Rebecca Books

This book is a wonderful delightful book to help writers find just the write word or phrase, to jog the thought process... It is laid out in a wondeful very compreshive way and includes sections from eyes to kissing to making love to weapontry. She even has a small section on pranormal terms. I highly recommend this book to all authors that have ever needed a thought jogged.

This is a wonderful book for every romance writer. This is something one should keep on their desk in case of mind freeze when you just can't think up what to add to your story.

This book will help you to add zing when it is needed. It will help with those pesky descriptions and other things that can boggle the writer's mind thus keeping one from completing a story.

Every writer should have this one within their reach!

A beautifully published and enthusiastically recommended collection of poetry by Rebecca Dunham, "The Miniature Room" showcases a true poetic talent and skilled wordsmith able to lyrically evoke detailed images that include an impressive diversity of concepts and a full range of emotional responses. 'The Tempest': Clouds orchard the sky, dangle/flush globes overhead. The storm/has not passed. There is no/rest, I know, just my son's cry//splintering the silence. A flash/both serpentine & bright./If sleep's slick waters could slip/their banks & cover me//like a sheet. If the telephones, tea/kettle, even the raspong green/sofa's slipcovered twill could be/quieted. Below the water's purled//surface, a stillness pours. Please./This, the uninhabited moment.

I am not a blurbist, so my comments won't be book-jacket worthy, but I will try to give you a sense of this book. One of the central devices that holds this collection together is that of the fine art miniature (think pages in illuminated manuscripts or the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago), but it would be a mistake to expect quaint little lyrics. Although there is a focus on the domestic, the voice is very much in touch with the vast darkness that lies on either side of life. In "Yard Elegy," there is "Everywhere, death," and this preoccupation infuses even the otherwise suburban picturesque of a toddler on a swing or trying to place fallen petals back on a branch. An ekphrastic that starts from Leonardo's "Madonna and Saint Anne," tells of Mary's birth and her mother's immediate feeling that loss would now forever hang over her, the infant's "fingers tipped with blue."

One of my favorite single poems is "In which I am the Serpent in the Garden," which ends with the following lines:

I pluck an apple from the fruit bowl & slice it,
luminous, a fan of moons flowering his plate.

The constant tension of death with the everyday makes such moments more beautiful and feel earned.

This reads much more like a second or third book than a first. Based on this book, Rebecca Dunham has the potential to become a major talent.

Rebecca Cramer, Johnson County College anthropologist, has penned her first novel, a mystery set in the modern world of the Native Americans on a reservation west of Tucson. Often called the Papagos,their name for themselves is the Tohono O'odham, and Cramer has researched them very thoroughly, even learning a bit of their language. An Anglo family dynasty has developed , centered around purchasing large tracts of land just outside the Tohono O'odham land and converting it into expensive homes, walling off access to the rugged terrain, archaeological sites,and magnificent views to all but the wealthy. Benton Brody, in the top echelon of that family, is murdered in the very reion he exploited. His body is found very quickly, much more quickly than the murderer intended. Teenager Matt Bluenight loves that country, and it is his observation of the circling buzzards which leads to the discovery. Linda, Matt's single-parent mom, teaches at the reservation school,but she left a forensic position to do so. She is called in for initial help, and of course is involved as Matt's mother as well. Linda, like the author who creates her, is of Cherokee ancestry. Ramon Morena,a Tohono O'odham youth of good repute, is charged with the murder when a tip leads the police to find Benton's credit cards in his room. Linda doesn't believe Ramon could have done it, and her feelings intensify when Ramon is found dead in his cell. The police are willing to call it a suicide, just what the killer planned.

"The desert provides shelter for predators. The cactus wren builds its nest amid boughs of thorns to protect its young from pack rats and king snakes. The poisonous centipede wraps its soft tentacles around an unfortunate insect and fondles its victim in lethal foreplay. Even the ubiquitous roadrunner, famous of stage and screen, earns its supper by plundering the burrows of sand squirrels and by using its sharp beak to slash the throats of baby cottontails." Thus begins a novel of murder and intrigue that engages the tensions between differing cultural backgrounds and between those who would conserve the desert and those who would destroy it. Of Cherokee ancestry, Cramer's character, Linda Bluenight, quit her job as a forensic anthropologist in Kansas City and moved with her son, Matty, to teach Tohono O'odham ("Papago") children on the reservation west of Tucson, Arizona. Cramer introduces many interesting characters who represent different and sometimes conflicting cultural perspectives. In the tradition of Tony Hillerman, she intersperses snippets of knowledge about local Native American cultures in a manner that neither detracts from the plot nor impedes enjoyment of her novel. She also weaves some of the region's pressing environmental issues into the plot. I highly recommend Mission to Sonora to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery. I also recommend it as a supplement to anthropology classroom readings for its insights into important cross-cultural issues in the Southwest.

The book was in perfect condition. It was mailed to me in what I think must be record time.

"The Modern Murasaki" is one of those rare definitive anthologies, the kind that constitutes a cornerstone contribution to the field while being just in and of itself profoundly interesting and enjoyable to read cover to cover. Within its pages are translations of literary works written during the Meiji era (1868-1911) by Japanese women of various temperaments and backgrounds, all of whom though sought more out of life than the role of "good wife, wise mother" dictated to them. And it's a good thing they did, too, because modern Japanese literature would be much the poorer without the excellent stories, poems, plays, and essays found herein--highly thought-provoking or deeply moving, terribly heart-wrenching or wonderfully entertaining, but all noteworthy and significant.

In many respects too this is an important anthology. Of course it vastly expands the horizons of what we think of as Meiji literature, but the works here are also key representative texts rather than the footnotes of literary history; I know for certain that I have come across countless references to Kishida Toshiko's speech/essay "Daughters in Boxes" in who knows how many historical studies and such, but now finally I got the chance to actually read the real thing for myself. The translations are of an exceptional quality, too, carefully accurate and scholarly and yet vibrant and accessibly literary. Furthermore, the selections seem carefully chosen so as to be equally relevant both in terms of literature and social history, making this book extremely useful to scholars and students in both areas of inquiry--not to mention Women's Studies in general. Finally, the handy format of this book makes it ideal for classroom use so it should hopefully find its way to many a syllabus, and yet it's the perfect book to just sit back with at a coffee shop and read for good old-fashioned enjoyment's sake.

Selections included in this book are:
1. Poems in various styles by Matsunoto Misako, Saisho Atsuko, Shimoda Utako, Nakajima Utako, Higuchi Ichiyo, Nakajima Shoen, Yosano Akiko, Yamakawa Tomiko, Chino Masako, Ishigami Tsuyuko, Okamoto Kanoko, Yazawa Koko, Otsuka Kusuoko, and Takeyama Hideko
2. "Daughters in Boxes" by Kishida Toshiko
3. "Warbler in the Grove" by Miyake Kaho
4. Journal Entries by Higuchi Ichiyo
5. "The Temple of Godai" by Tazawa Inabune
6. "Hiding the Gray" and "Wretched Sights" by Kitada Usurai
7. "How Determined Are Today's Women Students?", "The Broken Ring", and "School for Emigres" by Shimizu Shikin
8. "Wavering Traces" by Hasegawa Shigure
9. "Persimmon Sweets" by Nogami Yaeko
10. "For More than Forty Days" by Mizuno Senko
11. "Lifeblood" and "The Vow" by Tamura Toshiko

I have studied this book as well as other Guided Activity Workbooks and was so impressed that I researched how this one has been used to help traumatized children and want to share what I found, quoting from source material as the book has been written up and used by parents, teachers and mental health professionals to help many thousands of children.

"When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans on August 29, 2005, causing extensive flooding, immense destruction, and mass human suffering, we began collaboration with Mercy Corps to produce and distribute a guided activity workbook within a week after the disaster. To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, the American Psychoanalytic Foundation and Mercy Corps jointly funded a study of the resource. The objective of the resource was to decrease post-traumatic symptoms in several hundred among the evacuated fifth to eighth grade children attending a displaced school, temporarily based in Houston. Fortuitously, Tulane University was also relocated to Houston and the project had the advantage of an independent psychiatrist's involvement in setting up and studying the effectiveness of the project, including the supervision of interns to introduce and follow the children's use of the workbook. The formerly New Orleans student population was 100 percent African-American, the majority (82 percent) from impoverished areas of New Orleans that were widely devastated by Katrina. The University of California at Los Angeles Child Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (PTSD-RI) was administered to the children prior to beginning work on the Hurricane Workbook and again after three months of working with the specially designed psychoanalytically informed workbooks. Mercy Corp eventually distributed more than 12,000 workbooks throughout the region."

"Tulane University School of Medicine's preliminary report on results of using Guided Activity Workbooks with middle school children displaced by hurricanes is published on The Children's Psychological Health Center's website: www.cphc-sf.org. Briefly, My Personal Story About Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: A Guided Activity Workbook for Children, Families and Teachers was given to each child. Each worked on it in class for 30 minutes weekly for three months. Post-traumatic symptom level scores among 100 twice-tested adolescents declined sharply. The improvement was statistically highly significant (p=.0001). It confirmed compelling clinical observations that even classes of highly agitated and overactive inner city children almost immediately became very calm and focused when using the activity workbooks. "

Results for Children Caught in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

I am currently working with Drs. Jan Johnson and Leslie Lawrence ...using your Katrina and Rita workbooks in a middle school in the French Quarter of New Orleans. When we used your workbooks last year in Houston with displaced 6th-8th grade students, we found that using the books for 30 minutes once a week for two months decreased PTSD risk factor/symptom scores by 18.75% (from 32 to 26 median; p=0.0001). In our current study, we have expanded the student population to include 5th graders, and also are allowing students to participate whether or not they were displaced; they all, however, live in post-Katrina New Orleans, which is in itself a stressor. Other studies have found that PTSD continues to be a major issue, especially among children, here in New Orleans, and so far our work has replicated this finding.

We just wanted to inform you of this because the workbook itself is your creation, and we love it. We also thought it might be appropriate to be in communication with you in the future about how our results turn out, and also how we might use concepts from your book to continue helping New Orleans kids who are likely to have continued stress living in our troubled city.

