Literature & Fiction Interviews
by Shelagh Watkins
Synopsis +
This volume of interviews provides an insight into a group of authors living in the United States, Canada and Europe, and gives a glimpse of their past and present books. The interviews will entertain and inspire readers to find out more about the authors and their books.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 110
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Mandinam Press
Publication Year: 2010
Purchasing: Lulu.com
Stumble It!
February 8, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Booze House
by Maria Mendoza
Synopsis +
Written as a memoir of true events based in the Downriver area of Michigan, Booze House is a tour de force emotional ride that vividly and powerfully portrays the experience of surviving a broken family unit! With gritty realism and candor, author Maria Mendoza aka Lisa Ball tells her traumatic tale of trying to help raise her younger autistic brother while being engulfed in a home of instability, addiction, and violence.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 65
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: William Joseph K Publications
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 098204254X
Purchasing: AMAZON
February 8, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Day by Day, The Chronicles of a Hard of Hearing Reporter
by Elizabeth Thompson
Synopsis +
The Seventh Volume in the Deaf Lives Series, Elizabeth Thompson’s hearing loss was detected when she was in elementary school, and her hearing continued to deteriorate until she became completely deaf. Like many other hard of hearing and late-deafened individuals, her hearing loss complicated the general challenges of life. She struggled through school, worked as a secretary, married, had a daughter, and then found herself living as a single mother. She remarried, and soon after learned that she had contracted Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Despite these hurdles, Thompson always expressed her determination to enjoy the best life had to offer. Her astonishing exuberance might have gone unnoticed if she hadn’t accepted a new position as a reporter/columnist in 1998 for the Suburban News Publications (SNP). Day by Day: The Chronicles of a Hard of Hearing Reporter presents a marvelous blend of her experiences and best SNP columns that illustrate how she crafted her remarkable outlook. In her columns, Thompson presented how she handled her hearing loss as a personal guide for readers. She used every stratagem available to function full-throttle – hearing aids, FM systems, lights for alarms, TTYs, even training her dog Snert. She also gently counseled readers on how to treat deaf and hard of hearing people with practical consideration and respect. Her pursuit of a fully realized life enabled her to do what she loved most, to meet and write about inspiring persons, many of whom are profiled in her memoir. Thompson eventually underwent cochlear implantation that restored 95% of her hearing, an exalting moment for her. Yet, Day by Day celebrates the entire arc of her life, a wonderful testament to her joyous resilience.
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Classification: Non–Fiction
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 204
Format: Softback
Language: English
Publisher: Gallaudet University Press
Publication Year: 2008
ISBN: 978-1563683701
Purchasing: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Gallaudet University Press, Harris Communication
February 8, 2010 at 2:26 pm
A Heart’s Thoughts: Love Walk Meditations Series
by Shalonda “Treasure” Williams
Synopsis +
Questions? Questions? So many questions we ask ourselves. We even dare to sometimes ask another. “Why is my blessing taking so long?” “Why can’t I know my entire purpose at once?” “Why does God always seem so far away when trouble comes?” Even… “Why don’t I understand myself?” There are often times when we feel so alone in our search for the answers to these questions. In this book Shalonda “Treasure” Williams will dare to share some answers with you that are sure to ease your mind and lift your heart.
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Classification: Non-fiction
Genre: Spiritaulity
Pages: 104
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Createspace
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 1442189657
Purchasing: Amazon:
AMAZON
February 8, 2010 at 2:28 pm
PurposeFull You: You Are Full Of Great Purpose
by Shalonda “Treasure” Williams
Synopsis +
Let’s talk! When was the last time you thought of how great your purpose is? If it’s been a while, now might be the time for a new outlook on life. What you have to offer is no less than what the next has to offer, so, what are you going to do with it? PurposeFull You, you are full of great purpose. Now, from a friend to a friend, let’s find out what it is and where you fit.
