SUNDOGS AND SINNERS

SUNDOGS AND SINNERS

 

 Sundogs and Sinners is a tale of love and hate, nurture and neglect, traditions and taboos that shines cold light upon the dangers of chasing what cannot be caught.Jasmine is the daughter of opposite worlds: Angela, her mother, the white privileged debutant from the upper echelons of Fargo’s wealthiest and politically empowered and Jasmine’s biological father, Dave, the eighth of nine children of a Minneapolis single Ojibwe mother. Driven by the death of her elder teenage brother and her resentment at having always resided in his shadow, Angela looks for her missing emotional pieces in Dave’s “otherness” which results in a torrid, tumultuous, but temporary, bond and the unplanned birth of their child. A decade later, Jasmine lives in the affluent Fargo fold of Angela’s and Angela’s husband, Lars’ socially prominent families. Though Jasmine seems to have everything, she now is the one in search of missing pieces. Angela never speaks of Dave; Dave hasn’t had contact with their daughter since she was two-years old, and Jasmine wants to know why. The larger looming question is what, if any, part does Dave being Ojibwe play in Jasmine’s identity.When Rosella, an Ojibwe girl adopted at infancy by non-Native parents, moves to town, she and Jasmine become fast middle school friends. Together, they face off with mean girls armed with racial slurs, confront the complexity of first crushes, and, inevitably, explore Jasmine’s ever-growing need to know the truth about her mother, her legally adoptive father, and, most of all, Dave.As Jasmine pushes the search forward, Angela pulls back from her daughter and husband as the trauma and twisted urges of her youth re-awaken, and Angela pursues the elusive missing pieces she has yet to find. As mother and daughter unwittingly move closer to the same destination, secrets, lies, and raw realities threaten to destroy everyone involved. While some pieces are discovered, others will be lost forever, and Jasmine will be left to build who she truly is out of the ones that remain.

BUY FROM AMAZON

DARK MOON

NEW RELEASE!

Authored by Maggie Tideswell

A spellbinding novel of love, murder,and the supernatural.Chance meetings can have far-reaching effects. Loved ones may not be who they seem. The line between comprehension and confusion is thin ~ particularly when one's thoughts are being manipulated by another. In Dark Moon, the eternal triangle takes an innovative twist into the occult as dark magic fights against those who serve the Light. The prize? A woman's soul.

About the author:
Maggie Tideswell was born and raised in sunny South Africa, where she still resides. She has always been intrigued by finding "the purpose" and the dimensions of reality. She believes that actions have consequences, that if one shakes the web of existence in one place, the whole web moves. Maggie explores these themes in everything from her poetry and short stories to her novels.

THE POWER OF YOUR CHILD'S IMAGINATION

About The Power of Your Child’s Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success BY Charlotte Reznick, PhD

The Power of Your Child’s Imagination will show you how to empower your child with easy, effective, and creative skills for surviving—and thriving—in a stressful world. This indispensable guide provides nine simple tools to help children cope with stress and anxiety by tapping into their imagination to access their own natural strength and confidence.

In this book you will discover how to help a child:

* Love, accept, and appreciate himself
* Reduce pain and heal other physical ailments
* Overcome fears, such as fear of the unknown, abandonment, doctors, disasters, and dying
* Deal with bedtime issues such as insomnia and bedwetting
* Cope with death, divorce, and other losses
* Handle anger, hurt, and frustration
* Achieve success at school and in sports
* Live peacefully with siblings and parents


About Charlotte Reznick, PhD

Dr. Charlotte Reznick has dedicated her life to helping children, adolescents, parents, and professionals. She is a nationally recognized child and educational Psychologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at UCLA. Upon earning her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, she was honored with “Dissertation of the Year” for her work on the effects of parental divorce on adolescents.

For over 20 years, Dr. Reznick has pioneered therapeutic interventions with a wide spectrum of children. Responding with unerring intuition to children’s diverse needs, Dr. Reznick is best known for creating Imagery For Kids: Breakthrough for Learning, Creativity, and Empowerment. This highly insightful program of guided and interactive imagery – enhanced by music, relaxation techniques, drawing, and journal writing – can help all children achieve their highest learning potential, develop self-esteem, heal internal conflicts, and reduce overall stress.

To download a free e-book with more information on The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success and Dr Reznick , visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/reznick/. For a limited time Dr Reznick is offering a very special gift to each person who purchases a copy of her book, including over 80 free gifts, please visit http://www.imageryforkids.com/book/ for all details.

Widow's Walk Blog Tour

Widow's Walk Blog Tour

with Author Kenneth Weene Widow's Walk Blog Tour

September 1-30

Join author, Kenneth Weene, on his blog book tour September 1-30 and learn more about him and his novel Widow’s Walk, a story of good people's struggle – sometimes successfully and often not – to deal with the challenges in their lives. The novel reflects how family, friendship, love, faith, and character affect that struggle. Take the time to leave comments along the way and you'll be entered in a drawing with a chance to win two different prizes.


* The first giveaway is Kenneth Weene's poetry book which will go to a few different commenters.
* The second giveaway is a copy of his book Widow's Walk to one lucky commenter


About Widow's Walk

Widow’s Walk is a story of faith and its effects on already flawed characters. Set in Boston in the 1980s, it is the story of Mary Flanagan and her children, Sean and Kathleen. Mary’s husband, Sean, Sr., died at the wheel of his M.T.A. bus. Her son, Sean, Jr. is a quadriplegic, injured on his way to a brothel in Vietnam; Kathleen, divorced and unable to have children, works and lives at a hospice that primarily serves AIDS patients; there she lives a mechanistically faithful life, but one devoid of belief. This unhappy family structure is erected on the bedrock stoicism of Mary’s Irish Catholicism. It is that faith which is tested, changed, and strangely reaffirmed over the course of the tale.

Two events upend Mary’s world. The first is her friend, Lois’s, move to Florida. The second is Sean’s decision to seek rehabilitation in a center in Minnesota – a decision initiated by Jem, a home health aide whose own life reflects a faith of care and service.

Mary finds herself looking for new meaning and direction in her life. In the process she meets two unexpected people, Arnie Berger, a college professor, an agnostic or perhaps deistic Jew, and love interest, and Pat Michaels, a minister, whose view of a joyous faith is much at odds with Mary’s rigid theology. She also moves into a housing share and becomes friends with Amelia Callaghan, the misanthropic house owner.

Sean’s life, too, is dramatically changed because he falls in love with and marries one of the aides at the rehab center. He returns to Boston married, employed and expecting their first child.

Given the remarkable changes in her mother’s and brother’s lives and influenced by Max, one of her dying patients and a man whose story and faith are powerful and unique, Kathleen also seeks love. She meets Danny, a young man tied to his overprotective mother and unable to deal with his own feelings of inadequacy.

Sadly, Kathleen and Danny’s relationship ends in disaster, rape, and abuse. Danny flees. In her own way, Kathleen does too; she becomes catatonic and dependent.

Mary unable to come to terms with her sense of guilt and responsibility towards her daughter – is powerless to keep those feelings from coming between her and Arnie.

In the end, Mary can not live with her unhappiness and dies of “the pain of her soul,” a diagnosis provided by the caregiver, Jem, who had originally encouraged Sean to make his momentous move. Mary’s death creates a strange psychological space in which Kathleen takes on her mother’s place in the world.

If you haven't already read Widow's Walk, be sure to pick your copy up at Kenneth Weene’s Author Website - http://widows-walk.webs.com/.



Widow's Walk Blog Tour

with Author Kenneth Weene Widow's Walk Blog Tour

September 1-30

We are currently booking tour stops. If you are interested in taking part int this tour email us at virturalblogtours@yahoo.com


September 2 - Writers in the Sky http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2009/09/widows-walk-by-kenneth-weene.html – Interview

September 4 – Ascroft, eh? http://dianneascroft.wordpress.com/ - Guest Post and Excerpt

September 7 – New Book Review http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/ - Review

September 9 – Künati http://www.kunati.com/ - Review

September 11 – Katie Hines – Walking on Water - http://katiehines.blogspot.com - Interview

September 14 - Xanga blog http://cce613.xanga.com/ – Interview

September 16 – Marilyn's Musings http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/ - Review

September 18 – The Nurse Mommy - www.thenursemommy.com - Guest Post
September 21 – The Book Connection http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post

