Bingo Books

How can you go wrong with the message in this story? It is fun to read and the kids haven't tired of hearing it read to them. Catchy "jingles"!

This is a very entertaining children's book with great illustrations that make the kids laugh:)

Wow, what a charming story. My son loves this book. Our family enjoys singing with the story. You are never too young or too old to stop wishing and dreaming. The power of possitive thinking. Great Bed Time Story. "Think Happy Thoughts" Can't wait for the next one.

My kids love this book. Bingo's song is one that will catch on and stick, and I liked the message behind the story, of family, giving, and friendship. We could all take a lesson from Bingo!

This great little book is a favorite in our house. The story is happy, friendly, and quick. The sing-song is one your kids will be drawn to over and over again and gets stuck in your head.
Aside from all the fun is a clear message about family and the importance of giving. Your kids will surely enjoy this book.

Ah fudge! Darn it! I need to go to bed! This is what I said at 1 a.m. after a chapter ending. I wanted to keep reading, and of course, I did. I love a good mystery, and Ms. Sullivan La Pierre delivers!

Young Destiny Wilson disappears after winning big at the bingo hall; her car can't be found and the check hasn't been cashed. She's vanished without a clue or even a motive for kidknapping. Jesse Wilson, hires Tom Casey--an ex-agent in hiding working as a P.I. known as Hawkman--to find his daughter.

The deeper Hawkman digs and the closer he gets to the truth causes nervousness among the bad guys and puts his life in danger, including Jennifer--his pretty wife. When another woman is discovered missing, apparently taken before Destiny, Hawkman feels the motive isn't what it seems--something much deeper is going on.

BLACKOUT is fast-paced and riveting to the last page--not a dull moment in sight. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and hope to read more of Ms. Sullivan La Pierre's work in the future.

Small town, missing women, bingo hall with large payouts, Indian casino a short drive away, all pieces of Betty Sullivan La Pierre's Blackout. Enter ex-agent Hawkman and his wife Jennifer, add an active agent and a bunch of helpful immigrants, but take away all the evidence: no bodies, no ransom notes, winning check not cashed, victims' cars missing.

In a small town everybody knows everybody else, so everybody knows the victims and their pasts, everybody knows everything about everybody -- or do they? And nobody admits to knowing where these girls are. Hawkman's methodical investigation, little by little, uncovers evidence no one else is aware of, but his irritating habit of keeping his plans and his hunches to himself until he's sure he's right, accelerate to a blur the page-turn-rate of this captivating novel.

Betty Sullivan La Pierre has done it again: Blackout is a 5 star mystery with characters that capture your heart and a plot that plays with your mind; you'll remember this book long after the story ends.

Small town, missing women, bingo hall with large payouts, Indian casino a short drive away, all pieces of Betty Sullivan La Pierre's Blackout. Enter ex-agent Hawkman and his wife Jennifer, add an active agent and a bunch of helpful immigrants, but take away all the evidence: no bodies, no ransom notes, winning check not cashed, victims' cars missing.

In a small town everybody knows everybody else, so everybody knows the victims and their pasts, everybody knows everything about everybody -- or do they? And nobody admits to knowing where these girls are. Hawkman's methodical investigation, little by little, uncovers evidence no one else is aware of, but his irritating habit of keeping his plans and his hunches to himself until he's sure he's right, accelerate to a blur the page-turn-rate of this captivating novel.

Betty Sullivan La Pierre has done it again: Blackout is a 4 ½ dagger mystery with characters that capture your heart and a plot that plays with your mind; you'll remember this book long after the story ends.

In this new and exciting book about Hawkman, his friend Jesse has asked him to locate Jesse's missing daughter Destiny. The old man is heartbroken, and Destiny has a six-year-old girl who misses her mother very much. Then there is old Rochester, the families Bloodhound who hasn't left his place on the farm's front porch since Destiny has been missing.

All Hawkman has found out so far is that Destiny had gone to play bingo with her friend René. When Destiny won a lot of money playing blackout bingo she decided to continue her winning streak at one of the Indian Casinos. René did not go with her and that turned out to be the last time she saw or heard from Destiny. Or that anyone else heard from her.

