Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar

Guest Post - Larry Peterson

2012-01-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

Guest Post

Larry Peterson

I am pleased today to host a guest post by Larry Peterson, author of the book, "The Priest and the Peaches," from Tribute Books. This post is part of Tribute Books Blog Tour, running from January 2 through March 31, to promote the book.

Guest Post by Larry Peterson:

***

"The Priest and the Peaches" is a sad yet funny story about five kids, living in the Bronx, who, having already lost their mom to leukemia, unexpectedly lose their dad during the Christmas season of 1965. Suddenly confronted with having to plan a funeral, realizing that they have no money and discovering that the rent and utilities are all past due thrusts them into a world they are unprepared to confront---"grown-up world".

Teddy Peach is 18 and the oldest. He is determined to keep all of them together as a family. His sister is 17 and his brothers are 14, 10 and six years old. Outside forces are already at work determined to get the three younger boys into a "properly supervised environment."

Enter Father Tim Sullivan, the local parish priest. A tough, street-wise man from the "Hell's Kitchen" section of Manhattan, Father Tim also has a kind and gentle way about him and possesses a simple faith that allows him to see God's love working even amidst chaos. He uses his faith to help guide the Peach kids on their quest to remain together as a family.

This book shows the value and importance of familial love and how powerful it can be, especially when faced with crisis. It also teaches lessons in taking responsibility, being unselfish, caring about others and "loving your neighbor." Finally, it portrays the manner in which so many priests have stayed true to their faith and vocations by being there for so many in times of need.

***

The book is also available for the Nook, at iBookstore, at Smashwords, and as a PDF.

Happy Reading! ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

2012-01-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

This is the twenty-ninth entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

A Christmas gift of my very favorite book series. I've read every one; and always look forward to the next. Kinsey is my favorite PI, ever. And there have been some great ones! ;-)

Here is the Product Description of the book as presented on Amazon.com:

A spiderweb of dangerous relationships lies at the heart of V is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton's daring new Kinsey Millhone novel.

A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.
And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.
V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Review - Civil War: Springfield by Larry Wood

2012-01-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

Book Review - Civil War: Springfield by Larry Wood

This is my second review of a book from The History Press. I received the book at no charge in exchange for a fair and honest review, from my point of view. Each book I review for The History Press will be a local history book. This one focuses on Springfield, Missouri.

Civil War: Springfield by Larry Wood is a part of The History Press Civil War Sesquicentennial Series. As noted on the back cover of the book, "With this series of concise books by Civil War scholars, The History Press honors the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States.

I can summarize the book no better than to cite the description in the back cover of the book:

"During the Civil War, Springfield was a frontier community of about 1,500 people, but it was the largest and most important place in southwest Missouri. The Northern and Southern armies vied throughout the early part of the war to occupy its strategic position. The Federal defeat at Wilson's Creek in August 1861 gave the Southern forces possession, but Zagonyi's charge two and a half months later returned Springfield to the Union. The Confederacy came back near Christmas of 1861 before being ousted agin in February 1862. Marmaduke's defeat at the Battle of Springfield in January 1863 ended the contest, placing the Union firmly in control, but Springfield continued to pulse with activity throughout the war. Historian Larry Wood chronicles this epic story."

Wood presents an extremely well researched and easy to read, detailed account of the activities in and around the Springfield community from several years before the war, throughout the war years, and summarized commemorative activities following the war. The book is well researched using local and regional archives and well written in an easy-to-read narrative. Included are many maps, photos and illustrations to provide a 'real-life' texture to reading experience.

I found the early discussion of the pre-war years where "Border Ruffians" and free-soil advocates created "Bleeding Kansas" especially useful and even-handed. Probably my strongest feeling throughout the entire book was the true historian even-handedness applied. This was a period of high tensions between well-meaning and strong partisans on each side. Wood notes how many in southwest Missouri wanted to be neutral because of this strong dual pull from the competing sides. He skillfully describes the feelings of these competing interests and provides meaningful insights into how many of these individuals managed to get through the war years and continue to serve both Springfield and Missouri in future years, regardless of their particular partisan positions during the war years. I strongly recommend this book to readers with an interest in the Springfield community during the Civil War period 150 years ago.

You may also enjoy reading a related article I wrote, based on this book, at: "Civil War: Springfield tells of Christmas 1861 - 150 Years Ago."

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Back to Work by Bill Clinton

2012-01-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Bill Clinton - Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy

This is the twenty-eighth entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

Back cover quote from book:

"I wrote this book because I love my country and I'm concerned about out future. As I often said when I first ran for president in 1992, America at its core is an idea - the idea that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll have the freedom and opportunity to pursue your own dreams and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs… Work is about more than making a living… It's fundamental to human dignity, to our sense of self-worth as useful, independent, free people… We've got to get America back in the future business."

Here is the Product Description of the book as presented on Amazon.com:

President Bill Clinton gives us his views on the challenges facing the United States today and why government matters—presenting his ideas on restoring economic growth, job creation, financial responsibility, resolving the mortgage crisis, and pursuing a strategy to get us "back in the future business.” He explains how we got into the current economic crisis, and offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, restore our manufacturing base, and create new businesses. He supports President Obama’s emphasis on green technology, saying that changing the way we produce and consume energy is the strategy most likely to spark a fast-growing economy while enhancing our national security.

Clinton also stresses that we need a strong private sector and a smart government working together to restore prosperity and progress, demonstrating that whenever we’ve given in to the temptation to blame government for all our problems, we’ve lost our ability to produce sustained economic growth and shared prosperity.

Clinton writes, “There is simply no evidence that we can succeed in the twenty-first century with an antigovernment strategy,” based on “a philosophy grounded in ‘you’re on your own’ rather than ‘we’re all in this together.’ ” He believes that conflict between government and the private sector has proved to be good politics but has produced bad policies, giving us a weak economy with not enough jobs, growing income inequality and poverty, and a decline in our competitive position. In the real world, cooperation works much better than conflict, and “Americans need victories in real life.”

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

How well do you keep your New Year Resolutions?

2012-01-04T16:29:00.001-08:00

How well do you keep your New Year Resolutions?

My friend, Dan Curtis, Professional Personal Historian, and great blogger has some excellent advise for making keeping your resolutions better. Perhaps it is not too late to adopt his technique.

Do you have "3 words for 2012?" How will you make them work for you? ;-)

Leave a comment and share with us how you think this approach might work, for you! ;-)

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

Reading and Writing Plans for 2012

I just finished The Year in Review - 2011, and promised to write this for January 2, so I guess I'll give it a try, while I'm in the mood. I hope it is not all redundant between the two pieces. I'll try to keep it simple.

1. I put 'reading and writing' in the title this year because, to me, I must continue to read in order to be able to write… at least the way I want to. I'm getting more books as Christmas gifts, both print and Kindle, so that will keep me going; plus, online reading never ends.

2. I will continue to write, currently five, articles each week for Examiner.com on my two topic areas: Springfield Genealogy Examiner and Ozarks Cultural Heritage Examiner.

3. It seems I need to have each of my five blogs to have the necessary outlets for what I want to write. Each has its own content and focus, and I've noticed the priority among them shifts a bit, month by month. That is fine, must keep from getting bored.
Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories
Dr. Bill on Retirement
Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar
The Homeplace Series Blog
The KINNICK Project

4. One addition this year, as a daily priority is transcribing my mother's 1937 diary entries onto The KINNICK Project blog - 75 Years Ago. Eileen KINNICK had just turned 18 years old in December 1936, is three months into her relationship with Pete Smith, and is a devoted 'Coon Rapids' girl - giving us some insight into this small Iowa town, as well. They will get married in the Spring of 1938; I'll come along on 1 Jul 1939. So, it should make some interesting reading. The transcriptions begin on 4 Jan 2012; my weekly commentaries on Tuesday will continue on the Ancestor Stories blog starting on 10 Jan 2012.

5. During the year I hope to finish the research and writing of the non-fiction family history on our Revolutionary War ancestor, Sergeant Major William KINNICK. He is my 5th great-grandfather as well as the 3rd great-grandfather of 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile KINNICK, for whom KINNICK Stadium at the University of Iowa is named. There is surely some promotion value there to exploit. Wish me well! ;-)

6. I will continue to research and write on issues related to a non-fiction family history book on my great-grandfather Michael Smith. I am still developing alternative approaches to making this project most effective.

7. Finally, I will continue to pursue "The Homeplace" series fiction work. A lot of additional ground work was done during the last half of 2011, and I do not yet know just where that will take us. Come along for the journey, and see where we are at the end of another year! ;-)

8. From Arrion: For 2012, assist your youngest daughter Arrion with her research on the Smith family in Europe (Colmar, France area.) Also, interested in the Stauffer line on Mom's side - Ibershiem, Germany area. This is for my October 2012 European Road Trip. That is, if you have the time! P.S. We will find time. ;-)

Families are Forever! ;-)

Note: This is posted to both the Ancestor Stores blog and the Book Bazaar blog.

Book Review - The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion, by Lin Waterhouse

2011-12-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

Book Review

The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion

by Lin Waterhouse

This is my first review of a book from The History Press. I received the book at no charge in exchange for a fair and honest review, from my point of view. Each book I review for The History Press will be a local history book. This book is set in the Missouri Ozarks, at West Plains, Missouri, a few hours drive east of where I live in a southern Missouri cabin. West Plains, today, is very active in promotion of the Ozarks and its cultural heritage.

The promotional information on the book is worth sharing, to set the stage for my review comments:

"The 1928 explosion that transformed a West Plains dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of bitterness in the Missouri town it tore apart. And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm that claimed thirty-nine lives remains an unsolved mystery. In this first book on the notorious catastrophe, Lin Waterhouse presents a clear account of the event and its aftermath that judiciously weighs conflicting testimony and deeply respects the personal anguish experienced by parents forced to identify their children by their clothing and personal trinkets." [Bold added by the reviewer - see comments below]

First, I am impressed by the diligent research that Lin Waterhouse performed in order to accomplish what I have highlighted in bold type, above. Sometimes these descriptions from the publisher are largely fluff. This is an accurate portrayal of what you get as you read this book. As a family historian and genealogist I have spent countless hours reviewing microfilm of newspapers in libraries searching for information on a single family. How many hours must she have spend searching these four or more newspapers' microfilm from the 1920s to come up with the engrossing details of the lives of these people and this community that are included in the book. When I finished, I felt I knew each person fairly well, whether victim or survivor.

Second, her pacing is impressive, to me. My first novel had about half the number of characters she covers in this narrative. I know how hard it is (and I wish I had been as successful) to write in such a way that the reader can keep even reasonable track of them. I believe she did that very well. And, she comes back to key characters multiple times in ways that moves the powerful story along at a proper pace. I appreciated the background information, set in the time period, that she provides the reader without distracting from the ongoing story and the mystery of the explosion source which is at the heart of that story.

Third, I was raised in a small, rural, heartland community much like West Plains and still read the paper there regularly. As I read the book, her descriptions and narrative allowed me to identify very clearly with the impact this tragedy had across the fiber of the entire community. Many, if not most, of the victims were young people who, except for this tragedy, were expected to be the leaders of this community for years into the future. Their loss changed this community forever. Her interviews with a few key people provide some insight into that impact on the community.

Finally, I highly recommend this book to anyone with empathy for this type of mystery and/or setting in this time period. It reads easily, though you will find yourself wanting to re-read portions to be sure you really did read what you thought you did. I had trouble laying it down - I wanted to know what Lin Waterhouse was going to tell me next about this story. I believe you will want to know as well.

******

Lin Waterhouse will be holding a Meet the Author at the West Plains Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 22nd, at 2 p.m.

******

Happy Reading! ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Almost President by Scott Farris

2011-12-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Almost President: The men who lost the race but changed the nation

Scott Farris

This is the twenty-seventh entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

From - Almost President:

"In each election, voters make a choice between competing personalities, programs, and ideologies. In understanding our history, and in using history as a guide to understanding the present and forecasting the future, it is a illuminating to know who and what voters did not choose as to know who and what they did choose."

This is the first of several books I received for Christmas: this one on the Kindle. It seems especially timely as the opening of the 2012 Presidential Primaries is only about a week away. I actually gave a passing thought to this topic for a book, myself. I'm very happy to be reading it, rather than doing the research and writing it!

Here is the Product Description of the book as presented on Amazon.com:

As the 2012 presidential campaign begins, Almost President profiles a dozen men who have run for the American presidency and lost—but who, even in defeat, have had a greater impact on American history than many of those who have served as president. Scott Farris tells us the stories of legendary figures from Henry Clay to Stephen Douglas, William Jennings Bryan to Thomas Dewey. He also includes mini-profiles on every major candidate nominated for president who never reached the White House but who helped ensure the success of American democracy.

Farris explains how Barry Goldwater achieved the party realignment that had eluded FDR, how George McGovern paved the way for Barack Obama, and how Ross Perot changed the way all presidential candidates campaign. There is Al Smith, the first Catholic nominee for president; and Adlai Stevenson, the candidate of the “eggheads” who remains the beau ideal of a liberal statesman. Others covered by this book include Al Gore, John Kerry, and John McCain. The mini profiles also include evocative portraits of such men as John C. Fremont, the first Republican Party presidential candidate; and General Winfield Scott, whose loss helped guarantee the Union victory in the Civil War.

Happy Reading! ;-)

The History Press and Tribute Books

2011-12-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

The History Press and Tribute Books

This is a brief survey of my readers - please provide a very brief response, so I know you are there, whenever you read this.

For the year 2012, it is my hope and intention to get more activity going on this blog by affiliating with two (very different) organizations. One is Tribute Books, "...an independent publisher for independent writers..." - they seem to specialize in Young Adult books, including ebooks, and use Blog Tours as a major promotion activities. We will have host guest posts, do some author interviews, and post an occasional review.

The second is The History Press. I have agreed to write reviews of local history non-fiction works, most likely focused on the Ozarks region in the Heartland. I have the first two on hand, and am anxious to read these books and write the reviews. I've started by writing an Examiner.com article about the Civil War: Springfield book by Larry Wood: http://www.examiner.com/cultureal-heritage-in-springfield-mo/civil-war-springfield-tells-of-christmas-1861-150-year-ago

So, please leave a comment on 'working with' either/or The History Press and Tribute Books - or, that you've worked with neither before. I look forward to your comments. THANKS! ;-)

On the Future of Books: Part of Presidential Campaign

2011-12-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

On The Future of Books:

Part of Presidential Campaign

In our continuing discussion of the The Future of Books, the current political campaign has raised a closely related issue in a New York Times article: "Despite Front-Runner Status, Gingrich is Still Peddling Books."

Regardless of your position on the presidential political campaign, this article raises some additional issues as to how books are perceived, how they are being used, and their place in our everyday lives.

Do you agree or do you see this as something entirely different? I'd like to hear your thoughts. Please comment here, on Facebook, or on Google+.

Happy Reading! ;-)

On the Future of Books: Biff Barnes Responds

2011-12-07T21:32:00.001-08:00

On the Future of Books:

Biff Barnes Responds

Biff Barnes, at Stories to Tell, after reading our Nov 29 post, has responded to Seth Godin on the Future of Books in his post: "Seth Godin on Books: Is it All Marketing?" I commend this post to your serious consideration. While Seth makes good points, from his perspective, Biff points out significant book publishing opportunities that Seth seems to ignore.

Have you seriously considered the Future of Books? I think it is a very important conversation to have. We are each a part of that conversation, whether read read, review, write or are involved in the production or marketing end of "Books."

I look forward to your comments, here, on Facebook, or on Google+ - let's keep the conversation going.

Happy Reading! ;-)

On the Future of Books: A Discussion with Seth Godin

2011-11-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

On the Future of Books:

A Discussion with Seth Godin

This is the title of a post by Leo Babauta at zenhabits, recommended by Dan Curtis - Professional Personal Historian in his always meaningful "Monday's Link Roundup."

I have yet to listen to the full 26 minute interview between Leo and Seth, but I will, for future reference. To start our discussion "On the Future of Books" I want to start with something that came to my mind as I read Leo's post and the summary of items they discussed.

As I read the list, the thought that popped into my head was: The changes happening today (and this decade or so) are as much about "authors" as about "books." Here are a couple of the highlight sentences that I assume I picked up on:

Why you don't need that many followers/friends as an author
Why the willingness to fail is so important, with so many options available to authors
The horror stories of Pulitzer Prize winning authors
Deciding to publish your best ideas on your blog vs. your book

In years past, particularly in 'literary circles', there was a big distinction between a 'writer' and an 'author.' To be an 'author' you had to be published by a 'publishing company.' Is that true anymore? Does it matter? Is a book published by an 'author' any better or worse than any other 'book?' What is a 'book' these days? Is it even relevant? Is being an 'author' relevant except to a very few persons in the 'literary' field? Is it not the 'content' that prevails? Or, is it the 'marketing' that counts?

Have you given this any thought? What are your thoughts? What is your perspective? Share your comments with other readers… I do have a comments section. And, I will post this on both Facebook and Google+ for further discussion; so, be sure to check in there, if you don't already.

Happy reading and writing! ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Situations Matter by Sam Sommers

2011-11-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Situations Matter by Sam Sommers

This is the twenty-sixth entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book through the LibraryThing.com Advanced Readers Program.

Here is the Description from the back cover of the copy I received:

A fascinating exploration of the invisible forces that influence your life - and how understanding them can improve everything you do.

The world around you is shaping your innermost instincts and your most private of preferences, and you don't even realize it. Every day we overlook the enormous power of context in our lives. That's a mistake, says Sam Sommers in Situations Mtter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World. In this provocative and surprising book, Sommers reveals the powerful influence that context has in our lives and uses these insights to rethink how we see the world, making us more effective at work, at home, and with others.

Sam Sommers is an award-winning psychology professor at Tufts University. His research has been covered by Good Morning America, NPR, Harper's, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He lives near Boston with this wife and two daughters.

Happy Reading,

Bill ;-)

Memories of Life Events

2011-10-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

Memories of Life Events

At 72 now, I spend a surprising amount of time on memories. As a writer, I wonder how many of these memories I should write down, and in what form. They usually don't fit into the categories in which I am writing, at the time, so they get passed over.

Just now, I was reading Dan Curtis' weekly Monday's Link Roundup, that I get via email, and read carefully each week. The one that caught my eye was Frank Bruni's Memoirs and Memory from the Huntington Post. He is writing about (and promoting) his book tour for his memoir, Born Round.

The point of his article, with many good anecdotes, is to point out how others remember shared events very differently, because of their relation to their own life stories - and each person is so different. I want to share some quotes, from near the end of the article:

"Do I -- do we -- remember only those scenes that fit neatly into the central narrative in which we're most invested, the one that dovetails most cleanly and neatly with the sense of self that we've chosen or that's been imposed on us by the people around us?"

"Do we in fact have other, equally interesting life stories that we're unaware of and unable to tell, simply because their building blocks are the memories that fell by the wayside?"

And he concludes, "Possibly. And while those memoirs might undermine the ones we've written, they also might just improve on them."

Food for thought? Do your life experiences confirm his impressions of how we each remember common events differently? Mine do. I wonder what I am missing?

I look forward to your comments.

'Not so fast' - Let's revive this blog - What do think?

2011-10-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

'Not so fast'

Let's revive this blog

What do think?

I've spent most of the day reading about Smashwords epublishing service. Have you used it? Do you use it?

Please leave a comment about 'Smashwords' - to get the blog going, again. I'll post again, shortly, but I'm really looking for short, candid comments about what you know, and are willing to share, on Smashwords.

THANKS,

Dr. Bill ;-)

Giveaway posting

2011-09-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

For my long time readers that may have missed this giveaway posting:

http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2011/09/treasure-chest-thursday-my-memories.html

Final post on this blog; invitation to follow to others...

2011-05-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

Final post on this blog; invitation to follow to others...

I have decided to consolidate this blog into my other blogs. Read about them at Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories.... but, I do really encourage you, as well, to become of follower of The Homeplace Series blog which will be the base of my ongoing fiction writing... in multi-media. Check it out!

Note: My regular post: It's Monday, What are you reading? will move to Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

What to Include in a Memoir or Family History Book

2011-04-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

What to Include in a Memoir or Family History Book

Biff Barnes at Stories to Tell has again caught my attention with his post: "What to Include in a Memoir or Family History Book."

His quote from essayist, writer, poet and author Phillip Lopate: "The selection has to do with what events or parts you choose to highlight. However, you don’t have to put everything in there. People are under the mistaken impression when they first start that if they can’t tell one secret, then they have to be reserved. You can be very unbuttoned about some things and still keep secret about many others."

Be sure to read what Biff and Lopate have to say about 'reflective nonfiction' referred to here: 'That reflective element is particularly important for memoirists and family historians who are trying to convey a real life on a printed page.'

These thoughts are very important to me, as two of my next projects are a nonfiction account of my 5th great grandfather and a personal memoir about my years as a university professor. I know I can use a lot of good advise from those who have gone before. How about you?

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill ;-)

Three stages of memoir

2011-04-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Three stages of memoir

Last week I asked, 'Have you considered writing a memoir?' and included a quote from Biff Barnes on his blog, 'Stories to Tell: Family History and Memoirs' [I also called him Bill, instead of Biff - Biff, please accept my sincere apology - he even left a comment and was gracious enough not to mention my error!]

Well, he followed up with another good post, that I wanted to mention, today [please go read the whole post] - and quote from, again:

'Memoir is a search for insight and understanding. That search involves three distinct stages:

    •    Recall – The process of remembering what happened. As Willett Stanek put it in her book Writing Your Life: Putting Your Past on Paper. “Writing from memory allows you to time travel, to zoom back to people and places you have not seen in years.”

    •    Reflection – The process of considering or realizing what was significant about the events you recall.

    •    Reminisce – The process of thinking about what happened and how you might tell the story.'

Timely and useful advise and guidance. Thanks, again, Biff!

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Have you considered writing a memoir?

2011-04-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Have you considered writing a memoir?

Blog posts or articles that discuss 'writing a memoir' tend to catch my attention. Having led a long life, already, I suppose I'd like to believe there are some of my stories that would make a decent memoir... certainly not a life story, but a memoir.

What makes a good memoir?

From his post of that title on his blog: 'Family History & Memoirs' Biff Barnes says:

"Values, honesty, intimacy and discovery – not a bad list of goals to strive for in writing your memoir."
Biff Barnes

What do you think?

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Washington by Ron Chernow

2011-04-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Washington: A Life

by Ron Chernow

This is the twenty-first entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I finally finished Team of Rivals on my kindle and am now taking on Washington: A Life, by Ron Chernow... I also have this in hard cover, but it is heavy... so I'll be reading it on the Kindle, in waiting rooms and while my wife is shopping... another good read, it appears from the early pages.

George Washington, of course, was a contemporary of my 5th great grandfather, Sergeant Major William Kinnick, who served under Washington (and a few intermediate commanders, of course) in the Revolutionary War. I am currently researching and working on a first draft of a non-fictiion account of the world this ancestor inhabited. Chernow's book is certainly one additional excellent reference.

