#BookReview of Godsmack Part 1: The Mother Earth by Josie Peterson

Godsmack Part I: The Mother Earth

By: Josie Peterson

Publication Date: December 18, 2022

ISBN: 979-8353382225

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: December 20, 2022

Writer and actress Josie Peterson adds to her works with this dark yet shimmering tragicomedy about the salvation of one man’s life in the face of true danger and despair in her newest novel, Godsmack Part I: The Mother Earth.

Yahn Marynugh is an accountant who is veering off into street life as current experiences are unsatisfying and almost unreal. One primary concern is a client who seems to have gotten caught up in fraudulent dealings – hard drugs are part of the scenario. Is the man the victim or the instigator? One thing is certain: no one wants Yahn asking questions. As he finds himself mired more into barroom culture and constantly concerned about who may be following him and why, Yahn is on a downhill slide. But he has allies – a friend George, for whom Yahn has always had a secret, sensual yen, and Daphne, his adorable, adoring, seemingly psychic Scottish Terrier. George is assuming the role of caregiver for his increasingly world-weary pal, forcing him to drink vitamin infused water instead of alcohol and nursing him as murders are happening and Yahn may be next on the list for slaughter. But one morning Yahn is “snapped out of his trance” by an ad for an organic farm for sale. Somehow it seems to offer a chance for revival and survival, and definitely to escape from the perils of the big city. The characters Yahn will encounter on the rural pathway, the lore of land and natural living that he will be taught, will cause an etheric turnaround. Will Yahn find his true destiny in Deer County?

Peterson has written other works that treat, as this one does, mythological figures and spiritual leadings (Tristan and Isolde, Fairy Dust). Her experience as an actress has infused her vibrant gift of yarn spinning, as much of this intriguing saga is "told" in dialog as it would be on the boards. Her book offers a marvelous melding of life’s underbelly with moments of heavenly bliss. She deftly incorporates issues of gender blending that refuse to recognize conventional boundaries. From the beginning, when Yahn meets a black street kid named Dionysus, readers will suspect that there is a powerful backstory waiting to reveal itself and which will gradually come to light as Yahn learns to embrace the wonders of the natural world and the astral consciousness that dwells within it.

Quill says: Godsmack Part I: The Mother Earth shows Peterson’s powerful skills as a wordsmith and dreamer, with an amazing array of characters and constant scene shifting that will enchant readers and have them wishing for Part II.

#BookReview of The Renunciation by Alex McGlothin

The Renunciation

By: Alex McGlothin
Publisher: Bituminous
Publication Date: March 1, 2023
ASIN: B0BFJMJ7RW
Reviewed by: Tripti Kandari
Review Date: December 19, 2022

The Renunciation, the fifth novel in Alex McGlothin's collection, oozes the authenticity of modern existence via two men from different milieus stuck between materialistic commitments and the happiness of riches within.

A massive opportunity knocks at the door for Michael Winston, a love-struck and professionally despondent journalist from New York. He must submit a breakthrough story to win the position of editor-in-chief at his firm. He will be competing for that position against the boorish celebrity journalist Sam. Will Michael be able to find a perfect story to help him win the editor position? As he gains a leg up, Michael stumbles across an opportunity to write about the two-time surfing champion Louis Giroux - now regarded as an enigmatic and reclusive figure. Michael is sure to strike gold when he writes a story that would reward him and bring him success and happiness - a story full of success and suspense.

Alas, this spark of the promise of success flushes away as Michael's first day in Costa Rica begins with his camera smashed. What's more, Michael's journalist's freedom is knocked-around: he is compelled to utilize Louis' cameraman and is not authorized to inquire about Louis' personal life, surfing business, or championships. As days pass and Michael's desperate hope of defeating Sam fades, he discovers another prisoner – World Surfing champion Louis Giroux - who, while not forbidden from press freedom, is debarred from living life as he pleases. Amid the Costa Rican sunset, as he goes strolling, watching the specimens of great surfing, and dallying in Pura Vida cafes in Tamarindo, Michael ultimately hits upon a life-changing realization: the value of renunciation.

