Once bitten by the writing bug, it was hard for David to stop, so he continues sharing his life and times. In his current book, ."..And Then Some," he turns everyday experiences into charming and humorous tales with surprise endings as he reflects on current issues and events from the vantage point of one "Little Italian Boy" who has lived and loved for more than 85 years. For more information check out www.littleitalianboy.com.
Two Lives...and Then Some: The Parti ng, Volume 3 of Gordon Graham’s memoirs, is a tribute to Barbara Graham, his wife Barbara who died in 2006 of Motor Neurone Disease. We follow Gordon from his days working as personnel manager at in Washington, D.C., through law school and into work as a civil rights acti vist and government anti -poverty worker. He returns to Clinton where he is successful in his bid for a School Committ ee seat. He turns to another career as general counsel for a major state environmental agency where the latent sti rrings of religious vocati on surface and he decides to enter seminary. His journey then takes him to Northern Ireland where as an ordained priest of the Anglican Communion he serves in parishes, works with other Christi an churches, and does church development work. Throughout it all, Barbara pursues her interest in music and parti cipates in choirs and chorales and makes her own eff ort in the church to bring people together. Readers will laugh out loud at many of Gordon’s stories but they will shed tears as they share those last days of Barbara’s life.
Twisted bonds between a father and his children lead to revenge and a desperate hope for redemption and forgiveness. In the heat of August, Jake Terri Savage (“JT”), his little sister Danielle, and his bone-headed best friend, Nokey (nicknamed after “gnocchi”), try to steal JT’s father’s beloved 1965 Shelby Cobra. Their reasons are noble; the consequences,devastating. JT’s abusive dad’s idea of a twelfth birthday gift is getting his son involved in a barroom brawl. Nokey’s dad thinks he has potatoes for brains. Both sons live out their fathers’ stunted visions in a way that brings down a terrible judgment on them all—leaving JT hauling rocks for punishment while he staves off panic attacks and nightmares about his sister and her terrible half-known secret. A Dominican teenage girl with little hope for her own future gives JT a second chance to save someone, including himself. Throughout, David Prete’s vivid sense of atmosphere, tight plotting, and crackling dialogue give the dysfunctional family story a new lease on life.
Do you feel like you're on the brink of success, but you're not sure how to overcome that last hurdle? Perhaps you've just graduated from high school or college, or you've been discharged from the armed forces, and you want a roadmap to help you through the game of life. All you need to propel you to success are five simple words: Hard work Attitude Enthusiasm Perseverance Fun With 5 Words and Then Some! How to Succeed in This Big Game We Call Life, you'll significantly increase your chances of accomplishing whatever endeavors you pursue. These five words apply to anyone regardless of family background, wealth, race, intelligence, education, or social status. Author Fran Larkin offers advice, helpful hints, and quotations on a variety of topics that include public speaking, volunteering, finances, physical fitness, diversity, personal mission statements, and much more. Using Larkin's personal experiences, anecdotes, and stories, 5 Words and Then Some! will inspire you to improve your life and bring you the success and happiness you deserve! "I love this book! Fran Larkin brilliantly captures the essence of what is needed to succeed in today's world. His down home wisdom, humor and choice of quotations captures what's best in American culture today." Jon Barb, author of Do What Works and Keynote Speaker, Danbury, CT " 5 Words and Then Some acted as my guide while I successfully navigated the uncharted waters of college, graduate school and the workplace. Years later I still find myself pouring over the wonderful insights and humorous prose found within these pages." Adam Niles, schoolteacher Billerica, MA
Some might wonder why anyone in their right mind would want to hike these mountains of trails? It's for the fun of friends being together and enjoying the wonder of nature in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once you experience the sacredness of the park and learn its history it gets in your blood. This experience will be a part of my memory forever.
In the middle of World War II, in September 1942, an enthusiastic eighteen-year-old named Polly Meilman boarded a train to Toronto. She was leaving her home in Nova Scotia for her basic training in the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). By July 1943, her abilities were recognized with a promotion to the rank of corporal. She continued to serve until her discharge in January 1946. Throughout her training in Toronto and her eventual posting to a base in Prince Edward Island, Corporal Meilman wrote diligently to her parents back home about her life in the RCAF. She wrote on whatever paper she could get her hands on and whenever she could find a spare moment. Now, her letters are an incredibly valuable window into the lives of the women, or WDs as they were known, who stepped forward to serve their country in wartime, and proved that they were capable of filling non-combat roles previously filled only by men. All My Love and Then Some contains more than eighty of the letters of Corporal Polly Meilman to her mother and father during WWII. Meilman’s daughter, Margaret Melhorn, compiled and edited these letters and provided additional insights into their historical and familial context. Filled with Meilman’s characteristic wit and humour, these letters provide a lively first-hand account of a young woman learning, adjusting and maturing during her service in the air force. For historians, these pages contain incredible insights into the lives of women in the RCAF during WWII. For history enthusiasts, Meilman’s letters breathe life into history in a way that only personal storytelling can achieve.
I was the youngest manager in the companies history. The company I worked for was the number one convenience store in the state. I was on the fast track to working a job that I liked for the rest of my life. I was extremely good at what I did and was respected not only by my peers but by my customers. Did you ever have something taken away from you that you really liked? Well I did. Along with the success I was enjoying came the status symbols I used to impress other people, like the new sports car I bought and all the accessories I had put on it, or the second sports car I had that was a classic, to drive when I wished. Did you ever have something taken away from you that you really liked? Well I did. Did you ever have all this bitterness built up inside of you, not wanting to let go of it and move on with your life? Did you ever want to give up and act like you are alone? Well I did. I went beyond these obstacles and many others to get to where I am today and I’m going to tell you how I did it and maybe you will be able to overcome the obstacles that you are confronted with, whatever they may be, if you read this book.
The Truth in Twenty. The Twenty is minutes. Timed writing. The rest is arriving at emotional truth with pen in hand. I am encouraging writing as self-revelation and as a tool for finding doors and expanding awarenessmostly, I hope, by example. The Truth in Twenty also serves as a memoir at seventy-three, exploring specific events, moments, and experiences of my soul and spirit.
Based on in-depth oral interviews with local residents, and rich archival sources, We Lived A Life and Then Some relates the common person’s struggle to overcome harsh working conditions and government neglect. The unique culture of the hardrock mining town of Cobalt is exposed through the eyes of retired miners, young welfare mothers, and grade-school children. Angus and Griffin reveal why, in spite of great adversity, Cobalt remains a distinctive and cohesive working-class community.
