Pages

Monday, November 29, 2010

Say it: A Review by Vonnie Faroqui

Book Title: Say It: I’m No Bitch, I’m No Ho, and I Am More Than Just Another Vagina
Author: Elsie Spruill
ISBN: 143272410X
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Link to purchase
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui for WITS


Direct and to the Heart of Matters

Trust a Grandmother to put things in perspective. Elsie Spruill does just that in, Say It: I’m No Bitch, I’m No Ho, and I Am More Than Just Another Vagina. This little book packs a powerful wallop and speaks with loving concern directly to the youth culture about self respect and dignity. The tone of the book is modern and intelligent with urban grit.
Say It speaks frankly about sex, sexual relationships, and promiscuity. It may prove upsetting to those who are squeamish or coy, as the author is writing directly to the youth of today in an unvarnished, albeit creative voice. The chapter entitled, “The Vagina Says No!” is written from the perspective of . . . yes, the vagina and is sure to shock the rigid moralist. However, let’s not lose sight of the intended audience and message.
The author knows who she is speaking to and cares about the message she is presenting. Say It crosses blurred cultural lines to address a post feminist, MTV generation about the societal changes and impact of sexual promiscuity on the dignity, self respect, and health of women in the modern era. I felt the direct and powerful approach taken was realistic and necessary when reaching out, especially to the young urban woman. Elsie writes on a level that can be understood, delivering a message that touches every one.
Women’s groups and organizations that are dealing with the health and societal consequences of the sex and urban rap culture are sure to be able to use this book effectively to help promote change. Today’s youth are not interested in preachy sentimentality and glossy self righteous talk. Elsie knows this and writes in terms that will be understood and appreciated by those who deal and live real.



Bookmark and Share

Friday, November 26, 2010

Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer: an Interview with Author Ludwig Sawicki




WITS Podcast presents . . .
Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer, by Ludwig Sawicki, a humorous memoir about life as a gun dealer in middle America.

Author and host, Vonnie Faroqui, laugh over the life and situational humor in the book. Sawicki shares some of his writing and publishing choices and considerations.

The interview includes an excerpt reading by the author from Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer.


[Ludwig Sawicki, photo right]







Click Play to listen . . .





MP3 File





Bookmark and Share

Monday, November 22, 2010

A Side Splitter with Bang Appeal.




Book Title: Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer
Author: Ludwig Sawicki
ISBN:  143275839X
Publisher:    Outskirts Press
Link to purchase  
Reviewer:  Vonnie Faroqui for WITS

Since we are into confessions . . . I have one of my own to make. I am a bleeding heart liberal, love animals and although I am not anti-gun I am close to it. When I first picked up this book I was skeptical about how fair I could be to the author and what kind of review I would give.  That being said, I really, truly, deeply enjoyed this book.

Southern gentlemen and the Irish aren't the only natural storytellers. Author Ludwig Sawicki can spin out a tale with the best of them. Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer is a humorous, intelligent, straight shooting, and honest memoir that reveals much about life. No time is wasted in political correctness and yet the book has a charm about it that allows the reader to remain comfortable, even when challenged with setting aside personal bias.

Sawicki’s love of guns is infectious. His knowledge and experience is vast and yet woven into the book with such ease one hardly realizes they are receiving an education.  There is an incredible level of joy and love conveyed in every character description and tale.  The people and accounts shared by the author seem to come alive. Reading, I felt rather like I did as a kid when my uncle would entertain us by the fire.

There are strange things done by men with guns,
for the love of the hunting trail . . .

This is a great book for anyone who enjoys the hunting and the shooting sports but it is also a wonderful study in human resilience, determination, and character.  The book is full of life experience and wisdom, business acumen, and best of all laughter.  Sawicki is damn funny and an astute observer of human nature.




Bookmark and Share

Sunday, November 21, 2010

A Year in Review: WITS' Top 15 Book Picks for 2010

Welcome to Blog Jog Day!

