Friday, January 31, 2025

 #Bookreview of Word Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles

By: Helene Hovanec

Publisher: aka Associates

Publication Date: January 13, 2025

ISBN: 979-8989035755

Reviewed by: Diana Coyle

Review Date: January 31, 2025

In Word Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles by Helene Hovanec, readers are presented with a puzzle book that is broken down into two sections: Word Fun Riddles and Crisscross Puzzles. In the back of the book, it contains all 50 answers to both sections of the book.

In the Word Fun Riddles section, there are 25 puzzles offered in which to solve them, you need to find the one letter in the word in the left column that is not in the word supplied in the right column. You then write the letter down on the middle line provided between both columns. When you have filled in all the lines, read down the middle column of letters and it will reveal the answer to each puzzle riddle. Each riddle provided will have the puzzler laughing out loud at the silly answers.

In the Crisscross Puzzles section, there are also 25 puzzles to solve. These are basically puzzles in which you find the appropriate word to fit in the specific number of boxes provided. Avid fans of this puzzle type might know it by the name “Fill In” puzzles.

Ms. Hovanec created this puzzle book to provide children with an endless number of hours sharpening their minds, while also entertaining them as they solve each puzzle. By providing kids a pen and paper puzzle, it engages their five motor skills while also improving their focus. As they are writing, it reinforces memory learning and builds cognitive connections for them. The ultimate goal of this book is to encourage learning and provide a sense of accomplishment when the child finishes each puzzle.

This reviewer loved solving each puzzle in both sections and found the riddles worthy of laughs. Especially enjoyable was Puzzle Pooch, the eyeglass wearing dog, who is your puzzle coach throughout the book. Puzzlers of all ages will enjoy these puzzles, while looking for Puzzle Pooch scattered throughout the pages, offering you encouragement to keep solving all the puzzles in the book.

Ms. Hovanec has been hooked on puzzles all her life. She is a former elementary school teacher who is constantly trying to teach children by providing them with educationally fun puzzle books. Amazingly, she is the author of over 60 puzzle books for children and adults.

Quill says: If you love puzzle books, no matter what your age, Word Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles is sure to tickle your fancy as well as your funny bone. It comes highly recommended!

For more information on Word Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles, please visit the author's website at: puzzlepooch.net

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

 #Bookreview of Born to Trouble

By: Regan Walker

Publisher: Regan Walker Publishing

Publication Date: February 27, 2025

Reviewed by: Lily Andrews

Review Date: January 28, 2025

Regan Walker's Born to Trouble is an illuminating work of historical fiction that focuses on “a man born to much trouble all his lifetime." It also intends to provide a historical narrative of a power struggle that resulted in grave betrayal at a period of highly layered internal conflict and self-interest.

Following his father's death, Alexander is inaugurated as Chief of Clan Donald and Lord of the Isles. He is of a magnificent built, upright stance, golden hair, and piercing blue eyes and is married to Catherine, with whom he has four boys. It is in the fifteenth century, and he and his family have been awaiting the return of King James to Scotland after being imprisoned in England during the rule of two of its monarchs for eighteen years. With a glorious coronation imminent, Alexander believes King James must be wary of Duke Murdoch's long-standing alliances, as well as his army of Albany supporters fighting in France under the command of his younger brother, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan.

In reaction to growing criticism of his leadership, King James moves quickly to retake his ancestral kingdom and detain Duke Murdoch and his son. He summons the main Highland chiefs to a parliament in Inverness later on, but they are assaulted and arrested as accusations of treachery reverberate across the region. Alexander and his mother, who are among the invitees, are imprisoned for weeks, and two of his Highland nobles are put to death without a trial. Alexander, unsure of what might have led King James to be so harsh and unscrupulous, must decide whether to accept the promise of power and rank in exchange for his devotion or stay behind bars.

Everything changes, however, when he discovers, following a careful choice, that some of his family were executed at the king's command. Everyone around him is consumed by anger and a desire for vengeance, and he quickly realizes that he might have to lead the lordship and the men of Ross into battle, which would entail walking on a path steeped in blood.

This narrative deals with deep issues of oppression, self-interest, betrayal, and revenge. Set in a historically relevant era and a highly charged political atmosphere, it builds the bully-underdog dynamic right away. A well-chosen figure, the protagonist's popularity and brilliance earn him broad support among his people until he is compelled to make judgments that appear out of proportion to his age. His deeds initiate a sequence of events that imply a readiness to give up oneself for the good of others, a concept that is ultimately tested.

By thoroughly examining these endeavors, the author skillfully depicts early Scottish aristocratic society. She ably discusses the political climate and key historical occurrences by examining the king's, lords', and other political intrigues and disputes. Examining what happens to the protagonist when he mopes in the tumultuous and romantic circles is one of his novel’s standout features.

Quill says: Born to Trouble is a masterfully written historical fiction work with detailed illustrations and an insightful narrative that profoundly gives the story a worthy conclusion. Not your typical one-sit read, it strikes a mix between fiction and history to keep the reader interested. This is a flawless fictional exposition with a lasting aura for anyone interested in ancient Scottish history.

For more information about Born to Trouble, please visit the author's website at: www.reganwalkerauthor.com

Monday, January 27, 2025

 #AuthorInterview with Dorothy Love

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Katie Specht is talking with Dorothy Love, author of A Season of Saigon.

FQ: Tell our readers a little about yourself. Your background, your interests, and how this led to writing a book?

LOVE: I can't remember a time when I wasn't obsessed with stories, both writing them and reading them. In high school  I fell in love with journalism and edited my school paper. I worked at the University Press as a college student first as a volunteer general stories reporter and later I had a paid position as co editor. After graduation I taught for several years, earned a master's degree and a doctorate before pursuing a full time career as a novelist. I wrote a dozen novels for YA and middle graders before turning to writing for women. A Season in Saigon is my twenty-first novel.

FQ: Tell us a little about your book – a brief synopsis and what makes your book unique.

LOVE: A Season in Saigon is inspired by the women who worked in Vietnam as writers and photojournalists during the war.  Many of them worked for newspapers but in the 1960's discrimination against women in the newsroom was pervasive, and many women were confined to writing about food and fashion. So they funded their own travel to South Vietnam in order to write important stories, but  were then humiliated and obstructed by the military and the male journalists who regularly told them they didn't belong there. Tallis Reed, my protagonist, is a fashion writer who is essentially black-balled after making a wrong decision at her magazine. She buys a one-way ticket to Saigon to redeem her mistake and to salvage her career. But she's unprepared for life in a steaming, wary city teeming with refugees and orphans, soldiers and spies.  And she's unprepared to fall in love with Nick Landry, an American doctor volunteering at a civilian hospital. This book was completed, but not yet published when Kristin Hannah's novel The Women came out last year. Her book opened the door for conversations about the war and the toll it took on the nurses who served, and its publication increased my confidence that A Season in Saigon is arriving at a time when readers want to know more abut this chapter in our history. No book is truly unique, but A Season in Saigon, like Hannah's book is told from a woman's point of view, and shines a light on the experiences of another group of women whose stories have been largely unexamined in fiction. Most of the fiction about the war is written by men, for men. A Season in Saigon is a woman's story. It's both an adventure tale, and a sweet love story that I hope will educate readers too young to have lived through the tumultuous 1960's and the war, and that it will entertain older readers who can recall the music, the politics, and the culture of the times.

FQ: What was the impetus for writing your book?

LOVE: As a former journalist working at the university in 1969, I was in the middle of that era, so this story is a part of my lived history. A couple of years ago I discovered a handful of nonfiction books about the women who covered the war, and as the author of many other historical novels, I was fascinated by their stories, and a bit annoyed, really that they had done such important work over there, and for the most part, nobody knew about them. A Season in Saigon is my attempt to rectify that oversight.

