Virtual Book Tour de 'Net

Gonzo the Curious Cat by Martha Ramirez

2009-07-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

Gonzo is a curious cat that lives on Farmer Louie's farm. As he learns the many lessons of life by his misadventures, he is often reminded of Farmer Louie's motto, "Safety First." Farmer Louie always knew that Gonzo's curiosity and adventurous personality would one day get him into trouble. But when Gonzo finds himself lost in an unfamiliar place, he discovers the true meaning of why it is important to be extra careful and less curious. Will Gonzo find the special gift he is searching for while lost? Come join the fun and meet all the playful barnyard friends, Gonzo the Curious Cat, and Farmer Louie. Learn what friendship and safety can bring.

Visit MartzBookz.com for more info

An Interview with Martha Ramirez:

1. Why did you write this book?

Gonzo the Curious Cat was written in honor of my brother-n-law Gonzo and father-in-law. When my brother-in-law was struck by a car (the second time in his life) I decided that children need to be reminded about safety. My brother-in-law, Gonzo, is like a cat with nine lives! In the book I share stories on how Gonzo's curiosity gets him into trouble. Farmer Louie reminds Gonzo how to stay safe, but Gonzo is more mischievous than Farmer Louie would like.

2. What was hardest to write about this book?

My father-in-law passed away shortly before I started writing the story. Though he couldn't read English I still would had liked to have shown him what he would had looked like as a cartoon.

3. What did you enjoy writing the most?

Naming all the animals after my family.

4. What do you hope folks will get from this book?

The importance of safety.

5. What's next for you?

A romance suspense (YA) debut novel.

Gracious Living by Valerie Kent

2009-07-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

Gracious Living is an easy-to-read decade-long journey that offers tips and suggestions on how senior citizens can stretch their dollar and get the most for their money. Eleven chapters cover every important aspect of living together, from the wedding preparations to where to live. Key considerations follow each chapter for quick reference: Considerations like where and when to buy clothing, choosing a place to live and juggling your finances. Artist Jeff Nitzberg adds his unique touch with original drawings introducing each chapter.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.treefarmbooks.com/

READ AN EXCERPT

We all aspire to the many extras which supposedly make our lives more enjoyable. For some, the list is headed up by second cars, designer clothing, even dining out regularly in expensive restaurants. Where cash is scarce, it demands real discipline to examine spending patterns and determine just what we truly need, then prioritize whatever we merely want. Because money is one of the central issues in any marriage, retiring on a fixed income is likely to increase rather than reduce unavoidable tension over it. Careful planning and thoughtful shopping can help. This can reduce costs (even if our economy worsens) and thereby free up funds for luxuries further down everybody’s wish list. The discipline to follow through with a mutually-agreed-on plan, once made, is tough, but rewarding.

All this requires an investment of time: time, our most available resource. It is hard to change old habits, and an exertion of will is sometimes required to pay attention to details you never bothered about before. Joint planning, joint responsibility and joint action are vital now that you will be spending much more time together. Having that “we” approach is more important than ever to insure graceful living.

Our working years could certainly have benefited from this prescription for a happy life together, but the pressures and urgencies of raising a family and establishing a career often leave couples living quite separate lives. Each partner has had his or her own areas of responsibility, and in practice true collaboration is often lacking. Being forced to strengthen the bond of “we” during a financial squeeze may significantly improve living together in retirement by forcing the reconsideration of older, sloppier patterns.

One of the most difficult tasks is settling on those more urgent, less avoidable priorities. Dealing with the money forces decisions as to whose preference will prevail and facilitates true compromise. Inevitably somebody’s preference gets bumped off the budget. Thos fulfilled golden years are impossible without new level of mutual respect and open communication.

ABOUT VALERIE KENT

At eighty-eight, Valerie Kent is the survivor of a long lifetime spent adjusting to dramatically evolving worlds. She moved from Britain to the United States in 1933. Valerie began at the age of forty-six the drawn-out process of education - seven universities - that would generate, initially, a career as a drug and alcohol counselor for troubled women, then a decade as a celebrated college teacher and - ultimately - a final, exultant marriage. This is her story.

Higher Honor by S.M. Kirkland

2009-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

When Cadet Cassidy Sanders is brutally assaulted, she struggles to carry on as she turns further from the God of her youth. Her attacker is an acquaintance who has his own struggles to face. God uses their mutual friends to show both cadets the depth
of his grace and mercy.

Higher Honor is set within the sub-culture of America’s military colleges. The novel focuses on the elements of honor, brotherhood, duty, and the spirit of the characters to face and overcome challenges that grow them into the military’s
next generation of strong, capable leaders. The realism of Higher Honor’s setting and plot is a result of experience, observation, and much research.

Review:

Higher Honor is the story about a rape and how it affects not only the victim, but the perpetrator and their friends. Kirkland handles the situation--including the actual rape itself--with realism yet delicacy, so that you get the horror of the situation without the morbidity. Even more, she successfully portrays the emotional and psychological trauma Cassidy goes through--and does a convincing job of making Chris, the rapist, a believable and very human character instead of a cardboard human.

One of the themes is learning to depend on God, and finding strength in God's love. I think Cassidy explained it best when she told a support group that she had to remember that God defines who she is--not those few horrible minutes in the shower. For that line alone, this book will remain with me forever.
There is also an important theme of forgiveness, though I was not so pleased at her willingness to defend her rapist when he went to turn himself in. I was glad leveler heads prevailed.

I thought a few parts of it--like her recovery after she rediscovered Christ in her life--a little too easy, but not unbelievably so. Overall, a very good book, and I think many that Christians, especially any who have been in Cassidy's situation, will identify with her.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

S.M. Kirkland brings firsthand experience to her fiction.
While a student at North Georgia College and State
University (the senior military college of Georgia) she
enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard. During a 10-
year military career, she served as a photo- and broadcast
journalist while serving in Italy and for the 1996 Summer
Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Kirkland currently works for the Calhoun Times as the
government reporter and her feature stories have appeared
in newspapers nationwide. Her first fiction publication was
a short story “Fair Balance” included in the anthology Light
at the Edge of Darkness (TWCP, 2007). This story received
several rave reviews.

Sacrifice of the Sage Hen by Susie Schade-Brewer

2009-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

1859: Pre-Civil War Independence, Missouri. The people are restless - the effects of prejudice and hate. Blood has already been spilled by some from over the border, and there is talk of war.

To add to the unrest from the border skirmishes, a devastating drought has fallen over the entire Northern region of Missouri.

Full of spirit and restless rebellion, Charlotte Mary West, called Charlie by her friends, is concerned, but what captures her most frequent thought is finding relief from her own boring and uneventful life. Grant, her husband of an arranged marriage, owns a general store in the embarkation town of Independence, Missouri. His only ambition is to make fistfuls of money selling supplies to the pioneers of the wagon trains leaving down the Oregon and California Trails. But waiting on customers and stocking shelves in a general store has never been Charlie’s idea of adventure. She feels life is going on without her.

And now her father and her best friend are joining a wagon train to go west, leaving her behind with her husband. Already chafing at the expectations he places on her to act like a proper lady, Charlie longs to break away and fly to freedom. Somehow, someway, she must convince her husband to forfeit his dream and join the wagon train.

Then tragedy strikes when a fire comes off the dry prairie and ravages half the town. Many buildings including West’s Mercantile burn to the ground. Some are injured – and a few die, including Charlie’s husband. Now at only age 19, she is a widow, no means of support - and quite unexpectedly - a mother to an orphaned mixed-race child.

Dirks Braelen is on the run from his life as a hired gun in Texas. He's ready to hang up his holster and try to find some peace for his soul. He may be ready to leave his old life behind, but the people he knew then may not let him.

He's trying to escape his past. She's trying to escape her present. To find happiness, Charlie and Dirks have to reach back into a story from Charlie's father and find out the true sacrifice of the Sage Hen.

For More Information: www.TheSacrificeOfTheSageHen.com

Interview with Susie Schade-Brewer:

Why did you write this book?

At the time I started writing the book, I was around 50 years old, and although I had done a lot of writing over the years, it had been bits and pieces, mostly because I was busy working, raising my family, and taking care of elderly parents. By the time the kids were raised and gone, my marriage was falling apart. I found writing to be like therapy. One can be as sweet – as angry – as submissive -- or rebellious as they want, and (I hate to admit it) the empowerment was wonderful.
I remembered an idea that had stuck in my head since I was about seven years old. The storyline revolved around one central character, a feisty young woman who was not remiss to speak her mind, and for some odd reason, a sage hen was always there too. I don’t know why that in particular, but who understands the brain anyway, right? I thought, ‘now is the perfect time to indulge this flight of my imagination.’ The manuscript underwent about 20 revisions over a 6-year period, and the end result was exactly what I had always wanted. Plus, the therapeutic value probably saved me a lot of money!

What was your favorite part?

I think the easiest parts to write, because they just flowed out of me, were the more intimate thoughts and feelings of the main character, Charlie West. She is 19, and stuck in a loveless marriage. Because she is living a life that others had arranged for her, she is unable to pursue her own dreams -- all of which seemed apropos for me (except the 19 year old part – but I was once). And although she wishes to be good and dutiful and obedient, there is a certain defiance at having lost control of her life.

What was the hardest to write?

The parts about the fire and the dying and having to describe to the reader how bad it hurts and make them really feel it. Also the parts about the criminal acts of the villains, because he killed and mutilated animals.

