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National
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Best Fiction
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Best Book of the
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Best Fiction Novel |
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Honorable Mention
Best Fiction |
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Honorable Mention
Best Fiction |
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Both light and
shadow are the dance
of Love. Love has no
cause; it is the
astrolabe of God's
secrets. Lover and
Loving are
inseparable and
timeless. Although I
may try to describe
Love when I
experience it I am
speechless. Although
I may try to write
about Love I am
rendered helpless;
my pen breaks and
the paper slips away
at the ineffable
place where Lover,
Loving and Loved are
one. Every moment is
made glorious by the
light of Love."
-- Rumi
EDITOR'S NOTE
Hello Everyone, I
hope the promise of
fall has touched
each one of you in a
positively wonderful
way. There's a lot
of craziness going
on in the world, but
when we sit down and
look at it, most of
us would probably
realize that we
really are very
lucky in so many
ways. But the key is
to recognize it and
then honor it,
before it's too
late.
Recently, I read a
letter from a young
man named Jon who
hasn't been so
lucky. When he was
younger, Jon never
realized how good he
had it, until one
day he lost it all.
Now, Jon's battling
depression and
trying to understand
why it is that he
finds himself in the
situation that he's
in. Jon's twenty-one
years old, and when
he was seventeen he
murdered a man,
which probably goes
to explain a lot of
it, but not all.
What's an even
bigger problem is
the fact that
because of his
murderous actions as
a kid, Jon is going
to spend the rest of
his life in an adult
men's prison. He
will never have a
shot at parole, nor
will he ever possess
the hope of one day
moving forward in
his life as a free
person. Jon will
never be able to hug
his mother again,
and he will never
get to meet his
sister's new baby
daughter.
This young man is a
very different
person now than he
was four years ago.
He's not doing drugs
anymore, and he's
extremely remorseful
for what he's done.
But none of that
will ever make a
legal difference,
because Jon will
never be paroled,
regardless of what
he does to redeem
himself. And there
are so many out
there just like Jon,
who find themselves
in similarly
unbearable
situations. Whether
imprisoned for real
or as a state of
mind, they find very
little hope in life
and often times they
feel there is
nothing to live for.
They battle to
survive their
negative
circumstances, only
to generate more
negativity inside of
them, which usually
ends up attracting
more negativity,
which, if it goes
unchecked, could end
up destroying them.
This is what many of
our young people are
going through.
And this whole
vicious cycle
reminds me of
something Eckhart
Tolle says in his
book, The Power
of Now.
According to
Eckhart, if we ever
find ourselves in
the here and now
with an intolerable
life situation, we
basically have three
options: We can
remove ourselves
from the situation,
change it, or
totally accept it.
For those of us who
actually want to
take responsibility
of our own
lives—which might be
difficult for
many—then we must
choose one of these
three options. And
we must do it now.
If it's a personal
relationship that's
become unbearable,
we can attempt to
change things by
speaking up or doing
something to bring
about a change in
the situation. If
that's not possible,
then we might need
to remove ourselves
from the situation
all together. Again,
the key is to take
responsibility for
our lives, and to do
it now. In the
process of changing
or removing
ourselves from any
negative situation,
we must also be
aware of the need to
not pollute our
inner Beings with
negativity. We can't
allow unhappiness in
any way to dwell
inside of us, to
fester, to manifest
into greater
negativity.
These three options
exist for most of us
in most life
situations. But for
those who actually
are in a prison, or
in a prison-like
situation, with no
ability to leave or
change it, then
they're back to the
two primary choices:
resistance or
surrender. Suffering
or inner piece.
By accepting our
condition, whatever
it is, we have
surrendered to our
life's
circumstances. We
don't fight it
emotionally or with
negative thoughts.
We allow the peace
to dwell within. And
when we set the
negative thoughts
and emotions aside,
we discover our
natural state of
serenity inside. We
find peace at the
core of who we are.
We bear witness to a
glimpse of
understanding toward
the larger than life
road that lay ahead.
SANTA BARBARA
BOOK AND AUTHOR
FESTIVAL
It was an incredible
day -- and a
thrilling
experience,
literally, at the
Santa Barbara Book
and Author Festival,
where I had the
distinct pleasure to
moderate a wonderful
thriller and mystery
panel discussion
featuring three of
the hottest names in
the business. To my
right, I had New
York Times
bestseller Gayle
Lynds, the
award-winning author
of eight
international
espionage novels,
including The
Last Spymaster, The
Coil, Masquerade,
and
Mesmerized,
which have been
published in more
than twenty
countries.
Next to Gayle sat
award-winning
screenwriter, Robert
Gregory Browne, who
writes thrillers
with a supernatural
twist for St.
Martin's Press,
including Kiss
Her Goodbye, Whisper
in the Dark, and
Kill Her Again.
Robert's books have
been published in
the UK, Russia,
Germany, Bulgaria,
and the Netherlands.
To Robert's right
was Peter Balaskas,
who co-founded the
independent
publishing company,
Ex Machina Press.
Peter's fiction and
poetry have both
been published
internationally.
We sat in the serene
confines of the
Mural Room at the
Santa Barbara
Courthouse that was
filled with
stain-glass windows
and legal antiques.
Our discussion
focused on just
about every aspect
of writing thrillers
and mysteries one
could think of.
Gayle spoke of her
experiences and
influences in
writing spy
thrillers. She also
gave tips on what it
has taken her to
become a
best-selling author.
Robert talked
extensively about
his own experiences
in both the screen
trade and as a
rising star in the
author circle. Peter
fascinated listeners
with his ideas on
what it takes to
make it as a
successful author in
this very crowded
yet rewarding field.
Together, these
three talents formed
an extraordinary
library of knowledge
regarding the craft,
marketing, and
publishing aspects
of the writing
business as it
relates to thrillers
and mysteries.
Afterwards, I toured
the pod of talented
authors who sat in
the reign of sun
outside the Santa
Barbara Public
Library, meeting the
public, taking
photos, and signing
their books.
Overall, it was a
wonderful day for
all concerned.
TRANSFORMATIONAL
THIRD THURSDAYS
October 16st,
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
I would again like
to invite all of you
to Transformational
Third Thursdays, our
monthly
consciousness
workshop and
discussion group
based on the
teachings of Eckhart
Tolle. Our second
meeting will take
place on October
16th from 7 to 8:30
p.m. at Bank of
Books, 748 E. Main
St., Ventura.
Offered free of
charge as a
community service by
Clarey Rudd, owner
of Bank of Books,
and myself, the
transformational
series has been very
popular with those
looking to change
their direction in
life.
Persons at all
levels of the
transformative
experience are
invited to attend
one or more of the
monthly events. The
goal of the workshop
is for each
participant to learn
and/or strengthen
the building blocks
to his or her own
positive
transformation in
life.
The six-month
series, which
continues on October
16th,
will meet on the
third Thursday of
each month,
concluding on
December 18th.
All events will be
held from 7 to 8:30
p.m. at Bank of
Books in downtown
Ventura.
Tolle's books,
The Power of Now
and A New
Earth, and
Stolen Boy
can be found on the
shelves at Bank of
Books. In
celebration of
transformation,
Clarey Rudd has
agreed to offer a
20% discount on all
three books. For
further information
about the series,
call 805.643-3154.
IRWIN
AWARDS - STOLEN BOY
AGAIN A WINNER
Wednesday, October 15st,
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
If anyone's going to
be in Studio City
this coming
Wednesday, you might
want to stop by the
Sportsman Lodge
where Irwin Zucker
and the Book
Publicists of
Southern California
will be hosting
their annual book
awards banquet. This
year's Celebrity
Presenter will be
none other than
beloved Emmy
award-winning TV
journalist Stan
Chambers, who will
award an Irwin to
BPSC members in 12
categories ranging
from Best
Fiction/Non-Fiction
Campaigns to
Publicist of the
Year, to Most
Innovative/Most
Inspirational/Best
International,
etc...
In case you haven't
heard, Stolen Boy
won the Irwin Award
for best fiction.
Stolen Boy has
now rounded up a
total of seven
awards. Besides the
Irwin, Stolen Boy
has recently
garnered a
prestigious IPPY
Gold Medal for
fiction, the 2007
Book of the Year
Award from
Books-And-Authors.net,
and first place from
the Public Safety
Writers Association
for best novel.
Stolen Boy has
also been selected
as one of two
national finalists
by the Indie
Excellence Awards
and Honorable
Mention for best
fiction by both the
New York Book
Festival and the
Hollywood Book
Festival.
LEGAL SYMPOSIUM -
STOLEN BOY/ALPHA DOG
PANEL DISCUSSION
Stolen Boy/Alpha Dog
Panel Discussion -
Thursday, October 23rd, 5:30
to 9:00 p.m.
Legal
Symposium - Friday, October 24st,
9:30 a.m. to 2:00
p.m.
After Jesse James
Hollywood's hearing
last month in Santa
Barbara, I had the
opportunity to speak
with one of the
court spectators, Ed
Perez, visiting
professor with the
University of La
Verne College of
Law. In speaking
with Mr. Perez, he
indicated he was
quite offended by
what has taken place
with the Hollywood
case. So much so
that he has
organized a legal
symposium regarding
the professional
responsibility
aspects of
prosecutors in the
Hollywood case, on
Friday, October 24th,
at the La Verne
College of law.
Additionally, Mr.
Perez has worked
with Megan Chaney to
organize a panel
discussion for both
the book, Stolen
Boy, and the
film, Alpha Dog,
with a showing of
the movie
beforehand. The
panel discussion
will take place on
Thursday, October 23rd,
at 5:00 p.m, in the
auditorium at the
University of La
Verne. I will be a
panel participant on
both days'
discussions.
Mr. Perez is a
former prosecutor,
having spent
thirty-one years
working the trenches
of the Los Angeles
City Attorney's
office, both on the
civil and criminal
sides of the law. He
was a legal advisor
to four Los Angeles
mayors, four city
attorneys, and
scores of city
counsel members.
He's also argued
before the United
States Supreme Court
and considers
himself familiar
with Supreme Court
opinions.
He now teaches
criminal law and
criminal procedure
at the law school.
He also preaches
professional
responsibility,
which he claims a
special interest in,
along with state and
local government
law, administrative
law, legal analysis
and writing, among
other things.
THE SYMPOSIUM
Some of the
participants of the
legal symposium will
include California
Supreme Court
Justice Carlos
Moreno, who can't
participate on the
panel because he is
a judge who was
involved in the
original Hollywood
decision, and the
case may come back
to him in some other
form. But Justice
Moreno is going to
be a keynote speaker
to talk about
prosecutorial
misconduct,
generally, and
ethics, generally.
Besides myself,
panelists will
include James Blatt,
the defense attorney
for Jesse James
Hollywood, Grover
Trask, the former
District Attorney
for Riverside County
for over thirty
years, Scott Hadly,
who is with the
Ventura County Star,
who broke the story
on Jesse James
Hollywood, and other
participating
professionals, who
are going to discuss
the case and take
questions from
students and members
of the bar.
THE ISSUES
The Hollywood case
has generated many
important issues of
ethics for
prosecutors in
particular and for
the Bar in general
which will be
discussed at the
symposium. They will
include:
-
Is it
ethical for a
prosecutor (or
any member of
the Bar) to turn
over files,
including
confidential
documents, to
the media for
publication as a
book, movie or
other purpose
prior to the
defendant's
trial?
-
Can a
defendant in
such a
circumstance,
such as the JJH,
receive a
constitutionally
protected right
to a fair
trial? Instead
of commencing a
trial with the
constitutional
mantel "the
presumption of
innocence", JJH
arguably must
convince a jury
he is innocent.
Has the burden
been unfairly
shifted to the
defendant
because of
Ronald Zonen's
actions?
- Should it be
legal for a
journalist to
possess and
exploit
confidential
files prior to
trial?
- Should Ron
Zonen be
prosecuted for
providing
confidential
materials to a
journalist? The
State Attorney
General has
decided not to
do so in this
case.
-
Should
prosecutors be
allowed to use
the press to
assist in their
cases? Ronald
Zonen alleges
his motive was
to educate the
public about the
case thereby
hoping to
generate tips on
JJH's
whereabouts.
-
How far
should
prosecutors be
allowed to go in
pursuit of their
case through use
of the media?
Certainly they
can provide
demographic
information to
assist in
capture, but can
they provide
nonpublic
information from
their files
including their
work product or
confidential
personal
information
about the
defendant?
- Should a
movie/book be
released prior
to a defendants'
trial? What
about the First
Amendment's
aversion to
censorship?
- Should a
prosecutor be
permitted to
profit by way of
a book or movie
subsequent to
the trial? Is
Zonen a shrewd
opportunist
forgoing
compensation now
but planning to
write a book or
assist in a
sequel for
compensation
once he leaves
office?
- How can the
law be amended
to cure the
problems? Should
it require
recusal because
of the
appearance of
impropriety as
well as consider
any negative
impact on the
public
confidence with
administration
of justice?
- Should Law
enforcement
agencies have
stricter
guidelines when
providing
information to
the media
regarding a case
prior to
completion of a
trial?
- Is it fair
for JJH to
confront Law
enforcement's
version of the
case spun thru
the media 5
years prior to
his arrest.
-
What
responsibility
falls on the
State Bar to
address this
problem?
For additional
information
regarding either the
legal symposium or
the Stolen
Boy/Alpha Dog
panel discussion,
please contact Cindy
Gaytan, Events
Coordinator,
University of La
Verne, College of
Law at 909-460-2018.
STOLENBOY.COM
I again want to
invite you to visit
our Weblog at
www.StolenBoy.com.
We've just posted a
couple very cool
interviews with
authors Peter
Balaskas and Robert
Gregory Browne. Come
on by and let us
know your views on
the interviews or
the other more
serious social
issues that we're
always dealing with
and that might be
branding indelibly
upon your gray
matter.
THE LAST WORD
Did you know that in
some states children
as young as ten
years old can be
charged as adults.
Ten. 10? Can you
believe it? Ten
years old!!! Is this
really what we're
looking for from our
criminal justice
system? Ten year
olds in adult
prisons?!
Fortunately, there
are those out there
who are trying to
change things. Take
Brad Lewallen, for
instance, a
moderator at
Justiceforjuveniles.org.
And that's dot-org,
as in organization,
not dot com.
I was contacted by
Brad recently, and
he enlightened me to
this terrific
organization that is
actually trying to
make a difference
when it comes to the
way society treats
its youthful violent
offenders. In his
letter, Brad
expressed his
appreciation to me
"for taking the time
and effort to put a
human face on the
whole controversy
surrounding Brandon
McInerney and the
tragic shooting
that's put him in
the limelight.
"This is a terrible
situation," Brad
continues, "that
will end up with no
positive return for
either of the
families involved.
It's amazing really
when you realize how
often children are
forced into the
adult justice system
in a search for
revenge and
retribution."
MISSION STATEMENT
Justice for
Juveniles advertises
as a grass roots
group of concerned
parents,
grandparents,
teachers, scholars,
Internet
professionals, legal
professionals and
many others
dedicated to ending
the prosecution and
adjudications of
children as adults.
The goal of their
organization is to
inform and inspire
other citizens to
get involved in the
effort to bring
about these
changes—always
keeping in mind that
children are never
adults. Justice for
Juveniles joins with
other advocate
groups to use a
global, national,
and local approach
to bringing American
juvenile justice
into line with other
international child
rights standards.
"Community support,
redirection, and
treatment are the
foundation of our
policy goals," their
Mission Statement
claims. They
encourage others to
join in changing the
political tide that
encourages state
sanctioned child
abuse.
SPIRIT OF
COOPERATION
Justiceforjuveniles.org
has a forum
dedicated to the
Brandon McInerney
case along with many
others. They've also
provided a link for
the members where
they can read my
Weblog at
www.StolenBoy.com
and learn more about
the way we're
dealing with
problems associated
with America's
juvenile justice
system.
Brad indicated that
those at Justice for
Juveniles take great
pride in their work
and hope "to be
agents for change in
the way America
handles juvenile
justice." And isn't
that a fresh taste
of compassion that
this world really
needs.
Brad also mentioned
that a wonderful,
selfless woman by
the name of Cari
Barichello, who
acted as one of the
founders of Justice
for Juveniles, has
worked tirelessly
for many years
helping these
children. And one
more thing:
Justiceforjuveniles.org
is different from
most organizations
in that they
encourage the
children, if guilty,
to accept
responsibility for
their actions. But
they also expect
society to work to
rehabilitate them.
According to Brad,
"A child is the
easiest to mold and
rehabilitate, and I
think many people
fail to consider
that in their haste
to blame, convict,
and punish."
Amen, Brad. Keep up
the great work. And
you too, Cari. And I
very much look
"forward to working
with you in helping
the youth of America
in learning,
growing, maturing,
and developing into
the responsible
members of society
we all aspire to
be." Something we
all could use a
little help in
accomplishing.
Check it out for
yourself—www.justiceforjuveniles.org.
Peace, Love, and
Blessings to all of
you,
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