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I am a college educated mother and grandmother who resides in Metro Atlanta. I am committed to addressing common issues of today in the hopes that readers will be encouraged to hold onto or find faith to believe that God never lets you go through anything He isn't prepared to help you through. I like anything creative. I enjoy dancing, playing pool, bowling, roller skating & tennis. Also playing spider solitaire and mah jong on my computer, or solving NY Times crossword puzzles.

Description

<p>Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame.<br /><br />This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.<br /><br />This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end.<br /><br />Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.<br /><br />Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.</p>

Story Behind The Book

Each Life is a gift from God and what is done with it is a gift to Him in Return. Born To Return The Gift is an urban novel that takes a raw gritty, sometimes profane look at the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects that often create mental anguish resulting in depression, as thoughts of suicide tinker with the mind that's suffering. It deals with this negative affliction that is commonly aggravated by issues of job insecurity, homelessness, sexual addiction, loneliness, racism, homosexuality, family dysfunction, domestic violence, alcohol/drug abuse, childhood molestation, repressed anger, and undefined FEAR. Through the experiences of one character and the characters with whom experiences are shared frustration, apathy, and despair alternate its clouds of darkness so failure seems inevitable at every turn. Faith in a Divine Higher Power sustains the main character to guide her understanding to her own purposeful importance. The story is evidence that it is not always the destination that's important, but the journey, as each fall bares lessons to be learned while strength in character and virtue is built as a result of endurance. The power of faith and forgiveness becomes paramount in the process. Born To Return The Gift is not a how to or self help book. Although faith driven, it is not preachy or judgmental and does not push one to believe, but attempts to bring the concept of spiritual forces into consideration. Biblical scriptures in the content of this book attest to the main character's upbringing in the church and the fact that God's Word is still hidden in her heart even though she wrestles with its correlation to the present world she lives in. As her faith wavers, her personal demons appear more real and larger than life in a recurring nightmare where her history is laid out before her. In facing the condition of her life the darkness that encompasses her is eradicated with light, giving her the strength to stand confidently as she pushes forward leaving the past behind with the conviction that she has the power to make things happen rather than just allowing things to happen. "A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life." - James Allen This dramatically entertaining story is meant to incite the spirit within. In looking at an ordinary person whose experience(s) might be recognized as your own or someone you know, it is sure to provoke personal thoughts that will have the power to inspire and empower. If the issues raised are foreign to you as the reader, you'll have the opportunity to learn what it's like for someone who seeks to overcome such impending obstacles regardless of fault. No matter what stage you are in life there's always a higher plane to aspire to and this novel encourages you to elevate your own altitude. We are all capable of rising from mediocrity and reaching a higher excellence in how we live and how we treat each other. Acknowledging the intensity behind other people's perspectives creates a foundation for understanding and helps us all rise in lifting up humanity as a whole. "To perceive the world differently we must be willing to change our belief systems, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds." - William James

Reviews

By www.bookshipper.blogspot.com/ "www.bookshippe... (Montreal, Quebec) <br /><br />I absolutely loved this book. Started reading it and could not put it down until I was done. <br /><br />This book is both a look at the physical and the spiritual side of the human being. Fighting the very human diseases of addiction and fear, we often manage to completely get drawn down into the day to day suffering that, frankly, we put upon ourselves - if only we would remember that there is someone who is there for you. <br /><br />Born to Return the Gift beautifully portrays the struggles and disconnect our the main character - having been exposed to the harsh realities of addiction at a young age, she grows up with low self-esteem and slowly but very surely throws herself into the world of depression and suffering. Yet, somehow through the haze, she finds herself reaching towards a stronger being -only to realize that she was indeed put on this earth for a reason and that she can live up to that great expectation. <br /><br />This book is a gem. I loved the way it was written and I liked the fact that it is so empowering. This book tackles a tough subject matter - depression and the struggle to be the person that you were meant to be - however, it tackles it in a loving and honest way that made me cheer for our main character AND remember that we all have a worthwile life to live. <br />Great, great read.<br /><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="0" align="right"></td> <td valign="top" width="100%" align="left"> <div style="font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:.5em;" class="h3color tiny"></div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"><span style="margin-left:-5px;"><img border="0" alt="5.0 out of 5 stars" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/stars-5-0._V47081849_.gif" width="64" height="12" /></span><strong>Johnson Shares The Importance Of Walking In Your Calling</strong>, April 28, 2010</div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">By </td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3TI1WDAEOTD0I/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp"><span style="font-weight:bold;">C. A. Webb "Conversations Book <span style="white-space:nowrap;">Club"<img class="custPopRight" alt="" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/carrot._V47081519_.gif" /></span></span></a> (Jackson, MS) - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A3TI1WDAEOTD0I/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview">See all my reviews</a><br /><a href="/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=cm_rn_bdg_help?ie=UTF8&nodeId=14279681&pop-up=1#RN"><img border="0" alt="(REAL NAME)" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reputation/c7y_badge_rn_1._V47060296_.gif" width="70" height="15" /></a> </td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;" class="tiny"><strong><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span>Born To Return The Gift (Volume 1) (Paperback)</strong> </div>Why are we here? If we are not in the best of circumstances, does that mean our life will never have real purpose or meaning? These are issues that author Catherine Johnson brings out in her characters in the book BORN TO RETURN THE GIFT. It lets us know through imperfect individuals that all of our have a calling on our lives. It's up to us to recognize what it is and walk in it in order to have the best life while here on earth and even beyond. Though inspirational, there is no judgment placed on those who have made mistakes in their lives. Instead, there is a recognition that falling down is just part of the process. What's important is how quickly you are able to recover and get back up. <br />Definitely suggest this one to others. </td></tr></tbody></table>

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The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

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