What do you hope your readers will get from your book?

This story is about life – and love – and making choices, which all humans must do. And making our dreams as much a priority to us as others’. I guess it’s about understanding our self-worth, the importance of not allowing anyone to take that from you. It is my hope that the reader will take that key message away with them.

What’s next for you?

I am working on the sequel to The Sacrifice of the Sage Hen. In this first book, much of the story takes place in Independence, Missouri, which in the 19th century was what they called ‘the jumping off’ place for those who wanted to travel over the Oregon or Santa Fe Trails. Charlie’s life is as a storekeeper’s wife.
The next book, which most of my readers have said they really want to read about, will be when they actually get on the trail and deal with the day-to-day challenges and dangers of trail life. At that time, those who were brave enough to pack up their families and all their worldly goods into a 4’ x 10’ wagon knew that 1 in 5 of them would die before reaching their destination. The trail to Oregon was wild and 2,000 miles long, would take them 4 to 6 months to get there, and was fraught with many hidden dangers.

So, this is what I’m currently working on, plus working at my other business, a professional writing service called TPW Writing Services, doing copywriting and resumes. Both projects are very time-consuming. I’ve thought about petitioning my Congressman to pass some kind of bill to avail more hours in the day, but I didn’t think it would do much good.

If anyone wants to visit my book’s website, it is www.TheSacrificeOfTheSageHen.com. Please also visit my blog, www.OneWritersView.blogspot.com, and leave a comment on a subject written there, or start a new one. I like discussing anything having to do with western lore or the writing life. Thanks, Karina, for the interview. All the best to you.

Rajah and the Big Blue Ball by Mosetta Penick Phillips-Cermak

2009-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rajah, the big black dog, likes to play in his big back yard. He chases the leaves. He sniffs the air every day. It is his favorite place. One day a strange thing happens. Something hits Rajah on the head. It scares him. A blue ball is up in the sky. Where did the ball come from? Did it do it on purpose? Did it want to make him afraid? Rajah has to find the courage to take back his own world. Written by the author of The Wishing Flower and The Magic of Laven-Rock, Rajah and the Big Blue Ball looks into the face of the unknown.

Available from: Barnes and Noble Online
Note: She is donating $1.00 of each sale to the Cleveland Animal Protective League.

Interview with Dr. Mosetta:

1. Why did you write this book?

It was originally written for one of my favorite group of children, in my favorite classroom. The classroom was in a model school for the District. Although the school first opened its doors eighty-four years ago (in 1924), it was the first year that this school had been K-8. As such, most of the 65 teachers were new to the school. I was new to the school.

Located in the middle of what is still considered a particularly dangerous inner-city neighborhood of a large metropolitan city, all of our students were considered disadvantaged. The families in our school were at or slightly above poverty level.

Most of the children came from single parent families, or were living with foster or adoptive families, but many have extensive support systems through a lattice of extended family within the same household, or within walking distance of the school.
There were no discipline problems even though two children were under psychiatric care. One student had seizures, and one student had severe asthma.

Of the 21 students, two were African-American, one was Asian Indian, five students were Hispanic, one was of mixed black/white ethnicity, and the remaining 13 students were white.

It was for these children that I wrote "Rajah and the Big Blue Ball". It was from their "Tell Me a Story" time that this book evolved.

Some students in the classroom were the subject of custody battles by their parents, and another student watched as one of his cousins was shot in the head by a drive-by shooter. The child was so traumatized by the sight of blood and neural material splattered all over him, that he did not speak for six months. But when he did, he asked me to tell him a story. And the story I told was "Rajah and the Big Blue Ball".

2. What was most fun about writing this book?

I think that the most fun part of writing this book came when the students asked me every Monday to read the new part of the story that I had written over the weekend.

We had an agreement. I set aside the last period of the day, every Monday, just to read the new parts of the story. They were so patient. They would ask me "what's going to happen next"? I would answer "Rajah hasn't told me, yet".

3. What was most difficult?

The most difficult part was the editing. It was often heart wrenching to let go of parts of the story that were great for oral story telling, but were not so great from a publishing standpoint.

4. Who should read this book?

This book was written for students in the second grade, but I believe that it is a wonderful story to read to children as young as kindergarten. In fact, one of neighbors reads Rajah and the Big Blue Ball to his four year old. She loves the story and asks for it by name. I have even had some students as old as middle school who have read it and seemed to enjoy it.

5. What's next for you?

I am under contract for six more "Rajah" books. I am also editing a middle grade chapter book, and a Young Adult title.

In addition, I have three new stories that I am trying to hone. These three stories are related to things we, as parents, want to teach or children. And, I hope to start an adult horror that I outlined. Finally, I have been working on a parenting book. I hope that after rearing successful children, who have also reared successful children, that I may have something to offer related to this concept.

CSFF Presents Vanish by Tom Pawlik

2009-06-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

Three strangers each encounter the same mysterious storm and awake the next day to find that everyone else has vanished. There's Conner Hayden, a successful but unscrupulous trial lawyer who has forsaken his family for his career; Helen Krause, a middle-aged model struggling to come to grips with her fading beauty; and Mitch Kent, an enterprising young mechanic unable to escape a past that still haunts him. Afraid and desperate for answers, their paths eventually cross and they discover they are being watched. Elusive and obscured in shadows, the "observers" are apparently forcing them to relive vivid hallucinations of events from their past. They discover a mute homeless boy in tattered clothing and believe he may hold the key to the mystery, but the "observers" soon become aggressive and the four are forced to flee. When the boy disappears, the four decide to head from Chicago to Washington, D.C., in search of answers...and more survivors. Winner of the 2006 operation first novel contest, Vanish is a nonstop suspense thriller in the vein of Ted Dekker.

Tom Pawlik’s Web site - http://www.tompawlik.com/
Tom Pawlik’s blog - http://www.tompawlik.com/blog.htm

*Participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Margaret
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Donita K. Paul
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler

Jumble Pie by Melanie Lynne Hauser

2009-06-22T06:00:00.001-07:00

JUMBLE PIE is the story of the elusive nature of friendship, sometimes clinging, other times liberating; a story for any woman who has ever lied to her best friend just to make her feel better - and who has been brave enough to tell the truth, even when it hurts. And of course, it's a story about the remarkable healing power of pie.

"IN THE BEGINNING, there was the pie. The pie was without form and texture (and any manner of identifiable filling), and darkness was upon the face of the Home Ec Teacher…"

So begins the story of two women, a friendship, and a pie. JUMBLE PIE, to be exact. A Home Ec project gone very wrong, except for the fact that it brings together two very different young girls and helps them form a friendship that lasts through bad haircuts, unrequited love, endless incarnations of Madonna, and their own evolving dreams... Until New Year's Eve, 1999, when another pie comes along, resulting in a pre-party blow-up that sets Juliet and Emily, women now, to remembering how it all got started.

More about Melanie Lynne Hauser

Review:

Get ready to laugh, cry and find yourself totally involved in the lives of Emily and Juliet as they share a friendship that begins, ends and begins anew with pie.

"Girlfriend lit" isn't usually my thing, but I get drawn into the quirky yet very real characters right off. Hauser has a knack for creating unique characters that are nonetheless very familiar. Emily reminded me a little of myself (brainy and thinking that guaranteed success) and my best friend, who can be clueless and impulsive. I thought her passion for big words was a little overdone in the chapters of their childhood, but not enough to make me put down the book--and believe me, I have low tolerance. Juliet really captured my heart. Not incredibly gifted, coming from a broken family, she blossoms in college and learns how to capitalize on her strengths.

I really enjoyed that aspect of the book--that you make the most of what God gives you. Emily, while brilliant, didn't understand that smarts are not enough--you need to work on your skills. Life does not guarantee you success. This is a theme I am constantly hammering home to my own children; I'll be giving Amber a copy of this book when she's older.

I definitely recommend this book!

Jesse’s Girl by Gary Morgenstein

2009-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

How much should a parent sacrifice for a troubled child? In Gary Morgenstein’s taut new thriller, Jesse’s Girl, the answer is – anything. Anchored around a floundering father-son relationship, finding roots and re-uniting vanished bonds, the timely novel about teen addiction and adoption follows a desperate father’s search for his son, who has run away from a wilderness program to find his biological sister in Kentucky.

Jesse’s Girl opens as a jarring phone wakes lifelong Brooklynite Teddy Mentor well after midnight. It’s the Montana wilderness program saying that his 16-year-old adopted son has vanished – and they haven’t a clue where he’s gone. Only two weeks ago, Jesse had been taken to the program by escorts to deal with substance abuse problems.

Jeopardizing his flagging PR job in New York, Mentor rushes across the country to find Jesse, who is off on his own quest: to find Theresa, the sister he’s never known. When Teddy finally discovers Jesse at a bus stop in Illinois, he is torn between sending him back or joining his son on a journey to find this girl in Kentucky. He decides to go. They become embroiled in a grisly crime when Theresa’s abusive husband Beau attacks her – Jesse stabs the big beast of a man, leaving him for dead.

Given Jesse’s misdemeanor criminal record, Teddy can’t go to the authorities without risking his son’s arrest. However, Beau is not dead, merely wounded, and he hunts them down, thirsty for revenge. Teddy, Jesse and Theresa flee across the Bluegrass State with Beau in hot pursuit. Seeking safety but finding trouble, their story leads them to an ultimately shattering question: is Theresa really Jesse’s sister or has he been scammed?

Gary Morgenstein’s previous novels are Take Me Out to the Ballgame and The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees. His latest novel Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman, a romantic triangle about a divorced middle-aged man who falls in love with a beautiful rabbi, was just published on Amazon.com. His play Ponzi Man played to sell-out crowds at a recent New York Fringe Festival.

Interview with Gary Morgenstein:

1. Why did you write this book?

Along with “Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman,” this comprises both sides of my Baby Boomer head and soul and heart: Love and parenthood. In "Jesse's Girl," I wrote from the perspective of a father of a teenager, which is fairly rare. Since we’ve lived in the caves, generation after generation it has been the duty of teenagers to torture their parents. As an adoptive Dad, I wanted to find a story that would weave in a father and son’s floundering relationship besieged by troubling issues on both sides -- a teen struggling with addiction and a father who feels he has failed as a parent. Then let all hell break loose over them and send them into a cauldron of a thriller, pursued both by the police and a deranged killer.

2. What was your favorite part of writing this?

My old and very dear friend who is my brother, John Balchunas, inspired the character of Klaus Weber. I had such fun writing Klaus and seeing what was sort of like him, but wasn’t entirely. Some things I wrote about Klaus, I said to John, that is how it really happened isn’t it, and he said no, and I said, well, I like my version better, more dramatic, feel free to use that for your life story. That is a very slippery mental slope to start on....Anyway, John, who lives in Madisonville, Kentucky (where several climactic scenes in the novel are based), was my unofficial “Bluegrass State” advisor. I’d worked in Kentucky for the now defunct Kentucky Post. Over the years I’d visit John, who’d lived in various parts of the state pretty much since we graduated college. But that’s not quite the same as living there. I’d be writing a passage and I’d email him, okay, if the characters are heading west from here, what road would they take…?

3. Where did you get the idea for this book?

I’ve never written about being a father. Maybe because it’s the hardest thing to write about since parenting is such a bewildering and painful confluence of emotions. In the novel (yes it is arrogant to quote yourself but bear with me), the protagonist, Teddy Mentor, talks about how when we marry we recite the vow “‘til death do us part.” Which is nonsense, as someone who is no longer married can attest. Or as the divorce rate can attest for that matter. But that vow really applies to being a parent. Take all the intense life-changing love and loyalty and feelings you have for your child, the way it changes when they become teens and aren’t your little doting boy anymore. Then blend in the anger and resentment and bristling rage that the parent of a teen battling the illness of addiction feels. Like could you please become an astronaut and blast off into space and leave me alone? Any parent who says they haven’t felt that -- or even said it -- are simply lying. This novel is my way of talking to all those parents and saying, you are not crazy. Hang in there. It will get better.

4. Are you a father? Were parts of it hard to write, emotionally, because of that?

Oh, there were times when I brought myself to tears. There’s nothing so nakedly raw as writing a difficult scene depicting the relationship with your child, because it is always layered with the emotional footprints of reality. Sometimes I’d have to break off because it was so agonizing. Then again, you can write scenes where your child actually listens to you and shows you respect, so how is that for the miracle of writing?

5. What's next for you?

My novel "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" will be published by Amazon in June. It's a political baseball novel, taking the economic turmoil and fear of contemporary America and combining it with the fanaticism of a baseball town. In my novel, Buffalo, New York goes mad over their Cinderella team, the National League Buffalo Matadors, driven by a ruthless owner, devious spinmeister, fading journalist – and one fan who really believes the rival team is the enemy.

Italian for Tourists by Jo Linsdell

2009-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Italian For Tourists: Pocket Edition a phrasebook published through the online content marketplace Lulu.com is a basic guide to the Italian language covering phrases and words most needed by tourists. It includes all the words and phrases a tourist is likely to need during their stay in Italy as well as a pronunciation guide and a map of Italy.

The phrasebook is divided into 17 chapters including; Emergency, The basics, Common expressions, Learning Italian, Greetings and introducing yourself, Transport, Hotel, Sightseeing, Asking and giving directions, Food and drink, Health, Shopping, Offices and bureaucracy and Signs and notices and more.

Jo Linsdell came to Italy from the UK in June 2001 and now lives in Rome working as a freelance writer. She wrote the book drawing on her own experience. She explains “A tourist doesn’t need to know everything about Italian grammar or the in’s and out’s of buying an apartment. They want to have an easy to use reference book of the language they will need to use and understand during their stay”.

Jo Linsdell is a freelance writer who lives in Rome with her Italian husband and their baby son. She is also the creator and manager of the award winning site http://writersandauthors.blogspot.com and founder and organiser of PROMO DAY (http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday), an online event for people in the writing industry.

A Peek Into the Book (My apologies, but formatting was lost putting it into the blog; however, it gives you a good idea of the information it contains.)

Contents

About the author: 11
Preface: 13
Pronunciation guide: 15
Personal pronouns: 17
Emergency: 19
The basics : 21
Common expressions: 31
Questions: 33
Learning Italian: 35
Greetings and introducing yourself: 37
Transport (public, car, train, Airport) : 39
Hotel: 49
Sightseeing: 51
Asking and giving directions: 53
Food and drink: 55
Health: 61
Shopping : 69
Offices and bureaucracy: 73
Signs and notices: 77
Map of Italy: 79
Useful Websites: 81
Notes: 83

Preface

Of all the countries in the world, there is none more magical than Italy, a traveller's dream destination. Millions of tourists come here every year from all over the world; be it for the fashion shows in Milan, the art in Florence, the history in Rome or the beautiful beaches of Sicily.

This book contains all the important vocabulary and phrases a tourist is likely to need when visiting Italy. It is divided into 17 sections to help you find what you are looking for in the shortest possible time. This is a really handy guide to have and refer to whenever you need to.

Italian words have been migrating to English over the course of many centuries, so you’ll be happy to discover you already know quite a bit of Italian (mafia, paparazzi, graffiti, ghetto, pianoforte, lasagne…to name a few). Many English words have also been adopted in Italian (club, flirt, shopping…).
Happy travelling!

Emergency

Emergency: Emergenza
HELP!: AIUTO!
DANGER: PERICOLO
FIRE!: FUOCO!
LOOK OUT!: ATTENZIONE!
Quick: presto

Get help quickly: chiami aiuto, presto
Get a Doctor: chiami un medico
There’s been an accident: c’é stato un incidente
I’m ill: sto male/ mi sento male
Call the police: chiami la polizia!
Police headquarters: questura
Thief!: Ladro!
My….has been stolen: mi hanno rubato...
I’ve lost my...: Ho perso...
Handbag: la mia borsetta
Passport: il mio passaporto
Wallett: il mio portafoglio
Documents: i documenti
Money: soldi
I’m lost: mi sono perso/a
Go away: Se ne vada
Leave me alone: mi lasci in pace
Poison: veleno

Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman by Gary Morgenstein

2009-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

What happens when a hopelessly romantic divorced man falls madly in love with a beautiful woman rabbi -- but he's not yet over his ex-wife? In other words, why are relationships always so difficult? Especially when you’re starting over again with all that baggage…

Welcome to Gary Morgenstein’s new novel, Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman, a look at love in the 21st Century from a man’s perspective: good, bad and everything in between.

As this poignant romantic triangle opens, women’s cable network publicist Joss Katz crashes a bat-mitzvah and becomes smitten with the enigmatic Rabbi Kleinman. Desperate to meet her, Joss contrives a wild excuse about needing spiritual guidance and they begin a roller-coaster relationship.

But Kleinman has a past shadowed by terrorism. She manipulates Joss into mentoring her younger brother Bobby. Brilliant and troubled, Bobby is embroiled with Meir Schlom, who has a dangerous and controversial scheme for confronting surging world-wide anti-Semitism.

Besides pursuing Thalia and his kooky former spouse Ellen, Joss deals with his curmudgeonly roommate and best friend, Mandelbaum. Embittered by his messy divorce, Mandy creates an organization dedicated to a life free of entanglements with women called Straight and Happy Without Them.

Gary Morgenstein’s previous novels are Take Me Out to the Ballgame and The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees. His latest novel Jesse’s Girl, about a widowed Brooklyn father’s desperate search for his adopted teenage son who has run away from a wilderness treatment program, is also available on Amazon.com. His play Ponzi Man played to sell-out crowds at a recent New York Fringe Festival.

Interview with Gary Morgenstein:

1. Why did you write this book?

A few years ago I was dragged to a synagogue for a friend's daughter's bat mitzvah. Now while I’m very spiritual, I don't fare too well in organized religion. So I'm sitting there pretty bored and then onto the dais walks the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. My knees buckled -- and I was sitting down. I nudge this guy who is praying and whisper, "who is that woman?" and he mumbles, "the rabbi." Holy smokes. The rabbis I knew as a kid reeked of gefilte fish and were 130-year-old men. So I thought, what if a guy like me, completely secular, fell in love with a gorgeous woman rabbi? I brought in what it's like to be middle-aged and divorced, yet you're still a hopeless romantic and you want to believe in love but experience tells you, maybe not. Is love possible again after a certain age when you’re no longer looking to breed?

