MANA'S SHORT STORY SERIES LIST ON SIDE COLUMN

Children's Voices Still Heard In Book "Superstorm Sandy: In the Eyes of the Children"

It’s been over a decade since Hurricane Sandy slammed into New Jersey and New York, causing death and destruction throughout the state. And, the voices of children affected by the storm are still heard in the book, Superstorm Sandy: In the Eyes of the Children, edited by Dr. Kathleen Woods Ignatoski, who used the book as a fundraiser as families were recovering from the disaster.

Hurricane Sandy was downgraded to a Superstorm when it made landfall on Oct. 29, 2012. In New Jersey, Sandy caused 38 deaths statewide, $30 billion in economic losses, and destroyed more than 346,000 homes. In New York, the storm caused 43 deaths and $19 billion in damages. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded Superstorm Sandy as the fourth-costliest storm of the past 40 years, according to a report from the New York University Center for Public Health Disaster Science. 

Residents of New Jersey and New York still carry the emotional and psychological scars of that traumatic day. Besides adults, children were greatly impacted by the event, and Kathleen, a Michigan resident with New Jersey ties, wanted to make sure that they were not forgotten in the aftermath. 

Help Your Children Learn Values With "Alphabet of Honor"


Listen to the news on any given day and you are almost guaranteed to find examples of scandals and unethical behavior in any profession.


What’s more, adolescent and teenage students face peer pressure every day and must make decisions on how to respond to these challenges. This is why it's important parents start teaching their children at a young age about values and honesty. 


Author Ann Warkentin has written a book, Alphabet of Honor, that shows parents how to start a conversation with their children about values.


The book, naturally, begins with the letter, "A." This "A" is linked with "Accept Responsibility." The photo for “A” is of a little girl with a facial expression that indicates that something has happened to the toy that she is holding up. 

Based on the photo, the author poses the following questions to the readers: 

1. What do you think happened to the toy?
2. Is this girl in the photo the owner of the toy?
3. How would you feel if the toy were yours?
4. How could you accept responsibility?
5. Has this ever happened to you?
6. How would you handle this? What would you do?

Children can answer these questions on their own or the adult reader can pose the questions and discuss the answer with the child. 

Alphabet of Honor can serve as a catalyst for key discussions not only in families but also in the classroom. This book helps parents and teachers instill a child's development of ethics, a clear sense of right and wrong, and a sense of honor. The photos and the text should appeal to a broad age range. 

In a society that often promotes values that many parents find unacceptable, mothers and fathers may struggle to find ways of teaching their children ethics and morals at an early age. 


Go HERE to preview Alphabet of Honor by Ann Warkentin on the website of MarketingNewAuthors.com.

RDP Book Release: Propaganda – American Style by Dr. Gregory Shafer

Propaganda – American Style: A Textbook for Critical Thinkers by Dr. Gregory Shafer. 

Read an excerpt from the first chapter:


To most Americans, propaganda is something that is done by other nations to other people. We think of communist propaganda, Nazi propaganda, or even European propaganda. Rarely, in our egocentric world, are we cognizant of the insidious and yet very vivid examples of propaganda American style. Why? Because we have been conditioned to believe that we live in a land of freedom and democracy – a place that is devoid of manipulation and mind control. 

The world of George Orwell's 1984 is interesting to us but only in its ability to reveal other worlds, where nefarious leaders use psychological strategies and deceptive language to control the actions of their citizens. Unfortunately, careful observation shows us that propaganda is very much a part of the American scene and is used frequently to dupe Americans into thinking and believing ideas that are not in their best interests.

The Bugle Calls

By U.S Army Lt. Col. Adrian D. Massey

(For CPT Terrance Wright,  1LT Jeremy Wolfe, and our Fallen Comrades

Having been a witness at the windows of your soul, where we shared goals, dreams and life stories, 
I listened to you speaking of wanting to marry and have children. 
I watched your silent faith speak volumes. 
Having been even prepared for war, 
no one is prepared to lose a friend and comrade like this. 
Although your journey shortened, 
a soldier's soul never dies.
A flag is folded for you, 
and the bugle's tone vibrates
similar to your spirit in the air; 
it never ceases, always plays.
You are remembered and respected
as I pray for you, having been a witness
at the windows of your soul.
Tears run sharply down my face and theirs, 
my hand goes sharply up,
fingers to the corner of my right brow.
Young paratrooper, you are remembered.




Excerpt from A Solider's Poetic Response: A Slice of His Life. 
Click HERE to preview the book

Jessyca Mathews FulFills Her Dream of Being Published

Jessyca Mathews
Photo from Michigan.gov
Jessyca Mathews had one goal in mind since elementary school: To become a well-known author. She 
has more than achieved this goal. Jessyca is now a playwright, blogger, and author.

Jessyca, a high school English teacher, won MarketingNewAuthors.com's (MANA) Passion for Poetry Poet's Contest, and for winning the contest, MANA published her book Simply: A Collection of PoetryIn addition to her book of poetry, Jessyca also wrote the book 318: A Chubby Chick's Tales of Weight Loss and co-wrote the play Appointments: A Flint Water Crisis Account to bring national attention to Flint's water crisis. 

Besides winning in the book publishing realm, Jessyca was named the State of Michigan's Teacher of the Year for Region Five in 2019-2020 and was the recipient of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English's Secondary Teacher of the Year Award in 2018. 

In a question-and-answer interview with MANA, Mathews says she developed a love for poetry as a young girl, thanks to her mother. 

"She was the one who always had me to read when I was young," Jessyca said. "She always gave me poetry books to read, especially African-American writers."
Jessyca said she began writing poetry in high school. 
"There was a literary magazine, The Calliope, that was published for the students and staff," she continues. "I decided to send in some of my work in my senior year and ended up winning the writing award for the senior class. From that point on, I wrote poetry whenever the mood struck me."
When it comes to choosing her favorite poem, Mathews finds it "way too difficult!"