Today, November 30th is the official release date for this novel. To date I had not had Ally Condie on my radar as an author I had wanted to read, but in the attempt to spread my wings a bit and find new stuff to read I followed a suggestion from a Goodreads friend and took the ride with Ally and her strong willed main character Cassia. Here is the situation in which she finds herself:
” Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.”
The plotline lays some heavy stuff onto our 17 year old main character. I was totally immersed in this and found it hard to lay it down. Condie creates a magnificent microcosm that is hard to imagine or navigate through without suffering any type of consequences, no easy choices here. I enjoyed the dialogue, the development of the characters, and the tone and pacing of the novel. Amazingly for me it is not just another novel where things are constantly being blown up and people are shot on every other page along with car or boat chases, yet it is a page turner that is the equal or better than anything I have read in recent memory. Basically I am hooked, please give me more, and give it to me soon. I think I have found a reading Match.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Clive Cussler Cresent Dawn
It is about time, a new Dirk Pitt novel. I have read them all and say that with a certain degree of satisfaction. I love to be entertained by Clive Cussler with this character and band of off- beat friends and coworkers at NUMA. I know what to expect when I crack the novel open and Crescent Dawn is no exception. Here is what the novel is about:”Three events, distant in time and space: A treasure-laden fourth century Roman galley narrowly escapes a ferocious pirate attack; a World War I British warship explodes mysteriously in the North Sea; and in the all-too-real present-day, a string of coordinated bomb attacks destroys historic mosques in Egypt and Turkey. Something links these violent events and it's up to NUMA director Dirk Pitt to find and tie the deadly threads.”
Just to get my only negative point out of the way: I am getting a little tired of Dirk & company taking on the world’s terrorists. Yes, I know he graduated from the Air Force Academy along with his best bud, Al. But let’s start to have fun with other stuff. Let the terrorist work be done by his other franchise The Oregon Files, another of my favorites, but I digress yet again. The essence of the novel and the different flavors that Dirk Pitt brings to the table are there for me. I enjoyed the different historical subplots Cussler gives us on the three different time period ships. I like the way he ties everything together into a nice neat package at the end as usual; I guess I just like the usual Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt fun and frivolity.
Dirk Cussler gets his name on the cover along with his father, Clive and I wonder what Dirk’s contribution to the novel is. Is it here and there? Is the process just managed by Clive? Does young Dirk do all the research? What exactly is he doing and is he heir apparent to the franchise? Am I going to be reading about Dirk until I am using a walker to get around? Will Dirk still be kicking the bad guys’ arses and making fun of them the entire time just using whatever is lying around ala McGyver? Or is McGyver ala Dirk Pitt? I guess I am going to wrap this up by saying I got satisfaction from this novel. It is a good read, yet lengthy, I think they could have saved a tree or two in the process, 548 pages is a bit much. I think my major concern is where this is all going. There was considerable length in between the last novels, are they ramping up? What is next for Dirk and Al? I am going to stay tuned, but my patience is waning. I look for a different and brighter direction for these quality characters. They have too much potential and not enough momentum in them to consistently be used like this; they need to get back to basics and do what they do best.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Just to get my only negative point out of the way: I am getting a little tired of Dirk & company taking on the world’s terrorists. Yes, I know he graduated from the Air Force Academy along with his best bud, Al. But let’s start to have fun with other stuff. Let the terrorist work be done by his other franchise The Oregon Files, another of my favorites, but I digress yet again. The essence of the novel and the different flavors that Dirk Pitt brings to the table are there for me. I enjoyed the different historical subplots Cussler gives us on the three different time period ships. I like the way he ties everything together into a nice neat package at the end as usual; I guess I just like the usual Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt fun and frivolity.
Dirk Cussler gets his name on the cover along with his father, Clive and I wonder what Dirk’s contribution to the novel is. Is it here and there? Is the process just managed by Clive? Does young Dirk do all the research? What exactly is he doing and is he heir apparent to the franchise? Am I going to be reading about Dirk until I am using a walker to get around? Will Dirk still be kicking the bad guys’ arses and making fun of them the entire time just using whatever is lying around ala McGyver? Or is McGyver ala Dirk Pitt? I guess I am going to wrap this up by saying I got satisfaction from this novel. It is a good read, yet lengthy, I think they could have saved a tree or two in the process, 548 pages is a bit much. I think my major concern is where this is all going. There was considerable length in between the last novels, are they ramping up? What is next for Dirk and Al? I am going to stay tuned, but my patience is waning. I look for a different and brighter direction for these quality characters. They have too much potential and not enough momentum in them to consistently be used like this; they need to get back to basics and do what they do best.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Guest Post David N. Alderman author of the Black Earth Series
The Age of Self Publishing
Up until recently I didn’t think I was old enough to really say, “back in the day”, but apparently at a ripe 31 years old, I am. Back in my day, cell phones were a luxury and pagers were the sign of the times. Back in my day, there was no Facebook or Myspace. Back in my day, all of our books were hardcover or paperback.
I look around me now and even though I’ve transitioned into this new age, I am surprised at how far we’ve come. People read books on their electronic e-readers. Facebook is the ‘in place’ to be to meet with friends in a virtual setting. Cell phones are as necessary to young kids as backpacks and school lunch.
With these changes comes a very different time for publishing. I know there’s many blogs on the new digital age and how ebooks are going to replace paper books one of these days. I doubt that very much. What I don’t doubt is that we are approaching new means for people to publish what it is that is in their minds, in their hearts. Self-publishing is becoming a revolution and a lot of people have started to take up arms and join it.
Years ago, I tried to go the traditional route of publishing. I sent out thirty queries to agents for my young adult sci-fi/fantasy series and 8 whopping months later, I received thirty rejections. Frustrated, I decided to self-publish through Lulu, a non-vanity self-publishing company. They offered for a way to publish my novel my way. Now there are a half dozen or more companies like Lulu out there, offering many different ways to publish that book you’ve had in your head for so long.
This paradigm shift has caused many to think it’s the end of traditional publishing. Far from it. It’s just an alternative, one that allows those who don’t want to wait for rejection - or even victory - to make their own destiny, to do things their way without having someone else tell them how their book should be written, what their cover should look like, what marketing avenues they should be taking or how long they should have to wait until their story can be released to the public.
As much as people want to blog and scream out that it’s doomsday for the publishing companies or for the paper book in general, I believe things haven’t been better for writers. We now have the means to publish in paperback and digital the stories that have been eating away at us during those late night hours. Those characters that wake us up in the middle of the night can now meet others out there who want to read their stories. So many stories.
Someday when my kids are older (when I have kids) I will be able to tell them what our times were like. Facebook will have morphed into a mega power taking over half the world, Ebook readers will probably be archaic, but I guarantee you we’ll always have those paperback and hardcover books sitting on dusty shelves, portals to worlds we could never give up even if we tried. They’ll be stacked near our museum quality cell phones. ;)
David Alderman is the full-time, self-published author of the science fiction/fantasy series, Black Earth. You can find out more about Black Earth and his writing talents at www.davidnalderman.com.
David N. Alderman / dna@davidnalderman.com / www.davidnalderman.com www.abrokenreality.blogspot.com
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Monday, November 29, 2010
New Novel Releases for this Week November 30th
It is Monday and today we have a new list of novels for you as they keep pumping them out in hopes we purchase them or download these bad boys to our Kindles, Nooks, and all other ereaders out on the market. Without further ado let’s get right to the new novels being released this week:
-Partricia Cornwell- Port Mortuary
-Jackie Gingrich Cushman- The Essential American
-Troy Denning- Star Wars
-Alley Condie- Matched (we will be featuring this novel tomorrow-Tuesday)
-J.R. Ward- Lover Mine
-Richard J. Hamilton- Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopocia 2011 Classic Short Pocket Edition
-Joan Reardon-As Always, Julia
-Patricia Davids- An Amish Christmas
-Nora Roberts-O’Hurleys Return: Skin Deep/Without a Trace
-Tad Williams- Shadowheart
-Ina Garten- Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Collection
-Diane Palmer- Will of Steel/Reluctant Father
We have a big week in store for you here @ Gelati’s Scoop. Stay tuned to our Twitter feed for the lineup as we are lucky enough to be getting some very nice guest posts. Also please don’t forget to check the Twitter feed (If you are not following us, check out our Facebook wall or the Twitter feed on our blog) for the links to some of past guest posts. You can always go through our archives to check to see if an author you are thinking about was a guest here. Please feel free at any time to drop me a message, I am glad as always to hear from you. Have an excellent day.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Lee Child Worth Dying For
Happy Monday to all!! We are starting off the week with a huge novel, Lee Childs Worth Dying For. I really enjoyed the spirited discussion’s that some of us had after I posted the Lee Child discusses Jack Reacher vs. Joe Pike you tube video. Excuse my surprise and dismay as so many of you immediately jumped into the Joe Pike camp, for shame. My question is, why just limit the question to Joe Pike? Why isn’t anyone mentioning Mitch Rapp? I think the list could be very long and very interesting, but why argue a moot point?
Worth Dying For is the fifteenth novel in the series for those counting. Here is a brief synopsis:” Call it the Heartland or the Bread Basket of the World, but whatever you label it, rural Nebraska evokes only positive images for most of us. For Jack Reacher though, cornfield country leaves a bad taste. While drifting through the region, he crosses paths with the Duncans, a notorious clan who rule the whole county by sheer terror. Refusing to back down, the ex-MP bursts in overdrive when he begins to connect this Midwest mafia with crimes past, present, and planned. Lee Child's standalone follow-up to 61 Hours will quicken your pulse and keep you up late.”
I have to get this part out of the way and not spoil anything for those that have not read it yet. For whatever reason, there have been a number of novels using the same theme as the backdrop for the evil our hero must thwart. Having read a number of them I feel that Lee Child handled the subject in the best manner: put it out there for us, recognition of the grossness of it, and yet used far less words and painted a very vivid picture for us. I admired the way he had Reacher handle it with the townspeople and I like the way he went about bringing justice for all.
If I have been fortunate and you have been following my ramblings at all, you know I like characters and I like series. Lee Child has put 15 Reacher novels, each one of them incredibly good, with a tremendous quality to each and every one. I am not comparing him or his character to anyone but there are very few in the stratus he resides in. There are very few characters that have had that many novels written about them, let alone novels written by the author about any character. My point is that Lee Child doesn’t just mail it in and cruise for a few novels, he doesn’t just put Reacher in a lame plotline, he doesn’t surround him with anything lame, and that my friends is a breath of fresh air in this day and age. Quality, quality, quality and that translates into some of the best reading of the year, year after year after year. I think you know where I stand on this five star, kick a%$ Jack Reacher read. This novel for any reader is Worth Dying For. Hey when is the next one because for me it can’t come soon enough.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Worth Dying For is the fifteenth novel in the series for those counting. Here is a brief synopsis:” Call it the Heartland or the Bread Basket of the World, but whatever you label it, rural Nebraska evokes only positive images for most of us. For Jack Reacher though, cornfield country leaves a bad taste. While drifting through the region, he crosses paths with the Duncans, a notorious clan who rule the whole county by sheer terror. Refusing to back down, the ex-MP bursts in overdrive when he begins to connect this Midwest mafia with crimes past, present, and planned. Lee Child's standalone follow-up to 61 Hours will quicken your pulse and keep you up late.”
I have to get this part out of the way and not spoil anything for those that have not read it yet. For whatever reason, there have been a number of novels using the same theme as the backdrop for the evil our hero must thwart. Having read a number of them I feel that Lee Child handled the subject in the best manner: put it out there for us, recognition of the grossness of it, and yet used far less words and painted a very vivid picture for us. I admired the way he had Reacher handle it with the townspeople and I like the way he went about bringing justice for all.
If I have been fortunate and you have been following my ramblings at all, you know I like characters and I like series. Lee Child has put 15 Reacher novels, each one of them incredibly good, with a tremendous quality to each and every one. I am not comparing him or his character to anyone but there are very few in the stratus he resides in. There are very few characters that have had that many novels written about them, let alone novels written by the author about any character. My point is that Lee Child doesn’t just mail it in and cruise for a few novels, he doesn’t just put Reacher in a lame plotline, he doesn’t surround him with anything lame, and that my friends is a breath of fresh air in this day and age. Quality, quality, quality and that translates into some of the best reading of the year, year after year after year. I think you know where I stand on this five star, kick a%$ Jack Reacher read. This novel for any reader is Worth Dying For. Hey when is the next one because for me it can’t come soon enough.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Changes, Changes , and Still More Changes!!!
Hello again! I hope that all of you had a great Thanksgiving with your families and are looking forward to a very nice Christmas season. We have made some changes recently here @ Gelati’s Scoop and I just wanted to take a moment out of the day and explain the whys and what nots to you if you don’t mind. The reasoning I have is very simple: I really don’t have a choice in the simple category; it is just who I am.
I think that as soon as you click onto the blog you notice the Amazon banner at the top. I have installed it for your ease of use. I have been told by many that the little stores I have setup are just too difficult to navigate and when you wish to purchase novels from the site here, it is a pain in the- you- know -where. I think most readers have come to understand my support for the authors ( both traditionally published and self-published), and I try to make it as easy as possible for you to get your hands on their novels, books, digital shorts, and graphic novels, and ebooks.
We are coming into an important time of year not just because Santa is coming, but also the fact that he may be delivering many new ereading devices to people young and old. We have been fortunate to have been the recipient of many guest posts over the many months since we started in mid-March. To make this paragraph short, what I’m trying to say is we will be rerunning, via Twitter, the link to some of those guest posts so you can get a feel not just for the author’s works, but for the authors themselves. I have really come to enjoy reading that extra window into their world that they have been gracious enough to give us. Please feel free to follow us on Twitter if you haven’t already or check the following places for the links: our Facebook wall, the blog has our Tweets, you can now follow us on Wattpad (I will be running many of them in their entirety there as we are fairly new there).
I know, I have spoken too much, end it already. Hey, I really want to thank everyone for being so kind and understanding as I have been stumbling, falling, trying to get back up again, and constantly changing things. Much of the changes I make are direct results of your input. I want to thank you for that and hope that you will continue to give it to me. I take the good with the bad and try to learn from all of it. The changes in the format (adding Romantic Wednesday, Digital Short Saturday, & Self-Published Sunday) have been incredibly well received and I want to thank you. Basically I am very thankful for everything; I hope that you can and do understand that and support our efforts here. Remember, just click the banner at the top of the blog, it takes you directly to Amazon where you can shop for all things that are Amazon. So, pickup that author’s work, support them in a way that validates them and have a fun time doing it. It will save you the time clicking away to do it and you can get in that extra shopping that you have been wanting to do, all from the same place. The Gelatis and I would like to thank you and yours for being so kind to us. We plan on finishing the year strong, and having 2011 be an incredible year. Thanks again.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
I think that as soon as you click onto the blog you notice the Amazon banner at the top. I have installed it for your ease of use. I have been told by many that the little stores I have setup are just too difficult to navigate and when you wish to purchase novels from the site here, it is a pain in the- you- know -where. I think most readers have come to understand my support for the authors ( both traditionally published and self-published), and I try to make it as easy as possible for you to get your hands on their novels, books, digital shorts, and graphic novels, and ebooks.
We are coming into an important time of year not just because Santa is coming, but also the fact that he may be delivering many new ereading devices to people young and old. We have been fortunate to have been the recipient of many guest posts over the many months since we started in mid-March. To make this paragraph short, what I’m trying to say is we will be rerunning, via Twitter, the link to some of those guest posts so you can get a feel not just for the author’s works, but for the authors themselves. I have really come to enjoy reading that extra window into their world that they have been gracious enough to give us. Please feel free to follow us on Twitter if you haven’t already or check the following places for the links: our Facebook wall, the blog has our Tweets, you can now follow us on Wattpad (I will be running many of them in their entirety there as we are fairly new there).
I know, I have spoken too much, end it already. Hey, I really want to thank everyone for being so kind and understanding as I have been stumbling, falling, trying to get back up again, and constantly changing things. Much of the changes I make are direct results of your input. I want to thank you for that and hope that you will continue to give it to me. I take the good with the bad and try to learn from all of it. The changes in the format (adding Romantic Wednesday, Digital Short Saturday, & Self-Published Sunday) have been incredibly well received and I want to thank you. Basically I am very thankful for everything; I hope that you can and do understand that and support our efforts here. Remember, just click the banner at the top of the blog, it takes you directly to Amazon where you can shop for all things that are Amazon. So, pickup that author’s work, support them in a way that validates them and have a fun time doing it. It will save you the time clicking away to do it and you can get in that extra shopping that you have been wanting to do, all from the same place. The Gelatis and I would like to thank you and yours for being so kind to us. We plan on finishing the year strong, and having 2011 be an incredible year. Thanks again.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Guest Post RJ McDonell author of Rock&Roll Rip-Off
Sometimes you just have to break away. You leave behind family, friends and career to pursue your passion. And it often turns out that what you left behind is what shapes your future. Scranton resident, R.J. McDonnell can attest to that.
McDonnell is this year's winner of the Premiere Book Awards "Novel of the Year" in the Mystery/Thriller category for "Rock & Roll Rip-Off," the second novel in his Rock & Roll Mystery Series. He is also the creator of a unique program which teaches parents how to generate and sustain interest in reading among their adult children, ages 18 to 30.
Last month, McDonnell conducted a 90-minute presentation at the Hoyt Library where he taught parents how to incorporate reading into the lifestyles of their adult children. The presentation was free of charge and incorporated music into the learning process. McDonnell promotes his books and programs at libraries and book stores, using an acoustic guitar to get his points across.
"It's a way of giving back to the community," he said. "I can do something to benefit my readers and local libraries."
Since publication of the first book, Rock & Roll Homicide in 2008, the mystery series has caused quite a stir. Research shows that a large number of people between the ages of 18 and 30 stop reading books after graduation from high school. McDonnell however, has been able to capture the attention and interest of this non-reading age group.
In 2008, an article appeared in the Christian Science Monitor reporting on this phenomenon. Citing information taken from MarketWatch, a website that provides information on business news, stock market data and analysis, the article stated that about half of the first 200 purchasers of Rock & Roll Homicide were between 18 and 35.
Non-readers were introduced to the book on the social networking site, MySpace. McDonnell used his MySpace site to promote the book, which is about a former rock & roll musician turned detective. Though many of the 18 through 35 year-old age group proclaimed they were not book readers, with profile statements such as "I don't read," or "I hate books," they did like rock music. It was their interest in music that helped link them to the book.
McDonnell said about three weeks after the article appeared he began receiving phone calls from parents of adult children across the country. They were happy their children were reading his book, and wanted to know when the next one was coming out.
Inspired by such a response, McDonnell consulted one of his former professors from Penn State, Dr. Alan Kazdin, who was then president of the American Psychological Association. Drawing upon the teachings and research material of Kazdin, McDonnell developed the instructional program for parents.
McDonnell was born and raised in Moscow, Pa. His interest in music, reading and writing developed at an early age.
McDonnell began playing the guitar at age nine. As a young adult, he was a performing member of two bands and manager for one band. He currently plays the acoustic guitar as part of his presentations at book stores and libraries.
McDonnell said he always loved literature. He became a fan of the crime drama genre because of his father, who was a detective with the state police. As he and his father watched TV together, his father would critique the crime shows, explaining what was real and what was Hollywood.
"I was a reader as a kid, and had some excellent teachers who helped develop my skills in that area," he said. "It's good when you can put your finger on a skill early on."
McDonnell earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Penn State and a master's degree in social work from Marywood. He worked as human services planner at a social services agency in Pittston for several years before moving to San Diego to pursue his passion for music and writing.
McDonnell resided in San Diego for 20 years, where he worked as a writer for the largest resume writing service in the USA. Working his way up in the company, he eventually bought out nine county offices and ran them for 10 years.
Though he moved away from the area shortly after college, McDonnell said much of the material for his books comes from local experiences. Having returned to the area in 2006, to help take care of his mother, he now lives in Scranton and is currently working on his third novel.
"I love the people here," McDonnell said. "I have a lot of family and college friends here so I decided to stay."Local author R.J. McDonnell performs during a program at the Hoyt Library in Kingston. His 90-minute presentation taught parents how to incorporate reading into the lifestyles of their adult children.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
McDonnell is this year's winner of the Premiere Book Awards "Novel of the Year" in the Mystery/Thriller category for "Rock & Roll Rip-Off," the second novel in his Rock & Roll Mystery Series. He is also the creator of a unique program which teaches parents how to generate and sustain interest in reading among their adult children, ages 18 to 30.
Last month, McDonnell conducted a 90-minute presentation at the Hoyt Library where he taught parents how to incorporate reading into the lifestyles of their adult children. The presentation was free of charge and incorporated music into the learning process. McDonnell promotes his books and programs at libraries and book stores, using an acoustic guitar to get his points across.
"It's a way of giving back to the community," he said. "I can do something to benefit my readers and local libraries."
Since publication of the first book, Rock & Roll Homicide in 2008, the mystery series has caused quite a stir. Research shows that a large number of people between the ages of 18 and 30 stop reading books after graduation from high school. McDonnell however, has been able to capture the attention and interest of this non-reading age group.
In 2008, an article appeared in the Christian Science Monitor reporting on this phenomenon. Citing information taken from MarketWatch, a website that provides information on business news, stock market data and analysis, the article stated that about half of the first 200 purchasers of Rock & Roll Homicide were between 18 and 35.
Non-readers were introduced to the book on the social networking site, MySpace. McDonnell used his MySpace site to promote the book, which is about a former rock & roll musician turned detective. Though many of the 18 through 35 year-old age group proclaimed they were not book readers, with profile statements such as "I don't read," or "I hate books," they did like rock music. It was their interest in music that helped link them to the book.
McDonnell said about three weeks after the article appeared he began receiving phone calls from parents of adult children across the country. They were happy their children were reading his book, and wanted to know when the next one was coming out.
Inspired by such a response, McDonnell consulted one of his former professors from Penn State, Dr. Alan Kazdin, who was then president of the American Psychological Association. Drawing upon the teachings and research material of Kazdin, McDonnell developed the instructional program for parents.
McDonnell was born and raised in Moscow, Pa. His interest in music, reading and writing developed at an early age.
McDonnell began playing the guitar at age nine. As a young adult, he was a performing member of two bands and manager for one band. He currently plays the acoustic guitar as part of his presentations at book stores and libraries.
McDonnell said he always loved literature. He became a fan of the crime drama genre because of his father, who was a detective with the state police. As he and his father watched TV together, his father would critique the crime shows, explaining what was real and what was Hollywood.
"I was a reader as a kid, and had some excellent teachers who helped develop my skills in that area," he said. "It's good when you can put your finger on a skill early on."
McDonnell earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Penn State and a master's degree in social work from Marywood. He worked as human services planner at a social services agency in Pittston for several years before moving to San Diego to pursue his passion for music and writing.
McDonnell resided in San Diego for 20 years, where he worked as a writer for the largest resume writing service in the USA. Working his way up in the company, he eventually bought out nine county offices and ran them for 10 years.
Though he moved away from the area shortly after college, McDonnell said much of the material for his books comes from local experiences. Having returned to the area in 2006, to help take care of his mother, he now lives in Scranton and is currently working on his third novel.
"I love the people here," McDonnell said. "I have a lot of family and college friends here so I decided to stay."Local author R.J. McDonnell performs during a program at the Hoyt Library in Kingston. His 90-minute presentation taught parents how to incorporate reading into the lifestyles of their adult children.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Friday, November 26, 2010
Graphic Novel Friday Graphic Classics Christmas Classics
I went over some information on the Graphic Classics team last week, so in that regard I don’t want to bore you and go over old ground. If for whatever reason you didn’t read last week’s post on our friends from Graphic Classics, (shame on you for missing a post, especially about a friend of ours from Linkedin) please feel free to check out our archives and knock yourself out. I would also suggest that you read any of the other posts you may have missed from the beginning of the blog, just my opinion.
Getting back to the Graphic Classics team: They hit a home run here with the Christmas Classics, just incredible insight and a very deft hand on the Christmas stories. I have been passing this around to different family members since I finished reading it. I have yet to hear a bad word. Here is what is going on inside the graphic novel: ”Christmas Classics presents comics adaptations of both holiday favorites and rarities, featuring Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Also included are an early F. Scott Fitzgerald tale, an O. Henry western, a fairy tale by Willa Cather, and a Christmas horror story by Fitz-James O'Brien. Plus, a seasonal Sherlock Holmes adventure by Arthur Conan Doyle, Clement C. Moore's classic poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", and a letter from Santa Claus to Mark Twain's daughter.” Good stuff.
Just as with the other volume we featured last week this one has different authors as well as different artists and the differences make for a very spirited read. None two are the same and they flow so well together it makes me respect the Editor Tom Pomplun that much more. The material covered is mostly sacred ground and they a good job of bringing the best out in it. One could not ask any more from them or it.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Guest Post Leona Bodie author of Shadow Cay
Firing up the Muse
By Leona DeRosa Bodie, Author of SHADOW CAY
Have you ever read a great book and wondered what spark fired up that author? Was it pure imagination or real kindling in the author’s past that ignited the writer’s burning desire to spin the tale? The catalyst that drove me to write my fictional thriller, SHADOW CAY, was our personal story.
Some years ago, my husband Walt and I suffered through a rough NJ winter. This particular November, we carved our two cars out of an icy parking lot three times in one week and skidded an hour to work. Right there and then, we decided Florida living was for us. We were so desperate to escape our version of Antarctica, we decided to quit our jobs and move. Fortunately, a highly reputable company offered Walt not only a thrilling job in the “Sunshine State” but also a rich relocation package that generously covered all our moving expenses.
I still remember my husband’s excitement after the new employee orientation. But weeks later, when he discovered huge irregularities, his enthusiasm for the job soured. As the months and years flew by, he suspected illegal activities and criminal wrongdoing. What should an employee do in a situation like that?
That’s what inspired SHADOW CAY. It’s the story of two people who discover a secret that threatens a million lives worldwide. My thriller, however, starts far from corporate America in a remote Bahamian island paradise that soon collides with Miami big business, when a vigilante and an amateur detective join forces. They risk their lives to expose the man behind the world’s most profitable enterprise. But, no one’s EVER crossed Rico Salazar and lived to talk about it.
Our story continues…
The pressures of working for a biotech company, which negatively impacted innocent patients everywhere, mounted. Walt was so stressed out, I secretly sent his resume to the Dade County Police Department, now known as the MDPD. Six months later, he was working in their crime lab. Today, he’s a forensic expert! And, he’s also my technical resource for the science in SHADOW CAY!
As the wife of a forensic expert with twenty-one years in the MDPD, I understand Miami’s underbelly and the critical role forensics plays in solving crimes. My book speaks to the challenges the Crime Lab faces every day.
I’m not sure which I enjoyed more: writing Shadow Cay or researching it. Half the story takes place in Florida where I’ve lived for thirty-four years. Since the other half of this tale takes place in the Bahamas, Walt and I cruised 1,700 miles researching the area in our 33-foot sailboat. Our three-month adventure took us from the usual tourist traps to remote, uninhabited islands.
The unspoiled beaches and surreal sunsets of the Bahamian Out Islands grabbed me. In three months, I’d written a fast-paced suspense novel, full of twists and turns, with international intrigue, a brush with death, and a tropical island paradise with a seedy secret.
SHADOW CAY has been endorsed by The Florida Association of Forensic Professionals. Chere Reynolds, Criminalist II, MDPD and the President of FAOFP said, “Leona Bodie is a masterful storyteller, and I highly recommend her new thriller, SHADOW CAY. It’s also a 2010 winner of Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Award in the thriller/Suspense category, and a Premier Book Awards winner in the same category.
SHADOW CAY is a story I had to write. Many things influenced me on this journey including: our travels, my husband's forensic expertise, my biotech experiences and his. Even the current Middle East wars, the current economic times, and the business downturn all factored into my plotline. On the dark side of American industry, there is no more precious commodity than money. Sometimes lackluster financial statements, pessimistic stakeholders and global competition fuel greed and inhumanity. But, what happens to those who openly oppose the new order with its radically different interpretations of corporate progress?
SHADOW Cay is a ‘can’t put down’ story of dark secrets and gripping suspense. After all, when industry icons sell their souls, ethical employees become HUGE liabilities! Imagine James Patterson’s action, Carl Hiaasen’s humor, Lisa Unger’s twists and Leona and Walt’s authenticity, merged into a Florida tale that will take you on a wild ride through the Caribbean.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
By Leona DeRosa Bodie, Author of SHADOW CAY
Have you ever read a great book and wondered what spark fired up that author? Was it pure imagination or real kindling in the author’s past that ignited the writer’s burning desire to spin the tale? The catalyst that drove me to write my fictional thriller, SHADOW CAY, was our personal story.
Some years ago, my husband Walt and I suffered through a rough NJ winter. This particular November, we carved our two cars out of an icy parking lot three times in one week and skidded an hour to work. Right there and then, we decided Florida living was for us. We were so desperate to escape our version of Antarctica, we decided to quit our jobs and move. Fortunately, a highly reputable company offered Walt not only a thrilling job in the “Sunshine State” but also a rich relocation package that generously covered all our moving expenses.
I still remember my husband’s excitement after the new employee orientation. But weeks later, when he discovered huge irregularities, his enthusiasm for the job soured. As the months and years flew by, he suspected illegal activities and criminal wrongdoing. What should an employee do in a situation like that?
That’s what inspired SHADOW CAY. It’s the story of two people who discover a secret that threatens a million lives worldwide. My thriller, however, starts far from corporate America in a remote Bahamian island paradise that soon collides with Miami big business, when a vigilante and an amateur detective join forces. They risk their lives to expose the man behind the world’s most profitable enterprise. But, no one’s EVER crossed Rico Salazar and lived to talk about it.
Our story continues…
The pressures of working for a biotech company, which negatively impacted innocent patients everywhere, mounted. Walt was so stressed out, I secretly sent his resume to the Dade County Police Department, now known as the MDPD. Six months later, he was working in their crime lab. Today, he’s a forensic expert! And, he’s also my technical resource for the science in SHADOW CAY!
As the wife of a forensic expert with twenty-one years in the MDPD, I understand Miami’s underbelly and the critical role forensics plays in solving crimes. My book speaks to the challenges the Crime Lab faces every day.
I’m not sure which I enjoyed more: writing Shadow Cay or researching it. Half the story takes place in Florida where I’ve lived for thirty-four years. Since the other half of this tale takes place in the Bahamas, Walt and I cruised 1,700 miles researching the area in our 33-foot sailboat. Our three-month adventure took us from the usual tourist traps to remote, uninhabited islands.
The unspoiled beaches and surreal sunsets of the Bahamian Out Islands grabbed me. In three months, I’d written a fast-paced suspense novel, full of twists and turns, with international intrigue, a brush with death, and a tropical island paradise with a seedy secret.
SHADOW CAY has been endorsed by The Florida Association of Forensic Professionals. Chere Reynolds, Criminalist II, MDPD and the President of FAOFP said, “Leona Bodie is a masterful storyteller, and I highly recommend her new thriller, SHADOW CAY. It’s also a 2010 winner of Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Award in the thriller/Suspense category, and a Premier Book Awards winner in the same category.
SHADOW CAY is a story I had to write. Many things influenced me on this journey including: our travels, my husband's forensic expertise, my biotech experiences and his. Even the current Middle East wars, the current economic times, and the business downturn all factored into my plotline. On the dark side of American industry, there is no more precious commodity than money. Sometimes lackluster financial statements, pessimistic stakeholders and global competition fuel greed and inhumanity. But, what happens to those who openly oppose the new order with its radically different interpretations of corporate progress?
SHADOW Cay is a ‘can’t put down’ story of dark secrets and gripping suspense. After all, when industry icons sell their souls, ethical employees become HUGE liabilities! Imagine James Patterson’s action, Carl Hiaasen’s humor, Lisa Unger’s twists and Leona and Walt’s authenticity, merged into a Florida tale that will take you on a wild ride through the Caribbean.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Graphic Novel Friday The Adventures of Unemployed Man
I enjoy reading graphic novels for many reasons and The Adventures of Unemployed Man is a prime example. It takes the basic premise that the economy is bad right now, but incrementally worse if you are the one laid off and without a job. The graphic novel does its job through incredibly sarcastic humor and a poignant narrative that is bound to hit home with those that are struggling and those that are rich and cruising along. No one goes away unscathed from this story; it is really a great plotline.
Check it out: ”MAIN STREET, USA-Against incredible odds, jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work-and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly group of supervillains including THE HUMAN RESOURCE, TOXIC DEBT BLOB, PINK SLIP and THE INVISIBLE HAND.
Experience this action-packed story in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN-a fearless, brilliant, and provocative book that ASTOUNDS with incisive wit and AMAZES with stunning insights into the desperate situation so many heroes find themselves in today.
A new supergroup of down-but-not-out heroes has emerged from the economic crisis, including perpetual grad student MASTER OF DEGREES, fix-it-with-tape DUCTO, pain-shrinking therapist GOOD GRIEF, checkbook unbalancer ZILCH, shadow worker FANTASMA, and WONDER MOTHER, who built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling.
These heroes have enlisted the help of Erich Origen and Gan Golan, the dynamic duo behind the New York Times bestseller GOODNIGHT BUSH. Together they tell the story of our intrepid heroes' climactic clash with the self-interested villains who dwell in the Hall of Just Us, devising sinister plots that threaten the entire world.
This richly illustrated book is a parody of classic superhero comics from the Golden Age to the present day-and a brilliant dissection of our current economic meltdown. It features dazzling artwork by such comics legends as Ramona Fradon, Rick Veitch, Michael Netzer, Terry Beatty, Josef Rubenstein, Benton Jew, Thomas Yeates, Shawn Martinbrough, Clem Robins, Tom Orzechowski, Thomas Mauer and Lee Loughridge. “
That is a serious amount of credits but they are definitely due. The artwork was really good and fit like a glove. The dialogue was amazing, and the parodies of just about everything were so funny it made the graphic novel difficult to put down. I am going to say that this is a must read, whether you are a fan of the genre or not, the plotline and writing are just too strong.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Check it out: ”MAIN STREET, USA-Against incredible odds, jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work-and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly group of supervillains including THE HUMAN RESOURCE, TOXIC DEBT BLOB, PINK SLIP and THE INVISIBLE HAND.
Experience this action-packed story in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN-a fearless, brilliant, and provocative book that ASTOUNDS with incisive wit and AMAZES with stunning insights into the desperate situation so many heroes find themselves in today.
A new supergroup of down-but-not-out heroes has emerged from the economic crisis, including perpetual grad student MASTER OF DEGREES, fix-it-with-tape DUCTO, pain-shrinking therapist GOOD GRIEF, checkbook unbalancer ZILCH, shadow worker FANTASMA, and WONDER MOTHER, who built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling.
These heroes have enlisted the help of Erich Origen and Gan Golan, the dynamic duo behind the New York Times bestseller GOODNIGHT BUSH. Together they tell the story of our intrepid heroes' climactic clash with the self-interested villains who dwell in the Hall of Just Us, devising sinister plots that threaten the entire world.
This richly illustrated book is a parody of classic superhero comics from the Golden Age to the present day-and a brilliant dissection of our current economic meltdown. It features dazzling artwork by such comics legends as Ramona Fradon, Rick Veitch, Michael Netzer, Terry Beatty, Josef Rubenstein, Benton Jew, Thomas Yeates, Shawn Martinbrough, Clem Robins, Tom Orzechowski, Thomas Mauer and Lee Loughridge. “
That is a serious amount of credits but they are definitely due. The artwork was really good and fit like a glove. The dialogue was amazing, and the parodies of just about everything were so funny it made the graphic novel difficult to put down. I am going to say that this is a must read, whether you are a fan of the genre or not, the plotline and writing are just too strong.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Romantic Wednesday Barbara Briggs Ward The Reindeer Keeper
Although the title and cover of this book lead you to believe this is just another Christmas Story, The Reindeer Keeper is so much more. It's true; it does have all the elements of an awesome Christmas story. Barbara Briggs Ward's descriptions of the characters and the settings are very detailed and allow you to paint vivid pictures in your mind. The story definitely is centered around a Christmas and winter them. You almost feel as if you are with Abbey and Steve as they celebrate the holidays with their family. The difference between this and other stories is that this has a lasting message; one to carry with you forever.
I don't want to spoil the story for you, so I'll include just a snippet from the back cover of the book. "…this Christmas proves to be more magical than anticipated as Abbey realizes an understanding never thought possible through the rekindling of a belief rooted in childhood. Of course it's who delivers this gift on Christmas Eve that gives Abbey and Steve the strength to face their greatest challenge."
Being one that loves the Christmas Season, I can totally relate to the characters' feelings about Christmas. What had me a bit perplexed was the idea of "believing." I must say, this story evoked some very strong emotions thinking back to days of Christmases past. As we grow up, that childhood faith seems to fade away. It is just so comforting to remember those feelings from when we were young and believing wasn't even a question.
I truly appreciated the creativity and thought that went into this story. Along with being an incredible love story on so many levels, the Reindeer Keeper is a story to remind us of the importance of believing. We are reminded that with faith, we can face anything. If you want to take an emotional ride through a beautiful, well crafted story that will stay with you for a long time, pick up The Reindeer Keeper and see if you "Believe Again".
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
I don't want to spoil the story for you, so I'll include just a snippet from the back cover of the book. "…this Christmas proves to be more magical than anticipated as Abbey realizes an understanding never thought possible through the rekindling of a belief rooted in childhood. Of course it's who delivers this gift on Christmas Eve that gives Abbey and Steve the strength to face their greatest challenge."
Being one that loves the Christmas Season, I can totally relate to the characters' feelings about Christmas. What had me a bit perplexed was the idea of "believing." I must say, this story evoked some very strong emotions thinking back to days of Christmases past. As we grow up, that childhood faith seems to fade away. It is just so comforting to remember those feelings from when we were young and believing wasn't even a question.
I truly appreciated the creativity and thought that went into this story. Along with being an incredible love story on so many levels, the Reindeer Keeper is a story to remind us of the importance of believing. We are reminded that with faith, we can face anything. If you want to take an emotional ride through a beautiful, well crafted story that will stay with you for a long time, pick up The Reindeer Keeper and see if you "Believe Again".
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Lori Armstrong No Mercy
I am a little late in discovering this novel; it was suggested by a reader of our blog, Gelati’s Scoop. I am glad they made the suggestion. Let’s get right to the pertinent information on the novel, first the author, Lori Armstrong. ”Lori Armstrong is proud to be a fourth generation South Dakotan. Lori left the firearms industry in 2000 to pursue her dream of writing crime/mystery fiction. The first book in the Julie Collins mystery series, BLOOD TIES was nominated for a 2006 Shamus Award for Best First Novel by Private Eye Writers of America. HALLOWED GROUND was nominated for a 2007 Shamus Award and won the 2007 WILLA Cather Literary Award. SHALLOW GRAVE was nominated for a 2008 High Plains Book Award and was a finalist for the 2008 WILLA Cather Literary Award. The 4th book in this series, SNOW BLIND, was recently nominated for a 2009 Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original. Lori lives with her family in Rapid City, South Dakota.”
And now inside the covers of the novel: “This compelling if prosaically plotted saga of dysfunctional family life, racial tension and liberated-woman romance, the first in a new series from Shamus-finalist Armstrong (Blood Ties), introduces Mercy Gunderson, a U.S. army sniper who's one-quarter Minneconjou Sioux. The discovery of a dead Indian boy on Mercy's late father's South Dakota ranch complicates her return home on medical leave. (Retinal detachment threatens her military career, while wet-work mission flashbacks disturb her sleep.) Then there's Sheriff Dawson, who, as Mercy admits after he snags her nephew for burglary, raised my hackles and my interest like no other man I'd crossed paths with in the last decade. Mercy is as tough as an old army boot, with a vocabulary and weapons proficiency to prove it, but she's always had it bad for cowboys. This soft spot, along with her racial identity crisis and a piled-on assortment of family-related guilt trips, leads to a contrived gee-whiz conclusion.”
My thoughts on this are as follows:
-Excellent character in Mercy and her band of Indian friends on the rez and off.
-The setting is described brilliantly. She made me feel like I was sitting on someone’s front porch taking in all the action and local landscape.
-The narrative was strong and filled with confidence. Perhaps Lori Armstrong did some special things in her time in the arms industry, hmmm.
-Do Indians really like taco’s that much?
I really enjoyed the read and look forward to adding Mercy to my rotation of characters to read and follow. Life on range and the rez doesn’t sound easy, but give it a little Mercy and it makes it easy to visit.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
And now inside the covers of the novel: “This compelling if prosaically plotted saga of dysfunctional family life, racial tension and liberated-woman romance, the first in a new series from Shamus-finalist Armstrong (Blood Ties), introduces Mercy Gunderson, a U.S. army sniper who's one-quarter Minneconjou Sioux. The discovery of a dead Indian boy on Mercy's late father's South Dakota ranch complicates her return home on medical leave. (Retinal detachment threatens her military career, while wet-work mission flashbacks disturb her sleep.) Then there's Sheriff Dawson, who, as Mercy admits after he snags her nephew for burglary, raised my hackles and my interest like no other man I'd crossed paths with in the last decade. Mercy is as tough as an old army boot, with a vocabulary and weapons proficiency to prove it, but she's always had it bad for cowboys. This soft spot, along with her racial identity crisis and a piled-on assortment of family-related guilt trips, leads to a contrived gee-whiz conclusion.”
My thoughts on this are as follows:
-Excellent character in Mercy and her band of Indian friends on the rez and off.
-The setting is described brilliantly. She made me feel like I was sitting on someone’s front porch taking in all the action and local landscape.
-The narrative was strong and filled with confidence. Perhaps Lori Armstrong did some special things in her time in the arms industry, hmmm.
-Do Indians really like taco’s that much?
I really enjoyed the read and look forward to adding Mercy to my rotation of characters to read and follow. Life on range and the rez doesn’t sound easy, but give it a little Mercy and it makes it easy to visit.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Guest Post Kristine Kathryn Rusch The Top Ten Things I Can't Do With My Kindle
The Top Ten Things I Can’t Do with My Kindle
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
I love my Kindle. I do. I love its white frame and its little screen. I love the way I can make the font bigger and bigger, so that I can pretend I no longer need trifocals. I love the way it brings me books in the middle of the night, when I need them the most.
But my Kindle has drawbacks. I learned this when I read the instruction manual, which warned me about all kinds of things, like battery life and how to preserve my internet connection.
The top ten things I cannot do with my Kindle—in no particular order—are:
1) I cannot throw my Kindle across the room like I threw the paperback edition of Volume 1 of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant across the room when I got to the rape scene. Or if I did throw my Kindle across the room, I can guarantee that my husband would not calmly say to me, “Now go pick that up and keep reading. He pays for his crime,” the way my ex-husband did oh so long ago. My husband—my current (and best) husband—would say, “What did you do? That’s an expensive piece of equipment!”
No amount of outrage over content would justify destroying expensive electronics.
2) I cannot leave the Kindle in the bathroom. Well, I suppose I could, but considering how the stack of magazines looks by week’s end—all wrinkled and water-damaged (I can’t count how many times Vanity Fair unwraps itself and falls into the can [and no, that’s not my fault! Vanity Fair’s content does not outrage me].)—I can only imagine how long it would take (an afternoon?) before the Kindle has shorted out.
3) I cannot bend the Kindle to annoy my husband. My husband, the great collector, cringes when I bend the spine of my paperbacks. I do so to assert ownership. He cannot wrap my paperbacks in a pristine bag and place them on a shelf. My paperbacks look used because they are used.
4) I cannot use my Kindle to spy on other people. The Lee Child paperback I found in Robert’s Bookshop near my home in Lincoln City, Oregon, had a United Airlines ticket stub wedged into page 52. I found nothing egregious about page 52. I was more concerned with how the paperback made its way to the Oregon Coast, two hours from any major airport. Besides, the woman whose name was on that ticket stub had flown from Redmond, Washington, to Stockton, California, going right over Oregon. How did that book get here?
No one will place a ticket stub as a bookmark in a Kindle. No one will leave a foodstained fingerprint on page 105 (chocolate? or some kind of sauce? Impossible to tell). No one will explore the mysteries of the turned down page (why stop there? There are no section breaks).
Books have secrets. The Kindle has none.
5) I cannot use my Kindle to impress people with my library unless I shove the Home page in their face. No one waiting for me to put on my jacket or waiting in the living room for Thanksgiving dinner will browse the books stored in my Kindle like they browse the books shelved next to the piano.
No one will see my defiant collection of mystery, romance, and science fiction hardcovers, a reaction to my creative writing professor’s living room shelves, filled with James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner—while the books my creative writing professor actually read (his collection of Ace doubles and other classic science fiction novels) were crammed on the narrow bookshelves of his bedroom (and no, I didn’t discover them there; Kevin J. Anderson, who was one of my classmates, did while browsing (snooping) at a party).
6) I cannot judge a book by its cover on the Kindle. Yes, I know, the cover appears on the order page, but not all of the book’s previous covers. If I want Stephen King’s Carrie, I can’t chose between the garish first paperback cover (which I bought back in the mid-1970s), or the Sissy Spacek covered in pig’s blood cover, or the tasteful 1980s cover that just said KING and CARRIE in large letters (Stephen in smaller ones). I am stuck with the cover du jour, which may not be the cover that I like the most, not that it matters, since I’ll only see the cover when I order anyway.
7) I cannot read the last page first. Oh, I suppose I could. I can hit the advance button or skip ahead or actually do a “find” to get to the last page. But if a baby gets kidnapped on page one of the murder mystery, I can’t flip to the last page to see if the baby gets a happy ending before I buy the book. The free sample only gives me selected pages, not the necessary pages.
8) I cannot build a fortress of Kindles. I simply can’t afford it. But when I was a child, growing up in a particularly loud, unhappy home, I could build a fortress of books. I would sit behind my fortress and read. My literary (loud, unhappy) parents would think I was doing something useful. In these tense times, I like my fortress of books. Only now I sit behind them and read my Kindle.
9) I cannot find mysterious old books on my Kindle. My husband and I occasionally buy book collections (me for the research materials; him for the collectable value—and no, what is his is not mine in this instance, since I write in books [and yes, I can do that on my Kindle]). As I was reshelving, just today, I found A History of the World War. The title intrigued me. The book, written in 1919, is a history of the only world war that the world had had thus far. I’m convinced this book is not available for download on my Kindle.
10) I cannot loan my Kindle to friends. Well, I suppose I can, but my friends tend to take their books to restaurants where they spill water on them or read the books in the bathtub (water again) or leave chocolate-stained fingerprints on page 105 (which I will never see since I rarely reread books). Besides, I don’t want to be without my Kindle for even a day.
Because as I said, my Kindle gives me books in the middle of the night when I need them the most. My Kindle carries an entire library with me on an airplane without ruining my husband’s back (did I tell you he’s the best husband ever?). My Kindle lets me read newspapers without getting ink all over my fingers.
I can list the top ten things I can do with my Kindle, but so many people have already covered that. And they never once mentioned my Kindle’s drawbacks.
So I figured I would.
“The Top Ten Things I Can’t Do with My Kindle” copyright © 2009 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Monday, November 22, 2010
New Novel Releases for this Week November 23rd
There are some serious new releases this week; three in particular jump out at me: Brad Thor, Steve Berry and Steve Martin. I am a sucker for Steve Martin. The other two, I just really enjoy their work; I have read all their work. In no particular order here are a dozen of this week’s new releases;
-Sarah Palin-America by Heart
-Sarah Janssen- The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2011
-Brad Thor-The Athena Project
Reid Lance Rosenthal-Threads West
Erin Hunter-Night Whispers (Warriors:Omen of the Stars Series #3)
Steve Berry-The Emperor’s Tomb (Cotton Malone #6)
Edmund Morris-Colonel Roosevelt
Kim,Kourtney,Khloe Kardashian-Kardashian Konfidential
Stieg Larsson- Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy Deluxe Box Set
Steve Martin- An Object of Beauty
Sherryl Woods –Return to Rose Cottage
Linda Miller- McKettrick’s Choice
There is a lot to choose from and it is fun to see all the new titles that are coming out each week. There are some surprises; some that make me shake my head, and then others that I can’t wait to get my hands on. What novel are you most waiting to read this Holiday season?
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
-Sarah Palin-America by Heart
-Sarah Janssen- The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2011
-Brad Thor-The Athena Project
Reid Lance Rosenthal-Threads West
Erin Hunter-Night Whispers (Warriors:Omen of the Stars Series #3)
Steve Berry-The Emperor’s Tomb (Cotton Malone #6)
Edmund Morris-Colonel Roosevelt
Kim,Kourtney,Khloe Kardashian-Kardashian Konfidential
Stieg Larsson- Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy Deluxe Box Set
Steve Martin- An Object of Beauty
Sherryl Woods –Return to Rose Cottage
Linda Miller- McKettrick’s Choice
There is a lot to choose from and it is fun to see all the new titles that are coming out each week. There are some surprises; some that make me shake my head, and then others that I can’t wait to get my hands on. What novel are you most waiting to read this Holiday season?
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Oliver North American Heroes in Special Operations
Big week and big day here @ The Scoop. We are leading off the day with a book that reveals some amazing real life heroes, humanizes them, describes them as real people, and then details the moments of true valor they had. It is hard not to turn the pages in this book and not have a sense of awe at the sacrifices these men and women make on a daily basis so we can enjoy the types of freedoms that we have as Americans. I want to share a few things from and about the book so maybe you can understand where I am coming from, and why I think that getting this book and reading it is important:
“Following the success of American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam (a New York Times best seller), Oliver North moves from the frontline to the world of shadow warriors, introducing readers to the brave, noble work of Navy Seals, Rangers, and Green Berets in American Heroes in Special Operations.
From the sands of Iraq to the mountains of the Hindu Kush, North relays insider stories and full-color photographs that depict soul-stirring missions, hidden victories, and desperate fights against impossible odds. Yet for these faithful, inspiring patriots, it's "all in a day's work."
Oliver North is a combat-decorated Marine, the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for valor, and two Purple Hearts for wounds in action. From 1983 to 1986 he served as the U.S. government's counter-terrorism coordinator on the National Security Council staff. President Ronald Reagan described him as "an American hero." A New York Times best-selling author, syndicated columnist, and host of the award-winning War Stories documentary series on the FOX News Channel, North lives with his wife, Betsy, in Virginia. They have four children and eleven grandchildren.”
I put in the description of who Oliver North is because some younger people may not know who he is. I asked my son, he is sixteen, and he heard of him but didn’t know exactly who he is, so I did not want to assume other young people did. I place importance on the author because this is a man that walked in the same shoes as these warriors and shares a very special viewpoint. His narrative in this case is important and vital. Oliver North gives us compassion and feeling that other authors or journalist just reporting the facts could not have.
North breaks up the book into chapters for each year from 2001 to 2010. I was totally captivated by not just the description of the actions that these men and women have taken and the sacrifices they made, but the pictures. The saying that they are worth a thousand words applies to the ones in this book. Reading of the heroic acts they have performed, the manners in which they lost their lives to protect their fellow soldiers is nothing short of amazing. I sorted through it again while I was preparing to write this post and was going to pick one out, but had a very difficult time choosing the right one to use. I think a book of this type, the celebration of their bravery, their humanity, their accomplishments in the harshest of conditions needs to be seen as a whole and revered individually in the context Oliver North intended. This is just an amazing book; I have no other words to give it the respect that it is due.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
“Following the success of American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam (a New York Times best seller), Oliver North moves from the frontline to the world of shadow warriors, introducing readers to the brave, noble work of Navy Seals, Rangers, and Green Berets in American Heroes in Special Operations.
From the sands of Iraq to the mountains of the Hindu Kush, North relays insider stories and full-color photographs that depict soul-stirring missions, hidden victories, and desperate fights against impossible odds. Yet for these faithful, inspiring patriots, it's "all in a day's work."
Oliver North is a combat-decorated Marine, the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for valor, and two Purple Hearts for wounds in action. From 1983 to 1986 he served as the U.S. government's counter-terrorism coordinator on the National Security Council staff. President Ronald Reagan described him as "an American hero." A New York Times best-selling author, syndicated columnist, and host of the award-winning War Stories documentary series on the FOX News Channel, North lives with his wife, Betsy, in Virginia. They have four children and eleven grandchildren.”
I put in the description of who Oliver North is because some younger people may not know who he is. I asked my son, he is sixteen, and he heard of him but didn’t know exactly who he is, so I did not want to assume other young people did. I place importance on the author because this is a man that walked in the same shoes as these warriors and shares a very special viewpoint. His narrative in this case is important and vital. Oliver North gives us compassion and feeling that other authors or journalist just reporting the facts could not have.
North breaks up the book into chapters for each year from 2001 to 2010. I was totally captivated by not just the description of the actions that these men and women have taken and the sacrifices they made, but the pictures. The saying that they are worth a thousand words applies to the ones in this book. Reading of the heroic acts they have performed, the manners in which they lost their lives to protect their fellow soldiers is nothing short of amazing. I sorted through it again while I was preparing to write this post and was going to pick one out, but had a very difficult time choosing the right one to use. I think a book of this type, the celebration of their bravery, their humanity, their accomplishments in the harshest of conditions needs to be seen as a whole and revered individually in the context Oliver North intended. This is just an amazing book; I have no other words to give it the respect that it is due.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
Guest Post Bob Hamer author of Enemies Among Us: A Novel
PREDATORS IN OUR MIDST
This past week Amazon made headlines when it removed from its website a book offering pedophiles advice on having sex with children. Before reaching a corporate decision to pull the book Amazon issued a statement: "Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."
Amazon is the largest on-line bookstore in the world, and it seems obvious they had no intention of removing the book until a threatened pre-Christmas boycott of their website. The author, and apparently Amazon, believed a readership for this material existed.
An unrelated story in late October about pedophiles and Facebook received minimal coverage but is also worthy of mention. It is certainly no secret sexual predators use the Internet to target children and congregate with like-minded adults. With an estimated half-billion users who share more than one billion files daily it should come as no surprise Facebook, the world’s largest social network, has attracted sexual predators. In an effort to protect our youth the website employs filters which automatically scan keywords associated with the sexual exploitation of children. An investigation by FoxNews.com revealed the filtering process failed to prevent child predators from posting and sharing highly suggestive and possibly illegal material on the website.
To the credit of Facebook executives, they insisted a top priority was identifying and removing offensive and exploitive content…they didn’t try to hide behind a censorship or First Amendment argument. But I’m not interested in debating the First Amendment, censorship, or corporate responsibility. I’d like to discuss something I am hopeful you will find more practical.
As a veteran undercover FBI agent, I successfully sold myself to many in the criminal underworld. My mission was always the same: to become one of them without becoming one of them. I was believed in my various undercover roles, and a misplaced faith in my cover story landed many in prison for lengthy government-imposed vacations.
In my twenty-six year career, my most difficult undercover assignment, psychologically and emotionally, was posing as a pedophile. Playing a contract killer, drug dealer, or international arms merchant was a milk-run by comparison. I spent three years infiltrating the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), a group of men sexually attracted to boys.
I believe most parents are more fearful of the predator next door than the terrorist half-a-world away. I frequently speak to groups and when discussing my NAMBLA infiltration I am often asked how parents can spot a pedophile. They are rightfully concerned with identifying the person who would buy the book recently available on Amazon or take advantage of the Facebook networking opportunity.
I wish I had an easy answer. I wish I could provide a checklist which would positively identify anyone sexually attracted to a child. I’m afraid I don’t. I would, however, like to share some observations which may prove beneficial to parents.
The target audience for the book pulled from Amazon, those joining the Facebook network, and most pedophiles I encountered in NAMBLA are “persuasion predators.” They are not individuals who break into bedrooms at night, kidnapping a child for sexual pleasure. Their method of operation is seduction. Referred to as “grooming,” these men use the same techniques a man uses in the courting process only the object of affection is a child. Whether in person or online, it starts with a look or a comment, a praise, an invitation, and, if successful, a relationship.
In my face-to-face encounters and my correspondence with more than 150 NAMBLA members, I learned the men often targeted those boys seeking a father figure. They looked for the vulnerable child, typically the boy from a single-parent household. Although I am sure there are exceptions, I know of no boy successfully seduced by a NAMBLA member who came from a home with a strong, loving, father figure. The membership typically sought the single mom and more often than not the predators groomed the mother as well as the child. These pedophiles wanted a situation in which the mother became dependent upon the man for his companionship with the child. The predator wanted the mother to believe his motives were pure so if the boy reported an encounter the mother would dismiss it as a misinterpretation of the man’s actions.
Some of the men I encountered enjoyed the grooming process almost as much as the sexual conquest. One target of our investigation, who received a well-deserved thirty-year sentence, admitted to me while I was undercover he molested between sixty to seventy boys and groomed more than two hundred. Others talked of offering free babysitting or taking the child on a camping trip or allowing the child to spend the night when the mother worked or went out for the evening. The developed trust caused the parent to believe her child was in safe hands.
As a Marine I was taught many acronyms which served as memory aides for battle orders, leadership principles, training guidelines. It worked. It’s been more than thirty years since I was on active duty, but I remember the acronyms and the principles.
Allow me to leave you with an acronym…ACT.
It may not be a failsafe approach to protecting your child but it can reduce the chances of success for a persuasion predator.
A is affirm. Affirm your child. A child, who believes he is loved, who believes he is valuable, is less likely to seek affirmation from others and fall for the seducing comments of a sexual predator. I recall a poster years ago which read, “God made you and God doesn’t make junk.” I repeated that phrase often to our children as they were growing up.
C is communication. Talk with your children. Let them know you value their opinions. When our children were young we often played a game at the dinner table called “I Spy.” We would ask them what they “spied” that day. It may not have been a life-altering observation, but it reinforced in our children the belief they could talk to us without fear of being ridiculed. Their opinions and observations mattered. A child who believes the lines of communications are open isn’t as likely to seek companionship from just any adult who will listen and praise. If something inappropriate happens the child knows he or she can talk to you about the incident without fear of being dismissed or ignored.
T is for trust. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” My intent is not to make you paranoid as a parent, locking your kids away until adulthood. But trust your feelings as well as your children’s feelings. If an adult is paying too much attention to your child or making inappropriate comments, listen to that inner spirit telling you something isn’t right. Listen to your child. The reason she doesn’t want to sit on Uncle Harry’s lap may be due to Harry’s bad breath, but it may be Uncle Harry said or did something which made her uncomfortable. Don’t force your child to sit on Harry’s lap or give him a kiss. Respect your child’s wishes and discuss with her outside of Harry’s presence why she chose to react the way she did. Trust but verify!
Although I’m not a big believer in statistics, studies show one in four girls and one in six boys are molested during childhood, more often than not by a relative or close family friend. These are persuasion predators playing upon inherited or developed relationships to satisfy their basest desires.
Remember…as a parent if you don’t ACT, those people who bought the Amazon book or networked on Facebook might! Start to ACT. It’s not too late.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
This past week Amazon made headlines when it removed from its website a book offering pedophiles advice on having sex with children. Before reaching a corporate decision to pull the book Amazon issued a statement: "Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions."
Amazon is the largest on-line bookstore in the world, and it seems obvious they had no intention of removing the book until a threatened pre-Christmas boycott of their website. The author, and apparently Amazon, believed a readership for this material existed.
An unrelated story in late October about pedophiles and Facebook received minimal coverage but is also worthy of mention. It is certainly no secret sexual predators use the Internet to target children and congregate with like-minded adults. With an estimated half-billion users who share more than one billion files daily it should come as no surprise Facebook, the world’s largest social network, has attracted sexual predators. In an effort to protect our youth the website employs filters which automatically scan keywords associated with the sexual exploitation of children. An investigation by FoxNews.com revealed the filtering process failed to prevent child predators from posting and sharing highly suggestive and possibly illegal material on the website.
To the credit of Facebook executives, they insisted a top priority was identifying and removing offensive and exploitive content…they didn’t try to hide behind a censorship or First Amendment argument. But I’m not interested in debating the First Amendment, censorship, or corporate responsibility. I’d like to discuss something I am hopeful you will find more practical.
As a veteran undercover FBI agent, I successfully sold myself to many in the criminal underworld. My mission was always the same: to become one of them without becoming one of them. I was believed in my various undercover roles, and a misplaced faith in my cover story landed many in prison for lengthy government-imposed vacations.
In my twenty-six year career, my most difficult undercover assignment, psychologically and emotionally, was posing as a pedophile. Playing a contract killer, drug dealer, or international arms merchant was a milk-run by comparison. I spent three years infiltrating the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), a group of men sexually attracted to boys.
I believe most parents are more fearful of the predator next door than the terrorist half-a-world away. I frequently speak to groups and when discussing my NAMBLA infiltration I am often asked how parents can spot a pedophile. They are rightfully concerned with identifying the person who would buy the book recently available on Amazon or take advantage of the Facebook networking opportunity.
I wish I had an easy answer. I wish I could provide a checklist which would positively identify anyone sexually attracted to a child. I’m afraid I don’t. I would, however, like to share some observations which may prove beneficial to parents.
The target audience for the book pulled from Amazon, those joining the Facebook network, and most pedophiles I encountered in NAMBLA are “persuasion predators.” They are not individuals who break into bedrooms at night, kidnapping a child for sexual pleasure. Their method of operation is seduction. Referred to as “grooming,” these men use the same techniques a man uses in the courting process only the object of affection is a child. Whether in person or online, it starts with a look or a comment, a praise, an invitation, and, if successful, a relationship.
In my face-to-face encounters and my correspondence with more than 150 NAMBLA members, I learned the men often targeted those boys seeking a father figure. They looked for the vulnerable child, typically the boy from a single-parent household. Although I am sure there are exceptions, I know of no boy successfully seduced by a NAMBLA member who came from a home with a strong, loving, father figure. The membership typically sought the single mom and more often than not the predators groomed the mother as well as the child. These pedophiles wanted a situation in which the mother became dependent upon the man for his companionship with the child. The predator wanted the mother to believe his motives were pure so if the boy reported an encounter the mother would dismiss it as a misinterpretation of the man’s actions.
Some of the men I encountered enjoyed the grooming process almost as much as the sexual conquest. One target of our investigation, who received a well-deserved thirty-year sentence, admitted to me while I was undercover he molested between sixty to seventy boys and groomed more than two hundred. Others talked of offering free babysitting or taking the child on a camping trip or allowing the child to spend the night when the mother worked or went out for the evening. The developed trust caused the parent to believe her child was in safe hands.
As a Marine I was taught many acronyms which served as memory aides for battle orders, leadership principles, training guidelines. It worked. It’s been more than thirty years since I was on active duty, but I remember the acronyms and the principles.
Allow me to leave you with an acronym…ACT.
It may not be a failsafe approach to protecting your child but it can reduce the chances of success for a persuasion predator.
A is affirm. Affirm your child. A child, who believes he is loved, who believes he is valuable, is less likely to seek affirmation from others and fall for the seducing comments of a sexual predator. I recall a poster years ago which read, “God made you and God doesn’t make junk.” I repeated that phrase often to our children as they were growing up.
C is communication. Talk with your children. Let them know you value their opinions. When our children were young we often played a game at the dinner table called “I Spy.” We would ask them what they “spied” that day. It may not have been a life-altering observation, but it reinforced in our children the belief they could talk to us without fear of being ridiculed. Their opinions and observations mattered. A child who believes the lines of communications are open isn’t as likely to seek companionship from just any adult who will listen and praise. If something inappropriate happens the child knows he or she can talk to you about the incident without fear of being dismissed or ignored.
T is for trust. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” My intent is not to make you paranoid as a parent, locking your kids away until adulthood. But trust your feelings as well as your children’s feelings. If an adult is paying too much attention to your child or making inappropriate comments, listen to that inner spirit telling you something isn’t right. Listen to your child. The reason she doesn’t want to sit on Uncle Harry’s lap may be due to Harry’s bad breath, but it may be Uncle Harry said or did something which made her uncomfortable. Don’t force your child to sit on Harry’s lap or give him a kiss. Respect your child’s wishes and discuss with her outside of Harry’s presence why she chose to react the way she did. Trust but verify!
Although I’m not a big believer in statistics, studies show one in four girls and one in six boys are molested during childhood, more often than not by a relative or close family friend. These are persuasion predators playing upon inherited or developed relationships to satisfy their basest desires.
Remember…as a parent if you don’t ACT, those people who bought the Amazon book or networked on Facebook might! Start to ACT. It’s not too late.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
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