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Reptile Dysfunction

by Amy Lignor of The Write Companion

“Mommy, what’s reptile dysfunction?” 

“A crocodile with a limp, honey.”

From the very beginning, some of the most “interesting” words have come out of my daughter’s mouth.  Even at one month old, at her baptism, the church was completely quiet as the Reverend announced, “Let us Pray.“  In that moment of pure peace, the joy of my life let go of a belch that would make Homer Simpson proud.  And, that’s when the laughter began.

Ah…children.  The joy of that little tyke is indescribable.  Just ask any parent.  And, with the joy comes that ‘unknown factor,’ which can offer a parent everything from fear to inspiration.  We are raised by loving parents to hold our tongues in public (not me, apparently…and I think Lady GaGa is out.)  We are taught to slip on that mask and hold in our sarcastic comments.  Such as, when we sit at our desks and DON’T tell our boss that he’s an idiot yet, we DO tell our neighbors that the porcelain toilet seat holding flowers on their front lawn is art  We TRY not to tell our best friend that even though her true love can fart and burp the alphabet at the same time, it doesn’t make him a Nobel Prize winner.  Although, let’s face it, this talent could soon end up to be the only necessary requirement to become President. 

But when we’re kids…we’re free.  We’re free to say anything to anyone as long as we keep that angelic smile glued to our face.  Even bitter, old hags have to pat us on the head.  God was kind enough to grant me my very own angelic creation.  In fact, I have a feeling He held a meeting to make sure that just the right soul was selected to be sent down for payback…answering my own beloved mother’s prayer:  “I hope someday you have a child who acts JUST like you!”  (I’ve tried to find that in the Bible…I KNOW it’s got to be there.)

My angelic babe is now an adult with a slightly dry, sarcastic tone -  where she got that from I have no idea!  But once upon a time, as she and I whisked our way across the country, she never failed to deliver the lines that almost got me killed on a number of occasions.  And even though her angelic smile was always firmly in place, that glint in her deep, brown eyes led me to believe that she knew EXACTLY what she was doing.  My mother’s prayer had been answered. 

Location 1:  Graceland.  My daughter loved running around that huge hall of gift shops, and boarding that bus that led through the famous gates adorned with musical notes.  We put the headphones on and the tour began, as we drove up to the lovely white home with columns out front.  (I swear the person who invented headphone tours is laughing their butt off right now.)  Entering into that horrific living room, my daughter began to shout:  “So where is HE?  Where’s Elvis?”  Those around us smiled, but the look of those women dressed to the nines in high heels and short skirts - as if The King, himself, were upstairs just waiting to descend and pick one of them from the line-up - mirrored that of the Devil.  It was if this child screaming was destroying their greatest fantasy.  I tapped my daughter on the shoulder and told her to ‘shush.’  But it was no use.  “Maybe he’s upstairs!”  Bolting toward the staircase which was roped off, (Let’s face it, putting a rope in front of a child is like putting saran wrap in front of Jaws), I ran after her.  She shouted over the recorders, “Well?  Where IS this guy?”  Mommy was hot.  Mommy was tired.  And, quite frankly, Mommy was an Aerosmith fan   “He’s dead!  He was an idiot, took drugs and killed himself!  Okay!?”  If the world had gone dark at that moment, or an army of policemen had raced up the driveway to arrest me for indecency, I wouldn’t have been surprised.  But my daughter just smiled at me and ran in the other direction.  “What’s the big deal, then?  It’s just a house.  What’s a peanut-butter and banana sandwich, anyway?”  We raced from that building before I was shot through the neck by a flying stiletto.

Location 2:  Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  As a longtime football fan, it was kind of cool to see the inside of this ‘hole-in-the-roof‘ monument, even though I was venturing into enemy territory.  Once again the headphones were put on and the great Tom Landry began to speak.  My daughter’s strong ‘pipes’ once again interrupted the show.  “But Mommy?  You HATE the Cowboys!  You’re a ‘Niners fan!”  (This announcement was made after my team had come to the Lone Star State and wiped the floor with the Cowboys.)   I have to say, even though we were in an almost land-locked state, my death by water-boarding looked like it was about to begin. 

