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Authorial Magazine - Manila Edition

The Manila International Book Fair is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The book fair, one of the biggest, most prestigious, and longest running events in the Philippines, is a great avenue amongst professionals in the publishing and academic world to collaborate and exchange ideas. It’s our first time to participate in this event and rally with literary giants and emerging voices from the world of books. In this issue, we start off with Virginia Paulette C. Hammack, author of the books The Hiding Place and Whisperings in the Wings. Hammack talks about her life, her two books, and her struggles as a writer. We also talked to Raju Ramanathan, world renowned enlightenment guru and author of Souls from Mercury. Ramanathan shares what inspired him to write and offers advice to aspiring authors. We still receive and get tons of contributions from talented and renowned writers, and in this issue, we’re featuring the works of Adriana Pernetz, Ted Torgersen, Donald Ray Schwartz, Gary Alan Rothhaar, Ivor Kovac, Diane Davies, and Elizabeth Len Wai. Lastly, beautiful spots and fascinating experiences await beyond the bright lights of the city when you read “The Charming City of Manila,” in our lifestyle section. We all love stories that resonate with our own, especially those that bring us to greater heights in mood and in thought. We hope you’ll enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed piecing it together.

The Manila International Book Fair is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The book fair, one of the biggest, most prestigious, and longest running events in the Philippines, is a great avenue amongst professionals in the publishing and academic world to collaborate and exchange ideas.

It’s our first time to participate in this event and rally with literary giants and emerging voices from the world of books. In this issue, we start off with Virginia Paulette C. Hammack, author of the books The Hiding Place and Whisperings in the Wings. Hammack talks about her life, her two books, and her struggles as a writer.

We also talked to Raju Ramanathan, world renowned enlightenment guru and author of Souls from Mercury. Ramanathan shares what inspired him to write and offers advice to aspiring authors.

We still receive and get tons of contributions from talented and renowned writers, and in this issue, we’re featuring the works of Adriana Pernetz, Ted Torgersen, Donald Ray Schwartz, Gary Alan Rothhaar, Ivor Kovac, Diane Davies, and Elizabeth Len Wai.

Lastly, beautiful spots and fascinating experiences await beyond the bright lights of the city when you read “The Charming City of Manila,” in our lifestyle section.

We all love stories that resonate with our own, especially those that bring us to greater heights in mood and in thought. We hope you’ll enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed piecing it together.

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COVER STORY<br />

Virginia<br />

Paulette C.<br />

Hammack<br />

The Hiding Place and<br />

Whisperings in the Wings<br />

Vol. 1 Issue 6<br />

Contributors<br />

Elizabeth Len Wai<br />

Adriana Pernetz<br />

Donald Ray Schwartz<br />

Gary Rothhaar<br />

Ted Torgersen<br />

Ivor Kovac<br />

Diane Davies<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

www.authorialmagazine.com<br />

PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY AUTHORS PRESS


Editor’s Note<br />

The <strong>Manila</strong> International Book Fair is celebrating its 40 th anniversary<br />

this year. The book fair, one of the biggest, most prestigious, and longest<br />

running events in the Philippines, is a great avenue amongst professionals<br />

in the publishing and academic world to collaborate and exchange ideas.<br />

It’s our first time to participate in this event and rally with literary giants<br />

and emerging voices from the world of books.<br />

In this issue, we start off with Virginia Paulette C. Hammack, author of<br />

the books The Hiding Place and Whisperings in the Wings. Hammack talks<br />

about her life, her two books, and her struggles as a writer.<br />

We also talked to Raju Ramanathan, world renowned enlightenment guru<br />

and author of Souls from Mercury. Ramanathan shares what inspired him<br />

to write and offers advice to aspiring authors.<br />

We still receive and get tons of contributions from talented and renowned<br />

writers, and in this issue, we’re featuring the works of Adriana Pernetz,<br />

Ted Torgersen, Donald Ray Schwartz, Gary Alan Rothhaar, Ivor Kovac,<br />

Diane Davies, and Elizabeth Len Wai.<br />

Lastly, beautiful spots and fascinating experiences await beyond the bright<br />

lights of the city when you read “The Charming City of <strong>Manila</strong>,” in our<br />

lifestyle section.<br />

We all love stories that resonate with our own, especially those that bring<br />

us to greater heights in mood and in thought. We hope you’ll enjoy<br />

reading this issue as much as we enjoyed piecing it together.<br />

Publisher<br />

Belle Birao<br />

Managing Director<br />

Gladys Rodriquez<br />

Layout Artist<br />

Kem Enon<br />

Writer<br />

Juno Guadayo, Rio Siao,<br />

and Calvin Garcia<br />

Contributors<br />

Adriana Pernetz, Ted Torgersen, Donald Ray Schwartz,<br />

Gary Alan Rothhaar, Ivor Kovac, Diane Davies, and Elizabeth Len Wai.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

All rights reserved for <strong>Authorial</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> 2018 l 1321 Buchanan Rd. Pittsburg, CA 94565 l 925 255 0098


What’s Inside<br />

4 Cover Story: A Conversation<br />

with Inspirational Author<br />

Virginia Paulette C. Hammack<br />

10 A Day in Their Lives She<br />

Will Never Forget<br />

by Elizabeth Len Wai<br />

16 A Day in the Life by Adriana Pernetz<br />

20 ONE-ON-ONE EXCLUSIVE<br />

24 Herman Wouk and the Year 1942<br />

by Donald Ray Schwartz<br />

28 In Pursuit of a TV Interview<br />

by Diane Davies<br />

34 Contributor - Poetry by Gary Rothhaar<br />

38 Contributor - Poetry by Ted Torgersen<br />

50 Trouble on the Sea of Mars<br />

Short story by Ivor Kovac<br />

67 Lifestyle:<br />

The Charming City of <strong>Manila</strong><br />

10<br />

28<br />

62<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Cover Story<br />

A Conversation with<br />

Inspirational Author<br />

Virginia Paulette C.<br />

Hammack<br />

by Calvin Garcia<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

I’ve had the opportunity and the privilege to speak with one of Authors Press’ most<br />

highly-recommended inspirational authors, Virginia Paulette C. Hammack, to talk<br />

about her two books, her journey and struggles as a writer, and her life. Find out<br />

how she found her calling, not just to write for passion, but to touch and inspire<br />

people and share God’s message of love, forgiveness, and hope.<br />

authorial magazine | 4


<strong>Authorial</strong>: What does a-day-in-the-life<br />

of (Paulette C. Hammack) look like?<br />

What are the things you love doing?<br />

Paulette: My name is Paulette Hammack,<br />

the author of two books, The Hiding<br />

Place and Whisperings in the Wings. My<br />

day begins every morning with time<br />

for my visit with Jesus. Prayer is very<br />

important to me and I believe starting<br />

the day with Jesus is the best source for<br />

having a profitable day. I am a GiGi,<br />

a grandmama to seven handsome and<br />

wonderful grandsons. My day consist<br />

of being able to care for my grandsons<br />

while my two daughters and sons-in-law<br />

go to work. I have been doing this since<br />

my first grandson entered the world; that<br />

was 18 years ago! It has not always been<br />

easy, but very rewarding. Now that I am<br />

retired from teaching, I have more time<br />

to spend with them. My daughter, sonin-law,<br />

and three of my young grandsons<br />

are living with me at the present time.<br />

Each morning, before my feet hit the<br />

floor, I ask the Lord for His guidance<br />

for my day and offer my day to Him.<br />

The morning begins with breakfast and<br />

getting everyone ready for the day. During<br />

school days, two of the boys get ready<br />

for school; I keep the baby with me. By<br />

midafternoon I pick up one of the boys<br />

from school, to get home in time to get<br />

the others off the bus. My grandsons<br />

from my older daughter (I only had two<br />

children, my two beautiful daughters) also<br />

get off the bus and are with me until their<br />

parents get home. The children have a<br />

snack, do homework, and then they can<br />

play. When parents arrive home, two go<br />

with one daughter and the other three<br />

stay with me, of course the two older<br />

ones get home on their own. After the<br />

parents get home, we have dinner, baths<br />

and time for bed, the end of one day to<br />

start over again the next morning.<br />

What I love doing is caring for my<br />

grandsons, and being with my entire<br />

family for when we can get together.<br />

When I get the opportunity on weekends,<br />

I like to go camping in my RV. This is<br />

a new experience for me and I love it. I<br />

love to work in my yard and care for my<br />

garden. My favorite flower is the rose. I<br />

try hard to help them look beautiful. I<br />

like to color in my adult coloring book,<br />

with outdoor scenes and landscape, it<br />

soothes my mind. I enjoy reading my<br />

bible, it sooths my soul. I enjoy being with<br />

family and friends on all occasions. I am a<br />

member of the Third Order of Carmelites,<br />

which is a lay order of the Carmelites.<br />

We gather for prayer, study and service<br />

to others and our community. I joined<br />

the Order in 1985, being a Lay Carmelite<br />

has helped me to grow spiritually and<br />

become a more rounded person. God is<br />

good all the time!<br />

Have you always known you’d become<br />

a writer? Have you always wanted to be<br />

one? How did you get into writing? What<br />

or who inspired you to write?<br />

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I<br />

was capable of writing. In my imagination,<br />

I could write all sorts of stories, but never<br />

thought it was possible to write a book,<br />

let alone it being published and in book<br />

stores. I remember in High School, we<br />

had to write a short story about anything<br />

we desired to write about. I wrote a<br />

short story called “Collide and Scatter,”<br />

It was about a child in the age of planet<br />

hoping and visiting during school field<br />

trips. The class had a visit to one of the<br />

planets to watch a game called Collide<br />

and Scatter. The families had robots that<br />

did everything for them and the children<br />

were picked up for school in a flying<br />

saucer. My teacher could not believe I<br />

wrote the story and wanted to know<br />

if I copied it from some other source.<br />

I have to admit that I was surprised I<br />

wrote it also!<br />

My inspiration came from writing in<br />

my journal. During my time I spent<br />

with Jesus, I would write a short story<br />

about situations in my life as analogies<br />

or spiritual feelings. These stories came<br />

from dreams, thoughts, situations, and<br />

seeing myself in my mind just talking<br />

to Jesus and telling him little stories and<br />

him telling me little stories. As a matter<br />

of fact, the first book that was written<br />

was of stories that I had written in some<br />

of my journals. In my early years, there<br />

had been some sexual abuse. I had not<br />

remembered any of it, but in my maturing<br />

to adulthood, I would wander why I had<br />

feelings of anger or feeling sick in different<br />

situations. I looked in the mirror one day<br />

and asked the person in the mirror, “Who<br />

authorial magazine | 5<br />

are you, and why do you feel this way?”<br />

I started to receive dreams of different<br />

situations, and one that reoccurred was I<br />

was always trying to get up to the room<br />

upstairs, like an attic. In the dream, I could<br />

never get to the door to open it up. That<br />

was the beginning of my healing process.<br />

I still cannot tell you what happened, I<br />

just know that God took me by the hand<br />

and led me through the healing process.<br />

What I learned was<br />

that forgiveness is<br />

freedom and God is love!<br />

Whatever happened<br />

to me led me to a<br />

very close relationship<br />

with God and a better<br />

understanding and<br />

empathy for others and<br />

their struggles in life.<br />

Life is a journey; we must live, love, suffer<br />

and enjoy until we reach our home in<br />

Heaven and see our God face-to-face.<br />

Oh, happy days!<br />

The reason the first book was written<br />

was because I heard God in my heart<br />

tell me to write the stories in a book!<br />

My response was, “Lord, if you want me<br />

to write this book, you are going to have<br />

to come down in this chair and tell me.”<br />

Sharing my journal was a scary thought.<br />

One day while on my computer, I was<br />

looking up Pet Finder for my daughter<br />

who had lost her little dog because of<br />

old age.When I pulled it up, there were<br />

six pictures of puppies and information<br />

about each. There was a space between<br />

another set of puppy information, and in<br />

that space was written, WRITE YOUR<br />

BOOK! I took that as Jesus sitting down<br />

in the chair and telling me to write the<br />

book. I then said, “Lord, if I am going<br />

to write this book, I will need a title,” I<br />

then received Whisperings in the Wings.<br />

I prayed and chose several stories out of<br />

my journal and the result was a published<br />

book. I knew then that the book was not<br />

written for me to become an established<br />

author, but rather a book to let others<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


know they are not alone and that God<br />

is with them and He never leaves them<br />

alone. He also wanted others to know<br />

that unforgiveness holds a person captive<br />

in their own mind and forgiveness is the<br />

freedom to move forward and grow. I<br />

pray this is the result from my listening<br />

and obeying what I believe was a word<br />

from God for you.<br />

If you could tell your younger self<br />

anything, what would it be?<br />

Be not afraid! Life can be full of love,<br />

happiness and struggles. What I would<br />

tell my younger self is, don’t be afraid to<br />

do new things to experience life with<br />

caution and do all things in moderation.<br />

Keep God first and life will fall into<br />

place. Recognize the roses God sends<br />

you. He speaks quietly so you must be<br />

aware of His calling. Let Him show you<br />

the beauty of life even in struggles. It is<br />

through the suffering and beauty of the<br />

Cross that we have Eternal Life. Life<br />

comes with struggles as well as joy, take<br />

them both and learn from them. As it<br />

has been said, “Do it afraid,” as long as<br />

you take the step, God leads the way.<br />

You are not alone.<br />

Tell us something about your book.<br />

Why should people read it? Do you<br />

think it would make a difference in<br />

their lives? In what way?<br />

I pray that both books would be an<br />

awakening and encouragement for others.<br />

If God puts either book in someone’s<br />

hand, it would be specific for them and<br />

hopefully they would receive what God is<br />

trying to share. My second book is called<br />

The Hiding Place. The reason this book was<br />

written is because I was watching the news<br />

on TV and seeing all the devastation and<br />

cruelty going on, my heart was hurting for<br />

all the people. I wanted to reach through<br />

the TV and say, “You are not alone, God<br />

is with you, do not despair!” I wanted to<br />

tell everyone that the spiritual realm is<br />

real and alive and working with us. We<br />

just need to recognize them and call on<br />

them. Angels are everywhere waiting to<br />

be called on, they want to help, and that<br />

is what they are there for, just call on<br />

them. If we could only see in the spiritual<br />

realm, we would see how busy they are,<br />

waiting and waiting to be recognized<br />

and utilized. This is for real, it is not a<br />

fantasy. The spiritual realm is more real<br />

than the world we live in, and of course<br />

there are two sides, good and evil. We<br />

authorial magazine | 6<br />

need discernment and closeness with God<br />

to know the difference, the evil one does<br />

come as an angel of light. In the name of<br />

Jesus is the power to tell the difference.<br />

The second book was started by just sitting<br />

down and putting pen to paper. I would<br />

write until nothing else would come. When<br />

I felt inspired, then I would write. It took<br />

me longer to write the second book because<br />

my husband had Parkinson’s Disease. He<br />

loved to read and he helped me with the<br />

second book while he was capable. When<br />

his disease got worse, I was spending my<br />

time with him and did not have time to<br />

write. One day while he was resting, I felt<br />

I needed to finish the book or it would<br />

never get published. So, I completed it<br />

and sent it on its way to be published.<br />

It was hard to concentrate on filling out<br />

information and the different questions<br />

that I needed to give the publisher, but<br />

with the help of God, I got it done. My<br />

husband did pass away, but I know he is<br />

with Jesus and so happy to be there. That<br />

is what life is all about, to finally get to<br />

our resting place with our Abba, God!<br />

He is missed and loved and will always<br />

be remembered.<br />

In reading The Hiding Place, I would<br />

like for everyone to feel the comfort<br />

of knowing how God takes care of us,<br />

even if we cannot see how He does it. To<br />

know sometimes the bumps in the road<br />

are learning experiences where we grow<br />

in wisdom, knowledge, understanding<br />

and discernment. To be alert, know your<br />

surroundings and be aware so you are<br />

not deceived.<br />

The book is a story of a town that started<br />

recognizing a subtle change in the<br />

atmosphere of the people living in their<br />

small town: changes in the school, their<br />

jobs and finally in their own personnel<br />

lives. It was so subtle that the change<br />

was not recognized as harmful or that it<br />

would eventually really make a difference<br />

in how people worked, played, prayed or<br />

thought. It was not until, in desperation,<br />

people began to pray. Only then was God<br />

able to work in their lives, because they<br />

called on Him. What was secret begun<br />

to be revealed, for those who have eyes<br />

to see and ears to hear. Intrigue, suspense,<br />

and a sitting on the edge of your chair to<br />

see what happens next.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


What sets your book apart from<br />

other similar books in this genre?<br />

What would you wish the readers to<br />

experience when they read your works?<br />

I don’t know that my book is one that is<br />

set apart, but one that will help emphasize<br />

the importance of what the content of the<br />

book is trying to say. When something is<br />

said more than once in different ways, it<br />

seems to reach all the people. The way to<br />

comprehend and keep in your mind what<br />

you have learned is, read it, write it, and<br />

say it out loud. Hopefully it will build in<br />

understanding. That is what I wish for<br />

my books to do, reach as many people as<br />

possible, sooner than later. I would like for<br />

the book to make more people aware of<br />

the way God interacts with us, because He<br />

does. He is so alive and so real that if more<br />

people could see and feel His presence,<br />

we could actually have His Kingdom to<br />

Come here on earth. Love accomplishes<br />

the impossible, and God is Love.<br />

Tell us something about you that only<br />

a few people know. Why is this not<br />

known so much?<br />

I don’t know of something about me<br />

that only a few people know. I guess one<br />

thing is that I have become an author. The<br />

reason that it is not so widely known is<br />

that I became an author later in life and<br />

only by a calling from God. Not many<br />

authors start by putting their journals<br />

out for the public to read, but that is how<br />

God works. Only because God gave me<br />

the sign and courage to step out in faith,<br />

is the only reason the first book was ever<br />

written. Even for myself to realize that I<br />

had become an author was an astonishing<br />

feeling. I would love to continue to write<br />

and hope that is in the near future.<br />

In your perspective, what makes a<br />

successful author?<br />

I think to be a successful author you<br />

just have to Do It! Sometimes a person’s<br />

best work is just stepping out and doing<br />

something they never thought possible.<br />

We, I think, as human beings, limit<br />

ourselves. Getting caught up in the daily<br />

monotony of our own lives, living out<br />

what other people think we should be<br />

or can do. What we have always been<br />

told about ourselves and even the way<br />

we think of ourselves. So often we sell<br />

ourselves short of our own capacity. To<br />

be successful in anything, a person has<br />

to first believe in themselves.<br />

What is the most challenging part of<br />

your writing journey? How did you<br />

go about it?<br />

The most challenging part of my writing<br />

journey is to believe that anyone would<br />

want to read what I wrote. When I would<br />

think of an author, I would think of<br />

Faulkner, and Mark Twain, etc. For me<br />

to get beyond that mind set, I had to step<br />

out of myself and do what I thought was<br />

impossible. I also have discovered how<br />

much I enjoy writing, and the challenge<br />

is to continue even with doubt of mind,<br />

and faith in God.<br />

Does your family support your career<br />

as a writer?<br />

Yes, my family supports me. My<br />

greatest supporter was my husband. He<br />

encouraged me to write and gave me<br />

confidence to realize I just might be able<br />

to do this. After my first book, I figured<br />

it was my last book, but God had other<br />

plans and used my husband to help push<br />

me forward. I miss him and am grateful<br />

for him. My children, grandchildren, and<br />

extended family also support me. I come<br />

from a large family, eight boys and four<br />

girls, lots of nieces and nephews, such<br />

a blessing.<br />

What are you looking forward to<br />

most in life right now?<br />

What I look forward to most in life<br />

right now is waking up in the morning,<br />

enjoying my family, friends and smelling<br />

the roses as I continue life.<br />

God has been good to<br />

me and whatever He has<br />

planned for me on the<br />

road ahead, I am sure<br />

will be an unforgettable<br />

adventure.<br />

There is nothing greater to look forward<br />

to than my continual greater relationship<br />

with God.<br />

authorial magazine | 7<br />

What advice would you give to your<br />

readers?<br />

The advice I would give to my readers<br />

is, live life in the present moment. What<br />

has happened in the past is just that,<br />

in the past. Let go and move forward,<br />

there is so much more ahead for you. Put<br />

God first, He will never let you down.<br />

Life is a journey to experience, to grow,<br />

to except the things you can do and<br />

strive to accomplice more of what you<br />

think you cannot do. Take your falling<br />

downs as a learning experience, grow<br />

in wisdom, knowledge, discernment<br />

and understanding. Accept the trials<br />

and tribulations as an opportunity to<br />

become a better person. The joys in life<br />

then will become more often and with<br />

a deeper understanding of why you have<br />

been created. Always keep in mind, you<br />

are just a pilgrim, Heaven is your home.<br />

Give us one word that best describes<br />

you. Explain why.<br />

Hopeful. I choose this word because it is<br />

only in Hope that tomorrow is a better<br />

day. In hope that my accomplishment<br />

may be meaningful, in hope that my life<br />

could be an example for others to want<br />

to receive more of what God wants to<br />

give them. Only in hope did Abraham<br />

believe that God was going to fulfill the<br />

promise He made for him. Hope gives<br />

us a reason to continue on our journey.<br />

Hope is the mountain we climb in life<br />

with excitement and anticipation for<br />

what God has for us on the other side!<br />

In hope that we can do all things in God<br />

who strengthen us.<br />

In totality, what is the message of<br />

your book and you as an author?<br />

The messages of my books are, God is<br />

Alive and well and He really does care<br />

about you, even in your darkest and<br />

brightest hours. In hope that when a<br />

person reads the books that it will not<br />

be me but themselves that they can see.<br />

I truly want everyone to know the God<br />

I know, He is awesome, intimate and so<br />

very, very close and He loves You. The<br />

only part of me as the author is, I want<br />

to be only the instrument in which God<br />

can touch others.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $6.71<br />

