Monday's green books series - 'East Garrison' by G.M. Weger

This week we're getting back to one reviewed book on Monday and today we have a great book that has it all: romance, suspense, adventure, relationship, man vs. nature and a surprising ending. And it all happens in East Garrison in California.

Our book for today is:

East Garrison


Author: G.M. Weger
G. M. Weger lives near East Garrison, in the town of Salinas, California. She works as an editor for the Department of Defense on former Army base Fort Ord.

In 1996, she moved to the Central Coast of California on former Army base Fort Ord and began driving around the haunted, empty place during lunch hours.

The inspiration for East Garrison began during one of these treks when she saw the strange juxtaposition of wildlife and deserted Army buildings and discovered the pioneer Whitcher cemetery. Since then, numerous housing developments have popped up, destroying habitat and food supply for many animals. This new construction pushed predators into residential areas that border the wild lands.

Reports of mountain lion sightings on Fort Ord and attacks in other California parks encouraged her muse, and she wrote East Garrison. As she was writing the novel she found her true love—researching the history of Fort Ord prior to the Army. Her next novel will uncover the real story of the Whitchers.

Publisher: Synergy Books

Published on: February 1, 2009

What it is about:
All Tracy Dade wants is to deliver a healthy baby and be a good mother, but she fears her unhealthy relationship with her father - a Vietnam vet suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder-will sabotage her ability to have a normal life. She decides reconciling with him is her only hope and begins a pilgrimage to Fort Ord's abandoned East Garrison to track him down. In her way stand acres of land polluted with unexploded ordnance, an overprotective husband, a dangerous predator stalking the base, and her own stubborn heart. With her labor just hours away, she's running out of time.

Why you should get it:
This is a breathtaking thriller that it is really hard to put down before the last page. G.M. Weger, just like a good chef, takes complicated ingredients like family relationships, history, man-nature coexistence and suspense and skillfully mix them into a powerful novel. She brings up important issues about the relationship of humans with nature and wildlife and the ramifications of the development of urban sprawl, including the depletion of wild ecosystems. Even if you don't live near East Garrison like the author or haven't never heard about the mountain lions before, you definitely understand these issues much better after reading the book.

Last but not least - I always like an unexpected ending!

What others say about the book:

"G.M. Weger's East Garrison is an excellent read. G.M. Weger is a true origial. She can create characters I guarantee you've never met before." - Scott Baker, Winner of the World Fantasy Award

"I read a lot of stories in my job and G.M. Weger's is one of the original and memorable." - Billy Tackett, Award-winning artist and illustrator

You can learn more about the book at the author's website - www.gmweger.com. Here's also a video of G.M. Weger from her website on the book:

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?

All you have to do is to join our Earth Day celebration on our Facebook group. We're celebrating there Earth Day with tree planting, giveaway of green books and an effort to increase our group to 1000 members! Every day, until the end of the month, where at least 14 new members will be added, we will have a raffle of a green book of authors and publishers we work with, including a copy of 'East Garrison', gift of the publicist, Phenix & Phenix!

So if you're already a member, bring along more Facebook friends to the group. If you're not a member, join in and bring other friends with you. Remember - every day with more than new 14 members we'll have a new raffle and we have great books to give (check out our post tomorrow for more details).Plant a tree for every book you read!

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on our website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Monday's green books series: 'In Memory of Central Park' by Queenelle Minet

Today I have the pleasure to introduce a new green-themed book that is also starting a new collaboration with Eco-Libris.

Our book for today is:

'In Memory of Central Park' by Queenelle Minet

In "In Memory of Central Park", Minet presents a vision of a future New York City where both nature and civil liberties have ceased to exist. Set in 2050, New York City has been encased in a massive terrorist-proof shell, and no one can travel in or out. In this dark world, people begin falling ill and dying as a result of pollution trapped inside the very structures meant to protect them.

"In Memory of Central Park transports the reader to a world both completely different and uncomfortably similar to the one in which we live," says Minet, a progressive environmental advocate and psychotherapist. "By engrossing readers in an entertaining story, I hope to make a difference in terms of how readers view the important issues of our day, including environmental degradation, global warming, and the erosion of our civil liberties."

Another way Minet is trying to make a difference is by collaboratng with Eco-Libris. She will be offering readers who will purchase the book on the book's signing events (details on the events to be provided on seperate post) the opportunity to balance out their new copy by planting one tree for it with us. All buyers will also receive with the book our sticker (made of recycled paper) saying "One tree planted for this book".

Begun by her late husband Aron Spilken, Ph.D., Minet finished "In Memory of Central Park" and made it her own as she dealt with the grief of his loss. The novel follows lovers Noah and Margaret as they navigate their forbidden relationship inside the politically repressive, encapsulated city. As a therapist, Noah witnesses firsthand the damage the man-made environment has on his patients, both mentally and physically. Inspired by a group of revolutionaries, Noah and Margaret must make a decision-do they stay in the enclosed city out of fear, or take their chances in the outside world long-since abandoned as a hopeless cause?

We have mentioned before our love for green-themed novels and this is definitely one of those, or as Minnet calls it on the book's website a "political satire and aching love story wrapped into one." My first association when first reading about the book was Orwell's 1984, which makes it even more fascinating to me.

Here are the book details:

Title: In Memory of Central Park

Author: Queenelle Minet

A former NYC resident, Minet currently resides in Larkspur, Calif., in Marin County. She holds a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University West, a master's degree in theatre arts from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in English literature from Penn State University. A licensed marriage and family therapist, she is currently a member of the American Psychological Association and numerous environmental organizations.

Publisher: Synergy Books

Publishing date: September 2008

The book's website: http://www.centralparknovel.com/

More green-themed novels:

Welcome to Shirley by Kelly McMasters

Naked in the Woods by Jim Motavalli

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!