​Viv Drewa

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fantastic book by Karen Vaughan!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2018
I love the way Vaughan has her characters interact with each other. They are well developed and believable. Her scenes are described in such a way you can easily picture them.
Moreover, let’s not forget the humor she added! Murder and humor are her trademark, and the humor is woven into the story at the appropriate time and adds the perfect comedy relief.
I highly recommend “Over Her Dead Body” to anyone who loves a good murder mystery and some good laughs!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND this read.

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 stars​
A MURDER MYSTERY TO DIE FOR!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2019
​Karen Vaughan has once again given us a dynamite murder mystery in book two of her Laura & Gerry Murder Mystery series.
Take one trashy, gold-digger, psychotic woman, with a mob boss for a daddy, and a jealous streak that would make any normally insane woman look like a saint. Throw in flying melons, baseball bats, and a sweet, gentle, rich elderly man, and Laura (corpse magnet) soon to be Fitz, and you have a masterpiece of crime, insanity, murder, and yes romance.
It takes a lot to write a great murder mystery, but even more one with humor wrapped into the package.
Kudos to Ms. Vaughan for once again giving us a class act book to blow away the cobwebs from our minds and entertain us while doing so.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND this read.

 Lifted me up!
I honestly felt that I was a constant & very close onlooker in this story! I could feel the sand swirling around me, it's grit in my mouth. Each story told by another traveler kept me alert, anxious, and excited! With each experience the Magi had.... the author made me feel that I was one with the characters. I was a character! Whether it be a suffering animal eager to please my master. Or a man drinking and playing games with other men. And believe me these are not activities that I would be an eager participant! Ugh and the raw odor of men was thick and real! This story was REAL and I will miss watching and playing my part !!!
Bytallon

​E.A. Sharpe wrote an absolutely wonderful story that will give you a lift and show what commitment to a goal will bring to you.
It is the story of a Magi who missed his fellow Magi on their quest to find the child whom the star and prophecy spoke of. Yet he sets out on his own, and through hardship, and delays he gives all he has to help those in need along the way.
Years later he feels he is too late, but is he?
I loved this short book of Artaban’s quest to find Christ and believe it is a story that is a great read at any time of the year, especially at Easter.

​Our story about Betty and Lulu, who grew up in peaceful times, begins in 1933, during the depression, and ends in the early forties as prosperity returned, as our country began mobilizing for World War II.
I started this book because I thought it would be beneficial for young people, like my talented granddaughter, Maria, to contrast growing up during the past seventy-five years, with my formative years, a time of peace, from 1927-1941.
Our childhoods were so very different. I've watched my granddaughter entertain herself with technology from an early age. While she missed knowing about doodlebugs, she can always look them up on her I-Phone or laptop. From a very early age, she was aware of world events; whereas, I didn't realize that my back yard in Kerrville, Texas, was not the center of the Universe until I started to school.
All profits go to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in Deltona, FL.

​Lulu and Betty: Growing Up In Changing Times
 
This book is a real joy to read. It follows all the personal experiences of two friends who grow up during the depression and World War II eras. Their many youthful experiences in this challenging era will take some elders back to another time and allow young readers to share a different world. Patricia Sawyers Fiske is no longer with us, but her story will touch you deeply.

​Echoes From My Heart is a compilation of poems Jo Ann Jones wrote over many years. A beautiful collection inspired throughout her life’s challenges and joys with continuous inspiration and encouragement from family and friends.  
The poems are divided into nine topics, so you can choose to read the poems in any order. Each topic page has a scripture to share God’s word for the upcoming poems. Read these poems at your leisure or when you need a reminder of God’s blessings and grace.
In addition to acquiring beautiful poetry, you will be contributing to a good cause as all the profits from the sale of Echoes From my Heart will go to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in Deltona, FL.

​A PROFOUNDLY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THROUGH POETRY
 
Echoes From My Heart by Jo Ann Jones is a beautifully written poetry book that takes us on a journey through life’s challenges.
It is also a look into the spiritual journey toward Christ’s teachings and helps us to forget our failings and learn to do better.
I loved this book and shall keep it near me, as I journey through life.
Thank you, Ms. Jones for your beautiful words.

Prepare to be spellbound. Barbara Frances' long-awaited third novel, “Shadow's Way,” takes you to the coastal, deep South, where the past and the present mingle in a gothic tale of insanity, murder, and sexual intrigue. 
You'll meet the beautiful Elaine Chauvier, former actress and proprietor of Shadow's Way, her family's antebellum home; the esteemed Archbishop Andre Figurant and his fallen identical twin, Bastien; newly arrived Ophelia and Rudy, here to explore their Chauvier roots and their ties to Shadow's Way; and the mysterious Madame Claudine. Under a veneer of piety and graciousness, i.e., the questions: What is good? What is evil? What is reality?

​​Ms. Francis’ novel Shadow’s Way, had me enthralled from page one, it kept me reading until so late into the night that I used a flashlight in order not to wake my husband.
I’ve always enjoyed reading gothic tales, but this one went beyond most that I had read. The synopsis was correct, past and present mingled and left me on the edge of my seat. Was G – G – Daddy a real paranormal experience or a figment of Elaine Chauvier’s imagination, which got worse as she sunk deeper into insanity?
I loved the various characters that Ms. Francis brought into play as needed to heighten the story. They were well rounded and interconnected in ways that one has to keep reading to get the full picture.

Lottie's Adventure: Facing The Monster, is an action-packed children's book written especially for ages 8 through 14. Children will enjoy this exciting read while also improving their reading skills. Twenty-nine chapters filled with twists and turns keep kids reading to discover the outcome.

Lottie, a lively ten-year old Hispanic girl, longs for something new and different in her life. Her summers up to this point have all been, more or less, the same. Then the arrival of a magical letter and a TV newscast transforms her vacation time in a high adventure.

Her great adventure includes trying to relate to a cold, estranged, and rich grandmother, freeing a kidnapped ten-year-old African American boy from a locked room, hiding him in a safe place, and then fleeing with him from a kidnapper who is always just a step or two behind.

​A New Hero Is Born
Lottie is my kind of people. A real person. Caring, smart, savvy. She may be only a kid, but she's a great role model for anybody. And she has the most interesting, sometimes kind of scary, adventures. And she meets weird people, funny people, wacky people, serious people. Sometimes she gets herself in a pickle, but she always rises to the occasion and figures out how to get out of it. She doesn't reject the kindness of strangers either.
More than anything, Lottie is saturated with decency. She's doesn't have to be in control all the time. She can be vulnerable. She can be hurt. But she likes herself no matter what. And she likes people. All people.
If you liked A Wrinkle in Time, you'll like Lottie's Adventures as well.
DAW, Austin, Texas
It's an exciting thriller that makes you want to keep on reading.
Adam Lubbers, age 12

​While reading Barbara Frances’ chapter book Lottie’s Adventure: Facing the Monster, I was swept back to the books of my childhood. A place where tweens helped each other and became heroes without the use of make-believe or magic brooms. Just plain old smarts, ingenuity, and integrity.
I was engrossed in the story of Lottie, a Hispanic girl, as she helped Charles Ray a black boy, who had been kidnapped escape and confront the bad guy, outsmarting him, while facing their own fears. The friendship that grew between the two was a lesson in how people all want the same things out of life regardless of their upbringing, race, or nationality.
It is a compelling and wonderful tale that I’d recommend to both adults and the tween alike.

