February 2014 Review Issue
Table Of
Contents
Biography
& Autobiography
Angels and Ogres
Jody Mitchell
Jody Mitchell Publishing, Inc
ASIN: B00GXHCNCC $5.99
http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Ogres-Jody-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00GXHCNCC
Angels and Ogres: How Do You Walk This Life and Who's On Your Shoulder is neither a fantasy novel (as one might anticipate from the title) nor self-help: it's a blend of autobiography and poetry and uses the life story of the author (who has suffered from major health problems all her life) to explore consistent themes of her experiences.
Now, most poetry titles practically require a degree to understand. The poetic form often confuses and challenges rather than inviting general-interest readers to the table.
Not so with Angels and Ogres: here the poetic structure is an accessible invitation beginning with a smorgasbord of various forms, from free verse to rhyme. Each poem is accompanied by a blank section of 'reflective notes' (lines inviting readers to spontaneously jot down their impressions.) And each poem provides a piece of inspiration, from the rhyming verse 'Cloudy Day' ("Never give in to dismay/Good things can happen on a cloudy day…") to self-assessment ("I am forever proving I am worthy/Always meeting controversy/Why am I singled out?/Each and every time I am kicked about…")
From thought-provoking pieces about coping with life to spiritual insights and inspirational reflections, Angels and Ogres is a gentle reminder of life's uncertainties, of courage, and (most of all) of the hope that can evolve from 'impossible' situations. It's a fine inspirational read; especially recommended for others coping with chronic illness. This group will welcome the author's clear poetic insights on crisis management, life perspective, and even acceptance.
Hot link to above review:<
Jody Mitchell
Jody Mitchell Publishing, Inc
ASIN: B00GXHCNCC $5.99
http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Ogres-Jody-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00GXHCNCC
Angels and Ogres: How Do You Walk This Life and Who's On Your Shoulder is neither a fantasy novel (as one might anticipate from the title) nor self-help: it's a blend of autobiography and poetry and uses the life story of the author (who has suffered from major health problems all her life) to explore consistent themes of her experiences.
Now, most poetry titles practically require a degree to understand. The poetic form often confuses and challenges rather than inviting general-interest readers to the table.
Not so with Angels and Ogres: here the poetic structure is an accessible invitation beginning with a smorgasbord of various forms, from free verse to rhyme. Each poem is accompanied by a blank section of 'reflective notes' (lines inviting readers to spontaneously jot down their impressions.) And each poem provides a piece of inspiration, from the rhyming verse 'Cloudy Day' ("Never give in to dismay/Good things can happen on a cloudy day…") to self-assessment ("I am forever proving I am worthy/Always meeting controversy/Why am I singled out?/Each and every time I am kicked about…")
From thought-provoking pieces about coping with life to spiritual insights and inspirational reflections, Angels and Ogres is a gentle reminder of life's uncertainties, of courage, and (most of all) of the hope that can evolve from 'impossible' situations. It's a fine inspirational read; especially recommended for others coping with chronic illness. This group will welcome the author's clear poetic insights on crisis management, life perspective, and even acceptance.
Hot link to above review:<
Literary
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories: The
Complete Gothic Collection
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Editor
Ascent Publishing
9780615594330 $9.99
http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Wallpaper-other-stories/dp/0615594336
When I was in college (decades ago), Charlotte Perkins Gillman's classic was touted as a feminist work and taught as such - but it was the 70s, after all. So it was a surprise and pleasure to receive the reissue of her classic The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories: The Complete Gothic Collection AND to receive an accompanying film companion to the novel. The film was woven from many of the stories in the book (not just the title) and the entire package is presented as both a horror film and as a novel about ambiguity and social change.
Let's begin with the movie: don't expect your contemporary horror story here. While there's a bit of 'blood and guts', that's not the point of this style of horror; so blood only appears on an 'as needed' basis. More on the lines of Shirley Jackson's classic 'Haunting of Hill House', The Yellow Wallpaper movie incorporates subtlety into its gothic horror and slowly presents ghosts that emerge when a couple moves to the country after their daughter's death, only to discover that paranormal events seem to be returning her to their world.
As events transpire, the darkness grows from a few creaking sounds and mysteries to full-out terror as encounters grow more frequent and involve the mourning couple and sister in a growing certainty that here, in a peaceful yet isolated country house of all places, resides a quiet evil that devours its residents.
All this is somehow connected to the yellow wallpaper in the room at the top of the house - and to a rising certainty that something hovers just beyond sight and mind, waiting to feed on those who have experienced loss.
Now turn to the title story and the stories in Gilman's book The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories: The Complete Gothic Collection and you'll catch a glimpse of the roots of a movie that incorporated a diverse range of elements from these different stories.
Editor Aric Cushing's introductory essay 'Is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' a Gothic Story?' nails the subject; especially since the original feminist take on Gilman's works often skated over the gothic feel of her works to focus on underlying feminist interpretations alone. While the work spearheaded a women's movement, its other literary elements were largely overlooked and are corrected here, with a penetrating essay analyzing both its social impact and its literary, gothic mechanisms.
The protagonist's slow descent into mental illness as she perceives a figure trapped behind the wallpaper (much as she is) and her imprisonment on many levels is much more at the forefront of the story than the movie, which provides an interesting juxtaposition of meaning and interpretation.
From Gilman's representation of entrapment both socially and spiritually to the identity of the monster and its link to the yellow wallpaper in an abandoned nursery, there are many allusions to loss, isolation, and change that are deftly explored between movie and book forms, creating a complimentary interplay of plots that take a fun house mirror approach to their subjects, examining events from different angles.
Through the movie's eyes and Gilman's eyes the reader thus views different meanings of horror and repression, and their lasting impacts.
The inclusion of Gilman's other little-seen writings, not published in over 100 years, rounds out 'The Yellow Wallpaper' book and provides a deeper perspective through Gilman's poetry, short stories, and a screenplay excerpt adapted by Aric Cushing and Logan Thomas.
There's much to like here - and much to ponder. Don't expect today's light, entertaining horror story. DO expect social and psychological commentary and insights, all subtly wrapped in the cloak of early gothic writing strategies and subtle references that keep the mind thinking and reliving scenes long after movie and book have been absorbed.
Hot link to above review:
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Editor
Ascent Publishing
9780615594330 $9.99
http://www.amazon.com/The-Yellow-Wallpaper-other-stories/dp/0615594336
When I was in college (decades ago), Charlotte Perkins Gillman's classic was touted as a feminist work and taught as such - but it was the 70s, after all. So it was a surprise and pleasure to receive the reissue of her classic The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories: The Complete Gothic Collection AND to receive an accompanying film companion to the novel. The film was woven from many of the stories in the book (not just the title) and the entire package is presented as both a horror film and as a novel about ambiguity and social change.
Let's begin with the movie: don't expect your contemporary horror story here. While there's a bit of 'blood and guts', that's not the point of this style of horror; so blood only appears on an 'as needed' basis. More on the lines of Shirley Jackson's classic 'Haunting of Hill House', The Yellow Wallpaper movie incorporates subtlety into its gothic horror and slowly presents ghosts that emerge when a couple moves to the country after their daughter's death, only to discover that paranormal events seem to be returning her to their world.
As events transpire, the darkness grows from a few creaking sounds and mysteries to full-out terror as encounters grow more frequent and involve the mourning couple and sister in a growing certainty that here, in a peaceful yet isolated country house of all places, resides a quiet evil that devours its residents.
All this is somehow connected to the yellow wallpaper in the room at the top of the house - and to a rising certainty that something hovers just beyond sight and mind, waiting to feed on those who have experienced loss.
Now turn to the title story and the stories in Gilman's book The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories: The Complete Gothic Collection and you'll catch a glimpse of the roots of a movie that incorporated a diverse range of elements from these different stories.
Editor Aric Cushing's introductory essay 'Is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' a Gothic Story?' nails the subject; especially since the original feminist take on Gilman's works often skated over the gothic feel of her works to focus on underlying feminist interpretations alone. While the work spearheaded a women's movement, its other literary elements were largely overlooked and are corrected here, with a penetrating essay analyzing both its social impact and its literary, gothic mechanisms.
The protagonist's slow descent into mental illness as she perceives a figure trapped behind the wallpaper (much as she is) and her imprisonment on many levels is much more at the forefront of the story than the movie, which provides an interesting juxtaposition of meaning and interpretation.
From Gilman's representation of entrapment both socially and spiritually to the identity of the monster and its link to the yellow wallpaper in an abandoned nursery, there are many allusions to loss, isolation, and change that are deftly explored between movie and book forms, creating a complimentary interplay of plots that take a fun house mirror approach to their subjects, examining events from different angles.
Through the movie's eyes and Gilman's eyes the reader thus views different meanings of horror and repression, and their lasting impacts.
The inclusion of Gilman's other little-seen writings, not published in over 100 years, rounds out 'The Yellow Wallpaper' book and provides a deeper perspective through Gilman's poetry, short stories, and a screenplay excerpt adapted by Aric Cushing and Logan Thomas.
There's much to like here - and much to ponder. Don't expect today's light, entertaining horror story. DO expect social and psychological commentary and insights, all subtly wrapped in the cloak of early gothic writing strategies and subtle references that keep the mind thinking and reliving scenes long after movie and book have been absorbed.
Hot link to above review:
Travel
Double Happiness
Tony Brasunas
Torchpost
978-0-991166299 (hardcover)
978-0-991166244 (paperback)
978-0-991166213 (e-book)
Price: $15.95 paperback
http://www.DoubleHappy.be
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991166248/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0991166248&linkCode=as2&tag=doublhappi06-20
Double Happiness: One Man's Tale of Love, Loss, and Wonder on the Long Roads of China isn't your usual account of overseas encounters. For one thing, author Tony Brasunas had never been overseas (nor taught any classes) before he journeyed to China as a teacher. What he did do was grow up on a commune in West Virginia: likely it was this flexibility and difference that contributed to his successful sojourn.
His formative years evoked a 'dragon's fire' of passion for exploration and change: a passion that lasted even after the commune failed and he and his parents parted ways.
The wellspring of this passion is captured and presented from the very start: "…the dragon's fire that I fanned as a young boy was something that I had also lit deep inside me, and an interest in travel, a love of languages, and a curiosity about China that my father, through his secondary role as the school’s occasional geography teacher, smoldered in me—and these coals did not die. Math, computer science, and, finally, Chinese drew and held my attention. After my college graduation, I left the United States for the first time. I flew alone to the other side of the planet, and at twenty-two arrived in China with but a few bags and a handful of wild expectations."
Double Happiness is a document of this journey and a delightful sharing of experiences that will appeal to a wide audience from educators to armchair travelers and wanna-be vagabonds.
The first thing to note in Double Happiness is a sense of place, reinforced by imagery and description that effortlessly brings to life the sights, sounds, smells and feel of China: "The first promise of dawn paints a watercolor on Tiananmen Square. An old man dressed in navy blue flows quietly through the circular movements of tai chi; a woman on a bicycle tows a young girl in a red wagon. The canvas of this painting is the broad square stones beneath my feet, stones that murmur nothing about parades or riots, joy or mania, blood, the toes of leaping feet, tears. The moment holds only peace."
While in China, Brasunas quickly discovers he's not just there to teach: he's there to 'uplift the nation'. What he doesn't expect is that the nation will uplift him in turn: teaching him, injecting him with its culture and uniqueness, and transporting an American youth to new vistas of discovery.
Most accounts of China are infused with a tourist's perceptions, an outsider's insights, and too brief a journey to really capture the nuances and cadence of the country. Not so Double Happiness: its pages are steeped in the tea of Chinese life, with history and culture serving as guideposts to new encounters.
Tony Brasunas finds himself continually lost and found in China, riding the dragon of new experience and capturing all his encounters in exquisite detail that never falters from a 'you are there' feel. Keep in mind: this is the China of 1997; while that time period doesn't seem all that far away, we're talking about a world without email, smartphones, online blogs or other facets of today's world-wide connections.
As such, Tony Brasunas relies on approaches of his own devising more than a traveler to China today likely would, even bravely learning how to teach with no prior teaching background.
Double Happiness is more than an adventure saga or a story of achieving educator status in a foreign country. It's a narrative of cultural encounters, of opening up to other worlds, and of being resourceful and flexible under unfamiliar circumstances. This flexibility, for Tony Brasunas, also includes an ability to appreciate and capture the moment, whether it be in front of a classroom of new students, alone in a region where few speak English, or finding his way on the back roads and rural regions of China. Self-examination is part of the process, as is fear, confusion, and ultimately, discoveries.
Small line maps introduce chapters filled with new impressions, excitement, and insights; proverbs and sayings set the tone for each chapter's contents.
The overall result is delightful: a series of close encounters with the Chinese and their nation and an odyssey of self-discovery that provide lessons from the classrooms and mountains of the country to shape the author's worldview and soul. Most of all, these words capture the essence of a striking journey that moves far beyond the usual travelogue or educator's perspective: "The lessons that I learned in the classrooms and mountains of China remain with me. They are the inspiration for how I create my life today—trusting and grateful, choosing love, curious about every fear, dying every necessary small death, open to the eternal growth around me and within me. I long for every one of us to discover what we truly want, and to create it, to live it, to be what we long for, to do what pleases us most deeply."
Inspirational and striking, Double Happiness is travel writing at its best.
Hot Link to above Review
Tony Brasunas
Torchpost
978-0-991166299 (hardcover)
978-0-991166244 (paperback)
978-0-991166213 (e-book)
Price: $15.95 paperback
http://www.DoubleHappy.be
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991166248/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0991166248&linkCode=as2&tag=doublhappi06-20
Double Happiness: One Man's Tale of Love, Loss, and Wonder on the Long Roads of China isn't your usual account of overseas encounters. For one thing, author Tony Brasunas had never been overseas (nor taught any classes) before he journeyed to China as a teacher. What he did do was grow up on a commune in West Virginia: likely it was this flexibility and difference that contributed to his successful sojourn.
His formative years evoked a 'dragon's fire' of passion for exploration and change: a passion that lasted even after the commune failed and he and his parents parted ways.
The wellspring of this passion is captured and presented from the very start: "…the dragon's fire that I fanned as a young boy was something that I had also lit deep inside me, and an interest in travel, a love of languages, and a curiosity about China that my father, through his secondary role as the school’s occasional geography teacher, smoldered in me—and these coals did not die. Math, computer science, and, finally, Chinese drew and held my attention. After my college graduation, I left the United States for the first time. I flew alone to the other side of the planet, and at twenty-two arrived in China with but a few bags and a handful of wild expectations."
Double Happiness is a document of this journey and a delightful sharing of experiences that will appeal to a wide audience from educators to armchair travelers and wanna-be vagabonds.
The first thing to note in Double Happiness is a sense of place, reinforced by imagery and description that effortlessly brings to life the sights, sounds, smells and feel of China: "The first promise of dawn paints a watercolor on Tiananmen Square. An old man dressed in navy blue flows quietly through the circular movements of tai chi; a woman on a bicycle tows a young girl in a red wagon. The canvas of this painting is the broad square stones beneath my feet, stones that murmur nothing about parades or riots, joy or mania, blood, the toes of leaping feet, tears. The moment holds only peace."
While in China, Brasunas quickly discovers he's not just there to teach: he's there to 'uplift the nation'. What he doesn't expect is that the nation will uplift him in turn: teaching him, injecting him with its culture and uniqueness, and transporting an American youth to new vistas of discovery.
Most accounts of China are infused with a tourist's perceptions, an outsider's insights, and too brief a journey to really capture the nuances and cadence of the country. Not so Double Happiness: its pages are steeped in the tea of Chinese life, with history and culture serving as guideposts to new encounters.
Tony Brasunas finds himself continually lost and found in China, riding the dragon of new experience and capturing all his encounters in exquisite detail that never falters from a 'you are there' feel. Keep in mind: this is the China of 1997; while that time period doesn't seem all that far away, we're talking about a world without email, smartphones, online blogs or other facets of today's world-wide connections.
As such, Tony Brasunas relies on approaches of his own devising more than a traveler to China today likely would, even bravely learning how to teach with no prior teaching background.
Double Happiness is more than an adventure saga or a story of achieving educator status in a foreign country. It's a narrative of cultural encounters, of opening up to other worlds, and of being resourceful and flexible under unfamiliar circumstances. This flexibility, for Tony Brasunas, also includes an ability to appreciate and capture the moment, whether it be in front of a classroom of new students, alone in a region where few speak English, or finding his way on the back roads and rural regions of China. Self-examination is part of the process, as is fear, confusion, and ultimately, discoveries.
Small line maps introduce chapters filled with new impressions, excitement, and insights; proverbs and sayings set the tone for each chapter's contents.
The overall result is delightful: a series of close encounters with the Chinese and their nation and an odyssey of self-discovery that provide lessons from the classrooms and mountains of the country to shape the author's worldview and soul. Most of all, these words capture the essence of a striking journey that moves far beyond the usual travelogue or educator's perspective: "The lessons that I learned in the classrooms and mountains of China remain with me. They are the inspiration for how I create my life today—trusting and grateful, choosing love, curious about every fear, dying every necessary small death, open to the eternal growth around me and within me. I long for every one of us to discover what we truly want, and to create it, to live it, to be what we long for, to do what pleases us most deeply."
Inspirational and striking, Double Happiness is travel writing at its best.
Hot Link to above Review
The Top of the Bottom of the World
Mao Yilei
Xlibris LLC
978-1-4836-7390-5 $15.99
http://www.topofantarctica.com/
Mao Yilei was the team doctor for the Inland Detachment of the 25th China National Antarctic Research Expedition: during this time he kept a diary of his participation in the effort to establish a permanent research station at the highest point of Antarctica, and The Top of the Bottom of the World gathers these entries into a unique, engrossing story that will thrill and involve readers interested in stories of true adventure and exploration.
Expect an account filled with hardship, despair, reflections on life and death, and the challenge of providing medical services under nearly impossible conditions. Also expect a narrative charged with the thrill of adventure - and loaded with personal insights. Color photos of team members and short biographies not only introduce the participants, but impart a personal feel that text alone could not achieve.
From Yilei's initial preparations for and excitement over going to Antarctica to his reflections on its possibilities and how the team was assembled, journal entries are vivid, precise, and revealing: "The formidable task of building a station on the ice sheet determined the special nature of the Inland Detachment. The team was made up of people from all over China from all walks of life. There were professionals from the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, ice sheet meteorologists, reporters, doctors, a cook, and also twelve workers from the Baosteel Corporation (called “China’s greatest migrant workers” in the media). The team members belonged to different organizations, and there was no absolute leader. In the harsh environment of the interior, team cooperation would be especially important."
Again, color photos peppered throughout capture everything from the heaving ship's journey through 'the Westerlies' (with its enormous waves) to a myriad of colorful flags indicating a temporary airfield camp for the international project. It's this additional visual emphasis that supports and enlivens written text, adding a dimension of reality and excitement that brings the journal entries to life.
As for the journal content itself, passages impart a 'you are there' feel, describing environment, impressions and emotions traversing it, and special tests unique to Antarctica: "After this camp, we entered the “30 kilometers of torment.” Sure enough, not long thereafter, snow mounds of varying sizes started appearing on the surface. On the way back, we were more in the mood to take a closer look. The snow mounds looked like they had been skillfully carved by years of snow being blown into mounds of all shapes and sizes that glistened like crystal in the sunlight. They really were magnificent, and it was tragic that they were associated in any way with the word torment. If transportation weren’t an issue, this place might become a popular tourist destination."
It's unusual to find an account about Antarctica that comes from the perspective of both a physician and an expert mountaineer: Yilei's observations of his team's navigation over one of the world's most difficult terrains are precise and revealing and reflect his dual background: "We talked about all sorts of things as we drove, ranging from life stories to philosophical viewpoints, from work and love to studying abroad. We each expressed our own views and didn’t feel lonely at all. .. But we did most of our talking in the morning, and after refueling and setting out again at noon, both of us would sit there for a long time and gaze off into the distance in silence. Most of the time, I kept thinking about things back in China, like friends, family, colleagues, and everything we did together, and I replayed these scenes in my mind like movies. … I had never had such ample and peaceful time to patiently think and remember. In the infinite wilderness, I often thought that I had figured everything out and everything seemed familiar, and it was as if I had figured out the meaning of life."
