About Stephanie Rose Bird
Stephanie Rose Bird is a cum laude graduate of Temple University, Tyler School of Art and a MFA graduate of the University of California at San Diego where she was a San Diego Opportunity Fellow. She was assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute, a Fulbright Senior Scholar and has taught at the Chicago Botanic Garden and Garfield Conservatory. Bird is a professional member of the International Center for Traditional Childbearing and the Herb Research Society of the American Botanical Council. She is author of Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs, Four Seasons of Mojo and Herbal Guide to Natural Living, and A Healing Grove: African Tree Remedies and Rituals for Body and Spirit. Bird is a practicing herbalist and aromatherapist who lives with her husband, family and animal friends in the Chicago area. You can visit her at Author’s Den at www.authorsden.com/stephanierosebird or her new website at www.stephanierosebird.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
The Big Book of Soul: the Ultimate Guide to the African American Spirit: Legends & Lore, Music & Mysticism, Recipes and Rituals explores the healing, magic, and divination traditions of ancient African earth-based spirituality, and traces how these practices have evolved in contemporary African American culture. Along the way the book offers recipes, rituals and resources that you can use to heal your life.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
For many years I have been inspired by and on the receiving end of arts as a form of healing. I wanted to research ways the arts were used in African cultures as a healing tool and to also explore African diasporic herbal healing practices and put this together in one book.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My children and family.
Your biggest critic?
My husband and myself.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I’m passionate about tolerance and this leads me to support various causes for people of color and women (such as ending domestic violence and equality) as well as spiritual tolerance especially for those who practice earth-based religions. I am passionate about these topics because I and many people I know have had to suffer under intolerance.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
I’ve learned to be a better communicator using the internet, joining social networks, putting up a website and tweeting.
What are you currently working on?
Two nonfiction books tentatively called “Drawing from the Well” which focuses mainly on African women’s wisdom and traditional arts and crafts—the other book is “Mama Earth’s Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss.”
What are some of your long term goals?
To move to a cottage by the sea and to buy some land in the mountains. I also want to create a work of fiction that will probably be supernatural and spiritual in nature.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?
Winning a COVR award for best general interest book in 2004 for “Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs.”
What do you feel is your biggest strength?
Persistence
Biggest weakness?
Chocolate
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
This book has a specific focus on African diasporic earth-based spirituality traditions something that isn’t written about a whole lot.
Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?
I’m much more confident and driven. I realize life is for living, right now—nothing is promised to us. I’m grateful and I pray more.
What is your favorite past-time?
Swimming in natural bodies of water like the ocean and lakes.
stephanie
I’d like to say a heart-felt thanks for this interview. People can find out more about my work at www.stephanierosebird.com
The Big Book of Soul by Stephanie Rose Bird (click on cover to purchase at Amazon)
About The Big Book of Soul: The Ultimate Guide to the African-American Spirit
Soul is the essence of African American culture–the ingredient that makes it tick. In The Big Book of Soul, writer and herbalist Stephanie Rose Bird takes us on an amazing journey into the ancient traditions of mysticism, spirituality, and mythology that lie beneath this uniquely African American experience. Bird explores the healing, magic, and divination traditions of ancient African earth-based spirituality, and traces how these practices have evolved in contemporary African American culture. Along the way she offers recipes, rituals and resources that you can use to heal your life.
Read the excerpt!
The Big Book of Soul is an epochal exploration into the meaning of soul in sacred and mundane life of Africans in the diaspora with spiritual lessons for all. This book is also an investigation into the nexus of heart, art, and soul–how the three can come together to imbue life with unfathomably rich possibilities. The trio’s possibilities include depth of loving, potential for healing the self and others, as well as the idea of tapping into energy that enriches the soul experience.
The Big Book of Soul Tour Schedule
Monday, March 1
Interviewed at As the Pages Turn
Tuesday, March 2
Interviewed at The Dragonfly Apothecary
Wednesday, March 3
Interviewed at Beyond the Books
Thursday, March 4
Guest blogging at The Story Behind the Book
Friday, March 5
Interviewed at Blogcritics
Monday, March 8
Interviewed at Writing Daze
Tuesday, March 9
Interviewed at Review From Here
Wednesday, March 10
Interviewed on Introducing Writers Radio Show
Thursday, March 11
Interviewed at Personovelty
Friday, March 12
Interviewed at Paperback Writer
Monday, March 15
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life
Tuesday, March 16
Guest blogging at The Book Connection
Wednesday, March 17
Guest blogging at Night Owl Reviews
Thursday, March 18
Guest blogging at Blogging Authors
Friday, March 19
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book
Monday, March 22
Book reviewed at Reads 4 Pleasure
Tuesday, March 23
Interviewed at Broowaha
Wednesday, March 24
Book reviewed at Color Online
Thursday, March 25
Book reviewed at Notorious Spinks Talks
Friday, March 26
Book reviewed at Rundpinne
Interviewed at American Chronicle
About Judi Moreo
Judi Moreo is the author of You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman’s Guide to Purpose, Passion, and Power, and it’s companion, Achievement Journal. She is also the co-author and compiler of Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths (Turning Point International).
Judi is an award-winning businesswoman and motivational speaker. Her superb talent for customizing programs to meet organizational needs has gained her a prestigious following around the world. Her passion for living an extraordinary life is mirrored in her zeal for helping others realize their potential and achieve their goals. With her dynamic personality and style, she is an unforgettable speaker, inspiring motivator, and an exceptional life coach.
If you would like to find out more about the woman behind Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths, visit www.judimoreo.com. If you would like to find out more about the book, visit www.lifechoicesbook.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths is a compilation of compelling short stories in which 26 real people share their journeys of navigating difficult paths through fear, pain, sorrow, trial, and challenges to discover new and better lives.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I was going to write the book myself and then I thought, “Who could write these stories better than the people who lived the story?” So I contacted them and asked them to write their own stories.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I am passionate about helping people discover their potential and believe in themselves enough to reach that potential.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
My mother was always the biggest influence in my life…especially my writing. She felt that I had an ability to see into people and put it into words where they could understand themselves better. Even though she has passed away, her influence and encouragement are with me every day.
What are you currently working on?
Promoting this book. I am coaching writers and helping them get published as well as writing my next self help book entitled, “The Journey.”
Do you have any advice for writers?
Yes, discipline yourself to write every day. You get inspired by writing.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Og Mandino. I’ve always loved his writing style.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?
My book, You Are More Than Enough and it’s companion, Achievement Journal, both published by Stephens Press. They are beautiful books.
What do you feel is your biggest strength?
My ability to communicate my ideas.
Biggest weakness?
Food
What is your favorite past-time?
Painting. I am a watercolor artist. It’s a newly discovered talent. Each time I paint a picture, I pick a subject that is really challenging and I am always delighted to see that I can achieve what I set out to paint.
Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths Compiled by Judi Moreo (click on cover to purchase at Amazon)
About Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths
If you feel “stuck” in a situation that appears to be beyond your control, these stories will show you how others have coped with crisis and uncertainty, made tough choices and positive changes in order to find deeper meaning and satisfaction in their relationships and learned to live with purpose every day. Rarely do we find a book that addresses so many different challenges. Life Choices does this in a powerful and inspiring way. This book is about experiences, the people who lived them, and how they created successful lives. From values and self-fulfillment to legacy, this book offers new resources for people who have tough choices to make every day.
Filled with wisdom and love, this book is a soothing companion for anyone searching for the courage to make a choice to change his or her circumstances. These authors and their stories prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that success belongs to everyone, no matter where they come from or what has happened to them. They are living proof that miracles can and do happen. You can be one of these people. You can navigate through difficult times and find your pathway to the life you choose to lead. Put the strength of others to work for you. Courage is not the absence of fear or pain. Courage is taking the steps to move through it.
Authors appearing in Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths include:
Aimmee Riley
Andrea Chestnut
Anne Abernathy
Anne Dreyer
Bob Walker
Charlotte Foust
Dan Roberts
Deborah Clark
Dr. Casey McNeal
Edie Raether
Elle Swan
Ginette Bedsaul
Jennifer Joseph
Jennifer Tarlin
Jesse Ferrell
Judi Moreo
Karen Phillips
Mary Monaghan
Nancy Todd
Rev. Cattel
Sandra Gore Nielsen
Sandy Kastel
Sherial Bratcher
Stephen Philpott
Susan Haller
Vickie Lane
Read an excerpt!
My life had fallen apart in front of my eyes. Our beautiful home with swimming pool and guest cottages was repossessed and I moved to a tumbledown house with rotting floorboards and broken windows with no money to fix it up. I had barely enough money to buy food, surviving on cheese and crackers. Things could not get any worse, or so I thought. I was wrong; it could definitely get worse…
Mary Monaghan
New Beginnings
If you have never been fired, you are missing out on one of life’s universal defining moments that has the potential to set great transformation and growth into motion. It can also be a devastating blow that serves up the dreaded crippling sucker-punch from your blind spot. Your attitude and how you respond to this defining moment will determine which paradigm becomes your reality…
Jesse Ferrell
Defining Moment: You Are Fired
I’m an intelligent person, with rights, and a caring mother ― and I don’t believe in “no choice.” I had read and learned all that I possibly could about leukemia, and my questions were on point, but the doctors had no answers, just the same protocol, no matter what effect or circumstances. Nor did the doctor look my child in the eye as he talked over him to a woman, who his tone indicated, would realize her place and unquestioningly follow his direction. He was incensed that I would question his judgment…
Nancy Todd
Playing the Hand You’re Dealt
This was my first encounter with ‘classes,’ the have’s and have not’s … and my brother and I were warned NOT to go beyond the barriers of Second Class. First Class was strictly forbidden!
Anne Dreyer
Class is A Choice
My purpose in this writing is not to tell you yet another story about how adversity ends in happiness. My purpose is to share with you the formula for creating your own successes. You are also a survivor. Everyone is a potential survivor. You may have a specific story (or stories) of survival, pain, loss, or love and heartbreak, or your story may be one of general survival ― the overall struggle associated with living in a troubled world, with loneliness, the search for the meaning and purpose of life, feeling overwhelmed and powerless, as though you don’t live your life, instead your life lives you!
Dr. Casey McNeal
The Circle of Influence
Walking across the hall to the family room, I sunk into the big sofa against the window. A feeling that everything was going to be alright came over me as I soaked up the warmth from the sun’s last rays, closed my eyes, and let my thoughts drift back to another time when a young woman made a decision that would change her life and mine forever…
Sandy Kastel
Detours
Great! Here I was by myself in this hospital room and I had no idea what to ask the neurologist. I felt like I needed to ask something intelligent at this point. Then I remembered watching Days of our Lives on television. Yep! I asked the only “intelligent” question I could think of … the one I had heard them ask on the show. “If it’s a tumor … is it operable?”
Karen Phillips
7 Keys 2 Success
During this time, I caught the manager and a couple of the other branch employees embezzling from the company. They were terminated and I became the manager. I proceeded to work all hours trying to figure out what was going on in the financial side of things and what we really did as a company. I started sleeping in the recliner in my father’s old office. This went on for about six months. Everything finally came to a head; was I going to run this part of the business or sell it and go to college?
Stephen Philpott
Life of Success on My Own Terms
Instead of achieving “normal,” I was learning to love my quirks and differences, and my life was becoming better and better. I was learning to embrace the feeling of being a stranger in the world. I was learning to be an observer experiencing life rather than being attached to it. I was learning to love where I came from and live life to its fullest, to understand we’re all one and on the same path to ultimate inner peace and happiness. I was learning forgiveness and understanding for myself and others. That released the chains of resentment and bitterness that were holding me and allowed me to have more love, compassion, and understanding of people. Even though I treasure my talent as a singer, I treasure these gifts of love, understanding, and compassion more…
Jennifer Joseph
Follow Your Heart
I am often asked the secret to our marriage. It’s no secret that good friends like to laugh, companions like to talk, and lovers like to love. It is helpful if you choose to smile, if you choose to listen, and if you choose to remember the good times, and not the hard times, when he reaches for you. Indeed, if you choose to remind yourself how lucky you are he still reaches…
Sandra Gore-Neilsen
A True Love Story
I was horrified. I gave a speech, a lecture on right and wrong, the rule of law, and the fairness of our situation. The audit was bogus, illegal, and strictly a grandstanding bureaucratic tactic. “We don’t need a politician,” I recall saying. “We need justice.”
To my everlasting regret, I refused to make that campaign contribution. It was the biggest mistake in my life…
Dan Roberts
George, Martha, and I
There were about twenty of us gathered beside the track. A luge coach standing up on the track wall asked anyone who wanted to try it to take a step forward. Immediately, eighteen people took a step back. There I stood, along with a lone fireman from Maryland. While we hadn’t taken a step back, we hadn’t actually stepped forward either. We slowly turned and looked at each other and said, “Why not?”
Anne Abernathy
Why Not?
I’ve always been involved in raising funds for breast cancer research. Both my aunt and younger cousin have lost their breasts to the disease, so I wanted to help in whatever way I could. Every fundraiser I saw for “the cause” I could be counted on to support. I knew there was a possibility that genetics might mean I needed to be careful, but I never really worried. I felt like I helped “the cause” so I was safe. I should have paid more attention to what the message was behind “the cause,” instead of just raising money for them.
“Yes, it’s cancer.” I heard those words come over the telephone on August 28, 2006…
Victoria Lane
Yes, It’s Cancer
I drove up the road and into the heart of downtown Seattle, wondering just how to find a shelter to go into. My daughter, seeing folks laughing on the street corner said, “People are laughing, Mom. I didn’t know people laughed in the city; I thought everybody just hurt each other.” My son’s observation about “life on the outside” was the number of signs telling people what to do and when to do it. “No Parking, No Stopping, No Walking.” A telling statement to the neurosis we had just abandoned. The lady at the “cheap” motel looked at us, our car full of stuff, and our eyes tired, and gave us an incredible deal on the room. I got out the phone book and started to make calls…
Susan Haller
Life Forced
Where was the beauty and the peace in me? Everything felt like war. Over the course of the next two years we had to let go of our home. Our life savings and retirement savings were gone. My time was spent in appointments with doctors, physical therapists and lawyers. I could not work and was in tremendous pain. My husband worked day and night taking care of me, Michael, handling the household chores and working to pay the bills. All the things we had built financially for twenty years together had disappeared. I felt quite lost and abandoned by many, and especially God…
Ginette Osier Bedsaul
An Enacted Miracle
I have been severely overweight my entire life. As an adult, doctors categorized me as morbidly obese, defined as being one hundred or more pounds overweight. Since early childhood, I have been on multiple diets. I tried everything, but was not successful in losing weight. Each year I grew heavier, I became more hopeless. Eventually my body began to break down from years of obesity, and I developed serious health problems, such as type II diabetes. I was hoping I would be able to lose this weight on my own…
Jennifer Tarlin
A New Life
I had to sleep on a pull-out couch with my two brothers. We hardly had anything to eat and life became even harder, because my mother had three more children. Moving there simply continued the nightmare I had already been living. I had no friends because we moved around so much, I was embarrassed because my clothing was so ragged, and I had a lot of health issues because of the lack of food.
One very clear memory was a time when I went to a new school, I was given a pencil. It was so special to me because it was one of the few gifts I ever received and it was brand new. I really treasured that pencil … it had an eraser that had never been used…
Sherial Bratcher
Creating My Dream Life
Everybody knew what was going on, but nobody spoke about it. Being female made me the center of attention for my father. Not in the loving, caring, protective sort of way little girls deserve to experience. My father was the one I needed protection from. When I was nine years old, I got up enough nerve to tell my mother what had been going on…
Andrea Chestnut
A Better Way to Live
Personal loss and tragedy creates an entirely different set of circumstances, completely changing the picture of your world. My mother’s death was such an event. Her death was the most devastating experience of my life. Of all the things I imagined about my life, I never thought she would not be here with me. I made the decision not to keep trying to kill myself after my mother died. I was not trying to slit my wrists, but I was participating in a series of events that had suicidal tendencies. I was developing a pattern of reckless behavior. I was making poor choices. I was so lost, I missed her so much, and I wanted to die…
Deborah Clark
There’s a Story for That
I had nowhere to go but back to my family who couldn’t provide for me before. Now I was coming back and bringing another mouth to feed as well. I can’t tell you how many times I was told I couldn’t make it. Most people around me told me to give my baby to my husband’s family. I refused as I knew no one could take better care of her than me. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I absolutely knew in my heart that I could…
Aimmee Kodachian
Finding My Purpose
When opportunity knocks, do you open the door ― or complain about the noise? Opportunity is often a matter of perception. Within our vision of the world is the image of ourselves. It may seem like some people have all the luck; they are randomly chosen. Yet, often luck is not random at all, but a time when preparation and opportunity come together…
Edie Raether
When Opportunity Knocks
No one would have thought such a minor incident would have had such a profound effect on a child. Some fifty-five years later, I can still see the sun reflecting off the new white paint. I can almost feel the breeze. In my darkest moments I can clearly hear the stern, commanding voice of the wrinkled old lady as she leaned into my face and said with a sneer, “You can’t go in. You’re much too small.”
Charlotte Foust
Invisible
We always have choices. Do we imprison ourselves, creating shackles around our heart, mind, or bodies? What we do with our choices can lead to freedom or imprisonments. Whether we are speaking of political freedoms, attitudinal freedoms, physical freedoms, or most importantly our spiritual freedoms, each time I give out a penny, or pay with any Lincoln money, I send a silent prayer and intention…
Rev. Cattel
The Mystical Hand of Freedom
There were warning signs all along my fall into darkness. Like most people, I looked the other way. One of the first signs was the fact that I always made sure I had alcohol in my house. It was as necessary as toothpaste, paper towels, or laundry detergent. And the best part was I, like most people, could purchase all of my “necessities” from the same store. This was a very convenient way to lose control without ever noticing. Yet, losing control was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It expedited my demise and prevented me from dragging my self-destructive behavior into this decade…
Elle Swan
The Best of You
After what could have been no more than fifty feet, the tunnel narrowed dramatically until I could no longer swim. The tunnel had silted in and I had to crawl along the bottom. I moved slowly, searching ahead with the beam of my underwater light until the scuba tank on my back scraped the top of the tunnel and became tangled in rocks and sea plants…
Bob Walker
What Was I Thinking? Confessions of an Avid Adventurer
We were late arriving in Sun City and had missed most of the show. We made our way into the showroom in our traveling clothes, just in time to see Julio sing his last song. Marty was very upset. The tickets had cost her a lot of money and she had really wanted to see Julio’s show. Not knowing who he was, but being from Las Vegas, I said I was sure that we’d be able to go backstage and meet him. So we marched up to Stage Door 4 where a group of ladies were screaming and jumping up and down. I walked right to the front of the crowd with Marty in tow, presented my Las Vegas modeling agency business card to the security guard, and said, “Please tell Julio that I’m here.”
Judi Moreo
The Choice That Changed My Life Forever
Here’s what critics are saying about Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths!
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This book is about ordinary people succeeding in extraordinary ways, turning tragedy into triumph, seizing the opportunity before it ceases to be one, getting up one more time than you fall. It is filled with creative ideas, strategy and inspiration in the form of life stories that just may strengthen your own resolve to follow the path of ‘Conquistador.’
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Life Choices is a superb compilation of tales from people who overcame adversity and took control of their lives. The heartfelt stories prove once again what we can accomplish with prayer and a steadfast attitude to never give up.
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The choices you made and the choices you didn’t have brought you to this point. Since our lives truly are what our choices make them, we have a vital interest in making better choices. Let the compelling stories in this book expand your awareness and help you choose the right path for your life.
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These stories will fill a void of despair with the light of the lives that surround it. Stories of strength, courage and endless faith. Do not pass go; go directly to the cashier and buy it.
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The choices we make along life’s journey can either strengthen or weaken our inner foundations in which all character is built. This book gives first hand accounts of how we are all capable of making those choices that fortify our inner foundations, making way for a fortress of character. I recommend it to all who want to know how to transform “every” life experience into the building tools for such worth while construction projects.
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This book draws from human experience that is alternately beautiful, miraculous and uplifting ~ and often all three at once. If you have ever asked yourself can I do this ~ and doubted that you could ~ you must read this book. The people here are real; their stories will answer your question with clarity and force: yes you can!
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WOW! What an awesome reminder of the unseen, quintessential power living inside us! Thank you for sharing your life changing stories with us—it is warm, true and inspirational. It has given me the courage to embrace my “weakness” and my story…for it has made me realize that actually it is my strength!! Life is a Gift! And we get to unwrap it every day—if we choose to…Please choose to!!
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After reading the stories in “Life Choices” I was uplifted and encouraged. We all have challenges and circumstances in life that are overwhelming. However, we all have the ability to overcome the seemingly impossible of circumstances. By reading these stories you’ll be reminded of the inner strength we all possess and have the courage to evaluate your current situation and make a choice to follow the life you were meant to have.
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At a time in our country when bleakness is prevalent, how uplifting to have a book which shares positive turning points in people’s lives. A most worthwhile read.
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In strange and uncertain times, such as those we now live in, you will find hope and encouragement in this wonderful book.
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So many of us have had situations that befall us and need to take comfort from the stories of others. Life Choices is a comfort and source of support for anyone facing a challenge.
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About Kevin Coupe and Michael Sansolo
Kevin Coupe has been a working writer all his professional life. For the past decade, he’s had his own website/blog—http://www.morningnewsbeat.com/—providing what he calls “business news in context, and analysis with attitude.”
In addition to speaking at hundreds of conferences in the U.S. and abroad and reporting from 45 states and six continents, Kevin has been a newspaper reporter, video producer, actor, bodyguard, clothing salesman, supervised a winery tasting room, ran two marathons (slowly), drove a race car (badly), took boxing lessons (painfully), and acted in a major (and obscure) motion picture.
Kevin is married with three children and lives in Connecticut.
Michael Sansolo has traveled around the world one supermarket at a time, yet stopped to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Great Wall of China, and Pikes Peak. A native New Yorker, Sansolo is a consultant and frequent speaker for the food retail industry, and is a contributing editor and weekly columnist for MorningNewsBeat.com, a daily newsletter on the retail industry.
Sansolo was the senior vice president of the Food Marketing Institute and was editor-in-chief of Progressive Grocer magazine. Favorite book: The Big Picture (of course), and The Great Gatsby; favorite food: Sal’s Pizza; favorite team: the Mets; favorite movies: read The Big Picture!
Sansolo, his family, and his very annoying beagle live in the suburbs of Washington, DC.
For more information on the book and its authors, visit http://www.brigantinemedia.com/author.php?id=coupe-sansolo You can also find Kevin online at http://www.morningnewsbeat.com/ and Michael at http://www.michaelsansolo.com/
When Old Dogs Learn New Tricks by Michael Sansolo
Even had Up failed to become the second animated movie ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, it would still easily make the list of must-see movies from 2009. It’s incredible to say this, but this cartoon gem is both funny and touching and it contains a business lesson as big and important as any movie of any genre.
Plus, it is tons of fun to watch.
The summary of the plot may sound silly, but is carried off so deftly that it shouldn’t stop anyone. It tells the story of aged Carl Fredricksen who sets out to fulfill his deceased wife’s long-time fantasy of living beside a waterfall in South America. What makes it such an absurd idea is that Carl seeks to carry this out by attaching thousands of helium balloons to his aging house in order to fly it to the waterfall. Obviously, it’s a feat that can only be done in the fantasy of animation.
Likewise, the magic of animation allows us to see what happens when dogs are given the power of speech through a strange and wonderful invention. Once allowed to participate in the dialogue without losing any of their canine lust for chasing tennis balls or squirrels, the dogs steal scene after scene with comic delight.
But the notion of an old dog learning new tricks has nothing to do with the dogs themselves. That falls to our main character, Carl.
We first meet Carl as a small boy who himself is just meeting the intrepid young Ellie. In a film montage as uplifting and touching as any you will ever see, we watch Carl and Ellie marry, start their life together, suffer the challenges of the years, and age gracefully and lovingly. When Ellie dies, we feel for Carl’s loss in ways we don’t always feel for human movie characters.
And our business lesson soon follows. Carl thinks Ellie’s death is the end of his life too. He thinks his path is set and deviation is impossible. His plan is to reach the waterfall Ellie dreamed of and die. But along the way, Carl gets challenged.
Russell, the erstwhile “Wilderness Boy” who gets dragged into the journey, and Dug, the simplistic talking dog that takes a shine to Carl, draw the old man into an entirely new adventure. Like so many of us, Carl resists with every fiber of his being. He knows who he is and he knows for certain that his life is at an end.
But Russell and Dug won’t hear of it. Together they urge Carl back into the game of life, to change his course and to seize a new opportunity. And supported by a not-so-gentle push left by Ellie before her passing, Carl opens up to the prospect that life isn’t done.
The parallel for business people is so clear. Too often we all become locked into the path we’re on, thinking somehow we’ve become too old or experienced to deviate from our course. We press on, never knowing what paths we might be missing along the way.
One would think that legendary examples of late-in-life success would inspire so many. Colonel Sanders didn’t launch KFC until late in his life. Sam Walton began Walmart at an age when others were planning for retirement. And Warren Buffett charges onward and upward well past the age when many of his schoolmates have retired or passed away. More simpler still, think of all the retirees in Florida and Arizona communicating with their grandchildren by e-mail or Facebook.
Worse yet, there are people far younger than these men who have fallen into the same trap. They become resistant to change and in essence make themselves old before their time.
In real life, we rarely get a push to reinvent ourselves with such obvious force as Carl gets in Up. We’re certainly not prodded on by talking dogs or flying houses, although to deny the possibility that both could happen would be closing my eyes to the world of what could be. We can all learn as we watch Carl. We can all question how we would proceed and if we would be willing to start again, and in the process, cast aside long-held goals and move on to new and different opportunities.
So, yes, enjoy the incredible story telling of Disney/Pixar in Up. Enjoy the wonderful animation and the kooky characters. But mostly, watch Carl learn that old dogs are constantly learning new tricks and that risks are for the taking. And ask yourself if you could do the very same.
The answer is probably “yes.”
About The Big Picture
Movies are magical. They can release us from the stress of everyday life. But movies also contain valuable lessons to improve the way we do business.
In their entertaining new book, The Big Picture: Essential Business Lessons From the Movies, authors Kevin Coupe and Michael Sansolo show how to use the stories in movies to solve problems in business. From The Godfather to Tootsie, from The Wedding Singer to Babe, the authors use more than sixty of their favorite movies to teach important lessons about branding, customer service, leadership, planning, ethics, and innovation.
Readers learn how to use stories from the movies to communicate clearly with employees, clients, and customers.
Read an Excerpt!
Take 1 – Action/Adventure
Jaws (1975)
Rated L Leadership
Rated P Planning
by Kevin Coupe
Denial is Never a Good IdeaJaws is one of the best thrillers ever made, but it also serves up an example of business behavior that is almost inevitably fatal: denial.
“I don’t think either one of you are aware of our problems,” Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) says to Chief of Police Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) and Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) at one point in the movie. “I’m only trying to say that Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars. Now, if the people can’t swim here, they’ll be glad to swim at the beaches of Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island…”
Sure, Amity needed summer dollars. But what Vaughn ignored was the fact that the town also needed tourists that weren’t worried about being torn limb from limb.
Vaughn’s reluctance to close the beach is an example of the type of short-term thinking that should be avoided in the business world. Vaughn is working under the premise that if the town of Amity closes the beaches because of concerns about shark attacks, it will scare away the tourists on which the town depends. Which is true. But Vaughn ignores the cold reality that if tourists find out that there is a shark in the water and the town allowed people to go swimming, not only will they stay away in droves, they’ll also lose trust in the town’s management and never come back.
Businesses have to engender trust in their customers. Violate that sense of trust by ignoring the obvious facts—or even just the likely trends—and the repercussions can be both serious and long lasting.
Mayor Vaughn obviously never learned from the management at Johnson & Johnson, who, when faced with evidence that Tylenol had been tampered with in 1982, immediately pulled the product off the shelves. The Tylenol executives figured that they could survive the short-term hit, but would never survive the backlash if they denied the seriousness of the problem. When a new tamper-proof version of Tylenol came back to store shelves, there remained a sense of trust on the part of the consumers because Johnson & Johnson played it straight.
To be fair, although Mayor Vaughn generally is painted as the bad guy in Jaws because he ignores the sharp-toothed reality swimming just off shore, almost everybody is in some sort of denial. While this denial drives the plot forward, it also offers a primer on how to not deal with serious or even not-so-serious business situations.
Think about it. Quint, the great shark hunter played to crusty perfection by Robert Shaw, continues to chase the enormous great white shark with a small boat and just two crewmen. That’s world-class denial.
Hooper, the oceanic expert with a passion for sharks, shows a sense of denial several times when he gets into the water with the shark. Sure, he’s getting into an anti-shark cage, but the evidence is pretty strong that it isn’t going to be nearly “anti” enough.
“You go inside the cage”? Quint asks. “Cage goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark’s in the water. Our shark.” And then he sings: “Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we’ve received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.”
About the only main character who doesn’t seem to be in denial is Chief Brody, and even he has a moment of self-delusion when he’s asked why, if he is scared of the water, he lives on an island. “It’s only an island when you look at it from the water,” he says.
Yeah, right.
But it also is Brody who has the movie’s primal moment of clarity. It’s when he’s shoveling bait into the water and gets his first close-up look at the shark’s massive body, black eyes, and very, very sharp teeth.
“I think we’re going to need a bigger boat,” he says.
Truer words never have been spoken.
In business, as in Jaws, denial can get you eaten for lunch.
Take 4 – Comedy
Babe (1995)
Be Different
Rated RB Rule Breakers
by Michael Sansolo
There is a phrase that should never be uttered in business. It consists of the seven forbidden words:
“That’s the way we’ve always done it!”
You know you have heard the phrase and it is possible that you have even said it. The cumulative impact of the phrase is a non-stop assault on creativity, innovation, and rule breaking—the very activities virtually every company should encourage.
There is a cure for this unbridled corporate conservatism in the form of the delightful movie Babe. Every time the phrase “That’s the way we’ve always done it!” is uttered, force that person to watch Babe. In fact, watch it yourself. It’s worth it.
On the surface, Babe appears to be a child’s movie. It isn’t, although it is great for children, too. It’s the story of a pig, Babe, who is the runt of the litter destined for the slaughterhouse. Babe is saved from this fate when he is given to a local fair to be handed out as a prize, which is won by taciturn farmer Arthur Hoggett, wonderfully played by James Cromwell.
Once at Hoggett’s farm, Babe does something unusual: he stops behaving like a pig, for the simple reason that he doesn’t know he’s a pig. He consorts with all manner of animals like Ma the old sheep, Ferdinand the duck, and the litter of sheepdogs living in the barn. With his polite manners and naïve ways, Babe becomes a friend to all the animals, many of whom do not get along and clearly do not respect each other. (Hmmm, sounds more like an office with each passing moment.)
Farmer Hoggett begins to notice Babe’s social abilities when Babe divides all the chickens in the yard into groups of similar colors. Soon, Farmer Hoggett gives Babe a chance to show his stuff at the most important animal job on the farm, herding the sheep.
That’s where Babe the pig and Babe the movie shine. By breaking all the rules—“the way things are,” as the animals remind him—Babe becomes an outstanding herder. Although the dogs consider the sheep too dumb to understand anything other than a nasty approach and the sheep consider the dogs too stupid to talk with, Babe bridges the divide with friendship and manners. Slowly but surely, even the most reluctant animals begin to understand the wisdom of Babe.
Babe is a simple story, but it contains an important lesson. Think of how many businesses have stuck to the way things always are and completely missed the opportunity to become something entirely new, bigger, and better. Some have taken those opportunities:
• MTV didn’t invent video or records, but pulled them together into an entirely new cable channel. CBS, in contrast, owned a television network and a record company, but missed the chance.
• Barack Obama did not discover social networking, but his advanced use of the concept of Internet connections helped his fundraising and campaigning. John McCain’s presence on YouTube or Facebook was a fraction of Obama’s.
• Google wasn’t the first company to offer a search engine for the Internet, but its speed and efficiency helped create a cyberspace dynamo that dwarfs AltaVista, Yahoo, or even Microsoft.
MTV, the Obama campaign, and Google all had their Babe moments. They ignored “the way things are always done” and built astounding success by identifying possibilities and filling them with a value proposition that viewers, listeners, and shoppers learned to love.
Babe connects on many levels. The parallel of animal and human behavior has been shown often in the movies, from Charlotte’s Web to Animal Farm. But Babe delivered a winning story told in a creative style and with a lesson that could stand the test of time. In fact, the movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, an uncommon honor for a “children’s” movie.
Be on the lookout for those seven deadly words of business, those seven words that limit your horizons and suck the creativity and spirit out of your people. When someone says, “That’s the way we’ve always done it!” launch a counter-attack with the story of a pig that refused to accept things the way they were.
Read the Reviews
“The connection between the movies and business wisdom has been there all along. It took Kevin and Michael to bring it into sharp, digital-age focus.”
– Gerry Lopez, CEO, AMC Entertainment Inc.
“The Big Picture will open your mind about the power of storytelling, whether it’s for a speech, a business presentation, or a one-on-one with a business associate or a member of your family. Great job, Kevin and Michael. You have given me a new reason to go to the movies.”
– Jim Donald, CEO, Haggen, Inc. and former CEO, Starbucks Coffee Company
“This wonderful book proves what I have always believed: Movies teach us everything we need to know in business if we would only listen.”
– Beau Fraser, co-author, Death to all Sacred Cows and Managing Director, The Gate Worldwide
“The Big Picture updates the old adage that a (movie) picture is worth a thousand words. A very worthwhile book.”
– Stu Upson, Executive Director, United States Bowling Congress
“Stew Leonard’s loves stories. We are a story telling organization. That’s why The Big Picture will be staple in our management’s library at Stew’s. I loved it and it’s a must read!”
– Stew Leonard Jr., CEO, Stew Leonard’s
“This is the kind of useful and enjoyable book business people like me need to share in our companies.”
– Robert Phillips, President, California Tortilla Group, Inc.
“To enjoy a film is a treat! To add to that by learning a valuable business lesson from that film is a profit. To be steered to achieve both a treat and a profit by reading The Big Picture is a true adventure!”
– Senator Feargal Quinn, founder of Superquinn and former President of EuroCommerce
“Michael and Kevin have written an informative and useful business book that’s also fun to read and easy to apply. What a creative approach to business.”
– Thom Blischok, President, Consulting & Innovation, Information Resources, Inc.
About George Earl Parker
George Earl Parker is an author, singer/songwriter, and artist. As designer and director of the short film “Yellow Submarine Sandwich,” included in Eric Idle’s pseudo-documentary of a band called the Rutles, Parker received accolades, awards, and a showing at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
His art has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the country, and three of his songs have shown up on the European Country Music Association charts.
Vampyre Blood-Eight Pints of Trouble is his first novel. He currently lives in California where he is working on his music and his second book. You can visit his website at www.georgeearlparker.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Vampyre Blood-Eight Pints of Trouble:
When Count Dracula gives up his evil ways and joins a Goth rock band on a tour of America, he donates blood in order to find a lawyer, and ends up saving a life, which changes his fate forever.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I wanted to see if there was a way I could redeem the ultimate bad boy.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
Farce! P.G. Wodehouse! The insanity of reality!
Who is your biggest supporter?
Myself.
Your biggest critic?
Again, myself.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
Ending world hunger and promoting world peace sound like noble causes to me.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
I believe I’m beginning to understand communication.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
I try to keep a sense of balance at all times.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
Charles Dickens, Carlos Casteneda, Mickey Spillane.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
Having enough time to do everything.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on a story about teenage angst.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
One informs the other, and both are necessary for understanding yourself.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Yes, Tom Robbins.
What are some of your long term goals?
Writing, singing, making music, making people laugh.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?
Communication. It gets talked about a lot, but it doesn’t happen often.
What do you feel is your biggest strength?
Commitment.
Biggest weakness?
Eternal optimism.
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
It’s not the same old story. It looks at Count Dracula from a totally different perspective, one that allows him to flourish and grow. One that allows him to understand how he got to be a lonely monster.
You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?
The Tao Te Ching. I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand that book, but it sure is fun to try.
If you could go back and change one day, what would it be?
I think it would’ve been kind of cool to have invented the video camera at the dawn of time.
Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?
I’m a different person than I was five minutes ago!
What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?
Humility.
Is there anything you regret doing/not doing?
No.
What is your favorite past-time?
My favorite pastime is doing Tai Chi, but I never seem to do it enough.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Yeah, read my book, you’ll really enjoy it!
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Latest news! Listen to George Earl Parker’s latest country hit,
Out of the Fire here!
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About Vampyre Blood – Eight Pints of Trouble
When young New Orleans lawyer Bradley Harrington Chester III lies dying in the street after being hit by a speeding car, it seems that his life is over. But as his spirit drifts away toward a distant light, he is approached by an exotic fellow who claims to be both the Count Dracula of legend, and a violin player for The Techno Zombies, a Goth rock band on a world tour.
The Count explains that with the aid of a wizard he has abandoned his dark legacy, and now finds himself in need of a legal representative. So he offers Brad a deal–Brad can shuffle off into the light wherever it may lead, or he can become his lawyer, and be revived by a transfusion of Vampyre Blood.
The very last thing the young lawyer remembers before dying was his wife asking for a divorce, and prior to that he remembered being handed the prosecution of a mafia kingpin on his first day at the district attorney’s office. He wondered why the DA was so friendly to him, and so nasty to his star attorney Richard Bleddon, and he wondered why Bleddon had arranged a champagne supper at a fancy restaurant for him and his wife. After which, a speedy midget had snatched his wife’s purse and led him out into the street to die.
Impatiently, the Count presses for an answer to his offer, and after being assured that he will not become a Vampyre himself, Brad accepts, hoping to return and make sense of the madness that brought him to the brink of death. Populated by loveable rogues, scheming lawyers, and thieving gypsies, Vampyre Blood-Eight-Pints of Trouble is an insane romp through New Orleans, illustrating the intensity of our human desire to get what we want at any cost, and the strange places that desire can lead to.
Read the Excerpt!
“She lives to enchant,” he murmured. “She is a temptress, sometimes cold and sometimes hot, but always alluring.”
Her radiance had beguiled him for centuries: what would it be like if he fell under her spell? What dreams awaited him? What nightmares? What adventures?
The wind whispered through the trees urging him on, while a stab of doubt struck him in the chest with such force he couldn’t move. What if his miraculous cure was a lie? Stepping into a beam of full sunlight was instant death to a vampyre. It vexed him mightily to hesitate, for hesitation was not his strongest suit.
“There shall be one death here today,” he told the breeze. “One way or another, I shall be reduced to dust, or I shall die to myself and be reborn.”
Mere steps away, rays of sunlight spilled through the leafy canopy, and danced seductively on the forest floor.
It’s now or never, he thought. For if there was one thing he’d gleaned from centuries of nocturnal meditation, it was that a step in any new direction required trust. Trust was the key to all metamorphosis.
His constitution steeled, he flexed his muscles to move, and a spine-chilling roar screamed out of nowhere, followed by blinding flashes of light.
He was perplexed. Was this some evil necromancy designed to staunch his flow into the future? Or was it a warning, that hideous beasts would tear him limb from limb if he dared try?
It was a conundrum of epic proportions. But in the vast complexity of it all he was reminded of his lineage: he was a nobleman, a lord. His bloodline would not allow him to vacillate; he made decisions and adhered to them for good or bad.
As the sands ran out for hesitation he gathered up his fear, turned its power to courage, and stepped into the light.
It had been forever since he’d stood inside a sunbeam, and this wasn’t just one, this was a thousand of them crisscrossed in every direction over his path. The wind breathed a sigh of relief, and the leaves shook and chattered wildly, as rays of sunlight jiggled, danced, splashed and played all around him.
He had been absolutely incapable of emotion for as long as he could remember, but instantly he found himself surfing the tunnel of a tidal wave that emanated from deep in his beleaguered soul. He shook like an erupting volcano, shed tears like a raging waterfall, and his ears ached from the pure unmitigated joy that pounded out of his heart.
It had worked! Nothing could stop him now; he was free, free to do as he pleased
The maddening roar of beasts had grown to a stampede, and their growling and snarling was drowning his thoughts. Leaving the pool of light, he moved toward the source of the sound. He gazed one way and the other along a living green wall, as if a huge pair of clippers had trimmed the forest like a massive hedge, as far as the eye could see.
He reached out, parted some leaves, and gazed at a gooey, oozy, gray mess of motion that confounded him beyond belief. Is this more spell binding? He wondered, then it dawned on him, the tears of joy he had shed so abundantly were obscuring his vision. Blinking them away, he gazed curiously upon a scene he had no words in his mind to describe.
Huge metal beasts of all shapes and sizes roared by on round rubber legs. No, no, no, he told himself, they’re not legs, they’re wheels! It was true, they were wheels, but they moved ten times faster than those on any horse-drawn carriage.
What on earth had happened? Overnight he had changed, and inexplicably the world around him had also changed. It was a profound mystery, but one he would have to solve later, because just yesterday evening he had made a promise to Igor that he would start afresh in a land called America, and a gentleman never breaks a promise.
About Lindon King
Lindon J. King was born in Jamaica and is a former student of Fair Prospect Primary and Fair Prospect Junior High schools. Lindon is a graduate of Prospect College and in 1992 he migrated to Toronto Canada where he did further studies at Ryerson University.
Lindon and his beautiful wife Lorna and their adorable kids Loralin, Lindon Jr. and Lornella reside in Toronto Canada. Lindon is a proud father of four and loves The Lord. They are of the Apostolic Faith and are active members of their local church.
Lindon is currently employed as a Financial Services Manager and is also pursuing further studies in the field of commercial aviation. He is working on his next book titled: What’s In Your Barn? This book is expected to be in bookstores in the fall of 2010.
Guest Post
When one is always in need, is there a specific time for us to give a helping hand?
In my book; The Wounds Have Healed…The Scars Are Bleeding! I wrote about the economical plight concerning the people of Haiti, and also made mention that something needs to be done. It is no secret that the country has been plagued by corruption because of the greed and selfish behaviour of a few. In spite of the situation and circumstances they encounter, they are a good people. When they gained their Independence, they reached out to the enslaved colonies and offered a place of refuge to those who managed to escape the hands of their cruel masters.
To add to their already crumpled life, in January of this year their world came tumbling down, many lives were lost and the lives of those who survived the quake came to a halt. The international communities reached out and assisted in many different ways but the greatest and most admirable help that was offered was the help rendered among themselves. Yes, they are a good people and have always been trying to help themselves, but did it have to take the act of a natural disaster to reveal their cries and their many calls for help?
They have always been crying and asking for help, so many have tried to escape their crumpled world in search of a better life on a foreign shore. Many perished in search of that better life but, maybe it’s just that we believe their cries were not loud enough. Is it too ambitious for one to try to achieve a better life? So many things have been said about the people of Haiti but their strength and courage to survive confirm that they are no less of a person than you and I.
The Wounds Have Healed…The Scars Are Bleeding by Lindon King (click to purchase at Amazon)
About The Wounds Have Healed…The Scars Are Bleeding
“The Wounds Have Healed…The Scars Are Bleeding”! is an insightful work of non-fiction from author Lindon J. King. This work is designed to provoke thought as well as educate the reader about the aftermath of slavery in America and the West Indies. Set out as a tribute to the forefathers who had been able to survive the brutal Middle Passage only to be sold as slaves in America and the West Indies. Slavery not only physically affected the lives of those who were captured but also mentally affected them for generations to come.
“The Wounds Have Healed…The Scars Are Bleeding!” is a compelling work that blends history with social commentary. Given its timely message, Lindon J. King’s work may appeal to a wide variety of readers. Have you struggled with weight, wellness, addictions, relationships or work? This spiritually based book is set up with the idea that when you begin reading it, it will lull you comfortably into motivation and creating changes “now”. Essentially, when you open the book you are on a journey and as you read you have opportunities to “drive” or apply these ideas into your life. The book is set up as a no-excuses approach; if you say you believe in scripture you can’t pick and choose when to apply scripture to your life; it’s immediate connection which also, helps take immediate action. You may be comfortably motivated but it may bring upheaval and some hard truth to swallow, so be prepared for no-excuses scripture to change your life.
Lindon King’s THE WOUNDS HAVE HEALED…THE SCARS ARE BLEEDING virtual book tour will officially begin on March 1 and end on April 30. You can visit Lindon’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of February to find out more about this great book and talented author!
Murder in Baker Company by Cilla McCain (click on cover to purchase at Amazon)
About the Book
Murder in Baker Company begins as a journey to uncover the truth about what happened to Army Specialist Richard Davis. By using court transcripts, personal interviews, and police records, Cilla McCain unfolds the events of the case and soon reveals a disturbing, eye-opening look into today’s military that goes beyond the Davis case and that affects all troops and their families.
Soldiers are handed antipsychotic drugs and sent into battle. Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder is stigmatized. Gang members carry their affiliation from the streets to the barracks. And many of our soldiers are forced to face down two separate enemies, one in the same uniform they wear. By the end of the book the reader will learn the devastating truth about the injustice and disrespect our military families are forced to endure when their soldier dies a non-combat death.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
“Murder In Baker Company” is the story of a sadistic crime that occurred in Columbus, GA and the injustice that the victims family faced in the aftermath. Army Specialist Richard Davis was stabbed to death and then set on fire, the crime is so horrifying that people have avoided discussing the reasons behind it. But it has to be evaluated because the murder of Specialist Davis is indicative of the dangerous and growing problems we are facing as a society when our soldiers return home from war. We have military families conducting their own forensic investigations in the event of a non-combat death. No parent or spouse should have to read autopsy reports and exhume their loved ones bodies for a thorough and unbiased examination. But that is exactly what is happening in our country every single day. They need our help in so many different ways and we have to educate ourselves in order to be up to the task. The soldiers and their families deserve our undying gratitude but more importantly they need for that gratitude to translate into swift action.
Who is your biggest supporter?
I have had many supporters, starting with my own family. They were right here with me through it all. But there was also Lanny Davis, Richard Davis’s father. Nobody wanted this story told more than he did. Although he liked the fictional movie “In The Valley Of Elah” that was inspired by his son’s murder, he was disappointed that it wasn’t factual. He hoped the book would set the record straight. He passed away on December 13, 2009 just before the book officially published and he is deeply missed. Now, his many brothers and sisters have started trying to fill his shoes and have been a terrific support system. They are wonderful people and have become my extended family.
What are you currently working on?
I have several projects in the works! One is a book about the death of Marine Colonel Mike Stahlman and the other is a historical novel. www.cillamccain.com has more details.
You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?
I would bring the Bible. It has everything; drama, humor, love, sex and the best life lessons available.
If you could go back and change one day, what would it be?
I would find Richard Davis the instant he stepped foot on Ft. Benning soil and stop him from getting into the car with his murderers.
Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?
Yes I am different. I’ve learned so much about the world we live in and how we should never accept anything or anyone at face value. Throughout the research and writing of “Murder In Baker Company” I witnessed the very best in people and the very worst. As I wrote in the introduction of the book, I’ve also learned what the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished” truly means and how far reaching it is.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?
I’ve learned that family is absolutely everything and should always come first. I knew this in my heart but I didn’t always demonstrate that fact to the best of my ability. At the end of our lives nothing will matter as much as the love we showed one another.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Yes, please visit www.non-combat-death.org and ask how you can help the surviving families of our deceased veterans get justice. You don’t have to give money, you can write letters to your elected officials and spread the word among your family and friends.
About Cilla McCain
Cilla McCain works within all genres of the literary field with a focus on the injustices of society.
You can visit her website at CillaMcCain.com
Read an Excerpt
“In November 2003, a letter typed on Fort Benning stationery and signed “Men of Baker Company” was mailed to members of the local media and legal communities of nearby Columbus, Georgia. In the letter, these unknown soldiers, just back from America’s march through Baghdad, pleaded for help. They complained of war atrocities committed by commanders, and of mental health problems that were being ignored by the U.S. Army.Told by their superior officers to keep these matters quiet because a leak would be embarrassing, the soldiers had to be secretive in their attempts to let people know the hell they were enduring. Along with the letter, anonymous tips were phoned in to local newspaper reporters asking them to investigate these issues. In the letter, their desperation is obvious and heart-wrenching. These young men, who put their lives on the line in service of their country, were now begging total strangers to come to their aid.”
What Reviewers Are Saying
“This work has been created with an insightful heart and an activist’s drive. Cilla’s writing denotes a deep sense of personal responsibility for the veterans of the Iraq War and it is from this platform that she advocates and encourages the reader to feel the same. The pain and injustice that has been endured by our veterans and their families is universal and should never be an acceptable loss.” –Paul Haggis, writer/director, In the Valley of Elah, Crash, Quantum of Solace, and Million Dollar Baby
“A fascinating book that vividly recounts one of the most tragic true stories to emerge from the Iraq war: the slaying of a decorated U.S. Army soldier by his own teammates. This is an eloquent, disturbing, and haunting portrayal of the true cost of war. A remarkable work.” –Mark Boal, journalist and screenwriter of The Hurt Locker and In the Valley of Elah
“With eloquence, determination, and passion, Cilla McCain has dared to tell the world a story that must be told, a story that the powerful do not want to be told and that the prosecution and defense withheld from the jury. Above all, it is a story that must be heard because this tragedy should have never happened and its lessons could and will save lives.” –Mark Shelnutt, criminal defense attorney
“. . . a raw and compelling overview of a shocking killing, its aftermath, and a military ignoring its soldiers’ needs.” (Feb.) — Publishers Weekly
About Victor Pross
Victor Pross is a professional artist born and raised in Toronto now residing in British Columbia. He is known for his “extreme caricaturing.”
He has many high profile commissions to his credit including painting Ron Howard’s caricature portrait as a gift for the famous director as well as painting various agents of the William Morris Agency. He has rendered numerous International celebrities and Canadian media personalities for commercial and private purposes. Victor Pross has been interviewed on television shows such as: Canada AM, Breakfast Television, News at Noon and has been pegged by Canadian Media as “Canada’s foremost caricature artist.”
He has worked on various posters, comic books and CD covers bringing to each work his own unique style. He is currently instructing an art class as well as offering his services as an editorial caricaturist. Victor’s first book, Icons & Idols, will feature a collection of the artist’s paintings and drawings and is now available. You can visit his website at www.victorpross.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Of course. ICONS & IDOLS: Pop Goes the Culture is an eye-popping visual homage and satire of pop culture. It is comprised of my “extreme caricatures” of the famous—such as Elvis Presley, Sylvester Stallone, Marilyn Monroe, George Bush, Albert Einstein—and others icons from the world of film, music and literature. It has over 70 paintings and drawings and it is assembled under one volume with interesting reading.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
The original idea for a book was conceived in 1999 when media writer Edward Keenan and I decided to pool our efforts in our respective fields to make ICONS & IDOLS a reality. He would write the text and I would paint the portraits. It didn’t go as planned. We would go our own ways and I was left with the somewhat daunting task to paint and write. This has taken a considerable toll on my energy and time. If ever there was an artist who has “suffered for their work” this is it.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
Pop culture.
Who is your biggest supporter?
Myself.
Your biggest critic?
Myself.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I’m an advocate of individual achievement.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
Yes, as a visual artist and writer.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
Drinking coffee.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
I’m primarily a visual artist and a writer second. And my book Icons & Idols has both.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
Working with fellow artist Rebecca Bessette. We are doing a series of paintings on musicians.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
Work hard. Take it seriously. If not—step away and do something else.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
No.
What are some of your long term goals?
To write a novel.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?
Writing a book in the first place…and getting it published.
What do you feel is your biggest strength?
Ambition.
Biggest weakness?
Impatience
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
Icons & Idols is a satire of pop culture—it is at once a series of interesting essays coupled with funny art.
You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?
The Fountainhead. I love it, that’s all.
Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what ways?
I don’t waste time anymore. Life is too short.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?
Learn to love and allowed yourself to be loved.
What is your favorite past-time?
Listening to music, watching movies and painting.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Get a copy of my book Icons & Idols. You can find it at my site: www.victorpros.com
Icon & Idols: Pop Goes the Culture by Victor Pross (click on cover to purchase)
About Icon & Idols: Pop Goes the Culture
Icons & Idols: Pop Goes the Culture is an eye-popping visual homage and satire of pop culture that is sure to tickle a funny bone. ICONS & IDOLS is comprised of Victor Pross’ “extreme caricatures” of the famous—such as Elvis Presley, Sylvester Stallone, Marilyn Monroe, George Bush, Albert Einstein—and others icons from the world of film, music and literature. Victor Pross’ most important works –over 70 paintings and drawings–is assembled under one volume to entertain and astound.
Here’s what reviewers are saying!
“Pross’ portraits are frequently funny and striking in their grotesque exaggeration, but always powerfully able to reintroduce us to that which we take for granted. Pross’ talent leaps from the frame.”—William O’Higgins, arts writer.
“Victor’s caricatures, aside from being clever in their own right, also convey an intelligence and knowledge of his subjects that is sometimes absent in similar sketches.” –George H. Smith, author of ‘Atheism: The case against God.’
“Victor Pross’ portraits examine in subjective—sometimes hideous, often hilarious—detail the faces of those who’ve shaped our times.”—Edward Keenan, media writer and editor for Toronto’s Eye Newspaper.
“Pross is a caricaturist, but that term does not nearly do justice to the art he creates. These are not line drawings of political figures published in a newspaper to poke fun, and then be forgotten the next day. Pross takes caricaturing to another level making powerful—if entertaining and exaggerated—canvasses of famous people.”—Paul J. Henderson, the Times.
“Victor, like his art, is larger than life. He tackles the big issues and puts them right in your face. I knew that making caricatures was about exaggerating the features a little. Little! Victor manages to exaggerate them a whole lot while keeping the essential personality clear. He does not walk the safe and simple path, but like hisforebears walks the lonely path of seeking truth without flinching.”—Ray Thomas admirer
Join Carla Buckley, author of the apocalyptic novel, The Things That Keep You Here (Delacorte Press), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in February on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!
About Carla Buckley
Carla Buckley was born in Washington, D.C. She has worked in a variety of jobs, including a stint as an assistant press secretary for a U.S. senator, an analyst with the Smithsonian Institution, and a technical writer for a defense contractor. She currently lives in Ohio with her husband and children. The Things That Keep Us Here is her first novel. Bantam Dell will publish Buckley’s next novel in 2011. You can visit Carla Buckley’s website at www.CarlaBuckley.com.
About The Things That Keep Us Here
How far would you go to protect your family?
Ann Brooks never thought she’d have to answer that question. Then she found her limits tested by a crisis no one could prevent. Now, as her neighborhood descends into panic, she must make tough choices to protect everyone she loves from a threat she cannot even see. In this chillingly urgent novel, Carla Buckley confronts us with the terrifying decisions we are forced to make when ordinary life changes overnight.
A year ago, Ann and Peter Brooks were just another unhappily married couple trying–and failing–to keep their relationship together while they raised two young daughters. Now the world around them is about to be shaken as Peter, a university researcher, comes to a startling realization: A virulent pandemic has made the terrible leap across the ocean to America’s heartland.
And it is killing fifty out of every hundred people it touches.
As their town goes into lockdown, Peter is forced to return home–with his beautiful graduate assistant. But the Brookses’ safe suburban world is no longer the refuge it once was. Food grows scarce, and neighbor turns against neighbor in grocery stores and at gas pumps. And then a winter storm strikes, and the community is left huddling in the dark.
Trapped inside the house she once called home, Ann Brooks must make life-or-death decisions in an environment where opening a door to a neighbor could threaten all the things she holds dear.
Carla Buckley’s poignant debut raises important questions to which there are no easy answers, in an emotionally riveting tale of one family facing unimaginable stress.
Book Excerpt
It was quiet coming home from the funeral. Too quiet. Ann wished Peter would say something, but there was just the soft patter of rain and the wipers squeaking back and forth across the windshield. Even the radio was mute, reception having sizzled into static miles before.
As they crossed into Ohio, Ann turned around to see why Maddie hadn’t called it, and saw her seven-year-old had fallen asleep, her head tipped back and her lips parted, her book slipped halfway from her grasp. The first hour of their trip had been punctuated by Maddie asking every five minutes, Mom, what does this spell? Ann leaned back and teased the opened book from her daughter’s fingers, closed it and put it on the seat beside Maddie. Kate hunched in the opposite corner, a tangle of brown hair falling over her face and obscuring her features, the twin wires of her iPod coiling past her shoulders and into her lap.
Ann turned back around. “The girls are asleep.”
Peter nodded.
“Even Kate. I don’t know how she can possibly sleep with her music going.”
He made no reply.
“Do you know I caught her trying to sneak her iPod into the church? I don’t think giving her that was such a great idea.” When Peter remained silent, she went on. “It’s just one more way for her to tune everyone out.”
He shrugged. “She’s twelve. That’s what twelve-year-olds do.”
“I think it’s more than that, Peter.”
He said nothing, simply glanced into the rearview mirror and flicked on the turn signal, glided the minivan around the slowermoving vehicle in front of them.
It was an old argument and he wasn’t engaging. Still, there was something else lurking beneath his silence. She read it in his narrow focus on the highway and along the tightness of his jaw. “You all right?” Of course he wasn’t.
“Just tired. It was a long weekend.”
A long, horrible weekend. All those relatives crammed together in that small clapboard house, no air- conditioning, Peter’s mother wandering around, plaintively asking everyone where Jerry was.
“I’m glad your brother made it.”
“Yep.”
Not yes, or yeah. Yep. He never talked like that. He was throwing up warning signs, telling her to back off. But fourteen years of marriage made her plough straight through anyway. “Everything okay between you two?”
“Sure.”
So he wasn’t going to tell her. “Bonni said she saw you and Mike arguing.”
He glanced at her. So handsome her breath snagged for a moment. The strong, tanned planes of his face and the beautiful bluegreen of his eyes that Kate had inherited; now he looked drawn and older than his forty years. He returned his attention to the road. She wanted to cup her hand to his cheek, but he was sending out those keep-away signals.
She crossed her arms. “Mike doesn’t think it was an accident.”
“Mike doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“He has a point, though. It is strange your father wasn’t wearing blaze orange.”
“What are you suggesting, Ann? Suicide by hunter? Give me a break.”
She should have, but she couldn’t let it go. The questions piled up inside her, three days’ worth of strangers whispering, three days of Peter’s mother tugging at Ann’s sleeve. “Things have gotten so bad with your mom, Peter. I had no idea. This morning, she told Maddie that her parents must be looking for her and that she’d better run along home. You should have seen the hurt look on Maddie’s face.” Ann shook her head. “It just breaks my heart. We can’t leave her like this.”
“Bonni will check in on her.”
“Checking in’s not enough. She needs round-the-clock care.”
The rain had stopped. A watery sunshine glinted through the clouds.
Peter switched off the wipers. “I don’t want to talk about it. Especially not with the girls in the car.”
“You mean the girls who are sound asleep?”
“Ann.”
Maybe she was pushing too hard. She leaned her forehead against the window and watched a hawk spin circles high above. “You sure you need to go into the field tomorrow? Maybe one of your students can go in your place.”
“I’ve got no choice. Hunters are nervous enough right now without me sending in some twenty-year-old.”
“Because of the bird flu?”
“Exactly.”
“Do you think you’ll find anything?”
He shifted position. “Probably. But it’s not an isolated case that’s a problem.”
“It’s a cluster of cases.”
“Right.”
The hawk grew smaller and smaller, a smudged dot that eventually disappeared. No doubt to perch on a branch somewhere and watch for prey. “I forgot to tell you, things were so rushed Friday, but that interview came through.”
“At Maddie’s school?”
She nodded. “I go in next week to meet with the principal. I keep thinking, what if I don’t get the job? Then I think, what if I do?”
“You’ll be fine.”
“I haven’t worked in, God, twelve years.”
“How hard can it be?”
She flashed him an irritated look but he was staring straight ahead. “It’s not finger painting and Popsicle sticks, Peter.”
“I just meant I know you can do it.”
“It’s theory and history, too. What if I teach above their heads? What if they’re bored? What if Maddie hates me being her art teacher?”
“There must be some part of you that’s looking forward to it.”
Did she want to talk about this? “It’s the whole . . . thing. I’m not sure I can do it.”
“You mean, art in general?”
“Exactly.”
He heaved a sigh. She heard the impatience in it. “It’s been a long time,” he said.
Nine years. An eternity. A blink.
“Maybe you’re ready, Ann.”
“In other words, I should be ready.”
He lifted his hands briefly from the steering wheel. I give up. “Whatever.”
The hills undulated by, the woods fiery red and burnt orange. She caught glimpses of barns and houses set high and solitary. She wondered about the people who lived there, if they were lonely.
“It’d be good for you to go back to work,” Peter said. “A fresh start.”
She nodded, distracted. They needed the second income, what with two college tuitions coming up. And everything had gotten so frighteningly expensive, especially gas. It was costing as much to fill up the minivan as it was to take everyone out to dinner and the movies.
“Actually.” He cleared his throat. “We could both use a fresh start.”
She turned to him, worried by the strangeness in his voice. “Okay.”
“Not okay, Ann. It hasn’t been okay for a long time.”
“What does that mean? What are you talking about?” But she knew. This quiet autumn day had suddenly become strange, queered by intensity and the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
“I think we need some time apart.”
She stared at his profile, speechless, feeling her heartbeat accelerate. He was suddenly a stranger to her. The seatbelt slid down her arm, she was skewed so sideways. “You don’t mean that.”
“I have to.”
“I thought we were doing okay. Not good, but . . . better.” Maybe this weekend had been the last straw. Was it just his father’s death? Or had he been thinking about this for a while? How could she not have known? How foolish she’d been, taking things for granted, being her clumsy, pushy self. She’d been too harsh about his father’s death. Maybe she should have been kinder, but she’d never really liked the man.
“Dad was sixty-two. Sixty-two.” Peter gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. “There were so many things he never got to do. So many things he put off. Going to Gettysburg. Seeing the Vietnam Memorial. Finishing that tree house for our girls. I stood there and watched them put his coffin into the ground.” He leaned back and let out a breath. “I don’t want to be that man. I don’t want to live like he did.”
She put her hand on his arm, felt the warmth of his skin. “But . . . you’re not.”
He shook his head. “I’m just like him, living in suspended animation, watching everything go past.”
“Is this some kind of midlife crisis?”
He glanced at her. “I wish it were, sweetheart.” His eyes were gentle. “Ever since the baby died–”
“Don’t,” she said, hearing her voice sharpen, and took her hand away. She’d never forget walking into the nursery. Seeing William silent and unmoving in his crib.
“We can’t even talk about it.”
“This isn’t talking about it. This is telling me to get over it.” She twisted to look back at the girls, saw that they were still fast asleep. He didn’t want to discuss his mother with them sleeping back there, but it was okay to talk about the one thing they struggled every day to get past? She felt a spark of anger at his indifference. “Which is all you’ve ever done.”
“That’s not fair. You won’t let me in to do anything else. It’s like you slammed all the doors shut and threw away the keys.”
“I’ve tried.”
“I know you have.” There was that horrible kind voice again. “I’ve tried, too. Don’t you think it’s time we both stopped trying, and started loving one another the way we used to?”
She stared at him. “But we can’t,” she said, helpless. “We’re not the same people.” They couldn’t be that man and that woman who happily fell in love at that insanely crowded party; they couldn’t be that naive twosome who thought finding each other was the hard part. She tried again. “We do love each other.”
“I know.”
He sounded so sad. She hated this. Couldn’t he understand she was doing the best she could? Couldn’t he be happy with the way things were now?
He slowed to take the exit toward Columbus. They passed a cluster of gas stations, then a series of strip malls.
“But Thanksgiving’s next week.” A stupid thing to say. Who cared about that? She clenched her fists in her lap. It wasn’t about Thanksgiving. It was deciding whether to go with his mom’s traditional stuffing or her mom’s walnut-apple. It was picking out the Christmas tree, loading the dishwasher, and bringing in the mail. It was waking up in the middle of the night, hearing the person breathing next to you. About knowing you weren’t alone.
“We both need to move on,” he said. “We can’t live like this, two people afraid to be real with one another. I love you. I’ll always love you.” His voice was low but relentless. “I’m just not in love with you anymore.”
She didn’t want to hear this. She sat back and stared numbly through the glass. This was one of those hideous things that happened to other people. The fabric of her life shredded just like that, all the truths she’d clung to now melted into nothing. Everything she was or thought she was, everything she thought they were, had vanished as though they’d never been.
Another house appeared, tucked among the golden trees by the roadside. Someone was there, crouched and working in a garden. A woman. Ann watched as she straightened, lifted a hand to shade her eyes to watch them shoot past, the four of them entombed in a blue minivan and hurtling toward the unknown.
Excerpted from The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley Copyright © 2010 by Carla Buckley. Excerpted by permission of Dell Publishing, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Read what reviewers are saying about The Things That Keep Us Here!
“In her debut, Carla Buckley provides a thought-provoking thriller that asks her readers who would they become if civilization somewhat vanished.” - Harriet Klausner, Alternative Worlds
“This apocalyptic novel is an absolute page turner…Highly recommended for anyone interested in realistic apocalyptic scenarios and for readers who like a bit of science as well as internal conflict in their reading.” – Shellie, Layers of Thought
About the Book
FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he’s picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellness and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.
It’s there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person’s life when she touches the dead body.
In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise’s help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most ’sane people’ sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls…or inside.
As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector’s next target.
The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it’s too late?
My Thoughts
This is the second book by Ted Dekker I have read and I certainly was not disappointed. I took it with me on our mini-vactaion and even though I was tired at night I stayed up to read it because it just got in my head and wouldn’t let go.
This story is extremely fast paced and thriller doesn’t really begin to touch what this story represents. The Bride Collector is a serial killer and the FBI is struggling to find who is responsible for the 3 victims that have been found. They need to step up their game because there is no sign that this killer is going to stop anytime soon. Each victim is posed with loving care…that is, if you don’t mind a gruesome element, and each has a bridal veil over her face. Looking like a true bride, they have perfect makeup and nails but it’s hard to concentrate on this when you are faced with the truth…someone is killing women and he may be impossible to catch. He is looking for his perfect bride, and until he finds her this is the game he will play. They will continue to find bodies and clues but will they be able to put them together to catch him?
If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller, this is the book for you. An author that is quickly climbing the ladder of favorites, I can’t wait to read more!
It seems like forever since I have posted anything on this site so let me first start out by apologizing for that. I know that it is a little late for New Year’s Resolutions, but I think I am going to make one anyway. I can’t promise to post EVERY day, but every other is going to be my goal. I love books so much, I am not sure why there has been such a lull.
Life gets in the way I guess. I am sitting in a hotel room with my family – a hotel called Hotel Rome in Wisconsin Dells. What a blast we are having. They have a 55,000 square foot waterpark and an indoor theme park as well so needless to say the kids are still asleep. There outdoor attractions look really cool too so there may be a trip in the summer on our agenda. But, I have to make this short today because they should be up soon.
Thanks for continuing to follow me and I promise to post more book stuff soon!
