‘Scars in Time’ is Ryan Gutierrez’ exciting debut novel. Photo: google
Ryan Gutierrez is an American author born and raised in Texas and currently resides in the small South Texas town of Los Fresnos. He graduated from The University of Texas – Brownsville with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and worked as a Child Abuse Investigator with the state of Texas for five years. His debut novel, “Scars in Time: A Novel (The Nowhen Stories)” is about Brennan Ramirez, a man determined to change his wife’s traumatic past by going back in time. As Brennan test drives The Machine, he begins to experience true power, true control, or so he thinks. With every trip, every choice, Brennan realizes that his newfound control may be an illusion.
“Scars in Time” begins with a Twilight Zone-like introduction of the main character Brennan “Like all people, we could describe Brennan Ramirez in many ways. …Any time he wasn’t expressing some positive emotion, he looked furious with the world. He had a few decent reasons to be, but we’ll get to that later.” The first part introduces readers to his wife Deidre and her traumatic childhood in the hands of her mother’s boyfriend and an emotionally distant mother. He test drives The Machine a couple of times before he realizes that he can use it to change the past. After quitting his job as a Child Abuse Investigator due to his debilitating anxiety and panic disorder, he feels useless. He is constantly haunted by one of his past cases: Kaylee, a young girl who ends up dead because he failed to help her. The first time he travels to the past is to fix Kaylee’s life but what he wants more than anything is to go back and prevent Deidre’s traumatic abuse. At first it seems to work and he thinks he is in control, but it turns out to be just an illusion and he is reminded that life is unpredictable and not subject to manipulation. It is divided into four parts: Part I – The Present, Part II – 1994 (when he goes back to help Deidre) Part III – The New Present (includes the consequences of his time meddling) and Part IV – Nowhen (the new normal).
With his impressive debut novel, Ryan Gutierrez does an excellent job of introducing readers to Brennan, a complex and flawed character who ultimately just wants to do the right thing. Due to his anxiety and panic disorder, he feels out of control and the only way to regain some of that control is to go back in time to fix other people’s lives. Through it all, he undergoes a transformation because with each person he kills, it bothers him less and less and justifies it by telling himself that they deserved it. The focus is not so much the science of time traveling, but rather in using it to fix life’s “mistakes” and its consequences. He is constantly popping anti-anxiety pills and the vivid descriptions of his panic and anxiety attacks, especially when driving, are hauntingly realistic. The story flows naturally from page to page and the language is easy to understand, even though there is some sporadic Spanish. It has deep character development and is an emotional roller coaster ride, especially when he realizes how his time travelling is changing the “present” and it turns out that he created two timelines by initially jumping back to 1994. The author’s background in Criminal Justice gives the story an authentic voice as Brennan deals with the fall out of being a Child Abuse Investigator and when he is a Detective in the new present. Despite some Christian themes and scripture quotes, it does not come across as preachy. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Brennan’s adventures. “Scars in Time” is a must-read page turner filled with action, drama and romance centered around a deeply troubled main character. It is recommended for science fiction fans who appreciate time travel stories, Hispanic characters and culture and an abundance of pop-culture references.
“Though the memories of all the changes he’d made, all the rips and stitches in time, were crystalline in his mind, all other memories were as they usually were. Blurrier, murkier, and more likely to be inventions of a mind trying to fill gaps the farther back you go.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
‘Moving Beyond Trauma’ by Ilene Smith. Photo: google
Ilene Smith is a certified professional coach and Somatic Experiencing practitioner with master’s degrees in exercise physiology and mental health counseling. Her research into Somatic Experiencing and eating disorders has contributed to the importance of Somatic Experiencing and body-based therapies in recovery. With master’s degrees in exercise physiology and mental health counseling, Ilene blends talking, touch work and movement to create synergy between a client’s body and mind. In her first book “Moving Beyond Trauma: The Roadmap to Healing from Your Past and Living with Ease and Vitality,” Ilene Smith introduces readers to Somatic Experiencing, a body-based therapy capable of healing the damage done to the nervous system by trauma. She breaks down the way in which trauma impacts the nervous system and presents a program designed to process trauma in a non-threatening way.
