THE SUMMER OF LOVE HAS RETURNED. THE ROMANCE! THE MYSTERY! THE ADVENTURE! NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM FOR THE LOW PRICE OF $12.99 I read Sarah Of The Moon yesterday and it is still with me. It is one amazing story - one that I won't forget for a long, long time.You are an awesome writer. I was mesmerized by the hold that Sarah seem to have on Alex. It was sad to see it end. Robert Kolling - http://bobspeak.com/ Today I read "Sarah of the Moon" by Randy Mixter and seldom have I been so touched as I was by his novel set in the Haight-Asbury district of San Francisco in 1967. If it were possible to give this book ten stars instead of merely five I would do so. The purpose of all writing is to transport us to a new destination, to expand our perspective of the world we live in, or to give us a glimpse of an existing world we've never seen. This author does so in such a profound way as to make it seem part of your own experience. There was a line in the story that says more than I ever could about the journey, ("It's a kind place to visit," he said.) I am thankful to own a copy of this book and know that it is one I will read often just because I will miss its presence. I am looking forward with great anticipation to reading all his other works N.A. Forbush - Taken from the Goodreads website This book was absolutely beautifully written. I felt like I was reading a memoir because the details were so vivid. I was transported to a time I've never really known much about and actually found myself longing to have been able to experience a summer of such freedom and beauty. I fell in love with the characters. They are written in such a way that you would have trouble convincing me that they aren't real people. I really cared about them and feel like I want to know what they are doing with their lives now. It isn't often a work of fiction has that effect on me. Well done! Leslie - 5 Star Goodreads and Amazon review posted March 6, 2012 Randy's novel Sarah of the Moon is a great piece. If you love romance be sure to check out his work, you wont regret it Natalie Valdes of Independent Reads This story took me way back...Nothing was left behind, and it stayed true to the era. The struggles that Alex had to endure to 'fit in', were really written well. After finishing this book, I found myself at a loss for words. This is truly a multi-faceted story, like a diamond that shines in many directions. I could see Sarah dancing in my mind, and I feel all of Alex's love for her..The cover is beautiful. A very, well written work of art. Terri Marie - Author of The Shack, Merry And A Cat Named Cha-moan This is a compelling book, telling the fascinating story of the Summer of Love at its height in 1967 California. I guarantee you too will find it difficult to put down. Steve Weathers - Weathers Book Blog I not only found it difficult to put down, I read it twice. Can't wait for the next great novel. Thanks for the good read Randy. Joan Gunby I just finished reading Sarah, and I loved it! Mary Jean O'Keefe Randy Mixter’s SARAH OF THE MOON is a wonderful journey back to 1967, the “summer of love.” The prologue doesn’t do justice for the superb storytelling that follows. Randy’s keen observations put you on the streets with the mystical Sarah, her friends and the flower children that come to life in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. It is an excellent piece of literature, smartly written about the hopes and dreams of a generation’s vision of world peace. Add a young newspaper writer and a Vietnam War hero and you have a classic work of romance and adventure that brings twists and turns to the ending. A must read for all ages. Ted Pannell – Vietnam Veteran and author of Vietnam Stories – Dreams to Nightmares
ALEX IN WONDERLAND The Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in 1967. Alex Conley, a part-time writer for a Baltimore newspaper, is dispatched to chronicle the events occurring there. It is June of 1967, and the summer of love is in full swing. Alone, in this strange and magical place, he meets a girl named Sarah, a free spirit who is as mysterious as she is beautiful. What are the secrets of her past? Why does she dance each night under the light of the moon? These are just a few of the puzzles Alex needs to solve in the short time he has in that city. Then there’s another complication. He is beginning to fall deeply in love with her. Thanks to Kimberly Shursen of Underground Book Reviews for the following review Name: Sarah Of The Moon Author: Randy Mixter Genre: Fiction Pages: 232 Summary: In the aftermath of the war with Afghanistan, we are taken back in time to the longest war in US history. It is a time when John Lennon’s Yesterday played in juke boxes and two fingers held up in a ‘V’ formation became the official peace sign. Author Randy