Mary L. Trump's Too Much and Never Enough - How My Family Created The World's Most Dangerous Man

It's been years since I've felt excited to be writing a review on my latest read... Perhaps it has been because my attention had been turned to the president rather than on books. I knew depression had set in--big time!  The thing is: I Just Couldn't Understand the "Why?" of Trump. Thanks to Mary Trump's book, now I can.

It turns out to be a family biography like no other... Mary, a once central member of the Trump family has now revealed her "Why?" Of her need to write this book. There is a hint--a big revenge one--for Mary writing the book... But, believe it or not, it is NOT the major reason for her words...

More, it is a warning to Americans--Here's Why the president needs to be removed...

For those of us who've been watching since his campaign, worried, and becoming amazed, as well as frustrated, as to the "why?" he was elected, I believe this book may be your answer. It is not, simply, the difference in one political party versus another... We have seen everything that Mary Trump talks about and wondered... Now, Mary has provided the "context" into which the entire life and family and the present president is now captured...

And know why he can't help himself in his actions... It is...too late...for him to change...

We begin  watching Trump's early life within a family where the father was a sociopath--where he was the one and only authority and everybody feared him. Indeed, we can also say that Fred Trump was able to dedicate himself to his career, so much so that it became the only thing that was important to him... But, he knew one thing, he personally had some limitations that affected his image for his company which are, literally, bringing in millions daily...

Much of his backing was from the FHA, perhaps legitimate in the beginning. But then, as connections were made and Fred learned of the money that was available at the Federal level, he began to expand and increase his income...

But his image--that was still a problem. In order to expand, he needed a face. His first son, Freddie, was the apparent choice...Freddie is Mary's father.

When that failed, as clearly shown in the book, Fred turned to Donald. By that time, Donald had been watching and learning within "the House." What occurs during the early years and on into the ongoing years, is revealing. Not only revealing, but it makes everything that is happening now, within the White House, at least understandable to those of us who've kept asking, "Why?"

An authoritarian father who placed money above his family, in his fear to ensure his empire would continue, expand? Surely, many of us will immediately see the parallel to today's Trump's infatuation with Putin, et. al.

What we also see is that Donald, in watching how his father treated family and others, he learned from him...and surpassed him...

Now he is using his tools to obfuscate,  distract, and engender fear from many, but, more importantly, has developed a charisma that actually fools those who begin by providing loyalty--until--they are no longer useful...

Wow! An Amazing family drama that is right out of the headlines, from the beginning, to, perhaps, the final chapter of the Trump empire. I want to personally thank Mary Trump for her story. For whatever reason, many of my family have chosen Trump as their leader while I have not. I see him for what he is. Mary Trump's story has proven that I am seeing the real Donald Trump.

She includes actions related to the present pandemic in her closing chapters. It is an important addition, timely story that could not have been told by anybody other than Mary. You'll see why. Her decision to work to gain the educational background to better understand and write about her uncle has proven to produce a book worthy of not only being recommended... But declared a must-read! You've done what needed to be done, Mary Trump! I'm proud of you and your desire and, willingness, to share this important, yet, in many ways, unbelievable story of the family dynasty that, slowly, may be dying away...

GABixlerReviews

Mary L. Trump holds a PhD from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies and taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. She lives with her daughter.

The Snow Garden By Christopher Rice, Republished with More Material, Becomes my First Personal Favorite for 2015

 "You live here?" she asked. Mitchell nodded, tugging his keys from his pocket as he moved past her.

He threw open the front door. She took a few hesitant steps into the darkened foyer. Mitchell flicked the switch and light from a brass chandelier fell on walls painted so white she almost squinted. She followed as Michell ducked into the living room. Another chandelier came on and she gasped.

Mitchell turned to see her reaction.

Kathryn held up both hands as if to shield her eyes.

"The Garden of Earthy Delights," Mitchell informed  her proudly.

It took up the entire living room wall, in vivid color and dizzying detail. She had glimpsed the painting bfore, but enlarged onto an entire wall its effect was overwhelming. The naked figures cavorting in a surreal garden of science fiction-like fountains and gently rolling hills looked like pure anarchy. The scene showed pleasure taken to its most ghastly extreme. From where she stood in the doorway the clusters of naked figures looked like swarming insects. The living room itself seemed designed not to disract from the reproduction. A faded Oriental rug covered the hardwood floor. The sofa and chairs were a muted beige. The other white walls suddenly made more sense; she guessed each one was a potential canvas.

As she approached the wall, she almost walked into the glass-topped coffee table; only its slight metal frame made it visible.

She felt Mitchell move next to her.

"It's..."

"Go ahead."

"It's too much."

It sho9uld be," Mitchell answered, not offended.

"What's it supposed to be? Heaven?

"Not even close. Earth."

~~~

After several long minutes, Randall got up, turned on his desk lamp, and returned his attention to Eric's book.

Twentieth-century viewers of Bosch's work have demonstrated a reluctance to view his Garden of Earthly Delights as a condemnation of human sexuality consonant with the established views of the medieval church. In particular, the central panel, with its deceptively beautiful depiction of a paradise earth, has been the subject of relentless speculation. Wilhelm Fraenger put forth a highly questionable but nonetheless wildly popular theory that the entire altarpiece was commissioned by a secret heretical cult known as the Brethren of the Free Spirit, and that the central panel is actually a depiction of the cult's religious rites. Little is known about the Brethren of the Free Spirit beyond the fact that their practices included some form of ritual promiscuity, and that its members believed that unrestrained sexual activity was a method they could use to return themselves to the state of purity possessed by Adam before the fall. Consequently, its members were also known as Adamites. However, it is impossible to isolate the central panel from the altarpiece, and objective viewers must not forget that only several inches to the left, the same figures who take delight in the earth's fleshly pleasures are punished in hell for their joy.

As if Eric would ever forget, Randall thought...

~~~

The Snow Garden

By Christopher Rice

I guess after working nearly 40 years on a university campus, the last years managing and directing the utilization of university facilities, I am naturally attracted to the college environment as a favorite setting for novels. Then, too, both this novel and The Density of Souls, which was published yesterday, create a feel of the dark gothic tone I've loved since I first starting reading adult novels. This one, especially, also presents one of the most fascinating mysteries of suspense I've read. The author has also included information about the original publishing, what was changed...and more...to provide the readers an opportunity to get to know the author better.

The Snow Garden, originally published as Rice's second novel was his favorite of the first two. It is not similar to his debut except in his ability to hold readers in suspense and to a climatic ending, but more deeply reveals the writing genius that weaves a story that is ageless and certainly has a timeless story that will resonate for generations to come. 

The novel is amazing in the number of twists that come into the story, none of which could have been anticipated, at least in my opinion. At first, it comes across as a somewhat typical college campus student environment, with a variety of sexuality issues spotlighted that could be faced by any students who are excitingly moving away from home and trying to settle into a totally different environment where freedom seems the logical assumption. Ahhh, but that is where the mystery starts because one after another of the students find that either their past greatly influences their new-found freedom--or the personal interactions with other students totally opposes their expectations.

Let's just say that I was happy my university classes were taken as a part-time, working individual who had no time or interest in the social environment of full-time students...

"How was the meeting?" Kathryn asked,
standing awkwardly as April got down on all
fours and dove headfirst into her closet, which
was two feet deep and voered with a tattered
curtain instead of a door.
"I Need a beer." She tossed a pair of her Gucci
boots out behind her. They landed at Kathryn's
feet...
"Did you know there was a black national
anthem?"...April had gone to a meeting of
the African American Student Alliance, and
from the tone of her voice, it was clear that
her worst fears had been confirmed.
"It was like the first day of high school. I
walked into the center and the only person
that would even talk to me was Marcel.
...But with me, see, being biracial is a
problem because all the real black women
there think I'm going to steal all the good
men. Good black men who would take a
half-white woman over them any day.
How's that for unity?"
Kathryn gently curved an arm around
April's back and rested her chin on
April's shoulder. "So I guess you didn't
tell them you were a dyke."
~~~

The Prologue raises immediate interest, but then drops from the story, leaving the reader beginning to see the mystery start but left dangling...

There was one thing that caught my attention that others might not--there was a mention of a former student who was now acting as the architect for buildings on the campus in a very modern style as compared to the rest of the campus. I immediately wondered why--didn't they have a campus master plan to prevent that sort of thing? LOL... Well, this mention was minor so I ignored it as something that just personally interested me... Assuming that the money contributed to the college was the reason the buildings were being accepted. I was happy though that some of the students were upset with the change...

Of course this added reason for my personal pleasure--in more ways than one I discovered...

The main scene for the book is in the dorm of a few main characters. Somehow, perhaps because of their background, although it doesn't say specifically, Randall Stone and Kathryn Parker had become very close friends, although not romantically. Randall, she knew was gay. To me, her need for a gay friend was quickly apparent when we learn her past. And, to a great extent, so also for Randall...

Then we have Randall's roommate who seems to be on campus purely to see how many girls he can get into bed... Having been designated as roommates places an ironic twist in itself as Randall is confronted with not being able to get in his room often... BTW, it was a coed facility, which was an unusual twist for me to accept given the time frame. In fact, it led to some of the relationship issues, as girls who had been hurt by his promiscuity would no longer come to visit their friends on that floor...

Randall removed a silver flask from the inside pocket of
his jacket, accidentally or on purpose flashing the Helmut
Lang label...Eric felt hugely foolish because he was so
nervous that he had just offered one of his students--a
freshman--alcohol...Eric moved past him into the living
room, turning on lamps as he went. Light fell in stages,
and when it hit the reproduction of The Garden of Earthly
Delights, Eric heard a small gasp.
"Bosch."
...I've read your book," he said nonchalantly, his back to
Eric as he stared up at the framed print above the bookcase...
His gaze traveled from Eric's to the print across the room.
"I bought a print of it too....
"Do you believe him?"
~~~

Neil Patrick Harris seemed to fit the personality of Randall... A good-looking guy with a mysterious background, or at least one he was unwilling to share...

