Book Spotlight: Aging With Dignity, Living With Grace by David Brady

Four years ago David Brady was viciously assaulted by a 21 year-old man with severe mental illness, resulting in traumatic brain damage. He lost eighty percent of his memory and was forced to put his successful TV production company on hiatus while he sought out a solution to this horrific situation.

That got him wondering, how many other middle aged, or ‘baby boomers’, get blindsided by a life altering event like this?”

Aging With Dignity, Living With Grace will tell you how David was able to turn his life around, overcome adversity, find peace of mind and prosperity in this book.



Paperback: 178 pages
Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (March 10, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1621374742
ISBN-13: 978-1621374749
PURCHASE AT AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Aging-With-Dignity-Living-Grace/dp/1621374742/
PURCHASE AT BARNES AND NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aging-with-dignity-living-with-grace-david-h-brady/1118906721

Award-winning film and television writer, producer and director David Brady’s work is best known in

Canada, but no stranger to U.S. and European audiences. He was also an award-winning professor at Ryerson University in Toronto and is currently on the Faculty of Motion Picture Arts at Capilano University in North Vancouver British Columbia. David holds an MFA from York University in Toronto. He did his original undergraduate and work at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Colombia. Brady also taught film production and screen writing at York University in Toronto and is an acclaimed and powerful public speaker and lecturer.

In his new dramatic and compelling book, Aging With Dignity, Living with Grace he chronicles his life altering and potential near death experience of being viciously assaulted by a young man with Mental illness. David had gone to talk to this bright and highly educated young man at the request of his mother. The result was a traumatic brain injury that would have left others permanently incapacitated and disabled. However, Brady is no quitter and in this gripping and honest account of his harrowing experience he will take you, the reader through the stages and the steps he had to take to overcome his serious handicap and find peace of mind, prosperity and real happiness.

Brady’s film and television projects have won numerous Canadian, American and International awards including One Academy Award Nomination for his late business partners Production of Nails as Best Theatrical Documentary, 7 Genie Awards (Canadian Academy Awards) and two Golden Globe nominations including Best Foreign Film and Best Actor for “The Grey Fox,” starring Richard Farnsworth and presented by Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios and released through United Artists Classics. His recent Canadian Broadcasting Corporation production of Yellowstone Super Volcano, which will air on Smithsonian Channel in the USA in 2014 and was the CBC’s highest, rated Doc Zone for 2013. He also had two recent productions in Canada that were in the top three rated for the network and will soon be available in the US. His “Yonge Street, Toronto Rock & Roll Stories” just won a Gemini Award and he also produced one of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s 2011 highest rated “Doc Zones” The Gangster Next Door. In addition to these award winning and critically acclaimed shows, he has produced over 130 primetime comedies, dramas, and documentaries, including “The Pagan Christ” and “The Gangster Next Door,” which both aired in the United States recently. His Discovery Channel Production of Around The World with Tippi was nominated at the prestigious Banff Television Festival as the Best Family Series in the world. He was also one of the executive producers of his good friend Alan Sacks Disney Channel Production of You Wish, which was nominated for the Humanitis Award in Los Angeles.

Websites: http://davidbradyproductions.com/ and http://davidbradybooks.com/
 Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/david.brady.5496 and
https://www.facebook.com/davidbradyproductions

Book spotlight: ELMO by Matt Shea

Elmo is an American story about the small town of Miner pulling together to survive a would-be depression. Initially, the dads kept a smile on their face during the day and secretively took turns wearing a hobo outfit at night. Panhandling at the edge of town was a last resort to keep their families secure; but for how long?

A weak link in security unveiled their nighttime activity to the town's most popular teenager: Sam Skates. This rude awakening propelled the high school senior to join the cause, forcing him to become a man. The story has twists and turns that tests the strength of these good men. Like any small town, these trials only made them stronger.

Excerpt:

Then came reality.

He was now exposed at the intersection of Main and Elm. The reflective environment of ice, frost and snow was glorified by the moon and stars. Mankind's artificial sources further intensified the ground where he would stand as a beggar.

Sam stood at the crosswalk that led to the unmanned post across the street. Looking to his right he saw the fields and playgrounds where childhood dreams spawned from. To his left was the ramp that led to those dreams.

