Sunday, June 27, 2010

RE-KINDLE THE SHORT STORY!

Given our fast paced, on the move lifestyle, devices like the Kindle may help to re-kindle interest in the SHORT STORY genre. We can all remember our days in high school English class and reading some of the great short stories by authors such as Poe, Twain, Hawthorne, London, and many more. Okay, maybe we didn't like the essays we had to write, but the stories were engaging.

For some reason, the short story genre has not be as popular in recent decades. As a publisher, we sometimes hear that short stories simply don't sell and, many publishers do not extend contract to short story authors. Faced with this dilemma, many authors have simply had to find magazines that will publish their prose. At ATTMPress, we like short stories and have published several anthologies with even more to come.

Along comes the Kindle, IPads and other readers. In our opinion, such devices will help stimulate renewed interest in this genre. The beauty of the short story is, well, it is short. If you are riding in a car pool, on a bus, or even a subway, what better way to pass the time than reading a complete story? Never mind turning over pages or losing bookmarks in the middle of a novel. Or, how about the idea that when trying to get through a novel during commuting time, you have to re-read parts of the previous chapter to remember what happened. The short story can frequently be consumed in one ride, a quick sitting, and with "flash fiction," sometimes in the amount of time stopped at a traffic light. The beauty of the readers is that you can mix-and-match short story authors to your mood. rather than carrying around several bulky books, the readers can house many stories by many authors.

So, if you have such a reading device, download some anthologies and get reading great stories on the go!



HAMMON FALLS

LATEST RELEASE FROM ALL THINGS THAT MATTER PRESS!

When George Hammon's teenaged wife dies in childbirth in 1914, he flees small-town Iowa for Europe and the horrors of the Great War. Surviving battles, homelessness, and disease, he squanders his days on women and wine, trying to forget his lost love. But life is not idle in Iowa during his absence, and when a bitter and weary George comes home twenty-two years later, he finds a web of murder, suicide, and shocking revelations. The future of his family rests on one terrible choice...but is he prepared to make it? Spanning the years 1893 through 2009, "Hammon Falls" weaves a tapestry of estrangement, loss, love, sacrifice, and redemption.

About the Author

Dave Hoing has been gainfully employed at the University of Northern Iowa's Rod Library for a very long time. Although he is a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America with numerous short story publications, Hammon Falls is his first published novel. He has two stepchildren, Jon and Jovan Hampton, and lives in Waterloo, Iowa, with his wife Joni, a dog named Tree, and a cat named Toro. Roger Hileman is a Test Development Associate for ACT, Inc. After spending many years as a local musician and playwright, he decided to make the transition to writing fiction. Hammon Falls is his first published novel. He has three daughters, Andrea, Rachel, and Carlye, and lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with his wife Lu.

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #33,108 in Books

Sunday, June 13, 2010

THE SORCERER'S DREAM



I am happy to present an excerpt form an exciting new book by Alysa Braceau. We all have dreams but we often see them as flights of fantasy. But, do they contain messages and guidance that we often ignore? Have you actually been dreaming more lately? maybe we should all pay more attention!



Facing spiritual, physical and emotional blocks and stopping your dreams

The Sorcerer’s Dream is about my initiation into the sorcerer’s world and mastering conscious dreaming. Among other things, I describe the steps you can take to master your dreaming. It takes you on the road to the totality of the Self. To reach this point you have to face your spiritual, physical and emotional blocks and work to release them. Stopping your dreams is one of the first steps you take in this procedure of facing your blocks. The following excerpt is a conversation with my dreaming teacher Vidar and my dreaming experiences, which gives an impression of this procedure. (The next step which I describe further on in my book is a ritual to heal your inner child).

“Unpleasant dreams disappear when you look right through them. First you ask yourself what is happening, what is going on? When you stare at it, all that remains is beauty, wisdom and strength and the fear of certain situations will vanish permanently.” Vidar summarizes, “On the way to the totality you may encounter many shocking images, but you must not let it distract you. Tell yourself: I will reach the totality. Nothing can keep me from reaching my goal.”

