February 2018 Review Issue
50
Ways to Worry Less Now
Gigi Langer, PhD
Possum Hill Press
9780999122006
$14.95
www.gigilanger.com
50 Ways to Worry Less Now: Reject Negative Thinking to Find Peace, Clarity, and Connection comes from an author who is personally as well as professionally familiar with her topic. Thirty years ago, she used alcohol and professional obligations to escape worries. It took a blend of recovery programs, therapies, and spiritual insights to finally lead her to calm her own fears and those of others; and 50 Ways to Worry Less Now reflects this process, synthesizing it into four life strategies and some fifty tools that squelch negative thinking patterns.
Readers needn't expect a complicated journey, here. Dr. Langer has already done the legwork in this process, and her book moves easily from managing stress to channeling it into positive avenues, then eventually giving back to others.
What could have been a complicated read with demanding routines is thus condensed into a series of stories and examples that are easily absorbed, in digestible chunks that even the busiest person can readily read. These are paired with ideas for action that range from developing one's own growth program to identifying 'whispered lies' and developing antidotes to negativity through positive reflections.
Plenty of books advocate countering negative thinking; but too few actually provide step-by-step measures on how to do so. Others simply choose a singular path and follow it. The pleasure of 50 Ways to Worry Less Now lies in its examples, specific exercises, and injections of how the author used various routines to find her way out of negativity: "These exercises helped me see my divorces and addictions as merely misguided attempts to find love and security. I let go of my self-condemnation and began to believe I could be happy."
The result is an important set of guidelines that any reader can easily follow, highly recommended for anyone who worries too much, lives too hard a life, and searches for a better way.
50 Ways to Worry Less Now
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A
Daily Dose of Mindful Moments: Applying the Science of Mindfulness and
Happiness
Barbara Larrivee
ISBN: 978-0965178006 Price: Paperback
$16.99, e-book $7.99
Website/ https://www.
There are plenty of books on the market about cultivating mindfulness; many of which offer meditations and paths for understanding and achieving mindfulness. What differentiates Barbara Larrivee's A Daily Dose of Mindful Moments from much of the existing literature on the subject is an attention to blending the author's personal journey to a more mindful life with closer examination of different layers of mindfulness. Larrivee then applies these facets to overall well-being and building better strategies for coping with life's stresses. Many books stop short of all this, either providing a brief definition of mindfulness with accompanying exercises, exercises alone, or a philosophical and spiritual reflection.
Readers interested in how to understand mindfulness' many applications, how to achieve it, and how to apply it to all aspects of their lives receive an analysis of meditation practices that examines the time it takes, the return results that can be expected from an investment of time and energy, and a discussion based upon the author's own routines and discoveries.
Another important aspect of A Daily Dose of Mindful Moments is that all discussions are backed by research notes from documented studies. This lends scientific credence to Larrivee's contentions and supports her overall focus and approach. All the notes are footnoted and documented to add scientific, business, and historical support to her claims and assertions.
From rituals to transition out of one's workday role to actively cultivating compassionate perspectives, actions and reactions to life, and recognizing the value of kindness, A Daily Dose of Mindful Moments is not the anticipated collection of short daily vignettes for better living, but an in-depth review backed by facts; not just ideals.
The result is a highly recommended pick for anyone interested in applying mindfulness concepts to the pursuit of living a more mindful life supported by positive choices and activities.
A Daily Dose of Mindful Moments: Applying the Science of Mindfulness and Happiness
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The
Federal Government is Run by Idiots!
James E. Joyce
J.E. Joyce, Publisher
9781490396415
$11.95 Paper; $2.99 Kindle
www.undergroundfreedompress.
There's little doubt about its contents, with a book named The Federal Government is Run by Idiots! This represents plain and simple thinking, and is a "nasty little book" that pinpoints federal government processes as the cause of forces destroying American society and democratic ideals.
Taxpayers in revolt receive a presentation that looks like an illustrated comic book coverage in many places, featuring large-size print and an approach that would seem to indicate its appropriateness for a younger audience; but which actually will prove accessible to busy adults who want more of a quick synthesis than the usual weighty political read presents.
Appearances aside, it should be noted that The Federal Government is Run by Idiots! is a book most decidedly directed to adult American taxpayers, and is crafted in such a manner that even those with low reading skills or who are unfamiliar with statistics, math, or politics will find it enlightening.
There's no love of either Democrat or Republican leaders in this damning report: both receive 'F' marks, along with the government entities that have supported bureaucratic snafus and leaders that promote tax codes with sweeping debt attached to them. James E. Joyce maintains (and supports with facts) that were it not for the federal government's shenanigans, the average American would have $40K more in their pockets annually for retirement income.
There are many eye-opening accusations (supported by statistics and facts) that will give liberals and conservatives alike pause for thought - including that the current social security system is akin to a "federal Ponzi scheme" and should be replaced by a National Investment Retirement Fund. Joyce maintains that social security has been a dishonest scheme since its instigation in 1935, and advocates a better replacement vehicle on the state level. He points out that in 1935, "the average American died before reaching age 65." Now that longevity has increased, proponents of the system are trying to assure that the benefit age is adjusted so that those who pay into the system actually don't reap its full benefits.
It should be noted that professional editing would have made the book a smoother read. But as a counterpoint, this is intended as a comic book and, as such, is a more inviting way of comprehending many serious facts without the grammatical density of comparatively complex discussions of the subject.
The Federal Government is Run by Idiots! is no light discourse, but a solid review that is purposely presented in a format that will lend to accessibility and inspection by even the busiest reader. After a section of admonitions and damning evidence, the meat of the book lies in a second section that details the 'Restoration of the American Dream'.
This may be a nasty little book; but truthful examination of a complex system is never a cozy read. Want to change things so that Americans can retire at 52 and lead a better life? The keys included here offer food for thought on making this process a reality.
The Federal Government is Run by Idiots!
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A
New Quantum Scientific Method: Enabling Positive Possibilities for Our
Lives
Dr. Phil Petersen
Balboa Press
Paper: 9781504394970 $13.99
Hardcover:
9781504394994
$30.95
https://www.balboapress.com/
A New Quantum Scientific Method blends science and self-help as it explores how the latest discoveries in brain science and psychology can lend to perceiving more positive pathways for leading an effective life, but the roots of this quantum theory aren't brand new. They actually began almost 400 years ago, when thinker Frances Bacon first outlined a 'Scientific Method' blending philosophy with science.
The difference between that method and this book lies in centuries of scientific advancement in general and applications of quantum science's concepts, particularly to the realm of self-help and psychological advancement. These topics are nicely covered in a book that connects the dots between experiments, theories, and daily life.
Chapters begin with a historic overview of concepts and a history of the processes of The Scientific Method. With this foundation in mind, readers are better able to assimilate the meaning and impact of today's quantum science as it expands upon, clarifies, and creates new avenues of opportunity for self-help readers.
One of the strengths of this discussion lies in its direct connections between theory and applied change, a process that introduces a spiritual element into the mix: "What is a miracle? A Course in Miracles explains that the love of God is the miracle. I interpret that to mean that our Divine Self creates a flow of positive possibilities (love) to our world and allows them to manifest.
From a Quantum viewpoint, this flow of possibilities recreates a new universe and even a new past for a person to perceive. A miracle is a personal shift to a new parallel universe! However, miracles are not the highest manifestation of the Divine Self. ‘A Course in Miracles’ suggests transcendence, or experiencing what is behind our observations and miracles, is higher. I agree. Experiencing your Divine Being takes you beyond the universe you perceive. It is our love of God that helps us transcend."
Of course, this requires an open mind that can flexibly move between science, philosophy, psychology and spirituality. Such an individual will appreciate the special brew of ingredients that Dr. Phil Petersen offers in a series of discourses that consider the foundations of social ills, enlightenment, the process of finding and applying inner peace, and how to recognize and reflect a 'field of positivity' throughout life.
