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Donovan's Bookshelf

August 2018 Review Issue


Table Of Contents

Prime Picks
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Biography and Autobiography
Literary
Mystery & Thrillers
Novels
Reviewer's Choice
Young Adult/Childrens


Fantasy & Sci Fi

Caveman
Jeffrey W. Tenney
Whistle Creek Press
978-0-9796333-0-0                $14.95 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
http://a.co/7rpWMsy 

At first glance, the time-traveling tale of Caveman would seem a familiar timeslip theme. American archaeologist Trent Marshall didn't expect to embark on a special journey when he entered a French cavern with linguist Bridgette Genet, but when they are transported to Cro-Magnon times in 40,000 B.C.E. along with colleague Sam Jenkins, they find that their expedition has unexpectedly resulted in a closer inspection of history than relics alone could provide. 

It wasn't like Trent Marshall started out to prove his groundbreaking theories on prehistoric civilizations with his personal involvement in events; but this is what happens when he finds himself in the middle of a war between Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals. 

The first thing to note is Jeffrey W. Tenney's power of expression. His descriptions are delightfully evocative from the start ("His audience of pale, bearded faces could pass for a lineup of sedated zombies. His words fluttered over their heads and around the fusty chamber like decrepit bats. Were he speaking on the anatomy of the Louisiana cockroach he might get more response."), spicing a story that becomes increasingly vivid as events unfold. 

The modern lives of the three time travelers are contrasted nicely with the ancient world and the different approaches to life between the primitive and modern variants of man as events lead the trio to explore not only the past, but each others' psyches and motivations. 

This close inspection of life purposes, the impact of heritage on decision-making processes, and the contrasts between actions of the past and their impact on the future makes for a delightful interplay between characters as they uncover their unique personalities and special interests as events play out for early man: "What I do here, what I have done, is for my people. I guess I’ve been careless in the ways I use others. My own life is fucked over, but what I do for them is redemptive. It gives me purpose in a world that doesn’t offer me much else.” 

As the personalities of the Chut, Gat, Musi and other tribal members evolve and interact with the trio from the future, readers are treated to a fast-paced story that reads smoothly and progresses in a logical, believable manner. 

The result is a lively timeslip story that is well-developed, action-packed without being frantic, and holds just the right balance of drama and unexpected moments ("Bridgette was going to marry a god.") to keep readers interested, immersed in the different personality contrasts between ancient and modern peoples and the ultimate trajectory that changes all their lives. 

Fans of Jean Aul who seek more of an action-based, detailed read contrasting past and present actions and perceptions of humanity will relish the detail and descriptions Caveman embraces as it reveals characters who are educated and insightful, but who ultimately just want to go home. 

Caveman

Return to Index


Lakes of Mars
Merritt Graves
9781949272000        

People say you can't run from your problems, but Aaron Sheridan attempts just this when he signs up for what he believes will be a suicide mission to the never-ending Rim War after he causes his family's death in a shuttle accident. 

He's seeking the kind of solace (and redemption) that comes from an honorable death. What he didn't expect was an honorable life as a result of decisions and confrontations which provide him not with respite and peace, but a demanding stint in a four-year school intended to make commanders out of soldiers. 

It's a contrary world where sullen students "...didn't look like kids; they looked like old men who'd seen it all." It's an environment which systematically strips the humanity from its warriors and cultivates an atmosphere of alienation, competition, and brutality. It also turns out to be just the ticket Aaron needs for his uncertain path not towards death, but to recovery and life. 

Akin to Lord of the Flies with its descriptions of cruelty, confrontations, and change, Lakes of Mars deftly captures military training and processes of control and honing competency in preparation for conflict. 

From the complications of modern interstellar life to special political interests, a prestigious command school which may have to be relocated from Mars, and jealousy and intrigue on the job, Aaron finds that his hands are full and his mind has become occupied with something far greater than his personal sorrow. 

This blend of military description, sci-fi, and social inspection create a satisfyingly engrossing tale that fills its pages not with battle scenes and high-tech devices, but with ethical and personal conundrums that challenge Aaron to probe deeper into the circumstances surrounding a war he'd initially only wanted to die in. 

The result is a well-detailed, complex story that centers on destruction, rebirth, and the emergence of new threats in the face of stress and violence. Sci-fi readers will find Lakes of Mars moves beyond an officer training experience and into the fundamentals of beliefs, goals, and recovery. 

Lakes of Mars

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The Masked Queen's Lament
Dylan Madeley
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN:
 B07DD18H76              $2.99
http://a.co/j2rg2iP 

The Masked Queen's Lament is Book 3 in the 'Gift-Knight Trilogy' and opens with Derek and Chandra enjoying the fruits of their victory as they ride towards a friendly city. They don't have long to savor their success, because dark force Alathea still has designs on the world, and her efforts to conquer it aren't over. 

This time, tired of the delays and failures, she's decided to take matters into her own hands and personally embark on her mission to quash her archenemy, Crown Princess Chandra Kenderley, at a point when she's most vulnerable and without her defenses. 

As society bristles under the power play between these two rivals with their very different perspectives on how a kingdom should be run, readers are treated to a story that is approached from different viewpoints. There's King Derek, who has chosen a better world for everyone; Alathea, who believes that world should be one of her own direction and choosing; Prime Minister and commander-in-chief Lucen, who has successfully saved the land from the Persecution but finds himself facing other conundrums; and Chandra, who faces military strategists, a ride into danger, and unexpected alliances with strangers. 

Woven into the story are accounts of battles and confrontations with self and others as the two travelers find strangers risking their lives for their kingdom and purposes. Each battles both a heritage of hatred and the forces that would exploit that hate for their own purposes. 

Readers receive a satisfying blend of social and political confrontation that pairs a quest with new discoveries about different factions operating in the kingdom. 

While prior familiarity with the other books in the series will make for a better appreciation of the setting and history of The Masked Queen's Lament, it's not a requirement in order for newcomers to gain a sense of what is going on, why, and how Chandra and Derek have their hands full even after an apparent victory. 

Of particular note and strength is how the perceptions of the people juxtapose with those higher-ups who have special interests and influences on the outcome of the battles. 

The result is an action-packed quest story that goes beyond clashing encounters to probe the roots of power, manipulation, social forces, and individual strength. The Masked Queen's Lament is a solid addition to the series as well as a good stand-alone read especially recommended for fantasy fans who like their plots multifaceted and well-detailed. 

The Masked Queen's Lament

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Noriko's Journey: The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy
Claire Youmans
American i
978-0990323495                    $14.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Toki-Girl-Sparrow-Boy-Book-Norikos-Journey-ebook/dp/B07DHFF5BW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528502335&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Toki-Girl+and+the+Sparrow-Boy+Noriko%27s+Journey

Noriko's Journey is Book 5 in the The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series and follows Azuki (a girl who incorporates the elements of a Toki bird with its beautiful plumage), sparrow-boy Shota, and Noriko, who has her own secrets and alter-identity. In this Japanese setting, the boundaries between human and animal are blurred, and special abilities and struggles juxtapose with everyday life changes from an uncle's marriage and new wife Noriko's challenge to accept her niece and nephew's secrets to a coming child who may be more crane than human. 

In fact, they aren't the only ones to wonder if the next generation will be entirely stable: in this fantasy version of Japan, nothing is certain, and secrets abound within and between families. It will take a journey of challenge, acceptance, and change before Noriko can fully integrate her new position in life with its myriad demands and uncertainties. 

While the story centers around two children who can turn into birds and their relationships with very different worlds, it also focuses on Japanese history and culture, the changing perspectives and dilemmas of those who traverse this odd world and its changing landscapes, and is especially strong in presenting the motivations and perceptions of inhabitants who, in one way, are very Japanese in their shrewd assessments of marriage proposals and life: "Toyoda-san was shrewd, Yuta thought. Marrying a second wife who was an older and experienced business-woman might be one way to acquire a cheap housekeeper and property manager. Yuta concluded that Toyoda-san was truly fond of Noriko and didn’t want to see her dazzled by the offer of a late marriage to her ultimate detriment. He decided to forgive Toyoda-san’s bad manners." 

The surprising depth of the story comes from its focus and reflections on Japanese social strata and cultural inspection: "Noriko was one of the new women, she thought, the ones she read about, the independent ones who questioned traditional society and social roles. Religious life formed a part of traditional society, but Noriko wasn’t the type to take that road, Satsuki could tell. Monasteries were for believing Buddhists, or those willing to pretend to be. Satsuki knew without asking that Noriko had never considered it. What she wanted to know was how samurai or aristocratic women functioned outside the system of marriage and family connections without becoming part of the floating world of entertainers. That was another refuge for upper-class women willing to sacrifice respectability for security and sometimes power. Noriko had avoided that, too." 

This lends a profundity and series of real-world revelations unexpected in a fantasy setting, giving Noriko's Journey: The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy a credible element of not just believability, but astute insights into the perceptions and social connections of the Japanese as a people. Within this backdrop of detail lies a complex world of dragons, humans, quasi-humans, and special forces which operate beyond the usual realm of human concerns. 

Interactions are multifarious yet engaging, injecting questions of heritage into an absorbing quest that leads each character to question their roots, objectives, and place in the world. 

The result is a powerful fantasy infused with Japanese cultural inspection, description, and changes. While prior familiarity with the settings and characters from the other books in the series will make The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy's continuing saga easy to pick up, newcomers will discover that enough background is provided to lend to a relatively accessible read (albeit mid-journey). 

What seems like a fairytale about children with uncommon gifts evolves into an engrossing tale that brings medieval Japan and its customs and culture to life. It's rare that a fantasy can claim to educate its readers about real-world circumstances; but The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy's approach both entertains and educates, making for a highly recommended, unique story that should appeal to all ages, from children to adults who appreciate history and fantasy stories that journey from individual challenges to the wider-ranging social and cultural inspection of Japanese women who struggle with many facets of their changing worlds. 

Noriko's Journey: The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy

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The Traitor's Bride
Alix Nichols
Independently Published
978-1980601265            $9.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
http://a.co/6nV7Be4 

The 'Keepers of Xereill' series is science fiction romance reading at its strongest, and even newcomers who have not imbibed of The Cyborg's Lady (like this reviewer) will find accessible and engrossing the events in The Traitor's Bride, which opens with the specter of ex-army Major Areg Sebi, who is about to be put to death for high treason. 

Witness to his imminent public demise is laundry maid Etana Tidryn, who shared hot, passionate love with him just the previous evening, and who has fallen for more than his physical prowess. It would seem unlikely that Lord Sebi can be saved or that their love will overcome death; but Etana has a gift even she doesn't fully understand. 

Readers will find that many aspects in this sci-fi saga are unexpected; from the injection of light doses of humor as characters interact to the ribald sexual descriptions that present steamy moments of passion and juxtapose nicely with the story's social, political, and fantasy elements. 

Alix Nichols inserts just the right degree of observation and complexity into his story to keep readers involved in the evolving personal relationship of its two main characters: "She was mistaking his worry about her well-being for a selfish whim as if he wanted his gift with the wrapper and the bow on. Like he wanted to be sure it hadn’t been used before."

Double standards between menials and lords are explored; a quick move is charted from a brutal death to a lifetime of helplessness and guilt; and a marriage proposal that may offer a way out for both Etana and Areg contributes to a fast-paced story that puts passion firmly in line with bigger-picture circumstances and life-altering decisions. 

The focus on Etana and Areg's evolving love under impossible conditions includes fast-paced action that moves from prison to forests filled with bearwolves and threats. The Traitor's Bride follows the growth of political tyranny, grassroots social reform movements, and how two individuals become swept up in a course of events. It profiles injustice, escape, and how a new hope for freedom sweeps through a repressed society. 