Kindle | $7.56<br />

Hardcover | $24.99<br />

Paperback | $16.99<br />

Kindle | $4.54<br />

Jamie's Pet<br />

by Ramona Morrow<br />

Jamie's Pet is about a little boy who wants a pet. He is not<br />

sure what kind of pet to get. Jamie and his mother make<br />

a trip to the pet store. At the pet store, Jamie discovers all<br />

types of pets available. Jamie has to make a tough decision<br />

about which pet to get until he finds his perfect pet, his<br />

perfect friend.<br />

Ramona Morrow loves to listen to music, watch movies,<br />

bake, make home-cooked meals and is a self-taught<br />

chocolatier. When Ramona was younger, she was involved<br />

with sports, liked indoor and outdoor track & field, figure<br />

skating, and girl's hockey. Ramona has lived in various<br />

towns and cities throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan.<br />

The Contest Winner<br />

A Simple Little Tale<br />

by Eleanor Grande<br />

Geneva is a teacher in a small Colorado mining town with a very special<br />

skill. Either by coincidence or luck-or something more mystical-Geneva<br />

wins every contest she enters. A lover of words, she pines to become a<br />

writer if only she could win a truly big contest. She begins to realize that<br />

her abilities go beyond winning contests for herself, but she can also project<br />

her winning desires out into the universe. Del is a “demo queen” at the local<br />

grocery store. She wants more out of her job and her life. When she meets<br />

Geneva, something magical occurs. Now, the journey of self-discovery has<br />

begun. Geneva searches to find the best way to use her ability as a contest<br />

winner. How can it improve her day-to-day life, and how can it help others,<br />

as well? Geneva is on a quest, but she’s not alone. Along with Del, she meets<br />

many colorful individuals who prove her ability to change lives, all with<br />

the power of positive thought. Author Eleanor Grande believes in positive<br />

thought and visualization, which is why it is so important to be cautious<br />

when creating “winning” pictures. Life is a journey of challenges big and<br />

small, and Geneva must learn to harness her power to do the right thing.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


The Big<br />

Paperback | $4.54<br />

Kindle | $8.99<br />

Paperback | $10.00<br />

Dance<br />

by Shirlie Calabrese<br />

Jennifer and Alex are friends from school and got a chance to<br />

be contestants in a dance contest at the end of their senior year.<br />

They both had been in Mrs. Lands’ dance classes since seventh<br />

grade and had become very good at many different dance<br />

moves. Mrs. Lands and both Jennifer and Alex’s parents were<br />

very excited that they were going to be contestants and had<br />

every confident feeling that Jennifer and Alex would be in the<br />

first, second, or third place as winners.<br />

Shades of Blue<br />

by Moore, T. D., Sr.<br />

Shades of Blue is a riveting collection of poetry that traverses T.D.<br />

Moore, Sr.’s multiple stages of life. As a communicator, Moore was<br />

given the nickname “Blue,” and he utilizes the concept of “Blue”<br />

throughout his poetry. Moore articulately expounds upon love,<br />

romance, wisdom, healing, poverty, and many other meaningful<br />

subjects. This intimate collection exposes Moore’s inner being in a<br />

raw and touching light.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

T.D. Moore, Sr., works for homeland security with the United<br />

States Government and currently lives in Hampton, Virginia. He<br />

has two children, Cherita C. and T.D. Moore II. T.D. belongs to<br />

the American Veterans Association and in his spare time enjoys<br />

scuba diving, recording, writing, antiques, restoring cars, and biking.<br />

He has previously published the article “Caving in Okinawa” in<br />

Entrepreneur <strong>Magazine</strong>; this is his first published book.


A Day in Their<br />

Lives She Will<br />

Never Forget<br />

by Elizabeth Len Wai<br />

This day in their lives remains vivid<br />

in her memory even years after it<br />

forever changed how she viewed a<br />

lot of things and people. Her heart<br />

was changed and she gained a new<br />

compassion for people all over the<br />

world who have shared a similar<br />

time in their lives. Like herself, she<br />

was sure that no one ever imagined<br />

that their precious child would face<br />

a time like this. So let me tell you<br />

about that day.<br />

The drive seemed to take forever<br />

even though the destination was<br />

only about twenty miles away. Maybe<br />

because her mind was racing with<br />

questions and concerns. Did she have<br />

everything required? Was she really<br />

prepared for this meeting? Could she<br />

do this? Why did she even have to?<br />

authorial magazine | 10<br />

What could she expect? She had left<br />

home early to prepare for any traffic<br />

issues. After all, she was beginning to<br />

overwhelm herself. She realized she<br />

had arrived at the required location<br />

and she turned into the parking lot.<br />

She must have been early because<br />

there were a lot of open parking<br />

spaces. She chose one close to the<br />

entrance, turned off the engine, and<br />

checked the time. She was nearly<br />

thirty minutes early. Traffic had been<br />

light, so now she would have to wait.<br />

Oh well, she thought. More time to<br />

double check the list of requirements<br />

she had been sent. She pulls out the<br />

list and carefully reviews it, mentally<br />

checking off each item. She is satisfied<br />

she has met the criteria outlined.<br />

She puts the list down; she hadn’t<br />

forgotten or overlooked anything on<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


it. Now for the first time, she takes<br />

time to really look around and take<br />

in the full impact of where she is. As<br />

the reality of the situation fully sinks<br />

in, she begins to weep. Her heart is<br />

breaking and she does the only thing<br />

she knows when facing difficulties—<br />

she prays, “God please help me. Give<br />

me strength. Help me hold it together<br />

for him. Cover me with your peace<br />

and assurance of your presence even<br />

here. Help me please to do only your<br />

will. Open my ears, eyes, and heart to<br />

learn what you have for me to learn<br />

through all this. Thank you Lord for<br />

not leaving me now or ever, Amen.”<br />

What is so upsetting you may ask? It is<br />

the realness of this place and what she<br />

is staring at. She is sitting in front of<br />

double chain link gates, each attached<br />

to a chain link fence surrounding the<br />

buildings and grounds and topped<br />

with razor wire. The pathway between<br />

the two fences is for patrolling guard<br />

dogs according to the signs. No this<br />

is not a military base like the one<br />

her son had served on years earlier.<br />

This was a state penitentiary with<br />

armed men stationed in a guard tower<br />

in the middle of the complex. Her<br />

youngest child, her precious son, was<br />

sentenced to time here, surrounded by<br />

the element of society that it was built<br />

to protect people from. Her precious<br />

child, (now a man) was here. To her,<br />

his presence here was unreasonable,<br />

and yet it was real; he was in this<br />

horrible, cold, and menacing place.<br />

This place sits on a knoll and it is<br />

windy and cold, but the sunshine<br />

pouring down on the car windows<br />

creates warmth that is somewhat<br />

comforting. Her heart begins to slow<br />

to a normal pace as she observes the<br />

people that have begun to line up<br />

by the gate. She is surprised by the<br />

appearances and variety of the people;<br />

all different ages and both genders<br />

ranging from young mothers trying<br />

to occupy their little ones to older<br />

grandparent types and everything in<br />

between. Somehow this is not what<br />

she expected. As the time grows closer<br />

for the gates to open, the number of<br />

visitors grew. Since she doesn’t know<br />

if the number of visitors allowed is<br />

limited, she decides to join the group.<br />

She takes a deep breath and prepares<br />

to get out of the car, and once again<br />

is overcome by weeping. But God<br />

is faithful and helps her pull herself<br />

together, dry her tears, and leave the<br />

car to get in line.<br />

When she joins the group, an older<br />

lady asks if she is going to be okay and<br />

offers her a Kleenex. She displays her<br />

own and thanks her for her kindness.<br />

She soon realizes that others must<br />

surely have experienced her same<br />

pain and heartache. Each of these<br />

people are here to visit someone dear<br />

to their heart, and probably someone<br />

they never imagined would be living<br />

in this frightening place. Just as these<br />

realizations were filling her head, the<br />

sound of the first gate opening snaps<br />

her back to reality. It’s time for the<br />

visiting process to begin. As the gate<br />

slams shut behind her, she jumps. The<br />

older lady that had been so kind in line<br />

tells her what she must do: stand in<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 11


AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 12


line to show them her photo I.D and<br />

tell them who she’s visiting, then place<br />

her personal items into a locker and<br />

remove the key. She explains visitors<br />

can only take the locker key and their<br />

quarters into the visiting area. She<br />

didn’t bring any quarters. Should she<br />

have? She asks. Then the kind lady<br />

explains that the quarters are to make<br />

purchases of food or snack items for<br />

the inmates. It was obvious that she<br />

was confused and was told that this<br />

visiting time meant that the inmate<br />

would have to miss lunch. Why wasn’t<br />

she told this information when she<br />

was approved? Now her heart was<br />

totally torn in half. In order to accept<br />

a visit, her beloved son would have<br />

to miss what she understood to be<br />

an already lacking amount of food.<br />

How much worse was this going to<br />

get? The distress was written all over<br />

her face and the compassion of God<br />

lead that same older lady to share her<br />

quarters. She was reluctant to accept<br />

because she knew it would take away<br />

from that woman’s child, but the<br />

lady explained that her son had food<br />

commissary in his cell and would be<br />

able to eat after if he hadn’t already<br />

eaten beforehand. She thanked the<br />

kind lady and promised to repay her.<br />

The visitors were called back to the<br />

visiting area in small numbers as the<br />

ones they had come to see responded<br />

to their visitation call. As she waited<br />

her turn, the ladies chatted and the<br />

older lady explained some of the<br />

questions to avoid when visiting with<br />

others there. Kind of a quick study in<br />

visitor etiquette. This chatting time<br />

helped to set her as ease. When she<br />

was called, she was still nervous but<br />

anxious to see her beloved son. Each<br />

locking door behind her reminded<br />

her of the seriousness of where<br />

she was and what her son must be<br />

experiencing multiple times each<br />

day. When she entered the visiting<br />

room, she was assigned a table, told<br />

to wait there for the inmate and was<br />

reminded that she was only allowed a<br />

brief embrace at the beginning and the<br />

end of the visit, but they could hold<br />

hands across the table. At least there<br />

would be no glass between them like<br />

you see in the movies, she thought.<br />

As she waits, she observes the inmates<br />

coming in and the way they greet<br />

their visitors. She knows what to do,<br />

they are teaching her. Some of these<br />

guys have little children visiting them,<br />

and she can’t help but think about<br />

how hard this had to be for all of<br />

them. There are a set of brothers, one<br />

in and one visiting, there are many<br />

parents visiting sons, and grandparents<br />

visiting grandsons and even sons<br />

visiting fathers. She realizes that none<br />

of them wants thing this way, but all<br />

are making the best of the situation<br />

they find themselves in. As she waits,<br />

her mind is racing back to him as a<br />

precious and precocious little boy,<br />

full of compassion for the elderly,<br />

tenderness in his heart for someone<br />

else that is hurting. She thinks about<br />

all of the health issues that challenged<br />

him as a child and how God brought<br />

him through. She thinks about how<br />

blessed she has felt ever since his birth,<br />

even when he challenged her with his<br />

ideas and adventuresome ways. She<br />

was assured that God had a plan for<br />

him and felt sure this was not what<br />

he had in mind. But she also knew<br />

that her God was able to use even<br />

this for his good although she didn’t<br />

herself understand how. The thing<br />

that serves to hold her together and<br />

give her hope for the future is that<br />

Jesus Christ loved all enough to die<br />

for them. All being the key, every<br />

single person here is loved by Jesus.<br />

She looks up and with tears in her<br />

eyes, sees the face that she has longed<br />

to see and is grateful that he looks<br />

well. When he smiles at her, her heart<br />

melts and where they are seems less<br />

important, they are together. They<br />

spend the small amount of time they<br />

authorial magazine | 13<br />

have together playing dominos and<br />

talking. She shares with him about<br />

the quarters and her concern that she<br />

doesn’t have enough to fill his tummy,<br />

but he assures that whatever he gets<br />

will be sufficient and apologizes for<br />

not having fully prepared her. The visit<br />

is too short in both of their opinions<br />

and he continually apologizes that<br />

she should even have to be here at<br />

all. They kiss goodbye and promise<br />

each other prayers. She promises that<br />

she will come back and they agree<br />

he can call once a week, they set a<br />

day and time.<br />

As she leaves the visiting area, she<br />

gathers her ID and her personal<br />

belongings and heads to her car to<br />

leave. Her mind is reeling. She had so<br />

many misconceptions about people<br />

in prison and the people who visit<br />

them. The compassion of the Lord<br />

overcomes her and she realizes that<br />

the same pain she felt during this visit<br />

must surely be felt by her heavenly<br />

Father when any of his children are<br />

dealing with the consequences of<br />

their bad choices. She knows this is<br />

not what he intended for any of them<br />

and his heart must nearly break in half<br />

as he watches the needless suffering<br />

they go through.<br />

Many years have passed since this<br />

horrible day in their lives. He finally<br />

got his life back on track with God’s<br />

help and now enjoys being with his<br />

children and his family. He holds a<br />

full time job and makes a positive<br />

contribution to his community and<br />

has even become a grandfather. But<br />

she will always remember that one<br />

day and the impact it had on her life.<br />

She hopes that others who shared<br />

that day have also been blessed with<br />

restoration in their families.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $14.00<br />

Kindle | $9.00<br />

Hardcover | $18.85<br />

Paperback | $7.94<br />

Kindle | $3.99<br />

Collection of<br />

Short Stories<br />

by Larry D. Steinman<br />

Things aren’t always as they seem in “The Cougar,” “Where’s<br />

the Fortune,” and “The Case of the Pearl-Handled Dagger.”<br />

Mystery, intrigue, and classic whodunit tales compose this<br />

nail-biting Collection of Short Stories by Larry D. Steinman.<br />

Larry D. Steinman never thought of himself as a storyteller.<br />

One day a thought came to him. He wrote it down and, before<br />

he realized it, he had written a story. So here he is, seventyeight<br />

years old, starting a new career. He enjoys his newfound<br />

passion and hopes people find pleasure in reading his stories.<br />

Larry currently lives in Beggs, Oklahoma.<br />

Go Ask the Dead<br />

by Frank Tropea<br />

This tale deals with a beautiful young girl, Amanda Mannon, who<br />

comes from a rather haunted family and becomes rather haunted<br />

herself. Surviving her morally loose mother’s murder, and her<br />

seductive handsome stepfather’s murder attempt of her, She goes<br />

to live with a wealthy great-aunt Lavinia Mannon. Because she can<br />

both see and talk and interact with the dead, she has a long-term<br />

affair with William, the ghost of long-dead Confederate officer killed<br />

at Gettysburg. Later, it all turns very bad for her with William with<br />

sexual abuse from him and his ghastly cohorts. Desperate, she turns to<br />

Craig her ex-husband who still loves her for help. But she must find<br />

the strength to defeat the evil dead from inside of herself. Later, she<br />

gives birth to a son. But with this baby’s remarkable heritage, what,<br />

exactly will the future hold for him and Amanda and Craig? This is<br />

the tale of a haunted girl in a haunted land, the South, still haunted<br />

by the Civil War and slavery.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Hardcover | $1.79<br />

Paperback | $12.39<br />

Kindle | $9.99<br />

Hardcover | $22.99<br />

Paperback | $9.90<br />

From Silence to<br />

Secrecy: A Memoir<br />

by Martha E. Leiker<br />

As a young girl growing up in Kansas, Martha Leiker always felt a pull<br />

toward Africa. She couldn’t explain why, but she dreamed of working in<br />

Africa with the African people. In From Silence to Secrecy, Leiker narrates the<br />

story of how she made that dream come true. Leiker likens her life to that<br />

of a chameleon-changing easily from one lifestyle to another. This memoir<br />

follows those changes, beginning with her birth in 1940 in rural Kansas;<br />

her training as a nun with the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa in<br />

Pennsylvania; her work in Africa as a missionary for eight years; her twenty<br />

years of service with the CIA; and her current position with the National<br />

Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) in Colorado.<br />

Including many fascinating photos, From Silence to Secrecy demonstrates how<br />

one young girl with a dream accomplished her goals and lived a life full of<br />

rich experiences. Leiker’s story shows how her faith, hope, inner strength,<br />

and dreams carried her far.<br />

Play Right: Life on<br />

the Other Side<br />

by Scott Lee Mosure<br />

A riveting chase of time through a labyrinth of adventures weaved<br />

on the puzzling beauty of friendship and love.<br />

“If I don’t know the past, then what am I going to look forward to<br />

in the future?”<br />

-- Excerpt from Play Right: Life on the<br />

Other Side, by Scott Lee Mosure<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

Scott Lee Mosure was born in California but grew up in Indiana.<br />

He has always been a creative all throughout his life. One thing that<br />

sticks out from his everyday routine is his passion for writing. Ideas<br />

just come to him naturally and he loves putting them on paper in the<br />

form of short or long stories and screenplays coupled with songs that<br />

he knows by heart.


