Notes Left Behind, the hugely successful self published book has sold close to 8,000 copies since Good Morning America aired this story two weeks ago. Although five year-old Elena Desserich was diagnosed with an inoperable kind of cancer, she managed to spread a message of hope and healing. Elena knew that every coming day would be a gift, not to be wasted, so she created a "bucket list " of sorts -- swim with dolphins, drive a car, and more.

When her cancer progressed and she could no longer speak, she turned to drawing and painting, her kindergarten passions, to communicate. The talented artist fulfilled her lifelong dream when one of her drawings was hung next to her favorite painter, Pablo Picasso, at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The painting titled "I Love You" captured her giving spirit. Elena, who died in August 2007, also left behind "The Kindergarten Survival Guide" for her younger sister Grace.

She gave her dad a last dance. "We had our dance and that will always be the last and probably the best memory I'll ever have with her was being able to have that dance," Keith Desserich said. "There was lots of things that she wanted to do that last day, and I think she knew. We lost her two days later."
During her nine-month battle with cancer, Elena was planning an even greater gift for her family. She was hiding notes around the house, hundreds of them tucked in every corner to be discovered after she was gone.

"We were moving some boxes around one day and in between some of the books a note fell out," her mother, Brooke Desserich, said. "Each time I would read one of those notes it was like a little hug from her."

Throughout the ordeal, the parents kept an online journal to update family members on Elena's progress. They were surprised to learn that thousands of people around the country were reading it for daily inspiration. "Everybody was reading the journal and writing us that 'This taught me to be a better parent. It taught me to spend time with my children, it taught me to value being a mom and dad,'" Keith Desserich said.

Her parents have now compiled the daily journals in a book titled "Notes Left Behind" and created a foundation to raise money to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer - www.TheCureStartsNow.com --all of it inspired by the simple notes a little girl left behind.

http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/gma

On the top of a magnificent Santa Barbara mountainside overlooking the ocean, 15-year-old Nick Markowitz tearfully begged for his life. He was unaware his shallow grave had already been dug, and that one of his kidnappers was about to stifle his cries with duct tape and the other would shoot him nine times with a TEC-9 assault pistol. Why? Because Nick's half-brother Ben owed $1200 to a drug dealer named Jesse James Hollywood.

After hikers discovered Nick's body, police quickly arrested four of those who aided in his execution. The ringleader, Jesse James Hollywood, fled to Brazil and fathered a child there, believing it would prevent him from being extradited back to the US. Finally, the $70,000 reward tempted someone to alert authorities, and Hollywood faces the death penalty if convicted at his upcoming trial in spring 2009.

The feature film Alpha Dog (which frequently airs on HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax) drew attention to Nick's story, and had a profound impact on the thousands of people who wrote to Nick's mother, Susan Markowitz. They asked for more details-what parts of the movie were true, and what was fictionalized? What was Nick really like? What happened after Hollywood was captured?

After spending years combating depression and obsessively searching for the fugitive who ordered her son's murder, she now is ready to tell her story.

Forever Fifteen is a riveting and heart-rending true crime memoir that reads like a novel-- a compelling cautionary tale for all parents, and a mother's love letter to her only son.

About the Authors:

Susan Markowitz is-above all else-Nick's mom. She was a stay-at-home mom during Nick's life, and was stepmom to Ben and Leah. She has spent the years since her son's death on a tireless mission to see justice served, and to honor his memory by reaching out to teens and parents about staying away from drugs and listening to their consciences. She is married to Nick's dad, Jeff, and lives in Southern California.

 

Jenna Glatzer (www.jennaglatzer.com) is the author of 17 books. Her recent work includes the authorized biography Celine Dion: For Keeps (Andrews McMeel, 2005), Bullyproof Your Child for Life with Joel Haber, Ph.D. (Avery/Penguin, 2007), and The Marilyn Monroe Treasures (Metro Books, 2008). She has written hundreds of magazine articles, and is a contributing editor at Writer's Digest. She lives in New York with her daughter.

 

Will your next date be a winner, loser or PSYCHO? Don't find out after it's too late! See the warning signs that could save you from an abusive relationship - and even save your life! Stephany Alexander is best known for creating one of the most popular women's websites called WomanSavers.com, a revolutionary free date screening service that helps women filter out alleged cheaters, liars and abusers before they come into your life. You'll learn the latest, cutting-edge ways to stay safe and protect your privacy on dating sites, and how to increase your chances of finding a great relationship!

You'll discover how to screen your date, do a free character check, find comments by others who have had experience with your potential date, and spot red flags that spell trouble. Maria Shriver said that what Stephany teaches "could protect my daughter." Sex, Lies and the Internet is filled with real-life dating horror stories and red flag examples, quizzes, cartoons and jokes. After reading this book, you'll know how to date safely, protect yourself and your family from predators, steer clear of the losers, screen for the best prospects, guard your privacy - and stack the odds in your favor for finding the partner of your dreams.

