About
Susan M. Rostan is a visual artist and has an MFA from Long Island University, where she studied with acclaimed abstract painter Stan Brodsky. Her doctorate is from Columbia University where she studied gifted education with Abraham Tannenbaum and James Borland. Dr. Rostan has directed her own art school since 1970 and has served as an adjunct professor in Hofstra University’s School of Education. For the past 14 years, she has conducted meticulous research in children’s artistic development, publishing well-received articles in The Journal of Creative Behavior and Creativity Research Journal as well as chapters in several books on creativity. These interwoven experiences give Dr. Rostan a unique perspective for witnessing, exploring, documenting, and writing insightfully about the real-world concerns and needs of children engaged in artistic development. This work focuses on gifted and talented children. Dr. Rostan is herself a lifelong artist whose abstract paintings have been shown in many Long Island galleries, and are prized among local collections.
The Seekers: The Children of Darkness (Dystopian Sci-Fi - Book 1)
Description
<p>New from the author of the multiple award-winning fantasy saga, <em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em>, winner of the <strong>Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Fall 2014 - Best Book in the Category of FANTASY</strong>....</p><h1><strong><em>The Children of Darkness</em> by David Litwack</strong></h1><p>Evolved Publishing presents the first book in the new dystopian series <em>The Seekers</em>. [DRM-Free]</p><h2><strong>[Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Religion]</strong></h2><p><em>“But what are we without dreams?”</em></p><p>A thousand years ago the Darkness came—a terrible time of violence, fear, and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with “temple magic,” and by eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything.</p><p>Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his “teaching”—the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds young men and women eternally to the Light—they barely recognize the broken and brooding young man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her.</p><p>In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy, for a truth from the past awaits that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might once again release the potential of their people.</p><p>Yet they would also incur the Temple’s wrath as it is written: “If there comes among you a prophet saying, ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the Light.”</p><p><strong>Be sure to read the second book in this series, <em>The Stuff of Stars</em>, due to release November 30, 2015. And don't miss David's award-winning speculative saga, <em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em></strong></p>
Story Behind The Book
An aging Uncle Marian is the only surviving link to his family’s history -- the stories of tragic loss and heroic survival -- that he and his sister had refused to share with anyone throughout their life. Encouraged by the author and driven by an emerging sense of responsibility to his sister’s namesake and future generations, Marian begins a difficult journey into the memories of his childhood in the Warsaw Ghetto and subsequent survival.
As his experiences unfold, he haltingly recalls how he managed to escape the Ghetto and survive, thanks to his courageous rescuers. Out of his remembrances, the author nurtures not only the story of her husband’s family history, but finds herself immersed in an insistent desire to honor Marian’s rescuers. Through her poignant and compelling narrative, she revives her mother-in-law Elzbieta’s legacy of hope, caring, and laughter for all of us to share.
Reviews
<p><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">This book was amazing. I moved through the book slowly, not because it was a slow or boring read, but because it was such an emotional journey. It was well written, well done, and a joy to read despite the tragic content. </span><a class="noTextDecoration" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1NYB7QWMJNIGF/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp" style="color:rgb(0,102,192);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Katherine Slifer</a></p>
<p><a class="noTextDecoration" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1NYB7QWMJNIGF/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp" style="color:rgb(0,102,192);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;"></a><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">This book is an excellent example of combining personal and cultural history. It offers thorough research along with a well rounded portrayal of the main character. As a memoir writing instructor, I especially appreciated the author's modeling of how to interview an elderly person with compassion and sensitivity. </span><span class="a-color-secondary" style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;"> </span><a class="noTextDecoration" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2OSX9IV5ZJOCP/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp" style="color:rgb(0,102,192);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Diane Fillmore</a><br style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;line-height:19px;" />
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