Mixter paints a vivid picture of the Hippies in the summer of l967 San Francisco. After graduating from high school, Alex Conley waits for his draft notice while working as a part-time reporter at the Baltimore Sunpapers. Alex’s father sermonizes that his son will, by God, serve his country like he did in World War II. He also needs little prompting to give his less than admirable opinion of the lazy, druggies who call themselves Hippies. Against his father’s wishes, Alex accepts a temporary assignment in San Francisco to write a weekly column about the Hippies. Alex’s boss hooks him up with his nephew, Chick, who lives in the infamous Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Men, women and children occupy the small home, their sleeping quarters divided only by sheets draped from the ceiling. When Alex meets Sarah, the beautiful girl who dresses in white and dances under the moonlight, he knows he has seen her in past dreams. As they begin to fall in love, Sarah tells Alex that her parents speak to her from beyond the grave and tells her of the future. And when Sarah encourages Alex to wear tennis shoes instead of sandals that become key to saving a child’s life, he becomes a believer. Alex’s columns give insight into the thoughts of those committed to world peace. Alex and Sarah’s love affair is not the fickle flirtatious love of youth, but the kind of deep emotional love, laced with respect and acceptance, that lasts a lifetime. Quote: “Someone said something to Sarah and she laughed. It was a beautiful sound. He knew then, in that moment, he had found a place where beauty truly existed. A place where a child of the moon danced on a summer hill in a sun washed breeze. A place where the laughter of a girl dressed in white and a windswept song not only shared the same moment, but also had the exact same sound. “ Opinion: Sarah Of The Moon is a beautiful, well-written story that offers much more than just a love story. It is also a fresh, insightful view as to the reasoning of those opposed to the Vietnam War. Randy Mixter gently peels back the layers of the emotional and psychological trauma surrounding the era. Mr. Mixter not only tells the story of those dedicated to saving their own generation, but of those committed to fighting for their country. With over l9 years of US involvement in the War, and statistics stating that 58,148 American soldiers were killed in Vietnam, 61% younger than 21, even if opposed, the counter-movement is not difficult to understand. Sarah Of The Moon is a heartfelt premise of those present day Baby Boomers once referred to in their youth as ‘Hippies.’ Recommendation: Mr. Mixter’s ability to communicate in a thought provoking way is a rare find. Not just a novel for Baby Boomer’s, but for anyone who would enjoy an ‘up close and personal’ novel about the hopes and dreams of youth. Rating: 5 Stars  I am a Vietnam veteran and member of the Military Writers Society Of America. My book of short stories, based on growing up in Baltimore in the 1960s, The Boys Of Northwood, was recently published by Lulu.com, and is available on Amazon.com and on the Kindle wireless reading device, as well as several retail locations. Sarah of the Moon is a love story, with a touch of mystery and adventure, that takes place in San Francisco during the summer of 1967. Jack Flynn of Annapolis, MD. posted this 5 star review on Barnes and Noble.com A Fun Trip Back To The Summer of Love - This Book Has It ALL This is the second book I have read by Randy Mixter. The author has a unique gift for recreating a place and time that now exists only in his mind and we are lucky enough to get to go there with him. Through the eyes and ears of the 18 y.o. main character, fledgling reporter Alex Conley, we wander the streets of Haight-Ashbury in the summer of 1967. We move into a crash pad with him, meet and fall in love with the ultimate "flower child,"the beautiful and enigmatic Sarah all the while meeting a cast of very believable hippie characters. Alex comes from a traditional American family and with that comes obligations. We know right up front that he is dropping in for a few months and then returning to reality, which includes another relic of those days, being drafted to do 24 months as a soldier for Uncle Sam. Those of us who lived during those frightening days of the VietNam war will "get" that the Draft is one of the main characters in this book too. If you missed the Summer of Love in 1967 then its not too late to go back. Alex and Sarah will let you hang with them. Kick off your shoes, smell the ganja, hear the bongos, bump into Gerry Garcia and the Jefferson Airplane, get a free meal from the Diggers before watching the stars from Hippie Hill. It's "far out, man." My Interview with Kimberly Shursen of Underground Book Reviews. When I ask an author if he would like to