In many ways, the title of A New Quantum Scientific Method belays its contents, because one simply doesn't expect the degree of social reflection, spiritual insight, and psychological inspection in a survey which initially sounds like another quantum physics discussion. But the connections between hard science and life purpose are very clearly drawn throughout, leading readers to a better understanding of the underlying meaning behind both scientific inquiry and the process of personal discovery and evolution: "Whenever the brain is stimulated, molecules are jiggled in the neuron cell walls (later discovered to be electrons in microtubules, which give neurons structure, instead of molecules). This causes them to emit photons in phase, indicating they are jiggling together. Thus, the photon Bose-Einstein condensate may be just an outplaying of a unified quantum state of the physical microtubule sub-structures called ‘tubulin dimers’ in the brain. When the energy is sufficient this single quantum state is reached. The photons are sent out as a quantum signal to the cells and environment. Individual neurons are like computers, but become like one supercomputer when activated simultaneously. This seems to be the process of choosing or collapse by entanglement. It could go either way. Which would you rather do? Choose your path or let entanglement with destructive thoughts and feelings choose it for you?"
All this sounds complex, but one of the delights of A New Quantum Scientific Method is its accessibility to lay readers, who need no prior scientific, psychological or sociology background in order to appreciate the paths of discussion created by a close inspection of quantum theory and its connections to life. The positive insights are infectious, and any thought that the hope for a better humanity is overly optimistic is belayed by concrete insights on how these better paths are created.
The result is a powerful synthesis of quantum theory, spiritual reflection, psychology, and holistic living ideas which packs in much food for thought and is particularly recommended for new age thinkers seeking science-backed methods for effecting positive changes in their approaches to life.
A New Quantum Scientific Method: Enabling Positive Possibilities for Our Lives
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Surviving
Cancer
John M. Poothullil, MD
New Insights Press
978-0-9984850-2-7
http://drjohnondiabetes.com/
Surviving Cancer: A New Perspective on Why Cancer Happens & Your Key Strategies for a Healthy Life offers several new perspectives on cancer that don't appear in other books, despite the volume of literature produced yearly about cancer survival. The audience most likely to gain from the book include those who have been diagnosed with localized cancers that have not yet spread and those with a family history of cancer who have not yet been diagnosed. It also contains many points about diabetes and its link to cancer and treatment approaches; so diabetics will find much food for thought, here.
The first of these new perspectives lies in a key to understanding the science and medicine of cancer itself, fostered by Dr. Poothullil’s original thinking that since the dawn of time, cells are driven to divide. This backdrop suggests that we cannot stop cancer cells from forming –they constantly occur, but the body usually eliminates them. The remainder of the introductory section on why cancer happens thus delves into the physical properties of cancer, from abnormal and dysfunctional cell development and influences on cancer's chemistry within the bigger picture of gene mutations. Those processes influence cancer development, the internal and external characteristics of cancer cells, and the role chronic inflammation plays in cancer's ability to metastasize.
Part 2 presents the meat of the title and comes after explaining that cancer's birth and progression is substantially aided by the consumption of carbohydrates from grains, producing glucose that feeds cancer cells. A surprising insight is also that the insulin the body produces to convert glucose to energy aids in producing a cancer-enriching environment. As a result, the book recommends that the way to halt cancer growth is to 'starve' cancer cells, by not consuming grains ("...if you have cancer, your goal should be to reduce your intake of glucose-producing grains to as close to zero as possible."). This approach involves adopting a diet that may actually assist diabetic diets.
Dr. Poothullil also places matters in perspective when he points out that stopping cancer is a priority over controlling diabetes. This means that diabetics should try to cut down on their insulin injections and use diet to reduce their blood sugar, given that insulin promotes cancer growth.
Diet adjustments, exercise, and managing stress are not typically seen as key components of cancer-busting routines; but keep in mind that Surviving Cancer is not just about beating cancer, but promoting a healthier lifestyle overall.
Pair a new theory about the biological basis of why cancer appears and spreads which maintains that the body is constantly producing cancer cells as part of its natural process with a focus on changing the milieu which makes for a welcoming environment for cancer and you have a very different kind of cancer survival book that focuses on prevention, understanding, and an overall better approach to living.
Readers willing to make lifestyle changes to prevent, limit, and curtail cancer's appearance and spread will find Surviving Cancer offers not just hope, but a proactive approach that places patients in charge of many different options.
Surviving Cancer
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Surviving
the Twenties Transformation
K.L. Martin
Waconda Books
97809998961002
$12.95
www.wacondabooks.com
Surviving the Twenties Transformation: Empower Your Soul and Change Your Life is directed to those in their twenties whose future is ahead of them, but who still feel that something is lacking in their perspectives and goals for work, family, and overall quality of life.
But unlike most financially-oriented or lifestyle guides that prompt young people to hone better directions in life, Surviving the Twenties Transformation focuses on spiritual goals, reconnecting with God and faith, and assessing career and life objectives in line with this focus.
Chapters discuss God's Plan, difficult people encountered in life, the process of connecting faith in God with faith in one's soul's objectives, and the goals of cultivating solitude, embracing struggle, and thwarting egotistical impulses that can serve as barriers to understanding. Young adults receive a clear road map that blends discussions of common pitfalls with reviews of critical transformative moments that lead to making better choices.
A belief in God will enhance appreciation of this book's objectives and perspectives as it provides the supplemental connections and routes young adults can follow to better guide their lives and choices, making this a special recommendation for religious readers who would better connect the processes of faith, soul-searching, and overall life-changing decisions.
Surviving the Twenties Transformation
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The
Telling Image
Lois Farfel Stark
Greenleaf Book Group Press
9781626344716
$27.95
www.LoisFStark.com
The Telling Image: Shapes of Changing Times comes from a documentary filmmaker who examines the extent of human history, revealing how people explain the world as they represent it in their art and endeavors.
While this topic might initially seem better fodder for the screen, The Telling Image succeeds in its objective to translate this sweeping review of civilization into book form, employing a visual approach that supports its focus on how architectural endeavors shape and reflect world perceptions.
In migratory times, humans perceived the world as interconnected. Early peoples lived in close contact with nature and eventually learned to control their immediate environment, and their nomadic existence became stable. This change prompted a shift in social organization and physical structures and shapes, and affected every aspect of human society from economics to politics.
Over the centuries, different forces of change continue to shape these human efforts; and although history oscillates and science and spirituality influence perspectives, the continuity remains in how humans seek to describe the world in ways that reflect their changing thinking processes.
It's not easy to reflect shifting mindsets either in text or in visual form. Although buildings, behaviors and beliefs can be closely examined, their underlying influences, psychology, philosophy, and, most of all, the forces at work to change them can prove mercurial.
In considering how innovations have helped humans see how the world is changing and how they can build new social structures, Lois Farfel Stark reveals that many clues about that decision-making lie in images and architecture. Her book surveys everything from how networks encourage knowledge of relationships between moving parts to what the next stage of new technology may bring to alter human perception and purposes.
With expanding ways to create and capture images, technology offers unprecedented opportunities for transformational thinking. Accelerated change holds options that can offset the dilemma of being stuck in a given mindset. Why is this key to understanding the importance of The Telling Image? Stark's own words best explain it: "Relationships are the payoff that gives us pattern. As we become familiar with the pace and pattern of exponential change, we can project further into the future, giving ourselves a chance to change things, to participate in better outcomes..."
While The Telling Image is likely to be chosen for arts holdings, it would be a shame to limit its audience to architecture readers alone. Its comments on social history and what shapes changing human perception are highly recommended for any sociology, history, psychology, or social issues reader; and should serve as the foundation for many a college-level classroom discussion.
The Telling Image
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The
Time of Our Lives
Elliot Schubert
The Ardent Writer Press
Paperback: 978-1-938667-89-3
Hardback: 978-1-938667-90-9
eBook: 978-1-938667-91-6
www.ardentwriterpress.com
Author Elliot Schubert retired and took up his pen to begin recording his life, experiences, and his encounters from the Depression era and the Second World War to "the Golden Age of the Fifties and Sixties, and the looming clouds of the Seventies and Eighties." The Time of Our Lives: Memories and Fantasies of a Blissful Nonagenarian is the result, spanning an entire lifetime and embellishing Elliot Schubert's life only a little in a dramatic, engrossing series of stories that embrace small experiences and life lessons learned from them.
Take, for example, the short story 'Kissing Cousins.' The setting is a birthday party where Schubert's escort services are required. The dilemma revolves around a spin-the-bottle game where his inexperience at kissing becomes evident and the conflict surrounding decorum on a first date that isn't really an official date is evident. Decades later, girl and guy reconnect and old guilt is laid to rest in a gentle tale of old memories and new beginnings.
Compare this with the short tale 'The Sage in the Dugout,' a story that embraces sports and lessons in letting go; or a lesson learned about trust in 'A Bikini in Paradise,' which covers the problem of a wrong accusation in the face of evidence of theft.
Truths are revealed, conspiracy theories are laid to rest, and fun moments where insights prevail are captured in stories that are gently reflective, entertaining, and revealing.
The
result is a powerful collection that captures not only Elliot
Schubert's life
and times, but those little moments that linger in one's mind forever,
encapsulated as lessons that teach about patience, love, and different
kinds of
relationships.
Short story readers who enjoy autobiographical reflection will relish the diversity and succinct flavor of literary pieces which deftly capture one working man's life and times.
The Time of Our Lives
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Time
Candle
Veronica Dale
Nika Press
978-0-9969-521-4-9
http://amzn.to/2D1Z6OY
Time Candle is Book Three of the Coin of Rulve series about twin brothers who have been separated for most of their lives. They are about to encounter each other again. Sheft has been wounded and expelled by the town council, while his brother Teller's duties charge him with apprehending a wanderer regardless of the fact that it happens to be his twin.
They may be twins, but they seem nothing alike. One is charged with duty and truth and the other is the Teller-of-Lies. One has found love and the other is alone. While both struggled to survive a harsh upbringing, one managed to escape while the other remains haunted.
The forces that separated them bring them together in a clash reflective of a changing world. As each begins to absorb the other's loneliness, special challenges, and vast differences, they slowly evolve to join forces against a poison which threatens their entire world, learning that the foundations of their evolving relationship and lessons learned about one another may be the last hope the world holds.
Great journeys, the victims of a deadly poison, the erosion of final hope, and issues of forgiveness, justice, and a wounded hero charged with saving a land where "...only those emptied can be filled to the brim” makes for a downward spiral into a crushed world where two brothers' relationships and backgrounds serve as examples and microcosms of what is to come. What will it take to meld two disparate forces into one in an event that will either embrace the kingdom and recharge it with hope, or cause the world to succumb?
Time Candle's story of magic, exhaustion, abandonment and redemption is a powerful addition to the series. While newcomers should be able to access and enjoy the story line, it's the prior reader of the Coin of Rulve series who will gain the most from this addition, because it flushes out characters, builds upon prior scenarios, and takes readers in unexpected directions they may not have prepared for in previous books.
The result is highly recommended for fans of the series, weaving a complex blend of psychological challenge and growth into an overall fantasy about peoples and kingdoms on the edge of destruction. All this builds towards a sweeping climax that will conclude in a final book in the series, with Time Candle carefully crafted to keep readers on the edge of their seats, anticipating the grand finale.
Time Candle
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The
Warrior Culture and the Indian Wars and Depredations
Edward Osborne
History Publishing Company
ASIN: B076B4V513
$8.99
http://a.co/23KCGnF
The Warrior Culture and the Indian Wars and Depredations provides readers of Native American (Osborne maintains early on that the term is misused: "The correct scientific name for the so-called “Native-American” is Indigenous Aborigine.") history with a scholarly, footnoted narrative and a narrowed focus on the years between 1850-1866. It uses the experiences of Native tribes in general and particularly those of the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe to support quite a different history of these early times, refuting the notion that they were victims of white oppression and supporting the idea that the American Plains Indians were little more than violent butchers who meted out hideous tortures and cruelty.
This revisionist history will open many eyes; particularly readers who were raised with the notion that Natives were inherently peaceful peoples confronting a technologically advanced, greedy race who exploited and murdered them without compunction.
In the course of his survey, Edward Osborne includes further general comments and insights into revisionist American history, making his book more wide-ranging than expected, and a special recommendation for American history classrooms looking to shake up and challenge conventional representations of historic events: "The idea that the Constitution was made by the people, for the people, and to protect the people is nothing more than nonsensical, romantic idealism. It is this idea that, however, has become the accepted interpretation. Even the Preamble to the Constitution begins with a major falsehood: “We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more Perfect Union…” The people had absolutely nothing to do with the writing of the Constitution."
As
chapters present a methodical revisionist perspective, Osborne takes
care to
support his contentions with many primary source material quotes
throughout.
While admitting that "The
settlers ....
were innocent immigrants searching for a small plot of land to grow
their
crops, tend their animals, and provide a safe place to raise their
families,"
he makes a case that differentiates between settlers, military and
government
entities and the results of their encounters with American Plains
Indians:
"...the Indians
had every right to
fight the government officials and even the Army. But their gruesome
butchery
of the defeated Army troopers and settlers was not, and will never be,
acceptable! This is also especially true in reference to the
mutilations
of the innocent settlers and their women and children."
The fact that he takes time to document primary references that differentiate between different levels of early immigrant encounters and the Indians who clearly viewed all whites the same and treated them with cruel brutality whether they were settlers, military soldiers, women, or children makes for an intriguing perspective that closely considers the politics, psychology, and social and cultural influences of Natives and whites alike.
The introduction clearly sets the stage for what is to follow ("One of the primary focuses of this book is the horrendous and vicious nature of Indian raids.") and makes an important point: if the level of atrocities and brutality of these early times were translated to ISIS activities in modern times, these actions would not be explained as the desperate struggles of victims with little recourse; but the brutal actions of oppressors and tyrants.
From mountain men who were some of the first to encounter the "...depredations and heinous brutality of the Plains and Rocky Mountain Indians" during the course of their early explorations of the American West to contrasts between movie myths, fictional legends, and reality supported by primary source accounts, The Warrior Culture and the Indian Wars and Depredations offers ongoing, often startling contrasts between actual events and their revised interpretations over the decades.
Ambushes, uprisings, massacres, and underlying motivations for attacks and violence are all thoroughly analyzed from these sources, including minute details such as the contrast between Calvary horses and Indian ponies, depicting major players, influences on successes and failures on both sides, circumstances that led to "unprovoked" attacks, and descriptions of fundamental cruelty. Osborne's analysis of the rationale and (often) excuses that accompanied primary source material descriptions and later studies offers a powerful (and, certainly, a controversial) perspective that should be a part of any serious American history debate: "“Wild” is their surreptitious term for heinous savagery. Their excuse being that they were retaliating in kind. Their inhumane behavior is generally dismissed as ritual mutilations that needed no further explanation. This behavior certainly does need explanation, accurate description, and most importantly accountability."
All these facets make The Warrior Culture and the Indian Wars and Depredations especially recommended as powerful a revisionist history and debate material for college-level audiences. It's rare to see a scholarly, footnoted piece so lively in content and presentation, so charged with evidence-supported contentions about how popular historical viewpoints fail, and so applicable not just to Native history, but to current events where violence is explained as a regretful but acceptable part of cultural clashes and survival efforts.
No history reader should be without this well-reasoned study.
The
Warrior Culture and the Indian Wars and Depredations
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to Index
Blood
Horse
Christopher Thomas
CreateSpace
978-1974687961
$10.00
Ordering link (UK) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/
Ordering
link (US) - https://www.amazon.com/
Stories featuring horses usually revolve around racetracks or young adult infatuations with equines; but Blood Horse is a horse of another color. Its sci-fi revolves around an experimental DNA treatment intended to promote healing from an injury, but which actually supercharges the killer instinct.
In a horse? Read on, because horse action doesn't get any more gripping than this.
The story begins in a familiar way: a teen jockey's horse fails a jump and breaks a leg. Usually this is where the story would become one of a teen's love for her broken steed and her ability to heal it; but Blood Horse takes a different turn when high-tech is applied as a solution and seemingly produces a miracle.
As Christopher Thomas follows the evolution of a mild-mannered, beloved family horse into a killing machine, readers receive a slow build-up into the inevitable that takes a nice turn away from the specter of a girl's love for her horse and moves into the realm of a well-meaning scientific experiment gone awry.
Interestingly, the main characters are young adults, which would seem to peg this read as one recommended for this age group were it not for the Cujo-like horror involved in the horse's altered personality. This means that mature teens to adult readers alike will appreciate the story's premises and direction, finding it an accessible read driven as much by the teens' evolving personalities and relationships as by the story of a DNA experiment gone wrong. (Caveat: there are enough adult themes and references here to keep this from being recommendable for teens below the age of 17. Blood Horse decidedly stands on the cusp of mature teen to new adult and adult readers - and this is a fine audience for it.)
As Sammy runs away during his ongoing evolutionary process, Tina follows, and readers receive a gripping story that offers satisfying changes as she comes to realize her former best friend is deeply changing on psychological and physical levels alike.
Involving and dark, Blood Horse holds adventure and a message and will keep its readers thoroughly on board for a vigorous ride holding plenty of surprises right up to its unexpected ending.
Blood Horse
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Cold
Case No. 99-5219
Betta Ferrendelli
http://www.
Cold Case No. 99-5219 is the 4th book in the Samantha Church mystery series and opens with a man desperately escaping into the night, into a cold dark alley. Samantha pops up in the second scene, driving to her sister's grave to mark the one-year anniversary of her death on Christmas Eve. But this visit is different: someone has updated the gravesite of a nearby baby, name unknown, who was murdered - and this is enough to draw Sam to reopen an investigation into what happened.
Her interest is made more personal because of her own situation with a baby on the way, the disappearance of Abby Love, the woman who tipped her off on the mortuary fiasco news she'd uncovered, and a journalistic nose for trouble that senses social, political, and investigative intrigue at the highest levels.
Fueled by a combination of nightmares and discoveries, Sam finds herself embarking on a quest to uncover the truth about Baby Hope's cold case murder, and the clues lead her to gruesome crime scenes, modern-day dilemmas, and a personal and professional involvement that threatens her pregnancy and tests her detective skills.
Samantha Church's revitalization of a buried case will change not only her life, but those who have knowledge of or are involved in what really happened. As Sam moves closer to discovering the identities of Baby Hope's parents in a search that revels young love's bad decisions, she finds her own presumptions about what really happened are challenged by a savvy witness who harbors some very good reasons for keeping secrets about the baby's birth and death.
Cold Case No. 99-5219 may right wrongs, but it can't change death or the consequences of actions, inactions, and bad choices. Sam faces a host of personal dilemmas as she pieces together a puzzle; and these and an attention to detail and intrigue craft a powerful mystery that is not cut and dry, but leads Sam and her readers on an unexpected journey.
Mystery fans will relish this stand-alone story that requires no prior familiarity with Samantha Church to prove satisfyingly intriguing and compellingly involving.
Cold Case No. 99-5219
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Dead
to Them
Smita Bhattacharya
Story Mirror
978-93-86305-91-6
http://www.smitabhattacharya.
Dead to Them is psychological thriller writing at its best, is set in Mumbai, and centers upon a missing woman who has either been kidnapped, murdered, or both. Unlike most thrillers, the story begins with a series of text messages to Moira's cell phone - messages that go unanswered, and which are increasingly urgent.
So how do her co-workers become involved in the mystery of her disappearance? Moira is one of management firm Brevity's star consultants, and exhibits all the traits for business success that Kartik doesn't have. He's charged by his boss to find out what happened to his star co-worker. Maybe she's had a nervous breakdown, like a year ago. Perhaps a series of threatening communiqués has evolved into something more. And maybe the truth behind her disappearance is something more sinister - something that rattles too many well-hidden skeletons in the corporate closet.
As Kartik and his colleague Kavya reluctantly embark on an investigation into Moira's life, they move ever closer to the dangerous secret she's immersed in, and encounter a level of corporate intrigue that threatens more than just Moira.
Is Moira crazy, manipulative, and conniving; or is she a victim? And can Kavya and Kartik uncover the truth without endangering themselves and everything around them? In the context of a business investigation directed by boss Himanshu Chawla, a story created as a subplot slowly blossoms to become a powerful portent of secret identities, forgery, and alternate lives created by the bored and talented.
Readers will quickly discover that Dead to Them is not your usual whodunit mystery, but probes into the heart of genius, subterfuge, and deception as it recreates the missing Moira's life and what happens when co-workers stumble into something far more complex than they'd expected, which demands an equally-brilliant thought process to solve ... skills they don't possess.
Thriller fans who delight in psychological depth are in for a treat. Dead to Them is feisty, fast-paced, unpredictable, and filled with satisfyingly unexpected twists of plot.
Dead
to Them
General
Rahmini's Dilemna One
of Saddam Hussein's top military officers is recruited to head a
suicide
mission to the U.S., and enters the country disguised as a priest. The
general
curses the luck which placed him into the hands of ISIS, to be used as
their
puppet; but as it turns out, matters takes an unexpected turn when he
winds up
in a small Montana town and is forced to live the life and represent
the
beliefs of his chosen disguise. What
transpires is a delightful departure the thriller format as an
unwilling man
with military expertise who is caught in a dilemma between ISIS and
Americans
(both of which would happily see him dead) turns adversity into an
opportunity
for something quite different than his mission dictates. Rahmini
has the ability to craft plans to create chaos and confusion in
American cities
by disrupting their power grids; but he also holds the talent for
tiptoeing
between opposing forces with his life on the line. His soldier training
means
he's not adverse to killing, but he also maintains a moral perspective
which
leads him to feel reluctant to participate in any scheme designed to
murder
innocent women and children. And he's in unfamiliar territory by
donning the
garb of an Episcopal priest, which requires him to learn new
perspectives and
approaches to properly fit into his assumed identity. As
Rahmini assumes more than the façade of a giving priest, he finds his
perspective changing - and with it, his mission. Now
he's truly facing a dilemma: one which carries thriller readers into
territory
that might be equally unfamiliar to them as General Rahmini/Priest
Rahmini find
their deepest intentions are in conflict. From
officiating over ceremonies about which he knows next to nothing to
interacting
with kind and everyday Americans, Rahmini continually finds his
purposes
challenged - but on a subconscious level; not an overt one. As
a rector, he learns about delivering the word of God. As a General,
he's
expected to fulfill his duty. And as a pawn of ISIS, he could prove
expendable
at any moment. The
dual forces of moral and ethical challenges and a hired terrorist's
intentions
clash in an outstanding thriller that rests not upon the high-octane
action of
more one-dimensional reads, but on the inner adaptations, thought
processes,
and changing mindset of a would-be terrorist. As Rahmini becomes more a
part of
American culture, even romance is not impossible. But what may be truly
unattainable is preserving his secret identity and forging a new life
in this
strangely appealing new culture. The
result is a powerful story that keeps thriller readers immersed,
sympathetic,
and empathetic and involved right up to the story's powerful
conclusion. General
Rahmini's Dilemna is highly
recommended for audiences who look for more than military-style action
and
confrontations in their political thriller reads. Sheep
Gate Prophecy Sergeant
Evans ("Jenn") is down to his last option. He is going to try to get
a job in Baltimore with a deceased military friend's uncle; the one
contact he
has in the civilian world since his sister married and has been out of
touch,
and since he was discharged from military service minus an arm. The
Andersons
generously set him up with a job, a place to live, and an invitation to
attend
their Pentecostal church, where Jenn's life is changed. He's
not new to the idea of God's presence in his life; but what is new is
a feeling of being
unconditionally loved and the promise and threat that this brings as he
finds
himself facing the biggest mission of his life. After
setting the scene with Jenn's personality and motivations, Sheep Gate Prophecy
moves into the lives
and spirituality of other characters, creating a story line that moves
from
heaven to Earth in its exploration of different worlds, perceptions,
and
purposes: "A
small glorious committee
of the angels, chosen by God Almighty, comprised of watcher, guardian,
warrior,
and healing angels in their majestically adorned robes were having an
informal
meeting to discuss their strategies for assisting Laura, when they had
been
alerted by the watcher angel about their covert reconnaissance mission
regarding the most recent Accuser meeting being held in the lower
courts. The
resplendent upper court was as dazzling and awe inspiring as the lower
court
was vile and repugnant. The room itself glowed due to the luminosity of
the
angels themselves, and darkness could not survive extinction." By
now, it should be evident that the first prerequisite for enjoying Sheep Gate Prophecy
is an affection for
religious observational pieces that include a surprising mix of
scientific
investigation, encounters with Lucifer and God, and the special
purposes of a
host of characters who interact, clash, and create new paths and
purposes as
they walk through heavenly and earthly realms. Grady,
Laura, Ryan (her husband), and Oliver (Grady's father) and others face
trial,
judgment, and literal and figurative challenges on both spiritual and
human
levels as they navigate a powerful storm of controversy and conflict
that
shakes the foundations of both worlds. The
result is a compelling religious inspection of portals, demons and Holy
Terrors
(a covert taskforce of elite warrior angels), and a renewed struggle
for the
control of heaven and earth. Fans
of religious thriller stories who like their spiritual elements to take
concrete forms with face-to-face clashes will relish Sheep Gate Prophecy
for its hard-hitting, action-packed read
which combines character growth with a story designed to shake
spiritual
foundations, lives, and perceptions.
Silver
Blood Silver
Blood is the third book
in Alex
Siegel's Paranormal Enforcement Administration series, depicting a
top-secret
government entity busy fighting paranormal threats to the country; and
it opens
with puzzle. The kidnapping of a little girl would hardly seem the kind
of
issue this agency is charged with addressing, but the team's been
called in
because this is no ordinary little girl. Her secret identity (a secret
even
from her) makes her a lethal entity that could have deadly consequences
in the
wrong hands. The
first thing to note about Silver
Blood
is that Heaven and Earth alike are involved in the fate of this
powerful
recluse. Readers familiar with the events and setting of the prior
series
titles will be well aware of this already; but newcomers who begin here
will be
surprised to learn that this paranormal setting embraces religious,
investigative, and paranormal elements alike. The
second thing to mention is that high-octane action ripples through Silver Blood
with little let-up. The very
first sentence follows Stony on a high-speed van ride as the team looks
to 'bag
a vampire', and each team member's special talents (Stony, for example,
can
make his skin hard as stone, which acts as impenetrable body armor), a
part of
their problem-solving abilities, are quickly evident as the
action-packed
events unfold. Only
one human on the planet has known what Maggie really is. Now a host of
people
are involved, and events move from the poisoning of a judge, a ghoul
which
could take down even Stony, and Maggie's increasing awareness of her
special
powers, God's energy, and evil's presence. Her growing self-awareness
mingles
with the special team's desperate mission, injecting satisfying
tension, drama,
and many unexpected twists and turns into a story that reaches beyond
both
paranormal and detective genre boundaries to create a thriller packed
with
relentless energy. Forest
chases and forts, a ceremony that slates Maggie as a ritual sacrifice,
private
eyes and top secret information in public places, and a desperate race
against
time all coalesce to bring readers a superior story that is as
mercurial as its
main characters. While
prior enthusiasts of Siegel's latest series will be the first to read Silver Blood,
his ability to inject
background and prior settings into his latest makes it equally
accessible to
newcomers. Very
highly recommended; especially for readers who like unrelenting
battles,
characters filled with powerful abilities and a story line somewhere
between a
thriller and a paranormal piece where witchcraft, secret armies, and
special
interests take center field. The
Vestals Conspiracy: A Novella The
Vestals Conspiracy is a
prequel to
Tomasz Chrusciel's Nina Monte mystery thriller series, and follows
Professor
Monte's journey to Rome when her mentor informs her of a strange
archaeological
discovery of a mosaic that needs her professional attention and her
expertise
in ancient religions. When
she arrives at Filippo Oliveri's excavation site, it's to find him
missing,
leaving behind a greater mystery than she could ever have imagined. The
mystery
involves a depiction of six Vestal Virgins who are being presented with
a gift
the last Roman king turned down. It represents a vast revision of
religious
history and poses a particular danger that immerses Nina Monte and
Filippo
Oliveri in a dangerous historical truth that tackles women's issues,
the real meaning
of the Vestal Virgins, and prophecies that make for an intriguing
thriller in
the line of The
DaVinci Code with
a dash of Indiana Jones-style intrigue. The
Vestals Conspiracy is filled with
many
twists and turns that make it hard to put down. At its heart lies the
expertise
and investigations of a professor who finds her preconceptions,
research, and
lifelong personal and professional perspectives challenged by a
startling
revelation that could change the world. As
artistic and religious masterpieces, closely-held legends, and a stolen
book
draw Nina ever further into the mystery, she needs to use all her
personal and
professional savvy to get at the heart of what really happened in
ancient times
and why it's changing everything. Just as vivid is the character of
Oliveri,
who may have discovered his life's passion in the final years of its
existence,
belaying any thoughts of retirement. This
engrossing thriller that binds history and mystery with a determined
professional woman and an aging researcher's investigation will appeal
to
newcomers to Nina Monte and Tomasz Chrusciel as well as old fans, who
receive a
fine high-octane blend of action and investigative intrigue in a story
that's
hard to put down. All
These Things: Maya Invictus Publisher
website: http://seconddharma.com While
Implicit
posed a series of trials
and legal and soul challenges, All These
Things takes a more personal turn as it uses the
courtroom scene to
examine what happens when two interconnected souls collide. As
in the first book, the story's spiritual backdrop is an inescapable and
particularly compelling facet that makes this tale recommendable not to
the
usual John Grisham-style fan of legal process, but for readers seeking
deeper
spiritual inspections of everyday life. In
this case, public defender Maya Lee's carefully-honed perspective
(which comes
from more than one lifetime) faces direct challenge when it turns out
the man
she is to defend assumes the role of a more enlightened master in her
life. Sound
intriguing? The compelling factors are just beginning in a novel about
a tough
lawyer whose greatest challenge lies not in the courtroom but in more
closely
examining her own life and perceptions. In
many ways, All
These Things
introduces her journey of enlightenment and realization and proves an
easier
book to digest than the wider-ranging Implicit.
At stake is not only her ability to trust against impossible odds
(something
she's been trained to eschew in favor of cold, hard facts), but her
ability to
grow beyond her position and training into a deeper spiritual
persona. Needless
to say, readers seeking courtroom thrillers alone may find the
spiritual and
psychological component of Maya's journey to be less high-octane than
they'd
anticipated. To bill All
These Things
as a 'courtroom drama/thriller' would not only be to do her story a
disservice:
it will attract and then disappoint readers who don't anticipate or
desire a
spiritual element to their reading. Yes,
there are plenty of legal processes and courtroom scenes; but these are
wound
into Maya's emotional and spiritual lessons about how to view the world
differently. Maya has often been credited with changing others' lives
in the
course of her professional career. Now she's challenged with
transforming her
own. As
Maya faces a terrible repressed event from her past, the reasons not
only why
she's never looked back, but why she's made the choices she has, and
the
conundrum posed by a religious revelation that resulted in a
life-destroying
disaster, readers are swept into a closer inspection of her life and
its
challenges than one might anticipate from a book replete with legal
processes. It
should also be cautioned that reading All
These Things is no quick or easy endeavor. Lest
readers begin here
without knowledge from the book's Maya predecessor, it should be
cautioned that
while many elements of a legal thriller are present, it's a story to be
digested slowly and savored in bites rather than one to be pursued at
breakneck
speed. Life's
not a race; it's a series of lessons. All
These Things will especially appeal to readers
who want to take the
time to absorb these lessons and to those who enjoy a spiritual aspect
to their
stories that keeps them in a mode of thoughtful examination and perhaps
self-inspection. This audience will relish All
These Things as both a powerful adjunct to the
opening Maya novel Implicit
and a stand-alone, winning story
about self-destruction, redemption, belief, and learning from different
lifetime incarnations. The
Chronicles of Neffie Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/ CreateSpace
Paperback:https://www.amazon. Personal
Blog:
www.bookinganita.com The
Chronicles of Neffie is
the first
of
six projected novels in which teen Neffie, a slave girl growing up in
1800s
Alabama, lives her life and observes tumultuous changes, bringing her
and her
readers into a world that pits the legendary Southern charm and
hospitality
with the harsh realities of living life as a slave. A.L.
Gibson presents this world using the first person, nicely capturing
Neffie's
encounters and the few choices she can make to influence the course of
her life
in the Deep South. The
first thing to note about this approach in general and Neffie's
character in particular
is that the teen seems both wise beyond her years and as able to
observe social
norms and changes as the white folk and slaves who move through that
world;
from their clothing to their demeanor towards one another and her
people:
"It’s not
sumthin’ I would wear or
would ever get the chance to wear. Ain’t no dress like that
meant for no
slave. Rags only. As she walked up to the front porch to greet
everyone, I
couldn’t help but to notice that there was a niceness to her. She
smiled and
greeted everyone out there just the same and she looked you right in
the eye.
It didn’t matta if you were White or a slave. She saw you for who you
are. A
human-being. I sure wish there were more White folks like her around
these
parts because we could use it." Neffie's
dialect is well-done and clear, reflecting Southern lingo without
becoming
confusing. That's a plus in a title which will likely will be read by
teens
unused to dialects. The
second strength of The
Chronicles of Neffie
lies in its ability to take Neffie's perspective and wind it into the
greater
social, cultural and political changes that take place in a whirlwind
around
her. Neffie doesn't just speak about the white overlords that control
her life;
she also reflects on other choices slaves make in the process of
survival; and
it's these comments that lend The Chronicles
of Neffie a depth and insight that more singular
approaches can't
touch: "Somebody
needs to come buy Miss
Reisa and get her from around these parts. She don’t do nuthin’ but
stir up
trouble and sleep around with some of these ole White men that have
been
hanging around here lately. I guess Quaid must’ve told them about her
so now
they wanna try her out. That’s on her. Miss Reisa is dumb enough to do
it.
She’s giving herself a bad name and the rest of us girl slaves. These
no-good
White men around here are gonna think we’re all the same. It’s bad
enough being
a slave girl down here in the South, no need to make it worse." Neffie
is wise beyond her years as she observes the impact Miss Reisa makes
and those
choices and actions that belay her thirty-five years of life
experience. But
are Neffie's intelligence and survival skills enough? She's in a lot of
trouble, and there is no clear path to resolution in this powerful
story that
blends a slave girl's coming of age with bigger-picture history from a
Southerner's personal perspective. Readers
of slave stories and early civil rights history will find The Chronicles of Neffie
replete with
action and an observational style that immerses one in Neffie's
encounters with
White people right up to an unexpected conclusion that twists Neffie's
familiar
world into another realm. Implicit:
Soul Invictus Publisher
website: http://seconddharma. Readers
of spiritual fiction and fantasy about reincarnation, mystical visions,
and
driving forces that span millennia will relish Implicit:
Soul Invictus; a past-life thriller that moves
across time to
embrace the true purpose of Maya's many lives. If
this already sounds complicated, be advised that under another hand, Implicit: Soul Invictus
might well have
proved a challenge to absorb, with its winding and ever-changing
setting and
lessons. Mark Tiro, however, provides a realistic attention to Maya's
own
struggle to find and accept her destiny, creating believable and
absorbing
links to all that transpires and reinforcing some of the Course in
Miracles
concepts. Readers
need have no prior familiarity with the Course in Miracles to
successfully
absorb Maya's story, however. Her story begins with her incarnation as
a
teacher who is often at odds with her students and especially with one
clever
psychopath who decides to manipulate her for a better grade.
It's not the
spiritual seeker personality and opening one anticipates from a story
about
soul journeys and uncovering life purpose. This
reality-based introduction progresses through further lifetimes and
scenarios,
from ancient Rome to vivid rebirth processes that bring Maya into
different
lives that hold familiar patterns. Sabine,
Diana, Yoshio. Legal challenges won and lost. Arrogance faced down or
victorious. There may be no wrong choices; but there are different
forms of
illusions, and as Maya strips away the veils of her many lives, she
undertakes
an ancient journey in an unexpected blend of philosophy with a touch of
romance
that's heavy in spiritual inquiry. As
the journey takes over and Maya repeats many of her past life courses,
the
powerful story blossoms as Maya contemplates the lessons she receives
about
anger, setting aside judgments, and pursuing love. While
anyone with a prior interest in a novel about reincarnated lives will
appreciate a story line that traverses history as its character pursues
her
life purpose and its lessons, it's the reader already grounded in the
concepts
of the Course in Miracles who will find this fictional incarnation of
many of
its concepts so striking. Maya's
journey is just beginning, and her feisty, determined personality
shines in a
series of events designed to keep readers immersed and thinking right
up to the
end (...which may be only the beginning). The
Language of Bears Goodreads: https://www. Author
Blog: https://eidswick.blog/ The
Language of Bears Book 1: the Polyps of Christ
may be difficult to easily categorize, with its blend of
literary
perspective,
philosophical and spiritual insight, and a degree of intellectualism
not
ordinarily seen in fiction; but readers who enjoy all these elements
are in for
a rare treat. Adam
is a 17th century New England Puritan farmer who leads a sedate and
ordinary
life until he discovers a television in the woods, which leads to his
downfall. The
religious references are thought-provoking and often whimsical
reflections.
Adam Green is a farmer with very simple needs ("All he ever wanted was peace and
all life had ever given him was
horseshit.") who finds himself in an impossible
situation. How
do you describe a television set from the perspective of another era
where TV
never existed? John Eidswick's attention to detail is just one example
of the
kind of approach and perspective that keeps readers delightfully
intrigued as
this thought-provoking story evolves: "It
wasn’t a hive. There were no bees. The noise was not of many small
things but
of one big thing. It was trilling frantically from within, thousands of
tiny dots
prancing and skittering in—on?—the creature’s middle. Gnats? Adam
grabbed at
the thought, trying to find anything to explain the impossibility in
front of
him. The body of the creature was the strangest of all, devilishly
unnatural,
squared off like a dough box, black as the scars of the scorched oaks,
fine-angled as saw teeth... The
dots vanished. They didn’t fly away, didn’t go anywhere, yet they were
gone.
And more unfathomable was that in their place another thing appeared,
all pink
and familiar and smiling through the leaves. It was a human head. And
it spoke
to him. " As
unholy elements enter his life and challenge his peaceful existence and
the
land he's come to love, Adam faces accusations of witchcraft, a bid for
the
black gold that's seeping through his land, and encounters with complex
characters and family members that change everything he's taken for
granted
about his life and its progression. It
should be noted that the ethereal nature and religious, philosophical,
and
fantasy elements that permeate The Language
of Bears are described in detail in a
story line that is which
is filled with succinct, thought-provoking images and moments,
representing
literary fiction at its best example. Readers used to light drama from
their
leisure choices might find the story line less one-dimensional than
their usual
reads. The
Language of Bears is
more about exploring challenges to the nature of reality and perception
itself,
examining the kinds of choices that lead people (and bears) beyond the
borders
of their expectations and familiar definitions of life. There's plenty
of
action, from battles to beehives to thwarting skinners, but these
events
illustrate richer context and meaning as the story progresses. Characters
are well-drawn and wonderfully rich in detail, dialogue and plot
progression
are powerfully depicted, and the subtle power and social issues bring
to mind
Orson Scott Card's Prentice
Alvin,
to name one 'read-alike'. Take
an early American world, inject a modern American technological wonder,
challenge character lives and expectations, then sit back and watch the
conundrums evolve. Lyrical
language, hard-hitting descriptions, and a story that moves from Adam's
discovery to its impact on George, Hildegard, and others who are
imprisoned and
affected by the clash between imagination and reality are hallmarks of
a
literary piece that blends weird fiction with an alternative Eden
threatened by
forces beyond ken. The
Language of Bears is
delightfully
original and satisfyingly unpredictable: highly recommended reading not
for
those who look for superficial action, but for readers who delight in
finding
an original voice that excels in alternative history and unique
perspectives. Love
of Finished Years Love
of Finished Years takes
place
before
World War I and focuses on sweat shop worker Elsa, who faces a better
life for
herself when opportunity arises to work for a rich family in Long
Island. Immigrant
experiences on New York's Ellis Island merge with Elsa's awakening and
transformation in a gentle story that is as much a novel of
German-Americans
facing war in Europe and their reinvention process in a strange new
land as it
is about the microcosm of a young girl's battle for a better
life. As
romance emerges to tie everything together, a poignant and powerful
force in
her world compels her to re-examine her hopes, dreams, and the changing
social
and political atmosphere that creates a backlash against everything she
values. In
many ways, Love
of Finished Years
mirrors many of the events happening in modern-day Ameria. It also
deftly
portrays several generations of a German immigrant's family and their
different
perspectives on life events. Elsa speaks to her parents in German, but
successfully navigates American social circles. She isn't as likely to
marry
(her mother believes) as her sister Sonja; because she works. Her
mother is
also involved in a women's strike for better conditions at the garment
workers'
factories, so Elsa's perspective on her future is quite different than
her
sister's experiences. Her
activist mother holds a lion's heart: "You
cannot do it alone,” her mother said. "America is ready to give women a
chance, but we must fight for it." A woman
involved in battle
for economic and social identity is less likely to find herself wed -
or, is
she? Spies
and American military operations, blackmail against German-Americans in
America, and evolving threats against 'Kaiser-lovers' in this country
form the
backdrop of a powerful story of family connections and those who would
do good
against forces of prejudice and conflict. Elsa
experiences two drastic changes in her life: coming to America and
building new
connections. Can she persevere against the forces that would rip apart
this new
life, love, and family? Especially
intriguing is the manner in which Gregory Erich Phillips presents
changing
immigrant experiences and perceptions between different generations of
the same
family. Such dynamics are intricately explored against the broader
backdrop of
World War I's emergence, making for a powerful historical novel that
follows
ethnic Germans navigating a changing America in the face of prejudice
and fear. Historical
novel readers who appreciate strong family ties and romantic interludes
will
relish the dance between rising sentiments on all sides which is
carefully
presented in Love
of Finished Years,
a story designed to reveal the hopes, fears, and logic of actions and
choices
made on all sides. The
Lübecker The
Lübecker takes place
just before
World
War 1 and portrays a sundry group of characters who each struggle with
their
own lives and destinies on the cusp of a war that engulfs their
families and
lives. The
first thing to note about The
Lübecker
is that its epic, sweeping visions are anything but easy reads. M.J.
Joseph is
serious about portraying a wide range of individuals and circumstances
that
grapple both with their worlds and with the consequences of greater
decisions
made by others; and so the cast of characters is complicated and
diverse. Among
them is a young doctor who struggles with a forbidden love in Florida
and
eight-year-old David Rosenberg and his family, of the northern German
city of
Lübeck, who all face their own life challenges. It
should be noted that The
Lübecker
is as much a literary work as an epic history. As Joseph flushes out
her
characters against the milieu of a changing world, readers gain a
series of
insights that move from a young military man's entry into war ("He did soon, however, begin to
feel the excitement of
the new possibilities available to him: new people to know, a foreign
world to
explore, and the prospect of interesting work to demand his attention.
Wisdom
and suffering, he remembered from his dream. He pushed the recollection
aside
in his mind, shaking his head and concentrating on removing his boots
to free
his sweat-conjoined toes and offer the room a whiff of real life.")
to the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of characters who adapt to these
changes:
"He sat on the
foredeck of the little
ship, and between naps, he was finally able to brush the questions from
his
mind, accepting the events of his life as steps forward. Wouldn’t life
end if
he achieved an ultimate goal? He decided that his natural, judicious
combativeness was more important than solving the riddle of his
destiny. He
would just keep the philosopher at bay, and get on with life, as always." All
this is brought to life in a narrative that moves deftly through
different
settings and events, exposing the encounters and clashes between
different
peoples. Readers
seeking a sweeping historical novel that highlights the social,
spiritual and political
challenges of the World War I era will find the time invested in
reading The
Lübecker is time well spent. The Lübecker
is very highly recommended
for its ability to move beyond the trappings of romance, military, or
social
experience to embrace elements of all three as it pursues its
characters across
changing landscapes. Night
Music Still
struggling with her loss and the ongoing war, Char enters college and
begins to
date her brother's best friend, who is an anti-war activist. Her life
is not
destined to become predictable, however, because a stranger comes to
town and
brings with him a different perspective and an opportunity for
healing. Night
Music blends a romance
theme with
turbulent social times and the impact of Vietnam on different lives and
small-town America, in particular. Although one might anticipate, from
the
introductory age of its protagonist, that this is a teen read, one of
the special
notes to Night
Music is that it
incorporates many wider-ranging issues beyond romance and Vietnam-era
politics
alone, and will reach women readers in their 20s, 30s and 40s as they
follow
Char's evolutionary process. As
peaceful protests break down, out of control, and Char finds her life
equally
chaotic and torn from its familiar roots, Joe, Char and Deke must make
some
hard choices about their own actions, inactions, and futures. Night
Music is about a special
period of
time in a girl's life as she comes of age and grows older in a
turbulent era
marked by protests and life-changing events. Char's search for answers
she can
live with mirrors much of the struggles of her times and makes for as
involving
a read as the injection of romance, jealousy, and conflict that stems
from her
choices. Adult
readers will find her development an especially compelling read that
successfully captures the nuances, influences, and cultural and social
turmoil
of the Vietnam era. There's
a Hole There's
a Hole: A Sarjent Family Chronicle
is Christian family reading at its best and depicts a happy family
living
peacefully on a hill above a town. There are strong family ties and
family
values in their universe, and all is well until the children dig up
some bones
in the backyard, evoking a mystery and a conundrum that changes their
lives. A
wry sense of humor permeates this discussion, which is anything but a
murder
mystery or the usual approach of a faith-based story. The characters
are quirky
even as they exhibit ordinary concerns. Family patriarch Mr. Sarjent
would
rather focus on family life and church than murder; but Mrs. Sarjent
commands him
and his sheriff friend to uncover the truth behind the bones. This
leads them all on an adventure to confront death, whodunit, and
investigative
skills Mr. Sarjent would rather not know he has; all commanded by the
determination of "the Lady" of the house: "This has gone far enough....You
couldn't help what
they found in back, but now someone else has been killed, practically
in front
of us. I don't like it." "What would you like me to do?" I ask.
She gives me the look, the one which means I'm supposed to be smart,
brainy,
nearly a genius. "Stop this. Look into it and find out who's doing
these
things." Yes, dear. Sherlock Holmes at my lady's service."
"Sherlock Holmes," she says, "did not have children to protect." People
are dead and dying around him. All Mr. Sarjent wants to do is have his
old life
back: quality time with good family meals and the happy, carefree world
they
once knew. How can he make his world return to normal? There's
a Hole is delightfully
original,
quirky, fun, and thought-provoking all in one. While the characters are
cemented by their family values and Christian faith, this is just one
facet of
the story line, which is more than accessible to anyone outside the
faith
seeking a good, wholesome, funny, pointed mystery. The
greater story about the shape of a family man's world and the thin
borders that
define it and keep it safe is nicely wound into a tale that keeps
readers
amused and involved with a blend of whimsy and intrigue that eschews
the usual
formula mystery genre writing style and skirts any sense of preaching
or
heavy-handed spiritual or philosophical questions. All
Mr. Sarjent wants is to be happy with his family. Is that too much to
ask?
Readers uncover the answer just as the kids uncovered an unexpected
problem in
this very highly recommended story which is filled with whimsical
twists and
turns and a plot that keeps readers thoroughly immersed to the
end.
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Benson Grayson
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B077YT1DLQ
$2.99
http://a.co/ifPXkiL
General
Rahmini's Dilemna
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Dr. JE Van Horn
Privately Published
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Alex Siegel
Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07883P4XB
$2.99
http://a.co/bk2hZvi
Silver
Blood
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Tomasz Chrusciel
Agato House
978-0-9929574-5-2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
The
Vestals Conspiracy: A Novella
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Mark Tiro
Ebook: 978-1-948037-02-0
Paperback: 978-1-948037-03-7
Second Dharma Books
Author website: http://MarkTiro.com
Maya's overall story and life in the first book, Implicit: Soul Invictus,
sets the stage for a slightly
different focus in Book Two, All These
Things: Maya Invictus, which focuses on Maya's
role as a young trial
lawyer charged with defending one David from a murder
accusation.
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A.L. Gibson
Amazon Digital
ASIN: B07916STHF
iBooks:https://itunes.apple.
Amazon
Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/
Smashwords:https://www.
