Many times an abused or troubled child will not find saving grace in their midst--not at home, not at school, not in their neighborhood. They may have to dream a little, look beyond their nightmare, look to another source of strength (whether it be real or not) and reach for heroes who are... more than angels... --Foreword
Ruby's trilogy shared about the abuse she and her siblings received in their childhood... Ruby was able to find words from characters of a TV program to help her make it through it all... ~~~
It was 2005 that I first started reading Ruby... I was doing a little more than reviewing at that time, so I was reading her manuscript of the first book in the More Than Angels series, There was one thing I immediately noticed about the book. I became so curious that I wrote and asked her if I was right... She wrote back and told me I was the only one that had ever caught on to the reference... For some reason, perhaps that one, we began a bonding friendship... This series still holds my heart as my favorite books, mainly because she shared so much about the content of the books as well as more personal background info with me. Knowing that background, I still cannot accept how Ruby died... that the publicity picture here might be the last I will see of her...
When I woke up this morning and immediately thought of her, tears slid down my face. I found that the anger from yesterday when an online friend on hers had written to me at Amazon, had somehow disappeared and I wanted to go ahead and write my thoughts about what a special woman she was...
She came to visit me a few years ago... I was a little shy, meeting such a prolific writer, even though we had been corresponding for a number of years by then... But she was such an outgoing woman, a caring, loving woman, that there was simply no way her manner would reflect all of her accomplishments--and there were many. We had lunch together and then all she wanted was to drive around and see where I lived...and we did stop to tour the Albert Gallatin home near Pt. Marion and New Geneva, PA. where I once lived... I remember I felt like she was my daughter when she wrote and told me she'd just received her PhD...
Then she sent me the manuscript of her last novel... She had never hired editors because she
wanted to write what she wanted to write...But I did become her personal proofreader for most of her later books, doing my review prior to their being published and "bragging" that I was releasing the exclusive first review...LOL... I was silly back when I first started to blog and am quite amazed when I think about how it has changed... and Ruby was part of that growth for me... She had asked me to review her entire Guardian Series as I was able. I had gotten so pulled in that I couldn't wait until she had the next one done.
But I was unable to finish working with her on Closing Argument. I got too personally involved as she was struggling to take care of her husband, at the same time they were working on a book that he was so excited about... He wanted her to plan for a future without him that would provide as much happiness that he had known as her husband...
Me? I kept trying to insert "feelings" for her husband...and I realized that I could not imagine writing about the life he wanted for her after he had died...
And yet, I couldn't wait to read the final published version... And, now, that book is also her last book before she died... Ruby always included in her books the songs she listened to while writing to inspire her... This is one of those--Twist of Fate-- How sad that the new beginning her husband wanted for her will now never come...
Ruby and I had a shared love for all things Star Trek. Many of you may know that she got involved with the whole Trekkie life, including writing a number of books on the original series. I've made a Page of the majority of my or Ruby's articles here on Book Readers Heaven. When I was first starting out, I had more time and Ruby spent a month here during the time I was reading many of her books from the Guardian Series... Of that series I wrote:
The Guardian series is a sensuous escape into the fantasy world of the ages. I am thoroughly hooked! When I read the More Than Angels books, I declared Moon-Houldson a must-read author. However, the Guardian series, in an entirely different genre, forces, yes, forces me to consider this author a Creative Genius! Book reviews cannot begin to describe the fascinating complexity, compelling storyline and sensuality of these stories. While based upon well-researched somehow familiar magical stories, each idea from Moon-Houldson is unique but totally interwoven into an intricate tale that becomes a reality into which readers invariably fall! Building suspense through character development and constantly more exciting and seemingly impossible challenges is almost magically done through brilliant writing! The Guardian series demands to be consumed!
One article she shared at that time I've highlighted on the page...it is her sharing of her feelings with her role model from Star Trek when he died... You may want to read it, even if you don't want to learn more about her books. She also kept me up on all the Star Trek news...LOL...sometimes I felt like I was in the inner circle as well, as she would share gossip about the various characters that I had so loved...
