Thursday, December 13, 2012

Safe to Say



Authored by James Ward

Packed with humor and insight, Safe to Say explores the gut wrenching absurdities of life in corporate America. Set in the 1980's amidst the decline of an iconic company, the story centers on the eventful careers of two characters - Harmon Wolcott and Riley O'Brian. Harmon, a young man raised in the farm country of upstate New York, joins the company to fulfill his father's great wish; Riley, a young woman raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, is intent on fulfilling her own high expectations, instilled by her strong-willed Dominican mother. Despite their differences in background, Harmon and Riley share the traits of intelligence, ambition and an aching desire for approval. Their paths converge and the stakes are raised when both are assigned to a select group charged with pleasing upper management. The story of their accomplishments, disillusionment and ultimate chance at salvation reads like a cross between Catch 22 and The Firm. If you have ever had the corporate experience, or just wondered about it, you will find Safe to Say smart, touching and funny.

About the author:
James Ward's award winning short stories have appeared in literary journals throughout the United States, in Canada, and most recently China and Africa. Safe to Say is his first novel. After a long and varied career in corporate America, he is delighted to be writing full time. He lives in New Jersey with his wife Barbara.

Monday, December 10, 2012

For The Love Of God



Authored by Meghan K. Barnes

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD tells the true story of a young girl struggling to find her identity during the confusion and deaths that followed the sudden boom of legalized gambling. She witnesses the city crumble as it is swept away by the growing casino industry of Atlantic City. An accidental fire burns down a neighbor's house, leaving nothing but their new-found gambling and alcohol addictions behind. Many are fired from their jobs and forced to leave the area, and are replaced by cheaper workers living in the newly built slum housing in the once-safe neighborhoods and parks of her childhood. Her close relationship with family and friends who also struggle with the same issues of redefining what home means to them are explored throughout this thought-provoking story.

 About the author:
Meghan K. Barnes is an English & Creative Writing instructor who holds an MFA in nonfiction from The University of North Carolina Wilmington, AWP's 2nd ranked nonfiction program in the country. She is the three-time winner of Creative Nonfiction Magazine's tiny truths contest and her work has been featured multiple literary magazines such as The Beat, Del Sol, Charlotte Viewpoint & WB Magazine as well as six anthologies: So Long, Writers Block, Yes I Can, Christmas, Christmas, Real & Thoreau's Rooster. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in both nonfiction and fiction, and has sat on panels for both the American Writers and Poets Convention & The Southern Women's Writers Convention. She currently resides in coastal North Carolina with her Rottweiler, Zen.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Bebe & Friends: Tails of Rescue

NEW RELEASE! Meet the formerly unwanted, abandoned, and abused who, through the miracle of human love, found their forever homes. Jean Rodenbough, retired Presbyterian minister, former English and ethics teacher, poet and critically acclaimed author ~ and confirmed lover of animals of all kinds ~ presents a collection of "tails" that are poignant, inspiring, smile-provoking, and, in some cases, tearful; but they all carry the message: "All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man ... all things are bound together. All things connect." (Chief Seattle, chief of the Suquamis) About the Author Jean Rodenbough grew up loving animals of all kinds. Later, she wrote stories about animals and people, poems about everything, and trained for several different careers. She is a retired Presbyterian minister, serving mostly as a chaplain with hospice and with hospitals. She also has taught both English and ethics in secondary school and college. She earned several degrees in the process: BA, MA, M.Div., and D.Min, but her focus now is on her writing of both poetry and prose. This book is her second with All Things That Matter, the first one Rachel’s Children: Surviving the Second World War. She and her husband Charles live in Greensboro, North Carolina.