Feathered Quill Reviewer Receives Amazing News

Long time Feathered Quill reviewer Amy Lignor recently received some amazing news.  Amy, who splits her time between reading/reviewing and writing some fantastic books including the Tallent & Lowery mystery/adventure series, learned that Amazon would be re-releasing her books via AmazonEncore.  Go Amy!!!!!!!!  We are SOOOOOO happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOS ANGELES, CA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The “Tallent & Lowery Adventures” (Titles: “13”, “The Sapphire Storm”, “The Hero’s Companion”, and “The Charlatan’s Crown”) have been picked up by AmazonEncore and will be re-released on January 13, 2015. Amazon chose this series (published by Suspense Publishing) for their Encore imprint which, “helps readers discover extraordinary, previously-published, or overlooked books from emerging authors,” in order to expand and deliver this series to readers everywhere!

Interview with Author Amy Lignor

Today we're talking with Amy Lignor, author of The Charlatan’s Crown: Tallent & Lowery, Book Four
 
FQ: First of all, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to read The Charlatan’s Crown. I’m having so much fun with this series. I was wondering, as the series progresses, do you find yourself getting more and more attached to various characters? 
 
LIGNOR: I have to say that I have been hooked on Leah since day one, and the more I explore her background, the more I truly understand her vices and how they change over time. Leah’s always going to be that naysayer – that one who wants proof. But, unlike a CSI technician, she is also open to new things like faith and belief but only because of the role Gareth Lowery is now playing in her life. He is really the one who opens her up in the first book, and has the sense of humor and intelligence to help her understand – and eventually accept – that there is far more in the world than what you can see. This is one couple I am completely hooked on writing about, and I have a feeling letting them go will be a funeral I will not want to attend.

FQ: I noticed that Gareth referred to Leah at one point as his wife. At first I thought ‘What???!!! Did I miss something???’ So, tell me, will he ever be able to REALLY refer to Leah as his wife? 
 
LIGNOR: Gareth likes to shock Leah; he also likes to side with her very loud mother regarding the fact that she should be married with kids by now. That’s why I gave her the cell phone at Christmas as a gift from her mother that rang out ‘Here Comes the Bride,’ which made Leah practically jump off a plane. Leah has always shied away from marriage, choosing to go it alone. And now that you have seen her past unfold a bit, you now know why she has those trust issues and has a hard time dropping the walls she’s built. Will they get married before the series ends? Come on! I can’t tell you that!

FQ: Many authors tell me that their characters invade their dreams. Have you had that happen? And I must ask, if this has happened, since this book dealt heavily with Nazis and the lore surrounding them/their beliefs, did you have some creepy dreams? 
 
LIGNOR: Oh, gosh...dreams. I have actually been bombarded with dreams – some pretty horrific – since the age of 13. And that’s not from having a bad life, or anything; that is from having an imagination that seriously doesn’t seem to stop. Yes, I have most definitely toured Himmler’s Castle; I have most definitely been to Knossos, Petra; and everywhere else in between inside my mind. I am a true research buff, and now I am headed down the Rasputin path, so you can imagine what the dreams are like now. The scariest time periods were when I found myself going to sleep and ending up in Loch Ness, and when I was on the streets of Whitechapel with The Ripper. The dreams are Technicolor, so they do bring up the heart rate. I do love it, though. You have to take the bad with the good; so if nightmares are what it takes to continue to write and explore these adventures – fine with me.

FQ: As I mentioned in my review, I love the character of Daniel Bauer. Please tell me we will see him again!
 
LIGNOR: Ah...Daniel. Is Daniel dead? Is there a new bad guy in town? LOL. I love Daniel because of the dynamic he has with Leah and the true machismo he invokes in Gareth Lowery – a person who doesn’t really lean in that direction because he is so self-assured. Daniel Bauer has a mission…that I can tell you. I can also tell you and fans that the 7 book series of ‘Tallent & Lowery’ will bring back characters you thought were gone in ways you will never assume could actually happen. And, no, we’re not talking supernatural ghosts – we’re talking real, live, heartless people. So…chances are Bauer will be back (just like Jack Bauer, who was kind enough to come back to TV). :)

FQ: Like the other titles in this series, there are a lot of historical facts intertwined with the action. How much research did it require to get it right, or do you have a card catalogue mind like Leah? 
 
LIGNOR: Both, actually. My mother is a retired lifelong research librarian. When my sister and I were kids we had books, not TV, texting, Facebook, etc. I was in love with libraries and I loved heading back to the past and finding details and pictures of what really happened in these places. However, when it comes to the intricacies of each puzzle, I do extra research to make sure I do not do something dumb. In other words, I want any room or street I choose to look exactly the way it looked then...and now.

FQ: One of the things I truly enjoy about the Tallent & Lowery series are all the historical references. Most people have heard of Nuremberg, but may not be familiar with the Zeppelintribüne. I did look it up to learn more. Is that one of the goals of your books, to get people interested in various historical events and places?
 
LIGNOR: One of my absolute favorite things is when fans write to me and say: “I rushed to my computer to find out.” I love that! That, to me, is a brain that is not only interested and having a ball with the story, but absolutely excited to either learn about it, or prove that I am completely wrong – depending on what their goal is. LOL. So...although I’m not sure it was an original goal of mine, I am thrilled that readers are having as much fun finding out the real history of our world as I am.

FQ: Wolf, Hansen and Williams – three very sinister guys. Where did the idea for these men come from? 
 
LIGNOR: Believe it or not, like the rest of the very small details in these books, they are real men from long ago. I named them differently, however, but these three men did meet with Himmler right there where I put them; a fact I found in one of those trillions of books in the library.

FQ: I also love the way you insert light-hearted moments into a very intense story. The absolute BEST line of the book came from Leah, “Oh, please…you probably haven’t dated a woman since Jesus was a boy.” I snarfed on my soda on that one! Do these barbs just come out naturally as you’re writing or do you have to work on them? 
 
LIGNOR: Well...unlike the perfect card catalogue of a mind – sarcasm is something that Leah and I definitely have in common. LOL. I love offering that dry tone, and I can hear Leah and me talking about these things basically over coffee in the basement of the NYPL. I have a feeling our humor would gel perfectly.

FQ: I really enjoy how the story is intertwining with past books in the series. Did you have the whole series, plots, etc., worked out before you began writing the first book? How do you keep all the facts, events, characters straight in your head? 

LIGNOR:  I was surprised by how it happened. The idea came from nowhere – just a small conversation a co-worker and I were having on a boring day at work about her astrological sign, believe it or not. But when I was halfway through writing 13, I could see The Sapphire Storm coming on. The Hero’s Companion, The Charlatan’s Crown, etc., basically were like a waterfall effect. And the events, places, dates – I am extremely lucky because I have that photographic memory that keeps everything it reads. (Trust me, it was the only way I made it through school).

FQ: Finally, would you give our readers a little tease about book 5? 
 
Book 5 is going to be difficult, because it is much darker and there are more than a few surprises that are unexpected considering the series thus far. The Double-Edged Sword will bring back characters you thought were gone, and end with a ‘bang’ that will, like I said above, cause some screaming emails, I have a feeling. We will head to the Palace at Knossos, and enter a room with a very familiar friend…and go below the historic site to prove an old legend true AND false. Leah and Gareth will be apart for a brief bit, but long enough for something out of the blue to happen to both of them before coming back together. We will find people who only existed in Gareth’s mind, and we will walk into a location that once healed people by having them lie out on floors, lift small doors in the walls, and send snakes crawling all over them while they slept. (Not kidding, totally true). And…the location where the 13th sign originated will be a place Leah and Gareth have to find a way to escape from. Emmanuel has a large part in this one because he knows a secret about Leah even Gareth doesn’t know..., and a bloody head will REALLY ruin a good day. In other words, where ‘Tallent & Lowery’ are concerned, nothing is done yet and nothing is set in stone.

Book Review - The Charlatan's Crown

The Charlatan’s Crown: Tallent & Lowery, Book Four 

By: Amy Lignor
Publisher: Suspense Publishing
Publication Date: May 2014
ASIN (Kindle): B00KKYC0KY
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 28, 2014

Are you ready for another fantastic roller coaster ride of fun and adventure from the series that just keeps getting better and better? Tallent & Lowery are at it again, this time tracking down the Devil’s Crown in what can only be described as one of the best series in recent memory about a passionate, perfectly matched couple who have a knack for solving mysteries.

At the end of Book three, The Hero’s Companion, author Amy Lignor gave us a peek at what was to come in the next tale when we learned that Leah’s biological mother, Neith, was still alive. As book four opens, we find Neith being held prisoner by the evil Daniel Bauer. We met Bauer earlier in the series – he’s the Australian fortune hunter whose motives are, shall we say, less than pure. I’m convinced Bauer has the hots for Leah, but she is justifiably revolted by the Aussie. Now on to the story...

Book Four follows the hunt for a very special crown that needs a particular emerald inserted into the center to work. Once the two are together, the wearer may just be able to take over the world, or worse. The problem is, Bauer is the one who wants the crown and he needs Leah to find it for him. He also needs her emerald, the one Gareth bought for her in Whitechapel. Apparently the emerald is THE emerald that will make the crown work. How the beautiful tear drop emerald ended up for sale in a store in Athens, Greece, we don’t know...yet.

Leah and Gareth soon learn what Bauer wants, and it has to do with a well-known Norse tale that includes Valhalla and a legion of Aryan soldiers. The crazy Aussie has assembled a small group of equally loonie collaborators, men who claim to be descendants of Hitler’s inner-circle of equally psycho megalomaniacs. Will Leah and Gareth be able to stop these men, keep the emerald from their clutches and deal with Bauer once and for all?

Like the other books in the series, this one takes the reader all over the world. The adventure starts at Leah’s favorite spot, the New York Public Library, and winds through various locations including numerous places made famous by Nazi Germany. Speaking of Nazi’s, they play a prominent role in this story, as does the reading of runes and Norse mythology. While you may think you have a strong background in these topics, you are sure to learn something new from The Charlatan’s Crown. The author, again, has really researched these topics well. I found myself looking up various people, places, and things that play roles in the story. Are they real? Yes, most of them are and it really helps to bring the story to life. Leah and Gareth are undoubtedly the stars of this adventure, but Bauer is coming on strong. He’s a deliciously evil character, one who I look forward to seeing again in future books. He is intent on beating Leah, and her card catalogue mind, and I don’t think he will quit until he reaches his goal. If you’re looking for a fantastic read, one that will swallow you up and force you to read late into the night, check out The Charlatan’s Crown!
 

Quill says: Another fantastic book in the Tallent & Lowery series, one that you do NOT want to miss!

Book Giveaway for November

Have you entered our book giveaway for November yet? Two SIGNED copies of 'The Hero's Companion: Book Three of the Tallent and Lowery Series.' Easy to enter, takes just a few seconds.

Book Review - The Hero's Companion

The Hero’s Companion: Tallent & Lowery, Book Three

By: Amy Lignor
Publisher: Suspense Publishing
Publication Date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-0615907161
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: October 18, 2013

Tallent and Lowery are at it again! In the third book in this fantastic series, Leah Tallent and Gareth Lowery must follow the clues to solve a new mystery in only seven days. If they fail, then Leah’s father David will surely die.

At the end of the second book in the Tallent & Lowery series, The Sapphire Storm, readers were given a glimpse into book three with a little tease of what David had discovered. The Hero’s Companion picks up the action immediately on the first page of the prologue when we learn that whatever David found has put him in serious danger, along with his friend Aaron (a character we met in book II). Enter Leah Tallent, the walking, talking, mystery-solving librarian with a card catalog brain and her fiancé Gareth Lowery, the calm, wonderfully rich, and lusciously hunky part of the duo. When we first meet up with them, they are rushing off to Leah’s parents’ home in Connecticut to talk to Leah’s mother Mary. Hopefully, Mary will be able to give some insight into what happened to her husband David.

Unfortunately, all Mary has for Leah are harsh words. She blames her daughter for reigniting David’s desire to search out artifacts, and offers no aid to her daughter other than to tell Leah that three men came and took her husband. Dumbfounded, Leah and Gareth don’t know where to start the search when they get an unexpected visitor. Anippe, another character we met in The Sapphire Storm, is a very unwelcome acquaintance who suffers from a severe case of snobbish attitude. When Anippe tells Leah that her beloved uncle Aaron was also kidnapped by three men, the women do their best to put their differences aside and work together to find David and Aaron.

With the help of a map that Leah finds taped to the underside of her father’s desk, the trio soon knows where to begin their journey – in Athens. Once the search is on, the reader is taken on an amazing trip that includes an opinionated little owl, some creepy, dank, caves and archeological digs, a variety of people offering aid (who can they trust?), as well as mythological and very real personalities from the past. Leah, Gareth, and Anippe do their best to work together to find David and Aaron, but with obstacles thrown in their way at every turn, emotions run high and bonds are tested.

The author’s knowledge of history, as well as her background in mythology is quite impressive. Combine that with her aptitude at creating some very cool fictional tales and her ability to intertwine all three, and you’ll find yourself wondering just what is real and what is fiction in The Hero’s Companion.

I’ve mentioned in my reviews of the other books in this series that one of the things I love is the dialogue, particularly between Leah and Gareth. It is so realistic and flows effortlessly, and really captures the essence of these two lovers. Quick witted, it is at times funny, at other times dead-pan serious, and always works perfectly. Add in the zinger that Leah discovers about herself at the end of The Hero’s Companion, and you’ll be begging the author to please hurry up and write book four!

Quill says: This series just keeps getting better and better. The Hero’s Companion is a definite nail-bitter that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. When is the next book coming out? I can’t wait!

Interview with author Amy Lignor

Today we're talking with Amy Lignor, author of Tallent & Lowery: 13


FQ: Leah Tallent is a great character. With her total dedication to libraries, I have to ask – is she, even remotely, based on YOU?

Oh, yes. Not the looks, however. She’s way better off in that department (LOL). But when it comes to sarcasm and witty banter, she definitely gets those jokes and gifts from her creator. Libraries, as well, are definitely my thing. Some women like high heels, some like television, some like hot guys in the movies, I have always wanted only one thing - to live inside the New York Public Library and never have to leave.


My mother, THE most fantastic woman on earth, is a career librarian. I don’t remember a time when Mom didn’t have a book in her hand. She taught my sister and I that books were the essence of humanity. Laughter, realism, heroes, damsels, action, adventure, horror - writers could bring everything into your world and you could learn something all at the same time. Books increase your intelligence and feed that huge imagination I have. And being able to walk up those stairs of the NYPL between Patience and Fortitude for a book signing would be the greatest gift I could ever be given.

FQ: Is Gareth Lowery every woman’s dream date? Does he have any flaws other than his obsession with finding the entrance to Heaven?

Well, yes. But Gareth can be a real pain, too. In the book he certainly stands for the handsome, smart, James Bond meets Indiana Jones meets 24 guy, but he also has that pompous side where he does believe he could get any woman with that smile of his. But he meets his match with Leah. She can see through all that ‘stuff’ and becomes the perfect partner for him. I think that’s what makes the romance ‘simmer’ and then finally erupt in this book, because these are two people who are the perfect balance for one another. He’s also FAR too trustworthy. Whereas Leah trusts absolutely no one, Gareth seems to be way too easily ‘swayed’ - that’s another reason why he needs her because she can always see any serpent in her garden. And he has the belief and faith, whereas Leah only believes in books and herself. So he teaches her a few things, as well - even though, of course, she has to be right.


FQ: Where did the idea for 13 come from? Had it been swirling around in your head for a while?

Oddly enough, it came from a very boring day at work where a colleague and I were so caught up that we had nothing more to do (which never happened). She was reading her horoscope off the computer, and as I looked at the screen, there was a mention of the 13th sign and a name, ‘Aleister Crowley.’ From then on, I was on a serious mission to put together a puzzle that fans would love as much as The DaVinci Code, and add a little more heart and soul to it.


FQ: I loved the use of real places to search for the missing orbs. Why did you decide to go with “real” vs. imaginary?


There are so many tremendous locations in this world, and the history they all have is so immense that it’s far more believable to create my mysteries; that amazing ‘link’ that leads the reader down an unknown path. Fantasy locations wouldn’t have worked because this book is, in essence, based on history and very REAL things that happened - even though they are little-known facts. Some of the most amazing comments I’ve received is that readers are running to Google after reading the book and looking these places up to see if I was kidding...and I wasn’t.


FQ: My favorite “real” place was Winchester’s mansion. The history around the estate and its owner, Sarah was fascinating - and, yes, I did look her/the house up on the internet. Have you ever been to the mansion?


Not yet. And I SO want to walk those halls. I purchased videos, books, spoke with people about their experiences there, and was completely and utterly amazed and intrigued by the back-story of the Winchester House. I knew a little background on it beforehand, and I focused on the house because I knew Sarah Winchester was more than a little obsessed with the number 13. She had 13 bedrooms, 13 hooks in all her closets, 13 drains in her sink, 13 panes in some of the windows - and knowing that Aleister Crowley actually did visit San Jose during that time period made me wonder if he actually could’ve been the one to start all this. I do hope that this book gives the Winchester House even more publicity, because that is truly one of the grandest mysteries and coolest places in America.


FQ: There is also a lot of history behind each and every place/person that Leah and Gareth search for. Did you have to do a lot of research when writing the book?

Again, I give all the credit to my mother, bringing me up with a book in my hand. I have actually studied archaeology and history my whole life, and I love mysterious legends, locations, and historical people. That background gave me a really good start for all of these books to be written. And, like Leah, I LOVE research. The one other thing Leah and I have in common is the fact that I feel like my brain is a card catalogue some days. When someone asks me a historical question, I can usually find it in there. If not, Google can certainly fill in the blanks!

Patience - one of NY Public Library's Lions

FQ: There’s also a bit of Astrology in this book. Do you read your horoscope on a daily basis?

Actually, I was never really into the whole horoscope thing, but I LOVE astrology. I love the beginnings of astrology back in Ptolemy’s day, and was extremely interested about the 13th sign and how it was actually something that the Pope decided to erase, for reasons that are in the book. Not to mention, the 13th sign was used for the AMA logo and other things over time.


FQ: Since this is the first of a planned 7 book series, would you give our readers a little peek into what they can expect in subsequent books?


In the next - The Sapphire Storm - (which is my mother’s favorite) Leah’s whole life is opened up to reader’s - from where she lived to meeting her slightly odd family members. A journey takes Leah and Gareth to England where an old mystery surrounding Shakespeare leads them to Pergamon, as well as other locales, and an old monastery that was actually the site of a little known event that will have readers absolutely stunned. And, of course, the man on the text messages in 13 is revealed. The third involves Greece and a strange mystery that unfolds in the basement of an old Athenian temple; book four is based on a treasure that Hitler once sought - and FOUND - that hardly anyone knows about but is true; book five is a thrill ride that goes from America to the depths of Knossos Palace; book six is based a great deal in Russia and surrounds an object that is almost completely unknown by the world that Faberge made for the evil Rasputin; and book seven is a huge conclusion that ties up all the stand alone stories and will bring readers back to the steps of that amazing library. I have worked for years on these puzzles, making sure that they could stand alone, yet also flow as one series that would awe and captivate readers (which I hope it does).


FQ: Donovan Barker is one man the world would be better off without. But alas, I suspect he may reappear in future books. Yes?


Let’s just say that this is not an ordinary series, so expecting the unexpected is really the way to go here. Even though Donovan Barker might seem bad, he’s actually not the ‘bad guy.’ There are many introduced, and the man texting Donovan on that phone in 13 will prove to be a much larger adversary.

To learn more about Tallent & Lowery: 13 please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

An Update on Women's Lib

by Amy Lignor of The Write Companion

My first experience with ‘Women’s Lib’ came when I was around seventeen years old.  My boyfriend at the time was a young man who hadn’t annoyed me that much…yet, but he was, in a word, useless.  I was working a forty hour week, just out of high school, wanting to make as much money as I could in order to hit the road and get as far away from my hometown as humanly possible.  Of course, seeing as that I was living in Connecticut and a roll of bathroom tissue was a hundred dollars a pop, basically I was working in order to pay the rent and feed myself with enough money left over each week to stock the bathroom with tissue.

After a long day, the boyfriend knocked on the door.  He had worked on his car all day, but BOY was he tired.  Sitting watching television, he announced that he had seen macaroni and cheese in my kitchen cabinet.  I replied, “I know.”  He countered, “We should have that.  Are you going to make that?”  (He said this last line for awhile, much like a child sits in the back of the car on vacation chanting:  Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?  Are we there yet? 

Now, after a long day I could almost feel the presence of Hitler take over my body.  It’s what he must have felt on the podium when he began to scream to a crowd of ridiculous onlookers who were absolutely enthralled by his supposed strength.  I stood up from the couch and in the loudest, most commanding voice I had within my soul, screamed, “No!  I am not making it!”

He, much like one of those children, asked, “Why not?”

“BECAUSE!  It is MY macaroni & cheese!”  This scream was heard round the world, and I walked out of my own house.  That was my ‘women’s lib.’  It was MY macaroni and cheese and no one was going to separate me from that - especially not some man who hadn’t worked at all and thought he should get it and I should cook it.

Back in the decades of the 60s and 70s, women had to fight far harder than I do, because I simply do what I want because I was raised by my mother to do just that.  Yes, I have experienced the: honey, sweetie, darlin, moments; the words that seem to be your name with certain age groups, or men in certain locales, but I just roll my eyes and move on.  Should I stand up for myself?  Why bother?  These are people who aren’t even doing it to be rude, they simply can’t remember their own names (usually because of the beer-drinking) let alone mine, so sweetie is what they got to work with.

I ran across my nineteen-year-old daughter one evening.  I walked through the living room, not knowing that she and her boyfriend were watching television out there.  (I thought they had gone to a movie).  My daughter was wearing the Hitler face but it was far darker.  Even the Fuhrer would’ve run from her with the full mask of Satan that she wore.  In fact, she looked as if she had lines of troops behind her, just waiting to shoot and take the young man of her dreams OUT! 

Apparently, he had been speaking about dinner and how hungry he was, reaching over to take a piece of the ‘Kit Kat’ that was sitting beside my lovely, gentle child on the table.  What he didn’t understand, however, was that this was my girl’s ‘time of the month,’ and if men have learned nothing over the centuries they should have - BY NOW - learned never to touch chocolate that is owned by the girl during “that time.”  It is very much like walking up to a starving lioness, or alpha female in the wolf pack, and stealing the piece of rotted flesh from their actual mouths before walking away.  Remember “Wild Kingdom?”  It never works out well for the man intruding on a woman’s space.  Suffice to say, my daughter’s boyfriend exited the building far faster than any alpha male I’ve ever seen running through the bush trying to escape the wrath of their significant other.  Even the male wolf knows his furry behind is about to be kicked, even if he is the one in charge.

See that?  “Women’s Lib” is still evolving in its own way.  In the 1980’s I got mad and left my own house, BUT kept my macaroni and cheese safe from ‘the man’s’ hands.  And now, in the turn of the century (in my family anyway), the females have even a better grasp on ‘women’s lib.’  My girl didn’t even have to speak - all she had to do was give a look of pure and utter evil and the man simply ran for the hills.

See that, people?  Soon we will be running the country.  Maybe then, the country would actually be out of debt and looking forward to a brilliant new future.  Ah…one can only hope!

Until Next Time,

Amy

You Can’t Go Back

by Amy Lignor of The Write Companion

A book came across my desk this past week that I felt so unbelievably ‘moved’ by that this week’s blog has to focus on this material.  As anyone who knows me knows, I am not a big fan of romance novels.  In fact, from the contemporary to the ‘bodice rippers,’ I find most of them incredible boring.  Of course, authors do tend to - certainly in the ‘bodice ripper’ category - write about the exact same people time and time again:  Girl is strong; girl hates guy; guy hates girl but is stuck with her; romance blooms (whether it be in Merry Old England, on a pirate ship, or in the wild, wild west, doesn’t matter); guy goes from snot to knight in shining armor; etc.  Throw in a few over-the-top sex scenes and…The End.

Only once in a very great while does a book come along that can give you a fulfilling, heart-stopping romance, while also offering a world of reality, history, sorrow, happiness - every adjective you can think of - wrapped up in an amazing story that makes you wish to God you haven’t just turned the last page because there is no more, and you’re left staring at the two-thousandth ‘vampire love story’ that awaits your review.

In 2007, Pam Jenoff wrote The Kommandant’s Girl - a book that still, to this day after reviewing an average of forty books a month, is something I remember.  She took readers back to the time of WWII (but not like all the rest who simply spew the Nazi and Hitler world with the same tone as everyone else.)  Pam Jenoff created a very human character who watched, lived, and was courageous enough to make a difference during that horrific time period; where SHE, what SHE was doing, and the romance SHE was having was the center of attention, and not The Reich.

Books came after:  The Diplomat’s Wife, Almost Home, A Hidden Affair.  But then, I opened a box and saw The Things We Cherished - Jenoff’s newest creation - and was soon wrapped up in a world that I could not let go of.  I always say a prayer, begging that no diabolical emergencies happen while I’m reading one of Jenoff’s books.  (I only did that when the 7^th Harry Potter fell into my lap and, like the rest of the known world, NEEDED to know.)

But Jenoff’s tale brought something else to the surface.  Her story of the past that interweaves with the present is outstanding, but what readers learn from this amazing title is that you have to speak when you have something to say. 

Every single one of those ‘moments’ in life is  necessary, and when a ‘moment’ comes at you whether it be, a thank you; a declaration of undying love; saying the words I Do (or, the words, I Don’t); the goodbye you never got a chance to say because the hands of fate didn’t tell you that, in your hurry that day, it was the last time you were ever going to see someone - you have to seize it and not let it pass by. 

In Jenoff’s story there are more than a few people who didn’t say what they wanted to say, and as time went forward it became far too late to change the past.  Whether it’s a mystery set in WWII doesn’t matter.  Whether it’s a relic that literally is passed through time from family to family linking them all in what becomes a heavenly love story has no meaning.  The point is…saying what you have to say when you have to say it.  Even if the words sound completely stupid in your own head at the time, we all have to stop having self-limiting beliefs.  You know, those beliefs you are taught as you grow older of what is not right, or not appropriate…blah, blah, blah.  If you dump all that garbage that you re taught and just SAY what you want to SAY, you know what you end up with?  A fulfilling life, at the end, where you can fall asleep with a smile on your face because you have no regrets.  That’s almost an impossibility.  Courage is a must, and in some situations you can’t find that.  But, as I raise my daughter, I keep telling her to find it because it’s there.  And, after reading Pam Jenoff and seeing the world she’s created, once again that will knock readers’ socks off, I am making sure to drive that idea home with my daughter even more. 

In life there are times you’re gonna’ look like a jerk - it’s unavoidable.  There are times when you will be called a geek - or something even more harsh - because you chose your own path that was not the ‘accepted one.’  We all know what’s good and what’s bad.  We all know not to murder, harm, steal, cheat, kill, or become the slime who we see on TV nowadays.  We know to live with morals, ethics, and love.  But we also need to learn to take a chance.  Dreams can be put away into a treasure box of sorts for a better ‘time,’ and then life comes upon us where we have to make sure to make enough money to sustain our families, etc.  But that box is still there.  And most don’t reopen that box until it’s time for retirement, and then the improbable has become the impossible. 

I am asking everyone to not close that lid.  Even if you’re wanting to be an astronaut right now, don’t call it quits.  NASA says it’s over, but nothing is ever really over, so don’t stop trying for that.  The world evolves every single day - sometimes for the worst, I grant you - but don’t close the lid and lock up what you truly want, because there comes a time when you can’t go back. 

You can never go back to say the words you wished you’d said, or follow the dream you wish you had.  Live with no regrets.  If you don’t believe me, go purchase Pam Jenoff’s books! 

Until Next Time, Everybody.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job!

by Amy Lignor of The Write Companion

I never used to read the newspaper; it usually just made me sick as a dog.  My grandfather used to read the ‘Obits’ just to see if he was in there (our hometown was THAT boring).  My Dad had sports, and Mom had the comics.  My sister usually looked for “sales.”  Me?  I always thought it was better staying with the stories in my own head, considering the outside world was like one 24/7 nightmare.  (Not much has changed, actually).

However, recently I have become immersed in the police blotters.  I know what you’re thinking.  But, no, I’m not looking for my name to appear.  I am just amazed by how hysterically stupid some of our criminals have become.  Not that Al Capone was any brighter, mind you.  If he was…he never would’ve ended up in jail in the first place.

Since we’re so close, I had to share.  A man pulls up in front of a 7/11 in a truck he stole earlier in the evening.  Therefore, the license plates, etc. can’t be traced back to him.  He’s wearing gloves, a ski mask…everything a good criminal needs.  Happily, he carries no weapon.  In fact, the criminal was quoted as saying he just “wanted the money so he could buy some beer.”  So he walks into the store, says he’s armed, and steals the cash.  (He didn’t even think to take a six-pack with him).  Running out of the store, the man jumps into his truck but…the engine doesn’t start.  What to do?  He runs away from the scene as fast as possible, knowing that he should be safe because he left no “trace” of himself behind.  Unfortunately, there was one small thing he forgot. He’d taken his dog along with him for the ride.  When the police got there and found the Labrador, they were slightly amazed to see him wearing tags on his collar that stated the name and address of his owner.  Oddly enough, the police got there before the robber and picked him up.  Yes, he might have been a criminal, but at least he was a dog-lover, and that definitely counts for something.

A truck waits in the darkness outside of a bank’s ATM machine.  A woman drives in, takes out some cash, and the robbers go straight to her car and rip her off.  Unfortunately for them, they were a little intoxicated and from out of town.  When they got back into their truck to drive away, they jumped the curb.  This was no ordinary curb.  It was actually a type of small concrete wall between the bank’s parking lot and the FBI building across the street.  The truck was stuck dangling over the wall and the criminals were picked up very quickly.  What a shock!

There was a criminal who was going around small towns throwing chains around ATM’s and tying them to his bumper.  He would hit the gas, the truck would jump forward, and the ATM would be ripped from the cement as he pulled it down the street into a garage where the criminal would take out the cash.  Unfortunately, the criminal was so tired one evening that he threw the chain and tied it to his bumper, without even noticing that this particular ATM had a concrete slab that attached it to the bank, itself.  He hit the gas and the back of his truck was torn to pieces in the middle of the road.  He was so tired, he didn’t even try to run.  All he was quoted as saying was that he hoped his insurance would cover the damage.

Someone commit’s a robbery and rushes into the street.  Holding up the first driver he sees, he steals the car - without ever noticing there’s someone sitting in the back seat - and drives the car back to his own house.  The criminal gets out and goes inside, as the backseat passenger calls 911.  See that?  Cell phones DO come in handy once in a while!

An employee of a large company went into work one day.  She’d had a bad morning - it was Monday, after all.  When she grabbed her time card and tried to clock in the machine wouldn’t work.  Then, when it finally came down on her time card, it wouldn’t let go.  The woman literally destroyed the time clock - shattering it to bits.  Although she was arrested for destruction of property, she did find a whole new way to “punch-in.”

A robbery took place where the man walked into the store and began to pile cases of beer into his shopping cart.  When he went to the cash register, he - again, with no weapon - held up the cashier and said he was leaving with his beer no matter what.  Then, without thinking, he asked for two packs of cigarettes and paid for them with his credit card (which gave the police his name and address).  Maybe he’d already had one beer too many.

Back in the VERY small town I grew up in, a man walked into the local bank dressed in a Santa Claus suit for the holidays and walked out with some major cash.  This is one criminal who was never caught.  Apparently, he had a very Merry Christmas!

And, one of my absolute favorites, a person decided to steal security cameras off a building, yet apparently had no clue that as he was stealing them, they were taking his picture.  He was stunned that he got caught!  This was one for YouTube!  Say Cheese!

A man is running away from the police and jumps a fence.  Right into the center of a ring of pitbulls.  Suffice to say he jumped right back out and threw himself into the police officer’s arms.  Oh, yeah, jail is way safer.

It’s unfortunate that there are people out there in the world today who are so unbelievably stupid that they can’t seem to do anything right.  Education might be the way to go.  Even though these are people who aren’t exactly on their way to “Shawshank Prison,” they should definitely think about a career change - maybe, politics? 

Until Next Time,

Amy

Back When

by Amy Lignor of The Write Companion

As a book reviewer for many years, I’ve been inundated with YA after YA of vampire vs. werewolf.  But, recently, I was sent a truly beautiful book about the Civil War.  No, of course, this is not a “beautiful” subject, but the writer and photographer focused on the many houses, buildings, and plantations that have gone to ruin - and it made me think of how ‘cold’ things have become.

This country is young.  Unlike the ruins of Rome, Athens, etc., the United States has a very short history when you think about it, and losing ANY of our past is a frightening thought.  In the Gilded Age, New York City and the East Coast had their Astor’s and Carnegie’s, with their huge homes and gallant parties.  The South had their endless fields, mint juleps, and manors that could stop your heart if you looked at them long enough.  The construction, the work, the soul that went into creating our architecture was extraordinary - and letting them rot away into nothingness is a heartbreaking reality.

Think about it! Not from a political standpoint, mind you, but a purely artistic one.  I’m not here to fight about ‘us vs. them,’ or ‘us vs. us,’ I’m here to discuss back when.  This is yet another song by that talented “Tim McGraw,” who sings about a time when, a coke was a coke; when the wind was all that ‘blew;’ and, my favorite, when you said I’m down with that, it meant you had the flu.  He sings of an easier time…when we were nice.  Or, at least, some of us were.  He sings about a time when my mother sat in a booth at a pharmacy in her hometown surrounded by her high school friends, while they talked, laughed, and ate grilled bologna sandwiches (ick) and washed them down with REAL cherry coke.  It was a time when my mom drove a 1955 pink and gray Chevy (I could kill her for losing that!). 

There was a time even further back when Houdini made an elephant disappear before an audience’s eyes; and, a time when the cornerstone was laid for what would become the grandest library in this country, where Patience and Fortitude still sit and stare at you as you walk by. 

Artists flourished.  Immigrants came to our shores following in the path of the Mayflower, which was one of the first to reach this land from across the sea.  There was a time of education, where writing the statement, I love you has now been replaced by a beeping phone that says:  I luv u.  Grammar has almost become obsolete, and penmanship isn’t required because of the keyboard sitting in front of you.  Each and every decade brought new and brilliant innovations to this country, as well as some that could one day be used to end us all.

The 1910’s was when the film industry in Hollywood began to rise.  The ‘Roaring 20’s’ had their flappers, and a stock market crash that blew everyone’s mind.  The 30’s saw the Empire State Building rise into the sky, and The Great Depression almost destroy society.  In the 40’s, America banded together with others to destroy a Fuhrer who was determined to create a deathly Reich; and, the 50’s appeared with rock-and-roll, poodle-skirts, and teenagers screaming for Elvis.  The 50’s began with our men dying in Korea, and ended with the survivors heading to Vietnam to lay down their lives once again. 

Social change and political upheaval introduced the 60’s.  This decade saw the fear of missiles, “Camelot” destroyed, and watched man achieve the impossible and walk on the moon.  From the building of the World Trade Center to disco and feminism, the 70’s had its own triumphs and losses.  And the 80’s brought heavy-metal hair, the Cold War, a “Boss” who was Born in the USA, and the death of John Lennon.  When the 90’s flashed by in what seemed like an instant, sideburns came back into style and, for women, “The Rachel” haircut from Friends was all the rage.

When the clock wound down and our next century began, brilliance and pain came in waves as we watched the huge realm of social networking rise…and those two grand towers fall…

Comedy has gone from the hysterical team of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin to “South Park” accepting  Tony for best play of the year!  Each and every decade has seen new artists, scientific geniuses, literary kings and queens, and death.  Now we have singers who intrigue the world on stage with odd names like “Ga Ga.”  We even have our own new Houdini by the name of Jason Escape (Jason Gardner, to his friends).  We have books that will become legend as Edward and Bella fade into the “Twilight,” and we have more and more stories to tell in every subject from fashion to technology.

But…when we begin to destroy our history we become a truly ‘cold’ society.  When we begin to let our buildings, monuments, and history crumble, we let go of what made this country beautiful and innovative in the first place.  Each and every one of us needs to make sure that - even though our technology has become greater - the discoveries of the past don’t disappear.  We need to hold on to the time where manors AND manners were important.  There is no way to know who we are if we don’t remember where we’ve been.  …And that’s the truth!