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Classification: Non-fiction
Genre: Self Help/Motivational
Pages: 52
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Createspace
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 1449547699
Purchasing: Amazon:
AMAZON
February 8, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Love Walk Meditations: Back To The Basics
by Shalonda “Treasure” Williams
Synopsis +
Every day, we witness a church full of people professing to know God. There are those who feel the need to let others know how long they’ve been members of their congregation. “I’ve been here since the foundation was laid. I know more about God than you do.”…“I was born in this church, so you can’t tell me anything about how ‘we’ should run it.” The idea of what God wants from us has been lost for so many generations. We think that our membership at a particular church makes us saved and automatically makes us righteous. But, oh, how wrong we are. God’s Word came to set us straight. Religion is not what He came to teach. He came to teach love, faith and repentance. Let’s go back and establish a foundation for our Christian walk. Let’s go back to the basics!
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Religion/Spirituality
Pages: 77
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: PublishAmerica
Publication Year: 2007
ISBN: 1424180619
Purchasing: Amazon:
AMAZON
February 8, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Somebody Move the Cat!
by Sheila Balls
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Literary Non-fiction
Pages: 142
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: The Brucedale Press
Publication Year: 2003
ISBN: 1-896922-27-9
Purchasing: The Brucedale Press or author
at carlsheila.balls@gmail.com
Our Side of the Fence
by Sheila Balls
Synopsis +
In the author’s woodland home, kids, cats, and the cows next door inspire philosophical musings, and recollections of real life happenings ranging from funny to surprising to nostalgic.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Literary Non-fiction
Pages: 110
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: MooAlley Press
Publication Year: 2005
ISBN: ISBN 0-9738935-0-8
Purchasing: from author
at carlsheila.balls@gmail.com
February 8, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Mission Possible
by Deborah McCarragher
Synopsis +
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to stand in the gap for your mate’s soul. This small book is a powerful tool for any woman who is married to a man who does not share her passion for Jesus. It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together. The author applies Scripture and practical action in this must have book. In this book you will:
• Discover how to believe with radical faith for your
spouse’s salvation
• Learn the secret to “staying the course” while you
wait for your promise
• Find out why many women don’t like to share their
“secret sorrow”
• Overcome your own fears and doubts about your
husband’s future with God
• Join other women in the knowledge that God has
a perfect plan of unity for you and your spouse
Mission Possible – Spiritual Covering candidly portrays her quest over time to reach her husband for Christ.
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Classification: Non-Fiction
Genre: Christian – Women’s Issues
Pages: 80
Format: Trade Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Alabaster Box Publishing
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-615-30357-4
Purchasing: Author Website
http://www.Godmissionpossible.com
Amazon http://bit.ly/fwcGm
February 8, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Achieve Anything In Just One Year: Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals
by Jason Harvey
Synopsis +
This is a self improvement, motivational and personal development book that is designed to be read on a daily basis. One page a day for one year. Each page starts with an inspirational quote, followed by a discussion of that day’s topic, and ends with a task or an assignment for the reader to follow.
The idea is to take daily action that creates a ripple effect in your life.
By transforming your life with small steps, you can stay motivated, focused and balanced. Best of all, you will feel happier about pursuing your personal success.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Self Improvement
Pages: 376
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Amazing Life Press
Publication Year: 2010
ISBN: 978-0981363905
Purchasing: Amazon
February 9, 2010 at 4:56 pm
A Brief History Of Lies
by Daniel Nanavati. Cartoons by Calvin Innes
Synopsis +
A survey of a wicked, irreverent, serious, harmful, cruel and enjoyable (for some) side of human civilization. Including quotes on lies and lying (good, bad and indifferent) from famous people who should know better.
Recent research has discovered possibly connections with our frontal-brain cell structures and our ability to lie well, giving a whole new series of answers to the question, Why do we lie? and more importantly Why Do We Lie To Ourselves?
