Blog Archives
Destination Unknown – Times Running Out
In “Destination Unknown – Time’s Running Out,” history is unraveling due to Emilie’s decision to stay in the mid-1800s. Lives are altered, destinies changed, and chaos ensues. As the Dakota War of 1862 approaches, Emilie and her family brace for devastation. Trapped between war, secrets, and the relentless accusations of townsfolk, survival is uncertain. Amidst the turmoil, Russ and Zena’s absence leaves Emilie desperate and alone. With a time machine, a daring rescue, and a heart-wrenching conclusion, the past and future collide in ways no one could predict. Can Emilie mend the fabric of time before it’s too late?
Turning Vision to Reality: The Ultimate Guide to Transformation & Manifestation
Bubu Mana’s Turning Vision to Reality is an insightful guide designed to elevate readers’ consciousness and unlock their hidden potential. The book covers a range of significant topics, such as the role of brain neuroplasticity in visualization and manifestation, raising one’s level of tolerance, taking immediate control of one’s life, and actively rewriting one’s destiny. Each chapter is enriched with guidelines and quotes from various religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, providing a comprehensive spiritual perspective.
Bubu encourages readers to understand their biology and the workings of their bodies while delving into intriguing psychological subjects. These lessons are aimed at transforming lives to attract true happiness, abundance, and fulfillment. The book offers a holistic approach, blending physical, spiritual, and intellectual growth. Turning Vision to Reality promises a multifaceted experience. Readers will gain a better understanding of their bodies, connect more deeply with transformational spiritual ideas, and engage with intelligent discussions. One notable chapter discusses the pineal gland’s role in visualization and manifestation, highlighting its function in regulating sleep-wake cycles through melatonin production. Bubu’s conversational tone and inclusive language, such as “we” and “us,” create an engaging and immersive experience. Each chapter includes summaries and sections titled “Actionable Advice,” offering straightforward guidelines for applying the lessons. One memorable piece of advice suggests taking a moment to assess situations before complaining, fostering a more thoughtful and positive approach to life. Guided by spiritual revelations, Bubu shares profound insights from various religions. Whether quoting biblical scriptures like Luke 16:10–11 or exploring Sikhism’s view of the divine spark within each individual, his thoughts inspire deep reflection. This enlightening book broadens the mind to teachings from multiple sources, encouraging spiritual and personal growth.
Turning Vision to Reality is a profound reminder of the importance of practicing kindness, meditation, and other well-being-enhancing activities. Bubu Mana’s skillful guidance helps readers harness their potential and achieve greater well-being, making the world a better place. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to enrich their life through spiritual and practical wisdom.
Pages: 130 | ASIN : B0CW1DW3WT
Black On Madison Avenue
Mark S. Robinson recounts his experiences as an African American professional in the US advertising sector for over 40 years in his compelling memoir, Black on Madison Avenue. Through his writing, Robinson raises much-needed awareness of an industry that, despite some improvements over time, remains entrenched in racial prejudice and structural discrimination.
Robinson’s natural storytelling flair shines throughout the book. Each anecdote is engaging and rich with details about the advertising world. His impressive roster of clients, including Unilever, HBO, and Coors, and encounters with numerous celebrities add a captivating layer to his narrative.
Despite the serious underlying message, the book maintains an optimistic and humorous tone. The heart of the book lies in Robinson’s critique of the advertising industry’s systemic racism. He does not shy away from discussing the obstacles he faced, such as the challenges of proving minority ownership and dealing with passive-aggressive behaviors from colleagues. These experiences are eye-opening and serve as a powerful indictment of the industry’s failures. Robinson’s decision to push back against these injustices, even when it could potentially harm his career, showcases his resilience and integrity.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is Robinson’s emphasis on the importance of mentorship and community. His involvement with the Minority Advertising Internship Program (MAIP) and his continuous support for upcoming black professionals in advertising highlight his commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. These sections of the book are particularly inspiring, as they show how individual efforts can contribute to broader social change.
Black on Madison Avenue, by Mark S. Robinson, is a must-read for anyone interested in the advertising industry, racial dynamics in professional settings, or personal stories of overcoming adversity. Robinson’s memoir is both a historical document and a guide for future generations. It is especially valuable for young Black professionals seeking inspiration and for industry leaders who need to understand the importance of diversity and inclusion.
Pages: 285 | ASIN : B0C1QWS2C9
Through the Eyes of a Child
Giant Legs follows Elliot who becomes overwhelmed by the crowd at his grandpa’s garden party until Uncle Stephen takes him on a unique adventure to conquer his fear and rejoin the celebration. What inspired you to write a story about a child’s fear of crowds and how did you come up with the idea of using stilts to overcome this fear?
I often accidentally find myself in situations where some little child I don’t even know has a problem and needs my help. Let me give you a few examples. I have often supported lost children in shopping centers and sightseeing areas. I have cared for some little ones left alone in the family car or those who have run off to rush unsupervised between the vehicles in the parking lots.
I’ve also witnessed the distress of some children amid crowds of strange people, which inspired me to write this story. Sadly, even a party can turn into a nightmare for sensitive and shy children. Maybe their parents dress them in too fancy clothes that must be kept from getting dirty all the time, or if they are expected to behave like grown-ups and make acquaintances with strangers, the party can become a nightmare for a child.
A little humorously said, this story, Giant Legs, defends children’s rights in the setting of a family party. In my childhood, I was an active and social child who enjoyed large groups, but there were also those close to me who needed hand-holding and support.
The stilts came into the story because they offered a fun element with which the child could be tangibly raised above the others. Elliot learns, succeeds, and shines. With the help of wooden legs, I also built a bridge between the adults and children of this story. It is liberating—for both parties—to realize these unifying, fun things and share experiences and memories.
Did you draw from personal experiences when creating Elliot’s character, or was he purely fictional?
Elliot was born in my imagination, or rather, he is a collection of observations I made as a child and later as an adult about similar party-related situations.
I had a large family circle in the old days, including about tens of cousins. We often celebrated birthdays, christenings, weddings, and funerals together. Then, family members, relatives, and friends of all ages gathered. I participated in those events with enthusiasm and courage, but some children were shy and avoided the company of others.
These childhood memories help me see things through the eyes of little people. Besides, I have another asset, which I sometimes call a Mommy Radar. I use it to map the possible dangers in the immediate area and try to prevent damage in advance. I try to do this discreetly so that the children don’t feel like they are being watched or restricted all the time.
My “childish” mind and vivid memories help me understand what interests, inspires, or worries children in different situations. This story is an example of a situation where the understanding and support of adults are necessary. I try to offer my support subtly by writing books suitable for children and their families.
The theme of facing fears is prevalent in your book, why is it important for children’s literature to tackle this topic?
It’s important to remember that the world looks completely different through the eyes of a child. On the other hand, there is a lot of joy and light in it, which adults sometimes forget under their rushes and pressures.
Children’s lives are constantly changing, too! They face new situations, changing environments, various demands, and skills they must learn. These can be exciting challenges, but they can also involve scary situations. There are thousands of questions circulating! The children wonder if they can or are allowed to do things or are good enough and accepted. Are they safe? What if something happens? Who will take care of them? Will others like them, and will they make friends?
Adults have a lot to do to support their children. We must know how to do this delicately, not underestimate children’s skills but also let them learn from their mistakes. However, sometimes the help of an adult is necessary, depending on the situation. In understanding our role, we adults can make use of our own childhood experiences – or maybe The Little Fears Series, too! My series currently has eight volumes, and more are on their way. Last time I was on vacation, I came up with a suitable way to deal with one fear people often ask me to write about. But let it remain a secret.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m almost out of breath when I think about the answer to this question. It’s because I have so many book projects in various stages.
Within the framework of a small family business, I’m connected to all phases of my stories in different ways—the translation and editing phase, collaboration with illustrators, and contacts with international publishers. Many things are happening at each stage right now—I’ll name a few examples next.
I have already received a few book illustrations from Brazil for the new Activ Kids Series. It has happy functionality and children’s usual activities with little surprises and some excitement. The first three books will be A Museum Robbery, The Ghost of the Deserted House, and Luke’s Sailing Adventure.
I’m also looking forward to proceeding with the layout of two unique stories – The Old Rose Villa and The Dream House – both set in India. The books are hand-illustrated by an Indian artist, and the exquisite pictures are ready! These books are precious to me because the subjects are based on real life, and my friend, who is of Indian origin, has inspired me to write children’s books about them. The stories contain sensitivity and respect for people’s dreams and their fulfillment.
There would be much more to mention, but let it suffice for now that my writing enthusiasm is the same after more than sixty publications in English, and more texts are constantly being created! I hope to present a cavalcade of interesting new picture books at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, where I will again have the pleasure of meeting publishing partners who publish my stories in their own countries! And the number of readers is increasing!
Author Links: Facebook | Website
It’s Grandpa’s birthday, and the whole family is invited to a garden party. Everyone is looking forward to the celebration, except for Elliot, who’s worried. He doesn’t like being in a crowd, and during the party, he escapes to his grandparents’ attic.
Fortunately, Uncle Stephen comes up with a fun way to get Elliot back to the garden with others. While walking on high wooden stilts, the whole world looks different – the adults down below, too!