It is important to note that, as the disclaimer at the beginning states, “This book is not intended as a substitute for medical or psychological advice from professionals.” “Moving Beyond Trauma” is divided into two parts: Part One: Understanding the Mind-Body Connection which consists of chapters like ‘My Journey to Healing’ and ‘What Healing Looks Like’ and Part Two: Creating Change where in Chapter 5 the reader can assess his or her problem behaviors by taking a series of quizzes and in subsequent chapters, apply healing exercises and get tips for living a healthy lifestyle. In the Introduction, the author emphasizes that because the body and mind are connected, “psychological stress is held and manifests in our physical body.” Even though she believes in talk therapy up to a point because it does have its benefits, most of the time it dredges up past experiences, which are often traumatic. Due to this, some people end up re-traumatizing themselves instead of healing. What she offers in Somatic Experiencing is a way to track and notice body sensations and experiences so that the body can begin to heal.
Since not all human beings are the same, not everyone experiences healing the same way so it is natural that not all methods of therapy work for everyone. While some do benefit from talk therapy, for some, retelling their story can reactive the trauma and therefore they can not move past it. This is where “Moving Beyond Trauma” can help by defining the different types of trauma: developmental, collective and generational and providing healthy ways of coping. Through case stories about her past clients that dealt with anxiety, trauma, depression and eating disorders the author successfully presents her case that by confronting the body’s pain reactions, particularly to the nervous system, people can push past and begin the healing process. The language is not overly clinical so it is easy to comprehend the material. Readers will be able to understand their own trauma and, by doing the self-assessments, hopefully learn more about themselves and what triggers their anxiety and stress. It is an easy read and recommended for anyone looking for self-enrichment or for healthy living tips.
“I believe that it is when we are placed right in the middle of the most adverse experiences life has to present us with that we have the opportunity to build the most resilience for ourselves.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
I awoke that Friday morning in a serious sweat, the kind that is not immediately relieved by rising and washing one’s face with cold water. I noted that the clock in the bathroom read 4:38, twenty-two minutes before my designated alarm setting. After staring at the clock for a minute, maybe two, I felt my right radial pulse. The accelerated throbbing confirmed that tachycardia was still my predominant rhythm. I decided to attend to ritualistic morning bathroom chores, make coffee, read the paper, and at least try to pretend that it was a normal Friday morning.
Upon completion of the bathroom routine, as quietly as possible, I punched in the five-digit alarm code and started to leave the bedroom to go downstairs. Unfortunately, even the sound of punching in the numbers was unduly shrill, and it caused Mary Louise, my bride of twenty-four years, to stir.
“Jim Bob?”
“Yes?”
“It’s not even five yet. Why are you up?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Woke up with the sweats again. Sorry to wake you. I thought I’d go downstairs, make some coffee, and sit outside and think for a while. Okay?”
“Want some company?”
Normally, I would never turn down such an offer. I loved my wife dearly. She was, in fact, my best friend. That particular morning, however, I responded in the negative.
“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, sweetie, but this is just one of those times I need to collect my thoughts. Know what I mean?”
“I do. I’m sorry you’re having to go through all this. It isn’t fair. After all you’ve done for everybody else. I know in my heart it will be all right, just maybe not today. Try not to get too upset. Promise?”
“I’ll do my best.” I leaned down and kissed her warm cheek. She smelled so good, I considered taking off my robe and getting back into bed. I finally chose not to. “Go back to sleep. I’m not leaving until about eight o’clock.”
I left her reluctantly and plodded downstairs barefooted, in my cotton robe, with lights still off, toward coffee heaven. I selected Twin Peaks Blend coffee beans, which we kept in the freezer to avoid staleness, ground them, and began the ten-minute process to achieve as perfect a cup of coffee as I could make. I waited on the back porch in my “spot,” a large white cane rocker. The month of August was a stifling time of year in Houston, even at that hour of the morning. The heat and humidity were almost unbearable during July, August, and early September. I turned on the outdoor ceiling fan that hovered above my chair and hoped it would make the weather more pleasant. It didn’t.
I considered my life that morning. I, Dr. James Robert Brady, who had done my best to be a compassionate and dedicated orthopedic surgeon for the past seventeen years, was being sued for medical malpractice. I was not a neophyte when it came to lawsuits. I had been sued twice before, not an unusual occurrence in a city of four million people, with far too many law school graduates sitting in their quiet offices with nothing to do. The other two suits were quite minor and did not linger but were dismissed rather quickly, meaning over a year-or-two period. The current lawsuit, the cause of my awakening before five with the sweats and intense gastrointestinal distress, had not been dismissed.
I stepped back inside to the relatively cool air, although during August even the air-conditioning system labored heavily. I poured my coffee into a large black mug with a removable top that allowed intermittent filling of the cup but twisted on securely so as not to spill during the drive to work. While I wasn’t yet ready to leave, I used the “to go” cup anyway, being a creature of habit, a trait inherited from my dear departed father, and one which drove even me to distraction on occasion.
I returned to the French door to head back to the humidity and spotted Cat perched on the back doorstep, peering through the lowest windowpane, awaiting her breakfast. I sipped my coffee and prepared her Prime Feast in a disposable dish, probably not recyclable because I am sure it isn’t possible to remove the smell of mixed seafood, no matter what treatment is available at the nearest recycling plant.
Strolling to the door, feast in hand, I greeted the discriminating feline.
“Morning, Cat. I have your breakfast.”
No response. Just a simple twitch of the sensitive nose. There was no tail-wagging or jumping on my bare leg to greet me, sure signs that man’s best friend loved you and missed you. Rather, Cat simply did what she did best. She remained aloof and distinctly noncommittal. I bent down, sat her dish on the patterned concrete deck, and stroked her damp fur as she sampled my selection. She did give me a brief look of gratitude, then resumed her nibbling. I returned to my chair and continued to assess my life and its worth.
I was most critical of self that morning, pondering the effects of aging on a once-athletic physique. While Mary Louise considered me to be a handsome specimen, I lamented my shrinkage from six feet plus one inch to slightly less than the “manly” six feet. I continued to disguise my shortening by wearing Western boots, and only on weekends did I allow myself the comfort of high-topped athletic shoes—not that I used them for athletics.
I remembered my previously full head of hair that had slowly thinned, especially at the front, to allow for enlargement of my forehead while a balding spot was created on the crown of my head. My sideburns were a little long and gray and transitioned to brown at an always-increasing distance from the top of my ears. I criticized the extra minute I spent every morning to carefully position my combed-straight-back locks over that bare spot I had grown to hate.
I had begun to study myself each morning before showering to confirm that I indeed resembled Alfalfa of Little Rascals fame, with thin wisps of hair sticking straight up toward the heavens. I then reminded myself of my need to wear bifocals and of my need to start a workout program to slim my waist from its size 38—although I had noticed lately that the cleaners had been shrinking my best jeans.
I tried to take comfort in Mary Louise’s love of what she called my “charming cleft chin” and “captivating smile” but was unsuccessful. I felt old that morning, which, along with words like useless, worthless, out-of-shape, and four-eyed, drove me to an even fouler mood than when I awoke to cold sweats and the dreaded digestive-tract blues.
By six o’clock I was sweating again, that time from drinking an entire pot of coffee and from the oppressive heat that had already risen to a sultry 80 degrees with the humidity at drip level. I threw off my robe and dove into the pool, taking care to avoid a cervical spine injury in the four-foot-deep water. It did cool me off temporarily, so after two laps I simply stood in the healing waters, naturally, in the buff. As I reminisced over the treatment of the patient that had decided to sue me, the back door of the house opened and the Tipster bounded outside. He saw me in the pool and almost dove in with me. Fortunately, I was able to hold him back while I ruffled his shaggy mane and scratched his ears. At least he was glad to see me and acted as though we had been apart for years, not just the six hours since we had bid him good night.
His official title was “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” a typical name given by a particular breeder who prized his full-blooded intelligent golden retrievers. But “Tip,” “Tipper,” or “the Tipster,” as Mary Louise intermittently called him, had failed the IQ test for well-bred dogs and was lovingly given to me by that grateful patient, who had many more golden retrievers than insurance dollars.
Tip had been presented to me in the office five months previously at the end of the day as a surprise. The man didn’t ask me if I wanted a dog, but simply showed up at my office with a large, overly friendly seven-month-old golden retriever puppy. I still suspected that Fran and Rae, my faithful office staff, had somehow conspired with my darling wife to bring some new joy into my life. At the time, I was highly skeptical and hoped to rid myself of the constantly-shedding beast who had disrupted our lives. Over the next few months, however, I had grown to love, without restraint, this large, adorable dog, whose only faults were that he was too much a friend to strangers and a poor fetcher of dead birds. Neither flaw bothered me. I didn’t hunt much anymore, and we rarely had anyone to the house that I despised. Besides, considering we had yet to be burglarized, the Tipster’s camaraderie with those stealers of one’s things was an untested character defect.
My mood improved significantly after seeing Tip, and I watched with interest as he bounded over to greet Cat with a friendly good morning. He had attempted to make Cat his new best friend every day since his arrival at our abode but had been miserably unsuccessful. Cat’s reaction to his energetic playfulness was to leap gracefully into the rocking chair next to mine, back herself up as far as possible to the rear of the chair, and wait. When Tip happily padded over to see her and put his whole head onto the seat of the chair, she would strike out at his sensitive nose with one of her front paws, prompting an episode of howling. For five months, this scenario had occurred each and every time the two animals had a backyard encounter. I believed that Cat had become bored with the whole routine and had actually become embarrassed at what seemed to be the retriever’s inability to learn.
“Tip? Be careful over there. She scratches your nose every day! It’s so raw, you almost need stitches.”
I obviously had lost my mind. I was talking to the dog as though he understood my every word. Just before pushing his fat head into the seat of the chair to smell the gray bundle of fur, though, he turned his head toward me and perked up his ears. I didn’t know if he had actually understood what I had said or simply had forgotten that I was in the pool, since he had wandered into the bushes to relieve himself before approaching Cat. He stared at me for a moment, seemed to consider what I had said, then pushed his tender, scarred nose toward the she-beast, and . . . I couldn’t believe it! She didn’t hurt him! He licked her fur, and Cat just stood there. I guessed she finally decided that Tip was harmless and just wanted to play. She might have also figured out that a large dog like that could be an impressive ally when trying to ward off neighborhood cats who strayed into her domain looking for a free meal.
And so it was that on that hot, steamy morning in August, my cat and dog became friends. I thought that maybe Mary Louise was right, having told me repeatedly that everything would be okay. Alas, that small, backyard miracle was the only one I witnessed for a while.
John Bishop MD is the author of “Act of Deception: A Doc Brady Mystery.” Dr. Bishop has practiced orthopedic surgery in Houston, Texas, for 30 years. His Doc Brady medical thriller series is set in the changing environment of medicine in the 1990s. Drawing on his years of experience as a practicing surgeon, Bishop entertains readers using his unique insights into the medical world with all its challenges, intricacies, and complexities, while at the same time revealing the compassion and dedication of health care professionals.
‘In Service to Love Book One: Love Remembered’ by Darlene Green. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
“In Service to Love” began the morning of December 26, 2017. When I awoke, I felt immediately overcome with Love, appreciation, and enveloped in the rich, palpable presence of the sacred divine. I could feel and see the exquisite, brilliant light of Masters, and the Elohim before me. I could do no other than sob. An invitation was extended to sit with the Masters of the Council of Light as Scribe for one year in collaboration. I said, “Yes!” I knew in an instant this was the mission I had always felt at the depths of my being and was so sacredly kept I dared not even utter the words. And “Day 1” poured through my fingers.
I have always been deeply empathic, intuitive and sensitive. This created a chasm between what I sensed and the physical reality I saw. I became an avid student of spirituality and pieces of the puzzle started lining up. I never thought of myself as a writer. My natural inclinations are as a healer and teacher. In 2015 I connected powerfully with my own history as Scribe with profound events at sacred sites in Southern France. I began to practice reaching for the fine frequencies that contain inspiration. It was both beautiful and frustrating as the experience required developing adeptness at sensing my own inner realms. Following a car accident in February of 2017, all work stopped as I turned deeply inward for healing. Then December 26, 2017 occurred.
As I sat down each day to write “In Service to Love,” I was guided by the Council of Light to what I can only describe as a field of fine, exquisite frequency that contains depth, concepts, pictures and colors. Each day was written from a different frequency even as my mind struggled to understand the process. Sometimes full concepts landed in my awareness as a picture that contained all the information then, my work was to interpret the picture I was given utilizing words that were a frequency match. Some days I was invited to expand my reach as the Council of Light moved into even finer light realms. Other times there was no thinking at all as the words flowed like honey onto the keyboard.
I continue to live a Master’s class in accessing original thought. At times I work to reach the space of connection and ultimately realize there is some limitation I am taking into the space that clouds my vision. My personality left to its own devices is fraught with doubt. So, my goal is to access my unlimited divine knowing by raising my awareness and frequency. In those moments in meditation I ask, “What may I release that I may see clearly?” Mostly what shows up are ways I discount myself. When I release my limitations, the air clears as I reach my truth unfettered by the beliefs of my personality. An expansive sense of freedom and delight ensues.
Two of the keys to access my most potent creativity:
1) Immaculate presence in the Now: I visualize myself within a series of concentric circles, with my center-most point being the exquisite stillness of the present moment. When my attention is in the outer-rings I am highly distracted, so, I watch myself walk to my center. There I experience the absence of thought. I take a deep breath and allow.
2) Willingness to not know: Accessing my greatest innovative capacity only occurs as I move beyond what I already know. Potent creating is not about rearranging what already has been, it is about accessing my own high frequency field where innovation arises in my awareness only in the Now moment.
Central messaging of “In Service to Love” invites us each to consider our own innovative capacity. Not as something that is unreachable, or only for a few of us, but as something that is deeply, intrinsically connected to our soul’s voice. As we connect to our own heart’s essence, we become the contribution we each intend. I continue to lean into the unknown to move beyond my own limited perceptions as I write daily. I feel the time we are in now requests our best to show up. With works inspired through the lens of our essential Self, how could we be anything else?
I am hoping the works of “In Service to Love” invites a new perspective for the reader. One that resonates powerfully with their own exquisite truth. Enlightenment is not a state to be earned; it is a natural process where we claim our wholeness. When we gently release the burden of who we are not, who we are shines brilliantly.
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As a natural empath, healer, teacher and scribe, Darlene Green has followed her heart’s direction in discovery of the sacred in life. After many years of spiritual practice and study, Darlene experienced an invitation by the Masters of the Council of Light to sit with them as scribe, daily, for one year and one day. The result is the extensive body of work that is In Service to Love, relayed through three books: “In Service to Love Book One: Love Remembered,” “In Service to Love Book Two: Love Elevated” and “In Service to Love Book Three: Love Now.”
The movie adaptation of ‘Hide’ is available on Amazon Prime. Photo: google
Lisa Gardner is the New York Times’ bestselling author of thrillers that include the series FBI Profiler, Detective D.D. Warren and Tessa Leoni as well as several stand alone novels and romance novels written under the Alicia Scott pseudonym. Lisa’s books have received awards from across the globe. Her novel “The Neighbor” won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers and she was recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award in 2000 for “The Other Daughter.” She received the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France and the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017 for her work on behalf of at-risk children and the Humane Society. On the lighter side, Lisa invites her readers to enter the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes on her website. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected to meet a grand end in Lisa’s latest novel. Past winners have nominated spouses, best friends and even themselves. Her second Detective D.D. Warren novel “Hide” was adapted into a movie which aired on TNT and is now available on Amazon Prime. Her newest release is “When You See Me,” the eleventh book in the Detective D.D. Warren series.
In “Hide,” Bobby Dodge has to deal with the return of a killer he thought was dead and buried. It all begins with the gruesome discovery of six mummified corpses in an underground chamber of the grounds of an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital. One of those bodies is wearing a necklace bearing the name Annabelle Granger; the only problem is the real Annabelle is still alive. To solve this mystery, Bobby must team up with his former lover, partner and friend D.D. Warren from the Boston P.D. and search deep into Anabelle’s past. A past that includes a childhood that included a blur of new cities and assumed identities as she and her father seemed to be running from an unknown stalker.
“When You See Me” reunites Boston Detective D.D. Warren, FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy and vigilante Flora Dane to investigate a cold case that quickly turns red hot in a small town where nothing is as it seems. Flora always assumed her kidnapper Jacob Ness took his secrets to the grave but with lives hanging in the balance, she must finally learn the explosive truth. For all the evil he committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed and Quincey and D.D. must use their exceptional skills and experience to solve the most disturbing case of their career. Flora must also face her own past to save others.
‘Say Goodbye and Goodnight’ by David Ruggerio will be released June 11. Photo: google
Known worldwide as a celebrity chef, David Ruggerio’s life story is one of redemption, sacrifice and a new lease on life as an award-winning genre fiction writer. By age 25, he rose to the position of top chef at the famous La Caravelle in New York. In 1995, Robert Mondavi, the noted vintner, named him one of the thirteen best young chefs in America. With two acclaimed cookbooks under his belt, David Ruggerio became known as a “Super Chef” and was called for television guest spots that quickly became opportunities. He hosted the iconic TV shows ‘Ruggerio to Go’ on the Food Network and ‘Little Italy with David Ruggerio’ on PBS. Throughout his outstanding career as a chef, Ruggerio cooked for five US Presidents. Today, Ruggerio lives on the East Coast and spends his days writing mostly genre fiction. He is an Amazon bestselling author and the recipient of the Maxy Award for Best Horror 2019 for his debut horror novel, “A Wistful Tale of Gods, Men and Monsters.” Now, David Ruggerio introduces a love story to his readers with “Say Goodbye and Goodnight” which will be released Thursday June 11, 2020. It is available on pre-order on Amazon. (Black Château, 2020)
“Say Goodbye and Goodnight” takes readers to Brooklyn in 1977 where an up-and-coming fighter named Anthony Marino falls for Gia, who becomes the love of his life. But the hatred their affair attracts could be their demise. Set against the backdrop of disco music and the grit of the city, this book takes readers to a time in history that liberated a generation. Ruggerio’s “Say Goodbye and Goodnight” has received advance praise from prestigious reviewers. Reader’s Favorite refers to it as to a “modern-day retelling of a classic Shakespearean tale of love enduring all forms of tragedy” and Sublime Book Review recommends it as “a well-written, unexpected, and unconventional love story.”
“Say Goodbye and Goodnight is a novel that I lived. I have laced this tale with real people and real places, and most of all, real romance. It was truly a labor of love that at times I had trouble putting down my feelings on paper.” – author David Ruggerio
‘Decisions’ is one of Robert L. Dilenschneider’s best selling books about business and professional advice. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Robert L. Dilenschneider has hired more than 3,000 successful professionals and advised thousands more. He is the founder of The Dilenschneider Group, a corporate strategic counseling and public relations firm based in New York City. Formerly president and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, he is the author of the bestselling books “A Briefing for Leaders,” “The Critical First Years of Your Professional Life,” “50 Plus! Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life,” “Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World” and others. They all offer readers practical life and business advice for whatever stage in life they happen to be experiencing.
“Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World” begins with a catchy sentence: ‘This book is intended to make your life better’ and it certainly delivers on its promise. Decisions are a part of everyday life for everyone, regardless of background. How people make decisions is critical to their future. This remarkable book focuses on twenty-three individual who made decisions that shaped the world and their stories stretch from 218 B.C to the present. It is divided into four parts which are in turn divided into individual chapters about a particular person and the most important decision he/she made. These are: Part One: War and Peace (Harry Truman, Elie Wiesel) Part Two: Commerce and Invention (Johann Gutenberg, Henry Ford) Part Three: Science (Marie Curie, Rachel Carson) and Part Four: Breaking Boundaries (Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln).
As a whole it analyzes not just the decision but provides background and history regarding the subject matter. The one major lesson to be learned is that many advances in civilization were made because most inventions, like the printing press, the automobile and general banking, were designed to reach everyone, not just the rich. This is turn made room for advances in society which is beneficial to growth. At the end of each chapter there is a decision section that summarizes the lessons readers can use in their own lives.
“The Critical First Years of Your Professional Life” is targeted to young people about to enter the real world of business and professional careers but the advice in these pages is invaluable to anyone, regardless of age or expertise. The Introduction gives a chapter by chapter synopsis to help readers focus on a specific topic. First off, it explains why the book is so important: because it is the paper or electronic version of a mentor in a world increasingly without any generous men and women who at one time would have helped young people entering the workforce. It also emphasizes the five goals in reading this helpful guide: 1)gaining self-knowledge 2)feeling empathy 3)presenting yourself well 4)retrieving information effectively and being informed and 5)solving problems. Standout chapters include: Networking, Making Allies of Your Elders and Image. The best part about this guide is that depending on what advice readers need, they can go back and re-read chapters on their own or if need be, read the whole book more than once because the information contained is ageless.
Lastly, “50 Plus! Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life” strives to help the more mature worker navigate the everchanging workforce rules. It emphasizes the importance of refreshing skillsets to meet the challenges of competing in today’s job market. The target audience “includes people who are highly accomplished and economically secure but intellectually bored or emotionally dissatisfied.” Some of the chapters include: The New Rules, Time to Change, On Your Own and Becoming a Consultant. Readers may be at a crossroads or unsure of how to proceed with the rest of their lives and this book gives helpful advise on finding a new career direction, growing within their current field, starting their own business or finally realizing a dream. Regardless of what they decide, the author ends by stating that retiring to just play golf or lay around the house is synonymous with giving up and that is never a good thing.
“Be ready to take criticism, and even ridicule and derision. Think about this as part of your decision process. Rather than turning away, be prepared to develop a thick hide.” – from “Decisions”
*The author received a copy of these books for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Beth Ruggiero York is a former airline pilot for Trans World Airlines. She entered the world of civil aviation in 1984 shortly after graduating from college and, for the next five years, climbed the ladder to her ultimate goal of flying for a major airline. Now she has dual careers–Chinese translator and professional photographer. She teaches photography workshops for Arizona Highways PhotoScapes and her own company, Ruggiero Images LLC. Her popular instructional book on night photography, “Fun in the Dark: A Guide to Successful Night Photography” has worldwide sales and she also co-wrote “Everglades National Park: A Photographic Destination.” She originally wrote “Flying Alone: A Memoir” in the early 1990s, shortly after her career as a pilot ended and the memories were fresh. It relives the struggles and the challenges of civil aviation that she faced thirty years ago.
“Flying Alone” begins with a prologue titled ‘The Promise’ where Beth recalls the moment she knew she would someday learn to fly. She is fourteen and traveling alone for the first time to visit relatives in Colorado when she first experiences the thrill and excitement of flying in an airplane. From there the story picks up with a grown up Beth fueling airplanes for New England Flyers, a tiny flight school in Beverly, Massachusetts. She is working from the ground up to fulfill her dream of flying for the airlines, but the road ahead is a long one. Before any major airline will even look at her, she has to go through ground school, many hours of flight time, instrument rating, she has to get her pilot license and she must have up to three thousand hours of flying experience. It takes her five years and along the way, her dream of making it “in a man’s world” is complicated with a “probable” Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, a romantic relationship with her flight instructor, having to fly run-down airplanes and working for shady businesses whose only concern is making money. She finally makes it to the majors and begins working as Flight Engineer, or Second Officer, in the cockpit of a Boeing 727 for Trans World Airlines. In the Epilogue, she recounts how, after only a year, she is officially diagnosed with MS and can no longer qualify for the certification needed to keep her job. She goes back to school and graduates from Harvard and after completing the master’s program for Chinese Studies, she begins working as a Chinese to English translator.
Beth Ruggiero York’s “Flying Alone” is not only a memoir of her experiences while trying to become a commercial pilot, it is also an intriguing glimpse at the aviation world, including all the necessary regulations, the widespread problem of drunk pilots and what it takes to keep a business afloat. Aside from Chapter 5, ‘Instruments,’ where she describes the inner workings of an airplane, the language is easy to understand and the action flows easily. It is refreshing to read about how hard she worked and her determination to achieve her goals despite what must have felt like one disappointment after another. Even when she could not continue after her MS diagnosis, it is inspiring to read about how she turned that around and still managed to find a fulfilling job “I have continued to live the life I wanted, albeit a struggle.” The most exciting parts are when she is flying , her experiences with faulty equipment and, as in Chapter 26, ‘New Year’s Eve’ in icy and foggy conditions: “Halfway through the turn, Paul panicked. ‘What’re you doing?’ he yelled and grabbed the controls, putting the plane in an even steeper bank. Before I could grab it back from him, we were at a near stall, nose up.” “Flying Alone” is an inspiring story of one woman’s courage and determination to achieve her dreams despite overwhelming odds. It is recommended for readers who appreciate exciting first person accounts of personal struggles and victories.
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Tales From the Loop is available on Amazon Prime. Photo: google
Simon Stålenhag is a Swedish artist, musician and designer specializing in retro-futuristic digital images focused on nostalgic Swedish countryside alternate history environments. Most of Stålenhag’s artwork was initially only available online but was later released for sale as prints. Since then, it has been turned into two narrative art books, “Tales From the Loop” in 2014 and “Things From the Flood” in 2016. Both focus on the construction of a supermassive particle accelerator called the Loop. The settings of his artwork have formed the basis for the Amazon television drama series Tales From the Loop. All eight episodes of the first season were released simultaneously April 3 on Amazon Prime Video.
Tales From the Loop science fiction drama television series based on Simon Stålenhag’s art book. It explores the mind bending adventures of the people who live above the Loop, a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe. The machine is now making possible what was once considered science fiction. It stars Rebecca Hall as Loretta, Tyler Barnhardt as Danny Jansson and Daniel Zohlgadri as Jakob.
I have not read the book, but after watching the first two episodes, it is understandable why Amazon calls it “perfect for fans of E.T. and Stranger Things.” The series is set in the 80s and has that nostalgic look and feel that has recently become popular. With science fiction themes like time traveling, body swapping and robots, it appeals to fans of The Twilight Zone who appreciate mind-bending stories.
According to Amazon, “Tales From the Loop” is the first narrative artbook from acclaimed author and artist Simon Stålenhag about a fictionalized suburban town in the 1980s inhabited by fantastic machines and strange, imaginative beasts. In 1954, the Swedish government ordered the construction of the world’s largest particle accelerator. The facility was complete in 1969, located deep below the pastoral countryside of Mälaröarna. The local population called this marvel of technology The Loop. These are its strange tales. From the same author who wrote the imaginative artbook The Electric State, this “haunting,” (The Verge) “sophisticated sci-fi” (The Nerdist) follows the bizarre stories from otherworldly creatures and is a page-turner readers will not be able to put down.
‘If It Bleeds’ is Stephen King’s new collection of stories. Photo: google
Stephen King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and many of them have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television shows and comic books. He is best known for “Carrie,” “It,” “The Green Mile” and the Dark Tower series. His new book “If It Bleeds,” a collection of novellas, was released yesterday and is available everywhere books are sold. Watch him read the first chapter on his site.
According to Amazon, from #1 New York Times bestselling author, legendary storyteller, and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new and compelling novellas: Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat and the title story If It Bleeds; each pulling you into intriguing and frightening places.
The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career. Several have been adapted into iconic films, including “The Body” (Stand By Me) and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (Shawshank Redemption). Like “Four Past Midnight,” “Different Seasons,” and most recently “Full Dark, No Stars,” “If It Bleeds” is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.
SA Examiner 