Other than her books on Star Trek characters and nonfiction, all of Ruby's books were about good over evil... She loved science fiction and her Guardian series was more "far out" than I'd ever read... Yet it was molded on the life of a family...Two powerful angels who had come to earth to save the world... Her family kept growing, their love kept spreading out into the earth... It was only when she went into the second generation of the family that I started to suggest some editorial issues. I didn't have to say much, just enough for her to accept what I'd suggested and start making changes... She trusted me... and that was a powerful emotion for me, given what I had experienced at work during my last few years... It seemed we needed each other in different ways, but we both grew to love each other as dear friends...
All one has to do is read her bio and know that she was a brilliant woman. But it was her personal attributes that drew people to her, to love her.... She was always writing about what she was doing in the neighborhood, even to opening up her writing space for tours!
The fantasy world is going to miss her as an author, especially those who got to know her at Trekkie conventions and other activities... But, I'm going to miss her not only as a wonderful author, but a truly beautiful friend who had become important in my life...even though we only met and hugged once... It is so natural to ask... Why? Why did this happen? I don't know... The only thing I do know is that Ruby has always been and is, now, totally "Sheltered in the Arms of God"... sung by the author, Dottie Rambo...
I WAS STANDING BEHIND the bench and to the right. “You returned,” said the prophet, without any movement of his head, but still maintaining his gaze into the distance. He couldn’t possibly have seen me, but he knew I was there. It was something I could never get used to…being with someone you felt could, at any given time, see through you. “Why?” he asked, still gazing toward the waters. “Why did you return?” “Because,” I replied, “you’re the only one who can give me the answer.” “To what?” he asked. “To the problem.” “To what problem?” “To the problem of you.” “I’m the only one who can answer the problem of me?” he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice. “I don’t know, Nouriel; it sounds like a paradox to me.” “Am I wrong?” I asked. “No,” he replied. “You’re not wrong.” I joined him on the bench. It was only then that he broke his gaze to look at me. “But are you ready?” he asked. “For…?” “The answer.” “I hope so.” “Then let’s begin. You’re a journalist; did you bring a notepad or a recording device?” “A recording device.” “Good,” he said. “I thought you would have. Turn it on.”
~~~
No other nation had been called into being
for the will of God or dedicated to His
purposes from conception. No other
people had been given a covenant. But the
covenant had a condition. If they followed
the ways of God, they would become the most
blessed of nations. But if they fell
away and turned against His ways, then their
blessings would be removed and replaced
by calamity, as they did, and as it was.”
~~~
I realized something last week that I should have been immediately aware of...but just got too enthusiastic in sharing... Anyway, I realized that ultimately I could be in violation of copyright, so I'm thinking of options right now... My guess is that I will need to stop at about the same part of the book that I would have for my reviews... which is the early part of the story... more on that later...
This last week, I read a story that is based upon an apparently popular TV program. In it, the writers picked out a variety of issues to merge with a much older story. One of the selections was the Book of Revelation with particular emphasis on the Four Horsemen... It's interesting, isn't it, that no matter what religion, if any, you may follow, the fear of the end of the world is always used for "scary" tales of horror.
Many years ago when I was young and first read about the end times, I decided, in faith, that I would "be taken" before that happened... Now, as I grow old and have seen what has happened in our world, it is not so clear any more. So many stories use this as a basis upon which to write thrillers, horror books, and movies...
And yet, I can still get excited about the "possibility" just as I did when I heard the author talking on Television... This book has not taken a portion of one book and thrown it into another them... It is straight forward, based upon specific documentation... 'Nuf said about that.
The prophet started off by talking about a similar situation happening in an ancient country long ago... We all know that country, don't we?
Nouriel quickly asked why they would have turned away... Ahhh, but is that really a question he had not already thought about? Maybe. Many, many in the United States, have been asking that for many years... His response was quite specific, but not unexpected:
“It’s a mystery,” said the prophet, “a kind of spiritual amnesia. When it began, they were still using God’s name, but with less and less meaning behind it. Then they started merging Him, confusing Him with the gods of the nations. And then they began turning against Him—subtly at first, then outright, then brazenly—driving Him out of their national life and bringing in idols to fill the void. The land became covered with idols and altars to foreign gods. They rejected their covenant, abandoned their standards, and exchanged the values they had always lived by for those they had never known—spirituality for sensuality, holiness for profanity, and righteousness for self-interest. They cut themselves off from the faith on which their nation had been established and became strangers to God. And as for their most innocent, their little children, they offered them up as sacrifices.” “Literally?” I asked. “They literally killed their own children?” “On the altars of Baal and Molech, their newfound gods. That’s how far they descended. Everything was now upside down. What they had once known as right, they now saw as outdated, intolerant, and immoral. And what they had once known as immoral, they now championed and celebrated as sacred. They had transformed themselves into the enemies of the God they had once worshiped and the faith they had once followed, until the very mention of His name was banned from their public squares.
~~~
Say what you will, but other than the reference to Baal and Molech, this entire excerpt, could be said about the United States... At least in my opinion... And for the reference to the gods having sacrificial children being given... Hey, that's not nearly as dreadful to consider as the horrendous loss of our young to human slavery to sexual deviants. Sold for the love of money by those who have no god...to those who have no god... To me, it started when they took prayer out of schools, but again that's just my opinion. And then it was explained that because of this ancient country's action, their hedge of protection that had been surrounding the country was taken...in 732 B.C... He went on to explain that it was necessary to refer to the past so that he could show how it was happening...again...
"Because unless you understand what happened then, you'll never understand what’s happening now.” “Now? So it’s some kind of key?” “A key for the appointed time, for the word to be given and for the message to go forth, but not for an ancient nation.” “Then for what…for what nation?” He was silent. I asked him again, “Then for what nation?” It was only then that he voiced it. “America,” he said. “Now for America.” ...“So it’s the appointed time for America? For a mystery to be revealed and a message to be given to America?” “Yes.” ~~~ Now, I have to quickly say, this is almost like "I told you so," but it's really not. Recently I had a period of time that had once happened to me before... In the wink of an eye, I could not feel the presence of His Spirit... Fear and loss overcame me, as it had done before. But when it happened, I didn't remember that last time, I was just quite aware I was... alone... Was this my own warning of what it is like when God's protective "hedge" is withdrawn? Perhaps... I can only tell you that I worked very hard until His Spirit returned and filled me. I know it is a difficult time for everybody, but for those that have already completely rejected faith of any kind... to those who capture and sell children for money to those who enslave them and worse... will this new message ever reach you? Sorry, I was going to try to keep personal opinion out of this as much as possible... but, Hey, I live in America... Somebody's got to let the message be known... GABixlerReviews
While this is an excellent merge of magic with some type of computer activity, I found it too involved with "show" and very short on substance. There really isn't a story. I normally choose cat books just from a personal love, but this one left me with no real emotions.
If you want to discover a way to use the computer to help tell your stories, this is a good possibility. However, even then, there were size adjustments for the cat that should have been made to make it more believable and less amateurish. Good start of a good thing...just needs work and some creativity in story to consider it a book for anybody to read and enjoy...
Nuriel Kaplan has convinced the individual to whom he is pitching his book... and she is willing to listen... “All right, Nouriel. Tell me about your mystery.” “It’s not my mystery. It’s much bigger than me. You have no idea how big, or what it involves.” “And what does it involve?” “Everything. It involves everything, and it explains everything…everything that’s happened, that’s happening, and everything that’s going to happen.” “What do you mean?” “Behind September 11…” “How could an ancient mystery possibly have anything to do with September 11?” “An ancient mystery behind everything from 9/11 to the economy…to the housing boom…to the war in Iraq…to the collapse of Wall Street. Everything in precise detail.” And it’s not only a mystery, it’s a message, an alarm.” “An alarm?” she asked. “An alarm of what?” “Of warning.” “To whom?” “America.” “Why?” “When you hear it,” he said, “you’ll understand why.”
~~~
OK, how good are you at listening to information, say, in a lecture? I consider myself a good listener; you may not. You may be more into talking yourself and making your own decisions. Neither is wrong--my only thought is--how can you possibly know enough upon which to make informed decisions if you don't listen (or read...).
Nouriel was a good listener, but he was very impatient at first. Kinda like the woman to whom he was now trying to tell the story... But for Nouriel, he slowly began to understand that, for this, he was not going to be in control. He was going to have to accept the pace established or just not be able to participate. Somehow he knew he must...
You see, Nouriel had been approached by a man...who has not given him his name. Of course, I thought he could be an angel, a prophet from the far past, or even God... The book indicated he was middle-eastern looking... But..for this discussion, I thought of Morgan Freeman, in his movie playing God... This kind of look came to mind as I was reading... You know, like, I am talking to you...and I'm the great "I Am" so just listen, would you??!
Anyway, it was made quite clear that it didn't matter how the message was being given to Nouriel--he did accept that he'd been chosen, apparently-- but, rather, that
The Message
was the important thing...
This is how it began...
He reached into his coat pocket, laid his closed hand down on the table, then opened it. In the middle of his palm was a small object of reddish, golden-brown clay, circular and about two inches in diameter. “It all began with this.” He handed it to her. She began examining it. The more she looked at it, the more intrigued she became. It was covered with what appeared to be ancient inscriptions. “It all began with this.” “And what is it?” “It’s a seal,” he answered. “It’s the first seal.”
~~~
As you may know, seals were used in ancient times to authenticate normally an official document. [The seals used here are illustratively used only to split out each seal given.]
Kaplan was a journalist and explained that the writings was a form of ancient Hebrew. The seal was from Judah, important because it referred to ancient times when God spoke directly to Israel through various people or symbols, but they needed some type of authorization to be heard... Many prophets were persecuted...many others would listen... The first seal had been sent to him, but he didn't know the sender...until one day he met the man who had the same seal...for identity, of course...
“‘A seal,’ he said, ‘bears witness to a message that it’s authentic or that it’s of great importance.’ “‘But what would that have to do with me?’ I asked. ‘I don’t have anything to do with messages of great importance.’ “‘Maybe you do and just don’t know it.’ “‘You’re very mystical, you know.’ “‘Or maybe,’ he said, ‘you’re about to receive one.’ “‘What do you mean?’ “‘A message of great importance,’ he replied. His left hand had been resting on his lap for the entire length of the conversation…closed. That’s when he opened it. In the middle of his palm was a seal.” It was the same seal... You know, I've never really been good with anything not related in "plain talk" but of course many ancient stories are in parable or other forms... This was no different... Nouriel was doing exactly what I would do--getting frustrated because this man kept turning the point of the conversation back to Nouriel, who, of course, like us, hadn't a clue what was going on...In fact, he was so frustrated that he decided to leave... but not before hearing that this was "the time..." telling Nouriel when he asked what he meant:
“A good question, but he never answered it.
Instead, he turned his gaze back to the distance ahead and continued speaking. ‘It’s the appointed time, but not for an ancient nation.
It’s time for the word to be given…for the mystery to be revealed…for the message to go forth. It’s the appointed time—but not for an ancient nation.’”
“This has nothing to do with me,”
“Then why were you given the seal?” he asked.
“Who are you?” I countered. He didn’t answer that but just looked at me. It was a silence as intense as anything else that took place
~~~
Whew! Nuriel just turned and left him standing there! I truthfully don't know what I would have done... But there was no peace for Nuriel. What was he supposed to do? Was this real? Could it be? Who was that man? Should he listen to him? What if he wanted something from him that he couldn't give... He didn't think he even wanted to see him again...
But then there was the seal he still held in his hand... And, in some ways, maybe he did want to know more...
One of the issues that I noticed in Sundown by Judith Harway was that the author had lived with parents who had no need or desire to teach their children about any formal religion. What readers will see are remnants of atheism, Catholicism, Jewish--and non-definitive spirituality all becoming part of the Daughter's life as she went through the time she shared when her mother's was diagnosed with Alzheimer's... The book is not in any real way based upon religion except as it affects the author...
I bring this up only because, as you know, I have a Christian background and training and have found music often a comforting expression of my feelings. So, I am merely adding my personal thoughts for the entire family of this and others who have lived with an individual suffering from Alzheimer's. This book is powerfully written and has an excellent format of presentation for issues, with a Table of Contents which will allow a quick check on an issue when needed. To me this is important because if you have this disease in your family, I highly recommend you consider it as a must-read addition to your personal library. I think it would be referred to as individual needs develop for specific information.
I read this book slowly, often stopping to ponder and consider how I felt about the material presented. In fact, I became so involved that I had a nightmare about my mother having this disease, while living with me, and that due to some disaster, I woke up with men coming through our home and my hurriedly trying to help Mom cover herself--apparently she had decided she didn't like wearing clothing at night--LOL and my shame for both her and me as I tried to cover her and hide her body from all those men's eyes... Strange, how our dreams reflect our own fears...
The author openly admits that she is already preparing for herself, given that there are indications that Alzheimer's is hereditary... But how do you really prepare for losing your memories?
Sundown
a daughter's memoir of Alzheimer's care
By Judith Harway
Near the end of Mom's life, my sister loaded an iPod with dozens of songs from the thirties and forties, songs our mother would remember hearing and singing. Sitting in one or another dim institutional room, I'd encourage my mother to recall songs she loved, hoping I could find them on the playlist. Once when I was slow to locate "The Rose of Tralee," her attention wandered; as the first line of the song finally rang in the gloom.--
"The pale moon was rising above the green mountain"-- her hands flew to her throat.
"Am I singing?" she cried in alarm.
This is how I discovered "Bel Mir Bistu Schein," Mom's favorite song from her college years.
Composed in the 30s for a Yiddish musical, the tun was new to me; my mother, however, wanted to hear it again and again, the way a three year old will clamor for repetitions of a favorite storybook. "Bel Mir Bistu Schein," which means "To me, You are Beautiful," became a hit with English lyrics, though it never lost the Yiddith title or refrain. The words are cloying and Mom was at a loss to keep up with the jaunty rendition on the iPod. Still, in my mind it was the anthem of her final days. It jingled in my head when I couldn't fall asleep, and I'd still be hearing it when I awoke to return to her side, as if my mother's voice kept singing all night inside me. Back at Cascia Hall, after she had largely fallen silent, she still would sit in the Broda chair with her eyes closed and her right hand conducting with an invisible baton, slurring along with the music:
"Bel mir Bistu Schein..."
~~~
April, 2010. It is the last spring of my mother's life, although I do not know that as we drive together down Milwaukee's lakefront on a perfect afternoon. The spring sun lavishes its gold touch on the water, gilds the sweep of Bradford Beach, steeps budding trees along the bluffs in honeyed light. Because Mom always forgets to bring along her heavy, wraparound sunglasses these days, she's wearing the cheap pair I keep in my glove compartment, and still, she covers her eyes beneath both hands...
I catch sight of a stand of lilacs... "Look, Mom," my voice is rising. "Look at the lilacs" In truth the lilacs are kind of ratty, but I really want her to open her eyes and notice something. "Look at those lilacs--they're beautiful!" Eyes closed, Mom intones. "Beautiful, When lilacs last in the dooryeard bloom'd... That's a poem about Lincoln's death. Do you know it?"
I'm delighted by this old, deep memory surfacing: as a girl, my mother learned many classic poems by heart and held them dear. The sound track of my own childhood memories is rich with the sweet lilt of her voices reciting Keats and Wordsworth, then rising into her favorite turn-of-the-century parlor songs as my sister and I drowsed ...
I swallow Whitman's name. It is enough that she remembered the first line. I slowly finish the tercet as she mumbles along on this perfect afternoon:
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd,
And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the night.
I mourn'd, and yet shall mourn with ever returning spring...
