Dr. David Vastola, author of The New Reality of Nutrients, is on the cover of BDW Magazine — “The Man Behind Our Health Tips” http://www.bwdmagazine.com/ http://www.bwdmagazine.com/dr-david-vastola-january-2015-drdavidvastola-newyears-lifestyle-tips-music-models-magazine/
I believe God wants you to know that perfection is not required of you — only perfect effort.
Not to even try because you don’t think you can would be terribly sad. You’ll be amazed at what you can do if you simply step into it.
Life awaits you on the other side of Risk. What can you lose? Face? Dignity? Who cares about those when greatness is possible? Who cares about those when fairy tales are at hand? www.CWGPortal.com
I believe God wants you to know that you cannot make a mistake, you can only make a decision that will be your next best step.
There is no reason to hesitate when you know that you have nothing to lose. And losing is not an act of God, it is a thought in the mind of humans.
Get rid of the thought and you get rid of doubt. Ride your Wisdom to Victory.
Outstanding reviews for Stephen Doster’s Jesus Tree
Coastal Georgia in the depths of the Great Depression. A white minister is murdered and a young African-American man is convicted of the killing and sent to a brutal prison farm. Forty years later, Ben Jordan finally emerges a free man, struggling to understand a world that has undergone profound change, and sets out on a mission to bring the true killer to justice. Jesus Tree is a compelling, captivating story of a man’s search for his past and his soul – rendered vividly by a writer of unique gifts. Stephen Doster has given us that very best thing of fiction: a rousing tale, beautifully told.
***
I received Jesus Tree from Goodreads Giveaways. What follows is my honest opinion of this book.
If you just read one book in 2015, let it be Jesus Tree. I had not read any of Mr. Doster’s prior books but felt I would like Jesus Tree, as the setting for this story is my home state, Georgia. I have great appreciation for the incredible amount of research that Mr. Doster did prior to writing this book, delving into the murder of the white pastor in southeast Georgia during the depression and the subsequent forty year prison sentence served by the black man who was wrongly convicted of the crime, which true event served as a basis for this story.
Beyond that though, the author spent a great deal of time in explaining the African culture of coastal Georgia, the belief system that dominated the lives of the blacks living in areas such as Sapelo Island; the culture that made Ben Jordan into the honest, god-fearing man he remained throughout his entire life.
This story was extremely well crafted and knitted together as Ben’s story is told from birth to death; the predictions made at the time of his birth and how they all played out in the following sixty years or so. The descriptions of the root doctor and his conjures to the torture Ben endured in the prison camp seemed so real I felt I could have been there. The incredible emotion as Ben finally completes his journey back to Sapelo Island and his redemption were the ultimate great ending to the story that I was expecting.
I won’t say more and spoil this book for anyone else. I can’t say enough good things about this book and I trust anyone else who spends the time with Jesus Tree will feel the same.
***
“From the moment I opened the book I knew it was going to be good. Stephen Doster is a master storyteller and wordsmith. He takes you through the rabbit hole to Sapelo Island, Georgia. I have had the privilege of staying there at Cornelia Bailey’s house (You can, too. Go online. She wrote God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia). It was made so much more real since I had seen the area, smelled the briny marsh and walked the dirt roads on the coastal barrier island. Jesus Tree Starts out and ends there. What happens in-between is what keeps you from doing laundry and walking the dog. You do not want to stop until you find out what happens. I highly recommend this book and any of Stephen’s other works: Lord Baltimore, Voices from St. Simons, Georgia Witness, Rose Bush and Shadow Child. From the time I read Lord Baltimore, I had to have every one of them.”
***
Well Stephen Doster has done it again. I’ve been a fan since Lord Baltimore, his first novel, I think, but now I’m a huge fan. This is one of the most intriguing and entertaining books I’ve ever read. I’ve always been interested in the power of the root. I know people who practice the belief. Jesus Tree will take you on a journey through the Gulla/Geechie culture. Whether you’re a believer or not you will find this story spellbinding. Stephen has really done his homework. About half way through the book I had trouble sleeping. Mojo is a powerful thing and not to be taken lightly. This book is sure to be in every household in the lowlands. Beware of the conjure. I wish I could give it six stars.
***
Tully “Avid Reader of Only the Best”
An extraordinary look into the lives of the Geechee/Gullah community of Sapelo Island. A fascinating book I couldn’t stop reading. The life of Ben Jordan provides a fictional look into a murder in the 1930s, one that encompasses all that was unjust and brutal in the Jim Crow system of the Deep South, as well as an acknowledgement that all white people, like all black people, were not cut from the same cloth. The book also provides a telling glimpse into the colorful Georgia politics of the era. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who dares to confront the racism of the past head-on. A good read.
***
Stephen Doster has a #1 hit on his hands. Jesus Tree is one of the best books I have ever read. While I was reading this book I never wanted it to end. I got emotionally involved with all the characters living on Sapelo Island and the surrounding South Georgia area. I would highly recommend this book to everyone!!
***
This is one of the best authors of historical fiction. He brings his characters to life. Hard story to read because of the treatment of convicts in 1930s, but main character will grab your heart. Also great historical information on an African culture and beliefs.
***
Adam Andrews “Great books grease great minds” (The sticks)
This book conjured up old Georgia and put me squarely in it. Rich characters ring true – good versus evil – a great finish – sad the read is over.
www.sdoster.com Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com.
Kathleen has invited you to the event: Book launch for Johnnie Come Lately.
Date: February 07, 2015 02:00PM
Venue: Barnes & Noble, Southlake, TX
Location: 1430 Plaza Place, Southlake, TX, The United States
Description:
Book Launch for Johnnie Come Lately, Barnes & Noble, Southlake, TX
Date: Saturday, February 7, 2015
Time: 2-4 p.m.
Where: 1430 Plaza Place, Southlake, TX 76092 (Southlake Town Square)
817-442-0735
I’ll also be signing copies of the 2nd edition of The Final Salute
See who else is going and get more info
The BLIZZARD Diaries, countdown to the novel BLIZZARD by Buzz Bernard (BelleBooks, February 2015)—
JAN 5, 1821 A significant snowstorm spreads heavy snow from Virginia to southern New England through the 7th. It unloads a foot on Washington-Baltimore, 18 inches on Philadelphia, and 14 inches on NYC.
(Image: Charles Cooper Henderson, “Mail Coach in a Snowstorm.”)
Loiacono Literary Agency welcomes Philip Levin and his novel Shattered Lives!
Shattered Lives tells of an American family devastated by the accidental death of the seventeen-year-old daughter. The father, Rick, and son, Andrew, migrate from Chicago to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to escape the ghosts, where Rick falls in love with Andrew’s teacher. The sixteen-year-old Andrew must deal with the loss of his sister, a dramatic change in his culture, as well as a psychiatric issue. When the mother, Mallory, comes down to try to remake the family, she reveals a dark secret about Rick that throws Andrew into a crisis. Rick must decide whether to give up his new love and life for Andrew’s sake or risk the loss of son and livelihood.
Philip Levin’s passion for writing and photography has led him to exotic locations around the globe, inspiring his production of seventeen published books in multiple genres, such as his murder mystery Inheritance, photo children books such as the African Ndovu the Elephant, and his non-fiction anthologies on Mississippi history. His background includes thirty-seven years as an emergency medicine physician. Shattered Lives is his second novel. President Gulf Coast Writer’s Association www.gcwriters.org
www.doctorsdreams.net Represented by Inger Saphire-Bernstein www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com
I received Jesus Tree from Goodreads Giveaways. What follows is my honest opinion of this book.
If you just read one book in 2015, let it be Jesus Tree. I had not read any of Mr. Doster’s prior books but felt I would like Jesus Tree, as the setting for this story is my home state, Georgia. I have great appreciation for the incredible amount of research that Mr. Doster did prior to writing this book, delving into the murder of the white pastor in southeast Georgia during the depression and the subsequent 40 year prison sentence served by the black man who was wrongly convicted of the crime, which true event served as a basis for this story.
Beyond that though, the author spent a great deal of time in explaining the African culture of coastal Georgia, the belief system that dominated the lives of the blacks living in areas such as Sapelo Island; the culture that made Ben Jordan into the honest, god-fearing man he remained throughout his entire life.
This story was extremely well crafted and knitted together as Ben’s story is told from birth to death; the predictions made at the time of his birth and how they all played out in the following 60 years or so. The descriptions of the root doctor and his conjures to the torture Ben endured in the prison camp seemed so real I felt I could have been there. The incredible emotion as Ben finally completes his journey back to Sapelo Island and his redemption were the ultimate great ending to the story that I was expecting.
I won’t say more and spoil this book for anyone else. I can’t say enough good things about this book and I trust anyone else who spends the time with Jesus Tree will feel the same.
www.sdoster.com Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com.
Touching Spirit: The Letters of Minominike 2015 12-Month Calendar
Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com
Published by Kal-Ba Publishing www.kal-ba.com
Limitless Publishing has acquired Ken La Salle’s novel, Heaven Enough!
Heaven Enough (release 2015)
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
“Heaven Enough” is a poem about longing, about wishing for something more. “What would it be like if I had heaven enough?” it reads.
Matt Murphy reads these words for the first time at his wife’s funeral when he is presented with a book of sonnets by an attendee. He and Diva were married for nearly twenty years, yet he did not “know” her. A poet and lover of culinary delights, among many other things, she is struck by a car and killed instantly on the wrong side of town. What was she doing there? A poet laureate? What else?
When her brother, “the monk,” comes for the funeral, Matt is set on a course unprecedented. Diva’s computer is covered in hiking information set for that coming Friday— to hike the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) of 2668 miles from the Mexican border to Canada. He takes this upon himself to do, and also to sprinkle Diva’s ashes along the way. What happens in the first two hours is dumbfounding; what happens next changes his life forever.
Inspired at a young age by Robert Pirsig’s Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, La Salle studied philosophy at California State University, Fullerton. This slight dichotomy from work as a stage actor and singer quickly infected all of his writing until he left all other passions behind for writing alone. www.kenlasalle.com
Life and other issues of the day: http://twolivesonepath.blogspot.com/
On writing and being a writer: http://kenlasalle.blogspot.com/
MY SIDE. THE BLOG: http://mysidetheblog.blogspot.com/
And for insights on pursuing your dreams, check out his monthly blog at http://www.recoveringself.com/category/ken-la-salle
Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com
Published by Limitless Publishing www.limitlesspublishing.net