Phoenixville author to hold book-signings in December

The Mercury's policy (in print) is to refrain from reporting on self-published books. But on my blog, well, the rules get a little bendy.

And so to I introduce you to A.P. Morris, a Phoenixville author who is releasing a non-fiction book, "They're Not Gone: A Collection of True Stories from People Reunited with Their Loved Ones Who've Passed Away " this holiday season through Outskirts Press.

Morris, pictured at right, will be appearing/signing books at the following area locations next month:

• Saturday December 12, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Bazaar at Phoenixville Middle School, 1330 Main St Phoenixville, PA 19460. (484) 927-5200 (hosted by the National Junior Honor Society).

• Tuesday December 22, 2009 from Noon to 4 p.m. at Spring Run Natural Foods, 909 E Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square, PA 19348. (610) 388-0500. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a nonprofit organization Urban Compass located in Southern California. Urban Compass was formed in partnership with local schools to combat poverty and violence and make a difference in children’s lives by providing tutoring support, enrichment activities, and field trips to keep the children engaged in a positive learning experience and off the streets.To learn more or donate directly you can go to http://www.urbancompass.org/

I have not read this book, but if you'd like to learn more about it, read on. The following is excerpted from a press release about the book:

"They’re Not Gone" shares stories of 13 people whose loved ones passed away and their eventual ‘reconnection’ through the assistance of local psychic medium Ricky Wood. Each story contains ‘evidence’ that their spirits are still very much alive.

Wood delivers specifics from names and dates to mannerisms and jokes to verify the spirit who is communicating.

“I wanted to share my story to give others hope, especially during the holiday season when missing them can be even more difficult. I am now 100% positive that our loved ones don’t vanish with death, they are still very much alive,” Morris said.

Morris tells of the loss of her brother to suicide when she was just 16. After hearing from him through the psychic medium, Wood, her life was transformed.

“I spent so many holiday seasons sad and depressed because I missed my brother so desperately. If I’d only known that he wasn’t just gone, I think it may have been a whole lot easier for me,” said Morris.

Following each story, there is a question and answer section where the reader gets to learn more about Wood’s beliefs based on his years of experience working as a medium.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to share some amazing true life stories. The information contained in this book could change so many people’s lives. I know - it changed mine,” Morris said.

Morris said her hope is that by sharing these stories it will bring peace to those who need it, especially during this holiday season.

To purchase a copy of “They’re Not Gone” for $16.95 visit http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.theyrenotgone.com/.

Royersford raw foods author to hold area book signings Nov. 7-8

Royersford resident Lisa Montgomery, author of "Raw Inspiration: Living Dynmically with Raw Food" (2009, Martin Pearl Publishing, $20, 184 pp.) will hold book signings on Nov. 7 and 8 at Boyertown area locations.

*From 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, Montgomery will visit the Innerlight Holistic Center, located in the GrosserEase shops, Grosser Road and Route 100, just south of Boyertown.

Montgomery will share personal stories of healing through raw foods, tips for setting up and maintaining a raw foods kitchen and lifestyle, and delicious recipes. She will prepare the Chocolate Mousse Pie recipe from her book to share. Contact Cristina Leeson for more information at 610-413-8191.

*From noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, she will sign books at Studio "B" for the Art Alliance of Boyertown.

Since the release of her book in August, Montgomery has been conducting book signings at McGuire Air Force Base in Maryland, and recently was the guest speaker at a Raw Foods Gathering in Manhattan.

Montgomery has also been featured locally on the "Boyertown Live" TV program and has sponsored and also been a repeat guest on "What’s The SCORE" radio show on 1370 WPAZ AM.

According to Montgomery's publisher, Martin Pearl Publishing, "Raw Inspiration: Living Dynamically with Raw Food" is an inspiring and informative raw foods lifestyle book featuring personal stories of healing through raw foods, tips for setting up and maintaining a raw foods kitchen and lifestyle, and delicious recipes. The personal stories are intended to be inspirational to those seeking a healthier diet. "Raw Inspiration" also explains the basics of nutrition and meal planning with raw foods, as well as providing a guide to equipping a raw foods kitchen.

“What you put in your mouth and how you live your life are so important,” says Montgomery. “A Raw Food diet cleanses the body and nurtures the soul.”

Montgomery is known for her monthly Living Dynamically Raw Food Potluck gatherings in Royersford as well as workshops, and annual Living Food Expo are attended by celebrities, raw food experts, and enthusiasts.

In 2007, model Carol Alt visited Montgomery's annual Living Food Expo in Royersford and published one of Montgomery's recipes in her book, "The Raw 50."

In her book, Montgomery credits Dick Powell of the Pottstown SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) chapter for helping her with publicity and marketing for that event.

"SCORE's assitance was instrumental in getting local and national media attaention," she writes in the book.

Montgomery is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in Manhattan. She is also a Certified Associate Raw Chef and Instructor from the Living Light Institute of Raw Foods in California. According to her publisher, her focus is on living dynamically – teaching people how to heal their entire being (physical, emotional, and psychological) with the raw foods lifestyle. To learn more, visit her website, www.livingdynamically.com.

The Probable Future

I'm a fan of Alice Hoffman's books. And while she didn't lose me with "The Probable Future" (Ballantine, 2003, 352 pp. $13.95 paperback), I didn't love it.

True to the author's form, the book draws you in with intricate interweaving plotlines and mystical goings-on.

"The Probable Future" revolves around 13 generations of women in the Sparrow family who have special powers and are native to a small Massachusetts hamlet called Unity. Each of the women bears just one female child who is given her unique gift on her 13th birthday.

The powers range from not being able to feel pain - a "gift" that gets Rebecca Sparrow killed on suspicion of being a witch in the 17th century - to being able to discern a lie, to being able to look at a person and see how they die.

(SPOILER ALERT:) The latter gift is that of one of this novel's main characters, the predictable and annoying teenager Stella Sparrow.

The rebellious Stella's gift gets her in trouble pretty quickly. Or, rather, it gets her philandering father in trouble. During a dinner out to celebrate her 13th birthday, Stella spies the death of a woman seated across the room and begs her father to do something to stop her murder. Relating this tale to the police turns out to be not such a good idea when the women does die in the way his daughter described and now Will is the main suspect.

Stella's mother, estranged from her father and whom she can't hide her hate for, is drawn back to the childhood home she abhors to try to protect Stella, who is forced to move there after her father leaks the story to the big bad press. Every Sparrow woman seems to hate her mother, and Jenny Sparrow (whose gift is being able to dream other peoples' dreams) now must make peace with her own ailing mother, Elinor (who can see peoples' lies).

And so everybody gets drawn back to Unity to figure it all out, and past and present are interwoven - or unraveled as it may be. Sparrows start nearly liking Sparrows again, or re-discovering a tolerance bordering on love. The story of the present and of the past Sparrow women continues until we get to the climax of the story, where it seems every loose end is tidied up in a bow - a little too neatly.

What drags the novel down is that you can see the ending coming from a mile away. You can see the unrequited loves about to become requited and the killers about to get their due.

It was just kinda boring. I wanted to finish the novel just to get it over with rather than to stay with the characters to see what happened to them.

Was it worth reading? Yes.

Was it a great read? No.

Maybe I simply need to stop reading every single book by a favorite author. Beattie, Hoffman, Atwood, Kingsolver, Tartt, for example. They are bound to disappoint sometime.