Writers Books

Great read for people who love to travel (and eat) off the beaten path. Probably should add that it's often from a female point of view. Loved the recipes.

Linda Ellerbee is a little older than me but I can still relate to her view on the world. In her book, her experiences take us to far away places where she meets fascinating people. She tells of her time in Greece where while she lives as a local for a month, British tourists experience Santorini from the seat of a tour bus. I will never travel as a tourist again. Yet, she remembers to bring these experiences home - linking them with her past and present. Her "take the bull by the horns" approach to life and travel may not be for everyone, but it sure has inspired me to look at life a little differently - make things happen, don't wait for it to happen.

Linda writes just the way she speaks and when you read this you feel like she's talking directly to you. This is a book that you never want to end. It's a memoir about travel and food and friends and lovers and misadventures - and she has done it all.
Most of the time she travels alone - she prefers that so she's forced to talk to the people where she's visiting. Occasionally she goes with a family member or friend to revisit a place from their past. She's been to some places that you've never heard of but want to go to after she describes it. Linda says that `our travels are not always the voyages of discovery we say we seek, but rituals of reassurance.' What fun!
When Linda gets together with her girlfriends, she reminds us that to women girlfriends are not a luxury they are a healthy necessity. They sit around and talk-talk-talk and even though they are now women, they feel like a girls again. And her holidays will remind you of your own and others when she describes how despite tradition, love, hope, passing time and sweet memories the holidays will always be messy.
She tells us about becoming a grandmother and says she will be available, understanding, and weird - because as a mother she was mostly weird. She plans to take her grandchildren places and show them things and give them wings. We all wish we had a mother/grandmother like that. I especially related when she talked about giving her children cookie dough to eat. My girls still keep a roll of cookie dough in the refrigerator for emergency sugar fixes.
And the food - she makes it part of every story and it all sounds so good. She even provides you with recipes.
One delightful thing she tells us (and she tells us quite a lot) is that `sometimes in life, if you're lucky, you are where you most want to be at that moment'. And wouldn't we all like to do that at least once.

[...].

Ellerbee creates in words the literary equivalent of the best dinner, the best trip, and the best dessert you ever had. Whether heartwarming or heartbreaking, her adventures around the world making strangers into friends (and meeting herself in the process) are truly memorable. She makes you long to break out of the tedium of your own life and discover the world as she has. A delight.

Ellerbee writes just the way she speaks, and when you read Take Big Bites, you feel like she's talking directly to you. This is a book that you never want to end. It's a memoir about travel and food and friends and lovers and misadventures. She has done it all. Most of the time, she travels alone. She prefers that so she's forced to talk to the people where she's visiting. Occasionally, she goes with a family member or friend to revisit a place from their past. She's been to some places that you've never heard of but want to go to after she describes them.

"Our travels are not always the voyages of discovery we say we seek, but rituals of reassurance," she writes. What fun!

When Ellerbee gets together with her friends, she reminds us that, to women, girlfriends are not a luxury, they are a healthy necessity. They sit around and talk-talk-talk, and even though they are now women, they feel like girls again.

Her holidays will remind you of your own and others when she describes how despite tradition, love, hope, passing time and sweet memories, the holidays will always be messy.

She tells us about becoming a grandmother and says she will be available, understanding, and weird because as a mother she was mostly weird. She plans to take her grandchildren places and show them things and give them wings. We all wish we had a mother/grandmother like that. I especially related when she talked about giving her children cookie dough to eat. My girls still keep a roll of cookie dough in the refrigerator for emergency sugar fixes. And the food... She makes it part of every story, and it all sounds so good. She even provides recipes.

One delightful thing the author tells us (and she tells us quite a lot) is that, "Sometimes in life, if you're lucky, you are where you most want to be at that moment." And wouldn't we all like to do that at least once.

by Doris Anne Roop-Benner
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

"A Book is Born" is a truly useful insider's guide to getting a book published, but it's so much more. The book's format invites the reader to share the minutiae of all phases of the experience of 24 women authors as they travel the journey from idea to action to realizing the dream of getting published (and publicized). The women's voices are clear, companionable,and reassuring, and Nancy Cleary's vision of empowering women authors is evident throughout. Especially for those of us who are visually oriented, the book's design--lots of graphics--is wonderful! In the book's final section, "The Secret and Science of Getting Published", various innovative approaches are revealed.(I was so impressed with Nancy Cleary and this book that I contacted her; the result is that she'll be helping me with the publication of my book "There and Back: A Journal Companion for Special Needs Parents".)