It should be cautioned that sexual descriptions are a strong feature of The Traitor's Bride. As much as Etana and Areg form personal and political alliances, so they physically cement their relationship and cultivate a growing appreciation and tenderness towards one another. The sexual descriptions and their depth are a necessary part of the story line; not an enticer for readers of soft porn. 

In many ways, The Traitor's Bride profiles a long rescue attempt: that of a society held under thrall, hearts longing for the companionship of a partner, and the salvation of freedom, honor, and redemption. 

All these facets wind nicely into a quest and story that places more than personal safety at risk, concluding with the kind of open-ended bang that promises more with an ultimate question of who is the villain, who the hero, and if anyone will really survive this kind of ordeal. 

Sci-fi readers seeking racy, action-packed reads will appreciate the many avenues taken in The Traitor's Bride's quest as it weaves through delicate issues of social status, power, romance, and sexual awakening. 

The Traitor's Bride

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Unconquered Warrior
J.L. Nicely
Braintree Press
9781732101005             $15.00
www.JLNicely.com 

Unconquered Warrior is Book One of the Womara Series and provides fantasy readers with a powerful story set in early human history when women are warriors battling for their clans and equality. 

The clan of women warriors profiled here is one which has lived free from patriarchal control, and they battle for equality and, perhaps ironically, peace among men and men clans alike. 

The center of this story is Rowan, whose peaceful village life is forever changed by a band of raiders who kill her people, assault her, then sell her into slavery. This world is dictated by clans attacking clans, so when a rival clan then attacks, Rowan takes the opportunity to flee into the forest with a small group of women who decide they will never be controlled again. 

They became powerful warriors, the Womara, noted for living without men and living independently. Fast forward a number of generations, when Rowan's flight to freedom has created a powerful group of women now confronting new challenges by males. 

Physical and mental power struggles are the forefront of a fast-paced story that is as detailed about its social and political struggles as it is about individual women's blossoming powers and efforts to maintain control of their lives. 

As chapters evolve to embrace a surprising romance story set against the backdrop of these powerful inheritors of destiny, fantasy readers will especially appreciate the dual focus on the social and political influences affecting the characters and their development. 

From relationships between mothers and daughters—which are well-detailed and pointed in their emotional interactions—to plots involving barbarians, disputed territories, kings and murderers, Unconquered Warrior’s fast pace, and deep focus on characters tested by social forces makes it a book that is hard to put down. 

Between diplomatic bridges and unabashed confrontation and struggles for change, Unconquered Warrior presents a society of effective, powerful women who must remain flexible enough to adapt to the changing world around them. Its ability to consider the nature of women who take charge of their lives and destinies and who by their strengths and abilities change the perceptions and purposes of the men and women around them makes for a sharp inspection of challenges, choices, and consequences which pairs investigation of a female warrior's heart with the broader questions and impact of her strength. 

Fantasy readers who seek female-centric stories challenging perceptions of social and political systems will relish the story introduced in Unconquered Warrior which concludes with the promise of more to come. 

Unconquered Warrior

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 Mystery & Thrillers

The 25
Ace Bryant
Bear Notch Road Press    

Print: 978-0-9975704-2-7              $19.99
Ebook: 978-0-9975704-3-4           $    .99
https://www.facebook.com/acebryantauthor 

The 25 is set in the near future in the year 2022, when terrorism in America has ramped up yet another notch and alt-right political supporters of the President are being targeted by assassins. 

Unlike modern-day terrorists, these attackers seem like ordinary citizens until their suicide mission, and this fact bewilders and challenges the FBI's investigation until they identify a living member of the The 25 and send an operative undercover to locate him before he, too, becomes a suicide killer. 

The first strength to note about Ace Bryant's choices in presenting this story is that it's not only narrated in the first person, from the investigator's viewpoint, but incorporates a series of candid assessments about his world that solidify setting, characters, and atmosphere: "For the umpteenth time, I wonder how Stephens manages to flaunt the Bureau’s rules regarding physical fitness, which aren’t just guidelines, but  requirements. I figure he must have a bunch of secret files on the higher-ups. I wouldn’t put it past him. In fact, I wouldn’t put much past Stephens. He can be a shrewd son-of-a-bitch." 

From Reggie's mixed feelings about conducting his undercover operation and his evolving relationship with Gina as they search for Danny as he builds a web of lies that threatens to unravel to the undercurrent of light humor that coats some of his interpersonal relationships ("...as my angry dates fumble into their clothes, while giving me the stink-eye like I’m some kind of perv, there’s a part of me that wants to shake them and tell them about the horrifying shit I see every day at work. The twisted websites that some guys visit…the gut-churning photos they try to hide on their computers, or phones. To my mind, I’m a Boy Scout by comparison, and I try to focus on that, as my latest paramour storms from the bedroom."), The 25 juxtaposes thriller tension with strong characterization and insights supported by the use of the first person point of view. 

Political insights are nicely woven into the evolving terrorism as cops are videotaped shooting victims and political forces clash on either side. From police procedurals to the blowing up of statues and citizens, many of the events profiled in The 25 are presented so realistically that they could too easily seem reflective of modern times. 

The 25 is hiding literally in plain sight; but most people are too blind to see them. In the process of ferreting out the group and its purposes, Reggie is forced to see his alter ego persona "die", to re-imagine his own life without the people he's recently become involved with under that disguise, and to ultimately face the consequences of a form of terrorism that challenges American ideals in a cautionary tale about this country's future. 

Thriller fans seeking solid tension, satisfying twists and turns of plot replete with political and social reflections, and an attention to solid characterization that carries the story into areas too many thrillers neglect will find The 25 a riveting book that opens with all its guns blazing and keeps the action and tension high until the end in a thought-provoking story of lies, truths, and the foundations of everyday terrorism. 

The 25

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Death, Unchartered
Dorothy Van Soest
Apprentice House Press, Loyola University Maryland
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-62720-197-1
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62720-198-8
Price: $16.99 PB; $8.49 Kindle
www.dorothyvansoest.com 

www.apprenticehouse.com 

Most murder stories focus on investigative processes. The best provide a side dish of social inspection. But Death, Unchartered takes an additional leap into complexity by providing the subplot of an inner city teacher's efforts to help disadvantaged children at all costs—even possibly sacrificing her career to make a stand on their behalf—and this adds an extra dimension to the story of a child's death, creating a riveting production pairing a murder mystery with ethical and moral conundrums. 

Teacher Sylvia Jensen is the last person who should be a candidate to become an investigator: she's already fully vested in her students, and has been for many years. This is exactly why she suspects the mysterious little skeleton unearthed during excavation for a new charter school site is one of her students, and why she's so readily able to connect the dots to link the outstanding mystery of his disappearance with these remains. 

Even with this certainty and evidence, there are still many unanswered questions which Sylvia pursues with a gusto the police could never match on a 'cold case' like this. Why was Markus murdered? Investigative reporter J.B. Harrell also wants to know the truth, and the duo join forces to probe the past events leading to a child's death and their possible present-day threat to others. 

Under another's hand this story could have become a P.I. probe; but underlying insights on corporate greed, manipulation, deadly deals, and motives that would lead one to kill a child involve “Ms. Sylvia” in a story that directly dovetails with her passion for defending the schoolchildren under her care. 

There are also astute insights on Sylvia's personal life and choices which are nicely woven into the scheme of things: "There was another truth, too, which I never admitted to anyone but myself. I was afraid that if I had children of my own, they would eat me alive. I’d offer myself to them on a plate like I did with my students, and because they were my progeny, they’d feel entitled to demand seconds and even thirds." How much will she give of herself, to serve her students? When will her efforts be enough? 

Her changing viewpoint about activism on her own turf and how she changes in response to it is also an intrinsic part of an evolving story that draws readers not just into a murder mystery, but issues of educational challenges, union activism, and forces of social inspection and change: "I crossed my arms over my chest and watched in horror as Teresa grabbed the hands of two children, pulled them from the middle of a crowd of picketers, dragged them to the front entrance and deposited them in the door. With long, angry strides, she went back and threw her body between one of the picketers and the mother of the children. As I listened to the picketers’ vile language and watched the ugly scene unfold, a seismic shift took place inside me. Any residual ambivalence I had about the union drained away and was replaced by a combative defiance that infused every fiber of my being. The union had crossed a line. It had proven itself unworthy of its association with the union movement. Something had to be done. The violence had to be stopped." 

Political activism, forces of corruption that affect public education funding and pursuits, and issues reaching from the 1960s tumult to modern-day graft create a story that is filled with many possibilities and much insight. Teachers, particularly, will find many of these scenarios and concerns true to life, linking classroom and socialization objectives with bigger pictures of societal and political forces overseeing teaching choices and approaches to education. 

It's this broader perspective that makes Death, Unchartered more than just another murder 'whodunnit' but an unrelenting probe into the impact of greed and special interests on the educational system. Readers who turn to Death, Unchartered for a murder mystery genre read will find the story compelling, complex, and injected with the protagonist's personal reflections and transformations which keep the plot moving quickly and crafts a gripping read with a surprising outcome. 

Death, Unchartered

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Liar Liar
Nancy Boyarsky
Light Messages Publishing
9781761532548             $14.99 PB/$6.15 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Liar-Nicole-Graves-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0788BBL57/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528554147&sr=8-1&keywords=Liar+Liar+Nancy+Boyarsky 

Liar Liar adds Book 3 to the series of Nicole Graves mysteries and tells of Nicole's assignment to care for a witness who is suing a star sports figure for rape. The only problem is that seeming victim Mary Ellen harbors many mysteries that, upon closer examination, lead Nicole to question both her innocence and events; and these mysteries just multiply as Nicole discovers that Mary Ellen isn't the only one lying. 

In fact, events are so complex that even Nicole's fiancé Josh tries to persuade her not to take on this case. But Nicole is determined to uncover the truth even against the flurry of lies muddying the waters. Can the Bible-studying Mary Ellen be involved in blackmail? And what is the truth of the case when she disappears? 

Nicole chases not only lies and truths, but the growing web of intrigue that threatens her engagement with Josh and the course of her own life. 

Liar Liar creates exquisite tension in the mystery area, but its focus on Nicole's evolving relationships and the impact of her latest case on her life is the real strength in this saga. Readers receive more than a 'whodunnit': they are given an astute, gripping, personal story that blends courtroom proceedings and criminal investigation with revelations about the protagonist's personal life and how they dovetail and clash. 

This personal inspection of the investigator's world has been done before; but seldom with such rich description, psychological depth, and attention to detail. The result is a seamless intersection of personal and professional objectives that draws readers into a vivid story filled with unexpected twists and turns. 

Readers who like their mysteries spicy with personal reflection will find Liar Liar an exhilarating exploration of how far Nicole will go to probe the elusive nature of truth and the impact of a series of lies on the truths she values about her life. 

Liar Liar

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Obake Neko (Ghost Cat): A Pacific Tale
David Michael Gillespie
David Michael Gillespie, Publisher
978-0692947708            $11.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Obake-Neko-Ghost-Cat-Pacific/dp/0692947701/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1529437411&sr=8-1 

Obake Neko (Ghost Cat): A Pacific Tale tells of a secret Japanese aircraft carrier/submarine during World War II that is the last surviving member of it fleet at the end of the war. It vanishes carrying precious cargo, and the original story ends here...or, does it? 

Over fifty years later a former Navy pilot breaks into a submarine museum in Pearl Harbor, prompting his son to realize that his father harbors a dangerous secret about the disappearance of the Obake Neko: one that interests not only the military, but the Japanese. 

Son Mike, reeling from his own life changes, is charged with helping his father, defending him from various special interests on both sides, and uncovering the truth of the Obake Neko; and this creates an engrossing thriller that traverses international waters, political special interests, and military territory alike. 

The truth of the matter keeps eluding Mike. Events are complex, not always linear, and Mike discovers that some of the 'bad guys' his father has talked of are perhaps, in fact, something different. 

The timeline moves from 1944 to modern times, giving readers a sense of the history behind the present-day mystery. This movement and background succeed in enhancing reader understanding of the evolution of the secret, the events that have led to Bud and his son's involvement, and why ongoing interests in the vanished ship's special charge hold such importance to the world. 

At every turn, history repeats itself, and real-life events that took place in the Pacific arena come to life under David Michael Gillespie's hand. Another strong note is the descriptions of place and history that lend a "you are there" feel to the story, whether it's in Germany, Japan, or the Pacific region. Gillespie assumes no prior knowledge of any region's history and provides these backgrounds wherever they are needed: "Guam lay approximately four thousand miles west of Hawaii. It was a US territory with a strong military presence with Anderson Air Force Base and US Naval Base Guam. In WWII, the island was captured by the Japanese hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was occupied for two-and-a-half years. US troops recaptured Guam in August 1944. The landing path showed an island overgrown with thick jungle, so dense that a Japanese soldier had used it to hide out in for twenty-eight years after the war." 

The result is a powerful story of intrigue, historical connections, war, and a father and son's efforts to solve a long-standing puzzle: perfect for fans of historical fiction and intrigue. 

Obake Neko (Ghost Cat): A Pacific Tale

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The Plasma
Kamalendu Malaker
CreateSpace
9781981743957             $7.15
http://a.co/e6I9okj 

In The Plasma, immigrant James Wilberforce has built a better life for himself in America. He has his own highly successful sprawling business, a wife, and three children. What more could a West Indies immigrant desire? 

Good health, for one. When he's diagnosed with a rare cancer, James is offered a unique opportunity to participate in an experimental treatment. The only problem is that it holds not just the opportunity for recovery, but changes that will affect everything he has worked for all his life. 

Think of a Robin Cook-style thriller when pursuing the medical mystery that is The Plasma; but with an overlay of social inspection that elevates this production to something more than a quasi-science fiction plot. 

Medical details are realistically and convincingly woven into a plot that tackles not only the processes of medical interventions and the outcome and impact of an experimental procedure, but the protagonist's efforts and desire to put his life back together the way it was before his diagnosis. 

The waxing and waning of his feelings of helplessness, insights on complicated and changing family relationships in the face of illness ("The children were less joyful this time, but they were delighted to see their dad like a normal person, as their dad again."), and the narrator's introduction to the "fascinating world" of effectively serving as a guinea pig in medical circles make for engrossing descriptions of lay individuals whose lives are changed by medicine. 

At times these medical descriptions feel dense and overly complicated; but like any good medical thriller, the proof of the pudding lies in the details and authenticity of description. The connections between medical experiments, a focus on making profits, and moral and ethical conundrums involved in medical experimentation are very nicely presented despite the density of some of these descriptions. 

As the narrator defines his concerns over a period of years in which treatment success moves up and down, he explores the impact of his choices on his family and frets about their possible future without him. And as events move into legal circles, readers are treated to an explosive situation that nicely defines the interconnected worlds of patients, physicians, innovative medical treatment choices, and their broader impact. 

The Plasma is a powerful medical drama that plays out in the arena of personal experience, special interests, and business motivations alike. It poses many thought-provoking moments especially recommended for readers who enjoy stories of moral and ethical challenges in the medical world. Action is spiced with a fast-paced race to a conclusion which ends with a satisfying bang of social and political surprise. 

The Plasma

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Sniper
Susan Fleet
Music and Mayhem Press
978-1-7321301-0-4      Print: $15.00/Ebook: $3.99
Website: http://www.susanfleet.com/

Order: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C6QD95S/ 

Sniper pairs New Orleans homicide detective Frank Renzi's crime-busting abilities with a challenging scenario as he faces a French Quarter sniper, a crime spree, and a set-up in which a deadly killer targets strangers with the precision of pre-calculated automation. 

Frank not only can't pinpoint the perp, he has no idea if the killings are random or targeted. Neither is it evident why a clever jewelry store thief's operations should attract the sniper's admiration and earn an invitation for them to meet. 

Eventually, Frank comes to believe that someone important will die if he can't get a better handle on the sniper's modus operandi and his identity. Unfortunately, Frank doesn't know who the target will be. 

Like Susan Fleet's other Frank Renzi books, Sniper can be read as a stand-alone. While it dovetails nicely with his other adventures, it doesn't require any prior familiarity with Renzi in order to prove accessible to newcomers, who receive all the background details they need in the course of this riveting crime thriller.

Another plus to the evolving mystery is that readers are privy to the sniper's thoughts, actions, and his stormy relationship with his handler, which dictates some of his choices and actions. One glimpses the heart and mind of the killer and sees through his eyes, an approach that creates a tense thriller in which a killer barely on the edge of control chafes at being reigned in and manipulated. 

The addition of a clever thief who uses disguises and carefully targets her heist victims delivers a fascinating scenario in which three vastly different perspectives of New Orleans life and culture in the French Quarter dovetail with deadly precision. 

Renzi's interactions on the street and with the top brass in his department reveal everyone's stake in protecting their reputations, some of which hinder Renzi's search for the sniper. Fleet's characters are realistic and engrossing, her action swift and precise, and her subplots complex, enhancing the atmosphere of treachery and betrayal.

 Fans of detective novels and crime thrillers will find the tension exquisitely wrought with just the right doses of psychological intrigue, insight, and unexpected twists to keep the story line moving along at a swift pace. 

Sniper is delightfully unpredictable. Readers may get into the minds of Renzi, the sniper, and the thief; but won't always know where their lives are heading. Mystery fans who crave surprises will delight in another Renzi saga that turns their expectations upside down, a twisty thriller that weaves a far more sinister tale than that of a lone random sniper. 

Sniper

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The Teratologist
Ward Parker
Pandamoon Publishing 
ASIN:
 B07CZ8S4LJ        $5.99 ebook; $16.99 print
https://amzn.to/2wtXADo 

The Teratologist is the first book in a series by the same name and opens with Dr. Frank Follett's early 1900s study of "monsters": individuals born with physical deformities. 

Traumatized by war, Follett embarks on a long vacation in search of peace and a different environment. There, he encounters patients who not only have physical deformities, but extraordinary mental abilities; and it's then that the real definition, presence, and possibilities of the monster comes to life. 

Follett studies cases; but doesn't treat them. His hands-off approach to his subject is challenged not only by these real-life figures; but by special interests, kidnappings, and threats. His study of birth defects becomes personal and frightening on many levels, carrying him into realms of struggle he couldn't imagine from his war experiences and his professional studies. 

Between elements of the supernatural, social considerations, medical challenges and moral issues, and thriller components added into the mix, The Teratologist represents something satisfyingly different from the norm. 

Its fast-paced action and contemplative story of a professional physician who is introduced to a monstrous realm beyond his initial studies is unexpectedly involving. Dr. Follett faces many challenges to his belief system; from the fact of possession (despite its unscientific basis) to being locked in a desperate battle where his surgical and mental acuity is challenged. 

As memories of the Philippines overlay themselves on present-day events and evoke struggles with PTSD along with more telepaths than the good doctor can handle, readers are treated to an invigorating story that is fast-paced, packed with descriptions of medical procedures and conundrums, and hard to predict or put down. 

The Teratologist is a gripping medical thriller of suspense and parapsychological action that reads like a Robin Cook thriller, but with the added impact of the supernatural; all cemented in a Florida backdrop and the sense of a bygone era. 

The Teratologist

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Tied to Deceit
Neena H. Brar
Penguide Books
9781775158028      Hardcover: $27.99 US; eBook: $7.99 US; Paperback: $19.99 US
http://neenabrar.com
Barnes & Noble:  
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tied-to-deceit-neena-h-brar/1128485082?ean=9781775158028
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Tied-Deceit-Neena-H-Brar/dp/1775158039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525553997&sr=8-1&keywords=tied+to+deceit
IndieBound:
https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=tied+to+deceit 

Devika Singh is a woman nobody likes: she's deceitful, malicious, a philanderer, and secretive. So when the Indian town of Sanover awakens to news of her murder, few tears are shed. 

However, murder is not to be condoned even when the victim isn't liked or respected; and so Superintendent of Police Vishwanath Sharma begins a probe of Singh's life that ultimately reveals far more depravity than the surface events everyone seems to know about. 

The first thing to note about this murder mystery is the fact that this is a literary mystery saga. It includes far more depth and psychological and cultural insights than the typical murder mystery's scenario. 

Chapters provide in-depth insights into a husband's prior knowledge of his wife's philandering ways and how he both accepts this fact and lives his life with her (and how he comes to terms with a marriage containing no emotional depth). The impact of some of Singh's relationships affect not only her but those around her; and readers learn about the devastating consequences of actions that result in a distancing of affection, attachment, love, and family ties. 

Sharma unravels the complex emotional trail of a woman whose puzzling actions led her to be killed because she may have held the key to something in a missing album. Readers are treated to a story line that probes sensational lives in Sanover and the impact of a woman's decision to lead the kind of life that causes multiple people to want to kill her; including her husband. 

As readers are introduced to a wife's knowledge about Davika's affair with her husband and the process of how they become strangers after years of betrayals, they are swept into a story not just of infidelity and murder; but of alienation. There's a deeper price to pay for complicated financial and emotional entanglements.

The characters are well drawn, different perspectives are nicely presented and closely examined, and readers receive a healthy infusion of Indian background and culture against the backdrop of a murder mystery that leads an investigator in unexpected directions. 

The result is a vivid story that is highly recommended reading for those who like their murder mysteries set against the bigger cultural and social questions entangling an Indian town's residents. 

Tied to Deceit

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Novels

DEAR AMERICAN BROTHER
Joe J. Elder
Joe Elder, Publisher
9780993993626             $4.99
www.dearamericanbrother.com 

DEAR AMERICAN BROTHER follows German-Russian Hans Gerein, who dreams of a better life in America as World War II spins his family and roots out of control while he stands in the crossfire of nations at war.  The story opens with the narrator's desperate search for a teenage daughter lost during the recent communist onslaught.   

Musing on the numerous tragedies decimating his family and life in the face of social and political upheaval, Hans reflects on his past and his tumultuous world as he undertakes a desperate (likely impossible) search for the last thing giving his life meaning. Readers are deftly carried into a past which includes family life during the 1917 Communist Revolution, Stalin’s campaign of mass starvation, and now, WWII. 

The promise of America is a beacon of hope as Hans reflects on his past and struggles with his present reality, and readers are swept into his family history, from encounters with the infamous Gulag system to American brother Kurt's promises in the aftermath of war, which injects dreams into the growing realities of oppression and military rule. 

One powerful attribute of this story lies in its vivid portraits of what this kind of oppression looks like: "The largest of the military trucks, the timber-framed box stacked with sacks of wheat and flour, rumbled around the corner and ground to a halt in front of the church. Captain Shukov slid from the passenger seat. Exuding an authority one could almost smell, he adjusted his collar and climbed the stairs to face the Reinbolds. He raised his arm, made a fist, then uncurled two fingers and pointed to the trembling couple. “During the search, my assistants found wheat hidden under a pile of potatoes in their root cellar. An entire bucket filled with wheat!” A sorrowful groan rippled through the crowd." 

Descriptions of various forms of tyranny are powerfully wrought and bring readers into worlds wracked by special interests, military and political pursuits, and their direct impacts on the culture and lives of the people. 

Another strong point to the author's choice of a first-person narrative lies in his attention to ethical and moral conundrums he constantly confronts in the face of atrocities. His choices lead to no clear path to redemption: "A fierce battle raged in my soul. One quick answer in exchange for word of Katie and Amilia, but betray a friend? No. It took great effort to shake my head." 

As the narrator navigates a world on eggshells replete with spiritual and physical hunger, readers are carried into a changed landscape where nothing is stable and everything is being questioned. 

The result is a chillingly vivid tale of communism, country, and salvation that deftly captures a bygone world and a protagonist changed by the difficult choices it presents. His quest to reunite the remnants of his family under the most impossible of conditions creates story that's equally hard to put down. 

DEAR AMERICAN BROTHER

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Designer You
Sarahlyn Bruck
Crooked Cat Books 
eBook: ASIN:
 B07DH6B38H        $2.99
Paperback: 978-1722402648               $12.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DH6B38H/ 

Designer You introduces Pam's perfect life as a mother, loving wife, and co-owner of a DIY business with her husband. It seems like her pinnacle of success couldn't get any higher; but it's actually delicately balanced on many fragile pillars. When disaster strikes, Pam finds herself alone, with a headstrong teenager to raise by herself. 

A number of novels have posed a similar-sounding dilemma: a happy wife suddenly alone and struggling. What sets Designer You apart from these stories is the DIY part of the story: their small business (Designer You) has generated an audience and a blog of followers interested in creating their own home redesign projects. What Pam hadn't anticipated was that its underlying concepts and message of hope, achievement, and reinvention could be applied to major life-changing events in her own life, as well. 

At this point, Pam has two choices: become immersed in the struggle to keep ahold of what she's built, or use her business savvy to reinvent her own future. It's this choice and its consequences which makes Designer You a brilliant, different story of grief, recovery, and change. 

As chapters evolve, so does Pam. This brings readers on a rocky ride towards self-realization and a new life. From venturing into the world of online dating (which requires her to closely define the ideals she seeks in a partner) after 20 years of marriage to the ideal man to deciding how much to hold onto the life she and Nate so painstakingly built together, Pam's journey is fraught with decisions, challenges, and new directions. 

Designer You offers no platitudes about this journey, and no easy answers. One of its special strengths is its ability to pinpoint major obstacles to change; considering choices in how these are approached, managed, or welcomed as focal points for new or revised goals. 

Another strength lies in how it precisely captures turning points and moments of connection between a grieving mother and daughter, following them through thick and thin and the underlying worries that affect their relationship: "Do you ever worry you’re going to forget about him? Like, forget little pieces at a time? That after a while, you’ll forget maybe about how you felt when he’d come home from a trip. I remember I used to run to him when I was little. I could smell the faraway cities and airports and restaurants in his suit jacket.” 

Readers of women's contemporary fiction who want a story firmly grounded in realistic possibilities and experience will relish the tone and progression of Designer You, a standout story which outlines an unexpected journey from paradise to hell and back again. 

Designer You

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Desperate Parallels
Lynda Drews
Publisher: Pen & Ink Publishing
ISBN:   978-0-692-15319-2            Price: $15.99
www.lyndadrews.com 

Brave women trying to change not just laws but status quo and its impact on female lives ties a major current news theme into Desperate Parallels.

The novel opens in Japan with a vivid description: "Asami Fujioka’s French-manicured fingernails had been her dinner, a wretched substitute for sushi," when daughter Hana fails to show up for her birthday dinner. 

The setting then switches to New York with equally-powerful angst when worried mother Etta feels that a sudden silence from her adult daughter portends disaster; a feeling confirmed when her daughter’s partner Henri phones Etta to tell her he's been locked out of their home and daughter Chloe refuses to acknowledge him. 

The juxtaposition of these very different worlds is just one of the parallels drawn between lives, cultures, and similar experiences as two mothers explore their daughters' lives, their reasons for concern, and past histories that could portend future disasters. 

Real-world Japanese culture is embedded into this evolving story of mothers and daughters; from women who served as prostitutes for the Japanese Government to Chloe's ultimate course in life and the possibility that Hana follows in her footsteps. 

Etta begins to believe the terrible situation is her fault as she copes with male privilege and abuse and its lasting impact on her life. Asami is changed by her mentor and friend's daughter and her choices as she grows, changes, and comes to challenge her country's cultural perspectives about males and females. 

The actual process of making these changes, including adaptations that allow them to slink into forbidden territory, is one of Desperate Parallels' most powerful attributes: "Asami and Etta had been doing what her friend called “the woman’s dance.” Outwardly there could be no misstep. Neither could inadvertently crush their partner’s toes for fear of retribution or ridicule. Both had to let him lead while they followed. Yet, inwardly, they were both determined to change the “dance”—taking measured steps—eyes always focused above his shoulder." 

A second strength of the story lies in the evolution of each mother as she confronts her own successes and failures, their lasting impact on their progenies and society as a whole, and the choices she's made as an investigative process exposes hidden influences, office fiascos, and inadvertent messes made of lives in the balance. When irrevocable disaster strikes, Etta and Asami must confront deeply held secrets and truths when they wind up immersed in an unexpected scam. 

Desperate Parallels is a quasi-detective tale of two very different women, from two different cultures, who find their lives drawn together in tragically unexpected ways. It will appeal to those who like stories about vulnerable yet powerful women who confront the men in their world, the ideologies dictating their behaviors, and the consequences of cultural and gender teachings that cause them to hide important truths. 

Desperate Parallels

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Electric IMPULSE: Love, Life & Sex
Angel Hilson
Writers' Raven Publishing
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-692-12123-8      $  2.99
Print ISBN: 978-0-692-13409-2         $16.95
www.AngeltheAuthor.com
Ebook link:   https://amzn.to/2jRa0Mk
Print link:  https://amzn.to/2sT7Z7f 

Electric IMPULSE: Love, Life & Sex is Book One introducing an adult romance series and Aria Davenport, who believes her life is on a set trajectory to a predictable course of college, marriage to her beau, and a happily-ever-after conclusion. Unfortunately, life has a way of thwarting even the best-laid plans, as Aria discovers when her fiancée dumps her the day before her college graduation just as she's on the cusp of realizing all her dreams. 

Sent into a tailspin over the sudden derailing of her careful objectives, Aria is hurt, confused, and ripe for exploitation. As the savvy, clever, secretive businessman Phoenix catches the eye of this fiery beauty and decides to make her part of his own plans for success, Aria finds her hormones are on fire. Both are consumed by a passion for sex and success that drives them together in a burst of flames that both justifies the title Electric IMPULSE and sets the stage for a rollicking ride through love, lust, success, failure, and everything in between. 

The ideal reader of Electric IMPULSE won't be stymied or put off by graphic sexual descriptions or the ribald explorations of a young woman who finds her world has shut down unexpectedly; then opened up in new ways. Crushing disappointment neatly sets the scene for something far from Aria's intentions or knowledge, and while there is a good degree of give-and-take and some manipulation and special interests at stake; also present is the kind of growth opportunity and exploration that sets the stage for confronting childhood issues and adult perceptions. 

Aria's growth takes place not just in the sexual arena but in her maturity level as she embarks on a journey she could never have predicted, jump-starting a stagnant love life with a relationship she can barely define as 'love', much less the kind of lifestyle she'd envisioned as being her original goal. 

To call this story a 'romance' alone would be to do it a disservice; though a powerful romantic overlay contributes to the story's appeal. Even though lust, sexual encounters, and love are part of Aria's story, just as compelling is the account of how she changes her relationships to the men and women in her life and how she evolves new insights and perspectives about life (whether for good or bad) based on her encounters and observations with Phoenix. 

Descriptions of these moments are astute and clear, marking the points where Aria learns about herself, Phoenix, values, and approaches to business and life: "Ari, babe, I’ve seen it all. I know her type. She’s a poser. She talks the talk, but can’t walk the walk. Look at her heels. Louboutin yes. But worn to the nub like it’s the only pair she owns. Her so-called designer watch isn’t keeping time any more. And her diamond stud earrings look more like cheap cubic zirconia. People like her only see limitation, so they discriminate against others every chance they get, just to feel better about themselves. But I’ll set it right. Let it go. For what’s it worth, she won’t reach her financial goals with us. We’ll make sure the other associate she brings over gets a nice commission.” 

Electric IMPULSE is a pointed journey of self-discovery in which Aria lets go of her perception that her worth lies in her relationship with a man and embarks on a hunt for what is truly of value to her world. She initially doesn't know what she's getting into with Phoenix, but things are just starting to make sense. Readers who follow her journey will find it thought-provokingly vivid and filled with confrontation, reflection, observation, and the kinds of questions that lead to new beginnings, empowerment, and growth both for the protagonist and, possibly, for her followers. 

Women interested in contemporary blends of literary, psychological, and social reflection will find plenty to like about Ari and Electric IMPULSE, a story of how empowerment and self-realization actually begin. 

Electric IMPULSE: Love, Life & Sex

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Escapement
Kristen Wolf
Pixeltry
ISBN:  978-0-9996103-1-2     $14.99
ASIN:  B07DN1BLC9            $  5.99
Purchase link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DN1BLC9/
Author website:  www.kristenwolf.com 

Escapement: An Exquisite Tale of Love and Passion explores an unusual relationship between Cristofer Vaughn, a dashing young composer posed on the brink of fame and fortune, and his housekeeper Henri, a woman hiding behind the guise of a man. Both of them find themselves involved in ambitions that not only drive, but threaten them when a wealthy benefactor hands Cristofer his dream and Henri an opportunity that proves to be her biggest nightmare. 

Henri's secret, which has her hiding in a successful job that keeps her effective and safe, is torn asunder; but Cristofer, too, faces wrenching changes as his creative charge to create the masterpiece of his career remains elusive and challenging. 

The first strength to note about Kristen Wolf's creation is an attention to descriptive detail that crafts powerful, unique imagery: "I have but only once seen a grand piano stripped of its keys. Its soul gouged and gaping. The utter paralysis of spirit—the inflicted and eternal silence suggested by that image—is terrible. Were it not for my undying fidelity to that instrument whose tones still pierce my heart, I would flee in terror." 

Cristofer the artist isn't the voice opening this story: it's Henri, who, as it turns out, is perhaps an even greater virtuoso than her master, and who because of him taps into the greatest love in her life, which she has kept well hidden on several levels. 

Between the hidden talents of the two and their attempts to reach for the impossible, it would seem that Escapement already has enough story on its place to prove compelling; but Wolf adds depth and complexity through her attention to describing classical musical circles in Europe, scandalous operas that refute traditional musical approaches and challenge their viewers, and opposing circles of classical theory that clash just as mightily as the lives of two main characters. 

These descriptions are so astute and revealing that if readers were to turn to Escapement for musical enlightenment alone, they would be quite happy with its insights: "Such conversations, either in support or opposition to the Wagnerian school, were occurring in drawing rooms throughout Europe. The speakers’ arguments and tempers were enflamed enough to burn books in their shelves. The acrimony that existed between the opposing schools cannot be exaggerated. The first, advocated by Cristofer and the Thornes, among others, honored the upholding of the classical music tradition: pure harmonic scales, unmodified chord progressions, uplifting melodies, and harmonic resolution. Above all, its proponents served as guardians for music of substance, that which attained the highest human aesthetics of grace and beauty and intelligence. The second school, advocated by Wagner, Liszt, and others, was eager to sweep away the cobwebs of “the old guard,” including the likes of Beethoven, Bach, and Handel. Its ardent supporters hoped to inspire and invent an entirely different music, a new aural experience that pushed the limits of human ingenuity. They were chemists of sound, slaving away in their labs to mix never-beforeheard compounds. They staunchly rejected boundaries and balance and favored discomfort over pleasantries. Decoration over virtuosity." 

These exquisite depictions of musical controversy and passion translate equally well to Christofer and Henri's own struggles as each strives to achieve the impossible, reaching for the creative lights in their lives. 

Blazes, fires, and flames are descriptive words used throughout this story that highlight the pretenses at play on all sides. A love of music carries both the main characters and everyone around them in a swell of passion and artistry, providing descriptions as vivid as if they were explicit sexual scenes: "The music swelled. Encapsulating us. There is no embrace, no world, or womb as subsuming as that defined by music’s membrane. Together, we floated." From "storms of chords" that tug at audience heartstrings and illustrate a concert's draw and emotional passion to Henri's growing discord and danger, Escapement provides a passionate, evocative and sensitive story that is hard to put down and hauntingly compelling.

Classical music enthusiasts will relish the historical background that lend complex notes to the production, will appreciate the rising tension present from the opening scene to the story's unexpected foray into realms beyond creative enlightenment, and will find Escapement's language, especially, one of the driving forces of its passion: "The morning arrived despite my reluctance to face it. A robin’s jaunty song drifted in alongside hints of timothy and honeysuckle. I looked up. Noticed the mice scurrying about. Noticed too the light. How it gripped the walls at a lower angle, a wild animal exposing its underbelly. The day was full of herself. I groaned and shut my eyes. Wanting nothing to do with it." 

Like a fine musical composition, Escapement delights, challenges social mores, lends insights into a composer's greatest crises, and even concludes with a listing of classical pieces that inspired the story. 

There is no better tribute to the classical world or passions of the heart than this enchanting novel, very highly recommended for those who love music, life, and stories of complex blossoming truths which lead to an unexpected crescendo of emotional power.

Escapement

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Five Days in May
Ric Ward
www.ricward.com 

Helen and Chase are teens from different countries who meet, fall in love, and are separated by life's circumstances. Under ordinary conditions, their story would end at this point; but fate brings them back together under extraordinary conditions and, as adults, they face many more obstacles to their connection than even the past had offered. 

Five Days in May is a love story; but it's not limited to romance alone. In fact, Canadian girl Helen's initial contact with Chase is quite limited, even if they do form an instant attraction that has no time to blossom. Neither believed in the kind of quick romance that has occurred; and after their separation, letters and distance is all that they have left. 

Fast forward some years into the future. Communication has dropped off, but neither has forgotten the past. Still, life has gone on for both of them, and memories of the fiery and instant love they once held has been muted by life circumstances and growth on both sides. 

They may never forget their first intense love; but it seems destined to end with memories alone until something changes and the intensity returns to their tabled relationship (albeit not in its original form). 

The thought-provoking point made by Ric Ward in Five Days in May is that life circumstances create unexpected, quirky, and sometimes lingering connections. As musician Chase rises to fame and confronts a lonely life on the road when he's not in the spotlight of adoring fans, Helen tackles her own issues as a fan of his music, considering whether her attraction now lies in an affection for his art rather than his soul. 

Both confront and acknowledge the emptiness in their hearts and lives ("Even though Chase had talent and stardom, he didn’t have a wife, kids and the white picket fence. Inside, he longed for that."). When unrequited dreams of the past come full circle into their adult lives, they are better prepared, in some ways, to accept the fuller changes a relationship brings. 

Five Days in May is a love story; but its real strength lies in its sag of perseverance, life-changing events and the growth that stems from them, and how two souls eventually reunite under much-changed conditions. 

Readers interested in how relationships evolve and blossom will find Five Days in May a warm story of this process, and will relish the initial and lasting affection between two characters who grow into their own lives as well as the possibility of being a couple again: this time with more endurance, thanks to their separation and individual growth. 

As a 'beach read' for summer, it's especially inviting. As the Bruce Springsteen song says, "From small things, big things one day come." Five Days in May charts those small things and their eventual big impacts. 

Five Days in May

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The Gods Wait
John von Dorf
Vern & Sisters
9781370508549   $0.99 on Amazon, free on everything else
Website:  vernandsisters.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763M878C
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-gods-wait/id1294639662?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/361198228/The-Gods-Wait
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/751514
Overdrive: https://www.overdrive.com/media/3604859/the-gods-wait
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36400783-the-gods-wait 

The Gods Wait offers a novel of internet and interpersonal relationships and excels in a complex web of characters and lives that dovetail in unexpected ways. Of necessity, this approach involves building not one or two but many psychological and social profiles: an endeavor that may stymie those who anticipated a lighter read; but which will delight literary readers seeking more depth and reflective reading than most novels provide.

If the chapter titles don't give a clue of this complexity early on (the book opens with 'A Sawmill Discotheque'), descriptive phrasing surely reinforces this notion as characters move through different phases of their lives and interact with the world around them ("Pascal Adanoma sat down to go to sleep, where he thought about baseballs teleporting around a baseball diamond in layers of energy levels. It was dark in his room. He lived alone. He didn’t make his bed every morning, and sometimes he didn’t shower before lab. His biggest secret, however, was that his socks didn't match that day. He had many secrets."). 

Introverts and foreigners, changing times and brutal realizations about life, and questions of anonymity and conspiracy in the chaotic world of daily life flow through character experiences in a mercurial manner that carries readers through different observations, social milieus, and personal perspectives. 

It's almost as if readers are flies on the walls of each different character, observing these changes through a series of rapidly-changing scenes that might initially seem to be vignettes of different stories. All ultimately serve the purpose of contributing to a greater good and unifying theme, down the line. 

The characters change their language, personas, and perspectives like actors shed costumes between scenes. This serves to illustrate both similarities and differences between their approaches and the kinds of social and interpersonal activities that link humanity. 

Literary audiences should not expect a linear read from The Gods Wait; nor is it a hasty meal to be consumed quickly or without thought. Those who enjoy digesting bits and pieces of life and who allow plenty of time for reflection and re-reading will discover The Gods Wait to be a treasure trove capturing intimate and vivid jewels of life experience: something to be savored, lingered over, and only reluctantly set aside at the conclusion; perhaps to be revisited later as events close with a bang and provide a fitting crescendo to the diverse, thought-provoking, attention-grabbing scenarios. 

The Gods Wait

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Nemesis
Judith Petres Balogh
Independently Published
9781982903688             Paperback: $15.27/Kindle $5.50
www.amazon.com 

Relatively few novels chart the progress of history as they craft characters who move through Hungarian social and political climates; but Nemesis is one of those stories that is rich in a background of real social inspection. 

It provides the lovely story of a Hungarian actress acclaimed in her own country for her theatrical performances; but virtually unknown outside of it. Enique Kettendy’s supreme talents, her marriage to a talented writer, and their relationship with each other and the uncertain political plays of the controlling forces around them makes for a vivid saga of survival, confrontation, and social change. Nemesis should not be missed by any readers who would understand the fundamental changes of a democracy into a dictatorship and its impact on the arts, personal lives, and safety. 

As Enique hones her craft and enthralls her audience, so readers become immersed in the progression of the life of a privileged family that holds a rare, esteemed place in their changed society; and how it becomes immersed in a greater crises that questions both fidelity and social norms. 

Like the proverbial drama piece written by a truly great artist, Nemesis both displays the glitter and allure of the stage and probes behind scenes at the actors and personalities who contribute their all to the world they have created. 

Invited to leave their country and expose her genius-level art to a greater stage, Enique and Victor outline the reasons why they would remain in a society heavily controlled by political forces: not the least of which is to change hearts and minds through their well-received and enlightening theatrical productions. 

Judith Petres Balogh's writing holds the ability to delicately and precisely capture a range of special interests and courageous, determined personalities who operate both on and off stage. It also nicely introduces Hungarian cultural and political norms that will be accessible even to Westerners with relatively little prior familiarity with either. 

The result is a gripping read that follows a gifted woman's choices, the actions of a Leftist movement that change a family's lives, her husband's determination to remain stalwart even against the urgings of his own daughter (who has emigrated to Sweden and wants him to follow), and a changing world that demands roles be played precisely and carefully. 

An unexpectedly shocking conclusion places Nemesis in a category unto itself as a social, political, and artistic work of art that enlightens, educates, draws readers into another world, and succinctly concludes with a bang.

Nemesis

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Odessa, Odessa
Barbara Artson
She Writes Press, September 11, 2018
9781631524431             $16.95
www.shewritespress.com 

Odessa, Odessa is a novel that belongs in any collection strong in Jewish history and literature and traces the journey of two young brothers who come from a background of rabbis and cantors in a shtetl near the Black Sea in western Russia, but flee their homeland to escape anti-Semitism. 

One chooses to go to America and the other to Israel. Generations later, their choices continue to resonate as their lineage adapts to two very different cultures and children and grandchildren find their relatives to be distant and foreign. 

The first thing to note about Odessa, Odessa is that it isn't just about Jewish roots, history, and connections; the novel creates an atmosphere where capitalist and socialist ideals are contrasted on a personal level. 

Love affairs, shattered dreams, connections between the past and present worlds of the divided family, and accounts of immigrants who forge new lives in both Israel and the U.S. juxtapose not just experiences and ideals, but changing traditions. 

From family dynamics which "rule beyond the grave" to missing information and pieces which stem from family roots that divide and migrate to other countries, Odessa, Odessa documents a powerful immigrant experience that richly details how other cultures impact and transform the immigrant as generations evolve. 

The stories and experiences that pass between generations come to life through the vivid characters of Henya, Dora, Roberta, and others steeped in Jewish tradition, creating a memorable saga that explores three generations moving into the 20th century, who lose and regain their history and lost connections. 

This highly recommended odyssey should be in every Jewish literary collection. 

Odessa, Odessa

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Waiting for You at Midnight
Vicki Salloum
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
9781945181368             $13.99 Paper/$5.99 Kindle
http://a.co/dOMEbQF 

Waiting for You at Midnight tells of Arabella, an older woman and recovering alcoholic who spills out her life story, anger, suffering, and trials in a novel that reads like a memoir as it considers her vivid, challenging life. 

The story opens where one might think it would end: later in life, after she's gone through a stormy relationship with a husband whom she discovers is a bank robber, who has then suffered from lung cancer and left her a widow. 

Arabella still needs male companionship, but because she's both lonely and angry, she initially makes the wrong choice in a man who initially seems charming and exciting, but who actually is a predator. Distancing herself from her previous self-destructive habit of being deceived by men, Arabella finally falls for a fine man who is genuine. The only problem is: he's of a different race and class, introducing new issues that tie in directly with her Southern heritage and cultural bias. 

Waiting for You at Midnight might have focused on destructive repetitive relationship patterns; but Vicki Salloum introduces different elements to chart Arabella's growth not only in her choice of personalities; but in the kinds of experiences that challenge her preset notions of love and acceptable behaviors in social situations. 

Readers receive a number of surprises, from the specter of a woman over the age of 50 looking for sexual satisfaction and romance later in life to the challenges of being a loving partner in the face of devastating illness; a widow who seeks to continue living a full life after loss; and the kinds of situations that make widows victims of men who would take advantage of them. Add palpable struggles with alcoholism and staying sober under the influence of life's pulls and challenges and the ideals of Southern class and cultural norms in a changing society and it's obvious that Waiting for You at Midnight holds far more than a singular approach to the recovery process, on many levels. 

If these descriptions sound like Waiting for You at Midnight would be a demanding read, be advised that its heady descriptions and use of the first person makes for a compelling, empathetic examination that proves hard to put down and thoroughly engrossing as readers follow Arabella's revelations, growth, and determination. 

Waiting for You at Midnight is a vibrant story recommended for readers of women's literature who would consider the fundamental differences between the sexes as they follow how an older woman recreates a different course for her love life in later years. 

Waiting for You at Midnight

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Reviewer's Choice

Are You Happy?
Lea Colleens
Harlen Books Pty Ltd 
9780648229513             $25.99 Kindle
http://a.co/g7F52Vw 

Are You Happy? A Guidebook On How To Earn Happiness pinpoints a common problem surrounding happiness: too often, those asked about their level of happiness have no way of gauging it or even defining what happiness actually is. 

Lea Colleens isn't the first to question this perception: many before her have tried to quantify, define, or examine the parameters of happiness; but what makes Are You Happy?  different isn't her focus on redefining the wheel, but on helping her readers discern what makes them truly happy. 

Colleens provides both an explanation (in an introductory section that offers a recipe for happiness) and a series of instructions that encourage readers to look to brand new experiences to help them understand the roots of their happiness. 

Colleens maintains that happiness is to be earned and cultivated. It doesn't drop into one's lap. Other books and discussions often identify happiness as stemming from a higher power, a positive attitude towards life, being on top, or cultivating high self-esteem. Are You Happy? points out the common fallacies of such thinking and offers a clear, alternative approach for recognizing happiness, introducing it into one's lifestyle, and utilizing its power for optimum results. 

As chapters lead to and review a formula for happiness, readers are given the tools needed to "stretch Master Brain muscles" to explore strange new worlds and new avenues of perception. Wandering is one door that can be opened to self-awareness. Using this approach, 'settling' (either physically or mentally) is seen as a form of enslavement when it becomes a well-worn rut that resists change and new experiences. 

Colleens shows her readers how to cultivate the finer art of escaping such life-defining ruts to make time for new experiences and processing life's journey, but she also covers how to recognize and avoid this 'type of people' who are driven by forces of power and submission and those who excel in using the Reptile Brain to manipulate and control those around them. Are You Happy? thus provides a clear guide on how to recognize happiness and how to cultivate avenues that lead towards it while deflecting those which would work against it; whether this be through individual choice and perspective or the happiness-crushing influences of critics. 

As different brain perspectives ("Dog Brain" and "Master Brain" to name a few) are defined along with routines for redirecting or deflecting these approaches to life, readers are given the nuts and bolts of how happiness can be defined and achieved despite all the forces (both internal and external) working against it. 

Any reader genuinely interested in a blueprint for finding personal happiness in life needs to consult this master guide to success. The only prerequisite to its successful use is a willingness to examine one's life and modify one's perspective. 

Are You Happy?

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The Artful Liar
Cynthia Leeds Friedlander
Hybrid Global Publishing
Print: 978-1-938015-92-2                     $15.95
eBook: 978-1-938015-93-9           $  3.99
www.TheArtfulLiar.com

www.TodaysEmpoweredWoman.com 

The Artful Liar: Reflections on Betrayal and Deception combines the memoir form with fiction and presents a series of vignettes based on Cynthia Leeds Friedlander's perceptions, tailored into a third-person protagonist's observations, using the nameless “she” as a deliberate device to reflect a deeply personal history while giving voice to a universal depiction of betrayal shared by many.  

The common theme at the core of these observations is a struggle with dishonesty, betrayal, and deception, which prompts a series of powerful insights from the process of letting go and healing to the empowerment experienced by reassessing core values and beliefs to arrive at revised, stronger positions about life and its challenges. 

Stark descriptions of the contrast between relationship ideals and reality provide pointed moments of realization and change in which the protagonist comes to understand the impact of underlying deceptions and their effects on the course of life choices: "There was no crystal ball there that April wedding day to see into her future to inform her she would eventually fall madly in love with her gorgeous husband who spoke five languages and who would be a devoted husband and father. She would have no way to know the very pedestal she so wanted to be on, that day in Rome when she married Hank, would at some point begin to feel like a bejeweled trap holding her prisoner and keeping her from finding her own strength and voice. She couldn’t possibly have imagined that day when she first wore the wedding band she intended to keep on her finger for the rest of her life that she would venture outside of her marriage to find deep connection." 

The lessons of these revelations are reinforced in a 'Messages' section that summarizes the impact of each event ("She learned how important it is to:

• Refrain from making choices based in fear.

• Honor your commitments through honesty.

• Rely on yourself to provide your sense of well-being..."), and this allows readers to not just follow the story, but to clearly understand where that segment of understanding fits in the bigger picture of personal growth and evolution.

The shocking discovery of years of deception in a decade-long relationship reveals growth and self-awareness that comes from a determination to gain strength and wisdom through painful loss. “Mathew was like a snake who could slither away in almost any direction, leaving you wondering if the truth you’d just seen had even existed. It always came to Mathew instantly to re-represent; he was gifted that way. … She felt dirty and stupid when she realized how often he’d convinced her of what he wanted and needed her to believe. She knew many times whatever it was about was completely harmless. She also knew there was much harm within many of the deceptions and omissions Mathew had perpetrated and there was no safe route back to trust, back to belief. It was only about damage and loss now. It was only about letting go.” 

As the epiphanies and realizations continue, readers experience adventure, disappointment, and growth through the eyes and life of a woman who perceives each occurrence as an opportunity to embrace change. From ways in which survival becomes linked to identity to patterns of wishful thinking and false perceptions which are identified, then revised, women receive the close inspection of a life that is not just experienced, but closely considered. 

The result is a story which opens with a focus on deceptions both internal and external and evolves into a detailed description of processes of transformation. From big lies to false perceptions based on ideals, The Artful Liar considers various forms of deception and their impact. 

It's this facet which makes The Artful Liar a powerful presentation. Any thought that the work does not artfully fit into one specific genre (women's fiction, contemporary literature, psychology, family relationships, or a memoir) will be offset by the fact that, in actuality, it's a broader inspection that touches upon all these areas. This makes The Artful Liar of special interest and recommendation to female readers who would cultivate their own avenues of self-reflection and growth. “She wanted to bring hope and healing to others who had been betrayed and deceived. … She wanted to build bridges to self-worth and contentment that many could travel across and then multiply their well-being among many more. She wanted to pay it forward.” 

If illumination and fulfillment are among the reasons a reader would choose such a story, The Artful Liar more than fits the bill with its reflective messages on the finer art of letting go and finding peace by cultivating personal integrity and identifying and shedding the deceivers in one's world. 

The Artful Liar

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The Coca-Cola Trail
Larry Jorgensen
G L Management
978-0692844304            $22.00
http://a.co/jitHeZk 

The Coca-Cola Trail is recommended reading for anyone with a special interest in America's iconic soft drink, its history, and the places across the country where this history is on display. 

The 'trail' here is a collection of Coca-Cola building locales, signage, processing and bottling plants, and not a few surprises. Among them is Bellingrath Gardens, a 65-acre visitor attraction in Alabama that came from a Coca-Cola bottler who grew his enthusiasm for Coca-Cola and built what was originally envisioned as a fishing camp, but grew into a national landmark. 

This example demonstrates that Coca-Cola's influence extended well beyond business walls and into the community. Author Larry Jorgensen moves from business accounts to personal lives changed by the presence and growth of Coca-Cola in a fine survey that's far more than a business history alone. 

Under another hand, this story might have adopted a one-dimensional focus; but the inclusion of a wealth of vintage black and white photos, biographies of men who grew both within company ranks and in community status, and an attention to pairing Coca-Cola history with America's development creates something refreshingly different. 

Readers who anticipate a singular approach to the subject thus will be delighted by its expansive embrace of not just Coca-Cola's growth; but the many lives it touched across the country. 

Business collections as well as general-interest holdings strong in regional Americana will find The Coca-Cola Trail a versatile, engrossing story that profiles the figureheads and places forever changed by Coca-Cola; all woven into a vivid set of descriptions that make for lively reading. 

The Coca-Cola Trail

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Shrouded Truth
Reena Kumarasingham
From The Heart Press
978-0956788757            $19.99
www.amazon.com          

www.divineaspect.com

Shrouded Truth – Biblical Revelations through Past Life Journeys walks the path of enlightenment through Biblical references that follow the lives and messages of James, Paul, Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and others; and is a highly recommended pick for Biblical scholars from novices to advanced thinkers. 

By reviewing these lives and their impact and messages on spiritual thinking, Reena Kumarasingham provides a direct connection between how and why these people evolved as they did and God's greater purpose. 

If this was the only approach supporting Shrouded Truth's contentions, it would be effective in and of itself. There's a lot more going on than biographical reflection alone. The information presented herein has been obtained not through studying Biblical events but by including information received from sessions of past life regression.  Therapist/author Kumarasingham has become an expert in the field, training Regression Therapists around the world in the techniques and possibilities of working with past life information. 

The story of Jesus Christ, when viewed from the typical scholarly and religious angles, is already notable; but when imbibed with insights gained from past life regression work, it is particularly insightful: especially, here, where eight different people unrelated to one another contribute their versions of Biblical events and their meaning. 

By now it should be evident that one prerequisite for appreciation of Shrouded Truth's focus and contents is an acceptance of past life regression. The memories presented herein popped up over a four-year period in different parts of the world and were experienced by common people who had no prior connection with each other or with Biblical scholarship. 

This fact is, perhaps, one of Shrouded Truth's greatest strengths, because it's hard to refute or ignore the kinds of insights and connections that dovetail so neatly and explicitly in this coverage. Through serendipity and possibly determined spiritual effort, these disparate individuals came to Kumarasingham's attention: thus, this book. 

A second big plus to Kumarasingham's approach is her attention to blending known, proven facts about the times with these past live experiences. This makes for far more than a collection of impressions and ideas, linking historical fact to the new information: "…it is not far-fetched to think that James had a commercial network and a small fleet of trading boats that travelled to England. Although the area was not called ‘England’ during the Bibilical period, the memories were being filtered through Mia’s current-life vocabulary, hence her use of terms from the current times. As is mentioned by Isabel Hill Elder, ‘It is not by mere chance that Arimathean Joseph became acquainted with Cornish tin and Somerset lead mining, for as a Prince of the House of David, Joseph was aware that his kinsmen of the tribe of Asher had made Cornwall famous for the prized metal.’ Again, this implies that the family of Jesus was an important, well-to-do family." 

The result is a unique blend of historical fact, verbatim chronicles from past life regression narratives, and new perspectives on Biblical events that intrigues and invites debate from Biblical scholars. 

Shrouded Truth is a unique, highly recommended Biblical study that should be included in any serious historical and cultural examination of Jesus' life and times. 

Shrouded Truth

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Young Adult/Childrens

Hexborn
A.M. Manay
Pythoness Press
ASIN:
 B07D4MR86Y             $4.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4MR86Y 

Hexborn represents the first book of 'The Hexborn Chronicles' and provides young adult fantasy readers with opening maps of the Kingdom of Bryn and a listing of the many characters to be found in the story. 

The latter, which is surprisingly detailed, should not thwart would-be readers who might anticipate from its length that Hexborn will be overly demanding or complicated. In fact, the story is fast-paced and engrossing and the interplay of numerous characters only serves to enhance the underlying drama. 

Shiloh is an abomination in her world: she is 'hexborn' and her illness, combined with her status as a bastard newly orphaned from her father and mentor, translates to isolation, danger, and a threat which others perceive from her special brand of killer magic. 

Forces would take advantage of her powers and the fact that she's been raised to be a devout, patriotic, obedient asset to her kingdom; but Shiloh finds herself fighting not for her realm but for her life and singular purpose as she becomes embroiled in a confrontation between those who would use her powers and the wizard academy that would expand them. 

Young adult readers will relish the ongoing focus on Shiloh's dilemmas as she faces too many choices that have nothing to do with her real place in the world. She's had a hard education all her young life about law, special abilities, and the requirement that she quickly adapt to the changes that swirl around her. 

Now she's primed for the kinds of alliances that will test not only her blossoming powers, but everything she's been taught to value in her life. 

Shiloh's suffering under the burden of terrible lessons and fights, her interactions with Academy students and leaders as special interests flow around her, and the political factions which swirl around the king's court which is her new residence makes for a gripping read that young adults will find firmly cemented in fast-paced action. 

Realistic dialogue, a fine focus on Shiloh's perspective and challenges, and attention to enough detail to virtually build a world contributes to a story that is hard to put down and, while satisfyingly complex on one level, is relatively easy to absorb. 

Many an adult will find this rich tale of oppression, conquest, and achievement a suitable leisure read, as well, making Hexborn a highly recommended, multifaceted read for a wider audience than its young adult genre. 

Hexborn

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Perseaus
CC Wyatt
Me Myself Publishing
978-0-9967785-6-5                $15.99
http://bit.ly/Perseausbook  

Perseaus is Book 2 of 'The Ferret Books' and ideally young adult audiences who pursue this continuation of the saga will have a prior familiarity with Book 1 because it picks up the story where Pia Wade, beset with visions, went missing. Here she re-encounters the strange Ferret, who had changed from animal to human and waved goodbye to her as she was leaving the island, in the prior story. 

Months later, at the point where the first story ended, she'd espied the human Ferret at a bookstore. Perseaus picks up the tale at this point and runs with it, following feisty Pia's determination to probe the last four years of her life at all costs, and the meaning of the mysterious Ferret. 

Most of all, Pia wants freedom. At the story's opening she appears to have achieved this; but soon her suppressed emotions rise to the surface as she discovers that not confronting her past leads to not really feeling free: "Freedom is letting go. For whatever reason the notion brought chills to my arms. I melted away the chills running my hands up and down my arms, thinking how things had changed. I was free now. It had been all I ever wanted, all I could ever think of. Free of the creepy visions, the dreams, and all the craziness that came with it. Free so I could again live a normal life, and now that I was, it was as if “normal” wasn’t normal to me anymore." 

Pia fears her visions and dreams will return to once again change her life. Odd coincidences and circumstances keep entering into her world, such as picking up a psych book at a bookstore only to discover that the strange young clerk who thinks he knows her from somewhere is actually a haunting figure from her past whom she can't quite place. 

As her relationship with Cameron, her rescuer, continues to evolve towards romance and healthy familiarity, so her inspection of the rest of her world begins to absorb the uncertain, warped mystery overriding her life. Is she actively making herself sick with her imagination; or is something really happening, once again? 

Perseaus is about a young woman growing into her special abilities, finding her purpose in life, and coming to terms with new possibilities brought about by her ongoing visions and mystery: "Living is life. To not live is to die,” I said, as he crushed the leaf in his hand. “And this is my life; it’s all I’ve got, and I need to make the most of it.” He now opened his hand and the leaf fell to the ground. “And…I don’t remember any other life,” I felt compelled to say. “If you could would you want to?” he asked with a trace of something different about his face. Sadness, I believed it was." 

Does Pia really want to make the kinds of choices that could solve the mystery but change her life forever? And what will she do with the answers she's demanded from the being she's summoned? 

The questions, answers, and mystery are complex and are nicely cemented by Pia's dilemmas and changing life. The consequences of her quest for knowledge and meaning are candidly displayed in scenes that pair adventure with self-inspection ("To remember meant understanding, and understanding was the one thing I didn’t have."), while the subplots (such as Cameron's evolving skating prowess) are satisfying juxtapositions to the central fantasy and mystery elements injected into the story of Pia's life and its conundrums. 

The result is a complex and nicely evolving blend of fantasy, mystery, and romance that's highly recommended for young adult readers of these genres; but which also will reach into adult audiences with its strong characters, overlying puzzle, and riveting twists and turns of plot. 

Perseaus

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Plays of the American Experience
Thomas Hischak
Meriwether Publishing/Pioneer Drama Service Inc.
9781566082259                     $18.95
www.pioneerdrama.com 

Plays of the American Experience: 25 Fascinating Scenes for the Classroom or Stage fictionalizes actual events in American history and tailors them for the stage, creating a dual benefit for young adult actors who would better understand both drama and social life in America over the years. 

Each play offers a completely different focus and topic; from the effects of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation on a house slave who decides to leave her former owner for a new life in the North to suffragette Susan B. Anthony's decision to pursue her case in the courts. These aren't just scenes capturing well-known historical figures or events: they include many regional social conditions, such as a family's decision to send their eight-year-old son into the mines to follow in the footsteps of his family. 

The timeline of these events is provided in chronological order, from 1845 to 1973, which further cements the atmosphere, social concerns, and eras of the characters. 

Another big 'plus' to this collection is that there are no pat answers provided in many cases; but a dramatic attention to decisions, consequences, and the impacts of events that promote a deeper understanding of their eras and atmospheres. 

In the play about the Emancipation Proclamation, for example, the hard-hitting conclusion questions its negative impact from the viewpoint of one adversely affected by its wide-reaching consequences and the changes it brings to their household. 

Quite often, history's facts and lasting impacts are reviewed in notes that outline the real-world aftermath of events presented in the play, as in the drama about Alice Hamilton and her participation in the controversy swirling around issues of industrial toxicology. 

Not only will young adults absorb historical facts and the social sentiments of various times; but audiences receive much food for thought through hard-hitting conclusions that cement the lasting impacts of these events. 

The result is a highly recommended collection of short 10-minute plays that are particularly well suited to middle to high school presentation under all kinds of conditions. They require neither prior acting skills nor big stage sets, can be used either on stage or in classroom settings, excel in creating engaging and thought-provoking encounters between actors, and present ideas that bring history and controversies to life in a personal manner that dry facts alone couldn't capture. 

Educators seeking powerfully-crafted scenes that hold high interest for students normally resistant to learning history could do no better than to choose this versatile, compelling collection as their foundation text for not just teaching drama, but adding life to the American history learning experience. 

Plays of the American Experience

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Safe in a Beehive
Judith Petres Balogh
Independently Published
9781983151828             $6.59 Paperback/$5.18 Kindle
www.amazon.com 

Safe in a Beehive introduces student Mike, a 'bad boy' who can't seem to please anyone: "Kathy was the teacher’s pet. Teachers liked students who did their work, knew the answers to dumb questions and were not caught in fights.  She fit all these requirements perfectly and her elevated status made her irritatingly proud.  He hated proud girls.  On the other hand nobody could accuse Mike of excellent behavior, perfect papers or of being peaceful and meek during recess.  Sadly, he was very far from being a pet; most adults referred to him as a pain, a nuisance, a young man, who was capable to do much better if he’d only try." 

Life isn't much better at home, either: he's always in trouble for mischief. With this setting in mind, readers won't expect that the bully and young failure would next encounter an elf in his own garden - but that's what happens. 

As Mike embarks on an unexpected journey, his 'bad' habits and ways, as well as the lessons others have been trying to teach him, begin to haunt him with experiences that reinforce basic ideas about handling life itself: "Instead of paying attention to what he was doing he was thinking about Kathy and was bragging. In that moment, just before his feet found a secure place, his hand slipped and he lost his balance. Before he could understand what happened he was stretched out on the flat part of the rock at exactly the same spot he just left. Well for once Mrs. Mallory was right. She repeated often enough one of her favorite sayings, “Pride goes before the fall.” He was proud and fell, just as she was saying." 

From an educated, talking bee's basic lessons on life to encounters with a queen and lessons about bee biology and life direction and purpose, Mike slowly absorbs through experience what neither his parents nor his teachers could impart with threats or encouragement. But, inevitably, Mike's past catches up with him; and when he breaks a Hive law, a disappointed queen must confront questions and actions she's never faced before: "There are three things I cannot have in our hive: filth, sickness and disobedience. Do you suppose you could promise not to break the Law again? “ Mike was so relieved about hearing her say this that he barely managed a whispered ‘I promise this, Your Highness.’ She just nodded at that, but added, “Oh, that unhappy, black day, when you joined us!  We had peace until you came. I did not have to face such difficult decisions. I am very, very unhappy and confused about what happened.”  

More so than most middle grade stories about bad boys, bullies, and temperamental kids, Safe in a Beehive offers a close inspection of the process through which misfits begin to change. As Mike absorbs an entirely new 'culture' with different perspectives on the world (and different rules), he slowly begins to make sense of everything that has guided his own different world. His psychological growth process is a pleasure to see. 

Young readers receive a wealth of bee information as a side benefit to this fantasy; but the real meat lies in its psychological portrait of a young man's growth process and in positing why some life lessons that aren't absorbed through one method, come to life under different conditions. 

Being of newly diminutive size means that Mike not only perceives natural and human worlds differently; but that he must employ different techniques, such as body language, to survive. In this world, he can talk to rocks and bees - but not humans. In this world, he must gather a kind of resourcefulness that doesn't rely on his old habits. And in this altered state, Mike faces a snake full of promises, considers true miracles and dubious treasures, and comes to know the real strengths and weaknesses of 'Mike the Menace'. 

Well-crafted and delightfully original, Safe in a Beehive is as much about growth and taking chances as it is about safety. The evolution of a bully and failure into something greater is portrayed as a realistic, rocky path that isn't always linear, but is always challenging and engrossing, and young readers who hold a special affection for life-affirming fantasy tales of self-help and growth will discover in Mike a powerfully evocative character. 

Safe in a Beehive

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Santa's Dog
JoAnn Sky
Dogs and Books
9780999843000             $16.95
www.dogsandbooks.com

Santa's Dog is first in a projected series of "Santa Dog" books, and a portion of each purchase will support animal rescue causes; so those with a special interest in dogs will relish both the story and the beneficial impact of purchasing these books. 

Young picture book readers ages 5 and older receive a rhyming adventure that focuses on Santa's best dog, Lance, who he falls out of the sleigh and is taken in by an animal shelter, then adopted by a military family. 

Lance is happy in his new home and helps his family when deployment takes their father away from home; but when next Christmas rolls around, where will his loyalties lie? 

Ed Koehler provides colorful and fun full-page drawings to accompany a rhyme which will lend equally well to independent pursuit or parental read-aloud as it follows dogs, reindeer games, and one special Santa's pet. 

The appealing tale of a dog's two homes leads to a difficult decision for the canine, and one which youngsters will find easy to understand. The dog's feelings are nicely explored in a compelling plot that invites discussion and introspection, making for a charming story on many levels.

Santa's Dog

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Biography & Autobiography

50 After 50
Maria Leonard Olsen
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Hardback: 978-1-5381-0964-9    $34.00 
eBook: 978-1-5381-0965-6         $32.00
www.rowman.com 

At fifty years of age, author Maria Leonard Olsen was a divorced drunk who had long abandoned her successful law career for family. 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life documents both her midlife crisis, realization that she was actually at the beginning of a new life rather than the end of what she'd created, and points the way for women in similar situations who have turned to alcohol over enlightenment and change. 

Adrift and purposeless, Olsen decided, when she turned fifty, that she would 'gift' herself the purpose of doing 50 things new to her that embraced adventure, spirituality, travel, physical challenges and lifestyle changes. 

50 After 50 documents this odyssey and its results, offering midlife readers clues on transformation and change and insights on not only possibilities, but their lasting results. 

Chapters unfold the purposes behind each action; from getting off the beaten path to "be a student of the world" to changing the dynamics of daily interactions to make for more meaningful changes and experiences. 

Specific approaches, examples, results, and how Olsen let go of the judgments of strangers and family to explore new avenues of personal satisfaction to herself makes for a revealing, involving blueprint indicating how readers could craft their own road maps of transformation. 

The result is a powerful blend of lists, journal prompts, autobiography and tips on how to cultivate a more open mind and spirit that offers readers many 'how to' clues for rejuvenating their own approaches to life. 

Readers aged 50 and older, in particular, will be not only inspired by Olsen's experiences, but are given the tools for embarking on their own life-affirming journeys in a story that is both engrossing and inspirational; highly and especially recommended for anyone of older years who feels 'stuck' in their chosen path. 

50 After 50

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Be True to Yourself
Aaron Parker
York Publishing Services Ltd
ASIN:
 B07BRJY6LG             $2.99
www.yps-publishing.co.uk 

Be True to Yourself: Living with my Autism is an essay that offers a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of a man who uses his own experiences in life to illustrate what it's like to live with and be diagnosed as autistic. 

As such, it's especially recommended reading for anyone who would go beyond medical or psychological profiles or the observations of outsiders, from family to physicians, to understand how it actually feels to be autistic in this world; and how others react.

Aaron Parker's dual focus on how he feels and experiences the world and how, in turn, the world experiences and defines him makes for thought-provoking, insightful revelations rarely seen in memoirs about autism. His encounters offer a combination of personal experience and insights into how better to relate with an individual diagnosed on the autism spectrum. 

