January 2014 Review Issue
Table Of
Contents
Biography
& Autobiography
The
Ambivalent Memoirist: Obsessions Digressions Epiphanies
Sandra Hurtes
It's intriguing to note that The Ambivalent Memoirist began as an autobiographical writing blog (“Finding My Place Through Writing and Teaching”) documenting the author's process of using the cathartic writing process to evolve in her own life and career. Sandra Hurtes' account of this evolution documents her move away from home and pursuit of her writing goals: "…I took baby steps toward being a writer. The first sentence I wrote was: When I caught my mother smuggling three boxes of strawberries, a cantaloupe, and a bunch of grapes she had hidden under her blouse into my refrigerator I was out of control. The written words were my grasp at autonomy."
During the process of this evolution, Hurtes realizes early on that her ambivalence about herself and life holds the power to create an undecided life where everything is fluid and nothing quite evolves into success: "Then I settled further into a life where my yeses and nos were all mixed up….in that moment in front of Papaya King, Ann and I were two young women on the brink of everything—although Ann was a “yes” person and I was a “no.” I gazed across a Manhattan I wanted to inhabit. Not doing so was a turning point that didn’t turn."
As her life and expertise as a writer progress, Hurtes learns the mechanics of converting her impulse towards 'no' into one that embraces 'yes', and also comes to realize the sources of these impulses and their consequences: "I replied: Yes Yes Yes. For one of the few times in my life, I asked no one for advice. I signed an agreement, and that was that. I didn’t know that “co-publishing” was an eloquent term for self-publishing; it didn’t matter what it meant. I needed something great to happen in those early days after my father died, and there it was—my book."
From a legacy of pain from her Jewish immigrant parents to connecting the writing process to her life's evolution, Hurtes is at her strongest when making these observational, insightful examinations of how writing changes her world: "In the weeks since my father’s passing, I’m being revised. My insights and understanding of him change so swiftly, I can’t keep up."
Her evolving insights about her family heritage, her place in the world within and apart from this legacy, and its effects on her life choices are the driving force behind The Ambivalent Memoirist: "Like all children of survivors, I was handed a task at my birth: to understand and love the person my father was before while interacting with the parent who bore the aftereffects. On this sunny Sunday morning, the Holocaust is alive. It breathes and sighs upon me."
From being a writer and a teacher to the ongoing challenges she faces in the process of evolving her personality and career, Hurtes captures her world in deft paragraphs that will resonate with any who search for meaning and direction in their lives: "My friends tell me I’ll still be me wherever I go. They say “searching” is part of my personality. So, too, is indecisiveness and saying no. I hate these things about myself….(sic) There are so many ways to live one’s life. If I’m not careful I can spend mine waiting, not quite alive until I get to there. My gut is still not talking to me."
How can one produce a memoir, much less a coherent life, with the inability to effectively choose and say 'yes' to options and opportunities which are the best matches? Expectations, entitlement, and spiritual and romantic explorations permeate an account filled with enlightenment, insights, and hope to inspire fellow seekers to understand the influences that lead to a writer's skills.
Any who are driven to the pen and who want a revealing saga of one author's journey toward teaching, writing, and self-realization will find The Ambivalent Memoirist packed with vivid, compelling insights: "The thing about living in the center of the world is that it wasn’t always my own life I was in the middle of."
Hot link to above review:
Sandra Hurtes
It's intriguing to note that The Ambivalent Memoirist began as an autobiographical writing blog (“Finding My Place Through Writing and Teaching”) documenting the author's process of using the cathartic writing process to evolve in her own life and career. Sandra Hurtes' account of this evolution documents her move away from home and pursuit of her writing goals: "…I took baby steps toward being a writer. The first sentence I wrote was: When I caught my mother smuggling three boxes of strawberries, a cantaloupe, and a bunch of grapes she had hidden under her blouse into my refrigerator I was out of control. The written words were my grasp at autonomy."
During the process of this evolution, Hurtes realizes early on that her ambivalence about herself and life holds the power to create an undecided life where everything is fluid and nothing quite evolves into success: "Then I settled further into a life where my yeses and nos were all mixed up….in that moment in front of Papaya King, Ann and I were two young women on the brink of everything—although Ann was a “yes” person and I was a “no.” I gazed across a Manhattan I wanted to inhabit. Not doing so was a turning point that didn’t turn."
As her life and expertise as a writer progress, Hurtes learns the mechanics of converting her impulse towards 'no' into one that embraces 'yes', and also comes to realize the sources of these impulses and their consequences: "I replied: Yes Yes Yes. For one of the few times in my life, I asked no one for advice. I signed an agreement, and that was that. I didn’t know that “co-publishing” was an eloquent term for self-publishing; it didn’t matter what it meant. I needed something great to happen in those early days after my father died, and there it was—my book."
From a legacy of pain from her Jewish immigrant parents to connecting the writing process to her life's evolution, Hurtes is at her strongest when making these observational, insightful examinations of how writing changes her world: "In the weeks since my father’s passing, I’m being revised. My insights and understanding of him change so swiftly, I can’t keep up."
Her evolving insights about her family heritage, her place in the world within and apart from this legacy, and its effects on her life choices are the driving force behind The Ambivalent Memoirist: "Like all children of survivors, I was handed a task at my birth: to understand and love the person my father was before while interacting with the parent who bore the aftereffects. On this sunny Sunday morning, the Holocaust is alive. It breathes and sighs upon me."
From being a writer and a teacher to the ongoing challenges she faces in the process of evolving her personality and career, Hurtes captures her world in deft paragraphs that will resonate with any who search for meaning and direction in their lives: "My friends tell me I’ll still be me wherever I go. They say “searching” is part of my personality. So, too, is indecisiveness and saying no. I hate these things about myself….(sic) There are so many ways to live one’s life. If I’m not careful I can spend mine waiting, not quite alive until I get to there. My gut is still not talking to me."
How can one produce a memoir, much less a coherent life, with the inability to effectively choose and say 'yes' to options and opportunities which are the best matches? Expectations, entitlement, and spiritual and romantic explorations permeate an account filled with enlightenment, insights, and hope to inspire fellow seekers to understand the influences that lead to a writer's skills.
Any who are driven to the pen and who want a revealing saga of one author's journey toward teaching, writing, and self-realization will find The Ambivalent Memoirist packed with vivid, compelling insights: "The thing about living in the center of the world is that it wasn’t always my own life I was in the middle of."
Hot link to above review:
Business
Essential
Money Guidebook
Wes Karchut and Darby Karchut
Copper Square Studios
ISBN: 978-0-9741145-1-4 Price: $16.95
www.DarbyKarchut.com
Essential Money Guidebook: Simple and Sustainable Personal Finance for Real People might seem like another basic primer covering basic financial savvy, but it's not: it's packed with clear analysis of differences between traditional money management approaches and lifestyle changes and blends money management into overall goals. As such, it offers many hard-hitting ideas right off the bat: "The goal of this book is to spare you from the tedium of money management boot camps and makeovers. If instead, you make the right financial moves at the right time, your results will far exceed any of those possible from the penny-pinching chores that typically pass for sound financial advice. If you could care less about personal finance, but you also acknowledge that you need to know a little something about it, then this book is for you."
Chapters teach the basics of making better money choices no matter what one's lifestyle. All of this takes time, not quick idealistic perspectives; so one thing readers need to be prepared to do is to think of long-term goals and long-ranging solutions to achieving them - not 'get rich quick' ideas that involve a minimum of change.
It's also surprising to note that "…ninety percent of what you learn will improve your financial situation without any lifestyle changes, and without regard to your current financial condition…" Much of what is taught here involves very basic ideas such as avoiding spending traps, understanding what credit scores mean, avoiding financial scams and identity theft, and getting the most out of retirement income.
Readers think these topics pertain primarily to wealthy individuals will have to think again: this book assumes no degree of prior wealth, little financial savvy, and explains the myths and realities of money management in a way that simplifies ideas and processes.
Among the many topics covered are ones any family experiences, from locating the best educational value and understanding loan terms when borrowing money to estimating future retirement spending and understanding the media's effects on individual investment decisions.
The sections covering common financial scams are particularly important as they reveal common threads scams share and how to recognize and thwart them.
The authors hold extensive experience in education, business and finance: their shared experiences lend to a guide that advocates the 'right way' to make financial decisions in life, from student loans to jobs, buying a home and making investment decisions.
Now, plenty of financial planning titles cover strategies and provide insights on how the financial world works. What differentiates Essential Money Guidebook: Simple and Sustainable Personal Finance for Real People from others is its attention to simplicity and perspectives that involve neither get-rich-quick schemes nor complex financial insider savvy. Ordinary folk from all walks of life can use this approach to hone in on the basics of successful money management without the usual complexities a financial management guide often lends: and that's the joy of Essential Money Guidebook.
It's recommended for anyone who wants to understand the basics of personal finance who wants an uncomplicated blend of simple explanations, strategies that work across lifestyles and goals, and insights that strike at the heart of what it means to earn and effectively use money.
Hot link to above review:
Wes Karchut and Darby Karchut
Copper Square Studios
ISBN: 978-0-9741145-1-4 Price: $16.95
www.DarbyKarchut.com
Essential Money Guidebook: Simple and Sustainable Personal Finance for Real People might seem like another basic primer covering basic financial savvy, but it's not: it's packed with clear analysis of differences between traditional money management approaches and lifestyle changes and blends money management into overall goals. As such, it offers many hard-hitting ideas right off the bat: "The goal of this book is to spare you from the tedium of money management boot camps and makeovers. If instead, you make the right financial moves at the right time, your results will far exceed any of those possible from the penny-pinching chores that typically pass for sound financial advice. If you could care less about personal finance, but you also acknowledge that you need to know a little something about it, then this book is for you."
Chapters teach the basics of making better money choices no matter what one's lifestyle. All of this takes time, not quick idealistic perspectives; so one thing readers need to be prepared to do is to think of long-term goals and long-ranging solutions to achieving them - not 'get rich quick' ideas that involve a minimum of change.
It's also surprising to note that "…ninety percent of what you learn will improve your financial situation without any lifestyle changes, and without regard to your current financial condition…" Much of what is taught here involves very basic ideas such as avoiding spending traps, understanding what credit scores mean, avoiding financial scams and identity theft, and getting the most out of retirement income.
Readers think these topics pertain primarily to wealthy individuals will have to think again: this book assumes no degree of prior wealth, little financial savvy, and explains the myths and realities of money management in a way that simplifies ideas and processes.
Among the many topics covered are ones any family experiences, from locating the best educational value and understanding loan terms when borrowing money to estimating future retirement spending and understanding the media's effects on individual investment decisions.
The sections covering common financial scams are particularly important as they reveal common threads scams share and how to recognize and thwart them.
The authors hold extensive experience in education, business and finance: their shared experiences lend to a guide that advocates the 'right way' to make financial decisions in life, from student loans to jobs, buying a home and making investment decisions.
Now, plenty of financial planning titles cover strategies and provide insights on how the financial world works. What differentiates Essential Money Guidebook: Simple and Sustainable Personal Finance for Real People from others is its attention to simplicity and perspectives that involve neither get-rich-quick schemes nor complex financial insider savvy. Ordinary folk from all walks of life can use this approach to hone in on the basics of successful money management without the usual complexities a financial management guide often lends: and that's the joy of Essential Money Guidebook.
It's recommended for anyone who wants to understand the basics of personal finance who wants an uncomplicated blend of simple explanations, strategies that work across lifestyles and goals, and insights that strike at the heart of what it means to earn and effectively use money.
Hot link to above review:
The Skills of Business
Ehab Atalla, MBA
Ehab’s Books and Media Publishing, Inc.
978-0-9894738-1-1
www.ehabatalla-usa.com
The Skills of Business is second in a succession of books published by a self-made millionaire whose desire is to provide a series of "A-Z" how-to titles on how to handle any type of business, and is a recommendation for any with an interest in entrepreneurship.
Lest you think this book has 'already been written' by others with similar themes, let's reflect on a few facts: Ehab Atalla holds two main claims to fame: he's started (from scratch) 34 businesses in 15 different industries, and he moved “…from a broke, new immigrant cashier who couldn’t speak English to becoming a multi-millionaire entrepreneur.” These two facts alone should suffice to point out that the lessons in The Skills of Business are anything but ordinary.
Chapters fulfill their promise of being special by focusing on seven distinct business skills that form the basis of a 'blueprint' of basic rules and principles key to business success. From flexibility and using the moment to basic to advanced business skills, chapters serve as building blocks to a wider-ranging perspective of business's underlying keys to success. The emphasis here is that business is a skill that can be learned by anyone, and the point is that generalization and flexibility produce more opportunities for success than rigid thinking and 'business as usual'.
Atalla's perspective is simple: "…all businesses require the same common skills. If you learn these common skills, you will be able to establish any kind of business."
Don't expect status quo analysis: many of Atalla's beliefs and theories go against common teachings in traditional business books. Don't expect easy answers, either. Much of his wisdom involves self-analysis and resetting habits to new approaches: "One habit that I picked up early in my career was to evaluate what I did on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. At the end of every day, week, and month, I ask myself, what did I accomplish? What mistakes did I make? What did I learn? How can I improve? I then write out what I did to see firsthand what seeds I am planting and what results I am experiencing. This one habit is responsible for much of my business success."
With discussions ranging from different kinds of skills development ("general versus specialized skills") and how these skills fit into widely varying businesses to leveraging a business by creating passionate managers ("The key to leveraging a business is to create owners out of your managers. I connected my managers with businesses they love to run. I made them love the business more than I did. When your managers care about your business more than you do, that’s when you know you’re experiencing positive leverage."), there are many specifics to help any business reader learn the basics of what drives success.
This isn't just a collection of generalities about business, either: chapters focus on specifics ranging from how to verify property values and how to identify and buy an existing, successful business to handling market downturns with strategic responses.
The Skills of Business is, in the end, a series of wide-ranging lessons that can be applied to virtually any business venture, filled with positive perspectives and real-world, tested applications. It should be on the radar of any business professional and those who would learn from experience.
Hot link to above review:
Ehab Atalla, MBA
Ehab’s Books and Media Publishing, Inc.
978-0-9894738-1-1
www.ehabatalla-usa.com
The Skills of Business is second in a succession of books published by a self-made millionaire whose desire is to provide a series of "A-Z" how-to titles on how to handle any type of business, and is a recommendation for any with an interest in entrepreneurship.
Lest you think this book has 'already been written' by others with similar themes, let's reflect on a few facts: Ehab Atalla holds two main claims to fame: he's started (from scratch) 34 businesses in 15 different industries, and he moved “…from a broke, new immigrant cashier who couldn’t speak English to becoming a multi-millionaire entrepreneur.” These two facts alone should suffice to point out that the lessons in The Skills of Business are anything but ordinary.
Chapters fulfill their promise of being special by focusing on seven distinct business skills that form the basis of a 'blueprint' of basic rules and principles key to business success. From flexibility and using the moment to basic to advanced business skills, chapters serve as building blocks to a wider-ranging perspective of business's underlying keys to success. The emphasis here is that business is a skill that can be learned by anyone, and the point is that generalization and flexibility produce more opportunities for success than rigid thinking and 'business as usual'.
Atalla's perspective is simple: "…all businesses require the same common skills. If you learn these common skills, you will be able to establish any kind of business."
Don't expect status quo analysis: many of Atalla's beliefs and theories go against common teachings in traditional business books. Don't expect easy answers, either. Much of his wisdom involves self-analysis and resetting habits to new approaches: "One habit that I picked up early in my career was to evaluate what I did on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. At the end of every day, week, and month, I ask myself, what did I accomplish? What mistakes did I make? What did I learn? How can I improve? I then write out what I did to see firsthand what seeds I am planting and what results I am experiencing. This one habit is responsible for much of my business success."
With discussions ranging from different kinds of skills development ("general versus specialized skills") and how these skills fit into widely varying businesses to leveraging a business by creating passionate managers ("The key to leveraging a business is to create owners out of your managers. I connected my managers with businesses they love to run. I made them love the business more than I did. When your managers care about your business more than you do, that’s when you know you’re experiencing positive leverage."), there are many specifics to help any business reader learn the basics of what drives success.
This isn't just a collection of generalities about business, either: chapters focus on specifics ranging from how to verify property values and how to identify and buy an existing, successful business to handling market downturns with strategic responses.
The Skills of Business is, in the end, a series of wide-ranging lessons that can be applied to virtually any business venture, filled with positive perspectives and real-world, tested applications. It should be on the radar of any business professional and those who would learn from experience.
Hot link to above review:
Fantasy
& Sci Fi
Tales From Little Lump - Alien Season
Jeff Folschinsky
ASIN: B00FJIEID8 $.99
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Little-Lump-Alien-Season-ebook/dp/B00FJIEID8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386274163&sr=1-1&keywords=Tales+From+Little+Lump+-+Alien+Season
Tales From Little Lump - Alien Season isn't your usual end-of-the-world series: indeed it reads like a Christopher Moore novel, with a healthy dose of hilarious improbability to keep its scenarios fast-paced and unexpected.
When aliens show up in Little Lump, Texas, it's up to Gertie (and the customers of Aunt Gertie’s Gas ‘n Sip) to bring 'em down with what artillery and chutzpah they can muster.
Now, we're not talking about a big town packed with gunslingers, here. In fact, Little Lump's got only a hundred folk in residence - if that. But they're not about to take anything lying down (including alien invasions) and when you size up the characters, it's to find they all, like Gertie, have enough stubbornness - and artillery - to keep any alien force at bay.
The humor begins on Page 1, when Aunt Gertie reluctantly answers an annoyingly-ringing payphone, hangs up on Fred three times, and must reluctantly accept the fact that aliens are actually on their way to Little Lump Texas, compliments of coordinates thoughtfully provided by the U.S. government and intercepted via the radio magic of Gene Kelly, the local DJ.
Now, Gene isn't the only funny name in town: there's Gertie's brother Pie, for example. And Gertie's more than a bit reluctant to accept the obvious: that there are aliens in town. For one thing - why would aliens choose to invade a tiny town with nothing going for it? The answer seems clear ("When conquering territory, you start with the weaker towns and work your way out to the bigger ones, and that's what they're doing here.") and Gertie's response is equally decided: "…If I didn't roll over for the metric system, I most certainly will not roll over for planetary enslavement."
Only in Texas, right?
Things get even more complicated when, amid the gunfire, an agent is sent to town to investigate, is nabbed by the locals who suspect him of being an alien, and discovers that the townspeople are harboring an alien hostage in the shed. With a peppering of hearty 'God rest his soul' reflections Gertie leads the agent to the alien ambassador who has become her 'involuntary guest' out in the back shed that used to be the domain of her husband (God rest his soul).
Held hostage by extension cords promising some manner of deadly power, Saturday Night Specials that can be used "any day of the week", and threats all the way 'round, aliens have more than invasion on the mind as they face off a small town with power (and firepower) to start an intergalactic incident.
Tales From Little Lump - Alien Season is a top recommendation for Christopher Moore fans especially, and for any who enjoy a healthy blend of humor ala a dose of small town Texas psyche blending with science fiction. Its easily one of the most original, inviting reads seen in a long time and is very highly recommended for any who love unique writing and humor that just doesn't quit.
Hot link to above review:
Jeff Folschinsky
ASIN: B00FJIEID8 $.99
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Little-Lump-Alien-Season-ebook/dp/B00FJIEID8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386274163&sr=1-1&keywords=Tales+From+Little+Lump+-+Alien+Season
Tales From Little Lump - Alien Season isn't your usual end-of-the-world series: indeed it reads like a Christopher Moore novel, with a healthy dose of hilarious improbability to keep its scenarios fast-paced and unexpected.
When aliens show up in Little Lump, Texas, it's up to Gertie (and the customers of Aunt Gertie’s Gas ‘n Sip) to bring 'em down with what artillery and chutzpah they can muster.
Now, we're not talking about a big town packed with gunslingers, here. In fact, Little Lump's got only a hundred folk in residence - if that. But they're not about to take anything lying down (including alien invasions) and when you size up the characters, it's to find they all, like Gertie, have enough stubbornness - and artillery - to keep any alien force at bay.
The humor begins on Page 1, when Aunt Gertie reluctantly answers an annoyingly-ringing payphone, hangs up on Fred three times, and must reluctantly accept the fact that aliens are actually on their way to Little Lump Texas, compliments of coordinates thoughtfully provided by the U.S. government and intercepted via the radio magic of Gene Kelly, the local DJ.
Now, Gene isn't the only funny name in town: there's Gertie's brother Pie, for example. And Gertie's more than a bit reluctant to accept the obvious: that there are aliens in town. For one thing - why would aliens choose to invade a tiny town with nothing going for it? The answer seems clear ("When conquering territory, you start with the weaker towns and work your way out to the bigger ones, and that's what they're doing here.") and Gertie's response is equally decided: "…If I didn't roll over for the metric system, I most certainly will not roll over for planetary enslavement."
Only in Texas, right?
Things get even more complicated when, amid the gunfire, an agent is sent to town to investigate, is nabbed by the locals who suspect him of being an alien, and discovers that the townspeople are harboring an alien hostage in the shed. With a peppering of hearty 'God rest his soul' reflections Gertie leads the agent to the alien ambassador who has become her 'involuntary guest' out in the back shed that used to be the domain of her husband (God rest his soul).
Held hostage by extension cords promising some manner of deadly power, Saturday Night Specials that can be used "any day of the week", and threats all the way 'round, aliens have more than invasion on the mind as they face off a small town with power (and firepower) to start an intergalactic incident.
Tales From Little Lump - Alien Season is a top recommendation for Christopher Moore fans especially, and for any who enjoy a healthy blend of humor ala a dose of small town Texas psyche blending with science fiction. Its easily one of the most original, inviting reads seen in a long time and is very highly recommended for any who love unique writing and humor that just doesn't quit.
Hot link to above review:
Health
Whole
Health
Mark Mincolla, PhD
Tarcher Penguin
9780399165016 $27.95
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Health-Holistic-Approach-ebook/dp/B00DGZKS12
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whole-health-mark-mincolla/1116545328?ean=9781101620274
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399165016
Whole Health: A Holistic Approach To The 21st Century is not a general discussion of health, but a specific program (the Whole Health Healing System) developed by Dr. Mark Mincolla, and is based on some thirty years of his experience as a holistic healing practitioner.
Now, most holistic healing approachs take a singular approach to philosophy and method. Despite being called 'holistic' they in fact are fairly particular ways of integrating one specific technique. Not so the Whole Health Healing System, which blends elements from classical Chinese medicine, nutrition, and extrasensory energy medicine. This emphasis on sixth-sensory diagnostic processes not typically covered in holistic medical titles focuses on balancing body energies for optimal results.
Right off the bat, Whole Health provides a discussion of what constitutes a 'disease' and how it is identified and treated. What modern medicine defines as a malady and treats with a pharmaceutical approach actually is often better described as a series of intolerances and allergies: conditions resulting from energy imbalances.
Much of this, Dr. Mark Mincolla maintains, is caused by the processed and modified diets modern man consumes. In fact, this diet is making so many sick that food-induced symptoms masquerade as disease, ultimately causing many conditions. In fact, toxic food intolerances are often at the root of ill health even though current medical models are fixated on assigning disease names to these symptoms so a pharmaceutical-based solution can be found.
There is a need for alternative approaches to health and disease: one that acknowledges the body's energy systems, their interactions with nutrition, and how they are maintained or eroded - and that's where the Whole Health Healing System comes in.
Whole Health is devoted to exploring, explaining, and applying that system. Different personalities and people (from mental types to water types) are explored in chapters that cover mental, spiritual and health factors associated with each category, different nutrition requirements, and diets, herbs and supplements that can help each group.
But identifying where you belong is only part of using this system effectively: chapters then move to mind balancing, the author's experience with and integration of pieces of different holistic practices in formulating his program, and discussions of emotional and spiritual energy blockages and their effects on bodily and mental systems.
This is no casual collection of ideas but represents three decades of applied natural healing. It aims to empower individuals with responsibility for their own health care and choices, it refutes the pharmaceutical model of treatment that modern medicine embraces, and it provides clear discussions on not only bodily energy processes but how to balance them properly.
Though Whole Health breaks down bodily systems for easier discussion, it's actually a synthesized whole-body program essential for any interested in overall health and how different emotional, physical and spiritual systems interact.
Add in appendixes packed with natural treatments for specific conditions from fibroids to Parkinson's disease and charts for body assessments and food and you have an important treatment that integrates many different holistic approaches to health.
Hot link to above review:
Mark Mincolla, PhD
Tarcher Penguin
9780399165016 $27.95
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Health-Holistic-Approach-ebook/dp/B00DGZKS12
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whole-health-mark-mincolla/1116545328?ean=9781101620274
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399165016
Whole Health: A Holistic Approach To The 21st Century is not a general discussion of health, but a specific program (the Whole Health Healing System) developed by Dr. Mark Mincolla, and is based on some thirty years of his experience as a holistic healing practitioner.
Now, most holistic healing approachs take a singular approach to philosophy and method. Despite being called 'holistic' they in fact are fairly particular ways of integrating one specific technique. Not so the Whole Health Healing System, which blends elements from classical Chinese medicine, nutrition, and extrasensory energy medicine. This emphasis on sixth-sensory diagnostic processes not typically covered in holistic medical titles focuses on balancing body energies for optimal results.
Right off the bat, Whole Health provides a discussion of what constitutes a 'disease' and how it is identified and treated. What modern medicine defines as a malady and treats with a pharmaceutical approach actually is often better described as a series of intolerances and allergies: conditions resulting from energy imbalances.
Much of this, Dr. Mark Mincolla maintains, is caused by the processed and modified diets modern man consumes. In fact, this diet is making so many sick that food-induced symptoms masquerade as disease, ultimately causing many conditions. In fact, toxic food intolerances are often at the root of ill health even though current medical models are fixated on assigning disease names to these symptoms so a pharmaceutical-based solution can be found.
There is a need for alternative approaches to health and disease: one that acknowledges the body's energy systems, their interactions with nutrition, and how they are maintained or eroded - and that's where the Whole Health Healing System comes in.
Whole Health is devoted to exploring, explaining, and applying that system. Different personalities and people (from mental types to water types) are explored in chapters that cover mental, spiritual and health factors associated with each category, different nutrition requirements, and diets, herbs and supplements that can help each group.
But identifying where you belong is only part of using this system effectively: chapters then move to mind balancing, the author's experience with and integration of pieces of different holistic practices in formulating his program, and discussions of emotional and spiritual energy blockages and their effects on bodily and mental systems.
This is no casual collection of ideas but represents three decades of applied natural healing. It aims to empower individuals with responsibility for their own health care and choices, it refutes the pharmaceutical model of treatment that modern medicine embraces, and it provides clear discussions on not only bodily energy processes but how to balance them properly.
Though Whole Health breaks down bodily systems for easier discussion, it's actually a synthesized whole-body program essential for any interested in overall health and how different emotional, physical and spiritual systems interact.
Add in appendixes packed with natural treatments for specific conditions from fibroids to Parkinson's disease and charts for body assessments and food and you have an important treatment that integrates many different holistic approaches to health.
Hot link to above review:
History
Sutro's
Glass Palace: The Story of the Sutro Baths
John A. Martini
Hole in the Head Press
978-0-9761494-6-0
http://www.holeintheheadpress.com/hith_Sutro.html
Sutro's Glass Palace: The Story of the Sutro Baths is an especially-recommended pick for any California history collection and for Bay Area history readers in particular, and provides a fine history (packed with color photos and illustrations: original artwork by Lawrence Ormsby, along with vintage works) of one of San Francisco's 'lost landmarks'.
Sutro Baths was built by a Comstock mine millionaire (one Adolph Sutro) and was the world's largest indoor swimming complex when it opened in 1894 to much acclaim. It featured seven swimming pools, a museum, restaurants, and seating for literally thousands, rivaling anything that exists today, and was a popular destination for many until it burned to the ground in 1966.
From how new travel routes in the city evolved in the area that would become known as Sutro Baths and Cliff House to Sutro's tactics in buying up City real estate and establishing landmarks in the hills surrounding his home, Sutro's Glass Palace does more than present developer's objectives and evolution: it re-creates the atmosphere of 1800s San Francisco and discusses motivations for the creation of Sutro Baths.
The author often visited them as a child to ice skate in the former bathhouse, and one purpose of producing this book as an adult was to more closely examine the engineering behind their production. Another purpose was for it to serve as a 'field guide' to the ruins that remain today, offering visitors an opportunity to visualize the past, understand the Baths' development, and connect today's visual relics with yesterday's dreams and realities.
Magazines, newspapers, and archived reports of the time serve as a foundation for re-creating this history both visually and in a lively accompanying text. There's a richness to both the vintage images and the written word that comes to life here: "Sutro also hinted at a grander vision for the cove: “I did at first have some idea of building baths, but the rock at which I have been blasting seems to have given out, and I am afraid that I will not have enough to build a bulkhead [seawall]. . . . About the baths, my plans are in embryo. Let us first finish the aquarium. . . .” This is the first known mention of the future Sutro Baths."
Any with an interest in San Francisco's evolution around the turn of the century will find this packed with tidbits of information and insights into why and how different streets came to be named and how the idea of Sutro's resort evolved. From lawsuits and visionary dreams to engineering failures, marvels, and local politics, Sutro's Glass Palace explores it all, and backs its reports with well-researched facts.
The result is a lively, engrossing read especially recommended for avid fans of San Francisco history and culture.
Hot link to above review:
John A. Martini
Hole in the Head Press
978-0-9761494-6-0
http://www.holeintheheadpress.com/hith_Sutro.html
Sutro's Glass Palace: The Story of the Sutro Baths is an especially-recommended pick for any California history collection and for Bay Area history readers in particular, and provides a fine history (packed with color photos and illustrations: original artwork by Lawrence Ormsby, along with vintage works) of one of San Francisco's 'lost landmarks'.
Sutro Baths was built by a Comstock mine millionaire (one Adolph Sutro) and was the world's largest indoor swimming complex when it opened in 1894 to much acclaim. It featured seven swimming pools, a museum, restaurants, and seating for literally thousands, rivaling anything that exists today, and was a popular destination for many until it burned to the ground in 1966.
From how new travel routes in the city evolved in the area that would become known as Sutro Baths and Cliff House to Sutro's tactics in buying up City real estate and establishing landmarks in the hills surrounding his home, Sutro's Glass Palace does more than present developer's objectives and evolution: it re-creates the atmosphere of 1800s San Francisco and discusses motivations for the creation of Sutro Baths.
The author often visited them as a child to ice skate in the former bathhouse, and one purpose of producing this book as an adult was to more closely examine the engineering behind their production. Another purpose was for it to serve as a 'field guide' to the ruins that remain today, offering visitors an opportunity to visualize the past, understand the Baths' development, and connect today's visual relics with yesterday's dreams and realities.
Magazines, newspapers, and archived reports of the time serve as a foundation for re-creating this history both visually and in a lively accompanying text. There's a richness to both the vintage images and the written word that comes to life here: "Sutro also hinted at a grander vision for the cove: “I did at first have some idea of building baths, but the rock at which I have been blasting seems to have given out, and I am afraid that I will not have enough to build a bulkhead [seawall]. . . . About the baths, my plans are in embryo. Let us first finish the aquarium. . . .” This is the first known mention of the future Sutro Baths."
Any with an interest in San Francisco's evolution around the turn of the century will find this packed with tidbits of information and insights into why and how different streets came to be named and how the idea of Sutro's resort evolved. From lawsuits and visionary dreams to engineering failures, marvels, and local politics, Sutro's Glass Palace explores it all, and backs its reports with well-researched facts.
The result is a lively, engrossing read especially recommended for avid fans of San Francisco history and culture.
Hot link to above review:
How To
Dream
Wedding on a Dime: 7 Secrets for the Budget-Savvy Bride
Bobette Kyle
LinkUp Publishing
978-0-9885780-6-7 $4.99
www.amazon.com
Dream Wedding on a Dime: 7 Secrets for the Budget-Savvy Bride is more than your usual wedding planner: its whole focus is on ideas for brides on a budget, so chapters focus on everything from recycling to accepting new traditions that can translate to savings for all involved.
First on the list is a surprise: some chapels will stream weddings onto the Internet so that a wide circle of friends and family can 'attend' without actually being present. Online wedding resources have expanded vastly since Bobette Kyle
first discovered this possibility during her own elopement years ago: her focus on learning about these options resulted in this book, which explores all the latest technology available for budget-minded brides.
Now, a caveat: Bobette Kyle is not a wedding planner nor professional. Perhaps this is her best advertisement: Dream Wedding on a Dime thus comes from an ordinary bride with a $5K budget for her wedding, and it reflects her bargain-hunting skills and real-world experiences; not the advice of a professional primarily interested in expensive options.
That's not to say that elegance doesn't enter into the picture. The point is: elegance can be obtained on a budget with a little planning and much savvy: both of which are imparted in this book.
From determining a wedding's 'personality' by analyzing participant and bride and groom psyches and expectations to saving on do-it-yourself, this book's focus is all about creating a strategy for getting the best value from every aspect of a wedding, from choosing a setting to flowers, food, and entertainment.
Creatively mixing vendor services, understanding and choosing from less traditional options, spending money wisely and lowering the cost of items and services are all ways planners can produce big wedding savings.
Take cakes, for example. The traditional tiered wedding cake is expensive. A less expensive, equally elegant choice can range from displaying several small, tall cakes on their own stands to choosing petit fours, cupcakes or other non-traditional cakes.
How about transportation? An expensive limo may not be in the budget; but here's the time to tap guests to take care of their own transportation (illustrating one of the secrets: asking).
Are bride-specific accessories proving the budget-buster? Either forego the veil entirely or make your own, use the website link in this book to locate affordable tiaras online, and (for bridesmaids) allow mismatched dresses with a common element so that bridesmaids may pick their own (or allow cocktail dresses that can be worn many times.)
There's all kinds of invaluable hints, website links, and different approaches to wedding planning on a budget, making Dream Wedding on a Dime an invaluable guide and information-packed 'must' for any bride-to-be planning her own budget wedding!
Hot link to above review:
Bobette Kyle
LinkUp Publishing
978-0-9885780-6-7 $4.99
www.amazon.com
Dream Wedding on a Dime: 7 Secrets for the Budget-Savvy Bride is more than your usual wedding planner: its whole focus is on ideas for brides on a budget, so chapters focus on everything from recycling to accepting new traditions that can translate to savings for all involved.
First on the list is a surprise: some chapels will stream weddings onto the Internet so that a wide circle of friends and family can 'attend' without actually being present. Online wedding resources have expanded vastly since Bobette Kyle
first discovered this possibility during her own elopement years ago: her focus on learning about these options resulted in this book, which explores all the latest technology available for budget-minded brides.
Now, a caveat: Bobette Kyle is not a wedding planner nor professional. Perhaps this is her best advertisement: Dream Wedding on a Dime thus comes from an ordinary bride with a $5K budget for her wedding, and it reflects her bargain-hunting skills and real-world experiences; not the advice of a professional primarily interested in expensive options.
That's not to say that elegance doesn't enter into the picture. The point is: elegance can be obtained on a budget with a little planning and much savvy: both of which are imparted in this book.
From determining a wedding's 'personality' by analyzing participant and bride and groom psyches and expectations to saving on do-it-yourself, this book's focus is all about creating a strategy for getting the best value from every aspect of a wedding, from choosing a setting to flowers, food, and entertainment.
Creatively mixing vendor services, understanding and choosing from less traditional options, spending money wisely and lowering the cost of items and services are all ways planners can produce big wedding savings.
Take cakes, for example. The traditional tiered wedding cake is expensive. A less expensive, equally elegant choice can range from displaying several small, tall cakes on their own stands to choosing petit fours, cupcakes or other non-traditional cakes.
How about transportation? An expensive limo may not be in the budget; but here's the time to tap guests to take care of their own transportation (illustrating one of the secrets: asking).
Are bride-specific accessories proving the budget-buster? Either forego the veil entirely or make your own, use the website link in this book to locate affordable tiaras online, and (for bridesmaids) allow mismatched dresses with a common element so that bridesmaids may pick their own (or allow cocktail dresses that can be worn many times.)
There's all kinds of invaluable hints, website links, and different approaches to wedding planning on a budget, making Dream Wedding on a Dime an invaluable guide and information-packed 'must' for any bride-to-be planning her own budget wedding!
Hot link to above review:
Seven Deadly Clicks
Margo Strupeck
Zest Books
978-1-936976-51-5 ASIN: B00CR6QQ1M $6.99
http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Deadly-Clicks-Essential-Lessons-ebook/dp/B00CR6QQ1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386090667&sr=8-1&keywords=Seven+deadly+Clicks
Seven Deadly Clicks should be read by any computer user before they go online for the first time (even though it's directed to young adult audiences). It's packed with safety tips and keys to understanding how internet identities are formed, compromised, and how common problems involve the computer (from cyber-bullying to identity theft, over-sharing, and becoming addicted to technology.)
Now, much of this is increasingly common knowledge: the underlying focus of Seven Deadly Clicks lies in issues of artificial connectivity that promotes different behaviors and provide only an illusion of closeness: "As the lines between real-world relationships and virtual avatars continue to blur, the threats that teens face online are on the rise….teens are in danger of being desensitized by the continuously connected world they are growing up in."
Online life is all about choices; and like real-world encounters, there are good and bad choices. Few books explore the differences between these options: Seven Deadly Clicks fills that gap, exploring seven common mistakes computer users make that get them in big trouble.
Accompanying these warnings are case histories of teens who did get in trouble: how, why, and what happened. These examples come from high-profile cases and serve as strong illustrations of what can happen and how to prevent it. Many of these examples revolve around actions their and consequences: "…in a heated argument, fit of passion, or excitement, it’s hard to remember to slow down and think about the consequences of what you post."
This isn't just a book about generalities, however. It offers many specific examples ranging from understanding privacy setting options on Facebook (i.e. what it means to be 'public' versus 'private' or 'friends of friends'), to writing with the largest audience in mind when using personal blogging, or handling 'sexting'.
Margo Strupeck's own experiences managing her internet life and identity pepper accounts of others with reflections on consequences, social identity, and how to take regular breaks from online life to preserve a sense of peace by going off the grid. Teens are advised to step away from smart technologies to preserve their identities and are provided tools for achieving these goals.
The result is a clear, specific set of guidelines all ages can use to identify (and avoid) common problems associated with computers and social networking systems: a 'must' for any computer user, whether novice or pro.
Hot link to above review:
Margo Strupeck
Zest Books
978-1-936976-51-5 ASIN: B00CR6QQ1M $6.99
http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Deadly-Clicks-Essential-Lessons-ebook/dp/B00CR6QQ1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386090667&sr=8-1&keywords=Seven+deadly+Clicks
Seven Deadly Clicks should be read by any computer user before they go online for the first time (even though it's directed to young adult audiences). It's packed with safety tips and keys to understanding how internet identities are formed, compromised, and how common problems involve the computer (from cyber-bullying to identity theft, over-sharing, and becoming addicted to technology.)
