July 2016 Review Issue
Leaders
Lab: 66 Ways to Develop Your Leadership Skill, Strategy, and Style There
are plenty of books on the market about leadership. Most outline the
qualities
of a leader or assess how to assume the role; but few offer a strategic
set of
insights on the development process itself, presenting a step-by-step
instructional on how to craft an individual leadership style. That's
one of the reasons why Leaders
Lab: 66 Ways
to Develop Your Leadership Skill, Strategy, and Style stands
out
from the crowd in offering a survey that is fluid and flexible within
the
boundaries of its specific, easily-accessible advice. It
breaks this process into digestible, easily-understand pieces that can
begin
anywhere and which encourage users to research and develop the type of
leadership role that suits their personality and objectives, and it
encourages
innovation and collaboration; not a set of rules the aspiring leader
needs to
follow in order to prove effective. This
emphasis on customization, adaptation, and creativity within an overall
framework will especially appeal to professionals and managers who
already hold
positions of importance and elements of leadership potential that they
wish to
hone and grow. Chapters
are clearly labeled with leadership objectives ("Do It Once",
"What About Weaknesses?") which present the main focus in headers
("The Challenge:", "The Question:", "Consider
This" and "Try This"), offering solutions to common leadership
challenges or snafus. It
should also be noted that there's a free companion Facilitator's Guide
for
leadership development groups, business book clubs, working teams, etc.
available for download on the book website, www.LeadersLab.com. A
chattier tone than most, evident in appealing these subject headings,
is
adopted for easy understanding ("Sez Who?") while the format lends to
browsing and quick reference. The
entire production offers concrete food for thought without the rigidity
of
competing books that insist on a 'one size fits all' program structure.
All
these facets make Leaders
Lab a
top recommendation above other books on leadership and management
approaches:
one no business professional should be without.
The
Middle Class Comeback: Women, Millennials and Technology Leading the Way The
Middle Class Comeback asks a basic
question (is the American dream of entering the middle class truly
achievable?)
and gathers evidence that entering the middle class is no longer an
attainable
goal - but the crux of the matter doesn't stop here. Munir
Moon then focuses on government and the dysfunctional political
processes that
have lead to this decline and how these may be fixed, reviewing many
solid
strategies and approaches that create the optimistic hope that the
middle class
can
come back strong. Several
factors play into this idea that while the middle class may be under
siege, it
is not dead, yet. One
is the rising power of women in all segments of society, from business
to
politics. The second is the rise of technological innovations that
demand
better efficiency and different approaches to the digital
world. Having
laid the framework for possible salvation, The
Middle Class Comeback proceeds to define "middle
class",
considers new models for reform (from the decentralization of
educational
process to the rise of political entrepreneurs and the interests of
millennials
in redefining values systems), and shows how the nation is ripe for
sweeping
changes that could even reach into political processes and the
possibility of
an active, viable third party in the election process. This
book argues that not only has the income for the middle-class fallen,
but that
the cost of education, healthcare, housing, and taxes have increased at
a much
higher rate, which makes it impossible for an average American family
to attain
a middle-class lifestyle. For middle class Americans (nearly half of
the
population) and politically independent citizens (more than 40 percent
of
Americans), The
Middle Class Comeback
gives concrete reason for hope and a path forward through continued
innovation
and political engagement. As
he provides a sweeping history of how social and political processes
have
traditionally been addressed across the board, Moon notes: "The nation needs a new
definition of engagement."
Although in this reference he's speaking of the military establishment,
his
entire book reflects that new definition and will prove a refreshing
breath of
hope to any who question whether the American middle class is truly
viable now,
or will have a presence in and influence on the future.
Witness to
Greatness: The Consequential
Presidency of Barack Obama in Perspective From its title
alone, it may be expected that Obi
Nwasokwa will provide a decidedly pro-Obama perspective; but Witness to Greatness explains
exactly
why Obama's presidency stands out from the norm and is a recommended
pick for
any political science reader interested in presidential achievements
and
history. Chapters trace
Obama's rise to power but open
with a discussion of Abe Lincoln and the factors that made him an
extraordinary
political figure. The opener leads into why the author believes Obama
to be a
similarly remarkable standout in the arena of American presidential
greats,
then blends neatly into exactly how Obama came to be where he is
today. Even accounting
for the unabashed admiration that
fuels these discussions ("…to
my mind,
measured against his fellow American presidents, Obama’s achievement is
rivaled
in its historic majesty and social and political impact and importance
only by
the achievements of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln."),
this account breaks new ground by creating a framework with a set of
plausible
benchmarks by which standout greatness can be measured and
differentiated from
run of the mill presidential performance; and this
foundation for
assessment grows from the introduction onward. Readers follow
the progress of Obama's life and
career despite an early caution that "There
have been few truly monumental and symbolic events in American history."
This places his actions in proper perspective, considering how symbols
of
achievement arise over time and come to be viewed as truths as the
years pass. Comparisons to
other Presidential greats and
events which surrounded them move beyond Obama's notable choices and
delves
into the arena of steady, logical and balanced assessments of Obama’s
performance that supersede both the rabid condemnation and critical
perspectives of most other Obama discussions. Despite these contrasting
viewpoints, few books have been authored by "an unabashed admirer",
and Witness
to Greatness clearly remedies
this situation. Witness
to Greatness is
particularly recommended to
Obama's biggest critics who could learn much from this reasoned account
of not
just Obama's life and achievements, but why they stand out from those
of his
Presidential predecessors. It's also
important to note that Obi Nwasokwa
realizes he is not a 'writer' per se. He's never felt inspired to write
a book
before, and his motivation here comes from his passion for his subject
and the
fact that Obama's presidency has heavily influenced his life and
perspective as
an African American citizen. Additionally,
he's written this book not just for
Americans on either side of the Obama equation, but for residents of
sub-Saharan Africa and other nations who may not realize that "…for many black people, the
United States is hell on
earth. As a group, blacks inhabit the bottom of the American caste and
do not
get a fair shake in America,
the laws notwithstanding." Those who want
to understand greater truths not
only about Obama but, ultimately, about African-American experience and
perception in this country must read Witness to Greatness:
it's a multi-faceted
exposition that few other books and perspectives attempt, and makes for
an
engrossing and thought-provoking social and political discussion all
Americans
should embrace.
Jane Moyer
New Century Leadership LLC
ISBN (paperback):
978-1-940975-04-7 $19.95
ISBN (ebook):
978-1-940975-05-4
$ 9.95
www.amazon.com
www.LeadersLab.com
Leaders
Lab: 66 Ways to Develop Your Leadership Skill, Strategy, and Style
Return
to Index
Munir Moon
MGN Books
ISBN 978-0-9913721-7-1
(e-book)
$4.99
ISBN 978-0-9913721-6-4 (Hardcover) $8.99
www.themiddleclasscomeback.com
The
Middle Class Comeback: Women, Millennials and Technology Leading the
Way
Return
to Index
Obi Nwasokwa
Xlibris
978-1514452714
Hardcover: $26.99; Paperback: $18.99; e-book: $5.99
http://bookstore.xlibris.com
www.amazon.com
www.bn.com
www.books.google.com
Witness
to
Greatness: The Consequential
Presidency of Barack Obama in Perspective
Return
to Index
A
Fairy-tale Ending: Book One of the Charming Tales
Jack Heckel
Harper Voyager
978-0062420695
$6.99
http://amzn.com/0062420690
A Fairy-tale Ending: Book One of the Charming Tales opens with a handy line map, provides a prologue about a frustrated, hungry dragon, and moves quickly to the story of a beautiful kingdom, a curse, and a prophecy which gives hope to the realm.
When a disaster leaves Liz with nothing, Will proposes they go on a quest to rescue a princess from fairy tales of yore - and so begins a search for truth and the reality of long-held stories.
One of the immense pleasures of A Fairy-tale Ending lies in its humorous re-interpretation of a classic story. While other fairy tale revisions are numerous, few hold the sense of fun and tongue-in-cheek references of this production, which weaves a delightfully different perspective into all aspects of the story, from its main protagonists' personalities and quirks to the illusions behind good and evil.
From Will's desire for adventure and his sister's conviction that he is a fool for pursing legends and dreams to the challenges of actually pulling of a rescue, the story's whimsical side is not only an undercurrent to the plot but enhances every choice and movement of its protagonists.
Even readers familiar with prior retelling approaches will find these perspectives freshly wrought and satisfyingly unusual in A Fairy-tale Ending. That's the real strength of the story: its ability to take a well-worn, timeless classic and imbibe it with new life and unpredictability while staying true to the surface events that inspired the original story line.
While middle school readers and up will certainly enjoy the tale; it's especially recommended for any age reader who has prior familiarity with the classic fairy tale approaches and some of their revisionists' works. This audience will fully appreciate what Jack Heckel has done to assure that his story is a unique standout from any other approach.
A Fairy-tale Ending: Book One of the Charming Tales
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The
Pitchfork of Destiny: Book Two of the Charming Tales
Jack Heckel
Harper Voyager Impulse
978-0062359322
$6.99
http://amzn.com/0062359320
The Pitchfork of Destiny: Book Two of the Charming Tales picks up where the classic Rapunzel fairy tale leaves off, exploring the aftermath of what happens when an isolated woman lets down her hair and lets in life and the man of her dreams.
Lady Rapunzel leads a happy life until a new dragon enters her world and threatens her kingdom. Rapunzel again finds herself kidnapped - this time by an angry dragon seeking revenge - and Will also finds life repeating itself as he's forced to team up with the egotistical and dashing Edward Charming to get her back.
It's intriguing to note that nobody in The Pitchfork of Destiny is the classic 'bad guy'. The dragon happens to be lovestruck and is thwarted by a curse that never ends, and has spent eons fighting off pesky dwarfs, annoying knights, and a nut called Jason who searched for "golden fleas" (or some such thing). Since so much time's gone by, the love of his life might be either angry at his excuses for not seeing her, or possibly too involved in her own pursuit of building her reputation as a fierce dragon of another realm.