It was too easy for Eric to think he
could have prevented it all by not
answering the front door...But the
loud series of knocks startled him
and he was standing halfway down
the stairs. Early October dusk
darkened the foyer, and on the
other side of the door a shadow
was cupping its hands against the
glass pane, trying to peer inside.
"Professor Eberman?"
He didn't recognize the voice,
but no one called him Professor
Eberman. His colleagues called
him Eric...and so did most of his
grad students...His undergraduates
...rarely called him anything...
"Professor Eberman..." There
was a pleading note in the voice
now and it drew Eric...as he
saw the boy...he fought the
urge to slam the door shut in his
face. His name was Randall Stone;
the only reason Eric knew this was
because after spotting him in the
second row on the first day of
lecture, Eric went back to his
office and leafed through his
copy of that year's freshman
face book. A perfectly harmless,
private activity...
~~~

But we find that he had come to campus to meet Professor Eric Eberman, who had written a book delving into "The Garden of Earthly Delights," which had been painted centuries ago, but which seemed to continue to garner study and research by others, including Eberman (my choice Richard Gere).

Eberman was married by his wife had a sister with cancer and was away from home one weekends...

She awoke to the theme from Shaft.

Strange shapes drifted across the far wall and she sat up, groping for the halogen lamp next to her bed. The torchiere sent light to the ceiling, its styrofoam panels still scarred by the design of the beer bottle caps that she had found embedded in them on the day she moved in three months before. It was just eight p.m. Snowflakes were falling past the window, casting their shadows on the cinder-block wall on April's side of the room. Now that the roar of her nightmare had retreated, she was once again aware of the persistent and grating combustion of Stockton Hall, a four-story beehive of disconnected adolescents announcing their new collegiate identities with stereos turned up too loudly, wailing over the difficulty of their first midterms, their conversations ending in punch lines followed by explosions of forced laughter. Next door, the sounds of Shaft gave way to the earnest tones of television actors...Kathryn didn't know how she had managed to sleep through it all.

Randall's story had caused her nightmare. She reached for it on her desk.

The town of Drywater, Texas, exists because a woman named

Elena Sanchez was killed by a train...

Elena's only son, Ricky, didn't find this out until he was fifteen.

~~~

A bolt of silence struck. Eric fought the urge to ask
Randall if that was what he truly wanted--for Eric to
leave his wife of almost twenty years. But that question
would bring on a cascade of others and Randall
wouldn't be able to tolerate the answers, despite his
adult composure. The result would be the destruction
of the private world they had created in this darkened
bedroom, a world that allowed Eric to satisfy a thirst
that had gone unquenched for two decades.
~~~

"Where are you going?" Eric asked, suddenly aware that the idea of Randall leaving him alone again twisted something tight in his stomach.

"A party."

"So I was just a pit stop?"

Randall turned from the window. "Are you asking me to spend the night?"

"She not coming back."

"I know." Randall returned his attention to the flakes falling with determined force past the window.

"Sometimes I think she might never come back," Eric added, unnerved by Randall's silence.

"That would be easy, wouldn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it would be easier than leaving her."

~~~

It wasn't very long before Eric's wife was killed when she was on her way to her sister's home, but instead crashed over a cliff...

Of course, that type of accident would cause an eruption of news and rumors all over campus. The first of which was if it truly was an accident or was it murder. No matter what was happening officially, Randall could not stop thinking of some of their conversations. He began his own investigation...

In the meantime, Kathryn had become interested in the grad student to Professor Eberman. The secrets started to fall apart, as part of the overall gossip, especially from one student who was working for the college newspaper. He and Randall had hooked up earlier in the year and now Randall had approached him, using their past relationship, to get him to help in his investigation.

Sooooo much more is happening on that campus and/or in the lives of those in that somewhat small circle of characters. It was only when the talk about the possible homicide that Professor Eberman was placed in a position of his secrets coming out... And that involved more than Randall...

Enough, I've shared only about the characters, since the novel is definitely character-driven. But the actual mystery and suspense is for readers to discover on their own! It's  Literally  Unbelievable... Readers will move into horror scenes that will in the end explain the title of the book, in a most decidedly unique, macabre manner that will chill and totally surprise all! At least for me, that is... Let me know if you even began to glimpse the ending for this one! The intricacy of his story is pure genius. For those mystery and suspense fans, I believe you will find, like me, that it is far superior to many tales of mystery and will doubtless be timeless in its top place in great suspense novels.

A masterpiece everybody should consider. In additional to other materials, the author has included his first ending which the publishers rejected... I'll agree that I prefer the revised, but I would have totally accepted the original as quite appropriate with the ending theme... Brilliant!

GABixlerReviews

By the age of 30, Christopher Rice had published four New York Times bestselling thrillers, received a Lambda Literary Award and been declared one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive. His first work of supernatural suspense, THE HEAVENS RISE, was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. His debut, A DENSITY OF SOULS, was published when the author was just 22 years old. A controversial and overnight bestseller, it was greeted with a landslide of media attention, much of it devoted to the fact that Christopher is the son of legendary vampire chronicler, Anne Rice. Bestselling thriller writer (and Jack Reacher creator) Lee Child hailed Christopher's novel LIGHT BEFORE DAY as a "book of the year". Together with his best friend, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher launched his own Internet radio show. THE DINNER PARTY SHOW WITH CHRISTOPHER RICE & ERIC SHAW QUINN is always playing at TheDinnerPartyShow.com and every episode is available for free download from the site's show archive or on iTunes. 