Mary Lee Moser

There are already more than enough books on the publishing process and the nuts and bolts of publishing yourself or finding a publisher.

What was lacking was a book that talked about the love/hate relationship I have with my book, that made me feel part of something bigger and let me know I was not alone in my journey.

I thought other authors knew things, and had confidence in their work 24/7 without fail. I thought I was a freak for not being totally sure of my book and my abilities as a writer.

A Book is Born showed me this process is painful for everyone. It is confusing for everyone. It is scary for everyone.

I cannot express how relieved I felt as I got to the end of the book, my only regret was that I wasn't published by Wyatt-MacKenzie...all the women felt so supported by the publishing house I actually thought I might have made the wrong decision regarding self-publishing.

But even if I did make the wrong decision, it's something that happens to everyone. While I write my next book I'll refer back to A Book is Born early and often to remind me my journey is not a unique one, and that the feelings I have while my book is being born are natural and normal.

I wish I had this book when I started out on this writing journey over six years ago. A Book is Born is a wonderful, informative, fun read for all the writers out there. All the inside secrets and how to's are shared in a fun way.

Reading this book is like having a mocha latte at a corner Starbuck's and getting the scoop on this writing journey from some of the best writers there are!

Thanks, Nancy. What a great read!

Trish Berg
Author, Book Reviewer
[...]

Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool

The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma

Nancy Cleary's "A Book is Born" is a hands-on, photo and graphic-filled blueprint for the regular person to use starting when they're tossing around an idea to get published, all the way through actual publication. Told from the point of view of 24 different authors as they journey from book idea to publishing that book, there is always a different voice to tune into if one person's perspective isn't the direction you're interested in. With so many unique voices, Cleary shows that there are as many techniques to prepare for publishing and the aftermath of publicity as there are writers. Very easy to read, extremely helpful for the frazzled writer in the midst of publishing chaos. Cleary breaks the demons of publishing down into easy steps, and offers solutions for the up-and-coming writer. A fun essential for any writer. Cleary's concise and practical book makes the trip toward publication a natural and interesting journey. Definitely order one!

As a first time author, I have been struggling with the complexities of how to get from point A (writing) to point B (published). This book provided really practical information: details about terminology, chronological checklists, and actual experiences related by authors. I enjoyed the tales of the authors even as I was being instructed by them. The book is like a user's manual supplemented with "dream potion recipes", and will undoubtedly launch the careers of a new generation of writers who have been waiting in the wings for stage directions.

Whatever else they do in life, Nancy Cleary and co-authors have left a legacy of impactful guidance that will further the goals of storytellers yet unrecognized.

Each time I teach Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy in my Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy course, I'm struck by what a wonderful text it is. There are at least three reasons for this.

First, it's as good an introduction to the worldview of the late antiquity/early medieval periods as one's likely to find. That worldview is likely to strike contemporary ears as foreign--Boethius' conflation, for example, of the good, happiness, and God in Book III--but it's well worth attending to.

Second, reading Boethius is an education in good argumentation. One can disagree with the premises upon which his arguments rest while still admiring and profiting from the rigor of the arguments themselves. Boethius himself tells us that his method is to "unfold" conclusions "without the help of any external aid"--tradition or authority--"but [instead] with one internal proof grafted upon another so that each [draws] its credibility from that which preceded" (p. 82). And he lives up to his word.

Finally, the existential questions Boethius explores in the Consolation are astoundingly vital today. Here's a guy who was once one of the most powerful men in the Roman empire fallen from grace and facing a very messy death. In writing the Consolation, he tries to come to terms with the fickleness of fortune, the problem of evil (why do bad things happen to good people), the secret of happiness, the issue of free will, and the meaning of human existence. Boethius finally concludes that he, like most humans, had been suffering from what might be called philosophical amnesia. He'd allowed his fast-paced lifestyle to induce forgetfulness of who he was and the way he should live his life. In those final months of his life, living in a solitary jail cell and pondering his own mortality, Boethius begins to remember. Reading his wonderful little book can help us, fifteen hundred years later, to awaken from our own amnesias.

