The Creed of Violence by Boston Teran

Those of who know me, know I love a good thriller; I love history, and I also love a good human interest story. In The Creed of violence by Boston Teran, I got all three. This book reminds me of the movies they made during the Golden Age of Hollywood. I can easily picture Peter Fonda in a movie version of this book. At the same time, although set in 1910 during the Mexican revolution, I can easily picture it being set in our time and being directed by Tarentino. It’s historical but the story of the journey an opposing father and son make is timeless. Teran gives you an eloquent look at the Americana of the past, adds in an element of suspense then blends it together with two beautifully human men. Four out of five stars.


This book was provided by the author.

Where The Heart Was by Glenn Boyer

Glenn Boyer’s Where the Heart Was follows Depression Era youth, Bennie Todd as he grows into a man. But it is more than a coming of age story of this Chicago youth. It is a journey through history. This isn’t the history you might be bored by in school books. Boyer’s history lesson is more personal, more heartfelt, and transports the reader through time, from the America’s fledgling days as a Republic from the Revolution where it began through the Civil War and Depression of the 1930’s. Through cameos, Boyer reveals historical characters so real you feel as if you are back in their time listening to them speak. 4.5 out of five stars.

This book was provided by the author.

Book Review - Social Security: Immaculate Deception- A National Disgrace by Robert James Karpie

In Social Security: Immaculate Deception, author Robert James Karpie attempts to blend fiction and non-fiction. His “Social Security” refers to a group of elderly people in an assisted living home who, after suffering abuse at the hands of their care givers, decide to take over the facility. Once they do that it turns into a home of debauchery and sex. Is this really what they were fighting for? There are some very humorous bits, but overall, even the human interest factor becomes too forced. Add to that, the authors shift in focus to all the conspiracy theories and ills of the world and it loses all sense of consistency. I love a good conspiracy theory, political intrigue or deception but I expect what I read to have a focus and the only focus this book seems to have is throwing as many political opinions at the reader as possible. It’s an unfortunate mess. Two out of five stars.


This book was provided by the author and will be given to a commenter.

Book Review - Lucifer Rising by Barbara Fifield

How do cult leaders manage to captivate their followers? How do abusive men manage to keep women under their thumbs? In Lucifer Rising by Barbara Fifield, reporter Elsa Eldridge finds out first hand how one can be ensnared by those with self-serving & devious intentions. Fifield has put forth an interesting perspective – are cult leaders really Ludifer in disguise? (The old Saturday night live character Church Lady comes to mind, saying, “Is it Satan?”) Are men who use, manipulate and abuse women really God’s fallen angels cursed to be the scourge of the Earth? While it is amusing to think that bad men in this world are really Lucifer in human form, as someone who has survived an abusive relationship, I’m not willing to let abusers off the hook that easily. Because of my own personal experience and from working with women and children who have suffered abuse, the main character Elsa was hard to believe. One of the reasons abusers are able to keep their victims under their thrall is because they reduce the victims self esteem to nothing. Elsa has a very healthy amount of self esteem yet even after she walks away from Tyrell (the manipulative so-called “cult” leader), files a restraining order against him, after months have gone by and he shows up with flowers, a ruby bracelet and wants to buy her dinners… she is right back with him. This is a woman who is self supporting, has her own home, apparently only wants him for sex and what he buys her, and yet we are to believe she can’t break away from him? Women who free themselves from abusive situations do not generally go back for trinkets, especially when they are supporting themselves just fine, also most women who are being abused emotionally, verbally, etc are turned off sexually by their abuser not the other way around. So it is hard to believe the inconsistency of this story. While I think the premise and some of the characters are interesting overall the story falls short for me and could use more research. The other thing that bothered me about this book was the change in person. It starts out in first person, switches to third then back to first. That was ruined the flow of the story. Overall 2.5 out of five stars.


This book was provided by the author and will be given away to a commenter.

Book Review - Saint Nick by Fred Tribuzzo

On this eve of Christmas, let me tell you about an interesting Christmas tale. Fred Tribuzzo takes the classic tale of A Christmas Carol and gives it a unique modern twist in his book, Saint Nick.

Paul is a bankruptcy attorney who has become bitter and aphetic to the world until he is visited by three Native American spirits – “Nick” Black Elk, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. They take him on a spirit walk where he learns to look at the world with fresh eyes and appreciate the life he has. Although at times there are confusing moments, it is a quaint story that will have the reader rethinking how they view the elements of life. 3.5 out of five stars.

This book was provided by Author Marketing Experts and has been given away to a follower.

Book Review - Coming For Money by F.W. Vom Scheidt

With all the headlines demonstrating the greed in the world of high finance, it is nice to have a protagonist that is in the center of those high level money mongers yet still has humanity. In Coming For Money by F.W. Vom Scheidt, Paris Smith is an international investment banker at the height of his career. He is making tons of money for himself as well as lining the pockets of his boss and other corporate executives with a steady flow of cash with no thoughts to the little man. But then his wife gets sick and he takes time off to care for her. After she’s gone, he no longer fits in the high finance world of greed and corruption. While he struggles to regain his position and faces unforeseen challenges, he learns what is really important in life and it’s not money. Scheidt has captured the world of high finance and put a soul in it. He shows that while there is much corruption in that world of greed, there are still those men with honor left. He will have you contemplating your own life and the motive behind your goals. 3.5 out of five stars.

This book was provided by the author and has already been given away.

Book Review - Sorrowed Souls by Brenda Youngerman

What would you do if you woke up on the streets and couldn’t remember who you were and how you got there? That is what Bryan wakes up to in Brenda Youngerman’s Sorrowed Souls. In Sorrowed Souls Bryan wakes up on the street and Gus, the “sheriff” of the street people takes him under his wing. Youngerman takes our rose colored glasses off and gives a real-life look at what life on the streets is like. She goes a step further by showing us what transpired in the life of these people that lead them to become lost and homeless. Youngerman writes such an amazingly real story that I kept having to remind myself this is fiction. That is the mark of a truly gifted writer. She opens your eyes and makes you see street people in a whole new way. I work in a place where I pass homeless people and pan handlers several times during the day. My hear goes out to most of them, but occasionally I come across one that doesn’t look obviously homeless, in fact they look like high school or college students that are looking to make a few bucks off the generousity of others. Having many homeless in our area that truly need help and goodwill from their fellow man, it always makes me angry to see the posers. After reading this book, I feel guilty about that, because I don’t know their story and I shouldn’t make assumptions based on appearance. Sorrowed Souls is aptly titled. It is a book filled with sorrow. It is the story of people who grow up unwanted and unloved and how they deal with and sometimes don’t deal with life. It reminds us that any of us could be the one to wake up on the street. It reminds us to look past the outer appearance. It reminds us that we are not always the architects of our own lives and yet at the same time every decision we make carries with it a consequence. Youngerman’s book is sad and heart wrenching. It is not an easy book to read and yet it is so well written and so compelling it is a book everyone should read. We all want to read the happy books, the adventures, the love stories and we often shy away from those that make us think and open our eyes to the world around us. We want the warm fuzzy and feel good books. Amidst the darkness in this book there is light and at the end you are left with a sense of hope, but it is a hard journey. A journey many will shy away from because it’s not easy, and that is the very reason this book is a must read. It opens your mind to the human condition and the harsh realities of the world around us. The most amazing thing to me about the way Youngerman writes is that there is no judgment. Again this is one of her gifts. As humans it is our nature to judge and it’s something that permeates everything we do. To write a compelling and honest look at people society wants to forget without placing any type of judgment on those characters sets a beautiful example for us all. This book gets five out of five life lessons.

This book was provided by the author and will be given to one lucky commenter.

Book Review - Pigs in the Pulpit by J.Michael Wittman

I will admit that when I read the title Pigs in the Pulpit, I knew I had to read this book. Ironically, being anti-religion, I love to read books on religions. I think it is more my love of the human condition and what motivates people than the study of any religion in particular. Plus it always disappoints me that any given religion thinks that theirs is the only way and that those who don’t follow are doomed, yet at the same time fascinates me that almost all religions when broken down to their fundamental core are the same. I was raised Southern Baptist in an affluent environment and even at a young age, the main theme was go to church showing off your best clothes, etc, while smiling and acting “Christian” during those few hours every Sunday and/or Wednesday in an effort to convince yourself and the world what a wonderful pious person you are and then as soon as you walk out the door you talk about others behind their backs and go right on with your sinful and unchristian behavior until next week, after all, you have put in your few hours of show and given money and that is all you need to do to make it to heaven. I’m not saying all religious people are this way, just that in my experience from the age of toddler on, that is mostly what I encounter in religious environments of any denomination. It seems easier for most to blindly follow what fallible “religious leaders”, often men, say than to establish their own relationship with God. You see in my studies, since it’s beginning, religion has always been man-made and designed to give certain men and groups power over others. This is why I follow God not man. But enough of my views on religion, let’s get back to Pigs in the Pulpit.


J. Michael Wittman takes us on a journey through his life: through his addiction, his discovery and acceptance of God, through his joys and sorrows of those journeys. His story is open and brutally honest. He doesn’t gloss over his own role and uncertainties in his journey. In this book, he is almost self-depreciating. He is harder on himself than on those who trespass against him. In these pages you see a true Christian, not one who puts on Christianity like a fancy suit jacket. Oh you will see that type of “Christian” in this book also. While reading this a thought came to my mind, “why do the good always seem to get walked on and taken advantage of by the wicked?”. Unfortunately this book, shows us that we sometimes bring it on ourselves. While you almost instantly relate to Michael, there are times when he does things, being the good person that he truly is, that you just want to scream at him. There are times in quest to be a good Christian and person that he lets people take advantage of him. The wonderful thing about his story is that even when you want to scream at him to have more of a backbone, you want to stand beside him and let him know things will be alright and that you admire his faith in the face of adversity. In many ways Michael is a role model of what a person of face is supposed to represent. Michael and his family put their faith in God. They don’t give up on God or their faith even when they have doubts. Personally, I want to write about what a evil scumbag, Jason Bower is. I want to tell the reader all the sick ways he uses people in the name of God. But that is not what Michael would do. Even when he is telling you the bad things being done, he does so in a way that is accepting and forgiving. He shows us how to be a better person. His story is our story and that is what makes this book compelling and worth reading. Whether you agree with his choices or not you understand them because he opens his soul to the reader. This is not an easy thing for us to do, but it is this bearing of his soul that compels you to read page after page. It is what makes you admire him. Yes the book is the story of corruption in religion but it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of faith and believing in something bigger than yourself and trusting the path that leads you on. I highly recommend this book and give it five out of five prayers.

This book was provided in eBook form from the author and one lucky commenter will receive a copy.

Book Review - Letters to Rosy

When I first got the email to review C. Ellene Bartlett’s Letters to Rosy, I jumped at the chance. Yes, I love the internet and email as much as the next person, maybe more and it has allowed me to reconnect with many people from my past, but there is just something special about writing letters. It may seem old-fashioned and impractical to modern generations (and no, I’m not that old). In an age where everyone is in a hurry, wants instant gratification and doesn’t have time to wait for the sometimes inefficient and increasingly expensive postal system, the thought of a book about two ladies an ocean apart who still connect through “snail mail” is delightful. That is exactly what Letters to Rosy is. It’s delightful and yet it’s also so much more. This isn’t your typical story and it’s not your typical compilation of letters. It's a story about friendship, mystery, kidnappings, forbidden love, obsession, and more.


Letters to Rosy starts out with a letter Rene in Germany writes to her childhood friend Rosy after decades spent apart. As teens Rene, Rosy and Mendy were the ‘terrible three’ who spent their teens years together in the small town of Bartsville, Georgia. Although they had lost touch with each other over the years, Rene and Rosy renew their special bond as they write letters back and forth, filling each other in on their lives and ailments and each telling a story from the past of someone they knew. By the end of the book you feel like you have lived vicariously through these women and you want to run to buy stationary and reconnect with your own long lost friends.

Once I started reading this book, I found it was not at all what I was expecting. Rene and Rosy take you on a rollercoaster ride. Building up the suspense and then leaving you dangling until the next letter arrives. Needless to say I read this book, in one sitting and in just over two hours. I could not put it down, like each of the women waiting for the next letter, I could not wait for the next part of the story. I had no trouble visualizing their postmen being afraid of being mugged every day in search of the next letter. You see, that is one of the things that makes this book so wonderful, it makes you feel. With Letters to Rosy, Bartlett has succeeded in making the reader feel a gamut of emotions. She makes you laugh when Rene and Rosy are writing back and forth and telling you about their postal carriers. She makes so sad when you hear of the family whose little girl goes missing and then the wife goes crazy with grief and ends up accidentally killing herself. She makes you anxious when Mendy and her daughter are kidnapped. She makes you anger, even a little enraged at various characters (sorry, can’t explain that with out giving too much of the story away). And she shocks you at the end with a few twist you don’t expect. The story of these two women and the stories they are telling to each other make you feel. When was the last time a book did that? I’m not talking about just getting caught up in a story, lots of books can do that, but this one really makes you feel. By the time, I finished this book I had tears in my eyes. For those of you who don’t know me that probably doesn’t mean much. For those of you who do, you know how rare that is. You see, I’m not one of those sentimental, cry at sad movies and stories kind of woman. I was raised to be tough. Although, as I get older more things get to me than they used to, I am not one to cry. I just don’t. So when something makes me cry, you can bet it has really moved me. This book is five out of five postage stamps.

To watch the trailer for the book, click here.

Come back on Friday, November 27th for an interview with Bartlett and a chance to win a letter writing prize package (a copy of her book, a leather bound journal, note card stationary set and a custom made pen).

This book was provided by the author.

Book Review - The Code of Destiny by Sara Enochs

What if we could have the events of our lives play out the way we want by reliving our past while remaining in the present. In Sara Enochs’ The Code of Destiny, Ava Ballantyne has learned how to do just that.

Ava comes from a long line of strong Ballantyne women. Women who revel in being mothers and taking care of their large families while never uttering a single complaint. They sound supernatural, don’t they? Oh, sure the mothering and taking care of large families we can believe, but never complaining? Not even once? Yeah right. This is what Ava is thinking also as she struggles to adjust to becoming a new mother and live up to this legacy.

Ava is your typical type ‘A’ modern woman. She always has a plan, everything in it’s place and according to a well thought out schedule. Motherhood has just thrown a monkey wrench into all of that. She is struggling to adjust to the new changes the arrival of her son, Eli, has brought. Feeling she is losing herself, she embarks on a journey across the country with her mother and son. Throughout the journey, Ava takes side journeys into her daydreams. While most of us daydream about the future. Our daydreams filled with our hopes for that future. Ava’s daydreams are mostly of the past, of the way she wishes things had played out as well as of the present as she puts herself in the center of a conspiracy. Don’t misunderstand, she is not one of those neurotic ‘the world is out to get me’ types. She has a mysterious gift, that the author teases us with, without ever telling us what it is. It is infuriating! And at the same time brilliant. She has insured that we will read the next book, if only to find out what is the darn ‘gift’. Well, we will also read the next one to see where Ava’s daydreams are headed and if she has the courage to pursue her dreams. This book gets three out of five daydreams.

DVD- Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore was a made for HBO movie that is currently available on DVD. The film, about two eccentric relatives of Jacqueline Onassis; won top honors for best telemovie. Jessica Lange beat out Grey Gardens co-star Drew Barrymore for the best actress in a movie or miniseries award. Ken Howard took home the best supporting actor Emmy for his performance in the movie. Overall the film was nominated for 17 Emmy's.

The film was inspired by the 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles and chronicles the lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, "Little Edie". HBO took it one step further than the documentary by taking us back to the 1930's and giving us a glimpse of what the real Beale's described in the documentary. These were eccentric women who once were the socialites of their day before spiralling into a life of squallor. The film is beautiful done. The acting is amazing and deserving of the accolades and awards being received. The Art Department brings to life an extraordinarily beautiful age of the New York and Hampton social scene in the 1930's and then gives you such a realistic view of the squallor they ended up living in that you can smell the mold and mildew through the screen. The sets are remarkable in their beauty and depravity. As a former costume designer, I can only applaud the amazing job Catherine Marie Thomas has done in recreating the years from the 1930's to the 1970's. Again the visual elements, truly take the viewer back in time.

Having watched the documentary as well, I am in awe how magnificently the make-up artist recreated The real Beale women. Barrymore is almost unrecognizable and does an amazing job of tranforming herself into "Little Edie". Her accent and mannerism were a perfect portrayal.
Lange also is nearly unrecognizable as the elderly Beale. She does a wonderful job of making you despise the woman for her narcisism, while feeling conpassion for this woman who never truly felt loved by anyone. Edith Beale was a woman whose actions sent people running from her life, yet all she could see was that everyone abandoned her. She manages to trap Little Edie in her unrealistic world and almost manages to blot out the sunshine that her spirit daughter exudes. The story is a tragic one and the film is often times hard to watch. As Edith tells Little Edie at one point in the film, it is "an aquired taste."

If you love drama and fine acting, you will definitely want to see this film. Be prepared, it will make laugh, it will make you angry and it will make you sad. But then that's what a good drama should do.

Also be sure to check out the documentary that inspired the movie. For details on the 1975 Documentary click here. To visit her Fan site and for more on Little Edie, click here. For a wonderful blog that covers all things Grey Gardens, click here.

                                                           The real life Beale's

Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as the Beale's

Book Review - King By Right of Blood and Might by Anna L. Walls

What if the world as we know it catastrophically destroyed and only a small number of humans were left to survive in a world practically taken back to the stone ages, or more precisely the ice age? Those survivors would be charged with rebuilding the world and dealing with the effects of starvation, radiation poisoning, genetic mutation, re-learning how to survive without all our modern conveniences. Now imagine if you will thousands of years into the future. The modern Ice Age has ended and future generations have learned not only to adapt but to reform societies again. Those genetic mutations have taken the form of people gifted with the power to move objects, shape shift, heal, read thoughts and bend minds. Have they become more highly evolved beings or is mankind still destined to follow the footsteps of those who lived through the dark and middle ages of history?

At first glance, King by Right of Blood and Might looks like your typical medieval tale. Don't let the cover fool you, this book doesn't take place in the distant past, it takes place in the distant future after the world has healed from a global devastation. This is the first novel self published by Anna L. Walls.

The first thing that struck me as unique was finding a Table of Contents. Outside of textbooks, non-fiction books and anthologies, it is not something I often find in fiction books published today. Seeing so many short chapters, my first thought was, "uh-oh, this is going to be really choppy." In reality her shorter chapters flowed beautifully and kept me up most of the night because I'd say to myself, "the next chapter is only a few more pages and I have to see what happens." Then at the end of that chapter, "Oh, I can read just one more.." Needless to say I finished the book in one night.

King by Right of Blood and Might, is the journey of a sixteen year old boy. A prince who has led a sheltered life inside the walls of palace. Prince Harris is the only son of King Aidyn and Queen Lucida of Penn. In the beginning, Harris appears to be an over-protected, bored child. His father obviously loves him but lets his fear for the safety of his family from allowing them to grow and flourish. King Aidyn goes through the motions of being king, allowing other to make the decisions by merely signing whatever is put before him. He knows he can not let his kingdom continue this way, so when King Carroll of the Carolinas sends his envoy and 3rd son, Prince Jonathan to Penn, suggesting they foster each other's sons, King Aidyn sends Harris south to Carolinas. Before he leaves, Harris begins what will be a lifelong bond with Prince Jonathan.

And so the adventure of Prince Harris begins as he is thrust into a kingdom nothing like his own. He will learn what it really means to be a diplomat and a ruler from King Carroll and his family, while back home his own kingdom is crumbling to ruins. He will need all these valuable lessons as he must face the challenge of united former foes to create an army to save his people and rebuild his Kingdom. Some of the interesting characters who will join him along his journey will be Sholeh, the healer; Juan, the son of the Nomad leader, Duncan; Safi, a truthsayer child who will become his ward and bodyguard; Evan, the nomad shapeshifter and many more.

Does Harris have what it takes to bring a truce to all the kingdoms and bridge the gaps and prejudices of the different races? I could tell you, but I want you to go out and buy this fabulous book for yourself. You will not be disappointed. Anna Walls succeeds in taking the reader on an epic journey and leaving them wanting more. Luckily she has another installment in the works. This book is a great read for any age, but would make a great gift to any young adult in your life.

Since it is self-published the best place to find it is on Amazon or ask your local book seller to stock it.

Racism and DVD-Spinning into Butter

Yes, this weekend was a movie fest at my house. While most of the movies we watched were average, a few were bad and a few were really great. I like all kinds of movies, but I especially like dramas. Movies that make you stop and think. Examine your own life and views. Spinning into Butter is just such a film. I'll admit, I picked it up because I like Sarah Jessica Parker, Beau Bridges, Miranda Richardson. It's the story of racism. I started to write "modern day", but really racism is timeless and there is no one who is not guilty of it. If we are honest, that is. No one wants to ever admit they are racist, but everyone is to an extent. If you really look at how you think and how you act and react to things and people, there is no one who can say they are not a little racist. I'm not talking whites against blacks, I'm talking all races. Blacks can be just as racist against whites, Hispanics against Mexicans, Indians against Turkish, whites against Native Americans, Mexicans against Asians, etc. Everyone has their prejudices. We try to live in a "politically correct" world and I think that sometimes as we try so hard to be politically correct we are actually perpetuating the very racist tendencies we are trying to avoid. Deep down I don't think of myself as a racist, I have friends from all different races, I've dated and been married to different races. As an artist, when I look at another person I notice everything about them, skin color, texture, hair, eyes, bone structure, scars, etc. and on that level I see and distinguish all their physical characteristics. I think the more diverse a person is the more beautiful they are because of that uniqueness from a purely aesthetic point of view. But when I see a person on a mental level, I don't see the color of their skin, their ethnic background.... I see a person and who and what their actions and words represent. That being said, I am as guilty as everyone else of making generalizations. I get so frustrated when I see many of my friends being turned down for benefits they need and deserve just because they are technically not a minority in that particular setting. I get frustrated when I see people born in this country suffer while those who are here illegally get handed things on a silver platter just because this "system" doesn't want to seem prejudice. I get enraged when I see someone treated differently because one assumes they are a certain nationality. We like to think we live in a society where all men are created equal, but the reality is that we aren't treated equal and we never will be until we stop focusing so much on our differences and just accept them. History has shown us that we can not do that and the future will affirm it.

Back to the film..... it's the story of an idealistic young woman who never considered herself racist until she found herself being the minority. Then she began to focus so much on those differences that she ran away to be the Dean at college where she would no longer be the minority. It is there that blatant racism rears it's ugly head, and it is how the various characters react to it, that is so telling about our human nature. Some want to sweep it under the rug, some want to attack everyone else, some want to make up their own race instead of being who they are, some want to promote "tolerance" ( more on my opinion of that in a moment), and some want to confront it head on and make a difference. In this film, you get to see all sides, all views and it makes you stop and realize the racism in yourself. There is a wonderful scene between a black character and a white character, where they decide to list all the disparaging things about the other race that come to mind with a mutual respect for each and frustration at their own human nature. I found the film very moving and think everyone should watch it because there is a message for everyone in it.

Tolerance. I don't know why, but I find that to be one of the ugliest words a person can use. I truly find it offensive in any context, but especially when talking about race. I think one of our biggest problems, is that we try to "tolerate" each other instead of accepting one another. Why should we tolerate another human being? Tolerate is something you do with static in your radio channel, or commercials on TV. You tolerate those things. In other words they are an annoyance that you put up with in hopes that eventually they will go away. Is that really how we should feel about another human being? I don't believe so. I believe we should accept each other. Does that mean I think we should like everything about every other person. Definitely not, but we should accept that that is who they are and not judge them for it. After all who are we to judge anyone but ourselves.