Stephany's topics include:

How to Screen Online Dates:
Are you one of the millions of people dating online? Find out the best ways to "Research and Rate B4 U Date" with these invaluable tips that show how to date safer online and actually increase your chances of meeting a great partner.

Safe Internet Dating: How to Avoid Losers, Scammers and Users:
In the dangerous Internet world, women must know how to protect themselves and their identities. You'll learn how to surf the Internet safely.

Avoid an Abusive Relationship:
Millions of people are involved with abusers in their family, work or relationship. Learn what you can do to protect yourself from an abusive relationship.

Strong Platform:

• Stephany will promote her book on her website WomanSavers.com, one of the most popular women's websites, which receives over 1 million hits per month and is internationally well-known and translated into multiple languages.

• Stephany has a golden Rolodex of countless media contacts who she will contact to promote her book.

• Stephany finally found "Mr. Right" and can discuss how she moved from dating nightmares to Mr. Right on any talk show.

• Stephany's topic is controversial and scandalous - a media's dream.

• Stephany has a huge fan base from her WomanSavers website founded in 2002.

• Stephany will be a keynote speaker at I-Date 2009, the largest social networking conference in the world.

About the Authors:

Stephany Alexander is the CEO/Founder of WomanSavers.com, one of the most popular women's websites (top 1%). WomanSavers.com is a free, revolutionary woman-to-woman networking date screening service with thousands of men's names and descriptions entered globally to promote safer dating worldwide.

Stephany is one of the world's top authorities on relationships, abuse prevention and women's issues. She has shown celebrities like California First Lady Maria Shriver, Kim Kardashian and Comedian Elayne Boosler how to use the Internet to screen people to protect themselves, their families and what they value. Stephany has over nine years of experience on how to do background checks and protect yourself on the Internet, and how to improve your odds for finding a great relationship. She holds degrees in both Communications and German.

Stephany's goal is to change the way the next generation of women deal with men by networking together and sharing their stories to make better, safer and more informed decisions regarding the men in their lives. She has inspired people to "Research and Rate BEFORE you Date," and has counseled hundreds of thousands of women worldwide and attended countless women's conferences, traveling to over 37 countries interviewing women regarding relationships.

Credentials:

• Founder of WomanSavers.com - "the world's largest database rating men"
• Founder of the C-301 Non Profit Abuse Prevention Foundation for Women, Children and Animals
• Founder of the #1 Most Popular Abused Women's Forum on the Internet
• Author: 100+ articles on relationships and infidelity
• Author: 22 Dating and Relationship Quizzes
• Internet Polling Expert on relationship issues, surveying 500,000+ women

Awards:

• Awarded "Woman of the Month" in 2008 by the Femme Network
• WomanSavers.com was nominated as finalist for "Pixel" Award (the Academy Awards of the Internet)   judged by David Bowie
• American Biographical Institute Lifetime Achievement Award for "Women's Abuse Prevention"
• Spotlighted by Women's Business Magazine as a future woman to watch

Stephany is frequently called on by the media as the nation's leading authority on online dating and relationships. She can currently be seen on the "E!" Channel's "Dating Nightmares" special which will air for the next 5 years to over 60 million viewers. She has been featured on the Mike & Juliet Show, CBS Early Show, FOX, MSNBC, ABC, FOX Business, FOX Sports, Sirius, Playboy Radio, KROQ, KIIS-FM and over 100 radio and internet shows. She has been quoted by Esquire Magazine, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Women's Business Magazine, and the Associated Press. Please visit www.WomanSavers.com for more information.

QUOTES:

"Dedicated to outing the bad apples."
The New York Times

"WomanSavers.com reviews your potential mate like Zagat's critiques a restaurant."
Esquire Magazine

"Need to know if he is a bad egg? [WomanSavers.com] may know."
Wall Street Journal

"This could protect my daughter."
First Lady Maria Shriver

"I've got a guy I can put in there."
Celebrity Kim Kardashian

Each summer, Americans are faced with one especially frightening prospect: the possibility of living a "small" summer.

That is, a summer with no vacation. Or no summer camp. Or no memories worthy of capturing on their Sony digital cameras. Bruce Horovitz's American Summer: How the Sizzling Season Jolts Our Cultural Psyche explains the outrageous things that Americans will do to make sure that doesn't happen to them. And how the nation's marketers have eagerly turned summer into a 24/7 thrill show.

A boring summer is roughly akin to a dateless New Year's Eve. The same drive for a memorable summer hits kids and their eager-to-be-hip parents in surprisingly similar ways. All crave to be part of summer's next-big-thing. Summer after all, is the season that we most want to brag about our ventures. Hardly anyone ever asks: How did you spend your winter vacation? But we desperately want to brag about our summers to anyone who will listen.

