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Good Reads for Fireplace Season

By Antoinette May Herndon

. Nobody will want to hear this. Brace yourself for scary news: there are just 31 shopping days left till Christmas. Once those autumn leaves start to fall, the Ghost of Christmas Present is at his post actively directing traffic.

Now here’s the good part: Foothill writers have been busy as elves cranking out books on every subject With something out there for everyone on your list, their creative offerings should go a long way to guarantee that yours is a cool Yule.

Better check the book marts right away, if the volume you’re seeking isn’t in stock, it can be ordered quickly. Also watch the Lodestar for announcements of book signings and readings. Everybody enjoys a copy signed by the author. Doesn’t that autograph always make a book feel extra special?

The days dwindle down . . . to a precious few. So, get cracking! On Donner! On Blixon!

Getty Ambau’s young adult novel, “Desta and King Solomon’s Coin of Magic and Fortune,” is a classic example of a holiday selection. A resident of Valley Springs, Getty has only just returned from New York where he received the Moonbeam Book Award in the Young Adult Category and the Independent Publishers Book Award in the Young Adult, Multi-cultural Category.

Admirers of “Cutting for Stone” are particularly enthusiastic about Getty’s novel, which, like Abraham Verghese’s best seller, has an Ethiopian setting.

Getty studied the natural and social sciences at Yale University. After working as a chemist, he went on to pursue a master’s degree in business. Yet Getty’s dream was always to become a writer. His first opportunity came from writing training and educational tools for his company. These sold worldwide and “The Importance of Nutrition, Herbs and Phytochemicals” remains in print.

Despite his earlier success, Getty is excited about his first novel and is working on a sequel. The paperback and electronic versions of “Desta” are available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, gettyambau.com. or can be ordered at any local store.

Another book written for the younger set—considerably younger—is Kathy Fellure’s newly published, “The Bear Club Adventure,” the fourth in a series of picture books centered about Lake Tahoe.

The book can be purchased from local bookstores or from Amazon.com.

Whether they admit it or not, nearly everybody on one’s Christmas list enjoys a good love story and Sunny Lockwood’s “Shades of Love” is a natural to satisfy that longing.

The Angels Camp author has been writing for more than 20 years, yet this is her first fiction. The collection comprises six unique tales about love. One is a romance, another a mother -daughter saga. Yet another is about a divorced father’s attempt to connect with his teenage daughter.

Lockwood calls her tales “alternative” loves stories because each explores a different aspect of love. Every tale reveals how love can hurt and heal, can calm and comfort—or just twirl you and around and set you to dancing.

“Shades of Love” is an ebook and can be read on computers, cell phones or other electronic devices. It’s available on Smashwords.com, com/luddite or at Amazon for only $l.99.

Historical novels are always popular, but in economic times like these, they have special appeal. If one can’t literally travel to a different place, why not journey there through the pages of a book? And if traveling through space is possible in this way, why not through time as well?

Rosalind Burgundy lives across the world from Tuscany (formerly Etruria) and is separated by 2500 years from that mysterious period in history, yet she knows the ancient world—most particularly the Etruscan world—almost as well as she knows her own.

The Twain Harte novelist has written three books: “Odyssey of an Etruscan Noblewoman,” “Tuscan Intrigue” and “Song of the Flutist.”

Burgundy’s fascination with the Etruscan culture was triggered some 30 years ago when she worked as technical illustrator and curator at the Roman Forum for the archaeologist, Dr. Frank Brown of the American Academy.

A career as an educator, wife, and mother followed but finally she sat down to write her stories based on 13 years of research.

“Looking back, Burgundy says, “The past ten years since I retired from

teaching has been devoted to my current career of spreading an awareness of the ancient, almost mythical, sophisticated Etruscans who shared the development of Western Civilization, along with the Greeks and Romans. My method has been through historical fiction.”

Burgundy’s books may be obtained at local books stores or ordered through amazon.com.

My own novel, “Pilate’s Wife,” picks up the Italian scene in the 1st century with a fictionalized biography of the enigmatic Claudia, wife of Pontius Pilate. Little was known about Claudia other than her plea in behalf of Christ: “Don’t crucify that good man. I had a dream about him.” The dream intrigued me, inspiring six years of research at Stanford then travel to Italy, Egypt, and the Holy Land.

It was a fantasy project until my HarperCollins editor ordered me to “jazz up Jesus.” A tall order wouldn’t you say?

The results are controversial. If you want to liven debate at your book group, order “Pilate’s Wife” at a local bookstore or from Amazon.com.

Perhaps its not too surprising that Janet Langton, a Mountain Ranch artist, who works in the Calaveras County Historical Museum would write a novel about the Gold Rush. Her historical narrative, “River of Skulls,” is enjoying great success. Now Janet’s taking time out from readings and book signings to start work a new narrative. The second book will be about the 1950s art scene, a time that Janet herself experienced fully.

“Life experience has taught me to write,” she says. “Writing has parallels to painting, and though I once thought I couldn’t write because I was visually oriented, I now find visualization helpful. I often construct my writing the same way I build up paintings.”

“River of Skulls” is available through Amazon or can be ordered from local bookstores.

It’s easy for most writers of historical fiction to identify with Janet’s feelings. My second novel, “The Sacred Well,” incorporates the historical adventures of the legendary Alma Reed, a heroine of Mexico and most particularly the Yucatan, with my own experiences as a contemporary travel reporter there. You might be well warned that all of a writer’s experiences as well as the people we meet and observe are grist for the mill. Better look out!

And speaking of observation, Scott Anderson of Sutter Creek is a true investigative reporter—like a character out of a movie. One of these days someone will write a novel about him. In the meantime, Scott’s meth project will be published in book-form in February of 2012. Happily, readers can buy an advance copies now for just $10 a piece.

A popular Lodestar columnist, currently achieving national recognition, Scott suggests that any one who enjoys a true crime story should go to Kickstarter.com and type in “Shadow People.” Readers will be able to get more information and watch a video about the project.

Sharon Scott-Torvund of Forest Meadows has just completed a new cookbook which she calls "Cooking with Sharon." The project took three years to write and contains more than 300 recipes and eight pages of kitchen tricks.

Though not a trained chef, Scott- Torvund loves to cook and take on new challenges. She has belonged to a Gourmet Dinner Club for more than 30 years and has also catered professionally.

Scott-Torvund believes her best dish is Chinese chicken. Her skills were developed back in the 1970’s under the tutorage of Hop Sing, a close friend and mentor. “If he were alive today, he’d be proud of what I’ve done with our recipes,” sjebelieves.

“Cooking With Sharon” was published by Morris Press Publishing. The book has just had its second printing of 100. Readers can reach Sharon by phone at 728-1221 or at torvund@comcast.net

Steve Holmes of Clements has four books available on Amazon and Nook. In the first, “By Her Rules,” a romantic mystery, a young model decides she wants an older man to marry her just as someone else tries to first blackmail and then murder him in order to take over part of the man’s international business.

"Zook's Quest," Holmes’s post apocalyptic look at magic and tribal ways is set four hundred years into the future when warlike people are attempting to take over our civilization. “The Drink of Dreams” is a story of amnesia and madness with a surprisingly happy ending. His “Seduced” just may be the best vampire story you’ve ever read.

Family bonds are put to the test in a race against time in Paul Stein’s action thriller, “The Fourth Law.”

In a manner reminiscent of Tom Clancy or John Grisham, the West Point the author incorporates science fiction, corporate espionage, and the battle of good versus evil on a journey that takes the reader from Stanford University to Fort Knox, Ky.

“The Fourth Law” attracts readers of all genres, thanks to its multitude of plot elements. In this, his first novel, Stein explores the Grand Unified Theorem of gravity and demonstrates how science relates to nature’s strong and weak nuclear forces.

“To my knowledge there has never been a book written about a gravity machine or the use of antigravity technology,” he says. “Likewise, there has not been a recent story about breaking into Fort Knox other than Ian Fleming’s classic, ‘Goldfinger,’”.

Stein first learned the Super Unified Theorem while attending the University of San Francisco. He is a retired captain from the Calaveras County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team and served two terms as Calaveras County Supervisor.

In addition to the scientific exploration, Stein also comments on the importance of family dynamics. Through the relationship of Marshall and Conrad, he shows how bonds can unite a family against all odds, and ultimately trump evil.

“The Fourth Law” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and through Barnes Noble and other digital channels.

Out this month is “Walk in Beauty,” a poetic odyssey through wild places by Tiger Windwalker of Murphys. Windwalker describes his work as a celebration of nature in the vein of Thoreau, Whitman and Muir. It moves, he says, through scintillating coast lines to deep within pulsing forests.

Windwalker is a graduate of UC Berkeley and has taught basic home repairs, and both beginning and intermediate harmonica through adult education.

He is a licensed contractor as well as a writer, astrologer, musician, artist and landscaper. Windwalker also takes people on “walks in beauty” throughout the seven western states and Hawaii. An autographed copy of “Walk in Beauty” can be purchased at the author’s website, tigerwindwalker.com.

Phil G. Giriodi is enjoying an exciting retirement—if retirement is really the word for it. A native of Angels Camp, he lives now in Scotsdale where he continues to do assignments for the CBS Sunday morning program, shooting nature segments throughout the Southwest.

A graduate of Altaville Elementary School and Bret Hart High School, class of 1950, Giriodi went on to become a CBS Television Network news photojournalist and subsequently an Emmy recipient.

He is active producing pro bono fund raising videos for disadvantaged children as well as homeless and abused animals.

Giriodi’s most recent book is titled, “Breakfast in Paris, Lunch in Rome, Dinner in London, Reflections in the Eye of a CBS, NBC, ABC Photojournalist.”

In discussing this new accomplishment, he says, “The book chronicles my fifty years as a multi awarded network photojournalist and is intended to be an interesting and fun read for most everyone.

“It tells of my dream as an eight year old boy growing up in Angels Camp and wanting to become a news cameraman and how I followed that dream as it led to adventures, tragedies, involvement with major celebrities plus diving with whales, swimming with dolphins and venturing too close to erupting volcanoes. It is also meant to be encouraging for everyone to follow their dreams while not allowing anything to stand in their way.”

Matt Johanson, too resides in Scottdale and has also recently published a book, “Yosemite Epics: Tales of Adventures from America’s Great Playground.” Johnson is a former resident of Tuolomne County.

“Yosemite Epics” features close calls and harrowing experiences of well-known outdoors figures including Royal Robbins, John Bachar, Peter Croft, Steve Roper, Tommy Caldwell, Hans Florine, Marty McDonnell and Lynn Hill.

Johanson is an avid hiker, skier and climber. He credits his years of living in Sonora for introducing him to Yosemite and thus inspiring him to write the book.

Captions

When writers get together they generally talk about books. Left to right, Dick Tuttle, Helen Bonner, Getty Ambau, Kathy Fellure and Antoinette May.

Rosalind Burgundy lives in two worlds.