-Adrienne D. Mishkin, Tulane University School of Medicine

A friend gave me this book to look at. After reading it, I HAD to have a copy. Amazon is always the place to find what you are looking for. Anyway, the book has very sophisticated menus andrecipes. I have not had the opportunity to use any as yet, but I do look forward to trying them soon.

This was the most entertaining cookbook I've ever read. The stories were as entertaining as the recipes were tasty and easy to do. Very unique, very impressive!

A wonderful and refreshing cookbook. This author obviously looks at life and its unusual situations with a fantastic and often off-beat sense of humor. The FOREWORD, written by her nephew, is hilarious.....reminds me of something Robin Williams would write...only BETTER. There is something for everyone in this book...stories and recipes alike. An unusual and interesting addition to any book collection. Honey Walnut

This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever bought! It was written by a gourmet pastry chef as a series of funny stories all related to her recipes and adventures as a cook. And it proves to be totally hilarious. You will laugh alot and really enjoy all of the incredible desserts and delicious dishes she has in here. It's alot like being able to watch the gourmet chef in one of those great restaurants and learn all of his secret little tricks. I highly recommend this book and hope to see many more by this author.

This book was the only book I've ever read that I actually enjoyed. It kept me interested the entire time, and I even read during some classes. Because of this book, I've been looking for my books by Rebecca Winters. Definitely a book for anyone who likes romance stories.

NOT WITHOUT MY CHILD is one of the most heart wrenching, heart-warming emotional story that I have ever read. Tessa Marsden is without a doubt one of the most awe inspiring characters I have ever had the privilege to read about. She is an extremely tough woman, who is unfortunately judged not only by her stunning good looks, but by the lies that her husband tells
others. Tessa knew almost immediately that her marriage to Grant was a mistake, but because of her religious and personal beliefs she felt that she must make her marriage work. Unfortunately, the only good thing to come out of her marriage is her now five year old son Scotty. Tessa loves her son with every fiber of her being and is a terrific mother.

However, when Tessa files for divorce, she is shocked to discover that Grant counter sues her for full custody of her son and claims that Tessa is an unfit mother. Tessa is devastated and vows to fight for her son. The deck is stacked against Tessa from the very beginning. After her son was born, Tessa was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. Before filing for divorce Tessa puts her life on the line when she stops taking medication that she had been on for four years. This took so much courage and strength on her part. Her husband and his lawyer (also known as little Hitler), however, try to make Tessa look like a sick, drug addicted, adulterous, emotionally distraught, and dangerous woman in court. Thankfully, Tessa has luck on her side in the form of her attorney Alex Summerfield.

Alex pulls out all the stops in order to win Tessa's case. In the process he also falls in love with her. Alex and Tessa can in no way give into their feelings for one another because it could have a negative impact on her case.

This is a great story of one womans struggle, but with the help of her family and a man that gives her so much more than she ever thought possible, she survives and comes out stronger than ever. Terrific, heartbreaking, heartwarming! Rebecca Winters makes the reader want to fight for Tessa just as much as Alex and her family do. Highly Recommend, especially to someone who feels that they can not rise above the problems in their life and come out a better and stronger person.

Really funny monologues (Holly Hughes's, Christopher Durang's, Peter Petralia's, and Laurel Haines's); serious (William Gibson's, Neil LaBute's, and August Wilson's); and some just plain dangerous (Anna Deavere Smith's and Lydia Lunch's). The work is from 2000 and after--the playwrights are diverse, including Theresa Rebeck, Murray Schisgal, and Nilo Cruz. About seventy good parts to choose from--nice pieces by Maria Irene Fornes, Crystal Field, Young Jean Lee, David Simpatico, and Anne Elliott--way too many to count. Meryl Streep, eat your heart out!

As a director of a professional theater, I can tell you that the right monologue is vital for a great audition. Finding the perfect monologue is a hard task for any actor and it's even harder for female actors. This wonderful resource provides a wealth of women's monologues for both the professional and educational theater. After providing solid advice for choosing the right monologue, Henry, Jaroff, and Shuman offer a robust choice of monologues from a wide range of playwrights and styles. Thoughtful, complex, and beautifully theatrical, these monologues provide plenty of choices for the perfect monologue. A must have for any actor's library!

I am a traveller from Madrid and was given this book as a gift by a friend from Manila. It was full of everything a traveller who is unfamiliar with an exotic country like the Philippines. When I went there with several friends last year we found the book to be extremely helpful and so accurate in detail that we had an easy time moving around, finding hotels and site-seeing areas. To the authors: thank you for a very relaxing trip to the Philippines!

We were being assigned to the Philippines and I browsed through all the travel books available on the country. I chose this (the first edition) because i liked the way it was written and that the writers live in the Philippines. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed! In fact i found both the information provided and the personalized descriptions of places to stay and eat very helpful. When the second edition came out i bought it and passed on my old copy to a friend. The 2nd edition has new information (unlike others that i have found are almost completely re-writes of past editions) and continues to be a more personal travel guide. I will be sorry to leave the country and this book has helped my family enjoy our travels.