​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
*Price every job to ensure profit
*Get paid in full for every job
*Expand your skills for profitability
*Use the Internet to increase profits
*Keep customers coming back and giving referrals
*Handle your accounting and taxes
*Become a highly paid home repair expert

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.

Grady HarpTop Contributor: Children's Books
 
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
Verified Purchase
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
 

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
 
5.0 out of 5 stars IT MADE ME THINK AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT MY OWN ACTIONS
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2020
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.

​A Murderer Is Loose In The Hospital
Dora Stephens can’t refuse this case.
When she witnesses Sheila, the aunt of her best friend, stagger out of the hospital and die from a traffic accident, Dora’s private eye instincts kick in. Something’s not right. Sheila had no known enemies… but someone wanted her dead.
Digging into the circumstances of Sheila’s death leads Dora on a devious path where she encounters lies, drugs, betrayal, and infidelity. She uncovers another mysterious death and stumbles upon a dark secret kept by some of the hospital’s top staff and privileged doctors.
Sheila was not the only nurse who had an affair with the hospital’s star surgeon. Would one of her romantic rivals stoop to murder? Or had she learned too much about the well-kept dark secret?
Fatal Limit is a spellbinding medical thriller that will keep you turning its pages. In this taut and gripping story, greed, love and envy come together to create a deadly toxin. And the only prescription is… justice

Uvi Poznansky
 
5.0 out of 5 stars Staggering into an accident, what was it that killed her?

Verified Purchase
Dora Stephens, a private investigator, is about to pick up a nurse, Sheila for a drink, when she witnesses her staggering out the hospital only to be run over by a car. Dora can’t believe this has been merely an accident, even though at first glance, the victim seems to have no enemies. “Has Sheila been given a large dose of Activan?”

The story is told in Dora’s voice, which makes it personal. Lies, drugs, betrayal, blackmail, and infidelity come into play, including Sheila’s secret affair with a surgeon. Did she have any rivals for the attention of her lover? Could jealousy be the reason for this murder? Can an antidote for it be found?

The suspenseful writing has its moments of humor to relieve the tension. “I intended… to plant a bug on him, though I didn’t have a clue where I would put one… Why didn’t men carry purses with them? Bugging women was so much easier.” Armed with a nurse’s uniform, a pair of oversized glasses, and a bob-styled auburn wig, Dora’s best weapon is her wits.

From the horror of a psychopath killer with extraordinary powers, to true ghost stories, and stories that leave you wondering, if there is a place for everybody or if some are really just lost in their own minds, you will find that story in this collection of short stories by Patricia Moran, Marta Moran Bishop, Roman Nyle, and Pat Marsden. Patricia Moran grew up in the Washington DC area. She spent her entire life writing, be it for the local newspaper or her stories, and poetry. Her stories are sometimes children’s stories, and others are paranormal.
Pat Marsden grew up in Northern Minnesota and shared a love of reading and writing with her large family. She spent most of her time taking care of her children and working outside the home at various careers. She had a love of animals and found joy in the simple things of life.
Marta Moran Bishop is the daughter of Patricia Moran, she inherited her mother’s love of reading, writing, as well as her mother’s written work. In some cases, they were published with only editing, and in others, Ms. Moran Bishop, completed her mother’s work. Ms. Bishop has over thirty books and stories in print. Roman Nyle lived and worked in Chicago, IL, except for the time he spent in the Army in Vietnam. He loves to read Stephen King type novels. He writes in a Twilight Zone, horror style, and loves to have his villains to be very creepy.

​Thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories. Most were different from the usual paranormal stories as they ended leaving the reader to decide what will happen. Fun and entertaining.

A brilliant NaNoWriMo award winning crime fiction drama with twists and turns.
Meet the Jackson brothers, plotting and planning to cash in on ill-gotten gains.
Ben Jackson is the target, but laying their hands on his ranch isn’t all that easy.
Why kill a man for his ranch?  This is going to be a bumpy ride for Ben.
Ben has to endure freak accidents, being shot at and a close friend who becomes the enemy.
With no proof that the ranch belongs to Ben, his brothers pursue their quest, only to find their plan foiled while family members sit on the side lines with a totally different goal in mind.
This crime fiction drama full of an assortment of characters will have you wondering from start to finish.