An easy read, amusing look at the bedrock of civilization.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Social Sciences
Pages: 106
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Footsteps Press
Publication Year: 2010
ISBN: 1449963277
Purchasing: https://www.createspace.com/3417769
AMAZON e-Commerce
February 10, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Amongst the Marines
by Steven Preece
Synopsis +
Steven Preece was a Royal Marine Commando from 1983 to 1990, serving first at entry-level and then as a lance-corporal. Amongst the Marines is Steven’s first-hand account of his years as an elite soldier, focusing directly on the excessive and often shocking lifestyle of the Marines during this time, and the impact this had on his own personality and behaviour. Preece fulfilled his childhood ambition by earning the coveted Green Beret from the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone when he was 18. He was unaware, however, of the brutal rite of passage that awaited him and all the other “pieces of skin” (new recruits) at his first Marine commando unit. Violence in the Marines, as Steven discovered, was not limited to the battlefield but a continual part of a pervasive culture of bullying and aggression. It did not take long for Preece to be accepted into this culture and to adopt it as his own. His personality changed beyond recognition – from friendly and approachable to hard and unforgiving – as he embraced the customs and values of the 45 Commando Unit. On duty he was fit, committed and loyal, while off duty he displayed a mammoth capacity for drinking, fighting and, when the drink had run out, womanising. On home leave, Steven found it increasingly hard to adapt to civilian life. His drinking sessions in local pubs frequently ended in fights with the locals and even in violence against members of his own family. Preece earned a reputation amongst his fellow Marines for pranks and dangerous behaviour, and his eagerness to accept any challenges from other commandos eventually led him to be court-martialled. To his relief and surprise, however, Preece was fully acquitted by the court. Amongst the Marines is an unflinching expose of the culture of the Marines, from foul practical jokes and rough justice to the off-duty orgies of drink, sex and violence. It is a no-holds-barred account of the many shocking incidents Preece witnessed and participated in, from his first day as a new recruit to his exit from the Marines with his reputation intact and his scores settled once and for all.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Military
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing/Random House
ISBN-13: 978-1840188523
Publication Year: 2004
Purchasing – Amazon, plus most book sites.
February 10, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Always a Marine
by Steven Preece
Synopsis +
In “Amongst the Marines”, Steven Preece vividly depicted his excessive, violent lifestyle as an elite Royal Marine Commando. Now, “Always a Marine” covers the author’s struggle to leave that lifestyle behind following his departure from the service. Back on civvy street for the first time in over seven years, Preece finds it extremely difficult to adapt and struggles to shake off the belligerent mentality he developed while in the Marines. Despite these difficulties, he marries and starts a family, but this positive change is not enough to turn his life around. Preece soon discovers that his tendency towards violence will not be tolerated in the civilian workplace and, after finding himself blacklisted by many companies in his area, he is forced to look for employment abroad. This quest for work takes Preece to France, where he is caught up in a hotel fire; Germany, where he is double-crossed out of his job and later teams up with an ex-SAS trooper; Morocco, where an incident lands him in jail and he is later shot at by border police; and Thailand, where he fights in a boxing ring with a former French Legionnaire and gets caught up in a business scam. Having settled back in the UK, Preece’s behavior remains excessive. He severely injures his head and suffers minor brain damage after a heavy-drinking session. Upon recovering, he looks for something else to believe in and begins training in ninjutsu, the martial art of the ninjas, who view aggression as a sign of weakness. This, combined with the love of his family, finally enables him to put his past behind him. “Always a Marine” is the action-packed, often shocking account of one ex-Marine’s 13-year struggle to control the aggression he learnt as a serviceman in order to become a respectable civilian.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Military Biography
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing/Random House
ISBN-13: 978-1845960056
Publication Year: 2005
Purchasing – Amazon, plus most book sites.