McGlothin sprinkles exquisite metaphors throughout the plot, established against the outback of Costa Rica. The novel emphasizes the conflict between internal and external validation, which has gotten hold of the current culture. Michael is overcome by his belief in the need for professional success vs. the nourishment of his heart's wants. He is obsessed with achievement to the point of not understanding why someone like Louis would quit at the peak of success. Michael's journey becomes a modern allegory in which success is relative and happiness is absolute. Michael is struck by the relativity of success and its impermanence as it correlates first with his relationship with his love interest and then with landing a big far-reaching story - all washing away with time. The canvas of The Renunciation begins in a New York office and locomotes down along beaches and cafes, radiating the essence of renunciation - of letting go of ephemeral validations in exchange for satisfaction in life.

Quill says: The Renunciation takes the reader on an adventure rove from the fast-paced city of New York to the gay surfing beaches of Costa Rica - a journey from materialistic aspirations to the renunciation of concrete validations.

For more information on The Renunciation, please visit the author's website at: www.alexmcglothlin.com

#BookReview - Sit Down and Have A Beer Again by Greg Wyss

Sit Down And Have A Beer Again

By: Greg Wyss
Publisher: Cholla Needles Arts and Literary Library
Publication Date: June 26, 2022
ISBN: 979-8836634667
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: December 14, 2022

In this lively collection, author and poet Greg Wyss shows readers how to survive whatever life throws at them, with a beer, a trip on acid, a meeting with Jesus, or a neat, possibly hilarious, philosophical observation.

Wyss' book, Sit Down And Have A Beer Again, contains materials gathered from earlier publications as well as some seen now for the first time. Within its pages, readers will find irony, wisdom, sensuality and joy. An example of his wry workings is “Better Living through Chemistry” in which the poet laments that, though “every bone in my body aches, my eyes burn like hot coals, my legs hang like branches, on a dead tree,” the amphetamine that stirs his heartbeat evokes “the wonder of being a drug child of the twentieth century.” A prose offering, “The Guru and His Chick,” describes the author’s brief meeting with a couple who not only eat ants, but worship them, and in the end, imitate them as they “got down on all fours and began crawling toward the nearest exit.” A sweet memory recalls his grandmother filling the jar with change for him when his photograph was entered in a contest for the kid with “The Prettiest Smile”; he won, thanks to her. Other more sardonic scenarios include the twists embedded in “Poem to My First Wife,” as a husband imagines his wife having a wreck and never coming home, then feeling disappointment when he hears her car pull up in the driveway. A short story, “An Evening in the Garden of Dying Flowers,” introduces a wild wanderer preparing to hit the road tomorrow, always traveling on, but ends with his incentive to stay a few more days when romance enters the scene. The book’s final chapter offers excerpts from a novel, When Life Was Like a Cucumber – it opens as the narrator meets Jesus, disguised as a guy named Tony.

Wyss, who lived through the era of “the Viet Nam War, drug culture and sexual revolution,” has deftly molded his experience into popular prose and poetry. Every reader will have a favorite – or two or ten – in this wide-ranging assemblage. Reactions will include laughing out loud, or simply shaking one’s head as if to say, “Ain’t it the truth.” His poetic style and objective perspective is often reminiscent of e.e.cummings, while his stories seem sometimes wrought from the very drug and booze effects that they so vividly describe.

Quill says: Sit Down and Have a Beer Again shows Greg Wyss as a highly intelligent witness to world events tiny and huge, with the verve and nerve to record what he recalls in a way sure to engage a wide, appreciative audience.

For more information on Sit Down And Have A Beer Again, please visit the author's website at: www.gregwyss.com

#BookReview - I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind

I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind

By: Güngör Buzot
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: November 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-639-8869-7-5
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: December 14, 2022

Güngör Buzot’s I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind is a personal and compelling account of her departure from conventional medicine to a liberated and healthy life.

