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.
COVER STORY
Virginia
Paulette C.
Hammack
The Hiding Place and
Whisperings in the Wings
Vol. 1 Issue 6
Contributors
Elizabeth Len Wai
Adriana Pernetz
Donald Ray Schwartz
Gary Rothhaar
Ted Torgersen
Ivor Kovac
Diane Davies
AUTHORS PRESS
www.authorialmagazine.com
PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY AUTHORS PRESS
Editor’s Note
The Manila International Book Fair is celebrating its 40 th 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.
Publisher
Belle Birao
Managing Director
Gladys Rodriquez
Layout Artist
Kem Enon
Writer
Juno Guadayo, Rio Siao,
and Calvin Garcia
Contributors
Adriana Pernetz, Ted Torgersen, Donald Ray Schwartz,
Gary Alan Rothhaar, Ivor Kovac, Diane Davies, and Elizabeth Len Wai.
AUTHORS PRESS
All rights reserved for Authorial Magazine 2018 l 1321 Buchanan Rd. Pittsburg, CA 94565 l 925 255 0098
What’s Inside
4 Cover Story: A Conversation
with Inspirational Author
Virginia Paulette C. Hammack
10 A Day in Their Lives She
Will Never Forget
by Elizabeth Len Wai
16 A Day in the Life by Adriana Pernetz
20 ONE-ON-ONE EXCLUSIVE
24 Herman Wouk and the Year 1942
by Donald Ray Schwartz
28 In Pursuit of a TV Interview
by Diane Davies
34 Contributor - Poetry by Gary Rothhaar
38 Contributor - Poetry by Ted Torgersen
50 Trouble on the Sea of Mars
Short story by Ivor Kovac
67 Lifestyle:
The Charming City of Manila
10
28
62
AUTHORS PRESS
Cover Story
A Conversation with
Inspirational Author
Virginia Paulette C.
Hammack
by Calvin Garcia
AUTHORS PRESS
I’ve had the opportunity and the privilege to speak with one of Authors Press’ most
highly-recommended inspirational authors, Virginia Paulette C. Hammack, to talk
about her two books, her journey and struggles as a writer, and her life. Find out
how she found her calling, not just to write for passion, but to touch and inspire
people and share God’s message of love, forgiveness, and hope.
authorial magazine | 4
Authorial: What does a-day-in-the-life
of (Paulette C. Hammack) look like?
What are the things you love doing?
Paulette: My name is Paulette Hammack,
the author of two books, The Hiding
Place and Whisperings in the Wings. My
day begins every morning with time
for my visit with Jesus. Prayer is very
important to me and I believe starting
the day with Jesus is the best source for
having a profitable day. I am a GiGi,
a grandmama to seven handsome and
wonderful grandsons. My day consist
of being able to care for my grandsons
while my two daughters and sons-in-law
go to work. I have been doing this since
my first grandson entered the world; that
was 18 years ago! It has not always been
easy, but very rewarding. Now that I am
retired from teaching, I have more time
to spend with them. My daughter, sonin-law,
and three of my young grandsons
are living with me at the present time.
Each morning, before my feet hit the
floor, I ask the Lord for His guidance
for my day and offer my day to Him.
The morning begins with breakfast and
getting everyone ready for the day. During
school days, two of the boys get ready
for school; I keep the baby with me. By
midafternoon I pick up one of the boys
from school, to get home in time to get
the others off the bus. My grandsons
from my older daughter (I only had two
children, my two beautiful daughters) also
get off the bus and are with me until their
parents get home. The children have a
snack, do homework, and then they can
play. When parents arrive home, two go
with one daughter and the other three
stay with me, of course the two older
ones get home on their own. After the
parents get home, we have dinner, baths
and time for bed, the end of one day to
start over again the next morning.
What I love doing is caring for my
grandsons, and being with my entire
family for when we can get together.
When I get the opportunity on weekends,
I like to go camping in my RV. This is
a new experience for me and I love it. I
love to work in my yard and care for my
garden. My favorite flower is the rose. I
try hard to help them look beautiful. I
like to color in my adult coloring book,
with outdoor scenes and landscape, it
soothes my mind. I enjoy reading my
bible, it sooths my soul. I enjoy being with
family and friends on all occasions. I am a
member of the Third Order of Carmelites,
which is a lay order of the Carmelites.
We gather for prayer, study and service
to others and our community. I joined
the Order in 1985, being a Lay Carmelite
has helped me to grow spiritually and
become a more rounded person. God is
good all the time!
Have you always known you’d become
a writer? Have you always wanted to be
one? How did you get into writing? What
or who inspired you to write?
In my wildest dreams, I never thought I
was capable of writing. In my imagination,
I could write all sorts of stories, but never
thought it was possible to write a book,
let alone it being published and in book
stores. I remember in High School, we
had to write a short story about anything
we desired to write about. I wrote a
short story called “Collide and Scatter,”
It was about a child in the age of planet
hoping and visiting during school field
trips. The class had a visit to one of the
planets to watch a game called Collide
and Scatter. The families had robots that
did everything for them and the children
were picked up for school in a flying
saucer. My teacher could not believe I
wrote the story and wanted to know
if I copied it from some other source.
I have to admit that I was surprised I
wrote it also!
My inspiration came from writing in
my journal. During my time I spent
with Jesus, I would write a short story
about situations in my life as analogies
or spiritual feelings. These stories came
from dreams, thoughts, situations, and
seeing myself in my mind just talking
to Jesus and telling him little stories and
him telling me little stories. As a matter
of fact, the first book that was written
was of stories that I had written in some
of my journals. In my early years, there
had been some sexual abuse. I had not
remembered any of it, but in my maturing
to adulthood, I would wander why I had
feelings of anger or feeling sick in different
situations. I looked in the mirror one day
and asked the person in the mirror, “Who
authorial magazine | 5
are you, and why do you feel this way?”
I started to receive dreams of different
situations, and one that reoccurred was I
was always trying to get up to the room
upstairs, like an attic. In the dream, I could
never get to the door to open it up. That
was the beginning of my healing process.
I still cannot tell you what happened, I
just know that God took me by the hand
and led me through the healing process.
What I learned was
that forgiveness is
freedom and God is love!
Whatever happened
to me led me to a
very close relationship
with God and a better
understanding and
empathy for others and
their struggles in life.
Life is a journey; we must live, love, suffer
and enjoy until we reach our home in
Heaven and see our God face-to-face.
Oh, happy days!
The reason the first book was written
was because I heard God in my heart
tell me to write the stories in a book!
My response was, “Lord, if you want me
to write this book, you are going to have
to come down in this chair and tell me.”
Sharing my journal was a scary thought.
One day while on my computer, I was
looking up Pet Finder for my daughter
who had lost her little dog because of
old age.When I pulled it up, there were
six pictures of puppies and information
about each. There was a space between
another set of puppy information, and in
that space was written, WRITE YOUR
BOOK! I took that as Jesus sitting down
in the chair and telling me to write the
book. I then said, “Lord, if I am going
to write this book, I will need a title,” I
then received Whisperings in the Wings.
I prayed and chose several stories out of
my journal and the result was a published
book. I knew then that the book was not
written for me to become an established
author, but rather a book to let others
AUTHORS PRESS
know they are not alone and that God
is with them and He never leaves them
alone. He also wanted others to know
that unforgiveness holds a person captive
in their own mind and forgiveness is the
freedom to move forward and grow. I
pray this is the result from my listening
and obeying what I believe was a word
from God for you.
If you could tell your younger self
anything, what would it be?
Be not afraid! Life can be full of love,
happiness and struggles. What I would
tell my younger self is, don’t be afraid to
do new things to experience life with
caution and do all things in moderation.
Keep God first and life will fall into
place. Recognize the roses God sends
you. He speaks quietly so you must be
aware of His calling. Let Him show you
the beauty of life even in struggles. It is
through the suffering and beauty of the
Cross that we have Eternal Life. Life
comes with struggles as well as joy, take
them both and learn from them. As it
has been said, “Do it afraid,” as long as
you take the step, God leads the way.
You are not alone.
Tell us something about your book.
Why should people read it? Do you
think it would make a difference in
their lives? In what way?
I pray that both books would be an
awakening and encouragement for others.
If God puts either book in someone’s
hand, it would be specific for them and
hopefully they would receive what God is
trying to share. My second book is called
The Hiding Place. The reason this book was
written is because I was watching the news
on TV and seeing all the devastation and
cruelty going on, my heart was hurting for
all the people. I wanted to reach through
the TV and say, “You are not alone, God
is with you, do not despair!” I wanted to
tell everyone that the spiritual realm is
real and alive and working with us. We
just need to recognize them and call on
them. Angels are everywhere waiting to
be called on, they want to help, and that
is what they are there for, just call on
them. If we could only see in the spiritual
realm, we would see how busy they are,
waiting and waiting to be recognized
and utilized. This is for real, it is not a
fantasy. The spiritual realm is more real
than the world we live in, and of course
there are two sides, good and evil. We
authorial magazine | 6
need discernment and closeness with God
to know the difference, the evil one does
come as an angel of light. In the name of
Jesus is the power to tell the difference.
The second book was started by just sitting
down and putting pen to paper. I would
write until nothing else would come. When
I felt inspired, then I would write. It took
me longer to write the second book because
my husband had Parkinson’s Disease. He
loved to read and he helped me with the
second book while he was capable. When
his disease got worse, I was spending my
time with him and did not have time to
write. One day while he was resting, I felt
I needed to finish the book or it would
never get published. So, I completed it
and sent it on its way to be published.
It was hard to concentrate on filling out
information and the different questions
that I needed to give the publisher, but
with the help of God, I got it done. My
husband did pass away, but I know he is
with Jesus and so happy to be there. That
is what life is all about, to finally get to
our resting place with our Abba, God!
He is missed and loved and will always
be remembered.
In reading The Hiding Place, I would
like for everyone to feel the comfort
of knowing how God takes care of us,
even if we cannot see how He does it. To
know sometimes the bumps in the road
are learning experiences where we grow
in wisdom, knowledge, understanding
and discernment. To be alert, know your
surroundings and be aware so you are
not deceived.
The book is a story of a town that started
recognizing a subtle change in the
atmosphere of the people living in their
small town: changes in the school, their
jobs and finally in their own personnel
lives. It was so subtle that the change
was not recognized as harmful or that it
would eventually really make a difference
in how people worked, played, prayed or
thought. It was not until, in desperation,
people began to pray. Only then was God
able to work in their lives, because they
called on Him. What was secret begun
to be revealed, for those who have eyes
to see and ears to hear. Intrigue, suspense,
and a sitting on the edge of your chair to
see what happens next.
AUTHORS PRESS
What sets your book apart from
other similar books in this genre?
What would you wish the readers to
experience when they read your works?
I don’t know that my book is one that is
set apart, but one that will help emphasize
the importance of what the content of the
book is trying to say. When something is
said more than once in different ways, it
seems to reach all the people. The way to
comprehend and keep in your mind what
you have learned is, read it, write it, and
say it out loud. Hopefully it will build in
understanding. That is what I wish for
my books to do, reach as many people as
possible, sooner than later. I would like for
the book to make more people aware of
the way God interacts with us, because He
does. He is so alive and so real that if more
people could see and feel His presence,
we could actually have His Kingdom to
Come here on earth. Love accomplishes
the impossible, and God is Love.
Tell us something about you that only
a few people know. Why is this not
known so much?
I don’t know of something about me
that only a few people know. I guess one
thing is that I have become an author. The
reason that it is not so widely known is
that I became an author later in life and
only by a calling from God. Not many
authors start by putting their journals
out for the public to read, but that is how
God works. Only because God gave me
the sign and courage to step out in faith,
is the only reason the first book was ever
written. Even for myself to realize that I
had become an author was an astonishing
feeling. I would love to continue to write
and hope that is in the near future.
In your perspective, what makes a
successful author?
I think to be a successful author you
just have to Do It! Sometimes a person’s
best work is just stepping out and doing
something they never thought possible.
We, I think, as human beings, limit
ourselves. Getting caught up in the daily
monotony of our own lives, living out
what other people think we should be
or can do. What we have always been
told about ourselves and even the way
we think of ourselves. So often we sell
ourselves short of our own capacity. To
be successful in anything, a person has
to first believe in themselves.
What is the most challenging part of
your writing journey? How did you
go about it?
The most challenging part of my writing
journey is to believe that anyone would
want to read what I wrote. When I would
think of an author, I would think of
Faulkner, and Mark Twain, etc. For me
to get beyond that mind set, I had to step
out of myself and do what I thought was
impossible. I also have discovered how
much I enjoy writing, and the challenge
is to continue even with doubt of mind,
and faith in God.
Does your family support your career
as a writer?
Yes, my family supports me. My
greatest supporter was my husband. He
encouraged me to write and gave me
confidence to realize I just might be able
to do this. After my first book, I figured
it was my last book, but God had other
plans and used my husband to help push
me forward. I miss him and am grateful
for him. My children, grandchildren, and
extended family also support me. I come
from a large family, eight boys and four
girls, lots of nieces and nephews, such
a blessing.
What are you looking forward to
most in life right now?
What I look forward to most in life
right now is waking up in the morning,
enjoying my family, friends and smelling
the roses as I continue life.
God has been good to
me and whatever He has
planned for me on the
road ahead, I am sure
will be an unforgettable
adventure.
There is nothing greater to look forward
to than my continual greater relationship
with God.
authorial magazine | 7
What advice would you give to your
readers?
The advice I would give to my readers
is, live life in the present moment. What
has happened in the past is just that,
in the past. Let go and move forward,
there is so much more ahead for you. Put
God first, He will never let you down.
Life is a journey to experience, to grow,
to except the things you can do and
strive to accomplice more of what you
think you cannot do. Take your falling
downs as a learning experience, grow
in wisdom, knowledge, discernment
and understanding. Accept the trials
and tribulations as an opportunity to
become a better person. The joys in life
then will become more often and with
a deeper understanding of why you have
been created. Always keep in mind, you
are just a pilgrim, Heaven is your home.
Give us one word that best describes
you. Explain why.
Hopeful. I choose this word because it is
only in Hope that tomorrow is a better
day. In hope that my accomplishment
may be meaningful, in hope that my life
could be an example for others to want
to receive more of what God wants to
give them. Only in hope did Abraham
believe that God was going to fulfill the
promise He made for him. Hope gives
us a reason to continue on our journey.
Hope is the mountain we climb in life
with excitement and anticipation for
what God has for us on the other side!
In hope that we can do all things in God
who strengthen us.
In totality, what is the message of
your book and you as an author?
The messages of my books are, God is
Alive and well and He really does care
about you, even in your darkest and
brightest hours. In hope that when a
person reads the books that it will not
be me but themselves that they can see.
I truly want everyone to know the God
I know, He is awesome, intimate and so
very, very close and He loves You. The
only part of me as the author is, I want
to be only the instrument in which God
can touch others.
AUTHORS PRESS
Paperback | $6.71
Kindle | $7.56
Hardcover | $24.99
Paperback | $16.99
Kindle | $4.54
Jamie's Pet
by Ramona Morrow
Jamie's Pet is about a little boy who wants a pet. He is not
sure what kind of pet to get. Jamie and his mother make
a trip to the pet store. At the pet store, Jamie discovers all
types of pets available. Jamie has to make a tough decision
about which pet to get until he finds his perfect pet, his
perfect friend.
Ramona Morrow loves to listen to music, watch movies,
bake, make home-cooked meals and is a self-taught
chocolatier. When Ramona was younger, she was involved
with sports, liked indoor and outdoor track & field, figure
skating, and girl's hockey. Ramona has lived in various
towns and cities throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
The Contest Winner
A Simple Little Tale
by Eleanor Grande
Geneva is a teacher in a small Colorado mining town with a very special
skill. Either by coincidence or luck-or something more mystical-Geneva
wins every contest she enters. A lover of words, she pines to become a
writer if only she could win a truly big contest. She begins to realize that
her abilities go beyond winning contests for herself, but she can also project
her winning desires out into the universe. Del is a “demo queen” at the local
grocery store. She wants more out of her job and her life. When she meets
Geneva, something magical occurs. Now, the journey of self-discovery has
begun. Geneva searches to find the best way to use her ability as a contest
winner. How can it improve her day-to-day life, and how can it help others,
as well? Geneva is on a quest, but she’s not alone. Along with Del, she meets
many colorful individuals who prove her ability to change lives, all with
the power of positive thought. Author Eleanor Grande believes in positive
thought and visualization, which is why it is so important to be cautious
when creating “winning” pictures. Life is a journey of challenges big and
small, and Geneva must learn to harness her power to do the right thing.