My Own Emotional Turmoil
New Tomorrows: Love – Courage – Hope follows two people with scars on their hearts who meet in the Appalachian Mountains and discover there is hope for love still. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for this story was quite personal and related to my own experiences on the day of 9/11. On that morning, I was teaching 8th grade remedial reading in a town less than 100 miles from Washington, D.C. We had students in the building whose parents worked at the Pentagon. I was also an actively running volunteer EMT. I had to let my students’ needs take first place ahead of my own emotional turmoil. Along with my fellow local first responders, my heart was with the men and women in New York going into that burning building, just as surely as if I had worked beside them on an ambulance call on a regular basis. The fire/EMS brotherhood goes beyond time and place. As a matter of fact, that sentiment is stated by Jon in my story when he tells Allie, “There are no geographical boundaries to the brotherhood.” Every year, as the anniversary approached, I saw and experienced the lasting impact that day had on many of my friends, as well as myself. While my personal trauma was in no way as shattering as that of Jon and Allie in the story, a large number of the people I know in the fire/EMS and health care world have been impacted in ways that changed their lives. It was on the 9th anniversary in 2010, participating in some of the usual remembrance activities, that I began to ask myself the question that is always spinning around in the brain of a writer. “What if?” I began to expand that question and imagine a number of scenarios and finally landed on the question this story is based on. “What if a nurse from New York City and a medic from the greater Washington D.C. area, both struggling with life-altering events that stemmed from 9/11, meet by accident in a rural mountain community and discover a surprising and unexpected attraction between them?” The answer was this book.
The manuscript I started that day was lost, then accidentally rediscovered in 2023, but that is another story altogether.
Jon and Allie both struggle with the fallout of the tragic day of 9/11, leading them to shelter their hearts from others. What trials did you feel were important to highlight the characters’ development?
They both had to learn to trust, themselves and each other, before they could open their hearts to love. But it was going to require work to make that happen. They were at different stages in that process when they met. Allie had learned to reach out for help, in spite of her fiercely independent nature, when she found the original New Tomorrows shelter. Jon, on the other hand, had not willingly accepted the professional counseling offered by the hospital where he worked in New York. Even though they both were pursuing a career that involves caring for others, each had structured their everyday life to avoid close emotional entanglements. As the attraction grew stronger, they faced and overcame uncertainty and danger from Allie’s earlier abuser. The circle of friends that made up the Inner Circle were quietly teaching them, by example, what friendship and love are all about. Allie overcame her fear of both physical and emotional intimacy sooner than Jon faced his own unique demons. It was not until she backed off, forcing Jon to face the possibility of losing what they were building together, that he reached out to get the professional help he so desperately needed.
What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?
Without a doubt it is the scene at the closing of the New Tomorrows program launch where the three women – Allie, Wanda, and Louise – share their personal domestic abuse journeys to emphasize the healing power of love, courage, and hope, followed by the incident that made Jon realize he could fully embrace Allie’s career has a firefighter and open his heart to their love. That culminating scene, and the work of the Inner Circle group before that day, gave the reader a close look at the oft-hidden roots of domestic and sexual abuse and important insight into personal actions and attitudes that promote healthy relationships.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
This was my debut book as writer (published two months shy of my 80th birthday), but there are definitely more to come. The series has already continued with the publication of my second book, Starting Over: A Father by Choice, this past February. I was delighted when that second novel received your Literary Titan Gold Book award! This book tells the story of Randy and Wanda, Allie and Jon’s good friends who were instrumental in the work of the community group creating the domestic abuse advocacy program and shelter. It is another closed-door romance with a bit of mystery sprinkled in and has a strong focus on the true bond that holds a family together – love, not DNA. The third book in the series is in the works with an anticipated publication date of late fall this year. It is tentatively named No Turning Back: A Mountain Woman’s Journey to Personal Freedom. I say tentatively because it has already been renamed twice since I started writing. It tells the story of Tillie, who played a significant role in the first two books. It traces her life from the early sixties when she was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement while away at college, up to current times, and contains journals that reveal the family saga of her forebears from the time they arrived in the mountains as Irish immigrants in the 1840s. Though there is a touch of romance, I would not classify it primarily as a romance novel, but rather as mainline historical fiction. After that, there are three other Hidden Valley stories, as well as a Holiday novella, waiting in line in my brain.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Their Tragic Passion
In Dancing in the Ring, you highlighted the story of a couple in 1920s and 30s Detroit who became known for their fierce commitment to social justice as they gained fame in dance halls and the boxing ring. What inspired you to write this story?
The story of my great aunt and uncle was one that my father shared quite often when I was growing up. Every time I heard it, or some part of it, I was amazed by these two relatives whom I had never met. While my father wasn’t the best storyteller, he talked about them with such passion that I could easily envision them. When I was younger, I probably romanticized Kate and Bob—their tragic passion. My father always encouraged me to write about them. I never thought I would until a few years ago. At that time, I had several vivid dreams about them, as well as my paternal grandparents. This was before I gave serious thought to writing the book. I guess you could say, the dreams inspired me, as well. As I was doing research for the book I was struck by their commitment to social justice and knew I wanted to incorporate it into the book. I didn’t want it to be simply their romantic courtship followed by their difficult marriage. Their lives were so much more than that. I was also inspired because I felt a need to honor their short lives.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
I did a fair amount of research. I spent several months poring through family notes, photos, a few newspaper articles, and my father’s written account. I had a fair amount of information about my great uncle, but less about my aunt. There was very little I could find online, though I did find a few photos, as well as her college yearbook and some about his boxing career. While most of the characters were based on real people, some were not. I had no choice but to fill in the gaps with my imagination. Researching Detroit history online, as well as in a few books, helped me visualize the era. I spent close to a year on research, and almost two years writing the book. I worked from extensive notes and more of an outline than I usually do.
Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?
I especially enjoyed writing about Bob because I had more information about the Sage side of the family. Piecing it together made me feel like a sleuth. And yet I loved imagining what Kate must have been like, too. Since her family members were completely fictitious, I worried that it would be obvious. I wasn’t sure I could effectively fill in all the gaps. From the feedback I’ve received, I think I managed to do so. Another character I had a lot of fun writing about was Nana, Bob’s mother, who was my great-grandmother.
Can we look forward to more historical fiction from you soon? What are you currently working on?
This was my first attempt at writing historical fiction. I do have an idea for another one, but I’ve only written preliminary notes. My latest book will be published by Black Rose Writing this December. It’s a madcap river trip set in the 2030s. Magic Realism/Dystopian fiction probably best describes the novel’s genre. I’m currently working on a sequel.
Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
John Siko Author Interview
Anatomy of a Wrongful Death Lawsuit offers readers a compelling and thorough account of your quest to comprehend the intricacies of Florida’s legal system and medical malpractice laws, all while advocating for reform. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The book was written to educate the citizens of Florida on the state’s Sovereign Immunity Statutes and to show why many medical malpractice incidents go unpunished: because the injured party cannot get legal representation to litigate their case.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The unnecessary suffering and death of my wife caused by the insertion of a catheter, in violation of Medicare mandates about their use, for economic and not medical necessity reasons.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Suing a deep-pocketed Sovereign Immunity entity is a long and tedious process if one can find an attorney foolish enough to litigate it.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
It took four years to accomplish what I set out to do, which was to get the defendant to settle a “wrongful death case.” Monetary awards received are just written off as a cost of doing business by the defendant, and the public will never know; by settling the case in mediation, the defendant pled guilty to the “wrongful death” charge. We will also never know if catheter insertion is still standard practice since K gave the defendant the right to continue the practice.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Regina of Warsaw: Love, Loss and Liberation
Regina of Warsaw: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Geri Spieler is a powerful historical novel that vividly portrays the devastating events of 1906, particularly the harrowing pogrom in Poland. Through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Regina Anuszewicz, we are given a deeply moving recollection of this grievous period.
The novel captures a time of intense turbulence as angry Russian soldiers violently raid Regina’s town and the boarding house she once considered a safe haven. Spieler skillfully builds tension as Regina, hiding in a closet, hears gunshots and the heavy footsteps of soldiers around her. The suspense is palpable, leaving readers anxious about whether Regina will be discovered. Drawing inspiration from actual events, Spieler’s writing is both clear and vivid, effectively conveying the harsh realities her grandmother faced.
Regina’s ordeal deeply affects her, driving her to convince her family to emigrate to the United States in hopes of escaping the lingering trauma. Spieler’s descriptive talent shines through, particularly in scenes where Regina grapples with guilt over her inability to save her sister, Chaja Fajga, from the soldiers’ brutality. This emotional depth ensures that readers feel Regina’s anguish and helplessness, creating a powerful and immersive experience.
Regina’s character is meticulously crafted. Her passion for languages and her job translating documents from Polish to Yiddish or Russian set her apart in a community dominated by mill workers. Her political awareness and attempts to warn her family about the rising antisemitism in Poland and Russia add layers to her character and underscore the novel’s historical context.
Regina of Warsaw: Love, Loss, and Liberation is a poignant testament to the importance of preserving family histories, no matter how painful. Spieler’s novel is a compelling read that I highly recommend to anyone of high school age and older. It is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Pages: 308 | ASIN: B0D5SVQ7CZ
LITERARY TITAN 