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SPECIAL PRE-HOLIDAY DISCOUNTED ORDER FORM ****Pre-publication offer “Defying Death in Hagerstown” *ISBN: 1630473510 *****new***** · Louis Gerhani, a hard drinking, heartbroken, newspaper reporter is rapidly self- destructing after his fiancé left him. The reporter’s final assignment, in order to retain his job, is to write a full story on 110 year old woman in a nursing home. As the reporter reluctantly begins the assignment, he uncovers the old woman’s diary and a 90 year old unsolved triple murder of young women the old lady lived through. All hell breaks loose when the reporter begins investigating the 90 year old murders and bullets fly wild as he tries desperately to stay alive, finish the story, solve the murders, fall in love, and learn the meaning of life from a very wise and old woman. Defying Death in Hagerstown is the page turner on the century. DEFYING DEATH IN HAGERSTOWN “An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed” ISBN-10: 160037994X · With "An All-Consuming Desire to Succeed", you will learn: * The principles that can catapult you to success. * How to control and eliminate worry and fear. * How to get enthusiasm back in your life. * Developing and maintaining mental blinders to negativity. * Understanding and forming good habits. * Maintaining that all-important self-belief for life. * Using life-changing “Positive Affirmations.” * Maximizing your subconscious mind. * How to formulate and achieve your special goals. “The Psychic Boy Detective” · Dawn Reilly always knew that her twelve year old son, Sean, was an average, sports loving, game playing, and normal New York boy, but never a psychic. Suddenly Sean begins having psychic visions of murdered people whose killers have never been brought to justice. But something goes terribly wrong and Sean is suddenly thrown into a life or death situation of his own. “Better Off Dead In Paradise” ISBN: 978-1-4343-0639 · The sequel: "Better Off Dead In Paradise" takes us to the Cayman islands, where Frankie (the Agent) and Alicia (the girl friend) are in the Witness Protection Program, and the Mob is behind bars, in the U.S.. But something goes terribly wrong when their witness protection location is compromised, and mob associates are suddenly in the Caymans blowing everything up in pursuit of the two. The story takes us through all 3 Cayman islands, back to New York, and then back to the Caymans, where lives are lost, bullets fly, and Frankie and Alicia are on the run, once again from the Mob. This is a real Page Turner! “The Power Of Being Different” ISBN: 1420846981 · The world has changed, life will never be the same again. We each search for a better life; Inspiration; a way to be more productive and fulfilled. Welcome a unique and easy to understand motivator: The Power Of Being Different. This inspiring and uplifting self-help book will show you: · The power behind belief. · How the mind controls the body.· · How to get enthusiasm back in your life. · Understanding and forming good habits. · Understanding negativity and how to avoid it. · How to use your mind as a filter. · Using “positive self-suggestion”. How to maximize your subconscious mind. · Using “positive visualization”. · The Power Of Being Different can help you transform your life, and achieve all you truly desire. “Better Off Dead” ISBN: 1587219832 · Young Frank Granstino knew that selling life insurance would be a tough business, even though he had only started selling six months before. But he never thought that it COULD COST HIM HIS LIFE! After all, who knew that Tony Vongemi, the restaurant owner who had been feeding Frank people to write insurance on, was in the Mob? Not until Frank's clients start dying does he realize that something is very wrong, and the Vongemi family is involved. Frank soon realizes that he's at the point of no return. And to the Vongemi Family; one day. he too will be: "BETTER OFF DEAD"! “A Second Chance” ISBN: 0-595-23524-7 · A rescue mission of kidnapped father and daughter, takes two brothers from Brooklyn through many parts of pristine Ireland, and into dangerous Northern Ireland, where they believe the Sullivans are being held. But the deadly mission goes terribly wrong. Castles, terrorists, & much danger are in store for the brothers. “In Exchange Of Life” ISBN: 1410750191 · Father Joe Gramel, a Catholic priest and pastor of a small South Carolina congregation, is devastated, learning that his only niece of sixteen, died from a drug overdose in New York. Fr. Joe, determined to right a wrong, he tries to infiltrate the drug scene in NY, finding who was responsible for killing his niece. “Awesome Success Principles and Quotations” ISBN: 1496928822 · In this age of hustle and bustle and stress filled days, the never ending question is: How can I ever get ahead and rise to the top? Welcome to the latest motivator that will help you to stand out from the crowd, change your life, your attitude, and maintain a newfound uniqueness that will last a lifetime. Awesome Success Principles and Quotations will encourage you through real life examples from many of the truly successful that have excelled in their chosen fields. ++++JOHN PAUL CARINCI DISCOUNTED BOOK ORDER FORM++++ TO BUY * special DISCOUNTED” * SIGNED COPIES FILL OUT ORDER FORM: Send me ___ copies of “AN ALL-CONSUMING DESIRE TO SUCCEED” ** ____ copies of “THE POWER OF BEING DIFFERENT” Send me ___ copies of “BETTER OFF DEAD” ** _____copies of “BETTER OFF DEAD IN PARADISE” Send me ___ copies of "IN EXCHANGE OF LIFE" ** ____ copies of the novel: "A SECOND CHANCE" Send me ___ copies of “THE PSYCHIC BOY DETECTIVE” ** ____ copies of “DEFYING DEATH IN HAGERSTOWN” Send me ___ copies of “AWESOME SUCCESS PRINCIPLES and QOTATIONS” At The Signed By Author Price Of $9.95 ea. INCLUDES free shipping AND TAX. ****** Make check payable to: B.O.D. PRODUCTIONS, P.O. BOX 120332, S.I. N.Y. 10312-0332 Name: _______________________________________ Address: __________________________________, _______________________ , _____________ Tel: _________________ John Paul Carinci B.O.D. PRODUCTIONS, P.O. BOX 120332, S.I. N.Y. 10312-0332 www.johncarinci.com

TWO BRAND NEW BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

JOHN PAUL CARINCI'S TWO NEW BOOKS On AMAZON Are Live NOW!- purchase links included below: ** LINKS below to leave a small review or purchase the NEW books. REVIEW Link 1: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B00MRLXK9S&channel=reviews-product&nodeID=&ref_=cm_r_pr_wr_but_top# "Awesome Success Principles and Quotations" info.: "In this age of hustle and bustle and stress filled days, the never ending question is: How can I ever get ahead and rise to the top? Welcome to the latest motivator that will help you to stand out from the crowd, change your life, your attitude, and maintain a newfound uniqueness that will last a lifetime. Awesome Success Principles and Quotations will encourage you through real life examples from many of the truly successful that have excelled in their chosen fields. Together we will analyze the principles that help the top achievers who have ignored the negatives to rise to the top. Along with the finest quotations of all time you will feel like you have a friend that will encourage you on to your own greatness. Start today to change your life with some of the following lessons in success: • The Magic Of Believing • Faith • Understanding The Mind • Affirmations For Success • Enthusiasm • Hope • Vision And Determination • The Will To Succeed And Change" *********** REVIEW Link 1: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B00MRLXK9S&channel=reviews-product&nodeID=&ref_=cm_cr_pr_wr_but_top# PURCHASE LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Awesome-Success-Principles-Quotations-Carinci-ebook/dp/B00MRLXK9S/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1416446840&sr=1-1&keywords=carinci *********** "Defying Death in Hagerstown" INFO: Louis Gerhani is a hard drinking, heartbroken, newspaper reporter for the Washington Gazette. He is disinterested in life after his fiancé left him for a doctor, and his final assignment in order to retain his job is to write a full story on Lolita Croome, an 110 year old, philosophical woman, and the oldest living person in the country, who resides in a nursing home in Hagerstown Maryland. As he reluctantly begins the assignment, he uncovers a 90 year old unsolved triple murder of three young women, that Lolita lived through, and a full diary from Lolita from 1923, the year of the murders. Consumed with solving the murders, turning out the story of a lifetime, and using the diary, Lou begins to wake a sleeping giant that someone is clearly trying to keep unsolved at all costs. Major violence erupts in this quiet town as Lou tries desperately to stay alive, finish the story, solve the murders, fall in love, and learn from a very wise, old woman. Defying Death In Hagerstown is the page turner on the century. REVIEW LINK 2: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=B00ODIC26K&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=&ref_=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_wr_link# PURCHASE LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Defying-Death-Hagerstown-Morgan-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00ODIC26K/ref=sr_1_3_twi_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1416446840&sr=1-3&keywords=carinci http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=john+carinci&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Ajohn+carinci

AN AMAZING AND TOUCHING BOOK!!!

Amazon Editorial Reviews of: "DEFYING DEATH IN HAGERSTOWN" *Review: "John Paul Carinci delivers yet another top-notch thriller! Defying Death in Hagerstown is a compelling and authentic exposition of the classic murder mystery. It has everything--shocking crime, compelling characters and a clever, clever plot. Get ready to stay up all night!" ~Brien Jones, author of The New Manuscript and Mammoth Hunt. "A Masterful Book. John Paul Carinci writes with beauty and elegance of one man's journey from hopelessness to the miracle of life. An amazing read you'll remember for its mystery and wonder long after its ending!" Ellen Marie George, author of Flutterby, and the upcoming book, THIRST “I am blown away! This was a great read. You have a special gift with creating characters that live and breathe.” Carol Rehman author, entrepreneur *Book Description: Louis Gerhani is a hard drinking, heartbroken, newspaper reporter for the Washington Gazette. He is disinterested in life after his fiancé left him for a doctor, and his final assignment in order to retain his job is to write a full story on Lolita Croome, an 110 year old, philosophical woman, and the oldest living person in the country, who resides in a nursing home in Hagerstown Maryland. As he reluctantly begins the assignment, he uncovers a 90 year old unsolved triple murder of three young women, that Lolita lived through, and a full diary from Lolita from 1923, the year of the murders. Consumed with solving the murders, turning out the story of a lifetime, and using the diary, Lou begins to wake a sleeping giant that someone is clearly trying to keep unsolved at all costs. Major violence erupts in this quiet town as Lou tries desperately to stay alive, finish the story, solve the murders, fall in love, and learn from a very wise, old woman. Defying Death In Hagerstown is the page turner on the century. *About the Author: John Paul Carinci has been a successful insurance executive and president of Carinci Insurance Agency, Inc., for over 35 years. John is also an author, songwriter, poet, and CEO of Better Off Dead Productions. Some of John’s books include: "An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed," "The Power of Being Different," "In Exchange of Life," "Share Your Mission #5," "A Second Chance," "The Psychic Boy Detective," "Better Off Dead," "Better Off Dead In Paradise," "Defying Death In Hagerstown," and "A Gift from Above." John has given over 100 radio and television interviews over the past 15 years. *Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. “Sergeant, who is this Billy Blaine character?” I asked. “Blaine is a young career criminal. All small stuff—assault and battery, larceny, harassment, and stalking. But never any killing. There are no ties between him and Hagerstown at all. He’s been in and out of prison since age seventeen, never holds down a job, but never shot up a gas station and police officer before. So, he’s now graduated to a new level of threat and is armed and now extremely dangerous. “Why me?” “Well, he clearly thinks you have leads on the murders of 1923, and he is either protecting someone connected somehow to the murders, or someone hired him to take you out. Keep in mind that he isn’t trying to spook you; rather, he wants you six feet under. And remember, Felicia may also be a target, and anyone else you chum up with until you come to your senses and leave us all alone in our normally boring little town. Either you are very stupid or you want to be a front-page martyr in your own newspaper. But stop risking other people’s lives in Hagerstown!” “I’ll be gone soon, Sarge.” “Maybe in a body bag,” he laughed coldly. “Well, I want to get on the road to the farm, if it’s all right with you.” “Not so fast, bubba. We have to look that car of yours over real well before you take off in it.” "What?” “You heard me right. To a killer, that car could be an extended weapon. A way for them to murder you without touching you directly.” “I see.” “I don’t think you really do, but I’ll explain on the way.” The sergeant explained that killers can rig a car to blow up when the ignition switch is activated. “Okay, my car is right in back of the hotel, in the parking lot. It’s the red Malibu late model with some damage on the bumper.” “Oh, you’re a drunk driver, too?” “Not exactly, though I do drink a little too much. No, I got rear-ended by a Lincoln Navigator the other day.” “Oh, so you’re one of those heavy-footed brake drivers?” “You think I stopped short and caused my own accident? What, are you crazy?” I yelled, now frustrated. The sergeant made his way over to my car and started to get under it and look around. He walked all around the car, noticing the damage from the accident, then looked me up and down, sizing me up. “Okay, it was my fault, the accident,” I laughed. He squinted at me, then moved on. For a solid five minutes he inspected my car, opening the doors, looking inside and under the seats. He popped the hood and looked at everything inside. “See, I told you everything is fine, Sergeant,” I said. “Who wants to screw around with a Chevy Malibu?” The sergeant promptly radioed in a request for a tow truck to pick up the car. “Oh, hold on there, Sergeant Pawler. You can’t do that!” “Oh, please excuse me, Mr. Gerhani,” he said sarcastically. “Listen here, Gerhani, I am ordered by Captain Krolm to keep your ass safe. It’s not something I want to do, but I must. So, until you take your sorry ass out of my town and go back to the most corrupt city in the world, you’re stuck with me. Get it?” he snarled. “Oh, I got it, all right!” In five minutes the tow truck pulled up. I realized it was Wally from Wally’s, the station he owns, and where Brian was hurt by Billy Blaine. “Are you in trouble again?” Wally joked. “What, are you stuck?” Pawler took control of the conversation, and Wally quickly attached my car to the lift on the tow truck. “Sergeant, I’ll give it a good going-over back at the shop. We’ll see if anything is out of whack,” Wally said. We drove behind Wally back to the station, where he had my car up on the lift within a few minutes. The station was relatively empty except for the occasional gas customer passing through. It was nice to see that Brian Fawlta, the gas station attendant, had returned to work. He told me that he was back to normal except for a large bump on the back of his head that was taking its time to go away. “How’s the story going?” he asked excitedly. I told him very little, mostly just about Lolita and the nursing home. “I never went in that nursing home yet,” he said. All I could do was be happy for Brian because a nursing home can be a very depressing place to visit. The residents are making the best of the hand they have been dealt in life, but being exposed to all that sickness, I feel, can be deflating to young people who are always so gung-ho about life. On the other hand, some people feel that young people should be exposed to the sick and elderly in order to be awakened to the brevity of life and encouraged to make the most of their time. Isn’t it great that there are always at least two points of view for any scenario? Strong arguments for any side you may be taking. Wally worked at inspecting my car as if the president were going to be riding in it, while Pawler looked on and Brian bent my ear. “So, how long you staying? Oh, and I heard there was a shooting at the police station by that Billy Blaine creep.” “Yeah, Brian, you believe that hard-on, Blaine, shooting an officer in the station house? That’s real big balls!” “It’s all been in the papers, you know. Shame you didn’t write the stories. They even wrote about someone trying to run you down. Think it was Blaine, Lou?” We spoke for a few minutes more. I found out that Brian was going to night school. He wanted to be an architect. I commended him on his choice, telling him to stick it out and that it is far better to choose a career that uses your brain rather than your body, as a body will break down and become less reliable as one ages; eventually it’ll get hard to continue with merely muscle instead of brains. He listened intently, again putting me on a pedestal, as many in his town had done. Except, of course, for Billy Blaine and the town’s law enforcement. Wally had motioned for Pawler and me to come closer, underneath the car raised on the lift. I looked first at the lift, then at my car, and then I slowly made my way under the middle of the raised vehicle. I was always paranoid about extremely heavy objects raised right above my head. I hoped Wally would talk fast. I couldn’t take another hit in the head, I thought. “Lou,” Wally began, “someone clearly wants you dead. I’ve seen many instances of someone putting the fear of God in someone by modifying and rigging something on a person’s vehicle, but here someone wanted to do you in for sure!” “So, Sergeant Pawler was correct,” I said, as I looked apologetically at Pawler, then at Wally, and waited. “Oh, he was right on!” Wally smiled. “Gerhani, I thought back at the hotel parking lot I saw a drop of brake fluid on a rear brake line, so as a precaution I had the vehicle pulled in without anyone starting it up,” Pawler said." ****FREE PAPERBACK TO THE FIRST FIVE PEOPLE THAT EMAIL JOHN CARINCI****

John Paul Carinci's amazing story inspired and amazing!

5.0 out of 5 stars John Paul Carinci's amazing story inspired and amazing!, November 16, 2014 This review is from: Defying Death in Hagerstown (Morgan James Fiction) (Kindle Edition) John Paul Carinci is a masterful writer. Whether reading his non-fiction self-help books, or reading his fiction, you marvel what an amazing man writes these works. To read his books is a pleasure and obtain his insight. In Defying Death at Hagerstown, you see his touch in this intriguing book. The amazing part-Mr. Carinci bought a diary off of eBay, and the genus of this story. Louis Gerhani is a washed out writer working for the famed Washington Gazette. His life has taken a bad turn and he is heartbroken and trying to drink his problems away. He is given another chance by his editor - to write a feature article about a 110 year old woman in Hagerstown, Lolita Croome. She is a spry beautiful soul who shows Louis her journal from her youth. There he finds during her twenties, there was a serial murder, killing young women. He starts asking questions, and starts to get threats and real dangerous situations. Someone doesn't want these murders come to the limelight. Where there's smoke, there is a BIG fire still smoldering. Defying Death in Hagerstown is not only a story of a sweet little old lady - it is a murder mystery- BUT it is the redemption of a good man who helps Lolita, and by doing so, saves himself. Layer on layer, Mr. Carinci takes us on a journey of mystery and a story of one man's reaching out and by doing so,changes his entire world. This is a tour de force for John Paul Carinci! Any book of his you learn. This book will open your heart. Ellen George, author of the children's book Flutterby; author of poetry and short stories, an Amazon reviewer, and is now writing her first full length novel.

Understanding the Brain Better

The human brain is a remarkable organ. I have thought long and hard that one day a human brain can be harvested out of a dying body and made to think and communicate in some form. Many experts say that the brain is one of the most complicated things available to mankind. So, little is really know, even to this day, about the real workings of the human brain. It has been estimated that the brain can process information in speeds as fast as 268 miles per hour. Researchers have found that those who are clinically depressed have abnormal levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, important brain chemicals. It is noted that flaws in serotonin levels have been linked to suicide attempts and aggression. The human brain produces over sixty different kinds of chemicals, and there are about 100,000 chemical reactions that happen in the brain every second The important thing to remember is this: the thoughts we have, the food we eat, and the drugs we take all have an effect on the chemicals in our brains. There was a study done on the brain and pain by a dental university, where volunteers were subjected with jaw pain, and carefully monitored for release of brain chemicals, and then measured for pain relief. Those volunteers who had pain introduced to their jaws, were shown to have released chemicals in response to the pain. The brain chemistry response to the subjected pain was strongest in the brain regions where sensation and emotion are rooted. So, then, why can’t we control pain more easily with the power of our subconscious minds? Why can’t we train our brains to turn off the pain receptors in a given part of our bodies? What if we try to feed the subconscious mind instructions and commands, on a consistent and believable basis, to improve chronic pain? Is it possible? I say yes! Let’s try a few self-suggestion statements I would use: “My mind controls the body, so I know my mind can control my pain, therefore I command you to stop the pain in my knee by releasing the proper mixture of chemicals.” This was just a sample that I would use in my own case. You can use something like: “The pain in my back can be relieved by my brain, and I am asking my brain to release the pain relief that will help my back.” I believe that if one were to work on it long and hard, they could control most, if not all of their chronic pain. I wish there was a current study that we could review now. “I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it—there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.” —Arthur Conan Doyle “The companies that survive longest are the ones that work out what they uniquely can give to the world—not just growth or money but their excellence, their respect for others, or their ability to make people happy. Some call those things a soul.” —Charles Handy “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” —T. E. Lawrence Life with No Regrets Each morning, I awake to the light that shines through a large six foot Palladian window in my bedroom. While in my bed and slowly waking to the new day, I repeat the same following statement, “Thank you, Lord, for this glorious and new day. I don’t know why I have been given this gift of a new day when others, far smarter and more gifted than I have been taken away from this world. Others, who have contributed much more to mankind than I have not been offered this precious day. “I vow to make the most of this new and exciting day. I will not waste this special gift you have given. I vow also to be kinder and gentler to all I see today. I will do more today than yesterday. I know that tomorrow is not guaranteed to the richest king, so I must work with what I have. I will not let you down, Lord, in giving me this new day of life. This will be the best day of my life. And, if I’m fortunate to have another day, I vow that it will be even better.” There are more positive self-suggestions for your subconscious. Always try to keep your brain working on the positive. Never stop the positive statements. The fear of wasting my God-given talents drives me forward and keeps me wanting to be productive and successful. Mitch Albom wrote a wonderful non-fiction book called Tuesdays with Morrie. It touched me very deeply, so much so, that I had to reread it several times. I learned so much by delving into the mind of a 78-year-old professor, Morrie, dealing with the death sentence he faced, fighting ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Morrie, in the book, explains life and its wonders to us as he faces death with dignity. In the following excerpt from the book, Morrie is asked about dealing with growing old: “Weren’t you ever afraid to grow old, I asked.” “Mitch, I embrace aging.” “Embrace it?” “It’s very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you’d always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It’s growth. It’s also the positive that you understand you’re going to die, and that you live a better life because of it.” “Yes,”, I said, “but if aging were so valuable, why do people always say, “Oh, if I were young again.” You never hear people say, “I wish I were sixty-five.” He smiled. “You know what that reflects? Unsatisfied lives. Lives that haven’t found meaning. Because if you’ve found meaning in your life, you don’t want to go back. You want to go forward. You want to see more, do more. You can’t wait until sixty-five.” What a wakeup call after reading Morrie’s words. I also saw the movie about Morrie. My neighbor, directly across the street from me, died from ALS disease. The man was in his sixties, and worked tirelessly around his home. When I insured his life with a life insurance policy he was given the best rating for health that anyone could receive. So it was a complete shock for me to find out years later that this man had a death sentence of ALS. I watched him slowly die, and his body parts stop working one after the other. I could see him being wheeled in and out of his home daily from my office window across the street. Within two years he passed on. The only thing that he could do in his last days was to speak. It woke me up to appreciate life as a blessing, not a right. It made me accelerate my efforts towards writing, business, life, and vacation time. No matter what medical procedure they tried for my neighbor, nothing ever worked. I witnessed the destruction of a very strong man, slowly wasted down to nothing. Life, I believe, shows us these sad things, as a way to wake us up, and motivate us to act now. My goal here is to motivate you to act now, help yourself, and help motivate others. I feel that enthusiasm is contagious, and when you work at motivating someone else to help themself, you actually help yourself. So try to help someone in need today, someone who may not be able to easily help themselves at that particular moment due to many reasons. C-2014 JOHN PAUL CARINCI http://www.amazon.com/Awesome-Success-Principles-Quotations-Carinci-ebook/dp/B00MRLXK9S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416170774&sr=1-2&keywords=carinci

Excerpt From The New Action Adventure : DEFYING DEATH IN HAGERSTOWN

(excerpt from the new action novel: “Defying Death In Hagerstown”: As I exited the news building, the day’s activity and stress finally hit me. I was exhausted, mentally more than physically. My legs felt like they had heavy weights attached, and my back felt like I had just played a full game of football against the Dallas Cowboys. The air was warm and breezy as I crossed the street to where my car was parked. My mind was working overtime in calculations and thoughts of the entire day, of murder victims, of Lolita, and my newfound acquaintances who had been so helpful in my investigation. As I crossed the empty and dead-quiet street, a dark car suddenly swerved toward me with a screech of tires that shocked me to attention. My eyes quickly focused on the vehicle, tires smoking as it raced right at me. The split second I had to think convinced me that I was a dead man. My first reaction was to run, but tired feet cannot outrun a car gunned full-out with a head of steam. Before I could move a muscle, I heard a loud slapping sound of hands, arms, body; I saw bright lights . . . and then total blackness. It’s amazing how fast a calculation the human brain can make in a life-or-death situation, convincing the person in that tenth of a second that their chances of surviving their current severe situation are almost zero percent. My situation was no different. My mind came up with me hitting a half-billion-dollar lottery faster than surviving that oncoming car. The darkness quickly turned bright, and I saw my mother and deceased father as they looked when they had just been married. They were smiling at me as they were illuminated in very bright light, as if a spotlight was shining on them. All I could do was stare. No words were spoken; there was just brightness, happiness, calmness, and peace— perfectly quiet peace. Heavenly, I thought, and then, Me? Heaven? Now? No way! But if this isn’t heaven, what is it? We all hear about tunnels of bright light, of relatives greeting the new arrivals, and some convincing the person who’s near death that it isn’t their time yet and they must go back. I waited, but there was no sign, no communication, no tunnel, and no movement. Just peace and quiet like I’d never experienced before. Then suddenly, the bright light grew brighter, blinding, as my parents disappeared and were replaced with just pure light. I wasn’t scared or worried about hell or heaven. I didn’t want to wake up, or go back home, or do anything but bask in the glorious bright light and perfect silence—a silence I had always yearned for but had never found, a silence that solved all the problems of the world. Maybe this is it! I thought, hoping that heaven was waiting for me. But suddenly I heard a noise that shattered the silence, though I couldn’t decipher the sounds or even where they were coming from. They grew louder, and the light grew intensely bright in my eyes. Louder still, a man’s voice spoke: “Okay . . . it’s okay . . . .” My eyes slowly opened and focused on a man with a beard—a doctor. C-2014 John Paul Carinci from Defying Death In Hagerstown http://www.amazon.com/Defying-Death-Hagerstown-Morgan-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00ODIC26K/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1415330029&sr=1-3&keywords=carinci

excerpt from the self help book: Awesome Success Principles and Quotations) Never Lose Your Hope and Faith Hope is that precious commodity that can fuel our drive. It can give us the intense courage to persevere through any struggle. In 1994 Sara Eberhardt was a three year old girl. Her mother had taken the little girl to her doctor for a checkup. The doctor gave the mother some very bad news. The doctor diagnosed the girl with cancer in both of her kidneys. But because of advances in medical technology, and specifically in cancer treatments, this little girl was given a special new form of chemotherapy, administered through a port just above her heart. The girl received a mind boggling 65 weeks of chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and also a surgery to remove a kidney. But amazingly this girl beat the cancer and thrived. Many years later the survivor is a senior at Winona State University in Minnesota, and an outstanding volunteer for Relay For Life. She said: “From the little girl who was diagnosed with kidney cancer, to the strong-willed American Cancer Society volunteer I am today. I’m standing tall, as an 18-year cancer survivor, ready to finish the fight against cancer!” Hospital Window “Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They began by telling each other about their illnesses but, eventually, their talks became more intimate as they spoke of their wives and families, their homes, jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation and other personal matters. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. “This window overlooks a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans play on the water while children sail their model boats.” the man by the window said. “Young lovers walk arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline can be seen in the distance.” While the man by the window described this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. His smile growing with every new piece of detail told to him. One afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although, the other man couldn’t hear the band, any commotion or excitement --- he could see it. In his mind’s eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months went by as this became a daily routine. Small chitchat and an hour of the view of the outside world. One morning, the day nurse entered the room to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened but called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she began straightening up the room. Slowly and painfully, the man propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside that he had heard so much about. He strained to slowly look out the window. It faced a blank wall. The man was confused and somewhat disappointed. He looked forward to seeing all the wonderful things his roommate had described to him. The park, the lake, the ducks, and swans. None of that could be seen from the bedside window. Feeling a little frustrated the man asked the nurse, “What could have compelled my roommate to lie to me like he did? He described such wonderful things outside this window but nothing he spoke of can be seen. All that is visible is that ugly grey blank wall. Why did he lie to me?” “Didn’t he tell you?” the nurse responded, “He was blind so he couldn’t see the wall. But maybe he described such wonderful things because they were visions in his mind and he wanted to encourage you?’ The man laid back on his bed and let out a sigh as he softly said, “Yes, that he did.” Then he whispered to himself, “Thank you for sharing your wonderful world, my friend.” --Author Unknown “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.” --Romans 12.8 “I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” --Robert Fulghum On the subject of hope and happiness, in his book, Long Time No See, Dr. No-Yong Park writes, “Here’s a statement of what a Korean boy thought happiness meant to him. It appeared in one of Abigail Van Buren’s columns: ‘Happiness is no longer having to roam the streets of Seoul, begging for food, sleeping in doorways and under bridges or being cold, hungry or dirty. Happiness is having an American believe in me enough to take me in, give me my first real meal in years, buy my first pair of socks, and leather shoes, and underwear, and give me a bed where I could sleep between sheets, let me see my first TV and give me the first security I have ever known. Happiness means being adopted and coming to the United States. Happiness is the opportunity to attend school again for the first time in three years. Happiness is becoming an American citizen and making my new parents proud of me.’” “When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope.” --Pittacus Lore I Wanted To Change the World “When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.” --Author: unknown monk around 1100 AD “Hope knows no fear. Hope dares to blossom even inside the abysmal abyss. Hope secretly feeds and strengthens promise.” --Sri Chinmoy Thomas Edison Edison had a great quote that most people never read. When interviewed by Success Magazine in 1898 Thomas Edison was asked, “What’s the first requisite for success?” And Edison answered this way: “The ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary. You do something all day long, don’t you? Everyone does. If you get up at 7 a.m. and go to bed at 11 p.m., you have put in 16 good hours, and it is certain with most men that they have been doing something all the time. The only trouble is that they do it about a great many things and I do it about one. If they took the time in question and applied it in one direction, to one object they would succeed.” Dorothea Brand, author of Wake Up and Live, said, “All that is necessary to break the spell of frustration and inertia is this, act as if it were impossible to fail. That’s the talisman, the formula, the right about face that runs us from failure to success.” W. Clement Stone said, “Do what you’re afraid to do. When you run away because you are afraid to do something big, you pass opportunity by.” “Many men fail because they quit too soon. They lose faith when the signs are against them. They do not have the courage to hold on, to keep fighting in spite of that which seems insurmountable. If more of us would strike out and attempt the ‘impossible’, we very soon would find the truth of that old saw that nothing is impossible.... Abolish fear and you can accomplish anything you wish.” --Dr. C.E. Welch C-2014 John Paul Carinci from the book AWESOME SUCCESS PRINCIPLES http://www.amazon.com/Awesome-Success-Principles-Quotations-Carinci-ebook/dp/B00MRLXK9S/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415200704&sr=1-9&keywords=john+paul+carinci