2. Do you read a lot of romances? How does a romance by a female author differ from one by a male author, do you think?

While my reading ranges from history to sci-fi and fantasy, with little romances in between (well there is Uhura and Spock now…), men and women view relationships fundamentally different. Big surprise, Venus, Mars…It grows more pronounced over the years as we add on baggage and suspicions. But we’re all lonely and all looking for someone who would care if we fell down an elevator shaft. We all want to hold hands and snuggle and whatever…In this novel, I want women to see what guys want, how we feel, and I do mean feel (and not just lust), our perspectives about love and romance and sex or the lack thereof. How we are emotional and sensitive and can cry and hurt, too. And guess what, we’re not perfect! My protagonist Joss Katz is about as imperfect as they come, cute, okay, but he is constantly messing up. Guys require a great deal of patience and understanding, we ain’t cactuses, but, for the most part, our hearts are in the right place.

3. What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

As an SFM (someone formerly married) I needed to separate that emotional baggage and turn it into fiction and not a rant. Taking what happened and using that as a foundation for entirely new, fictitious characters was at times very hard because it’s easy to use reality as a crutch, but I’m proud that some 95% of the novel never ever happened. I must confess those two online dates in the novel were pretty close to reality, though. OMG, people post pictures from the second Reagan Administration and then get angry when you don’t recognize them. And sure, guys do it, too.

4. What was the most fun?

Other than finishing, you mean, and not being obsessed 24/7 with the characters and story and whether I misused a semi-colon? Other than once again resembling a semi-normal human being, as much as a writer ever can? I think writing the wacky and passionately loyal friendship between Joss and his best friend Mandy, spanning more than 35 years of love; two guys who would do anything for each other. It was and is a very special relationship to me

5. What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Never give up on love. That’s a difficult mantra since the preponderance of relationships/marriages fail and, if superficially alive, are as often as not merely convenient shells for financial needs or the kids. Yeah, because children never suspect their parents aren’t happy, I mean come on…But love can still happen. I wouldn’t say it’s all that likely and you might be disappointed and your heart might be broken again but you know, so what? Better to have loved and lost…

Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson

2009-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

In this fast–paced thriller by popular author Brandt Dodson, a young government accountant learns to trust God when his life begins to fall apart and unseen enemies pursue him with relentless zeal.

Daniel Borden is a thirty–year–old government accountant who lives a quiet life and plays by the rules. But when events transpire that shatter his orderly world and a team of assassins mark him for death, Daniel must flee for his life.

While on the run, Daniel encounters Laura Sky. Carefree and easygoing, Laura is everything that Daniel isn’t. But when the killers assigned to eliminate Daniel find him at Laura’s bed–and–breakfast, gunfire erupts and the two set out on the run once again.

As they try to unravel the mystery that confronts them, they discover how tenuous life can be and how their very existence depends on the God who will never abandon them.

A perfect suspense tale for readers who love Dee Henderson, James Scott Bell, Brandilyn Collins, and James Patterson.

Interview with Brandt Dodson:

1. What do you love most about this book?

I’m a big believer that books – whether they are fiction or non-fiction – should convey an element of truth. It’s my personal opinion that fiction can do this in a way that biographies, essays, or other works of non-fiction never could. Story is powerful. It puts us in the character’s place and lets us feel their emotions as they confront the challenges that are common to us all.

In Daniel’s Den, I wanted to take two very different people and put them against the same obstacle. On the one hand we have Daniel Borden, a wealthy and secure individual who has yielded to the temptation of relying on his material wealth while he surrenders his dream of having a family to the dustbin of hopelessness.
On the other hand, we have Laura Traynor who has surrendered her own dreams of being a writer as she tries to fulfill her late husband’s dream of running a bed-and-breakfast.

Daniel is relying on his wealth, Laura is relying on her own efforts, but neither is relying on the God who has been with them all along – if they had just been willing to surrender their dreams to Him. My favorite part of the books is when Laura realizes that God was in the valley (figuratively and literally) all along. Symbolism and setting play heavily in nearly everything I write, but more so with Daniel’s Den.

2. What was the most challenging part to write?

I knew from the beginning that this book was going to center on the financial industry. My greatest challenge was going to be how I could portray a world of numbers, profit, and greed in an entertaining yet realistic way. If I lose my readers early in the book, I lose them for good. So trying to illustrate just how corrupt and greedy some – and I want to stress some – of Wall street’s power brokers can be was going to take a great deal of effort. At the time Daniel’s Den was written, the goings-on of Wall Street and the CEO world were not making the news the way they are now.

3. What do you want folks to get from reading this book?

I write because I have something to say. That being said, however, it is important that the reader comes away from the book having been entertained. But beyond that, it is my hope that the reader comes away with the same realization as Laura Traynor. “God was there all along. But my bitterness clouded my view of Him.”
There is a scene (no spoiler alert needed) in a hotel when Laura is expressing her anger toward God. As she does, she is looking out the window across the lake that lies beyond the building. A storm is brewing and lightning is flashing and she says that God is, “not going to come walking across the water on this night.” But in fact, that is exactly what happens – even if only in a figurative sense.

4. Why an investment analyst?

There are very few things that we rely on more than money. If the bank account is full, we are happy. If it’s not, we become fearful. Not only does this apply to individuals, but nations as well.

I think we as a church have failed the un-churched and the un-saved in this regard. We tell them that money doesn’t buy happiness, but the fact is – it does, even if it’s only temporary.

Think not? If your child is in dire need of an antibiotic and has a very painful, raging ear infection you will become quite happy if the money to buy the antibiotic suddenly becomes available. And none of us will turn down a pay raise.
But money doesn’t buy lasting happiness. In fact, it can often cloud our view of the only true source of happiness.

I chose an investment analyst for the protagonist of this story because I wanted to illustrate that Daniel Borden is a man that has gone beyond the level to which most of us will go. He isn’t content working at a great paying job or living within his means. He wants it all. He is chasing the dollar because that is the perceived source of his happiness – lasting happiness, in his case.

But of course, he is dead wrong.

5. What’s next for you?

I’m returning to my roots. I’m happiest when writing fast-paced crime thrillers.

Sons of God by Rebecca Ellen Kurtz

2009-06-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sons of God is a mythic thriller that tells the tale of a 3,000 year old nephelim, half-human, half-angelic female warrior, disguised as a treasure hunter for mythic items. Raechev-el roams the world hunting down her fallen brethren until now, in the present, some mysterious murders occur at the archaeological dig at Nineveh and forces her to face her worst mistake.

This is a work of fiction that explores some controversial areas that some believe reveals the truth about what is in the Bible. Kurtz’s research in this book also presents an alternate theory on vampires based on ancient religions and civilizations, making it a great read for anyone interested in religion or the supernatural.

Interview with Rebecca Ellen Kurtz:

1. Where did you get the idea for this book?

I was heavily immersed within the darkest spiritual struggle of my life and needed an outlet. Sons of God provided a healing balm as I was forced to understand the hows and whys of my suffering. It began with a very supernatural event that I could not deny yet opposed religious teachings I had been taught. Signs continued to support the supernatural event which led to continuing confusion and anger as I stumbled blindly in pain and isolation searching for an answer. But for the first time in my life, God was silent and my anger towards God grew. The writing of Sons of God gave me peace again and healed that breach. Now, I see the beauty and wisdom in God’s silence.

The breakthrough to my healing came after watching the film The Exorcism of Emily Rose which tells of a Catholic priest who was accused of negligence when a girl died from some failed exorcist attempts. It made me begin reflecting over my past experiences. I have been physically assaulted by demons like she had, but I was able to cast them away from me before anything bad could happen. When I began connecting those experiences to the supernatural events that occurred, my eyes were opened. What I had thought were signs from God were not; they were supernatural signs from demons to destroy my relationship with God. What had been foretold along with supporting signs did not come true, and distance grew between me and God, and I finally understood demonic deception.

This led to an enormous amount of research for me to be better prepared in the future from ever being fooled (demonically deceived) like I had been before. Within this research, I came across the N’filim and their terrestial spirits (entities separate from fallen angels) which gave me a greater understanding to both the Old and New Testaments. I pieced everything together and created a mythic thriller.

2. Can you explain the vampire theory you explore in your book?

Historically and literally, vampire means “blood drinker.” If you follow the genealogical descendants of the Nephelim in the Old Testament, you will see where we get our myths of vampires. The descendants of the Nephelim, post Flood, were described as having unnaturally long lives, were nine to twelve feet tall, and were much paler than mortals. If you know your history, you would also know that these giants were known to drink blood from skulls, flay people alive, and sacrifice babies to demons - these were common practices of the descendants of the Nephelim. So, here we have pale, unnaturally long-lived, paranormal creatures who drank blood recorded by both ancient civilizations and religious texts. The whole undead aspect became popular by Bram Stroker in the 1880s.

3. What was the hardest part of writing the book? The most fun?

The most difficult part of writing this book was re-living the violent, physical demonic assaults that I had suffered through. I went into as much detail as possible in the novel. The most enjoyable aspect was when I felt God healing me as I wrote and came to an understanding on why I had suffered through what I had and hoped that my suffering would be able to help someone else.

4. What do you hope readers get from your book?

I hope their intellect is intrigued, their hearts are touched, and their souls are healed. So many people like I, knowingly and unknowingly, have become bitter and angry at God while continuing to go to Church. Bad things in our life happen, and we blame God. Oftentimes, we think we are given signs from God that do not work out and we’re left confused and questioning. But I want to present an example of demonic deception so that those suffering may see if they have fallen victim to the same thing I had.

I also hope to give a greater understanding and knowledge of the occult since so many youth are being ensnared. As a teacher and coach, I cannot count how many teenagers came to me scared out of their wits because they had tried a seance or played with a ouiji board like they had seen on television or read in books. The world makes demons and evil spirits out to be imaginary, and now children are getting hurt.

5. What's next for you?

I’ve already finished the next two books in the Sons of God series which are being edited right now and am doing research for the fourth and fifth novels. One of my film scripts, 1636, is currently in script competitions and will hopefully find funding within the next year or two. Sons of God was originally a film script, so there are plans to begin development in March 2010.

The Third Floor Window by Colleen Spiro

2009-06-01T07:23:00.001-07:00

The Third Floor Window is the story of Colleen’s journey of healing from child sexual abuse. After years of trying to forget her past, Colleen thought she had dealt with her past once and for all. Then the clergy sexual abuse crisis in her beloved Catholic Church hit the newsstands. Colleen was devastated by the memories and buried emotions bubbling up to the surface.

Feeling driven to help other survivors, Colleen decided to share her own story. So she set out to teach the world about the long term effects of child sexual abuse. What she found along the way was healing and hope.

Now the third floor window is more than a symbol of pain and fear. It is a symbol of Colleen’s journey from darkness to light.

A Message from the Author About the Book:

I was inspired to write this book during the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. I was so tired of hearing the same old question - why did it take so long for the victims to tell? I knew I needed to write about the long term effects of sexual abuse. I felt the need to educate, to inform and to encourage other survivors. The hardest part was digging deep for those painful memories from my childhood, but I love the hope and encouragement that my book gives to other survivors.

I am working on putting together some of my published articles into another book. The articles are about how I have seen God in my everyday life.

Souls at Rest by Charlotte Ostermann

2009-05-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Souls at Rest is a profound exploration of the meaning and practice of Sabbath for contemporary Catholic readers. The restful, poetic tone of Souls at Rest provides a counterpoint to the speed and noise of today’s world – a cure for its primary woes. The ancient, worldwide understanding of cyclical rest is blended with the formal Jewish Sabbath law, then made intensely new and relevant in the light of the Eucharist. Readers are invited to cultivate interior freedom by designing a contemplative, personal, non-legalistic Sabbath practice. Avoiding a bullet-point, sound-bite style in favor of a layered, conversational approach, Ostermann draws forth a genuine, meditative response from her reading audience. Book discussion groups are sure to appreciate the truly thoughtful questions in the Study Guide. If you think Sabbath is a dry, old, narrow – even over-done – subject, think again. In Souls at Rest we find a Sabbath refreshed by sacramental understanding, shining new light into surprising corners – evangelism, education, poetry, and community, for instance. Even the experienced Sabbath-keeper will find some new insights in Souls at Rest.

Direct order link:
http://www.lulu.com/holyleisure

What inspired you to write the book?

Years before I wrote, I encountered Josef Pieper's "Leisure, the Basis of Culture", and began to yearn for the capacity for leisure he describes. Easier said than done, however! Not until 2005, when my family was blessed by an extended sabbatical in Europe, did I experience the deep restedness and wholehearted comprehension of the source of this capacity - the Eucharistic Sabbath. Yes, we were Catholic, and yes, I was prayerful - even involved in a comtemplative Carmelite studies group - yet God apparently needed for me to have nine months of 'be still and quiet and wait on the Lord' before I could fully grasp His message for me! My book is an attempt to give Sabbath back to the Catholic soul, and interest others in the kind of cultural change this makes possible.

What was hardest about writing it?

The process of completely rethinking all my notes and proto-books and homeschool workshop notes and how-to-change-the-world thoughts with Sabbath as the central, unifying core of it all was wonderfully difficult. I say 'wonderfully', because the Holy Spirit seemed to help and guide at every step, inviting me to let my whole being be 'reorganized' by this one theme. We have five kids still at home, and hit the ground running when we returned from Europe, so finding time seems impossible, but God made a 'way where there is no way' (as He says in Isaiah) for this book to happen.

What do you love most about it?

I love the fact that I've seen my own priest respond to it so enthusiastically. He tells people he's a 'convert' to real Sabbath rest, and I've heard it in his preaching and seen it in his much more relaxed demeanor. Also, I love the fact that I still am reading and responding to it - needing its message as much as anyone else, and real-izing it daily more and more.

What do you hope readers will get from it?

Karina, I long for people to get even a hint of what is possible in their interior life - the life of the soul, mind, creativity - if they will enter into the the Sabbath rest of God. The Eucharist is ALL, and Central - the sine qua non - but, as I point out in SAR, it is like a jewel that needs, or is beautified and realized more fully, in the setting of Sabbath.

What's next for you?

I have a 'plethora of projects'! Next on this front is the rest of the Sabbath story. In "Souls at Work" I want to write about the development of interior freedom and the capacity to bear tension - the struggle to work out our salvation that is another facet of the soul at leisure. In "Souls at Play" - the last in this series, I want to discuss the cultivation of desire and imagination, the risks of creativity, and the need for a foundation in truly human leisure to support the promulgation of beauty in arts, relationships, cultural change, and evangelization. There is a taste of each of these next books in SAR. I have two children's books written - beautiful stories that need a publisher/midwife! I'd like to self-publish a collection of my poetry (most already published individually) with essays reflecting and expanding upon them as we do within my "Living Poem Society". I am writing "Sabbath Simplified" for those without the wherewithal to
read/study/question on the level of SAR. I have a fun book going out as a free serial just for the delight of sharing it: Elizabeth of the Epiphany - about a year in the life of Epiphany...a liberative arts university.

Seven Archangels: Annhiliation by Jane Lebak

2009-05-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Heaven is forever---or so we thought.What would happen if Satan could obliterate a soul?

All angels have known since their creation that they cannot be killed--but now the enemy is convinced the impossible can be done. Demons abduct and are able to tear apart the Archangel Gabriel's soul, leaving Heaven in stunned grief. If angels can be killed, where is God's justice? Can Gabriel be saved from the void? How can Satan be prevented from achieving a final victory against God by stopping others from loving Him forever?

Jane Lebak's breathtaking novel, Seven Archangels: Annihilation, is a storm that encompasses all Heaven and Hell before it's over, a question of what it means to be eternal, what it means to die forever, and what it means to love someone when you know it might cost you everything.

1. Why did you write this book?

I had written it the first time in 1989 in ten days as a reaction against a toxic professor who seemed to be destroying my creativity. I rewrote it in 2005 because I knew I could do better now, and because there was so much good stuff even in that horrid first draft.

2. What was your favorite part to write?

Not my favorite, but the most intense part for me to write was when Beelzebub "took care of the problem" with Mephistopheles. I set the kids up with the TV, started a playlist on my iPod, and the next thing I knew, the kids were coming back upstairs and the scene was written. I was mentally gone through that whole writing.

3. What was most challenging?

The most challenging part to write was Remiel's gradual loss of her sanity. It was difficult to see her slipping away as she dealt with Gabriel's situation at her own expense.

4. What do you hope readers get from it?

I would hope the readers are as entranced by angels as I am and answer the question for themselves of how involved angels are in our everyday lives.

5. What's next for you?

My current work in progress is about the growing pains of a string quartet. It's quite mundane, but just as fun.

For more information: http://archangels.janelebak.com
Jane's weblog: http://philangelus.wordpress.com

I Loved Thy Creation by Maya Bohnhoff

2009-05-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

This collection of short fiction is woven together by the theme that creation is driven by a pre-existing love of the creature and of the very act of creation itself.

The stories in this volume were originally published in the United States and in the United Kingdom in such magazines ans Analog Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, Century and Interzone.

All the stories are speculative in nature, and range from science fiction to fantasy to magic realism. They are bound together by the fact that they contain references to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in the form of inspiration, characters, and themes.

Review:

I Loved Thy Creation contains stories that made it to the major science fiction magazines, and it's easy to see why. Maya has a direct and engaging style, writing stories that are deep without being heavy-handed, complex without being convoluted, and always a good read. Even when my own experiences made it hard to believe the premise of the stories ("Hand Me Down Town" and "Heroes" come to mind), I enjoyed the stories and appreciated the sentiments behind them.

I Loved Thy Creation has a little for everyone. I enjoyed "Marsh Mallow" for its imaginative worldbuilding and well-thought out aliens; "A Tear in the Mind's Eye" makes a very sound case for genetics vs. environment in mental illness; and as a military wife and mother, the antics of the children in "Home is Where" made a good reminder that I need to pay attention to my kids' feelings about moving again!

Maya follows the Baha'i faith, and is quite frank in her introduction that these stories stem from her beliefs. Sometimes, her religion is central to the story, like in "The White Dog." Don't expect to find preaching, however; the faith in her stories flows very naturally. "The White Dog" made me tear up, so touching was the story. As the last story, it left me with a warm, satisfied, wistful feeling that
my favorite books usually do.

I've loved Maya's creations since she contributed "A Cruel and Unusual Punishment" to my anthology, Infinite Space, Infinite God. I'm glad to see more of her stories brought together in a collection and I encourage sci-fi readers to check out I Have Loved Thy Creation.

To order: http://juxta.com/content/view/39/31/

Catholic Writers Conference Live Aug 5-7

2009-05-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

(I'm helping organize this event. Should be terrific!)