Hawkman questions the help at the bingo hall and ascertains that she left the hall alone and that no one was seen following her out of the parking lot. He then heads for the Casino. Before entering the building he recognizes an armed security guard who he remembers as an ex-agent buddy of his who, for security reasons, thinks Hawkman was killed many years ago. Max is not aware of Hawkman's new identity. Hawkman wonders what has brought such a good agent to become a security guard at a gambling casino.

As his investigation progresses Hawkman realizes he needs Max's help and therefore must reveal his new identity to Max. It was a very wise decision because he learns that Max's niece had disappeared from that same casino a month ago.

So again the dynamic duo are paired to track down these horrific kidnappers.

Ms. La Pierre has given us another action filled adventure in this, the fifth of the Hawkman series. Ms. La Pierre continues to maintain her high quality of plotting and description of place. The characters are very fleshed out and alive. It's virtually impossible not to jump into the story and live it with the people involved. I even felt real creepy during the wild, dark-woodsy scenes.

And I love easygoing, restful old Rochester. My kind of dog.

-Shirley Truax

This reader/writer is a dedicated Bingo player, as well as a mystery fanatic, so when Betty Sullivan-LaPierre's new thriller, BLACKOUT, appeared in my mailbox, I knew from the first page that I'd hit the Jackpot.

My intention had been to browse the first chapter, and then put the book aside for my weekend reading pleasure, but a desperate old man, a delightful little girl and the zany antics of a bunch of bingo buddies, sent my intentions flying right out the window.

In BLACKOUT, Hawkman, master of mystery and former CIA agent, sets out to find a missing mom and stumbles onto a plot so depraved and dangerous it nearly costs him the love of his life. BLACKOUT is a chilling thriller that'll tug your heartstrings and chill your marrow.

Number Five is a fabulous addition to the Hawkman Series. I loved it!

It's an escape, it's a social event, it's a chance to redeem yourself. It is a deeply moving story where struggles, hopes, and dreams, converge under the canopy of a bingo game.

This vivid, evocative and moving story is real fiction, about real people. Sensitive, evocative and painful at times, Susan O Neill is a writer at the height of her craft.

In this sad and beautifully written story it's what isn't said that truly matters. It's clear that Susan O'Neill cares deeply for her characters; consequently, you will too.

Vividly written, you can almost hear the undertone of gossip and laughter and smell the cigarette smoke. There is far more than just a BINGO game here. There is a slice of life with the abused wife, the cancer survivor, Mom and Daughter. Well worth reading.

I HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR FOR 8 YEARS AND THIS IS NOW ONE OF THE REQUIRED BOOKS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN MY TRAINING CLASS FOR NEW DEALERS. AT MY SUGGESTION A LOCAL POKER ROOM HAS INCLUDED THIS AS THEIR RULE BOOK AND ALL SUPERVISORS ARE REQUIRED TO USE IT. THIS BOOKS HAS COMPREHENSIVE UP TO DATE RULES. AS WE KNOW RULES MAY CHANGE FROM ROOM TO ROOM, BUT SOMETHING THAT IS CLOSE TO STANDARD THE POKER ALMANAC HAS IT ALL. TDA RULES, ROBERTS RULES, GAMES, AS WELL AS A GREAT UP TO DATE GLOSSARY. THIS BOOK IS AN ASSET FOR TRAINING NEW DEALERS. I USE THIS AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEALER'S HANDBOOK AS A REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE.

Game Day highly recommends this book as the standard poker book for use during all types of poker games. This book is especially helpful to players in home games of poker, where it is important to have a way to resolve rules disputes quickly and amicably.

We at Game Day saw that there was something missing in the current field of poker books: a standard poker rule book. Before we published the Official Rules of Poker, the only authorities on the rules of poker was Scarne and Hoyle, which were written in the Nineteenth Century. The game has changed, especially in the last ten years, and we realized that it was important to have a Twenty-First Century rule book.

When we put out the word that we were looking for an editor and for such a book, Kelli Mix came forward. Ms. Mix, or "Poker Mom" as she is known at the poker table, eagerly took up the challenge of gathering and writing the rules to suit the modern game of poker. This turned out to be a gargantuan task. Ms. Mix researched each rule, making sure that they were found in at least five independent sources. Mix turned out to be a wonderful choice as editor and author of the Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker.

Mix is a professional poker player. She is still under most poker players radar, but she is quietly climbing the ranks of tournament poker players (she finished 11th in the 2007 World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'Em Women's tournament in a field of more than 1,200 players). However, she is more likely to be found at cash games, playing high stakes.

The Official Rules of Poker includes all the rules of poker, from the most basic hand rankings to the most obscure tournament rules.

Contents:
1: Elements of Poker. This chapter covers the most basic rules of poker, and also describes the way poker is played in casino card rooms. Mix wrote these rules in a way that makes them easy to use while playing a game.

2: Professional Poker Rules. These rules cover more of mechanical means of acting in a poker game, giving the finer definitions of what constitutes a raise, a call or a fold. They also discuss the penalties of rules infractions. There are four parts to this chapter.

a) Robert's Rules of Poker. These rules were written by professional poker player and authority, Bob Ciaffone, as a standard set of rules of cash games in casino card rooms. While local laws may require changes to these rules, and some casinos use their own rules, these rules are often cited as the official set of rules in professional play.

b) Robert's Rules of Poker for Private Games: This is Ciaffone's "Robert's Rules of Poker" which he adopted to home games where no impartial dealer or floorperson is present.

c) Poker Tournament Director's Association Rules (TDA Rules). Each year, the Professional Poker Tournament Directors Association updates its rules, which most casinos and poker leagues use as their official rule book in tournament play. Tournament rules add a new layer of rules to poker, as tournaments are about eliminating players, not about accumulating money.

d) World Series of Poker Rules: The World Series of Poker is considered the premier poker tournament event. Due to its sheer size and commercialism, the rules for WSOP tournaments are different than TDA rules. Many poker leagues use WSOP rules instead of TDA rules, as the WSOP rules are more popular among those who learned poker from television.

3: Poker Etiquette. There are types of behavior frowned upon in poker games, due to the fact that poker is a highly competitive game and may involve large sums of money. In some games of poker, violating etiquette may result in ejection from the game.

4: Variant Poker Games. Includes 69 different versions of poker, including 5-Card Draw, 5-Card Stud, Cincinnati, Chicago, Baseball, Anaconda, Mexican Stud, Chinese Poker, Iron Cross, Guts, English Stud, Kansas City Lowball, California Lowball, Pineapple,Spit, Three-Card Draw, and the ever-hilarious Indian Poker. Also includes rules for declaring wild cards and using jokers. WhIle professional poker players and casino card rooms will never play most of these games, home games are notorious for playing "dealer's choice" where the dealer chooses which of the many variations of poker will be played that hand. (Note: Mix and I had a really good time finding out about all of these games.)

5: Glossary. Again, Mix was very thorough in her research. Poker terminology is highly colorful and is a lingo all its own. from the Nuts to the Fish. Mix used multiple sources, as there are many local poker terms and terms used that do not last more than a few months. She excludes popular names for two-card Texas Hold 'Em hands, purposefully, although we plan to have a separate glossary for hand names in future editions. Still, this is one of the most complete glossaries I have seen in a poker book anywhere.

6. Index: Okay, I did the index. I believe that indexes should be thorough, and so I did my best to make the index easy to use in the heat of play. Still, this was a fairly easy index to create, as Mix's presentation of the rules and her organization of the material was straightforward, allowing me to easily pick out the rules.

The Official Rules of Poker has been wonderfully received. Professional poker dealers have been clamoring to get this edition. When we released the book at the WSOP 2007 in Las Vegas, the WSOP dealers practically knocked me over trying to get their own copy.

Thank you for considering The Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker. I personally hope you will find it to be of great use, and that the book will provide you with years of fun--and fair--poker.

David A. Rozansky
Publisher
Game Day (an imprint of Flying Pen Press)

This is a concise encyclopedia of the rules for poker. The Official Rules will particularly appeal to novices as it explains the nature of the cardroom, the equipment integral to the game, and hand rankings. Much of it is based on Robert's (Bob Ciaffone's) Rules of Poker and is elaborated upon by the author. It provides an introduction to the game as well by experienced player, Kelli Mix. The various styles of games are also discussed: limit, spread limit, no limit, and pot limit. The text covers just about everything including seven card stud high low and deuce-to-seven high low. The explanation of tournament rules is valuable because, as those of us who watch HSP already know, tournaments and cash games are entirely different animals. It even tells you what should be done with the "odd chip" in casino games. I appreciated the definition of "kill pots" and wish I would have read it before I began playing in kill limit games online, lol. This is definitely something I could have really used back in 2004 when I first began learning about the game.

For those of you who have read Belinda Anderson's first book, The Well Ain't Dry Yet, her second collection of short stories, The Bingo Cheaters, may seem like a family reunion. Many of the characters introduced in the first collection have carried over into the second. Two in particular--life-worn busy-body, Wanda Talcott and quilt-maker, Twilight Dawn--actually picked up and relocated to Anderson's new fictional setting of Hope County, WV. If you're new to Belinda's world and its population, however, don't let that scare you off, because The Bingo Cheaters stands on its own.

Anderson is a student of human nature, particularly Appalachian human nature. The 20 character-based stories of this collection showcase her ability to get at the heart of what makes our people tick. It's not always pretty, either, as in the case of "Second Sight" in which a manipulative blind girl fancies herself a con-artist, but soon finds that she's not the only one practicing a con. Or the story "Match," in which a little boy named Ricky learns that his hobby of playing with fire has consequences. More often, though, Anderson's characters explore situations that resonate as common to us all. There's the sweets-deprived husband from "Onion Blossoms," who attempts to sample the forbidden fruit of a State Fair cinnamon roll before his wife can catch him. Or the woman in "Did You Hear the one about the Mailman," who learns some unsettling truths while helping her mother sort jewelry. Or "Solace," one of Anderson's most touching stories, in which we meet a kid named Breen who has a very personal stake in our nation's tragedy of 9-11.

The residents of Hope County are often not strangers to one another. Though each of these stories is a self-contained piece, there is something of a narrative arc for some of the characters. They pop in and out of each other's tales, like neighbors dropping over for a visit. Readers are advised to pay close attention, because background characters in one story can become the main characters of another and vice versa. Anderson often uses this to a surprising effect.

One of Anderson's major strengths is that her storytelling can turn on a dime. While reading the final pages of a story, your eyes may scan ahead to note that only a few short paragraphs remain and you become convinced the story could not possibly end well given that little space. Each time, though, Anderson brings her stories to a satisfying and natural close, using only a handful of carefully chosen words to neatly tie them up.

The true diamonds of the collection, such as "Solace," "Twilight Dawn," and the title story "The Bingo Cheaters," leave both their characters and their eavesdropping readers changed through the experience. This is not to say that there aren't lesser gems to be found among the diamonds of this book. The sci-fi underpinnings of "Alien Grace" ring a little off to me. And "Second Sight," while quite humorous, contains elements that seem conveniently arranged. However, while not diamonds, these two stories remain gems all the same due to their depth of character and the observations within.

Hope County proves itself to be a colorful place full of vibrant characters and, indeed, hope. I recommend picking up a copy of The Bingo Cheaters and having a visit there yourself.