Contributor - Adriana Pernetz<br />

A Day in<br />

the Life<br />

by Adriana Pernetz<br />

“We read for Africa and our brains!”<br />

This is the enthusiastic morning<br />

chant that my students exclaim<br />

joyfully as our day starts. We are<br />

at Centerville Elementary School<br />

located in Garland, Texas, part of the<br />

GISD community. Any passerby in<br />

the hallway can hear 22-second grade<br />

bilingual students say these powerful<br />

words while passing room 30 every<br />

morning at 8:00 sharp! When we<br />

read, everyone wins!<br />

Our school is located in a low<br />

socio-economic area. My kids<br />

and their families are in severe<br />

financial need since the majority of<br />

parents are unemployed and have a<br />

limited education. Through books,<br />

my students learned the power of<br />

compassion and beauty in words. This<br />

year, they happily celebrated reaching<br />

our classroom goal of reading 3,250<br />

books and collecting 2,500 dollars<br />

for Heifer International, a nonprofit<br />

organization dedicated to bringing<br />

change through the gift of animals<br />

to families in need all over the world.<br />

My students learned that every person<br />

has the power to lighten the burdens<br />

of another in small and simple ways.<br />

Reading for them became one of<br />

the many tools to do just that. With<br />

Read To Feed and finding sponsors<br />

they were able to pass that gift to<br />

families around the world. Education<br />

and the power of books is a gift that<br />

every child in the world should never<br />

be without!<br />

When I was a little girl, I hated school,<br />

with a passion!!! In 4th grade, I had<br />

the worst reading teacher any child<br />

could ever have. I was a horrible<br />

reader and had serious problems<br />

learning how to read properly. My<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 16


teacher was very skilled in feeding<br />

the shame some kids felt, especially<br />

me. I was ever so happy to return the<br />

negativity a thousand times over and<br />

happily became the student no one<br />

wanted in their class. I mirrored her<br />

anger and lashed out with it daily, I’m<br />

Not proud of that.<br />

Thanks to my father and mother<br />

who had the great sense of sending<br />

me to an excellent boarding school<br />

in Ontario, Canada. I found myself<br />

with teachers who truly cared about<br />

me, properly taught me and placed<br />

in my hand’s wonderful books. I<br />

learned the language and fell in love<br />

with school.<br />

The bad student that I had become,<br />

disappeared and I found hope thanks<br />

to the power of books. Becoming a<br />

teacher and trying to give back the<br />

love that I received from wonderful<br />

teachers in Canada became my goal.<br />

I decided not to teach only what the<br />

state mandates, but to guide the child<br />

to see the beauty within Knowledge.<br />

To show the power that a simple<br />

smile has, and the good it can bring to<br />

someone in need. Writing came from<br />

seeing the needs in my classroom.<br />

It is a sad reality that some schools<br />

have become places where children<br />

have to be afraid for their lives. Too<br />

many angry teenagers are taking<br />

hatred to the next level and have<br />

turned arms against their peers. In my<br />

line of work, having kids with such<br />

difficult backgrounds, the need to<br />

teach empathy, forgiveness, love and<br />

compassion is vital to prevent children<br />

becoming so hopeless that the only<br />

solution to a problem in hand is to<br />

take other lives and their own. Anger<br />

without hope develops into what<br />

we see daily in the news. “Once in a<br />

Forest” was a story that I had done<br />

almost 20 years ago when I began<br />

teaching second grade at a different<br />

school. I used it with my children<br />

to introduce different concepts. I<br />

never really completed it until one<br />

terrible day in 2017. Last school year<br />

one of my students lost his sister to<br />

street violence: she was murdered<br />

outside her house by a gang member.<br />

My student’s sadness and anger was<br />

molding him to become someone that<br />

he was not intended to be. We had a<br />

lesson where I told him the story of a<br />

little bear who did not follow anyone’s<br />

anger or hatred. A bear who enjoyed<br />

being unique and used his love to<br />

help other creatures in need. That<br />

was a wonderful day and somehow<br />

he identified with Baby Bear. The<br />

children became very closed that day.<br />

They all wanted to be baby bears in<br />

our school community. That was the<br />

time when I thought I could actually<br />

publish the story. Almost two years<br />

later I was very pleased to receive great<br />

reviews for that book and the report<br />

that it had been included in the top<br />

10 popular books during the London<br />

International Book Expo 2019.<br />

I have two wonderful boys of my<br />

own. My oldest child is an Army<br />

man and from a young age he knew<br />

that his dream was to help other<br />

people in need. No matter what the<br />

situation, he wanted to be there. His<br />

dream inspired me to write “Gloria’s<br />

Dream” my second book. When he<br />

chose to go into the Army, he told<br />

me that there are times when people<br />

need our strength because they have<br />

run out of their own. In this book,<br />

Goat has to let go and give some of<br />

that little strength to someone else.<br />

Goat realizes that there is far more<br />

happiness in seeing hope and joy in<br />

someone else’s life.<br />

My new book, Rooster’s Voice,<br />

was written for another need my<br />

classroom. One of my students lost<br />

his father to street violence a couple<br />

of years ago and had carried a sense<br />

of loss since then. I myself lost my<br />

parents less than a year ago. The idea<br />

came from that pain and the love<br />

that never goes away. The one that<br />

stays in your heart forever. I used the<br />

manuscript in class when that child<br />

mentioned the sadness he had in his<br />

heart ever since his dad was taken<br />

away from him. The book helped<br />

him and me understand that love<br />

ones never leave us, their memories<br />

can guide us to be better people in<br />

life. I have been very blessed this<br />

school year by being proclaimed the<br />

winner of Garland Federation of<br />

Clubs Outstanding teacher 2019 for<br />

my work at Centerville Elementary.<br />

¡Que vivan los libros!!!!<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 17


Hardcover | $38.08<br />

Paperback | $44.16<br />

Kindle | $40.71<br />

Hardcover | $29.99<br />

Paperback | $19.99<br />

Kindle | $5.99<br />

I’ll Have The Chicken<br />

by Robert Kavula<br />

I’ll Have the Chicken is a collection of engaging stories from former<br />

Navy and commercial pilot Captain Robert Kavula. The book gives<br />

readers an intimate look from the other side of the cockpit door and<br />

some of the decisions made before and during flight. Kavula tells about<br />

his journey to become a pilot, near collisions in the air and on the<br />

runway, and the people and flights that remain vivid memories more<br />

than forty years later.<br />

The collection includes Kavula’s account of losing engines and<br />

generators and somehow finding his way to a safe landing, and hilarious<br />

conversations among pilots mid-flight. Read about Kavula’s flight<br />

with astronaut Neil Armstrong and the question he asked him about<br />

flying, and dozens more stories that put the reader inside the cockpit to<br />

experience the life of a pilot.<br />

A Tulip In The Desert<br />

by Syed Raza Haider<br />

A Tulip in the Desert is the story of Amina, a nine year old girl from<br />

a small village in the Waziristan region of northern Pakistan. She<br />

lives in an extended family system surrounded by the families of<br />

her father’s male relatives in an enclosed compound called a kot.<br />

Amina narrates the next ten years of her tremulous life. Ups and<br />

downs in her tale open a window into the enigmatic society of ultraconservative<br />

Waziristan where modernity has made little inroads. Life<br />

is particularly harsh for girls as they are kept extremely constrained<br />

and their fates are decided entirely by their male relatives. Amina puts<br />

up an enduring fight against the system albeit at a high cost. As if life<br />

isn’t hard enough for her, she develops a forbidden passion for an elite<br />

sport, a sport that has no place in this “medieval” society, and is utterly<br />

forbidden for a Waziri girl.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $18.75<br />

Kindle | $2.99<br />

Hardcover | $22.99<br />

Paperback | $9.90<br />

The Unexpected:<br />

Wives Who Have Affairs and the<br />

Husbands Who Love Them<br />

by Chris Dawson<br />

Marriage is very complex, a lot of people get married with so much<br />

love and happiness yet end up cheating in the course of a marriage.<br />

Chris Dawson’s book “The Unexpected” is a classic example of this. This<br />

wonderful book tells us that it is clear that most women marry for love<br />

and may still love their husband but for a variety of reasons she finds<br />

herself unexpectedly seduced or otherwise seeks sexual gratification or<br />

stimulation from other than the man she married. The reasons a wife<br />

chooses to start an affair or is seduced into an affair are many, varied and<br />

may surprise all who have either been curious or who have lived this<br />

experience. For sure, do not discount the frequency of this phenomena.<br />

The objective of the author is to inform and open the eyes to the reality<br />

of life as a couple in a very competitive world. This book is filled with<br />

a lot of imaginative illustrations written in well-structured and simple<br />

English. It is guaranteed to wow its readers and keep them on the edge<br />

of their seats in agitation as they pace through from page to page.<br />

Invasion Revealed:<br />

Healing Alcoholism, Mental Illness<br />

& Drug Addiction<br />

by Nancy Lynne Harris, M.A.<br />

“...A summation of her teaching is that thinking ‘I love myself ’ is<br />

the best medicine you can ever take...”<br />

— The US Review of Books<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

Nancy Lynne Harris graduated from The Four Winds Society. She<br />

trained as a spiritual teacher from the Eschatology Foundation. She<br />

is also a shaman and the founder of GodSpirits United, LLC, which<br />

is a company that assists people with addiction and severe diseases<br />

that seem to be medically incurable. She helps patients change their<br />

mindset towards healing and guides them to shift their energy to cure<br />

themselves without the help of medicine.


ONE-ON-ONE<br />

EXCLUSIVE<br />

by Calvin Garcia<br />

I had the honor and the opportunity<br />

to chat with Raju Ramanathan, worldrenowned<br />

enlightenment guru and<br />

author of Souls from Mercury, to<br />

learn more about his book and his<br />

message, discover what inspired him<br />

to write, and hear what advice he has<br />

for aspiring authors.<br />

About Raju Ramanathan<br />

Raju, popularly referred to as Datta<br />

Yogi Raja, is one of the most soughtafter<br />

life coaches of high profiled<br />

individuals, as well as a distinguished<br />

improvement champion for major<br />

corporations. He is a brilliant scientist<br />

of both inner and outer worlds who<br />

has been teaching meditation and<br />

mediation since he was thirteen.<br />

His techniques took the numerous<br />

countries by storm, where the<br />

diverse cultural backgrounds haven’t<br />

hindered to enlighten even modern<br />

communities through his spiritual<br />

messages. A truly life transforming<br />

experience and unique in its ways,<br />

his teachings have gained popularity<br />

from yoga to medical practices which<br />

asked for guesting opportunities on<br />

several TV and radio programs in<br />

Canada. He has successfully bridged<br />

the two debatable realms of science<br />

and religion.<br />

“I chose Mercury as the golden mean between<br />

Mars and Venus because it symbolizes wisdom<br />

in the astrological tradition. . .He represents wit,<br />

wisdom, and agility. Astrologically, he rules over<br />

the solar plexus and the nervous system. Those<br />

who are born under the influence of Mercury are<br />

highly intelligent and ingenious.”<br />

–Raju Ramanathan<br />

Read our Exclusive Interview<br />

with Author Raju Ramanathan:<br />

<strong>Authorial</strong>:<br />

Have you always known that you<br />

would become a writer? Have you<br />

always wanted to be one? How did<br />

you get into writing? What or who<br />

inspired you?<br />

Raju: I have always wanted to be a<br />

writer. When I was just 10 years old,<br />

I wrote a huge book of comics with<br />

stories written by me and distributed<br />

to all my classmates at school.<br />

My cousin helped me to draw the<br />

pictures. But my preoccupation with<br />

Technical education and working at<br />

very responsible corporate positions<br />

never allowed me the luxury of leisure<br />

time to do so. In the last four years my<br />

son and daughter in law inspired me to<br />

put all my seminars given around the<br />

world to be put into a book form for<br />

authorial magazine | 20<br />

being read by all of their friends. They<br />

supplied me with the photographs<br />

which they had taken during their<br />

global travels. They have been my<br />

inspiration. My spiritual Masters gave<br />

me further impetus.<br />

Do you still remember the first book<br />

you loved reading or the one that made<br />

the greatest impact on your life? Tell<br />

us about it and why do you love it?<br />

I remember the first books at age<br />

eleven which were intentionally put<br />

by my uncles at my bed side.. They<br />

were, The Bhagwat Gita, the scripture<br />

of the Hindus and The Holy Bible,<br />

the scripture of the Christians. As<br />

I started reading them side by side,<br />

I saw a striking similarity between<br />

them. When I had difficult moments<br />

in my life I will simply open one of the<br />

books and Lo and behold, the answer<br />

to my issue at hand was right there.<br />

That is why I loved both the book.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


In fact I memorized many sections<br />

of both and shared with friends at<br />

school. My book Souls from Mercury<br />

actually emerged on those days which<br />

is half a century before. The amount<br />

of quotations from both the scriptures<br />

can be seen all over my book now<br />

being published in 2019,<br />

Tell us about your book. Why should<br />

people read it? Do you think that it<br />

will make a difference in their lives<br />

and in what way?<br />

My book is about a new dawn<br />

and a new hope for mankind even<br />

though it is entitled differently. It<br />

describes a pathway for mankind<br />

like the Celestine Prophecy. I call<br />

it as evolution through an inward<br />

revolution in every person.<br />

The system recommended is through<br />

“Chakra purification” which is very<br />

much what is recommended by other<br />

authors such as Carolyn Myss in<br />

the field of the emerging “Energy<br />

Medicine”. People of all ages should<br />

read my work because they will<br />

find answers to so many nagging<br />

questions in their minds that they<br />

were afraid of asking their parents<br />

or even their priests.<br />

I am positive that this could transform<br />

their relationship with themselves,<br />

with the family, and eventually the<br />

relationship with a personal God.<br />

Tell us something about you that only<br />

a few people know. Why is this not<br />

known so much?<br />

Only a few people know that I am<br />

a unique combination of a Scientist,<br />

a Mystic and an artist. In the past<br />

the scientific community only saw<br />

my technical ability to innovate, The<br />

spiritual community saw me as a great<br />

Yogi and a Master of meditation<br />

and my family saw the great inters<br />

I have in in Poetry and music. This<br />

combination is not known so much<br />

because I kept this as a secret and<br />

wanted it to be discovered by others.<br />

They finally did! My grandchildren<br />

address me as “Master Bubloo”, a<br />

favorite nickname of their own. This<br />

unique combination is what I describe<br />

as a SOUL FROM MERCURY. I<br />

see this potential in everyone if only<br />

they attempt to purify their Chakras.<br />

In your perspective what makes a<br />

successful author?<br />

A successful author should feel like<br />

Isaac Newton who said that I am<br />

nothing and I am standing on the<br />

shoulders of other scientists before<br />

my time and looked ahead.<br />

A successful author is not there to<br />

impose his or her own opinions to be<br />

infused into other minds. Recently<br />

I read this amazing sentence while<br />

reading the Publication Manual of<br />

the American Psychological <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />

Section 1.03 of this text reads “The<br />

authorship encompasses not only<br />

those who do the actual writing but<br />

also those who have made substantial<br />

scientific contributions to the study. It<br />

makes reference to further literature<br />

to substantiate this idea.<br />

What is the most challenging part of<br />

your writing journey? How did you<br />

go about it?<br />

The most challenging part of my<br />

writing journey was to fulfil the<br />

requirement of most well-known<br />

publishers. They said: “Give us a<br />

final product that we can get printed.”<br />

In other words they wanted me to<br />

produce a manuscript that has already<br />

gone through all editorial assessment<br />

and grammatical corrections,<br />

computer alignment and all the rest.<br />

They were unwilling to help me with<br />

any of these tasks.<br />

authorial magazine | 21<br />

One fine morning, I was finally<br />

approached by Authors Press who<br />

gave me all the help I need and<br />

coached me all the way in these<br />

tasks. I am so very grateful to all<br />

the great men and women in their<br />

teams. My book has finally seen the<br />

light of the day!<br />

What advice would you give you to<br />

aspiring authors?<br />

Here is a poem that I heard in my<br />

childhood. It goes like this. “Work<br />

while you work, play while you play,<br />

that is the way to be happy and gay.<br />

All that you do, do it with your<br />

might, things done by halves are<br />

never done right.”<br />

Here is another one from famous<br />

poet HW Longfellow:<br />

“The heights by great men reached<br />

and kept were not attained by sudden<br />

flight. They, while their companions<br />

slept, were toiling upwards in<br />

the night.”<br />

Give us one word that best describes<br />

you as an author<br />

Here it is! A MYSTIC. Life is a<br />

mystery to be lived.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $13.63<br />

Paperback | $11.99<br />

Kindle | $9.99<br />

Heal Yourself of Anything<br />

Example Glaucoma<br />

by Nancy Lynne Harris, M.A.<br />

“...Harris urges readers to recognize that thoughts are like the code<br />

that runs behind a software program on a computer or mobile phone.<br />

Your thoughts are what regulate your body chemistry. They also are<br />

responsible for causing your specific life experience.”<br />

— US Review of Books<br />

“One of the most informative and life changing books I’ve ever<br />

read. Everything is to the point and easy to follow. Having been<br />

diagnosed with Glaucoma myself. I’ve come to realize, I allowed<br />

myself to feel as if I’m being pressured by my job and others. I’ve<br />

tested Nancy’s suggestions, and have noticed a great difference in<br />

the pressure of my eyes. So yes. It works!”<br />

— Rory Demeo<br />

Farmer’s Son,<br />

Military Career<br />

by Clarence “Kip” Vold<br />

Growing up on the plains of South Dakota, completing<br />

grade school in a one-room school, surviving blizzards.<br />

Success in Air Force the culmination of a career in<br />

achieving the highest enlisted grade in the Air Force. A<br />

full life after the Air Force with writing and painting.<br />

Graduating from college with a degree in Economics 39<br />

years after graduating from high school.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $15.99<br />

Kindle | $3.99<br />

Hardcover | $13.99<br />

Paperback | $9.90<br />

Annie Mae<br />

and the Wild<br />

Wagon Ride<br />

by Ellie Weaver<br />

Life for a little Amish girl can get quite interesting, especially<br />

when she is as spirited and lively as Annie Mae. The lack of<br />

electricity, cars, and modern conveniences does not stop this<br />

little girl from having fun. And when the wagon gets away<br />

from her, oh, what a ride! It can get a little wild!<br />

Humor and<br />

Witticisms 101 Plus<br />

by Alex Gall<br />

This book is not a novel, there is no plot. Unless you munch on a page<br />

the best way to enjoy the flavor of this book is with a few examples of<br />

the book’s contents.<br />

Mom, this cow followed me home, may I keep her?<br />

One good intern deserves another.<br />

John took a shot with his pistol and he killed his shadow.<br />

My doctor gave me a shot in the arm, but he was aiming lower.<br />

I had four visitors, one of each sex. By the way, did I tell you I<br />

flunked anatomy?<br />

I gave my wife an inch; she converted it to centimeters.<br />

Push came to shove when my car broke down.<br />

When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in New York City,<br />

forget about it.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Herman Wouk<br />

and the Year 1942<br />

by Donald Ray Schwartz<br />

A few days ago. Herman Wouk passed<br />

away. He died at 103 years old. He<br />

was working on his next book.<br />

Wouk, an observant Talmudist, wrote<br />

largely on American issues, although<br />

his early novel, Marjorie Morningstar,<br />

did coin or led to the term, Jewish<br />

American Princess or JAP.<br />

His novel, The Caine Mutiny, was<br />

made into a movie starring Humphrey<br />

Bogart, later a New York production.<br />

But the book—books, actually, a<br />

series of two, Winds of War and War<br />

and Remembrance is what I remember<br />

most. The oeuvre is historical<br />

fiction, the fiction with compelling<br />

characterizations, the historicity of<br />

WWII erudite and true. Indeed<br />

Wouk’s concentration in detail of the<br />

Battle of Midway is probably the most<br />

complete hour by hour delineation<br />

of that all important engagement,<br />

and contains a magnificence of<br />

remembrance, which I will cover later.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 24


As 1941 drew to a close, things<br />

looked grim. Rommel’s Afrika<br />

Corps advanced from Egypt through<br />

northern Africa and east to Palestine;<br />

The German army’s advances in<br />

Eastern Europe seemed unstoppable.<br />

London daily on fire from V-1 and<br />

later the more powerful V-2 rockets,<br />

as well as the Luftwaffe bombers.<br />

And, at the end of the year, Japan<br />

destroyed or inflicted harm upon<br />

our battleships at Pearl Harbor. Yet,<br />

what seemed nearly hopeless soon<br />

transformed these judgments into a<br />

resurgence of allied power.<br />

In northern Africa, Patten’s invasion<br />

with his well-trained tank corps aided<br />

Britain’s Montgomery to push back<br />

Rommel and establish a northern base<br />

from which to invade Sicily, thence<br />

Italy itself to open a southern salient<br />

against the Wehrmacht.<br />

As the Germans headed at breakneck<br />

speed into Russia in winter without<br />

appropriate clothing, Marshal<br />

Zhukov, as spider waits for its prey, let<br />

them in as far as Stalingrad, where he<br />

surrounded them, starved them, and<br />

waited for their inevitable surrender.<br />

And, in the Pacific, the U.S. had<br />

broken the Japanese code, and<br />

intelligence informed Admiral<br />

Nimitz they were planning to invade<br />

Midway Island and had dispatched<br />

the same 4 aircraft carriers that had<br />

launched the planes that attacked<br />

Pearl. Nimitz dispatched the aircraft<br />

carriers Yorktown, Lexington, and<br />

Enterprise.<br />

The first wave of American dive<br />

bombers set upon the enemy carriers.<br />

The Japanese launched their fighter<br />

planes to engage. Quite successfully<br />

so, as well as antiaircraft fire decimated<br />

the Americans who, valorously<br />

attacking, soon lost their lives. But<br />

not in vain. For the Japanese aircraft<br />

now had to land upon their ships<br />

to refuel. Oil and gas had to be<br />

brought up on deck. And in that<br />

moment, the second and third wave<br />

of Nimitz’s planes fell upon the ships,<br />

with their dive bombs hitting the<br />

exposed planes and fuel to point of<br />

enormous explosions resulting in the<br />

ships sinking. It was the beginning<br />

of the end of the Japanese navy, and<br />

therefore of its homeland.<br />

Although the war would continue<br />

for 2 ½ more years, these 3 battles, in<br />

Africa, Russia, and the Pacific began<br />

to turn the tide.<br />

Now, back to Wouk’s books: No one<br />

else has done this—but through<br />

assiduous research in WWII naval<br />

unit histories, the author located a<br />

yellowing document listing the name,<br />

rank, and hometown of each of the<br />

men in the first wave of the Midway<br />

battle who gave the ultimate sacrifice,<br />

but enabled ultimate victory. That list<br />

exists only in War and Remembrance.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

Now we remember Herman Wouk!<br />

authorial magazine | 25


Hardcover | $14.23<br />

Hardcover | $17.99<br />

Paperback | $9.99<br />

Kindle | $4.89<br />

Jeannie Ann’s<br />

Grandma Has<br />

Breast Cancer<br />

by Diane Davies<br />

“When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, one of your greatest<br />

worries is how your loved ones will be impacted. It’s challenging<br />

enough to have difficult discussions with adults, but what do<br />

young children need to know so they, too, can cope? In Jeannie<br />

Ann’s Grandma Has Breast Cancer, author, teacher, and breast<br />

cancer survivor Diane Davies gets right to the heart of this<br />

matter.”<br />

--Beverly Vote, publisher,<br />

Breast Cancer Wellness <strong>Magazine</strong><br />

Tsavo: Oddball<br />

Reseachers Use Data<br />

and Guns to Save<br />

African Elephants<br />

by Daniel B Botkin<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

A small group of American and British scientists go to East Africa<br />

to try to save elephants from poachers and to find how many remain.<br />

They end up fighting with poachers, large and small groups, who try<br />

to kill them, meanwhile being chased and threatened by elephants<br />

and having to shoot some to survive.<br />

Based on real research and attempts to save African elephants, in this<br />

book you will meet some of the strangest characters in the world, the<br />

kind of people who can’t survive in normal society and, with their odd<br />

behavior, retreat to wilderness.


Hardcover | $11.13<br />

Paperback | $6.16<br />

Hardcover | $13.99<br />

Paperback | $9.90<br />

Hanging Out with Wild<br />

Animals - Book One<br />

by Cheryl Batavia<br />

All the poems in this book are inspired by my own real-life experiences<br />

here in Florida. All of these wonderful animals, and many others, live here.<br />

Wherever you live, a lot of interesting animals live near you. There is a whole<br />

wide world to explore: beaches, mountains, zoos, parks, or your own back<br />

yard. So get out there and meet some animals for yourself! Have a wonderful<br />

time exploring the world around you, and observe animals wherever you go.<br />

Take a camera along to record and share your adventures. If you are curious<br />

about the animals meet, go online to learn more about them. You may be<br />

surprised to discover that some animals living near you are endangered. You<br />

can find out about ways to protect animals and their habitats. Always observe<br />

animals safely. Have fun!<br />

Life in<br />

Inspiring<br />

Places<br />

by Cheryl Batavia<br />

The author has been fortunate to spend her life surrounded by history<br />

and natural beauty. Life in Inspiring Places, a book of poems and<br />

beautiful photographs, shares memories and impressions of living in<br />

the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Washington, DC, Miami Beach,<br />

and the Florida Gulf Coast. Poems offering personal perspectives<br />

about life and family round out the book.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


In Pursuit of a<br />

TV Interview<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

by Diane Davies<br />

authorial magazine | 28


Travelers:<br />

Vicki and Diane<br />

Destination: Atlanta, Georgia - Preach the Word<br />

Worldwide Network TV Studio,<br />

Roswell, GA<br />

July 13, 2019<br />

2:30 P.M. appointment with Bishop<br />

Larry Carnes for the book interview<br />

regarding Jeannie Ann’s Grandma Has<br />

Breast Cancer.<br />

2:00 A.M. Telephone rings in room 838 at the<br />

Intercontinental Hotel at the MSP<br />

International Airport with a wake-up<br />

call for the first leg of our four flights<br />

today to Atlanta and back. It definitely<br />

felt like 2:00 A.M.!<br />

3:00 A.M. Left hotel in a Cadillac Escalade shuttle<br />

for the airport terminal.<br />

3:10 A.M. Arrived at airport. No bags to check.<br />

Walked straight through TSA Pre-<br />

Check. Lights are on but no coffee<br />

and nothing open. Couldn’t find our<br />

flight on the departure board. (We were<br />

looking for Atlanta and should have<br />

been looking for Chicago! Duh! Maybe<br />

a bit early for the two of us?) Found our<br />

gate and found our flight delayed from<br />

5:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.! (Could have<br />

had another hour of sleep.)<br />

Flight delayed to 8:30 A.M.<br />

Flight delayed to 9:30 A.M.<br />

Flight updated back to 6:00<br />

A.M. (What???)<br />

6:00 A.M. Left for Chicago. Arrived with plenty of<br />

time for breakfast before leg #2.<br />

8:30 A.M. Misread the boarding pass thinking they<br />

began loading at 8:30. Stopped to use<br />

the bathroom and arrived at the gate just<br />

as they closed the door for boarding. The<br />

flight left at 8:30 A.M. The gate agents<br />

said they had paged us several times.<br />

With the deaf leading the deaf, we never<br />

heard the page!<br />

We were sent to customer service where<br />

the agent found a flight to Atlanta on<br />

another airline in another part of the<br />

airport (Chicago O’Hare let me remind<br />

you!) leaving in 45 minutes. She sent us<br />

on our way with excellent directions to<br />

find the gate and a stern warning not to<br />

stop anywhere along the way and “You<br />

will make it!”<br />

It was a l-o-n-g way to the gate with no<br />

service carts in sight. We arrived with<br />

about 10 minutes to spare. Boarded<br />

the plane with sweat dripping from<br />

our ears and hair BUT we were finally<br />

Atlanta bound.<br />

12:10 P.M. Arrived in Atlanta – the busiest airport<br />

in the United States – we learned. Again<br />

it was a l-o-n-g way to the car rental<br />

center. So long that we had to take;<br />

1. Concourse Tram<br />

2. Sky Train<br />

3. And lots of walking<br />

4. Up and down several escalators<br />

Finally found the EZ Rental Counter<br />

as the agent was once again closing the<br />

door on us leaving a sign that told us to<br />

find the Advantage Counter for help.<br />

We did – after another escalator ride<br />

and a few more steps. After signing all<br />

of forms, we were directed across the<br />

ramp, down the elevator, to another<br />

Advantage Desk where they would<br />

direct us to our car. A blue Passat was<br />

waiting for us.<br />

1:30 P.M. Once we figured out how to get the<br />

car started, we were off following our<br />

step by step Google directions on our<br />

iPhone. We had about a 45 minute drive<br />

to Roswell giving us 15 minutes to spare<br />

for getting lost and found again.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 29<br />

2:15 P.M. Rain begins pouring down just<br />

as we arrive in Roswell and I<br />

mean POURING!<br />

2:23 P.M. We pull up and park by the front door of<br />

the building where the studio is located.<br />

No umbrellas. No raincoats. No brains.<br />

We run through the rain and arrive ON<br />

TIME looking like drowned rats from<br />

Minnesota!


2:30 P.M. Arrive in studio offices after having<br />

run through rain monsoon and water<br />

up to our ankles. We were soaked, hair,<br />

clothes, shoes and all. Dr. Larry D.<br />

Carnes, Books of the Month program<br />

host, met with us for a few minutes<br />

of get acquainted chit chat. He felt<br />

that Jeannie Ann’s Grandma Has<br />

Breast Cancer was both powerful and<br />

impactful. “Are you ready?” he asked. I<br />

responded with, “Well I think I need to<br />

use a bathroom to try and save what’s<br />

left of me and my hairdo!”<br />

After trying to dry my hair with paper<br />

towels, adding a little “product” as they<br />

say, and applying make-up once again to<br />

replace what washed off in the Georgia<br />

deluge, we were invited in to the studio.<br />

Being a Saturday, they had a pretty bare<br />

bones staff on hand to do the taping.<br />

Two tall chairs where set on a green<br />

background cloth – the cover of the<br />

Jeannie Ann Book will be added to the<br />

background later. Two technicians were<br />

set up with the cameras and computers<br />

and such and away we went with the<br />

interview with Dr. Larry on his stool<br />

and I on mine. The main thrust of the<br />

interview was on the impact the book<br />

was having on its readers.<br />

We visited a bit longer after the<br />

interview finished. The Bishop, Dr.<br />

Larry, was astonished that we had<br />

traveled all that way for just one day and<br />

were heading home again that evening.<br />

He really seemed in no hurry to visit<br />

Minnesota any time soon. Our winter<br />

weather legends and chronicles have the<br />

south pretty much afraid to travel north.<br />

“What do you do when it’s so cold and<br />

snowy?” he asked. “Carry on with our<br />

lives,” we replied. “Just like you do down<br />

here in the heat.”<br />

4:00 P.M. Or there about, we’re back in the car,<br />

headed toward Atlanta and the airport<br />

once again. We arrive around an hour<br />

later to return the car to the rental<br />

company and back track our way into<br />

the terminal. This time following the<br />

steps backwards from about 3 hours ago.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 30<br />

1. Lots of walking and an<br />

escalator or two.<br />

2. Sky Train back to the terminal.<br />

3. Tram out to the concourses.<br />

4. Check-in - TSA Pre-Check<br />

Found Gate D23 and that our flight to<br />

Charlotte was delayed until 7:45 P.M.<br />

We checked in with the gate agent as we<br />

did not want to miss our flight at 10:44<br />

P.M. out of Charlotte to Minneapolis.


He assured us that we would have<br />

plenty of time to make the flight.<br />

Feeling confident, we headed off to find<br />

some dinner.<br />

6:00 P.M. Mustard Seed BBQ caught our<br />

attention. We ordered drinks and dinner<br />

and began to relax for the first time<br />

thinking we were all set and on our way<br />

home. Then the iPhone began to ding<br />

with messages:<br />

“Ding” - Flight 5212 to Charlotte<br />

delayed to 8:30 P.M.<br />

“Ding” - Flight 5212 to Charlotte<br />

delayed to 9:04 P.M.<br />

“Ding” - Due to delay, you may<br />

miss your connecting flight to<br />

Minneapolis<br />

“Ding” - Flight 5212 to<br />

Charlotte canceled.<br />

“Ding” – Due to cancelation of<br />

Flight 5212 to Charlotte you will<br />

miss your flight to Minneapolis. We<br />

are trying to reroute you. Stay tuned<br />

for more information.<br />

Choking down our dinner, we headed<br />

back to Gate D23 to find the line to<br />

speak with an agent at least 20 people<br />

long if not longer. We asked where<br />

customer service was located and were<br />

told that we were looking at it. By<br />

now 5 more people have joined the<br />

line. An airline agent handed out cards<br />

instructing us to call customer service<br />

to get help before we got to the counter<br />

as that would speed up everything for<br />

everyone. Right!?!?!<br />

We called the number and the agent,<br />

after what seemed like forever, came<br />

back on the phone and told us to stay in<br />

line and request a hotel voucher when<br />

we got to the desk and have the agent<br />

arrange flights for us in the morning.<br />

The airplane loading at the gate right<br />

then was heading to Charlotte. We had<br />

been told earlier that it was already over<br />

booked. At that point the desk agent<br />

announced that if you are heading to<br />

Chicago, the next departure at that gate<br />

after the Charlotte flight left, please step<br />

aside and let the Charlotte passengers<br />

ahead of you in line. Now we are 6<br />

people waiting in line rather than 20.<br />

After what seemed like forever, it was<br />

finally our turn with the agent. Believe<br />

it not, it was the same agent that we<br />

had talked with earlier who had assured<br />

us that we would make our flight out<br />

of Charlotte to Minneapolis with no<br />

problem. We approached and told him<br />

we needed a hotel voucher and flights<br />

in the morning. He just smiled and<br />

said, “Ladies, I’ll get you home tonight!”<br />

The next thing we knew, he handed us<br />

boarding passes for the Charlotte flight<br />

leaving immediately. After much thanks,<br />

we walked right on to the plane, the<br />

doors closed and we were headed to<br />

Charlotte with plenty of time to make<br />

our connecting flight to Minneapolis.<br />

“What just happened?” We decided it<br />

must have been our good looks, clean<br />

living, old age? For whatever reason,<br />

we were where we needed to be and on<br />

our way home.<br />

10:00 P.M. Landed in Charlotte. Found our<br />

concourse and gate as well as frozen<br />

yogurt with fresh fruit and had<br />

time to spare.<br />

10:44 P.M. Left Charlotte on time for Minneapolis.<br />

July 14, 2019<br />

12:20 A.M. Landed in Minneapolis. Picked up our<br />

luggage at the Intercontinental Hotel.<br />

I retrieved my car out of Valet Parking<br />

and headed home. Exhausted but so<br />

happy to have completed the interview<br />

and the trip!<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 31<br />

We packed a lot into those twenty-two<br />

hours. By the time I drove home and<br />

crawled into bed, it was twenty-four<br />

hours from that first wake-up call. I have<br />

to say I’m too old to ever try that again!<br />

But it certainly was a fun and exciting<br />

adventure! Now I hope the interview<br />

was successful. Time will tell!


Hardcover | $15.25<br />

Paperback | $7.47<br />

Kindle | $2.42<br />

Hardcover | $17.99<br />

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Souls from<br />

Mercury<br />

by Raju Ramanathan<br />

Charles Darwin pointed out that the future evolution of mankind<br />

cannot happen through the continuation of the “survival of fittest”<br />

ideology. It lies in the courage to stand up like the first animal did<br />

and move in a vertical dimension, whereas developing kindness,<br />

compassion, and empathy are the hallmark of evolution and truly an<br />

inward revolution. This goal can be achieved by delving deeper into<br />

ourselves through the simple process of meditation and mindfulness.<br />

In this book you will learn the pathway to your inner vastness (i.e.,<br />

Samadhi, Enlightenment or the “Mercury space”) and gain answers<br />

to becoming “Souls From Mercury.”<br />

Affirmations for Law<br />

Enforcement:<br />

We Protect. We Serve.<br />

We Care.<br />

by Darlene P. Hoyt<br />

Dr. Darlene P. Hoyt is a Board Certified Police and Public Safety<br />

Psychologist. She has been working in the field of Law Enforcement since<br />

1990 providing counseling, training at the Academy, Peer Support, Critical<br />

Incident Debriefings, working with Swat Teams, providing Pre-Employment<br />

Psychological evaluations for hire, and testifying in Court. Everyday Law<br />

Enforcement Personnel are on the job to protect the public and community<br />

at large while at times putting themselves at risk. Dr. Hoyt has created this<br />

book for Law Enforcement personnel to help them cope with the pressure<br />

and strains of working in stressful, dangerous and troubling situations. Daily<br />

affirmations can help promote positive mental focus, reduce stress, and<br />

improve mood and sense of well-being. The hope of this book is to provide<br />

Law Enforcement Personnel another tool to use in their daily life to achieve<br />

peace, success and job satisfaction.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $12.91<br />

Miracles<br />

Master the Art<br />

Healing Medically<br />

Incurable Illness<br />

by Nancy Lynne Harris, M.A.<br />

“…offers many positive life tips.”<br />

— Kirkus Review<br />

Nancy Lynne Harris graduated from the Four Winds Society,<br />

founded by Dr. Alberto Villoldo, where she took up energy medicine<br />

and shamanism. She is also trained as a spiritual teacher by The<br />

Eschathology Foundation in Los Angeles and a founder of a<br />

company called the GodSpirits United, LLC which helps people<br />

recover from medically incurable diseases including addiction.<br />

The Fruit of the<br />

Spirit: The Path<br />

That Leads<br />

to Loving as<br />

Jesus Loved<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

by Steve Langford<br />

Hardcover | $22.47<br />

Paperback | $11.95<br />

Kindle | $3.99<br />

Jesus and the apostle Paul both identified love as the<br />

distinguishing mark of the follower of Jesus. In his description<br />

of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul described how it is possible to love<br />

the way Jesus loved. But how do we love in this profound way?


Contributor - Gary Rothhaar<br />

Our Friendship Tree<br />

I met her at a square dance; she was all alone<br />

She had no one to dance with; no one to take her home<br />

I asked her if she cared to dance, then we sat down to chat<br />

She said she was a widow, who lived with just her cat<br />

She asked me if I knew someone with time to mow her yard<br />

Although her farm is rather large, the mowing’s not too hard<br />

I said, I might have time for that if you’ll include a meal<br />

She said that’s great, I love to cook; I guess we have a deal<br />

While sitting at the table, our words began to flow<br />

We spoke of all the places, we would like to go<br />

And then I said, why don’t we dear; we’ve waited much to long<br />

So we began our bucket list, and its still going strong<br />

She said, we’ll never marry, and I’ll never be your wife<br />

But I would like for you to know; I’d trust you with my life<br />

I told her what that met to me as we drove into town<br />

And how I’d try my very best to never let her down<br />

We never met without a hug, we walked while holding hands<br />

We never kept a secret, about our future plans<br />

Her words were always soft and kind, and timely as could be<br />

The wisdom of this gentle soul, was deeper than the sea<br />

One day she said, let’s plant a tree: a friendship tree for you and me<br />

A symbol of the love we know; we’ll watch it bloom, we’ll watch it grow<br />

The winds may blow beyond the norm, but it will weather every storm<br />

And it will outlive you and me, and it will be our friendship tree<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

by Gary Alan Rothhaar for his<br />

precious friend Janis Lucile Shade<br />

authorial magazine | 34


After thirty years of marriage and four great kids, I suddenly found myself<br />

single again. I chose not to re-marry, but I didn’t want to be alone the rest of<br />

my life either. I was looking for a companion who didn’t want to re-marry,<br />

and that’s when I met Janis Shade at a square dance. Janis had recently lost<br />

her husband and she needed some help keeping up the farm. I agreed to<br />

help if she would occasionally be kind enough to cook us a nice warm meal,<br />

which she was happy to do.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

As we got to know each other we decided to plant a friendship tree on<br />

her farm as a symbol of our love. Then I wrote the poem “Our Friendship<br />

Tree” and put it on a plaque at the base of the tree. As the years went by<br />

we watched our tree blossom and grow stronger and more beautiful just<br />

like our friendship. For ten years we have worked, played, traveled and<br />

prayed together in a very uniquely innocent friendship. We trust that “Our<br />

Friendship Tree” and the plaque at the base of it will inspire others to seek<br />

uniquely enduring friendships.<br />

Author: Gary Alan Rothhaar


Paperback | $8.64<br />

Hardcover | $42.79<br />

Paperback | $26.56<br />

Kindle | $3.03<br />

Better Than a<br />

Homerun<br />

by Freda Dehoff<br />

Twelve-year-old Daryl Jenkins’ summer plans are shattered by the<br />

death of his best friend, Terry, who died in an automobile accident<br />

caused by a drunk driver. With the memories still fresh in his mind,<br />

he tries to deal with his anger, disappointment, and frustration by<br />

playing baseball with his friends and drawing pictures for an art<br />

contest. But the ache in his heart tarnishes everything he does. Better<br />

Than a Homerun is the story of a boy who faces the monumental<br />

challenges of forgiveness. Through the encouragement and wise<br />

advice of his parents, Daryl begins to trust God and depend upon<br />

Him in all that he does, and his personal relationships with family<br />

and friends help strengthen his trust in God. But one big question<br />

remains. How can he ever forgive the drunk driver who took his best<br />

friend’s life? To Daryl, it seems almost more than a boy can handle.<br />

Rome and America: the<br />

Great Republics: What<br />

the Fall of the Roman<br />

Republic Portends for<br />

the United States<br />

by Walter Signorelli<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

In innumerable ways, the United States of America is the political and<br />

social descendant of the Roman Republic, and the influences of Rome<br />

reverberate throughout our world. Yet while America reflects the heights of<br />

Roman structures, ideas, and principles, we also now face a host of problems<br />

similar to those that the Romans faced-immigration and citizenship, the<br />

consequences of slavery, the growing divide between classes, the conflict<br />

between conservatives and progressives, and the challenges of being a<br />

superpower.


Paperback | $4.46<br />

Kindle | $4.46<br />

Paperback | $13.18<br />

Kindle | $9.99<br />

Parenting: It Isn’t<br />

Hard If You Keep<br />

Your Eyes on the<br />

Mentor, God, Our<br />

Heavenly Father<br />

by Elizabeth Len Wai<br />

God is the only perfect parent; it is appropriate that we should<br />

choose him as our mentor in parenting. A lot of the behaviors that<br />

irritate us in our child, God has experienced with us--tantrums,<br />

questioning, disobedience, defiance, crying, and begging. He has<br />

experienced them all with us and still calls us his children.<br />

Wisdom from a<br />

Wheelchair<br />

by Olivia Espinosa<br />

The author of Wisdom from a Wheelchair has been disabled since<br />

she was twelve years old. While going through her own personal<br />

struggles and the progression of her disability, Olivia Espinosa<br />

found her gift from God: creating daily inspirational messages<br />

that have changed her life and healed her spirit.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

It is her hope that this book will bring you inspiration, faith,<br />

strength, and comfort. It will warm your heart when you’re<br />

feeling too far from God. You will find encouragement and<br />

support to overcome your own life’s struggles. You too can move<br />

mountains.


Contributor - Ted Torgersen<br />

A Hegemony of Hats<br />

As many as the hats they wore,<br />

as dense as the column<br />

in which they marched,<br />

as district upon district<br />

paid them homage,<br />

they are no more.<br />

Teeth were gnashed,<br />

and grim grins gritted<br />

as baleful eyes looked on.<br />

Remember the truth<br />

that no one spoke,<br />

remember the setting of the sun.<br />

Between the mountains<br />

and the sea<br />

lies a road<br />

that has never been traveled.<br />

It leads to a fountain,<br />

long gone dry,<br />

in the desert<br />

of mankind’s ambitions.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 38


Migration<br />

We’ve all lost our way<br />

at one time or another,<br />

and that is why we watch birds.<br />

They always know<br />

when it’s time to migrate.<br />

There is nothing for them to fear,<br />

when the time to move on draws near,<br />

there is nothing that the birds haven’t heard.<br />

A yellowtail on a wall,<br />

or a hummingbird near the fence,<br />

they know when the time has come.<br />

The aline singing in the shadows<br />

can’t say where they’ve gone.<br />

It’s a different country,<br />

one that you’ve never seen;<br />

even if you manage to get there,<br />

you won’t know what it means.<br />

At least, to them,<br />

they’re not tourists, you see.<br />

Birds live each day where they are,<br />

wherever that happens to be.<br />

That could also be you,<br />

it could even be me,<br />

cross over, for a minute,<br />

to an open country.<br />

A mile is a minute<br />

of your life’s journey gone by.<br />

Make you open up your eyes<br />

and see the reason why<br />

we all need to migrate,<br />

from time to time.<br />

From ignorance, we need respite,<br />

from oppression to take flight;<br />

we need to turn day<br />

into freedom from night.<br />

Approximation can’t save you,<br />

like you once thought,<br />

it’s this haphazard thinking<br />

which makes you get caught.<br />

In this district, you can see,<br />

it’s starting to happen again,<br />

and when it comes to migration,<br />

now is better than when,<br />

ever since the oppressor is making<br />

everyone change their skin.<br />

Like, if you don’t do it,<br />

think of the trouble you’ll be in.<br />

Better to fly far and fly fast,<br />

than, in a season of darkness,<br />

to breathe out your last.<br />

There are some places, however,<br />

where many people fear mice,<br />

myself among them.<br />

How do you differentiate<br />

between fears, like this?<br />

Is there a way you can know<br />

where you must go?<br />

Can you migrate to a place<br />

free from mice?<br />

Would it be so much nicer there,<br />

with nothing to fear, at the end,<br />

but the mindless nameless insects<br />

that live in the bush?<br />

Whether, by instinct or instigation,<br />

or to establish a pattern<br />

that we can understand,<br />

the need to migrate stands foremost,<br />

uniting heart and mind<br />

in a desire to leave winter behind,<br />

and like a shooting star, slip away,<br />

to dance with the nightingale,<br />

knowing that the journey stops with you.<br />

Ted Torgersen, Out of Exile<br />

Copyright 2014<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 39


Paperback | $9.95<br />

Kindle | $3.99<br />

Hardcover | $29.95<br />

Paperback | $17.95<br />

Kindle | $9.99<br />

Grip of Heaven<br />

by H. Bruce Boulton<br />

There are two classes of people in the church today those who receive<br />

revelation in their spirits, and those who only know about Christ with<br />

their minds. The latter have just education, not revelation, and so we<br />

should ask of ourselves: Do we have eyes that see and ears that hear in<br />

our spirits?<br />

In Grip of Heaven, author H. Bruce Boulton shares his touching<br />

personal testimony of faith, as he seeks the truth of Gods Word<br />

following his wife’s passing. Together for fifty-eight (1958-2016)<br />

years, they were led by the Lord in all aspects of their lives, and<br />

Boulton now offers the wisdom that was revealed to him by God<br />

through a personal great awakening of the spirit.<br />

God can reveal himself and his ways to us, but we must be receptive<br />

and use all of our sensesespecially our spiritual senses to see, hear,<br />

and feel his voice and his presence in our lives. We should therefore<br />

accept his will for our lives now, as we pray the Lords Prayer and look<br />

forward to the Holy Spirits rule in our souls.<br />

Finding the<br />

Clouds and<br />

a Life<br />

by Carl M. Robinson<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

The schedule for my sampling flight was the last mission for<br />

Operation Castle. The device is twenty-three miles across the atoll<br />

from where our office is located. The device is sitting on a float<br />

of some sort over where an island was blown away. Every flight I<br />

made to get flying time, I would fly over the area to see how the<br />

construction was coming along. I was looking forward to seeing<br />

what kind of damage it would make in relation to size, heat, sound,<br />

and height. Another thing I would practice at the end of every<br />

flight was a GCA landing.


Hardcover | $24.40<br />

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Hardcover | $28.83<br />

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The Jewish Background<br />

of Christianity in God’s<br />

Plan of Salvation: A<br />

Catholic Approach to the<br />

Old Testament<br />

by Marianne Ivany D. Min<br />

Modern Catholics may be dissuaded from reading or studying<br />

the Old Testament simply because the stories seem unusual or<br />

implausible and the language, foreign and confusing. Still, we<br />

must not neglect the inestimable value of God’s self-disclosure<br />

and the wealth of wisdom within the Hebrew scriptures, nor<br />

the Jewish prayers and traditions contained within, as many of<br />

them lie at the core of our faith and worship.<br />

The Gift<br />

by Lila Ellexson Senter<br />

In The Gift, Lila Ellexson Senter reflects on Christmases past and<br />

takes us along for the journey. Throughout time, she and her friends<br />

and family have discovered the joy of “word gifts” -collections of<br />

quotations, original poetry, and stories that have amplified the<br />

meaning of Christmas for both the gift giver and recipient. This<br />

book represents some of the most meaningful word gifts they have<br />

exchanged over the years. The words, so carefully chosen, reflect a<br />

strong faith, and the beautiful artwork that accompanies each word<br />

gift amplifies the message. Reading The Gift is truly a gift to yourself.<br />

Throughout the year, pick up this book and let it remind you of<br />

the importance of love, family, and faith. And during the holidays,<br />

consider wrapping it up for a friend, along with a word gift of your<br />

own, so they, too, can reconnect with the true meaning of Christmas.<br />

Lila Ellexson Senter is a retired social worker living in Abilene, Texas.<br />

She and her husband Bill, with whom she raised three children, enjoy<br />

traveling, reading, and volunteering in their community. The Gift was<br />

written as a way to promote and support the work of Abilene Hope<br />

Haven, a local shelter in the Senters’ hometown.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Contributor - Ted Torgersen<br />

The Four Directions<br />

Altruism<br />

In my travels, once,<br />

while I was crossing the road,<br />

I really thought the devil had got me<br />

for what he said that I owed.<br />

I started to remember<br />

that the night was not far off,<br />

so I gathered up my leaflets<br />

and began to scatter reports.<br />

I said what I was thinking,<br />

I talked about what I had heard;<br />

now, looking back at it,<br />

it all seems so absurd.<br />

* * * *<br />

Heroism<br />

We gonna beat the monkey,<br />

though he creeps the whole night through.<br />

We can’t make very much of it,<br />

despite what we wanted, too.<br />

We gonna beat him right out of this<br />

human thing that we do.<br />

We keep fast to our side,<br />

don’t let nothin’ get through,<br />

and the last time we stopped them<br />

go be remembered, for true.<br />

Livin’ here now, it’s all about work.<br />

No one will teach you how to do it,<br />

or show you where to buy the shirt.<br />

It’s damned if you do,<br />

but then if you don’t,<br />

it’s consequences unheard of,<br />

and perseverance only hurts.<br />

As far as my life goes,<br />

there’s no news that is new;<br />

I’ll continue to continue<br />

to give the devil his due;<br />

that is, until we meet face to face.<br />

* * * *<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 42


Realism<br />

Schism<br />

On the talk shows,<br />

the host tells you what’s what,<br />

and if you ask too many questions,<br />

they’ll say, “Keep your mouth shut.”<br />

Even the dreams you can remember<br />

are just make believe,<br />

and everyday life gets harder and harder<br />

‘till it’s time for you to leave.<br />

The heavier your burden,<br />

the farther there is to go,<br />

and it seems the long years’ only purpose<br />

is to erase what you know.<br />

Remember the beginning?<br />

When the end was far away?<br />

You had more questions than answers,<br />

and each morning was a new day.<br />

Now the sun is setting<br />

and you have no place to go.<br />

The night is dark and empty,<br />

and of holiness there is none.<br />

Try to remember, try as you might,<br />

but nothing will stay with you<br />

into your next life.<br />

* * * *<br />

Exactly in between what is right<br />

and what’s wrong,<br />

lies an imaginary boundary<br />

that’s never been mentioned in song.<br />

The place where it starts,<br />

and the place where it ends<br />

is at the beginning,<br />

where everything bends.<br />

Bread of sorrow,<br />

life’s ambition;<br />

open country,<br />

life in prison;<br />

break it open,<br />

seal it shut;<br />

life is a feeling<br />

deep in your gut.<br />

The Four Directions<br />

are not choices.<br />

They are the measure of the world,<br />

yet they remain unrepentant.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 43


Paperback | $3.93<br />

Kindle | $7.52<br />

Hardcover | $35.00<br />

What If Ants Wore<br />

Orange Pants<br />

by Alice J Strauss<br />

“What if Ants Wore Orange Pants” was originally conceived as a gift<br />

book for the author’s grandsons. Starting as two illustrated prints given<br />

as baby gifts, it grew over several years into a complete alphabet book.<br />

Twenty-six little rhymes for little readers make learning the alphabet as<br />

much fun for parents to read as for children to enjoy on their own.<br />

Alice Johanson Strauss studied at the Rhode Island School of Design<br />

and worked in the textile industry for many years in both NYC and<br />

the Philadelphia area. Now retired, she lives with her partner and<br />

seven cats in a 100-year-old farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. At<br />

present she does most of her designing in her garden while she thinks<br />

up new ideas for children’s books.<br />

DogSpeak: The Strange<br />

Story of a Curiously Smart<br />

Dog in the Year 2038<br />

by Donal Blaise Lloyd<br />

Many people have asked the question, “What does the future<br />

hold?” This book provides some answers. This touching story of a<br />

man and his dog may surprise you, because this dog is like no other<br />

dog you have ever met. Both man and dog live in the near future, at<br />

a time when everything has been transformed by new technology:<br />

voting, driving, spending money, the use of clocks, time zones, and<br />

basic measurements. But the most surprising is likely the use of<br />

brain decoding and recording—and its many and varied uses may<br />

shock or surprise you.<br />

And yet some things are certain to never change—like the love<br />

between a man and his dog.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $27.17<br />

Kindle | $33.22<br />

Hardcover | $12.65<br />

Paperback | $5.32<br />

Kindle | $4.54<br />

Under Five<br />

Flags<br />

by Hackchan Rhee and Marta L. Tulis<br />

Under Five Flags is the true account of Hackchan Rhee’s<br />

experiences under a variety of governments and political<br />

circumstances. Through it all, he’s seen that people share<br />

not only the finer characteristics of humanity, but the dark<br />

undercurrents as well. Born in Pyongyang, Korea, before<br />

World War II, and eventually moving to the United States,<br />

Rhee has lived under the rule of Japan, Russia, North Korea,<br />

South Korea, and the United States. His experiences taught<br />

him the futility of socialism and the devastation that a<br />

“planned economy” can have on a society.<br />

Robert’s Orchid<br />

by Yvette Feurtado<br />

Moving forward with life seems almost impossible when you have lost<br />

your only child in a tragic accident. You slowly sink into an abyss of<br />

darkness and despair. How do you move on? Everything in your life<br />

becomes meaningless. You are now left with a life that is empty and<br />

have experienced a loss that is forever. What do I do now?<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

She began writing her story of the loss of her beloved son as a means<br />

of releasing all the emotional turmoil felt deep inside. She was going<br />

within to find inspiration to move forward to transcend the path of<br />

sorrow. How do you move on when your heart is broken knowing the<br />

future life envisioned with your loved one will never materialize.


Contributor - Ted Torgersen<br />

The Invisible Stranger<br />

Who am I now,<br />

and what was I before<br />

in that uncertain country<br />

that I couldn’t take, anymore?<br />

Inaction has consequences too:<br />

if I see nothing, say nothing,<br />

hear nothing, fait rien,<br />

I am nothing and no one can see me,<br />

nor where I am not,<br />

nor what I’m not doing.<br />

If a leaf falls by itself in a forest,<br />

does it make any sound?<br />

Or does your whole play pretend castle<br />

have to crash down around you<br />

to get your attention?<br />

Can I man walk naked down Main Street,<br />

lighting invisible bonfires<br />

that smell faintly<br />

like the funeral pyre of lost love?<br />

Dance away, and no one will see you,<br />

slip away and no one will know<br />

you were ever there.<br />

Make a little pile of leaves and feathers<br />

to show that nobody cares.<br />

Burn down Babylon<br />

with the fire of truth<br />

and forget that you ever had a name.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 46


The Wind and the Goats<br />

Some days are so windy<br />

that I wish some goats would come<br />

and calm things down.<br />

Ever see a goat on a windy day?<br />

Something about them makes the wind stay away.<br />

They are a force, like gravity,<br />

that keeps the wind at bay.<br />

Promising to blow tomorrow,<br />

but staying calm today.<br />

Maybe it’s the way they smell,<br />

so strong and rank and, well, goatey,<br />

that keeps the wind from trying<br />

to ruffle their hair, knowing it’ll never<br />

get through all that powerful goatodor.<br />

So it goes and blows itself away,<br />

meaning to come back again, some day<br />

when there aren’t so many goats in the way.<br />

They are a force of nature, going not<br />

so much toward something, or away, as at it.<br />

Perhaps that’s why they’re called goats, ‘cause they go at.<br />

Have you ever seen many goats?<br />

This country is really short on goats, I find,<br />

just like it’s short on poets.<br />

Maybe it’s a conspiracy<br />

of Western archetypes,<br />

cattlemen and sheep-men,<br />

but no goat-men, except one with balloons.<br />

Maybe he borrowed their feet to keep the wind<br />

from messing with his strings,<br />

or maybe the goats are here, and no one notices.<br />

Like no one can tell a poet, anywhere, anytime,<br />

without a program, and even then can’t tell him<br />

much.<br />

Imagine John Wayne on the silver screen,<br />

surrounded by a herd of goats, if you can.<br />

History would really look different, then,<br />

if anyone noticed.<br />

Maybe then the weather channel<br />

would use goats to predict wind patterns,<br />

and we could all be lucky on the eights,<br />

instead of the way we are now, without goats.<br />

But the world’s in no danger, no…<br />

there are plenty of goats<br />

in enough places to keep the wind at bay,<br />

so the place don’t just blow away<br />

in a cross country goat race, except,<br />

how do you keep them running?<br />

Goats don’t stampede, they exude, or recede,<br />

going not away, but at what they perceive.<br />

It could be just a phase,<br />

like childhood, or the hula-hoop,<br />

and after years of struggle,<br />

mankind could finally find itself<br />

surrounded by goats,<br />

becalmed on a hillside, far away<br />

from the false winds<br />

of changeable history.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 47


Paperback | $3.81<br />

Kindle | $7.52<br />

Hardcover | $30.99<br />

Paperback | $22.45<br />

Kindle | $8.27<br />

Sex: Baddest<br />

Sin or Goodest<br />

Pleasure<br />

by Ron Vieselmeyer<br />

The purpose of this book is to help you, the reader, enjoy physical<br />

and spiritual intimacy to its fullest. Perhaps getting to know the<br />

author will help you understand why he is so passionate about this<br />

subject. A beautifully carved eagle by an artist who won first place in<br />

international competition is mounted on a beam under the peak of<br />

the gable above the front entrance to Ron Vieselmeyer’s home. This<br />

eagle symbolizes what Ron is all about (FREEDOM). John 8:32 “The<br />

TRUTH will set you Free.”<br />

A Commentary on the<br />

Gospel of John<br />

by Stanley Polski<br />

A Commentary on the Gospel of John is an exciting, startling new<br />

study by a lay philosopher who may be described as “an uncommon<br />

common man.” Though detailed and scholarly, his work is excitingly<br />

readable for every seeker of insights. And isn’t that all of us? His<br />

writing provides a fresh, provocative, yet reverent look at Jesus as he<br />

is revealed through John’s writings and the author’s interpretation.<br />

The author quotes the Gospel of John a few verses at a time-and<br />

then explores these quotations with a commentary: though deeply<br />

religious he manages to relate them to world leaders and politicians<br />

against the backdrop of the classic philosophers. Some of his views are<br />

outrageous, but he provides a touchstone that believers, seekers, and<br />

doubters may use as a basis for their own religious journeys. This is a<br />

book valuable for both the secular and religious communities.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


Paperback | $14.49<br />

Kindle | $6.96<br />

Hardcover | $25.99<br />

Paperback | $15.99<br />

Kindle | $2.40<br />

The Rabid WATCHDOGS<br />

Abuses Within Our Imperfect<br />

World: Reflections of a<br />

Psychotherapist<br />

by Mary D. Morgillo PhD, A.B.M.P.P.<br />

All Dr. Morgillo wanted to do was help people improve their mental<br />

health and overall livelihood, a calling she felt all her life. However,<br />

no one could have prepared her for enduring one of the most trying<br />

times of her life, which not only put her private psychology practice<br />

and reputation in danger, but also her health and sanity. In her<br />

autobiographical work, THE RAPID WATCHDOGS: Abuses within<br />

our Imperfect World, she sheds insight into the shocking growth of<br />

medical fraud investigations that emerged in the late eighties. Several<br />

practitioners were falsely presented to the Medicaid fraud unit by<br />

disgruntled former employees, exacerbated by misleading attorneys and<br />

indifferent court systems.<br />

Trails to and<br />

Tales of<br />

Sanderson,Texas<br />

by Cleo W. Robinson Jr.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

This is a work manly of fiction. However, many of the stories and<br />

characters are drawn from real life. It is a about life in a small<br />

ranching and railroad town in Southwest Texas just east of the Big<br />

Bend area. For nine months in 1958 and 1959, I had the pleasure<br />

of living in Sanderson, Texas. It was a time between high school<br />

and college that I needed to decide what I wanted to try to do with<br />

my life. Although I was born in a small town, Ionia, Missouri; my<br />

family moved to Springfield, Missouri when I was less than one<br />

year old so I never experienced small town life. Sanderson, Texas<br />

provided that missing ingredient.


Trouble on the<br />

Sea of Mars<br />

Short story and illustration by Ivor Kovac<br />

Chapter 5<br />

Mars<br />

After what seemed like an interminable<br />

journey, they finally arrived at Mars.<br />

At first it was a small dot, like a star,<br />

but then it grew larger and brighter<br />

and took on a ruddy tone. Finally, it<br />

grew to such a size that the narrow<br />

strip of windows in front could not<br />

encompass the entire view. Nathan<br />

had to look through his periscope to<br />

capture a proper view of the planet,<br />

and found it endlessly fascinating.<br />

Mars was both like and unlike Earth.<br />

It had polar ice caps in both the<br />

north and south, but not nearly as<br />

much ocean. There was a great ocean<br />

in the south, but in the northern<br />

hemisphere there were only a few<br />

lakes. The ocean was blue, but the<br />

foliage came in varying shades of red<br />

and orange, so that the more heavily<br />

foliated regions were a deep red, and<br />

the arid grassland regions had more<br />

of an orange look to them.<br />

In the north there were some large<br />

deserts, which appeared yellow like<br />

the Earth’s Sahara desert. As one<br />

went north from Mars’ equator,<br />

the vegetation gradually became<br />

sparse, and the far north was almost<br />

exclusively a desert, save for the<br />

northern ice cap and the surrounding<br />

area where the melting ice produced<br />

enough moisture to sustain tundralike<br />

vegetation and forests, and a<br />

few other areas where there were<br />

rivers and artificial channels dug for<br />

irrigation purposes.<br />

Mars was 85% the size of Earth, but<br />

it actually had more people, and the<br />

smaller size was compensated for by<br />

the greater land to water ratio, even<br />

with the deserts. The moons of Mars<br />

were also fascinating. The larger moon<br />

was round, but smaller than Earth’s<br />

moon, and the smaller moon was<br />

shaped like a potato.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 50


The Krenth nation was the dominant<br />

force in the western hemisphere of<br />

Mars, and the country ran from the<br />

ocean to one of the great deserts in<br />

the north. The plan was that half the<br />

crew, including the captain, would<br />

embark in capsules and land in the<br />

ocean where they would be picked up<br />

by the Krenth Navy. If negotiations<br />

were successful, then more of the crew<br />

would come down, and a human space<br />

port would most likely be established<br />

on Mars.<br />

If negotiations were unsuccessful then<br />

the Krenth might, or might not, return<br />

the crew to the Teddy Roosevelt.<br />

Kor-Neev stated that the test was to<br />

successfully make it to Mars, but it<br />

was possible that regardless of how<br />

negotiations went the crew might<br />

have to find their own way back to<br />

their ship.<br />

“We knew this could be a one way<br />

journey all along,” Nathan said. “But<br />

some things are worth it.”<br />

Once the Teddy Roosevelt was put<br />

into orbit, Nathan, half the crew,<br />

and the diplomatic team took to the<br />

capsules and descended upon the<br />

Martian ocean. Parachutes deployed<br />

on the way down, but the landing was<br />

still quite forceful.<br />

The shapes of the ships which rescued<br />

them were peculiar, angular in some<br />

places and rounded in others. The<br />

ships were all white in color, and the<br />

crewmen wore form fitting blue and<br />

white uniforms, with oddly shaped<br />

blue helmets. The helmets covered<br />

most of their heads, but were open<br />

in front. The sides of their faces were<br />

covered, and the front of the helmet<br />

came down nearly to the bridges<br />

of their noses in a widow’s peak<br />

style point. The tops of the helmets<br />

projected back a bit beyond the back<br />

of their heads and shifted back in<br />

towards the base of their skulls. Some<br />

of them had visors attached to the<br />

fronts of their helmets to shield their<br />

eyes from the sun.<br />

It was the middle of the day, but<br />

the sun was not quite as bright here<br />

as it was on Earth. It was rather<br />

subtle, but still a noticeable difference.<br />

The temperature was warm, but not<br />

terribly hot, even though they were<br />

technically in the tropic zone.<br />

The ranking officers wore looser<br />

garments and robes. Their hair was<br />

bound up into a small cup shaped<br />

cap on the backs of their heads, and<br />

many of them had beards. It reminded<br />

Nathan of ancient Chinese styles that<br />

he had read about in his college library<br />

and seen illustrations of in books.<br />

He could not help but wonder what<br />

things would have been like back on<br />

Earth had some group other than<br />

the western race and culture come<br />

to be the dominant force. It might<br />

have been that ancient Chinese styles<br />

were perpetuated and duplicated<br />

everywhere across the planet, or<br />

perhaps Persian or Indian.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 51


But at the moment, Nathan had more<br />

immediate things to think about.<br />

After being hoisted aboard the ship,<br />

Nathan found that he had difficulty<br />

walking. Even though Mars had<br />

lower gravity, their muscles had grown<br />

weaker as a result of living for weeks<br />

in a zero gravity environment.<br />

In spite of the difficulties, Nathan<br />

remained on deck until all of the<br />

capsules were retrieved, and the ships<br />

began to make for land. Others on<br />

the crew showered and ate, but what<br />

they ate was a mystery to Nathan. He<br />

decided to put off eating Martian<br />

food for a while, just in case it didn’t<br />

agree with his stomach.<br />

As they traveled, he observed the crew,<br />

and they also observed him and the<br />

other Earthmen. They were generally<br />

reserved, but not all of them were as<br />

stoic as Kor-Neev. On two occasions<br />

he actually saw crewmen laughing.<br />

But what interested him most was<br />

the shoreline.<br />

Once the shoreline came into view, he<br />

saw the largest and most impressive<br />

cityscape he had ever seen. It made<br />

New York City look like a small<br />

country town by comparison. The<br />

city seemed to stretch as far as the<br />

eye could see in either direction. Once<br />

he reached the shoreline, he saw just<br />

how immense the buildings were. He<br />

now understood why Kor-Neev was so<br />

unimpressed by Earth’s architecture.<br />

After he disembarked from the ship,<br />

he found himself in a naval yard full of<br />

what appeared to be military vessels.<br />

He and the others were herded into<br />

the Martian version of cars, which<br />

were more aerodynamic and sleek<br />

than any cars back on Earth, and<br />

clearly more advanced technologically.<br />

As they drove through the city he<br />

got a better look at the buildings.<br />

They were composed of metal, stone,<br />

and glass, but all were polished and<br />

shining. They came in varying shades<br />

of gray and black, and towered to<br />

monstrous heights. The architecture<br />

was definitely more advanced than<br />

anything back on Earth, but Nathan<br />

could not help but wonder if the lesser<br />

gravity was also a factor in being able<br />

to build such tall buildings.<br />

The people they passed on the<br />

sidewalks all appeared to be the same<br />

race. Most of them wore black or<br />

gray, but there were a few who wore<br />

different colors in dark tones. Some<br />

of the streets were lined with trees,<br />

and there were also parks, but the<br />

trees were all alien in shape. They<br />

had black trunks and red leaves, and<br />

the grass was orange in color.<br />

Everything was clean and well<br />

ordered. The Krenth even had traffic<br />

lights, but in their case, red meant<br />

go, purple meant caution, and blue<br />

meant stop.<br />

Eventually, they were taken to a<br />

large building surfaced with what<br />

appeared to be polished black stone,<br />

like marble, and led inside. The lobby<br />

was massive, with large black columns<br />

ascending thirty feet overhead to an<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 52


arched ceiling. The walls along the<br />

sides of the lobby were lined with<br />

gold mirrors, and in front of those<br />

were small gardens with yellow and<br />

orange foliage.<br />

They were in what was evidently an<br />

expensive hotel, and which had been<br />

completely cleared of Martians, save<br />

for the staff and a squadron of security<br />

teams for their own protection.<br />

Unfortunately, they were still not<br />

the only tenants, as Nathan soon<br />

discovered.<br />

As he was standing near the counter<br />

waiting to receive his room key, the<br />

main hotel doors opened up and a<br />

group of men stepped inside. Three<br />

of them were Martians, but the<br />

other three were clearly Earthmen<br />

of the Asiatic persuasion. They were<br />

wearing uniforms, two had relatively<br />

simple uniforms, while the third had<br />

an elaborate officer’s uniform with<br />

medals and a hat. The officer had a<br />

mustache and round glasses, and his<br />

hand rested on the hilt of a sword.<br />

He looked around the lobby and<br />

glared at Nathan when their eyes<br />

met. Then he snapped his fingers<br />

twice and said something in a foreign<br />

language as he pointed to a hallway<br />

at the other end of the lobby. The<br />

men with him proceeded to move<br />

in the direction he pointed, while he<br />

glared at Nathan for a second longer.<br />

Nathan raised an eyebrow but other<br />

than that he held his gaze until the<br />

other man snorted disdainfully and<br />

moved off toward the hallway.<br />

A moment later, someone from<br />

behind the counter tapped on his<br />

shoulder.<br />

“Sir, your room key is ready,” the man<br />

behind the counter said in English,<br />

but with a heavy accent.<br />

Nathan turned around to see the<br />

Martian clerk holding some kind of<br />

card in his hand.<br />

“What is this?” Nathan asked.<br />

“Your room key sir,” the clerk said.<br />

“It is an electronic lock. All you have<br />

to do is swipe this card through the<br />

slot on the mechanism, and the door<br />

will be unlocked.”<br />

“That’s interesting,” Nathan said. “But<br />

I was actually asking about those<br />

fellows who just passed through.<br />

“They arrived before you did.”<br />

“But why are they in the hotel with<br />

us?”<br />

“The Japanese are staying on the first<br />

floor, the Germans are staying on the<br />

second. You Americans and English<br />

will be staying on floors four and five.”<br />

“Whose idea was it to have us share<br />

the same hotel?”<br />

“The Sovereign’s.”<br />

“Everyone here is under truce,”<br />

another Martian said. “This is a battle<br />

of words, not force, therefore it should<br />

authorial magazine | 53<br />

not matter if you are within physical<br />

proximity of one another.”<br />

Nathan said nothing further, but it<br />

did not make him happy, to say the<br />

least. He and the others were shown<br />

to their rooms, and for the first time<br />

in a long time Nathan was able to take<br />

a shower, and after that, he was able<br />

to flop down onto a real bed. As he<br />

looked up at the ceiling pondering<br />

what to do next, there came a knock<br />

at the door.<br />

When he answered the door, he found<br />

Kor-Neev escorted by a Krenth man<br />

dressed in mostly black. He had a<br />

sleeveless black tunic which ran down<br />

to his feet in front and in back, and<br />

underneath he wore a dark gray shirt<br />

with wide baggy sleeves, and wide<br />

baggy pants. He wore a dark visor,<br />

similar to what Nathan had seen<br />

the Martians wear when they were<br />

on Earth.<br />

“Captain Benson,” Kor-Neev said<br />

in formal sounding English. “This is<br />

officer Gor-Kaal Emk. He is to be<br />

your chief security liaison.”<br />

“A body guard,” Nathan said.<br />

Or maybe just a guard?<br />

“That is correct,” Kor-Neev replied.<br />

“As you know, you are to be introduced<br />

to the Sovereign. Bear in mind what<br />

I told you of Krenth etiquette.”<br />

“How could I forget?” Nathan asked.<br />

Shouting, except in cases of emergency,<br />

was considered indecent. It was not<br />

against the law, but it was a strong<br />

taboo, and could result in eviction<br />

from a government building or a place<br />

of business. It was rude to enquire of<br />

a person’s welfare unless there was a<br />

legitimate cause for concern. Showing<br />

strong emotion was considered taboo,<br />

and it was better to keep the face<br />

expressionless.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


“It is an honor to meet you,” Gor-Kaal<br />

said as he made fists and touched<br />

them against one another with the<br />

backs of his hands towards Nathan.<br />

Nathan returned the gesture. It was<br />

the Krenth equivalent of a handshake.<br />

An actual handshake might be<br />

considered a vulgarism to the Krenth,<br />

as there were all sorts of taboos against<br />

unnecessary physical contact.<br />

“I will be escorting you to the Council<br />

Chamber in the Tower of Excellence<br />

within the hour,” Gor-Kaal said.<br />

The “Tower of Excellence” was the<br />

primary government building for<br />

the nation of Krenthalkon, and from<br />

what Nathan heard their central<br />

government was small enough to fit<br />

entirely into one building. Of course<br />

the building was of immense height,<br />

but half of it was libraries, archives,<br />

and museums.<br />

After the introduction, they left<br />

Nathan alone for some time, but<br />

returned when it was time to go<br />

to meet the Sovereign. Nathan<br />

was escorted into a vehicle along<br />

with some of the diplomatic team,<br />

while the remaining members of<br />

the diplomatic team were taken in a<br />

series of other vehicles. Each member<br />

of the team was assigned at least one<br />

Martian bodyguard, sometimes more.<br />

They drove down the streets of the<br />

city, passing massive buildings on both<br />

sides of the road. Since the windows<br />

of the cars were tinted, no one paid<br />

noticed that there were aliens inside<br />

or paid them any heed. When they<br />

reached the Tower of Excellence,<br />

the cars parked in a sheltered drive<br />

through, again shielding them from<br />

the eyes of the public, and they were<br />

instructed to disembark.<br />

The Krenth security was either highly<br />

professional, indifferent, or used to the<br />

presence of aliens, as none of them<br />

stared or reacted to their presence,<br />

from the highest official to the lowest<br />

guard. Over the door was an enormous<br />

plaque with an inscription in Krenth<br />

written in large letters. It took Nathan<br />

a few seconds but he was able to<br />

read it.<br />

“LOGIC IS JUSTICE,” it read.<br />

But Nathan was given no time to<br />

think about it. He and the diplomatic<br />

team were made to pass through some<br />

black objects which looked like plastic<br />

or metal doorframes with no doors,<br />

and once on the other side they were<br />

escorted into the elevators and up to<br />

one of the top floors.<br />

When they got out of the elevators,<br />

they were escorted down a long<br />

hallway of black marble with<br />

decorative patterns of silver inlay. The<br />

lighting overhead was a clear white<br />

light with no tinge of any color. The<br />

doors to the council chamber were of<br />

finely carved black stone, or at least<br />

something that looked like stone.<br />

Kor-Neev entered first, followed<br />

by the human delegation, and their<br />

guards stepped through last. The room<br />

was large, and somewhat reminiscent<br />

of gothic architecture with columns<br />

and sharp pointed arches, but the walls<br />

going around the outer perimeter of<br />

the room were actually tinted windows<br />

which afforded a view of the cityscape.<br />

In the center of the room was a long<br />

horseshoe shaped table of glossy black<br />

material.<br />

Martians were seated all around the<br />

outside of the table, and all were<br />

dressed predominantly in black. Some<br />

were dressed more elaborately, and<br />

decked out in glossy silver jewelry<br />

with black gemstones. Most were<br />

men but a few were women. All of<br />

them wore some kind of hat of silver<br />

and grey metal. The man at the head<br />

of the table had the biggest chair,<br />

and he wore the tallest hat of all.<br />

It reminded Nathan of the crowns<br />

worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs.<br />

He wondered if it was supposed<br />

to symbolize something deep and<br />

philosophical, and if so what. If the<br />

Krenth had been a simple culture,<br />

he would have supposed the hat to<br />

represent having the biggest head, and<br />

by extension the biggest brain, but the<br />

Krenth were far too sophisticated for<br />

that, or so he thought.<br />

The man at the head of the table was<br />

introduced as Sovereign Tor-Anaz<br />

Semth. Kor-Neev introduced all of<br />

the Earth men next, then she began<br />

introducing all of the other Martians<br />

who sat around the table, but after<br />

some time she was cut off by one of<br />

the men who sat close to her father.<br />

“This is wasteful of time, Advocate,”<br />

the Martian said. “If these men are<br />

like the others in ability they will<br />

not memorize our names so swiftly.”<br />

The statement was logical, and true<br />

enough. None of the Earthmen would<br />

be able to memorize all those names<br />

so quickly, except for Dr. Robinson,<br />

and perhaps the lawyer, Henley. But<br />

the statement was blunt and tactless,<br />

and showed a severe lack of manners,<br />

or indifference toward them.<br />

At least, by Earth standards.<br />

“Very well,” Kor-Neev said. “In that<br />

case I propose that we utilize name<br />

plates.”<br />

“Your suggestion has already been<br />

anticipated, Advocate,” the Sovereign<br />

said. “Name plates will be distributed<br />

and utilized upon commencement<br />

of the trial, for the benefit of the<br />

Earthmen.”<br />

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The Sovereign officially welcomed<br />

the Earthmen to Krentholkan, never<br />

mentioning Mars or whatever the<br />

local name might be for the planet,<br />

then he immediately proceeded to


the basics of when and how the trial<br />

would occur.<br />

“No doubt the Advocate has already<br />

instructed you, but there is a high<br />

probability that you will benefit from<br />

secondary instruction,” the Sovereign<br />

said.<br />

Even though he kept his face and<br />

voice expressionless and toneless,<br />

it still seemed to Nathan that his<br />

words were dripping with contempt.<br />

It seemed as though the Sovereign<br />

were going out of his way to remind<br />

them of the power relationship and<br />

difference in intellect between his<br />

people and theirs.<br />

Patience, kindness, long suffering …<br />

Nathan recited words of peace and<br />

wisdom in his mind in order to<br />

temper his mood as the Sovereign<br />

went on. However, his recitations<br />

did not prevent him from getting<br />

the gist of what the Sovereign was<br />

saying. The conference was to occur<br />

mostly in the Krenth language, even<br />

though all of the Martian councilors<br />

knew English. The Axis and Allies<br />

would both be present so that if a<br />

proposal were made the other side<br />

could make a counter-proposal, and<br />

so on and so forth.<br />

When the Sovereign finished his<br />

rundown of the procedures, all of the<br />

guests were invited for dinner on the<br />

floor below. Unfortunately the Axis<br />

representatives would also be there.<br />

They descended a stairwell to the floor<br />

below, with the Krenth councilors<br />

leading the way. On the way in,<br />

the humans were given temporary<br />

nametag stickers, with their names<br />

phonetically spelled in the Krenth<br />

language. As Nathan stepped into<br />

the room, he saw the Axis delegation<br />

was already there, although they were<br />

not yet seated. They stood near the<br />

other side of the room talking quietly<br />

among themselves.<br />

Once all of the American and British<br />

delegation were inside, the Sovereign<br />

made a brief announcement.<br />

“This banquet is largely unstructured,”<br />

he said. “The purpose is to engage in<br />

undirected preliminary interactions<br />

with one another, and to sample<br />

Krenth cuisine.”<br />

“Small talk?” Nathan asked quietly,<br />

to no one in particular.<br />

“Not small talk,” Kor-Neev said<br />

overhearing. “Preliminary interactions,<br />

to establish a basis for further<br />

interaction. How should I render<br />

this in Earth terms? Ah yes, it is an<br />

opportunity to ‘sound out’ or ‘get a<br />

feel for your opponents,’ as it were.<br />

Consider it a type of reconnaissance.”<br />

“Got it.”<br />

“And now,” the Sovereign stated. “Do<br />

feel free to eat and mingle.”<br />

The food was served buffet style, and<br />

although Nathan was hungry, he had<br />

no idea what to take or where to start.<br />

He decided to stick closely to Kor-<br />

Neev to see what it she was taking.<br />

“I’d like to follow you through the<br />

line,” he said.<br />

“As you wish,” she replied.<br />

“I need to know what the Earth<br />

equivalents are to all your Martian<br />

food.”<br />

“There are no direct Earth equivalents<br />

to Martian plants and animals,”<br />

she said, “And do not use the term<br />

‘Martian,’ even if we are conversing<br />

in English.”<br />

“Why not?”<br />

“It will be taken as an insult by anyone<br />

who comes to know the meaning.”<br />

“But—“<br />

“Come, we must select our food.”<br />

Nathan followed, and for the most<br />

part he got what Kor-Neev got, but<br />

he often took smaller portions, just in<br />

case he did not like something. If he<br />

did like something he could always<br />

go back for more.<br />

As they went through the line, the<br />

most information he was able to get<br />

out of her was whether something<br />

was root, stalk, leaf, or fruit, and when<br />

it came to meat, it was a matter of<br />

whether it was a sea or land animal.<br />

When he sat down to eat, everything<br />

was quite different, but it all tasted<br />

good. Nathan finished quickly and<br />

went back for seconds. When he<br />

came back to his table he found the<br />

Sovereign there, talking quietly with<br />

Kor-Neev.<br />

“Greetings Captain Benson,” the<br />

Sovereign said when he saw Nathan.<br />

“Greetings Sovereign,” Nathan<br />

returned.<br />

“I had hoped to meet you at this time,”<br />

the Sovereign said. “I wanted to thank<br />

you, as a father, for delivering my<br />

daughter safely and without incident<br />

to Krentholkan.”<br />

“Thank you, sir,” Nathan replied.<br />

“You’re quite welcome.”<br />

The Sovereign gave Nathan the<br />

Martian salute as he sat down. Now<br />

that he saw Kor-Neev and her father<br />

sitting next to one another, he noted<br />

that there was a strong resemblance,<br />

although her father had ice-blue eyes<br />

instead of gray.<br />

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“The trip was adequate father,” Kor-<br />

Neev said.<br />

“Indeed it was,” the Sovereign said.<br />

“I must admit, I did have certain<br />

reservations, and I am not speaking<br />

of the low-tech navigational systems<br />

or primitive combustion based<br />

propulsion system, although that<br />

was certainly a cause for concern…”


“Father…” Kor-Neev said with a hint<br />

of warning or displeasure in her voice.<br />

“However,” the Sovereign continued.<br />

“Based on what I have been told, I<br />

was able to infer that you comported<br />

yourself with the dignity, propriety,<br />

and logic of that befitting a Councilor.<br />

It should be noted that your behavior<br />

will factor in favorably in your case,<br />

even though you will not be physically<br />

present during the proceedings.”<br />

“Thank you sir,” Nathan said,<br />

perceiving that he had just received<br />

an enormous compliment by Krenth<br />

standards.<br />

“I will engage in this ritual, just<br />

this once, in commendation of your<br />

performance,” the Sovereign said as<br />

he extended a hand toward Nathan.<br />

Nathan took his hand and shook it.<br />

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” the<br />

Sovereign said when they released<br />

hands. “There are other persons I<br />

must attend to. Farewell Captain<br />

Benson, and do enjoy your stay on<br />

our world regardless of the outcome<br />

of these events.”<br />

As Nathan ate his seconds, he looked<br />

around the room. His eyes fell on the<br />

Japanese officer he had met in the<br />

lobby. The man’s face seemed to be<br />

locked into a perpetual scowl, at least<br />

partially. He clearly radiated hostility,<br />

and Nathan could only wonder how<br />

the Martians would take it. All<br />

throughout the banquet, he noted that<br />

the Japanese officer remained close to<br />

one of the most elaborately dressed<br />

Krenth councilors, and that they spoke<br />

continually in hushed tones. In spite<br />

of all the Krenth security personnel,<br />

the Japanese officer carried a side arm<br />

and a sword, and one of his hands<br />

always hovered somewhere close to<br />

his weapon.<br />

Unstable… Aggressive…<br />

One of the German’s also drew<br />

Nathan’s attention. The man was<br />

middle aged and wore an elaborate<br />

uniform covered in medals. But unlike<br />

the Japanese officer, this man was of<br />

an enormous size, and about 6’5 in<br />

height. His balding head was shaved<br />

down to gray stubble, and he wore<br />

a monocle over one eye. He had a<br />

large chest and arms, but he also had<br />

a significant gut. Nathan could not<br />

help wonder how much of his bulk<br />

was fat vs. muscle.<br />

This man seemed to be more easygoing<br />

than the Japanese officer, but had the<br />

hint of a smirk perpetually on his<br />

face, except on a few occasions when<br />

it burst into a full-fledged sneer. The<br />

German officer went around the<br />

room speaking with many of the<br />

Martians, and with the members of<br />

the Allied diplomatic team. Nathan<br />

found this man equally disturbing,<br />

but for slightly different reasons. He<br />

shook his head and returned to his<br />

food. For the first time he was glad<br />

that he was not a member of the<br />

diplomatic team.<br />

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After some time, Kor-Neev got up<br />

and went to go interact with the<br />

Axis team. Nathan shook his head<br />

once more, then went to get dessert


and returned to his table. But he had<br />

barely begun to eat his dessert when<br />

someone spoke to him with a heavy<br />

German accent.<br />

“Herr Benson?” the voice said.<br />

Nathan sighed and turned slowly to<br />

see who it was that addressed him,<br />

even though he could probably guess.<br />

“So you are the brave captain<br />

of the American ship,” said the<br />

German officer with the monocle.<br />

“I congratulate you on your swift and<br />

efficient voyage.”<br />

The German officer was flanked by<br />

two other men. One was the Japanese<br />

officer, and the other was a large<br />

German with extremely pale skin,<br />

white flat-top hair, and dark glasses.<br />

The German officer smiled at Nathan<br />

and held out a hand. Nathan sighed<br />

inwardly and rose to his feet. He<br />

shook hands with the German officer<br />

in spite of himself.<br />

“I am General Praetorius, representing<br />

the military arm of the Third Reich,<br />

and my honorable colleague is General<br />

Watanabe, of the Imperial Japanese<br />

Army,” the German officer said,<br />

gesturing toward the Japanese officer,<br />

who still seemed to be scowling.<br />

The Japanese officer bowed toward<br />

Nathan, and Nathan returned the<br />

gesture.<br />

“And this fine gentleman to my<br />

right, is your counterpart,” General<br />

Praetorius said gesturing to the other<br />

man. “He is Captain Adolf Schultz.”<br />

Now that Nathan was standing, he<br />

was able to get a better idea of the<br />

size of the German captain. He was<br />

an enormous mountain of a man.<br />

Nathan was a big man himself, but<br />

he looked unimpressive next to this<br />

German soldier. He could not help<br />

but wonder if that was by design, to<br />

put up a superior and/or intimidating<br />

front. But if so, was it for the Martians<br />

or the Americans?<br />

Perhaps both?<br />

Both the face and form of Captain<br />

Schultz were finely chiseled, like the<br />

work of a sculptor attempting to create<br />

an image of the perfect man.<br />

The German captain stepped closer<br />

to Nathan, until he came within a<br />

few inches of him. Nathan refused<br />

to allow himself to be intimidated.<br />

He straightened up and cocked his<br />

head casually to one side, then the<br />

other, as if he were a boxer preparing<br />

for a fight. The German captain’s jaw<br />

clenched, and he removed his dark<br />

glasses. Baleful pink eyes glared down<br />

at Nathan.<br />

An albino!<br />

He wondered why the Germans<br />

would send an albino, which was<br />

actually a sort of disability, but then<br />

it occurred to Nathan that on Mars,<br />

pigment would not be quite as vital<br />

as it was on Earth. In this context,<br />

his anomalous pink eyes combined<br />

with his immense bulk would be an<br />

asset, if intimidation was the goal, and<br />

knowing the Axis, it probably was.<br />

Is this what they mean when they talk<br />

about the Ubermensch?<br />

After looking Nathan up and down,<br />

as if sizing him up, Captain Schultz<br />

extended an enormous hand. Nathan<br />

took his hand, and immediately his<br />

hand was squeezed in a vice-like<br />

grip. Nathan kept his face steady in<br />

order to hide his discomfort, and he<br />

squeezed back with as much pressure<br />

as he could apply. The German’s eyes<br />

narrowed, and he applied even more<br />

pressure. Nathan clenched his jaws,<br />

but kept on the pressure and made<br />

no sound or expression which would<br />

betray his discomfort and pain.<br />

Finally the German captain released<br />

his hand, and General Praetorius<br />

spoke up again.<br />

“There!” the General said. “You see,<br />

we are all friends here! This is not a<br />

hostile confrontation, but an auction<br />

of sorts, where we both bid for the<br />

same commodity. There is no reason<br />

why we cannot be friends, after all,<br />

there is no hostility between our<br />

peoples back on Earth, no state of<br />

war … The best man will win this<br />

auction. As for the loser, well … There<br />

are other people’s here on Mars, yes?”<br />

The comment was gratuitous and<br />

empty. Both the Axis and Allies<br />

knew that the Krenth were the most<br />

technologically advanced civilization<br />

on Mars, and they also controlled<br />

the largest geographic area. The only<br />

advantage their chief competitor had<br />

was a larger population, but a larger<br />

army could be overcome by a smaller<br />

army with superior equipment and<br />

training.<br />

“Well, if you will excuse me Herr<br />

Benson, I must take my leave of you,”<br />

the German General said with a<br />

smirk. “I am eager to meet your Dr.<br />

Robinson. Good day.”<br />

General Praetorius turned away, and<br />

General Watanabe bowed once more<br />

before turning to follow him. Captain<br />

Schultz remained glaring at Nathan<br />

for a few seconds longer.<br />

“Good grip,” he said, then he put<br />

his dark glasses on and turned away.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

Nathan’s flexed and crackled his hand<br />

once the German captain was gone.<br />

His hand throbbed for the rest of<br />

the night, and when he returned to<br />

his hotel room, he stuck his hand<br />

under the faucet and turned on the<br />

cold water.<br />

authorial magazine | 57


Chapter 6<br />

The City<br />

The next day, Nathan got up and got<br />

dressed in casual clothes. He knew<br />

there was really nothing for him to<br />

do, other than check in with the ship<br />

on a daily basis. He was essentially a<br />

tourist on an alien world. Or was he?<br />

Could I really just get up and walk<br />

out of here?<br />

Under normal circumstances, he<br />

would have gone down to the cafeteria<br />

to eat, but there was a good chance<br />

the Germans and Japanese would<br />

be there.<br />

So what if they are, they don’t own the<br />

hotel! But… on the other hand, why<br />

should I stay in the hotel when there’s<br />

a planet to see?<br />

He had been issued a small plastic<br />

card which supposedly represented<br />

a certain amount of Krenth currency,<br />

so he could go shopping and buy<br />

food if he wished. But then he<br />

remembered how it had been on<br />

Earth for the Martians. None of them<br />

were physically threatened, but they<br />

had to go everywhere with security,<br />

and wherever they went in public they<br />

were quickly surrounded by crowds.<br />

Still, staying in the room all day would<br />

not work. Nathan opened the door<br />

and stepped out into the hall. He<br />

found Gor-Kaal standing in the hall<br />

outside of his room, and a line of<br />

Martian security going down the<br />

hallway in both directions, with one<br />

guard standing outside of each room<br />

occupied by humans.<br />

Gor-Kaal nodded at Nathan but<br />

said nothing.<br />

“I want to go outside,” Nathan said.<br />

“Outside?” Gor-Kaal said.<br />

“Yes, why not? You don’t expect me<br />

to stay in this hotel the whole time<br />

I’m here do you?”<br />

“This hotel has extensive<br />

accommodations. In the top floor,<br />

there is a park. There are also swimming<br />

pools, weight rooms, running tracks,<br />

multiple restaurants, and a movie<br />

theater. Also, the hotel has been<br />

cleared of all Krenth customers.”<br />

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“Am I a prisoner?”<br />

“Of course not.”<br />

“Then I’m going outside.”<br />

“Wait, let me make the appropriate<br />

arrangements. One moment …”


Gor-Kaal tapped a small black device<br />

which was on his ear and began to<br />

speak. He quickly relayed what<br />

Nathan planned to do and called for<br />

extra security to be ready in the lobby.<br />

“Why the extra security?”<br />

Nathan asked.<br />

“Since you are more important than<br />

the average crewman of your ship, I<br />

thought it prudent to call for extra<br />

security,” Gor-Kaal replied.<br />

Nathan recalled how much security<br />

had been assigned to the Martians<br />

back on Earth. It was extensive, and<br />

they generally tried to avoid being<br />

seen in large public places. If they<br />

wanted to go somewhere, like a zoo<br />

or historical site, it was often cleared<br />

of civilians before they arrived.<br />

But the Krenth were different. They<br />

were more reserved, therefore it<br />

followed that they would behave in<br />

a more restrained fashion.<br />

When they reached the lobby, they<br />

were joined by two more security men,<br />

who followed them without a word.<br />

When they reached the main doors<br />

of the hotel, Gor-Kaal sighed. It was<br />

not a loud sigh but Nathan still heard<br />

it. Apparently not all of the Krenth<br />

were as controlled and bottled up<br />

emotionally as the Sovereign and<br />

the councilors.<br />

Which means anything could happen…<br />

For a moment, Nathan considered<br />

staying inside, but when he looked<br />

back toward the cafeteria which was<br />

on the ground floor he saw a good<br />

many Japanese soldiers loitering<br />

about and eating. He shook his<br />

head and decided to risk whatever<br />

perils lay outside rather than eat<br />

lunch surrounded by those who were<br />

clearly an enemy.<br />

Gor-Kaal led Nathan to a car with<br />

darkly tinted windows. Even when<br />

Nathan leaned in close and put his<br />

face against the back window, he could<br />

hardly see anything inside. The other<br />

two guards got into the front of the<br />

car, while Nathan and Gor-Kaal got<br />

into the back.<br />

“Where would you like to go first?”<br />

Gor-Kaal asked once they were<br />

all inside.<br />

“Take me to get something to eat,”<br />

Nathan replied. “Take me to a place<br />

you would go. I still don’t know what’s<br />

what here.”<br />

“We’ll go to a place with a consistently<br />

low volume of customers.”<br />

“No way! Take me to a place where<br />

the food is good.”<br />

For half a second, the shadow of an<br />

exasperated look flitted across Gor-<br />

Kaal’s face. By Earth standards it was<br />

nothing, but compared with how<br />

all the other Martians Nathan had<br />

seen comported themselves it was<br />

practically a shout.<br />

“Take us to Gor-Saalas’ Prime Eatery,”<br />

Gor-Kaal said in Krenth.<br />

“I hope it’s good,” Nathan replied in<br />

the same language.<br />

“You know Krenth?” Gor-Kaal asked,<br />

turning suddenly to face Nathan.<br />

“I know enough to converse, but<br />

I’d like to know more. Why don’t<br />

we talk in Krenth, and if I don’t<br />

understand something I’ll ask you<br />

for the English word.”<br />

“Very good, I find it difficult to speak<br />

in English continuously.”<br />

“Really? I don’t find it so hard to<br />

speak in Krenth. It’s a very natural<br />

language.”<br />

“Is it? I wonder if others in your team<br />

feel the same way?”<br />

“I have no idea, but I know Dr.<br />

Robinson and Henley are better at<br />

it than me.”<br />

“Hmm.”<br />

“I have a question, what’s with all the<br />

Gor and Kor?”<br />

“Ah, I would not expect you to<br />

understand. They come from old<br />

Krenth speech, from before the<br />

World War.”<br />

“Your people had a World War? So<br />

did we … But wait, first tell me what<br />

the Gor and Kor mean.”<br />

“They are designations that refer to<br />

birth order. We are a hierarchical<br />

society. ‘Kor’ refers to firstborn, ‘Gor’<br />

refers to the second born. Kor-Neev<br />

is the Sovereign’s oldest child, and<br />

her brother Gor-Malas is the second<br />

child. The Sovereign himself is the<br />

third of his family.”<br />

“I see, and the war?”<br />

“The World War happened 2000<br />

years ago. It stripped our world of<br />

most of its civilizations, and nearly<br />

destroyed all life.”<br />

“How?”<br />

“It was an atomic war. It took us over<br />

1000 years to rebuild our civilization.<br />

It was a great tragedy.”<br />

“What do you mean by atomic?”<br />

“We invented fission devices to split<br />

the atom, which released incredible<br />

amounts of energy, followed by<br />

radiation which poisoned our world<br />

for hundreds of years. Now a state<br />

of balance exists between us and<br />

the Sovath.”<br />

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“Sovath?”<br />

“The other great power. They exist<br />

on the other side of our world. They<br />

are not as advanced as we, but they<br />

have many atomic devices.”


“You mean, people still use such things<br />

after what happened?”<br />

“No one uses them, but all the most<br />

powerful nations have them for the<br />

sake of deterrence. Even though we<br />

are the most advanced technologically,<br />

a conventional war with the Sovath<br />

would be difficult for us, because they<br />

outnumber us three to one. That is<br />

why we must have atomic devices.<br />

In fact, we have more atomic devices<br />

than they do.”<br />

“Well, so long as it keeps the peace …”<br />

“That is the entire purpose.”<br />

Hopefully these people don’t want to use<br />

Earth as grounds for a proxy war …<br />

Or maybe they want Earth as a backup<br />

world, or a colony!<br />

Nathan continued to quietly mull over<br />

his concerns until they reached the<br />

restaurant. The diner took up half of<br />

the ground level floor in one of the<br />

enormous buildings, and it had large<br />

round windows which glowed with a<br />

blue light around the edges.<br />

When they stepped inside, the<br />

woman working as receptionist looked<br />

startled, but quickly regained her<br />

composure, then she looked at Gor-<br />

Kaal. Gor-Kaal nodded at her, and<br />

she began to speak rapidly in Krenth,<br />

barely restraining her excitement.<br />

“Right this way sir,” she said. “We<br />

have a table you can have at once.”<br />

“Sounds good,” Nathan replied.<br />

As they passed through the dining<br />

area, many of the customers cast<br />

glances at Nathan, and some of them<br />

quickly muttered to one another<br />

as they looked at him, but no one<br />

said anything to him. Some younger<br />

Martians raised small handheld<br />

devices similar to the one Kor-Neev<br />

used to take pictures as they passed.<br />

Gor-Kaal glared and took a step<br />

toward one of them but Nathan<br />

stopped him.<br />

“Let them take their pictures,” Nathan<br />

said. “They just want a story to tell<br />

their friends. There’s no harm in it.”<br />

“If you insist,” Gor-Kaal said.<br />

When Nathan and Gor-Kaal were<br />

seated, the other two men took up<br />

positions at different points nearby.<br />

The receptionist placed a menu in<br />

front of them, and informed them<br />

that a waiter would be with them<br />

momentarily. Then she left to return<br />

to the front, but not without pausing<br />

and turning around to steal another<br />

glance at Nathan.<br />

Nathan looked at the menu. Some<br />

of the food items had pictures, but<br />

most did not. There were of course<br />

descriptions, but even though he<br />

could sound out the words the names<br />

of plants, animals, and spices were<br />

mostly meaningless to him.<br />

Ultimately Gor-Kaal helped Nathan<br />

pick something to eat, and it turned<br />

out to be good.<br />

After they finished their meal, Gor-<br />

Kaal wanted to return, but Nathan<br />

insisted on seeing more of the city.<br />

Gor-Kaal reluctantly obliged. They<br />

visited a park, a mall, and a museum.<br />

Over the course of the day many of<br />

the people they passed paused to<br />

glance at Nathan, but ultimately kept<br />

walking without saying a word. Some<br />

just turned their heads for a second<br />

and continued without stopping, and<br />

some were entirely indifferent to him.<br />

But there were a few people who<br />

wanted to stop and speak with<br />

Nathan, mostly young people in<br />

their late teens and early 20s. The<br />

first few times it happened, Gor-<br />

Kaal attempted to send them away<br />

but Nathan overruled him. He was<br />

eager to meet other Martians besides<br />

the stuffy aristocratic rulers he had<br />

spoken with prior to leaving the hotel.<br />

Most of the young women who<br />

stopped him, and some of the men,<br />

wanted to take pictures with Nathan.<br />

“Does everyone have these tiny<br />

cameras?” Nathan asked Gor-Kaal<br />

at one time when they had just gotten<br />

through talking with some Martian<br />

college students.<br />

“The technology is about fifteen years<br />

old, and based on what I have seen,<br />

all the young adults under thirty<br />

have them, at least the women do,”<br />

Gor-Kaal said.<br />

“You don’t approve?” Nathan asked.<br />

“I think it’s foolish and narcissistic.”<br />

“How do the cameras work? I’ve<br />

never seen film that could fit into a<br />

case that small.”<br />

“They don’t use film, and those<br />

devices aren’t just cameras. They<br />

are computers, and they store the<br />

information in their memory. The<br />

pictures can be uploaded to other<br />

devices, or put on the network.”<br />

“Network? What’s that?”<br />

“There are literally billions of<br />

computers around our world. They<br />

are connected by wires and electronic<br />

signals, which form a network where<br />

information can be exchanged with<br />

any other computer.”<br />

“So anyone can see what you have on<br />

your personal computer?”<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 60<br />

“No, they can only see what you post<br />

in public for them to see. There are<br />

large computers that host a lot of<br />

information, and people can connect<br />

to those remotely and browse through<br />

it, like a library, but inside a computer.”<br />

“Interesting.”


“A lot of it is garbage, because<br />

anything at all can be posted.”<br />

“I see.”<br />

“So the pictures of me that they<br />

are taking …”<br />

“You’re probably going to be all over<br />

the social media.”<br />

“Social media? What is that?”<br />

“It is a ridiculous custom started by<br />

the Sovath and others of their race.<br />

Each person gets a ‘page’ on a social<br />

networking site, where they can post<br />

pictures of themselves and personal<br />

details. The idea is that they connect<br />

with friends to share information<br />

publicly, and each person subscribed to<br />

their page receive an update every time<br />

they post a picture or a statement.”<br />

“So… what? They post pictures of<br />

themselves and make statements, like<br />

in a diary, but for everyone to see?”<br />

“Yes.”<br />

“So it’s like having your own<br />

personal newspaper, which is entirely<br />

about you?”<br />

“Yes, precisely.”<br />

“That does sound narcissistic. But,<br />

surely most people don’t care about<br />

those kinds of things.”<br />

“Most Krenth find it foolish, as I<br />

do, but it is popular among some<br />

of the younger people, too many<br />

unfortunately.”<br />

“Strange …”<br />

“Strange and foolish, and certainly<br />

contrary to our values and culture.”<br />

“But still, you allow it.”<br />

“It is allowed. We are a free people,<br />

which includes the freedom to be a<br />

fool as well.”<br />

“Huh …”<br />

“Some will keep the pictures on their<br />

personal computers, and others will<br />

be satisfied by printing them off.”<br />

“Interesting, take a picture without<br />

film, and print it off on another device.”<br />

At the end of the day, they ate dinner<br />

and returned, but the next day Nathan<br />

wanted to go out again. They visited<br />

another part of the city and ate at<br />

different restaurants. Again they<br />

were stopped throughout the day<br />

by young people.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

“If you could just put an arm around<br />

me,” one of the Martian women said.<br />

“And also my friend …”<br />

Nathan put his arm around both<br />

women, while Gor-Kaal grew tense<br />

and the other two guards looked<br />

around with expressionless faces.<br />

authorial magazine | 61


“You take the picture first Tor-Shal,<br />

make sure you get us both,” one of<br />

the women said.<br />

“Friendship with fools is a poor<br />

investment, and often comes<br />

with a cost.”<br />

the attention was certainly motivated<br />

by the novelty aspect of his presence,<br />

but sometimes it was more than that.<br />

There were three young women, and<br />

each had their own mobile device.<br />

Tor-Shal took pictures with all three<br />

devices, then switched places with one<br />

of the other girls and the procedure<br />

was repeated. The whole process took<br />

nearly ten minutes.<br />

“You have something to say Gor-<br />

Kaal?” Nathan asked when the<br />

women had gone.<br />

“It is not my place to say anything,”<br />

Gor-Kaal replied.<br />

“It’s alright, go ahead.”<br />

“Why do you encourage such<br />

foolishness?”<br />

“Why not? I’m the first alien they ever<br />

got to see, and maybe the last. They’re<br />

young, and they want to remember.<br />

There’s no harm in it. It’s good to be<br />

friendly.”<br />

“Relax. This is nothing compared with<br />

how my people reacted to yours back<br />

on Earth. Every time they went out,<br />

there were enormous crowds, and<br />

many people leaning in and reaching<br />

out to try to touch them. If they<br />

wanted to spend any length of time<br />

in an area the police had to clear it.”<br />

A clear look of horror flitted across<br />

Gor-Kaal’s face and his mouth even<br />

dropped open a little. Nathan waited<br />

to give him an opportunity to say<br />

something but he was speechless.<br />

“So you see, this is nothing by<br />

comparison,” Nathan said.<br />

But that was not all. On Earth he<br />

was considered attractive by the<br />

opposite sex, and he received flirts<br />

from time to time, but it was nothing<br />

compared with the volume of female<br />

attention he received now. Much of<br />

At one point he had a long<br />

conversation with a twenty-two<br />

year old woman. As they talked, she<br />

frequently brushed at her long black<br />

hair. It parted on the side, and so<br />

smooth that it kept slipping down<br />

over one side of her face. Nathan<br />

found the repeated action charming,<br />

and occasionally the young woman<br />

even smiled at him.<br />

It slowly dawned on Nathan that he<br />

was coming to appreciate Martian<br />

beauty. The universally long hair and<br />

flowing garments reminded him<br />

of older and more noble eras of<br />

ancient Earth, and began to stir up<br />

new thoughts in him and longings<br />

which he did not know that he had.<br />

Of course, that was not the only<br />

thing. Most of the women were tall<br />

and slim, and had sharp Nordic type<br />

features. He had gotten used to the<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 62


higher foreheads to the point where he<br />

no longer thought of them, although<br />

some Krenth did not have them. The<br />

woman he spoke with now had a<br />

human-sized forehead.<br />

He had also grown accustomed to<br />

the gray skin, and now it just seemed<br />

natural to him while his own skin<br />

seemed anomalous. He had also<br />

grown to appreciate their outfits,<br />

which were modest yet flattering of<br />

their forms, and elegant. At first he<br />

never would have imagined that he<br />

would be attracted to the Martian<br />

women, but even though they were<br />

aliens, the fact remained that they<br />

were women and he was a man.<br />

Nathan invited the young woman to<br />

eat dinner with him, and the whole<br />

time he enjoyed her company, while<br />

Gor-Kaal looked increasingly tense<br />

and uncomfortable. The other two<br />

guards remained aloof.<br />

After dinner, they walked and talked<br />

together for a while, but suddenly the<br />

young woman became tense after<br />

removing her mobile device to take<br />

another picture.<br />

“I’m going to be late for my economics<br />

class!” she said anxiously. “I have to<br />

run. But, tell me your mobile number<br />

before I go …”<br />

“My what?” Nathan asked.<br />

“Your mobile number, maybe we can<br />

meet again?”<br />

“I don’t know what that is.”<br />

“You don’t have a mobile phone?<br />

Like this?”<br />

She held up the device that she had<br />

been using to take pictures.<br />

“That’s a phone?” Nathan asked.<br />

“Of course silly! What did you think?”<br />

“I don’t know…”<br />

“Are you on Karm Profiles?”<br />

“What is that?”<br />

“What about Happy Tracker?”<br />

“I really don’t know what you’re<br />

talking about.”<br />

“What’s your electronic mail address?”<br />

“I don’t know what that is either.”<br />

“My goodness!” she said as she took<br />

his hand and held it. “Well here …”<br />

She took a pen from her purse and<br />

wrote a number on Nathan’s hand,<br />

then she wrote her name beneath it<br />

in large letters.<br />

“Bye now!” she said with a smile. “I<br />

have to go.”<br />

She turned from him and walked off<br />

at a rapid pace, her boots clomping<br />

loudly against the floor, and at one<br />

point she tripped and stumbled to the<br />

side, but she quickly steadied herself<br />

and ran off at a faster louder pace.<br />

Nathan and Gor-Kaal watched her<br />

go, and once she was gone Gor-<br />

Kaal spoke up.<br />

“What a stupid woman,” he said.<br />

“I was growing concerned that she<br />

would never leave.”<br />

“She seemed nice, and she’s not that<br />

stupid,” Nathan said. “We had a nice<br />

long conversation.”<br />

“About animals and food.”<br />

“And family. She seemed like a<br />

nice girl.”<br />

“She is a fool, and she has a<br />

stunted sense of dignity, propriety,<br />

and manners.”<br />

“Come on …”<br />

“Flaunting her emotions in such<br />

a brazen fashion and unrestricted<br />

fashion in public, as if she had no<br />

proper upbringing or education.<br />

Completely lacking in basic manners<br />

and discretion…”<br />

“That’s a lot of judgment.”<br />

“Speaking of which, I sincerely hope<br />

that you will not judge the Krenth<br />

people based upon that individual.”<br />

“I won’t.”<br />

“Good, there are always those<br />

among us with low intellect and<br />

a poor upbringing, but they are a<br />

small minority. Will you actually<br />

call her later?”<br />

“I don’t know, I hadn’t thought<br />

about it.”<br />

“Cavorting with our women may<br />

adversely affect the diplomatic<br />

endeavors your people are making,<br />

but then, if you were to take such<br />

a foolish and intellectually stunted<br />

creature from our gene pool and<br />

return to Earth, it would certainly be<br />

no loss to us. Pragmatically speaking,<br />

it would be in our interest to allow<br />

you to do so.”<br />

“For goodness sake …”<br />

“But I could not bear to live with such<br />

a foolish woman. Her low intellect<br />

and cloying emotionalism would<br />

grow extremely tiresome.”<br />

“Listen, I’m here on a mission, that’s<br />

all. All I’m doing now is experiencing<br />

your culture, like Kor-Neev did when<br />

she was on Earth. Just because I’m<br />

talking with people you probably<br />

never would does not mean I’m<br />

getting ready to marry them. I just<br />

said she was a nice girl, that’s it. No<br />

reason to read anything into that.<br />

Now let’s get going, I want to buy<br />

some souvenirs …”<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 63<br />

To be continued…


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Dancing with<br />

the Stripes<br />

by Shirley Ellen Dodding<br />

Alyssa loses both parents at twenty-one, and to ward off<br />

her depression, her gran pays for a fourteen-day Caribbean<br />

cruise. Looking for love, a new life, and the sun, Alyssa’s<br />

journey starts with adventurous romance, but it quickly<br />

turns nightmarish.<br />

Two mischievous kids in a cabin down the hall, have the<br />

run of the ship. In time, they have the whole ship looking<br />

to solve a crime. Alyssa is arrested and thrown into the<br />

brig. Will the ship’s officer, the romantic Clive, save her, or<br />

the F.B.I.? Who will save the ship?<br />

Satan Don’t<br />

Block My Way<br />

by Lillie Mae Hipps-Dickerson<br />

It is a book of short poems written to inspire people to live their lives<br />

through the eyes of their life in God.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

I am the second of nine children, and at nine months old I had polio. I<br />

started walking at the age of three and the doctor gave me a fifty fifty<br />

chance of living. Some of them say I would be in a vegetable state, but<br />

the Lord blessed me to be the person that I am today. My faith in the<br />

Lord is very strong. I am a writer and I write for the Lord’s people<br />

who need a word from the Lord to be blessed in His love.


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Who is this<br />

Stranger<br />

by Sally M. Russell<br />

Having just graduated from Law School in his home state of Virginia,<br />

Carlton was offered an inheritance from his grandfather that had<br />

grown through several generations. The only stipulation was that it be<br />

used in someway to help mankind which had been the dream of his<br />

great, great, great grandfather.<br />

His travels to find what he wanted brought him to a ‘little spot in the<br />

road’ in Illinois which intrigued him, but there was also a very naive<br />

young lady who was ready to learn about love and wasn’t afraid to ask<br />

questions. It’s a challenge, not only with the town that becomes his<br />

project along with his grandfather, but also with a love he’s not sure he’s<br />

ready for but doesn’t want to let go.<br />

Face into<br />

the Wind<br />

by Raymond D. Aumack<br />

The poems in this book are as diverse as you can imagine.<br />

There are poems of Irish imagination as well as poems of<br />

triumph and sadness in tragedy. There are love poems and<br />

poems observing the vicissitudes of our curious society. There<br />

are poems that simply tell stories. There are poems that<br />

celebrate personal courage. There are poems of both lament<br />

and praise. And there are poems of internal reflection.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 66


Lifestyle<br />

The Charming<br />

City of <strong>Manila</strong><br />

by Rio Siao<br />

<strong>Manila</strong>, the capital city of the Philippines, was declared as one of the most densely<br />

populated city proper in the entire world during 2018. It has gained its reputation as<br />

the second capital city in the world that has been damaged and rebuilt so many times,<br />

right after Tokyo. Aside from being such a resilient global city, it is also known to be<br />

one of the wealthiest cities in Southeast Asia. The city’s name, “<strong>Manila</strong>,” is derived from<br />

the term which means the whole metropolitan area.<br />

The city is located on the eastern shores of <strong>Manila</strong> Bay.Th e Pasig River flows through<br />

the middle of the city, dividing it into the north and south sections. It is made up of<br />

sixteen administrative districts: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan,<br />

Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa<br />

Cruz, Santa Mesa, and Tondo. Home to many historic sites, most of which were made<br />

in the 16 th century, it was founded by Spanish conquistador, Miguel de Legazpi, during<br />

June 24, 1571.<br />

Why it’s great to be in <strong>Manila</strong><br />

• The people’s hospitality will make you feel at home. Filipinos are really one<br />

of the friendliest people you will ever meet.<br />

• If you don’t know how to speak Tagalog, the national language, you won’t really<br />

have a problem communicating because most Filipinos know basic English.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

• The food is definitely a must-try. Since the Philippines became a colony of<br />

three big nations, namely Spain, Japan, and the USA, it offers an extensive<br />

range of dishes to choose from. Some are so unique because the recipes are<br />

infusions of these countries.<br />

• <strong>Manila</strong>’s nightlife is pulsating with so much adrenaline, making its mark as<br />

one of Asia’s coolest cities.<br />

• The city takes pride in its rich culture, arts, and history.<br />

authorial magazine | 67


Sights and Sounds<br />

in <strong>Manila</strong><br />

<strong>Manila</strong> Bay<br />

<strong>Manila</strong> Bay is a natural harbor which serves as the main<br />

port of <strong>Manila</strong> in the Philippines. Strategically located<br />

around the capital city of the country, it facilitated<br />

commerce and trade between the Philippines and its<br />

neighboring countries, thus, becoming the gateway for<br />

socio-economic development even prior to Spanish<br />

occupation. It also boasts an experience like no other<br />

as every afternoon brings a beautiful sunset.<br />

Intramuros<br />

A home to Spanish-era landmarks like Fort Santiago,<br />

this citadel has a large stone gate and a shrine to national<br />

hero José Rizal. Affluent in history and arts such that of<br />

the ornate <strong>Manila</strong> Cathedral housing bronze carvings and<br />

stained glass windows, while the San Agustin Church<br />

museum has religious artwork and statues. Walk around<br />

the Spanish colonial features of furniture and art-filled<br />

Casa <strong>Manila</strong> museum and ride in one of the horse-drawn<br />

carriages (kalesa) that ply the area’s cobblestone streets<br />

to complete the experience.<br />

The Cultural Center of the Philippines<br />

Experience the best of the country’s culture and arts. It<br />

is the zenith of every artist, performer, musician, and<br />

director’s dream for local fame. The theater showcases<br />

the best of Philippines’ pride.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 68


Quiapo<br />

Not only does the famous annual procession of the<br />

Black Nazarene centers on this iconic place, but the<br />

bustling streets of Quiapo will mesmerize you like that<br />

of a kaleidoscope. Surrounding the places of worship are<br />

mystical affairs crawling the sidewalks. Vendors peddling<br />

spiritual items like that of amulets, candles, magical<br />

potions, even offering tarot card and palm reading.<br />

<strong>Manila</strong> Zoo<br />

Formally known as the <strong>Manila</strong> Zoological and Botanical<br />

Garden, this is a 5.5-hectare zoo located in Malate,<br />

<strong>Manila</strong>. It was opened to the public on July 25, 1959.<br />

Touring the zoo is a great way to educate children and<br />

yourself of the various animals especially those only<br />

found in the Philippines. Enjoy the grace of these rare<br />

animals with their beautiful habitats while getting to<br />

know each of their characteristics.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

authorial magazine | 69


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Brightly, the<br />

Grounded Angel<br />

by Gay Sizemore Sauer<br />

Everybody is useful in spite of limitations... this includes<br />

ANGELS. Everyone has a talent that can be used for the<br />

good of others. Brightly, the one winged angel shows us<br />

how we can all be useful in God’s kingdom. Although he<br />

is a handicap, Brightly, uses his beautiful singing voice to<br />

soothe newborn babies with his beautiful voice. Beginning<br />

with his first assignment in the stable at Bethlehem,<br />

Brightly learns that it is more fun to help the newborn<br />

babies than to somersault in multiple flip-flops in the<br />

atmosphere.<br />

Fate<br />

Unknown<br />

by Leean Lewis-Ramirez<br />

Fate Unknown is a novel inspired by adolescent years spent<br />

entirely in the world of fantasy. The original draft of the<br />

novel started the author’s freshman year of high school and<br />

was completed a month before graduating, with multiple<br />

edits since.<br />

This is the story of a secret Mystic Society blending in with<br />

modern civilization. It centers on a fourteen-year-old girl’s<br />

struggle to fit into both. With a prophecy hanging over<br />

her head and a war threatening to begin, Kana Young must<br />

team up with Lost Mystics and try to fend off the first wave<br />

of darkness.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


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The Mind of a<br />

Deviant Woman<br />

by Paula Paul<br />

Carrie Buck, a young woman living in early-twentieth-century<br />

Virginia, is raped and becomes pregnant by a family member--and her<br />

trauma is only beginning. She is deemed a “deviant” for having a child<br />

out of wedlock and, for that reason, is a candidate for sterilization.<br />

Louisa Van Patten, a New York socialite, is an advocate of the eugenics<br />

movement, which promotes this punishment.<br />

When Carrie and Louisa meet, along with journalist Ben Newman,<br />

during a national debate about the merits of forced sterilization, all<br />

their lives--and ours--are changed forever.<br />

Paula Paul’s historical novel The Mind of a Deviant Woman offers a<br />

thrilling story based in extensive research into a little-known, but<br />

devastating, part of American history.<br />

Grandma’s<br />

Magic Box<br />

by Nadine Thomas<br />

This book is a collection of stories written by a<br />

grandmother and sent to her grandson as a way to keep<br />

in touch over a long distance. These stories are delightful<br />

adventure trips for young children. The stories all revolve<br />

around a box that the grandmother had given to her<br />

grandson for Christmas. Each story takes the reader to<br />

a different location with facts about that location. The<br />

ending of each story is quite a mystery. These are sure to<br />

delight any child ages four to eight.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


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Harmony’s Song<br />

and Other Stories<br />

by Carl Wooton<br />

Twelve stories explore the stresses and strains inherent in youth coming<br />

of age, family dynamics, misplaced and unrequited love, the reserved<br />

strength in a marriage, a confrontation with death, and the constant<br />

awareness that there is never enough money.<br />

Ernest Ramblers family lives with the knowledge that Ernest senses<br />

that he must always be looking for or moving to a better job, which<br />

means they will be moving again soon. The stories place the characters<br />

in Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. None of the<br />

characters seems to find a sense of permanence in any one place. In<br />

Ramblers and Spinners, coming of age can mean a counting of losses. In<br />

A Wide Day, the death of a chicken reveals a mystery about time and<br />

life and death. Arrangements and Harmonys Song display how little one<br />

might know about another. There is a general sense that everything in<br />

life involves unending pursuits of security and love and that coming of<br />

age may well be a never-ending process.<br />

From Homeless<br />

to Heaven<br />

by Jeanne Ann Off<br />

Usually Cody Cambres had to do ranch work alone in the winter.<br />

However, he had a standing order with an employment agency for<br />

an employee. One winter he was surprised to get a call saying a man<br />

would be on the bus that evening. Alan told Cody that he wanted a<br />

job and a warm place to sleep instead of living outdoors as a homeless<br />

man. Alan had refused to stay in any mission shelter because of life<br />

experiences involving religion. He does enjoy ranch work. In the<br />

spring Cody and Alan are checking cows and the calves born that<br />

spring when a bullet hits Alan. Later a bullet from the same rifle kills<br />

Cody’s best horse. Fire begins on Cody’s ranch and spreads. Aimi’s<br />

house burns down and Aimi’s husband is murdered by a bullet from<br />

the same rifle. Alan helps both Cody and Aimi with ranch work.<br />

Friendship develops.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


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Tock A Tick<br />

by Ryke Leigh Douglas<br />

Author Ryke Leigh Douglas is a veteran educator devoted<br />

to helping children discover the joy of reading and the<br />

magic of books.<br />

She also strives to provide parents and teachers with<br />

entertaining stories that lend themselves to nurturing<br />

positive attitudes, good character traits, and creative<br />

thinking. When she isn’t writing, Ms. Douglas enjoys<br />

visiting schools, libraries and early learning centers to<br />

share her stories.<br />

She also encourages children to develop their own writing<br />

skills with a program she created entitled The Writer’s<br />

Tool Box.<br />

The Apathetical Man<br />

by Gregory McLeod<br />

Today, we, as mankind, need hope without any doubt. We need hope<br />

in something greater than that of our government, teachers, doctors,<br />

and so on. Even though these are good for us, we still are sometimes<br />

without the understanding of true reality. Today, we can have greater<br />

hope in something greater than you can imagine. Just look to the<br />

heavens, my friend. Just think, everything that your eyes can see, your<br />

ears can hear, and your fingers can touch will be gone like a vapor one<br />

day. It isn’t a matter of “IF” it is a matter of just “WHEN.” Then what?<br />

If this life here on this great earth was all that I have hope in, I would<br />

be the most miserable person that man would know. This hope that<br />

I have today is BIG. This hope is spiritual and I am today grateful to<br />

share this Greater hope with you. This hope gives me a new life day<br />

by day. I can now live a normal life and have great hope in tomorrow.<br />

May The Creator of All Breath Keep You, -Gregory M. McLeod.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


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Eyes from Above!<br />

by Howard R Milsted Jr.<br />

“Eyes from Above” the sequel to “A Real Love Story,” is a romantic<br />

novel about a man who experiences great loneliness and deep<br />

depression after the death of his beloved wife of forty-eight years.<br />

His loss of will to live consumes him until his wife comes to him in<br />

visions and urges him to enjoy his life on earth until they are united<br />

again for eternity. He meets a much younger woman and the three<br />

of them become entwined in a journey of found, lost and then found<br />

again happiness. His story will lift the hearts of readers who have<br />

suffered great loss.<br />

Hot and Cold<br />

Running War<br />

by Captain Eugene Ray Martin<br />

AUTHORS PRESS<br />

This book is a collection of adventures that defined the cold war. The<br />

theme of some of these adventures is about how close we came to<br />

World War III with nuclear exchanges between China, Russia, and<br />

America. The results of some of those stories might have resulted in a<br />

non-nuclear war with Russia and America shooting at each other.<br />

Paperback | $21.95<br />

Kindle | $7.52<br />

Our NSA protagonist and his KGB girlfriend tie many of the stories<br />

together. All the adventures are fictional although they were based on<br />

actual events. This was a time when the world’s greatest powers, Russia,<br />

America, and China were at conflicting ends politically and militarily.


Paperback | $14.99<br />

Hardcover | $12.92<br />

Paperback | $11.99<br />

Kindle | $4.52<br />

Your Opportunity for a<br />

Better Life: 9 Keys to Unlock<br />

Success in Your Life<br />

by Jeff Daws<br />

Jeff Daws provides an insightful road map for us to live a better and<br />

abundant life. Through entertaining and enriching personal life stories,<br />

he shares practical principles to help us discover and live the best life<br />

we can. I believe every reader will be refreshed by Jeff ’s personal and<br />

practical insights.<br />

Twists & Turns<br />

by Gloria Winkels<br />

Dr. David Cooper, Lead Pastor, Mount Paran Church<br />

It is with great excitement that I recommend Your Opportunity for a<br />

Better Life. Applying the wisdom found in this book’s pages will help<br />

you change your life! Thank you, Jeff, for giving us hope, help, and<br />

something to hold on to!<br />

Dr. Benny Tate, Senior Pastor, Rock Springs Church<br />

Twists & Turns is the story of my life. It begins with my birth.<br />

I was taken away from my mother when I was almost three<br />

years old and was put into a foster home. I was almost five years<br />

old when a loving family adopted me. They gave me a good<br />

foundation in life, and they taught me that God is love. My life<br />

has been filled with many experiences, both tragic and happy. I<br />

invite you to come along with me on my journey, and I will tell<br />

you about my adventures and how I was able to cope because of<br />

my strong faith. My hope is that my story will be an inspiration<br />

for others.<br />

AUTHORS PRESS


AUTHORS PRESS<br />

NOVEMBER 22-24, 2019<br />

Don’t miss out! Get in touch with one of our consultants today at 925 255 0098<br />

and find out how you can join us at the Miami Book Fair International.<br />

www.authorspress.com

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