2010 is here!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all the terrific people I've had the privilege of knowing, working with, being friends with and generally sharing my life with via this blog - a very Happy New Year!

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Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Born of Ice (A League Novel)
352p, St.Martins, Isbn-031294232X

In the Ichidian Universe, the League and its ruthless assassins continue to keep rule. But at what cost? Welcome back to the future…and a whole new world.

Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner—someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t.

Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for—and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone.

Disclosure - This product was received for review consideration.
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Dear Lilly by Peter Greyson

It is a father's letter to his daughter. It is a guidebook for navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence. It is filled with love, inspiration and an inside look into what boys really think and how a young girl can protect herself, and her heart, from thoughtless people and a harsh world.


How would your life be different if you were given a handbook to help you navigate all of the unforeseen obstacles? What if this handbook was written by your father? This is what Peter Greyson started creating when his daughter, Lilly, was just three years old. In DEAR LILLY (iUniverse, June 2009), Greyson has written an outline of all the mistakes he made and the lessons he learned. Dear Lilly is an enlightening book filled with personal anecdotes, insightful tips and hard-earned wisdom from a father who had been there, done that and was, quite literally, living to tell the story.

Peter Greyson, a former abused child, drug addict, womanizing frat boy, and suicidal depressive, has written an emotionally stirring account of a young man’s battle with his own crippling inner demons and his eventual path toward enlightenment. Greyson calls upon his wisdom as both father and school teacher, to gently lead teenage girls through a treacherous maze of truth, deception and adolescent uncertainty. With a literary style that is in parts both youthfully enthusiastic and seriously insightful, Greyson writes a survival guide that offers the brutally honest male perspective for young women seeking answers to life’s deepest questions.

Topics include:

• § Boys: Why They Lie. How to Handle Them.
• § Teenage Angst: Everybody Hurts. Depression.
• § Abuse: How to Prevent it From Happening. How to Survive It.
• § High School exposed.
• § Tales from a Recovering Drug Addict.
• § Death.
• § The Three Keys to Happiness.

Some of the advice he imparts reflects his own artistic preferences: “Since primitive man first banged on a hollow log with a rock, enjoyed the reverberation it made, and repeated the process, people have been producing the most mind-blowing creations ever assembled.” He then proceeds to list the absolutely necessary albums and songs for a proper musical education (apart from the classics) from the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley, B.B. King, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Led Zepplin, and BlackSabbath (the song is “War Pigs” from the album “Paranoid”).

He concludes the book with a poem,”Promise Yourself,” by Christian Larson, written in 1912, which had a profound influence on turning his life around. The last stanza reads:

(Promise yourself…)
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger,
Too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble”

Disclosure - This product was received for review consideration.
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Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford

Jane Bites Back
320p, Ballantine, Isbn-0345513657

Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it's because she's the owner of Flyleaf Books in a sleepy college town in Upstate New York. Every day she watches her novels fly off the shelves—along with dozens of unauthorized sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Jane may be undead, but her books have taken on a life of their own.

To make matters worse, the manuscript she finished just before being turned into a vampire has been rejected by publishers—116 times. Jane longs to let the world know who she is, but when a sudden twist of fate thrusts her back into the spotlight, she must hide her real identity—and fend off a dark man from her past while juggling two modern suitors. Will the inimitable Jane Austen be able to keep her cool in this comedy of manners, or will she show everyone what a woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper set of fangs can do?
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Review - Curious Lists

Curious Lists: A Creative Journal for List-Lovers
256p, Chronicle Books, Isbn: 0811869962

Charming, comical, and unquestionably curious, this encyclopedic journal of unusual list topics is the perfect kick-start for creative minds of any age. Featuring whimsical illustrations and room for creating over 300 personalized lists on themes ranging from 'Fruits One Can Balance on One's Head' to 'Occasions for Baking a Cake' this one-of-a-kind journal is the perfect gift for any artist, writer, or otherwise impossibly imaginative individual!

If you dropped the ball this Holiday season or are a compulsive list-maker or know one, or just want to try something new - this journal is for YOU! It's fun and engaging and really, really makes me want to try out new things. One of which is - "Fruits one can Balance on one's head". The other - "Impolite ways to request more salt" etc.


Disclosure - This product was received for review consideration.
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The Serotonin Power Diet

The Serotonin Power Diet: Use Your Brain's Natural Chemistry to Cut Cravings, Curb Emotional Overeating, and Lose Weight by Nina Frusztajer Marquis, Judith J. Wurtman

Using this science-based plan, dieters will learn how to eat in order to boost serotonin, the brain chemical that shuts off appetite and turns on feelings of calm. This clinically tested program is also the first to offer antidepressant users an effective way to lose extra weight associated with their medication.