FQ: Please give our readers a little insight into your writing process. Do you set aside a certain time each day to write, or only write when the desire to write surfaces?

LOVE: After twenty previous books of various lengths and set in various time periods, I've developed my own system. Historical fiction done right requires a tremendous amount of research, background reading, tracking down primary sources. I usually spend however long it takes to complete this process. Then I develop an outline, and follow it through to the end. In  the revision stage, some of that research gets weeded out and then there are gaps in my knowledge that must be filled in during multiple rounds of revision.  I am not infallible; I'm certain there are details I have gotten wrong, but readers are usually forgiving if they see that you've made a real effort to be accurate.

FQ: What was the hardest part of writing your book? That first chapter, the last paragraph, or something else?

LOVE: With this particular novel, getting the details right was a huge challenge. It's set in Saigon, a city halfway around the world and takes place fifty-seven years ago amid the chaos of a controversial war. I've traveled to the locales of most of my other books but it wasn't possible to visit  Saigon. I relied upon memoirs and upon more than six hundred photos in an effort to paint an authentic portrait.  I've tried to balance the various American perspectives with the perspectives of the Vietnamese, using  countless official  transcripts, newspaper clippings,  and interviews. Thanks to the magic of the internet, I was able to chat online with a few of the men who were there.  Some of their comments were funny, some were poignant, some profane, but underlying all of it was the sense of having been part of a brotherhood. This book is the most emotionally challenging one I've written.  I'm sure I have made mistakes but I  hope I have done justice to everybody.

FQ: The genre of your book is Historical Fiction. Why this genre?

LOVE: Historical fiction from a female perspective has always been my favorite to read and to write. Among the historical novels of which I'm most proud are Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray (TNZ Fiction/HarperCollins) based on the journals of Mary Custis Lee and on her correspondence with Selena Gray, an enslaved woman at Arlington; and Carolina Gold from the same publisher, based on the life of Elizabeth Allston Pringle, a woman rice planter.  I hope A Season in Saigon, while set in the twentieth century, also will engage and entertain readers.

FQ: Do you have any plans to try writing a book in a different genre? If so, which genre and why?

LOVE: I'm currently at work on a murder mystery set in a small Texas town in 1956.  There's a romance element to it but I hope to serve readers a slice of life of Texas in the 50's.  It's new territory for me but I enjoy a challenge. We'll see how it goes and whether I can pull it off.

FQ: Who are your favorite authors?

LOVE: I read widely for research but for pleasure I love historical fiction. A few of my favorite authors in the genre are Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, Erika Robuck and Kate Quinn.  They're masters not only at creating characters to root for, but their attention to detail has earned my admiration. Susan's novel about the San Francisco earthquake and Kate's novel about the women who worked at Bletchley Park during the Second World War are outstanding. And I don't think there's anyone left on Planet Earth who has not read Lisa's searing Before We Were Yours. Erika has a novel coming out in August set in Vietnam, about Dickey Chapelle, a female photojournalist who worked there until her death in 1965. I can't wait to read it.

FQ: If you were to teach a class on the art of writing, what is the one item you would be sure to share with your students and how would you inspire them to get started?

LOVE: I have taught at writers' conferences and workshops nationwide and enjoy it. Here's the lesson I try to impart: The building blocks of fiction are actually pretty simple (it's only the execution that is difficult). Someone has a high-stakes goal. Some force, either internal or eternal, or both, motivates her to pursue it. Conflicts, both internal and external stand in the character's way. Readers read to find out whether the character will reach her goals, and how she reaches them and how she is changed, or not changed, by the experience.  I inspire them to get started by having them read The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler.  It never fails to get writers excited and to get the creative juices flowing.  I use it to varying degrees in my own work.

FQ: Are any of the characters based on real people you know? If so, how closely does your character mimic the real person?

LOVE: The only real person portrayed in A Season in Saigon is Ann Bryan, the woman who most inspired this novel. Like many of her contemporaries, Ann worked on the women's pages at a newspaper before heading to Saigon. In her case, she went to Germany first to work at Overseas Weekly, and was then assigned as bureau chief for the Weekly in Saigon.  In Saigon she developed a reputation for truth telling that so infuriated the US military that they tried to take her paper off the streets. Ann took them to court and won. At her death in 2009, one of the Major Generals who had worked with her said she was beloved among the troops and that the Weekly was the only paper that told the truth as it was happening, As a single woman, Ann adopted an infant daughter from a Saigon orphanage and later, after her marriage to Frank Mariano, a reporter for ABC News, they adopted a second daughter. Ann was one of the last Americans out of Saigon in 1975. I have tremendous respect for her, and wanted to acknowledge her in the pages of the novel. In the story, she becomes Tallis's boss, mentor, and friend. I hope she would be pleased with my story.

 #Bookreview of The Greatest Band That Never Was

By: Jeff Meshel

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: January 14, 2025

ISBN: 979-8-89132-499-2

Reviewed by: Kathy Stickles

Review Date: January 27, 2025

The Greatest Band That Never Was is a riveting story that is filled with everything a reader could want in a story. There is emotion, humor, drama, music, relationships, fun and confusion for all of the characters. It is a story that gives readers a chance to believe that dreams can come true. The book is heart-warming and will grab you immediately and keep you completely addicted until the very last page. Spanning over seven hundred pages, author Jeff Meshel has created something truly epic and I just could not stop reading once I started.

At the beginning of the story, the author presents us with two separate stories that will eventually come together as the book continues. The separate storylines are both wrapped around one old song; with an almost forgotten band in one decade and a paralegal named Shelly Griffin in another decade. As Shelly connects the song to a local hometown beer and a family-owned brewery that is about to shut down, we find that the band from long ago is actually the creator of this magical piece of music. The author goes back and forth flawlessly showing how the band, Decapede, forms and how, in a future time, Shelly hears a song and decides that she is going to bring the band who sang it, if she can figure out who they are, back together to save a failing business.

As readers observe Decapede come together and then break apart, these wonderful characters become a part of our own family. From Aaron Wainwright, who is the leader and creator of the band; to Sam Miller, an amazing singer who seems to appear out of nowhere; to Kathleen, the simple waitress who turns out to be an incredible singer and one that both Aaron and Sam want to be with. All the members of the band have a story to tell about themselves and their ability to interact with the others. Of course, everything falls apart as they are neither ready or able to be the overnight sensations that the world wants them to be.

Everything becomes even more interesting when Shelly decides to bring the band back together and make them famous again in order to save her new friend’s business and gift the song and Decapede back to the world. Can she bring everyone back and, if she does, what is going to happen between the band members, given the problems that broke them up in the first place? How will all of these clashing personalities work together decades after they dropped out of sight?

The Greatest Band That Never Was is an incredible tale that takes readers on a nostalgic trip into the past filled with music and emotion and it is a trip that should not be missed. Everything about the storyline and writing is outstanding. While Jeff Meshel has proven with this book that he is a wonderful writer, I have to say that his character development is beyond any that I have seen before in a book. It is obvious to this reader that he stands out among other writers with his ability to craft each and every character into a person that we care about and cheer on. Each of the characters have such a distinctive personality and an interesting, well-developed backstory and you cannot help but adore them, whether they are at their best or their worst in any given moment. Even with the number of characters and the long length of this book, Jeff Meshel never once lost control of it. It remains flawless throughout and keeps you wanting more.

I cannot recommend The Greatest Band That Never Was strongly enough. Regardless of what draws you to a story as a reader: music, great dialogue, an extremely well-crafted plot, a lot of twists and turns, or a remarkable and diverse group of characters, you are guaranteed to find it in the pages of this book. I can honestly say I was very sad to see this story end!

