Interview with William P. Young: Author of The Shack

The Shack

One of the current most popular novels has an unlikely author: a Web host, hotel clerk and warehouse inventory manager, raised partly in New Guinea, who printed the first copies at an Office Depot. Yet William P. Young's The Shackhas camped out for months atop The New York Times best-seller list.

The book has God guiding a man through healing from massive traumas, including an abusive childhood and the apparent murder of a daughter. The imagery — a chummy Jesus, an Asian Holy Spirit, God the Father as a large, huggy black woman — breaks with most people's impression of the deity. Yet, according to Young, a thousand people e-mail him weekly with tales of how the story brought their own healings.

In a phone interview, Young, 53, proved as engaging and unpredictable as the plot twists in his book.


Why the success? What did you do differently in The Shackfrom other authors?

For one, I'm an accidental author. I wrote the book for my six children for Christmas.

Also, I asked all the questions I was not allowed to ask growing up. I talked about real pain and put it inside a story. The Shack represents 11 years of my life.

Another difference is that I come from a Third World culture, and I looked from outside the Western box. So I wanted to attack harmful paradigms, like the one that God is Gandalf with an attitude.


Why do you think the book stirs strong reactions, both pro and con?

It tends to challenge the paradigm, and it uses language that is not normal or approved. But the controversy is all good. It's worth having.


Your God is loving and huggy and indulgent. Yet a lot of people see God as judgmental and violence-prone. Why is that inaccurate?

She isn't indulgent. She's constantly pushing Mackenzie [the main character in the book] to deal with stuff. ...

I see the wrath of God as all-positive. God is out to destroy everything that keeps us from being free, all our self-centered, addictive ways. Like a surgeon who has to keep cutting to get it out.

Read the rest of the interview with William P. Young, or get The Shacknow!

Sizzling Aphrodisiac Secrets with Author Dr. Ava Cadell: 52 Sizzling Sex Secrets

52 SIZZLING SEX SECRETS by DR AVA CADELL

World's Best Lover Competition

Aphrodisiacs by Dr. Ava Cadell

Throughout the ages, men and women have eagerly swallowed almost any substance that was called an aphrodisiac, no matter how unappetizing or bizarre. In our never ending search for better sex, humans have consumed such diverse items as oysters, eels, elephant tusks, lion blood, bull testicles, rhino horn, ram penis, pig genitals, marijuana, and the dried remains of the Mediterranean cantharis beetle, otherwise known as “Spanish Fly.” The sea is a rich source of legendary aphrodisiacs. Oysters, shrimp, clams, anchovies, and eels have been reputed since ancient times to increase sexual desire. Actually, the word Aphrodisiac came from Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and desire, who herself was a gift from the sea. Many roots, vegetables, and fruits became known as aphrodisiacs simply because their shapes were designed by nature as a clue to their use. And the ancients were always on the look out for such secret signs. So, based on shape alone, they chose to eat asparagus, bananas, carrots, celery, cucumbers, dates, figs, and tomatoes among others in the hope that they would arouse passion and bestow vigor. Eating the genitals of animals noted for their potency, such as bulls and rams, is another historical practice meant to ensure virility. Are these substances of mythology really aphrodisiacs? As it turns out, some of them do work as sex boosters. For example, oysters are a prime source of zinc, one of the essential minerals for men. Semen is rich in zinc, and adequate zinc is needed for sperm production and hormone metabolism. Oysters also release testosterone in women.

Aphrodisiacs for Flirting

Chili Peppers - Gets the face flushing, heart pumping, pores sweating, & blood flowing towards the genitals.

Bananas - Contains bufotenine, a chemical that acts on the brain to increase happiness, self-confidence, & sex drive.

Carrots - Have strong fibrous ingredients that supercharge the body & lead to a feeling of strong sexual desire.

Damiano - This “lover's herb” contains alkaloids, which stimulate blood flow to genitals & increase sensitivity.

Clary Sage - Is known for decreasing inhibitions with its relaxing, euphoric, mildly intoxicating effects.