Location 3:  The Living Room.  I came from the bathroom after washing my hair and the phone rang.  “This is 911.  Are you okay, ma’am?”  “Of course,” I replied.  “What’s the matter?”  “Well…a little girl just dialed from that house.”  I looked down at Shelby who just shrugged her shoulders.  “I just wanted to talk to Officer Dan.”  “Who’s Officer Dan?”  Shelby pointed at the TV.  Sure enough, Officer Dan was hosting the Cartoon Network, letting everyone know that if they ever needed him, all they had to do was call him up at 911 for a chat.  I was then given a lecture on how the number was for emergency use only and I could go to jail if we dialed for no reason.  Duh!  You’re the ones who are giving out his number!

Location 4:  Blockbuster.  “Mom, can I see this movie?”  I look down at the horrific cover with the scary mask and bloody axe.  “No, honey.  That’s a bad movie.”  My daughter’s little friend asks, “What’s a bad movie?”  My dear, sweet angel simply says - in as loud a voice as possible - “They say h*ll, d*mn, and sh*t.”  There was a woman who looked a great deal like a nun at Blockbuster that day, and I was suddenly in the cast of Deliverance.

One day we were traveling and had to stop for gas.  I was standing in line behind a tall gentleman in a nice suit, when the woman behind the counter told him they were out of gas; the trucks hadn’t arrived yet.  He left and I turned to follow.  The woman asked me what I needed.  “Don’t worry about it,” I replied.  “Just needed gas.”  She rolled her eyes and started to laugh out loud with her friend.  “Well, we have gas for you!”  I looked down at my daughter, wondering who died and made me Queen.  “Huh?” I replied.  “We don’t have gas for them.”  I couldn’t figure out what she meant.  No gas for businessmen?  She lost a lot of money in the stock market and now hated anyone wearing a suit?  Then it dawned on me.  My daughter and I went back to the car and drove away.  We spoke about the fact that Mommy was mad.  It was the 1990’s, and being turned down for service because of skin color was something that happened far before my time.  But it still existed.  Even now, my daughter and I see it in a brand new place. 

The point is this.  Even though there have been some moments where my daughter‘s words could‘ve landed me in traction, we’ve grown up together.  We’ve faced morons, and seen the good and bad in life.  And, luckily enough, my daughter still has the kindest heart (and VERY strong voice at VERY interesting times).  We taught each other that humor was okay.  That having an opinion was okay.  As long as you speak the truth and aren’t just slamming others, it is definitely okay to ask questions, keep an open mind, and have a laugh or two.  As long as it’s NOT at someone else’s expense!

Next Week:  You Shall Love No Other God But Me!…Love, Mom.

Author Interview with Wendy Laird

Today we're talking with Wendy Laird, author of Rambling Squirrel

FQ: Wendy, the thoughts that you add to your book about taking the time to stop and look around are extremely true. Are you a nature lover? Do you spend a great deal of time outside being a part of the peace?


Yes! I love the wild outdoors and all the changing seasons. Growing up, my parents always taught us to smell, touch and admire all the awesome beauty of nature. I find serenity while hiking in the redwoods or paddle boarding the ocean.


FQ: Your art is listed on the AL (Art League) in Santa Cruz for purchase. Are you a member of this organization that encourages visual arts? And, if so, can you tell us a little bit about their goals and the services they offer to artists?

Author/Artist Wendy Laird

Yes! I am a member of the Santa Cruz Art League. They are an awesome organization committed to bringing visual art to the community. They offer affordable art classes, host fun gallery receptions, have a theatre and award prizes for some art events. The gallery exhibit rotates monthly and run the range from textiles and ceramics to fine oils on canvas.


FQ: Your works, including "Forbidden Fruit" and "Orchard Beauty” are extremely beautiful. Do you find all your inspiration in nature?


Yes! I love to re-create nature through art and give it a little artistic twist! I enjoy painting fruit, flowers or fish close up and pump up the colors and shadows and add gels and glass beads and other elements to give the canvas some texture and flair. A visual piece of nature with a kick!

"Taste of Eden" by Wendy Laird

FQ: When you look towards the future, are you continuing on the art path with any events or showings that our readers could learn about? And, is writing going to also be a continued pursuit for you with more children’s books to come?


It has been a thrill to write a children's book and do local readings and book signings. I am considering writing a future book that has an ocean theme. We live by the harbor and there are so many activities and a lot of marine wildlife and shore birds in the area. It would be a fun adventure to create a children's story about the sea. Perhaps I could paint the illustrations in bold acrylics or a printmaking technique like lithography.

FQ: The art world in Santa Cruz seems to be a rather large part of the community. What can you tell us of the support that is offered there? Such as, would you recommend Santa Cruz to other artists, performers, etc.?


Santa Cruz is a mecca for artists, musicians, and authors. The town supports a top college, UCSC, which has been a breeding ground for young, creative minds and hosts an incredible art department which includes theatre and film making. There are many adult ed and childrens art classes offered in town and some great local theatre classes and preformances too. There is an annual Shakespeare festival that's widely popular and October brings our local Open Studios event. Santa Cruz also hosts a monthly first Friday art walk through town where galleries, cafes and retail stores open their doors at night for art admirers to view or purchase. It's a stellar and supportive art community and I especially like the free summer concerts on the beaches, outdoor movie nights and plentiful art and wine events during the warmer months.


FQ: The world of juvenile fiction - not to mention young adult - has become a HUGE part of the marketplace. Have you every considered writing a YA novel, perhaps incorporating your amazing skill and creativity in that area?


Sure, I have considered writing for young adults with something along the lines of enviormental education done in a beautiful, entertaining, and creative way. Although I prefer creating books with a storyline that embraces a beautiful piece of art. I have many new ideas and have really enjoyed creating my first children's book.

FQ: Thank you so much for your time. I truly loved the imagination and immense beauty of Rambling Squirrel, and I wish you all the best with your future pursuits.


Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me. It has been an honor to receive your "Feathered Quill Be Kind to Animals Award" and I appreciate all your glowing kudos towards my Rambling Squirrel book. Take care!


To learn more about Rambling Squirrel please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Author Interview with Linda Hafner

Today we're talking with Linda Hafner, author of Simple, Fresh & Healthy: A Collection of Seasonal Recipes


(Note: All photos © James Scherzi) 


FQ: In the 1970s the Hafner family had a small farm stand. You talked about how people who once bought "produce by the bushel" changed to the pick and choose method of selecting their produce. What are the benefits of buying locally grown fruits and vegetables and how do you feel this has enriched the health of your own family?


The benefits of buying locally grown fruits and vegetables begin with the environmental impact. Local produce does not have to be transported very far so the transportation costs are minimal, there are no packaging costs, and no plastic containers. The benefit to the local farmers is obvious. And of course nutritionally, the sooner you eat it after it's picked the more vitamins are retained. Local fresh produce came in to our farm stand every day off our farm and from local farmers. I planned my meals around that produce, brought it home and cooked it that night. Health wise, you can't beat fresh fruits and vegetables!

Chuck and Linda Hafner

FQ: Many people talk about detoxing and purging things like sugar from their diets, yet you include it in several of your recipes. Take for example, your recipe for "Apple Country Cake." You definitely don't skimp on the sugar! What is your reasoning for keeping things like sugar and some higher fat contents in your recipes?

The idea of my cookbook was to get people to cook local fruit and produce from scratch! It's a start because this is surly lacking from the American diet! That being said I did cut the sugar from every dessert in the book, as much as I could without compromising the recipe! In the Apple Country cake, I offer advice NOT to use sugar in the apples.

I believe all the fats in the cookbook are either canola oil or olive oil. I don't believe in dessert every night....but for those special occasions! I don't think deprivation works! I'm trying to get my reader to cook simple meals from scratch...no prepared mixes with chemicals and preservatives....if you make it, you know what you put into it! I think we need to take "small steps" to get people to change their eating habits.....not radical changes. So many people I talked to either hated to cook or didn't know how or felt it was too time consuming. I wanted to dispel that myth and get people to start cooking from scratch again and to involve their families in it. What great family fun to have their children help them plant a small garden, then harvest and cooking the food! You just might get your kids to eat those vegetables!

FQ: Oftentimes first time cookbooks used a simple ring binder format with pages that look as if they are fresh off a copy machine. Your cookbook is totally professional and the WOW factor is evident on each and every page. Can you tell us briefly how you went about producing a cookbook that could rival some of the best on the market?

Jess, Ryan, Taryn, Linda and Chuck 

I had an idea for a cookbook that was done in seasons using our local produce to coincide with the opening of our new garden center....One of the best food photographers just happens to live in Syracuse, his name is James Scherzi. His wife is a very talented graphic designer, Holly Scherzi. My book is the 3rd cookbook they've done. I loved the first book they did... so I went to them with my idea! They really liked the idea and found a writer who they thought might be able to work with me. The 4 of us clicked, and so began about a 3 year project! Denise Harrigan came to my house 2-3 times a week and listened to me talk as I cooked, and she recorded my words. We all knew everyone likes to see a picture of the recipe! So I cooked and we photographed as many as we could, some in the studio, some in my kitchen, some in my backyard. I am not a food stylist, I just love to cook! I wanted the recipes to be easy for anyone to duplicate if they could see them finished. And so they say, the rest is history! We all are pleased with the book and the response we've had from it. We've continued our relationship as Jim and Holly have done photography and graphic design we are using in the garden center.

FQ: The recipes in your cookbook will appeal to people of all generations. There are recipes like "Sage Turkey Burgers" that the twenty-something crowd will gravitate toward, but there are recipes like "Crock Pot Beef Stew" that have that homey appeal their grandparents would marvel at. How and why did you decide to include some of your recipes? Any method to your madness?

All the recipes in the book are my recipes or from my Mom. Cooking changes with the seasons. I never thought about them appealing to different generations! I was trying to use what's available in each season and use recipes that would be available then.

FQ: You mention in your brief confessional in the beginning of the book, that you had "never grown a vegetable from seed to harvest." Perhaps you'd like to revisit that garden and tell people about how easy (or difficult) it is to grow your own.

Jess, Taryn, Ryan Hafner

I really wanted to include a garden in my cookbook! We are a garden center....and I wanted everyone to know how simple and rewarding it would be to grow some of your own produce. Lettuces, herbs, tomatoes and peppers are easily grown in containers if you don't have space. Lately the media has focused on growing your own produce to save on the food bill, not to mention the health benefits. I wanted to prove how easily this could be done. So, I set about to prove my theory. In my 6X10 ft. garden I put about $35.00 worth of plants and seeds and calculated I was able to harvest about $400.00 worth of produce. I was amazed at how little time I spent weeding and watering my garden, then when I harvested my first crop, spinach, I couldn't believe how easy it was and how wonderful my spinach was!

FQ: If I had my druthers, I would probably select "Fresh Strawberry Pie" as one of my favorite recipes in this book. If you had to pick just one, which one would that be and why? Oh, and perhaps you'd like to say why the strawberry pie is sooooo scrumptious!

I think my favorite recipe is the "Pure Plum tomato sauce!" It illustrates my cooking philosophy, simple, fresh, and healthy. Shrimp or chicken can be added for a great addition. And this recipe is best with homegrown tomatoes!

George Hafner

FQ: Food is obviously a very important part of Hafner family life. Would you like to talk a bit about your family and your business, the "Chuck Hafner's Farmer's Market?"

Yes, food is important to the Hafner family! All 3 of my children cook, although my daughter's are better at it than my son. We all appreciate healthy simple food, it dominates many of our conversations. As far as the business, Chuck and I have been married for 40 years. We've grown this business from a small produce stand to a state of the art 67,000sq. ft. garden center farm market. It's been an amazing journey.

To learn more about Simple, Fresh & Healthy: A Collection of Seasonal Recipes please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Author Interview with John F. Rooney

Today we're talking with John F. Rooney, author of Unprotected Love (Book 3 in the Lieutenant Denny Delaney series)

FQ: There are a great deal of theatre references in this novel. Can readers assume you are a huge purveyor of the theatrical entertainment that NYC has to offer? And, did any of your ideas “spring” from that City?


Over the years I have seen thousands of Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals. At one time I saw every theater of the absurd play that was on stage in the city. I particularly love musicals, although there haven’t been many plays I’ve missed. Sondheim and Jerry Herman are particular favorites, I think because of a tin ear, I’ve never developed a real fondness for opera or concerts. New York City is my inspiration and though I live in Florida now, I manage to get back there three or four times a year. I always see at least four shows on a trip to New York City.

Author John F. Rooney

FQ: Your research and knowledge on the police Special Crimes Unit is extremely rich and detailed. Do you work with the police? Or, have investigators helped with the research for your novels?


I try to avoid too much contact with the police. I want to sound authentic, but I don’t like to get so technical that I turn off readers. I learn a lot by reading crime books and crime stories in newspapers. I never watch TV crime shows.


FQ: This book shows an absolute love for NYC. Almost every page tells of a “site,” restaurant, landmark, building…can readers assume that you were born or lived there for a time?


I’ve spent many years in and around New York City, and it’s my favorite place in the world. I just don’t like winters in New York, beyond a pretty snowy day. New York has it all as far as I’m concerned. My family started bringing me to New York when I was about six, and I’ve been hooked on it ever since. I still love the show at Radio City Music Hall. Love the Rockettes.


FQ: Your writing shows an extreme sensitivity and wisdom for the “gay” community. Your characters, such as Tim, are presented with a kindness that not all writers show. Can you tell us a little bit about the research and/or issues that are important to you to highlight in your novels?


Let me see how a person treats a minority member such as a homosexual, and I’ll tell you whether that person has true humanity. It’s so easy to scapegoat, to blame others, to laugh at overweight people, to ridicule a religion, to blame all terrorism on Muslims. A person’s dislikes and hatreds are mirrors into the soul. We need to love and respect every human being and glory in that person’s uniqueness and diversity.


FQ: There are other novels written by you other than Denny Delaney. Can you give readers information on those titles? As well as the thought process behind the creation of them?


My two novels Daemon in Our Dreams and Last Passage to Santiago were attempts (good ones I thought) to blend a strong fiction story with the experience of travel, specifically a cruise. Daemon mined the world of the paranormal and Passage was more of a love story with a thriller twist. The Rice Queen Spy is my best novel because it is deeper and richer than the others. It explores a man’s life and gets to the man’s inner psyche.


FQ: I am aware that you received your M.A. in Arts and Science from Columbia University and went on to work in many different industries. Is writing now your number one pursuit?


Writing is the most important thing I do. I love to write reviews for Amazon and have written over 400.


FQ: You mention Michael Connelly in your novel. Just wondering whether or not he is among your list of favorites?


I love a whole group of British crime writers, but the only American crime writer I really love is Michael Connelly because his plots are so devilishly clever.


To learn more about Unprotected Love (Book 3 in the Lieutenant Denny Delaney series) please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

National Poetry Month

In Celebration of National Poetry Month in April, Public Television Brings Poetry Online and into Homes Nationwide with Poetry Everywhere, a Collection of 40 Short Poetry Films

For Immediate Release: April 1, 2011: This April, Poetry Everywhere with Garrison Keillor returns to public television and the Web with a broad spectrum of poetic voices. Produced by WGBH Boston and David Grubin Productions, in association with the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, the project offers 40 short poetry films during unexpected moments in the public television broadcast schedule. Through television and the Internet (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/), viewers will have an exclusive, front-row seat to the world’s greatest poetry festival.

Says WGBH’s Brigid Sullivan, series executive producer, “With Poetry Everywhere, our goal is to provide new platforms for poetry. Whether our viewers seek out poems online, on public television, or through new classroom tools on Teachers’ Domain, our mission is to present these great works across a range of mediums and increase the overall accessibility of poetry to new audiences.”

David Grubin, the producer of the series, concurs. “Television, and now the Internet— pervasive mass cultural mediums—can make the voice of a single human being especially vivid,” Grubin says. “We are hoping that these poems will be a reason to pause in our busy lives, providing a moment for introspection, inspiration, even revelation.”

“Poetry Everywhere brings great poems, in gem-like productions, to the eyes, ears, and hearts of its viewers,” says Poetry Foundation president John Barr. “A poem at a time, it enriches our lives.”

Building on Poetry Everywhere’s existing collection of 32 short poetry films, the project’s fourth season on public television adds eight new poets reading their own works: Galway Kinnell, After Making Love We Hear Footsteps; Dorianne Laux, Dust; Joseph Millar, American Wedding; Kwame Dawes, Tornado Child; Matthew Dickman, Slow Dance; Kay Ryan, Turtle; Rita Dove, American Smooth; and Bob Hicok, Calling him back from layoff.

Once again, Garrison Keillor serves as series narrator. Keillor’s introductions to the poems and poets provide audiences with wonderful insights into each poet’s world. His enthusiasm for poetry is well documented, both as a regular feature on his public radio programs A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer’s Almanac, and in his poetry anthologies, Good Poems, Good Poems for Hard Times, and the forthcoming Good Poems, American Places (to be released in April).
New online resources help bring Poetry Everywhere into the classroomNew to the project this season is the Poetry Everywhere collection on Teachers’ Domain (WGBH’s online library of free media resources for classroom use http://www.teachersdomain.org/special/pe08-ex/), also launching April 1. Teachers’ Domain’s Poetry Everywhere collection will feature a diversity of poets—35 in all—including Adrienne Rich, Naomi Shihab Nye, Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Rita Dove, Kwame Dawes, Marilyn Chin, and Matthew Dickman. Each entry will include a short introduction that sparks the student’s interest and desire to read the poem, and questions for classroom discussion. And each asset is correlated to state and national standards.

Selections from Poetry Everywhere also are offered on iTunes U and YouTube for free download as tools for individuals, colleges, educators, and other organizations—such as book groups and poetry clubs—to use and share the content.

About Poetry Everywhere
The Poetry Everywhere series employs a variety of dynamic production approaches, including poets reading their own work to camera, animated interpretations of much-loved poems, and celebrities reading favorite poems. The Poetry Everywhere collection of poems also is available for streaming at pbs.org/poetry.
Poetry Everywhere offers something for everyone. Robert Frost reads his classic, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening in an archival clip; former US poet laureate Billy Collins reads The Lanyard, a poem marked by his characteristic mix of poignancy and humor; Mary Louise-Parker, Tony Kushner, and Wynton Marsalis share their favorite poems; and an Emily Dickinson poem is rendered in an animation. There are poems by Pulitzer Prize-winner Yusef Koumanyaka, National Book Award-winner Adrienne Rich, former US poet laureate Stanley Kunitz, the great 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, Nobel Prize-winner W.B. Yeats, and many more, including a number of contemporary poets filmed at The Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, North America’s largest poetry festival.
The Poetry Everywhere website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/) also features a collection of original animated interpretations of contemporary poems created by undergraduate students of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Visitors to Poetry Everywhere on the Web can visit the Poetry Foundation website (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/) to read the full text of featured poems and biographies of the poets, as well as further explore the Foundation’s extensive poetry archive. The full collection of poems will be available for online streaming beginning April 1 at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/.

Poetry Everywhere is a co-production of WGBH and David Grubin Productions, in association with the Poetry Foundation. David Grubin is the producer. WGBH’s Brigid Sullivan is executive producer. The poetry films of Philip Levine, Charles Simic, and Seamus Heaney were created by Leita Luchetti for the WGBH series Poetry Breaks. The series is distributed nationally by Boston-based American Public Television (APT).

Friday Finds

Friday Finds is hosted

by Should Be Reading

Bluey & Dingo's Outback Adventure Beautifully illustrated over 40 pages in full color and aimed at the 4-7 years' old age group, Bluey and Dingo's Outback Adventure follows the exciting story of a farmer who has to travel deep into the Outback to save a sick camel. When his Jeep breaks down, Bluey and his pet, Dingo, are left stranded in the middle of the Australian desert. Surrounded by snakes and frightening wildlife, they have to figure out how to get home safely...

The Megasaurus What's the King of Beandom to do? The tiny, multi-colored bean-shaped bears of Beandom are under attack by a monster. Even the King's wisest advisors seem unable find a solution. Who will save Beandom? Can an ordinary tiny bear step forward with a plan that works? Welcome to Beandom! It's a great place to visit. Or, it will be — just as soon as we get rid of that pesky monster! The message of the story is: Follow your convictions even when others think differently. In the series entitled The Lima Bear Stories, as the basic characters appear and reappear, each has a distinct personality that shines through in every story. While the children have no idea what twists and turns the story may take, they come to know the characters and have a pretty good idea of how they are likely to act in different situations and settings. In essence, the children become friends with the characters. There is a form of bonding that develops. Each story carries an important overriding message (such as courage, tolerance, honesty), and we believe that this bonding creates a more profound understanding and appreciation of the message.

Origami Zoo: 25 Fun Paper Animal Creations! Origami Zoo contains twenty-five delightful origami animal designs. Kids will love creating such critters as koalas, monkeys, butterflies, vultures, and more. Color photos and helpful illustrations make the instructions easy to follow. Origami Zoo comes with 60 sheets of origami paper. Paul Jackson is a professional paper artist and instructor living in Tel Aviv, Israel. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. He is the author of Origami Toys: Paper Toys that Fly, Tumble, and Spin.

Bless This Mouse Here is how it started. Out of the corner of my eye, while I was hard at work one day, I saw something move. A little scurrying motion. It wasn’t my dog, Alfie, who was curled up and snoozing by my feet. But I was quite certain I had seen something. I went to look, and found a mouse. But this mouse was quite different. He had very large eyes and ears. They made him appear—well, cute. He seemed, actually, to have a personality, and he was completely unafraid of me. Finally, not knowing exactly how to behave with such a creature, I picked him up, talked to him a bit about how he would be happier living outdoors, and then I carried him out to my garden and gently placed him on the ground beside the birdbath. I told him that I hoped he would have a pleasant summer. Alfie took one last close-up look at him and lost interest. Then I went back into the house and to my unfinished manuscript. But I found myself suddenly bored by my fictional humans. I could only think about mice. I started typing. I created a mouse, and then another, and another. I gave them names and personalities and problems and relationships, and before I knew it I had written an entire book about them. I called it Bless This Mouse.

SAT & BAF! Memories of a Tower Rat It is 1986, and the Soviet Union is five years from collapsing bringing an end to a nearly fifty year standoff with the United States. The arms race has ramped up to unbelievable proportions. The USSR is also in the midst of a protracted war of conquest in Afghanistan. Leftist groups such as the Red Army Faction (RAF) of West Germany and Action Direct (AD) of France are threatening to attack NATO installations in the Federal Republic of Germany and throughout Europe as they have in the past. Thousands of protestors are surrounding nuclear storage sites and are becoming more aggressive each year. It appears nothing can end this standoff except nuclear annihilation or capitulation by one of the antagonists.  One company of infantry stands between the entire Soviet arsenal and live Pershing II nuclear missiles which are the threat used by President Ronald Reagan as he orders Mr. Gorbachev to "tear down this wall."

Jesus: God, Man or Party Label? The Dead Sea Scrolls' Messiah Code Intrigue. Politics. Lies. Power struggle. Sound like a thriller? It's the Bible. In Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?, Chris Albert Wells argues that the interpretation of the Gospels we have been taught as Truth ignores a bitter battle of intra-community conflicts and strategies. To discover the nature of the initial split, Wells encourages us to give a new look at the Essene Dead Sea Scroll Messiahs and then to Northern Syria, where the first Gospels were written in a community called Essene before being called Christian. The reader will discover here the background that ultimately produced the Gospels and what they really meant to those who wrote them. Within this community context, Jesus will be just as alien to established Church traditions as to modern historical portrayals or mythical castings forwarded by scholarly textual criticism. Wells challenges us to question everything we have been told, and to understand the story of Jesus in an entirely new light. Chris Albert Wells is a university teacher, professor of surgery and presently lives on the French Riviera.

Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music Charles Fox has composed more than 100 motion picture and television scores, among them the themes of many iconic series, including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Love, American Style, and Love Boat. Twice nominated for the Academy Award and a two-time Emmy winner, Fox has also written music for the concert hall and the ballet. Among the hundreds of songs he has written is the Grammy Award-winning 'Killing Me Softly with His Song,' a number one record in just about every country in the world, by two different artists: Roberta Flack in 1973 and the Fugees, 20 years later. In this memoir, Fox recounts his development as a musician, beginning with his formal music education in Paris. From letters he wrote home between 1959 and 1961, Fox recounts his studies under the tutelage of the most renowned music composition teacher of the 20th century, Nadia Boulanger, whose influence Fox carried throughout his entire professional career. Following his return to the states, Fox describes the cornerstone events of his musical and personal life. He reflects on the highlights of his career, working with some of the greatest names in entertainment, film, television, and records, including Jim Croce, Barry Manilow, Lena Horne, and Fred Astaire. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Composers & Lyricists, Fox's memoir is a compelling story of a musician and composer whose work continues to entertain and inspire listeners around the world.

Grieving a Soulmate: The Love Story Behind "Till Death Do Us Part" The book every lover should read. Grieving a Soulmate is unlike any book you've ever read, even though the story is universal. It's about the death of a lover. The book takes on this difficult and very personal topic with courage, out-of-the box thinking, and deep love. Ranging from the practical to the emotional--and frequently blending the two--Orfali's style of writing makes a difficult topic easier to manage. He writes in an easy style that is analytical, yet speaks from the heart. The content is thought-provoking, unique and original. It's your gentle and informed guide to the deep grieving that accompanies the death of a soulmate. This book should help you quickly overcome the red-hot pain of grief. It also tells you how to reconstruct your life, find meaning, and deal with the big existential issues from a secular perspective. It's a survival guide for the last stages in a soulmate relationship. Above all, however, Grieving a Soulmate is a love story.

The Survivors In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, twenty-six children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived. The Survivors is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the fourteen ill-fated Survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for over three centuries. Isolated on a Montana mountainside, only Sadie, the rogue daughter, dares to abandon the family's sacred hiding place. But no matter how far Sadie runs, something always pulls her back. On a muggy summer night in Tennessee, she witnesses a shocking scene that will change her life forever. It is the first in a sequence of events that will drag her from the human world she's sought to belong to for over a century and send her back to her Puritanical family and into an uncertain future filled with cunning witches, mysterious nosferatu shape-shifters, dangerous eretica and vieczy vampires, millennia-old mythology, and the search for her own mortality. After all... HOW DO YOU KILL A SURVIVOR? The Survivors will steal your heart and invade your mind. Fall into the pages of Sadie's life, a world so frighteningly similar to your own, you'll find yourself wanting to go to the Montana mountains to find the Survivors for yourself. And it is only the beginning.