In the end, Antarctica changed Mao Yilei and left a permanent impression on his mind and life. The Top of the Bottom of the World traces not only his adventure, but the making of this impression, and documents the ultimately- successful building of Phase 1 of Kunlun Station on Dome A. Travel changes one's worldview, perspective, and ultimately ones life: "I knew that the vast expanse of the Antarctic ice sheet was slowly receding and that I would be back in Beijing soon, back in my former life of hustle and bustle. Antarctic research work is arduous and risky, but also simple. I needed to make a psychological adjustment and get ready to return to my former life.Clinical surgery is another job with high technical demands and professional risks that involves not only professional knowledge, but also interpersonal relations. I knew that after going to the Antarctic ice sheet, my life would no longer be the same. When I encountered difficulties from then on, I would surely remember Antarctica."
Reading about such a rare adventure has the same effect on armchair readers, making The Top of the Bottom of the World an excellent, 'must read' recommendation.
Hot Link to above Review
Mao Yilei
Xlibris LLC
978-1-4836-7390-5 $15.99
http://www.topofantarctica.com/
Mao Yilei was the team doctor for the Inland Detachment of the 25th China National Antarctic Research Expedition: during this time he kept a diary of his participation in the effort to establish a permanent research station at the highest point of Antarctica, and The Top of the Bottom of the World gathers these entries into a unique, engrossing story that will thrill and involve readers interested in stories of true adventure and exploration.
Expect an account filled with hardship, despair, reflections on life and death, and the challenge of providing medical services under nearly impossible conditions. Also expect a narrative charged with the thrill of adventure - and loaded with personal insights. Color photos of team members and short biographies not only introduce the participants, but impart a personal feel that text alone could not achieve.
From Yilei's initial preparations for and excitement over going to Antarctica to his reflections on its possibilities and how the team was assembled, journal entries are vivid, precise, and revealing: "The formidable task of building a station on the ice sheet determined the special nature of the Inland Detachment. The team was made up of people from all over China from all walks of life. There were professionals from the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, ice sheet meteorologists, reporters, doctors, a cook, and also twelve workers from the Baosteel Corporation (called “China’s greatest migrant workers” in the media). The team members belonged to different organizations, and there was no absolute leader. In the harsh environment of the interior, team cooperation would be especially important."
Again, color photos peppered throughout capture everything from the heaving ship's journey through 'the Westerlies' (with its enormous waves) to a myriad of colorful flags indicating a temporary airfield camp for the international project. It's this additional visual emphasis that supports and enlivens written text, adding a dimension of reality and excitement that brings the journal entries to life.
As for the journal content itself, passages impart a 'you are there' feel, describing environment, impressions and emotions traversing it, and special tests unique to Antarctica: "After this camp, we entered the “30 kilometers of torment.” Sure enough, not long thereafter, snow mounds of varying sizes started appearing on the surface. On the way back, we were more in the mood to take a closer look. The snow mounds looked like they had been skillfully carved by years of snow being blown into mounds of all shapes and sizes that glistened like crystal in the sunlight. They really were magnificent, and it was tragic that they were associated in any way with the word torment. If transportation weren’t an issue, this place might become a popular tourist destination."
It's unusual to find an account about Antarctica that comes from the perspective of both a physician and an expert mountaineer: Yilei's observations of his team's navigation over one of the world's most difficult terrains are precise and revealing and reflect his dual background: "We talked about all sorts of things as we drove, ranging from life stories to philosophical viewpoints, from work and love to studying abroad. We each expressed our own views and didn’t feel lonely at all. .. But we did most of our talking in the morning, and after refueling and setting out again at noon, both of us would sit there for a long time and gaze off into the distance in silence. Most of the time, I kept thinking about things back in China, like friends, family, colleagues, and everything we did together, and I replayed these scenes in my mind like movies. … I had never had such ample and peaceful time to patiently think and remember. In the infinite wilderness, I often thought that I had figured everything out and everything seemed familiar, and it was as if I had figured out the meaning of life."
In the end, Antarctica changed Mao Yilei and left a permanent impression on his mind and life. The Top of the Bottom of the World traces not only his adventure, but the making of this impression, and documents the ultimately- successful building of Phase 1 of Kunlun Station on Dome A. Travel changes one's worldview, perspective, and ultimately ones life: "I knew that the vast expanse of the Antarctic ice sheet was slowly receding and that I would be back in Beijing soon, back in my former life of hustle and bustle. Antarctic research work is arduous and risky, but also simple. I needed to make a psychological adjustment and get ready to return to my former life.Clinical surgery is another job with high technical demands and professional risks that involves not only professional knowledge, but also interpersonal relations. I knew that after going to the Antarctic ice sheet, my life would no longer be the same. When I encountered difficulties from then on, I would surely remember Antarctica."
Reading about such a rare adventure has the same effect on armchair readers, making The Top of the Bottom of the World an excellent, 'must read' recommendation.
Hot Link to above Review
Spirituality
Bless Israel; Be Blessed
Ulung Awng Ja
Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC
9781629024301 $13.99 www.tatepublishing.com
Bless Israel; Be Blessed isn't a spiritual read for the faint-hearted: it's a studious examination of scripture, it comes from the Senior Pastor of Myanmar Philadelphia Pentecostal Church, and it's a narrowed focus upon the biblical story of Jacob and Esau and how it gave birth to the country known as Israel.
There have been many misconceptions about Jacob's story, and so Pastor Ulung Awng Ja's survey is designed to pinpoint these misconceptions and correction them through a deeper examination of Biblical text and intention.
Discussions throughout provide specific connections between God's intentions and how it's expressed in the Bible: "In His election that God has chosen us to inherent in the kingdom of heaven, we must be of Him who calls. The Bible states clearly the way of what His calling is and the way of how to experience it. Though Esau was worthy of taking the right to be a child of God, Esau was rejected when he asked for his birthright from his father. At present, people should understand why Esau fell from his birthright. Though Esau was worthy of holding the firstborn blessing by the grace of God, he received God's hatred….(sic) Having foreseen that he would sell despicably his birthright to Jacob when he would come of age, God said that he hated him before he had yet been born."
Again: analysis is specific and detailed: not for those looking for general, light Biblical reading, but for in-depth Scripture analysis of Jacob and Esau and their ongoing meaning to modern Israel and the world at large.
From what makes the qualities of a 'mild person' to God's involvements in birthright, godly lady Rebekah's decisions around her family and faith, and how and why god loves "…every Christian who is a mild person and an obedient person, like Jacob", this study offers contrasts between human endeavors and God's will, discusses predetermination and choice, and connects all these discussions within a survey of Israel's birth and evolutionary process.
Most of all, this is a reflection on firstborn birthright and how all Christians can make this their achievable goal.
There's a lot going on in Bless Israel; Be Blessed and at first glance one might believe it's a series of dissimilar threads leading in different directions; but by cementing the discussion with Biblical references in general and centering it around the story of Jacob in particular, Bless Israel; Be Blessed succeeds in creating a foundation for its revelations where scholarly readers can easily assimilate the qualities of God's covenants with man and its ultimate purposes.
Any Christian reader looking for specific, close inspection of Scripture will find Bless Israel; Be Blessed to be a revealing text packed sources for much spiritual reflection.
Hot Link to above Review
Ulung Awng Ja
Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC
9781629024301 $13.99 www.tatepublishing.com
Bless Israel; Be Blessed isn't a spiritual read for the faint-hearted: it's a studious examination of scripture, it comes from the Senior Pastor of Myanmar Philadelphia Pentecostal Church, and it's a narrowed focus upon the biblical story of Jacob and Esau and how it gave birth to the country known as Israel.
There have been many misconceptions about Jacob's story, and so Pastor Ulung Awng Ja's survey is designed to pinpoint these misconceptions and correction them through a deeper examination of Biblical text and intention.
Discussions throughout provide specific connections between God's intentions and how it's expressed in the Bible: "In His election that God has chosen us to inherent in the kingdom of heaven, we must be of Him who calls. The Bible states clearly the way of what His calling is and the way of how to experience it. Though Esau was worthy of taking the right to be a child of God, Esau was rejected when he asked for his birthright from his father. At present, people should understand why Esau fell from his birthright. Though Esau was worthy of holding the firstborn blessing by the grace of God, he received God's hatred….(sic) Having foreseen that he would sell despicably his birthright to Jacob when he would come of age, God said that he hated him before he had yet been born."
Again: analysis is specific and detailed: not for those looking for general, light Biblical reading, but for in-depth Scripture analysis of Jacob and Esau and their ongoing meaning to modern Israel and the world at large.
From what makes the qualities of a 'mild person' to God's involvements in birthright, godly lady Rebekah's decisions around her family and faith, and how and why god loves "…every Christian who is a mild person and an obedient person, like Jacob", this study offers contrasts between human endeavors and God's will, discusses predetermination and choice, and connects all these discussions within a survey of Israel's birth and evolutionary process.
Most of all, this is a reflection on firstborn birthright and how all Christians can make this their achievable goal.
There's a lot going on in Bless Israel; Be Blessed and at first glance one might believe it's a series of dissimilar threads leading in different directions; but by cementing the discussion with Biblical references in general and centering it around the story of Jacob in particular, Bless Israel; Be Blessed succeeds in creating a foundation for its revelations where scholarly readers can easily assimilate the qualities of God's covenants with man and its ultimate purposes.
Any Christian reader looking for specific, close inspection of Scripture will find Bless Israel; Be Blessed to be a revealing text packed sources for much spiritual reflection.
Hot Link to above Review
Divine Touch: Forgotten Truth of Unity
Flora D.
Masoomeh Derakhshan
No ISBN, Price Email: flora.m.d@hotmail.com
Divine Touch: Forgotten Truth of Unity offers one simple, clear premise and provides text from the Quran supporting this message: "This book tells you that you can change your life by simple, strong faith."
As such, it begins with promise, certainty, and spiritual fervor and is a recommendation for any who do not believe in chance and who believe there's a purpose in everything; even in the acquisition and reading of Divine Touch.
It may be surprising to note that author Flora D. does not consider herself a "religious person", though her personal love of God is certainly prevalent throughout this blend of autobiography and spiritual reflection. Rather, she feels herself to be an ordinary person with a greater capacity to love (and that includes an intrinsic belief in and love of God.)
There is an acceptance of various religious belief systems, different ways of expressing this love, and the basic questions that unify all seekers. 'Ultimate love' (God) answers these questions in different ways and this is also examined in an accepting manner that embraces all religious tenants where God is the center of that love.
Flora D. explores her own beliefs and provides readers with much food for spiritual reflection of their own, introducing and blending her insights with quotes from both the Bible and Quran. Autobiography here blends with spiritual reflection in a specific manner designed to both explore her perspectives and link them to ways in which readers might find their own spiritual paths: "Through prayer, I ask Him to change my requests, according to His will, and seek His purpose instead of my selfish desires which may otherwise prevail…. The heart radiates goodness, it desires the positive aspects of the human condition. When the heart desires money, it seeks to help, or share it with others. The heart represents a generosity of spirit and it is part of our true character. Contrastingly, when the mind desires money it seeks to satiate its worldly pleasures and personal desires."
Throughout these observations, the focus is on unity: unity between belief and action, between faith and wider applications of love, and between disparate religious that would see differences where in fact similarities are marked.
Supported by spiritual passages throughout, Divine Touch: Forgotten Truth of Unity is recommended reading for seekers who would achieve greater understanding of God's purpose through a process of both self-inspection and insightful passages from Bible and Quran alike.
Hot Link to above Review:
Flora D.
Masoomeh Derakhshan
No ISBN, Price Email: flora.m.d@hotmail.com
Divine Touch: Forgotten Truth of Unity offers one simple, clear premise and provides text from the Quran supporting this message: "This book tells you that you can change your life by simple, strong faith."
As such, it begins with promise, certainty, and spiritual fervor and is a recommendation for any who do not believe in chance and who believe there's a purpose in everything; even in the acquisition and reading of Divine Touch.
It may be surprising to note that author Flora D. does not consider herself a "religious person", though her personal love of God is certainly prevalent throughout this blend of autobiography and spiritual reflection. Rather, she feels herself to be an ordinary person with a greater capacity to love (and that includes an intrinsic belief in and love of God.)
There is an acceptance of various religious belief systems, different ways of expressing this love, and the basic questions that unify all seekers. 'Ultimate love' (God) answers these questions in different ways and this is also examined in an accepting manner that embraces all religious tenants where God is the center of that love.
Flora D. explores her own beliefs and provides readers with much food for spiritual reflection of their own, introducing and blending her insights with quotes from both the Bible and Quran. Autobiography here blends with spiritual reflection in a specific manner designed to both explore her perspectives and link them to ways in which readers might find their own spiritual paths: "Through prayer, I ask Him to change my requests, according to His will, and seek His purpose instead of my selfish desires which may otherwise prevail…. The heart radiates goodness, it desires the positive aspects of the human condition. When the heart desires money, it seeks to help, or share it with others. The heart represents a generosity of spirit and it is part of our true character. Contrastingly, when the mind desires money it seeks to satiate its worldly pleasures and personal desires."
Throughout these observations, the focus is on unity: unity between belief and action, between faith and wider applications of love, and between disparate religious that would see differences where in fact similarities are marked.
Supported by spiritual passages throughout, Divine Touch: Forgotten Truth of Unity is recommended reading for seekers who would achieve greater understanding of God's purpose through a process of both self-inspection and insightful passages from Bible and Quran alike.
Hot Link to above Review:
The Hidden Light: Exploring the Biblical Creation
Story and Its Wisdom for Today
Andrew D. Kaplan, PhD
East Rock Books
ISBN: 978-0991331901
List Price: $14.95 paperback, $4.99 (tentative) e-book price
The Hidden Light: Exploring the Biblical Creation Story and Its Wisdom for Today focuses on the creation story in Genesis, and provides Biblical students, scholars and readers with an in-depth examination of the Bible's opening chapter.
Now, many a book has examined the Creation story's evolution, interpretation, and origins; and not a few have included consideration of what this story means to today's spiritual readers. What differentiates The Hidden Light from others is its focus on how the Genesis story offers layer upon layer of hidden connotations, and how a study of the original Hebrew text provides many of these deeper meanings.
With this perspective in mind, a 'day by day' approach to the Genesis creation saga reveals this deeper Hebrew story. According to Dr. Kaplan, one can either choose to read and analyze the surface meanings of Genesis, or get 'down and dirty' with deeper layers of understanding: "…if we are not satisfied to merely view the surface and are willing to plunge below to explore its depths, we find an intricate world abounding with life we scarcely could have imagined…(sic) Such is the difference between casually reading the biblical creation story in a modern language (such as English) versus probing it in depth with the original Hebrew, using some of the greatest commentators as our guides."
And so begins the real story of Genesis: a revelation, here, of a 'hidden light' that goes much further than any casual reading could reveal.
First off, it's important to note that commentators are used (and liberally cited) to reveal these insights. These commentators come primarily from Jewish sources but also include others from different traditions around the world. Their identities and backgrounds are discussed in appendixes that provide plenty of detail.
Secondly, the author's own original insights are identified by the word 'consider'. This allows readers to quickly separate commentary by others from the author's own analysis. Verses from scripture traditions are set in italics for quick identification while a chronological order to verses and context allows for a neat, easy and smooth-flowing series of references. Chapters conclude with a 'questions to ponder' section for further reflection.
Lest one believe that The Hidden Light's analysis is scholarly and dry, let it be mentioned that analytical text is broken up with color sidebars of information and color photos. These techniques make for an inviting format and visually appealing layout that offer both information and relief for non-scholar readers who want a coverage that is both specific and accessible.
From the beginning there is close inspection of how the Creation is achieved: "Look closely, and you will notice that after the first day, God does not “create” anything in the truest sense of the word. Creatures are “brought forth” or assigned their place: On the third day, vegetation is brought forth – not created. On the fourth day, when Scripture describes the sun and the moon, it does not state they are actually created on this day – but rather they are assigned their function."
This approach considers language, choices in representing creation, and concurrent possibilities inherent in Genesis that go beyond mere recitation of verse. Traditional viewpoints that have arisen around the Creation myth are thus presented in the context of how much they rely on interpretation and analysis of subject, context, and spiritual beliefs.
Common misconceptions (and misinterpretations by analysts) compliment deeper insights into how the methods of the Creation embedded within them perspectives on the Earth's ecology and mankind's place within it: "God made everything in heaven and on earth during the first day, so that the earth was already implanted with what it needed. For this reason, God could simply say on the third day: “Let the earth bring forth vegetation, herb yielding seed, and fruit trees.” This divinity implanted in the earth has inspired many to utilize the natural world as a source of prayer…"
Accompanying stories that hold important lessons (such as that of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, who told his story of a hidden treasure inherent in man's journey to discover God) pepper spiritual references and insights on the Genesis saga, always relating events in the Creation to contemporary interpretations and concerns.
The result is a powerful study that will reach any Christian reader with a meaty consideration of authoritative studies on Creation, concluding with the seventh day, when "…one remembers the eternal."
Most in-depth, heavily researched spiritual studies are dry. Anticipate a lively discussion in The Hidden Light that takes the form of dialogue, parables, and new interpretations of relationships between Biblical lessons and events and modern-day living. Yes, it's packed with footed references and scholarship: but embedded within these studies are meaningful and compelling perspectives any Bible student will find relevant and persuasive, linking Creation events to present times.
Hot link to above review:
Andrew D. Kaplan, PhD
East Rock Books
ISBN: 978-0991331901
List Price: $14.95 paperback, $4.99 (tentative) e-book price
The Hidden Light: Exploring the Biblical Creation Story and Its Wisdom for Today focuses on the creation story in Genesis, and provides Biblical students, scholars and readers with an in-depth examination of the Bible's opening chapter.
Now, many a book has examined the Creation story's evolution, interpretation, and origins; and not a few have included consideration of what this story means to today's spiritual readers. What differentiates The Hidden Light from others is its focus on how the Genesis story offers layer upon layer of hidden connotations, and how a study of the original Hebrew text provides many of these deeper meanings.
With this perspective in mind, a 'day by day' approach to the Genesis creation saga reveals this deeper Hebrew story. According to Dr. Kaplan, one can either choose to read and analyze the surface meanings of Genesis, or get 'down and dirty' with deeper layers of understanding: "…if we are not satisfied to merely view the surface and are willing to plunge below to explore its depths, we find an intricate world abounding with life we scarcely could have imagined…(sic) Such is the difference between casually reading the biblical creation story in a modern language (such as English) versus probing it in depth with the original Hebrew, using some of the greatest commentators as our guides."
And so begins the real story of Genesis: a revelation, here, of a 'hidden light' that goes much further than any casual reading could reveal.
First off, it's important to note that commentators are used (and liberally cited) to reveal these insights. These commentators come primarily from Jewish sources but also include others from different traditions around the world. Their identities and backgrounds are discussed in appendixes that provide plenty of detail.
Secondly, the author's own original insights are identified by the word 'consider'. This allows readers to quickly separate commentary by others from the author's own analysis. Verses from scripture traditions are set in italics for quick identification while a chronological order to verses and context allows for a neat, easy and smooth-flowing series of references. Chapters conclude with a 'questions to ponder' section for further reflection.
Lest one believe that The Hidden Light's analysis is scholarly and dry, let it be mentioned that analytical text is broken up with color sidebars of information and color photos. These techniques make for an inviting format and visually appealing layout that offer both information and relief for non-scholar readers who want a coverage that is both specific and accessible.
From the beginning there is close inspection of how the Creation is achieved: "Look closely, and you will notice that after the first day, God does not “create” anything in the truest sense of the word. Creatures are “brought forth” or assigned their place: On the third day, vegetation is brought forth – not created. On the fourth day, when Scripture describes the sun and the moon, it does not state they are actually created on this day – but rather they are assigned their function."
