St. Albans, NY – Brutal, heart-stopping and ultimately inspiring, Queen Kinni (Blackcurrant Press Company) by Beverly Burchett, is based on the life of her co-author, Fatou K. Goumbala, a woman of Gambian heritage born in Harlem.
Burchett skillfully weaves the vastly different cultural expectations of traditional Gambian life into the narrative of Queen Kinni, exploring such significant topics as women’s rights and basic human dignity. Her experience with a young adult audience has been enriched by her work writing for a drama program she runs in St. Albans, Queens for pre-teens. Readers will find this character inspirational, a role model for everyone who struggles to see their civil rights prevail.
Kinni Bragia is the title character. “Her entire life has been predestined by the likes of a bunch of old dead bones, those of her long ago buried but not forgotten superstitious ancestors,” explains Burchett. “The roots of Gambian tradition stretch some 60,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City in order to strangle the life right out of her.”
Kinni discovers the dreams and freedoms that are every American citizen’s birthright are not readily understood by those raised elsewhere. With courage and spirit, she stands up to a family that will go to almost any length to make her submit. Although the consequences of her independence are seen as a terrible curse passed down through the generations, she learns that sheer will and determination will allow her to not just survive, but thrive as a modern American woman.
In 1981, Beverly Burchett placed second in a poetry contest at the Billie Holiday Theatre and her love of writing was born. A graduate of the renowned High School of Performing Arts, she has acted in a number of national commercials and a few popular films, including the movie Fame. She has published four other books, including Open Doors, Smart, Sexy, Spiritual, Strong, and Random Acts of Kindness. Her most recent book is Out of an Eclipse. She is also a published lyricist with several songs to her credit, including “The Globe is My Home.”
Available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor and world-wide electronically Queen Kinni (Blackcurrant Press Company) ISBN-13: 978-0981711119 $12.95
Greenwich, CT – Realism impacts every chapter of Jeffrey Stephens’ powerful stories with an energy that doesn’t quit to the very last page – and still leaves you wanting more. His latest book, Targets of Opportunity (Gallery Books) is no exception. Telling a vivid story of the real and present dangers of our modern world, it’s evident that Stephens’ did his homework – researching everything from weapons and government agencies to the secretive world of intelligence.
In Targets of Opportunity, Jordan Sandor, top CIA agent, gets dispatched to a safe house in Virginia where he faces off with a top terrorist agent from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In exchange for protection from his own side, the terrorist offers the CIA mind-blowing information about a secret, unholy alliance among operatives in the Middle East, a ruthless South American and Kim Jong-II’s North Korea. He swears he doesn’t know specifics – just that the strike will target the heart of America.
The fanatics stage several diversions but Sandor understands how they work and he’s already heading in a different direction. Using the power of the information gained from the terrorist, Sandor puts together a small strike force to penetrate N. Korea; brave men who understand they might not all return but knowing the intelligence they gather will be vital to keeping America safe. What they end up discovering thrusts Sandor into a race against time, struggling to defeat a master terrorist with a plan of destruction so perfectly disguised that even Sandor can’t guess where or how the strike will take place!
Sandor gets word that two submarines have penetrated U.S. waters, but the military is hampered by a storm raging in the Gulf. Sandor decides to recruit the help of a few daring Navy SEALs to battle with the enemy they cannot see – all they know is that there are two nuclear weapons aimed at a target of opportunity whose destruction would change the world order forever. But for the brave men and women who defend our country, failure is not an option.
What makes Targets of Opportunity an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller is that it is a terrifyingly real reminder of what terrorists can, and will, try to accomplish no matter what it takes in order to attack the United States. Readers love Jordan Sandor and they relentlessly hang on to his every move – staying with him to the unpredictable end.
For more information on Jeffrey Stephens and his riveting novels, please visit his website at: www.jeffreystephens.com.
TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY by Jeffrey S. Stephens Gallery Books ISBN 978-1-4516-2432-8 $24.00
Boynton Beach, FL – Chances are, you know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. One out of every three women will contract the disease in their lifetime; for men the odds are even greater. Now, an exciting new protocol has received approval from the FDA and WIRB (Western Institutional Review Board) to conduct a Phase I/II clinical trial on humans for treatment of solid tumor (metastic) cancers using a treatment designed to “supercharge the patient’s immune system and “zap” the cancer cells, destroying them.”
Leading the investigation is Dr. Dipnarine Maharaj, Director of the South Florida Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Institute in Boynton Beach, Florida. A hematologist and oncologist, Dr. Maharaj has been successfully treating patients with blood cancers for years using stem cell treatments. The clinical trials now underway target solid tumor cancers such as breast, cervical, stomach, pancreatic, lung, and melanoma.
