Category: Biography

Historical Middle East Biographies – Lines in the Sand

Historical Middle East Biographies – Lines in the Sand

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Historical Middle East Biographies / Memoir

 

Date Published: September 16, 2020

Publisher: MindStir Media

Lines in the Sand: An American Soldier’s Personal Journey in Iraq

For F. Scott Service, a five-minute phone call one peaceful morning was all it took. Faced with the terrible dichotomy of his moral opposition to war and an innate sense of duty, little did he realize that when he was called for deployment in Iraq that his would be the journey of a lifetime. A tour of duty destined to change him forever.

Witnessing the violence of a country ravaged by chaos and facing the disintegration of his life back home, his sojourn in Iraq forced him to fight a new battle, a battle within himself. What had once been a noble intention became a desperate struggle to salvage what was left of his humanity, an excursion into the darkest recesses of the human mind that ultimately led him to question everything he had come to believe.

Pushed to the edge, only then would he discover what lay within.

An artfully lyrical epistolary composition and transcribed from his handwritten journals, Lines in the Sand is a powerful exercise in self-exploration amid heart-wrenching loss and anguish.

Editorial Reviews

“Impeccably written, relentlessly engaging, so intimate it hurts, Service’s extraordinary tale is where the reader wants and needs to be.” – Readers’ Favorite

“F. Scott Service is a gifted writer. His words are eloquent, with powerful expressions. A remarkable story of tragedy to triumph.” – Readers’ Favorite

“This book is one that is incredibly hard to put down, and readers may, in fact, find themselves obsessively reading the story from the start through to the finish, all in one sitting. I highly recommend this book and this author.” – Readers’ Favorite

“… eloquent and beautifully moving… ” – Pacific Book Review


About the Author

I live in New England with a talented social worker (who also happens to be my EIC) and Jerome… a trouble maker unless he’s purring for an evening snack.

Having earned a Bachelor of Science in Professional/Technical Communication and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, I have had experience with editing, journalism, desktop publishing, videography, and am a full-time author.

I enjoy gardening and cooking with an emphasis on ethnic foods including Indian, Thai, Russian, Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Chinese, Spanish, Middle Eastern (especially Algerian, Iraqi, and Egyptian), Mexican, and Italian. My next venture in culinary delight will be with Caribbean food.

Being an avid explorer, I’ve spent time in all but two states in America and am always on the lookout for someplace new (I just never thought it would be Iraq and Kuwait as my first international travel destinations). On my list of new places are Pitcairn Island, Easter Island, Stonehenge, Leap Castle in Ireland, the Hobbit village in New Zealand, Hunyad Castle in Romania, and the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Other interests of mine include horror literature and memoir, a long-standing fascination with UFO, paranormal, and occult phenomena as well as playing guitar, backpacking, and bike riding

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Non Fiction / Memoir – phill and Into the Wind

Non Fiction / Memoir – phill and Into the Wind

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Non Fiction / Memoir

Date to be Published: 10/15/20

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

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It’s 1973. Our nation is torn apart by the Vietnam War, and the massacre of
unarmed students at Kent State. The Vice President has resigned for bribery
and tax evasion. The President is being investigated for engaging in
criminal activity.

At twenty-three, David Reed has become embittered by political strife and
corruption. Disenchanted with his future, he wants out. Along with new
friends, Rusty and Susie, David leaves everything he knows to cross the
United States with little more than his bicycle and a camera.

The trio gets more than they bargain for, with menacing animals, extreme
weather, and astonishing encounters.

Uphill and Into the Wind recounts an odyssey that spans 5420 miles on
bicycles. It chronicles the sudden and surprising glories of nature, the raw
beauty of the land, and the majesty of the mountains. But that is just the
start. Through it all, the three are changed forever, in ways they did not
expect, by their long journey into the unknown.

 

Excerpt

In a few days I’m going to begin riding a bicycle across the continent. Having been a stonemason for the last two years, I’ve finished my last day of work, and drive down the rural, two-lane road in my vintage 1950 Studebaker, windows open to the faint stirrings of early spring greens. Blasting Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” from my AM radio, I’m singing along, excited to begin a new chapter of my life.

As I walk into our grand bachelor apartment, known for its legendary parties, my roommates Henry and Kevin ask if I have plans for the evening. When I ask why, they announce that they are throwing our bike trippin’ threesome—Rusty, Susie, and me—a bon voyage party.

Kevin is my best friend; we’ve been together since kindergarten. He’s short and stocky like me, but with dirty-blonde hair, a booming laugh, and parents who are “lace-curtain” Irish.

I grew up next door to Henry, the most upbeat guy I know; his freckled face is set in a permanent grin. Henry takes karate and teaches me the horse stance, great for strengthening a bicyclist’s quad muscles.

Our dearest friends attend the party and shower us with encouragement. These are our blood brothers and soul sisters we’re leaving, to set out into the great unknown, terra incognita, on an asphalt ribbon of highway. We feast on lasagna, and drink Anchor Steam beer.

Henry gathers everyone in the living room, raises a frosted mug and shouts over the hubbub. “A toast to Susie, Rusty, and David. May you have clear skies and easy climbs. And take all the love in this room with you.”

The room erupts. “Here, here!”

Kevin chimes in with an Irish toast. “May the wind be always at your back.”

“It won’t be,” quips Toby from the crowd. “You’re heading west.”

Laughter.

“Then may the road NOT rise up to meet you,” replies Kevin.

More laughter.

Susie looks sidelong at me and whispers, “I hope I’ll do okay.”

“You’ll be fine,” I say.

I turn to Kevin and Henry. “I’ll miss you guys—and the apartment. We’ve had it great here.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the place ’til you get back,” says Henry, beaming.

“Whenever that is,” snorts Kevin.

The morning of April sixteenth, still just spring, is mostly cloudy and chilly. We circle around in the street, testing the balance of our hauling loads. This is going to take some getting used to, like driving a semi after you’re used to a VW bug. Still, we set off about eleven a.m. after a group photo in front of my apartment, whooping excited cries and waving goodbye to our friends. I feel a great sense of adventure heading west, from East Orange through Orange and West Orange, from the haze and smog of the inner city to suburbia where the air is fresh and clear.

Our first climb, aptly named First Mountain, is steep and just over a mile long. Halfway up, I stop to find Susie, she’s way down at the bottom, walking her bike up the grade, only three miles into the trip.

 About the Author

David Reed has spent a lifetime studying the natural world, from his youth
in the woods, his University training, his apprenticeship as a stonemason,
and his travels on a bicycle, to his career as an award-winning landscape
architect.

A career highlight includes re-designing four major gardens in San
Diego’s jewel, Balboa Park.

A visual storyteller, David has guest lectured at the San Diego Museum of
Art, Rutgers University, Kansas State University, The New School of
Architecture, and other venues. His professional work has been published in
Sunset Magazine, Garden Design Magazine, and Building Stone Magazine.

Uphill and Into the Wind is David’s debut memoir. But his work has
been published in A Year in Ink, the San Diego Writers, Ink Anthology and
awarded at the Southern California Writers Conference.

David believes that life is “out there,” in the forest, and on
the land, not inside the box.

He currently resides in San Diego with his wife and family.

 

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Biography – Living Among the Dead

Biography – Living Among the Dead

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Biography/Memoir/History/Nonfiction/Jewish Studies/WWII
Date Published: March 3, 2020
Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers
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This is the story of one remarkable woman’s unimaginably horrific journey through the rise of the Nazi regime, the war, and the aftermath. Her story is narrated by her granddaughter and the book is interwoven with beautiful passages of poetry and personal reflection by the survivor, Mania, as she used writing as a medium to deal with the effects of the war. Most Jews did not die in concentration camps. Instead, they were murdered in their lifelong communities, slaughtered by mass killing units, and then buried in pits. Mania lived in labor camps and witnessed these inconceivable sightings while doing everything within her power to subsist. Although she was the sole survivor of her family, Mania went on to rebuild a new life in a new country, with a new language and new customs, always carrying with her the losses of her family and memories of the brutality she witnessed and lived through. Nearly eighty years post liberation of the Holocaust, we are still witnessing acts of cruelty born out of hatred and discrimination. Living among the Dead reminds us of the beautiful communities that existed before WWII, the lives lost and those that lived on, and the importance to never forget these stories so that history does not repeat itself.
About the Author

Adena Astrowsky has dedicated her career to helping the most vulnerable of our society. She did this by prosecuting child sexual abuse cases and domestic violence cases within the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. She became the local expert concerning the prosecution of domestic violence related strangulation cases and taught extensively on that subject. Currently, she handles post-conviction cases on appeal and foreign extradition cases. Adena taught Sunday School at her temple for eight years, and in her last two years she co-taught “Character Development Through the Studies of the Holocaust.” Adena contributes articles to MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids) Magazine, often writing about children’s safety, drugs, law and order, etc. Once a month Adena volunteers at a local Scottsdale library with her therapy dog, Charlie, as part of the Tail Waggin’ Tales Program. Adena has also chaired events to raise money for the Emily Center of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Adena’s greatest role, however, is as the mother of three very active children. She, and her husband, Brad, are kept very busy with their respective dance, theater, music, and athletic activities.
Contact Links
Twitter: @adena_astrowsky
Purchase Links
Biography / History – Living Among the Dead

Biography / History – Living Among the Dead

Posted on by

 

Biography/Memoir/History/Nonfiction/Jewish Studies/WWII
Date Published: March 3, 2020
Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers
photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png
This is the story of one remarkable woman’s unimaginably horrific journey through the rise of the Nazi regime, the war, and the aftermath. Her story is narrated by her granddaughter and the book is interwoven with beautiful passages of poetry and personal reflection by the survivor, Mania, as she used writing as a medium to deal with the effects of the war. Most Jews did not die in concentration camps. Instead, they were murdered in their lifelong communities, slaughtered by mass killing units, and then buried in pits. Mania lived in labor camps and witnessed these inconceivable sightings while doing everything within her power to subsist. Although she was the sole survivor of her family, Mania went on to rebuild a new life in a new country, with a new language and new customs, always carrying with her the losses of her family and memories of the brutality she witnessed and lived through. Nearly eighty years post liberation of the Holocaust, we are still witnessing acts of cruelty born out of hatred and discrimination. Living among the Dead reminds us of the beautiful communities that existed before WWII, the lives lost and those that lived on, and the importance to never forget these stories so that history does not repeat itself.
About the Author

Adena Astrowsky has dedicated her career to helping the most vulnerable of our society. She did this by prosecuting child sexual abuse cases and domestic violence cases within the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. She became the local expert concerning the prosecution of domestic violence related strangulation cases and taught extensively on that subject. Currently, she handles post-conviction cases on appeal and foreign extradition cases. Adena taught Sunday School at her temple for eight years, and in her last two years she co-taught “Character Development Through the Studies of the Holocaust.” Adena contributes articles to MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids) Magazine, often writing about children’s safety, drugs, law and order, etc. Once a month Adena volunteers at a local Scottsdale library with her therapy dog, Charlie, as part of the Tail Waggin’ Tales Program. Adena has also chaired events to raise money for the Emily Center of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Adena’s greatest role, however, is as the mother of three very active children. She, and her husband, Brad, are kept very busy with their respective dance, theater, music, and athletic activities.
Contact Links
Twitter: @adena_astrowsky
Purchase Links