Featured Author: Susan Wingate

Bobby’s Diner

by Susan Wingate

Author’s Biography

Susan Wingate, novelist, poet and playwright, received a BS in Accounting from AZ State University. Wingate brings a rare and diverse background to her creative writing. Presently, she lives in Washington State and writes full time. Wingate has written three novels. Her second book, BOBBY’S DINER, just received a book contract with eBooksonthe.net and will be released in the fall of 2008. Her short story, “The Lion of Judah” received 1st Place honor (a monetary award and publication) in the August 2008 Fantasy Gazetteer Short Story Contest. One of her most recent accomplishments comes on the heels of completing her third novel, The Last Maharajan, with an excerpt selected for publication in literary journal the Superstition Review, an ASU press publication. She is a contributing writer for several magazines. Since the 2007 publication of her mystery novel, Of the Law, Wingate has kept busy teaching at writing workshops and at her studio. Her short stories and poems consistently receive awards and articles can be found in many magazines, journals and reviews. Wingate publishes an online newsletter called, “Sincerely, Susan” which has a readership of close to one thousand subscribers. She is also a co-founder of the San Juan Island Creative Women's Group. Currently, she organizes a series of reading events for her local library. These events spotlight the community’s writers and provide a wonderful venue in which to hear their work. For hobbies, Wingate likes to read and paint.

Book Summary

BOBBY'S DINER is a story of a woman trying to find herself in a town where nobody wants her. Georgette Carlisle, twenty-five when she saunters into the rustic town of Sunnydale, Arizona, snags husband, Bobby, away from another woman, Vanessa Carlisle. After he dies - fifteen years later when the story begins - he leaves his restaurant called Bobby's Diner to both women. But, that's not the only problem. Bobby's Diner, situated on an attractive highway corridor property, is slated as the next boutique tourist site and sits smack in way of Zach Pinzer's dreams and future with Chariot International Incorporated, a large developer headquartered in Phoenix. Even after Zach arranges to destroy their property and fatally wounds their beloved busboy and gardener, he nearly kills Roberta, Vanessa's daughter. Georgette and Vanessa hold fast to the only thing they have, each other, and they fight. Georgette's story tells a tale of life, love, death, grief, pain, loneliness, and redemption. And, she finds her true family with the most unexpected people.

Longer detailed synopsis:

Georgette Carlisle explains a tale of events that lead up to this morning’s funeral. Fifteen years earlier, searching for a place to call home, Georgette accepts a ride from a philandering trucker who offers to take her from a bus stop in Kingman, Arizona to Phoenix but she never makes it. After an abrupt stop along the highway, Georgette jumps out of the truck and heads off on foot until she comes to the small town of Sunnydale.

The day Georgette first arrives in Sunnydale her life is empty. When she saunters into town she meets a married man, Bobby, who owns Bobby’s Diner. After he leaves his wife, Vanessa, for Georgette, Bobby marries her.

Fifteen years later, after Bobby has died, Georgette’s life is about to change. During the reading of the Bobby’s will, his last wish is to leave his diner to both women – his widow and his ex-wife. Each refuses to sell to the other or anyone else for that matter. They decide they will try to make the restaurant work with both managing it.

However, Bobby’s Diner sits squarely on a corridor property through Sunnydale. Sunnydale has caught the eye of a large developer in Phoenix. Zach Pinzer, an up-and-coming executive at Chariot International Incorporated, envisions Sunnydale as a flourishing boutique tourist location – the next Sedona. With the underhanded help of Sunnydale’s mayor, Pinzer can acquire the land he needs for his pet project – to develop the land and incorporate the spot where Bobby’s Diner sits. When Zach offers to buy the diner from Georgette and Vanessa, they flatly refuse him.

Infuriated, Pinzer takes matters into his own hands and hires a thug to frighten the owners. It doesn’t work. In fact, the damage he inflicts upon their property only fortifies the women’s mettle and their relationship.

During Pinzer’s second attempt to scare the women, their beloved busboy and gardener, José is murdered. Later that evening, after she’s looked all day to find Vanessa, Georgette happens into the diner and finds Roberta (Vanessa’s daughter) slipping into unconsciousness from a gunshot wound to her stomach. Roberta has lost a lot of blood and she’s rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Georgette still cannot find Vanessa. Finally, while Roberta is resting quietly in recovery, Vanessa shows up.

After years of living with his dishonesty, the mayor’s wife decides to help Georgette and Vanessa successfully bring down Zach Pinzer and foil his attempt to seize the land in and around Sunnydale.

Now, as Georgette reflects on Vanessa’s funeral earlier this morning, she understands the true meaning of “home” – home is family. She sees how family can come in all the shapes and colors. She understands family isn’t something to contain in a pretty bottle and put away on a shelf. Family is the bottle, one that doesn’t always contain rose oil. Sometimes it contains vinegar also. Georgette finds that every once in a while, if we give the bottle a few good firm shakes, the contents will fuse and become a beautiful creamy miscellany of all the parts. Georgette’s reflection of her life in Sunnydale makes her realize that she’s learned the true meaning of home.

For more information -
Website Address: http://www.susanwingate.com
Primary Blog Address: www.susanwingate.blogspot.com
E-book can be ordered at: www.ebooksonthe.net/catalog/eBooks_Catalog_NewBooks2.html
For more information about Susan Wingate’s virtual book tour and her full schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/08/bobbys-diner-by-susan-wingate.html

Frances: A Hurricane Story by Professor Joann Brown

She awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Then the memories began: her father mangled and bleeding on the earthen floor of the hut, her mother screening and struggling against the strange pale men with the unfamiliar smell. She was paralyzed with grief and fear. From her hiding place, she could not see the rest of her family and, in some distant corner of her mind, wondered where they were. Outside, in the village, she could hear the cries of men, women and children along with shouts in a language that she did not recognize. When these strange men found her, rough, brutal hands lifted her, forcing her through her village and through the thick vegetation for what seemed like miles. She moved in a haze penetrated occasionally by the call of a bird or the sweet smell of flowers and fertile earth. Days later, she was pushed on the ship and bound to others like herself.

Frightened beyond anything she had felt before, hungry, exhausted, and alone, she had not made any sound or put up much resistance, her mind seemed unable to grasp the reality of what was happening. This had to be a nightmare from which she would soon awaken to smell of home and the chatter of her little sisters.

But she did not awake up. Against her will, the nightmare continued. She and the others were placed in the hole of the awful smelling ship. Days after, when they were far away from land, she and some of the other young girls were returned to the deck for the pleasure of the crew. She cringed from their grabbing, prodding hands, but she could not escape their use of her body, she who had been cared for and loved. She who had been soon-to-be-wife.

Unable to escape, she allowed the haze to thicken until she no longer cared what became of her. They tried to force her to eat. And finally seeing that she would not survive, threw her overboard. The water brought relief and further forgetting.

What awakened her she did not know, but the haze had gone. Almost immediately, she felt the searing pain of loss, the anger, and humiliation of remembering. Where was she? Where were they? When she looked about she saw no form-not from herself or anyone or thing else. That is when she released it. The mournful howl began deep within her. With it came an anger like none she had ever felt. The force of these emotions shook the blackness. As she raged, she felt herself propelled upward, thrust toward what appeared to be light. The surge of pain came again and she bent under its weight, then lashed out in an attempt to escape it. That is when she broke the surface of the water.

Blind with fury, she moved in ways that caused the water to feel her emotion, so it began to churn, rise and fall, as it whispered to her its sympathy and support. The wind, which recognized her pain, wound itself around her emotion and blew with a force that ripped and tore at anything in its path. Seeing her sorrow, the rain offered itself to her and became her tears. Together they moved across the ocean united in this frenzy of emotions.

She was unaware of how long she traveled, for, aided by her companions water, wind, and rain; she had given herself totally to this expression. In the midst of her demonstration, she became aware of others, so she moved in place while she listened intently. She needed to hear these voices. Slowly she recognized their emotions which mirrored her own. When they joined her, the many voices became one. Yet each had full expression within the rise and fall of the elements. Each told of his or her sorrow, pain and anger. She moved more slowly now, having grown quite large – pregnant with the emotions of thousands of souls, who until now, could not make themselves heard or felt.

Later still other voices came into her. These confused her. They were not like the others. She heard no anger, no lose. These voices sought her for different reasons. There was joy in their expression. They begged her to come to them so that they could experience her, or profit from the damage she surely would bring. Still other voices beseeched her to move away. They did not want to be harmed or destroyed. These voices confused her even more. She had not known that she caused chaos and death. She continued.

Sometime during her manifestations, she felt the rage lessen. It was replaced by grief, which turned to sadness. She felt lighter, less weighted by the emotions she carried. The water calmed; the wind, which had become much gentler, whispered soothing sounds, and the rain ceased. She felt herself and the others release; she was empty.

Moments later, she became aware of something moving toward her. It appeared small, yet she sensed it was strong, confident and self-aware. Its presence was bringing her peace. She began to feel safe and comforted.

As it approached, it grew large and radiant – a brilliant white light that contained within it all colors whose many hues played across the water. Now the wind carried a gentle, soothing voice that spoke to her and all the others. This loving presence reminded her of something beyond the pain, an emotion far greater and deeper. She and the others allowed this wondrous light to embrace them. As it touched each of them, remembrance came. This time the rain expressed tears of joy; the water washed them clean, and the wind carried away the last of their pain and sorrow.

What waited for her and all of the others to remember, what waited beyond the pain was love. She felt a gentle pull as if unseen hands reached out for them. Suddenly they experienced a deep longing to go home. Home! After she thanked each of the elements, she and the others felt themselves enfolded as if in a lovely blanket of light. With a sigh, they completely relaxed and let go. They were in the arms of love, and they were going home.

Cuba's Countryside by Geisa Gonzalez

Third Annual Business Day

Miami Dade College

School of Business

Third Annual Business Day

How to Succeed in Business in South Florida

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Lehman Theatre, Room 5120

8:25 am – 9:40 a.m.	Understanding Credit William Mateo, Program Director ACCION USA
9:50 am – 11:05 a.m.	Professional Business Speaker Series Understanding Credit: Pathway to Business Success Soley C. Gonzalez, Community Relations Specialist South Florida Educational Federal Credit Union How to Obtain a Contract with the Government Jackie Rule, Procurement Specialist Florida Small Business Development Center
11:15 am – 12:30 p.m.	School of Business Alumni & Friends Panel Discussion Prof. Charlie Beavin, Moderator Javier Borges, Ernest & Young Jean Castor, President and CEO, Americ Mortgage Mayllelis Escalona, Ernst & Young Michelle Howell, CBIZ MHMLOC Theresa V. Lucotti-Bildik, Internal Revenue Service Hudson Robillard, Senior Auditor, Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP, Certified Public Accountants & Consultants Eugene Simmons, Assistant V.P., Residential Lending Department City National Bank

For more information contact Prof. Julio Borges

305-237-1236

jborges@mdc.edu

Room 3242-53

The Challenge

If everyday is uncertain, then who knows what tomorrow brings?

If every animal could be saved, then our world would be a better place.

If I give a challenge would you try something new?

I guarantee the reward is greater than what your expectations are.

If we give up too easily, then life itself would be a piece of cake!

Take this walk, leap, or drive, but I give you this challenge…

The challenge is not hard, nor does it require anything drastic.

However, in the end our lives would be simple, optimistic, and rewarding.

If we say who others ideally think of us, then prove it…

The challenge is not a requirement, but a request…

It’s more- so a routine that you would get used to; a test of character and strength.

I try to accomplish the challenge best to my ability…

Are you ready? ...

The challenge is TO BE YOU, AND LIVE LIFE!!