The Serotonin Power Diet is based on more than 30 years of pioneering research at MIT by internationally renowned scientist Dr. Judith Wurtman on the brain, emotions, appetite, and overeating. Using this research, she and Dr. Nina Marquis devised a program that puts the brain in charge of food intake. This simple 12-week plan, with more than 75 delicious recipes, was successfully tested on hundreds of clients at the Adara weight loss centers founded by the authors. Readers will lose up to 2 pounds a week—while reducing stress and improving their moods.
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The Life O'Reilly by Brian Cohen

The Life O'Reilly

In a riveting and explosive drama reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks and John Grisham, The Life O’Reilly by Brian Cohen (iUniverse, December 2009) explores domestic abuse, corporate greed and the age-old search for destiny. On the outside, Nick O’Reilly has it all: a high-flying legal career, financial security, and an expensive apartment overlooking Central Park. Having grown up in a working-class family, it has always been Nick’s dream to make something of himself. But at the age of thirty-six, after several years of sacrificing his personal life for professional gain, Nick begins to question his future and consider the mark he wants to leave on society both professionally and personally. He is facing the penetrating question, “What is my legacy?

After being chastised in the press for turning a cold shoulder to the community, Nick’s firm calls upon him to help rehabilitate its image by handling its first pro bono case. Nick is asked to represent Dawn Nelson, a domestic violence victim who is fighting for custody of her young son, Jordan. A far cry from Nick’s specialty of defending the misdeeds of Corporate America, it is up to Nick to set Dawn and Jordan on a path to a better life. But Nick gets much more than he signed on for as Dawn forces him to reassess his life choices. Only when Nick finally realizes what is truly important in life does he face his toughest–and possibly final–challenge: a battle for his own survival.

Exploring the flaws of being human and the importance of controlling one’s own destiny, The Life O’Reilly reminds us of how precious life is and how quickly and tragically it can change. Written with great empathy, The Life O’Reilly is an emotional and unforgettable novel that will challenge one’s expectations of the modern love story and introduces a poignant and sensitive new voice in fiction.
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Review - The Shimmer by David Morrell

The Shimmer
(352p, Vanguard Press, Isbn-1593155379)

When a high-speed chase goes terribly wrong, Santa Fe police officer Dan Page watches in horror as a car and gas tanker explode into flames. Torn with guilt that he may be responsible, Page returns home to discover that his wife, Tori, has disappeared.

Frantic, Page follows her trail to Rostov, a remote town in Texas famous for a massive astronomical observatory, a long-abandoned military base, and unexplained nighttime phenomena that draw onlookers from every corner of the globe. Many of these gawkers—Tori among them—are compelled to visit this tiny community to witness the mysterious Rostov Lights.

Without warning, a gunman begins firing on the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from,” then turns his rifle on the bystanders. A bloodbath ensues, and events quickly spiral out of control, setting the stage for even greater violence and death.

Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights to save his wife. In the process, he learns that the decaying military base may not be abandoned at all, and that the government may have known about the lights for decades. Could these phenomena be more dangerous than anyone could have possibly imagined?

This is without doubt, one of the most thrilling novels I've read in recent times. I was held fascinated, almost as if I were mesmerized by those mysterious lights though the pages of this book. Morrell sure knows how to develop, maintain and increase exponentially the suspense and he does this by crafting a story that's deceptive in its simpleness. The novel defies predictability and kept me guessing from start to finish and I can honestly say this for very few books! A definite 5 stars in my opinion!
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New Job, New You by Alexandra Levit

New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career
192p, Ballantine, Isbn-0345508807

If you're dissatisfied in your current position, fantasize about doing something else with your life, or have just unceremoniously been given a pink slip, take heart. It's never too late to start fresh and forge ahead on a fulfilling new career path. Alexandra Levit, career columnist for The Wall Street Journal, has interviewed dozens of individuals who have successfully switched careers—many of them more than once—and provides practical, empowering, and action-oriented steps for figuring out your next move with clarity and confidence. Organized by the seven major motivations that lead people to seek career changes—family, independence, learning, money, passion, setback, and talent—New Job, New You shows you how to

• research careers that best reflect your new direction
• stand out in this competitive job market
• market yourself to a particular (most ideal) position
• create a financial plan to maintain income during your transition
• use the power of networking to put you exactly where you want to be

Complete with compelling personal stories, helpful questionnaires, and savvy, down-to-earth advice, New Job, New You gives you the resources you need to turn your wildest pipe dream into a solid reality and obtain the rewarding, invigorating career that you deserve.
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Samson's Walls By Jud Nirenberg

Jud Nirenberg, as an organizer of human and civil rights efforts, has seen first-hand the destructive forces of inter-ethnic violence. His experiences color a dark vision of one of the Old Testament's most powerful stories in his new novel, SAMSON'S WALLS.

