Writers Books

American children went missing before and after Adam Walsh, but his was the first to gain national media attention. His parents were likable, educated and well-spoken, and Adam was kidnapped from the safest place anyone could ever imagine, from inside a Sears department store. The Walsh family's story could have been any American family's story. I remember seeing the original news stories, and the national TV interview of John and Reve Walsh, on the same morning that their son's headless body was found in a Florida canal.

The true story that John Walsh tells is about a family nearly torn apart by the senseless murder of a little boy, and the anger and rage that they turned into positive action and change, establishing the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and later, becoming host of the TV show America's Most Wanted, which has brought home missing children and helped police to solve murders and bring killers to justice.

The murder of his own child remains unsolved, but Walsh believes that he knows the identity of the killer, a homeless drifter who later died in prison, where he was serving time for crimes unrelated to the murder of Adam Walsh.

I've never read a book so gripping or heart wrenching. My condolences to you and your family Mr. Walsh; my heart breaks for you.

John Walsh has decided he is the voice for victims everywhere. The problem is, fewer and fewer people want him to be. Why? Because of things like this book.

He seems to ignore reality in favor of what he wants us to think.

I agree that this book is very sad and heart breaking. I can only begin to feel the sadness and heart break that this man and his wife went through. This book reveal that. I could only somewhat feel his pain because I have never been through it. This book proves that something good can come out of tragic happenings.

This book is more political then I thought. This man has accomplished a lot Worth the buy.

AS A MAN YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO CRY, BUT I DID, READING WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS SON AND THINKING OF MY OWN SON I JUST COULDNT HELP IT! ITS A GREAT BOOK AND MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU!

I think that this book can be very helpful to any writer that wants to sell his/her book. I am using several of the ideas that I recieved in the book to sell my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and collectibles. it has increased my sales. Daryle

I've never read a more informative book. It not only points out what you should do to promote, it actually gives you the tools to do it. Both phone numbers and websites that will really help you. It is the first self help book that doesn't tell you what it is going to tell you, IT JUST TELLS YOU. How novel. It will take me weeks to implement all the information, but each step is clearly presented. If you write to sell you need this book as flowers need rain.

The position of a first-time self-published author is not an enviable one; you've already written your manuscript, invested money in typesetting, cover design and an initial print run, you've purchased an ISBN number and your book is in Ingram's database, so it can be ordered in stores. You wait a week, and then another, for book sales to start coming in. Finally, realization begins to set in - just because it is possible for someone to walk into a book store and order your book, it isn't very likely that it will happen, because nobody knows about it.

Marilyn and Tom Ross have written an excellent resource for self-published authors and small publishers who want to get their book sales going, and their techniques are considerate of the budgets that most self-published authors are constrained by.

If you successfully self-publish your book, there are three steps for you to follow:

1. Write a solid, clear and engaging book that people will enjoy reading. Refer to books about clear and effective writing.

2. Work your way through the publishing process. Refer to Dan Poynter's "Self-Publishing Manual".

3. Get the word out about your recently published work - this is exactly what the Marilyn and Tom Ross show you how to do in "Jump-Start Your Book Sales".

In short, if you are a self-published author, are considering self-publishing, are a small publisher, or even if you're a traditionally published author who wants to take a more active role in the promotion of your book (which most publishers will expect you to do anyway), you should read this book.

Danny Iny
Author of "Ordinary Miracles - Harness the power of writing and get your point across!" (ISBN 1-4116-7252-6)

through the self publishing process of my new book. More than a notion, self publishing is very rewarding but extremely time consuming, and SUPER hard work. I thought writing the book was hard. Ha! That was the easy part!!! Thank goodness I bought this book, as its given me many great ideas for marketing and promotion. It's wonderful to have written the best book in the world, but it doesn't mean anything if no one knows about it! Thanks Marilyn!!!!

Do you know when you should start marketing your book? Marilyn Ross does, and in "Jump Start Your Book Sales" she reveals the answer. (Hint: It's before you start writing it!)

Before, during, and after -- in fact. Regardless of where you are in the writing and publishing process, book marketing should be at the forefront of your thinking. Is your book even marketable? What is the market? What length of book are those people used to buying? Why would they buy yours instead of (or in addition to) all the other similar books on the market? What will differentiate yours? These are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself even before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, as the case may be.

These strategic concepts are the bread and butter of the pages comprising "Jump Start." Don't be surprised if you find meat in the middle that you can really sink your teeth into. This isn't another rehash of duplicative information available for free from countless websites. This is the real deal, written by the co-founder of the Small Publishers Association of North America. Highly recommended reading before you start writing, before you start publishing, and after you think you've marketed it all. - Brent Sampson, author of Self-Publishing Simplified

This is a beautiful book, and from my experience, you will not find it in stores for less than $60. It was delivered on time, in perfect condition, and cost a lot less (including shipping), than it was in stores. This makes a beautiful gift or addition to a personal collection.

