Psychiatric nursing, to some extent, is a calling. It’s not easy to delve into someone’s psyche and pull out the demons that are haunting him or her. The specificity of the intricacies of the mind and how it works is astonishing and a mystery at the same time. I was fortunate to be enrolled in psychology classes that correlated with elements in the diagnoses of my psychiatric patients; allowing me to utilize these newly-acquired skills on the unit. During this time I worked with people with diagnoses of gender dysphoria (confusion), dissociative disorders, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, and the disease of addictions. Moreover, I was also fortunate to work with specialists in these fields. The massive amount of knowledge I acquired because of these circumstances was magical. After retiring from nursing, I felt I needed to find a way to share my knowledge regarding the brain’s involvement in this disease. Beyond the world of the psychiatric unit and of mental health professionals, there is an impenetrable stigma revolving around these issues. I wondered how I could continue to inform the misinformed about the physiological causes of these “brain” diseases of mental health. Most people I spoke with clung…

First thing’s first. Many thanks to Zohar for letting me pontificate and obfuscate on his very cool blog. I’ve been a reader of his for a little while now, and I’m extremely impressed by what he’s got going on here. I’m also extremely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it. Now that the brown-nosing is out of the way, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jonathan, and I’m addicted to old books. Well, maybe not “addicted.” Fond of? Intrigued by? Irresistibly drawn to? Hmm. Maybe “addicted” was the right word after all. At any rate, I operate a blog called I Read a Book Once where I offer up armchair literary criticism on both new and old texts, but, as you can probably imagine, the old ones captivate me the most. Which brings me to the whole point of this exercise, a little book called Catch the Gold Ring by John Stephen Strange. As you might surmise, that name is a pseudonym. It’s way too cool to be the genuine article. The author’s real name is Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett, an English writer (and female!) who published 22 mysteries over a nearly 50 year career. Since…

Giveaway: One signed paperback of Death Wish Three pdf ebook versions of Covert Dreams – enter at the end of the post No one likes villains — or, at least, no one admits to it. But if an author crafts villains carefully, imbuing them with disturbing ambitions, giving them access to the tools and resources they need to wreak their own, personal havoc, and notches their peculiar, twisted natures in just the right way, then we have no choice but to love to hate them. And a great thriller is born. James N. Frey, novelist and writing instructor, explains the villainous nature and the essential role villains play in story structure, in his book, How to Write a Damn Good Thriller.“The villain in a thriller is not just evil,” Frey writes. “The villain is evil right down to the soles of his or her feet.” But he adds, “the villain creates the plot behind the plot — the plot that has to be foiled by the hero — and that… is what thriller writing is all about.” Danielle Blanchard Benson Mike Markel Michael Meyer Today, three indie authors: Danielle Blanchard Benson, author of the paranormal thriller, Death Wish; Mike Markel,…

After the war ended, Brenner has accidentally taken on a new identity and becomes a janitor in the courthouse where the Nuremberg Trials are being heard. Trying to heal is conscious, Brenner writes a letter to his wife which set up each chapter of the book.

Sally Ketchum came from a poor family of farmers, her mundane life were changed forever once she enrolled in the Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) program.

Winters were great when we were kids. Massive snow falls every year, snow ball fights, snowmen – it was the best! Nowadays it’s pretty paltry by comparison. In my house we had a living room that stretched from the front of the house to the back. Just in front of our house was a street lamp that glowed orange. When it snowed, the fun I had running from the front of the house watching the flakes fall against the backdrop of the orange light, before running to the back window and staring out into the black night where the snowflakes appeared to be falling even heavier! Our house was perfectly placed for the winter joys. Only a few hundred yards away at the end of our street was a field with a great big, long hill. It made the perfect winter slope. Every year we would spend hours playing on those slopes without a care in the world how cold it was. My stepdad worked at a plastic material factory. Because we didn’t have much money, my mum made me and my sister matching waterproof outfits, from coat with hood, to trousers and even gloves. We were the driest, warmest,…

When Frederick Merill leaves his wife Katharine and children to fight in WWII everything seems to be fine. however over the years Frederick starts to change

A non-fiction historical account of the drive from Normandy to Germany. The book is a treasure trove of soldiers’ portraits, personal accounts and interviews.

I found the plot to be a bit too convenient, information happens to fall into Sam’s lap just at the right time, I did enjoy the Russian/British interaction

The amazing story of Louis Zamperini an American athlete, World War II Air Corp bombardier who survived a crash and interment in a Japanese POW camp.