This approach considers language, choices in representing creation, and concurrent possibilities inherent in Genesis that go beyond mere recitation of verse. Traditional viewpoints that have arisen around the Creation myth are thus presented in the context of how much they rely on interpretation and analysis of subject, context, and spiritual beliefs.
Common misconceptions (and misinterpretations by analysts) compliment deeper insights into how the methods of the Creation embedded within them perspectives on the Earth's ecology and mankind's place within it: "God made everything in heaven and on earth during the first day, so that the earth was already implanted with what it needed. For this reason, God could simply say on the third day: “Let the earth bring forth vegetation, herb yielding seed, and fruit trees.” This divinity implanted in the earth has inspired many to utilize the natural world as a source of prayer…"
Accompanying stories that hold important lessons (such as that of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, who told his story of a hidden treasure inherent in man's journey to discover God) pepper spiritual references and insights on the Genesis saga, always relating events in the Creation to contemporary interpretations and concerns.
The result is a powerful study that will reach any Christian reader with a meaty consideration of authoritative studies on Creation, concluding with the seventh day, when "…one remembers the eternal."
Most in-depth, heavily researched spiritual studies are dry. Anticipate a lively discussion in The Hidden Light that takes the form of dialogue, parables, and new interpretations of relationships between Biblical lessons and events and modern-day living. Yes, it's packed with footed references and scholarship: but embedded within these studies are meaningful and compelling perspectives any Bible student will find relevant and persuasive, linking Creation events to present times.
Hot link to above review:
How To
The
Bullies' Predatory Footprint
Terri Ryan
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00F3AJP62 978-09523249-42 $12.99
http://www.amazon.com/Bullies-Predatory-Footprint-Terri-Ryan-ebook/dp/B00F3AJP62/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389288132&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Bullies+Predatory+Footprint
The Bullies' Predatory Footprint tackles the cultural phenomenon of bullying and focuses on the toxic behavior, attitudes and practices, which permeate society as a whole.
Over 200 referenced experts on the topic of bullying contribute to this volume that considers the failures of society and institutions to adequately deal with the phenomenon, identifying some surprising facts (including that there is no official, recognized system of identifying and monitoring bullying) and offering eye-opening analysis of what happens when bullies proliferate social settings from schools to businesses.
While most books on bullying narrow the focus of behaviour to encounters between youths, The Bullies’ Predatory Footprint expands the concept into society and institutions, adding a far wider-range of surveys that chart the psychological and detrimental effects of bullying throughout the world.
The opening Chapters describe how bullying can begin at a young age and develop into behaviors that spill into the workplace and interpersonal relationships, affecting vulnerable people on all levels of society from co-workers to the elderly. It's about time that someone identified bullying not as a singular event limited to the schoolyard, but as destructive behavior in itself, that, when left unchecked can encourage a climate and culture of bullying that grows within society and institutions.
At each step of the way The Bullies 'Predatory Footprint provides keys to identifying rules of engagement, and suggestions for resolutions. Lest any claim be made that the book stops at the workplace or with generalities, note that there are sections covering the failures of trade unions ("To date, the lack of any convention to outlaw unwanted behaviour against all people in the workplace reflects badly on the basic principles held by trade union organization to promote fair treatment for all workers."), and discussions on citizen’s legal rights, and how to build the notion of accountability into the system.
There are extensive footnotes and a bibliography for further reading that add to the book's authoritative analysis and value as a basic primer on the subject.
The book emphasizes the fundamental rights of respect and dignity owed to all people, identifying the need to prevent the predatory nature of bullies on a variety of levels. From cultural shifts and power plays to the different faces of bullying across various communities and occupations, The Bullies’ Predatory Footprint goes far beyond most other discussions on the subject and is a top recommendation for anyone interested in understanding the nature, prevalence, and lasting effects of bullying.
Hot link to above review:
Terri Ryan
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00F3AJP62 978-09523249-42 $12.99
http://www.amazon.com/Bullies-Predatory-Footprint-Terri-Ryan-ebook/dp/B00F3AJP62/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389288132&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Bullies+Predatory+Footprint
The Bullies' Predatory Footprint tackles the cultural phenomenon of bullying and focuses on the toxic behavior, attitudes and practices, which permeate society as a whole.
Over 200 referenced experts on the topic of bullying contribute to this volume that considers the failures of society and institutions to adequately deal with the phenomenon, identifying some surprising facts (including that there is no official, recognized system of identifying and monitoring bullying) and offering eye-opening analysis of what happens when bullies proliferate social settings from schools to businesses.
While most books on bullying narrow the focus of behaviour to encounters between youths, The Bullies’ Predatory Footprint expands the concept into society and institutions, adding a far wider-range of surveys that chart the psychological and detrimental effects of bullying throughout the world.
The opening Chapters describe how bullying can begin at a young age and develop into behaviors that spill into the workplace and interpersonal relationships, affecting vulnerable people on all levels of society from co-workers to the elderly. It's about time that someone identified bullying not as a singular event limited to the schoolyard, but as destructive behavior in itself, that, when left unchecked can encourage a climate and culture of bullying that grows within society and institutions.
At each step of the way The Bullies 'Predatory Footprint provides keys to identifying rules of engagement, and suggestions for resolutions. Lest any claim be made that the book stops at the workplace or with generalities, note that there are sections covering the failures of trade unions ("To date, the lack of any convention to outlaw unwanted behaviour against all people in the workplace reflects badly on the basic principles held by trade union organization to promote fair treatment for all workers."), and discussions on citizen’s legal rights, and how to build the notion of accountability into the system.
There are extensive footnotes and a bibliography for further reading that add to the book's authoritative analysis and value as a basic primer on the subject.
The book emphasizes the fundamental rights of respect and dignity owed to all people, identifying the need to prevent the predatory nature of bullies on a variety of levels. From cultural shifts and power plays to the different faces of bullying across various communities and occupations, The Bullies’ Predatory Footprint goes far beyond most other discussions on the subject and is a top recommendation for anyone interested in understanding the nature, prevalence, and lasting effects of bullying.
Hot link to above review:
Connected To Goodness: Manifest Everything You
Desire In Business And Life
David Meltzer with Harrison Lebowitz
Balboa Press
978-1-4525-9122-3 (sc), 978-1-4525-9126-1 (hc) and 978-1-4525-9123-0 (e). $15.99 softcover $3.99 eBook
connectedtogoodness.com
Connected To Goodness: Manifest Everything You Desire In Business And Life opens with the story of an ailing football player who overcomes amazing health challenges to not only participate in a game, but inspires his team to victory. And it opens with a clear message: "By being your best, you are transformed, and you automatically transform others around you. I, myself, experienced a major transformation, and I am here to transform you."
It charts a downward spiral which actually was a necessary part of the author's journey to success, and it pinpoints the formula for a recipe for success that changed his life. There are seven such elements covered in detail here, and they range from understanding value systems and guideposts to clarity to manifesting free will, developing strategies for successful interactions, and setting positive destinations.
Now, plenty of self-help titles offer elements of this program. And plenty offer similar belief systems. What they don't offer - presented so clearly in Connected To Goodness - is a 'unified theory' (so to speak), collecting all these elements and tools under one cover and providing a logical progression that enables anyone to readily absorb the basics of how this approach can fit into their lives.
Chapters follow a step-by-step approach in laying the groundwork and foundation for each method, offering chatty personal insights into what worked for the author and why. What began as a selling system evolved into a lifestyle and led the author on a journey of self-discovery and teaching that continues to this day.
Connected To Goodness isn't just about 'self' improvement either. There's a bigger picture and purpose at work here: "Ultimately, we want to create a legacy where we not only put things out into the universe in a certain way that will come back to us twofold, but also where what we empower creates a similar energy."
Examples of thriving companies that have used these principles, individuals who have enjoyed unprecedented success in turning their lives around, and keys to using knowledge, skill and desire to achieve the discipline to tie this all together make for enlightening, exciting chapters that capture the spark and zest of positive thinking tied to real-world practices.
Connected To Goodness leaves nothing to guesswork, translates philosophy to the routines of daily living, and provides a powerful formula for success that will especially reach business-oriented individuals looking for a more conscious path to achievement.
A must read.
Any on this path will appreciate having a blend of down-to-earth approaches, real-world examples, and spiritual and philosophical reflection all tied together under one cover -- the 'unified theory of new age thinking'.
Hot link to above review:
David Meltzer with Harrison Lebowitz
Balboa Press
978-1-4525-9122-3 (sc), 978-1-4525-9126-1 (hc) and 978-1-4525-9123-0 (e). $15.99 softcover $3.99 eBook
connectedtogoodness.com
Connected To Goodness: Manifest Everything You Desire In Business And Life opens with the story of an ailing football player who overcomes amazing health challenges to not only participate in a game, but inspires his team to victory. And it opens with a clear message: "By being your best, you are transformed, and you automatically transform others around you. I, myself, experienced a major transformation, and I am here to transform you."
It charts a downward spiral which actually was a necessary part of the author's journey to success, and it pinpoints the formula for a recipe for success that changed his life. There are seven such elements covered in detail here, and they range from understanding value systems and guideposts to clarity to manifesting free will, developing strategies for successful interactions, and setting positive destinations.
Now, plenty of self-help titles offer elements of this program. And plenty offer similar belief systems. What they don't offer - presented so clearly in Connected To Goodness - is a 'unified theory' (so to speak), collecting all these elements and tools under one cover and providing a logical progression that enables anyone to readily absorb the basics of how this approach can fit into their lives.
Chapters follow a step-by-step approach in laying the groundwork and foundation for each method, offering chatty personal insights into what worked for the author and why. What began as a selling system evolved into a lifestyle and led the author on a journey of self-discovery and teaching that continues to this day.
Connected To Goodness isn't just about 'self' improvement either. There's a bigger picture and purpose at work here: "Ultimately, we want to create a legacy where we not only put things out into the universe in a certain way that will come back to us twofold, but also where what we empower creates a similar energy."
Examples of thriving companies that have used these principles, individuals who have enjoyed unprecedented success in turning their lives around, and keys to using knowledge, skill and desire to achieve the discipline to tie this all together make for enlightening, exciting chapters that capture the spark and zest of positive thinking tied to real-world practices.
Connected To Goodness leaves nothing to guesswork, translates philosophy to the routines of daily living, and provides a powerful formula for success that will especially reach business-oriented individuals looking for a more conscious path to achievement.
A must read.
Any on this path will appreciate having a blend of down-to-earth approaches, real-world examples, and spiritual and philosophical reflection all tied together under one cover -- the 'unified theory of new age thinking'.
Hot link to above review:
Mystery
& Thrillers
The
Act of Murder
Trisha Sugarek
WAP Books
9781494492663
www.writeratplay.com
The Act of Murder is Book 3 of 'The World of Murder' series, and continues to explore the partnership and investigative skills of Detectives O’Roarke and Garcia, who once again have a healthy list of suspects to choose from in a murder case: this one revolving around a much-hated Hollywood director.
Now, one might expect that it's better to have too many possibilities than not enough; but as with their past cases, the detectives find this isn't true. The theater world is simply packed with suspects who not only have good motives for murder, but more than enough resources to pull it off.
It's up to O’Roarke and Garcia to eliminate suspects and motives, and The Act of Murder is all about this process and its results. As with previous investigations in 'The World of Murder' titles, readers are also in the dark about the perp's identity, and are given just as many clues as the detectives on who the murderer could be. And also in keeping with the approach and progress of previous books, problem-solving and sleuthing skills are as much the focus as character development.
This approach keeps readers interested, capturing attention first through probing the emotionally-charged personality of an abusive director and then by offering a series of clues that embrace the essence of a murder mystery puzzle along with insights into motivations on all sides. Director Ruben DiMaggio isn't just any Broadway success; he's "…the most feared and beloved director in the past three decades. He was a tyrant towards actors, stage managers, producers, and terrorized set designers, sound men, and lighting technicians." In his relentless quest for success Ruben tolerates neither fools nor failure: a quality that nearly destroys anyone involved in his productions.
Of course crack detectives O'Rourke and Garcia would be chosen to oversee such a high-profile case; and of course by the time the death is labeled a homicide, any possible evidence has long been trampled during the opening night show.
As chapters progress, murder mystery fans are drawn into an ever-complex, changing story that holds not just too many perps, but many twists and turns of plot; especially when an attempted suicide reveals even more dubious connections: "…Why wouldn’t she do it? That son of a bitch made her whole life a nightmare. Loved her one minute, abused her the next…for years. Left her, came back, left her again….” By this time Dirk was ranting. “He was a cruel, narcissistic bastard and he wouldn’t let her go. And the topping on the cake was that he was my father. I swear to God, if he wasn’t already burning in hell, I’d kill him myself!”"
It's a convoluted web of intrigue that emerges as The Act of Murder becomes darker and darker and the investigators draw ever closer to a deadly truth that may in fact wind up fingering the wrong perp.
Can love and murder exist side by side? Can relationships turn deadly with little warning? And can irrefutable evidence be turned under court inspection? The story marches deftly to a gripping, unpredictable courtroom conclusion, involving murder mystery fans every step of the way and creating directions that change at a moment's notice in a winning recommendation for even the most seasoned murder mystery fan.
Hot link to above review:
Trisha Sugarek
WAP Books
9781494492663
www.writeratplay.com
The Act of Murder is Book 3 of 'The World of Murder' series, and continues to explore the partnership and investigative skills of Detectives O’Roarke and Garcia, who once again have a healthy list of suspects to choose from in a murder case: this one revolving around a much-hated Hollywood director.
Now, one might expect that it's better to have too many possibilities than not enough; but as with their past cases, the detectives find this isn't true. The theater world is simply packed with suspects who not only have good motives for murder, but more than enough resources to pull it off.
It's up to O’Roarke and Garcia to eliminate suspects and motives, and The Act of Murder is all about this process and its results. As with previous investigations in 'The World of Murder' titles, readers are also in the dark about the perp's identity, and are given just as many clues as the detectives on who the murderer could be. And also in keeping with the approach and progress of previous books, problem-solving and sleuthing skills are as much the focus as character development.
This approach keeps readers interested, capturing attention first through probing the emotionally-charged personality of an abusive director and then by offering a series of clues that embrace the essence of a murder mystery puzzle along with insights into motivations on all sides. Director Ruben DiMaggio isn't just any Broadway success; he's "…the most feared and beloved director in the past three decades. He was a tyrant towards actors, stage managers, producers, and terrorized set designers, sound men, and lighting technicians." In his relentless quest for success Ruben tolerates neither fools nor failure: a quality that nearly destroys anyone involved in his productions.
Of course crack detectives O'Rourke and Garcia would be chosen to oversee such a high-profile case; and of course by the time the death is labeled a homicide, any possible evidence has long been trampled during the opening night show.
As chapters progress, murder mystery fans are drawn into an ever-complex, changing story that holds not just too many perps, but many twists and turns of plot; especially when an attempted suicide reveals even more dubious connections: "…Why wouldn’t she do it? That son of a bitch made her whole life a nightmare. Loved her one minute, abused her the next…for years. Left her, came back, left her again….” By this time Dirk was ranting. “He was a cruel, narcissistic bastard and he wouldn’t let her go. And the topping on the cake was that he was my father. I swear to God, if he wasn’t already burning in hell, I’d kill him myself!”"
It's a convoluted web of intrigue that emerges as The Act of Murder becomes darker and darker and the investigators draw ever closer to a deadly truth that may in fact wind up fingering the wrong perp.
Can love and murder exist side by side? Can relationships turn deadly with little warning? And can irrefutable evidence be turned under court inspection? The story marches deftly to a gripping, unpredictable courtroom conclusion, involving murder mystery fans every step of the way and creating directions that change at a moment's notice in a winning recommendation for even the most seasoned murder mystery fan.
Hot link to above review:
Buried Threads
Kaylin McFarren
Creative Edge Publishing LLC
ISBN: 9781492120469
Paperback - $12.99; Ebook - $0.99
Website: http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com/buried.html
Ordering Link: Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Buried-Threads-Volume-Kaylin-McFarren/dp/1492120464/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
If you're a fan of murder mysteries but eschew the usual genre-formatted adventures that offer too-predictable protagonists and not enough depth, it's time to take a look at Buried Threads: a horse of another color. More than a murder mystery, this mingles a treasure hunt, an international race against time, a dark prophecy, Japanese culture, erotic encounters and a clever killer's modus operandi into a story that just won't quit.
Buried Threads opens with a bang: "Kenji Ota didn’t fit the description of a bloodthirsty killer. Upon meeting him, it would be difficult to believe he’d gotten away with murdering at least twenty-five men."
The tension never ends: as new twists pepper the plot, readers will find their expectations and viewpoints enhanced and expanded. As successful owners of a treasure hunting company, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen have, over the years, honed routines virtually guaranteeing success; but their latest lead is anything but habitual and as they delve into international affairs in the process of tracking down a shipwreck's precious cargo, they fall under the scrutiny of a seasoned, deadly killer.
Fans of Indiana Jones will find a lot to like here: Rachel and Chase move from adventure to adventure with nary a breather. There's everything from sharks to caves and hidden tombs … and, of course, a gang is involved, thwarting their investigations at every turn.
Rachel and Chase grow and learn from their cross-cultural encounters in the process of their hunt: even Buddhist enlightenment isn't unheard of in the course of events. Japanese history and ethnicity also lends an extra dimension of cultural understanding to the saga.
Buried Threads is also about broken relationships, healing, and rediscovery: these elements of psychological tension are another unexpected thread running through the thriller format.
There's a healthy dose of romance representing one of the ties of Buried Threads, there's high adventure and much mystery, and there's solid tension in an erotic thriller that just doesn't quit. Seasoned fans of romance, mystery, and thriller writing will find this crossover title successfully blends elements of all three under one cover, creating a powerful piece of soft-core porn that adds an extra dimension to all three genres.
From geishas and Japanese street gangs to women just beginning to realize their inner strength, Buried Threads incorporates it all. It sounds almost too busy; but all these elements come together in a logical, satisfying progression that uses life's slings and arrows, twists and turns to provide an outstanding backdrop to what really matters: love. And without giving away the ending of the story (which will take many a seasoned mystery reader by surprise) suffice it to say that ultimately events come full circle, offering both a conclusion and the seeds of new experiences to come in an earth-shaking epilogue that neatly ties everything together.
Hot link to above Review:
Kaylin McFarren
Creative Edge Publishing LLC
ISBN: 9781492120469
Paperback - $12.99; Ebook - $0.99
Website: http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com/buried.html
Ordering Link: Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Buried-Threads-Volume-Kaylin-McFarren/dp/1492120464/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
If you're a fan of murder mysteries but eschew the usual genre-formatted adventures that offer too-predictable protagonists and not enough depth, it's time to take a look at Buried Threads: a horse of another color. More than a murder mystery, this mingles a treasure hunt, an international race against time, a dark prophecy, Japanese culture, erotic encounters and a clever killer's modus operandi into a story that just won't quit.
Buried Threads opens with a bang: "Kenji Ota didn’t fit the description of a bloodthirsty killer. Upon meeting him, it would be difficult to believe he’d gotten away with murdering at least twenty-five men."
The tension never ends: as new twists pepper the plot, readers will find their expectations and viewpoints enhanced and expanded. As successful owners of a treasure hunting company, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen have, over the years, honed routines virtually guaranteeing success; but their latest lead is anything but habitual and as they delve into international affairs in the process of tracking down a shipwreck's precious cargo, they fall under the scrutiny of a seasoned, deadly killer.
Fans of Indiana Jones will find a lot to like here: Rachel and Chase move from adventure to adventure with nary a breather. There's everything from sharks to caves and hidden tombs … and, of course, a gang is involved, thwarting their investigations at every turn.
Rachel and Chase grow and learn from their cross-cultural encounters in the process of their hunt: even Buddhist enlightenment isn't unheard of in the course of events. Japanese history and ethnicity also lends an extra dimension of cultural understanding to the saga.
