If asked to identify a Johnson who held celebrated dinners in eighteenth-century London, most of us would suggest the convivial cohost of a Soho dining club that attracted luminaries of their professions like the actor David Garrick, the Whig politician Charles James Fox, and the historian Edward Gibbon. Technically speaking, it was Samuel Johnson’s friend […]
As we know, the camera does lie, frequently and flagrantly—consider the fashion industry—but sometimes, with some people, the lens insinuates itself behind the mask to starkly revelatory effect. Look, for instance, at almost any photograph of Georges Simenon, and you will see not only the enormously successful creator of the phlegmatic Chief Inspector Maigret, but […]
I’m in the cabin of a crane, a hundred feet off the ground. My seat is the ultimate La-Z-Boy, an exaggerated captain’s chair out of a sci-fi film. Under the watch of a mechanic named Dylan, who’s employed by the Port of Tacoma and represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, I tug gently […]
The epigraph to the second part of Anton Shammas’s novel Arabesques, first published in Hebrew in 1986, reads: Dresses of beautiful women, in blue and white.And everything in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic and Death. These lines are from a poem by Yehuda Amichai, Israel’s unofficial poet laureate. It might seem at first a curious choice […]
On January 19 protests and strikes broke out in cities and towns across France in response to an unpopular proposal by President Emmanuel Macron to raise the basic retirement age from sixty-two to sixty-four. Last month the measure was forced through parliament despite widespread opposition from the left and right, and contrary to, as Madeleine […]
Is There Evidence for God?: An Economist Searches for Answers examines the question, “is there a God?” and provides readers with a researched-based look at the question. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I always wondered about God. When my ninety-year-old Mom suddenly told me she didn’t think God was real, nor was there anything after death, I had no answers. My belief in God was based entirely on what others had told me. From a logical standpoint, believing in something because others told you it was true, is unacceptable. I felt a need to approach questions about God as I had approached so many difficult research projects. My objective was to seek the truth about God wherever it might lead.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The most important idea is that there is a great deal of evidence for God. The scientific research on life after death, on miracles, and on personal experiences provides a great deal of evidence. More evidence comes from religions of the world and holy books. Evidence since Biblical times strongly points, not only to the existence of God, but to what he is like and what he wants from us.
How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?
I spent over a decade working on this project. After the incident with my mom, it took me a long time to determine how to approach such a unique project, as well as the potential life-changing implications for what I might find. I decided to begin with an examination of atheist beliefs. If their case for not believing in God was strong enough, my project would come to an abrupt end. After reviewing the atheists’ arguments, the magnitude and expanse of the project became apparent. In order to deal with the atheists’ arguments, I would have to study history, philosophy, archeology, science, theology, religions of the world, religious texts and other events in a search for answers.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
The main point I hope readers will take away from my book is how there is an overwhelming amount of evidence for God. The more I examined the evidence, the more I sought a closer relationship to God. My great hope is that others will take a journey similar to mine. Search for God. Find Him. Then, experience the incredible love, peace, and serenity only God can provide.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Sooner or later every thinking person wonders about God. Does God exist, or is he simply a figment of our imagination? If God exists, what is he like? For most of my life, my answers were based on what others had told me. Although I was curious about God and religion, I never took the time and effort necessary to explore such matters. As an economist who has written five books, I had spent more than half a century researching complex economic issues. I decided it was time to embark on what would become my most ambitious project ever, the search for evidence for God and answers to the big questions in life. While there are many ways to search for God, my approach had to be different. It would be logical and systematic. I would approach the project as Mr. Spock, the fictional character from Star Trek, who would meticulously examine evidence, weigh the odds, and reach a logical conclusion. My approach involved examining atheists’ views, looking into evidence for life after death, searching for the evidence surrounding the world’s religions, and exploring post-Biblical evidence for God. My quest lasted many years. It had all the sensations of an Indiana Jones movie—frightening discoveries, sleepless nights, and fulfilling Ah-ha! moments with background music. There were unpleasant moments when I became terribly discouraged and depressed, times when I wanted to throw in the towel, took time off and even considered quitting. This book takes you through my search for the evidence for God. If you decide to come along, I must warn you—a quest for evidence of God can produce some disturbing discoveries. If you are anything like me, there will be times you will wish you never started, times you question long-held beliefs, times you want to quit, and times you’ll be glad you didn’t. I invite you to join me on what became the journey of a lifetime, my search for evidence for God.
Daisy Meets the Dolphins follows a loveable little dog who goes on a boating adventure and meets some bottlenose dolphins. What was the inspiration for the main character’s traits and dialogue?
Daisy Meets the Dolphins was created for our 25th wedding anniversary, on that day we all took a day trip to an near by island called Rathlin Island not far from Ballycastle, a coastal resort in Northern Ireland.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted to create an adventure book with Daisy meeting her new aquatic friends from the ocean, filling it full of heartwarming hugs to bring to life the power of connecting with different cultures and the joys of friendship with others regardless of where they are from. I hoped to use this book to spark meaningful conversations and inspire kindness in children.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
To explore the world through the eyes of Daisy? When writing, staying true to yourself and letting your heart guide you is essential. After all, there are so many stories and adventures we want to share! With every paw step we take, I wanted to ensure my readers felt they were right there with us, experiencing every wag of the tail and sniff of the nose that Daisy takes. I wish for every reader to handle all the emotions and see all the pictures in their little minds as we embark on this journey together. Woof! Says Daisy…
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
Each book is unique and very different as we explore the world and write another Daisy story.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Daisy, The West Highland terrier, loves meeting new friends on adventure walks, going for tea, or rambling over the hills. Just about everywhere Daisy goes, she meets somebody new. But this afternoon is different! Daisy has an unforgettable experience with a bottlenose dolphin, where friendships blossom despite their difference in appearances and coming from different worlds, but will they stay friends forever. write a daisy story.Based on the author’s own loveable, real-life pet West Highland white terrier (no… she doesn’t really talk, thank goodness!), Daisy meets the Dolphins is a rollicking read-aloud illustrated book for kids. In addition to the cute (and funny) dog pictures,this inspirational children’s book also teaches children valuable life lessons about individuality, diversity and acceptance, kindness, and helping others! Join Daisy, Blue and friends on this sunny, fun-filled day, as they laugh, play games by the ocean… and create another magical Daisy story!
To Help Just One follows three separate people who have mental health challenges and the road they navigate to get through. What was the inspiration for the original and fascinating idea at the center of the book?
There are two pivotal moments that provided the inspiration.
The first was about a year before I started writing the book. The experience of being able to tell my story as part of the panel discussion to start an open conversation on mental health in my corporate job . It was a special moment to own my story and I could see the impact telling it had on others. The number of follow up conversations I had with individuals about their stories showed me the healing powers stories can have. The prologue and epilogue use this experience as a vehicle for the doubts and positivity that comes wrapped with sharing your story.
The second was a few months before I penned the first word, when a friend shared experiencing depression for the first time in their adult life. They were still trying to understand the unfamiliar and uncomfortable place they had found themselves in and were far from discussing solutions. I had so much to tell them, yet no way to do it without adding pressure. A book became a safe way to give them comfort that they are not alone in what they are experiencing and hope that there is a path forward. They could choose which bits had value for them and which bits are simply someone else’s story.
With the collection of lived experiences from myself and others, there was enough inspiration to thread themes and events across multiple characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Internal Acceptance – being comfortable with who you are, how you’re feeling and needing help
Belonging – Finding in the right environment that is tuned to the right frequency and will help you thrive
Simplicity – The little things whether it be acts, words, or moments that have a profound impact well beyond that point in time.
If you dig deeper into the choice of words there are hidden easter eggs – musical and literary references – that have been chosen for the influence they have had on me and how they connect into the themes in this book.
What is one thing that people point out after reading your book that surprises you?
The way it resonates with a wider range of people than I expected. Jonathan, Tegan and Lawrence are based on specific sets of lived experiences and so I thought readers would possibly strongly identify with one character and enjoy the rest of the book as an interesting story. Yet I have found that more people find it easy to see a part of themselves in each of the characters and can relate in their own way across the entire book.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The working title is To Help One More: Stories to Serve | Stories of Connection | Stories to Release and will be part of the same universe as To Help Just One. Louise and Henry who had minor roles in the first book plus a new character Arthur will be featured. The characters discover the path to thriving from: the unhealthy company of alcohol; the consequences of bottling up emotions; the ease in which distance can be created between two people; and the personal cost that leadership can have. There will be a couple of the scenes that carry over, told from a different perspective and shed a little more light on the experiences of Jonathan, Lawrence, and Tegan.
How does one find the path from barely surviving to thriving?
Make yourself a cup of tea and gently enter a world where Tegan, Jonathan, and Lawrence navigate the ups and downs of their mental health. The paths of childhood friends, work colleagues, and exercise buddies intertwine their stories.
Their stories will look to comfort. To help just one feel a little less alone in the world, hearing someone else’s story and sharing the thoughts and emotions. Injury strips Tegan of the life that she knows. Physical pain gnaws on her psychological wellbeing, introducing her to loneliness and isolation.
Their stories will look to provide hope. To help just one see that there is a possibility of finding a path forward, as the world feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The urges of gambling get the better of Jonathan, as he silently suffers paying a price much greater than the money lost.
Their stories will look to heal. To help just one be able to begin making sense of the world and become open to telling their story. The volatility and pace of professional life sucks away time and space from Lawrence. Overwhelmed and shattered, he is lost in a world where his qualities are a blessing and a curse.
Each find themselves barely surviving, though where they go from there will inspire an inner strength within us all.
Feeling stagnant in his successful career as a tech startup growth marketer, Alex is ready for a change and hopes to become an author. However, after his girlfriend gives him below-average feedback on his recently completed novel, he feels adrift until his friend Ernie demonstrates his new ability to get anything he wants. Ernie reveals that he made a deal with the devil, otherwise known as Lucy, a tattoo artist, and wants to share his experience with Alex. Unintentionally, Alex enters into a contract with Lucy and must now fulfill the terms or otherwise suffer an unwanted fate.
Go To Hell by N.R. Alexander is an entertaining paranormal thriller with dry humor injected into the ideas of good versus evil and knowledge versus beliefs. The author does an impressive job of retaining the reader’s interest in the story. This thrilling book offers a refreshing and irreverent take on the concepts and exciting characters to move the plotline along. It is a compelling and enjoyable read from start to finish.
Alex finds himself in a work contract with Satan and has six months to fulfill his end of the deal. If he fails, his soul is at risk of ending up in purgatory. The stakes are high, and I wanted to know what would happen to Alex, and this is what kept me coming back to this novel again and again. Alex’s character is brilliant, and although he comes across as aloof and seemingly lacking in emotions, readers may find themselves intrigued by his complex personality. While his hubris may create obstacles in the plot, it also adds depth to his character, making his journey all the more captivating. The story itself is entertaining, and the concept is a unique one that I enjoyed.
Overall, Go to Hell is a gripping paranormal suspense novel that gives readers a unique perspective on the traditional themes of good and evil. This intriguing thriller story is worth adding to your reading list.
Some Good Writ: Christmas, Cancer, Dad, Wine, Sex and Jeff is a collection of thought-provoking poetry covering everything from family to work to personal self-discovery. What was the inspiration for creating this collection of poetry?
You know. I bristle at the word “inspiration” in this case – for reasons. One is, I really can, and it not something for which I want a pat on the back, write poems daily. Sometimes I am a conduit to channel a message for myself to derive fulfillment where a piece of the puzzle may be missing, or to reaffirm a feeling. It was not at all hard to put most of these on paper – they wrote themselves, especially the ones about cancer which were written concurrently to his very short window of time I had left with him. He was starting to take leave mentally late Fall ’21/’22 but no one really knew it was stage 4 until only a week remained and given my propensity to write about everything, poems about working, my sexuality, and other vignettes tied to this time period just came viscerally.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Nothing or no one theme is ever more important than another and you always think your current compendium of work is your best so to me a mixed-bag of material allows each poem to complement in the others given I am trying to create a space in time reflective of what I feel now. The moment’s impact must be heightened by the suspension of time in that yes, we can feel one way from one hour to the next but ultimately the way something re-writes itself or the way the poet allows the muse to come forever defines the gravity of that which inspired the work.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Some Good Writ?
That if people who explored my previous work thought those might have been ambiguous or too general know that I can approach the personal or the universal or both in a work where precision for a writer is allowed to take many forms.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
It is hard to say. I want to be in a different place where I can say to people that to capture more moments of joy is the endgame but that would be disingenuous to the reader and to myself so when it comes, it comes and whatever it is, I hope it finds an audience of one because, in the end, what the reader takes away from it is just as important as when they read it or that reading the requisite or the newest book is key. That said, I am curious to see where life’s journey takes me and what eye-openers await. Plus, my feelings about the imposition of time as a man-made construct aside and that we are all part of one mosaic already in-place, I feel the reader is meant to read it when they are, but I cannot wait, as I said, to see what lies ahead
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook
“Some Good Writ ” is a collection of heart-warming and thought-provoking essays and quotes exploring life’s joys, challenges, love, and self-discovery.
In this book, you’ll find many intriguing statements and thoughts that cover a plethora of topics that include relationships, family, career, personal growth, and more. From funny and poignant observations about daily life to deep and introspective musings on the human experience, “Some Good Writ.” has something for everyone.
Whether you’re looking for a good laugh, a shoulder to cry on, or simply a fresh perspective on the world, “Some Good Writ.” is sure to deliver. With its relatable and authentic voice, this book is a must-read for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world or grappled with the complexities of the human experience.
This book is a beautifully crafted book of poetry that explores the many facets of love and care. Through a series of powerful and poignant poems, this collection delves into the depths of the human heart, illuminating the joys and struggles of loving and caring for others.
In the pages of this book, you’ll find a range of poems that touch on the many different aspects of life, love and care. From the tenderness of romantic love to the fierce and unbreakable bond of familial love, “Some Good Writ” covers it all. But this book is more than just a celebration of love; it’s also a call to action.
With its evocative and emotive language, “Some Good Writ” is sure to resonate with readers of all ages. Whether you’re seeking comfort and inspiration or simply looking for a beautiful and meaningful read, this poetry collection will surely deliver.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
If asked to identify a Johnson who held celebrated dinners in eighteenth-century London, most of us would suggest the convivial cohost of a Soho dining club that attracted luminaries of their professions like the actor David Garrick, the Whig politician Charles James Fox, and the historian Edward Gibbon. Technically speaking, it was Samuel Johnson’s friend […]
As we know, the camera does lie, frequently and flagrantly—consider the fashion industry—but sometimes, with some people, the lens insinuates itself behind the mask to starkly revelatory effect. Look, for instance, at almost any photograph of Georges Simenon, and you will see not only the enormously successful creator of the phlegmatic Chief Inspector Maigret, but […]
I’m in the cabin of a crane, a hundred feet off the ground. My seat is the ultimate La-Z-Boy, an exaggerated captain’s chair out of a sci-fi film. Under the watch of a mechanic named Dylan, who’s employed by the Port of Tacoma and represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, I tug gently […]
The epigraph to the second part of Anton Shammas’s novel Arabesques, first published in Hebrew in 1986, reads: Dresses of beautiful women, in blue and white.And everything in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic and Death. These lines are from a poem by Yehuda Amichai, Israel’s unofficial poet laureate. It might seem at first a curious choice […]
On January 19 protests and strikes broke out in cities and towns across France in response to an unpopular proposal by President Emmanuel Macron to raise the basic retirement age from sixty-two to sixty-four. Last month the measure was forced through parliament despite widespread opposition from the left and right, and contrary to, as Madeleine […]
