Book Review Station

by Guest Blogger Cat Denison

Hi, my name’s Cat, and I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Sam Murphy.

Sam popped into my awareness a short while ago, and I’ve been enjoying watching her grow and develop into a very self-confident, adventuresome woman, with a lot of the independent attitude that I seem to share with her. I don’t have all of the talents that my friend Sam has, for instance, her very well-developed sixth sense, but I have shared with her a lust for life that has provided very high peaks and very deep valleys along the way. Let me take you along with Sam as she first displays her special gift as a very young child, and then learns when it’s best to share what she sees with others in her world…or maybe sometimes keep it to herself. Always, though, if she feels she can be helpful in relieving anyone’s pain and suffering, that’s where she shines. Life’s not always fun for her, as it isn’t for any of us, but she nevertheless stays true to herself…she’s learned that when she ignores her inner messages, things tend to go very much awry. Sam’s messages come in the form of dreams, visions, or even feelings, and they always provide a challenge. Maybe the message is very clear, but more often there needs to be more input from other sources to make it so. They’re helpful to her in some instances; confusing in others; frightening in still others. Share with me the speed bumps and clear highways of Sam’s life and join in the cheering when she’s sailing along happily, as well as share her sadness when those unexpected tragedies occur. There’ll be lots of laughs, some confusing times, and occasionally some serious sadness to deal with. But the ride will never be boring – not with Sam around!

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Deadly Destination is Cat Denison’s second published book and first novel in the Sam Murphy series. Her first book, Simply Soaring, an encouraging, self-awareness handbook, was published in 2007. Look for the second in the series of Sam Murphy adventures coming out in 2012. Cat lives in Phoenix, Arizona.  Visit her at sandcatproductions.com.

by Guest Blogger Holly Lewitas

I did not set out to rescue cats. It started when I moved to Alabama and the neighborhood had what they called a “cat problem.” There were a lot of stray cats. It did not take long to realize that none of them were neutered or spayed. Everyone wanted the cats to go away, but no one wanted to do anything but ignore the problem and hope they went away!

Did you know that just one male cat, plus one female could produce 80,000 cats in ten years!

I knew I had to get started.

My rule was if a cat showed to eat on my property for three days in a row they were ruled homeless and I set out to have them fixed. Catching most of them was not an easy task. Some I had to wait until I could even get close to them. Some walked willing into the humane trap – sardines was the key. Others I had to trick. But how I did that is a whole other blog.

Some of the cats could no longer safely live outside. Two brothers had Irritable Bowel Syndrome secondary to allergies so they would be in trouble eating outside. Another was just too young and frail looking. Another was determined to live inside.

I learned several key points.

(1) If you can make it work in your house— inside screen doors are wonderful! Wooden screen doors fit a lot of rooms that have standard doors. If it is a room like a den that you do not have to have privacy – just take off the solid door and install a wooden screen door. Install a latch – I like a hook and eye—on each side and bingo you have a sealed off safe cat area. Cats that get along live on one side of the door and the one who needs more time lives on the other. They can smell each other, see each other, hear each other, etc. but NO fights.

It may take awhile. I have one cat-Miss Priss who took 3 years before she could be out with the other cats on a regular basis. Now the screen door stands open all day. She now tolerates one friend to sleep on her side of the door at night.

Then swap rooms. A cat living in the other one’s territory even for an hour or two gets their scent all over the room. They get use to the strange scent without any fights!

(2) Swap bedding. Cats are all about scent. Take some old towels, shirts, ​etc. and let your cats sleep on them. When introducing a new cat – keep her in the “safe” area at first. Start swapping bedding every few days. This way they get use to the scent and think they have already met the cat.

(3) Patience is vital. The goal is to avoid fights. Once two cats fight it is harder to undo so keeping them apart. A lot of days just looking at each other ( or totally ignoring each other)helps a whole lot.

(4) Rub a cloth on cat A – then go rub it on cat B. Do this every day and it helps them get use to the scent before they ever go nose to nose with the cat.

(5) Pheromones! Plug-in pheromones can work wonders. Just remember one unit will not workfor a big house. I use one per room when a new cat is coming. The pheromones mimic their mother’s scent so it is calming. I have been told that if a cat had a terrible relationship with his mother it could evoke a negative, aggressive reaction. I have never seen it, so I guess all of mine loved their mommy.

(6) Squirt bottles couple with a loud “AKK” send my potential fighters in opposite directions. I do not mean “Spray” bottles that emit a light spray – you need a good solid squirt to get their attention.

(7) You can’t force a cat to like another cat. You just have to let them safely co-exist for however long it takes. Often humans want cats to be friends long before the cats are even close to tolerating the intruder. Your job is to keep them separate and safe so they can smell each other over and over. One cat may be ready long before the other one. SLOW and steady is good motto. It is not about quickness – it about negotiating a long term success.

(8) There are good homeopathic CALMING treats. One on my cats still needs a few now and then.

(9) Have enough litter boxes and clean twice a day. My male cats always seem determined to use the other cat’s litter box. I found three large Rubbermaid tote bins make great litter boxes and the high sides keep more litter in the box! You just need a few inches of litter. But some cats will not use a litter box if it is too dirty so I scoop out twice a day and it works fine.

I now have FIFTEEN cats – EIGHT live inside fairly peacefully. They all arrived at different times. One has feline leukemia and the others do not. They live fine with each other. It can be done.

I have trapped—neutered— and released over 40 cats. But there has not been a new cat born into the neighborhood in over two years. The colony is stable and healthy. Hooray!

​You can find anything you need to know on the web. Never try to force a cat. You have to think like a cat and in order to do that you have to read and learn. It is all about scent, territory, and them thinking they have made their own choice.

Cats are very smart. If they could Google we’d be in trouble!

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Holly Lewitas established a career as a registered nurse. In 1990, she appeared in “Who’s Who of American Women.” A lifelong animal lover, she has learned many valuable lessons from furry creatures. For more information, please visit www.spunkymysterybooks.com.

by Guest Blogger Holly Lewitas

If you have always had cats and now want a dog, you need to plan ahead. A dog’s natural instinct is to chase. A cat’s natural instinct is to stalk. Two different worlds.

I recommend going to a shelter or animal rescue group that tests dogs to see their reaction to cats. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Knab, Utah does a wonderful job. Their web page can give you lots of suggestions and ideas.

But, if the place you go has no idea then you have to do some homework.

(1) If the dog is dog aggressive, it would be a red flag for me. I would be looking for a dog friendly dog.

(2) If you have one fairly laid back cat – take them along in a carrier and find a quiet place where the potential dog can nose the cat through the crate.  A lot of barking? – red flag. Way too excited? – it will take more precautions and work but you can succeed if you have a plan and have done your homework.

Does the dog basically ignores the cat- great-that is a good sign.

(3) Think about your house. Is there a place you can keep the dog behind a baby gate where your cats will leave it alone? I use wooden screen doors in my house to separate some rooms so I can control the flow of animals and have safe areas. I have some cats who simply will not jump a baby gate – weird, huh? Others soar over it like it is barely there.

(4) I love screen doors – why – all introductions can be done through a screen door or while the cat is in his crate. The goal is always to keep them both safe. A cat claw up the nose really hurts and is not a good start to any relationship. If you put in a screen door, figure out how to latch it on both sides. I prefer a hook and eye.

(5) Always have control of the dog when the animals are in the same room. Cats run – dogs chase. It is a way of life. Keep a leash on the dog so you can train him not to chase and make sure he doesn’t. Cats can jump up on things and get out of the way of a dog, but I dog is morevulnerable.

(6) Dogs can be food aggressive. Never make it a game to see who gets the treat. Never feed in the same area until they are best buddies and you are 100% certain they are safe.

​(7) Never leave them alone in the same room until they have lived with you long enough for you to know they are perfectly fine without any supervision. That may take years!

(8) You can’t force them to like each other. But you make sure they will not harm each other. If a dog learns to walk around or ignore a cat you are certainly making progress.

(9) Never hit a dog for going after a cat. You screwed up. The dog is following his instincts. If you have not yet trained the dog to follow some basic commands on a one-to-one – what makes you think the dog will listen when a cat goes zooming past! Also a lot of dogs like to run when they get outside – make sure the cats are out of the way!

(10) It is your job to keep them separate and peaceful so they have the time necessary to get used to each other.

(11) Your bed at night should not be a training ground. Everyone needs to sleep. Animals can get competitive as to which one gets to sleep next to you.  Cats like to wander more at night than dogs so I choose to let the dog sleep with me and shut the cats out. Now during the day two cats will sleep on the bed with the dog, but that has taken about a year of work to reach such harmony.

(12) You are supposed to be the alpha of the group. Do you think it is fun when the dog growls at the cat? It may be funny today-not so funny when he takes a nip. All aggressive behavior should be trained away.  If you tolerate aggression in play, you are still tolerating aggression.

You really want them to basically ignore each other until such point as one rubs up against the other and finally asks-“Hey, do you want to be my friend?”

Then you can smile, but keep on working to make sure they both learn acceptable behaviors.

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Holly Lewitas established a career as a registered nurse. In 1990, she appeared in “Who’s Who of American Women.” A lifelong animal lover, she has learned many valuable lessons from furry creatures. For more information, please visit www.spunkymysterybooks.com.

by Guest Blogger Cat Denison

Hi, my name’s Cat, and I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Sam Murphy.

If you like reading about unusual adventures in the life of a woman with a special talent, you’ll love Sam. Never a dull moment when Sam is around, as she strolls, and sometimes blasts, through her days with an energetic and ever-questioning attitude that sometimes provides much joy, but other times, heart-rending tragedy. She’s just an ordinary kid living with a more-than-ordinary awareness of unknown happenings that may or may not have any relation to her own existence. It’s difficult to adjust to living with this sixth sense, especially as Sam is growing up and facing the ridicule that kids can heap on each other when they don’t understand someone who seems ‘different’ than the norm. But she’s got a strong character, and develops a peaceful acceptance of this gift, even though at times it may seem to be more of a curse. By the time she leaves high school, she’s learned to be more tuned in to her private messages, but still not confident enough to follow the guidance they provide without doubting herself sometimes. Sam’s like all the rest of us folks – some lessons need to be learned the hard way, at least until, or unless, we get to the point of being comfortable with our own inner voice and can avoid the distractions that are always ready to bring in the self-doubts. Life’s a lark for Sam most of the time, and shebounces back from the down times pretty quickly…usually that’s the case. But then, sometimes, as with all of us, I guess, there are roadblocks that are major slams to her feelings of security, and she needs time to restore her peace of mind. Why not join me and Sam as we take on life and wring every enjoyable moment out of it we can.

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Deadly Destination is Cat Denison’s second published book and first novel in the Sam Murphy series. Her first book, Simply Soaring, an encouraging, self-awareness handbook, was published in 2007. Look for the second in the series of Sam Murphy adventures coming out in 2012. Cat lives in Phoenix, Arizona.  Visit her at sandcatproductions.com.

by Guest Blogger Holly Lewitas

Maybe you have a desire to write but you don’t know if you are any good or not. The first question I would ask is why do want to write?

For me I write because it is fun. When I sit down and start writing I am never sure what will happen. It is an adventure. It is a challenge. It is fun. It is often hard work, but I can never deny that when I do the work I have fun!

What is your reason?

What do you want to write about?

Ask yourself what you are passionate about? Maybe you don’t have a clue. Then look at how you spend your time. What kind of people are you drawn to? To what causes do you donate your time or money? What would you do if nothing or no one was holding you back? What do you do when your friends are not there?

Your best voice is the one that speaks to something you know is true.

When I first started writing, I thought that meant I had to tell a true story. Well, that shut me down very quickly. I wasn’t about to reveal the real me on paper. But I found I could change all that by simply giving the character a very different name, have them live in a different state, and make their family much larger or smaller than mine.

What I wrote came from bits and pieces of my life. People I had known. It is amazing what happens when you simply change a few key biographical markers. No one is sure you are talking about yourself or them! If they ask you—is that you?—tell them every character of yours is based on small pieces of many people put together.

But I firmly believe you must write for yourself. If you do not like what you write, no one will.Write as if no one will ever read it. Maybe you have more self-confidence than I do, if you do,terrific! But I couldn’t think about other people liking or not liking what I wrote. I wrote in secret. Then when my story was finished, I told one person.

Choose that person wisely. Who encourages you? Who is the most supportive? Who makes you feel good about yourself? Who do you trust with your secrets? Who is always kind to you? You do not need a teacher-type who always corrects your work and tells you want is wrong with it. You need someone who will see what is good about it – who will ​understand what you are risking. I suggest that you don’t chose the person whose approval means everything to you.

I let one person read my work. She was a proven friend who read all kinds of books. She sharedmy love of animals. I trusted her. She was honest but I knew she would be kind.

She loved it!

She became my muse. She became my cheerleader. She encouraged me to write and to keep writing. For years, she was the only one I trusted to read my writings. She never failed me. She always found something good to say about my work. I had chosen wisely.

When you ready there are plenty of independent good editors out there. You can find them with a web search. Look for someone to do an Editorial Analysis. You pay them to tell you what is good and bad about what you wrote. They usually charge by the number of words you are submitting. They’ll tell you if your story line is good and where it is lacking, where you need to work on grammar, and what characters work and don’t.

Talk to them first – if you don’t like talking to them on the phone, you probably won’t trust their response to your work. I learned a tremendous amount from their analysis and I had much to learn. But when an independent editor said he loved my work, then I knew I could move to the next step and polish it, tweak it, refine it to make it even better.

My confidence soared and I began the process of turning it into the book that I published.

If I never started, I never would have finished.

That is the real truth. There is a lot of help out there but only you can begin. I don’t care if it is one-hundred words or sixty-thousand words. Just have the courage to begin.

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Holly Lewitas established a career as a registered nurse. In 1990, she appeared in “Who’s Who of American Women.” A lifelong animal lover, she has learned many valuable lessons from furry creatures. For more information, please visit www.spunkymysterybooks.com.

CHAPTER 5

After her first encounter with Fearless and the zone, Mom became increasingly proficient at entering it. When humans are distracted their eyes shift, a part of their body fidgets, and their breathing changes. As I observed Mom, she was spending less time distracted and more time focused. Now when she got upset or needed to figure out a problem, instead of pacing, she’d reach for one of us and start stroking.

I don’t want to give the impression that when Mom enters the zone she spaces out in a trance or is on the verge of falling asleep. She doesn’t sit cross-legged on the floor and hum deeply from her diaphragm. She just becomes tranquil. The more tranquil she becomes, the more clearly she can hear her inner voice. Some humans say they can hear their spirit speak. Others say they are listening to their heart.

I’ve observed that when people become tranquil, they become more sensitive to a critter’s response. They then are able to experience us critters in a unique way. Unfortunately, this is rare. I’m much more likely to hear a human say—“Hey, she’s just a dog.”

Mom never thought of us as “just” anything. In fact, last night, she kissed me and said, “Spunky, I feel so sorry for people who think a dog is just a dog. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

Mom is quick to tell people that I’m not “just a dog.” Folks will smile politely but they look at her as if she’s crazy. As far as they are concerned, they are looking right at me and there I am—obviously a dog. However, over time, they get to know me and can see for themselves how smart and delightful I am. Then inevitably I’ll hear them say, “You know Spunky is not just a dog. She is a big personality in a fur coat.”

​How true, how true. Sometimes a dog is not just a dog.

Yes, our Mom is special. We knew this, but she still didn’t know she had the gift.

The second time Mom stumbled upon her gift was with me.

We were out walking in the park. There are several parks adjoining the campus. One of those is where Puppy Park is located. It’s a big field where a dog can take their human and also have a good romp. With the arrival of all the cats, Mom said I was entitled to my own special time to be with her and other dogs. So now, every day we head off to Puppy Park.

This particular day was better than usual. Mom had found a good home for Willy, the rescued pup, so today it was back to just the two of us. I for one was enjoying it immensely. I know it was important to teach Willy how to act properly around other dogs, but having to keep an eye on him had cramped my freedom to let loose and play. Now I was unburdened and loving every minute of it. Mom seemed to also be enjoying the return to our old ways. Her steps were livelier. She was looking up at the sky instead of watching for where the pup was. We both were having a delightful time.

“It’s really a grand day, Spunk. They don’t get much better than this. And since we don’t have any clients until later tonight, we can just take our time and enjoy it all we want.”

It was good to see her so happy. Sustaining her happiness has been a challenge. For example, we might be walking in the park and see a friend with a new little puppy. This always makes Mom happy. Puppies are adorable. There is an instantaneous surge of joy when she sees the puppy, but since Dad died, it tended to end more abruptly. As we walked off by ourselves, Mom might say, “Daddy sure would’ve liked that little one. It doesn’t seem right to be happy without him here to share it. In fact, Spunk, I feel guilty when I’m happy.”

You humans make a great deal out of this thing called guilt. How do I know? Because, you repeatedly try to make us feel guilty. Every canine friend I know has heard the “bad dog, shame on you” speech. Yes, our tail goes between our legs and we hang our heads. Do we feel guilty? Heck, ​no. We’re simply reacting to your anger and that finger of yours being stuck in our face! As soon as you change your tone, we’re fine. Guilt isn’t something critters relate to.

However, on this glorious day, Mom was guilt-free and feeling happy. We were both having a wonderful romp. The fact Mom was at such peace may have helped her gift activate more easily. She was able to hear my warning.

I noticed the man approaching us. His appearance didn’t alarm me. His clothes were neat and carried no unusual odors. He looked well groomed. His body language held no warning signs. Still, something wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t yet make it out. He slowed as he got within earshot.

“Excuse me, Miss, but my car ran out of gas just a block from here. I had to leave my wife and kids in the car. I know it sounds crazy but I simply don’t have any money on me. I’m trying to collect enough money to get some gas so we can get to our house on North Avenue. Could you please help me?”

I’ve never seen Mom turn away from helping another human. Even when she didn’t believe their story, she usually gave them something. In the past, she has told me, “I know he’s lying, but if he has to lie that badly he must really need the money.”

She paused. Her hand shifted slightly toward her pocket. Then I smelled it. Fear. The man was afraid. Fear has a distinctive smell and it isn’t a pleasant one. I slowly moved in closer. This man stank with fear. His right hand began moving toward Mom’s arm. Not one finger, but the whole hand. It started to open. His hand was ready to grab Mom. His eyes shifted to Mom’s money pocket. His muscles tensed. Now, his body language was threatening.

I growled. “Mom, don’t do it. Walk away. Walk away. Tell him there’s a cop right over there.”

In the past, Mom always scolded me for growling at a human, but not this time. Her hand backed away from her pocket. She began walking away. In a calm and sincere tone she said, “I’m very sorry, but I simply don’t carry any cash with me when I’m walking in the park. Maybe the ​police officer I saw right over there can help you. Good luck.”

She quickened her steps and put some distance between us and the man. She said nothing more about it. However, later that evening Mom realized what had happened.

As she was fixing our dinner, she watched the local news. The reporter told about a man in the park approaching people and asking for gas money. When a person pulled out a wallet, he snatched it and ran off. The police were still trying to find him. The newscast showed a police sketch of what the thief looked like.

Mom stood staring at the TV. She walked over to the table and sat down. Her mouth was open, her breathing accelerated.

“Spunky, did you hear that? Look, look at that picture. That’s the same man who approached us in the park.”

Then her eyes and her mouth opened even wider. “Spunky. You knew, didn’t you? It was you that got me to walk away. I was wondering where in heaven’s name I’d gotten that idea to tell him I’d just seen a cop. I hadn’t seen a police officer all day, but there I was telling him I’d just seen one. It must have thrown him off. He didn’t bother us at all. You saved us, Spunk! You were right there with me when I stopped at the ATM machine before we went to the park. You knew I had all that cash in my pocket. You knew, didn’t you?”

Of course I knew.

Mom sat on the floor. I cocked my head and stared deeply into her eyes. “You’re catching on, Mom.” I gave her two licks to the nose.

“Spunky, I don’t know how, but I heard your warning. I must have understood what was beneath that growl. Isn’t that amazing? How did you do it? Come on, Spunk, do it again—go ahead, say something.”

I wagged. Mom was staring so intently into my face it made me snort. I stared back. Soon I had her laughing. Poor thing, she didn’t yet understand it’s impossible to hear anything when you ​are trying so hard. You can’t make it happen by waving a magic wand or wiggling your nose. You have to be in that quiet place—the zone. Yet, despite her lack of knowledge on how to activate it, I was now certain, Mom indeed had the gift.

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Holly Lewitas established a career as a registered nurse. In 1990, she appeared in “Who’s Who of American Women.” A lifelong animal lover, she has learned many valuable lessons from furry creatures. For more information, please visit www.spunkymysterybooks.com.

Holly Lewitas established a career as a registered nurse. In 1990, she appeared in “Who’s Who of American Women.” A lifelong animal lover, she has learned many valuable lessons from furry creatures. For more information, please visit www.spunkymysterybooks.com.

Q. Why did you decide to write this book?
A. I have always loved to write, but the teacher’s dreaded red pen always focused far more on my grammatical mistakes than my creative ideas. So at a young age, I learned it was far more important to know where a comma goes than how to express a creative idea. The red pen spelled failure. So I did what the teacher asked, I memorized the next lesson. I did get good grades, but I never did really learn proper grammar.

When I reached middle age, I finally had enough life behind me to be willing to take some risks. I began writing again as a way to process the emotions related to the unexpected death of beloved husband. Even though in life I couldn’t express the intense grief, I found I could write about someone else’s grief. My dogs were wonderful listeners and I could tell them about the pain even when I was unable to talk to humans. As I created this character emerging from grief, I began to live a parallel life through her. I could write about her experiences, and yet unaware that I was experiencing it myself.

The more I wrote— the more fun I had creating the animal characters and their story. Then it just took on life of its own.

Q. Do you have any secret writing tips you’d like to share?
A. I have to just sit down and begin writing. Not thinking about how the story will go or how it will end. Most days, I do not know how the story will develop. I get to find out as I write. When I start a new work, I have to write as if no one I know will ever read it, otherwise I am too conscious of their future opinion.

Advice- first write it for yourself. Don’t worry about the grammar – that is why they have editors.

Q. Have you ever battled writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
A. Writer’s block happens every time I let my head get ahead of the story. I have to quiet all the baggage in my mind and just let the story write itself. The words come from a quiet place inside of me – not my head. How do I deal with writer’s block? My job is to get into the chair and just start writing something – the story then will happen. The discipline comes in making yourself get in front of the blank page and trust that there is a story in you.

Q. What’s your favorite quote?
A. ​Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never, never give up.” Ben Williams said, “There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is easy to live for others. Everyone does. I call on you to live for yourself.”

Q. Who inspires you the most?
A. God. People who have the courage to risk failure and rejection in order to accomplish a life goal.
People who do the work necessary to make themselves and their own life better, and stop trying to solve everyone else’s problems.

by Guest Blogger Charlie Mac

The ultimate speculation. It’s quite probable Sundance did die in South America. There are few rumors and even fewer substantiated stories that he survived and lived a long life. But in Butch’s case—his sister aside—there are many stories that he lived until 1937. Given that Lula didn’t write her book until 1975 when she was 90, the fact that she waited so long to profit from her brother’s name makes one wonder if the story isn’t fact. Theoretically, she could have profited from Butch’s story any time after his death.

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Charlie Mac began writing as a second, or perhaps, third career. His first careers were as a marketing executive and entrepreneur. Charlie was born and raised in Southern California, where he grew up playing sports. He graduated from Cal Poly State University in Pomona, California, and went into business before starting his own company. For more information, please visit www.charliemacbooks.com.

by Guest Blogger Charlie Mac

The question should probably be did they ever jump off a cliff? Who knows. But given they apparently had no problem escaping posses, it’s not very likely. But it’s one of the best scenes in the movie. The question of whether or not Sundance could swim has never been answered.

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Charlie Mac began writing as a second, or perhaps, third career. His first careers were as a marketing executive and entrepreneur. Charlie was born and raised in Southern California, where he grew up playing sports. He graduated from Cal Poly State University in Pomona, California, and went into business before starting his own company. For more information, please visit www.charliemacbooks.com.

by Guest Blogger Charlie Mac

Not until the movie. They were small time—minor leaguers compared to Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Wesley Hardin, and others. The most famous characters in western lore came from an earlier time, mostly after the Civil War. Butch and Sundance existed when the west was becoming more civilized…relatively speaking.

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Charlie Mac began writing as a second, or perhaps, third career. His first careers were as a marketing executive and entrepreneur. Charlie was born and raised in Southern California, where he grew up playing sports. He graduated from Cal Poly State University in Pomona, California, and went into business before starting his own company. For more information, please visit www.charliemacbooks.com.