​1492: A Novel of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition and a World at the Turning Point by Newton Frohlich

Book Review by Frank Ioele
           
Christopher who? Did you know that Christopher Columbus never used the alias Columbus in his lifetime? He used Columbo in Genoa, Colon in Portugal, Colomo in Aragon and Colon in Spain. According to the historical fiction novel, “1492” by Newton Frohlich, Columbus changed his name each time he moved in order to fit in and not be noticed because in reality, he was a new Christian whose grandparents were Jews.
 
The novel gives us a Columbus who lives in a maelstrom of religious persecution, an Arab stranglehold on Europe’s economy and financial woe.
 
All of the major characters really existed and the basic framework of events did occur. What is made up by Frohlich are the conversations that take place between the participants as well as some minor characters.

Mr. Frohlich spent eight years researching and writing “1492” with trips to Spain, Italy, New York and Jerusalem. Original source material was obtained from the Biblioteca Colombine in Seville, the Monastery of La Rabida in Palos and the Museo Navale in Genoa-Pagli and included Columbus’ personal textbooks, letters and correspondence with his bank.

“1492” begins with the Arab siege of Spain beginning to crumble under the onslaught of Queen Isabella’s armies. We get a very interesting view of the Muslim world through the eyes of Prince Boabdil and his family.
 
The disintegration of the Arab grip upon Spain is woven throughout the novel.
 
Isabella is quickly thrust upon the stage and it is obvious that despite her diminutive size, she is the power behind the throne of Spain.

King Ferdinand comes across as a playboy who would rather hunt and  whore than govern.
 
Finally, we are introduced to Christopher Columbus who, while captain of vessels trading with African nations, was longing to find a westerly route to the riches of the East.
 
The narrative gives us an account of Columbus’ marriage to Filipa, his children, his brother and his Jewish mistress, Beatriz. The events of his life take place as he shuttles back and forth between Portugal and Spain trying to interest a sovereign in  backing his expedition.
 
The overreaching theme, however, is the Spanish Inquisition led by Tomas Torquemada, a Jew! Its shadow threatens most of Frolich’s characters including Columbus.
 
The heartbreaking capture, imprisonment, torture, trial  and burning at the stake of the de Susan family is vividly portrayed. Source material for these scenes were actual trial  transcripts unearthed by Professor Haim Beinart. According to the novel,

Isabella used the Inquisition to fund her campaign against the Arabs who had overrun Spain for 700 years.
 
 As one of the monks in the narrative says, “The Muslim attitude towards the rest of the world is written in the Koran. Islam conquers. Should it later be pushed back, it counterattacks, claiming the land was Islam’s from the beginning of time. By such logic, it has succeeded in conquering a great portion of the known world. The conquest stops here.”  
 
The parallel with today’s world is unmistakable!  You might say history is trying to repeat itself.
 
The novel ends with two families in ruin, Christopher Columbus embarking on his fateful journey westward to the East and Queen Isabella expelling the Jews from Spain-one hit and two errors!

 If you can recall your grade school world history, we didn’t learn very much about Columbus and his discovery of America. All I can recall is that he was an Italian who sailed under the flag of Spain,  that Queen Isabella hocked her jewels to  provide the money for his journey and that he didn’t really land on the actual continent of North America.
 
Well, Frohlich’s novel, “1492” will really put everything in perspective and give you such an interesting back story as to make you really feel that you are there! It is clearly and concisely written with interesting characters who live, love and fight across a very wide canvas.
 
The action is quick and relentless forcing one to read on and on and wishing it could have gone on to a second book about Columbus’ voyage and discoveries in the New World.

 
About the Author:
Newton Frohlich is the award-winning author of The Shakespeare Mask: A Novel, as well as 1492: A Novel of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition & a World at the Turning Point and Making the Best of It: A Common-Sense Guide to Negotiating a Divorce. A former lawyer in Washington, D.C., he devoted eight years to the research and writing of 1492. He has lived in Washington, D.C., the south of France, and Israel and now makes his home on Cape Codwith his wife, Martha, a musicologist.

Connect with Newton Frohlich on Goodreads and at http://newtonfrohlich.com/.