Besides, they may be incompatible: while his distant love wrecks havoc, his own reputation as a "Killing Wind" has come more from an ill-timed belch than a true desire to wreck havoc.
Rapunzel struggles with the idea that "you are not your hair", Prince Charming is hiding from fame in an isolated cottage with his wife, and Will can't be trusted not to get himself killed, forcing Charming to embark on a mission he never desired. What else can go wrong in this crazy kingdom?
There are many fairy tale retellings on the market. Most offer a twist on theme and satisfying new perspectives on traditional outcomes. But few, if any, embed the humor and fun of The Pitchfork of Destiny, which takes all its protagonists and places them in delightful new perspectives perspective that keeps readers on their toes.
From a troll who has found a good bridge but hesitates to attack travelers in the traditional manner because he's lost his courage and has resorted to being a fish eater to women who face uncertain friendships, there's a cast of familiar, yet vastly different, characters that each take their turn in the limelight.
Any who have more than absorbed traditional fairytale stories will find The Pitchfork of Destiny a delightfully fun, different adventure that takes the well-known characters of fairytale land and turns them into the unexpected. Fantasy readers to ex-fairy tale enthusiasts will all want to note this very highly recommended, rollicking romp through a kingdom both familiar and tantalizingly alien!
The Pitchfork of Destiny: Book Two of the Charming Tales
Return to Index
Greeth
Charles LaFave
Charles LaFave, Publisher
978-0-9969828-0-1 $5.99-$18.99
http://amzn.com/B01DPQ4I3K
What if you were a wizard condemned for your choices and sentenced to never cast another spell because your crimes were so terrible? What if you led years of your life with no magic, scrambling for work and living with humans? And what if a wealthy benefactor appeared and offered you the possibility of redemption and a decent life, including the return of your magic abilities: wouldn't you jump at the chance, no matter what the cost?
Peter, in just such circumstances, can't believe his luck - but the adage that if something looks too good to be true, it likely is, comes into play as he discovers the true meaning of his newfound largess and its deadly impact on the world.
In such a scenario Peter makes the wrong choice, opening the door to another world that threatens his own. Once more, Peter is facing the loss of everything he loves (only on a grander scale); and once again Peter finds himself on the cusp of choices that will change the world.
Don't consider Greeth a one-dimensional fantasy or horror saga, however: its fast pace speaks of "thriller" while its nonstop action is reminiscent of an Indiana Jones classic. Elements of mystery permeate a struggle for the truth and, once found, ethical and moral decisions revolve around Peter's choices. There are even zombies roaming the halls in this sword-and-sorcery fantasy's backdrop.
Readers seeking a singular fantasy read might at first feel stymied by all these elements appearing to contribute to the overall story line. Under a different hand, they might have proved confusing and challenging to read; but even though Greeth is Charles LaFave's first venture into the genre, it speaks with the well-honed voice of a veteran writer: polished, logical, compelling, and imaginative.
Descriptions are powerful: "Great swarms of insects covered the trees around Nakijin Gusuku. Clouds made of beetles and wasps and flies blocked the moon. Rivers of cockroaches flowed across the forest floor and moths fluttered on the breeze as if they were leaves on the trees. All of it made a chittering, chewing, grinding sound that blended together into something like waves from a gruesome ocean."
Yes,
Greeth
demands much of its
readers: primarily, a fluidity in perceiving the rituals and approaches
of a
fantasy that crosses into other genres. Those who insist that the
definition of
a fantasy read should conform to certain boundaries may be surprised at
some of
these digressions; but the overall impact of Greeth
moves neatly beyond genre definitions to provide a power blend of
intrigue,
fantasy, horror, and thriller in an effort that will delight anyone who
seeks
original, powerful writing.
Greeth
Return
to Index
Martian
Darkness
William Graham
CreateSpace
9781530608508
$14.99
http://amzn.com/1530608503
Martian Darkness combines science fiction with a detective story's investigative format and is set in the 22nd century, where Ace Sloan probes four cases with dexterity and ingenuity. Having four Ace stories under one cover is a fine benefit, allowing readers to fully absorb the methods, psyche, and different cases challenging Ace's skills; and having these set in a futuristic Martian backdrop provides an exquisite format highly recommended for genre readers of detective and sci-fi alike.
Ace works as head of security at The Red Planet Casino and is in his mid-forties and divorced, so he's free to focus on and pursue any perps. Charged with preventing mishaps at the casino, he's removed from planetary politics, love, or the violence he experienced on his Earth job in Phoenix - until a body turns up.
Relatively peaceful paradise turns deadly as Ace discovers the woman was beaten to death, and that he's charged with keeping it under wraps as much as finding out what happened. How does a quiet teacher wind up as a murder victim? The more Ace probes her case, the bigger he realizes it is, as clues lead him far from the Casino and straight into a maze of deadly danger.
As Ace develops just the kinds of connections he doesn't want and had left behind in Phoenix (murder, complexity, and even a dash of romance), he finds himself on a fast track to something bigger than his desire to placidly follow legal precedent and handle small cases - something involving martyrs, politics, and murderers. At the end, Ace may realize something new about where his alliances lay.
'The Red Planet President' is another example of how Ace's life takes unexpected turns. This time, Ace takes a back seat to President Jane Starling's election and the events that swirl around her administration. The years pass and Martian politics evolves as Presidential associate Ann Bozak conducts an investigation that leads her into Ace's offices and the two them into a fold of social and political subterfuge that could bring down many carefully-constructed Martian policies and people.
Add the kidnapping of a high-profile figure and the efforts of an illegal insurrection and you have a gripping blend of political intrigue (Martian-style) and an investigative piece that is hard to put down.
Each of the stories comes from a different angle and provides diverse insights into Ace's persona and world. It would have been all too easy to have each story come from Ace's eyes and experiences; but by offering each tale as a jigsaw puzzle piece using different perspectives that contributes to a bigger picture, William Graham has done an outstanding job.
Detective and sci-fi readers who enjoy intrigue, juxtapositions of political and personal purpose, and twists and turns of plot will appreciate the focus, presentation, and evolution of Achilles' world as he changes from a man with a quietly singular purpose in his new home to one fully engaged with his world on many different levels. Highly recommended!
Martian Darkness
Return to Index
.
Decree
of Finality
Kenneth Eade
CreateSpace
978-1533122681
$10.75
https://amzn.com/1533122687
Lawyer Brent Marks hates taking on divorce cases - but they pay the bills and come along much more frequently than other types of cases. But his latest is about to get more interesting than the usual ugly separation process, as his client's wife is found murdered and his client is the prime suspect.
So far, the story lines appear cut and dried - but add a few twists to the plot ala typical Kenneth Eade style and you have a lawyer narrative that's quite different from the predictable approach it seems to begin with.
Of course, Brent must prove his client innocent - but he harbors his own suspicions of what really happened; and as he becomes further mired in the killer's approach, events grow to embrace prisoners, hit jobs, other killings, and many dubious associations.
Through it all, Brent remains focused on integrity, ethics, and the best possible choices; and as he moves closer to the truth, readers follow with bated breath.
Fans of legal thrillers, especially (even newcomers to Brent's world) will delight in the realistic story line and satisfying twists and turns of plot that mark another exceptional read which will easily attract even the most seasoned followers of legal detective investigations.
Decree of Finality
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The
Extraordinary Temptation
Patrick McCusker
Amazon Digital Services
9781783017676 $4.99
Book links: https://www.goodreads.com/
http://amzn.com/B011O8KAN8
Author links: pmccusker.com
https://www.goodreads.com/
The Extraordinary Temptation is simply a must-read thriller that would make a first-rate film.
But the description “religious thriller”, when applied to this book, doesn’t begin to capture the undercurrent of mystery, eerie developments, and powerful challenge to religious beliefs. The discovery of a piece of mummified skin of Christ makes the story remarkably absorbing.
The work opens with a young professional archaeologist discovering the find of a lifetime, only to face the consequences that follow from that discovery.
A wealthy American’s decision to attempt to clone Jesus from that piece of skin leads to a series of deadly events; and as murders, special interests, and religious and secular forces coalesce, the story line becomes a staccato blitz of action and confrontation – and impossible to put down.
This book is not a simple quick surface read. Many thought-provoking questions are thrust forward that challenge traditional thinking, morality, ethics, and more: and devout Christians may find that some of the contentions will challenge their beliefs in unexpected ways. So those who anticipate a “religious story”, in the usual sense, will find something extraordinary different in this action-packed saga.
Readers who want not just a thriller but a mystery that includes love and romance will find The Extraordinary Temptation for them. It offers a compelling journey that leads all the way to Rome. A thought-provoking thriller indeed.
The Extraordinary Temptation
Return to Index
Hugo
DuChamp Investigates: Les Fantômes du Château
G.N. Hetherington
GNH Publishing
978-1530222223
$14.99 (Paperback) $7.99 (Kindle)
www.hugoduchampinvestigates.
Hugo DuChamp Investigates: Les Fantômes du Château provides another satisfying investigative piece centered around the colorful and sometimes outrageous personality of Hugo DuChamp, a French policeman who has been working cases in London for years, and who faces a ghostly new case on his own turf.
The first satisfying note here is that readers need not hold prior familiarity with Hugo DuChamp in order to appreciate this second book. Hugo's events and background are summed up in Chapter Two, which paves the way for newcomers and previous fans to enjoy another detective puzzler (the first chapter presents the murder, while the second backtracks a week into London).
The second pleasurable feature of this sequel is that Hugo's character is thoroughly explored in a manner that invites not just reader interest in what happens to him, but creates an emotional attachment that adds a vested interest in Hugo's approaches to life: "This year, 2015, had taught him something that he could not quite put his finger on yet, a sense of freedom, a belief in life that had so far escaped him in his thirty-four years of being alive. He had witnessed all that life had to throw at a person, death, horror, tragedy, love and upheaval. If he had known beforehand what the year’s events were going to throw at him he was not at all sure he would not have refused to pack his Louis Vuitton suitcase and instead would have jumped on a plane for destinations unknown and quite far away."
It's Hugo's humanity and psychological profile that imbibe his investigations with a personal touch that draw in readers by revealing not just events, but his deepest thoughts surrounding his choices in life: "He believed now that he had done his best in a situation where the die had been cast much before his involvement. Did he have regrets? He did, and he knew that he would probably wrestle with his conscience for a long time to come, but with the detachment of time, he had come to understand that what had happened was not his fault."
Hugo faces a cast of characters in the course of Les Fantômes du Château; many of whom have special, secret interests in the murder case ("He did not agree necessarily, but could see why there may be concern, but it did not sit comfortably with him. Something was being covered up, he could smell it.").
Family money and spending choices, two murders, the hidden truths behind the deaths and how they are handled - all these facets immerse Hugo in one of the most puzzling cases of his life, just a few months after he's still in shock from his last case's unexpected twists. Hugo might ultimately be forced to decide who to save and who to sacrifice in a rolling saga that embroils readers in a powerful tale that concludes (it should be warned) in a cliffhanger.
Readers interested in more than a one-dimensional detective story who look for characters who are flawed, human, and different will relish both Hugo and his circumstances, and will find Hugo DuChamp Investigates: Les Fantômes du Château to be a powerful, highly recommended and compelling story that is as much about the man and his psyche as it is about an unusual crime scene and many elusive motivations.
Hugo DuChamp Investigates: Les Fantômes du Château
Return to Index
Pigeon
Blood Red
Ed Duncan
The Zharmae Publishing Press, L.L.C.
978-1-943549-50-4
$14.95
www.zharmae.com
Pigeon Blood Red is recommended as a fine gangster-oriented mystery for anyone who likes sweeping geographic settings (Chicago to Honolulu) and stories of hit men such as Rico, who finds himself tailing a fellow gangster when a delivery job for a stolen necklace goes awry.
Now, Rico isn't the kind of gangster many could love. He wouldn't trust his own mother; much less a girlfriend who may have been part of the setup. He'll terrorize her to find out the truth, and like a bulldog, he'll go after this truth and won't let go. No friend or lover could be confident that Rico wouldn't turn on them if he suspected their involvement in a double-cross. However, in this case, the truth doesn't reside in his girlfriend's actions, but in a series of deeper subterfuges that mire him in danger like quicksand, taking readers into a downward spiral into complexities that revolve around pigeon-blood red rubies.
Readers expecting a casual production will find many characters, subplots, and motivations injected into the story line, each creating their own multifaceted lines of intrigue. Much dialogue ties characters and stories; so readers who don't appreciate a chatty approach might chafe - but these devices only serve to make the story line more involving, and even though sometimes the direction is discernable, it's the follow-through which crafts such a compelling read, here.
Henchmen in pursuit, a trail of blood connecting them, flights, heists, and counter-moves, and a main protagonist whose efforts are often overshadowed by those of others around him … all these interact to create a story that blossoms with murders and intricately interlaced subterfuges revolving around Rico and his deals.
Rico's defiance and efforts will especially involve mystery readers who like their characters less cut-and-dried and more affected by their surroundings, events, and encounters with others in their "profession", and who like their story lines somewhat predictable in general but with an added dash of diversion along the way.
Pigeon Blood Red
Return to Index
Conjuring
Casanova Conjuring
Casanova is a novel
replete
with elements of romance, but much like the classics Time and Again
and Portrait
of Jeannie, these facts are embedded in a
time-traveling tale that
sends a contemporary ER physician into the past to encounter Casanova
himself. Expect
no light attention to detail, here: author Melissa Rea is a student of
French literature
who researched Casanova's life and his memoirs (which came to light in
the
1960s), and thus her novel is filled with realistic background
information on
Casanova himself which nicely compliments the story of protagonist
Lizzy's
immersion in Casanova's memoirs, when she finds herself attracted to a
man long
dead. As
Lizzy becomes enchanted by a legend and changed by the
up-close-and-personal
reality of his life and persona, she and her friends face challenging
new
perspectives about love and legends that lead her to Paris and a
volatile
affair that threatens the careful barriers Lizzy has erected against
inappropriate love. Readers
shouldn't expect a conventional steamy romance, here. There's humor,
powerful
dialogue, historical and cultural insights, and a solid dose of high
drama to
Lizzy's encounters that keep the plot fast-paced and absorbing even for
those
who may have little prior knowledge about Casanova's place in
history. The
delightfully warm exploration of Casanova's methods and perspectives
explores
how jaded and guarded lives emerge to blossom into the give-and-take of
love
and sharing and how Casanova's charming ways and language ("…I am always doomed to be seduced
by intelligence and
beauty. I never seduce, but only submit.")
break her
barriers, creating a story line that traverses centuries and very
different
worlds and brings both to realistic life. Especially
recommended as a beach read with something more going for it than the
usual
romance can offer, Conjuring
Casanova
offers just the right touch of love, lust, and psychological and
historical
inspection.
The
Cowboy and the Vampire: The Last Sunset Book
Four of the "Cowboy and the Vampire" series, The Last Sunset,
ends the unusual love
story between a vampire and a cowboy and elevates the concept of urban
vampire
fiction to new levels by taking the bloodsucker out of the city and
introducing
a complex, world-spanning tale to conclude a powerfully different
series. The
opening setting appears ordinary - a drunk nightclub hopper in San
Francisco is
stalked by a vampire who thinks she'll be easy prey - but when the
hunter
becomes the hunted and stumbles into a coven of something different,
his life
and world end. Change
scenes to a cowboy town still recovering from a vampire attack, a plate
of
chocolate chip pancakes, and the incongruity of a Wyoming
vegan restaurant neatly set in cattle country for a complete change of
tone and
scene. Proprietor Rose has an unusual reason for eschewing meat (Rose felt pretty strongly about
not eating flesh
after buckaroo vampires tried to drain her blood and turn her into
human
hamburger in a hellish meat-packing plant in Plush, Oregon.)
- but
this introduction is just one example of the many surprises The Last Sunset
offers its readers through
its rollicking blend of vampire concerns, romance, Western, and
international
intrigue. As
blood flows and bullets fly, immortality and love are put to the test
and a
loved woman in exile in Russia, a mad religious cult, and a vampire all
clash,
form alliances, and slap the saddles as they ride into a sunset mixed
with
confrontation and passion. There's
nothing staid or predictable about these events. Readers who delight in
complicated, involving stories that seamlessly weave together different
facets
of genre reads will love the clash of worlds and forces that permeate The Last Sunset. And
while this concluding volume ends the series and draws together some of
the
loose ends of its predecessors, it should be noted that newcomers
aren't
allowed to hopelessly wander the wilderness of gothic forces paired
with
Western flavors. Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall do such a fine job of
integrating setting, characters, and past events into the bigger
finale's
picture that even those with no prior familiarity with the series will
find it
easy to become thoroughly engrossed in this last episode. From
the lengths the characters will go to in the pursuit of individual as
well as
group goals ("Having
sex with a mental
cripple to please a vampire cult leader. Could my life spiral any
farther out
of control?") to good and bad choices made in
the pursuit of
something greater than individual goals, readers finally get to learn
what will
happen between a cowboy and a beautiful vampire whose love has been
derailed by
special interests outside of their control. The
Last Sunset's rollicking ride is
passionate, bloody, and purposeful and is a powerfully compelling saga
of
protagonists faced with changing the nature of vampires and humans
alike in
order to realize their drive for normalcy in a world gone wild. Fans of
Westerns,
Gothics, romance and thrillers alike will find its powerful characters
and
changing confrontations contribute to a gripping story line that's
unpredictable and hard to put down.
Crucibles
of Passion The
narrator has finally achieved one of his dreams: he's an aspiring
writer in Paris
and the world lies before him, success pending his next move. But his
next move
doesn't involve embracing this dream. Instead, he flees from the
reality of
impending poverty and possible failure, sailing for home after two
months in Paris.
He's on his way home to America
via slow freighter when he falls into the company of two "railbirds"
on a sex junket and becomes captivated by the notion of some last
flings in Italy. Crucibles
of Passion tells what happens
when he accepts an unusual invitation to walk out of his world,
expectations
and life. It's what should have happened (in a different way) in Paris,
and what becomes a less well-planned series of events along the journey
back
home. A
series of ribald sexual encounters, beginning with an unsuspecting
blind woman,
result in scenes that are graphic in detail, sordid in appearance, and
stark in
their descriptions; be it a cigarette-puffing lynx in a silken blue
robe or the
sights, sounds, peoples and underworld of Naples and beyond. Readers
won't expect a concurrent theme of spirituality to run through what at
first
appears to be the saga of one man's descent into a world of sex as he
romps
through Italy; but as Crucibles
of Passion
evolves, the erotic novella assumes wider proportions of self-discovery
and
exploration. Be
forewarned: there are numerous graphic sexual scenes and encounters of
various
types. That's one of the foundations of this American's
journey; so if
such descriptions offend, look elsewhere. No punches are pulled, no
experiences
are left untouched, and readers ready for such a physical and spiritual
journey
will follow this American through quite a different kind of European
experience
than he'd originally envisioned: one which will ultimately transform
him. Will
his various exploits lead to love and success on different levels?
Novel
readers can expect a delicious romp through soiled virtue and fate as
Sid's
life moves in directions he could never have predicted, taking readers
along
for quite a wild ride that ultimately leads to Japan, family ties, and
unexpected blessings laced with new challenges.
Devil
in Texas Book
1 of the "Lady Law & The Gunslinger" series represents Western
romance at its best and is especially recommended for readers seeking
genre
productions profiling a feisty, take-charge heroine. Such a woman is
Pinkerton
Agent Sadie Michelson, working undercover as a casino singer in order
to
investigate a political figure that just happens to be protected by
Sadie's
ex-lover. Conundrum
number one lies in getting past this ex-beau bodyguard to the purpose
of her
mission. Problem number two lies in the ashes of the still-smoldering
relationship between them, which have never entirely burnt out, and in
the
special interests that will join them together now, first in a pursuit
of the
truth surrounding a conspiracy, and then in re-igniting of trust and
ultimately
love. That
the progress of these events are anything but predictable serves to
make Devil in
Texas a spicy, revealing read
that ups the ante in the Western romance genre and immerses readers in
a
special blend of political intrigue and mystery and personal
revelation. The
Wild West can't get any wilder with the passions and pursuits of Cass
and Sadie
in Devil in
Texas. Even as life
is about to get good for both protagonists, it's also about to get bad
before
it winds into its positive results. Readers
should be forewarned that this is no 'light, fluffy' read. Plenty of
Western
history builds background and injects realistic, compelling facts into
the
events: "Despite
this new opportunity
to crack her case, Sadie had mixed feelings about the Farmers Alliance
meeting at the Grand Park Hotel next week. Fence-cutting cattlemen were
only
half of the range-war story. Vigilante grangers were on the rise in
Texas,
and certain whispers in certain saloons placed the vengeance-minded
ring-leaders in Lampasas." Gangs
and gunfights, futile efforts to keep Sadie out of the crossfire of
Cass's life
and choices, and gritty determination for each character's objectives
in life
("In the final
analysis, Cass didn't
give a rat's ass about Pinkerton or his secret army of nameless,
faceless minions.
If Cass had to use his Ranger badge to keep Baron alive and Sadie safe,
then by
God, he would.") create a drama filled with
plenty of
satisfying twists and turns of plot. The
processes of Pinkerton's services and the devices they employ, from new
bulletproof
vests to investigations, permeate a story line of evolving passion -
and yet
it's also satisfying to note that Sadie doesn't become a helpless
female in the
face of love, but preserves her feisty, determined
independence. The
result is a well detailed, carefully honed Western romance mystery that
will
thrill, titillate and delight readers of these genres with its winding
story of
love and life's evolution.
A
Hollow Cup A
trial in New Hope in 1991 sets the stage for a compelling novel of
racism and
social struggle centered around attorney Pete Johnson, who has just
successfully defended a murder case; but in reality events begin some
thirty
years earlier, when a small Southern town's turmoil and decisions
impact lives
decades later. Pete's
at the center of this social maelstrom largely due to his own choices,
which
haven't always been socially correct. Because his present-day decisions
rest
squarely on the past, Pete reviews them; and readers follow him through
their
lasting impact on social and legal systems alike: "He may or may not have broken
the rule for which he
was about to be slaughtered, but it was my failure to grasp the bigotry
of the
law that had brought him to this place. I had accepted the
myths I should
have known were lies. By the time I discovered the rules
weren’t written
for him, his life was forfeit. I was sickened by the guilt." One
of the outcomes of this guilt and sorrow is that Pete has long chosen
cases
that don't involve the death penalty (and thus have fewer irreversible
outcomes): "…instead
of changing
professions, I changed clients. Rather than representing
those against
whom the cards were stacked, my clients were now those the rules had
been
written to protect. I accepted what the law gave me, and
them, and no
longer took cases where death was an option." Black
separatist movements, the politics and educational impact of various
social and
racial programs, opportunities to divide or unite, and threats to the
status
quo all collide in Luke and Pete's lives as old "race murders" from
the 60s are re-opened and long-dormant hornets' nests are
poked. From
the ashes of racism rises the phoenix of oppression, a specter that
haunts both
men and pulls them from their carefully ordered modern worlds into a
maelstrom
of contention. Same script, similar players, different outcomes? Events
that
evolve in A
Hollow Cup only go to
show that old, familiar patterns are entrenched even in modern times,
and past
and present worlds originally viewed as being so far apart actually can
touch
in more ways than one. All
it takes is a resurrected case, an altered perspective, the possibility
of
legal choices repeating past errors or forging new paths, and the
dissolution
of barriers that have built the community ("The racial discord that had
divided the community for years had reached
the boiling point.") to enact changes that will
transform
lives. As Pete probes a case that involves purposeful suppression of
legal
documents and facts, what he unearths could push that community past
its
breaking point. Readers
who appreciate blends of legal process and social issues, especially
novels
about racism's lasting impact on individuals and communities, will
relish The
Hollow Cup's hard-hitting attention to
two lives changed by an investigation into past events.
The
Honorable Thing Betty
and Jack are probably like most other happily married couples
in their
thirties. They're opposites in every way and live in totally
different
worlds. When one
of his jokes turns into something serious, they begin
to fall for
each other. Hard. It turns out, however, that a
brusque, impersonal The
two lovers, convinced they are meant for each
other, decide to seek
divorces and marry one another. But there are endless setbacks
at home as
well as in the office. The school principal breaks his leg, Betty is
pregnant,
Katie's husband discovers a love note in a box of Kleenex.
And so on. Where
another author might have skimmed a superficial surface of the
relationship to
have Katie a shameless hussy and Jack a wandering womanizer, the beauty
here is
that both are equally committed to what they have built and loved (and
still
love) - and so what transpires between them is unexpected and
especially challenging. The crux
of The
Honorable Thing is the
heart-breaking choices the couple must make: choices that almost
everyone contemplating a divorce faces. They love their kids,
they know
how much their spouses have sacrificed for them, and they do not want
to hurt
any of them. This is a love story about two
tender-hearted characters that will make you laugh
and bring tears to
your eyes. It’s about the consequences of these
decisions, woven
into a story that focuses on what is the real honorable thing to do in
the face
of an escalating, unexpected attraction. Novel
and romance readers seeking something that re-examines the entire
notion of an
affair and its moral and ethical challenges will find just the right
blend of
thought-provoking insights, strong characters, and a dash of unexpected
humor
that makes The
Honorable Thing an
outstanding read.
How
Fast Can You Run, a novel based on the life of Michael Majok Kuch Release Date: OCtober
28, 2016
Melissa Rea
She Writes Press
978-1-63152-056-3 $16.95
www.shewritespress.com
Conjuring
Casanova
Return
to Index
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall
Pumpjack Press
978-0997411300 $14.95
www.pumpjackpress.com
http://amzn.com/0997411309
The
Cowboy and the Vampire: The Last Sunset
Return
to Index
Ronald Jones
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B002Q0XYUK
$5.95
https://amzn.com/B002Q0XYUK
Crucibles
of Passion
Return
to Index
Adrienne deWolfe
ePublishing Works!
9781614178408
$4.99
https://amzn.com/B01F9VLK12
Devil
in Texas
Return
to Index
Alan Thompson
W & B Publishers
9781942981732 $17.99
https://amzn.com/1942981732
A
Hollow Cup
Return
to Index
Karl Jacobs
Lien Press
978-0-692-59389-9
$7.99
www.karljacobs.online
That's how Jack wryly describes their married
life in the early
1970s, just before the earthquake strikes in
the corporate world
and management ranks are suddenly opened to women.
When Jack, an
advertising manager, finds himself looking
after Katie, a lovely
new management trainee in the huge St. Louis-area
conglomerate that
employs them, his world is turned upside
down. So is hers.
She's married to a stuffy elementary school principal. Until
now, her
life has centered on her two young
sons. Jack is married to
a workaholic, would-be writer. They have a son and
daughter in grade
school. On the job together, Jack and Katie
quickly discover
they are high-spirited, kindred souls. He's a baseball nut,
she's a
horoscope nut.
The
Honorable Thing
Return
to Index
Harriet Levin Millan
Harvard
Square Editions
978-1-941861-20-2
$22.95
http://harvardsquareeditions.
The
events surrounding the second Sudanese Civil War, seen through the eyes
of one
who was there, may not seem like an extraordinary account until readers
realize
that the eyewitness is a child and the war disrupted his life, his
family, and
sent him on a worldwide journey that ultimately resulted in healing and
this
book. Few
accounts can adequately capture such experiences, but where nonfiction
may
falter, How
Fast Can You Run
proves that an adept writer can step in and use the fiction format to
capture
the drama, psychology, and tension of civil war from a child's eye (in
this
case, Michael Majok Kuch). A
fiction writer can alter time and tweak events to heighten drama and
create a
more compelling narrative. A good fiction writer can inject
observations from
different character perspectives and can hone the entire production so
that
events and approaches to life make sense and stay true to character
development. And an excellent wordsmith can bring everything together
in a
story line that's completely accessible to newcomers to this
history. How
Fast Can You Run's story of Kuch,
one
of the Lost Boys of Sudan, requires no prior familiarity with Sudanese
history
or culture and provides all this as a backdrop to its story of how Kuch
survived against impossible odds, emigrated to America, and came to
meet the
author and see his story in book form. Michael
Majok Kuch was groomed to grow into a successful herder for his tribe
when war
changed his life. Not yet of age to assume these important
responsibilities, he
instead faced a civil war that would send him out into East Africa as a
refugee, living for ten years in the camps, and eventually to America. The
novel starts with a bang (or, should it be said, a boom), and keeps on
driving
home its revelations about conflict, change, and a nearly impossible
struggle
for survival for a young boy dependent on adults around him for
direction and
safety: "LOUD
BOOMING woke him. He
thought it was elephants and opened his eyes. The hut was pitch-black.
