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Archive for October, 2009

Created from a nightmare – a story for Halloween that will haunt your dreams forever

Houston, TX, What better time of the year than Halloween to read a brilliantly written book that is not only a bone-chilling thriller but one that will surround the reader with haunting fear when all things familiar suddenly become sinister!  Perhaps having been born in London with all its mystique and history contributed to Tariq Goddard, the author of The Picture of Contented New Wealth (O-Books), becoming a ‘master of fright.’  Gaining accolades and recognition when two of his earlier books were nominated for national and international awards, his latest book will be giving the likes of Stephen King a run for their money.

Created from one of Goddard’s own nightmares and the substance of good Halloween story-telling, The Picture of Contented New Wealth is a gothic tragedy set in the nineteen eighties.  It is an exquisite blend of desire, excitement and humor – bringing much more to the traditional thriller than is the norm. 
It is the story of the Conti family who purchase a house in Hampshire.  The mother, bed-bound and complaining of a rare bone disease, hears a voice behind her ears that is not her own – causing her husband to fear that their home is a portal through which an older, more malign energy has passed and now possesses his wife and son.  As their life deteriorates, his secular and agnostic world view undergoes a transformation, drawing him to a strange man from the hills – a preacher.  Will this man be their unlikely savior or are he and his family merely victims of their own self-serving yuppie way of life?  As the end of the eighties approaches, this family recognizes that it is not wealth they are obsessed with, but something far more evil…

Check out this amazing thriller and the author’s other talented works at www.amazon.com.

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TIP SHEET:

Adam Neville, author of Banquet for the Damned: “Creepy and evocative.  Through the turn of phrase, the insight into the dark heart of humanity, and the incremental evocation of satanic evil, are echoes of William Peter Blatty, Henry James, Shirley Jackson and even John Updike.  But more than any of these we hear Goddard’s own powerful voice.”

BBC Scotland the Book Café: “So freaky I couldn’t read this after dark at home by myself.”

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A Halloween Survival Kit for Success

Phoenix, AZ, – As a means to justify their drinking, some alcoholics will attest that Jeffrey Taylor was an alcoholic and yet he still became a success.  True, but it didn’t come without his paying a huge price.  He wasn’t always a success, he wasn’t always a millionaire and, as he will be quick to admit, he sure as heck wasn’t always a good husband or father.  He was stopped in his tracks one cold, snowy night in New York City when police found him stripped of his clothes and lying in a gutter.  He woke up in a hospital, on life support, suffering from alcohol poisoning – not able to even remember his own name.  Today, however, Jeffrey Taylor’s name is synonymous with a very positive thing – he stands as living proof that people CAN change.  He recovered from the devastating and humiliating effects of alcohol addiction and went on to achieve phenomenal financial success. 

In Taylor’s first year of recovery, he wrote A Gentleman Drunk (Executive Caliber), an incredibly witty and honest biography about his road to survival and recovery.  Not content with this, he went on to write his latest book, Going From W2 to 1099 (Executive Caliber).  Not one to be deterred by a harsh economy, and believing that millionaires are made during a depression or recession, he wrote a much-needed, step-by-step guide for anyone looking for a fresh start and financial freedom – a realistic ‘show and tell’ for becoming an entrepreneur.  Filled with non-traditional ideas, Taylor’s book offers priceless information and encouragement for going it alone in the face of adversity.  Please visit his interactive website at: http://jeffreytaylorgroup.com/, and check out his books at www.agentlemandrunk.com and www.goingfromw2to1099.com.

Jeffrey Taylor is now the founder of Jeffrey Taylor Group, a holding company for various operating businesses that range from film and TV production advisor to operating a luxury cruise agency.  He has known what it feels like to be both on the top and on the bottom.  Check out his powerful story on Pat McMahon’s Show on AZTV Phoenix at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvYwvI1WaA.

