Readers of Dr. Harish Malhotra’s two previous books (Metaphors of Healing: Playful Language in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life and Pathways to Hope: Innovative Insights for Therapists and Patients) are in for a treat as his third title continues us on the healing path paved with entertaining metaphors. New readers too will enjoy holding Dr. Malhotra’s hand through life’s ups and downs as he takes us on a journey with 55 stories in Live Life with Ease: Everyday Paths to Self-Worth, each tale replete with his amusing touch.
In chapters like, “Settle Into Your Ideal Lifestyle,” “Pain, Pain, Go Away,” “Overthrowing Fear,” and “The Weight of Eating,” Dr. Malhotra tackles universal themes in a lighthearted, yet practical way. By weaving these humorous metaphors, he blesses us with the way he sees life as we confront fear, worry, addiction, lack of self-worth, sleeplessness, and unhealthy eating.
Take for example, the chapter “Infatuation,” where Dr. Malhotra advises us to employ the “Sleep on it/24-hour rule.” He compares decision-making to buying a new house – one that seems to boast a gorgeous skyline but is located on a dangerous street. “Let your excitement simmer down before making decisions. Reason may replace infatuation,” he counsels.
In one of the more playful stories, Dr. Malhotra poses to the reader: “Are you like a fart or a flower?” Despite the silliness, he raises a sincere dilemma: why would we surround ourselves with people who are “toxic” and “seething with resentment,” rather than those who are “fragrant” with a “pleasant demeanor and gracious words.” Point well taken, Dr. Malhotra, with a nod to our olfactory.
We have to assume that Dr. Malhotra, a board certified psychiatrist in private practice in Summit, NJ, pulls from his more than 40 years in a white lab coat as many of the sketches include (imaginary?) dialogue between doctor and patient. “Don’t fight the smoke with a sword of worry,” he says to a patient who is anxious about the future.
Throughout the book’s 304 pages (or 364 pages via e-reader), we feel like he is our own personal guru and we are a better person for it.
In one of my favorites, “Dating, Inc.” he likens relationships to “Hair Softener or Chewing Gum.” Holding on too tight is like getting chewing gum balled up in your partner’s hair,” he says. “Some hair has to be cut off to get rid of the gum… Some problems in relationships stem from too much contact.”
Perhaps the book, which makes a delightful gift for a college graduate or a loved one needing inspiration, can best be enjoyed as a bedside reader, referring nightly to the index to locate specific passages in times of stress: “Reframing Problems,” “Risk Taking,” “Welcoming Attitude,” and “Unlearning Habits.”
For further inspiration, you can see Dr. Malhotra on his YouTube channel, “Helpful Hints for Hangups,” where he acts out the rousing metaphors with members of his family.
In the very near future, as portrayed in Steve Lundin’s darkly comic satire, The Manipulator, the marketing industry has taken over the world by turning it into a data-driven surveillance ruled technocracy. Jack Vance, Lundin’s protagonist, is the product of this high-tech environment that is socially and morally bankrupt. A smart and worldly guy, Jack prides himself in the kind of quick thinking that can keep him a nanosecond or two ahead of his enemies and competitors.
Jack was on the fast track to becoming the brightest star in New York City’s media universe until a critical lapse in judgement crashes his career and his reputation. However, Jack’s back. This time in Chicago, with his own company and a plan.
As a self-diagnosed sociopath, Jack will be the first to tell you that he’s more than qualified to tangle with the best of this brave new world’s hidden persuader elite. He lives to sell, to conjure up that next bigger and better promotion from which he can get a fix for his addiction to the thrill of closing a deal. And Jack has just taken on the ultimate deal. His new venture, Blowfish, is a winner-takes-all marketing firm run on the premise that the higher the risk the higher the return.
Lundin, the author, draws from his background as a journalist and marketing expert to weave an ultra-contemporary and entertaining story of greed, excess, and the insatiable nature of the human condition. From Jack’s self-designed corporate “War Room” – a “Glen Garry Glen Ross” style employee think-tank where jobs are constantly on the line – to his drug and alcohol-induced decision-making processes, Jack is every inch the anti-hero that readers love to hate, but don’t. Think “Mad Men’s” Don Draper on Ritalin-enhanced premium vodka with an arsenal of the latest black-market techno gizmos, access to the freshly minted data, and, of course, while being smartly attired at all times.
