The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee

By Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
http://www.stuartbramhall.com/
Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-60911-858-7
Publisher: Eloquent Books
Price: $17.95 US


Originally reviewed  by Emily Jane Hills Orford for All Books Review
Do you feel safe in your house at night? Have you ever wondered about those annoying, middle-of-the-night phone calls that you thought were just a random wrong number? Have you noticed someone following you? Frightening? Yes! Imagine having this happen relentlessly for years: phone calls at all hours of the day and night; people following you; people pretending to be your friend, your client, your patient; people breaking into your house; people threatening your life; people ending the lives of people you have come to know through your practice and your volunteer activities. These things are frightening enough without the added phone taps and tampering with the television cable so that the programming is altered to implement a direct personal assault on an individual’s mental health. This and more happened to an American psychiatrist, Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall. Not only did these threats affect her safety and that of her daughter, they also affected her psychiatric practice and had her committed to the psychiatric ward, induced with countless drugs and labelled as being psychotically paranoid and manic depressive. Why? It all started when she tried to help transform an abandoned school in Seattle into an African American Museum.


Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall is a captivating storyteller. Her memoir, The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee, chronicles thirty years of her life as she tried to maintain her psychiatric practice in Seattle, Washington, while raising a daughter and being actively involved in several volunteer groups that rigorously sought to improve the lives of ordinary Americans. Her fight to bring research on safe AIDS treatment to the fore in the 1970s struck a raw-nerve in certain government departments. Her fight to defend African Americans abused by the system, abused by the police, resulted in greater harassment. She also lobbied for basic health care insurance for all Americans; helped establish and support, both financially and physically, the African American Museum; and she was frequently sought to financially back those who were wrongly accused in the Seattle justice system. Her views on American politics may have seemed radical to many; but hearing her story, from her point-of-view, one begins to wonder if there isn’t a conspiracy out there to block the so-called ‘freedom of speech’ right and condemn those who dare to question it.


Dr. Bramhall continued her practice in Seattle, despite the continual harassment and death threats, for thirty years. She had no desire to uproot her daughter during her early school years. After her daughter moved away to university, Dr. Bramhall made her decision to immigrate. She accepted a posting in New Zealand, and made the move. She is currently practicing child and adolescent psychiatry in New Plymouth.


The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee is an almost shocking memoir about what lies beneath the world as we want to see it. The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee is highly recommended by Allbooks reviewer, Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Allbooks Reviews.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

How To Get Kids To Read More by Having Fun

How to Turn Your Book Club into a Spectacular Event
By Mayra Calvani
ISBN 9781606192290
Twitlight Times Books, Kingsport, TN


Reviewed originally for Amazon by Amazon Vine Voice Carolyn Howard-Johnson

In these times when people say children don't read enough, along comes Mayra Calvani with this adorable little how-to book. What an idea! Turn reading into a party! A social event! A project! I hope teachers everywhere grab onto this idea as a way to encourage their students to read. And (of course!) use this booklet as their guide.


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The reviewer  is an award-winning poet, novelist, and author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Naturally she would like to see more young people grow up as avid readers.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Tackling Joblessness in Practical and Spiritual Ways

Title: Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go

Author: Marietta Taylor
Author's website link: http://www.mariettataylor.net/
Genre: Inspirational, Devotional
ISBN: 1-934626-13-9

Originally reviewed for Breathe Again Magazine by Adrienne Adams

Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go Positive: Advice for a Negative Situation is a 31-day devotional that provides encouragement and practical advice to women who are facing the effects of either their own or their spouses’ unemployment.
This is not a Pollyanna devotional. It tackles the specifics of day to day living through tough issues, such as handling anger, finding new ways to generate cash flow, and preparing for an extended job search.
Review:
When Marietta Taylor and her husband relocated from Chicago, Illinois to Raleigh, North Carolina, they encountered a life-changing surprise. With two young daughters in tow, their move was dependent upon both their incomes. While Marietta began work as planned, Rick’s promise of a job transfer fell through. Feelings of excited anticipation quickly gave way to panic, uncertainty, and fear of the struggles to come.