​1492: A Novel of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition & a World at the Turning Point is currently available on Amazon.

​ROLLORS
The new lawn game sensation
 
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
 
Some of our favorite memories of childhood are family gatherings, picnics and community events where we played games together outside in the fresh air. Different generations played, laughed and learned together. If you miss those times like we do, the new game Rollors may be the perfect way to make a whole new set of wonderful memories.
 
Here’s how the creators of Rollors describe it:
 
“Rollors is a fun new outdoor game that offers a creatively unique alternative to traditional lawn sports. The game combines elements of two old games, Horseshoes and Bocce, to make one easy and mobile game. It includes oversized wooden disks (aka Rollors) that players roll towards a color-coded, wooden goal 25 feet away. Points are awarded to the player/team that positions their disks closest to the goal. It is a great game for all ages and can be played in teams or individual competition.”
 
We’ve tested Rollors with ages 11 to 75. Every single player enjoyed the game regardless of age. Our games were filled with laughter and relationship building moments.
 
We highly recommend Rollors.
 
For more information, visit http://rollors.com/collections/all
 
Watch a video explaining Rollors at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44j66jtkFUE
 
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong.
Copyright 2016 Sunny Harbor Publishing
PO Box 560318 Rockledge, FL 32955
321-446-7552
SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com
 
Keywords: Rollors, games, rollers review, games review, lawn game, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong,

​Product Review: Ladies Leather Cord by Dakota Watches
​
Review by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong

Product Info:

Minimalism is a trend that we have seen grow in popularity. Clean simplistic designs and accents add a crisp finish to finish to any outfit. Dakota Watches offers trendy time piece accessories which are high style at an affordable price. The Ladies Leather Cord by Dakota Watches has dual genuine leather cords encircling the side of the case for an interesting minimalistic fashion look.
* Comfortable Leather Cord Band
* IP Silver
* Black Dial
* Analog Function
* $49.95

Our Thoughts:

The Dakota Watch Company has been producing quality timepieces for over 70 years. Their goal is to offer retail customers the best of affordable, innovative wrist wear along with expert watch services.

The Ladies Leather Cord model 20391 by Dakota Watches is an attractive, quality timepiece at a very reasonable price.

For more information, visit https://www.dakotawatch.com/index.php/ladies-leather-cord-black.html

Product review by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2016 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: Sunny Harbor Publishing, PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email:SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com

Keywords: dakotawatch.com, Dakota Watch, Dakota Watch Company, Dakota Watch review, Ladies Leather Cord, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong, 

Hytail Ponytail Hat
Review by Steffany Skelley Gilmer

Designed for a sleek look, comfort, ease of wearing and protection from the sun, the Hytail Hat is a fun alternative to the typical, one-size-fits-all baseball hat.

Created with women in mind, the Hytail hat features a generous space to easily fit your ponytail or braid without risking the integrity of the hat's fit. The Hytail hat is shaped to comfortably fit a woman's head regardless of how  thick or curly her hair is. The wide band on the back literally lifts your hair off of your neck to help keepyou cool and comfortable.

The Hytail hat is also hassle-free, unlike most other hats currently on the market. I always loved wearing hats to protect my face from the hot summer sun but found it impossible to wear a hat AND glasses, always having to choose one over the other. But now, thanks to
the Hytail hat, you can easily & comfortably wear your favorite large, stylish sunglasses or prescription glasses too!

You can't go wrong with this unique hat. The Hytail hat is perfect to wear for sports, beach, boating and gardening and not only is it comfortable but it's cute too!

Thanks to the creative inventors of the Hytail hat, the days of velcro, buckles, awkward fit and discomfort are now behind us!
 
For more information, visit http://www.adactivewear.com/

Review by Steffany Skelley Gilmer. Copyright 2016 Sunny Harbor Publishing. PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com ​

GirlTrunks
Review by Steffany Skelley Gilmer

Creator of Girltrunks swimwear, Debbie Kuhn, experienced what most women go through every summer when she was invited to go tubing while on vacation in Montana. Like most women, she found herself hesitant to shop for a bathing suit;
why spend hours and hours sorting through an endless supply of tiny tops and bottoms that offer little coverage?

After creatively putting together her own bathing suit combination of a tankini top and men's swim trunks, Debbie finally felt comfortable and confident. Liberated, Debbie fully enjoyed the afternoon in the sun with her friends. Later
that evening, she noticed her comfortable swimming attire dried almost instantly and it dawned on her then that she wanted to create a product for all women so they could experience the kind of liberation she felt that day.

And thus, the Girltrunks line began. Girltrunks offers a nice selection of trunks, tops and shrugs designed with comfort, wearability and sun protection in mind. At the moment most of the attire listed on their website comes in limited
colors/patterns, but every piece goes together nicely & consumers can put together their own perfect combination to fit their personal style.

For this review, I was given The ARMazing Shrug, a lightweight, 1/2 sleeve beach shrug in black. I became an instant fan of The ARMazing Shrug; it has flattering coverage without looking overpowering when worn over my regular swimsuit.
It has a nice snug fit and is very flattering to the woman's shape, however thanks to the nylon and spandex fabric combination, the shrug is super stretchy, lightweight and comfortable to wear.

I found The ARMazing Shrug to be a wonderful addition to my swimwear during long summer days at the beach or out on the boat. No matter how much SPF I wear, my shoulders were always the first to burn in the hot sun and I always ended up
having to hide under a hot, bulky towel. Now thanks to this shrug I haven't had that problem since! I am not only stylish but cool as a cucumber!

The ARMazing Shrug goes beautifully with all types of swimwear. You can't go wrong; it looks lovely whether you wear it with other pieces from the girltrunks line or combine it with swimwear that you already own. I wore my shrug with a
one-piece maternity swimsuit during my pregnancy and after I had the baby I found The ARMazing Shrug looks great with a regular tankini and even a bikini too!

If you're looking for something special that offers flattering coverage, a great fit and classic universal style that goes with everything, you can't go wrong with The ARMazing Shrug! Find yours at www.girltrunks.com

Review by Steffany Skelley Gilmer. Copyright 2016 Sunny Harbor Publishing. PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com ​​

Nature's Shea Butter

Review by Steffany Skelley Gilmer

Being the mom of a young preschooler and an infant requires me to wash, disinfect and clean many things throughout the day. My skin is exposed to harsh soaps and chemicals and as a result became dry, dull and unnattractive.

When I first opened my sample box from Nature's Shea Butter, I immediately noticed the amazing fragrant scents. The first jar I opened and tried was the Lavendar shea butter and I was immediately hooked!

The shea butters are luxurious, rich and creamy. A little bit goes a long way and I was pleased to see how Nature's Shea Butter transformed my skin within a few days of use. My skin now is soft and smooth. Gone are the rough patches
and dry, cracked skin that once plagued me. Thanks to Nature's 100% all natural unrefined shea butter products, my skin has been restored to its original beauty and looks healthier than it has in years!

Nature's Shea Butter also is infused with Essential Oils, which are beautifully fragrant and known worldwide for their gentle healing abilities. When I came down with a bad cold and had terrible chest and sinus congestion, I especially
appreciated the Spearment Eucalyptus shea butter; it was calming and stimulating and much more pleasant than other topical over-the-counter cold products!

Although I love all the scents offered in my variety box, my favorites were the Lavendar Vanilla which had an amazing combination of creamy vanilla and relaxing lavendar essential oils, used to tone skin, revitalize skin and
relieve minor skin irritations. My other favorite was the Tangerine Lime with refreshing citrus oils and a pinch of thyme and makes me feel energized and refreshed.

I also absolutely loved the all natural, handmade Cherry Almond bar soap with olive oil and shea butter. The scent was light with a tantalizing blend of sweet cherries and nutty almond.

Nature's Shea Butter has a wide variety of amazing shea butters, soaps, oils, scrubs, lotions, lip care and more! They offer the highest quality of 100% natural, animal-free ingredients and they never test their products on animals. If
you're looking for luxurious skin care at a fair price, visit www.naturessheabutter.com today!

Review by Steffany Skelley Gilmer. Copyright 2016 Sunny Harbor Publishing. PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com ​​