The first thing to note about Be True to Yourself is that while it's a short essay, it should be read completely through, to the end. Parker has a lot to say, some of it may prove eye-opening or controversial in nature, and readers who try to skip through his story to lift points they perceive as being relevant to their own experiences will likely miss the bigger picture message he's trying to impart, here. 

For one thing, he believes that adrenaline rushes play a major role in autism, and that heightened perceptions and abilities are a part of the autistic individual's profile. 

He breaks autistic individuals into two major groups: "The first group struggle to control their adrenaline and fear (flight) and they struggle to cope in life...The second group learn to master and control their emotions to an extent and they tend to go on to do very well in life (fight). This leads to much success, which empowers them immensely, which leads to even greater success. Regardless of which group it is that people fall into, everyone who has Autism leaves traces and clues that give themselves away." 

As he describes characteristics, perceptions, traits, and consequences of these different ways of looking at and interacting with the world, readers gain a deeper understanding of the autistic experience and how it fits into this revised approach to everyday experience. 

Parker made a conscious effort to both identify the symptoms of autism (which, to him, seemed obvious) and control them (such as body language giveaways). He details these efforts and, even more importantly, provides some astute analysis about the place and presence of autistic individuals in society as a whole: "...there isn’t a place in society on a large enough scale for people who have Autism to freely express themselves. It’s as if once (a lot of) people know that you have Autism, you suddenly have that condition as a label written all over your face and you become a second class human being. To say that this happens regularly is completely accurate and personally I find to be unjust. This needs to change." 

Readers who anticipate a memoir or autobiographical reflection alone may be surprised to read these challenges to social perception, reaction, and sentiments; but they're one of the most valuable pieces of Parker's essay and are key to any serious discussion of autism. 

The result is a short but pointed survey by an autistic individual who considers himself, his relationship to and within society, and areas for social improvement and revised thinking. By pinpointing these perceptions, social snafus and failures, and their consequences, Parker has achieved a powerful goal of inviting a greater dialogue on the subject than most books on the topic could give. 

This makes Be True to Yourself not only a powerful road map for autistic individuals struggling to live meaningful, effective lives in a non-autistic world, but an important tool for identifying the fallacies, failures, and misconceptions of non-autistic people who encounter and interact with them. 

Ideally, Be True to Yourself will be included on the reading lists of any discussion of autism and its place in the social order and how social perceptions can (and should) be changed. Parker concludes: "The time has come to enlighten the World. The World needs to know more about us." 

With the appearance of Be True to Yourself, that time is now. 

Be True to Yourself

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Fit for Joy
Valeria Teles
Rowe Publishing
Hardcover: 978-1-939054-98-2            $24.00
Paperback: 978-1-939054-93-7            $14.95
www.rowepub.com 

Fit for Joy: The Healing Power of Being You comes from a personal trainer who advocates a different approach to fitness: one that blends a memoir with a focus on finding joy in life. 

Valeria Teles thought joy would lie in family and career; then looked for it in the fitness world. Nothing brought her the kind of feeling she was looking for; and, indeed, her pursuit of fitness soon became a form of escape. 

The memoir portion of her book is important because it not only traces her personal quest, but cements the development of mind/body experiences that together create joy. From introductory chapters linking early trauma to later distortions in perceptions and belief systems to the influence of relationships and the journey from failure to fitness, Teles creates a progressive set of realizations that carry readers through different thought processes and experiences. 

These, in turn, lead to newfound revelations about fitness, depression, the rise of spiritual thinking, and how fitness and spirituality actually dovetail. At each turning point Teles examines the experiences, choices and perceptions that either lead her towards or thwart her pursuit of joy. It's this progressive attention to detail that makes her journey so familiar and compelling: "How hard could it be to get in shape again? I got to the gym and asked the front-desk person about the fees. While she was looking on the computer, I got a cold feeling in my stomach. Every single thought I had about the place was negative. The gym seemed too big, too open, too dark. The music was too mellow, the stretch room too crowded, the girls there too thin, and on and on. My mind was looking for ways to sabotage my plans. Then, when the receptionist told me how much the membership was, another thought jumped in—too expensive." 

Perhaps the greatest strength of this memoir lies in such reflections. More so than most fitness autobiographies, Fit for Joy goes beyond advocating a belief or charting a path: it surveys the barriers to achievement which are created by both self and other influences. 

Teles provides exact discussions about this psychological and spiritual process ("This kind of negative reinforcement of perceived victimhood allowed my mind to build a painful, cyclic reality for me and those around me. The mind could not conceive then what it is aware of now: that I was the cause of my own pain and all the suffering to follow. Accepting this can have profound effects on our lives. Think about going from dissatisfaction to joy. This is the kind of radical change that a shift in perspective can result in."), and that sets her story apart from similar-sounding books. 

An acceptance of spiritual reflection is one prerequisite for thoroughly appreciating this story's approach: something readers might not anticipate from a fitness saga. Those who hold such openness will discover a treasure within: the treasure of Teles' exploration and clear discussion of a process that can be duplicated by others, avoiding the common pitfalls too many may experience. 

Fit for Joy

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Literary

An Incomplete List of My Wishes
Jendi Reiter
Sunshot Press
9781944977207             $12.00
www.newmillenniumwritings.org 

An Incomplete List of My Wishes provides social inspections in short stories that are astute windows into society's secrets, prejudices, double standards, and individual purpose. In the course of short pieces that examine relationships and reactions to life's biggest challenges, these works offer tightly-written, engrossing inspections that are as diverse in nature as they are connected by the unifying theme of plucking elements of humanity from inhuman conditions and fiery reactions. 

Many of these works have won prizes and publication by prestigious literary journals. Their stand-alone nature lends nicely to this pursuit, but when compiled as a whole under one cover, their impact is even greater. 

Take the short story 'Five Assignments and a Mistake', for example. The piece opens with a bang ("The day begins with a dead baby.") that makes it impossible to put down, but events turn far from the compelling opener as readers learn about a college psychology student's assignment to watch a child being wrested from its mother as she pursues a degree in social work. 

The protocols she's absorbing to handle clinical emergencies are actually the same lessons Laura Sue will need to make it through life, ministering to people who could turn violent, bleed, or bite. Riding shotgun with a woman from the city's Child Protection Department provides Laura Sue with a perspective that uniquely defines the world and sets the path for her involvement in it: one that deftly contrasts reality with the possibility of a different kind of discovery about life forces ("The day begins with dark hands...in her sleep, alone, she can lift off again into the oh of discovery: how the buzzing in her limbs subsided, for the first time ever, and she was vast and powerful as a sheet. She was wind. She could lie on the ocean and nothing would stir."). 

Laura Sue has evolved to be a student, a thief, a sexual tease to her boyfriend, and a mama's girl who has learned her lessons far too well. She sports a diamond engagement ring, but the engagement dialogue in her heart is another matter. 

Like the other observational vignettes in this collection, Jendi Reiter offers no easy conclusion. The "incomplete list" slices pieces from lives that, themselves, are works in progress as yet purposeful and undeveloped, offering inspections that cement the notion of lives led in a whirlwind of self-inspection and social challenge. 

The result is a vivid literary and psychological collection especially recommended for those who like their stories passionate yet observational, their psychological depths presented in sips rather than explosions of flavor, and their stories nicely imbedded with social and spiritual reflection alike. 

An Incomplete List of My Wishes offers the kinds of inspections that leave readers thinking far beyond the curtain call of quiet dramas in lives lived on the edge of self-realization and social engagement. 

An Incomplete List of My Wishes

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In the Realm of Spirit: Psalms from a Mountain
John A. Brennan
Escribe Publishing Inc.
9781722290641             $12.95
https://www.amazon.com/author/johnabrennan 

In the Realm of Spirit: Psalms from a Mountain is prose poetry at its strongest, but does not always appear in the stanza format that is usual for poetic efforts. The result is often 'somewhere inbetween', a state of journeying described in a prose poem of the same name: "Somewhere between the fork in the road and the narrow, overgrown path lies the way to the true destination..." 

Poetry enthusiasts not wedded to the idea that verse need be measured and fit into a given format will relish John A. Brennan's diverse collection for its flowery, descriptive language of personal, cultural and physical journeys and for its metaphors and meaning. This is not to say that such a form doesn't exist, here: prose poems are interspersed with thought-provoking passages that represent a strong poetic heartbeat: "The stone-cold slab bruised hungry bones,/as he lay on the floor all alone./His life ebbed nigh, but his spirit held high,/as soon he would feast with his own." 

His language strikes at the heart of mountains, men, and evolutionary processes of transformation, offering perspectives that are at once rooted in villages, mountains, and the rugged terrain of hearts and minds. 

What evolves is an observational journey that follows mountains, valleys, and spiritual reflection alike: one that takes a progressive, haunting perspective as it traverses the hills and dales of an ancient land in search of those nuggets of enlightenment that stem from both a dispassionate observer and a nomad: "I’ve been down in the green valley, the holy place; the place where pagan and saint walk the blessed earth yet still, in silent mystic. The one where the river flows ever onward to its birthplace, carrying the tortured history, winding slow with measured precision, to cast upon the ocean." 

Brennan juxtaposes these prose reflections with other verse that assumes the more familiar structure of poetry; but it should be noted that these are in fact psalms; and by nature can be recited, sung, or contemplated outside the usual vein of poetic literature. 

The result is a set of observations, journeys, and revelations that touch upon history, moral compasses, the destinies of nations and the heart of the Irish soul. It's highly recommended for literary readers who would absorb both the history and individual impact of Ireland's ancient roots including the astute observations of "Gullion, the mountain of steep slopes." 

In the Realm of Spirit: Psalms from a Mountain

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Literature®
Guillermo Stitch
Nineveh Editions
Ebook: ASIN:
 B07D6YK614                $2.99
Paperback: 978-1987775679                  $6.99
www.guillermostitch.com 

Literature® blends speculative fiction with a dystopian mystery's noir atmosphere in a production that opens with a reflection on how literature was defined in the First Era, before the Disaster that changed everything. 

In this world, book burning ceremonies are common, literature is reviled, and protagonist Billy is a secret bookworm in a society where fiction has been banned. Therefore, he believes someone is out to kill him. 

A single day in the life of this protagonist as he navigates an uncertain world outlines the perils and possibilities of love, death, and redemption in a society where modern literature has fostered a Second Enlightenment which has left fiction behind in favor of something less independent and more unsettling. 

There are many intriguing references that become clear as the story unfolds: Pinpoint®, Cog® power, Gripping Tails®, Applied Lit®. The satire involved is so delicate that initial references might slip by readers at first; but as the story progresses, these insights and references become tangible, recognizable parts of a plot that readers will come to anticipate with delight. Woven within the dystopian saga of a rebel book reader are comments on social mores, the evolution of thinking trends and altered perceptions, the roots of rebellion, and the fostering or suppression of independent thinking which will provide modern literary audiences with much food for thought. 

Literature is facing its "full optimization" as a brand, but not in any form Billy will accept as a replacement for his forbidden passion. In a world where everything is branded, what place is inhabited by the rebel, the independent thinker, and the real literature buff? 

Art, alienation, and consumer culture evolution and rules lie at the heart of a story that continually piques readers, inviting them to think about issues of control, manipulation, and forces of change challenging their own independent thinking processes. 

Billy's unexpected venture into murder is only one aspect of a frightening story that poses many questions about evolving social change. A series of complex and unexpected faux pas move Billy to the brink of trouble, but with a wry injection of satirical humor throughout. 

Literature® is a literary piece that may be hard to identify with a particular genre; but which provides a satisfying blend of literary inspection, social commentary, dystopian world analysis and individual dilemmas to keep readers guessing and thinking to the end of Billy's perplexing, fast-paced day. It's highly recommended for its multifaceted themes, social inspection, wry insights, and unexpectedly fun approach. 

Literature®

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