. By that time, I was no longer scared by the equations; I was curious to work through the problems and see how they played out.
Ultimately, however, the book’s largest success lies in its tone. In a word, hilarious. Can you say you’ve read a physics book that made you laugh out loud? I can. It’s like being in class with that favorite teacher who not only makes you forget you hate the subject, but makes you realize that you actually like it.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
WITS Book Reviews August 2013
Title: Family Can Be Murder
Author: Chris Hammer
Publisher: The Fine Line (May 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-1908825100
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
There’s nothing better than a murder mystery that can keep you guessing and laughing at the same time. Chris Hammer’s new novel, Family Can Be Murder, does just that. This fast-paced thriller is a wonderful combination of family drama, skeletons in the closet, and good, old-fashioned suspense.
Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family secrets, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist.
Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. Jane and Fred return in the second book, due out this fall. Part of the proceeds go to funding Irving House, the organization Hammer founded four years ago for the care of senior and special needs animals. Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, and Kobo, as well as through the Irving House website.
Author: Chris Hammer
Publisher: The Fine Line (May 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-1908825100
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
There’s nothing better than a murder mystery that can keep you guessing and laughing at the same time. Chris Hammer’s new novel, Family Can Be Murder, does just that. This fast-paced thriller is a wonderful combination of family drama, skeletons in the closet, and good, old-fashioned suspense.
Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family secrets, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist.
Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. Jane and Fred return in the second book, due out this fall. Part of the proceeds go to funding Irving House, the organization Hammer founded four years ago for the care of senior and special needs animals. Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, and Kobo, as well as through the Irving House website.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
WITS Book Reviews July 2013
Title: The Ashes of Windsor
Author: Liz Newman
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Publish Date: September 15, 2012
ASIN: B009FBW6WU
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
I have read three of Liz Newman’s books, and I am continuously amazed by her ability to tell such different kinds of stories with the same level of suspense, romance, and intrigue. In Vampire Eden, I was taken to the underbelly of Vegas where the undead run wild; in Eternity Skye, I was taken back to the days following the September 11th attacks, when so many of us were forced to reevaluate what was truly important. The Ashes of Windsor, however, depicts an all too plausible—and all too terrifying—post-apocalyptic world.
By all accounts, Inari Giles has an incredible future ahead of her, one that includes an Ivy League education and a passionate romance with her boyfriend, Peter Huntford. But all of that changes when a nuclear bomb hits New York City and plunges the eastern part of the country into starvation, war, and disease. When Inari learns that Peter has fled the area, she feels as though her will to live went with them. But then her hero returns, along with his family, to rescue her. They take her to one of the few surviving hospitals, where she can recover from her extensive injuries, and she and Peter formulate a plan to escape to Arcadia, a land left untouched by the nuclear fallout. There are conditions to being admitted to this place, and Peter and Inari just might fit the bill—that is, if they make it there alive.
Part Handmaid’s Tale, part Walking Dead, The Ashes of Windsor took me on an emotional roller coaster with every flip of the page. One minute I was laughing at a typical teenage exchange between Peter and Inari; the next, I wanted to cry from heartbreak or cower with fear. Newman has hinted at a sequel (or, hopefully, a series), but it will be a painful wait.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
WITS Book Reviews June 2013
Title: Eternity Skye
Author: Liz Newman
Publisher: Sweet Cravings Publishing
Publish date: April 30, 2013
ISBN: 978-1618856678
Not many authors can write books of different genres with equal skill and realism. Liz Newman is one of them. While her novel Vampire Eden is about Vegas’ supernatural—and often hilarious--underbelly, Eternity Skye is the moving and life-affirming story of a woman’s transformation after the events of 9-11.
Skye Evans lives for her career, and why not? She has worked hard enough to get to the top. As the host of her own news show, Around the Clock with Skye Evans, she has New York City wrapped around her finger. Sure, people think she is tough—even cold--but to her it’s all in a day’s work. Gibbs, her colleague and best friend, is one of the few who really know her.
The morning of September 11, 2001, begins much like any other; however, when the planes hit the Towers, Skye sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She convinces a reluctant Gibbs to go Lower Manhattan to cover the unfolding tragedy, only to suffer an unspeakable loss of her own. Shortly after arriving on the scene, Gibbs suffers a fatal heart attack and Skye is thrown into an abyss of grief and guilt for allowing ambition to blind her to what’s important.
After suffering yet another loss—this time, her father, Skye needs to get away. She travels to Rome to mend her heart, only to find that she’s not the only one haunted by ghosts. As she struggles to recover her equilibrium, Skye learns that she is much more than her work. She may even be someone who deserves love.
Newman’s writing is powerful and haunting, and in Eternity Skye, it reminds us of that one moment that changed our lives forever.
Title: He Only Died Twice
Author: Chris Elgood
Publisher: Chris Elgood
Publish date: December 21, 2011
ISBN: 978-0956894816
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Most of us have heard the saying, “there are no new ideas,” and while one could apply it to several areas of life, it is most associated with storytelling. Perhaps this is because the famous words were uttered by Mark Twain, who despite being one of America’s greatest writers was undoubtedly plagued by moments of doubt. However, like Twain, there are some writers who can take an old idea, then add a personal imprint so powerful that it seems new. Chris Elgood is one of those writers, and his novel, He Only Died Twice, is certainly one of those books.
What sets Elgood apart is his heroine, Nshila Maghrita Ileloka: a respectable and highly educated resident of the UK, a successful businesswoman, and hired assassin who uses a combination of the latest technology and ancient witchcraft from her remote village in Central Africa.
Add to that to a plot with more hairpin turns than an advanced slalom course and you’ve got a winner. He Only Died Twice is a continuation of Nshila’s story, which began with Elgood’s previous novel, Accidental Assassin. In the present case, however, Nshila is commissioned for her most dangerous job yet: the assassination of a member of Parliament. Despite the peril, Nshila accepts, especially since it does not violate her cardinal rule: only kill those who are both “despicable and otherwise untouchable.” Her latest victim, with his penchant for violence, drug dealing and human trafficking, certainly fits that bill. Nshila has little doubt that she will complete her mission. The question is, will she survive?
It is not too often that we see a self-realized female character in contemporary literature, and Nshila is one of the strongest I’ve read since Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander. As I reluctantly turned to the last page, I was already craving more of her adventures. Luckily, I don’t have to wait. Nshila returns in The Eager Apprentice, which is already available for purchase.
Title: Vampire Eden
Author: Liz Newman
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
ASIN: B00B2AFN9U
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Las Vegas can be a tough town. You never know from one day to the next whether you’re going to lose your shirt, or even your life. That’s what happens to Eden Sayers, the reluctant heroine of Liz Newman’s terrifying and funny novel, Vampire Eden.
Eden’s journey to rock bottom has been slow and agonizing: from the co-dependent girlfriend of Kevin, an abusive loser, to “exotic dancer” and soon-to-be stripper. She doesn’t want to turn tricks, but with Kevin chronically ill and the bills piling up, she needs a way to make cash fast. She considers herself lucky when her first “john” is a handsome guy named Patrick. But it’s Patrick’s eleven-hundred-dollar casino chip that convinces her to follow him into the dark Vegas alley. As it turns out, Eden’s luck with paying customers isn’t so good either. Patrick’s sole purpose is to deliver Eden to a group of female vampires. Eden is supposed to be their meal, but she convinces Aoleon, the beautiful and evil ringleader, to turn her into a vampire instead.
There are some things about becoming a vampire that are appealing to Eden—it will solve that pesky aging problem. As soon as Aoleon’s venom enters her bloodstream, she is once more in the full bloom of youth. On the other hand, she must deliver fresh victims to Aoelon or face an agonizing death. As if that isn’t enough, the super-secret Paranormal Investigations department of the CIA will throw her in jail—for eternity—if she doesn’t help them bring Aoleon down. Eden learns that whether you’re alive or undead, the world can be a real drag.
Part Ann Rice part Christopher Moore, Vampire Eden will scare you to death one minute and make you laugh out loud the next.
Title: Another Time, Another Place
Author: Mary Verdick
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Date Published: April 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-1481719322
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Most of us have faced crushing disappointment at one time or another—a dream unfulfilled or a lover that broke our heart. We mourn the loss, not only of the dream or the lover, but of the plan we had made for our lives. The uncertainty of where to go from there is the hardest part; sometimes, however, it is when we step out of this uncertainty that the really good stuff happens. Mary Verdick reminds us of this in her wonderful novel, Another Time, Another Place.
When Phoebe Fox’s lifelong dream of being a professional dancer goes down the drain, she’s desperate to escape the pain. So desperate, in fact, that when her Great-Aunt Weezy asks Phoebe to join her on a road trip from Santa Fe to Denver, she jumps at the chance. When she boards the plane that will take her from Connecticut to New Mexico, she is expecting a week of dull conversation and early bird specials. She couldn’t be more wrong.
Weezy is a dynamo—brimming with the energy of the young while embracing the wisdom of her seventy years. Yet she too has faced devastating loss as a young woman, when the love of her life disappeared during WWII. As she and Phoebe drive over the dusty roads of the American Southwest, Weezy shares her story with her niece. Phoebe finds she is anything but bored, and she learns that she and her great-aunt have a great deal in common. Along the way, she falls for kind-hearted and gorgeous Cody Moon, and he for her. When circumstances seem once again to be stacked against her, it is Weezy that helps Phoebe through. Will she reunite the young couple as well?
Mary Verdick’s beautiful imagery takes on a journey of the imagination and the heart. Whether you are looking for romance, mystery, or a reason to dream, Another Time, Another Place is the perfect choice.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
WITS Book Reviews May 2013
Title: A New View of an Old Horizon
Author: Dena M. Bedsole
Publisher: Dena M. Bedsole
Publish Date: March 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-615-75979-1
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
A New View of an Old Horizon is a heartbreaking memoir of a family’s love, faith, and determination in the face of tragedy. It is also a daughter’s story of finding her own inner strength after she is thrust into the role of caregiver to her parents.
To Dena Bedsole, family has always been everything. Growing up in a small town near Birmingham, Alabama, her home was filled with love and laughter, the core of which was the relationship between her parents, Eddie and Edna Mae. Her father—called “Crazy Eddie” by his friends – was known for his zany sense of humor and his fierce loyalty to those he loved. He was also Dena’s champion, cheerleader and trusted counselor.
In college, Dena chose to follow her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse, and by the time she reached her early thirties, life was pretty close to perfect. She had married a wonderful man, had two beautiful kids and a successful career as a nurse anesthetist. But when her beloved father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her family is thrown into a year-long nightmare of surgeries, chemotherapy and paralyzing fear. Suddenly Dena finds herself balancing several roles: wife, mother, nurse, and support system to her parents.
As Dena struggles to hold it together, she finds that with God’s love she can survive the loss of her dad and emerge even stronger than before. Now called to help other families affected by cancer, Dena wrote A New View of an Old Horizon to “bring comfort and light of a higher power to those who are lost in their own darkness.”
A New View of an Old Horizon is available on Amazon. For additional information on Dena’s work to fight pancreatic cancer, please email her at dmbedsole@bellsouth.net or check out the book’s Facebook page.
Author: Dena M. Bedsole
Publisher: Dena M. Bedsole
Publish Date: March 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-615-75979-1
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
A New View of an Old Horizon is a heartbreaking memoir of a family’s love, faith, and determination in the face of tragedy. It is also a daughter’s story of finding her own inner strength after she is thrust into the role of caregiver to her parents.
To Dena Bedsole, family has always been everything. Growing up in a small town near Birmingham, Alabama, her home was filled with love and laughter, the core of which was the relationship between her parents, Eddie and Edna Mae. Her father—called “Crazy Eddie” by his friends – was known for his zany sense of humor and his fierce loyalty to those he loved. He was also Dena’s champion, cheerleader and trusted counselor.
In college, Dena chose to follow her mother’s footsteps and become a nurse, and by the time she reached her early thirties, life was pretty close to perfect. She had married a wonderful man, had two beautiful kids and a successful career as a nurse anesthetist. But when her beloved father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her family is thrown into a year-long nightmare of surgeries, chemotherapy and paralyzing fear. Suddenly Dena finds herself balancing several roles: wife, mother, nurse, and support system to her parents.
As Dena struggles to hold it together, she finds that with God’s love she can survive the loss of her dad and emerge even stronger than before. Now called to help other families affected by cancer, Dena wrote A New View of an Old Horizon to “bring comfort and light of a higher power to those who are lost in their own darkness.”
A New View of an Old Horizon is available on Amazon. For additional information on Dena’s work to fight pancreatic cancer, please email her at dmbedsole@bellsouth.net or check out the book’s Facebook page.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
WITS Book Reviews February 2013
Title: Shudderville Part Four
Author: Mia Zabrisky
Publisher Mia Zabrisky Books (December 14, 2012)
ASIN: B00A62ZXTU
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
As I read the first three installments of Mia Zabrisky’s Shudderville series, there was one main question in my mind: just who is Tobias Mandelbaum? Is he a sorcerer gone bad, or the devil himself?
Shudderville Part Four answers that question, at least in part, with the story of Mandelbaum himself. Like his victims, he too was once idealistic and hopelessly in love. Once, he too had a wish and its fulfillment cost him all he held dear. Twisted and bitter, he has destroyed countless lives, seemingly for no other reason than his own pleasure. But as we learn in Part Four, there is indeed a method to his madness. Now his plans are being threatened by Sophie McKnight, the young mother whose life he ruined in Part One. Of the long list of people who want revenge on Tobias, and the even longer list of those who simply want to “undo” the wish he granted them, Sophie is the only one willing to go the ends of the earth to bring him down. She pursues him relentlessly, only to find that she and Mandelbaum have more in common than she ever could have imagined.
Zabrisky’s skill as a storyteller is never as apparent as it is in Shudderville Part Four. The showdown between Mandelbaum and Sophie is subtle, powerful and as a sensitive as a landmine. Each goes to lengths previously unimaginable, and we are again reminded that so much of our behavior is driven by circumstance. It is this view into the darkness of the desperate heart that makes Zabrisky’s work truly terrifying.
Author: Mia Zabrisky
Publisher Mia Zabrisky Books (December 14, 2012)
ASIN: B00A62ZXTU
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
As I read the first three installments of Mia Zabrisky’s Shudderville series, there was one main question in my mind: just who is Tobias Mandelbaum? Is he a sorcerer gone bad, or the devil himself?
Shudderville Part Four answers that question, at least in part, with the story of Mandelbaum himself. Like his victims, he too was once idealistic and hopelessly in love. Once, he too had a wish and its fulfillment cost him all he held dear. Twisted and bitter, he has destroyed countless lives, seemingly for no other reason than his own pleasure. But as we learn in Part Four, there is indeed a method to his madness. Now his plans are being threatened by Sophie McKnight, the young mother whose life he ruined in Part One. Of the long list of people who want revenge on Tobias, and the even longer list of those who simply want to “undo” the wish he granted them, Sophie is the only one willing to go the ends of the earth to bring him down. She pursues him relentlessly, only to find that she and Mandelbaum have more in common than she ever could have imagined.
Zabrisky’s skill as a storyteller is never as apparent as it is in Shudderville Part Four. The showdown between Mandelbaum and Sophie is subtle, powerful and as a sensitive as a landmine. Each goes to lengths previously unimaginable, and we are again reminded that so much of our behavior is driven by circumstance. It is this view into the darkness of the desperate heart that makes Zabrisky’s work truly terrifying.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
WITS Book with a View January 2013
Book Title: Shadows over Sheradan
Author: Scott Barker
ISBN: 978-1-4653-5007-7
Publisher: Xlibris
Genre: fantasy, adventure
Publication Date: 2012
Book Length in Pages: 508
Reviewer: Sarah Moore
I am going to begin this book review with an admission. I am not well-versed in the genre of fantasy/adventure. I do, however, have a great appreciation for strong characters and compelling storylines, and I can get wrapped up in a novel regardless of its literary category if I enjoy the writing. I share all of this because I hope it makes my thoughts on Shadows over Sheradan, the new release by Scott Barker, more meaningful to other readers who, like me, do not bring an extensive home library of fantasy books into consideration when determining their next book selection. Barker has crafted an epic three-part novel that led me to develop emotional investment in the outcome and have one of those experiences in which you tell yourself “just one more chapter” before finally compelling yourself to bed.
Shadows over Sheradan tells the story of Prince Trigarius’ pursuit of the dark Izzasha the Betrayer through the moons and rings surrounding the planet Zalaghorn, and the physical landscapes that Barker describes with a rich effect. Trigarius is joined on his journey by a crew of loyal and talented individuals who hold their leader in the highest regard, along with one reluctant passenger whose mysterious presence and powers lend some great layers to the plot. As Prince Trigarius’ charge is revealed in more detail and readers follow him on his quest, the pages bring forth the joining of forces with another crew through tragic circumstance, battle scenes that will make your heart race, moments of romance both new and rekindled, and, undergirding it all, a testament to the importance and power of true friendship.
Being a three-part novel of approximately 500 pages, and already admitting to my own lack of fantasy reading experience, I readily share that Barker does his own masterful job of revealing the story. Readers will be doing themselves a service by allowing the author to draw them in with his talent rather than settling for my synopsis of a complex story to which I cannot do justice in limited type. Instead, I will share, as the purpose of encouraging your contact with this book, that Barker has developed characters that are relatable, sympathetic, and engaging. He has taken the emotions found in a friendship or that a humble servant feels for his leader, feelings to which most of us can relate in our everyday lives, and placed them seamlessly into a fantasy environment found in dreams. He has crafted good guys and bad guys, but done so in ways that capture the flaws and humanity on both sides.
Perhaps most importantly, it is apparent on every page that Shadows over Sheradan is a work of passion for Barker. Each detail is carefully constructed so that readers will get a true sense of the oppressive weight of dread as the shadow creatures are unleashed to engage in their final battle. The detail-oriented nature of Barker’s writing will allow readers to close their eyes and visualize Prince Trigarius standing at the helm of his ship or shiver as the brave crew members set out on a frozen land in search for their lost comrades. Barker includes maps and illustrations that, instead of removing the need for one’s own imagination, stoke it. As Barker is asking you to step into a new world with his writing, a glossary of terms is provided as well.
If you like to read novels that are smart, detailed, and engage your senses, then consider adding Shadows over Sheradan to your collection. Whether you never have read an adventure novel of this type before or you already claim dozens of such fantasy novels on your list of favorites, I have confidence that you will enjoy this new work by Scott Barker and reach the back cover eager to read more.
Title: Shudderville Part Three
Author: Mia Zabriskie
Publisher: Mia Zabrisky Books (December 16, 2012)
ASIN: B00A55P258
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Mia Zabriskie’s Shudderville Part I left me feeling as if I had been dangled over the edge of a great cliff (hanger). As I read the last line, I quickly moved to flip the page of my Kindle, but there was nothing. How would I find out what happened to Sophie McKnight, or learn the true identity of Tobias Mandelbaum?
Despite my disappointment, I decided to move on to Part II. After all, we’re not supposed to know how every story ends…right? You only have to read my review of Part II to see that I was just as enthralled by that very different but equally terrifying tale. Still, Tobias Mandelbaum lingered in the back of my mind.
Luckily for me, Mia Zabriskie is not one to leave her readers hanging (at least, not for long). Shudderville Part III picks up where Part I left off. Tobias Mandelbaum, the mysterious old man that grants wishes and steal souls, has returned. His latest victim is Cassie, Sophie McKnight’s best friend and—as it turns out—her betrayer as well. For no one, it seems, is able to resist Mandelbaum’s dangling carrot.
As in Parts I and II, Shudderville Part III explores the polarities hidden in the human psyche—good vs. evil, love vs. hate, and condemnation vs. redemption. But here Zabriskie underscores another theme: the truly terrifying consequences of wishing for “true love.” Be careful what you wish for.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Book with a View December 2012
Title: Shudderville Part Two
Author: Mia Zabriskie
Publisher: August 30, 2012
ASIN: B005YFBQYA
Reviewed by Dana Micheli
When I reviewed Part 1 of Mia Zabrisky’s Shudderville series, I stated in my review that I would never again underestimate her as a master storyteller. That said, when I read the second installment of Shudderville, I was once again struck by Zabrisky’s ability to delve, not only into the wickedness of the human mind, but into the battle between good and evil that rages---to varying degrees—within each of us.
Set in the turbulent Vietnam War era, Part 2 is the story of serial killer Leonard Sipes. Part Jack Kerouac, part Hannibal Lechter, Sipes travels across a divided America, preying on its most vulnerable citizens. With his average looks and Ted Bundy charm, Sipes insinuates himself into the lives of his victims, then moves in for the kill to achieve power, purpose, and enjoyment. He is pure, unadulterated evil, yet like many serial killers, he possesses a strange moral code known only to himself. When he rents a room in the home of a mysterious widow and her children, Sipes vows to do the ‘right thing’; however he will soon learn there are forces in world even he can’t control.
While I couldn’t bring myself to pity Sipes, his backstory certainly gave me pause. If things had been different, would he have used his intelligence, charisma and adaptability to achieve success? Or would he have simply become a different kind of monster? It is these deeper questions that separate Zabrisky’s work from run-of-the-mill horror.
The time period and characters of Shudderville Part 2 are completely different than Part I; so is the voice and the mood. They are equally as terrifying, however, and only a writer with Zabrisky’s skill and versatility could create two such separate yet finely drawn universes.
Title: The Summer called Angel: A Story of Hope on the Journey through Prematurity
Author: Sola Olu
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 7, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1460932676
ISBN-13: 978-1460932674
Reviewed by Dana Micheli
Women who are expecting a baby understand that they will undergo enormous changes, physically and emotionally. They also know that once the baby arrives, the dynamics of their daily routine will change, probably forever. What they are not prepared for is a life and death battle that begins in the womb and continues well into the child’s first months—even years – of life. Sola Olu’s new book, The Summer Called Angel chronicles the incredible story of two pregnancies that ended in premature delivery and the lengths she and her husband went through to save their children.
Sola was a busy graduate student when she learned she was expecting her first child. She and her husband were overjoyed about this wonderful addition to their already happy, and hectic, lives. Sola had been feeling a little extra tired, but when she arrived one afternoon at her doctor’s office for a “routine” visit, she was sure it was ‘nothing a good nap couldn’t cure’. She couldn’t have been more wrong. The doctor, concerned about certain markers in Sola’s blood, sent her for further tests, and the results were terrifying: Sola had preeclampsia and was dangerously close to delivering long before the due date. Suddenly, her life, so full with a myriad of concerns about school and other daily-to-day matters, was immediately distilled to one: ensuring her baby survived.
One of the reasons The Summer Called Angel is so powerful is that it began as her private journal, infused with raw emotion and containing real time descriptions of the pregnancies and post-birth complications. It also details the procedures being done to correct these complications, including risky and invasive surgeries.
The Summer Called Angel is an honest account of the vulnerabilities, strengths, weaknesses, faith and doubt as well as other conflicting emotions that parents of preemies sometimes go through. It is intended to help others navigating their own journey of worry, fear and hope when dealing with complications arising from childbirth, and it fulfills this mission tenfold. It provides not only a wealth of invaluable information, but also inspiration. When reading it, one literally feels like Sola is there, holding your hand and telling you that there is nothing more important than faith in God and the love for your child. The Summer Called Angel is a must-read for all parents.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Book with a View November 2012
Title: Family Likeness
Author: Dr. Wilson Awasu
Pages: 96
ISBN: 978-1-4327-7915-3
Genre: religion, Christian education
Published: Outskirts Press, 2012
Reviewer: Sarah Moore
I will start this review by offering a disclaimer. I sat down to read Family Likeness already a fan of Dr. Awasu’s work and the way in which he reaches out to his reading audience with an approach that is personal and inviting. I have had the pleasure of reading two of his previously published books, Kim’s Confessions and Kathy’s Good News, and both of them share emotion without filters so much that you feel as if you have stolen someone’s journal. But, as is also the case in the new release Family Likeness, the real intent of Dr. Awasu’s approach is to show readers the commonality we all have in our doubts and hopes when it comes to exploring notions of prayer, faith, and a connection to something greater than ourselves. Whether we have been sitting in a wooden pew every Sunday morning since childhood or we question if any higher power exists, the desire to understand our spiritual selves is there.
To be fair, Family Likeness is a book primarily designed for readers who accept the Bible as fact and who use the words of this holy book to guide their daily decisions and worship. Dr. Awasu encourages Christian believers by documenting numerous stories from the Bible and placing them against similar experiences held by people he has encountered in his many years of teaching and working in missions. From the struggle of Abraham and Sarah to have a child to Jesus’ disobedience toward his parents as a adolescent to God’s own struggles with prayer while in human form, Awasu selects relevant examples of issues over which we still worry in modern society and offers insight on how to approach these concerns in ways that line up with how Christians are taught to live. And, the stories that Awasu shares are breathtakingly powerful, including his conversations with a rape victim, a drug addict, and a man simply searching for his life’s purpose. He shows us that as family of believers, Christians are called to live with expectations no different than their brothers and sisters whose lives were on display in the Bible.
It must be said, though, that Family Likeness should not be pigeonholed as a self-help book for Christians. Whenever I am reading a book about theology, whether it claims Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, or another belief system as its subject, I want to see that the text is strongly sourced. Go back to the writings that are holy to each of these groups and show me how your assertions line up with the specific philosophy. If an author wants to make the case that Islam is the most progressive religion for women, then I will want to read multiple passages from the Koran that support this perspective. And, in Family Likeness, Awasu makes Scripture his foundation. You rarely read more than a sentence or two before the author references a chapter and verse to corroborate his thoughts. So, even if you approach Awasu’s work as an academic and not as someone who necessarily embraces the theology, you will find rich content for reflection. And, perhaps allow yourself to open to a “heart encounter,” as Awasu hopes.
Family Likeness drives home the idea that what we face in our supposedly ordinary lives is not all that different from what the characters in the Bible encountered. We can use the Scripture as lessons upon which to model our own reactions to circumstances. In this new release, Dr. Awasu has created both yet another intimate exploration of emotion in life’s more personal moments as well as a great series of historical parallels to review and see through our individual lens. If you want to read a book written by an educated man who brings passion, knowledge, and a wealth of experience to each page, and if you crave more insight into your own spiritual walk, Family Likeness is a book to add to your collection.
Title: Shudderville, Part I
Author: Mia Zabrisky
Publisher: Mia Zabrisky Books
Publication Date: August 30, 2012
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
When I picked up the first installment of Mia Zabrisky’s Shudderville series, I fully expected a good read; after all, it had an intriguing name and an even more intriguing plot. However, I didn’t expect to be completely blown away. That was my mistake, and one I won’t be making again where Zabrisky’s concerned. Shudderville provides a glimpse into the darkness of the human spirit that’s eerily reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe. I apologize for the cliché, but it literally sent chills up my spine.
Since the tragic death of her beloved daughter, Sophie McKnight’s life has descended into a hellish blur of agony-filled days and alcohol-soaked nights. She has no social life to speak of; just her best friend Cassie and half-hearted fantasies about the odd next door neighbor Sophie knows as the “goateed man”.
Cassie also has another neighbor, the elderly, frail Tobias Mandelbaum. Mandelbaum seems harmless enough, but Sophie soon learns he is no ordinary man, for he knows details about Sophie’s past that she has never told a living soul. He also claims to have the ability to make any wish come true. When he first asks Sophie to make a request, she thinks the old man is crazy. But then she starts to wonder: what if he’s telling the truth? What if she can have the one thing she so desperately wants? Ignoring the goateed man’s warning to stay away from Mandelbaum, Sophie makes her wish and learns that one cannot bargain with evil without paying a terrible price.
Shudderville is a subtle yet profound story that will leave even diehard thriller fans open-mouthed and hungry for more. It also places Zabrisky in a small, elite group of literary suspense writers.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Book with a View October 2012
Title: The Door is Open
Author: Andrew Cort
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 19, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1477461242
Reviewer: Yvonne Perry
Happiness is to Be Found in the Perfection of the Soul
Before we are willing to really change and make the decision to begin our spiritual path in earnest, we have to reach the end of our own rope, which usually means suffering from the consequences of our futile pursuits of material (external) pleasures. This misery comes as a result of seeking happiness outside of union with the divine spirit within us.
As Andrew Cort writes, “We have to reach a point psychologically where we realize there is nowhere left to go.”
And this event is what causes one to begin to personally awaken. For if one does not know he is asleep (spiritually unconscious), he will make no effort to awaken. I know of very few people who have come to an awakened perspective of life without having gone through a dark night of the soul.
Spiritual attainment begins with thinking in a different way and allowing the light of consciousness to enter the dark, negative qualities of our mind and emotions. This is what it means to “know thyself.” Unless our mind and attitude change nothing else in the world will change.
With a great discussion on the sacred feminine aspect of the divine, Cort shows how the human soul has been shattered and must be put back together again by getting the three parts of the soul (mind, emotions, body) back into proper order (chain of command) and alignment. Using the analogy of the captain of a ship being drugged by his crew who want to take over the helm, he describes how our minds have been taken over by our emotions. Purifying the emotions and learning to manage mental energy and physical desires is part of the process of arousing the captain or mind.
I like the way the author uses mythology and the story of Demeter and Persephone to compare our descent into the underworld (third dimension). And, at the end of each chapter, the author offers actions and exercises that encourage the reader to look within by asking questions such as “Are you angry with God? If so, tell him/her. Don’t be afraid s/he’ll be angry or offended. S/He can take it.”
Not many religions will encourage you to do that!
The book is an enjoyable and great read with beautiful allegories that help one understand the need to awaken.
Title: The P.I.G. Mantras: How a working girl deals with five bosses in the corporate world of Silicon Valley
Author: Romina Wilcox
Publisher: Outskirts Press (August 22, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1432792903
ISBN-13: 978-1432792909
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
I’m always thrilled—and a bit surprised--when an author I love can successfully step outside their genre comfort zone. After all, it is such a daunting challenge that most novelists don’t even attempt it (or, if they do, they don’t show it to anyone!). In the case of Romina Wilcox, however, it came as no surprise. With her new novel, The P.I.G. Mantras, Wilcox makes the seamless transition from murder and mayhem to the equally cutthroat world of the modern-day job seeker.
Maite Etcheneasses Burns is determined to make it to the top of the corporate ladder, and she has the smarts to do it. The problem is, she doesn’t have any of the “official credentials” employers are looking for. The P.I.G. Mantras chronicles her attempts to get ahead despite crippling self-doubt and a series of “suits” who seem determined to keep her in her place. Along the way, she is guided by the wisdom of everyone from Oprah to Nancy Regan, Eleanor Roosevelt to Pope John Paul.
Maite is quite a departure from the cool, self-possessed genius of Joanne Gravtiz (the star of Wilcox’s cybercrime novels); however she is just as powerful a heroine. If Gravitz’s story is about a successful female executive navigating a man’s world, Maite’s is the story of how one gets there: with guts, ingenuity, and a refusal to accept the status quo. Wilcox does stick home in one respect: geography. All of her novels take place in the trenches of Silicon Valley, of which Wilcox is a longtime veteran.
Although The P.I.G. Mantras could be classified as a “woman’s novel”, it speaks to anyone—man or woman—trying to reinvent themselves in this difficult job market. Who among us has not been tortured by a nasty, narcissistic, or neurotic boss (or all of the above)? With the tight prose that has become her trademark, Wilcox delivers a powerful message of inspiration, faith, and perseverance. The best part is that we get to laugh as we learn the lessons.
Title: C’est la Vie: A Collection of Poems and Song Lyrics
Author: Mr. King Cage
Publisher: CreateSpace (April 9, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1470105187
ISBN-13: 978-1470105181
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Poetry gives us a unique insight into the soul of its creator, and I found this to be especially true of King Cage’s collection of poems and song lyrics, C’est la Vie. The book chronicles Cage’s eclectic experiences across the globe, and as I read it I felt like I was travelling right along with him. With the turn of every page I was able to jump into an entirely new world; each with its own sights, smells, emotions, and energy.
One minute I was in Amsterdam, with “Another cup of coffee, another cigarette. One more day gone by and I ain’t seen daylight yet.” The next minute, I felt the loneliness and despair when, “I retreat to my room. It imparts the security of a mother’s womb. I sit here in my tomb.”
Cage has lived about five lives in one--including that of a world-traveling engineer and a passionate conservationist—and they all show up in his work. But more than anything, he is a seeker of life’s answers. “Or shall I numbers crunch; the time clock punch. Work the assembly line, or perhaps listen to John Prine.” By sharing pieces of his own life, King Cage has made it possible to us to escape our own. And that, in my opinion, makes it a must-read.
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