"Revenge of the Jilted Draperies" is a potpourri of brief, humorous, or poignant observations by an author with a long history of both comedy and tragedy. Her family's tragedies are captured in her memoir, "Higher Than Eagles," and her wry wit shines in "A Circus Without Elephants" a memoir about life with her six athletic and inventive children. In the tradition of humorist Erma Bombeck, these essays by Maralys Wills often spur laughter, or sometimes tears, but always are presented with warmth. The title story, "Revenge of the Jilted Draperies" presents a hilarious scene in which husband,...

What can possibly go wrong in a household led by a mother who is educated, rich, and beautiful? As Maralys and her brother, Allan, learn, the answer is everything. Thanks to a mother who marries seven times, the children are dragged from city to city and husband to husband. Yet this memoir proves that youthful willpower can prevail over powerful adversity. "Maralys Wills, part of an extraordinary--ordinary--family, lived a yo-yo life, growing up in fourteen different locations. She experienced wealth and deprivation, moments of warm hugs and seasons of stunning neglect. At the center of the...

Hey, Turning Seventy is not so bad Suddenly you discover better ways to exercise . . . you learn you can "eat out," guilt-free . . . you see grandkids becoming your best friends . . . you find new ways to fire up your brain . . . you learn that travel, while different, can still be fun. To top it off, you realize EVERYBODY has trouble "getting things open"-so you might as well laugh about it.

The family was changed by a boy-a stubborn, relentless, infuriating-but ingenious and creative boy. He was the first in a family of six children, with parents who initially balked at his fantasies. Yet almost everything that captured the world's attention-double-decker bicycles, international hang gliding records, the drama of "flying" a motorcycle, a British championship won by landing on one foot-all these were part of young Bob Wills's singular vision. Prevailing against all the people who called him impractical, a dreamer, Bobby became a legend in the fledgling sport of hang gliding....

A treasure trove of sage advice for the new writer packaged in easy to digest and fun to read anecdotes. Damn the Rejections, Full Speed Ahead offers real world suggestions for writing novels, or non-fiction and turning them into saleable works. Maralys Wills, creative writing teacher and author of 12 books in many genres, a shares from her own experience the dos and don'ts of getting published. "Maralys Wills's guidance has been imperative to my writing career. Her unique ability to teach, along with her knowledge as a multi-published author, got results in her classes. Nineteen published...