August 2015 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Literary
Mystery & Thriller
Novels
Novella/Short Story
Reference
Spirituality
Louise
Brooks, Frank Zappa & Other Charmers & Dreamers
Tom Graves
Devault-Graves
Digital Editions
Print Edition
ISBN: 978-1-942531-08-1
Ebook ISBN:
978-1-942531-07-4
www.devault-gravesagency.com
Louise Brooks, Frank Zappa & Other Charmers & Dreamers comes from a journalist who has written about his encounters with a range of talented performing arts and literary figures, from silent film star Louise Brooks (Graves was the latest to interview the reclusive star) to the first Elvis impersonator, and rock stars such as Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders. This diverse collection of cultural icons and interviews alone would have made Louise Brooks, Frank Zappa & Other Charmers & Dreamers a treasure trove for performing arts and music readers; but it holds additional value as well.
First to note is its attention to profiling iconic classic stars and lesser-knowns alike. Tom Graves draws on a wide range of peoples and experiences and takes the interview format to the outer limits of possibility, tailoring his questions and discussions in such a manner as to interest not just fans of Frank Zappa and well-known figures, but audiences who may hold little (if any) prior familiarity with these figureheads.
Perhaps this is because of the author's family lineage, replete with master storytellers. Perhaps it's because he focuses as much upon entertainment as information, supercharging his interviews with a gift for asking the right questions to intrigue audiences with wider perspectives requiring no familiarity with his subject.
Or maybe this comes from a perspective honed by time and experience which formulates the right questions for each subject, then synthesizes them beyond a Q&A interview format to make for an easy, vivid read: "…it seemed to work because what I did was me and it was natural and wasn’t like saying, ‘Okay, he used two fingers to do this and he put his foot down here, and he…’ You know, I didn’t want to get into that at all. I would’ve been too embarrassed to do that. I have to do it my way.” When Bill Haney got away from the piano and stood by himself in the spotlight, the effect was complete. The jumpsuits, the belts, the spangles, the shades, the red scarves, and the note-perfect song arrangements made Bill Haney’s act much more than a clever illusion – they made it reality."
No casual effort, Louise Brooks, Frank Zappa & Other Charmers & Dreamers synthesizes some thirty years of interviewing experience and writings: as such, it traces the evolution of styles, genres, individual achievement, and cultural atmosphere alike, much in the style of Hunter Thompson and other great capturers of modern culture.
Two audiences will especially find it a compelling approach: journalists (and students of journalism) attracted to the techniques of creating pieces that live beyond their times and original audiences, and readers of performing arts biographies who will find the juxtaposition of perspectives of different kinds of stars to be diverse, revealing, and ultimately compelling.
Immersion is what so many journalists strive for and so few achieve: it's present throughout this collection in writings which go beyond involving readers, mesmerizing them with a cultural immersion program using the written word as a vehicle for the kinds of interactions one normally only achieves in face-to-face conversation.
Louise Brooks, Frank Zappa & Other Charmers & DreamersReturn to Index
Rowdy
Christopher Madsen
CPM
Publishing
978-0-9960260-0-0 $55.00
Publication Date: August 2015
Contact: rowdystory@yahoo.com
http://www.rowdystory.com
The
title Rowdy
perhaps implies a story of mayhem
and parties - and in a strange way, you wouldn't be far off identifying
this
saga as a spirited account, even though 'Rowdy' does not identify a
state of
mind, but is the name of a sailboat author Christopher Madsen
discovered in
1998.
At that point Rowdy was certainly not living up to her name: derelict, leaky, and neglected, the yacht and her former owner were largely a mystery – and, as author Christopher Madsen began rebuilding his new acquisition, so he became intrigued by her past and became determined to not just rebuild her, but also to solve all of her mysteries. The surprising course of this investigation traversed East and West coasts, involved exhaustive research, and ultimately drew the author as much into researching Duell and nautical history as into the physical act of restoring an old, once-grand boat. In fact, over sixteen years went into the making this story; and so Rowdy is not a quick nautical adventure so much as an in-depth and personal investigation, made all the more gripping by the fact that the story is completely true, historically significant and meticulous footnoted throughout.
The book quickly transitions from Christopher’s restoration of the yacht and whisks the reader back in time to the 1920’s era of Hemmingway and Gatsby. It is in this setting that the dynamic story of the original owner, Holland Sackett Duell, seems to magically unfold and blossom back to life. The reader will share in the journeys and struggles of Holland Duell, decorated World War I major, celebrated New York state senator, powerful patent attorney, and highly accomplished sailor, as he is immersed in the Great War, politics at the highest level, the birth of Hollywood, fortunes and mansions, love and romance, and scandalous affairs. It is this rich and diverse content makes Rowdy a strong recommendation for sailors and non-sailors alike.
It should be noted that color and vintage, historical black and white photos and illustrations are liberally peppered throughout: something missing in many a nautical tale, and a feature which lends a visual touch to the story line.
Rowdy offers many unusual facets that set it apart from other nautical titles. Of course there is the nautical theme: "To be honest, when I arrived at the marina and saw Rowdy, my first impression of her was so decidedly mixed that I would equate it to seeing a beautiful purebred dog that had been beaten, abused, neglected, and left to die in a pitiful state….while I know I glanced over all the flaws, my gaze was held by the clean design of her flush deck, with no built-up cabin, and her long, graceful sweeping shear. I could picture how easily and quickly her bow, with its immensely long overhang, must have sliced through the water in her heyday. Looking at her sleek yet sad appearance, I saw nothing but potential and the obvious signature of her master designer, Captain Nat Herreshoff."
A central theme which develops and steadily builds towards a given outcome at the end of the book centers on a secret love affair conceived on the 1918 battlefields of France: “In my absence, your family life would survive on its own, or it would fail on its own, and it’s probably best to let that course play out. I would still like to be a familiar presence, and we can certainly continue to share the happiness and friendship that we have brought to each other in that capacity. But at the same time, I think I would curl up and die and blow away like dust if I were denied one ounce of the intimacy and closeness that we shared last night. With that, the basic foundation of their clandestine relationship had been laid.”
Another faceted inclusion in the book, Holland Duell’s war journal, provides vivid, personalized descriptions of his experiences in the Great War, and is represented to be the most detailed accounting ever written on the 306th Field Artillery, 77th Division: “The French citizens laughed and cried hysterically as they embraced their liberators. The French and American flags were hoisted, and a makeshift band played “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “La Marseillaise.” To see those French men who, but a blink of the eye ago with all their worldly possessions upon their back, had impressed us as being the most pitiful, destitute, beaten-down souls in existence—to see them now infused with craziness and hilarity, running about madly, throwing their hats in the air and joyously shouting, “Fini la Guerre!” and “Vivent les Americains!” and “Vive l’Amerique!” was a sight to behold. Fini la Guerre indeed! So it was true. The war was finally over.”
But finally - and perhaps, most importantly - Rowdy is a history journal of a boat, its owner, and the process of tracking down a multifaceted story of her life and times: a process that immersed the author not only in the original owner's remarkable story; but also afforded him the most wonderful and special opportunity to meet and become friends with many of Holland Duell’s descendants.
And so readers anticipating a singular story of a boat's restoration, or a yachting adventure, or even a new owner's discoveries about his impulsive purchase will find so much more here. The historical research and vintage history is simply extraordinary, making Rowdy an exceptional standout presentation that neatly moves far above and beyond the multitudes of books competing for similar shelf space. "Five Stars"
Remembrance
of Letters Past
Robert Ambros
Amazon Kindle
ASIN: B010YNM7W6
$3.99
Dedicated Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/gp/
Dedicated author website: www.robertambros.wordpress.com
Dedicated Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
Remembrance of Letters Past: Famous Authors Fake Letters and Other Parodies displays the finer art of parody at its best, and uses the style and approaches of Poe, Hemingway, Twain, Proust, and other famous writers to provide short pieces that are hilarious and unexpected.
These works take the form of letters and notes to the various authors - but don't expect serious exchanges: these are parodies and thus presume a basic, prior familiarity with the authors and their works.
Ergo, Mark Twain refutes a lawyer's extortion attempt by conjuring up a spirit's accusation on a snake oil remedy's devastating effects, Oscar Wilde's discussion with a jewelry store over a gem's mis-delivery turns increasingly hostile, and Melville's publisher expresses consternation that Twain's 'Jumping Frog' is somehow overselling his esteemed Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (Publisher: "If you have not heard, that one we turned down, Twain’s The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County had been selling so quickly, they ran out of the first print already. But there is no sense in pondering over this pool of milk." Co-publisher: "I am very aware of Twain’s success and am left speechless over the choices the public makes and what is reveals of this nation’s mood and priorities. We both agreed the poems were first rate. Herman had dedicated the work to the three hundred thousand who fell for the Union but the public wants to read about a frog whose mouth is filled with lead.")
These are wonderful parodies which go to great lengths to successfully adopt the style and attitude of each writer. While general-interest readers could fail to fully appreciate the tongue-in-cheek approach of Remembrance of Letters Past, it's the student of literature (from high school through college levels) who will find the approach simply delightful, offering much rollicking laughter and food for literary thought.
Remembrance of Letters PastReturn to Index
The
Eleventh Commandment
Norah Wilson and Heather Doherty
Something Shiny Press
c/o Norah Wilson
P.O. Box 30046
Fredericton, NB E3B 0H8
Print: 9781927651223 eBook:
9781927651230
Print: $11.99 eBook: $3.99
www.norahwilsonwrites.com
Yes, The Eleventh Commandment is a romance story: if the steamy embrace on its cover isn't enough to warn, then nothing will. But it's romance with a difference - a dystopian romance - and this means that science fiction readers with a special affection for dystopian survival sagas will be just as interested in a story that firmly straddles the line between the two genres.
Picture a near future in which society has collapsed after a global epidemic: one which, much like The Handmaid's Tale, has been taken over by a religious order that subjugates women as part of its new structure. Protagonist Maree serves as a concubine for the Prophet, but there's a difference between her and other obedient followers: the mind-wipe designed to purge her of past memories hasn't worked entirely, and has left her with the vestiges of independent thinking: something women in this unbrave new world no longer harbour.
So when her sister is identified as a 'breeder' destined for nonstop child production for the rest of her life, Maree induces her to escape into a wild (and even more deadly) world outside the religious order; there to find adversity, struggle, and unexpected romance as they search for a fabled refuge for non-believers and confront those who follow them. Kallem has been tasked by the Prophet himself to return these wayward sheep to the fold - but not before tracking them to the rebel enclave to take care of two problems in one fell sweep.
Nobody counted on emotions getting in the way. Nobody could predict that Maree, distrustful of Kallem even after he rescues them, could fall in love with the enemy. And nobody knows the meaning behind their immediate attraction: but Maree begins to guess, and her suspicions could change the world.
Under a lesser hand, The Eleventh Commandment could have held the potential for alienating romance and sci-fi readers alike: the two genres seldom cross in this manner (integrating steamy passion with a firmly dystopian setting and developing both in accordance with their different genre traditions). Sure, there's romance in sci-fi; but generally not the same trademarks of passion that one expects in a romance. Certainly, a few romances have sci-fi settings; but not the attention to detail that hard sci-fi holds for its followers.
The fact that The Eleventh Commandment does an outstanding job of integrating the strengths of both these genres makes it a unique contribution that will attract and hold both genre readers, presenting a stark, gripping world against which two characters hold a nearly predetermined attraction. They only need to uncover it - and, each other - in a well-written, cat-and-mouse interplay of choices and changes.
The Eleventh CommandmentReturn to Index
Regina
Shen: Defiance
Lance Erlick
Finlee Augare Books
PO Box 1805
Palatine, IL 60078
978-1-943080-04-5
$12.95
(print), $3.99 (Kindle)
www.amazon.com
This Regina Shen story joins others in the series and also stands well on its own, allowing newcomers the pleasure of learning about a feisty female protagonist who faces down adversity in a futuristic world replete with challenges.
Regina Shen: Defiance opens with a bang ("Soon we would light up infrared sensors like fireflies.") and is set in the year 298 ACM, when an ongoing attempt to rescue Regina's sister Colleen (explored in a previous book) once again fails. Seventeen-year-old Regina's unique DNA is key to saving the human race and could reverse a worldwide fertility crisis - so why wouldn't she willingly make some sacrifices for the sake of humanity? Because there's so much more at stake, here, than one life - even if it's hers.
The dystopian future in which Regina operates is quickly sketched in the opening chapter so that newcomers quickly come up to speed with her issues, enemies, and friends; but once again it's Erlick's attention to exploring Regina's logic and psychological processes which lends full body to the character and involves readers in not just the outer layers of her world, but Regina's innermost concerns and ambitions.
As the story progresses, readers are treated to a healthy dose of cat-and-mouse intrigue ("Chang’s boss sounded like the logical successor to keep the peace. However, there were no guarantees. After Demarco delivered the goods, they could execute her for opportunism or treason.") in a rollicking rescue attempt that leads Regina into uncertain contact with more of her family.
Regina Shen: Defiance continues to reveal the character of a mature teen who is thoroughly savvy about her choices in life and their consequences. Its strength lies in a combination of swift action and psychological insight on all sides which makes events anything but cut-and-dried and predictable. By taking the time to flesh out Regina's actions and adventures over a series of books, Erlick succeeds in creating a series of stories that are interconnected with a common focus, yet stand well alone - and that's no mean fete: skirting the line between a stand-alone story and one that follows a progressive, evolutionary line.
It should be advised that another cliff-hanger evolves, portending more in the series - so readers who want their novels to begin and conclude in one book should be forewarned: Regina Shen intends to live on - and so her cause's success remains uncertain and in balance.
Regina Shen: DefianceReturn to Index
Retribution
Jan Domagala
Kindle Direct Publishing
ASIN: B00FNK10UQ $4.62
http://jandomagala.wix.com/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/
Retribution is Book 4 in the Col Sec series (other books not seen by this reviewer), and while it should be noted that coming into a series midway often proves a challenge, given that plot, setting, characters and action have long ago been set in previous books (in this case, Ronin, OMEGA and Discovery), the joy of this series appears to be (if Retribution is any indication) that the books do succeed in standing alone. In this case, a prologue sets the scene where a quasi-sleeping woman aboard a starship, Zara, is puzzled about her surroundings and how she came to be there - and her discoveries help readers learn about the background of OMEGA and other facets presumably covered in prior adventures.
Tension builds: there's a woman in a lab exploring what memories she has of the past (including a lost love); there's a man buried alive yet regenerating amid memories and the rubble of a discovery that may have caused his downfall; and there's a deadly political enemy that demands that Kurt and his Wildfire Team confront and play a dangerous game indeed.
All this is presented against the backdrop of a military struggle that revolves around a serum and a plot to involve violent creatures which may be set loose within Col Sec to kill everything. Add clones, a cat-and-mouse game that is ongoing and unpredictable, and plenty of action, and readers who enjoy politically charged, military-based sci-fi will find in Retribution a satisfying read that stands well alone, powered by believable protagonists and richly-drawn scenarios.
RetributionReturn to Index
Mystery & Thrillers
A
M M
Nick Totem
LucenGeist Literary Press
2810 Peaceful Grove
Las Vegas, NV 89135
978-1-943564-00-2
$14.00
Email: lucengeist@gmail.com
Physician Art Sand is at a banquet in a tux when he receives the call from his hospital that mentally retarded patient David Calweld has awakened from his coma and has said some strange things; and since he's part of the wealthy family who has supported the hospital, Art has no choice but to speed to the young man's bedside, there to embark on a strange journey indeed. His long-time patient has never verbally communicated; but now he is revealing some strange things indeed.
Some think he's possessed by the devil, but Art Sand believes the encephalitis may have forged new connections between the brain's neural pathways. In reality, something even stranger is going on, and physician Sand finds himself embroiled in the dangerous mystery of how a long-time mentally retarded patient suddenly becomes intelligent.
As he probes what has happened to David Caldwell, a bigger picture emerges that brings with it a series of challenging choices and evolving perceptions of new promises and dangers. Through events that circle through divorce and loss, recovery, and creatures that "…come from us; yet they are not us." comes the increasing revelation of strange new worlds that exist as a subset of the common flow of humanity.
Nick Totem's ability to add unexpected twists to a topic that begins as a Robin Cook-style thriller and evolves into something satisfyingly more complex is only equaled by his ability to craft well-rounded protagonists, different purposes, and discoveries that revolve around the Death Sleep and its implications for all.
In such a world there are few safe havens, and under such a hand as Totem's there is little opportunity for distraction. Readers will be gripped by the events that swirl around Art, and will find A M M nearly impossible to put down, ultimately calling into question the very nature of reality itself. For more detail, you'll just have to read the amazing story of a world gone apocalyptic.
A M MReturn to Index
Fatal
Serum
Sam Black
Morgan James Publishing
5 Penn Plaza
23rd Floor
New York, New York 10001-1810
978-1-63047-339-6
$17.95
Sam makes two important discoveries while he's working on his doctorate degree: a serum that blocks contagious diseases, and another that keeps air pollution from getting into the lungs. It would seem a simple matter to get drug companies interested in his discoveries so he can dig out from under his student loans; but surprisingly, nobody seems interested.
The only answer is to get a financial backer in the form of a wealthy benefactor and start his own company marketing his discoveries. All this background is deftly explained in a simple prologue designed to set the stage for events to come: now fast forward to the future, when Sam is the owner of a successful company facing the kidnapping of his wife and a vial of international conspiracy influences revolving around a deadly power play that could kill his family, his dreams, and perhaps his invention.
While readers might expect a Robin Cook-type medical drama from the title of Fatal Serum (or perhaps the story of a mad scientist intent on destroying the world), to its credit, this story is so much more, reaching deftly into the thriller market by offering a complex blend of intrigue and special interest struggles.
The first few action-packed chapters can be confusing as past and present swing back and forth like a pendulum, painting the story of Sam's loving relationship with Jen, the evolution of his company and home life, and the dangers in her disappearance. It takes a few chapters for all these facets to come together, even given the background presented in the book's prologue: by then the reader is hooked into a solid first-person story that captures Sam's urgency and world.
The refreshing character of Sam, who sets out to do good only to find evil forces at work, the involvement of his family, and the influence of drug companies around the world make for a multi-faceted saga packed with twists, turns, and all the hallmark vigor and enthusiasm of a thriller that offers up more than a few surprises.
Fatal SerumReturn to Index
The
Ice Cap and the Rift, 2nd Edition
Marshall Chamberlain
The Grace Publishing Group
428 Childers St. #24550
Pensacola, FL 32534
978-1500511999
www.gracepublishing.org
On the heels of Book One of the 'Ancestor' series comes Volume Two, The Ice Cap and the Rift, another spell-binding adventure that opens with a prologue summing up events that transpired in The Mountain Place of Knowledge and presenting another potentially world-altering disaster. Having the prior events summarized offers the rare opportunity for newcomers to become instantly familiar with the actions that preceded The Ice Cap and the Rift. (This summary approach provides the basics, yet retains enough mystery about these proceedings to offer the idea that Book One will prove equally compelling, inducing interest for newcomers to turn to the first adventure saga for more detail.)
In this case a 'comboquake' rolls up the Atlantic ridge and creates a fifteen-mile rift across an Icelandic ice cap, revealing a huge hidden cave and further challenges to humanity's existence.
Satellite inspection reveals frozen objects and structures in the cavern; and because curiosity killed the cat and may ultimately destroy mankind, further probes are destined to take place when a geologist and ex-Marine is charged with the task of investigating.
As events unfold here, it becomes evident that competing national interests, new technology, possible otherworld involvements, and fresh dangers are at the forefront of an adventure that turns a strange scientific discovery into a cat-and-mouse game of politics and confrontation between competing forces.
Strong characterization, a healthy dose of scientific mystery, and violently conflicting political interests permeate what can only be described as an Indiana Jones-style action thriller, replete with satisfying twists and turns sure to satisfy readers of the action-adventure genre.
This audience will appreciate Chamberlain's attention to detail, his ability to build believable characters and political situations, and especially, his attention to keeping the mystery alive and the tension exquisite throughout the story line - no mean feat given that so many disparate threads are created, to be joined together at a later date.
The Ice Cap and the Rift, 2nd EditionReturn to Index
The
Legend of War Creek
Randall Reneau
9781506130927 ebook:
1506130925
CreateSpace
https://www.amazon.com/author/
The Legend of War Creek is the fourth in a series centered on geologist Trace Branden, and presents the scenario of a long-lost mineral vein rediscovered by Branden over a hundred years after its initial discoverer lost it.
There's only one problem: it's a vein guarded by a skeleton and rests on sacred soil; both warnings to beware and be gone - and when Brandon ignores these signs and orders drilling, he faces the grisly ritualistic murders of his men and the sudden interest of an adversary determined to claim Brandon's find for his own.
On the face of it, The Legend of War Creek would seem to revolve around a lost gold strike in the West and thus would qualify as a Western; but that's not entirely true. Yes, the setting is Washington's Cascade mountains; but the protagonist is a modern geologist, the threats stem from ancient and modern sources alike, and Trace Branden must confront past and present evils if he's to make headway in what might be the greatest geologic discovery of his career.
Don't expect a cut-and-dried saga, either: the mystery permeating The Legend of War Creek takes readers on a ride presenting plenty of action, twists and turns, and enough intrigue that at times one has no idea where the story line is heading - and in a world of predictable formula writing, that's really a comment on Reneau's ability to spin a compelling yarn.
Think Tony Hillerman, add a dash of Margaret Coel-style intrigue, and adopt the passionate overlay of some of J.A. Jance's action thrillers, then sit back and enjoy the read. Not for those who want simple stories, The Legend of War Creek will delight readers with a saga that takes the typical trappings of a Western thriller (a police investigation into murders, a rich mineral find, two archenemies, and a killer who targets the wrong man) and evolves it into something greater than either a mystery or a Western alone could achieve.
The Legend of War CreekReturn to Index
The
Mountain Place of Knowledge, 2nd
Edition
Marshall Chamberlain
The Grace Publishing Group
428 Childers St. #24550
Pensacola, FL 32534
978-1493554355
www.gracepublishing.org
Be forewarned: The Mountain Place of Knowledge is not a stand-alone creation, but Book One in the 'Ancestor' series. Therefore, one can expect an action story that will link to future books. That said: it's a thriller highly recommended for readers who like their action nonstop, their characters well-drawn, and tension revolving around an archaeological discovery: an ancient Mayan sorceress's tomb.
Investigators of the Belize discovery face a mysterious death light which has already killed a U.N. official - but this is just the tip of the iceberg as strange new forces are unearthed that might better have been left undiscovered: powers described in a Mayan diary and experienced by the ancient Mayans.
The first two chapters contrast mistakes of past and present with the seeming inability of man to learn from the warnings of past experience. As events involve investigative teams around the world, they slowly build in complexity as special interest groups, politicians, and others become involved in the discovery and its potential to threaten world order.
With its strong characters, plot, and attention to infusing high drama with the convergence of special interests, The Mountain Place of Knowledge represents Indiana Jones-style intrigue and adventure writing at its best.
The Mountain Place of Knowledge, 2nd Edition
Return
to Index
Novels
Breaking
the Silence
Diamante Lavendar
D&L Productions
978-1502381255
$12.99
Paper; $2.99 Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/
Joan Eastman is put on bed rest for the length of her uncertain pregnancy and buys a diary to occupy her time and Breaking the Silence is what she reveals in her diary: a saga of growing up repressing psychological and sexual cruelty and falling into substance abuse as one reflection of the self-hatred she feels.
Plenty of fiction and nonfiction sagas stop here, chronicling that abuse and its lasting impact; but the strength of Breaking the Silence lies in its ability to proceed past the pain to the other side, using the forthcoming birth of Eastman's child and her diary to foster the process of moving beyond past injustices into healing.
Any who have struggled with past abuse, wondering how to shake its shackles and move into a future unencumbered by past tragedy, will relish the first-person diary entries in Breaking the Silence, which follows a way out of the maze. It's a powerful saga of a woman determined to undertake the work that will truly release her from self-destructive patterns and reactions that pass between generations.
Juxtaposing the progression of pregnancy with life lessons learned from her experiences, Joan's story is a haunting survey of life, death, and everything in between, and a powerful saga not for those who would lead the unexamined life; but especially recommended for readers struggling with their own dark pasts and its implications for the future.
Plenty of stories capture the experience. Too few chart the course between devastation and destruction to spiritual and emotional rebirth. Breaking the Silence is one such gem - and is a top revelation especially recommended for spirituality readers who want an account of finding not just a way out, but God.
Breaking
the Silence
Return
to Index
Girl
in the River
Patricia Kullberg
Bygone Era Books, Ltd.
7665
E. Eastman Ave. #B101
Denver,
CO 80231
978-1-941072-24-0
$19.95 paperback/$6.99 ebook
www.amazon.com
Today Portland, Oregon is seen as a gentrified, urban mecca of culture; but such was not the case in the 1930s-50s, the setting of Girl in the River. During those times a sense of lawlessness, government corruption, and drugs and sex permeated the town: such is the atmosphere captured in this rich historical novel that centers upon one Mae, who is in the process of escaping from her pimp.
The opening is July 1951: one war is over, but the battle in Portland's streets is just beginning. Mae is caught in a police bust of an illegal underground abortion clinic, but in true feisty fashion she's just as concerned about their brash entry techniques as in the fact that she's being arrested: "The doorknob had smashed a fist-sized dent into the plaster when the whole gang burst through the door. No cause for that. Place wasn’t locked. It wouldn’t have hurt these officers of the peace to step in like gentlemen. Mae scanned the room. Who was in charge of this circus, anyway?"
From the popular culture and atmosphere surrounding World War II to the work of a popular abortion doctor (true-life character Ruth Barnett, who is known for not just abortion work, but grand parties), Girl in the River doesn't just capture the politics, culture, and sentiments of its times: it presents them in living color.
Readers are immersed in bygone Portland through Mae's eyes and experiences, and will find the glow and allure of night clubs, arrangements between legal establishments and abortion efforts, and the smoky allure of a noir atmosphere makes for solid descriptions and alluring interplays between protagonists: "Nels couldn’t see her clearly enough to make the connection between her and Leonard. She was background, the bottle of booze on the table, the pillow on the sofa."
All this contributes to a captivating historical story powered by feisty, believable protagonists, a smoky noir atmosphere, and a story based on real-life events.
Girl
in the River
Into
the Sunrise All it
takes is
one fateful day for Linny to lose her dreams of becoming a horse-riding
champion and
the love of her
life. One dream she can tweak and begin again (the dream of
horse-riding
success); but the other - a healthy romance with one who won't betray
her -
seems ever-elusive. And so Linny sets aside her longing for love in
favor of
horses, which seem like a much more achievable goal, in
comparison. There's
only one
problem with her newfound goal and rejection of romantic entanglements:
love
has a way of entering even the horse pen to ride away with one's heart;
and
when she meets a stable boy with dreams, the entanglements begin
again.
Return
to Index
Carolyn Haley
The Wild Rose Press
P.O.
Box 708
Adams
Basin, NY
14410-708
978-1-5092-0143-3
(digital)
$5.99
http://www.wildrosepublishing.
Only this time it's two love-shy individuals with their own powerful, different goals in life - both horse-oriented - which come together with a clash. In some ways they are perfect matches; in other ways, their paths in life seem quite different.
One of the pleasures of Into the Sunrise lies in its exploration of how two very independent individuals change courses to stay true to their dreams while slowly evolving a love for one another. Another strength is the book's attention to presenting romance as just one of the lures in each individual's life. With such perspectives, depth is achieved - and under such a hand, attraction is tempered with realistic success, tragedies, strife, and mental compromises for both characters.
While Into the Sunrise is most definitely a romance, it's also a story steeped in horses, psychological twists and turns, and revelations that indicate how relationships past and present influence future choices: "Though I was dying to know what dear-old-daddy had done that could provoke my prince to violence, I didn’t want to sidetrack Con or have him clam up. Better to show I could respect his privacy, since he was clearly confiding, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know all the gritty truth."
Readers of horse stories, romances, and novels will find Into the Sunrise satisfyingly complex.
Into
the Sunrise
Return
to Index
Johnson
Road How is
a predator
made? Often he evolves when a cage is rattled, when circumstances prove
the
tipping point into insanity, and when quiet observational habits turn
into
deadly motivations - and that's where Detective Robert Stallworth
enters the
picture, piecing together a puzzle that begins and ends on Johnson
Road. Readers
who seek
the usual formula genre writing from a mystery format will find Johnson Road
is more aptly described as a
story incorporating the undertones of a murder mystery with the
psychological
depth typical of many a novel. For this reason, it's a recommendation
for both
novel readers and mystery fans - and the latter audience should be
prepared for
far more than the usual 'whodunnit'. Readers
should
anticipate a chilling saga set in the rural South where unacceptable
change
proves the breeding ground for disaster. Johnson Road
excels in creating logical characters, motivations, and events; then
tweaks
their progress just a little to keep readers on their toes. It's
rare to find
a finely-tuned story line that takes a neighborhood's evolution to its
outer
limits, weaving disparate elements into a novel of terror that is
powerfully
laced with Southern dialogue and a sense of place. Johnson Road
is such a creation: a heady mix of brooding psychological insight and
analysis
that takes the course of progress and adds an extra dimension of
intrigue. The
result is
highly recommended not for genre readers seeking simple 'whodunnit'
reads; but
for those who appreciate the progressive action of a thriller in a
novel that
offers up far more psychological depth, driving the characters, their
choices,
and the outcome.
Clayton E. Spriggs
Penn Mill Publishing
978-0-9861211-2-8
$10.99
www.pennmillpub.com
Return to Index
The
Midnight Shrink
Edward A. Dreyfus
Edward A. Dreyfus, Publisher
1421
Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa
Monica, CA
90404
9781508691389
www.docdreyfus.com
www.edwardadreyfus.net
The Midnight Shrink is loosely based on the author's experience growing up in New York, and on his background as a psychologist: these facets lend a sense of reality to the story of a desperate search for a serial killer and the involvement of a psychologist in the hunt.
Dr. David Edminson isn't just any psychologist; he's committed to social change, and so his patients don't come to his rich office: he goes out into the streets of Los Angeles in his van and seeks to help those who ordinarily don't get treatment, working night hours that coincide with the routines of his clients, who are largely sex workers and junkies.
Many passages describe this lifestyle, the reasons why people become involved, and insights into the personalities of those who made choices to enter lucrative if not dubious street careers: "She had tried a short stint at prostitution in order to support herself. Being young and attractive on the streets of LA made her easy prey, so she hooked with a pimp and found a modicum of protection. By the time she was twenty she had seen it all and decided that what she saw, she didn’t like. She wanted more out of life. She had witnessed where others ended up and decided it wasn’t for her."
But The Midnight Shrink is about more than a killer at large: it's about a psychologist's self-inspection as he comes to discover his heritage isn't what he thought it was, leading him on a journey that changes his career, his ideals, and his very life.
It's difficult to adequately describe a story that toes the line between murder mystery and psychological drama. Emotions are probed, rationales analyzed, and satisfying tension is built in the course of examining motivations and dangers - and as the good doctor comes to better understand himself, so he draws ever closer to the true identity of a dangerous killer.
Fans of psychological dramas and murder mysteries alike will find The Midnight Shrink a complex, revealing story that brings both social issues and the underworld of the LA streets to life in a uniquely compelling fashion.
The Midnight ShrinkReturn to Index
Nobody's
Children
Hana Hindráková
http://www.hindrakova.cz/en
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
Three children are orphaned, face a cruel uncle, and decide to run away, leaving a little sister behind with the intention of returning to rescue her: so far the story line sounds quite familiar; much like Joan Aiken's Wolves of Willoughby Chase. But there are many differences in Nobody's Children that set it apart from your usual saga of child abuse: for one thing, Nobody's Children is set in (and steeped in the culture of) Kenya, and this background departs from the usual Western story, flavoring it with African culture and traditions that come alive under Hindráková's hand.
Contrasts between slum life and middle-class households are immediately evident in the experiences of two very different children, from spoiled Joy's privileged morning rituals ("“Habari, Miss Joy! You still are in your pyjamas, is it? You should be ashame of yourself. For long time your breakfast is ready.” Joy shuffled slowly into the dining-room and, when she saw the bowl of porridge on the table, it had the same effect on her spirits as the rain outside. She knelt down on her chair, bent over the bowl and wrinkled her nose.") to Moraa's very different life in the Mathore slum in Nairobi ("She hated herself for what she was doing, sending her daughter to beg in the centre of Nairobi, in the government district, which was crawling with policemen carrying kalashnikovs. She knew how dangerous it was for her daughter; those men were capable of anything – they would regard beating a child as amusement. But there was no alternative, and Moraa was good at running away and she was clever – she would often bring home more money than Sarah made from her clients.")
These two worlds are about to clash when protagonists move from one to the other, bringing alive the street culture of Nairobi, struggles to survive, and the elusive hope of a better life. Graft, poverty, child gangs, corruption: stories with sad endings flock around the newly displaced children ("“Our mama die’… an’ we have use’ up all di money she lef’ us. Yestaday di rent collecta said di rent is goin’ up, an’ I could no’ pay, so he troo us out. Now we don’ have anywhere to go.” Odek knew dozens of similar stories with sad endings.") to bring alive Nairobi's underworld. Can anything good come of connections made under such circumstances?
Nobody's Children is anything but cut and dried: it's a top recommendation for novel readers who seek insights into Nairobi's peoples and social strata, but be forewarned: it provides no easy or trite answers in the process of exploring how each protagonist not only survives, but attempts to thrive.
Expect some graphic sexual scenes, lurid accounts of gang rape and trials, and candid descriptions that pull no punches. Readers looking for light stories need not linger here; but those who want powerful sagas of survival and the unexpected successes of orphans who band together for a greater good will find in Nobody's Children a blend of social exposé and an exploration of Nairobi that is layered with African culture and insight.
Nobody's
Children
Return
to Index
Plenty
Kelly K.
Lavender
Kelly K.
Lavender Press
978-0-9909431-2-9
e
978-0-9909-431-3-6 p
Price: $2.99
ebook
$9.99 Paper http://www.amazon.com/dp/
https://books.google.com/
https://store.kobobooks.com/
When
you become
involved in a group effort, sometimes you don't quite know what drives
that
effort, as Camille discovers when she volunteers for a small town youth
outreach program, only to discover that its leaders are overseeing
criminal
activities and that her affair with the sheriff's son who co-presides
over the program
has landed her right in the path of danger.
Plenty
is a novel about love and corruption, friendships and salvation, the
descent
into hell and the effort to survive: as such, it's not for those
seeking either
a romance story or an easy leisure read. Indeed, readers who expect a
novel
filled with positives (an innuendo perhaps provided in both title and
the fact
that the small town is ironically named 'Prosperity') will find it
abundant,
instead, with conflict, sexual and psychological angst, and the efforts
of two
women to change the course of their lives.
One of Plenty's many strengths is that the female protagonists are anything but helpless, the situation anything but hopeless. The reigns of control and domination are fluid and move steadily between oppressors to oppressed. Satisfying twists and turns of story line keep readers guessing, while underlying thoughts and psychology are realistically depicted as characters come to grips with the evil they are facing and their own part in events: "Her body trembled as the unmistakable truth tore away her protective shield of confidence. With each breath, she felt the stinging, choking sensation of ammonia inhaled. The more she breathed, the more she stressed. Moments filled with silence quieted the room. Camille paced and cried as the truth trampled her self-perception."
At times readers feel they are in an emotional meat grinder; at other times, protagonist strengths come to rescue. No easy or light read, Plenty is a vivid, revealing story recommended for any who would absorb two women's methods for regaining power in their worlds, and uses compelling, thought-provoking devices to bring this atmosphere to the forefront of attention. Female readers seeking an antithesis to Fifty Shades of Gray with more dynamic, powerful female characters will find Plenty more than fits the bill.
PlentyReturn to Index
Price
of Life
Danielle Singleton
Publisher: Danielle Singleton
1635 Old 41 Hwy, Suite 112-190
Kennesaw,
GA 30152
0692446389 $9.99 paperback;
$2.99 e-book
Website: www.daniellesingleton.com
Ordering links:
Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/
Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/
NOOK: http://tinyurl.com/
iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/
Thirteen-year-old Luisa lives in a violent, drug-controlled town in Honduras and daily prays for escape. Be careful what you wish for, however: she gets to escape only because her mother has sold her into slavery, and there Luisa's story really begins, telling of two years, four countries, and seven different owners that represent the realities of child sex slavery.
Very few stories provide details of child sex slavery, so Price of Life stands out right away; but its real strength lies in the ability to deftly portray a young girl's struggles after her grandmother dies and her mother comes to view her daughter as a monetary resource: "Abuela is so lucky. She gets to live with Jesus – we have to live with our mother."
At first things aren't so bad: her mother pulls herself together and the young daughters have something of a home life, even if it is in rough circumstances: "In the beginning, Luisa was surprised by how well her mom pulled herself together. She picked up various temporary jobs answering phones, washing dishes, and working in a clothing factory. Luisa and Josefina weren’t in school – after a boy in their building got shot walking to class, their mom said they didn’t need an education. She would bring home books for them to read, though, and the girls didn’t mind that they only left the one-room apartment a couple times a week. They had a decent amount of food to eat, their mom was sober, and they had each other. It could be worse, Luisa often thought."
Be forewarned: Danielle Singleton pulls no punches in describing the terror of the children and their abuse. Her descriptions are vivid, realistic representations of human trafficking events: "This kind of attention, nearly five hundred men (and women) staring at her naked body as she paraded up and down a stage, was too much for Luisa to handle. After she made it back to the end of the catwalk and climbed down the stairs, Luisa collapsed on the rotting wooden floor in a heap of nerves and tears. Luckily for both Dominguez sisters, unlike many auctions in Europe and the Middle East, the Tuxtla sale did not allow ‘product sampling’ before purchases were made."
If political awareness presented through the eyes of a young protagonist caught in a nightmare adult world is desired, then Price of Life is the item of choice: a powerful revelation of human sex trafficking's processes and its impact on all involved.
The
Song That Seduced Paris
Cindy Irish
Enoch Publications, LLC
978-1942627012
$12.99
http://www.amazon.com/Song-
The Song That Seduced Paris is Book One in the 'Bel Homme Quartet' and is romance reading at its best, outlining the dilemmas and dalliances of American music kingpin Teddy Wilson, whose approach to mixing the vocal prowess of opera singers with the appeal of pop stars creates a new genre accessible to both audiences.
Into this world drops French celebrity Gabriel, who accepts Teddy's offer at the cusp of his popular career, and Anne, an American music teacher who finds herself involved in recruiting and handling Gabriel, thanks to her employer Teddy's assignment.
That sparks will fly between the two is predictable. What is less conventional is the juxtaposition between a talented artist who values his freedom and is determined to make this new venture succeed and a woman still not over her husband's death. The satisfying interplays between them forms the heart of the story. One of the pleasures of The Song That Seduced Paris is its dual attention to career and personal choices and the clash and coming together of two very different personalities.
It should be mentioned that because seduction is such a strong part of the story line, some scenes are sexually explicit. It should also be cautioned (for some readers) that language can be candid and sometimes coarse ("“Well, Ted is a breast man.” Bruno slunk deeper into his chair when the women sent him dark looks. “What? He is. He’ll love everything you guys are buying. I’ll get to keep my balls after all.” “Teddy’s a pig,” Harriet stated, pivoting back and forth again. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be a tease.”").
That said, The Song That Seduced Paris is perfectly spun for what it is: a romance story of love and seduction with the backdrop of musical Paris holding everything together for two couples whose lives juxtapose and contrast in interesting ways. Romance readers will find the conclusion both decisive and open for more in Book Two.
The Song That Seduced ParisMortgage
Matters: Demystifying the Loan Approval Maze
Sylvia M. Gutierrez
RealWorks Press
Paperback:
978-0-9904004-1-7 ebook: 978-0-9904004-0-0
$TBA
www.sylviagutierrez.com
Mortgage
Matters: Demystifying the Loan Approval Maze
comes from an
author who has worked in the mortgage industry since 1993, and whose
years of
experience coincided with some of the biggest changes in the mortgage
industry
in years. While the loan approval process has always been mercurial, at
no time
has it presented such confusion or barriers as during these times,
making Mortgage
Matters a requirement for
understanding this maze of regulations, laws, and changing lending
practices.
Readers might expect it to be a review of industry history and changing regulations; but will be surprised to find it's as much an actionable strategic plan as a loan industry history.
Chapters also delve into a far more diverse series of perspectives and approaches than competing books on the mortgage process; primarily because the author isn't just a loan officer: she's worked in a variety of related roles (and at different sized companies), from being a banker, a mortgage banker, a mortgage broker, and a private money lender to working at a mid-size bank, a community bank, a mortgage company, and in a small mom-and-pop operation.
This diversity of experience sets her approach in Mortgage Matters: Demystifying the Loan Approval Maze apart from most others, utilizing a diverse professional background of experience in a range of settings to produce the kinds of insights and plans that are backed by tips, notes, and a step-by-step examination of the loan application and the process of analyzing it.
Any seeking clear explanation of the loan process, its underlying structure and influence, and methods for circumventing common obstacles must read Mortgage Matters, notable for its clear and experienced-based survey of the industry's processes.
Mortgage Matters: Demystifying the Loan Approval MazeReturn to Index
Spirituality
Divine
Wisdom and Warning Divine
Wisdom and Warning: Decoded Messages from God
introduces an
ancient system (Gematria) to new audiences, promoting an alternative
method of
'decoding' God's purpose, and is a recommendation for the religious,
secular
and new age readers alike who wish to consider a different method to
interpreting God's word. Gura
uses a
math-based adaptation of this system to uncover hidden Biblical
messages: an
approach that requires no electronic assistance and which enables all
Bible
readers to conduct their own investigations into Biblical
meaning. There
are many
books that promise different systems for Biblical study, and many new
age
approaches that are more ethereal than practical in their
applications. Divine
Wisdom and Warning is more
specific and methodical than most, explaining the basics of
Gematria and
specifying its use in Bible study. Affection
for
Bible analysis and interpretation is not a prerequisite, because this
math-based model of analysis works with both biblical and modern Hebrew
and
addresses religious and secular topics. These include: the environment,
the
mistreatment of women, and the mystery of quantum science. Flexibility
is
essential in order for readers to consider the specific passages and
messages
to be gleaned from this technique: In the chapter on “Who
Wrote the Bible?
Message 35 states: “The teacher that
walked with me” (Moe-ree Sheh-hahlach), an alternative translation of
the
phrase “My teacher who has departed,” found in the Yizkor prayer in
memory of a
deceased parent. The message here is that we should view the Torah as a
scholarly companion who walks with us on the road of life." It
should also be
noted that Divine
Wisdom and Warning promises
no quick reads, no hasty understanding, and no formula that portends
instant
comprehension: readers need to take time to absorb the spiritual and
philosophical results of applying Gematria to Bible passages.
The
discussion pulls no punches, either, as in a section (for just one
example)
that warns: "A
REMINDER TO RELIGIOUS
FANATICS: Because people sometimes use the Bible to justify violence or
harassment, the next four messages are very important as they clearly
state
that the Bible emphasizes life, goodness, and peace." The
result is an
intriguing new method of viewing the Bible and its messages: one easily
accessible to all spiritual thinkers, which offers further opportunity
for
reflection and understanding.
Nicholas Gura
Hamilton
Books/Rowman & Littlefield
4501
Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham,
Maryland 20706
978-0-7618-6572-8 (pbk : alk.
paper) $19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7618-6573-5
(electronic) $14.99
http://www.amazon.com/Divine-
Return to Index
The
God Test
Robert Bernhard, with Jamie Bernhard
MindBrain Books
4392
Brandywine Drive
Sarasota
FL, 34241
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
https://www.smashwords.com/
Many a spirituality book speaks of God, while many a science book refutes the notion; so it's a pleasure to read an alternative approach from an editor who has long worked in the sciences and who focuses on a method for testing and validation in The God Test: An Experiment to Prove or Disprove God Exists.
Its purpose isn't to reveal the experiment's results: it's to propose and define the parameters of such an investigation itself. Based on established scientific procedures it requires only a little more technological advancement on the part of mankind, to put it into place.
Having a game plan for testing before the equipment arrives at the dock might seem bold to some; but in fact the testing process itself is involved, must of necessity be neutral in approach, and avoids the usual quagmire of attempting to prove or disprove God's existence philosophically in favor of outlining procedures and tools the scientific community can utilize (when the technology becomes available in the not-too-distant future) to follow the process.
Chapters outline an approach that is unique to this book in comparison with other promises: there's no faith involved (as pro-God readers may be dismayed to learn), and there's no bias towards either religious beliefs or scientific atheism.
As for the examination itself, its heart lies in one (ultimately testable) general question: "…the test is targeted principally to determine whether a unique feature of our consciousness (the subjective first-person experience) can or cannot ever, in principle, be described or explained by natural laws."
By broadening the definition of God, focusing on observable data, and using the empirical processes of science to compile information, The God Test succeeds where others have failed. While some may consider it premature to crow 'success' when the technology has yet to be refined to proceed to its testing phase, the outline of experimental procedure is (as any scientist knows) key in this process.
From identifying the physical, measurable aspects of consciousness to applying natural laws to these measurements and determining whether scientific definitions and measurements of 'the soul' adequately reflects Judeo-Christian definitions, chapters tackle the most challenging aspects of creating such an experiment; all using language accessible to scientist and lay readers alike.
With its attention to definitions, scientific protocol, religious concepts and how they work in lab settings, and strategies for bringing the often-disparate worlds of science and religion together for a common cause, The God Test proves a satisfying, intriguing, and involving read recommended for religious thinkers, lay audiences who like a healthy blend of investigation and analysis of its methods, and scientists alike.
The God TestReturn to Index
A
Time of Change
Paul Greene
Publisher: BookBaby
ISBN: 9781483554464
Free Download:
http://www.atimeofchange.net/
A Time Of Change: On The Necessary Return To A Rational Understanding Of The Nature Of Man And The Universe is a weighty blend of philosophy, psychology, science, history, and spiritual reflection, and is recommended not for the light new age reader who expects an easy discussion of future trends, but for the thinker who wants an in-depth, reasoned argument that humans are living in a time of change that can lead to a transformation process across the board, from social and political to psychological and spiritual spectrums.
If all this sounds daunting: be advised: A Time of Change is not intended - or recommended - for casual pursuit (its 1,200 pages alone should serve as fair warning of this fact).
Readers who persevere will find in this treatise a powerful examination of the past, present and future of humanity's course, with strong spiritual analysis added into the process. Of necessity, such an investigation into the roots of humanity's progress, inhibitions, and discontents will be intimidating; but Greene's task is to synthesize the wisdom and historical progression of the human race with an investigative reporter's critical eye.
As such, expect many potentially controversial and thought-provoking, challenging perspectives; such as the notions that America was founded not on Christian beliefs but on Mason ideals with direct Biblical influence and connections, that faith has been marketed and merchandised to death from early to modern times, and that evolutionary theory itself holds traps and lies that should be critically examined.
One might expect from the diversity of themes and approaches that A Time of Change would be too wide-ranging to prove accessible: any one of these topics could make a book-length discussion. That the book ultimately succeeds in drawing seemingly-disparate topics together with a decidedly spiritual inspection process is one of its strengths.
Controversial? Absolutely. A Time of Change actually reflects the process of change by examining (and often refuting, with equal deftness) the contentions of Christianity and Islam, right- and left-leaning ideals, and new age and traditional religious thinking alike: "…man does not find eternal life by submitting to the demands of an imaginary god and of the church and its hierarchy, or by believing that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, as the Bible and the church claims. The idea that one day there will be a flesh and bone resurrection of the dead represents a crass distortion of what Jesus and Paul taught regarding the spiritual aspect of man and about incarnation. This desecration of their message was introduced in the Bible to give death fearing people false hopes and to make them dependent of an institution that claims it has the ability to persuade god to make those hopes come true."
The survey isn't just about research, evidence, and trends: it's about posing food for thought, honing analytical paths, and creating processes that challenge the boundaries of those who have already mostly 'made up their minds' about life's purpose, spiritual paths, and historical precedent.
So who will be the likely appreciator of A Time of Change? Quite simply, the reader whose values, ideals, and life perspectives aren't already set in stone; a reader who appreciates being challenged on many levels and one who reads history, religion, philosophy and science with an eye to absorbing challenging new concepts and formulating new world views.
And, strangely enough, one will find the book offered for free through iBooks for iPad, Barnes&Noble for Nook, Goodreads and many other e-book retailers, and as a downloadable .pdf on the author's website. That fact reinforces that this is a labor of love and not a profit-making venture, and lends to its accessibility to anyone with a computer. Its dense yet intriguing message will reach anyone with an open mind, offering a unique ability to reach and touch those not already wedded to their belief systems.
A Time of ChangeReturn to Index
The
Unruly Spirit: A New Look at Human Behavior
Frank A.J. Braun
Ruah Publishing, distributed at Smashwords
P.O.
Box 627, Billings
MT 59103
9781310149764
$3.99
Ordering Links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/
The Unruly Spirit: A New Look at Human Behavior sounds as though it will be a light psychological read; but nothing could be further from the truth: it's dense, challenging, analytical reading, and so 'pop psychology' readers seeking quick reads and even quicker answers should look elsewhere.
Just a sample of the many subjects touched upon in Braun's process of examining the 'unruly spirit': sentient life's processing systems and how cognizance is developed, theories of the different levels of consciousness and how they interact, theological discussions and frameworks for understanding the faculties of consciousness, and inherited norms and the effects of social training on consciousness.
The intersection of spiritual and psychological analysis forms a fine line, so readers should be prepared for a study that incorporates elements of both Biblical reference and psychological theory as human behavior is closely examined using a scholarly tone, graphs, and scrutiny of how a living soul is formed and influenced.
Theological collections, in particular, will find The Unruly Spirit a welcome addition.
The Unruly Spirit: A New Look at Human BehaviorReturn to Index
Novella/Short Story
Greenfields:
A Novella In the
land
of Aradmore,
a great migration has decimated the land's fields. Families lose farms,
social
chaos begins, and a group of wealthy individuals, seeing opportunity in
adversity, buy up land, create corporate entities, and place the former
landowners on reservations owned by 'the titans'. Only
the people of
Greenfields have resisted the lure of these reservations to stay firmly
on
their lands and in control of their businesses. Only they will enjoy
freedom -
as well as the special challenges in maintaining it. And one special
family
(the subject of attention in Greenfields)
could change the structure of a world that is polarized between urban
privileged titans and the surfs who are restricted in freedom and
opportunities
on reservations. In this
present
world of changing climate and drought, the futuristic setting of Greenfields
feels all too possible. This
lends a special, compelling fascination to a story which comes alive in
audio
format. Narrator
Michael
Gilboe is clear, brisk, and easy to understand, adding quiet drama to
the story
which creates its setting in a prologue, then moves to an opening
chapter which
tells of a doctor's treatment of an inexplicable gunshot wound and its
ramifications. Gilboe
does more
than provide a straightforward reading: he changes his voice to reflect
each
character's dialogue, and so his reading assumes the tone of a dramatic
presentation; not a monologue. Only a multi-voiced production could
have done
better (at times the feel of a male reader adopting the high voice of a
female
character's dialogue comes across as somewhat forced). Food
shortages,
reservation hardships, character interactions: all this blends in a
fine
novella detailing how one family struggles with injustice and makes
decisions
that will ultimately change the world.
William Graham
Amazon Audible
http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-
Greenfields:
A Novella
Return
to Index
I
Was a Champion Then
Alfred A. Meyer (Christopher Paul
Meyer, Editor)
Amazon Digital Services
978-1512158335
.99 Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Was-
When
Alfred Meyer
passed away in 2012, he left over 30,000 unpublished writings going
back to
1964, and it fell to his son, Christopher Meyer, to see that some of
these
writings were published.
I
Was a Champion Then: Twelve Stories About Quiet Injustice, Small
Rebellions and
Restless Hope is the result of
this effort, presenting some
twelve short stories culled from Alfred's efforts to produce a novel
(among
other writings).
The first thing to understand is that these works are based on several themes, including baseball, and come from a lawyer, Christian Scientist, and father who never stopped writing, even though many of his fictional works remained unpublished.
Many of these pieces were abandoned in his all-out effort to produce a novel: an effort that never panned out. That his family supported his efforts during hard economic times and in the face of numerous rejections from agents and publishers alike is tribute to both family tenacity and to the determination of a man who wanted to fulfill his dream against all odds.
As for the short stories themselves, they reflect life experiences and provide unique observations, from 'Beckett at the Ball Park', originally published in the Christian Science Monitor and capturing a father's observation of his son Christopher's game ("I sit on the steps beneath the 59th Street Bridge on a sunny spring Saturday. Before me cavort the Expos. Not the ones from Montreal. The ones that are in a nine-year-old's Little League. And today, they are playing the Orioles. Not the ones from Baltimore. The ones from the Upper West Side.") to 'On Cracked Earth', which injects the ever-ominous specter of Hitler and war into a quiet story of boys interacting at swimming class: "I can’t swim and I don’t want to learn because I don’t like it when my head gets stopped up and my eyes start burning from the chlorine. And the pool always leaves me cool and sweat-less and runny-nosed, and I like to be hot and dusty like a cowboy or a second basemen. Eddie doesn’t say anything. He lets me have my tantrum."
Quite simply, these are exquisite autobiographical vignettes capturing bygone worlds and impressions. Much like Proust's classic (but wordier) works, they lap up the sights, sounds, impressions of their times and transport readers to a world where there is not necessarily a point to be made: just a impressionistic survey of what matters at that moment.
Readers who appreciate these jewel-like moments for what they are will find I Was a Champion Then to be the perfect example of autobiographical short story writing at its best: lyrical, captivating, and without the concluding judgments and morals so commonly attached to the modern short story format.
Under Meyer's hand, prefaced by his son, there is no end. Only beginnings, and only experiences of the times, captured in a liquid amber set of images, here to reside forever for future generations; all prefaced by son Christopher's added value insights. Perhaps if this collection had been made available to publishers decades earlier, using just this format, Meyer would be alive to see the successful fruition of his efforts.
I
Was a Champion Then
Return
to Index
If…Blurred
Vision The
novelette form
is necessarily demanding and unique; for it must accomplish many of the
same
goals of a wordier work (building setting, plot and characters) using a
format
greater than a short story and much less than a full-length novel. In
this
case, Jackie Mae has under fifty pages to accomplish her goal in If…Blurred Vision;
and she does so with
skill and style. In some
ways the
novelette format is the true test of a writer's skill. It's demanding
and
exacting: no words can be wasted, and no scene left incomplete. Such is
the
case with If…Blurred
Vision,
which introduces the character of Timothy S. Graves, a good man and
worker who
thinks about life a lot, has a rock-solid 12-year marriage, and is on
course
for retiring in 18 years with plenty of money. Everything
is
perfect …. Or is it? No sooner is the scene set than the undercurrents
of trouble
running under the surface of perfection emerge; because wife Shirley
doesn't
have her life mapped out quite firmly as Timothy, and has become
increasingly
critical of his vision of their set future. It
seems
inevitable that Shirley, in her growing disappointment, will encounter
another
man who will coax her dissatisfaction to the forefront: "For once, she just might do
something outrageous,
something just for her, something shocking. A million wars were raging
in her
mind and she didn’t know which side would win the day." While
events that
follow (wild sex) are very quickly presented with a feeling of
inevitability,
what is sparked from her chance encounter is a growing revelation: "Her mind was made up; she didn’t
want to have an
organized life plan anymore." The
crux of the
matter lies in what Shirley's going to do about her self-discovery:
that's the
heart of If…Blurred
Vision, the
heart of life itself, and the focal point of a solid novelette that
develops
its scenario well and follows it through to a conclusion which involves
an
unprecedented free fall through extraordinary possibilities for both
husband
and wife. "What if he had walked by his
destiny every day but
didn’t realize it?" If…Blurred
Vision seems to set a predictable path, but its
departures and
insights make it an unpredictable delight for fans of the novelette
form: an
exploration of life's course from two very different
perspectives.
Jackie Mae
No Publisher, $TBA
eBook ISBN 978-0-9916149-8-1
www.jackiemae.com
If…Blurred
Vision
Return
to Index
If…Dangerous
Waters
Jackie Mae
No ISBN, Publisher, Price
Prepublication Manuscript: ETA Fall 2015
www.jackiemae.com
When read separately, each 'If' novelette stands well and entirely on its own; but when each is read concurrently, Jackie Mae's real powers in crafting her scenarios become evident. Even though these three titles are separate entities, they work together to form a unified theory of possibilities; and so readers of all three will find in these separate tales a basic premise that ties all together but explores the different routes each protagonist takes to realize these choices in their lives.
If…Dangerous Waters revolves around Alena, a peppy, kind, happy-go-lucky nearly-twenty-two-year-old only child who still lives at home, has a 'dream' boyfriend, and likes everything about her life except for her appearance. She has big plans for her future and is set to graduate from college with a coveted degree in biotechnology when things change.
Alena also has a secret: she sees spirits, and has done so since a small child, when her first reaction to a sighting leads her to deny her abilities: "Never again did she mention seeing the “people” who came and went on their way throughout the house. When she saw one of them walking down the hall or into the kitchen, Alena looked away and pretended she didn’t see them. Her parents pretended too; they never discussed the incident again."
Her aversion to psychics is modified by her concern about the big decisions coming up in her life ("What if she accepted the wrong job offer and her life took a very wrong turn? There were a lot of decisions to be made that would forever shape her world."), and as she comes to realize that all the pieces in the puzzle may not come together as planned, she becomes more open to other possibilities.
As with the others in the 'If' series, Dangerous Waters provides a thought-provoking tale that uses one protagonist's life changes to closely examine how events change life decisions. Romance, career, plans: everything's up for grabs as Alena probes dangerous new avenues and comes up with something different than she'd expected, with results that will both surprise and immerse the readers following her.
The joy of all the 'If' stories lies in their surprise twists. Mae is a master storyteller and an uncommon ruler of the novelette form. There are no wasted words, no lengthy explanations, and (especially notable) no predictable paths, even for lives that seem well set in their courses.
Fans of the novelette form and newcomers more familiar with longer novels or shorter stories will find these exquisite productions, able to be digested individually but at their most powerful when taken together.
If…Dangerous
Waters
Return
to Index
If…Second
Chance If…Second
Chance explores possibilities and
alternate realities as it
takes one little word ('if' something had changed) and explores the
potentials
for quite a different life. The
protagonist is
one Shona, an energetic go-getter who has fallen into a world of
depression and
suicidal thinking, and who gets a 'second chance' for a new
life. In this
case, her
dreams of having her own profitable small business and equally
successful
marriage (both of which will lead to a perfect life) are spoiled by a
confrontation with reality on two fronts: her struggling small
business's
horrible day and her discovery that the love of her life isn't whom she
believed him to be. Now
what? If…Second
Chance explores Shona's life
from this point onward, setting its scenes quickly and then evolving
from
there. Once again (as in If…Blurred
Vision)
a psychic plays a role in Shona's transition. Once more the protagonist
realizes new possibilities other than the vision and path she's forged
for her
life's course. An
exceptionally
powerful, unexpected ending completes the carefully-penned scenario and
lends a
delightful touch of angst to the matter of Shona's evolution. Novelette
readers
will be delighted by the soaring heights and depths of Mae's creation,
which is
all about second chances won and lost.
Jackie Mae
No ISBN, Publisher, Price
Prepublication Manuscript: ETA Fall 2015
www.jackiemae.com
Manhattan
Morning It's
unusual to find
a story complete and powerful using only three chapters (that's the
fine art of
the novella format, and one which is too rarely used to its best
advantage);
but one example of such prowess lies in Manhattan
Morning, a Proust-like exploration of New York
that centers on one
man's long walk and his internal and external sensory impressions
during it. As Dan
revisits
his past ("Dan
had lived in New
York during a previous
marriage and couldn’t abide the thought of having drinks in a hotel
room on his
first night back. He had wanted to experience a sense of place, a sense
of belonging, however briefly. He had wanted to pay by
leaving a few
bills on the bar and walking away – just the way he had always done.")
and chooses deliberate, purposeful methods for juxtaposing past habits
with
present situations, he carries the reader along a journey down memory
lane that
is steeped in New
York atmosphere and culture. During
the course
of a walk through Manhattan,
Dan is challenged on many levels and is forced to consider risks, the
tricks
and traps of musing on old memories ("How
many times had Dan turned that story over in his brain? He certainly
hadn’t
needed to do it again today. Why had he stopped in St. Patrick’s? Of
course it
would happen. Self-flagellation. In a church. How appropriate!"),
and the methods by which the few women in his life have successfully
changed
its course. Take
the
impressions of Proust, mix them with the introspection of Bellow, add a
healthy
dose of Manhattan
atmosphere to the concoction, then stir. What emerges is an evocative
self-reflection that translates the sights, sounds and culture of
Manhattan and
blends them with a protagonist's contrast of 'then and now' in a
novella
recommended for readers interested in vivid impressions of New York and
one
man's attempt to make sense of this world.
Fowler W. Martin
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00V5MW30W
$2.99
http://www.amazon.com/
On
the Brink: A Trio of Genres
Philip Fitzell
Connect-Disconnect
Publications/Exclusive Brands, LLC
147
Vreeland Avenue
Bergenfield,
NJ 07621
9781495157745
$22.95 www.exclusivebrandsourcing.com
www.pl-eb.com
It's
unusual to
find the mixed genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror under one
cover:
while readers of these genres can and do cross over, books usually
limit their
attention to one genre to make for simpler marketing. The joy of On the Brink,
however, lies in a
demonstration of how similar devices can be effectively used across all
three
genres as it presents a trio of tales that are interlinked only in
their
ability to provide ethereal models for imaginative
speculation.
Take the science fiction story 'Chapter & Verse', for example. This novelette takes place in the mind of a monk who not only interacts with his shut-down computer, but enters the surreal world of a space/time existence in the process of witnessing and experiencing a strange phenomenon that evolves from the shutdown.
Introspection provoked by poetry and sizzling energy bring readers into the monk's dazzling explorations of the paradoxes of reality itself, creating a journey bathed in philosophical and poetic introspection, recommended for readers with a special interest in works that blend a science fiction setting with analytical processes. In contrast, 'Icy' takes place in the mind of a seamstress who imagines her own fashion line, is centered upon the fashion world, and assumes an almost Cinderella-like mystery as it explores the process whereby fantasy (and fantasizing) spills into reality itself. A combination of surreal setting and image-driven description lends to this novelette's striking scenes: "An imprint of Clotho continuously tattoos his memories."
To add to the fashion world explored in 'Icy', original pen-and-ink drawings are at their strongest when providing simple images of dressmaker's dummies and women's profiles. 'Tee Hee Hee' is an unusual title for a horror piece (or any piece, for that matter), and presents the chilling scenario of a grade school teacher who takes out her hostility on those around her, who are unable to handle her growing insanity. The common denominators in all three pieces include surreal settings, circumspect descriptions that evolve into impossible situations for each protagonist, and a slow buildup of chilling revelations. Readers who seek obvious action, linear plots, and predictable results should look elsewhere: On the Brink is a top recommendation for the thinker, the poet-philosopher, and the enthusiast of Twilight Zone-style devices that excel in abrupt twists of story line and ethereal, spooky atmospheres.
On the Brink: A Trio of Genres
Return
to Index
Young
Adult/Childrens
Shannon Delany and Judith Graves, Editors
Leap Books
P.O. Box 63
Otego, NY
978-1-61603-020-9 Price: 15.99 (pbk) / 5.99 (ebook)
Website: http://leapbks.net/
Buy links:Amazon | iTunes | B&N |
Readers of Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland should ideally have recent familiarity reading or re-reading this classic, because the interpretations and extrapolations in the young adult short story collection Beware the Little White Rabbit offer alternative visions of the underlying meaning and power of the Alice character and her world, and perfectly compliment Carroll's original creation.
Take the opener by Charlotte Bennardo, 'Alice Through the Wormhole', for one example. The story begins unexpectedly, in a seedy bar frequented by killers, where Alice has definite opinions of the white rabbit figure that are far from Carroll's original dream: "An Oryctolagian, a species resembling a white rabbit once popular on the now-dead Earth but here as big as a human, hopped past, his gravity boots clunking heavily on the stone floor. She had no use for the creatures. Sneaks, thieves, and liars, they fit in with these bottom-feeders. The only good Oryctolagian was a stuffed one – on the dinner table."
In this story Alice flirts with death, takes even bigger risks than her original namesake, and chases down a pick pocketing rabbit for stealing her canister of rare tea - with deadly consequences. Elsewhere in the collection, in 'Human Construct' by Laura Lascarso, Alice takes the form of a Bradford Halls prep student whose encounter with a talking rabbit (who maintains that 'white is a human construct', among other things) lures Alice into a world far from the reality of her politician father's disappearance and small town rumors about her family. Each story is carefully crafted to make the most of Alice's personality, setting, and experiences.
Each requires of its young adult (and many an adult) reader both a familiarity with the original saga and a willingness to think outside the box of Carroll's universe. Diverse, satisfying, intellectually thought-provoking and entertaining, Beware the Little White Rabbit is an outstanding collection that should be assigned in conjunction with the original Alice, and is a highly recommended read for not just the young adult audience it's intended for, but for adults and reading groups who will want to contrast and discuss the variety of Alice personas in both this short story collection and Carroll's original.
Beware the Little White Rabbit
Return to Index
Bibi
& Babu in Africa,
Volume 1
Bonnie Toews and John Christiansen
Whistler House Publishing, an imprint of Signalman Publishing
17780 Ninth Line, Mount Albert,
ON Canada L0G 1M0
ISBN: 978-1-940145-46-4 (print)
ISBN: 978-1-9401450-47-1 (e-book)
$16.99 softcover $9.99 e-format
www.bibiandbabu.com www.WhistlerHousePublishing.
Young readers ages 8 and up will appreciate a memoir of adventure, following Bibi and Babu (Swahili names for Grandma and Grandpa) in a color photo-enhanced read about a couple's experience traveling in Tanzania and Kenya.
This journal of the authors' travels is designed to be used as an attention-getting, revealing saga for a younger age group which normally receives African information only from geography treatments, and it does an excellent job of juxtaposing facts about the country with personal observations capturing the cultural contrasts of the countries: "The soulful eyes and bright smiles of Tanzanian children remind us of an innocence lost in our fast-paced technological world of today. Yet, ironically, even in the primitive villages of the Maasai tribe, we see teenagers talking into cell phones."
Young readers won't anticipate this candid blend of geography and personal experience, but the observations pull no punches and succeed in capturing the realities and various nuances of modern Africa: "In Tanzania, there are more than 20 tribal cultures living peacefully together, whereas in the countries surrounding Tanzania – from west to east, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique – violent unrest and some civil wars still exist. We got a glimpse of this before flying into Tanzania, when we had to land in Nairobi, Kenya. Its international airport had been burned days before we landed. Temporary tents and confusion spread everywhere." Add question-and-answer sessions designed to make kids observe and think and you have even more added value than a typical travel story alone would offer.
Packed with color photos of wildlife and people on every page, Bibi & Babu in Africa provides a rare exposè capturing Africa's world in just seventy-two pages for an age group that rarely receives a traveler's view of Tanzania and Kenya, and is a lively, educational, and fun leisure read all in one; certain to incite an interest in African peoples and their cultures.
Bibi & Babu in Africa, Volume 1Return to Index
The
Dark Side
Cheryl Wilfred
CreateSpace
978-1512008821 $7.99
www.amazon.com
Cheryl Wilfred's The Dark Side provides a rollicking good read for audiences ages 7-12 and is a notable achievement for several reasons; not the least of which is that its young author achieved what few others her age have accomplished: writing a publishable fantasy adventure when she was only nine years old.
Now eleven, Wilfred is seeing the book's actual publication thanks to Amazon's publishing platform; and to say that her story rivals many an adult writer's work for young adult audiences would be a fair assessment of her ability to spin an involving yarn and see it through to a satisfying conclusion.
When Anna and her good friend Courtney Brown cross over to another world, The Dark Side, they discover an earthly boy who has become trapped there, a manipulative queen, a plot to take over Earth and other connected planets, and an opportunity to take charge of forces that could bring about positive changes - even if their 'army' does consist of Santa and his elves.
Wilfred's inclusion of a host of seemingly disparate forces succeeds in creating different and unexpected threads of involvement and weaving a story that ties all of them together with twists, turns, and action. Characters are well drawn, time is taken to outline dilemmas, motivations, and to explain seeming diversions in logic, and the overall flavor is of a whimsical and light fantasy that is clearly intended for younger fantasy audiences (most young adult fantasies suffer from overly complex tales designed to reach into adult circles: clearly, The Dark Side is perfect for its intended age group and does not attempt to straddle the line between young adult and adult readers).
The Dark Side's strengths lie in its bubbly interactions between protagonists, its specific writing suitable for ages 7-12, and a whimsical approach that lends refreshingly unexpected turns to an otherworld encounter. The fact that Courtney Brown and her friend are realistic, well-developed protagonists, and thoughtful adventurers who don't just react to life circumstances, but use creative problem-solving techniques in the process of making a difference in two worlds provides a story that is lively and fun.
Return to IndexFirebrand
Aaron Barnhart
Quindaro Press
978-0-9669258-6-9
$19.95
www.amazon.com
Firebrand is a young adult historical novel for ages 10-15, is set in 1848, where an immigrant family sets sail for America, bringing with them a teen who has discovered newfound purpose in a political struggle in Vienna, and diverges from many young adult reads in that fifteen-year-old protagonist August is more cognizant of the social and political issues of his times than most of his peers. Having a politically aware teen as the center of a young adult read is refreshingly different, for August Bondi is already well aware of freedom, repression, and the effects of civil liberties in his daily life before he even reaches America's shores, and becomes similarly involved in struggles over slavery in his new home.
Firebrand is rooted in fact (based on a prior autobiography of Bondi) and thus lends life and a reality-based atmosphere to its saga of Bondi's involvement in three major struggles for freedom; one of which (Bleeding Kansas) many a reader will not have heard of.
The majority of young adult reads that center around an involvement in social issues and civil liberties begin with the young adult's newly-awakened views of the wider world outside his home. The fact that August comes into America already politically savvy and is able to contrast the values, issues, and experiences of three very different freedom struggles with those in his new home lends an additional layer of complexity and depth to Add gripping action, attention to detail in setting and character, and the coming of age from boy to manhood in turbulent frontier times and you have a story line that is gripping and involving from start to finish, firmly rooted in the events of its times.
FirebrandReturn to Index
Pet-Friendly
Francie Scores a Pooch
Kat E. Erikson
Kat E. Erikson, Publisher
ASIN: B00X62UOEQ
$2.99 62 pages
http://www.amazon.com/dp/
www.kateerikson.com
Email: KatE@KatEErikson.com
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Pet-Friendly Francie Scores a Pooch is illustrated by Mariel Garcia and tells of eight-year-old Francisca Waggit, who simply loves animals and is determined to 'score a pet' no matter how many times her parents turn her down. Francie's father is also particularly fond of baseball - and so Francie determines that the proper course of action is to find just the right pet before attempting a home run - and that's where the fun comes in.
It all makes sense to Francie: her mother is immersed in a wild animal rescue program, her father loves sports, and she's in the middle with her obsession over pets. It also makes sense that her father has finally agreed to hold a 'tryout' for one special homeless pooch named Scrimmy - with the stipulation that if he doesn't work out, the Waggits will need to find him another home.
Baseball references permeate this warm and playful action story, as Scrimmy scores both positive and negative while Francie tries her best to make sure that she and her foster dog both make it to home base. There are many bumps along the road that neither could foresee - and a process that involves not just family but many from their community, as Scrimmy starts to run out of options and important lessons are learned about animal welfare in the process of growth and learning.
In a story replete with a San Francisco atmosphere and a stray dog who captures the hearts of those around him despite obvious challenges, Francie is tasked with not only making him part of the family, but overcoming impossible odds; all the while learning more about herself and her world than she had believed possible.
The result is a compelling saga of sports and rescues: perfect for kids who love animals, baseball, and girls who just won't quit.
Pet-Friendly Francie Scores a PoochReturn to Index
Thinkerox:
A Brain in a Box
Dr. Brian Whitestone
Dr. Brian Whitestone, Publisher
9780993732218
$3.99 Kindle
www.authorbrianwhitestone.com
http://www.amazon.com/
Thinkerox:
A Brain in a Box holds, as its
underlying message, insights
on children's interactions with technology, but uses a first-person
rhyming
fable to tell of one Billy McDew, a boy who loves to tinker and invent
- until
Thinkerox, a thinking computer, changes the lives of those around
him.
The age
group
targeted here will be past the picture book reader stage and involved
in
chapter book formats, but even though Thinkerox is not a chapter book
per say
(it's all one long story), these readers will find it thought-provoking
and
intriguing.
Thinkerox: A Brain in a Box
Return to Index