Of all the translations of the Consolation I've read, Victor Watts' is my favorite. But be forewarned: his Introduction to the book will tell you almost nothing about the contents and issues of Boethius' book.

"Consolation of Philosophy" was on the syllabus for a "History of Philosophy" class I took my senior year in college. To say that I loved it would be an understatement. I still have the copy I read back then (academic year 1980/1981) and I have re-read it several times over the years. I treasure this book like none other.

I looked through my copy to type out a passage that I find particularly inspiring, but found that I couldn't because there are so many. I've recommended it to literally dozens of people, and every one to took me up on my suggestion thanked me for it.

Boethius, in his "Consolation" written in prison shortly before his death, turns to the pre-Christian philosophers and the tradition of Rome and Greece for aid and comfort. The work is one of the most historically important works ever written: it is through Boethius that we had knowledge of Aristotle during the middle ages.

The work takes the form of a Platonic dialogue, mixing prose and poetry as the author slowly convalesces with the aid of Philosophy, his "nurse." This literary style has been imitated many times since.

The work ought to be read not only for its historical and literary appeal, but for its arguments, which are as cogent as they were nearly two thousand years ago.

I don't read a lot of philosophy texts, but I read this one after my father died and was surprised to find it very meaningful and truly consoling.

The Consolation is a philosophical treatise written by Boethius (c. 480-524 A.D.) while awaiting his execution after being imprisoned by the Gothic emperor Theodoric. The first time I heard of Boethius and his most famous composition was, as so often is the case, when I was reading another work. The work in question is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole. The main character of O'Toole's novel, one Ignatius J. Reilly, had based his entire life and worldview around the philosophy of Boethius and his assessment of Fortune. A great work in its own right, A Confederacy of Dunces left a lasting impression in my mind and, when by chance I came across a copy of the Consolation in the used bookstore I jumped at the opportunity to see for myself what Boethius had to say.



The work is composed of five books beginning with Boethius struggling to make sense of his imprisonment and pending execution. Confronted with a fate that is seemingly at odds with the virtue and faith with which he has conducted his life, Boethius is about to succumb to the sorrow that is filling his thoughts. Just then he notices the presence of a woman in his cell, the awe-inspiring Philosophy. She bemoans that Boethius, once such an avid student of hers, is now about to abandon all that he had previously gained. Thus begins a journey of reason and contemplation between the two until Boethius in the end finds the consolation that he had almost given up upon. Interspersed between the dialogues of Boethius and Philosophy are a number of poems that range in subject matter and content. More numerous at the beginning of the work, the poems often times serve as transitions between arguments or help to put difficult concepts into a clearer light. Thus a remarkable harmony is reached between prose and poetry that can be appreciated even in an English translation, a rare feat indeed.



It is perhaps significant to understand the time in which Boethius lived a bit better to gain a more accurate reading of his work. Living long after Constantine's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century A.D., it is widely accepted that Boethius was a Christian and believer of the tenants of the Catholic Church (at a time when the Gothic emperor Theodoric, also a Christian but belonging like all Goths to the heretical Arian sect that believed that the father and son were not of one substance). One must find it a bit peculiar than that at no point in Boethius' text is Christianity mentioned in any overt context. To find a believer in his last days before death turning not to theology for comfort, as one might expect, but rather to philosophy has raised many questions about the nature of Boethius' belief. But one only has to look to the title of the work to see that Boethius is choosing philosophy for the subject of his work and could very well indeed have thought theology a better consolation, although one that would be and should be treated in an altogether separate treatise. With this in mind, Boethius draws on the works of the great philosophers and thinkers of antiquity; Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, St. Augustine, the Stoics, and the Neo-Platonists. This feat being all the more remarkable because Boethius apparently relied on his own memory to produce the arguments and passages seeing as he had no access to any literary sources while imprisoned.



Boethius has rightly been called the last classical man. Indeed his thoughts and works can be seen as forming a bridge etween the classical world and the Middle Ages. The Consolation influenced countless numbers of theologians throughout the Middle Ages and direct references are to be found in the works of masters such as Dante and Chaucer. His lonely contemplation of good and evil, fate and free will, fortune and the nature of happiness certainly still have an allure to inquisitive minds to this day.

