Bøker av Dorothy Urbanek

5. In the fall of 2007, I again awoke from a very vivid dream. The one scene was so startling to me that I continued to question its meaning as I wrote furiously trying to capture the entire dream which, not surprisingly, disappeared before I could get it all recorded. Another scene that I hesitated to write down in words seemed to be somehow too intimate causing me to doubt its place, too, in the book I knew was evolving. Both scenes, I learned, were pivotal to the whole so they had to be included. This story seemed to write itself once I got past my initial uneasiness and, in the end, THE LITTLEST COWBOY became the first in what-I-call my "cowboy" series that includes at least three books. I still enjoy rereading the first two as I work on the third.The story of THE LITTLEST COWBOY gives insight into a time past when children learned about survival and duty relying on a connection so grand as to guide thinking into action.Due to its intense themes, this book is recommended for mature audiences.

13. What happens when a rape becomes the defining moment of a life? What happens when a young & innocently naïve young Catholic woman is knocked silly into a world that makes no sense?With no experience nor education in dealing with such an assault, Mary Michael was left to deal with this trauma all on her own.The dysfunction in her family kept her isolated & alone as she did her best.BROWN DOG details the confusion, the anguish, the many emotions that this woman experienced as she tried to come to terms with the rape & the rapist. She was determined to learn the lesson in all of it while clinging to God's Hand to help her get to wherever He wanted her to be.And so, the lessons of her life spill to paper when Mary's understanding begins to make sense as she allows the natural healing to come in God's time. Though her thoughts seem random, they all fall into place as she records them to find that they tell the story of one woman's journey through a fire that burned for over forty years.

4. SOMEWHERE YOU'LL FIND ME is a collection of stories and a few poems, many personal, about myself and my family, about what I have thought and what I think about growing up, learning, sharing wisdom. There are also some totally made-up stories with lessons, always lessons. There's some silly stuff here, too, as my family continues to promote smiling and laughter in this world. Sprinkled in is a good dose of cats, dogs, horses and little kids--whispers of love amid giggles because it tickles my fancy.Yes, this book offers an insight into my world where there is much light to offer a safe place because we know life is meant to be lived in love and shared with an honest heart.

3. THE OLD MAN IN THE WOODS is a collection of twenty-six poems and twenty-five short stories covering many subjects with an emphasis on love, goodness, family and relationships that inspire and promote more love. Again, for balance and deeper understanding, there are also poems and stories touching on dysfunction and unhealthy patterns among people seemingly unaware of alternatives or unable to seek peace. But, there is always a lesson for those willing and wanting to learn.Readers of these words have relayed to me that they have run the gamut of emotions identifying with characters so closely that tears were shed with compassion, with joy, with laughter. I still reread these stories and find places, again, that make me smile, make me choke up, and I thank God, again, for His guidance as I brought the words out of the there into the here. And here they are. I hope you enjoy them. This writing and drawing--this creating--is way fun and I am very pleased to be able to share this with you all.

7. There have been times in my life when words came to me in rhythm and rhyme; when I felt I had to record these words sensing that only by doing so would I be able to move on to the next step. THE ONLY WAY TO HERE is a compilation of poems that I have written beginning with a short one I wrote when I was almost thirteen years old and continuing over the next forty-one years so, in a sense, this book is my life in poetry as I went through stages of innocence, confusion, hurt, enlightenment, patience, surrender and happiness.Poetry tells a different kind of story in a uniquely personal way and those who know feel a connection that goes far past the words. Poetry, understood, unites souls in meaning sincere. I have not figured it all out yet but I am surely trying. Perhaps you will join me and find that we are not so different.

6. I am particularly pleased with this second book in my "cowboy" series. A LONE STAR is not only the beginning of an epic love story but has intrigue and mystery as Brystol Bowers, one of the main characters, ponders the meaning of life while fulfilling his duties as sheriff in a town where outlaws do not give up willingly. Brystol teams up with an unlikely comrade, the undertaker, who is motivated by love and they both set out to end the rampage of the Atberry boys. Brystol's hobby of collecting spent bullets proves important as his investigative skills uncover buried secrets. Try to keep up while Brystol outsmarts the bad guys. Remember--the truth always comes out and love always triumphs.A LONE STAR is the prequel to the first book in my "cowboy" series, THE LITTLEST COWBOY, where Buckner Gable was first introduced. In A LONE STAR, the reader gets to see glimpses of this character's past and learn of his deep faith and belief. This book, too, has adult themes and is recommended for mature audiences.

2. The story of MOLLIE MAE began when my younger daughter was three years old as she and her older sister requested yet another bedtime story. This story just flowed in words that, as my daughter asked questions, grew to describe a little girl seemingly lost in a world surrounded by those who did not care. Over time, this story was requested again and again so that much resulted in an attempt to explain how such a sad thing might occur in the real world. I credit my daughter with the unfolding of Molly Mae and her life in this story for, without her continual persistence in her need to understand, this little tale might have been forgotten. Instead, it is here for all to consider the lives of children who may appear different.In contrast, the story of JACK HENRY counters the dysfunction and abuse in the family of Molly Mae. Indeed, Jack Henry is very safe in his world and this security lends itself to creativity, imagination and simple joy in living as he learns much from a dear great-grandfather.