September 23 – Books and Authors http://joyce-anthony.blogspot.com/

September 24 -- Books and Authors http://joyce-anthony.blogspot.com/

September 25 -- Books and Authors http://joyce-anthony.blogspot.com/

September 26 – Books and Authors http://joyce-anthony.blogspot.com/

September 28 – Stories that Read You http://stevenbradley.blogspot.com/

September 29 – Across the Pond Blog Talk Radio http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond - 6:30 pm - Interview – The call in number is (347) 237-5398

September 30 -- Pending

WIDOW'S WALK RELEASE

JUST RELEASED BY ATTMPRESS, WIDOW'S WALK BY KENNETH WEENE!

About Widow's Walk

Widow’s Walk is a story of faith and its effects on already flawed characters. Set in Boston in the 1980s, it is the story of Mary Flanagan and her children, Sean and Kathleen. Mary’s husband, Sean, Sr., died at the wheel of his M.T.A. bus. Her son, Sean, Jr. is a quadriplegic, injured on his way to a brothel in Vietnam; Kathleen, divorced and unable to have children, works and lives at a hospice that primarily serves AIDS patients; there she lives a mechanistically faithful life, but one devoid of belief. This unhappy family structure is erected on the bedrock stoicism of Mary’s Irish Catholicism. It is that faith which is tested, changed, and strangely reaffirmed over the course of the tale.



Two events upend Mary’s world. The first is her friend, Lois’s, move to Florida . The second is Sean’s decision to seek rehabilitation in a center in Minnesota – a decision initiated by Jem, a home health aide whose own life reflects a faith of care and service.



Mary finds herself looking for new meaning and direction in her life. In the process she meets two unexpected people, Arnie Berger, a college professor, an agnostic or perhaps deistic Jew, and love interest, and Pat Michaels, a minister, whose view of a joyous faith is much at odds with Mary’s rigid theology. She also moves into a housing share and becomes friends with Amelia Callaghan, the misanthropic house owner.



Sean’s life, too, is dramatically changed because he falls in love with and marries one of the aides at the rehab center. He returns to Boston married, employed and expecting their first child.



Given the remarkable changes in her mother’s and brother’s lives and influenced by Max, one of her dying patients and a man whose story and faith are powerful and unique, Kathleen also seeks love. She meets Danny, a young man tied to his overprotective mother and unable to deal with his own feelings of inadequacy.



Sadly, Kathleen and Danny’s relationship ends in disaster, rape, and abuse. Danny flees. In her own way, Kathleen does too; she becomes catatonic and dependant.



Mary unable to come to terms with her sense of guilt and responsibility towards her daughter – is powerless to keep those feelings from coming between her and Arnie.

In the end, Mary can not live with her unhappiness and dies of “the pain of her soul,” a diagnosis provided by the caregiver, Jem, who had originally encouraged Sean to make his momentous move. Mary’s death creates a strange psychological space in which Kathleen takes on her mother’s place in the world.



About the Author:

Kenneth married his wife Roz in 1968 and went to U. of Iowa for a year, from which Roz graduated. He transferred to the Institute of Advance Psychological Studies at Adelphi University , Long Island , NY . He completed a PhD in psychology and worked as a psychologist from 1970 until 2001. During part of that time he worked for The Counseling Service of The Long Island Council of Churches. Despite his great interest in religion, he did not seek ordination until 2002. Why? Because he had been raised Jewish and only started really thinking about his own faith as an adult. He saw no advantage in upsetting his parents by seeking ministerial ordination.



He started writing, primarily poetry, in the 1980s. Regarding Widow's Walk, Weene says, "Stepping away from full-time work was the best decision I ever made. Writing this story has given me tremendous personal satisfaction, and it has shown me an avenue for expression I will always treasure."

KEN WILL SOON BE ON A BLOG TOUR.


Themes, Topics and Perspective Audience for Widow's Walk

There are a number of the themes and topics included in Widow's Walk. These include:

* Role of faith in life
* Possibility of love
* Meaning of life and of love



If you would be interested in interviewing Kenneth during his tour, or highlight him or his book in some other way including a review, feel free to contact – virtualblogtours@yahoo.com.