The
Chronicles of Neffie
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Mark Tiro
Ebook: 978-1-948037-01-3
Paperback:
978-1-948037-00-6
$14.99
4.99-Kindle Ebook (and free to read in Kindle Unlimited)
Second Dharma Books
Author website: http://MarkTiro.com
Implicit:
Soul Invictus
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John Eidswick
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN:
B075L6BFBQ
$4.95
978-1549736179
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/
The
Language of Bears
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Gregory Erich Phillips
Sillan Pace Brown Group, LLC
978-1-64058-011-4
$18.95
www.sillanpacebrown.com
Love
of Finished Years
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M. J. Joseph
The Peppertree Press
978-1-61493-524-7
$26.95 Paper;
$34.95 Hardcover
http://a.co/2T00ti2
There's a deeply rooted philosophical tone that permeates events and
observations,
and there's also a reflective series of insights provided about lost
and new
connections, budding romances, and the experiences of military and
civilians
alike: "As he
turned toward the swamps,
he knew that his rendezvous with the Indians would be dangerous, but if
Witt’s
intelligence was correct that the British planned to move the naval gun
in
place near Kantana, its presence would almost nullify any attempt to
capture
the east side of the canal. He must be successful in disproving this
information
or destroying the gun, David thought. After four hours of traveling, he
settled
his train of camels and rested until dawn, when he would make
navigational
observations and care for the animals. The rest of the day would
involve
constant vigilance and water."
The
Lübecker
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Deanna Lynn Sletten
Deanna Lynn Sletten, Publisher
eBook:
978-1-941212-30-1
$4.99
Paperback: 978-1-941212-33-2 $14.99
https://www.deannalsletten.
What does a sixteen-year-old girl do when she loses her brother to the
Vietnam
War? In Night
Music, she joins a
group of college women who correspond with solders and begins
communicating
with soldier Joseph; only to have him vanish, as well.
Charlotte's letters began something that seems never-ending,
sending
her in
unexpected directions as she contemplates the long-lasting effects of
Vietnam,
the changes in her life because of it, and casual friendships that turn
into
something greater.
Night
Music
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James Sarjent
CreateSpace
9781874398416
$9.49 paper, $3.99 ebook
www.amazon.com
There's
a Hole
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TITLE
13, A Novel
Michael A. Ferro
Harvard Square Editions
978-1-941861-46-2
$22.95
www.amazon.com
http://harvardsquareeditions.
TITLE 13, A Novel is frighteningly realistic, opens with the leak of a top-secret government document, and pairs an unexpectedly wry, ironic sense of humor with an observational piece about mental illness, government operations, and societal fragility, as evidenced very early on in a description of events that are especially succinct and thought-provoking: "Once even a single page of TITLE 13 paperwork is lost, it is not long before a ripple effect spreads among the populace, targeting the lives of a select poor few and ushering in an enhanced form of absurd chaos only known within the likes of the United States federal government."
But to call this a political expose or thriller would be too pat of an answer to the question of what drives TITLE 13, because its ongoing examination is much more than a sequence of events. It's a series of psychological insights that takes common perceptions about democracies and their peoples and gives them closer examination: "One of the reasons that so many people loathe the United States government is that it is a massive hoarder of personal information—like some jaded recluse stockpiling damning evidence on the world at large,” Heald said to Miłosz while he packed away his paperwork for the day. “Every single embarrassing love letter that you’ve ever written or received, every horrifying account statement or profession of greed, every damning secret you’ve buried in a shoebox and tucked away in some forgotten closet at home—that is what the federal government embodies to your average cynical tax-paying member of the American public. Too much is known by too many, and our paranoia is enhanced by the simple fact that we can never know just who knows what.”
This winning approach is backed by changes in format and style throughout the text, which take the form of news alerts, transcripts, interviews, and approaches that take familiar types of events and add doses of wry examination and irony to bring them to life: "FLOHARD: Do you have any news concerning the missing TITLE 13 information? JOHNSTON: Well, not yet, but I’m sure that it will come up soon. You’ll find that the party responsible for losing it is no one under my supervision. Regardless, I’m confident that one of my people will turn it up. My goodness, what a stunning brooch you have there! Might I just— FLOHARD: You say that you don’t think that the leak was from within your department? JOHNSTON: No, ma’am. Not with one of my people directly. FLOHARD: And just why is that your conclusion? JOHNSTON: Well, you see, I don’t run a ship so loose into the wind. My ship is tight. I have a ship-shape ship. My sails are— "
Even given the current political climate in Washington and its serious implications, it's impossible for even the most concerned citizen not to find continuous insights, hilarious moments, and a resonating force within TITLE 13. Like a horrific accident, it draws spectators who might feel unwilling to observe, on one level; yet who are fascinated as events unfold, on another.
It's this ability to elicit that blend of concern, horror, and insight from his readers that keeps Michael A. Ferro's story the perfect example of a individual and political catastrophe in the making, mirroring modern events from a delightfully fresh series of changing perspectives - especially from the perspective of the leaker himself, who is described as a 'harbinger of doom' and the 'apogee of destruction'. The investigation will keep readers on their toes while Heald's actions and reflections add a personal pivot point to cement events as they unfold.
Readers who enjoy stories of political and individual blundering and irony should run, not walk, to TITLE 13: it's a hard-hitting story wrapped in a unique voice that makes it nearly impossible to put down.
TITLE 13, A Novel
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The
Stupendous Adventures of Mighty Marty Hayes
Lora L. Hyler
Henschel
HAUS
Publishing, Inc.
9781595985880
$13.95
www.hylercommunications.com/
The Stupendous Adventures of Mighty Marty Hayes revolves around a middle school science experiment gone awry, Marty's struggle with his newly evolving superpowers, his attraction to a girl in his class, and a school bully - among other things.
While middle grade leisure readers will be lured by the story's superpower theme, there are many other subplots and adventures that Marty experiences on an emotional, educational, and technological level that make for a multi-faceted, well-rounded adventure story that goes far beyond a singular approach. A multicultural cast of superheroes, and spy gadgets on full display, aid the story.
While The Stupendous Adventures seems like a complex read with so many elements entwined, one of its pleasures is that the story's progression is logical and compelling, from the realistic portrait of Marty's first day in 7th grade in an era when the Zika virus is big news to his fascination with CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technique which his advanced science class is investigating.
Marty's prowess in navigating science, his evolving and uncertain powers, and life in general are central themes in a fast-paced adventure that follows his romp through maturity and a rapidly-changing world, and these elements, combined with a hearty attention to strong character development, keep young hearts and minds engrossed in his story.
Marty's family is as much a part of his adventure as his peers and classmates; and this too is a fine highlight: his actions and choices don't take place in a vacuum of peer relationships; but embrace the entirety of his world and everything he holds dear. Young readers get a dose of history as they learn of past spies of color, and how Marty’s Granny used her superpowers to aid Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Smartphones and superpowers, adults who struggle to understand and support Marty's evolutionary process, and missions involving spy manuals and games in the name of science coalesce in a vivid and engrossing tale filled with satisfying twists and turns as well as subliminal messages on choices and consequences.
Middle grade readers who pick up The Stupendous Adventures of Mighty Marty Hayes expecting a one-dimensional story of a young would-be scientist/superhero will find the read exciting, stimulating, and a powerful probe of heroism's roots and friendship's special challenges; highly recommended as a standout tale.
The Stupendous Adventures of Mighty Marty Hayes
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Wild
Youth Wild
Youth features twelve short stories
that are quite different from the coming-of-age sagas that might be
anticipated
from the book's title.
Mike Craig
Finch Field Drake Publishers
9781775123729 $11.99
www.amazon.com
For one thing, Mike Craig sets his stories in locations around the world, giving each tale a different setting and focus which reflects the nuances and atmospheres of different nations.
Take, for example, 'The School Uniform'. The young overseas protagonist's father has taken a job in the U.S., it's already been a year since his son has seen him (and it may be several more years before they meet again), and his family's lives are affected by both from his absence and because of the privilege they enjoy from having more money, which allows the son to go to a private bilingual Spanish/English school while some of his peers work or haunt the streets for food.
When he befriends a poor boy and gives him food, his school uniform betrays him in a big way, and he receives a hard lesson about poverty and class separation.
This isn’t what one expects: the 'wild' youth isn't 'wild' in the usual sense, and the lesson learned is anything but common.
Each story explores families, friendships, and social issues from a youngster's perspective, creating a literary lesson in children's' courage, their ability to adapt, and vastly different perspectives in the world.
These are not your typical coming-of-age stories, but powerful, succinct short stories of how each young protagonist encounters a different challenge that results in a lesson that changes him.
Hauntingly revealing and diverse in its experiences, yet unified by the specter of youths at different crossroads, Wild Youth is recommended reading for high school into adult circles, and is especially suggested as discussion material for high school classrooms involved in blends of literary and social studies.
Wild Youth
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