Books by Jack Phillips Lowe

George Edalji (that's Ay-dal-ji, by the way, since Parsi name calling are always stressed on the first syllable) is the boy of a Staffordshire vicar of North American Indian beginning and his Scots wife. Saint George is thus a half-cast, to utilize the linguistic communication of his late-Victorian and Edwardian age. He's a diligent, if not too eminent a scholar. He is uninterested in sport, is of little stature and doesn't see too well. He kips with his father behind a barred door, is in bed by 9:30, goes a little town canvasser who develops an involvement in railroad train timetables and, by manner of bizarre diversion, prints a traveller's usher to railroad law.

Arthur Conan Doyle (later Sir Arthur) is born in Edinburgh, finishes medical school and generally accomplishes whatever undertaking he put himself, including becoming a human race celebrated writer. Despite the fact that he kills off his creation, the investigator Private Detective Holmes, ostensibly to give clip to undertakings of greater gravity, popular demand take a firm stands that he raise the fictional character from the dead. He makes this and return to bring forth even greater success than before. He marries happily twice and prosecutes and involvement in spiritualism, amongst other good causes.

Perhaps because of who they are, the Edalji household go the butt end of the political campaign of poisonous substance pen letters. When they complain, all they carry through is the focusing of additional unwanted attendings on themselves. When a series of ripping onslaughts on animate beings stays unsolved, George, somehow, goes the premier suspect. Convinced of his villainy, police, judicial system, expert witnesses, jury and fourth estate see him convicted of the law-breaking and sent down for seven years. Good behavior sees him released after three.

Sir Chester A. Arthur wishes to make good and takes up Saint George Edalji's case. He explores the facts, analyses the possibilities, tracks down neighbors and functionaries who have got been involved. He makes an option account of events and shows it to officialdom, seeking a forgiveness and compensation for George, who by this clip have transferred to Greater London to begin a new life. The two work force ran into and the incongruousness of their assumptive outlooks of life are as irreconcilable as they are irrelevant to their joint focusing on George's case. After functionary review, however, the Home Office Committee eventually reasons in an equivocal manner. Edalji was convicted of the law-breaking and the strong belief is declared unsound; but crucially he is not declared innocent. He is therefore establish not guilty but then not guiltless either and so not worthy of compensation. When, old age later, Sir Chester A. Arthur deceases and his associates phase a medium assemblage in his honor in the Royal Prince Albert Hall, Saint George is invited and attends, complete with field glasses lest he lose a item of the proceedings. The semblance of the event pulls him in and at one phase he experiences himself to be the Centre of attention, only to happen that it is a close miss. Most of the item mentions to himself and his father, but the world then points to another who is immediately identified.

But, paradoxically, the quiet Saint George Edalji and his Parsi (not Hindoo) father, Shapurji, were always the Centre of attending simply by being who they were. Even Sir Arthur, the son's eventual champion, states this in one of his letters when he composes that it was perhaps inevitable that a dark-skinned reverend taking a station in cardinal England would pulls other's attention of a sort that would seek to sabotage him, vilify him and effort to throw out him. The message is clear, that to be different from an assumptive norm is to ask for hatred, envy, favoritism and eventually ignominy. It is presented as a cosmopolitan assumption, an unwritten component of cosmopolitan common sense. Thus, as an intruder, the usual regulations of justness will never pertain, a world alluded to late in the book when George, scanning the Prince Albert Memorial with his binoculars, detects a statuesque incarnation of the conception of justness that is not wearing a blindfold.

What is eventually so distressing about Chester A. Arthur and George, however, is the realization that both fictional characters are outsiders. Saint George is put apart from his Staffordshire equals by his tegument coloring material and perceived race. Arthur, however, lives no humdrum life. He goes to private schools, measure ups as a physician and then goes an international famous person by virtuousness of his writing. He takes up minority causes and places with them but, despite his obvious discreteness from mainstream society, in his lawsuit his place is never interpreted as a menace or a handicap, obviously because the discreteness of privilege have a different currency from the discreteness of even relative poverty.

Now an abiding memory of my ain school history lessons was a text edition reproduction of a mid-Victorian cartoon of the cosmopolitan pyramid of creation. It had Supreme Being at the apex, immediately in touching via the saints with the Empress of Republic Of India and then, layered beneath in broadening courses of study were the nobility and aristocracy, the members of authorities and civil service, the professional social classes and merchants. The workings social classes could perhaps temporarily disregard their poorness in the consolation offered by knowing that they are a cut above members of all other races who, themselves, were just one up from the apes. It was not many more than layers down to the low animals, most of which slithered or crawled. Chester A. Arthur and Saint George ostensibly states us much about racism and racial favoritism in a society that was portrayed as the vertex of a worldwide empire, a celestial focusing for aspiration. It also states us about the powerfulness of given and have much to state very quietly and by suggestion about societal social class and its ability, especially in Britain, to legitimise difference as originality or eccentricity in some areas, differences which elsewhere would be threats.

The twelvemonth is 1964. It was a clip when many people smoked, drugs were not often heard of, it was safe to take a walking at nighttime in most towns, living together anterior to matrimony was not acceptable and most people married before having children.



Balan, sat in the anteroom people watching. He was wearing a lawsuit he felt most comfy wearing, in his pocket was a gold pencil lighter. He was almost tall and almost handsome. It was another weekend away, another search, another resort. Now that Erika was gone Balan had been on a electrical circuit he loathed. All he really hoped for was to happen one miss with whom he might fall in love with.



Three old age out of college in 1952 Balan was pounding the paving looking for work as a writer, no 1 seemed to necessitate a writer. He wrote books and he wrote his drama Spring Never Returns, and that is how he met Erika. She read for a function in his play.



In 1906 Rachael Sarah Dauner was born in Hungary. When she was 15 she boarded a railroad train on the first leg of a journeying that was to transport her to America. Marriage, pregnancy, sorrow of abortion and finally Claude Bernard Alan Redfield was born. After a clip he was called Balan. And, from his earlier twelvemonth Balan loved rivers.



Two generations, family, friends that remained a long clip and others who stopped, shared a minute and moved on. Death, life, maturity, inquiries regarding his maleness and his Jewishness, in improver to hurt, feelings of licking and hurting are all presented on the pages of State Uncle.



Writer Globerman goes on to turn as a writer. On the pages of State Uncle he investigations Balan's mind so thoroughly that the reader is left with an acute perceptive of just what it is that brands him tick. Hopes, fears, sensitiveness as well as human relationships all are laid bare for the eyes of the reader in this fast paced, well written narrative. Balan is a complex fictional character who seeks to happen what he necessitates for himself despite the almost stifling devotion, aspirations and desires he experiences from friends and household as they at modern modern times nearly surround him and his alone charm.



Told in the first individual State Uncle is presented from the point of view of Balan; the narrative moves quickly to uncover an insightful, bright adult male who, as we all are, is buffeted at times by the events of his life. And as most of us, he is made stronger because of his life occurrences. Characters are strong, fully developed and convincing. Balan travels through many of the ups and down feathers of life as are experienced by us all. His battle to detect his ideal comrade is an enterprise most of us cognize and understand. The fervor, desires and wishings Balan possesses are the 1s we all face; moreover they are exactly why the book throws us in its clasp so securely. Dialogue is at modern times tough and gritty, nevertheless verbiage used is credible always.



Attention-grabbing read, happy to recommend. State Uncle is certain to involvement those who bask general fiction well written, not for everyone some graphical sex, some graphical language. State Uncle have a topographic point on the personal reading list, the high school library shelf and the public library.



I was sent a trade paperback book transcript for review.

Michele VanOrt Cozzens is a former journalist with a long history as a reporter, editor, and, newspaper columnist. She has two previous books released "I'm Living Your Dream Life: The Story of a Northwoods Resort Owner," and "The Things I Wish I'd Said." Michele, along with her husband, Mike, and two daughters ,Willow and Camille, owns and operates a family vacation resort in northern Wisconsin where they spend their summers. The family spends the remaining nine months in Tucson, Arizona.

Juanita: Welcome to Reader Views Michele, and thanks for the opportunity to talk with you about your compelling novel "A Line Between Friends." Michele, after writing two nonfiction books, why did you decide to write your first novel?

Michele: Hi Juanita. I appreciate your interest in my work. I'm often asked why I decided to cross over from non-fiction to fiction. The decision was simple. Working as a feature writer, a columnist and editor during my journalism career always required one consistent thing: getting to the truth. Writing fiction allowed me, for the first time, to just make things up! It was a like having a license to lie. And it was alarmingly easy.

Juanita: Why this particular story?

Michele: This story is based on something that happened to me. I had a male friend in college and we had the same major, so we studied together a lot. After graduation we went our separate ways, but stayed in touch mostly through Christmas cards and birthday phone calls. That was it. He got married, I got married, he sent a birth announcement or two, and then I sent a Christmas card when I was pregnant with my first child. And in response I received a really terse letter telling me to stay out of his life. I read it over and over trying to figure out why he wrote it, but it kept coming down to the same thing. He felt our continued correspondence, as innocent and inconsequential as it was (at least to me), was unfair to him and to his wife. Clearly this guy had a different idea about our relationship than I. When I showed the letter to my husband, he explained to me that "guys have a different way of looking at platonic friendships than girls," and that I should probably just let him go. So I did. But it bothered me. It made me feel like I was 'the other woman' or something, and I didn't like that label. This is why I decided to transfer all my feelings onto two made-up characters with different backgrounds yet similar circumstances. I thought if I could solve the puzzle for the two of them, I could answer a few of my own questions as well.

Juanita: Would you tell us about your two main characters Joel Rolland and Noelle Moncada?

Michele: First of all, I am NOT Noelle. She is far prettier (and taller) than I am, and I don't necessarily agree with the assessments she makes of her relationship with Joel. She also walk(ed) in the shadow of a brilliant older sister and lost her father when she was only eight years old. I grew up in a house filled with kids and my father died only recently, at the age of 86. As I was writing the characters I identified a lot more with Joel. Joel was the mystery to me, so I had to get to know him and like him. Ultimately, he's a lot like my best friend, the man who happens to be my husband. My husband was a wonderful consultant—not only because I made Joel a stockbroker and that was my husband's trade, but also, because each time I wrote a "Joel chapter" in first person, I'd read it aloud to my husband and often he'd stop me cold and say things like, "Michele, a guy would never say something like that!" Ultimately, I'd say that both Joel and Noelle are intelligent, yet typical products of a 1970s-80s Midwestern upbringing. I think they both love their spouses and their kids, yet hold a sentimental place for their friendship with one another, and ultimately learn that it's okay to live with those memories.

Juanita: Michele, your book poses the age-old question – Can a man and a woman remain friends after each marries someone else? What happens in "A Line Between Friends"?

Michele: As I've found through the now countless number of discussions I've had since this book was published, there isn't one, definitive answer to this question. This is what makes the topic so interesting to discuss. I believe there are as many answers to this question as there are relationships between men and women. I can say without the slightest doubt that I have a few very good friends who are married men. One of my closest friends in the world is a man, who isn't married, but he's my husband's best friend as well, and we, of course, have never 'crossed the line.' Joel and Noelle do cross the line, although it happened early in their relationship and years passed before Joel sent the letter cutting off all ties. He is ultimately the one who is conflicted about his feelings for Noelle, and has been all along. For these two, I don't think it's possible; however, I still leave it up to the reader to decide.

Juanita: The voices of your two main characters are heard strongly throughout your novel by each chapter alternating first-person accounts. What can you tell us about the strength of this context in revealing the differing male/female perspectives?

Michele: This is a very good question. Because this is the story of Joel and Noelle who each tell the same story of how they met and how their relationship develops, I felt it was important to give them equal time. Men and women tend to have different takes on relationships and I wanted to try and bring out both those takes—if you will—by putting the reader inside the heads of each. I bring in their friends (college roommates, for example) to show how much influence friends have upon our relationships as well.

Juanita: What seems to be the compelling force that has kept these two in contact for so many years?

Michele: I'd like to say it's simply because they like each other . . . but I think we learn that Noelle likes to cling to the one consistent male figure in her life who is more like a fun brother than a patriarchal father or critical boyfriend, and I believe Joel thinks of Noelle as some kind of goddess who is consistently out of his reach. He likes the idea of her more than the woman she actually is.

Juanita: The past plays a big part of your story as both Joel and Noelle reflect back on their relationship. Would you comment on the coming of age aspect of "A Line Between Friends" and the vivid manner in which you transport readers back in time?

Michele: Transporting readers back to the 1970s was a fun trip down memory lane for me. As an aspiring journalist back in high school, I kept journals on everything and was therefore able to not only tap into my memory of foil wall paper, peacock feather and Chianti bottle décor, but also replay the music of Led Zeppelin, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and I remember the apathetic nature many of us developed toward politics by coming of age during Watergate. My first interesting piece in the school newspaper was on Title IX and how the PE teachers felt about incorporating co-ed PE into the curriculum. The differing responses between the male and female teachers made an enormous impression upon me. Let's not forget this was the time when "the Battle of the Sexes" and the competition between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs was front and center in pop culture. I don't think it took intelligent members of our generation very long to figure out that the playing field was fairly equal. I think we learned to have friends of the opposite sex pretty easily.

Juanita: Michele, why do you think it can be so difficult for people to let go of past relationships?

Michele: I'm not sure that I do. When the man I married nearly 18 years ago came into my life, I didn't feel the need to hang onto any of my previous (sexual) relationships. Friendships, however, are another story. As with my male college friend who inspired this story, we had 20 years worth of fond memories, which I simply liked to bring to the front of my mind around the holidays with a greeting card. I wasn't dragging up the "relationship" or trying to make it anything more than it was, but apparently either he was . . . or his wife was . . . and when he asked me to stop all contact, I had to try and respect that.

Juanita: Who or what do you think ultimately defines the "line" between friends?

Michele: Sex. Sleep with someone and the relationship crosses over the line between friends and lovers.

Juanita: Do you think both women and men will enjoy reading "A Line Between Friends"?

Michele: When I work-shopped this book, I had far more male readers/commentators than women. Like my husband, the men enjoyed keeping me in line and helped empower my language and thoughts to be more authentically male. I think this is more Joel's story than Noelle's, and I actually agree more with his conclusions—if that's what you can call them—than I do with Noelle's. So to answer your question, I think both men and women will equally enjoy reading and relating to this story.

Juanita: What were some favorite moments that you experienced writing this story? Was it a different process for you than your other books?

Michele: Each time I finished a draft of a chapter, I called my husband into my office so I could read it aloud to him—especially Joel's chapters, as he was such a big help with the voice. There's one chapter in particular where I closed my eyes and typed while he talked to me. I interviewed him about his first day working at the Chicago Board of Trade. He had fantastic recall, describing sights and sounds, and I gave these all to Joel. Like Joel, his mother died of cancer and I liked hearing him talk about the last days he spent with her at her bedside and how she used to comment on Ryne Sandberg's 'nice ass.' It was difficult for him, but she died before we were married and it allowed me to get to know her and to know more about their relationship.

Writing this novel was a completely different experience than writing the first two books. The first two, a memoir and then a collection of columns/essays, came easily and felt like the kind of writing I'd trained to do and had done professionally for years. Writing fiction, on the other hand, was like spitting in the wind and entirely entertaining. I'm an avid reader of fiction and love to sink my teeth into a good story and get to know vivid characters. With this experience, I got to know Joel and Noelle so well, they became very real to me. Sometimes I'd even dream about them. It was a very powerful thing to be able to send them in various directions and determine their fate.

Juanita: Michele, do you find human nature and relationships a compelling subject? Can we expect more books from you in reflecting these themes?

Michele: Juanita, I find human nature, and relationships in particular, to be THE most compelling subject for writers. Stories about people and relationships between people arise everyday and are an endless source of fascination. Yes, expect more books from me reflecting these themes.

Juanita: How did you find writing in the genre of fiction, an area that hasn't been your professional focus?

Michele: I know my publisher would prefer that I focus on a sequel to my book about the innkeeping business, and I continually hear that non-fiction is easier to sell and to promote. But I need to feel passionate about a book to which I've turned over my life—and make no mistake—when I'm writing a book, I'm living a story inside my head. Even though my husband is very supportive when I'm working on a project (driving the car pool, doing the grocery shopping and making the kids' lunches, etc.), I still have to time it right so that I don't neglect my family completely. My girls (now 12 and 9) won't be these adorable, remarkable ages forever!

Juanita: What great ages! As a mom, and having had a similar experience you wrote about in "A Line Between Friends," what advice will you give to your girls when they get older?

Michele: My girls already know I believe they should be at least 30 years old before they get married (!) They are very lucky to have a dad who is such a wonderful example of what a "good husband" is. We are very affectionate in front of our children, and share all the household chores. We laugh together constantly and honestly, never fight. I think the best way to teach your children anything is through example rather than through advice. My older daughter, Willow, has already shown her ability to make friends with boys. Part of it is because she's very athletic, and can get past a lot of them on the soccer field. Most of her girlfriends are already a bit boy-crazy and they talk about who is "going out" with whom (which cracks me up—I mean, where do sixth graders 'go out?'), yet Willow has yet to have a crush on anyone. I don't think she's met anyone smart enough yet and is holding out for someone like her dad—and by that I mean, someone with the whole package. Camille, on the other hand, has a crush on the cutest boy in class and will turn as red as a Valentine's Day heart if you even mention his name.

Juanita: Do you have any other projects in the works?

Michele: Last year I wrote a rough draft of a novel about a group of women who play the dice game bunco. Did you know that over 750,000 American women play this game? I thought it might make for a ready audience. There's a lot of characters and it needs some polish—and this past year I didn't have time to focus on it. I would like to get back to it, however, because I really fell in love with the characters. They were funny.

I also have a story in the front of my brain that's been pestering me to come out for several years. It's called "Irish Twins," and it's based on two sisters who are less than a year a part. I have an Irish Twin and we are as much alike as we are different. We have each led very interesting lives. It might be a good format to alternate chapters between the two as I did with Joel and Noelle.

Juanita: I understand that you are the founder of a non-profit organization called HerBeware, and that you have donated proceeds from your book sales to this cause. Would you tell us more?

Michele: Yes, thank you for asking about this, as it's a subject close to my heart. HerBeware is a grassroots effort to help educate the public on the potential dangers of non-regulated herbs, particularly those found in dietary supplements. During the editing process of my first book, "I'm Living Your Dream Life," my 20 year old niece suffered a fatal heart attack, which was brought on by the herb ephedra (aka ma huang). I dedicated the book to her and held fund-raising events with book signings, and with the publicity I was required to do, to spread awareness of this subject. I promise you, it was an awkward and difficult thing going around promoting a book about my so-called "dream life," when poor niece had so needlessly just lost her's. I felt much better by using my opportunity in the public eye to help prevent even one more family from going through what we did because they didn't know that ephedra, for example, tests positive for amphetamines. This beautiful young girl thought she was taking a dietary supplement to help her shed a few pounds, and she may as well have been snorting cocaine for the effect it had on her heart! The FDA has since banned ephedra and yet there's still an effort to get it back on the market. I don't spend much time debating herb industry apologists these days (it took over my life for a while) but I do feel we made a valiant effort at getting out the information and cautioning people to not only check labels, but also check with their physicians before simply trusting a label that reads "all natural" and expecting it to mean that it's perfectly safe.

Juanita: Michele, how can readers find out more about you and your books?

Michele: Sandy Point Resort and Disc Golf Ranch, the business I own and operate along with my husband, Mike, has a wonderful website: www.sandypt.com. My author website, which details my books and provides purchasing information is: www.michelecozzens.com. I am represented by Sligo Literary Agency.

Juanita: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today Michele. Your thought-provoking novel will certainly entertain readers, and we appreciate your candid responses. Before we depart, do you have any last thoughts?

Michele: Thanks, Juanita. I'd just like to say that each time I receive a good review, it feels like someone is complimenting one of my children. I'm so grateful to people who take the time to contact me with their comments about my books. But this is something I like to stress to aspiring authors . . . writing is actually the easy part. Selling your books is an entirely different and much more difficult experience. This is why I appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to promote my book. Even if one person reads this interview and finds the topic played out in A Line Between Friends compelling enough to switch over to Amazon.com and buy a copy, we've had time well spent. Now if you have any connections that can get me on Oprah, The Today Show, The View or even Dr. Phil, I'd be eternally grateful. Cheers!

Interview with Michele VanOrt Cozzens


author of A Line Between Friends


McKenna Publishing (2006)


ISBN 1932172262


Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (4/07)


Today, Juanita Watson of Reader Views interviews award-winning author Michele VanOrt Cozzens about her new novel "A Line Between Friends."

Anne Bonney: My Pirate Story


by Jeffery S. Williams with Katherine Williams


iUniverse (2006)


ISBN 9780595373048


Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (12/06)

Anne Bonney was born out of wedlock in 1700 to Peg Brannan, a maid, and her employer William McCormac. She lived with her mother and her Uncle Edward. He was kind to her and she loved him. When the schoolmaster thrashed her for beating up the school bully, she learned the hard way that "silence in violence and violence in silence. It left my enemies adrift with uncertainty." Her unswerving defiance unnerved the schoolmaster. Anne had learned a life lesson, "most people do not have the stomach for direct confrontation."

At ten years of age Anne and her mother and father left Ireland for the Carolinas. She cherished the sea. She'd found her destiny, on a ship.

Anne came to despise her father. She saw him as a brutal master to the slaves and yet spineless. Her father picked suitors for her but she would have none of them. When James Bonney asked her to marry him she agreed despite her father's objections. Her father knew that Bonney was a penniless indentured servant out to get the family's money. Her father disowned her.

James was working for the government accusing men of being pirates. Anne had respect for most of the pirates and despised her husband for betraying them. When Anne set eyes on Calico Jack Rackham he lingered in her mind. She felt he was a man she could respect.

Anne took to wearing James' clothing and secretly visited the taverns which the pirates frequented. When the opportunity arose Anne joined Rackham on his ship. By day she dressed as a male pirate and by night she lay in his bed. When a shipmate attacked her she killed him. She now had the respect of the crew but they still believed she was male. But their respect didn't stop her from being arrested for piracy.

Jeffery S. Williams is a talented writer; his perspective on Anne Bonney's story is fascinating. He captures the feminine viewpoint perfectly. The plot flows smoothly, yet has twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. I eagerly turned the pages reading this book in one setting. I had to see what adventure Anne would face next. The cover is beautifully done. The ship with the beautiful sunset sets the tone of the story. This story contains fiction and nonfiction, action, adventure and romance. I love the ending. I highly recommend "Anne Bonney: My Pirate Story" to those who enjoy historical fiction and nonfiction.

They Was Holdin' Hands is an unusual, beautifully written novel which combines elements of mystery and literary fiction.

The story begins when the protagonist, an aspiring writer named Carmela Valente, reads by chance an intriguing article on the Seattle Times about three old women who mysteriously died huddled together by a wood-burning stove in the kitchen of their rural farmhouse in the small mining community of Pine Grove Haven, PA. Carmela soon becomes obsessed by the incident, so much so that she decides to go to the mining town to investigate. The idea of writing a novel based on the incident propels her. Of course, the demure, reserved people of Pine Grove Haven aren't exactly thrilled by her visit. The town holds dark secrets, secrets that parallel Carmela's own disturbing childhood. As the secrets of the town and the mystery of the old women's deaths are gradually revealed, so are Carmela's deeply hidden memories. In this sense, this is a dark novel about self discovery and about the grim, and often contradictory, realities of human nature.

The story is told in the first person through the view point of the protagonist, and the author uses a technique which is not common nowadays in fiction; the protagonist is never quoted in the dialogue, but instead she's always paraphrased, as in this example:

I confessed to him that I still didn't know what it was I wanted, but I hoped I would know in a day or two. I asked him if he felt the deaths were accidental.

This technique brings a quiet, old-fashioned storytelling quality to the novel, reminiscent of 19th century novelists.

There are other beautiful passages in the novel, some with lyrical yet simple, vivid images:

I brushed away the snow from a concrete bench and sat down. The day was clear. No heavy, bleak clouds blocked the sun's welcome gift. I watched as the melting rivulets of snow slid down the gravestones like tears.

This is a novel that will please those readers of mystery who look beyond the usual commercial literature. The two interwoven storylines are deftly crafted and the dialogue sparkles with authenticity. The author has a flair for characterization. In sum, this is an excellently written novel and one I'm very pleased to have read.

They Was Holdin' Hands


By Venera Di Bella Barles


Arche Books


www.archebooks.com


Copyright 2005


ISBN: 1-59507-065-6


Hardcover, 226 pages, $26.99


Mystery/Literary