Now, much of this is increasingly common knowledge: the underlying focus of Seven Deadly Clicks lies in issues of artificial connectivity that promotes different behaviors and provide only an illusion of closeness: "As the lines between real-world relationships and virtual avatars continue to blur, the threats that teens face online are on the rise….teens are in danger of being desensitized by the continuously connected world they are growing up in."
Online life is all about choices; and like real-world encounters, there are good and bad choices. Few books explore the differences between these options: Seven Deadly Clicks fills that gap, exploring seven common mistakes computer users make that get them in big trouble.
Accompanying these warnings are case histories of teens who did get in trouble: how, why, and what happened. These examples come from high-profile cases and serve as strong illustrations of what can happen and how to prevent it. Many of these examples revolve around actions their and consequences: "…in a heated argument, fit of passion, or excitement, it’s hard to remember to slow down and think about the consequences of what you post."
This isn't just a book about generalities, however. It offers many specific examples ranging from understanding privacy setting options on Facebook (i.e. what it means to be 'public' versus 'private' or 'friends of friends'), to writing with the largest audience in mind when using personal blogging, or handling 'sexting'.
Margo Strupeck's own experiences managing her internet life and identity pepper accounts of others with reflections on consequences, social identity, and how to take regular breaks from online life to preserve a sense of peace by going off the grid. Teens are advised to step away from smart technologies to preserve their identities and are provided tools for achieving these goals.
The result is a clear, specific set of guidelines all ages can use to identify (and avoid) common problems associated with computers and social networking systems: a 'must' for any computer user, whether novice or pro.
Hot link to above review:
On the Road to “A Place Called Retirement”: The
Journey Requires Us to Let Go of What Was to Discover What Can
Be--Enjoy the Ride
Dr. Richard (Rick) Steiner
Pathways Books
ISBN: 1628473797 $15.99
On the Road to “A Place Called Retirement” isn't your usual retirement book that speaks to financial planning alone: that subject's already been done (just about to death), and isn't the purpose here. What is provided is a blueprint for those whose lives have revolved around work routines for 20, 30, or 40 years or more: folks who have thought much about the financial side of matters, but little about what their lives will actually be like once working is no longer part of their picture.
Where too many view retirement as a conclusion to life, Dr. Steiner points out that it's actually a pivot point to new beginnings - and his book is designed to show new and forthcoming retirees exactly what these new beginnings can look like. Dedicated to the Boomer Generation, the biggest generation of retirees in American history, this book is the 'go to' place for any who haven't solidified their personal picture of retirement.
First of all, chapters offer profound psychological insights into why retirees often don't move smoothly into retirement: "Retirement to some is symbolic of our aging selves, of our powerlessness to stop the hands of time; the ending of our life at work." On the Road is all about empowering individuals to re-consider retirement as a phase of life replete with new opportunities, new life, and new freedoms the more structured work world hasn't provided.
Secondly, chapters focus as much on what retirement 'is' as what it 'is not'. The most important chapter of all comes packed with admonishments to branch out and let life in: to "Do Something Simple and New Every Day—read a book, contemplate the universe, or climb a mountain."
Indeed, there are so very many positive admonitions to these chapters that it's hard to pick out just a few to illustrate the tone and excitement within the pages of On the Road: "…it's about challenging our minds and our bodies and engaging life up close and personal. It’s about accepting our new lives with eyes wide open; it’s about living forward, not in the past; and about who we will become, not about who we used to be. It’s about challenging life and tempting fate, it’s about exploration, travel, and adventure; it’s about friends and family, about meaning, legacy, reconciliation, forgiveness, and spirituality."
This reviewer is focusing on the book's important psychological messages; but that's not to say that it doesn't include a healthy dose of financial savvy. Chapters also address common issues of retirees as they learn new ways to manage and spend money, and live on fixed incomes.
There are important insights on how and why retirement succeeds or fails - and important reflections on expectations, aging, and changing circumstances that many retirees fail to plan for: "The “act” of retiring, while important in and of itself, pales in comparison to the challenges and stresses we will confront when actually “living” in retirement, because sometimes our dreams and expectations have realities of their own."
With its specifics on psychological, financial and lifestyle changes, there's no better book to give to the nearly-newly-retired than On the Road: it's all about making the most of change and accepting the attitude adjustments that come with it.
Retirement is an end goal that many (perhaps even most of us) strive towards. On the Road explains and explores the entire process and offers many concrete keys to making the most of this end result, and should be read by any who contemplate making this big change and seeing their dreams come true.
Hot link to above review:
Dr. Richard (Rick) Steiner
Pathways Books
ISBN: 1628473797 $15.99
On the Road to “A Place Called Retirement” isn't your usual retirement book that speaks to financial planning alone: that subject's already been done (just about to death), and isn't the purpose here. What is provided is a blueprint for those whose lives have revolved around work routines for 20, 30, or 40 years or more: folks who have thought much about the financial side of matters, but little about what their lives will actually be like once working is no longer part of their picture.
Where too many view retirement as a conclusion to life, Dr. Steiner points out that it's actually a pivot point to new beginnings - and his book is designed to show new and forthcoming retirees exactly what these new beginnings can look like. Dedicated to the Boomer Generation, the biggest generation of retirees in American history, this book is the 'go to' place for any who haven't solidified their personal picture of retirement.
First of all, chapters offer profound psychological insights into why retirees often don't move smoothly into retirement: "Retirement to some is symbolic of our aging selves, of our powerlessness to stop the hands of time; the ending of our life at work." On the Road is all about empowering individuals to re-consider retirement as a phase of life replete with new opportunities, new life, and new freedoms the more structured work world hasn't provided.
Secondly, chapters focus as much on what retirement 'is' as what it 'is not'. The most important chapter of all comes packed with admonishments to branch out and let life in: to "Do Something Simple and New Every Day—read a book, contemplate the universe, or climb a mountain."
Indeed, there are so very many positive admonitions to these chapters that it's hard to pick out just a few to illustrate the tone and excitement within the pages of On the Road: "…it's about challenging our minds and our bodies and engaging life up close and personal. It’s about accepting our new lives with eyes wide open; it’s about living forward, not in the past; and about who we will become, not about who we used to be. It’s about challenging life and tempting fate, it’s about exploration, travel, and adventure; it’s about friends and family, about meaning, legacy, reconciliation, forgiveness, and spirituality."
This reviewer is focusing on the book's important psychological messages; but that's not to say that it doesn't include a healthy dose of financial savvy. Chapters also address common issues of retirees as they learn new ways to manage and spend money, and live on fixed incomes.
There are important insights on how and why retirement succeeds or fails - and important reflections on expectations, aging, and changing circumstances that many retirees fail to plan for: "The “act” of retiring, while important in and of itself, pales in comparison to the challenges and stresses we will confront when actually “living” in retirement, because sometimes our dreams and expectations have realities of their own."
With its specifics on psychological, financial and lifestyle changes, there's no better book to give to the nearly-newly-retired than On the Road: it's all about making the most of change and accepting the attitude adjustments that come with it.
Retirement is an end goal that many (perhaps even most of us) strive towards. On the Road explains and explores the entire process and offers many concrete keys to making the most of this end result, and should be read by any who contemplate making this big change and seeing their dreams come true.
Hot link to above review:
Georgia Divorce Handbook
Harmon Caldwell
BookLogix
9781610053846 $3.95 www.amazon.com
Author Harmon Caldwell has been a Georgia Super Lawyer for some nine years now, and has guided hundreds of clients through the divorce process for decades, developing an expertise on the state's laws and requirements. This fact alone makes his Georgia Divorce Handbook an authoritative publication that surveys all the possibilities based on Georgia's specific laws, and makes it a solid recommendation for any Georgia collection and those seeking legal information about divorces in the state.
From interviewing lawyers and forming the right questions to ask that will result in accurate assessments of a lawyer's expertise and perspective to understanding different possibilities throughout the process, Georgia Divorce Handbook provides a user-friendly format to impart the basics, assumes no prior familiarity with any legal terms or court procedures, and empowers litigant readers.
These explanations are contained in chapters that mirror the legal process from the initial location of the right lawyer to exactly what happens at every step of the divorce process. Understand: the information here is not to be considered as legal advice; nor is it intended to replace a lawyer's counsel. What it does intend to do (and achieves quite well) is educate legal consumers about the process of divorce and court and lawyer actions, offering both insights and clear discussions of choices and decisions along the way. Readers are encouraged to use this understanding to ask the right questions of their lawyers.
While one might think this information must be readily available online, there are many emotional tips throughout the process that simply can't be located in legal paperwork, and which are explored here: "If you tell your spouse what you are thinking, what you are worried about, or what you want, your spouse will likely share that with his or her lawyer, and that lawyer will use what you have said to manipulate you."
There's rock-solid information on how to gain fair settlements, how to understand different filings, paperwork and options along the way, and why some divorces are simple and others more complicated. Much of this boils down to assets and children; other factors include emotional connections and reactions which may provide self-defeating to one side or the other.
There are also candid assessments of which options aren't recommended, and why, as in the example of a new "collaborative law" process designed to simplify and streamline a divorce without the need for a lawyer, but which actually doesn't work well in cases where there are significant assets involved.
This book is definitely not written for the 'do it yourselfer' who either has no need or no desire for a lawyer's advice: it's for those who will be working with a lawyer, and who want keys to understanding the entire process and how to get the most from the legal system.
Case histories are based on Harmon Caldwell's clients and serve to illustrate legal precedent in terms any can readily understand. These accompany chapters that take a step-by-step approach in outlining the divorce process in Georgia.
With its specific insights, recommendations, explanations and candid assessments of pros and cons of different choices, Georgia Divorce Handbook is quite simply a 'must' for any planning a divorce in Georgia.
Hot link to above review:
Harmon Caldwell
BookLogix
9781610053846 $3.95 www.amazon.com
Author Harmon Caldwell has been a Georgia Super Lawyer for some nine years now, and has guided hundreds of clients through the divorce process for decades, developing an expertise on the state's laws and requirements. This fact alone makes his Georgia Divorce Handbook an authoritative publication that surveys all the possibilities based on Georgia's specific laws, and makes it a solid recommendation for any Georgia collection and those seeking legal information about divorces in the state.
From interviewing lawyers and forming the right questions to ask that will result in accurate assessments of a lawyer's expertise and perspective to understanding different possibilities throughout the process, Georgia Divorce Handbook provides a user-friendly format to impart the basics, assumes no prior familiarity with any legal terms or court procedures, and empowers litigant readers.
These explanations are contained in chapters that mirror the legal process from the initial location of the right lawyer to exactly what happens at every step of the divorce process. Understand: the information here is not to be considered as legal advice; nor is it intended to replace a lawyer's counsel. What it does intend to do (and achieves quite well) is educate legal consumers about the process of divorce and court and lawyer actions, offering both insights and clear discussions of choices and decisions along the way. Readers are encouraged to use this understanding to ask the right questions of their lawyers.
While one might think this information must be readily available online, there are many emotional tips throughout the process that simply can't be located in legal paperwork, and which are explored here: "If you tell your spouse what you are thinking, what you are worried about, or what you want, your spouse will likely share that with his or her lawyer, and that lawyer will use what you have said to manipulate you."
There's rock-solid information on how to gain fair settlements, how to understand different filings, paperwork and options along the way, and why some divorces are simple and others more complicated. Much of this boils down to assets and children; other factors include emotional connections and reactions which may provide self-defeating to one side or the other.
There are also candid assessments of which options aren't recommended, and why, as in the example of a new "collaborative law" process designed to simplify and streamline a divorce without the need for a lawyer, but which actually doesn't work well in cases where there are significant assets involved.
This book is definitely not written for the 'do it yourselfer' who either has no need or no desire for a lawyer's advice: it's for those who will be working with a lawyer, and who want keys to understanding the entire process and how to get the most from the legal system.
Case histories are based on Harmon Caldwell's clients and serve to illustrate legal precedent in terms any can readily understand. These accompany chapters that take a step-by-step approach in outlining the divorce process in Georgia.
With its specific insights, recommendations, explanations and candid assessments of pros and cons of different choices, Georgia Divorce Handbook is quite simply a 'must' for any planning a divorce in Georgia.
Hot link to above review:
Mystery
& Thrillers
Here Be Dragons
Anne Wilson
Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co.
978-1-60976-XXX-X $15.95
Publisher’s website: http://sbpra.com/AnneWilson
Author’s website: http://www.authoranne.co.uk
Here Be Dragons: A Tale of Mortals, Myths and Mystery tells of writer Anna, who develops a relationship with Danish man Nils, keeper of many secrets… not the least of which is what happened to his former wife. Nils lives in a cave-house and he won't let Anna fully into his world; so Anna and her friends decide to investigate what he's hiding … with surprising results.
The first thing to note in Here Be Dragons is that it provides a disparate contrast between fairy tale, myth, and modern-day reality. This means that while chapter headings assume the mythical, actual settings in fact contrast two different realities (as in a chapter headed 'Once Upon a Time' which contrasts its header with the opening sentence "The Internet Café off the Plaza Major was always busy on Saturdays.")
As Nils moves from being a loner and an acquaintance to someone more meaningful in her life, Anna discovers that he holds the power to introduce his darkness into her world, even reaching into her dreams with a threatening Nordic dragon.
The last thing Anna anticipates is fantasy come to life, but her "…mission as a writer (sic) is to remember and to note and sketch as much as possible" leads to observations and conclusions that cannot be ignored. And as she makes sketches and notes to fill out her book, she slowly comes to realize how fantasy and her daily world are blending in unusual and dangerous ways.
Here Be Dragons is steeped in Mediterranean culture and atmosphere. At times Anna is surrounded by this sense of place and at other times she's immersed in her past, where she was once a children's teacher in England who dreamed of a writing career. Inheriting her parent's apartment when they died in the space of a year brought her into this strange new world of Mallorca, ripe with possibilities: "…the minute she stepped outside the plane in Palma airport, the warm scented air whispered enticingly. It spoke of tomorrows as yet unimagined, a blank page waiting to be written. The ratchets of the wheel of fate cranked soundlessly as she stepped down onto the tarmac."
The problem with possibility is its accompanying unpredictability: as Anna moves from a singular goal to wider-ranging encounters, she makes the dragon that has been haunting her the focus of her third children's book, seeks supplemental employment, and finds further mystery when her employer falls to his death in the middle of the night.
As Anna's creations of the dragon, a cave, and a Wicked Queen come to life in her own world, she discovers that the boundaries she's carefully trusted to keep fantasy and reality separate are beginning to dissolve. And as she sleeps, the story comes to life in her head and heart: "From the castles highest tower, the Wicked Queen surveyed the land by starlight. All she could see was hers, now she was married to the King. The Kingdom stretched beyond the Emerald Forest and the Luminous Lake, through the Terribly Tangled Woods and on to the snow-capped Mystical Mountains. Because of an ancient curse, the whole realm was covered, day and night, by the Star-Spangled Indigo Sky. The sky was beautiful but all the people wished the stars would go out and let them see the sun again."
There are wonderful, sensual displays of sights, smells and sounds throughout the story: "Nils had left the cave-house and returned from the streets above with the Mallorcan speciality of thick, spiral ensimadas lightly dusted with icing sugar, and still-warm freshly baked bread rolls. He’d set them down on the table outside, next to a bowl of yoghurt, a plate of figs, pots of conserves, and slices of his favourite Danish Havarti cheese; there was silver-foiled Danish butter, which appeared at most mealtimes.
Currents of morning air carried an aroma of freshly ground coffee across the pages of the Sunday paper he had placed beside Anna."
This is one strength of a novel which has the capacity to draw readers in on more than an emotional level, permeating its pages with tactile images and descriptions so juicy one can almost taste its rich atmosphere.
Another strength: its ability to show how ghosts from disparate pasts rise to affect present-day relationships. As Anna comes to understand the confused tangle of past relationships that Nils finds burdensome, she also comes to realize that the real dragons of her story lie not within the pages of a children's book, but alive and too vivid in her own world. And as Anna and Nils come to understand each other's very different worlds, they venture together into new territory that will either join or break their newfound relationship.
In some ways Here Be Dragons could be described as a romance novel: but that would be too simplistic. It could also be described as murder mystery - but that would be putting too much emphasis on death and not enough upon the blossoming of atmosphere and relationship that is central to the story line.
There's a surprise ending that reveals the real purpose of the Dragon overseeing both their lives; but the meat of the story lies in its ability to trace intersecting cycles of life and subconscious and unconscious influences on its progression. Any who want a complex read replete with evolution, change, and Danish folklore and atmosphere will find Here Be Dragons a vivid, engrossing read.
Hot link to above review:
Anne Wilson
Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co.
978-1-60976-XXX-X $15.95
Publisher’s website: http://sbpra.com/AnneWilson
Author’s website: http://www.authoranne.co.uk
Here Be Dragons: A Tale of Mortals, Myths and Mystery tells of writer Anna, who develops a relationship with Danish man Nils, keeper of many secrets… not the least of which is what happened to his former wife. Nils lives in a cave-house and he won't let Anna fully into his world; so Anna and her friends decide to investigate what he's hiding … with surprising results.
The first thing to note in Here Be Dragons is that it provides a disparate contrast between fairy tale, myth, and modern-day reality. This means that while chapter headings assume the mythical, actual settings in fact contrast two different realities (as in a chapter headed 'Once Upon a Time' which contrasts its header with the opening sentence "The Internet Café off the Plaza Major was always busy on Saturdays.")
As Nils moves from being a loner and an acquaintance to someone more meaningful in her life, Anna discovers that he holds the power to introduce his darkness into her world, even reaching into her dreams with a threatening Nordic dragon.
The last thing Anna anticipates is fantasy come to life, but her "…mission as a writer (sic) is to remember and to note and sketch as much as possible" leads to observations and conclusions that cannot be ignored. And as she makes sketches and notes to fill out her book, she slowly comes to realize how fantasy and her daily world are blending in unusual and dangerous ways.
Here Be Dragons is steeped in Mediterranean culture and atmosphere. At times Anna is surrounded by this sense of place and at other times she's immersed in her past, where she was once a children's teacher in England who dreamed of a writing career. Inheriting her parent's apartment when they died in the space of a year brought her into this strange new world of Mallorca, ripe with possibilities: "…the minute she stepped outside the plane in Palma airport, the warm scented air whispered enticingly. It spoke of tomorrows as yet unimagined, a blank page waiting to be written. The ratchets of the wheel of fate cranked soundlessly as she stepped down onto the tarmac."
The problem with possibility is its accompanying unpredictability: as Anna moves from a singular goal to wider-ranging encounters, she makes the dragon that has been haunting her the focus of her third children's book, seeks supplemental employment, and finds further mystery when her employer falls to his death in the middle of the night.
As Anna's creations of the dragon, a cave, and a Wicked Queen come to life in her own world, she discovers that the boundaries she's carefully trusted to keep fantasy and reality separate are beginning to dissolve. And as she sleeps, the story comes to life in her head and heart: "From the castles highest tower, the Wicked Queen surveyed the land by starlight. All she could see was hers, now she was married to the King. The Kingdom stretched beyond the Emerald Forest and the Luminous Lake, through the Terribly Tangled Woods and on to the snow-capped Mystical Mountains. Because of an ancient curse, the whole realm was covered, day and night, by the Star-Spangled Indigo Sky. The sky was beautiful but all the people wished the stars would go out and let them see the sun again."