Catholic Writers Guild, Catholic Marketing Network Hold Writers’ Conference

Somerset, NJ--The Catholic Writers' Guild, in conjunction with the Catholic Marketing Network, will host its first-ever Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE! at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, Somerset, NJ, from Aug 5-7, 2009. The conference will host publishers, editors and authors from all aspects of the Catholic writing world, including magazines and devotionals, novels and educational materials. The panel discussions, presentations and workshops will cover all aspects of writing including generating query letters, crafting a good story, worldbuilding, marketing finished works and more. In addition, editors from several Catholic publishers will be on-hand to share their wisdom and hear authors propose their works.

The Catholic Marketing Network's International Trade Show, held at the neighboring Garden State Exhibition Center (http://www.gsec.com), will serve as the exhibition floor for the writers’ conference, giving writers a chance to browse the booths, meet with publishing companies, pitch their books to publishers, have their work critiqued at a private critique session and chat with the published authors at book signings at the Catholic Writers’ Guild booth. CMN will also be hosting daily Masses and rosaries at the Doubletree Hotel, and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at the exhibition center. Other CMN events including the seminars and inspirational talks scheduled for Tuesday, August 4 will be held at the Doubletree.
Presenters for the writers’ conference include: author/Sophia Press submissions editor Regina Doman (Angel in the Waters); Pauline Books and Media Editor Sister Maria Grace, CEO of Ignatius Press Mark Brumley (How Not to Share Your Faith), Susan Brinkmann editor of Canticle Magazine, Lisa Wheeler, Executive Vice President of the Maximus Group (PR and marketing firm for The Passion of the Christ), author/Ascension Press publisher Matt Pinto (Do Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?), Claudia Volkman, General Manager of Circle Press, Tom Hoopes, Executive Editor of the National Catholic Register, and mystery author John Desjarlais (Bleeder) among others.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for both writers and publishers to connect," said science fiction writer and Catholic Writer's Guild President, Karina Fabian. "The CMN has been especially generous in offering to share it facilities and programs with us, which really enhances the quality of the conference for attendee and presenter.”

Conference Coordinator and CWG Vice President Ann Lewis adds “There will be a lot of good information, encouragement and learning opportunities for Catholic authors at our live conference. Our goal is to help good Catholic writers to get published. The world needs their words.”

The Catholic Writers’ Guild has hosted two highly successful on-line conferences.
To register or for more information, go to www.catholicwritersconference.com. Registration is $80 through June 1st, $99 through July 31st and $110 at the door.

CSFF Presents: Tuck by Stephen Lawhead

2009-05-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

"Pray God our aim is true and each arrow finds its mark."

King Raven has brought hope to the oppressed people of Wales--and fear to their Norman overlords. Along the way Friar Tuck has been the stalwart supporter of King Raven--bringing him much-needed guidance, wit, and faithful companionship.

Deceived by the self-serving King William and hunted by the treacherous Abbot Hugo and Sheriff de Glanville, Rhi Bran is forced to take matters into his own hands as King Raven. Aided by Tuck and his small but determined band of forest-dwelling outlaws, he ignites a rebellion that spreads through the Welsh valleys, forcing the wily monarch to marshal his army and march against little Elfael.

Filled with unforgettable characters, breathtaking suspense, and rousing battle scenes, Stephen R. Lawhead's masterful retelling of the Robin Hood legend reaches its stunning conclusion in Tuck. Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Lawhead's trilogy conjures up an ancient past while holding a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood.

Stephen R. Lawhead’s Web site - http://www.stephenlawhead.com/

*Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Review Wrap-Up for Magic Mensa and Mayhem

2009-05-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank all the folks who participated in the Magic, Mensa and Mayhem blog tour in April. Because of house-hunting, moving and a sudden (and paying!) assignment, I didn't get a chance to post these earlier, but here are the reviews from the tour.

Reviews Mad About Magic, Mensa and Mayhem

"This book will take you back to times long past, when a bedtime story had you begging for 'just one more chapter'." Joyce Anthony in Books and Authors

"Ms. Fabian peppers her story with wry social commentary and puns galore, assuring a chuckle on almost every page... I’d recommend this book on its entertainment merits alone, but something else struck me as I finished the last few pages. Underneath all the yuks and puns and magical farce is a very profound story of personal transformation..." Frederation

"... thoroughly entrancing... this book is just plain fun. Lots of humor, weird and wonderful imaginings, and a cast of characters that'll have you splitting your sides." Peter Grant

"good, clean fun. If you love dragons, elves, pixies and other Faerie folk, make sure to put this on your list of books to read." Penny Ehrenkranz

"This book is an inspired read. Fabian writes with a quick witted fresh approach that will keep you thoroughly entertained and rolling on the floor laughing. You have to pay attention – you don’t want to miss any of the humorous one-liners or groan-worthy puns in this truly enjoyable tale." Ask a Cybrarian Book Reviews

"In true intellectual style, many topics are sideswiped, considered, and passed by on the helter-skelter ride to the climax - issues such as temporal philosophy, interspecies morality, the Inner Child, and even semi-professional counseling as Vern comforts a failed wannabe actor. ... a tall tale destined to become a part of modern legend if the reading public has any sense, and a real-world fantasy with a kick that's as funny as it is preposterous." Grace Bridges

"If you would like a vacation from the real world into a land of pure silliness, this is the book for you." Cindy Emmet Smith

"I DID indeed laugh out loud while reading this book. It's witty, sassy, cynical, and extremely funny. If you're looking for a light-hearted read, full of laughs, puns, and fun, then look no further than Magic, Mensa, and Mayhem!" Caprice Hokstad

"A wonderful mix of gut-wrenching laughter and endearing characters, I've added Ms. Fabian to my must read author list. Well done!" Brynna Curry

"The strength of Fabian's writing lies in creating memorable characters populating improbable plots that seem perfectly credible as you read them. She has the unique ability to wrap a parody around a strong believable plot. ... I can recommend this book heartily, but be warned: Don't read it in a library!" Wayfarer's Journal

For more about Karina: www.fabianspace.com

Cry of the Cuckoos by John Cargile

2009-05-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

The cuckoo bird is a master of deception, fooling other species in their race to copy their chirping begging call. Donald Drummond and his wife, Anne, chase after the killer of his father, Henry Drummond, but find themselves up against a radical right wing supremacist organization called the Society of Southron Patriots and, like the cuckoo bird, deception is the Society’s mission. The couple unravels a terrorist plot aimed to kill Washington dignitaries at the Super Bowl and delegates at the United Nations. Donald, a retired news reporter, and Anne, a retired school teacher, unfold the mystery leading them on a wild chase from Alabama to Texas. And one of the many murder suspects is Donald’s biological mother, Betty Jo Duke, who he only just met after his father’s death. Donald and Anne are hired as informants by the FBI to unravel the mysterious case and they get a lot more than they bargained for.

Interview with Author

1) Why did I write the book? My late mother, whom the book is dedicated to, and I were working on a historical fiction novel involving her and my father. She gave up custody of me when I was 1 1/2 years old. My father raised me. I saw her only in the summers. After she died, I felt compelled to write a mystery novel. The similarities in my novel somewhat characterize part of the book's mystery. It was not meant to be a mystery until after she died.

2) What was my favorite part? The main character in the book finally unites with his mother for the first time. She is a suspect in his father's murder. This is 61 years later when they meet one another. The first eye-to-eye meeting between the two was awesome.

3) What was the hardest part to write? My father was nothing like the one in the book. He was the exact opposite. It was actually hard because it felt like I was writing about my father and lying about him. I could go into that a little deeper in an lengthy interview, but you would have to read the book first.
4) What do you hope people will get from this? The theme of the book is deceit and foregiveness. No matter what someone else has done to you, you have to be able to forgive, turn the other cheek.

5) What is next for me? I am writing a sequel. The main character is wealthy, getting over a brain stroke. He becomes a New Age writer. The main character will follow his son and new daughter-in-law as they journey into a flawed relationship. His daughter-in-law is actually a half-cousin and the couple have a retarded son. It puts pressure on their marriage, but father is there, and Father Knows Best.

Dark End of the Spectrum by Anthony Policastro

2009-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

DARK END OF SPECTRUM will make you think twice before turning on your cell phone or PDA!

DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM is a frighteningly plausible and headline ripping tale of the real threats that loom in cyberspace and beyond with a Michael Crichton realism. Based on the author's years of research into the hacker culture.

DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM is a thriller that will connect with everyone with a cell phone, PDA or wireless device.

When a group of digital terrorists known as ICER take over the US power grid and the cell phone network, they give the government an ultimatum - bomb the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan with nuclear weapons to put an end to Al-Quada or they will start downing commercial airliners. When the government refuses, ICER destroys most of the downed aircraft in airports all over the country. When ICER sends a pulse that will kill most people on the East Coast, only security expert Dan Riker can stop them, but ICER has kidnapped Dan's family. Will Dan save his family or will millions die?

Interview by David Talman (posted at author's request):

1) I like to start with a bit of background information, could you share with us how you became interested in writing?

ASP: My writing career started when I was 11 years old and submitted a story to Reader's Digest. It was promptly rejected since Reader's Digest did not print fiction. My first rejection letter. In my freshman year in college, the writer’s itch started again and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I worked on the college newspaper – the rest is history.

2) When you first started out writing, did you believe that it would become such a major part of your life? And on the same note, from concept to completion, about how many hours do think you put into your novels?

ASP: Yes, I knew writing would be hard, but when you love what you do nothing is difficult. I devoured every book on writing I could find in the library and in bookstores. One of my BAs in college was Creative Writing. I also have rejection letters from over 400 agents. So it took a great deal of time and effort.
As for how many hours I put into my novels…well it’s more like years. I would say a good two years maybe three for each novel. What I know now, I could probably do a novel in six months provided I wrote everyday, but it is not easy.

3) You have two mysteries out at the moment, what are they? And where we could find them?

ASP: Absence of Faith is about a small town with highly religious residents who begin having negative near-death experiences and who believe they went to hell, especially when they wake up with burnt skin. They lose faith in everything and chaos ensues. Matters get worse when a Satanist cult seizes the opportunity and wins over residents.

Dark End of the Spectrum is about a group of well-organized and well-funded hackers who take over the US power grid and cell phone network. They demand that the US bomb the borders of Afghanistan with nuclear weapons to put an end Al Quada. When the government refuses, they destroy most of the commercial aircraft in airports all over the country. Security expert Dan Riker is the only one who can stop them, but they kidnapped his wife and daughter. When the hackers decide to kill millions on the East Coast with a directed energy pulse, Dan has to choose between saving his family or millions of lives.

Both books are available in Kindle format on Amazon.com and in other ebook formats from Smashwords.com. Absence of Faith is available in print from Lulu.com. Dark End of the Spectrum will be available in print shortly.

4) Dark End of the Spectrum is a high tech thriller, how much research went into the story line? And how did you go about garnering it?

ASP: I was a project manager for Ericsson so my background is in wireless technology and mobile phones. I still test phones and accessories for Sony Ericsson and that exposes me to the latest advances in wireless technology. This exposure gave me the ideas for much of plot – I just extended the technology and imagined things it couldn’t do today. I also read as many books I could on hackers and cyber threats, and I used the Internet for other pieces of information I needed to write a plausible novel.

5) Who are the main characters in Dark End of the Spectrum and who did you model them after?

ASP: Dan Riker is one of the main characters, a thirty something, discontented computer security expert who doesn’t fit into the geek stereotype. He is what every geek would like to be both socially and professionally.

Harald Friedheld is the other main character, a fifty something technology visionary with top-secret connections to the right people and the President. Harald is how I think most people fifty and over should be…wise, future-oriented and ready to embrace change. Most people fifty and up are stuck in the past and use their age as an excuse to limit their possibilities.

I guess you could say he’s like Steve Jobs in his thinking only. All my other characters are composites of people I know, people I worked with, and sometimes strangers who made an impression on me.

6) How plausible is the plot line, do you think it is just a matter of time before hackers really try something like ICER did in Spectrum?

ASP: Absolutely. I monitor the Internet for news stories on hackers and cyber threats and there are eight to ten new stories every day. Most of the articles report that cyber crime and hacking are on the rise. Identity theft, stolen credit card numbers, and shutting down websites are just the tip of the iceberg. I believe hackers will take over one or more infrastructures like the power grid or communications and wreak havoc on our society. And if you don’t think it’s possible, read the story Wired magazine ran in 2007 about how hackers forced tiny Estonia to shut down the country’s entire Internet to prevent further damage to their infrastructure.

7) Your newest release is Absence of Faith, what’s the story line behind it? And who are the main characters?

ASP: My wife and I were discussing what would happen if people lost all hope, all their faith and the result was Absence of Faith, a modern day medical mystery thriller. Several people suffer negative near death experiences in a small, highly religious town causing many of its residents to lose their faith, and their belief in the future. When some residents wake up with burnt skin, they believe they went to hell and that God has abandoned them. Matters get worse when a local cult uses the opportunity to promote their beliefs and win over the town residents. The result is an absence of faith. You can read more about this on my blog, Writing is About Putting Yourself to Words.

The heroine of the story is a twenty-something woman, Chantress, who discovers what she is capable of when looking in the face of pure evil. Another main character is Doctor Carson Hyll, a thirty-something intern who never loses his faith and believes the near-death experiences are a medical problem, not a spiritual one.

8) When you are creating your characters do you build complete back histories for them? What scripting methodologies do you use when planning out your novels?

ASP: For characters, I put their entire descriptions on index cards from their physical attributes to their idiosyncrasies and their personalities. This way when I’m writing about a particular character, I refer to the index cards so the characters don’t do or say something out of character. As for character histories, I make them up as the plot goes forward. I ask why a character would do something and weave a history that would explain his or her actions.

As for planning the novel, I start with a single premise, a what if question. The more I think about the question, the more plot begins to form and I write it down freely and quickly as the thoughts enter my mind so I don’t lose it. I don’t worry about form or organization I just write. It’s really stream of consciousness writing. I place what I wrote in the first chapter and begin writing above it. As I start the chapter, my thoughts and ideas are just below it and I refer to it often as I write the book. As I finish a chapter, I move the information to the next one. When I’m not near a computer and get ideas, I use a voice recorder that is built into my cell phone.

9) The written word can be very powerful, as you noted in one bio that I read. Words are immortalized in books and so are their creators and their beliefs and doctrines. What mark would you like to leave behind with your works?

ASP: I would hope my books help people live better lives, better understand the universal and individual problems we all suffer through, and at the same time be entertained. I would hope they would come away with an epiphany of some sort, a revelation that helps them solve a problem, or makes them happy, or just gives them a sense of peace. Absence of Faith is about hope…hope in the now, hope in the future and that we can never lose our faith in whatever we hold most dear.

Dark End of the Spectrum is more analytical and addresses a serious and growing problem we face as we become more technologically advanced. It shows that no matter how good technology gets, family and love and people are more important than machines and virtual realities. It also shows the negative side of technology when it is used for evil.

10) I like to end all my interviews with one common question, what’s next for you? Where do you see yourself a year from now, five years from now and beyond?

ASP: In a year, I hope to have two more novels published. I’m writing my fourth novel now and I plan to revive my first novel that I wrote twenty years ago.
In five years or less, I hope to be a full time writer. I think all writers of fiction hope they can make a living writing, but the reality is that only a handful make it full time. But I will continue to reach for that goal.

As always whether it is today or ten years from now, I hope to be a writer that is recognized for inspiring people to new heights, for illuminating new paths of understanding and for making the world a better place.

Visit Anthony's Website: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~tonjoann/novelist.htm

Savanna's Castle by Martha Hite

2009-05-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Every week the castle drew Savannah like magic.

She longed to have it.

Over the centuries the castle drew others, too. No one until now could see the truth or had the strength of heart to act. Making an unselfish choice is hard, especially for a little girl. Savannah has to decide between having what is her heart's desire, or doing the right thing for someone she doesn't even know.

Learning the secret of the castle pushes Savannah in a difficult direction. Is the secret real or just a story? Should she listen to her heart or her mind?

Written for children in kindergarten through third grade, 'Savannah's Castle' tells the story of a courageous little girl and her moral choice. Set in the modern world, this children’s fantasy is a new look at an old problem.

See the Video:

Interview with Vern and Gater Louie from Magic, Mensa and Mayhem

2009-04-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

"Sheeeew-dang! Can you see that big ol' snout hidin' in them thar bushes? I'm tellin' you, chile, I ain't nevah seen no gator that size or color a'fore."

These are the words Vern the dragon wakes up to in this scene from Magic, Mensa and Mayhem. After a rather long and frustrating day of babysitting Faerie creatures at Florida convention, Vern has gone to take a nap in the Everglades. Unfortunately, he finds himself the unwitting subject of a nature show, hosted by the One-and-Only Gater Louie, the American answer to The Crocodile Hunter. Today on Virtual Book Tour de Net, we get to talk to Vern and Louie about the experience. Welcome, Vern and Louie.

Louie: Shewew-dang! I is right pleased to be here!

Vern (grumbling): The things I do for Cajun food.

VBTdN: Vern, you're actual home in the Mundane world is Los Lagos. Colorado. Is that by choice?

Vern: Yes and no. When the Interdimensional Gap opened between our worlds, it did it in Los Lagos on the Mundane side and near Peebles-on-Tweed in Faerie. Guess that's what you get when a nuclear power plant blows up just as a magical spell goes wrong in ours. Don't try it at home. Really, don't.

VBTdN: What did you think of Florida--can we expect you to move down here when you retire?

Vern: I'm immortal; no retirement age for me. And right now, I'm working off a spell by St. George. Once I've served God and His creatures to God's satisfaction and get all my size, wisdom and powers back, I intend to spend a century or two back in my old stomping grounds in Caraparvalenciana. I miss my jungle mountains and the desert sands, and my treasure. Definitely miss my treasure. Florida's a little far away from the Gap, too, which makes it hard for us Magicals. We need exposure to a certain amount of magic to stay healthy. So, No offense to Florida, but it's a nice place to visit, but I won't be setting up residence.

Besides, I don't want to have to deal with environmental protesters every time I decide to take a swim in the Gulf.

Pete: Louie, what did you think of Vern when you first met him? Is he a threat to the environment?

Louie: Aw, now, I thought I'd found me a whole new species of gater! 'course, I I'd seen was that big ol' snout of his. Once I got to know him, I could see he was an intelligent being. I think we're going to be thicker than gravy afor' long.

Vern: (snorts) What he means is, he's hired DragonEye, PI, to consult on his spinoff show in Faerie.

Louie: (dropping exaggerated Southern accent for a New York one): Which reminds me, Vern. Sandra e-mailed those contracts to you. I think we'll be ready to film the bullemic gulon. The irony of the species is classic, and the implications to young people who might suffer from eating disorders... Seriously, you'd be amazed how our demographic includes teenage girls-- Oh, (bleep!) Are we live? Can we edit that? I meant to say,

Louie (with accent): Righter than rain, my draconic friend! And we are in the makings of a ex-ci-ting episode on the Bull-lee-mic Gulon. You best be having a wastebasket handy, 'cause it promises to be geee-ross! http://www.mythcreatures.co.uk/beasts/gulon.asp

VBTdN: Vern, will you be featured in any of Gater Louie's episodes?

Vern: I'm not an animal. I'm sentient. So, no.

Louie: But I'm still hopin' he'll show up fer a guest spot!

VBTdN:Vern, tell us a little about the adventure where you met Louie.

Vern: The details are in Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, out from Swimming Kangaroo, (www.swimmingkangaroo.com/mensa.html) and at Amazon and for Kindle. In essence, my partner, Sister Grace, and I were "volunteered" to babysit the Magicals from Faerie at a Mensa convention. It was supposed to be a simple chaperone job, but with pranking pixies, a starstruck dwarf who gets himself arrested, brownies doing random acts of neatness all over the hotel, and the elves bringing their tribal squabbles to the convention--then getting high on soda... (shakes head) It turned out to be one of the toughest cases we didn't get paid for.

VBTdN: Did you have any fun at all?

Vern: Sure. Met some great people, had some terrific food thanks to the Faerie French chef who volunteered to handle the hospitality suite, and discovered Dr. Who. So, it wasn't a total loss.

Louie clears his throat.

Vern: Yeah. And I met him. (Jerks his head at Louie.)

VBTdN: Thanks so much for being here. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Vern: My transcriber, Karina Fabian, wants me to remind folks that they can join the DragonEye, PI website at www.dragoneyepi.net. Members get a free newsletter with a column from me and Faerie facts, plus special offers on DragonEye, PI, stories and products.

Louie: And don' ferget to tune in for Gater Louie. Check your local listings for stations and times!

For more about Karina: www.fabianspace.com

Rock Bound by Rochelle Weber

2009-04-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

The future is a dangerous place for dreamers and idealists.

When a dictator takes over the United States, Annie Peterson attends a protest in Washington, DC, with Paul, her husband and soul mate. US troops fire into the crowd killing Paul. Jake Johnsrud, a virtual stranger, risks his life to save Annie’s. They are among the survivors who are sentenced to slavery on the Moon for their “crimes.”

Jake is forced to mine, while Annie is sentenced as a doxy to "service" the men. Jake fights increasing feelings of anger and jealousy as Annie struggles to perform her job, while she resists her increasing attraction to him. Along with their fellow inmates, they fight to survive on the lunar "rock" that is their prison.

Will the hardships of life in exile bring the two together? Or will Annie’s undying devotion to Paul be the final, insurmountable obstacle for her and Jake?

Excerpt
July, 2051
Washington, DC

Annie, Paul and Crystal spread their blankets together near a band that was playing the same music they’d been singing at their campsite the night before. The Mall was so crowded they could barely breathe. Paul went in search of drinks and was gone over an hour. He got back to the blanket just as Annie returned from her attempt to reach the Lincoln Memorial. The first speaker mounted the podium.

“Can you believe they’re charging five credits a bottle for water and seven for pop?” he asked, as he handed the women their drinks.

“Now I wish we’d brought the cooler from the car,” Annie said.

“I know, and you’ll never let me live it down,” Paul lamented. His warm, brown eyes twinkled at her.

“Well, if water’s five credits, how much will a sandwich be?” Crystal asked.

“I already checked. Burgers’re fifteen credits and fries’re another five,” Paul replied, as he settled on the blanket between the two women.

“It’s a seller’s market. They’ll charge all the traffic will bear,” said a man sitting on the grass next to them. “I’m Jake Johnsrud.” He extended his hand and they each shook it.

“This is my husband, Paul, our friend Crystal Petrie, and I’m Annie Peterson. Why don’t you join us on our blanket?” Annie asked.

“Thanks,” he said. Jake was a tall, solidly built man with blond hair and blue eyes that twinkled when he laughed. His lantern jaw and slightly overlarge ears were somewhat comical and prevented him from being a blond Adonis, but along with his good humor, this inexplicably added to his charm.

“Nice to meet you. Jake,” Annie replied. “Scrunch over there, Honey.” She nudged Paul, patting the blanket next to her as she moved closer to Paul the middle. Of the blanket to make room for the other man.

“Well, the price of pop isn’t our only worry,” Paul said. “There are troops surrounding the Mall. I think we can pretty much count on being arrested”

Annie followed Crystal’s gaze to the soldiers. She didn’t believe what she saw, and was still trying to process the sight of them raising their weapons. Cyrstal dropped her sign and yelled, “The bastards are firing on us!” Paul’s head lolled forward, the charred hole still smoking, and Annie fell to the ground trying to cradle it. Annie sobbed, crying “No! No! No!” Crystal’s arms were around her, as she sat on the ground, clutching her dead husband. People were trying to run but there was nowhere to go. Annie felt Jake fall atop her and Crystal. Oh, my God! He’s dead, too!

“Lie still,” he said. “We’re liable to get trampled.”

Annie felt the weight lift all too soon, as Jake was roughly pulled to his feet by a soldier, who separated him from the women. They handcuffed Annie with a plastic tie-up, and dragged her away from Paul’s body toward an Army truck.

“Nooooooooooo!” she screamed. “Paul!”

They threw her in back of the truck, and Crystal landed next to her. She scooted closer to Annie.

“Cry it out, Sweetie,” Crystal said. Annie leaned her head on the other woman’s shoulder and sobbed.

About Rochelle Weber:

Rochelle Weber is a Navy veteran, member of Mensa, and holds a BA in Communications from Columbia College in Chicago with an emphasis on creative writing. She has over 20 years of editorial experience and has edited books in a variety of genre: fiction, fantasy, self-help and even poetry; as well as newsletters for various non-profit organizations. She states, “I have been mentally editing every piece of printed material I have read for most of my life. My mother was a stickler for grammar, as am I. One of my pet peeves is the dreaded comma splice, and I can name a few bestselling authors who use them frequently. Who edits their work?” Rochelle lives with two cats in Rantoul, Illinois and clucks over her two daughters while spoiling her five grandchildren.

To Purchase: http://tinyurl.com/buyrockbound

Finding Faith by Chet Galaska

2009-04-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Chet Galaska was an atheist who became a Christian in his early fifties. It took several years of learning about the faith for him to shed his skepticism and become a believer.

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World covers subjects that once stood between him and faith. As he searched, he found that his skepticism was based on shallow perceptions he’d accepted at face value. One by one, troublesome issues were explained and they became reasons for belief instead of doubt.

It was as though he had a scale, with reasons for skepticism on one side and reasons for belief on the other. When he started, there was far more weight on the “skeptical” side, but it gradually shifted and became counterweight on the “belief” side. Eventually, the evidence for faith far outweighed the arguments for disbelief, and the case for faith became overwhelming.

Some chapters deal with matters of faith such as prayer, redemption, salvation and sin. Others address issues like Christian hypocrisy, why bad things happen, miracles, Satan and the Christian view of war. Some are about the seemingly contradictory relationship between science and religion that are discussed in chapters on scientific perception, creation and evolution. Other subjects like the sometimes violent and cruel history of Christianity, “Born Agains” and the Christian view of the Jewish people don’t fit neatly into any category. The common denominator is that each addresses an issue that can be misunderstood and create a distorted, negative view of the faith.

The book was written with the intent of providing brief shortcuts for curious unbelievers, those seeking faith, those new to it, and for Christians who may not be familiar with some of the ideas covered. The author realized that a book like this would have been valuable in helping him come to faith. Since none was available, he wrote Finding Faith in a Skeptical World to share the things he learned in a reader-friendly, direct and concise way

Read an Excerpt:

Spirituality—especially Christian spirituality—is disdained by those who don’t understand it and refuse to even try. This bias can cause skeptics to dismiss the idea that God is the creator out of hand. But there are many scientists with open minds who see the Mind of God in the workings of creation and who have come to faith because of it. In fact, a survey of biologists, physicists and mathematicians found that about 40% “believed in a God who actively communicates with humankind and to whom one may pray.”22 Unfortunately, they don’t get attention like the cynics and we’re given the false perception that the scientific community is universally skeptical about the existence of God.

In the end, whether science proves God’s existence depends on who is viewing the evidence. Even those who rely solely on empirical evidence but who have open minds, like Albert Einstein, see God. Those who close off God up front don’t see him because they refuse to. In TV programs, textbooks, museums, the media in general, and other politically correct venues,23 the central player in all of existence is missing. And by this absence we’re given the subtle, false message that science has determined God isn’t necessary and doesn’t exist.

About the Author:

C. William “Chet” Galaska was born in 1951. He began his college education at Drew University in Madison, NJ and graduated from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He co-founded a company that grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise and was its President for 24 years. He also served as Chairman of the New England Chapter of the American Foundry Society. In 2003 he sold his interest in the company and now invests in real estate.

Chet is a former unbeliever who became a Christian after years of investigating the faith with an open mind. His first book, Finding Faith in a Skeptical World, is a down-to-earth explanation of what he learned. He and his wife, Lisa, live in Massachusetts. They have two grown sons, Jon and Drew.