As the lady of the house, Taylor begins the astounding task of working a full-time job, getting her daughters adjusted to their new school, and helping her husband to start from scratch, piecing together a resume, scouring employment listings, and going on job interviews.
Marietta Taylor’s book, “Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go,” is a devotional that reads like an e-mail from a friend. She is candid, smart, and funny. She reveals to you the things that most people wouldn’t, just so you can learn from her experiences. Each chapter has a scriptural reference and a prayer focus that condition you to hold on to the Lord’s promises and obey His Word, even as the storm of circumstances make you a little unsteady.
“Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go,” offers tips on thankfulness (Taylor’s family challenged themselves to find a ‘silver lining’ during the worst days), frugality and money-making (She never shopped without a coupon and sold to consignment shops for extra cash), and keeping a consistent relationship with God (She says that prayer is like anti-itch cream…re-apply as needed.)
The emotions and obstacles brought about by unemployment are some that many of us face each day in different situations. There is debt, marital discord, and the tough job of trying to meet the needs of everyone in the family. I would recommend this devotional to any woman who manages a household.
Taylor shows us that we can live, love, and laugh through our issues, and make the best possible decisions, while we trust God to lead us out of them.
Read an excerpt of “Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go” at http://www.mariettataylor.net/ . Get your copy at http://www.edmbookstore.com/ .

Reviewer Adrienne Adams is president of the Write Vision Group, http://www.wtvmin.com/ .

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Wall Street Journal-Quoted Expert Reviews Marketing Book

Review of Frugal and Focused Tweeting: How-To Tweak Your Tweets and Integrate Your Online Presence
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
ISBN: 9781451546149
Available on Amazon: http://budurl.com/Tweeting4Retailers

Reviewed by Michelle Dunn

With Social Media dominating every aspect of business especially marketing, Carolyn Howard Johnson is sharing practical marketing practices using social media that anyone can use. While businesses everywhere cut their marketing budget due to the economy, the handful that keep marketing and using Carolyn's books to help them be successful will be the last ones standing.

It is obvious Carolyn loves what she does and is good at it, lucky for us she is willing to share her tips and techniques in her book subtitled How to Tweak your Tweets and Integrate your Online Presence so that we can share in that success.

If you know nothing about Twitter but want to learn how you to can use it as a successful marketing tool pick up this book. It is the only book on Twitter marketing that you will need.

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Reviewer Michelle Dunn is an internationally known credit & debt collection expert. Michelle she is the award winning author of 13 books, a columnist ,and marketing expert. She has been featured on CNN, Forbes, Smart Money magazine and is often quoted in the Wall Street Journal. Learn more at www.MichelleDunn.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Quick Study for Great First Impression Book Proposal

The Great First Impression Book Proposal

Subtitle: Everything You Need to Know to Impress a Publisher in Twenty Minutes or Less
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
ISBN 9781453690956
$6.95

First reviewed for Amazon by Robert Medak
Four of five stars

The Great First Impression Book Proposal is a book that all authors need to get past the gate keepers as Carolyn refers to them in her books. This book is by no means a step-by-step plan, but it does give you the basics for publishing your book.
The publishing industry has changed. In today’s environment, more is placed on the author to make a good impression on agents, editors, and publishers if they want to get their manuscript published.

The first impression is all you have to get the attention of those that hold the publishing purse strings. If you do not create something of value for their time and effort in your first impression your chances of becoming a published diminish greatly.

Carolyn’s The Great First Impression Book Proposal while not guaranteeing publishing does offer things that will aid you in the possibility of becoming published.

The Great First Impression Book Proposal is another in a series of little $6.95  pamphlets about various aspects of writing, editing, and publishing including Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.


This is a book that anyone considering writing for publication should read. In fact, they should read all of Carolyn’s pamphlets about writing. Some may feel that they know the information in Carolyn’s pamphlets; even prose will find they are still a good source of information and review of what authors need to know about getting past the gatekeepers.
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The reviewer is an editor and reviewer.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Eardajan Reviews New Holly Weiss Novel

Crestmont
By Holly Weiss

Author website http://www.hollyweiss.com/
Historical Fiction
ISBN 978-1-935188-10-0
Publisher: StarPublish LLC



"Blossoms of another time float on the breeze of a book"

Reviewed by Erdajean for Amazon.com



Erdajean awarded Crestmont five stars on August 24, 2010



Needed: an Adirondack chair, a cool, tall glass, and a transporting story, like this one, to leave the current age of tabloid trash and in-your-face dysfunction far behind.
Holly Weiss does not quite tell us why hopeful young singer Grace Antes was an unhappy girl, in her small-town Pennsylvania home. Or why her family, devout Moravians, seemed to care so little about her that no one went looking, when, with no adieu, she set out in search of a better life.
What Ms. Weiss does is to plant her gentle heroine in an excellently-drawn era of social stoicism, when "a family's business stays at home!" Any intimation of pain, personal angst (or ecstacy!) was considered Vulgar. Jerry Springer and Oprah would have found the well dry, in that time, when polite ladies still addressed their closest friends as Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones, and husbands were "The Mister."

It is a major act of daring when, once liberated, Grace bobs her hair, in timely flapper fashion, and then renames herself "Gracie," maybe the first frivolous thing she's ever done.
It becomes, increasingly, a joy to watch from the lakeside shadows as this lovely, innocent and gutsy young woman takes on the world, in the milieu of an old-time, upper-class resort, where she is maid, confidante, unwitting rival and, increasingly, object of affections.
The aura of the staid, class-conscious and studiedly non-intimate society holds well, throughout. There are things the reader would have loved to be privy to, along the way, and a few loose strands dangling, at the end. What really became of nemesis Bessie -- who WAS vulgar? And what happened to the men Gracie loved, but could not, would not marry?

Oh well -- that's the way it was, in that time -- it was just thought too coarse and common to let it all hang out!
A really good read, and recommended.



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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Ekphrastic Poetry: Joyce White Sculpts the Heart

Sculpting the Heart’s Poetry
Subtitle: While Conversing with the Masters
By Joyce White
Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-557-22371-8

Reviewed by Fran Lewis for IJustFinished.com



Ekphrasis poetry is said to be a conversation between two pieces of art. The poet or writer interprets the piece of art and creates a narrative verse that depicts or represents his/her reaction to that painting, picture or piece of art. This form of poetry dates back to ancient Greece. This type of poetry is used to describe something. The term Ekphrasis has often been referred to when describing works of visual art in a poem, not with a description in general, or with description of other kids of art. The poet responds to the direct stimuli of a piece of art together with his/her own experience in the moment. This type of poem can be a description of the artwork, a story that comes to the mind of the poet while viewing this piece of art, or a poem describing the scene or experience in which the piece of art is placed.

Author Joyce White in her book Sculpting the Heart’s of Poetry creates stories within her poems, elicits feelings and emotions in the reader as you take this journey along with her and learn about life, people, the masters, painters, real life experiences and much more.

Each poem has its own voice and its’ own special message conveyed by the author. As she relates how she feels about her mom who has passed on and her feelings of anger and frustration I can see the tears being shed and hear the screams that follow when she is angry. In the first poem she sets the tone for the many faces of every woman, her good, bad, recalcitrant, obstructive and unhappy. The moods she depicts in the first part of her anthology of poems helps the reader better understand the many phases that woman go through. I became enthralled with the picture of the hands. In my mind is depicted the generations of life from start to almost finish. As you look at the smoothness of the child’s hand and then move on in progression to that of the others as they age, you feel time slipping by and the many generations of a family depicted in each hand.

Next, the author introduces a second chapter as she speaks to the Masters of Painting and Art. As an artist shapes, creates, forms with precision a piece of sculpture so does the poet create and sculpt these vividly depicted and storytelling poems. From Picasso’s Cubism art with paintings that tell a story of their own with women that intrigued him, our poet paints a true picture of the greatness of this painter.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night is my favorite painting and I have a copy of it hanging in my living room. The picture depicts a small village on a cool night. You can feel the breeze, the chill in the air and smell the freshness that the painter creates in this beautiful painting. The swirls in the sky and the eerie feeling evoked cause the painter and the poet to express a feeling of despair, uncertainty and misunderstanding.
Emotions come through in the next chapter titled Comedy /Tragedy as the author compares tears to that of polliwogs swimming and looking through the eyes of a person functioning more efficiently. It would be great if we could wash away our tears and our sorrows and think of positive ways to make others happy. The other poem that I loved was Springtime Choices. You can smell the freshness in the air and the joy that embodies each of us when the leaves turn green and the world is so beautiful when Spring returns. The author goes on to write about Insects Compared to Man and she vividly describes the inner most thoughts of an insect, its physical appearance and how we are alike in many aspects making the reader wonder about why we are so concerned with light and even death. We need to enjoy nature’s beauty and embrace life more.

There are so many outstanding poems in this part of the book that you will have to read and enjoy each one and decide for yourself, which are your favorite. Mine is White on White. The world would be dull and bland if everything and everyone White or Black. The different colors of nature, the trees in fall, the painter’s pallet or even a box of crayons provides the variety that we need to make things our own and the world so beautiful. Imagine if all dogs were black and all birds were white. We could not tell them apart except by breed, we would all be the same and the differences we need to embrace in each other and the world would be gone.

Finally the author comes full circle in the last section titled The Circle of Life. Describing the despair of an Alcoholic and his dismal view of life, Hermit’s Poets and the dilemma of camouflaging himself from the world not to be noticed and his vague and depression outlook on life followed by Ribbons, Bows and Pink Lace which is really quite unique and varied in its subject. The author writes in the first person the evolving of a young girls and the changes that happen within her and the things that make her happy growing up and the same things that she loves as she ages. The poem Growing Love brought tears to my eyes since I just lost my sister, my best friend. As the author tells of her feeling toward her mom and how she feels about her loss and finally joining her, you can feel the love that will never be gone. The final poem you will have to read for yourself where it all comes to together and her true feelings about her mother and her life come together.

Author Joyce White sculpted, created and shares her Ekphrasis poems with the reader helping us enter a literary world that is unknown to many. These poems are interesting, each one tells a story of its own and the pictures speak to the reader/viewer and you can feel the emotions emitted in them as you read each poem and look at each picture and understand their true meaning.

Happiness, joy, sadness, sorrow, life’s mysteries and discoveries are just some of the emotions and events shared in this outstanding book. This is a book that everyone will enjoy reading. Every reader will get something different out of it creating his or her own perspective and viewpoint. For those teaching college classes this book would be a great resource. For those who want to write poetry that tells a story and interacts with the reader this is a great resource to help you understand the form of poetry and how to use pictures, stories and events to write them.
I really enjoyed reading this heartwarming, well written and vividly depicted events which allowed the reader to form her own mental images of what the poems are saying and how to visualize them in her mind.

Synopsis by Author Joyce White

Expressing myself creatively in my first book, Sculpting the Heart: Surviving Depression with Art Therapy, I felt like I’m way out there, a strange observer from a strange land. Everyone says what we know. I know from years of depression, it takes years of unlearning abusive behaviors. I also know words are healers whether we’re writing them or reading them. I kept my mind flexible and open to those like Picasso, Van Gagh and Jung who came before me. Many of my poems are in responses to their art. We who write poetry make everything a game. We like to play the game “what if?” We keep our ears open and our fingers busy. We like to replay the past and give it our own spin. We play connect-the-dots with words and feelings, playing close attention to the sound and flow of our memories, as well as their arrangement on the page. Joyce Carol Oates says,
”You may discover your best poems while writing your worst prose.”
My inner poet lived patiently in me until about my forties. After I finished my first book of prose, it was then like Joyce Oates says, “I broke out in proem.” My poems all grew out of intellectual irony, childhood memories, my faith and/or emotional attachments. I found as soon as you connect with your true emotions, you can sculpt your heart with poetry. Poetry is like short-handing prose. It is my opinion my own inner poet tries to help me embrace my readers in a cloak of proem armor.

I celebrated my new self-esteem in my new book, Sculpting the Heart’s Poetry, while Conversing with the Masters. I’ve learned to use writing, art and poetry to resolve inner conflicts, reduce stress, as well as increase my own self-esteem and self-awareness. I’ve replaced my fears of “not being a good enough” to fears of “not living long enough” to appease my inner poet. I’m called in several blogs, “Winged for Art Therapy,” I’m happy to be a writer, artist and author and I hope others will find their own divine purpose by celebrating mine.

Joyce White


Fran Lewis reviews for Ijustfinished.com Read her reviews on face book on reviewers roundup.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below: