Cherokee lawmen on the Oklahoma range, lady
lawbreakers from Minnesota to South Dakota, and
mail-order brides who dared to venture across the
untamed plains are among the subjects covered in three
new books set to be released in 2012.
Author Chris Enss wrote the trio of books
entitled Sam Sixkiller: Cherokee Lawmen, Bedside Books
of Bad Girls: Outlaw Women of the Mid-West, and Object
Matrimony: Mail Order Brides on the Frontier. Film
producer and former Vice President of Lucas Films, LTD.
Co-authored the book about the well-known Deputy Marshal
Sam Sixkiller. Howard Kazanjian
is an award-winning producer and entertainment executive
who has been producing feature films and television
programs for more than twenty-five years. Chris
Enss is an award-winning screen writer who has
written for television, short subject films, live
performances, and for the movies, and is the author or
co-author of more than twenty books. The two also have
also collaborated on books about Roy Rogers and Dale
Evans, Elizabeth Bacon Custer, John Wayne, and the
Intrepid Posse.
Sam Sixkiller: Cherokee Lawmen, the story of one of
the most accomplished lawmen in 1880s Oklahoma
Territory, and Object Matrimony: Mail Order Brides on
the Frontier, true stories of mail-order brides from the
Gold Rush era through the 20th century were published by
Globe Pequot Press. They are scheduled to be
released in June 2012. Bedside Books of Bad Girls:
Outlaw Women of the Mid-West published by Far Country
Press is set to be released in the fall. All three
publications will be available at Barnes & Noble,
Amazon.com and everywhere books are sold.
Authors are available to speak at civic and community
organization’s meetings. They can be contacted via
Chris Enss’s website at
www.chrisenss.com or by phone @ 530/477-8859.
Review:
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas (2008, Hardcover)
I understand this is one in
a series of light hearted romantic Regency era novels.
Short and simple it is an entertaining read to anyone
who enjoys the likes of Jane Austin and life in England
of a certain time. For my reading this is an ideal quick
treat and I shall look forward to all of Ms. Kleypas
works in the near future.
Christmas was an especially good time to set
this story as the tradition of putting a tree in the
home and decorating had just started to become popular
in America and was now being carried to Great Britain.
The story brings to focus how trends can skip form
Germany to the USA and back across the pond to England
when families travel from one area to another.
Rafe Bowman is a rake who has arrived from
America to settle on a marriage his father has decreed
to earn his stake of the family fortunes. His chiseled
good looks impress everyone, but his wild ways are known
and may hinder his betrothed from accepting. Several
love scenes get pretty juicy and my shock some readers.
The author does a good job of being graphic without
being obscene. His sisters and the Wallflowers (their
friends) work in the most unexpected ways, seeing where
his heart truly lies and work their magic to a happy
end.
I enjoyed this story and will seek out more
form this author.
Written as a telling of history from the
Revolutionary War through Washington’s death, Beck used a
chronology of dates, with frequent back tracking to significant
points, noting the date and location such events took place. If
you follow the timeline it makes sense and brings a fullness to
the story he tells.
The moral of the story here is that George
Washington was something of a God given instrument for the birth
of our nation. He often said, “that doing the easy thing is
rarely right, and doing the right thing is rarely easy. “
Building this nation was not easy.
The first three quarters of the book deal
with the War and how difficult and almost impossible a feat it
was to defeat the British. Basically we could not likely have
succeeded had it not been for the French and their support. They
only wanted us to succeed because they were also at war with the
British. The incredible losses early in the war
make it remarkable the Revolution was won at all.
Once the War was won another battle came
with building a Constitution and government. Many of the key
players did not agree and the battle between small and large
states made a bit of lobbying necessary to compromise on
anything. Some wanted to name Washington King and even referred
t o him as “Excellency” against his wishes. Even when he served
as President he stepped down after two terms knowing that
professional politicians did not serve the country well.
Beck brings forth the point that many want
to rewrite our Constitution and make it a “living document”
changing with the times. Washington foretold of this desire from
the beginning and warned against such as the beginning of the
end for the republic. Further the Constitution relies on a moral
populace with a belief in God and liberty. It’s also based on a
free market economy of honest people. When treachery and deceit
reign, the house of honest men will fall into civil disobedience
and decay. Further, that career politicians have crippled our
government with an elderly and unproductive group living off the
public dole and doing little more than showing up to vote their
party line.
Many of the founding fathers
who played a lesser role in our nation’s formation were exposed
in a greater light than most of us had known them from grade
school or even college history classes. There were some
interesting connections as relationships were built on staying
at one another’s homes or sleeping in battlefield tents and
sharing scant rations. Even physical descriptions allow us to
see Washington towering over slightly built soldiers and
commanding with his stature alone.
Although the battles can become a bit
tedious they build the story and engage the character of George
Washington as an almost angelic force and definitely the most
indispensable man in history. Where would we all be if not for
his success and where would the world be without America for the
last two hundred plus years?
Beck calls out for our country to work
toward creating the next George Washington through education,
morality, and conscious. At a time when we really need him
again, who will be the next George Washington?
#1 National Best Seller “The Devil in
the White City” by Erik Larson
You wouldn’t think a factual reconstruction
of the building of an exposition would hold so much interesting
story as this tale told by Erik Larson. The combination of the
building of the 1894 Columbian Exposition in Chicago interwoven
with a mass murderer taking advantage of the large volume of
unescorted young women visiting the fair and his story make this
an intriguing historical biography of the time.
Chicago was a dirty slaughterhouse town at
the time. The stench of rotting blood and guts along with the
blackened buildings from massive coal fires to heat the cold
windy city made it a fairly unattractive place at the turn of
the previous century. So the concept of a fair
celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Columbus
discovering America being set in such a place was fairly
far-fetched. But somehow they pulled it off building a beautiful
white city with the largest building and George Ferris’ wheel
which brought in over $200,000. It was not without
a great deal of pain and even loss of life.
Set against that background a mass murderer
took advantage of so much transient traffic and used his
businesses as a cover for his devious deeds. It’s hard to
believe he was able to perpetuate his crimes for so long without
notice.
Larson weaves and exciting
and horrifying story based on copious documents and research of
the time. He acknowledges the many inventions and standards that
became commonplace in the country after the fair. Use of
alternating current as opposed to direct current because that is
what was used at the Fair on a grand scale with much success is
now the standard. Walt Disney’s father Elias worked on the White
City and surely helped Walt with inspiration for DisneyLand .
L. Frank Baum found some inspiration for his book
the Wizard of Oz in the magic of the White City. And what on the
Japanese templed wooded island inspired Frank Lloyd Wright?
Buffalo Bill made over a million dollars which helped him build
the city of Cody, WY. Cracker Jacks and Shredded Wheat were
first introduced at the Fair.Every fair now
has it’s own midway and Ferris wheel thanks to the
White City. It seems no one visited the White City without being
touched in some way.
For the victims of H.H. Holmes it was not
in a good way. He was responsible for untold
number of deaths and swindled hundreds of people for millions of
dollars. At the time he was touted as the most evil man alive.He was hung in 1896 admitting many of the crimes and even
writing about them.
Larson tells a grand story with incredible
detail bringing out a colorful portrait of the times. He goes
into detail about the menus and clothing, plants and
architectural detail that may be a bit too much for the casual
reader. But for the student of history it is delicious. All
in all it is a wonderful story and all the more interesting
because it is true!
Book Review by LeeAnn Sharpe
“Killing Lincoln” By Bill O’Reily &
Martin Dugard as well as countless researchers
Based on facts known in one the most studied
assassinations in history, this story keeps you turning the
pages even when you know the outcome. When you grow weary of all
of the battles and Civil War deaths in the early part of the
book, you have to realize this was but a small part of the total
of four years, 1861-1865, and over 625,000 American victims. An
entire generation of young men were lost to our country and the
book helps you understand why it wasn’t only southern
sympathizers who were fed up with the war. The
north was about to say get it over with as well.
Not a student of war history I found the
background and character painting of the key players
interesting. I learned more about Custer than I previously knew.
Many of these players have been in and out of later significant
moments in our history, so they are not strangers. Yet this
gives a new side to their life.
After growing up hearing the abbreviated and
simple story of John Wilkes Booth shooting Abe Lincoln, it is
fascinating to learn many details, some of which have only been
discovered this decade. The book even mentions the possibility
of DNA matching to vertebrae of Booth’s in a museum being
matched to descendants to put to rest theories that he had
escaped to South America.
Taking some dramatic license,” Killing
Lincoln” follows the plot and footprints of each of the would be
assassins the night of the killings. Most brutal were the Seward
stabbings with several victims. But the thought process Booth
went through to plan Lincoln’s killing was brilliant. Everything
from boldly wandering the theatre as he was a regular eccentric
actor comfortable in the venue, to drinking in the
tavern next door with the bodyguard. It also
brings out the fact that much was subject to chance. Booth
wasn’t sure which theatre Lincoln would attend as he had tickets
for another venue, but changed at the last minute. Everything
seemed to play out in Booth’s favor.
With all of the warnings and premonitions it
is almost as if Lincoln knew his fate and just walked the steps
to play it out. He could easily have demanded better security to
prevent his death but did nothing to protect himself. He boldly
rode and walked openly in public knowing half the country wanted
him dead. Even Secretary of War Stanton had warned him against
the theatre, yet he went anyway.
And the conspiracy theory involving Stanton
is truly fascinating. There is evidence he covered up or
destroyed materials confiscated from Booth; pages from his
journal missing. There was no love between Lincoln
and Stanton but did Stanton really want to see him dead? Was
he building a case toward his ascension to the presidency? How
sympathetic to the south did he lean? And what of the mysterious
address where messages originated that shared a monetary
connection with Booth and the sympathizer slush fund. This
is an area that could use new revelations. You never know,
things turn up even one hundred and fifty years later!
As a student of history and fancier of the
era I found the book very interesting and a good read. I would
recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
A
Mother's Love and Faith Move Mountains Ellaville, GA, December 21, 2011 – Conventional
wisdom holds that faith and love can accomplish anything, but
rarely does a factual story prove it. But in The Bridge: Between
Cell Block A and a Miracle is Psalm 91 (Xulon Publishing),
Jackie Carpenter tells a tale of a mother’s love and her walk of
faith. It began in June of 2008 when her son apprehended thieves
in the act of stealing copper from his work site. The thefts
were increasing and, on the advice of a deputy, her son armed
himself to detain the thieves while he called police. Then the
gun accidentally fired, and one man was shot and killed.
Jackie Carpenter tells the powerful and compelling story of her
terrifying journey that began the morning she received a frantic
call from her son’s wife telling her that he had been arrested
for felony murder and ended when the jury returned its verdict
ten months later.
Jackie had been living the American Dream: she had a wonderful
husband, good health, two married sons, and four beautiful
grandchildren. But after her son was arrested and charged with
felony murder, as well as four other serious charges, her world
fell apart.
Jackie clung to Psalm 91, asking God for a miracle. During the
trial, her son’s attorney had asked her not to bring her Bible
into the courtroom for fear of offending a non-believing juror.
Jackie couldn’t comply. She was asking God for a miracle – how
could she take the chance of offending Him? The Bridge is the
story of a ten-month journey up to that fateful day in April
2009 when Jackie got her miracle in the form of an acquittal.
The sequel, Georgia Justice: A Story To Faith, acts as a guide
for building faith in the face of tragedy and grief. Jackie had
never believed that she would serve to be a resource for people
facing a life crises – but it took the worst crisis in her life
and the miracle that stemmed from it to drive her to write her
heart-wrenching story. It is a powerful testimony to the
spiritual strength this small-town lady found in the promises of
Psalm 91 and how she built her faith up during the tormenting
ten months leading up to her son’s trial.
Jackie Carpenter has been a featured guest on television, radio,
and in newspaper articles. Her two powerful books will be
produced into a motion picture that will be in theaters the fall
of 2012. For more information on this author and her miraculous
story of faith, hope, and love, please visit her website at:
www.bridgetoamiracle.com.
MAINE BOOK REVIEW by LeeAnn Sharpe
MAINE by J Courtney Sullivan
I so much wanted to be there for our
Seasoned Readers Book Club at Barnes & Noble last night. But,
Mom had an Alzheimer's melt down and I couldn't go. So to calm
her I had a discussion of the book with her instead.
Our family spent summers in Maine near
where this story takes place in Needick Beach, Maine, although
our cabin was at Sebago Lake, not the ocean. Mom and Dad are
both from the area and I still have oodles of cousins there.
This story reminds me of my cousin Debbie’s home on the beach,
just south of Old Orchard, surrounded by tall windswept pines.
They get snow drifts in the winter up to the second story
windows! But the summers are lovely. Only a five minute walk to
the Atlantic Ocean!
I like the way Sullivan broke up the
chapters speaking from the voice of each of the women in the
family. That way we got into their heads and learned what they
were thinking and feeling. Seeing the same summer from each of
their points of view examined the dynamics that come into play
in every family.
The matriarch, Alice held a life
altering guilt her entire adult life. Once on the road to a
bohemian artist lifestyle, a tragedy, the Coconut Grove night
club fire, made her reach an agreement with God to do what her
sister, lost in the fire, would have done, instead of playing
out her own desires. No one else would have dumped the guilt on
her that she herself held. The results paint her life in shades
of dysfunction, the impressions of neglect and a devotion to her
church beyond the norm.
My Mom remembers that huge fire at the
Coconut Grove in Boston. It was on the radio and in the papers
for months. I attach a picture of her family at exactly that
time. The Philco radio they listened to is in the background.
Her two eldest brothers both went off to war and Larry was
captured by the Germans and was a prisoner for much of the war.
He came back only 90 pounds down from 250 he left with. Mom is
in the white blouse in the back row. She was 11-12 years old at
the time.
Alice’s daughter Kathleen never felt
loved the way she craved and felt the need to care for an
alcoholic mother and then repeated the pattern with her own
alcohol abuse. She even ran off with a new man after her
marriage failed, effectively abandoning her daughter physically
as her mother had abandoned her emotionally.
The daughter, Maggie, sought love from
an emotionally unavailable man, just as both of her parents were
unavailable to her. Her life apart only reconnected once she
announced her pregnancy to her mother who came running to fix
everything. Maggie was smart enough to lead her own life and
even determined to raise her child alone.
Ann Marie is the daughter-in-law who
wanted to control everyone and paint a pretty picture of life at
the same time as her own world was far from the perfection she
had envisioned or portrayed. She even decorated dollhouses as
perfect slices of life she could not always have control of in
real life. A gay daughter off in the Peace Corp and a son who
couldn’t hold a decent job and was on allowance from daddy were
represented as perfect children. Ann Marie held a secret longing
for a neighbor, yet played the perfect wife. It all starts to
unravel when she acts on her desires.
Sullivan gives sufficient description
to the home and occupants to make you feel as if they are real
and appreciated. It made me long for those days of my family at
the beach with sand between our toes.
I recently learned why we all feel so
invigorated after a barefoot walk on the beach. The earth’s
electromagnetic charge actually charges our body and makes the
brain and entire body process better!
This book made me feel like every
family has similar drama surrounding life and death, alcohol and
finances, personalities and control issues. In the end we all
have to deal with what is there or walk away, which is one way
of dealing with it. We still have our families and end up
accepting them the way they are with all of their faults. It
made me look at how I interact with my family and why. Sometimes
you just have to do what needs to be done because you are there
and a part of a family.
When reading Dr.Shinya's book "The Enzyme
Factor" you will be awakened to an entire world of nutrition
that you probably never knew anything about! No matter how much
good healthy food you eat, it can not be utilized without
enzymes which are destroyed when you heat food to over 118
degrees.
In his book Shinya explains the tragic
circumstances that lead him to create the colonoscopy. The death
of his wife and illness of his children motivated him to find a
way to see what was happening in his patient's colon without the
need for surgery. Today his procedures including the polopectomy
have saved millions of lives and educated us how to improve our
health. He graphically demonstrates how you can see a person's
physically health through their colon.
Not only will you learn about your body and
how to keep it healthy, you will be moved by his personal story.
Just When You
Think It Can’t Get Deadlier – Another Radical Force Joins The
Assault On Targets of Opportunity in the U.S.
Greenwich, CT, November 28, 2011 - In
Targets of Deception, which
suspense master Robert K. Tanenbaum called “a fast-paced
thriller,” we were introduced to CIA agent Jordan Sandor in a
story praised by bestselling author Steve Alten as “terrific.”
Now Sandor is back in Jeffrey S. Stephens’s riveting Targets of
Opportunity (Gallery Books; August 30, 2011; $24.00), playing
for bigger stakes and facing deadlier challenges.
Whisked from his Manhattan townhouse to a gabled CIA safe house
in Virginia, Sandor faces off with a top terrorist agent from
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In exchange for protection from his
own side, Ahmad Jaber is offering the CIA explosive information:
word of a secret, unholy alliance forged among operatives in the
Middle East, a ruthless South American, and Kim Jong-II’s North
Korea. Jaber claims not to know specific details, only that the
strike will target the heart of America.
The fanatics stage a stunning diversion in the Caribbean,
mercilessly downing a passenger jet and unleashing an assault on
a French intelligence installation. Sandor, however, has already
moved in a different direction. Leveraging Jaber’s information,
he assembles a small strike force to penetrate North Korea. The
team knows they will not all return, but the intel they gather
will be vital to American security. What they ultimately
discover plunges Sandor into a frantic race against time,
struggling to defeat a shadowy figure—a master terrorist with a
plan of destruction so perfectly disguised that even with the
new knowledge he has gathered, Sandor cannot guess where or how
he will strike.
As a storm rages in the Gulf of Mexico, word comes that two
submarines have penetrated U.S. waters. With the U.S. military
hampered by the hurricane, Sandor turns to a few daring U.S.
Navy SEALs to duel with the enemy they cannot see…for now they
know only that there are two nuclear weapons aimed at a target
of opportunity whose destruction would change the world order
forever.
Brilliantly conceived, electrifyingly paced, Targets of
Opportunity captures a terrifying twenty-first century reality:
terrorists can—and will—try as many times as they need to attack
the United States. For the brave men and women who defend
our country, failure is not an option. Targets of
Opportunity will leave every reader hanging on for Jordan
Sandor’s next step, staying with him through to the end.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey S. Stephens began the Jordan Sandor series with Targets
of Deception, published in 2009 to rave reviews. Born in New
York City, he now lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with this
wife, Nancy, not far from their sons Graham and Trevor.
Rilke on Love and Other Difficulties
by Maria Rainer Rilke
The Colussus of Maroussi by Henry
Miller
The Iliad by Homer
The Portable Chekhov by Anton
Chekhov
Night by Elie Wiesel
Howard's End by E.M. Forster
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels by
John Updike
One Hundred Years of Solitude by
Gabriel García Márquez
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan
Didion
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.
Salinger
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
Light in August by William Faulkner
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
The Sound and the Fury by William
Faulkner
The Wild Palms by William Faulkner
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Leopard by Giuseppe di
Lampedusa
The Return of the Native by Thomas
Hardy
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Their Eyes Were Watching God by
Zora Neale Hurston
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan
Paton
APortrait of the Artist as a
Young Man by James Joyce
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by
Carson McCullers
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Book Review The Sixth Lamentation
by LeeAnn Sharpe
The Sixth Lamentation by William Brodrick
The Sixth Lamentation, published
July 26, 2004, was the
August selection for my Seasoned Readers Book Club. I read that
the author, William Brodrick, was
a Franciscan friar before leaving the order to become a
practicing barrister. His character in the story, Father
Anselm, has done just the opposite and serves as the narrator as
such, going back and forth between the telling of the history
and current trial and lives of the present generation. He weaves
the church’s involvement into the Nazi war crimes suspects lives
as they seek sanctuary in his Suffolk priory and learns they had
been housed directly after the war as they escaped and assumed
new identities to avoid prosecution.
The
author notes his own family history that inspired the story
including his mother’s attempt to smuggle an infant during the
war, her arrest by the Gestapo and ultimate death from motor
neurone disease in 1989. As a history laden thriller full of
twists, turns, moving through time between occupied France and
modern day England, it keeps you glued to what comes next.
The
heroine Agnes Aubret writes her history in a simple notebook,
knowing her life will end with terminal motor neuron disease,
and wanting her granddaughter Lucy to know the stories she can
not speak of aloud. Lucy, reads about her grandmother’s past in
Occupied Paris as a member of a resistance group that smuggled
Jewish Children to safety. Her story takes on a new life as
Schwermann, a Nazi criminal is brought to trial all these many
years later in London.
Father Anselm researches the heroic French resistance fighters
of the Round Table, a group of students who attempted to rescue
thousands of Jewish children. He weaves a story together that is
never quite what it seems on the surface. Friends turned
collaborators, babies adopted by conspirators, confusion over
who died in death camps and who survived add up to an unfolding
story filled with intrigue.
Brodrick writes well with a touch of prose to enhance the mood
and bring this tragic story of tremendous loss of so many during
the war to a bittersweet climax that brought tears and
heartwarming satisfaction.
___
The Alienist: A Novel
By Caleb Carr
Carr had been the author of several
historic works of non-fiction prior to embarking on this his
first novel. So it is not curious that he would fill his novel
with rich historic detail and characters who leap out as we know
them from news of the past had painted them to us explicitly.
One such character is
Teddy
Roosevelt, Commissioner of the New York police department.Portrayed in his full bully persona, Roosevelt plays a
part in allowing his old Harvard college buddies his support in capturing a serial killer
using cutting edge techniques of the day including profiling and
fingerprinting, in their earliest stages of acceptance by the
legal system of the day.
The Alienist , refers to a common term for a
psychologist, here known
as Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a specialist in children of tragic
circumstances who become victims and perpetrators of crime. A
series of murders with horribly mutilated adolescent boys, all
prostitutes from New York brothels, pulls the doctor and his
team including New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore, Sara
Howard, who works as a secretary in the police department,two Jewish detectives trained in the strange new science of
'forensics', a black man in service to the doctor after being
tried for murder and Stevie, a young boy the doctor has
befriended, into a bizarre series of investigations.Colorful people and places known to New York City’s past play
minor parts in coloring this adventure with sights, sounds and
tastes that transport you into a different era. Carr holds your
attention and leaves you wanting more.
The Angel of
Darkness by Caleb Carr (1998, Paperback) Book Club rated this
book A My Review Our book club, the Seasoned Readers Club
on Meetup read Caleb Carr's " The Alienist" several months ago
and loved it so much we voted to read the "New York Times"
bestselling sequel, "The Angel of Darkness".
The characters in these books become your friends and you get to
know them so well you sometimes can predict what they will do
next. But you won't predict the end of this book and all of the
twists and turns.
It is about a turn-of-the-century doctor who tracks a cunning
killer in this historical thriller. Dr. Kreizler, the
Alienist, (a doctor of psychology in those days)
investigates the kidnapping of the baby daughter of the wife of
a Spanish diplomat, who ties into the politics of the day, and
in the process uncovering a fiendish woman who has already
murdered a number of children including her own. The cunning
murderer is defended by the great Clarence Darrow in a riveting
trial before he became so well known. The book is filled with
real people in history like Diamond Jim Brady and Lillian
Russell. Even the geography of the day with tourist gaming towns
and bridges playing into the story are fascinating details.
Forensics was a new science and well proven evidence of today,
like unique rifling of a bullet’s fingerprint, was being
invented and rejected by some as fact or fiction.
At more than 600 pages, it’s actually a swift read with a desire
for more at the end!
Dr. Cohen, co-founder of
Beverly Hills Pediatrics, is a father of two, and author of Eat.
Sleep. Poop. He will be at a special event Saturday, October
23rd 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Dr. Cohen's Sessions: 11:30 AM, 12:30
PM, and 1:30 PM)at Destination Maternity, Chauncey Ranch, 18560
North Scottsdale Road, Phoenix, AZ 85054 (480)-563-3437. A Free
copy of Eat. Sleep. Poop. goes to the first 50 customers.
Dr. Cohen, co-founder of
Beverly Hills Pediatrics, is a father of two, and author of Eat.
Sleep. Poop. He knows from experience the questions new parents
have and what they need to know. So he wrote a user-friendly
guide that walks moms-to-be through everything from preparing
for baby to preventing illnesses to the ins and outs of those
three basic functions: “Eat, Sleep, Poop”.
It's especially interesting to read a
book written from both a father and doctor perspective. Dr.
Cohen comments about what he has read or heard and what his
personal experience has been. Often he relates to his own
daughter and how they treat her and even when he has medical
knowledge, parent intuition comes into play.
"Dr. Scott Cohen has
managed to condense everything parents need to know for their
baby's first year into a fun and readable guide. Today's parents
have more questions than ever and Dr. Scott answers them all in
this handy book. I will be recommending this one to parents for
years to come," Says Dr. Jenn Berman, Marriage, Family and Child
Therapist and author of Los Angeles Times best-selling book The
A to Z Guide to Raising Happy Confident Kids.
In his pediatric
practice, Dr. Cohen often finds that new parents come to him
anxious, overwhelmed, and confused-they receive conflicting
advice from books, the internet, neighbors, and relatives. He
wanted to provide an alternative to encyclopedic, overwhelming
books, strict regimens, and old wives' tales, so using his
unique position as award-winning pediatrician and new father,
Cohen set about writing a guide to your baby's first year that
offered essential information in an engaging, easy-to-use
format. Thus, EAT, SLEEP, POOP (Scribner; March 30, 2010) was
born!
Dr. Cohen believes the
best tool for parenting is informed common sense: know all the
facts and then do what is medically sound and what feels
comfortable for your family. It's an approach that's meant to
simplify and reassure at a time when you need it most.
Organized by subject and
chronology and filled with helpful diagrams, quick reference
worksheets, and entertaining and revealing daddy vs. doctor
sidebars, Eat, Sleep, Poop's user friendly format walks readers
through everything from preparing for baby's arrival to
preventing illnesses to the ins and outs of those three basic
functions that will come to dominate a new parent's life.
Chapters include:
· Eat-Breast, Bottle and
Beyond, which addresses breastfeeding basics, introducing the
bottle, and solid food guidelines.
· Sleep-Rock-a-Bye Baby
includes advice for establishing a bedtime routine, teaching
your baby to self-soothe, and preventing Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS).
· Poop-The Scoop on Poop,
which has tips for dealing with constipation and diarrhea.
· Hachoo!-Common
First-Year Health Concerns, your go-to guide for handling
illnesses from vomiting to Hand, Foot and Mouth.
· Protect-Vaccines, Dr.
Cohen's thoughts on vaccines and autism, vaccines and Mercury
and Aluminum and more.
Dr. Cohen handily uses
his medical background and experience as a first-time dad to
advise his readers, providing a straightforward "common sense
bottom line" for each subject. This isn't a guide that dictates,
but one that helps parents to work out what is best for their
baby. Lively, practical and reassuring, EAT, SLEEP, POOP
provides the knowledge you need to parent with confidence and to
relax and enjoy baby's first year.
The film rights for EAT,
SLEEP, POOP have been bought by DreamWorks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Scott
W. Cohen, M.D., FAAP, is the co-founder of Beverly Hills
Pediatrics and an attending physician at Cedars Sinai Medical
Center, where he was awarded Pediatrician of the Year in 2006
and the Physician Recognition Award in Pediatrics in 2005 and
2008. He completed his pediatric training in 2003 at the
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he was the recipient of
the Victor E. Stork Award for continued excellence and future
promise in the care of children and the Associates and
Affiliates A ward for scientific knowledge, clinical judgment,
and excellence in human relations. He was selected as one of the
Best Doctors in America® for 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. He lives
in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.
EAT, SLEEP, POOP: A
Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year By Scott W. Cohen
Scribner; March 30, 2010 304 pages, $16.00
* * * MEDIA ALERT * * *
WHO: Enfamil® and
Destination Maternity® Host a Celebration of Motherhood
WHAT:Scott W. Cohen,
M.D., FAAP - co-founder of Beverly Hills Pediatrics, father of
two, and author of Eat. Sleep. Poop.; a user-friendly guide that
walks moms-to-be through everything from preparing for baby to
preventing illnesses to the ins and outs of those three basic
functions that will come to dominate a new parent's life.
Moms-to-be from the
Scottsdale/Phoenix area will have the opportunity to hear Dr.
Cohen's comments and ask questions
· Visit nutritional
learning centers
· Take home a gift bag
valued at over $100
· Win one of three great
raffle prizes with a total value of $850
· Enjoy light
refreshments
** Free copy of Eat.
Sleep. Poop. to the first 50 customers.**
WHEN: Saturday, October
23rd Event time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Dr. Cohen's Sessions: 11:30
AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM
WHERE:Destination
Maternity Chauncey Ranch 18560 North Scottsdale Road Phoenix, AZ
85054 (480)-563-3437
About Destination
Maternity Destination Maternity® is the home of the world's
leading maternity brands Motherhood Maternity®, and A Pea in the
Pod®. It is a one-stop shop for the most extraordinary selection
of maternity fashion, accessories and everything imaginable for
the pregnant woman. Visit www.destinationmaternity.com for a
baby namer, pregnancy information and expert advice.
About Enfamil® Infant
Formulas Mead Johnson Nutrition, a global leader in infant and
children's nutrition is best known in the US for its Enfamil®
infant formulas. Moms and pediatricians have trusted and
recommended the Enfamil brand since it was introduced in 1959.
Consistent with over a century of innovation, Mead Johnson
recently introduced Enfamil Staged Formulas - 3 individually
tailored formulas to meet your baby's changing nutritional
needs. Visit enfamil.com for more information on Expert
Nutrition at Every Stage~.
If you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel program
“No Reservations” you will enjoy this more detailed travelogue
of exotic food and interesting people. I had often wondered
about the behind the scenes of the crew and shooting adventures
they must have encountered and this story lets the reader in on
all of the graphic details of Chris hanging over the toilet
bowl. Lydia wants Tony do shoot a scene and he’s not in the mood
but she cajoles him into it anyway. The roads are dangerous and
they bounce on endlessly in the middle of desert or jungle not
knowing when it will end.
And then there is the food.
Food porn is the latest obsession with TV shows or any books
about food, it's an awful lot like the relationship between
pornography and sex. Throw Anthony Bourdain, who understands the
whole food porn phenomenon, into the mix and you have a winning
combination. He spends pages and pages waxing poetic about
ingredients and dishes that the reader wants to experience, but
probably never will, and like porn you get it only in your
dreams.
A COOK'S TOUR finds Anthony
Bourdain, America's favorite ex-junky celebrity chef, traveling
the world searching for the perfect meal, with each chapter
devoted to a particular country or trip. Bourdain talks about
what he loves including the Japanese obsession with quality, the
toughness forged of hardship on the Russian frontier, the sense
of community in small town Mexico from where most of his kitchen
staff hail. Obviously his favorite, Vietnam is painted in
contrasts of extremes that surprise him and shed light on a
world many Americans experienced in the 1970’s.
Bourdain's previous book, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL, was a huge
success and led to the TV series. A COOK'S TOUR reads like
series of TV episodes but delves into more than any show could
possible say. It’s an enjoyable read and satisfied my desire for
more Bourdain wit and adventure while safely tucked into my nice
comfy bed. What better way to enjoy great food without the
calories!
The Back
Roads
(Arizona
Highways:
The Back
Roads)
I love
back
roads
and
where
they
lead.
This
book
will
stay in
the
vehicle
while
out on
the back
roads
exploring.
It is
great to
plan off
road
trips -
a day or
even
longer.
There is
no place
like the
back
country
for
solitude
and
peace of
body and
mind.
Arizona
is
filled
with
history
on our
scenic
back
roads.
This
book
divides
the
state
into
sections
and
lists
the best
trails
in those
areas.
40
Scenic
trips
with
route
finders
directions
and maps
and 220
color
photos
make
this a
must
read
before
you hit
the
trial!
“The
Butterflies
of Grand
Canyon”
by
Margaret
Erhart,
is an
“Indie
Next
List
Notable
Pick”
with
good
reason.
Erhart
brings
the
Grand
Canyon
of the
American
West to
life
with an
intriguing
romance
and
mystery.
Her
gentle
characters,
complemented
by the
sweet
butterflies,
provide
considerable
imagery
against
the
might
and
majesty
of the
Grand
Canyon.
Using
local
historic
characters,
Erhart
builds a
believable
and
interesting
community
where
anyone
can
envision
themselves
stopping
in for a
summer
vacation.
For a
young
housewife,
Jane
Merkle,
a summer
visit
rediscovers
a
sensuality
that had
been
misplaced
in her
marriage
to a
much
older
St.
Louis
insurance
salesman.
Park
Ranger
Euell
Wigglesworth
awakens
her
desire.
Communing
with
nature
and
chasing
butterflies
opens
opportunities
allowing
Mother
Nature
to take
her
course.
Watching
her
sister-in-law,
Dotty,
carry on
a tryst
of her
own,
Jane is
surprised
to learn
her
brother-in-law,
Oliver,
knows
all
about
it, and
has for
years.
His
sensitive
understanding
that his
wife
needed
more
than
their
marriage
could
provide
allowed
him to
give her
loose
reins,
which in
turn,
kept her
coming
back to
him
without
a word
spoken
of her
indiscretions.
Erhart
created
characters
whose
names
were
inspired
by tags
affixed
to
butterflies
in the
museum
at the
Grand
Canyon
National
Park.
The tag
reads,
“Mrs.
Merkle,
on the
17th of
July,
1951,
brings
down a
wood
nymph or
two at
Point
Sublime
on the
North
Rim of
Grand
Canyon.”
Another
reads,
“E.
Wigglesworth
captures
a red
admiral”
in the
same
place at
the same
time.
From
here
Erhart
builds
her
story.
Grand
Canyon
National
Park
brothers
Ellsworth
and
Emery
Kolb
photographed
the
canyon
for
decades
and
become
an
integral
part of
the
story
with a
skeleton
found in
Emery's
garage.
Real
life
botanist
Elzada
Clover
and her
associate,
Lois
Jotter
Cutter,
are
called
into
action
to solve
the
mystery
of the
skeleton
with a
bullet
hole at
the back
of the
skull.
“The
Butterflies
of Grand
Canyon”
is a
well
woven
mystery
that
combines
romance
and
intrigue.
Erhart
keeps
the
reader
coming
back for
more.
This,
her 5th
novel,
puts her
hiking
guide at
the
Grand
Canyon
experience
to good
use and
may
teach
you a
thing or
two
about
its
butterflies
as well.
For
more
info
about
this and
other
Penguin
titles
please
visit
www.penguingroup.com
THE
BUTTERFLIES
OF GRAND
CANYON
By
Margaret
Erhart
Plume
Original/$15.00
978-0-452~29549~0
"Something
You Forgot... Along The Way” by Kentetsu Takamori
Book Review by LeeAnn Sharpe May 13, 2010
“Something You Forgot...
Along The Way” is a collection of sixty-five heartwarming
stories that show what it means to learn from life's events. You
can see a common thread with many traditional fables, yet
Kentetsu Takamori often has a lovely Japanese slant in the
telling.
Of course he would,
because Kentetsu Takamori is a Pure Land Buddhist teacher born
in Japan in 1929. He has lectured throughout Japan and worldwide
on Buddhism for more than half a century. As author of several
best-selling titles in Japanese and the chair of the Buddhist
organization Jodo Shinshu Shinrankai, he has earned a reputation
for faithfully conveying the teachings of Shinran (1173-1263),
the founder of Shin Buddhism (the True Pure Land School).
The first of his works to
be published in English was “You Were Born For A Reason: The
Real Purpose of Life” (Ichimannendo Publishing, Inc.,
2006),which has sold over 600,000 copies to date in the Japanese
release.
Takamori’s
life has been dedicated to being a Buddhist teacher which comes
out in his beautiful story telling style. He weaves a moral
lesson into each short tale. Timeless in their simplicity and
universality, each story pulls you into a world where things
often seem one way, but on closer reflection, demonstrate why we
need to think things through and look at all sides before
jumping into a decision.
Easy to read and a joy in
their wisdom and beauty, “Something You Forgot... Along The Way”
is a wonderful gift to share with anyone, young to old. The book
includes photos of beautiful scenery in natural color.
Takamori’s
lives with his wife and their dog in a small town in Toyama
Prefecture overlooking the Japan Sea and we are blessed that he
shares his serene wisdom in this lovely tome.
“Something You Forgot...
Along The Way” Paperback 5”x7” 178 pages ISBN: 978-0-9790471-1-4
Self- Help/Inspiration/Buddhism $11.95
Quote from book back:
“These simple yet beautiful tales invite us to look deeper into
almost any situation in life. In the tradition of Aesop's Fables
each story concludes with a moral lesson. In these lessons, the
author gives us a perspective on people and events that is both
rare and unexpected, demonstrating a profound understanding of
the human condition. This book is a joy to read for anyone:
teenagers looking to share in the wisdom of an adult; parents
and teachers who wish to share something invaluable with their
children or pupils; and all people everywhere, young or old, who
seek to better themselves and the world they live in. This is a
book to cherish, to share, and to return to over and over
again.”
If
these
babies
shake
their
rattles,
you’d
better
pay
attention!
New
book
helps
children
learn
about
rattlesnakes
Much
maligned
primarily
because
they
are
too
often
misunderstood,
rattlesnakes
have
gotten
a
bad
rap
over
the
years.
Conrad
J.
Storad,
an
award-winning
author
of
more
than
30
science
and
nature
books
for
young
readers,
wants
to
do
something
about
that.
In
his
just
released
book,
Rattlesnake
Rules,
Conrad
demystifies
the
world
of
rattlesnakes
and
introduces
children
to
such
topics
as
who,
when,
and
what
rattlesnakes
eat.
He
shows
readers
why
rattlesnakes
have
rattles
and
what
it
means
if
you
hear
one.
You
will
learn
how
the
snakes’
forked
tongues
help
them
survive.
The
delightful
and
colorful
illustrations
of
Nathaniel
P.
Jensen
help
bring
the
story
alive.
A
long-time
resident
of
the
Sonoran
Desert,
Conrad
has
long
been
fascinated
by
the
diversity
of
animals
and
plants
that
call
the
desert
home.
Some
of
his
earlier
titles
are
Saguaro
Cactus,
Tarantulas,
Sonoran
Desert
A to
Z,
Gila
Monsters,
Don’t
Call
Me
Pig!
(A
Javelina
Story),
Desert
Night
Shift
(A
Pack
Rat
Story),
Lizards
for
Lunch
(A
Roadrunner’s
Tale),
and
Life
in
the
Slow
Lane
(A
Desert
Tortoise
Tale).
Conrad
is
the
director
of
the
Office
of
Research
Publications
at
Arizona
State
University
where
he
edits
the
nationally
award-winning
ASU
Research
Magazine.
He
is
also
the
founding
editor
of
Chain
Reaction,
an
award-winning
science
magazine
written
for
young
readers.
Rattlesnake
Rules,
by
Conrad
J.
Storad
(ISBN:
978-1-58985-161-0),
fiction,
hardcover,
is
published
by
Little
Five
Star,
a
division
of
Five
Star
Publications,
Inc.,
P.O.
Box
6698,
Chandler
AZ
85246-6698.
The
book
sells
for
$16.95
and
will
be
available
through
Ingram
and
Baker
&
Taylor.
To
request
a
review
copy
and/or
to
schedule
an
interview
with
the
author,
please
contact
the
publisher.
"Nathaniel
Jensen's
delightful
illustrations
capture
the
beauty
and
wonder
of
nature.
His
renditions
of
the
animal
kingdom
are
done
with
a
good
dose
of
humor
and
love,
suggesting
to
the
viewer
that
these
creatures
are
to
be
cared
about
and
respected
for
the
role
they
play
in
our
world."
~Joseph
Hammer,
Director
of
Product
Marketing
&
Licensing
Lady
Bird
Johnson
Wildflower
Center,
Austin,
Texas
"My
wife
and
I
are
unabashed
fans
of
Conrad
Storad,
as
are
the
many
children
to
whom
we've
given
his
books.
What
always
stands
out
is
how
he
varies
each
story
not
just
in
topic
but
with
an
approach
that's
right
for
the
critters
we
meet.
That's
never
more
true
than
in "Rattlesnake
Rules."
Dozens
of
fascinating
rattler
facts
are
woven
into
this
charming
tale,
but
no
two-legger
will
venture
too
close
after
reading
the
rules."
~Ed
Sylvester,
Science
&
Medical
Writer,
Professor
Walter
Cronkite
School
of
Journalism
and
Mass
Communication,
Arizona
State
University
The Civility
Solution by P.M.
Forni, published
2008 from St.
Martin’s Press
ISBN 0-312-36849-6,
has 166 pages.
This book answers
many questions with
an extremely civil
attitude that common
sense dictates to
most people, but
frequently seems to
be lost in today’s
world. P. M. Forni,
the award winning
professor of Italian
literature at Johns
Hopkins University,
has founded a
Civility Institute.
His 2002 book
Choosing Civility
has sold over a
hundred thousand
copies proving that
what was once taught
from childhood, has
been lost for
generations, and now
must be learned by
adults unaware that
civility is what
drives peaceful
co-existence.
It’s no wonder we
live in times where
road rage and
sideline parents at
sporting events
result in violence.
Keeping ones cool in
tense situations
seems to be deemed
as weak.
Forni’s book offers
Eight Rules for a
Civil Life that I
find so simply
elegant as to be
words to live by.
Slow down and be
present in your
life. It sounds
so easy but who
among us isn’t
guilty of
rushing to get
everything done.
And isn’t that
generally when
civility flies
out the window?
Listen to the
voice of
empathy. I know
it can be hard
when the creep
you are trying
to empathize
with has just
stolen your
parking place,
but it will do
you more good to
let it go.
Keep a positive
attitude. No one
likes a downer.
Positive breeds
happy and happy
breeds joy and
joy breeds… well
you know.
Respect others
and offer them
plenty of
validation. This
goes
exceptionally
well for a child
or spouse. But
it applies to
the rest of the
world as well.
Disagree
graciously and
refrain from
arguing. This is
pretty much the
most important
chapter in this
book in learning
how to be civil.
The book is
worth it just
for this one
chapter!
Get to know the
people around
you. How many
people don’t
know their
neighbors these
days? There you
are.
Pay attention to
the small
things. My Dad
goes crazy when
he works so hard
to maintain his
clean yard and
the wind blows
his neighbors
unkempt leaves
over. It may be
a small thing
but it leads to
a loss of
civility.
Ask, don’t tell.
Wouldn’t we all
enjoy a bit more
civility in the
world?
Retails for $19.95
at all fine
booksellers today.
About
the author: LeeAnn
Sharpe is a
freelance writer
residing in
Glendale, Arizona.
Her love of the
southwest and the
western lifestyle
have inspired her to
a project called
Keeping the Spirit
of the Old West
Alive. She also
writes reviews on
books and dining as
well as several
biographies of
influential
people.
Western Author Elmer
Kelton Passes at
83 Years
Elmer
Stephen Kelton, 83,
died Saturday,
August 22nd at his
home in San Angelo
Texas. He was born
April 29, 1926, at
Horse Camp in
Andrews County Texas
to Mr. and Mrs. R.W.
“Buck” Kelton, and
grew up on the
McElroy Ranch in
Upton and Crane
counties. He
completed his
education at the
University of Texas
after serving in
Europe during World
War II.
Kelton
married Anna Lipp of
Ebensee, Austria in
1947 and began a
career in
agriculture
journalism at the
San Angelo
Standard-Times in
1949. He became
editor of the Sheep
& Goat Raiser
magazine in 1963 and
associate editor of
Livestock Weekly in
1968, retiring in
1990. Kelton
maintained a
parallel career as a
freelance writer,
beginning with short
stories in the
post-war pulp
magazine trade,
progressing to
novels, non-fiction
books and countless
magazine articles.
In all, he wrote
more than 40 books,
including “The Time
it Never Rained,”
“The Wolf and the
Buffalo,” “The Day
the Cowboys Quit,”
and “The Good Old
Boys,” which became
a Turner Network
movie directed by
and starring Tommy
Lee Jones. Kelton
was named the
number-one Western
writer of all time
by the Western
Writers of America.
The WWA voted him
seven Spur awards
for best Western
novel of the year
and the career
Saddleman Award, and
he received four
Western Heritage
Wrangler awards from
the National Cowboy
Hall of Fame.
He is survived by
his wife of 62
years, Ann Kelton of
San Angelo, sons
Gary Kelton of
Plainview and Steve
Kelton of San
Angelo, with wife
Karen McGinnis, and
daughter Kathy
Kelton, also of San
Angelo and companion
Pat Hennigan. He and
Ann have four
grandchildren, five
great-grandchildren,
and one great-great
grandchild. He is
also survived by his
brothers, Merle and
wife Ann of May,
Texas, Bill and wife
Pat of Atlanta,
Texas, and Eugene
and wife Peggy of
McCamey.
In lieu of
flowers, the family
requests that
donations be made to
the giver’s favorite
charity or the Tom
Green County
Library’s Elmer
Kelton statue fund
through the San
Angelo Area
Foundation at 2201
Sherwood Way, Suite
205. Arrangements
are pending at
Johnson’s Funeral
Home.
Video of Elmer
Kelton
discussing his life
at the Western
Writers Conference
in Scottsdale Jun 8,
2008 Shot by LeeAnn
Sharpe Sitting next
to Cotton Smith and
Johnny Boggs. I will
forever cherish the
hour I spent talking
with Elmer and his
wife Ann the next
day while they took
a quiet break from
the action.
BAKING KIDS LOVE Reconnecting Families, One Treat At A Time Being
a kid has never been so…yummy! This fall
award-winning authors Cindy Mushet
and Sur La Table,
the national culinary retail mecca,
will introduce a newbaking book especially for children
called
Baking Kids Love (Andrews McMeel
Publishing, $20, October 2009). Kid-inspired
recipes such as
PB& J Muffins, Brownie S’mores
Bars, and Gotchya Focaccia
will fill tummies and warm hearts, while providing a
fun and tasty way for families to reconnect in the
kitchen.
Baking Kids Loveis a
delicious collection of thirty recipes that will
ignite children’s creativity, teach them confidence
in the kitchen and create a lifetime of memories.
The cookbook’s easy to follow instructions and
colorful photography offer step by step techniques
necessary for creating magic in your family’s oven.
The cookbook provides baking tips that not only
introduce children to the exciting world of
home-baked goodies, but also take adults back to the
basics, allowing them to relate to their child’s
level of learning, such as “the importance of
washing hands,” “how to measure liquids,” “choosing
basic baking ingredients,” and “cutting in the
butter.” Special comments from Cindy’s 11-year-old
daughter, Bella, about her personal baking
experiences help children connect with someone their
own age–she even provides a tip to make cleanup
motivating!
Each recipe in
Baking Kids Love is kid-tested and
approved. Cindy and Sur La Table worked closely
with Bella to include recipes children actually
enjoy baking and
eating. So whether you’re creating ghoulish treats
such as Rattling
Meringue Bones and Fingers for Halloween,
baking a Rustic Apple Pie
for Thanksgiving, making Be Creative Sugar
Cookies to celebrate National Cookie Day
(Dec. 4), or giving homemade treats such as Pumpkin Gingerbread
for the holidays,
Baking Kids Love is chock full of
sweet and savory recipes that the entire family will
love.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Sur La Table and
Cindy Mushet
wrote The Art
and Soul of Baking (2008), which received
the 2009 IACP Cookbook Award for Baking, was a Gourmet
magazine Cookbook Club selection, and was nominated
for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award. They
continue to receive high praise for their
contribution to the baking world. Sur La Table
is the trusted authority when it comes to all things
cooking related. Recognizing the importance of
nurturing young chefs, Sur La Table offers gear and
cooking classes made just for kids. Sur La Table
entices aficionados and curious beginners alike with
its amazing selection of cookware, bakeware, tools,
cookbooks, and cooking school programs designed to
make any cook’s life easier. The original store and
headquarters are in Seattle, WA. Cindy Mushet
has been a professional pastry chef and baking
teacher for over twenty years. Her recipes have
appeared in publications across the country,
including Bon
Appétit, Fine Cooking, Country Home, the
National
Culinary Review, and the New York Times.
Inspired by her daughter, Bella, Cindy has taught
baking to many children, both in school classrooms
and in summer baking camps. A fun and engaging
teacher, Cindy has also taught thousands of adults
nationwide. She lives in Los Angeles.
eReader for
BlackBerry
Do you read books on your Blackberry?
Reading is getting more mobile as the world
celebrates the release of eReader for BlackBerry.
One of the biggest obstacles to enjoying a good book
while riding the train or waiting for a doctor's
appoinment is the bulk of carrying a book with you
everywhere you go. With your books stored on your
Blackberry phone, they are with you everywhere. Just
think how many wasted minutes of waiting could be
filled with enjoyable reading time.
eReader eBooks now work on BlackBerry Handhelds,
along with Apple iPhones plus other mobile devices
using Palm, Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone
and Symbian Operating Systems (as well as PCs and
Mac).
Install eReader for BlackBerry directly from your
device. For your convenience, you can copy and paste
this URL in an email and open it on your BlackBerry.
The URL is: http://www.ereader.com/bb-beta.xjad
What Devices are Supported by eReader for
BlackBerry? You can use this product on the
following BlackBerry Models: Curve, Storm, Pearl,
Bold, 7130, 8110, 8120, 8130, 8220, 8300, 8310,
8320, 8330, 8350i, 8703e, 8707, 8800, 8820, 8830,
8900, 9000, 9500, 9530
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You can connect to your eReader.com or
Fictionwise.com bookshelf to download eBooks in
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through my eBooks? Trackball: You can scroll the
trackball up to go to the previous page and down to
advance the page. Keyboard: Pressing "Space" will
advance the page and "shift+Space" will go to the
previous page.
Touchscreen (where supported): Clicking the screen
on the bottom half or right side will advance the
page. Clicking the screen on the top half or left
side will go to the previous page. You can also
swipe the screen to the right to go to the previous
page and swipe the screen to the left to go to the
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section of the eBook.
What if I have accounts at both eReader and
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If you have two accounts, one with eReader and one
with Fictionwise, and both of those accounts have
exactly the same login id and password then you may
login on the device using that common Login ID and
password and you will see all the compatible eBooks
from both accounts on your BlackBerry!
If your login information differs between your
eReader and Fictionwise accounts, then whichever set
of information you use to login on the BlackBerry
determines which bookshelf you will see.
Which of my eBooks can I download to eReader on the
BlackBerry?
For eReader.com customers, every eBook available at
eReader.com works with eReader for BlackBerry.
For Fictionwise.com customers, every MultiFormat
(unencrypted) eBook and every Secure eReader eBook
will work. When you log in to your Fictionwise.com
account from your BlackBerry, note that you will
only see listed those eBooks that work with eReader
for BlackBerry. You will not be shown eBooks that
don't work, such as Secure Microsoft Reader eBooks,
etc. If you see it on your BlackBerry, you can
download and read it.
For eBooks you download from other web sites, they
must be in eReader PDB format. No other format will
work with eReader at this time. Please note that PDB
is a container format and may hold many different
kinds of files. The file must be an eReader format
PDB file.
Can I purchase eBooks from eReader.com or
Fictionwise.com from my BlackBerry?
Yes you can, with our new mobile site for eReader.
Now you can browse, purchase and download eBooks
from your BlackBerry! Great for last-minute
purchases before traveling. To check out the
improved flow of our new eReader mobile site from
any handheld device, just point your mobile browser
to m.ereader.com.
To download books from the mobile site, be sure to
choose to save the book file rather than open it.
You must have a memory card in your device and save
the book to the "eReader" folder in order for the
application to recognize it.
Can I put eBooks on my BlackBerry using my computer?
Yes you can. Be sure to enable mass storage mode on
your BlackBerry and connect to your computer with
the sync cable. Your memory card should appear as a
drive on your computer. Place any eReader format
books in the "eReader" folder that appears on the
BlackBerry drive. You will see your books in the
eReader application once you disconnect the
BlackBerry from your computer.
http://www.fictionwise.com/home.html
"Lavender Morning: A Novel" [Mainstream] by Jude
Deveraux
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=84096
"A Comfortable Wife" [Romance] by Stephanie Laurens
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=84106
"Rebel Waltz" [Romance] by Kay Hooper
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=84259
"The Temporal Void" [Science Fiction] by Peter F.
Hamilton
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=84264
"Star Trek: The Original Series: Star Trek: Mere
Anarchy" [Science Fiction] by Christopher L. Bennett
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=84097
E Books are more economical !
$9.95 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER -- NEW TITLES ADDED
EACH WEEK!
For a limited time, all New York Time Bestsellers
are marked down to $9.95! See the full list here!
It's the perfect time to pick up eBooks by Suzanne
Brockmann, Jodi Picoult, Stephenie Meyer, James
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Parker, and many more! But act now, savings on some
titles are as much as 50% and this won't last
forever.
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=nytlist
I love that Fictonwise sends me suggestions based on
my prior reading. "Here are your Fictionwise Weekend
Specials, which have been specifically selected for
you based on eBook ratings you have submitted or on
previous purchases. The more eBooks you rate, the
more likely we will send you special promotions for
eBooks that you will enjoy (you can rate eBooks in
your bookshelf). These rebates are active from the
time you receive this newsletter until the following
Monday at 7am ET (USA)."
TITLE: Final War by Barry N. Malzberg (60% off
Rebate)
LIST PRICE: $1.59 CATEGORY: Fantasy
LENGTH: 13029 words; Reading time: 37-52 minutes
AWARDS: Nebula Award(R) Nominee
DESCRIPTION: A very strange war is taking place on
an estate. Things were going quite well, with the
enemy occupying the forest on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays, and our side taking the forest on
Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (everyone was too
tired to fight on Monday). But now a new captain has
arrived, and he is talking crazy. He's talking about
actually trying to win the war, once and for all,
and not just on this small estate, but everywhere.
He's talking about Final War.
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook310.htm?r=3s27
TITLE: Among the Stones [Again and Again] by Lizzie
Leaf (50% off Rebate)
LIST PRICE: $3.49 CATEGORY: Erotica
LENGTH: 10836 words; Reading time: 30-43 minutes
DESCRIPTION: When Lilly leaves America for England
she realizes a dream by visiting Stonehenge. Yet,
the visit yields strange results. Powerful dreams
assault her. Dreams of a young couple, Meenah and
Toolar, who once lived Among the Stones. Their love
story will change Lilly's life forever.
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook41306.htm?r=3s27
TITLE: Recipe for Romance by Rekha Ambardar (50% off
Rebate)
LIST PRICE: $1.50 CATEGORY: Romance
LENGTH: 4779 words; Reading time: 13-19 minutes
DESCRIPTION: If cooking is the way to a man's heart,
how does a man win the heart of a princess? Princess
Licia, heir to the throne of Oristano, a small
principality on the Italian Riviera, has been on
display in recent tabloids. Determined to make a
lady of their daughter, her parents send her to the
world-reowned Emory Cooking Institute in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Their theory? She may never cook a
meal, but there's something about chopping, dicing,
sauteing and flambeing that brings out the nurturer
in a woman. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and royal
cooking assignments, masterchef Geoffrey Hanks is
stunned to find the beautiful princess in his class.
His first instinct is to turn in his chef's hat and
run. The reason? Ancestors of royalty have been
known to say, "Off with his head" at the slightest
provocation. What if this delicious princess's
parents have incorporated that handy refrain into
their protocol? Can love grow under such "throny"
conditions?
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook76565.htm?r=3s27
You can see I enjoy history and science fiction! Let
me know what you think of eBooks?
You can write to me at msworldnews@cox.net
Sharlot Herself:
Selected Writings of
Sharlot Hall Edited
by Nancy Kirkpatrick
Wright with an
introduction by
Margaret F. Maxwell
Illustrations by
Carlos Parra
Copyright 1992 by
Sharlot Hall Museum
415 W. Gurley Street
Prescott, AZ 86301
ISBN 0-927579-04-9
Sharlot Hall books
can be ordered at
phone: 928.445.3122.
Recently my friend
Bob Roloff, the
Arizona Duuude,
introduced me to the
writings of Sharlot
Hall. First I read
her biography by
Margaret F. Maxwell,
“A Passion For
Freedom: The Life of
Sharlot Hall”,
“Cactus and Pine”
and then the Arizona
Strip book. Finally
I have completed the
series with the
“Sharlot Herself:
Selected Writings of
Sharlot Hall”,
Edited by Nancy
Kirkpatrick Wright.
With each book I
have come to love
Sharlot Hall more.
Her dedication to
the state of Arizona
and love of early
history runs
parallel to the
course I have set
for my own life.
Sharlot’s way of
turning a phrase
using the jargon of
the western cowboy
and Arizona pioneer
makes her stories
especially
interesting.
It is almost beyond
belief that a woman
of her era was able
to travel so
extensively and
participate in so
many daring and
adventurous
activities generally
associated with men.
As a young girl she
rode her pony with
her pioneering
family from Kansas
to Lonesome Valley
Arizona outside
Prescott. That in
itself led to many
adventures and
strengthened her
spirit.
Her chauvinistic,
self-centered, brute
of a father probably
did her a favor in
setting her mind
against marriage at
an early age. Seeing
how her mother was
merely his property
and slave, worked to
death without the
affection due as
reward for her
commitment, Sharlot
vowed never to be
yoked by any man.
Perhaps once or
twice she felt
genuine affection
for men in her life,
but they didn’t see
her as wifely
material, not that
she was interested.
Rather she was
almost an
intellectual equal
or student to sit at
their feet and
learn, take advice
and fawn over their
ideas.
Samuel Putnam, a
proponent of the
Free Thought
Movement who
lectured in Prescott
in 1895 caught her
eye and she became
an ardent follower
until his death just
a year later. Her
poems reflected her
deep love for him
and regret that he
was gone from her
life forever. At the
same time she seemed
almost angry with
him that he was gone
or maybe more that
she had fallen for
him so deeply. It
must have hurt her
knowing he was
traveling with a
young woman much
like herself. But
then the woman has
died in the same gas
accident as Putnam.
Her life was filled
with exciting men of
history including
the renowned
publisher Charles F.
Lummis, the last
Arizona territorial
governor Richard E.
Sloan, first state
governor George W.P.
Hunt, President
Calvin Coolidge and
artist Maynard
Dixon.
Sharlot Herself:
Selected Writings of
Sharlot Hall
presents many of
Sharlot’s previously
unpublished bits and
pieces of prose and
letters into the
context of her life
at that time. It
helps to flesh out
the character of
this rugged
individualist with a
unique talent for
throwing a lariat to
lasso up just the
right words to
express her feelings
and experiences.
When she went north
to the Arizona Strip
she went through
territory few people
had traveled. Her
descriptions of
nature; flora, fauna
and geology aroused
the interests of
many businessmen
looking at the area
for mining and
lumbering potential.
Each of the books
mentioned above
would be of interest
to anyone with a
love for early
Arizona history.
Reading about a
brave adventurous
woman like Sharlot
Hall is
inspirational.
You think you know
everything about
your home state
until you read the
words of a traveler
who walked the state
step-by-step
discovering intimate
details known no
other way. Some of
the way was in a
buckboard, but she
enjoyed walking
ahead, even running
on occasion to enjoy
the freedom of being
one with nature
alone in the
wilderness.
Sharlot Hall and Al
Doyle walked every
inch of the trails
in the Arizona
Strip, the area
north of the Grand
Canyon. It was in a
time, 1910, when
trails were few,
rugged and
treacherous at best.
It was in a time
when women seldom
left the comforts of
home, unless
absolutely
necessary. But
Sharlot Hall of her
own free will and
desire took on the
role of historian
and adventurer to
document the area
before Arizona was
even a state.
When my friend Bob
Roloff, the Arizona
Duuude, wrote of his
love for the writing
of Sharlot Hall it
made me curious.
First I read her
biography by
Margaret F. Maxwell,
“A Passion For
Freedom: The Life of
Sharlot Hall”, and
her book of poems
“Cactus and Pine”.
Then I had to read
“Sharlot Hall: the
Arizona Strip” by
Sharlot Hall.
I’d always thought
of myself as a
fairly brave and
adventurous spirit,
raised as tom boy,
the son my father
never had. I’ve
hiked, hunted,
fished and camped
all of my life.
Arizona has been a
wonderful playground
in which to explore
and learn about
nature and history,
especially back in
the 1950’s and
1960’s when much of
the state was still
barely inhabited.
But what it must
have been for
Sharlot Hall and Al
Doyle to travel from
Prescott to Kingman,
Flagstaff, to Tuba
City and up to Lee’s
Ferry. They went
across the Colorado
River to the Arizona
Strip and the
Painted Desert, the
Kaibab Plateau,
Fredonia and the
North Rim of the
Grand Canyon.
Her descriptions of
the flowers and
trees, the mountains
and trails and every
living creature they
encountered were
fascinating.
Thrilling were her
descriptions of
wagons swallowed
whole in raging
rivers and strong
oxen teams washed
downstream never to
be seen again. The
incredible muscle
and will it took to
move equipment and
supplies to remote
mines and
construction
projects at a snails
pace make it hard to
imagine getting
anything
accomplished. But
they did and we reap
the benefits today.
Sharlot may not have
known at the time,
but while she
traveled the state
as the official
Arizona Territorial
Historian, appointed
by Governor Richard
Sloan, the October
1910 Constitutional
Convention was
meeting in Phoenix
to plan the
preliminary document
that would lead to
Arizona’s statehood.
As a direct result
of Hall’s
appointment which
had generated
criticism at the
time, a provision to
deny suffrage to
women, and another
stating only
qualified voters
could hold public
office were insert
into the state
constitution. Thus
when Sharlot
returned her
position was in
question and her
termination came
when Governor George
W.P. Hunt was sworn
in as the first
Arizona state
governor. Still she
remains the only
woman to serve
public office in the
Arizona Territory.
She may have been
born a woman but she
was not going to let
the dictates of a
male dominated
society tell her
what she could and
could not do with
her own life. She
continued to take
risks, write about
all she saw, run a
ranch until her
father’s death, and
took a dilapidated
territorial
governors mansion
and restored it into
what is now one of
the foremost
historical museums
in the state today.
Sharlot Hall once
said, "There is
something better
than making a
living--making a
life." And so she
lived her life.
"It
is heartening to know that when young people seek sage advice
these days, many are turning to the Elder Wisdom Circle. I
continue to be impressed by the candor and insight of these
Elders" --Walter Cronkite
New
Book Offers 45,000 Years of Wisdom to the Younger Generations
When the new Penguin/Plume book "The Elder Wisdom Circle Guide
for A Meaningful Life" goes on sale nationwide October 30th it
will feature the practical advice of a nationwide group of 600
cyber-grandparents aged 60-105. In real life, the Elders provide
free on-line advice to people worldwide with most advice-seekers
in their teens to thirties. In 10 chapters, these savvy seniors
apply their experience and knowledge to the following topics:
Overcoming life's obstacles; parent-child relationships; sibling
rivalry; self-discovery; lasting love; decision-making; career;
aging and loss. In the final chapter, the Elders offer their
secrets and watchwords for living life the wise way.
This popular group and their website have been featured numerous
times in the media, including USA Today and Time with
appearances on ABC, CBS, NPR and the BBC.
FEATURE STORY IDEAS:
1. With 600 Elders across the U.S. and Canada, it is highly
possible that there are Elders in your city, state or geographic
region. We can put you in touch with an Elder who can talk about
their experiences.
2. Observe a group: In some communities, Elders meet in senior
residences to discuss advice-seekers' questions; you can usually
expect the unexpected from these outspoken Elders.
3. The advice seekers: Although the advice service is strictly
anonymous, in a few cases advice seekers have agreed to talk
about their connection with the Elder Wisdom Circle.
4. First person: Seek advice yourself at
www.ElderWisdomCircle.org and tell the story of
how it affects your own life.
“Shadows of the Silk Road”
by Colin Thubron, 2007
HarperCollins Publishers
Review by LeeAnn Sharpe
“Shadow of the Silk Road”
records 68-year-old
Englishman Colin Thubron's
journey along the greatest
land route on earth, The
Silk Road. In his 9th travel
book Colin takes us along,
without a camera, only his
elegant prose to describe
the land and people. From
the heart of China, Xian,
into the mountains of
Central Asia, across
northern Afghanistan and the
plains of Iran and into
Kurdish Turkey, Colin
Thubron travels for some
seven thousand miles in
eight months along routes he
had been before many years
ago.
“Making his way by local
bus, truck, car, donkey cart
and camel, he travels from
the tomb of the Yellow
Emperor, the mythic
progenitor of the Chinese
people, to the ancient port
of Antioch in perhaps the
most difficult and ambitious
journey he has undertaken in
forty years of travel,”
reads the dust jacket. The
contrast of then (his
previous experiences) and
now, examination of the
ancient and current
conditions, provide a
glimpse of how history has
treated this most ancient of
lands and people.
Without a camera, Thubron
must paint a picture for us
to see what he sees and that
is the beauty of his prose.
You can see, hear, smell and
taste all he experiences in
explicit detail. And you
hear the voices in his head
as he senses danger and fear
in this insanely dangerous
part of the world. Language
is seldom a barrier as his
gift for talking to people
and getting them to talk to
him is intriguing. Speaking
Mandarin, Russian or the
mélange of the many tongues
along the way, he always
finds a translator and or
driver willing to take the
time with him to explore.
We learn through his
discussions with the common
people there has been good
and bad in the changes they
have seen. China,
transformed since the
Cultural Revolution, has
cities with all of the
trappings of Paris or Rome
and other towns untouched by
the modern world. It has
people making it rich and
others in extreme poverty.
Religion all but
extinguished in the past is
resurging in unusual ways.
It’s a society without a
conscious as we know it in
the west. All of the
stereotypes of China are
just that and totally out of
step with the reality of
China today. The internet
has opened the world to
China. A generation ready to
abandon their own world for
what they view as a better
world are quick to jump
aboard the consumer train.
Change in China is at an
extremely fast pace with
markets opened to her
commodities worldwide.
The former Soviet held
countries are faced with
false nationalisms and an
identity crisis on so many
fronts. Ethnically Chinese
intermixed with races of
multiple invasions though
the centuries from
Alexander’s armies to
Tamerlane and Genghis Kahn.
Since the Soviet withdraw,
factories have closed and
workers are unemployed. On
some level people felt
better off under Soviet
occupation. They have found
the cost of freedom leaves
them hungry.
True boundaries are not
political borders, but the
frontiers of tribe,
ethnicity, language and
religion. “It is a
magnificent and important
account of an ancient world
in modern ferment,” reads
the book jacket. So true, as
the people of this ancient
world survive upheaval after
upheaval and still manage to
get up each morning and go
about their lives. Few
places are untouched by the
prejudice of where their
people came from, their
religion, or their class.
“Shadow of the Silk Road
“encounters Islamic
countries in many forms.
Some are seemingly hard line
totally devout in public,
yet speaking another line in
private. The young are
playing a waiting game until
the old mullahs die off and
they can effect real change.
The extremists we hear about
are a small minority in most
Islamic countries. The
majority of their “faithful”
go through the motions, and
follow the traditions not
even knowing the words they
pray.
The only shortcoming of
Thubron’s book is the fate
of women and children. They
are absent for most part as
is the case in most of the
Islamic world. A strange man
would not have access to
women. We briefly encounter
a few women of great
strength and courage. But
most are elusive.
Still this story was
intriguing and insightful
about a part of the world
most of us will never
experience. And as Thubron
often found, is quickly
fading, being erased by war,
development, weather and
time. It made me think how
sad the world will be when
we lose the uniqueness of
all of the wonderful
cultures of the past all
being homonogized into a
dull sameness. At least we
will always have stories
like these to remind us of
the rich culture that once
was the “Shadow of the Silk
Road”.
###
Wonderful Tonight George
Harrison, Eric Clapton and
Me by Pattie Boyd with Penny
Junor Published by Harmony
Books 2007
Pattie Boyd has had an
incredible life. Even before
marrying a Beatle and the
guitar God of the 60’s, she
had been raised in Kenya and
had a modeling career in mod
London. Her face epitomized
the swinging London scene.
How terrific can one life
get! And it seems like she
has had several very
exciting experiences at all
stages of her life. It’s
easy to see how she became a
muse to two of the most
addictive and promiscuous
musical geniuses in the
history of rock and roll.
Born in England on St.
Patrick’s Day, thus the
name, she was moved to Kenya
at the age of four to be
with her maternal
grandparents. Her mother’s
remarrying kept them
separated for a time, so she
was raised by the grands in
this strange and exciting
world. Once Mum and the new
hubby were settled she was
back in England attending
convent schools from the age
of 10. By 17 she was working
at Elizabeth Arden on Bond
Street and eventually
professional modeling.
In the early 1960’s there
was nothing making more news
than the Beatles. Pattie
seemed somewhat oblivious of
them until she was sent on
an acting job at Paddington
Station to play a schoolgirl
in a film they were making
called “A Hard Day’s Night”
in 1964. She caught the eye
of George Harrison, he
proposed ten days later and
her life changed again into
the world of rock and roll.
The girlfriend and then wife
of a Beatle was about as
center of the universe for
most young girls as you
could get. She traveled the
world of rock and roll
legends in the making,
becoming acquainted with
every major star of the era.
Mick Jagger & Marianne
Faithfull, Mick Fleetwood,
Donovan, Dylan and anyone
else in the scene were part
of her life. All of the
major Beatle events we heard
about in the news were
personal experiences for her
and she tells the intimate
behind the scenes details
that flesh out the stories
in from the inside.
Even day to day life was
filled with history. She
talks about George sitting
at the kitchen table writing
“My Sweet Lord”. He also
wrote “Something” which was
his most successful
songwriting experience and
Pattie had been his
inspiration.
Their lives were filled with
travel. Travel to exotic
places like India to see the
Maharishi opened her eyes to
a whole new world. Although
exciting and fun, it was
often difficult and
uncomfortable as it was
happening. She talks about
the experiences of sea
sickness, unbearable hot
humid weather, rushing to
make trains or planes and
the strange foods they were
served.
In the public eye she even
got her own fan mail. She
was pursued by one man in
particular for over a
decade. Eric Clapton wrote
her passionate love letters
and even songs including
“Layla” about his terrible
love for her, the wife of
one of his best friends.
Years later when George and
Pattie split, Clapton came
in a swooped her up. But
once he had her in his life,
he lost interest and never
found it necessary to be
true to his “true love”.
Part of the problem is his
obsession had always been
through a drug and alcohol
haze. Once he went through
rehad their relationship
changed. And rehad didn’t
stick.
Pattie always seemed to
maintain a fairly level head
through all of the highs and
lows dealing with drugs and
alcohol, infidelity, abuse
and neglect. She regrets
that her marriage to George
ended. “Marriage is
forever”, she wrote. And she
loved him till the day he
died and mourned his death
alone on top of a mountain
in Peru.
Her marriage to Eric was so
passionate she felt
incapable of resisting.
Eventually the alcohol and
drugs made the situation
intolerable. Her leaving
sent Eric into rehab again
and he finally cleaned up.
She thinks if she had stayed
he would have drunk himself
to death. And she would have
never found her own
identity. Having always been
the wife of a famous man she
was overshadowed and never
seen for herself. Now as a
writer and photographer, her
own work is recognized.
Inspiration for George
Harrison’s song “Something”
and Eric Clapton’s “Layla”
and “Wonderful Tonight” and
who knows how many other
songs, the world is a better
place for the muse Pattie
Boyd. And she shares her
exciting life openly in her
book “Wonderful Tonight”.
It’s a very enjoyable read
to anyone who lived through
the early years of rock and
roll, a wonderful trip down
memory lane. She shares lots
of great pictures from her
personal collection too.
###
“Clapton - The Autobiography
of Eric Clapton” (Broadway
Books 2007), takes you along
for an incredible journey
through
the history of rock and roll
and the blues from the early
1960’s to present day.
Early childhood trauma of
being raised by his
grandparents, who he thought
were actually his parents,
only to learn who he thought
was his sister was his
mother, left him with some
deep and obviously painful
wounds. Clapton's
experiences with alcohol,
drugs and women all attest
to his emotional fragility
that was only addressed well
into his 50’s.
That’s all very interesting
background, but what is more
is how he managed to survive
it all (drugs including
heroin, cocaine, alcohol,
and groupies) and still
create incredible music. The
fact that he is alive after
all the abuse he put himself
through is mind boggling.
Clapton goes into great
detail about the music,
expounding on who he liked
and admired and how he felt
he had to play true to his
heart. The pop rock world
kept pulling at him with
commercial success, but his
heart wanted to be a blues
purist. Clapton modeled
himself after blues players
Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters,
Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and
Robert Johnson. Clapton’s
first success was with the
1965 single “For Your Love”
by The Yardbirds. He felt
that it was too pop and
before it peaked at #6 in
the US, Clapton had left the
band. He wrote, "I felt it
was a dreadful waste of what
had potentially been a good
rock blues band."
Already his fame as a rock
guitarist was known.
“Clapton is God” was painted
on a tube station wall just
outside London and spread to
walls throughout the city.
Covering such a long career,
it seems he jumped from band
to band. Just as they
reached some level of
success Clapton would bail
on to a new adventure. It
was often because he felt he
was selling out on his goal
of playing the blues. Or the
opportunity to play with
other musicians he admired
was too great a lure.
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
provided the direction
Clapton wanted building his
reputation as a great guitar
player. Then he helped form
Cream, a blues trio that in
1968 broke into the US Top
10 with the gold single
“Sunshine Of Your Love”.
Over their brief three year
career, Cream produced four
gold albums including the
post-breakup sets Goodbye
and Best Of Cream, including
a cover of Robert Johnson’s
“Cross Road Blues” which
would be the first single to
feature Eric Clapton on
vocals.
Personalities were often the
cause of Clapton moving on.
The artistic directions
often clashed and he moved
on to new horizon’s always
seeking his own voice and
learning from each group as
he moved on. After Cream’s
demise, Clapton formed a new
blues-rock band called Blind
Faith that produced a gold
album and a tour before
parting ways. A tour and
live album with Delaney &
Bonnie was his next stop.
Then he went solo on his
self-titled album in 1970.
Eric Clapton produced the
hit “After Midnight” and
reached #13 on the charts.
Before the album had even
been released, Clapton had
formed yet another band,
Derek & The Dominos, which
featured Eric on both guitar
and vocals.
It was a turbulent time in
his love life and the song
Layla spoke of Eric’s
passion for Pattie Boyd,
wife of his good friend
George Harrison. Derek & The
Dominos made one studio
album, 1970’s Layla & Other
Assorted Love Songs. Upon
release, Layla was panned by
critics and fans alike.
However, the record got a
major boost with the release
of the title track, which
featured the recently
deceased Duane Allman on
slide guitar. “Layla” became
a Top 10 US hit and the
album went gold. Today,
Layla is considered one of
the greatest albums of all
time.
About this time Clapton
began using heroin, which
appealed to him because it
was steeped in the blues. It
connected him to junkie
musicians like Charlie
Parker, Robert Johnson and
Ray Charles. For more than
two years, he fell firmly in
the drug's grip.
Clapton experiences with
Derek & The Dominos ended
fairly quickly, but even in
later years impacted his
musical direction greatly.
Learning he was better off
recording solo and joining
with friends without long
term commitments he recorded
1974’s 461 Ocean Boulevard,
producing the cover of Bob
Marley’s “I Shot The
Sheriff”, as well as a minor
hit in “Willie & The Hand
Jive”. After a couple of
less successful albums he
returned in 1977 with
Slowhand, which became
Clapton’s first platinum
album. It also yielded his
second solo gold single,
“Lay Down Sally”.
Pattie Boyd was the great
love of his life and once he
won her, (married in Tucson
1977)the thrill seemed to
fade. Clapton was unfaithful
on the road and sexually
unresponsive at home. The
alcohol and cocaine, now the
drug of choice, were more
important than anything.
Clapton entered the Hazelden
Clinic in 1983 to dry out.
He wrote, "My fear of loss
of identity was phenomenal.
This could have been born
out of the 'Clapton is God'
thing, which had put so much
of my self-worth onto my
musical career. When the
focus shifted toward my
well-being . . . and to the
realization that I was an
alcoholic and suffering from
the same disease everybody
else was, I went into
meltdown."
The early 80’s were not as
productive for Clapton as
the 70’s. Journeyman,
released in late 1989 went
double platinum in less than
two years, making it
Clapton’s career first
record to move over 2
million units. In 1991 the
soundtrack Rush included
“Tears In Heaven”, a
touching number dealing with
the accidental death of his
young son Conor, reached #2
on the US charts in January
of 1992. Tragically he had
just started bonding with
Conor when the boy died. His
personal life turbulent and
his attempts at maintaining
sobriety amid the drug and
alcohol world of rock and
roll were challenging. A
numb, grieving Clapton was
determined to stay sober.
"At that moment I realized
there was no better way of
honoring the memory of my
son." About this time he
learns about another child
he fathered, Ruth, and
brings her into his life.
The box set Crossroads and
Time Pieces both receiving
accolades leading to an
iconic appearance on MTV’s
“Unplugged”, playing
acoustic re-workings of some
of his best known singles
and blues classic.
Unplugged, was a massive
success, breathing new life
into the classic “Layla”,
which became a hit for the
second time in its life.
Clapton followed with 1994’s
From The Cradle, a full
album of electric blues
covers that also reached #1
on the charts.1998’s
Pilgrim, with “Change The
World”.
With 20 years of sobriety
Clapton has reached such a
level of success his career
is now a mix of old material
and the desire to try new
things. Reptile, Me & Mr.
Johnson, an album of Robert
Johnson covers and Back Home
solo albums have done well.
He’s also recorded two
collaboration albums, 2000’s
double platinum Riding With
The King with blues legend
B.B. King and 2006’s gold
The Road To Escondido with
famed songwriter J.J. Cale.
His old stuff continues to
sell well, like “Wonderful
Tonight” the ode to Pattie
written as he waited for her
to get dressed for a party,
being certified gold in
2005, nearly 30 years after
its release.
With his personal life
settled into the family life
with four daughters and a
young wife Melia, he worked
on his autobiography while
touring Asia. He released a
double disc compilation,
Complete Clapton featuring
songs from his entire forty
year career.
Clapton wrote, "For me, the
most trustworthy vehicle for
spirituality has always
proven to be music."
The only thing I missed was
more about his life with
ex-wife Pattie Boyd. She
published an autobiography
that included excerpts from
the unbelievably passionate
letters Clapton sent her
while she was still George
Harrison's wife. His
desperation in her book is
apparent with threats of
doing himself in if he can’t
have her. His songs about
her made getting over her
difficult, as they would be
played in every concert
being among his top hits.
He’s so open in his own book
about everything else, but
Pattie is absent in the
index, although smattered
throughout his book. Perhaps
he lets the music speak of
that love.
You come away after reading
this easily flowing
chronological tale
understanding that “Clapton
is God” was too much to put
on the head of a 20 year old
rock musician. His life
struggles into the heart of
rock and roll decadence and
his eventual maturing into a
musician at the top of his
art are amazing to read.
It’s as if you were having a
pint and hearing the words
straight from his lips. I
found it very enjoyable and
I highly recommend both the
music and the book.
###
Have you ever opened a new
book and suddenly feel as if
you are in the company of an
old friend? That’s the way
“Peeking Over the Edge…
views from life’s middle” by
Cathy Jo Marley made me
feel. She instantaneously
became my oldest and dearest
and wisest friend telling me
stories from her life
experiences. Some I would
shake my head and think yes,
yes, yes, she gets it! Other
times I would think, I need
to share this wisdom with my
daughter.
It’s not a big book, only
163 pages with large enough
print even fifty some things
can read without their
glasses. But I warn you,
once you pick it up you
won’t want to stop reading.
That’s a problem when you
pick up a good book like
this as you crawl into bed
thinking a half an hour will
put you to sleep. Two hours
later I was finishing it
off!
Nothing is off limits.
Weight, vanity, aging and
family are all discussed.
Each chapter is a brief
little vignette into her
life’s experiences. Each
chapter begins with a poetry
verse, proverb or quote.
Some even have song lyrics
and one ends with a recipe.
She brings humor into sad
situations we all face in
life and shows how life goes
on, maybe not as we
expected, but it goes on.
If you are looking for light
hearted optimistic read for
someone on your Christmas
list, consider going to
Cathy Jo Marley’s book
signing and get an
autographed copy as an extra
special gift.
Award-winning Phoenix author
Cathy Marley will be signing
her heartwarming book,
Peeking Over the
Edge...views from life’s
middle (Infinity Publishing,
April, 2006), at two
locations in December. The
first signing is scheduled
at Karen’s Hallmark, 10639
N. 32nd St. in Phoenix, from
10:00 a.m. to noon on Monday
December 10. The second
signing is scheduled at A
Peace of the Universe, 7000
E Shea Blvd, # 1710 in
Scottsdale, from 1:00 p.m.
to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday
December 15.
Peeking Over the
Edge...views from life’s
middle takes a philosophical
look at those moments and
memories that contribute to
a life well lived.
Poetically fashioned and
emotionally candid, this
collection of personal
reflections savors the joys
of life after 50. As Ms
Marley says, “In my writing,
I talk about love, self
acceptance, connection to
the world and the legacy we
choose to create for
ourselves by the life we
live. What I have said here
goes beyond my own
experience to truths that
apply to anyone who has
achieved middle age or just
hopes to someday.”
Since its introduction in
May 2006, Peeking Over the
Edge has received high
praise. In its Small Press
Bookwatch, Midwest Book
Review said, “From coping
with a hysterectomy, to
fondly recalling distant
memories, to the luxurious
yet tawdry experience of
reading "bodice ripper"
romances and more, Peeking
Over the Edge offers a
candid glimpse of the simple
moments in life, and the
relish of adapting to new
changes with aplomb. A
wonderful amalgamation of
insights into the pleasures
of life well lived.”
The first question she
raised to which I could
relate, and probably anyone
over fifty, is “What mark?”
That is what mark will I
leave on the world? Writers
are especially prone to ask
the question and even write
it down. Some people want to
leave a grandiose beautiful
mark that everyone stands up
and cheers. They are usually
artists, actors or
politicians. But I like
detailed drawings where
hundreds of little marks add
up to create a full picture.
I hope my life of little
marks adds up to a beautiful
image. I know my main mark,
my daughter, is a pretty
good contribution toward a
life worth living. Cathy Jo
Marley offers this book and
it is a nice stroke in her
life painting.
Body image, family, mush
brain, aging, and pack rat
life are all things I found
in common with Cathy. Her
elephant in the room and
little beasties leave enough
room for anyone to fill in
their own animals. Her words
resonate in different ways
for each person reading her
book. She says she began
crafting words to reveal her
hearts deepest feelings.
Most of all her optimism
about the rest of her life
and where it has lead her to
today made me think and hope
for a future open to the
possibilities of love and
adventure. And it reminded
me to stop and smell the
roses along the way.
Peeking Over the
Edge...views from life’s
middle (Infinity Publishing,
April, 2006), ISBN
0-7414-3169-6 $14.95
It was early summer, and
accordingly, hedgerows were
a riot of Hawthorne
blossoms. Horse chestnuts,
beeches and the occasional
old oak stood sentry over
the roads, and songbirds
rustled amongst all the
greenery. Up ahead, around
the bend, Madeleine could
see the branches of an
enormous oak splaying out in
every direction, taking up
more than its share of
roadside.
"Do you know what I haven't
done?" Colin said suddenly.
He stopped, allowed her to
catch up with him.
She sniffed indelicately.
"Very little, if you believe
the broadsheets."
"I haven't yet kissed you."
And then he snatched hold of
her hand and pulled her
behind that oak, barely
giving her time to squeak.
Blessed shade the tree
provided, with arms that
splayed everywhere like a
mad octopus. It hid two of
them from the road, but not
from the gaze of a gently
curious sheep, who paused in
its grass cropping to stare.
Colin spun her about and had
her up against it in a
thrice, pinned between his
arms, and he towered over
her, staring down for a
moment. At the stars in my
eyes or my great white
forehead? She wondered.
"Don't—" she began
nervously.
"Don't what, Mad?" Colin
laughed softly, in a voice
that stroked up her spine
like velvet. His arms
dropped from the tree, went
around her waist; he pulled
her hips hard against his
hips, very familiarly; she
felt the outline of
everything male about him.
"Don't…what?" He whispered
it this time, and when his
hands went up to her face,
it was she who closed her
arms around his slim waist,
flattening her hands to feel
the hard muscles of his
back, keeping him pulled
close to her body, keeping
the two of them groin to
groin. She wanted to feel
again the heat of his body
over the entire length of
her.
His knuckles dragged softly
over her cheeks, and she
closed her eyes, because his
eyes were too merry and too
hot and too soft and too
knowing, and she, at the
moment, didn't want to be
known by a man who had known
nearly every woman in
London, if rumors were true.
She did want to be kissed.
And then his fingers opened
to feather across her ears,
along her throat, the nape
of her neck, and she felt
her head tip back trustingly
into his hands.
Cradling it, he touched his
lips very, very softly to
the pulse in her throat.
"Oh, Mad." It was half sigh,
half soft laugh.
Colin dragged his lips
softly from the arch of her
throat, to her ear, to her
lips, which were parted,
while her eyes were still
closed.
"Now I'll kiss you
properly," he murmured.
She knew how to do this.
She'd done it before. Her
body knew where it wanted to
be touched, and how it
wanted to fit against his,
and oddly nothing had ever
seemed more right. And still
somehow it became a little
battle, as it always was
with the two of them, in
part because Madeleine only
felt safe in the midst of
battle. Their lips brushed,
bumped, nipped softly,
Madeleine now afraid to
surrender to this. Too late
she recalled how a kiss
sometimes had the power to
split one dangerously,
vulnerably open. More so
even than lovemaking.
"Shhhh," he whispered
against her mouth, although
she wasn't making a sound.
It was as though he wanted
to soothe the battle inside
her. "Shhhhh."
His hands were at the back
of her neck, soothing,
stroking, and he brushed his
lips over hers, urged hers
apart with tender strokes of
his tongue, sending a rain
of silver sparks down her
spine, and she gave a sigh.
It was part pleasure, part
some unexpressed sadness.
The sound of something
released.
Madeleine's hands slid up to
the hard blades of his
shoulders, pulling him
closer, and her lips fell
open beneath his. His
tongue, at first, was a
gentle invader, warm,
velvety soft, finding and
twining with hers softly in
a tentative foray.
He took his lips away from
hers, looked into her eyes,
as though looking for some
sort of answer, or wanting
to see what the kiss had
done to hers. His own eyes
were hazy with desire.
And then his firm, clever
lips took hers again, more
decisively this time, and
she was ready. Her arms slid
up his chest to wrap round
his neck, and he pulled her
into his body, and his
iron-hard arousal pressing
against her was a
maddeningly erotic contrast
to his soft lips, his soft
tongue. He drove the kiss
deeper, and she met him;
their tongues touching and
tangling, part dance, part
duel. He moaned softly, the
sound of it vibrating in his
chest beneath her hands. He
withdrew his tongue to bite
her bottom lip gently, a
sensation startling and
erotic.
Then he took her mouth
again, ferociously this
time, and she took as much
as he did, devouring,
needing him deeper into her
body. He tasted sweet and
dark and as she kissed him
everything in her was
melting, dissolving, until
Madeleine knew that
terrifying, exhilarating
sense of having no other
existence outside the heady,
penetrating bliss of this
kiss.
And then Colin suddenly
broke the kiss with a gasp.
He tucked his cheek against
hers. His whiskers rasped at
her delicate skin; his
breath was hot and swift the
crook of her neck.
He was quiet for a long
time. His arms loosened on
her.
Confused and strangely
bereft, Madeleine's clung to
him for a moment longer.
Then her arms loosened about
him, too, uncertainly.
"Just a kiss," he whispered,
sounding dazed.
She didn't quite understand
what he meant.
They remained close but not
nearly as close as moments
before, their breathing
slowing to before-kiss
rhythms.
Colin lifted his head up,
looked down into her eyes.
He looked as if he was
considering whether to
speak.
"Did you love him, Mad?"
The question surprised her
so completely that she
didn't have time to disguise
the truth, and she was
certain it was written all
over her face.
Why did he do this? How did
he do this?
"Life can be the very devil
sometimes, can't it?" he
said softly.
She stared at him.
"The very devil," she agreed
thickly, after a moment.
He smiled down at her, as
only Colin Eversea could
smile.
And when he took her by the
hand back out to the road
Madeleine felt feeling as
though she'd been thrown
from the moon back down to
earth.
*************************************
Thanks for reading! Like
it?? Here's a preorder link,
if you're interested!
"