Few realize to what extent summer shapes - and reshapes - our lives. Bruce Horovitz's American Summer: How the Sizzling Season Jolts Our Cultural Psyche explains why and how. It examines the sizzling season through the eyes of those whose very livelihoods depend on it: marketers of summer hype. The folks who urge us to splash on more coconut-scented sun block. The super suppliers of pre-packaged summer fun who beckon us to pay homage to their theme parks, water rides and rock concerts. And the vacation gurus who direct us to RV parks, national parks and summer cottages.

It is a uniquely American tradition that summer is by far the biggest, baddest season of all. There is only one size that fits summer in America: super size. The summer movies must all be blockbusters. Summer books to be read at the shore must be best- sellers. And, yes, the Summer Olympics are made-to-order to dwarf the Winter Games.

American Summer: How the Sizzling Season Jolts Our Cultural Psyche is the first book about summer that isn't simply a summer travel guide, summer cookbook or summer photo album. It's a book that looks inside the minds of the marketers, consumer behaviorists and business owners who keep tweaking summer to match ever-changing consumer expectations. It's a book that delves into the complex thought-processes of normally religious Americans who spend summer weekends not at church or temple, but worshiping their tans at the pool, the beach or the campground. And, yes, it is a perfect summer read.

American Summer: How the Sizzling Season Jolts Our Cultural Psyche dissects the real meaning of summer through the eyes of those who know it best. Like the CEO of one of the most teen-targeted fast-food chains, who turned to Paris Hilton to help his company sell summer grub. And the CEO of the nation's biggest maker of sunglasses, who works overtime to get his shades into the hands of trend-setting surfers and skateboarders. And even the composer of the summer monster hit: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, explains what makes summer songs "sing," and why consumers so-urgently crave them.

After reading Bruce Horovitz's American Summer: How the Sizzling Season Jolts Our Cultural Psyche, it will be difficult to ever look at summer in the same way. Like an endless thrill ride, summer overtakes our emotions and refuses to let go right through Labor Day. Then, the very next day, we're already planning for the following summer. We have to.

About the Author:

Bruce Horovitz ranks among the nation's top authorities on consumer behavior. For 14 years, he's been the senior marketing reporter at USA TODAY, where he's become a societal guru of the wacky world of consumer behavior. Bruce knows consumers and consumers know Bruce. Besides seeking out his familiar, national byline for years at USA TODAY, readers also became fans of his work at the LOS ANGELES TIMES, where Bruce wrote the paper's Marketing Column for a decade. The column, created by Bruce in 1986, quickly became the West Coast's most influential marketing column. In 1993, the media industry watchdog publication, THE JOURNALIST AND FINANCIAL REPORTER, named Bruce the nation's top marketing reporter.

What if you found a pathway to God when you were least expecting it? Or what if God found a pathway to you?

Would you know how to listen? How would you engage?

This is what happened to Steven Cooper after a disastrous blind date:

"God, why do all the losers find me?" he asked.
God replied, "I'm not a loser, and I found you."

What follows is an intimate portrait of Cooper's journey with a Higher Power, a connection with a universally Divine spirit that, while deeply personal, shows us all how to sustain a relationship with the God of our understanding. Cooper's task was daunting. To talk to God, to develop this relationship, required a gut-wrenching honesty about every aspect of life, every fiber of the soul.

It was time for courage. Cooper, an openly gay television reporter and novelist, had never come out of the ultimate closet. He had never come out to God. God Loves Fags: An Ordinary Gay Talks To An Extraordinary Guy is the result of that disclosure. It opened doors for an ongoing dialogue about faith, spirituality, love, politics, fairness and forgiveness.

In particular, God responds to the "God Hates Fags" movement established by the notorious Reverend Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas.

Cooper asks questions, not only on behalf of gays and lesbians, but also on behalf of anyone struggling to establish a stronger and more meaningful relationship with God.

These discussions include:

• Dating
• Sex
• Marriage
• Evolution
• Climate Change
• War & Genocide
• Peace & Recovery
• Death

The discussions are accessible to all, in a language and style that is both irreverently reverent and deeply contemplative.

A survey by LifeWay research found that 86% of respondents believe they can have a "good relationship with God without belonging to a church." God Loves Fags is about the relationship, not the church. And yet it does not abandon organized religion; rather it suggests that personal spirituality can co-exist with institutional faith.

