Las Vegas, NV, – Ron Wall, the man known as The Duke of Fremont Street has been a well-recognized figure around the poker rooms of Las Vegas for many years so he is used to defending his hand at the tables. What he wasn’t prepared for was the savage attempt on his life during a robbery in a hotel room on June 26th, 2010 in Primm, Nevada, outside of Las Vegas.
The Duke thought he was meeting a man he had dealt with before at Whiskey Pete’s to purchase gold and silver. Duke was carrying $137,000 in cash and a couple of Smith & Wesson .38 caliber handguns. Instead, as he entered the hotel room he was ambushed, hit on the head, and for the next twenty minutes the man and a female accomplice pummeled and attacked him with any and every item they could find in the room – a lamp, an iron, a two wheel dolly, and even a toilet tank cover! The Duke was stabbed with a knife and also suffered a scalping wound.
“The twenty minutes seemed more like an eternity to me” said Duke. “I fought with all that I had in me. I knew that I had to stay conscious or I would have been killed and dumped in the desert.”
After the two hog-tied The Duke with duct tape and phone cords, they went into the bathroom – either to clean up or count the money – and Duke knew he had to grab the moment to get away or it was all over for him. Dazed and covered in blood, he got out of his restraints and made it out of the room and down the hall to the registration desk for help. “I thought my number was up,” he recalled.
Needless to say, Duke suffered multiple injuries in this vicious attack. He suffered a concussion and numerous head wounds, fractured cheek bones, broken ribs, and had defensive stab wounds and fractures to both hands. Duke had to undergo surgery and had to attend physical therapy sessions for many months.
The suspects fled to California with his money, but Duke identified the man as Edmond Price, who has a prior criminal history, and the woman as 23-year old Victoria Elizabeth Edelman, described as Price’s girlfriend, out of a photo lineup. They were arrested in California soon after the attack and were later extradited from California to Nevada where they were indicted by a grand jury for eight felony counts. They face anywhere from 15 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts. The bail for each defendant was set at $2,000,000 because of potential flight risk and because authorities suspected they would use Duke’s money, which has yet to be recovered, to hire their defense attorneys.
The Duke has a reputation for being cautious and not taking risks at the poker table; however, his adventurous exploits around the globe are well known among his fellow poker players. When his absence was noticed in the poker world it was thought at first by the rumor mill that he must have been ambushed on one of his many adventures to the Amazon, or some other wild and remote place he has visited, but this time it was something much closer to home that just completely caught him off-guard. The Duke refuses to be considered a victim but believes he is a survivor instead. When asked about the attempted murder and robbery Duke said he “was just dealt a bad hand!”
Since The Duke is considered somewhat of a legend in Las Vegas, easily recognized for his 1930 era gangster-look – complete with custom made, pinstriped Italian suits, polka dot ties, fedora, diamond pinky rings, and even spats – it is expected that the trial will be a highly visible one. His many followers on numerous poker blogs will want justice for this gracious gentleman who has been part of the allure of Las Vegas for many years.
The Duke, who’s conservative poker playing style is far less flashy than his persona, has been featured on the cover of Poker Pro magazine and written up in numerous articles. He believes that surviving the recent brutal attack means that he once again made ‘a win in the game of life’ and, in his words…”The Adventure Continues!”
TIP SHEET: ‘Duke’ calls attack just a bad hand – Article in Las Vegas Review Journal
Havertown, PA, – Mildred Gillars was an Ohio-bred woman who simply went to Germany in 1934 to study music and then fell in love. However, after war broke out in 1939 she elected to stay in Germany hoping for marriage, but her fiancée was killed during the war. That is when she became the mistress of Max Otto Koischwicz – a charming former college professor, now Nazi Officer, who enlisted her in the German overseas radio where she went from a simple announcer to master propagandist and became the voice feared by American GI’s. Richard Lucas does a superb job of illustrating the life of this notorious woman in Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany (Casemate Publishers ISBN: 978-1-935149-43-9).
A failed Broadway actress, Gillars used her sexy voice to taunt troops into suspecting their wives and girlfriends back home were being unfaithful, and to describe the horrible deaths they were going to meet on the battlefield. With information obtained from German military intelligence, she caused fear and anxiety among the men by conveying personal greetings to individual US units that made GI’s believe the Germans knew their whereabouts and who they were.
She was captured by Americans at the end of the war in spite of an attempt to escape as a refugee, and was returned to the U.S. to stand trial for treason. With a nation still recovering from the horrors of war, her trial in 1949 as an American who betrayed her country was huge! It took just three months for the jury to find her guilty and she was sentenced to 10-30 years in prison. However, she was paroled after just twelve years, and until her death in 1988 she quietly lived out the remainder of her life as a music instructor in a Catholic girl’s school in Ohio.
This is a compelling, often poignant story, brilliantly told by Richard Lucas, of one of the most notorious Americans of the 20th century – a woman who betrayed her country for love, paid the price, and is buried in an unmarked grave in her native Ohio since her death in 1988.
John Batchelor, of the The John Batchelor Radio Show: “An exciting story of things you didn’t know about radio….it would make a wonderful movie.”
Brian Albrecht, The Cleveland Plain-Dealer: “To the author, “Axis Sally” became the final victim of her own propaganda, who “paid a heavy price for that delusion.” She is buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, south of Columbus, in an unmarked grave. And perhaps in some ways, the author intended his book to serve as that missing marker, explaining the popular perception, if not the person, with the epitaph . . . Those who heard her, hated her. Those who didn’t, now know why.”
Chuck Scarborough, NY Nightly News/NBC Now: “A must read…”
The Washington Times: “What created the monster named Axis Sally? Mr. Lucas makes much of the deprivation suffered by a failed actress and her frantic quest for fame. But even after her arrest, she insisted to CIC interrogators that for her ‘the war was against England and the International Jewry.’ She said, “I just couldn’t get the Jews out of my mind…” Mr. Lucas concludes, “She accepted the Nazi worldview, believed her own propaganda, and paid a heavy price for that delusion.”
The Jerusalem Post: “At the very time Gillars was sent to prison for 10 to 13 years and fined $10,000, Lucas reminds us the US Government was welcoming “dyed-in-the-wool Nazis – some with blood on their hands” into the country as valuable assets in the Cold War struggle against communism. Reluctant as we are to admit it, and who wouldn’t be reluctant, Axis Sally might not have received equal justice under the law.”
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.
Greenwich, CT, – In Targets of Deception, which suspense master Robert K. Tanenbaum called “a fast-paced thriller,” we were introduced to CIA agent Jordan Sandor in a story praised by bestselling author Steve Alten as “terrific.” Now Sandor is back in Jeffrey S. Stephens’s riveting Targets of Opportunity (Gallery Books; August 30, 2011; $24.00), playing for bigger stakes and facing deadlier challenges.
Whisked from his Manhattan townhouse to a gabled CIA safe house in Virginia, Sandor faces off with a top terrorist agent from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In exchange for protection from his own side, Ahmad Jaber is offering the CIA explosive information: word of a secret, unholy alliance forged among operatives in the Middle East, a ruthless South American, and Kim Jong-II’s North Korea. Jaber claims not to know specific details, only that the strike will target the heart of America.
The fanatics stage a stunning diversion in the Caribbean, mercilessly downing a passenger jet and unleashing an assault on a French intelligence installation. Sandor, however, has already moved in a different direction. Leveraging Jaber’s information, he assembles a small strike force to penetrate North Korea. The team knows they will not all return, but the intel they gather will be vital to American security. What they ultimately discover plunges Sandor into a frantic race against time, struggling to defeat a shadowy figure—a master terrorist with a plan of destruction so perfectly disguised that even with the new knowledge he has gathered, Sandor cannot guess where or how he will strike.
As a storm rages in the Gulf of Mexico, word comes that two submarines have penetrated U.S. waters. With the U.S. military hampered by the hurricane, Sandor turns to a few daring U.S. Navy SEALs to duel with the enemy they cannot see…for now they know only that there are two nuclear weapons aimed at a target of opportunity whose destruction would change the world order forever.
