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Author Michael T. Cibenko said he once lived close to the site of an uprising of persecuted Christians in the 17th century. He was inspired by a 16-year-old samurai who helped lead the resistance. “Masaru” is an historical novel that follows the travails of the first Japanese Christians with excellent prose and descriptions. Author Michael T. Cibenko, who lives in Branchville, shares his expert knowledge of Japanese culture and language to create a memorable and authentic epic of early Christian Japan, a very interesting and complex period in history. Cibenko lived in southern Japan from 1996-2000 where he was an...

Kezia Obama, widow of the Kenyan Barack H. Obama, has passed away at the age of 81. A native of Kenya, Obama moved to the village of Bracknell in the United Kingdom and was receiving treatment there when she died. Cause of death was not disclosed. In 1956, Kezia married Barack H. Obama and as Darrogh Roche of Newsweek reports, the Kenyan “later” married the American Stanley Ann Dunham, mother to former U.S President Barack Obama, born in Hawaii in 1961.The Kenyan Barack H. Obama, born in 1934, didn’t have much to say about Ann Dunham. In all his...

I have been on Free Republic since October 1998. In that time, I have posted 302 articles and 30,397 replies. But I've only written two books and the second one is now available. I am posting a notice about it here because I suspect it may be of interest to my fellow FR denizens. If you like ancient history, action, battles, an epic scope, and a touch of romance, you'll probably enjoy this book. It also celebrates the classical Christian virtues: courage, piety, obedience, and humility. I wrote it specifically with teenaged boys in mind, because most of what is...

According to Publishers Weekly, Michelle Moran just sold a novel about NEFERTITI to a major publishing house for a six figure deal. According to people I've spoken to in the industry, the book is being shopped around and several studios have been interested. I haven't seen the book and I don't think it comes out until July 2007 (at least that's what Moran's website says: www.michellemoran.com). But if the book is turned into a movie, at least the script should be decent. I wonder who they'll get to take the lead role? Last year there was talking of Halle Berry...

WASHINGTON, April 12 — As Bill Clinton seeks to finish his memoirs, leading Democrats are voicing concern that the book could overshadow Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign, diverting attention to Mr. Clinton's outsize legacy of scandal and achievement. Many Democrats said they wanted the book published as far as possible before the election and, certainly, before the Democratic National Convention in late July. They fear that the book will embolden Mr. Clinton's foes to turn out and vote for President Bush. Mr. Clinton, for his part, has increased the nervous speculation about the book in Democratic circles by making a...