#BookReview - Beaming Up and Getting Off

Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek

By: Walter Koenig
Publisher: Jacobs Brown Press
Publication Date: May 2020
ISBN: 978-1733605342
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: April 7, 2020

Actor, author, producer, and teacher Walter Koenig is well-known to fans of science-fiction thanks to his roles on Star Trek and Babylon 5. In 1998 he penned his memoir, Warped Factors, which no doubt delighted his fans. Now he offers an updated edition to that book, Beaming Up and Getting Off.

Koenig starts his memoir where all good memoirs start - with his family history. After we meet his immediate family and learn a little about the family's background, the author starts to explore his early years and events that impacted him in both positive, and negative, ways. Early classrooms, and teachers (one he contends must have truly been a manic-depressive with strong paranoiac influences), his first crush, and his first play are all found within the early chapters of the book.

Undoubtedly, many fans of Walter Koenig will want to dive into the "good stuff" dealing with Star Trek and Babylon 5 but there's a lot that happens before fame starts to knock at the actor's door. College, plays, and more plays, and even a visit from the FBI investigating a prostitution ring that they believed was run by Koenig. The author's time at the Neighborhood Playhouse saw him performing along with other future stars - including James Caan, Dabney Coleman and Elizabeth Ashley. We get a peek at these actors and what they were like in those early years.

There's a hefty section of the book devoted to Star Trek, from Koenig's audition, through the series, cancellation, and rebirth through the movies. He shares many behind-the-scenes events, his relationships with the other actors, as well as which episodes were his favorites and why (as well as which one he felt was the most lacking - hint: a famous lawyer appeared in the episode). There's also the Babylon 5anecdotes as well as the author's comparison of the very different characters he played in both - Chekov and Bester. 

As a long time Trekkie from way back in the 70s, I was excited to read Beaming Up and Getting Off. Because I never read the original memoir, I can't compare and say how different this new and expanded edition is. But I can say that it's a good read with lots of interesting tidbits. Koenig opens up about a lot of things, and is brutally honest, far more so than many actors in their personal stories. The memoir does get off to a slow start as there's a bit too much background from his early years, but once his career starts to get going, so too, does the story. 

Quill says: Beaming Up and Getting Off is a satisfying read for both Star Trek and Babylon 5 fans, as well as those curious about the life and struggles of an actor.

#BookReview - The House at the End of the Moor

The House at the End of the Moor

By: Michelle Griep
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Publication Date: April 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64352-575-4
Reviewed by Diane Lunsford
Review Date: April 6, 2020

Michelle Griep does another exceptional job of entertainment for her audience in her latest book, The House at the End of the Moor.

Maggie Lee rose from rags to riches. She was born into poverty, but such a dire obstacle wouldn’t keep her from eventually becoming one of England’s most talented opera singers. It’s the late 1800s and on the edge of Dartmoor, near Lydford England, Maggie is tucked away in the safety of the quaint manor far from the town limits. She’s read Jane Eyre countless times at this point, but what else has she to do? It’s not that she’s on the run from the law so-to-speak. However, she thinks it’s best to lay low on the moor for the time being until she can get certain unfortunate circumstances she’d left behind at the Opera House cleared up. 

One morning, when she wakes up, Maggie decides it's time to do something - she's tired of sitting idle and reading. It was time to take her faithful dog Malcolm for a walk out on the moor. Avoiding a near-catastrophe, as she heads home, imagine her surprise when she happens upon a creature in the most inopportune place and realizes it’s not a creature at all.

Oliver Ward is staring down his ultimate destiny: death by hanging. He is incarcerated in the formidable Dartmoor Prison. To compound his misery of trying to survive in the despicable conditions leading up to his death, he must endure the likes of Officer Barrow. Barrow is a prison guard without conscience and relishes the power he has over his prisoners. His size alone is enough to make the prisoners quiver in his presence. The only thing that encourages Oliver Ward to rise from one day to the next is the knowledge that he is innocent and by God, he was going to prove it. Of course, he’s well beyond the conventions of a trial and the wheels of justice weighing in his favor. Rather, it’s time Ward puts his plan into action and consummates the escape he’s been strategically planning ever since he arrived at the Godforsaken Dartmoor Prison. What Ward couldn’t possibly know once he thought he was free from the chains that bound him was the fact that his past was in hot pursuit of him to regain control.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading other titles by Ms. Griep. As with previous books, she digs right into the story within the first few lines and manages to anchor her solid and familiar voice. Ms. Griep’s style and character development shines through in The House at the End of the Moor. She is accomplished at giving each one a defined and unique persona. She also has a signature style of subliminally weaving faith and hope throughout the read. It’s abundantly clear she’s been ‘...writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas...’ She consistently demonstrates her ability to pen an engaging read. 

Quill says: The House at the End of the Moor is a great read to add to your Spring/Summer reading list.

#BookReview - My Name is Saul @linwilder

My Name Is Saul: A Novel of the Ancient World

By: Lin Wilder
Publisher: Wilder Books
Publication Date: February 2020
ISBN: 978-1948018494
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review date: April 5, 2020

The early, pre-Biblical experiences of Saul of Tarsus, known to most as St. Paul the Apostle, is brought to light here in this “novel of the ancient world” by award-winning author Lin Wilder.

Much of Wilder’s book is set in the prison where Paul is awaiting execution by the Romans. There, his guard Aurelius, who has been purposely tormenting him, is astonished when Paul speaks to him, revealing intuitive knowledge of the guard’s own inner torments. Then Aurelius gladly takes on the task of recording what will be Paul’s last “book” – an autobiography.

As the only son of a pious Jewish family, Saul recounts, he went to Jerusalem at age 12 to study with the scholar Gamaliel. There he distinguished himself by his extensive knowledge of scripture, and became friends with several boys including one named Stephen. Once his six-year education was done, Saul married and soon he and his wife Hannah had a young son and another on the way. It is at this point that an earthquake kills them all while Saul is away from home on business. But his scholarship has gained him a position with the Sanhedrin. From that perspective Saul learns of the execution of “yet another pretender” to the role of Messiah, a man named Jesus. Later, conforming to customary beliefs, he votes in favor of stoning his old friend Stephen, a convert to the newly burgeoning religion based around Jesus’ teachings. Still later, on his way to persecute yet more followers, he is confronted and blinded by a vision of that same Jesus and becomes his faithful missionary. Aurelius diligently records Paul’s vivid memories and stays with him constantly until he is taken away to be beheaded.

Since very little is known about Saul before his Christian conversion, Wilder, who also writes mystery novels, has looked for clues wherever available to reconstruct the scenes of his early years. She bases his marriage, for example, on Judaic custom that suggests that young people were expected to wed by age 18. One of the more emotive passages in the book involves Paul’s explanation to Aurelius that he not only does not need to be celibate (despite Paul’s writings urging that state on religious aspirants), but he should marry in order to experience the many aspects of God’s love. Avowing that the idea for her book came almost like a command, Wilder states that writing it was “a distinct privilege.” She conveys very skillfully the conflict between the hate that festers in Saul’s Jewish heart toward the sacrilegious followers of Christ and the doubt that he feels after witnessing Peter performing an undeniable healing. She depicts Paul in his last days having learned to forgive, even to forgive himself, offering a shining model to Aurelius of what a Christ-centered life would offer.

Quill says: My Name Is Saul will find a fascinated audience, both among Wilder’s regular fan base looking for another well-crafted mystery, and for a new audience drawn by the title with its promise of respectful religious speculation and illumination.

For more information on My Name Is Saul: A Novel of the Ancient World, please visit the author's website at: www.linwilder.com

#AuthorInterview with Gary D. McGugan @GaryDMcGugan

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diane Lunsford is talking with Gary D. McGugan, author of The Multima Scheme (Book 2 in The Multima Trilogy of Corporate Intrigue).

FQ: Once again, I want to thank you for yet another enjoyable read. The returning characters have added depth and the ‘freshman class’ is keeping pace quite nicely with the old timers. I’ve noticed you plant a few seeds along the way to tie the story line to actual current affairs both politically and economically. Have you had any fans make mention that some of the situations are quite parallel with real life? If so, how do you respond to such observation(s)?

McGUGAN: Thanks for your kind words, and thank you again for an opportunity to chat with you and your audience. Yes, readers often comment about how plausible some passages in each of my stories might be. Although novels are works of fiction, I think stories are always more potent if scenarios and actions all seem plausible. My stories all stretch credulity a bit to make them exciting. But I try to validate plausibility with references to current events or well-known figures in a way that readers easily recognize. I think of it as part of the art of telling a story!

FQ: Considering the current pandemic, what creative ways have you come up with in promoting The Multima Trilogy (aside from social media) to keep a quasi-tangent connection with your fan base?

McGUGAN: Great question! And I wish I had an answer showing brilliant foresight and profound perceptiveness. Unfortunately, at this stage, I have neither. Since the arrival of the pandemic, my focus has been the completion of Pernicious Pursuit, my fourth novel. Until only a few weeks ago, I was planning to promote all my books with author events at bookstores. Indigo stores in Canada had already booked more than 35 dates for the Spring of 2020. That strategy must change as this pandemic will be with us for some time. Feathered Quill is part of my alternate approach. Working with sites like yours, I hope to attract new readers to all my novels, and I value your interest and support!

FQ: In line with my previous question, what social media platform is your ‘go to’ means for messaging? Why?

McGUGAN: Facebook is my primary platform (@gary.d.mcgugan.books). Twitter (@GaryDMcGugan) is another medium I enjoy and use. And Instagram is the most recent platform I’ve embraced. (authorgarydmcgugan). I favor Facebook primarily because it has a useful events tool that helps me promote author signing events effectively.

FQ: We learn in Three Weeks Less A Day that Howard Knight got himself in quite a pickle toward the end. Why bring his wife into the mix to lie for him when he decides to flee the country?

McGUGAN: Howard Knight has human shortcomings and we can often question his judgment. But he has a streak of brilliance, reads people well, and anticipates the FBI will come looking for him. He also predicts correctly that his executive assistant will call his home to see if he was delayed. His wife doesn’t realize she’s telling a lie when she relays her understanding of events. 

There’s nothing unusual about a person in Howard’s position calling his wife at the last minute to let her know he won’t be home for a few days. He intentionally lies about his destination, knowing his wife has no reason to doubt the information. To her, it’s just a ‘heads up’ that he won’t be home for a few days. Unintentionally, she passes on the misleading information.

FQ: In conjunction with Knight’s flight, why is his paramour, Fidelia Morales, the only one who was ever given a ‘pass’ to leave The Organization?

McGUGAN: Giancarlo Mareno, the kingpin of The Organization, is quite an interesting and complex character. To him, Fidelia Morales was much more than the woman who ran his call-girl operations around the globe. Clearly, her expertise generated phenomenal wealth for him. But, on some level, he was attached to her emotionally. It might not have been love that influenced his judgment, but some tender connection led him to grant her wish initially. The moment she betrayed his trust, she became an enemy and any emotional attachment evaporated immediately.

FQ: It seems that Multima has a stringent vetting process for new employees, yet moles for The Organization still manage to infiltrate the inner sanctum. Was it difficult to keep track of who was doing what and how did you manage to keep it all straight?

McGUGAN: You caught one of the dichotomies of large multinational corporations. Like most large companies, Multima has sophisticated screening and hiring processes for ninety-five percent of its new hires. But with most large companies, a few people have extraordinary influence. In the case of Multima, board director Howard Knight needed only to inquire about the possibility of a job for a protégé, good friend, or family member to the CEO. 

When any CEO then asks a human resources department to consider a candidate, that request almost always results in a quick and favorable hiring decision. It’s the way corporations work.

FQ: Without giving too much of a spoiler, there was quite the unmasking toward the relationship between Suzanne Simpson and John George Mortimer at the end of Three Days Less A Week.Did you work a couple of scenarios on how the plot would move forward with the information; particularly with Suzanne’s and Mortimer’s relationship? Why did you choose the path you chose?

