War Correspondent Turned Ambassatrix Reveals the Very Real Dangers of Journalism in ‘Dirty Wars and Polished Silver’ [REVIEW]

Lydna Schuster — Whether dodging bullets or working a room as the ambassador’s wife, Lynda Schuster has seen it all and lived to tell about it. (Photo courtesy Lynda Schuster)

Sometimes the very things we try to outrun wind up being the things we embrace. So how does a teenage girl trying to leave behind a brain numbing Midwestern upbringing in search of adventure wind up being a journalist in some of the world’s most dangerous hot zones and ultimately, the wife of an American diplomat? Find out in the fascinating memoir, Dirty Wars and Polished Silver: The Life and Times of a War Correspondent Turned Ambassatrix by Lynda Schuster. Continue reading “War Correspondent Turned Ambassatrix Reveals the Very Real Dangers of Journalism in ‘Dirty Wars and Polished Silver’ [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkSeptember 1, 2017September 10, 20172 Comments

Books, Contest

Lest We Forget Our Moral Compass [GUEST POST]

Eric Schumacher's RAVEN'S FEAST Blog Tour Some people are born to it. Others learn it along the way. Some never do. That is, compassion, empathy, a moral code or, as some put it, a moral compass. Without it, we have a harder time discerning right from wrong, living in this world, or simply, getting by with our neighbors. Continue reading “Lest We Forget Our Moral Compass [GUEST POST]”

Eric SchumacherAugust 31, 2017September 10, 2017Leave a comment

Books

‘Everything We Lost’ Delivers Surreal Psychological Suspense [REVIEW]

BLMs National Conservation Lands — Ten years ago, Lucy Durant’s brother disappeared into the California desert. (Photo by Bureau of Land Management, Flickr)

A young woman’s life is irrevocably changed when her brother disappears into the vast California desert. A decade later, the tragedy still haunts her. Will she ever discover the truth about what happened to her beloved sibling? Find out in Valerie Geary’s suspenseful new novel, Everything We Lost. Continue reading “‘Everything We Lost’ Delivers Surreal Psychological Suspense [REVIEW]”

Jathan FinkAugust 30, 2017August 30, 20172 Comments

Books, Family & Pets

On A Good Marriage [GUEST POST]

Randy and J.T. Ellison on New Years Eve 2017. (Photo courtesy J.T. Ellison)

As I write this, I am three days shy of my 22/25th anniversary. We share our wedding date with the date of our first kiss, hence the dual year celebrations. We’ve had a long and happy life together, and anticipate many more years to come. I fell hard the night we met, and those feelings haven’t gone away. Continue reading “On A Good Marriage [GUEST POST]”

J.T. EllisonAugust 29, 20179 Comments

Books, Spirit

Finding the Strength to Persevere [GUEST POST]

Lark — Some people, like birds, can be small but mighty. (Photo by David Mitchell, Flickr)

In the past seven years living and working abroad with a faith based organization, I have been struck over and over by the beauty and resilience of the human spirit. So many people in the world are suffering from grinding poverty, institutional oppression, and personal pain and loss. The history of Central Europe, where I’ve been living in Budapest for the past 5 years, is a long series of wars, subjugations, even genocide. Continue reading “Finding the Strength to Persevere [GUEST POST]”