Buried Threads is also about broken relationships, healing, and rediscovery: these elements of psychological tension are another unexpected thread running through the thriller format.
There's a healthy dose of romance representing one of the ties of Buried Threads, there's high adventure and much mystery, and there's solid tension in an erotic thriller that just doesn't quit. Seasoned fans of romance, mystery, and thriller writing will find this crossover title successfully blends elements of all three under one cover, creating a powerful piece of soft-core porn that adds an extra dimension to all three genres.
From geishas and Japanese street gangs to women just beginning to realize their inner strength, Buried Threads incorporates it all. It sounds almost too busy; but all these elements come together in a logical, satisfying progression that uses life's slings and arrows, twists and turns to provide an outstanding backdrop to what really matters: love. And without giving away the ending of the story (which will take many a seasoned mystery reader by surprise) suffice it to say that ultimately events come full circle, offering both a conclusion and the seeds of new experiences to come in an earth-shaking epilogue that neatly ties everything together.
Hot link to above Review:
Capital Felony
John P. Talbot
Create Space
9781461176978
$15.29 paperback $3.99 Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Capital-Felony-John-P-Talbot/dp/1461176972
Capital Felony is for any mystery and thriller reader who enjoys courtroom dramas and intrigue and centers on Attorney Mike Krajec, who specializes in handling petty criminal activity. These cases are a snap for him and he's used to their progression; so when a capital felony case is referred to him by his friend, he's reluctant to take go outside his comfort zone to take on a challenge.
Despite his reservations Krajec becomes involved in a case that theoretically should be open-and-shut, but which becomes complicated when an uncooperative client claims he's innocent despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. Add Krajec's encounters with a tough prosecutor who more than knows her craft and with a series of murders that immerses him ever more in unknown territory and you have a powerful read with its foundation in contrasting personalities who each understand (…or think they do…) very different courtroom processes.
From attorneys to clients, judges, and jurors, Capital Felony is alive with courtroom processes and encounters that are realistic and engrossing. This isn't casual mystery material with a little courtroom drama thrown in: it's a courtroom drama with complexity as its backdrop. Attorney Mike Krajec is not a criminal investigator and has even less experience with this latest case: you could say he's more than in over his head.
But something keeps driving him to ask questions, to persevere, and to keep probing beyond apparent evidence to arrive at the truth - and the more he persists, the more murders and dangers emerge. As he slowly reveals the truth surrounding his client's involvements he also slowly comes to realize his own life may be in danger, and accepts the fact that with knowledge comes threats to his career and his world.
Yes, the police's job is to investigate and the attorney's job is to either prosecute or provide innocence. But somewhere in these clearly defined parameters Mike has come lost (perhaps even trapped), and in order for him to find a way out he'll have to overstep his experience and court decorum and solve the crime himself.
Fans of courtroom procedures and dramas will find much to like in Capital Felony: it keeps readers guessing to the end, it involves confrontations and accusations between attorneys and professionals, and it reveals layer upon layer of games, facades, and lies which muddle and complicate the truth almost to the end. These features will prove especially satisfying to avid readers of John Grisham's works and other courtroom dramas; even those who can often predict the ending well in advance of a plot's conclusion.
In this case, there's far more going on than a simple courtroom drama or mystery, and there are many twists of plot to keep readers guessing to the novel's action-packed, satisfying conclusion.
Hot link to above review:
John P. Talbot
Create Space
9781461176978
$15.29 paperback $3.99 Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Capital-Felony-John-P-Talbot/dp/1461176972
Capital Felony is for any mystery and thriller reader who enjoys courtroom dramas and intrigue and centers on Attorney Mike Krajec, who specializes in handling petty criminal activity. These cases are a snap for him and he's used to their progression; so when a capital felony case is referred to him by his friend, he's reluctant to take go outside his comfort zone to take on a challenge.
Despite his reservations Krajec becomes involved in a case that theoretically should be open-and-shut, but which becomes complicated when an uncooperative client claims he's innocent despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. Add Krajec's encounters with a tough prosecutor who more than knows her craft and with a series of murders that immerses him ever more in unknown territory and you have a powerful read with its foundation in contrasting personalities who each understand (…or think they do…) very different courtroom processes.
From attorneys to clients, judges, and jurors, Capital Felony is alive with courtroom processes and encounters that are realistic and engrossing. This isn't casual mystery material with a little courtroom drama thrown in: it's a courtroom drama with complexity as its backdrop. Attorney Mike Krajec is not a criminal investigator and has even less experience with this latest case: you could say he's more than in over his head.
But something keeps driving him to ask questions, to persevere, and to keep probing beyond apparent evidence to arrive at the truth - and the more he persists, the more murders and dangers emerge. As he slowly reveals the truth surrounding his client's involvements he also slowly comes to realize his own life may be in danger, and accepts the fact that with knowledge comes threats to his career and his world.
Yes, the police's job is to investigate and the attorney's job is to either prosecute or provide innocence. But somewhere in these clearly defined parameters Mike has come lost (perhaps even trapped), and in order for him to find a way out he'll have to overstep his experience and court decorum and solve the crime himself.
Fans of courtroom procedures and dramas will find much to like in Capital Felony: it keeps readers guessing to the end, it involves confrontations and accusations between attorneys and professionals, and it reveals layer upon layer of games, facades, and lies which muddle and complicate the truth almost to the end. These features will prove especially satisfying to avid readers of John Grisham's works and other courtroom dramas; even those who can often predict the ending well in advance of a plot's conclusion.
In this case, there's far more going on than a simple courtroom drama or mystery, and there are many twists of plot to keep readers guessing to the novel's action-packed, satisfying conclusion.
Hot link to above review:
Curse The Moon: Cold War Rising
Lee Jackson
Stonewall Publishers, LLC
9780989802574 Price: Print: $15.95; eBook: $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3HHXMG/?tag=viewbookat0e-20
Curse The Moon: Cold War Rising centers around a West Point graduate and guerrilla fighter (code named Atcho) who leads revolutionaries at the Bay Pigs during the early days of Castro's Cuba, and opens with his imprisonment and subsequent release, where his political encounters with Moscow and the U.S. become key to his brand of warfare - and to a mystery overshadowing his struggles.
Trained to overthrow Castro and his regime, Atcho seems to hold the upper hand; but Soviet agent Govorov is equally determined not to let this happen, and holds Atcho's young daughter hostage. Now it's a personal as well as a political struggle that tests Archo's limits and commitment.
Curse the Moon is loosely based on the life of Jackson's Cuban-born father-in-law, who fought during the rise of Fidel Castro. The history behind Atcho's struggles is impeccable, weaving facts and insights based on a pivotal point in history and injecting the characters of Atcho, his comrades, and his oppressors with realistic components that personalize the struggle.
A quick overview of the novel's cast of characters, an explanatory prologue of history, and a map of Cuba deftly introduce background and setting, paving the way for a survey steeped in political intrigue and the atmosphere of 1960s Cuba.
It's this attention to the details of atmosphere and setting that contribute to Curse the Moon's realistic, you-are-there feel: "Atcho could still scarcely believe that he was cutting sugarcane by hand with a machete. He had been in the fields many times here at the family plantation in Camaguey, on horseback, racing with his father through the rows of cane, even while field laborers swung their sharp, steel tools during the harvest. Fidel Castro, worried about losing the crop while the country was still in chaos since his coup, had issued an edict that all citizens would go into the fields to help harvest."
Combine this with a dual focus on how personal lives become entwined with political purpose and social change and you have a historical novel packed with not just intrigue and tension, but with the ability to understand social change, the roots of revolution, and how one insider's struggles can affect not just one nation, but the world.
Curse the Moon has it all, packaging its tense thriller in the cloak of understanding motivations both political and personal. Interplays between protagonists assume chess-like proportions as goals change, obstacles rise and fall, and emotions run deep.
It's all about danger, sacrifice, and how even would-be romance bows to the pressure of a covert operator's obligations. In the end the personal moves into political realms and comes full-circle to promise Atcho a life he could barely have imagined at the novel's beginning. The warrior's façade may soften, but can it transform to something more than constant struggle and fighting?
Curse the Moon charts this change and promise and is a powerful read for any who enjoy political intrigue tempered by personal transformation.
Hot link to above review:
Lee Jackson
Stonewall Publishers, LLC
9780989802574 Price: Print: $15.95; eBook: $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3HHXMG/?tag=viewbookat0e-20
Curse The Moon: Cold War Rising centers around a West Point graduate and guerrilla fighter (code named Atcho) who leads revolutionaries at the Bay Pigs during the early days of Castro's Cuba, and opens with his imprisonment and subsequent release, where his political encounters with Moscow and the U.S. become key to his brand of warfare - and to a mystery overshadowing his struggles.
Trained to overthrow Castro and his regime, Atcho seems to hold the upper hand; but Soviet agent Govorov is equally determined not to let this happen, and holds Atcho's young daughter hostage. Now it's a personal as well as a political struggle that tests Archo's limits and commitment.
Curse the Moon is loosely based on the life of Jackson's Cuban-born father-in-law, who fought during the rise of Fidel Castro. The history behind Atcho's struggles is impeccable, weaving facts and insights based on a pivotal point in history and injecting the characters of Atcho, his comrades, and his oppressors with realistic components that personalize the struggle.
A quick overview of the novel's cast of characters, an explanatory prologue of history, and a map of Cuba deftly introduce background and setting, paving the way for a survey steeped in political intrigue and the atmosphere of 1960s Cuba.
It's this attention to the details of atmosphere and setting that contribute to Curse the Moon's realistic, you-are-there feel: "Atcho could still scarcely believe that he was cutting sugarcane by hand with a machete. He had been in the fields many times here at the family plantation in Camaguey, on horseback, racing with his father through the rows of cane, even while field laborers swung their sharp, steel tools during the harvest. Fidel Castro, worried about losing the crop while the country was still in chaos since his coup, had issued an edict that all citizens would go into the fields to help harvest."
Combine this with a dual focus on how personal lives become entwined with political purpose and social change and you have a historical novel packed with not just intrigue and tension, but with the ability to understand social change, the roots of revolution, and how one insider's struggles can affect not just one nation, but the world.
Curse the Moon has it all, packaging its tense thriller in the cloak of understanding motivations both political and personal. Interplays between protagonists assume chess-like proportions as goals change, obstacles rise and fall, and emotions run deep.
It's all about danger, sacrifice, and how even would-be romance bows to the pressure of a covert operator's obligations. In the end the personal moves into political realms and comes full-circle to promise Atcho a life he could barely have imagined at the novel's beginning. The warrior's façade may soften, but can it transform to something more than constant struggle and fighting?
Curse the Moon charts this change and promise and is a powerful read for any who enjoy political intrigue tempered by personal transformation.
Hot link to above review:
Hallways
in the Night
R.C. O'Leary
Haywood Street Press
ASIN: B00HCLRPPS $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Hallways-Night-R-C-OLeary-ebook/dp/B00HCLRPPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389053676&sr=1-1&keywords=hallways+in+the+night
Hallways in the Night is thriller writing quite different from your standard approach, and centers around a baseball star, a stakeout that takes a very different turn when a cop is prompted to pursue a speeding suspect, and a murder that changes lives. It's a recommendation for any who want something different in their mystery/legal thriller reading and it delivers on this promise with a tightly-wound story of suspense and intrigue that will keep even seasoned mystery and legal thriller readers guessing to the end.
One powerful element of Hallways in the Night is its focus on racial encounters that entangle a community and pit cops against blacks. That's what Dave faces when his probe of a serial killer who targets kids becomes entwined with a community's perceptions of the special interests and prejudices of police charged with protecting lives.
And so what evolves from a series of murders and a half-drunk baseball player's demise over a speeding ticket becomes a highly charged trial focusing on civil liberties as much as murder, with marchers and rioters adding tension and further complexity to a volatile situation.
It's this multifaceted perspective on how murder adopts political and social proportions that keeps Hallways in the Night far more than your standard 'whodunnit'. The web of intrigue holds motivations that move into personal realms as a policeman stands trial for a suspect's death and faces accusations that he has overstepped the boundaries of his profession by leaving a stakeout and acting recklessly.
Dave's impulsive decision one fatal night holds the power to not just change his life, but promote the political ambitions of a District Attorney who sees this case as a way of gaining fame and a toehold in Congress.
All this Dave realizes too late, after his love for Atlanta is forever destroyed and after events make their indelible mark on his future. Readers follow Dave's evolution and revelations with bated breath largely because these aren't evident from the beginning, but slowly evolve from the roots of confrontation and deceit.
R.C. O'Leary's story is complex on many levels; but perhaps its most satisfying quality is a continuing element of surprise, with unexpected chains of events and protagonist growth paired with legal and social changes. From the story of how a conscientious cop finds himself backed into a corner to how political ambitions play on circumstance to change lives, Hallways in the Night tackles one of the most basic issues of a public servant's life: balancing ideals with career demands and living with choices necessarily made as an impulse in the process of ensuring survival and safety.
Whether innocent or guilty, the focus here isn't on the serving of justice or its tenuous roots in the legal and criminal justice system, but on how individuals live with, react to and ultimately are changed by their choices and service. In the end it boils down to being "…honest about who you are".
Hallways in the Night thus will attract and satisfy readers looking for more than a light 'whodunit' mystery.
Hot link to above review:
R.C. O'Leary
Haywood Street Press
ASIN: B00HCLRPPS $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Hallways-Night-R-C-OLeary-ebook/dp/B00HCLRPPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389053676&sr=1-1&keywords=hallways+in+the+night
Hallways in the Night is thriller writing quite different from your standard approach, and centers around a baseball star, a stakeout that takes a very different turn when a cop is prompted to pursue a speeding suspect, and a murder that changes lives. It's a recommendation for any who want something different in their mystery/legal thriller reading and it delivers on this promise with a tightly-wound story of suspense and intrigue that will keep even seasoned mystery and legal thriller readers guessing to the end.
One powerful element of Hallways in the Night is its focus on racial encounters that entangle a community and pit cops against blacks. That's what Dave faces when his probe of a serial killer who targets kids becomes entwined with a community's perceptions of the special interests and prejudices of police charged with protecting lives.
And so what evolves from a series of murders and a half-drunk baseball player's demise over a speeding ticket becomes a highly charged trial focusing on civil liberties as much as murder, with marchers and rioters adding tension and further complexity to a volatile situation.
It's this multifaceted perspective on how murder adopts political and social proportions that keeps Hallways in the Night far more than your standard 'whodunnit'. The web of intrigue holds motivations that move into personal realms as a policeman stands trial for a suspect's death and faces accusations that he has overstepped the boundaries of his profession by leaving a stakeout and acting recklessly.
Dave's impulsive decision one fatal night holds the power to not just change his life, but promote the political ambitions of a District Attorney who sees this case as a way of gaining fame and a toehold in Congress.
All this Dave realizes too late, after his love for Atlanta is forever destroyed and after events make their indelible mark on his future. Readers follow Dave's evolution and revelations with bated breath largely because these aren't evident from the beginning, but slowly evolve from the roots of confrontation and deceit.
R.C. O'Leary's story is complex on many levels; but perhaps its most satisfying quality is a continuing element of surprise, with unexpected chains of events and protagonist growth paired with legal and social changes. From the story of how a conscientious cop finds himself backed into a corner to how political ambitions play on circumstance to change lives, Hallways in the Night tackles one of the most basic issues of a public servant's life: balancing ideals with career demands and living with choices necessarily made as an impulse in the process of ensuring survival and safety.
Whether innocent or guilty, the focus here isn't on the serving of justice or its tenuous roots in the legal and criminal justice system, but on how individuals live with, react to and ultimately are changed by their choices and service. In the end it boils down to being "…honest about who you are".
Hallways in the Night thus will attract and satisfy readers looking for more than a light 'whodunit' mystery.
Hot link to above review:
Hot
Minnesota Sex Death
M. R. Nesheim
M. R. Nesheim via Bookbaby
9781620952511 $3.99
Website: www.mrnesheim.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-minnesota-sex-death-m-r-nesheim/1110184411?ean=9781620952511
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Minnesota-Sex-Death-Nesheim-ebook/dp/B007PJJ168/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388167631&sr=1-1&keywords=Hot+Minnesota+Sex+Death
Don't expect your typical murder mystery setting or characters with Hot Minnesota Sex Death: this is a horse of another color, is set in the Utopian town of Nede, and revolves around town leaders who die during a sexually challenging act, sparking the interest and investigation of son Inger, whose inquiry into his parents' death leads him on a strange path indeed.
Hot Minnesota Sex Death features a convoluted plot with many unpredictable protagonists and twists to it; not your conventional linear creation. From a book purported to be the bible of true love to a replacement town leader who is accepted by the town primarily because they believe he's the reincarnation of their former beloved chief, Hot Minnesota Sex Death documents a town in sexual chaos and solutions that may be found in metaphysical worlds.
First thing to note: descriptions are vivid and poetic, packed with content and unusual links between emotions, physical sex and environment: "Breath escaped mouths symbiotically mingling with particles in the air that caught the sensual energy and reached out to other particles, stroking their minute features and swaying passionately in front of large, moist lips. Fingertips cut through the swirling pools of microcosmic intimacy…"
One wouldn't expect a metaphysical theme to overlap a sexual fantasy theme but - surprise - it does! Hot Minnesota Sex Death is all about energy monsters, consuming passions, and forces that overtake the town and vie for control; all this encased in vivid imagery that never ceases to amaze: "The walls breathed with life as the Adonis watched the pulse of the town race across the screen. The pulse grew wild and erratic and he drank it in, letting the energy surge through him. The pulsing and beating fluctuated, creating the heat and energy that Mucus craved. He delighted in the unchecked emotion as any strong emotion had the fleeting power to warm his core. He despised the Nedians, relying on their emotions for his warmth. His pleasure doubled knowing that in order for the townsfolk to reach such high levels of emotion they had to be manipulated into degrading their own souls."
It's also about mob mentality and the forces that unite to create direction in group dynamics: "The mob turned in Oddmund's direction and stopped fighting with one
another, turning their attention to him. He's the one that caused the storm. He's the one that duped us, led us down the wrong path. Get him! They advanced on him, anger dripping from their lips."
Fans of Christopher Moore's zany sense of humor and focus on communities beset upon by myriads of natural and supernatural forces will find Hot Minnesota Sex Death an appealing blend of mystery, sexual fantasy, and intrigue that ultimately questions the meaning of being human.
If it's out-of-the-box thinking and writing that is desired in fiction and fantasy, one could do no better than to choose Hot Minnesota Sex Death: it radiates a quirky energy that keeps readers involved and guessing to the end.
Hot link to above review:
M. R. Nesheim
M. R. Nesheim via Bookbaby
9781620952511 $3.99
Website: www.mrnesheim.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-minnesota-sex-death-m-r-nesheim/1110184411?ean=9781620952511
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Minnesota-Sex-Death-Nesheim-ebook/dp/B007PJJ168/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388167631&sr=1-1&keywords=Hot+Minnesota+Sex+Death
Don't expect your typical murder mystery setting or characters with Hot Minnesota Sex Death: this is a horse of another color, is set in the Utopian town of Nede, and revolves around town leaders who die during a sexually challenging act, sparking the interest and investigation of son Inger, whose inquiry into his parents' death leads him on a strange path indeed.
Hot Minnesota Sex Death features a convoluted plot with many unpredictable protagonists and twists to it; not your conventional linear creation. From a book purported to be the bible of true love to a replacement town leader who is accepted by the town primarily because they believe he's the reincarnation of their former beloved chief, Hot Minnesota Sex Death documents a town in sexual chaos and solutions that may be found in metaphysical worlds.
First thing to note: descriptions are vivid and poetic, packed with content and unusual links between emotions, physical sex and environment: "Breath escaped mouths symbiotically mingling with particles in the air that caught the sensual energy and reached out to other particles, stroking their minute features and swaying passionately in front of large, moist lips. Fingertips cut through the swirling pools of microcosmic intimacy…"
One wouldn't expect a metaphysical theme to overlap a sexual fantasy theme but - surprise - it does! Hot Minnesota Sex Death is all about energy monsters, consuming passions, and forces that overtake the town and vie for control; all this encased in vivid imagery that never ceases to amaze: "The walls breathed with life as the Adonis watched the pulse of the town race across the screen. The pulse grew wild and erratic and he drank it in, letting the energy surge through him. The pulsing and beating fluctuated, creating the heat and energy that Mucus craved. He delighted in the unchecked emotion as any strong emotion had the fleeting power to warm his core. He despised the Nedians, relying on their emotions for his warmth. His pleasure doubled knowing that in order for the townsfolk to reach such high levels of emotion they had to be manipulated into degrading their own souls."
It's also about mob mentality and the forces that unite to create direction in group dynamics: "The mob turned in Oddmund's direction and stopped fighting with one
another, turning their attention to him. He's the one that caused the storm. He's the one that duped us, led us down the wrong path. Get him! They advanced on him, anger dripping from their lips."
Fans of Christopher Moore's zany sense of humor and focus on communities beset upon by myriads of natural and supernatural forces will find Hot Minnesota Sex Death an appealing blend of mystery, sexual fantasy, and intrigue that ultimately questions the meaning of being human.
If it's out-of-the-box thinking and writing that is desired in fiction and fantasy, one could do no better than to choose Hot Minnesota Sex Death: it radiates a quirky energy that keeps readers involved and guessing to the end.
Hot link to above review:
Justice Served
Lewis Allen Lambert
Black Rose Writing
9781612962702 $19.95
www.blackrosewriting.com
Justice Served tells about different kinds of criminals: not petty thieves, but elite criminals who operate in international and high circles of society, and who are anything but underground or hidden. All this is revealed through the eyes and experience of Jake Keller, a middle-aged New Yorker traumatized by the events of 9/11 which opened his eyes to the presence and evil of those who evade the law.
Jake's five-year mission doesn't involve identifying the master minds of 9/11 or how they carried out their operation: it delves deeper into the issues of justice and law (why these differ at times) and it involves Jake's study of law and philosophy as he attempts to understand why some elite classes of criminals go unpunished though they operate in plain sight.
As he comes to believe that certain classes of elite, known criminals operate outside the justice system, Jake’s personal values turn into a quest to bring a deeper fairness to a world inundated by this elite criminal activity.
From the first chapter of the story, Justice Served takes on a life of its own as it portrays one man's decisions on how he can personally bring change and justice to an unjust world. It's all about identifying one's core values and then feeling empowered to do something about them, and it takes the fifth anniversary of 9/11 for Jake to understand his role in the matter.
As his anger mounts based on what he observes and perceives at a variety of injustices - some patriotic in origin (such as the unwillingness of some immigrants to learn English and assimilate), others involving new definitions of what justice "…is and is not", Jake finds his life transformed by vision, purpose, and newfound perceptions of what he can personally do about injustice. To this end, he becomes a citizen assassin obsessed with serving ultimate justice around the world.
As he accepts assignments that involve elite criminal targets from his unidentified employer (who lets him decide which he will pursue), Jake finds his double life ever more intrudes into his personal world, which has changed to include uncertain romance. Can he continue to keep his love in the dark about his real passions in life, and can he continue to prove an effective carrier of justice when his purposes become divided?
Jake's involvement in meting out justice actually is just a stopgap approach to keeping his emotions under control. As he moves from an effective assassin to a semi-retired citizen, he finds his world growing more complex; not less. As he finds his love interest threatened, he comes to realize that his pursuit of justice may only be an illusion masking deeper personal concerns.
From a terrorist plot where Jake is the pivotal figure to threats to his personal happiness and future, Justice Served is about all kinds of justice, all facets of winning and losing, and about how personal lives become entwined with international social and political change.
In the end Justice Served covers much more than the legal concept of 'legal': it probes personal ethics, morals and values and how they play out not only in one's life, but in the wider world. The character of Jake is one of 'everyman' concerned with modern global challenges and readers will find this a powerful story of how Jake not only makes his way in the world, but finds rationales for his choices and actions in changing it.
Superior reading for those who want more than a story of international intrigue: one holding depth, integrity and internal, as well as external investigations of worldviews and ideals of responsibility.
Hot link to above review:
Lewis Allen Lambert
Black Rose Writing
9781612962702 $19.95
www.blackrosewriting.com
Justice Served tells about different kinds of criminals: not petty thieves, but elite criminals who operate in international and high circles of society, and who are anything but underground or hidden. All this is revealed through the eyes and experience of Jake Keller, a middle-aged New Yorker traumatized by the events of 9/11 which opened his eyes to the presence and evil of those who evade the law.
Jake's five-year mission doesn't involve identifying the master minds of 9/11 or how they carried out their operation: it delves deeper into the issues of justice and law (why these differ at times) and it involves Jake's study of law and philosophy as he attempts to understand why some elite classes of criminals go unpunished though they operate in plain sight.
As he comes to believe that certain classes of elite, known criminals operate outside the justice system, Jake’s personal values turn into a quest to bring a deeper fairness to a world inundated by this elite criminal activity.
From the first chapter of the story, Justice Served takes on a life of its own as it portrays one man's decisions on how he can personally bring change and justice to an unjust world. It's all about identifying one's core values and then feeling empowered to do something about them, and it takes the fifth anniversary of 9/11 for Jake to understand his role in the matter.
As his anger mounts based on what he observes and perceives at a variety of injustices - some patriotic in origin (such as the unwillingness of some immigrants to learn English and assimilate), others involving new definitions of what justice "…is and is not", Jake finds his life transformed by vision, purpose, and newfound perceptions of what he can personally do about injustice. To this end, he becomes a citizen assassin obsessed with serving ultimate justice around the world.
As he accepts assignments that involve elite criminal targets from his unidentified employer (who lets him decide which he will pursue), Jake finds his double life ever more intrudes into his personal world, which has changed to include uncertain romance. Can he continue to keep his love in the dark about his real passions in life, and can he continue to prove an effective carrier of justice when his purposes become divided?
Jake's involvement in meting out justice actually is just a stopgap approach to keeping his emotions under control. As he moves from an effective assassin to a semi-retired citizen, he finds his world growing more complex; not less. As he finds his love interest threatened, he comes to realize that his pursuit of justice may only be an illusion masking deeper personal concerns.
From a terrorist plot where Jake is the pivotal figure to threats to his personal happiness and future, Justice Served is about all kinds of justice, all facets of winning and losing, and about how personal lives become entwined with international social and political change.
In the end Justice Served covers much more than the legal concept of 'legal': it probes personal ethics, morals and values and how they play out not only in one's life, but in the wider world. The character of Jake is one of 'everyman' concerned with modern global challenges and readers will find this a powerful story of how Jake not only makes his way in the world, but finds rationales for his choices and actions in changing it.
Superior reading for those who want more than a story of international intrigue: one holding depth, integrity and internal, as well as external investigations of worldviews and ideals of responsibility.
Hot link to above review:
Malicious
James Raven
Global House Publishing
ASIN: B00GR4XFPU $1.50
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GR4XFPU/ref=s9_simh_bw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1Z87KW8NPCEFSMWFVF4J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1560405502&pf_rd_i=154606011
Malicious charts the course of a blackmailer, a cyberpredator, and a clever murderer who eludes police investigation by hiding in the cyberworld and using his clever abilities: that's why it will take an extraordinary cop - and an amazing effort - to bring him down.
So what makes Malicious a special read? For one, it's a cyber-mystery: this means that computers and their hacking is a key part of the story. Secondly, it immerses readers not just in the murderer's modus operandi but in the life of female detective Robyn Tate, who finds herself on the hit list in the course of trying to keep her own dirty little secret from the prying eyes of a cyber-master.
From the novel's first line, the reader is captured: "Nine o'clock in the evening. It's his favourite time of the day because it's when his slaves are most active."
What begins as a hobby for a clever computer hacker able to install a 'RAT' (Remote Administration Tool) on anyone's computer turns into a dangerous game as he not only spies on his victims, but uses their secrets as leverage for blackmail. Webcams commanded by a killer record victims' moves, then become the source of additional income; but when the income stream evolves to include murder, Robyn Tate enters the bigger picture.
Underlying the cat-and-mouse game is a wider issue of internet pornography and addiction. Here is where Robyn can't claim immunity; for she too is addicted and as with the other victims, it's this addiction that is captured and exploited by her predator.
Is Robyn clever enough to both play his game and master the master? That's the real question in a vivid thriller that paces back and forth like a caged lion: tense, gripping and filled with both clever clues and Robyn's own consternation as she tries to keep one of her most deeply-held secrets from those around her while maintaining her professional persona and personal relationship.
There's a lot to enjoy in this mystery: most of all the unpredictable story line. Readers journey with Robyn through her encounters with the perp and consideration of possible identities - and her consternation over how to keep her personal quirks from public view.
In the end it boils down to a basic premise: "…we all have secrets and we all do things we'd rather keep to ourselves. But we forget that in this day and age you can never be sure that someone isn't watching or listening."
Watch and listen from a vivid, voyeuristic perspective when reading Malicious - but not late at night (unless you want to pull an all-nighter): it will draw you in and immerse you until the last page. Without revealing any surprises, suffice it to say that Robyn will find her life transformed in the course of her investigations of not only of the perp, but of her own psyche.
Hot link to above review:
James Raven
Global House Publishing
ASIN: B00GR4XFPU $1.50
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GR4XFPU/ref=s9_simh_bw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1Z87KW8NPCEFSMWFVF4J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1560405502&pf_rd_i=154606011
Malicious charts the course of a blackmailer, a cyberpredator, and a clever murderer who eludes police investigation by hiding in the cyberworld and using his clever abilities: that's why it will take an extraordinary cop - and an amazing effort - to bring him down.
So what makes Malicious a special read? For one, it's a cyber-mystery: this means that computers and their hacking is a key part of the story. Secondly, it immerses readers not just in the murderer's modus operandi but in the life of female detective Robyn Tate, who finds herself on the hit list in the course of trying to keep her own dirty little secret from the prying eyes of a cyber-master.
From the novel's first line, the reader is captured: "Nine o'clock in the evening. It's his favourite time of the day because it's when his slaves are most active."
What begins as a hobby for a clever computer hacker able to install a 'RAT' (Remote Administration Tool) on anyone's computer turns into a dangerous game as he not only spies on his victims, but uses their secrets as leverage for blackmail. Webcams commanded by a killer record victims' moves, then become the source of additional income; but when the income stream evolves to include murder, Robyn Tate enters the bigger picture.
Underlying the cat-and-mouse game is a wider issue of internet pornography and addiction. Here is where Robyn can't claim immunity; for she too is addicted and as with the other victims, it's this addiction that is captured and exploited by her predator.
Is Robyn clever enough to both play his game and master the master? That's the real question in a vivid thriller that paces back and forth like a caged lion: tense, gripping and filled with both clever clues and Robyn's own consternation as she tries to keep one of her most deeply-held secrets from those around her while maintaining her professional persona and personal relationship.
There's a lot to enjoy in this mystery: most of all the unpredictable story line. Readers journey with Robyn through her encounters with the perp and consideration of possible identities - and her consternation over how to keep her personal quirks from public view.
In the end it boils down to a basic premise: "…we all have secrets and we all do things we'd rather keep to ourselves. But we forget that in this day and age you can never be sure that someone isn't watching or listening."
Watch and listen from a vivid, voyeuristic perspective when reading Malicious - but not late at night (unless you want to pull an all-nighter): it will draw you in and immerse you until the last page. Without revealing any surprises, suffice it to say that Robyn will find her life transformed in the course of her investigations of not only of the perp, but of her own psyche.
Hot link to above review:
Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws
Alex Siegel
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00HI64GHM $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI64GHM
The Grey Spear Society's adventures continue with the twelfth installment, Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws, centering around Marina's second mission as a new commander.
When a half-eaten corpse is discovered in San Francisco, it's only the beginning of a rampage of violence and more bodies. And when it appears that a serial killer is using rats as weapons, Marina and her lover Aaron find themselves up against a mystery that is anything but simple, involving the entire state of California and threatening to spill beyond state borders.
Now, prior Grey Spear fans should be advised: this is the second book to go 'backwards in time' before the events outlined in "Eyes of the World": as such, it fills in characters, history, and actions to add a rich dimension to the entire series. Newcomers beginning with these new additions will receive an even better grounding in the origins and purposes of the Grey Spear members, while old fans will appreciate the added attention to developing the backgrounds of characters such as Marina, who here continues her evolution and experience as a new commander. The fact that Marina still has a lot to learn is driven home by events that will test all her abilities and point out the flaws in her newfound leadership role.
Rat-Man may be after politically sensitive information, but he's also a sadist using his rats for revenge and gruesome torture (shades of 'Willard'!). It's this element of sadism and vengeance that lends an extra dimension of tension to Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws's story and elevates it beyond an ordinary thriller.
Of course, there's the Grey Spear Society's evolution itself, driving the plot and filling in blanks from previous Society adventures. And adding to the tension is a focus on new Society member Liam, a would-be prize fighter who, surprisingly, meets his match in Marina, whose agility and combat techniques are superhuman.
Liam's role changes as events evolve and soon Marina realizes she has made an impulsive, deadly mistake in her new recruit: one that could endanger her team and all it stands for.
As inquiries lead to a hidden laboratory, rats with implants in their brains, and the involvement of a wealthy man, the plot becomes even more complex and readers find that a host of suspects, from a young thief to a renegade scientist, complicate the bigger picture of the meaning of this latest threat to the world.
As with Alex Siegel's other novels, it's important to understand that the focus is on God's enemies, and on an elite team of super-humans tasked by God to protect humanity against the forces of evil. There are also startling events that make it clear the Society isn't above vengeance and death in the interests of preserving a greater good - and some circumstances that demonstrate how God himself takes an active hand in the Society's efforts.
Despite the religious references throughout, however, Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws is not a religious thriller per say, and will appeal to any reader interested in complex plots, protagonists, and social and political intrigue. It's unusual to find all these elements under one cover cemented by the labels of 'thriller' and 'adventure story' - but that's the continuing strength of The Grey Spear Society's ongoing adventures: there's a lot to sink your teeth into.
Another strength: the stories are diverse enough (and sufficiently unpredictable) that even avid fans of all the books won't be able to readily guess each book's conclusion. It takes skill to produce a series of books, build plots that interlace each other, and retain this degree of unpredictability.
That Alex Siegel achieves this goal time and again only goes to show that this is an exceptional series indeed; one not easily forgotten, and highly recommendable.
Hot link to above review:
Alex Siegel
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00HI64GHM $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI64GHM
The Grey Spear Society's adventures continue with the twelfth installment, Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws, centering around Marina's second mission as a new commander.
When a half-eaten corpse is discovered in San Francisco, it's only the beginning of a rampage of violence and more bodies. And when it appears that a serial killer is using rats as weapons, Marina and her lover Aaron find themselves up against a mystery that is anything but simple, involving the entire state of California and threatening to spill beyond state borders.
Now, prior Grey Spear fans should be advised: this is the second book to go 'backwards in time' before the events outlined in "Eyes of the World": as such, it fills in characters, history, and actions to add a rich dimension to the entire series. Newcomers beginning with these new additions will receive an even better grounding in the origins and purposes of the Grey Spear members, while old fans will appreciate the added attention to developing the backgrounds of characters such as Marina, who here continues her evolution and experience as a new commander. The fact that Marina still has a lot to learn is driven home by events that will test all her abilities and point out the flaws in her newfound leadership role.
Rat-Man may be after politically sensitive information, but he's also a sadist using his rats for revenge and gruesome torture (shades of 'Willard'!). It's this element of sadism and vengeance that lends an extra dimension of tension to Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws's story and elevates it beyond an ordinary thriller.
Of course, there's the Grey Spear Society's evolution itself, driving the plot and filling in blanks from previous Society adventures. And adding to the tension is a focus on new Society member Liam, a would-be prize fighter who, surprisingly, meets his match in Marina, whose agility and combat techniques are superhuman.
Liam's role changes as events evolve and soon Marina realizes she has made an impulsive, deadly mistake in her new recruit: one that could endanger her team and all it stands for.
As inquiries lead to a hidden laboratory, rats with implants in their brains, and the involvement of a wealthy man, the plot becomes even more complex and readers find that a host of suspects, from a young thief to a renegade scientist, complicate the bigger picture of the meaning of this latest threat to the world.
As with Alex Siegel's other novels, it's important to understand that the focus is on God's enemies, and on an elite team of super-humans tasked by God to protect humanity against the forces of evil. There are also startling events that make it clear the Society isn't above vengeance and death in the interests of preserving a greater good - and some circumstances that demonstrate how God himself takes an active hand in the Society's efforts.
Despite the religious references throughout, however, Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws is not a religious thriller per say, and will appeal to any reader interested in complex plots, protagonists, and social and political intrigue. It's unusual to find all these elements under one cover cemented by the labels of 'thriller' and 'adventure story' - but that's the continuing strength of The Grey Spear Society's ongoing adventures: there's a lot to sink your teeth into.
Another strength: the stories are diverse enough (and sufficiently unpredictable) that even avid fans of all the books won't be able to readily guess each book's conclusion. It takes skill to produce a series of books, build plots that interlace each other, and retain this degree of unpredictability.
That Alex Siegel achieves this goal time and again only goes to show that this is an exceptional series indeed; one not easily forgotten, and highly recommendable.
Hot link to above review:
Solid Oil
Russell Hunter
Cambridge Books/WriteWords
978-1-61386-238-4 $6.50
http://www.amazon.com/SOLID-OIL-Russell-Hunter-ebook/dp/B00H87BHKU/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1388276901&sr=8-1&keywords=solid+oil+russell+hunter
Solid Oil pairs a cast of unlikely characters in an international plot that centers on oil, rainforests, the rare commodity lithium, a female U.S. president who works with a secret agent to make her hidden agenda come true, and more. With all these precious elements interacting, it's inevitable: an explosion of complicated subplots and plots that draw in readers with seemingly simple beginnings that turn into macramé paths of twisted intentions and interactions.
Against the backdrop of murder and corruption are hearts of steel, and central to all the subplots is agent and chess player Andrei Kutuzov, whose interactions with the rich and corrupt have yet to change his own intentions in a dangerous game.
Solid Oil holds about every element of intrigue you could hope for in a thriller, from the threat of a futuristic weapon to romance, an international resource, high-level concerns about bringing criminals to justice, and much more.
At each step new characters enter the picture, slowly building a cast of believable individuals, each powered by their own motivations and (often) their own greed. From wider issues of government involvements and justice to mob actions and love lost to the lure of political office and power, Solid Oil at first seems a tangled mire of emotions and political intent.
But as Andrei Kutuzov's mission solidifies, so does the purpose of his love; and she rises to become an unexpected major force in the world, reflecting sweeping changes that will carry her to greater heights than either could imagine.
Solid Oil is political thriller writing at its best. At stake in a game being played with chess-like precision in the world arena is the future not just of major nations like Australia, but countries looking poverty in the eye. The playing field may encompass the entire globe, but the story centers on a developing nation where women are just starting to realize their power, and where one woman in particular (Andrei's love) will fuel revolutionary changes.
Any reader of international intrigue will find Solid Oil contains all the elements of a fast-paced winner, assembling a breathtaking diversity of protagonists and intentions and winding its way to an unexpected, gripping conclusion.
Hot link to above review:
Russell Hunter
Cambridge Books/WriteWords
978-1-61386-238-4 $6.50
http://www.amazon.com/SOLID-OIL-Russell-Hunter-ebook/dp/B00H87BHKU/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1388276901&sr=8-1&keywords=solid+oil+russell+hunter
Solid Oil pairs a cast of unlikely characters in an international plot that centers on oil, rainforests, the rare commodity lithium, a female U.S. president who works with a secret agent to make her hidden agenda come true, and more. With all these precious elements interacting, it's inevitable: an explosion of complicated subplots and plots that draw in readers with seemingly simple beginnings that turn into macramé paths of twisted intentions and interactions.
Against the backdrop of murder and corruption are hearts of steel, and central to all the subplots is agent and chess player Andrei Kutuzov, whose interactions with the rich and corrupt have yet to change his own intentions in a dangerous game.
Solid Oil holds about every element of intrigue you could hope for in a thriller, from the threat of a futuristic weapon to romance, an international resource, high-level concerns about bringing criminals to justice, and much more.
At each step new characters enter the picture, slowly building a cast of believable individuals, each powered by their own motivations and (often) their own greed. From wider issues of government involvements and justice to mob actions and love lost to the lure of political office and power, Solid Oil at first seems a tangled mire of emotions and political intent.
But as Andrei Kutuzov's mission solidifies, so does the purpose of his love; and she rises to become an unexpected major force in the world, reflecting sweeping changes that will carry her to greater heights than either could imagine.
Solid Oil is political thriller writing at its best. At stake in a game being played with chess-like precision in the world arena is the future not just of major nations like Australia, but countries looking poverty in the eye. The playing field may encompass the entire globe, but the story centers on a developing nation where women are just starting to realize their power, and where one woman in particular (Andrei's love) will fuel revolutionary changes.
Any reader of international intrigue will find Solid Oil contains all the elements of a fast-paced winner, assembling a breathtaking diversity of protagonists and intentions and winding its way to an unexpected, gripping conclusion.
Hot link to above review:
Novels
Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance
Theresa Sweet
CreateSpace
ISBN-10: 1492760641
$6.99 (paperback) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/autumn-for-dragonflies-theresa-sweet/1117268020?ean=9781492760641
$0.99 (Kindle) http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Dragonflies-First-Theresa-Sweet/dp/1492760641/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389541891&sr=8-1&keywords=1492760641
Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance is adult romance at its best and a recommendation for genre readers who value strong female protagonists
Mary Lakas is a successful science student at Marsh University when she becomes romantically involved with her first love, a fellow biologist who notes and appreciates her science prowess. That's the first indication that readers are receiving something different in the way of the female character: Mary may be shy about success but she's not afraid to demonstrate her intellectual abilities; and she's not about to 'dumb down' her capabilities to achieve love.
As events unfold, however, Mary doesn't progress down the anticipated course with her biologist friend: tragedy has her turn from science to music for solace, where she finds a grieving music director fills some of the gaps in her life and changes its course.
Predictability is out the door with Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance: it's all about the ironies and changes life brings to even the most dedicated and set lives, and it's also about remaining open to and choosing from a smorgasbord of many possibilities - and finding out that the main dish is often on an entirely different table.
Now, Mary's involvement in music isn't sudden but has always been a part of her life. Like yin and yang, it balances her inquisitive, scientific, logical mind and offers a different kind of passion and freedom. So it's logical she'd turn from her love of science to the other love in her life - and also logical that she'd uncover very different romantic possibilities within the two disciplines.
There's communication, miscommunication, and evolving connections that are realistic and powerful on all sides: "Wondering at the exchange they just had, James smiled, dismissed their conversation as two people figuring out how to talk to one another, and tossed the cup into the trash."
With the threads of connection begun in music and evolving through shared, different loses, Mary and James begin their dance through realizations of both strengths and experience, and slowly begin to build the kind of connection that leads to deeper meaning for both: "“But I’m not sure if she wants to do music anymore,” confessed Ted. “She loves choir, though, and all of us, so she hangs around here.” Ted paused again. “I think her hanging around the choir . . . I get the feeling she’s still grieving, even if she doesn’t know it yet.”"
But before true love can evolve, there are departures. Mary dates others, finds different connections and involvements pull her in different directions, and James finds a certain peace comes with Mary's departure from choir, where he can finally learn to lead and can grow into his new position without distraction.
Still, there's something missing for both; and because absence makes the heart grow fonder, it also leads to newfound revelations for each: "Staring at the bare walls surrounding him, James realized that he had retreated from the loss of his wife and baby by immersing himself in the study music and his duties as choir director. And, in Mary’s absence, James could better maintain the emotional detachment he had used to deal with Amelia’s loss and his son’s death. Faced with the decision to call Mary, he found himself loath to give up his newly found retreat."
In the end it boils down to the dance of connections, distance, reconnections, and negotiations between two strong people who not only interact in a professional setting, but build a friendship - and perhaps something more.
It's this give-and-take of relationship-building that keeps Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance so engrossing, There's no linear plot: the protagonists dance around each other, leave and return, form other connections, and make decisions to come or go.
Without giving away the conclusion, suffice it to say that this is only the opening scene of the dance that constantly evolves throughout this book, creating a far more realistic, multidimensional romance than most genre writing and involving readers in the give-and-take of friendships, passion and personal evolution.
Romance readers seeking more than predictable processes will find Autumn for Dragonflies a satisfyingly complex read, filled with the back-and-forth of strong protagonists testing the waters for the possibilities of a strong relationship.
Hot link to above review:
Theresa Sweet
CreateSpace
ISBN-10: 1492760641
$6.99 (paperback) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/autumn-for-dragonflies-theresa-sweet/1117268020?ean=9781492760641
$0.99 (Kindle) http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Dragonflies-First-Theresa-Sweet/dp/1492760641/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389541891&sr=8-1&keywords=1492760641
Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance is adult romance at its best and a recommendation for genre readers who value strong female protagonists
Mary Lakas is a successful science student at Marsh University when she becomes romantically involved with her first love, a fellow biologist who notes and appreciates her science prowess. That's the first indication that readers are receiving something different in the way of the female character: Mary may be shy about success but she's not afraid to demonstrate her intellectual abilities; and she's not about to 'dumb down' her capabilities to achieve love.
As events unfold, however, Mary doesn't progress down the anticipated course with her biologist friend: tragedy has her turn from science to music for solace, where she finds a grieving music director fills some of the gaps in her life and changes its course.
Predictability is out the door with Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance: it's all about the ironies and changes life brings to even the most dedicated and set lives, and it's also about remaining open to and choosing from a smorgasbord of many possibilities - and finding out that the main dish is often on an entirely different table.
Now, Mary's involvement in music isn't sudden but has always been a part of her life. Like yin and yang, it balances her inquisitive, scientific, logical mind and offers a different kind of passion and freedom. So it's logical she'd turn from her love of science to the other love in her life - and also logical that she'd uncover very different romantic possibilities within the two disciplines.
There's communication, miscommunication, and evolving connections that are realistic and powerful on all sides: "Wondering at the exchange they just had, James smiled, dismissed their conversation as two people figuring out how to talk to one another, and tossed the cup into the trash."
With the threads of connection begun in music and evolving through shared, different loses, Mary and James begin their dance through realizations of both strengths and experience, and slowly begin to build the kind of connection that leads to deeper meaning for both: "“But I’m not sure if she wants to do music anymore,” confessed Ted. “She loves choir, though, and all of us, so she hangs around here.” Ted paused again. “I think her hanging around the choir . . . I get the feeling she’s still grieving, even if she doesn’t know it yet.”"
But before true love can evolve, there are departures. Mary dates others, finds different connections and involvements pull her in different directions, and James finds a certain peace comes with Mary's departure from choir, where he can finally learn to lead and can grow into his new position without distraction.
Still, there's something missing for both; and because absence makes the heart grow fonder, it also leads to newfound revelations for each: "Staring at the bare walls surrounding him, James realized that he had retreated from the loss of his wife and baby by immersing himself in the study music and his duties as choir director. And, in Mary’s absence, James could better maintain the emotional detachment he had used to deal with Amelia’s loss and his son’s death. Faced with the decision to call Mary, he found himself loath to give up his newly found retreat."
In the end it boils down to the dance of connections, distance, reconnections, and negotiations between two strong people who not only interact in a professional setting, but build a friendship - and perhaps something more.
It's this give-and-take of relationship-building that keeps Autumn for Dragonflies: First Dance so engrossing, There's no linear plot: the protagonists dance around each other, leave and return, form other connections, and make decisions to come or go.
Without giving away the conclusion, suffice it to say that this is only the opening scene of the dance that constantly evolves throughout this book, creating a far more realistic, multidimensional romance than most genre writing and involving readers in the give-and-take of friendships, passion and personal evolution.
Romance readers seeking more than predictable processes will find Autumn for Dragonflies a satisfyingly complex read, filled with the back-and-forth of strong protagonists testing the waters for the possibilities of a strong relationship.
Hot link to above review:
The Dance of the Spirits
Catherine Aerie
ISBN Book: 9780989690928 $12.80
ISBN (eBook): 9780989690911 $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/098969092X/?tag=bdsitelogin-20
Set during the height of the Korean War, The Dance of the Spirits is an unexpected love story between two committed fighters: one a young US Army lieutenant (Wesley Palm); the other Jasmine Young, a Chinese surgeon with her own ideas of what volunteering for war duty meant. The two meet just as their goals and ideals are crumbling against the realities of military struggles - and herein begins the real saga, with the Korean War serving as a backdrop for cultural and romantic explorations neither participant envisioned.
Now, don't expect a casual story line or easy plot, here: all the horrors of war are graphically portrayed right from the start, with Wesley somehow surviving a relentless surge against his troops. The bleak realities of survival during conflict are graphically portrayed: "But he didn’t feel good thinking about how to kill a woman, especially a crying one. Yes, this one was sobbing."
And yet there are moments both candid and nearly comic - as when Jasmine hides for her life, only to feel true horror at seeking shelter in a temple filled with mice.
Along with the backdrop of Korean battles, encounters with different people on all sides, and the involvement of the Chinese in the war are clear explanations of purpose and how the participants came to be in the conflict. Especially striking are the detailed probes of Jasmine's unusual influences: "Studying medicine as a profession and later becoming a female doctor was indeed Jasmine’s mother’s stubborn whim instead of her own. But it had been instilled in and imposed on Jasmine to take it as her own aspiration. Female doctors were almost never seen in China, but her mother was determined to turn her daughter into one. She drove Jasmine toward this destiny she had set for her. Jasmine’s own ambition was much smaller—she only wanted to follow her mother’s path, marrying a wealthy,
handsome, and debonair man, staying home, being a lady of leisure instead of toiling at work. If there was one thing she wanted that she saw her mother lacking, it was her husband’s faithfulness."
It's this attention to detail, motivation and influence that provides the depth of character present throughout The Dance of the Spirits so that when Wesley and Jasmine begin their romantic dance, readers have full knowledge of their underlying expectations and lives - and a better handle on why and how events unfold.
The war zone is strikingly portrayed throughout, echoing the constant threats to Wesley and Jasmine's life: "The nerves in his muscles ached amid the vibration from the terrifying waves of explosion. The whole mountain seemed to be on the verge of crumbling; it appeared his fellow Americans were trying to kill the mountain itself."
While it seems unlikely that anything positive could flourish under such conditions, love does rise above all - slowly, precariously, and through a series of circumstances that continually bring Wesley and Jasmine together against all odds.
Perhaps that's the great strength of The Dance of the Spirits: not only are their encounters striking, but the evolution of their passion is a slow dance that reflects the resilience of the human spirit and its ability to grow, change, and find connections under impossible conditions.
In the end The Dance of the Spirits is much more than a romance or a singular story of war's horrors: it's about the evolution of the human spirit itself; and despite its powerfully unexpected and startling conclusion, it's a recommendation for readers who like to see attention to the slow evolution of vigor and passion in the face of a world overcome by horror.
Hot link to above review:
Catherine Aerie
ISBN Book: 9780989690928 $12.80
ISBN (eBook): 9780989690911 $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/098969092X/?tag=bdsitelogin-20
Set during the height of the Korean War, The Dance of the Spirits is an unexpected love story between two committed fighters: one a young US Army lieutenant (Wesley Palm); the other Jasmine Young, a Chinese surgeon with her own ideas of what volunteering for war duty meant. The two meet just as their goals and ideals are crumbling against the realities of military struggles - and herein begins the real saga, with the Korean War serving as a backdrop for cultural and romantic explorations neither participant envisioned.
Now, don't expect a casual story line or easy plot, here: all the horrors of war are graphically portrayed right from the start, with Wesley somehow surviving a relentless surge against his troops. The bleak realities of survival during conflict are graphically portrayed: "But he didn’t feel good thinking about how to kill a woman, especially a crying one. Yes, this one was sobbing."
And yet there are moments both candid and nearly comic - as when Jasmine hides for her life, only to feel true horror at seeking shelter in a temple filled with mice.
Along with the backdrop of Korean battles, encounters with different people on all sides, and the involvement of the Chinese in the war are clear explanations of purpose and how the participants came to be in the conflict. Especially striking are the detailed probes of Jasmine's unusual influences: "Studying medicine as a profession and later becoming a female doctor was indeed Jasmine’s mother’s stubborn whim instead of her own. But it had been instilled in and imposed on Jasmine to take it as her own aspiration. Female doctors were almost never seen in China, but her mother was determined to turn her daughter into one. She drove Jasmine toward this destiny she had set for her. Jasmine’s own ambition was much smaller—she only wanted to follow her mother’s path, marrying a wealthy,
handsome, and debonair man, staying home, being a lady of leisure instead of toiling at work. If there was one thing she wanted that she saw her mother lacking, it was her husband’s faithfulness."
It's this attention to detail, motivation and influence that provides the depth of character present throughout The Dance of the Spirits so that when Wesley and Jasmine begin their romantic dance, readers have full knowledge of their underlying expectations and lives - and a better handle on why and how events unfold.
The war zone is strikingly portrayed throughout, echoing the constant threats to Wesley and Jasmine's life: "The nerves in his muscles ached amid the vibration from the terrifying waves of explosion. The whole mountain seemed to be on the verge of crumbling; it appeared his fellow Americans were trying to kill the mountain itself."
While it seems unlikely that anything positive could flourish under such conditions, love does rise above all - slowly, precariously, and through a series of circumstances that continually bring Wesley and Jasmine together against all odds.
Perhaps that's the great strength of The Dance of the Spirits: not only are their encounters striking, but the evolution of their passion is a slow dance that reflects the resilience of the human spirit and its ability to grow, change, and find connections under impossible conditions.
In the end The Dance of the Spirits is much more than a romance or a singular story of war's horrors: it's about the evolution of the human spirit itself; and despite its powerfully unexpected and startling conclusion, it's a recommendation for readers who like to see attention to the slow evolution of vigor and passion in the face of a world overcome by horror.
Hot link to above review:
Diary of a Dieting Madhouse—The Novel
Paige Singleton
JPS Publishing Company
ISBN-0-9664924-9-8 $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Dieting-Madhouse-The-Novel-ebook/dp/B008UJ3H44/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389377941&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=Diary+of+a+Dating+Madhouse
Diary of a Dieting Madhouse—The Novel centers around Rowan Faine, who compulsively overeats to compensate for the shambles her life has become when her parents' death in a car accident left her responsible for her unruly younger sister and saddled with a job that offers free food to its employees. Constantly challenged by management issues with her sister and with the attorneys she works for, Rowan thinks she is coping well - until a brash new young attorney throws her off-balance.
Grey Faris and Rowan clash repeatedly, and it doesn't help that she overhears him call her 'fat'. When she embarks on a weight-loss program (by converting to a vegan diet) with the aid of her best friend and coworker Madelyn, the dynamics of her relationship with Grey change; but surprisingly, it's not because of her weight loss alone.
To call Diary of a Dieting Madhouse—The Novel a 'romance' would do it a vast injustice: there's a host of plots and subplots going on that create far more than one-dimensional protagonists or purposes, and romance is only one facet of a comedy of errors that entwines Rowan and her circle.
For one thing, the law firm setting is all too realistic (my sister worked in a law firm for years: the stories related here mirror well how a law firm operates behind the scenes.) Rowan's circle of interests and experiences revolves around her job, which serves as an impetus for change only when a new 'wild card' is introduced to the staff.
For another, the protagonists constantly teach each other. Even adversity breeds admiration, eventually - and for Rowan, the interplay between law firm members is actually a blessing as it keeps her from living a complacent life or becoming overly tied down to her rebellious younger sister's constant tests of power.
Rowan's observations of her world are biting and to the point: "Colin epitomized everything she disliked about lawyers. Disorganized and unwilling to utilize modern technology, he created arbitrary deadlines to make himself appear important. Although not very bright, he was in a position of power." And they reflect her ability to cut through the chase and perceive underlying motivations, attitudes, and personas in those around her.
The point of romance is that the participants teach each other about love, life, and different perspectives. Rowan's playfulness eventually reaches out to Grey and in Hawaii he discovers that perhaps his life hasn't been everything he's wanted: "The time had gone by so quickly. He realized that for the first time in a long time, he was actually having fun. Most of his life had been spent going to school, working or being a parent to his sister. He hadn’t had much of a chance to be silly and enjoy himself, no obligations or strings."
For Rowan, it's the revelation that her attitudes toward men in general are changing, sparked by close encounters with one of the feistiest she's met, Grey. When Grey proves himself to be a kind, generous man underneath the aggressive persona, Rowan finally is able to open up to the possibilities of not just the relationship, but the wider world.
From dieting to transformed worldviews under one cover? Surely that takes romance, chutzpah and a unique protagonist who doesn't 'settle' for the mundane.
That is the spark and life of Diary of a Dieting Madhouse, which neatly juxtaposes emails, story lines and memos to sprinkle delight and change throughout its evolving plot. Fans of food, friendships, and love will find this a heart-warming tale of transformation.
Hot link to above review:
Paige Singleton
JPS Publishing Company
ISBN-0-9664924-9-8 $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Dieting-Madhouse-The-Novel-ebook/dp/B008UJ3H44/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389377941&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=Diary+of+a+Dating+Madhouse
Diary of a Dieting Madhouse—The Novel centers around Rowan Faine, who compulsively overeats to compensate for the shambles her life has become when her parents' death in a car accident left her responsible for her unruly younger sister and saddled with a job that offers free food to its employees. Constantly challenged by management issues with her sister and with the attorneys she works for, Rowan thinks she is coping well - until a brash new young attorney throws her off-balance.
Grey Faris and Rowan clash repeatedly, and it doesn't help that she overhears him call her 'fat'. When she embarks on a weight-loss program (by converting to a vegan diet) with the aid of her best friend and coworker Madelyn, the dynamics of her relationship with Grey change; but surprisingly, it's not because of her weight loss alone.
To call Diary of a Dieting Madhouse—The Novel a 'romance' would do it a vast injustice: there's a host of plots and subplots going on that create far more than one-dimensional protagonists or purposes, and romance is only one facet of a comedy of errors that entwines Rowan and her circle.
For one thing, the law firm setting is all too realistic (my sister worked in a law firm for years: the stories related here mirror well how a law firm operates behind the scenes.) Rowan's circle of interests and experiences revolves around her job, which serves as an impetus for change only when a new 'wild card' is introduced to the staff.
For another, the protagonists constantly teach each other. Even adversity breeds admiration, eventually - and for Rowan, the interplay between law firm members is actually a blessing as it keeps her from living a complacent life or becoming overly tied down to her rebellious younger sister's constant tests of power.
Rowan's observations of her world are biting and to the point: "Colin epitomized everything she disliked about lawyers. Disorganized and unwilling to utilize modern technology, he created arbitrary deadlines to make himself appear important. Although not very bright, he was in a position of power." And they reflect her ability to cut through the chase and perceive underlying motivations, attitudes, and personas in those around her.
The point of romance is that the participants teach each other about love, life, and different perspectives. Rowan's playfulness eventually reaches out to Grey and in Hawaii he discovers that perhaps his life hasn't been everything he's wanted: "The time had gone by so quickly. He realized that for the first time in a long time, he was actually having fun. Most of his life had been spent going to school, working or being a parent to his sister. He hadn’t had much of a chance to be silly and enjoy himself, no obligations or strings."
