Superlative Soul or Nefarious Soul by Brenda M. Christy

I have been eagerly anticipating reading this book because Brenda Christy exemplifies a well-educated, personable woman who, even perhaps with a touch of innocence, joined a southern coastal municipal police department in 1987 and began a career that would plant her directly in the midst of the Good Ole’ Boy network. She did something I could never imagine myself doing--being a police officer.

I had a distinct feeling that she would be encountering all kinds of discrimination, working in a profession that has always been demanding and male-dominated. At best, it’s not an easy job, and officers are subject to seeing the uglier side of life every work day. Lives are on the line during every work shift, and it wasn’t long before Hurricane Hugo would reach landfall and wreak havoc in her town, presenting challenges for which no one was prepared.

That major storm was just the beginning of the tsunami that would eventually end her career in law enforcement. With several years of fine police work behind her, her undoing would be in the form of reporting a sexual harassment complaint on behalf of a fellow female officer because her disinclination to take the issue any further. The complainant had reported the problem to her immediate supervisor, who chose to ignore it. She complained to other co-workers and then to Brenda, who found it impossible to hear her friend’s story and not react. After all, there were protections in place for this sort of action, right?

What Brenda discovered was a friend who was reluctant to rock the boat and left Brenda in a precarious career position, while she was actually receiving promotions for sweeping the matter under the police blotter.

Brenda is honest, direct, and I can see where she is a person who would fight for what she believes is right and just. Where someone else might say, “It’s not my problem,” Brenda would want to see justice served.

Labeled as a “whistle-blower,” a dedicated Brenda finds her law enforcement career crumbling. Even co-workers whom she considered to be friends were reluctant to risk slipping a few rungs on the career ladder by openly defending or supporting her.

Some people go through life doing everything they can to stay under the radar. Closing their eyes to injustices, remaining behind a desk so they don’t have to interact with people, avoiding conflict at any cost--but not Brenda Christy. So what did her honesty earn her? A mark in bold, red letters of being called “a thorn in my side” by her not-so-happy police chief and an eventual finalization of her police career with this particular agency.

Her story is sprinkled with Scripture verses that helped her through this struggle, a psychological battle which must have seemed endless. She was blessed with praying friends, supportive family and faith that would also sustain her throughout the ordeal.

She discusses thoughts about her soul. She bares it, as she tells us about lifestyle decisions that she made as a result of drawing closer to God. Superlative Soul or Nefarious Soul echoes striving to be excellent while evil lurks, ready to take you down.

I believe that often it is through difficult times that God is preparing us for something better--something amazingly special that He has planned for our benefit if we will only listen. We might not be able to see it at the time, but down the road we can look back…and it is as clear as Caribbean water.

Superlative Soul or Nefarious Soul will take you on a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions. Hang on tight, and don’t let go.

Book Description

An account of one female police veteran’s fight against workplace discrimination and retaliation; after losing her rank, a portion of her salary and exhausting all of her administrative remedies, she filed a lawsuit against her employer, which resulted in a five-year litigation process. Throughout the duration of the agonizing legal process, she continued her career as a police officer and witnessed people, at all levels, sacrificing their souls as a survival tactic, as a masquerade, for some type of achievement or simply as a means to blame others.

One moral to this story is that the truth is not always your friend when you freely trade the value of your soul for nonsensical gain. In the latter part of her career, she went through a series of difficult and painful adversities that helped change her and her beliefs. As her faith grew in the midst of her hardships, she had a number of ah-ha moments, one of which was identifying your soul as a gift from God that should be valued and guarded, not sacrificed. Trusting God in every circumstance is essential as the end of her law enforcement career, and the outcome of her lawsuit far exceeded her greatest expectations.

In the Author’s Own Words

“In the time I spent crying infinite tears, I learned each day has 1,440 minutes. I could choose to spend this time nursing a grudge and plotting retribution, or I could choose to forgive, creating healing within my soul. I then remembered someone once said, ‘Forgiveness is not a feeling; it’s a decision.’ Today, as I continue my spiritual journey, I pray for my former co-workers and all who were involved in my lawsuit, and now more than ever, I will humbly extend the olive branch to each of them, should we meet again.”

About the Author

Brenda M. Christy

BRENDA M. CHRISTY was born and raised in the small town of Fairmont, West Virginia, which is also the hometown of 1984 gymnastics Olympic gold medalist, Mary Lou Retton. Brenda began her policing career in 1987 with the Myrtle Beach Police Department and held the rank of Police Investigator from 1999 until 2007. She retired from the Myrtle Beach Police Department in 2012, and lives near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Learn more about Brenda Christy and Superlative Soul or Nefarious Soul, including links to purchase, at:  http://www.athorninmyside.com.

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See you soon!

Mary Anne Benedetto

Author of Eyelash, 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, Never Say Perfect, From Italy with Love & Limoncello and Write Your Pet's Life Story in 7 Easy Steps!

Visit http://www.awriterspresence.com

*****

Behind Criminal Minds by Paul DiStefano

Personally speaking, as long as I can remember I have been intrigued with the Big Apple, one of my absolutely favorite places to visit. New York City is composed of five distinctly different sections called boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Within the geographical borders of this fine city, one can at any time cross paths with the poorest of the poor homeless, the wealthiest of the mega-rich and everyone in between.

Visiting NYC never gets old for me. There is always another Broadway show I haven’t yet seen, another writers’ conference to attend, a museum with a new exhibit and many, many opportunities for people-watching. The sea of citizens dashing to and fro along the sidewalks at rush hour, the persistent honking of horns as drivers attempt to navigate their vehicles in traffic gridlock, the perpetual river of yellow cabs flowing up and down the streets, the presence of the best and worst restaurants in the entire world, and I could go on and on!

Imagine being a New York City police officer and dealing with every conceivable type of crime and ugliness every single work day. As a rookie, the realization of the ever-present dangers potentially lurking around every corner has to be unnerving. Even as a detective, it must be like being saddled with twenty 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzles and instructed to construct them all at the same time. Where do you begin? How does one prioritize with investigating older cases when new cases are being assigned? How do you juggle the pressure from your bosses and the citizens you have sworn to protect and follow the rigorous rules, regulations and protocol not to be ignored?

In Behind Criminal Minds by Paul DiStefano, we learn what really happened on the job as he rather inadvertently became a law enforcement officer while he was on a waiting list to become a firefighter. His stories place us in the shoes of a dedicated officer who chose the unpopular position of refusing to join the club of cops who were “on the take.”

During his twenty-two years on the force, he did his time as a rookie patrolman and then served  in a variety of positions, including the Brooklyn Sex Crimes Unit (not his favorite), and finally several years in the Crimes Against Persons Detective Squad in Staten Island. His last two years on the job included participating in hostage negotiations and the Anti-terrorism Unit.

His career didn’t end there. After retiring from the NYC Police Department, DiStefano worked as a Senior Investigator for the NYS Attorney General’s Office in the Medicaid Fraud Division and then moved along to Director of Security for L’Oreal, where he investigated cargo and employee theft.

The path he traveled to being a published author was not without potholes. After watching the Donnie Brasco Story about Joe Pistone, the FBI agent who infiltrated the Mafia as "Donnie the Jeweler," Paul came to the conclusion that he had encountered many similar experiences and that he should also write a book. His attempts to find a publisher, however, ended in multiple roadblocks.

For three years, he kept a notebook in his pocket and jotted down thoughts and ideas about the topics he wanted to cover in his book. He finally put it all together. With a completed manuscript, he endeavored to attract a publisher, but soon discovered that the  traditional publishers only seemed to be interested in contracting with celebrities.  He tried to reason with them by suggesting, "Well, if you publish my book, then I WILL be a celebrity!" He said they didn't buy this seemingly logical reasoning.

He researched and chose Xlibris to self-publish his book. At this point, his working title was Not Your Ordinary Day at the Office. His editor recommended changing the title to How to Commit the Perfect Crime. After giving this some consideration, he decided that it wasn't his goal to teach criminals how to get away with crimes and made certain that his manuscript was slanted more toward his personal experiences in New York City law enforcement. Another recommended title was Death Under a Magnifying Glass, which he found rather distasteful, but was agreeable to the change of title to Behind Criminal Minds.

He didn't hesitate to mention specific names in his book. I wondered if that worried him once the book was published and out there for everyone to read. He said, "I only worried about one guy, and I didn't use his real name in the book. I called him The Candy Man. He said he would get me for my part in his arrest, but he got 55 years. I figured when he gets out, what would be our method of confrontation? Dueling canes? I'd be 96 and he'd be 88!"

Paul is quite candid in his book, explaining that police work can make you cold and heartless. When asked how long it took him after retirement to feel as though he was once again emotionally balanced, he replied, "About five to seven years. It wore on me. I didn't know how close I was to a nervous breakdown. Today they have a psychology unit to help them. Twelve years in a homicide unit where you go every day into a negative situation just wears you down. There was never a happy situation--only in the respect of catching who did it, but it was always such a tragedy--lives ruined. And it wasn't easy to get along with the brass--the boss--there were personality conflicts that made it really tough."

What attributes made DiStefano good at his job? He explained, "I was an excellent interrogator and interviewer. I found it pretty easy to flip people. I was a good actor and a great liar.”

There are no second chances when your life is constantly on the line,  and I asked Paul how he dealt with that every day. He replied, "You had to put it out of your mind or you'd go crazy. As a detective, you're wearing a suit and it's not as risky as being on patrol. You're coming in after the crime. But there is an accumulation of everything related to what we saw and experienced, and it took its toll. I began to have no feelings--nothing fazed me any more. And toward the end, I literally began to get shaky when I knew it was time to report for work. I honestly didn't know why. Then I began to realize I couldn't do this any longer. I had to get off this job."

Behind Criminal Minds reads like DiStefano is telling his stories to an old friend. With the inclusion of newspaper clippings to corroborate his tales, this book sends the reader back in time in New York City Police history and provides an insider’s point of view that absolutely held my interest. If you enjoy watching Blue Bloods or other law enforcement shows on television, you will like Behind Criminal Minds. It is the real deal.

Book Description

Behind Criminal Minds follows the amazing career of a homicide detective. This book takes you to the scene of some of the New York City’s most brutal and violent homicides, citywide riots, undercover sting operations, police interrogations of suspects, mafia trials, and inside scandalous police corruption rings spanning Paul DiStefano’s well-decorated twenty-two-year career with the NYPD. This is a no-holds barred thrilling account of how cops go after killers. DiStefano explains in his own words how he was able to get criminals to confess to their crimes, track down hidden dead bodies, outsmart slick child rapists, negotiate with insane hostage-takers, plant wire taps in mafia hangouts without their knowledge, and rescue innocent victims from the clutches of armed gunmen.

In the Author’s Own Words

Asked if he had any advice to other writers on the topic of publishing, Paul offered,

"Don't expect that you can easily get a publisher. Self-publish, and don't expect it to be a big money maker!"

About the Author

Paul DiStefano

Paul DiStefano worked with the Organized Crime Unit of the Brooklyn District attorney's office, the Organized Crime Control Undercover Unit of the Special Operations Section of the NYPD, the Brooklyn North Rape Unit, the Homicide, Anti-Terrorism, and Hostage Negotiation Divisions of the Staten Island detectives. He also served as a uniformed patrolman and plainclothes detail in the 1st, 7th, and 16th Precincts in Manhattan. He also served in the New York State Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Division doing undercover investigative work. Mr. DiStefano has lectured and trained in all aspects of security matters and is specialized in criminal interrogation techniques. During his illustrious career in the police force, he received numerous NYPD awards and citations. He obtained his BS degree in Criminal Justice from the New York Institute of Technology.

Behind Criminal Minds is available on-line through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or you can purchase it directly from the author.  Contact him at 843-215-0785 or by email at Coachpaul74@aol.com.

Learn more about Beach Author Network writers and their books at:

http://www.beachauthornetwork.blogspot.com

***

See you soon!

Mary Anne Benedetto

Author of Eyelash, 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, Never Say Perfect, From Italy with Love & Limoncello and Write Your Pet's Life Story in 7 Easy Steps!

Visit http://www.awriterspresence.com

*****

Divine Appointments by Kathy Penney

Kathy Penney is a lady who doesn’t like to miss appointments--particularly those in the Divine category!

In this pull-no-punches book that is a combination of memoir, true confessions, inspiration and evangelism guide, Penney walks us through some incredibly tough times of her life and offers a ray of hope based on her own redemption through a personal choice to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

As a survivor of a near-fatal assault, a victim of rape and someone who chose abortion as a way out on four occasions, Kathy has dedicated her life to giving and receiving grace and forgiveness and to serving God and helping others who are brought into her path to hear her story and learn that there is a living God who loves them, believes they are special and has a plan for their lives.

Divine Appointments: Are YOU Ready for Them? offers encouragement for everyone, emphasizing that most people (at one time or another) make mistakes, poor decisions, desperate choices and that sometimes we are so caught up in our own nebulous existence, that our kids suffer from our lousy parenting skills and misguided priorities.

Reading Divine Appointments reminds me about the power of prayer. When people share their problems and health concerns with me, I always try to respond that I will keep them in my prayers or that I will add them to my prayer list, which I am faithful to do.  I realized that I don’t practice offering to pray for them right there on the spot, praying over them and serving as that conduit of God’s love, grace and power to those in need. Perhaps immediate prayer, rather than being placed on a prayer list with tons of other requests, is the way they would benefit most at that particular moment. It occurred to me that it is always appreciated and comforting to know that someone is praying on your behalf, but actually hearing them say that prayer is a special blessing. Lesson learned and point taken.

Kathy Penney bares her soul to the reader, sharing her insightful poetry, as well as her personal defeats and victories. She doesn’t try to sugar-coat her story, but lays it all out there--the good, the bad and the ugly--along with an enthusiastic message of joy and hope. Complete with supporting scripture verses and even a daily checklist of important tips, Divine Appointments: Are YOU Ready For Them? will take you from your own comfort zone and gently shift you in the direction of thinking about others and their needs.

The takeaway for me is that we are born with an opportunity to enjoy an ongoing relationship through Jesus Christ with the Almighty God, Creator of the entire universe. Some folks rejoice in this, some postpone it and others completely reject Him or feel that faith has no relevance or significance in their lives. As believers, we know without doubt that God orchestrates circumstances to connect us with people in various stages of a spiritual journey--some to guide us and some we should be helping. Divine Appointments offers multiple examples of situations where the author could have ignored that quiet voice that prompts us, and someone’s life and/or situation would have taken a completely different, drastically negative turn.

Divine Appointments. Are you prepared to show up and deliver? Will you step up to the plate and give someone the spiritual guidance they so desperately need…even if they aren’t very likeable and you feel as though you have nothing in common with them? Kathy Penney does.

Book Description

Do you think you need to have the gift of evangelism to share the Gospel? Many Christians love to do different ministries. You may be gifted in teaching Sunday school, sending cards of encouragement, praying for people’s needs or helping in your Church. The body of Christ needs all of the above but people need to know Jesus loves them. I would like to show you how God prepares the hearts and minds of his children to hear the Good News! This book will give you examples of how He will direct your paths. Want to hear about God’s miracles? YOU can be ready to be one of His missionaries and experience the joy He will give you as you enter into His Divine Appointments!

In the Author’s Own Words

“This book was written to give hope and healing through Jesus Christ. My journey was difficult. I was released from a locked up ward at age 39 with no hope.  I, myself, was a Divine Appointment when I was told that someone loved me and had a wonderful plan for my life.  The Divine Appointment was with Jesus.  Jesus then met my daughter Kerri, 23, and delivered her in an instant of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and suicidal feelings.  My son Joey, 28, was the next one Jesus met with, and Joey is now 8 years heroin free!”

 

About the Author

Kathy Penney is a women’s Bible study leader, Christian speaker, advocate for victims of violence, women’s mentor, writer of Christian poetry and is an oak of righteousness for the display of His splendor. Kathy has appeared on twenty-two national television shows on victimization. She started the Rap Not Rape college program for women.

 

Kathy Penney

Connect with Kathy Penney through her Website at:

http://www.kathypenneyministries.com

Email at:

Calvary111@aol.com

Divine Appointments is available through connecting with Kathy on her Website or online at Xulon Press, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

Learn more about Beach Author Network writers and their books at:

http://www.beachauthornetwork.blogspot.com

See you soon!

Mary Anne Benedetto

Author of Eyelash, 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, Never Say Perfect, From Italy with Love & Limoncello and Write Your Pet's Life Story in 7 Easy Steps!

Visit http://www.awriterspresence.com