Fund-family Books

Taking Stock, West's second published novel was actually written first by the author though released after the outstanding "Sin And Vengeance". The author just has a knack for keeping you on the edge of your seat during the non-stop action and suspense. This book was a two-sitting book for me, and only because I started one night after 11:00 PM, so I needed to finish it up in the morning.
C.J. develops his characters brilliantly and makes them easily identifiable with and believable, unlike so many characters who seem to need a cape and cowl to do what they do in suspense novels.
I only hope he has another book out soon as I am eagerly waiting for more from this unsung author. Everyone I have leant a copy of either book to has been ecstatic in their reviews.
All I can say is buy it and hold on to your hat.

IT prodigy, Erica Fletcher is so busy hiding from the past she misses what's in front of her. Fearing history will repeat itself, she ignores the promise of romance with Boston Financial Service's Customer Service manager, Gregg Turner, and strives to prove herself to a boss who makes Kenneth Lay look like employer of the year. While trying to outmaneuver both men--and her memories--Erica runs into everything she tried to escape from when she finds herself drawn to the man who refuses to give up on her--and the scapegoat for a brilliant theft.

When Sarah, BFS's new, promotion-hungry auditor unwittingly assists the thief by setting her venomous sights on Erica, Erica and Gregg turn to Sarah's co-worker, Stan, the 70's cop-show buff who longs to fight real crime. Tension builds as Stan seeks to prove his worth by absolving Erica, and then culminates in a frantic fight for survival after the conspirator is exposed. Faced with the ultimate challenge, Erica becomes the assailant to protect the person she loves and discovers surviving in the present means changing her perceptions of the past.

As a person with a short attention span and no patience for a sluggish story, I appreciate the action and suspense that keeps Taking Stock in motion. An appealing love story, strong characters, and picturesque settings make this an enjoyable read. And Mr. West's characteristic short chapters make it an easy read for those with busy lifestyles.

Another engaging story from CJ West.

Taking Stock is a suspenseful novel about high-stakes thievery and fraud. When, $200 million disappears from the electronic accounts of Boston's number one money management firm, Erica Fletcher must unravel the secret behind the missing money. Bogged down with a heavy workload, plagued by mysteriously vanishing research, Erica uncovers evidence that points to her as the culprit - forcing her to prove her innocence and find the robbers before they find her. Fans of author C.J. West's previous novel, "Sin and Vengeance", will be delighted to see the return of hero Charlie Marston in Taking Stock. A fast-paced thriller for the technological age.

Reviewed by AJ Cooper for Reader Views (6/07)

Erica, the computer whiz, has been given the daunting task of developing a new program to allow ease of use for financial advisors in entry and completion of financial transactions. Unbeknownst to Erica, her boss Brad is setting her up for ruin, as well as jail time. Brad is working undercover and with the protection of a man who has great power over him, to steal from the company and his brother-in-law who heads up the entire company. Brad has access to every room and department in the company and is ensuring that he frames Erica for all of the money that is quickly disappearing from the customer's accounts. Meanwhile Greg, the manager of customer services, has what he thinks is a hopeless crush on Erica and would do anything to get her attention and time.

Greg finally wins Erica over and they start a slow but sure romance. Brad has to move fast to get all of the money for his secret partner and get out of the country as quickly as he can. Brad tries to escape his secret partner but realizes his secret partner has a large reach and even greater power than Brad. Brad makes an attempt on Erica's life and things seem even more complicated with Greg when Erica makes a trip to Greg's family farm. It all heats up as Brad attempts to escape and is caught and sent back to get the final payment for his partner. Brad also tries a last-ditch attempt at ensuring Erica is investigated by the company. The security department in the company is torn between Brad and Erica. Sarah, the new security member, is convinced by Brad that Erica has been stealing money from the company. Greg and Erica convince Stan, the long security member, something else is going on and that Erica is being framed. Stan solicits the help of the local police and catch Brad red-handed attempting to shoot what he thinks is Erica.

"Taking Stock" will interest anyone who enjoys a good mystery and a small glimpse into investing. I would recommend this book to any of my friends. I enjoyed trying to figure out the identity of the secret partner and what would happen next. Until the author identified the secret partner I did not have any idea who it was. I like it when I am not able to figure out the entire book prior to the end. I also really enjoyed that the author touched on the characters personal lives. The scenes from the farm allowed me to picture in my mind the layout of the land. It was very interesting at the end of the book for the author to offer an opportunity for two readers to solve the puzzle at the end and be able to meet the author and be a character in a future book.

I heard the editor of this book interviewed on NPR Fresh Air about two months ago -- the interview was pretty incredible and was an excellent complement to the book. Take it in if you can.

Are you providing care for a loved one? If so, you're not alone (although it may sometimes feel that way). As this timely book relates, about 26 million Americans are looking after an ill or disabled relative or friend. These "informal caregivers" are providing an average of 18 hours of care a week, often while holding down full-time jobs or raising families, or both. If these caregivers were paid for their work, their economic value would total $200 billion a year-one-fifth of national health care expenditures. This is far more than we spend on home health care and nursing home care--combined.

This book, a collection of essays by different authors, looks at why the demands on family caregivers are growing and how the health care system can better meet their needs. The book combines the personal stories of caregivers, often movingly told, with professional insights on the impact of caregiving on workers and families. What comes through all the chapters is the lack of social support for caregivers under our current system. The cost constraints of managed care have shifted costs and caregiving responsibilities to families. Often family caregivers are required to provide high-tech assistance and perform the work that nurses or physical therapists used to perform. In trying to cope, caregivers are going it alone for the most part, and the stresses are sometimes unimaginable. In one particularly heart-wrenching chapter, Gladys Gonzalez-Ramos describes how her father finally buckled under the isolation of years of caring for his wife, who had advanced Parkinson's disease. With his wife's apparent consent, he shot her and then killed himself.

Such dramatic action, of course, is not the norm. Most caregivers struggle on in silence, internalizing the stress and pain they feel. Many could benefit from psychotherapist Barry Jacobs' brief but extraordinarily helpful chapter, "From Sadness to Pride: Seven Common Emotional Experiences of Caregiving." But caregivers need more than emotional support. As Rabbi Gerald I. Wolpe puts it in his account of caring for his wife, most caregivers "are in an almost constant state of caregiving." They need breaks, they need more help from a medical system that off-loads patients onto families as quickly as possible, and they need relief from insurance companies and HMOs that are reluctant to pay for home health care.

Always on Call is a much-needed step in the right direction. It is written for a broad audience--family caregivers, health care professionals, administrators, policymakers and advocates. Through its powerful first-person accounts and resources section, the book offers solace to caregivers struggling under our current system. Through its concrete suggestions for improving that system, Always on Call also offers them hope for a better future.

This book brings home many of the realities people who care for relatives and friends face each and every day. It uses personal stories to illustrate the many ways people find themselves in the role of caregiver: the editor was catapulted into the role when her husband was in a car accident. Others found their caregiving increased as relatives slipped into the grip of Alzheimer's disease or AIDS. Beyond anecdotes, the book also asks key policy questions: like whether there are any limits to your responsibility for caring for a family member, whether the health care system is able to communicate clearly with family caregivers and accommodate their needs. It also offers clear suggestions for those who find themselves giving care including web resources and advice on how to go about looking for the help you need. This book helps put your experiences into context...both with other caregivers, and within the existing health care system. Most of all, it points up the systemic flaws, and offers suggestions for repairing a system that runs on the emotions, savings and lives of millions of American caregivers. If you don't need the information here right now, you are likely to need it in the future.

Mary Wallace,The non-snobby Unicorn member of the Unicorn Club has a crush on Peter Burns,The Unicorns devise a plan to concoct a Love Potion.They try all sorts of things,disqusting things,but Mary suggusts punch,and they sell it at the Sweet Valley Middle School fair.The Unicorns drop most of the love potion that were in bottles,and after Peter Burns drinks it,he does fall in love with her.Mary says,What are you talking about? There never was any magic potion in there,just punch. The Unicorns were dressed as gypsies and Steven said"Happy Halloween!"

The Unicorn Club create a love potion to sell at the school fair.

Love is in the air at Sweet Valley Middle School, and Peter Burns has a crush on Mary Wallace. The snobby Unicorn Club decides to make up a love potion to sell at the school carnival, to feed the fires of Peter's crush on Mary. It's rather entertaining. And, as usual, it shows the strong bond between two great twin sisters.

This book is OK. It had a good storyline. The book is about this guy name Peter Bums who has a crush on one of the Unicorns: Mary Wallace. Mary doesn't really like Peter at first, and the Unicorns don't think so either. NO matter what Mary says to make Peter go away, he won't. Then the Unicorns make up a magical love potion to sell at a school carnival. I don't want to tell you the rest, but I would reccamend reading this book! :-/

I don't want to be mean here, but I have to speak my thoughts. This book "Brookfield Days" is only a much lesser shadow of the book "Little House in Brookfield." I'd rather get my money's worth and buy the whole book of "Little House in Brookfield", then waste it on a book that only has a few chapters and not only that, abridges them into short versions. I suppose they made this one for younger readers, but I'd rather let the child read the whole book then a shorter copy, its much more exciting. I think this one was dispointing, and pointless.

This book is great. Ever since I read ONE of The Laura Ingalls Wilder Series I just can't stop. I have all the books from Laura's great-grandmother to her daughter Rose. They are great books to read!

Swami Vivekananda sevashram is small social service organisation for poor people who need basic amenities like food, cloth, education, health and rights for their livelihood. For that we some voluntary women working under the leadership of Mrs.Ponnammal who was the daughter of a physically handicapped beggar belongs to Thanjavur in Tamilnadu, India. Her husband is leprosy patient. The poor and affected by HIV/AIDS patients are members in the organisation.

SVS is a registered non-profit secular organization have been concentrating on rural,tribal poor and down trodden for their development in all prospectives such as socio-economic, health & education since its inception. The status of the target are low as compared to local and national level. To bring about a change in the status a continuous intervention us required for some more time. Presently ,SVS concentrating on prevention and control of communicable diseases, crèche maintanance , tribal economic development through sustainable agricultural practices, promoting sound health practices and hygienic environment, Women self help Groups formation and maintanance, thrift, small savings & micro credits etc.

SVS with its very limited external funding could not achive the desired results at optimum level. SVS could understood that your esteemed organization can extend its valuable supports and resources towards the development of rural and tribals. More importantly, we understood that you have published a range of guides and funding directories, particularly,"Grants from Trust-Grants from companies, Grants from individuals seeking Grant Aid." Which will enable us to mobilize resourses and supports from foreign countries magnanimous people. SVS possess FCRA also and exempted from Income Tax.

We sincerely request you to kindly send us the above mentioned guides and directories and provide us the opportunity to have partnership with you.

Looking forward to hear from you the positive reply in this regard at your earliest.
Thank you very much for your kind co-operation and guidance.

Yours faithfully
Mrs Ponnammal