McGUGAN: Sure. I thought through more than a couple scenarios before deciding on the one unveiled in The Multima Scheme. Ultimately, I wanted to create a complicated scenario for Suzanne Simpson to highlight her business acumen and extraordinary good judgment. Since my early days working in large corporations, I’ve always found women underrepresented in management hierarchies. One of the messages I like to include as an undertone in my writing is the great benefit women bring to organizations. I try to subtly champion why companies should promote more women to more prominent positions where they can exert greater influence on a company’s success.

FQ: In our first interview, you gave an intriguing answer to one of my questions that touched upon the audience you envisioned for this trilogy and your response was: ‘...I wanted Three Weeks Less a Day to appeal to an extensive demographic readership...’ How critical do you believe it to be in the writing process to have a distinct vision of who the intended audience is?

McGUGAN: I think it’s vital. A clear vision of the intended demographic helps develop the plot, the pacing of the story, and even with choices of individual words.

FQ: Think of a character you would consider for a future novel and describe what brings him or her to life.

McGUGAN: In Pernicious Pursuit, I introduce one new character named Nadine Violette, a trusting and naïve woman from the Caribbean island of Martinique. In the story, we learn how this college-aged young woman becomes a victim of human trafficking and her subsequent struggles to escape human bondage. We also see how misogynist criminal elements can change the trajectory of women’s lives quickly, dramatically, and permanently. I think readers will be very intrigued by the ways this character develops in the story.

FQ: I thoroughly enjoyed Book II, The Multima Scheme, and have taken the plunge into Book III, Unrelenting Peril. Knowing you were embarking upon the third and final book in the series, how difficult was it to write the proverbial ‘the end’?

McGUGAN: ‘The end’ sounds so final! Three Weeks Less a Day, The Multima Scheme, and Unrelenting Peril make up a trilogy designed around the goings-on at Multima Corporation. While I don’t currently have plans to enlarge the series around Multima, I plan to use some of the characters in those three novels in future stories. For example, in Pernicious Pursuit I take four of the naughtiest characters and launch them on a completely different trajectory of action and excitement. I think readers will enjoy reading about the ways the characters change and evolve in this very entertaining new action/suspense story. I hope Feathered Quill will read and review it soon!

FQ: Thank you again for your time and the pleasure of reading this fantastic series. I look forward to your future projects.

McGUGAN: It is I who thank you for the opportunity to chat with you and your audience.

#AuthorInterview with Anthony J. Orsini @TheOrsiniWay

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with Anthony J. Orsini, author of It's All in the Delivery: Improving Healthcare Starting with a Single Conversation.

FQ: Do you use a fair dose of humor, as you did in your book, for speaking engagements regarding your method?

ORSINI: I always find that storytelling is a great tool for teaching. When you have practiced medicine for as many years as I have, there are many examples that I can draw from. The use of humor and my personal story further emphasize the points I am trying to express. Engaging the audience is very important during my presentations. 

FQ: Do you see in the medical practitioner/facility/patient interaction the possible development of something akin to a physician-priest/preacher?

ORSINI: Good rapport and mutual trust are the keys to any successful relationship. Without trust, all communication breaks down, and without good communication, there can be no success.

FQ: Do you have any true stories of compassionate doctors from the pre-sci/tech era that could be used as examples of Orsini principles?

ORSINI: In my book, It’s All in the Delivery, I tell the story of Dr. Anthony Merk, who practiced for five decades and was never sued for malpractice. Dr. Merk wrote his entire patient chart on 5 x 9 cards. He is a great example of how medicine is less about technology and more about a human to human connection. 

FQ: Would you recommend It’s All in the Delivery to those who work outside the medical profession but who might face similar person-to-person encounters in the workplace?

ORSINI: I wrote, It’s All in the Delivery, to help anyone who wants to learn how to communicate well. The principles of communication that I discuss not only apply to healthcare but to business leaders, salesman and frankly to anyone’s personal life. I have taught many of these principles to fortune 500 companies to teach their executives how to be effective leaders, how to create loyalty and, of course, how to have difficult conversations with their employees and staff. The principles I teach re-wire, if you will, the way we think of communication. They can be used every day. 

