Saturday, December 24, 2011

HOLIDAY GREETING, 2011


For better, or worse, the old year is gone. May it rest in peace.
Let the New Year be guided by your highest vision, molded by your truest desires, and fueled by your innermost passions.
Let nothing derail you from your path. It is yours, and yours alone, to be tread in the way and manner of your choosing. Claim it, and create it.

Blessings of Peace, Light and Love for all.


SINCERELY,

DEB & PHIL

Thursday, December 1, 2011

NOAH

a supernatural eco-thriller

 

Authored by Patricia L. Meek

A quirky, action-packed rollercoaster ride that takes the reader through science and religion, technology and indigenous wisdom. Noah's struggles are those of humanity as we attempt to find meaning in universal paradoxical patterns. Noah is a wisdom tale for wise folks.

About the author:
Patricia L. Meek derives her inspiration from mysticism, archetypal imagery, and the life and death struggle within the natural world. She was one of the winners of AWP Intro for Fiction, American Writers Program for the introduction of emerging writers in fiction and poetry. After earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, she taught English composition and creative writing in Kansas, California, Utah, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
Meek also holds an M.A. in Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where studied transpersonal psychology and holistic healing practices, including Reikî and Noetic Field Therapy. This interest in the subtler forms of human consciousness led her to the high Andes to learn the ceremonial and initiation practices of the Q'uero Paqos.
She currently works as a therapist in Southern Colorado and frequently returns to her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
For additional information, please visit her website:
www.patricialmeek.com

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

MY YEHIDAH-THE JOURNAL

THE JOURNAL COMPANION TO THE BESTSELLING:

SIX WEEKS TO YEHIDAH 

A Journal into the Story of You

Authored by Melissa Studdard
Illustrated by Cheryl Kelley

Bursting at the seams with joy and truth, My Yehidah leads you through one of the most important adventures you can take: the journey to the center of your very own self.

Filled with writing and drawing prompts and beautiful illustrations to color, this book is the perfect jump start for meaningful, creative exploration for people of all ages.

My Yehidah is great as a standalone, but for even more fun, explore it alongside the bestselling, award-winning novel, Six Weeks to Yehidah.

About the author:
Melissa Studdard is a community college professor, a book reviewer at-large, a magazine editor, the host of a radio program, and the author of the bestselling novel, Six Weeks to Yehidah. Her stories, poems, essays, reviews, and articles have appeared in dozens of magazines and journals. She currently lives in Texas with her daughter and their four cats.
For more information, please visit www.melissastuddard.com.
Cheryl Kelley is a professional artist with a focus on photorealism.
As a painter, she is represented by major galleries in New York, San Francisco
and Houston. She lives in California with her husband, two children, four dogs, four goats, two cats and three geese.
Please visit cherylkelley.com for more information.
AVAILABLE FROM http://allthingsthatmatterpress.com and from other outlets soon!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

FOR THAT SOMEONE SPECIAL

New releases as great gifts!


SUFIS AND MYSTICS OF THE WORLD



Authored by Farzana Moon

This book is a journey into the realm of ancient wisdom through the eyes of the Sufis and the Mystics. Their quest to attain mystical union with the divine beloved chisels a path toward the garden of love, peace and harmony. Since eighth century onward, Sufis and Mystics have captured the hearts and minds of the spiritual seekers with their timeless message of unity in all creeds, cultures and religions. Featured Sufis and Mystics in this collection are: Hafiz; Jalalal-din-Rumi; Omar Khayyam; Sa'adi; Rabia; Ibn Al Arabi; Al Hallaj; Farid-ud-din Attar; Sarmad; St. John of the Cross; Prophet Muhammad; Khalil Gibran; Umar Ibn al-Farid; Kabir; Rabindranath Tagore; C. S. Lewis; St. Augustine. All are proclaiming love as the highest of virtues and singing the song of oneness. Nurtured by my love for the Sufis and Mystics this book lends voice to my speech on Sufism delivered at Columbia University. Love is the theme of this book as abridged in the quatrain below:
Love holy and enshrined
From the string of each heart
Serenading beloved with a song divine
On the harp of frolicsome breeze

About the author:
Farzana Moon is a teacher and a bibliophile. She writes plays, poetry, short stories and historical, biographical accounts of Moghul emperors. Her collection of plays is archived at Ohio State University. She has participated in author/panel discussions at Clyde Library and Columbia University. Her published works in the sequels of the Moghuls are: Babur, the First Moghul in India; The Moghul Exile; Divine Akbar and Holy India; The Moghul Hedonist; Glorious Taj and Beloved Immortal. Her other published works are: Holocaust of the East by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Irem of the Crimson Desert by ATTM Press. Prophet Muhammad: The First Sufi of Islam is accepted to be published by the Garnet Publishing UK. Babur The First Moghul in India: In the Land of Cain; Divine Akbar and Holy India are reprinted 2nd editions by Hamilton Books. Currently researching for a book about the last Moghul.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

TO ALL, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE!

On the day of Giving Thanks, let us remember to not only give thanks for what we have, but for what we HAD. To all of my loved ones, family and friends, who are experiencing their first Thanksgiving in their first "year of days" in the "perpetual presence of the absence" of their loved one, as well as to those who are celebrating the holiday many or a few years later, please remember to remember ...and honor not only your grief but also your joy. A new tradition, a candle on the table, a favorite flower in the centerpiece, opening your home and heart to someone who would otherwise be alone ... any and all ways in which you acknowledge and share your heart's song and love ... ah, so appropriate. Laugh, cry, share ... and heal. Know that we love you and are holding you close in our hearts always.
Much love,
Deb & Phil
Also, be thankful for the infinite potential that lies within you to do, be and achieve anything your heart desires!

WHO IS JESSICA FROM THE U.K.?



Soon after Jessica was old enough to walk and talk, her parents realized two things.

The first was that she had an incredibly vivid imagination. Unlike many small children, she was content to spend hours at a time amusing herself, inventing ever more dramatic games of kidnap, runaway orphans and wicked stepmothers. When she wasn’t playing, she could often be found listening to an audio book, Roald Dahl, perhaps, or her favourite Enid Blyton, becoming lost in the tales woven by others. Even as a child, Jessica cherished a dream that one day she would be a writer herself. Always a shy person, she revelled in the ability to escape into another world, something that remains true to this day.

The second thing which gradually became apparent to her parents was that there seemed to be something wrong with her sight. She was forever tripping over toys left lying around on the floor, or being chided for sitting too close to the television (“You’ll get square eyes if you don’t watch out.”) It took several years of appointments with specialists, of brain scans and visual tests, but   when Jessica was five years old, experts diagnosed her as having Retinitus Pigmentosa, a degenerative disease affecting the retina.

At school, Jessica’s teachers did everything in their power to make life as easy for her as possible, including providing her with a CC TV and computer. However, as she approached her ninth birthday, her sight had deteriorated so severely that the teaching staff no longer felt equipped to meet her needs. It was decided that she should transfer to Dorton House, a weekly boarding school for the visually impaired. For Jessica, this was a dream come true. Having devoured all the boarding school stories she could lay her hands on, from Billy Bunter to Mallory Towers, she couldn’t wait for her own adventure to begin.

Of course, her time at Dorton House wasn’t quite the round of classroom pranks and midnight feasts she had anticipated. Nevertheless, her nine years there were extremely happy. In addition to the standard subjects, she learned to read Braille and to use a computer with speech output, was introduced to talking kitchen scales and white canes, and mastered countless every day skills to help her adapt to life as a visually impaired person. Outside of lessons she tried her hand at horse riding and archery, fell in love, and had her first painful dose of heartbreak. When she left at eighteen, she did so not only with top grades in her exams, but most importantly with the encouragement of her English teacher, which gave her the confidence to pursue a career as a writer.

Perhaps as a result of going away to school, spending more time in the company of her peers than her own family, Jessica developed an intense interest in people. Everything about them fascinates her. She loves to observe the ways in which they interact, their steadfast loyalty and tendency to hurt those closest to them, their capacity for both cruelty and kindness. It’s this understanding that makes her such a skilled writer. In the words of multi-published author Molly Ringle, “Jessica has an amazing talent for creating true-to-life characters, throwing them together in a gorgeous setting and letting the sparks fly.”

