In the Review’s February 9, 2023, issue, Francesca Wade reviews a new biography of the enigmatic modernist Mina Loy, a poet and artist whose work has been “periodically ‘rediscovered’ while remaining elusive.” Her life was peripatetic and haunted: she had affairs with Italian Futurists, married the boxer-poet Arthur Cravan (who disappeared mysteriously and without warning), […]
Murder at Manzanar follows a private eye with a knack for finding things others cannot who ends up uncovering more than he anticipated. What was your inspiration for the mystery that must be unraveled?
2022 was the 80-year anniversary of the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. I had been reading quite a bit about it and wondered how I could weave it into a story. As part of my research, I came across how many Japanese families had to just walk away from their homes and businesses never to see them again because of unscrupulous people, who conned them out of everything they owned. They were only allowed to take what they could carry when they were dispersed to various camps around the country. It wasn’t until 1990 that the US government paid out reparations to those who survived the internment camps. I thought about how interesting it would be to see how one Japanese family was conned out of their business and how the wrong came full circle to the detriment of the person who stole it.
How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing, or did it develop organically?
It developed gradually and I had some input from one of my Tai Chi students who happens to be a Buddhist priest she told me about a story that she thought would be interesting for a book and I asked her if I could use part of it and she gave me the permission to do so. From there the story took on a life of its own and I just put down on paper.
Was there a reason why you chose this location as the backdrop for your story?
The backdrop for my story is pretty much the same as all of the Polish Dragon P. I. stories. They, mostly take place in Northeast Ohio where I was born and raised. On occasion, Tom or Suzie may travel away from Ohio but always return to their home state. I like to share little tidbits about where I grew up. People don’t realize what a great place Northeastern Ohio is to live in. Things have changed over the years and Cleveland is a top vacation destination. It even has quite the food scene for all of you foodies out there. Right now Cleveland has three chefs who were named semi-finalists for the James Beard award. Time magazine calls the James Beard award the Oscars of the food world.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers next time?
The story has continued with two more novellas following Murder at Manzanar. They are The Dragon is Missing and Finding Ami. In these two books, Suzie gets more of the spotlight, especially as the first title states Tom ends up going missing and Suzie must find him. In Finding Ami, she has to do a lot of the work because, well let’s just say Tom was out of the picture. I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I like writing them.
When a Buddhist statue is broken in a temple, an envelope is found hidden inside. The name on the envelope is not anyone associated with the temple. The minister hires the Polish Dragon P. I. to find the person and deliver the letter. While attempting to find the person the Polish Dragon P. I. finds himself digging into the past and uncovering a murder and perhaps spying at one of the Japanese internment camps during World War II. The protagonist finds himself in the midst of corporate espionage and maybe even the Yakuza.
How To Be Successful In Life helps readers discover their Unique Success Power and shows them how to use it to achieve greater success in their life. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wanted to share the most valuable lessons I have learned in life with other people who might benefit from this knowledge and wisdom. I have worked with hundreds of business and individual clients for more than 40 years and observed that many of them did not know their unique strengths (a.k.a. success power), so they were sometimes frustrated and sometimes underperforming as a result. I would like to help all readers minimize their frustration and maximize their success in life. This book is also driven in part by my faith which teaches, “Love on another” and “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
What is the biggest obstacle that people face in discovering their Unique Success Power?
Many people view personality assessment tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the VIA Character assessment as interesting tools when they encounter them, but very very few integrate their unique personality and character into their life’s work and success journey. Even reviewers of this book have said, “I may go back and take those tests later” perhaps viewing a test as something they might be graded on. Although we do not call any of these assessment tools “tests,” because there are no right or wrong answers, still many people perceive them this way. Instead they should think of them as “power tools” that can help them be more successful in life, happier and more fulfilled.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Understanding and managing the 4 internal and 5 external success factors which enable you to create your own Unique Success Power System.
How to turn visions and goals into concrete action that gets things done.
How to understand your mind and take control of your thoughts for greater success.
How to take care of your body, emotions and spirit.
How to have better relationships with other people.
Keys to effectively managing your finances.