FQ: Do you have plans for more writing of a similar nature, or will you now be turning to other forms of media for outreach regarding the Orsini Way?

ORSINI: I do a considerable amount of communication workshops and an occasional webinar. My focus right now is to do more keynote speaking engagements and training for both medical and non-medical people.

FQ: Could you envision a feature length film illustrating your own life experience and development of the Orsini Way (companion to the book)? Or a dramatic film depicting a typical over-stressed hospital environment or doctor/patient miscommunication in which the Orsini Way saves the day?

ORSINI: A film about a doctor who is fighting the system to keep communication and compassion above efficiency is an intriguing idea. The truth is that everyone learns how to communicate better; we can all benefit. 

FQ: Is your career transitioning now from medical practice to training?

ORSINI: Right now, I am still a practicing physician, and I love what I do. Although I save premature lives every day, I feel that teaching compassionate communication is something that I am gravitating toward more and more. I truly think that by teaching the principles in my book, I can have an even bigger impact on medicine. Every doctor I train has an estimated 250,000 patient encounters before they retire. If you add up all of the nurses, therapists, and even business people that I have trained, the positive impact that I can have is staggering. I have something that is proven and works. I want to share it. 

#BookReview - It's All in the Delivery @TheOrsiniWay

It's All in the Delivery: Improving Healthcare Starting with a Single Conversation

By: Anthony J. Orsini, D.O.
Publisher: West Essex Press
Publication Date: March 2020
ISBN: 978-1-09830-447-8
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: March 20, 2020

Anthony Orsini, the author of the fact-filled book It's All in the Delivery, is a medical practitioner who has devised his own method of patient care based on better communication.

Anthony J. Orsini, whose memories comprise a portion of this guide, always wanted to be a doctor, and undertook one of its more difficult specialties, neonatology. In that field, there were many stressful occasions to give bad news to parents of a newly born or very young infant. That, and an experience he had had during his studies of observing a doctor he much admired conveying bad news badly and admitting it, gradually spurred him to tackle the problem of practitioner-to-patient interaction as his personal passion.

In a brief historical survey, Orsini points out that only recently, in the late 19th century, did science begin to undertake compassion as a major component of a doctor’s methodology. Once modern medicines and new technologies were discovered and “doctors were holding instruments instead of hands,” the template for medical practitioners became a generally accepted neutralization of feelings. This trend continued, until some stumbling blocks arose, among them the recent trend for medical facilities to conduct patient surveys that emphasize customer service. Another is malpractice suits, 71% of which, Orsini reports, are based around miscommunication on the part of the physician.

Learning of a training program using actors, often amateurs, to play the role of patients so that prospective doctors could practice delivering bad news, Orsini went a step further, engaging professional actors and setting up realistic situations for training residents and senior physicians. This facilitated the gradual design of The Orsini Way, also known as “Breaking Bad News: P.R.O.G.R.A.M.” The acronym stands for Plan/Position, Review, Observe, Gradual/Genuine, Relationship, Accountability, and Meet. These steps, illustrated in text and photographs, are based on three essential principles: the patient/family should feel that the medical practitioner understands and cares, that s/he is the expert and will lead them to the next steps, and that s/he will not abandon them.

Orsini’s vivid medical case studies lend credence to his highly organized text, underpinned by the positive testimonials of participants in his BBN P.R.O.G.R.A.M. He offers simple directives for a practitioner-patient/family session: set up chairs in preparation for a meeting; make sure the doctor is positioned close to the family, not at a “professional” distance; reach out with the hand to symbolize compassion rather than holding it up as a signal of control; break bad news gradually; imagine oneself in the situation of the person receiving the news; and make a commitment to stay in touch through all future phases of treatment. The BBN P.R.O.G.R.A.M, so clearly delineated, promises authentic outcomes, not only to practitioners searching for new approaches, but for anyone who has ever been a patient, hoping for a sense of security and real comfort when it is most needed.

Quill says: Orsini’s method has already met with acclaim and his book will doubtless find a solid niche in a new age of medicine, as outreach and communication will take their rightful place in patient care.

For more information on It's All in the Delivery, please visit the author's website at: https://theorsiniway.com/

#BookReview - The Gray Chamber (True Colors)

The Gray Chamber (True Colors)

By: Grace Hitchcock
Publisher: Barbour Books
Publication Date: January 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64352-235-7
Reviewed by: Skyler Boudreau
Review date: April 2, 2020

It’s the 1880’s, and Edyth Foster is a wealthy, thriving, woman in New York. Much to the scorn of her peers, she makes a habit of going against the grain and engaging in typically masculine pursuits like fencing. When her uncle, responsible for the fortune Edyth’s parents left her until her twenty-fifth birthday, finds a loophole in their will allowing him to claim the fortune instead, he takes full advantage of it. Edyth is sent away to an insane asylum, both removing her from the picture allowing him full access to her fortune and putting an end to her eccentric behavior.

During this time period, women were expected to fully submit to the demands of an exclusively male-dominated society or risk being labeled “problematic.” An abundance of men chose to have their “problematic” sisters, wives, and daughters committed to insane asylums. The women were placed there with ill-intentions, not because they were genuinely struggling with their mental health, but to silence them and as punishment for not following the strict demands that their toxic culture placed on them.

Asylums were also used to get women out of the way of their male relatives. Men could commit their wives if they became interested in a different romantic partner and didn’t want to cheat. In The Gray Chamber, Edyth’s Uncle Boris has her committed because a stipulation in her parents’ will allows their fortune to pass to him rather than her if she either dies without children or is diagnosed as insane and sent to an asylum. A woman’s word was not taken seriously during this time. They were often dismissed as hysterical, as Edyth is throughout the novel. Commitment was a simple solution to a man’s problem with a female relative, and one that was difficult for a woman to fight against.

Author Grace Hitchcock paints this difficult history in broad and commanding brush strokes. She forces the audience to reflect on this dark time period and what it did to half of the population. She explores how easy it was for men to take advantage of their power within society and have women locked away for their own financial, personal, or political gain. She fearlessly guides her readers into this era and when her audience emerges, they will do so with a new interest in women’s history.

The Gray Chamber also explores the difficulty women faced when entering a predominantly male field. Edyth is very interested in fencing. She is one of the best students in her friend Bane’s fencing club. It’s not a hobby that is considered fitting for a young woman, and she faces opposition from not just her family and peers, but from some fellow club members as well. During a scene in the beginning of the novel, one of the other fencing students is rude to her. Upon expressing her discomfort, he responds with, “‘Please. We all know, Edyth, that you are one of the boys. No need to pretend you don’t hear worse, but it is a shame that you don’t dress up more often.’” (pg. 54) This is a common occurrence even today. Her male peer harasses her because of her gender and then tries to laugh it off by claiming she is one of them. He doesn’t respect her because of her gender, and then tries to ignore it as an excuse for the harassment. Hitchcock makes a point to address similar gender issues and inequities throughout the novel.

While The Gray Chamber places wonderful emphasis on these cultural issues, it does have some weaknesses. A lot of the action sequences are cut out completely. There’s a scene where a detective is hired to sneak into the asylum where Edyth’s friends suspect she is imprisoned. He needs to find a way into the asylum and a safe way to sneak away again. That entire section of the novel is cut out. Rather than show this sequence happening, the detective’s intentions are stated, and then he isn’t heard from again until after all of the action has happened, when it’s briefly mentioned that he was successful. A similar situation happens when her friends concoct a plan to rescue her. The first half of the plan, breaking into the asylum with a larger group of people, is completely skipped over. Both scenes could have added a lot of suspense to the rescue itself, but the opportunity was lost. It happens several other times throughout the novel too. Removing most of the action sequences removes the tension. As there isn’t much driving the climax forward, the pacing feels off.

Reading this novel did interest me in learning more about women’s history during this time period, and it has some great commentary on the way women were treated during the 1800’s. It’s an easy novel for history lovers to get through. However, the plot was a definite weakness.

Quill says: This book is a good way to jump start an interest in women’s history!