Holmes County, OH, – Daniel Petric is in prison for killing his mother and attempting to kill his father. This is a teen that had a very normal childhood and upbringing – one of three children (two sisters) and son of a pastor at a local church. Because Danny was homebound after a spinal injury, his father purchased an Xbox video game system to keep him entertained – with one rule: no violent video games. Unfortunately, Danny did become hooked on violent games, with his two favorites being Grand Theft Auto and Halo 3. After finding the games, his father locked them in his gun safe.
One day, Danny found the key to the safe and found his games and a loaded handgun. On what started as a normal Saturday afternoon as his parents were lounging in the family room, Danny walked in and asked them to close their eyes “for a surprise.” The surprise was he opened fire – shooting his father in the back of the head and shooting his mother five times. His mother died but his father survived, regained consciousness, and spoke to Danny – who gave the gun to his father, but grabbed the video game and fled. Today, Mrs. Petric is buried, Danny is serving 22 years in prison, and Mark Petric made a full recovery and forgave his son.
For the past three years Mark Petric has refused media interviews. But together with Phil Chalmers, teen murder expert, he has decided it’s time to talk to the media and tell his story and the two are now available for interviews.
Chalmers has been featured on Montel Williams and Howard Stern, has made guest appearances on E! Network’s Billionaire Crime Scenes and Too Young to Kill, as well as Spike TV’s Don’t Be a Victim.’ He is considered America’s leading authority on juvenile homicide and teen mass murder, and he doesn’t learn about them from textbooks or libraries – he speaks to the killers directly to find out what makes them tick and why.
Chalmers latest book Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer (Thomas Nelson) is made up of 15 years of research and face-to-face interviews with the young men who committed some of this country’s most heinous crimes. He has interviewed over 200 teen killers and school shooters and has been studying youth culture and teen murder for 25 years.
Phil Chalmers has interviewed numerous teen killers, school shooters, serial killers, and sexual predator killers. Included in his interview list are serial killers Charles Manson and David Berkowitz, and school shooters Luke Woodham, Michael Carneal, Barry Loukaitis, Andrew Wurst, Mitchell Johnson, Hans Kristofer and Evan Ramsey, among others. Considered America’s leading authority on juvenile homicide, Phil Chalmers’ new book and his informational seminars make him in great demand across the country. Knowing what drives today’s youth culture and how they think makes him an excellent trainer for law enforcement, school administrators and criminal justice students. He is the author of three books and regularly writes for numerous national magazines and newspapers. He has produced two documentaries, including the hit series True Lies, and is developing a television series entitled Teen Killer.
Ann Rule, America’s #1 Crime Writer: “A must read for anyone concerned about the rage and depression of so many lost youths. Fascinating!”
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer: “Phil Chalmers has interviewed the killers. He has corresponded with them extensively. He has exhaustively researched their crimes. There is no human being alive who knows more about these killers.”
Joe Schillaci, former Miami Homicide Detective and star of A&E’s ‘The First 48:’ “Phil Chalmers has found what I’ve been searching for the last 27 years of my life, my law enforcement career. To go into the minds of a teen killer, you must go into their hearts, and Phil has done that. Phil raises your awareness of where we have gone wrong and how we can make changes with simple steps.”
Midway, GA, –The latest news from The White House that all troops will be pulled out of Iraq by the end of December 2011 makes understanding the history of events occurring in Iraq that brought us to this point seem more relevant than ever. Awakening Victory: How Iraqi Tribes and American Troops Reclaimed al Anbar Province and Defeated al Qaeda in Iraq (Casemate Publishing) by Lt. Col. Michael E. Silverman (ret), provides exactly that.
This book, that debuts next week, is a true account of how the partnership between Iraqi tribes and American troops reclaimed al Anbar and defeated al Qaeda in Iraq. Michael Silverman was Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment and he was right in the middle of the fight. His battalion contributed a great deal to the war in Iraq and was the only one to participate in the campaign to reclaim al Anbar Province from start to finish. Silverman offers an expert perspective on the surge in Iraq and the role of Iraqis in securing their country.
Awakening Victory reveals actions and incidents that were not released to the public before now and tells of this battalion’s actions in taking the war from one of bombs and bullets to one of partnership and ideas. Silverman’s book shows the contrast between why we were so successful in Iraq versus the failed campaign in Afghanistan, where this Administration’s heavy-handed approach to the Taliban ruined our relationship with Pakistan.