There are wonderful, sensual displays of sights, smells and sounds throughout the story: "Nils had left the cave-house and returned from the streets above with the Mallorcan speciality of thick, spiral ensimadas lightly dusted with icing sugar, and still-warm freshly baked bread rolls. He’d set them down on the table outside, next to a bowl of yoghurt, a plate of figs, pots of conserves, and slices of his favourite Danish Havarti cheese; there was silver-foiled Danish butter, which appeared at most mealtimes.
Currents of morning air carried an aroma of freshly ground coffee across the pages of the Sunday paper he had placed beside Anna."
This is one strength of a novel which has the capacity to draw readers in on more than an emotional level, permeating its pages with tactile images and descriptions so juicy one can almost taste its rich atmosphere.
Another strength: its ability to show how ghosts from disparate pasts rise to affect present-day relationships. As Anna comes to understand the confused tangle of past relationships that Nils finds burdensome, she also comes to realize that the real dragons of her story lie not within the pages of a children's book, but alive and too vivid in her own world. And as Anna and Nils come to understand each other's very different worlds, they venture together into new territory that will either join or break their newfound relationship.
In some ways Here Be Dragons could be described as a romance novel: but that would be too simplistic. It could also be described as murder mystery - but that would be putting too much emphasis on death and not enough upon the blossoming of atmosphere and relationship that is central to the story line.
There's a surprise ending that reveals the real purpose of the Dragon overseeing both their lives; but the meat of the story lies in its ability to trace intersecting cycles of life and subconscious and unconscious influences on its progression. Any who want a complex read replete with evolution, change, and Danish folklore and atmosphere will find Here Be Dragons a vivid, engrossing read.
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Death
Dues
Geraldine Evans
Solo Books
ASIN: B00G2JOHCU $$4.05 / £2.54
http://www.amazon.com/DEATH-DUES-Rafferty-Llewellyn-procedural-ebook/dp/B00G2JOHCU/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384011612&sr=1-8&keywords=geraldine+evans
Link To Ebook On Amazon.Co.Uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/DEATH-DUES-Rafferty-Llewellyn-procedural-ebook/dp/B00G2JOHCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384012030&sr=1-1&keywords=geraldine+evans
Death Dues is #11 in the 'Rafferty & Llewellyn cozy procedural' series, and though it's this reviewer's first introduction to the books, it doesn't take long for the interplay between D.I. Joe Rafferty and sidekick Sergeant Dafyd Llewellyn to become an absorbing and fun piece in a fine detective saga.
The story revolves around the murder of one John ‘Jaws’ Harrison, killed while on his way to collect a debt from one of his residents. It would seem an open/shut case; but Rafferty and Llewellyn find it in fact will prove one of the more challenging cases of their careers. Jaws had many debtors, but all of them are mysteriously silent about the affair.
This suspicious silence on the part of debtors who surely had more than a few problems with Jaws causes Rafferty and Llewellyn to embark on the investigation of a lifetime as they probe too many motivations, too much silence, and the life and actions of Jaws.
Rafferty's week is trying enough: he's simultaneously struggling with his upcoming wedding and its pressures, combined with a supervisor who wants him to resolve a series of muggings. What he needs is an open-and-shut case, not the complexity that Jaws' murder brings to the table.
What he gets is anything but quick and easy as his interviews provide few keys and too many puzzles and quickly become spiced with the lives of low-income residents with too much to lose and too many reasons for murder: "Rafferty knew how low Incapacity Benefit and JSA payments were. They would meet only a few of the household bills. Robbing Peter to pay Paul must be a daily event. Had they also robbed John Jaws Harrison in order to pay the rest?"
One notable difference between Death Dues and more mundane murder mysteries is its inclusion of a healthy dose of British social and cultural observation. Each interview with a possible suspect reveals an aspect of British society and lower-class concerns that adds to a believable setting and plot.
Another is its lovely use of descriptive phrases to bring to life the ambiance of the area and its residents: "Harry Jones gave a quicksilver nod." Dialogue is precise, but it's the background descriptions of settings and protagonists that shine, bringing the British atmosphere to life: "When Rafferty got outside, it was to discover that the weather had decided to play tag with the humans….(sic) It picked up the sides and hem of his raincoat till it danced a veritable Irish jig."
Borrowing money is one thing; being unable to repay it is something different … especially when murder is involved. And when Rafferty finds the borrowing trend hits too close to home, he becomes even more motivated to find the killer and resolve what is rapidly becoming an impossible (even personal) mission. And with other loan sharks being targeted, there's literally a deadline to his cracking the case.
Does anyone really deserve to die? And what if a seasoned expert is involved in the matter?
These and other questions drive a lively story that blends wedding jitters and challenges with a murder mystery. Any fan of detective stories will find this replete with a series of strong protagonists, infused with British atmosphere (discussions over cups of tea are common), and filled with intrigue and personal concerns alike.
Hot link to above review:
Geraldine Evans
Solo Books
ASIN: B00G2JOHCU $$4.05 / £2.54
http://www.amazon.com/DEATH-DUES-Rafferty-Llewellyn-procedural-ebook/dp/B00G2JOHCU/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384011612&sr=1-8&keywords=geraldine+evans
Link To Ebook On Amazon.Co.Uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/DEATH-DUES-Rafferty-Llewellyn-procedural-ebook/dp/B00G2JOHCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384012030&sr=1-1&keywords=geraldine+evans
Death Dues is #11 in the 'Rafferty & Llewellyn cozy procedural' series, and though it's this reviewer's first introduction to the books, it doesn't take long for the interplay between D.I. Joe Rafferty and sidekick Sergeant Dafyd Llewellyn to become an absorbing and fun piece in a fine detective saga.
The story revolves around the murder of one John ‘Jaws’ Harrison, killed while on his way to collect a debt from one of his residents. It would seem an open/shut case; but Rafferty and Llewellyn find it in fact will prove one of the more challenging cases of their careers. Jaws had many debtors, but all of them are mysteriously silent about the affair.
This suspicious silence on the part of debtors who surely had more than a few problems with Jaws causes Rafferty and Llewellyn to embark on the investigation of a lifetime as they probe too many motivations, too much silence, and the life and actions of Jaws.
Rafferty's week is trying enough: he's simultaneously struggling with his upcoming wedding and its pressures, combined with a supervisor who wants him to resolve a series of muggings. What he needs is an open-and-shut case, not the complexity that Jaws' murder brings to the table.
What he gets is anything but quick and easy as his interviews provide few keys and too many puzzles and quickly become spiced with the lives of low-income residents with too much to lose and too many reasons for murder: "Rafferty knew how low Incapacity Benefit and JSA payments were. They would meet only a few of the household bills. Robbing Peter to pay Paul must be a daily event. Had they also robbed John Jaws Harrison in order to pay the rest?"
One notable difference between Death Dues and more mundane murder mysteries is its inclusion of a healthy dose of British social and cultural observation. Each interview with a possible suspect reveals an aspect of British society and lower-class concerns that adds to a believable setting and plot.
Another is its lovely use of descriptive phrases to bring to life the ambiance of the area and its residents: "Harry Jones gave a quicksilver nod." Dialogue is precise, but it's the background descriptions of settings and protagonists that shine, bringing the British atmosphere to life: "When Rafferty got outside, it was to discover that the weather had decided to play tag with the humans….(sic) It picked up the sides and hem of his raincoat till it danced a veritable Irish jig."
Borrowing money is one thing; being unable to repay it is something different … especially when murder is involved. And when Rafferty finds the borrowing trend hits too close to home, he becomes even more motivated to find the killer and resolve what is rapidly becoming an impossible (even personal) mission. And with other loan sharks being targeted, there's literally a deadline to his cracking the case.
Does anyone really deserve to die? And what if a seasoned expert is involved in the matter?
These and other questions drive a lively story that blends wedding jitters and challenges with a murder mystery. Any fan of detective stories will find this replete with a series of strong protagonists, infused with British atmosphere (discussions over cups of tea are common), and filled with intrigue and personal concerns alike.
Hot link to above review:
Shemlan - A Deadly Tragedy
Alexander McNabb
Publisher: Alexander McNabb
978-1493621934
Price (print): $15.99 http://www.amazon.com/Shemlan-Deadly-Tragedy-Alexander-McNabb/dp/1493621939/ref=sr_1_4
Price (ebook): $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/Shemlan-Deadly-Tragedy-Alexander-McNabb-ebook/dp/B00GE7E4XC/ref=sr_1_1
Epub: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/373723
Website: http://www.shemlanthebook.com
Jason Hartmoor is a retired diplomat dying of cancer whose last wish is to journey back to Lebanon and locate a love lost when civil war forced him to flee the country so many years ago. Unfortunately his past life catches up with him and his quest for romance turns into a cat-and-mouse game he can ill afford, threatening to end his life before his cancer overcomes him.
It's important to note that Shemlan - A Deadly Tragedy is third in a series (the prior books have not been read by this reviewer). The prior books (Olives - A Violent Romance and Beirut - An Explosive Thriller) were also set in the Middle East and received much acclaim as thrillers worthy of attention, and Shemlan - A Deadly Tragedy does not disappoint, offering a novel that stands strongly on its own for newcomers to Alexander McNabb's characters, setting, and brand of action.
Expect a story charged with emotion and angst, injected with a healthy dose of ambition and longing for the past. As Jason finds a combination of deadly forces and heart's desires pull him in different directions, so he struggles simultaneously with his failing body and the knowledge that any of his goals have limited payback.
All this centers around a little-known fact: that in the small village of Shemlan (in the mountains above Beirut) the British maintained the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, a school to teach its diplomats (and its spies) Arabic. This fact is the driving force behind Jason's actions, behind the actions of many protagonists, and behind the novel itself, serving as a power that creates and dissolves bonds of connection and contention.
Thomas Wolfe wrote "you can't go home again" and in many ways Jason finds this true: romance and even landscapes have vastly changed, and McNabb brings these changes to life using descriptions steeped in observation: "…Hartmoor sat at his table looking out over the garden and, beyond it, glimpses of faraway Beirut below them. It was a different angle down to the city from that of Shemlan, seeing the city from above to the East rather than the West. An odd mirror image of his memories, the city was so much bigger now."
One strength of Shemlan lies in descriptions that bring the region to life. Another strong point lies in its detailed discussions of covert operations, politics, interactions between spies, and most of all, how the past rises up to haunt a terminally ill protagonist who seeks only to make things right. One might think that a man with cancer is the last person to embark on a long-distance journey, much less successfully face forces from the past that challenge his strength, psyche, and ability to survive. But Jason is something different, holding the ability to sum up an immense amount of energy to tackle demons of his past.
All the elements of a thriller are packed into a vivid story line: there are high-speed chases, explosions, spies, traitors, friends, and romance - all this fueled by the very real setting of a small town that really did serve as a center of spy activities for decades.
In the end Jason's search for peace comes on many levels at many costs - and it's a wild journey that will immerse readers in the cultures and world of the Middle East. While death is ever-present, there are many surprises along the way - and readers will find Shemlan a satisfyingly vivid thriller that holds many satisfyingly unpredictable moments throughout.
Hot link to above review:
Alexander McNabb
Publisher: Alexander McNabb
978-1493621934
Price (print): $15.99 http://www.amazon.com/Shemlan-Deadly-Tragedy-Alexander-McNabb/dp/1493621939/ref=sr_1_4
Price (ebook): $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/Shemlan-Deadly-Tragedy-Alexander-McNabb-ebook/dp/B00GE7E4XC/ref=sr_1_1
Epub: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/373723
Website: http://www.shemlanthebook.com
Jason Hartmoor is a retired diplomat dying of cancer whose last wish is to journey back to Lebanon and locate a love lost when civil war forced him to flee the country so many years ago. Unfortunately his past life catches up with him and his quest for romance turns into a cat-and-mouse game he can ill afford, threatening to end his life before his cancer overcomes him.
It's important to note that Shemlan - A Deadly Tragedy is third in a series (the prior books have not been read by this reviewer). The prior books (Olives - A Violent Romance and Beirut - An Explosive Thriller) were also set in the Middle East and received much acclaim as thrillers worthy of attention, and Shemlan - A Deadly Tragedy does not disappoint, offering a novel that stands strongly on its own for newcomers to Alexander McNabb's characters, setting, and brand of action.
Expect a story charged with emotion and angst, injected with a healthy dose of ambition and longing for the past. As Jason finds a combination of deadly forces and heart's desires pull him in different directions, so he struggles simultaneously with his failing body and the knowledge that any of his goals have limited payback.
All this centers around a little-known fact: that in the small village of Shemlan (in the mountains above Beirut) the British maintained the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies, a school to teach its diplomats (and its spies) Arabic. This fact is the driving force behind Jason's actions, behind the actions of many protagonists, and behind the novel itself, serving as a power that creates and dissolves bonds of connection and contention.
Thomas Wolfe wrote "you can't go home again" and in many ways Jason finds this true: romance and even landscapes have vastly changed, and McNabb brings these changes to life using descriptions steeped in observation: "…Hartmoor sat at his table looking out over the garden and, beyond it, glimpses of faraway Beirut below them. It was a different angle down to the city from that of Shemlan, seeing the city from above to the East rather than the West. An odd mirror image of his memories, the city was so much bigger now."
One strength of Shemlan lies in descriptions that bring the region to life. Another strong point lies in its detailed discussions of covert operations, politics, interactions between spies, and most of all, how the past rises up to haunt a terminally ill protagonist who seeks only to make things right. One might think that a man with cancer is the last person to embark on a long-distance journey, much less successfully face forces from the past that challenge his strength, psyche, and ability to survive. But Jason is something different, holding the ability to sum up an immense amount of energy to tackle demons of his past.
All the elements of a thriller are packed into a vivid story line: there are high-speed chases, explosions, spies, traitors, friends, and romance - all this fueled by the very real setting of a small town that really did serve as a center of spy activities for decades.
In the end Jason's search for peace comes on many levels at many costs - and it's a wild journey that will immerse readers in the cultures and world of the Middle East. While death is ever-present, there are many surprises along the way - and readers will find Shemlan a satisfyingly vivid thriller that holds many satisfyingly unpredictable moments throughout.
Hot link to above review:
Empty Places
Martin Roy Hill
Amazon via Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing
ISBN: 978-1484058381 ASIN: B00FUAPAH8
Print - $12.33 Kindle - $3.99
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FUAPAH8
Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Places-Martin-Roy-Hill/dp/1484058380
B&N (print only): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/empty-places-martin-roy-hill/1117138979
Empty Places is a mystery thriller that combines elements of both genres, and is a recommendation for mystery readers who want more than a simple 'whodunnit'. It's set in 1987 and centers on war correspondent Peter Brandt, who returns from covering war abroad to bury an ex-wife who has been brutally murdered.
A prologue introducing TV reporter Robin Anderson's last investigation leading to her murder neatly dovetails into the story of Peter's involvement, offering readers a taste of Anderson's personality, involvements, and final moments: "She realized suddenly her worst fear was coming true. She was dying, alone and without anyone she could call out to, anyone who would hold her, who could save her. Alone in a dark and empty place."
This introduction, narrated in the third person, moves to the first person as Peter receives a cable telling him of the event, and feels compelled to return to the U.S. in search of resolution and answers. Driven by regrets over his now-forever lost relationship and the mystery surrounding his ex's death, Peter doesn't expect to become immersed in a web of intrigue involving politics, government agencies and underworld forces; but that's exactly what happens when he discovers that local police won't investigate her murder.
He's drawn to fill this gap by enlisting the aid of his old buddy, retired cop Matt Banyon, to help him track down the perps. From then on it's a cat-and-mouse game that involves both locally and international secrets, crackling with action and unexpected turns of plot.
Mystery readers will find Empty Places a satisfyingly fast-paced story line that involves old ghosts, new ghosts, and an effort to get a villain to reveal his involvement in murder. While mystery-savvy readers will likely anticipate the identity of this murderer before it's revealed, the swift plot changes and action still prove involving and exciting right up to the revelation of 'whodunnit'. And that's the mark of an exceptional thriller: even when the outcome is suspected, readers are compelled to keep reading, drawn into a constantly-evolving story line. Recommended for any who want a vivid mystery/thriller and a genre-breaking read!
Hot link to above review:
Martin Roy Hill
Amazon via Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing
ISBN: 978-1484058381 ASIN: B00FUAPAH8
Print - $12.33 Kindle - $3.99
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FUAPAH8
Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Places-Martin-Roy-Hill/dp/1484058380
B&N (print only): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/empty-places-martin-roy-hill/1117138979
Empty Places is a mystery thriller that combines elements of both genres, and is a recommendation for mystery readers who want more than a simple 'whodunnit'. It's set in 1987 and centers on war correspondent Peter Brandt, who returns from covering war abroad to bury an ex-wife who has been brutally murdered.
A prologue introducing TV reporter Robin Anderson's last investigation leading to her murder neatly dovetails into the story of Peter's involvement, offering readers a taste of Anderson's personality, involvements, and final moments: "She realized suddenly her worst fear was coming true. She was dying, alone and without anyone she could call out to, anyone who would hold her, who could save her. Alone in a dark and empty place."
This introduction, narrated in the third person, moves to the first person as Peter receives a cable telling him of the event, and feels compelled to return to the U.S. in search of resolution and answers. Driven by regrets over his now-forever lost relationship and the mystery surrounding his ex's death, Peter doesn't expect to become immersed in a web of intrigue involving politics, government agencies and underworld forces; but that's exactly what happens when he discovers that local police won't investigate her murder.
He's drawn to fill this gap by enlisting the aid of his old buddy, retired cop Matt Banyon, to help him track down the perps. From then on it's a cat-and-mouse game that involves both locally and international secrets, crackling with action and unexpected turns of plot.
Mystery readers will find Empty Places a satisfyingly fast-paced story line that involves old ghosts, new ghosts, and an effort to get a villain to reveal his involvement in murder. While mystery-savvy readers will likely anticipate the identity of this murderer before it's revealed, the swift plot changes and action still prove involving and exciting right up to the revelation of 'whodunnit'. And that's the mark of an exceptional thriller: even when the outcome is suspected, readers are compelled to keep reading, drawn into a constantly-evolving story line. Recommended for any who want a vivid mystery/thriller and a genre-breaking read!
Hot link to above review:
The Dance of Murder
Trisha Sugarek
No Publisher, ISBN, Price
The Dance of Murder is Book 2 of 'The World of Murder' series and is recommended for fans of murder mysteries. It opens with murder cop Stella Garcia at her desk contemplating cleaning up another case in time to make her quota of resolved cases.
She's solved many murder cases in her seven years on the job, and she and her partner O’Roarke, make a good team; but they're about to be slammed by a new murder investigation that involves a serial killer who's targeting strippers, and they not only have literally a hundred possible suspects, but the media's gotten hold of the case and politicians and top brass are demanding it be solved quickly.
They make an arrest in the case - but do they have the right perp?
As with any murder mystery, it's all about sleuthing methods and the personalities of the investigators. And in this case, Stella and O'Roarke's different investigative methods neatly dovetail: "Waiting for her partner she stood quietly and watched the CSI team at work and the ME’s team carefully bagging the body. Sometime s, when possible, it was good to just be quiet and let the scene come to her. A lone bird trilled a soulful note. Stella looked up toward the sound."
Some murder mysteries focus primarily on personalities and psychology while others focus nearly exclusively on sleuthing tactics. Much like a crossword puzzle, The Dance of Murder focuses on clues that successfully pair readers with Stella and O'Rourke's thought processes as they work through a range of possibilities in their case.