47North, the science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint of Amazon Publishing, recently published Rice's supernatural thriller, THE VINES. Rice's first erotic romance, THE FLAME: A Desire Exchange Novella, will also be published on November 11th as part of the 1,001 DARK NIGHTS series. Thomas & Mercer, the crime fiction imprint of Amazon Publishing will release new editions of his previous bestsellers A DENSITY OF SOULS, THE SNOW GARDEN and LIGHT BEFORE DAY on December 9th, 2014.

The Lovely Story, Angel's Harp, by Philip Newey, Fascinates and Delights! Then Explodes!

www.irishpage.com

Angel's Harp

By Philip Newey

"I know you didn’t like maths, but the music is there too. Pi is like a note that goes on forever, like a ripple on the water that never quite dies away. And the bonds in molecules vibrate too, making endless symphonies. Each molecule is a little angel’s harp. That’s about the sum total of what I get out of maths, physics and chemistry. Actually, it’s a lot to take away from it, but it won’t help me pass my exams!"
                                                                       ~
"Did you ever see the movie, Portrait of Jennie? It’s about a painter who meets this young girl in Central Park. She’s wearing old-fashioned clothes. He meets her at intervals, and each time she has aged more than she should have. She talks about things that happened years ago as if they were happening now. He falls in love with her. At the end he tries to save her from drowning; but he can’t, of course, because she died years earlier."
                                                 ~~~


Some stories seem to be inspired, don't you think, from something outside of the author, the writer who sits down with a pen or in front of a computer... And something mystical comes from that hand... That's how I feel about this novel--it's a fantasy, paranormal that takes you outside of reality and allows you to dream, "what if..."

It was an indulgence, perhaps. A scattering to the wind of money he might well have dispensed more wisely. But it had evolved into far more than a holiday. It had become a kind of pilgrimage, a journey into healing. Or so he hoped. He might almost be able to believe in something again. In what wasn't yet clear. In humanity? In God? In himself? He had seen all that he had hoped to see, and more. Stonehenge at dawn on the summer solstice, listening to Sonnenaufgang...

~~~

This book "almost" seems like a biography, the story of the life of Alan Carter...beginning in his young years and moving forward. But he's just a character...or was he? "What if?..." His life has been broken down into Movements--you know, like in music? In fact, you may start to hear that angel's harp playing during some parts of the novel... 

We meet Alan at home when he was just six, somewhat introverted, he "believed" in just about everything...so it wasn't surprising that it happened to him...

Melanie was just six-months younger when she moved into the house next door. She saw Alan one day through the back fence between their homes and became immediate friends. At first, they didn't even mention the other to their parents, although they had seen what was happening. They were on Melanie's side of the fence when they found it...a box! What could it be? Together they opened it excitingly. There was a necklace, a beautiful crystal and letter and pictures. Of course, Melanie

With a profound sense of drama,
Alan lifted the lid. Inside was a large

 plastic bag. He tipped the contents 

onto the bed. There was a silver chain

 with a crystal pendant – 

‘See, treasure!’ she exclaimed –,

 a small photograph album, containing

 black and white photographs, 

and two notebooks. Melanie 

immediately claimed the silver chain

 and crystal. The photographs

 appeared to represent a family,

 sometimes grouped together, 

sometimes photographed separately.

 The pages of the two notebooks

 were covered with writing, which

 Alan could make out only with 

difficulty. ‘We should take these to

 your mum,’ said Alan, half-heartedly.

 ‘No!’ protested Melanie. ‘I want this,’

 she indicated the crystal.
 ‘It’s prob’ly magic.’

placed the necklace around her neck and they decided that Alan should take the letters and pictures to see what was there...

While they remained friends as they grew older, Alan's feelings for Melanie grew. Melanie, on the other hand, gained friends easily and by high school they rarely talked... until Alan asked her to go to a dance. Instead of moving closer, however, Melanie began to share secrets to her trusted friend and told him that she would probably not go back to school, but would start working... Alan realized that she had never really knew that he loved her...

Inside my breast there beats a crystal

 Not flesh and blood but like a song

 Played by a minstrel

 On strings that stretch along The sky,

 from horizon to horizon, 

Passing through my breast 

Vibrating ’til I rest.  

Inside my womb there beats a drum

 Of flesh and blood, not like a song,

 But pulsing like the hum

 Of strings that yet belong 

Beneath the earth; 

Passing through my womb, 

Vibrating ’til the tomb.

--Beth

~~~

It was about that time that he remembered the letters they had found so long ago--and that he had never read them... Thus Movement 2 begins...

During the mid-1940s, Beth had lived in the same house as Melanie, next door to Alan. Now, it was Alan who was reading the journal that Beth had once written. She had started writing when she was 12. Her mother had died and, although her grandmother had moved in with Beth and her father, she needed to discuss personal things. I imagine it was extremely difficult for Alan to be reading of her personal thoughts, as she struggled to understand relationships, her sexuality, and desires. 

There were also nightmares, visions, of blood for her that were very scary... And then she stopped writing, with an ending note of now knowing what she had to do...