Thank you for stopping by my Blog! Please explore all this Blog has to offer, then jog on over to . . . The Story Ideas Virtuoso http://www.debgallardo.com/virtuoso/. If you would like to visit a different Blog in the jog, go to http://blogjogday.blogspot.com.

~~~~~~~~~

Over the course of the year the team members of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services [WITS] have been privileged to work with and review books from many talented and gifted authors. This year I asked the WITS team members to send me their favorite picks from the many books we have worked on or reviewed throughout the course of the year.  The selection votes have now been sorted and counted.
 It is my great pleasure to present to you . . .


Writers In The Sky Creative Writing Services' Top 15 Picks for 2010!
The books presented here represent client submissions made between Dec 1, 2009 and November 30, 2010 and have been listed in alpha order by author.

Book Title: Babes in Bucksnort: Sister Mary Olga Fortitude Book 2
Author: Davis Aujourd’hui
ISBN: 978-1432745004
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com 2010

Aujourd’hui creates men, women, and children with unforgettable (and descriptive!) names and even more outrageous behavior. We appreciated the sharp humor that the author employed to this end and found great entertainment in discovering what these characters would do next. We also enjoyed the important messages of love and acceptance that Aujourd’hui emphasizes, particularly through the teachings of Sister Mary herself. Once in a while, we all need mirrors placed in front of us to help us examine and rethink how we treat one another, and Davis Aujourd’hui accomplishes this through his writing. Babes in Bucksnort is a book that will make you both think and laugh.

Book Title: How Did She Get There?
Author: Ann Karen Dowd
ISBN: 978-0615335308
Publisher: White Ink Press 2010

How Did She Get There? is a modern day cautionary tale. The heroine however does not turn anyone into a golden statue out of greed; or laze all day in the sun, thinking the world owes her a living while others labor. She is as human and self absorbed as we come, with all the classic confused notions found in a folk tale character. The author, Ann Karen Dowd, has written a story that leads her heroine and the reader through a maze of challenges; attitudes to be overcome, confused perceptions about right and wrong, pitfalls of human nature, even exploring the motivational fears and desires which often hide beneath well meaning intentions.

Book Title: Passion’s Evidence
Author: Barbara Fifield
ISBN Number: 978-1432753573
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com 2010

From the pleasure in eating fresh strawberries straight from the vine to her belief in the connection that be found only in true love to the healing powers of quiet moments at the beach, Fifield has seemingly transferred her soul onto the pages and poems of Passion’s Evidence and offered herself as an emotional offering to her readers. She shares her highs and her lows, as well as the moments during which she cannot discern exactly how she should be feeling. For those who appreciate the power that a poem has to capture a moment in time, Passion’s Evidence is a recommended addition to your collection.

Book Title: My Dog Tim and Other Stories
Author: Garasamo Maccagnone
ISBN: 978-1432755621
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc. 2010

Garasamo is a master of character development. His writing style is right up there with the greats. From first to last, Garasamo Maccagnone demonstrates a flexibility of wit and realism that makes My Dog Tim and Other Stories deep reading. These stories are dark, gritty, and for mature audiences only. Garasamo has that gift of revealing through his writing the secret struggles of life that most often remain hidden but are most in need of light.

Book Title: The Drawing Lesson
Author: Mary E. Martin
ISBN: 978-1450229364
Publisher: iUniverse 2010

The Drawing Lesson is a deeply insightful book about life, choices, forgiveness, madness, self doubt, and creative inspiration. Martin has an understanding of humanity, its inner turmoil, needs, and the creative urge that is both honest and compassionate. This is a compelling and moving story to be savored on the palate like fine wine.

Book Title: 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home
Author: Tisha Morris
ISBN: 978-1596525672
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company 2010

