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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Cosmic Locusts
J. J. Keene
Backwater Books
4661 Trevor Creek Drive North, Jacksonville, FL 32257
0972458204 $TBA www.authorsden.com nppubs@aol.com Tzekway@aol.com
Exhaustively researched and accessibly written by Joel Keene, Cosmic Locusts: The 2012
Convergence Of Nostradamian, Mayan & Biblical Prophecy offers the reader an original and
unique
narrative steeped in the lore and metaphysics of Nostradamus' prophesies concerning the
traumatic
end and rebirth of life and human civilization, combined with Mayan prophecies of the "end date"
for
the Earth, and related to Biblical prophecies and astro-archeological research. A powerful,
shocking,
compelling and mystical view of ancient convergences changing the world forever, Cosmic
Locusts
is strongly recommended reading for students of metaphysics in general, and the "End Times"
literature in particular.
Keeping Christmas
Barbara Russell Chesser
Tapestry Press
Avalon Marketing & Communications (publicity)
3649 Conflans Road, Suite 103, Irving, TX 75061
1930819188 $15.95 www.tapestrypressinc.com
Compiled and edited by Barbara Russell Chesser, Keeping Christmas: Stories To Warm Your
Heart
Throughout The Year is an anthology of twenty-six charming Christmas stories by an eclectic
variety of authors that range from Lewis Grizzard, Leo Buscaglia, and Victor Parachin, to
Barbara
Johnson, Christa Holder Ocker, and Elizabeth Silance Ballard. Enhanced throughout with small
black-and-white illustrations accompanying a text printed on deep ivory-colored paper with red
trim,
combine to add a festive holiday appearance to this engaging and highly readable collection of
upbeat, sentimental, and enthusiastically recommended tales which are especially appropriate for
the
Christmas season.
Hello! USA
Judy Priven
Hello! America, Inc.
7962 Old Georgetown Rd. #B, Bethesda, MD 20814-2475
0963563378 $21.95 www.hellousa.com
Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Hello! USA: Everyday Living For International
Residents And Visitors by Judy Priven remains a superbly written, easy-to-read, "user friendly"
primer and basic adjustment guide to daily living in the United States for those arriving from other
lands with other customs. Focusing heavily on practical issues such as what to bring, issues of
legal
status, transportation, customs and etiquette, paying taxes, finding a home, getting a job,
attending
universities, and much, much more, Hello! USA is filled cover to cover with invaluable and
practical
advice, resources, tips, and vital information. Highly recommended, Hello! USA is an
indispensable
reference for anyone needing to acclimate and accommodate themselves to American society.
Exhausted Rapunzel
Deirdre Reilly
Opine Publishing
PO Box 1239, Columbia, MD 21044
0970845138 $14.95 www.opinepublishing.com
Exceptionally well written by Deirdre Reilly, Exhausted Rapunzel: Tales Of Modern Castle Life is
a
treasure trove of family humor that touches upon everything from daring to see familiar faces at a
high school reunion, to coping with the foibles of a pet dog, to how a new baby turns everyone's
life
upside down. From cover to cover, Exhausted Rapunzel is a delightful, heartwarming, thoroughly
entertaining read.
Homeric Moments
Eva Brann
Paul Dry Books
117 South 17th Street, Suite 1102, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
0967967570 $35.00 www.pauldrybooks.com
Written by Eva Brann, a literature teacher who has studied The Odyssey and The Iliad for fifty
years, Homeric Moments: Clues To Delight In Reading The Odyssey And The Iliad is a
thoroughly
"reader friendly" and insightful study of these great classic masterpieces of history and epic.
Deeply
examining the key figures, laying apart insights in motive and character, and illumine Homer's
work
for the unique and enduringly popular saga that it is, Homeric Moments is a superb companion for
dedicated students of ancient literature in general, and those new to the mythic sagas of the blind
poet Homer in particular.
The Bird of Imagining
Richard Lewis
Touchstone Center Publications
141 East 88th Street, New York, NY 10128
192929901X $16.00 www.touchstonecenter.net
Compiled by Richard Lewis (Founder and Director of The Touchstone Center for Children), The
Bird Of Imagining is a full-color collection of drawings by children attending New York City
public
schools, and which revolve around an inspirational poem by Richard Lewis about the "Bird of
Imagining" which brings fresh ideas and wondrous creative energies to the minds of young and
old.
The simple yet vivid pictures and the memorable verse make The Bird Of Imagining a unique
celebration of young people's talents. "There was a bird no one had ever seen before;/and it was -
ourselves,/ready to be in the sky of our thoughts."
An Examined Life
Marjory Barlow in conversation with Trevor Allan Davies
Mornum Time Press
2547 8th Street, Studio 39, Berkeley, CA 94710-2581
0964435241 $29.00 www.mtpress.com
An Examined Life: Marjory Barlow And The Alexander Technique is a profoundly insightful and
spiritual volume that showcases the "Alexander Technique" for embracing a very special approach
to
education and understanding wholeness within the human being. It is presented as a series of
conversations between Alexander's niece and Trevor Allan Davies, both of whom have been
extensively trained as teachers in the Alexander Technique. Enthusiastically recommended
reading,
An Examined Life and original look at various and effective ways to sort through the complex and
reflective tangle of the mind.
Together: Creating Family Traditions
Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes
Nine Twenty Press
PO Box 7748, Dallas, TX 75209-0748
0971600201 $21.95 1-800-825-6448 www.togetherparenting.com
Collaboratively compiled and written by Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes,
Together:
Creating Family Traditions is a 131-page compilation of fun activities for adults and kids to
undertake together, all splendidly illustrated with full color photography. Holiday themes are
spotlighted in this delightful guide to making homemade paper, granola, gingerbread man
garlands,
and so much more. Enthusiastically recommended for parents seeking to bond with their children,
Together: Creating Family Traditions is a simply wonderful, thoroughly "user friendly" activities
how-to book which the entire family can enjoy -- from generation to generation.
An American Christmas Patchwork
Kate Woods
Word Association Publishers
205 Fifth Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084
189123109X $9.95 1-800-827-7903 www.wordassociation.com
An American Christmas Patchwork by Kate Woods is an impressively entertaining collection of
holiday-theme quotes, short stories and poems for the Christmas season. Each vignette is a joy to
page through, and the simple black-and-white illustrations add a gentle, picturesque touch to the
thoughts and memories preserved in the pages. An American Christmas Patchwork is a welcome
and
recommended addition to any personal or family Christmas bookshelf as being a highly readable
and
unusually thoughtful literary treasure for the Christmas season. The Christmas Cuddlebug: The
Christmas Cuddlebug came to town,/And stole our hearts when no one was around./With her
happy
little prancing,/She made our hearts feel like dancing./With her twinkling eyes and happy
smile,/We
loved her instantly,/We loved her then and we love her now./She shares our lives and shares our
home,/And with hearts filled with love,/We're never alone./She's our special little Christmas
bonus,/It's as if she's always known us./The Christmas Cuddlebug came to town,/And we're so
glad
to have her around.
Coming Here
Rezzan A. Erten
Nonetheless press
20332 West 98th Street, Lenexa, KS 66220-2650
193205300X $14.99 www.nonethelesspress.com
Coming Here: Learning To Live In America was conceived and written by Rezzan A. Erten (who
arrived in the United States from Ankara, Turkey, when she was seven years old and who
currently
serves as a contracting officer with the U.S. General Service Administration's Federal Technology
Services Division) to be a compendium of practical advice, unsuspected choices, and creative
insights into how nearly arrived immigrants and visitors to the United States could quickly and
informatively acclimate themselves to their new surroundings. In this aspiration, Rezzan is so
resoundingly successful that Coming Here can be strongly and enthusiastically recommended for
even home-grown Americans who would like to view this country through fresh and renewed
perspectives, as well as anyone, anywhere, who has moved into a new community and wishes to
become a part of whatever there is that their new surroundings, neighbors, and community
institutions have to offer.
The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf
Lucid
Christina Evans
Writer's Digest Club/iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595226493 $14.95 iuniverse.com
Christina Evans' debut novel Lucid is a fantastic story about Andie Claibourne, a woman who can
travel to other places in her dreams. Andie has been unable to control or otherwise consciously
direct her power, until the sudden death of her father changes everything and forces her to put her
unusual abilities to the test in order to forestall terrible things. An engaging, entertaining, and
gripping narrative, Lucid is recommended for those who enjoy well written speculative
fiction.
Fleet Of Angels
Carl R. Merritt
Barclay Books, LLC
6161 51st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33715
1931402337 $15.95 barclaybooks.com
Set in the year 2376, Carl R. Merrit's Fleet Of Angels is an epic science fiction war story about
Earthmen and their technologically superior alien ally called zTurms as they are locked in a lethal
conflict with the hideous Satanians. zTurm technology and Earth ingenuity combine in the
creation
of a great fleet of gigantic warships to turn away the Satanian invasion. The second fleet of this
production line is called the Fleet of Angels, and this is their pulse-pounding intergalactic story.
Fleet
Of Angels is strongly recommended to science fiction enthusiasts as a world-spanning futuristic
adventure that combines elements of the fantastic and the supernatural.
The Fiction Shelf
The Fourth Branch
Josef Wilson
Quiet Storm Publishing
PO Box 1666, Martinsburg, WV 25402
0971429677 $26.95 1-361-992-5587
First published in 1999, well before the September 11 attacks, The Fourth Branch is a suspenseful
novel by Josef Wilson that echoes present-day reality. Bobby Rodrigues is a CIA agent with inside
information on a terrorist organization that is setting its sights on Washington D.C., and when his
own mentor is murdered, Rodrigues must turn to a rogue intelligence organization to unravel the
shroud concealing a brutal and demonic conspiracy. The Fourth Branch is a chilling story, adroitly
told, and guaranteed to hold the reader's rapt and total attention from first page to last.
The Breach
Brian Kaufman
Last Knight Publishing Company
PO Box 270006, Fort Collins, CO 80527
0972044205 $12.95 www.lastknightpublishing.com
The Breach by Brian Kaufman is a historical novel that presents General Manuel Fernandez
Castrillon, the man who was an Aide-de-Camp to the infamous Santa Anna in 1836 when the
Mexican president and his army marched against Texas and conquered the Alamo. A powerful
and
compelling view of history, The Breach tells the story of an honorable Mexican soldier and his
personal witness to the controversial aspects of the war, which included the execution of Davy
Crockett and four other Alamo prisoners. The Breach is a compelling, deftly written, stirring,
unflinching and insightful novel from cover to cover.
The Tenth Symphony
Thomas W. Kubizek
Four Seasons Publishers
PO Box 51, Titusville, FL 32781
1891929712 $12.95 1-610-917-2338 TKub23@aol.com
Set in December of 1944, The Tenth Symphony by freelance writer Thomas W. Kubizek is a
harrowing historical novel set in the last days of World War II. The end is drawing near for
Hitler's
empire, and Colonel Klaus Muller, a veteran Panzer commander chosen by the Nazi High
Command,
is ordered to personally spearhead a breakthrough detachment to turn the tide of the war and alter
history. Highly recommended reading, The Tenth Symphony is a gripping and original saga of
bloodshed, survival, and conjecture about the uncertainties of history and the future.
Scandal's Daughter
Mallory Dorn Hart
John James Company
79 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013
0967591538 $15.00 1-212-431-3235 jjpublishing@msn.com
Set in New York City in the 1850's, Scandal's Daughter by Mallory Dorn Hart is a vivacious and
entertaining novel based on the life of Isaac Merritt Singer, developer of the sewing machine, and
as
told from the viewpoint of Gussie Singer, his fictional daughter. Filled with steamy romance, the
power of new technology made available to the masses, and the imminent threat of the Civil War,
Scandal's Daughter is an exciting and immersive read that fully captures the spirit of its time.
The Water Thief
Robert Baldwin
GreyCore Press
2646 New Prospect Rd., Pine Bush, NY 12566
0967185122 $20.00 1-845-744-5081
The Water Thief by Robert Baldwin is a novel about Jake Woods, a water engineer who suffers a
terrible accident in Canada, and has difficulty reassembling the pieces of his life. A rift in Jake's
marriage and deep secrets within past compel him to embark on a journey for redemption, healing,
and understanding. Embracing the strengths and foibles of what it means to be human, The Water
Thief is very strongly recommended reading as a touching and memorable story about the
transcendental power of forgiveness over spiritual despair.
The Nature Of The Beast
Burton Hersh
Tree Farm Books
PO Box 207, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-0207
0971066000 $23.95 www.treefarmbooks.com
The Nature Of The Beast by Burton Hersh is a novel about Owen Rheinsdorf, an ex-CIA
operations
specialist who gets dragged out of retirement and plunged into a deadly conflict with a delusional
demagogue and a psychopathic, pedophile assassin. The Nature Of The Beast is recommended as
a
grippingly written saga, crafted with a firm grounding in the history of secret conflicts in Vietnam,
Portugal, Uruguay, Panama, and Moscow, and having the profound double impact of both realism
and high-stakes tension.
Caught In The Rain
L. C. Martin
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1591294037 $19.95 www.publishamerica.com
Caught In The Rain by L.C. Martin is a grippingly told story of abuse, love, loss, and hard
choices.
Jessica Thomas is a woman who flees the horror of her home, takes up the lifestyle of an L.A.
escort, and learns how to make the best of her business; meanwhile, her childhood friend Joe
embarks on a political career. When they meet again, emotions fly at cross purposes, yet love
between any two people has but a slim chance of survival amid deeply buried secrets. Caught In
The
Rain is recommended as a particularly thoughtful and deftly written novel showcasing the
strengths
and foibles of human nature.
Thomas
Tobias Maxwell
The Floating GalleryPress
331 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
0972001700 $12.95 www.thefloatinggallery.com
Set in Santa Monica, California, Thomas is the memorably written debut novel by Tobias Maxwell
and tells the story of Josh Higgins, a middle-aged man trying to find himself, who crossed friends
with a widow twenty years old than he is. When another woman (this one a rich and powerful
socialite), takes an interest in Josh it touches off a tangled web of love, cross purposes, and
hidden
emotional agendas in this thoroughly engaging and highly recommended character study.
Lost In The Light
Vladimir Chernozemsky
Triumvirate Publications
One On One (publicity)
2140 Westwood Blvd., Suite 206, Los Angeles, CA 90025
0970997523 $24.95 www.bginfo.com
Based on a true story, Lost In The Light by Vladimir Chernozemsky is a deftly written novel of
unrestrained sex, betrayal, murder, and the erosion of moral principles in the washed-out limelight
of
Hollywood. A young girl is murdered and the killing unleashes a series of cover-ups while the
protagonist Daggo struggles to remain faithful to both his wife and his principles. Backstabbing,
power struggles, sexual competition, gut-wrenching violence pepper the pages of this raw and
gripping narrative revealing the dark side of show business.
Yours, Aiden
Edward G. Kardos
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 23233-2782
1403319898 $17.50 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com
Set in the seventies at a Catholic boys boarding school in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Yours,
Aiden by Edward G. Kardos is a compelling and engagingly written story of friendship, the word
used to describe a long, slow process of enlightenment as well as a term applicable to the process
of
healing and learning to make sense of life. Spanning twenty years, and centered around a secluded
spot of inspiration, Yours, Aiden is a strongly recommended and emotionally moving saga.
People Of The Book
Marlena Tanya Muchnick
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403305846 $13.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com
Marlena Tanya Muchnick's novel, People Of The Book, is about Yesod, an Orthodox Jew who
converts to Christianity after he accidentally observes Jesus praying in a garden, realizes that he is
inspired by this encounter, and finds that he admires Christ's hardships and willingness to choose
sacrifice in the garden of Gethsemane. This decision to change his life and religious allegiance
brings
uproar and confusion in every aspect of his life, including his relationship with the woman he
loves.
People Of The Book is recommended as a well written, profoundly thoughtful, and soul-searching
story.
The Spirit Man
Sean K. Murphy
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401058027 $30.99 www.xlibris.com
Sean K. Murphy's The Spirit Man is a compelling written novel about Johnny Sullivan, a
middle-aged man who seems to have everything, yet carries bitter regrets over the death of a high
school sweetheart years before. A mysterious Native American grants him the power to go back
in
time and change the history of his life - but to what ends? Emotional, gripping, and thoughtful in
its
portrayal of love and the human struggle for redemption, The Spirit Man is highly recommended
reading for those who enjoy an original and well crafted story. The Spirit Man is also available in
a
trade paperback edition (1401058019, $20.99).
Challenge Of Choice
Betty Briggs
Sunrise Selections
PO Box 51602, Provo, Utah 84605-1602
0965630730 $11.95 1-801-489-9517 www.sunrise-selctions.com
The concluding title in the "Heather" trilogy by Betty Briggs, Challenge Of Choice is a thoroughly
entertaining novel for young adults about Heather Chambers, an eighteen-year-old young woman
who must choose between boyfriends, and between which jumping horses to bring to a an
important
show. As Heather's life grows more complex with conflicting paths, she has to learn the difficult
task
of keeping a balance as she makes the difficult transition to true adulthood. Challenge Of Choice
is
enthusiastically commended as an unusually thoughtful and involving novel. Also very highly
recommended are the first two books in the "Heather" trilogy, Quality Concealed (0965630714;
$9.95) and Image Of Deception (0965630722; $9.95).
The Texas Tetrad
Arthur F. Surovic
Writer's Showcase/iUniverse
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595235859 $23.95 www.iuniverse.com
Set in the 1800's, The Texas Tetrad by Arthur F. Surovic is an attention gripping historical novel
of
the four Burkett brothers who must fight for their land grant against Comanches, cattle rustlers,
Santa Anna's Mexican Armies, and even the greed of the U.S. officials spanning the rise of the
Texas
Republic to its inclusion into the United States and the bloody conflicts of the Civil War. Highly
recommended reading for any western genre fan, the hair-raising exploits filling the pages of The
Texas Tetrad represent a deftly written saga of adventure, gunplay, and bitter sacrifice.
Sex, Drugs & Power Tools
Edward Lee
Necro Publications
PO Box 540298, Orlando, FL 32854-0298
1889186228 $45.00 www.necropublications.com
Sex, Drugs & Power Tools is a collection of three lurid, hardcore, sex and violence turbocharged
horror novellas by Edward Lee in the tradition of the most infamous pulp fiction. The novellas
include: Header; The Pig; and The Horn-Cranker. Not for the faint of heart, these sensationally
written, mesmerically compelling, extensively vicious thrill rides of the mind fully and completely
capture the reader's total attention with hideous intensity. Highly recommended -- but not for the
squeamish.
The Gravel Drive
Kirk Martin
Cantwell-Hamilton Press, LLC
1589 Skeet Club Road, Suite 102, PMB 351, High Point, NC 27265
0971614512 $20.00 www.kirkmartinbooks.com
Reaching out to those who suffer loss, illness, or injury of loved ones, The Gravel Drive is the
heartfelt, poignant, novel by Kirk Martin. This is the story of a search for a little boy, last seen
walking down a gravel drive, and combines human experience arising from the agonizing process
of
learning to cope with loss, and learning to cherish hope and love and redemption. The Gravel
Drive
is sensitively written, deftly engaging, and highly recommended reading.
The Self-Help Shelf
Conquering The Mysteries And Lies Of Grief
Sherry Russell
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1591297249 $16.95 PublishAmerica.com
Based on several hundreds of interviews as well as author Sherry Russell's own personal
experience,
Conquering The Mysteries And Lies Of Grief takes its readers on an attention engaging journey
to a
better understanding of themselves, the various ways to effectively deal with the terrible pain of
losing a loved one, and offers them an inner philosophy for focusing their lives upon on their
personal goals and achievements. An encouraging and insightful guide through the tangled maze
of
human emotions, Conquering The Mysteries And Lies Of Grief is very highly recommended
reading,
especially for anyone who is struggling to cope with the phenomena of death, dying, and loss
within
their own lives.
Complete Earthly Woman
Genie O'Malley
Sonra Enterprises
211 North Mount Shasta Blvd., #200, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
0972298002 $14.95 www.completeearthlywoman.com
A justly recognized finalist for Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year award, Complete Earthly
Woman by author and public speaker Genie O'Malley is a useful and "user friendly" self-help
guide
written to teach women how to direct their thoughts, transform negative emotions into inspiration
and happiness, and learn how to share themselves and their love without running themselves to
exhaustion. The importance of loving oneself, embracing forgiveness for healing, developing
personal rituals for one's own happiness, and much, much more are accessibly discussed in this
uplifting, inspirational, and highly recommended instructional guide.
101 Ways Black Women Can Learn To Love Themselves
Jamie Walker
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401057357 $14.95 www.xlibris.com
101 Ways Black Women Can Learn To Love Themselves by Jamie Walker is an impressively
practical self-help guide written especially to aid black women to get in touch with their spiritual
side, experience a zest for life, and achieve a personal liberation. Walker articulately and
persuasively
takes the position that true healing does not come overnight, but rather it gradually evolves over
time, once we learn not to look outward for validation and approval, and only when we embrace
the
love of God. 101 Ways Black Women Can Learn To Love Themselves is definitely recommended
as
being an unusually powerful, emotionally charged, and uplifting personal improvement and
self-help
guide.
Thinking From The Infinite
Carell Zaehn
Park Place Publications
PO Box 829, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
1877809985 $19.95 www.parkplace-publications.com
Thinking From The Infinite: 4 Practical Steps To Empower Your Life by holistic transformation
consultant Carell Zaehn, is an impressively written spiritual self-help book on learning to focus the
mind, choose personal goals and then effectively and actively pursue. Zaehn addresses embracing
the
power of attitude and soul in overcoming dilemmas of money, love, depression, and much, much
more. Highly recommended for self-help reading lists, Thinking From The Infinite is a decidedly
thoughtful and very positive guide to personal self-improvement.
Turn On Your Inner Light
Debbie Eisenstadt Mandel
Busy Bee Group
PO Box 327, Lawrence, NY 11559
0972216693 $24.95 busybeegroup.com
Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness For The Mind, Body, And Soul by motivational speaker and
stress reduction expert Debbie Mandel is a compilation of stretching and physical exercises as well
as straightforward advice to improving the quality of one's emotional, spiritual, and corporeal
health.
From learning to love oneself to using exercise to overcome desperation, Turn On Your Inner
Light
is an easy-to-follow, supportive and recommended whole-body and whole-psyche self-help guide
for
non-specialist general readers seeking to improve their physical/emotional/spiritual
well-being.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Accidents Waiting To Happen
Simon Wood
Barclay Books, LLC
6161 51st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33715
1931402302 $15.95 www.barclaybooks.com
Simon Wood's novel, Accidents Waiting To Happen, is the story of Josh Michaels, a man haunted
by indiscretions, a greedy ex-mistress, a past wrong and now deadly attempts on his life which are
all
disguised as accidents. As a nebulous trap slowly closes in on him, Josh must discover a
perpetrator
of murders and a series of near-death experiences before the next "accident" claims his life.
Accidents Waiting To Happen is enthusiastically recommended to mystery buffs as a tautly
written
tale of stringent suspense.
Thrust Home
Richard Charles Hoyt
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401057888 $32.99 1-888-7XLIBRIS xlibris.com
Thrust Home, deftly written by Richard Charles Hoyt, is a savage mystery and a thoroughly
suspenseful thriller novel about Porter Manning, a forensic psychologist who is called in by the
authorities in help them catch a serial killer who ritually murders his victims. A dark, gripping,
suspenseful saga that turns personal when the killer kidnaps a fellow forensic psychologist to be
his
next victim, Thrust Home is one of those contemporary crime novels that are so easy to pick up
and
so difficult to put down.
A Short Life On A Sunny Isle
Hannah Blank
Hightrees Books/Prism Corporation
515 East 72nd Street, New York, NY 10021
0965277844 $24.95 1-212-517-5828 prismpub@aol.com
Set in the year 1955 on the small Spanish island of Ibiza, A Short Life On A Sunny Isle is the
latest,
suspenseful novel by Hannah Blank featuring Alphonse Dantan, an Inspector of the Paris Police
Judicaire. When a young girl is suspiciously murdered, and a young man is accused of the heinous
crime, Dantan must uncover the hidden truth beneath layers of lies and conflicting motives - a task
made all the more difficult by the omnipresent shadow of Generalissimo Franco, the fascist ruler
of
Spain. A Short Life On A Sunny Isle is engrossing, entertaining, superbly written mystery. Also
very
highly recommended are the two earlier titles in the "Alphonse Dantan Mysteries" series: A
Murder
Of Convenience (096527781X; $24.95) and Brave Man Dead (0965277836; $24.95).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
How To Quite Smoking
Steve McCall
Eagle Reef Publishing
PO Box 270314, Littleton, CO 80127-0006
0965259463 $8.95 info@goldeagle.com www.goldeagle.com
How To Quite Smoking: The Cold Eagle Method by Steve McCall could, quite literally, prove to
be
a life saving book for the reader who is addicted to tobacco nicotine. The "Cold Eagle Method" is
a
quick, practical, "doable" approach to kicking the smoking habit without resort to problematic
patches or elaborate gimmicks. Complete within this little 76 page do-it-yourself smoking
cessation
guide is all that non-specialist general readers will need to free themselves from the health
degrading
and ultimately lethal effects of tobacco addition.
Live Safely In A Dangerous World
John C. Myre
Safety Times, Inc.
1265 Rogue River Court, Chesterfield, MO 63017
0972003940 $19.95 1-800-952-1363 www.safetytimes.com
Humorous, cartoon-style illustrations add a little touch of light humor to Live Safely In A
Dangerous World: How To Beat The Odds Of Dying In An Accident, a very serious and practical
guide to minimizing the odds of suffering dangerous or fatal accidents. Sober, sound advice for
driving (never argue with a big truck), home safety (chemicals to watch out for), recreational
safety
from boating to hunting, avoiding the hazards of international travel, and a special section devoted
to kids' safety, make Live Safely In A Dangerous World a well-rounded, erudite and first-rate
primer
warning the reader of both obvious and subtle daily hazards. Highly recommended; a careful
perusal
of the pages of Live Safely In A Dangerous World could potentially save lives.
The Couple's Disease
Lawrence S. Hakim, MD, FACS with Donald Michael Platt
DHP Publishers
1730 S. Federal Highway, Suite #378, Delray Beach, FL 33483-3309
097104550X $24.95 1-212-593-5820 www.plannedtvarts.com
Written by Lawrence S. Hakim (Head of the Section of Sexual Dysfunction, Male Infertility, and
Prosthetics at the Cleveland Clinic, Florida) with the assistance of Donald Michael Platt, The
Couple's Disease: Finding A Cure For Your "Lost" Love Life is a helpful and pragmatic look at
sexual dysfunction (a problem that afflicts more women than men), and how to go about
sustaining
or restoring lost love lives for couples in married, long-term, or same-sex relationships. The
thoughtful, reader-friendly, informed and informative text by an articulate and knowledgeable
physician who is well experienced in treating sexual dysfunction make The Couple's Disease an
excellent resource for both professional reference collections and the non-specialist general reader
with an interest in an often sensitive and intimately personal subject.
The Biography Shelf
Love Never Dies
Sandy Goodman
Jodere Group, Inc.
PO Box 910147, San Diego, CA 92191-0147
1588720152 $17.95 1-800-569-1002 www.jodere.com
Love Never Dies: A Mother's Journey From Loss To Love is the memoir of Sandy Goodman, a
mother of twin sons, who lost one when he was 18 due to an accidental electrocution. Love
Never
Dies is a compelling and heartfelt story of learning to bear terrible loss, and of finding ways to
remember the joy and happiness a loved one brought without being overwhelmed in grief. Love
Never Dies is profound in its subject, moving in its presentation, and very highly recommended
reading -- especially for anyone having to cope with the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved
one.
Seeing Stars
Edwin Howard
Rocky Run Publishing, LLC
Biblio/NBN, dist.
1390 Chain Bridge Road, #230, McLean, Virginia 22101
0963656511 $24.95 1-703-759-5254 RockyRunLLC@aol.com 1-800-462-6420
Seeing Stars: Memoirs Of A Professional Celebrity-Seeker is the personal story of Edwin
Howard, a
veteran newspaperman, television arts critic and former book review editor whose encounters
with
the Hollywood elite ranged from Cary Grant, William Faulkner, and Sophia Loren, to James Earl
Jones, Jack Nicholson, and Ingrid Bergman, to Paul Newman, Hal Holbrook, Elvis Presley, and
so
many others. An amazingly candid and surprisingly insightful collection of memorable and
autobiographical vignettes offering the reader a unique perspective on and into the lives of some
of
the greatest entertainers Hollywood has ever known. Seeing Stars is as thoroughly entertaining as
it
is informed and informative.
I'm Living Your Dream Life
Michele VanOrt Cozzens
McKenna Publishing
74-923 Hwy 111, Suite 173, Indian Wells, CA 92210
0971365903 $19.95 1-888-588-3233 www.insomniac.com/mckenna
I'm Living Your Dream Life: The Story Of A Northwoods Resort Owner is the memoir of
Michele
VanOrt Cozzens, who with her husband and two daughters, opted to get away from the hustle
and
bustle of city life for the more peaceful woodlands of Northern Wisconsin. Earning a living as
resort
owners, they soon discovered that their new trade required business savvy and hard economics; at
the same time, they reaped intangible and life-affirming rewards from simply existing in the
tranquil
and wondrous domain of nature. I'm Living Your Dream Life is a combination personal memoir
and
practical "how-to" guide for anyone seriously considering exodus from the urban jungle. If you've
ever dreams of just taking off for the Northwoods country and a "simpler" life -- then read
Michele
VanOrt Cozzens' I'm Living Your Dream Life.
The Book Of Jesse
Michael Rowe
The Francis Press
3029 Ordway Street NW, Washington DC, 20008
0966505166 $25.00 www.francispress.com
The Book Of Jesse: A Story Of Youth, Illness, And Medicine is Michael Rowe's fatherly and
heartfelt remembrances and personal testimony about his son Jesse, who battled with physical
illness
and lost his life at the untimely age of 19, after two failed liver transplants. The Book Of Jesse
presents cherished memories of a bright and thoughtful young man, the deep bond between father
and son, and a journey of trying to understand life and loss. The Book Of Jesse is highly
recommended reading, especially for those who appreciate having to deal with love and loss
within
their own lives and family.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
The Way Of Wonder
Jack Haas
Iconoclast Press
Suite 144, 3495 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC V5Z 4R3
0973100702 $19.00 604-682-3269 ext. 8832
The results of ten years of research by author Jack Haas, The Way Of Wonder: A Return To The
Mystery Of Ourselves is a 244-page spiritual treatise written out of reverence for the beauty in all
life. Combining images and understanding of God from across eras and continents, The Way Of
Wonder is an articulate and insightful analysis of comparative religion presented with an overtone
of
wonder and joy of the greatness of existence itself. The Way Of Wonder is especially
recommended
reading for students of comparative religion and personal spirituality.
Paths To The Heart
James S. Cutsinger, editor
World Wisdom, Inc.
PO Box 2682, Bloomington, Indiana 47402-2682
0941532437 $19.95 www.worldwisdom.com
Compiled and edited by James S. Cutsinger (Professor of Theology and Religious Thought,
University of South Carolina), Paths To The Heart: Sufism And The Christian East is an informed
and informative study of the common threads and traits shared between the traditions of the
Christian East and Islamic Sufism. A valued and highly recommended anthology of essays by a
series
of learned and erudite authors contemplating a lasting dialogue and connection between
Christianity
and Islam, Paths To The Heart compares saints, gateways to the heart, remembrances of God, and
much more as seen by religions with so much more in common than is usually acknowledged by
their practitioners.
Living In Grace
Beca Lewis
Perception Publishing
PO Box 231175, Encinitas, CA 92023
0971952906 $14.95 www. perceptionpublishing.net
Living In Grace: The Shift To Spiritual Perception by Beca Lewis is an impressively written and
nicely organized self-help guide to achieving inner peace and wholeness through taking control of
one's perceptions. Living In Grace features the "7 Keys to Grace" and the "8 Gracious Steps" for
staying on the "Spiritual Path". Readers are informed on a range of abilities from experience love,
knowing whom to trust, being happy, and knowing what to do, to feeling safe, avoiding
unnecessary
worry, and being comforted in adversity. Emphasizing the importance of putting God first and
repenting of sins, as well as being aware of the necessity for balance in all relationships, Living In
Grace is a profound, moving, constructive, "reader friendly" instructional guide to personal and
spiritual self-improvement.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Let's Get Financial Savvy!
Dr. Lois Center-Shabazz
CenNet Systems Publishing
Box 1385, Chesapeake, VA 23327-1385
www.MsFy.com
0971979502 $16.95 cennetsystems.com
Let's Get Financial Savvy!: From Debt-free To Investing With Ease by Lois Center-Shabazz
(founder and editor-in-chief of the personal finance website MsFinancialSavvy.com) is a superbly
organized and presented "how to" guide to managing personal finances. Ranging from simple
matters like balancing a personal checkbook, to evaluating good debt versus bad debt, types of
health insurance coverage and retirement planning, familiarity with the stock and bond markets (as
well as mutual funds), tax-free accounts, home buying, and a great deal more, Let's Get Financial
Savvy! is an easy-to-read primer that explains money management matters in plain and direct
terms.
Let's Get Financial Savvy! is an absolute "must-have" instructional reference, especially for young
people just starting out on their own.
The Complete Internet Car Buying Guide
Sarah Lee Marks
Car Chat, LLC
815 Stillwater Lane, Henderson, NV 89014
0972539506 $9.99 1-702-898-1465 www.carchatonline.com
Completely up-to-date in order to prepare the reader for the 2003 car market, The Complete
Internet Car Buying Guide is a solid, easy to follow, consumer friendly, step-by-step guide to the
advantages of buying a car over the internet. Offering invaluable tips, tricks, and techniques to
save
money, time, and countless hassles, The Complete Internet Car Buying Guide is a superbly
organized and presented resource filled cover to cover with website resources, useful caveats for
navigating the net, advice on what to watch out for when buying a used car, "lemon" laws,
automobile warranties, and much, much more. The Complete Internet Car Buying Guide is a very
strongly recommended, money saving resource for anyone interested in a car and in taking
advantage of the Internet for cost-effective price comparisons.
The Brainwashing Of The American Investor
Steven R. Selengut
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403306206 $17.50 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com
The Brainwashing Of The American Investor by investment manager and advisor Steven Selengut
is
a basic and realistic guide to what Wall Street tends to gloss over or conceal from the mainstream
public when it comes to financial investments in stocks and bonds. Ranging from the real scoop
on
annuities, to a variety of tips, tricks, and techniques for buying low and selling high(er), The
Brainwashing Of The American Investor offers unique insights and wisdom for investors of
varying
experience levels. The Brainwashing Of The American Investor is written specifically for the non-
specialist general reader with little or now previous experience with Wall Street investing -- and
for
those whose investment portfolios have been so badly abused in the recent rash of corporate
corruption scandals.
Rich Shareowner, Poor Shareowner!
Will Marshall
Writer's Showcase/iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595217893 $14.95 www.iuniverse.com
Rich Shareowner, Poor Shareowner!: Common Sense For Investors And Managers! by Will
Marshall is a basic shareholder money matters guide that presents its core principles in very
easy-to-understand format of anecdotes and vignettes. Individual chapters cogently address the
definition of shareowner value, determining the 'cost of capital', how acquisitions can actually
erode
shareholder value, and much, much more. An excellent introduction to the conflicting, varied, and
sometimes financially perilous world of the share market, Rich Shareowner, Poor Shareowner! is
very strongly recommended reading for anyone who is investing in today's volatile stock
market.
The Business Shelf
Never Fry Bacon In The Nude
Stone Payton
Weyant Press, Inc.
27765 McKee Road, Toney, Alabama 35773
0972271929 $12.95 www.weyantpress.com
Never Fry Bacon In The Nude And Other Lessons From The Quick & The Dead by business
consultant and management trainer Stone Payton is a veritable primer of tips, tricks, and
techniques
for improving business performance, as well as other aspects of life in general. Focusing on the
importance of speed in order to optimize the effectiveness of business processes, sales, adjusting
to
transitions, and to keep a consistent and successful position in the "fast lane", Never Fry Bacon In
The Nude clearly outlines key disciplinary strengths with solid point-by-point recommendations
and
informative checklists which anyone can follow. Never Fry Bacon In The Nude is enjoyable
reading
and very useful and "user friendly" compendium of practical, "real world" advice.
Reclaiming The Ethical High Ground
John Di Frances
Reliance Books
208 E. Oak Crest Drive, Suite 250, Wales, WI 53183-9700
0970990812 $24.95 www.reliancebooks.com
Reclaiming The Ethical High Ground: Developing Organizations Of Character by business and
industry consultant John Di Frances is a hard look at the contemporary crises in confidence
brought
about by a seemingly pervasive, incompetent, greedy, and immoral corporate leadership. Going
straight to the heart of the problem in the current business crises that has led to the collapse of the
stock market and a free-fall of consumer and investor confidence, Di Frances clearly and candidly
lays out just what can be done about it, and the qualities good leaders need to help fallen business
giants get back on their feet. Reclaiming The Ethical High Ground is a very much-needed antidote
for today's climate of corporate scandals and should be required reading by anyone having a
responsibility for the corporate health of their company whether it is local, regional, national, or
international in scope.
The Complete Check Management Companion For Small Businesses
Dennis Janovich
Washington Mercantile Publishing Company
PO Box 731522, Puyallup, WA 98373
0971139008 $29.50 www.CheckManage.com
Now in a revised and throughly updated second edition, The Complete Check Management
Companion for Small Businesses: How To Effectively Manage Checks From Point-Of-Purchase
To
The Courts! by Dennis Janovich is a superb primer and self-help book for novice business owners
and managers to the handling of checks within the framework of their particular commercial
enterprise. Individual chapters address dealing with numerous types of check fraud and forgery,
using the law when necessary, how to deal with returned checks, uniform commercial code
guidelines, and much, much more. An absolute "must-read" for aspiring entrepreneurs, The
Complete Check Management Companion For Small Business has much of very practical value
for
even the more experienced small business owner and should be present in any corporation or
business school anti-fraud reference collection.
Fusion Branding
Nick Wreden
Accountability Press
3340 Peachtree Rd., #1800, Atlanta, GA 30326
0971744203 $29.95 1-888-554-3320 www.fusionbrand.com
Fusion Branding: How To Forge Your Brand For The Future by product branding specialist and
consultant Nick Wreden offers the reader an informed and informative presentation on how to
make
corporate advertising and branding resources effectively operate in the competitive marketplace
for
goods and services. Individual chapters cogently address the importance of product accountability
for successful branding, being careful not to overestimate the importance of e-branding, the power
of "Fusion Branding" that incorporates the needs of the customer, and much, much more. Highly
recommended, especially for neophyte businesses seeking to make a name in their chosen field of
endeavor, Fusion Branding is a complete course under one cover and an invaluable reading for
anyone charged with enhancing or maintaining the corporate bottom line in sales and market
share.
Corporate Power Driven By Greed
Jessica I. Luke
Trafford Publishing
2333 Government Street, Suite E, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8T 4P4
1553698738 $19.954 www.trafford.com
Corporate Power Driven By Greed by Jessica I. Luke is a sharply worded and quite articulate
challenge against the commonly held idea that the bottom line is all that matters in business.
Stressing that human resources are what truly matters, and that providing incentive, recognition
and
a good work environment is what keeps productive employees producing, as well as attracting the
best possible new employees, Corporate Power Driven By Greed is a persuasive, point-by-point
primer to successfully stimulating worker morale. Jessica Luke deftly emphasizes her points with
wry humor and amusing black-and-white illustrations. Corporate Power Driven By Greed is
highly
recommended reading for anyone charged with the responsibility for ensuring the strong
economic
health and success of their corporate enterprise.
The Poetry Shelf
Street Milk
Robert Swearingen
Central Ave. Press
2132-A Central SE, #144, Albuquerque, NM 87106
0971534403 $11.95 1-505-323-9953 oelfkej@aol.com
Street Milk is a compendium of forty-four rather impressive poems written by Robert Swearingen
and which take the reader on a kind of poetic journey through a blue-collar working class life.
Here is a poetry that is candidly honest, deftly written, sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant,
and always interesting. Street Milk: My ears are humming again,/I'm a tuning fork on
legs/vibrating to something like/rap music in Japanese.//The firemen are wiping blood/from a
Navajo in Vassar alley,/next to the bicycle shop where/prices start at $400 a whack.//There's a
three inch gash below/his left eye and a guy with/a new derailer in his right/hand asks me, "What's
happening?"//"It's Navajo blood," I say./"You probably should wash your hands/in some of it and
if you drink/a little of it you'll understand."//"What?" he says.//"Nothing," I say, and go sit
down,/shaking to the oriental music.
Lest You Forget
Violet Witherspoon
Ardmore Publishing Company
1800 Peachtree Street, N.W., Suite 335, Atlanta, GA 30309
0966818202 $21.00 agency@spizmanagency.com
Lest You Forget: The Poems Of Violet Witherspoon is a remarkable collection of heretofore
unpublished poetry covering twenty years of a quiet and secret relationship that took place
between
Violet Witherspoon (who died in 1954 at the age of 81) and John Chambers, who was an editor
for
the Macon, Georgia newspaper. The poems were written over a 37 year time span from 1902 to
1939. The two became sweethearts in the late 1880s when Violet was a college student in Macon.
But in 1894 she married an attorney named Lamar Witherspoon. The next year John Chambers
also
married. But down through the years, the two remained in contact. Indeed Violet continued to
write
poetry to John long after his death. Incidently, the book is as impressive as its content, being
enhanced with a ribbon marker and with the fronts piece holding an image of Violet and end piece
holding an image of John. Lest You Forget: You who happen upon us/after our time has passed
to
dust,/transforming our physical selves to oneness with the earth,/Should you, brushing aside the
leaves/that blanket our separate graves/and reading words of letters soft now with age,/think us
but
citizens of a distant day,/Reach to your faintest memories:/Might it be your hand that wrote these
lines,/your eyes that brimmed with tears at the leaving?/We two shall search for other
homes./Look
closely at the stones./They count our unlived moments;/They chronicle your days now gone.
February 5, 1939
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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