With his Blowfish team grinding numbers and probabilities in the background, Jack devises a scheme to launch their client’s mobile network onto the world stage by using the audience draw of the Super Bowl. In Jack’s mind, pitting the surefire new hit “Some Will Die,” a hyper-reality show– Jack’s brainchild – in which morbidly obese contestants sign on to lose half their body weight in a short period of time, or die trying–against the much “tamer” SuperBowl can’t miss. Or can it? It is a risky gambit that will either put Jack and his staff on the streets, or set them up for life,
Yes, winners receive riches and fame, but it’s the losers, along with the show’s Russian task-master host, Vlad Berber, who provide the entertainment fodder for the show’s twisted audience.
With a fast-paced story line and a rich cast of characters, this award-winning winning novel offers a uniquely hilarious, but scary, perspective on the how the businesses of public relations and marketing can take technology to its precipice to take advantage of a media addicted public. Lundin’s clever blending of fact and fiction alternately tempts and taunts the reader with Vlad’s prophetic question, “Are you comfortable with the edge?” Highly recommended.
The 1800s was the age of expansion in the United States, and railroads played a major part in the efforts to move Americans and industry to the Western shores. By the 1860s, this great country, the American experiment as it was called, became engulfed in a brother versus brother bloody Civil War. As the century drew to a close in the late 1880s and early 1890s, America was still reeling from the emotional and economic damage the war had caused. J.P. Kenna uses this struggle as the backdrop for his book I’ll Take You Home Kathleen, the second in his series titled Beyond the Divide.
Kenna’s novel captures the years 1882 to 1898 with its focal point being the Irish immigrants who were seeking to escape famine, lack of land reform along with desiring religious freedom, came to America seeking a better life and more opportunity. The first wave of immigrants were seeking escape from one of the grimmest periods in Irish history–the Great Famine from 1845 to 1852. Author Kenna follows this hard-working group of immigrants who helped lead America into a post-Civil War, industrial, and economic boom that some have called the Second Industrial Revolution.
Kenna does a magnificent job rooting this story firmly in the time period in which it takes place. He does so by sprinkling some well-known figures of the time throughout the book. He not only touches upon these real-life historical figures, but they become part of the conversation between the stories’ characters. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][See Editor’s Note below]
The enthusiasm for growth is palpable in the conversations held within the book’s pages.
“An empire, Francis! An empire of farms stretching beyond what our small East Coast vision can imagine. And of towns with schools, churches, stores, maybe mills. And beyond the wheat country is timber…and minerals. An empire stretching clear to the Pacific!”
For as much excitement there was for expansion, there was just as much trepidation when it came to the relationship between the workers and their bosses. You will come to experience and understand the struggle between fledgling labor unions (aka Brotherhoods) and the railway owners. It is easy to sense how imperative to the rail workers the labor movement was to establish their rights when you encounter characters in the book making statements as such as these:
“That all our Brotherhood’s will become one big union of all railway men and we shall be able to meet the big bosses, and owners head on, by the Pennsylvania, Central, P & R or the B & O! Or the Lackawanna or the Lehigh Valley or the Vanderbilt or Gould roads – or some monopolizing combine yet unheard of!”
The book as a whole follows the timeline of the fictional James Fitzpatrick-Mary Dolan, as well as the Kathleen and Francis Scanlon families. What plays heavy in the narrative is how these fictional families interact and partake in sometimes heated discussions regarding the very real labor, economic, and social issues of the day which greatly affected their lives.
J.P. Kenna in the aftermath of the book states,
“My goal here has been to enliven the depiction of fictional characters – of ordinary people – using the broad brushstrokes of history, of real people and events. Both inhabit the closing decades of the 19th century – a time period within the living memory of people still alive not so long ago.”
Kenna’s I’ll Take You Home Kathleen, is a gripping tome of historical fiction that follows two families as they face the social, economic, and political currents of the time that portrays the heartache of families enduring war and economic tough times. The perseverance of the hardworking Irish immigrants of the late 1800s in rebuilding a war-ridden county and then doing the back breaking work required for the westward expansion of the United States is brilliantly portrayed within these pages.
Editor’s Note: Related historical figures to the novel’s time period:
James T. Hill, railway mogul and businessman was intent on expanding the railroad to the Pacific and north to Canada; Belva Ann Lockwood, women’s rights activist and one of the first (if not the first) female candidates to run for President of the United States as a National Equal Rights Party in 1884 and 1888; George M. Pullman, the designer of his namesake Pullman sleeping car; and Eugene V. Debs, American union leader and five time candidate of the Socialist Party of America.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Chock full of brightly colored illustrations and positive messages, Lila and the Dandelion is a captivating story for young children about making friends and how we don’t have to be perfect to be a good friend or to be happy.
Lila is a cheerful young girl who “listens with her heart and speaks with hands” – Lila is deaf. However, even though she can’t hear, one day while she was “listening” to the flowers sing, she senses that she hears a little flower crying. She walks up to a Dandelion flower and signs with her hands to the crying flower, “Why are you crying, little flower?”
The flower cries because the gardener called the Dandelion a “weed.” This made the Dandelion feel useless and lonely. But, Lila shares with her new friend that just because someone says you don’t belong or calls you bad names doesn’t mean it’s true.
Lila’s character is an optimistic role model for children. Her deafness doesn’t hold her back from experiencing life in her own way, and it doesn’t stop her from having a smile her face. She inspires the Dandelion to feel appreciated despite the hurtful words of the gardener. This children’s book teaches its young readers the powerful message of loving yourself no matter what anyone says, and how it is empowering to take that strength and use it to help others in a gentle manner.
The story also encompasses how we can help make the world a better place by being kind and thoughtful of others. Lila shows young readers that everyone can be beautiful when they are compassionate and accepting of everyone. Lila and the Dandelion is an excellent book for parents to read to their children, and it comes with questions at the end of the book to start a conversation about the concepts self-worth and seeing worthiness in others.
Filled with warm, sweet characters and an optimistic outlook, Sheryl Hershey’s children’s book Lila and the Dandelion helps children explore the important message of self-acceptance along with acceptance of others–even if they are different.
What Opens but Never Closes? The Opening Day of Boating Season
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]Opening Day of Boating Season
Here are five of our favorite reads from authors who followed their dreams to sail away.
One couple (with two teenagers in tow – yikes!) started by building their boat in the backyard of their suburban home; two who started only with the love for each other, the support of friends and family, and a dilapidated hull and a three cylinder iron works engine; one whose true story will make you reconsider taking to the tall seas; one whose story will inspire you to look beyond society’s conventional solutions and rationalizations and to plot your own course; and one who shares how an everyday couple made their dream come true of sailing the Pacific Ocean on a 31-foot boat and a tight budget.
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Boating season begins in the Pacific Northwest on the first Saturday in May, a tradition which goes back to the 1920’s. To celebrate, we thought we would offer you this superb reading list of true story boating adventures by local northwest authors.
After all, if you are going to be spending time boating this summer, or enjoy dreaming about boating from your lawn chair, stocking your library is just as important as stocking your galley!
More Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B by Christine Smith
“Christine Smith and her husband Jeffrey race against time, money, and natural elements to save the David B—the vessel that they bet all of their resources on in hopes of making their dream of owning and operating a small expedition cruise boat in the Pacific Northwest come true.
“More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B” seamlessly mixes nautical terms with natural elements and boat builder’s craft. Those who enjoy cooking and baking will also discover it a delightful read. Seafaring people will sail through the narrative like soul mates, but landlubbers might appreciate a glossary of boating terms. The map provides great references and the photo albums heighten the pleasure.
More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B by Christine Smith won the Grand Prize of the Journey Awards for Narrative Non-fiction, a division of Chanticleer Book Reviews Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.”Read full review…
Christine Smith started working on tour and whale watching boats in 2001. It combined her love for nature and her interest in helping others to enjoy it. She is also an avid birder, and has worked as a volunteer interpreter for the Eagle Watchers on the Skagit River from 1997 to 2008, she helps visitors observe the local eagle population. She is also a founding member of the Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which became part of Whatcom Humane Society in 2014. She served for two years as a board member and Secretary for the North Cascades Audubon Society in Bellingham, Washington. When not watching birds or cooking on the David B, Christine enjoys running, ice skating and downhill skiing. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare by Réanne Hemingway-Douglass
“In Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare,” Réanne Hemingway-Douglass vividly recreates a sailing voyage in which she and her husband Don set out to round Cape Horn. As the reader discovers, they never quite got there. Meanwhile, Hemingway-Douglass shares the heady magic of starlit nights and breathtaking dawns, grueling and toilsome days, emotions ranging from joy to absolute terror, and a determination not to give up hope when all seems lost.” Read full review…
Réanne Hemingway-Douglass is a sailor, writer, cyclist and language teacher. Here articles have appeared in numerous outdoor magazines. Her best-selling book, Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare, has been published in French and Italian and is being translated into Spanish. In the 1980s, Réanne led the first women’s bicycling team to cross Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”#f8fafb” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#4687bf” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Home on the Waves by Patrick Hill
“Family, love, and adventure are all tied together in Patrick Hill’s alluring travel memoir “Home on the Waves.” It’s a story set in the 1970’s that provides remarkable insight into the lives of a family exploring the open ocean and discovering new cultures and people.
