The life and times of Moony Shapiro, a songwriter who survived 69 years of whatever the 20th century might throw at him. This fictitious songwriter and his music provide an ideal spoof of musical revues.

Ink-Smudged Dreams- by the Reading Light’ is a collection of poems. Poems that reflect the many facets of my life: maybe any woman’s life. Certain moments, fleeting experiences, lasting impressions, unknown anxieties, silly apprehensions, humble realization, intense joys and every hurt felt; these are the poems’ moods . And above all a growing perception that life is not about tomorrow: it is about today. But all these are not my consciously addressed ideas. Each day, they have gently enfolded me. Then in the quiet of the night, I would sit down and pour my heart out on paper. Drowsy, blurred, and very close to my heart. These are those ink-smudged dreams by the reading light. - DEBALEENA MUKHERJEE

This book is a collection of poems dealing with the author’s own personal reflections about life. They are works of encouragement, faith, and social consciousness meant to uplift the reader in their daily walk through their own individual journey. They were written as a message of hope for the trying times in which we currently find ourselves.

Readers related to the characters in the stories - some readers might even be surprised that the story is about them.

"THE TIME OF MY LIVES" Lived and Written by J.M.Valente "A Life Accelerated" What you are about to read, if you so choose to, is what Im able to reveal of my expedite life. You will have to envision for yourself, what I could not reveal. My life had started out ordinary enough, but very early on, I was tasked with a life altering challenge, being very young, I was not equipped to handle alone. Had it not been overcome, by anything short of a miracle! My life would not have been intuitively accelerated and transpired the way you shall be touched by it. J.M. Valente shares the unique circumstances that define a life accelerated as he tells all on the variously exciting experiences of his life in The Time of My Lives. In a gentle-mannered yet surprisingly riveting narrative, Valente pulls out all the stops, withholding only last names to affirm his awkward beginnings, early awakenings, and various endings. Join Valente on his journey back in time as he recalls polio at the age of three, to eventually walkbut not without embarrassing, taunt-provoking Forrest Gump leg braces. Get to the page-turning stretch of the memoir, when Valente begins discussion on his early initiation with the girls, losing his virginity at thirteen and engaging in booty calls beginning at fourteen. Throughout the memoir, he would continue to divulge juicy details on his sex and romantic life. However, Valente applies a well-placed pause on that salacious topic as he inserts a somber discussion about family life and their slow loss of his only brother to drugs that eventually got him killed in a car accident. Ultimately, Valentes quiet, sincere storytelling renews readers attention page after page, keeping them glued with a clever mix of persuasion, enticement, and brave honesty. Incorporated with songs that prolong the drama of each chapter of Valentes life, The Time of My Lives promises nothing less than an absolutely thrilling, thoroughly heartwarming experience. This book is FANTASTIC! It grabbed me from the start and just kept getting better, I found it very interesting and truthful, and I would recommend everyone male and female read this book, you will definitely discuss it with friends and family. Here at work we have formed a book club called The Good Books Club we look forward to meeting and discussing this book. It is absolutely a page-turner. Pamela Clements Beth Israel Hospital "The Good Books Club"-President