Sammy Sutton Author
5.0 out of 5 stars A raw peek inside an intimate dichotomy
​
Verified Purchase
Through this collection Marta Moran Bishop gives the reader a raw peek inside the intimate dichotomy a victim of abuse must endure until they are able to process. Marta takes the entanglement of love and hate abuse manifests, and through the rhythm of her words she unwinds her confusion. In a completely unadulterated tone, she smooths the drama and unselfishly shares the gift with others, a priceless gift. Her gift is without restraint through her beautiful poetry. This book is a deep reflection of a victim, survivor and a beautifully empathetic human being that has risen above the perpetrators of the past and found beauty in people, nature, and animals. I so admire Marta's ability to share her deepest and most intimate feelings and experiences while at the same time recognizing obstacles others encounter that are not hers personally.

From a heart wrenching abusive experience, a salute to soldiers,an inclusive look at God and a tree sleeping...this is a wonderful labor of love any poetry reader will appreciate.

​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.

I found this book to be such an informative and important read offering tips for all types. I couldn't agree with the author more about never ever taking your partner for granted and that love means ALWAYS saying you're sorry-- actually as quickly, whole-heartedly and as often as needed. I'd recommend Bill's book to add zest to an already good relationship or to help you create the one you long for.
Denise Fleck

​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.

​Winnie Award Winner at the Equus Film Festival. Dinky: The Nurse Mare’s Foal is the story of one little foals fight for survival after being taken from his mother within hours of his birth. Dinky, takes us on a poignant trip through the heart and mind of an animal, who was born for the sole purpose of producing milk in the mare. In the elite world of horses, Dinky was considered a by-product, a ‘junk foal.’ Dinky’s story will resonate with animal lovers, as well as anyone who has adopted. Although a horse, his story has been called an adoption story. The reader can follow him through the heartbreak, cruelty, loneliness, and finally to happiness in his forever home. His story is based on true events. Each event from the moment the author met Dinky actually happened, though it is the author’s interpretation of what he might have been thinking and feeling during the occasions described in his story. His early life which is unknown has been fictionalized by the author and constructed through research and imagination. There are many wonderful animal rescue leagues, many are very empathic to these young animals, though some are not. Since Ms. Bishop has no knowledge of Dinky’s early days she used the latter to enhance the strength of his story. It will break your heart, open your eyes, lift you up, and teach you much about horses. It is suitable for all ages.

​Robert Blake Whitehill

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Powerful Story!

Dinky the Nurse Mare’s Foal is a beautiful story. Marta Moran Bishop was both adventurous and ambitious to undertake an animal’s tale from the first person point of view, and yet she has done it brilliantly. Whether you read Dinky in a straightforward way, as a moving description of the tribulations of a particular caste of equine life, or as an allegory for how we value and treat other humans of humble birth, there is no denying the power and pathos in this work. This book follows in the greatest traditions of Misty of Chincoteague, and Black Beauty, delving into the magnanimous, yet sometimes daunting emotions in that rare, fine place where humans and horses meet. No, you don’t have to love horses to revel this great story of survival. In the end, Dinky will show readers a hard lesson in not bowing to overwhelming hardship if only one can hold a vision for the highest expression of life that one and all deserve.
Robert Blake Whitehill, Author, The Ben Blackshaw Series

“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.

You'll Be Hooked on This Book
Verified Purchase
After only a few pages I was hooked by Like I Used to Dance and Barbara Frances' gifts as a storyteller. She creates multidimensional characters who are so real that I found myself thinking about them in between sessions with the book, and she weaves a plot that is by turns suspenseful, funny, touching and gripping. Set in a rural Texas community more than sixty years ago, the book explores social, racial and family themes -- many of which continue to resonate today. But above all, it's a great read! It will take you places where you've never been, from a KKK meeting that is both sinister and pathetic, to a heartbroken man's encounter with a mystical fox. Barbara Frances writes with insight, compassion, full knowledge of the human heart, and lots of twists, turns and surprises. Highly recommended.

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

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.

Shadow’s Way Blurb for Goddess Fish
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? 

​Candy b
 
5.0 out of 5 stars The suspense was unbelievable


Elaine Chauvier ran a bed and breakfast from her Antebellum home. Archbishop Andre Figurant had just finished Mass and was seeing his parishioners out. Bastian Figurant is the identical twin of the Archbishop.

Ofelia was Elaine's half-sister and was the child of her father's second wife. Rudy was both Ofelia and Elaine's cousin and he was coming to visit. Elaine thought she had gotten rid of the family but Ofelia was here and Rudy was coming in a week or so. She did not want to share Shadow's Way and she wouldn't. Lanita worked for the Archbishop for six years as his housekeeper A mystery set in the south just before a big hurricane comes to land. I enjoyed it and it was complicated with surprises, twists, and turns. It was well written and moved smoothly. The characters were well developed and interesting. The author did an excellent job keeping all the things together. It was coherent, laid out intelligently and kept your attention till the end. I don't usually read Mystery, but this was a good one and I was glad I got the chance. I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

​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.

​Can the rebels stop the androids’ reign of terror or is the human race doomed?After escaping the grip of Pellegrin, a powerful android, and joining the rebels, Paislee Hobson is far from safe. Disguised as a recently-recruited employee of the courthouse, she goes undercover at Portland’s courthouse to dig up vital information.
But she soon discovers things aren’t that simple. With Pellegrin promoted to overseeing the entire west coast Institutes, Paislee must use all of her wits to avoid detection—only to find the android is one step ahead of her.
Back in L.A., Paislee is faced with her toughest challenge yet—to gain Pellegrin’s trust in order to infiltrate his high-security office and complete her mission.
As more humans fall victim to the androids and her cover begins to slip, Paislee knows that her time is running out…

"Combining fantastic elements of espionage fiction, crime, mystery, science fiction, and thriller, author Inge-Lise Goss has crafted a highly engaging and high stakes action novel that you won't want to put down for a second."--K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite Reviewer
"The plot is cunningly written... No Reprieve: An A.I. Thriller is a pulsating story filled with action and a fast pace; an enjoyable read..." --Ruffina Oserio, Readers' Favorite Reviewer
"No Reprieve... is a fast-paced science fiction thriller that is both chilling and engaging." --Maria Victoria Beltran, Readers' Favorite Reviewer
"...wonderfully riveting and surprisingly refreshing from the regular sci-fi scenarios. ...The storyline escalates with every page, and very quickly the book turns impossible to put down." --Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer
"...my heart was racing the entire time I was reading and I loved each second of it." --Rabia Tanveer, Readers' Favorite Reviewer

​This three-book set of the A Poet's Journey poetry collection, covers the good, bad, and beautiful of being a human. You will laugh, cry, and find something in these books that will strike deep cords within you.

The process of growth of the human soul is a difficult one and made more difficult by the trials and tragedies of life. But, there is also love, humor and desire in these pages.

​A Poet's Journey: Emotions by Marta Moran Bishop is a wonderful, emotional journey through the poet's life. Each poem beautifully portrays a series of emotions, bringing the words alive. More than one poem will appeal and speak to each reader, resonating deep in the soul. Lovingly crafted by Moran Bishop, the poems reveal bits and pieces of her life.

Below, I have listed & discussed a few of my favorites:

My Dearest Edgar and Dear Edgar - haunting poems full of deep longing for a kindred spirit. It's obvious that the poet's author can't have the one person she wants above all others.
Betrayal - full of sorrow and emotional pain. At one time or another, each of us has felt this sort of emotional burden.
Enough - Builds on 'Betrayal', showing the poet's resignation to a situation and deciding she's had enough.
Tribute to My Mother - This is a beautiful, loving tribute to a wonderful lady. Though it was written specifically for the poet's mother, the love and warmth expressed could be for every mother.
Death, I Am Not Afraid - is a unique look at death and dying. There is no apprehension on the part of the poet, only a defiance. In this poem, she speaks to Death, accepting the inevitable, but vowing to live her life to the fullest.
Walk on the Rainbow - Weaves lovely imagery, leaving the reader uplifted.
Puddles - a fun, joyful look at what most consider a nuisance. It takes the reader back to the days when we were children and purposely jumped in every puddle.
Craigworth Dimpleton - is a tribute to a beloved family pet. It brings a smile to the reader's face.
Hitchhiker - Although it's about a mouse, it reminds me of a trip I took with a tree frog plastered to my windshield. It's a charming, uplifting poem.
Bit of a Bookworm - I really identified with this poem. It is so me!

A Poet's Journey will delight the reader making them alternately happy, nostalgic or sad. It is an amazing and intricate voyage through life and love in all its aspects.

I highly recommend A Poet's Journey for anyone who loves poetry and even those who claim not to understand it. The language is clear, the emotions easy to comprehend. It's a wonderful book to read and share with a friend.

Al Boudreau
5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating collection.

Verified Purchase
Wee Three is a beautifully written collection of poems that managed to bring me back to my childhood, with memories of a happy, less complicated time. I've always enjoyed reading to children, and put Marta Moran Bishop's lovely collection to the test: an audience of two, one three years of age and the other, five. And though each had their favorites, the look of wonderment on their faces, as they listened to each and every poem, is the best endorsement a book could ever receive. Well done. Recommend.