Silverman explains how many senior U.S. officials thought we had lost the war in Iraq back in 2006 after being told by Marine Corps Intelligence that al Anbar Province, the seat of the raging Sunni insurgency, was lost to insurgents. Things looked very grim – with over 100 attacks a day against U.S. military and Iraqi forces in al Anbar that led to al Qaeda planting their flag in the provincial capital of Ramadi and declaring it the new ‘Islamic State of Iraq.’
Silverman’s battalion played a huge part in the ‘surge’ in Ramadi in early 2007 in a campaign that is hailed as the D-Day of the global war on terror, and was hugely successful in clearing out al Qaeda and replacing them with locally raised and trained Iraqi police. This reduced the attacks within Ramadi from twenty a day to one or two a week within just a couple of months, and a 90 percent reduction from the previous year in attacks in the entire province.
Michael Silverman was involved throughout the entire Iraqi insurgency. His book shows a deep insight not found in most Americans’ perceptions of the war, and offers a fresh perspective of the ‘surge’ and the role of Iraqis in securing their country. Being on the front lines, his book expertly describes the exact turning point where the U.S. turned a supposedly failed war into a possibly enduring success.
Lt. Col. Michael E. Silverman, a 25 year veteran with the United States Army, is the recipient of numerous awards, medals and commendations. Retired in 2008, he spends his time writing about the war on terror and serving as a consultant to the U.S. Army on counterinsurgency. He is well-versed in international affairs and world religions and writes with the authority of someone who has both been blown-up by an IED and assisted in shaping U.S. strategic policy for the global war on terror.
New York, NY, – Dr. Mark Robert Banschick designed The Intelligent Divorce book series and The Online Family Stabilization Course as a way to help divorcing parents avoid the common mistakes that end up hurting children during a divorce. The mission of the project is to teach parents how to raise well-adjusted children despite the pressures that divorce puts on everyone.
A blueprint that every adult should use as they go through a divorce, The Intelligent Divorce advocates on behalf of kids through books, an online course, seminars and a media campaign. Based on hundreds of case studies, current research and decades of experience, Dr. Banschick teaches parents how to handle divorce with dignity, strength and intelligence.
The first book in the series, Taking Care of Your Children (2010), focuses on the well being of kids by teaching parents effective communication strategies that help them gauge how their children are doing with the divorce. And, if their child is in trouble, Dr. Banschick’s pragmatic approach teaches parents how to make a positive difference.
The second book, Taking Care of Yourself (2011), helps parents take control of their lives by handling anger, pain and anxiety more productively; learning about finances and healthier living and dealing realistically with the world of attorneys, therapists and difficult ex-spouses. On this note, the third book, scheduled to come out in 2012, centers around Dealing with a Difficult Ex.
Mark R. Banschick, M.D. is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. The Intelligent Divorce project evolved from his work as an expert witness in custody disputes. Dr. Banschick has appeared on the CBS Early Show, The Ricki Lake Show, WCBS TV Morning News, and has been quoted in The New York Times, Divorcemagazine.com, and firstwivesworld.com. A regular contributor to the Huffington Post, please see his relevant article on the new movie, Crazy, Stupid, Love at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-banschick-md/sensible-smart-love_b_925889.html. Dr. Banschick is currently working with a production company on a sample pilot television show designed to educate the public about divorcing with your children in mind, despite the difficult feelings and power struggles that come with the territory. For the two million people divorcing each year in this country and the one and a half million children who are affected, The Intelligent Divorce is a project worth pursuing. As part of a public outreach effort, Dr. Banschick is open to media contact and interviews on topics of divorce and parenting. For more information please visit Dr. Banschick’s website, www.TheIntelligentDivorce.com.
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TIP SHEET:
Dan Couvrette, Divorce Magazine: “This can really help parents and most especially, their children.”
Jill Brooke, Contributor, Huffington Post: “Dr. Banschick is a rare talent, as practical as Dr. Phil, as soulful as Rabbi Kushner and as savvy about men and women as John Gray. He can guide rebuilding families so that they not only survive, but thrive.”
Richard Francis, M.D., Founding President, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry: “Dr. Banschick’s unique and credible voice is pragmatic and optimistic. The anecdotal evidence throughout the book rings true, and this makes The Intelligent Divorce an important read.”
Cathy Meyer, Founder, DivorcedWomenOnLine.com: “It isn’t merely a book; it’s a tool that anyone going through a divorce should be required to implement. It belongs on the desk of all divorce lawyers, judges, child psychologists, and every divorced or divorcing parent.” Video: “It’s Working Out” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ytJMyMmK8U
Las Vegas, NV, – Writer H. Lee Barnes lives in Las Vegas and teaches English and Creative Writing at the College of S. Nevada – a far cry from his days on the battlefield as a member of a Special Forces A-team in Vietnam. Typical of many young men in the early 60’s, Barnes was in college and drifting along as an average student when a letter from his Draft Board made the decision of what he would be doing for the next couple of years of his life. He enlisted in the Army and became, much to his own surprise, a member of the elite Green Beret.
There are the legends of the Green Berets and their clandestine, special operations that are celebrated in story and song, and then there’s the reality of one soldier’s experiences. In When We Walked Above The Clouds: A Memoir of Vietnam (University of Nebraska Press) by H. Lee Barnes, we share first-hand the day-to-day loss and drudgery that more accurately conveys the daily grind and quiet desperation behind the polished-for-public-consumption accounts of military heroics.
Barnes tells what it was like to be a Green Beret; first in the Dominican Republic during the civil war of 1965, and then at A-107, Tra Bong, Vietnam, where he eventually came to serve as the advisor to a Combat Recon Platoon which consisted chiefly of Montagnard irregulars.
While Barnes sees his months of simply doing what the mission demanded as nothing to get excited over (after all, bad coffee, heat, insects, sickness, killing rats, cleaning guns and building bunkers, make up the routine nature of war), he skillfully communicates how this predictability makes the intensity of patrols and attacks all the more menacing, and his book makes for a very sobering read.
He recalls a particular routine patrol that had gone wrong and four of his own and a large number of Vietnamese and Montagnard tribesmen were killed. As he lifted a buddy’s decomposed body off the ground, both a hatred for the enemy and the stupidity of the war emerged and he began his own patrols. He learned to do what few other Americans in his outfit could – climb the treacherous mountains and survive the unforgiving conditions as well as a native. Learning to trust the jungle and all its dangers, he felt more alive than he had before or ever has since.
Barnes’s story is one of loss – of morale lost to alcoholism, teammates lost to friendly fire, of missions that were aborted, and those that were endlessly and futilely repeated. As the story advances, so does the attrition – teammates get transferred, innocence is cast off, and confidence in leadership dwindles. But against this dark background, Barnes manages to honor these men who nonetheless carried the day.
This rare look into life as a Green Beret makes a compelling read. Nearly fifty years later, Barnes writes that “Vietnam is the only thing in my life that isn’t fiction,” and his book stands as a tribute to the contribution the men of this elite group made, both the routine and the brave.
Before Vietnam Vet H. Lee Barnes entered the field of higher education, he worked in various law enforcement positions and as a construction laborer and a casino employee. He is a hiker and biker who loves to tour the highways of the southwest and occasionally rambles down its inviting back roads…just curious to see what’s around the next corner.
For more information on this award-winning author, please visit: www.hleebarnes.net.
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TIP SHEET:
Kirkus Review: “…offers a moving memoir of his time at war in Vietnam…Nearly 50 years later, Barnes writes that “Vietnam is the only thing in my life that isn’t fiction.” In the grand scheme of things, not much happened at Tra Bong; “the life of a trooper out here meant little, except to those who were out here.” But with sharp and unsentimental prose, Barnes makes it matter a great deal. A war remembrance of beauty and unadorned brutality.”
New York/Pennsylvania. – Meet the dynamic duo! Politics might make for strange bedfellows, but the literary world is also capable of pairing some unusual bunkmates to produce powerful results. Noted author, and rabbinical leader Dr. Abraham Twerski, an Orthodox Jew; and, Tom Gagliano, whose roots are Italian Catholic and who is a high profile leader and successful entrepreneur in the field of addiction and self-help therapy, have joined forces to create this book, “The Problem was Me”(Gentle Path Press). Tom Gagliano and Abraham Twerksi inspire readers to silence their inner voice of self-doubt and fear and begin living proactive, satisfying lives.
Tom Gagliano has developed unique methods and procedures that have been embraced by doctors, institutions and patients to help individuals deal with their childhood wounds. Besides his valuable psychological insight from his life experiences, Tom holds a Master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University.
Besides helping those with destructive behaviors, this book will also bring an understanding to many of us with loved ones who act in ways where they sabotage their own happiness when it comes their way. Also this book will provide some with a blueprint, a blueprint to give our children the healthy messages that may have been denied to many of us.
To learn more about Tom Gagliano’s book, visit: http://thomasgagliano.com or to find out more about the book and/or to book an interview with the author or discuss a review, please contact me at: [email protected]
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Publishers Weekly Review: “Gagliano …presents a method of stopping the negative thoughts and self-destructive behaviors that might appeal to sufferers of substance abuse and poor impulse control…Gagliano calls his negative voice ‘the warden’ and shares how it impacted his adult life. He presents the idea, backed by a quote from Twerski, that these voices stem from negative messages received during childhood…and illustrates his theories with traumatic childhood anecdotes, some from people identified as his clients. The section on how to conduct a written inventory gives readers a tangible tool to move toward recovery. The book provides a hopeful message on how parents can help their children avoid these pitfalls and how readers can include forgiveness and a spiritual power in their lives.”
Counselor Magazine: “…This book is certainly very suitable for those who are battling addictions since, as the author points out, ‘some addicts who have been sober for a long time may continue to lead tormented, angry lives.’ …However, it should not be written off as a book simply for those who are suffering addiction as it has a much broader application …and could be helpful to anyone who wants to break the cycle of self-defeating thoughts and self-destructive behaviors.”
Torrance, CA. – A Buddha is one who has attained the highest level of enlightenment in the Cosmos and Buddhism teaches that the Cosmos contains innumerable worlds similar to ours, with countless number of Buddhas. Buddhism also teaches that there are fifty-two levels of enlightenment, the highest of which is called the “enlightenment of a Buddha.”
The Story Of Buddha: A Graphic Biography (Ichimannendo Publishing) by Hisashi Ota is believed to be the first book on the life story of Buddha and his teachings in Manga – a revered practice by the Japanese of using comics for explanation and illustration,.
When the Buddha was a young man he was called Siddhartha and he dealt with similar struggles that we have today. He was born as a crown prince and was blessed by having an extremely beautiful wife. He had it all – money, fame, position, wealth – there was nothing he needed yet even with all of his possessions he was not totally happy. He felt there was something missing in his life and he wondered how there could be meaning in the same routine day after day. That is when he went in search of happiness…and a search for answers to the age-old question, “what is the meaning of life?” began. Little did this dissatisfied prince from the foothills of the Himalayas know that 2,600 years later he would be considered one of the world’s greatest sources of religious inspiration!
Hisashi Ota, the author of this remarkable book, was born in Japan and graduated from Nagoya University’s School of Science.
Atlanta, GA. Why would 90-year old Holocaust survivor Eva Friedlander decide to reveal the intimate details of her life on the eve of her birthday?
According to the author, the reasons are complex. “I wanted to ensure that my children and grandchildren never forget the tragic events that led to the persecution and death of millions of Jews during the Holocaust,” Friedlander says.
But re-living the horrors of Hungary under German occupation is only the beginning. It is “the rest of the story” that proves equally fascinating and draws the reader in.
“Nine Lives of a Marriage – A Curious Journey” with co-author Mickey Goodman debuted at the William Breman Heritage & Holocaust Museum to an overflow crowd of nearly 300. “It was the largest event of the year, and we sold more books than we ever have at a single event,” says Phyllis Lazarus, the Breman’s public relations manager.
One reason may be that Friedlander’s story spans three countries – Hungary, Italy and the U.S. where she thought she’d find the American Dream. But equally riveting are revelations about her husband’s 45-year affair with another woman.
The book was chosen in June for inclusion in the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation Institute’s Doheny Memorial Library.
About the Authors:
Hungarian Holocaust survivor Eva Friedlander escaped the Nazis by using her wit and resolve. After settling in America, she achieved her lifetime goal and became a successful art consultant and antique dealer, careers she still pursues. Eva studied in Rome at the Accademia di Belle Arte.
Co-author Mickey Goodman is an award-winning writer with more than 500 bylined articles in national and regional publications like Thomson-Reuters, People Magazine, Southern Living, Veranda, Women’s Wear Daily, Atlanta magazine, and blogs for The Huffington Post. Mickey has a degree in English and Journalism from Tulane University.
TIP SHEET:
Rabbi Peter S. Berg, The Temple, Atlanta, GA: “Nine Lives…” is one of the most important books of the day. This story is different from every other survivor story that has been written…Eva’s strength and persistence will serve as a role model for others. We will use this book in our congregation for book clubs and support groups.”
Irene Levine, PhD, Professor, NYU School of Psychiatry: “After reading the first chapter, I was hooked on finding out how the Friedlander’s marriage endured so long in the face of infidelity. Mickey Goodman is a wonderful storyteller and reporter whose words bring life to an intriguing story.”
Book details: Title: Nine Lives of a Marriage – A Curious Journey Authors: Eva Friedlander with Mickey Goodman Publisher: EDF Publications Publication: August 29, 2010, $19.90, Paperback, ISBN:978-1-61005-008-1 Memoir: 299 pages, 5 ½ x 8 ½