Matt Shea is a developing author having written five books. He is greatly inspired by the writings of Andy Griffith and marvels at the small towns this country was built on. His writings incorporate the values they hold and applies it to today's society.

To view more of Matt Shea's books you are invited to go to: www.mattsheabooks.com. This site offers many free stories and allows comments for all viewers.

Guest Blogger: Joel Savage, Author of Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience

Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience is another suspenseful, thrilling epic from Joel Savage and inspired by true events. Savage explains how, as an illegal immigrant in Europe (before becoming documented), he survived the hostile harsh conditions and mafia gangs of Rome, Italy, by sleeping at rough places including the central train station and the notorious pantanella, an ex-Pasta factory, which harbored all criminal activities.

He tried and made it to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, only to realize that he had arrived in a country whose hard immigration policies and liberal laws on drugs like marijuana had taken its toll on many illegal immigrants, by turning them into junkies and alcoholics.

Eager to get documents, he made a wrong move that landed him behind bars. One may never know the experience of being an illegal immigrant until reading this comprehensive and vivid account of Joel Savage’s experience in both Rome and Amsterdam. Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience, is a book of pain, anguish and sorrow, written with passion.

Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience 

By Joel Savage

Everyone has objectives, but not everything goes as planned for those who want to achieve something unique in society. I am one of them. I missed part of my education after the sudden death of my father. It occurred to me that if I really wanted to further my education, the only option was to travel to Europe. I wasn’t greedy, thinking that Europe makes one rich overnight, but I had an idea that if I succeeded to integrate legally, I could follow my dreams since they have the best educational facilities and good teachers.

Upon arrival in Europe, I realized that going to a foreign country could be very difficult in regards to financial aspects and visa applications, but nothing was more difficult than gaining legal immigrant status in a foreign country. Like Paul’s missionary journey to Rome, I found myself sleeping in rough places, including the central train station and a deserted food factory. Rome might be a strong Catholic city but they view foreigners, especially blacks, as people from an unknown, strange planet.

At the mission houses amongst other foreigners, we continuously witnessed the abuse of young boys by the priests and the constant stealing of money from our letters that passed through the mission’s office, because we had no resident address. In Rome I went to a school run by the ‘Caritas’ [Charity] under the umbrella of the Vatican City. I could read and write Italian very well but that didn’t help to facilitate my status as a legal immigrant. The continuous degradation, racism, and discrimination forced many immigrants from Africa to leave Rome as illegal immigrants, but I stayed hoping for the best; however the situation never changed.

After working as a house boy to an Italian journalist, I saved enough money and moved to Amsterdam, leaving behind a year-old child and my wife in Africa. Holland is a multi-cultural country and far ahead in development and integration. Unfortunately, the hard immigration policies and liberal laws on soft drugs have encouraged others to do hard drugs, thereby taking drastic effect on many people including illegal immigrants. I saw the disastrous effects of drugs on many, but they turned blind and pretended they didn’t know what was going on because free sales of drugs is a like a catalyst which sustains the tourism industry.

This was something I wanted to avoid, and the only way to prevent falling victim to depression and drugs was to fight for my documents after almost four and half years as an illegal immigrant. One thing I didn’t understand was the drug issue. The Dutch drug force in the past and present had successfully arrested drug couriers in the city and Schiphol, the airport, but the coffee shops sell drugs, including marijuana, to customers without impunity. Who then supplies drugs to the coffee shops? This was a question I never found the answer to.

I never encourage crime or violence. I fear these two acts, and therefore, try my best to live a clean life. But in order to upgrade my status to legal resident, I was involved in a serious crime, leading me behind bars. A Surinamese woman collected money from me with the promise of helping me get my papers. I didn’t know her but I trusted her. According to the police, she was a criminal preying on illegal immigrants. I was thrown behind bars for several days while my passport was with the immigration police. It was likely they were preparing my documents to be deported, as I foresaw my deportation to Africa to be very close.

One day while behind bars, I had no bath and food for the whole day, even though every day the cell was opened for me to wash myself and be served food. The next day when they served me food, I asked them why they had failed to give me food the day before. The officer thought I was joking, but he quickly realized I was speaking the truth. According to him I was a very quiet person, therefore the officers on duty failed to realize that there was someone in the cell. Because of this mistake, they gave back my passport and set me free. Today I am a married Belgium national with three children.

