False Prophets, Tramps, & Thieves

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Summary: False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves Will Steal Your Heart
Review: False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves, by Laura and Lynda Campbell, will not only steal your heart but will open your eyes to an aspect of life about which not much is widely known. Anne Davis, the 22-year-old heroine, feels betrayed by her mother and has the courage to leave her home and find not only new horizons, but an entirely new way of life. Through her new job at a metaphysical bookstore and her employer Moonbeam, a tarot reader, Anne is exposed to tarot reading, drumming, voodoo, ritual chants, and meditation. She also meets a famous channeler, Fran Baker. Ms. Baker's followers believe in her totally and Anne finds herself drawn into the group. She is looking for answers to all the aspects of her life but I think Anne finds out that the answers to all our questions are already inside ourselves, not anyone else.

I liked False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves because of the different path taken by the ladies Campbell in the universal quest for self-knowledge. Anne Davis is young, plucky, and open to new ideas. She even has a great sense of humor. This is a heroine with whom we like to identify.

I hope to see more from Laura and Lynda Campbell in the future. I not only enjoyed the experience but learned from it, too. Who could ask for anything more?

Rating:
Summary: AN ENJOYABLE READ
Review: I AM ASHAMED TO SAY THAT I ACTUALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. WHAT IT LACKS IN DEPTH, IT MAKES UP FOR IN ENTERTAINMENT VALUE. I COULDN'T GET OVER THE IDEA THAT THE AUTHORS HAD A VENDETA AGAINST SOMEONE AND WERE USING THEIR BOOK AS A FORUM TO "GET EVEN". IF THEY HAVE A SEQUAL TO THIS BOOK I WILL READ IT.

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Summary: False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves - A WONDERFUL Read!
Review: I LOVED this book! If you are looking for a book to entertain you and escape from life, you will DEFINITELY enjoy this book!

Anne Davis goes on a wild and wonderful adventure that I would really enjoy being right there with her. It's all about finding yourself and learning about yourself. Plus, the title will have you singing for days.

ENJOY!

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable from 1st Page til Last!
Review: I loved this book! Kooky Anne Davis had me in stitches as she struggles to deal with an insidious lawsuit, a mother that seems to hate her, and off-the-wall new agers. When she aligns herself with channeler Fran Baker, it looks like everything will turn out alright--but that wouldn't be much fun would it? Anne, along with adorable surfer-dude Wolfe, go head-to-head with worldly and other worldly forces, get scratched and bruised along the way, but come out all the better for it. Can't wait for the next adventure!

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Summary: Fun, fast-paced, page-turner!!
Review: I was really drawn in by this book. I loved Anne's adventure and the nuts she meets and gets involved with. Dr. Reubin and his drumming circles was a hoot! It was fun to follow Anne on her journey trying to figure out what happened at Midhaven, while she does her best to improve her spiritual foundation. But, she's like a lot of us, putting all her faith in what sounds and looks good only to find out that she's been duped. I loved the Sedona trip and Wolfe's airhead philosophy. All in all a good time!

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Summary: A bizarre melding of fantastic events and real-life worries
Review: The collaborative effort of Laura dn Lynda Campbell, False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves is a bizarre melding of fantastic events and real-life worries. When an ordinary young woman suffers the brunt of an unjust [money amount]lawsuit, she must take to the road. Anne Davis searches for answers to the betrayal of her own family in new age counterculture, and walks the physical and spirit realms in this upbeat and recommended adventure flavored with a dash of romance and the drive to blaze new paths.

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Summary: A Fun and Refreshing Read !!
Review: This book was such a fun read. Even if you are not involved in metaphysics there is much to be enjoyed here. More than once I laughed until I cried. I found the characters very believable and the situations (for those of us involved in metaphysics) to be realistic. Although this book is fun, there are also object lessons not unlike those we have all experienced in our own lives. I really like Anne. She is a delightful character who has embarked on an adventure beyond her wildest imaginings and whose life will never be the same again. To relate to her and her situations was very easy. Go with the flow, follow intuition and know that all the right people will be in the right place at the right time, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. For those who are interested in reading a lighthearted metaphysical journey I strongly recommend this book.

