Book Review: A Killer's Grace by Ronald Chapman

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone close to you was murdered and the killer imprisoned and possibly put on death row? Would you feel justice had been served or would you extend the killer a grace he did not give to the victim?

Today I'm hosting a review of the riveting novel, A Killer's Grace by Ronald Chapman, as part of his blog tour with WOW! Women on Writing. You can read an interview with Ronald Chapman here.

Special thanks to Crystal Otto at WOW! Women on Writing for organizing this tour and for Tange Dudt for providing the review below.

About the Book:
From the high desert of New Mexico comes a tale of mystery, murder and redemption. When journalist Kevin Pitcairn receives a disturbing letter from a serial killer, he is drawn into a compelling journey with profound psychological and spiritual implications, not just for the murderer, but for himself and society as a whole. As he tries to investigate and then tell the story, he finds himself battling his own inner demons and sordid history. Events conspire to propel an isolated matter to a national stage and audiences that are increasingly hostile. Forced to explore the roots of human psychology and sanity, Pitcairn must navigate moral and philosophical realms. What is the nature of evil? What powers of choice do humans actually possess? How may we be redeemed? And in the end, how do we reconcile with ourselves?

Paperback: 240 Pages
Genre: Fiction/Spirituality
Publisher: Terra Nova Books; 2 edition (September 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1938288750
ISBN-13: 978-1938288753

A Killer's Grace is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound.

About the Author: Ronald Chapman is owner of an international speaking and consulting company, Magnetic North LLC. In addition to international accreditation as a speaker and national awards for radio commentary, he is the author of two novels, My Name is Wonder (Terra Nova Publishing, 2016) and A Killer's Grace (Terra Nova Publishing, 2016 and 2012), two works of non-fiction, Seeing True: Ninety Contemplations in Ninety Days (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2008) and What a Wonderful World: Seeing Through New Eyes (Page Free Publishing, 2004) and the producer of three audio sets, Seeing True: The Way of Spirit (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2016, 2005), Breathing, Releasing and Breaking Through: Practices for Seeing True (Ozark Mountain Publishing, 2015), and Seeing True – The Way of Success in Leadership (Magnetic North Audio, 2005). Ron provides a wide array of social media content at www.SeeingTrue.com, content for people in substance abuse recovery at www.ProgressiveRecovery.org, and other content from his master site, www.RonaldChapman.com. He holds a Masters in Social Welfare from The University at Albany (New York.) Prior to his relocation to Atlanta, Georgia in 2008, he was a long-time resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Ronald can also be found online at: 

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1338592.Ronald_Chapman
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/seeingtrue/


Tange's Review: The protagonist, journalist Kevin Pitcairn, receives a letter from a serial killer claiming to have a mental disorder which caused him to kill. As Kevin starts to dig deeper, it takes him on a journey he least expected. At first glance, I thought this novel was just going to be about a journalist trying to get a serial killer off death row claiming to having a mental disorder, discussing the topic of nature vs. nurture, asking if the serial killer was made this way due to external influences or was he born this way.

I was wrong. The book is so much more than this! It does discuss that topic asking if it's okay for society to 'kill the killer' or should we try to find another way to break the cycle of violence. This book also examines the act of forgiveness, not only of others who may have inflicted pain, emotional or physical, but of oneself which tends to be the hardest. The author has you looking at the word innocence in a different way asking if we as a society can regard the most hateful person as being innocent of their actions. Honestly, I do not know how I would feel or what I would do if I was put in a situation where I lost a loved to a heinous crime, but this book has definitely given me something to mull over.

Review of Eat to Beat Alzheimer's by Francie Healey

 Today I'm happy to host author Francie Healey as she promotes her cookbook, Eat to Beat Alzheimer's: Delicious Recipes and New Research to Prevent and Slow Dementia, through WOW! Women on Writing. You can learn more about Francie's inspiration for the book,  (and find a list of blogs giving copies on the tour!) here.

About the Book: 

Eat to Beat Alzheimer's offers a practical guide and an empowering tool to bring nourishing, healthful, and delicious food into the lives of people concerned about Alzheimer's and other cognitive problems. Almost 9 million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, and the toll is rapidly increasing. This book will appeal to everyone concerned about dementia and memory loss in either themselves or a loved one.

Recent research makes clear that the impact of aging on the brain can be reduced by simple diet and lifestyle modifications. The delicious food choices and easy-to-prepare recipes in this book are based on the latest findings showing that they can help slow the progression of Alzheimer's and other conditions like it, or prevent them entirely.

Readers will gain the knowledge and tools to take charge of their health by incorporating tasty, healing foods into their diet. The information in this cookbook will be as relevant and useful 20 years from now as it is today. And the recipes will still be just as delicious.

Eat to Beat Alzheimer's is available on Amazon & Barnes and Noble.

Paperback: 200 pages
Genre: Cookbook
Publisher: Terra Nova Books (June 30, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1938288610
ISBN-13: 978-1938288616

About the Author:
Francie Healey is a licensed mental health counselor in private practice in Santa Fe, N.M. She specializes in the psychology of eating, helping people with health conditions to develop conscious eating habits and understand how food contributes to healing. Using her expertise to help clients manage cognitive decline through nutrition, Francie educates them on meal planning; the creation of simple, nutritious meals; and other keys to achieving a healthy relationship with food. She holds a Master's Degree in Counseling, and is a Certified Health Counselor and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Find Francie Healey Online:

Website: www.eattobeatalzheimers.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/francie.healy.7?fref=nf

Twitter: @FrancieHealey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciehealey

Review:

Roughly 5.4 million people suffer from A.D. (Alzeheimer's disease) in the U.S. alone. Nearly one in every five Medicare dollars is estimated to be spent on people with A.D. and other forms of dementia. --From Eat to Beat Alzheimer's: Delicious Recipes and New Research to Prevent and Slow Dementia

First off, I quickly realized Eat to Beat Alzheimer's is much more than a cookbook. Francie's background in mental health and nutrition shines through as she shares information and research on Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and what researchers believe is tied to both conditions. I learned about the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet, and how it is up to each individual to listen to his or her body when it comes to dietary choices. In other words, there's a reason highly processed and preserved food leaves us feeling less than stellar. While I try my best to eat a whole foods diet, I often fall prey to the "busyness" that leaves us eating out more often than we should. Flipping through the recipes in Eat to Beat Alzheimer's made me immediately want to head out to the nearest health food store and stock up on the many of the spices and herbs found in the recipes. As a woman approaching my early 40s, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about neurogenerative diseases and know I need to step up my game in the kitchen, for both me and my family. 

The recipes in this book are plentiful, and provide a good variety for even the pickiest of eaters. As huge fan of eggs for breakfast, I was thrilled to see offerings like Spinach and Egg Bites and Mozzarella and Zucchini Frittata. There are also several soups and stews, crisp and inviting salads, healthy snacks to help curb the sweet tooth (such as Quinoa Pumpkin Muffins), and more savory fare (Garlic Shrimp with Kale, Salmon with Lemon Relish,  Smothered Chicken and Sweet Potatoes).

I recommend this book to anyone stuck in cooking rut or who wants to focus on more whole-body nutrition. There's even a one-week sample menu to get you started. 

Finding Love in Unimaginable Places

Today I'm participating in a group blogging event. WOW! Women on Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about finding love in unimaginable places. Why this topic? We're celebrating the release of Michael French's twenty-fourth novel. Once Upon a Lie (Terra Nova Books) is an exploration of the secrets families keep, and the ways those secrets can tear a family apart, Visit The Muffin to read what Michael has to say on finding love in unexpected places and view the list of all my fellow blogging buddies.

As a bonus, I will pick one commenter from this thread to be entered into a group drawing for the chance to win your own copy of Once Upon a Lie! 

Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Jaleel Robeson is on the run after the police in his tiny Texas town try to frame him for the death of his father. A world away, Alexandra “Alex” Baten is growing up amid all the material comforts a wealthy Los Angeles lawyer can provide. One day, a simple cup of lemonade unites their lives, leading to a maze of adultery and murder that shatters Alex’s youthful innocence and Jaleel’s struggle to reshape his life.

While the forces of the law try to unravel the mysterious death―or at least find a scapegoat―the two youths see the trajectories of their lives entwine, unravel, and come together again. Justice, Alex learns, can be a strange and nebulous thing, easily enmeshed in webs of loyalty and betrayal. Justice, Jaleel finds, can be a powerful―but dangerous―rock on which to build a life of honor and courage. As their stories play out over the years in cities far apart, best-selling author Michael French fills the world of Alex and Jaleel with a cast of vivid characters both supporting and threatening their efforts to build a life that “works” amid the expectancies of others and their own conflicting drives.

My Story: 

At the end of my sophomore year of college, I found myself in a place I truly never thought I would be. I was fighting for my life, but the war was internal. I had decided I was tired of living, tired of fighting, tired of trying to figure out who my friends really were, tired of working 35+ hours a week and taking a full course load, and tired of worrying about how I was going to pay off the credit card debt I had racked up. I was 19 years old, but the heavy blanket of sadness had followed me around for a long time, as my parents packed up and changed homes and the towns we lived in often multiple times a year. I had no sense of what a home really was.

I tried to talk to people about how I was feeling before it all snowballed. I really did. Maybe I chose to talk to the wrong people—because mostly what I got was blank stares and comments like “Seriously? What is wrong with you?” Or, “This is too heavy. I can’t handle this right now.” (This was from a guy I was involved in a romantic relationship with). I stopped eating. I slept way too much. I skipped classes, I floated through my job as a restaurant server like a ghost. I started turning in my reporting assignments for my campus newspaper half finished. I was embarrassed, because I had always been a studious and responsible writer.

One night, I finally collapsed under the weight of it all and through my tears, asked my roommate to drive me to the local mental health hospital. My first night there was terrifying. I was put in a locked ward in a bed that was situated in the middle of the room covered only by a very thin blanket. There was no door, and I could hear screams coming from down the hall. I was afraid to close my eyes. I started therapy sessions and medication the next day, and was eventually moved to a room that I shared with a woman who had OCD. She was very motherly and warm to me. My parents came to bring me clothes, but they didn't know what to say to me. They promised though, that they would help me get better any way they could.

I learned something very quickly during my time there. I discovered there were people who were MUCH worse off than me. There were people who were horribly addicted to drugs and alcohol, whose spouses beat them to a pulp, whose parents sexually abused them. There were people who were so catatonic and over-medicated that they couldn’t be with their families. I felt weak. I felt like I should have been able to handle my problems a little better. But I also felt a weight lifted off me by having other people to talk to who understood my sadness, and counselors who lifted my spirits and gently coaxed me to eat. In a moment of clarity, I found love in the unimaginable setting of a mental health hospital. I found love again for myself, for what my mind and body were capable of, and what I still had left to accomplish. I wanted to go back to college, reclaim what friendships I still had, and work through my problems, no matter how difficult they were. And you know what? It wasn’t easy, and I did have to return to the hospital briefly once more under stress during my senior year of college, but I graduated. Today I am the proud mother of two, I’ve been married for 15 years, and I help pay the bills (and have won a few awards) with my writing. I’ve often wanted to write about my experience, but have been afraid to because of what people might say about me. I would be lying if I said I still didn’t worry about that. But now I think that if I could learn to love myself in such a dark and desperate place, nothing is impossible.

About the Author:

A graduate of Stanford University with a degree in English and of Northwestern University with a master’s in journalism, Michael French is the author of twenty-four books: adult and young adult fiction, art criticism, biographies, adaptations, and gender studies. A native of Los Angeles, he also is a successful businessman, an avid high-altitude mountain trekker, a world traveler to developing countries, an activist, and, with his wife, Patricia, a philanthropist raising money for programs aiding teachers in Santa Fe, N.M., public schools, which are some of the most challenged in the country.

Website: www.michaelrfrench.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFrenchAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfrenchauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mfrenchrt66/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrfrenchbooks/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/287338.Michael_R_French

Purchase a copy of the book here.

I'd love to hear about your own stories of finding love where you least expected it. Share in the comments below!

Summer Travels = Article Ideas

Summer is in full swing at our house as I've tried to get into a writing groove during the months that my kids are out of school. I love summer because I get to vacation with my family, spend quality time with my kids, and get a welcome break from the daily commute of driving my kids to school. It is harder, though, because my normal schedule is thrown off with the kids sleeping later and having to juggle the driving/carpooling to camps and other activities.

June flew by. The kids got out of school at the beginning of June and we had a trip planned to visit family in Central Texas. I scrambled a bit before we left because I have a full list of contract work right now (yay!) but as I wrote in this post for WOW! Women on Writing, being a freelance writer/editor means you never really get a break from deadlines. I scheduled some things to post ahead of time, and I'm lucky no real emergencies popped up because I had limited access to Wi-Fi n the airports and at the places I was visiting in Texas.

We did plenty of fun things on our trip and it was great to see family again. I got to check one thing off my "bucket list" of places to visit. As a big fan of the HGTV show "Fixer Upper,"  we were in close proximity to Waco, so we made a visit to Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market Silos complex.

#magnoliamarket #magnoliamarketsilos #fixerupper #waco

A photo posted by Elizabeth (@lizb063) on Jun 29, 2016 at 6:22pm PDT

I loved the layout of the place, with it's mix of a bakery (not opened yet, but we got to sample some cupcakes!), retail space, plenty of places for photos ops, feed and seed store, and a large, centrally-located green space with lawn games and swings for children to take a break on. There was a big crowd of people but because the property is so spread out, you never felt cramped.

A variety of food trucks border the property, with a shaded picnic area, which was welcome, because Texas is extremely hot and humid and there aren't any trees to provide natural shade. (However, we didn't need to pick up lunch because we stumbled upon an In-and-Out Burger at the exit for Magnolia Market.) Score!

First time trying #inandoutburger

A photo posted by rlroberson (@rlroberson) on Jun 15, 2016 at 10:38am PDT

I picked up a few t-shirts and a tote bag and was impressed by the number of friendly employees on the property, all who were happy to snap photos of the visitors upon request.

A little shopping. #magnoliamarket

A photo posted by rlroberson (@rlroberson) on Jun 15, 2016 at 11:39am PDT

Two blocks away from Magnolia Market is the Dr. Pepper Museum, which is housed in the first building built to manufacture Dr. Pepper. Not only was the architecture of the old building beautiful, but the items curated in the museum were well worth the admission price, with the history of the company, collectibles, videos, memorabilia, and more. There's even more to find in an adjacent building, along with a gift shop and soda fountain for treats.

#drpeppermuseum

A photo posted by rlroberson (@rlroberson) on Jun 15, 2016 at 2:29pm PDT

Like any good freelancer, I've put this list of places on my "to-do" list of article ideas and submissions. Summer isn't over yet, and on top of juggling assignments, we've also got a few more trips planned before school starts back up. I'm especially looking forward to touring Washington, DC with the kids at the end of July. Stay tuned!

Book Review: Once Upon a Lie by Michael French

Once Upon a Lie by Michael R. French
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I began reading Once Upon a Lie, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the synopsis. The story follows the lives of two main characters—Alex, daughter of a successful attorney and his socialite wife, and Jaleel, an intelligent African-American male born to two working class parents. The novel begins in present day, with the voice of an adult Alex apprehensively awaiting a meeting with her mother, and then in the next chapter, takes the reader back to a young Jaleel, and the life he lives in Peartree, Texas with his two parents before their unexpected deaths.

The novel is filled with interesting characters, such as the quirky Cornelius Appleton/Dirick, who kindly offers help to Jaleel (and the many identities he must assume) after he begins life on the run. The majority of the novel is set in the 1980s, which is one of my favorite decades, so there are references to the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and the life of the affluent in the Los Angeles suburbs mixed in. I found it very hard to have any sympathy for Alex’s parents, who were both entitled in different ways and seemed to have no remorse for the destruction their actions left in their wake.

As I mentioned before, Alex and Jaleel came from very different backgrounds, but were brought together in a random meeting at a lemonade stand that would have a lifelong effect on both of them. Learning how Jaleel’s brushes with the law shaped his persona and gave him a brittle, but wise, edge was one of the more intriguing parts of the book. Fans of writer and activist James Baldwin will appreciate Jaleel’s references to his work, as he becomes a writer in his own right.

Once Upon a Lie is an exploration of the secrets families keep, and the ways those secrets can tear a family apart. It’s also an examination of the country’s justice system—past and present—and how those with influence and money can manipulate that system to their advantage, while those with less means are left with only their word as a defense. These examples include the very different outcomes when both Alex’s father and Jaleel are accused of crimes. By the last half of the book I was on the edge of my seat wondering if justice would truly prevail—and in my opinion, the way the stories are wrapped up will be a great source of discussion for book clubs.

View all my reviews

Enter to win a copy of this book at WOW! Women on Writing.

Book Review: Incarnation by Laura Davis Hays

Deep in the ocean lies centuries full of secrets. The water—and the creatures that reside in it—has more knowledge than we’ll ever imagine. Civilizations may have disintegrated into the murky waters over time, but the lessons of love, power, and courage of those who dwelled there can still be found in modern society. As the story of Incarnation teaches, there is still much to learn and forgive.

It's been awhile since a book took me on such whirlwind adventure. Join me today as I host author Laura Davis Hays, author of Incarnation, as she tours with WOW! Women on Writing.

About Incarnation:

Kelsey Depuis, Santa Fe scientist, and Iriel, betrothed on Atlantis to a man she cannot love―two young women bound by a single soul.

In Kelsey’s everyday world, three men shape her life: Myron Crouch, the boss of BioVenture Enterprises; Harrison Stillman, a brilliant colleague of hers there; and Stan Dresser, who twists her feelings with his kisses and lies.

But gradually, growingly, Iriel is shaping her life too. Through dreams and visions, she draws Kelsey into the ancient realm where refusal to marry Gewil has driven her to daring flight with fantastic creatures across a strange and terrible land.

As Kelsey joins other BioVenture researchers testing a new organism on a remote Caribbean island, turmoil and violence darken her fate―and Iriel’s presence grows stronger. Worlds shift and merge, danger grows. Past and present, vengeance and love swirl together as the seas rise up, the seas that once swallowed Atlantis.

Tested in life-or-death struggle, Kelsey must face an ordeal she can survive only through great courage and deep karmic understanding.

Paperback: 388 pages
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Publisher: Terra Nova Books (March 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1938288440
ISBN-13: 978-1938288449

Incarnation is available for purchase at Amazon.  

About the Author:

Laura Davis Hays is a California native, the only child of a theoretical physicist and a librarian. Her prize-winning body of work includes a forthcoming fantasy series, the Atlantis Material, and a collection of linked stories set in Denmark, her ancestral homeland, in the early twentieth century. Hays is also an accounting consultant, a performing pianist, a composer, and a skier. She and her husband live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with their two cats, Rufus and Dexter.

Review:

Oh, how I’ve tried to forget that life! A life filled with sweetness, but with terrible sad things too. Did I cause them? Perhaps. For that, I’ve done my penance, once, twice, tenfold. Yet there is something I cannot finish, something that grinds like a bone in the throat. One who once desired me, one who blamed me, will not let go.

From the very first pages of Incarnation, it’s clear that this will be a story unlike any you’ve read before. The images presented are dazzling, sparkling, hopeful but foreboding, and most of all, mystifying. Who is this wise narrator that speaks in the passage above, and how is the protagonist, Kelsey, connected to her?

Incarnation is three intricate stories woven together—there’s Kelsey, her work in the lab at BioVenture and her relationships with colleague Harrison and the magnetic Stan; the ancient tale of Iriel, Gewil, and Jarad in Atlantic; and the culmination of the mysterious scientific project in the isolated island in Belize.

The novel is full of unforgettable characters. As Kelsey opens herself up to her spiritual connection with Iriel, her relationship with the man she is deeply drawn to becomes more complicated, and eventually, dangerous. In my opinion, the last third of the book was hard to put down, when Kelsey joins her fellow scientists and researchers in the secluded island out in the middle of the Caribbean, and her connection to Atlantis becomes even more vivid. Incarnation mixes spiritual and metaphysical themes with science, anthropology, and adventure in a tale as turbulent as the ocean waters that play such a main part of the story.

Want to enter to win your own copy of Incarnation? Visit WOW! Women on Writing to read an interview with Laura and enter before this Sunday evening for your chance to win.

Reprioritizing Writing Projects

A photo posted by rlroberson (@rlroberson) on Feb 19, 2016 at 4:44pm PST

Do you have dream writing projects? I've talked before about how I have three unpublished/in the process of revision/manuscripts sitting on my hard drive. I even took one to a writer's conference a few years ago and got very positive feedback on the first ten pages from a fellow YA author. Did I hustle to get the project finished after that? No.

"Well, why not?" you ask. I have plenty of excuses why I don't put forth the effort on my creative writing projects. Here are just a few:

• I have paying clients I need to complete projects for first .

• I need to help promote "insert author name" here and his/her novel first.

• There's a blog post due for someone else due.

• I promised to go on my child's field trip today, because I feel guilty for working so much the past few months.

• I'm tired after a long day of working and just want to zone out in front of the TV for a bit.

I could go on and on. A few weeks ago I blogged about another dream project I have over at WOW! Women on Writing. I'm obsessed with true crime and missing person cases. I want to one day use my writing skills to create a stunning, compelling, longform piece of investigative journalism, like the articles you find in Vanity Fair.

But I use the excuses above to keep me from doing so. I'm trying to convince myself that with a little time management, and reprioritizing, I can work on the projects close to my heart and still be a good spouse/parent/contractor. I see other writers do it every day, and I know I can, too. I've got a BIG birthday coming up so I'm giving myself the gift of creative expression.

Won't you join me?