In her galvanizing new book, A.C.E.S. - Adult-Child Entitlement Syndrome, Barbara Jaurequi provides a thorough and enlightening description of A.C.E.S., a widespread family dilemma in the United States today. Ms. Jaurequi developed her theory of A.C.E.S. through her successful work with hundreds of married couples and their Living-At-Home adult-children. Her book delivers an easy-to-understand, explicit step-by-step guide on how to compassionately compel adult-children to move out of their childhood homes and into the world of personal responsibility once and for all Through the application of a thoughtfully crafted program that will empower their adult-children to discover and achieve personal independence, couples will ultimately learn how to re-focus their attention away from their adult-children and onto other neglected areas of married life, thereby enabling them to enjoy their marital relationships as never before. This is a provocative, compelling, and particularly timely work that is sure to intrigue readers as they recognize the presence of the syndrome in their own families. A.C.E.S. - Adult-Child Entitlement Syndrome is surely one of the most important contributions to Family Systems Theory to come along in decades.

The teacher in this story was a short stocky lady, who, though mentally challenged had an uncanny ability to teach. She could not, or rather would not carry a conversation, but she did have the tenacity to cause those around her to learn whatever she was teaching: What she wished to eat; where she wanted to go; who would be her companion. Her name was Cheryl. Cheryl's mother, Beverly, was 39 when she took a tumble down a flights of steps while exiting a building where she had been the evenings keynote speaker. That fall did not show the full penalty immediately. It would be three more years before Beverly would be diagnosed as having Multiple Sclerosis. That disease would take everything from her.

Dorothy has inherited millions as well as her family estate, a haven from her childhood, but will she refuse her inheritance? The will stipulates that she must care for her mentally ill mother, a difficult person whom she blames for ruining her marriage. A handsome cousin by marriage, who was the object of her childhood affection, comes back into her life to play the role of "kissing cousin." In addition, her ex-husband appears as she copes with eerie threats, the kidnapping of her child, and ultimately, murder. Set in the fifties and early sixties, before the use of cell phones and personal computers, this novel will appeal to those who might enjoy a trip to a simpler age. Some things, however, never change, such as romance, mystery, and family dynamics.

"Writers On The Edge" offers a range of essays, memoirs and poetry written by major contemporary authors who bring fresh insight into the dark world of addiction, from drugs and alcohol, to sex, gambling and food. Editors Diana M. Raab and James Brown have assembled an array of talented and courageous writers who share their stories with heartbreaking honesty as they share their obsessions as well as the awe-inspiring power of hope and redemption.
"Open to any piece in this collection, and the scalding, unflinching, overwhelming truths within will shine light on places most people never look. Anyone who reads this book, be they users or used, will put it down changed. And when they raise their eyes from the very last page, the world they see may be redeemed, as well." --Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight
CONTRIBUTORS: Frederick & Steven Barthelme, Kera Bolonik, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Maud Casey, Anna David, Denise Duhamel, B.H. Fairchild, Ruth Fowler, David Huddle Perie Longo, Gregory Orr, Victoria Patterson, Molly Peacock, Scott Russell Sanders, Stephen Jay Schwartz, Linda Gray Sexton, Sue William Silverman, Chase Twichell, and Rachel Yoder
About the Editors
Diana M. Raab, an award-winning memoirist and poet, is author of six books including "Healing With Words" and "Regina's Closet." She's an advocate of the healing power of writing and teaches nation-wide workshops and in the UCLA Extension Writers' Program.
James Brown, a recovering alcoholic and addict, is the author of the memoirs, " The Los Angeles Diaries" and "This River." He is Professor of English in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at California State University, San Bernardino.
From the Reflections of America Series
Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com
SEL006000 Self-Help: Substance Abuse & Addictions - Alcoholism
SEL003000 Self-Help: Adult Children of Alcoholics
PSY038000 Psychology: Psychopathology - Addiction

"Think about it. In order to be grandmothers we once had to be mothers. After giving birth, we, as the mothers, were responsible for our baby's/child's well being. As grandmothers, on the other hand, we have choices. Our roles are open for interpretation and conscious choices. When I became a grandmother, and even when my daughters-in-law were pregnant, I made a conscious decision to be an involved grandmother, one of the caretakers or a Granny-Nanny.

I was sure that helping out and taking care of a baby would be easy like getting back on a bicycle after a twenty-year lapse. Oh, how wrong I was. There are new rules, new products, new findings and plenty of taboos. How did my three children ever survive their hazardous childhoods?"

Parenting rules have gone through some serious revisions since author Lois Young-Tulin raised her kids. In her helpful guide, "The Granny Nanny," Young-Tulin offers a unique opportunity for today's grandmas to hone their skills and learn the twenty principles for successful grandmothering in a modern world.

“I saw my mommy walking to the court with a hoodie on and a scarf covering her face. She looked almost like someone that was poor. People were cursing at her… and that broke me. This is the woman who was there for me every day, making lunch for me and my friends when we came from school, and now here she is on television being called a criminal.”

The kidnapping of baby Zephany Nurse from the cot beside her mother’s hospital bed made headline news. Desperate pleas from her parents to return her safely went unanswered. There was no trace of the baby. For 17 years, on her birthday, the Nurse family lit candles and hoped and prayed.

Living not far away from the Nurses, 17-year-old Miché Solomon had just started Matric. She had a boyfriend. She had devoted parents. She was thinking about the upcoming school dance and the dress her mother was going to make for her. She had no idea that a new girl at her school, who bore an uncanny resemblance to her, and a DNA test would shake her world to its foundations.

Miché is now 22. This is her story – for the first time in her own words. Told with astonishing maturity, honesty and compassion, it is also a story of what it means to love and be loved, and of claiming your identity.