~~~
This is a book that must be experienced, not reviewed... Each reader will certainly respond to it differently, although I hope it doesn't result in a nightmare like it did me... But, I really wasn't surprised...at my age, most consider what "way" by which he or she will die... That's natural... But, in the case of Alzheimer's, there is an extra burden that is just not present with other diseases. One of the most severe results is that your loved one will not even know who you are... Try to consider how it would be for you to have a loved one look at you as a pleasant visitor, but with no recognition of the love you feel for that individual. To me, it is undoubtedly my worst fear, although there is no evidence of its being in my family that I am aware of...
Another devastating effect is that there is a loss of acting in an appropriate manner--a manner that would never occur if that individual understood what she or he was saying. Becoming rude, using unnatural language, and extremely hurtful statements by individuals can only be disregarded--if at all possible--since they have no awareness that they are being inappropriate... Harway includes many examples of these embarrassments. But for a very important reason! Her mother cannot be held accountable for her actions, her words... yet she discovered that many hospital employees are unwilling or unable to not have the patient's care being affected! It was very apparent after reading this book, that it is important to learn how your loved one is being cared for in any given institution!
The poem closes with: I read somewhere that Alzheimer's, the cruelest disease, is crueler still to those who suffered most in childhood. My heart breaks to see my mother locked inside her memory. But Holocaust survivors her age spend their waning years confined behind barbed wire, starving and aching for their parents, drawing death into their lungs with every breath. For my young mother, running barefoot down a sloping field of daisies, I give thanks. ~~~
One significant point I appreciated was Harway's sharing about "Sins of Memory." It is important for all to realize that, although we think our own memories are excellent, often that is not the case. She shares a story about her sister giving her a pillow, saying that she thought she would appreciate it more. She claimed her mother had made it. Judith never felt the need to tell her sister that she, herself, had made the pillow... Too often, we need to realize that when there is confusion in memory, it just might be that our own memories are at fault. She points out that "Memory...can be a troublemaker" then provides a long poem about what that means as it relates to her mother. While Judith is the primary caregiver, her father is almost obsessive in wanting to be responsible, even though he is no longer able. But, in the end, he is unable to make decisions even, for how to handle her cremains... Harway had much to handle with the required caregiving she has done. That's why this book is so important. She has done an excellent, intelligent presentation, at the same time it is sensitive, humorous when possible, and, most importantly, totally open in her willingness to share her feelings during a very distressful time. I consider this a must-read, exceptional book for those who both professionally deal with Alzheimer's patients as well as for any family or friend who has a relative with this disease. I would also highly recommend that if you have the potential of this disease through heredity, please do yourself a favor and read this book... GABixlerReviews
Judith Harway's books of poetry include All That is Left, a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award, and two chapbooks, Swimming in the Sky and The Memory Box. She is Professor of Writing and Humanities at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, a two-time recipient of the Wisconsin Arts Board literature fellowship, and a widely published poet and essayist. She and her husband, musician Dan Armstrong, make their home in the Milwaukee area, with three rescued dogs who have happily replaced their grown children.
T. J. McMahon of the Bible Prophecy Blog's A Matter of Critical Discernment sets up a good counter opinion for this book which should be a good beginning as we review The Harbinger. Remember this is not a review...merely my reading and providing info as I see it...and maybe even start a discussion... I believe McMahon has done an excellent presentation on this book and hopefully you'll read his opposing thoughts...
Here's the first para to help you decide whether you want to read:
The Harbinger is a novel that is becoming very popular among both Christians and non-Christians, even reaching the top of the New York Times best-seller list at this writing. What makes it worthy of review, like other books that we have addressed is that it offers an important opportunity for believers to exercise critical discernment. In this case, author Jonathan Cahn believes that he has discovered prophetic signs from God that are found in the Old Testament and directly apply to the United States, referring in particular to the events surrounding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Because The Harbinger is a fictional novel with a large dose of nonfiction added (Scripture), this critique involves two aspects: 1) a personal, subjective opinion, and 2) a more objective consideration of the author’s application of Scripture in his novel.
I do not profess to have the gift of discernment. I do believe that I have a gift for reading and understanding fiction. There may be a difference between McMahon and someone like myself just because that. I will be reading it as fiction, but I will also be looking at it as an individual who has a passion for understanding God's actions...and those who write it as fiction.
By the way for whatever reason my Book Reader's Heaven Blog publishing activity has been changed. This Blog has not been! Followed by a lot of ????? LOL! I expect, however, that this discussion will indeed need to be under my "Just My Personal Opinion Blog, which is also my adult blog... I had hoped to work on The Harbinger from BRH...but...
Anyway...
Let's take a look at the cover first...
Subtitle: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret of America's Future!
Wow, that's a knock-out statement in my opinion...and you all know that I have an interest in all this, right?
My first prophetic book was the Late Great Planet Earth.
This was the first, real, time when I started getting interested in matching people's opinion about God, The Second Coming, etc... This book, BTW, was published as nonfiction...
But, you know, I was never fanatical about any actions or words created by writers... I do believe that if "this" ever happens, that nobody will know it is happening until
It does...
But just for info, if you want to find out what Hal Lindsay was saying, here's a vid of info...
It's been a long time since I believed anybody was going to write a book that would explain all of the questions I've always had!!! With that in mind, I read a book of fiction, like I would read any book of fiction. If it inspires me, I'll tell you why...If I considered it outrageous, I'll tell you why...
AN ANCIENT MYSTERY that holds the secret of America’s future.”
“Yes."
"What would I think?”
“Yes, what would you think?”
“I’d think it was a plot for a movie. Is that it? Is that what you’re presenting…a movie manuscript?”
“No.”
“A plot for a novel?”
“No.”“Then what?”
He was silent. “Then what?” she repeated.
He paused to carefully consider what he was about to say and how to say it. Her reputation among those in media was that of a woman who neither wasted her time nor indulged those who did. She was not known to suffer fools gladly. The discussion could meet an abrupt end at any given moment and there would be no second chance with her. The fact that there had even been a meeting in the first place, that she had even agreed to it, and that he was now sitting in her office, high above the streets of Manhattan, was nothing short of a miracle—and he knew it. He had only one concern—the message. It didn’t even occur to him to remove his black leather overcoat, nor had anyone offered to remove it for him. Leaning forward in his chair, he gave her his answer, slowly, cautiously, carefully deliberating every word. “An ancient mystery…that holds the secret of America’sfuture…and on which its future hangs. And it’s not fiction—it’s real.” She was quiet. At first, he took the silence as a positive sign, an indication that he was getting through.
But then she spoke and quickly dispelled the notion. “An Indiana Jones movie,” she said. “An ancient mystery hidden for thousands of years under the sands of the Middle East…but now revealed…and upon it hangs the fate of the entire world!” Her flippancy provoked him to become all the more resolute.
“But it’s not fiction,” he repeated.
“It’s “What would I say?” she asked.
“Yes, what would you say?”
“I’d say you were crazy.”
“Perhaps I am,” he said with a slight smile. “Nevertheless…it’s real.”
“If you’re not crazy, then you’re joking…or you’re doing this all for dramatic effect…part of a presentation. But you can’t be serious.”
“But I am serious.”
~~~
Although the author potentially has the credentials for a nonfiction book (haven't done a search yet), I was gratified that he chose to write it as fiction. A couple of reasons comes to mind...he is making no claim that it is more than fictional even if some might believe it has some basis of truth. He writes about what he personally has studied and feels is happening in America... much like many writers are doing these days...If you see him, you can sense his personal feelings about what's he doing and that he believes what he's written. Many warn about False Prophets...In making this book fiction, I think he has made it clear that he does not call himself a prophet of God, even though he's writing prophetically... as he has come to believe it. But by calling it fiction, individuals of all religions can read the book and not feel that he is speaking on behalf of any major religion... Yes, these are all assumptions at this point...we'll see if I still feel the same when finished! LOL
The above excerpt made me think of a couple of people playing the roles...My first and only pick for the female receiving the pitch is Oprah... Can't you see her listening to this pitch? LOL And, of course, right now, I'm thinking that it is the author who is presenting...we'll see...
Some of you may have picked up that I've finally found a computer after months of searching and testing. Was I surprised to learn that no longer do you get a bunch of programs as we once did on a computer. Nor do you get a completely new computer with all necessary components! I used my present screen and speakers, so I now have a cannibalized computer from ASUS, Dell and Acer... Geesh! So I purchased an Office package and got talked into a protection package... I admit that everything was sounding fine as I talked to the staff at the store... The software was added at the store, including the protection package. I paid extra to have it delivered and set up to expedite my use. This time, the software and installation/set-up created the nightmare... Not only did I demand to have the protection package removed--it slowed the machine down more than my old one had been! And the staffing activities had me at a high emotional state... Do you know what I mean by that? Well, after experiencing Job Burnout, I am still on medication and no longer have control of my emotions--I will either cry or scream, depending upon the circumstances... The thing that amazed me though after it was all over, was that when I had been working, a major responsibility was to maintain effective personal relations with people...which I did until it reached a point that the volume of work and management actions caused me to lose control. Yet, when I tried to talk to sales reps about my problems, admittedly being upset, I got remarks that my manner of communication was offensive to that individual...They would hang up on me! OK, ultimately I apologized to the General Manager of the store who had to get involved and he quickly said I did not need to apologize... But, you know, it's kinda ironic that I handled myself professionally, many times dealing with opinionated and distressed people...and considered it part of my job... only to find that todays employees do not know the meaning of patience and empathy! At one point I stopped and said, "I thought the customer was always right..." because I couldn't believe what I was being told... Anyway, I'm writing this because this is the second day I've not been unable to create my blog. That first day, I noticed that a routine page had been reformatted...so I knew programming had been done for some reason... Since then I've lost material, tried to cut and paste to use, tried to restore previous screens...nothing is working as it was before "the day" I saw different screens... Which means I'm getting behind...and a key issue for reviewing is that if you don't review fairly quickly, you forget your personal response and what you wanted to say!!! With a paperback, I've marked it in specific ways for important and less important material...as you know there is no way to do this with an ebook... If I am lucky enough to pick up key words from a book description I can do a search. But there .ares many books that do not have an effective blurb...
You know, I have been working with computers from the early 60s! Can you imagine that I've seen the evolution from mainframe systems into personal computers and now all the various devices that include so many that you feel like you can never make the right choice, or that if you purchase it, it won't be outdated before the equipment has aged enough to need to be replaced... And not once during all those years have I been frustration-free from using them! Don't get me wrong, I love computers and their capability. My frustration has always been with the people related to using them in any way. When I used a mainframe, the main issue was being able to obtain priority in getting work done, since the programming activity was done centrally... Then it was the decision-makers who couldn't or wouldn't make a decision and stick with it for a reasonable length of time....So I learned to use ADABASE Systems, Tif, Nomad...and many more as I personally was involved in the evolution of mainframe to PC, plus a couple of total facilities management systems, one of which I designed myself, and discover they never get implement... Employees just keep starting over and over and over and over...No wonder other countries are gaining a better reputation for quality than America has had in recent years.
Now, I believe the customer is being shafted due to the corporate competition to bring out the newest and greatest. Do they think we are even able to take the time to try to keep up with which is best? Companies are producing small low-powered computers and trying to pass them off as desktops... If you've never had a computer before, you would never know that these computers are so bad that you can't type at a reasonable rate of speed without blowing the system because they can't keep up with professional users. I am not taking any new books for the foreseeable future. I have 4 books for which I need to create reviews...plus many more to read...and like I said, if you don't review quickly after you've read a book, you lose the "flavor" of the experience as you finished reading... So I'm even hesitant to start reading a new book given my present computer problems. The only thing I can think of for me is to move backwards to a simply narrative review much like this article...Dull and boring, kinda, isn't it???
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