Note, announced April 18, 2011: Pulitzer Prize for Biography to Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow, "a sweeping, authoritative portrait of an iconic leader learning to master his private feelings in order to fulfill his public duties."
Source: http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2011-Biography-or-Autobiography

A Description from Publishers Weekly on the Amazon site:

In his introduction, veteran biographer Chernow is clear about his goals. Using the recent "explosion of research," he wants to render George Washington "real" and "credible," to replace "frosty respect" with "visceral appreciation." In many respects, Chernow succeeds. He gives us a Washington who starts with limited education and means and, through a remarkable combination of timely deaths, an incredible capacity for hard work, a shrewd marriage, astonishing physical hardiness and courage, a propensity for land speculation, and a gift for finding influential patrons, transforms himself into a soldier, well-to-do planter, local official, and eventually the only real choice to command the Continental army, preside over the Constitutional Convention, and serve as the first president. Chernow makes familiar scenes fresh (like the crossing of the Delaware) and expertly brings the provisional revolutionary and early Republican eras to life. Along the way, however, he mistakes "visceral" for ardent; while he never hides Washington's less than saintly moments or shirks the vexed question of slavery, he often seems to ignore the data he's collected. Examples of shady dealing are quickly followed by tales of Washington's unimpeachable ethics or impeccable political savvy. At times it feels as if Chernow, for all his careful research and talent for synthesis, is in the grip of a full-scale crush. The result is a good book that would have been great if better edited, and if Chernow had trusted that Washington's many merits, even when accompanied by his faults, would speak for themselves.

*****

I've previously read 10-12 biographies of Washington, so I look forward to how this one more may, or may not, be different, or add to our better understanding of this "Father of our Country."
*****

Happy Reading,

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Driven West by A.J. Langguth

2011-03-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Driven West by A.J. Langguth

This is the twentieth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I have generally avoided the Jacksonian era, but am now tippy-toeing into it. I've been working on Team of Rivals on the Civil War and the last book noted here on President Polk. "Driven West" is a bit of a 'gap filler' and also has implications here in Souther Missouri because the "Trail of Tears" passed by here.

From Booklist on Amazon:

Excluding the most die-hard southern apologists, there is a consensus among historians that the original sin of slavery lay at the root of the sectional strife that developed into the Civil War. Within that consensus, however, there remains considerable debate. Why, for example, did the strife break out into a full-blown civil war, and why did it break out when it did? Langguth asserts that the uprooting of the so-called Five Civilized Tribes under the Jackson administration set in motion a train of events that led to the Mexican War. To illustrate his argument, Langguth traces four decades of American history between the end of the War of 1812 and the end of the Mexican War. He does so primarily by providing examinations of the personalities and actions of key players in those decades, including Henry Clay, John Calhoun, John Quincy Adams, and Cherokee leaders Major Ridge and John Ross. Langguth may not prove a direct line of causation to the Civil War, but he writes well and provides interesting insights into the actions of these men. --Jay Freeman

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? James K. Polk book

2011-02-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

James K. Polk book

This is the nineteenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

This week, I have started reading a book that has been on my shelf for awhile, but now is the time I am ready to read it. Having read Team of Rivals up to where the Civil War actually started, I'm going to continue it on the Kindle, as we approach the 150th anniversary of the various events.

This current book now "feels right" to me because it is just a little earlier in history and will provide some additional background on the story of the times that I just read, from a different perspective.

A Country of Vast Designs:

James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent

by Robert W. Merry

Product Description from Amazon:
When James K. Polk was elected president in 1844, the United States was locked in a bitter diplomatic struggle with Britain over the rich lands of the Oregon Territory, which included what is now Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Texas, not yet part of the Union, was threatened by a more powerful Mexico. And the territories north and west of Texas -- what would become California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and part of Colorado -- belonged to Mexico. When Polk relinquished office four years later, the country had grown by more than a third as all these lands were added. The continental United States, as we know it today, was established -- facing two oceans and positioned to dominate both.

In a one-term presidency, Polk completed the story of America's Manifest Destiny -- extending its territory across the continent, from sea to sea, by threatening England and manufacturing a controversial and unpopular two-year war with Mexico that Abraham Lincoln, in Congress at the time, opposed as preemptive.

Robert Merry tells this story through powerful debates and towering figures -- the outgoing President John Tyler and Polk's great mentor, Andrew Jackson; his defeated Whig opponent, Henry Clay; two famous generals, Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott; Secretary of State James Buchanan (who would precede Lincoln as president); Senate giants Thomas Hart Benton and Lewis Cass; Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun; and ex-president Martin Van Buren, like Polk a Jackson protégé but now a Polk rival.

This was a time of tremendous clashing forces. A surging antislavery sentiment was at the center of the territorial fight. The struggle between a slave-owning South and an opposing North was leading inexorably to Civil War. In a gripping narrative, Robert Merry illuminates a crucial epoch in U.S. history.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Team of Rivals

2011-01-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Team of Rivals

This is the eighteenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

As I noted last week, I finished reading "Private Life" by Jane Smily on the Kindle. I read it waiting for my wife in the Doctor's Office, the Lab work, and Urgent care, etc. Good waiting room reading. I like this kind of reading for these situations. I am just past a quarter through, starting the second year of his administration, with: "White House Diary" by Jimmy Carter, also on the Kindle.

In my other reading and writing I was recently reminded, with the 150th anniversary of the 'official' start of the Civil War just a few months away, that I have not yet read: "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goddwin. The very large book has been sitting on my "to read" shelf for four years - it is simply to heavy to handle, it seems. Now, however, with my early Kindle experience, that has changed. My wife was good enough to get the Kindle edition for my Kindle, and at her 45 minute shoulder therapy session today, I began to read Team of Rivals - I am so happy. ;-)

Here is the Publishers Weekly comment from the Amazon website:

Pulitzer Prize–winner Goodwin (No Ordinary Time) seeks to illuminate what she interprets as a miraculous event: Lincoln's smooth (and, in her view, rather sudden) transition from underwhelming one-term congressman and prairie lawyer to robust chief executive during a time of crisis. Goodwin marvels at Lincoln's ability to co-opt three better-born, better-educated rivals—each of whom had challenged Lincoln for the 1860 Republican nomination. The three were New York senator William H. Seward, who became secretary of state; Ohio senator Salmon P. Chase, who signed on as secretary of the treasury and later was nominated by Lincoln to be chief justice of the Supreme Court; and Missouri's "distinguished elder statesman" Edward Bates, who served as attorney general. This is the "team of rivals" Goodwin's title refers to.The problem with this interpretation is that the metamorphosis of Lincoln to Machiavellian master of men that Goodwin presupposes did not in fact occur overnight only as he approached the grim reality of his presidency. The press had labeled candidate Lincoln "a fourth-rate lecturer, who cannot speak good grammar." But East Coast railroad executives, who had long employed Lincoln at huge prices to defend their interests as attorney and lobbyist, knew better. Lincoln was a shrewd political operator and insider long before he entered the White House—a fact Goodwin underplays. On another front, Goodwin's spotlighting of the president's three former rivals tends to undercut that Lincoln's most essential Cabinet-level contacts were not with Seward, Chase and Bates, but rather with secretaries of war Simon Cameron and Edwin Stanton, and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. These criticisms aside, Goodwin supplies capable biographies of the gentlemen on whom she has chosen to focus, and ably highlights the sometimes tangled dynamics of their "team" within the larger assemblage of Lincoln's full war cabinet.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? White House Diary

2011-01-03T02:42:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? White House Diary

This is the seventeenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I just finished reading "Private Life" by Jane Smily on the Kindle. I read it waiting for my wife in the Doctor's Office, the Lab work, and Urgent care, etc. Good waiting room reading. I like this kind of reading for these situations.

My new reading on the Kindle is "White House Diary" by Jimmy Carter. I have always be fascinated by Presidential activities, beginning with George Washington, of course. I rarely read recent presidential books, but decided this distinctive perspective might be interesting. Here is the product description from Amazon:

"Each day during his presidency, Jimmy Carter made several entries in a private diary, recording his thoughts, impressions, delights, and frustrations. He offered unvarnished assessments of cabinet members, congressmen, and foreign leaders; he narrated the progress of secret negotiations such as those that led to the Camp David Accords. When his four-year term came to an end in early 1981, the diary amounted to more than five thousand pages. But this extraordinary document has never been made public—until now.

By carefully selecting the most illuminating and relevant entries, Carter has provided us with an astonishingly intimate view of his presidency. Day by day, we see his forceful advocacy for nuclear containment, sustainable energy, human rights, and peace in the Middle East. We witness his interactions with such complex personalities as Ted Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Joe Biden, Anwar Sadat, and Menachem Begin. We get the inside story of his so-called “malaise speech,” his bruising battle for the 1980 Democratic nomination, and the Iranian hostage crisis. Remarkably, we also get Carter’s retrospective comments on these topics and more: thirty years after the fact, he has annotated the diary with his candid reflections on the people and events that shaped his presidency, and on the many lessons learned.

Carter is now widely seen as one of the truly wise men of our time. Offering an unprecedented look at both the man and his tenure, this fascinating book will stand as a unique contribution to the history of the American presidency."

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

Writing plans for 2011

As a retired 71+ year old person (professor), making "New Years Resolutions" is really not especially useful.

First, I am retired; I can do pretty much as I wish (if my wife doesn't object) most any time I wish.

Second, family comes first - grandpa, husband, father, brother, uncle, etc.

Third, I have a contract to teach an/my on-line university course in the Spring.

FInally, with the time left, I write.

1. I expect to complete and publish my second novel in the Spring of 2011. I will continue to promote both novels through appropriate activities throughout the year.

2. I will continue to write weekly articles for Examiner.com on both my topic areas: Springfield Genealogy Examiner and Ozark Cultural Heritage Examiner.

http://www.examiner.com/genealogy-in-springfield-mo/dr-bill-william-l-smith
http://www.examiner.com/cultureal-heritage-in-springfield-mo/dr-bill-william-l-smith

3. I will continue to research and begin to write the non-fiction Revolutionary War family history book on Sergeant Major William Kinnick.

4. I will continue to research and write the non-fiction family history book on my great-grandfather Michael Smith.

5. I will continue my primary blogs, with most entries related to the research, writing and promoting I am doing at the time.

Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories
Dr. Bill on Retirement
Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar
The Homeplace Series Blog
The KINNICK Project

6. As mid-year approaches, I will step up the Civil War research and writing for my young adult Civil War novel and "The Beginnings" novel in "The Homeplace" series.

Happy Reading! ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Rival Rails

2010-10-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Rival Rails

This is the sixteenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am still working on Private Life by Jane Smily on the Kindle, about 45%, it says. I read it waiting for my wife in the Doctor's Office, the Lab work, and Urgent care, etc. Good waiting room reading. I like this kind of reading for these situations.

While in Colorado, Estes Park, at McDonald's Bookstore, I saw a new book that was going to have a book signing (after we were to live) at the local library by Dr. Walter R. Borneman. The title of the book is: "Rival Rails: The race to build America's greatest transcontinental railroad."

This is the review from Amazon by Jay Freeman for BookList:

Before the Civil War, the most logical route for the planned transcontinental railroad was across the southern plains and the deserts of the southwest. Instead, for reasons more political than economic, the more northerly route was selected, and the two strands were joined at Promontory Point, Utah, in 1868. Almost immediately, the competition began for the rights to build a web of lines across the southern route. Borneman, a historian and attorney, has written an interesting, if uneven, chronicle of the political as well as physical struggles to complete these tasks. He profiles numerous competing companies and their sponsors, and he describes their often cutthroat tactics and greed. Eventually, two large companies, the Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, squeezed out or absorbed other competitors. When he sticks to the actual process of construction, Borneman’s narrative is brisk, colorful, and exciting. It drags and confuses when it deals with the machinations in corporate board rooms. Still, this is a worthy look at a less-publicized aspect of railroad construction. --Jay Freeman

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Book Blog Tour: Call Me Kate by Molly Roe

2010-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Book Blog Tour

Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly Maguires

by Molly Roe

Today we are participating in the Book Blog Tour of Call Me Kate by Molly Roe. This is the Mom's Choice Award Winner in the young adult historical fiction category.

What is it about?

Fourteen-year-old Katie McCafferty risks job, family, and eventually her very life to rescue a lifelong friend. Disguised as a draft resister, Katie infiltrates a secret Irish organization to prevent bloodshed. Tragedies challenge her strength and ingenuity, and she faces a crisis of conscience. Can Katie balance her sense of justice with the law?

Call Me Kate is suitable for readers from eleven to adult. The story is dramatic and adventuresome, yet expressive of daily life in the patches of the hard coal region during the Civil War era. This novel will appeal to readers of the Dear America series, as well as more mature readers who will enjoy the story’s rich context and drama.

What are readers saying?

"Call Me Kate is a fascinating look at the time period of the early drafts for the Civil War. It focuses on a specific area of the country and the conflict that arose among the different classes and ethnicities. I got a brief history lesson on a time period that I wasn’t very familiar with. For anyone interested in getting some history with their fiction, Call Me Kate is a good book to add to your choices." - TeensReadToo.com

" The politics of the time, the history of how hard the struggle was for many poor families, is absolutely inspirational. The writer did a wonderful job bringing us back to the past, and making us understand that bigotry – in any form – can only harm. I am always so thankful when a writer comes out with a story that teaches something more than “unrequited love with a supernatural being.” Don’t get me wrong, those are fun, too. But this is a great story that will teach something and be fun at the same time." - BookPleasures.com

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Virtual Book Tour - Dr. Tiffany Brown of Atlanta - and Giveaway

2010-10-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

Virtual Book Tour

Dr. Tiffany Brown of Atlanta

The Reflections of Light for Daily Living: A Book of Affirmations for the Ambitious

Today we are pleased to be a part of the Virtual Book Tour for Dr. Tiffany Brown and her new book:

"The Reflections of Light for Daily Living: A Book of Affirmations for the Ambitious"

We have also been authorized to giveaway an autographed copy of the book and a smart phone app. Not in your comments whether you want to entered for one, both or neither. Thanks! ;-)

Dr. Brown answered a few questions for us about her book:

1) If people could take away one thing from your book, what would you want it to be?

Never give up on your goals in life but allow God to revise or tweak them into being aligned with his Will. Every failure is not a nightmare and every opportunity is not a blessing. Some failures can be blessings; some opportunities can be nightmares.

Allow God completely into your heart and watch your life begin to expand in the most amazing ways. I trust God in completely different way than before because I now have a testimony that I never had before. There is nothing like spectacular fall to truly give you a new relationship with God.

2) I love how you have included your life stories onto the pages and you are so relatable; what has been one of your biggest challenges in life and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge was bouncing back from my failed mayoral bid that was a disappointment on a professional and emotional level. It was completely humiliating because I was marginalized and misunderstood throughout the campaign. I felt like people didn’t get me; they just stereotyped me.

There were many people that I had supported in the past that didn’t return the favor added to the humiliation. I was very disappointed in people that I had respected and loved in every facet of my life. It definitely changed the way I see the world.

I was able to overcome it all through forgiveness. God forgives us for all our transgressions and I was forced to do the same. All the inspirational stories I wrote are from perspective of a reader; I wrote what I needed to hear at those desperate, heart wrenching times in my life. I wrote to encourage myself and now decided to share it with others.

3) What have you learned about yourself throughout the process of writing your book?

I learned not to take things so personally. Most decisions are based on individual personal ambition. Ambition is never right or wrong; it is the inner drive to have something more in your life. But sometimes your ambition can clash with others. You must not take it personally.

I also learned that having just me is enough because of God’s love. I now feel comfortable in my own skin; imperfections in all. I may not be perfect but I am attempting to be a best that I can. And that is enough as long as I try to stay aligned with God.

“The Reflections of Light for Daily Living: A Book of Affirmations for the Ambitious” will be released on October 23, 2010. (ISBN number 978-1-4512-3143-4 Publish America) http://www.publishamerica.net/product119240.html The E-Book will be offered for the low price for $9.95. The books are also available through Ingram book distributor.

Be sure to enter your giveaway preference in your comment - and leave contact information, or you will not be included in the drawings.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Private Life by Jane Smiley, on Kindle

2010-09-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Private Life by Jane Smiley, on Kindle

This is the fifteenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am nearing the end of The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon, by John Ferling, in Hard Back... bedtime reading.

However, my newest pursuit is Private Life by Jane Smily, on the small Kindle by wife got, to try the smaller size - she had originally gotten the larger version. She still likes the larger version, so I get to use the smaller one. I love it. I use it for day time reading, waiting at doctor's office, auto repair shops, etc.

I chose this volume of fiction because it is expansive and I don't know if I'll every finish it. It is my third Jane Smiley read, after Thousand Acres and Moo. Eccentric, to say the least. Here is the strange story it tells:

From Booklist via amazon.com
In her latest novel, after Ten Days in the Hills (2007), the Pulitzer Prize–winning author offers a cold-eyed view of the compromises required by marriage while also providing an intimate portrait of life in the Midwest and West during the years 1883–1942. By the time she reaches the age of 27, Margaret Mayfield has known a lot of tragedy in her life. She has lost two brothers, one to an accident, the other to illness, as well as her father, who committed suicide. Her strong-minded mother, Lavinia, knows that her daughter’s prospects for marriage are dim and takes every opportunity to encourage Margaret’s friendship with eccentric scientist Andrew Early. When the two marry and move to a naval base in San Francisco, Margaret becomes more than Andrew’s helpmeet—she is also his cook, driver, and typist as well as the captive audience for his rants against Einstein and his own quirky theories about the universe. As Smiley covers in absorbing detail both private and world events—a lovely Missouri wedding, the chaos of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the wrenching death of a baby—she keeps at the center of the narrative Margaret’s growing realization that she has married a madman and her subsequent attempts to deal with her marriage by becoming adept at “the neutral smile, the moment of patient silence,” before giving in to bitterness. Smiley casts a gimlet eye on the institution of marriage even as she offers a fascinating glimpse of a distant era. --Joanne Wilkinson

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? The Ascent of George Washington

2010-08-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? The Ascent of George Washington

This is the fourteenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

My latest read is The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon, by John Ferling, professor emeritus of history at the University of West Georgia, a leading authority on American Revolutionary history.

Ferling's earlier works include biographies of Washington and Adams, the election of 1800 between Adams and Jefferson, and a book on Washington, Adams and Jefferson, among others. So, I was especially interested in the new book (in 2009 - got as last Christmas gift) which focuses solely on the issue of Washington as a politician. Most historians skip over this role as, basically, non-existent. I have been anxious to examine this set of insights (after having read several Washington biographies, myself).

From the front cover flap:
Our first president has long been painted as a stoic figure who rose above the rough-and-tumble politics of his era. The Ascent of George Washington peers behind that image - one carefully burnished by Washington himself - to reveal a leader who was not only not above politics, but a master manipulator adept in the arts of persuasion, leverage, and deniability.

During the Revolution, Washington used his skills to steer the Continental Army through crises that would have broken less determined men; at the same time, he ruthlessly froze out rival generals and shrewdly defused dissent from those below him. Ending the war as a national hero, Washington "allowed" himself to be pressed into service as chief executive, and guided the nation with the same brilliantly maintained pose of selfless public interest.

In short, Washington deftly screened burning ambition behind an image of republican virtue - but that image made him just the leader that an over-matched army, and a shaky young nation, desperately needed. As Ferling reveals, the proof of Washington's political genius lies in the fact that he is no longer thought of as a politician at all. The Ascent of George Washington gives us Washington as we have never seen him before.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Sunday Fun Blogging

2010-08-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

Having fun over at my Genealogy Blog!

Happy Reading! ;-)

Back in the Saddle Again...

2010-08-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today, I accepted an invitation to be part of a book review tour in the latter part of October. I have been "taking it easy" on posting to this blog over the summer, with few reviews, and have not participated in book giveaways on book blogs, at all.

For those of my followers still checking in on me, from time to time, I'd like to ask your help and participation. I'm am going to schedule a book blog tour for my own novel, Back to the Homeplace, later this fall. If your blog, or the blog of someone you know, has a good number of readers interested in the "family saga" genre of books, I'd like to hear from you, in the comments. Last spring, I had a number of nice reviews, but some of them were on sites that specialized in other types of reading - I'd like to focus this time on "my readers!"

The Kindle version of the book is now $5.95 and Amazon has the hard copy at $13.45, if you want to check it out.

Thanks for your help! Each good recommendation will be appreciated. The second book in the series will be available next spring. See: http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/ - The Homeplace Revisited.

Each and every comment is appreciated, and I will attempt to respond to each. Happy to answer any questions.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Seeds of Summer

2010-08-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Seeds of Summer

This is the thirteenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

My latest read is Seeds of Summer by Deborah Vogts, her second novel in the Seasons of the Tallgrass series

Amazon.com:
Product Description

When opposites attract, sparks fly--like an electrical malfunction. That's what happens when former rodeo queen, Natalie Adams meets the new pastor in Diamond Falls. Upon the death of her father, Natalie returns to the Flint Hills to raise her two half-siblings and run the family ranch, giving up her dreams for the future. She soon realizes her time in college and as Miss Rodeo Kansas is not enough to break the bonds that held her as a girl. Jared Logan, a new pastor in Diamond Falls, is set on making a good impression to his first congregation, but finds that change doesn't come easy for some people. In fact, most in his congregation are set against it. Natalie and her troubled family provide an outlet for his energy and soon become his personal mission project.

Having raised her stepbrother and sister from an early youth, Natalie's self-sufficient nature isn't inclined to accept help, especially from a city-boy do-gooder like Jared Logen. Though attracted to him, there's no way she'd ever consider being a pastor's wife. Bible studies and bake sales just aren't her thing. Jared repeatedly comes to Natalie's rescue, forcing her to see him with new eyes. At the same time, Jared's plan to plant Christ's word in Natalie's heart backfires when he loses his own heart to this wayward family. When problems arise in his congregation, he must face his greatest fears---of letting down God, his congregation, or those he loves.

His time with Natalie has shown him the importance of standing by those you love, a lesson he chose to ignore in order to please his father years ago. This is put to the test when Natalie faces a battle of custody of her half-siblings against the mother who abandoned them twelve years ago. Natalie's fight for the children turns into a fight for custody of her heart as she learns the true meaning of unconditional love. In turn, Jared must decide which dreams are his own---and whether Natalie is part of those dreams.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Revolutionaries

2010-07-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

This is the twelfth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

My latest read is Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America by Jack Rakove.

Amazon.com Review:
Product Description
In the early 1770s, the men who invented America were living quiet, provincial lives in the rustic backwaters of the New World, devoted primarily to family, craft, and the private pursuit of wealth and happiness. None set out to become "revolutionary" by ambition, but when events in Boston escalated, they found themselves thrust into a crisis that moved, in a matter of months, from protest to war.

In this remarkable book, the historian Jack Rakove shows how the private lives of these men were suddenly transformed into public careers--how Washington became a strategist, Franklin a pioneering cultural diplomat, Madison a sophisticated constitutional thinker, and Hamilton a brilliant policymaker. Rakove shakes off accepted notions of these men as godlike visionaries, focusing instead on the evolution of their ideas and the crystallizing of their purpose. In Revolutionaries, we see the founders before they were fully formed leaders, as individuals whose lives were radically altered by the explosive events of the mid-1770s. They were ordinary men who became extraordinary--a transformation that finally has the literary treatment it deserves.

Spanning the two crucial decades of the country's birth, from 1773 to 1792, Revolutionaries uses little-known stories of these famous (and not so famous) men to capture--in a way no single biography ever could--the intensely creative period of the republic's founding. From the Boston Tea Party to the First Continental Congress, from Trenton to Valley Forge, from the ratification of the Constitution to the disputes that led to our two-party system, Rakove explores the competing views of politics, war, diplomacy, and society that shaped our nation.

Thoughtful, clear-minded, and persuasive, Revolutionaries is a majestic blend of narrative and intellectual history, one of those rare books that makes us think afresh about how the country came to be, and why the idea of America endures.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Bill ;-)

Calculated Risk: Adventures in Book Publishing

2010-07-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Calculated Risk: Adventures in Book Publishing

For those of you seriously interested in the future of book publishing (either as author or publisher), I recommend the following video (a speech - at the link on article, below) - it is not a "quick watch" - one that takes some concentration and reflection, but may change the way you see the world. This is not unlike the first time you were exposed to "The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson (and I certainly hope that you were!) regarding the impact of the Internet. I want to thank Dan Curtis - Professional Personal Historian for suggesting this source on his July 12 Monday's Link Roundup!

Article: The speech Chris Anderson of Wired says is the best he's ever seen on book publishing...Richard Eoin Nash - The Blog

The video runs a little over 35 minutes, and may be hard to get through; however, the last five minutes are especially useful IF YOU STUCK THROUGH THE FIRST 30 minutes.

What you want to get to is what he is suggesting about the content a writer writes versus the connection the writer really seeks - to achieve happiness.

Nash's current venture is: Cursor - assume this is to follow up on this speech.
http://thinkcursor.com/

In joining the mailing list, they ask What brought you here? Here was my reply:
"Saw the video by Nash, encouraged by Anderson; recommended by Dan Curtis' blog - Monday's Link Roundup"

Interesting path - building connections - leads to true happiness... ! ? !

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Review: An Artist in Treason

2010-07-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Book Review: An Artist in Treason

This is my review of "An Artist in Treason" by Andro Linklater with a subtitle that may set a modern day record: 'The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army and Agent 13 in the Spanish Secret Service.'

The subtitle really tells it all. Though he betrayed (some of) America's strategic secrets, sought to keep the new country from expanding beyond the Mississippi, and almost delivered Lewis and Clark's expedition into Spanish hands, four presidents {some might say the most important four, since they were the first four} - Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison - all turned a blind eye to his treachery. In the end, in the crucial test in 1806, Wilkinson did, at the last minute, turn the army against Aaron Burr and foiled his conspiracy to break up the Union.

Linklater adds documentation from Spanish archives unseen by prior historians further illuminate this distinctive character in American history.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. Wilkinson was born in Maryland, the state of one of my ancestors lines that I have studied the most. He has been a side character in many, many of the books I have read in recent years - portrayed in many different lights. Each of these angles was explored well by Linklater in this book. I felt that his treatment was very evenhanded. Although I certainly cannot condone many of his actions, this book provided me with a much better understanding of the circumstances he faced as he made the decisions he made - usually under very difficult and trying decisions. As a military man, he was often put in lose-lose situations, sometimes on purpose, by either his military or civilian superiors, even both, on occasion. As with a number of his contemporaries among the founding and next generation, personal vanity often did play an over-sized role in his decision making - leading to many, if not most, of his many problems - personal and professional. This story also sheds illuminating light on many of the other 'historical' characters with whom he interacted through his career.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Bill ;-)

Emporia, Kansas, Book Signing Update

2010-06-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Over on my The Homeplace Series Blog, I have recorded some comments and a couple of photos from the neat book signing in Emporia, Kansas, yesterday.

If you haven't done so, already, I also encourage you to become a follower, so you can keep up with the latest on my "Homeplace" series - the second book is The Homeplace Revisited, you can see the cover in the right sidebar, will be out in a few months. Most Wednesdays, I record a Homeplace recipe, most Fridays I post a Flora and Fauna item, and on some Surname Saturdays, you get some family genealogy, family history, or just some tidbits on the fictional family of the series. I want you to get to know them well. I hope you will buy the first book, as well as the second, and read them.

Thanks, Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill ;-)

Help settle a bet... ok?

2010-06-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

My novel, "Back to the Homeplace," is currently ranked: #1,802,557 in Books on Amazon. I bet my friend 10 bucks that if I sold 5 copies of the book, today, on Amazon, the ranking would go up over 800,000 places. What do you think? Can it make that much difference, or is that crazy?

Will you help? If you've been meaning to buy it, anyway, one day... please do it today. I just need FIVE people to order it, TODAY, to win the bet. THANKS!

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill ;-)

Next Book Giveaway and Book Signing

2010-06-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

My next Book Giveaway Contest will take place in about a month, during the last ten days or so in July. Please check back then, if not before.

In the meantime, you might give "Back to the Homeplace" a read. I'll be doing in Book Signing in Emporia, Kansas, this weekend:

Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith will be signing his novel, "Back to the Homeplace," and his latest non-fiction book, "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories," at the:

4th Annual Author Extravaganza at the Town Crier in Emporia Kansas

Saturday, June 26, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 716 Commerical in Emporia.

See details at: http://www.towncrierbookstore.com/

Happy Summer reading!

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? An Artist in Treason

2010-06-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? An Artist in Treason

This is the eleventh entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

My latest read is An Artist in Treason by Andro Linklater with a subtitle that may set a modern day record: The Extraordinary Double Life of General James Wilkinson, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army and Agent 13 in the Spanish Secret Service.

The subtitle really tells it all. Though he betreayed (some of) America's strategic secrets, sought to keep the new country from expanding beyond the Mississippi, and almost delivered Lewis and Clark's expedition into Spanish hands, four presidents {some might say the most important four, since they were the first four} - Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison - all turned a blind eye to his treachery. In the end, in the crucial test in 1806, Wilkinson did, at the last minute, turn the army against Aaron Burr and foiled his conspiracy to break up the Union.

Linklater adds documentation from Spanish archives unseen by prior historians further illuminate this distinctive character in American history.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Bill ;-)

Congratulations, Barry

2010-06-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Very proud of my brother, Barry Smith, on the success of his distinctive novel, Only Milo.

See photo and really good story in Ames, Iowa, newspaper:

http://amestrib.com/articles/2010/06/12/boone/news/doc4c123f52b99cd489041776.txt

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? The Revolutionary Paul Revere

2010-06-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? The Revolutionary Paul Revere

This is the tenth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am now reading "The Revolutionary Paul Revere" by Joel J. Miller

From the back cover of this trade paperback book:

He's famous for his ride.
He's essential for so much more.

The story of Paul Revere is the story of the American Revolution. Always smack dab in the thick of things, he was an ordinary citizen living in extraordinary turbulent times. Revere played key roles in colonial tax fights and riots, the infamous Boston Massacre, the Tea Party, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and even the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In this fast-paced, dramatic account, Paul Revere's life pulses with energy as author Joel J. Miller explores his family and church life along with his revolutionary contribution as a spy, entrepreneur, express rider, freemason, and commercial visionary.

The first few chapters have been an enjoyable read. I am looking forward to the rest of it.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Mom Still Likes You Best

2010-06-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is the ninth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am currently reading "Mom Still Likes You Best: The Unfinished Business Betwen Siblings" by Jane Isay

From a series of fairly heavy reading books, I have shifted to some lighter reading, partly as background research for my fiction writing, a family saga series.

Jane Isay is the author of the earlier "Walking on Eggshells: Navigating the Delicate Relationship Between Adult Children" and has been an editor for over forty years.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Bill ;-)

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-06-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Esther of Esther's Blog for awarding me the Beautiful Blogger Award.

In a bit, I'll follow the rest of the award process. Thank you, again.

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Giveaway Winner - Dead or Alive

2010-05-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway Winner - Dead or Alive

The winner of the Book Giveaway contest for the book: DEAD OR ALIVE by Michael McGarrity is Barbara from Minnesota. Thanks to all who entered. My Book Giveaways will resume in Mid-June. Note that Amazon has an amazing price on the book, if you want to order it for yourself.

I am going on vacation, for about three weeks. Don't forget me, but I'll let the blog sit during this time.

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Review of Back to the Homeplace by Linda

2010-05-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Book Review of Back to the Homeplace

by Linda Brandau @ Bookvisions

Back to the Homeplace is an engaging story of four families brought together because of the unusual stipulations of a will. The cover of the book is beautiful and sets the Midwestern tone.

The characters are nicely developed so that each is unique. You understand who they are and why they returned to the homestead. The families are realistic with normal family dynamics, and it is easy to care about what happens to them. The reader understands how each character’s personality – the temperamental one, the team players, the loner – influences their role on the property. Mr. Smith’s descriptions of the different areas of property are well done and it was easy to visualize the White Oak trees, trails, and buildings.

As soon as you are settled in and comfortable with the story, there are several twists. Secrets are revealed and lives are torn apart. This has quite an emotional impact on the story. I appreciated the way the Mr. Smith handled sensitive subjects tactfully.

This review is posted at: Bookvisions, amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, powells.com, librarything and goodreads.

Thank you, Linda!

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill ;-)

Sunshine Award

2010-05-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Julie @ Reading without Restraint for passing along this Sunshine Award!

May we each bring a little Sunshine into each of our days!

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? The Science of Liberty

2010-05-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

This is the eighth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am currently reading "The Science of Liberty" by Timothy Ferris

From the Amazon site, editorial review from Booklist:
Ferris, the prominent science author and PBS series host, champions scientific and classical liberal values in this work. Holding that the rise of science blazed the trail for liberal democracy, Ferris opens with profiles of seventeenth-century philosophical pioneers in each arena, Francis Bacon and John Locke, and continues with embodiments of the Enlightenment’s intersection of science and self-government, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. Historical episodes in which authoritarianism suppressed liberty and democracy occupy much of Ferris’ subsequent analysis: in his discussions of the regimes of Robespierre, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, Ferris convincingly demonstrates that the disasters that befell science and scientists under their sway stemmed from the extinction of freedom. In contemporary times, the threat to scientific and democratic values, Ferris writes, comes from deconstructionist philosophers and their pilot fish in academia, and from Islamic radicalism. Disparaging illusions about a perfect society at the base of various stripes of totalitarianism––Communist, Fascist, or Fundamentalist Muslim––Ferris vindicates his thesis that humanity’s progress ensues only whenever science’s anti-authoritarian, egalitarian commitment to free inquiry is allowed to range wherever curiosity will take it. --Gilbert Taylor

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html
Hope you'll check out my book giveaways:
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/

Book Giveaway Winner - Glorious

2010-05-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

The winner of our Book Giveaway contest for Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden was Wendy from Indiana. Congratulations!

Be sure to see our new Book Giveaway contest already underway: Dead or Alive by Michael McGarrity.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Giveaway - Dead or Alive

2010-05-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway - Dead or Alive

For the next ten day, I will be conducting a Book Giveaway contest for the book for which I wrote a recent book review: DEAD OR ALIVE by Michael McGarrity. I love this series. But, you need not have read any other books in this series to enjoy this book to the fullest.

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) US residents only.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by May 20, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Signing at Body Works Spa and Salon in Branson

2010-05-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Book Signing at Body Works Spa and Salon in Branson

On Thursday of this week, late afternoon and early evening, I had a Book Signing at the Spring Open House of the Body Works on Green Mountain Drive in Branson, MO. Here I am with one of the ladies who bought a copy of the book.

A good time was had by all. Met some really nice people.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Here is the clip from TV interview

2010-05-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was very pleased to appear live on Tuesday on Springfield, MO, ABC Affiliate KSPR 4 pm news segment, Community Closeup. Here is the clip.

If you haven't already, I hope this encourages you to buy the book. Click on your choice in left sidebar.
Back to the Homeplace.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Book Giveaway - Glorious

2010-05-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway - Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden

I currently am the proud holder of two autographed copies of this fine novel. One of you will be the lucky one who will receive one of these copies as winner of this Book Giveaway Contest. If you have not seen the great review and comments at Just One More Paragraph, I encourage you go over there and read that information, including a couple of links to other good information. But, first, enter the contest here.

If you want to simply buy the book, now, here is your opportunity to do that.

Finally, this contest during the first third of May is also to celebrate our 100 blog followers, sure to be reached during this contest.

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment. For this contest, a NEW FOLLOWER gets one extra entry!

4) US residents only.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by May 10, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

P.S. Do you have your copy of Back to the Homeplace, yet? Click on one of the gadgets in the left sidebar to order, TODAY! THANKS! ;-)

Book Giveaway Winner - Moonlight Falls

2010-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway Winner - Moonlight Falls by Vincent Zandri

The winner of our Book Giveaway for the second half of April is Moonlight Falls by Vincent Zandri was Karen from Arizona. Congratulations! It is on its way to you. If you were not the winner, but would still like a copy of the book, here is the link to Amazaon.com to order one.

Watch for our new May book giveaway later today or tomorrow, celebrating our 100th follower during this contest!

In the meantime, order your copy of Back to the Homeplace, just click one of the links in the sidebars, on the left, for your choice. Thanks, and...

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill ;-)

Latest Book Review and Giveaway - Allison's Attic

2010-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Go to Allison's Attic to see the latest Book Review and Book Giveaway for Back to the Homeplace.

Order your copy today, see sidebars for options! Lowest cost is at Amazon.com"

For an autographed copy, or to see the book trailer, see:

http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Proofreading reminder

2010-04-29T09:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to our friends at; eNews from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, toward the end of a good article on proofreading manuscripts:

"One thing you must prepare yourself for is that no matter how many people proofread your document, the minute you publish something you will find an error that wasn’t caught. Rare is the book or magazine that doesn’t have some type of error in it. You will also discover that many people jump to give you feedback about errors. Some will present it to you in a friendly tone to assist you. Others will come across as self-important know-it-alls who criticize others to inflate their own self-worth. Kindly thank the former, and ignore the latter. Include the important step of proofreading in your writing, and your final product will always be the best it can be."

To subscribe or view back issues of eNews, please visit www.newenglandancestors.org/publications/eNews.asp.

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

See Interview by Linda Weaver Clarke

2010-04-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen it yet, please do stop by the blog of Author and Lecturer Linda Weaver Clarke to see the interview she did with me about my new book, Back to the Homeplace. You will learn some new things not previously disclosed. She is also offering a free, autographed copy of the book in her giveaway!

Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Savages & Scoundrels

2010-04-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

This is the seventh entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am currently reading "Savages & Scoundrels: The Untold Story of America's Road to Empire Through Indian Territory" by Paul VanDevlder

From the Book Description: Paul VanDevelder takes as his focal point the epic federal treaty ratified in 1851 at Horse Creek, formally recognizing perpetual ownership by a dozen Native American tribes of 1.1 million square miles of the American West. The astonishing and shameful story of this broken treaty—one of 371 Indian treaties signed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—reveals a pattern of fraudulent government behavior that again and again displaced Native Americans from their lands. VanDevelder describes the path that led to the genocide of the American Indian; those who participated in it, from cowboys and common folk to aristocrats and presidents; and how the history of the immoral treatment of Indians through the twentieth century has profound social, economic, and political implications for America even today.

Early on he suggests: "It was in twelfth-century Europe that a succession of brilliant Catholic popes ... also created the laws that enabled them to send crusading armies into the Holy Lands to confiscate territory..." Well researched and documented, I am interested in seeing more of the detail that is promised.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html
Hope you'll check out my book giveaways:
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/

Book Review - Dead or Alive

2010-04-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Book Review - Dead or Alive

I just finished reading Dead or Alive in paperback by Michael McGarrity, the 12th in The Kevin Kerney Novel series. I've read them all, over the years. As Tony Hillerman, since deceased, is quoted on the back cover, "How good it is to follow a detective created by a man who has been there and done that." Over the years, Kerney, the lead character has held numerous New Mexico law enforcement positions, which has made the series especially interesting. He is now in semi-retirement (my description) with a wife and young son.

The Kearney family is in London, where Sara is a career Army officer on her last assignment before retirement back to their New Mexico ranch. When word reaches Kevin Kearney that his ranch manager/horse business partner has been gunned down at the ranch, it brings him back in search of a psychotic murderer with a growing appetite for blood. He is joined in the search by his half-Apache adult son, Lieutenant Clayton Istee of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department. The chase covers broad sections of northeast New Mexico and eventually brings grueling mountain treks leading to a satisfying climax.

A western setting for the police procedural murder mystery offers all any one who like this genre could ask. It reads well, being written by someone who know of what he writes... and really enjoys it! A five star recommendation.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill

Author of "Back to the Homeplace" - check it out:
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Dead or Alive

2010-04-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Dead or Alive

This is my sixth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am now reading Dead or Alive in paperback by Michael McGarrity, the 12th in The Kevin Kerney Novel series. I've read them all, over the years. As Tony Hillerman, since deceased, is quoted on the back cover, "How good it is to follow a detective created by a man who has been there and done that." Over the years, Kerney, the lead character has held numerous New Mexico law enforcement positions, which has made the series especially interesting. He is now in semi-retirement (my description) with a wife and child. A tragedy that occurs on his ranch while he is away, brings him back in search of a thrill killer... what more could you ask of a police procedural/murder mystery! ;-)

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill

Author of "Back to the Homeplace" - check it out:
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Book Review - U. S. Grant by Joan Waugh

2010-04-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Book Review

U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth

by Joan Waugh

I finished reading U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth by Joan Waugh, and I am glad I did read the whole thing. April 27 will be the 188th anniversary of the birth of Ulysses S. Grant in a small town in Ohio. For many years after this death in 1885, April 27 was celebrated as Grant Day by many across the country and around the world signifying the high esteem in which he was held for many years following his service in the Civil War and as a two-term President of the United States. Many saw Washington, Lincoln and Grant as "Father, Savior, Defender." During the twentieth-century, this assessment changed dramatically for many reasons. This book is a serious effort to set the record straight - laying our the history as it occurred, the good and the not-so-good - and how "history" has been recorded differently during subsequent periods of our national existence.

Among other things, this book is a Main Selection of the History Book Club, and a Selection of the Military Book Club and the Book-of-the-Month Club. I have been waiting for a new "unbiased" book on Grant for some time. I have found it in Waugh's book. The first third of the book is a nice summary of his life, including the war and his presidency. The last two thirds is a thorough analysis, based on review of primary source materials, of how Grant has been treated by history, historians and the media since that time. The controversy surrounding the building of Grant's Tomb/Memorial in New York City is used as platform to examine the events of the latter years of the nineteenth century as they considered the events surrounding the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the roles of white southerners, former slaves and veterans of both the Union and Confederate armies as they approached old age.

I give this book a strong positive recommendation for anyone willing to read objectively about the last 150 years of our U. S. history as we approach the Civil War Sesquicentennial next year!

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill

http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Book Giveaway - Moonlight Falls

2010-04-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway - Moonlight Falls by Vincent Zandri

Our Book Giveaway for the second half of April is Moonlight Falls by Vincent Zandri; I won this copy in a contest with Molly Edwards at Book Reviews by Buuklvr81 back in March.

I am pleased to pass this copy along to one lucky winner here.

About the novel, from the publisher:
In MOONLIGHT FALLS, novelist and photojournalist Vincent Zandri asks the question "If you knew your life could end at any moment, how far would you go t prove you murdered your lover?"
Albany, New York, is the setting of Zandri's paranoid thriller (in the Hitchcock tradition) about Richard "Dick" Moolight, former APD detective turned private investigator/message therapist, who believes he killed Scarlet Montana, his illicit lover and wife of his ex-boss Chief of Detectives Jake Montana. The dilemma... Moonlight doesn't remember what happened!

My comment: Read Molly's excellent discussion of this book from the blog tour! Enjoy!

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) US residents only.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by April 30, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

Winner of the Back to the Homeplace Book Giveaway 1

2010-04-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Back to the Homeplace Book Giveaway, picked by Random.org List Randomizer was:

Natalie W from The Book Inn

If you missed out on the Giveaway, order your copy today:

Check in tomorrow for a new Book Giveaway for the second half of April.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

It's Monday, What are You Reading? U. S. Grant

2010-04-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading? U. S. Grant

This is my fifth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am now reading U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth by Joan Waugh. Among other things, this book is a Main Selection of the History Book Club, and a Selection of the Military Book Club and the Book-of-the-Month Club. I have been waiting for a new "unbiased" book on Grant for some time. I believe I have found it in Waugh's book. The first third of the book is a nice summary of his life, including the war and his presidency. The last two thirds, that I am just getting into is a thorough analysis, based on review of primary source materials, of how Grant has been treated by history, historians and the media since that time. I really like what I have seen so far....

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill

http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Latest Promotions - Check them out!

2010-04-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Check out "movies in My brain" - a neat promotion! ;-)

And don't miss our own giveaway -

http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-giveaway-back-to-homeplace.html
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

Stop by at: http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/2010/04/research-for-homeplace-revisted-dog.html
and help me name a dog - OK?? ;-) Win a book, or two! ;-)

...and video book trailer:
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

Winner of A Reliable Wife announced

2010-03-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

The winner in the A Reliable Wife book giveaway, picked by the Random.org List Randomizer was:

Jennifer G. of NC

Thanks for the over 70 entries in the last giveaway! A new book giveaway will be held in the last half of April. Check back then.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

In case you missed it, you can get a copy of A Reliable Wife on Amazon:

Book Giveaway - Back to the Homeplace

2010-03-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway - Back to the Homeplace

I am giving away a copy of Back to the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith during the first two weeks of April 2010, starting today. You can see a recent book review in my last post.

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) Your email address will be added to a mailing list for Dr. Bill's Homeplace Newsletter (electronic monthly, first of each month) unless you specifically ask to opt out.

4) For an extra entry, Follow this blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

5) For another extra entry, Follow me on Twitter. If you already follow me, just mention that in your comment. (Twiter is at bottom of this blog, right side)

6) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

7) Domestic USA mailing addresses only, please.

8) If you win, I will encourage you to read the book, publish a review, and hold your own giveaway with the copy, and/or donate the book to your local library, so others have a chance to read it as well.

All entries must be submitted by Friday, midnight, cst, April 16. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

Book Review on Amazon 1

2010-03-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Book Review of Back to the Homeplace on Amazon

Back to the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith transports readers to small town American of the late 1980s. Four siblings and their families are reunited under the auspices of a unique will. Complex relationships and family secrets emerge as the Bevins family members search for their place in the local community.

The interesting introductions at the beginning of most chapters helped take me back to the news and entertainment of the 1980s. I've read many books set in the 1960s or 1970s, but this is the first that concentrates on events of the 1980s. This is important for the mood and context of the story. Smith did an outstanding job weaving social issues of the late 1980s with timeless family relationships. Growing up in the midwest, I could relate to both the small town atmosphere and the varied viewpoints represented in the book. What I found particularly interesting was how Smith followed members of both the older and younger generations dealing with issues unique to each group.