Joel Savage was born at Cape Coast, in the central region of Ghana, on January 19, 1957. He had his secondary school education at both Ebenezer Secondary School and Accra High School in Accra, Ghana. In 1985, whilst living in Sierra Leone, he became a naturalized citizen, therefore losing his nationality as a Ghanaian.

In his life time, he was much influenced by his father, who was a veteran journalist. His father’s influence propelled his flair for writing at a very tender age. At school, he wrote numerous articles for publication. After secondary school, he followed a short course in journalism at the Ghana Institute of Journalism in Accra to acquire more experience and writing skills.

As a freelance writer, Joel wrote feature articles for the Daily Graphic, the Ghanaian Times, and the Weekly Spectator in Accra, Ghana for a certain period. He is now a prolific writer and an accredited card holding member of “Vlaamse Journalisten Vereniging” (Flemish Journalists Association) in Belgium. He lives in Antwerp, Belgium with his wife and three children where he freelances for newspapers, magazines, and television.

Visit the author online at http://www.joelsavage.com/

Guest Blogger: Beth Smith, Author of Water Water All Around

“Water Water All Around” is a series of adventures by a lone senior woman kayaker. Each of the nine European countries that sport waterways across their surface from sea to sea is incorporated here as individual challenges. Very little is left out of the daily entries so that the kayaker or cyclist or the walker can easily follow the dialog or the maps at the chapter heads to find their way across the chosen country. But this is not a travel guide. It is a true adventure fraught with difficulties apart from actual paddling and not excluding equipment failure. It is about endurance and dogged determination—about fear, frustration, and fatigue and about wrong turns and wrong decisions. It’s all here candidly presented and mixed with a glimpse of the countryside.

The Story Behind Water Water All Around

by Beth Smith

I never really intended to write "Water Water All Around," even though I did keep a daily log of the journeys with my kayak across the nine European countries. The log was mainly for me to relax in the evenings and try and remember what I had just been through. Sometimes that was meant to avoid mistakes. Sometimes just to revisualize the countryside I had passed through. What motivated me to finally sit down and put my trials and tribulations on paper was the persistent questions of friends and acquaintances about the mechanics of the whole process from planning to execution. They also wanted to know if I had a blog or if my trips were written up somewhere. I couldn’t answer yes to even the questions of what the reporters I encountered along the way said about what I was doing.

When asked, “Which was the best country?” How could I answer? Each of the nine countries had its own character. I explained that England and Ireland gave me history lessons. The shortest, and therefore, supposedly the easiest was Scotland, even though I went in the peak of summer and had trouble finding lodgings. Denmark didn’t cooperate with good weather. Sweden, I should have started in the opposite direction, as I had to try and paddle upstream for some time before reaching the first lake; but the scenery from any direction was magnificent. Germany was long and grueling. Greece and Turkey gave me a cultural lesson, and France, a lesson in gastronomy.

Since we’re on the subject of lessons, I learned I wasn’t really ready to take on such arduous tasks… not because I was not physically fit for a senior citizen, but maybe more planning would have been a help. Even though I had a canal guide for most of the countries I still got lost and turned around, so as I wrote the book I tried to lay down the course and as much of the incidentals, like where to stop to find food or lodgings that I could. Even though the book is not a travel guide this, I thought, would make it easier for anyone to follow.

My goal was really to inspire other seniors and the recreational kayaker to try and enjoy a foreign trip even if they didn’t make it all across a country. In this respect all the journeys would be worth it. Traveling is enlightening no matter how it’s done, but kayaking is slow motion touring that affords one the opportunity to meet the locals.

Born and raised in California, Beth Smith still makes her home near the water of San Francisco Bay. Visit her online at http://bethsmithbooks.com/

Guest Blogger: Diana Milesko, Author of Faith Stories of One Good Catholic Girl

This engrossing story provides insights into what it’s like to be Catholic, how problems in the Church affect belief, and how the Church lost, but can reclaim, its original message.

The book’s five easy-to-read sections offer a compelling and often humorous account of the author’s early faith as it flourished in a devoutly religious family. Interwoven with that story is a concise review of the sacraments and other Church accoutrements.

A compassionate yet honest look shows how, for many, faith dissolved into frustration at the dichotomy between Church doctrine and its real mission.

The author’s engaging analysis of how words create reality in religion is full of delightful surprises, and her brief tracing of Church history demonstrates that problems arose because the Catholic Church is an absolute monarchy accountable to no one, and is modeled after Middle Eastern cultures that treat women as inferior.

Finally, the book eloquently describes where this leaves the author and others who once loved their Church so dearly. It offers possibilities for Catholicism in the 21st century and encourages everyone to discover the true meaning of faith.

A thought-provoking tale that is ultimately satisfying, this book will give all readers comfort and hope.

The Story Behind Faith Stories of One Good Catholic Girl

by Diana Milesko

The inspiration for my book, Faith Stories of One Good Catholic Girl, germinated over decades. My childhood faith evolved from stories about my family and ancestors, my culture, and the Church in which I was raised. I accepted the Catholic Church because I was young, had no other reference point for religion, and Catholicism was closely tied with my everyday life, (my father was a Church organist and my mother taught in a Catholic grammar school). In addition, the Good Sisters in Catholic School reinforced our central impulse--to be ethical people who looked out for each other.

A significant moment that changed my view of Catholicism occurred in grammar school, when I learned that girls were not allowed to be priests. Priests were highly valued by the Church and God. While I didn’t especially want to be a priest, I DID want to be highly valued by the Church and God. If girls could not become priests, that meant girls were second-rate in God’s, eyes. I could never believe God thought I was second-rate.

As I matured I found much Catholic dogma to be bizarre. For instance, we were taught there was Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. Then Purgatory was eliminated. With Purgatory gone, what happened to all the unbaptized babies I prayed for that went there?

Catholics were taught to not ask questions, so for a long time, few challenged the dichotomy between Church mission--justice, care for the suffering and marginalized, inclusion of everyone in God’s love--and Church dogma.

Rather than tackle a powerful, centuries-old institution, I and other Catholics who could no longer endure the contradictions and irrelevancies, left the Church. But, like a yoyo, I’d come flying back--for the message of a loving God through community was truly worthwhile--then leave again when the Catholic hierarchy instituted another daft rule, like changing the Mass language to that of a Master-Slave relationship.

Eventually, thanks to a few lucky incidents, I was able to stop walking away, take a clear-eyed look at the good and the bad in the Church, and find the true meaning of faith.

I wrote this book for two reasons. First, writing clarifies one’s thinking. I believed writing about the Church would help me better understand what my faith was all about. Second, other Catholics also felt their religion was buried under a massive sludge of problems. I wanted to offer thoughts on how problems in the Church might be approached, and where my own spirituality is taking me.

My primary concern in writing this book was that it be accurate, but not shrill. I tried to make it an honest, personal, and sometimes amusing account of my own experience as a lifelong Catholic (for much Catholic dogma can only be described as amusing). I also wanted to share what I discovered about the history and influence of the Catholic Church. My investigation included reading, research, as well as conversations with clergy, practicing Catholics, former Catholics, and others.

Purchase at:

http://dianamilesko.com/

Virtualbookworm.com

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

You can order it at from most bookstores around the United States and United Kingdom. More information can be found at the author’s website.

Diana Milesko is a professional speaker and writer who has taught humanities, media and English at high school through university levels in Illinois, Connecticut and Florida. Her other careers include that of counselor, speech writer and publisher.

She earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois, her master's at Loyola University Chicago and her doctorate at Global Ministries University.

Milesko has been a Catholic throughout her life, serving as cantor, communion minister, and choir member in several states. In an earlier life she played the organ and sang for Masses and weddings. Her passion for music is lifelong. She plays the piano and at one time sang in a female barbershop chorus. As a young adult she played guitar and harmonica at schools and clubs.

Her engaging talks at churches, universities, clubs and libraries illuminate contemporary issues such as ethics, health, and the environment. Topics include: What's Eating America? (about today's food industry), How to Live Well and Long, and Planet Pollution. She has participated in discussion groups such as the University of Chicago's Roundtable on Teaching the Adult Learner.

Visit her online at dianamilesko.com.