C.S. Lewis was certainly 1 of, if not the most, thought provoking theologist of the last century. As a former atheist/current agnostic, I will say, his is the only sensible argument for Christianity I've ever come across. Of course his prose is as always thoughtful, intelligent, & often humorous.

the seller got the book to me promptly - i have not had time to read it yet - it's in the to be read pile...it appears to be in good condition.

The detail and depth of arguments is incredible. The presentation is equal and fair to both sides but leaves no doubt of the ultimate truth. I especially enjoyed the allusions by the author to time period events and situations. ie. WWII and English manners.

To have in one place the works of one of the greatest minds of the Twentieth Century is to have a treasure in ones hands. The logic of Mere Christianity is so close that it leave little wiggle room for the deepest of intellects. The satire of Screwtape Letters is hilarious but pointed and so true to life. Miracles is another apologetic as well as the Great Divorce. One needs this volume at hand and needs to read its content from cover to cover to even start to say that they are an educated person. For me Lewis is one of the greatest writers of all time, and a theologian without all the trappings of obscurantism. Enjoy the exercise of mind and heart in reading these classics.

This book is the best book of advice for aspiring novel writers I have seen. Lots of practical examples and some good techniques to try out. Even has a chapter-by-chapter system to go from nothing to a novel by the end of the book (if you want to use it).

It is also engaging to read and is not boring or "text-booky" at all.

Higly recommended.

I purchased his book after attending a class Mr. Bell gave at a writer's conference.

The book is invaluable, it will save countless hours of re-writing, and make the entire effort easier. Plot is perhaps the most important element of a book.

Just as a house has a kitchen, bedroom, front door, etc, a well-crafted book should contain certain elements as well.

There are time-tested techniques and pointers, this book lists them and makes their application much easier.

We all have at least a dozen books on the craft of writing, this should be one of them. It is worth the investment and the time it will take to digest it.

Dan Elliott Jr.

This book, as it says on the title, focus on plot and structure. He gives an introduction to each then delves into them for the rest of the book. The concepts are solid and anyone who want to know how to write but doesn't (or thinks they can't) owes it to themselves to pick this and the other "Write Great Fiction" books. There's a criticism that the author just reuses the same information that's been out there for a long time, which is like criticizing a history book on the Romans. There's only one set of history out there, so of course it will have the same information! Besides, since it's the SAME INFORMATION as other "how to" books, and since this book is clearly written towards those who want to know how to write, the criticism is again made completely moot. On that same note, if someone got this book, then why would they buy another book on plot?

The author's use of the "LOCK" system and the "doorways" is excellent and helps a new would-be writer more easily conceptualize the elements that are needed for a good plot. That was what he intended to do, that was what he did, and so that is why this book is worth the money.

This how-to book actually delivers! So many books give definintions of writing terms, but this book explains HOW TO DO those things. Intellegent, useful, and sometimes even funny.

Buy this book. The excercises are even good- and I HATE writing excersises.

Best of all- this book is ENCOURAGING. The author's you-can-do-it spirit flows from every page and his clear explainations make you believe him that you can.

The author did a fantastic job with this book. It is a must-have for fiction writers.

No more excuses. Whether you are a published author, have never written a word, or just want to get some thoughts on a page, Secrets of the Zona Rosa will change your life if you let it.

The lessons in these pages are are powerful, provocative, and positively practical because they are universal. This book is not just for writers. It is for everyone.

Willing students will learn how to free their trapped, inner demons - as well as angels - through the healing, therapeutic power of words in Rosemary's "Exorcises". These wonderful writing tools will allow you to celebrate yourself by helping you reveal facets of your soul you might not otherwise knew existed.

Rosemary Daniell is not afraid of writing and telling her truths. Neither should you be! A marvelous follow-up to The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself, Secrets of the Zona Rosa will make you laugh. Sometimes, it will make you cringe - with a smile. Most of all, it will make you write. Read it, apply it, and gain the power to tell your story!

My hand reached for this book as if it were a divining rod to grab onto something to help me find the way out of the darkness I was in...
Reading other women's stories of finding their true ALPHA voice gave me courage, confidence and broke the isolation of going it alone...
Rosemary recounts stories or events that are sometimes disturbing, painfully truthful, colorful and full of the true paths that many women have been on. Sometimes, the passages I read would haunt me through the day, but motivated me to read on to gain wisdom and life lessons.
You will not be disappointed in this book...it is worth it's weight in gold...!

