EDITING TLC

GET OUT OF THE WAY by Daniel Dinges

In Get Out of the Way, author Daniel Dinges takes us back to the 1960s and through the life of his main character, Thomas Daniels, tells us a story of a young man that believed in serving his country but did not believe in the war going on in Vietnam.  This conflict of thinking helped to determine a lot of choices that he made about his future.  Thomas had many family members who had served in the military and he was proud of that fact.  However, he could not see himself “over there” in the jungles killing people.  So, for a length of time, Thomas played the college deferment “game” of signing up for a full load of classes, getting his deferment, and then dropping classes so he could work and this cycle repeated itself for a number of semesters.  He eventually let his deferment drop and voluntarily walked in and “turned himself in” to the draft board. 

 The text to self connection that I made with this book was one that has resulted from having a son who served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps.  My son enlisted in 2001 and during his service time he never received orders to go to a war zone.  He traveled the world to many other places but did not see either Iran or Afghanistan.  Did he volunteer himself to join a combat unit?  No, he served to support the troops in other ways.  I believe, just as Thomas Daniels in Get Out of the Way, they both have that sense of “Did I do my part?” when they know how many sacrificed their lives.  This is something they live with the rest of their lives.  I think that many of our veterans are truly affected emotionally whether they saw action or not.

 Today we are living with many veterans dealing with numerous issues on a daily basis.  This story about Thomas Daniels can open up a lot of conversation regarding memories of serving our country in the army (or any branch of service).  Get Out of the Way reads as a nonfiction book reminding of us of the 1960s and the Cultural Revolution that was happening in our country during that time.  The fact that Daniel Dinges served in the HHC 22^nd FASCOM during the late sixties would bring the reader to believe that there probably is a lot more fact than fiction in this book.

 Readers who appreciate the following topics would enjoy Get Out of the Way:  the Vietnam War, the sixties, historical fiction, Vietnam Veterans, active military, military history, and even early computer programming.  Daniel Dinges quickly pulls the reader into the life of his character Thomas Daniel and pages keep turning to find out which direction he takes in different areas of his life.  The fact that this character could be your brother, son, grandson, uncle, nephew, or the like, and that we all know someone who has experienced military service keeps the reader involved.  Daniel Dinges has done a great job with his first book and his dedication reads: “To the generation for whom stories like this are just the way things were.”

 

CHILD FINDER   Mike Angley used his experience as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) to create a suspenseful page-turner in Child Finder.  Being a criminal investigator, as well as a counterintelligence and counterterrorism specialist, gave him plenty of opportunities to put together characters that keep us guessing as we read.  The intriguing aspect, to me, is just how the paranormal adventures came to be part of the plot.  What do you believe about people having psychic abilities that could help in investigations?

In Child Finder, the main character, Major Patrick O’Donnell, is also an Air Force Special Agent who is assigned to the Pentagon.  He discovers that he has a psychic gift that the government then wants to put to use, first to help find abducted children, but then they take it further, and Major O’Donnell discovers another side of the FBI, as he becomes part of a TOP SECRET black world.

Be sure to carve out a chunk of time when you pick up Child Finder because you are not going to want to put the book down.  The characters pull you into the story and the mystery keeps you guessing right up to the very end.  We all have experiences in our lives but how many of us can turn them into a fantastic read?  Mike Angley has done just that.  I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to see into the “intelligence world” and anyone that loves a great mystery thriller. The good news is…there are two more books to finish out the series and I can’t wait to get my hands on them.  Mike Angley is a terrific writer and you’ll find Child Finder a very well-written mystery. 

 

 Child Finder Resurrection is Colonel Michael Angley’s (USAF retired) sequel to his book Child Finder.  We meet the main character, Air Force Special Agent Patrick O’Donnell a year and a half after he left the Top Secret child rescue program when events went horribly awry and his family was endangered.  Mike Angley brings much experience in criminal investigation and counterintelligence to his writing, which makes the storyline so real, but also so fascinating. 

Patrick O’Donnell is a psychic and in Child Finder Resurrection, he is called back into the Top Secret community to help the government track down a very sick and twisted child killer. Patrick’s son, Sean, who also has psychic abilities that come into play in a big way, proves to be a source of help to his father.  It is interesting how the author lets the reader see things that the characters don’t see, which makes the reader want to shout “Watch out/Beware!” a number of times during this thriller. The real twist in this story, I believe, is the fact that this murderer is a psychotic genius.  The mind games that go on are ones that you don’t want to read if you are alone late at night! This book can and will send chills down your spine.

Colonel Angley is proving himself to be a fantastic writer of mystery thrillers.  He promises that the last book in the series, Child Finder: Revelation will be “nonstop action and peril.” Readers will want to read all of the books in this series if they find enjoyment in great thrillers.

 

IF I HAD A DADDY    Mary M. Sullivan has written a charming and thought-provoking children’s book which was inspired by her daughter.  She felt that what she learned from Autumn, could help other children that are in a single-parent situation, no matter how they got to that point. Mary shares the thoughts of a little girl trying to figure out what her daddy would look and act like.  Mary Sullivan states, “This book, read along with a parent or guardian, can and will teach and help a young person describe their daddy and open up dialogue with certainty and truth.”

As a teacher of young children, I believe that this book could be beneficial to many children who have a “missing someone” in their life.  It might not just be a parent, but could be another relative, such as a grandparent, aunt, or uncle.  The basic premise is that children really need to “put a face” to the unknown person, and guardians should be aware that this book could be used to help have the conversation revolving a child’s thoughts.  It may also be beneficial to other children to help explain what some of their friends may be experiencing by not having a two-parent family situation.

The book is in a large format and the artwork adds a lot to the storyline.  In the back of the book is a page for children to draw a picture of their daddy.  It is a “simple” book with a very thought-provoking message.  Written with a child in mind, the adult in the child’s life should be involved in the reading of this book.  It is a valuable resource for the single-parent moms out there in our world.

 

THE NEARLY PERFECT PLAN by Karl Boyd

Karl Boyd shares quite a story in The Nearly Perfect Plan and readers get a crime drama that keeps them guessing to the very end.  And the good news is that there are two more adventures being written for a trilogy of thrillers.  All three books revolve around the characters of Roger Booth and Carl James, two young and ambitious “con” men. 

This is not a “Who dunnit?” story because the reader gets to see both sides of the crime scene, from inside and then from the side of the police and FBI.  It is more of a “Holy cow (or in this case a bull), how did they manage to pull this one off?” type of drama.  Roger and Carl are able to enlist the help of twenty of their ex-Army buddies to pull off a “perfect plan” that seems to be just that, until the very end of the book. The story revolves around setting up the Crossed X Ranch and using it as a legitimate business to cover up all of the goings-on to pull off a few Brinks’ heists.

This book is a perfect match for readers who enjoy getting into the characters’ minds and are always trying to figure out the mystery of it all.  Karl Boyd does a great job of creating a masterful crime plan and he keeps the authorities at bay, as are the readers.  In the end, “good” wins out over “evil,” or does it? 

In an interview of Mr. Boyd that I read on his website (www.karlboyd.com) I discovered that he gets a lot of his inspiration for his writing from his dreams.  Being an elementary teacher who wakes up from dreams with great lesson plans rolling in my mind, I can truly understand that.  What I am thankful about is that Mr. Boyd WRITES about his dream inspirations and doesn’t act them out!  The other inspiration that I personally received from him is that he only began to seriously write at the age of sixty-five.  I am thoroughly looking forward to reading his other novels.

 

SAIGON GOLD by Hugh Scott

Saigon Gold is a mystery thriller enhanced by the job well-done regarding the setting.  Authors who do their research to take the readers into the “real world” make their stories seem closer to nonfiction than fiction. Hugh Scott was able to do that, as well as to keep the mystery going right up to the very end.  This book is filled with surprises at every turn.  For those who appreciate a thriller, this is a book not to miss.  Another great addition to the book is the website www.saigongold.com which takes you to Vietnam via photos of locations in the story along with snippets from the book and then gives “bits of history” that relate.  This adds a depth to Saigon Gold that I really appreciate.  This book would make a great addition to anyone’s library.

Hugh Scott wrote Saigon Gold set in present-day Vietnam with the main character being a U.S. war veteran, Robert Anderson, going back to the country where he served many years earlier, expecting a business venture revolving around a winery consulting job.  However, from the moment he enters the country things just don’t seem right.  Just why was he questioned at the airport? And who was the interviewer?

Mr. Scott takes us through Vietnam via the experiences of his main character, remembering the country as it had been during the war and noticing changes in this his first return.  The connection Robert Anderson had with a Vietnamese officer, who had saved his life during the war, puts him into a scheme to get recovered gold out of the country, from a fortune that went missing in 1975.  Mr. Anderson went into Vietnam with all good intentions, and even in the gold scheme, he planned to give back to the Vietnamese.

So just who was that man that questioned Anderson at the airport?  Is he just imagining being followed?  Anderson has to get answers to why his name is on enemy documents.  What did the ambush that he survived years ago have to do with this trip to Vietnam? Who can he get to help him that he can trust?  He turns to the American consulate employee Jenny Ngo who knows the language and will help him get to the people he needs to question.  The plot thickens as the people that they question end up dead. The mystery of it all is very intense and takes the reader right along with Robert Anderson who if he wants to remain alive must figure out the person(s) plotting against him.  All the while, China's expansionist navy lurks in the background, planning an operation that threatens America's supremacy in the Western Pacific.

Hugh Scott served his country for twenty years as an army officer.  Saigon Gold is his debut novel and I am hoping for many more books to come from this great author.  He is now serving readers worldwide with this great work of historical fiction.  Be sure to read this book and keep your eyes open for more to come from Hugh Scott.

 

  WILL AND DENA: LOVE AND LIFE IN WORLD WAR II

   by Bob Rogers

Readers will find Will and Dena both a beautiful love story as well as a walk through the times of World War II.  It is also a reminder of the prejudice that Afro-Americans have faced in our country, even when serving in our military.  Will, the main character is a lumberjack and an amateur baseball player.  Dena, the girl that he falls in love with, has struggles with her own mother, in that she doesn’t feel like Will is an appropriate choice in a boyfriend.  After all, Will has no plans to go to college and that is the direction Dena is heading.  So even within his race, Will faces those that feel he just doesn’t match what they think he should be.

A group of businessmen in his area decide that they would like to bring in this “colored” baseball player to help make a name for their town and to bring financial gain to their businesses.  Readers will discover how the Ku Klux Klan affects Will and his family.  Will ends up having to run for his life and finds refuge in the U.S. Army in the 366^th Infantry Regiment and the famed Buffalo Soldiers of the 92^nd Infantry Division which ends up fighting Hitler in Italy.  (Will and Dena is dedicated to LT John Fox from the 366^th and to Italian Partisans.)  During his army days, Will becomes friends with three members of his infantry platoon and they become known as the Four Musketeers.

Personally, I loved the way that Bob Rogers wove the works of Langston Hughes into this book.  Dena sends articles to Will from the Chicago Defender and the reading that Will does brings him out of his “small world” in North Carolina and eventually helps him to find his mission in life.  He realizes the “war” that is going on in his home country while also fighting a war abroad for his country.  One line that shows this realization for Will is: “The deal for us in this war has to be a Double Victory – abroad and at home.” He makes a vow to do his best to make his stay in the army count for something.  “Maybe my little bit added to that of all the colored soldiers will help strike a blow for Mr. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms.  I hope I remember what they are.  He rolled his eyes upward, ‘Freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear.’”  Will wants his fighting in WW II to help colored soldiers to be able to take away the fears from their families of being beaten or killed.  This would make everything he had experienced worth it to him. 

Author Bob Rogers had done a beautiful job of weaving a love story within a war story.  Readers will be captivated by Will and feel his struggles as he proceeds through life and the many decisions he has to make as he determines his personal mission in life, while serving the mission his country has called him to do in World War II.

                                                         

Jeanetta Lynn Parker and the Birth of a Nation                 by Dorene Stamper

Dorene Stamper has written a fine book for middle schoolers and beyond.  Jeanetta Lynn Parker and the Birth of a Nation is a great work of historical fiction combined with fantasy that makes the time travel almost believable.  If you are familiar with the Magic Tree House Series, this book takes that concept and really bumps it up for readers beyond the elementary grades and those that enjoy learning about history through other channels than history books.  This book will be enjoyed by tweens through adults.

The content is not all fluff by any means.  This book deals with the reality of what it took for a nation to be born, and readers must face the cold, hard facts that people died and whole families lost their lives, and read how this affected those left behind to continue the fight for our nation.  Ms. Stamper does a great job of tying in the fantasy of the time travel and making the connections happen between different historical time periods.

Readers will fall in love with the main character, Jeanetta Lynn Parker, her cousin Serenity Stewart, and their wonderful “Auntie” who introduces them to the Society of Time Travelers.  The society members find that when asked to travel back in time, a mission will be given to them, and they must do what they can to accomplish the mission, but are not allowed to do anything that would change the course of history.

Ms. Stamper, through her series of Jeanetta Lynn Parker books, is on a mission of her own, and that is to introduce a generation of readers to the very important history of the United States of America in a fun and exciting way.  Ms. Stamper has been writing for many years, but in this her first book, the reader will find himself/herself asking for more and more books to appear in the series.

 

MERCENARY'S TALE: FIGHTING FIDEL CASTRO by William Heuisler is a true story told in first person from a former Marine who was recruited by the CIA to train Cuban refugees on raids into Cuba during the early sixties.  The author wants his audience to discover the truth about Fidel Castro and the Cubans, as his experiences proved to him.  The book follows William Heuisler through combat, shipwreck, starvation, and many intense and even horrifying experiences.

Mr. Heuisler has a gift for writing and is able to take the reader into the depths of this portion of his life.  He describes his characters and scenes so artistically that the reader easily becomes involved and feels a part of the story. Some have said that they couldn’t put the book down, but I found at times I needed to put the book down to be able to think through the events, but always wanted to get back to reading to see what twists and turns would be next. This book definitely is not for the faint of heart. Realizing that all of the events really happened, but knowing the author was telling the tale, allowed me to know that he survived the horrors presented. Unfortunately, that was not the case for many others. 

This book will give you a perspective on a time in our history that you may never have been able to imagine.  What was happening in Cuba and just how were the refugees being treated?  What was happening between the U.S. and Cuba ?  What was happening to the anti-Castro Cubans during his rise to power?  What happened to those who found out the truth and wanted people to know?  William Heuisler will give you insight into that time period and how the U.S. mercenaries were treated.

This book is an intense true adventure, well written, and is a page-turner.  Anyone wanting to read a small portion of history, or wants to read about bravery, betrayal, heartache, or how some gave the ultimate sacrifice during the anti-Castro time period of the early sixties, should definitely read Mercenary’s Tale: Fighting Fidel Castro. Mr. Hueisler lived this history and feels compelled to share the story.  He’s done an excellent job of doing just that.

 

A VIETNAM TRILOGY by Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield is a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast.  He is a Vietnam veteran and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 25 years and has directed PTSD mental health programs in a number of locations.  He is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in PTSD in both combat veterans and disaster survivors.  This expertise comes from his many years of experience in working with others in the mental health profession and his own personal experience of being a veteran who experienced war as a psychiatric social work officer. 

By reading the synopsis of each book (which can be found at Amazon.com), one can discover how Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield takes readers on a journey from his first days in Vietnam until the very present, going back with him on several trips with other veterans, and then the questions need to be addressed in how the past has affected the way the veterans of today’s wars are being treated.  Dr. Scurfield shares his personal journey as well as sharing quotes and experiences from many other veterans.  His personal sharing allows us to see deeply into his thoughts and how his strategies and innovative therapies for treating combat veterans can be used in the field of mental health.  These books can open doors for active duty military members and veterans, as well as offer guidance to their families and other community members.

Personally, I wondered what impact this series of books would have on me.  I am not a veteran, I have a son who served eight years in the Marines, but is a non-combat veteran.  So…should others like me take the time to read these books?  They are not what I would call an “easy read” whatsoever, but I would call them an “essential read,” for all of us have been impacted by war and know people that are struggling with PTSD issues.  For me, having the input of “other voices” beyond Dr. Raymond Scurfield’s allowed me to hear the stories from more than one voice and helped me to “experience” through them, the impact that war had on each and every one of them.  Dr. Scurfield is an expert whose voice is being heard around the world. Anyone who is experiencing PTSD or knows someone struggling with PTSD would be wise in reading these books.  They would be a wonderful resource for mental health professionals. We may not have learned enough from Vietnam, but Dr. Scurfield brings us the hope that we need for moving into our future.