June 2017 Review Issue
Orb
Stones & Geoglyphs: A Writer's Journey
Daniel A. Smith
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B06XP2N459
$2.99
http://a.co/6RE3E3j
While Orb Stones & Geoglyphs: A Writer's Journey will likely attract prior readers of his novel Storykeeper, it is also an autobiographical treasure that will appeal to newcomers unfamiliar with this work, who look for accounts of the evolution of writers and their stories.
One doesn't expect geology or a search for lost cultures to appear in the context of a writer's search for self; but one of the pleasures of Orb Stones & Geoglyphs lies in Daniel A. Smith's evolutionary process both as a writer and as an investigator, and so his story traverses a range of revelations that move from personal to social issues as he considers early influences and perceptions and how these changed: "I was young and naïve, indoctrinated with a common conviction extending back to the first wave of European settlers. A basic blinders-on belief, America was a new world, a vast unsettled, untouched territory, here for the taking. With the right slant on science and religion, nations of original inhabitants were delegitimized, dehumanized, then brutally swept aside by wars, diseases, and well-intentioned arrogances."
Few author autobiographies narrow the focus to the point of how the fine art of writing was honed; but that's one of the themes followed in Orb Stones & Geoglyphs, which neatly juxtaposes the author's personal and geologic discoveries, tracing the roots of stories that beg to be told: "A large part of the next year, I worked in the southern half of the state. I did not discover any orb stones, but I continued to have occasional sightings of the odd ridge formations winding across a cleared field. In the quiet drive time, I began to learn more about Manaha, the new whispering character in my life. It did not take long to understand: Manaha is strong willed. She will not be pushed aside after a few paragraphs as I had planned. The dream belongs to her. Manaha is committed to telling Taninto’s stories. She is not going to leave it in the hands of some know-nothing, amateur writer."
From developing a story and fostering an early attention to editing to charting the winding process of an idea that moves from kernel to fruition, chapters provide powerful insights fellow writers will want to learn from: "To tell the stories completely, I needed to walk their paths, wade across those streams, climb out of the valleys, and watch the sun set over the same mountain peaks. By foot or four-wheel drive, I physically traveled through each chapter, taking photographs and notes as I went. Repeatedly, the natural beauty of Arkansas provided locations rich in unique images, sounds, and inspiration. For me, the sum of my encounters, voiceless dialogues, research, and observations totaled far more than needed to perceive the three fictional journeys and their travelers as real."
The result blends autobiography with science and insights into a writer's evolution using a warm, inviting tone that neophyte writers, especially, will welcome. It's highly recommended for a wide audience, from writers to fans of autobiography, science, and the process of finding geoglyphs and unlocking their deeper mysteries.
Orb Stones & Geoglyphs: A Writer's Journey
Return to Index
Undeterred;
KKK Target, KKK Witness
Tracey Brame
NB Bookshelf
9780692822753
$17.99
traceybrame.com
In a different year, Undeterred; KKK Target, KKK Witness might have seemed a relatively singular, limited history of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan’s reactions to a diversifying America; but given the events of the last election, there is renewed interest in the KKK; and thus no better time for Undeterred to hit the market with its history and revelations. The KKK have been labeled 'America's forgotten terrorists' by some, so a history of one segment of this group's wider operations is key to understanding how they function and is certainly a special undertaking; especially as Tracey Brame's focus is on the messages they impart, which permeated her own Midwestern life and roots.
This personal approach adds an extra dimension to the social and political account as chapters are introduced with a powerful prologue that says why all Americans should be interested in this topic ("...what President Trump says and does on the issue of diversity in the coming months and years will write a history of exclusion or inclusion. Awaken yourself. A nation asleep is a nation in danger.") and how a liberal Indiana college town fell under the spell of the 'grand dragon' and his divisive messages: "Even if many did not agree with this behavior, the majority stayed silent, tacitly giving approval of the Klan’s depredating treatment of others."
If readers anticipate a staid history from this introduction, they might be disappointed. Brame chooses the form of autobiography to document the Klan's involvement in her life, so Undeterred might at first feel like the story of a woman's traumatic experience and recovery; not a history of the KKK. Readers who appreciate the fact that this is a focus on how beliefs, heritage, family relationships and social forces entwine in such a way that KKK-style ideas can enter everyday life will find it rich in discovery and process, and will find this approach far more enlightening than a dispassionate historical overview could have achieved.
A big part of the story discusses PTSD and its lasting impact on life choices and perspectives. A concurrent focus on Brame's social and political evolution clarifies the beliefs and approaches of conservative systems and others she comes into contact with: "We are a conservative state. No one wants you helping people. We believe that people should help themselves within their own group. We help our own people. We don’t want to help everyone else.”
Liberal readers who might chafe at some of the KKK's contentions and perspectives but who remain distant from their influence would do well to take a close look at this autobiography, which is replete with passages such as the one above, which clarify and illustrate different ways of thinking about social systems and political involvement.
These personal connections and insights drive the information gleaned from first person experiences and provide many surprising revelations: "Once you leave “KKK territory,” as they label it, they have to keep in touch with you. The Klan has to make sure that you won’t reveal what they did to you, so they have an insurance person threaten you. Pictures and videos did not convince them that I would not eventually get better and write a book, revealing them and their tactics. Specifically, Dr. Tohm Hrisamolaz was not satisfied that he had sufficiently threatened me. I was in shock when he and his people were threatening me, and there was no guarantee that coming out of shock would make me compliant with KKK wishes. Unsure that it has successfully deterred you, the KKK continues to touch your life. These “revisits” help them gain new information and ideas to determine their next steps. The KKK is no longer a group of old men riding around on horses looking for something or someone to burn. They are bigoted people with cell phones, Internet access, and other technology, who stay connected and rally with each other in person or online."
Readers of any political persuasion who want to know more about the ideals, politics, perspectives, history and methodology of the KKK should look no further than this eye-opening story to get the "inside scoop" on what's happening with the Klan's movement and how it's affecting American lives and politics.
Very highly recommended as a 'must' read for every American, no matter what their political inclination.
Undeterred; KKK Target, KKK Witness
Return to Index
Next
History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow
Lee Baldwin
Baldwin Books
978-0-9854777-3-8
$3.99 - ebook
NOOK:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/
Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow is a fantasy of interest to genre fans as well as to those who like outside-the-box adventure at the borders of thrillers and dystopian sci-fi. As Lee Baldwin makes that happen in his 2013 epic novel, it’s a re-imagining of humankind's origin story and what possible fate that will afford.
Giving the story its depth is the fusion of Big Data science with dark forces of the occult. Young Tharcia believes that she can speak with her dead mother for one last throwdown about her failings, but is surprised when she dreams of whales tattooed with an encoded message. Experimenting with the occult, Tharcia calls a supernatural being into the United States Pentagon. It is not her mother.
Many characters and plot threads are introduced in rapid sequence from the start, and tension rises as we see those elements begin to interact. The tale opens with a solitary warrior standing in the Pentagon courtyard who is completely untouchable by military firepower, drones and bombs. Simultaneously, a freaky multiple homicide takes place in New York City, a worldwide mass movement of whale pods arises, and alternate realities of mass hallucinations, laughter epidemics, and supernatural appearances stalk the world. Humanity’s id is unleashed.
When Tharcia learns she has a secret twin that’s been part of her since birth, that otherworldly being says to her: "You and I are caught in a tide. Lian exists because the Creator wants humans to have knowledge of good and evil. Dreams exist to help the mind evolve. We can use those things."
Next History's strength lies in the joining of diverse subconscious and philosophical threads, which neatly come together at the story's end to create an unexpected yet surprising result on which turns the future of humanity. Readers can expect a solid epic that evokes humankind’s deepest knowledge of cause and effect, consciousness, and the ultimate dreams of humankind.
An edgier, more challenging fantasy that most, Next History brings thought-provoking reflections on the potential of the human race into a canny blend of philosophy, supernatural influences, and spirituality that launch unusual journeys of the mind. In a genre filled with too many predictable, singular approaches, Next History is a standout. Baldwin’s novel is colorful and moving, challenging, and well worth reading.
Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow
Return to Index
On
the Edge of Death
Ciara Ballintyne
Evolved Publishing
9781622530304
iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/
Book Two of 'The Sundered Oath' series involves Ellaeva, avatar of the Death Goddess, in a dual quest to find her lost family and solve a murder at the same time; so readers of On the Edge of Death can anticipate this story to involve both a murder investigation and a personal quest, set against the backdrop of social struggles.
The
story opens with a caution and a bang as Ellaeva perceives the inherent
conflict of interest between two opposing roles in her life: "A Battle Priestess of the death
goddess isn’t
supposed to have friends, family or lovers, and
Ellaeva was
learning first-hand why not."
Friends and family are all threatened by Ellaeva's position - but they aren't relationships she's supposed to cultivate. Despite the power of her position, she's really in no place to ask for other favors to stay the deaths of those she has chosen to love.
If giving up the sword to follow through on her investigation is a requirement, so be it. Readers will find themselves relating with Ellaeva as she makes the kinds of decisions that question her chosen paths in life and their impact on everyone around, and will discover that the action is as much based on psychological connections and influences as upon battles and murder investigations.
As she faces capture, torture, death, and politics, she relentlessly probes the very facets of society that have hidden purposes from her and which have created some of the illusions which shape her world.
Fans of powerful fantasy female protagonists will relish Ellaeva, who responds with sassy confrontation to challenging situations: "“Does my mouse want to come out to play?” “That depends. Do you want to dance with me?” Ellaeva quick-stepped to the door, hoping to catch the Voice by surprise or get close enough to frighten her, but the other woman stood a good three feet away, her arms folded over her chest."