Hill’s memoir is an excellent read for everyone interested in reading about out-of-the-ordinary lifestyles and family adventures, even if they have never set foot on a boat.
“Home on the Waves” brings life to exotic cultures, sailing, and family life in 1970’s America. It’s a true story that will inspire readers to seek their own adventures and find ways of making dreams come true.”Read the full review…
Patrick Hill, with wife Heather and family, have been sailing out of Vancouver, B.C. for years. They’ve owned nine sailboats from a 17′ to a 42′ boat, Sky OneHundred which they built. They have cruised extensively, written articles for magazines, made presentations to yacht clubs, libraries, the Vancouver Aquarium, and a major Alaskan cruise line[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Prepare to Come About by Christine Wallace
“Christine struggles with her loss of identity as a successful professional, a role model, a caring mother, and a supportive spouse while she battles with the economic recession, personal depression, and, worst of all, her own loss of trust in herself and her capabilities.
Her fractured family makes an unorthodox choice that pivots them all into unfamiliar waters. Their lifeline comes in the form of a tall ship named Zodiac and its enigmatic captain. Life or death challenges and unforeseen moments of wonder and awe await Christine and her family. As they venture forth together in this new venture, the family members reconnect and rebuild their lives.” Read full review…
Christine Wallace is the author of two books including The Pocket Doula and Prepare to Come About. Her work has appeared in the literary journal Clover (vol. 3, 2012, vol. 6, 2014). Christine was founder and CEO of “Gracewinds Perinatal”, a nationally award winning business. Christine currently resides in the Pacific Northwest onboard an ex-forestry boat with her husband, youngest daughter and a seaworthy tabby named Lucky Jack. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”#f8fafb” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#4687bf” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Tightwads on the Loose by Wendy Hinman
“Tightwads on the Loose – A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey” opens with a map of the Pacific Ocean that showed the voyage of the sailing vessel Velella starting and ending in Seattle. Soon the reader is immersed in the plans of Wendy and her husband, Garth, to set sail on their open-ended adventure. And we wonder how long an introvert, whose motto is “always be prepared,” can live in tight quarters with an extrovert whose motto is “just wing it.”
This book will definitely appeal to those who are curious about sea voyaging. Armchair travelers will find a diversity of cultural experiences, historical details, and adventures for their entertainment and education. Come on board and sail away with the intrepid Wendy Hinman and her humorous and ingenious insights about life at sea.” Read full review…
Wendy Hinman, author, editor, and speaker, has shared her sailing adventures through emails and her blog. She is a regular contributor to the Magazines 48 North and Latitude 38. Wendy’s also been featured in Sail, Cruising World, Sailing, CYC Leadline, Hebe Jebees (Hong Kong) and Kazi Magazine (Japan).[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Enjoy getting to know these intrepid souls by visiting their websites for more information and the latest updates on their adventures.
We are excited and honored to have announced the 2015 grand prize award winners at the third annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Saturday, April. 30th, 2016 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.
We want to thank all of those who entered and participated in the fiercely competitive 2015 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions.
CBR– Discovering Today’s Best Books with the CBR BLUE RIBBON Writing Competitions!
The Chanticleer Grand Prize Award 2015 for Overall Best Book:
Daughter of Destiny by Nicole Evelina was awarded the Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize for the Best Book in the 2015 Chanticleer International Writing Competitions. Congratulations to author Nicole Evelina.
The Chanticleer Genre Grand Prize 2015 Winners are as follows:
The Cygnus Grand Prize for SciFi and Fantasy Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
Please note that the above awards are for submissions that we received in 2015. The award winners were acknowledge at the 2016 annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 30th, 2016.
The winners of the 2016 Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions (works entered in 2016) will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Banquet held April 1st, 2017. Reserve your spot now.
We invite you to read the Chanticleer editorial book reviews of these stellar works. The reviews will be published on our website and in the Chanticleer Reviews online magazine. If they are not currently posted, they will be posted as they are reviewed! Congratulations, again, to these award winning authors!
For more information about the Chanticleer International Writing Competitions, please visit our Writing Contests pages.
Raven’s Redemption begins where Raven’s Run left off: Josie is recovering in a hospital in Oregon, and Raven, recuperating at a coastal estate in rugged Northern California. He feels responsible for putting her life in jeopardy. Josie is a sensitive paranormal who can do ‘remote viewings’ – but viewings involving violence, remote or otherwise, weaken her to the point of death.
Raven is an undercover operative who tries to protect her. He receives his next mission from Goldfarb, his boss: Josie’s untraceable extraction from the medical facility. What none of them know is that sinister forces are at work to make sure Josie never gets out alive.
Her services are desperately needed again, and this mission cannot fail: she is a non-expendable government asset. It’s a simple grab-the-girl and run – or should be – but when animal activists become involved, chaos reigns, and not everyone makes it out intact.
The story shifts to another hospital – this time the President of the United States is hospitalized in a secret facility after being irreparably poisoned. After a brief period of rest and recuperation for Josie and Raven, Josie is tasked to work her viewings around the condition of the president. While in her viewing state, she encounters a dark force so powerful and evil she cannot penetrate it – and is afraid it would swallow her very life force if she got too close.
Should the president die, this force, aptly named “The Abyss”, will be unleashed on the world, and with no stopping it. Unfortunately, all envisioned paths to the future lead to his death!
Goldfarb’s team is able to use Josie’s information to track down those who want the president dead, but the real problem is knowing who is directing their actions, and why. Some familiar villains appear in this book – we get to be entertained with Vogel’s thick German accent and lack of empathy – and some new ones, who seem familiar enough that we might have read about them in the newspaper or seen a report on television.
In between the heart-stopping, rag-tag, under-funded operations to rescue damsels and flush out the bad guys, Trudel gives us past examples of breaches of security in history to make plausible actions taken in his story. He relates the legend of General Blackjack Pershing’s pig-blood solution to jihad, though the historical authenticity of this event has been challenged where criticism of Islam is politically incorrect. Occurring over a century ago, the incident – which has been neither proven nor disproved – provides a richer backdrop to the actions of an unanticipated (and unwitting) ally during a chilling nighttime raid.
In light of recent terrorist events that leave us wondering “how could this have happened?” Trudel offers up examples of enemies hiding in plain sight, of churches that aren’t the peaceful sanctuaries one might expect, and of plans for evil that are much better funded than their defensive counterparts.
Raven’s character is becoming less rogue. He is listening more to Josie rather than acting brashly every time. She desperately wants out of the business they’re in – “one more mission and we’ll retire” – how many times have you heard that one? This reader doesn’t remotely foresee a true retirement happening any time soon!
Those who read Raven’s Run will be satisfied with this riveting sequel, but those who are new to Trudel’s work will enjoy it on its own if they are a fan of political intrigue, firearms technology – both new and old, espionage and a bit of other-worldliness to make this a true paranormal thriller.
When aristocrat Evan Haverfield meets uncommon commoner Deborah Moore, she is in a panicked rush to find her missing son Julian. Evan finds the little boy just in time, near death from exposure, and takes an active, concerned role in his recovery. His escalating involvement with Julian parallels his fascination, perhaps obsession, with Julian’s mother, a reserved, intelligent woman who reads books and speaks with clarity and decorum despite her lowly station in life.
Widow of a cold, fumbling small-town vicar, daughter of a brutal, profligate father, Deborah wants only Julian’s well-being. She is content to live alone, expecting only rejection and cruelty from men. She finds it difficult to smile for anyone except her son, yet Evan’s apparent interest in visiting, chatting, and offering small gifts is undeniably exciting.
Evan insists on paying for the child’s schooling so his obvious mental gifts won’t go to waste; but his fixation remains on the dark-haired Deborah, so different from the wild-eyed, loose-mouthed flirts in his social circle. After she yields, once, to his charms, he impulsively asks her to marry him. Their relationship changes, but not, as he’d hoped, for the better. Deborah is convinced she is no wife for quality. Evan, in a stew of anger, self-pity, and melancholy, hits the road.
Kerryn Reid has set her engaging story in a place and time when the rich are often excessive in their habits, with prolonged house-parties often leading to debauchery, while the poor struggle for survival and find solace in alehouses and alleyways. Everyone tries to keep their place, as Deborah and Evan strive to do, against the yearnings of the heart. It is this social tension that stokes Deborah’s refusal to become Evan’s wife—and in turn, provides the undercurrent that provokes in Evan a fear of how his parents will react to his alliance with a commoner.
Reid’s focus is on her richly developed characters, not just costumes and carriages, though those are not lacking. She has filled her well-conceived saga with a complex and compelling cast: the arrogant well-born beauty who tries in vain to win Evan’s attention, Evan’s grizzled, philosophical “Man Friday” and his goodhearted sisters, Deborah’s earnest, if bumbling, house-helper, and little Julian, the brainy boy who loves books and horses in equal measure.
Learning to Waltz reminds us that our forebearers also grappled with “modern” issues of abuse, angst, and aching hearts. This well-researched and beautiful Regency romance will appeal to anyone who has ever loved and (almost) lost. A stunning and refreshing novel in the Regency genre.
Feisty, independent Honey Beaulieu is nobody’s fool, and she darned sure isn’t any man’s plaything. So earning a living on her back at her mama’s Tasty Chicken Emporium is not part of her life plan. Problem is, she doesn’t know exactly what her plan should be.
Fortunately for Honey, her no-nonsense mama sees the proverbial writing on the bordello wall and does her own brand of arm-twisting to get Honey a job at the town marshal’s office.
Lazy Marshal Fripp is none too thrilled to have a woman invading his domain and if it weren’t for his day-long excursions to the Tasty Chicken he and Honey would be banging heads constantly. With Fripp out of the office, Honey straps on her “Peacemakers” and gets a leg up on the career ladder, climbing from clerk-and-cleaner to Deputy Marshal. But Honey learns the hard way that Fripp is not about to stand on the sidelines while she hops on the fast-track to success.
Plus, “lawdoggin’” doesn’t come close to paying the bills, let alone paying for all of the stray livestock that comes her way. So when a wanted man rides out of town on the back of Marshal Fripp’s horse, Honey is faced with the most important career decision of her life.
Should she stick it out as the deputy marshal of Fry Pan Gulch or should she trade in her badge and a steady paycheck for a chance to leave the marshal in the dust and make some real money bounty hunting?
In this hilarious first installment of the Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter series author Jacquie Rogers introduces a lively and engaging main character whose heart of gold shines brightly through her tough-as-nails façade. Saddled with a strong conscience and her own set of rules, Honey sets the good old boy franchise on its ear, proving that they’re no match for a resourceful and enterprising, sharp-shooting woman.
In addition to her fresh, new Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter series, award-winning author Jacquie Rogers is well known for her popular Hearts of Owyhee western historical romance series and for her highly entertaining story-telling.
Set in the Old West’s rough-and-tumble Wyoming Territory, Hot Work in Fry Pan Gulch is a tightly-written, action-packed romp that delivers page after page of laugh-out-loud fun—and maybe even a bit of romance along the way.
Pulpwood Queens Book Club’s Founder, Kathy Murphy, tells all!
Meet Kathy Murphy, the “Pulpwood Queen” who opened the only Hair Salon/Bookstore, Beauty and the Book in the country in Jefferson, Texas and in 2000, founded and now operates the 600+ chapter book club, The Pulpwood Queens, nationally and in 15 foreign countries. Have a question for the Queen? Bring it to the Chanticleer conference session!
What was your motivation to launch the Pulpwood Queens?
Shortly after opening my Hair Salon/Book Store, (Beauty and the Book), the local book club invited me to join them for a meeting. I thought they invited me to join and be a MEMBER, not!
Evidently, only eight members were allowed to join and as the hostess told me, “Unless someone dies or moves away, that is all that will fit around our table.”
I was secretly thinking, Who made up that RULE?! Anyway, I went home, sat down, and made a list on what I would do if I started my own book club. This book club would be inclusive, not exclusive. We would call ourselves The Pulpwood Queens, “where TIARAS are mandatory and reading OUR good books was the only Rule!”
By wearing the crown, we would tell the world that we were “beauty within” queens as we were real readers. So for nearly 16 years we have been meeting monthly, first with my charter chapter, The Pulpwood Queens of East Texas.
Since then we have made the news with appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, we kicked off their “READ THIS” Book Club and other radio and print media with now over 600 chapters nationwide and in 15 foreign countries.
Timber Guy Sexy Reading Contest at the Pulpwood Queens’ Girlfriend weekend!
What will readers get out of being a member of a chapter and where/how can they hook up with an existing Pulpwood Queens or Timber Guys chapter?
Everything pertaining to membership is on our website, www.beautyandthebook.com but the difference our book club has over others is we bring the authors into the picture. Most of our authors will teleconference, SKYPE or even visit chapters and for sure be featured at our annual Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend. I know of no other book club where you have this kind of access to the authors.
I also make all the authors participate in ALL EVENTS at our Girlfriend Weekend. So it’s no secret that Pat Conroy has served Sweet Tea at our Author Dinner, where I make all the authors wait the tables in crazy costumes. You eat, drink, and the authors even stay in the same hotels and bed and breakfasts.
It’s full immersion into the Wonderful World of the Pulpwood Queens with the Grand Finale being our Great Big Ball of Hair Ball. The theme this year is ONCE UPON A TIME. All the authors dress up, too, and it’s the ultimate Kodak moment, so bring your cameras BIG TIME!
What is Kathy Murphy looking for in a good book? What speaks to you as a reader?
Since my book club is now international, here is what I am looking for:
An unknown author, one that is perhaps a first time/first book or one that hasn’t been discovered in a really big way. Yes, I want to pick a big name once in while but only if they can come and be a Keynote at my annual convention which we call Girlfriend Weekend. Example, Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, John Berendt, Jamie Ford, etc.
This is a given but it must be well written, free of flaws and my book club members do not like to read books with gratuitous violence or language, but I do make exceptions. I selected Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because it was just such a great, well written story.
Most important of all, the book must tell a story that has NOT been heard before or from a perspective that gives the reader a different view of a subject. Examples: The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King, The Dive From Claussen’s Pier by Ann Packer, Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman. Do not send me another queen book set in the south, particularly one that is also a hairdresser. I hold that card, DONE.
I want a book that changes people’s lives for the better. Examples: My Orange Duffel Bag, Same Kind of Different As Me, a book that is discuss-able and that includes book club discussion questions written by the author. My book club hates generated book discussion questions, too literary and not very personal. Authors tend to write questions that they answered.
I really don’t care who publishes a book, a good book is a good read no matter who publishes it.
Last, I want a real book to read, I’m on the computer so much, I want to cuddle with a book in bed!
Thank you Shari Stauch, CEO of Where Writers Win, for this informative interview with Kathy L. Murphy, the Pulpwood Queen!
Shari will present several sessions sharing her book marketing expertise at CAC16 along with Friday evening’s keynote presentation.
Tell Us About the Live Book Clubs YOU Know!
The WWW team and the Chanticleer Reviews team are reaching out regularly to bloggers, Twitter-ers, indie bookstores, readers at book festivals and more, once every few months we circle back to the coolest source –YOU– to ferret out the latest book clubs in cities around the world. Because, the club you know about might also be of value to one of our other emerging authors – and their club may be of value to you!
DreamWorks signed on to produce a movie about Kathy, though as she says, ”I did not do this alone and am not an overnight sensation,” Murphy said. “This came about through years of struggle and hard work and the incredible friendship and help of my Pulpwood Queens Book Club members and our authors and the love of my daughters, my sister and family. We — note that I say WE — have struck a film deal.”
The latest update regarding the film as of April 2016 is that the screenplay has been written and approved. Dreamworks has sent the script “out to talent,” so stay tuned to see who will play Kathy L. Murphy.
We are excited and honored to have announced the 2015 grand prize award winners at the third annual Chanticleer Authors Conference’s Awards Banquet held on Saturday, April. 30th, 2016 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.
The Cygnus Grand Prize for SciFi and Fantasy Fiction 2015 was awarded to: 
The Journey Grand Prize Ribbon for Narrative Non-fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The M&M Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery & Mayhem Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The Dante Rossetti Grand Prize Ribbon for YA Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The Chaucer Grand Prize Ribbon for Historical Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The Laramie Grand Prize Ribbon for Western, Pioneer, Civil War Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The CLUE Grand Prize Ribbon for Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The Paranormal Grand Prize Ribbon for Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
The Somerset Grand Prize Ribbon for Literary, Contemporary, & Mainstream Fiction 2015 was awarded to:
Meet 
