Lost Souls By Lisa Jackson

Normally, I opt against reading anything romance related. Romantic suspense, perhaps. Mix in secret cults along with the twisted mind of a serial killer, I just might grab a copy. Page turning suspense is what you will find in the New York Times best selling novel, Lost Souls, by Lisa Jackson. It is a fictional account of twenty-seven-year-old Kristi Bentz. She’s a New Orleans native who survived a horrible experience with a serial killer before embarking on a quest to explore the evilness of their minds. The tempting synopsis alone would convince even the most skeptical of readers to purchase this book:

“…To find the truth, Kristi will need to become part of the cult’s inner circle, to learn their secrets, and play the part of the lost soul without losing herself in the process. It’s a dangerous path, and Kristi is skating on it’s knife-thin edge. The deeper she goes, the more Kristi begins to wonder if she is the hunter or the prey. She’s certain she’s being watched and followed–studied, even–as yet another girl disappears, and another. And when the bodies finally begin to surface–in ways that bring fear to the campus and terror to the hearts of even hardened cops like Detective Bentz and his partner Reuben Montoya–Kristi realizes with chilling clarity that she has underestimated her foe. She is playing a game with a killer more cunning and blood-thirsty than anyone can imagine, one who has personally selected her for membership in a cult of death from which there will be no escape.”

When three young college girls go missing, the authorities dismiss them as misfits who simply ran away. But Kristi senses the truth. These girls were not simply runaways, but victims of a serial killer. Her instincts take her to All Saints College to solve the mystery and stop a murderer. So if you’re one of the millions of faithful true crime fans out there, get ready. You will not be disappointed with Ms. Jackson’s latest work.

Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out

It is often said that the penalty for leaving Islam is death. That doesn’t deter many people from escaping what they believe is the bondage of Islam. Jewish and Islamic theology expert Joel Richardson co-authored the book, Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out, which brings such stories to light. The former Muslims included in this compelling work do not testify of a religion of peace, but one of hate and brutality. According to a witness, Islam influenced a man to beat his wife to such a point that she had to have her womb removed. What horrible crime did she commit? She bore three daughters instead of at least one son. It is also declared that the Koran is not a holy book but one filled with verses that call for the deaths of unbelievers and their eventual torture, by Allah, after death. Below is an excerpt from Chapter One:

MY SISTER

ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, the world saw the seventh century mentality of fundamentalist Islam gain possession of twenty-first century technology. The results were catastrophic. The violent nature of Islam arrived on American soil unforgettably and irrevocably. Many Americans, along with other Westerners, hadn’t thought much about Islam before then. September 11 changed all that, bringing Islam home to the twenty-first century Western world. Suddenly, Iran and Iraq didn’t seem so far away after all, and Westerners, especially we Americans, wanted to learn more about this faceless enemy who’d declared war on us in the most barbaric way imaginable. We found ourselves confronted with a deadly force that we’d thought lay half a world away and fourteen centuries in the past. Those terrorist bombings we’d heard of only on television had moved from a faraway Middle East to our own backyard. On September 11, what Islam represents became one of the most important questions facing the Western world, and our first experience with it left a bitter taste in many American mouths.
Parvin Darabi doesn’t just talk about the barbarity of radical Islam that Americans experienced that day, she’d lived it long before the Twin Towers fell. In this poignant and painful letter, she writes of her sister, Homa, who struggled mightily against the heavy hand of the Islamic government in Iran. Living as a woman carries a heavy price in Iran. Homa was willing to pay it. Now Parvin carries on, and she urges us all to ignore the peaceful rhetoric of Islam and focus instead on the violent reality of Islamic rule. What Homa Darabi experienced in Iran could one day come to the West if Islamofascist terrorism is not defeated. Homa’s story is a specific example of how an Islamic government works and why it would never work in the West.

My Sister

My sister, Dr. Homa Darabi, was born in Tehran, Iran, in January 1940, two months premature, to Eshrat Dastyar, a child bride who at age thirteen had married Esmaeil Darabi. Homa was my older sister, my protector, and my role model. Homa had a life full of hope and promise that a tyrannical and fundamentalist Islamic system destroyed…

During her professional life my sister was under pressure from some parents of her younger patients to give the label of mentally incapacitated to many perfectly intelligent young girls so that they could be saved from the tortures of the zealots (150 strokes of a whip for things such as wearing makeup or lipstick). Having to label these young women truly broke my sister’s heart.

When a sixteen-year- old girl was shot to death in northern Tehran for wearing lipstick, my sister could no longer handle the guilt she felt about her former involvement in the Iranian Revolution. My sister felt Iran had been hijacked by the religious factions, and the way women were treated in Iran was unforgivable. She wanted the world to know what was happening. She finally decided to protest the oppression of women by setting herself on fire in a crowded square in northern Tehran on February 21, 1994. Her last cries were:

Death to tyranny!
Long live liberty!
Long live Iran!

Personal accounts such as these are often ignored by the mainstream media out of fear of violating political correctness. However, the first step to tolerance is allowing all voices to be heard without a regard for appeasement. This book is part of the step in the right direction.

Terrorism Through The Eyes Of A Terrorist

If you were to ask what my favorite type of fiction was, I couldn’t narrow it down to one category. I enjoy suspense, true crime, and mysteries. One could only imagine what a pleasure it was for me to read a fictional account of 9/11 told through the eyes of a terrorist.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayM-qYNCksg&rel=1]

Aram Schefrin penned Marwan, An Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist in such a way that it made terrorist seem like “human beings” with real lives. Make no mistake, the book does not create sympathy for them. It shows us that even the most evil individuals can be “just like us” in some ways. Mr. Schefrin recently shed some light on his purpose for writing the novel:

“In Chapter 23 of Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist, as the hijackers meet in a Las Vegas hotel room to discuss which planes they are going to take, there is an unexpected knock at the door. Everyone’s afraid they’ve been discovered. But it turns out to be a man from Domino’s with two thin-crust pizzas Marwan has ordered up. This completely fictional incident is a key to understanding my approach to Marwan. For one thing, it illustrates that people do not stop living their normal lives while they, for instance, plot mass murder. We tend to think of these men as monomaniacs. But even monomaniacs have to eat. But, more importantly, it illustrates another point.

Although some of them were highly educated in Saudi Arabia, most of the Saudi muscle brought in to handle the rough details of the hijacks had never been in the West before. Like bin Laden himself, all they knew of America was what they had seen on TV or what they had been told by others and the effect of American policy in their own region. So they could not understand, and were indifferent to, what they saw here.

But the pilots were a very different matter. Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Midhar lived in San Diego. Hani Hanjour had spent a lot of time in California, Arizona and Florida. Ramzi al-Shibh, Mohammad Atta, Marwan and Ziad Jarrah were living in sophisticated Hamburg, Germany, and Jarrah came from a westernized Lebanese family. Atta, Marwan and Jarrah spent over a year in Florida. All of them had a great deal of exposure to Western ways. They knew very well what they were attacking.

Al-Shibh, because of his religion, his personality and his politics, was immune to the attractions of the West. Atta had consciously rejected them, out of outrage at Western doings in the Middle East. But al-Hazmi and al-Midhar immersed themselves in some Western behavior particularly involving sex shows, alcohol and prostitutes (much like the Saudi princes on the French Riviera). Jarrah was nearly an American kid: he had been educated in a Christian school, he played basketball, and his romance with a Turkish girl was very un-Islamic. The perception that these men were from an alien culture is, therefore, only partly true.

That was the point which interested me most about these people and the reason I felt I could approach them from Western eyes and turn them into characters Westerners could understand because of their somewhat Western behavior. And I wanted to make one of the characters almost completely Western in the way he thinks and the things he does and believes so that the story rang true to American readers. With the actual histories of these characters, I didn’t think that was farfetched.

I knew that in Germany Marwan had rented fancy red sports convertibles to make the club circuit. And there were other details I knew about him plus the fact that there were many, many details completely unknown that made him the perfect nearly blank-slate candidate to illustrate this point of view. Although he was raised in an Islamic backwater, he was influenced by American TV and very aware of what was happening in Europe and America and went to Germany because he wanted to play a part in that. I suspected that his personal weaknesses and flaws had led a kid who might have become another Silicon Valley clone to become, instead, a killer or, as he saw it, a soldier of Islam. He was the perfect character to illustrate the process by which your perfectly sane neighbor boy might find himself doing insane things.

The point of Marwan, and of the book, being: some of these people were not so different from us. To understand what they did and what others like them may yet do I think it’s important to look at them as we would at any other sad case and try to learn what it might take to stop the continuing creation of people like them.

And that’s what Marwan is about.”

If you’re up for an entertaining and insightful story, pick up a copy. The book is available on the web at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at Podiobooks.com.

My Interview With Author Anita Hackley-Lambert

Who would you classify as a great social reformer? MLK? Malcolm X? Or perhaps it’s George Washington or Ronald Reagan. There is also another group of social reformers that I call the unsung heroes. Anita Hackley-Lambert uncovers the extraordinary life of such a hero in her book F.H.M. Murray: First Biography of a Forgotten Pioneer for Civil Justice. First, I’d like to thank her for stopping by my blog.

What inspired you to write the biography of F.H.M. Murray?

Our family history is rich and full of great stories. I always loved how mother kept the stories about my Grandpa Murray alive. Freeman Henry Morris Murray was my mother’s grandfather and my great grandfather. Mother had me promise to write Grandpa’s legacy, as she revealed secrets behind several family mysteries, while handing me a box full of documents. I was hooked. Little did I know it would take over a decade to research and complete.–A.HL

How would you describe the writing process you used to approach this project as opposed to your other works?

Difficult and complex. This was not your ordinary nonfiction book. It is a historical biography requiring proof, images, footnotes, and an index. I had never written this type of narrative so it was quite a challenge. I began with a chronological chart, which became my outline. I wrote to those topic areas and developed my first draft. As I wrote, I kept track of each element for uniformity. After that, I kept writing until I finished.–A.HL

Describe how you learned that your great-grandfather left such a fascinating legacy. How will you honor that legacy?

My mother was key, plus family gatherings, where the legacy of my great grandfather lived on. I had a personal relationship with him, too. Grandpa Murray was the only grandfather I ever knew. His warm, kind, and gentle demeanor lives on in my heart today. I will never stop promoting my book or any others I may write to keep his legacy alive. He placed the safety of himself and that of his family on the line for the advancement of his race. If the authorities had found out that he had created a post Civil War Underground Railroad to free Blacks from the hanging tree, Grandpa Murray and his family would have been hanged and I would not be here to tell his story. Freeman Henry Morris Murray deserves more honor than I can ever give.–A.HL

You describe him as a forgotten pioneer. That is a strong and true statement considering he was a very fascinating man. Why do you think the public does
not know more about him?

For certain, F.H.M. Murray, as outspoken as he was, remained elusive and behind the scenes. He needed to make a big noise in the press to defer attention from what he was doing with his URR, which operated unnoticed for decades. He created quite a stir in the press with his attacks on Booker T. Washington and his followers, and on the President’s Administration. In fact, during that period, no one understood how or why the president nor the powerful influences of Washington could not get Murray fired from his job at the War Department nor could they silence him. In a sense, it appears that Murray intentionally boxed himself in a corner and no one wanted him to receive credit for anything.–A.HL

What are some of the most surprising facts you learned while writing the book?

In addition to all the remarkable accomplishments of F.H.M. Murray, I kept discovering that he had contributed much more to American history and to the betterment of human kind, which my family kept secret. For every stone I turned, there were new revelations and validations. I was shocked when I searched for and found Murray’s personal copy of the book he wrote, self-published from his Murray family press. I recall how I ran outside, ran around my shrubs, did jumps and cart wheels as I thanked God. Another time was my encounter with his personal journals. As I opened the first journal I had a supernatural encounter with my Grandpa. It was as if he had entered my body and was looking through my eyes with his own tears streaming down my face as he read his own words, calming me, and letting me know he approved. You can read about this in my introduction. It was a most memorable experience and surprise.–A.HL

Explain a few of the most important things that we can learn from his life.

He was a visionary whose philosophy centered on his belief that everyone should have an enlarged vision and pursue it. His compelling legacy validates his philosophy. Grandpa Murray’s life teaches that regardless of race, gender, or restrictions, anyone can rise above their circumstances and become successful in their lives, in business, and in service to others.–A.HL

What obstacles did you face during the process of publishing this book?

One obstacle was lack of information to validate family history. This required in depth interviews with family members and traveling across the country to search archives. I soon became an expert at this. The greatest obstacle came when I was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. In the beginning, I wondered if I would have time to complete my book. Being a person of strong faith and my belief in the healing miracles of God, I got over my fear and entrusted my life to God. I maintained my focus and got the job done. In the process, God healed my body completely.–A.HL

Tell us when and how you realized you wanted to become a writer.

Writing has been in my blood since age twelve. I actually completed my first unpublished manuscript by then.–A.HL

Would you say that you are more passionate about writing fiction or nonfiction?

No, it is quite the opposite. Most of what I write is nonfiction, although I hope to toss in something fiction every now and then.–A.HL

I am very interested in both your previous and upcoming works. Could you tell us about what you’ve done in the past as well as something you are working
on for 2008?

My first book, F.H.M. Murray: First Biography of a Forgotten Pioneer for Civil Justice (August 2006), is the first and only book to highlight Murray’s numerous contributions to American history, including his involvement with W.E.B. Du Bois, William Monroe Trotter, Booker T. Washington, and other social reformers. I am excited to have accomplished what historians and other authors failed to do. Murray’s legacy is a fascinating one that proves how much one person can accomplish in a lifetime.

I am currently working on Barry A. Murray: Biography in a New Dimension. This man’s remarkable legacy parallels that of F.H.M. Murray, the great grandfather he never met. I also have two other works slated for publication in 2008. My writing schedule is full, with 12 new projects that include such genres as autobiographical, biographical, inspirational, true supernatural encounters, suspense, and fiction. You can visit my website at www.anitahackleylambert.com. –A.HL

Sounds like 2008 will be an exciting year for you. Thanks again for taking the time to chat with me.

Be sure to visit her website linked above for more information about her life as a writer as well as how you can purchase her book.

Atheist Sam Harris Feels That Religion Is Harmful But Calls Rape Natural

If you don’t believe me, just take a look at page 90 of his work, Letter to a Christian Nation

He states:

“There is, after all, nothing more natural than rape.”

Of course some will declare that I am taking this out of context. But hey, people would say the same to him regarding bible passages he abhors. What’s the difference? Whether in context or out, there is NOTHING natural about rape.

Other than his careless comment above, I had the pleasure of reading the entire book today. He made some pretty great points, some of which I agree with. This is especially true of his position regarding stem cell research and some of his assertions on sex education. But I would have to say that nothing in his book really makes a compelling case for atheism. All he does is argue based on opinions of various issues and not the existence of the biblical God. I find that to be the case with much of what I hear from atheists. A claim is made against the existence of God, but the “supporting facts” are simply arguments against various doctrines (many of which aren’t necessarily biblical).

To make a long story short, I recommend this book if you would like to understand the mindset of the atheist. It’s a great afternoon read. And for that I say thanks Sam.