He
needed to pee but was too afraid to step down on his wounded heel or
crawl on
his knees to the door. He was just a tiny boy, about five years old,
afraid of
scorpions nesting in the roof grass, snakes slithering through cracks
and
crocodiles scurrying up shallows. Another loud boom. Bursting light.
Flames
shot up. The thatched roof was on fire. His mother rushed toward him,
holding
his baby brother in her arms, shouting, “Kare! Run!” As
strife turn into years of struggle, Kuch faces adversity, owes many his
life,
stands among thousands of refugees hoping to emigrate to America, and
confronts
what's left of his own family as he directs them to a new country and
assumes
the role of leader under impossible circumstances at an impossibly
young
age. Adversity doesn't stop when they reach the promised
land, either, as
racial divide and new challenges await him and test every ideal he's
survived
for and built. Because
How Fast Can
You Run is based on
a true saga, the viewpoints and experiences of Kuch come to vivid life
and
weave a powerful saga of politics, struggle, and survival that's hard
to put
down. Any reader interested in accounts of the Sudanese war will find
this a
compelling method of absorbing history at its most meaningful: through
the eyes
of a young eyewitness who didn't just observe events, but lived through
and
survived them.
Leave Her Alone
Please Leave
Her Alone Please opens with a
diary-like reminiscence
covering William's royal roots (which have forced his marriage to a
woman he
doesn't love and a lifestyle he doesn't necessarily want) and the
occasion of
his birthday, upon which he rejects material offerings and requests the
rarer
gift of privacy, asking to be left alone for a day, without the usual
supervision. His wish
granted, he trades his royal clothes for
those of the common man, picks up some packaged goods from the royal
kitchen,
and journeys to the local outdoors market to sell them, where he bumps
into
visiting vacationer Bambi and is enchanted by her beauty. Can true love
arise in the space of a breath
between a royal-born man and a commoner? Love arises instantaneously in
William's hear. Perhaps this is because it's the first time he's been
allowed
out on his own ("I
had finally found
her, in whose arms I could rest my feeble life. But did she feel the
same?"),
and when faced with a smorgasbord of people, he's attracted to the
first item
on the plate. The attraction
appears mutual, but William is a
gentlemen and (unbeknownst to his newfound love) of royal blood - and
married.
His moment of passion holds the potential of changing his life ("I went back to the palace and
didn’t say or mention a
word to anyone. It didn’t even feel like I committed a sin, rather, it
felt
like I had just started living my life."),
fleeting though it
may be. Leave
Her Alone Please is a "short-short"
story, told
in some 24 pages. Any dramatic embellishment on character or theme is
thus
condensed into a series of quickly-evolving, fast-paced scenes that
leave
little space for the usual devices of character development and tension
present
in longer productions. This means that
barely ten pages into the story,
William has thrown off the shackles of his royalty, fallen in love,
attracted a
commoner, slept with her, and feels the brunt of her rage when she
discovers
his royal roots and the fact that he's married (even though in a
loveless
arrangement). How can a young
woman, herself the love child of
a broken home, and a royal man trapped in a web of preset institutional
demands
become a couple and realize their dreams? What can evolve from the
tragedy and
freedom promised by true love, and how will it impact future
generations? The short-short
story begins and ends by
questioning convention, routine, and the process by which lives are
lived and
loves are realized. But wait -
there's more. A second story begins
midway into reading which contrasts its predecessor's experience with
the lives
of Karen and Joseph, whose five-year marriage has turned sour.
Predictably,
Joseph seeks consolation in the lap of a dedicated secretary who is
devoted to
this hard-working yet isolated man; and when the inevitable happens,
there are
hard decisions to be made. Better editing
might have resulted in smoother
reading for Leave
Her Alone Please,
but both stories ask pertinent questions and answer them in quick
order: what
can or should be sacrificed in the name of love, and how does love
change and,
in turn, transform lives? An Epilogue sums
up the nature and point of both
stories and questions whether love should override all consequences and
if one
of love's kindnesses would involve nurturing love but letting it go for
the
sake of a greater good. Readers looking
for quick reads without the
complexity, depth, and challenges of fully developed people and plots
will find
these stories thought-provoking.
Love
is Come (Power of the Matchmaker) Love
is Come, part of the "Power of
the Matchmaker" series in which the matchmaker Miss Pearl transcends
time
to match couples, is set in the 1900s and is a romance bereft of the
usual
steamy encounters that too many romances become, instead choosing a
satisfying
story line that focuses on emotion and setting for its
strengths. Nelle
is twenty-one and still unmarried in this scenario, living a
comfortable life
of privilege in New
York City. Heather B. Moore
takes her time to build up to the next life-changing event, creating a
solid
foundation in describing Nelle's life, why she's unmarried, and the
choices she
makes in romance and life. When her parents are killed, she's forced to
move to
a small town to live, broke, with relatives, five chapters into the
story line. From
then on it's a whirlwind of change as Nelle grieves, faces vastly
changed
circumstances and strange surroundings, and comes to feel that her life
is over
in more ways than one. A
miserly aunt records every bite that Nelle takes with an eye to tapping
Nelle's
trust fund, but an unexpected encounter with Mathew, a man from her
past, helps
reduce Nelle's feeling of being hopelessly lost, a feeling that's
replaced by
something different than she's ever known in her life. From
Mathew's perspective, Nelle is a complication, indeed; because he's
long been
slated to marry another (neighbor girl Alice), who is more of a friend
than
anyone he's truly passionate about. It'll
take a series of challenges for both of them to arrive at a place where
they
can love each other, and the history and romance that entwine in Love is Come
builds a satisfying, gripping
saga that presents the slow-moving (yet logical) evolution of two very
different individuals who come together in love, and the matchmaker
(Pearl) who
helps all this to happen against all odds. Audiences
who like romances that take their time to develop characters and
logical
progressions of events will relish Love is
Come, and will find it a satisfying beach read
or leisure choice
perfect for these lazy summer months.
Marshland Neighbor
and friend Evan has killed himself and his wife Rosie, and
only a few
doors away, Ben and his father receive the shocking news. At one time
Alex,
Deion, Evan and Ben were a "pack": they partied, dated, and played
games together… but grew apart as life took its toll. That's
only the backdrop for a series of events that reveal why Evan did what
he did,
and why Ben feels so trapped in his life, strapped financially and
underemployed in a dead-end job with debts and responsibilities he can
never
seem to conquer. There's
no fight left in Ben - only defeat - at the point when Evan dies; but
somehow
this event sparks a bit of life in Ben and as he begins to uncover what
really
happened to Evan and Rosie, so he begins to piece together the broken
parts of
his own life. From
augmented reality, Deep Web programs and intrigue to hidden links
between data,
relationships, and those who manipulate both, Ben finds himself in a
strange
new world of suspicious activity and dangerous implications. Good
motivations gone wrong: these place both Ben and his father directly in
the
line of fire, with social networking experiments gone awry leading
directly to
life-altering circumstances and nightmares that bring with them the
possibility
of closure and the discovery of a special brand of motive and
revenge. In
many ways, Marshland
is a
quintessential story of marriage, friendships, survival, and choices
good and
bad. But as members of the old gang drift back together and learn new
things,
each is not just affected by but is ultimately transformed through
events that
follow. As the nightmare evolves and immerses Ben, his father, and
other
characters, the story becomes a gripping saga of greed and vengeance,
political
processes, and the intrusion of computer and social systems on
individual lives. Readers
who enjoy stories of data manipulation, social and political
confrontation,
intrigue, and friendship challenges will relish a scenario where all
these
elements and more build to an unpredictable crescendo, keeping them
thoroughly
immersed until the truth is finally revealed.
The
Second Path In
The First Lie,
Selkie Moon fled
to Hawaii
in search of a new life, only to find the old one following too closely
behind.
Someone (or something) has stalked her all the away to the promised
land, her
visions or abilities haven't faded, and Selkie stands on the edge of
disaster.
The cliffhanging end of that story had Selkie set to face her biggest
fear. The
Second Path continues this journey
and
picks up almost where The
First Lie's
Hawaiian-steeped mystery left off. Selkie awakens on the
beach with no
memory of confronting her biggest fear - or even what transpired over
the last
two weeks. She's naked and alone. Only snatches of memory remain, like
jagged shards
of glass. As
she recovers, Selkie finds that her journey has not only just begun,
but that
it will carry her away from Hawaii on a whirlwind search for self and
life's
meaning. As
Seklie travels the world in search of a missing puzzle piece ("It’s time to leave Paris
– a place where I’ve grieved for my missing memory, a place that’s
highlighted
my sense of belonging somewhere else. Wherever I’m going, this isn’t it."),
she finds herself not just in the City of Light,
but in the deepest of caves (literally and figuratively). Cruelty
and compassion, alienation and connection, friends lost and found, and
new
dangers confronted: all these experiences lead Selkie on a spiraling
journey
that ascends, descends, and imposes vast changes with new connections
and
explosive internal and external confrontations. Where does the path to
wisdom
lie, and can Selkie uncover the deeper meaning to her life's purpose
and
mystery? Prior
fans will find Selkie's visions and unshakable determination just as
prevalent
and powerful here as in The
First Lie,
while newcomers will be delighted to find that no prior familiarity is
required
to take the leap into this second book chronicling her ongoing
search. From
paranormal encounters to personal revelation, the driving forces of
Selkie's
experiences are captivating strengths in a novel that grabs a hold of
its
readers and doesn't let go. Imagine an Indiana Jones adventure; only on
a more
personal, psychic level - with mystery and suspense embedded into the
bigger
picture of self-discovery - to grasp the essence of what makes both
books in
this series such powerful reads.
Secret Places
Revealed Secret
Places Revealed opens with Aaron's
single-minded
determination to not become involved in anything more than his
blossoming,
potentially successful business pursuits - but life has a way of
changing even
the most carefully determined plan, and so it is that Simone enters
Aaron's
life with her own preset obstacles to romance. It should be
mentioned that this is billed as an
inspirational romance. This label means that God's hand is ever-present
throughout the story line, and that spiritual references are part of
the
events. Even when His will is being questioned, forces are being set
into place
that will lead both characters in new directions: "People told her never to
question God. But those who
knew Simone knew her to be inquisitive. She couldn’t understand why God
had
taken away the only man she ever truly loved. Joshua was her soul mate,
her
friend, the love of her life, her future children’s father." Manhattan is the
backdrop for the romantic
action; but both characters are experiencing lives interrupted by
challenging
changes when they meet, and sparks don't fly automatically when so many
jigsaw
pieces of their broken lives remain scattered. It will take a miracle
(or
divine intervention) for these wounded individuals to overcome their
pain and
see love and broken dreams alike forging new directions for their
lives. On the face of
it, Secret
Places Revealed is a romance, to be sure. But
there's
something deeper happening than an attraction between two powerful,
professional
individuals, and this is where the spiritual side of the story comes
into play. Many satisfying
devices are used: street talk and
slang are realistic and well done, the characters of Aaron and Simone
are both
visions of beauty both internally and externally, and there are many
light
moments sprinkled throughout, as when a young man with saggy pants
tries to
flirt with Simone right in front of Aaron, using a poor pick-up line
that cause
both to laugh. How does healing
begin and where does love enter the
picture - and how does divine intervention enter into the scene? What
flaws are
deal-killers and what knowledge serves to solidify the passions and
purposes of
a deeper love? Secret
Places Revealed covers all these
topics and more and is
especially recommended for religious romance readers who like their
characters
powerful, sassy, human, and God-driven.
Shelter
of Leaves Shelter
of Leaves is set in a
possible future in which a series of bombs shut down
major U.S. cities on Memorial Day, sending Sabine on
a flight from
the ruins of Washington, D.C. onto a journey
through America as a refugee who barely recalls her
family and
identity. Perhaps
because the author is a licensed counselor, her portrayal of Sabine’s
PTSD and
the damage done by psychological trauma is just as haunting as the
images of an
American society devastated by collapse and the threat of
terrorism. As
Sabine struggles to survive her much-changed world, readers follow her
flight
to shelter. She finds refugees who band together to survive, All have
been
traumatized in some manner and display different evidences of their
bitter trials. Despite
the fact that everything has changed and evolved, Sabine takes readers
through
her life with a deft blend of observation and
interaction. As
Sabine’s family comes together and her life moves full circle back to
her
roots, her evolving strengths and desire to be part of
something more than
a survivor lend to the themes of reconstruction, recovery, and
rebuilding that
make Shelter
of Leaves compelling. Readers
of psychological drama, survival, and recovery who appreciate an
undercurrent
of romance and discussions of connections will find in Shelter of
Leaves a powerful
story of recovery on many levels.
Two
Natures Julian
is a Southern boy and transplanted aspiring fashion photographer in New
York
City in the 1990s; a gay man facing the height of the AIDS
epidemic and
professional, social, and spiritual struggles alike as he questions
himself,
God's will, and Christian values in the advent of a specific kind of
apocalypse. It's
rare to discover within a gay love story an equally-powerful
undercurrent of
political and spiritual examination. Too many gay novels focus on
evolving
sexuality or love and skim over underlying religious values systems;
but one of
the special attributes of Two
Natures
isn't just its focus on duality, but its intense revelations about what
it
means to be both Christian and gay. In
many ways, Julian is the epitome of a powerful, conflicting blend of
emotions.
Take the story's opening line, for one example. Readers might not
anticipate a
photographer's nightmare which bleeds heavily into evolving social
realization
and philosophy: "I
woke from another
nightmare about photographing a wedding. The bride was very loud and
everyone’s
red lipstick was smeared across their teeth like vampires, except
vampires
would never wear lavender taffeta prom dresses. It’s always the wrong
people
who can’t see themselves in mirrors." Even
the language exquisitely portrays this dichotomy: Julian's parents are
still
"Mama" and "Daddy", his language and many of his attitudes
remain delightfully Southern ("You
know, back where I come from, that was the first thing you asked a new
fellow:
what does your Daddy do, and where do you go to church?”),
and his
experiences with men, female friends, his evolving photography career,
and life
in general are wonderfully depicted, drawing readers into not just the
trappings and essence of his life, but the course of his psychological,
philosophical and spiritual examinations. As
Julian explores this world, readers should expect sexually graphic (but
well-done) scenes designed to enhance the storyline (not shock it with
departures or dominant heaviness), an attention to the social and
political
environment of the 90s that swirls around Julian and changes his
perspectives
and decisions, and a gritty set of candid descriptions that probe
real-world
experience. Readers
of gay fiction seeking more than a casual series of insights into the
world of
New York City's culture, enhanced by the deeper perspectives of a young
man who
spiritually struggles to find his place even as he fine-tunes his
career and
life, will welcome the close inspection of truth, love, and life
provided in
Jendi Reiter's Two
Natures,
powerful saga of Southern etiquette and perspectives turned upside down
and the
risks involved in moving beyond one's safe zone.
Wild
Violets Two
sisters, two new marriages, and a 1920s San Francisco setting provide
the
background and high drama for Wild Violets,
the story of a girl bent on success in professional women's basketball
- and if
not in sports, than with the bar and grill she's purchased. How did she
come to
lead such an adventure-filled life? Wild
Violets traces the evolution of the
Guyer sisters from their homespun roots (with eleven siblings) to
Violet's big
breaks in basketball and then in business at a time when women are
evolving
into their abilities and the right to use them. How
a down-home gal becomes the centerpiece of San Francisco society,
leading the
carefree (and sometimes selfish) life of a flapper girl, makes for an
intriguing story of romance, good and bad decisions, and the blossoming
of an
attitude that considers the world her oyster and men the deliverers of
wealth
and support: "…
that was Phil all over.
When he had it, he spent it. Mostly on me, she laughed." Readers
can expect to both love and hate as they follow Violet's paths and
choices.
Violet is determined and gritty, often selfish, and is focused on
appearances
and achieving success even if it comes at the cost of family and
friends. She
purposely uses her beauty to manipulate those around her ("I didn’t know. Thank you so
much. I’ll take care of
it right away. I so appreciate your help in understanding all the
city’s
regulations.” Vi oozed helpless femininity all over the cop.")
and her passions too often overrun the interests of others, be they
beaus,
authority figures, or her own children. Despite
this, reader can't help but be intrigued as Violet charges through her
1920s San
Francisco world with the
ambitions and determination of an unstoppable Amazon. Perhaps part of
the story
line's realistic feel is because it stems from the author's own family
stories.
Or maybe it's because Violet's world evolves beyond her self-centered
pursuits
to embrace family and support systems that succeed alongside Violet's
efforts
to realize her own dreams. As
the story evolves and Vi's life moves full circle, readers interested
in a
blend of romance and historical backgrounds will appreciate her
evolutionary
process, and will find that the circumstances and determination of her
world
lend well to an absorbing read suitable for beach reading or a leisure
choice. A Woman of Many
Husbands: Goldie To Goldie,
'success' doesn't mean having money or
a good career (although she has both): it means being married - and so,
over
the years, she's had many men to whom she's attached that title without
its wider
implications. Now she wants something different, and she invites
readers to
help her along in the process as she tells her story of her
relationships with
many men and why things fell apart with each of them. Readers follow
Goldie from childhood games and
realizations of early crushes to the evolution of her "love world"
where the special boys and men in her life receive nicknames, and
tentative yet
frustratingly temporary relationships follow. Twenty years
later, nothing much has changed for
Goldie in this arena. As she searches through relationship after
relationship,
guided by ideals and even Biblical passages ("For me, this verse meant that
each of these men were born in me” and at
a particular time in my life, they played the role of my husband."),
she attends college, graduates, serves in her Nigerian nation's Youth
Service
Corps, and finds herself with child again and again - still without the
everlasting love she craves. Nigerian culture
and customs permeate Goldie's
story and introduce readers to different cultural expectations about
marriage
and romance as Goldie learns some hard lessons about men, commitment,
and love. Goldie's journey
is the one many women take, but
her Nigerian background adds a different flavor to these experiences
and insights
into not just Goldie's perspective and choices, but those of many
women. Better editing
would have made for a
smoother-flowing text ("…it
pained him
that my daughter couldn’t bear his last name so that inquisitive people
do not
ask further questions.) but the strength of A Woman of Many Husbands: Goldie
lies not
in perfect English, but in its exploration of the mind of a woman from
another
culture who is driven to find a man she can truly call her life
partner. Life ultimately
presents Goldie with several
choices; each of which hold positive possibilities and lasting
implications for
the rest of her life. Readers are asked to help Goldie make the right
choice;
in the process considering the ideas, practicalities, and sacrifices
involved
in relationships. Feminists
may chafe heavily at many of Goldie's perceptions and her focus on
gaining love
to complete her already-successful (on many levels) life; but readers
interested in Nigerian and African cultures and women's perspectives
will
recognize that A
Woman of Many Husbands:
Goldie is as much a lesson in understanding
these passions and
purposes as it is the story of a wandering woman seeking to fulfill her
ideals
in order to complete her definition of well-rounded success.
How
Fast Can You Run, a novel based on the life of Michael Majok Kuch
Return
to Index
Ms. Julie Osaretin Osayande
CreateSpace
978-1497583498
$9.99
http://amzn.com/1497583497
http://www.
Leave
Her Alone
Please
Return
to Index
Heather B. Moore
Mirror Press
978-1941145678
$12.99
http://amzn.com/1941145671
Love
is Come (Power of the Matchmaker)
Return
to Index
D.R. Bell
CreateSpace
www.amazon.com
Marshland
Return
to Index
Virginia King
Celestial Hedgehog
ISBN: 978-0-9924870-5-8
Price: $0.99
www.selkiemoon.com
The
Second Path
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to Index
Paulette Harper
Thy Word Publishing
978-0-9899691-5-4
$12.00
https://amzn.com/B01G1CP1OA
Secret
Places
Revealed
Return
to Index
Lenore H. Gay
SheWrites Press
97816315210101
$16.95
9781631521027
$ 9.95
www.shewritespress.com
Shelter
of Leaves
Return
to Index
Jendi Reiter
Saddle Road Press
978-0-9969074-2-2
$22.00
www.saddleroadpress.com
http://www.jendireiter.com
Two
Natures
Return
to Index
Trisha Sugarek
Writer at Play
978-1484023662 $14.95
www.writeratplay.com
Wild
Violets
Return
to Index
Ms. Julie Osaretin Osayande
CreateSpace
978-1530063284
$16.48
http://amzn.com/1530063280
http://www.
A
Woman of Many
Husbands: Goldie
Return
to Index
BetterNot!
And the Tale of Brat Sports - Teaching Morals and Manners in Sports BetterNot!
And the Tale of Brat Sports - Teaching Morals and
Manners in Sports adds a second
title to the picture book
series focusing on issues of fairness, good manners and ethical
behavior in
sports. This
attention to sportsmanship ideals for ages 3-8 years uses colorful, fun
drawings by Roderick Fong and the specter of a dark purple fog coach
(BetterNot) to demonstrate what happens when an unruly team determined
not to
play fair encounters a being who identifies each player's poor behavior
pattern
and explains why it should be changed. A
fun rhyme accents cartoon-style full-color drawings that clearly draw
connections between poor sportsmanship and poor playing
experiences. The
result is a powerful survey that gently teaches not only the rudiments
of
proper sports behavior, but the consequences of not playing fairly:
highly
recommended for any youngster just entering the world of
sports. It's
the perfect complement to Book 1 in the series, BetterNot! And the Tale
of Bratsville - Teaching Morals and
Manners.
Carlota's
Jungle Friends The
saga of Carlota and her jungle friends opens with a map surrounded by
colorful
jungle-leafed edging, and begins the tale with a little jungle house
somewhere
in Argentina where a kind, strong hunter lives with his eleven-year-old
daughter Carlota. They
choose to live in the jungle because it's too expensive to live in the
city,
and so Carlota's lived there since she was five, and has adapted to the
quiet
yet interesting environment that is her home. She's come to consider
her jungle
home a "park
and a playground and a
zoo, all rolled into one." and she has many
animal friends -
except for the dreaded jungle tigre
(more like a jaguar). She's unafraid of this beast because between her
brave
hunter father and her animal friends, she feels safe and protected -
but when
her birthday arrives and her father leaves to get her a special gift
and
doesn't return, Carlota must call on all her resources and her
friendships in
an act of bravery that could redefine her happy jungle life. Carlota's
Jungle Friends is a portrait of
friendship and offers advanced elementary-level picture book readers a
fine
story of not just courage, but the possibilities of friendship even
with
animals deemed 'useless' or comical. A
posse of seemingly-ineffectual Patagonian hares, a deadly trap, and a
problem
that leaves Carlota in charge of her father's fate makes for a moving
story
that takes some unexpected turns as it heads to its satisfying
conclusion. In
the end the lesson revolves not just around courage, but upon the
nature of
friendships, support systems, and a brand of unexpected cleverness that
turns
impossible situations into creative solutions. Kids
will need good reading skills or parental read-aloud assistance but
both will
appreciate a winning story of a birthday like no other. Highly
recommended;
especially for its bright and fun drawings which are colorful
accompaniments to
a different kind of friendship story.
The
Cave of Healing Henry
is a grandfather who has long suffered from hallucinations and
post-traumatic
stress disorder from his military years; so when he sees a strange boy
the
woods behind his home and is told the boy came from a small hole
leading to
another world, he's sure he must be experiencing delusions
again. When
the image doesn't fade, Henry begins to question his world and that of
boy
Squiggly Squires, and events that evolve from those explorations make The Cave of Healing
an unusual saga that
centers upon magic, a cave, and an elderly man and his
granddaughter. Preteens
and teens may find the grandfather protagonist an unusual approach
(most such
novels focus exclusively on young central protagonists), but kids
become
central figures throughout the story as they experience caving
adventures and
journey to another world in quest of a special Gift. Caves
and caving are a powerful subplot in The Cave
of Healing, which imparts much real-world caving
information in the
course of its story. Some young readers will pick up any book that
includes a
cave, and these audiences will not be disappointed: The Cave of Healing
creates a vivid
fantasy about not just another world, but caving experiences and the
heartbreak
of discovering that magic isn't all that it's cracked up to
be. The
result will appeal to a wide audience of preteen and teen readers as it
presents grandparents and kids, a magical world and a quest, and a
reward that
may not completely fulfill a heart's desire.
The
King In The Stone Young
(and not so young) adults are in for a treat if they enjoy blends of
mystery
and fantasy enhanced by a dose of romance between star-crossed lovers;
for The King
In The Stone holds all this and
more. Andrea
and Julián, two estranged lovers from a parallel universe, reunite when
they
fall through time into medieval Spain in the middle of a war between
Spaniards
and invading Arabs for control of a kingdom. From
the start, Andrea's knowledge of her surroundings is well detailed.
This
setting and her feelings blend to involve readers in the mystery: "The Celtic village is over
there." I
signaled to the spot beyond a grove of trees where I could almost make
out the
silver reflection of a stream. Then I turned and pointed behind us to
an
outcrop of rock further up on the slope of the mountain where we were
now.
"And that‘s where the cave is. The cave where the first Spanish king
took
his last stand and defeated the Arabs sent to kill his people over a
thousand
years ago." John shook his head. "No. The cave where King Pelayo
defeated
the Arabs is on the next range of mountains. They built a monastery
there.
Covadonga it‘s called." He was wrong. I knew the cave was here in this
range. I knew it as I had known the name of the valley, like I knew the
way the
stream wrapped itself around the village, and how strong the smell of
animal
fat and smoke was inside the chieftain‘s hut. I knew it even though I
had no
reason to know it at all. These memories that were not mine unsettled me." Andrea's
initial visions and her dreams of a mysterious king, added to her
inexplicable
familiarity with a place she's never actually been to before prepare
readers
for what happens when a landslide buries her and forces her into this
other
world and life. There
are actually two streams of events, here: an evolving romance between
very
different individuals, and the overlay of a historical conflict that
pressures
them into decisions that may be good for the wider world, but not
always in
their best interests. With
such a dilemma at hand and so many facets entwining (history, romance,
parallel
universes), it would have been all too easy for The King In The Stone
to become bogged down in details; but
one of the pleasures of Carmen Ferreiro Esteban's story lies in its
compelling
yet linear approach, which means that readers avidly follow the
emotion-backed
action without getting lost either in time or place. As
Andrea and Julián's perceptions and relationship evolves, so the
political
conflicts of this era come to life around them and create situations
where
their decisions will impact themselves, each other, and, ultimately,
change the
world. Many
timeslip stories for teens are fairly singular and center upon a
struggle to
return home. The
King In The Stone's
focus on how the two star-crossed lovers find their connections altered
by the
wider world around them makes for a more satisfyingly complex story
than most,
especially recommended for high school readers to adult audiences. This
age
group will appreciate Carmen Ferreiro Esteban's attention to creating
not just
a time-travel romance or a dilemma between two disparate individuals,
but a
wider world's social and political influences and the ultimate choices
both
protagonists face in their quest for survival, connections, truths, and
the
pursuit of love over hate.
Melt Young
adult romance stories can be involving and gripping, but think 'dark'
and
'haunted' when considering Selene Castrovilla's Melt -
and also think 'compelling', 'rich' and
'hard-hitting', at the same time. Melt
is no casual romance and no surface exploration of connections; but a
deeply
revealing, sometimes-disturbing saga of a damaged boy and a loving girl
who
come together. Mature
teen to adult readers receive an opening salvo of angst in a
description of how
an abusive father terrorizes his family, told from Joey's viewpoint.
Staccato
sentences capture these terrible details: "He holds her against him blue
sleeve on white apron This
concludes with hard-hitting observations ("There wasn’t nothing in those
vows ‘bout guns or fists neither for that
matter.") to capture the essence of Joey's world. Now
contrast this with Dorothy's "Munchkinland" world where, as a part of
a teen social group, she walks into a donut shop (the heart of this
social
gathering) and is instantly drawn when Joey walks in ("When I saw his muscles—even half
covered by his
Metallica T-shirt they couldn’t be denied—when I saw his arms, I knew
they
could keep me safe. Funny, I never thought I needed protection, but
there it
was, that thought, and just like that everything changed.")
and
you have the essence of a fiery encounter that blows up with the
passion of
positive and negative forces attracting. Is
there such a thing as instant attraction? Dorothy only has to look at
him to
feel that "He
had the look of an animal
caught in a trap. It was like he was caged inside that beautiful body,
like he
was asking me to carve deeper and set his soul free."
While
there are disturbing moments within the story line - such as
descriptions of
her instant desires for Joey, his quick willingness to move beyond his
bad boy
reputation and her desire for strong, protective manly arms to feel
safe -
these elements are not untrue to life's circumstances. Who hasn't felt
inexplicably drawn to a stranger; who hasn't
wanted to feel a sense of protection stemming from someone else's
perceived
strengths? And so the story begins: a winding tale of impossible love
and pain. In
many ways, Melt
lives up to its
title, melting away the illusions of love, exposing much rawness during
the
process. Joey's life has involved struggling with his father's
alcoholism, and
it's created in him a person who longs for something different, but who
is,
himself, damaged and can't quite get there. Dorothy
is the quintessential loving girl who sees much potential in Joey -
potential
that she thinks she can nurture. What she doesn't know is that Joey is
harboring a deadly family secret, is struggling with abuse along with
his
reputation for being a 'bad boy', and that maybe he simply can't handle
good
alternatives for something better in his life, even if Dorothy takes
him by the
hand and leads him onto this path. Can
good intentions and good people counteract what is bad in the world?
Can a soul
deeply damaged by abuse recover to be capable of love, and can Dorothy
sustain
the power to help Joey heal even when her own life begins
unraveling? Melt
is a captivating story of a moth
drawn to a flame. It's recommended reading for mature teens able to
handle the
violence and angst permeating much of the story line and contrasting
with their
romance and young adults into their twenties, who will find its gritty,
hard-hitting approach unusually realistic and compelling. This
group will be able to easily handle the potentially
emotionally-draining saga
of a boy used to mirroring what he's learned from a lifetime of abuse
and the
girl who (maybe) can save him - or not.
Signs
of Life Fans
of Selene Castrovilla's Melt
already know that this predecessor was Book One in the "Rough Romance"
trilogy: prior familiarity with this introduction is recommended to
enjoy a
smooth transition of an awakening process begun there and continued in Signs of Life. In
Melt,
Joey was the damaged one
needing a strong dose of recovery via romance, but here the focus is on
Dorothy's trials and tribulations. Signs of
Life continues the discussion of Dorothy's pain
while Joey moves
ahead in his growth process. The
contrast is striking: whereas Melt
produced several unexpected endings and new possibilities for growth;
here it
is Dorothy who remains trapped and stuck while Joey forges ahead
without her. The
stark contrast between the two scenarios is powerfully revealing as
Dorothy
faces the consequences of her actions and an impossible decision that
she may
not be able to make without help. This
time it's Dorothy who is describing, in staccato observations in the
beginning.
As much as she's rooted and mired in past tragedy, he's truly moving on
- and
away. Does his growth necessitate leaving Dorothy behind when she most
needs
him? Time
is fluid in this love story, which moves back and forth between Joey
and
Dorothy's perceptions. Nothing is easy as Dorothy questions her
feelings about
life, love, brutality, and even God: "Who
needed God anyway? Joey had been right about him. Maybe I was my own
God, maybe we were each our own Once
again, this is a read recommended for mature teens into adult
audiences. It's
just as gritty, compelling, and varied as Melt
was and it continues to offer many surprises; so readers expecting a
smooth
romance with superficial elements may find its story line disturbing,
thought-provoking, and even cage-rattling, at points. But,
romance is like that. Sometimes the cage needs to be rattled in order
for real
change to evolve. And as points of view shift between best friend Amy,
suffering Dorothy, and Joey's worlds, so readers receive an outstanding
story
not filled with comforting feel-good illusions, but with the process of
stripping away these fantasies to arrive at the nugget of truth. Signs of Life
toes the line between a
romance, a medical thriller, and more in its multifaceted
approach. Melt
and Signs
of Life are intrinsically connected on so many
levels that they
should be considered literary Siamese twins. What stems from loss makes
for a
series of surprises and what eventually evolves will set the stage for
Book
Three; so be advised: enthusiasts of Melt
are in for a real treat here, in a gritty, eye-opening story line that
does
equal justice to the different, changing perspectives of both
protagonists.
Mortimer Mortimer
the mole is born in the dark, and grows up listening to odd music from
the
world above. Tasked with moving dirt, he questions this mission in
life, much
to the chagrin of his parents, who assume he'll be a willing
participant in
digging projects without questioning life's larger meaning. But
Mortimer is a curious soul and, fueled by hearing snippets of the
National
Anthem and other songs from above, is motivated to find out more about
the
world and its mysteries. And so he embarks on a mission of discovery
against
the wishes and focus of his parents and all other moles around
him. What
will he find when he surfaces? Mortimer
is a chapter book that holds very simple, child-friendly black and
white
drawings throughout. Kids just moving into chapter books will find it
holds an
inspirational focus that is light and yet thought-provoking, involving
them in
not just the story of a mole's emergence into a wider world, but why
curiosity
and exploration are desirable features for leading a more flexible life
that
doesn't confirm to expectations.
Put
Away Your Phone! Emma
is an unusual child: she doesn't like smart phones very much, can't
understand
why adults are always playing with them, and often wants to admonish
those
around her to "Put
away your
phone!" and enjoy the world. When
a visit to the zoo shows people on their phones everywhere, Emma
decides to
count the offenders - and during her passion to observe and confront
others'
inattention, she finds herself separated from her parents. What to
do? Put
Away Your Phone! lends to parental
read-aloud and will appeal to picture book readers with good reading
skills as
it follows Emma's realistic world and how she comes to view it
differently. It's
a fine example of coming to terms with one's environment and it
provides
engaging color drawings by David Barrow as it moves beyond the
challenge of a
phone-dominated world and into how a child's viewpoint and righteous
indignation can be funneled into more positive methods of handling
life. Kids
and adults will find it a delightful read that takes a modern dilemma
and views
it from a new perspective, offering lessons for cell phone users and
nonusers
alike that teaches new emotional management skills for tackling life's
annoyances and challenges.
Stumbling
on a Tale Books
for middle school readers about the middle ages are too often dry
affairs that
favor historical fact over captivating magical scenes. This is far from
the
case in Stumbling
on a Tale, the
latest addition to the 'Time to Time Kids' series, which decorates its
facts
with the compellingly colorful embellishment of fiction. A
lively introduction firmly cements the adventure with a dose of
historical
explanation that creates a solid backdrop of world history, setting the
stage
for the story to follow. Enter
twelve-year-old Henry Hawkins and his older stepsister Peri, who are
still
developing their newfound relationship as siblings. Henry's stepsister
isn't
the shy, antisocial girl he'd envisioned a fifteen-year-old to be:
she's
precocious, curious, and always ready to step into trouble - and thus,
she's at
the top of his list of things to worry about. They're
again playing with a curious book that holds strange powers; this time
trying
to find out more about its author and publisher. When Max repeats the
sequence
of events that led to their last time-traveling history adventure,
disaster
once again strikes. This time they're not in 1900s New York City,
but are in a forest in an era that feels much older. The
key to returning home lies in finding an antique. The only problem is
that Max,
who has brought them all here, has no idea what the antique is - and so
they
are looking for a needle in a haystack. Knights,
dragons, and lost siblings - oh my! Winding through the historical
encounters
are the real, contemporary concerns of kids who have had to make big
adjustments to modern times: "He got
used to visiting his dad every other weekend and alternating holidays.
He got
used to Ethan’s big old house that had radiators that hissed at you.
And he got
used to a bedroom with windows that stuck and let all the cold air in.
He even
got used to the new emergency plan he designed for Ethan’s house, to
use in
case of a fire or power outage. At least he could count on things like
his Fire
Safety Scout badge to help him. Sometimes it felt like his badges were
the only
things he could count on to help him out. He suddenly wished
desperately for
his life to go back to normal." It
may take a return home to make these Middle Ages events make sense -
and even
then, life becomes more complicated when time travel adventures are
added to
the mix. Quizzes,
puzzles, riddles and games, activities, and even recipes at the
conclusion of
the story add value to this tale, which ends in a manner that paves the
way for
more time-traveling history explorations; but its real meat and protein
lie in
chapters packed with a vivid blend of adventure quest and historical
insights. As
the siblings come to realize some of the meanings of the antiques, the
book,
and their encounters, they also come to absorb wisdom and more mature
approaches to problem-solving ("He’d
been getting ready to test for his next Scout badge though, and if
there was
one thing all the chess playing lately had taught Henry, it was not to
assume
his first idea was the best idea (or the right one). After all, some of
his
best chess moves came after he paused and studied the situation and
went over the
options in his head.") and begin to understand
how myths,
quests, and history intersect. A
rollicking good adventure story spiced with real insights on past and
present
make Stumbling
on a Tale a lively
read highly recommended for any middle-grade fan of time travel action
stories.
Gene Del Vecchio
BetterNot! Enterprises, LLC
9780692690796 $15.99
Email: BetterNotSeries@gmail.com
http://amzn.com/0692690794
BetterNot!
And the Tale of Brat Sports - Teaching Morals and Manners in Sports
Return
to Index
Donald A. Yates
Condor Publishing
978-1-931079-17-4 $11.95
www.condorpublishinginc.com
Carlota's
Jungle Friends
Return
to Index
William Haponski
Illustrated by Mary Barrows
Caves and Kids Books
9781523471850 $14.99
http://amzn.com/1523471859
The
Cave of Healing
Return
to Index
Carmen Ferreiro Esteban
CreateSpace
978-1530530151
www.carmenferreiroesteban.com/
The
King In The Stone
Return
to Index
Selene Castrovilla
Last Syllable Books
978-0-9916261-1-3
$2.99 Kindle, $11.99 Paper, $19.95 Hardcover
http://amzn.com/0991626117
squeezing
squeezing
squeezing into her ribs like he’s doing the Heimlich
his tie clip presses in her back
he sticks his semi-automatic piece of crap weapon in her mouth
clanks
it against her teeth…"
Melt
Return
to Index
Selene Castrovilla
Last Syllable Books
978-0-9916261-4-4
$2.99 Kindle; $7.08 Paperback
http://amzn.com/0991626141
gods…"
Signs
of Life
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Mary T. Kincaid
Redhawk Press
9780997148817
$5.25
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=
Mortimer
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Tracy Bryan and David Barrow
CreateSpace
Ebook:
ASIN: B01F6DR1SO
$5.99
Paper:
9780692700884
$9.99
http://amzn.com/1530857929
Put
Away Your Phone!
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Suzanne Roche
Oak Lei Press
978-0-9961484-8-1
$11.99
www.timetotimekids.com
Stumbling
on a Tale
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