The Isolation Door by Anish Majumdar (TLC Book Review)

The Isolation Door

Author:  Anish Majumdar

Published:  February 4, 2014

Publisher:  Ravana Press

Pages:  304 pages

Advanced Review Copy

Genre:  fiction

Source:  a complimentary copy was provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours to facilitate this review which bears no influence over my opinion nor this review.

Amazon.com:  http://ravanapress.com/isolation-door/

Ravana Press website:  http://ravanapress.com/isolation-door/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AnishMajumdarAuthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DashAmerican

Neil Kapoor, 23, is desperate to create a life beyond the shadow of his mother’s schizophrenia. Years of successive relapses and rehabilitation’s have forced his father into the role of caretaker and Neil into that of silent witness. But there is no light within this joyless ritual, and any hope for the future rests on finding an exit.

Amidst her latest breakdown, Neil attends drama school in pursuit of a role that might better express the truth of who he is. What started as a desperate gambit becomes the fragile threads of a new life. A relationship blooms with Emily, and each finds strength – and demons – in the other. New friendships with Quincy and Tim grow close and complex. But the emotional remove needed to keep these two lives separate destabilizes the family. Neil’s father, the one constant in the chaos, buckles under the pressure. Enlisting the aid of an Aunt with means and questionable motives, Neil plies ever-greater deceptions to keep the darkness at bay. But this time there will be no going back. As his mother falls to terrifying depths a decision must be made: family or freedom?

In this powerful fiction debut, Anish Majumdar shines a much-needed light into the journey of those coping with serious mental disorders and the loved ones who walk alongside them. Incisive and filled with moments of strange beauty, it marks the arrival of a unique voice in American letters.

My thoughts:

Anish Majumdar is an award winning journalist with awards for feature writing and investigative journalism.  Majumdar refocuses that talent in the field of fiction with the publication of The Isolation Door.

Neil's family is a challenge and a bit shameful to speak of.  His mother, once an extra in a few movies (a "star"), struggles with schizophrenia and is at the point where Neil's father feels he can do no more and has called an institution to take her away.  He is devastated to do so but can no longer manage the situation alone. Neil is not much help.  He'd rather leave than try to come to terms with life as it is.  With the financial assistance from his mother's sister, Neil enrols in acting classes at a local college where he makes a few friends and a girlfriend. He is too ashamed of his family to allow any introductions between his girlfriend and his parents, that he keeps quiet when his girlfriend assumes Neil's aunt is his mother.  After all, his aunt has it together, he thinks, and she paid his tuition, bought furnishings for their apartment, and is at the ready to help at any time.  A great aunt, you might say.  But does she have an ulterior motive?

The road to acceptance for Neil is a rocky one and one can understand why he feels as he does and yet where's the empathy?  The love for his parents?  Neil has to make some very big decisions and take on responsibilities that he wasn't heretofore willing to.  Perhaps experience is the best teacher.

The Isolation Door is a coming of age story mingled with mental illness, shame, desires, love, denial, secrets, and loyalty.   A first person look into the lives of a patient suffering with schizophrenia and the effects upon her family, this story can be harsh to the point of cruelty, sad to the point of tears, and stunning in the revelations.

Mature content including several mentions of flaccidity, abuse, sex, and drug use makes this a novel not for everyone.  The first half moved rather slowly for me but the plot picked up pace in the second half.  I don't quit on books easily and I am glad I stuck with this one for the sheer revelations it offers regarding mental illness and its profound effects on the family.

The Isolation Door would be a good study for a sociology or psychology major for the impact of mental illness and family dysfunctions upon an individual and society as a whole.  

Meet the Author:

As a child growing up in Montreal, Canada, Anish Majumdar’s first creative writing lessons came courtesy of his mother, a former English teacher. Witnessing her struggle with schizophrenia had a profound impact and inspired The Isolation Door, his first novel. His non-fiction work, appearing in many publications, has garnered Independent Press Association Awards for Feature Writing and Investigative Journalism. His short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He lives with his wife, son, and a growing menagerie of pets in Rochester, NY.

Is There a Place for Book Censorship Today?

Today I read a post by fellow book blogger, Sheila at Book Journey

about book censorship.  She was asked to assist a group who want to censor the books available in schools.  She is, of course, upset about this turn of events and put the question out there to fellow bloggers.  Do you/we believe in censorship?

When I think of censorship, I think of one of my all-time favourite books, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960, an era of much contention between caucasian and African American individuals in the States.  The New Yorker and Time magazines both published positive reviews and the book was subsequently awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961.  So what was all the fuss about?

In 1968 the National Education Association placed To Kill a Mockingbird on its list of titles having received the most complaints.  The complaints were in reference to the subject matter of rape, racial insult, and profanity.  In 1977 Eden Minnesota placed a temporary ban on the novel. Even as recent as 1990, school districts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia attempted to have the book banned, not to be used in the curriculum.  2006 (Tennessee) and 2009 (Ontario) saw it removed from schools yet again stating that the use of the word "nigger" was offensive.  Some parents and school officials thought it would be offensive and uncomfortable for children to read, citing that the content may incite racial hatred.  These schools were not alone in this opinion.

I have to wonder if these individuals actually read the book themselves.  If anything, this novel, in my opinion, was ahead of its time.  The story is built around a lawyer and his children, the lawyer believing the young man charged with rape was entitled to a defence and set out to prove the charges were false. 

"It is sad to consider that this book was once banned from schools and libraries.  Perhaps the individuals who wanted it banned did not read it for To Kill a Mockingbird was ahead of its time in promoting equal rights for all and the value of one soul is no greater than another.  To have the opportunity to read and to study To Kill a Mockingbird, is a privilege.  For a book that raises the question of racism and addresses the issues through the eyes of the innocent child, is certainly a book that I would encourage all people to read, particularly young people.  Atticus teaches his children the value of a human life." To read more, please refer to my review.  

What are your thoughts on censorship?  Is there a time and a place when it might be necessary?  Who should have the right to decide what a person reads?

I encourage you to stop by Book Journey and comment there as well after reading Sheila's thoughts on censorship of the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Sources:  

http://bannedbooks.world.edu/2012/07/30/banned-books-awareness-to-kill-a-mockingbird

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_issues_faced_in_'To_Kill_a_Mockingbird'

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/CriticalEssayDetailsPage/CriticalEssayDetailsWindow?zid=7d6ff762c015c06f22406d479b43b107&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ2111200618&userGroupName=dove10524&jsid=09d2bcaf178358634b27046a14f20aef

In Mint Condition edited by Shannon John

In Mint Condition
Edited by Shannon John
Published:  October 2013
Publisher:  Ambannon Books
Pages:  345
Genre:  Anthology of mixed genres - including horror (Short story, poetry, art)
Source: A complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

"In Mint Condition" - It is a phrase that has become very familiar to collectors. Whether you are a collector of fine books, antique watches, baseballs cards, or comic books, you are always looking for something in mint condition. To be in mint condition, that special something must be of the highest quality. The best of the best.

Taking that idea and running with it, Ambannon Books has collected the very best in brand new, never-before-seen short stories, creative non-fiction, and poems, exclusively from the members of the leading Stephen King fansite on the internet, TheDarkTower.org. Each entry in In Mint Condition: 2013 has an accompanying piece of artwork from some of the biggest names in the business.

Join us on a journey through sixteen stories and poems of unspeakable horrors, inspirational bravery, alternate realities, and the dark side of things that seem so familiar, yet are simply waiting to consume you. 

My Thoughts:

In the fashion of masters like Stephen King (whom the editor  is an obvious fan of - see the advertisements interspersed within the book) and Alfred Hitchcock, In Mint Condition 2013 is an anthology of 16 short stories and poetry written with the effect of a horror story/dark literature complemented with a facing page of art.

As a teen fan of Stephen King, I had enjoyed the odd horror/dark literature though I haven't read from that genre in many years.  However, when approached with the offer to read In Mint Condition 2013 I was willing to revisit that fascination.  The cover of this mass market paperback features a fine looking collection of books on shelves offset by a black crow perched upon a typewriter, surrounded by lit candles illuminating the scene which held promise of things to come.  I have to admit it was this cover art which captured my attention from the first and I had to read this collection!!

The short story The Receptionist is a piece of work that set my mind reeling in shock at the revelation of the truth behind the facade!  And this was near the beginning.  What further surprises were in store, I wondered.

The Rule of Three...."I believe the stress must have overpowered his sanity,".... there's a lot of loss of sanity I'm thinking.  

Pumpkin....a twist on assisted fertilization of sorts.  Will the mother be surprised!  

As horror stories go, a lot of them deal with death occurring in a most untimely and often grotesque manner.  In Mint Condition 2013 is much the same, leaving not a lot to the imagination but not so graphic as to upset.  Mature language and situations along with the content make this a book not for the faint of heart or sensitive readers.  Think Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.  Get your horror on!  What was I thinking as a teen, I shake my head and wonder now.  Wow.

In Mint Condition 2013 is the premier publication for a new publisher, Ambannon Books. The sixteen short stories and poems were written by members of TheDarkTower.org, a Stephen King fan site on the internet. Copies of the book are available through the publisher at www.AmbannonBooks.com.

Armchair Traveller/Book Launch The Great Canadian Bucket List (February 15/14)

So he did it!  My husband attended a book launch event with me today mostly because it was the Robin Esrock presenting his one of a kind travel experience book The Great Canadian Bucket List.  I'd attended Robin's previous event at Audrey's bookstore (and purchased a copy) here in Edmonton last fall with a friend of mine and when I told my husband who we'd been to see and support, he was disappointed he hadn't gone after all.  So, when I discovered this Armchair Traveller event/book launch with the St. Albert Public Library featuring none other than Robin Esrock, he was thrilled to go...even delayed a business trip to do so!!!  He was not disappointed!!  

The conference room was near capacity but we arrived early, thus assured of excellent seats second row from the front.  Robin was casually signing books before the event at the back of the room where light refreshments of cookies and coffee were available. Following a brief introduction and bio from the PR rep for the library, Robin took center stage by the overhead screen upon which his presentation awaited the two o'clock start.

Robin began the event with a clip from the movie The Bucket List 

starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.  (If you haven't seen it yet, you simply must!)  The term bucket list has become very popular since the release of this movie.  Perhaps the term's origins come from history when people who were hung to die had a bucket kicked out from beneath them?  Robin pondered.  Whatever its origins, more and more people are making their own lists of things they want to see, accomplish or experience before their death.  

Robin didn't set out to become a travel writer per se.  Sure he has a degree in journalism, but he has also had involvement in the music industry.  He made some life changing decisions with a $20000 settlement from an accident several years ago following which he went to a travel agency and booked an around the world trip.  His intention was to cross off all those items/places on his bucket list and write home about it.  It became easier to share his adventures and photos on a blog until the day someone suggested this would make a good travel show and then a television program "Word Travels" with Julia Dimon as co-host began.   The show ran for three seasons and can still be seen on weekends on CityTV.  Check your listings.  (a presentation of photos and a few videos from some of these adventures impressed the audience as they were shown on the overhead screen.)

When civil unrest and wars became prevalent, Robin Esrock emigrated to Vancouver Canada from South Africa as a young adult and his family following shortly thereafter.  After travelling the world, crossing off that bucket list, he began to think a little closer to home for his new bucket list, thus his new book "The Great Canadian Bucket List."

From the west coast to the east, Robin shared tales of seeking the great white spirit bear, to seeing totem poles over 150 years old, to a one of a kind experience in the Okanagon (BC) in a facility owned by Swarovski (yes, one and the same).  Imagine entering a room at -15 Celsius, then another at -60 Celsius and finally -110 Celsius (a 3 minute duration) dressed in only your swimming attire!  This supposedly helps rejuvenate the body, help with ailments such as arthritis, and certainly make you glad you're alive when you slowly warm up again!! (All available at this secluded site)  It's a hit with NHL players! There's the sour toe drink in Yellowknife, zip lining over a waterfall, heli-skiing, training with the RCMP, going on a polar bear excursion in Churchill, Manitoba and so much more.  Did you know our country had so much to offer?

a reading about the search for the Northern Lights

Robin has travelled world wide.  Of course there are countries and sites he hasn't been to yet; Antarctica still eludes him.  Perhaps someday; after all, who knew ten years ago that he'd be travelling the world and getting paid to do so?  In the meantime he is learning and writing about what it is like to travel with a baby!  

Perhaps it's time for you to discover your own bucket list.  The Great Canadian Bucket List is a great place to start.  Just a warning though, once you get the bug it only grows from there!  

The Power of Literacy

A Powerful Tale in "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief
Author:  Markus Zusak
Published:  2005
Publisher:  Random House
Pages:  552
Edition:  Movie Tie In Cover 2013, Trade Paperback
Also contains:  A Reader's Guide, Related Titles, Internet Resources, In His Own Words - A Conversation With Markus Zusak
ISBN  9780385754729

Source:  a copy was given to me by the publisher.  Receipt thereof has no influence over my opinion of this novel nor this review.

It is 1939, Nazi Germany.  The country is holding its breath.  

Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger finds her life changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow.  It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.  So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read.  Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times.  When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish man in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

My Thoughts:

The Book Thief should be ranked with the popular classics from foregone eras.  A classic has been defined as:  judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. A work of art of recognized and established value.  The Book Thief is just that and is certainly worthy of a prestigious location on every book lover's bookshelf.

I began The Book Thief the beginning of January as my first book of the year but time constraints necessitated it being put aside until recently when I had the time and opportunity to immerse myself in Liesel's world in Germany pre-war to war era.  Everyone I've spoken with of late has heard from me about this fabulous novel that I was so in love with.  I could hardly put it down and anxiously picked it up at every opportunity, so involved in this incredibly powerful tale.

The Book Thief opens with an introduction by Death as the narrator.  Not a grim reaper, but a being of great empathy and love for those he serves.  At this period of time Death is very busy, the war is a harsh task master and Death exhibits sadness at the loss of so many innocent lives, "For me, the sky was the color of Jews."  (page 349)  "I picked up each soul that day as if it were newly born. I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks ... I watched their love visions and freed them from their fear." (page 350).

The most compelling character is Liesel Meminger.  We meet her as a young girl fresh off the train, passed into the hands of foster parents Hans Huberman and his wife Rosa.  Hans is a wonderful old patient soul with silver eyes and a gift for the accordion while his wife is terse and generous with expletives but beneath the rough exterior she hides a warm heart.  "She was a good woman for a crisis."  Liesel is a feisty personality who suffers nightly from nightmares about her brother's death which she witnessed aboard the train enroute to Molching, home of her foster parents to be.

Her first act of thievery occurs at her brother's graveside where she finds The Gravedigger's Handbook from which Papa (Hans) helps her learn to read as part of a nightly ritual that follows Liesel's nightmares. She has the bug and yearns for books and words.  Her second book is rescued from the ashes of a Nazi book burning and from there the mayor's wife's library falls victim.

Liesel and her best friend Rudy witness firsthand the Nazi regime in action.  The Jewish businesses closed, the people thwarted and paraded through town on their way to concentration camps.  The two friends rebel against the Fuhrer with thievery of food, some of which they drop as pieces of bread ahead of the parades for the prisoners.  One similar act of kindness earned a whipping by a Nazi soldier.

That act of kindness was towards a young man, Max, who had been hidden in the basement of the Hubermans.  Max's father had saved Hans' life in an earlier war, losing his own, and as repayment they hid the young Jewish man until the bombing began and it was no longer safe for any of them.  Max left one day in a tearful goodbye and wasn't seen until the day of the parade.  He was thin and weak from starvation and cruelty at the hands of the soldiers.  A prisoner of war on his way to the camps.

There were many cruelties in that small town in Germany.  A lot for a couple of young kids to witness and it changed them perceptibly.  To read of them in a book initially written for an adult audience in New Zealand and placed in the YA readership here and in the US, one can visualize the horrors as seen through the eyes of the young.  The war influenced their choices and their lives.  This book has been touted as life altering and it can be.  While The Book Thief has been marketed here for a YA audience, it holds appeal for adults as well.  The imagery, the flow of the written word, the effect of it all impresses upon the mind and the heart.  It is a masterpiece that has rightfully earned wide appeal and hearty recommendations.

100 Perks of Cancer by Florence Strang and Susan Gonzalez

100 Perks of Having Cancer

plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It!

Authors:  Florence Strang (registered psychologist) and Susan Gonzalez (registered nurse)

Published:  August 2013

Publisher:  Basic Health Communications

Pages:  500
Includes Recommended Websites, Suggested Reading and Viewing, References and Index

ISBN:  9781591203568

Edition:  Trade Paperback

Genre/Category:  Self Help, Health, Cancer

Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by the authors and the publisher via JKS Communications.  Receipt thereof does not influence this review nor my opinion expressed here.  

While the authors recognize that cancer is certainly no laughing matter, both cancer survivors set out to remind readers that no matter how bad one's life circumstances may be, there are always reasons to smile - and steps that can be taken to improve one's health, outlook, and prognosis. Containing many healthy-living tips to promote healing of the body as well as healing the mind and soul. (Goodreads)

How often do you hear the words “healthy”, “happy” and “cancer” mentioned in the same sentence?  That is precisely what gives 100 Perks of Having Cancer (Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It) its unique character.  Its authors not only “talk the talk” of living a healthy lifestyle with a positive attitude on the cancer journey, they also continue to “walk the walk”.

Florence’s perks, which are a combination of inspirational and humorous anecdotes, have made her audiences laugh and cry.  Susan’s tips are sought after because of their educational content with a witty twist. Together they provide a valuable resource which will inspire and motivate their readers, while keeping them smiling. 

See more at the 100PerksofHavingCancer.com! (from JKS Communications)

My Thoughts:

Twenty-one years ago this August my father died of lung cancer.  My step-father has battled with prostate cancer.  An uncle with prostate cancer.  My sister-in-law's mother.  A dear friend with breast cancer which has now spread.  This friend has battled valiantly and cheerfully, beating all odds predicted.  I remember years ago, maybe twenty five or so, I didn't know anyone with cancer.  Now I have had and do have people close to me battling the disease so when the book 100 Perks of Having Cancer came to my attention, I really wanted to read it.

Both authors have at some point personally received the diagnosis of cancer.  Both are doing very well and through their collaborative efforts this book came into being.  It's just incredible! Their optimism, humour, experiences and knowledge is evident on each page as they share a perk of having cancer as a chapter heading, then delve further into therapies, nutrition, recipes, things to avoid, things to do and eat, and things to be aware of.  There's so much here!  I think, even for someone who is not personally fighting cancer, but who perhaps knows someone or is related to someone who is, this is a valuable resource.  100 Perks of Having Cancer offers support with each paragraph and insight as well.  If you want to know what your loved one is feeling, just read this book.  The best way to relate to someone is to understand them.

Take for example the Chapter Perk # 73 Cancer Brought Out the Family Resemblance to My Son.  

"Ever since the day Donovan was born, I've been hearing the same thing over and over again, "He looks JUST like his father." However, following my cancer treatments, people started to notice my resemblance to my handsome son.  Maybe it's the eyes?  Could it be the nose? No, it was definitely the hair!" (page 304)  There's a photo of the two of them with a crew-cut hairstyle.

She speaks of how she didn't mind when her hair fell out from the chemotherapy treatment (not all chemo drugs cause hair loss she tells the reader) but she was not comfortable going out in public until it began to grow back in again.  It was then that if she squinted her eyes just right she could see her resemblance to Demi Moore in the film G.I. Jane! 

"While being bald as a pumpkin has its perks, it is a joyous day when new hair starts to grow in.  Be patient, it will grow back." (page 305)

Following this experience Health Tip #73 talks about the benefits of pumpkins after which is a recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Soup which I just might give a try.  I still have a pumpkin left over from Halloween.  (yes, it's still good!)

Alas, there's a tip about sweets.  I have such a sweet tooth!!!   There's a short lesson on the function of the pancreas (remember one of these authors is an RN) and the liver.  After reading this I think I may be able to curb that appetite a bit better.  The authors included a list of ingredients that really are just synonyms for sugar like date sugar, lactose, barley malt, honey, maltodexrin, agave nectar, to name a few.  The reader is reminded that a healthy diet contains no artificial, chemical, "no-calorie" sweeteners.  

There's a lot to learn in the 500 pages of 100 Perks of Cancer and a lot of support as well.  I highly recommend this as a resource for anyone dealing with cancer in any form and for their loved ones as well.  "Whether you are a cancer warrior, a cancer survivor, or a cancer avoider, this book has something for you!" (quoted from the back cover)

 February 5th is World Cancer Awareness Day!

Listen to an interview with the authors:  http://100perksofhavingcancer.com/interviews-and-publications/

Author Links below:

Author Website
Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon

IndieBound

Virtual Tour Page 

The Professor by Robert Bailey

The Professor

Author:  Robert Bailey

Published:  January 2014

Publisher:  Exhibit A Books

Pages:  411

Genre:  Legal thriller

ISBN 9781909223585

Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by JKS Communications in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.  Receipt thereof bears no influence over my opinion nor this review.

Thomas Jackson McMurtrie is a living legend scorned. Forty years ago, he gave up a promising career as a trial lawyer to become a law professor at the University of Alabama at the request of his mentor, Alabama football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Now Tom is forced into retirement, betrayed by both a powerful colleague and his own failing health.

Meanwhile the young family of one of his oldest friends is killed in a tragic road collision. Believing his career is over, Tom refers the case to a brilliant, yet beleaguered, former student, who begins to uncover the truth behind the tragedy, buried in a tangled web of arson, bribery and greed.

But as the eve of trial approaches, the young attorney’s case begins to unravel. In over his head and at the end of his rope, he realizes there’s only one man who can help…

“The Professor” is the first in a series of tense legal thrillers featuring the enthralling and brilliant legal team of McMurtrie and Drake, combining the thrills and authenticity of a John Grisham novel for the audience that flocked to “Friday Night Lights.”

My Thoughts:

2014 is proving to be the year of promise!  Robert Bailey and his new legal thriller, The Professor, is on my growing list of note-worthy books of the new year.  The Professor is Bailey's debut novel.

When the author of Forrest Gump, Winston Groom, said The Professor was "gripping from the first page to last" he was bang on.  I began this book Saturday morning and finished early afternoon.  I just couldn't put it down and this is no light weight coming in at over 400 pages.  

When a young family is killed in a collision with a semi in a small town in Alabama, questions arise about hours logged in by drivers and the timetables of the companies they work for.  Professor Thomas McMurtrie is approached by the mother of the young mother killed in the crash to find answers about responsibility for the accident.  She doesn't believe her son-in-law is in the wrong and wants those who tore her family apart to be held responsible.

Professor McMurtrie, Tom, has too much on his plate and hands the case to a former dynamic pupil struggling to start his own practice nine months out of law school.  When arson, bribery, and murder further complicate the case, the young lawyer turns to Tom for assistance.  Together they search tirelessly for the clues and witnesses who are brave enough to come forward in the name of justice.

Grisham turned me on to legal thrillers more than twenty years ago and I have been an avid fan since.  Now along comes Robert Bailey, another lawyer/author sharing the thrills of courtroom drama.  I enjoyed the flow, the legal drama, the hidden clues, the tenacity of the small firm vs the giant...it all adds up to a good thrilling read.

Warning to sensitive readers:  sexual content, though not graphic, in the form of prostitution and abuse is dotted occasionally through the novel.  The story, in my opinion, didn't need it.  It felt gratuitous.  There's enough strength in Bailey's plot and skill without it.  I would be a dedicated fan if future novels withheld this content.  Otherwise, The Professor has an excellent plot told by a sharp legal mind.  

Author Links below:

Author Website

Twitter
Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon

Virtual Tour Page 

Meet the Author:

From the time he could walk,Robert Bailey has loved stories, especially those about the legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and his beloved Crimson Tide football team at the University of Alabama.

In law school, Bailey was honored with the Award for Outstanding Achievement at the American Judicature Society Interscholastic Trial Competition. He made Law Review and was a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society. Somehow, between studying and preparing for the bar exam, Bailey managed to watch every home football game.

For the past 14 years, Bailey has practiced law as a civil defense trial attorney in Huntsville. In addition to representing health care providers and nursing homes in medical liability cases, he defends trucking companies, insurance carriers, insureds and businesses in injury-related lawsuits.

Bailey is admitted to practice before the U.S. 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court – Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama and Western District of Tennessee – and in all Alabama state courts.

He is a member of several professional associations including the International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, Alabama Defense Lawyers’ Association, Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association and the Alabama Bar Association.

Bailey’s first novel, “The Professor,” will be published Jan. 28, 2014 by Exhibit A Books.

Bailey is married with three children. When he’s not writing or practicing law, he’s playing golf, coaching his sons’ little league baseball teams and, of course, cheering on the Crimson Tide.

Q&A with author and attorney Robert Bailey

How did you come up with the story for “The Professor?”

The answer is twofold.  First, I’ve always been interested in stories of legends, especially Alabama football legends. Second, when I was in law school, I always wondered what it would be like if a professor had to try a case. Could he or she do it?  Would the classroom cross over to the courtroom? These questions piqued my interest, and Thomas Jackson McMurtrie was born.

What do you think readers will like about “The Professor?”

The answer, in my opinion, is the redemptive nature of the story. This is the story of a man in the twilight of his career that is done wrong, but he won’t quit. He comes back against all odds. A backstabbing former student. Cancer. Nothing can get Tom McMurtrie down. He embodies the principles of those men that played for Coach Bryant, some of whom stand with Tom in the courtroom in one of the climactic final scenes of the book.

What are the elements of a great legal thriller?

I’m not sure there is any recipe or formula.  However, I think any story, whether thriller or not, has to have an emotional hook.  Something that makes the reader climb on board for the journey. A lot of times that hook is identifying with a character and what he/she is going through or the situation he/she faces.  I think this is particularly so in thrillers.  Having a protagonist encounter a situation that stimulates the reader’s emotions and makes the reader want to follow the protagonist’s journey through it. 

Have you ever considered a career in teaching law?

No, I never have.  However, teachers have had a profound influence on me.  I was blessed to have many wonderful teachers in elementary school, high school, college and law school.  My mother and grandmother were also teachers, so I have a great regard for that profession.

How did growing up in the south influence your writing?

Obviously, you write what you know, and I have lived my entire life in the South. I have always been drawn to southern literature and stories with a southern flare to them.  

You’re obviously a huge fan of the legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. What do you think made him such an iconic figure?

I think it starts with the winning.  Coach Bryant was an incredibly successful football coach for over thirty years.  There were many great college football coaches during his heyday in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, but Coach Bryant was undoubtedly the best and his record speaks for itself.  323 victories.  Six national championships.  But it’s more than just the winning. He was such a great character.  He was tall and had that gravelly voice.  He wore the Houndstooth hat and smoked Chesterfield cigarettes.  He carried himself like an Old West gunslinger.  In fact, there were many comparisons between Coach Bryant and John Wayne. There is also the regard that his former players show him.  So many of them count Coach Bryant as their most significant influence in life.  Finally, Coach Bryant’s story is so inspiring.  Here was a man born of the most humble of beginnings, one of nine children to a poor family in Moro Bottom, Arkansas, who grew to be one of the most recognizable figures in sports history.  A man who dined with Presidents and celebrities.  Who, when he died, was given his own stamp.  Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant personified the American dream.  

How in the world did you find time to write a novel while working as a full-time attorney and caring for three young children?

Simple: I got up at 4:00 in the morning before work and before the kids were awake, and wrote for a couple of hours every morning. The pages eventually began to pile up.

“The Professor” is billed as “the first McMurtrie and Drake investigation.” So can we get any sneak peek into what’s next?

Book two, which is entitled “Between Black and White,” will take Tom and Rick to Pulaski, Tennessee, where they will defend an old friend on charges of capital murder.

(Q and A courtesy of JKS Communications)

Today's the Day! Release Date for Cress by Marissa Meyer!!

The third book in The Lunar Chronicles series is scheduled to be released today!!!  Tell me Lunar fans, how excited are you?

JK Rowling Believes Hermione Should Have Ended Up With Harry Potter!

 “For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron,” Rowling says in an interview with Wonderland magazine, due out next Friday.

“I know, I’m sorry, I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but if I’m absolutely honest, distance has given me perspective on that. It was a choice I made for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility.

"Am I breaking people's hearts by saying this? I hope not."

JK Rowling was interviewed for Wonderland magazine by British actress Emma Watson who is guest editing the magazine.

Emma Watson, the actress who played Hermione in the Harry Potter movies, agreed with Rowling, saying: "I think there are fans out there who know that too and who wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy."

All through the series, I really thought Harry and Hermione would end up together but in the end I liked the pairing.  I have to wonder though, would Ron challenge Hermione enough?  Would their relationship grow or become stagnant?  Their creator believes Hermione and Ron would eventually have needed marriage counselling.  What do you think?