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MBR Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 2 February 2003 Home | MBW Index

Table of Contents

Kaveny's Bookshelf Laurel's Bookshelf Shirley's Bookshelf

Shelley's Bookshelf Cindy Penn's Bookshelf Klausner's Bookshelf

Donovan's Bookshelf

Kaveny's Bookshelf
Confessions of an Evangelical Book Peddler and Literary Critic.

Get out your tiny violins folks along with your super king size box of Kleenex extra-strength tissue. Because, I am about to tell about the saddest story you have ever heard. It's about person who is about to retire on a very handsome pension. She is a baby boomer three or four years younger than myself, but a lot different in many, many ways. I am a war baby born in 1944 which puts me in the trough right before the boomer wave starts to crest, I got to the retirement funds and just about everything else just a little bit before the boomers -- while there is still something left in them.

Well in any case I was trying evangelize my friend about books. This is just part of my character and what I am. I do this with just about everybody I meet. As a matter of fact I once told a monk I met at Medieval Studies Conference in Michigan that when I meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gates I would probably try to sell him a book. This is how I operate. When I make a new friend I try to find out something about their interests in order to suggest a book that might interest them, and then try to get it for them if I can. Perhaps I am a bit like a "hands-on" shoe salesman. But she stonewalled me by saying the bookshelves in her house are full so she will never buy any more books, nor would she take any if they were ever given to her. I walked out of her office with a sense of sadness and defeat, which weighed heavily upon me. I knew I had met my match and I would not be back -- at least for a while.

To some of you, of course, that would not seem like a profoundly sad story, but to me it seemed positively pathetic. Just think what it means to not have room in one's life for any more books. To never own another book, to never read another book, to never read new book, to never hold a booksale. Wow this seems almost Un-American!

Did you know that for example that Henry Knox was George Washington's youngest Revolutionary War General at age twenty-five. Knox was a self-educated Boston Bookseller, who according to my sources was also a Quaker who weighed nearly 300 pounds.

Did you know that late in his life when he was strapped for funds, Thomas Jefferson sold his entire library to the United States Congress -- only to use that same money to buy more books. For the record of course we all know that it was Thomas Jefferson's personal library became the origins of the Library of Congress. I must add that John F. Kennedy once proposed a toast at a White House Dinner his wife Jackie held for selecte members of the nation's intelligencia that went something like this. "Only once in the Nation's history have more brains been gathered in one room for a White House Dinner. That was one hundred and sixty years ago when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

That was the point where I had a religious experience in which I defined what I am and what I believe. My vocation is book reviewing; book writing; book searching; book finding; and, of course, book peddling. This vocation of mine also includes book giving to individuals, and book donating to organizations. What this means is that I think books are wonderful and meant to be shared. The great ones should be celebrated; the pompous one brought to task, and the pernicious ones (Like "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler Hardcover: Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co; (September 15, 1998) ISBN: 0395951054 hardcover edition price $35.00 and available on Amazon), should stay in print so that they may be brought out in the blazing noonday sun for democratic public scrutiny.

I will mention a few of them -- and note that all books I mention are in print and currently available on Amazon. You might find it strange that a small independent book peddler like myself would be saying good things about Amazon. I think they are one of the best things that has happened to book selling in the last Century. Besides, our family motto has always been if you can't beat them, join them. But I do digress.

When I find a really important book or writer I become evangelical in my approach to them. That is to say I want spread the word to everyone. Some books are so compelling that they force you to re-align your mind, jump-start your brain, and reformat your stereotypes.

What follows are handful or so of books that forced me to change my way of thinking. For example, when I read Susan Browmiller's "Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape" (Paperback: 472 pages ISBN: 0449908208, Fawcett Books; Reprint edition (June 1993) copyright 1975 $10.50) in 1975, I was so moved by it that I did a community radio production on it. This in turn lead me to a four-year career in community radio-based book reviewing. The reason for this was that Susan Browmiller had converted me(formerly a very resistant reader) to her major thesis through her painstaking scholarship. I now believe that rape more than anything has been historically constructed as a crime against patriarchal property. Further, at least in the west by our judicial and political systems, rape was often used as an instrument of patriarchal hegemonic control.

Fiction can have that same belief altering effect. For example When I read Sylvia Path's "The Bell Jar" (Paperback: 288 pages ; Reprinted: Perennial, January 2000, ISBN: 0060930187, price $10.36), I did not expect to find myself feeling anything in common with her, but I was wrong. After I read "The Bell Jar" I felt and still feel a kind of spiritual kinship with Sylvia Path which was truly chilling. Sylvia Plath has been getting a bad rap for the last forty years since her suicide. She is usually characterized a talented but psychotic poet whose. I believe that her work has been too much separated from the fascinating aspects of her life. I further believe that much of the terror in her life was a result of her been forced to live her life in search of the praise of others. Parts of "The Bell Jar" in a strange and chilling way resonate with the experience of the majority of college and professional athletes in the sense that Sylvia Plath's entire being was groomed to perform and please others.

"Soul On Ice" by Eldridge Cleaver (1968 Paperback - February 1999, Paperback: 224 pages, Dimensions (in inches): 0.69 x 8.02 x 5.30, publisher: Delta, February 1999, reprint ISBN: 038533379X, price $11.16), was a terrifying book written by a black convict who created the identity of the black "Super Masculine Menial", stereotype which defined many of the mid-20th century White attitudes towards race issues.

Less you think that every important book in my life was read a third of a Century ago, let me at least mention another item I am working which may lead me into a fascinating area of scholarship. You won't see the completed review for a couple of months but at least I want to mention, "Ordering Women's Lives: Penitential and Nunnery Rules in the Early Medieval Westby" by Julie Ann Smith (Hardcover: 246 pages Publisher: Ashgate Publishing Company; December 2001, ISBN: 1859282385, price $76.00). This book is a fascinating piece of painstakingly accurate scholarship. Yet at the same time this is a very readable and accessible book well suited to the educated non-specialist general reader. From a seemly narrow focus Julie Ann Smith address broad questions that span a 2000-year historical period. The thing that Smith does the best is she moves church history from a series of philosophical abstractions to working system. A system which has effected western life since the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine in the first third of the Fourth Century AD to Christianity right up to the present moment.

Okay, well I suppose some of my readers remembering the experience of some the tele-evangelists in the last few decades will say that I am in this just for the money. My answer to this is as follows. About a year ago at this time I was rooked out of a half million-dollar inheritance because I refused to shave my beard off for my beloved Aunt Cleo Sammis. So when she died at the age of 88, I got her books rather than her house and money. Looking back at it things may have worked out for the best. Had I got the money I would have just expanded my level of book peddling until all her money (and mine) was gone.

Perhaps some of you who are reading this are depressed by the idea of the "death of the book". At this point I turn to Mark Twain who said, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." I think that is the case with books also. I believe that books and people are alive and well as long as people talk about them, and write about them. Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" is one of the best books about books censorship and ideas. It was written in 1952. (Mass Market Paperback: 179 pages, Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reissue edition, February 1995, ISBN: 0345342968, Price $6.99). It is about a near future world in which books are banned and is told from the viewpoint of a fireman whose job it is to burn books. He becomes converted to books and helps to save what he set out to destroy. He moves into a world in which people who love books become books by memorizing them and passing them on to others orally

I am lucky enough to have a friend of a lifetime who has a great gift which he is not the least bit self conscious about. He becomes which he reads. When Bob finds something interesting that moves him, he passes it on be it a poem, a passage, or an entire book. He passes it on as if it has become a part of himself. We don't always agree (strangely enough Bob is more of a formalist than myself), and he would argue that I let far too much of my work out before it is truly finished.

His name is Robert E. Mckienan JR, and I have known him over forty-five years. Bob is 58 years and is a father and grandfather. Bob and I spend about four hours a week on the telephone since we live about 250 miles from each other and have a lot to talk about. Bob is a Giant of a man, half way through a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in film. Bob is about to switch into an English program after a seventeen year hiatus from graduate school. As yet he just does not know it is about to happen, but I know he is on his way. During the hiatus Bob spent almost ten years a caregiver for his late wife, then back to bus driving for almost ten years. Bob drove bus on route which cut right through all of the class and ethnic boundaries in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from Shorewood and White Folks Bay, all the way through the inner city communities. I rode with Bob around his bus route one night when I visited him fourteen months ago. As I rode the neighborhoods changed and Bob and I became the only white people on the bus. Bob drove that route for several years and it gave him knowledge of race relations and co-operation, which one could never get in a classroom.

A personal accident forced him to retire from bus driving last April. But Bob, practically against all odds, is recovering from it. Through all of this Bob gives others the gift of books by becoming them as he reads them to his dear friends including Allison, his Daughter Julie, his granddaughter, myself , and many others. In a way I owe some of my status as a literary critic to Bob. Because, thirty years ago Bob turned me on to Kurt Vonnegut when he read sections of Vonneguts least understood novel "The Sirens of Titan". (Dell 1959, Paperback, October 1998 reissue, Delta, October 1998, ISBN: 0385333498, Price: $10.36). Thirty-three years later I review secondary works of academic criticism for a number of academic journals because I followed that yesteryear interest back to graduate school. Bob has given me permission to publish some of his poems in the next few months in my column.

This business of being an Evangelical Book Peddler has its ups and downs, and it seems that for everyone you lose, another one takes their place. For example, take Sonja, a young woman about nineteen who has a really serious interest in the works of J.R.R Tolkien. Sonja found me somehow or other and came by my office. She is a wonderful person, hard working, waiting to go to college after her mother and sister finish. In the meantime she is working a job and a half in the fast food industry to keep body and soul together.

I liked what Sonja had to say as she compared J.R.R Tolkien to C.S Lewis in terms of Tolkien's relatively deeper meaning -- which was achieved at the expense of some commercial smoothness. As a matter of fact Tolkien says this same thing in his letters. Tolkien does not talk down to children, where C. S. Lewis does, to an extent, talk down to them. Sonja thinks she and her friends would love to have a Tolkien and fantastic literature discussion group in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I will do my best to help make it happen.

Philip Kaveny -- Literary Editor Midwest Book Review and proud of it. I would rather write my column than watch the Super Bowl which I can hear in the background as I write this.

Laurel's Bookshelf
North of Nowhere
William Reid
Adventure Book Publishers - Durksen Enterprises Ltd.
www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks or 780-961-2213
ISBN 1-55313-076-6 e-book
ISBN: 1-55313-077-4 paperback
117 pages at $5.99 CDN/ $3.99 US (approx.) download
jewel-cased diskette is $8.99 CDN/ $5.99 US (approx.)
print $26.49 CDN / $17.59 US

North of Nowhere is a coming of age story with a twist. What distinguishes it from others of its type is the author's ability as writer. William Reid is a VERY good writer who tells a story in engaging style.

Darren Freeman is 17 years old and heading down a destructive path. The product of an upper middle class family, Darren is a "pot head" who doesn't seem to give a damn about anything but smoking dope and defying or embarrassing his social climbing parents.

Carrie Spears is main "caretaker" of irresponsible, alcoholic parents. At 17, all she can remember is cleaning up vomit and the messes created by the adults in her world. Life has not been pretty or easy for Carrie, and she trusts no one but herself. Life at home and on the streets has hardened her to everything and everyone.

As a last ditch effort to change their outlooks, Darren and Carrie's parents send them to the Grizzly Bear Adventure Outings in the Alaskan wilderness. Camp Counselor Gary Cornwall is a military wannabe who uses shock tactics as a means of bringing rebellious teenagers to heel. He is not a man Darren and Carrie find easy to like or respect, and Cornwall soon finds he's bitten off more than he can chew with these two strong-willed teens. When Darren and Carrie escape the camp and strike out on their own, Cornwall fails to track them down and they are left on their own to survive the Alaskan wilderness.

The tale this author spins is an exciting one, about two fearless teens who work together as a team to survive and finally thrive as human beings. Their respect for each other's strengths and weaknesses is touching and uplifting. Whatever nature throws at them - bears and freezing blizzards, near mortal wounds or icy rivers - these two young people take in stride and face together. Love blooms, but is mutually put on hold because survival is their foremost common goal. From Alaskan natives who befriend them, they discover universal truths that give their lives fuller meaning:

1. Alaska and the world have become a zoo the white man left by accident.
2. The killing of animals is not glorious but a necessity to feed humans. It leaves the hunter sad and shaken.

How Darren and Carrie come to a richer understanding of themselves and the world over time is the beauty of this story. I highly recommend it to all ages.

Treason and Triumph
Bonnie Toews
1stBooks Library
ISBN 1-4033-4869-3 paperback
ISBN 1-4033-4868-5 e-book
$10.50 US - paperback and $4.95 US e-book

Through the thoughts and hearts of her characters, Bonnie Toews gives readers a realistic taste of Europe during Hitler's reign. The eyes and skill of Marla Franklin, American journalist, give us graphic renderings of Nazi inhumanity. Cristallnacht. The Final Solution. Butchery and deeds too horrible to believe. In the innocence and vulnerability of piano virtuoso Lady Catherine Rushmore, we see what was perhaps Europe's finest hour. Courage amidst depravity. Determination to retain humanity. Reverence for tradition. Marla and Catherine become friends and British operatives, trusting in each other while everything around them falls apart. Each is courted by oddly disparate lovers, without the assurance that these men are not gestapo double agents.

The male characters are equally strong. Christopher Tobin is an Irish patriot turned hard-honed stoic warrior. His years with the Sinn Fein taught him well to keep his silence and deliver shattering reprisals. Joachim VanDaren - my personal favorite - is a German nobleman and aryan wunderkind, chiseled perfection in his Nazi SS uniform. Joachim hides his compassion and sorrow and does what he can to thwart Hitler and his minions. Ulo Rorvig is a Norsk freedom fighter who knows the true meaning of love and sacrifice.

All action and intrigue plays out against the backdrop of a shattered Europe. Treason and Triumph is a well written and exciting read, and Ms. Toews did a bang up job on research. If you want to see what WW 2 was really like, complete with glory and dishonor, read this book.

Eagles Watch
William Reid
Adventure Book Publishers - Durksen Enterprises Ltd.
ISBN 1-55313-194-0
142 pages at $6.49 Canadian or $4.33 US e-book
Jewel Case Diskette version $12.99 Canadian, $8.59 US
Trade paperback $28.59 Canadia, $18.99 US

Jack Rogers is professor of biology at a New Mexico university. Specifically, he is a desert ecologist. His teaching style is casual, and popular with students. His relationship with Christy Engstrom is cooking comfortably along. Jack's life is one of ordered disorder, more or less the way he wants it, until the fabric of his reality is ripped apart.

Jack is "called", according to his old friend the shaman, Frank Windsinger. An Indian woman named Fawn StarRising needs his help. She offers native healing via the Medicine Way, and that path is leading her to danger. Skeptical at first, Jack sets out to help Fawn in whatever superficial way he can, as a favor to his old friend. Before long, he is drawn into the Medicine Way and discovers that being Indian is a matter of brain, not blood. Jack Rogers, white man living happily in a white man's world, becomes Jack Two Leggings, a sometimes bewildered man whose spirit moves between the world of white and Indian with ease.

Fawn is in danger, both in the real and spirit realm. Her nemesis soon becomes Jack's. Dead Sage is a very modern Indian, a huge and powerful man who controls with money and influence from behind prison walls. Fawn, her daughters, Jack and Christy must fight with all the power at their disposal to defeat Dead Sage and escape with their lives intact.

Mr. Reid's writing style is spare but evocative. He chooses his words carefully and builds the story in short but effective bursts. "Dawn came a note at a time." Spare, but in that short line and the ones that followed, this reader was transported into the desert southwest at dawn. Eagles Watch is well written, thoroughly researched, and a fascinating story that I believe holds more truth than fiction. I liked it very much, and recommend it to those who appreciate Native lore and mystery woven into good fiction by an excellent wordsmith.

Weapon in Heaven
David Bulley
Dandelion Books
ISBN 1-893302-28-8, $29.90, 91 pages

Don't let the length of this book fool you, or the subject matter give you pause. What you will find between two covers is humorous, ironic, heartbreaking, and human. David Bulley tells his story in third person - with panache - but with an intimacy that made me feel a part of everything.

Eddy Licklighter is a common man, soft hearted and humorous. Friends and acquaintances can't help but like the man. Eddy has simple hopes and dreams. Those dreams include a firm belief in God's miracles and blessings. He's happy with his lot, and does his best to make the most of what he has. He loves his wife and adores his little girl. Something breaks in Eddy when his wife and daughter are burned up in a house fire before his eyes. Friends can't believe that Eddy can still smile and share his sense of humor after such a loss. But behind that smile lives fiery rage, rage against the God who allows all thing horrible and heart breaking to happen.

Eddy buys a bed and breakfast in the shadow of Mount Katahdin with his wife's insurance money. He hires Melinda, a Native American straight off the Reservation to run it for him. In and out of Eddy's life move his friends Dan and Chief of Police Bruce Telyawhig. Added into this odd mix are Paul, a Baptist minister, and Stephen, a young gay man in search of safety and acceptance. Paul has left his church in disgrace when he's discovered in a sexual situation with a teenage boy. Fate brings him to Eddy's bed and breakfast and enlightenment.

Eddy's plan is to destroy God fast and neat. The world, according to Eddy, would be a happier simpler place without God in it. The more Eddy blasphemes and rages in the face of God, the more things go his way. He figures God is trying to win him over after stealing everything Eddy holds dear. Still, everywhere he looks is death and poison in the world, awful misery that God allows to happen. Eddy says a resounding no to such a God, no to every question God ever asked and every suggestion He'd ever made. His friends love Eddy, believe in him, including Paul. Paul learns lessons of "pleasurable destruction" from Eddy - smoking, drinking beer, giving God the finger both literally and figuratively. He buys into Eddy's wry philosophy: "Just when things get from horrible to tolerable, just when you start to figure something out about life, God screws you over again."

Eddy's master plan is to kill God and then kill himself. How this plan plays out is both funny and heart rending. I don't want to give it all away. Let's just say that in the end, Eddy understands truths that humans this side of the veil cannot know and should not judge.

The premise is different than anything I ever read, and author Bulley masterful. Staunch Christians may not see beyond the blasphemy.

The stark sexual and sometimes violent content are portrayed realistically, along with language some may find offensive. But the meat of the story itself is thought-provoking and sometimes beautiful. If you want something different, give Weapon in Heaven a try.

Desert Sunshine
Reece Daniel
PublishAmerica
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1-59286-128-8 $19.95 188 pages

Desert Sunshine was an unanticipated gift where reading experiences are concerned. Reece Daniel tells this story almost tenderly, with a palpable respect for life and earth.

Ed Adair is a retired police chief who returns to his boyhood home in Arizona. Raised on the reservation by his half Apache grandmother, Ed has nursed ill feelings all his life towards his mixed race heritage. His ice blue eyes earned him the nickname Blue Eyes, a name he considered taunting in childhood and finds derogatory as a man. It is clear from the outset that Ed may have the looks of a white man, but his spirit is Apache, through and through.

When Ed is dry gulched and left near death by a long distance shooter, modern technology can do little to save him. Ed Adair the modern law officer lays comatose and dying in the present, while the Arizona Territory Ranger known as Blue Eyes wakes up in 1882.

Arizona of the 1880s is far different from the one Ed knew in the 21st century. Primeval White Mountain forests still stand. Gone are the logged out rutted remnants Ed remembers from the future. Sweet nature scents blow in on desert winds to stir Ed's native spirit. Life is simple, full of wonder. Enemies are not disguised as friends in Arizona's past, and evil presents itself quite clearly. Men live and die by the gun without reprisal in the Arizona Territory. Ed fits right in, packing his .45 Colt Peacemaker and a high powered Sharps rifle. His vision quest as Blue Eyes introduces Ed to his Apache progenitors and ties past to future in unexpected and surrealistic ways.

What makes Desert Sunshine work is the tender and poignant way this author crafts his tale. Yes, the story features a very masculine protagonist and macho action. Men are men and women are women and both are well aware of the difference in the best John Wayne and Gary Cooper style. But it is the heart and thoughts of the 1880s Blue Eyes, the half breed Apache finding truth and love that made this book stand out for me.

In Him I Am Able
Mellie Smith Smith
PublishAmerica
ISBN 1-59129-294-8, $19.95, 143 pages

Let me preface this review by saying that I personally knew Mellie Smith. I knew Mellie the woman and mission worker, the church secretary and fun-lover. Mellie the Christian, wife, mother, and grandmother was my friend. The author died before this book was published. And I, along with every other human being who had benefitted from her joy, wished that God had let her live. But Mellie wanted to be with the Lord. That was our only comfort at the time, and then her book came out. A family-written addendum detailing Mellie's last few weeks of life had not yet been added into my review copy, but was a powerful epilogue.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That quote from Phillippians was Mellie's mantra and set the tone for everything she did. It's all here in this book. When Mellie was in Africa, braving human cruelty and killer bees, Christ was with her clearing out the way. And when evil personified threatened her in Haiti, her Savior was riding shotgun. Humanity took on a finer meaning when Mellie shared her love in prisons, because she hated sin but loved the sinner, just as Jesus wants us all to do. Every place she went, everything she did, Mellie Smith took Jesus with her. She spread her love and His around to make our sometimes dreary world a little brighter.

This book is only one small part of Mellie's legacy. What she was and all she did for Christ and others remains as a testimony to her boundless faith. In Him I Am Able shares the author's zest for life, her strongly held beliefs. Her words are full of hope, the writing eloquent. Mellie Smith is still a bright example of what humans ought to be, sharing humor and a healthy shot of courage from beyond the pale.

The Crystalline Rain
E.H. Mondich
PublishAmerica
ISBN 1-59129-901-2, 204 pages, $19.95, paperback

Well-crafted prose, technological and biological breakthroughs, and military skullduggery all play a part in this first book by E.H. Mondich. I can't even imagine the weeks of research that made this premise work so well.

David Jenkins is an Air Force Captain, Professor of Physics, and a brilliant scientist. His gift to the world is holographic memory. He's chosen by the U.S. government and the Pope to reveal long held secrets of the Shroud of Turin, the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. David is agnostic, a non-believer, but as pure as any man can be where his work is concerned. When the lab catches fire during testing, and a Papal representative dies, David makes the perfect scapegoat. He creates a new life for himself outside the military, as a professor of physics at Rice University. Always simmering beneath the surface is his anger at a betraying God, a God he flat refuses to believe in.

Mondich builds an intriguing tale of greedy politicians and military officers who are not above using anyone - including Jesus Christ - if that will suit their ends. Simpson Biotech International has supposedly cloned Christ from the Shroud. The CEO of S.B.I. is David Jenkin's ex Commanding Officer. Simpson's clone of Christ is dying, and nothing can save him except Jenkin's perfected holographic technology. Simpson has surrounded himself with a mix of civilian and military bad guys. Will Professor David Jenkins be a match for them?

The climax of this story is explosive, part excitement and part mystery. Does David Jenkins survive it? Is Simpson's clone truly Christ come back to earth in human form? And what is the amazing phenomenon called The Crystalline Rain? I suggest you read the book to find out.

Interview with Claudia Turner VanLydegraf:

I wanted to interview Claudia Turner VanLydegraf because her book,
Notes from Nobody, was an honest documentary about why one woman decided to put her babies up for adoption. This book offered an often painful and touching insight into the author's reasoning and caused me to consider adoption from a different perspective.

LJ for MBR: Initially, what prompted you to write your story?

Claudia: Well, Laurel, I found my boys, both of them within a two week period of time around Labor Day 1998. At the time, I had not been searching for them for quite a while and really had not given much thought to finding them for a few years. So, I was totally at a loss about how to handle this new experience and what I should or should not do to have a good reunion with each of them. There were not many books about how to make this happen. So, I had to sort of wing it on my own. There were TV shows and stories, but I wanted to know things like what would my boys want from me and how much of the truth should I give them, that sort of thing. Basically, a primer. I bought a few books, Lost and Found, Journey of the Adopted Self and Birthright. These books were good, but didn't tell me much. Most of the stories are in there and touching, but the real gut reactions and whys weren't. My oldest boy came to live with me for almost a year after he got out of prison. Through that period of time, I started really knowing just how much giving him up affected his life. And talking to my other son really gave me clues into his nature and how he did his best to mask all that he grew up feeling and needing. Both of my boys were loved by their adopted parents, but each one of them handled it differently. Many of the ways that my oldest son handled his life experiences put him in the place that he was in for longer than 10 years. And many of those same experiences made it intolerable for him to adjust and stay here with me. After I asked him to leave my home, I sat down at the computer and started to write, all the time sobbing and in tears. Giving him up the second time was more than hard on both of us. I just wanted to have him and my other son and also my daughter know why I had done all the things in my life that lead up to that point. It started out as a journal, and became a book. Someone told me that it should be published because there were many more like me out there that needed to have those thoughts and reactions to alidate what they felt. It didn't matter if the person was adopted, a birthparent or a parent trying to love someone that they adopted. Or someone trying to love someone who was given up for adoption or had given up a baby to adoption. There are many things that a birthmother sabotages herself into to make up for the loss of a baby and thus she sabotages more of her future life and loves.

LJ for MBR: I get the sense from Notes that your life has not been easy. Has it gotten any easier since your book was published?

Claudia: Somewhat, but not really. I don't have to hide from shadows anymore, I don't have to lie to protect myself or anyone else anymore. Now my life is out there for anyone to read and maybe understand. My daughter doesn't understand it at all and thinks that I wrote Notes to make her and her father feel miserable and look like fools. She can't quite get the reality of what it was like in that much darker period of our bygone time when everyone was shamed to find themselves pregnant, without a husband or father for the baby. It was hard fessing up to friends and family about my past life, and now I don't have to do that anymore. I just tell them to read the book.

LJ for MBR: Considering the subject matter, it had to be a difficult book to write. Before, during, or after the book, were you involved in support groups?

Claudia: No, I was not ever involved in any support groups. I didn't want to air my personal problems for all the world to hear and worry over. Perhaps that was the birth of Notes. I never even knew that there may be support groups to help me, and no one was supposed to talk about this at anyway. At least that was what they told us when we gave up our babies. "Go on with your life like this never happened and everything will be fine." "Don't think about this anymore." So, I never even looked for anyone to help me get through my life. I just made the best of what I had and tried to build a life for me to live. I never considered that there might be answers for why my life was not what I wanted it to be, except that I was unloveable or unloving.

LJ for MBR: Regarding your writing and publishing experience, is there anything you would do differently today?

Claudia: Well about the publishing aspect of my book there are many things that I would do much differently. First, I thought that I had a reputable agent that I found over the internet, and that she would put my book in a company that would help promote it and get it out there for everyone to read and be able to buy in any bookstore across the country. She found me a company that only puts things out on the internet. The company is good as far as it goes, but it needs to go further. My book would have died a horrible death if it had been released to the general public and bookstores when it initially got published because books that are gotten from publishing houses typically only have a shelf life of about 60-90 days. My book "came out" a week or so before 9-11-01. Every book that was published during that time and for the next 6 months suffered greatly, because no one wanted to buy books at all unless they were somehow related to that terrorist act. So, in that respect, I am very happy that my book was with an internet company. It is still available and can be gotten. However, internet companies need to get the books into the bookstores somehow, so that people who do not have access to computers or do not chose to use the computer to buy things can get the book. There is a "non-returnable" problem that prevents a typical bookstore from getting Notes or any other book that is Print on Demand or many self published books onto the shelves. There are many good-to-great books that are published by companies very similar to the one that I am with, however, not many people will ever know about them because of the "non-retunable" aspect of the book ordering and buying from the stores. Then the other biggest part of the problem comes from the advertising and getting the book into the stores, and that needs to be helped along by the publishers. Putting the availability into a catalogue and calling that the end of the exposure is not a very reasonable way to get the majority of those books into stores. One person, in onesmall area cannot possibly get her/his book into the thousands of stores across the country by her/himself. She/he needs help financially and with advertising that simply cannot be done alone, and most authors don't have the money to hire a publicist and managing company to do it for them. I would have waited for a larger publisher if I had known then what I do now. I wanted to have my book out while it was timely and needed. It is out, but No One Knows It. I didn't know at the time that my Agent only submitted my book to the one company. I paid her to submit it to at least 10 companies. I know now, that you should never pay an agent, but I didn't know it then. I just wanted the book to be able to be read by the many people who need to read it. I would research better and more now, but now, it is much too late for what if's.

LJ for MBR: What would your advice be to writers being published for the first time today?

Claudia: Never PAY an agent anything. Look at the contract closely for ambiguous wording, read it carefully and get an attorney to look it over for you also. Someone who is versed in Publishing Law. Carefully think over any offers and weigh them for what you want your book to become. In other words, look to the future for the consequences.

LJ for MBR: I'd like to change our focus for the moment. I know you publish a newspaper in your vicinity. Tell us about that project, the process, and what you've learned from it.

Claudia: I published a small community paper for almost 5 years called Coyote News in Cold Springs, NV., but had to give it up for health reasons this last winter. It was a neat thing and I would do it again if I had the resources to do it like the big boys and have someone deliver it for me. I did the stories, mostly community news type thing, the advertising sales and the writing and setup of the whole thing. Plus deliveries. I learned that there is a lot of work in doing that kind of a project, especially when you are doing it alone. It was an adventure and a learning process as I had never even thought about doing something like that before I actually started the first steps to getting it going. I gathered as many advertisers as the community had and then decided that I would need to charge a set price for the paper to subscribers. That may or may not have been a mistake. The charging part. People don't want to pay for something as small as a little paper that they can read while standing in line at the 7-11. It was only about 12 to 16 pages long and in a magazine format, not like a regular newspaper, but because of printing costs, I decided to do it that way. Printers don't want to print anything under 1,200 copies and that cost is about $300 per week, which would have put Coyote News out of business the first week. As it was, I got some help financially in getting my first copier and started printing from my small office. It really was a fun thing, but very time consuming. However, I stayed in business for over 4 years and ended it when I wanted to, not because of a lack of readers or money. In fact, I was in the 7-11 in our valley the other day and someone begged me to please put Coyote News out again.

LJ for MBR: Do you have another novel waiting in the wings? If so, will you tell us about it?

Claudia: I have some solid ideas and am working on a genealogical book that still needs to have more facts to make it all a reality. It takes time to get a family tree all put together and I am about 2/3's there. I have a very interesting family tree that is traced on two sides all the way back to before Julius Caesar, Numerius. The title at this time is: From the Footprints of Kings. On both sides of the traced part of the families I have about 850 names now, and over 500 of those names are all the royalty of middle age Europe from 1500 AD on back to 100 BC I wonder what they would have thought about me, if they had even figured that in some distant future I would even be here and know about them and their life and how they lived it. Putting this book together will be a very hard book to do, from the aspect of reality, I think, and that is most likely why I want to be certain of all the facts before I really start writing it. Part of my reason for writing it, again, has to do with my past and the reason that Notes had to be written. We are all a part of what our ancestors were, and how we live our life shows in what we produce in offspring.

LJ for MBR: Is there any question you wish I had asked, or any bit of information you'd like to share with our readers?

Claudia: Not really, I think that I have probably rambled on enough here and you, as well as the readers of this, are most likely getting bored. And I have a lot to say that takes up much space. My website address is: http://notesfromnobody.homestead.com/book.html I would like say a huge thank you for taking the time to have my thoughts centralized a bit and put into MBR for others to ponder a few minutes on.

LJ for MBR: Thanks for taking time to talk with me, Claudia, and good luck with
From the Footprints of Kings.

Interview with Vickie Adkins:

Vickie Adkins is a published author, with one book under her belt and another waiting in the wings. She is a transplanted Kentuckian, currently living in Indiana,

LJ for MBR: Tattered Pages, the light blue ribbon featured a mysterious discovery, surprising and heart breaking family secrets, and love. The characters could have been people from my childhood. What gave you the idea for this book?

Vickie: The idea for this book came sort of by accident. I collect antique books, and one of the first things I do after purchasing an old book is leaf through its pages. Tucked in the middle of this particular book, entitled, The Home Guide, was an obituary of a little boy who died in 1899 of "unusual and unexplained circumstances." The obituary was fluently written, detailing the life of this little boy, where he lived, even his extracurricular activities. When I went to put the obituary back in its original spot, I noticed the pages were dealing with child abuse. I was instantly intrigued, and began to research online to see if I could find any existing relatives, or more details not mentioned in the obituary. When I couldn't find one single bit of information, I began to write about Willie, and what might possibly have happened to him.

LJ for MBR: Many of those who read your first book are eager for the sequel. When can we expect to see that sequel, what is the title and the premise?

Vickie: Tattered Pages, rewriting the past, is finished, and hopefully will be out by summer. It continues with the lives of Verl, her antique bookstore, and the townspeople of Somerville. Secrets involving many of the townsfolk are unveiled when Verl discovers some historic documents in the attic of the bookstore.

LJ for MBR: Do you mind sharing with prospective authors a bit about your publishing experience? Provide some words of wisdom from your point of view as an almost-twice published author.

Vickie: I've written short stories and poetry as long as I can remember, but never actually attempted to have anything other than a magazine article published. When I finished TP, the light blue ribbon, I let my husband and sister read it. They loved it, and suggested that I look for a publisher. I had no experience in this area, and since I depend on the Internet for most of my information, I began to search for publishers that accept unsolicited manuscripts. I also listed my manuscript with First Edition, a branch of ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association). For a fee, First Edition allows you to present your book idea to interested Christian Publishers. In the mean time, I queried a publisher that was listed on the Internet. Within days, I heard back from them, asking to see my entire manuscript. A week or so later, they offered me a contract. I really didn't know what to do, being new to this industry. I prayed about it, and because I didn't have another offer, I took theirs. Two weeks later, a very reputable publisher contacted me after reading part of my manuscript on First Edition. Unfortunately, I had to tell them that I had already signed a contract. Hindsight is definitely 20/20 in this incident, and looking back, I wish I'd been more patient. Being said, that's the "words of wisdom" I'd give any first-time writer. If you really believe in your work, and you want to see it published and possibly in to the hands of thousands, BE PATIENT! Wait for just the right publisher, send out dozens of queries, do your research. I learned a lesson the hard way, and wish I could relive my decision.

LJ for MBR: You have many other irons in the fire in addition to writing. Tell us about yourself.

Vickie: I've been married to a minister for over twenty-three years. We have three wonderful children, aged 20, 18, and 14. My children are absolutely the light's of my life. They're funny, challenging, uplifting, and a constant encouragement to me. They support me in absolutely everything I've ever attempted. I love history, old books, cemeteries, and genealogies. My family indulges me when I get off on one of my tangents. I also love people. People are God's masterpieces. His artwork, branches off Himself. I find great joy in the many personalities and attributes of people I meet and work with.

And, of course, I love writing. In addition to writing fiction, I have an online weekly devotional at www.crosshome.com entitled Potpourri of Praise; a bimonthly column at www.myshelf.com entitled Behind the Fiction, and I'm also a reviewer for MyShelf.

LJ for MBR: If you could share one tidbit of advice about the writing process itself, what would it be?

Vickie: Read! I can honestly say that every new book I read gives me a fresh idea about writing. Authors are so unique. Each one has their own style and flair for descriptions. Sometimes I read a great book and think, ~sure wish I'd written that!

LJ for MBR: If you could spend one day picking the brain of any writer on earth, who would you choose and why?

Vickie: That's a hard question. I'd have to pick Patricia Cornwell. Although I usually black out the inappropriate language in her novels, I love her Scarpetta series. The combination of forensics and mysterious murders is very interesting to me. I'd like to question her on how she got started. I've read that she received many rejection letters before an editor gave her the advice to dump her main character, who was a male, and focus on the female, ~Kay Scarpetta. I admire her talent, and success and would love to interview her.

LJ for MBR: Is there any question you wish I had asked, or any further information you would like to share with our readers?

Vickie: An interesting epilogue to Tattered Pages, the light blue ribbon: After it was published, I was contacted by a distant relative of the little boy whose obituary I found. He came across a query I'd posted on a genealogy website for the state where Willie lived. We emailed back and forth several times, and I ended up sending him a copy of the book.

LJ for MBR: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Vickie.

Interview with Kathleen Bosworth:

I wanted to interview author Kathleen Bosworth because, as I stated in the review, hers is a stunning book. Since I am a medical professional in addition to being author and reviewer, I found Ms. Bosworth's book, Your Mother Has Suffered a Slight Stroke, to be particularly enlightening. I firmly believe that this book should be required reading for every medical student, nursing student, physical therapy student, and social work student in the first and last year of their training.

LJ for MBR: Writing this book was obviously a labor of love for you. Reading your honest feelings of outrage, frustration, and grief would surely be helpful to those who find themselves in the same situation. Did detailing your family's experiences throughout your mother's illness help you resolve negative personal feelings and issues?

KB: Definitely! I found that I couldn't sleep at night. There were so many things whirling around in my head each night. There were many decisions to be made and I was in a foreign area with the medical field. It was so frustrating to have questions and information being thrown at me on a daily basis and it began to affect my physical health. Writing became a therapeutic means to clear my head and face a new day. I never anticipated that the thoughts I kept writing would someday evolve into a book.
LJ for MBR: Your book has been out for over a year now, Kathy. In your estimation, has it reached the audience you hoped to enlighten when you wrote it? If not, why?

KB: I initially wrote the book with a specific target audience in mind. I wanted to reach the baby-boomers, like myself, that have elderly parents. I thought the information that I had to share was important. Not because it is my story, but because it could be anybody's story at any given moment. I know that I never expected to be in the position I found myself in. Who thinks about a stroke or other catastrophic event changing their life? It does happen though. People need to be aware of so many things that we choose not to think about. Living wills, financial burdens of long-term nursing care, insurance protection, getting our affairs in order, and sharing your end of life wishes with your loved ones are just a few. I think my book is beginning to reach it's target audience, but it has been very slow. It still has a long way to go.

LJ for MBR: On the plus side for print on demand (POD) publishing is that the book is readily available whenever orders are placed. Have you found that to be the case in your experience?

KB: A few years ago you could have fit all of the knowledge I had about publishing into a thimble. I have since learned that there are pros and cons to different types of publishing. POD (print on demand) does make my book available when people order it from on-line sites, such as Amazon, and from bookstores. But it is not sitting on the shelves of most bookstores. A customer would have to order it. POD gives the book a longer life, but it is not as readily available as if it were on all shelves. It has made my part of the process harder because I must find ways to let people know that it exists. Many people do not shop on-line and that is where the problem lies. However, it will be available longer than a book that is sent to all bookstores, doesn't do well immediately, and is sent back to the publisher. If there is a demand, it will be printed.

LJ for MBR: I know you did not write this book with a goal of fame and riches in mind, but to help other unfortunate people find their way through the maze of medical mysteries and insurance nightmares involved with catastrophic illness. I also know you'd give your book away if you could afford it. If you controlled placement of your book, where would you most like it to be available?

KB: You are correct about my reasons for writing this book. I don't care if I make a dime or not. I just want it available for people that may find themselves in the same position that I was in. It is a lonely, frustrating place to be. If I controlled the placement of my book, I would have it available at gift shops in hospitals and in all nursing homes. I would also like to see it in libraries for people that cannot afford to buy it but need the information or understanding from someone that has been there. While I was going through this experience, I kept looking in all of these places for a book to help me. I could only find complicated medical books. I was searching for a personal story of how a stroke affects the entire family. Since I couldn't find it, I like to say that I wrote the book I was looking for.

LJ for MBR: Have you received interesting feedback from readers? If so, do you mind sharing some comments with us?

KB: Getting feedback from readers has been the most unexpected highlight of this entire venture. I have gotten emails from people that have read my book and told me that it touched or helped them. Some still email me to keep me updated on the status of their loved one in a nursing home. A few months ago I received a telephone call from the State Senator of Connecticut, Edith Prague. She read my book and called to tell me how much she liked it. She is a very outgoing advocate for the elderly and most of her political career has been spent helping them. It was an honor to talk to her and discuss all of the issues that I covered in my book. She had a person very close to her that also suffered a stroke and passed away in a nursing home. More than once, we found ourselves choked up while talking. It is a phone call that I will cherish for a long, long time.

LJ for MBR: I can see where speaking publicly to hospitals, nursing homes, and community groups would be helpful in getting your information out. Sensible information, based on experience from a lay person's perspective would be helpful on many levels. Have you been asked to speak publicly, or to provide information to professional journals?

KB: I am always busy finding ways to promote my book to let people know that it exists. I have given talks at Senior Centers and seminars regarding the issue of getting your affairs in order. I was recently asked to speak at a community college. I will be doing that next month. I am going to talk about my book as well as the process of getting published. I was invited to be the guest speaker on a radio talk show with a local DJ. He was interested in my story since his mother has been having strokes and is now in a long-term care facility. My story was very familiar to him. It was a thirty-minute program that turned into an hour and a half. Listeners were allowed to call in after the first half hour. I was floored by the amount of interest and feedback we received.

One of the issues that I talk about is one of the most important things I learned. I pass this information on to anybody that will listen. Please be aware that your medical insurance, no matter how good or expensive, will only cover 100 consecutive days in a nursing home. When the 100 days are over, you will be responsible for paying for your long-term care. I have been quoted prices of $5,000 - $9,000 per MONTH for nursing home care. 100 days is not a very long time when you are dealing with massive strokes, Alzheimer's, dementia or traumatic brain injuries. This was one of the unexpected surprises that I found and it has become the focal point of my talks.

I have submitted articles to various caregiver magazines and also to the American Stroke Association. The articles I write are for the average person to understand. I try to make the information as simple as possible because I know how muddled your thinking can be when dealing with a situation like this. One article that I submitted to Today's Caregiver Magazine has been accepted and will appear in a future issue. A friend of mine recently had the honor of meeting Patricia Neal (actress and stroke survivor) at a social function. My friend told Ms Neal about my book and she expressed interest in reading it. I sent her a copy last week. I am still in awe that my little book is in the hands of Patricia Neal! It just doesn't get any better than this.

LJ for MBR: Your writing is focused, passionate, and personable. Is there another book in your future, or have you reached your writing goals with this one book?

KB: Thank you for the compliment Laurel. This story was so personal to me that it was easy to be passionate. Since writing was never a life-long dream of mine, I am still surprised that I am now a published author. Writing one book was an unexpected event in my life. A few years ago I would have said that once is enough, but I am finding that this is an exciting adventure and writing has gotten into my system. I have been working on a children's book for about six months. I would like to do something a little lighter and happier. Whether something happens with my new book or not, I will always be grateful that Your Mother Has Suferred a Slight Stroke is in print. I honestly feel that there is a reason I wrote it. Wherever it is supposed to go, it will go. It has taken on a life of it's own. I can almost see my mother smiling.....somewhere.

LJ for MBR: Is there any question you wish I had asked, or any other information you would like to share with our readers?

KB: For someone that bought a computer only two years ago, I have found the internet to be a valuable source of information and contacts. I am thrilled each time my book is added to new sites for people dealing with grief, strokes, and eldercare.
For anybody that needs help with any of these issues, please look into some of the many sites that offer valuable insight, information, and help. My book is listed on www.the-bright-side.org which offers help to all aspects of loss. It is also on these sites:
www.strokenetwork.org
www.caregiver-information.com
www.strokeinformationdirectory.com
http://www.authorsden.com/kathybosworth (my personal site)

LJ for MBR: Thanks for your time, Kathy, and best of luck in all you do.

Interview with Norm Harris:

Norm Harris is the author of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree. It consistently ranks in the top sellers with his publisher, and maintains a respectable amazon.com sales rating.

LJ for MBR: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree is an action thriller, complete with legal, military, and international gamesmanship elements. What gave you the original idea?

Norm: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree was inspired by a number of people, places, and events, Laurel. The motion picture An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed at Fort Warden near where I live. Because I had served our country in the military during the Vietnam War, many of the things that happened to the main character, played by Richard Gere, happened to me. I identified with his character.

Years later, when I decided to write Fruit of a Poisonous Tree, I recalled the movie and the impact it had on my life. I decided to write a story about Naval officers. At the time my son was having a difficult time with his schooling. His poor reading skills were holding him back with his studies. He would not read as a result. I thought if I wrote something, that he might, in turn, read it. I began what was to be a short story. The story grew and grew. In the end I had over 100,000 words. It became a novel, rather than a short story.

Several people who had read Fruit of a Poisonous Tree told me that I should get it published. This sounded like a good idea. I could use the income from the book to fund my son's college education. Little did I know how difficult it was to get a book published. It was about this time that I met Ellen Edwards, now Senior Editor at New American Library. She read my manuscript. Ellen was kind enough to make notes on the strength and the weaknesses in the story. Her advice to me was to start over. I took her advice but rather than trash the entire story I only trashed the parts she did not like. I kept the parts she did like and rebuilt my story from there.

LJ for MBR: Your book has copyright dates of 1998, 2001, and 2002. Tell us a little about its history.

Norm: I began Fruit of a Poisonous Tree in 1998. The book was published in 2001. The following year Fruit of a Poisonous Tree was accepted by literary agent/manager Jeanette Lundgren of Book-to-Screen-Management in Santa Monica. Jeanette asked if she could edit the book. There was a small amount of cleaning up to do. Her plan was to submit the book to her worldwide network of subrights agents. Jeanette will not allow any book that she represents to leave her office without it being near perfect. I was elated, of course. When Jeanette and I finished editing the book I resubmitted it for publication, hence the third copyright date.

LJ for MBR: Many very good writers are choosing 1stBooks as their publisher. Would you mind sharing with our readers why you chose 1stBooks?

Norm: There are many Print On Demand publishers to choose from. My research revealed that 1stBooks had the most flexible and profitable program, in terms of royalties. They were also the biggest and most well known publisher at the time. It is important to have flexibility in your contract. With 1stBooks an author can break the contract within 24 hours. This is important when the time comes to sell your rights to a "traditional" publisher.

LJ for MBR: Are there any new developments with Fruit of a Poisonous Tree you'd be willing to share with our readers?

Norm: Several things are going on, Laurel. Soon after my agent, Jeanette, took me on she sold the Japanese translation rights to Futami Shobo Publishing of Tokyo. One of Jeanette's strengths is foreign rights. We expect many more sales to follow. Five feature film producers have expressed interest in the property. Only one of those made an offer, but as per Jeanette, the offer was way too low. She explained to me that she had accepted higher offers from independent producers for children's books; an inventment banker could surely afford to shell out her minimum, which this producer did not offer to do. So we refused it, as crazy as that may sound to you. I am represented by Metropolitan Talent Agency via Jeanette's office. MTA is a "boutique agency" but ranks together with some fo the most respected agencies in Hollywood. I rely on MTA and Ms Lundgren at Books-to-Screen-Management to get the job done. As I understand it, Fruit of a Poisonous Tree is currently being considered by several other producers and screenwriters. As with "traditional publishing", film interest does not automatically equal a film deal. I feel proud that they are looking at my work.

LJ for MBR: I see by your website that you have a new book in the works. Please tell us about this new project.

Norm: Thanks for asking, Laurel. I have finished the sequel to Fruit of a Poisonous Tree, which is titled Arid Sea: A Navy JAG Spider Green Mystery. Both book and manuscript are currently on submission for traditional North American Volume rights and is being considered by a major New York publisher. Two other sequels are in the works. In late winter or early spring I hope to travel to Moscow, Russia to begin my research for Three Murders in Three Hours and Russia Blood. Russia Blood will compete the Spider Green series.

LJ for MBR: "He who hesitates is lunch." greets those who access your website. Is this a keystone of your philosophy? If so, why?

Norm: That is my philosophy. He who hesitates is lunch is supposed to have been an observation made by Charles Darwin. I believe it to be true. My dad told me there were three kinds of people. Those that watch things happen. Those that make things happen. Those that wonder what happened. He often encouraged me to make things happen. The only way I know how to make something happen is to get out there and do it. "Just do it." Nike, right? I always try to go to the edge. I make it a habit to keep on trying long after others have stopped trying. Seldom do I quit. I learn. I grow. I become discouraged, but I try again. I am patient to a fault.

I have been involved in a personal project, or quest, since August. Every day when I think about what I am doing, it scares me. While my financial risk is somewhat high my emotional risks are even higher. Of late I have noticed that I am beginning to calm down somewhat. My agent knows. She has been getting an almost blow by blow account of my quest. "Are you writing?" she asks. I tell her, "A little." She patiently responds, "Don't forget to write."

LJ for MBR: In your writing, as well as on your website, you present a rather enigmatic persona, like a man who plays life close to the vest. Tell us as much about Norm Harris the person and writer as you'd care to share.

Norm: As I alluded to in the previous response, I do have a "go for broke" attitude. I am a bit of risk taker. If I play the stock market I will usually buy the high risk, high yield stocks. If I drive a car it will be the fastest car that my money can buy. I told my agent that every one of my characters is a little piece of me. I am Faydra's stability and her intellect. I am J. Pearce's humor and her pragmatic outlook on life. I am Egan Fletcher's bravery, his kindness, his respect for those closest to him, his resolve, and his love for family. I am Gifford Champion's sense of purpose and his raw nerve. I am attracted to danger and to the unknown, yet not quite dumb enough to get involved in it. I might have been an astronaut, but my strong sense of self preservation would never allow me to do so. All of my characters are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. They exhibit extreme respect for those individuals who impact their lives. That in turn is me.

My interest in writing developed when I was in my early teens. My grandparents owned a small and secluded home near the sea. One of their neighbors was Erle Stanley Gardner. We all know him as Perry Mason from the lawyer character that Raymond Burr played so many years on TV. In my mind, Erle had it made. All he had to do was to sit by the water, drink iced tea, and write. This impressed me because someone was paying him for it. I thought this is what I should do. It took me a while to get there, but in the end my first book was written as I sat by that same water in that same place that Erle wrote his books. I will never forget the last thing that Erle said to me, "Hey kid! Get the heck out of here!"

And so I will, Laurel. Thank you for taking the time to find out a little bit about me and my books.

LJ for MBR: Thanks for allowing me into your world for awhile. Our readers can learn more about Norm Harris and his writing by checking his website at www.normharris.com.

Interview with Bonnie Toews:

Bonnie Toews is a Canadian author whose first book, Treason and Triumph, is reviewed in the February edition of Midwest Book Review. Bonnie is what I consider a "renaissance woman", with many and varied accomplishments.

LJ for MBR: Your book was especially interesting to me because of the era - World War Two - and the obvious research that went into it. What made you choose WW 2 and the Nazi influence in Europe as a theme?

Bonnie: In my earliest memory, I recall my mother and babysitter talking about the rationing of butter, and my favorite uncle was a fighter pilot. Two of my music teachers were also involved. One fought with the Dutch Resistance, and the other was an actual spy posing as a church organist in Berlin throughout the war. They were such humble people it was difficult imagining them as secret operatives capable of killing anyone if they had to. Their stories are not depicted in my novel, but the use of music in the secret operations plays a big part as well as the essence of my teachers' wonderful character and faith. At ages nine and ten, I loved reading the Cherry Ames books, about WWII combat nurses, and the Borneo books, about Second World War fighter and bomber pilots. These books always solved mysteries. Why I gravitated to them more than any other, I don't know, but suspense and military thrillers are still my favorite reads and why I began writing in the genre. In fact, I wrote my first novel at age ten about an army nurse in the Pacfic. Years later, when I read Leon Uris' "Mila 18," which describes the death camps in graphic detail, I felt such an affinity with the Jewish soul and the horrors the Jews suffered through the Holocaust that I wondered if I had once lived as one before my present life. In my twenties, I studied Jewish history, culture and religion to try and discover why the Jewish people have been so persecuted and scapegoated over the centuries. I did gain insights from my studies and a deep abiding respect for their religious concepts.

I was equally fascinated with mob psychology and what drove the German people to embrace and follow a mad man like Hitler with such blind faith. Studying history provided those answers, and it alarms me today that our education systems do not emphasize the study of history. Without knowing our pasts, we are vulnerable to making the same mistakes again, and that's exactly what is happening now. Today's United Nations is making the same mistakes its predecessor, the League of Nations, made in the 30s, and the results are frightening. If people don't understand history, they can't undertstand the decisions their leaders make, and they can't respond with knowledge to those decisions. The terrorists' attacks of 9/11 reignited our nations' patriotism, but we still have to guard against blind loyalty based on manipulative propaganda. An article by a savvy Toronto journalist and foreign correspondent can give Americans and Canadians the best reason for going to war with Saddam Hussein that I've read in some time, but it still doesn't nullify the terrible loss of life and suffering for both sides in an invasion of Iraq, either for the military of both sides or for their civilian victims.

LJ for MBR: I was particularly fascinated by your use of Churchill as an almost incidental player in the plot. Many writers would be hesitant to even try. Tell us your reasoning for utilizing Churchill as you did.

Bonnie: Churchill was part of what really happened in the true events related to the story. He did sponsor such an operation. He did back the secret civilian agency called Special Operations Executive (SOE) and his masterspy, "Intrepid," director of the British Security Coordination. He was as ruthless as either Hitler or Stalin in his strategies to beat them, such as exposing villagers and citizens in Nazi-occupied territories to terrible reprisals just to unify the local people into secret resistance. He believed the formation of a fifth column was absolutely necessary to winning against the Third Reich. I was also intrigued with his style of speech--the rhythm and choice of words--which William L. Shirer notes in his "The Nightmare Years 1930-1940." Churchill rarely came out and said directly what he wanted. He used words in euphenisms, similar to Hitler actually, like planted seeds for others to interpret. Perhaps the "buzz" words both men invented were to allay their guilt for the brutal and tragic orders they issued. I also wanted the reader to see the man behind the British hero so many admire. We may never be able to criticize that what he did he did because it was necessary to win the war against such a sadistic enemy, but we don't have to like it, or respect it, or be mesmerized by his bulldog personna. He was a bully fighting bullies.

LJ for MBR: Your bio says you were a trained pilot. That explains the "in-the-scene" feel of of your story when airplanes and pilots were involved. Do you still fly?

Bonnie: No, I don't. You have to renew your licence every year, and I haven't kept up because shortly after I turned 40, I had a major heart attack. It took me ten years before I could even drive again, but I am completely healed and can do everything again that I always did. To regain my licence, however, would be very expensive, and as we get older, we have to prioritize what's important to us. Flying is something I loved to do, and I'm glad I did it. It represents my belief that women can do whatever they set their minds to achieve.

LJ for MBR: In addition to your other accomplishments, you have an editing and ghost writing service. Tell us about that aspect of your work life.

Bonnie: Actually, I must remove that service from my web site because, late last year, I resolved not to edit any more book manuscripts or ghost write. Those two things were terribly time consuming to do them well and to give authors the attention they need to succeed for themselves. I am back to writing articles for magazine editors I respect and doing routine edit jobs for business publications. Since I was a magazine writer and editor for many years, it's a professional routine I am comfortable with. More importantly, it allows me to juggle my time more sensibly so that I can stick to the schedule I need to devote to writing my own novels.

LJ for MBR: You are currently working on another book. What is the title, a brief synopsis, and when can we expect it to be released?

Bonnie: Yes, I am. The title is The Sun's Tears, and it is a sequel to Treason & Triumph featuring Caitlin. It's another suspense story based on true events. Caitlin is now 48 years old, at the peak of her broadcasting career, when she journeys to Central Africa in 1994 to report on the mass slaughter of Rwandans. There she discovers more than genocide: UN peacekeepers are being used as guinea pigs for an experimental antimalaria drug without their knowledge. In her zeal to find out who is behind it, she suddenly stumbles upon government files that reveal that she isn't who she always believed she is. Her parents are not her birth parents. Her mother was a war correspondent and her father was a war criminal. It all begins with murder at her dinner table, and one man's mission to prevent another Holocaust.

I'm also having a little fun with Caitlin's character going through menapause at the same time as she reinvents herself. My goal is to complete the manuscript by yearend of 2003 and to have it in my publisher's hands immediately. When it is released will depend on a number of factors. My fans would prefer as soon as possible in 2004, but realistically, it may be 2005.

LJ for MBR: Writing a book can be daunting, and getting one published even more difficult than the writing itself. Are there any words of wisdom you can share with our readers on the subject of writing and publishing?

Bonnie: Faith, patience, perseverence and skill. Learn to use the best writing techniques you can. Never give up on your dream. There is no truly original story. What is unique is each author's way of putting a story together. In writing, there are no shortcuts. Writers who do not want to spend time authenticating details used in their imaginary plots cannot suspend their readers' disbelief. The first "error" readers see turns them off and makes them suspect the rest of the story. If you read through reviews at amazon, for instance, this is the biggest complaint of readers and the most prominent reason for giving a book a poor rating. It is also the most immediate reason to be rejected by agents and publishers, who are first and foremost the biggest fans of the authors they sign. Publishing? There are many books written about it today, and writers do need to read them and understand the process before they can make a decision about how they want to approach getting published. Some self-publish or turn to print-on-demand publishers to establish a track record or deliver a ready-made market they can sell to an agent and/or commercial publisher. Others query agents looking for one to represent them to the publishers in their networks. It can also depend on the fiction genre you are writing in as to the way you seek to be published. Writing non-fiction books works differently. Many "experts" make profits self-publishing their expertise. Their way of approaching agents is also different. You take an idea and sell them on the niche your book fills with just one chapter written to provide an example of your writing style and marketing strategies for selling your book. With this proposal and sample material, agents can find a publisher and negotiate an advance payment.

To help new writers, I have an authors' group online. We conduct free workshops on improving our writing techniques and share our publishing and marketing experiences. We have developed a very reliable archive of resources that shortens new writers' how-to searches for such things as how to write an enticing query letter, or effective press release. Subscription is free. Readers can join it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/making_critical_choices.

We also have a group catalog of our books at http://www3.sympatico.ca/bonnie.toews/books.html

LJ for MBR: Is there any question you wish I had asked, or any other information you would like to share with our readers?

Bonnie: Why did I choose two women as my protagonists? Originally, I believed I was writing women's fiction, and I wanted to show how women respond in emergency situations they can't control, such as war. I first dealt with the original character, Catherine, who represents the real life cousin of Britain's King George VI--a secret agent called Trudi who Churchill sent in to persuade the Danish nuclear scientist, Neils Bohr, to defect to London. After she convinced Bohr to escape to England, the Gestapo found her, arrested her and tortured her. She never revealed who she was or the Nazis would have demanded a ransom for her safe return. Instead, at the end of the war, British Intelligence never found her body. What actually happened to her remains a mystery. In fantasizing a "what if she survived" scenario, I saw the need to develop a "sister-in-spirit" or a mirror of her character--a woman totally different from an opposite background with one commonality that becomes their bond, and through their association, they grow and change. In the end, they reflect each other's character and looks. I wanted to portray the direct way women deal with problems. What takes men all day to discuss to decide on a course of action takes women five minutes to do. Through their mental thoughts I wanted to show war through a woman's perception instead of through a man's. What resulted was a story that men are equally enjoying, so It's not a women's only fiction. "Treason & Triumph" is mainstream historical fiction, and that's a bonus I didn't set out to achieve. It's a result of going with the characters and their story, and their story has created its own audience.

There is one more thing. I not only tried to show humanity at its worst, I also wanted to show the counterbalance of ordinary people at their best. It is the strange juxtaposition that war conditions create, and so, against the scene of Marla being tortured at Gestapo headquarters, across the street in the convent chapel a young German soldier finds God's redemption in the face of a woman he believes is a nun but who is actually Catherine in disguise.

LJ for MBR: I appreciate your time, Bonnie. Readers may read more about Bonnie Toews and her books at www.bonnietoews.com.

Bonnie: Thanks for this opportunity to speak to your readers, and for your insightful review and questions. You actually pointed to the spiritual balance between ultimate evil and sacrificial love in your review, and I thank you for noticing that.

Laurel Johnson
Interviewer
Midwest Book Review

Shirley's Bookshelf
Prince of the Wind
Charlotte Boyette-Compo
Amber Quill Press
PO Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
ISBN# 1-59279-006-2 Download: $ 5.50, http://www.amberquill.com

Who would ever quess that an obsessed woman could destroy a young man's life the way that Suzanna did? It makes my skin crawl to think about it.

Prince of The Wind begins with the young Prince being rescued by the Zonelanders from a year long captivity on an enemy ship. Riain Cree was only 16 years old and had not tasted manhood yet. The young Prince contacted Labyrinthian fever and had to be nursed back to health by Prince Gunter DeViennes daughter Suzanna, who was still unmarried and untouched at the age of 29.

Suzanna became infatuated with the young Prince and drugged him, causing his body to become inflamed with desire for her. After their act of intimacy, Suzanna claimed the young Prince as her own. Unfortunately for her, his mother and father had other ideas for him and whisked him away back to his homeland.Even in this fictitious tale, my heart went out to Riain's mother, who would stop at nothing to save her youngest son. But her attempts were in vain!

Suzanna was insane and cursed the young Prince and all those he loved or would love. Selling her soul to a demon, she involved the powers of darkness to weave her web and claim him as her own. However, a sorceress named Maeve had fallen in love with the young prince and swore to save his life and be with him forever. Will her powers be strong enough or will Riain be lost forever in the dark Abyss?

The story weaves in and out with fragments of the paranormal, mysticism, time travel, witches, werewolves, vampires, and romance. Prince of The Wind is a tale of obsessive lust and undying love. What force will win?

A good read, especially for those who like a tale that makes the hair stand up on the back of their necks. This one may just give you a few nightmares!

BlackWind
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
AmberQuill Press
P.O. Box 50251 Bellevue, WA 98015
Download $5.50 ISBN# 1-59279-005-4 Paperback - ISBN# 1-59279-993-0 $19.49, http://www.amberquill.com

Have you ever felt a breeze run across the nap of your neck but there was no wind? Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye, but no one was there? Perhaps it was the Nightwind or one of the other creatures that share our world. Don't believe it? You may after you read Charlotte Boyett-Compo's BlackWind.

The author takes you into the world of the supernatural in this outstanding adventure. Allowing you to share in the life of a little girl and a little boy who were destined to become one.The author takes you through their years of growth and you will see the joining of their souls. However dark forces will never allow this unity to be complete, not in the way at first you hope it would be.

Bronwyn and Sean pledge their love to one another, but Bronwyn does not know that Sean is a Reaper; nor does she know the part her heritage plays in drawing his enemy the Nightwind.

This marvelous novel weaves in and out using the paranormal, demonology and witchcraft. Her description of the characters brings them to life before your eyes and at times you are routing for them to win, even though they could only be described as monsters. It takes a very good writer to achieve this goal.

I will not deceive you, this is not a short read, and it is one you will want to have time to truly devour. To try and tell you the storyline would never bring justice to this work. Trust me, if you like the unusual mixed with mystery and seared with love, this is the novel for you. Good read! Well worth your time!

The Adventures of Travel Tiger
Derek Kittle, author, Brandy Hinnen & Karen Kahn, illustrators
Synergebooks
ISBN #1-931540-85-3, $5.00 Download $8.99 CD Rom, 21 pages, http://www.synergebooks.com

Travel Tiger lives with a little girl named Karen. Karen's daddy travels alot and takes Karen with him. Travel Tiger gets to go too and in this happy story he shares his adventures.

This is a tale of a little girls life as seen through the eyes of her stuffed tiger. How does he preceive the different characters and places that they encounter as they travel? What job does he see himself doing for Karen? And how does Karen feel about him?

It's a light and happy tale that I think might just be what a child would think her Tiger was feeling, doing and saying, if we could walk into the world of this little character, Travel Tiger.

A fun read that your child will enjoy!

Santa Was A Trucker
Pepper Raines, author, Jon Baxley, illustrator, Pepper Raines, photography
Synergebooks
ISBN #0-7443-0280-3, $4.00 Download $8.99 CD Rom, page 27, http://www.synergebooks.com

Do you believe in miracles? Could they really happen in our society today? I believe you will after you read the delightful story of little Shawn and his Christmas blessing.

Shawn's mom is a truck driver, and the story begins as mom is given an assignment to take a trip to Seattle during the Christmas Season, much to the dismay of little Shawn, who feels Santa will never know where he is.

The author allows you to feel the emotions of this distraught child and the heart of mom as she is torn between her job and her child's Christmas desires.

Circumstances grow worse as during their trip, they are trapped in a rest stop due to a blizzard. Shawn's heart drops knowing for sure, Santa will never find him now , and mom's plans to set up a tree and place her son's presents underneath it in a warm motel room are halted.

Your heart feels heavy, as you wait to see how this miracle will unfold. I will not tell you the wonderful miracle that happens, but I will tell you this......you will believe in miracles after reading this story. Highly recommended!

Legend of Otherland
Chuck Kelly
Synergebooks
ISBN#0-7443-0204-8, Download $5.00, 103 pages, http://www.synergebooks.com

Do you like stories of Kings and Queens, a young Prince and an evil aunt? If you do this is the story for you. Set in the Kingdom of Otherland, this is a delightful tale that is sure to entertain both old and young alike.

Thirteen year old Bunker Charles is the young Prince of Otherland who feels life is passing him by.He is tired of being kept a prisoner for his own protection. He is however, about to take an adventure that he won't soon forget.

The story beings when Evil Pencinell, his aunt, invades their Kingdom and young Prince Bunker is told the story of his mother's twin sister who turned to evil and resides on the other side of their Kingdom.

Evil Pencinell has come to steal a person and turn them into evil just like her. Prince Bunker and his father watched from the Castle as the Evil Pencinell set her sights on a young girl and quickly whisked her away. Prince Bunker saw his opportunity for adventure and against his father's wishes takes off to rescue the young maiden.

The story then takes you to the dark evil side of their Kingdom where Pencinell lives. The young Prince and the young girl Gittel battle to escape the clutches of the Evil Pencinell. They battle sea monsters and evil little creatures. Delightful!

This is a wonderful read for children and adults alike. Adventurous with just a tad of the 'scary' added in for flavor. A really fun read that I would highly recommend for everyone. I really enjoyed this story and know you will too.

Manitou
Emmet Willard
Adventure Book Publishers
Adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
ISBN# 1-55313-112-6 , $5.99 Download, 175 pages, http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/

Set in the Oregon Territory in the 1800's this novel is perfect for those who love stories of early Army days and Indian happenings.

Angus or Red Elk, is the son of a Scottish father and an Indian mother. At the age of 15 he is enlisted and begins his career as a scout and interpreter for the First Army Regiment in the west. He is perfect for the job, as he has understanding of both the white man's world and the Indian world.

The story takes you along the life of young Red Elk as he grows to manhood and travels through the territories of his forefathers.

I felt it was interesting as the author weaves within the story the heart of the tribes during that time, giving the reader a taste of the past. Letting them feel their hearts, their fears and their courage. Manitou was also a spiritual read, as the author brings into the story-line the gods of the earth as they touch the life of Red Elk in a very tender way. Perhaps changing him forever.

I feel Manitou is a good read for those who love the feel of the old west, want to read about Indian adventures and army activities, and have a taste of spirituality for a side dish.

From Coast To Coast
Shannon Lizon
Adventure Book Publishers
Adventures@puzzlesbyshar.com
$5.99 Download ISBN# 1-555313-044-8 17 pages, http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventuresbooks/

What a delightful, educational read! Brad and Sara are bored, sitting in their living room they talk of their friends who are taking exciting trips to places such as Disney Land. Depressed, the children resent being stuck in a Country that has nothing to offer, but wait!

The learning adventure begins as Beezoo, an alien lands in their living room and offers to take them on an exciting trip across their Country, Canada. It seems the aliens are on their own adventure, studying different Countries.

Brad and Sara jump at the chance and are taken, via space ship of course, across their magnificent Country. They learn of the wonders that Canada has to offer, from beautiful mountains, spectacular beaches to exciting wild life. Brad and Sara are thrilled to know they live in such a wonderful Country.

This is a great adventure book for all children. Teaching them about Canada in a fun way and showing them that in our own back yards we have many things to discover, if we will only look! Recommended!

The Nectar Deceptions
Murray J.D. Leeder
Adventure Book Publishers
Adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
ISBN# 1-55313-098-7, 166 pages, Download $6.49, http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/

Did you ever want to know what goes on in the personal world of an assassin? Did you ever ask yourself why they do what they do, how they feel when they do it? Perhaps you will have your chance to know as you read this excellent novel by Mr. Leeder " The Nectar Deceptions."

Assassin, The Nightstriker, is quite a celebrity as he continues to elude police in his high profile hits, but he is about to be hired for a job that will change his life.

Mysterious from the onset, this great read takes you into a semi sci-fi adventure, adding mystery, love and intrigue, along with immortal beings that if left undefeated will change the human race forever. The Nightstriker is thrust into an assignment where all previous tricks of his trade must be thrown out the window as he battles with forces he has never known. He must draw upon resources within himself to win this battle, resources he never knew he had.

"The Nectar Deceptions" is a fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you wait to see what fate awaits mankind. Would you like our destiny put in the hands of an assassin, in this novel the choice has already been made!

An excellent read, highly recommended, one you do not want to miss.

Peter's Red Bike
Carol Wells
Adventure Book Publishers
Adventures@puzzlesbyshar.com
ISBN #1-55313-012-X 14 pages, $5.99 Download http://puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/

Oh no! Peter's late for school and his new red bike is missing! What will he do? What will his Father say when he gets home? After all, it is Peter's responsibility to make sure his toys are put away. "Peter's Red Bike" is a learning read for all children about the responsibility of caring for their personal property.

The illustrations are colorful and bring the story to life and the lesson is taught in a way children can understand. A simple read, but one that will help a parent teach their child responsibility. Entertaining as well!

The Summer of the Loon
Jeanette MacDonald Dillon
Adventure Books
adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
ISBN# 1-55313-200-9 $5.99 Download, 160 pages, http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/

Things happen in this world we live in. Tragedy, sorrow, pain, heartache are a part of all of our lives. "The Summer of the Loon" is a story of the tragedy that touched the life of Chuckie, a young boy of 12. Chuckie's mother is killed in a car accident and his father is thrown into a world of grief, depression and alcohol abuse, leaving Chuckie alone to face the horror within.

The author does a wonderful job of allowing you to feel the trauma in this young boy's life over the loss of his Mom physically and the loss of his Dad emotionally.

The adventure begins however, when dad realizes he needs help for his abuse and checks himself into a Vermont clinic. Chuckie is taken to his maternal Grandmother's home in Canada and immediately a bond is felt between the two.

It is during the first summer that Chuckie is with Gram that strange visions and sightings of people and times gone by appear to Chuckie. Chuckie is afraid, thinking perhaps the emotional strain of the past few months is causing him to have a break down. This is not so.

Chuckie's Gram has a broken heart of her own that Chuckie knows nothing about. What are the shadows of the past trying to tell Chuckie and how will it help to free Gram of the grief she has carried for so many years?

This is an outstanding read. The author shows the cry of tragedy, but also brings to light the importance of our need one for another. She does this through a tale that keeps you reading, wanting to find out what is happening in the life of this young boy, and how it involves his Gram; but she gently weaves around the stability that an older person can bring to the life of a young one. It is an emotional read, yet it is a mysterious read. Very good mix!

I recommend this read. I truly enjoyed it and know you will too.

Sammy Star Mt Marshmallow
Kim Nasr
Adventure Books Publishers
adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
ISBN# 1-55313-184-3 33pages, Download $3.49m http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/

Sammy is at it again, but this time he is taking nine of his friends on his new adventure, climbing Mt. Marshmallow.

Sammy looks at the big mountain before him, made up of white couch pillows and cushions. This really will be an adventure for Sammy and his friends, as they battle the elements, of storm and winds to reach the top.

Oh no! Fat-cat has fallen! Will he survive? Is he all right? Those were the questions my little listener asked me as we read this adventurous story together.

Sammy Star Mt. Marshmallow is a delightful story of taking an adventure and facing the obstacles that one may encounter. Your little one will cheer as they work their way closer and closer to the top of Mt. Marshmallow.

Another good read by author Kim Nasr, one you and your little one will enjoy together.

Crazy Crooks: Over 700 Anecdotes of Crooks
Loren W. Christensen
Adventure Books
adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
ISBN# 1-55313-188-6, Download $5.99, 193 pages, http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/

I knew I was going to enjoy this book before I even started to read it, and I was right on the money. "Crazy Crooks" is a book that will make you laugh out loud and shake your head in unbelief.

Written by a retired police office, this tasty book is chuck full of mishap crimes. Take the two men who stole some TV's and returned because they forgot the remotes. What? How stupid is that?

Mr. Christensen breaks down his book into different chapters. My favorite one is "So Stupid There's No Category", and he named it perfectly. Let me give you one example, if I may. A bride stole her wedding dress from a local shop and sent pictures to the local paper of her wedding! Hello! Perhaps she didn't realize a Bridal Shoppe would look at bride photo's!

I think you get the picture of what this laugh out loud book is about. I shared many of these chuckles with my husband and we both decided maybe it's good these people are behind bars. Lord knows they need somebody to watch out for them!

Good read Mr. Christensen! Thanks for the laughs and for allowing me to feel a little "wiser" than I probably am!

Where The Heart Leads
Ginny McBlain
Awe-Struck Ebooks
ISBN# 1-58749-365-9, Download $4.75 Diskette $8.95, http://www.awe-struck.net

Ashley Lanning is a widow, alone with an infant son to raise, she is not looking to complicate her life. Major Kit Garrett is a career officer in the Army. Thrust unwillingly into being a single parent and harboring some resentfulness towards strong willed women, he is certainly not looking for any commitment. Why then do these two have an instant attraction for each other?

"Where The Heart Leads" is a perfect title for Ms. McBlain's tender novel of lost and found love. Living in the times we are now, nothing maybe the same tomorrow. The author brings this fact out in both the characters lives and shows that we cannot close our hearts to any happiness, even if it only lasts a moment.

A love story that is timely and forever at the same time. A story that will touch your hearts and perhaps let you reach for that star before the night fades away, and one with a happy ending. My favorite kind of read. Good job Ms. McBlain.

A very good read.

Manhunt
Brian T. Seifrit
Rose Dog Books
634 Smithfield St. Pittsburg, PA 15222
ISBN #0-8059-0216-2, 15 Chapters, $19.00 paperback, 1-800-788-7654, http://www.rosedog.com

O'Brien is back with his buddies, Hal, Rory and Thom in book two of Mr. Seifrit's series, "The O'Brien Series". You will also be introduced to a a couple of new pals that he acquires at his new location at Henderson Detective Agency in Ridgeville. O'Brien has hit the big one ,being promoted to Lieutenant , he moves his family to a great new home and he takes on the responsibility of heading Henderson's Detective Agency in Ridgeville. O'Brien will soon work for his added level in life however, as he battles with his old enemy from book one ,the evil Anvil Brentwood.

That's right, O'Brien has moved up the ladder but his past haunts him in this second book of the O'Brien Series by Brian T. Seifrit.

The evil Anvil Brentwood, whom all of us, who read book one ,assumed would be put away for good, has surfaced. Escaping from a mental institution, Anvil decides that he will seek out his revenge on O'Brien for his capture and imprisonment. This is the story-line.

Mr. Seifrit does a good job bringing his characters to life in this novel. He includes different cases that each are working on,bringing you more into the life of a detective; and includes more about the family life of O'Brien himself. I found that enjoyable.

The main thrust of the story however is the hunt to apprehend, yet another time, the evil Anvil Brentwood. You travel with O'Brien as Anvil takes them from one point to another in their relentless search to recapture him. You share in the investigating and you wonder if Anvil will harm either O'Brien, his co-workers or his family, as Anvil leaves a trail of bodies for them to follow. Not a well man!

Again,as with book one, this novel has the flavor of the old TV programs, like Dragnet. It is good cop finding bad guy story, and all that goes with it.

Not faced paced, but a steady read. Detective story lovers would enjoy this one. The downside, in my opinion of this novel ,would be some of the language. I did not feel that so many 'off color' words had to be incorporated in the language of the characters, and felt this took away from the read. Perhaps to others it would not matter.

If you want a laid back Detective story, even paced with likeable characters, this one is for you. Good to cuddle up with on these cold winter nights.

A Deadly Agent
Susan R. Sweet
Wings-ePress Books
PO Box 38, Richmond, KY 40476-0038
ISBN# 1-59088-140-0 222 pages, Download $6.00 Trade paperback $10.95, http://www.wings-press.com

I have to say right from the start that this was an excellent read. Ms. Sweet does an outstanding job of drawing you immediately into the heart of the main character Penny. A young woman, who has lost both father and mother and is now clinging to the one family member she has left, her aunt . Or so she thought. In a wonderful twist of storyline, Penny is made aware that an entire family line exists in Australia. This is where the story begins.

Mystery ravels itself around your mind as you wonder why she was never told of her uncles and cousins that were halfway around the world. What family secret is being whispered and why are family members dying? Will Penny be next? The suspense increases as Penny and her aunt travel to Australia and the adventure that awaits them.

There are so many wonderful twists and turns in this novel that I could never do justice trying to shorten them in a review.

It has been a long time since I have read such a wonderful interwoven story of love, intrigue, murder, suspense and mystery. This one kept me guessing wondering what was going on and who the villian was, and also added a tasteful morsel of love and romance. A surprise ending that you would never guess awaits your pleasure.

This is a must read. Very highly recommended! Great job Ms. Sweet! I hope to see more of your work soon!

Interview with Susan Sweet:

After I read "A Deadly Agent" I just had to interview Sue. The book was outstanding and I wanted to give Sue as much exposure as possible. I really like her, she is a great writer and a very nice person. Let's begin!

Q: I truly enjoyed reading and reviewing your novel "A Deadly Agent" would you please tell us how you came up with the story line for your novel? Sue: I love a good mystery. I also wanted to write a book that I wouldn't be afraid of my children or grandchildren reading. I've always wanted to go to Australia, thus the setting and I am very interested in hard to treat diseases.

Q: Did you fashion the characters in your book after people that you know? Sue: I have to admit, Penny has a lot of myself in her character. Aunt Les, I fashioned after my older sister. Aunt Martha has a lot of the characteristics of my very good friend, Martha (although, my friend does not have Aunt Martha's girth!). The rest of the characters were figments of my imagination.

Q: What about the location. You seem to describe Australia very well. Have you ever been there? Sue: As I said earlier, I've always wanted to visit Australia, so the research was a lot of fun for me. Hopefully one day I will see it first hand.

Q: How long did it take you to complete this work? Sue: It took one year to write, another year for me to edit and as a result rewrite.

Q: Is this your first published work, and if not please tell us what is. Sue: Yes, this is my first published work. I have several other's in the works.

Q: Do you feel that you will be writing anymore experiences for Penny and her family in another book? Sue: Yes I have, although I have a couple other books I would like to get published first.

Q: Did you find it difficult to find a publisher for your work? Sue: I have enough rejection letters to wallpaper my little office. But, I'm not a quitter.

I think I could wallpaper my entire house with mine! You are right though, we must never quit!

Q: You say you have other works going, would you tell us something about them? How long before they will be ready for publication and will you go with the same publisher? Sue: I'm currently working on a mystery/suspense titled "ADRIFT". The main character, Nichelle, is found severely beaten and unconscious, aboard a rubber lifeboat in the Gulf of Mexico. When she awakens, the only thing she remembers is her name. The story takes place in the U.S., within three states, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. I am also working on another mystery and of course A Deadly Agent's sequel. ADRIFT should be ready for publication by February, the other hopefully by the end of 2003, and hopefully have them also published with Wings ePress.

They really sound inviting! I look forward to reviewing those titles Sue!

Q: Can you give us a little hint what will be happening to Penny and her family in the future? Sue: The sequel of A Deadly Agent, "A Deadly Deception" will start with Penny and Devin married and the parents of twins. That's all I can tell you at this time, sorry.

Twins? How great is that? I really look forward to this book!

Q: How long have you been writing? Sue: Off and on, about ten years. I've worked for many years and this was my way of getting rid of tension, my hobby. I was in a car accident in 1995, and while recuperating at home, finally finished my first full length novel, A Deadly Agent.

Q: How many hours a day do you spend writing? Sue: My worst trait is disciplining my time. I hate to admit it, but I write in spurts. I will work 12-15 hours a day for a week, then not touch the keys for a month. I've recently purchased an AlphaSmart 3000, which has helped me tremendously in my writing. I have back and neck problems, so sitting in front of my computer for long periods of time is not possible.

Q: When you were writing "A Deadly Agent" did it flow freely from you or were there times you were stuck, so to speak, in a certain part of your story? Sue: This is easy to answer but maybe not so easy to understand. I have a lot of faith in God. When I was hurt in the accident, it did a number on my neck. I thought, "A perfect opportunity to finish this book". I also knew I couldn't sit for long periods, so I said a prayer each time I entered my small office(spare bedroom) and when I sat at the keyboard the words flowed. God is good.

Indeed "God is good!"

Q: Who is your favorite character in your novel and why? Sue: Penny is fashioned a lot after my younger self, so I guess I identify more with her journey into adulthood, but I had a lot of fun with Aunt Martha. All that cooking! Another love of mine.

Q: What was the hardest part of your book to write? Sue: Thoughts and feelings, most definitely. I am prone to keeping these things inside. It is hard for me to even put into writing some emotions.

Well, let me say this. You did an outstanding job in your novel! Outstanding!

Q: What advice would you give to other authors that are seeking publication and are totally discouraged? Sue: DON'T GIVE UP!!!. As I said earlier, I had a lot of rejections. You have to take them with a grain of salt and keep trying. If you quit, what will become of all your hard work?

Good advice!

I ask the following question to every author I interview. I am hoping against hope that the publishers will take note one of these days!

Q: If you could speak to publishers on behalf of new authors what would you like to tell them? Sue: In today's world of publishing, there are so many writers seeking an opportunity to show their work. If your schedule is such that looking at an unknown author's book is not fathomable, hire someone to read this source of work. There are a lot of good writers out there that would become GREAT authors if just given a chance.

Q: Do you have to promote your work and if so how do you go about doing this? Sue: Yes I do. My name is not a well-known one, so without sending the book to be reviewed, as in this case, calling bookstores, talking to friends, relatives, acquaintances, anyone that will listen, it won't sell. You might also look in other places for booksignings such as your local hairdressers, gift shop, restaurant, etc.. You will have to sell yourself or all your hard work will go unnoticed.

I agree, but won't it be nice to just sit back and write and not worry about promoting! Ah! A dream!

Q: Just curious, is your book being promoted in Australia? If not maybe it should be! Sue: Wings ePress is on the Internet and therefore is available all around the world. I know several other authors that live in Australia, so yes, in a small measure it has been promoted in that area.

Q: Where would you like to see your writing career in 5 years and what, if anything, are you doing to achieve that dream? Sue: Of course I think every author's dream is to be a well known writer, but I know that happens to very few of us. I would like to have name recognition. To accomplish this goal, I continue to write as often as I can, and promote, promote, promote my book.

Q: Your other works are also mystery/suspense, do you feel you will expand and write in any other genre in the future? Sue: I would like to write some inspirational mystery/suspense. I won an award last year for a short inspirational piece I submitted.

I look forward to reading that one day Sue!

Q: Do you have family/friends support in your writing endeavors and if so how important do you feel this is to an author? Sue: I belong to a writing group, 2 of which are also published. This is very important. They keep you focused toward reaching your goals, plus give the encouragement needed on a daily basis. I honestly don't think I would do as much writing without their support.

Q: Do you have a favorite book/author and if so would you share that with us. Sue: It may sound odd, but my favorite book is the Bible. I read it through on a yearly basis. It's amazing how many genres there are in this wonderful classic. Romance/mystery/suspense, you name it, you'll find it in this book.

Ah! That is so true. I just finished reviewing a book, "A Writer's Roadmap" by Wendell Wellman, and he uses the Bible and the wonderful examples of writing in it in his book. Interesting!

Q: Do you read a lot and if so do you feel reading other's work help you in your own writing? Sue: I read on an average 4-6 books a month and know without a doubt that reading other people's works, helps me in my writing.

I feel this is true also. I believe reading widens a writers scope on things.

Q: Do you have an Agent? If not, do you plan to have one in the future? Sue: No, I don't have an agent right now, but do hope to have one in the future.

Q: Overall how would you rate the way publishers have treated you as a new author presenting your work to them?

Sue: Most of the big name publishers are going for big name authors. Your celebrities, established authors, etc.. I feel that most new authors are facing more and more the possibility of never being published by the well known publisher. E-publishing however is a whole new world. The books I've read on my e-reader are just as well written if not more so than a lot of the hard-book volumes. This new world of publishing provides hope to the thousands of good writers trying to get their works published.

I agree with you Sue. I have read and reviewed many such books and think the 'big' publishers need to sit up and take notice. Let's hope they listen and perhaps read interviews like this one.

Please use this space for anything you would like to leave with our readers, about yourself, your works or writing in general: Sue: I'm 53, wife, mother and grandmother. What I'm getting at is that it is never too late to pursue your dream. Go for it and you'll reap the wonderful reward of attaining your goal. God Bless you all. Sue I want to thank Susan Sweet for allowing me this interview. Sometimes you meet someone who you know right off needs to have her star shine. Sue is such a person as this. I pray that her future is a bright one, and I believe it will be because she is one talented lady. Shine brightly Susan Sweet, the best is yet to come for you!

Contact Information: Email: srsweet@bellsouth.net URL: www.susanrsweet.com. Wings ePress: http://www.wings-press.com

Beyond The Cliffs of Kerry
Amanda Hughes
Adventure Books
http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/
ISBN 1-55313-166-5 259 pages Download $5.50

Outstanding! Excellent! Those are the two words I would have to use to begin this review on Ms. Hughe's novel Beyond The Cliffs of Kerry.

My heart immediately became one with the main character of this novel ,Darcey McBride. Losing all her family, except for her brother, in the famine of 1700's in the Country of Ireland, her pain and hopelessness weaved it's way into my heart. Struggling from her early childhood to survive, she has become a Beacon for the smugglings of her small village, as they trade wares with the French. The penality from the British for this would be death!

These strong Catholic people, were not allowed to practice their faith, and one day they smuggled in a Jesuit Priest named Father Etienne, this man would change Darceys life forever.

Befriending her, Father Etienne teaches Darcey to read, something not many at that time were privileged to learn. Unfortunately Darcey and her smuggling group were turned into the British by none other than her finance. How many blows can this poor woman endure?

Father Etienne and many others die and Darcey is sold into indentured service and is sent to the American Colonies. There she is bought by a Colonel Nathan Lawrence and becomes his mistress. It is here that Darcey meets and falls in love with a surveyor for the Crown, Jean Michael Lupe'. What you find out about this man will totally shock you! What a wonderful twist this added to the story. It gave me goose bumps, I loved it!

I thought my heart would burst when Darcey finally found true love, but again she is torn away from her hope of happiness. Will she ever be free to pursue her own life?

The author does an excellent job of drawing you into the very soul of her characters. I found myself being drawn back to reading this novel during my day, wondering what was the next step for Darcey and if she would ever be united with Jean Michael.

This is not just some simple love story, but one that takes this strong and courageous woman on one adventure to another as she struggles to maintain her identity. Imagine being stripped from all your privileges as a human being, being told what to say, what to do and being lead as an animal far away from all you know and love. Could you survive with as much dignity and strength as Darcey does?

This is one novel you do not want to miss reading. I promise you, you will remember this story long after you finish this book. It is one of those rare jewels that somehow inscribe their words on your heart.

Interview with Amanda Hughes:

I chose to interview Amanda because of the impact her outstanding novel had on me. It isn't often that I am so honored to read the work of such a talented writer. I wanted to know more about Amanda and was interested in what her future writing plans and dreams were.

Amanda's book is called: "Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry," by Amanda Hughes - Adventure Book Publishers www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/index.html

Amanda, as I have stated I was very impressed with your outstanding novel. Please tell us what inspired you to write "Beyond The Cliffs of Kerry"

Amanda: At a young age I would light tapers, decorate the basement with my mother's pewter and act out elaborate adventures with my imaginary playmates. To this day the characters in my novels are shadows whispering their stories to me. Writing is just a grown-up documentation of my childhood fantasies.

SPJ: Your fantasies certainly created a wonderful novel!

Q: Were the characters in your novel fashioned after people you know?

Amanda: Most of my characters were not fashioned after people I know although I did find it helpful to "cast" certain Hollywood actors in the roles of my characters to help me with description. Darcy's love of literature and her tendency to dream are my traits as well as her desire for adventure. The kind and gentle Moses Tinker is based on my father and Bran Moynihan is a combination of several selfish, ambitious men I have known.

SPJ: I believe we have all known both types of men!

Q: What form of research did you have to do for this work?
Amanda: My research has been life long. My passion for Ireland and Colonial America merged in "Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry". I have traveled throughout Ireland and New England seeking inspiration but by far the best, most satisfying research for me is done through books.

SPJ: How blessed you have been to have traveled to Ireland. I will say this, wherever you received your inspiration, it certainly was felt in your novel.

Q: May I ask how long it too you to complete this work?

Amanda: The novel took about five years to complete. The first year was spent walking in the woods of Northern Minnesota where I developed my storyline.

Q: Did you experience writers block at anytime while writing your novel? Is so what did you do to remedy this?

Amanda: Yes, but not often. I would walk in the woods and listen to soundtracks, particularly "Last of the Mohicans".

Q: Finding a publisher can be heartbreaking for new authors. How long did it take you to find a publisher?

Amanda: It took three painful years.

SPJ: I believe we all know the pain you are talking about Amanda!

Q: Is "Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry" your first published work?

Amanda: It is my first published novel. I published poetry many years ago.

Q: Amanda, how long have you been writing and how many hours a day do you write?

Amanda: I have written for the past seven years and manage to write only about an hour a day because I am raising three children. Reading, although, has been my lifelong obsession and, of course, indulging in, "Walter Mitty" like behavior.

SPJ: Your writing is excellent Amanda. I can only imagine what you will turn out once you have more time.

Q: What other works do you have in progress?

Amanda: I am currently working on another novel entitled, "The Pride of the King." It too is the adventure of a young woman in Colonial America. Lauren, the main character, is a somewhat more selfish and impulsive character than Darcy but nevertheless extremely engaging.

Q: Amanda, do you feel you will ever do a sequel to "Cliffs of Kerry?"

Amanda: No, other readers have asked me the same question. I believe Darcy and Jean Michel live happily ever after and the story is complete. I would rather follow some other character on her adventures and escapades, like Lauren DeBeauville, in "The Pride of the King".

SPJ: I like that, I want to believe Darcy and Jean Michel will forever be happy!

Q: Do you feel you will ever span out to writing in other genres, and if so, what might that be?

Amanda: No, I don't believe I would ever be happy writing in any other genres. I cannot pass abandoned homes without wondering what stories they hold, or study headstones without trying to guess what desires and dreams those buried there experienced. I feel so connected with the past that historical romances are the only kind of novel I care to ever write

Q: Do you have a set form in your writing? What I mean by that is do you spend a certain amount of time before your computer each day, or is it when the mood strikes you?

Amanda: I wish that I had time to write each and every day. It seems to be that I write whenever I can fit it into my schedule and lately that has been seldom. I feel the pull to continue with my new novel though and my characters are growing impatient.

SPJ: As are your fans Amanda.

Q: What was the hardest part of your novel to write and why?

Amanda: I find transitions to be the hardest part to write in a novel. For example, in "Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry" I grew anxious to transport Darcy to the Colonies long before my words were complete. I find that I have to slow myself down because my story flies faster than my fingers. I also think that it is tedious to create clothing and landscapes for novels. When I write my next book I will employ my daughters to design the clothing and I will simply describe it.

Q: Who is your favorite character in your novel and why?

Amanda: Well of course I am secretly in love with Jean Michel but aside from that my favorite character is the dear, unassuming Raoul LaRoche. He was so incredibly pure of heart. He endeared himself to me when he chastised himself for keeping Darcy by his side until his death, knowing that she loved another.

Q: What advice would you give to other authors who are seeking publication and feel they never will achieve it?

Amanda: I understand how painful it is to be unpublished but keep in mind that a book should be read. Let everyone you know read your book. Keep your characters alive through the eyes of others. Even if the book in not on the Barnes and Noble bookshelves, it needs to be read by someone.

SPJ: Very good advice!

Q: Where would you like to see yourself in your writing career in the next 3 to 5 years and what are you doing to achieve this goal?

Amanda: I would love to be writing novels full time and doing research for my books. Right now though, I continue to work on my newest novel and find ways to creatively promote, "Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry."

Q: Do you feel writing this novel has changed you in anyway?

Amanda: I will never be the same. I am like Darcy when she was learning to read and Father Etienne said, "I fear that I have opened Pandora's box." There will always be the obsession to continue writing now that "Pandora's Box" is open and I can never fully divorce myself from my characters who have become old friends to me.

Q: Do you want your readers to just have pure enjoyment in reading "The Cliffs of Kerry", or is there more you would like them to take with them after reading this work?

Amanda: I hope that first and foremost my readers have fun reading my work. It is meant to be a fast paced romantic adventure and anytime a reader reports that they cannot put my book down, I feel that I have accomplished everything I set out to do. If along the way they happen to gain a deeper insight into the suffering endured by the Irish, then my job is completely done.

Q: Please use this space for anything else you would like to leave with our readers, about yourself, your works, or any publishing tips you may wish to pass along.

If you haven't read, "Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry," please go to Adventure Book Publishers and pick up a copy. If you have any comments please forward they to me via the site. I welcome your comments!

Thank you Amanda for a wonderful interview. Please see the review of Amanda's outstanding book, "Beyond the Cliff of Kerry." in this column. I encourage you to get a copy and plunge into pure reading enjoyment. The best of luck to Amanda in the future in everything she does.

Interview with Charlotte Boyett-Compo:

I chose to interview Charlotte because her novels to me were above the norm, different, and interesting. I think you will enjoy meeting this talented lady. Charlotte, I have read and reviewed several of your novels, and may I say enjoyed them. Although I had to leave the lights on a few nights! And at my age! *smile*..... Let's get to our interview!

Q: Charlotte, please tell us what gave you the idea to write in your specific genre?

A: I have always been interested in the paranormal. When I was a child, my mother and I would watch the local Shock Theatre every Saturday night and I sat spellbound by the old Karloff and Lugosi movies. When I was a little older, I would faithfully buy Famous Monster magazine every month. I knew all the casts of the old movies and understood how the fantastic creations like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the werewolf, etc. were crafted. I felt great sympathy for the character of Larry Talbot as played by Lon Chaney Jr. He made the werewolf so tragic and tortured. The same with the Karloff creations of the Frankenstein monster and the mummy. By the time I was a teenager, I was half in love with Christopher Lee's version of Dracula. When I began writing, it was only natural to draw from what I loved and enjoyed the most and that was paranormal, horror, and fantasy movies. SPJ: Wow Charlotte, that was interesting!

Q: Please tell us if you fashion any of the characters from people you know or even events you have heard about? I hope not. at least not the 'strange' things! *smile*

A: Christopher Lee is the basis for my ongoing character of Occultus Noire in the WindLegends Saga series of sword & sorcery novels. Eric McCormack of Will & Grace fame is Syntian Cree; Adrian Paul is Kamerone Cree. Every character I create is generally a compliment to an actor or actress whose work I have admired over the years. Some of the things that happen in my books do have a basis in fact. They say write what you know and a few of the rather bizarre things that have occurred usually wind up in my books in one way or another.

Q: I have read several of your novels and they can be quite 'dark and deep'. Do you ever get somewhat 'creeped' out writing these works? I have to admit, I did, even though I enjoyed them.

A: Nope, nothing I write has ever bothered me. I believe I exorcise my own demons when I write; but I'll tell what happened to me recently that 'creeped' me out: I was ill and restricted to bed for several days. Bored, I started flipping channels on the new satellite dish that is my hubby's latest toy.:) I happened upon a Discovery channel segment called A Haunting in Connecticut (I believe that was the title). It was supposedly a true account of a family of six who rent a house that is infested with evil. It was very unsettling and as the events unfolded, I became edgy and several times was tempted to change the channel. But like a road accident, I felt compelled to watch the entire thing even though it was disturbing.

Eventually, the family is able to get the Catholic church to exorcise the place and the evil departs. What bothered me was the fact that I am the parish secretary of our Catholic church and was privy to the beginnings of an exorcism that was very similar to the one in Connecticut. Had I not known the Church actually took this incident of demonic possession seriously and sent an exorcist to intervene, that TV show would just have been another piece of entertainment. As it was, it bothered me bad enough that I slept with the light on in the bathroom the next couple of nights. Even now, several days later, I don't feel comfortable in the dark. SPJ: Believe me, I know what you are talking about; but we won't go there!

Q: Do you look at your work as pure fiction or do you some where perhaps think 'people' like the characters in your novels could possibly exist?

A: Man, I hope they don't exist! I'm sure the modern day characters of the crime families I portrayed in In the Teeth of the Wind and In the Heart of the Wind exist in some fashion or another and I would not be surprised that they have done some of the things I wrote about but if that's the case, I hope I never meet them! As for the fantasy characters, they exist only in my mind...like the Reapers and Nightwinds that are strangely-enough gathering fans of their own! I get letters from fans asking questions of Kamerone Cree or Syntian Cree. I realized that these two have developed a sexually-charged following and if they do exist, I hope their loyal fans will encounter them in their gentler personas one day. I know I'd like to! ;)) SPJ: I hope so too Charlotte!

Q: What was your first work and how long did it take you to complete it?

A: The first 'book' I ever wrote was Western Flame and it was a western. I was all of 12 when I wrote that one. It took me about 4 months and it filled up a spiral bound notebook.

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