MY HANDPRINT

 By Dennis Lantz Libraries opened my eyes to different worlds. Their books cultivated my imagination, each one a key to some reality different than my own. They were my citadels and my refuge. They fed my soul. I spent hours scouring the back rooms, surveying each and every aisle. As I became older I discovered that the non-fiction sections were just as full of wonder as the fiction. So many books brought happiness to me and, now that I am a published author, I hope my stories bring the same joy and inspiration to others. Libraries are the perfect place for that to happen. My Library Project, which includes donations to several local libraries, has begun. My novels, Zander's Tale , The Spiders of Eden and Pine Street and the Mighty Mutation Circus can now be borrowed from the Spalding Memorial Library in Athens, Pennsylvania. A special thanks to library director, Tiffany Robbins. This is the first step. My ultimate goal is to get my books into every library in America…...

By Dennis Lantz Who do you trust? Have you lost faith in the fundamental institutions that make up our culture? Could a deterioration of trust cause our society’s collapse? Can we reverse the trend and save ourselves? I find myself contemplating these questions. If lack of trust is America’s most pressing problem, what is the solution?    The definition of trust: to believe in the reliability, ability, strength or truth of someone or something. That sounds vague, but really isn’t. Someone can be another person or yourself. Something can be many things, i.e. an institution, company, animal or idea. Intuitively we know what trust is and understand the value it has in our lives. Our world is becoming devoid of trust. We are bombarded with so much contradictory information that it is impossible not to be confused. The result is societal chaos. Destroying trust takes far less time and energy than building it. Unfortunately, we are in a position that we need to rebuild. Can ...

By Dennis Lantz Passing on information to future generations is part of the human experience. We hand down our words, stories, values, actions and deeds to those who come after us. As technology advances, so do our legacies. Anyone who has seen cycles of violence and despair worm their way from one generation to the next knows that bad choices are just as easily passed along as good. My goal is to focus on the good. The human endeavor is like building a mound with mixed sand and stone. Each generation continues the construction process and adds to the successes of those that came before. Sometimes we sink a little because we do not learn the lessons of the past, but generally we continue to climb higher. When I started MY HANDPRINT , I wanted to share the beautiful parts of life… and there are many. I hoped to perpetuate the love and kindness that I have been given. I longed to show that the light we seek is worthy of our time. Focus your attention on what can be and the circum...

By Dennis Lantz The Library of Self-Reliance is about creating connections and improving communities. Obviously it is about self-reliance, independence and learning new skills. But it is also about sharing information and supporting each other. Today, in this article, we will look at the psychology behind the LOSR, ponder the first steps and note the reasons for its establishment. Humans are social animals. We thrive when we are connected to others of like mind, spirit and emotion. We are simple in needs, but complex in desires and abilities. That we can experience the power of love, the depth of joy, the comfort of peace and the life-directing force of purpose makes us unique among species, but we aren’t the only ones worthy of life. All are worthy. Social norms swing like pendulums and basic ideas come and go in natural cycles. One generation will view the world a particular way… and just a few years later, the next generation will look at it differently. This decade we will fo...

By Dennis Lantz I've had many people ask me questions about my books... and I enjoy talking about them. Because I live in a rural area with unreliable wifi connections, I can't do a Facebook live Q&A event. This is the closest I can come. (I answered the following questions as if I were responding to such a format.)   If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. Has any author ever published three ‘debut’ novels practically all at once? I don’t know. It’s definitely not common. It’s likely someone has self-published their first three novels at once. Or put out three children’s books or short stories or novellas. But having my first three novels come out within weeks of each other is quite exciting. I'm proud of it.  Many authors have published two or three novels at the same time, but they usually use pseudonyms for some of them. Publishers used to do only one book per author per year because they didn’t want to saturate the market or burden the rea...

By Dennis Lantz I almost always look at reviews before making on-line purchases. It’s not that I am interested in other people’s opinions… I just don’t want to waste my time or money on a faulty or unsatisfying product. Not all reviews are helpful or even believable, of course. Some are obviously posted by the manufacturer or by a paid source… and others seem to be written by disgruntled, unhappy people. Working in retail, I understand grumpy customers. Many of these are extremely willing to voice their opinion on many topics. I generally disregard reviews I think are obviously too good or too bad, though I tend to believe the worst ones more than the best. I read them all. Book reviews are a bit different. For me, prior to buying, the back or inside covers are more beneficial than the reviews. Then, after I have read the book, I check out the reviews to see if I agree or not. Not everyone is like me though. Reviews for my books have been slowly forthcoming. I appreciate th...