As Dr. Maharaj explains, “A characteristic of a metastic cancer cell is the way it divides into twins. One of the twins will actually begin to form tissues while the other twin lies dormant. The standard therapy for treating metastatic tumors is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy will kill a certain number of tumor cells and those cells may shrink, so it will look as though you’re making progress, but with the immune system weak, the dormant twin can begin to form new tumors, which is why these cancers often return.
“Our protocol is based on a 1999 study conducted at Wake Forest University by my colleague, Dr. Zheng Cui. Dr. Cui discovered a cancer resistant mouse. No matter how many times Dr. Cui attempted to infect this mouse with cancer, he couldn’t do it; the mouse’s immune system was simply too strong. Further investigation showed that the mouse’s white cells possessed granulocytes – specialty cells that sought out cancer cells and eradicated them. These same granulocytes were also found in the white blood cells of humans, specifically in the immune systems of young, healthy people around the ages of nineteen through twenty-five. Our protocol is to treat metastic cancer patients with cancer killing granulocytes donated by young healthy cross-matched donors in order to repair or supercharge the patient’s immune system.”
As promising as the new protocol sounds, there remains a funding hurdle to overcome. In recent years grant money from the National Institute of Health has been more difficult to obtain, and insurance companies do not pay for treatments during clinical trials.
To meet the financial challenge, the Institute has just launched a new website: www.ZapCancer.org which explains the protocol, provides vital answers for cancer patients, collects tax-deductible donations to fund the clinical trial, and contains a video presentation produced by N.Y. Times best-selling author, Steve Alten, whose father died from melanoma two weeks before he was to receive the protocol. Says Alten, “Cancer is a horrible disease that affects all of us. And yet, if a million people simply donated $10, the Institute could complete the first phases of this vitally important investigation, a necessary step to one day treating patients worldwide. For the simple cost of a movie ticket or paperback book, we could help fund a potential cure for solid tumor cancers. I pray that everyone will take a look at the ZapCancer.org website, make a small donation, and spread the link around.”
Jupiter, FL – Tax evasion and fraud do not discriminate and can be perpetrated by anyone – from middle-class Americans to high profile celebrities starting with Al Capone, Willie Nelson, and continuing more recently with Wesley Snipes.
Bruce Bronstein is making a name for himself as a master storyteller in his four novels that tell riveting accounts of tax evasion and fraud and what it takes to go after the perpetrators. His lengthy career with the IRS, handling some of the country’s most complex and controversial cases, provides the backdrop for Bronstein’s compelling stories. His novels, a perfect blend of humor, crime and the inner workings of the IRS and our legal system, make for a read not easy to put down.
Stan, a corrupt tax lawyer, subject to disciplinary action for failing to meet the standard of conduct expected of tax practitioners, is involved in the death of an IRS agent. The agent’s death, which has been staged to look like an accident, is at the center of Bronstein’s first book Nondisclosable. When IRS officials find circumstantial evidence in the dead agent’s audit files that incriminate the lawyer, it’s rendered useless because they can’t disclose the information. Although police lack the hard evidence needed to solve the mystery, the IRS is prepared to extract revenge against the lawyer – who soon finds himself embroiled in a variety of criminal conspiracies. Forced to face legendary agent Louie Lipschitz, the lawyer fears there is no escape in sight…
Full Disclosure, Bronstein’s second book, shows the corrupt lawyer going to prison at the same time the department is prosecuting another case that involves the largest individual tax cheat in history. Before the case is concluded, it leads to yet another tax case that implicates a man who was once the most powerful person in the U.S. The consequences of the investigation take a deadly turn and potential witnesses suffer a horrible fate. To ensure the prosecution is successful, law enforcement officials must take extreme measures and make tough decisions that have them deal-making with a notorious figure. Full Disclosure takes readers on a roller-coaster ride through our criminal justice system, showing how the unpredictability of one case can impact another seemingly unrelated case in an ironic twist of fate.
Imagine a bribery conspiracy, fraud, abuse of power and illicit sex – now imagine it’s taking place within the IRS! In Den of Thieves, the third novel by Bronstein, a shocking discovery is made that undermines the integrity of the IRS when its own employees, responsible for the administration of the nation’s tax laws, are found to be manipulating the system in a plot so ingenious only one intrepid IRS agent can solve the mystery. As Lipschitz, their fearless agent, finds himself matching wits with a brilliant sociopath currently behind bars, it’s not certain that even he can overcome all the challenges placed in his path.
Due for release this summer, Reversal of Justice finds Erica Whitman plotting revenge against the federal government due to her imprisonment for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS. As she schemes to have her conviction overturned, Erica is also planning a diabolical strategy that she believes will guarantee her instant wealth while helping her extract revenge on federal prosecutors. While the Justice Department and IRS officials once again deal with an ingenious and calculating criminal mastermind, more colorful characters surface that challenge the authority of the IRS. Meanwhile, the police are forced to deal with murder contracts placed on the head of Louie Lipschitz, who has incurred the wrath of more than a few of these characters.
Bruce Bronstein is a former IRS Tax Law Specialist who also worked in the Appeals Division where he handled some of the largest and most complex cases in the country. His 30 years of experience specializing in civil fraud cases brings distinct authenticity to his novels and takes the subject of tax controversy to new levels. Drawing five star reviews on Amazon.com, his informative and witty novels explore how controversial tax issues are handled by the various functions within the IRS and our legal system.
For more information on Bruce Bronstein’s novels, please visit: www.brucebronstein.com. Books can be purchased online through Amazon or the author’s website.
Idaho Springs, CO — His feats are impressive, legendary. At age 57, Marshall Ulrich went 3,063 miles on foot, running about 60 miles a day for 52 days straight, from San Francisco to New York City. He was attempting to break a world record set by a man half his age and ultimately set two new records, completing the third fastest trans-American crossing in history.
You can imagine that being married to a guy so driven and prone to extremes requires a strength of its own, a special brand of emotional endurance. Ulrich’s wife not only puts up with this craziness but embraces it as an essential part of him. How? Why?
Ulrich wrote about all of this in Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America, now available in paperback (Avery, $16). A central element in the book is a recounting of how Ulrich met his wife, Heather, late in life and how she taught him to love again after great personal tragedy and previous marriages. He credits her not only with helping him to become a better man, but also with being crucial to his completing this epic, record-setting transcontinental run.
Some “how to” tips for women in a relationship with a “crazy” man:
– Let men be men. All of us need to express ourselves in unique ways, and for one man, it may be running across the U.S., while for another, it may be a guys’ getaway in Baja, Mexico, and for another, it may be watching a show about Bigfoot.
– Respect that thing you think is silly or risky or even dangerous, as it can bring out the best in both of you. It isn’t anti-feminist to embrace the dreams and aspirations of men who want to test their mettle, whether that’s in sport, business, finance, or any of the other classically male area of contest. This also applies to men who want to explore the arts and other creative pursuits. The truth is that most men like to succeed, no matter their particular interest. Support them in it.
– Agree that this is a reciprocal arrangement, where both partners are committed to seeing the other become the fullest versions of themselves. If you can find it in your heart to encourage him in something you’d otherwise ignore or even dismiss, he can do the same for you. Who knows what you might accomplish together?
Running On Empty is both a gripping love story and an inspirational look into the lives of a couple who have experienced more than most people can comprehend – and who insist that everyone’s capable of much more than they may think.
While the book centers on the transcontinental run and the importance of and strain on the Ulrichs’ marriage, it also includes stories and lessons learned from Marshall Ulrich’s nearly three decades of athletic accomplishments in extreme endurance sports:
He began running ultra distances in his thirties just after his first wife died, and in his forties he set records on some of the world’s most difficult courses. Ulrich won the infamous Death Valley Badwater Ultramarathon an unparalleled four times, has finished the race more times than anyone else, and he still holds the record for the original 146-mile course. (He’ll run it for the 18th time in July 2012 with Heather as his chief support.)
He started adventure racing while still in his forties; competing in multi-day events with a team of other hard-core athletes. He’s one of only three people to compete in all nine Eco-Challenges, contests that make the TV show Survivor look like a resort vacation. At the same time, he became an innovator in the sport of ultrarunning, finishing feats of endurance no one had accomplished before.
In his 50s, he ascended all Seven Summits on first attempts, including reaching the peak of Mt. Everest in 2004. Yet the sight of Heather at base camp dwarfed the elation he’d felt at the top. Outside magazine crowned him an “Endurance King,” Trail Runner named him one of the Legends of the Trail, and Adventure Sports highlighted him as an athlete “Over 50 and Kicking Your Butt.”
Four years later, in 2008, he completed the run across the United States with Heather by his side, acting as his crew chief. He broke the Masters and Grand Masters records and outpaced all but two of his peers, both of whom were 20 years younger than Ulrich when they ran it.
Since then, Ulrich has continued to take on new challenges. Next month, he’ll attempt to complete the first-ever circumnavigation of Death Valley National Park, one of the hottest places on earth. He’ll go nearly 500 miles on foot, virtually unaided, surviving on buried caches of food, water, and other supplies. Heather will provide emotional, logistical and loving support–as always.
In today’s celebrity-driven world where so much emphasis is put on appearance, imagine how tough life must be for adolescent girls permanently disfigured by burns or injuries.
Corona, CA – Angel Faces® announces its 9th annual retreat for girls with severe burn and trauma injuries. Most of the girls at the retreat have been severely burned and while they are lucky to have survived, these courageous young women have known unimaginable pain. Their accidents range from car crashes, house fires, school chemistry experiments, bonfires, gas explosions and even costume making. Some of these girls have also had to deal with the loss of a parent or sibling in their tragedy.
While their stories are different, the girls attending Angel Faces® share issues that arise from their physical and emotional scars. One girl’s father flicked his cigarette out the window of his truck after picking her up from dance class – it landed in the back of the truck onto a propane tank and fertilizer. Another girl was injured when a friend poured lighter fluid on a bonfire engulfing her in flames, and two girls were badly burned when their science class teacher poured methanol alcohol into the dish they used during a science experiment. The list goes on and on…
Today, they face new challenges, stares, teasing, and unwanted questions. Girls from across the country and abroad come to the Angel Faces® retreat from June 17 – 22 at Glen Ivy Retreat Center in Corona, CA. This year, the girls are from Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, San Antonio, Miami, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Detroit, Chicago, Tennessee, and England.
When the girls arrive at the retreat, they often believe they can never have normal, healthy relationships. “Will I ever get married looking like this?” “Will a boy ever love me?” “Will I ever be kissed?” These are the questions they ask.
At the Angel Faces® retreat, the girls work closely with licensed, clinical therapists, corrective cosmetic professionals, and meet other girls that face the same struggles. The end result is a new and hope-filled start for the girls who leave armed with the tools to create the life they want and overcome the challenges of living with their injuries.
Angel Faces® began out of Lesia Cartelli’s own pain. Her desire to heal from a serious burn injury over 50% of her face and body at the age of nine in a natural gas explosion encouraged her to dedicate and create the best possible program for adolescent girls who suffer similar disfiguring burns and other traumatic injuries. Angel Faces® is a remarkable healing retreat that transforms the lives of these girls and is testament to Lesia’s spirit – something the fire could not take.
Before becoming CEO of Angel Faces®, Lesia Cartelli launched the first camp for burn-injured children in southern California. During a 17-year career that followed, she developed and directed after-care programs for burn-injured children and adults, and founded the first national retreat for adults suffering from severe burn injuries. In addition, in recognition of her untiring efforts at Angel Faces®, Lesia was presented the Heart of a Woman Award by Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw on the Dr. Phil Show.
Emmy award-winning TV reporter and host of PBS’ A Place of Our Own, Elizabeth Sanchez, recently joined Angel Faces® as Executive Director. In the news business, journalists often tell the stories of people who have been injured physically and emotionally, but the needs of those affected are rarely met – and often it is only temporary. When she learned of Angel Faces’ support, inspiration, and dedication to empower adolescent girls who need it most, she knew she wanted to be a part of supporting young women to better themselves in a critical window of their lives.
For more information and messages of hope from girls who have attended the retreat, please visit: www.angelfacesretreat.org.
Alameda, CA – Sixty-six percent of all caregivers in this country are women, a number that is increasing as the population ages. Many of these women are so caught up — even trapped — in this role they seriously neglect their own needs, which can lead to physical, emotional and financial burnout. In The Caregiving Wife’s Handbook: Caring for Your Seriously Ill Husband, Caring for Yourself (Hunter House Publishers) by Diana B. Denholm, PhD, women will find the support and tools they need to get through this stressful time with compassion while keeping themselves emotionally whole.
Since caring for an ill husband has traditionally been seen as a “wifely duty,” the caregiving role becomes especially complex when the husband is dying of a long-term illness. Every day brings a new set of challenges, demands, adjustments, and often unwelcome changes. It is a time when support and clear thinking are desperately needed — and this book can help!
As the primary caregiver for her husband for over ten years, Dr. Denholm learned firsthand how little help is available to women caring for dying husbands. Over time, she combined this experience with her training as a practicing therapist and communication expert to develop the tools and strategies she shares in this book.
Dr. Denholm’s twin goals are to help wives communicate with reluctant spouses about important issues and to take care of their own physical, emotional and practical wellbeing. She includes real-life examples from six case histories, stories that help readers discover they are not alone and that many of their emotional responses, including negative ones, are common and normal.
Receiving five-star reviews on Amazon.com, Dr. Denholm was also recently featured in a lengthy article in the New York Times and her timely book is a finalist for the ForeWord book of the Year, drawing much-needed attention to a critical issue that affects millions of women yet is hardly ever discussed or explored in social discussion or in the media.
The Caregiving Wife’s Handbook addresses sensitive issues with insight and directness and offers clear-headed solutions. The helpful list of 50 Do’s and Don’ts and information on how to manage emotions, how to approach awkward subjects, and how to negotiate hot-button issues are practical and empower women to bring more balance, free time and even fun into their lives.
Diana Denholm, PhD, LMHC, holds a doctorate in psychology, is a board-certified medical psychotherapist, and has been in private practice for over thirty years. She has pioneered many of the communication and self-care tools she shares in this book and she has used these methods successfully with her many clients.