For those readers unfamiliar with feng shui practices the author explains just enough about the concepts to allow a lay practitioner to receive solid reward for their time investment when applying the techniques, without planting confusion about the ins and outs of feng shui itself. For readers who have already been exposed to the art and mystery of feng shui, the author assists by leaving out confusing or contradictory information and the superstitions which often impede implementation of an action plan and the needed changes. She writes with confidence that following the feng shui principles and applying these techniques will have a powerful healing impact and her confidence is transferred to the reader.

Book Title: Finding God: To Believe or Not to Believe
Author: Nicholas Oliva
ISBN: 098461432X
Publisher: Old Line Publishing

Nicholas Oliva writes a thought provoking and insightful book that challenges the ego attachments we have about the beliefs we hold. This book explores the world of science, religion, and atheism and integrates them into the aspects of Twentieth and Twenty-first Century physics. It ponders life and death experiences and includes the author's own near death experience. Posing many questions about the realm of our existence, it stresses the importance of promoting humanity without exclusionary elements of human prejudice. Hang on as your perfectly ordered world is shaken and stirred - if you have an open mind to believe what is real and allow for possibilities of the yet unknown.


Book Title: He Blew Her a Kiss: Communications from loved ones who have passed
Authored by: Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar
ISBN: 978-1432760922
Publisher: Outskirts Press 2010

He Blew Her a Kiss is a collection of inspirational stories relating experiences of communication from loved ones who have passed. The entire volume has been compiled, with sincere and gentle treatment by the authors, from email submissions by and personal conversations with ordinary people. This is a beautiful volume of collected stories that you will want to share with others. Not all of the stories are dramatic examples of after death communication, relating instead simple and poignant moments which have brought healing in times of grief. Some of the accounts are quite extraordinary and impossible to explain; all are uplifting and demonstrate humanity’s capacity to love beyond any obstacle, even death.

Book Title: The Protected
Author: Rowena Portch
ISBN: 978-1432758660
Publisher: Outskirts Press Inc. 2010

Portch has drawn from her own life and history to write Sky’s character and world, sharing in a way that only a skilled and talented writer can—the very personal experience of blindness. Not only has Portch succeeded to write a blind character in a sighted world, she has done so in such a way as to create a world paradigm, characters, and circumstances that elevate this book from the ranks of a good story to that of a great read.


Author Rowena Portch is getting an additional mention in our list for book two in the Spirian Series, The Union, ISBN-13: 978-1432764784, also published by Outskirts Press 2010. The author builds the dramatic tension in what is already an exciting series by introducing several unexpected elements and new characters. Book two, The Union, is a fast paced second offering sure to please readers already hooked by The Protected and the Spirian Series.


Book Title: Saying Goodbye: to the people, places, and things in our lives
Author: Julie Rember and Mike O'Mary, Editors. Contributors include Dianna Calareso, WITS writer/editor
ISBN: 978-0982579442
Publisher: Dream of Things 2010

This book is a beautiful anthology of stories about loss. At times the stories are funny, at times incredibly sad - but every story is deep, powerful, and gently pushes the reader to reflect on the power of loss in his/her own life.


Book Title: Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance
Author: Patrick Ryan
ISBN: 978-0984236305
Publisher: Awakened Wisdom 2009

During the first few hours of its official Amazon Launch Awakened Wisdom became a bestseller in spirituality in both the US and Canada. Awakened Wisdom blends Buddhist, Native, and collected wisdoms into a beautifully crafted healing message for our modern culture. Patrick Ryan’s own life experiences greatly inform this work, and his message to his readers is simple and profound: we are at choice when it comes to how we want to live our lives during our brief time on this planet. In addition to sage teachings about ways of understanding our Selves, he also dedicates an entire half of the book to understanding and embodying the eight states of an awakened life. With exercises, daily practices, and plenty of anecdotes, Awakened Wisdom is sure to resonate with spiritual newcomers and advanced practitioners alike.

Book Title: Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer
Author: Ludwig Sawicki
ISBN: 978-1432758394
Publisher: Outskirts Press 2010