I fly along with the eagle and from the air I see the red path down below bending like a thin trail through the rocky west and I dive downwards after the eagle. Like the first time we land at the start of the trail and after a short walk we fly over the green palm tops in the direction of the ocean. Further to the left there are several bays interrupted by rocks and stones. I circle exploring over the west’s shelter. It is the first bay seen from the rocks, because towards the right the jungle starts narrowing into a point. I descend at sea, make myself comfortable and take in the light orange horizon from left to right and back. The tiger walks towards me, purrs and pushes his head against my shoulder. I stroke his head softly, get up and then we walk to the wooden villa together.

On closer inspection, the house which is accessible via a broad half-rotten staircase, could use some renovating. Except for a few stair-steps the window frames are also rotten and the paint is peeling in some places. Suddenly my attention is diverted by the sound of broken glass. The tiger walks around in circles in the sand behind me. Curiously I walk up the stairs and carefully open the front door, which is ajar, and which gives direct access to the living-room where I stand before my father who has an empty bottle of booze in his hand. He is furious. The floor around him is scattered with pieces of glass. His appearance is just as vibrating as in the last dream. I don’t like to be reminded of this part of my youth and would like to turn around, prefer to erase the dream and if it were written on paper I would ripple it and throw it in the garbage can, but my thoughts are interrupted by the tiger who jumps up from behind me and starts to attack my father.

I am indifferent to the scene in front of me. When the seriousness finally dawns on me, I order the tiger to stop dutifully. But he only listens after I have urged him persistently, stamping my foot. But it is too late.

The living room floor starts to collapse and I try to put a stop to it, but I fail and we all end up in the sand. I get up frustrated, wipe the sand off of me and crawl to the light among the rotten floor boards. I reflect upon the scene for which I was certainly not prepared. The eagle is immediately on the spot and suggests throwing my father in the sea. After careful consideration I turn down the offer: I cannot bear to think that his body or whatever is left of it would wash up on the beach in a few days time. I prefer a conventional funeral.

The tiger does not doubt for one second and starts digging a hole in the ground. The eagle collects the torn body, picks it up with his strong claws, flies up to the sky with a powerful beat of his wings and then lowers my father into the hole. We cover him with sand, everyone of us in our own way. We become more and more fanatical as the sand slips away or dissolves, leaving my father visible. I drop down in the sand disappointed, grab some of the loose sand and look up as I let it slide through my half-opened fist, like an hour glass. From the green oasis we are being spied on by an Indian holding a spear in his raised hand, ready to throw. He watches us attentively, as if he is turned to stone, petrified, except for his deep brown irises shooting from left to right. I am too busy to pay attention to it as I am trying to figure out how I could have prevented the situation, or how to turn this into something positive and then, unsatisfied, I return to reality together with the eagle.

Before I fall asleep that night I return to the west in hope of a miracle, or rather that I wish not to be faced with my father still lying in the way. I call upon the eagle. Looking down from the sky I realize nothing has changed, except that the tiger is walking circles in the sand where my father lies. I sleep on it and than it seems that time has left its marks, but I am certainly not happy about it.

Looking on from the rocks I see my father – dead, but physically unharmed – lying crossways like a hand of a clock in the eastern part of the circle, with his head pointing outside. Overcome by grief I kneel by his side and start crying pitiful. Anyhow, he is more alive than you would expect from a dead man.

He pulls himself up mechanically like a stick, faces me and – with his green eyes and expressionless face – he says exactly what I need to hear: “I’m sorry I was such a bad father.” I wait for the rest of the words patiently, which he searches in the handful of shells in the sand. “But I had no choice,” he continues as he looks me in the eye. I weigh the words, I had no choice. The tiger stretches out like a sphinx, upright and with pricked up ears.

My father begs me: “I won’t have peace before you forgive me.” I am deeply touched and impressed and quickly tell him “I forgive you”. We hug each other and I wonder whether I mean it or said it to make him happy. I wipe the tears from my cheeks, right across the dream reality. The eagle comforts me by putting his wing around my shoulder and takes me to his nest where I wake up.

Vidar points out to me that I witnessed a very troublesome event. “Fixate it, and then it will transform itself into beauty.” I feel stupid. That is precisely what I did not do. It hadn’t entered my mind for one single second to fixate the attack. “If you look fixated, the totems help you to erase unpleasant events from your history. Only then you will be able to reach the totality.”

He says that it is important to stay in close contact with the totems and to share feelings of worth, love, warmth and trust. “Consider them devoted friends. Just think back the way the tiger took your part and the eagle put a wing around you.””

We invite you to join s on the virtual tour for The Sorcerer’s Dream by Alysa Braceau (Dreamshield). The full schedule can be seen at http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/05/03/sorcerers-dream. You can learn much more about Dreamshield and her work on her website – www.dreamshield.nl. The book can be ordered on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Dream-Dreamshield-Alysa-Braceau/dp/1609101561. SPECIAL OFFER - Every time you post a comment on any tour post - you will be entered into a drawing for a $35 Amazon gift card -- so, share your thoughts with us.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

SHADOW LESSONS



JUST RELEASED BY ATTMP!

Shadow Lessons
Authored by Tim Reardon

When high school English teacher Sean Cullinan comes across a specialty publisher looking for fresh African-American voices, he decides to submit his latest manuscript. One problem: Cully is white. Enter Janine Russell, black lieutenant in the San Francisco fire department and long-time friend of Cullinan. Together, they create a literary hoax that eventually fuels a national race debate. In Shadow Lessons new author Tim Reardon delves deep into the heart of the volatile American race conversation in a work that overflows with humor, honesty, and courage.
"Don't let Reardon's breezy style fool you. Underneath the humor and crackling dialogue is a well-crafted novel. It also just happens to be an off-beat examination of race in America. Don't let that fool you either."
-Stephen McFeely, screenwriter, The Chronicles of Narnia

About the author:
Tim Reardon graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1990. For the past twenty years, he has taught creative writing at Saint Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco, where he lives with his wife, Gina, and their three daughters: Kate, Claire, and Lizzy. Shadow Lessons is his first novel.

NEW APPROACH TO DETECTIVE NOVEL!


THE GREER AGENCY
An exciting new approach to detective novels, 15 interconnected short stories
involving a different kind of private eye.

The Greer Agency is 75k words of gritty detective fiction presented in 15
separate but connected stories. The reader follows the development of private
detective Mike Greer, the only PI in the Altoona, PA phone book. It’s tough to
make a living in a decaying old railroad town, but with the help of an
anonymous benefactor, Greer lands some interesting cases—cases that he
solves with guts and determination. Throughout the stories, his budding
romance with Susan grows. Eventually they realize they are right for each
other.

Readers will find Mike Greer an accessible everyman with luck, pluck, smarts
and a host of interesting friends. He finds his way into and out of problems
large and small. Greer narrates the stories in a refreshing and original voice.
Each story has its own plot and can stand on its own but, as the book
progresses, the mysteries pile up and the plots get more complex until the
explosive last story.

Mike Greer is a protagonist with a low tolerance for bullshit and an easy
touch for the emotional pleas of the downtrodden. He works alone and
struggles against an uncaring world. But throw no pity party for the man, he
will have none of it. His melancholy is tightly wrapped inside his tough guy
exterior, and pity just bounces off as he walks away, down the dark sidewalks
of Altoona into the next story.

Now available in print and e-book format from All Things That matter Press:
https://www.createspace.com/3437279

or from from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Greer-Agency-Harris- Tobias/dp/098425949X

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

SICK OF DOCTORS?



Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It!

- In this groundbreaking book, author Lorene Burkhart challenges each of us to enter the era of empowered patients by letting go of past practices and embracing outcome-based medical services. Being accountable for one's own body and health is a huge step toward improved medical relationships. She rejects the old authoritarian system of "handing it over" to a doctor as one that is no longer appropriate or wise, and that made its exit when the Internet made its entrance. Using a variety of resources as a guide, Burkhart encourages patients to be their own medical advocates with the ultimate reward being their own good health.

Lorene McCormick Burkhart is a genuine entrepreneur. Her business career spans 40 years and features many notable achievements, which in their time broke traditional business boundaries. From becoming a female executive before the phrase “glass ceiling” was coined to founding her company, Burkhart Network in 2007 at the age of 73, Burkhart is a true trail blazer. She’s just published her fifth book Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It! A Prescription for Patient Empowerment, with two more book titles scheduled to be published in 2010.
Videos for Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It!

Attitude Shift - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hMzNqv7zs0
What makes this book different? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp5Yt3ZWye8
Patient Empowerment - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJ9gJKoU3k

Join us on the Sick of Doctors? Then Do Something About It! virtual tour. To learn more about the tour, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/04/26/sick-of-doctors-tour/. You can also learn more about Lorene Burkhart and the book at http://www.burkhartnetwork.com/

Own It! Your body that is!

Sick of Doctors? shines bright light on the impactful but often flawed training received by our health professionals and empowers readers to clear away the prejudices — both naïve and pessimistic — that hinder our ability to form effective partnerships in the healing endeavor.
Mehmet Oz, MD, FACS New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia

… if I could select one sub-group to “assign” (this book) to, it would be the medical students throughout our land. It seems to me that the information contained herein would be extremely helpful to them in understanding the roots of our profession, the powerful forces that act on us now, and what they must do to be the kind of doctors that they want to be.
Dr. William Norcross, MD
Director of Physician Assessment and Clinical Education

Chances are you take care of your car, your house and other belongings.
But do you take care of your body?
Let’s think for a minute here about the three parts of the medical system. They are the patient, the physician and everything else – hospitals, insurance, pharmaceutical companies, etc. Which of these three do you think wields the power? Probably none of you guessed the patient because you have let the system make you feel powerless. But think of it like this – none of them would have a business if there were no patients. Well, how about that?! Are you beginning to get the idea about life in the “medical fast track?”
It’s not all up to your doctor and medical team to take care of you—the patient. It’s up to you!
The AMA has a Healthier Life Steps program outlined on its Web site. Cited are four key health behaviors, poor diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and excessive or risky use of alcohol. These behaviors are significantly related to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions.
Do you eat right, exercise… drink alcohol in moderation? Not smoke?
How many times has your doctor given you orders when you’re sick and you disobey? How many times does the doctor offer two options: healthy living or a prescription? Which do you choose?

Oftentimes, your medical doctor doesn’t talk much about good health practices. They have been trained to cure sickness, not to keep you healthy. There is plenty of information available about good health practices, so there is no excuse for being overweight, smoking, or other known hazards to your health. I’m sure that all of you have heard the list of problems that accompany being overweight. Personally, I’ve never understood why anyone chooses to make them self sick. I find that I have my hands full just living with the effects of age and genes.
When are you going to take responsibility for your own body? Does it belong to you or your doctor? Isn’t it the most precious part of your life? Then act like it!

You can also learn more about Lorene Burkhart and the book at http://www.burkhartnetwork.com/.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

FEMALE NOMAD AND FRIENDS


Female Nomad and Friends: Tales of Breaking Free and Breaking Bread Around the World – From the author of the international bestseller, Tales of a Female Nomad, Female Nomad and Friends is a moving anthology of essays that celebrates traveling, connecting, and eating around the world. Also included are more than 30 travel-inspired, taste-tested and author-approved recipes.

Rita Golden Gelman is the author of Tales of a Female Nomad and more than seventy children’s books, including More Spaghetti, I Say!, a staple in every first grade classroom. As a nomad, Rita has no permanent address. She is currently involved in an initiative called Let’s Get Global, a project of US Servas, Inc, a national movement deigned to bring the gap year to the United States. Learn more at: www.letsgetglobal.org

My Favorite Organization Ever by Rita Golden Gelman (Excerpt from Female Nomad and Friends)


Rita Golden Gelman

Being a part of Servas is like having family all over the world. It’s actually better than family. People join Servas because they want you to visit them when you are in their country. Not always the case with family.

Since I have no home, I’m always a traveler and never a host. Servas visits are for two nights, and everyone (hosts and travelers) is screened in a face- to- face interview. Servas charges a small annual membership fee, and travelers pay a deposit for host lists in the countries they want to visit. During the visits, however, no money changes hands.

My first Servas visit was with Gabi and Batsheva in Tel Aviv in 1988. Before the trip, I saw their names in the Israel host book; I wrote asking if I could stay with them when I visited.

They welcomed me as they would an old friend. They fed me, toured me, guided me, and shared their stories as I shared mine. I helped with the cooking and clean- up and bought a meal or a snack here and there.

After only one day we felt so close that we decided their single son, then living in the Dominican Republic, and my single daughter, then living in New York, should marry! Never happened, but we did have fun planning the meeting and discussing the wedding. It was wonderful getting to know them.

Their love for each other made being with them a pleasure. Gabi and Batsheva met in an orphanage. Their parents were killed by the Nazis. During and after the war, the surviving kids were taken from Europe to an orphanage in Palestine.

The two found themselves among the oldest children there and ended up working on the same projects and caring for the younger kids together. They fell in love. Batsheva had a sister, Tova, who was also in the orphanage. I never met Tova, but Gabi and the two sisters shared a special closeness as the only survivors of both families. The sisters meant everything to each other.

As we shared our stories, Gabi, Batsheva, and I developed a special bond. Servas is like that. A level of intimacy is quickly established, and you always leave feeling as though you have made a new friend— or extended your family.

Several years later I returned to Israel for my cousin’s wedding. I called Gabi and Batsheva. Gabi answered the phone. He was excited to hear from me, but he explained that Tova had recently died and Batsheva was devastated. He didn’t think she felt ready for guests. The two women had been incredibly close, he reminded me. I suggested that maybe this time I could take care of Batsheva. They talked it over and decided it was a good idea.

I didn’t exactly take care of her, but I did some cooking and a little cleaning; and Batsheva was able to share her happy Tova stories, as well as her pain.

On the second day of my visit, Batsheva received a letter from a Servas friend in Brazil. Claudia had heard about Tova’s death and written a sympathy note. She had included her e- mail address. I offered to write to Claudia on my computer.

In the e- mail I introduced myself to Claudia, and then Batsheva dictated her response while I typed. I left the next day, sad, but pleased that I had been able to help.

Four years later in Argentina, I once again connected with people through Servas. I was staying in my friend Gera’s home in San Miguel, outside of Buenos Aires, so I didn’t need a place to stay, but I wanted to meet people in Buenos Aires. I took out my host list and called a few people. The response was fantastic. Servas members invited me to share meals, parties, and excursions.

After I had met a number of hosts, they told me that a group of them planned on taking a boat across the river the next Sunday to meet Uruguayan hosts. Would I like to come?

Of course. Our two groups got together in the charming Uruguayan town of Colonia and wandered for a few hours before lunch. Everyone wanted to talk a little to everyone else, so two of us would walk and talk for a while, and then we’d switch. The fi rst two Uruguayans I met insisted that I come back as their Servas guest (which I did). I was able to converse with them in Spanish, although they both spoke better English than I did Spanish.

The third person I met asked me not to speak Spanish. “My Spanish is not very good,” she said. “My English is better.”

“But aren’t you from Uruguay?” I asked.

“No, I’m not. I’m from over the border in Brazil.”

It was at that point that we introduced ourselves. “My name is Rita. I’m from the United States.”

“Oh, my God,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I’m Claudia.”

Yes, she was that Claudia! We hugged like old friends. And cried. And a month later I was a Servas guest in Claudia’s house in Brazil.

If you’re a traveler and a connector, check it out. It’s an amazing organization: www.servas.org or www.usservas.org.

Reprinted from “Female Nomad and Friends” by Rita Golden Gelman. Copyright © 2010. Published by Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.

You can learn much more about Rita Golden Gelman and her work on her website – www.ritagoldengelman.com. The book can be preordered on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Female-Nomad-Friends-Breaking-Around/dp/0307588017/

Thursday, June 3, 2010

THE BIGGEST PONZI SCHEME



The Madoff Circle: Who Knew What?

When Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty to running the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, he insisted he was the lone perpetrator, asserting that no one – not his family, not his colleagues, not his friends – knew of the fraud.

But an alternate narrative is emerging from the pile of Madoff-related civil suits and court motions that have been filed in the last two years – one in which a small circle of men played knowing, integral roles in the scheme, in some cases benefiting more from it than even Madoff himself.

READ MORE AT :http://www.propublica.org/feature/the-madoff-circle-who-knew-what

If this story is of interest, please read the following:

“The Swindler” by Michelle Kaye Malsbury
Publisher: All Things That Matter Press
ISBN 978-0-9844219-4-7
Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery, fiction

Description

How easy is it for an investment broker to deceive clients? Very, particularly if his personal hero is Bernie Madoff. Skip Horowitz, along with his old pal A.J., has created what they believe is a foolproof scheme using commodities trading, bookmaking, and various other businesses as covers. Their plan has served them well for decades, surviving the scrutiny of government agencies lacking solid proof to support any allegations of wrongdoing. But luck can't hold forever...or can it? Catherine O'Reilley, newly sponsored in the high-risk world of investment strategy by Skip Horowitz, is about to find out.

About the Author
Michelle Malsbury was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. Currently she resides in Florida. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Management and a Masters Degree in Business Management. She has just completed her first year of doctoral studies in the discipline of Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies with high hopes of helping to build nations and sustain peaceful interactions around the globe.

Here’s What Others Are Saying About “The Swindler”:
Judy Ramsook from the Austin News Service, Austin, TX 4/9/10 Review for “The Swindler”:
In The Swindler, by Michelle Malsbury, you will find yourself being pulled in to a fictional tale of romance and a lot commodities swindling through the eyes of a third person narrator.

So come along and meet true to life and memorable characters such as: Catherine, The Realtor/Commodities Broker, Connie, Catherine’s best friend, Shamus, Real Estate Broker and the man who thinks he is the right man for Catherine and last but not least, Skip Horowitz, a ruthless Ponzi Schemer who is being investigated by the Feds.
It’s a gripping tale that will make you want to keep turning those pages to see what happens next.

Set in Key West, Florida, the author displays her vast love for and knowledge of the area so well, that if you have not been there and know nothing about Key West, perusing The Swindler, by Michelle Malsbury will indeed give you a rich education into that paradise.
So come on and enjoy this well written and detailed tale and see if Catherine really thinks Shamus is the right man for her, and if the elusive Skip Horowitz gets the justice he so deserves.
I enjoyed it and I think you will too.
Mike Fentem, longtime friend of Michelle Kaye Malsbury, review for The Swindler on 5/21/10:

I've known Michelle since she was fifteen or sixteen years old. We grew up in the same small town in Illinois and went to the same schools, pools, and parks. She was always fun and had a good imagination. I'll be the first to admit that back then who would have thunk that she would become a author? However, I have had the pleasure of reading both of her books and have found them to be well written and fun reading! The characters are inventive and interesting. The stories take places in fun and exotic locales. The plot builds from chapter to chapter keeping the reader engaged in what may occur next and how it will all end. The main character, Skip, is a enigma himself with a ego larger than life. His thirst for money and fast women was second to none, but I liked getting to know him while reading this book. Besides having little, to no, scruples, he does manage to keep his ponzi scheme and other illigitimate business endeavors pretty secret for a number of years while he rakes in oodles of cash and stashes it all around the globe. However, can he outlast the SEC and other regulatory agencies, who is hot on his tail or is his time up? I truly enjoyed The Swindler and I believe you will too!
Thomas Keyes Review for The Swindler by Michelle Kaye Malsbury, 5/14/2010:

The Swindler is a fast-moving, hard-hitting account of a swindler who, with his batch of subalterns, ran a Ponzi scheme in Key West and elsewhere. The tale is so realistic and convincing that you can hardly believe that it didn’t really happen and that the authoress is not in there somewhere, perhaps as Catherine, the honest realtor who gets embroiled in the mess.

The racket consisted of selling counterfeit commodities futures mostly to fairly well-heeled middle class types, and following up by generating bogus statements showing earnings. It may be difficult to feel overly compassionate for someone worth several hundred thousand dollars who gets stung for fifty, but there are a lot of smaller victims too.

The most touching was a young girl in Central America whom Skip, the swindler, got pregnant. She was hoping this pregnancy would bind them together and enable them to live a beautiful life. Then the blow fell. Skip was arrested and prosecuted, and the girl’s dreams flowed away in tears.

The pages are full of unsavory characters, and the action moves from Florida to the Bahamas to Costa Rica to Las Vegas.

The language is earthy. Read it, you’ll like it.
Billy O’Toole Pre-review for The Swindler by Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM

Hi Michelle,

During a long and successful career in the trucking business, I always carried a stack of books to entertain myself and hopefully learn a little something also. One of my favorites was Steven Frey because he always had some insights into the dark side of finance along with great characters. Move over Frey and make room for Michelle Malsbury!

The Swindler has great characters, some lovable, and some not, but all believable. Indeed, I felt like I already knew many and were acquainted with several others. There were the obvious evil ones but the mindset of good ones being led along and seduced by money and the good life was particularly poignant.

When my business blew up because I had no customers anymore, I began to study finance moved to being a Senior Financial Consultant. In the process of interviews and study I felt like I met many of her characters, things just didn't feel right, but oh so seductive!

All this set in quirky and sultry southern Florida, I could feel the humidity, see the pastels, and revel in the ambience. What more could anyone want in book?

Bill O'Toole
Senior Financial Consultant
Southern Commercial Corp
Columbia, Mo.

Marilou Trask-Curtin Review for TheSwindler:

Michelle: First of all, congrats on an absolutely incredible book!!! Have you also written this as a screenplay????!!!! Would be amazing to watch and the timing seems right as well.

The Review: "The Swindler" - an incredibly fast-paced roller-coaster ride through the world of illegal commodities trading with enough sun and sin to heat up every reader's day (and night.) Michelle Malsbury at her finest! A definite must read! Marilou Trask-Curtin, Author of "In My Grandfather's House:

Purchase Information:
http://www.amazon.com/Swindler-Michalle-Kaye-Malsbury/dp/0984421947/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272463500&sr=1-1
www.amazon.com link for The Swindler and Kindle Reader orders (see above)

Author Links:
www.americanchronicle.com
www.en.wordpress.com
www.redroom.com
www.useless-knowledge.com
www.bookpleasures.com
www.michellemalsbury.com
www.blogger.com
www.authorexcerpts.spruz.com
www.jacketflap.com
www.authorsden.com
www.unheardwords.com
www.twitter.com/ponzischemegirl
www.facebook.com/michellekayemalsbury

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

A GREAT URGENCY


SOMETIMES, IT IS NOT ABOUT PUBLISHING OR BOOKS, IT'S ABOUT:


A Great Urgency

To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders

My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I
ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit
of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we
are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color,
which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As
I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened,
those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations,
eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The
catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the
bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we
cannot afford to continue to make.

I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with
the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will
continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of
in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers
for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as
Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to
allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on the Earth.
As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to
assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our UncąI Maka).

We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the
winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in
repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we
make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that
what we create can have lasting effects on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along
with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World
Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural
site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us
make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our
childrenąs future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),

Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe

AND FROM AMY AND GABRIEL HORN, AUTHORS OF TRANSCENDENCE:

Please let us know your gathering ~ gatherings@wolakota.org

Protocols for Gatherings

All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer!
If you plan on holding or hosting a Gathering on June 21st, please contact
us so that we may compile a list. If you would like your listing information
to be posted, please indicate the name of the site, directions, contact
person and number or email. This will allow others in your area to find and
join your celebration.

Send us your info

Whether it is a Temple, Church Congregation, religious organization or
Mosques, if people are gathering in communities, openly upon the earth or
Sacred Sites, please note that proper protocols of Indigenous representation
for any particular ceremonial activity should be done. An Indigenous
Traditional representative should be present to run their particular
ceremony.

If desired; we as First Nation People are willing to share the sacred fire
and offering of tobacco with prayers in a united effort. We feel that all
that is needed to gather is: to have people bring a gift of food to share,
as a pot luck and their energy of concerned prayers. This is also the safest
and most respectful way to treat Indigenous Traditional values and concerns
of proper protocol. (Wolakota sponsored WPPD events have always only used
the fire and tobacco circles for the united effort of prayers.)

Out of respect for Sacred Ceremonies to not be advertised on the internet,
if you are listing a traditional ceremonial rites of a particular
Indigenious Nation, we only will post a general location of where people are
doing prayers.

Any extra financial needs can be raised through grass root funding. We
highly stress that no major grant writing should be done. This should be an
opportunity to empower the people's desire to come together to pray for
Grandmother Earth. (*note: if you are aware of this boundary of respect
being crossed, please contact the webmaster of this site.)

Pilamaya (thank you) for supporting this effort for Peace and the protection
of our Grandmother Earth and her Sacred Sites.