AUTHORS PRESS
The Big
Paperback | $4.54
Kindle | $8.99
Paperback | $10.00
Dance
by Shirlie Calabrese
Jennifer and Alex are friends from school and got a chance to
be contestants in a dance contest at the end of their senior year.
They both had been in Mrs. Lands’ dance classes since seventh
grade and had become very good at many different dance
moves. Mrs. Lands and both Jennifer and Alex’s parents were
very excited that they were going to be contestants and had
every confident feeling that Jennifer and Alex would be in the
first, second, or third place as winners.
Shades of Blue
by Moore, T. D., Sr.
Shades of Blue is a riveting collection of poetry that traverses T.D.
Moore, Sr.’s multiple stages of life. As a communicator, Moore was
given the nickname “Blue,” and he utilizes the concept of “Blue”
throughout his poetry. Moore articulately expounds upon love,
romance, wisdom, healing, poverty, and many other meaningful
subjects. This intimate collection exposes Moore’s inner being in a
raw and touching light.
AUTHORS PRESS
T.D. Moore, Sr., works for homeland security with the United
States Government and currently lives in Hampton, Virginia. He
has two children, Cherita C. and T.D. Moore II. T.D. belongs to
the American Veterans Association and in his spare time enjoys
scuba diving, recording, writing, antiques, restoring cars, and biking.
He has previously published the article “Caving in Okinawa” in
Entrepreneur Magazine; this is his first published book.
A Day in Their
Lives She Will
Never Forget
by Elizabeth Len Wai
This day in their lives remains vivid
in her memory even years after it
forever changed how she viewed a
lot of things and people. Her heart
was changed and she gained a new
compassion for people all over the
world who have shared a similar
time in their lives. Like herself, she
was sure that no one ever imagined
that their precious child would face
a time like this. So let me tell you
about that day.
The drive seemed to take forever
even though the destination was
only about twenty miles away. Maybe
because her mind was racing with
questions and concerns. Did she have
everything required? Was she really
prepared for this meeting? Could she
do this? Why did she even have to?
authorial magazine | 10
What could she expect? She had left
home early to prepare for any traffic
issues. After all, she was beginning to
overwhelm herself. She realized she
had arrived at the required location
and she turned into the parking lot.
She must have been early because
there were a lot of open parking
spaces. She chose one close to the
entrance, turned off the engine, and
checked the time. She was nearly
thirty minutes early. Traffic had been
light, so now she would have to wait.
Oh well, she thought. More time to
double check the list of requirements
she had been sent. She pulls out the
list and carefully reviews it, mentally
checking off each item. She is satisfied
she has met the criteria outlined.
She puts the list down; she hadn’t
forgotten or overlooked anything on
AUTHORS PRESS
it. Now for the first time, she takes
time to really look around and take
in the full impact of where she is. As
the reality of the situation fully sinks
in, she begins to weep. Her heart is
breaking and she does the only thing
she knows when facing difficulties—
she prays, “God please help me. Give
me strength. Help me hold it together
for him. Cover me with your peace
and assurance of your presence even
here. Help me please to do only your
will. Open my ears, eyes, and heart to
learn what you have for me to learn
through all this. Thank you Lord for
not leaving me now or ever, Amen.”
What is so upsetting you may ask? It is
the realness of this place and what she
is staring at. She is sitting in front of
double chain link gates, each attached
to a chain link fence surrounding the
buildings and grounds and topped
with razor wire. The pathway between
the two fences is for patrolling guard
dogs according to the signs. No this
is not a military base like the one
her son had served on years earlier.
This was a state penitentiary with
armed men stationed in a guard tower
in the middle of the complex. Her
youngest child, her precious son, was
sentenced to time here, surrounded by
the element of society that it was built
to protect people from. Her precious
child, (now a man) was here. To her,
his presence here was unreasonable,
and yet it was real; he was in this
horrible, cold, and menacing place.
This place sits on a knoll and it is
windy and cold, but the sunshine
pouring down on the car windows
creates warmth that is somewhat
comforting. Her heart begins to slow
to a normal pace as she observes the
people that have begun to line up
by the gate. She is surprised by the
appearances and variety of the people;
all different ages and both genders
ranging from young mothers trying
to occupy their little ones to older
grandparent types and everything in
between. Somehow this is not what
she expected. As the time grows closer
for the gates to open, the number of
visitors grew. Since she doesn’t know
if the number of visitors allowed is
limited, she decides to join the group.
She takes a deep breath and prepares
to get out of the car, and once again
is overcome by weeping. But God
is faithful and helps her pull herself
together, dry her tears, and leave the
car to get in line.
When she joins the group, an older
lady asks if she is going to be okay and
offers her a Kleenex. She displays her
own and thanks her for her kindness.
She soon realizes that others must
surely have experienced her same
pain and heartache. Each of these
people are here to visit someone dear
to their heart, and probably someone
they never imagined would be living
in this frightening place. Just as these
realizations were filling her head, the
sound of the first gate opening snaps
her back to reality. It’s time for the
visiting process to begin. As the gate
slams shut behind her, she jumps. The
older lady that had been so kind in line
tells her what she must do: stand in
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authorial magazine | 11
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 12
line to show them her photo I.D and
tell them who she’s visiting, then place
her personal items into a locker and
remove the key. She explains visitors
can only take the locker key and their
quarters into the visiting area. She
didn’t bring any quarters. Should she
have? She asks. Then the kind lady
explains that the quarters are to make
purchases of food or snack items for
the inmates. It was obvious that she
was confused and was told that this
visiting time meant that the inmate
would have to miss lunch. Why wasn’t
she told this information when she
was approved? Now her heart was
totally torn in half. In order to accept
a visit, her beloved son would have
to miss what she understood to be
an already lacking amount of food.
How much worse was this going to
get? The distress was written all over
her face and the compassion of God
lead that same older lady to share her
quarters. She was reluctant to accept
because she knew it would take away
from that woman’s child, but the
lady explained that her son had food
commissary in his cell and would be
able to eat after if he hadn’t already
eaten beforehand. She thanked the
kind lady and promised to repay her.
The visitors were called back to the
visiting area in small numbers as the
ones they had come to see responded
to their visitation call. As she waited
her turn, the ladies chatted and the
older lady explained some of the
questions to avoid when visiting with
others there. Kind of a quick study in
visitor etiquette. This chatting time
helped to set her as ease. When she
was called, she was still nervous but
anxious to see her beloved son. Each
locking door behind her reminded
her of the seriousness of where
she was and what her son must be
experiencing multiple times each
day. When she entered the visiting
room, she was assigned a table, told
to wait there for the inmate and was
reminded that she was only allowed a
brief embrace at the beginning and the
end of the visit, but they could hold
hands across the table. At least there
would be no glass between them like
you see in the movies, she thought.
As she waits, she observes the inmates
coming in and the way they greet
their visitors. She knows what to do,
they are teaching her. Some of these
guys have little children visiting them,
and she can’t help but think about
how hard this had to be for all of
them. There are a set of brothers, one
in and one visiting, there are many
parents visiting sons, and grandparents
visiting grandsons and even sons
visiting fathers. She realizes that none
of them wants thing this way, but all
are making the best of the situation
they find themselves in. As she waits,
her mind is racing back to him as a
precious and precocious little boy,
full of compassion for the elderly,
tenderness in his heart for someone
else that is hurting. She thinks about
all of the health issues that challenged
him as a child and how God brought
him through. She thinks about how
blessed she has felt ever since his birth,
even when he challenged her with his
ideas and adventuresome ways. She
was assured that God had a plan for
him and felt sure this was not what
he had in mind. But she also knew
that her God was able to use even
this for his good although she didn’t
herself understand how. The thing
that serves to hold her together and
give her hope for the future is that
Jesus Christ loved all enough to die
for them. All being the key, every
single person here is loved by Jesus.
She looks up and with tears in her
eyes, sees the face that she has longed
to see and is grateful that he looks
well. When he smiles at her, her heart
melts and where they are seems less
important, they are together. They
spend the small amount of time they
authorial magazine | 13
have together playing dominos and
talking. She shares with him about
the quarters and her concern that she
doesn’t have enough to fill his tummy,
but he assures that whatever he gets
will be sufficient and apologizes for
not having fully prepared her. The visit
is too short in both of their opinions
and he continually apologizes that
she should even have to be here at
all. They kiss goodbye and promise
each other prayers. She promises that
she will come back and they agree
he can call once a week, they set a
day and time.
As she leaves the visiting area, she
gathers her ID and her personal
belongings and heads to her car to
leave. Her mind is reeling. She had so
many misconceptions about people
in prison and the people who visit
them. The compassion of the Lord
overcomes her and she realizes that
the same pain she felt during this visit
must surely be felt by her heavenly
Father when any of his children are
dealing with the consequences of
their bad choices. She knows this is
not what he intended for any of them
and his heart must nearly break in half
as he watches the needless suffering
they go through.
Many years have passed since this
horrible day in their lives. He finally
got his life back on track with God’s
help and now enjoys being with his
children and his family. He holds a
full time job and makes a positive
contribution to his community and
has even become a grandfather. But
she will always remember that one
day and the impact it had on her life.
She hopes that others who shared
that day have also been blessed with
restoration in their families.
AUTHORS PRESS
Paperback | $14.00
Kindle | $9.00
Hardcover | $18.85
Paperback | $7.94
Kindle | $3.99
Collection of
Short Stories
by Larry D. Steinman
Things aren’t always as they seem in “The Cougar,” “Where’s
the Fortune,” and “The Case of the Pearl-Handled Dagger.”
Mystery, intrigue, and classic whodunit tales compose this
nail-biting Collection of Short Stories by Larry D. Steinman.
Larry D. Steinman never thought of himself as a storyteller.
One day a thought came to him. He wrote it down and, before
he realized it, he had written a story. So here he is, seventyeight
years old, starting a new career. He enjoys his newfound
passion and hopes people find pleasure in reading his stories.
Larry currently lives in Beggs, Oklahoma.
Go Ask the Dead
by Frank Tropea
This tale deals with a beautiful young girl, Amanda Mannon, who
comes from a rather haunted family and becomes rather haunted
herself. Surviving her morally loose mother’s murder, and her
seductive handsome stepfather’s murder attempt of her, She goes
to live with a wealthy great-aunt Lavinia Mannon. Because she can
both see and talk and interact with the dead, she has a long-term
affair with William, the ghost of long-dead Confederate officer killed
at Gettysburg. Later, it all turns very bad for her with William with
sexual abuse from him and his ghastly cohorts. Desperate, she turns to
Craig her ex-husband who still loves her for help. But she must find
the strength to defeat the evil dead from inside of herself. Later, she
gives birth to a son. But with this baby’s remarkable heritage, what,
exactly will the future hold for him and Amanda and Craig? This is
the tale of a haunted girl in a haunted land, the South, still haunted
by the Civil War and slavery.
AUTHORS PRESS
Hardcover | $1.79
Paperback | $12.39
Kindle | $9.99
Hardcover | $22.99
Paperback | $9.90
From Silence to
Secrecy: A Memoir
by Martha E. Leiker
As a young girl growing up in Kansas, Martha Leiker always felt a pull
toward Africa. She couldn’t explain why, but she dreamed of working in
Africa with the African people. In From Silence to Secrecy, Leiker narrates the
story of how she made that dream come true. Leiker likens her life to that
of a chameleon-changing easily from one lifestyle to another. This memoir
follows those changes, beginning with her birth in 1940 in rural Kansas;
her training as a nun with the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa in
Pennsylvania; her work in Africa as a missionary for eight years; her twenty
years of service with the CIA; and her current position with the National
Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) in Colorado.
Including many fascinating photos, From Silence to Secrecy demonstrates how
one young girl with a dream accomplished her goals and lived a life full of
rich experiences. Leiker’s story shows how her faith, hope, inner strength,
and dreams carried her far.
Play Right: Life on
the Other Side
by Scott Lee Mosure
A riveting chase of time through a labyrinth of adventures weaved
on the puzzling beauty of friendship and love.
“If I don’t know the past, then what am I going to look forward to
in the future?”
-- Excerpt from Play Right: Life on the
Other Side, by Scott Lee Mosure
AUTHORS PRESS
Scott Lee Mosure was born in California but grew up in Indiana.
He has always been a creative all throughout his life. One thing that
sticks out from his everyday routine is his passion for writing. Ideas
just come to him naturally and he loves putting them on paper in the
form of short or long stories and screenplays coupled with songs that
he knows by heart.
Contributor - Adriana Pernetz
A Day in
the Life
by Adriana Pernetz
“We read for Africa and our brains!”
This is the enthusiastic morning
chant that my students exclaim
joyfully as our day starts. We are
at Centerville Elementary School
located in Garland, Texas, part of the
GISD community. Any passerby in
the hallway can hear 22-second grade
bilingual students say these powerful
words while passing room 30 every
morning at 8:00 sharp! When we
read, everyone wins!
Our school is located in a low
socio-economic area. My kids
and their families are in severe
financial need since the majority of
parents are unemployed and have a
limited education. Through books,
my students learned the power of
compassion and beauty in words. This
year, they happily celebrated reaching
our classroom goal of reading 3,250
books and collecting 2,500 dollars
for Heifer International, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to bringing
change through the gift of animals
to families in need all over the world.
My students learned that every person
has the power to lighten the burdens
of another in small and simple ways.
Reading for them became one of
the many tools to do just that. With
Read To Feed and finding sponsors
they were able to pass that gift to
families around the world. Education
and the power of books is a gift that
every child in the world should never
be without!
When I was a little girl, I hated school,
with a passion!!! In 4th grade, I had
the worst reading teacher any child
could ever have. I was a horrible
reader and had serious problems
learning how to read properly. My
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 16
teacher was very skilled in feeding
the shame some kids felt, especially
me. I was ever so happy to return the
negativity a thousand times over and
happily became the student no one
wanted in their class. I mirrored her
anger and lashed out with it daily, I’m
Not proud of that.
Thanks to my father and mother
who had the great sense of sending
me to an excellent boarding school
in Ontario, Canada. I found myself
with teachers who truly cared about
me, properly taught me and placed
in my hand’s wonderful books. I
learned the language and fell in love
with school.
The bad student that I had become,
disappeared and I found hope thanks
to the power of books. Becoming a
teacher and trying to give back the
love that I received from wonderful
teachers in Canada became my goal.
I decided not to teach only what the
state mandates, but to guide the child
to see the beauty within Knowledge.
To show the power that a simple
smile has, and the good it can bring to
someone in need. Writing came from
seeing the needs in my classroom.
It is a sad reality that some schools
have become places where children
have to be afraid for their lives. Too
many angry teenagers are taking
hatred to the next level and have
turned arms against their peers. In my
line of work, having kids with such
difficult backgrounds, the need to
teach empathy, forgiveness, love and
compassion is vital to prevent children
becoming so hopeless that the only
solution to a problem in hand is to
take other lives and their own. Anger
without hope develops into what
we see daily in the news. “Once in a
Forest” was a story that I had done
almost 20 years ago when I began
teaching second grade at a different
school. I used it with my children
to introduce different concepts. I
never really completed it until one
terrible day in 2017. Last school year
one of my students lost his sister to
street violence: she was murdered
outside her house by a gang member.
My student’s sadness and anger was
molding him to become someone that
he was not intended to be. We had a
lesson where I told him the story of a
little bear who did not follow anyone’s
anger or hatred. A bear who enjoyed
being unique and used his love to
help other creatures in need. That
was a wonderful day and somehow
he identified with Baby Bear. The
children became very closed that day.
They all wanted to be baby bears in
our school community. That was the
time when I thought I could actually
publish the story. Almost two years
later I was very pleased to receive great
reviews for that book and the report
that it had been included in the top
10 popular books during the London
International Book Expo 2019.
I have two wonderful boys of my
own. My oldest child is an Army
man and from a young age he knew
that his dream was to help other
people in need. No matter what the
situation, he wanted to be there. His
dream inspired me to write “Gloria’s
Dream” my second book. When he
chose to go into the Army, he told
me that there are times when people
need our strength because they have
run out of their own. In this book,
Goat has to let go and give some of
that little strength to someone else.
Goat realizes that there is far more
happiness in seeing hope and joy in
someone else’s life.
My new book, Rooster’s Voice,
was written for another need my
classroom. One of my students lost
his father to street violence a couple
of years ago and had carried a sense
of loss since then. I myself lost my
parents less than a year ago. The idea
came from that pain and the love
that never goes away. The one that
stays in your heart forever. I used the
manuscript in class when that child
mentioned the sadness he had in his
heart ever since his dad was taken
away from him. The book helped
him and me understand that love
ones never leave us, their memories
can guide us to be better people in
life. I have been very blessed this
school year by being proclaimed the
winner of Garland Federation of
Clubs Outstanding teacher 2019 for
my work at Centerville Elementary.
¡Que vivan los libros!!!!
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 17
Hardcover | $38.08
Paperback | $44.16
Kindle | $40.71
Hardcover | $29.99
Paperback | $19.99
Kindle | $5.99
I’ll Have The Chicken
by Robert Kavula
I’ll Have the Chicken is a collection of engaging stories from former
Navy and commercial pilot Captain Robert Kavula. The book gives
readers an intimate look from the other side of the cockpit door and
some of the decisions made before and during flight. Kavula tells about
his journey to become a pilot, near collisions in the air and on the
runway, and the people and flights that remain vivid memories more
than forty years later.
The collection includes Kavula’s account of losing engines and
generators and somehow finding his way to a safe landing, and hilarious
conversations among pilots mid-flight. Read about Kavula’s flight
with astronaut Neil Armstrong and the question he asked him about
flying, and dozens more stories that put the reader inside the cockpit to
experience the life of a pilot.
A Tulip In The Desert
by Syed Raza Haider
A Tulip in the Desert is the story of Amina, a nine year old girl from
a small village in the Waziristan region of northern Pakistan. She
lives in an extended family system surrounded by the families of
her father’s male relatives in an enclosed compound called a kot.
Amina narrates the next ten years of her tremulous life. Ups and
downs in her tale open a window into the enigmatic society of ultraconservative
Waziristan where modernity has made little inroads. Life
is particularly harsh for girls as they are kept extremely constrained
and their fates are decided entirely by their male relatives. Amina puts
up an enduring fight against the system albeit at a high cost. As if life
isn’t hard enough for her, she develops a forbidden passion for an elite
sport, a sport that has no place in this “medieval” society, and is utterly
forbidden for a Waziri girl.
AUTHORS PRESS
Paperback | $18.75
Kindle | $2.99
Hardcover | $22.99
Paperback | $9.90
The Unexpected:
Wives Who Have Affairs and the
Husbands Who Love Them
by Chris Dawson
Marriage is very complex, a lot of people get married with so much
love and happiness yet end up cheating in the course of a marriage.
Chris Dawson’s book “The Unexpected” is a classic example of this. This
wonderful book tells us that it is clear that most women marry for love
and may still love their husband but for a variety of reasons she finds
herself unexpectedly seduced or otherwise seeks sexual gratification or
stimulation from other than the man she married. The reasons a wife
chooses to start an affair or is seduced into an affair are many, varied and
may surprise all who have either been curious or who have lived this
experience. For sure, do not discount the frequency of this phenomena.
The objective of the author is to inform and open the eyes to the reality
of life as a couple in a very competitive world. This book is filled with
a lot of imaginative illustrations written in well-structured and simple
English. It is guaranteed to wow its readers and keep them on the edge
of their seats in agitation as they pace through from page to page.
Invasion Revealed:
Healing Alcoholism, Mental Illness
& Drug Addiction
by Nancy Lynne Harris, M.A.
“...A summation of her teaching is that thinking ‘I love myself ’ is
the best medicine you can ever take...”
— The US Review of Books
AUTHORS PRESS
Nancy Lynne Harris graduated from The Four Winds Society. She
trained as a spiritual teacher from the Eschatology Foundation. She
is also a shaman and the founder of GodSpirits United, LLC, which
is a company that assists people with addiction and severe diseases
that seem to be medically incurable. She helps patients change their
mindset towards healing and guides them to shift their energy to cure
themselves without the help of medicine.
ONE-ON-ONE
EXCLUSIVE
by Calvin Garcia
I had the honor and the opportunity
to chat with Raju Ramanathan, worldrenowned
enlightenment guru and
author of Souls from Mercury, to
learn more about his book and his
message, discover what inspired him
to write, and hear what advice he has
for aspiring authors.
About Raju Ramanathan
Raju, popularly referred to as Datta
Yogi Raja, is one of the most soughtafter
life coaches of high profiled
individuals, as well as a distinguished
improvement champion for major
corporations. He is a brilliant scientist
of both inner and outer worlds who
has been teaching meditation and
mediation since he was thirteen.
His techniques took the numerous
countries by storm, where the
diverse cultural backgrounds haven’t
hindered to enlighten even modern
communities through his spiritual
messages. A truly life transforming
experience and unique in its ways,
his teachings have gained popularity
from yoga to medical practices which
asked for guesting opportunities on
several TV and radio programs in
Canada. He has successfully bridged
the two debatable realms of science
and religion.
“I chose Mercury as the golden mean between
Mars and Venus because it symbolizes wisdom
in the astrological tradition. . .He represents wit,
wisdom, and agility. Astrologically, he rules over
the solar plexus and the nervous system. Those
who are born under the influence of Mercury are
highly intelligent and ingenious.”
–Raju Ramanathan
Read our Exclusive Interview
with Author Raju Ramanathan:
Authorial:
Have you always known that you
would become a writer? Have you
always wanted to be one? How did
you get into writing? What or who
inspired you?
Raju: I have always wanted to be a
writer. When I was just 10 years old,
I wrote a huge book of comics with
stories written by me and distributed
to all my classmates at school.
My cousin helped me to draw the
pictures. But my preoccupation with
Technical education and working at
very responsible corporate positions
never allowed me the luxury of leisure
time to do so. In the last four years my
son and daughter in law inspired me to
put all my seminars given around the
world to be put into a book form for
authorial magazine | 20
being read by all of their friends. They
supplied me with the photographs
which they had taken during their
global travels. They have been my
inspiration. My spiritual Masters gave
me further impetus.
Do you still remember the first book
you loved reading or the one that made
the greatest impact on your life? Tell
us about it and why do you love it?
I remember the first books at age
eleven which were intentionally put
by my uncles at my bed side.. They
were, The Bhagwat Gita, the scripture
of the Hindus and The Holy Bible,
the scripture of the Christians. As
I started reading them side by side,
I saw a striking similarity between
them. When I had difficult moments
in my life I will simply open one of the
books and Lo and behold, the answer
to my issue at hand was right there.
That is why I loved both the book.
AUTHORS PRESS
In fact I memorized many sections
of both and shared with friends at
school. My book Souls from Mercury
actually emerged on those days which
is half a century before. The amount
of quotations from both the scriptures
can be seen all over my book now
being published in 2019,
Tell us about your book. Why should
people read it? Do you think that it
will make a difference in their lives
and in what way?
My book is about a new dawn
and a new hope for mankind even
though it is entitled differently. It
describes a pathway for mankind
like the Celestine Prophecy. I call
it as evolution through an inward
revolution in every person.
The system recommended is through
“Chakra purification” which is very
much what is recommended by other
authors such as Carolyn Myss in
the field of the emerging “Energy
Medicine”. People of all ages should
read my work because they will
find answers to so many nagging
questions in their minds that they
were afraid of asking their parents
or even their priests.
I am positive that this could transform
their relationship with themselves,
with the family, and eventually the
relationship with a personal God.
Tell us something about you that only
a few people know. Why is this not
known so much?
Only a few people know that I am
a unique combination of a Scientist,
a Mystic and an artist. In the past
the scientific community only saw
my technical ability to innovate, The
spiritual community saw me as a great
Yogi and a Master of meditation
and my family saw the great inters
I have in in Poetry and music. This
combination is not known so much
because I kept this as a secret and
wanted it to be discovered by others.
They finally did! My grandchildren
address me as “Master Bubloo”, a
favorite nickname of their own. This
unique combination is what I describe
as a SOUL FROM MERCURY. I
see this potential in everyone if only
they attempt to purify their Chakras.
In your perspective what makes a
successful author?
A successful author should feel like
Isaac Newton who said that I am
nothing and I am standing on the
shoulders of other scientists before
my time and looked ahead.
A successful author is not there to
impose his or her own opinions to be
infused into other minds. Recently
I read this amazing sentence while
reading the Publication Manual of
the American Psychological Magazine.
Section 1.03 of this text reads “The
authorship encompasses not only
those who do the actual writing but
also those who have made substantial
scientific contributions to the study. It
makes reference to further literature
to substantiate this idea.
What is the most challenging part of
your writing journey? How did you
go about it?
The most challenging part of my
writing journey was to fulfil the
requirement of most well-known
publishers. They said: “Give us a
final product that we can get printed.”
In other words they wanted me to
produce a manuscript that has already
gone through all editorial assessment
and grammatical corrections,
computer alignment and all the rest.
They were unwilling to help me with
any of these tasks.
authorial magazine | 21
One fine morning, I was finally
approached by Authors Press who
gave me all the help I need and
coached me all the way in these
tasks. I am so very grateful to all
the great men and women in their
teams. My book has finally seen the
light of the day!
What advice would you give you to
aspiring authors?
Here is a poem that I heard in my
childhood. It goes like this. “Work
while you work, play while you play,
that is the way to be happy and gay.
All that you do, do it with your
might, things done by halves are
never done right.”
Here is another one from famous
poet HW Longfellow:
“The heights by great men reached
and kept were not attained by sudden
flight. They, while their companions
slept, were toiling upwards in
the night.”
Give us one word that best describes
you as an author
Here it is! A MYSTIC. Life is a
mystery to be lived.
AUTHORS PRESS
Paperback | $13.63
Paperback | $11.99
Kindle | $9.99
Heal Yourself of Anything
Example Glaucoma
by Nancy Lynne Harris, M.A.
“...Harris urges readers to recognize that thoughts are like the code
that runs behind a software program on a computer or mobile phone.
Your thoughts are what regulate your body chemistry. They also are
responsible for causing your specific life experience.”
— US Review of Books
“One of the most informative and life changing books I’ve ever
read. Everything is to the point and easy to follow. Having been
diagnosed with Glaucoma myself. I’ve come to realize, I allowed
myself to feel as if I’m being pressured by my job and others. I’ve
tested Nancy’s suggestions, and have noticed a great difference in
the pressure of my eyes. So yes. It works!”
— Rory Demeo
Farmer’s Son,
Military Career
by Clarence “Kip” Vold
Growing up on the plains of South Dakota, completing
grade school in a one-room school, surviving blizzards.
Success in Air Force the culmination of a career in
achieving the highest enlisted grade in the Air Force. A
full life after the Air Force with writing and painting.
Graduating from college with a degree in Economics 39
years after graduating from high school.
AUTHORS PRESS
Paperback | $15.99
Kindle | $3.99
Hardcover | $13.99
Paperback | $9.90
Annie Mae
and the Wild
Wagon Ride
by Ellie Weaver
Life for a little Amish girl can get quite interesting, especially
when she is as spirited and lively as Annie Mae. The lack of
electricity, cars, and modern conveniences does not stop this
little girl from having fun. And when the wagon gets away
from her, oh, what a ride! It can get a little wild!
Humor and
Witticisms 101 Plus
by Alex Gall
This book is not a novel, there is no plot. Unless you munch on a page
the best way to enjoy the flavor of this book is with a few examples of
the book’s contents.
Mom, this cow followed me home, may I keep her?
One good intern deserves another.
John took a shot with his pistol and he killed his shadow.
My doctor gave me a shot in the arm, but he was aiming lower.
I had four visitors, one of each sex. By the way, did I tell you I
flunked anatomy?
I gave my wife an inch; she converted it to centimeters.
Push came to shove when my car broke down.
When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in New York City,
forget about it.
AUTHORS PRESS
Herman Wouk
and the Year 1942
by Donald Ray Schwartz
A few days ago. Herman Wouk passed
away. He died at 103 years old. He
was working on his next book.
Wouk, an observant Talmudist, wrote
largely on American issues, although
his early novel, Marjorie Morningstar,
did coin or led to the term, Jewish
American Princess or JAP.
His novel, The Caine Mutiny, was
made into a movie starring Humphrey
Bogart, later a New York production.
But the book—books, actually, a
series of two, Winds of War and War
and Remembrance is what I remember
most. The oeuvre is historical
fiction, the fiction with compelling
characterizations, the historicity of
WWII erudite and true. Indeed
Wouk’s concentration in detail of the
Battle of Midway is probably the most
complete hour by hour delineation
of that all important engagement,
and contains a magnificence of
remembrance, which I will cover later.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 24
As 1941 drew to a close, things
looked grim. Rommel’s Afrika
Corps advanced from Egypt through
northern Africa and east to Palestine;
The German army’s advances in
Eastern Europe seemed unstoppable.
London daily on fire from V-1 and
later the more powerful V-2 rockets,
as well as the Luftwaffe bombers.
And, at the end of the year, Japan
destroyed or inflicted harm upon
our battleships at Pearl Harbor. Yet,
what seemed nearly hopeless soon
transformed these judgments into a
resurgence of allied power.
In northern Africa, Patten’s invasion
with his well-trained tank corps aided
Britain’s Montgomery to push back
Rommel and establish a northern base
from which to invade Sicily, thence
Italy itself to open a southern salient
against the Wehrmacht.
As the Germans headed at breakneck
speed into Russia in winter without
appropriate clothing, Marshal
Zhukov, as spider waits for its prey, let
them in as far as Stalingrad, where he
surrounded them, starved them, and
waited for their inevitable surrender.
And, in the Pacific, the U.S. had
broken the Japanese code, and
intelligence informed Admiral
Nimitz they were planning to invade
Midway Island and had dispatched
the same 4 aircraft carriers that had
launched the planes that attacked
Pearl. Nimitz dispatched the aircraft
carriers Yorktown, Lexington, and
Enterprise.
The first wave of American dive
bombers set upon the enemy carriers.
The Japanese launched their fighter
planes to engage. Quite successfully
so, as well as antiaircraft fire decimated
the Americans who, valorously
attacking, soon lost their lives. But
not in vain. For the Japanese aircraft
now had to land upon their ships
to refuel. Oil and gas had to be
brought up on deck. And in that
moment, the second and third wave
of Nimitz’s planes fell upon the ships,
with their dive bombs hitting the
exposed planes and fuel to point of
enormous explosions resulting in the
ships sinking. It was the beginning
of the end of the Japanese navy, and
therefore of its homeland.
Although the war would continue
for 2 ½ more years, these 3 battles, in
Africa, Russia, and the Pacific began
to turn the tide.
Now, back to Wouk’s books: No one
else has done this—but through
assiduous research in WWII naval
unit histories, the author located a
yellowing document listing the name,
rank, and hometown of each of the
men in the first wave of the Midway
battle who gave the ultimate sacrifice,
but enabled ultimate victory. That list
exists only in War and Remembrance.
AUTHORS PRESS
Now we remember Herman Wouk!
authorial magazine | 25
Hardcover | $14.23
Hardcover | $17.99
Paperback | $9.99
Kindle | $4.89
Jeannie Ann’s
Grandma Has
Breast Cancer
by Diane Davies
“When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, one of your greatest
worries is how your loved ones will be impacted. It’s challenging
enough to have difficult discussions with adults, but what do
young children need to know so they, too, can cope? In Jeannie
Ann’s Grandma Has Breast Cancer, author, teacher, and breast
cancer survivor Diane Davies gets right to the heart of this
matter.”
--Beverly Vote, publisher,
Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine
Tsavo: Oddball
Reseachers Use Data
and Guns to Save
African Elephants
by Daniel B Botkin
AUTHORS PRESS
A small group of American and British scientists go to East Africa
to try to save elephants from poachers and to find how many remain.
They end up fighting with poachers, large and small groups, who try
to kill them, meanwhile being chased and threatened by elephants
and having to shoot some to survive.
Based on real research and attempts to save African elephants, in this
book you will meet some of the strangest characters in the world, the
kind of people who can’t survive in normal society and, with their odd
behavior, retreat to wilderness.
Hardcover | $11.13
Paperback | $6.16
Hardcover | $13.99
Paperback | $9.90
Hanging Out with Wild
Animals - Book One
by Cheryl Batavia
All the poems in this book are inspired by my own real-life experiences
here in Florida. All of these wonderful animals, and many others, live here.
Wherever you live, a lot of interesting animals live near you. There is a whole
wide world to explore: beaches, mountains, zoos, parks, or your own back
yard. So get out there and meet some animals for yourself! Have a wonderful
time exploring the world around you, and observe animals wherever you go.
Take a camera along to record and share your adventures. If you are curious
about the animals meet, go online to learn more about them. You may be
surprised to discover that some animals living near you are endangered. You
can find out about ways to protect animals and their habitats. Always observe
animals safely. Have fun!
Life in
Inspiring
Places
by Cheryl Batavia
The author has been fortunate to spend her life surrounded by history
and natural beauty. Life in Inspiring Places, a book of poems and
beautiful photographs, shares memories and impressions of living in
the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Washington, DC, Miami Beach,
and the Florida Gulf Coast. Poems offering personal perspectives
about life and family round out the book.
AUTHORS PRESS
In Pursuit of a
TV Interview
AUTHORS PRESS
by Diane Davies
authorial magazine | 28
Travelers:
Vicki and Diane
Destination: Atlanta, Georgia - Preach the Word
Worldwide Network TV Studio,
Roswell, GA
July 13, 2019
2:30 P.M. appointment with Bishop
Larry Carnes for the book interview
regarding Jeannie Ann’s Grandma Has
Breast Cancer.
2:00 A.M. Telephone rings in room 838 at the
Intercontinental Hotel at the MSP
International Airport with a wake-up
call for the first leg of our four flights
today to Atlanta and back. It definitely
felt like 2:00 A.M.!
3:00 A.M. Left hotel in a Cadillac Escalade shuttle
for the airport terminal.
3:10 A.M. Arrived at airport. No bags to check.
Walked straight through TSA Pre-
Check. Lights are on but no coffee
and nothing open. Couldn’t find our
flight on the departure board. (We were
looking for Atlanta and should have
been looking for Chicago! Duh! Maybe
a bit early for the two of us?) Found our
gate and found our flight delayed from
5:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.! (Could have
had another hour of sleep.)
Flight delayed to 8:30 A.M.
Flight delayed to 9:30 A.M.
Flight updated back to 6:00
A.M. (What???)
6:00 A.M. Left for Chicago. Arrived with plenty of
time for breakfast before leg #2.
8:30 A.M. Misread the boarding pass thinking they
began loading at 8:30. Stopped to use
the bathroom and arrived at the gate just
as they closed the door for boarding. The
flight left at 8:30 A.M. The gate agents
said they had paged us several times.
With the deaf leading the deaf, we never
heard the page!
We were sent to customer service where
the agent found a flight to Atlanta on
another airline in another part of the
airport (Chicago O’Hare let me remind
you!) leaving in 45 minutes. She sent us
on our way with excellent directions to
find the gate and a stern warning not to
stop anywhere along the way and “You
will make it!”
It was a l-o-n-g way to the gate with no
service carts in sight. We arrived with
about 10 minutes to spare. Boarded
the plane with sweat dripping from
our ears and hair BUT we were finally
Atlanta bound.
12:10 P.M. Arrived in Atlanta – the busiest airport
in the United States – we learned. Again
it was a l-o-n-g way to the car rental
center. So long that we had to take;
1. Concourse Tram
2. Sky Train
3. And lots of walking
4. Up and down several escalators
Finally found the EZ Rental Counter
as the agent was once again closing the
door on us leaving a sign that told us to
find the Advantage Counter for help.
We did – after another escalator ride
and a few more steps. After signing all
of forms, we were directed across the
ramp, down the elevator, to another
Advantage Desk where they would
direct us to our car. A blue Passat was
waiting for us.
1:30 P.M. Once we figured out how to get the
car started, we were off following our
step by step Google directions on our
iPhone. We had about a 45 minute drive
to Roswell giving us 15 minutes to spare
for getting lost and found again.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 29
2:15 P.M. Rain begins pouring down just
as we arrive in Roswell and I
mean POURING!
2:23 P.M. We pull up and park by the front door of
the building where the studio is located.
No umbrellas. No raincoats. No brains.
We run through the rain and arrive ON
TIME looking like drowned rats from
Minnesota!
2:30 P.M. Arrive in studio offices after having
run through rain monsoon and water
up to our ankles. We were soaked, hair,
clothes, shoes and all. Dr. Larry D.
Carnes, Books of the Month program
host, met with us for a few minutes
of get acquainted chit chat. He felt
that Jeannie Ann’s Grandma Has
Breast Cancer was both powerful and
impactful. “Are you ready?” he asked. I
responded with, “Well I think I need to
use a bathroom to try and save what’s
left of me and my hairdo!”
After trying to dry my hair with paper
towels, adding a little “product” as they
say, and applying make-up once again to
replace what washed off in the Georgia
deluge, we were invited in to the studio.
Being a Saturday, they had a pretty bare
bones staff on hand to do the taping.
Two tall chairs where set on a green
background cloth – the cover of the
Jeannie Ann Book will be added to the
background later. Two technicians were
set up with the cameras and computers
and such and away we went with the
interview with Dr. Larry on his stool
and I on mine. The main thrust of the
interview was on the impact the book
was having on its readers.
We visited a bit longer after the
interview finished. The Bishop, Dr.
Larry, was astonished that we had
traveled all that way for just one day and
were heading home again that evening.
He really seemed in no hurry to visit
Minnesota any time soon. Our winter
weather legends and chronicles have the
south pretty much afraid to travel north.
“What do you do when it’s so cold and
snowy?” he asked. “Carry on with our
lives,” we replied. “Just like you do down
here in the heat.”
4:00 P.M. Or there about, we’re back in the car,
headed toward Atlanta and the airport
once again. We arrive around an hour
later to return the car to the rental
company and back track our way into
the terminal. This time following the
steps backwards from about 3 hours ago.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 30
1. Lots of walking and an
escalator or two.
2. Sky Train back to the terminal.
3. Tram out to the concourses.
4. Check-in - TSA Pre-Check
Found Gate D23 and that our flight to
Charlotte was delayed until 7:45 P.M.
We checked in with the gate agent as we
did not want to miss our flight at 10:44
P.M. out of Charlotte to Minneapolis.
He assured us that we would have
plenty of time to make the flight.
Feeling confident, we headed off to find
some dinner.
6:00 P.M. Mustard Seed BBQ caught our
attention. We ordered drinks and dinner
and began to relax for the first time
thinking we were all set and on our way
home. Then the iPhone began to ding
with messages:
“Ding” - Flight 5212 to Charlotte
delayed to 8:30 P.M.
“Ding” - Flight 5212 to Charlotte
delayed to 9:04 P.M.
“Ding” - Due to delay, you may
miss your connecting flight to
Minneapolis
“Ding” - Flight 5212 to
Charlotte canceled.
“Ding” – Due to cancelation of
Flight 5212 to Charlotte you will
miss your flight to Minneapolis. We
are trying to reroute you. Stay tuned
for more information.
Choking down our dinner, we headed
back to Gate D23 to find the line to
speak with an agent at least 20 people
long if not longer. We asked where
customer service was located and were
told that we were looking at it. By
now 5 more people have joined the
line. An airline agent handed out cards
instructing us to call customer service
to get help before we got to the counter
as that would speed up everything for
everyone. Right!?!?!
We called the number and the agent,
after what seemed like forever, came
back on the phone and told us to stay in
line and request a hotel voucher when
we got to the desk and have the agent
arrange flights for us in the morning.
The airplane loading at the gate right
then was heading to Charlotte. We had
been told earlier that it was already over
booked. At that point the desk agent
announced that if you are heading to
Chicago, the next departure at that gate
after the Charlotte flight left, please step
aside and let the Charlotte passengers
ahead of you in line. Now we are 6
people waiting in line rather than 20.
After what seemed like forever, it was
finally our turn with the agent. Believe
it not, it was the same agent that we
had talked with earlier who had assured
us that we would make our flight out
of Charlotte to Minneapolis with no
problem. We approached and told him
we needed a hotel voucher and flights
in the morning. He just smiled and
said, “Ladies, I’ll get you home tonight!”
The next thing we knew, he handed us
boarding passes for the Charlotte flight
leaving immediately. After much thanks,
we walked right on to the plane, the
doors closed and we were headed to
Charlotte with plenty of time to make
our connecting flight to Minneapolis.
“What just happened?” We decided it
must have been our good looks, clean
living, old age? For whatever reason,
we were where we needed to be and on
our way home.
10:00 P.M. Landed in Charlotte. Found our
concourse and gate as well as frozen
yogurt with fresh fruit and had
time to spare.
10:44 P.M. Left Charlotte on time for Minneapolis.
July 14, 2019
12:20 A.M. Landed in Minneapolis. Picked up our
luggage at the Intercontinental Hotel.
I retrieved my car out of Valet Parking
and headed home. Exhausted but so
happy to have completed the interview
and the trip!
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 31
We packed a lot into those twenty-two
hours. By the time I drove home and
crawled into bed, it was twenty-four
hours from that first wake-up call. I have
to say I’m too old to ever try that again!
But it certainly was a fun and exciting
adventure! Now I hope the interview
was successful. Time will tell!
Hardcover | $15.25
Paperback | $7.47
Kindle | $2.42
Hardcover | $17.99
Paperback | $9.99
Kindle | $4.89
Souls from
Mercury
by Raju Ramanathan
Charles Darwin pointed out that the future evolution of mankind
cannot happen through the continuation of the “survival of fittest”
ideology. It lies in the courage to stand up like the first animal did
and move in a vertical dimension, whereas developing kindness,
compassion, and empathy are the hallmark of evolution and truly an
inward revolution. This goal can be achieved by delving deeper into
ourselves through the simple process of meditation and mindfulness.
In this book you will learn the pathway to your inner vastness (i.e.,
Samadhi, Enlightenment or the “Mercury space”) and gain answers
to becoming “Souls From Mercury.”
Affirmations for Law
Enforcement:
We Protect. We Serve.
We Care.
by Darlene P. Hoyt
Dr. Darlene P. Hoyt is a Board Certified Police and Public Safety
Psychologist. She has been working in the field of Law Enforcement since
1990 providing counseling, training at the Academy, Peer Support, Critical
Incident Debriefings, working with Swat Teams, providing Pre-Employment
Psychological evaluations for hire, and testifying in Court. Everyday Law
Enforcement Personnel are on the job to protect the public and community
at large while at times putting themselves at risk. Dr. Hoyt has created this
book for Law Enforcement personnel to help them cope with the pressure
and strains of working in stressful, dangerous and troubling situations. Daily
affirmations can help promote positive mental focus, reduce stress, and
improve mood and sense of well-being. The hope of this book is to provide
Law Enforcement Personnel another tool to use in their daily life to achieve
peace, success and job satisfaction.
AUTHORS PRESS
Paperback | $12.91
Miracles
Master the Art
Healing Medically
Incurable Illness
by Nancy Lynne Harris, M.A.
“…offers many positive life tips.”
— Kirkus Review
Nancy Lynne Harris graduated from the Four Winds Society,
founded by Dr. Alberto Villoldo, where she took up energy medicine
and shamanism. She is also trained as a spiritual teacher by The
Eschathology Foundation in Los Angeles and a founder of a
company called the GodSpirits United, LLC which helps people
recover from medically incurable diseases including addiction.
The Fruit of the
Spirit: The Path
That Leads
to Loving as
Jesus Loved
AUTHORS PRESS
by Steve Langford
Hardcover | $22.47
Paperback | $11.95
Kindle | $3.99
Jesus and the apostle Paul both identified love as the
distinguishing mark of the follower of Jesus. In his description
of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul described how it is possible to love
the way Jesus loved. But how do we love in this profound way?
Contributor - Gary Rothhaar
Our Friendship Tree
I met her at a square dance; she was all alone
She had no one to dance with; no one to take her home
I asked her if she cared to dance, then we sat down to chat
She said she was a widow, who lived with just her cat
She asked me if I knew someone with time to mow her yard
Although her farm is rather large, the mowing’s not too hard
I said, I might have time for that if you’ll include a meal
She said that’s great, I love to cook; I guess we have a deal
While sitting at the table, our words began to flow
We spoke of all the places, we would like to go
And then I said, why don’t we dear; we’ve waited much to long
So we began our bucket list, and its still going strong
She said, we’ll never marry, and I’ll never be your wife
But I would like for you to know; I’d trust you with my life
I told her what that met to me as we drove into town
And how I’d try my very best to never let her down
We never met without a hug, we walked while holding hands
We never kept a secret, about our future plans
Her words were always soft and kind, and timely as could be
The wisdom of this gentle soul, was deeper than the sea
One day she said, let’s plant a tree: a friendship tree for you and me
A symbol of the love we know; we’ll watch it bloom, we’ll watch it grow
The winds may blow beyond the norm, but it will weather every storm
And it will outlive you and me, and it will be our friendship tree
AUTHORS PRESS
by Gary Alan Rothhaar for his
precious friend Janis Lucile Shade
authorial magazine | 34
After thirty years of marriage and four great kids, I suddenly found myself
single again. I chose not to re-marry, but I didn’t want to be alone the rest of
my life either. I was looking for a companion who didn’t want to re-marry,
and that’s when I met Janis Shade at a square dance. Janis had recently lost
her husband and she needed some help keeping up the farm. I agreed to
help if she would occasionally be kind enough to cook us a nice warm meal,
which she was happy to do.
AUTHORS PRESS
As we got to know each other we decided to plant a friendship tree on
her farm as a symbol of our love. Then I wrote the poem “Our Friendship
Tree” and put it on a plaque at the base of the tree. As the years went by
we watched our tree blossom and grow stronger and more beautiful just
like our friendship. For ten years we have worked, played, traveled and
prayed together in a very uniquely innocent friendship. We trust that “Our
Friendship Tree” and the plaque at the base of it will inspire others to seek
uniquely enduring friendships.
Author: Gary Alan Rothhaar
Paperback | $8.64
Hardcover | $42.79
Paperback | $26.56
Kindle | $3.03
Better Than a
Homerun
by Freda Dehoff
Twelve-year-old Daryl Jenkins’ summer plans are shattered by the
death of his best friend, Terry, who died in an automobile accident
caused by a drunk driver. With the memories still fresh in his mind,
he tries to deal with his anger, disappointment, and frustration by
playing baseball with his friends and drawing pictures for an art
contest. But the ache in his heart tarnishes everything he does. Better
Than a Homerun is the story of a boy who faces the monumental
challenges of forgiveness. Through the encouragement and wise
advice of his parents, Daryl begins to trust God and depend upon
Him in all that he does, and his personal relationships with family
and friends help strengthen his trust in God. But one big question
remains. How can he ever forgive the drunk driver who took his best
friend’s life? To Daryl, it seems almost more than a boy can handle.
Rome and America: the
Great Republics: What
the Fall of the Roman
Republic Portends for
the United States
by Walter Signorelli
AUTHORS PRESS
In innumerable ways, the United States of America is the political and
social descendant of the Roman Republic, and the influences of Rome
reverberate throughout our world. Yet while America reflects the heights of
Roman structures, ideas, and principles, we also now face a host of problems
similar to those that the Romans faced-immigration and citizenship, the
consequences of slavery, the growing divide between classes, the conflict
between conservatives and progressives, and the challenges of being a
superpower.
Paperback | $4.46
Kindle | $4.46
Paperback | $13.18
Kindle | $9.99
Parenting: It Isn’t
Hard If You Keep
Your Eyes on the
Mentor, God, Our
Heavenly Father
by Elizabeth Len Wai
God is the only perfect parent; it is appropriate that we should
choose him as our mentor in parenting. A lot of the behaviors that
irritate us in our child, God has experienced with us--tantrums,
questioning, disobedience, defiance, crying, and begging. He has
experienced them all with us and still calls us his children.
Wisdom from a
Wheelchair
by Olivia Espinosa
The author of Wisdom from a Wheelchair has been disabled since
she was twelve years old. While going through her own personal
struggles and the progression of her disability, Olivia Espinosa
found her gift from God: creating daily inspirational messages
that have changed her life and healed her spirit.
AUTHORS PRESS
It is her hope that this book will bring you inspiration, faith,
strength, and comfort. It will warm your heart when you’re
feeling too far from God. You will find encouragement and
support to overcome your own life’s struggles. You too can move
mountains.
Contributor - Ted Torgersen
A Hegemony of Hats
As many as the hats they wore,
as dense as the column
in which they marched,
as district upon district
paid them homage,
they are no more.
Teeth were gnashed,
and grim grins gritted
as baleful eyes looked on.
Remember the truth
that no one spoke,
remember the setting of the sun.
Between the mountains
and the sea
lies a road
that has never been traveled.
It leads to a fountain,
long gone dry,
in the desert
of mankind’s ambitions.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 38
Migration
We’ve all lost our way
at one time or another,
and that is why we watch birds.
They always know
when it’s time to migrate.
There is nothing for them to fear,
when the time to move on draws near,
there is nothing that the birds haven’t heard.
A yellowtail on a wall,
or a hummingbird near the fence,
they know when the time has come.
The aline singing in the shadows
can’t say where they’ve gone.
It’s a different country,
one that you’ve never seen;
even if you manage to get there,
you won’t know what it means.
At least, to them,
they’re not tourists, you see.
Birds live each day where they are,
wherever that happens to be.
That could also be you,
it could even be me,
cross over, for a minute,
to an open country.
A mile is a minute
of your life’s journey gone by.
Make you open up your eyes
and see the reason why
we all need to migrate,
from time to time.
From ignorance, we need respite,
from oppression to take flight;
we need to turn day
into freedom from night.
Approximation can’t save you,
like you once thought,
it’s this haphazard thinking
which makes you get caught.