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Womenopause, a Menopausal Makeover with a Positive Outcome

LaPorte, IN – The mere sound of the word “menopause” strikes fear in most women and also many men – albeit for entirely different reasons!  Even the most self-assured woman anticipates it with sheer dread, conjuring up visions of decline and demise, and men fear not knowing how to handle the changes in their partner – or deal with the ‘stranger’ that seems to have taken over their partner’s body!

With six thousand American women reaching menopause every single day, two amazing doctors felt a need to ensure these women get some serious help.  They have exposed all the hype, marketing, and ill-informed opinions on this sensitive subject that, including peri-menopause and post-menopause, encompasses more than half of a woman’s lifetime.  Womenopause: Stop Pausing and Start Living (O-Books), by Dr. Lovera Wolf Miller and Dr. David C. Miller, is like a menopause makeover that covers everything from hormones and hot flashes, brain and bone preservation, breast health, skin, fitness, food, sleep, sex and more.  It presents a clear, fresh voice in the controversy of hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, and offers solutions that are imbued with a confident enthusiasm that emanates from years of success. 

Over the past thirty years, Dr. Lovera Miller has witnessed public fascination swing from one trend to another as new treatment strategies have come into vogue, adding even more confusion as women try to decipher what might work best for them.  Womenopause is like a trusting and loyal friend, sharing experiences by allowing readers into the intimate conversation that takes place between a woman and her female gynecologist.

The superior credentials of both doctors authenticate how they have devoted their lives to helping menopausal women, and Womenopause is indicative of their goal to promote a ‘guide’ to feeling fit, feminine and fabulous in four weeks!  More information can be found at www.womenopausebook.com and www.loverawolfmillermd.com

About the doctors:

Dr. Lovera is board certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a certified menopause practitioner, and has served as department chairman in hospitals in California, Iowa and Indiana.  A passionate women’s health advocate, she is president of Health 4 Her, and lectures regionally on peri-menopause, hormone therapy, women’s wellness, and sexually transmitted infections. 

Dr. David Miller taught neuroanatomy at UCLA and was an instructor of courses in physiology and neurophysiology.  He is board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Pain Medicine and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians, and is also a certified menopause practitioner.  He has published several scientific papers, and regularly presents at national medical meetings as well as lecturing regionally on topics related to chronic pain.

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TIP SHEET:

Irwin Goldstein, M.D., Clinical Professor of Surgery, USC at San Diego; Editor in Chief, The Journal of Sexual Medicine: ”…wonderfully knowledgeable while tastefully entertaining.  Womenopause is an insightful guide for women, explaining in a light-hearted manner pre-menopause, the transition and post-menopause.  Women of all ages would benefit from the knowledge provided in this book written to take away the fear of menopause and provide empowerment in its stead.  Life after menopause should be enjoyed, not merely tolerated.”

Sharon J. Parish, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein School of Medicine; Board of Directors, Int’l Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: “…it’s a fabulous book Womenpause is a very well-rounded, comprehensive compendium on the female transition commonly termed menopause.  Lovera Wolf Miller and David C. Miller offer a refreshing look at a natural process that affects every aspect of the midlife woman’s health and well-being.  They challenge standard social concepts of menopause as well as provide a new paradigm that focuses on vitality and wellness. The book offers a clear and understandable, yet thorough and scientifically sound explanation of the physiology of menopause and the anticipated physical, psychological and mental changes. The authors offer a well-balanced view of available remedies for symptoms including hormonal, non-hormonal pharmaceutical, and alternative treatments. Also, they nicely discuss behavioral and lifestyle approaches. This book is tremendous resource for any woman seeking to employ an intelligent and multifaceted approach to the Womenpause transition.”

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Many Police Officers Admit to Getting Paranormal Help from Above and Beyond

Traverse City, Mich., – It started as a routine traffic stop by two Detroit police officers, but seconds later, bullets from an Uzi-style submachine gun came screaming into their vehicle, piercing the hood and doors and shattering the windshield. Then something really weird happened.

The cop behind the wheel has no other explanation but to call it a divine mystery.