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.

Lottie's Adventure is a vibrant chapter book mystery for preteens that emphasizes the importance of intergenerational communication and love as well as the immense value of thinking beyond cultural stereotypes. To develop a new moral code or vision, both these elements are crucial. Perhaps the most striking quality of "Lottie's Adventure: Facing The Monster" is its powerful positive energy. Featuring a spunky 10-year-old Hispanic heroine, "Lottie's Adventure" keeps interest high and pages turning with exciting plot twists and turns and believable cliffhangers that just keep evolving. The author allows her characters to develop very naturally, with total authenticity. There are many excellent ideas embedded in the story, not the least of which is that people, even wise adults, can learn to admit they are wrong. "Lottie's Adventure" goes a long way towards building a viable alternative to prejudice, and for that and many other reasons, it is highly recommended juvenile reading for kids age 10 and up.
(Review from The Midwest Book Review)

​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.

​​Her timing was perfect. As she rounded the corner, daily Mass had ended, and the Archbishop was standing outside the ornately carved doors of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
His followers were tiered below him on the steps. He turned and allowed his eyes to trace the contours of her body and she felt the thrill of power. A sheer white muslin shift clung to her black swim suit, still wet from morning exercise at the community pool. Despite the heat and the humidity from the Gulf of Mexico, she strolled by as if it were a cool spring day in Vermont.
 
Elaine Chauvier was a stately woman, aware of her long legs and enticing figure. Some said she was a snob and she would have agreed with them. After all, she was from aristocracy. Her great grandfather and General Robert E. Lee had been close friends, and her family had owned sections of plantation land and nearly a hundred slaves. No one could give this woman a passing glance without being momentarily transfixed. Soft black hair, always a bit ruffled to give a false impression of casualness, framed a face of classic perfection. Piercing dark eyes conveyed the superiority she felt over everyone.
 
Archbishop Andre Figurant gave hardly a thought to the man who knelt to kiss his ring or the mother holding up her baby for a blessing. His focus was across the street, beyond the wrought-iron fence surrounding the Cathedral’s property. The gliding presence hypnotized as well as beguiled him.

​Two of the historic forces that still shape American culture, ante-bellum southern ideology and the catholic church, are brought into fascinating and disturbing juxtaposition in this novel.  Barbara Frances lays bare traditions that while often enough exposed as decadent in some measure, still retain strong elements of venerability through the usual telling of their stories.  Not here. Nothing is embellished or disguised.  Imagine Scarlet Ohara as a penniless sociopath, and Tara to be constructed of rotten wood plastered with cheap paint and you have a hint of what to expect.  At it’s core, however, like a Russell Lee camera lens, this work shows us marginalized people seeking growth and redemption without filters or touch-up.  With all of their blemishes, in their stumbling nakedness they emerge as utterly noble.
 
David Wiener

​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.

​“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

Verified Purchase
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
It 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
*Price every job to ensure profit
*Get paid in full for every job
*Expand your skills for profitability
*Use the Internet to increase profits
*Keep customers coming back and giving referrals
*Handle your accounting and taxes
*Become a highly paid home repair expert

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.

​The author did a fantastic job writing this book. In the first chapter he defines love, "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person." If you have ever been in one then you know that it is a give and take in order to survive. Compromising is so important. It all depends on which stage of the game you are in. I am in my 40's so my experiences are different than those who are teenagers, whom could benefit from reading this book. They say that those that experienced it can give advice and tips of what they have learned to help you avoid tender mistakes. I especially liked the harmful relationships, mutual respect and boundaries chapters as I need to learn all of them once again. As a codependent it helps to keep me on track in my current relationships even if they are not love related, which includes friend, family and coworkers. Anyone could benefit from the helpful book with tips and thoughts of a personal experienced writer. Please post your review and hit Like.  Jackie Paulson

​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.