About
I've Heard Verse: awfully good poetry http://www.lulu.com/content/8696799
at amazon.com and on Kindle
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http://stflossie.blogspot.com
Writer of the Month June 2009 Writers Guild of Texas
June welcomes Barbara Blanks poet and author.
Since her sun is now heading for the western horizon, Barbara Blanks says she’s blooming as fast as she can. In less than a year she’s had a book signing, and won two first place awards in the Poetry Society of Texas annual contest--and placed in several categories. As a result of that, she was not only a WGT guest speaker in April, but her winning poems and a book review/article about her were featured in the May/June issue of The Senior Voice. As a result of that, she’s been asked to speak (on July 29) at The Point at CC Young in Dallas .
Some of those events led her to being nominated and elected as a Director on the board of the PST, and--she is also Recording Secretary for the local Garland chapter of the PST.
And on the basis of a 500-word humorous filler piece sent to RubberStampMadness, a national stamping magazine she’s been subscribing to for twenty years, Barbara was offered assignment work. Her first article appeared in their Fall 2009 issue. Her second assignment will be in the Holiday issue, and she's just finished her third article for them.
Barbara's story, "A Bird Too Bizarre," appeared in the July 2009 issue of Beyond Centauri, a Sam's Dot publication. She is also pleased about 35 books sold to the New Jersey Book Agency for re-sale --and puzzled as to how they learned about her book. But she says, “When Serendipity slaps you in the face, start chewing!”
OUT OF THE WRECKAGE: The Pop Stories is the name of her non-fiction memoir.
Description
<p><strong>KURDISH SCAVENGERS UNCOVER A CACHE OF NERVE GAS IN IRAQ AND OFFER THEM TO KURDISH FIGHTERS IN TURKEY. THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BEDLAM ALPHA TEAM MUST SECURE THE WEAPONS BEFORE THEY CAN BE USED.</strong></p><p>"<strong>You must swear by Allah never to say a word of what I'm going to tell you. </strong><strong>This is the most important secret. Ever!"</strong></p><p><em>In their daily struggle for survival, Iraqi Kurdish scavengers uncover a cache of chemical weapons. They offer the weapons to fellow Kurdish rebels in Turkey and Syria to assist in their quest to free an imprisoned leader and create a unified homeland. After receiving a tip from an unlikely source, the newly formed Special Operations Bedlam team is called to arms! </em></p><p><em>Travel with Craig Cameron and his international team on their covert operation as they weave their way through war-torn regions seeking to locate and recover the weapons before they can be used to cause irreparable harm and instigate a world crisis. </em></p><p><em>The odds are stacked against them. Can they manage to keep their operation hidden and prevent further clashes before it's too late?</em></p><p>"The Kurdish Connection--a compelling read. A story of friendship, danger and intrigue."--<em>Ann Everett, Amazon Best Selling Author.</em></p><p>..". Randall's authentic voice adds a powerful push to keep a reader turning the pages." --<em>Janet Taylor-Perry, author of The</em><em> Raiford</em><em> Chronicles, The Legend of</em><em> Draconis</em><em> Saga, and April Chastain Intrigues.</em></p><p>"Topical - Engaging - Intriguing - Powerful ... A real page turner."--<em>Rikon Gaites</em><em>, author of Mummy's Little Soldier and Darius</em><em> Odenkirk</em><em>.</em></p><p>..". Randall Krzak brings his wealth of experience living in this troubled part of the world and his military knowledge to bear in this exciting story..."--<em>John L.</em><em> DeBoer</em><em>, author of When the Reaper Comes.</em></p><p>..". a journey full of history, suspense, intrigue, and action...a MUST READ for all!"--<em>Les Stahl, Retired</em> NSA Executive.</p><p>..". Readers need to fasten their seatbelts for a fast-paced tale made believable by a writer who knows what he's writing about."--<em>Preston</em><em> Holtry</em><em>, author of the Morgan</em><em> Westphal</em><em> mystery series and the</em><em> Arrius</em><em> trilogy (forthcoming).</em></p><p>"A behind the scenes story, ripped from today's headlines deepening the reader's understanding of an ancient strife ... filled with the sights and smells of the market place and secret meetings, the reader is admitted to the secret heart, the desperate longings of those that must fight and win, or see continued subjugation by their masters..."<em>--Oliver F. Chase, author of Camelot Games, </em>Levant Mirage, Blind Marsh, and Marsh Island.</p>
Reviews
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<div class="bglight contentReviewHeader"><strong>A journey</strong> </div>
<p class="bglight contentReviewHeader"><span class="xsmall">18 Jun 2009 </span>by <a href="http://stores.lulu.com/dolphinpub"><font color="#005388">Marilyn Stacy</font></a>, Dallas psychiatrist, professor emeritus, writer, award-winning poet</p>
<div class="contentReviewBody">From beginning to end this book's journey is one of love, humor, sadness and surprises. If you've experienced the aging and loss of a loved one, you'll identify with the feelings evoked by Barbara Blanks in her story. If you haven't had this experience yet, you'll find a road map for patience and love. Ms. Blanks words are prose, but they have a wonderful, poetic feel to them. <br />Read it...You'll love it. </div>
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<div class="contentReviewTools"><span class="xsmall">9 May 2009 </span></div></div>
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<div class="contentReviewBody">I finished the book. It’s not a happy ending, I knew that. You brought life to your Pop by writing the book, it is really good. Not sure I like the feelings of losing my mother in law being brought up again, tho, I have that empty feeling now. The experience with Hospice was relived for me, almost exactly how it was with her, having to tell her it is ok to go, the final steps etc. <br /><br />The book is a good tool all children with parents in nursing homes or care facilities to read. You did a remarkable job!! <br />Thanks, <br />Maridel Hick <br /><br /></div></div>
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<div class="bglight contentReviewHeader"><strong>Readers Choice Award!</strong> </div>
<p class="bglight contentReviewHeader"><span class="xsmall">16 Mar 2009 </span></p>
<div class="bglight contentReviewHeader">by <a href="http://stores.lulu.com/popstories"><font color="#005388">Barbara Blanks</font></a> </div>
<div class="contentReviewBody">OUT OF THE WRECKAGE: The Pop Stores is the First Place Winner of the February Readers Choice Award at AmazonClicks! http://amazonclicks.com/index.html <br /></div></div>
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<div class="bglight contentReviewHeader"><strong>Out of the Wreckage: The Pop Stories</strong> </div>
<p class="bglight contentReviewHeader"><span class="xsmall">31 Jan 2009 </span>by <a href="http://stores.lulu.com/joanrodgers"><font color="#005388">Joan Rodgers</font></a> </p></div>
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<div class="contentReviewBody">The Pop Stories took me back to 1953. After my Dad died, my Mom thought she would die anytime, and since she had really awful "back sessions" that made her an invalid every other month, I was in exactly the same position Barbara was. She lived only a mile from me, so I was there every day. The book made me laugh (ruefully at times), and I do think men are more likely to be difficult to care for. My husband's last few years were hard on me because he didn't have any hobbies. Anyway, I'm rambling. Just really wanted to say this is a Neat book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.</div>
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