​“Our kids, my, my, Gracie” laughed Bud. “Where did we go wrong? One marries God, another a Jew and the last one, the devil!”
Texas, 1951. The Wolanskys—Grace, Bud and their three grown children—are a close-knit clan, deeply rooted in their rural community and traditional faith. On their orderly farm, life seems good and tomorrow always holds promise.
But under the surface, it’s a different story. Grace is beset by dark memories and unnamed fears, calmed only by practicing a secret obsession. Their son Andy has said no to becoming a farmer like his dad and, worse, has fallen in love with a big-city Jewish girl. Youngest child Regina is trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, alcoholic husband. Even “perfect” daughter Angela’s decision to become a nun unleashes consequences no one could foresee.
And then Ceil Dollard breezes into town.
Ceil—wealthy, sophisticated, irrepressible—is like a visitor from Mars. She’s a modern woman. She drives a car and wears pants. She blows away tradition and certainty, forcing Grace to face her fears and brave a changing world. Through Ceil, Grace learns about courage and pleasure—but at the risk of losing Bud.
Barbara Frances’ sparkling, richly human novel takes you back to a time when Ike was president and life was slower, but people were the same as now. You’ll encounter a cast of characters storm-tossed by change, held together by love. Written with compassion, humor and suspense, Like I Used to Dance will charm you, warm you and even squeeze a few tears, from its opening number to the last waltz. 

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT! - Family Saga Full of Drama and Heart

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Don’t start this book before bedtime or you’ll be late to work! I love family sagas and this one swept me along. It’s about Grace, a warm, creative woman strong for her family but out of touch with her own needs. The place is rural Texas and the time is the fifties, when women were still trapped as homemakers. The family is Catholic and Grace’s daughters have their own struggles. Angela is unsure if she should become a nun and Regina has to decide if she’ll divorce her abusive husband. Grace herself is a talented artist who has never realized her potential. She develops a close bond with Ceil, a sophisticated transplant from LA who blows into the life of Grace and her family like a powerful wind. In the end, everything turn s out but nothing is the same. A great read!

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 stars WILL SURELY BECOME ONE OF THE CLASSICS IN LITERATURE
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2020It is easy to see how Like I Used To Dance by Barbara Frances won awards. It is a novel that should easily find its way into classic literature. It is not just the story of the Wolanskys, who live in a small farming town in the nineteen-fifty’s, but the story of life, and how even generations of family issues can affect each new generation unless something happens to break the cycle.
Ms. Frances paints a picture of each character, their weaknesses, as well as the strength in their character. From Grace, and Bud, their three grown children, to neighbors, and friends, each is drawn with a fine pencil, fully formed, and genuine, some are people you wish you knew, and others you would like to string up. Yet, each is so well crafted as to be able to see them in your life, or town.
Whether she is painting the generous nature of Bud, to the horror of Billy Ray, Ms. Frances brings us a full picture of life as it was, and life as it still is. Many things may have changed in our world, underneath there is still an underbelly of both the beauty and ugliness of human nature.
Like I Used To Dance was not a book that I could easily put down, but sat up till the wee hours of the morning reading.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

​Start making money now as a handyman using only your home repair skills. Twelve chapters of valuable how-to information teach you how to:
*Find new customers
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*Expand your skills for profitability
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*Keep customers coming back and giving referrals
*Handle your accounting and taxes
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Everything you need to know to succeed financially as a handyman. No fluff or hype, just down to earth details on exactly how to make money using your present skills.

HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars `Relationships are not about competition between partners. It should be about giving and taking.'
Reviewed in the United States
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A. William Benitez's career is not as a therapist (his work included the construction business, governmental housing official, woodworking, IT manger for Hyatt Regency, founder of Positive Imaging, LLC writing and publishing) and he succeeds in this book about Relationships because of the gentle manner in which he relates his insights. He has an innate understanding about relationships that work (he is currently happily married for 23 years in a very strong and sustainable marriage) and ones that fail (his first marriage of 17 years ended in divorce) and has the courage to admit that he is one half of each relationship - a gratifyingly honest approach to view life in retrospect as well as with introspection. Or as he states, `My goal with this book is that, as an individual, parent, grandparent, spouse, and lover, I might be able to share just a small amount of information you might find of value.'

As far as the structure of this warm book of supportive guidance is concerned the author states, `This book contains ten chapters entitled: What Is Love, What is a Good Relationship, Fostering and Nourishing Relationships, Harming Relationships, Mutual Respect, Boundaries, Marriage, Breakups and Divorce, Helpful Tips, and Final Thoughts. All the chapters contain information based almost exclusively on personal experience that I hope helps to create safe, happy, and healthy relationships.' And from that platform for discussion we join Benitez in a drawing room atmosphere of heart to heart conversations about each of the topics he outlines.

His highlighted phrases scattered through the book are gems to ponder, phrases like `Love is caring for another person enough to want for her what she wants for herself, even if what she desires is not in your best interest.' After making statements such as this, Benitez dissects it, amplifies it with either personal experiences or postulated ones until we understand the concept completely.

So much of what is shared here is not earthshakingly original: there are therapists and erudite textbooks that serve that purpose. The reason Benitez succeeds is that he is so open and straightforward in the way he discusses those elements of humanity that must be respected in every individual in order to bond with another individual. His suggestions on how to nurture a relationship are simple but so often forgotten (as in the infinitely important art of conversing), his explanation of how to respect boundaries is as solid as anyone has written, and his definitions of how relationships can be harmed is especially poignant (and he is not afraid to discuss spousal abuse openly).

A few other phrases that stand out: `Regard your partner with consideration, appreciation, and acceptance just as she is, not as you believe she should be. Accept and value your partner's point of view even if it differs from yours. Honor your partner's right to privacy by not intruding, interfering, or spying.' `Boredom and predictability can hurt relationships as can the lack of joy and spontaneity.' This is a book of wisdom from experience - one that will touch many aspects of each reader's viewpoints and hopefully will provide examples for change where change is needed. Grady Harp

​Mr. Benitez’s book RELATIONSHIP helped me take a long hard look at what I could do better in all my relationships and in particular those with my husband.
What part do I play in the issues that arise in our marriage on a daily basis?
I found this book extremely helpful and insightful too.
Kudos to Mr. Benitez on writing this book and the work he had to personally do in order to bring it about.

​Detectives Joe Leverette and Philip Marsden are assigned to investigate the murder of a woman who was found dismembered in Port Huron, Michigan. After investigations, it is discovered the murderer is going after the individuals who found each of the body parts.
Leverette becomes interested in Carole Sage, one of the women involved, who is a sensitive but is unable to pursue her due to her involvement in the case. His colleagues in the police force notice the infatuation he has for the woman, but she does not.
The witnesses dream about the murderer removing the particular body part they would eventually find, are startled awake and then they hear an owl hoot several times. Fearing skepticism, they don't reveal their dreams to law enforcement.
Carole Sage actually sees the original murder plus the murder of the individual witnesses. Police Chief Billingsley understands the gift she possesses and arranges a sting operation in order to catch the murderer which fails. Two witnesses are dead and they don't want any more to die.
This books is for 18+ due to the violence.

​Book Lover 222

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Suspenseful, Well-Written Murder Mystery
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This highly suspenseful, well-written murder mystery opens with a grizzly, horrific murder that gives nightmares to several people not related to the murder in any way. Likable, believable characters draw the reader into the nightmare, while the baffled but competent police work feverishly to stop the killer before he kills again. I highly recommend this book. Ms. Drewa, write faster!

​M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet

5.0 out of 5 stars A DYNAMITE TALE TOLD MASTERFULLY
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Midnight Owl: A Joe Leverette Mystery – book 1 kept me reading till the wee hours of the night. Yes, it has a lot of very gruesome scenes in it, but it holds you in the palm of its hands until the last page.
Ms. Drewa out did herself when she wrote this book. I was on the edge of my seat, my eyes burning, yet I couldn’t put it down. A dynamite tale told masterfully.
Within its pages you will find a bit of the paranormal, a bit of romance, and a lot of suspense as the murderer goes on his rampage.