Today we have with us an author who has been here before, but this time Karina Fabian has her dad, Deacon Steven Lumbert join her. Glad you could join us here today and share a bit about your joint authorship of your book, Why G-d Matters. We will hear thoughts from both [...]]]> Good morning everyone.

Today we have with us an author who has been here before, but this time Karina Fabian has her dad, Deacon Steven Lumbert join her. Glad you could join us here today and share a bit about your joint authorship of your book, Why G-d Matters. We will hear thoughts from both Karina and Steven in today’s interview.

GO: Karina to start us off here, tell us a bit about your book and how you came to write a book with your dad?

KF: Why God Matters tells of several experiences from my father’s and my lives that showed us God’s loving hand and that strengthened our faith. Along with the stories of those experiences (think Chicken Soup style), we offer some short lessons on increasing your own faith, plus quotes from Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

I was asked to write this book by Tribute Books to fill a hole in their production line. They already knew exactly what they wanted–right to the format. It was actually pretty easy, but I felt intimidated about the assignment because I felt I could only offer an overly feminine perspective, and the book really needed a balance. Then in church, it hit me–I have a deacon father! I called him up and invited him to collaborate and it was the best thing I could have done–for the book and for me.

GO: When two writers co-author a book there is a chance that their writing styles would clash. Deacon Lumbert, when Karina asked you to co-author this book were you concerned about the style issue? How did you work this out so that the finished product was consistent in style?

SL: I didn’t even consider that issue. As this is my first time writing a book, I was excited to work with Karina. She is an accomplished and published author. I had confidence in her. We agreed on a process for reviewing the writing, but I can tell you she is a tough critic.

GO: Karina, I believe this was the first time you’ve co-written a book with your dad. What were the biggest surprises you’ve encountered as a writer during this experience?

KF: Actually, this was the first time I’ve co-written a book, period. I actually think it went easier because it was with my dad. I have to admit, though, I was a little nervous. I know my dad–he’s a dear, smart and funny, but he’s a TALKER, and it comes out in his writing. I know there’d be some serious editing and I wanted to be sure that I not only didn’t wreck his style, but that I didn’t get into arguments.

As it turned out, the biggest surprise was the best. I’d give a critique (one that would make a lot of writers cry, frankly) and Dad would come back with this work that was so improved! Then we’d tweak until they sang. Looking back, I think a lot of his stories are better done than mine, and I’m the one with 20 + year’s experience. I am so proud of my Daddy!

Other great surprises were personal–learning the full story of the Lumbert Trouble Boys. Realizing just how much we meant to each other in our faith journeys as well as our life journeys. God blessed us with the chance to write this book.

GO: Steven, have you written a book prior to this one? I know you’ve written many sermons, which are a different kind of writing, I’d think. What are your thoughts about the experience?

SL: This was the first time ever. As you mention, I have written many homilies/sermons, and many, many reports in my previous work. However, the style used in writing a book is totally different and I had to get used to it. With the experience, I think I will now be writing more effective homilies/sermons as I now realize a more effective way of writing.

GO: Karina, your book is slanted toward a specific religion, but lots of things you write about can be re-slanted towards other ones. E.g. I’m Jewish and also believe in G-d, but in a different way perhaps than you, your father or other religions do. Would you tell us how you could promote this type of book to a wider audience? What would it take?

KF: It’s true, this book is written for a Catholic audience. In fact, we decided to include quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church after Dad used a few as his introductory quotes and we realized how well the Catechism addresses all aspects of living–not just the religious side.

However, the experiences we share transcend religion: learning about generosity from your parents; seeing God’s hand in saving your life; understanding your relationship with God. I think those who are not put off by reading Catholic quotes can find inspiration they can apply to their own relationship with God. Consider it this way: could you read a story about a Buddhist that included quotes from Buddha without feeling threatened? Could you gain something from the experience?

I must admit, though, I’m comfortable focusing on the Catholic audience. My fiction is a different story–and a different interview.