Cooper's interview with God is informed by 20 award-winning years as a professional journalist; his skills were honed interviewing scores of luminaries from every walk of life (i.e. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Bill Nelson (former astronaut), former First Lady Barbara Bush, former Texas Governor Ann Richards, Sen. Ted Kennedy, former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, Actresses Betty White, Phylicia Rashad, the late Helen Hayes, Singer Patti Labelle, Actor/Director/Screenwriter Woody Allen, Entertainer Regis Philbin, Author/Television Producer Linda Ellerbee, Psychic/Spiritualist Rosemary Altea, Author Chastity Bono (daughter of Cher), Arizona Governor and Barack Obama's Director of Homeland Security-Select Janet Napolitano, etc.).

Steven Cooper was the executive producer and host of "The New Russia," shot entirely on location in the former Soviet Union after the fall of Communism.

Cooper worked with entertainer Bill Cosby on the television special, "A Test of Tolerance," with Cooper as executive producer and Cosby as host.

His work also includes the Mark Twain Associated Press Award-winning "Homeless Stories." He was both executive producer and host.

About the Author:

Steven Cooper is an Emmy-Award winning television journalist. His work in television has also earned him the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award and several honors from the Associated Press. He writes commentary for Post-Newsweek's local6.com, a popular news website that averages 12 million page views and 2 million unique users per month. Steven also teaches Journalism and Creative Writing at Rollins College. He is the author of three novels (With You In Spirit, Alyson 2003; Saving Valencia, Alyson 2004; Deadline, Alyson 2005). His writing has also appeared in the Boston Phoenix, Watermark, and in the anthology Mentsh. His contribution to Mentsh, "Identity Crisis: Tales of a Wandering Jew," figures prominently in a dramatic rights deal and is currently being adapted for the stage. Steven's work has appeared on CNN, The John Walsh Show, and other venues throughout the Post-Newsweek organization. He has been profiled and reviewed in local, national, and international publications.

Affiliations:

National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) -Former Board Member, Former Moderator
National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) - Former Chapter Vice-President
Society of Professional Journalists

Steven does lectures, speeches and appearances at local and national events including PFLAG and NLGJA.

Advance Praise for GOD LOVES FAGS:

In God Loves Fags, veteran journalist Steven Cooper lands the ultimate interview and conducts it in a crisp, sometimes edgy way that would make Barbara Walters proud. Witty, touching, and (dare I say) entertaining, GLF presents answers to the questions of the ages…and offers a convincing explanation for the implication of the title. Above all, this book will make you think. - Abby Drake
Author, Good Little Wives, Perfect Little Ladies

Brilliant, charming, soul-awakening…God Loves Fags brings communicating with God to an exciting new stage and a curious new generation. From the opening line, the book evokes universal truths while packed with charm, humor, and a few unexpected tears. Easy reading even a God-novice will love. - Jean Stone
USA Today best-selling author

Praise for fiction by Steven Cooper:

"Rollicking…light-hearted, entertaining…sweet and enjoyable."
GayTimes of London

"A delightful mixture of comedy, mayhem, and family loyalty."
Booklist

"One of the funniest novels I've ever read."
Out Magazine

"Cinematic quality. Author Steven Cooper has a wonderful talent for visuals, creating and expertly framing the event. A fun, unique, sexy and absorbing read which celebrates the unexpected."
Lambda Book Report

"Flip, fun and fast-paced."
Orlando Sentinel

For more see: http://www.local6.com/cooperstown/index.html

What if someone could offer you a way to make your career not just bullet proof, but recession proof and even retention proof in the process? That's exactly what The GPS for Corporate America is designed to do. In fact, Neal Lemlein's "25 Rules of the Road" are designed to increase productivity, ensure your chances of success and propel you forward to new heights through a proven series of time-tested, road-proven and use-today steps.

Now more than ever, American career seekers need guidance to navigate the modern workplace; that's why highly-successful marketing executive, executive vice president and President Neal Lemlein offers them his new book, The GPS for Corporate America: 25 Rules of the Road to Get Your Career on the Successful Fast Track.

Every career has a path of its own; rarely does this trajectory follow a straight line or, for that matter, the best-laid plans when starting out. Many of us get confused when our path veers right and we wanted to go left, when we get hired by this company instead of that one, or when we get transferred to the Chicago office instead of the Manhattan firm. Frankly, these detours are unavoidable. The way to respond quickly and successfully to life's pit stops, road blocks and side trips is to prepare for them; we do this by constantly updating our coordinates, responding at a moment's notice to new information and quickly adjusting our course to put our best foot forward in every situation.

The GPS for Corporate America is a bare-knuckles guidebook for creating your own personal road map to success. It is specifically designed for three specific audiences: 1.) the new wave of career seekers suddenly challenged by the harsh new economic realities, 2.) managers/leaders who want to use it as a guidebook for their staff or 3.) for existing employees who want to consult it as their "career bible." The GPS for Corporate America tells readers, straight up, what they need to know and when they need to know it in a style that is as humorous and frank as it is blunt and, occasionally, irreverent.

Don't wait until tomorrow to start managing your career, next week to start impressing your superiors, next month to start being a valuable team member or, for heaven's sake, next year to start plotting specific career milestones. Get a clear understanding of your career context, determine where you want to be, input your coordinates into The GPS for Corporate America and watch your career enter the fast lane - one turn at a time!

Based on over thirty years experience in the corporate workplace, starting on Madison Avenue with the legendary advertising agency Young & Rubicam, journeying through Hollywood with lengthy stints at the Vice President and Executive Vice-President levels at Universal and Fox studios and finally resulting in running his own company, Around the Bend Media, Inc. (www.AroundTheBendMedia.com), author Neal Lemlein has been guilty of every career detour known to man; and each deviation has made him stronger, smarter and, amazingly, sped him closer to success.

That's why the GPS analogy is so apt; just because you plug your starting point in and know your destination ahead of time, you need to continually update your coordinates and re-calculate your route as you progress. Often where you plan to go isn't where you end up, or even where you want to be; economic conditions, life lessons, promotions, mentors, experiences, challenges and new opportunities sometimes lead us off the beaten path - and straight to success. Keeping abreast of your progress with constant updates and continual progress makes The GPS for Corporate America a must-read in these trying economic times.

About the Authors:

Neal Lemlein is a marketing, advertising and production executive and president of Around the Bend Media, Inc. (www.AroundTheBendMedia.com) His decades-long career in the marketing, media, packaged goods and entertainment industries includes involvement in over 100 film marketing campaigns including Star Wars, Aliens, Hunt for Red October and My Best Friend's Wedding. Since 1989, he has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Oscars). Additionally, Neal has served as an executive at some of the most powerful media outlets in the world including FOX, CBS and Universal Studios.

In 1990, Jim Cole turned his back on a multi-million dollar real estate career, took his nest egg, moved to Montana and dropped out of the rat race to devote himself to his first love: the grizzly bear.  As a wildlife photographer and largely self-taught expert in the behavior of America’s largest predator, Jim regularly places himself into situations that might give a less-intrepid outdoorsman pause.  He has spent years tramping into the depths of places like Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park, catching these magnificent, powerful and reclusive animals at their most unguarded—foraging, fishing, caring for cubs, or simply lying in the backcountry sunshine.  He’s published two books of photos and commentary on the lives of ursus arctos and even written songs about the great bears.  At times, he’s been surrounded by dozens of grizzlies deep in the wilderness, yet has never felt threatened by these incredible and misunderstood creatures.

 Even after being mauled by a grizzly in 1993 (the naturalist equivalent of being struck by lightning), Jim eagerly trekked into the bears’ habitat as long as the weather would allow, armed only with bear spray, his camera and his knowledge of how to stay safe.  But nothing could have prepared him for May 23, 2007, when, on a solitary photo expedition in Yellowstone, he was viciously attacked by a mother grizzly who felt that his presence threatened her cubs.  Before Jim knew what was happening, the bear literally ripped off most of his face, blinded him in one eye, and savaged him nearly to the point of death.  When the bear suddenly vanished, Jim was left sightless, bleeding, wounded and alone in the wilderness.  Somehow, he managed to find his way two to three miles through the wild country back to a main road, where passersby found him and got him the emergency medical treatment he needed.

 In part, Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear is a gripping, detailed account of that fateful day—how Jim Cole survived a shocking assault by one of the most unstoppable predators on earth and managed to carry himself to safety despite his gruesome injuries.  But it’s also the story of how he recovered with the help and support of friends, family and a dedicated medical team, and his return to music and photography, the occupations he cherishes.  Perhaps most importantly, the book is a love story between and man and animal, a clear-eyed and affectionate look at the marvel that is the grizzly bear—its astonishing habits and intelligence, the threats it faces at the hand of man, its hopes for the future—and the story of Jim’s return to the high country and to the home of the grizzlies in 2008, undaunted by his ordeal and as much as in love as ever with the great bruin.

 Part natural history, part personal memoir, part adventure story, Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear finally reveals an unforgettable tale of personal struggle and triumph that has been sought by hundreds of media outlets around the world.  It reveals not only the incredible courage and commitment of Jim Cole, but the beauty and fragility of the grizzly bear, one of the iconic creatures of North America…and as the reader will discover, despite the myths about its menace, one of our greatest treasures.

About the Authors:

Jim Cole is an author, photographer, and also an accomplished musician who plays the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. However, first and foremost Jim considers himself an educator.  From coast to coast, he presents entertaining and educational multimedia programs on grizzly bears that include original songs about the great bear. The grizzly is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood animals on the continent, and Jim believes that most people fear them due to lack of knowledge. By showing grizzlies in their natural light, his goal is to help create an informed and healthy respect for these wonderful creatures, and their needs in the future.

 Jim grew up in Illinois, where he was a competitive athlete in several sports and a diehard Chicago White Sox fan. He spent most of his adult life in Boulder, Colorado, where he attended the University of Colorado as a journalism major and intercollegiate varsity tennis player while his great love for the outdoors developed.  Jim’s life changed with his first trip to Glacier National Park in 1973, and even more so with his first grizzly sighting there in 1975. His post-college careers as a tennis professional and real estate agent were augmented by as many trips to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Alaska as he could responsibly squeeze in.  He ultimately walked away from a financially rewarding real estate career to pursue his growing passion for grizzly bears.

 Since 1990, Jim has devoted his life to the study of grizzly bears in their natural habitat. This undertaking has drawn him to some of the most remote wilderness in North America, including 19 trips to Alaska, where he spends his days immersed in the lives of these captivating and often secretive creatures. Jim has logged over 25,000 back country hiking miles in his personal quest to learn the truths about the great bear. Jim currently lives at the northern edge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

He has written two books about the lives of grizzly bears: Lives of Grizzlies—Montana and Wyoming and Lives of Grizzlies—Alaska, both published by Farcountry Press.  The books are filled with rare pictures and stories of grizzly bear survival in various North American ecosystems. Despite his injuries in the 2007 attack, Jim returned to his studies in 2008 with field expeditions to Alaska and Yellowstone.

Jim Vandehey is a professional freelance author, collaborator and ghostwriter.  A native of Southern California, he has co-written or ghostwritten numerous bestselling nonfiction books including The Brand Called You with Peter Montoya; The Beauty Prescription with Debra Luftman, MD and Eva Ritvo, MD; The Laws of Thinking with Bishop E. Bernard Jordan; How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life with Mark Victor Hansen and Art Linkletter; and Risk and Grow Rich with Kendra Todd.

The Pawtographer™, Robert Semrow, is the world's leading themed animal portraiture artist who captures our love for animals in human themed settings. These real portraits are unlike anything anyone has ever seen. The reactions of amazement are always followed by "WOW" and "I can't believe you got a dog to be a part of that".

Life is Pawfect will feature the wonderfully unique portraits of The Pawtographer™ accompanied by a line of wit, a clever poem or a cute story. Some are amusing, some are uplifting, some are entertaining, but all of them are pawfect.

Some of the many creative and wonderfully entertaining scenes brought to life by The Pawtographer™ include pirate dog, scuba dog, sushi chef dog, wine and cheese dog, professor dog, traveler dogs, country dogs, bayou dogs, baker dogs, winter wonderland dogs, snowglobe dogs and so many more fun and amazing themed scenes featuring a wide variety of dog breeds.

The incredible part of The Pawtographer's portraiture is that the dog is truly a part of the physical scene. The outfits, the hats, the props, the scenes and expressions are all real. The Pawtographer™ embraces the technology available but does not rely on it to achieve the masterpiece portraits you see. This is what gives the portraits such an innovative, unique and real quality. The depth and detail is carefully conceived, planned and executed with live animals as the portrait's main subject.

The Pawtographer and his team work tirelessly and with great patience to safeguard the subjects and make it a fun experience for the dogs and their parents. We pride ourselves on having the eyes of the animal looking at us or the focus of the scene. The Pawtographer's credo of "capture their eyes and you get a glimpse of their soul" is evident and proven throughout his work.

The Pawtographer™ is compared to the greats of the photography world for his unique approach, creativity, diversity and detailed scenes that previously only featured humans. It is not an overstatement to say that The Pawtographer™ is the next big star in the animal universe.

 

 

About the Author:

The Pawtographer™, Robert Semrow, is an accomplished celebrity animal photographer and writer. The Pawtographer™ is embraced by animal lovers and people of all ages who are excited to see something they've never seen before. The Pawtographer™ is making appearances at pet expos, pet parades and pet media outlets throughout the nation in 2008 and 2009.

As media have become aware of The Pawtographer™ they have sought out interviews with him. Robert is also very active on the web and will utilize the multitude of animal sites and media outlets to spread the continuing buzz about The Pawtographer™.
www.ThePawtographer.com

On a February evening in 1975, in a quiet Nashville neighborhood where doors were not locked and children played in the streets until dark, nine-year-old Marcia Trimble went out to take Girl Scout cookies to a neighbor. She never returned. By the time the ten o'clock news was on, a massive search was in progress, unlike anything Nashville had ever seen. The Trimbles' small, tidy yard was transformed into a media circus, with TV cameras, reporters, and portable toilets. The police set up a command post in Charles and Virginia Trimble's bedroom. Flocks of volunteers joined over 200 police officers and recruits in the search. Helicopters flew over, shining spotlights into the once-peaceful neighborhood. In the days to follow, police brought in trained dogs that had been used in the search for Patty Hearst. Every imaginable effort was made to find Marcia Trimble.

Thirty-three days after her disappearance, on Easter Sunday, the missing child's body was discovered in a deteriorating garage located less than two hundred yards from the Trimbles' property on Copeland Drive. Postmortem tests revealed she had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Easter, a high holy day much-celebrated in Nashville, was a day of shock and sorrow in 1975. A Metro police captain later told reporters: "In that moment, Nashville lost its innocence. Our city never has been and never will be the same again."

The Marcia Trimble murder has haunted Nashville for over three decades. The sunny, blue-eyed nine-year-old seemed to belong not just to her family, but to the entire city - the volunteers who helped search for her, the police and FBI agents who worked the case, and the ordinary citizens who followed her tragic story as it unfolded in the media. No murder case in Nashville history has been pursued more relentlessly by law enforcement or has taken a greater toll on more individuals. A Season of Darkness is the story of a family, a neighborhood, and a city that changed on that February evening in 1975.

The Metro Police Department, under tremendous pressure to find the killer, turned their attention to the boys in the Trimbles' neighborhood. Families cooperated with the investigation at first but the upheaval of their private lives and the trauma to their children took its toll. Rumors and bizarre stories of sex games surfaced during the investigation. Over half of the twenty-two families on Copeland Drive moved away during the next four years.

Fifteen-year-old Jeffrey Womack aroused suspicions of police on the night of Marcia Trimble's disappearance and became their prime suspect. Other vicious crimes occurred in Nashville in February and March of 1975, but none captured the attention of the police, the media, or the public like the murder of Marcia Trimble. In fact, a string of rapes and a murder took place within five miles of Copeland Drive, but police, continuing to work from the theory that the Trimble murder was committed by a juvenile, focused their efforts on building a case against Jeffrey Womack. One of the crimes in the area was a Belmont College student brutally raped. The victim was able to identify her attacker as Jerome Sydney Barrett, a twenty-seven-year-old African-American man who was sentenced to prison for sixty years. Another crime was the murder of a Vanderbilt University student named Sarah Des Prez, a case that would come up again over three decades later and lead investigators full circle, back to the Trimble case.

Over the years, each new development offered hope for solving the Marcia Trimble mystery, but over and over again, hopes were shattered. Jeffrey Womack was arrested in 1979, but charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. The advent of DNA analysis in the 1990s prompted the testing of over 100 males, but no match occurred. In the meantime, the lives of Marcia Trimble's family and neighbors were forever damaged. Police were criticized for their aggressive tactics and accused of bungling the investigation. But in 2007, the Cold Case Unit of the Metro Nashville Police Department was once again propelled headlong into the Trimble case. This time DNA evidence linked ex-con Jerome Barrett to two brutal murders from February 1975. The Sarah Des Prez murder trial is set for October 2008. In May 2009, Jerome Barrett will be tried for the coldest cold case in the files, the murder of Marcia Trimble.

In the tradition of the best true-crime stories, A Season of Darkness weaves a tapestry of facts, theories, and personalities against a backdrop of a brutal child-murder. It is an account of over three decades of investigative work and dedication to unravel the truth that have led to the astonishing climax to Nashville's "crime of the century."

About the Authors:

Phyllis Gobbell and Douglas Jones are Nashvillians who remember the night Marcia Trimble disappeared and the day her body was discovered. Gobbell's history of publication in fiction and non-fiction includes the recent true-crime, An Unfinished Canvas: The True Story of Love, Family, and Murder in Nashville (October 2007), an account of another high-profile case solved by Nashville's Cold Case Unit. Jones, writer and attorney who has represented law enforcement, also won a landmark case against the Tennessee Department of Corrections. His practice has acquainted him with many of the detectives, attorneys, judges, and other principal players who have been involved with the Marcia Trimble case as it evolved over the years.

In what can only be considered a "love note" to all things crab, A Craving for Crab Cookbook is the definitive guide for crab lovers everywhere. It's the most comprehensive guide to crab on the market, with more than 70 sensational recipes, a primer to buying and cooking crab, and more than 100 detailed listings of crab festivals, vacations, online resources and crabbing adventures. From How to host a crab feast to a thorough look at the six kinds of crab available in the United States, A Craving for Crab Cookbook is packed with helpful information including:

 

• How to choose the freshest and best-tasting crabs
• Best methods for cleaning and handling crabs
• How to catch your own crab and what kind of bait to use
• Reputable mail-order sources for crab and crab seasonings
• Crab festivals and adventures that are worth the trip

In addition, this book takes all of the fear out of cooking with crab. Quinn explains step-by-step everything needed to know to successfully prepare crab. This delicious collection of more than 70 recipes include:

• Appetizers, such as Baja Crab & Shrimp Ceviche, Gruyere Crab Puffs and Miniature Crab Spring Rolls

• Lunch/Brunch Fare, such as Artichoke, Potato and CrabFrittata and Crab Benedict

• Soups, such as Cajun Crab & Shrimp Gumbo, Cognac-Laced Crab Bisque and Thai Coconut Crab Soup

• Main Dishes, such as Garlic Roasted Dungeness Crab, Soft-Shell Crab in Tempura Batter and Crab Stuffed Poblano's with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

• Accompaniments, such as Key Lime Pie, Grandma's Coleslaw and Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

• Sauces, Salsas and Flavored Butters, such as Tarragon Aioli and Orange Basil Butter

Whether it's Dungeness, Maryland soft-shells or Alaskan king crabs, the reader will find everything needed to know to prepare - and best enjoy - this delicacy in this complete resource to all things crab. From the everyday to the sublime, A Craving for Crab covers it all.

 

About the Author:

Author, and talented cook, Christine Quinn is a lifelong coastal water and crab lover. She lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington State with her husband where they can view their crab pots from their kitchen window. Quinn teaches cooking at her Bainbridge Island cooking school where she shares her passion for cooking, food and wine with her students. Quinns abundant access to crab for much of the year has given her the perfect opportunity to test and perfect her recipes. In addition to catching their own crab, the Quinn's grow oysters, clams and mussels in their shellfish garden. Christine is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and The American Institute of Wine & Food. Her first self published printing of 5,000 copies has already sold out and is in high demand from retailers as well as distributors.

See www.BICooking.com

On a cool November afternoon in 1985, 17 year-old Eric Windhurst chewed a stick of gum and peered down the telescopic sight of a .270 rifle at a man he'd never met. The teen was hiding in a stark field in Hooksett, NH, among the last of the rust-colored foliage, staring in at Daniel Paquette. Paquette was welding a tractor, unaware the firearm was trained on him. Making a fateful choice, Windhurst squeezed the trigger. A sharp crack echoed through the trees as the bullet pierced Paquette's heart with surgical precision, killing him on the spot.

Although he was a violent man who'd made many enemies, police initially suspected Paquette had been killed by a stray round from a hunter, and his murder remained unsolved for twenty years despite much evidence that the killing was intentional. Daniel's brother, Victor, and a lone small town cop who later became a small town chief were never able to let go of the mystery of what had happened on that cold November day, and in 2005, Eric Windhurst was arrested for Paquette's murder.

Eric Windhurst was popular in his high school, the kind of kid everyone followed, even as there were things about him that they feared. Popular with teachers and coaches, he was handsome and clean- cut eschewed drugs even though he was known to be a partier, and sometimes, an angry drunk.

The captain of his varsity soccer team, Eric had come to befriend the only girl on the squad, a troubled new girl in town named Melanie Paquette. Melanie worshipped Eric, and one day confessed her darkest secret to him, that she'd been in hiding from her stepfather, Daniel Paquette, who had raped and tortured her before her mother fled with her and her sisters in the dark of night. Fearful that Paquette would learn she'd returned to New Hampshire, she turned to Eric for protection. Eric, the son of a prominent and land-rich family, was a skilled marksman raised in the tradition of old New England outdoorsman. Eric had a temper, especially when it came to protecting the friends he'd drawn into his circle of loyalty and trust. Though he did not reciprocate Melanie's romantic feelings, he would do anything to protect her. Even kill.

This is the story of a murder born of adolescent passion, a crime committed by two preppy teenagers in a wealthy New England town, kept secret for decades by the very people whose lives would later be torn apart by the darker secrets that lay beneath the simple and tragic story of frontier justice.

"Stone-bound Secrets" is a thrilling and thought-provoking tale of murder and guilt. It is a dark and tragic portrait of the lives of Eric Windhurst, Melanie Paquette, and lawmen who struggled with their own sense of right and wrong while bringing them to justice. It's the story of a stone-bound New Hampshire hamlet clouded by class struggle, a binding sense of loyalty, and a desire to protect its own, even in the face of disturbing truths.

"Stone-bound Secrets" is a full manuscript version of the feature article scheduled for publication in Playboy magazine this fall by the same writers.

About the Authors:

Kevin Flynn is the author of the upcoming true crime book, "Wicked Intentions: The Sheila LaBarre Murders - A True Story," (New Horizons Press, Fall, 2008). An Emmy-winning TV and radio journalist, Flynn has also written for Playboy magazine, playboy.com, and New Hampshire magazine.

 

Rebecca Lavoie is a freelance columnist and magazine writer who has written for Newsweek, Playboy magazine, playboy.com, and several regional publications, including Around Concord and the NH Mirror. An avid researcher and writer of true crime stories, Rebecca also writes a humor column for the Concord Monitor and for their online publication, www.blogsnh.com.