Managing success in daily life, one day at a time.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
A better understanding of how to be successful in life, and a strong belief that they can indeed be more successful – even achieve great success – if they follow the guidelines in this book.
DO YOU WANT TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE? Do you want to achieve greater success in your life? Do you want the excitement of discovering your unique talents and abilities for success? Do you want to feel the confidence of being in control of your success journey every day? “How To Be Successful In Life” will show you how to “Discover and Use Your Unique Success Power For Maximum Results”: Discover your Unique Success Power using a variety of free online resources and a guided self-assessment Plan a realistic process for setting and pursuing your visions and goals to use your Unique Success Power for maximum results Achieve success day by day by taking control of your time, actions and mindset. No book can guarantee success, of course. The problem is, so many other “success” books are based on the billionaire achievements of rare people. They say, “Do what I did and you can be successful like me.” But you are not them! You are truly a unique person! You need to better understand your uniqueness and build on it – that is your power! That is how you can best succeed! This book shows you how to do that step by step. Based on 40 Years of Real Success Consulting Author E.W. “Buck” Lawrimore has over 40 years experience as a success consultant for individuals and companies. He earned a degree in psychology from Davidson College and has studied success, the mind, brain, self-knowledge, and self-control throughout his career. A former news reporter, he has written four other books as well as thousands of news articles, websites and brochures. He has helped hundreds of organizations and individuals increase their success and satisfaction in life. He has also read and analyzed thousands of books and articles about success methodologies and combined the most effective discoveries with his own real-world experience into what really works! Much of the information and insights in the book you won’t find anywhere else. We believe you will find this to be the most practical success book available today! Defining Your Success and Power To many people “success” means wealth, fame and power. But actually success can be a much wider range of things. You are capable of many different kinds of success. Focusing on the kind of success you want is critical to attaining it. The key to attaining success is concentrating your resources on your greatest opportunities. That’s where your power comes from. Instead of doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and making no progress… You concentrate your resources based on your 9 key success factors… And focus them like a laser beam on your greatest opportunities. What are your 9 key success factors? The 4 internal success factors of mind, body, emotions and spirit The 5 external success factors of relationships with people, finances and other property, your work, your leisure activities, and your interaction with the environment. These 9 life success factors cover everything in the world that might impact your success! A Literary Titan reviewer had this to say: “…This informative book is a must-have handbook written by an author with practical knowledge about how things work for personal and business success. I found helpful advice on my mental potential and focusing on physical and psychological stability. I love every aspect of this book, and it is hard to highlight my favorite sections. The Simple D method of decision-making, connecting with God, and rediscovering that our mind has infinite power and how it directly influences our journey was exciting. This is one of my key takeaways from this book. The central theme of this book is controlling your thoughts and thus changing your destiny because whatever we think becomes our reality…”
Are you ready to get going on your Unique Success Power journey?
Oliver the Oyster and the Pearl Gifts follows a curious oyster who goes on an adventure to discover how acts of kindness can make a difference in the world. What was the inspiration for your story?
It is my personal belief that the world we live in only gets harder each and every day. As such, I want children to feel inspired, and encouraged to always help those around us. Everyone, even the closest of our loved ones, can all use a simple act of kindness from time-to-time.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
Some of my most favorite books have always had some sort of historical or learning aspect to them. Books like Dan Brown’s “DaVinci Code” are loaded with tons of true and made-up facts. Books like that have always inspired me to want to learn more about what they were discussing.
In my own way, I also wanted to incorporate some learning moments. I wanted my story to flow in such a way that children learned something, without knowing that they were learning something. Sort of like how your parent may have hide a vegetable in something that you were eating as a kid and you didn’t realize it at the time.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
Children’s books should not just be fun, but they should also be inspiring, encouraging, and slightly educational. Those were my goals as a writing in this book.
Where does the next book in the series take the characters?
New to the harbor is Clara the clam who has unfortunately experienced some sad moments in her life. However, with the help of her new friends Oliver the oyster, Cathy the crab, and Miriah the mermaid, Clara discovers the secret to living her life full of happiness regardless of anything that has happened or could happen.
Author Links: Website | Instagram
A fun and slightly educational journey set in the seaside town of Wellfleet, MA. With the help of his friends Cathy the crab and Miriah the mermaid, Oliver the oyster discovers how simple acts of kindness can make a difference. All along the adventure, children will learn interesting seaside details that they can share with their family and friends.
Kings of the County League is a stirring and fun story sharing your experiences as one of the members of The Kings of the County League. What inspired you to write this sports memoir?
I gave a large part of my life—18 summers—to the league immortalized in this book. When my playing days ended, I felt the proper way to honor the good times, the guys, and my long-time manager—a man who gave his life to the game—was to write this book. The process a labor of love and I couldn’t be more proud of the product.
Was there any research that you had to do to ensure you got the facts of the story correct?
It is a work of nonfiction and based primarily on the accounts of the characters. Where archival information was available, I relied on it for information, quotes, and the foundation of parts of the narrative. While I relied upon a number of sources, most of the research came from revisiting in memory those not-so-long-ago events.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Set against the backdrop of a small German town in Illinois just minutes from the big city, the story charts the history and fortunes of one manager, one baseball club, and one summer in mid-western county league baseball. It is a funny and poignant story that reminds us of the real meaning of summer, friends, and America’s favorite pastime. The book also contains over 100 pages of pictures and stats encompassing the 60-year history of the club.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I want readers to be entertained and at the same time appreciate the down-to-earth characters and unadulterated brand of baseball depicted in the story.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
Author Craig Ohlau’s first hit, The Sons of Chester, was a home run, immortalizing a group of brothers from a small, death-row river town growing up in the 90s. In his next at-bat, the bases are loaded, and he does it again with Kings of the County League. Kings of the County League presents baseball unadorned, a game sweet enough to lure ex-big leaguers, grown men married with kids still living for the occasional square-up, college upstarts dreaming of the pros, and the blossoming high school hopefuls looking to hang with the “big boys” every summer to the scorched, dusty sandlots in the middle of America’s heartland. Set against the backdrop of a small German town in southern Illinois just minutes from the big city, the story charts the history and fortunes of one manager, one baseball club, and one summer in town vs. town, you versus me mid-western county league baseball. The funny and poignant story reminds us of the real meaning of summer, friends, and what was America’s favorite pastime.
Time’s Daughter follows a modern-day schoolteacher who is taken back to 1875 and finds herself in the middle of a conflict between a handsome plantation owner and his greedy stepbrother. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I grew up in a small parish in northeastern Louisiana that back in the day had over 100 plantations. Stories about old plantation houses and their owners fascinated me. A true story about a man who was driven out of his mind by someone he trusted captured my attention. I quit a job I loved supervising student teachers at the University of Texas at Dallas to write my own version of the legend.
Christina Forsythe is an interesting and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I knew she would have to be a strong woman to survive in another century. | wanted to give her a character flaw that she would overcome by the end of my book. Christina was prejudiced against mental illness because of her father’s bipolar condition. By falling in love with a man people referred to as a madman, she was able to overcome her prejudice.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore a man’s love for his daughter and how far he would go to keep her safe. Other themes include good versus evil, never giving up, and Justice.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on Take Only My Love, but | have also published Sidestepping the Truth, a gentle romance novel, The thirteenth Apostle—a thriller, and two contemporary novels: Conveniently Married and Winds of Fate. |’ve co-authored two children’s books, A Horse for the Heart and Mystery of the Swamp Lights.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Hurled into 1875, a young schoolteacher from this century finds herself living a legend she’s heard about all her life. She lands in the middle of a conflict between handsome plantation owner, Rainer Thorpe, and his greedy stepbrother. Sparksfly as Rainer tries to help Christina Forsythe find her way home.
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In the Review’s February 9, 2023, issue, Francesca Wade reviews a new biography of the enigmatic modernist Mina Loy, a poet and artist whose work has been “periodically ‘rediscovered’ while remaining elusive.” Her life was peripatetic and haunted: she had affairs with Italian Futurists, married the boxer-poet Arthur Cravan (who disappeared mysteriously and without warning), […]