do an interview, we usually communicate via e-mails. This is when I have the opportunity to get to know the person, not just the writer. When I located Mr. Mixter on Facebook I was able to observe pictures of his ‘real life’ storybook. As I introduce Mr. Mixter to the Underground, there are two words that come to mind: loyal and humble. Mr. Mixter is humble, yet knows he has something important to share, has a deep understanding for what is right for himself, but allows others the same privilege, and is totally dedicated to his wife, family and friends. Welcome Randy Mixter. Kimberly: Will you tell us a bit about your background? Mr Mixter: I have been writing since I was a teenager. I have had my poetry and other writings published locally. I have also written articles for a local paper and have won an award for creative writing. My first published book consisted of short stories about growing up in Baltimore City in the 1960s, titledThe Boys of Northwood. My second novel, Sarah Of The Moon, is a fictional love story, with a touch of mystery, that takes place in San Francisco during the 1967 Summer of Love. I recently completed and published Letters From Long Binh: Memoirs of aMilitary Policeman in Vietnam.That book is based on the letters I wrote home to my wife during a 1967 tour of duty in Vietnam. My short story, Eternal, will be published this spring by Sleeping Cat Books in the book anthology, The Storm Is Coming. Since my retirement from a security position with local government, I have been able to devote more time to my wife, five cats and, of course, my writing. Kimberly: How did your novel Sarah Of The Moon happen to evolve? Was it inspired by a true story? There are a lot of factual details, so if your novel is not based on what you personally experienced, how did you do your research? Mr. Mixter: Several years ago I wrote a prologue and a epilogue to a book I called Sarah Of The Moon. The handwritten papers went into a desk drawer. In the autumn of 2010 I was recovering from heart surgery. I had just published my first book, The Boys Of Northwood, and thought this to be the perfect time to revisit Sarah. I began to write without any plot outline. I knew the beginning and the ending, but that was all. Luckily as I developed my characters the story came to me, a chapter at a time. Many readers have asked me if I've ever been to San Francisco. I have not. During the 1967 summer of love, I was military policeman in Vietnam. I researched the time and the place, then allowed my imagination to fill in the blanks. Kimberly: As I read your novel, the one thing that kept coming back to me was how uninformed people were about the “Hippy” movement. Yes, there were those who were a part of it because they were into drugs more than cause, however the premise of the movement was heartfelt. Do you feel the movement had an impact on the future? How? Mr. Mixter: I have always been fascinated with the so-called 'Hippie' culture and the music that came from it. I believe that shows throughout the book. I wanted to write a story that focused on their lifestyle and would hopefully depict these free spirits as more than druggies. I personally feel the majority of those young people believed in the tenants of peace and love and were trying to change the world for the better. It was also important to me that my three main characters, Sarah, Alex, and Matt were drug free throughout most of the novel. Although drugs played a significant role in the culture, I wanted my main characters to be enlightened without the use of drugs. In my book, I separated the true hippie from his weekend counterpart. It's significant to note the difference between the two factions in that the first group wanted to make change and the second just wanted to get high. I would like to think the peace protests of the 1970's, which in some ways helped to end the war in Vietnam, and the protests of today can be traced back to the hippies of the '60s, and, of course, the summer of love. I also believe the movement was instrumental in passing anti-racism laws in the late 1960s and 1970s and undoubtedly was responsible for generating an interest in environmental concerns such as clean air and water, organic farming, and recycling. Kimberly: Sarah of the Moon was written with honesty and sweetness and all the things we feel when we fall in love for the first time. How did you find those feelings, that purity, that happened a while ago? Mr. Mixter: First and foremost, I wanted Sarah Of The Moon to be a romantic novel. I initially chose the Haight-Ashbury summer of love setting because I wanted my heroine to be a free spirit. Sarah was a product of her time as was Alex. Although they were from different cultures they became bonded through the love they shared. I must admit I incorporated the feelings I had for my wife then (and