While the United States tries once more to draw Israeli and Arab leaders to the negotiation tables, SAMSON'S WALLS shows readers a much older view of the same region. Binding the psychology of its characters to the socio-political context of ancient Canaan, the novel breathes life into Samson, Delilah and others who struggle to survive and to connect with others in a world full of divisiveness and violence. 
 
In a Canaan where Philistines and Hebrews vie for dominance, it is important to know one's place. Samson is isolated in his, trapped by unusual rules and expectations. He was promised to his parents by an angel, destined to grow into a great man and make his people strong. Raised with Philistines for playmates, he aches to be a part of their world. At marrying age, he chooses a Philistine wife. When his new family denies him the acceptance he craves, he releases years of frustration and loneliness in blood.

Samson goes into hiding, seeking to make peace with his wife's people. Other young Hebrews soon join him, each with their own reasons for rebellion. Even while longing for peace, Samson leads this growing army. He is trapped by his successes and grows in fame and power, taking enemy territory. He is alone.

He tastes love when he meets Delilah, the unlikely prostitute-queen of a village in no-man's land. She is the opposite of the clannish divisions he hates, with unclear ethnic origins and leading a mixed community. They become intimate as Philistine spies gather around them. Samson and Delilah are ensnared in Samson's fight to fulfill his own heart's need despite his tribe's and God's expectations.

SAMSON'S WALLS is now in pre-production as an opera, to be initially performed in 2010 in Washington, DC. Music is being composed by Gregg Martin, with Nirenberg consulting on the libretto. See http://www.greggmartin.net/ for more information.

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Savage Days Haunted Nights

Savage Days Haunted Nights by Bennett Kremen portrays Dorian, a man trapped in a harrowing struggle between good and evil, striving now perilously day after day to conquer this. It's an arresting tale, suspenseful and driven by forceful action from the first page to the last. Criminals, professors, socialites, prostitutes, poets and ordinary people animate every chapter of this saga, revealing some of the darkest secrets of the back streets of Chicago and New York and, in one chapter, a breathtaking adventure on a bleak, forbidding tundra in the wilds of Alaska. Revealed here also are the very deepest recesses of human character and the agonies of love amidst the moral challenges of our age.

About the Author : Bennett Kremen, born in Chicago now residing in New York City, has been writing in one form or another for many years. He's contributed articles to The New York Times Book Review and Financial Pages and to The Nation, The Village Voice and many other publications and once served as an associate editor at the old, celebrated Holiday Magazine before developing a psychotherapy practice, which he has maintained on and off every since. Besides the journalism mentioned above, he has written a book of non-fiction published by The Dial Press and has composed scholarly work and some short fiction and poetry for small press publications. He has also written an epic screenplay describing his experiences working on the Alaska Pipeline during its construction.
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101 Optimal Life Foods by David Grotto

101 Optimal Life Foods
448, Bantam, Isbn-0553386263

In this revolutionary guide, leading nutritionist David Grotto shares everyday foods that will help to remedy health issues large and small.

From headaches to joint pain, acne to anxiety, chronically cold feet to depression, 101 Optimal Life Foodstakes on thirty of the most common health issues–and shows you how to introduce healing fare to your diet through delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes. Inside you’ll discover that

• Chocolate, tea, and dried plums reduce the signs of aging skin.
• Combining walnuts and cherries can lead to the best sleep of your life.
• Artichoke leaves bring relief from common stomach ailments.
• Oysters can alleviate the effects of crippling migraines.
• Wasabi helps treat bad breath.

More than twenty-five years of clinical experience have shown Grotto just how powerful food can be in the lives of his patients. Now his individualized meal plans make it easy for you to incorporate healing foods into your own diet, using such tempting recipes as Cherry Zinger Smoothie, Tropical Fruit and Shrimp Gazpacho, and Mediterranean Grilled Bluefish. By combining the most flavorful, nutritious foods in the world with the latest breakthrough research, Grotto strives to help you become the healthiest you’ve ever been in your life!
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The Secret of Everything by Barbara O'Neal

The Secret of Everything
400p, Bantam, Isbn-0553385526

In this spectacular new novel, Barbara O’Neal delivers a generous helping of the best in life–family, food, and love–in the story of a woman’s search for the one thing worth more than anything.

At thirty-seven, Tessa Harlow is still working her way down her list of goals to “fall in love and have a family.” A self-described rolling stone, Tessa leads hiking tours for adventurous vacationers–it’s a job that’s taken her around the world but never a step closer to home. Then a freak injury during a trip already marred by tragedy forces her to begin her greatest adventure of all.

Located high in the New Mexico mountains, Las Ladronas has become a magnet for the very wealthy and very hip, but once upon a time it was the setting of a childhood trauma Tessa can only half remember. Now, as she rediscovers both her old hometown and her past, Tessa is drawn to search-and-rescue worker Vince Grasso. The handsome widower isn’t her type. No more inclined to settle down than Tessa, Vince is the father of three, including an eight-year-old girl as lost as Tessa herself. But Tessa and Vince are both drawn to the town’s most beloved eatery–100 Breakfasts–and to each other. For Tessa, the restaurant is not only the key to the mystery that has haunted her life but a chance to find the home and the family she’s never known.
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The Smile at the Heart of Things By Brian H. Peterson

What are the essential ingredients of a creative life? How does an artist become an artist? For those of us who strive to juggle our career and family, our jobs and our true passions, The Smile at the Heart of Things: Essays and Life Stories offers insight into the ways people balance their world and contemplates how religion, family, loss, love, and even personal struggles inform our lives and make them richer.

The key ingredients to a creative life, suggests author Brian H. Peterson, are nourishment, honesty, beauty, depth, and hunger. These ingredients form the five main sections of the book, within which Peterson gathers essays about art and artists, journal excerpts, and life stories—“not the entire story of someone’s life,” he says, “but a story from life that is also a glimpse into a life.”

Drawing on his experiences as a musician, visual artist, scholar, and museum curator at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA, Peterson connects larger issues of creativity and the human spirit with his own search for growth and meaning. “For 15 years I’ve led a double life,” he notes, working as an arts administrator and curator by day and pursuing his photography and writing by night. “This book was born out of a simple question: Why must the two halves of my life be so separate?” And it examines how he—like many other artists—has begun to pull together all the parts and pieces.

But The Smile at the Heart of Things is much more than observations and musings about the sources of creativity. Peterson draws a wise and frank portrait of both the sweetness and sadness of life, the difficult times and the celebratory. Even as he looks into the face of death, illness, and despair, Peterson always turns his stories to the joy and love that underlie all—the smile at the heart of things.

Note - This book was received for review/feature consideration.
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Americans in Space by Mary E. Mitchell

Americans in Space

304p, Thomas Dunne Books, Isbn-0312372450

Life is a challenge for 36-year-old Kate Cavanaugh, high school guidance counselor to a motley group of at-risk students. Two years after finding her young husband dead in bed beside her, Kate’s storybook life has vanished, and she and her two children are still reeling. Her daughter Charlotte, once a sweet girl, has morphed into an angry, tattooed, tongue-studded teen; and Hunter, Kate’s four-year-old, keeps his feelings sealed tight inside and an empty ketchup bottle clasped to his heart.

When a tragedy occurs at the Alan B. Shepard High School, it’s Kate who finds herself in need of counsel and guidance. What she does next catapults her and her family down an unfamiliar road, on a trajectory into space - toward understanding, forgiveness and healing.

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The Army of the Republic by Stuart Archer Cohen

Stuart Archer Cohen’s The Army of the Republic (432p, Picador Trade Paperback, Isbn-0312429053) is set in a dark alternate America – one that we have seen actual glimmers of over the past few tumultuous years. It is run by a corrupt government with designs to privatize public resources, and to silence dissent with a ruthless secret security force.  But as the plans of greedy politicians and their corporate cronies begin to see the light of day, and dissenters are abducted and silenced, the citizens can no longer ignore the writing on the wall. 

One group, The Army of the Republic, takes the helm of an anti-privatization movement, calling for citizens’ groups to unite in a peaceful march on Washington State.  The stakes get higher as members of this resistance movement are assassinated, and even the Army of the Republic resorts to ever-more-violent tactics, culminating in a bloody revolution on the streets of Seattle. 

On one side is Lando, a twenty-something urban guerilla whose obsession with saving the country drives his Army of the Republic deeper into a violent campaign of bombing and assassination. On the other side is James Sands, a billionaire entrepreneur so determined to preserve his privileges that he unwittingly hires death squads to hunt down and murder his own family. Against a backdrop of mass demonstrations and corporate armies, this thrilling kaleidoscopic novel explores the deeper issues of love, family, and lethal rebellion. 

About the Author - Stuart Archer Cohen lives in Juneau, Alaska, with his wife and two sons.  He owns Invisible World, an international company importing wool, silk, alpaca and cashmere from Asia and South America.  His previous two novels, Invisible World and 17 Stone Angels, have been translated into ten languages.  His extensive travels in Latin America proved part of the research and background for The Army of the Republic.

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