Southern gentlemen and the Irish aren't the only natural storytellers. Author Ludwig Sawicki can spin out a tale with the best of them. Confessions of an Ex-Gun Dealer is a humorous, intelligent, straight shooting, and honest memoir that reveals much about life. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys the hunting and the shooting sports but it is also a wonderful study in human resilience, determination, and character. The book is full of life experience and wisdom, business acumen, and best of all laughter. Sawicki is damn funny and an astute observer of human nature.

Book Title: Voices of Sedona: A Spiritual Path to Serenity and Contentment
Author: Lewis Tagliaferre
ISBN: 978-0595393671
Publisher: iUniverse 2010

Lewis Tagliaferre shares the five principles of Theofatalism®. The five lessons and the amazing details that accompany each principle inspire extended reflection and a desire to read certain segments time and again. Voices of Sedona is beautifully written in a style that is captivating in both its emotion and logic. If you are scared and confused about the uncertainties and suffering in life, you may find solace in Voices of Sedona. In addition to inspired dialogues with his spiritual teachers in Sedona, Arizona, author Lewis Tagliaferre blends elements of religion, psychology, philosophy, history, and current events into five incredible principles of universal awareness.

Book Title: Blood Betrayal
Author: Mike Thompson
ISBN: 978-1-4327-4802-9
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com 2009

Set in the peculiar Anderson Valley town of Booneville, nestled against the foothills of Northern California's Coastal Range -- a mystery unfolds as a series of family tragedies is revealed when Wolf Magnussen's nephew is found slain in the midst of a family hunting trip. With Blood Betrayal, Mike Thompson has crafted a novel that will attract fans of suspense. The plot is unique and undoubtedly will have the readers guessing until the very last page, with a conclusion that warranted an audible gasp from WITS reviewer, Sarah Moore, as she sat alone in her living room.

Book Title: Memoirs from the Asylum
Author: Kenneth Weene
ISBN: 978-0984421954
Publisher: All Things that Matter Press, 2010

This tragi-comedic novel takes the reader inside the asylum, inside the worlds of three central characters: a narrator who has taken refuge from his fears of the world, a psychiatrist whose own life has been damaged by his father's depression, and a catatonic schizophrenic whose world is trapped inside a crack in the wall opposite her bed. The best aspect of the book is how the author has written from the perspective or inner thoughts of the characters. This is done with such realism, understanding and truth that it is easy to relate with the patient’s fears, frustrations, joys and triumphs. It is obvious that the author is writing from a deeper understanding of human motivation and psychosis. His treatment of his characters is compassionate and without judgment, allowing the reader to formulate their own opinions and confront their own preconceptions and prejudices. Well crafted, Memoirs from the Asylum proves itself in the great tradition of writing.


Thank you all and have a happy and safe holiday season.

Friday, November 19, 2010

TJ Gets a Haircut: an Interview with Audrey Fuller

This Friday, WITS Podcast host, Vonnie Faroqui, interviews children's author Audrey Fuller.

Click Play to listen . . .




MP3 File






Audrey is a 12 year veteran of the US Armed Forces. Her first book is titled, TJ Gets a Haircut: The Twintastic Adventures of TJ and Taylor. The book is suitable for young children.  The tale of a father who helps his son build a stronger self identity and take one giant step on the path to growing up.

Audrey shares the process of selecting an illustrator and more considerations taken when self-publishing a children's book, in this interview about one author's journey.





Bookmark and Share

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Special Amazon Download Deal! The Drawing Lesson


Author Mary Martin is a lawyer turned full time writer. Her law practice was the inspiration for the three legal suspense novels in The Osgoode Trilogy. 
Now the first book in the next trilogy has been published—The Drawing Lesson, the first in The Trilogy of Remembrance, which is set in the world of art.  Martin and her husband live in Toronto and have three adult children.  

The Drawing Lesson, the first in the Trilogy of Remembrance. 

With magical light, Alexander Wainwright, Britain’s finest landscape artist, creates stunning visions of the beyond. His painting, The Hay Wagon, wins the Turner Prize. His nemesis, Rinaldo, a conceptual artist seeks revenge. Despite his win, Alexander fears the loss of his muse. Seized with a vision, he paints ugly, misshapen, humanoid creatures on his canvas. Searching for his muse, Alex travels from London to Venice and New York, where Rinaldo awaits him to settle the score. But the real journey is within Alexander. Only by saving his tormentor not once, but twice, does he regain his artistic vision.

SPECIAL OFFER - Limited time discount.
Mary Martin's publisher has arranged for an offer with Amazon.com… a download to a Kindle for 99 cents. 

In case you missed it . . . here is my review.





Book Title: The Drawing Lesson
Author: Mary E. Martin
ISBN:  1450229360
Publisher:   iUniverse
Reviewer:  Vonnie Faroqui for WITS

The Drawing Lesson, by author Mary E. Martin stands among the best of literary fiction. She brings wisdom, grace, and beauty to the page as skillfully as the best painter to the canvas.
Alexander Wainwright has won Britain’s celebrated Turner Prize with a landscape painting of The Hay Wagon. He should be thrilled but the taunting criticism of contemporary and rival artist Rinaldo has thrown him into a soul searching spiral of self doubt. 
His beautiful landscapes, once so full of light and presence, begin to fill with creeping, shadowy figures.  These troll-like creatures deny understanding and confuse Alex's artistic vision. His muse seems to have left him.   A journey to rediscover his passion unfolds as Alex attempts to understand the creatures in his paintings.
The journey carries Alex into contact with a range of interesting characters who all struggle with personal inner demons. Alex touches each of their lives with his spirit and allows each in return to touch his own. The action of the story rises as the consequences of past choices return to entangle Alex in self doubt and recrimination, with the story reaching a climax as Rinaldo sets plans in motion to destroy Alex in a scene of public humiliation.
In the end Alex Wainwright transcends himself and his body of work by illuminating the human form with his divine vision, transfiguring on canvas both his inner and outer demons into beings of luminous spirit.
The Drawing Lesson is a deeply insightful book about life, choices, forgiveness, madness, self doubt, and creative inspiration.  Martin has an understanding of humanity, its inner turmoil, needs, and the creative urge that is both honest and compassionate.  This is a compelling and moving story to be savored on the palate like fine wine.

Check out our YouTube playlist, featuring . . . The Drawing Lesson.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Article Marketing: Promoting Your Book


By Vonnie Faroqui
Daily we at WITS are consulted by authors about book promotion and how to drive traffic to an author homepage. One powerful and non intrusive tactic for marketing your book and driving web traffic is through the intelligent use of article marketing. 

Bloggers and other online or print publications use sites like EzineArticles.com, ABC Article Directory and Etopic.com, to obtain free content that is available for republication.  These article database sites specialize in collecting the most up to date articles, on a variety of different topics and making those articles available for reprint.  Articles on these sites are available for use, free of charge and may be reprinted any number of times by multiple publications. 

WITS utilizes these sites to promote our authors and their books through article placement and marketing. We create content rich, key word optimized articles on topics that either introduce readers to a book and author or refer to an author’s work as a reference guide of unique knowledge and experience on a theme.
Articles we have written are reprinted across the internet and through conventional print media, giving our authors a broad range of exposure but the benefit of article marketing doesn’t stop there.  It is not necessary for an article to be republished in order to be found and read online by your audience. Simply being placed in one of these databases opens an  opportunity for your book and your name to enter the online stream of communication. These articles and database sites are also available to internet users surfing the web using key word search engines like Google.com. This makes article placement and marketing even more effective. 

To learn more about article marketing visit our author promotions page at Writers in the Sky.

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Devil and the Awesome Four: A Review by Vonnie Faroqui

Book Title: The Devil And The Awesome Four: volume one
Author: Patrick M. Cunningham
ISBN:  1449592708
Publisher:    CreateSpace
Link to purchase  
Reviewer:  Vonnie Faroqui for WITS


Bloody Mayhem with Overtones of Dark Humor


The Devil and the Awesome Four is gruesome horror that will set the hair at the back of your neck on end and make you wonder why you turned that last page.  This novel is part one of a series being written by Patrick M. Cunningham.  It is adult reading and not suitable for children or the sensitive.  Cunningham is targeting the thrill and gore audience, no bones about it.

The heroes of the book, Rodger, Ben Jackie, and Sarah are common enough folks that seem to have no purpose in life but to run into situations where they are the least prepared to do battle but the most effective.  The guys have arrived in Los Angeles, USA, from Ireland, to make a new life for themselves. They go out for a good time on the town and find one in Jackie and Sarah. While the four introduce themselves and get-busy, the forces of darkness move in to shake things up around town.

All manner of evils are headed their way; from incompetent demon summoning Satanists, U.F.O.s, aliens on the hunt, Harry-the-lumberjack soul harvester, to an army of murdering mutants, and the grand Satan himself.  It won’t be long before our four unsuspecting friends bond over more than just drinks.  There is nothing like a little demon slaying and mutant wrangling to cement relations between a couple of guys and their girls.

Make no mistake; this book is full of blood, gore, violence, and sex. The pace from one impossible situation to the next is fast.  If you are seeking the finer points and form found in Horror/Suspense literature, you are not going to find them.  This is a horror piece of tormented imagination and blood lust.  The author laying out serious whoop a**, on some very personal demons, to bring his reading audience this pinball-ricochet horror ride.

The Devil and the Awesome Four will appeal to fans of horror that are looking for the excitement and splatter of a B grade flick. Cunningham’s writing style reminds me of a Sam Rani film; horror that doesn’t take itself too seriously but gets the job done. The book is full of dark situational humor with crazy characters that are willing to run toward danger just for the thrill of it, because they can. If you are into camp horror films, The Devil and the Awesome Four is a screen play in the making. Give it to Sam!

To learn more about the author visit their website at http://www.awesomefour.com/


Bookmark and Share

Saturday, November 13, 2010

He Blew Her a Kiss: Update from Author Angie Pechak Printup

From the Author:


I just wanted to share with our family and friends that we are "finalists" in the USA Book News Awards for 2010.

We also just received an email today that our book has been nominated for the 17th Annual EVVY Awards which recognizes the highest quality self-published books!

And . . . we received an email earlier this week that one of our local news stations wants to interview us next Thursday morning, (11/18) on Channel 3, Live @ 9 with Alex Coleman and Marybeth Conley.

Thank you for everyone's love and support. This has been a wonderful, healing journey and just keeps getting better.


Angie Pechak Printup
Founder and Co-Author, He Blew Her a Kiss
www.heblewherakiss.com


Live today because tomorrow is not promised

Friday, November 12, 2010

An Interview with Angie Printup and Kelley Dollar, authors of He Blew Her a Kiss

Welcome to Writers in the Sky Podcast. Today's interview will be with author's assistant Vonnie Faroqui and co-authors of He Blew Her a Kiss, Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar.



Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar, have teamed up to put together a compilation of true stories with the express desire of helping others in the healing process after losing a loved one. Being lifelong friends for 35 years, it was only natural for Angie and Kelley to work together, combining their talents to bring this healing book for the soul to the world. The idea for this book was born out of a heartwarming experience that Angie’s good friend, Tom, had after losing his beloved wife, Judy, to cancer in 2008. The first story in the book, He Blew Her a Kiss, retells Tom and Judy's amazing love affair in a third person narrative and provides the inspiration for the title.

Angie and Kelly will share details of how they collected the many accounts of after death communication[ADC,] how they turned these accounts into story, their editing choices, and recount their journey to publish and market their book. Included in the interview is a reading by Angie Pechak Printup from the book.


Click play to listen . . .




MP3 File



Bookmark and Share

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Join Us for Jog Blog Day!

I invite you to participate in the 2nd Blog Jog Day event sponsored by Carol Denbow on November 21, 2010. This fall season event has been deliberately scheduled just before the holidays so if you have products or books to promote you have a better chance of sales.