February 15, 2010 at 10:48 am
No Child Left Behind? The True Story of a Teacher’s Quest
by Elizabeth Blake
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Elizabeth Blake takes on the incredible challenge of teaching at-risk students in an inner-city high school. This is an inspirational and dramatic memoir of one teacher’s vision to leave no child behind.
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Classification: Non-fiction
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 210
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Hudson House
Publication year: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-58776-879-8
Purchasing: http://elizabethblakeonline.com
February 15, 2010 at 8:19 pm
A Gift From Brittany
by Marjorie Price
Synopsis +
As Midge’s seemingly idyllic marriage begins to unravel, she turns to an elderly, illiterate peasant woman who lives in the nearest farmhouse across the road. Jeanne Montrelay is sixty-eight. She has three cows to her name, doesn’t know how to read or write, and has never left the village. In spite of staggering differences, the two women forge a friendship that leaps across booundaries of age, language and time and transforms each others lives. A GIFT FROM BRITTANY is a moving and atmospheric memoir about two relationships: one that tests strength;
another that restores it. It celebrates the transcendent power of friendship and through the eyes of an artist, brings a lost culture to life again.
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February 15, 2010 at 8:28 pm
How I Became A Fearless Woman
by Pamela Jansen
Synopsis +
This is my story about overcoming the effects of a traumatic brain injury, caused by a car accident. I’m just the average woman, in other words, I am not placing myself above anyone. I realized that I had been given a choice between, existing or living a full life. I chose the latter.
I wanted to share this with the person who has lost any hope to see that change is possible. I am referring to the change in our outlook on ourselves. We must love ourselves. I believe, that is where inner peace and healing begins.
I knew for a fact that God allowed me to remain here on earth, but there were times when the reasons seemed very cloudy. I also knew that every one of us had struggles of some sort or another, but life had become very challenging for this one. For instance, say that you’ve been striving very hard for something and you are just beginning to see the fruits. Out of the blue, there’s this feeling of insignificance trying to tell you to just give up, that you will never achieve. Don’t listen. All of us have that weak inner self that is so much against our succeeding because it is scared, and until we learn to recognize that voice, it has won. There finally came a time, after 25 years and over 30 surgeries, that I came to realize this is it, and it’s OK to be different. I am enough. My goals in writing this book are not only to share my story with accident victims, but also for the person who has not experienced a physical loss, yet emotionally they are overcome.Ever since the day I began sharing my story with people, it was as if I had been buttered up and frosted like an angel food cake. It seemed as if no one wanted to see me hurt any more than I had been already. To them, Pam was such an over comer. What had yet to be witnessed though, was the anger inside, pushed down so deep that even I was not about to confront it. I was furious that this happened. Why me? Why not me was the question that I had to accept. I didn’t come to a resolution for years.
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Classification: Nonfiction
Genre: Inspirational
Pages: 128
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: self published
Publication Year: 2009
ISBN: 9780978980405
Purchasing: Available Online @ Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Ingram, Baker & Taylor and NACSCORP.
February 18, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Not Just The Levees Broke: My Story During and After Hurricane Katrina
by Phyllis Montana-Leblanc
Synopsis +
A New Orleans Hurricane Katrina survivor writes an astounding and poignant account of how she and her husband lived through one of the US’s worst disasters, and continue to put their lives back together again. Includes a foreword by Spike Lee.
Featured in Spike Lee’s HBO documentary: “When The Levees Broke.”
Currently filming HBO Drama Series: “Treme.” By David Simon (The Wire), due out in April, 2010. Currently(when time permits) working on next book, a memoir about domestic abuse in teenage relationships. Possible publication 2011. Also giving lectures/speeches regarding New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina and my current memoir.
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Classificaton: Non-Fiction
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 216
Format: Hardcover/Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Simon and Schuster/Atria Books
Publication Year: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4165-6346-4
Purchasing: Available online and in bookstores: Amazon.com Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart and many more outlets online and in stores.
January 2, 2011 at 11:00 am
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