The remarkable story is part of Ingrid P. Dean’s new book, Spirit of the Badge:  60 True Police Stories of Divine Guidance, Miracles & Intuition, from Topaz Heart Publishing LLC. While Dean’s stories delve into the paranormal, her credibility is enhanced by her day job: she’s a detective sergeant for the Michigan State Police.

Dean’s adult life has been devoted to collecting hard facts and evidence. She also is a state-licensed polygraph examiner and teaches the art of detecting truth and deception.  

The cop behind the wheel that Detroit night in 1992 told Sgt. Dean that when he was pinned down by the submachine gun fire, he faced a terrible choice: stay in the squad car and get shot, or exit the car and get shot. An Uzi fires 600 rounds per minute.

The cop opened the door and claims “a golden glow” filled the car. “I heard a calm, male voice say, ‘Don’t worry. You’re going to come out of this fine. You won’t be hurt.’ It felt as if a shield had been raised up in front of me.” The cop stood amid a hail of bullets and emptied his gun into the suspects’ vehicle. The suspects sped away, but the cop was unharmed. He later said, “I am alive today because of divine intervention.” 

Dean wonders if the 60 stories in her book ever would have come to light if she weren’t the one asking the questions. Cops don’t like to talk about paranormal experiences, but if there’s anyone they trust, it’s another cop. Detective Sergeant Ingrid Dean has worked with the Michigan State Police for 20 years in a variety of capacities, including road patrol, polygraph, forensic arts, investigation and major crimes.

Spirit of the Badge contains real-life accounts of heretofore hidden elements of police work: the metaphysical, spiritual and inspirational. Dean interviewed active and retired police officers from across the country and gathered stories that highlight the human, humorous, intuitive and miraculous side of law enforcement.

Her book reveals that law enforcement officers go beyond Sgt. Friday’s old refrain from Dragnet, “Just the facts.” Instead, they sometimes rely on intuition. Her real-life accounts examine such subjects as angels and apparitions, dreams, signs, symbols, synchronicity, lessons of the heart, unexplainable phenomena, and healing with humor.

Dean holds a B.A. and M.A. in art and transpersonal studies. She is currently assigned to the Michigan State Police post in Traverse City, Michigan. The author is also a professional artist, musician and teacher.

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TIP SHEET:
 
Henry Reed, Ph.D., Professor of Transpersonal Studies, Atlantic University and editor of Psi Research, Venture Inward Magazine: “To read of these police officers’ experiences that suggest a dimension of meaning beyond time and space is truly inspiring … The stories read like ‘true crime’ drama.”

Alan L. White, author of Alaska Behind Blue Eyes and Promise Not to Tell: “Spirit of the Badge is compelling in its exploration of the human psyche and as difficult to put down as a great thriller … a deeply penetrating work.”

Phillip D. Schertzing, Ph.D., Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice: “A humanizing portrayal of police officers who relate in their own words their experiences of mysterious or unexplained
phenomena, amazing coincidences, or cases where their sixth sense of intuition saved them (and others) from harm.”

Connie Anderson, Topaz Heart Publishing: “Sixty inspiring and most interesting stories submitted by police officers nationwide, Dean’s collection introduces us to the human side of law enforcement.  You’ll chuckle at some of the stories and feel tears well up with others.” 
 
Email to author: 10/5/09
 
I was moved by the author’s app on TV this morning. My Dad has served his country in WWII as a navy Airman and Boston policeman for 34 years. Retired in 1982. He is losing his fight w/ cancer. All treatments have been suspended. Hospice is now called in. He does not have much time. I’m his son and love him dearly. I would like to read from this book at his bedside.

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When Just Passing Through Takes on a Whole New Meaning

Denton, TX, – When a person loses one of their senses, the remaining senses are acutely sharpened in an effort to make up for the loss.  Such was the case with Beth Ann, blind from birth and the only daughter in the Eastman family.  An extremely gifted six-year old, Beth Ann immediately knew there was a restless spirit lingering in her family’s new home.

Passing Through (Xlibris) is a deceptively rich book that takes readers on a nerve-wracking ride as Dr. Palmer T. Bramlett finds himself wandering through the beach cottage he built, overlooking the marsh that separates Sunset Beach from the southeastern tip of the North Carolina Mainland.  A place he had happily enjoyed for fifteen years before old age and frailty put him in a nearby nursing home, where he spent the last, unhappy days of his life.  Things have changed in his beloved home now that it is owned by the Eastman family.  As he returns to the house as a ‘soul in transition,’ attempting to understand his new sensory world and why he is still on earth, he feels he has been given a new purpose. 

Inexplicably drawn to the precocious Beth Ann and her brothers, Bramlett finds them in direct contrast to their uptight accountant father and their gifted and beautiful musician turned stay-at-home mom.  As Beth Ann begins to trust and communicate with Bramlett there follows a vicious assault on her life that not only dredges up a disturbing allegation from his past, but questions his intentions.  Things really begin to heat up when the brothers’ chance encounter with a psychopath puts the whole family in jeopardy.  As Bramlett helps them survive not only a potential killer, but a violent storm and their own insecurities, he realizes he has made a real difference in their lives.  This understanding helps him to find his own peace and a way to pass through to the next phase of his existence.  

Ron Smith’s thirty-five years as a writer and editor is reflected in his pragmatic style that makes the reader feel totally comfortable spending time with the characters in his story.  Visit his website at: www.rsmithnovel.com to read an excerpt from this captivating book.   

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TIP SHEET:

Reader Reviews:

Roger Haldenby: “Gave your book a plug on my interview with Tony St. James on KFLP… listen online at www.kflp.net/HOME-AM.htm. Click on ‘AM Listen Live.’  Really enjoying the book…”

Megha N. Parajulee, Ph.D: “Thanks, Ron.  Yes, you wrote a pretty cool book, I might say.”

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A Real Hawaiian Punch Is Behind This Itch

San Juan Islands, WA – One Big Itch (ArcheBooks), a suspense-filled tale of obsessive love, is like a tour of Honolulu between its covers.  Sara Williams arrived in Hawaii in the mid-seventies during the 200th anniversary of the Cook Expedition, and was hooked by the history of the Polynesians and how the voyages of the Hokulae’a (their outrigger canoes) brought them to the Pacific Islands.  She decided to study the Hawaiian culture and particularly how these voyages inspired a cultural renaissance among Hawaiians who understood that unless they took an interest in their own culture, would possibly end up just another “McParadise.”

One Big Itch is a timely read. This ancient Polynesian crossroads hosts a sophisticated academia that spawned one native son who now occupies the White House, and another, Dr. Randolph Haverhill, the brilliant economist who lies dead on his doorstep.  Playful city it may be, but every Hawaiian knows that the city of Honolulu is haunted – and so is Hawaiian P.I. John Spyer!  He’s a conflicted hapa haole (half-white), too much of a haole to heed Madam Pele’s visionary warning to stay off the case, since John can never say no to old friends.  Even though Haverhill’s current and ex-wives insist Randy was murdered by one of his crazed lovers, the police target Haverhill’s own ill-fated, teenage son.  Forced to intervene in order to save Toby Haverhill, Spyer soon finds that every move he makes in this case jeopardizes his own client, opening up his own psychic wounds in the process. 

Read sample chapters, view the zine format, and download cover art and author photo at: www.archebooks.com; Sara’s blog and more reviews and endorsements are available at: www.sarawilliamsnovelist.com and www.onebigitch.com.  Williams splits her time between Fort Myers, FL and the San Juan Islands of Washington, and has ties to Hawaii that go back some thirty years, lending realism and authenticity to her page-turning novel.

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TIP SHEET:

Phil Jason’s Reviews’ recently made One Big Itch the lead-off cover feature in the Fort Myers Magazine with: “Williams…has mixed a high-energy mystery cocktail laced with more than a little Hawaiian punch….her third novel and the second to feature private eye John Spyer, intrigues and puzzles both protagonist and reader with an array of evidence, motives, and false trails.  There are two sure things: The first is that academic superstar Randy Haverhill has been murdered. The second is that Spyer will not rest until he discovers the perpetrator…a third, less sure thing: Hawaii is haunted and its local spirits will spin you around until they have brought what is hidden to light.”

Eileen Goudge, NY Times best-selling author of The Diary: “Williams channels her inner Raymond Chandler with One Big Itch, an addictively ready tale set in Hawaii and featuring detective John Spyer.  It abounds with local color and Hawaiian lore, and the story moves along at a fast clip as it builds toward the cliffhanger climax.  You won’t see the end coming.”

Mystery Net.com: “Here is something new under the tropical sun, a Tony Hillerman style regional mystery set in Hawaii.”

Bob Morris, author of A Deadly Silver Sea: “One Big Itch will blow you away like the wind off The Pali.  Here’s one novel with a real sense of place and a most intriguing hero.”

Don Bruns, author of Bahama Burnout: “If you love characters, One Big Itch has plenty of them.  If you love location, you’ll fall in love with Sara’s Hawaii, and if you love a suspenseful race to the finish plot, One Big Itch will give you all you want.  What a great read!”

Diane A.S. Stuckart, author of Portrait of a Lady, 2nd in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series: “One Big Itch is one wild ride!  With her quirky characters and rollercoaster plot, Sara weaves a slyly entertaining tale that combines the lush Hawaiian landscape of travelogues with the gritty reality of its urban streets.  Alive with authentic native voices, this fast-paced mystery will leave you wanting to hop the next plane for a tropical adventure of your own.”

Matthew Goodman, author of The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth Century New York. “As if a page-turner of a murder mystery isn’t enough, One Big Itch also offers up an explosion of glorious Hawaiian color: expanses of mountain and sea, legends of native royalty, lots of local patois…not to mention a private investigator with a taste for Drambuie and vintage sports cars.  Riding the New York subway, I almost felt I was in Diamond Head.”

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Awareness of and Taking Action against a Furtive Killer

Black Mountain, NC, It would take a nuclear weapon, detonated miles above the Earth’s atmosphere, to knock out the country’s entire electrical power grid.  It would not instantly kill millions the way a direct hit by a nuclear weapon would, but death would be more insidious – people would die slowly from lack of water, food, emergency services, or violence after the breakdown of law and order.

The same destruction after an EMP attack as outlined in Dr. Forstchen’s chilling book One Second After (TOR/Forge Books) could also conceivably come from solar flare or geomagnetic activity.  These facts align with frightening new predictions from an international panel of experts led by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who now predict a potentially catastrophic peak of solar geomagnetic activity in May of 2013. 

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, sides with Forstchen and the NASA/ NOASS report, urging that we take this cautionary tale very seriously.  Gingrich presented the information outlined in One Second After to the American/Israel Public Affairs Committee at its annual policy conference.  After reading Dr. Forstchen’s well-researched book, the head of the Missile Defense Agency and the head of the Congressional Investigative Committee on EMP pushed for preventative action.

Dr. Forstchen’s book outlines necessary precautions to ensure we have a fighting chance to survive.  Some of these are: 

  • Stockpiling safe water, canned food, medication, and first-aid supplies.
     
  • A plan to handle climate survival with wood stoves, a wood supply, propane-fueled lamps, kerosene space heaters, candles and matches.
  • How to set up a portable toilet with household items.
  • How to protect yourself and your family when law and order breaks down.
  • Having a plan for security – the best chance of survival is to act swiftly. 

For more detailed information to withstand an EMP attack, read One Second After or visit the author’s website at: www.onesecondafter.com

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TIP SHEET:

W.E.B. Griffin, author of 36 best-selling military and detective novels: “The only thing more terrifying than this masterfully crafted story is the possibility of it actually happening – and not a damn thing being done to protect us.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On The Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise.”

Whitney Scott (Booklist): “In a Norman Rockwell town in North Carolina military action by unlikely people becomes the norm in Forstchen’s sad, riveting, cautionary tale, the premise of which Newt Gingrich’s foreword says is completely possible.”

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