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Brandon Simpson must be one of the more modest instructors in language to commit his concise help to students on paper. With a disarming simplicity of style he leads those who are studying (and those who need refreshing) Spanish in this small in size but large in value book DEMYSTIFYING SPANISH GRAMMAR: Clarifying the Written Accents, Ser/Estar, Para/Por, the Imperfect/Preterit, & the Dreaded Spanish Subjunctive (yes, that is the complete title!).

In addition to explaining the importance of accent placement, the use of the tilde, the meaning of the upside down and right side up question marks, etc and of course in his explanation of the topics he succinctly lists in the title, Simpson very quietly offers information such as the codes of the use of creating accents on the computer. Continue reading »

Grady Harp is an Amazon Top 10 Reviewer. 

HUNTING THE KING
by Peter Clenott

One of the joys of reading ‘first novels’ is the pleasure of discovering a mature writer who is able to construct a book with a strong idea, a solid cast of varied and wholly credible characters, and the ability to pull it all together with elegant writing.

Peter Clenott seems to have the qualities that define a writer of class - a rich imagination, a commitment to research, a facile way with words, a sense of the arc of a story line that is as smooth throughout the curve, and a style that manages to make a complex story very easy to follow. Continue reading »

Harriet Klausner is Amazon’s #1 Reviewer

George Bailey felt he lived “A Wonderful Life” until the dot.com collapse wiped out his wealth; worried about the impact on his family, he thinks back to his youth when his grandfather seemed contented whether he was wealthy or broke.

Needing inspiration to get past his gloom and doom, George goes to the place of his nineteenth century roots, Abbeville, Illinois.

This is where his grandfather Karl Schumpeter began working at as a clerk at his uncle’s logging company before going to Chicago during the 1893 Exposition to trade in grain futures. After getting married, Karl returns to Abbeville where he thrives as a banker. In his late thirties Karl goes to France as part of the ambulance corps as WWI ignites Europe. Continue reading »

Grady Harp is Amazon’s #7 Reviewer

Nancy Polikoff, author Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families under the Law, and a professor of law at the American University Washington College of Law, has researched the very current topic of ‘marriage rights’ that for the most part are regarded by the general public as the battle between same sex and different sex marriage, an area where there is very little equality or respect to be gleaned from the media, and hence the public.

Polikoff wisely approaches this disparity of human rights from an angle that allows every reader to become involved in her plea for reconsideration of what is labeled (and respected) as ‘family’. Continue reading »

Grady Harp is an Amazon Top 10 Reviewer

Rob Walker may use his day job as a New York Times Magazine Columnist to support himself, but with the publication of     Letters from New Orleans he clearly steps into the arena of fine writers whose messages stand solidly on their own.

This collection of shared letters via email does not come across as yet another Blog site, but instead reveals a writer of sensitivity of observation, calm excitement of discovery, and an artist who can enter a space apparently foreign to him and make it not only his experience but also that of his reader.

This too short book covers a period of time when Walker moved to New Orleans and adapted to the idiosyncrasies of that magical city in daily exploration of its peculiar wonders.

With his companion ‘E’ he attends a New Orleans church service (as the only white people present) and learns to appreciate the gospel singing, the attire and the unconditional love that pours from the congregation; he dresses for Carnivale and participates in the traditions of bead throwing and costuming that have only been images in films and photos; he takes us on a journey through the celebration of a New Orleans funeral - which is anything but morose - and teaches us about the ‘cemeteries’ of tombs above ground in this city below sea level; he ponders on the traditions of firing guns into the sky to celebrate most any event; he explores the famous ‘St James Infirmary’ of song fame, sharing the origins of the place and the myths; and he mixes with the people in this city of poverty of pocketbook but wealth of mind.

Reading Rob Walker could be experienced as a prelude (or postlude) to appreciating the art of Tennessee Williams and the Jazz Greats. His technique in writing is to keep it simple and observational, and in doing so he raises his writing to the level of poetry - succinct with themes and variations that always return us to the spirit of one of America’s most treasured cities. Highly recommended reading.

Harriet Klausner is Amazon’s #1 Reviewer

THE BRIMSTONE MURDERS
by Jeff Sheratt

In Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Jimmy O’Brien understands the overwhelming evidence against his current client Robbie Farris, who confessed in the name of Jesus to stabbing Golden Valley College Professor Carmichael twenty-seven times.

Still the consummate professional Jimmy plans to insure Robbie gets the best defense he can provide him even as the seemingly deranged lad mentions his friend the Lord told him to kill the Catholic professor. Continue reading »

Grady Harp is an Amazon Top 10 Reviewer

Memoirs written after the death of a loved one can either be elegies radiant with poetic inspiration or they can be self-serving eulogies. David Rieff, a thoughtful and intelligent writer, happens to be the son of Susan Sontag, one of America’s most brilliant authors and essayists, a woman of great courage with the gift of exploring concepts of our society that she found in need of our attention while at the same time being a novelist able to spin meaningful tales about the indomitable human spirit.

Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son’s Memoir is far more than a rehash of an artist’s life and exit from life: this book is a work of sensitive evaluation of not only a great woman but also of the myriad aspects of our healthcare system, both good and bad, and the delicate yet coarsely bumpy path that begins with the diagnosis of a terminal disease and ends with the sigh that completes mortality. Continue reading »

Thank you to ReaderViews for allowing BloggingAuthors to reprint this review of One Time in Paris: A Memoir of the 1960s

Wade Stevenson was an aggressive and adventurous young man. He did not let anything stop him on his quest to explore the world and all it had to offer. His own father could not diminish his spirits or his desires, even when he accused him of being “a loser.” Wade knew that one day he would achieve his goal and with that in mind, his journey began.

He was a lover of women and as such had a few close calls that almost led to sex, but it wasn’t in the cards back then. Once he had a crush on his college German teacher and when she didn’t acknowledge his eye contact, he walked out and quit school. Coming back home and again being subjected to his fathers ridicule. He wanted out, he wanted out so bad he would do anything to do it. Dreaming of the day he would get on a boat and head to France to fulfill his life-long dream. But that was not going to happen because his father had him committed. Continue reading »

“One Time in Paris: A Memoir of the 1960s is a riveting romantic story of love and passion set in Paris in the tumultuous 1960s.

It follows the path of a young man who at the age of 19 goes to Paris in search of a dream and an “elsewhere” and finds his life transformed by a fateful encounter with a most fascinating woman. The reader will be taken on a special intimate journey that includes many vivid scenes and characters, such as Ode, the Moroccan woman, with her “Law of 3 Nights”.

This is an intense touching memoir about love and loss, and how a young man and woman seek to expand their boundaries and redeem themselves through explorations of sex, love, drugs, in their quest for a spiritual absolute.

About the Author
Wade Stevenson, born in New York City in 1945, lived in Paris and traveled extensively worldwide. His published books include “Ice Cream Parlors in Asia” (Tibor de Nagy), “Beds” (McCall Publishing Co.), “The Colors of Love” (Squatriti Edizione, Milan), and, most recently, “The Little Book of He and She” (Booksurge Publishing Co.). He lives with his wife and daughter in Buffalo, New York.

THIRD EDITION OF PAUL AND BEN ENO’s NEW TALK SHOW AIRS JUNE 15

BEHIND THE PARANORMAL WITH PAUL & BEN ENO: Before the main part of the show even begins, Paul and Ben will explain how they uncovered a possible paranormal explanation for what happened on last week’s show!

In a Father’s Day - Family double feature, Paul and Ben welcome Dave Kane, author, New England radio talk-show host and father of the youngest victim of the 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, which claimed the lives of 100 people. Dave and his family have experienced some of the most amazing ongoing communication from their son that Paul has ever run into. Dave talks about it in his book “41 Signs of Hope.”

This show is a must-hear for anyone who has lost a loved one!

In the second half of the hour, “Donna from Connecticut” will update Paul and Ben on the amazing happenings at her 1783 New England farmhouse, where the last 220 years of her family members appear to be living together, with some fascinating results. Paul and Ben have been monitoring this case since 2005.

Listeners may call in or instant message with questions and comments.

As time allows, Paul and Ben may deal with other actual cases from around North America while on the air, and offer “The paranormal in the news this week.” There will be a preview of June 22 show, and announcements of upcoming events.

All on the Phoenix-based Achieve Radio Network. Listen live Sunday at 7 Eastern, 4 Pacific or listen to the archived shows online anytime.

As you know, Paul is one of the world’s most experienced ghost hunters AND one of the most unusual psychics. He is the bestselling author of seven books who has appeared on “Coast to Coast A.M.” with Art Bell, the History Channel, and many talk shows. Paul will be making appearances in the U.S. Southeast and in New England in the next few months, but he is also taking suggestions that he start doing online events and teleconferences. This saves you the tremendous cost of travel, gasoline and parking, and you can interact with Paul from your own computer or telephone.

Accordingly, Paul is offering two “webinars” through New River Press in June. You will actually be able to see the whole show, and participate, using your own computer.

If you’re into the paranormal, Paul and his teenage son and assistant, Ben, will present “Inside the Paranormal with the Enos” on June 19, an audio-visual show about Paul’s experiences during 38 years of ghost hunting, and recent experiences with Ben at his side. Paul’s unusual theories and incredible cases will blow you away.

If your interest is more in the psychic, Paul will offer “Other Sides: Learning to Use Your Psychic Power” on June 26. You will be amazed at Paul’s unique approach, not to mention his own psychic power – and your own!

Find out more about these two programs, and register online.