Consider: Experts on the public's reading habits indicate that reading is a declining activity in this country. Reasons vary--the internet, lowering, lack of education in and promotion for reading, to name a few, but folks who respond to my occasional ponderings as to why they don't read cite lack of time.
Consider: Publishers think the public won't buy short stories because everyone prefers novels, so the trade publishers are traditionally hard to convince they should publish short story collections.
I think there's an obvious answer here to ease the negatives of both considerations: no time to read long novels? Then read short stories. Do you have books tucked around the house partly read? What was the first part about anyway, you might ask when you stumble across a partially read book months after you began it? And how discouraging is that?
Short stories are perfect for today's harried, word over-loaded society. What's more satisfying than to begin and end an entertaining--and complete--short story between laundry loads, or for a few minutes to help you wind down after putting the kids to bed?
The finely crafted stories in The Bingo Cheaters, in a fortuitous event, carry another bonus: the stories share characters. It's like wandering through a novel. Through each story, characters romp in the background, star as the main attraction, or hover in the middle ground. It's like catching up with family members; you know who they are--you just don't know what they've been up to lately.
Traditionally, short stories are between 5,000 and 8,000 words--another reason to pick up Anderson's collection. One short story that shares the title of the book, "The Bingo Cheaters," is a beautifully compact 1,384 words. Brevity is Anderson's strength. Her crafting of succinct, but satisfyingly complete stories is so superb that none leaves you scratching your head at the conclusion. Yet, no resolution is handled gratuitously.
Perhaps it's a reflection of Anderson's journalism training that her style is informed by conciseness of language and crisp character development. Words do double, even triple duty; however, there is no feeling that anything needs to be "unpacked." All her words are evocative, touching into many worlds of thoughts, ideas, beliefs. Take, for example, this final paragraph from "Twilight Dawn." The character, Twilight Dawn, has passed on and finds herself in a garden. A little girl appears who turns out to be her mother, who died when Twilight was born.

I picked up her doll, the old-fashioned porcelain kind. The face was colored like mine, the bronze of gingerbread. . . . I felt those little arms wrap shyly around my neck and her warm cheek press against mine. "I been waiting so long to tell you I love you," she whispered.
The Book of Revelations may say all tears shall be wiped away and there shall be no more crying, but something wet as rain was falling from my face. "I love you," she whispered again, giving me what I'd wanted all my life, but had never known until she spoke.
And then she picked up her doll with one hand and took my hand by the other. "Let's go to the fair."
I stood and let her lead me from the garden. "I reckon I'm finally ready," I said.

We have to be in heaven: tears wiped away from deep grief; going to the fair, a place of fun, delights, and a gathering of people we know and love. Yes, it must be heaven. Twilight is ready, leaving us to believe that though we might stand in the garden there is yet a chance to find the answers to life mysteries.
Compassion radiates through the stories. In the "The Bingo Cheaters," the Flat Brush Women's Club is gathering for the monthly bingo game. Irene is vexed by what she thinks is the other women's penchant for cheating. In this smartly written story, we see all the players through Irene's eyes and sense her frustration but eventual understanding that the cheating might not be what it seems. The other women's compassion for Irene's foibles reminds us that none of us are perfect.
Humor is a hallmark of Anderson's writing; her wit comes through with simple, seemingly off-hand remarks said about or by her characters. Again, in "The Bingo Cheaters":
". . . A West Virginia University extension agent after World War II . . . had attempted to present homemaking as both a science and an art, but the members were suspicious of foreign spices such as ginger." Throughout the story, typical of all in her collection, Anderson's descriptions of characters delight: "The Basham sisters, the club elders . . . thin and hunched by osteoporosis . . . reminded Irene of the pair of ragged old crows." Later, the women, "crow through their loose dentures" and later still one Basham sister declares, "I have to check the obituaries every morning to see if I'm listed."
The Bingo Cheaters is Anderson's second short story collection. This collection, as the first collection, The Well Ain't Dry Yet, was published by the small, independent Mountain State Press in Charleston, WV. Anderson currently has a third collection she's polishing. Again, as in The Well and The Bingo Cheaters, the characters in this new collection, Buckle Up, Buttercup wander in and out of each other's stories.
As a native of Appalachia, as I am as well, these characters are familiar, yet it won't matter one whit where the reader is from when it comes to reading and enjoying these stories: the nature of these characters is everyone we know and some we have wanted to know. Not all stories, of course, are light in tone, nor should they be. Some, like "Solace," is about young boys sent to a camp after trauma shatters their young lives. Likewise, the little boy in "Match" (who shows up at Camp Solace) is a worry because of his fascination with fire. Though they live in the County of Hope not everything is golden, just as in real life.
And how human and natural is the vanity in us all? Might you recognize yourself in the character of Margaret who, in "Foul the Guesser," worries about aging? She compounds her problem by making a carnival worker guess her age. His guess is off by ten years--on the plus side. We can bemoan the fact, like the character Margaret, that our vanities sometimes make us gluttons for punishment. We can't leave well enough alone.
Folks of all ages, women, men, and children, all live and breathe in Anderson's stories. Their problems, foibles, and triumphs are ours, and we're in fine company. Perhaps the stories can help us be more forgiving--to ourselves and to others. Each time you pick up The Bingo Cheaters--to read one story or many at a sitting--Anderson's universe is one we'll be glad we visited. You'll come away thinking that maybe life is nothing to cheat ourselves out of, but like Anderson's characters, we should sashay right into it, embracing all its troubles and joys, and, if we're lucky, discover that a little hope will get us through.

My only complaint about this book was that it was too short.

I waited too long. Brashler's book sent me back in time to the 1930s and let me enter the world of Negro League baseball, and the atmospheric writing transported me there thoroughly. I'm now going to rent the DVD, and hope it's half as good as the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of baseball history.

there was never a dull moment reading this. inspired by countless tape recordings brashler made with cool papa bell and satchel paige, this books puts you into the lives of back baseball players in the 1930's as they travel through the midwest, often encountering prejudice, con-men, loneliness and self-doubt but sticking to their guns and rising about the drama. the language brashler uses to tell the tale makes it authentic and warm. a perfect companion to the movie...

When I first received the book, I read it before my six-year old granddaughter arrived so I would be able to do a good job of reading it to her. After finishing it I couldn't wait since I knew she would like it very much -- and she did! Bingo Borden and her magical friends are just right for the elementary grades(K-5). Al Anderson has developed an intriguing plot and cast of characters for the age group. The accompanying CD is a real bonus as Mr. Anderson does a masterful job of narrating the tale. We keep the book at my house but the CD goes with the granddaughter who listens to it in the car. The story is her favorite of all.

As a former elementary school teacher and as a grandmother, I greatly appreciate "Pegasus" by Al Anderson. It is a charming story filled with magic and mythical illusion. The descriptions are spiced with a rich yet child approachable vocabulary. I suspect young readers will remember words and concepts mentioned here when they confront them again at a more sophisticated reading level. Best of all, is the character of Bingo Borden, the story's heroine. She is brave. She confronts her fears and challenges calmly and with common sense. She is resourceful. What a good example for our youngsters!
The 2 CDs that are included feature Al Anderson as story teller. His comforting and grandfatherly wise delivery extends the appropriate age group. I would recommend it to non- readers and readers alike, ages five to ten.

Dorothy Carpenter

Contains all kinds of tips about how to ease recovery. Also lists phone numbers and addresses of places you can contact to check out the doctor, the surgery facility, the anesthesiologist, etc. I read almost every word.

This is an excellent, well-researched book on plastic surgery. The fact that the author is not a plastic surgeon is a big plus. She covers the material thoroughly (including microsurgery) and objectively. There is new information not available in the other books on cosmetic/plastic surgery. She's experienced cosmetic surgery and explains what it's like from a patient's viewpoint. But this isn't just another book about a patient's experience. There is thorough information in this book and it is well arranged and very accessible. Her coverage of the subject is very thorough. I definitely recommend this book.

This is a wonderful book with beautiful photography that explains a lost colorful segment of Americana. The author has done a loving and thorough job of research.

The only difficulty, and it doesn't detract much, is that the writing style assumes a bit of familiarity with these machines so if you're new at it, as I was, it takes a bit of time to understand some of the detail available, and the author goes into ALOT of detail about the various machines. So, it's an enjoyable read like a delicious super-rich dessert -- you'll enjoy it, but you have to read it slowly.

On the other hand, you can just skim the beautiful photos whenever you want to be taken back to a bygone era.

I first saw the movie Bingo several years ago. It was one of the stranger films for children I had seen. However, when I discovered this novelization, I found a new appreciation for the movie. The author does more than put the actions from the screen onto the page. They give the dog thoughts, motivations, and emotions that are only hinted at in the movie. Confusing events (where did Bingo get that little tent from?) are explained with perfect plausibility. The writing is done in a gripping, lovable style; simple enough for children, but interesting enough for adults as well. 5 stars, A. L. Singer!