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Donovan's Bookshelf

February 2018 Review Issue


Table Of Contents

Prime Picks
Reviewer's Choice
Fantasy & Sci Fi
History
Mystery & Thrillers
Novels
Young Adult/Childrens

Reviewer's Choice

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.dailydoseofmindfulmoments.com/ 

Ordering Link: https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Dose-Mindful-Moments-Mindfulness-ebook/dp/B078RV7LJP/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1515088773&sr=8-7&keywords=barbara+larrivee+books 

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.com   

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!

Return to Index


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/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001156450 

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

Return to Index


Surviving Cancer
John M. Poothullil, MD
New Insights Press
978-0-9984850-2-7                $14.95
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

Return to Index


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

Return to Index


The Telling Image
Lois Farfel Stark
Greenleaf Book Group Press
9781626344716             $27.95
www.LoisFStark.com 

www.gbgpress.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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Fantasy & Sci Fi

Time Candle
Veronica Dale
Nika Press
978-0-9969-521-4-9               $14.99 Paper
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

Return to Index



History

The Warrior Culture and the Indian Wars and Depredations
Edward Osborne
History Publishing Company
ASIN: B076B4V513         $8.99
http://a.co/23KCGnF 

www.edwardosborne.com 

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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Mystery & Thrillers

Blood Horse
Christopher Thomas
CreateSpace
978-1974687961            $10.00
Ordering link (UK) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Horse-Mr-Christopher-Thomas/dp/1974687961/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1512910838&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+horse  

Ordering link (US) - https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Horse-Mr-Christopher-Thomas/dp/1974687961/ref=sr_1_210?ie=UTF8&qid=1512911070&sr=8-210&keywords=blood+horse+book 

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.bettaferrendellibooks.com/cold-case-no-99-5219 

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               $4.25 (paperback), $1.99 (Kindle)
http://www.smitabhattacharya.com/

www.amazon.com 

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

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General Rahmini's Dilemna
Benson Grayson
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B077YT1DLQ             $2.99
http://a.co/ifPXkiL 

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. 


General Rahmini's Dilemna

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Sheep Gate Prophecy
Dr. JE Van Horn
Privately Published 

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.

Sheep Gate Prophecy

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Silver Blood
Alex Siegel
Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07883P4XB              $2.99
http://a.co/bk2hZvi 

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. 


Silver Blood

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The Vestals Conspiracy: A Novella
Tomasz Chrusciel
Agato House
978-0-9929574-5-2                $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077XFLZJ3 

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. 


The Vestals Conspiracy: A Novella

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Novels

All These Things: Maya Invictus
Mark Tiro
Ebook: 978-1-948037-02-0           $4.99
Paperback: 978-1-948037-03-7    $11.99
Second Dharma Books
Author website: http://MarkTiro.com 

Publisher website: http://seconddharma.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. 

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.

All These Things: Maya Invictus

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The Chronicles of Neffie
A.L. Gibson
Amazon Digital
ASIN: B07916STHF                     $2.99 Kindle
iBooks:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1330802489
Amazon Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Neffie-L-Gibson-ebook/dp/B07916STHF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516235508&sr=8-1&keywords=neffie 
Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=neffie 

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-chronicles-of-neffie 

CreateSpace Paperback:https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Neffie-1-L-Gibson/dp/1981896732/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516235508&sr=8-2&keywords=neffie 

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. 


The Chronicles of Neffie

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Implicit: Soul Invictus
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 

Publisher website: http://seconddharma.com  

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). 


Implicit: Soul Invictus

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The Language of Bears 
John Eidswick
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B075L6BFBQ             $4.95
978-1549736179                    $14.99
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/LANGUAGE-BEARS-John-Eidswick-ebook/dp/B075L6BFBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513205129&sr=8-1&keywords=Language+of+Bears

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36332085-the-language-of-bears 

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. 


The Language of Bears 

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Love of Finished Years
Gregory Erich Phillips
Sillan Pace Brown Group, LLC
978-1-64058-011-4         $18.95
www.sillanpacebrown.com 

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. 


Love of Finished Years

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The Lübecker
M. J. Joseph
The Peppertree Press
978-1-61493-524-7         $26.95 Paper; $34.95 Hardcover
http://a.co/2T00ti2

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."

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." 

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. 


The Lübecker

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Night Music
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.com/night-music-a-novel.html

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 


Night Music

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There's a Hole
James Sarjent
CreateSpace
9781874398416             $9.49 paper, $3.99 ebook
www.amazon.com 

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. 


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.org/portfolio-items/title-13/ 

http://www.michaelaferro.com/  

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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Young Adult/Childrens

The Stupendous Adventures of Mighty Marty Hayes
Lora L. Hyler
Henschel
HAUS Publishing, Inc.

9781595985880             $13.95
www.hylercommunications.com/creative 

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
Mike Craig
Finch Field Drake Publishers
9781775123729      $11.99
www.amazon.com 

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. 

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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