This insight into the best and worst aspects of human nature comes to bear particularly strongly in her novel “Dark is the Sky”, soon to be published by All Things That Matter Press. An emotional read fraught with tension and unexpected twists, the novel follows a family’s struggle to come to terms with the past. Twelve years after tragedy tore them apart, the Camerons reunite for the first time since that terrible summer’s day. Far from being allowed to lay their ghosts to rest, however, a shocking revelation almost destroys them for a second time.

Want to know more? Keep up to date with all Jessica’s news, including the release of “Dark is the Sky”, by joining her Facebook fan page
or subscribing to her blog.
For more information about Jessica and her novels, visit her website

Monday, November 21, 2011

DARK IS THE SKY

Authored by Jessica Chambers 



It's been twelve years since Olivia and Joel Cameron last invited the family to spend the weekend at their country home; a visit that ended in tragedy. Scott, Joel's outrageously sexy youngest brother, was found dead. The repercussions have torn the family apart.
Olivia's sister Violet has persuaded her to host a reunion so that they can finally lay their ghosts to rest. However, there are some secrets too destructive to remain hidden, and Violet, still grieving for the man she loved, is determined to uncover the truth.
As the web of hostility and deceit begins to unravel, family ties are tested to the limit.

OUT OF THE BOX

 

A Soul's Surprising Journey

Authored by Barbara Lucerne Woolley

Out of the Box: A Soul's Surprising Journey chronicles the 25-year modern-day odyssey of the soul now known in the spiritual realms as Lucerne. This saga of actively lived soul retrieval and karmic resolutuion begins with the author's sudden transcendent remembrance of being born into this lifetime. Through direct, ongoing, laser-like experiences, she is able to recover parts of her soul that had been "frozen in time," offering the reader a glimpse into the lessons of karma and how karmic residue comes up for redress in present time.
Through intercession by her Divine Self, her tireless spirit guides, and Mother Mary, the author benefits from a broad-based spiritual curriculum that literally took her all over the world. To continue her spiritual adventure, this soul must first let go of long-held anger, and must truly forgive herself and others.
At times hilarious, at times shocking, every word is true!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

WHY IS RANDY HAPPY TO BE LIVING?




Randy woke up this morning in Vanderhoof, British Columbia, happy to be living—quite literally. We don’t have many days on this earth and Randy appreciates that fact more than many because he is a survivor of a rare kind of brain bleed—a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Although there are scars, a titanium plate and some lasting mental challenges, Randy leans on his degree in education, his past work with children, and his knowledge that a good story can change outlooks and lives. Having survived may, to large degree, fuel his drive, but his past work with children infuses his writing. Randy’s stories encourage readers and leave them wanting more.
Randy has had two books in print, his most recent, #9 Grundpark Road. The main character is a young boy named Daniel Sterling, who, like all of us, struggles with his own particular challenges. Daniel refuses to let his disadvantaged beginnings prevent him from reaching his goals. This uplifting, page turner will make you feel like you are capable of more, too.
Check Randy out at http://www.allthingsthatmatterpress.com and any of these other places:
Look him up at Amazon.com where you can find paper or electronic versions of his book. #9 Grundpark Road is also available in Nook.

Monday, November 14, 2011

'SHIPS

Authored by E. Joyce Moore



Her book is about life, the good, the bad, the shameful-but the truth.

About the author:
A Renaissance woman defined as an artist, writer, poet, author, community activist, fine arts curator and advocate of the arts. Her book, "Ramblings Through the Attic of Thought" garnered the 2009 SORMAG Poetry Book of the Year award. Joyce recently completed an artistic collection of poems for tweens and teens, "Like Air, I Rise." She is currently writing two new novels: a mystery and a fact-based drama.

Friday, November 11, 2011

WHO IS THIS RISING SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHOR



Maggie Tideswell walks in two worlds. The one is reality, the here and now: in the other there is no concept of time and space. But in both worlds love is what holds it all together. The love of the Superior Beings, the love between a parent and a child, the love between siblings, friends, for a project, or object, or animal. The world as we know it cannot exist without love relationships.
The ultimate love relationship is that between a man and a woman, and this is what Maggie explores in her writing. But as nobody exists in a vacuum, the world intrudes on every relationship.
In Dark Moon, Maggie took and extraordinary meeting between two strangers, added the world and wrote a book that will have the reader turning the pages until the thrilling end.

"A great combination of the occult and the romantic. An additional delight of this book is its setting in South Africa and the authentic African voice."

Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvFqnD20-IE

Available in paperback & e-book format at:
http://tinyurl.com/5sklwxd
http://www.kalahari.com/books/Dark-Moon/632/42728694.aspx

HOW BOOKS ARE BEING MADE

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

VIC THE SLEEPWALKER


   I grew up speaking English and Sicilian dialect. Don’t know which came first. At St. Mary’s I was “the boy in the third row staring into space,” tuning out the Principal, who was visiting our class. I would sleepwalk through my first 30 years, baffled by the bittersweet mystery of life. Heck, I still may be sleepwalking. At Lafayette High School I was #72, right guard on the ‘66 team, the weakest link on a fine squad. At Western Michigan University I faked my way to a degree in Education. I hid behind the persona of football coach for six years, until a November night when I began a novel, Five Cents, imagining the plight of an average Vietnam veteran, not the psycho Hollywood version. That began a 20-year jag that produced nine novels, two screenplays, two plays and about 60 short stories, more than 50 of which have been published. I am fascinated by the theme of man struggling to live a good life in a world where temptation beckons at every turn. For four years I was a teacher’s aide at John Dewey High School, where I met a woman I still think about each day. I tended bar for a year, then worked at the Commodity Exchange for nearly 25 years, a square peg learning not to be afraid of the world amidst the screaming of traders out to score big. It was there that I met the one who got away. In 2000 I self-published Close to the Edge - ever wonder what makes someone go off the deep end? In 2008 Adjustments, which chronicles my football experiences, was published by my literary angel, Victoria Valentine, of Water Forest Press. In 2009 A Hitch in Twilight, inspired by my fascination with the work of Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock, was published by All Things That Matter Press. These days I promote/sell my books on the streets of Brooklyn, and continue to submit manuscripts.

Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h

Saturday, November 5, 2011

WHAT IS A LEWANDOWSKI?


I did not go to Alaska because I wished to live deliberately; I went to make money, hopefully enough to fund a trip to Sweden.   The plan was to work in a cannery for the first half of the summer, and then fly to Stockholm, hometown of Hans, a college buddy from the University of Kansas.  Things didn’t work out that way.  When we arrived in May salmon wasn’t running yet; jobs at the fish processing plant in Homer were scarce.   By the time the jobs arrived at the end of June, Hans, his girlfriend, and her brother had given up and left Alaska.  I stayed on for the rest of the summer, sometimes working 18 hour shifts “sliming” salmon for many days in a row.  I never overslept, even though I didn’t need an alarm clock.  Before I went to bed each night I popped some Tylenol.  Like clockwork I’d wake up five hours later, once the Tylenol wore off and the pain returned to my hands.  By the end of the summer things so striking before, like the bald eagles as common as crows in the Lower 48, or moose lumbering down the main street, clogging up early morning traffic, had become the norm to me.

In August I started a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Wichita State University.  I arrived in Wichita in the middle of the night, about four hours before Orientation was to begin.  The second story I wrote for my first workshop was called “The Slime-Line Queen.”  It became the first story in my collection, Halibut Rodeo.   Like all the other stories in the book, “The Slime-Line Queen” was inspired by the jobs I did, and the people I worked with at Seward Fisheries.

That was 1988.  I planned on going back to Homer the following summer, but in March 1989 the Exxon Valdez  spilled its load into Prince William Sound, setting back the Alaskan fishing industry for years.  Seward Fisheries had no immediate use for slimers.   Full time residents found work scrubbing oil off of sea rocks with paper towels.  I never returned to Homer.  But I continued to visit places outside my comfort zone.  I lived in Poland as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and in Lithuania as a Fulbright Scholar.   I travel just for fun, too.  My experience traveling infuses all my writing, both short stories and essays.  I like to believe that I have a keen eye for “place.”   In all my narratives setting plays a primary role.  

Now I am an Associate Professor of English at Indiana State University, with a modest list of publications in numerous literary journals.   Halibut Rodeo came out 22 years after that summer in Homer.  When I think of how much time has passed, I recall a conversation I had with a single dad I worked with on the Slime-Line.  He had just finished his first year of classes at the local community college:
            “You know why I’m going to college?” he asked.
            “Why?
            “So I can get a job where no one looks over your shoulder and tells you to go faster.”

I think I took his words to heart.

Buy the paperback version of Halibut Rodeo:
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