Quill says: It is not very often that a reader is offered such an enchanting, heart-warming, and truly epic story that is so fabulously written. It is so wonderful to find a book where you do not expect as much as you are given. The Greatest Band That Never Was is just such a book and I have no doubt that it will be a great success.

For more information about The Greatest Band That Never Was, please visit the author’s website at: jmeshel.com.

Thursday, January 16, 2025

 #Bookreview of Cooling our Environment: An Architect's Vision to Combat Global Warming

By: Kalpana Sutaria

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: December 10, 2024

ISBN: 979-8891325418

Reviewed by: Diana Coyle

Review Date: January 16, 2025

We look at buildings as a place where we live, work, and play. We take for granted that those existing buildings may or may not have been built with our environment in mind. In Cooling our Environment: An Architect’s Vision to Combat Global Warming by Kalpana Sutaria, we learn that professionals in the building industry are presently implementing sustainable building practices to create green buildings and infrastructures to lower emissions as best we can. All our activities, whether they are for work or play, are continually warming our planet. If we don’t make serious changes now, our planet and generations to come will experience unnecessary suffering.

Through our actions, global warming plays out in future weather events that will lead to increases in droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and hailstorms. The intensity of these weather events has been increasing over the past decades, causing severe devastation across the United States. Because of these severe weather changes, we must pay careful attention to our actions, and that of future generations, to address the severity of our present situation. In order to do this, we must use cleaner energy sources such as wind and solar power.

Sutaria presents a valid argument that if we and future generations don’t start taking responsibility for our actions, we are setting ourselves up for future devastating disasters. We need to be educated in not only how we, as individuals, can conserve for our planet, but as a whole we must all take responsibility to preserve our planet for generations to come. Part of this education comes from understanding how our homes, schools, and work places are being built. We need to get our local politicians involved and make them just as accountable for helping protect our future environment. They are the ones allowing areas to be built up, so let’s hold them accountable so we can collectively work toward a better, healthier, and environmentally friendlier place for future generations can grow up in.

The author has done her research and it clearly shows in the diagrams she provides and the statistics she shares. While reading, this reviewer had to take a minute or two to pause from time to time to actually let these statistics sink into her thoughts. Honestly, with everyone’s schedules being jammed with family and work routines, we all collectively don’t put much thought to what our future generations are going to be dealing with because of our present day actions. We don’t think about how buildings are being built, or what materials they might be using to build them. We don’t hold our local city and state departments accountable enough when they grant building permits. We have to wonder if they are truly taking the time to see what the builders plan on using to build the structures. But as Sutaria states, the time is now to start making changes before it is too late to do so. We all need to be held accountable for what future generations are going to have to deal with due to unfriendly environmental actions today.

Quill says: Cooling our Environment: An Architect’s Vision to Combat Global Warming will make readers stop and take a look at the footprints they are creating today. After reading this book, readers will be equipped to put into practice positive changes in order to shape a healthier environment for our future.

For more information about Cooling our Environment: An Architect’s Vision to Combat Global Warming, please visit the publisher's website at: atmospherepress.com/books/cooling-our-environment-an-architects-vision-to-combat-global-warming-by-kalpana-sutaria/

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

 #Bookreview of Year of the Snake Zodiac Predictions 2025

By: Barbara Hall

Publication Date: January 3, 2025

ISBN: 9798305910278

Reviewed by: Rebecca Jane Johnson

Review Date: January 15, 2025

Ringing in a new year brings new unknowns about the future. Rest assured, the librarian, teacher, and writer Barbara Hall’s Year of the Snake Zodiac Predictions 2025 gives helpful forecasts about the year ahead.

This book presents the perspectives of Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui as a friendly support to our intuition. After providing some background and stories about snake mythology in Asian culture, this book proceeds through each of the twelve animals in the zodiac, revealing insights that can guide readers to making wise moves in 2025. Learn which Zodiac sign you were born under, and live with confidence in your strengths because the year of the snake has something unique for you. This book is complete with advice on design and style of your living space or work space to optimize harmony. Subtle forces will be at play throughout the year and, according to this wisdom, 2025 will be a year to use the snake’s qualities of strategic thinking, adaptability, and patience to confront whatever life dishes out in the areas of personal growth, health, wealth, career, and relationships.

Beginning January 29, 2025 until February 17, 2026, the Wood Snake rules the lunar cycle. The Wood Snake’s qualities are elegance, introspection, resourcefulness, and patience. It is best, according to Hall, to set intentions at the new moon and be grateful at the full moon each month. Curious about how your compatible companions will fare this year? This book reveals insight about navigating within nature, culture, family, intimacy, and society so that you and your loved ones can be in alignment and harmony.

This is a well-researched book, written in a practical, accessible, and personal way for an audience that ranges from those who are seasoned students of astrology to those who consult astrological wisdom for fun. The book contains translations for Chinese characters and auspicious symbols. It tells some of the story of the snake in the Zodiac. Nothing is missing from this elegant presentation. Every essential aspect is covered, leaving the reader feeling confident to plan the year ahead armed with wisdom.

Quill says: Year of the Snake Zodiac Predictions 2025 presents a method and sound advice for the coming year from the Chinese Zodiac and Feng Shui that can help readers navigate the ups and downs of this year with informed wisdom to bring growth, wealth, and connection to you and your loved ones in 2025.

For more information about Year of the Snake Zodiac Predictions 2025, please visit the author's website at: barbarahall.ca.

Friday, January 10, 2025

 #Bookreview of Touchpaper

By: David Dodds

Publication Date: December 20, 2024

ISBN: 978-1-068566-90-5

Reviewed by: Shrubaboti Bose

Review Date: January 10, 2025

Touchpaper by David Dodds is a fantasy novel that slowly unravels amidst the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, recounting various challenges faced by its protagonist, Drew Macleod. Initially, he leads a lackluster and almost sedentary life, but everything changes one day when an other-worldly creature tries to kill him. The fine line separating the mortal world from the supernatural realm starts disintegrating, marking the beginning of an exhilarating journey of self-discovery and personal development. Hunted by several mysterious forces at the same time puts Drew under a lot of pressure, but he also finds friendship and acceptance within this new and unfamiliar community.

As the plot progresses, we are introduced to many interesting characters such as Traggheim, a dzarf with exceptional craftmanship and mechanical prowess; Alyssum, a highly spirited healer who offers him timely advice and some much-needed compassion as well as understanding; then there is Garm; Mamma Harbinger, Harkin the bloodcap, and more. Characters often draw inspiration from their past experiences and lend their strength to the main character in the form of unwavering support, as demonstrated by Drew’s best friend Jamie. It is no surprise that readers usually appreciate such sincerity and genuine companionship between two characters and feel moved to mentally cheer for them.

Archer, the ancient daemon who had rescued Drew on the night of the ambush, eventually assumes the role of his mentor, training him in basic survival techniques and combat skills. However, increasing stakes force Drew to finally come to terms with his new environment and the sheer importance of forming new allies. He gradually becomes acquainted with different members of this strange world and falls in love with a charming angelii, Ashnil. Despite internal strife and differences, this motley group of people from all walks of life quickly form alliances and unite their forces to fight against the evil aelve queen, who is notorious for her greed and cruelty.

Although the protagonist lacks the charisma one would expect from the main ‘hero,’ it seems justifiable in how Drew remains an amateur at best until the end, returning the symbolic torch of leadership back to Archer again. As a story narrated in the first person’s point of view, Drew holds the central space of the novel by default. And yet, almost ironically, the compelling presence of secondary characters undermines the significance of his role and gives us rather the impression of a naive character who is constantly in need of guidance or validation, far from being ready to take on the mantle and even less so in single-handedly organizing a battle against the otherwise clever and manipulative queen. Her final choice of deliberately walking into the trap that Drew had devised doesn’t really align with the rest of her character portrayal and comes off as slightly underwhelming.

Nevertheless, what makes this story particularly engaging is the way in which all the characters have been presented with their own individual personality and worldview. They are simultaneously different, original and realistic, making it enjoyable and also easier for readers to sympathize with their struggles and dilemmas. The author keeps the tone lighthearted, and the storytelling simple and captivating. There is some worldbuilding, but it is one that requires minimum investment in order to comprehend, which is bound to appeal to a larger readership than fantasy novels that feature extremely complex or confusing worldbuilding. With a curious blend of traditional and urban myths, this story holds our interest effortlessly, following an invisible chronology that binds the events together coherently.

Quill says: As a fast-paced fantasy novel with a group of different people working towards one common goal as a team, reflecting the subtle nuances and beauty of friendship, Touchpaper delivers!

For more information on Touchpaper, please visit the author's website at: daviddoddsauthor.com.

 #Bookreview of Align Your Business with the Real You

By: Jennifer Musser

Publisher: Penrock Press

Publication Date: April 29, 2025

ISBN: 979-8991544214

Reviewed by: Douglas C. MacLeod, Jr.

Review Date: January 9, 2025

According to Jennifer Musser, the founder of JLM & Associates Consulting, LLC and author of Align Your Business with the Real You, thirteen personal lessons must be learned to become more successful in business. These thirteen lessons stem from her “5C framework,” which developed throughout her years as a CEO and citizen. The five Cs are: connect; clarify; control; cocreate; and, change. Musser’s business framework may seem obvious, but what makes it more unique than most is that Musser writes about what owners need to do for themselves to become more effective for their customers, clients, and co-workers. Oftentimes, business communication books are more about how relationships can be lucrative for just the business owner. Instead, Musser’s work takes a more psychoanalytical approach, in that if one wants to be a business owner, the individual needs to first “LTY” or “Listen to Yourself” as “It’s the single most valuable business tool you own, and it’s accessible to you at any time.”

It is LTY that makes Align Your Business with the Real You a stronger text than most, because with “LTY” comes a recognition that “you” (because you are the audience who needs assistance with your budding business) must know yourself before venturing into a world that does not care about your well-being. Mental health challenges and a lack of self-care are contemporary issues discussed in houses, offices, and social media platforms around the globe; and Musser fully recognizes these points of interest and empathetically makes it known that without a clear sense of self--mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually--success (whatever that looks like for you) will be harder to attain. Musser’s caring demeanor is evident in her stylistic choices, which includes personal stories as introductions to chapters, and chapters that are consistently broken down to help readers reflect, learn, apply, act, and ask, all actions that positively feed into the thirteen lessons that should be learned while self-reflecting.

Each chapter in Align Your Business with the Real You is part of the process of learning about yourself so you can LTY, and each lesson that Musser presents is admirable and embraces humanism: change course if you feel it is right; collect skills and confidence; be kind; stay driven; persevere; and more. There is no doubt Musser has thoroughly vetted each of the lessons she is providing, and her affable mentality is a refreshing change from the barrage of vitriolic discourse we hear from powerful entities who use their platforms to disseminate negativity. And yet, there are potential questions: How long will Musser’s process take? If it took Musser years to figure out how effective this process is, should readers expect the same? In a fast-paced world where one feels the need to grab the brass ring before it quickly passes by, is LTY just another abstract mantra? Musser’s process has so many moving parts, so is it possible to hold onto each one of the thirteen lessons at all times? Throughout the book, Musser provides graphs and techniques to help readers map out their successes; however, can success take place if all thirteen lessons are not learned? What sorts of techniques can be used to help us keep all of the lessons in mind during moments of great professional strife? How can the thirteen lessons get us through each situation, being that each situation is unique in and of itself? Still, Align Your Business with the Real You presents a compelling and persuasive narrative to show that if you connect with yourself in a more profound and deeper way, and learn the empathic lessons presented by Musser, success, whatever that may look like for you, is bound to happen.

Quill says: Align Your Business with the Real You gives entrepreneurs much to work with and think about as it pertains to their inner selves and how to attain their own definition of success.

For more information on Align Your Business with the Real You, please visit the author’s website at: www.jlmaconsulting.com.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

 #AuthorInterview with Dr. Kathi N. Miner

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diane Lunsford is talking with Dr. Kathi N. Miner, author of The Committed Professor A Memoir: My Fall from the Lectern to the Psych Ward.

FQ: Thank you for your time today. I was fascinated by your courage in writing your memoir and am honored to have the opportunity to chat today. I would like to ask a few questions about you before diving into the content. You have impressive credentials and during your educational journey, was there ever a time when you wanted to ‘call it quits’ and what was your motivation to keep moving forward?

MINER: Perhaps surprisingly, I never once thought about quitting my educational journey to get a PhD in Psychology and Women’s Studies. I tend to set pretty lofty goals for myself and persevere until I complete them. I also love doing social science research so it was very rewarding for me along the way. I am committed to making even a small change in society for those who are marginalized in society, especially women, so doing research on women’s lives for a career seemed like a perfect fit.

Author Dr. Kathi N. Miner

FQ: I’m intrigued to learn more about your departure from academia and your move to the Middle East to work for a large energy company to focus more on diversity and equity in the workplace. How much of an impact did writing your memoir play on making this decision?

MINER: Writing my memoir played a huge role in my decision to leave academia. As an academic working at a research-focused university, I was constantly working on publishing journal articles and securing grants and often felt like I had little time for other pursuits in order to succeed. I was committed to writing my memoir, but was making little progress. I felt leaving academia and getting a job in industry would offer me more work-life balance to complete my book – and it did!

FQ: I too am a mother. We have two wonderful daughters (aged 26 and soon-to-be 30) and I often reflect on the many joys they have graced my husband and me with over the years. What is one stand-out moment that comes to mind for you with each of your children?

MINER: I am so proud of my children. Two key instances that stand-out for me reflect how they have each influenced and had an impact other people. My daughter is a natural-born leader, always taking charge, involving and supporting others, and making things happen. I recall picking her up from preschool one day and the head of the school telling me “Your daughter, wow, she sure is a leader with all the kids! I truly believe she is going to be president one day!” My son tends to be the same way. One proud stand-out moment for me was at one of his track meets when he was 9 years old. He is very athletic and won the race with ease. But there was one runner who was lagging behind and having difficulty keeping up. My son went over to the runner, put his arm around her, and helped her, with words and motions, finish the race.

FQ: There were many moments while reading your memoir when I had to take a break. The mental anguish your ex-husband imposed on you is egregious. I work for a non-profit veterans retreat that provides a healing place for Warriors battling with the perils of their service experience. PTSD is very much in the forefront of those we host. If you were to give a clinic on coping mechanisms to learn how to address the mental anguishes of PTSD, what would be your number one recommendation and why?

MINER: My number one recommendation would be to find good social support. What really helped me was learning I was not alone, that my emotions were valid and real, and I was not to blame. Having support provided me hope that I would overcome what happened to me and thrive in the future.

FQ: Now that your children are grown, I would surmise even though they are grown, how difficult is it to be continents away from them?

MINER: It’s extremely difficult. They live in the US and I’m in the Middle East, so I only see them once or twice a year in person. Facetime helps tremendously – we talk regularly, sometimes daily, so we remain very connected even though we are not in the physical presence of each other. I’m also the happiest I’ve ever been (aside from not being close to them), so we all agree I made the right choice.

FQ: I was angered when you shared your experience with the first attorney you hired (Harry) and his blatant disregard toward women. In your opinion, do you ever think there will be a time when people (both men and women) come to the realization that it’s not about ‘women are this’ and ‘men are that’, but rather, let’s look at the issue at hand and focus on why is this happening and how do we turn the situation around?

MINER: I do. Gender roles and expectations have changed so much, even in just our lifetime. I think it will take time, but I do believe gender will play less and less of a role in relationships, decision making, opportunities, perceptions, etc. The first step is for people to become aware of the ways in which gendered expectations, stereotypes, and roles can negatively affect all genders though this is easier said than done when so many people believe its purely biological.

FQ: Your memory of your mother and how the scent of Estee Lauder Youth Dew reminds you of her touched a chord with me. I lost my grandfather many years ago and to this day, whenever I catch a scent of Old Spice, I immediately think of him. Are there other memories that take you back to the moment and if so, can you share one?

MINER: I have many memories that a stimulation of my senses bring me back to wonderful memories as a child. The smell of a charcoal grill is one – family time, laughing, yummy food, contentment, safety, and security.

FQ: There is a definitive dichotomy between what a man can do, and a woman has to do. Without going down a political rabbit hole, why do you think every four years we are faced with the insistence of having a woman in the White House? What I mean by that is, I am all for a capable woman, but not a woman solely for the sake of a woman. What is your opinion on this notion?

MINER: The push for a woman in the White House isn’t about putting someone there just because she’s a woman, though that’s what many people believe. Rather, it’s about breaking down systematic barriers and creating a government that truly represents everyone. When we call for women in leadership, it’s because they bring different perspectives and ideas, shaped by unique life experiences, that have been historically underrepresented. It’s not about ticking a box—it’s about ensuring we’re not missing out on voices that can drive real change for all Americans. So, every few years, this call resurfaces because people want leaders who reflect the diversity of our country and bring new, and often ignored and marginalized, ideas to the table. I think having a woman in the White House is a long time coming!

FQ: Your quote: ‘…abusers don’t have to punch you, choke you, or slam your head into a wall in order for it to be abuse…’ is quite powerful. There was an exchange with the police department when you attempted to take out a restraining order against your ex-husband because of his disgusting mental abuses toward you, yet the officer essentially said it wasn’t enough. How defenseless did this make you feel and if you were asked to give a lecture to law enforcement on this topic, how would you impress the importance of mental abuse and the need to be part of the criteria to gain such a restraining order?

MINER: My experience dealing with the legal and court systems during an abusive divorce felt like one defeat after another. I always thought those systems were there to support victims like me but instead I only felt more traumatized. In my research for the book, I learned that judges, attorneys, law enforcement etc. are dismally educated and prepared to deal with psychological abusers. If I was to give a lecture to law enforcement about the importance of mental abuse and the need to be part of the criteria for a restraining order, I would focus on three key points: (1) mental abuse is a form of abuse – while it may leave no physical scars, mental abuse is deeply damaging and can, and often does, escalate into physical violence; (2) patterns of power and control – mental abuse reflects a pattern of domination that often leaves victims too disoriented or fearful to report abuse, which means law enforcement must be proactive in identifying and addressing the signs of psychological abuse; and (3) legal standards must evolve – criteria for restraining orders must be updated to include psychological abuse to protect victims.

FQ: Thank you so much for your time today. Your memoir was incredibly moving, and I applaud you for your courage and strength to rise up and heal. Are you working on your next book and if so, are you able to enlighten us on its subject? If not, what’s next?

MINER: Thank you so much for your kind words. For now, I am working on promoting the book and getting it in the hands of as many people it can help as possible. I have many future book ideas though – mostly focused on empowering women. Stay tuned…and thanks again!

 #Bookreview of Just Time for a Quickie

By: The Sisters

Publisher: KNMiner Publishing

Publication Date: December 9, 2024

ISBN: 979-8990653535

Reviewed by: Diana Coyle

Review Date: January 2, 2025

In Just Time for a Quickie, authors The Sisters have penned a culinary adventure designed to ignite your passion and tantalize your senses by presenting readers with a delectable cookbook of sexy recipes. This is not your ordinary cookbook about food, but a perfectly chosen compilation of recipes put together to tease your taste buds while igniting a flame between you and that special someone in your life. These sensual recipes offer to turn your kitchen into a playground of romance.

The Sisters thought of everything from seductive appetizers to main dishes that will leave you craving more. There are even desserts to tempt your palate. They took it a step further and thoughtfully added the morning after breakfast recipes that are fun and playful for you and your partner to enjoy. This book is broken down into the following categories: Appeteasers; Leafy Lovers & Friends; The Main Attraction; Lovers on the Side; Sandwich Me Please; Happily Ever Afters; Morning Pleasures; Slippery When Wet; Spice Things Up; and You Had Me at Merlot.

This reviewer chose a few recipes presented throughout this cleverly thought out recipe book that she wanted to try. Cuddle Me Cucumber Bites are a breeze to make in which you take a few pieces of sourdough bread and spread either butter, soft cream cheese, or hummus on the bread and add cucumber and green olives as a garnish. A quick and simple pop-in-your-mouth appetizer that doesn’t take much work to prepare and tastes heavenly. As for the main course, The Make Me Moan Meatloaf is another easy to put together meal that once the ingredients are combined, you bake it for 45 minutes in an oven and each piece is mouthwateringly delicious.

Also cleverly added to this cookbook is a section on how to make homemade cocktails, creative spice combinations to use while cooking your meals, and even a section dedicated to how you pair your wine with the foods you make for your special someone. There are plenty of beautifully displayed pictures of the majority of recipes offered in this cookbook, so if you like seeing what the end result should look like, you’ll enjoy looking at these scrumptious full-colored pictures.

Interestingly enough, the title Just Time for a Quickie has a very interesting backstory to it. Joann Miner, the authors’ mother, was a beloved Food Editor in her local newspaper in the early 1980s. She was well respected in the journalism community and adored by her colleagues and readers. She wrote a cookbook titled A Taste of Orange County but the title she originally wanted to call it was Just Time for a Quickie. The newspaper she wrote for believed that name would be too radical in the journalism community for that time, hence the name change of her cookbook. Years later when her daughters were adults, and wanted to write their own cookbook, they paid homage to their mother and chose Just Time for a Quickie as the perfect title for their book.

Quill says: If you’re looking for a cookbook full of quick and delicious recipes to share with your significant other, Just Time for a Quickie by The Sisters is one book that you should definitely consider. It will not disappoint!

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

 #Bookreview of Ridley Speaks

By: Kirk Ward Robinson

Publisher: Highland Home Publishing

Publication Date: May 15, 2024

ISBN: 979-8-9886815-1-9

Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford

Review Date: January 1, 2025

Ridley Speaks is the third book in author Kirk Ward Robinson’s The Speaks Saga. A phenomenal journey of peril and triumph is penned through the eyes and life of the main character, Ridley Speaks.

The story begins with young Ridley reflecting on early childhood memories. She recalls the time when she and her brother Tommy were living in the ‘Blue Place’ and describes it as such because "…That’s the only name we ever had for it, and we were young enough when we left it that neither of us has any notion where it was…" It wasn’t that Ridley was a loner; rather, she was a survivor. It seemed her momma kept adding to the litter of siblings and they were each from different daddies. Of course, Ridley would often fantasize that she and Tommy were from the same daddy, but that was a story she would address later in her life. One thing that resonated always in Ridley’s mind was the insistence from her momma that none of them should ever talk to strangers and never give up any information about who you were and where you were from.

It became clear to Ridley not long after her brother Tommy left home, that her time to go would soon follow. Living close to the Appalachian trail was like living near a freedom highway that led to hope and certainly more opportunity. Ridley packed her sparse belongings and her precious guitar along with her God-given talents and ear for music and pointed herself west. California was holding her hopes and dreams and she was determined to go there to collect them. However, Ridley was unprepared for the series of hard knocks and unfortunate events she would encounter when her first stop deposited her in Nashville, Tennessee.

I have not had the pleasure to read the first two books in The Speaks Saga (Timewell Speaks and Blaize Speaks). However, Kirk Ward Robinson knows how to anchor his voice and spin a tale; making Ridley Speaks a fantastic read that owns its spotlight to stand on its own. I was so intrigued with the storyline and adept writing skills Robinson portrays, that I plan to go back to the beginning of the series and read the first two books. The content is rich and raw. The subject matter in Ridley Speaks ranges from abject poverty to the disgusting reality of human trafficking. Robinson is visionary with word placement that is so descriptive it puts his audience in the moment. He has the enviable ability to describe a character that breathes life onto the page, "…He was a sickly-looking man who had more gray hair on his face than on his mottled scalp, and teeth that no smile could make pretty. And he had a smell, like something from a bottle under the kitchen sink…" The cadence and pace of this book is outstanding in that once his audience picks up this book, it will be most difficult to put down until the last page has been read. Bravo, Mr. Robinson. I look forward to your next book.

Quill says: Ridley Speaks is the essence of a memorable story of hope, true grit, and perseverance and Kirk Ward Robinson’s ability to write a great book resonates throughout.

For more information about Ridley Speaks, please visit the author’s website at: kirkwardrobinson.com.

 #AuthorInterview with Timeout A. Taumua

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Kathy Stickles is talking with Timeout A. Taumua, author of The Magnificence of the 3.

FQ:  found your book to be a very thought-provoking look into the connection between science and religion and I enjoyed reading it. What made this book such an important topic for you to choose to write?

TAUMUA: I was serving a life sentence in California and when I was about to be released after 28 years, I finally figured out what I was going to do if I was. I was going to be a published author, and the subject was to prove that there was a God and that God is recorded in the Bible.

I spent over 21 years in the maximum level IV prisons in California amongst the worst of civilization. The majority were men serving long sentences or life sentences for violent offenses. We naturally ended up associating with one another given the environment. I found that regardless of background and ethnicity, at least for the people I associated myself with, most prayed for a do-over and a second chance at life. So naturally, we all made plans or fantasized I should say, as the majority planned to own a business with a General Education Development (GED) diploma. LoL. So the conversations with people I surrounded myself with then were mostly positive because of these fantasies, hopes, and dreams.

Then, after two decades, officials decreased my threat-level classification and transferred me to a lower-level 3 institution. This was a culture shock. I found myself still with prisoners serving life sentences, but amongst them were what we called short-timers. These were inmates serving short sentences or parole violations. These were mostly young adults under 30 years old, and the majority were gang members sharing their life stories up front with tattoos on their faces.

They scared me, and it wasn’t for my safety but I was scared for society. I was scared for my kids and family if these were the types of young people they encountered daily. These kids also made me confront my own past fully and question whether, after two decades of incarceration for my own crimes against society, I was any better than them. I often wondered whether families would eventually post a family member as a night security guard for them while others rest. These kids finally forced me to confront the legitimacy of the Bible’s creation and God the Hebrews brought to us.

If God of the Bible was true and did design the human body, was it flawed; or was it because of the influence of the environment that kids grow up violent; or was it because we did evolve from chimps as evolution teaches; or was it because of human error in the interpretations of the scriptures?

These self-deliberations ended up giving life to one of my childhood dreams, which was to be published. I decided then that the best solution for improving public safety was to prove with scientific evidence that there was a Creator and that Creator was the one the Hebrews brought to the world. Since younger generations respect scientific facts from science over the faith-belief system of the Church when it comes to the questions related to the God-Creator, then we must search for evidence in science. The future of mankind depends on the information we pass on to the children and by all appearances based on escalating violence on the streets, the Church has run its course.

This was how I ended up deciding on what I wanted to do if I was granted mercy with a second chance at life. I was going to find ten pieces of scientific evidence that the average person would understand to prove that the God of the Bible was real. For some reason, I was very confident that the scientific evidence was there. As it turned out, God revealed to me more than ten pieces. He even revealed His four long-lost icons that turned out to be scientific facts.

The audience I intended for was the average person with limited education as most violators of the law to me then were from this class, but as it turned out, it is the educated class with Pastoral, Master's, and Doctoral degrees who need to meet God more than these young thugs.

FQ: I am guessing that it took a lot of research and a lot of time to write this. How much time did it take to do all of the research/writing and put the book together?

TAUMUA: This project took ten years. I was five years into the draft when the atom floated across my screen. I immediately saw the parallel of its structure to the image of God that the snake told Eve about in Genesis. So I stopped drafting and a whole new theme began that turned into this book. Thankfully, the internet made this project possible as it makes access to information for this kind of project much simpler compared to the past when all such information could only be accessed with books.

It took longer too as I was working full-time. I planned on committing full-time to this project when I was released but I began to suspect that family and friends also suspected that I didn’t want to work considering the career I chose. It was understandable. So under duress (lol), I went to work and whatever time I could spare was spent on my laptop.

However, if it wasn’t for the Covid shutdown of 2020, it would have taken a lot more time. Once it started, I quit work, shut down for two years, and finished the draft.

But then I ended up spending over a year on the first editing. After the stress of the first draft I submitted to editors, I took a little break as I was burned out then. All the scientific subjects I used to support claims were new to me. I didn’t even know the name of the atom’s particles except one was a negative and the other a positive. So during this break, I began to see a lot more scientific meaning of the parables that were not included in the first draft. This was why my first edit was over a year and ended up with 20,000 extra words added to the transcript. I ended up paying my vanity publisher extra fees for it too.

I also had to take a short break to self-publish a book. As I was getting close to the end, I began looking into finding an agent and a publisher. As it turned out, this was not simple. So, I decided to self-publish a short book just to learn the process in case I had to publish this book this way. It took less time to write this book of proposals than going through the self-publishing process.

Taken all together with these side distractions including working full time, it took ten years for the project to be published.

FQ: What is your writing process? Do you, as a writer, do all of your research first and then write or is it a combination of the two?

TAUMUA: I took a few online classes in a community college for business management while incarcerated. I had to submit one paper for an English class if I remember correctly. This was the extent of the experience I had in writing a thesis.

However, I had some preparation that was similar in structure while in prison without realizing it. It came to me during the editing that claims and arguments presented to the community with references to support claims, were the same format I used to submit legal motions to the Courts during a lawsuit I filed against the State. I first had to identify what the state did that violated my Constitutional rights, then searched for case laws and authorities in legal books to support claims of the violations. Putting this book together came through a similar process. A biblical parable revealed its meaning while drafting, then I had to search for the science to define it for the community.

However, most of the claims presented in the book fell on my lap while writing. For example, I never knew or heard of the Wood Wide Web theory until it popped up on my screen while clicking sites to find something, and that something led me to this scientific discovery. It turned out to be in line as a piece of supporting evidence for my assertion that it was the human brain that God referred to as the Garden of Eden. God designed the earthly forest first and then imitated the blueprint of the earthly forest to design the human brain. God did it this way to make it easier for us to find it and identify the Garden He was referring to in Genesis.

This was how this process went. For example, when I saw the atom and found out that all ordinary matters in the universe were made from this, I then thought to myself: if God did create heaven and earth as He said in the first verse of Genesis, this meant that He had to have been fully aware of the atom. In that case, He had to record it somewhere in the Bible. If not, then we have a problem.

So the search began while writing at the same time. During the search, I ended up figuring out why desire was included in the conversation between Eve and the snake, and emotions entered the picture. As I searched for professional opinions, I found the links between emotions, memory, and learning. This led me to the claim about the identity of the Tree of Knowledge while searching for information about emotions.

This was how the book came about. Information dropped on my lap and I just added them to the story as I went along. I had to figure out where to insert some information to make it easier for the reader to follow along as I wrote. That was pretty much how the project came about. Clues fell on my lap as I was writing making each parable much clearer.

Author Timeout A. Taumua

FQ: Did you face any challenges/difficulties while writing the book?

TAUMUA: The difficulty was processing and understanding the science as even though experts describe the meaning of a certain discovery of science the same, a slight difference in the use of words may project a different meaning by one of them. This gave me pause and I had to ensure that both expert opinions meant the same. With no background in science, this meant extra research and time.

With science involved in the presentation, I had a hard time trying to explain the scientific part of the parables in simple terms. My goal initially was to focus on people like me with minimal education. I thought they posed the most threat to society while incarcerated. Because of education levels, I wanted to make sure that they read and understood what I was trying to explain if they find this book.

One of the most difficult challenges during the project was convincing myself that what the parables revealed was the truth. For example, the neurons and neuron forests have been known to scientists for a long time. And yet, nobody could see the connection of their designs, functions, and purposes to their biblical identities in Genesis. They even referred to the brain as a neuron forest. As I put these links into words, I began doubting myself. Why was I seeing it this way when scholars and much more educated experts didn’t?

There were many days like these, and the doubts began killing my motivations. However, there was always something that I eventually admitted was from God, which gave me a push and I was on the laptop again.

For example, I have been going through this low self-esteem period lately as the book is not selling like I thought it would. I didn’t fully understand how Christians would respond to a claim that the Bible is a scientific record. A Pastor for example called me a wolf in sheep’s clothing and warned the church against me because of book. I even visited a church where Pastors were gay and they were uncomfortable with me and claims. It’s even worse online if I post on pages promoting the Bible as a scientific record. The reactions and lack of sales have been motivation killers.

But then as I got ready for Christmas, I got your excellent review, a winning award from the Literary Global Book Awards, and another excellent review was issued by the American Writing Awards in which the reviewer said this:

“The Magnificence of the 3 is a rare work constructed by a rare being”.

These are examples of how God got my back during the process and motivated me to keep moving forward with the task. I’m on the laptop now answering your questions. LoL. This is not my work but God’s.

There were other challenges including being on parole while writing. Parole Agents are unpredictable. I had to move to the garage to finish the draft as the Agent at times rummaged through my wife’s undergarment drawers in our room even though he was forbidden by the law. To avoid confrontation and invasion of my wife’s privacy, I moved to the garage. But it worked out as it isolated me from the busy world outside the window. I sometimes fantasized about living in a cell again with just my laptop and access to the internet so I could finish project. I did a lot of thinking with the typewriter while incarcerated. For example, I used the time to draft proposals for improving public safety that I submitted to officials and organizations for review. The last time I saw a Judge, she was very impressed with these proposals. I even tested the waters with a draft of a novel that prisoners liked.

Isolation from the world was what I needed, and the Parole Agent contributed to the task through his oppression by moving me to the garage. LoL. I did not get off parole until the draft was submitted. I took it as a reward from above for completing the task.

And just like all of our daily activities, there are challenges. But with this task, I worked with confidence that it was assigned, so I would be alright. Faith was a tool for gentiles as I discussed in the book, and I had that with me as my motivator. I finally had faith that God was riding with me just like He did all my life without me knowing.

FQ: What do you hope readers take away from reading The Magnificence of 3?

TAUMUA: I set out to prove that the God the Hebrews brought to us was a FACT. The idea was rooted in my fear for the community when I encountered young gang members whose purposes it appeared to me, were to validate their manhood by the number of victims they left behind in their lives. By the time this class figures out the best route for survival, the impact of their behaviors will devastate the future of all societies for generations.

The only solution for me was to prove that there was a Creator. The problem is that these young children had given up on the Church. If you bring God up in the conversation, they demand scientific evidence for proof. Most point to evolution as a fact as it is scientific whereas faith is garbage. Since evolution as a branch of science claims that we might have evolved from a chimp, it explains the behaviors that violate human societal laws.

The brain as designed will plant the information fed to it and the behavior follows. At least that’s how I understand now based on neurology research. To convince these kids that there was a Creator, we must find scientific evidence to counter this insinuation by evolutionists as they understand it. I began first in the Biblical record as I was familiar with this record the most.

We all grew up in a world full of wars and violence. We appear helpless today in recreating a better world for our children as even Christians support, encourage, and cheer on the killing fields of Gaza, justified with the name of Jesus. To convince our common violent thugs that there is a God, it will have to come through science as the Christian faith teaches today that God will bless the church for the killing of Palestinians and their babies in support of people calling themselves the chosen ones. If there is an example of idol worshipping, this is a perfect one.

The goal was to secure and improve public safety from this class of young men with a long-term solution. But the event of October 7 involving the same Promised Land discussed in book unfolded. The response by the Church to the event brought home the very reason behind thugs making fun of God and calling the Bible a book of myths for manipulating and controlling fools.

I watched a Christian Congressman during a hearing about college students protesting against the genocide of Palestinians claiming that God would bless him and America for killing Palestinians on behalf of Israel. American-made bombs were raining down on hospitals and refugee camps killing children then and continuing today. An idol-cow-worshipping female candidate for the American President even wrote her name on a bomb that was destined to be used against Palestinian civilians. And there I was condemning these young thugs who haven’t murdered anyone yet let alone a child!

Instead of calling for peace as consistent with Jesus’s message, the Christians are still calling its members to support and finance the murder of Palestinians for blessings while teaching children to love their neighbors as they love themselves at the same time.

I now feel like I owe our young thugs an apology. I set out with a task to address their behavior in the beginning and at the end of the project, God showed me who the real threat is to Him, His reputation, and to our survival as a species. Grown men and women with Doctoral and Master’s degrees actually think God will bless them for killing children and violating the Commandments! What ignorance!

The threat to mankind from the Christians of the West is very high because political leaders and the church are teaching future generations today that murdering people including children for Israel is allowed for blessings from their version of God. This thought process was contained in the slave owners’ version of Christianity in America, but it is now taught at churches as a gospel for all Christians. Slave owners would praise Jesus on Sundays and on Mondays sold children for money in the town square. Today, Christians condemn women for abortions but have no problem dropping thousand-pound bombs on hospitals and refugee camps they knew children were sleeping in.

American Christians are doing this while mandating public schools to nail the Ten Commandments on their classroom walls, the same Commandments they are violating during this genocide. These were the same Commandments Israel violated why God did not interfere when pagans went into Israel and enslaved the tribes three times and burned Jerusalem twice.

The current environment related to this land makes it obvious to a reasonable person including uneducated thugs that we shall never be a peaceful world. If God and His people can act as animals and beasts of the field, why shouldn’t they?

The only solution that I came up with for our young misguided and unfortunate thugs, is to prove that there was a Creator and that laws were created not to curtail one’s freedom, but to develop the human brain even further. Caring for others as in God’s terms of loving one’s community members like loving oneself, was God’s scientific method meant for brain development rather than restricting one’s freedom to act.

What I pray for is that reasonable people will come to admit and agree on, is the identity of the Tree of Life. If there is anything profitable I want the community to take from this book, is the understanding of why God referred to the Commandments as the Tree of Life. It was not meant to be used to promote political agendas but to organize mankind around it. The same white men who are trying to nail the Commandments on American school walls are supporting and encouraging the bombardment of refugee camps and hospitals killing and dismembering children. This is their interpretation of the scriptures and children are watching and learning from them.

Let’s suppose we can all agree on the identities of the Tree of Knowledge, Tree of Life, Garden of Eden, and Ark of the Covenant as I claim. In that case, we have a foundation to build upon as evidence of God as a scientific fact rather than a faith-based Creator.

It is my dream today to recreate a peaceful world for our descendants, and it is possible by starting in our neighborhoods with our children. The Middle East brought us religions and one of them, Christianity, has a violent history against mankind. This continues unabated today and in the hands of the Americans and British, the westside Gospel Christians is now the most violent organization in the modern world. It is now officially a cult. Followers pray to Jesus in the morning condemning abortions and by lunchtime, they are rejoicing in the assassination and the murder of Palestinians and their babies.

It will be difficult for this book to help reprocess their corrupted brains, but God is known to perform miracles even for fools like me. After all, these gospel Christians claim that there is nothing scientific about the Bible as if to say God is too stupid to be a scientist.

Albert Einstein has been quoted to say, “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding”. Now, that’s a gospel appropriate for a biblical Prophet if there ever was one about this subject.

FQ: Is there anything in particular in your life or in the world itself that influenced your decision to become a writer?

TAUMUA: I grew up on the islands of Samoa in the South Pacific and when I left high school, my dream was to be published. I wasn’t much at high school. When I first came across the medical term of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder while incarcerated, the symptoms reminded me of my childhood. It explained why I was always in some form of trouble as a result of impulsive behaviors.

One thing I was consistent on, however, was that I loved reading as it kept me from moving, and I used it as the means to travel the universe while living on a rock. I read everything. I learned more in the 70s about the assassination of President Kennedy and his brother and the Vietnam War from the years-old Times magazine in our tiny public library. I stole books to read either from the school or the public library. I know. I’m terrible.

But the dream came about as a result of a teacher’s words of encouragement. We were given an essay assignment one day and I got off on it. I was so shocked when the teacher returned our papers and decided to read my essay to the class. He was shocked too by the look on his face. He did not expect that from me. He did not have to say anything as choosing my essay was enough for me. I don’t remember the words, but I still remember the scene of a small village fishing wharf and the people I wrote about.

I did fail all my classes this fourth year of high school, but I left with a dream as a result of this teacher’s reactions to my essay, which was to be published. It took forty-some years in a round-about way but here we are. God has been really good to me.

That was my dream. But while incarcerated, I began fantasizing about being some kind of positive influence on societies from generation to generation as it is a form of living immortally in the flesh. The solution came while reading in prison. That solution was to write novels that generations after generations will use to improve their survival. The influences of novels such as “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo, or “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand on societies, turn them into immortals as generations after generations read and study their thoughts.

The only problem was that I did not have the skill level of these geniuses. So I first took time out from my true self to work on improving myself, made a call, and God responded with the Law of Attraction. And here we are.

FQ: Are you working on any new ideas for a future book? If so, can you share a glimpse of this?

TAUMUA: I originally planned on writing a series about the scientific nature of the Bible. But then God kept piling up information on my lap. I began to panic. I wondered what would happen to the information if I walked out to the street and got run over. What would happen to all that God revealed to me?

This was why I ended up paying extra to my vanity publisher after the first edit. I decided to include all I had then, but just the basic foundational claims for others to expand and improve upon if my card gets called. As the book got too big for non-fiction according to the publisher, I ended up editing out some information.

So there are still books left for a series. I plan on beginning in a few months on the next installment. I am interested in exploring emotions further as this subject remains unresolved today as to whether emotions were innate or learned from the environment as evolutionists claim. I am also interested in exploring the relationship between the Trees of Knowledge (neurons) and emotions further. I discussed the basics but I believe there is more. Then there is a discovery from the cosmos that I came across recently that supports the creation of life from dust just as God proposed in Genesis. This is very interesting. These are some of the subjects that I am debating on for the next installment.

FQ: What advice would you give to others out there who are attempting to break into the writing profession?

TAUMUA: There is a book in all of us. Life is a story and individualized to whatever it may be, but it is a lesson that can improve someone else’s life. Sharing our experiences through writing is Jesus’s way of helping others. Don’t get intimidated by believing that a certain education level is required to be a writer. The story is what interests me. Tell your story at my level and I will read it if it is interesting. This book is the perfect example. Even with bad structure and grammar, it collected 14 awards so far and I suspect it is because of the contents, and not the presentation.

The best technical advice I have for an aspiring writer is to set up your writing periods in hourly increments. I set my alarm for an hour for example. I finally wired my brain to full concentration this way as I knew the hour was coming fast and I had to make sure I wrote something meaningful before that hour was over. Then once the alarm goes off, I do something to rest my brain for about thirty to forty-five minutes, then set up another hour. This was how I was able to finish the project during covid lockdown.

FQ: Given the huge undertaking that this book must have been for you I am guessing that you would need a large support system. Is your family very supportive of your choice to write and how do they help you during the process?

TAUMUA: My family sucks. Hehehehe. When I was released from prison, they asked me about my plans. I know they meant like a job. I told them that I planned to write. They asked me what about and I told them. They all had this far-away look but with that slow nodding as if to say, “This lazy dude plans on hanging out expecting three squares with free medical”. LoL. Even family acquaintances and friends looked at me funny when I told them. It might have sounded foreign to them as my people are not known for being authors and writers. There are plenty, however, just not best sellers or whatnot. Of course, I eventually felt guilty and got a job. LoL.

The truth, however, is that I had been blessed more than most considering my life as a loser. I spent 28 years in prison, but my wife held the fort by herself, raised three kids, and kept our family intact. One thing I was known for in prison was my family. Not many families stay together once the prisoner receives a life sentence understandably. To make matters worse, I also got into a lot of trouble in prison, so I ended up serving my sentence in nine different prisons and some were the furthest from home. But my wife kept the family together and tried her best to include me in my children’s lives. My wife would bring the kids to visit me even when it was a ten-hour or twelve-hour one-way drive to prison, even on harsh snow weekends.

I often reminded my wife playfully that God assigned her to me for a reason. I did not know of the reason yet then. Of course, she never believed me. LoL. But I know for sure that her commitment to keeping our family together during the worst of times also motivated me to prove that her choice and commitment were not in vain. This kind of commitment under the circumstances, such as not knowing whether I will ever be released (for like twenty years, those serving California life sentences with the possibility of parole were denied parole), could only be spiritual.

When I was released, I contributed here and there as best I could with knick-knack jobs I found, but she was the main supporter of my family. I did not have to worry about the roof over my head as she organized the house and kept me fed. That stress was on her still while I focused on the project once I began. Her life alone is a book regarding strength and commitment.

So yes, family support has been a blessing, a motivator, and an influence that made this project and task possible. She was assigned to me for a purpose after all. She still doesn’t believe me. LoL.

FQ: I love to ask authors one particular question… if you could have a chance to speak with any author/person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

TAUMUA: Now that I am 100 percent sure the God of Abraham is real, I’d love to facilitate a debate between Jesus, Ayn Rand, and Bob Marley about the purpose of life. This is still up for debate today. I suspect, however, that there is a clue hidden in the Scriptures and hopefully, these two would force Jesus’s hand and reveal it to us. LoL.

Thank you for your time. I hope this book will influence your life and loved ones in your relationship and journey with God. As you will find in this book, there was a Creator and that record is found in the Torah and the Bible. That Creator was the Original Scientist. Stay blessed.