“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.

​Escape and Enjoy this gem!

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What a gem! Totally unexpected from a small Texas town! Loved the authors use of story telling and making me feel a part of the family ! Bravo!
I wanted to save this book for an upcoming trip... but once I started reading... I could not put down!

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

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.

What a refreshing plot. All of the characters are so believable. Lottie seems like someone that you have known who lives across town, down the street, or maybe even your next door neighbor. We need more stories like this one that show just how important family connections are. The older and younger generations connect in such a loving way as Lottie showed so much compassion for someone not of her race or gender. How awesome! There are lots of readers, young and old, who will find this and intriguing tale.
Wanda Hasley, Retired Teacher

​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.

​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.

Oil Is Vanishing From The Cisco Field And Revealing It Becomes A Death SentenceNewly trained and ready to rock her first assignment, Gwynn Reznick goes undercover posing as an accountant for the Prudell Energy Company. After fending off the unwanted advances of a company executive, she stumbles on a murder scene staged to look as an accident. Then she learns another employee died in a suspicious oil well accident and a large quantity of oil is missing from the Cisco field.
˃˃˃ A Wild Mix Of Action, Adventure And Mystery All In One Fast-Paced Thrill-Ride!Her boss (and boyfriend) Ruben calls and warns Gwynn not to go poking her nose where it doesn’t belong and to wait for his directions. She promptly ignores his orders and sets out to solve the case, which quickly spirals out of her control as she ends up on the perpetrators’ hit list. Will Gwynn be able to maintain her cover”"or risk everything to crack the case?
˃˃˃ This One Will Have You On The Edge Of Your Seat Until The Very End!Any reader who enjoys action, adventure, murder mysteries, or just a plain good read will love Cisco Bandits: A Gwynn Reznick Mystery.

​AA Pearce

5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting and Suspenseful Thriller
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I love thrillers, but the one thing I’m always missing is a story with a strong female in the lead role. And that’s exactly what this book has. Gwynn Reznick is a resourceful young woman, who knows her stuff when it comes to stealthy, undercover operations, and she uses all her skills and charms to get the job done. The one thing I really loved about this book is how the author managed to portray Gwynn as a skilled undercover operative, or PI, in a world of high stakes business without sacrificing her femininity, or having her do her job using seduction, etc. which seems to be the stereotypical role of women in thrillers.

Overall, the book is very well written and well paced. The author has a clear and concise writing style and I had no trouble picturing the scenes in the book as they unfolded. The twists and turns will keep you guessing right up to the end, and, believe me, you’ll be glued to the page for the duration. I know I was!

Highly recommended for all thriller fans!

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

5.0 out of 5 stars 
A THRILL A MINUTE - ENGROSSING, AND BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN
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I thought that The Cost of Crude was fabulous, but little did I know that Ms. Goss would take the Gwynn Resnick series five steps higher in Cisco Bandits. It was/is a book that is a thrill a minute, leaving you guessing from the beginning to the last page just who, what, and why so many people were dying (supposedly) by accident.
I adore the characters, each one is fully formed, and you feel as if you’d love to know some of them, and yes, work for Ruben, except of course that danger is usually best read about.
The twists and turns of the plot keep you reading far into the night. Why I even had to plug my kindle in to finish reading, as I couldn’t put it down and the book was way to engrossing to stop for the night.
Ms. Goss has a rare talent for pulling the reader into the story and making it so real you feel as if you are there.
I highly recommend this series, now on to Burning Water, as I must see what happens to Gwynn Resnick on her next assignment.

​When I decided to write this book on relationship, my wife Barbara was surprised and cautioned me by saying that she would not dare write such a book because it was such a varied topic with so many nuances. That scared me because she is certainly more qualified to write about relationship than I am. I hesitated for a while.
Most of my writing had been on housing, business, woodworking, even publishing, but nothing on relationship. It's an expansive topic and I wasn't sure if my information would be of real value. I considered that all my books are based on first hand experience and realized that even though I'm not an expert, I have a life time of experience in relationship. Based on that I felt able to contribute something helpful to some readers and I feel good about this book.

Jackie Paulson
 
5.0 out of 5 stars Relationships that last a lifetime
Reviewed in the United States
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Relationships are not about competition between partners. It should be about giving and taking.
By A Benitez
Relationship: Notes On Love, Mutual Respect, Boundaries, Marriage, and Divorce by A William Benitez explores the subject of intimate relationship and probes how one can be in a wonderful relationship. This book contains ten insightful chapters:
-What Is Love
-What is a Good Relationship
-Fostering and Nourishing Relationships
-Harming Relationships
-Mutual Respect
-Boundaries
-Marriage
-Breakups and Divorce
-Helpful Tips
-Final Thoughts

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

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

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.

​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.

​Five Stars by Handyman
Get started in the right direction. I researched a lot of books on this subject before I chose this one, and I'm glad I did.

A family member bought me some books on starting a business and they didn't really cover any of the information I was looking for. This business is a business however you sell yourself and your abilities, not a product made somewhere else by someone else in a rented space.
This book was informative and gave practical knowledge and experience that was easy to understand. I would recommend this book to those who are thinking about going out on your own, and those who already have...

​Daphne Robin is ecstatic. She has just married Richard, the most wonderful man she's ever met, and they will honeymoon in Scotland. But on the eve of their departure, Daphne has a terrifying nightmare about Richard that leaves her shaken. The dream turns into reality when Richard begins abusing her in Scotland. Several months later, following his brutal attack, when Daphne announces she has become pregnant, he brutally attacks her--and then she suffers a miscarriage. The only place Daphne can find refuge from her wrecked life is within her dream world. She often dreams of a warm-hearted, tender man who comforts her and provides for her every need. Daphne retreats from reality more and more, and soon, as the years pass by, she becomes a shell of the woman she once was. Eventually, however, she reaches her breaking point; Daphne gathers the strength to escape her husband's clutches. She heads to her sister's place in Washington and meets Major Ursa-Barrios, a retired army officer who has pledged to help her. The two fall deeply in love, and Daphne wonders if this kind, generous man can possibly be her salvation. Although the Major is retired, Daphne's sister is still in service. When the sisters seek to explore their dreams through past life regression techniques, they discover secrets about their pasts that could reveal the purpose of their current lives..

Martha A. Cheves
 
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars How many lives do we have
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2011
`Shortly before 2:30 AM, Daphne awoke from a vivid dream. She dreamt she was in Scotland and had just been widowed. Her husband had been murdered. It was some distant time in the past, and she was dressed in a long black gown with a stiff white headdress She could feel the tightness of her corset contrast the softness of her gown's material on her skin. Richard was there, but other people in the dream were saying he was responsible for her late husband's murder. She was confused and didn't know what to believe. She had thought she could trust Richard, but a voice in the dream announced, "During the Protestant Reformation, these sides were divided." As she wondered what that meant, Richard captured her and took her against her will to a castle, where he raped her. Then, when he left her alone with a woman companion to look after her, the two women escaped. They disguised themselves as men and used bed linens to climb through a window and down the castle wall. She was terrified. She and her companion rode across the nearby border to England, where they thought they would be safe. At first, when they told their story of what had happened, they were given sanctuary by kind people. But after about a week or so, word came to the household from the authorities that she was to be held as a prisoner again. She did not understand why. Then she was told that Richard had also fled Scotland and was also imprisoned, but in another country.'

Daphne Robin and her sister Deandra were both accustomed to strange dreams. Deandra has dreamed, since childhood, that she was a soldier with lots of brothers. In her dream she was a man and someone was beating her face in. Daphne's dream about Scotland came shortly after her marriage to Richard Gatorman, owner of a construction company as well as Daphne's boss. Scotland was a place Daphne had always wanted to go to so when the dream coincided with Richard announcing that they would be honeymooning in Scotland, she let her excitement override the possibility of a warning. But, Richard had always been the perfect mate. He was loving, caring and offered her everything she could ever want...so she thought. The honeymoon would turn out to be the beginning of her seeing the true Richard she had married. A marriage that she soon realized had been a big mistake. The only out for Daphne becomes sleep in which her dreams have her flying the skies with a handsome man. If it weren't for her dream time she would probably give up on life itself.

Deandra, being an officer in the Army, enlists the help of her friend Major Ursa-Barrios to help Daphne escape the abuse being inflicted by Richard. Major, as he likes to be called, has had his own dreams over the years. In his dreams he would help a young lady and falls in love with her. Could Daphne possibly be the woman in his dream? Could Major possibly be the man in Daphne's dreams?

As Deandra, Daphne and Major come together, they start searching for the answers to their dreams. Deandra wanting to know who the person getting their face bashed in is and who are the brothers. Daphne wants to know who the woman in Scotland could be as well as who she soars the skies with. And Major wants to meet the lady from his dreams.

Franki deMerle has done it again with a book of mystery, love and a certain air of suspense. The more I read, the more I wanted answers to the character's dreams but I wasn't really expecting what the dreams actually turned out to be.

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
 
5.0 out of 5 stars POSSIBILITIES

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As a woman who is curious about nearly everything, I picked up Dragonfly Dreams looking for a sense of possibilities. I found that and more. Franki deMerle is a masterful story teller, combining the dream state with possible reality.

What is reality and what is truth. Have we lived before? Do we dream our way into a better future? Are all these possibilities just a magnificent story?

I loved this book. Ms. deMerle wrote characters that were captivating and three dimensional, whether they were reliving a past life or living in the present. Definitely a book to be read and enjoyed, and it left me with more than a good read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reincarnation or just a great story.

​To walk with another person can be as mundane as putting on one's socks and shoes, or it can be a twisting, turning, life-changing journey into unknown territory. It can also be everything in between. My walk with Virginia was life changing. It was unexpected. It was challenging. It was frustrating and confusing. We had highs, and we had lows. Thankfully, it was also awe-inspiring and extraordinary.

Have you ever been a caregiver for a family member or a friend? Is it, perhaps, on the horizon of your life? Or maybe you cannot yet see the horizon. Make no mistake, it is not a question of love, whether to provide much needed and potentially long-term care. It is a question of necessity. Love, and devotion born out of love, are the firmly rooted footings on which you stand when providing this necessary care. Humor is the grab bar you grip tightly when the ground below you begins to shake or shift. Patience is paramount. I survived it, and you can, too. I believe I am a better person having had the experience.

My story is a true account of my caregiving experience with my mother-in-law. It lasted only a few short years and, in that time, carved such deep and permanent remembrances too good not to share. Some would ask, "why share something so personal?", and my reply would be, "why not?". Life is so much sweeter when shared with others. I hope you find comfort, a little guidance perhaps, enjoy a few laughs, and chew on some 'food for thought' as you journey with Virginia and I through the blessings and blunders of Caregiving!

​The Great Grocery Store Adventure
“She was full throttle and produce was flying in all directions.  It was like a bumper car nightmare.  And, of course, she was laughing.  I, however, broke out in a full sweat, trying to catch oranges, apples, onions, and tomatoes, knowing full-well someone, somewhere was watching all this chaos on security cameras.  I was sure we would be escorted out the door within minutes.  I guess security personnel were off that day because no one seemed to raise an eyebrow at our antics, not even other nearby shoppers.  Or maybe they did, but how would I have noticed?  I was too busy bobbing for apples!”

"The Void", the first true paranormal short story written by Marta Moran Bishop, is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock or The Twilight Zone of later days. It will take you deep into the mind and heart of someone either living through a serious mental illness, or something mysterious and dangerous residing in the void.
Many years earlier, Altori and her sister Helen moved into the village. Last year, during the night of no moon, Helen went out into the void and nearly died. A terrible disease spread through her body. She ran away to escape the possibility of death at the hands of the frightened villagers.
Will Altori survive the void and find her sister? Did Helen ever exist, or is Altori suffering from mental illness?

​Sammy Sutton Author

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Mind-Bending Story
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Does Altori suffer from a multitude of mental illnesses or is something stranger lurking in the darkness? Her affliction could certainly be described as delusional paranoid schizophrenia with a tendency to inflict wounds upon herself.

The author takes a great deal of time and effort into stimulating the reader's senses, but ultimately where is she leading us in this short prequel? Ultimately, "Brigadoon" and then "The Knowing" came to mind, but the again are we just eaves dropping into the mind of a mental patient?

The Void is an absolutely brilliant mind-bending story that will keep you guessing!

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? ​

VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars
​Different, keeps you reading
 
This was a different type of read for me, and I wasn’t sure when I started reading if I would enjoy it, but very quickly I found myself getting pulled into the story. The cast of characters is very colorful, not just the ex-actress Elaine Chauvier. The author does such a good job with descriptions, you can see the characters in your mind, hear the southern drawl, and even smell and taste the coffee as you read. It doesn’t take long to find yourself wondering what’s really going on in each character’s mind the author isn’t giving you yet, and the suspense just builds through the book. If you love southern culture, this book is full of it, so that will be another thing to draw you in.

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.