GO: Steven, as an author, how do you want readers to view your book?

SL: As this book is about how God is always present with us, I hope and pray that the readers will begin to see how God is there, how He calls always to holiness of life, even in the everyday happenings.

GO: Karina, all good stories originate somewhere. How did this one get started?

KF: These stories started with a Navy man who fell in love with a Catholic woman while stationed in Puerto Rico. His father made him wait until he was 21 to get married, so June 24, 1966, two days after his birthday, Steven Lumbert married Socorro Vicenty. I was born April 19, 1967, and my sister, April 12, 1968. He and Mom raised us to love God and to love others, and by far, their example was the greatest teacher.

Our stories are examples from our lives. We hope they will teach as well.

GO: Steven, have you and Karina considered writing another book together? If so, is anything planned within the next few years? What would it be about?

SL: I have thought about it, but before any decisions are made, I think Karina and I both agree we need to see how this one goes.

KF: The manuscript wasn’t even finished and Dad was asking, “What shall we do next?” LOL. Right now, I have a backlog of obligations in the fiction realm. We’re going to revisit this question next year.

GO: Karina, has your relationship become better or worse having worked on this book with your dad? Would you recommend this to other writers?

KF: Oh, I can’t recommend one way or the other–it would totally depend on the father-daughter relationship. I’m not sure even we could have had such an easy time if we’d tried this ten years ago.

However, I do feel closer to Dad, and frankly, that was one of my ulterior motives behind asking him to collaborate. With my family moving around the country and Dad and Mom so busy with church, many of our phone calls devolve into reciting our To-Do lists! This gave Dad and me a focus for sharing more about ourselves.

We do recommend that families take time to share their faith stories. In fact, we suggest this at the end of the book. Further, we have a page on our website, www.whygodmatters.com, for folks to write in about little experiences that have enhanced their faith.

GO: Steven, what advice would you give to a writer considering teaming up with a parent to co-write a book?

SL: First thing to do is make sure that your relationship to each other is strong enough to withstand criticism, especially when the child is criticizing the parent. I think that if the relationship is strong enough to withstand that, then pursue it further.

Working with my daughter on this book has been a most enlightening experience. Even though I am the parent here, and supposed to “know it all,” I found that our relationship as father/daughter has become more profound as we both wrote of our experiences of God.

GO: Before we wrap up today, do either you or your dad have anything else to add? Can you tell my readers how they can purchase this book and where they can learn more about you online?

KF/SL: Why God Matters has the Catholic Writers’ Guild Seal of Approval, which testifies to its Catholicity. We hope to see it in Catholic book stores–so if you frequent a Christian or Catholic book store, please ask them about ordering it–and maybe getting some copies to share with their other customers.

You can get more information, see the book video and share your stories at www.whygodmatters.com. There’s also a link there for purchasing the book.

For those who prefer Amazon, here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/Why-God-Matters-Recognize-Daily/dp/0982256531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274127345&sr=8-1

GO: Well thank you both for stopping by today. Hope you’ll be back soon

KF/SL: Thanks, Gloria! We really appreciate your hosting us.

Please leave any comments you wish or questions for Karina or Deacon Steven Lumbert.

If you have a nonfiction book just published, or due out soon and would like to be interviewed, post a comment.
Which nonfiction author(s) would you like to see interviewed here? Leave a comment.

“My mind kept centering on the race to find my missing daughter, Triana. I wondered if this search would ever end. I had first lost her when she was one-year-old, and it took me [...]]]> Rosalie Hollingsworth
Destruction of Innocence: A True Story of Child Abduction
iUniverse, 2009, 266 pages, $20.95
ISBN: 978–1–4401–2502–7 (pbk)
(Nonfiction, Biography/Autobiography/Memoir)

“My mind kept centering on the race to find my missing
daughter, Triana. I wondered if this search would ever end. I
had first lost her when she was one-year-old, and it took me
eight months to find her. This time she had been missing for
over two years. I would search for her, and would do so until I
found her, if it took my entire life.”

Rosalie Hollingsworth, a strong, courageous, and determined
woman who lets nothing get in the way once she’s made up her
mind to do something. The something in this case is the
inconceivable journeys to regain her daughter twice after Triana
was kidnapped by her father. This is Rosalie’s story as much as it
is the story of Triana, who as a young child couldn’t understand
what, was happening. But who later learned the facts and
somehow had her mother’s stamina to overcome this horrific
period in her young life and thrive.

Rosalie, as a mother, could only imagine what it was like for Triana,
but she could not fathom the horrors of what life turned out to be
for little Triana. From rabies after being bitten by a dog, to being
raped by strange men, to the recurrent lice infestations leading to
the shaving of her hair, Triana grew up under conditions no child
should have to endure. Adjusting to Franco’s juggling of wives
(sometimes with children of their own), and by far the worst thing a
father can tell his child—that her mother was evil and that she was
dead, Triana amazingly came through it all without a deep scar.

Hollingsworth chose to structure her story as a diary, which suited
the purpose well. She takes you along on the journey to recover
Triana in hope that others in the same situation will see that with
determination and strength, the impossible may not be impossible
after all. Her pace is right on with tension building up where needed
and letting low where relief should be felt. Beginning with the first
retrieval, Hollingsworth uses a back flash in the second chapter to
reveal kidnap what led up to the kidnapping and clues us in to the
relationship between herself and Franco.

I really enjoyed reading the book especially to see the great results
in the end. The rushes of fear, followed by sighs of relief, to end
with the joy of reunion. To learn that through all the negativity
surrounding Triana’s life she went on to study nursing, showing that
her human compassion wasn’t harmed. The only thing I disliked
(having nothing to do with the mechanics itself) was the fact that
the pages came apart from page 1 through 84. It’s a shame that such
a great book couldn’t find a home with a better publishing house.
Other than that it could have benefited for a little additional editing
work but that is a minor issue. My only hope is that a serious publishing
house step up to the plate and offer a contract for a reprint of this
exceptionally well written book. This is a book all parents MUST read.
It isn’t only the parents who suffer when things go wrong; it’s the
victims (the children in the middle) that suffer the most, many too young
even to know that.

Till next time,

Gloria

“Every moment is a choice, and every choice reverberates . . . Every moment presents an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’.”

Abuse is not a chosen lifestyle for the child placed there by the abuser. [...]]]> Sandy Brewer
Pursuit of Light: An Extraordinary Journey
Peach Tree House, 2007, 224 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 978-0-9796554-4-9
(Self-help, Memoir, Inspirational)

“Every moment is a choice, and every choice reverberates . . .
Every moment presents an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’.”

Abuse is not a chosen lifestyle for the child placed there by
the abuser. Sandy Brewer relates the trauma of rejection and
abuse she lived through as a child, and how she chose to reach
a better life where, eventually, she found love and acceptance.

When faced with a situation, in this case abuse based on
rejection by her mother, the way out is by choice. Either
choosing to succumb to the abuse, or to follow the line of abuse
and grow to be an abuser as well, or to come to terms with
oneself, and choose to overcome the abusive environment to
reach the light, the other way of life—the environment of being
loved and accepted by others. But how is this done? For one, it
demands courage, and lots of it. Sandy was a very courageous child,
who withstood harsh, brutal beatings and verbal abuse from her mother.
To be able to bear it is hard to comprehend.

From being kicked and flung into the wall at the age of two, to
being forced by a father to drink a ‘poisoned’ drink, Brewer’s
willpower to survive pulled her through. Yet with all she went
through as a child, she was able to find the courage and
determination to end the familial cycle of abuse, one she was
determined not to pass on to her future generations.

Brewer uses a technique of flashbacks to take the reader back to
her abusive childhood. By doing so, she is telling two stories
side-by-side: the first story is the one of her horrific childhood living
in an abusive environment, the second her life as an adult and her
journey out of the dark into the light. Brewer is proof that miracles happen.

I liked the way I was drawn to keep reading, the realization of
questioning what else could possibly follow as if this (whatever was
mentioned) wasn’t bad enough. I found a connection to the uncertainty
an adoptee experiences, even in the best stable and peaceful family
surroundings, where Brewer writes, “. . . I was aware of the blank,
missing pieces of my life. I just didn’t know what they were, and I had no
one to turn to, no one to ask about it. . . “

The heavy use of dialogue throughout helps us see the characters
much more in depth than had she chosen to use simple prose. The
combination of lessons Brewer intends to teach the reader weaved
into the story line makes for an easy read of a very disturbing and
otherwise difficult to read subject.

I highly recommend that every new parent read Brewer’s book to
experience the effects of parental abuse on children and hope it will
lead to the correct choice, and an end to parental abuse. The world
will be a better place to live if only this could be achieved.

To learn more about the author and the book visit

www.PusuitOfLight.com.

What do you think–is parental abuse a cycle passed on from
generation to generation? Have you read this book? Leave a
comment or questions for Sandy below.

Till next time,

Gloria

Check out the Etymology Dictionary.

For example, take the word “gadget”, this is what it says:

“1886, gadjet (but said to date [...]]]> Have you ever wondered what lies behind a word, not
just the meaning found in a dictionary, but its history
or story of how it came to be? That’s where etymology
comes in.

Check out the Etymology Dictionary.

For example, take the word “gadget”, this is what it says:

“1886, gadjet (but said to date back to 1850s), sailors’
slang word for any small mechanical thing or part of a ship
for which they lacked, or forgot, a name. . . .”

or “happy hour”–”early evening period of discount drinks and
free hors-d’oeuvres at a bar” is first recorded 1961.”

Hmm . . . Wonder what it was called before 1961. Anyone want
to give a guess? Leave a comment. Also check it out. Find
something you’d like to share, post a comment.

Till next time
Gloria

Today I have a treat for you. I have been reading Christina’s e-zines for a long time, and had the honor of meeting her face-to-face on May 5th when she held a workshop at our local library in Bellevue, WA. When the opportunity to host an interview with her came up, I [...]]]> Good morning everyone

Today I have a treat for you. I have been reading
Christina’s e-zines for a long time, and had the
honor of meeting her face-to-face on May 5th
when she held a workshop at our local library in
Bellevue, WA. When the opportunity to host an
interview with her came up, I asked her to visit
with us. If you are confused as to what a writer’s
platform is, or not sure you’ve got all your bases
covered on your platform, read this for a clear view
on the topic.

Christina Katz

So to get the ball rolling I’d like to introduce Christina
Katz, author of Get Known Before the Book
Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author
Platform & Writer Mama: How
to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids.
She started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and
ended up on “Good Morning America.” Christina teaches
e-courses on platform development and writing nonfiction
for publication. Her students are published in national
magazines and land agents and book deals. Christina has
been encouraging reluctant platform builders via her
e-zines for five years, has written hundreds of articles for
national, regional, and online publications, and is a monthly
columnist for the Willamette Writer. A popular speaker at
writing conferences, writing programs, libraries, and
bookstores, she hosts the Northwest Author Series in
Wilsonville, Oregon.

It’s my pleasure and a great honor to welcome Christina Katz
to my blog, so sit back and enjoy.

GO:
Christina, welcome to Gloria’s Corner. It was great meeting you
on the 5th and I am honored to be able to have you here today
to share your knowledge on the platform issue with my readers.
So to get started can you explain what a platform is?

CK: Long story short: Your platform
communicates your expertise to others, and it works all the
time so you don’t have to. Your platform includes your Web
presence, any public speaking you do, the classes you teach,
the media contacts you’ve established, the articles you’ve
published, and any other means you currently have for making
your name and your future books known to a viable readership.
If others already recognize your expertise on a given topic or for
a specific audience or both, then that is your platform.

A platform-strong writer is a writer with influence. Get Known
explains in plain English, without buzzwords, how any writer can
stand out from the crowd of other writers and get the book deal.
The book clears an easy-to-follow path through a formerly
confusing forest of ideas so any writer can do the necessary
platform development they need to do.

GO: Why is platform development important for writers today?

CK: Learning about and working on a solid platform plan
gives writers an edge. Agents and editors have known this for years
and have been looking for platform-strong writers and getting them
book deals. But from the writer’s point-of-view, there has not been
enough information on platform development to help unprepared writers
put their best platform forward.

Now suddenly, there is a flood of information on platform, not all
necessarily comprehensive, useful or well organized for folks who don’t
have a platform yet. Writers can promote themselves in a gradual,
grounded manner without feeling like they are selling out. I do it, I
teach other writers to do it, I write about it on an ongoing basis, and I
encourage all writers to heed the trend. And hopefully, I communicate
how in a practical, step-by-step manner that can serve any writer.
Because ultimately, before you actively begin promoting yourself,
platform development is an inside job requiring concentration,
thoughtfulness and a consideration of personal values.

GO: How did you come to write Get Known Before the Book Deal?

Get Known Before the Book Deal

CK: I already had a lot of momentum going when I got
the deal for a very specific audience. I wrote a column on the
topic for the Willamette Writer’s newsletter. Then I started
speaking on platform. When I gave my presentation, “Get Known
Before the Book Deal,” at the Writer’s Digest/BEA Writer’s
Conference in May 2007, Phil Sexton, one of my publisher’s sales
guys, saw it and suggested making the concept into a book.
Coincidentally, I was trying to come up with an idea for my second
book at that time and had just struck out with what I thought
were my three best ideas. My editor, Jane Friedman agreed with Phil.
That was two votes from people sitting on the pub board. They
converted the others with the help of my proposal, and Get Known
got the green light.

GO: Why was a book on platform development needed?

CK: Writers often underestimate how important platform is and they
often don’t leverage the platform they already have enough. At every
conference I presented, I took polls and found that about 50 percent
of attendees expressed a desire for a clearer understanding of platform.
Some were completely in the dark about it, even though they were
attending a conference in hopes of landing a book deal. Since book
deals are granted based largely on the impressiveness of a writer’s
platform, I noticed a communication gap that needed to be addressed.

My intention was that Get Known would be the book
every writer would want to read before attending a writer’s conference,
and that it would increase any writer’s chances of landing a book deal
whether they pitched in-person or by query. As I wrote the book, I saw
online how this type of information was being offered as “insider secrets”
at outrageous prices. No one should have to pay thousands of dollars for
the information they can find in my book for the price of a paperback!
Seriously. You can even ask your library to order it and read it for free.

GO: Before I go on with the next question, let me add
that I highly recommend her book. It is fabulous. That said, Christina,
what is the key idea behind Get Known Before the Book Deal?

CK: Getting known doesn’t take a lot of money, but it
does take an in-depth understanding of platform, and then the investment
of time, skills and consistent effort to build one. Marketing experience and
technological expertise are also not necessary. I show how to avoid the
biggest time and money-waster, which is not understanding who your
platform is for and why – and hopefully save writers from the confusion and
inertia that can result from either information overload or not taking the big
picture into account before they jump into writing for traditional publication.

Often writers with weak platforms are over-confident that they can impress
agents and editors, while others with decent platforms are under-confident
or aren’t stressing their platform-strength enough. Writers have to wear so
many hats these days, we can use all the help we can get. Platform
development is a muscle, and the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
Anyone can do it, but most don’t or won’t because they either don’t
understand what is being asked for, or they haven’t overcome their own
resistance to the idea. Get Known offers a concrete plan
that can help any writer make gains in the rapidly changing and increasingly
competitive publishing landscape.

GO: What is the structure of the book and why did you choose it?

CK: Writer Mama was written in small, easy-to-digest chunks so
busy new moms could stick it in a diaper bag and read it
in the nooks and crannies of the day. Get Known is a
bit more prosaic, especially in the early chapters. Most of the platform
books already out there were only for authors, not writers or aspiring
authors. To make platform evolution easy to comprehend, I had to dial
the concepts back to the beginning and talk about what it’s like to try
and find your place in the world as an author way before you’ve signed a
contract, even before you’ve written a book proposal. No one had done
that before in a book for writers. I felt writers needed a context in which
to chart a course towards platform development that would not be
completely overwhelming.

Introducing platform concepts to writers gives them the key information
they need to succeed at pitching an agent either via query or in-person,
making this a good book for a writer to read before writing a book proposal.
Get Known has three sections: section one is mostly
stories and cautionary tales, section two has a lot of to-do lists any writer
should be able to use, and section three is how to articulate your platform
clearly and concisely so you won’t waste a single minute wondering if you
are on the right track.

GO: At the front of Get Known, you discuss four
phases of the authoring process. What are they?

CK: First comes the platform development and building phase. Second
comes the book proposal development phase (or if you are writing fiction,
the book-writing phase). Third, comes the actual writing of the book (for
fiction writers this is likely the re-writing of the book). And finally, once
the book is published, comes the book marketing and promoting phase.

Many first-time authors scramble once they get a book deal if they
haven’t done a thorough job on the platform development phase.
Writers who already have a platform have influence with a fan base,
and they can leverage that influence no matter what kind of book
they write. Writing a book is a lot easier if you are not struggling to
find readers for the book at the same time. Again, agents and editors
have known this for a long time.

GO: What are some common platform mistakes writers make?

CK: Here are a few:

• They don’t spend time clarifying who they are to others.
• They don’t zoom in specifically on what they offer.
• They confuse socializing with platform development.
• They think about themselves too much and their audience not enough.
• They don’t precisely articulate all they offer so others get it immediately.
• They don’t create a plan before they jump online.
• They undervalue the platform they already have.
• They are overconfident and think they have a solid platform when they
have only made a beginning.
• They become exhausted from trying to figure out platform as they go.
• They pay for “insider secrets” instead of trusting their own instincts.
• They blog like crazy for six months and then look at their bank accounts
and abandon the process as going nowhere.

I’ll stop there. Suffice it to say that many writers promise publishers
they have the ability to make readers seek out and purchase their book.
But when it comes time to demonstrate this ability, they can’t deliver.

My mission is to empower writers to be 100 percent responsible for
their writing career success and stop looking to others to do their
promotional work for them. Get Known shows writers of every stripe
how to become the writer who can not only land a book deal, but
also influence future readers to plunk down ten or twenty bucks to
purchase their book. It all starts with a little preparation and planning.
The rest unfolds from there.

GO: Couldn’t any author have written this book? Why you?

CK: I have built a career over the past decade empowering writers.
I’ve developed and built my own platform as a writing-for-traditional-publication
specialist, and I’ve worked with others as a writing and platform-development
instructor. Many of the people I’ve been working with are landing book deals
and while the other hundred-or-so writers I work with a year are developing
their skills, I notice patterns of behavior—what leads to success, where writers
get stuck, and how I can be helpful in these rapidly changing times
in the industry.

I’ve witnessed too many writers, who were off to a great start, hopping
online and quickly becoming very lost. I started to write about platform
in Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your
Kids, but I quickly noticed that more details on platform
development were desperately needed. My platform is based on helping
others. I have a vested interest in seeing the people I work with—and
those who read my book—succeed. Writers are my tribe.

GO: Hmmm…I like that thought – Writer Mama, leader of the tribe.
Well, Christina, thanks for visiting with us today. If anyone has questions
for Christina she will be checking in here several times over the next 24
hours, so leave them in the comments and she’ll answer them. Don’t
forget to check back for your answers. So go ahead leave a comment,
tell us what you think about building a platform, and if you have a
question, don’t forget to leave that too. For more information from
Christina Katz visit her Web site. Have a great day!

Till next time,

Gloria

Jerry Pollock, [...]]]> My good friend Cheryl Malandrinos asked me to help spread
the word about this new book and organization. Since I was
ill for about a month with pneumonia and am in the last
minute stage of arranging my daughter’s wedding I offered to
post something on my blog in lieu of an interview.

Jerry Pollock, President of the organization, wrote a book called
Messiah Interviews: Belonging to God, which he describes as follows:

“The protagonist must satisfy his biblical interviewers?the angel Gabriel,
Methuselah, Chanoch, Seth, King David, Moses, Jacob, Abraham, and the
prophet Isaiah?and prove that he has the wisdom and character to be the
Messiah. As the tale unfolds, the challenges of the interviews go beyond
the protagonist and become relevant to the lives of each one of us.”

Here is an excerpt from the book:
The Archangel Michael is speaking in Heaven:

“We have deliberately chosen a sinner: you, Yoseph, who has
knowingly cheated in science. Yet, you have publicly repented
and confessed your sins to your Stony Brook University
administration; and sent letters of apology to the former
institutions that you attended. Moreover, you have expressed
your heartfelt remorse and your sincere regrets for all of your
sinful actions in your published book, Divinely Inspired: Spiritual
Awakening of a Soul, for all to see. We have intentionally chosen
someone who has suffered horrifically, yet has the potential through
his suffering to look inside and understand human nature. We also
have especially not chosen a tzaddik, the wisest, most righteous,
and perfect of men. We are testing the potential of a simple imperfect
man. If you succeed in answering our questions, you will become King
Messiah, and return to earth to take your place at the End of Days.
If our assessment of you is that you are not the person, we had in
mind, and then we will have failed once again in finding the true Messiah.”

Profits from the sale of this book will be used for charity. To learn
more visit www.shechinahthirdtemple.org

Till next time,

Gloria

“I walked to the back of the room to turn out the lights on that half of my portable classroom and saw a twice-folded, handwritten note. Usually, I would have just thrown it away but not this time. The unrecognized scribble [...]]]> Micah’s Child
Lang Buchanan
Dragonon Inc., Mason, OH, 2006
504 pages
$17.95
ISBN: 0-9763398-5-4

“I walked to the back of the room to turn out the lights
on that half of my portable classroom and saw a twice-folded,
handwritten note. Usually, I would have just thrown it away
but not this time. The unrecognized scribble said, “It’s
started again with my Dad. I have hinted about it with my
teacher but not really told him. I wish he were my father.”

Micah’s Child by Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan is a story
of finding oneself and coming to terms with the troubles of
one’s past. Catherine Scott, AKA Cat, a high school English
teacher, mother of two college aged children and wife to
Marshall, lives a life of a socialite amongst the wealthy in her
Atlanta neighborhood. Cat harbors a secret that causes her
grief in the form of self-guilt for the death of her firstborn
daughter years before. Also teaching at the same high
school is the new math teacher, Micah Marlowe, at first a
mysterious character whom we know little about, but later
revealing his very human side. Together they make a
wonderful team both as teachers and as good friends.

Marshall, Cat’s husband, is self-conscious of his appearance,
is a troubled sleeper, and a bit egoistic as seen when he says,
“You know what. I can’t deal with this right now.” Marshall is
dealing with lots of stress due to work issues and family issues.
He’s a lawyer and believes in the all work no play ethic forgetting
things like their anniversary. When Cat mentions it he replies,
“Damn. That’s right…Not this year, Cat,” and asks her to “Help me
pack. That’ll give us a few minutes.”

Cat feels lonely as an empty-nester. Her children are off in college
no longer living at home. Now when Marshall travels for business
she’s alone. That’s when the memories and guilt feelings strike and
she says to no one in particular “If it weren’t for me, she’d be alive.
I let my baby die.”

This makes the reader want to keep turning the page to find out
what did happen to the baby. Though she lives a socialite life, Cat
feels out of place, as she puts it, “Living at the top of the economic
ladder, I was at the bottom rung of despair.”

There’s also a mysterious cloud over the fatherhood of Tess, Cat’s
baby that died. Who was he? Cat tells us it wasn’t Marshall so it must
have been someone from before she married. Not until she tells Micah
Marlowe the story of Tess’s death do we find out. And be prepared for
a shock, because it wasn’t what I was thinking all along while reading
the book. Intertwined throughout is the story of Nellie and David, young
kids growing up in the South. I never really got the reason for this
flashback story line as I kept thinking perhaps these kids were Cat and
Micah as youngsters, not so.

Not only are Cat and Micah excellent teachers, their students adore
them. If we had more teachers like them today who weren’t afraid to
do innovative things in their classrooms, perhaps the level of learning
would improve. Cat teaches English. What high school student adores
English, especially when reading boring writing? Cat has a way of
making things interesting. Much role-playing goes on in her classroom
and aids in learning. When it comes to grammar she has a unique way
of relating to her students and the lives they live. Explaining verbs Cat
tells her class, “Verbs are males because they act up in front of the
female nouns.” She describes clauses as “Women are independent
clauses and men are dependent, just like in everything. Always
cleaning up your mistakes.”

Micah teaches math and brings math to life by experiments, bringing in
speakers, and showing videos. Micah’s motto is taken from Emerson,
“The whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts.” He has a
poster of this hanging in his classroom. Micah explains math as “part of
all of nature; including human nature,” and adds, “There’s a
mathematical reason the spiral of a seashell elicits wonder and a sense
of beauty. Symmetry is the basis of all existence.” But sometimes doing
such things can lead to trouble as was the case with Micah after a guest
speaker appeared in class and showed a video. What happened is for you
to find out when you read the book.

In general, I loved the book and read the whole thing in less than a week.
There was only one part that I had issues with. Monica, one of the
socialite wives, was talking to Rita, another socialite wife, and Cat when
out of the blue she remarked, “Didn’t the Nazi’s make lampshades out of
the Jew’s skins?” Cat tried putting her in place and ending the topic but
Rita didn’t get it when Cat responded, “How horrible.” Rita popped in with,
“It’s true. Can you imagine Shari’s skin as a lampshade?” Cat tried again,
“That’s not even funny. In fact, it’s downright scary.” Rita responded,
“Come on, Cat. I was just having fun. I like Shari. I don’t care if she’s a
Jew.” Cat retorted, “Fun? Do you realize what you just said…”Not only
did Cat feel out of place amongst these elite women, she was also the
most decent and sane one of them all. What I don’t get though is why
this conversational interchange on this topic had to be included to
begin with.

Anybody who works in a difficult population school should read this book
and learn from Cat and Micah, how to bring their subjects to life in the
classroom and how to stand up for what you believe is right. The overall
technique of interlaced back-story, flashbacks, and the main story line
make this a book that is hard to put down once you start reading. It’s
fiction, mystery, romance, and thriller all in one. It brings issues
confronting us today to light. It shows the different opinions of parents
in the school setting and makes you wonder about some of the parents
stances. No wonder some kids are so troubled.

Although both Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan claim that the book isn’t
about them, there are a lot of similarities. Michael is a math teacher and
an archeology treasure hunter like Micah. He wrote the Honduras scene
and all the male parts for Micah. Diane was an English teacher like Cat
and wrote the rest of the book. They both taught at a high school
together at one point but wrote the book mostly by email. The result was
a wonderful achievement for a first novel.

Micah’s Child deals with all kinds of issues from marital problems,
alcoholism, abuse to honesty and good to others. Micah’s Child kept me
on my feet. I didn’t get the meaning of this title until the end but it was
good that way. Read it to find out who really was Micah’s Child. This
book will be a great revelation and you won’t be sorry. So look for Micah’s
Child by Lang Buchanan (notice how the authors combined their names)
and start reading it now.

Till next time,

Gloria