This site has been running since 2006, when I foresaw a downturn in the newspaper industry that had been my bread and butter since 1988. As of today, you’ll notice a new feature to the right (or, if this column has been archived, on the right side of the home Read more
When Jerry Sandusky waived his right to a preliminary hearing last Tuesday, I could only think of one good reason: plea deal. Which is one of the worst things that can happen to a case like this. It’s also one of the best. Before I tell you what that is, Read more
Ever since the Penn State scandal came to light, people have been of two camps: either former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is a homosexual or he’s a child molester. The debates have been hot and heavy, with heated commenters protesting any connection between the two terms. Before I tell you Read more
If you happen to be in Bellefonte, Pa., today to show support for the Penn State victims–or for Gerald Sandusky’s preliminary hearing–and you see a blonde woman carting a satchel of books, it’s me. I’m not lukewarm, but am either hot or cold: sometimes I take days or weeks to Read more
I don’t think Dorothy “Dottie” Sandusky is a cold and heartless woman who would deliberately turn away from a child’s cries for help. Her own pattern of charity and assistance to others indicates otherwise. But I do have to wonder if she’s deluding herself. That’s what I did for years, Read more
Entries come from as far away as Australia Well, the blogosphere contests are over and whew, do I have some work to do: Goodreads announced via an email I received at 3:03 a.m. that 1,099 people—some of them from Scotland, New South Wales, and elsewhere—entered to win a free copy Read more
. . . and Some Starbucks Coffee! Goodreads Book Giveaway Sister of Silence by Daleen Berry Giveaway ends December 10, 2011. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win Updated Dec. 6, 2011: On Monday, 10 winners were selected at random for the Dearreader and Shelf-Awareness contest. The following Read more
Regardless of the gender used, this applies to both sexes If you’ve had an alcoholic parent, or if you’ve been sexually victimized, you are more vulnerable to feelings of shame and self-doubt, along with the belief that all problems are your fault. These factors can also create a drive to Read more
In a rapidly-evolving environment, change is constant. In the book publishing industry, that change continues to occur at warp speed. Or at least, it feels that way. Ever since Sister of Silence was first released in February, I’ve debated with myself, with colleagues, with other authors and especially readers, over Read more
If nothing else, I’m thrilled that the Penn State scandal has allowed other victims of child sexual abuse to break their silence. According to NPR, attorneys around the country are fielding phone calls from victims eager to report their abuse. It’s about time. Because breaking their own silence is the Read more