The story is broken down into three parts: I Was Dying, Then I Changed My Mind, and What I Learned. Within the pages, Ms. Buzot chronicles her journey of ailments, surgeries, and drug dependencies that began in early childhood. Her health (or the lack thereof) is not only the result of many choices she made, but the ‘remedies’ she subjected herself to at the hands of many medical practitioners and the pharmaceuticals they dispensed. Prior to arriving at Chapter One, Ms. Buzot penned an impactful ‘Author’s Note’ that begins with: "In Paris, early in 2014, I begged my family to help me free myself from my own body. I was tired of being in pain, tired of suffering. I wanted to end my life..." On the heels of Ms. Buzot’s opener, her daughter, Selen Aktar, in somewhat of a rebuttal to her mother’s opening comments, counters her wish with her Forward to the book: "...It is not easy to write about one’s life in a book for everyone to read. It takes a lot of self-reflection, and you need to be OK with being vulnerable. So many of us have forgotten how to be vulnerable, yet we need it in order to live freely..." If Ms. Aktar’s Forward isn’t enough, André Saine, ND supports Ms. Buzot’s story further with his comments: "...Conventional medicine perpetrates an unacceptable amount of iatrogenic diseases (those caused by physicians and their medical systems) and is plagued by insufficient education on nutrition in medical schools, big pharma’s infringement on everyday clinical practice, development of antimicrobial-resistant infectious diseases, and the pollution of the environment from all the excreted drugs used in conventional medicine..."

Born in Bursa, Turkey in the early 1950’s, Ms. Buzot shares fond memories of her deep love and admiration for her parents (now both deceased). Her father owned a factory that manufactured natural silk and he was the strength and provider for their family. She is one of four girls, and her mother took care of Güngör and her siblings while her father worked. Her illnesses started at a young age. As early as six months old, she succumbed to a high fever late one night. She was diagnosed with diphtheria and was treated with a serum. Soon thereafter, it was determined to be her fever was actually a simple case of a throat infection, but the dosage of medicine she received was too high for her young body. Throughout her adolescence she suffered through a variety of medical problems. Fast-forward to 1984 and a mother of two, she is now thirty-one and her periods are non-existent. Her gynecologist discovered a large cyst on her left ovary and after suggesting they take a ‘wait and see’ approach for a few months (and the cyst did not dissipate), he prescribed birth control. On April 26, 2014, at 9:00 a.m., Ms. Buzot made her choice to depart from conventional medical procedures, surgeries, pain remedies, and countless prescribed drugs and she began her homeopathic journey toward wellness.

Güngör Buzot has written an incredibly compelling and harrowing account of not only horrific medical experiences but a tangible sense of the personal heroics she embarked upon to take back her life. There are so many profound and prolific passages throughout this read, it’s difficult to site one in particular. However, one of the many sentiments that stood out for me was: "...Life is a very precious school that lasts from birth to death. We grow thanks to life’s lessons..." Her writing is raw and insightful and there is a strong message that resonates throughout toward the importance of one taking charge of one’s life; specifically, one’s health and well-being. I applaud Ms. Buzot for her tender tone throughout this read. In my opinion, she has many reasons to be bitter for some of the egregious medical treatments she endured, yet she is poised in her summary of her experiences in Section III. She shares her knowledge of what she learned and leaves it to the reader to do with the information what he/she will do. Bravo Ms. Buzot. You are a brave woman, and I can only hope you are working on your next book. You have a gift with words and the world needs more of your positive inspiration.

Quill says: I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind is without question a story of tenacity, inspiration and a testament to great things happening when one takes charge of one’s life and health.

To learn more about I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind, please visit the author’s website at: www.gungorbuzot.com/

#AuthorInterview with Gregg Coodley, author of Patients in Peril

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with Gregg Coodley, author of Patients in Peril: The Demise of Primary Care in America.

FQ: How did you organize your time and energy to write this lengthy treatise, given what must be a very busy life of medical work? 

COODLEY: I have more time to write since my children are grown and off to college. In addition, my work experience provided lots of material for the work. I am worried about the future of primary care and how this problem doesn’t seem to be in the consciousness of those who could make changes.

FQ: Is your book offered as a manual for workshops or gatherings within local communities?

COODLEY: No, but people are welcome to use it in any way that they find useful.

FQ: Are you allied with any other medical professionals/organizations who share your compelling views on PCP care and the need for readjustments in the overall American medical system?