Brilliantly conceived, electrifyingly paced, Targets of Opportunity captures a terrifying twenty-first century reality: terrorists can—and will—try as many times as they need to attack the United States. For the brave men and women who defend our country, failure is not an option. Targets of Opportunity will leave every reader hanging on for Jordan Sandor’s next step, staying with him through to the end.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey S. Stephens began the Jordan Sandor series with Targets of Deception, published in 2009 to rave reviews. Born in New York City, he now lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with this wife, Nancy, not far from their sons Graham and Trevor.
TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY By Jeffrey S. Stephens Gallery Books; August 30, 2011; ISBN 978-1-4516-2432-8; $24.00
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TIP SHEET:
Vince Flynn, #1 NY Times bestselling author: “A ripping good yarn of intrigue.”
Publishers Weekly: “In Stephens’s solid second Jordan Sandor thriller…the explosive finale will leave readers more than satisfied.”
Booklist Online: “Targets of Opportunity is a plot-driven, action-heavy thriller that will appeal to fans of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor.”
Publishers Weekly: “…regular series hero Jordan Sandor goes up against Arab-inspired terrorism. Stephens also involves the North Koreans in a major way, adding a new emphasis and making [TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY] fresh and original.”
The Mystery Gazette: “The stupendous second Sandor thriller …is a great action tale…The story line is fast-paced and never slows down…Readers will relish this taut suspense thriller.”
Seduced by a Book Review: “I loved the fast pace of the book. The reader gets to see from both perspective what is happening. Just like those hired to conduct the attack, however, we don’t get the full picture only pieces until the end. The book is well written…filled with lots of action, twists, and drama this book delivers a most enjoyable read. I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses.”
Ellaville, GA, – Jackie Carpenter lived through an experience that no parent should have to go through. It began in June of 2008 when her son apprehended thieves in the act of stealing copper from his work site. The thefts were increasing and, on the advice of a deputy, he was armed and trying to keep the men there while he called police when the gun accidentally fired, and one man died from his wounds.
The Bridge: Between Cell Block A and a Miracle is Psalm 91 (Xulon Publishing) by Jackie Carpenter tells the powerful and compelling story of her terrifying journey that began the morning she received a frantic call from her son’s wife telling her that he had been arrested for felony murder, and it did not end until the jury returned its verdict ten months later.
Jackie had been living the great life; she had a wonderful husband, good health, two married sons and four beautiful grandchildren. She had it all. But after her son was taken into custody and charged with felony murder and four other serious charges, and the deputy recanted the advice he gave her son, her world fell apart.
Jackie clung to Psalm 91, asking God for a miracle. During the trial, her son’s attorney had asked her not to bring her Bible into the courtroom for fear of offending a non-believing juror. Jackie couldn’t do that. She was asking God for a miracle – how could she take the chance of offending Him? The Bridge is the story of a ten-month journey up to that fateful day in April 2009 when Jackie got her miracle in the form of an acquittal.
While The Bridge: Between Cell Block A and a Miracle is Psalm 91 is a story of a mother’s love and her walk of faith, the sequel Georgia Justice: A Story To Faith acts as a guide for building faith in the face of tragedy and grief. Jackie had never believed that she would serve to be a resource for people facing a crisis in life – but it took the worst crisis in her life and the miracle that stemmed from it to drive her to write her heart-wrenching story. It is a powerful testimony to the spiritual strength this small-town girl found in the promises of Psalm 91 and how she built her faith up during the tormenting ten months leading up to her son’s trial.
Jackie Carpenter has been a featured guest on television, radio, and in newspaper articles. Her two powerful books will be produced into a motion picture that will be in theaters the fall of 2012. For more information on this author and her miraculous story of faith, hope and love that brought her to victory, please visit her website at: www.bridgetoamiracle.com
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TIP SHEET:
Bob Etier, Blog Critics: “The Bridge is a book for people who believe in miracles. It is also for people who need to be reminded that during troubling times, God is not the guilty party. Even devout Christians sometimes need to be reminded that their strength is in the Lord, and The Bridge serves as that reminder.”
Emory Daniels, Book Reviews: “The Bridge clearly demonstrates that God still performs miracles in the 21st century. A key point is that when bad things happen it’s better to trust God than to blame Him. The story also reveals that it is certainly possible to survive a tragedy without losing faith.”
Monique, Book Pleasures: “This is a good, inspirational story…you can absolutely see the conviction in her (Jackie’s) heart that God’s love and grace alone brought her through this difficult time…she simply wants to share her miracle with you.”
Albuquerque, NM, – ‘Just as talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals won’t make you dead’ – says Gail Rubin, author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die (Light Tree Press). Rubin uses gentle humor to convey vital information about funeral arrangements that most people don’t learn until faced with a death in the family.
With chapters named Over My Dead Body, I Got It At Costco, and It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To, Rubin has overcome society’s last taboo with a book like no other – a great resource minus the morbidity! Rubin’s book provides the information, inspiration and tools to plan and implement creative, meaningful and memorable end-of-life rituals for people and pets while taking the fear out of the subject of death.
Given the fact that only 24% of us pre-plan a funeral and less than 46% tell our family our final wishes – it’s evident we plan our finances, families and retirement, but rarely plan our funerals. Without end-of-life planning, all of life’s other plans can come undone. For this reason an annual event, Create a Great Funeral Day (that occurs every October), was started twelve years ago to remind people of the many benefits of planning their own end-of-life event.
Rubin’s new book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, goes one step further with resources to help reduce family conflict, avoid stress at a time of grief, prepare directives, obituaries, eulogies, ethical wills, cards and thank-you notes, and save readers thousands of dollars in the process. She also presents background on many religious traditions and creative non-religious rituals – especially helpful for interfaith families.
This Doyenne of Death speaks to groups on funeral planning issues using comedy films to lighten the conversation. A Certified Celebrant and event planner, Rubin has been interviewed on television affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, as well as on public radio. Her book was a finalist in the Family & Relationships Category of ForeWord Magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year Award; has been featured in Entrepreneur.com’s article ‘Weird Companies That Work!’ and quoted in a Kiplinger Retirement Report article ‘Selling a burial plot is a grave decision.’
Once a year, like the characters in Harold and Maude, Rubin attends funerals of strangers. During her second annual “30 Funerals in 30 Days Challenge,” she covered each one with a video and wrote about them on The Family Plot Blog. Rubin shares the creative ways people celebrate the lives of those they love and emphasizes that funerals are a life cycle event much like a wedding (and better if planned more than a few days ahead). Rubin sees this as a healthier way of dealing with death – “we know it’s going to happen to all of us some day so let’s make it more comfortable to talk about and plan for.”
Jacqueline Marcell, Author, Speaker, Radio Host: “…an upbeat guide book that brings a light touch to the “icky” subject everyone tries to avoid. Gail is our perky party planner (ok, so it’s for a party no one wants to go to) but hey, her humor will keep you reading and learning what most don’t learn until a crisis or a death–which is a really bad time to find out!… I think it is a must-read for Baby Boomers…and well, any adult still breathin’! Gail was a dynamic guest on my Internet radio program.”
Sylvia Martin, Marriage & Family Therapist: “Rubin approaches a taboo subject in a humorous, sensitive, compassionate manner. She has done her research fully and presents easy to follow, practical steps to take in funeral planning. ..It’s no secret that 67 per cent of American adults are overweight…These bigger bodies need bigger caskets for burial and that has implications for boomers with bad backs who may be pallbearers… This is a very readable book on a difficult subject. I was impressed with her humanism, psychological awareness and empathy.”
Sheryl Inglat, Comfort Keepers: “Rubin has taken a highly emotional subject and turned it into a topic that’s easy to chat about …Her perspective and casualness of the subject of death brings an acceptance most people can’t typically speak of openly. Most valuable to me, as a Gerontologist, were the notes on religious ceremonies – from Hindu to Mormon to Native American and everything in between. What a great resource!”
