Embracing Your Freedom by Susie Larson -- Book Review

I can count on one hand the number of books I've read that have moved me enough to inspire change. Embracing Your Freedom: A Personal Experience of God's Heart for Justice is definitely one of those books!

Author and speaker Susie Larson calls readers to look beyond their self-focused lives and embrace their freedom in Christ so that they may bring that same freedom to those who need it. Journey with Susie as she shares her own challenges in seeking justice and finding the deeper rewards that await those who "take hold of God's promises and reach out in Jesus' name".

In this empowering book, Susie shares stories of women, who with help from the International Justice Mission, have embraced their freedom and become champions for others in need. Readers will be called to no longer be held captive by their pasts and to seek the freedom and justice only God can give.

In some ways, Embracing Your Freedom reminds me of another book by my favorite Christian author, Kathi Macias. Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World also called on readers to be true disciples of Christ. Larson's call is stronger and bolder, but still manageable.

While reading this book, I felt Larson was speaking directly to me, encouraging me to let go of the things that have held my heart captive, so that I may become the person He created me to be.

You will be forever touched and forever changed by Embracing Your Freedom!


Title: Embracing Your Freedom
Author: Susie Larson
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN-10: 0-8024-5280-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8024-5280-1
SRP: $13.99

Sweet Pain by Charles Franklin Emery, Author of The Man and His Manic

Today's guest blogger is Charles Franklin Emery, author of A Man and His Maniac: The Bunkie Story - Second Edition.

A Man and His Maniac: The Bunkie Story – Second Edition, is a heartfelt memoir about Bunkie, the yellow Labrador Retriever Wonder dog. The memoir contains highlights of a 14-year chronological voyage through Bunkie’s and the author's life.

It won’t take you 14 years to read it; but it’s got 14 years worth of love, laughs and tears buried within. The memoir is primarily a humor piece, but has some serious components as well, and deals with the positive aspects of pet ownership as well as the grief associated with losing a loved pet and family member.



"The man gazes at the Boston Terrier puppy in the crook of his arm. The puppy is lying on his back and stares adoringly into the man's eyes. The man has seen that look before and once again, falls in love with a pup. He knows that loving look is a con and loves the pup all the more for it. Wishful thinking perhaps, but the man feels that his departed Lab is looking back at him from those deep brown eyes. The eyes are a window into the soul and the man likes what he sees within. He looks at the lady who has brought the puppy to him and nods acceptance. Transaction complete, the man places the pup on a camouflage jacket in the cab of his truck that lies next to him; that jacket has a history and scent from the man's beloved Lab. The puppy is instantly comforted and settles into slumber cuddled up next to the man. For the first time in a long time the man's soul is at rest."

I’ve always had a love for dogs.

When I was a kid I would always pester my Dad for a dog. Dad loved dogs too. In fact, Pop loved all animals.

We also loved to hunt, Dad and me. My Dad taught me to respect all life and to never take another life lightly. That meant that you eat what you kill, fish or fowl or furry critter, with the exception of killing varmints that were damaging your other animals or property.

I learned early on that my pets had a shorter life expectancy than me. I don’t care who you are, that’s a tough truth to deal with as a youngster and even as an adult.

It doesn’t matter how much you love your critter, that will not make them live any longer than what they are supposed to live. That’s a tough reality.

I describe the realization that you will have to deal with the death of your loved pet as a Sweet Pain. The sweetness comes from the unconditional love that you receive from your critter and the love that you deal back to your buddy. We all know where the pain comes from.

But you know what? It’s worth it.

All you have to know is that it’s not your fault that your buddy passes on; they were going to go anyway. You also have to know that when your buddy is/was with you that they lived a privileged life; that you loved them and made their existence on this world a good one. You can be proud of that and happy that you were able to make your friend happy when he/she was with you.

That is a GOOD thing. It is a SWEET PAIN.

I know that it hurts to put your friend out of his misery when the time comes. You must know that it is an act of love; nothing else. Do not second-guess yourself as to whether you did it too soon; in your heart you must know that it was the right time. You know that it was time, so do not beat yourself up over the inevitable. You had the courage to do what was right; never denigrate yourself over doing the humane thing for your loved ones, whether human or critter.

You love; therefore you hurt. The greater the love; the greater the hurt. What better testament can there be?

I may be naïve, but I also believe that if there is a final reward after this life we live, and I do, that our critter buddies will be there to greet and guide us into that life. In my heart I feel this.

I guess my message to you is this: don’t let the fear of loss keep you from taking another critter buddy into your home, arms and bed. It is a sweet pain that gives more than it takes.

My Dad taught me this and I believe it. You should too.


Charles Franklin Emery III was born in Los Angeles, California in 1956. He joined the US Navy Submarine force in 1977 and spent the following six years on Fast Attack and Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines as a Sonar Technician and Sonar Supervisor. He forged a career in commercial Nuclear Power and is now a Consulting Engineer to various electric utilities. He is an avid fisherman and hunter, enjoys working on his 1964 Plymouth Savoy and collecting colonial American coins. Drag Racing is also a passion and his 1964 Plymouth Savoy Nostalgia Super Stocker provides the needed outlet. He now resides with a Boston Terrier horde and his wife Sherry in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

Charles’s early influences are Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes mysteries). Sprinkle in a liberal dose of Sports Afield, Popular Hot Rodding and Saltwater Fisherman magazines and that about wraps it up.
Charles always had an interest in dogs, as his father and he were avid hunters and nature lovers. Charles spent a large amount of his youth hunting and fishing the Coachella Valley in the Southern California desert. There he chased quail, dove and rabbits and fished the Salton Sea for Corvina, Sargo and Croakers.

Charles developed a love for muscle cars. He grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs in Bellflower surrounded by the raucous exhaust tones of the high horsepower years that defined the muscle car era. He is passionate about Mopars and thus his present ownership and obsession with his 1964 Plymouth Savoy.

Charles is also a mentor to various nuclear industry entities and enjoys teaching the next generation electrical power theory and relay testing techniques and regimen.
Charles owns and operates his own publishing imprint, Bunkiedog Press. The website address for Bunkiedog Press is http://www.bunkiedog.com.

Bunkiedog Press has published “Dad, Dog and Fish” & “A Man and His Maniac: The Bunkie Story” and “A Man and His Maniac: The Bunkie Story” – Second Edition”. He is currently working on the memoirs “Moondoggie and the Boston Terrier Horde”, “Gearhead” and “Bubblehead”.

Visit other stops on Charles's virtual book tour by checking in every weekday in January at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Author Spotlight: Alan Markovitz and Topless Prophet

One man’s story of what it takes to run a strip club empire –the dangers, secrets, pitfalls, surprises – and rewards –and the business lessons learned.

What is it really like to open and run a successful string of strip clubs?

“It’s not what you think it is,” reveals Alan Markovitz, author of a new book and owner of the nation’s leading gentlemen’s club.

Topless Prophet: The True Story of America's Most Successful Gentleman's Club Entrepreneur offers a rare glimpse into the world of gentlemen’s clubs, taking us behind the scenes of the operations of one of the nation’s most successful club owners. Where other books provide insight on the scandalous side of strippers, escorts, and x-rated entertainment, Topless Prophet is as much a business book and autobiography of an ingenious entrepreneur as it is an exploration of what goes into staying on top of an industry filled with cut-throat competition, corruption, celebrities, and beautiful women who make a living dancing.

In this moving memoir of Alan Markovitz, who owns several Penthouse Gentlemen’s Clubs and the country’s No. 1 ranked adult entertainment club (The Ultimate Strip Club List (http://www.tuscl.net/), The Flight Club, we are treated to a first-hand account of a Detroit businessman who has helped change and grow an industry while overcoming many challenges, some life-threatening, some business-endangering. He has spent nearly the past three decades reformulating the ultimate fantasy setting for men.

“The business of entertainment has a lot of glamour and glitz – and beautiful women for sure — but it’s filled with many forces that can challenge and chew you up in no time,” says Markovitz. “The key is to think ahead, exceed expectations, be ready for a fight, and be wise enough to know when to walk away.”

Book Excerpt


Not Taught in Business School

For the entrepreneur, it can be an extremely risky venture with a steep, sharp learning curve. They just don’t teach you in business school what it takes to get an adult club off the ground without immediately crashing and burning. You pretty much have to learn the business hands on, so to speak, or from the bottom up, like I did when I went to work at La Chambre. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you will get ripped off by thieving parasites of all varieties and, for those of you who believe that topless entertainment is the abject exploitation of women, all I have to say is this: you try managing 50 or 100 competitive and strong-willed ladies who are more often than not drinking copious amounts of alcohol on the job. If you let them they will walk all over you in their stiletto-heeled dancer platforms until you are no longer breathing…I kid you not. They can and will whine, wheedle, demand, manipulate and fight – literally tooth and nail – with all their feminine wiles as well as tricks they have picked up from traveling kung fu masters to get what they want. Mind you, I am not saying that there are not honest, kind, decent, hardworking and responsible women working as topless entertainers. There are. But trying to separate out the different personalities that often inhabit each individual dancer is work for a dozen clones of Sigmund Freud.

Read What Reviewers are Saying!

Bold business moves are needed in any field of commerce — even in the adult entertainment industry. “Topless Prophet: The True Story of America’s Most Successful Gentleman’s Club Entrepreneur” tells the story of Markovitz and his realization of his goal to becoming one of the most powerful adult entertainment entrepreneurs in America. Starting with a small bar in Michigan, he’s created his own empire of topless bars. “Topless Prophet” is an intriguing memoir combining fascinating business sense with the curiosity of erotic dancing.
–Midwest Book Review



Markovitz’s story begins with humble roots growing up in the Jewish middle class neighborhood of Oak Park, Michigan, the son of a television repair shop owner. We come to learn of the vision, grit and gumption that he possesses – and is very much needed – to succeed in business.

He starts out as a kid in a candy store, working the bar for the neighborhood strip club as a teenager. Markovitz befriends the owner and seeks him out as a business partner when he ventures out to buy his first club at age 22. From there on we see him come back stronger from every challenge, crisis, or adversity along the way to establishing himself at the top of the topless business.

Markovitz overcame many unique circumstances, including when he

■Had to testify against the Mafia that threatened him.

■Saw his club raided by the police as part of a smear campaign by a competing Eight Mile club owner – and spent the weekend in jail.

■Was shot by one of his own dancers after he fired her.

■Saw his dancers try to unionize to block a new compensation system.

■Had one of his clubs tank after the local city (Ft. Lauderdale) changed the laws about alcohol being served in strip clubs.

■Was blocked by political cronyism when he tried to open in Las Vegas.

■Got sued for trademark infringement by Boeing.

■Was accidentally shot by a drunken patron, an off-duty police officer.

■Had his father, a Holocaust survivor who became his business partner, negotiate with a menacing biker gang that threatened his first club.

■Manages over 300 dancers at each club.

■Attempted to bring the strip club setting to airplanes and golf courses.

■Got swindled out of a million dollars when trying to buy a club.

■Views expansion, upgrades, location, quality of service, the competition, pricing, and knowing when to wage a legal fight.

“The formula for success is fleeting,” says Markovitz. “Just when you think you know what it is, it changes. You can’t be complacent in this business.” Markovitz certainly knows what it takes to make millions and have fun doing it.

For more information on Alan or his book visit Topless Prophet.

To see where Alan's virtual book tour stops next, visit http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Civil War History in Corrigans’ Pool by Dot Ryan

Today's guest blogger is Dot Ryan, author of the Civil War historical novel,Corrigans' Pool--which we reviewed here. Today, this talented author will discuss the historical setting of her debut release.

"Civil War History in Corrigans’ Pool" by Dot Ryan

I am often asked why I decided on the setting of Savannah, Georgia for my Civil War era novel, Corrigans’ Pool. “After all,” someone said, “after Sherman burned a sixty mile wide path from Atlanta to the coast where Savannah lay, he pretty much left the city intact.” True. And he did so to the surprise and relief of Savannah’s terrified and near starving citizens—who afterward were highly insulted when he settled into one of Savannah’s most luxurious homes and penned a letter to President Lincoln, offering up Savannah as a Christmas present. There are several theories as to why he did not raze the city exactly as he had done other towns and plantations on his merciless march to the sea. Perhaps after months of making a smoldering mess of the rest of the state, he wanted an unscathed spot to rest his bones before moving on to other battles.

The likely reason for General William Tecumseh Sherman’s odd benevolence is that Confederate Lieutenant-General William Joseph Hardee’s mere ten thousand Confederate troops encamped in and around the city, had very cleverly escaped across the Savannah River to South Carolina in short advance of Sherman’s overwhelming army of over sixty thousand. With no one to fight other than women, children, old men, and wounded or dying Confederate soldiers in the hospitals, he likely decided that the unnecessary destruction of a helpless Savannah would not bode well in history. Then again, he could have been awed by Savannah’s elegance.

This brings me back to the reason I chose Savannah for the setting of Corrigans’ Pool. Years ago, I was in a library thumbing through a book about historical Southern towns. I don’t recall the name of the book, but I was struck by the beauty of Savannah and its handsome town squares. I began to read about the history of that fair city and knew right away that Corrigans’ Pool’s characters, already prowling around in my head at that time, would take up residence there. On page eighty-three in Corrigans’ Pool, I wrote the following line about 19th century Savannah: "Compared with other Georgia cities, Savannah was the uppity rich relative—elegantly attired, richly endowed, and keenly aware of her unrivaled excellence."

In Corrigans’ Pool, the Civil War battles being fought in battlefields across the nation are revealed only through the eyes of the novel’s Savannah characters, mostly through the eyes of Beatrice Corrigan, the wise and dictatorial grandmother of the central character, Ella Corrigan.

In my research, I kept coming across mention of how Hardee’s Confederates evacuated across a series of makeshift pontoon bridges that spanned the Savannah River to South Carolina, thereby escaping certain death or capture by Sherman’s overwhelming hordes. Most statements I ran across about the makeshift bridges were short and explained very little of the process, but I couldn’t help but think that this must have been a dangerous and exciting undertaking for the townspeople and the Confederates alike, wanting, as they did, to avoid Sherman’s encroaching army. Who built these bridges? How long did it take? Did they use slave labor or were only citizens and soldiers involved? While searching though old newspaper records in libraries, I wrote the evacuation scene into Corrigans’ Pool as chaotic as I imagined it would be, and continued to look for more information.

In surfing the net one day, I ran across a book titled Civil War Savannah written by Derek Smith. I immediately ordered a copy in hopes it would give me more info about the evacuation or at least substantiate my feeling that the life or death escape across the river to South Carolina fit well as a climactic scene in my book. At that point I was contemplating whether to leave the scene or take it out. Derek Smith’s superb book provided just the inspiration and information that helped me make up my mind to leave the scene intact. I wrote to Derek and told him how glad I was that he had written Civil War Savannah and how his excellent work had helped me with my novel. With his permission, I sent a few chapters, which he promptly read—even took the time to make a correction for me—then returned the pages, wishing me the best of luck. That is the wonderful thing about authors like Derek Smith who have had success; the bigger they are the more helpful they are to other writers.

I am also asked what was hardest about writing Corrigans’ Pool. I suppose, at times, the long hours of research and double checking facts were the most difficult and tedious. Secondly, there was the emotion involved in writing scenes in which a character or characters committed especially cruel acts. After such scenes, I often stopped writing for a few hours.
Fortunately, no matter how frustrating research and creative writing can be at times, the satisfaction of trying over and over again to find the right bit of history or finally turning the perfect phrase, is exhilarating—worth every hour of stress and swollen feet from sitting too long in one position while perusing library books or sitting at the computer too long. I wouldn’t be happy with any other way of life.

Dot Ryan, author of the historical novel, Corrigans’ Pool, lives in Corpus Christi, Texas with her husband, Sam, and in close vicinity to their sons and daughters and grandchildren. She is busy writing her second, third, and fourth works of historical fiction, one of which is the upcoming sequel to Corrigans’ Pool. To learn more about Dot and where to buy Corrigans’ Pool, and also to read the unedited Part One of the upcoming sequel, please visit her website http://www.dotryanbooks.com/

 
 
Dot Ryan's virtual book tour continues during the month of January.  To follow her tour, please visit http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ every weekday through January 29th.

A great nutrient for the heart! by Dr. Jonny Bowden

Today's guest blogger is Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Do to Prevent Disease, Feel Great, and Have Optimum Health and Longevity.

In this entertaining and life-changing book, best-selling nutritionist Jonny Bowden, PhD explains how all diseases of aging really come down to four basic processes which he calls “The Four Horsemen of Aging”—Inflammation, Glycation, Oxidation and Stress. You’ll learn exactly how they age you and just what to do to prevent them.

You’ll learn how aging affects five major components of the body - the brain, the heart, the hormone system, the immune system and the bones and muscles; and how to prevent or slow aging in all these areas.

Finally, you’ll learn the secrets of the “Blue Zones”- those areas around the globe where people routinely live healthy and productive lives into their late 90’s and beyond. You’ll learn the surprising truth about what to eat, what exercises to do, and what simple lifestyle changes you can make to support a ten-decade life of autonomy, health, joy and productivity

"A great nutrient for the heart!" by Dr. Jonny Bowden

Here’s a story I’ll never forget.

My mother was admitted to the hospital in the last week of her 87-year life. The doctors diagnosed her with congestive heart failure.

I immediately asked that, in addition to whatever treatment the doctors prescribed, she be put on a high dose of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). The first doctor told me he didn’t know what that was. The second doctor said he had heard of it but it couldn’t do any good and wasn’t on their hospital pharmacy list. And the head nurse said, “Oh, that’s some kind of enzyme that the heart makes when it’s in trouble, right?”

I knew right there we were in for trouble.

It didn’t matter that I faxed them fifty pages of peer-reviewed literature from the National Institute of Medicine. They wouldn’t budge.

Let me be blunt: The doctors who told me that they didn’t know what CoQ10 was or that it couldn’t possibly help were pompous idiots.

“Although coenzyme Q10 represents one of the greatest breakthroughs for the treatment of cardiovascular disease as well as for other diseases, the resistance of the medical profession to using this essential nutrient represents one of the greatest potential tragedies in medicine,” says my friend, board-certified cardiologist, nutritionist, and noted author Stephen Sinatra, M.D. “If there is just one thing you do to help maintain your heart’s health,” says Sinatra, “make sure you’re taking CoQ10 daily.”

The combination of CoQ-10 and carnitine is even better.

L-carnitine’s job is to escort fatty acids into the cells where they can be “burned” for energy. Because the heart gets 60 percent of its energy from fat, it’s critically important that the body have enough L-carnitine to “shuttle” the fatty acids into the muscle cells of the heart. Nutritionists have long used the combination of L-carnitine and CoQ10 as an “energy” cocktail for just this reason. Though it doesn’t necessarily make you feel more “get up and go” (although for many people it does just that!), it definitely helps give your heart muscle the tools it needs to function optimally.

People who take L-carnitine supplements soon after suffering a heart attack may be less likely to suffer a subsequent heart attack, die of heart disease, experience chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms, or develop congestive heart failure (a condition in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively). A well-designed study of seventy heart-failure patients found that three-year survival was significantly higher in the group receiving 2 g a day of L-carnitine compared to the group receiving a placebo.

If you think of your body as an automobile, then L-carnitine and CoQ10 can be thought of as agents (like spark plugs) that help turn the gas in the tank into energy to make the car go.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, a board-certified nutrition specialist with a master’s degree in psychology, is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. A popular speaker and a former personal trainer with six national certifications in exercise, he was the acclaimed “Weight Loss Coach” on iVillage for twelve years, and is now a regular contributor to AOL, a columnist for Better Nutrition and Clean Eating magazines and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Men’s Health. He’s also the nutritionist for the popular website, www.eatdrinkordie.com, where his entertaining videos on food and nutrition can be seen daily.

His books have been acclaimed by a virtual who’s who in the field of nutritional medicine, garnering endorsements by Christiane Northrup, MD, Mehmet Oz, MD, Barry Sears, PhD. (who calls him “one of the best”), Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD (who calls him “the personal health coach I would want in my corner no matter what”), and many others. His book, Living Low Carb: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss has more than 100,000 copies in print. He is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising Truth About What to Eat as well as The Healthiest Meals on Earth and The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth and The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy.

He has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Post, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Time, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Oxygen, Remedy, Family Circle, Self, Fitness, Allure, Essence, Men’s Health, Pilates Style, Prevention, Woman’s World, In Style, Fitness, Natural Health and Shape and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS as an expert on nutrition, weight loss, and health.

Dr. Bowden is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and the American College of Nutrition and is adjunct faculty for Clayton College of Natural Health. He lives in the Topanga Canyon area of Southern California with his three dogs, Woodstock, Emily and Lucy.

His DVD “The Truth About Weight Loss” as well as his popular motivational CDs, programs and free newsletter can be found at www.jonnybowden.com.

Dr. Bowden is on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion during the month of January to discuss this book. You can follow his tour all month long by checking in each weekday at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/.

When the Ordinary Become Extra-ordinary by Kay Marshall Strom

Today's guest blogger is author Kay Marshall Strom. Kay Marshall Strom is the author of thirty-six published books, including her most recent, The Second-Half Adventure: Don't Just Retire-Use Your Time, Skills, and Resources to Change the World. Her writing credits also include numerous magazine articles, short stories, curriculum, stories for children, two prize-winning screenplays, and booklets for writers. Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, and special events throughout the country. She and her husband Dan Kline love to travel, and more and more Kay’s writing and speaking take her around the word. To find out more about Kay, or for contact information, check her website at http://www.kaystrom.com/.


"When the Ordinary Become Extra-ordinary" by Kay Marshall Strom

So, what kind of people seek out a Second-Half Adventure? Who decides simple retirement isn’t for them? That they would rather use their lifetime of accumulated skills and resources to change the world?

Well, lots of ordinary people. And some pretty extra-ordinary ones, too.

You would probably consider Charlie extraordinary—unless you also grew up in a mafia family. Charlie knew two things: power and money. He learned early how to get what he wanted, often through intimidation. As an adult, he started a financial planning business which was hugely profitable. Charlie was tough, he had money, he had power. True, at forty-three his third marriage was about to end, but he would see that it ended on his terms. Then a strange thing happened. Charlie’s wife started going to church. He mocked and ridiculed her, but she went anyway. Nothing he did stopped her. Grudgingly, he finally agreed to attend with her on Easter Sunday, and—miracle of miracles—Charlie encountered God.

Charlie soon discovered that Christians have the same money problems as everyone else. He offered his financial services, which were eagerly accepted, and he also began to teach classes on financial responsibility. “Most people are surprised to learn there is more in the Bible about money than any other subject,” Charlie says.

But Charlie did more than just teach; he lived his lessons. Within two years, he and his wife were debt-free. He sold his business and committed to work full time with Crown Financial Ministries—an interdenominational organization dedicated to teaching biblical financial principles and helping people apply them.

“Christians should model good financial stewardship,” Charlie insists. “Imagine if we pointed the way in these hard financial times by living without debt!”



Okay, so Charlie isn’t ordinary. But Kathy would describe herself that way. When her engineer husband, Clint, was tapped to go with a group from their Oregon church to Venezuela and make a business presentation to university students, Kathy decided to tag along. At the last minute, she put together packets of a quilt block she had developed and stuck them in her suitcase. Fifty of them.

Her husband never got to give his presentation. But to everyone’s amazement, an entourage met the team at the airport. It was there to meet Kathy. “We heard about the quilt and we’ve got a lot of women interested,” they said. “We hope you have enough supplies for ninety women.”

She didn’t. But Clint put away his presentation notes, picked up a pair of scissors, and got busy helping Kathy cut out the twenty-five piece sets—each piece represented an element of Jesus’ story of the Woman at the Well.

On second thought, Kathy and Clint aren’t so ordinary either. Kathy’s self-assurance and Clint’s gentle refusal to insist but-I’m-the-one-with-the-valuable-skills! are rare traits.

Now, John, though—he insists no one is as ordinary as he.

John spent his entire life as a bread delivery truck driver whose day started at four a.m. He retired two years ago, but a lifetime routine of getting up so early isn’t easily changed. John is still out of bed at four, but now he sits down immediately at his computer and logs in to his personal site at GMO, an organization that uses cutting-edge technologies to respond to spiritual questions from people around the world. “I’m never lonely,” John says of his early morning sessions. “Somewhere in the world, someone with a pressing question is always up at that hour.” And, thanks to the training GMO gave him, John feels comfortable offering answers. Even to people in Ghana… or Ethiopia… or India…

Come to think of it, second half adventurers are ordinary people who become extra-ordinary because of the way they choose to define retirement.



About The Second-Half Adventure

Whoever you are, whatever your skills and experiences, you can use what you have gained in life to help change the world. In connection with The Finishers Project, The Second-Half Adventure will enable you to analyze where you have been, where you want to go in the second-half of your life, and how to start preparing today.

Through the stories of individuals and couples who have found meaningful involvements—from business people to housewives, from engineers to artists—this book will help you infuse your special God-given years with purpose and eternal significance. The best adventure is yet to come!

This book is also available in a Kindle edition.

You can follow Kay's virtual book tour by checking in every weekday in January and February at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Character Interview: Darrell Spruce from The Devil in Merrivale by Jackie Griffey

Jackie Griffey, author of the cozy mystery, The Devil in Merrivale is here interviewing one of the characters from the book. We'll slip quietly out of the way and let Jackie do her stuff.

"A KILLER INTERVIEW" performed by Jackie Griffey

My footsteps slowed as I entered the high school. I was aware of it; nervous; out of my element; and didn't like my assignment. That didn't change a thing. I was here and the principal's secretary was smiling at me since I'd asked to speak to her boss.

I pulled out my press card and she took it with her into his office. She soon came out smiling as if trying to put me at ease. John Squires was right behind her and stood in the door wearing a smile that would even have put a teenager at ease with his hand extended.

I took the hand already feeling better and was ushered to a chair as he closed the office door.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir," I began. He listened patiently. "I tried to get an appointment with Judge Troy Spruce but I couldn't get in touch with him. I've been assigned what's gleefully called the police beat at the paper 'and other related things' as it says on my job description.'" This was accompanied by a hopeful smile. "I just couldn't seem to get past the office help at the Judge's office."

John Squires grinned as if this didn't surprise him. He was smart enough not to say so. Instead he asked, "I'm not sure I can tell you anything either. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to interview Darrell Spruce and it looks like this is the only way I can get to him. If he's not taking a test or something, may I talk to him for a few minutes?"

John Squires thought a few seconds then got up. "I'll see what I can do."

He left the office closing the door behind him. I shook like a leaf not knowing if I might be breaking any laws or not. No one had actually told me I couldn't talk to the people involved in this murder investigation. I'd been turned down before and it hadn't killed me. I was just giving some thought to my last will and testimony when Squires came back looking pleasant enough to raise my hopes.

"He'll be with you shortly. You can talk in here." He hesitated. "He asked for permission to call his father so if I were you, I'd ask my most important questions first." He left on a deep sigh that was as good a warning as what he said. Then I saw the secretary ushering in a big, mad looking kid I'd never seen before except on the football field. I steeled myself and pointed to a chair as the secretary closed the door. I gave him a quick glance at my press card which he ignored.

"I'm hoping to get your insight in this crime investigation and I understand Denise Davis was a classmate of yours—"

Darrell shook his head looking grim. I was glad we weren't in a dark alley and help was at hand.

"No. Not classmates, she was a sophomore and I am a senior. I hardly knew her." He looked like he couldn't care less about the less important students. Or me either.

"But she, Denise Davis, was your father's secretary's daughter?"

After a brief hesitation the answer was, "Yes." Nothing further was offered.

"I understand that Sheriff Larkin has spoken to you— "

"He's talked to everyone here. This a waste of time." He took a deep breath, frowning at me. "I don't know anything about what happened to Denise." He deigned to look me in the eye. "My father has retained Attorney Laurence Fields to represent me."

"The Sheriff has you in his sights then?" The moment it was out I regretted that. He gave me a look, eyes boring into mine like he was planning on having me for lunch.

“That's exactly right. He had no one else and he just went for me." The eyes bored into mine again.

"But he doesn't know what he's getting into." It was a threat and he looked like he could back it up.

I fished for another question, one that wouldn't get me sued, jailed, or bitten by this mean and probably unbalanced bully.

"I've heard you may have psyhic powers, just a rumor I heard. Is that true?"

Darrell actually looked pleased. I could hardly believe I'd hit paydirt with that one.

"I come from a long line of people with—certain powers."

"Certain powers," I thought that over. "I suppose you want this interview off the record?" I probed.

"No! I mean, I'm not ashamed of it. You can print whatever you want to." He paused. "I guess you have quite a large circulation?"

"Yes. Here and in the state capital and of course things of particular interest are always picked up by the larger newspapers." I had got lucky talking about the boy's favorite subject, himself. "I know you're on the football team and are active in a lot of school activities—" he looked away, I'd lost him.

"None of that is important." I could see his muscles tighten up and his hands made fists. "And I don't have to answer your questions about Denise or what happened to her. You can call my father or my attorney. I don't have to talk to you."

Before I could flatter any more information out of Darrell we heard loud voices outside the office. Darrell and I both stared at the door.

The door was flung wide, Janice, the secretary was standing ineffectively near, unable to stop the man who stepped inside.

No spoken words were necessary when father looked at son as if looking for bruises or other forms of ill treatment. The only thing I saw that marred Darrell's looks was the smart-ass expression when he got up to join his father.

"I've put in a call to the paper and I'll have your job for this." The judge's statement was accompanied by one of those looks I know the condemned must have got before his gavel fell. I had sense enough not to answer and was already planning on interviewing some of Darrell's friends and fellow students while I was there. Looking the opposition in the face brought out all my reporter instincts and I was no longer scared silly. If I lost my job, by George, I'd not be the only loser. This was just the first round. I made myself quit biting my lip and stood straighter.

Judge Troy Spruce put his arm around his son's shoulders and slammed out of the office.

The door and I shuddered.



Jackie Griffey likes to read as well as write cozy mysteries and romantic suspense. She and her family, two cats, a Chihuahua, and a couple of wild bunnies live in Arkansas where she is working on another cozy mystery. You can visit her website at www.jackiegriffey.com.
About The Devil in Merrivale

Murder isn’t the usual order of business in the little town of Merrivale, Tennessee, so the brutal stabbing death of popular high school student Denise Davis sends a shock through the community. Sheriff Cas Larkin is determined to find the killer, and the last thing he needs is distractions like the increasing reports of missing cattle and other livestock.

But as he digs deeper, Cas uncovers another mystery–a strange “club” the members are afraid to talk about, and for good reason. One of the recruits is brutally beaten when he refuses to take the club’s activities seriously. He also refuses to talk about those activities–until they turn turn deadly.

There’s something dark and sinister going on in Merrivale, and if Cas can’t figure out what it is and put a stop to it, there’ll be the devil to pay.

To see where Jackie stops next on her virtual book tour, please visit http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Thirty Year Old Historical Fiction by Linda Dahl, Author of Gringa in a Strange Land

Today's guest blogger is Linda Dahl, author of Gringa in a Strange Land.

Gringa in a Strange Land brings back the exhilarating and confusing time of the “counterculture” in the early 1970’s.

Erica Mason, an American woman living in Mexico, is torn between working to become an artist and the lure of the drug culture.

Set mostly in the colonial city of Merida in the Yucatan peninsula, the story also moves among Mayan ruins, laid-back beaches and the cities of Belize and Oaxaca.

A host of bohemian expats and Mexicans, and the complex character of Mexico itself, infuse this portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-American, culminating in an unexpected resolution

"Thirty Year Old Historical Fiction" by Linda Dahl

I love good historical fiction. I once wrote a book set in New Orleans spanning the l800’s up to the l960’s. The research for the book was immense. There was a scene where the main character was cooking – good thing I did my homework, because the kitchen those days was a shed out back! But I never imagined when I dusted off the 30-year-old manuscript of Gringa in a Strange Land a few years ago that it, too, had become historical fiction. Erica Mason, the twenty-something American woman who hits the road and ends up living in Mexico, has no idea of this, of course, but I did. Above all, it has to do with technology. In the l970’s in Mexico, there were few telephones – no cell phones, of course – there was no internet, and a slow, inefficient mail service. In a foreign country, without recourse to the immediate, constant flow of communication, Erica becomes isolated in a way that is simply unimaginable today. (When I went to Africa a few years ago to Malawi, one of the least developed countries on earth, even there were cell phones and internet service at the hotels.

The huge challenge of coming to terms with the world is heightened for Erica in Gringa by the period in which she lives. If the book had been published when it was written, in the late 70’s, the isolation she experienced living in a “strange” land would have been considered normal. Then, when I rewrote the book many years later, I saw that Erica had acquired an old-fashioned, even somewhat exotic quality in terms of the technology boom that had followed in the late 20th century. And this must be especially so for any reader younger than my generation, the “baby boomers.” Meeting very few fellow Americans, thrown almost completely on her own resources, Erica in Mexico in l973 and ’74 has to learn to negotiate a foreign language and foreign attitudes to a degree that is no longer the case. Erica’s isolation both dramatically heightens her conflicts and it also, I think, compels her to move beyond her darkness itoward the light.


Linda Dahl has written extensively about Latin America, women in jazz, New Orleans and other topics that interest her over a thirty-year career as a published author. She has lived in Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil and New York and currently lives in an old farmhouse with lots of flowers and pets. A widow, she has a daughter and a stepson. Her website is www.lindadahl.com and blog about her new book at http://gringainastrangeland.blogspot.com.

You can follow Linda's virtual book tour every weekday in January by visiting http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Author Spotlight: Susie Larson and Embracing Your Freedom

While our culture places great emphasis on comfort, security, control, and success, there are deeper rewards for those who take hold of God’s promises and reach out in the Name of Christ. Adventure, faith, miracles, and a deep knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is what Susie calls her readers to realize.

Many women feel stuck in their faith. They are bored living in a Christian bubble and long for the greater adventure of significance God designed for them! But just how do we move past our fears and the lies that keep us bound to our past? And are we really called to change the world? Embracing Your Freedom: A Personal Experience of God's Heart for Justice will give you a deeper understanding of your freedom in Christ and a bigger view of God's heart for the world.

EXCERPT

“As you become more aware of God's heart for freedom, your heart will burn for it as well. If you will dare to put your foot down on the promises of God and refuse to relent until freedom becomes your reality, your appetite for the freedoms of others will increase as well. Take seriously what God has offered you here, because as a Believer living in this day, you are in a powerful position of influence." --Embracing Your Freedom

"'Embracing Your Freedom' was written for you--a woman who desires to live in personal freedom and is willing to help the helpless become free. Prepare to be challenged and emboldened. Prepare to change and become more like Jesus!" - Kendra Smiley, conference speaker, and author of Be the Parent, Journey of a Strong-willed Child, and Do Your Kids a Favor...Love Your Spouse

"In this important book, Susie invites women into life that really is life by naming them, naming us, as agents to extend God's justice to those who are bound. Women today are hungry for this kind of holy congruity. Thank you, Susie!" -Margot Starbuck, author of The Girl in the Orange Dress: Searching for a Father Who Does Not Fail


Ask Susie about her conviction for women, and she'll tell you, "The two pillars in my ministry, the two things I care most about are for women to be drawn into a 'deeper life in Christ' that they might live more 'powerful lives on earth.' When we pursue a thriving, personal, intimate walk of faith, we can't help but be compelled to make a difference in our world." With enthusiasm, humor, and conviction, author/speaker Susie Larson has spoken to thousands of women locally, nationally, and internationally. She is a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Women in Christian Media, and has served on the board of directors for the Christian Authors Network. Susie also regularly fills in as guest host for Along the Way - a two-hour talk radio show (AM Faith 900). Susie worked as a freelance writer for Focus on the Family, and published over fifty articles with them. She has been featured on radio and TV programs across the country, including Moody Midday Connection, Family Life Today, Chris Fabry Live!, The Harvest Show, and the LIFE Today Show with James and Betty Robison.

While in Washington D.C., Susie and her husband Kevin, along with Troy and Sara Groves, represented International Justice Mission's*concerns in meetings with Congress as part of their efforts to abolish and prevent human trafficking and slavery. The four of them serve as co-chairs for the IJM benefit banquet in Minnesota. Susie and her husband Kevin have been married since 1985 and have three wonderful, grown sons. Susie comes with a passion to share the love of a Savior who will never let us go. Susie's messages will help you to:

Cultivate a more personal and thriving relationship with Jesus
Understand God's promises and be more bold in your faith
Understand your value and the important call on your life
Comprehend God's heart for the least-of-these.

You can visit Susie online at http://susielarson.com/.

*IJM, among other things, rescues young girls from the horrific life of human trafficking. (visit http://www.ijm.org/)

Why Men Cheat by Greg Middleton, Author of Real Men: What's Happening to Our Males?

Today's guest blogger is author Greg Middleton. From his first book, In Search of the Soul(Dorrance Publishing Company, 2002) Greg continued to read and record his thoughts and opinions as they were developing. Ever since that first book he has been writing feverishly. His second book Pearls of Wisdom, was published in 2003 by GEM Publications. Cold Tree Press published his third book, Food for the Soul in early 2005. His goal is to get as many of his completed works as possible into the hands of the readers whom they were intended to inspire.

In addition to being a writer, Greg is also a professional musician, Realtor, and a Professional Seminar Speaker. He and his wife Cynthia make their “Empty Nest” home in Altadena, California, and are ready to start on Phase Two, enjoying the grandchildren. Be on the lookout for more works from this prolific writer in the years to come.

You can find Greg online at www.gregemiddleton.com. For more information about Real Men and Real Men Seminars, please visit http://realmenseminars.com/.

"Why Men Cheat" by Greg Middleton


Let’s be clear, you can’t cage all men in the same “pigpen.” What is good for one man isn’t always good for another. What one man may wear as a badge of honor, another avoids with every fiber of his willpower. To say all men cheat on their mates would be grossly incorrect. Since there is no official record of cheaters we can only guess the percentage of men that actually cheat on their mates. If there were such a poll, how many men would be willing to admit to being a cheater?

In order to address this subject perhaps we should start with understanding “ordinary male nature.” What force of nature compels men to operate naturally as they do? For whatever reasons the majority of healthy, heterosexual males are strongly, sexually attracted to females. From the time their hormones become active most things that males do are geared toward finding a way to experience the sex act with a live female. From the imagination, to masturbating, to actually having sexual intercourse with a female, men are compelled to deal with this very compelling natural attraction. This is partly by something they are born with and partly because of the constant bombardment of sexual erotic marketing geared directly toward males. Advertising agencies aggressively use sexual innuendo to advertise most common product to males.

Even before males are sophisticated enough to pay attention to marketing ads they have to deal with hormones that causes erotic imaginations, unwanted erections, wet dreams or otherwise, “sex on the brain.” There is something about a healthy male that causes his hormones to erupt from within. This inward drive requires self-control. Once the lure of sexual intercourse enters a male’s brain it seems to stay there until he actually “scores.” Males who are unable to score are forced to do other things to relieve themselves such as masturbation, pornography, or by other means such as involuntary releasing through wet dreams. Some even choose to acts out this drive in immorally.

The simple answer to the question of why men cheat is because they do not gain the upper hand (pun intended) on controlling their sexual desires. Even though the attraction is very strong, that alone is not a reason to have sex with any female that opens her legs in order to the satisfy his sexual appetite. Human males are expected to rise above their raw animal instincts.

Males who are unsuccessful at controlling this sexual urge shouldn’t commit to marriage until they are able to control their sex drive. Sex addicts are people who don’t have control over their sexual desires. Some individuals actually need psychological or other means of medical attention to help them deal with this problem. Others simply need to learn the art of self-control and/or will power. Just because you love something doesn’t mean that you must always have it. You may like sweets, but you realize that you can’t have them all the time. You may love your car, but you can’t be in it all the time. Just because you love something very much doesn’t mean that you must have it all the time. Self-control must be learned, will power must be learned, and morality must be learned.



For younger males there must be a willingness to be taught before they will open themselves to accept teaching. In dealing with sexual desires men need to examine themselves and find ways of controlling their nature. They cannot allow their nature to be in charge. I suppose that is why some men have been accused of being “dogs.”

Many men cheat just because they can. If the opportunity is there and they feel they can get away with it, many will cross the line. It is not a simply matter of knowing whether or not it is wrong. Resisting what you perceived to be wrong requires perfecting an inner power from within that compels an individual to make the best choices. If you do not have will power or self-control there are many things that you may allow yourself to do. Only those with high moral character and integrity seem to have what it takes to abstain from the temptation of doing things they know to be wrong.

It would be safe to assume that no man cheats on his mate hoping to get caught. Even though some may actually enjoy living dangerously, that usually implies that they think they are either smart enough, or savvy enough to get away with their devilish deeds. If their mate condoned such actions it would not be cheating. Very few relationships fall into that category. Cheaters are not people of high moral character. They do not have integrity, nor can they be trusted.

Men who cheat should take a very close look at themselves and see if they are the man that they intended to become. If cheating is something that he feels is fine then he should also acknowledge the fact that he is not a nice person. In our opinion he is far from being a “real man.” If you compare a cheater with murderers, thieves, child molesters, rapist and other warped minded individuals, are they that much different? Anyone that cannot control their actions knowing them to be wrong has a problem. They are a threat to themselves as well as to the people who are forced to deal with them. Cheaters fall into the class of lowly human beings. “Real men don’t cheat! That is not a part of their character. If you are a cheater I suggest that you get help.

Real Men is a book about the plight of males over the last century, how they have become displaced by the changes in our society and lost of a distinct role.

You can purchase Real Men: What's Hapenning to Our Males? at Amazon.com.

A Story Behind a Children's Classic by Melanie Benjamin

Today's guest blogger is Melanie Benjamin, author of Alice I Have Been: A Novel.

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

"A Story Behind a Children's Classic" by Melanie Benjamin

I pride myself on thinking that I’m a pretty smart person, very well-read. But it turns out that I don’t know as much as I think I do, and I’m actually very grateful for that. A gaping hole in my knowledge of children’s literature is the main reason that I wrote ALICE I HAVE BEEN.

I knew nothing about Lewis Carroll beyond the fact that he wrote ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. That was it. So when I happened to come across an exhibit called “Dreaming in Pictures: The Photography of Lewis Carroll,” I was curious enough to want to see it, because I had no idea that Lewis Carroll had ever taken a single photograph in his life.

Thank goodness for that! Because once inside this remarkable exhibit, I was completely taken aback by how little I knew about this man. For instance, I didn’t even know that Lewis Carroll was a pseudonym; his real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, and he was a mathematics don at Oxford University in the 1860’s. So – the man who wrote two classics of children’s literature was actually writing under a different name; he was a pioneer in the art of photography; his day job was a mathematics professor.

How intriguing!

He also was a very close friend with a little girl named Alice Liddell; he took her photograph many times; he told her a story about a little girl who fell down a rabbit hole, which she then asked him to write down.

Curiouser and curiouser!

In fact, my curiosity was piqued so much that I couldn’t stop thinking about this little girl. I couldn’t stop wondering what happened to her after she grew up; I couldn’t stop imagining what happened between her and this very mysterious mathematics professor/photographer/storyteller, because something obviously had. The photograph he took of her was so very startling; she looked at the camera – and at him - with such an adult, worldly, wise gaze for a seven-year-old.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how little I knew of this entire story, the story behind ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. And it occurred to me that other people might want to know about it, too. And so I finally just had to write it, not only to satisfy my own curiosity but to satisfy other people’s, as well.

If I had known any of this, I wouldn’t have written this book. And what a delightful, rewarding experience I would have missed! So I feel very blessed, in such a curious way, by my lack of knowledge. For it made me wonder, made me want to know more; it made me want to tell others about what I discovered, as well.
Many writers say you should write what you know. Maybe that works for them.
As for me, I decided to write about what I didn’t know. And I’m so very glad that I did.

Melanie Benjamin lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons, where she is working on her next historical novel. Visit her website at www.melaniebenjamin.com.

Inspiration Comes From the Strangest Places by Kim Smith, Author of Buried Angel

Our friend Kim Smith returns today to talk about the latest book in her Shannon Wallace cosy mystery series, Buried Angel.

Shannon Wallace is finding trouble in the most bizarre places these days, but not as bizarre as the ones her sidekick Dwayne Brown is finding. When his friend, Bubba, is found stuffed in a cooler in his flower shop, the hunt is on to find his killer.

Could it be Bubba’s sister who is now his heir, or maybe one of the flower shop guys who worked with Bubba? You can be sure the dreadful duo of Shannon and Dwayne won’t rest until they have helped South Lake’s police department, and the Hispanic hottie investigator, Sal Ramirez, find his man. Or was that woman?


"Inspiration Comes From the Strangest Places" by Kim Smith

It’s interesting to note that when I wrote Buried Angel, I had no idea that some of it would be situated in a cemetery, the least popular place on earth for this author. Cemeteries in the south are pretty cool places, however, and worth noting that they are sometimes set up as historical landmarks due to the famous persons buried in them.

South Lake, Mississippi is a fictional place. I made it up from knowledge of a couple of places near where I live. Likewise, Scott’s Funeral Home and Cemetery is a fictional place from several similar places nearby.

I have used the small cemetery on the corner of two really busy streets, the funeral home in the middle of a small town, the cemetery where my parents are buried, and the funeral home where my mother-in-law was memorialized.

The catalyst that sent me off to write this book was when I was on the way to a doctor’s appointment and ended up behind a hearse. The thing that came to my mind was, why on earth do they put curtains in a hearse? They doll them all up and make them look pretty. For what purpose? It isn’t like the passengers care!

This led to Shannon Wallace and how she would ask that very question and how she would react if she had to work in a cemetery. Followed closely by how Dwayne would react to the exact same thing. As we all know, Dwayne Brown would rather die than be near the dead!

The problem with this scenario was, I had a lot of experience being the bereaved and none being the behind-the-scenes person in such a situation.

So what do you do?

Invent!

This is the neat thing about being a writer. You do not have to have a specific place to write about. Use what you already know. What your memories are about a place or places and embellish on them.

Scott’s cemetery is a very busy place in the book. A lot happens there and my poor characters are subjected to a lot of things there that I pray have never happened in any cemetery or funeral home.

In fact, as research for the book, I made sure that enough of the info was accurate so that the invented parts would seem real.

Believe me, no humans, dead or alive, were injured in the making of this book!

Kim Smith is the hostess for the popular radio show, Introducing WRITERS! radio show on Blog Talk Radio. She is also the author of the zany, Shannon Wallace cozy mystery series available now from Red Rose Publishing. You can visit Kim’s website at www.mkimsmith.com.

You can follow Kim's virtual book tour during the month of January by checking in every weekday at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

Interview with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Author of Wench

Today we welcome Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Wench: A Novel, which we'll be reviewing in January or February. This book is Dolen’s debut novel published by HarperCollins. We’ll talk to Dolen about her writing, details of this novel, and what she’s working on for the future.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Dolen. We’re thrilled to have you with us. Can you please start off by telling our readers a bit about yourself?

Thanks so much for inviting me. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN. After graduating from Harvard, I returned to Memphis to pursue my MFA in Creative Writing. Later I received a Ph.D. in American Literature from George Washington University. Since then, I have mainly lived in Seattle and Washington, DC.

While Wench is your first novel, you’re not new to writing. Please share some of your accomplishments with us.

I have published a few short stories here and there--one titled "The Clipping" has received some acclaim. It was originally published in The Kenyon Review. It was reprinted in their volume Readings for Writers. In 2009, it was a finalist for the Robert Olen Butler Fiction Award and will appear in an anthology of the finalists to be published by Del Sol Press. I have also written academic essays pertaining to African American literature that have appeared in scholarly journals.

Can you please tell us about Wench?

In 1851, a lawyer named Elias P. Drake purchased a plot of land near Xenia, Ohio with the intent to establish a summer vacation resort where the country's elite could relax and enjoy the mineral springs in the area. At the time, it was believed that natural water could cure illnesses and bring about good health. What made this resort unusual, however, was that it became a popular vacation destination for southern slaveholders and their enslaved mistresses. Ultimately, these flagrantly open relationships offended the northern abolitionists who also frequented the resort. After four years, the resort closed.

This part of the story has been confirmed by historians. I took this forgotten historical note and sketched in a fictional account of what it would have been like to be an enslaved woman traveling to this free state each summer. Why wouldn't the women try to escape? What kinds of emotional attachments did they have with these men? Initially, I believed that it was entirely possible that they actually loved the men. Ultimately, I discovered that it was much more complicated than that.

What inspired you to write this story of four enslaved women in the years prior to the American Civil War?

Once I discovered this resort--Tawawa House--I knew that I had to write about it. The historical footnote was too fascinating to pass up. I have always been the kind of author motivated by asking "why." My initial question was, "Why wouldn't they flee?" I knew that in order to answer this, I had to imagine myself into their hearts and minds. This story creates the kind of personal interior that historians can only surmise about actual historical persons who may have left behind little written record.

It appears this novel required a great deal of research since it is based upon an actual resort, and also because of the time period in which it is set. How did you tackle that research and when did you know you had enough information to begin writing?

Most of my research had to do with the period. I wanted to make certain that I got the dress right, for example. I spent a lot of time researching slave kitchens and southern plantation layouts. As a writer new to historical fiction, I quickly figured out that I had a lot to learn if I wanted to convince savvy readers. As for the actual resort, I did do a fair amount of research, but it had more to do with the details of the place. What would the men have hunted? What kinds of flowers grew there? I sketched the area where the resort existed so that I would know the proximity of the ravine to the springs, for example. By the way, I am very thankful to the librarians who helped me. I acknowledge them in my book. I love librarians.



Wench covers a very dark and difficult time in America’s history. Do you believe America has fully recovered from the atrocities that led to the Civil War?

I am a Southerner by birth, and so the obvious answer to that from my perspective would be no. In the South, its history is still very much present. It informs our daily lives, our culture, our speech, our manners. There is a part of me that does not want to use the word "recover." I am not sure what verb I would use. Have we fully acknowledged our pain? Have we reflected upon its darkest corners? I think there is still work to do. Even so, I love the South. I draw strength from my heritage, both the good and the bad.

Where can readers purchase Wench?

You can purchase online or at your local bookstore. It is available at Amazon.com and all the major retailers.

Do you have a website or blog where readers can find out more information on the book?

My official website is www.dolenperkinsvaldez.com. I also encourage you to view my tour page at www.booktour.com to see when I will make an appearance near your hometown.

Besides your virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion, what other methods of marketing are you using to promote Wench?

I have a Twitter account (@Dolen) and a Facebook fan page. I am also relying on good friends to help me get the word out by throwing book parties and forwarding my announcements to their email lists.

Do you have intentions of writing another book? Have you begun that project yet?

Yes, I am at the beginning stages of my second book now. Stay tuned.

Is there anything you would like to add?

If your book group chooses the book, I am happy to make an appearance via Skype, telephone, or even in person if I am able. Send me a note at wench@dolenperkinsvaldez.com. I will respond promptly.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Dolen. We wish you great success.

Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure.


You can follow Dolen on her virtual book tour by checking in every weekday of January at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/