AVONNE CURRY ’88, et al, Happiness Is a Decision of the Heart, Insight Publishing Co. The book is billed as a “collection of insightful writings from 12 of America’s top authorities on happiness, contentment and joy. Each author brings practical, real-world insights that will inspire you to examine your heart and find lasting happiness.” The book cover states: “Rich with valuable strategies for everyone seeking a more fulfilled life.”

LAURA GILES ’01, The Other Child: Children of Affairs, Llumina Press. Children of affairs is not a new phenomenon, but it’s something not often talked about. From her counseling practice, which focuses on couples, Giles shares some of her clients’ more poignant accounts and inner thoughts of their experiences dealing with extramarital affairs. Her book gives a voice to the pain, struggle and survival of living in an extramarital family – a voice from the perspectives of both adults and children. She writes in the preface, “I congratulate the brave people who opened up their lives in these pages. Together, they create a resource for others going through this situation to combat the isolation. They give professionals valuable information that may guide treatment. They give families insight into how to best support loved ones suffering through this pain. They give us all the gift of their experience.” www.llumina.com

SHELTON RHODES (Ph.D. ’94) and Peter Fretty, A Piece of the Pie, Diversity Publishing Group Inc. The book profiles four Washington, D.C.-area success stories, offering rare insights into how to be successful 8(a) program participants. The 8(a) program is a Small Business Administration minority business development program created during the Nixon administration. Full of lessons about courage, persistence and survival, the book should be of interest to aspiring 8(a) program participants. rhodess77@aol.com

CLAY SHAMPOE ’80 (M.S.Ed. ’86) and THOMAS R. GARRETT ’72 (M.S.Ed. ’81), Baseball in Portsmouth, Virginia, Arcadia Publishing. The authors’ second book for Arcadia’s “Images of Baseball” series features more than 200 vintage photos and informative text. From 1895 to 1969, Portsmouth fielded a professional minor league team, where such renowned players as Pie Traynor, Hack Wilson, Eddie Stanky and Harry “The Cat” Breechen got their start. Negro League legend Buck Leonard first played for the Portsmouth Revels in 1933 and returned briefly to star with the 1953 Merrimacs, his only opportunity to play integrated baseball during his storied career. A number of former big-name players guided Portsmouth teams from the bench, including Tony Lazzeri, Jimmie Foxx and Pepper Martin. www.arcadiapublishing.com

ROSEMARY A. THOMPSON (C.A.S. ’82), Crisis Intervention and Crisis Management: Strategies that Work in Schools and Communities, Brunner-Routledge. Written in response to 9/11, the book presents a comprehensive guide to the prevention, intervention and management of crisis situations that can strike a school or community without warning. Thompson, supervisor of guidance and counseling for Chesapeake Public Schools, has 20 years of experience working with crisis management in the public schools. Her book serves as a collective resource for schools and communities, providing practical techniques and strategies to facilitate perseverance and continuity in an uncertain age. The second edition of her book Counseling Techniques was also recently published. www.brunner-routledge.com

ELIZABETH SILANCE BALLARD UNGAR ’94, Hilda Silance Corey and Estel Stanley Silance, Whoopin’ and Hollerin’ in Onslow County, Eslyn Publishing. The book, written as a family memoir, is a collection of stories which reflect the life and times of three generations of family, all of whom lived in Onslow County, N.C. Story titles include “The Cemetery Picnic,” “Dating and Dishwashing,” “Grandma’s Spittoon” and “The Hoot Owl on the Hog Gate.” Eslyn Publishing, P.O. 9105, Virginia Beach, VA 23450

RICK SKWIOT (M.F.A. ’02), Winter at Long Lake: A Childhood Christmas Memoir, All Nations Press. This true account of a fateful childhood Christmas takes readers back to a simpler and more innocent America. With details of 1953 American life as seen through the eyes of a 6-year-old, the compact 150-page memoir compresses an era into 36 hours, when the author’s life would change dramatically and irreversibly. Winter at Long Lake will remind older readers and reveal to younger readers how much the country has changed in the last half century. Set in rural Illinois and a nearby segregated St. Louis as both faced profound change near the end of the Korean War, this novelistic work depicts a bygone time of frugal self-reliance. At the same time, it offers a nostalgic journey to a lost world of coal stoves, hand pumps and solitude. www.allnationspress.com

JOHANNA MERRITT WU (M.S. ’93, Ph.D. ’97), Susanne M. Alexander and Craig A. Farnsworth (lead authors), Marriage Can Be Forever: Preparation Counts!, ClariComm Publishing. This hands-on workbook is designed to engage readers in self-reflection, romance, humor and practical application of spiritual concepts that apply to the marriage preparation process. Wu is an organizational psychologist with a specialization in training, leadership development and assessment, organizational development, systematic planning, and coaching people in how to be effective and successful. She leads a variety of workshops, including marriage preparation for individuals and couples and marriage preparation facilitator training. The book features many worksheets she developed. www.ClariComm.com/publishing

Calling All Authors
If you have published a book recently, let us know.
Please send a copy, along with any promotional material or reviews, to:

Steve Daniel, Old Dominion University magazine, 100 Koch Hall, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. 23529. All submissions will be considered for review. The books will be on permanent display at the Kornblau Alumni Center.