This is one of the most sensible devotional books I've eveer read. It is written with warmth, intellilgence, and humor--and gives the read much to think about. It should not be read straight through but in small chunks that can be enjoyed, then thought about at some length.

I have loved this book since I read it in college almost 30 years ago and, unfortunately, lost my copy. The popularity of this beautiful set of essay-like prayers is evident by how rare and expensive used copies of this book were. Reprinting this wonderful book was a answer to my specific prayer and I am buying copies to give as gifts. Favorites are Bits and Pieces, and Thank God as well as so many others. You, too, will find favorites that you will want to share. I suggest,as does the author, that you read them sparingly, one at a time. They are rich, like chocolate.

My highschool girlfriend bought me this book "just because" one day. I still have that dog-eared tattered copy floating around. Time and again this book brought me inspiration, peace or clarity. I have shared devotions with friends, even wrote a sermon based around one of the inspired thoughts. It is truly a God inspired book. No other book in this genre even comes close. If it is your first time trhough this book be prepared to smile, cry and cringe as these words will speak to your heart and spirit again and again.

I read this book back in the 1970s, and it disappeared, who knows where -- but I would like to have another copy. I will keep looking for the new printing, now that it is March, and hope that Amazon will be carrying it!

I, like most of the other reviewers of this book, fell in love with it in the early 70's. It is the only book in my library that I have never lent out. It affected my faith and my own writing style so tremendously that you can quote one line and I can tell you which one it came from. It sent me on a quest to find Dr. Cheney and do what I could to get the book reprinted so I could finally share it. And I did...and we did. IT'S BACK AND COMING IN LATE MARCH 2005.

I took the book to the beach and couldn't put it down. I was riveted from the very first sentence. The author led us with such skill to the character Reb Michael Klimrod that you are hooked immediately.

Paul-Loup Sulitzer is a master storyteller. His skill and thought provoking insight into this complex character gave us an entirely different prospective into this tragic time. He lifts your soul and fires your imagination with imagery that has you holding your breath in anticipation of what comes next. This book will make you stop whining about your life and look outside yourself to the possibilities available. I'm not a person that likes to read a book more than once but with The Green King I find myself reading it once a year and feeling like it is the first time every time.

Do you have a teen that feels life is boring or that you know needs to be challenged? This book has the power to bring on a change in thinking. I read several novels weekly but this is a book you will want to read slowly and savor every word.

Movie Makers Take Notice - the world needs a thought provoking movie and this is it!

The green King is without any doubt one of the best tales ever told, about the life of a person with so much to give to the world, and so much to do and explore.For me it was amazing from the beginning, the tall blonde boy with the anger and pain of the concetration camp to the nearly end, Reb the one of the richest man alive fighting for a good cause. Read it love it, please someone do a movie about this extraordinary Man.

i read The Green King in its Russian translation 12 years ago and it remains my most favorite book... i still keep it and it is much beaten up by now... i can definetely say that the power of this Sulitzer musterpiece was a major factor in shaping my adolesent character... now i am grown up and unfortunately find it impossible to have a strong figure in my life who i would want to be like, but there is something in The Green King that will make you either rediscover the feeling or help find it for a first time....

I found a copy of the hardback English translation at a "friends of the library" sale. The tale of Reb Michael Klimrod is an improbable one, although riveting. With the start of the book with Klimrod rescued from Mauthausen concentration camps during the war, he survives amid a sea of bodies, pulling on some inner strength and self-image that allows himself to function in horrendous circumstances without letting it attack his spirit. He then goes on an adventure to find what happened to his family and their wealth, makes connections in cigarette black market trade that finance his eventual stalking down of the Nazi who tortured, filmed and killed his father.

From that tale of vengeance the book propels us into the Amazon, where Klimrod again survives a hostile environment and develops a bond with the natives in Amazonia. After emerging from there, he heads to New York where he again flourishes in the hostile environment of big business, using powers of persuasion and an incredible memory to create a number of businesses in a short amount of time and surround himself with loyal followers that become known as "the Black Dogs."

Klimrod falls in love with the unstable Charmian whose ups & downs captivate him. The scene on the boat where she actually shoots him is a profound chapter on the power of love.