As they interview various employers of the dead strippers (all of whom have dubious connections to the deceased and potential motives for murder), they discover patterns and possibilities that lead them ever closer to the truth. It's obvious that the perp believes his actions are justified and his victims deserving of their fate: he's written 'whore' and notes on their dead bodies to point out their transgressions.
What is less obvious is a motive that will lead to an unexpected murderer and his obsession with - of all things - honor.
The Dance of Murder offers a strong focus on problem-solving and sleuthing. This allows readers to test their own skills in piecing together the puzzle, and to become involved in a story line that focuses on eliminating suspects and arriving at truth.
With its swift assessments of possibilities and motivations, it's a satisfying murder mystery that deftly captures the interactions between murder detectives and their professional and political challenges in solving crimes. Any murder mystery reader will find The Dance of Murder a fast-paced, involving read.
Hot link to above review:
Trisha Sugarek
No Publisher, ISBN, Price
The Dance of Murder is Book 2 of 'The World of Murder' series and is recommended for fans of murder mysteries. It opens with murder cop Stella Garcia at her desk contemplating cleaning up another case in time to make her quota of resolved cases.
She's solved many murder cases in her seven years on the job, and she and her partner O’Roarke, make a good team; but they're about to be slammed by a new murder investigation that involves a serial killer who's targeting strippers, and they not only have literally a hundred possible suspects, but the media's gotten hold of the case and politicians and top brass are demanding it be solved quickly.
They make an arrest in the case - but do they have the right perp?
As with any murder mystery, it's all about sleuthing methods and the personalities of the investigators. And in this case, Stella and O'Roarke's different investigative methods neatly dovetail: "Waiting for her partner she stood quietly and watched the CSI team at work and the ME’s team carefully bagging the body. Sometime s, when possible, it was good to just be quiet and let the scene come to her. A lone bird trilled a soulful note. Stella looked up toward the sound."
Some murder mysteries focus primarily on personalities and psychology while others focus nearly exclusively on sleuthing tactics. Much like a crossword puzzle, The Dance of Murder focuses on clues that successfully pair readers with Stella and O'Rourke's thought processes as they work through a range of possibilities in their case.
As they interview various employers of the dead strippers (all of whom have dubious connections to the deceased and potential motives for murder), they discover patterns and possibilities that lead them ever closer to the truth. It's obvious that the perp believes his actions are justified and his victims deserving of their fate: he's written 'whore' and notes on their dead bodies to point out their transgressions.
What is less obvious is a motive that will lead to an unexpected murderer and his obsession with - of all things - honor.
The Dance of Murder offers a strong focus on problem-solving and sleuthing. This allows readers to test their own skills in piecing together the puzzle, and to become involved in a story line that focuses on eliminating suspects and arriving at truth.
With its swift assessments of possibilities and motivations, it's a satisfying murder mystery that deftly captures the interactions between murder detectives and their professional and political challenges in solving crimes. Any murder mystery reader will find The Dance of Murder a fast-paced, involving read.
Hot link to above review:
The Art of Murder
Trisha Sugarek
CreateSpace
978-1492961277 $8.95
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Murder-A-Novella/dp/1492961272/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386265490&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Art+of+Murder+Trisha
The Art of Murder is Book One in 'The World of Murder' series and tells of one Montgomery ('Monty'), a struggling, shy artist in Soho who admires his beautiful neighbor from afar, painting her image and dreaming about her. It all seems so innocent … until she's murdered and the police turn up at his door, asking about his 'obsession' with his dream woman.
Now Monty is caught in a dangerous game he never asked for: one that involves proving his innocence against impossible odds. But he's not alone in his quest: detective Jack O'Rourke becomes less convinced of Monty's guilt as time goes on and more evidence turns up, and decides to make it his personal goal to uncover the truth surrounding Samantha's demise. Joining him is sidekick Stella Garcia, a fellow detective also committed to justice.
What they uncovers during the course of their investigation will involve them all in a highly charged case that reveals as much about Samantha's life and personality as it provides clues about the circumstances surrounding her death.
The Art of Murder is replete with emotionally-charged writing capturing not just the process of a murder investigation, but the emotions of all involved: "Sam’s gone…she’s dead…He told the river. No more ridiculously high stilettos dancing down the street. No bright call of greeting. No more dazzling smile that she bestowed on everyone but me. They killed my muse, my reason for painting. And those cops…they think I might have done it…slaughtered the most beautiful thing in the world…these last words ended on a heart wrenching sob."
This focus differentiates The Art of Murder from other murder mystery approaches, adding a human element which, after all, is always a part of any murder scenario - but is too often under-explored in traditional murder mysteries.
As the crime-solving duo find theory after theory dissolving, they find themselves learning more about Sam's love life than they had bargained for - and suddenly everything begins to make sense…
Billed as a 'novella', this is a short, quick read; but don't let that fool you. It's also steeped in emotion, with a sensational cast of characters and interconnected circumstances that weave together to form a neat, involving story line with a tidy finish. The Art of Murder grew out of a one-act play, but you'd never know that: in novella form, its growth represents a satisfyingly rich story.
Hot link to above review:
Trisha Sugarek
CreateSpace
978-1492961277 $8.95
http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Murder-A-Novella/dp/1492961272/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386265490&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Art+of+Murder+Trisha
The Art of Murder is Book One in 'The World of Murder' series and tells of one Montgomery ('Monty'), a struggling, shy artist in Soho who admires his beautiful neighbor from afar, painting her image and dreaming about her. It all seems so innocent … until she's murdered and the police turn up at his door, asking about his 'obsession' with his dream woman.
Now Monty is caught in a dangerous game he never asked for: one that involves proving his innocence against impossible odds. But he's not alone in his quest: detective Jack O'Rourke becomes less convinced of Monty's guilt as time goes on and more evidence turns up, and decides to make it his personal goal to uncover the truth surrounding Samantha's demise. Joining him is sidekick Stella Garcia, a fellow detective also committed to justice.
What they uncovers during the course of their investigation will involve them all in a highly charged case that reveals as much about Samantha's life and personality as it provides clues about the circumstances surrounding her death.
The Art of Murder is replete with emotionally-charged writing capturing not just the process of a murder investigation, but the emotions of all involved: "Sam’s gone…she’s dead…He told the river. No more ridiculously high stilettos dancing down the street. No bright call of greeting. No more dazzling smile that she bestowed on everyone but me. They killed my muse, my reason for painting. And those cops…they think I might have done it…slaughtered the most beautiful thing in the world…these last words ended on a heart wrenching sob."
This focus differentiates The Art of Murder from other murder mystery approaches, adding a human element which, after all, is always a part of any murder scenario - but is too often under-explored in traditional murder mysteries.
As the crime-solving duo find theory after theory dissolving, they find themselves learning more about Sam's love life than they had bargained for - and suddenly everything begins to make sense…
Billed as a 'novella', this is a short, quick read; but don't let that fool you. It's also steeped in emotion, with a sensational cast of characters and interconnected circumstances that weave together to form a neat, involving story line with a tidy finish. The Art of Murder grew out of a one-act play, but you'd never know that: in novella form, its growth represents a satisfyingly rich story.
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The Mexican Gardener
Len Lamensdorf
SeaScape Press
9780966974195 $7.95
www.lenlamensdorf.com
The Mexican Gardener's title sounds like it would revolve around the story of a typical Mexican who tends the garden of a white employer: but there's much more to José Rivera-Diego - including the fact that he's a skilled jet pilot, a marksman, and (underneath all this) is also a scientist hiding from a dangerous terrorist group plotting a chemical attack on the southwestern United States.
All these elements don't take half the book to develop, as one might anticipate, but evolve from the very first paragraph, in which José occupies a plushy office in Mexico (which at that moment is incongruously occupied by the gruesome dead body of fellow chemist Ermino Diaz, a deadly warning scrawled on his lab coat in blood.) It's more than time for José to leave town, before he's next … and thus evolves a deadly cat-and-mouse game that will draw him into not just a world of danger and intrigue, but the world of Anglos whom terrorists are plotting to destroy.
The Mexican Gardener also revolves around a former friend seeking to destroy him - and as José flees his former life, he realizes not only the world, but his world will change. All this isn't a surprise to José: in fact, he's been methodically planning his departure and new life for a long time, now. And his pursuer, former employer Hector Palacios who heads the company involved in the plans for a chemical attack, is equally savvy, meeting each of José's moves with such precision that one wonders if Hector is merely toying with José before his inevitable demise.
Iffy boarder crossings and identity camouflage are only a few of the challenge José faces: also at risk are his family and an evolving international crisis that places him at the heart of some difficult and paradigm-changing choices. José misses his wife and children and has hired protection for them in his absence, but his choice to hide in the position of being a Mexican gardener offers him the best protection against his pursuers - until its own complications reach out to inject their own complex tendrils into his life. Suddenly what seems like the perfect cover also comes to feel like a trap, as his new employer puts him in charge of her latest entertainment: a city-wide treasure hunt: "The problems, the risks were getting greater every minute. He could be dealing with
hundreds of people—some might even be from Mexico. It was not impossible he would be seen by someone who knew him, someone who might recall the scandal of his disappearance… In Mexico, he was considered at best an outcast, at worst an international criminal."
'Treasure hunt' is one of the evolving themes of this thriller as José becomes immersed in his new, rich employer's complex game even as he avoids becoming part of his former employer's disastrous plans to establish a new 'Aztec empire' in the southern U.S. When his worlds collide, it's with a bang that will intersect some ambitions and create new options in the process.
The Mexican Gardener is replete with action, high octane energy, political intrigue and underlying social tensions and follows one man's efforts to save the world - and his own world. From international missions to encounters between different Latin American forces and U.S. operatives, this is a fast-paced novel that charges off the start line from its first paragraph and doesn't quit racing until the finish line: a winner!
Hot link to above review:
Len Lamensdorf
SeaScape Press
9780966974195 $7.95
www.lenlamensdorf.com
The Mexican Gardener's title sounds like it would revolve around the story of a typical Mexican who tends the garden of a white employer: but there's much more to José Rivera-Diego - including the fact that he's a skilled jet pilot, a marksman, and (underneath all this) is also a scientist hiding from a dangerous terrorist group plotting a chemical attack on the southwestern United States.
All these elements don't take half the book to develop, as one might anticipate, but evolve from the very first paragraph, in which José occupies a plushy office in Mexico (which at that moment is incongruously occupied by the gruesome dead body of fellow chemist Ermino Diaz, a deadly warning scrawled on his lab coat in blood.) It's more than time for José to leave town, before he's next … and thus evolves a deadly cat-and-mouse game that will draw him into not just a world of danger and intrigue, but the world of Anglos whom terrorists are plotting to destroy.
The Mexican Gardener also revolves around a former friend seeking to destroy him - and as José flees his former life, he realizes not only the world, but his world will change. All this isn't a surprise to José: in fact, he's been methodically planning his departure and new life for a long time, now. And his pursuer, former employer Hector Palacios who heads the company involved in the plans for a chemical attack, is equally savvy, meeting each of José's moves with such precision that one wonders if Hector is merely toying with José before his inevitable demise.
Iffy boarder crossings and identity camouflage are only a few of the challenge José faces: also at risk are his family and an evolving international crisis that places him at the heart of some difficult and paradigm-changing choices. José misses his wife and children and has hired protection for them in his absence, but his choice to hide in the position of being a Mexican gardener offers him the best protection against his pursuers - until its own complications reach out to inject their own complex tendrils into his life. Suddenly what seems like the perfect cover also comes to feel like a trap, as his new employer puts him in charge of her latest entertainment: a city-wide treasure hunt: "The problems, the risks were getting greater every minute. He could be dealing with
hundreds of people—some might even be from Mexico. It was not impossible he would be seen by someone who knew him, someone who might recall the scandal of his disappearance… In Mexico, he was considered at best an outcast, at worst an international criminal."
'Treasure hunt' is one of the evolving themes of this thriller as José becomes immersed in his new, rich employer's complex game even as he avoids becoming part of his former employer's disastrous plans to establish a new 'Aztec empire' in the southern U.S. When his worlds collide, it's with a bang that will intersect some ambitions and create new options in the process.
The Mexican Gardener is replete with action, high octane energy, political intrigue and underlying social tensions and follows one man's efforts to save the world - and his own world. From international missions to encounters between different Latin American forces and U.S. operatives, this is a fast-paced novel that charges off the start line from its first paragraph and doesn't quit racing until the finish line: a winner!
Hot link to above review:
New Age
A
Creative Toolkit of Meditations
William W. Blake
Balboa Press
Hardcover [5.5 x 8.5] ISBN 9781452574417 - $23.55
Softcover [5.5 x 8.5] ISBN 9781452574394 - $12.99
E-Book ISBN 9781452574400 - $2.99
Available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000647331/A-Creative-Toolkit-of-Meditations.aspx
A Creative Toolkit of Meditations comes from an expert who has taught meditation for fifteen years, and who provides some twenty meditations designed for inquiry and mindfulness. From a better mind/body connection to increasing communications with others and addressing barriers to these connections and communications, A Creative Toolkit of Meditations is filled with keys to supporting and building conscious awareness on many levels.
Chapters begin with discussions of basic belief systems, childhood messages, and how a process of emotional growth can be supported by meditation. Life's first journey is all about recognizing these beliefs and assuming responsibility for their impact; life's second journey is about waking up to (and acknowledging) one's true nature … also a process supported by this toolkit.
While these processes are interconnected, the meditations associated with them are different, designed to support different levels of consciousness and purpose. That's why it's important to have a toolkit that operates on varied levels: to address the specifics and differences involved in this evolutionary process.
Awareness here is likened to a 'muscle' that needs building - and that's what this toolkit is all about.
From knocking out negative belief patterns to fostering investigative dialogues that involve rephrasing techniques and uncovering underlying negative perceptions, this is packed with meditations linked to specific changes and actions: "The crafty, subtle negative beliefs that we have about ourselves and others must be uncovered if we desire to live more happily. Anyone committed to investigative dialogue can gently elbow another person into increased clarity about negative beliefs. Investigative dialogue is a device to crack open subconscious ignorance."
These approaches are just one aspect that differentiates A Creative Toolkit of Meditations from your more general 'how-to' guide to meditations. It's much more than one person's reflection on techniques, however talented: it incorporates research studies (such as The Third International Mathematics and Science Study that tested a half-million students around the world, and whose findings lend to a probe of underlying attitudes about belief and the educational process as a whole), it discusses how and why attitudes are changed, and incorporates the process of meditation into the bigger picture of social and cultural observation.
Can meditation techniques result in social change? Yes, if they are applied! A Creative Toolkit of Meditations takes the smaller circle resolving around individual growth and slowly moves to the bigger picture of changing hearts, minds and social connections. It promotes a flexible attitude that invites readers to rephrase and redesign elements of the basic toolkit to fit their own paradigms for growth and personal achievement, and it's all about the bigger picture of fostering love of self and love for and understanding of others.
A Creative Toolkit of Meditations more than achieves these goals by providing a focused group of meditative reflections blending spiritual, psychological and cultural growth. Any seeking more than a 'pop' guidebook on the topic will find this title's structure and focus is exceptional.
Hot link to above review:
William W. Blake
Balboa Press
Hardcover [5.5 x 8.5] ISBN 9781452574417 - $23.55
Softcover [5.5 x 8.5] ISBN 9781452574394 - $12.99
E-Book ISBN 9781452574400 - $2.99
Available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000647331/A-Creative-Toolkit-of-Meditations.aspx
A Creative Toolkit of Meditations comes from an expert who has taught meditation for fifteen years, and who provides some twenty meditations designed for inquiry and mindfulness. From a better mind/body connection to increasing communications with others and addressing barriers to these connections and communications, A Creative Toolkit of Meditations is filled with keys to supporting and building conscious awareness on many levels.
Chapters begin with discussions of basic belief systems, childhood messages, and how a process of emotional growth can be supported by meditation. Life's first journey is all about recognizing these beliefs and assuming responsibility for their impact; life's second journey is about waking up to (and acknowledging) one's true nature … also a process supported by this toolkit.
While these processes are interconnected, the meditations associated with them are different, designed to support different levels of consciousness and purpose. That's why it's important to have a toolkit that operates on varied levels: to address the specifics and differences involved in this evolutionary process.
Awareness here is likened to a 'muscle' that needs building - and that's what this toolkit is all about.
From knocking out negative belief patterns to fostering investigative dialogues that involve rephrasing techniques and uncovering underlying negative perceptions, this is packed with meditations linked to specific changes and actions: "The crafty, subtle negative beliefs that we have about ourselves and others must be uncovered if we desire to live more happily. Anyone committed to investigative dialogue can gently elbow another person into increased clarity about negative beliefs. Investigative dialogue is a device to crack open subconscious ignorance."
These approaches are just one aspect that differentiates A Creative Toolkit of Meditations from your more general 'how-to' guide to meditations. It's much more than one person's reflection on techniques, however talented: it incorporates research studies (such as The Third International Mathematics and Science Study that tested a half-million students around the world, and whose findings lend to a probe of underlying attitudes about belief and the educational process as a whole), it discusses how and why attitudes are changed, and incorporates the process of meditation into the bigger picture of social and cultural observation.
Can meditation techniques result in social change? Yes, if they are applied! A Creative Toolkit of Meditations takes the smaller circle resolving around individual growth and slowly moves to the bigger picture of changing hearts, minds and social connections. It promotes a flexible attitude that invites readers to rephrase and redesign elements of the basic toolkit to fit their own paradigms for growth and personal achievement, and it's all about the bigger picture of fostering love of self and love for and understanding of others.
A Creative Toolkit of Meditations more than achieves these goals by providing a focused group of meditative reflections blending spiritual, psychological and cultural growth. Any seeking more than a 'pop' guidebook on the topic will find this title's structure and focus is exceptional.
Hot link to above review:
Novels
The
Homecoming
Tom Chaney
Amazon Digital Services
9781483509747 ASIN: B00FX2EQA0 $5.99
http://www.amazon.com/The-Homecoming-Rubber-Band-Man-ebook/dp/B00FX2EQA0
The Homecoming opens with a familiar scenario: a man returns to his childhood town when his father dies, there to find many changes await him. There's a difference in this picture though: Hollywood bigwig Michael Johnson has allotted exactly three days to tidy up affairs and get out of town; only events don't proceed in such a quick nor tidy fashion and he finds himself confronting a long-left love and a mysterious, wise old man who pops in and out of his affairs and seems to know way too much about Michael.
He manages to return to his Los Angeles life, albeit forever altered by his brief respite with his past. He can't forget Roseanne, he can't help but wonder about how the old man knew so much about him, and these ponderings lead him to new discoveries and revelations that will change his life and his path through it.
Thomas Wolfe wrote "you can't go home again" and in many cases he was right; but in this case what appears to be a simple homecoming to quickly settle matters of the past turns into a journey that will change Michael's future and his very persona.
The introduction neatly sets the stage for this journey: "The first day of my life started thirty-nine years into it, practically in the fall of my days. Not that I wasn’t living one and not that I wasn’t busy trying to make something out of myself, quite the contrary as a matter of fact, but it wasn’t until things started to go a little south that I really began to wonder what it was all about. Strangely enough, the beginning of mine started with the death of someone else, my father."
And what a journey it is: as Michael makes ongoing discoveries about his personality, objectives and values in life ("There are givers and there are takers. My father was a giver and I had become a taker. While my father was back here giving, I was far away, taking."), he finds himself slowly shifting in unexpected ways and finds himself drinking in the wonders of the world with newborn eyes and fresh perspective.
Can the queries of one wizened stranger change the direction of a life? Not by themselves; but death, love and family ties are simultaneous, life-changing forces that strike at the heart of Michael's values and the vision of success that he's so carefully built for himself far away from family and home. And when Michael's mother also suffers a setback, it's the final straw tipping the specter of a professional life falling apart and a personal life teetering in new directions.
What happens when these continuing changes are brought into one's current reality is one theme that permeates The Homecoming.
In today's world of business-oriented values that often spill over into personal lives, The Homecoming is an inspirational gift. Michael learns how to fall in love again, how to re-establish family connections, and how to integrate all this into a new worldview. Through all of this, the 'Rubber Band Man' appears time and again to offer Michael keys to staying on a path that will ultimately lead to happiness after all the pain permeating his life: "I looked up again. Suddenly, I didn’t care if he saw my eyes and sensed my pain. It was quite obvious that I couldn’t hide it anyway. “I am lost. Ever since I came to this God forsaken little town…” “Now don’t say that,” he said. “It’s not the town that’s forsaken.” His happy tone was suddenly serious. I looked at him for a second, wondering again, who he really was."
Readers will follow Michael's passage with bated breath. It's about the journey as much as the destination. The Homecoming proves inspiring, enlightening, and gripping on some unusual levels: emotionally, spiritually, and even into the financial world. And that's what makes this a unique, warm read.
Hot link to above review:
Tom Chaney
Amazon Digital Services
9781483509747 ASIN: B00FX2EQA0 $5.99
http://www.amazon.com/The-Homecoming-Rubber-Band-Man-ebook/dp/B00FX2EQA0
The Homecoming opens with a familiar scenario: a man returns to his childhood town when his father dies, there to find many changes await him. There's a difference in this picture though: Hollywood bigwig Michael Johnson has allotted exactly three days to tidy up affairs and get out of town; only events don't proceed in such a quick nor tidy fashion and he finds himself confronting a long-left love and a mysterious, wise old man who pops in and out of his affairs and seems to know way too much about Michael.
He manages to return to his Los Angeles life, albeit forever altered by his brief respite with his past. He can't forget Roseanne, he can't help but wonder about how the old man knew so much about him, and these ponderings lead him to new discoveries and revelations that will change his life and his path through it.
Thomas Wolfe wrote "you can't go home again" and in many cases he was right; but in this case what appears to be a simple homecoming to quickly settle matters of the past turns into a journey that will change Michael's future and his very persona.
The introduction neatly sets the stage for this journey: "The first day of my life started thirty-nine years into it, practically in the fall of my days. Not that I wasn’t living one and not that I wasn’t busy trying to make something out of myself, quite the contrary as a matter of fact, but it wasn’t until things started to go a little south that I really began to wonder what it was all about. Strangely enough, the beginning of mine started with the death of someone else, my father."
And what a journey it is: as Michael makes ongoing discoveries about his personality, objectives and values in life ("There are givers and there are takers. My father was a giver and I had become a taker. While my father was back here giving, I was far away, taking."), he finds himself slowly shifting in unexpected ways and finds himself drinking in the wonders of the world with newborn eyes and fresh perspective.
Can the queries of one wizened stranger change the direction of a life? Not by themselves; but death, love and family ties are simultaneous, life-changing forces that strike at the heart of Michael's values and the vision of success that he's so carefully built for himself far away from family and home. And when Michael's mother also suffers a setback, it's the final straw tipping the specter of a professional life falling apart and a personal life teetering in new directions.
What happens when these continuing changes are brought into one's current reality is one theme that permeates The Homecoming.
In today's world of business-oriented values that often spill over into personal lives, The Homecoming is an inspirational gift. Michael learns how to fall in love again, how to re-establish family connections, and how to integrate all this into a new worldview. Through all of this, the 'Rubber Band Man' appears time and again to offer Michael keys to staying on a path that will ultimately lead to happiness after all the pain permeating his life: "I looked up again. Suddenly, I didn’t care if he saw my eyes and sensed my pain. It was quite obvious that I couldn’t hide it anyway. “I am lost. Ever since I came to this God forsaken little town…” “Now don’t say that,” he said. “It’s not the town that’s forsaken.” His happy tone was suddenly serious. I looked at him for a second, wondering again, who he really was."
Readers will follow Michael's passage with bated breath. It's about the journey as much as the destination. The Homecoming proves inspiring, enlightening, and gripping on some unusual levels: emotionally, spiritually, and even into the financial world. And that's what makes this a unique, warm read.
Hot link to above review:
The Reporter and The Girl (MINUS The Super Man!)
S.C. Rhyne
Publisher: Smashwords (ebook) Createspace (print)
ebook : 9781310170683
Print: ISBN-13: 978-1493635351
ISBN-10: 1493635352 2.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369918
http://www.amazon.com/The-Reporter-Girl-MINUS-Super/dp/1493635352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386875216&sr=8-1&keywords=the+reporter+and+the+girl+minus+the+super+man
The Reporter and The Girl (MINUS The Super Man!) is not your usual novel about an independent girl seeking love: indeed, Sabrien Collins is actually happy with her life and her relationships largely consist of online liaisons that don't interfere with that happiness - until she meets reporter Jon Sudbury and her life takes quite a different turn.
At first Sabrien thinks of Jon as little more than a fling: one-dimensional, easy to manipulate. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth: Jon in fact holds much mystery and their intense physical relationship begins its metamorphosis into something quite different; and something Sabrien has never before experienced.
This is no light romance: packed with erotic scenes and unexpected twists of emotion, The Reporter and The Girl is about one girl's unique perspective on sex and romance - and what happens when her neatly cataloged world is rocked by an exceptional individual.
Now, Sabrien is no dummy. Her candid confession of how she misses warning signs is honest and right to the point: "… yes every time you and your partner get into the Relationship Mobile, and decide to gun it at three hundred miles per hour, all the warning signs pointing to the upcoming cliffs and curves may have been a blur, but you definitely saw them."
And for Sabrien, relationships are all about keeping control; so when she loses it with Jon, she loses a key part of herself: "He filled me in a way that left no room for food. I didn’t need breakfast, lunch, or kick boxing. Talking to him was… my survival. I still wonder how I made the leap from being in control to losing control to him."
The evolution of their relationship from passion to love and beyond it to something akin to hate charts the course of many relationships, and the move from 'relationship' to 'friendship' (with all its challenges and impossibilities) is also revealed during Sabrien's roller coaster journey.
Adding Jon's perspective into the mix makes for some potential confusion as protagonist viewpoints switch, but ultimately adds depth and dimension to discussions of shared values, happiness, and how their emotionally and physically charged relationship has affected their perspectives and possibilities of other relationships: "Mr. Tech seems like my kind of guy, but I don’t feel fit for him. In another world, I would give him my number. But instead I have been ruined by someone who wears a baseball cap like a gentleman’s top hat."
Most readers have known a Sabrien; or possibly have been in her shoes. The same goes for Jon. Having lost herself in a couple, how can Sabrien find herself again, separately? And what about bisexuality and other issues which pop up to affect their evolving blend of friendship and love?
Don't expect easy answers here. DO expect a gritty, honest series of self-assessments and experiences that come together to define - and expand - the meaning of 'the relationship'; all fueled by the thoughts and approach of a feisty, independent female protagonist more than savvy with the Internet, dating, and men … but not so much that she still can't be surprised or blindsided.
Hot link to above review:
S.C. Rhyne
Publisher: Smashwords (ebook) Createspace (print)
ebook : 9781310170683
Print: ISBN-13: 978-1493635351
ISBN-10: 1493635352 2.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369918
http://www.amazon.com/The-Reporter-Girl-MINUS-Super/dp/1493635352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386875216&sr=8-1&keywords=the+reporter+and+the+girl+minus+the+super+man
The Reporter and The Girl (MINUS The Super Man!) is not your usual novel about an independent girl seeking love: indeed, Sabrien Collins is actually happy with her life and her relationships largely consist of online liaisons that don't interfere with that happiness - until she meets reporter Jon Sudbury and her life takes quite a different turn.
At first Sabrien thinks of Jon as little more than a fling: one-dimensional, easy to manipulate. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth: Jon in fact holds much mystery and their intense physical relationship begins its metamorphosis into something quite different; and something Sabrien has never before experienced.
This is no light romance: packed with erotic scenes and unexpected twists of emotion, The Reporter and The Girl is about one girl's unique perspective on sex and romance - and what happens when her neatly cataloged world is rocked by an exceptional individual.
Now, Sabrien is no dummy. Her candid confession of how she misses warning signs is honest and right to the point: "… yes every time you and your partner get into the Relationship Mobile, and decide to gun it at three hundred miles per hour, all the warning signs pointing to the upcoming cliffs and curves may have been a blur, but you definitely saw them."
And for Sabrien, relationships are all about keeping control; so when she loses it with Jon, she loses a key part of herself: "He filled me in a way that left no room for food. I didn’t need breakfast, lunch, or kick boxing. Talking to him was… my survival. I still wonder how I made the leap from being in control to losing control to him."
The evolution of their relationship from passion to love and beyond it to something akin to hate charts the course of many relationships, and the move from 'relationship' to 'friendship' (with all its challenges and impossibilities) is also revealed during Sabrien's roller coaster journey.
Adding Jon's perspective into the mix makes for some potential confusion as protagonist viewpoints switch, but ultimately adds depth and dimension to discussions of shared values, happiness, and how their emotionally and physically charged relationship has affected their perspectives and possibilities of other relationships: "Mr. Tech seems like my kind of guy, but I don’t feel fit for him. In another world, I would give him my number. But instead I have been ruined by someone who wears a baseball cap like a gentleman’s top hat."
Most readers have known a Sabrien; or possibly have been in her shoes. The same goes for Jon. Having lost herself in a couple, how can Sabrien find herself again, separately? And what about bisexuality and other issues which pop up to affect their evolving blend of friendship and love?
Don't expect easy answers here. DO expect a gritty, honest series of self-assessments and experiences that come together to define - and expand - the meaning of 'the relationship'; all fueled by the thoughts and approach of a feisty, independent female protagonist more than savvy with the Internet, dating, and men … but not so much that she still can't be surprised or blindsided.
Hot link to above review:
Olivia, Mourning
Yael Politis
Yael Politis, Publisher
ISBN-13: 978-1493652457 ISBN-10: 1493652451
Price: eBook: $5.99 Paperback: $14.99
Olivia, Mourning, Book 1 of the ‘Olivia’ series, is historical fiction at its best. It is the story of Olivia Killion, a feisty, would-be-independent woman – a seventeen-year-old female living in 1841 who’s determined to fulfill the requirement of her father’s will and cultivate 80 acres in Michigan in order to gain title to the land.
She spent two years caring for her demanding father during his long illness and now feels entitled to a home she can call her own. Many obstacles stand in the way of her plans but Mourning, her childhood friend, has experience working the land and agrees to become a partner in this endeavor. Olivia not only trusts him but fears no romantic entanglement developing between them and complicating matters.
There’s only one problem: he’s black and reluctant to risk the wrath of white men by working with a young white girl. He’s also the orphaned son of slaves who escaped to the north. Mourning was born free in Pennsylvania, but knows that the private agents who patrol the free states in search of fugitive slaves to return to the south are not particular about the legal status of the young black men they kidnap.
Olivia believes she can make her dream come true without putting Mourning in danger, and the two set off to an isolated log cabin to work the land together. Olivia represses the feelings she begins to develop for Mourning and focuses instead on her attraction to a young neighbor. But when all turns to disaster, Olivia is forced to acknowledge – and re-assess – not only her feelings for Mourning, but the very nature of her drive for independence.
Olivia, Mourning deftly captures the atmosphere of her times, offering readers a smooth introduction to Olivia’s character and its origins, her purpose, and her growth: “Olivia had heard the good women in the pews behind her all through her father’s funeral service, a flock of pecking hens in winter poke bonnets. They lowered their voices, but not enough; she heard their opinions of what that Killion girl ought to do. Or not do. Just what was wrong with her and how it ought to be fixed.”
The way she attempts to conduct her relationship with Mourning reveals the depth of her maturity and awareness of the challenges they face: “I’m not a fighter, Mourning. I’ve never wanted to change the world. All I want is to make my own little piece of it as nice as I can. We’ll both have a lot more trouble doing that if all the white folks we meet get it into their heads that we’re way too friendly for their liking. We’re going to need good relations with our neighbors, and if telling them you’re my hired man – and me bossing you like you are – will keep them from getting all rankled, well so what?”
Her assessments of reality are strikingly down to earth for a seventeen-year-old and her slow realization of Mourning’s importance to her life (beyond their business relationship) is candid and revealing, too: “It’s Mourning, she thought. Mourning is the one I care for. Has been for a long time. Not just as a friend. He’s the one it could be wonderful to share a life with. But with Mourning there is nothing to hope for, no “if only he wanted me.” Never. I might as well wish both of us dead as wish for him to express desire for me. Nothing will ever change that. And no other man will ever feel like part of me, the way Mourning does.”
What to do with this new-found self-awareness? What choices will Olivia make? Will they support her beliefs or compromise everything she purports to value? And what roles will isolation and stubbornness play in both their lives?
Olivia, Mourning is about the changing complexities of human relationships and politics as much as about one determined young girl’s desire to make her own place in the world, outside of boundaries and conventions. It’s also a story of trauma and how even the closest-held relationships and secrets change.
Expect no easy conclusions to Book 1: it’s all about transition points and leaves the door open for further journeys with Olivia. Readers interested in historical fiction with a healthy dose of romance will find Olivia, Mourning a compelling, gripping saga that deliciously wraps what could be predictable elements in a cloak of many choices. It’s all about options and consequences – and is a heartfelt story especially recommended for readers who enjoy headstrong protagonists tasked with making their own way in the world.
Hot link to above review:
Yael Politis
Yael Politis, Publisher
ISBN-13: 978-1493652457 ISBN-10: 1493652451
Price: eBook: $5.99 Paperback: $14.99
Olivia, Mourning, Book 1 of the ‘Olivia’ series, is historical fiction at its best. It is the story of Olivia Killion, a feisty, would-be-independent woman – a seventeen-year-old female living in 1841 who’s determined to fulfill the requirement of her father’s will and cultivate 80 acres in Michigan in order to gain title to the land.
She spent two years caring for her demanding father during his long illness and now feels entitled to a home she can call her own. Many obstacles stand in the way of her plans but Mourning, her childhood friend, has experience working the land and agrees to become a partner in this endeavor. Olivia not only trusts him but fears no romantic entanglement developing between them and complicating matters.
There’s only one problem: he’s black and reluctant to risk the wrath of white men by working with a young white girl. He’s also the orphaned son of slaves who escaped to the north. Mourning was born free in Pennsylvania, but knows that the private agents who patrol the free states in search of fugitive slaves to return to the south are not particular about the legal status of the young black men they kidnap.
Olivia believes she can make her dream come true without putting Mourning in danger, and the two set off to an isolated log cabin to work the land together. Olivia represses the feelings she begins to develop for Mourning and focuses instead on her attraction to a young neighbor. But when all turns to disaster, Olivia is forced to acknowledge – and re-assess – not only her feelings for Mourning, but the very nature of her drive for independence.
Olivia, Mourning deftly captures the atmosphere of her times, offering readers a smooth introduction to Olivia’s character and its origins, her purpose, and her growth: “Olivia had heard the good women in the pews behind her all through her father’s funeral service, a flock of pecking hens in winter poke bonnets. They lowered their voices, but not enough; she heard their opinions of what that Killion girl ought to do. Or not do. Just what was wrong with her and how it ought to be fixed.”
The way she attempts to conduct her relationship with Mourning reveals the depth of her maturity and awareness of the challenges they face: “I’m not a fighter, Mourning. I’ve never wanted to change the world. All I want is to make my own little piece of it as nice as I can. We’ll both have a lot more trouble doing that if all the white folks we meet get it into their heads that we’re way too friendly for their liking. We’re going to need good relations with our neighbors, and if telling them you’re my hired man – and me bossing you like you are – will keep them from getting all rankled, well so what?”
Her assessments of reality are strikingly down to earth for a seventeen-year-old and her slow realization of Mourning’s importance to her life (beyond their business relationship) is candid and revealing, too: “It’s Mourning, she thought. Mourning is the one I care for. Has been for a long time. Not just as a friend. He’s the one it could be wonderful to share a life with. But with Mourning there is nothing to hope for, no “if only he wanted me.” Never. I might as well wish both of us dead as wish for him to express desire for me. Nothing will ever change that. And no other man will ever feel like part of me, the way Mourning does.”
What to do with this new-found self-awareness? What choices will Olivia make? Will they support her beliefs or compromise everything she purports to value? And what roles will isolation and stubbornness play in both their lives?
Olivia, Mourning is about the changing complexities of human relationships and politics as much as about one determined young girl’s desire to make her own place in the world, outside of boundaries and conventions. It’s also a story of trauma and how even the closest-held relationships and secrets change.
Expect no easy conclusions to Book 1: it’s all about transition points and leaves the door open for further journeys with Olivia. Readers interested in historical fiction with a healthy dose of romance will find Olivia, Mourning a compelling, gripping saga that deliciously wraps what could be predictable elements in a cloak of many choices. It’s all about options and consequences – and is a heartfelt story especially recommended for readers who enjoy headstrong protagonists tasked with making their own way in the world.
Hot link to above review:
Tempesta's Dream
Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco
Cefalutana Press
ISBN: 9780972882415
Price: $16.95 (Print) $4.99 (Ebook)
http://www.vincentlococo.com
Orders: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tempestas-Dream-Vincent-LoCoco-ebook/dp/B00FEYPL10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384525184&sr=8-1&keywords=tempesta%27s+dream
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempestas-dream-a-story-of-love-friendship-and-opera-vincent-lococo/1116991150?ean=9780972882415
Giovanni Tempesta has long dreamed of becoming an opera singer in his home town of Milan, Italy; but despite his talents he lacks the money for proper training and his dreams seem futile until he meets and falls in love with the wealthy Isabella Monterone, whose father, a powerful Judge, is less than thrilled about her infatuation with a poor musician with no future.
Banned from their household and forbidden to date his love, Giovanni feels all his dreams and goals are lost…and then he stumbles upon a rest home for musicians established by the great opera composer Verdi, meets up with a retired opera singer with a secretive past, and discovers in him a mentor who can help Giovanni realize his ambitions.
Tempesta’s Dream: A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera
is not a singular story of ambition nor even of romance, but a blend of patterns, circumstances, and relationships that lead to vast changes. Its setting is partially driven by its powerful protagonists and partially because many elements of the novel are based in reality (the convent described is based on an actual convent while stories about historical operas and their conductors and participants are all based on actual opera lore.) The author grew up in a household steeped in an appreciation for opera, so he is in the perfect position to provide a novel filled with authentic opera references and atmosphere.
Because he was raised in a home filled with music appreciation and Italian passion, it's hard not to suspect that these two driving forces are the real foundation of Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco's ability to create story filled with atmosphere and musical insights far beyond the usual observations of an outsider.
Phrases in Italian and English pepper his story: these are presented with translations side-by-side for quick enlightenment. There's also a series of quick references to how the protagonist attained his deep love of opera (from a father also passionate about music, who never realized his own dreams of making a name for himself in opera.)
How did this love pass between generations? Tempesta’s Dream leaves nothing to wonder about the process of evolving passions: "Giovanni Tempesta loved how every night his father would take an opera libretto and make it into a bedtime story. Unlike other kids, Giovanni’s father did not read nursery rhymes to his son at bedtime, but instead read opera librettos to him, relating to his young son the great stories and legends of operas written centuries ago."
What a son does with his father's dream and how he integrates it with his own evolution: now, that's the stuff of legend - and the foundation of Tempesta’s Dream's compelling plot.
As Giovanni comes to realize and express his real passion, he discovers more than a mentor in his newfound teacher, using his lessons to rise above the frustrations of his life: "Alfredo said, “Always sing with passion. When you sing Aida, let Verdi live through you. At the heart of the opera is passion. I know you know the role. But feel it."
What happens when Giovanni lives his passion and how he changes his life to take his rightful place in the world of opera greats (and in his love's life) makes for a powerful novel of dreams, debts, and an effort that gives an old man and his young Student a new lease on life.
Tempesta’s Dream is all about the music, it's all about passion, and it's all about pursuing one's dream. Anyone who wants inspirational reading (and who want to be immersed in the world of music as well as Italian opera) will find this a moving, engrossing story.
Hot link to above review:
Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco
Cefalutana Press
ISBN: 9780972882415
Price: $16.95 (Print) $4.99 (Ebook)
http://www.vincentlococo.com
Orders: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tempestas-Dream-Vincent-LoCoco-ebook/dp/B00FEYPL10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384525184&sr=8-1&keywords=tempesta%27s+dream
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempestas-dream-a-story-of-love-friendship-and-opera-vincent-lococo/1116991150?ean=9780972882415
Giovanni Tempesta has long dreamed of becoming an opera singer in his home town of Milan, Italy; but despite his talents he lacks the money for proper training and his dreams seem futile until he meets and falls in love with the wealthy Isabella Monterone, whose father, a powerful Judge, is less than thrilled about her infatuation with a poor musician with no future.
Banned from their household and forbidden to date his love, Giovanni feels all his dreams and goals are lost…and then he stumbles upon a rest home for musicians established by the great opera composer Verdi, meets up with a retired opera singer with a secretive past, and discovers in him a mentor who can help Giovanni realize his ambitions.
Tempesta’s Dream: A Story of Love, Friendship and Opera
is not a singular story of ambition nor even of romance, but a blend of patterns, circumstances, and relationships that lead to vast changes. Its setting is partially driven by its powerful protagonists and partially because many elements of the novel are based in reality (the convent described is based on an actual convent while stories about historical operas and their conductors and participants are all based on actual opera lore.) The author grew up in a household steeped in an appreciation for opera, so he is in the perfect position to provide a novel filled with authentic opera references and atmosphere.
Because he was raised in a home filled with music appreciation and Italian passion, it's hard not to suspect that these two driving forces are the real foundation of Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco's ability to create story filled with atmosphere and musical insights far beyond the usual observations of an outsider.
Phrases in Italian and English pepper his story: these are presented with translations side-by-side for quick enlightenment. There's also a series of quick references to how the protagonist attained his deep love of opera (from a father also passionate about music, who never realized his own dreams of making a name for himself in opera.)
How did this love pass between generations? Tempesta’s Dream leaves nothing to wonder about the process of evolving passions: "Giovanni Tempesta loved how every night his father would take an opera libretto and make it into a bedtime story. Unlike other kids, Giovanni’s father did not read nursery rhymes to his son at bedtime, but instead read opera librettos to him, relating to his young son the great stories and legends of operas written centuries ago."
What a son does with his father's dream and how he integrates it with his own evolution: now, that's the stuff of legend - and the foundation of Tempesta’s Dream's compelling plot.
As Giovanni comes to realize and express his real passion, he discovers more than a mentor in his newfound teacher, using his lessons to rise above the frustrations of his life: "Alfredo said, “Always sing with passion. When you sing Aida, let Verdi live through you. At the heart of the opera is passion. I know you know the role. But feel it."
What happens when Giovanni lives his passion and how he changes his life to take his rightful place in the world of opera greats (and in his love's life) makes for a powerful novel of dreams, debts, and an effort that gives an old man and his young Student a new lease on life.
Tempesta’s Dream is all about the music, it's all about passion, and it's all about pursuing one's dream. Anyone who wants inspirational reading (and who want to be immersed in the world of music as well as Italian opera) will find this a moving, engrossing story.
Hot link to above review:
Farnsworth’s Revenge: A Rollo Hemphill
Misadventure
Gerald Everett Jones
LaPuerta
9780985622732 $15.99
www.amazon.com
Farnsworth's Revenge's publicity note mentions that this story represents an addition to a different genre from most novels, and makes what is certain to be a controversial statement about the book's intended audience: "….boychik lit —a counterpoint, alternative to, and parody of the hugely popular female-oriented fiction genre chick lit. Boychik lit defies the widely held notion that today’s young men won’t or can’t read. Besides, the audience includes just as many book-buying men of a certain age who fantasize about being young and “on the make,” as well as women of any age who are amused by the foolishness of men."
It also should be mentioned that this is the third book in a series (the others not previously seen by this reviewer) that promotes both the 'boychik' concept in general and (in particular) the exploits of protagonist hacker/slacker Rollo Hemphill and his series of zany misadventures. While familiarity with either the new genre or the prior Hemphill novels is not absolutely required, a reading of his prior exploits will make for a smoother segue into this latest story, which revolves around a life-sized sex doll (Monica LaMonica) originally designed to look like a famous star in order to make a girlfriend jealous.
Dialogue explaining these circumstances recap prior adventures and set the scene for a gritty observational tone that is both candid and hilarious: "…he would not have gone to the trouble of ordering a seven thousand-dollar-plus rubber doll if I hadn’t needed a sexy prop to make Felicia jealous. Yes, making her jealous was Hector’s idea originally. And my idea to dress the doll up to look like the most famous pair of tits in Hollywood and drive her around town in a hastily borrowed Bentley actually did have the intended effect. On the plus side, Felicia was indeed jealous. On the negative side of the equation, she wrongly assumed (as Hector rightly warned me she would) that I was Monica LaMonica’s latest boy-toy. But all that did was make me look like a gold-digging gigolo…"
In Farnsworth's Revenge, the lady vanishes (so to speak) and Rollo is nominated to deal with 'kidnappers' who are actually part of an international scheme involving state secrets, corruption, and an eccentric Turk who collects lookalikes (and who holds a deadly secret that could change the world.)
Contrasting with this international scenario is Rollo's own complicated life, which revolves around a pregnant woman who is estranged, but not yet Rollo's 'ex'.
The first requirement to be a fan of Farnsworth's Revenge is an ability to suspend belief. While the scenario of a kidnapped life-size replica inviting international espionage seems far-fetched, the story succeeds in painting a satisfying blend of possibility and madness in a manner designed to attract male readers with an interest in fast-paced espionage stories that hold a healthy dose of angst, witty mishaps and misadventure.
Second: readers need to cultivate an appreciation for underlying comic encounters which occur even during serious conflict. Rollo Hemphill’s confessions are anything but usual in the face of his involvements in Europe and his many crazy schemes, which could either solve world issues or create disaster.
A disclaimer as to the novel's serious perspective is presented within its first few paragraphs: "If you’re going to demand that my story make sense, you might as well stop here and return this book for a full refund. That is, provided you didn’t borrow it or swipe it or download it from Zero-Buck dot com."
Many suspect Rollo to be a 'wacko' despite the many misadventures which befall him: "…I went on to tell him about getting grabbed by the police in Paris, getting recruited by a resurrected Arlen, and getting sent on a weirdo mission to carry the P.M.’s severed ear to a lunatic Turk who has a whole roomful of those dolls and a basement with a jar of fizzy water that could change the future of life on this planet…"
Blend all this zaniness with emotional reflections as Rollo strives to reconcile differences between many different factions (not the least of which is his girlfriends) and you have a blend of action, drama, humor, and laugh-out-loud reflections revolving around the male ego and its responses: "As far as my fragile sense of honor was concerned, Farnsworth was my client in all this. I dreaded going to him with the news his own personal Monica had somehow met with foul play. Or, you know, fouler than the kind she was designed for."
Monica - and Farnsworth himself - ultimately have their revenge and Rollo does find his life and world changed by his encounters; albeit not in any manner he (or the reader) could have predicted.
Don't expect a book that's easily 'pegged': Farnsworth's Revenge provides a read that's out of the ordinary and excels in unexpected twists and turns of plot; all spiced by comedy and hilarious encounters between Rollo and forces that pull him different emotional and intellectual directions. It's recommended for mature teens (ages 16 and older) as well as adult audiences.
Hot link to above review:
Gerald Everett Jones
LaPuerta
9780985622732 $15.99
www.amazon.com
Farnsworth's Revenge's publicity note mentions that this story represents an addition to a different genre from most novels, and makes what is certain to be a controversial statement about the book's intended audience: "….boychik lit —a counterpoint, alternative to, and parody of the hugely popular female-oriented fiction genre chick lit. Boychik lit defies the widely held notion that today’s young men won’t or can’t read. Besides, the audience includes just as many book-buying men of a certain age who fantasize about being young and “on the make,” as well as women of any age who are amused by the foolishness of men."
It also should be mentioned that this is the third book in a series (the others not previously seen by this reviewer) that promotes both the 'boychik' concept in general and (in particular) the exploits of protagonist hacker/slacker Rollo Hemphill and his series of zany misadventures. While familiarity with either the new genre or the prior Hemphill novels is not absolutely required, a reading of his prior exploits will make for a smoother segue into this latest story, which revolves around a life-sized sex doll (Monica LaMonica) originally designed to look like a famous star in order to make a girlfriend jealous.
Dialogue explaining these circumstances recap prior adventures and set the scene for a gritty observational tone that is both candid and hilarious: "…he would not have gone to the trouble of ordering a seven thousand-dollar-plus rubber doll if I hadn’t needed a sexy prop to make Felicia jealous. Yes, making her jealous was Hector’s idea originally. And my idea to dress the doll up to look like the most famous pair of tits in Hollywood and drive her around town in a hastily borrowed Bentley actually did have the intended effect. On the plus side, Felicia was indeed jealous. On the negative side of the equation, she wrongly assumed (as Hector rightly warned me she would) that I was Monica LaMonica’s latest boy-toy. But all that did was make me look like a gold-digging gigolo…"
In Farnsworth's Revenge, the lady vanishes (so to speak) and Rollo is nominated to deal with 'kidnappers' who are actually part of an international scheme involving state secrets, corruption, and an eccentric Turk who collects lookalikes (and who holds a deadly secret that could change the world.)
Contrasting with this international scenario is Rollo's own complicated life, which revolves around a pregnant woman who is estranged, but not yet Rollo's 'ex'.
The first requirement to be a fan of Farnsworth's Revenge is an ability to suspend belief. While the scenario of a kidnapped life-size replica inviting international espionage seems far-fetched, the story succeeds in painting a satisfying blend of possibility and madness in a manner designed to attract male readers with an interest in fast-paced espionage stories that hold a healthy dose of angst, witty mishaps and misadventure.
Second: readers need to cultivate an appreciation for underlying comic encounters which occur even during serious conflict. Rollo Hemphill’s confessions are anything but usual in the face of his involvements in Europe and his many crazy schemes, which could either solve world issues or create disaster.
A disclaimer as to the novel's serious perspective is presented within its first few paragraphs: "If you’re going to demand that my story make sense, you might as well stop here and return this book for a full refund. That is, provided you didn’t borrow it or swipe it or download it from Zero-Buck dot com."
Many suspect Rollo to be a 'wacko' despite the many misadventures which befall him: "…I went on to tell him about getting grabbed by the police in Paris, getting recruited by a resurrected Arlen, and getting sent on a weirdo mission to carry the P.M.’s severed ear to a lunatic Turk who has a whole roomful of those dolls and a basement with a jar of fizzy water that could change the future of life on this planet…"
Blend all this zaniness with emotional reflections as Rollo strives to reconcile differences between many different factions (not the least of which is his girlfriends) and you have a blend of action, drama, humor, and laugh-out-loud reflections revolving around the male ego and its responses: "As far as my fragile sense of honor was concerned, Farnsworth was my client in all this. I dreaded going to him with the news his own personal Monica had somehow met with foul play. Or, you know, fouler than the kind she was designed for."
Monica - and Farnsworth himself - ultimately have their revenge and Rollo does find his life and world changed by his encounters; albeit not in any manner he (or the reader) could have predicted.
Don't expect a book that's easily 'pegged': Farnsworth's Revenge provides a read that's out of the ordinary and excels in unexpected twists and turns of plot; all spiced by comedy and hilarious encounters between Rollo and forces that pull him different emotional and intellectual directions. It's recommended for mature teens (ages 16 and older) as well as adult audiences.
Hot link to above review:
Byron's Lane
Wallace Rogers
Langdon Street Press
9781626521315 $15.99 www.byronslane.com
Byron's Lane in many ways reflects the dilemmas of middle age and life itself, and is centered around the dilemmas of Adams as seen through the eyes of his friend Tom. Adams has spent his lifetime using democratic principles at home and abroad to improve people's lives - but middle age brings with it regret, re-assessment of the principals of The American Dream, and the fading of political and personal dreams in the 21st century.
Time has moved on, leaving Adams and his generation's ideals behind…or has it?
Readers who enjoy novels centered on aging, reflection, revelation and change will find Byron's Lane differs from many in that it holds a satisfying blend of personal and political reflection. Being neither one nor the other, this philosophical process is all about different levels of change in the existence of an American white suburban middle class male who, until now, has largely viewed his life's goals and objectives as successes.
The character of Tom Walker is not only well drawn, it provides a sense of distance and objectivity as Tom is drawn to help his friend heal emotionally from his experiences in Iraq. This character is a central, necessary component of Byron's Lane, serving as both a pivot point for change and as a mirror for different perspectives on past events. Tom also serves as a witness for events that will unfold to their logical conclusion despite the efforts of both protagonists.
There's much psychological depth to Adams's story which is rare in most novels, moving neatly beyond surface experiences to analyze engrained habits, belief systems, and how they permeate both personal and political worlds: "Adams was never the self-confident rebel, the Byronic hero, he projected. He was a non-threatening non-conformist who craved acceptance. Fear of rejection - which most of us learn to rationalize away or live with - was the principal motivator in Adams's life. It served him well and it served him badly. He had never lost an election. The possibility that he could lose one made him an outstanding campaigner and an effective politician, but that same fear caused him to avoid a woman's total immersion into his life, or his into hers."
Will Adams take the steps necessary to accept romance, new directions and new possibilities in his life? As friend Tom finds, his probes lead to new, startling revelations about his friend's involvement in revenge killings in Iraq, and turn over old, buried experiences perhaps best left forgotten, he discovers that events and lessons learned which fell neatly into place on Byron's Lane decades ago no longer fit so well. Cascading events are leading to a dangerous collision between past and present that will challenge Adams' perspective of not just himself, but this brave new world that's evolving without him and his contemporaries.
Is the American Dream still alive and well for the Boomer generation - or has it faded?
Byron's Lane is a powerful novel about finding one's place in the world - over and over again. You could almost call it a 'coming of age' novel, centered around the middle years. It's all about choices both past and present - and it offers a powerful conclusion firmly linking politics and social change with personal lives. Perhaps this is the strongest facet of Byron's Lane …not totally unexpected, since the author is himself a former Wisconsin mayor.
Hot link to above review:
Wallace Rogers
Langdon Street Press
9781626521315 $15.99 www.byronslane.com
Byron's Lane in many ways reflects the dilemmas of middle age and life itself, and is centered around the dilemmas of Adams as seen through the eyes of his friend Tom. Adams has spent his lifetime using democratic principles at home and abroad to improve people's lives - but middle age brings with it regret, re-assessment of the principals of The American Dream, and the fading of political and personal dreams in the 21st century.
Time has moved on, leaving Adams and his generation's ideals behind…or has it?
Readers who enjoy novels centered on aging, reflection, revelation and change will find Byron's Lane differs from many in that it holds a satisfying blend of personal and political reflection. Being neither one nor the other, this philosophical process is all about different levels of change in the existence of an American white suburban middle class male who, until now, has largely viewed his life's goals and objectives as successes.
The character of Tom Walker is not only well drawn, it provides a sense of distance and objectivity as Tom is drawn to help his friend heal emotionally from his experiences in Iraq. This character is a central, necessary component of Byron's Lane, serving as both a pivot point for change and as a mirror for different perspectives on past events. Tom also serves as a witness for events that will unfold to their logical conclusion despite the efforts of both protagonists.
There's much psychological depth to Adams's story which is rare in most novels, moving neatly beyond surface experiences to analyze engrained habits, belief systems, and how they permeate both personal and political worlds: "Adams was never the self-confident rebel, the Byronic hero, he projected. He was a non-threatening non-conformist who craved acceptance. Fear of rejection - which most of us learn to rationalize away or live with - was the principal motivator in Adams's life. It served him well and it served him badly. He had never lost an election. The possibility that he could lose one made him an outstanding campaigner and an effective politician, but that same fear caused him to avoid a woman's total immersion into his life, or his into hers."
Will Adams take the steps necessary to accept romance, new directions and new possibilities in his life? As friend Tom finds, his probes lead to new, startling revelations about his friend's involvement in revenge killings in Iraq, and turn over old, buried experiences perhaps best left forgotten, he discovers that events and lessons learned which fell neatly into place on Byron's Lane decades ago no longer fit so well. Cascading events are leading to a dangerous collision between past and present that will challenge Adams' perspective of not just himself, but this brave new world that's evolving without him and his contemporaries.
Is the American Dream still alive and well for the Boomer generation - or has it faded?
Byron's Lane is a powerful novel about finding one's place in the world - over and over again. You could almost call it a 'coming of age' novel, centered around the middle years. It's all about choices both past and present - and it offers a powerful conclusion firmly linking politics and social change with personal lives. Perhaps this is the strongest facet of Byron's Lane …not totally unexpected, since the author is himself a former Wisconsin mayor.
Hot link to above review:
Young Adult
Dark
Flame Rising
Jason A. Pedersen
Sandpiper Press LLC
9780981451725 ASIN: B00G150W9W $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Flame-Rising-Keegan-Crowe-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00G150W9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386006071&sr=1-1&keywords=Dark+Flame+Rising
Dark Flame Rising is Book One of The Keegan Crowe Chronicles, and centers around fourteen-year-old orphan Keegan Crowe, whose desire for proof of her past only results in the discovery that her parents were, in fact, members of a secret society dedicated to preserving magic who were killed for their efforts.
She also stumbles onto a secret war and a long-hidden treasure that could tip forces, and embarks upon mission of her own as she chooses to avenge her parents' death.
Now, there are several things to realize about Keegan. One of them is that she's not your typical fourteen-year-old. She's precocious (a talented hacker) and she's curious. Both of these faculties are enough to get her in trouble - but Keegan was born into trouble; all she's doing is finding answers to puzzling questions surrounding her life. What she finds brings up more choices about how she'll reconcile her past with the future of not just her world, but humanity as a whole.
Keegan's close familiarity and comfort with computers is one key to her ability to find answers: "Despite the dangers, or perhaps partially because of them, Keegan enjoyed her hobby. Ferreting out the corruption, abuses, and hypocrisy of dirty bureaucrats and crooked businessmen, posting the facts to an anonymous blog, and covering all traces of the hunt offered a juicy mix of risk and reward….But it was also much more. To Keegan, her favorite pastime provided companionship. Computers had long served as her closest playmates."
With these abilities in hand and motivated by the mysteries of her past, Keegan embarks on a journey fueled by an affinity for technology, a flexibility of belief systems, and a heritage that includes magic.
Don't expect a singular, easy story here: there are numerous footnoted references to history, anthropology and more throughout the novel that lend depth and background to Keegan's tale.
One strong facet of Dark Flame Rising lies in these connections of past- to present-day concepts. For example: viewing magical objects as 'resets' to re-establish the natural order between the elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water is something Keegan brings to the table as she struggles to absorb the changed realities of a world she once thought to be fairly predictable.
From an underground treasure hunt to school cruelties and Keegan's own struggles with impulsive behaviors, Dark Flame Rising provides constantly-evolving scenarios that are both unpredictable and a cut above most teen fantasy adventure stories.
The protagonist of Keegan is powerful and realistically drawn, her emotional reactions to the evolving world around her are compelling, and the plot is as fast-paced as any Indiana Jones adventure. That the story line's evolution is logical and smooth only lends to its ability to draw in young adult and adult readers alike, making Dark Flame Rising a compelling story of finding kinship, home, and a purpose in the world.
It does represent Book One; so don't anticipate a story that begins and ends in one fell swoop. Do anticipate a saga of Keegan's many changes; not the least of which are evolving friendships that move beyond her singular obsession with computers and into the world of real interactions with all their complexities. Fans of Harry Potter and other fantasy adventures based on powerful personal interactions will find Dark Flame Rising a compelling read.
Hot link to above title:
Jason A. Pedersen
Sandpiper Press LLC
9780981451725 ASIN: B00G150W9W $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Flame-Rising-Keegan-Crowe-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00G150W9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386006071&sr=1-1&keywords=Dark+Flame+Rising
Dark Flame Rising is Book One of The Keegan Crowe Chronicles, and centers around fourteen-year-old orphan Keegan Crowe, whose desire for proof of her past only results in the discovery that her parents were, in fact, members of a secret society dedicated to preserving magic who were killed for their efforts.
She also stumbles onto a secret war and a long-hidden treasure that could tip forces, and embarks upon mission of her own as she chooses to avenge her parents' death.
Now, there are several things to realize about Keegan. One of them is that she's not your typical fourteen-year-old. She's precocious (a talented hacker) and she's curious. Both of these faculties are enough to get her in trouble - but Keegan was born into trouble; all she's doing is finding answers to puzzling questions surrounding her life. What she finds brings up more choices about how she'll reconcile her past with the future of not just her world, but humanity as a whole.
Keegan's close familiarity and comfort with computers is one key to her ability to find answers: "Despite the dangers, or perhaps partially because of them, Keegan enjoyed her hobby. Ferreting out the corruption, abuses, and hypocrisy of dirty bureaucrats and crooked businessmen, posting the facts to an anonymous blog, and covering all traces of the hunt offered a juicy mix of risk and reward….But it was also much more. To Keegan, her favorite pastime provided companionship. Computers had long served as her closest playmates."
With these abilities in hand and motivated by the mysteries of her past, Keegan embarks on a journey fueled by an affinity for technology, a flexibility of belief systems, and a heritage that includes magic.
Don't expect a singular, easy story here: there are numerous footnoted references to history, anthropology and more throughout the novel that lend depth and background to Keegan's tale.
One strong facet of Dark Flame Rising lies in these connections of past- to present-day concepts. For example: viewing magical objects as 'resets' to re-establish the natural order between the elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water is something Keegan brings to the table as she struggles to absorb the changed realities of a world she once thought to be fairly predictable.
From an underground treasure hunt to school cruelties and Keegan's own struggles with impulsive behaviors, Dark Flame Rising provides constantly-evolving scenarios that are both unpredictable and a cut above most teen fantasy adventure stories.
The protagonist of Keegan is powerful and realistically drawn, her emotional reactions to the evolving world around her are compelling, and the plot is as fast-paced as any Indiana Jones adventure. That the story line's evolution is logical and smooth only lends to its ability to draw in young adult and adult readers alike, making Dark Flame Rising a compelling story of finding kinship, home, and a purpose in the world.
It does represent Book One; so don't anticipate a story that begins and ends in one fell swoop. Do anticipate a saga of Keegan's many changes; not the least of which are evolving friendships that move beyond her singular obsession with computers and into the world of real interactions with all their complexities. Fans of Harry Potter and other fantasy adventures based on powerful personal interactions will find Dark Flame Rising a compelling read.
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Gideon's Spear
Darby Karchut
Spencer Hill Press
ISBN-10: 1937053946 ISBN-13: 978-1937053949
$9.95
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gideons-spear-darby-karchut/1116231026?ean=9781937053949
http://www.amazon.com/Gideons-Spear-Finnegan-Darby-Karchut/dp/1937053946/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1386008268&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Gideon%27s+Spear
Gideon's Spear is fantasy at its most intricate, and will appeal to any fantasy reader who enjoys tales of sorcery and goblins. It features a thirteen-year-old monster hunter who takes up arms to fight an enemy and is actually Book Two of 'The Adventures of Finn MacCullen', a series steeped in Celtic mythology, lore and language.
The story opens with Finn wandering in a wood, in possession of a long knife and fantasizing about being a warrior. In reality Finn isn't a powerful warrior but serves a master (Knight Gideon Lir) who always seems angry with Finn's actions. Finn's apprenticeship to Gideon brings him in close contact with goblins and a host of dangers that keeps them both on their toes.
Expect a healthy dose of Irish history, drama, and fantasy steeped in the character of a teen apprentice just coming into his own powers, yet still serving as a sidekick to Gideon, who is responsible for his training.
As Finn learns fighting talents that depend on traditional techniques fused with supernatural abilities, he begins to come into his own as a warrior during lessons designed to bring out his innate abilities: "Before the rage could completely take over his apprentice, Gideon stepped back. "Finn, listen to me! Use the anger to attack me," he said in a low, clear voice. "Forge your rage into a weapon.” He held his breath and watched as Finn began to tremble, his boyish face twisted into an ugly mask."
From the journeys and impact of an ancient Spear that can thwart the enemy in the right hands to magic that weakens the further it gets from Ireland, Gideon's Spear is at once a coming-of-age story and the tale of a young boy's evolving warrior heart and abilities. Steeped in Irish culture, it's also a story of Finn's uncertain entry into a world of knights and warriors - a world centered not in Ireland, but in Colorado: "Although our people are scattered all over Colorado, we still have a leader—or chieftain, so to speak—amongst us.”
The result is a fine story that teens will find evocative and fast-paced, reflecting the evolution of Finn's psyche, abilities, and life choices.
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Darby Karchut
Spencer Hill Press
ISBN-10: 1937053946 ISBN-13: 978-1937053949
$9.95
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gideons-spear-darby-karchut/1116231026?ean=9781937053949
http://www.amazon.com/Gideons-Spear-Finnegan-Darby-Karchut/dp/1937053946/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1386008268&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Gideon%27s+Spear
Gideon's Spear is fantasy at its most intricate, and will appeal to any fantasy reader who enjoys tales of sorcery and goblins. It features a thirteen-year-old monster hunter who takes up arms to fight an enemy and is actually Book Two of 'The Adventures of Finn MacCullen', a series steeped in Celtic mythology, lore and language.
The story opens with Finn wandering in a wood, in possession of a long knife and fantasizing about being a warrior. In reality Finn isn't a powerful warrior but serves a master (Knight Gideon Lir) who always seems angry with Finn's actions. Finn's apprenticeship to Gideon brings him in close contact with goblins and a host of dangers that keeps them both on their toes.
Expect a healthy dose of Irish history, drama, and fantasy steeped in the character of a teen apprentice just coming into his own powers, yet still serving as a sidekick to Gideon, who is responsible for his training.
As Finn learns fighting talents that depend on traditional techniques fused with supernatural abilities, he begins to come into his own as a warrior during lessons designed to bring out his innate abilities: "Before the rage could completely take over his apprentice, Gideon stepped back. "Finn, listen to me! Use the anger to attack me," he said in a low, clear voice. "Forge your rage into a weapon.” He held his breath and watched as Finn began to tremble, his boyish face twisted into an ugly mask."
From the journeys and impact of an ancient Spear that can thwart the enemy in the right hands to magic that weakens the further it gets from Ireland, Gideon's Spear is at once a coming-of-age story and the tale of a young boy's evolving warrior heart and abilities. Steeped in Irish culture, it's also a story of Finn's uncertain entry into a world of knights and warriors - a world centered not in Ireland, but in Colorado: "Although our people are scattered all over Colorado, we still have a leader—or chieftain, so to speak—amongst us.”
The result is a fine story that teens will find evocative and fast-paced, reflecting the evolution of Finn's psyche, abilities, and life choices.
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Digi
Gary Lawrence Sheerin
Amazon Kindle
ASIN: B00GYN58SQ $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/digi-Gary-Sheerin-ebook/dp/B00GYN58SQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385937559&sr=8-3&keywords=digi
Digi at first glance seems to be a young adult science fiction novel; but its mature opening prologue demonstrates that it is in fact a recommendation not only for young adults, but for adult readers as well. The prologue is set on a mercenary base in Africa where a small girl with supernatural fighting abilities is successfully killing off a roomful of threatening men. How did she get in the locked, secure room? Why through a computer screen, of course … and thus begins the real mystery.
Fast forward to the life of nerd Peter Dempster, a high school outcast with little to show for himself. He's not athletic, he's not scholarly … he's actually not much of anything. You can't even call him a proper 'nerd', as he's not great at either computers or science. Nope: nothing much to say about Peter - until he's hit by lightning when sitting at his home computer and is transformed into … something indefinable.
Not everyone can turn themselves (physically) into a digital entity and enter the computer world, for example…shades of 'Matrix'! And not everyone can step up to the challenge of being a hero in a hitherto-unknown cyberworld - but that's exactly what Peter does; and is exactly what Digi is all about: the process of that transformation, and being that hero.
You couldn't open with a more unlikely hero than Peter, who simply wants to coast through his classes unnoticed, and whose goal is to "…slip in quietly, unnoticed, and hopefully stay that way for the rest of the year."
Now, this all too easily could have turned into a predictable situation - but wait, there's more! Peter's entry into a cyber-universe is not surprising to its residents, but is expected - and his role there seems to be pre-determined.
From a school bully's malicious computer virus that threatens to destroy the Internet itself (and Peter's newfound 'digi' world) to family relationships that affect both Peter and bully/hacker Terry's perspective on life, morals and values, this is a multi-faceted presentation that will reach mature young adult (and many adult) readers on many levels.
How do teens rise from their families and teachings to become more than their influences? How do they make 'good' over 'bad' choices in life? And what determines (or predetermines) actions and consequences? It's obvious that Digi is more than an action story or a quick sci-fi read, though fans of both genres will gravitate to its absorbing story line.
Underlying all this is an attention to life purpose, the mechanics of coincidence, and influences on success or failure; and that's, ultimately, what Digi is all about. Neatly wrapped in the package of evolving family influences and relationships are actions that, in the end, could save the world…
Fascinating, unpredictable and involving, Digi is young adult sci-fi at its best.
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Gary Lawrence Sheerin
Amazon Kindle
ASIN: B00GYN58SQ $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/digi-Gary-Sheerin-ebook/dp/B00GYN58SQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385937559&sr=8-3&keywords=digi
Digi at first glance seems to be a young adult science fiction novel; but its mature opening prologue demonstrates that it is in fact a recommendation not only for young adults, but for adult readers as well. The prologue is set on a mercenary base in Africa where a small girl with supernatural fighting abilities is successfully killing off a roomful of threatening men. How did she get in the locked, secure room? Why through a computer screen, of course … and thus begins the real mystery.
Fast forward to the life of nerd Peter Dempster, a high school outcast with little to show for himself. He's not athletic, he's not scholarly … he's actually not much of anything. You can't even call him a proper 'nerd', as he's not great at either computers or science. Nope: nothing much to say about Peter - until he's hit by lightning when sitting at his home computer and is transformed into … something indefinable.
Not everyone can turn themselves (physically) into a digital entity and enter the computer world, for example…shades of 'Matrix'! And not everyone can step up to the challenge of being a hero in a hitherto-unknown cyberworld - but that's exactly what Peter does; and is exactly what Digi is all about: the process of that transformation, and being that hero.
You couldn't open with a more unlikely hero than Peter, who simply wants to coast through his classes unnoticed, and whose goal is to "…slip in quietly, unnoticed, and hopefully stay that way for the rest of the year."
Now, this all too easily could have turned into a predictable situation - but wait, there's more! Peter's entry into a cyber-universe is not surprising to its residents, but is expected - and his role there seems to be pre-determined.
From a school bully's malicious computer virus that threatens to destroy the Internet itself (and Peter's newfound 'digi' world) to family relationships that affect both Peter and bully/hacker Terry's perspective on life, morals and values, this is a multi-faceted presentation that will reach mature young adult (and many adult) readers on many levels.
How do teens rise from their families and teachings to become more than their influences? How do they make 'good' over 'bad' choices in life? And what determines (or predetermines) actions and consequences? It's obvious that Digi is more than an action story or a quick sci-fi read, though fans of both genres will gravitate to its absorbing story line.
Underlying all this is an attention to life purpose, the mechanics of coincidence, and influences on success or failure; and that's, ultimately, what Digi is all about. Neatly wrapped in the package of evolving family influences and relationships are actions that, in the end, could save the world…
Fascinating, unpredictable and involving, Digi is young adult sci-fi at its best.
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The Gatekeeper's Challenge: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book
Two
Eva Pohler
Green Press
9780989999908 $16.00 http://www.evapohler.com/books
Book 2 of 'The Gatekeeper's Saga' (a powerful young adult fantasy novel with fifteen-year-old Therese Mills as its heroine and guiding force) begins where Book One left off and is especially recommended for those who have read and enjoyed its predecessor, The Gatekeeper's Sons.
The Gatekeeper's Challenge opens with Therese newly reunited with her god/love Than for a quick visit after a ten-month separation, and the perplexity over her mortal good friend Peter (who may be more than just a friend) when their relationship is threatened by Than's return.
In quick succession appear the Furies, Poseidon in a chariot, and more figures from mythology - and with them, once again, is confusion over where Therese really belongs and the true nature of reality and fantasy itself… for her encounter with Than proves to be a dream, even as the real Than is spending his time and efforts trying to find a way to be together with Therese and make her his queen.
Therese doesn’t know this fact, however: to her it's been ten long months with no communication with Than and no indication that he is still interested in her, and so when he shows up when her hamster dies (he is, after all, a god of the underworld), she still only gets a tidbit of conversation and not nearly enough time to discuss romance, intentions, or the future.
Her decision to search out and take a drug that provides a near-death experience so she can have a proper talk with her underworld boyfriend goes terribly awry and results in a challenge issued by Hades that will either make her a goddess or destroy her.
It's Therese's strong will, courage, and determination that will be the real tests of her capabilities under Hade's near-impossible challenge: that and her ongoing love for Than, which continues, unchanging, through both worlds and under impossible conditions.
There are also surprising, humorous moments in Therese's encounters - as when she pursues a treasure guarded by a monster and entices him with a (drugged) cinnamon roll: "Therese opened her purse and took out the cinnamon roll. “Hera gave me a gift to give to Ladon.” It wasn’t exactly true. Technically, Hera hadn’t given it to her. But it had been her idea. Too frightened to approach the tree and the nymphs, Therese tossed the roll through the air where it was caught and eaten by one of Ladon’s hundred heads." Really: conquering a legendary monster guardians with SleepAid tablets and Prozac?
Even as Therese faces her own challenges, she's tasked with protecting her mortal friends, occasionally with extraordinary means. Being mortal means she sometimes fails - as in trying to protect Vicki - but sometimes succeeds - as with her friend Jen. It also means she has a lot to give up in the process of making the right moral, ethical choices at times - possibly even her future with Than.
But one strong message in The Gatekeeper's Challenge is 'never give up' - and Therese continually finds her approaches that allow her to keep her promises, protect her friends, and retain her own clear vision of what she wants from her life and the afterworld.
Speaking of which - also at the heart of the story is finding one's purpose in life: a task that involves not just mortals but gods and goddesses alike: "Every god and goddess must serve humankind or the world in some way. We have to find a purpose for you, or this transformation won’t last."
As Therese moves ever closer to her heart's desire and to identifying what that desire might mean in the bigger picture of two worlds, she finds herself facing her greatest challenge.
Once again, expect no neat conclusions, here. The Gatekeeper's Challenge is a complex, shape-shifting fantasy with an evolving protagonist and changes to all involved. The conclusion only sets the stage for more possibilities, drawing readers to a mercurial ending that cries out for more.
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Eva Pohler
Green Press
9780989999908 $16.00 http://www.evapohler.com/books
Book 2 of 'The Gatekeeper's Saga' (a powerful young adult fantasy novel with fifteen-year-old Therese Mills as its heroine and guiding force) begins where Book One left off and is especially recommended for those who have read and enjoyed its predecessor, The Gatekeeper's Sons.
The Gatekeeper's Challenge opens with Therese newly reunited with her god/love Than for a quick visit after a ten-month separation, and the perplexity over her mortal good friend Peter (who may be more than just a friend) when their relationship is threatened by Than's return.
In quick succession appear the Furies, Poseidon in a chariot, and more figures from mythology - and with them, once again, is confusion over where Therese really belongs and the true nature of reality and fantasy itself… for her encounter with Than proves to be a dream, even as the real Than is spending his time and efforts trying to find a way to be together with Therese and make her his queen.
Therese doesn’t know this fact, however: to her it's been ten long months with no communication with Than and no indication that he is still interested in her, and so when he shows up when her hamster dies (he is, after all, a god of the underworld), she still only gets a tidbit of conversation and not nearly enough time to discuss romance, intentions, or the future.
Her decision to search out and take a drug that provides a near-death experience so she can have a proper talk with her underworld boyfriend goes terribly awry and results in a challenge issued by Hades that will either make her a goddess or destroy her.
It's Therese's strong will, courage, and determination that will be the real tests of her capabilities under Hade's near-impossible challenge: that and her ongoing love for Than, which continues, unchanging, through both worlds and under impossible conditions.
There are also surprising, humorous moments in Therese's encounters - as when she pursues a treasure guarded by a monster and entices him with a (drugged) cinnamon roll: "Therese opened her purse and took out the cinnamon roll. “Hera gave me a gift to give to Ladon.” It wasn’t exactly true. Technically, Hera hadn’t given it to her. But it had been her idea. Too frightened to approach the tree and the nymphs, Therese tossed the roll through the air where it was caught and eaten by one of Ladon’s hundred heads." Really: conquering a legendary monster guardians with SleepAid tablets and Prozac?
Even as Therese faces her own challenges, she's tasked with protecting her mortal friends, occasionally with extraordinary means. Being mortal means she sometimes fails - as in trying to protect Vicki - but sometimes succeeds - as with her friend Jen. It also means she has a lot to give up in the process of making the right moral, ethical choices at times - possibly even her future with Than.
But one strong message in The Gatekeeper's Challenge is 'never give up' - and Therese continually finds her approaches that allow her to keep her promises, protect her friends, and retain her own clear vision of what she wants from her life and the afterworld.
Speaking of which - also at the heart of the story is finding one's purpose in life: a task that involves not just mortals but gods and goddesses alike: "Every god and goddess must serve humankind or the world in some way. We have to find a purpose for you, or this transformation won’t last."
As Therese moves ever closer to her heart's desire and to identifying what that desire might mean in the bigger picture of two worlds, she finds herself facing her greatest challenge.
Once again, expect no neat conclusions, here. The Gatekeeper's Challenge is a complex, shape-shifting fantasy with an evolving protagonist and changes to all involved. The conclusion only sets the stage for more possibilities, drawing readers to a mercurial ending that cries out for more.
Hot link to above review: