Crystals and Radios

At the end of a past post "Timeless Messages" the importance of crystals and radios was briefly referred to.

As previously mentioned, Navigating the Collapse of Time (Weiser Books, 2011) by David Ian Cowan, was written in 2011, yet many of the theories highly detailed in Mr. Cowan's book are touched on and are the underlying current of The Kabrini Message, written a quarter of a century earlier.

In the previous post, "Author's Bio", The Kabrini Message Author's passion for the world of ham radio was discussed.  Not mentioned in the bio was the fact that the author (J.R. Egles, aka "Joe") also worked in the field of radio for a time as a D.J. at a radio station.  That is certainly where some of the material for chapter 16 of The Kabrini Message (entitled "KUX Radio, Twelve Miles Away") came from.  Incidentally, "K2UX" were Joe's ham radio call letters.

The following are additional excerpts, all from Chapter 5, entitled "DNA - The Interface between Galactic Light and Human Potential" of Navigating the Collapse of Time (Weiser Books, 2011) by David Ian Cowan.  It discusses the significance of crystals and also, ironically, radios!

     "There seems to be an intelligence operating between life forms beyond the limits of physical proximity and bio-chemical messengers.  It is now appreciated that DNA is more crystalline in its qualities, which goes a long way toward explaining these observations of non-local communication."

     "Crystalline structures...creates what seem to act like a net, antenna or resonant matrix for specific frequencies of light/energy.  All true crystals have an electrical aspect as well."

    "I recall, as a child, getting a crystal radio kit for Christmas one year.  It was really cool!  All these wires and coils had to be put together and where you placed a certain wire on the quartz crystal determined which radio station you heard.  And there was no battery!  The crystal not only was the power supply for the radio...but also acted as an antenna receiving radio signals specifically matching the arrangement of molecules on the different faces of the crystal."

    " ...what we know about crystals can now be applied to our appreciation of how DNA functions".

     "What may help explain the crystalline nature of DNA is the fact that DNA is nested within a matrix of ideal or clustered water molecules....Water is the only liquid-crystal substance on Earth, other than perhaps mercury.  All life on Earth depends on it.  Even though water is in a liquid state and can rise in frequency into a vapor or descend into solid ice, the water molecule itself is 'dielectric', as are solid-crystal molecules.  That is, it can hold an electrical charge, like a solid crystal.  As such, water can be charged from an outside source like sunlight and thus go into a more coherent, crystalline functional state, in which it can absorb and emit energy and information."

     "Clustered water surrounding DNA is thus part of an information-sharing system that links the DNA through the quantum-physical structures of the extra-cellular matrix of the body along with the meridians and chakras to the macro universe of light, sound, cosmic radiation and extra-dimensional information.  Throughout the body, we find specific protein structures called 'microtubules' and 'actin filaments' that support clustered water molecules within them.  These structures make up a web of protein filaments literally connecting all cells and their DNA with the body's own Internet or information superhighway....Given that we now understand the meridians to be 'pathways of light,' we can truly say we are 'light beings.'  This is not just New Age mumbo-jumbo; it is solid science.  Consider the implications as the planet moves in the galactic photon beam.  And the whole system is being amped up from the center of the galaxy directly to the center of your cells!"

Granted, crystals and radios are not gone into as seriously or scientifically in The Kabrini Message as they are in the quotes above, but the theories, although much more subtle, are there.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Author Bio: J.R. Egles

Author J.R. Egles was born on November 23, 1949 in Elizabeth, New Jersey to Marie and Bob Egles.  He was the eldest of four children.  Other than a three year period from ages nine to twelve when the family lived in Hialeah, Florida, Joe was a lifelong New Jersey resident.

From an early age, Joe developed a fascination of astronomy.  Joe ground his own telescope lens from a big thick circular piece of glass about the diameter of a dinner plate.  Day after day, he spent endless hours in the basement of his family’s home grinding it with rouge.  When it was finished, he installed the lens in a large telescope that he built himself from scratch.  Joe’s father set a pipe in concrete in the backyard to serve as a mount for the telescope.  Joe was also an avid photographer whose favorite subjects were, of course, the stars and planets.  With that telescope, Joe was able to combine his passions for astronomy and photography by capturing amazing photos of the moon, planets and constellations.

The one thing that surpassed even his obsession for astronomy, however, was his enduring love of ham radio.  At a very young age, Joe joined the close knit community of “hams” when a neighbor introduced him to this unique world of communication.

When the sky was clear, Joe would spend the entire night out in the backyard gazing upward.  When it was cloudy, he would retreat inside where he’d chat with folks all over the world on his ham radio.  Back then, his ham call letters were “WB2UXJ”, and he could be heard calling, “This is Whiskey, Bravo, 2, Uniform, X-ray, Japan” throughout the night.  Later, after receiving what is known as an Extra Class license, the call letters became K2UX (and the mantra became “King, 2, Uncle, X-Ray”).  It was the pre-Internet version of online chatting.

Therefore, we should not be surprised that The Kabrini Message combines both of Joe’s loves: outer space and communication.

Joe graduated from Governor Livingston Regional High School in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.  This was not the high school most residents of his home town of Garwood attended—Joe hand-selected the school because it offered electives in electronics.  After graduating from high school, Joe attended Union County College.

Joe wrote The Kabrini Message in Loveladies, New Jersey in 1987 over the course of about six months.  At the time, Joe was serving as a full-time, live-in caretaker of another Joe, his elderly grandfather.

Joe most recently lived in Ship Bottom, New Jersey with his wife, Gwen.  He was a father of three and a grandfather of four.

In January, 2010 Joe passed away at the age of 60.  Although he wrote a few short stories and did some freelance writing for a local newspaper, The Kabrini Message was his first and only novel.  The Kabrini Message was an idea 25 years ahead of its time, and there is no doubt that Joe is very pleased that his novel’s time has finally arrived!

Timeless Messages...

The following are detailed notes taken from the book Navigating the Collapse of Time (Weiser Books, 2011) by David Ian Cowan that I referred to in a previous post.  This is the book that my friend, astrologer and psychic Pennye Scullin practically insisted I read because of the parallel theories between it and The Kabrini Message.

The following are all direct quotes taken from the book, except where noted in RED, which are my notes.

NOTICE THE TIME PERIOD TO WHICH THIS FIRST GROUP OF QUOTES REFERENCE.  THEY ALL REFER TO THE EXACT TIME WHEN JOE ACTUALLY WROTE The Kabrini Messsage (1987):

“…the intense period of our awakening began during Harmonic Convergence in August 1987, when we began a twenty-five-year countdown to our awakening.  During this period of time, many memorable spiritual teachers have brought us critical information that has been challenging us to wake up.”

“The year 1986, identified by Jose Arguelles and others as the year of the Harmonic Convergence, marked the beginning of a 25-year countdown to planetary initiation into the photon band.  If you do the math, that brings us to the year 2012.  If you have not seen this year mentioned in some context in the past few years, I’m afraid you’re just not paying attention.”

“In 1986, as the Sun approached the primary boundary of the photon band, the Earth itself began to dip periodically into the band.  Initially, this was only for a period of a few weeks a year, with the Earth being exposed for longer periods as each year passed.  You can see Nature’s elegant plan for our gradual initiation into this region of intense energy.  If we were to be totally immersed all at once, it might not go so well for life on Earth.  The Mayans had a term for this 25-year transitional period – the Time of No Time, indicating that by the time it’s over, post-2012, time as we know it or experience it may not exist at all.  Or at least our relationship to time will have changed dramatically.”

“Interestingly, the Mayan calendar describes the period from 1986 to 2012 as the Time of No Time.”

Literary Agent Vs. Publisher

Do I really need an agent?

Like a lot of things in life, it might be nice, but frankly (and contrary to popular opinion), no, it is not absolutely necessary.

I spent one full year working hard soliciting them, but in the end it was not a literary agent that secured a publisher for The Kabrini Message.  At the end of that year I decided there was nothing to lose in my trying to go direct to publishers.  
In addition to Query Tracker, which I had used previously, I joined Writers Market (www.writersmarket.com) and used the same query process as before, but tailored to publishers as opposed to agents.

Once you narrow down the field of publishers to fiction as opposed to non-fiction, then science fiction as a genre, then (and this is the deal breaker MOST of the time) "authors NOT represented by a literary agent" it's a much smaller group being queried to than agents.  I was left with only 12 publishers through Writers Market and 9 through Query Tracker.  Much different than the nearly 70 agents I had diligently pursued.  And yet...within a little over one month I had an offer from a wonderful, visionary publisher, Etopia Press!

DO NOT let anyone tell you that unless you want to self-publish, you MUST have a literary agent.  Those are not the only two choices!

I am not opposed to agents.  It just didn't work out in this case.  I have nothing but the utmost respect for the literary agency I referred to earlier.  I am very grateful for their advice and assistance.  They offered many helpful suggestions, which I appreciated and followed to the letter with great results.  But I've had such a strong "feeling" about them from the very beginning and that intuitive sense has been 100% on target throughout this process.  So how, then, did they miss out on the book?  The only thing I can figure out is perhaps they were meant for the movie deal!

In the meantime, I am thrilled to say The Kabrini Message is being published (yes, without an agent, thank you very much!), by Etopia Press and I could not be happier!  I am so very grateful for the opportunity and to everyone there.  The staff and the warm and wonderful group of supportive authors at Etopia Press have been awesome!  Thank you Annie Melton and Etopia Press for believing!

Do you absolutely need an agent?  No!  Who knew?

The Kabrini Message is due out in early 2013.

"Heaven Sent" partners!

So I was advised by a well respected literary agency in Beverly Hills (who has many celebrity clients and specializes in not only books, but movies and turning books into movies) that I needed to have the manuscript "polished" and professionally edited and then could resubmit it for consideration.

I asked the few people I knew possessing any writing experience whatsoever for advice on where to find a good editor and was again told to just look on the internet.  Is that the standard “brush-off” from people that don’t want to be of any help?  I don’t know, but again, it worked!  The story of how I found our wonderful editor (who turned out to be so much more than just an editor), Amy Bell of WritePunch, Inc. is an incredible story in and of itself.  Basically, I asked for guidance as to what to do and who to trust and could not have received an answer more quickly, clearly and directly!

I am very grateful to my friend, Pennye Scullin, for several things.  First of all, Pennye had told me about a website:  www.law-of-abundance-living.com  which is a great inspirational website just for things in general.  I remember going on it and seeing so many inspirational articles that I didn’t have time to read at that moment and thinking that “some day when I have more time” I have to come back here and really look around.  So when I was feeling overwhelmed by all the information on-line regarding editors, I decided to stop searching and ask for guidance.  It occurred to me that perhaps I could go back on that website and read through some of the inspiring articles and get some kind of revelation as to what to do next.  Do I try to do it myself?  Do I ask family to help?  Do I hire a professional and if so, who?  How will I know they’re any good, right for the project and will “get” the whole emotional aspect? 

I went back on www.law-of-abundance-living.com and as I was scanning it trying to decide what to read first, I noticed a series of advertisements along the right hand side of the webpage, one of them listed on-line courses you could take; one of which said “Learn to be a Ghostwriter”.  I clicked on it, just to see where it would take me and there, on the page it linked to, was another advertisement for WritePunch, Inc.  I knew with absolute certainty, at that very moment, that was it…and it was!  I had asked for guidance as to where to turn and what to do next and in less than 5 minutes, Mom or Joe or both immediately lead me to Amy Bell of WritePunch, Inc. 

I instinctively knew that in hiring Amy, a very talented writer, she could fill in the pieces required that Joe was not here to do himself.  What ultimately happened is that Amy not only did that, but was so enthusiastic and emotionally connected that we often read each others thoughts and came up with the same ideas at the same time, over a thousand miles apart.  So many times I would get an idea I wanted to run by Amy and she would either beat me to it or say…”I was just thinking the same thing”.  We have been on the same wavelength, with a lot of help from above, throughout this whole process.  There is no doubt in my mind that Amy Bell and this book are, quite literally, a match made in heaven!  http://www.writepunch.com/   Thank you, Amy!

The second thing I am grateful to Pennye for is for relieving the burden I was placing on myself at every turn by constantly obsessing over “What would Joe do?” and “What does Joe want?”  Pennye pointed out that Joe did what Joe would do and frankly, what Joe wants now is for me to get the book published, by doing what I would do, not what he would do.   She further explained that the reason I found the book is because I am the one with the tenacity (although some might call it something else!) to see it through to publication, by doing what I would do.  Everything became so much easier after that simple revelation. Thank you, Pennye!

Pennye also strongly encouraged me to read another book, Navigating the Collapse of Time (Weiser Books, 2011) by David Ian Cowan, whose theories parallel much of what Joe describes in The Kabrini Message.  I did that and it made the “message” of The Kabrini much clearer.    BTW...there will be much more on these "parallel theories" in an upcoming post.  Thanks again Pennye!

Sapience

Important advice:  When attempting to get a science fiction novel regarding planets, the solar system, star systems, etc. published, it’s extremely helpful to have a good friend that’s a professional psychic and astrologer.  http://www.pennyestarinsight.com/

Again, thank you ladies!

The road to publication.

So after reading the manuscript, I knew The Kabrini Message had be published.  As anticipated, this was much easier said than done, but as with anything important and worth doing, the process is basically the same:    

Work like hell, BELIEVE and NEVER give up!

With any important goal, stay focused and repeat as often as necessary:
"The voice on the inside needs to be louder than the voices on the outside."

I started by asking around as to how to go about getting a book published.  The only published author I knew of explained (through a friend) that his book was non-fiction, which is handled totally differently than fiction and therefore, his contacts would be of no use to me.  While I realize this was probably a  “brush-off”, at the time I thought he was helpful in that he pointed out that I should not go directly to publishers and that I had to get an agent.  He explained that he spent two years being turned down by publishers and then obtained a literary agent, who secured a publisher.  Had he never gotten an agent, he felt his book would probably never have been published.  In response to the question of exactly how one goes about getting an agent, he said to just go on the internet and research it.  Again, that did not appear to be a tremendous help at the time (I could have thought of that!), but it actually was good advice.

BTW...his book became a HUGH bestseller and now has a tremendously popular HBO series based on it on Sunday nights about gangsters in Atlantic City (enough said?).

So I started researching online and I discovered an incredibly helpful website: www.querytracker.net.  There I learned how to write a query letter and submit it to agents and I also compiled a list of 68 literary agencies who specialize in science fiction.  From there, I was able to research each agency's criteria and submit only what they are interested in.  Some want the query only, some a synopsis, some the first 5 pages, some the first chapter, some any random chapter, some a combination of several of the above.  I promptly realized this process was not going to be a simple matter of writing a letter, attaching a standard "something" and hitting the send button 68 times!  Oh, no - far from it.  I researched each agency by links to their websites, read bios for each agent at the firm to determine who was best suited for the submission and submitted (via e-mail) a customized query to all 68.  In addition to a query letter and an excerpt from the book, many agents also requested a synopsis – and Joe had never written one.  So I spent the next few weeks re-reading  The Kabrini Message, making detailed notes along the way and then writing a synopsis.  That alone, was quite a project, as this was all new to me.  Of the 68 agents I queried, I had one particular favorite that sounded and just "felt" absolutely perfect.  I received 3 requests for additional information (one of whom was from my favorite!), 30 very polite rejections, and the rest I never heard back from one way or another, so I guess you could say they were rejections, too.

When that phase of the project was completed, my quest for a literary agent netted 65 rejections and 3 maybes.  I thought that was pretty good considering it was the author’s first novel and being submitted by me, who had no idea what I was doing!  The important thing to remember is that it’s not how many rejections you get, but that you get at least one offer.  You only need one.

I did not have a firm offer at this point though.  Just suggestions from "my favorite" agency.  These suggestions included (among other things) having the book professionally edited and polished as well as working out some major issues, involving the fact that the author is no longer alive.

The first concern was who would manage the revisions and editing the author normally handled?  At the time, I had no idea how I would accomplish this - only that if it needed to happen, I would see that it did - one way or another.

The second (and biggest) issue was that this book could be a “difficult sell” to publishers since the author, who passed away in 2010, would not be available for marketing, book signings, interviews, etc., which again, would make it a “tough sell”.  To me, however, "difficult" and "tough" are manageable.  No one said it would be "impossible" (although that would not have discouraged me either) and I never thought this process would be easy.

Regarding marketing, I wish with all my heart that Joe was here to promote his book.  I believe nothing would have made him happier.  However, we have to work with the situation we have ("it is what it is", as they say). 

What we do have is the "story behind the story".  I literally FOUND an envelope containing the loose pages of Joe’s 25 year old manuscript in my attic recently and until then, never even knew I had it.  Joe wrote The Kabrini Message and my mother painstakingly typed (I believe on a typewriter, not a computer!) the entire novel for him and encouraged him along the way.  It was a project they worked on together and they are both gone now (at least physically) and I want to see it published for them.  In fact, I believe that's the reason I came upon the book in the attic while looking through old photographs, a quarter of a century after it was written, just waiting there for us.  Perhaps Joe and Mom wanted me to find it, but waited for just the right time, when we needed it most.

Next up, two "heaven sent" partners...

"The Kabrini Message", the Synopsis

First, a "housekeeping" issue:  This is the end of the first week of the new blog!  I hope and plan to post 3 days a week.  Since I started on a Wednesday and wanted to do 3 posts this week, I did Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of this first week.  Going forward, posts will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week.

Now, before I get ahead of myself with publication details, let's take a look at the book's synopsis, so we know (very briefly) what it is that I felt so compelled to see published.  Here is a brief synopsis of The Kabrini Message.  Keep in mind that there is much more to it than this, with many subplots and twists and turns, but this will give you the very basic idea:

They had finally made contact.  And the world would never be the same…

Jeffrey Driscoll is a rugged yet charming adventurer with a hidden consciousness: when he gazes through the eyepiece of his telescope, he senses someone is looking back.  Haunted by the stars since boyhood, he sets off on an exhilarating quest that takes him across the planet.  Not quite sure what he seeks, Driscoll only knows he must keep moving. Throughout his reckless escapades, Driscoll is often accompanied by Mondo (a childlike, affable young African), Mohammed (a surly, sun-blasted Arab) and Goldstein (a cynical New York Jew), an unlikely trio that never fails to plunge face-first into hilariously perilous predicaments.

When an uptight British archeology professor hires the ragtag crew for a dig on the Greek island of Delos, Driscoll stumbles upon a miraculous find: ancient crystals with celestial coordinates that will connect mankind with the Kabrini, a highly advanced alien civilization.  Driscoll’s groundbreaking discovery ultimately leads to Planet Earth’s first global space effort, the Legacy mission.

Years later, when Driscoll Mining and the U.S. Army complete deep space construction of the Kabrini communications network, the Legacy mission is deemed a success.  Mankind finally makes contact…only to discover the Kabrini Message isn’t exactly what we want to hear.  The Kabrini view our civilization as one of heightened intelligence yet no spiritual enlightenment—a dangerous combination.  Although the wise alien race has the ability to offer mankind limitless knowledge and staggering technological advances, they fear our barbaric people will only use the information for evil.

As if to prove the Kabrini right, a fanatical terrorist group’s hunger for revenge leads to an explosive turn of events, threatening the Kabrini network; but Driscoll will stop at nothing to save the project.  As his obsession with the Kabrini grows and the Legacy mission spirals out of control, he risks losing it all—his company, his grasp on what’s most important and the one thing he’s ever truly loved: his wife, Carol.

This thrilling Adventure meets Sci-Fi saga takes readers across the globe and beyond, from the jungles of Africa to London, from Los Angeles to Greece, from Washington D.C. to Egypt, from Jamaica to Vienna and finally to the deepest depths of space.  Join Jeffrey Driscoll and all of mankind on an unforgettable journey to alien contact and universal enlightenment in The Kabrini Message.

Have a great weekend everyone and Monday we'll begin "The road to publication"!

The story continues...

Joe was a brilliant man—quite possibly a genius.  However, (and I say this with great love and affection) it seemed to me that he never followed through on anything.  When I first found The Kabrini Message, I wasn’t sure if he had ever attempted to get it published.  I assumed that he had not—or that he probably hadn’t tried very hard.  

The oldest of my three brothers, Joe was twelve years older than me.  The year I started first grade, he started college.  Although there was a large age difference, I do have a few vivid memories of growing up with him.  I remember Joe building his own telescopes as a teen (not from a kit, but from scratch—grinding the lenses himself, etc.).  He was absolutely fascinated with stars and planets, and he spent much of his time at the observatory.

So, as I began reading Joe’s book, The Kabrini Message, I was not surprised to find that it was Science Fiction.  (What else would Joe write?)  Although Sci-Fi is not my usual reading genre, I found that I couldn’t put it down.  I genuinely enjoyed it!

I was amazed and in awe of the imagination that created these twists and turns and intricacies; especially considering that, as far as I know, this was a first novel.  Most of all, I loved the quick wit and humor in the dialogue between the characters.

I always knew there was so much more to Joe than met the eye, but I never realized just how much more.  All of these wild, elaborate ideas were going on and most of us never knew it.  I always knew there was pretty complex stuff going on in Joe's head, but now I finally know what some of it was.

Author J.R. Egles
and mom, Marie Egles

I’m not surprised that my mother took the time to type Joe’s entire manuscript.  She and Joe had a special relationship; she was his “champion of causes”.  She believed in him and always encouraged his greatest hopes and dreams.  Unfortunately, Joe did not seem to believe in himself enough most of the time.

But Joe had many wonderful qualities, too.  He had a fabulous sense of humor and a sharp wit, similar to that of some of the characters in his book.  He was funny and extremely intelligent and we always enjoyed his company so much, when we actually saw him.  But we rarely saw him.  When we invited him to family get-togethers and special occasions, he never said “no”; he always said, “I’ll try”, or “If I can”, but he seldom came.  The only events he attended with regularity were weddings and funerals—and even then, he’d only stay for the briefest amount of time that was socially acceptable, and then he always “had to get going”.  Even so, I somehow always knew he loved his family very much.

In January 2010, two months after his 60^th birthday and with so much talent and ability that it seemed he never really tapped into, my brother Joe passed away.

My mother always recognized Joe’s potential, and now I do, too.  And although at the time of his passing it appeared that much of his talent never materialized, perhaps that is not true.  Perhaps it is not too late.

I now realize I was wrong when I assumed Joe never followed through on anything.  He completed this book.  And I recently learned something else from his wife Gwen—soon after Joe wrote the book, they mailed copies of his manuscript to nearly 50 publishers.  When interest was not immediately shown, however, Joe stopped pursuing it.

So I decided to take it one step further; I would get The Kabrini Message published, as a gift to both my brother and our mother who always believed in him.  The journey has been a fun, fascinating and educational labor of love.  Next, the journey begins...

The "Story behind the story"...

Where to begin?  Let's begin at the beginning.  No, let's begin with the basics and then we'll move on to the beginning:

The basics:  The Kabrini Message is a book, written a quarter of a century ago, about to be published in January 2013.  It was written by a first time author, J.R. Egles (my brother) who passed away in 2010.  The Kabrini Message, therefore, is not only the author's first but only novel and being published posthumously.  It is technically a science fiction book, with an action/adventure crossover.  The "message" is of our universal connection, which was ahead of it's time, when it was written in 1987, but we'll delve into that further in a future post.

I have not read anything like The Kabrini Message before and therefore, it is difficult to compare it to any other stories...however, as purely a point a reference, the closest thing I can associate it with is a sort of Avatar meets Indiana Jones.  

OK, now we can begin at the beginning:  It was late spring 2011 when I found myself feeling very nostalgic.  For some reason, I felt the overwhelming urge to climb up into my attic and reminisce over old family photos.  At the time, I attributed it to the fact that I had been working on a project for my son’s upcoming wedding—assembling pictures of him from birth through adulthood, which would be displayed at the reception.  As I was combing through all of his old pictures, I was suddenly overcome with a desire to look through my own childhood photos. 

A few days went by, and I still had not made the trek up into the attic.  I realized that with the frantic pace of everyday life, if I waited for a day when I finally had some spare time, I may never get around to it.  So late one night, feeling compelled at that moment, I went into my attic in search of old family photographs.  I found the photographs—but I also found something else.

The 1987 hand typed manuscript, as found in my attic in 2011.

I discovered it as I was digging through a box of photos that had come from my mother’s house.  My mother passed away in 1994, and I must have received the box of photographs and mementos shortly after that—but I had not gone through it until this particular late night adventure.  Inside the old box, I came across a large manila envelope, marked in my mother’s handwriting:  “Joe’s Book”.  The manuscript was dated 1987.

I vaguely remembered, many years earlier, hearing my mother talk about a book that my brother Joe had written.  She was typing his hand-written manuscript for him.  I don’t believe I ever heard Joe speak of it himself; and I had never heard any more of the book until now.

I tossed the envelope aside to bring downstairs, thinking it might make for good summer reading and that was the beginning...