now) into the character of Alex. Our relationship had the same purity about it. She was the free spirit and I was the reckless soldier. Somehow, due to a lot of persuasion and perseverance, it worked. I was able to connect with her when I returned from Vietnam. My wife and I both feel that the war changed me for the better, or maybe we both just matured in that year I was away. Kimberly: The main character in your book is Alex. Alex’s father served in World War II. Alex’s father not only insisted, but ordered his son to follow in his footsteps. Was this to show that during that time offspring respected our parents’ wishes? That, at that time, many of us didn’t question but did as we were told? Mr. Mixter: Many of the parents in my age group served in World War II, my father included. Patriotism was in the air in those days as well as the notion of a solid family unit. My father died when I was young, but I think his sentiments would have been similar to Alex's father about the honor of serving your country. In that regard, times have certainly changed between then and now. My father's respect meant everything to me in my youth. Not surprisingly, that came through in my writings. Kimberly: Hindsight, do you feel serving your country in Vietnam was a mistake? Mr. Mixter: I spent the year of 1967 in Vietnam and boarded the plane to the war zone at exactly midnight on January 1st. I volunteered for duty in Vietnam. At the time my reasons for this were purely selfish. Nineteen year olds live for the moment and I wanted the 5 day leave between my MP training at Ft. Gordon, Georgia and Vietnam to see my girlfriend. Also, I didn't want to be away from her through the longer tours of duty in Germany and Korea. Vietnam proved to be a valuable learning experience for me. I still communicate with some of the friends I made over there, and participate in bi-annual reunions. I have no doubts, looking back on it, that I would have done it again. Would I feel differently about it had I been injured or traumatized in some manner? Perhaps. However, I'm glad I went to Vietnam. I'm grateful for what I saw over there and the lessons I learned. I believe it made me a better man. I should also note that the girl that I saw on leave before I left for war, and the girl I wrote to nearly every day during my year away, is now my wife. Kimberly: Sarah has premonitions. Her parents were killed when she was very young, yet she still has an ongoing relationship with them and tell her what will happen in the future. They even tell her she will meet Alex. Is Sarah’s character based on someone you know? Mr. Mixter: No. Sarah’s character just grew in my mind as the story went along. I didn't know why she danced on a hill, or of her parents. I had the blueprint for Sarah in my mind but, much like the flowers she loved, she blossomed on the pages. I sometimes feel like a proud father when I talk of her. None of my characters throughout the novel were fleshed out until they went on the page. I based my hippie character, Chick, on a free spirit friend I once had of the same name. Matt, the Vietnam war hero, was a composite of several of my veteran friends from Vietnam. The cat, Jezebel, was based on a stray cat with the same appearance that my wife and I befriended while on vacation in San Antonio, Texas. All else, including Oswald the chicken, came to me as I wrote. Kimberly: What is one thought you wanted to convey in Sarah Of The Moon? Mr. Mixter: I attempted to make the point that we should be tolerant of cultures different from ours. Each of my three main characters came from different backgrounds and had different philosophies on life, yet they were willing to make compromises and adjust their way of thinking in order to fit in. Of course they took it a step farther and all three fell in love, but then again it was the summer of love. Kimberly: Can you share with us a bit about getting your book published? Mr. Mixter: I self-published Sarah Of The Moon with CreateSpace last year. I currently have sent out query letters to several agents and I am optimistically waiting for a response. I am happy that now, with the advent of print-on-demand and e-books, there are more opportunities for aspiring authors to present their books to the reading public. Kimberly: Tell us about the next project you are working on. Mr. Mixter: I am currently one-third through writing my latest novel, Swan Loch. Much like Sarah of the Moon, Swan Loch involves two people very much in love. Unlike Sarah, it takes place in today's world. Swan Loch is about love found, lost, then found again. There will be mystery, adventure, tragedy, romance, and a bit of science fiction. Once again, I have a beginning and an end and I'm filling in most of the blanks as I write. Wish me luck!     All content on this site is copyright Robert Randal Mixter ©2011 |