Author Gregg Coodley

COODLEY: I haven’t had the time to be involved with lots of organizations. I think a number of different groups see different aspects of the problem.

FQ: Do you see in the PCP role something akin to a preacher/counselor?

COODLEY: I try to discuss the problem and possible choices with patients rather than strongly pushing one solution since I think it is ultimately the individuals’ choice. I certainly provide my opinion and suggestions when they are open to it.

FQ: Does examining and writing about the complex problems within the medical world and the ways it might be reformed give you a sense of hope?

COODLEY: I don’t see those with power and influence being concerned with the problem of disappearing PCPs. I did find that there were some simple solutions that would have a major impact without costing anything to the health care system overall. I have tried to share these and make the case for them.

FQ: Did the complications of “Covid times” spur you to write more and/or share more about these looming issues? 

COODLEY: I think Covid has just accelerated many problems with health care, including the closure of multiple small primary care practices.

FQ: With the lack of PCPs, many communities have seen a big rise in “Walk In” quick care for minor issues (pink eye, colds, etc.). Do you see this as a good thing or another road block in efforts to encourage more PCPs?

COODLEY: I think the urgent cares are a consequence, but not a cause of fewer PCPs. Unfortunately, the data suggests that they add to overall health care costs, result in a huge proportion of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and don’t provide the comprehensive care patients would get from their PCPs.

FQ: Our area, like most, is suffering from a lack of PCPs, with many leaving the area for bigger cities. The typical wait for a new PCP here is now one year (I know, I just went through this). Do you think the frustration with this will keep people from seeking health care?

COODLEY: The evidence is that lack of PCPs results in poorer and costlier care for individuals, as well as reduced preventive care. I think many people will defer issues until they become emergencies.

FQ: I worked in a college physics department for years where we had all the pre-med students come through for required physics courses. In all those years, I only met a small handful of future doctors who had any interest in becoming a PCP. They all had their sights set on the much higher paying specialist positions. So - do you think colleges could be part of the problem and what would you say to the Chairs of those departments to help fix this issue?

COODLEY: I think the problem lies with medical schools which could reduce their requirements and shorten their time frame to reduce the high cost of training. Medical schools and residency training programs could also choose to reduce the costs specifically for those going into primary care. The differential in pay lies under the control of the Federal government, specifically Medicare, whose policies are aped by the insurers. Colleges are innocent bystanders in the process.

#BookReview of Two for the Show: A Maximo Morgan Mystery

Two for the Show: A Maximo Morgan Mystery

By: William LeRoy

Publisher: Mossik Press

Publication Date: September 9, 2022

ISBN: 978-8-986-9494-0-6

Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford

Review Date: December 13, 2022

William LeRoy is back with more tomfoolery and who-done-it adventure in his latest book, Two for the Show.

Max Morgan stood in the doorway of the Henryetta, Oklahoma high school gym and surveyed the situation before him. Poised to cross the threshold to his 30th High School class reunion, he wondered why he was there. He thought about thirty years prior when he had to go to this Godforsaken place for his prom. He shuddered over the memories of his date when he recalled his ‘date’ was his mother. He had no friends to catch up with. There were no fond memories to initiate delightful banter of days gone by. So why was he here?

No sense standing in the doorway all night; time to suck it up and cross over to the ‘dark side’ of the evening. Memories cluttered Max’s thoughts. Nothing had changed. He studied the black and gold streamers overhead and wondered if they were the same ones used at prom thirty years ago. He took off his fedora and searched for a familiar nametag. He wasn’t positive, but he thought he recognized the only other member of the high school ‘Cheese Club,’ Fanny Ann Malone. She was on a direct course toward him. Imagine his surprise when he realizes it wasn’t Fanny, but Leona Morris— ‘Morris’ now, because she married high school sweetie Buckey. However, Buckey wasn’t with her because he was run over while jogging on their street recently. Still taken aback with the news of Buckey’s unfortunate mishap, Max checks back into Leona’s incessant chatter when he hears the names from the members of the ‘Motley Crew;’ a group of guys he hadn’t thought of in years. It just so happens they have a twice-a-week poker game in the Morris’ basement. Max wasn’t sure how or exactly when he agreed to it, but since Buckey was indisposed indefinitely, there was an open seat at the table and Max is invited to fill the vacancy. Max doesn’t know it quite yet, but this turn of events is nothing compared to the shenanigans about to unfold in his near future.

I had the pleasure of reading Case of a Puzzling Book, one of the books in the Maximo Morgan Mystery series earlier this year. William LeRoy remains true to his style in this series in that there is an ample serving of ‘Sam Spade/gumshoe’ jargon in Two for the Show. LeRoy wastes no time in setting the stage (and table) for the mystery about to unfold. With ease, LeRoy demonstrates his affinity of astute word placement in describing main character, Max Morgan: "...Max stood at the main door of the Henryetta, Oklahoma high school gym, dreading to enter. He had no old friends to catch up with. He had no fond memories of good old days to relive. He had no appetite for lunch. His attendance on the 30th reunion kick-off event—like the last time he had stood in that same spot—was strictly a duty dance assigned to him by his mom..." With a clear picture of who Max Morgan is, LeRoy is quick to introduce other key characters which facilitates early engagement to the storyline. There are definitely cheeky moments and the balance between mystery and intrigue works. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Mr. LeRoy slides in yet another zinger! This book is a little over 100 pages which makes for a quick and entertaining read. Two for the Show is another win in the Maximo Morgan Mystery series.

Quill says: Two for the Show is a nice blend of mystery and intrigue with a consistent dose of humor to keep it entertaining from beginning to end.

For more information on Two for the Show, please visit the author's Goodreads page at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22392936

#BookReview of Unthinkable: Who Kills Their Grandmother? by James W. Marquart

Unthinkable: Who Kills Their Grandmother?

By: James W. Marquart

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: October 25, 2022

ISBN: 978-1639885695

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: December 13, 2022

Author and academician James W. Marquart brings his work within the legal system to bear in Unthinkable: Who Kills Their Grandmother?, a disturbing account of a brutal murder and its aftermath.

Marquart was drawn to composing the story of the 2014 killing of Mildred “Dodie” Harrington by a remarkable set of personal circumstances detailed in his opening chapter. The victim, age 85, was found early one morning in her home in Dundee, Illinois, lying on her bed, her throat slashed open. Investigation showed no sign of a violent entry, and no witness of any perpetrator. But, as Marquart points out, “Cops are very clever people, especially investigators.” Questioning Rich Schmelzer, Dodie’s grandson whom she partially raised, the police noted one peculiar anomaly despite his many alibis: he claimed that the night of the murder he had gone to a certain restaurant and, he insisted, had paid cash for his meal – but his wallet contained a receipt for the meal – paid with his credit card. Gradually stitching together the clues as to his whereabouts and motivations, it came to light that Schmelzer was in line to inherit half of Dodie’s property. Added to that clue was the fact that Rich was married but not the most dedicated husband; he had been spending huge sums for online and in-person sexual activity and begging acquaintances for loans that were not forthcoming. Rich was tried and found guilty of Dodie’s savage killing - though still declaring his innocence - sentenced to forty-five years in prison with no possibility of parole.

Marquart, who has served as President of The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and authored extensive works treating with legal matters, makes the alleged events easy to envision, from the relevant bits and pieces uncovered by diligent law enforcement and the emotional testimony by those who knew Schmelzer as someone who seemed to enjoy inflicting pain. It seems clear that Schmelzer wanted his grandmother dead for selfish reasons, and carefully, willingly delivered her horrifying demise. Marquart balances his well-organized account by speaking of innocent men who yet reside in prison, and pointing out in the final chapter that “people you thought were harmless can become violent monsters, depending on the situation.” This fair-minded approach will appeal to his readers as much as his rigorous attention to legal process and his dramatic offering of the eerie scenario of a kindly grandmother’s coldhearted killing.

Quill says: James Marquart has collected records, collated data, and constructed this combination crime thriller and courtroom drama that will evoke pity for an innocent victim and justifiable anger at a seemingly unfeeling perpetrator.

For more information on Unthinkable: Who Kills Their Grandmother?, please visit the author's website at: https://jamesmarquart.com/