For Rowan, it's the revelation that her attitudes toward men in general are changing, sparked by close encounters with one of the feistiest she's met, Grey. When Grey proves himself to be a kind, generous man underneath the aggressive persona, Rowan finally is able to open up to the possibilities of not just the relationship, but the wider world.
From dieting to transformed worldviews under one cover? Surely that takes romance, chutzpah and a unique protagonist who doesn't 'settle' for the mundane.
That is the spark and life of Diary of a Dieting Madhouse, which neatly juxtaposes emails, story lines and memos to sprinkle delight and change throughout its evolving plot. Fans of food, friendships, and love will find this a heart-warming tale of transformation.
Hot link to above review:
On the Inside
Kim Cano
Amazon Digital
ASIN: B00H7RG8Q4 $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Kim-Cano-ebook/dp/B00H7RG8Q4/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388507654&sr=1-3&keywords=On+the+Inside
On the Inside centers upon the experiences of Kristen, newly sentenced to seventeen years in prison for white collar crime (grand theft, convicted in the first degree), separated from her family, and experiencing 'life on the inside' for the first time.
Kristen's experiences are initially relayed through the unexpected observations of one Lakeisha, a mail scanner for the women's prison who becomes drawn into Kristen's life through letters exchanged between Kristen and her estranged family. This perspective opens deftly and easily, but with a bang: "Reaching for a stack of incoming mail, Lakeisha spotted a greeting card, obvious because of its telltale shape and colorful envelope. She opened it and the song "Happy Birthday" began playing. A brief smile formed on her face, then she let out a sigh. She picked up her letter opener and then, with the skill of an artisan, pried the musical device out of the back of the card without ruining its cheerful appearance…She felt awful defacing the gift, but it was procedure. Inmates with nothing but time on their hands were notorious for taking little things like batteries and wiring and turning them into something dangerous."
It would have been all to easy to make Kristen the focal point in narrating her world; but by using various protagonists to describe and add perspective on Kristen's experiences, the prison life depicted in On the Inside rises to a whole new level of understanding. And so any reader who has read fictional 'prison narratives' before is in for a real treat, here: a novel that seeks to reveal the inner psychological complexities involved in prison life and interactions; not just surface experiences.
Lakeisha's secret involvement in prisoner lives (a voyeuristic approach involving special appreciation for certain prisoners' situations through the correspondence she must preview as part of her job) creates a smooth vehicle whereby readers also achieve both a sense of distance and intimacy from the story line.
As readers come to feel the bitterness of a husband and children whose lives have been ruined by Kristen's choices, they also gain a sense of the 'why' leading to these choices, their rippling impact, and the prospects of a forty-five-year-old woman looking at facing much of her remaining years in prison.
Very quickly the question arises: so where does Kristen go from here? At this point she has alienated all her loved ones, destroyed lives, and has little prospect of making restitution or changing her destiny. Herein lies the meat of On the Inside, which begins at this lowest point in Kristen's experiences and moves deftly forward to reveal the possibilities inherent even in a prison setting.
For Kristen's only three years into her term and wonders what is left to live for - and how she can possibly survive another decade in prison alienated from everything she knows and loves.
There's a saying that 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and it certainly applies here: emotionally deserted and imprisoned without hope, Kristen must find a way to make connections under the most hopeless of circumstances. How she does this the focus of a powerful novel that uses emotional connection to keep readers involved and reading.
In some ways Kristen's life at rock-bottom mirrors places every human has visited at one point or another. Guilty of her crimes, she must find a way to live with them, forge new relationships, make restitution, and discover new ways of thinking that depart from the boozing and lies of her past.
Ironically, it turns out that the isolation of prison provides the perfect place for meditation and change - and even for testing these new patterns of interacting with the world. As Kristen slowly evolves through her relationships with others, so she forges her possibilities that will eventually change her relationships outside of the prison walls.
On the Inside is compassionate, moving, revealing, and a strong odyssey of one woman's changes. Its use of various protagonists to observe and comment on these changes is exquisite, making this far more complex than your usual prison novel. As Kristen comes to know murderers, chefs, and other women who also made poor choices, she comes to realize that change and forgiveness happens in the most unexpected of circumstances - and that even the kind-hearted can wind up in prison from choices made when they perceived no other course of action. And as Kristen comes to know a variety of protagonists and their own struggles, so the reader is introduced to different lives lead within the prison walls.
All this is cemented by the ongoing thread of Lakeisha's observations: a powerful vehicle for exploring multiple lives.
In the end On the Inside isn't just about Kristen: it's about a group of female prisoners who all struggle with the results of their choices and the rest of their lives. Vivid, intense, emotionally charged and yet absolutely realistic, it's ultimately a story of hope ("There was a difference between hoping for a second chance at life and actually getting one. And that tiny distinction made all the difference in the world.") - and that is, perhaps, On the Inside's greatest strength of all.
Hot link to above review:
Kim Cano
Amazon Digital
ASIN: B00H7RG8Q4 $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Kim-Cano-ebook/dp/B00H7RG8Q4/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388507654&sr=1-3&keywords=On+the+Inside
On the Inside centers upon the experiences of Kristen, newly sentenced to seventeen years in prison for white collar crime (grand theft, convicted in the first degree), separated from her family, and experiencing 'life on the inside' for the first time.
Kristen's experiences are initially relayed through the unexpected observations of one Lakeisha, a mail scanner for the women's prison who becomes drawn into Kristen's life through letters exchanged between Kristen and her estranged family. This perspective opens deftly and easily, but with a bang: "Reaching for a stack of incoming mail, Lakeisha spotted a greeting card, obvious because of its telltale shape and colorful envelope. She opened it and the song "Happy Birthday" began playing. A brief smile formed on her face, then she let out a sigh. She picked up her letter opener and then, with the skill of an artisan, pried the musical device out of the back of the card without ruining its cheerful appearance…She felt awful defacing the gift, but it was procedure. Inmates with nothing but time on their hands were notorious for taking little things like batteries and wiring and turning them into something dangerous."
It would have been all to easy to make Kristen the focal point in narrating her world; but by using various protagonists to describe and add perspective on Kristen's experiences, the prison life depicted in On the Inside rises to a whole new level of understanding. And so any reader who has read fictional 'prison narratives' before is in for a real treat, here: a novel that seeks to reveal the inner psychological complexities involved in prison life and interactions; not just surface experiences.
Lakeisha's secret involvement in prisoner lives (a voyeuristic approach involving special appreciation for certain prisoners' situations through the correspondence she must preview as part of her job) creates a smooth vehicle whereby readers also achieve both a sense of distance and intimacy from the story line.
As readers come to feel the bitterness of a husband and children whose lives have been ruined by Kristen's choices, they also gain a sense of the 'why' leading to these choices, their rippling impact, and the prospects of a forty-five-year-old woman looking at facing much of her remaining years in prison.
Very quickly the question arises: so where does Kristen go from here? At this point she has alienated all her loved ones, destroyed lives, and has little prospect of making restitution or changing her destiny. Herein lies the meat of On the Inside, which begins at this lowest point in Kristen's experiences and moves deftly forward to reveal the possibilities inherent even in a prison setting.
For Kristen's only three years into her term and wonders what is left to live for - and how she can possibly survive another decade in prison alienated from everything she knows and loves.
There's a saying that 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and it certainly applies here: emotionally deserted and imprisoned without hope, Kristen must find a way to make connections under the most hopeless of circumstances. How she does this the focus of a powerful novel that uses emotional connection to keep readers involved and reading.
In some ways Kristen's life at rock-bottom mirrors places every human has visited at one point or another. Guilty of her crimes, she must find a way to live with them, forge new relationships, make restitution, and discover new ways of thinking that depart from the boozing and lies of her past.
Ironically, it turns out that the isolation of prison provides the perfect place for meditation and change - and even for testing these new patterns of interacting with the world. As Kristen slowly evolves through her relationships with others, so she forges her possibilities that will eventually change her relationships outside of the prison walls.
On the Inside is compassionate, moving, revealing, and a strong odyssey of one woman's changes. Its use of various protagonists to observe and comment on these changes is exquisite, making this far more complex than your usual prison novel. As Kristen comes to know murderers, chefs, and other women who also made poor choices, she comes to realize that change and forgiveness happens in the most unexpected of circumstances - and that even the kind-hearted can wind up in prison from choices made when they perceived no other course of action. And as Kristen comes to know a variety of protagonists and their own struggles, so the reader is introduced to different lives lead within the prison walls.
All this is cemented by the ongoing thread of Lakeisha's observations: a powerful vehicle for exploring multiple lives.
In the end On the Inside isn't just about Kristen: it's about a group of female prisoners who all struggle with the results of their choices and the rest of their lives. Vivid, intense, emotionally charged and yet absolutely realistic, it's ultimately a story of hope ("There was a difference between hoping for a second chance at life and actually getting one. And that tiny distinction made all the difference in the world.") - and that is, perhaps, On the Inside's greatest strength of all.
Hot link to above review:
The Power
Jeff Hennelly
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00DMHG2R $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Spellbinding-Medical-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00DMHG2RS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389455040&sr=1-1&keywords=Jeff+Hennelly
The Power is a novel about healing, self-importance, and about the dangerous results of a power that can heal others but devastate the healer, and is an engrossing novel recommended for any who like intrigue and ethical thrillers.
Dr. Austin MacLean’s already a healer, but when he stumbles on a strange new ability, he doesn't gain the fame and acceptance one might think. Instead, people suspect this ability, attack his purpose, and make his life difficult.
The novel opens with a bang: an indigent Haitian is dead on the operating table, with Dr. MacLean experiencing a strange electrical discharge that renders his defib equipment inoperative and leaves him with an electrical shock injury. The sudden cessation of patient and machinery proves a portent of things to come as the good doctor subsequently discovers his strange, new-found powers and their consequences.
Now, Dr. MacLean is already one of the 'good doctors' who oversees a department losing money on indigent patients: "Not only did his uninsured patients receive “free” health care, but free transportation. Some showed up to the ER carrying their suitcases. "
Don't expect a one-dimensional medical thriller here, though: rounding out the plot with a healthy dose of psychological insight is his unraveling relationship with his young son Peter (who is beginning to distance from his beloved father after divorce limits their time together), his stormy relationship with his ex, and increasing accusations of assault and violence towards others.
Fans of Robin Cook and other powerful medical thriller writers who enjoy more than a touch of supernatural and religious reflection in their readings will find The Power provides a mystery with a twist.
The doctor's new-found power brings the promise of Heaven and the experience of Hell closer together and Dr. MacLean finds the two increasingly difficult to separate as he comes to realize the cost of his gift to not only his own life, but the lives of others.
As Dr. MacLean faces his own health challenges with a body struggling to cope with its new abilities, he also faces attacks from outsiders struggling to understand his powers.
Is the world ready for a lifesaver? If a Christ-like figure began to heal people, would these actions be perceived as miracles or would the healer be condemned?
Dr. MacLean's journey takes him to new realms as he faces choices in how he interacts with the world and accepts himself. Powerful settings, unexpected interactions between the main protagonist and a host of others, the injection of possible romance and revelations … all this indicates a powerful story. At what cost does a life-saving ability come with the ability to change worlds?
Read The Power and find out.
Hot link to above review:
Jeff Hennelly
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00DMHG2R $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Spellbinding-Medical-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00DMHG2RS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389455040&sr=1-1&keywords=Jeff+Hennelly
The Power is a novel about healing, self-importance, and about the dangerous results of a power that can heal others but devastate the healer, and is an engrossing novel recommended for any who like intrigue and ethical thrillers.
Dr. Austin MacLean’s already a healer, but when he stumbles on a strange new ability, he doesn't gain the fame and acceptance one might think. Instead, people suspect this ability, attack his purpose, and make his life difficult.
The novel opens with a bang: an indigent Haitian is dead on the operating table, with Dr. MacLean experiencing a strange electrical discharge that renders his defib equipment inoperative and leaves him with an electrical shock injury. The sudden cessation of patient and machinery proves a portent of things to come as the good doctor subsequently discovers his strange, new-found powers and their consequences.
Now, Dr. MacLean is already one of the 'good doctors' who oversees a department losing money on indigent patients: "Not only did his uninsured patients receive “free” health care, but free transportation. Some showed up to the ER carrying their suitcases. "
Don't expect a one-dimensional medical thriller here, though: rounding out the plot with a healthy dose of psychological insight is his unraveling relationship with his young son Peter (who is beginning to distance from his beloved father after divorce limits their time together), his stormy relationship with his ex, and increasing accusations of assault and violence towards others.
Fans of Robin Cook and other powerful medical thriller writers who enjoy more than a touch of supernatural and religious reflection in their readings will find The Power provides a mystery with a twist.
The doctor's new-found power brings the promise of Heaven and the experience of Hell closer together and Dr. MacLean finds the two increasingly difficult to separate as he comes to realize the cost of his gift to not only his own life, but the lives of others.
As Dr. MacLean faces his own health challenges with a body struggling to cope with its new abilities, he also faces attacks from outsiders struggling to understand his powers.
Is the world ready for a lifesaver? If a Christ-like figure began to heal people, would these actions be perceived as miracles or would the healer be condemned?
Dr. MacLean's journey takes him to new realms as he faces choices in how he interacts with the world and accepts himself. Powerful settings, unexpected interactions between the main protagonist and a host of others, the injection of possible romance and revelations … all this indicates a powerful story. At what cost does a life-saving ability come with the ability to change worlds?
Read The Power and find out.
Hot link to above review:
The Way the World Is
Yael Politis
ASIN: B00H0H39JA $5.99
http://www.amazon.com/Way-World-Olivia-Yael-Politis-ebook/dp/B00H0H39JA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385835561&sr=1-1&keywords=B00H0H39JA
The Way the World Is - Book 2 of the 'Olivia' series - continues the story of teen pioneer Olivia Killion, who - in the first book of the series, Olivia, Mourning - inherited her father's land in Michigan and began farming it, together with a black helper who became more than just her business partner.
As fans of Olivia, Mourning will recall, Olivia is headstrong, feisty, and filled with all the confidence and certainty of a seventeen-year-old who thinks she knows what she's getting into and what the world is all about. In fact nothing could be further from the truth: while her assessment of the realities of black/white relations are spot on and her caution is survival thinking at its best, Olivia simply lacks the experience to make her way through the world without receiving some hard lessons, and The Way the World Is follows this progress and evolution.
Fans of Olivia, Mourning will find this sequel no less engrossing, with its gritty protagonist who is determined to forge her own unique path in life. Fans will also appreciate Olivia's new challenges, which open here with a bang: a pregnant Olivia is about to give birth, with no idea whether her child will be white or black.
It does turn out that the child is Mourning's baby - and with that comes a host of new tests - though Olivia is actually thrilled that her baby comes from her gentle, kind friend and not from the white monster who raped her.
As she contemplates her child's future Olivia must make decisions based on what is best for both of them - and is forced to realize that in a prejudiced world there is no way that the dark-skinned baby of an unmarried white girl will be accepted for anything but what it is: “But there are dark-skinned white people that aren’t colored. Arabs. What about Egyptians? Don’t they have dark skin?” “Maybe a dark-skinned Egyptian ain’t exactly colored, but he sure ain’t white and ain’t gonna be asked to tea in any parlors in Five Rocks. You can’t pass this baby. Not in this world. Don’t even think about it. You’d only break your heart trying. And his.”
Olivia dreams that Mourning will eventually come back and raise his son safely; but now it's time for a new life for them both. Olivia once again must rebuild her destiny and take charge, making hard decisions and hoping they will benefit everyone.
Though she never abandons her search for the loved ones who have vanished, her new life in Detroit comes with friends and healing and offers an unexpected opportunity to do good by helping fugitive slaves escape across the river. This is something she never would have contemplated, were it not for her friendship and love for Mourning and their child.
The Way the World Is covers a variety of themes: personal growth, change, destiny, responsibility and, ultimately, the costs of love. As Olivia makes her way in life and chooses the paths she takes from a smorgasbord of choices, she slowly realizes the limitations of her worldviews: "She was glad she had when she entered the tidy little town of Backwoods. Sturdy wooden sidewalks lined both sides of its Main Street, shielding brightly painted houses and stores from the mud in the road. The more she saw of the world, the more Olivia realized what a shabby little town she had grown up in."
And as Olivia grows into a person determined to make a difference in the world, so readers come to appreciate not just the atmosphere and special challenges of her times, but the motivations behind her actions: "His wife is still down south. In slavery. He’s saving up his money to go get her.” Michelle sucked her front teeth and then held Olivia’s gaze and said, “I already know what you’re thinking. But you can’t buy all the slaves in the south.” “I know I can’t. But there’s not a single reason I can’t help buy this one.”
Thanks to her relationship with Mourning, Olivia's search for the way she wants to live expands to include saving those pieces of the world she can touch and affect. And thanks to her wider-ranging decisions, she finds her way to an unexpected life, filled with genuine friendships and new possibilities.
In a way Olivia's journey is the route of many in life. She begins with courage and determination and a naïveté about the world that is changed by encounters both positive and negative - but she remains steadfast, determined, and strong-willed. When her world (and preconceptions) fall apart, she rebuilds it to be stronger than ever - and with new purpose.
Perhaps the most powerful passage of all sums up in a nutshell what motivates Olivia to keep hope and determination alive, even in the face of despair: "As long as we draw breath, nothing in this life is final."
Some books stand alone and require no prior familiarity with others in their series … but don't miss Olivia, Mourning. It sets the stage for an ongoing saga rich in detail, history, and perspective. Together, the two books offer a powerful saga that makes for thoroughly engrossing, compelling historical fiction at its best.
Hot link to above review:
Yael Politis
ASIN: B00H0H39JA $5.99
http://www.amazon.com/Way-World-Olivia-Yael-Politis-ebook/dp/B00H0H39JA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385835561&sr=1-1&keywords=B00H0H39JA
The Way the World Is - Book 2 of the 'Olivia' series - continues the story of teen pioneer Olivia Killion, who - in the first book of the series, Olivia, Mourning - inherited her father's land in Michigan and began farming it, together with a black helper who became more than just her business partner.
As fans of Olivia, Mourning will recall, Olivia is headstrong, feisty, and filled with all the confidence and certainty of a seventeen-year-old who thinks she knows what she's getting into and what the world is all about. In fact nothing could be further from the truth: while her assessment of the realities of black/white relations are spot on and her caution is survival thinking at its best, Olivia simply lacks the experience to make her way through the world without receiving some hard lessons, and The Way the World Is follows this progress and evolution.
Fans of Olivia, Mourning will find this sequel no less engrossing, with its gritty protagonist who is determined to forge her own unique path in life. Fans will also appreciate Olivia's new challenges, which open here with a bang: a pregnant Olivia is about to give birth, with no idea whether her child will be white or black.
It does turn out that the child is Mourning's baby - and with that comes a host of new tests - though Olivia is actually thrilled that her baby comes from her gentle, kind friend and not from the white monster who raped her.
As she contemplates her child's future Olivia must make decisions based on what is best for both of them - and is forced to realize that in a prejudiced world there is no way that the dark-skinned baby of an unmarried white girl will be accepted for anything but what it is: “But there are dark-skinned white people that aren’t colored. Arabs. What about Egyptians? Don’t they have dark skin?” “Maybe a dark-skinned Egyptian ain’t exactly colored, but he sure ain’t white and ain’t gonna be asked to tea in any parlors in Five Rocks. You can’t pass this baby. Not in this world. Don’t even think about it. You’d only break your heart trying. And his.”
Olivia dreams that Mourning will eventually come back and raise his son safely; but now it's time for a new life for them both. Olivia once again must rebuild her destiny and take charge, making hard decisions and hoping they will benefit everyone.
Though she never abandons her search for the loved ones who have vanished, her new life in Detroit comes with friends and healing and offers an unexpected opportunity to do good by helping fugitive slaves escape across the river. This is something she never would have contemplated, were it not for her friendship and love for Mourning and their child.