By participating you will get . . .

*More unique visitors to your blog
*More subscribers
*More comments
*More inbound links
*More followers
*More exposure and sales
*Grow your daily hits

All which look great to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and the other search engines! With popularity comes a higher page rank and greater exposure for your blog! If you want to include your blog in the job, please e-mail Carol at chipanugget@gmail.com

Read How Blog Jog Day Can Benefit Bloggers
How Blog Jog Day Works

Read FAQ about Blog Jog Day

Hope to see your blog on Blog Jog Day November 21!

Bookmark and Share

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

He Blew Her a Kiss: a review by Vonnie Faroqui

This Week I would like to share my review of, He Blew Her a Kiss: Communications from loved ones who have passed, by authors Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar. This wonderful collection of real life accounts will touch your heart and be the opening for many a healing moment between friends and family.

Book Title: He Blew Her a Kiss: Communications from loved ones who have passed
Authored by: Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar
ISBN: 1432760920
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Link to purchase
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui


He Blew Her a Kiss is a collection of inspirational stories relating experiences of communication from loved ones who have passed. The entire volume has been compiled, with sincere and gentle treatment by the authors, from email submissions by and personal conversations with ordinary people. Accounts of after death communication [ADC] are difficult to explain in terms of religion or dogma, but are not uncommon, regardless of cultural or ethnic background. However, acceptance of the phenomenon is not necessary for enjoyment of the book. Instead of being sad or depressing the stories are touching and within moments will draw the reader into empathic resonance. The book will be especially gratifying to those who have had similar mystical experiences. Readers who have second hand or no ADC experiences to share, but for who near death and after death experiences are of interest, will also be attracted to these life affirming stories.

The idea for the book came to Angie Printup after a dear friend related what might be called, an extraordinary coincident by some and by others, a tiny miracle of after death communication. Kelley Dollar, a long time friend of Printup, was asked to assist in transforming the rough first person stories into a third person narrative form that proves to be both thoughtful and effective. The authors show tremendous sensitivity and embrace the mystery of ADC experiences with loving acceptance. It is obvious from the care and treatment of the stories that helping others overcome devastating loss and grief is the primary purpose of this work and their book. They have been tremendously successful in compiling the stories tastefully, without unnecessarily adding to or sensationalizing the individual accounts.

Believing that our consciousness continues after death, or in the possibility of communication with loved ones who are in spirit, is unimportant next to the immeasurable comfort and relief sharing these experiences bring. It is hard to refute the validity of a mystical experience one has not shared and the authors waste no time in trying to win supporters. They simply and deftly offer the stories up as messages of hope and comfort. Those with similar accounts to share will immediately relate and waste no time in debating the validity of ADC. Others will look to these stories for inspiration and as an affirmation of faith guiding the way into an afterlife full of hope and continued purpose.

He Blew Her a Kiss is a beautiful volume of collected stories that you will want to share with others. Not all of the stories are dramatic examples of after death communication, relating instead simple and poignant moments which have brought healing in times of grief. Some of the accounts are quite extraordinary and impossible to explain; all are uplifting and demonstrate humanity’s capacity to love beyond any obstacle, even death. The book is slim, attractive and would make a wonderful gift for conversational reading and is suitable for those suffering loss as an aid through times of grief.


Be sure to join us this Friday for the WITS Podcast as Vonnie interviews co-authors Angie Pechak Printup and Kelley Stewart Dollar about the inspiration behind their healing work and this lovely collection of stories, He Blew Her a Kiss.

He Blew Her a Kiss Book Trailer . . .


Bookmark and Share