In this district, you can see,
it’s starting to happen again,
and when it comes to migration,
now is better than when,
ever since the oppressor is making
everyone change their skin.
Like, if you don’t do it,
think of the trouble you’ll be in.
Better to fly far and fly fast,
than, in a season of darkness,
to breathe out your last.
There are some places, however,
where many people fear mice,
myself among them.
How do you differentiate
between fears, like this?
Is there a way you can know
where you must go?
Can you migrate to a place
free from mice?
Would it be so much nicer there,
with nothing to fear, at the end,
but the mindless nameless insects
that live in the bush?
Whether, by instinct or instigation,
or to establish a pattern
that we can understand,
the need to migrate stands foremost,
uniting heart and mind
in a desire to leave winter behind,
and like a shooting star, slip away,
to dance with the nightingale,
knowing that the journey stops with you.
Ted Torgersen, Out of Exile
Copyright 2014
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 39
Paperback | $9.95
Kindle | $3.99
Hardcover | $29.95
Paperback | $17.95
Kindle | $9.99
Grip of Heaven
by H. Bruce Boulton
There are two classes of people in the church today those who receive
revelation in their spirits, and those who only know about Christ with
their minds. The latter have just education, not revelation, and so we
should ask of ourselves: Do we have eyes that see and ears that hear in
our spirits?
In Grip of Heaven, author H. Bruce Boulton shares his touching
personal testimony of faith, as he seeks the truth of Gods Word
following his wife’s passing. Together for fifty-eight (1958-2016)
years, they were led by the Lord in all aspects of their lives, and
Boulton now offers the wisdom that was revealed to him by God
through a personal great awakening of the spirit.
God can reveal himself and his ways to us, but we must be receptive
and use all of our sensesespecially our spiritual senses to see, hear,
and feel his voice and his presence in our lives. We should therefore
accept his will for our lives now, as we pray the Lords Prayer and look
forward to the Holy Spirits rule in our souls.
Finding the
Clouds and
a Life
by Carl M. Robinson
AUTHORS PRESS
The schedule for my sampling flight was the last mission for
Operation Castle. The device is twenty-three miles across the atoll
from where our office is located. The device is sitting on a float
of some sort over where an island was blown away. Every flight I
made to get flying time, I would fly over the area to see how the
construction was coming along. I was looking forward to seeing
what kind of damage it would make in relation to size, heat, sound,
and height. Another thing I would practice at the end of every
flight was a GCA landing.
Hardcover | $24.40
Paperback | $13.95
Kindle | $3.99
Hardcover | $28.83
Paperback | $12.49
Kindle | $2.39
The Jewish Background
of Christianity in God’s
Plan of Salvation: A
Catholic Approach to the
Old Testament
by Marianne Ivany D. Min
Modern Catholics may be dissuaded from reading or studying
the Old Testament simply because the stories seem unusual or
implausible and the language, foreign and confusing. Still, we
must not neglect the inestimable value of God’s self-disclosure
and the wealth of wisdom within the Hebrew scriptures, nor
the Jewish prayers and traditions contained within, as many of
them lie at the core of our faith and worship.
The Gift
by Lila Ellexson Senter
In The Gift, Lila Ellexson Senter reflects on Christmases past and
takes us along for the journey. Throughout time, she and her friends
and family have discovered the joy of “word gifts” -collections of
quotations, original poetry, and stories that have amplified the
meaning of Christmas for both the gift giver and recipient. This
book represents some of the most meaningful word gifts they have
exchanged over the years. The words, so carefully chosen, reflect a
strong faith, and the beautiful artwork that accompanies each word
gift amplifies the message. Reading The Gift is truly a gift to yourself.
Throughout the year, pick up this book and let it remind you of
the importance of love, family, and faith. And during the holidays,
consider wrapping it up for a friend, along with a word gift of your
own, so they, too, can reconnect with the true meaning of Christmas.
Lila Ellexson Senter is a retired social worker living in Abilene, Texas.
She and her husband Bill, with whom she raised three children, enjoy
traveling, reading, and volunteering in their community. The Gift was
written as a way to promote and support the work of Abilene Hope
Haven, a local shelter in the Senters’ hometown.
AUTHORS PRESS
Contributor - Ted Torgersen
The Four Directions
Altruism
In my travels, once,
while I was crossing the road,
I really thought the devil had got me
for what he said that I owed.
I started to remember
that the night was not far off,
so I gathered up my leaflets
and began to scatter reports.
I said what I was thinking,
I talked about what I had heard;
now, looking back at it,
it all seems so absurd.
* * * *
Heroism
We gonna beat the monkey,
though he creeps the whole night through.
We can’t make very much of it,
despite what we wanted, too.
We gonna beat him right out of this
human thing that we do.
We keep fast to our side,
don’t let nothin’ get through,
and the last time we stopped them
go be remembered, for true.
Livin’ here now, it’s all about work.
No one will teach you how to do it,
or show you where to buy the shirt.
It’s damned if you do,
but then if you don’t,
it’s consequences unheard of,
and perseverance only hurts.
As far as my life goes,
there’s no news that is new;
I’ll continue to continue
to give the devil his due;
that is, until we meet face to face.
* * * *
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 42
Realism
Schism
On the talk shows,
the host tells you what’s what,
and if you ask too many questions,
they’ll say, “Keep your mouth shut.”
Even the dreams you can remember
are just make believe,
and everyday life gets harder and harder
‘till it’s time for you to leave.
The heavier your burden,
the farther there is to go,
and it seems the long years’ only purpose
is to erase what you know.
Remember the beginning?
When the end was far away?
You had more questions than answers,
and each morning was a new day.
Now the sun is setting
and you have no place to go.
The night is dark and empty,
and of holiness there is none.
Try to remember, try as you might,
but nothing will stay with you
into your next life.
* * * *
Exactly in between what is right
and what’s wrong,
lies an imaginary boundary
that’s never been mentioned in song.
The place where it starts,
and the place where it ends
is at the beginning,
where everything bends.
Bread of sorrow,
life’s ambition;
open country,
life in prison;
break it open,
seal it shut;
life is a feeling
deep in your gut.
The Four Directions
are not choices.
They are the measure of the world,
yet they remain unrepentant.
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authorial magazine | 43
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What If Ants Wore
Orange Pants
by Alice J Strauss
“What if Ants Wore Orange Pants” was originally conceived as a gift
book for the author’s grandsons. Starting as two illustrated prints given
as baby gifts, it grew over several years into a complete alphabet book.
Twenty-six little rhymes for little readers make learning the alphabet as
much fun for parents to read as for children to enjoy on their own.
Alice Johanson Strauss studied at the Rhode Island School of Design
and worked in the textile industry for many years in both NYC and
the Philadelphia area. Now retired, she lives with her partner and
seven cats in a 100-year-old farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. At
present she does most of her designing in her garden while she thinks
up new ideas for children’s books.
DogSpeak: The Strange
Story of a Curiously Smart
Dog in the Year 2038
by Donal Blaise Lloyd
Many people have asked the question, “What does the future
hold?” This book provides some answers. This touching story of a
man and his dog may surprise you, because this dog is like no other
dog you have ever met. Both man and dog live in the near future, at
a time when everything has been transformed by new technology:
voting, driving, spending money, the use of clocks, time zones, and
basic measurements. But the most surprising is likely the use of
brain decoding and recording—and its many and varied uses may
shock or surprise you.
And yet some things are certain to never change—like the love
between a man and his dog.
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Under Five
Flags
by Hackchan Rhee and Marta L. Tulis
Under Five Flags is the true account of Hackchan Rhee’s
experiences under a variety of governments and political
circumstances. Through it all, he’s seen that people share
not only the finer characteristics of humanity, but the dark
undercurrents as well. Born in Pyongyang, Korea, before
World War II, and eventually moving to the United States,
Rhee has lived under the rule of Japan, Russia, North Korea,
South Korea, and the United States. His experiences taught
him the futility of socialism and the devastation that a
“planned economy” can have on a society.
Robert’s Orchid
by Yvette Feurtado
Moving forward with life seems almost impossible when you have lost
your only child in a tragic accident. You slowly sink into an abyss of
darkness and despair. How do you move on? Everything in your life
becomes meaningless. You are now left with a life that is empty and
have experienced a loss that is forever. What do I do now?
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She began writing her story of the loss of her beloved son as a means
of releasing all the emotional turmoil felt deep inside. She was going
within to find inspiration to move forward to transcend the path of
sorrow. How do you move on when your heart is broken knowing the
future life envisioned with your loved one will never materialize.
Contributor - Ted Torgersen
The Invisible Stranger
Who am I now,
and what was I before
in that uncertain country
that I couldn’t take, anymore?
Inaction has consequences too:
if I see nothing, say nothing,
hear nothing, fait rien,
I am nothing and no one can see me,
nor where I am not,
nor what I’m not doing.
If a leaf falls by itself in a forest,
does it make any sound?
Or does your whole play pretend castle
have to crash down around you
to get your attention?
Can I man walk naked down Main Street,
lighting invisible bonfires
that smell faintly
like the funeral pyre of lost love?
Dance away, and no one will see you,
slip away and no one will know
you were ever there.
Make a little pile of leaves and feathers
to show that nobody cares.
Burn down Babylon
with the fire of truth
and forget that you ever had a name.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 46
The Wind and the Goats
Some days are so windy
that I wish some goats would come
and calm things down.
Ever see a goat on a windy day?
Something about them makes the wind stay away.
They are a force, like gravity,
that keeps the wind at bay.
Promising to blow tomorrow,
but staying calm today.
Maybe it’s the way they smell,
so strong and rank and, well, goatey,
that keeps the wind from trying
to ruffle their hair, knowing it’ll never
get through all that powerful goatodor.
So it goes and blows itself away,
meaning to come back again, some day
when there aren’t so many goats in the way.
They are a force of nature, going not
so much toward something, or away, as at it.
Perhaps that’s why they’re called goats, ‘cause they go at.
Have you ever seen many goats?
This country is really short on goats, I find,
just like it’s short on poets.
Maybe it’s a conspiracy
of Western archetypes,
cattlemen and sheep-men,
but no goat-men, except one with balloons.
Maybe he borrowed their feet to keep the wind
from messing with his strings,
or maybe the goats are here, and no one notices.
Like no one can tell a poet, anywhere, anytime,
without a program, and even then can’t tell him
much.
Imagine John Wayne on the silver screen,
surrounded by a herd of goats, if you can.
History would really look different, then,
if anyone noticed.
Maybe then the weather channel
would use goats to predict wind patterns,
and we could all be lucky on the eights,
instead of the way we are now, without goats.
But the world’s in no danger, no…
there are plenty of goats
in enough places to keep the wind at bay,
so the place don’t just blow away
in a cross country goat race, except,
how do you keep them running?
Goats don’t stampede, they exude, or recede,
going not away, but at what they perceive.
It could be just a phase,
like childhood, or the hula-hoop,
and after years of struggle,
mankind could finally find itself
surrounded by goats,
becalmed on a hillside, far away
from the false winds
of changeable history.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 47
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Sex: Baddest
Sin or Goodest
Pleasure
by Ron Vieselmeyer
The purpose of this book is to help you, the reader, enjoy physical
and spiritual intimacy to its fullest. Perhaps getting to know the
author will help you understand why he is so passionate about this
subject. A beautifully carved eagle by an artist who won first place in
international competition is mounted on a beam under the peak of
the gable above the front entrance to Ron Vieselmeyer’s home. This
eagle symbolizes what Ron is all about (FREEDOM). John 8:32 “The
TRUTH will set you Free.”
A Commentary on the
Gospel of John
by Stanley Polski
A Commentary on the Gospel of John is an exciting, startling new
study by a lay philosopher who may be described as “an uncommon
common man.” Though detailed and scholarly, his work is excitingly
readable for every seeker of insights. And isn’t that all of us? His
writing provides a fresh, provocative, yet reverent look at Jesus as he
is revealed through John’s writings and the author’s interpretation.
The author quotes the Gospel of John a few verses at a time-and
then explores these quotations with a commentary: though deeply
religious he manages to relate them to world leaders and politicians
against the backdrop of the classic philosophers. Some of his views are
outrageous, but he provides a touchstone that believers, seekers, and
doubters may use as a basis for their own religious journeys. This is a
book valuable for both the secular and religious communities.
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The Rabid WATCHDOGS
Abuses Within Our Imperfect
World: Reflections of a
Psychotherapist
by Mary D. Morgillo PhD, A.B.M.P.P.
All Dr. Morgillo wanted to do was help people improve their mental
health and overall livelihood, a calling she felt all her life. However,
no one could have prepared her for enduring one of the most trying
times of her life, which not only put her private psychology practice
and reputation in danger, but also her health and sanity. In her
autobiographical work, THE RAPID WATCHDOGS: Abuses within
our Imperfect World, she sheds insight into the shocking growth of
medical fraud investigations that emerged in the late eighties. Several
practitioners were falsely presented to the Medicaid fraud unit by
disgruntled former employees, exacerbated by misleading attorneys and
indifferent court systems.
Trails to and
Tales of
Sanderson,Texas
by Cleo W. Robinson Jr.
AUTHORS PRESS
This is a work manly of fiction. However, many of the stories and
characters are drawn from real life. It is a about life in a small
ranching and railroad town in Southwest Texas just east of the Big
Bend area. For nine months in 1958 and 1959, I had the pleasure
of living in Sanderson, Texas. It was a time between high school
and college that I needed to decide what I wanted to try to do with
my life. Although I was born in a small town, Ionia, Missouri; my
family moved to Springfield, Missouri when I was less than one
year old so I never experienced small town life. Sanderson, Texas
provided that missing ingredient.
Trouble on the
Sea of Mars
Short story and illustration by Ivor Kovac
Chapter 5
Mars
After what seemed like an interminable
journey, they finally arrived at Mars.
At first it was a small dot, like a star,
but then it grew larger and brighter
and took on a ruddy tone. Finally, it
grew to such a size that the narrow
strip of windows in front could not
encompass the entire view. Nathan
had to look through his periscope to
capture a proper view of the planet,
and found it endlessly fascinating.
Mars was both like and unlike Earth.
It had polar ice caps in both the
north and south, but not nearly as
much ocean. There was a great ocean
in the south, but in the northern
hemisphere there were only a few
lakes. The ocean was blue, but the
foliage came in varying shades of red
and orange, so that the more heavily
foliated regions were a deep red, and
the arid grassland regions had more
of an orange look to them.
In the north there were some large
deserts, which appeared yellow like
the Earth’s Sahara desert. As one
went north from Mars’ equator,
the vegetation gradually became
sparse, and the far north was almost
exclusively a desert, save for the
northern ice cap and the surrounding
area where the melting ice produced
enough moisture to sustain tundralike
vegetation and forests, and a
few other areas where there were
rivers and artificial channels dug for
irrigation purposes.
Mars was 85% the size of Earth, but
it actually had more people, and the
smaller size was compensated for by
the greater land to water ratio, even
with the deserts. The moons of Mars
were also fascinating. The larger moon
was round, but smaller than Earth’s
moon, and the smaller moon was
shaped like a potato.
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The Krenth nation was the dominant
force in the western hemisphere of
Mars, and the country ran from the
ocean to one of the great deserts in
the north. The plan was that half the
crew, including the captain, would
embark in capsules and land in the
ocean where they would be picked up
by the Krenth Navy. If negotiations
were successful, then more of the crew
would come down, and a human space
port would most likely be established
on Mars.
If negotiations were unsuccessful then
the Krenth might, or might not, return
the crew to the Teddy Roosevelt.
Kor-Neev stated that the test was to
successfully make it to Mars, but it
was possible that regardless of how
negotiations went the crew might
have to find their own way back to
their ship.
“We knew this could be a one way
journey all along,” Nathan said. “But
some things are worth it.”
Once the Teddy Roosevelt was put
into orbit, Nathan, half the crew,
and the diplomatic team took to the
capsules and descended upon the
Martian ocean. Parachutes deployed
on the way down, but the landing was
still quite forceful.
The shapes of the ships which rescued
them were peculiar, angular in some
places and rounded in others. The
ships were all white in color, and the
crewmen wore form fitting blue and
white uniforms, with oddly shaped
blue helmets. The helmets covered
most of their heads, but were open
in front. The sides of their faces were
covered, and the front of the helmet
came down nearly to the bridges
of their noses in a widow’s peak
style point. The tops of the helmets
projected back a bit beyond the back
of their heads and shifted back in
towards the base of their skulls. Some
of them had visors attached to the
fronts of their helmets to shield their
eyes from the sun.
It was the middle of the day, but
the sun was not quite as bright here
as it was on Earth. It was rather
subtle, but still a noticeable difference.
The temperature was warm, but not
terribly hot, even though they were
technically in the tropic zone.
The ranking officers wore looser
garments and robes. Their hair was
bound up into a small cup shaped
cap on the backs of their heads, and
many of them had beards. It reminded
Nathan of ancient Chinese styles that
he had read about in his college library
and seen illustrations of in books.
He could not help but wonder what
things would have been like back on
Earth had some group other than
the western race and culture come
to be the dominant force. It might
have been that ancient Chinese styles
were perpetuated and duplicated
everywhere across the planet, or
perhaps Persian or Indian.
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authorial magazine | 51
But at the moment, Nathan had more
immediate things to think about.
After being hoisted aboard the ship,
Nathan found that he had difficulty
walking. Even though Mars had
lower gravity, their muscles had grown
weaker as a result of living for weeks
in a zero gravity environment.
In spite of the difficulties, Nathan
remained on deck until all of the
capsules were retrieved, and the ships
began to make for land. Others on
the crew showered and ate, but what
they ate was a mystery to Nathan. He
decided to put off eating Martian
food for a while, just in case it didn’t
agree with his stomach.
As they traveled, he observed the crew,
and they also observed him and the
other Earthmen. They were generally
reserved, but not all of them were as
stoic as Kor-Neev. On two occasions
he actually saw crewmen laughing.
But what interested him most was
the shoreline.
Once the shoreline came into view, he
saw the largest and most impressive
cityscape he had ever seen. It made
New York City look like a small
country town by comparison. The
city seemed to stretch as far as the
eye could see in either direction. Once
he reached the shoreline, he saw just
how immense the buildings were. He
now understood why Kor-Neev was so
unimpressed by Earth’s architecture.
After he disembarked from the ship,
he found himself in a naval yard full of
what appeared to be military vessels.
He and the others were herded into
the Martian version of cars, which
were more aerodynamic and sleek
than any cars back on Earth, and
clearly more advanced technologically.
As they drove through the city he
got a better look at the buildings.
They were composed of metal, stone,
and glass, but all were polished and
shining. They came in varying shades
of gray and black, and towered to
monstrous heights. The architecture
was definitely more advanced than
anything back on Earth, but Nathan
could not help but wonder if the lesser
gravity was also a factor in being able
to build such tall buildings.
The people they passed on the
sidewalks all appeared to be the same
race. Most of them wore black or
gray, but there were a few who wore
different colors in dark tones. Some
of the streets were lined with trees,
and there were also parks, but the
trees were all alien in shape. They
had black trunks and red leaves, and
the grass was orange in color.
Everything was clean and well
ordered. The Krenth even had traffic
lights, but in their case, red meant
go, purple meant caution, and blue
meant stop.
Eventually, they were taken to a
large building surfaced with what
appeared to be polished black stone,
like marble, and led inside. The lobby
was massive, with large black columns
ascending thirty feet overhead to an
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authorial magazine | 52
arched ceiling. The walls along the
sides of the lobby were lined with
gold mirrors, and in front of those
were small gardens with yellow and
orange foliage.
They were in what was evidently an
expensive hotel, and which had been
completely cleared of Martians, save
for the staff and a squadron of security
teams for their own protection.
Unfortunately, they were still not
the only tenants, as Nathan soon
discovered.
As he was standing near the counter
waiting to receive his room key, the
main hotel doors opened up and a
group of men stepped inside. Three
of them were Martians, but the
other three were clearly Earthmen
of the Asiatic persuasion. They were
wearing uniforms, two had relatively
simple uniforms, while the third had
an elaborate officer’s uniform with
medals and a hat. The officer had a
mustache and round glasses, and his
hand rested on the hilt of a sword.
He looked around the lobby and
glared at Nathan when their eyes
met. Then he snapped his fingers
twice and said something in a foreign
language as he pointed to a hallway
at the other end of the lobby. The
men with him proceeded to move
in the direction he pointed, while he
glared at Nathan for a second longer.
Nathan raised an eyebrow but other
than that he held his gaze until the
other man snorted disdainfully and
moved off toward the hallway.
A moment later, someone from
behind the counter tapped on his
shoulder.
“Sir, your room key is ready,” the man
behind the counter said in English,
but with a heavy accent.
Nathan turned around to see the
Martian clerk holding some kind of
card in his hand.
“What is this?” Nathan asked.
“Your room key sir,” the clerk said.
“It is an electronic lock. All you have
to do is swipe this card through the
slot on the mechanism, and the door
will be unlocked.”
“That’s interesting,” Nathan said. “But
I was actually asking about those
fellows who just passed through.
“They arrived before you did.”
“But why are they in the hotel with
us?”
“The Japanese are staying on the first
floor, the Germans are staying on the
second. You Americans and English
will be staying on floors four and five.”
“Whose idea was it to have us share
the same hotel?”
“The Sovereign’s.”
“Everyone here is under truce,”
another Martian said. “This is a battle
of words, not force, therefore it should
authorial magazine | 53
not matter if you are within physical
proximity of one another.”
Nathan said nothing further, but it
did not make him happy, to say the
least. He and the others were shown
to their rooms, and for the first time
in a long time Nathan was able to take
a shower, and after that, he was able
to flop down onto a real bed. As he
looked up at the ceiling pondering
what to do next, there came a knock
at the door.
When he answered the door, he found
Kor-Neev escorted by a Krenth man
dressed in mostly black. He had a
sleeveless black tunic which ran down
to his feet in front and in back, and
underneath he wore a dark gray shirt
with wide baggy sleeves, and wide
baggy pants. He wore a dark visor,
similar to what Nathan had seen
the Martians wear when they were
on Earth.
“Captain Benson,” Kor-Neev said
in formal sounding English. “This is
officer Gor-Kaal Emk. He is to be
your chief security liaison.”
“A body guard,” Nathan said.
Or maybe just a guard?
“That is correct,” Kor-Neev replied.
“As you know, you are to be introduced
to the Sovereign. Bear in mind what
I told you of Krenth etiquette.”
“How could I forget?” Nathan asked.
Shouting, except in cases of emergency,
was considered indecent. It was not
against the law, but it was a strong
taboo, and could result in eviction
from a government building or a place
of business. It was rude to enquire of
a person’s welfare unless there was a
legitimate cause for concern. Showing
strong emotion was considered taboo,
and it was better to keep the face
expressionless.
AUTHORS PRESS
“It is an honor to meet you,” Gor-Kaal
said as he made fists and touched
them against one another with the
backs of his hands towards Nathan.
Nathan returned the gesture. It was
the Krenth equivalent of a handshake.
An actual handshake might be
considered a vulgarism to the Krenth,
as there were all sorts of taboos against
unnecessary physical contact.
“I will be escorting you to the Council
Chamber in the Tower of Excellence
within the hour,” Gor-Kaal said.
The “Tower of Excellence” was the
primary government building for
the nation of Krenthalkon, and from
what Nathan heard their central
government was small enough to fit
entirely into one building. Of course
the building was of immense height,
but half of it was libraries, archives,
and museums.
After the introduction, they left
Nathan alone for some time, but
returned when it was time to go
to meet the Sovereign. Nathan
was escorted into a vehicle along
with some of the diplomatic team,
while the remaining members of
the diplomatic team were taken in a
series of other vehicles. Each member
of the team was assigned at least one
Martian bodyguard, sometimes more.
They drove down the streets of the
city, passing massive buildings on both
sides of the road. Since the windows
of the cars were tinted, no one paid
noticed that there were aliens inside
or paid them any heed. When they
reached the Tower of Excellence,
the cars parked in a sheltered drive
through, again shielding them from
the eyes of the public, and they were
instructed to disembark.
The Krenth security was either highly
professional, indifferent, or used to the
presence of aliens, as none of them
stared or reacted to their presence,
from the highest official to the lowest
guard. Over the door was an enormous
plaque with an inscription in Krenth
written in large letters. It took Nathan
a few seconds but he was able to
read it.
“LOGIC IS JUSTICE,” it read.
But Nathan was given no time to
think about it. He and the diplomatic
team were made to pass through some
black objects which looked like plastic
or metal doorframes with no doors,
and once on the other side they were
escorted into the elevators and up to
one of the top floors.
When they got out of the elevators,
they were escorted down a long
hallway of black marble with
decorative patterns of silver inlay. The
lighting overhead was a clear white
light with no tinge of any color. The
doors to the council chamber were of
finely carved black stone, or at least
something that looked like stone.
Kor-Neev entered first, followed
by the human delegation, and their
guards stepped through last. The room
was large, and somewhat reminiscent
of gothic architecture with columns
and sharp pointed arches, but the walls
going around the outer perimeter of
the room were actually tinted windows
which afforded a view of the cityscape.
In the center of the room was a long
horseshoe shaped table of glossy black
material.
Martians were seated all around the
outside of the table, and all were
dressed predominantly in black. Some
were dressed more elaborately, and
decked out in glossy silver jewelry
with black gemstones. Most were
men but a few were women. All of
them wore some kind of hat of silver
and grey metal. The man at the head
of the table had the biggest chair,
and he wore the tallest hat of all.
It reminded Nathan of the crowns
worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
He wondered if it was supposed
to symbolize something deep and
philosophical, and if so what. If the
Krenth had been a simple culture,
he would have supposed the hat to
represent having the biggest head, and
by extension the biggest brain, but the
Krenth were far too sophisticated for
that, or so he thought.
The man at the head of the table was
introduced as Sovereign Tor-Anaz
Semth. Kor-Neev introduced all of
the Earth men next, then she began
introducing all of the other Martians
who sat around the table, but after
some time she was cut off by one of
the men who sat close to her father.
“This is wasteful of time, Advocate,”
the Martian said. “If these men are
like the others in ability they will
not memorize our names so swiftly.”
The statement was logical, and true
enough. None of the Earthmen would
be able to memorize all those names
so quickly, except for Dr. Robinson,
and perhaps the lawyer, Henley. But
the statement was blunt and tactless,
and showed a severe lack of manners,
or indifference toward them.
At least, by Earth standards.
“Very well,” Kor-Neev said. “In that
case I propose that we utilize name
plates.”
“Your suggestion has already been
anticipated, Advocate,” the Sovereign
said. “Name plates will be distributed
and utilized upon commencement
of the trial, for the benefit of the
Earthmen.”
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authorial magazine | 54
The Sovereign officially welcomed
the Earthmen to Krentholkan, never
mentioning Mars or whatever the
local name might be for the planet,
then he immediately proceeded to
the basics of when and how the trial
would occur.
“No doubt the Advocate has already
instructed you, but there is a high
probability that you will benefit from
secondary instruction,” the Sovereign
said.
Even though he kept his face and
voice expressionless and toneless,
it still seemed to Nathan that his
words were dripping with contempt.
It seemed as though the Sovereign
were going out of his way to remind
them of the power relationship and
difference in intellect between his
people and theirs.
Patience, kindness, long suffering …
Nathan recited words of peace and
wisdom in his mind in order to
temper his mood as the Sovereign
went on. However, his recitations
did not prevent him from getting
the gist of what the Sovereign was
saying. The conference was to occur
mostly in the Krenth language, even
though all of the Martian councilors
knew English. The Axis and Allies
would both be present so that if a
proposal were made the other side
could make a counter-proposal, and
so on and so forth.
When the Sovereign finished his
rundown of the procedures, all of the
guests were invited for dinner on the
floor below. Unfortunately the Axis
representatives would also be there.
They descended a stairwell to the floor
below, with the Krenth councilors
leading the way. On the way in,
the humans were given temporary
nametag stickers, with their names
phonetically spelled in the Krenth
language. As Nathan stepped into
the room, he saw the Axis delegation
was already there, although they were
not yet seated. They stood near the
other side of the room talking quietly
among themselves.
Once all of the American and British
delegation were inside, the Sovereign
made a brief announcement.
“This banquet is largely unstructured,”
he said. “The purpose is to engage in
undirected preliminary interactions
with one another, and to sample
Krenth cuisine.”
“Small talk?” Nathan asked quietly,
to no one in particular.
“Not small talk,” Kor-Neev said
overhearing. “Preliminary interactions,
to establish a basis for further
interaction. How should I render
this in Earth terms? Ah yes, it is an
opportunity to ‘sound out’ or ‘get a
feel for your opponents,’ as it were.
Consider it a type of reconnaissance.”
“Got it.”
“And now,” the Sovereign stated. “Do
feel free to eat and mingle.”
The food was served buffet style, and
although Nathan was hungry, he had
no idea what to take or where to start.
He decided to stick closely to Kor-
Neev to see what it she was taking.
“I’d like to follow you through the
line,” he said.
“As you wish,” she replied.
“I need to know what the Earth
equivalents are to all your Martian
food.”
“There are no direct Earth equivalents
to Martian plants and animals,”
she said, “And do not use the term
‘Martian,’ even if we are conversing
in English.”
“Why not?”
“It will be taken as an insult by anyone
who comes to know the meaning.”
“But—“
“Come, we must select our food.”
Nathan followed, and for the most
part he got what Kor-Neev got, but
he often took smaller portions, just in
case he did not like something. If he
did like something he could always
go back for more.
As they went through the line, the
most information he was able to get
out of her was whether something
was root, stalk, leaf, or fruit, and when
it came to meat, it was a matter of
whether it was a sea or land animal.
When he sat down to eat, everything
was quite different, but it all tasted
good. Nathan finished quickly and
went back for seconds. When he
came back to his table he found the
Sovereign there, talking quietly with
Kor-Neev.
“Greetings Captain Benson,” the
Sovereign said when he saw Nathan.
“Greetings Sovereign,” Nathan
returned.
“I had hoped to meet you at this time,”
the Sovereign said. “I wanted to thank
you, as a father, for delivering my
daughter safely and without incident
to Krentholkan.”
“Thank you, sir,” Nathan replied.
“You’re quite welcome.”
The Sovereign gave Nathan the
Martian salute as he sat down. Now
that he saw Kor-Neev and her father
sitting next to one another, he noted
that there was a strong resemblance,
although her father had ice-blue eyes
instead of gray.
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“The trip was adequate father,” Kor-
Neev said.
“Indeed it was,” the Sovereign said.
“I must admit, I did have certain
reservations, and I am not speaking
of the low-tech navigational systems
or primitive combustion based
propulsion system, although that
was certainly a cause for concern…”
“Father…” Kor-Neev said with a hint
of warning or displeasure in her voice.
“However,” the Sovereign continued.
“Based on what I have been told, I
was able to infer that you comported
yourself with the dignity, propriety,
and logic of that befitting a Councilor.
It should be noted that your behavior
will factor in favorably in your case,
even though you will not be physically
present during the proceedings.”
“Thank you sir,” Nathan said,
perceiving that he had just received
an enormous compliment by Krenth
standards.
“I will engage in this ritual, just
this once, in commendation of your
performance,” the Sovereign said as
he extended a hand toward Nathan.
Nathan took his hand and shook it.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” the
Sovereign said when they released
hands. “There are other persons I
must attend to. Farewell Captain
Benson, and do enjoy your stay on
our world regardless of the outcome
of these events.”
As Nathan ate his seconds, he looked
around the room. His eyes fell on the
Japanese officer he had met in the
lobby. The man’s face seemed to be
locked into a perpetual scowl, at least
partially. He clearly radiated hostility,
and Nathan could only wonder how
the Martians would take it. All
throughout the banquet, he noted that
the Japanese officer remained close to
one of the most elaborately dressed
Krenth councilors, and that they spoke
continually in hushed tones. In spite
of all the Krenth security personnel,
the Japanese officer carried a side arm
and a sword, and one of his hands
always hovered somewhere close to
his weapon.
Unstable… Aggressive…
One of the German’s also drew
Nathan’s attention. The man was
middle aged and wore an elaborate
uniform covered in medals. But unlike
the Japanese officer, this man was of
an enormous size, and about 6’5 in
height. His balding head was shaved
down to gray stubble, and he wore
a monocle over one eye. He had a
large chest and arms, but he also had
a significant gut. Nathan could not
help wonder how much of his bulk
was fat vs. muscle.
This man seemed to be more easygoing
than the Japanese officer, but had the
hint of a smirk perpetually on his
face, except on a few occasions when
it burst into a full-fledged sneer. The
German officer went around the
room speaking with many of the
Martians, and with the members of
the Allied diplomatic team. Nathan
found this man equally disturbing,
but for slightly different reasons. He
shook his head and returned to his
food. For the first time he was glad
that he was not a member of the
diplomatic team.
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After some time, Kor-Neev got up
and went to go interact with the
Axis team. Nathan shook his head
once more, then went to get dessert
and returned to his table. But he had
barely begun to eat his dessert when
someone spoke to him with a heavy
German accent.
“Herr Benson?” the voice said.
Nathan sighed and turned slowly to
see who it was that addressed him,
even though he could probably guess.
“So you are the brave captain
of the American ship,” said the
German officer with the monocle.
“I congratulate you on your swift and
efficient voyage.”
The German officer was flanked by
two other men. One was the Japanese
officer, and the other was a large
German with extremely pale skin,
white flat-top hair, and dark glasses.
The German officer smiled at Nathan
and held out a hand. Nathan sighed
inwardly and rose to his feet. He
shook hands with the German officer
in spite of himself.
“I am General Praetorius, representing
the military arm of the Third Reich,
and my honorable colleague is General
Watanabe, of the Imperial Japanese
Army,” the German officer said,
gesturing toward the Japanese officer,
who still seemed to be scowling.
The Japanese officer bowed toward
Nathan, and Nathan returned the
gesture.
“And this fine gentleman to my
right, is your counterpart,” General
Praetorius said gesturing to the other
man. “He is Captain Adolf Schultz.”
Now that Nathan was standing, he
was able to get a better idea of the
size of the German captain. He was
an enormous mountain of a man.
Nathan was a big man himself, but
he looked unimpressive next to this
German soldier. He could not help
but wonder if that was by design, to
put up a superior and/or intimidating
front. But if so, was it for the Martians
or the Americans?
Perhaps both?
Both the face and form of Captain
Schultz were finely chiseled, like the
work of a sculptor attempting to create
an image of the perfect man.
The German captain stepped closer
to Nathan, until he came within a
few inches of him. Nathan refused
to allow himself to be intimidated.
He straightened up and cocked his
head casually to one side, then the
other, as if he were a boxer preparing
for a fight. The German captain’s jaw
clenched, and he removed his dark
glasses. Baleful pink eyes glared down
at Nathan.
An albino!
He wondered why the Germans
would send an albino, which was
actually a sort of disability, but then
it occurred to Nathan that on Mars,
pigment would not be quite as vital
as it was on Earth. In this context,
his anomalous pink eyes combined
with his immense bulk would be an
asset, if intimidation was the goal, and
knowing the Axis, it probably was.
Is this what they mean when they talk
about the Ubermensch?
After looking Nathan up and down,
as if sizing him up, Captain Schultz
extended an enormous hand. Nathan
took his hand, and immediately his
hand was squeezed in a vice-like
grip. Nathan kept his face steady in
order to hide his discomfort, and he
squeezed back with as much pressure
as he could apply. The German’s eyes
narrowed, and he applied even more
pressure. Nathan clenched his jaws,
but kept on the pressure and made
no sound or expression which would
betray his discomfort and pain.
Finally the German captain released
his hand, and General Praetorius
spoke up again.
“There!” the General said. “You see,
we are all friends here! This is not a
hostile confrontation, but an auction
of sorts, where we both bid for the
same commodity. There is no reason
why we cannot be friends, after all,
there is no hostility between our
peoples back on Earth, no state of
war … The best man will win this
auction. As for the loser, well … There
are other people’s here on Mars, yes?”
The comment was gratuitous and
empty. Both the Axis and Allies
knew that the Krenth were the most
technologically advanced civilization
on Mars, and they also controlled
the largest geographic area. The only
advantage their chief competitor had
was a larger population, but a larger
army could be overcome by a smaller
army with superior equipment and
training.
“Well, if you will excuse me Herr
Benson, I must take my leave of you,”
the German General said with a
smirk. “I am eager to meet your Dr.
Robinson. Good day.”
General Praetorius turned away, and
General Watanabe bowed once more
before turning to follow him. Captain
Schultz remained glaring at Nathan
for a few seconds longer.
“Good grip,” he said, then he put
his dark glasses on and turned away.
AUTHORS PRESS
Nathan’s flexed and crackled his hand
once the German captain was gone.
His hand throbbed for the rest of
the night, and when he returned to
his hotel room, he stuck his hand
under the faucet and turned on the
cold water.
authorial magazine | 57
Chapter 6
The City
The next day, Nathan got up and got
dressed in casual clothes. He knew
there was really nothing for him to
do, other than check in with the ship
on a daily basis. He was essentially a
tourist on an alien world. Or was he?
Could I really just get up and walk
out of here?
Under normal circumstances, he
would have gone down to the cafeteria
to eat, but there was a good chance
the Germans and Japanese would
be there.
So what if they are, they don’t own the
hotel! But… on the other hand, why
should I stay in the hotel when there’s
a planet to see?
He had been issued a small plastic
card which supposedly represented
a certain amount of Krenth currency,
so he could go shopping and buy
food if he wished. But then he
remembered how it had been on
Earth for the Martians. None of them
were physically threatened, but they
had to go everywhere with security,
and wherever they went in public they
were quickly surrounded by crowds.
Still, staying in the room all day would
not work. Nathan opened the door
and stepped out into the hall. He
found Gor-Kaal standing in the hall
outside of his room, and a line of
Martian security going down the
hallway in both directions, with one
guard standing outside of each room
occupied by humans.
Gor-Kaal nodded at Nathan but
said nothing.
“I want to go outside,” Nathan said.
“Outside?” Gor-Kaal said.
“Yes, why not? You don’t expect me
to stay in this hotel the whole time
I’m here do you?”
“This hotel has extensive
accommodations. In the top floor,
there is a park. There are also swimming
pools, weight rooms, running tracks,
multiple restaurants, and a movie
theater. Also, the hotel has been
cleared of all Krenth customers.”
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“Am I a prisoner?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I’m going outside.”
“Wait, let me make the appropriate
arrangements. One moment …”
Gor-Kaal tapped a small black device
which was on his ear and began to
speak. He quickly relayed what
Nathan planned to do and called for
extra security to be ready in the lobby.
“Why the extra security?”
Nathan asked.
“Since you are more important than
the average crewman of your ship, I
thought it prudent to call for extra
security,” Gor-Kaal replied.
Nathan recalled how much security
had been assigned to the Martians
back on Earth. It was extensive, and
they generally tried to avoid being
seen in large public places. If they
wanted to go somewhere, like a zoo
or historical site, it was often cleared
of civilians before they arrived.
But the Krenth were different. They
were more reserved, therefore it
followed that they would behave in
a more restrained fashion.
When they reached the lobby, they
were joined by two more security men,
who followed them without a word.
When they reached the main doors
of the hotel, Gor-Kaal sighed. It was
not a loud sigh but Nathan still heard
it. Apparently not all of the Krenth
were as controlled and bottled up
emotionally as the Sovereign and
the councilors.
Which means anything could happen…
For a moment, Nathan considered
staying inside, but when he looked
back toward the cafeteria which was
on the ground floor he saw a good
many Japanese soldiers loitering
about and eating. He shook his
head and decided to risk whatever
perils lay outside rather than eat
lunch surrounded by those who were
clearly an enemy.
Gor-Kaal led Nathan to a car with
darkly tinted windows. Even when
Nathan leaned in close and put his
face against the back window, he could
hardly see anything inside. The other
two guards got into the front of the
car, while Nathan and Gor-Kaal got
into the back.
“Where would you like to go first?”
Gor-Kaal asked once they were
all inside.
“Take me to get something to eat,”
Nathan replied. “Take me to a place
you would go. I still don’t know what’s
what here.”
“We’ll go to a place with a consistently
low volume of customers.”
“No way! Take me to a place where
the food is good.”
For half a second, the shadow of an
exasperated look flitted across Gor-
Kaal’s face. By Earth standards it was
nothing, but compared with how
all the other Martians Nathan had
seen comported themselves it was
practically a shout.
“Take us to Gor-Saalas’ Prime Eatery,”
Gor-Kaal said in Krenth.
“I hope it’s good,” Nathan replied in
the same language.
“You know Krenth?” Gor-Kaal asked,
turning suddenly to face Nathan.
“I know enough to converse, but
I’d like to know more. Why don’t
we talk in Krenth, and if I don’t
understand something I’ll ask you
for the English word.”
“Very good, I find it difficult to speak
in English continuously.”
“Really? I don’t find it so hard to
speak in Krenth. It’s a very natural
language.”
“Is it? I wonder if others in your team
feel the same way?”
“I have no idea, but I know Dr.
Robinson and Henley are better at
it than me.”
“Hmm.”
“I have a question, what’s with all the
Gor and Kor?”
“Ah, I would not expect you to
understand. They come from old
Krenth speech, from before the
World War.”
“Your people had a World War? So
did we … But wait, first tell me what
the Gor and Kor mean.”
“They are designations that refer to
birth order. We are a hierarchical
society. ‘Kor’ refers to firstborn, ‘Gor’
refers to the second born. Kor-Neev
is the Sovereign’s oldest child, and
her brother Gor-Malas is the second
child. The Sovereign himself is the
third of his family.”
“I see, and the war?”
“The World War happened 2000
years ago. It stripped our world of
most of its civilizations, and nearly
destroyed all life.”
“How?”
“It was an atomic war. It took us over
1000 years to rebuild our civilization.
It was a great tragedy.”
“What do you mean by atomic?”
“We invented fission devices to split
the atom, which released incredible
amounts of energy, followed by
radiation which poisoned our world
for hundreds of years. Now a state
of balance exists between us and
the Sovath.”
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“Sovath?”
“The other great power. They exist
on the other side of our world. They
are not as advanced as we, but they
have many atomic devices.”
“You mean, people still use such things
after what happened?”
“No one uses them, but all the most
powerful nations have them for the
sake of deterrence. Even though we
are the most advanced technologically,
a conventional war with the Sovath
would be difficult for us, because they
outnumber us three to one. That is
why we must have atomic devices.
In fact, we have more atomic devices
than they do.”
“Well, so long as it keeps the peace …”
“That is the entire purpose.”
Hopefully these people don’t want to use
Earth as grounds for a proxy war …
Or maybe they want Earth as a backup
world, or a colony!
Nathan continued to quietly mull over
his concerns until they reached the
restaurant. The diner took up half of
the ground level floor in one of the
enormous buildings, and it had large
round windows which glowed with a
blue light around the edges.
When they stepped inside, the
woman working as receptionist looked
startled, but quickly regained her
composure, then she looked at Gor-
Kaal. Gor-Kaal nodded at her, and
she began to speak rapidly in Krenth,
barely restraining her excitement.
“Right this way sir,” she said. “We
have a table you can have at once.”
“Sounds good,” Nathan replied.
As they passed through the dining
area, many of the customers cast
glances at Nathan, and some of them
quickly muttered to one another
as they looked at him, but no one
said anything to him. Some younger
Martians raised small handheld
devices similar to the one Kor-Neev
used to take pictures as they passed.
Gor-Kaal glared and took a step
toward one of them but Nathan
stopped him.
“Let them take their pictures,” Nathan
said. “They just want a story to tell
their friends. There’s no harm in it.”
“If you insist,” Gor-Kaal said.
When Nathan and Gor-Kaal were
seated, the other two men took up
positions at different points nearby.
The receptionist placed a menu in
front of them, and informed them
that a waiter would be with them
momentarily. Then she left to return
to the front, but not without pausing
and turning around to steal another
glance at Nathan.
Nathan looked at the menu. Some
of the food items had pictures, but
most did not. There were of course
descriptions, but even though he
could sound out the words the names
of plants, animals, and spices were
mostly meaningless to him.
Ultimately Gor-Kaal helped Nathan
pick something to eat, and it turned
out to be good.
After they finished their meal, Gor-
Kaal wanted to return, but Nathan
insisted on seeing more of the city.
Gor-Kaal reluctantly obliged. They
visited a park, a mall, and a museum.
Over the course of the day many of
the people they passed paused to
glance at Nathan, but ultimately kept
walking without saying a word. Some
just turned their heads for a second
and continued without stopping, and
some were entirely indifferent to him.
But there were a few people who
wanted to stop and speak with
Nathan, mostly young people in
their late teens and early 20s. The
first few times it happened, Gor-
Kaal attempted to send them away
but Nathan overruled him. He was
eager to meet other Martians besides
the stuffy aristocratic rulers he had
spoken with prior to leaving the hotel.
Most of the young women who
stopped him, and some of the men,
wanted to take pictures with Nathan.
“Does everyone have these tiny
cameras?” Nathan asked Gor-Kaal
at one time when they had just gotten
through talking with some Martian
college students.
“The technology is about fifteen years
old, and based on what I have seen,
all the young adults under thirty
have them, at least the women do,”
Gor-Kaal said.
“You don’t approve?” Nathan asked.
“I think it’s foolish and narcissistic.”
“How do the cameras work? I’ve
never seen film that could fit into a
case that small.”
“They don’t use film, and those
devices aren’t just cameras. They
are computers, and they store the
information in their memory. The
pictures can be uploaded to other
devices, or put on the network.”
“Network? What’s that?”
“There are literally billions of
computers around our world. They
are connected by wires and electronic
signals, which form a network where
information can be exchanged with
any other computer.”
“So anyone can see what you have on
your personal computer?”
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“No, they can only see what you post
in public for them to see. There are
large computers that host a lot of
information, and people can connect
to those remotely and browse through
it, like a library, but inside a computer.”
“Interesting.”
“A lot of it is garbage, because
anything at all can be posted.”
“I see.”
“So the pictures of me that they
are taking …”
“You’re probably going to be all over
the social media.”
“Social media? What is that?”
“It is a ridiculous custom started by
the Sovath and others of their race.
Each person gets a ‘page’ on a social
networking site, where they can post
pictures of themselves and personal
details. The idea is that they connect
with friends to share information
publicly, and each person subscribed to
their page receive an update every time
they post a picture or a statement.”
“So… what? They post pictures of
themselves and make statements, like
in a diary, but for everyone to see?”
“Yes.”
“So it’s like having your own
personal newspaper, which is entirely
about you?”
“Yes, precisely.”
“That does sound narcissistic. But,
surely most people don’t care about
those kinds of things.”
“Most Krenth find it foolish, as I
do, but it is popular among some
of the younger people, too many
unfortunately.”
“Strange …”
“Strange and foolish, and certainly
contrary to our values and culture.”
“But still, you allow it.”
“It is allowed. We are a free people,
which includes the freedom to be a
fool as well.”
“Huh …”
“Some will keep the pictures on their
personal computers, and others will
be satisfied by printing them off.”
“Interesting, take a picture without
film, and print it off on another device.”
At the end of the day, they ate dinner
and returned, but the next day Nathan
wanted to go out again. They visited
another part of the city and ate at
different restaurants. Again they
were stopped throughout the day
by young people.
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“If you could just put an arm around
me,” one of the Martian women said.
“And also my friend …”
Nathan put his arm around both
women, while Gor-Kaal grew tense
and the other two guards looked
around with expressionless faces.
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“You take the picture first Tor-Shal,
make sure you get us both,” one of
the women said.
“Friendship with fools is a poor
investment, and often comes
with a cost.”
the attention was certainly motivated
by the novelty aspect of his presence,
but sometimes it was more than that.
There were three young women, and
each had their own mobile device.
Tor-Shal took pictures with all three
devices, then switched places with one
of the other girls and the procedure
was repeated. The whole process took
nearly ten minutes.
“You have something to say Gor-
Kaal?” Nathan asked when the
women had gone.
“It is not my place to say anything,”
Gor-Kaal replied.
“It’s alright, go ahead.”
“Why do you encourage such
foolishness?”
“Why not? I’m the first alien they ever
got to see, and maybe the last. They’re
young, and they want to remember.
There’s no harm in it. It’s good to be
friendly.”
“Relax. This is nothing compared with
how my people reacted to yours back
on Earth. Every time they went out,
there were enormous crowds, and
many people leaning in and reaching
out to try to touch them. If they
wanted to spend any length of time
in an area the police had to clear it.”
A clear look of horror flitted across
Gor-Kaal’s face and his mouth even
dropped open a little. Nathan waited
to give him an opportunity to say
something but he was speechless.
“So you see, this is nothing by
comparison,” Nathan said.
But that was not all. On Earth he
was considered attractive by the
opposite sex, and he received flirts
from time to time, but it was nothing
compared with the volume of female
attention he received now. Much of
At one point he had a long
conversation with a twenty-two
year old woman. As they talked, she
frequently brushed at her long black
hair. It parted on the side, and so
smooth that it kept slipping down
over one side of her face. Nathan
found the repeated action charming,
and occasionally the young woman
even smiled at him.
It slowly dawned on Nathan that he
was coming to appreciate Martian
beauty. The universally long hair and
flowing garments reminded him
of older and more noble eras of
ancient Earth, and began to stir up
new thoughts in him and longings
which he did not know that he had.
Of course, that was not the only
thing. Most of the women were tall
and slim, and had sharp Nordic type
features. He had gotten used to the
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higher foreheads to the point where he
no longer thought of them, although
some Krenth did not have them. The
woman he spoke with now had a
human-sized forehead.
He had also grown accustomed to
the gray skin, and now it just seemed
natural to him while his own skin
seemed anomalous. He had also
grown to appreciate their outfits,
which were modest yet flattering of
their forms, and elegant. At first he
never would have imagined that he
would be attracted to the Martian
women, but even though they were
aliens, the fact remained that they
were women and he was a man.
Nathan invited the young woman to
eat dinner with him, and the whole
time he enjoyed her company, while
Gor-Kaal looked increasingly tense
and uncomfortable. The other two
guards remained aloof.
After dinner, they walked and talked
together for a while, but suddenly the
young woman became tense after
removing her mobile device to take
another picture.
“I’m going to be late for my economics
class!” she said anxiously. “I have to
run. But, tell me your mobile number
before I go …”
“My what?” Nathan asked.
“Your mobile number, maybe we can
meet again?”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“You don’t have a mobile phone?
Like this?”
She held up the device that she had
been using to take pictures.
“That’s a phone?” Nathan asked.
“Of course silly! What did you think?”
“I don’t know…”
“Are you on Karm Profiles?”
“What is that?”
“What about Happy Tracker?”
“I really don’t know what you’re
talking about.”
“What’s your electronic mail address?”
“I don’t know what that is either.”
“My goodness!” she said as she took
his hand and held it. “Well here …”
She took a pen from her purse and
wrote a number on Nathan’s hand,
then she wrote her name beneath it
in large letters.
“Bye now!” she said with a smile. “I
have to go.”
She turned from him and walked off
at a rapid pace, her boots clomping
loudly against the floor, and at one
point she tripped and stumbled to the
side, but she quickly steadied herself
and ran off at a faster louder pace.
Nathan and Gor-Kaal watched her
go, and once she was gone Gor-
Kaal spoke up.
“What a stupid woman,” he said.
“I was growing concerned that she
would never leave.”
“She seemed nice, and she’s not that
stupid,” Nathan said. “We had a nice
long conversation.”
“About animals and food.”
“And family. She seemed like a
nice girl.”
“She is a fool, and she has a
stunted sense of dignity, propriety,
and manners.”
“Come on …”
“Flaunting her emotions in such
a brazen fashion and unrestricted
fashion in public, as if she had no
proper upbringing or education.
Completely lacking in basic manners
and discretion…”
“That’s a lot of judgment.”
“Speaking of which, I sincerely hope
that you will not judge the Krenth
people based upon that individual.”
“I won’t.”
“Good, there are always those
among us with low intellect and
a poor upbringing, but they are a
small minority. Will you actually
call her later?”
“I don’t know, I hadn’t thought
about it.”
“Cavorting with our women may
adversely affect the diplomatic
endeavors your people are making,
but then, if you were to take such
a foolish and intellectually stunted
creature from our gene pool and
return to Earth, it would certainly be
no loss to us. Pragmatically speaking,
it would be in our interest to allow
you to do so.”
“For goodness sake …”
“But I could not bear to live with such
a foolish woman. Her low intellect
and cloying emotionalism would
grow extremely tiresome.”
“Listen, I’m here on a mission, that’s
all. All I’m doing now is experiencing
your culture, like Kor-Neev did when
she was on Earth. Just because I’m
talking with people you probably
never would does not mean I’m
getting ready to marry them. I just
said she was a nice girl, that’s it. No
reason to read anything into that.
Now let’s get going, I want to buy
some souvenirs …”
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 63
To be continued…
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Hardcover | $5.81
Paperback | $8.02
Kindle | $4.53
Dancing with
the Stripes
by Shirley Ellen Dodding
Alyssa loses both parents at twenty-one, and to ward off
her depression, her gran pays for a fourteen-day Caribbean
cruise. Looking for love, a new life, and the sun, Alyssa’s
journey starts with adventurous romance, but it quickly
turns nightmarish.
Two mischievous kids in a cabin down the hall, have the
run of the ship. In time, they have the whole ship looking
to solve a crime. Alyssa is arrested and thrown into the
brig. Will the ship’s officer, the romantic Clive, save her, or
the F.B.I.? Who will save the ship?
Satan Don’t
Block My Way
by Lillie Mae Hipps-Dickerson
It is a book of short poems written to inspire people to live their lives
through the eyes of their life in God.
AUTHORS PRESS
I am the second of nine children, and at nine months old I had polio. I
started walking at the age of three and the doctor gave me a fifty fifty
chance of living. Some of them say I would be in a vegetable state, but
the Lord blessed me to be the person that I am today. My faith in the
Lord is very strong. I am a writer and I write for the Lord’s people
who need a word from the Lord to be blessed in His love.
Paperback | $9.99
Hardcover | $23.99
Paperback | $19.99
Kindle | $4.57
Who is this
Stranger
by Sally M. Russell
Having just graduated from Law School in his home state of Virginia,
Carlton was offered an inheritance from his grandfather that had
grown through several generations. The only stipulation was that it be
used in someway to help mankind which had been the dream of his
great, great, great grandfather.
His travels to find what he wanted brought him to a ‘little spot in the
road’ in Illinois which intrigued him, but there was also a very naive
young lady who was ready to learn about love and wasn’t afraid to ask
questions. It’s a challenge, not only with the town that becomes his
project along with his grandfather, but also with a love he’s not sure he’s
ready for but doesn’t want to let go.
Face into
the Wind
by Raymond D. Aumack
The poems in this book are as diverse as you can imagine.
There are poems of Irish imagination as well as poems of
triumph and sadness in tragedy. There are love poems and
poems observing the vicissitudes of our curious society. There
are poems that simply tell stories. There are poems that
celebrate personal courage. There are poems of both lament
and praise. And there are poems of internal reflection.
AUTHORS PRESS
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 66
Lifestyle
The Charming
City of Manila
by Rio Siao
Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, was declared as one of the most densely
populated city proper in the entire world during 2018. It has gained its reputation as
the second capital city in the world that has been damaged and rebuilt so many times,
right after Tokyo. Aside from being such a resilient global city, it is also known to be
one of the wealthiest cities in Southeast Asia. The city’s name, “Manila,” is derived from
the term which means the whole metropolitan area.
The city is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay.Th e Pasig River flows through
the middle of the city, dividing it into the north and south sections. It is made up of
sixteen administrative districts: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan,
Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa
Cruz, Santa Mesa, and Tondo. Home to many historic sites, most of which were made
in the 16 th century, it was founded by Spanish conquistador, Miguel de Legazpi, during
June 24, 1571.
Why it’s great to be in Manila
• The people’s hospitality will make you feel at home. Filipinos are really one
of the friendliest people you will ever meet.
• If you don’t know how to speak Tagalog, the national language, you won’t really
have a problem communicating because most Filipinos know basic English.
AUTHORS PRESS
• The food is definitely a must-try. Since the Philippines became a colony of
three big nations, namely Spain, Japan, and the USA, it offers an extensive
range of dishes to choose from. Some are so unique because the recipes are
infusions of these countries.
• Manila’s nightlife is pulsating with so much adrenaline, making its mark as
one of Asia’s coolest cities.
• The city takes pride in its rich culture, arts, and history.
authorial magazine | 67
Sights and Sounds
in Manila
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves as the main
port of Manila in the Philippines. Strategically located
around the capital city of the country, it facilitated
commerce and trade between the Philippines and its
neighboring countries, thus, becoming the gateway for
socio-economic development even prior to Spanish
occupation. It also boasts an experience like no other
as every afternoon brings a beautiful sunset.
Intramuros
A home to Spanish-era landmarks like Fort Santiago,
this citadel has a large stone gate and a shrine to national
hero José Rizal. Affluent in history and arts such that of
the ornate Manila Cathedral housing bronze carvings and
stained glass windows, while the San Agustin Church
museum has religious artwork and statues. Walk around
the Spanish colonial features of furniture and art-filled
Casa Manila museum and ride in one of the horse-drawn
carriages (kalesa) that ply the area’s cobblestone streets
to complete the experience.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines
Experience the best of the country’s culture and arts. It
is the zenith of every artist, performer, musician, and
director’s dream for local fame. The theater showcases
the best of Philippines’ pride.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 68
Quiapo
Not only does the famous annual procession of the
Black Nazarene centers on this iconic place, but the
bustling streets of Quiapo will mesmerize you like that
of a kaleidoscope. Surrounding the places of worship are
mystical affairs crawling the sidewalks. Vendors peddling
spiritual items like that of amulets, candles, magical
potions, even offering tarot card and palm reading.
Manila Zoo
Formally known as the Manila Zoological and Botanical
Garden, this is a 5.5-hectare zoo located in Malate,
Manila. It was opened to the public on July 25, 1959.
Touring the zoo is a great way to educate children and
yourself of the various animals especially those only
found in the Philippines. Enjoy the grace of these rare
animals with their beautiful habitats while getting to
know each of their characteristics.
AUTHORS PRESS
authorial magazine | 69
Paperback | $6.89
Paperback | $18.00
Kindle | $7.59
Brightly, the
Grounded Angel
by Gay Sizemore Sauer
Everybody is useful in spite of limitations... this includes
ANGELS. Everyone has a talent that can be used for the
good of others. Brightly, the one winged angel shows us
how we can all be useful in God’s kingdom. Although he
is a handicap, Brightly, uses his beautiful singing voice to
soothe newborn babies with his beautiful voice. Beginning
with his first assignment in the stable at Bethlehem,
Brightly learns that it is more fun to help the newborn
babies than to somersault in multiple flip-flops in the
atmosphere.
Fate
Unknown
by Leean Lewis-Ramirez
Fate Unknown is a novel inspired by adolescent years spent
entirely in the world of fantasy. The original draft of the
novel started the author’s freshman year of high school and
was completed a month before graduating, with multiple
edits since.
This is the story of a secret Mystic Society blending in with
modern civilization. It centers on a fourteen-year-old girl’s
struggle to fit into both. With a prophecy hanging over
her head and a war threatening to begin, Kana Young must
team up with Lost Mystics and try to fend off the first wave
of darkness.
AUTHORS PRESS
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Kindle | $2.97
Paperback | $11.99
The Mind of a
Deviant Woman
by Paula Paul
Carrie Buck, a young woman living in early-twentieth-century
Virginia, is raped and becomes pregnant by a family member--and her
trauma is only beginning. She is deemed a “deviant” for having a child
out of wedlock and, for that reason, is a candidate for sterilization.
Louisa Van Patten, a New York socialite, is an advocate of the eugenics
movement, which promotes this punishment.
When Carrie and Louisa meet, along with journalist Ben Newman,
during a national debate about the merits of forced sterilization, all
their lives--and ours--are changed forever.
Paula Paul’s historical novel The Mind of a Deviant Woman offers a
thrilling story based in extensive research into a little-known, but
devastating, part of American history.
Grandma’s
Magic Box
by Nadine Thomas
This book is a collection of stories written by a
grandmother and sent to her grandson as a way to keep
in touch over a long distance. These stories are delightful
adventure trips for young children. The stories all revolve
around a box that the grandmother had given to her
grandson for Christmas. Each story takes the reader to
a different location with facts about that location. The
ending of each story is quite a mystery. These are sure to
delight any child ages four to eight.
AUTHORS PRESS
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Paperback | $19.99
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Hardcover | $25.99
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Harmony’s Song
and Other Stories
by Carl Wooton
Twelve stories explore the stresses and strains inherent in youth coming
of age, family dynamics, misplaced and unrequited love, the reserved
strength in a marriage, a confrontation with death, and the constant
awareness that there is never enough money.
Ernest Ramblers family lives with the knowledge that Ernest senses
that he must always be looking for or moving to a better job, which
means they will be moving again soon. The stories place the characters
in Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. None of the
characters seems to find a sense of permanence in any one place. In
Ramblers and Spinners, coming of age can mean a counting of losses. In
A Wide Day, the death of a chicken reveals a mystery about time and
life and death. Arrangements and Harmonys Song display how little one
might know about another. There is a general sense that everything in
life involves unending pursuits of security and love and that coming of
age may well be a never-ending process.
From Homeless
to Heaven
by Jeanne Ann Off
Usually Cody Cambres had to do ranch work alone in the winter.
However, he had a standing order with an employment agency for
an employee. One winter he was surprised to get a call saying a man
would be on the bus that evening. Alan told Cody that he wanted a
job and a warm place to sleep instead of living outdoors as a homeless
man. Alan had refused to stay in any mission shelter because of life
experiences involving religion. He does enjoy ranch work. In the
spring Cody and Alan are checking cows and the calves born that
spring when a bullet hits Alan. Later a bullet from the same rifle kills
Cody’s best horse. Fire begins on Cody’s ranch and spreads. Aimi’s
house burns down and Aimi’s husband is murdered by a bullet from
the same rifle. Alan helps both Cody and Aimi with ranch work.
Friendship develops.
AUTHORS PRESS
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Hardcover | $5.78
Paperback | $17.43
Kindle | $5.60
Tock A Tick
by Ryke Leigh Douglas
Author Ryke Leigh Douglas is a veteran educator devoted
to helping children discover the joy of reading and the
magic of books.
She also strives to provide parents and teachers with
entertaining stories that lend themselves to nurturing
positive attitudes, good character traits, and creative
thinking. When she isn’t writing, Ms. Douglas enjoys
visiting schools, libraries and early learning centers to
share her stories.
She also encourages children to develop their own writing
skills with a program she created entitled The Writer’s
Tool Box.
The Apathetical Man
by Gregory McLeod
Today, we, as mankind, need hope without any doubt. We need hope
in something greater than that of our government, teachers, doctors,
and so on. Even though these are good for us, we still are sometimes
without the understanding of true reality. Today, we can have greater
hope in something greater than you can imagine. Just look to the
heavens, my friend. Just think, everything that your eyes can see, your
ears can hear, and your fingers can touch will be gone like a vapor one
day. It isn’t a matter of “IF” it is a matter of just “WHEN.” Then what?
If this life here on this great earth was all that I have hope in, I would
be the most miserable person that man would know. This hope that
I have today is BIG. This hope is spiritual and I am today grateful to
share this Greater hope with you. This hope gives me a new life day
by day. I can now live a normal life and have great hope in tomorrow.
May The Creator of All Breath Keep You, -Gregory M. McLeod.
AUTHORS PRESS
Hardcover | $34.54
Paperback | $10.09
Eyes from Above!
by Howard R Milsted Jr.
“Eyes from Above” the sequel to “A Real Love Story,” is a romantic
novel about a man who experiences great loneliness and deep
depression after the death of his beloved wife of forty-eight years.
His loss of will to live consumes him until his wife comes to him in
visions and urges him to enjoy his life on earth until they are united
again for eternity. He meets a much younger woman and the three
of them become entwined in a journey of found, lost and then found
again happiness. His story will lift the hearts of readers who have
suffered great loss.
Hot and Cold
Running War
by Captain Eugene Ray Martin
AUTHORS PRESS
This book is a collection of adventures that defined the cold war. The
theme of some of these adventures is about how close we came to
World War III with nuclear exchanges between China, Russia, and
America. The results of some of those stories might have resulted in a
non-nuclear war with Russia and America shooting at each other.
Paperback | $21.95
Kindle | $7.52
Our NSA protagonist and his KGB girlfriend tie many of the stories
together. All the adventures are fictional although they were based on
actual events. This was a time when the world’s greatest powers, Russia,
America, and China were at conflicting ends politically and militarily.
Paperback | $14.99
Hardcover | $12.92
Paperback | $11.99
Kindle | $4.52
Your Opportunity for a
Better Life: 9 Keys to Unlock
Success in Your Life
by Jeff Daws
Jeff Daws provides an insightful road map for us to live a better and
abundant life. Through entertaining and enriching personal life stories,
he shares practical principles to help us discover and live the best life
we can. I believe every reader will be refreshed by Jeff ’s personal and
practical insights.
Twists & Turns
by Gloria Winkels
Dr. David Cooper, Lead Pastor, Mount Paran Church
It is with great excitement that I recommend Your Opportunity for a
Better Life. Applying the wisdom found in this book’s pages will help
you change your life! Thank you, Jeff, for giving us hope, help, and
something to hold on to!
Dr. Benny Tate, Senior Pastor, Rock Springs Church
Twists & Turns is the story of my life. It begins with my birth.
I was taken away from my mother when I was almost three
years old and was put into a foster home. I was almost five years
old when a loving family adopted me. They gave me a good
foundation in life, and they taught me that God is love. My life
has been filled with many experiences, both tragic and happy. I
invite you to come along with me on my journey, and I will tell
you about my adventures and how I was able to cope because of
my strong faith. My hope is that my story will be an inspiration
for others.
AUTHORS PRESS
AUTHORS PRESS
NOVEMBER 22-24, 2019
Don’t miss out! Get in touch with one of our consultants today at 925 255 0098
and find out how you can join us at the Miami Book Fair International.
www.authorspress.com
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