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Aphrodisiacs for Seduction

Oysters - Contain zinc, essential mineral for men needed for sperm production. Also releases testosterone in women.

Shrimp - High in iodine, which is needed by the thyroid gland that regulates energy, including sexual energy.

Chocolate - Includes caffeine and a plant substance called phytosteral that mimics human sex hormones.

Ginger - Comes from the root of the plant & increases blood flow to the genitals in both men and women.

Olives - Green ones make men more virile while black ones are believed to increase sex drive for women.

Tomatoes - Known as “love apples” & forbidden by Puritans because of its reputation as a potent sexual stimulant.

Asparagus - Rich with potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and vitamin E, all vital for increased hormone production.

Apples - Ever since Biblical days apples have been known as the fruit of temptation. They are also filled with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that stimulate sexual desire.

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Aphrodisiacs for Exploration

Licorice - Contains plant estrogens and stimulates the sex glands, bringing oxygen to the female genitals 40% faster.

Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Seeds - The top contender to increase penile blood flow an average of 40% faster.

Muira Puama - The American Journal of Natural Medicine stated: “One of the best herbs to use for erectile dysfunction or lack of libido (also known as potency wood).

Cinnamon - This sweet, spicy flavor and aroma has been used to aid in the treatment of impotence and proven to be sexually stimulating for men.

Basil - Considered the sacred herb of India, it awakens the senses, stimulates blood flow, and relieves fatigue.

Artichoke - Share this sex vitamin, high in Vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium, and phosphorus with your lover because it’s fun to eat together!

Celery - Contains androsterone, a powerful male hormone released through sweat glands to attract women.

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Aphrodisiac Aromas

Pheromones - Designed by nature to ensure we attract a biologically suitable mate. Produced in sweat glands that are attached to hair follicles: head, underarms, and genitals.

How they work - Pheromones are released into the air from sweat that evaporates from our skin in the 40 million skin cells we shed each day.

• Erotic aromas for men - Cinnamon, popcorn, pumpkin pie, and doughnuts.
• Erotic aromas for women - Melon, chocolate, oranges, and bread.
• Erotic scents for men - Vanilla, lavender, and Jasmine
• Erotic scents for women - Musk, orange blossom, and sandalwood

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Now let’s have Fun with Food and Sex

Let’s face it: if you’re passionate about food, you’re more likely to be passionate about sex. And if you’ve never tried combining the two, here’s your chance.


An aphrodisiac is described in the Encyclopedia Britannica as:

“…the psycho-physiological reaction that a well-prepared meal can have upon the human organism. The combination of various sensuous reactions, the visual satisfaction of the sight of appetizing food, the olfactory stimulation of their pleasing smells and tactile gratification afforded the oral mechanism by rich, savory dishes tend to bring on a state of general euphoria conducive to sexual expression.”

An aphrodisiac is anything that turns you on. This could mean anything from driving your new sports car or eating a marshmallow. These are common ones; people also tend to have extremely personal turn-ons that most people would never think of, or that might even turn others off – perhaps clown shoes, or balancing a checkbook, or even having a good bowel movement. There are two kinds, psychological, which include fantasies, and physiological, which have physical effects on your body such as mood, setting, and food.

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Psychological Aphrodisiacs Include:

• things which bring back memories of pleasant or pleasurable events
• ideas which you find exciting, such as fantasies
• being made to feel important or special
• wearing sexy clothing

These are often very personal and individualized, but they also usually work consistently on the same people.

Physiological aphrodisiacs are those substances which somehow have a physical effect on the body. Typically, these may have relaxing effects on the nervous system, but they may stimulate as well. They could be substances which have direct effects on the sexual organs, or they could simply work by strengthening the whole body. The most powerful aphrodisiacs work on both physiological and psychological levels. The smell of jasmine perhaps, a physiological aphrodisiac, which also brings you back psychologically to that incredible night when you made love in the garden by jasmine bushes.

1. The correlation between food and sex: Food and sex are two of the greatest pleasures known to mankind and both appetites need to be fulfilled. They are part of our vital life force and stimulate all of ours senses.
2. When you cook with love: If you put your heart into cooking, you will undoubtedly do it better. Cooking with love will nourish your relationship physically, mentally, and spiritually.
3. The most romantic dish you have ever prepared. Holiday dishes are always special occasions so that’s when I pull out all the stops. Besides, many restaurants and hotels are fully booked so I prefer to stay at home. On Halloween I stuffed baby pumpkins with caviar and on Valentines Day I served heart shaped pancakes to my husband in bed and in the evening we had a picnic right in the middle of our bedroom.
4. Cooking with attitude especially for someone you love. The love and energy you put into cooking is what you’ll get out of it. Attitude effects cooking just like it affects anything else. Cook with passion and creativity to keep the sizzle and spice in your food and relationship.
5. Tips for spicing up your love life with food. Turn eating into a sensual ritual. Begin with ice and use it on your erogenous zones. Everyone has unique areas that can be stimulated to produce sensual and erotic feelings. Rub the ice up and down your lover’s spine, behind their ears and down the neck, around the breasts, on the inside of the thighs, and so on. Spray whipping cream on the parts of your lover’s body you most enjoy licking off. Hide a dab of honey on your body and let your lover find it using nothing but their tongue.
6. The craziest thing a couple can do with food. A couple told me that they poured flavored gelatin into their shower head, turn on the hot shower and took the most delightful gooey, slippery and sensual shower of their lives. Now that’s what I call creating a memory.
7. The most romantic foods. Any food you eat with your fingers can be romantic. Some foods are known aphrodisiacs like oysters because they are filled with zinc which helps increase production of testosterone, while others are simply visually stimulating such as strawberries.
8. Why should a couple experiment with food and sex? It will enhance the senses, turn sex into adult play, expand their horizon, and bring them closer together.
9. The history of food and its connection with love and sex. It all started with Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. Even today, forbidden fruit always tastes the sweetest. In ancient Rome and Greece eating was always the center of attraction for social events and people ate reclining with Nubian slaves feeding them.
10. How does a couple get started with food and sex? Begin by setting the mood for love and stimulating all the senses. For example oranges can make your home smell fresh and inviting, so can apple pie or cinnamon. So find out what your lover’s favorite food aromas are and indulge them. Then share meals together and feed one and other. Even if you’re on a diet you can share an asparagus by one person taking one end of the asparagus in their mouth and the other person taking the other end, then meet in the middle. This can be fun with carrots, celery, and pasta too.
11. An intimate dinner. It would have a variety of flavors, textures and it would look like a work of art. For example fresh shrimp cocktail presented in beautiful glasses, followed by a light colorful salad sprinkled with sesame seeds, then a juicy, succulent piece of meat or a soft, fluffy fish with designer vegetables, and delicious chocolate soufflé to complete the meal. Mmm, it sounds orgasmic, doesn’t it?
12. Tips for putting the sizzle back into a relationship. Communication is the key ingredient for a consistently successful relationship and the use of fantasy will spice up anyone’s love life. So I suggest that one person begins telling their partner their fantasy, and then the other person has to finish the fantasy. If both of you like it, why not make your fantasy come true. For example, your fantasy may begin like this: "My fantasy is to take a lovely picnic basket filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, and an assortment of chocolates and sweets to a beautiful deserted beach somewhere in the tropics. As we lie next to each other basking in the sun, I roll on top of you and give you a long, deep passionate kiss. You take me in your arms and then….Now it’s time for your partner to complete the fantasy and see where it takes you both.
13. Chocolate and seduction. Chocolate has always been used as a temptation. Even when you were a child, you were either deprived of it when you didn’t behave or rewarded with it when you were good. There is scientific evidence that chocolate releases the same pleasure hormones in your body that you feel when you’re in love so it’s no wonder that it’s so addictive. Feed your lover chocolate and let the swooning begin.
14. Erotic Food. Any food that resembles the sexual organs is visually erotic. Figs and bananas are also naughty looking fruit that can stimulate our most erotic organ, our brain. Foods that look, feel, smell, and taste good such a marshmallows are also erotic because they are soft, white, and fluffy and melt in your mouth. Actually chocolate covered marshmallows sound even better.
15. Dripping in ecstasy. Achieve total decadence, uninhibited indulgence of your favorite foods combined with wild and wonderful sex, by using food on top of your lover, not inside them.
16. What do Americans need to learn from Europeans when it comes to bonding with food? To take their time and savor each meal. Turn it into a sensual ritual and enjoy the aroma and taste of wine as part of the whole experience.
17. What’s the best reason for taking food out of the dining room and into the bedroom? Because the bedroom should be a sacred place just for love. No negativity, no talk of problems. When you take food into your bedroom it automatically becomes seductive so always have your favorite finger foods ready before you start making love. After all, who wants to make love on an empty stomach?

What do men want?
Generally speaking they want fast food and fast sex.

What do women want?
Most women enjoy gourmet food and gourmet sex.

How do you spice up a 30-year relationship with food if the couple has never experimented with food and love before? Exchange a wish list of three things that you think will heighten a romantic experience for you that include food. Exchange the lists and make at least one wish come true for your partner. On a picnic, feed each other finger foods and turn your sex life into adult play by doing the things you used to do when you were dating.

What’s more important in a relationship…good food, love or sex? Why? When you have good love, your food will taste good and your sex will be good too because you have a firm foundation for your relationship. Many people overeat because they are not getting enough love or sex so the answer is that we all need a healthy balanced diet in food and in our relationship

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Love Guru Dr. Ava Cadell, founder of www.loveologyuniversity.com, invites romantics to submit a FREE entry listing why their lover is the best. They receive a FREE certificate for their partner attesting to this loving tribute. This is a perfect Valentine's gift at no cost. Each person who submits an entry will also receive a FREE copy of the ebook 52 Sizzling Sex Secrets. Deadline for submissions is February 6th, 2009. The winner will be announced on February 13th and they will win a $2000 scholarship for Loveology University or $1000 cash. (For full details, visit www.loveologyuniversity.com/instruction.aspx)

PLUS -- Visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47554286178 and become a Loveology University "fan" and we will enter you in a drawing for an ebook from Dr Ava (retail $9.95 see this page for ebook details - http://www.loveologyuniversity.com/BookStore.aspx). Whether you are married, single, male or female - there is an ebook that can make a difference in your love life.

Intelligent Design or Darwin's Evolution: Enthralling New Thriller

There are a lot of conspiracy theories in the world, ranging from the Apollo Moon-Landing Hoax, which suggests that some or all elements of the Apollo missions were faked by NASA, to the Death of Marilyn Monroe. Some of the most exciting recent books that I have read, such as The Map Thief, and The Forgery of Venus have involved conspiracy theories in their plot. However, a lot of recent thrillers that I have seen on the shelves involve some of the same old conspiracy theories with little or no new plot twists. Not very exciting for an avid reader like me.

Recently, though, I had the pleasure of reading DNAby seasoned author W. Craig Reed. Combining a number of intricate plot twists, individual and social enemies, and a unique take on one of the most controversial of the well known conspiracy theories, DNAis a fresh take on a common plot.

Ever since The Andromeda Strain(1969), by Michael Crichton, and it’s techno-thriller plot documenting the efforts of a team of scientists investigating a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism that rapidly and fatally clots human blood, numerous other thrillers have attempted to copy this plot line. Reed, on the other hand, avoids the mistake of attempting to rehash this classic, and rather takes the conspiracy component of the thriller one step further – all the way back to the origins of the human race!

I’m not a plot spoiler; why read the book if you know the outcome? What I can say, however, is that the six years Reed put into investigating and researching the science and facts behind genetics, bioscience, philosophy, and psychology paid off. DNAis not a rehash of a tried and true thriller formula, but rather a completely new take on genetics, human history, and the future of our race on this planet.

If you are a fan of a good thriller, one with a complex plot and scientific backing, then DNAshould be on your reading list. Do it now, you won’t be sorry!

Read more about author W. Craig Reed or get a copy of the book now.