Having amassed billions, Reb turns his attentions to Amazonia, creating a culture in the heart of the jungle. The secrecy and silent attraction of others to Reb make him an enigmatic lead character, one that holds our interest until the end. The ending at the United Nations where Reb, the unknown billionaire, is going to try to "come out" against boarders and nations is foiled and the novels seems to dissipate as much as climax. Denise Raab Jacobs' translation from the French reads and flows well. All in all, this is a memorable story, one that grabs you in the first few pages and takes you in numerous unpredictable directions. Enjoy!

The Green King is my all-time favorite book. I read it for the first time when on vacation in Aruba in '85 and have read it at least three times since. I found a first print in hardcover and it is the jewel of my book collection.

Reb Michael Klimrod's journey from a nazi death camp to the richest man in the world without anyone knowing him is remarkable. The detail that Sulitzer maintains in his book of the men that kept this secret is breath taking; the web of financial companies and transactions is exhilarating. This is a great book for anyone that enjoys high finance and a desire to fulfill a dream. 5 Stars are not enough for this book.

This is the book you need for creating and maintaining a solid and authentic classroom literacy program. "The First Twenty Days" alone is extreemely helpful. You can start small and grow as you feel comfortable. A little overwhelming at times but worth it!

Excellent resource. Everything needed to start a reading/writing/word study workshop. My book is full of sticky notes of things to use!

Definitely one of the most useful and comprehensive reading and writing resources that I have ever purchased for my professional library. The price is very reasonable as well!

This book has helped me tremendously with my new job as a teacher. Going to school did not prepare me as much as this book has.

Every teacher who teaches grades 3-6 should own this book. It has practical mini-lessons, rationale for teaching comprehension strategies and additional resources. If you don't already own it, you should get your hands on a copy.

If you've ever wished for the opportunity to interview the top literary agents in America, read Making the Perfect Pitch. Katharine Sands compiled a book of essays by as well as interviews with agents. While some essays and interviews are better than others, each one will provide information about the agent helping you decide whether or not to approach the agent for possible representation. Sometimes as I was reading, I could sense that an agent wouldn't be the right one for me just from an attitude, a statement, or a point of view. This isn't a criticism of the agent, I just knew my personality wouldn't mesh with the person. That creates a time savings for a writer looking for an agent. On the other hand, there were many agents whose essay/interview made me take notice. With titles like How Much is a Black Dress?, How I Learned to Sell Sex, Dean and Rock `n' Roll, and In the Singles Bar of the Literary Persuasion, to name a few, these essays are certain to intrigue, inform, and , dare I say, entertain. Making the Perfect Pitch is a valuable read for anyone searching for a literary agent.

The best book I've ever read about the business of writing. A top agent herself, Sands has gathered the wisdom and candor of other agents as well to share what writers need to know. PITCH is as valuable for what it says between the lines. Like with a panel discussion, what you glean and absorb is as helpful as the specific guidance the book provides. Sands accomplishes that with an engaging format and narrative voice that creates that rare, nonfiction page-turner.

It took me three years to find a publisher for my first novel; then I promoted it for several years, to the point of burnout. After my second novel was done, I let it sit for two years, unsure I was willing to work that hard again. I became willing but vowed to work smarter this time. Soon thereafter, I found PITCH, and it gave me what I needed. Even though I've worked in publishing for twenty years and have written seriously for seventeen, I found invaluable insight on nearly every page.

As others have reported, my fortune has greatly improved. I'm grateful to Sands for her important role in that happy result.

Cynthia Lamb,
author of the novel BRIGID'S CHARGE

As a freelance writer, author, and Internet marketing consultant, I am always looking for new insight into the difficult process of attracting an agent or publisher's eye, both for my own writing and for that of my author clients. When this book first came out, I was excited because I know Katharine Sands to be a fine, dedicated professional who cares about her work and about her own clients. She is well connected in the publishing world and I expected that her advice and that of the agents she had gathered together in this volume would be insightful and helpful. My expectations were met and exceeded as I worked my way through the chapters. I have often gone back and reviewed suggestions and important points and been able to apply them to benefit my own work and that of my clients.

I noted the negative comments of "avid reader" in these reviews and feel prompted to respond by saying it sounds like sour grapes to me--this person obviously thinks she/he is being excluded from an exclusive club. She/he is right--but not the club of MFA-holders--avid reader is excluded from the club of those who constantly work to refine and improve their writing skills, and of those able to absorb and put to use solid advice of experienced agents who know this tough industry well. Avid reader should try looking inward rather than pointing outward. There is not a person among us in this industry who can not learn more about how to be a better writer, how to approach the industry more effectively, how to get better results.

Personally, I found inspiration in "Making the Perfect Pitch"--not every single contributor's advice resonated with my own work, of course, but, as Terry Whalin emphasizes, different voices and ideas speak to each of us, you have to take the important kernels of information from those who can help us, heed the call to excellence, and keep on moving forward. This book helped me to do that, to inch forward on my own writing journey.
--Rosemary Carstens, writer, author, and editor of FEAST, the award-winning eZine

Katharine Sands is a New York literary agent. We heard her speak in a workshop some time back. She knows her business and has sage advice for the beginning writer as to how to attract and kept the attention of an agent. This title should sit on any reference shelf to be studied over and over.
Going outside the box seldom works in this vital aspect of an author's career. "Over the transom" submissions to a publishing house are fuel for recycling through a shredder. The last one that may have made it was COLD MOUNTAIN. Publishers state they only consider agent-ed works because they are aware the manuscript has already been through a tough elimination process. Keep this in mind and read MAKING THE PERFECT PITCH.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelUnder the Liberty OakNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarGuns Across the Rio: A Texas Ranger in Old Mexico

If you can't write a flawless pitch after reading this book, it's not because you didn't have all the information you could possibly need. Besides essays breaking things down into the proverbial "five easy steps," the book includes Katharine Sands' interviews with fellow literary agents, and the information she coaxes from them is a gold mine of invaluable advice on writing pitches and novels themselves. The subjects it covers include the importance of a twist, a colorful detail, in your query; letting hooks emerge rather than building a book on one; the benefits of underselling yourself rather than playing the salesman; and the importance of approaching an agent as a collaborator. It's impossible to overestimate the practical value of these insights. And it's safe to say that aspiring novelists can't afford not to hear what this book has to say.

Henry isn't sure why at age 15 he bought the John Denver album. He continues, "Let's chalk it up to raging pubescent hormones, psychotropic drugs at too early an age, too many Herman Hesse books, a compromised decision making capacity, and a general absence of free will."

Well, I don't know why I think it's so funny when he makes fun of John Denver, especially since I've always liked his music, but it is funny. Pubescent hormones? Yes, neurobiology tells us they'll make us crazy...psychotropic drugs at an age perhaps earlier than 15?...whew...too many Herman Hesse books? Well, I read them all in my mid-twenties, and several of Louis Lamour's, but the Hesse entry does work nicely. The last one - general absence of free will - blew me away! - one side of an ever current philosophical enigmatic question thrown in following a bunch of unrelated one-liners which strangely enough make a coherent and hilarious sentence.

To a conservative political pundit, Panky says, "Darling Ann, my winsome hyena, how I yearn to slip the tough leather straps over your slavering muzzle and ride you like a gaucho through the befouled and slippery charnel house of your political desires." Wow! This sentence paints quite a picture for a guy like me who doesn't really understand poetry. Continuing..."Your saccharine sophistries reek (italics) of an utterly Faustian and silver-tongued sodomy of the human spirit." I don't think he likes her.

Tongue in cheek he deprecates himself: "Even utter strangers naturally sense my Ivy League roots. Those lustrous days spent upon the mountain peak of academe, bathed in the brilliant light of reason, breathing in the high, Rocky mountain spring water of purest intellect, have imbued a certain effulgent je ne sais quoi (italics) deep into my very marrow. It's who I am. You might as well try to hide the Koih-noor diamond under a cheap thrift store merkin."

Well, okay, I have to keep the English and French dictionaries handy, and several trivia books. When I understand most of the servings, I feel proud. By the way, these examples from the book weren't exactly cherry-picked. When I came across the "free will" comment, I decided I had to write a review. The other 2 selections were just short enough, had not been mentioned in other reviews, and were found in the next 7 pages.

This book is an introduction to a new way of perceiving our world, the Hank E. Panky way. If you are tired of the same old mundane books...if you have memorized the self-help book by your commode...Try a little Hank E. Panky, and I predict a satisfied customer. I can't wait to get my hands on his next book.

I first fell in love with Henry Panky on his web site. I would have willingly had his baby had it not been for the onset of menopause, the fact I was already married, lived 2000 miles away and hate inconvenience. I was aware of his sick obsession with Meg Ryan and even Renee Zellwegger, but it didn't stop my heart from beating wildly. Brilliant comedic writers have always been my weakness. When the book came out, I devoured it like a dingo at a turkey farm. Stay away from me Henry, this is too big for the both of us!! I'll always have your book to keep me warm and giggly.

Moments of pure brilliance shine through the deluge of self-important information, conspiracy, smut, self-help, sales, scams and spam that is the neon strip of the world wide web where I first encountered Henry Panky. If you don't recognise yourself in this portrait you're delusional! The mercilessly self-depricating, perpetually puffed up, deflated, flatulent, moaning, crowing character that is Henry Panky crossed over the hazy line to where he began building his own magnificent legend. It is a delight to share his excruciating pain. Dear sir: thank you for your wonderfull, ridiculous comedy. I laughed til I cried. It is a deranged world we live in and these 173 pages of lunacy helped me face tomorrow laughing. This is one #$@!!! funny book!

Henry E. Panky, Associate of Arts (candidate) is the insane alter ego of author Patrick Carlisle, though several disclaimers try to convince readers otherwise. Why use your alter ego to write a book of assorted rants? If you published an essay titled "The Crisis in Pubic Hair" would you want your name attached to it?

Unfair & Unbalanced lives up to its title, though it is more unbalanced (in a mental sense) than unfair. Panky does everything from proclaiming a sick love for Meg Ryan to trying his hand at mystery writing, and all of it is hilarious. Some of it even makes sense, and that is worrisome.

Carlisle, as Panky, knows how to make people laugh. Whether he's fumbling a review for an old movie he saw years ago (but just got around to writing about), or trying to explain his mandago bag , he is tuned into the world's humor ley lines. Not everyone will appreciate his efforts or even get it, but who cares?. He's doing this for the sinners, intellectuals, welfare cheats and politicians of the world, and they're the ones who most need to read this work of brilliance. -- Doug Brunell for the FEARLESS REVIEWS

Unfair & Unbalanced: The Lunatic Magniloquence of Henry E. Panky by Patrick M. Carlisle is a wry and captivatingly hysterical look at the baffling contradictions of modern life. Holding no hypocricy sacred, chapters such as "O' Foreskin, Where Art Thou?" and "The Crisis in Pubic Hair" do not hestiate to push the envelope on human sexuality, while "Letter to Dave Barry", "The Insatiable Meat Cleaver of Bette Davis", and "Letter to Ann Coulter" challenge other public figures in an eye-popping manner. Unfair & Unbalanced spares no effort to be hysterically funny, perhaps at the price of good taste but what is that, really? No fewer than four separate disclaimers lead into the hilarity, and the whetted observations within require it, for they are at least four times as cutting-edge as the leading "fair and balanced" commentary.

This book was an entertaining easy read. The detail is as good as any book I've read and entirely what a werewolf book should be. It pulls no punches and gives gory and ravenous details that will truly make you think twice about what's in the dark. A must read for any science fiction lover.

The only book I've read more than once, and thats saying something. A book about a man who spends his days, and nights fighting werewolves. Its so in your face, its absolutely fantastic reading. Brian P. Easton makes it crystal clear right away that the Beast, as werewolves are often referred to in this book, are completely and absolutely vicious and evil. Nothing humorous or cute about them. Not this story. The main character Sylvester is the toughest SOB you'll ever read about. The things he endures physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritally are terrifying. Its hard not becoming what you hate. "The beast will kill you one piece at a time, Sylvester. Bite by Bite", said his mentor early on in the story. I highly recommend this truly exhilarating novel to anybody. Without a doubt my all time favorite book. As good as the vampire masterpiece I am Legend.

If the last 70 pages had been more satisfying this would be 5 stars, easy. But, as it stands we have a disappointing climax, a weak ending for most of the main characters and an unnecessarily long denouement. On the plus side, the werewolves are cool, described as massive, vicious, demonic remorseless monsters, and there's an interesting werewolf hierarchy that's unique to this book. It also violent, and action packed, with a good story and interesting first person narrative. I did find the main character to be a bit cliche, but he was still filled with monkeys. All and all, a good bleak, violent, gritty horror novel/character piece. Recommended for fans of werewolf fiction.

I profoundly regret that this seems to be the only novel produced by Mr. Easton. You don't have to get very far into his prose to decide that he is no amateur as a writer. This book is of exceptional quality for any genre, but is particularly outstanding in the wolfman category. It certainly stands out among today's popular fare of werewolves humanized as sexy heroes in romance potboilers, or as noble saviours of the environment (viz., White Wolf Publisher's lupine Green Peace-niks). In this book, though, the werewolves are all big, truly scary, and irredeemably malevolent toward humanity. Having read about 300 fiction and nonfiction books about werewolves (not counting short stories) over the years, I'd put this in my top 10 of favorites. This novel has plenty of lycanthropic action and gore enough to satisfy any aficionado of the genre. Yet the saga of Sylvester's journey from orphan to manhood as a werewolf hunter is also a thoughtful examination of the psychology of hatred, and how it can make you strong enough to endure incredible sacrifices---yet ultimately rob you of your own humanity. This is the kind of book that leaves the reader reporting for work the next morning still groggy from lack of sleep, because you simply can't put this book down.

I have been a horror fan, especially a werewolf fan for many years. Usually, it's quite hard to find a decent werewolf book. However, this is a great book, and a must read for any werewolf fan out there. It is a bit brutal at times, and the werewolves are not cute and fluffy. But that's what makes the book so wonderful.

I bought this book in 2004 and I still use it to this day. It's witty and a fun read, not to mention inspiring. It isn't that I have a shortage of ideas, but I have a hard time putting it on papaer... and this book definately puts things in a new perspective for me!

Jack Heffron's "The Writer's Idea Book" is a very good specimen of a book of writers' exercises. It mixes "prompts" of various sorts (more than 400 of them according to the cover, and I believe it!) with short riffs of practical advice on a wide range of writing matters. While Heffron is a professional editor and does give advice regarding methods that he believes work best, he concentrates on writing for yourself in this book rather than trying to get published. This is just the idea phase after all--check out his later book, "The Writer's Idea Workshop," for practical advice regarding taking your idea from raw ore to refined metal.

There are many prompts meant to help you mine your own experiences for ideas and plots. (As well as your likes and dislikes, your family, your home town, places you've visited, "public moments," secrets, dreams, and more.) There are prompts to help you explore different forms of writing, structure your story, and more. There are even good solid hints on dealing with openings and endings. The huge number of prompts in this book guarantees that you should be able to find something to spark your creativity no matter what mood you're in.

In fact, about the only thing that bothered me about this book was the lack of the unusual. I love genre. Horror, science fiction, fantasy--I love the strange, and this book had a very "literary" feel to it. That'll make it perfect for many other writers out there, but it left me a little flat. I like to have a certain otherworldliness come into play when looking through lots of writing exercises and warm-ups. This book is meant to push you into finding inspiration from the ordinary rather than the extraordinary; I would have liked a better balance.

It's certainly a fun book, however, and definitely a kick in the inspiration department!

A great book with a lot of writing prompts. Perfect for the fiction author, however as a writer of non-fiction I felt there was a lot of character development exercises. The trick for me was to try to turn the ideas into ones that would fit into non-fiction. The surprise was this book got me back into writing fiction which I had not done for many years.
My recommendation is if you are looking for writing prompts for fiction, definitely buy this book. If all you do is non-fiction, this may not be the book for you, but it never hurts to look it over.
It was quite well written and Jack Heffron certainly presented some good idea generators.

With over 400 prompts in this book there is one to suit every mood and these will not only encourage you to write regularly but get your creative juices flowing. What's more each of the prompts target specific areas of your writing such as story endings, developing character & plot. It also addresses nonfiction, poetry & screenplays...and I am using it to improve my blog writing.
I own a number of books on this topic (including "What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers") but find the format and content of Jack Heffron's Writers Idea Book to be the most practical, inspiring and effective. Thanks Jack!

to add to the other reviews, I like this book because I'm the type of writer that needs an "assignment" to make sure I don't keep writing about the same things. With this book, it's easy to follow along and take out what you need and go back later to the other prompts the second or third time around. I'm a firm believer that a person should go through a book like this two or more times to get the full benefits.