Anyone who has vacationed in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, knows the Village of Ellenville, and no visit to Ellenville was complete without a stop in Cohen's Quality Bakery; "Home of the World Famous Raisin Pumpernickel".
Cohen’s Bakery owners Ruby and Reginia Cohen struggled together for over fifty years to build a lasting legacy for their grandchildren and financial security for themselves in their retirement years, yet it took only a handful of outsiders less than eighteen months to destroy everything they worked their entire lives to acquire.This is the true account of the events that lead to the near destruction of our family at the hands of my cousins, a court appointed guardian, and one of the most powerful Elder Law attorneys in South Florida. It is a story of determination, fortitude and of the victory which inspired the creation of the National Association To Stop Guardian Abuse.They say blood is thicker than water, but you can’t bath in it, you can’t cook with it, and blood tastes lousy with scotch.
HUNTRESS REVIEWS
Reviewed by Detra Fitch5 STARS!I read to escape reality and to assure myself that there will be a "happily ever after" ending. I let other reviewers tackle the non-fiction novels. However, on rare occasions, a non-fiction book captures my attention. Such is the case with "Blood Tastes Lousy With Scotch".What can one person do when the justice system is set up in such a way that distant relatives, lawyers, and state approved organizations can LEGALLY STEAL your parents' entire life savings and financial assets? The answer is nothing, unless that one person is ready to step up to the plate, chance losing everything they own, and happen to have a miracle or two occur. If your parents live over 3,000 miles away, the chances are worse. This is exactly what Robin Cohen Westmiller faced and won.In this book, the author is exposing everything and everyone involved. Readers will find copies of all the documents that support Robin's experiences. All names and agencies in Florida are revealed. This includes full names of Robin's cousins, the judges, the attorneys and the names of their companies, as well as all the organizations and employees that either helped legally steal from Ruby and Reginia or helped free Ruby from being imprisoned within the state of Florida. Hopefully, this story will offer help and support to those who have been victimized so that no other family has to suffer the same. I found this to be an eye opening experience that chilled me to the core. Look out all you heartless agencies and attorneys! Author Robin Cohen Westmiller is taking names and kicking butts!As the population ages the issues of the elderly become more widespread and crucial. Robin Cohen Westmiller has written a factual, detailed story of her family's struggle with guardianship abuse. She has courageously told the story of what she, her children and, most importantly, her parents suffered from a system not prepared to face the realities of this theft and mistreatment.
Ruby and Regina Cohen worked hard all their lives taking care of their business, their daughter and their extended family of nieces and nephews. Retirement should have been a time of relaxing together to enjoy the security of family and financial stability. A small stroke changes all that. Ruby suffers a stroke that mildly seems to alter his thought process. For many years he had spent a few weeks in Florida on vacation while Regina stayed home. His health seems to preclude another visit but calls from his niece convince him to go. Nothing his wife or daughter say can convince him that he is not in shape for the journey, not mentally or physically . In March 2004 he got a friend to drive him to the airport and flew to Florida. That was the last his wife would see him for close to 2 years.
What follows is an eye opening tale of the difficulties of fighting a system that is not set up to protect the well being of the elderly. Ms Westmiller's cousins were able to convince Ruby to file for divorce from his wife, refuse to see or speak with his daughter and granddaughters, attempt to empty his bank account and not return home. . As his health becomes worse and worse, Ruby is confined to nursing homes and hospitals. Even the court appointed guardian, the hope to change the situation, continues to drain his bank account, continues the divorce proceedings and let the cousins have a say in his life. Ms Westmiller must battle for her parents future in New York while her father is trapped in Florida from her home in California.
The inclusion of copies of all of the documents that support Ms Westmiller's experiences are a well chosen addition. While she is able to tell her story with minimal emotional slants, it is the inclusion of the actual court records, comparisons of signatures attributed to her father and financial records that make this book so powerful.
It would be wonderful to be able to announce that the book has a perfect, happy ending. While Ms Westmiller is able to to rescue her father from the Florida relatives, guardians and court system, the toll, financially, emotionally and physically on her parents is monumental. In less than 2 years they lose everything they has worked for their entire lives- their house, their back accounts and, sadly, their chance to live together. This book is a personal attempt by the author to educate others to this danger and raise the awareness of this potential tragedy.
TCM Reviews
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Blood Tastes Lousy with Scotch
Robin C. Westmiller
StarPublish
ISBN: 1-932993-43-6
Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewed by Tami Brady
Robin C. Westmiller has long been an advocate for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Fighting injustice was a passion that seemed to come natural to her. Still, she never thought that she would end up having to fight lawyers and family members over guardianship abuse. She definitely never thought that her own father would be the victim.
Blood Tastes Lousy with Scotch is the author’s memoirs about her battle. Ruby Cohen, the author’s father, had operated Cohen’s Quality Bakery (with its World Famous Raison Pumpernickel) in Ellenville, New York his entire adult life. Then in 2002, he suffered a minor stroke and was forced to sell the bakery. For several years, his wife took care of him without incident. A trip to Florida to visit relatives would change everything.
Blood Tastes Lousy with Scotch is an incredibly scary read. We all read about elder abuse but never think that it could happen to those we love. Still, greed will make people do crazy things. Even something as simple as a stroke can reduce someone’s normal defenses enough to throw there life into utter chaos.
For more information on the National Association to STOP Guardian Abuse, visit our website at www.stopbuardianabuse.org.Blood Tastes Lousy
With Scotch How I rescued my father from
greedy cousins, thieving attorneys and the
Florida Guardianship System
Published by STARPublish
ISBN 1-932993-43-6
Amazon.com
About the Author: RAVEN WEST is the pen name of Robin Cohen Westmiller,
writer, author and columnist who decided to become a journalist when she discovered that showing a "Press Pass" gave her access to areas and people that others never get to see. During her freshman year at the University of Missouri-Columbia, she fell in love with the college's radio station and changed majors, schools, and careers. At Syracuse University, she worked at several radio stations including WELV in her hometown of * Ellenville, New York.
Combining her writing skills and radio industry background she created the novel Red Wine For Breakfast set in the volatile world of a Los Angeles radio station.
Her second novel First Class Male is the story of a small town postmaster who secretly edits the manuscript of a NY City District Attorney and becomes the target of blackmail, jealousy and revenge.
Under the pen name of FireBird, she published a collection of erotica short stories, Journey to Dimension Nine.
All three books are published by Lighthouse Press, Inc.
Many of her articles have appeared in "The Writers Connection", "Westlake Magazine", "Conejo Valley Magazine" and "PEN". She has been a frequent guest on KCLU's "Beyond Words" NPR syndicated radio program hosted by Frances Halpern.
She has led workshops for "Creative Options " at Cal Lutheran University and conducts seminars on marketing on the Internet for the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and is a member The Authors Guild.
A “mid-life crises” in 2003 led her to enter the Southern California Institute of Law, a decision, which later turned out to be fortuitous in her fight to rescue her father from the clutches of a Florida court appointed guardian. Once again, combining her real life experience with the power of the written word, she penned her memoir “Blood Tastes Lousy With Scotch”, published by Star Publish. http://starpublish.com/robin_cohen_westmiller.htm.
Robin is the President and founder of the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse and a member of the Author’s Guild, Ventura County Bar Association, and National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
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