The Way the World Is covers a variety of themes: personal growth, change, destiny, responsibility and, ultimately, the costs of love. As Olivia makes her way in life and chooses the paths she takes from a smorgasbord of choices, she slowly realizes the limitations of her worldviews: "She was glad she had when she entered the tidy little town of Backwoods. Sturdy wooden sidewalks lined both sides of its Main Street, shielding brightly painted houses and stores from the mud in the road. The more she saw of the world, the more Olivia realized what a shabby little town she had grown up in."
And as Olivia grows into a person determined to make a difference in the world, so readers come to appreciate not just the atmosphere and special challenges of her times, but the motivations behind her actions: "His wife is still down south. In slavery. He’s saving up his money to go get her.” Michelle sucked her front teeth and then held Olivia’s gaze and said, “I already know what you’re thinking. But you can’t buy all the slaves in the south.” “I know I can’t. But there’s not a single reason I can’t help buy this one.”
Thanks to her relationship with Mourning, Olivia's search for the way she wants to live expands to include saving those pieces of the world she can touch and affect. And thanks to her wider-ranging decisions, she finds her way to an unexpected life, filled with genuine friendships and new possibilities.
In a way Olivia's journey is the route of many in life. She begins with courage and determination and a naïveté about the world that is changed by encounters both positive and negative - but she remains steadfast, determined, and strong-willed. When her world (and preconceptions) fall apart, she rebuilds it to be stronger than ever - and with new purpose.
Perhaps the most powerful passage of all sums up in a nutshell what motivates Olivia to keep hope and determination alive, even in the face of despair: "As long as we draw breath, nothing in this life is final."
Some books stand alone and require no prior familiarity with others in their series … but don't miss Olivia, Mourning. It sets the stage for an ongoing saga rich in detail, history, and perspective. Together, the two books offer a powerful saga that makes for thoroughly engrossing, compelling historical fiction at its best.
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Young Adult
ElsBeth
and the Call of the Castle Ghosties
J Bean Palmer and Chris Palmer
Holly Hill Press
ISBN: 978-1-4566-2080-6 $3.99
Website: www.capecodlittlewitch.com
Ordering Links:
http://www.amazon.com/ElsBeth-Castle-Ghosties-Witch-Series-ebook/dp/B00HNKFXKC
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elsbeth-and-the-call-of-the-castle-ghosties-book-iii-in-the-cape-cod-witch-series-j-bean-palmer/1117927553?ean=2940149011278&itm=1&usri=elsbeth
ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties centers around almost-ten-year-old ElsBeth Amelia Thistle (the youngest witch on Cape Cod) and her journey to integrate her different worlds of science and magic, and is an engaging fantasy recommended for advanced elementary through middle school readers.
A gorgeous, colorful painting of ElsBeth and a moonlit castle across the water invites young readers to enter a plot that represents Book Three of the 'The Cape Cod Witch Series', but which stands well on its own for newcomers.
More than twenty full-color illustrations by Melanie Therrien throughout the saga provide visual embellishment to the story, which opens with a spooky encounter of a castle ghost commanding the youngest of the Thistle clan across the sea to Scotland.
Present-time Cape Cod is the next scene, where the young witch senses an evil danger about to descend on and change her happy world: "…Like her future had become unsettled. Like some danger had just sailed up and dropped anchor in her future. Hardly anyone knew she was a witch -- this was just something that wasn’t discussed. A good, nine-year-old witch, granted, but a witch nonetheless. She knew her perceptions were sometimes a little different, and they didn’t ask her permission to come in on her. And she definitely didn’t always understand them."
As ElsBeth finds herself on a long journey, summoned by ancestral ghosts who need her help, she encounters magic and different kinds of allies in unexpected places along the way. Far from home, she discovers some of her old friends have been conscripted to accompany her - and slowly her two disparate worlds blend.
The very fact that ElsBeth and her friends have all been lifted from everything familiar and transported to someplace outside of all their experiences lends to new perceptions - and this, again, is one of the ongoing strengths of the story: "She was a little worried about Veronica, who was always aware how pretty she was, and didn’t seem altogether pleased she might not be the prettiest girl around right now. But that seemed a small worry compared to what they’d been through getting here."
ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties isn't a one-dimensional fantasy adventure: readers are treated to a host of sensations and experiences wedded to emotion and reflection; and that's one of its strongest features, keeping it 'real' and inviting: "She wanted to ask the insightful bat if he thought it was OK for her to go on the trip today. But there wasn’t time, and he’d probably just say, “Think for yourself.” He was always encouraging ElsBeth to think things through on her own. And as much as she wanted to be good at that, she knew thinking about things wasn’t her strongest point. She preferred action. She liked to just start ... and then keep going."
Too many fantasies (especially for young adults) focus more on the fantasy setting and adventure than on personal interactions and revelations. What sets apart better writings is an attention to psychological depth, which is more than evident in the passages of reflection and understanding throughout ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties.
The other books in the series have not been seen by this reviewer; but if they're anything like this one, they deserve all the acclaim they have already received elsewhere.
Suffice it to say that ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties is about as fine a middle school fantasy as you could get: vivid, packed with ghosts and mystery, and yet tempered with an attention to interpersonal depth that is rare and inviting.
Hot link to above review:
J Bean Palmer and Chris Palmer
Holly Hill Press
ISBN: 978-1-4566-2080-6 $3.99
Website: www.capecodlittlewitch.com
Ordering Links:
http://www.amazon.com/ElsBeth-Castle-Ghosties-Witch-Series-ebook/dp/B00HNKFXKC
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elsbeth-and-the-call-of-the-castle-ghosties-book-iii-in-the-cape-cod-witch-series-j-bean-palmer/1117927553?ean=2940149011278&itm=1&usri=elsbeth
ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties centers around almost-ten-year-old ElsBeth Amelia Thistle (the youngest witch on Cape Cod) and her journey to integrate her different worlds of science and magic, and is an engaging fantasy recommended for advanced elementary through middle school readers.
A gorgeous, colorful painting of ElsBeth and a moonlit castle across the water invites young readers to enter a plot that represents Book Three of the 'The Cape Cod Witch Series', but which stands well on its own for newcomers.
More than twenty full-color illustrations by Melanie Therrien throughout the saga provide visual embellishment to the story, which opens with a spooky encounter of a castle ghost commanding the youngest of the Thistle clan across the sea to Scotland.
Present-time Cape Cod is the next scene, where the young witch senses an evil danger about to descend on and change her happy world: "…Like her future had become unsettled. Like some danger had just sailed up and dropped anchor in her future. Hardly anyone knew she was a witch -- this was just something that wasn’t discussed. A good, nine-year-old witch, granted, but a witch nonetheless. She knew her perceptions were sometimes a little different, and they didn’t ask her permission to come in on her. And she definitely didn’t always understand them."
As ElsBeth finds herself on a long journey, summoned by ancestral ghosts who need her help, she encounters magic and different kinds of allies in unexpected places along the way. Far from home, she discovers some of her old friends have been conscripted to accompany her - and slowly her two disparate worlds blend.
The very fact that ElsBeth and her friends have all been lifted from everything familiar and transported to someplace outside of all their experiences lends to new perceptions - and this, again, is one of the ongoing strengths of the story: "She was a little worried about Veronica, who was always aware how pretty she was, and didn’t seem altogether pleased she might not be the prettiest girl around right now. But that seemed a small worry compared to what they’d been through getting here."
ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties isn't a one-dimensional fantasy adventure: readers are treated to a host of sensations and experiences wedded to emotion and reflection; and that's one of its strongest features, keeping it 'real' and inviting: "She wanted to ask the insightful bat if he thought it was OK for her to go on the trip today. But there wasn’t time, and he’d probably just say, “Think for yourself.” He was always encouraging ElsBeth to think things through on her own. And as much as she wanted to be good at that, she knew thinking about things wasn’t her strongest point. She preferred action. She liked to just start ... and then keep going."
Too many fantasies (especially for young adults) focus more on the fantasy setting and adventure than on personal interactions and revelations. What sets apart better writings is an attention to psychological depth, which is more than evident in the passages of reflection and understanding throughout ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties.
The other books in the series have not been seen by this reviewer; but if they're anything like this one, they deserve all the acclaim they have already received elsewhere.
Suffice it to say that ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties is about as fine a middle school fantasy as you could get: vivid, packed with ghosts and mystery, and yet tempered with an attention to interpersonal depth that is rare and inviting.
Hot link to above review:
Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin
Ken Derby
Illusion Publishing
ISBN: 061587228X
Paperback: $6.00 Kindle: $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Harley-P-Davidsuns-Loony-Bin-ebook/dp/B00F0SB7OA/
http://illusionpublishing.me/
Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin is a zany and fun read set in a fourth grade class and presents an unconventional teacher and his crazy classroom assignments: perfect reading for kids who are typically bored by your usual stories of school.
Teacher Harley P. Davidsun makes his difference evident from the moment students set foot in his classroom: "The HIM was leaning back in the teacher’s chair with his black motorcycle boots propped up right in the middle of the teacher’s desk. His faded, frayed, torn-up blue jeans looked like they were at least a hundred years old. A long ponytail hung over the back of his sleeveless black t-shirt, and a gold hoop dangled from his left earlobe. Dark sunglasses sat on his crooked nose, and a scraggly beard lay on his bulging belly, almost reaching to his big, silver belt buckle.
The HIM didn’t say a word. He just crossed his huge, tattooed arms over his ample belly and sat there eyeballing every kid who passed by his desk."
And lest appearances lie, the teacher's first greeting also indicates that school will be anything but normal this year: "…he grumbled in a sort of grizzly-bear voice wrapped up in a Southern drawl: “Welcome to the fourth grade loony bin.”
As Gomez and his best friend Fester come to know their unconventional teacher - and participate in his antics - they discover that it will be the best school year they've ever experienced - and so readers in grades 3-6 will also discover the Loony Bin to be one of the liveliest, most unpredictable reads about school to land on their desks in quite some time.
Mind you, there are lessons taught within the hilarious escapades throughout: "“Here are a couple things, some real gems of wisdom you all oughtta tuck away in your gray matter for safe keepin’. If you eat like a pig, you’re gonna look like one. Believe me, too many chocolate fudge sundaes and sittin’ in front of the TV like a couch potato will be hazardous to your health.”"
And even when Mr. D. is hospitalized and out of commission after an accident, the antics continue (at school and in the hospital), fostered by his unique brand of humor, insights on the world, and an attitude which successfully rubs off on his young students.
Ironically enough, one of his substitute teachers becomes equally zany, even participating when a fart-making contest erupts in the classroom and crescendos with a toilet-paper war pitting boys against girls.
There's absolutely nothing boring - or predictable - about Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin: even the most reluctant reader will become immersed in the whimsical exploits of teachers and students, and will find this to be a compelling page-turner.
Hot link to above review:
Ken Derby
Illusion Publishing
ISBN: 061587228X
Paperback: $6.00 Kindle: $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Harley-P-Davidsuns-Loony-Bin-ebook/dp/B00F0SB7OA/
http://illusionpublishing.me/
Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin is a zany and fun read set in a fourth grade class and presents an unconventional teacher and his crazy classroom assignments: perfect reading for kids who are typically bored by your usual stories of school.
Teacher Harley P. Davidsun makes his difference evident from the moment students set foot in his classroom: "The HIM was leaning back in the teacher’s chair with his black motorcycle boots propped up right in the middle of the teacher’s desk. His faded, frayed, torn-up blue jeans looked like they were at least a hundred years old. A long ponytail hung over the back of his sleeveless black t-shirt, and a gold hoop dangled from his left earlobe. Dark sunglasses sat on his crooked nose, and a scraggly beard lay on his bulging belly, almost reaching to his big, silver belt buckle.
The HIM didn’t say a word. He just crossed his huge, tattooed arms over his ample belly and sat there eyeballing every kid who passed by his desk."
And lest appearances lie, the teacher's first greeting also indicates that school will be anything but normal this year: "…he grumbled in a sort of grizzly-bear voice wrapped up in a Southern drawl: “Welcome to the fourth grade loony bin.”
As Gomez and his best friend Fester come to know their unconventional teacher - and participate in his antics - they discover that it will be the best school year they've ever experienced - and so readers in grades 3-6 will also discover the Loony Bin to be one of the liveliest, most unpredictable reads about school to land on their desks in quite some time.
Mind you, there are lessons taught within the hilarious escapades throughout: "“Here are a couple things, some real gems of wisdom you all oughtta tuck away in your gray matter for safe keepin’. If you eat like a pig, you’re gonna look like one. Believe me, too many chocolate fudge sundaes and sittin’ in front of the TV like a couch potato will be hazardous to your health.”"
And even when Mr. D. is hospitalized and out of commission after an accident, the antics continue (at school and in the hospital), fostered by his unique brand of humor, insights on the world, and an attitude which successfully rubs off on his young students.
Ironically enough, one of his substitute teachers becomes equally zany, even participating when a fart-making contest erupts in the classroom and crescendos with a toilet-paper war pitting boys against girls.
There's absolutely nothing boring - or predictable - about Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin: even the most reluctant reader will become immersed in the whimsical exploits of teachers and students, and will find this to be a compelling page-turner.
Hot link to above review:
Satchel & Sword II: The Caátlach Islands
Claudette Marco
CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1494801953
Satchel & Sword I: The Search for The Saluka Stone began this young adult fantasy series with a bang, detailing the life and trials of teen Nevaline Scarcliff, who lives in the militarist, matriarchal territory of Amazonia under the rule of a greedy Queen who forces her army into battle through a bewitched forest against impossible enemies.
But Nevaline discovers her true mission isn't to serve as a mercenary: it's to seek out and confront a dangerous sleeping god set to destroy the world; and her destiny and drive carries her far beyond her opening job as a mercenary fighter.
Satchel & Sword II: The Caátlach Islands continues this epic journey and is recommended for prior fans who already have absorbed the character, setting, and premises of the first book. Teens with this background will readily pick up the second journey, which again uses the author's familiarity with the landscape of Scotland as its foundation. Having achieved one of her initial goals in the first book, Nevaline is well on her way to success: but holding part of a key to resolution is very different than actually winning; a fact she comes to learn in the face of great adversity in The Caátlach Islands.
Having committed not only herself but her friends to this epic quest, Nevaline has second thoughts about bringing danger and possibly death to them all in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Though her friends willingly joined her (and have their own motivations for participating), Nevaline increasingly feels responsible for their lives; especially when facing repeated dangers such as being adrift on a boat in the ocean, running out of food with no hope of rescue.
With full knowledge of the fact that they are heading straight into danger, Nevaline and her cohorts find themselves in another world where "The weather commands presence here. The sun shines with passion, concealing such a face from Amazonia and Hychester." It's a world far from that which Nevaline has known all her life: "Sunlight trickled through Vusevala Island‘s forest as wings of a thousand yellow sparrows descended slowly towards the ground. The sweet clicking and chirping sounds of the birds, along with blue, red and white colors, created an ambience of concord, hushing the predator and alleviating the prey."
Claudette Marco's ability to capture protagonist observations of their strange new world is one of the strengths of her writing: readers tag along for a 'you are here' experience, experiencing fully this rugged and beautiful landscape through the protagonist's five senses and absorbing all that new world has to offer in the way of both beauty and challenge.
The protagonist of Nevaline is brave (often to the point of foolhardiness) as she confronts a host of people and challenges their purposes during the course of her quest: "Nevaline glared at him. "I assumed the leader of Kinlanders would scoff at the Promulgation of Amazonian Sovereignty, deeming such as woman‘s gibberish. Instead, you misrepresent the significance of such words to justify criminal deeds." This bravery and self-confidence, though shaken at times by turns of events, will serve her well as she makes her way through a dangerous, alien world with obstacles at every turn.
Even something as mundane as a dinner comes alive under Marco's precise writing: "Determined to claim victory, she grasped the knife and attempted a slice. The knife cut through the green jelly and met the silver plate with a loud clunk. Cairine smiled and used the knife to nudge her prey into the spoon. As the jelly met her tongue, her eyes scrunched and her mouth pursed as it would when tasting rancid cheese for the first time. She picked up the white linen napkin next to her plate and spit the rotted prey into it, then swiftly grasped a goblet and quaffed a few large swigs of water. Nevaline laughed quietly. Her utensils had celebrated an empty victory. The men consumed the jellies as if they had never eaten anything better."
From family ties and revelations to the discovery that what she seeks resides in the least likely place of all, Satchel & Sword II: The Caátlach Islands is epic fantasy writing at its best. Do read the first book: it's also a highly charged saga and provides the necessary foundation for appreciating both the powerful protagonist of Nevaline and the larger purpose of her journey.
Hot link to above review:
Claudette Marco
CreateSpace Independent Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1494801953
Satchel & Sword I: The Search for The Saluka Stone began this young adult fantasy series with a bang, detailing the life and trials of teen Nevaline Scarcliff, who lives in the militarist, matriarchal territory of Amazonia under the rule of a greedy Queen who forces her army into battle through a bewitched forest against impossible enemies.
But Nevaline discovers her true mission isn't to serve as a mercenary: it's to seek out and confront a dangerous sleeping god set to destroy the world; and her destiny and drive carries her far beyond her opening job as a mercenary fighter.
Satchel & Sword II: The Caátlach Islands continues this epic journey and is recommended for prior fans who already have absorbed the character, setting, and premises of the first book. Teens with this background will readily pick up the second journey, which again uses the author's familiarity with the landscape of Scotland as its foundation. Having achieved one of her initial goals in the first book, Nevaline is well on her way to success: but holding part of a key to resolution is very different than actually winning; a fact she comes to learn in the face of great adversity in The Caátlach Islands.
Having committed not only herself but her friends to this epic quest, Nevaline has second thoughts about bringing danger and possibly death to them all in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Though her friends willingly joined her (and have their own motivations for participating), Nevaline increasingly feels responsible for their lives; especially when facing repeated dangers such as being adrift on a boat in the ocean, running out of food with no hope of rescue.
With full knowledge of the fact that they are heading straight into danger, Nevaline and her cohorts find themselves in another world where "The weather commands presence here. The sun shines with passion, concealing such a face from Amazonia and Hychester." It's a world far from that which Nevaline has known all her life: "Sunlight trickled through Vusevala Island‘s forest as wings of a thousand yellow sparrows descended slowly towards the ground. The sweet clicking and chirping sounds of the birds, along with blue, red and white colors, created an ambience of concord, hushing the predator and alleviating the prey."
Claudette Marco's ability to capture protagonist observations of their strange new world is one of the strengths of her writing: readers tag along for a 'you are here' experience, experiencing fully this rugged and beautiful landscape through the protagonist's five senses and absorbing all that new world has to offer in the way of both beauty and challenge.
The protagonist of Nevaline is brave (often to the point of foolhardiness) as she confronts a host of people and challenges their purposes during the course of her quest: "Nevaline glared at him. "I assumed the leader of Kinlanders would scoff at the Promulgation of Amazonian Sovereignty, deeming such as woman‘s gibberish. Instead, you misrepresent the significance of such words to justify criminal deeds." This bravery and self-confidence, though shaken at times by turns of events, will serve her well as she makes her way through a dangerous, alien world with obstacles at every turn.
Even something as mundane as a dinner comes alive under Marco's precise writing: "Determined to claim victory, she grasped the knife and attempted a slice. The knife cut through the green jelly and met the silver plate with a loud clunk. Cairine smiled and used the knife to nudge her prey into the spoon. As the jelly met her tongue, her eyes scrunched and her mouth pursed as it would when tasting rancid cheese for the first time. She picked up the white linen napkin next to her plate and spit the rotted prey into it, then swiftly grasped a goblet and quaffed a few large swigs of water. Nevaline laughed quietly. Her utensils had celebrated an empty victory. The men consumed the jellies as if they had never eaten anything better."
From family ties and revelations to the discovery that what she seeks resides in the least likely place of all, Satchel & Sword II: The Caátlach Islands is epic fantasy writing at its best. Do read the first book: it's also a highly charged saga and provides the necessary foundation for appreciating both the powerful protagonist of Nevaline and the larger purpose of her journey.
Hot link to above review: