Saturday, December 28, 2013

A JOURNEY FOR ALL

Doreen Cox, proves she is a masterful story-teller in her novelette, A Sacred Journey. We follow Leah as she is protected and led through the forest by the spiritual insight and love of animals. In reading Ms. Cox’s story, I was transported by the love, joy, and honor that was shown to Leah, by those that are considered by some to be, ‘just animals.’ The connection between human and animal is deeply spiritual and sustaining, and it gave this reader a glimpse into the beauty that could be in this world. Although this journey had many different meanings that could be found that fit with the word sacred, to this reader it carried dual meanings. I can highly recommend this story to everyone who can believe in the possibility that life can be more.

RICH IN CHARM, WIT, AND LIFE

Claire Cook delights readers with another book, ‘Multiple Choices,’ is rich in charm, wit, and life. One can easily become immersed in the lives of each character as we follow their decisions. So true to life is the plot of this book that one can only imagine what the consequences would be if you were in the position of any of the characters in this charming book. True to her usual elegant and character driven novels, ‘Multiple Choices,’ takes you deep into the hearts, minds, and emotions of each and every character for she doesn't have any that are not essential to the story. Ms. Cook is truly a masterful story teller.

BRILLIANTLY TOLD

http://www.amazon.com/Map-Bones-Sigma-Force-Novels-ebook/product-reviews/B000FCK3KA/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending While some reviews I read compared, ‘Map Of Bones,’ by James Rollins, with ‘The DaVinci Code,’ the only similarity I found was that both books dealt with the history and mystery’s surrounding the Catholic Church and its origins. This novel was the second James Rollins book I had read, and it did not disappoint. He continues to amaze me with the depth of his character development, story-lines, and blending of history, mythology, science, fantasy, and politics. Mr. Rollins has a rare ability to both hold the reader’s interest while perking their desire to research a bit more on their own. His stories are thrilling to read, and if you are listening to them as I was, you genuinely don’t want someone coming up to you in the middle when guns are blasting and the world is near destruction for you may jump out of your skin as I nearly did. ‘Map Of Bones,’ a Sigma Force, novel is by far a book that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys adventure, mystery, fantasy, science, or history.

MASTERFULLY WRITTEN

I have yet to read a James Rollins novel that doesn't leave me looking for his next book and ‘The Last Oracle,’ is no exception. I loved this book, the author’s ability to take the reader from the past into the realms of what could be, all the while carefully weaving history, science, politics, and madness into a possible future is nothing short of brilliant. Mr. Rollins is a master in the art of merging fact and fiction into the plot. Highly Recommended.

MADNESS OR LEGACY

In the ‘Song Of The Monster,’ physiologist Barbara Stark, revisits Roberto Mendez the once all – powerful CEO of an international crime family, now locked in the penitentiary and sentenced to life in prison, all because of the wiles and brilliance of Barbara Stark. Mr. Mendez is curious he wants to know how Ms. Stark was able to ferret out his secrets and drive his son into madness, and the government wants information from him. Who will win this game of power and insight? Will Ms. Stark once again succeed where no one else can or die in the trying? Questions that only the reader can learn the answers to, but guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and charm the reader while they are looking for these answers. Ms. Koch’s characters and plots are brilliantly written, full of humor, wit, and insights into the human condition, and her heroine Barb Stark is a rare find for any book-lover.

THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF MURDER

I have yet to find a book by Margaret Koch that doesn't delight me and her novel ‘To Kill An Echo,’ is no exception. The twists and turns in the life of Barbara Stark a Psychologist in Duncan, Tennessee, always borders on the weird and mysterious. She seems to draw those who are mad or murderous to her like a moth to a flame, leaving the reader to delight in the psychology of both the murderer and the problem solver. Ms. Koch’s characters are rich in human nature in all its glory and brutality, yet she keeps you both guessing and laughing as Ms. Stark stumbles into yet another mysterious happening or murderous psychopath, who continues to stalk her to their very destruction. This reader cannot get enough of Margaret Koch’s stories, each one draws me into the next and I have to admit I will read anything this writer pens. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Atlas Shrugged: Is It What Many Believe It To Be?

Much has been said about Ayn Rand’s book, Atlas Shrugged. Most of it negative by those of us who are not wealthy or a part of the world that has made their living on the backs of others. It has been called a Bible of sorts by some in the elite world of the Koch Brother’s, Paul Ryan’s, and that ilk. They have taken her words to mean something far different than I did in the numerous times I read it. When she wrote about the doer’s, the builders, and those people who grow the world and the country, I didn’t and don’t believe she meant parasites like the Paul Ryan’s and Rand Paul’s of this world. Those who have earned their living by making life deliberately worse for others, moving jobs overseas, raping companies who are already in trouble, and then closing them. Bankrupting all those who have given their lives to build the company. From the founders to those employees who saved for their old age in the company pension, nor do I believe she meant them to be the parasites of the book. Instead, she was talking about the Paul Ryan’s, Rand Paul’s, Mitt Romney’s, and Koch Brothers, the type of person who believes that a person, who isn't rich and doesn't loot or destroy so that their pockets can be further lined are the parasites. For these people are not building, they do not see the connection between the consumer, and the worker. They do not see people who would like to feed, clothe, and house their family honestly, but can no longer do so as a result of the looting of their futures by these same people who line their pockets by destroying. The people who believe that anything they do, justifies their quest for power and more money. Those that say to the mother who has lost her husband through one of their wars, or due to illness, “you should have planned better, you should have saved, invested. If your children want to eat you should have suffered more, you should not have had them, but your option can only have come from the choice of abstinence, for you should have foreseen the loss of your husband, the loss of his job to another country, the loss of your home, due to the loss of his job. You should have known it would happen for it is a dog eat dog world.” It is my firm belief that it is these people who are intent on destruction, and they are the ones that Ayn Rand was talking about in Atlas Shrugged. They are not the builders, they are the looters. They seek to destroy the foundations of the American Dream, our constitution, and any chance that a person can earn their way out of poverty. Are there those who play the system, oh yes, I see it every day, but look at their role models. Look at what we teach people through today’s movies, television, games, and by our very actions. We teach them how to delight in the downfall of others, we teach them that meanness, and cynicism is a admirable thing, we teach them how to be foolish and to dump on others, to gain from the destruction of someone else. By our actions, we teach them every day that violence, through words and actions are a praiseworthy thing. We teach them that the way to success is not through building, but instead through destroying. When a politician or a judge says “you aren't responsible for your actions because someone else does not matter.” They are wrong! It is my belief that when one’s money, power, and status are obtained by the obliteration of another’s ability to grow to their full potential, to feed, clothe, and house their family by removing their ability to value themselves by honest work and education this is the true destruction of our world.

Friday, December 6, 2013

As I prepare for the last episode of A Show To Remember, I look back at this past year. It has been a year of growth and learning for me. Today, Cyrus Webb, the host of Conversations Live, the founder of Conversations Magazine, and Conversations Book Club, Phillip Dana Yeh. an author, who has a magazine called Uncle Jam, and has been touring the world with his literacy campaign, since the 1980's, and Doreen Cox Author, the author of Adventures in Mother Sitting, a memoir of her time spent as a care-bear, will be joining me to discuss their journey with books. I am honored to have each of them join me on this show. It will be a remarkable and lively look at the place books have and do play in our society. I hope you will all join us today at 2 pm ET, and if you have a chance call in at (347) 324-3859. A Show To Remember is brought to you today by Pemberly Enterprises and the Give A Book Campaign/Read A Book. One lucky caller will receive a copy of either my book Dinky: The Nurse Mare's Foal or Innocence and Wonder. Dinky is the story of one little horses fight for survival against all odds. It is a heartbreaking and uplifting coming of age story told by Dinky himself and Innocence and Wonder features short stories in verse told from the point of view of a child.

A Chat With Cyrus Webb, Phillip Dana Yeh, and Doreen Cox 12/06 by A Show To Remember | Entertainment Podcasts

A Chat With Cyrus Webb, Phillip Dana Yeh, and Doreen Cox 12/06 by A Show To Remember | Entertainment Podcasts

As I prepare for the last episode of A Show To Remember, I look back at this past year. It has been a year of growth and learning for me.

Today, Cyrus Webb, the host of Conversations Live, the founder of Conversations Magazine, and Conversations Book Club, Phillip Dana Yeh. an author, who has a magazine called Uncle Jam, and has been touring the world with his literacy campaign, since the 1980's, and Doreen Cox Author, the author of Adventures in Mother Sitting, a memoir of her time spent as a care-bear, will be joining me to discuss their journey with books.

I am honored to have each of them join me on this show. It will be a remarkable and lively look at the place books have and do play in our society.

I hope you will all join us today at 2 pm ET, and if you have a chance call in at (347) 324-3859.

A Show To Remember is brought to you today by Pemberly Enterprises and the Give A Book Campaign/Read A Book. One lucky caller will receive a copy of either my book Dinky: The Nurse Mare's Foal or Innocence and Wonder. Dinky is the story of one little horses fight for survival against all odds. It is a heartbreaking and uplifting coming of age story told by Dinky himself and Innocence and Wonder features short stories in verse told from the point of view of a child.