It was then that Alan started writing to her! No, he couldn't send them, but he wrote nevertheless...

For a young man who had lost the one friend and love he'd had, it must have been a mystical experience to perhaps get to know Beth more than he had ever known Melanie, the girl next door...

Alan moved into Movement 3 when he became a Anglican Priest... After obtaining his credentials, he began working at a psychiatric hospital. He had married early but was still surprised when his wife sought a divorce. At the same time, he realized that he wouldn't really be missing her much.

Reading of his patients is not an easy thing, but he found that he was able to make some progress. Much of his work was dealing with suicides and family issues. An older woman, Lisa, had taken a fancy to him and would constantly ask if he were married. When he wasn't, he truthfully said that he wasn't, but that it would be awhile before he considered looking for somebody new. Lisa immediately explained that her daughter was coming to visit and that she was very beautiful--not as beautiful as her, but she wanted him to meet her.

When he did, he learned a shocking truth... And Movement 4 began...

As I was preparing to write my review, the first word that came to mind was "lovely." I still ponder why... I loved the synchronicity of what was happening... But then I remembered the surprising ending! Why had I forgotten what happened? It had shocked me and I sat numbly when I finished the book, I remembered... Why did it end that way? What had the author wanted to share with this ending? 

Still, after a few days had passed before I was ready to write the review, the words lovely, fascinating and delightful had been the words I wanted to use. Do we set aside that which we abhor and forget that it happened? And remember only what brought happiness, joy to our lives? I still don't have an answer for myself. I did indeed experience all of the feelings I've shared, though I was devastated with the ending...

This book is memorable. Now that I've forced myself to remember the ending, I will not soon forget...yet... I loved the story, how it all came together... The final ending for at least one person who happily found a part of her past life... In the end, we must take both the good and the bad...???


GABixlerReviews 

My Writer's page: http://philipnewey.com/
My business page: All-read-E (manuscript assessment, copy editing and proofreading) http://philipnewey.com/All-read-E.htm

Everyone wants to write at least one novel, right? Well, from a very early age, somewhere in my mid teens, when I began to read in earnest, I know that I have. It probably had something to do with that terrible-beautiful teenage angst that many of us pass through. From that time onwards I began to write: novels, short stories - and completed none of them. I would start with an enormous surge of energy and inspiration - which would fizzle out after a few pages or chapters, or after a few days. I had a host of ideas and themes, but nothing that, in the end, held up as a story.

It was only at the beginning of 2012, in my 55th year, that I actually succeeded in completing a novel. At the time I was passing through another of those periods of angst - is that the midlife crisis thing happening? No fast cars for me, or pretty young woman. Novels and stories: that's what it was/is about for me. Perhaps more importantly, however, I finally felt that I had lived enough to be able to talk meaningfully about life, the universe and all that.

I like to write the kind of books that I like to read. That is, stories about real people in real situations; so people who want high adventure, mystery, science fiction, fantasy etc. can look elsewhere. (I do read those too, by the way.) It seems to me that what makes people "tick", what goes into being a human being, forming relationships, making decisions, making mistakes - these things are as mysterious, exciting, frightening as any mystery or fantasy we might devise. So, to a large extent, I write for myself. But I am immodest enough to think that others might also like to read what I write. In these days of short attention spans and quick fixes, my novels may not have a huge market - at least that is what the conventional publishing world probably believes. Nevertheless, some of you, I hope, will really enjoy the stories I have to tell and the people I introduce to you. I am also immodest enough to believe that my life experience has given me some insights into the way this bizarre human world operates.

So take the time to look at my novels. And, if you happen to like them, tell your friends.
Yours sincerely
Philip Newey

Patrick Garry's Hospital Drama Leads to Murder!

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orphanshome/pictures/belmont29.htm

"Up until I was ten years old, movie nights were what I looked forward to the most. I guess it was the one activity I could do along with everyone else. It was the one thing you could do from an oxygen tent just as well as from a chair.

"Up until I was ten years old, I was pretty much confined to the oxygen tent that hunt over my bed. The doctor who worked part-time at the orphanage diagnosed me with a rare kind of asthma--I had uncontrollable coughing spells when I was real little. But then, one day when a substitute nurse was taking over for Sister Cecelia, who had gone home for her father's funeral, no one ever checked the oxygen in my tank. By the time someone noticed that it was empty, they figured I had gone at least thirty-six hours without any oxygen. That when they began wondering if maybe old Dr. Luedtke had been wrong. He'd been wrong lots of times before, but apparently he was the only doctor the nuns could afford.

"In a way though, I figured Dr. Leudike did me a big favor. In my mind, the worst part about being an orphan was lining up for inspection on those days when prospective parents came to visit. There was all that expectation, and then all that disappointment. From behind the cloudy plastic of my oxygen tent, I could see the curtains of gloom drop over the faces of my fellow orphans as they were passed over. I could hear all the angry outbursts after the couple had left, empty-handed. But I was lucky, I never felt any disappointment. I knew, from the very beginning, that no one would want an oxygen tent in their home...

~~~

Saving Faith

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE 2013 PAPER EDITION.

By Patrick M. Garry

With a building on the front cover, Patrick Garry doesn't give us much of a clue as to what his book will provide us. And the title doesn't really provide much more, does it? Sure, Faith is a central character, except she won't say a word... She's been unconscious for five years. Faith Powers is a name that was given to her as an unidentified patient soon after she was brought into the Good Shepherd Hospital...

A hospital which through "the possibility of some sinister conspiracy is going to be shutdown" and destroyed... In fact, most of the hospital has been evacuated, except for the wing that holds the elderly and those who are in comas of some length...

Obviously, you will quickly realize that one of the easiest ways to vacate many of them would be through pulling the plugs on the machines that are keeping them alive...

"I'm afraid I'm not making myself clear,
Mr. Sorin. You see, I work for a car dealer,
and I mistook your car for another one just
like it that I was supposed to tow. I'm sorry
and I'll make sure you get your car back.
But we can't do it until tomorrow, because
we've got to go over to the courthouse and..."
"Are you serious?"
"I'm afraid so."
"You sure as hell say 'afraid' a lot. But you're
not bullshittin' me. You just towed the damn
thing by accident? Out of every green Saturn 
in this damn city, you picked out mine to
accidentally tow?"
"And then he turned back to his beer. His
sardonic smirk had turned into a full-blown
laugh. "It figures. I just figures. Well sit
down," he said. "It's not every day that fate
makes a personal appearance. Come on, I'll
buy you a beer."
"I'm Ev Sorin," he said, after the bartender
had retreated to the taps...
"Not exactly, I'm a journalist--or was. Now,
I'm...well, I guess I'm a cameraman, working
on the weakest excuse for journalism that
I've..." But whatever he said after that was 
lost in the bottle that had moved back to his
mouth..."
~~~

And that's how it all got started. Jack
made a mistake and, for the first time ever,
the car owner had laughed and offered 
him a drink! For a loner orphan, a man
without any friends, he not only said yes 
but then Jack grew attached to him quickly...

The next day after they had met, Ev and Jack
sat waiting for their own case and listened 
while Irene Valenza and Clare Hammond 
were presenting on Faith Powers' life. As legal
cases are prone to do, it was being blown out of
proportion that they were trying to stop the 
demolition of the hospital...

Ev was carefully listening--he saw a potential 
"David-and-Goliath story: a nurse trying to stop 
the demolition of a hospital, trying to stop some
big corporate development just to save the life 
of an unknown patient."

These four individuals soon start meeting in

Faith's room. For me, this was strange, 

but it seemed that each developed some type of 

relationship with Faith--or perhaps it was just 

that they had found friends, companionship, and

a common cause. Ev had lost both his wife and 

job and saw the story as a possible return to 

work...And little by little, pieces of information

began to be discovered and put together.

Then the woman who was going to use the 

vacated property was shot in a drive-by and

while the police was working on finding the

killer, Ev and Jack started a totally different 

I was reminded of Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas
novels by this book. There is hidden meaning 
that readers will enjoy as they see characters
interaction, but you all know that I love a good
murder mystery, so my interest increased as
the action started...


GABixlerReviews

And that's the dilemma...Who speaks for Faith?

Except, a motley small group has taken up her cause...

Jack Fenian narrates the story, which creates the most intriguing part of the novel, in my opinion. Jack spent his entire life in an orphanage, having never even been considered for adoption since he had been placed under an oxygen tent when he was just 10. He watched everything and had ample time to think about things. At first you may think he's a bit simple with no or little education or experience. You will find you are wrong later...

But his experience in the orphanage has indeed limited his worldly knowledge, so interacting with others outside of the orphanage, which he left just 2 years ago, has become challenging as he tries to respond to the emotional displays he experiences. Interestingly, he has a job as a repossessor of cars, so he has quickly met anger, frustration and fear of those he serves...

"What the...the man had screamed, as he was running out of his
office, across the small parking lot to where I was watching the
tow truck driver hook up the black Ford Explorer. I could see his
co-workers staring out the window. I knew they were his
co-workers--it was all in the file."
"What I could never figure out was why people were so quick to
humiliate themselves. I had towed cars from the parking lot
of wedding receptions and Thanksgiving dinners and family
reunions, and every single time the owner made a huge scene. If
it were me, I'd just pretend that I didn't see anything, and then
I'd either take a cab home or claim that my car had been stolen.
But I wouldn't humiliate myself in front of all those people I
know. Especially since it'd be futile anyway. The thing about used
car dealers who have sales lots in the not-so-good areas of town:
they never renegotiate on the repossession...
"Tow truck drivers were always huge; I guess it was a job
qualification...
~~~

"Hold on a sec," she interjected. "It's really not my aim to save 

Good Shepherd Hospital. I mean, it's already been sold; and most of the patients and staff have been moved out." Irene seemed defensive, as if she didn't want to be told one more time that her lawsuit was crazy. "I guess I was just hoping that we might force some kind of compromise, one that wouldd give me control over the future medical care of Faith. But I'd love it if you'd do a story, we could use some public sympathy..."

~~~

investigation! Jack finds himself very attracted to Ev's ex-wife who quickly takes advantage and he finds himself believing  her rather than Ev... At the same time, Claire is also interacting as if there could be something--but then pulls completely away as if he misunderstood. The interplay between Jack and these two women fascinated me. Jack had no previous relationships other than with nuns and other orphans. The two women were very experienced but in totally different ways. The amazing thing was that Jack felt no real negative emotion in response to each--he was so indoctrinated to being rejected that he allowed hurt to fall away, rather than dwell on it...

But the intrigue comes from the characters. This unique look into the "why" of caring, of putting the life of another as a driving force in your own life reveals much about ourselves. Would you help?

Only you know... Highly recommended for many reasons.

Patrick Garry teaches at the University of South Dakota. His previous novels have won numerous awards, including a National Best Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Literary Award, and the Jack Eadon Best Novel Award.

C. S. Lakin Takes Us Into Reality Rather Than Fantasy in Innocent Little Crimes!

“Hi Dad,” she said, plunging into the abyss. “Hey, you look great. How ’bout I come in for a few minutes? I brought you some mementos from Hollywood. Mom, I know how much you love ‘Days of our Lives.’ ”
"Her father shoved his hand out, inches from her face. “You know you are not welcome in this home.” He cast an angry look around at the small clusters of his whispering neighbors who had suddenly appeared on the sidewalk in front of their homes. “I don’t want a spectacle here, so leave!”
 “Oh, come now, Dad. Aren’t you going to invite your own daughter in?” A stickiness spread in her armpits and sweat dripped down her sides. She shifted the bulky bouquet to her other arm.
“Young lady, I will remind you what Saint Paul said to the Romans: ‘And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness—’ ”
"Lila joined in sing-song with her father, “ ‘— malice. Full of envy, murder, strife . . .’ ”
"The Reverend waited for Lila to stop talking. Then he bellowed. “ ‘Disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless. They know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die.’ ” He shoved the words into Lila’s face. “We all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, young lady, ‘so that each one may receive good or evil according to what he has done in the body.’ I’m through listening to your blasphemy.” George Carmichael’s face and neck flushed red. His nostrils flared like an impatient horse. By this time, the crowd lining the sidewalk began to resemble a minor congregation, gathered around the small wooden podium of her father’s doorstep. Someone waved a sheet of paper in the air.
 “Hey, Lila, how about an autograph?”
Lila tried to focus. “Fine, Dad. I was only paying a friendly visit. But remember, your beloved apostle Paul in Hebrews said not to neglect showing hospitality, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
“How dare you quote Scripture to me, young lady. You use Scripture to fit your whim, like Satan when he tested our Lord Jesus . . .”
~~~

Innocent Little Crimes

By C. S. Lakin

After reading Lakin's fantasy series, this novel was quite a surprise--in a good way. There is one word driving the drama--revenge... It plays through the entire book to a somewhat climatic ending--somewhat, because the only difference for me was that I thought everybody was going to be killed! LOL

I'm not a fan of "fat jokes" as you might guess, but the sensitivity of one individual to being ridiculed for her weight may affect their entire life. That's what happened to Lila Carmichael...

She turned that ridicule into a comedy act that led to stardom for her--sorta like the Kathy Griffin type I gather from what was said... but looking more like Roseann Barr at various weights...Me? I sometimes enjoy Roseann's humor:

Roseanne Barr Quotes

“Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself.”

“Women should try to increase their size rather than decrease it, because I believe the bigger we are, the more space we'll take up, and the more we'll have to be reckoned with.”

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”

Main things about Lila was that she was intelligent, had a long memory, and was a great performer who made big bucks!

And she kept track of the people who "done her wrong... which included her father..."

The days passed endlessly. She stared at a picture of Jesus on her wall and asked him why it was taking so long to die. When her parents weren’t home, the only sound she heard was the clock ticking. Like waiting in limbo, or Purgatory. 
"One afternoon, her father lost his temper. “Get down on your knees, you Jezebel!” Shut up! she screamed inside her head. Standing at the window, her back to her ranting father, she made a fist. As her father raved in mid-sentence, she pummeled that fist through the glass, shattering the air with a loud crack and sending shards flying. Her father fell silent as he watched the rivulets of blood pour down Lila’s arm. That evening he put her in a straight jacket and fastened her to the bed. 
"Her mother wouldn’t even come into the room. George Carmichael left the gaping hole in the window uncovered, and the rain and wind blew in, soaking Lila’s curtains and floor. He turned off the heat in the house and left her in bed in the cold. He would force the devil out of her. Each night, in the dark, he sat at the foot of her bed and mumbled fervent prayers, working himself into a sweat. By then, Lila was so weak and malnourished that she lay without expression, staring into the blackness. How long this went on, she had no idea. 
"Only, one day she found her bindings loosened and the house empty. Dying was taking forever and this religious torment was a punishment in hell. Slowly she sat up, the first time in days. Kicking the bed pan off the night stand, she wobbled over to the broken window and looked out. Every muscle in her body ached from confinement. The glare from the bright sunlight hurt her eyes and the smell of cut grass filled her nostrils. Somehow, summer had arrived. 
"After removing the loosened straight jacket, she leaned her weight against the window sash and pushed. The window lifted easily. She found some old clothes in one of her dresser drawers and, in slow motion, put them on. They hung from her limbs. As she hobbled down the street, the world tilted around her. She knew if she just kept walking, she’d get somewhere. Hours later, the smell of pizza assaulted her nose. How long had it been since she tasted food? Suddenly, there she was, in front of Jo Mama’s. She hesitated a moment. What if she ran into someone she knew? But it was summer. Most students were home for the break. All her “friends” had graduated or left for the summer and had surely long forgotten the pathetic Lila Carmichael.

~~~

Needless to say, Lila's (actually Delilah, as named by her mother even at her father's anger...)  father was a hell's fire type of minister. For one, he had wanted a boy to carry on his ministry. When that didn't happen, he started a regiment for Lila to memorize the Bible. When she failed, he withheld food...

At 18 she left, leaving a note, that was all...

She had tried for and got a scholarship and went on to college, mainly just to get away from home. Fortunately, she was placed in a room with Millie and they became friends. Both were overweight and could support each other...

“You know, I bet you’re wondering what
 happened that night. Why I blew my
big chance at stardom on the college
stage. Well, I’ll let you in on a little
 secret.” Lila leaned close in conspiracy.
 “I brought you all here this weekend to
 tell you the whole story. Not everyone
 from Thespians, but just this
 cozy group. Because each of you played
 your own important little part.”
~~~

Millie got involved with the Thespians, mainly to maybe meet a guy who would date her. When she found out how involved Lila was with movies, acting, she coaxed her to become involved. And she had the chance when the administrators decided to ensure students outside of the Thespians group could try out for lead roles.  She got the part to be the lead female, which Della would normally have played, with Davis playing the lead male

They were just about ready and having their last rehearsal. Lila was in seventh heaven. She had fallen in love with Davis during their many rehearsals which required kissing...and Davis seemed to love her too. But something happened that night as everybody was leaving.

They planned this to make sure
Della would play the lead—
the lead she wanted from
 the beginning. Lila’s eyelids grew
 heavy and her thoughts crumbled
 into pieces. She tried to imagine
 Della playing her part,
Davis holding Della in his arms.
~~~

Lila never showed up for the performance! And she was never seen by any of the Group after that, although they all knew she had become a success!

Fifteen years pass and readers learn about the present lives of each of the small group of friends within the Thespian group. At a crucial point in each of their lives, they get an invitation for a Reunion of the Thespians to be hosted by Lila...

It was Payback Time...

By now, readers of Lakin probably realize that there is a moral to most of her books...  She knows that all of us perform Innocent Little Crimes... Oh, ours might not be so visible, or we might not have them seen by others... But we open our mouths and say something we really don't mean by accident... Some say things by design, wanting to hurt or humiliate, while others say things as a joke or to win a bet. Davis, for instance, had won the bet... But the results were not what any expected...

When I had to take a medical leave from work due to job burnout, a woman said to me, "Come with me to church--you need to get right with the Lord..." Hey, it had not been me that had caused my burnout! I was OK with my Lord! Yet, some Christians say things that just don't make sense and come across as a voice of condemnation rather than of love and kindness. Fortunately, my pastor and his wife had already given loving guidance for me, but, still, that woman's comment remained with me...

Would Delilah have been different if she'd had a loving, kind, father that shared the grace of Jesus with her and his wife rather than a man who, for instance, forced his daughter to commit the Bible to memory or not get something to eat? Oh yes, I do think so. When she arrived at college, she was not prepared to understand that all may perform innocent little crimes, and deal with them as best as she could.  Instead, the crimes changed Lila...and the world paid her lots of money to ridicule...herself...so they could laugh at her...

Ok, OK, I probably shouldn't have said this in advance of your reading this... But, I do highly recommend it...Tell me you disagree! I'd love to argue about it with you... LOL


GABixlerReviews

About the Author   
C. S. Lakin writes novels in numerous genres, focusing mostly on contemporary psychological mysteries and allegorical fantasy. Her novel Someone to Blame (contemporary fiction) won the 2009 Zondervan First Novel competition 2009 (published October 2010). Lakin’s Gates of Heaven fantasy series for adults (AMG-Living Ink Publishers) features original full-length fairy tales in traditional style. Already in print are the first books in the series, The Wolf of Tebron, The Map across Time, and The Land of Darkness, with four more to follow. Her contemporary mystery Innocent Little Crimes made the top one hundred finalists in the 2009 Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest, earning her a Publisher’s Weekly review stated her book was “a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through.”   
Lakin grew up collating television scripts for her screenwriter mother. As an adult, Susanne assisted in developing series for television, and while raising two daughters and running a bed and breakfast inn in northern California wrote her first three novels and a cookbook. 
She currently works as a freelance copy editor and writing mentor, specializing in helping authors prepare their books for publication. She is a member of The Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network), CEN (Christian Editor Network), CAN (Christian Authors Network— regular blogger), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), and two regional writers’ groups. She edits for individuals, small publishing companies, and literary agents.   
In addition to her mysteries and fantasy series, she has also written the first book in a Young Adult sci-fi adventure series: Time Sniffers. She recently completed Intended for Harm, a contemporary take-off on the biblical story of Jacob and Joseph and is developing a swashbuckling dog memoir in the style of Moby Dick entitled A Dog after God’s Own Heart. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her husband Lee, a gigantic lab named Coaltrane, and three persnickety cats.