Miguel Estes has been born with a rare genetic skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or E.B. for short. Unsure of how much time he has left to live, his Aunt Shirley has helped him develop a To Do list - a place to keep track of all of the things he is afraid to try. She believes that it is necessary to conquer these fears to lead a more enriched existence. This certainly helps to motivate him and in spite of his daily struggles, keeps him in high spirits, after all, he can't let his aunt down. When his mother chooses to move in with her husband, Hunt, Miguel decides it is best for him to move in with his father, even though this means starting a new school, and changing doctors as well.
Aunt Shirley decides that when school starts, Miguel should start up an afterschool program called F.A.A.T. or Fear Ain't All That. She thinks that this will be a good way for him to get to know new students, and help them realize that life is what you make it, and fears are all relative. Thankfully he already has the support of his new best friend Samantha, his nurse's niece. And there is no one that needs F.A.A.T. or Miguels help more than she does.
This book was a rollercoaster ride, and it was so wonderful to read a book that was sure to inspire children and adults alike. We all fear something, but we need to look past all of that and make a To Do List - I believe it would help us all stay positive, and realize that there really is nothing to fear, anything can be overcome, even death. Thank you Clint for opening my eyes, and I think you will do the same for many people in the future.
Author Questions
How did you come up with the idea for this book, and the F.A.A.T. concept?
Honestly, I wrote DON 'T BE AFRAID OF HEAVEN as a tribute to my cat, Samantha. I named one of the main characters after her. I learned so much from Samantha, her life and the time she chose to die. Since my books all have to do with 'eliminating fear,' I decided to write about eliminating, or trying to help teens eliminate the most common fear of all, the fear of death. I hadn't seen many of these for the teen market (not novels anyway)...so I thought I'd give it a shot. In my mid-thirties, I began to feel certain that fear is something that is completely learned, not natural in any of us. I wanted the themes in all my books to be the same; lives begin to change only when fear is absent.
Do you have any books currently in the works?
Yes, I do. After having published four novels for teens, I've decided to try something different. My newest novel is a suspense thriller for adults titled, THE SEVEN RITUALS. Two plots run consecutively throughout; the two protagonists are the same person, yet one offers an innocent outlook at something rather perverse and dangerous, while the other shows incredible determination to discover the truth that will inevitably set him free.
What made you decide to have Miguel suffer from E.B., as opposed to some other ailment?
Good question. A long while ago I attended a fundraising concert in San Francisco ...not really knowing what the particular cause was. It ended up being a benefit event for kids that live with this rare disease, E.B. Shortly after the concert, I got to meet several of these brave kids. Their courage inspired me incredibly; I learned as much as I could about E.B. and I decided to continue writing about a boy living with E.B. as a tribute to them, those kids that have chosen to live without fear.
Do you have any other hobbies?
I love meeting people from as many countries as possible and learning as much as possible about their lives and their cultures. This is my favorite hobby, as well as being my greatest opportunity to learn.
What would I do if I lost a child? Especially if I lost them and there was a chance I could have stopped their untimely death? Kyle Cordell's father has decided that it is his mission to put an end to all psychics, psychologists, counselors, mediums, anyone who is attempting to do "mind control". After all, that is what Master Kundalini did to his youngest daughter Jenny, and it ended in her death. There is no way any good can come from anyone doing these types of things. He is so adamant that he forms The Family Foundation - a group of individuals intent on doing everything in their power to stop this from happening again. Kyle has been "brainwashed" into this belief system - and since he and his sister were so close he feel responsible for not stopping her before it was too late.
Gaelynn Graham is at the crossroads of her career. She is a school counselor part-time but her dream job at Millwood Mindworks is slowly becoming a reality. She has been blessed with a special gift and uses it to help her patients deal with their problems. If things continue going so well she will be able to quit her job as a counselor and work at Millwood Mindworks full-time. Unfortunately, her psychic abilities do not help her see her own future, as there are some struggles she is going to face in the very near future, struggles that will change her life drastically.
When Kyle and Gaelynn meet at the ER, there is a physical attraction that neither can deny. But when it become apparent to Kyle what she is, there is no way he can have ANY kind of relationship with her...after all it is people like her that were responsible for the death of his sister.
"Jenny's Legacy" is a great read with well thought out characters and a plot that will be sure to keep you reading into the wee hours of the night. I am thrilled that books involving the paranormal are becoming so popular as I am a HUGE fan of anything like this. We must all try to overcome our differences to see the good in each other, and in the end Kyle and Gaelynn are able to do this.
Thanks Cassandra for the opportunity to review this great book!
When Emma decides to pack up her lucrative job after a failed engagement to get a fresh start and do something that she really enjoys her sister tells her, "No one is really free, and there is no such thing as 'free will'. We all have responsibilities." Emma has decided to move to Cornwall with it's beautiful beaches, interesting history and a place to start over. She finds a place to start her new dream - The Black Dove Inn. She can't believe her good luck when she finds out that it is for sale, and at a very reasonable price. Rumor has it that it is haunted, but this is more intriguing that scary for her.
She has also met some new friends, among them Anton, a local artist and somewhat of a mystery himself. Although there is an immediate attraction he seems to be involved in a relationship and she needs to put some work in to make the Inn exactly what she wants it to be - an art gallery, wine bar, and a great place to just sit and socialize while appreciating the finer things.
After moving in she does experience some "hauntings", and when she comes across a painting that resemles Anton she does some digging. She finds out that the history around the Inn involves seances, pirates, and smuggling gone bad. This is extremely enchanting to her, and when she meets Anton again their chemistry is impossible to resist. After all, this is the same man she has seen in her dreams, and some of her nightmares as well.
This story really makes me want to visit England and see some of the historical sites. The author really draws you in and evokes many different emotions as you are reading.
Black Dove is a collection of 4 Novellas including Black Dove, The River Tale, Castle of Dreams, and Dark Goddess. Each focus on mystery, intrigue and romance. Each story is set in a new location that matches the atmosphere of the tale.
Bridgette Cassese, in her late thirties currently resides in Sennen in Cornwall. She studied Social Anthropology and Psychology, at Sussex and London Universities and enjoys Jungian analytical, Rogerian and humanisitc psychology, from which she has taken many of her themes. She is also a contributor to the magazine Dark Nights. She has taught psychology at Norwich city college and as a private tutor.
Questions for the author:
Do you miss teaching?
I still teach occasionally - the psychology of creativity - I dip in and out.
Do you have any books in the works currently?
I am currently working on another historical novel with supernatural themes and featuring local legends - 'The Lost Isle of Lyonesse - a flight of doves', for which I am seeking a publisher and agent.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time?
Hobbies - Surfing - body surfing mostly, but can use the big boards but not standing up yet. Walking and exploring rugged and wild terrains. Swimming horse riding, computers, desktop publishing, psychology and art. Creative writing, short story writing. Visiting art exhibitions - the romantics. Music.
Seeing as how Black Dove focuses on art, do you have any artistic abilities?
Yes, I attended Ravensbourne College of art and design for one year and studied graphic design and did a fine art module. I paint in both watercolours and oils (an average talent). I worked for 18 months as a researcher on the compilation of the Penwith artist's dictionary, at the Hypatia Trust, an academic publisher here in Penzance and like the romantic artists, particularly the Pre Raphaelites - such as Dante gabriel Rossetti and John Waterhouse Collier and F Leighton etc.
After reading "A Soldier of Chance" I realized that not only did I not know much about the Holocaust, I didn't really understand what it meant to have to live through this horrific time, and the trials and tribulations that many individuals had to go through not only to survive, but to keep their sanity as well.
To put it into perspective let me give you some statistics (as found on the History Place):
Country Initial Jewish Population Estimated % Killed Estimated Killed Number of Survivors
POLAND 3,300,000 91% 3,000,000 300,000
USSR 3,020,000 36% 1,100,000 1,920,000
HUNGARY 800,000 74% 596,000 204,000
GERMANY 566,000 36% 200,000 366,000
FRANCE 350,000 22% 77,320 272,680
ROMANIA 342,000 84% 287,000 55,000
AUSTRIA 185,000 35% 65,000 120,000
LITHUANIA 168,000 85% 143,000 25,000
NETHERLANDS 140,000 71% 100,000 40,000
BOHEMIA
MORAVIA 118,310 60% 71,150 47,160
LATVIA 95,000 84% 80,000 15,000
SLOVAKIA 88,950 80% 71,000 17,950
YUGOSLAVIA 78,000 81% 63,300 14,700
GREECE 77,380 87% 67,000 10,380
BELGIUM 65,700 45% 28,900 36,800
ITALY 44,500 17% 7,680 36,820
BULGARIA 50,000 0% 50,000
DENMARK 7,800 .8% 60 7,740
ESTONIA 4,500 44% 2,000 2,500
LUXEMBOURG 3,500 55% 1,950 1,550
FINLAND 2,000 .03% 7 1,993
NORWAY 1,700 45% 762 938
TOTAL 9,508,340 63% 5,962,129 3,546,211
These figures are mind boggling - to call this a tragedy would be somewhat of a joke. This book is written by the son of holocaust survivor, Alex Rosenfeld. Alex came from a family of extremely hard workers. He wasn't booksmart as some of his siblings were but preferred to learn a trade, something that may have had an integral part in his survival during the Nazi takeover.
Alex certainly had luck on his side, as you will see repeatedly when you read this book. He is able to disguise his identity as a Polish Jew not once, but numerous times, and is able to convince the people in his life that he is a Frenchman who lost his family at birth and was adopted by a family with the last name Rosenfeld. Unfortunately, truth be told, he does end up losing his parents and sisters to the holocaust.
Instead of being sentenced to a concentration camp he is called to the police station where he is served his working papers. Upon receiving these he volunteers to work in Germany in their factories (something he would have been eventually ordered to do anyway). He has not choice as he is almost out of ration cards and will starve if he doesn't leave. He ends up excelling at his work and even becomes friendly to some of the Germans including his bosses. They have nothing bad to say about him and even award him a plaque commending him on being an exemplary employee, something else that may have attributed to his survival at a later point.
Working in Germany eventually takes its toll, so on one of his vacations he decides it is time to stay in France and "do the right thing" by joining the French Resistance. This also almost costs him his life numerous times, as the Germans continued to try and keep their reign of terror at an all time high, even though it appeared they were starting to weaken and lose their power.
One of the things I liked most about this book is you felt like you were there walking along the path that Alex followed. Nathan adds wonderful historical documentation through photographs to help blend the historical aspects with his fathers personal experiences to truly give you an understanding of all this man went through to survive.
This book is a true eye-opener and a refreshing view on how it is possible to overcome and survive anything as long as you don't give up and fight for what you believe in.
For more information on the holocaust, please visit The Holocaust Cybrary - it is a fascinating site.
This book has done something that no other book has ever done for me, made me truly interested in history and anxious to read more. To be perfectly honest this is a subject I am usually not very interested in. Fortunately I was provided this book by a great publishing group -Triad. I knew that it was on my to be read pile, and because it isn't very long thought I would pick it up and "get it over with". Wow, how judgemental can I be, right? Well, thank you Sharon M. Clarke and Vern Firestone for making me see that I literally can't judge a book by it's cover.
To say that being a coal miner is a dangerous job would be an understatement - each year there are over 93 deaths and thousands of injuries. Sharon M. Clarke has written a wonderful story which uses mining as a backdrop for some extraordinary characters, and leads you on a journey that will tug on your heartstrings. It is not one you are soon to forget.
The Evans family have nothing holding them back after Mari loses her mother, and Rhodri's job at the mine is rendered redundant. They decide that now is as good a time as any to start over, and what better place than America. So they pack a few items and board a ship with their 3 young boys.
Once here they decide that New York is not for them and they settle in New Salem, PA. It is a mining town, which is ok with the Evans' as this is the life that they are accustomed to. Unfortunately, working in the mines was similar to slavery - you arrived here with nothing and the mine set you up with a place to live and the essentials, but you used credit that the mine set up. It became almost impossible to get ahead so you became trapped in a very dangerous and very hard life.
The sorrow that this book exudes is overwhelming at times. I think what makes it so is the fact that this is how people lived their lives. The author has an uncanny ability to weave historical elements into the story, and really make you feel as if you understand what the individuals were going through. Starting with the sinking of the Titanic and the effect that it has on Mari's neighbor and best friend Catherine, to the effects of a heartbreaking loss due to Anthrax, and what emotions are evoked when the oldest boy enlists in the military to fight in WWI.
This story encompasses so much history and brings it to light in such a fantastic way, it was truly a page turner. Many people today, myself included, are not aware of the hardships that these people went through just to survive daily - the children received a knitted scarf and an orange for Christmas gifts and were THRILLED - can you imagine that happening today?
This may be the story of just one family, but we all should be able to read this and see what are ancestors did in order to provide us with the way of living most of us are accustomed to - I am hopeful this will make some of us take stock in our lives and do things that will leave a lasting impact on
our descendents.
I don't give out 5 stars on a book lightly - it doesn't mean that I didn't like the book, in fact I love a lot of books that I only give 4 stars to. It takes a special book to earn 5 stars, and this one has done it. Thanks to Sharon M. Clarke, and hope to read more by you soon!
This book will be raffled off the first week in February. To enter this raffle visit www.uponfurtherreview.org and sign the guestbook underneath any book you are interested in.
As always if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at tracee@uponfurtherreview.org
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