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Summary: A wonderful reminder of my own early spiritual journey
Review: Twenty-two year old Anne Davis just found out, on her graduation day no less, that she is being sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Anne also discovers that her mother, Cat, is involved. Anne soon decides to leave Lake Winnemuc, and follow the lead of a highly symbolic spiritual dream. She heads for the New Age hub that is Southern California. Once there, Anne takes a job at a New Age bookstore called Mantra; she eventually meets and becomes a devotee of a Wiccan (i.e., Witchcraft) priestess who calls herself Moonbeam. In the search for deeper answers to her mother's betrayal, Anne meets many colorful and interesting characters.

I really enjoyed ANNE'S WAY because it sort of encapsulates an era of my life, ironically that era was during the late teens and early 20s, just as with Anne Davis. Though I certainly was not involved in any such intense litigation or public notoriety, I was in search of answers, and in my quest I came across many similarly colorful people. I used to "live" in metaphysical/New Age bookstores, particularly the now-closed Journeys Bookstore in Beaverton, Oregon, a store somewhat reminiscent of Mantra. It was there that I was first introduced to things like Wicca and tarot and spiritual readings. It was a time of excitement and discovery, and I learned many wonderful and enchanting lessons that are still with me to this day. One such lesson was that spiritual seekers are only people after all, with just as much ego and with the same capacity to betray. This is the lesson that Anne must learn as well. So her journey reminds me of my own. And I feel Anne's story may similarly resonate with others who find themselves, or have at one time found themselves, in the genre of recovery/spirituality known loosely as the "New Age."

ADDENDUM: [9/22/04] I spoke too soon when I wrote, "I certainly was not involved in any such intense litigation or public notoriety" as Anne. From age 21-23 I worked at and was involved with a church and retreat center called Living Enrichment Center, headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon. LEC, which was housed in a 10,000 square foot facility on 90 lush and wooded acres, boasted a congregation of about 2,000 and has hosted such internationally revered speakers as Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and Neale Donald Walsch (author of CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD).

LEC's head minister, Mary Manin Morrissey, has recently declared personal bankruptcy amid several lawsuits filed by former members of the congregation, and Morrissey has resigned from Living Enrichment Center. The church is in $10-$20 millions in debt (numbers vary according to the source). The church itself plans to declare bankruptcy at some point as well, and upon doing so, Living Enrichment Center will cease to exist. I myself am not personally "involved" in the situation, I'm not suing anyone or being sued, etc., but it is a bit surreal that this has happened so soon after having read ANNE'S WAY. It's almost like ANNE'S WAY and my review were prophetic.

I have started a Yahoo! group to keep up-to-date with the situation with Living Enrichment Center. If you are interested, here's the address: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lecworldrefugees/

Andrew Michael Parodi

Rating:
Summary: The Wacky World of New Age
Review: What a fun book, I laughed throughout this book as I could relate to so many of Anne's personal experiences. Her journey as a naive young girl into the realm of the New Age Movement brought back many memories of my own trek through this world. Anne explores magic, tarot, channeling, drumming, spirit guides, animal guides, drugs, conspiracy theories, spiritual gurus, sacred sites and just about anything you can imagine "new age". I found myself laughing numerous times as I remembered my own spiritual dramas. I recommend this book for everyone searching for understanding within the New Age community.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, wild ride!
Review: Wow, what a fun book! I really enjoyed Anne's antics as she feverishly tries to figure out how to handle a devastating lawsuit that she suspects has something to do with her scheming mother. As she searches for answers with her new cohorts in the new age community, she finds comfort under the wing of channeler Fran Baker. Fran seems to be the answer to all of Anne's problems....
I really liked Anne's relationship with surfer hunk Wolfe and the bizarre Dr. Reubin. Through it all, Anne rises to her challenges.

This book left me wanting more. Anne is such a screwball and the people she gets involved with are so looney that you have to sit back and enjoy the ride. First rate entertainment!