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An Opinion On The Withdrawal Of U.S. Troops From Iraq By A Decorated Commander Who Fought There

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.

Please visit www.michaelesilverman.com or www.longwaranalysis.com for more information on this extremely knowledgeable writer.

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How Women Can Learn To Celebrate This Natural Transition With Invaluable Tips From Experts

Michigan City, IN, – Menopause is recognized around the world in October with World Menopause Day. Menopause affects women from all around the globe – it may be different for each one but it will definitely have some kind of an effect on them. The key is to minimize the negative effects so that this will be a time of celebration rather than a time of dread.

Doctors Lovera Wolf Miller and David C. Miller are the authors of Womenopause: Stop Pausing and Start Living (O-Books) and they wrote it for just this reason. Their book is filled with the latest scientific information and solutions to help women feel their best during this vital time – more like a makeover geared to feeling fit, feminine and fabulous in four weeks!

Unfortunately, our culture has become obsessed with maintaining the appearance of youth – which does nothing to help the anxiety level of the 6,000 women a day reaching menopause right now! Their list of concerns just keeps growing: Will I lose my looks? Can I keep this weight off? Is my health going to deteriorate? Am I still sexy? Can I still be smart? Can I continue to be me?

Womenopause provides readers with a guide to help them create their own ‘designer’ treatment plan that is tailored to their individual needs, and it covers everything from bone preservation, hormones, hot flashes, breast health, brain power, skin, fitness, sleep, sex – a multitude of things that women deal with while going through menopause. This book doesn’t profess to be a ‘cure’ but it certainly is an invaluable tool. It cuts through all the hype and ill-informed opinions that have plagued women for years, keeping them on a roller coaster ride of ‘trends of the day’ – and instead offers real solutions that work!
 
The credentials of these professionals speak for themselves. Dr. Lovera Wolf Miller is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and a NAMS certified menopause practitioner. Dr. David Miller is boarded in pain and anesthesiology, taught neuroanatomy at UCLA, was an instructor of courses in physiology and neurophysiology, and is also a NAMS certified menopause practitioner. Please visit their informative websites at: www.womenopausebook.com and www.womenopauseinteractive.com

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TIP SHEET:

This following review will be published in the November issue of Climacteric (the official scientific journal of The International Menopause Society):

Anna Fenton, M.D. “Womenopause…is an entertaining and informative romp through menopause and beyond…an invitation to action for women. From the basic physiology of reproduction and menopause through to chapters on symptom management, diet, exercise, sex and long-term health concerns, this is a clear and understandable account. It provides clarity for women about choices they may make as they reach menopause and demystifies the results of the Women’s Health Initiative. There is a strong emphasis on core health messages and each chapter finishes with a ‘challenge’ to reinforce those messages. The authors have a playful turn of phrase, coining expressions such as ‘meno-fog’, ‘hot dreads’ and ‘vagina sahara’. Sprinkled through the text are points that clarify many a misunderstanding among perimenopausal women such as the lack of utility of measuring FSH to gauge the stage of menopause, the normal age range of menopause, and the lack of validity of salivary hormone levels. The reference material at the end of the book is comprehensive and guides women to reputable websites and books…There is extensive use of case reports to illustrate points, along with the authors’ own charts and scoring systems to assess symptoms before and after treatment…The book is well written and entertaining and the enthusiasm of the authors for women’s health is infectious…I would recommend it for all women who wish to be well informed of their choices at and beyond menopause.”

 

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Divorce Happens – This Doctor Helps Protect The Innocence Of Children And Teaches Parents How To Minimize The Damage

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

 

 

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Just When You Think It Can’t Get Deadlier – Another Radical Force Joins The Assault On Targets of Opportunity in the U.S.

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.

Jeff welcomes visitors to his website at www.jeffreystephens.com.

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.”

 

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By This Mother’s Actions, It Was Evident She Was Taking No Chances In Getting Her Miracle

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.”

 

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See Why Nobody Wants To Attend The Party This Expert Is Planning

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.”

For more information on this creative author, visit: www.agoodgoodbye.com.

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TIP SHEET:

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!”

 

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Soon After This Author’s Book Hit The Bestsellers List He Offered Electronic Copies To Anyone For Free – Why?

Santa Ynez, CA, – When Renewable Energy – Facts and Fantasies (Clean Energy Press) was published, it skyrocketed to the top of Amazon.com’s charts in both the energy and engineering categories – a clear hit as a #1 best-seller. Now, just a few months later, author Craig Shields is offering an electronic copy of the book at no charge to anyone who wants it because, “(Writing the book) was a great project. I had fun doing it, readers loved it, and a whole bunch of people bought it within the first week or so,” he said. “Now it’s time to move along – but before I do that, why not put it in as many people’s hands as possible?”

For an author to offer his published work for free is an admirable quality; obviously to him educating the public is more important than making money. His book is based on interviews with 25 of the world’s top researchers, authors, analysts and energy experts in a wide range of disciplines – yet it’s an easy read that is set in a question and answer type format with the author posing the questions.

There is no doubt that the migration to clean energy is among the most pressing issues of our time. Whether our worries are global warming, peak oil, national security, America’s competitiveness in world markets, or our siphoning off another $1 billion in our wealth to foreign entities every day – there is definitely room for concern. In fact, it would be difficult to find anyone who thinks that our addiction to oil and coal is a good thing. But, looking at the problem in practical, realistic terms – how can we “get there from here?” 

We live in a civilization with an ever-increasing hunger for energy and its fixation on fossil fuels to provide that energy is in the process of imploding on itself as our population grows and its demographics change. Yet we live in a world of tough realities – where an elegant solution simply does not exist. We are constantly told that renewable energy is too expensive but, all things considered, it is actually cheaper than traditional energy sources!

Craig acknowledges that there are people who don’t believe in global warming. But are there people who doubt that gas and diesel emissions cause cancer?  That enriching certain governments in the Middle East endangers every one of us? That the scarcity brought about by a declining supply of oil causes wars? That the damage to fragile ocean ecosystems, which are becoming more acidified each year, is devastating the larger biosphere? 

Craig Shields is the founder of 2GreenEnergy – a company that is focused on providing breakthroughs in renewable energy science and technology – and he recognizes that renewable energy will soon become the third largest industry on Earth, after healthcare and technology, and a lot of folks are going to want to be a part of this multi-trillion dollar revenue stream. For more information, please visit: www.2greenenergy.com.

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TIP SHEET:

Paul Scott, Plug-In America: “It would be hard to find more stimulating ideas — and more compelling reasons to move to clean energy, all stuffed into one small place. Readers will walk away with a greatly expanded understanding of the subject.”

Mike Austin, Reporter/Producer for Blue Planet Almanac: “Shields renders the landscape of renewables with brush strokes that only a master can deliver. Craig’s uncommon gift is powering past political obfuscations while leaving the truth intact.”

David Schwartz: “If you are wondering what some of the brightest minds in the Renewable Energy field are thinking, you need this on your bookshelf. Craig Shields does a wonderful job.”

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