A Minute On The Lips

There are no secrets in tall pines… Sheriff Andrea Jackson can't afford to become the subject of small-town gossip. With an election coming up and her job on the line, public opinion is crucial. That means keeping her distance from newspaper editor Mark Taylor. Effortlessly handsome and dangerously charming, Mark is hard to resist, but his sudden interest makes Andi wonder if his dinner invitations are for business or pleasure. Andi has to admit she could use his help in solving a local theft, but working with Mark would make her the talk of the town, or worse…it could land her on the front page.

The purpose of "From the Lip to the Hip is a Pretty Far Distance" is to help each of us become people of our word and strive to minimize, as much as possible, the undesirable behavior of not doing what you say you are going to do. Jesus says in Matthew 5:37, in the Sermon on the Mount, "Let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No." Have you ever met someone who has never experienced having to deal with a person who told them that they were going to do something, and they never did what they said they were going to do? I doubt that you have because every single one of us has unfortunately had that happen to them. Even worse, every single one of us has done it to another, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Saying that you are going to do something and never doing it is a universal issue. It is part of human nature. I recorded Episode 159 "From the Lip to the Hip is a Pretty Far Distance" as the first show in a series exploring why people don't do what they say they are going to do. I invited as my guests for each show, people whom I greatly respect and admire to share their wisdom and insights on the subject. They are a very diverse group, offering many very different perspectives on the theme of the book. The interviews in the book that I did with my eleven guests in this series, were so powerful that I decided to use the transcripts from the shows for what ultimately became this book that you are about to read. Three and a half years ago, when I first launched Right Thinking with Steve Coplon, Don sent me a copy of "Napoleon Hill is on the Air." It is a book that contains transcripts from a series of radio broadcasts that Napoleon Hill did in Jackson, Mississippi in 1953. The editor of that book states that "It allows you, the reader, to experience almost verbatim what Napoleon shared directly with his listeners." I have followed in Napoleon Hill's footsteps as I have kept the edited transcripts of my shows as close to the actual broadcasts as possible. Through the process of converting the transcripts to the chapters of "From the Lip to the Hip is a Pretty Far Distance," I have learned a tremendous amount about the difference between conversational dialogue and the written word. I wish to thank Randey and Cindyrae Faulkner for volunteering to edit the transcripts line by line as a gift of love because they wanted this book to be made available to each of you, the readers. I could not have completed this book without the incredible assistance of Sofia Giannascoli. She has been a God sent. I would like to thank my wife, Donna, for being with me every step along the way, as she gave me the love and support that I needed to write this book as well as provided countless hours of proofing and editing. To each of my guests, thank you for sharing your wisdom and caring so much about other people. It is my heartfelt hope and prayer that "From the Lip to the Hip is a Pretty Far Distance" will transform your life as it has mine and help everyone who reads it to a better life.

If you crossed Mitford, North Carolina, with Peyton Place, you might come up with Runnymede, Maryland, the most beguiling of Southern towns. In Loose Lips, Rita Mae Brown revisits Runnymede and the beloved characters introduced in Six of One and Bingo, serving up an exuberant portrayal of small-town sins and Southern mores, set against a backdrop of homefront life during World War II. "I'm afraid life is passing me by," Louise told her sister. "No, it's not," Juts said. "Life can't pass us by. We are life." In the picturesque town of Runnymede, everyone knows everyone else's business, and the madcap antics of the battling Hunsenmeir sisters, Julia (Juts) and Louise, have kept the whole town agog ever since they were children. Now, in the fateful year of 1941, with America headed for war, the sisters are inching toward forty...and Juts is unwise enough to mention that unspeakable reality to her sister. The result is a huge brawl that litters Cadwalder's soda fountain with four hundred dollars' worth of broken glass. To pay the debt, the sisters choose a surprisingly new direction. Suddenly they are joint owners of The Curl 'n' Twirl beauty salon, where discriminating ladies meet to be primped, permed, and pampered while dishing the town's latest dirt. As Juts and Louise become Runnymede's most unlikely new career women, each faces her share of obstacles. Restless Juts can't shake her longing for a baby, while holier-than-thou Louise is fit to be tied over her teenage daughter's headlong rush toward scandal. As usual, the sisters rarely see eye to eye, and there are plenty of opinions to go around. Even the common bond of patriotic duty brings wildly unexpected results when the twosome joins the Civil Air Patrol, watching the night sky for German Stukas. But loose lips can sink even the closest relationships, and Juts and Louise are about to discover that some things are best left unsaid. Spanning a decade in the lives of Louise, Juts, and their nearest and dearest, including the incomparable Celeste Chalfonte, Loose Lips is an unforgettable tale of love and loss and the way life can always throw you a curveball. By turns poignant and hilarious, it is deepened by Rita Mae Brown's unerring insight into the human heart.

"The Bible Delusion: 101 'Hang on a Minute' Moments; and God's Mysterious Ways" comprises an easy to read summary of 101 examples of absurdity in the King James Version of the Bible, dismantling everything from the Genesis creation myth to the coherency of The Gospels. More aspects are categorised into groups that are anything but 'godlike' in their nature. The Bible is full of bizarre rules, regulations and instructions - on animal sacrifice, war, including genocide and ethnic cleansing, misogyny, slavery, and much more - straight from God. There are numerous contradictions, anomalies, anachronisms and oddities, many of which are explored and explained in this comprehensive work.

A mystery is brewing in Helena, Montana, and amateur sleuth Lucy Mathews is in the center of it... again. An ex-reporter turned antiques shop owner, Lucy prides herself on being a true and loyal friend. So, when she discovers a new coffee kiosk is stealing business from a friend she is determined to help. But, things are never that simple. At least not for Lucy. The “Cuties” running the kiosk are a tad too cute for a group of do-gooding ladies. Kiska, Lucy’s Alaskan malamute, downs a bakery’s worth of cupcakes. And no one seems willing to help Lucy get the collectibles she needs to win the upcoming downtown window decorating contest. Then, of course, just when Lucy thinks she can’t take any more… she lands on top of yet another dead body. And this time more than one of Lucy’s friends is at the top of the suspect list. Murder, antiques, romance. How will Lucy balance it all?

There are no secrets in Tall Pines...Sheriff Andrea Jackson can't afford to become the subject of small-town gossip. With an election coming up and her job on the line, public opinion is crucial. That means keeping her distance from newspaper editor Mark Taylor. Effortlessly handsome and dangerously charming, Mark is hard to resist, but his sudden interest makes Andi wonder if his dinner invitations are for business or pleasure. Andi has to admit she could use his help in solving a local theft, but working with Mark would make her the talk of the town, or worse...it could land her on the front page.