Rosemary Daniell is a fascinating woman with wild and unbroken energy in terms of her life and her writing. This energy along with a sharp focus for writing is establishing an example for women around the world to follow. Essentially, she is (and has been for years) writing her way through what, in part, seems to be the unconscious shadow of a civilization who for hundreds of years has not freely admitted the feminine into it most prized corners of culture and art, particularly in the south.
In her books, as in her teachings at numerous talks and workshops across the country and in Europe, Rosemary Daniell lifts the ordinary of life to the sacred and then she brings the sacred back to the ordinary as she connects writers and ideas from all areas of life.
All in all, her latest book, "Secrets of The Zona Rosa How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change Women's Lives" presents not only a way to show up for your writing but for your life as well. Rosemary uses numerous quotes from other writers, such as Georgia O'keefee, Natalie Goldberg, and Menander to support the points of stories and ideas that make up the book.
"Secrets" is huge in terms of information for beginning as well as "old" writers. And there is laughter throughout the book, belly laughter rolling off pages of this book even in the midst of a painful story being told by Rosemary about writers and writing.
Carefully laid into the pages of heart-wrenching truths and the gut-splitting laughter are also guidelines and "exorcises" as well as the most sinful but delicious recipe for Strawberry Cream Cake--the Official Zona Rosa Dessert.
This book is so rich with ideas and stories that it will take years for its contents to settle within our culture but when it does, and as it does, it will take hold and become part of the anchoring force of great writers and great women who create (and a few great men who are willing to wear pink and the ZR tattoed across their hearts).
Every women should have this book as a guide for living; every woman writer should stop what she is doing right now and go out and get this book if she doesn't already have the book. Ryder J Finnegan,Ph.D./Writer/ Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Rosemary uses humor and honesty to provide writers with a good dose of tonic that will revitalize their writing techniques and boost their morale. Her exorcises are helpful in discovering one's own creative self. Her book shares her experiences as well as those of some of her fellow Zona Rosans and her determination to help women improve their writing is evident in her book. Her tone is always encouraging and supportive. I found her book to be one I return to again and again.

When you pick up a copy of Secrets of the Zona Rosa, better pick up two or three extra notebooks and a box of pens or pencils because you are about to start writing.

It's hard to imagine not getting itchy writing fingers while reading the intriguing titles in the table of contents: "We are all doors until someone slams us," "If I was really wild," and "If I thought like a guy."

Rosemary Daniell is an intriguing and powerful woman. She writes her own truths and invites other women to do the same. No, she doesn't invite; she insists. And insistence is hard to resist.

I first met Rosemary Daniell in the pages of her 1997 book, The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself: Writing and Living the Zona Rosa Way. It headed this fallen-away writer back on the writing road. For several years, I was a member of Rosemary's Atlanta Zona Rosa group. It is with real joy I welcome this book, as will other readers of this author's works. Those who have not had the fun and challenge of working their way through Rosemary's exercises--and exorcises--will soon share our enthusiasm.

Rosemary took the name Zona Rosa for the writing groups and workshops that she leads from the bohemian quarter of Mexico City, but she gives it the additional meaning of the "feminine zone," where women (and not a few men) explore using writing not only as a challenging, creative activity but also "as a tool for healing."

Secrets explains how her mother's suicide inspired her to explore her own life and truths through writing, and how the knowledge of her mother's frustrations and sadness over a lost ambition to write led her to devote her time and talents to helping other women not only fulfill their dreams of writing, but also to hone their skills in practical ways. Rosemary, already a published poet, was leading a writing workshop for women prisoners when she learned of her mother's overdose.

"I felt once more how little she--like the women in the prison--had been able to tell of her own truths. How little permission she had been given--whether by herself or others--to express them.

Although I didn't know it yet, Zona Rosa was born in that moment; an unrealized passion that would lead me to spend much of the rest of my life seeking to help women like Mother and women in prisons of all kinds to achieve their dreams."

Rosemary does not and did not flinch at telling her own truths. She spent the next three years of her life writing a memoir, Fatal Flowers: On Sin, Sex, and Suicide in the Deep South, inspired by her mother's death. Not long afterwards, Rosemary began leading a small group of writing women. Zona Rosa was born.

This book tells Rosemary's story and more. She looks back over the nearly twenty-five years of Zona Rona writers and shares (with their permission) the moving tales of how their writing has changed their lives. There are sad stories and stories of triumph, all of them fascinating.

This is not, though, a book of stories. We find guidance and guidelines that all writers, novice or expert, use with relish.

While the book deals with serious subjects, it is filled with Rosemary's wit and humor. "Pilates on Paper" first appears in Chapter 1, and the reader becomes the writer before she turns the page. (Remember my warning about new notebooks and pens!) "Book Therapy" appears regularly with reading suggestions and guidance. Writing exercises (or exorcises as Zona Rosans call them) appear throughout. Toward the end of the book, Rosemary addresses "The Emotional Tai Chi of Getting Your Work Out There"--excellent advice on finishing and submitting our work when it is ready (and we are ready for it) to be shared with the world.

Attending a Zona Rosa group or workshop is an exhilarating experience, but so is reading and writing from this book. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

The Three Musketeers is one of my favorite books and Twenty Years After is practically just as good. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the editor, David Coward, gives away the ending of The Man in the Iron Mask. He tells you what happens in the last chapter of the last book in a footnote! DON'T read any of the footnotes in the last 20 pages of the book unless you want the story spoiled, in that case just go to wikipedia.

As the title says, it is twenty years after the events in the Three Musketeers. The four heroes are living their lives as they wanted, but are all slightly disaffected.

Cautiously, they agree to undertake a task for the Queen.

Complicating matters is the son of Milady de Winter, who is an anti-fan of these men, you could say.

The Musketeers must learn to work together again, even if their politics are aims are not all the same.

Thoroughly entertaining, "Twenty Years After" is a fulfilling sequel to a classic swashbuckling masterpiece.

Twenty Years have passed since D'Artagnan and the Musketeers triumphed over Cardinal Richelieu, preserved the Queen's honor, and brought justice upon the face of evil, Milady. The wave of time has carried the four friends down very different paths of life, and they have not been in contact for many years. D'Artagnan, looking for fortune and lost glory, offers his services to the wildly unpopular Cardinal Mazarin. The Cardinal accepts, and commissions D'Artagnan to unite the quartet for the service of France. What follows is a plot filled with twists, turns, surprises, and adventure. Many characters return from "The Three Musketeers," while several new characters play significant roles in "Twenty Years After." One such character, the son of Milady, has a twisted soul intent on the "revenge" of his mother.

Readers of "The Three Musketeers" who loved Dumas' four heroes for their youth, energy, and courage, will now love them for their maturity, wisdom, and honor. Undoubtedly, these are not the same four men we were left with at the end of the first book. The beauty of "Twenty Years After" is Dumas' ability to age the characters appropriately, and show the effect of time on their nature. In doing so, we see that while time has changed much, it has not changed their undying loyalty to each other.

My only issue with "Twenty Years After," and I'm surprised to find myself saying this, is the lack of a romantic aspect. D'Artagnan's love for Madame Bonacieux in "The Three Musketeers" actually pulled the reader in, making D'Artagnan's loss the reader's loss. There is no such story in "Twenty Years After," which I found rather disappointing. Despite this, "Twenty Years After" is an excellent sequel and I recommend it to anybody who enjoyed the first book.

It's been twenty years since the close of The Three Musketeers, and only D'Artagnan remains in service to the French Crown. Richelieu is dead and his protege Mazarin now holds the power behind the throne. Anne of Austria rules as regent for her young son, and civil war threatens France.

D'Artagnan is sent to bring the Musketeers out of retirement, but they find themselves at odds between the two sides in the civil unrest. D'Artagnan wants to be promoted to captain and Porthos who wants to be a baron, side with Mazarin, Athos and Aramis with the Fronduers (sp?). However, they soon find that although much has changed, their love and friendship for each other remain intact, particularly when faced with the evil son of Milady, who is bent upon revenge against those who executed his mother.

There's way too much plot to even try to explain, leave it to say that there is much adventure and derring do, from the civil war in France to the conflict between Charles I and Oliver Cromwell in England. I especially enjoyed the nail biting, sit on the edge of your seat excitement during the escape from England and Mordaunt, along with the rescue of D'Artagnan, Porthos and Athos from Mazarin (what fun!). Along with the excitement comes the humor of their constant banter and escapades making for a near perfect read.

I personally liked the parts in England the best, but I think that's because I have a better understanding of English history than French. Even after researching that period in France and Mazarin online, I still got a bit confused at times, but that is a minor issue in comparison to the rest of the story. Dumas is brilliant (as always) and his dialogue is among the best (as always). An awesome sequel to the Three Musketeers, and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in this story, The Vicomte De Bragelonne.

It is truly amazing how many people don't have any idea that the Three Musketeers appear in more than the novel of the same name and "The Man in the Iron Mask." I must admit that for many years I was in that category myself but I was absolutely delighted to find that their adventures continued in this book and I must say that I found the exploits in this book to be almost as thrilling as the exploits in the first book.

Dumas played extremely fast and loose with history in the first book and he spends a good deal of time in this installment trying to correct some of his earlier deficiencies. Most notably Cardinal Richelieu, the great villain of the first book is in this book venerated and our heroes even bemoan the fact that they opposed him. It is also notable that Dumas is considerably more faithful to history in this book than he was in the first but don't make the mistake of thinking that this will read like a historical novel because as usual Dumas never lets the facts get in the way of a good story.

Athos, Porthos, d'Artagnan and Aramis have gone their separate ways and have completely lost contact with each other in the twenty years that elapse between the first and second book. So much so in fact that when d'Artagnan tries to put the group back together he has trouble finding his comrades. At the behest of Cardinal Mazarin who has replaced Richelieu d'Artagnan begins to search for his former colleagues so that they can unite to protect the Cardinal and the Queen from a growing revolt in Paris. He does recruit Porthos but the other two are in league with the rebels and then they face each other again when they become involved on different sides of the English Civil War.

In the end however their friendship and the deadly threat posed by someone from their past bring the friends back together and together these men are as usual unstoppable. Dumas has again provided for a swashbuckling good time and an adventure story that few authors can match. If anything, this adventure is more thrilling than the last as it takes place in two countries and even on the sea with only the occasional break so that the always-hungry Porthos can have something to eat. Anyone who enjoyed the first book will certainly enjoy this one and will do so maybe even more so than the last. These Musketeers didn't lose a thing over those twenty years.

This is an amazing story and testament to Bazhe's indomitable spirit. I don't believe that any child, any human being should ever have to endure the sorrows and abuse that he did. That he emerged from that quagmire and found peace and happiness is quite miraculous.

Hi Bazhe I just finished reading your book it was amazing, and it brought me such inspiration. I thought I had it rough growing up; however your story made me realized the damages you had to overcome. It gives me strength to conquer and overcome my own damages. These were my favorites quotes from your book. I wish you knew the effect your story has on me.

Pg 40
"Why would God want us to suffer like Jesus? Why would people believe in such an evil, selfish bastard of a God?" Bazhe

I ask my self the same question

Pg 80
"Capitalism, baby! Time is money. In money, we trust. The profit is God."

That is the reality

Pg 121
"It's been said that the root of hell is in all of us. Some of us let it grow into a tree. Those who can't cut the tree are predestined to be evil."


Pg 163
"God has nothing to do with this. Keep him out of it. Keep him where he belongs, in a museum, along with the people who created him." Bazhe

The way I look at it. "The point is succeed whether god want to or not." Richard G Sam

After meeting Bazhe in Costa Rica and visiting with him was when I found out about his book. I came back to the states and purchased two books from him. When I finally picked it up to start reading it, I was so drawn into the book that I felt as if I was there living Bazhe's life with him. It was an amazing story and I do hope that a movie comes out about his life. What a story to tell. This is a must read for everyone. Once you start reading you will not want to put the book down.
As you are reading, you can smell the streets in Turkey and fell the fear and sadness as he is telling his story. Again, A GREAT BOOK

DAMAGES is a memoir of a brave young poet, artist, performer and writer whose life story holds as many elements of a richly detailed fictional novel as well as moments of eloquent poetry, philosophical views gained from living through the rise and fall of communist Yugoslavia and the subsequent fracture of that country into the parcels we now know, observations of the surface and the core needs of the people at the battled intersection of Christianity, Muslim faith, and atheism, and experiences of identity crisis that haunt many adopted children/adults.

To make this vast amount of information work for the reader, author Bazhe has wisely elected to tell his story as bifurcated between the realities of the present in relating to his adoptive mother on her deathbed and his at times lurid past to his birth mother, conveniently placed just up the stairs from his dying mother. It works as a gimmick or technique that allows the reader to understand the present Bazhe by allowing him to very gradually escort us through the damages of his early childhood through his bumpy road to manhood.

The crises here are from two vantages: Bazhe was reluctantly given up for adoption by his 15-year-old birth mother Mila (his very beginning was the result of a brutal rape), his adoptive parents were wealthy and privileged due, oddly enough, to the high communist government position of the father. His early years were frosted with gifts and advantage, but his childhood was damaged by his position of wealth in a country (Macedonia) struggling under dictatorship and inequality. Bazhe, a beautiful and bright child, drew attention beacuse of his androgynous appearance - a factor that would provide problems for him throughout his life. His father was highly respected by the people, but feared by his abused wife and child. Entering school, Bazhe gradually became aware of his same sex orientation and began to dress 'inappropriately' and attract male lovers in a community that would not tolerate homosexuality. His adventures in escaping to Turkey resulted in his being courted by a wealthy man into the world of cross-dressing and the eventual rejected demand that he undergo sex reassignment surgery. Returning home, his confession of his lifestyle brought the expected conflict from his parents and he fled to Belgrade where he became a Madam for the unwanted gay population of 'aunties'.

While undergoing this seemingly endless series of life changes, Bazhe searched for his birth mother without success. After a final life threatening incident that underscored the bitter and vicious collapse of his country's belief systems in the person of a brutish, abusive, conflicted anti-communist, Bazhe fled to America, only to return to comfort his mother at the time of his father's death. Upon arriving in Macedonia his mother's devotion is focused on her beloved adopted son and Bazhe discovers that his mother has progressive cancer: he spends his time as a nurse to his mother's increasing needs while finally making contact with Mila, his birth mother. The story of his life is related to the birth mother while Bazhe attends to his adoptive mother, and it is this dichotomy of allegiance that forms the true conflict of the book.

The story of Bazhe's life is fascinating and horrifying, and were that all that this book had to offer it would be enough. But DAMAGES goes far beyond that: this is one of the better insights into the history of Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro - all places that we understand so poorly but all places that hold the keys to the discord between the religious seeds that lie at the center of the constant conflict we still are experiencing. Bazhe's comments on governments and religions are harsh, both in his evaluation of his native country and his adopted country of America. 'Anyway, it's we who are to blame. Everything about [God] is a myth. We're the creatures of our beliefs. We're the source of good and evil. Our big mistake was creating Him and all these evil religions, so we can be divided and hate each other to death as enemies. Whether Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, or whatever, we stress the 'other'-ness of others when true differences between us don't exist. We are all humans. We're a grown-up race. We should see that religions are superfluous. In the past, religions made some sense: to give young nations identities and a reason to fight for survival. Now, we need a new identity. We need global unity. We need a new order and a new progressive faith of peace and love. It's time to put the holy books where they belong, on the shelves of museums'. Powerful words from a man who has survived a life few of us could tolerate. Perhaps we should listen. What on the surface is a fascinating autobiography by a very unique writer gains importance as the observations of a damaged philosopher! Grady Harp, July 08

"Damages," a brutally honest and poetically eloquent memoir by Yugoslavian-born Bazhe, is nothing short of brilliant! This first time book author (he's written and has published several poems and short prose pieces) is as self-assured and self-examining as anything by Didion, the biographical Gordon Parks, and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings."

An orphan adopted from a Macedonian orphanage by an important and staunch Communist Official and his beautiful but barren wife, the infant Bazhe is reared in comfort, privilege, and under the iron-thumb of a wife- and child-abuser. A talented and strikingly beautiful little boy, after giving public performances for scores of spectators on several occasions, bets are taken on whether Bazhe is a boy or a girl. The child is then made to drop his pants and reveal his male genitalia.

Labeled `sissy' and often beaten in school because of his privilege and beauty, he even suffers a harrowing abuse at the hands of his father when his mother is away. Upon refusing to eat fatty meat during a meal, seven-year-old Bazhe is beaten by his father who then stuff's his member in the boy's mouth, choking him with the fluids of his ejaculation.

But most of the horrors and heartbreaks of this ultimately brave and resilient young man's life come later in this well-written, often brutal, but never gratuitous autobiography of a beautiful young man growing up gay and effeminate in a culture where such nature and appearance is illegal and met with great physical and verbal abuse.

Bazhe is a legal immigrant living in New Jersey when he gets the call from his mother Kostadina that his father has died. Feeling free of the iron fist of the man she hated most of the years she was married to him, Kostadina encourages Bazhe not to come for the funeral.

But a month later Bazhe returns to Macedonia to help his mother with family affairs, only to realize that she has been hiding her own serious illness from him.

With admirable devotion and against his mother's protestations, he stays to nurse her through her illness, which turns out to be colon cancer. The first half of the book is Bazhe's almost too-painful-to-read detailing of his caring for his mother and his guilt over his obsessive thirty-year search for his birth mother.

He actually finds his biological mother, the still beautiful and statuesque Mila who gave birth to him when she was fifteen years old after being raped by a government official in her native Croatia and, pressured by her family, turned the new born over to an orphanage.

Bitterness and regret clash uneasily as Mila and Bazhe meet. While Kostadina lays dying in her downstairs bedroom (but never unattended by her devoted son), Bazhe, not wanting her to feel that her position as his true mother is questioned, hides Mila upstairs where, over several days, he tells her the story of the life he lived and the life she missed.

And what a story it is indeed. Starting with his lonely childhood and adolescence, he reveals to her his first gay experience in the army, the scandal that he caused at the College of National Security, resulting in his expulsion, and his escape to Turkey.

There he was abducted, robbed, beaten, and raped by a pair of nefarious locals, and reduced to near starvation and homelessness before being rescued by Genghis, a wealthy Turkish bon vivant. Genghis falls madly in love and transforms Bazhe into a stunningly beautiful and high-class transvestite, replete with the requisite high-end jewelry, designer wardrobe, exclusive spa treatments, and plenty of spending money.

But sudden revelations about, and unexpected demands from Genghis send Bazhe fleeing back to his homeland, a country on the verge of great change and turmoil as the Bosnian-Serbian conflict begins to boil over.

No longer a transvestite but decidedly androgynous, Bazhe wanders into the underworld gay scene where `Aunts' (self-identified, usually flamboyant homosexual men) entertained `trade' in bushes, public parks, and public restrooms, often resulting in unspeakable violence from both policemen and sadistic partners.

After nearly losing his life at the hands of a sadist pick-up, Bazhe immigrates to the United States where he lives until he gets the call from his mother regarding his father's death.

Bazhe's birth mother is moved by this fantastical tale not told totally to anyone else. But a certain closure is attained here, and the young man reaffirms what he has always known: blood does not necessarily make a mother.

His devotion to his adoptive mother, his `real' mother, is the power that fuels this terrific book. His caring for her on her deathbed is so completely loved-filled, that by the time she dies in his arms, our tears flow as uncontrollably as his.

Indeed, this is the story of one individual damaged by so much of life's cruelties and injustices, but it is ultimately a tale of survival and the triumph of the spirit.

In spite of everything he was made to endure, Bazhe proves to be a person of great conviction and resilience. His story is a lesson for us all on when we fall down (or get knocked down) how to damn well get back up. Highly recommend.Looker: A Novel

This book is hard to put down once you start. Its one of the best books I've read in a long time. What's amazing is that Operation Vinland - the story of Erika Lehmann and the Mayer family is a true story with some of the unknow details fictionalized. This is a must read!

I found this book difficult to start at first - it was not as engaging as I had hoped it would be. Not to spoil the storyline for anyone who is thinking of reading the book - but the change of heart by the lead character seemed to be too dramatic and/or happened to quickly and there was little explanation.

I bought the book because of the storyline - and did enjoy the read.

Maybe I'm biased because I grew up near Evansville, Indiana, and have seen first-hand many of the landmarks that provide the setting for this book, but I found this work an absolutely pleasant surprise. I didn't have high hopes simply because the trailers made it sound like a spy novel. It's a spy novel I couldn't put down. It also dives into the thought processes and propaganda machines of Nazi Germany, enlightening the reader as to why history turned out the way it did. This is one I won't forget for a while.

I am an avid reader and "Invitation To Valhalla" is one of the best reads I have come across in a long time. Being that I was born in Evansville and spent the war years there, this book took me back to places and times that were an important part of my youth. It is truly a book that you cannot put down once you start. A highly recommended read.

Gerald Hardig

It's great when you have one you can't put down. They don't come along often enough. By the time you are half-way through this book you might as well forget about going to bed.

I gained so much more from reading "Unsent Letters: Writing as a way to resolve and renew" than from reading this book. Compare the two yourself and you'll see what I mean.

Words provide continuity from generation to generation that surpasses our limited life spans to enrich the shared love of friends and family, to bind generations, and to offer hope to the future. Despite the power of words, many people are reluctant writers, uncertain of what to say or how to say it. To that end, authors JacLynn Morris and Paul L. Fair, Ph.D. bring their own writing skills, teaching experience, and research to bear, offering aid to the reluctant writer in FROM ME TO YOU.

Simple, easy to follow steps guide the writer through the process of conveying thoughts and emotions that might else wise remain unanswered and unspoken. Using the five basic elements enumerated in FROM ME TO YOU, writers can add depth and value to their messages. Concise explanations and the generous use of examples accompany each step, clearly illustrating each point. Many of the examples are both poignant and inspiring, aiding the prospective reader in finding their own voices and experiences. Difficult to write messages that reveal secrets or explanations likewise becoming easier to write with the aid of FROM ME TO YOU.

At last, a writing book for everyone! Whether your words are meant as a thank you, as an apology, to offer comfort or advice, or simply to affirm your love, FROM ME TO YOU will aid all writers in expressing themselves. Powerful, personal messages are our legacy to those we love, regardless of the purpose of the note, and can easily be strengthened by following these simple steps. One of the best writing resources I have encountered, FROM ME TO YOU comes very highly recommended.

There are times when conversation cannot convey your deepest feelings. You can hide your true feelings when talking to someone you care about. Written words can be gifts of the heart and the way you present them can make all the difference. The fact that you take the time to find a concrete way of expressing your feelings is what matters!

You might be reluctant to send an e-mail or put pen to paper, however if you follow the steps in this book you will find it is easier than you think. The authors give examples of letters for every situation. These letters go beyond "polite" words and are more honest and genuine. They express goodwill or reveal deep feelings. They also communicate the importance and value of your relationship to the receiver.

"Often, just the fact that a person puts time, effort, thought or originality into something to delight or help us makes a message wonderful." pg. 9

The authors show how you use five basic elements to make a message powerful, intimate, satisfying and meaningful. It doesn't matte if you want to express your feelings, give advice, forgive, answer important questions, thank someone or share a favorite memory. These five elements should be included in your letter.

While this book might sound like it is an emotional roller coaster ride, there are quite a few really funny letters. I loved the story of a mother who writes down the sweet and funny things her children do. She intends to give these memories to her children. I know this was such a delight when my mother showed me her notes of what I said and did when I was very young. It truly will delight any child to know their parents cared enough to find the time to write down these memories. It also helps children remember important details of their lives.

Another idea I really thought was wonderful was a letter an Aunt sent her nephew about all the wonderful books she had read that she thought he would enjoy. Of course she could have just reviewed them, yet she chose to specifically recommend books that had given her enjoyment, knowledge and comfort.

Some of the letters helped bridge the distance between friends and family or helped to heal a hurt. These are real letters people wrote at a time in their lives when hurt, anger or misunderstanding left them feeling as if they were stuck on opposite sides of a tightly closed door.

"Maybe the blur of our lives has left us hungry for tangible ways to hold onto what is and was-even as we move toward what will be." pg. 150

So if you want to connect with the people you care most about, "From Me to You" will show you how to share your memories, thank people who have helped you in life, apologize to those you may have hurt, inspire friends and invite people to think of you with love and a smile.

~The Rebecca Review

This book is a great help for anyone needing to write anything. Your correspondence will forever change to be more meaningful.

This book has been on my shelf to review for several months, but so many events took my time and energy that I am just now beginning to find my way back to words. My dad died January 5, 2002, and I gave the eulogy at his funeral. How do you share the love and life of someone so dear, yet bring comfort to others who are also suffering this loss? This book, this wonderful book, helped me to deliver a speech that gave the joy and humor that was my dad to others.

Rarely does a writer's reference book have the ability to encourage and inspire its readers or those who do not take up the "pen," to find the way to express emotions. Yet this book shows the joy and power of honest communications, and provides an easy to follow plan that helps all of us share our dreams, hopes, fears, and love with the important people in our lives. It also helps us realize that everyone is important, and to never take for granted the gift of friendship.

This book is an adventure through emotions, but it is so much more. Follow the principles, write the way you speak, be yourself, get rid of criticisms, and in doing so, you become the better part of yourself. Imagine, if you could read a letter and know what the reader was feeling; this book will help you see the ways to do so because in revealing ourselves, we gain self-knowledge and confidence.

Five stars are not diminished by the only difficulty I had, which was the very small size of the font.

Victoria Tarrani

This book is incredible! full of such great life changing things, it will change the way you think and the way you view the power of your own thoughts! very remarkable

This book is really wonderful. A definite read. The chapters are short, written in big writing and the message and positive living and her own experiences and her learning makes this an amazing book. Living for Christ and worshiopping and her own beliefs sharing them that has helped her in writing this book and sharing with others how to do and live the same ways for a peaceful and joyous life. I love it and plan on reading this book again.

I am repeatedly blown away by this book! It has been so helpful to me personally, and I share it with those I love. I would read certain sections, and literally, my jaw would drop. This book really put all the pieces together for me; it makes complete sense. I am only 21 and feel I am lucky, not only because my mother gave me this book, but also because I have truly understood it at a relatively young age. "Remembering Wholeness" is eye opening and empowering at the same time. One of my favorite chapters is the one titled, "The Universe is Abundant"...definitely one of those jaw-dropping sections!!
A MUST-READ!!! :)

The concepts of choosing to do things to each other here on earth that would cause us to have to forgive is not a concept of God "brokering" these contracts. That seems a little exaggerated. The idea behind the "little spirit" is simply this. When we choose to see our perpetrators as something other than perpetrators it becomes easier to forgive them.

We choose to do things that require forgiveness all the time, sometimes out of ignorance and regretfully on purpose, but on some level, we CHOSE to do it. Do I believe that we make contracts with each other to inflict pain and suffering before we came to earth? No, but it was a given that we would submit to evil, and do things that would require forgiveness and when we can see our offenders as perfect spirits who have been caught in evil, it is so much easier to forgive and let God handle it.

There is darkness and light in every book written by the hand of man. He who seeks for fault will find it, he who seeks for truth will find it as well. No one should claim this book to be scripture, and ANYTHING written by men is "the philosophies of men mingled with scripture" unless otherwise specified as scripture. Look at the light this book brings. I have had multiple personal experiences of transformational healing for myself my family and my clients as a Rapid Eye Technician and Life Coach. The concepts of this book can bring people to Christ. Carol has a gift in making practical sense out of vague concepts. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water, see the fruits, they are there.

This book has answered so many long held questions with perfect clarity and understanding.

I've been studing the law of attraction for over 6 years and find this book to fill in the spiritual aspects that seemed to be missing from so many other authors and teachers.

Thank you Carol for your wisdom and gifts.