The cat-and-mouse game operates on many levels, so fantasy readers should anticipate a level of complexity that runs the gamut from social and political observation to psychological self-inspection and physical clashes.
In some ways the story offers elements of a sword-and-sorcery production, replete with battles and the feints and recoveries of swordplay. In other ways, it's at once a murder mystery and a psychological self-inspection where a priestess devoted to truth and justice faces an evil force in the world that hides under the cloak of politics and family. The story's ability to weave a tone that doesn't neatly fit into many of the predictable devices of fantasy genre writing imparts a sense of surprise to events which make twists and turns throughout as Ellaeva's seemingly-singular quest unravels the strands that connect her world.
While the setting and characters created in the first book, In the Company of the Dead, will lend background depth to this sequel, it's not a requirement that the first be consulted in order for new readers to immediately immerse themselves in Ellaeva's world. Returning fans will find many engrossing expansions of themes hinted at in the opening story, while newcomers will quickly be immersed in Ellaeva's purposes and challenges and the actions surrounding her choices.
Both will find this a powerful epic fantasy production worthy of reading, re-reading, and recommendation.
On the Edge of Death
Return to Index
Thistle
Inferno
Aaron Michael Ritchey
WordFire Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-61475-541-8
Price: $14.99
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61475-542-5
Price: $ 5.99
www.wordfire.com
Thistle Inferno's setting of 2058 (when the world's population has been decimated by the epidemics and war, and where frontier-type survivalist sisters struggle in a community comprised of five western U.S. states that operate without electricity, called the Juniper), has been described in the previous two books of this series. Fans of the prior books have a lot to look forward to with Thistle Inferno, Book 3, which continues the saga.
Here the gunslinging sisters face new struggles: this time, with known and bitter enemies.
Newcomers to the series need not be worried that Book 3 will be out of reach: the story opens with the protagonist's first-person reflection that deftly sums up the story's setting and past events in only a few paragraphs, setting the foundation for a story that began with what the sisters hoped to find in the legendary Juniper survival community: "The Juniper was a lot of things to a lot of people: a goldmine for salvage monkeys who went there for scrap to sell; a new start for desperate people looking to farm and ranch, like my mama, who squatted for land; a hideaway for people on the run, for innocents and criminals alike. For us, it was home. And we’d thought we’d saved our ranch when we saw the sunrise sparkling on the razor-wiretopped chain-link of the Juniper’s western border."
It seemed safe. Something wasn't right. And as narrator Cavvy finds herself struggling to protect everything she loves, facing soldiers without emotions created for missions that she has only an inkling about, Cavvy and her sisters face their greatest obstacles yet.
What if evil can change? "What if she can find her other side?" Against all rational advice, Cavvy is sure there's a better answer than killing even emotionless, programmed enemies. A healthy dose of ethical and moral consideration is just one of the threads that runs throughout the story, keeping it more than cut above most dystopian sagas and lending thought-provoking moments to decisions that supersede the drama of survival and action: "We’d been talking about that for weeks, about people changing and finding the other side of their pain. For Rosie Petal, it was quitting the drugs that kept her crazy. For Wren, it was deciding to be a part of our family and saving Micaiah, not for the reward money, but ‘cause it was the right thing to do. For Pilate, getting to the other side was telling me his sins and asking for forgiveness. It also meant he was trying to believe in some kind of God that might love the world and everyone in it. Including the strange soldier girl in front of us. Not human, certainly not, but could we be certain she didn’t have a soul?"
From recovering from their mother's death to facing danger and disease, the tone is gritty and revealing as Cavvy faces a barrage of threats with a tired determination to survive and stand up for what she loves: "She then touched Sharlotte’s face. “Fever’s broke. Good news, I guess.” I sighed. Gun gone, fever broke, it should’ve been good news. Didn’t feel like it."
This tone, cultivated as Cavvy fields the onslaughts of a broken, difficult life, joins with reflections about the nature of a life well lived to make Thistle Inferno a revealing, heart-wrenching, and thoroughly absorbing story of survival in a world gone mad.
Thistle Inferno
Return to Index
Cooperative
Games for a Cooperative World
Dada Maheshvarananda
Inner World Publications
9781881717584
www.innerworldpublications.com
Cooperative Games for a Cooperative World: Facilitating Trust, Communication, and Spiritual Connection belongs in the collection of any educator or leader working with youth because it offers an approach quite different than that of competition-oriented team-building: instead, it advocates activities based on cooperative processes.
Play is key to human mental health and happiness; but its current incarnations emphasize competition, winners, and losers. Cooperative play keeps the healthy concepts and adds healthier values to the mix with opportunities for learning tools that can build better cooperative habits for future business and interpersonal applications.
Chapters discuss various ways of changing games and survey special challenges, such as how group size influences opportunities for sharing and friendship, how to build a better understanding of how money and economic concerns affect preferences in entertainment and participatory choices, and how to use yogic routines, such as deep breathing, to understand the basics of changing breathing to influence thinking.
Facilitation tips for each exercise encourage leaders to participate, as well, and offer important guidelines for understanding how to best guide cooperative games so that participants learn the most from them.
From the initial overview of each game's concept and themes to its organization, templates, instructions, and keys to adding relaxation techniques and discussions that cement the learning experience, this collection leaves nothing to wonder about. It is a 'must' for leaders working with youth, who would change the competition-oriented structure of team-building to a cooperative effort that incorporates a better understanding of physical and mental techniques to build better participation.
Cooperative Games for a Cooperative World
Return to Index
The
Cosmic Machine
Scott Bembenek
Zoari Press
978-0-9979341-0-6
$11.99
www.scottbembenek.com
The appearance of The Cosmic Machine: The Science That Runs Our Universe and the Story Behind It could not be more timely amid the furor in the U.S. about science's process, meaning, and whether or not its research and results should be public information. Readers who seek an overview of basic scientific principles and their impact on everyday life will find The Cosmic Machine a synthesis of various disciplines and their scientific premises which offers an easy way of absorbing these basics.
The story begins with the earliest scientific inquirers and documents the rich history of science's foundation discoveries through the eyes of an author who is himself a scientist, and who seeks a clear understanding of the process untainted by high drama and embellishment.
Injecting the 'popular' back into science is no light task and involves a balance between keeping the science accessible to lay readers, making it interesting enough to engage non-scientists, and being certain it's accurate enough to be authoritative. Of all these tasks, the 'lively' portion is the biggest challenge, and where competing books often fall short. The Cosmic Machine succeeds on all accounts.
Chapters eschew the drier textbook format in favor of a 'science story' approach that takes four keys topics central to physics and chemistry and uses chapters divisions to take these broad topics down to the newcomer's level. Yes, there are supporting equations; but they can easily be skipped. Yes, there's solid science - but it's presented in such a way that lay readers will find it not just accessible, but interesting: "Historically it’s very difficult, perhaps impossible, to clearly tell when alchemy ended and chemistry began. In fact, these words were pretty much interchangeable until around the end of the seventeenth century."
The presence of numerous supportive footnotes would seem to detract somewhat from this feel of an easy-access historical overview, but those who turn to The Cosmic Machine for its scientific enlightenment will find these a plus, supporting contentions with added notes and insights in stark contrast to the kinds of footnotes that merely cite bibliographic material: "It would be hard to imagine that alchemy didn’t shape some of Newton’s ideas, perhaps even some of the “more respectable” ones we know him for. Indeed, it seems that his studies in alchemy led him to appreciate something very fundamentally and ultimately important about atoms: they are affected by both the forces of attraction and repulsion; they “push” and “pull” at each other in varying degrees. There has even been speculation that his knowledge of the attractive nature of atoms led him to his law of gravity. We’ll never know this for sure."
As Scott Bembenek peppers the biographies of major scientists into his history of discoveries and their impact on human history and affairs, readers gain special knowledge of the underlying influences on particular courses of investigation.
The result is a science history that straddles the line between a casual read and a scientific survey: one which adeptly juxtaposes science facts and human lives in a survey of scientific concepts and how they evolved. Neo-scientists and lay readers will find the approach creates the perfect blend of hard science and social discussion of its meaning in human affairs.
The Cosmic Machine
Return to Index
Incision
Decisions: A Guide to Getting Through Surgery, Recovery, and Your
Hospital Stay
Kaye Newton
Linland Press
978-0692832547
eBook price: $7.99, Paperback price: $13.55
www.Kayenewtonbooks.com
Incision Decisions: A Guide to Getting Through Surgery, Recovery, and Your Hospital Stay is all about making good decisions, from the introduction of the idea of any kind of operation and questions it brings to finding a good hospital or surgeon, coping with post-surgical restrictions while keeping home and family together, and how to understand and pay for medical bills.
Kaye Newton had three active kids, a part-time job, a pet, and a busy schedule when she faced major surgery. Expecting to be largely out of commission for six weeks, she scrambled to put together a game plan that would include tapping generous offers of help and arranging them into a workable schedule, identifying areas where she needed further assistance, and working to understand hospital processes and procedures.
When other medical emergencies hit over the months, she was able to apply this game plan to simplify many aspects of the process, and she presents these organizational tips in Incision Decisions with the idea that readers will want to be actively engaged in managing their hospitalization and recovery.
This requirement translates to an interest in being organized, proactive, and inquiring; and it requires of its reader both an attention to detail and an interest in taking charge of many processes rather than leaving them to others.
Chapters cover everything from how to research about and locate the best surgeon to considering traveling to get that superior surgeon, using caregiving websites to help organize transportation, food, and other needs, and handling kids' worries and needs.
From Newton's personal experience with anesthesia and her review of various options to setting up a house for crutches and testing them before they are needed, there are a wealth of practical tips and admonishments that any new to surgery will either learn the hard way or through the precise, user-friendly coverage of this book.
Who wants to learn from the school of hard knocks when Incision Decisions: A Guide to Getting Through Surgery, Recovery, and Your Hospital Stay contributes to making surgery a more understandable, easier process? This book should be given to every patient by surgeons and nurses who care about more than just a procedure's outcome.
Incision Decisions: A Guide to Getting Through Surgery, Recovery, and Your Hospital Stay
Return to Index
Never
Mind the Rules: The Alternative Dating Guide for Girls Who Wanna Rock!
Susan Hyatt and Lina Lecaro
Generation X Media
978-1543044683
$9.99
https://www.nevermindtherules.
Relationship and dating books are a dime a dozen, but Never Mind the Rules takes a different approach to the subject which makes it a standout among a plethora of advice guides, and should be considered by anyone who wants a modern approach to dating.
Several things contribute to this difference: for one, it advocates self-development and independence rather than snagging a date or landing a relationship, and so it begins with the foundation any strong girl or woman will want to develop first. Chapters tell how to foster such independence and come from two friends who were involved in the music world (one was a rock 'n roll band member; the other a music journalist), who shared a boyfriend, and whose romantic histories involved many relationships that led to in-depth experiences with the dating world which are imparted here.
Additionally,
Susan Hyatt is not just a musician, but is currently in graduate school
to
become a marriage and family therapist in a few years; so her
perspective
combines a professional eye with worldly experiences in a manner few
advice
guides can claim to achieve.
Clarity and candidness about sex and complicated emotional ties are part of this guide; so if it's a casual skim over the surface of dating that is desired, look elsewhere. Never Mind the Rules pulls no punches in its admonitions, tips, discussions of common traps, and admonishment for women to create their own "dating rules" regardless of trends or social pressure. As an additional note, Never Mind the Rules is not just a book, but a community of women who get together at events and have a private Facebook page where they share dating stories and get advice and input from all members. It's a great forum for dating; but it's invite only through their website (www.nevermindtherules.com).
From online dating and social networking to interviews with rock stars and others, who survey their worst dates and why things went awry, the tone blends interviews with assessments of making, breaking, or leaving open connections in a number of ways.
Social
media is one of the topics, for example, and discussions evaluate many
candid
options: "It
goes without saying that
if you and the guy you’re into are both on Facebook, but are not
“friends” on
the site, THAT is a problem. It usually means he has something to hide.
(See
story at end of this chapter). But what if you are connected and it
doesn’t
work out? You have a few different options. Here, when to hide, filter,
un-friend and block...
Stay Connected- If you and a guy date casually or fool around and it
just
doesn’t work out, but decide to stay friends mutually, remaining
connected on
social media is fine. Just know that even if you weren’t that into him,
seeing
pics of him with other girls may irritate or worse, make your question
your
feelings. The good news is he might see pics of you with other guys as
well,
and regret not holding onto your hotness."
From red flag alerts and dating gay men to the practical side of falling madly in love and considering a serious commitment, Never Mind the Rules should be the dating guide in every teenager's coming-of-age arsenal, and will even offer many an experienced adult the benefits of street savvy and wisdom about the modern dating scene.
Never Mind the Rules is very highly recommended as a unique, spicy alternative to the usual dry dating and relationship coverage, and should ideally be a coming-of-age gift to all girls leaving home.
Never Mind the Rules: The Alternative Dating Guide for Girls Who Wanna Rock!
Return to Index
Travel
with Kids
Edward Cox
Nomadic Dragon Books
978-0-9971326-2-5
$14.99
www.nomadicdragon.com
Travel with Kids isn't just about packing up the kids for a short journey, but focuses on international travel and various age groups, and is recommended for parents who plan on going overseas with the entire family.
Where other books about activities with children come from parents who achieved success, Edward Cox traveled through and lived in Europe as a child, so part of his insight comes from his own background and how his parents introduced him to a passion for travel and other cultures, which continues to this day.
Where
conventional wisdom would say that once the children begin to arrive,
travel is
over, Cox maintains that with a few adjustments, travel can be part of
a
family's experiences no matter how young the children are. And so he
and his
wife took their first overseas trip with their child when he was less
than one
year old, celebrating his first birthday in Japan and navigating the
country's
subways with a stroller. Ten years later, the family is still traveling.
Travel with Kids is all about the nuts and bolts of adapting travel plans to a child's physical and mental requirements. Chapters replete with travel photos throughout discuss budgeting time, money and energy during the trip, show how to consider different types of destinations based on family needs, and discusses kid-friendly accommodations, modifying travel plans to incorporate family activities and handling the effects of culture shock on a child, surveying the pros and cons of traveling with kids from infants to teens.
This family focus offers insights on how to adapt to different overseas locales and their impact on different age groups. The recommendations are quite specific, as with the ones for teens:
"• Anticipate potential friction points before leaving home
• Set clear expectations for activities that the family will do
together
• Work with your teenager to plan separate activities she can
do alone or with a group
• Create ground rules for screen time
• Give teens responsibility for their own passports, luggage, etc."
Those who relish travel and who want to assure that travel and educational opportunities continue for the entire family will appreciate the overseas focus of Travel with Kids, which offers far more depth and detail and a refreshing alternative to most travel books that consider domestic adventures alone.
Any parent who envisions seeing the world with a child of any age must have this primer for success.
Travel with Kids
Return to Index
How
To Live From Your Heart: Deepen Relationships, Develop Creativity
&
Discover Inner Wisdom
Nanette V. Hucknall
MSI Press
9781942891246
$11.82 paper/$2.99 ebook
http://books.higherselfyoga.org/
How
To Live From Your Heart: Deepen Relationships, Develop
Creativity & Discover Inner Wisdom
talks about 'heart
energy' and the special challenges of cultivating a style of spiritual
growth
that lends to peace and wisdom. While the topic may sound familiar
(indeed,
it's similar to other new age, self-help and spirituality coverages),
the real
difference between this and others lies in its inclusion of exercises
and
concrete plans for fostering this growth.
Chapters
present a healthy amount of philosophical, spiritual and relationship
insights,
but supplement discussions defining heart energy and its potentials
with ideas
for nurturing this type of energy. This different approach perhaps
stems from
the fact that Nanette Hucknall is a psychotherapist and artist as well
as the
founder and president of Higher Self Yoga Inc, and has led numerous
retreats
and classes for over thirty years throughout the U.S. and
Canada.
Her
attention to detail thus embraces many different aspects of
psychological
growth and self-help, adding a solid set of examples through case
histories as
she discusses how awareness is perceived and how it grows.
The
heart can be used to develop creativity, connect to spiritual
objectives,
improve interpersonal relationships, and make better choices in styles
of
living and approaches to life.
The
book comes packed with directions, from better linking with one's
Higher Self
to send intentional messages of love into the world to series of
exercises and
steps to develop "heart love" (not a slow process, it should be
advised). New age readers who are interested in self-growth and who
want a
focus on the kinds of exercises and steps involved in bringing a better
life to
fruition will find much to like in this approach. How To Live From Your Heart is
a satisfying blend of
workbook, philosophical and spiritual discussion, and example-filled
testimonial on the force of heart energy and its power to affect and
change not
just individual lives, but the world.
Its
focus on bigger pictures beyond new age philosophies and its grounding
in psychology
will attract wider audiences than new age readers alone.
How
To Live From Your Heart: Deepen Relationships, Develop
Creativity & Discover Inner Wisdom
Return
to Index
Nanette V. Hucknall
MSI Press
9781942891246 $11.82 paper/$2.99 ebook
http://books.higherselfyoga.
Astrologer's
Proof
David John Jaegers
Shimmering Water Productions LLC
978-0-692-88074-6
KDP Select: $4.95. Paperback: Create Space $14.95 Ingram
Spark: $14.95
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Readers may not anticipate a spiritual and moral read in a title that mentions astrology and presents Book Two in a series; but one of the strengths of Astrologer's Proof lies in its ability to surprise, and leading a new age-sounding book to a greater discussion of faith and transformations on more than one level is just one of its many diverse surprises.
From the beginning, Astrologer's Proof holds compelling reasons beyond faith alone for why the characters are involved in an astrological quest: "Thomas didn’t really care about the details of astrology, but he genuinely supported the quest. He was a disciple because he shared Rufus’s belief that the implications were enormous."
Christian theology, philosophical reflections, and hidden agendas combine to impart the flavors of a thriller, a reflective religious story, sci-fi, and more. This means that readers who anticipate a new age novel about astrology may be disappointed and could even be challenged by the various currents running through Astrologer's Proof. Others who appreciate depth and contemplative stories designed to enlighten as well as entertain will find that it holds plenty of fine insights that move from family relationships and apprenticeships to repairing broken lines of communication: "For Rufus, the most poignant aspect of returning home was grappling with how to restore a sense of trust with Robert. Although it could not have been anticipated, Rufus had stretched their bond to the breaking point. His nephew had a right to be disillusioned...Pursuing Jacob’s plan without the support of his young apprentice was not the course Rufus preferred. He had to find the key that would open a door he never thought would be closed."
Because the story is as much about the keys to connections as the doors that lead to psychological and spiritual revelations, readers receive a story with all the action-oriented qualities of a thriller, but with an approach that elevates it to something far more than an account of one-dimensional relationships and their evolution.
Under David John Jaegers' pen the story winds its way through the social and political evolution of a philanthropically significant organization on the track of a greater truth and purpose in life. Although a healthy dose of intrigue holds the story together, the inclusion of Christian undertones that lead to a unique astrological discovery makes for an unusual approach that will delight readers who look for stories a cut above the ordinary and predictable.
Familiarity with the prior book, Astrologer's Apprentice, is suggested but not necessary for a smooth introduction to this ongoing saga, highly recommended for new age and astrology readers interested in more philosophical and spiritual considerations than most astrology novels offer.
Astrologer's Proof
Return to Index
Atacama
Red
William Graham
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B06XG36359
$3.99
http://a.co/38xod9P
Former detective Nelson likes his privacy (which is why he's never been in a long-term relationship before); and so his mother's memories of a remote desert village the family never visited once they fell in love with Vermont has always been on his mind. A place "of emptiness and death" can't be all bad, he thinks, even though his lushly green Vermont home is worlds away from such an environment.
Pablo Nelson has resigned from his job as a Vermont detective to escape a investigation that culminated in a child's murder that he could not prevent and to follow his family's roots in Chile. One would expect a peaceful village life from such a move; but Pablo's past returns to haunt him even abroad as he becomes involved with a Chilean detective who pursues a murderer.
As haunting nightmares bubble to the surface in a barren desert of death, Nelson faces hot days that become even hotter as a slowly simmering intrigue builds to claim more victims.
Readers should anticipate an atmospheric read steeped in desert descriptions; but those include a healthy dose of self-inspection, personal philosophy, and even surprising musical references as Nelson explores his own psyche and his family heritage against the backdrop of increasingly dangerous scenarios.
Drawn into a journey of one man's rediscovery of self and his goals in life, the trappings of this story, set in a simmering desert, become purposeful and absorbing, neatly juxtaposing psychological twists and turns with a murder mystery.
Readers who expected a simple 'whodunit' may be surprised by the inclusion of these additional elements, but Pablo Nelson is not a staid one-dimensional detective. He's an absorbing, compelling, and most of all, real human being whose personal angst and feelings of being lost come to a head when he changes his environment and life.
From local drug trading and politics to corruption and work that "tends to shade {my} opinion of humanity," Pablo is on a path to reconnect his values and morals with his job and his overall worldview, and these elements bring mystery readers into a much deeper examination than they might have anticipated.
Well detailed and steeped in atmosphere, Atacama Red isn't necessarily for the casual fan of whodunit problem-solving, but for those who appreciate deeper insights on the problems of identifying elements to a life well-lived. These mystery readers will find much to like in a story that is as much about a detective's evolutionary process as it is about a murder investigation in another country with quite different values and procedures than in America.
Atacama Red
Return to Index
Burn
Country
Michael J. McCann
The Plaid Raccoon Press
eBook ISBN:
978-1-927884-10-2
$5.99
print ISBN: 978-1-927884-09-6
$24.99
www.theplaidraccoonpress.com
Detective Inspector Ellie March has her hands full when a series of rural arson fires results in the death of a senator and social activist, but there's more going on in the Canadian-based novel Burn Country than a simple firebug, as Ellie soon discovers.
What begins as an arson investigation and then evolves into a homicide takes even more deadly turns as Ellie finds her case holds national security implications and a political conflict she never imagined nor wanted.
Burn Country's attention to detail and satisfyingly unexpected twists of plot are done well, incorporating references to the neuroscience of magic and studies on misdirection and perception, a daughter's dream of riding in the Olympics (which boxes a doting grandfather into a financial corner), and a professor of art history's encounter with a poor, cantankerous artist.
What do these scenarios have to do with arson? They ultimately contribute to a bigger picture that just keeps on expanding and opening as circumstances evolve.
It should be noted that Burn Country is the second book in the March and Walker Crime Novel series and the sequel to Sorrow Lake, which was nominated for the 2015 Hammett Prize. Police investigations are intricately detailed, but there is no sacrifice of strong characterization during the process, and a satisfyingly diverse cast of special interests keep readers guessing and involved.
As
detective stories go, Burn
Country
leans towards a far more complex read than most, as it delves into a
range of
social, political and psychological issues and develops different
characters.
Readers who enjoy complex mysteries with winding plots and involving
scenes -
especially those featuring a diversity of special interests and their
perspectives - will find this story as exceptional and powerful as Sorrow Lake,
while newcomers will be
delighted to discover that no prior familiarity with its predecessor is
needed
in order to appreciate the plot and characters of Burn Country.
Burn
Country
Dark
Trades
Ken Harris
Warren Publishing
978-1-943258-40-6
$17.95
www.warrenpublishing.net
It's 2018, and in an alternate America, the Confederacy defeated the Union in the Civil War and slavery rules. In such a universe, one man's monotonous and regulated life is filled with helplessness. When his gesture of despair inadvertently becomes a signal for revolution, everything changes.
Alternate history novels are typically reviewed in science fiction sections because much of their action tends to rely on settings that are focus on another world, but Dark Trades is featured under 'novels' because its social comments and insights are striking and recommended for novel readers, as well, who might not ordinarily delve into the sci-fi realm.
Its social commentary on slavery, justice, and lives well lived under conditions which are 'incubators' for human beings, overseen by Admins who regulate every aspect of a slave's life with an eye to beneficial results for maximum production, offers striking food for thought.
As protagonist Harrison's questions and doubts translate neatly into social revolution, the story becomes a powerful commentary on courage, action and inaction, and the forces by which social change is fostered: even important messages for modern American readers than they would have been had this book appeared only a few years ago.
Dialogue supports this process as Harrison moves from a slave to a free man, taking uncertain steps as he absorbs new possibilities created by his actions: "I replied to him, “Well, what have I done? I’m just a lowly slave…I mean, black man,” I corrected myself, unused to the new title. “I didn’t really do anything.” Chris responded, “You’ve done more than you could imagine. Your actions have been an inspiration. It took a lot of courage to do what you did."
Especially pointed are the observations of and connections between individual choice and social outcome - something most novels, let alone alternative history sci-fi, don't adequately incorporate.
Dark Trades will reach audiences who enjoy novels that create powerful protagonists, then set their personal lives and decisions within the wider realm of social and political transformation. America has voted for a black man in our world - can it do so again, in a future long ruled by domination? Dark Trades asks many important questions as Harrison navigates new possibilities and, in so doing, brings novel, sci-fi and alternative history readers into a social milieu which is politically, socially and emotionally striking.
Through Harrison's process, readers are led to question their own beliefs, 'overseers', regulations, and the controls that hold together the very fabric of society. How Harrison moves from helping another realize his dream to stepping into place as a revolution's leader makes for a gripping read that's hard to put down. It's especially recommended for social and political inquirers who will appreciate the focus on social and political connections to personal choices and growth in a repressive, hopeless world.
Dark Trades
Return to Index
The
Deuce
Symm Hawes McCord, M.D.
W&B Publishers
978-163554065-9 $17.99
www.a-argusbooks.com
www.SymmMcCordBooks.com
World War II novels abound; but few are as specific or as revealing as The Deuce, which focuses on the efforts and experiences of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. While its main characters are fictional, the overall setting of the story and events are straight from history, and the author is quite clear about the points which move from fiction to nonfiction: "I have attempted to make much of the data and history of the “Five-O-Deuce” as accurate as possible. The characters are non-fictional down to the Regimental and Battalion Commanders. The Company, platoon and squad level members and leaders are mostly fictional names. The dates and sequences of battles and movements are as accurate as possible."
With such an introduction, one doesn't expect the degree of insights that flow immediately from interactions between characters and their experiences, but this is just the first strength to a story that takes historical facts and turns them personal: "In recent years, Harvey Donovan had these night terrors maybe every six months. When he first returned from the war, back in 1945, they happened every night, and he would be totally exhausted when he finally stopped shaking. He always referred to his fear as “they”. He had never told Lucy who “they” were, what had happened during the war, or what was happening in his dreams. She had never pressed him for answers; although she pretty well knew who “they” were and what was happening in his dreams by his actions and vocalizations, and, of course, knowing that he had spent those years in the Army during that great war."
As Harve confronts his wartime demons and the experience of battling in a war that consumes his life, readers on board for the ride learn a great deal about battles, bravery, and immediate battlefield sensations: "At 5:45 AM there was a sudden flash in the direction of the beach, and a few seconds later, the sound caught up. The naval bombardment of the beaches of Normandy had begun. That first round was followed by an ever increasing crescendo of exploding shells and flashes in the sky. All of the men were probably mistakenly thinking the same thing…if they hit the beach hard enough with the bombardment, maybe the landing troops wouldn’t have so much resistance when they got there. They couldn’t have been more wrong."
Special missions, tough battles, and the circumstances which make "The Deuce" a respected team which stands out among many fighting units build the foundation of a military story that is about survival, finding love and peace in a turbulent world and its aftermath, and coming to grips with a series of confrontations that not only test lives and loyalty, but involve lengthy battles and continuous struggles.
The impact of such conditions and their lasting effects is another plus of The Deuce, which moves between battle immediacy to how the effects of the war experience linger to affect Harve's peacetime life.
Details about the camaraderie between soldiers and the changing nature of their ultimate job as war conditions change make for many descriptions that deftly capture both the special nature of The Deuce and the circumstances that lead to their successes and failures.
Ultimately, it's a hard-hitting World War II story that asks hard questions in the course of examining a particularly courageous unit's actions and choices, revealing much about the nature and changing challenges of military life in the field: "After many days of search and destroy, the first squad, third platoon, of B Company, 3rd Battalion, of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment found themselves in a continuing effort to find Germans and kill or capture them. When would it end? When would this damned war be over? It was difficult to accept life that now seemed to exist within the Deuce, solely to hunt down and kill Germans, who were becoming more and more like animals in a cage, but also more than willing to give themselves up if given the chance. And that is what began to happen."
Readers seeking a gripping, moving saga that paints a powerful portrait of a particular unit's actions and achievements during World War II will find much to like in The Deuce, which should be part of any collection strong in historical fiction about World War II battlefield encounters. It's highly recommended for its engrossing portraits of soldiers who exhibit both individual courage and the ability to join together in powerful unity.
The Deuce
Return to Index
Dying
Light
Donald Griswold
Maitri River Publications
978-0-692-86911-6
$2.99
https://www.amazon.com/Dying-
The best stories start out with a compelling 'bang' of originality - that said, it's important to note that this impact is not often seen in the usual novel. But Dying Light holds this immediacy and promise in its first few paragraphs, which offer a refreshingly original language and focus that makes it hard to put down from the very start: "We've all got a story we're just dying to tell. A searing truth. An itchy secret. A deep, unresolved hurt. Sometimes we only need a nameless stranger in a quiet place, at an opportune time, for our chance to unburden ...So on my flight, I let the blonde woman next to me talk while she drank Smirnoff, turned away from a disintegrating marriage, and questioned everything. That was Julia in 2C."
The plot thickens, however, because this isn't a singular story, but a series of interwoven tales that offer complexity and a sense of futuristic intrigue that is not easily categorized or absorbed.
Documentary filmmaker Benjamin Beal leads a life marked by broken relationships, dreams, and objectives, flitting like a butterfly from one possibility to another, but never landing anywhere for very long.
His latest fling is but another casual notch on a peg that is only emotionally driven by his documentaries; the latest being The Crowdsource 7, about crowdsourcing living organ donors.
What elements and circumstances could turn an emotionally bankrupt professional into a spiritual being? How does death bring with it the possibility of transformation? And how does Benjamin navigate a suddenly much-changed world to find new inspiration and meaning?
Texas culture and personas blend with specifics on documentary filming and angles and Benjamin's choices and changes, melding together a seemingly-disparate set of observations from a filmmaker who finds himself drawn into his latest production in a way he couldn't have anticipated.
The same is true for the reader: Dying Light opens with a bang, changes its premises several times, then settles down for a powerful, evocative read filled with different angles on Benjamin's processes. At times, the reader feels like a movie viewer, following the moments when the observer becomes part of his own story line as Benjamin moves from a recorder of events to a participant in them.
"Everyone has a story with plot twists," the protagonist maintains. Dying Light mimics life's nuances by throwing in quite a few changes in pace, action, and intention, keeping readers on their toes throughout a vivid, immediate story that shifts its perspective as often as its characters change course in their lives.
Readers seeking a memorable story filled with poetic phrases, thought-provoking moments, and a non-linear plot that challenges one to think will find Dying Light the perfect ticket for an absorbing, winning, reflective read.
An appropriate summary of the entire plot is reflected in one of Dying Light's most powerful statements: "Lisa told me that people lost their way in Austin all the time. I challenged her on that observation just for fun. After all, what did I know? "Maybe they don't lose themselves," I offered for consideration. "Maybe these people just find who they really are. Maybe it only looks like they're lost."
Dying Light
Return to Index
From
the Difficulty
Mr. M
Xlibris
9781524571733
$3.99
http://a.co/jkel7F8
The protagonist of this story, 'From the Difficulty' (FD), tells of a life where he was born to an elite father and a semi-illiterate mother; driven, at an early age, to help his family earn money by working the farm and selling things.
He lives an unnamed, politically unstable country replete with civil war, a dictatorial government, and freedom fighters. As FD's home becomes a center for mobilization and struggle, one of the many lessons he learns from his youth is what side he's on - and what happens to those who harbor rebels.
As the difference between the country's war zones and those areas insulated from much of the conflict are adeptly described in the course of FD's movements with his family ("This area was so peaceful that most people never even believed that there was a serious war going on in the country and people were dying every day."), so readers are introduced to the coming of age of a boy introduced to war and struggle - and strong family ties - at an early age, who grows up to become a leader.
But which world will he reside in? "...a place perceived by many as a land which flows with milk and honey", or a land in which he would "sometimes wonder about what happened to the value of education and where was the American dream hiding." Such is New York City in America, and such is the life of a spirited immigrant who has high hopes for the future despite a background that leads him to wonder about the source of the freedoms he's heard so much about.
One of the strengths in From the Difficulty lies in its ability to trace the route of a young man who questions struggles, class separation, economic despair and hope, and the foundations of freedom. Through FD's eyes and varied experiences, readers receive social, political and economic connections which at time read like fiction and other times like nonfiction: "You find people like Warren Buffet. He wakes up every morning to go to work, and then you find us at the bottom of the pyramid who go to work in order to put food on the table and also pay rent..."
This fluctuating voice of experience may stymie those who anticipate a singular course of thought or a purely fictional approach to issues of poverty and change, but will delight others who want their social observation couched in a fictional protagonist's journey through life. At time the focus shifts from FD's experience to the narrator's observations and opinions ("'One can ask, what happened?' I don't have the answers." With FD as "a member of the club of financial difficulties") but there continues to be no easy solutions despite his ambitions and his achievements.
The piece holds value as an intriguing story of God's blessings, choices in spending time, money, and social and political effort, and key philosophical and moral questions ("You keep wondering who is benefiting from your existence.") that create a thought-provoking story for anyone interested in social issues and dreams of being well-paid.
From the Difficulty
Return to Index
The
Happy Chip
Dennis Meredith
Glyphus
2947 Mesa Grove Road, Fallbrook CA 92028
9781939118226
$16.95
http://dennismeredith.com/
It sounds like the typical recreational drug experience carried to extreme: extreme ecstasy, followed by death. Only this isn't the result of a drug, but a nanochip injected into the bodies of willing hosts who receive the benefits of its monitoring and a happy life. And death wasn't supposed to be the ultimate outcome of its happiness rush.
After setting this foundation, The Happy Chip's hard sci-fi plot takes off, traversing a near-future world in which a corporation selling joy enters the darker world of marketing death. The latter is a secret that biographer/writer Brad stumbles upon in the course of documenting the life of the company's founder, placing him in the position of investigating not just one man's background or a company's revolutionary evolution, but its darker side - especially when he discovers that a deeper truth exists that involves who controls such chips and who has seen their potential for use as a force for world domination.
As Brad moves deeper into dangerous discoveries, forming some unlikely alliances in the process, he discovers that his life and those of his family are threatened. While this fact may be predictable, what isn't always a given is the course of events that course through a thriller that excels in high-octane twists and turns.
Hard sci-fi typically foregoes this tension in favor of scientific and fantasy focuses, but The Happy Chip is particularly notable for its juxtaposition of all these qualities, which will delight sci-fi audiences and thriller readers alike, drawing its audience from both genres.
Another satisfying note is that Dennis Meredith is careful to explain how a writer falls into the role of an investigator and how he handles the process so deftly: "This was a chess game between two experienced bullshitters, he decided. He had his chessmen; Lundgren had his. Brad spent the next hour plotting out as many strategies as he could think of to figure out what to do next. They ranged from doing nothing, to abandoning the project, to doing what his training at BU taught him—investigate."
As manipulation and betrayal, hormone-induced control and high-flying emotions, and control algorithms that permeate portable smartphones and devices begin to change the world, only one man may guard the gateway between humanity and its next incarnation.
The Happy Chip's special blend of terrorism and high-tech threat is believable, engrossing, and hard to predict: the perfect thriller for readers seeking a solid blend of science and danger in their adventure stories, and very highly recommended for its ultimate consideration of madness, sanity, and what happens when knowledge turns into an opportunity for unlimited power.
The Happy Chip
Return to Index
A
Life Worthwhile
K.C. Swanson
CreateSpace
9781542985680
$13.99
www.amazon.com
23-year-old "new adult" Wisconsin bachelor Gage has finally found his purpose in life as a financial planner, which brings him newfound feelings of success and security. But is a safe job enough for a meaningful life? Gage is not as successful in his relationships, and heartbreak has resulted from them and stymied his feelings of overall self-worth and success.
A Life Worthwhile holds several time shifts as Gage moves from his present to past events. A smoother transition between past and future might have made it easier to follow these changes, but readers who move from the 23-year-old's present life to his past relationship with Sherri at the age of 21 will only briefly feel hindered by the shift as they absorb the roots of his failed relationship, his scrappy responses to life, and an attitude that is at once brash and heartbreaking, leading him on a downward spiral.
His brother Roy has been down the same road of questioning what makes life worth living, but therapy has guided him back to a positive approach. Can Gage's life pose the same opportunities with a little help and a revised attitude on life?
As A Life Worthwhile traverses family relationships, ups and downs, and Gage's search for a sense of place, it deftly describes the influences that keep him on track as well as those which lead him astray. The process of a new adult finding his life's purpose and path is nicely described: "Many college students did not declare a major until their junior year, they first concentrated on liberal studies that were required by any curriculum and then based their decision on the classes enjoyed the most. Gage contemplated his options over the next week, doing so most intently while fishing after work. For a reason unknown to him, he did very poorly on the streams every night which made him realize that life would go on if he had to leave the Upper Peninsula."
Too few new adult novels take the time to trace the series of encounters, pressures, and changes that lead a young adult to take his first steps into the world and make choices to shape his psyche and life's purpose. K.C. Swanson's novel closely follows Gage's footsteps and decisions, from his sexual relationship with Josie after a miscommunication nearly kills their attraction to the grief that gives him new purpose at an untimely death.
Life is filled with challenges and choices. A Life Worthwhile provides a fine review of these influences and is a powerful novel highly recommended for new adults who want a wider-reaching coming of age story surrounding the post-teen years than most can offer.
A Life Worthwhile
Return to Index
Moriarty
Takes His Medicine
Anna Castle
Anna Castle, Publisher
ISBN:
978-1-945382-06-2
$14.99/paper
ASIN:
B01MY7B3SO
$ 4.99/ebook
https://www.annacastle.com/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Mystery and humor are not often bedfellows in the intrigue genre, but in Moriarty Takes His Medicine, they are not only strange companions, but they successfully work hand-in-hand to create an inviting, fun read that alternately has readers laughing and scratching their heads.
Picture a focus not just on Sherlock Holmes' investigations, but the character of Professor Moriarty: one which keeps the action vivid, but considers it from a different angle, and which doesn't ban Mrs. Moriarty from the headlines, either.
In this latest adventure, the Professor and his Mrs. face their new marriage, life together, and a host of secrets keeping them at arm's length - including a case too challenging for even the great Sherlock Holmes. Given the nature of all these circumstances, how can the newly-formed dynamic duo solve their case and address their maintain newfound marital blend of bliss and discord at the same time?
As events unfold, Holmes finds himself requiring the assistance of Angelina Moriarty to solve a case where a woman can go where men cannot, and as she places herself in danger to get at the heart of a murdering physician's routines, Moriarty, Holmes and Watson must work together on their greatest case yet.
Fans of Sherlock Holmes will welcome the different perspectives provided throughout Moriarty Takes His Medicine, which illustrate not just the investigation but the motives and approaches of all involved: "Every word, even the complaints, tells me how much you love your husband. Otherwise, you’d talk about something else. Let’s try to remember why you married him in the first place.” More sensible advice. Would he bother if he meant to murder her in a few weeks? But she played along. She remembered perfectly why she’d married James Moriarty. He’d saved her life and as they went on from there, she’d fallen in love with him."
A captured wife, a clever and devious doctor, and women in disguise ... all the trappings of a Holmes case are embellished and enhanced throughout, contributing to a mystery whose tension is well-drawn and whose plot is satisfyingly unpredictable and complex.
Especially recommended for fans of Sherlock Holmes, this addition to a growing series continues to add nuances and details that grow characters and present plots that are engaging, fun, and complex.
Moriarty Takes His Medicine
Return to Index
Red
Stick Two
Kenneth Kirkeby
Sharp Printing
978-0-692-85609-3
$15.95
www.amazon.com
Red Stick One set the scene with a thriller centered upon the murder of a Florida Fish and Game officer and the efforts of his adopted half-Indian son who embarks on a quest to find his foster father's killer; but Red Stick Two is a continuation that will especially engage those familiar with the outdoors setting and mystery of the first novel.
Here Virgil has his own family and life which revolves around ranching, raising his children, but faces another challenge that takes him far from home and into other countries, politics, and investigations into danger.
As Virgil faces revolutionaries, political prisoners, and the effects of media reporting on social and political change ("Look what the newspapers say in your war with Vietnam. They make you go away and leave them alone. We have studied that. Your students riot. They want no war. Why should they go to die in The People’s struggle? Your movie stars go to Vietnam to meet with The People’s Army. You are defeated because the newspaper says so. The newspaper is your hacendado. You obey the newspaper. You obey your TV, your movie stars. We have studied this.”), thought-provoking passages juxtapose with confrontation and action to create a story that moves from home to the wider world and brings Virgil on an unexpected journey.
It's these thoughtful passages sprinkled among the trappings of a thriller that make Red Stick Two an especially engrossing read that holds the ability to make readers think as they follow Virgil's evolution and special challenges.
While familiarity with Red Stick One laid the foundations of Virgil's life and psyche, no prior familiarity is needed with this predecessor in order to appreciate the action and people in Red Stick Two.
Native American culture, father and son relationships, a classified assignment filled with danger, international intrigue and encounters with wildlife and wild people alike make for a heady read packed with social and psychological inspection.
While some readers looking for lighter entertainment could initially chafe at the inclusion of such insights as the thriller evolves, the result is a multi-faceted and intriguing story that goes beyond the usual action-packed read to imbibe its plot with social and political inspection, and will delight those who seek complexity and insight from their thrillers.
Red Stick Two
Return to Index
The
Redemption of Charlie McCoy
CD Wilsher
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B01N2TKO5O
$2.99
http://a.co/cAfJZDJ
In The Redemption of Charlie McCoy, Charlie is pinpointed in the burglary of a mob boss's home - but he's not going to accept this guilt and let his partner in crime escape scott free, and so he turns the tables and escapes with incriminating evidence that sets both the mob and the cops on his trail.
What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between two powerful forces as Charlie literally holds the bag on key information that both desperately want. This is the worst time to become embroiled in a family complication, but when his ex saddles him with a stubborn, rebellious teenage daughter, it's the icing on his cake of complexity.
Now Charlie has yet another thing to worry about - something that is at once precious and obstinately dangerous. Amy becomes his complete responsibility when the mob finds and murders his ex - and proves a greater problem than anything he's confronted in his life.
As events unwind in The Redemption of Charlie McCoy, scenes move from mobs and madness to a semblance of family connections as Charlie not only attempts to live up to his responsibilities, but finds some iota of normalcy in a life turned upside down as he builds a new relationship with his estranged daughter. Readers will find the personal saga of Charlie's past and present as attractive as the portrait of his conflicted life.
A laundromat's dirty laundry, a daughter who asks way too many questions for comfort, a bright young cop who falls into the pockets of the mob, and Charlie's passion for not going back to prison all coalesce into a vivid story that churns with special interests, intrigue, and complicated personal relationships affected by frame-ups, damning computer evidence, and a race against time.
The pace may be fast, but the story doesn't sacrifice personal interactions and growth for the sake of action. The revelations about cops, mob bosses, and Charlie and his daughter are interwoven deftly into the larger story and become compelling subplots in their own right. As readers grapple with a convicted felon's attempts to right wrongs and forge some kind of alternative life, they are drawn into a story that blends intrigue and detective investigations with a criminal's newfound purpose in life.
The result is a moving account of changing family and social relationships that skirts the fine line of criminal behavior and draws readers into a story that holds no easy solutions. Fans of detective stories, tales about mob encounters, and action-packed sagas filled with shootings and conflicting special interests will find The Redemption of Charlie McCoy an engrossing story of a manhunt gone awry on more than one level.
The Redemption of Charlie McCoy
Return to Index
The Reluctant
Trophy Wife
Judith Petres Balogh
Independently Published
9781520576602 $14.95
www.amazon.com
The Reluctant Trophy Wife tells of Clyde, a controlling and calm personality, and his younger, romantic, amiable and possibly malleable wife Lena. Events take a dark turn when a crime occurs and Clyde worries about his reputation being tarnished to the point that he decides to send Lena away to ensure the media don't interview her and reveal damaging facts that could taint his image.
The
trouble is: Lena's sojourn to Europe evolves into a journey of
awakening as she
meets new people who encourage her towards independence, something
she's never
felt in her life before.
Can one really go home again? And can Clyde accept a changed wife who
outwardly
is the same but psychologically is much different? The contrasts
between
outward image and inner psyche are enticingly portrayed from the start
as an
opening scene juxtaposes the two before a party takes place: "To the mistress of the house
elegance was synonymous
with simplicity, and her table, set for ten, was indeed a case in
point. It was
the kind that does not come cheaply. The centerpiece of white roses was
in
quiet harmony with the pristine white of the china, the noble
silverware and
the glittering crystals. She stepped back for a moment in the semi-dark
room
and scrutinized the total effect. It satisfied her. The tapered white
candles
in the silver holder above eye level were already lit, and the flames
in the
fireplace shimmered with warm glow, giving the necessary subdued
enchantment to
the carefully built scene. The strapless black evening gown draped
artfully
around her slender figure was a showy contrast to the general white and
silver
glimmer. The effect was not calculated but in spite of its innocence,
or
perhaps because of it, quite dramatic."
Lena enjoys things 'without distractions', but this quest for simplicity and ease changes heavily through the course of her story and even though she is college-educated, she's somehow missed the aesthetics of inner awakening.
The distance allows her to reflect on her life ("...she felt as she did in her dreams: far from everybody, alone and lost, pointlessly floating on unchartered waters and with each passing day, just like in the dreams, the waves drove her ever farther from her goal .Clyde would be working or reading about issues that were bound to come up for discussion or perhaps he would be conducting telephone calls. She could read, or listen to music. She could make up menus for upcoming dinners, or plan her social calendar, or call somebody. None of these occupations had a bit of romance, or the fragrance of tea just infused, let alone expectations of nuptial bliss.") It also affords a safe place where she can experiment with and make changes, and as she reconsiders her life, Lena comes to many revelations that first need to be absorbed, then ultimately brought back home.
Under another hand, it would have been all too tempting to keep this conversion light. Lena could have moved from a shallow personality to a tepid one, her romance and marriage could have taken center stage over her personal development, or her marriage could have been set aside.
But Judith Petres Balogh chooses no easy paths for her protagonist or her story, and so readers used to the more casual evolution of the romance genre will instead find far more depth and psychological insight in this story of a wife who seems to have everything, but needs more.
From the evolution of her writing abilities to newfound friendships and their impact, Lena discovers happiness in making the most of her abilities, the pleasure of a slower-paced village lifestyle in Hungary, and the comfort of her own company which places her at odds with her previously-accepted role as a trophy wife: "She discovered the pleasure of being her own company, and knew that she was gradually developing a streak in her character, which was at odds with her role as the trophy wife."
Now, what will she do about Clyde, whose persona and habits had made her his perfect choice? This point of unhappiness in the midst of her brand new strength will prove the catalyst of even more change - this one involving two people - in a story which is grippingly revealing and hard to put down. Lena's educated, literary perspective on life is one of the story's many powerful points, which identifies how such a woman can fall under a spell, and what happens when she awakens to her place in the world.
While romance readers will likely pick up the story for its reference to wives and relationships, to deem The Reluctant Trophy Wife a romance is not quite correct. Readers of women's literature and fiction will find it holds far more depth and is more a story of a woman's coming of age (as an adult), the changes it introduces to her as an individual and her marriage, and how two people grapple with friendship and love when an unplanned exile becomes a focal point for positive change.
The Reluctant Trophy Wife
Return to Index
Rising
Sun Memories 1942-45
Stuart James
CreateSpace
978-1537788692
$11.66
http://a.co/beaVXhd
Charles was only two when World War II changed Britain and led him to grow up in the aftermath of chaos. This prompts him to join the RAF when he becomes of age, where he is deployed overseas to Singapore and meets Chinese soldier Mr. Goh, who battled the Japanese in Singapore. As Charles slowly comes to know of a different side to the war by one who personally experienced its brutality on a daily military level, two generations affected by the conflict come together with memories that present very different views of the war's nature and long-term effects.
Rising Sun Memories sounds like a memoir because, despite its fictional characters, it is imbibed with the essence of World War II history and challenges, with many of its stories based on true facts.
As a child, "Charles, like all small boys, found the war quite exciting and although very young he spent a great deal of time playing with friends in the delightful Nonsuch Park Cheam which backed on to the grandparent’s house in Anne Boleyn’s Walk." His family's involvement and response to bombings is often practical and imparts more a sense of adventure than horror. to the young lad: "Young Charles witnessed a great deal of activity during the war, uncles returning occasionally in khaki, various honorary American and Canadian uncles returning with his mother under the influence of alcohol, many old family friends too old to serve in the forces, and numerous other mysterious acquaintances of his mother involved, it would seem, in black market activities. During bombing raids, the family climbed into a cupboard under the stairs as grandfather had no intention of having a bomb shelter spoil his attractive garden."
In the aftermath of the war, Charles lives through quite an unhappy and poor number of years, as post-war recovery efforts challenge his parents and everyone around him. Worried that his son seems devoid of ambition, his father enrolls him in the RAF's early program in an effort to give Charles direction; and it is there that he truly comes of age, and where Rising Sun Memories emerges from the foundation of wartime chaos to gain a vivid momentum.
The story's focus on the juxtaposition of two very different World War II personalities and their experiences makes it a pleasure to read. As Charles listens to Goh's experiences, battlefield clashes come to life in a way he never experienced during his childhood. Readers learn of how a war holds many different perspectives even as they absorb elements of this particular battle and one soldier's observations: "To make the pursuit of the Japs more difficult, Colonel Hok had wisely decided to take a Malay tracker with them on the operation in case any diversions were required. This strange little man wearing just a loincloth seemed to know every inch of the forest for many miles in all directions." (Colonel Hok is the commanding officer of the Malayan People Anti-Japanese army unit MPAJA, of which Goh Kim is a member.)
The result is a powerful, evocative perspective of cultural, religious and military clashes that test the psyche of soldier Goh in a manner that draws Charles into events of the past and their far-ranging consequences for the present.
How soldiers experience love and talk about peace and the future under such circumstances, and how Goh forges a life and vision for himself outside of military circles, makes for an absorbing, revealing story that follows battles, revenge, loss, and struggles in an occupied country that changes Goh's world.
Anyone interested in stories of World War II will find this fictional saga engrossing and filled with action. It begins slowly and takes time to build its story and characters, which may irritate readers who look for a faster pace, but the speed appears after these foundations have been well laid, and the story line is stronger and much more satisfying, as a result.
No World War II collection should be without this engrossing story of how terrible times are endured.
Rising Sun Memories 1942-45
Return to Index
Serial
K Returns
Brian Gallagher
Mirror Publishing
978-1-61225-373-5
$4.99
www.pagesofwonder.com
A serial killer, two investigators who once had a relationship but now must maintain a partnership on a business level, and dreams of peace and new connections thwarted by a Mexican cartel - what more can go wrong with retirement plans? Ryan O'Callahan is about to find out, as two FBI agents face not only a challenging new set of events rooted in their pasts, but also an ongoing series of challenges brought about by their mercurial romance.
In some ways, Serial K Returns requires prior familiarity with its predecessor Serial K in order to be fully appreciated. While its thriller elements and investigative processes stand well alone and don't require prior introduction, one of the strengths of the production is its two main characters and how they forge and face different connections as they maintain their professional facades. Prior readers of Serial K will be delighted to find this ongoing evolution of Ryan and Lea's relationship as they move from ex-spouse status to colleagues, only to drift back together as lovers.
One caution is that readers should expect graphic sex and violence during their reading. These aspects are an integral part of the story line, so thriller readers with a strong stomach will find these descriptions offer added attraction, as they cement the realistic immediacy of events and the passions behind the crime-solving duo's objectives.
Will the investigators track down a killer they'd believed dead? And, will they nail down what is really in their hearts?
The writing is swift and tense, characters well drawn and motivations clearly outlined, and twists and turns of plot rely on a psychological depth not normally seen in thriller formats.
While readers of the first book, Serial K, will be the obvious audience for this sequel, newcomers who begin here will not only be engrossed, but will reach for the first novel to fill in any blanks.
Serial K Returns
Return to Index
The
Sisters: A Mystery of Good and Evil, Horror and Suspense
Don Sloan
Amazon/KDP
ASIN: B00JIV3FMW
$7.99
http://amzn.to/2n0Rimf
Fourteen three-story Victorian houses have stood on the beach of Cape May for over a hundred years. Sordid events have taken place within their walls and somehow still seem alive, whispered between the ghostly houses in modern times.
Nathan and Sarah are a young couple who inadvertently stumble into these interconnected houses of horror overseen by the silent and malevolent Sisters. Try owning one of these houses as a legacy of evil is passed down between generations. Try living in one. Nathan and Sarah face a great challenge that has no easy resolution. And the houses have their own persona and plots: a detail that initially lends some degree of confusion to the story because perspectives shift from human to structure's perspective, and it's simply unexpected.
Once readers absorb the true nature of the Sisters and the forces at work in the houses, all hell breaks loose. Literally. What may initially be perceived as a slow beginning by readers who look for high-octane tension from the start turns delightfully creepy as chapters reveal the intent and terror of the Sisters and fourteen interconnected house histories.
Dreams and nightmares have a way of coming to life and mingling with reality in such a scenario, and as house memories (in italics) blend with reality's events, readers are treated to a slowly-evolving horror that toes the line between actual circumstance and supernatural observation and memory.
As Sarah and Nathan review the ghost stories surrounding the old houses and make their own determinations as to what is really going on, readers become steeped in a growing sense of horror about the future and, like the boiling frog, soon find themselves immersed in the story's unpredictably dangerous circumstances and evolution.
As
dream states transport them out of time and space and reveal truths,
Sarah and
Nathan face more than whispering voices as they confront a force that
delights
on feeding on fresh blood.
These are not ordinary houses, and the crime scenes are not ordinary
crime
scenes. Don Sloan excels in taking commonplace scenes, people, and
situations
and turning them on end to make them come alive in unexpected ways.
Another
strength of this horror story lies in its focus on different
personalities;
both human in the present and supernatural, from the past. The
juxtaposition of
these thoughts, intentions, and motivations is beautifully
done.
Readers seeking action thrillers may find parts of this story build too slowly for their taste; but that's the proof of a quality pudding: its ability to create a more powerful foundation by careful detail than quick heart-pounding action from the start. The latter becomes evident in abundance, however, as the story line builds on its roots - and that's what makes The Sisters a superior read, especially recommended for fans of horror and ghost stories.
The Sisters: A Mystery of Good and Evil, Horror and Suspense
Return to Index
Bubble
Wrap Girl
Kari van Wakeren
Beaver’s Pond Press, Inc.
978-1-59298-799-3
$17.95
www.BeaversPondPress.com
Izzy loves being active and playing games: there's only one problem. Activity often translates to pain as she trips, falls off her bike, bangs body parts, and slips. Like any normal child, she doesn't like getting hurt - and so her parents decide on a radical solution.
At first Izzy loves her changed circumstances. She can encounter the outside world without fear and she can play as hard as she wants without getting hurt. However, safety comes with a price, and Izzy eventually must decide if that price is worth paying.
Bubble Wrap Girl is a fun picture book with a message about choices, costs, and the price of engagement and non-engagement. It features colorful drawings by CA Nobins, who brings Izzy's dilemmas to life, and it holds simple one- to three-sentence descriptions that lend to either parental read-aloud or early reader pursuit. Most of all, it provides a dilemma and reviews the merits of a solution that holds the power to change how Izzy chooses to interact with her world.
Engaging, different, and fun, Bubble Wrap Girl packages its uncommon message with an unexpected twist that kids and their parents will relish.
Bubble Wrap Girl
Return to Index
Eat,
Pray, Blood
Betsy Russell DuBard
Warren Publishing
www.warrenpublishing.net
Eat, Pray, Blood opens with a dilemma: its young protagonist is being sent off to Italy for the summer ... like it or not. Katie's already made plans for a fun summer of swimming, sailing, and being with her friends for the twilight of her junior year in high school; but instead she's being shipped off to a foreign country with little contact with anything familiar.
It's not like she's never been to Italy before, but this summer is supposed to be different: her father wants her to spend time at his excavation site; but more importantly, there are secrets he wants her to learn about: new information that could change her life.
As Eat, Pray, Blood winds through these revelations, middle to high school readers receive a tense, gripping examination that involves vampires, a distant father's real heritage, Katie's own future, and threats to her life. Any one of these facts could change her world. Together, they represent a transformative experience that places new challenges and information on Katie's plate that are not entirely welcomed.
As might be anticipated by vampire-hungry young adult readers, Eat, Pray, Blood is a production steeped in blood and power struggles. This vampire community is anything but united, and its secrets hold a powerful impact on Katie's future.
The real meat of the story, however, lies in how Katie handles not only the truth about her heritage, but the power plays within the vampire social structure. Much of the story seems like a more youthful version of Anne Rice or Twilight's worlds of vampires and werewolves; but the difference lies in how Katie becomes immersed in her father's decisions and attempts to protect her, how she handles not just vampire revelations and realities but her revised place in the world, and how she handles an international journey that changes her opinion of her parents and introduces her to a touch of romance.
As these subplots coalesce into an adventure involving broken treaties and power plays, young adults will relish Katie's dilemmas and her evolving responsibilities and strengths, and will find Eat, Pray, Blood winds a supernatural thriller into a satisfying coming-of-age drama that has Katie evolving beyond her wildest dreams during a summer experience gone wild.
Eat, Pray, Blood
Return to Index
Kid
Ghost Hunters at Mammoth Cave
William Haponski
Caves and Kids Books
9781544978178
Price: $14.99/Kindle $3.99
www.amazon.com
Kid Ghost Hunters at Mammoth Cave, the 3rd novel in the series Adventures in the Worlds of In and Out, provides another cave adventure centered upon Mammoth Cave, featuring Peggy, Henry (her grandfather), and the magical World of In kids. This time, they're looking for ghosts - and they get more than they bargain for when all of their wishes come true.
Indian mummies, a ranger tested by ghosts, shape-shifting challenges as they enter Mammoth Cave’s In from Out, and both natural and human history ("The war was fought between Great Britain and our fledgling Republic with early conflicts beginning in 1811 and major fighting lasting until 1815. The powerful British navy’s blockade had for some years prevented the import of gunpowder, which meant that it had to be produced in the United States. Caves of Kentucky, to include Mammoth Cave, provided saltpeter from which gunpowder was processed") provide satisfying blends of adventure, science, and cultural insights as the kids and the enterprising grandfather expose yet another Mammoth Cave secret.
What do a failed underground TB experiment, a ghost hunt, and a cave tour gone awry have in common? Plenty, under William Haponski's hand.
Advanced elementary to middle school readers receive illustrations by Mary Barrows (seventeen fine black and white drawings) peppered throughout the story line. Action and adventure are well done, holding interest while teaching kids about caves and a mysterious other world that pulls Henry and Peggy into a new adventure.
Add the supportive (and, himself, adventurous) personality of a grandfather who isn't a doting senile senior, but an active participant, for a blend of family togetherness, intrigue, and a fantasy all tied up with a bit of science and history for a different taste of adventure that offers a satisfying alternative to the usual depiction of a grandfather's life.
Kid Ghost Hunters at Mammoth Cave
Return to Index
The
Magical Cloud
Cesar Sanchez
Independently Published
Lulu ISBN: 9781365563638
$14.99
Amazon ASIN: B06XZVKSZD
Website: https://psmcorp.wixsite.com/
Lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/c%C3%
Twenty-six
adventures and some four hundred pages of detail sound like a lot for a
format
that reads like a simple picture book for kids; but The Magical Cloud
has not one but a series of messages to
impart, and each story contributes a small piece to a bigger picture.
The premise is simple: a magical cloud travels around the world, allows
some
people to live in it, and is driven by Clop, a friendly creature who
primarily
likes to eat and play.
Star and her sister Crystal live there and play with other beings such as Light, an artist who takes care of the cloud and keeps it looking bright, and Sparks - both girls who love to dance and involve their friends in adventures.
There are also boys who are Thunders (they are tasked with creating new games for the group, keeping everyone entertained) and Comets (boys and girls who, like the reader, enjoy playing, but also sometimes learn).
All these beings look like well-dressed children, and their presence might lead one to believe the cloud would feel a bit crowded at times - but there are no limits to imagination, and the cloud accommodates everyone.
Crystal and Star share their dream of meeting children from other countries so they can play and interact, but they have to reach out to children on Earth, first.
At first this book seems like a simple set of stories; but adults who chose it for bedtime reading will quickly find that each tale holds a message and potential for much discussion, pairing dreams with problem-solving abilities and special challenges for kids to think about.
The best use of this book will be as a series of read-aloud, interactive opportunities for parents and kids. As parents read through the magical adventures and encounters, they can also comment on its underlying messages about team spirit, play, goals and differences between kids, and sharing and hope.
The processes of achieving all these positive experiences, presented against a backdrop of magical exploration, imparts an emotionally uplifting feel that parents will want to investigate with their kids, even though the book and its language is intended for not just read-aloud, but self-guided pursuit by youngsters through grades 3-4.
Uplifting and fun, The Magical Cloud is not one story or adventure but a series of interconnected experiences recommended for parents seeking a blend of fantasy and events that support imagination and cooperative behaviors, all supported by large-sized, colorful drawings throughout.
The Magical Cloud
Return to Index
Too
Much MacTiggle
Antionette Melendez
Balmore House Publishing
978-0-9969525-1-4 $8.95
http://toomuchmactiggle.com
Nobody will buy the troublesome puppy with short, stubby legs and a propensity for trouble: that's what pet shop owner Mr. Teeply thinks as he tries to care for a feisty Scottish terrier puppy who needs a loving owner.
But Mr. Teeply has named him 'Too Too Much' because he doubts that anyone will adopt and love him. What can Mr. Teeply do but offer up his troublesome charge for free, to a good home?
In another house, an elderly man who is becoming forgetful and his loving wife espy an unusual ad for a free puppy, and decide to act. But will the feisty little puppy with a taste for trouble be too much for the old couple?
This chapter book holds many simple, delightful moments that young readers will appreciate: the heart-warming story of a puppy who wants to be loved, an account of how the right home opens up, and a story of adjustments on all sides.
The adventures of Too Too Much as he explores his new home are fun and simple. One never quite knows what trouble Too Too Much will get into, or what its ultimate result will be. Will he cause too many problems for his new owners?
A lovely story of a dog's adjustment to his new home and his family's challenges in handling his impulses creates an engrossing tale that young chapter book readers will relish as they learn how a troublesome personality finds a place in the world.
Too Much MacTiggle
Return to Index
The
Universe Builders: Bernie and the Wizards
Steve LeBel
Argon Press
Print: 978-0-9908831-5-9 and 978-0-9908831-4-2
Ebook: 978-0-9908831-3-5
Amazon Link (ebook - $3.99): https://www.amazon.com/dp/
Amazon Link (print - $15.95): https://www.amazon.com/
http://theuniversebuilders.
The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Wizards is a young adult fantasy that tells of a youthful god who fixes universes for a living. His latest task is to repair Protox, a planet fraught with civil war and, as it turns out, which is under the influence of an evil wizard whose effort to spark chaos proves far more effective than Bernie's efforts to save his project.
If Bernie doesn't succeed, Protox will be destroyed - but more importantly, his failure will hold especially dangerous implications for his own world of gods and broken universe manipulations.
This story adds to others in the 'Universe Builders' series about Bernie, but stands well on its own for newcomers who may be unfamiliar with the series. True, it holds a wide cast of characters which could become confusing to newcomers; but it also holds the ability to paint a logical portrait of its setting and purpose with a short prologue (which will delight prior fans needing a memory jog) and then move on from there with yet another Bernie problem-solving mission.
Christian readers might chafe at the notion of a universe manipulated by gods, much less a young, inexperienced god - but the purpose of this fantasy doesn't reside in religious implications, but in the real dilemma of a young person in charge of seeing that order is maintained in his part of the universe; and what happens when events spiral out of control on his watch.
An excellent survey of these responsibilities lies in early dialogue: "I can see you’re a bit squeamish, Bernie. If you’re going to fix things around here, you need to toughen up.” “Yes, Sir. I’ve been told that before.” “You have to think of this like growing a garden. Sometimes there are weeds, and we have to get rid of them, otherwise there’ll be no room for the flowers.”
Do demonstrations of intelligence and emotions equate to having a soul? Bernie's Photox assignment and problem becomes much more complicated as he grapples with bigger questions, little lives, and great powers.
Budding gods with good faith confront worlds both under their control and outside of their experience in The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Wizards, which is packed with insights about special abilities and their real worth, leading directly into previously uncharted territory as it considers the evolution of friendships and the real powers of wizards, gods, and those with fewer special abilities.
Young adults will find it an engrossing read filled with a satisfying blend of action, philosophical reflection, and unexpected insights on relationships which excels in surprises and compelling new beginnings from disastrous situations.
The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Wizards
Return to Index