Strong character development and realistic situations draw readers into the family farm setting during the first half of the novel. Smith's creative double-twist climax keeps readers engaged through the second half of the book and the conclusion leaves readers wanting to return to the Homeplace for more.

I look forward to the next book in this great new series. Annette Lamb "eduscapes"

[Included in Cym's March 30 Book Review Party Wednesday - Thanks!]

Happy Reading!

Bill ;-)

Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

Book Review - The New How

2010-03-24T02:58:00.000-07:00

Book Review

The New How: Creating Business Solutions through Collaborative Strategy

As a recently retired Professor of Management at at AACSB accredited University business school, my first reaction to this book was: Oh-no, another would-be business guru consultant writing a book on business strategy!

With that background, let me give the negatives and positives as I see them. First, a positive: the word Collaborative in the sub-title is encouraging, and it seems to have been carried throughout the book, including in the neat cartoons used to make the reading easier. There must be ongoing collaboration among and between managers at various levels and different departments in order to either effectively plan or execute strategies.

The "Air Sandwich" metaphor that seems to permeate Merchant's consulting approach does not do anything for me, but if she has found it effective in working with her clients than I will object - because, the premise behind the metaphor is valid. Top executives must bridge that gap to front line managers and front line workers. Note the recent interest in the CBS television show, "Undercover Boss!"

The book may seem too big/long to some, but it is actually pretty normal in the business book publishing business. It is an easy read, with useful graphics and examples to break up the theory and procedural details.

It is certainly not a management text, and really offers nothing new (as the title would suggest), but I would recommend it to readers who have not had a lot of exposure to recent management classes or consultants. It does represent most of what is now seen as good practice, and I believe it is easy to follow and understand for the average manager.

Note: This review first written as a LibraryThing.com Early Reviewer review.

[Included in Cym's April 7 Book Review Party Wednesday]

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Farm Journalist

2010-03-22T01:39:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist: Writings from the Ozarks, Edited by Stephen W. Hines

This is my fourth entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist: Writings from the Ozarks, Edited by Stephen W. Hines, is as book that has been on my shelf for a year or so, awaiting the right time to pluck it off and check it out. It is a timeless book, but the time was right this week. I am finishing my own debut novel set on an Ozarks farm, Back to the Homeplace, and outlining the next in the series, so my mind is on Ozarks farming, I suppose.

This volume contains collected essays by Wilder that orignially appeared in the Missouri Ruralist between 1911 and 1924. Writing as "Mrs. A. J. Wilder" about modern life in the early twentieth-century Ozarks, Laura lends her advice to women of her generation on such timeless issues as how to be an equal partner with their husbands, how to support the new freedoms they'd won with the right to vote, and how to maintain important family values in their changing world. She also discusses practical matters such as raising chickens and how to save time on household tasks while setting aside time to relax now and then.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Book Review - First in Peace

2010-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

Book Review
First in Peace: How George Washington Set the Course for America
Conor Cruise O'Brien

It is a pleasure to review this little non-fiction piece on George Washington by the late Conor Cruise O'Brien, who is also author of "The Long Affair."

Written just before his death, O"Brien, the international commentator and author, wanted to set the record straight on his feeling about George Washington versus Thomas Jefferson after some of the reaction to his position on Jefferson in "The Long Affair." The subtitle of this book: "How George Washington Set the Course for America" gives a pretty clear indication of the direction he is taking. His position seems to fit well with my impressions after reading more than a dozen recent books of each Jefferson and Washington.

This book walks carefully through both the first and the second term of President Washington and documents, with excellent end notes, his relationship with Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, of course, served first as Secretary of State in the Washington cabinet. After Jefferson resigned and resumed "private life," the rivalry continued as Jefferson acted behind the scenes to develop the rival Democratic-Republican party and Washington attempted to maintain his activities "above" the Federalist party. O'Brien notes some interesting exceptions, especially as related to the Whiskey Rebellion and the Jay Treaty ratification.

If you have an interest in the relationship between Washington and Jefferson and/or this critical period in our history, I highly recommend this small book.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares
http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html

Award Received and Passed On

2010-03-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

I was very pleased to receive an award from a fellow book blogger, Paula at Community Bookstop.

This is a pass-along award, and I am pleased to that!
Rules are that when you receive the award you must:
a. post who it is from with their link; and then pass it on.
b. pass the award on to 5 other bloggers.

Note: Be sure you notify the new recipients of the award also.... :-)

My picks for the blog sites to award are:

1. Suko's Notebook

2. Allison's Attic

3. Bibliophile By the Sea

4. Home Girl's Book Blog

5. Reading to Know

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Review - The Invention of Air

2010-03-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

The Invention of Air by Steven Johnson

Steven Johnson places Joseph Priestley well in his time as well as in the intellectual development science (natural philosophy), faith (a founder of the Unitarian Church), and political theory (interactions with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson) coming out of the Age of Enlightenment. His multi-disciplinary approach laid the groundwork for ecosystem theories in today's science even though his experiments were as an "amateur." Finally, the end of the story regarding how the Jeffereson-Priestley letters had such a profound influence on the later Adams-Jefferson infamous correspondence exchanges was fascinating.

[Included in Cym's March 23 Book Review Party Wednesday - Thanks!]

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Winner in the Beach Street Giveaway

2010-03-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Book Giveaway - Beach Street - was: Jackie from Georgia.

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Be sure to check out our current book giveaway: A Reliable Wife.

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Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Giveaway - A Reliable Wife

2010-03-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Book Giveaway - A Reliable Wife

Our Book Giveaway for the second half of March is A Reliable Wife, the debut novel of Robert Goolrick, author of the memoir The End of the World As We Know It.

About the novel, from the publisher:
For Ralph Truitt, the wealthy businessman who had advertised for "a reliable wife," this was also to be a new beginning. Years of solitude, denial, and remorse would be erased, and Catherine Land, whoever she might be, would be the vessel of his desires, the keeper of his secrets, the means to recover what was lost. That was his plan.

My comment: Set in early twentieth century Wisconsin, this is a haunting story of love and madness, passion and murder. Enjoy! ;-)

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) US residents only.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by March 26, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

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Book Review - Drake's Bay

2010-03-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Last week I was reading "Drake's Bay" by Thomas Roberts. [It is an advance readers copy that my wife got from LibraryThing. Her review was so positive, I decided I should give it a try. It has to do with a history professor in San Francisco that lives on a boat with his young wife and gets involved in discovering some logs of Sir Francis Drake's late sixteen century voyages.]

Ethan Storey seems to be a fairly laid back California history professor, not intimidated by his colleagues at Berkley, and enjoys his time on his wooden sailing boat, the Drake, that his father, also a history professor, built as Ethan was growing up, after his mother had died. His father left Ethan the boat, and little else, when he died, years ago. Ethan takes on a part-time consulting job to catalogue a large, old collection of books, across the street from Berkley, owned by a rich family based in Antwerp, the Willems. It turns out the the collection has been the center of a struggle between the Willems and the Ballentines, a wealthy family based in Berkley, since the late 1930s. Ethan and Kay are not married; but living together on the boat in an interesting relationship that evolves along with the mystery. She is a property attorney, it turns out, working for the Ballentines.

The book does not read like a mystery at first, it is just an interesting story... although the professor who earlier had worked at cataloguing this same collection turns up murdered in New York City... New and old relationships are revealed among numerous twists and turns... and we end up with an exciting, exceptional, satisfying "mystery book" conclusion.

I highly recommend this book to any mystery enthusiast.

[Included in Cym's April 13 Book Review Party Wednesday - Thanks!]

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Drake's Bay

It's Monday, What are You Reading? First in Peace

2010-03-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

This is my third entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

After three mysteries in a row, I decided to go back to my Christmas Wish List gifts, and am reading a little non-fiction piece on George Washington by the late Conor Cruise O'Brien, also author of "The Long Affair," "First in Peace." Written just before his death, O"Brien, the international commentator and author, wanted to set the record straight on his feeling about George Washington versus Thomas Jefferson after some of the reaction to his position on Jefferson in "The Long Affair." The subtitle of this book: "How George Washington Set the Course for America" gives a pretty clear indication of the direction he is taking. It seems to fit well with my impressions after reading more than a dozen recent books on each Washington and Jefferson. I'll share more more in my review, in the coming weeks.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

2010-03-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

Winner of Emmy's Equal was Naida from New Jersey.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Be sure to be a follower and enter The Beach Street Giveaway.

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Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Giveaway - Beach Street

2010-02-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Book Giveaway - the beach street knitting society and yarn club

I am giving away a copy of "the beach street..." - how can it miss, with beach, knitting, society, yarn and club all in the title!

Please become a follower even if you don't enter the contest - I'm trying to move to over 50 followers during this two weeks. Thanks!

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) US residents only, no P.O. boxes.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by March 12, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Review - The Ninth Daughter

2010-02-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

Book Review - The Ninth Daughter

I just finished reading the new "An Abigail Adams Mystery" - The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton. It is tough reading at first, but grows on you (me, anyway!).

The author goes into great detail about life in the 1770s in Boston, just prior to the Revolution breaking out. The ships of tea are in the harbor! By the end of the book (Mini Spoiler), the tea is dumped, by the way!

There is a grisly murder of a woman in the home of a good lady friend of Abigail. Were the Sons of Liberty involved? The British Provost Marshall thinks her husband, John Adams, did it... surely his "proof" is bogus! Abigail works with a British officer and his assistant to uncover the truth, as Sons of Liberty meetings are going on, and Abigail has her housewifely and community responsibilities to fulful. Neither the officer nor Abigail trust each other, early on, but grow to build the necessary trust to solve the crime and apprehend those responsible.

The story is filled with great detail of household daily activities, the filthy streets, the bad weather, life on the dock and wharfs, etc., etc. Abigail makes two excruciating trips into the back country, tracing clues and interacting (or trying to avoid interactions) with a small community dominated by a religious zealot.

If you find this kind of historical setting and mystery plot of interest, than you will like this novel. Frankly, it is unlike anything I've read before, and that is a compliment.

Note: This review will also be published on LibraryThing.com: http://www.librarything.com/

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

P.S. Hope you'll check out my book giveaway:
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/2010/02/book-giveaway-beach-street.html

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Drake's Bay

2010-02-22T05:08:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

This is my second entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am now reading "Drake's Bay" by Thomas Roberts. It is an advance readers copy that my wife got from LibraryThing. Her review was so positive, I decided I should give it a try. It has to do with a history professor in San Francisco that lives on a boat with his young wife and gets involved in discovering some logs of Sir Francis Drake's late sixteen century voyages.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Have you read Linda Weaver Clarke?

2010-02-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

If you like Linda Weaver Clarke books, like I do, check out the review of "Elena Woman of Courage" at Suko's Notebook. She is also giving away an earlier Clarke book, autographed. Check it out!

Bill ;-)

Hope you'll check out my book giveaway:
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/2010/02/book-giveaway-emmys-equal.html

Book Giveaway - Emmy's Equal

2010-02-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

I am giving away the copy of Emmy's Equal (Texas Fortunes, Book No. 3) by Marcia Gruver from my recent book review.

Marcia Gruver lists herself as an Author of Factual Fiction. She "tends to weigh in occasionally on eternally significant issues, and her true passion is Christian fiction."

Emmy's Equal, the third of her "Texas Fortunes" trilogy, set in 1906 Texas, meets these criteria with a subtitle of: "A strong-willed city girl meets her match in a stubborn vaquero."

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) US residents only, no P.O. boxes.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by February 26, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Review - Emmy's Equal

2010-02-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

Emmy's Equal (Texas Fortunes, Book No. 3) by Marcia Gruver

Marcia Gruver lists herself as an Author of Factual Fiction. She "tends to weigh in occasionally on eternally significant issues, and her true passion is Christian fiction."

Emmy's Equal, the third of her "Texas Fortunes" trilogy, set in 1906 Texas, meets these criteria with a subtitle of: "A strong-willed city girl meets her match in a stubborn vaquero."

This book has a great story with significant interplay of the different cultures. It takes some getting used to early in the book, but overall is well laid out and satisfying.

It was easy to imagine the South Texas setting and people living there. The story about the wild horse and what happened to him was especially fascinating.

Each of the characters goes through their individual twists and turns of the plot lines, but everything comes together well in the final chapters and no one is left hanging.

If you like historical fiction, I predict you will enjoy this good read! ;-)

See my next post for a Book Giveaway of this book.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Winners in the Plum Pudding book giveaway

2010-02-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

Winners in the Plum Pudding book giveaway, picked by the Random.org List Randomizer were:
1. Esme from California, and
2. Jason from Minnesota

Thanks to over 30 entries! A new book giveaway for the last half of February will begin on Wednesday. Check back then.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

It's Monday, What are You Reading?

2010-02-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is my first entry for this meme, suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books.

I am now reading the new "An Abigail Adams Mystery" - The Ninth Daughter by Barbara Hamilton. It is tough reading at first, but grows on you (me, anyway!). I'm about half way through. She goes into great detail about life in the 1770s in Boston, just prior to the Revolution breaking out. The ship of tea is in the harbor! There is a grisly murder of a woman in the home of a good lady friend. Were the Sons of Liberty involved? The British Provost Marshall thinks her husband, John Adams, did it... but has no proof, of course. Abigail works with this British officer uncover the truth, as Sons of Liberty meetings are going on, and Abigail has her housewifely and community responsibilities to fulful. I'm a little more than half through; story is filled with great detail of household daily activities, the filthy streets, the bad weather, life on the dock and wharfs, etc., etc.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Review - U is for Undertow

2010-02-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Book Review - U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

I must begin by noting that I have read every one of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone books from A to U, so far. I am a die-hard fan. With that said...

If this were NOT a Sue Grafton book, I very well may have quit about half-way through... I was struggling with all the characters in the different time periods. [I should note that I only read this in the evening, a half-hour to an hour per sitting, once a day.] But, being a Kinsey Millhone book, by Sue Grafton, I had faith that it would come together by the end; and of course, IT DID.

I recognize that authors of long series have to continue to innovate in how they present their stories. She certainly stretched and did that with this book. She clearly shared with us the events of 1967 alongside the events of 1988 that led to the very satisfying conclusion. Along the way, we also have a side story developing with additional disclosure of the family that Kinsey never knew that she had. This seems to be building to a more critical part of Kinsey's life in the books ahead. [Another side note: one other very good mystery author I used to read felt the need to delve more deeply into the psychological makeup of her protagonist in a series - I did quit reading that series after another book or two. She didn't pull it off. Sue Grafton did.]

Congratulations on another fine Kinsey Millhone mystery novel.

Note: This review will also be published on LibraryThing.com: http://www.librarything.com/

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Review - Abraham Lincoln's World

2010-02-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

My review of: Abraham Lincoln's World: How Riverboats, Railroads and Republicans Transformed America… by Thomas Crump

A bit ploddy, and full of stats, but a very job of doing what he said his intent was: tell about the world of Abraham Lincoln from his birth to the Civil War. He really did this well, in terms of demographics, politics and the social environment. I got out of it what I hoped to. Guess that is a pretty good result. This is the very same time period as the lives of a set of my third great grandparents, whom I may wish to write about in the future. Crump provides a great reference to use, should I follow through on that desire.

Note: This review originally published on LibraryThing.com: http://www.librarything.com/

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Review - Ladies of Liberty

2010-01-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

Book Review: Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Cokie Roberts

Very well researched and written. Easy and pleasant to read. I felt that the main character was Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams. Her writings, and writings about her, added fresh insights into the historical period covered, from the John Adams to the John Quincy Adams administrations.

To a certain extent, the amount of coverage of each lady correlated with the amount of written material available about/by them from which to draw. Abigail Adams has a wealth of materials. Her daughter-in-law is even more interesting, in my view.

Note: This review prepared based on a copy of the book received from the publisher and originally published as a part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program: http://www.librarything.com/er/list

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare

Book Giveaway - Plum Pudding Murder

2010-01-21T18:32:00.000-08:00

I am giving away the copy of Plum Pudding Murder that I received from the publisher for which I wrote my recent book review. Besides a very good mystery read, it is full of recipes for cookies, other sweets, and a Christmas feast.

If you would like to win this copy for your own, here are the simple rules:

1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, Follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) US residents only, no P.O. boxes.

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 5 extra entries! Include your blog address, so I can see it. Thanks!

All entries must be submitted by February 12, midnight, cst. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on this site, when determined.

All winners are picked by Random.org List Randomizer.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Book Review - Plum Pudding Murder

2010-01-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke is my first Hannah Swensen book. I do like mystery series in general, so assumed this would be ok. It took a while to get into all the characters mentioned, but she has the genre down well, of course, and after a bit I was into the whole small town life she has created in Lake Eden. Being an Iowa native, I'm quite familiar with small towns, cold weather, and Minnesota is nearby. As a life-time business educator, the small business financial intrigue was of interest, as well. It was also of interest that while the murder was introduced in the first few pages, we got two-thirds of the way through before we got back around to it. The recipes must be very popular, and are a great hook for the series. It was a fun read!

Check out the author's website at: http://murdershebaked.com/

Note: This review prepared based on a copy of the book received from the publisher and originally published as a part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program: http://www.librarything.com/er/list

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Book Review - Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that ...

2010-01-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

Book Review - Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World - by Douglas Hunter
Bloomsbury Press 2009

This first book-length history of the 1609 adventure, four centuries after the event, re-creates the espionage, economics and politics of an age when discoveries in the New World on the American continent were the passion and obsession of old world merchants, politicians and adventurers alike.

Hunter combines his navigational, research and narrative skills to produce a work that is long on new details of this complex voyage, based on many primary source records, yet moves through the human story smoothly as well. He pulls no punches on the human frailties of the adventurers as they face incredible physical and mental challenges in "uncharted waters."

Hudson was commissioned by the mighty Dutch East India Company to take the Half Moon and its crew on a voyage of discovery to find an arctic passage north of Russia to the lucrative ports of China but instead explored the eastern coast of North America for the entrance to a northwest passage. This book is the story of that adventure, and includes newly created charts and maps, based on new scholarship and interpretations, of the River that eventually bore his name.

The intrigue involving merchants and politicians of the early seventeenth century in Netherlands, England, Spain and France, among others, provides a distinctive backdrop to this nautical adventure.

If these circumstances are of interest to you, I highly recommend this book as a satisfying read.

Note: This review prepared based on a copy of the book received from the publisher and originally published as a part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program: http://www.librarything.com/er/list

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Book Review - War on the Run

2010-01-06T01:55:00.000-08:00

Book Review of War on the Run by John F. Ross
[This review first published on LibraryThing]

War on the Run by John F. Ross is subtitled "the epic story of Robert Rogers" - I would suggest it is really "the tragic story of Robert Rogers." This terrific biography of Robert Rogers ably demonstrates his enormous contributions to the British American cause in the French and Indian War. His relationships with a large number of American Indian tribes and his adaptation of the war tactics they used to create the first American based ranger units are the heart of the story. Unfortunately, these crucial exploits, and some poor judgments, also put him at odds with first the British military command and, later, the American Colonial officials. He ended up on the British side in the American Revolution, including capturing Nathan Hale. His meeting with American Military Commander George Washington at a critical turning point is especially telling about the conduct of war in the period. Class differences were very real, at the time, which we often forget or overlook, today.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Book Review - Deadly Descent

2009-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Review of "Deadly Descent" by Charlotte Hinger
[This review first published on LibraryThing]

As an amateur historian and genealogist myself, I found the premise for this book extremely of interest. Hinger uses this background very well to weave two family stories over multiple generations into a current time murder mystery with several worthy twists. While I don't care, personally, for the extreme physical "capture" of the murderer, it fits the genre well. The story is set in a fictional western Kansas county, but very obviously based clearly on the culture of that place and time. She has edited hundreds of family histories contributed to county history books. This background research serves her well in this book. A good, easy read.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Book Review - Snow Melts in Spring

2009-12-17T01:17:00.000-08:00

This is my review of Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts, as first published at LibraryThing:

Outstanding debut novel... I am really looking forward to Seeds of Summer next spring. All of the elements of a Romance Novel are covered with the skill of an experienced writer. The Kansas Flint Hills characters are very real; expertly portrayed. I did oral histories with a number of folks just like John McCray a few years ago.... This portrayal is "right on." The emotions are correct, the physical attributes are described accurately. Using the character Jake to talk to Gil to get at the final twist was an astute move by the author. The Christian elements were nicely integrated at just the right times, throughout the book. Congratulations to a fine first novelist! ;-)

Disclosure: I did this review from a signed copy of the book received from the author. I wrote a blog on the Kansas Flint Hills for a few years, and we got to "know each other" through that medium before she published this first novel.

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories

2009-12-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

The title has been changed, a bit, but the book is now available.

Click on the Cover to go directly to my storefront where you can check out and purchase the book.

Dr. Annette Lamb was very helpful with some finishing touches, and, I appreciate the approval of Judy Shintani to use her quote on the back cover.

I will appreciate your comments on reading the book!

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

How to Tell Your Ancestor Stories

2009-11-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

The first final draft was just sent off to the printers for a review copy of "How to Tell Your Ancestor Stories" by Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith. Stop back here regularly for information on when it can be ordered.

Back cover copy:

Do you have family history and ancestor stories collected and researched?
Do you want to share them and tell your stories, but don't know how?

This book is your answer.

Preservation and interpretation of your ancestor stories will occur most effectively if each of us use multiple approaches to telling our ancestor stories to our families and interested others. This is the purpose of this book.

The content of our telling of ancestor stories includes your life as well as the lives of your two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great grandparents, etc., and their sibling, aunts, uncles and cousins. Ancestor stories include the social context in which these folks lived, their clothes, their farms or ranches, their religion (or not), their occupations, their loves and antagonisms, their education (or not), their friends and neighbors, and the mundane details of their daily lives.

“Telling a story about an ancestor can be a gift to oneself and to one’s family. It is powerful to have your stories heard.” Judy Kitsune
http://judykitsune.wordpress.com/

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Liam Leverne penname

2009-10-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Since you asked...

Full name is William Leverne Smith - remove the first four letters, and last five letters, and you have: Liam Leverne

Liam is the Celtic form of William....

Any comments?

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares

Writing Priorities Update

2009-10-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

Two posts back I noted that the Homeplace book was nearing completion. In that review process, we developed the concept that a trilogy would work very well. The first book is set in 1987. The second will be in 1997-8; the third in 2007-9.

My fiction is written under the pen name Liam Leverne. [Several family member provide critical input into the process.] The first book is titled: "Back to the Homeplace;" the working title for the second is "The Homeplace Revisited;" the third, "The Homeplace Forever."

Summary of the first book:

"The year is 1987. The terms of an unusual will left by their parents bring four grown children, spouses, and other family members, back to the Missouri farm where they grew up - the Homeplace.

Varied backgrounds and viewpoints ignite controversy and expose long kept secrets as each family member searches for his or her share of the family legacy.

While the older family members stake their claims to land and fortunes, the younger ones search for love and acceptance."

If you would like to do a review of this book on your blog, and/or elsewhere, when in comes out in a couple of months, please let me know, I'll be happy to send you an autographed review copy.

Any comments?

Happy Reading! ;-)

Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshares