June 2020 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi Mystery & Thrillers
The Breaking
Desserae K. Shepston
Independently
Published
978-1-7334079-1-5
$14.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Book-Undoing-Trilogy/dp/173340791X
Book 2 of
The Undoing
trilogy opens with the prologue of a vacant-eyed male identified only
by number,
who stands in a long line of similar individuals. It segues to the
first
chapter in the book which introduces Rebecca and her group, who have
been in
training since a virus hit and began infecting the world.
As society
falls
apart around them, Rebecca and her group's objectives shift from
participating
in the resistance group Colossus and its objectives to conducting a
deeper
investigation on the government that seems bent on tearing apart its
own
society for an unknown purpose.
Ironically,
their
investigation raises questions that threaten their own organization,
purpose,
and trust in one another as society begins to disintegrate with too
many
questions unanswered.
Desserae K.
Shepston
creates descriptions, conflicts, and scenarios that link personal
struggles for
survival to political revelations and insights about government
operations and
subterfuge. Her ability to pair numerous characters' personal struggles
with
the bigger picture of uncovering conspiracies and contributing not just
to
personal wellbeing but the survival of society as a whole creates
riveting
encounters and revelations.
Action is
swift, the
choices and conundrums of Remy, Rebecca, and others are nicely drawn
and
astute, and the search for an anti-viral formula is well written.
Given the
current
state of affairs, The Breaking
holds
even more power than the first book in the series, with its compelling
series
of adventures and discoveries by a group of young people determined to
unearth
the truth even if it threatens the trust in their interpersonal
relationships.
Fast-paced,
well
drawn, and involving, The Breaking
is
a dystopian story eerily close to present-day experience. It's highly
recommended as a convincing, involving read, whether chosen as a
stand-alone or
as part of the series as a whole.
Return to Index
Marion Hill
Red Mango Publishing
978-0998761275
$13.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Diondrays-Discovery-Chronicles-Marion-Hill/dp/0998761273
Diondray's Discovery opens The Diondray's
Chronicles series
with a fantasy quest story introducing a young man who is on a journey
that
will shake the foundations of not only his life, but his world. He's on
his way
home despite the family issues that sent him on a quest bringing him
into
conflict with his uncle, ruler of the city of Charlesville, and his
choice to
live on the west side of town.
Noble-born
Diondray
"lives among the ants," much to the chagrin of his family, but things
are about to get more interesting as he uncovers more truths about his
heritage, history, and position in the world.
It's
important to
note that many themes in this novel reflect current events and debates
over
immigrants, social change, prejudice and acceptance, and social roles
and rules
concerning outsiders. Readers receive a flavor of our times and
conundrums as
they absorb Diondray's initial reactions to his family and his choices
in life.
This is not
all that
happens in the story, however. Diondray's
Discovery is an epic fantasy quest that follows the
twenty-three-year-old
man's journey through various layers of social and psychological
change, imparting
a feel of different sides involved in a world-changing conflict.
From
insights into
the changing experiences of rich and poor in this world to a book that
promises
to change everything, Marion Hill paints a powerful portrait of a
society
divided: "Wealthy or poor, they all
belong to Kammbi. However, there’s always a division between those who
have a
lot and those who don’t. And the quadrants reflect that division.”
Is Diondray
the one destined
to fulfill Oscar's prophecy? Is a child's strong belief about who he is
enough
to quell his doubts over his powers and destiny?
Diondray's Discovery crafts a powerful
introduction to a world
divided and a heart that struggles to accept his special destiny in
that land's
future. It holds messages for current events that provide insights into
prayer,
obedience, revolution, and the roots of change which often rest upon
ordinary
people and experiences.
Diondray's Discovery is highly
recommended for fantasy readers who
will find that it reflects many messages about a world in which one
individual
and his destiny and issues become linked to the ideals and fate of
everyone
around him. This crafts a gripping introduction to a personal and
psychological
dilemma which will evolve over several companion volumes.
Return to Index
Diondray's
Journey
Marion Hill
Red Mango
Publishing
978-0998761282
$16.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Diondrays-Journey-Chronicles-Marion-Hill/dp/0998761281
Diondray's Journey, the second book in
The Diondray's Chronicles series,
will appeal to followers of his first trip and continues his sojourn
through
three cities that have fallen under siege from lies and deception.
Diondray,
born to a
life of privilege, has rejected his roots to travel through these very
different
social segments in search of the truth, both about his own prophesized
role in
a new world and the prophecy itself.
Struggles
over the
interpretation of the Book of Kammbi (introduced in the first book) and
the
ripple effects it has upon these societies are documented in a series
of
encounters that expand Diondray's perception of his role in the world
and the
underlying messages of the prediction.
Newcomers to
Diondray's Journey will find a
wealth of
characters swirl around the young man. Familiarity with the first
book's
premise and foundations will lend to a smoother transition to this
story, but Marion
Hill does a fine job of integrating background information with the
plot so
that newcomers aren't entirely lost.
Readers
receive
discussions and encounters between followers of Kammbi and those who
live diverse
lives based on different perceptions of the world. Much like events in
modern
society, Diondray must face these divisions and craft an approach to
uniting
them even when unity feels like an impossible effort.
The root of
this
story lies in exactly how this accord can come about. Hill provides
interactions and dialogues between characters and does an outstanding
job of
delineating this approach's possibilities: "They
begged me to return to the family home many times. I refused. There was
going
to be someone in the Azur family who treated all the people of our city
with
respect. Do you see? I believe this first outreach from the morrims and
parishioners of this city can start bridging that divide here. If each
group
stays on their side, the division will continue and common ground will
remain
elusive for everyone. But if you are willing to reach across, I believe
the
morrims will listen to your perspective and reach out, like I did to
the west
siders in Charlesville. People want to be listened to before they can
actually
care about each other."
Even as
others seek
to define and understand Diondray Azur's motivations and intentions, so
Diondray himself perseveres in matching his newfound mission to the
realities
of three very different societies.
This, too,
is a powerful
addition to the series. It expands Diondray's personality, links to
different
factions and people, and the guiding forces that keep them evolving and
spreading their message among the populace.
Diondray's Journey will delight fantasy
readers looking for an epic
journey through social strata that holds especially significant
messages for
modern times. It is highly recommended as a series standout in the
fantasy
genre.
Return to Index
A Door Into Time
Shawn Inmon
Independently
Published
ASIN: B084JLKXTV
$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Door-Into-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B084JLKXTV
A Door Into Time, Book 1 in the Alex Hawk
Time Travel adventure
series, blends the fast-paced adventure approach of Jules Verne, H.
Rider
Haggard, and other master storytellers of the past with the
psychological depth
of emotion-based sagas.
Alex Hawke
is an
ex-Special Army Forces member trying to readjust to civilian and family
life.
Charged by his ex with constantly disappointing his daughter, Alex is
trying to
improve his relationship and follow-through while staying true to his
goals.
Deployment provided one excuse for his failures as a father, but now
that he's
away from service, he needs to cultivate choices that do not disappoint
his
daughter.
However,
Alex is
about to embark on a time travel adventure that will lead him even
further from
her world, bringing him into a time and place that offers no clear
direction
home.
It's a world
containing dinosaur vultures, giant cockroaches, and the dual legacies
of an
old prophecy and a prior homeowner who struggles to return to his
correct time.
Alex's Army
experience has given him the ability to survive impossible situations,
but can
he exist in a world where his very presence is considered to be an act
of war,
where he is enslaved, and where he is forced to pick sides in a battle
that
holds no clear opportunities for returning to his family?
Shawn
Inmon's ability
to juxtapose the special interests of past, present, and future and the
struggles one man experiences in the fight to not just survive, but
return to
his life, creates a gripping story packed with psychological insights,
twists
of plot, and involving, nonstop action.
A peppering
of black
and white artistic images by Jerry Weible enhances this presentation
with
intriguing embellishments that bring the story to life.
Readers
looking for a
solid time-travel adventure filled with battles, personal challenge,
and action
that moves from psychological to physical confrontations will relish A Door Into Time's ability to weave a
strong story with many different characters and elements that capture
and hold
reader interest in more than just the time travel story.
Return to Index
In the
Shadow of a
Valiant Moon
Stu Jones &
Gareth Worthington
Vesuvian Books
978-1-944109-96-7
$17.99 Paper/$8.99 ebook
www.vesuvianbooks.com
In
the Shadow of a Valiant Moon is the second book in the It
Takes Death To Reach A Star
duology and takes place four years after the conclusion of the first
story.
Here, Etyom has fallen into darkness. A new plague has become
an epidemic,
changing society and resulting in violence that destroys both survivors
and
society.
Demitri has been
taken prisoner by a demon in his
own mind in this struggling world, somehow paired with a madman in a
quantum
connection that challenges his life and abilities. And Mila struggles
to
preserve the few vestiges of Etyom that are left.
As a band of survivors on
both sides confront inner
demons and special interests, the perseverance of civilization itself
hangs on
a thread, and on their decisions and ability to overcome impossible
odds and
destinies.
Prior readers who absorbed
the characters and battles of
the first book are in for a treat with In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon. The
same characters, attention to detail, fast-paced, action-based
confrontations,
and inner and social struggles permeate a post-apocalyptic survival
story that
is complex and riveting.
Mila dreamed of war and
famine, the four horsemen of the
apocalypse. She dreads the demon of Death, who will usher in the end of
days.
And she knows her role in these changes will be more than that of a
survivor or
observer even as she struggles with her faith.
As Vedmak discovers the
truth in the history of Etyom and
the rich and poor who formed pathways to escape and redemption and Mila
walks
into her dreams, nightmares, and destiny, a host of characters and
players
coalesce in a riveting story that is hard to put down.
Newcomers might think that
the broad cast of characters
and changing perspectives of this story require familiarity with the
prior
book, but In
the Shadow of a Valiant Moon uses a seamless formula for
re-introducing these major players. It presents their biographies in a
preface
that sets the stage for anyone unfamiliar with this world.
As the
characters and
their psyches are cultivated by Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington,
prior fans
and new readers alike will find the swift action and spiritual, social,
and
philosophical conundrums compelling and accessible.
Great
sacrifices will
be involved. Players will be required to live their days for the
benefit of not
only themselves, but others. The story leads to an unexpected bang of a
conclusion that holds a deep-rooted message for all readers. It's a
satisfying
revelation that sums up the real underlying struggle that all the
characters
experience in different ways.
Readers of
post-apocalyptic survival stories are in for a treat with the depth of
psychological, philosophical, and spiritual revelation wound into this
blend of
intense social change and personal journeys.
Return to Index
Inviting the Moon to Supper
CJ Clark
Three Furies Press, LLC
ebook:
9781950722396
$0.99 Kindle
Print:
9781950722402
Price: TBA
www.amazon.com/Inviting-Moon-Supper-Cj-Clark-ebook/dp/B086GV8KXD
Fantasy readers with an interest in Norse mythology and quests will find Inviting the Moon to Supper a fine story that opens with Sam's efforts to connect on a deeper level with her Native American cultural traditions and heritage, which she knows only from the teachings of her adoptive white grandfather, Otter Ambrose, who has also instilled in her an introductory sense of survival and power over her choices.
Inviting the Moon to Supper offers a fine juxtaposition of fantasy and real-world background. Sam's isolation, her acknowledgement that she has a new mission in her life, and the new goals she fosters immerse her in legends and a relationship that is unusual in her world.
Clark moves between setting up the story of Sam's life and psyche to a first-person observational piece (from her beloved dog's viewpoint) based on her new encounters: "I think of the giant, gentle horse Satch again. I think of the warmth of my mother. I lower myself carefully next to the horse's side and curl into a ball under the fur blanket. A deep shudder travels through the horse’s body. Suddenly very sleepy, overcome with weakness and a searing pain in my back leg, I close my eyes and listen to the horse breathe in and out. I begin to understand that Sam will never find me if I stay here. I fall asleep knowing I must escape, and yet knowing I cannot leave the horse."
These passages offer an atmospheric 'you are here' opportunity to enjoy Sam's journey from both her own perspective and through the eyes of others. Her choice to run away, her encounters with magic and new possibilities of her power and heritage, and the struggles over a newfound ability that then begins to get out of control creates a compelling story of a strong, isolated heroine who makes different connections in life via her newfound powers, a magical world, and friendships which arise from that to break her isolation.
As Sam deftly wields the Hammer of Thor, forms new relationships that support her quest and cause, readers receive both a magical quest saga and the story of a young Native American woman just coming into her powers, testing and learning her responsibilities and limits.
The combination of fantasy journey and psychological inspection is well done and offers a solid, engrossing story that juxtaposes dreams and reality as Sam grows into her abilities and life.
Magical realism audiences who look for multifaceted stories of growth and evolving wisdom will find Inviting the Moon to Supper a compelling leisure read holding a powerful message.
Inviting the Moon to SupperReturn to Index
Psi-Wars:
Classified
Cases of Psychic Phenomena
Joshua Viola, et.al.
Hex Publishers
978-1733917773
$2.99 Kindle
www.HexPublishers.com
Psi-Wars: Classified Cases of Psychic Phenomena is
about espionage,
combat, and the types of battles that usually are only touched upon in
psi-related stories and non-military sci-fi. Introductions by the
author
provide insights on how these tales evolved.
Take 'The
Visions of
Perry Godwin' by Dean Wyant, for example. Before the story's appearance
later
in the anthology, author Wyant contributes to a foreword to the book
(which is
added to by other contributors, as well) which explains that the story
originated in an eccentric uncle's World War II story told to a young
child.
This tale was tempered over the years by Wyant's investigations into
family
history and battle and his better understanding of these events.
This
coalesced in a
tale which holds a background familiar to him, yet which he twists in
an
unusual manner. The foreword also holds extensive details on how he
became
involved with Joshua Viola. The insights provided in the foreword by
each
author provide important details on their perspectives, evolution, and
contributions to this work both via the unique piece and their
perspectives as
a whole.
Perry Godwin
is a
Pennsylvania boy whose desire for a special lakeside Christmas is
answered in a
different way when a geyser erupts from the lake with a dangerous
message only
he can see. Perry's visions began at the age of nine as an inheritance
from his
strange uncle, so he is used to being able to see disaster before it
arrives.
What he doesn't anticipate is a new kind of disaster that will affect
not one,
but thousands of lives.
Sometimes he
can
stave off tragedy and sometimes not, but this latest vision holds the
potential
to change everything.
'Bluebird
Killing in the
Dead of Night' by Gary Jonas is another notable story that opens with
an
intriguing plea by a woman who begs freelancer performer William
Claremont to
save her and help her dangerous lover, as well. She needs him to hit
the kill
switch, but William has problems of his own as a freelance operative,
and
doesn't want to face a competitor with an active assassination trigger.
Famous for
his 'Aliens
Among Us' treatise, William cultivates a special kind of attention and
job
exposing UFO involvements that further complicates his moves, making
him
attractive to killers in his audience...a killer like Eric, who is
barely under
control. Can the same kill phrase that helped save Carolyn Zimmer work
once
again?
An
intriguing story
of a very different milieu emerges which joins other wonderful
presentations of
scenarios in which the mind is the weapon, both internally and
externally
changing the world.
These are
dark,
brooding, satisfying stories of confrontation, death, and wonder. Each
holds a
twist that most readers won't anticipate, making them standouts both
individually and as part of this extraordinary collection, which is
highly
recommended for sci-fi and horror fans alike.
Return to Index
On the Way
Home
Judith Petres Balogh
Independently
Published
9798638880828
$16.50 Paper/$5.50 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Home-Across-Continents-Decades/dp/B0884CJMT4
After almost
nine
decades, a war, and a continental journey comes the memoir of Judith
Balogh,
woman who writes heartfelt words that draw readers without the need for
a team
of editors and influencers: "...there
I am, spending about a year on a book, sitting long and lonely hours at
the
computer and as a result my body needs a major tune-up every six
months, so it
remembers how to move, if possible without pain.
I do not have an assistant or a hairdresser
and not even a man with a mystery job to assist me. I have no long list
of
helpers, who could make my work better, or at least acceptable. I have
no
director to tell me to redo a scene because it does not work; nobody
here to
make the background unforgettable, no musician with the sensitive ears
of
Mozart or Bach to tell me when the rhythm and melody of my lines insult
the
reader. Indeed, writing is one of the most private occupations of a
civilized
person."
If On the Way Home: Across
Two Continents, a War and Almost Nine Decades was
considered to be the autobiographical summary of Judith Balogh's
writing
career, it should be not only applauded but seen as a work worthy of
requesting
an encore, should one be available.
Quite
simply, this is
a treasure not just because it's written by a woman who lived a long
and full
life and reflects upon it in a literary fashion, but because it's
peppered with
spice, vigor, and determination which defies the usual form of
autobiography as
a survey of events and transition points.
Balogh's
power lies
in her candid words, which consider and reject the usual courses of
autobiographical writings while acknowledging the underlying prejudices
and
detriments of the form: "ON THE WAY
HOME among other things, tries to prove that it can be written without
self-adulation or idealizing the long life and the events and thoughts
in
it. I am afraid I
cannot include
anything disgraceful. Part of my life was played out when the world was
almost
destructing itself in a horrible war; yet I was sheltered in the
bulletproof naiveté
of childhood and
the love of my mother. My life was too tame and too well adjusted to
have any
of those juicy details. Against the good advice, I shall not omit
opinions and
philosophies, because I feel these are as much part of a person’s life
as the
events that happened to him. I don’t know about
Evelyn Waugh, but personally it bores me when I have to listen to
someone telling me what
she cooked, what she bought, whom she met, whose party she attended,
what new
irregularities were found in her body.
I enjoy the company of one, with whom I can
exchange ideas; I can argue, agree or disagree. I rather like the
remark of Dr.
Seuss, “Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those, who mind
don’t
matter; and those who matter, don’t mind.”
This creates a literary inspection that moves above the usual one-dimensional presentation. Take her purchase of the first real home since leaving Hungary and how dreams turn into nightmares: "I was so happy with the acquisition of the house, the first real home since we left Hungary, that no shortcoming could have dampened my spirit and I just could not believe our good luck. Moving date was set at early spring. Joy to the world and to the Ewendts! Excitement definitely spilleth over everything that was created by a generous God. Discounting one or two instances, the world has never known such pure and overwhelming happiness as mine was then. The house already had the windows and doors and the bulk of the work almost completed. And then the real estate speculator went bankrupt. I do not know how such companies go bankrupt. Did they use more nails on the houses than the budget permitted? Could they not sell all the plots they had?
Did
the CEO’s car break down and
the purchase of a new one sent the company spinning? Did his wife need
a new
facelift and that emptied the piggy bank? I do no know how it works. I
was
never a CEO and never went
bankrupt. I
never, not in all my life did have a bank account of more than five
digits. All
I knew that we purchased a house and suddenly I was told that it cannot
be
finished that it is a half-built dream that is not livable now or in
the near
future. We were stunned. Things like that could not happen, or at the
most only
to others."
By including
her
reflections, ideals, thoughts, and life changes against the backdrop of
social
and political convention, Balogh's story rises above the mundane,
ordinary, or
individual experience to consider how a synthesis of early and later
life and
social changes intersect to craft unique experiences.
This is
lovely,
compelling writing that blends the events of decades with their impact
on a
life's course. It traverses birth, death, relationships, loss, love,
and all
other facets of life with a literary hand that doesn't shy away from
capturing
emotional moments and their lasting lessons. It also incorporates a wry
sense
of humor and observational irony that places these world events in
perspective.
As readers
traverse
the reflective highlights and memories of Judith Balogh's long life,
they
receive poignant moments that hold opportunities for reflection and
meaning in
their own lives, as in her experience of her mother's death: "Mother just died. I broke down crying,
not because she died, we knew that it was coming, but at her tremendous
trans-life love. Somehow
she knew at
some level of consciousness that I was deeply hurt, or else when she
died, she
must have seen clearly the pain I had because she did not recognize
me—and her
spirit followed me through the snow storm and into the store, where for
some
reason I decided to sit down when that strange woman appeared, who
obviously
could see ghosts. Mother’s appearance was a message that said: it was
just her
condition that caused her not to recognize me,
but truthfully she did not forget me. And above all, it
told me clearly,
that although her
heart stopped
beating, her brain
waves stopped moving,
yet she continued
to exist somehow in
some form, had memory, love, could care and could carry out a plan. I cried and
cried—because of relief and love
and because of an immense gratitude for having received from her such
an
unbelievable gift. My grieving was made so much easier because of this
wonderful happening. I know that she exists somewhere and I know that
we shall
meet again. I truly do not care how others would interpret this
experience—this
is what happened and this is what it meant to me."
On the Way Home defines the idea of
autobiography as a personal
piece that holds the power to not only connect strangers' lives but
bridges the
gap between author and reader. It synthesizes a lifetime of experience
with a
deft hand that is forthright and clear.
Readers who
look for
evocative, compelling autobiographical writings will welcome the
opportunity to
immerse themselves in On the Way Home,
a survey of Hungarian culture, Catholic religion, and Judith Balogh's
journey
through a changing world.
Return to Index
Raw Thoughts
John Casey
Adelaide Books, LLC
Hardcover:
1951214056
$27.30
Paperback:
1950437019
$23.20
https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Thoughts-mindful-literary-photographic/dp/1951214056 
Raw Thoughts is a photo-poem pairing
designed to enhance daily
thought processes, blending image and word in a cathartic, emotionally
compelling synthesis of literary and psychological inspection.
Each 'raw
thought'
builds on its predecessor to create a building block of reflection,
insight,
and wonder. Many poems are paired two to a page and complement each
other, as
in 'Wondering If' and 'Loss', which lead from musing about whether
knowledge is
really a good thing to the anguish of confronting a loss. A stark black
and
white facing image of feet perched on the edge of a rooftop cements
these
poetic reflections with visual acuity.
Take the
survey of
love's divide and alienation which is complimented by a particularly
striking
photo of a man and a woman facing each other in different ways, a wall
between
them, to the juxtaposition of 'We Were There' and 'With You', which
reflects on
too-close connections between 'love' and 'goodbye' and the journey
towards
increased connections with all their uncertainty. Here, it becomes
evident that
many of these 'raw thoughts' center on romance and interpersonal
communications.
Not all,
however,
involve family and love. 'Stigma', for example, provides a stark view
of
walking past a suffering homeless man who is a "blight to the world."
As artistic
photographs blend with psychological inspection and revelations,
readers
receive an interconnected series of insights that incorporates elements
of
mindful reflection, growth, and social inspection. The process of
thinking
lends to and changes who we are, as do these poems and images, which
hold the
power to linger in the mind long after they are read.
Readers
seeking a
synthesis of photographic and literary expression steeped in
psychological and
philosophical reflection will find Raw
Thoughts just the ticket for an emotionally gripping,
evocative read.
Return to Index
The Soul Gatherers: Thirteen Western Tales
Charlie Steel
Condor Publishing,
Inc.
978-1-931079-26-6
Price: $12.95
www.condorpublishinginc.com
The
Soul
Gatherers: Thirteen Western Tales presents thirteen
short pieces by
storyteller Charlie Steel and infuses Western themes with stories of
faith and
leading a good life, versus making choices that lead to wrongdoing and
Hell.
Each story
holds
powerful messages wrapped in a succinct adventure or encounter that
changes the
characters and provides insights into their lives.
The opening
story,
for example, 'The Devil, The Gambler, and The Girl', tells of an
intelligent
boy who, early on, turns to the dark side of making a living via
gambling.
"Slicker with cards than the average man," Jack Diamond holds the
ability to gamble with luck, shuffle a winning deck, and affect the
odds to
fall on his side.
As with any
gambling
situation, his skill eventually runs out, even when it's powered by his
own
prowess in manipulating the cards. In this case, Jack's aging process
affects
his acuity and portends disaster and retirement. Also at play is
remorse over
those lives destroyed by his gaming scams.
When Jack
blurts out
a pact with the devil that trades recurring nightmares for his soul,
the
haunting dreams vanish, but he's still left with remorse: “...he
had
taken the easy path, using his sharp mind to count cards, to cheat his
fellow
man, to turn to avarice in pursuit of a wastrel’s life.”
Jack's
inadvertent
involvement beyond his encounter with the Devil offers redemption in a
surprising form...something his entire life's influences could not
achieve.
Or, take
'Death And
The Devil Come For An Old Man'. Xavier P. Horace waits for death and
reflects
on a 'wasted life', lost in reminisces of regret.
He isn't
surprised to
see the devil arrive, having seen fleeting glimpses of him all his life
during
his career as a soldier and killer of men. What is surprising is that
death
doesn't bring resolution, but a confrontation between Angel and Devil
that
stirs up some uncommon truths about the old man's life...truths that
change
this last outcome with a surprise most won't see coming.
Each story
centers on
the evolution of good and evil lives, the forces that influence and
change
them, and the potentials for final redemption from chosen paths of
darkness.
It's unusual
to see
Western themes paired with those of faith and redemption, the stories
succeed
in capturing powerful elements of both.
While
traditional
Western readers seeking the thrill, action, and daily lives of cowboys
in
frontier settings may initially be surprised by the underlying
spiritual
messages and tone of these encounters, The Soul
Gatherers: Thirteen
Western Tales will delight spiritual readers who
enjoy more than
cursory considerations of Western experiences. This
collection is
outstanding.
Return to Index
Tabernacle
Marc Cavella
Belle Devereaux
Publishing
978-1734183009 $9.99
paperback; $2.99 Kindle
Website: https://www.marccavella.com
Ordering links:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tabernacle-marc-cavella/1136596301?ean=9781734183009
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tabernacle-Marc-Cavella-ebook/dp/B07X13Y4SB
Forewords to
books
are rarely worth reading. Too often they prattle on about a subject
totally
unrelated to understanding the story line. Tabernacle
opens with a foreword that is fun and enlightening in a thoroughly
satisfying
introduction to a story that promises the same, reviewing the unique
lingo of
the South for "...readers who had the misfortune o’ bein’ born
somewhere outside
o’ the deep South might have a hard time understandin’ how we talk."
As this
foreword sets
the stage for the story, it also sets the tone and the humor which runs
through
Tabernacle: "“Less’n”—That just
means “unless”. As in, “You shouldn’t read this story less’n you wanna
laugh,
and cry, and have your faith in humanity both annihilated and restored.”
Edward Jones
is a
salesman who can sell virtually anything...even products none of his
buyers
actually want. His journey across the Deep South with an adopted child
in quest
of his greatest sales represents a cross between a comedy, a quest, a
mystery,
and a romp through different lives.
Marc Cavella
excels
at capturing Edward's conversations, insights, and quiet revelations as
he
moves through a series of encounters, injecting his background and
Southern
culture into the mix: "What kind of
barbecue do you like? Memphis? Texas? Kansas City?” “Any o’ that’ll do.
Just as
long as it ain’t that Georgia style. Can’t stand that danged mustard
flavor.”
Readers
receive
insights about this environment as they follow Edward on a journey
towards one
of the greatest sales achievements of his quiet career.
Driven by
lovely
flowing language, dialogues between strangers, and observations of all
walks of
life and culture from sports to food and family relationships, Tabernacle is a Western comedy of a
different nature.
Unique,
compelling,
and quietly evocative, it flows through the mystery, language, and
psychology
of the South with a practiced attention to detail. Tabernacle
will simply delight literary readers who enjoy Westerns
that are fun, thought-provoking, and extraordinary genre standouts.
Return to Index
Death By the
River (A St. Benedict Novel, Book I)
Alexandrea Weis and
Lucas Astor
Vesuvian Books
978-1-944109-14-1
$18.95 Paper/$8.99 ebook
www.vesuvianbooks.com
All teens
need a
hangout where they can be with friends, away from the prying eyes of
adults. In
Death By the River, that hangout—the
abandoned St. Francis Seminary by the river—turns deadly as one rich
and
spoiled member, Beau, turns out to be a young evil psychopath who
ventures into
the dark side of murder and torture in an increasingly deadly journey.
Beau always
gets what
he wants through gaslighting, aggression, and pursuit. And the things
he wants
most are those people who defy him, whom he seemingly can't have. And
nobody
seems able or willing to stop him.
Alexandrea
Weis and
Lucas Astor excel at describing the relationship twists Beau introduces
as he
pursues Dawn, handles twin Leslie, and manipulates everyone around him
with
purposeful, evil vengeance: "Dread
cascaded through her. She couldn’t lose him. What would happen to her
reputation? Last night things had been great between them, and now
this? What
the hell?"
As a
psychological
study in how women become victims and how victims become easy prey to
evil
manipulators who operate under the guise of something different, Death By the River represents a standout
in the literature, and is the first book in the St. Benedict series. It
probes
not just events, but how they transpired, cultivating an acuity and
insight
that is vivid, realistic, and engrossing.
Given its
subject and
approach, there is a fair degree of violence. While this is graphically
portrayed, it's in keeping with the nature and evolution of the story
line.
That said, readers who want lighter treatments of violence should look
elsewhere. Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor pull no punches in either
description or their psychological probe, and leave nothing to wonder.
Mature teen
to adult
readers will find this story mesmerizing. It's a mystery, it's a
suspense
novel, and it's a psychological portrait akin to Lord
of the Flies—but centered on a psychopathic individual's
ability to manipulate and attack his peers. Group dynamics are also a
part of
this equation, in that a circle of peers see what is going on, but are
helpless
to stop it.
From crazy
parties
and growing terror on the river to individuals who try to escape the
web of
intrigue and horror, Death By the River
is especially powerful in its portrait of not just how a psychopath
grows, but
how he operates within and outside of normal social circles. Why do
victims
keep quiet? What power is wielded by those who would abuse and kill?
The result
will draw
mature readers interested in this evolutionary process with a story
that is
centered on developing relationships, good and evil, and a group of
teens who
teeter on an uncertain adulthood. Some will survive. Some will not.
Their
choices, values, and thoughts drive a story that is thoroughly
engrossing even
as it's emotionally gripping in its journey through sexual assault,
harassment,
and challenges to justice.
Return to Index
Forever
Geoffrey M. Cooper
Maine Authors Publishing
978-1-63381-223-9
$15.95
Website: geofcooper.com
Forever is a medical thriller along the
lines of a Robin Cook-style
saga, but with the added bonus of Brad Parker's first-person
perspective. This
adds personal drama and observation to a research professor's brush
with the
FBI and ever-increasing danger.
High-octane action is
present from the start, from a simple walk down a work hallway to
confront the
FBI's unusual presence to an evolving story of academic espionage. This
draws
the professor from his beloved research and long-deserved sabbatical
from the
classroom, and back into the same style of intrigue and investigation
that
drained his energy previously.
Brad was content in the lab,
happy to be just another
worker. When he enters a quagmire of deadly danger, Chinese espionage
attempts,
and high-tech spying operations, he begins to see that the science he
loves so
much has evolved a special kind of threat that goes beyond foreign
special
interests and subterfuge. From the possible misuses of gene editing and
engineering human traits and abilities to the manipulation of unknown
entities
that defy identification and apprehension, Brad increasingly finds
himself
pulled from the coveted job he loves back into arenas he swore never to
re-enter.
The pressure and lies
surrounding the funding of his
project from Walter Monroe's foundation lead him to understand why
fellow
researchers might fudge their data to produce fundable results.
Presented with
the dilemma of a major grant that would buy his loyalty at a steep
price, Brad
faces many moral, professional, and ethical conundrums that keep him on
his
toes in more ways than one.
Unlike Cook's typical focus
on the thriller angle alone,
Geoffrey M. Cooper adds many professional and personal layers into his
story to
keep readers engaged not just in subterfuge, but a struggling
professor's
research and commitments. A solid, realistic dose of scientific insight
peppers
the story to cement this sense of purpose: "The
behavioral tests were actually rather ingenious. I liked the smell
test best. It determined how effectively a mouse could smell the major
component of fox urine on a piece of filter paper—by measuring how far
the
mouse kept away from the threatening
scent."
The fact that there's a time
bomb ticking over the entire
process lends satisfying tension and intrigue as Brad navigates dangers
inside
and outside the lab and comes to realize that his choices, actions, and
abilities may not be enough to ward off disaster on many different
levels.
Herein lies the second
strength of Forever:
its ability to flavor its multifaceted story with layers of complexity
and
involvement that move from scientific and political circles to personal
challenge. At every step, Brad confronts one of these elements. His
work and
objectives prove mercurial as he is buffeted by various influencers and
forced
to constantly reexamine his objectives, connections, and strengths.
The result is a
gripping, science-based story that revolves around manipulation,
mutants, and
murky situations. Forever is
designed
to keep readers on edge to its satisfying conclusion. It is highly
recommended
reading for science thriller readers looking for more lab focus, more
depth,
and more action than the usual formula production offers.
Return to Index
The Fourth
Rising
Martin Roy Hill
32-32 North
9781692350956
$3.99/Kindle
www.martinroyhill.com
Readers of
mysteries
and PI accounts will find The Fourth
Rising just the ticket for a different kind of story that
revolves around
Nazism's ongoing presence in the 20th century.
Former war
correspondent Peter Brandt is on a treasure hunt like no
other. Charged
with reporting on a murder in Mexico, he finds himself investigating
not just
drug cartels, but the rise of a Nazi conspiracy to resurrect the Fourth
Reich
and continue its objectives for world domination.
As he
investigates a
murder and its connections, he becomes embroiled in affairs that
represent a
bigger picture of conundrums and challenges, including matters of his
own heart
and the roles he played in betraying others in the past. Charged with
fixing
elements of his past while playing with fire in the present day, he
moves from
a former flame to the rise of fascism represented in the game plan of
the
League for Freedom and Responsibility.
The
juxtaposition of
reporter and investigator Peter Brandt's personal evolution with his
social and
political challenges is very well done. Martin Roy Hill injects just
the right
blend of attention to psychological and political growth to keep this
investigative piece involving on many levels.
As
connections
between Mexico and the Nazi party are explored (based on true
historical events
that indicate the party survived World War II and is alive and
operating in
another country), Brandt's investigation toes the line between a
treasure hunt
and a search for truth not just about one murder, but the dangerous
trajectory
of a conspiracy group.
As Jo and
Peter get
closer to the truth, they also walk into danger and must bluster their
way out
to survive.
Engrossing
and
fast-paced, this mystery/thriller will intrigue readers who want their
stories
multifaceted, involving, and intriguing on more than one level.
Return to Index
The Hidden Hand of Death
Lawrence J. Epstein
Independently
Published
ASIN: B086T371T7
$.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Hand-Death-Ryder-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B086T371T7
The Hidden Hand of Death is the first
book in a series of Jack
Ryder mysteries, and is set in early 1942 as World War II breaks out.
Jack
Ryder has a reputation for killing mob members who threaten innocent
people.
His Robin Hood style of justice is about to hit home when a homicide
detective
hires the PI to locate his sister, only to find himself facing the rise
of
Nazism in New York and a dangerous undercurrent of death that he hasn't
encountered before.
As Jack
faces the
detective who wants to protect his uncertain reputation, an uncertain
thread
emerges which becomes a part of Jack's decisions and the reader's
perceptions
of his personality: "That's the
essence of your weakness. You're too sentimental. People are like ants,
just
crawling along. The strong kill the weak. And everyone has to search
for food.
We're animals is all. That's why I have no idea why, but you do seem to
care
about people." "That's a terrible trait in a killer," Everett
said."
Blackmail
and threats
force Jack to confront his own motivations, personality, and his
self-perceived
role as a 'fixer' of human affairs, and readers gain a
thought-provoking story
that goes beyond the usual detective thriller to delve into personal
struggles
and social change: "I felt the
stinging reality of powerlessness, the failure and inability to do what
I was
supposed to do, which was to fix the problems people brought to me."
Readers who
enjoy
gritty detectives who pursue their own ideals against all odds,
confronting
forces on both sides of the law in a blend of changing street scenes
and
challenging social issues, will especially appreciate The
Hidden Hand of Death's attention to blending action and
personal insights: "If you live
outside the law you need a lot of friends and if they live outside the
law they
need you."
Ryder's
enemy is not
your usual foe, his influences and choices do not take the usual routes
in
resolving themselves or emerging, and the result is a fine survey
filled with
twists that turn a hit man into something very different. Jack's
involvement in
rackets and murders hides his underlying heart, creating a multifaceted
story
that is a compelling account of different kinds of prisons and the
choices that
land people in them.
Fans of noir
detective stories, scenarios set against the backdrop of Nazism's rise
and World
War II, and stories of bad guys who aren't singular will find The Hidden Hand of Death thrilling,
unpredictable,
and hard to put down. It's a top recommendation among crime thrillers
in part
due to its realistic historical backdrop.
Return to Index
Ordinary
Suicide
Robert D. Rice II
Writers View
Publishing Company
9798609957924
$8.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Suicide-Robert-D-Rice/dp/B084DGQ7Z2
Jack
Dillon arrested
a killer. Then he married her. Now she's fled town, and he faces the
consequences of his choices and loss of love in Ordinary
Suicide.
This story
doesn't
open with Jack's dilemma. Instead, it surveys the milieu of the 1940s
in
southern Indochina, where a robbery involves a Frenchman, a child, and
a search
for riches and murder.
Fast forward
to
Chicago, years later, where ex-cop detective Jack botched a murder case
involving the famous Deja', but remains an investigator at heart: "Being a detective was my life. My
whole life. It wasn’t a vocation. It was an advocation."
Jack's
journey leads
readers full circle to the place introduced in the story's prologue,
seasoned
with newcomer Chicago investigator Jack's impressions: "We
sailed into port in Southeast Asia to a province with a name I
couldn’t pronounce. With un-countable hopes stuffed into individual
duffel
bags, we staggered down the gangplank, relieved to have made it. Asia
was
mysterious. If Wild West crazy was for you, try rollin’ in the East.
The Far
East, baby. If ever there was a culture tangled in its secrets, that
was the
place. Those on board who were born there kept that stoic,
expressionless face.
I never believed they all looked alike. It was well known, they didn’t
like
outsiders."
Robert D.
Rice II
injects a humorous tone into his tale that blends well with the gritty
journey
of cross-cultural and social encounters that continually challenge
Jack's
mission: "You don’t belong here,
white boy!” His words seemed to get sucked into these surroundings.
With no one
looking like me for miles around, I said, “I don’t belong anywhere.” He
wasn’t
ready for that, forcing him to rearrange whatever he was about to say
next. I
added, “I just got out, wantin’ to shoot a few games and hang loose.”
In rough
places, when you say you just got out, it draws a level of credibility.
It was
easy to give the impression that there was only one place I could’ve
been."
Readers will
find
themselves chuckling even as they pursue the combination of serious
confrontations,
self-inspection, romance, and mystery-solving that keeps Jack on his
toes in a
pirouette of disaster.
Ordinary Suicide is about fate, a clever
woman who is trouble, and
a dedicated investigator's determination to uncover the truth both for
his own
sake and in the pursuit of justice. It's a riveting cat-and-mouse romp
through
right and wrong designed to keep readers immersed and guessing up to
its
unexpected, satisfying conclusion.
Return to Index
Saving
Tuna
Street
Nancy Nau Sullivan
Light Messages
Publishing
Paperback:
978-1-61153-330-9
$14.99
Ebook:
978-1-61153-332-3
$ 6.99
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1611533309/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1611533309&linkCode=as2&tag=lighmess-20&linkId=3a6935fdf20d682b416e3c9b596da37d
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/saving-tuna-street/id1499137776?mt=11&app=itunes
Barnes and
Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-tuna-street-nancy-nau-sullivan/1136154811?ean=9781611533309&st=AFF&SID=B%26N+Sample+Feed&2sid=Light+Messages+Publishing_8091507_NA&sourceId=AFFLight+Messages+Publishing&cjevent=5449f11e66f411ea839e03260a240610&dpid=tekz25v83
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/saving-tuna-street
Publisher:
https://www.lightmessages.com/about/contact-us
Mystery
readers
of Saving Tuna Street will be delighted with the
strong sense of seaside
place and the personality of Blanche “Bang” Murninghan in this story of
a
part-time journalist who lives an idyllic life in a beachside cottage
until
it's threatened by developers who try to force her to sell.
But
this
pressure is only the tip of the story iceberg. When her good friend is
murdered, Blanche's probe leads her to confront drug runners,
kidnappers, and
murderers who then turn their sights on her.
As
the community
changes and faces new challenges, Blanche finds that the idyllic
atmosphere of
her once-peaceful home has changed ("Nothing’s the same around
here
anymore. Something’s been broken.”). People are locking their
doors and
their hearts. Can her journalistic inquiries and investigative skills
change
anything?
Saving Tuna Street is more than just a murder mystery. It's about the
injection of special
interests into a community's makeup, the changes experienced by those
who
confront adversaries who will do anything to achieve their goals, and a
lone
woman who faces murder, a community's disruption, and kidnapping with
equal
courage.
Those
who support
Blanche find themselves at a loss when she vanishes. As the
interconnections
and support of this seaside town come under assault, Nancy Nau Sullivan does a terrific job of
flushing out characters, special interests and influences, and the
special interests
and goals of a host of characters.
As events
progress,
double lives are revealed to add to the intrigue. At the heart of this
whirlwind of angst and change is a tenacious woman who doesn't let go.
She may
have to hone this skill further in order to save her own life as well
as her
community.
Sullivan
builds the
connections between community members with an eye to exploring the
different
ways they grow and change as events progress and become more serious.
The result
is a
mystery which incorporates many elements of psychological
transformation,
investigative skills development, and changing community makeup. Saving Tuna Street will
initially draw readers with its mystery theme, but injects broader
subjects and
concerns to keep readers guessing and reading until the story's
surprise
conclusion.
(It should
be noted
that Saving Tuna Street is first in a
series. After this, Blanche is off to find mayhem in
Mexico City, then
Ireland, Vietnam, Spain, and Argentina.)
Return to Index
Tessa
Kfir Luzzatto
Pine Ten, LLC
978-1-938212-90-1
$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/TESSA-Tessa-Extra-Sensory-Agent-Book-ebook/dp/B08711RNHN
Tessa is a
teenager
who was taken from her family because of her extraordinary ability to
"see
things far away." She's a legend in the Remote Viewing Project, and
even
among other Extra Sensory Agents, she's special. Her ability doesn't
make her
invulnerable, however, and her loyalty doesn't protect her from the
ravages of
love and the special challenges of a top secret project she can't walk
away
from...a project that will take her to the next level of extra-sensory
perception.
At
seventeen, she is
given a command that will end the entire project, should she fail. It's
a
responsibility that threatens blossoming love, newfound abilities, and
everything Tessa has worked for in her short life.
It should be
advised
that Tessa is the first book in a
series. Her adventures, psychic connection to Mary, and the events
which change
both their lives bring her full circle in Chapter 14 in a satisfyingly
startling reference to the book's opening lines that become suddenly
and fully
revealing at this point in the plot.
Kfir
Luzzatto excels
at leading readers in one direction, only to make a 180-degree turn
which
results in a very different perspective, objective, and experience.
As Tessa
evolves both
within and outside of the boundaries of an experiment which has made
her
something more than human, readers follow her psychic and psychological
development. She glides into love and danger with the unprotected
innocence of
a teen tinged by the savvy of a girl who has been away from those who
loved her
for too long.
There is a
difference
between loving someone and using them. As Tessa begins to uncover the
hidden
threads of her mission and life, she brings readers along in an
absorbing,
unpredictable ride through a quest that challenges her survival skills.
If she
forgets her true objective, she's dead.
Based
loosely on a
real government Remote Viewing program in the 1970s, the power and
presence of
Tessa and her comrades will delight and grip readers right up to an
ending
which satisfies the immediate story while leaving the door open for
more
adventures.
Tessa is highly recommended for thriller
readers and mature young
adults who like their action peppered with psychological and
parapsychological
intrigue.
Return to Index
Treasure
Thomas Holladay
Severed Press
978-1922323262
$12.95 Paper/$4.95 Kindle
www.thomasholladay.com
Treasure is a captivating thriller that
delves into the occult as
it opens with combat veteran Maj. Michael Crooke's decision to take
some time
off and visit the Caribbean island of St. Arcane.
Trouble
follows him
when he becomes involved in a treasure map, a captain's search for
ancient
relics, and a competing group's determination to wrest the largess from
Captain
Hatch, even if it means kidnapping Michael's wife and stealing it for
themselves.
The story
opens with
a gripping dream aboard an ancient ship where a priest struggles with
the
supernatural powers of a blood red crystal skull and skips quickly to
the
present, where a Caribbean vacation becomes a nightmarish host of vivid
characters with very special interests.
Think Clive
Cussler
combined with Indiana Jones for an idea of the atmosphere and adventure
that Treasure promises to its
readers. Then
add a dose of espionage-style thriller components as the characters
interact
and Michael discovers that his beloved Katrina is threatened on more
than one
level.
Thomas
Holladay
excels in descriptions that are gripping and action-packed: "A muffled shriek turned him back.
Katrina's legs and flippers frantically
churned water, pushing hard to get out.
A long train of hair followed her up and stopped. The long hair belonged to
one of many corpses
suspended between the massive beams supporting the deck above. Lobster, shrimp and crabs
swarmed in the
gnarled hair, feeding on rotting flesh. The train of hair jerked tight,
yanked
the head of the corpse and extended the body.
Chain shackled to an ankle pulled tight, flesh cleaved
from bone and the
ankle separated. The
corpse followed
Katrina up."
The fast
pace of the
adventure, combined with the myriad of special forces operating against
one
another and the backdrop of supernatural influences, makes for a story
that is
compelling and hard to put down.
If it's a
supernatural adventure story in the style of Indiana Jones that is
desired, Treasure provides just the
ticket for a
gripping journey filled with twists and turns, whether it be over the
ownership
of a dangerous treasure or matters of the heart.
Return to Index
Adjusting My
Sails
Chloe Finn
Independently
Published
Kindle
ASIN: B0859NHZMY
$ .99
Paperback ASIN: B0858TT49W
$6.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0859NHZMY/ref=nodl_
Adjusting My Sails follows Hannah
Curran's realization that her
alcoholism is destroying her family, life, and future. It provides
readers with
a vivid story of her recovery process as she moves from reluctant
realization
to life-changing choices.
The story
opens with
Hannah waking up in jail, moves through the dissolution of her
sixteen-year-old
marriage, and perfectly captures husband Jason's anger and frustration
as he
demands his wife quit justifying her actions and move out of their
house: "You
think you can do whatever you please and then say, ‘but I was drunk!’
and we’ll forgive you. Well, I’m sick of it. I can’t keep living like
this.
Wondering what I’ll come home to after work. Worrying that the police
are going
to show up at my door one day to tell me you’re dead. Or worse yet,
that one of
the kids is dead because they were in the car with you when you were
drunk.”
Even more
important,
it follows the small changes Hannah makes which she believes are big
enough
steps to earn forgiveness, along with the feelings of those around her
that
these gestures of change can no longer be trusted.
As the story
evolves,
readers receive a strong series of encounters between Hannah, her loved
ones,
and her own inner explanations and justifications. As Hannah learns
that she
can't always turn to drink to soothe loss and heartache, she slowly
evolves to
become a better person. But the challenge still lies in changing her
image in
those around her, who have been repeatedly disappointed for a very long
time.
Her goal of
getting
her family back seems as elusive in sobriety as it is when she was
drunk,
leading Hannah to question her objectives, her life, and her trajectory.
Readers
receive a
powerful account that goes beyond most stories of recovery to delve
into the
process of turning away from the impulse to drink. Dialogue is
realistic,
scenarios are compelling, and Chloe Finn's ability to delve into the
minds and
hearts of not just Hannah but everyone involved with her creates a
story
replete with poignant, realistic dialogues: "I want a drink.” Hannah called Leslie to
share the news about Joy, and she was crying into the phone. “I don’t
want to
think about any of this. I want to drink and make it all go away.”
Leslie’s
voice was calm and soothing. “Of course you do. You’re an alcoholic,
and that’s
what we do when we’re in pain. But you have to think the drink
through.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hannah was feeling devastated right
now, and
she wasn’t in the mood for a bunch of AA slogans and platitudes. “It
means you
need to think about that drink, from beginning to end. Where is it
going to
take you? Sure, the first one will feel good going down, right? Instant
relief.
But then there will be a second one and a third and so on, until you
pass out.
If you’re lucky."
Readers of the exact
back-and-forth progress of
recovery from addiction will find Adjusting
My Sails a strong novel about the process. They will relish
Hannah's long
journey not just back from an abyss, but into new purposes and more
meaningful
methods of communicating. Adjusting My
Sails is especially highly recommended reading for anyone who
is in
recovery, or who knows an addict struggling through the process.
Return to Index
Amelia’s Gold
James D. Snyder
Pharos Books
979-8-63174-491-2
$19.95 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Amelias-Gold-romance-redemption-American/dp/B086G1XSZR
Amelia's Gold will appeal to historical
thriller readers, is set in
1864, and tells of a young woman from Savannah who finds her world
changed and
her beliefs challenged during the Civil War.
Amelia Sarah
Beach
operates in a circle of Southern society that exists on the cusp of
war,
conflict, and political challenges. Most eligible bachelors have gone
off the
war, so Amelia faces the prospect of being a spinster, at age
twenty-six, by
the time they may return home.
Amelia is
defiant
about her future, but her involvement in the Confederate cause, family
fortunes, and the impact of war changes her in many unexpected ways,
moving her
already-determined personality into a lifesaving mission that allows
her to
survive tragedy and remain alive when a shipwreck changes everything.
The contrast
between
her privileged upbringing and perceptions of values in life and later
events
which destroy and challenge everything she believes in and holds dear
contributes a powerful psychological element to the suspense tale.
James D. Snyder excels at
weaving together the disparate
lives of people from different walks of life, brought together by
circumstances
not of their choosing. Amelia's feisty personality helps her navigate
these
conditions that women in her position rarely encounter, while Snyder's
descriptions of her encounters and options captures her dilemmas and
the
contrast between opportunity and adversity: "Well,
here’s the way I see it,” he said at last. “You probably ain’t goin’
nowhere
until the war ends or somethin’ big happens to change the balance. So,
I’m
going to propose a fair solution. You let me use that lifeboat of yours
to haul
some goods around Pamlico Sound. What I will do for you is let you run
this hospital.”
Both opened their mouths to protest, but he held up his hand for
silence."
Snyder
presents a character that matures, changes, and
grows to confront her world in ways women once couldn't imagine. He
also paints
a backdrop of social mores and institutions that lend depth and a
realistic
atmosphere to Amelia's world: "The
reverend’s heart was on fire that morning. He began with the
evangelist’s most
powerful weapon: shame. “The war and the hurricane have caused us to
withdraw
into our homes and into the cellars of our minds,” he intoned. “We
hoard from
fear. We fear that the military will come along and take what we have –
or even
our very neighbors. So, one hoards sugar but has no coffee. Another
hoards
coffee but has no sugar. The Bible has warned us of this condition
since the
days of Deuteronomy."
As her
journey to
Portsmouth Island and her involvement in a dangerous game leads her to
assume a
very different role in life than she'd ever dreamed, readers will be
engaged by
Amelia's dilemmas; engrossed by her tragedy, recovery, and progressive
strength; and educated about the changing relationships between Union
and
Confederate forces and ordinary people on both sides.
The result
is a
compelling adventure that blends a young woman's evolution and coming
of age
with the backdrop of a war that changes everything and a battle that
goes
beyond a struggle to survive, on many levels.
Readers of
historical
fiction in general and Civil War events in particular will find Amelia's Gold rooted in a blend of real
history and fictional drama designed to attract and hold attention to
the end.
The dates, places, and major events are all factual, further enhancing
a drama
that celebrates the strength of women who survive and evolve beyond any
imagined role in society.
Return to Index
Anna's
Dance: A
Balkan Journey
Michele Levy
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68433-486-5
$20.95
Website: https://micheleflevy.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Annas-Dance-Odyssey-Michele-Levy/dp/1684334861
Anna's Dance: A Balkan Journey is highly
recommended reading for
fans of women's literature, Jewish, and historical fiction. Alone in the Balkans in
1968,
twenty-three-year-old Anna Rossi receives a deeper and more trenchant personal understanding of
history and heritage than she ever could have learned from family or
school.
Her coming of age against the backdrop of Eastern Europe creates a
moving,
compelling story of regional turmoil and a young woman's emotional
journey
through it. When, after having been abandoned by the friend with whom
she was
planning to spend a carefree, conventional summer abroad, Anna foregoes
safe
practices only to find herself en route to the Balkans in a dangerous
situation
with strangers, Anna encounters a brutal series of social, political,
and
psychological truths that threaten not only her perceptions of herself,
but
also her life.
Michele Levy
does an
outstanding job of juxtaposing Anna's psychological growth with her
growing
appreciation of history, politics, and social issues: "She
felt tears form. She didn’t want to cry. It made her feel
like Hopkins’ Margaret, grieving for herself. But she recalled the
voices she’d
so recently sheltered and their pain washed over her again. As she
surveyed the
river and the solemn slopes, she traced the long line of humanity back
to its
origins and tried to imagine the future. At last she reached the
certainty that
all who lived were doomed to Marko’s end, a few years more or less
between, a
difference in the method. Then she let the dammed tears flow, careful
to make
no sound and keep her head turned toward the water, away from Max and
Peter.
She felt a cleansing peace."
As she
achieves a
greater understanding of the world around her and her own place in it,
Anna
undergoes a sea change that brings readers into the conflicts of
Europe, the
perceptions of Americans, Jewish history and issues, and a decade on
the cusp
of paradigm-changing events.
Romance also
emerges,
but tempered with uncertainty: "You
understand so much, Anna, except about yourself. Kosta? Jordan? What do
they
know of the world? Even if they have traveled a bit. Of Jews?”
As Anna
faces the
legacy of her actions and tries to protect future generations, readers
come
full circle, always immersed in a sense of place and time that serve as
powerful backdrops to Anna's conundrums as she navigates a strange and
often
perilous new world.
Readers who
enjoy
historical and international backdrops, stories of young women who
blossom to
learn about these worlds and become more proactive in them, and who are
interested in Jewish history, romance, intrigue and danger will find
the themes
of Anna's Dance make for absolutely
compelling reading replete with cultural and psychological insights
alike.
Levy does an
outstanding job of capturing not just historical setting, injecting a
'you are
there' feel to the environment surrounding Anna, but the social,
political, and
psychological currents of the times.
The story is
accessible to non-history readers or those with little background in
either the
era or the place, filling in any blanks with a deft attention to detail
that
makes absorbing this background effortless.
Return to Index
The Book of
Revelations
Idelle Kursman
MBK Publishing
Ebook:
978-0-9965922-4-6
$ 2.99
Print: 978-0-9965922-3-9
$15.99
Website: www.idellekursman.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Revelations-Idelle-Kursman-ebook/dp/B088F1P1SY
In The Book of Revelations, Christine
Goldberg has struggled for a large part of her life to get to the
successful
point she enjoys today, with a family, a good job, and security. All
this is
threatened by the emergence of an ex-boyfriend who is in search of the
apex
role in his acting career, the only thing that thus far has remained
elusive to
him.
Ryan Monti
is fixated
on his goal, shallow, self-centered, and a part of her past that
Christine
didn't want exposed. He's also successful. His success hasn't led to
contentment, but to an obsession which has led him to being considered
one of Hollywood's
shining stars.
When
blackmail enters
the picture to complicate Ryan's life, his uncertain relationship with
girlfriend Megan, and his reconnection with Christine, it throws them
both
together despite their feelings about the past, and everything begins
to
change.
Idelle
Kursman builds
a fine story where the past intersects with the present in two very
different
lives and personas. She paints a fine portrait of Christine, who faces
life with
the professional demeanor of a businesswoman with more savvy and
independence
than her younger self; and Ryan, whose personality hasn't veered much
from his
obsessions and uncertainties even as he's cultivated uncommon success
in his
life.
Ryan's
feelings about
reporters mirrors his casual use-them-and-drop-them attitude about
everything
in his life, from his girlfriends to his colleagues: "Ryan
had no real relationships with other journalists or anyone else in
the media. He considered them a nuisance and always tried to avoid them
by
wearing a hat, sunglasses, and nondescript clothing in public."
At first,
it's hard
to see the connections between these two disparate individuals aside
from their
early encounter. The surprise lies in their evolution and shared
revelation over
a closely-held secret that holds the power to change Ryan's life like
nothing
else. Ryan grows and changes throughout the story, finally developing
into the
man he should have been all along.
The Book of Revelations explores
different kinds of revelations,
confrontations, and changes. It considers how one door opens as another
is
still closing, and explores changed concepts of family connections,
trust, and
truth.
Readers
interested in
a chronicle of lies, truths, and revised lives will find The
Book of Revelations an emotional ride into the choices and
consequences of two disparate individuals who find their lives coming
full
circle in unexpected ways. It's highly recommended reading for those
who like
to see their characters evolve later in life, and for readers who know
that no story
is set in stone until the end of life.
Return to Index
Call Me Joe
Martin van Es and
Andrew Crofts
RedDoor
978-1-913062-35-4
www.reddoorpress.co.uk
When the
world is at
its darkest hour, a savior will emerge. It does so in this scenario,
and that
savior's name is Joe.
In many
ways,
especially now, the scenario of Call Me
Joe mirrors our own world where the environment is under
attack, people are
confused and frightened, and things seem to be falling apart. In this
similar
world, Joe enters as a savior facing challenges in drawing a divided
mankind
together. But, this story isn't just about Joe or his impact.
When the sun
goes out
and stymies scientists, politicians, and the public alike, everything
changes,
moving from theories of aliens and mass hysteria to an uncertain
acknowledgment
that nothing will ever be the same.
Joe
represents
perhaps the world's only hope, and there are savvy individuals who see
his
miracles and envision a different way of translating them to salvation:
"Although we have all been successful
in our own fairly narrow fields during those years, we cannot claim
that we
have been able to catch the public imagination or the attention of the
mass
media when it comes to explaining the urgency of the problems facing
mankind.
We have all now had a chance to see the impact of your miracles on the
internet. That is exactly the sort of viral coverage we have always
been hoping
for in order to get our messages out there and to provoke fast
reactions from those
in power, but of course we have never achieved it. Most of the world
does not
want to listen to the dry ramblings of a bunch of professionals and
academics.
Even with the social media skills of people like Lalit, we have not
been able
to ignite the imaginations of people in the numbers that we need. We
know
exactly what we want to achieve by way of changes and we have prepared
plans to
meet all the possible outcomes of the things that are going wrong."
Herein lies
the magic
in Call Me Joe, and why it differs
from the usual apocalyptic story in its approach. Martin van Es and
Andrew
Crofts incorporate a host of special interests, different approaches to
disaster planning and life, and the revised definitions of crime and
ethics
which are wound into the overall survival question.
Their
approach
creates more than just another environmental disaster tale. Call Me Joe is a close inspection of
evolving moral and spiritual reactions and the effects of special
interests on
the choices mankind must make in the face of extinction and
paradigm-changing
disaster.
How opposing
political factions both domestically and internationally perceive one
another,
then shift their opinions and observations during the course of Joe's
actions
and the fading light of the world offers particularly engrossing food
for
thought as Joe, "just a man", offers wise approaches that indicate he
is something much more.
Readers who
enjoy
apocalyptic stories that focus on more than just physical and
psychological
survival alone will delight in the social, political, and spiritual
entanglements that Joe's arrival and the concurrent disaster bring to
the
world. Call Me Joe is an involving,
compelling read right up to the conclusion and call for radical
re-envisioning
of mankind's choices and social and political structures for the sake
of the
planet's survival.
Return to Index
Coffee Killed My Mother
Donna Koros Stramella
Adelaide Books
9781951896386
$19.60 (print); $4.99 (print)
Publisher Website: http://adelaidebooks.org/coffee_killed_my_mother.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Killed-My-Mother-novel-ebook/dp/B086CWC7YT
Barnes and Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coffee-killed-my-mother-donna-koros-stramella/1136293192
Anna Lee's mother is a
recovering alcoholic who has
replaced booze with coffee in Coffee
Killed My Mother. She is on the cusp of adulthood when her
mother proposes
a coffee-tasting road trip. Anna Lee has grown up with her mother's
drama,
disasters, and disappointments ruling her life. Her mother has always
been eccentric.
Will this over-the-top road trip change their relationship?
It turns out that her mother
holds an agenda beyond
coffee or togetherness. There are secrets that need to be exposed to
her
almost-adult daughter after years of subterfuge, and as Anna Lee
explores these
revelations, she begins to understand the life and influences of a
single
mother who gave birth at age 44 and now faces a difficult recovery.
Donna Koros Stramella
cultivates an observational style
which is humorously pointed at times: "Just
like we’re backpacking across Europe,” she told me as we packed. But
without
backpacks. And without Europe." Even as her mother struggles
to do the
right thing by confiding in her daughter, Anna Lee knows that
selfishness is at
the heart of all her efforts. She also faces decisions that could cut
her
mother from her life and embrace near-strangers that should have been
part of
it all along.
As Donna Stramella
strengthens Anna Lee's voice and
probes her choices, readers receive a realistic story of an entire
family
struggling to recover not just from alcoholism, but the codependent
patterns it
creates.
Anna Lee tries to reconcile
distant memories with today's
reality and put together the pieces of her life and relationship with a
mother
that holds both old and new patterns of reaction. Readers gain a fine
series of
insights on recovery, behavior patterns, and mother/daughter
relationships
affected by addiction choices.
By choosing a spunky
first-person protagonist and adding
a mystery that challenges her relationship with an unpredictable
mother,
Stramella's Coffee Killed My Mother
succeeds in creating a thoroughly engrossing study in recovery that is
more
realistic, immediate, and unlike most competing tales of family
alcoholism and
relationships.
Its blend of coming-of-age
story, mother/daughter
relationship probe, and mystery will delight not just teens, but older
readers
who will find Anna Lee's narration and adventures thoroughly engrossing
and
hard to put down.
Return to Index
Confronting
Religious
Fanaticism: An Eye for An Eye
Steve Shear
Catalina Sun Press
979-8636065470
$9.00 Paper/$0.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Religious-Fanaticism-Eye-Book/dp/B086Y39W1R
Confronting
Religious Fanaticism: An Eye for An Eye is
Book One in a fictional trilogy. It follows the life of Ira
Neebest from
childhood to his return after being kidnapped for writing a
prize-winning but
controversial story about the evils of religious orthodoxy.
From his
family's
Jewish roots and struggles with the religious legacy of their heritage
to his
wife's Catholic traumas, Ira's world as described in the trilogy is
beset upon
by religious forces and influences that operate both within and outside
of a
myriad of belief systems. Ironically, they all share the same roots:
religious
fanaticism.
By adopting
this
unified approach to different key religions and following their
enactment
through the lives and experiences of different characters, Steve Shear
crafts a
story that offers insights into beliefs, motivations, cultural and
family
influences, and life stories.
As Ira grows
up, his
interactions with a range of different people, both believers and
non-believers, craft an approach to life that is unique. These
encounters are
fully explored in a story replete with interactions, questions, and
revelations
at every step of Ira's life.
In this Book
One,
Ira’s mother Rebecca asks Leonard: "What does an atheist believe in? I
mean, how does it feel to be an atheist?” “How does it feel to be …?”
Leonard
hesitated. “I guess the same way it feels to believe in God. Maybe a
bit freer,
possibly scarier sometimes since you really are on your own.” “So, God
does not
exist? Really?” I asked. Even the question seemed utterly foreign to
me. I
couldn’t imagine having this conversation with my parents or anyone in
my
community back home. “I haven’t the slightest idea.” “What? Then you’re
not an
atheist. You’re … what is the English word … agnostic.” For some
reason, it
made me feel better, short lived as it was. “The two are much the same.
Atheists can’t possibly know that God doesn’t exist anymore than you
can know
for sure that he or she or it does. We are all agnostic in these
matters, but I
try to live my life, for better or worse, as if there is no God, no
afterlife,
no one to pray to, no higher being to please."
From coping
methods
for life and religion to changing perspectives on both for Ira (as well
has his
mother Rebecca and his father Leonard), readers receive a solid example
of
religious fanaticism and how it affects regular people and regular
families.
Complicating all this are the religious entanglements of rabbis and
other
religious leaders who become involved in family dynamics and
interactions.
Confronting
Religious Fanaticism: An Eye for An Eye sounds like a nonfiction analysis, but its
fictional backdrop evolving characters and the attention Shear gives to
exploring their foundations of heritage lends the story an
accessibility and interest
belayed by its analytical-sounding title.
The
fictional
backdrop allows characters to come to life and evolve in unexpected
ways,
lending a personal touch to the topic that would not have been possible
in a
nonfiction format.
The result
is a religious
inspection of beliefs, dogma, and the social and political
entanglements of
faith in family roots that lends much food for thought as issues
surrounding
God, good and evil, and connections to Jewish heritage are explored
throughout
a lifetime and beyond.
This
engrossing saga
will especially interest readers of Jewish fiction and religious
inspection who
will find the story of a mother's life and death to be compelling.
Return to Index
Cut from the
Fold
Eric Redmon
Independently
Published
978-0-5786-4577-3
$17.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Fold-Eric-Redmon-ebook/dp/B085ZNBWF9
Frank
Sedrick is
happy to sail away from his Newport roots, which are laden with
generations of
poisonous hate. The problem is that Frank isn't just single-handedly
setting
out for a Caribbean adventure. He's left a trail of carnage in his
wake—one
which prompts the Coast Guard to pursue him to bring a killer to
justice. But
is he a killer, or a victim?
Cut from the Fold provides a tightly
woven story of intrigue and
psychological inspection powered, introduced, and concluded by diary
entries
that capture the inner mind of the perp: "Somehow
though, putting words on paper always helps to bring things back to
life. For
me only, though. That is because ‘life’ is exactly what they no longer
have!
What I write about is for no one’s eyes but mine. It’s like patting
myself on
the back with words."
Readers
might expect this
diary format to continue throughout the story, but it merely serves as
a
jumping-off point for the action to follow as a cast of characters are
introduced, interact with Frank, and influence changing perspectives
both
between each other and in regards to the murders. Coast Guard ensign
Tom
Nichols discovers many disparities between facts and reality as his
vacation is
interrupted, bodies begin piling up in the Caribbean, and his family
and life
are changed.
As the
ensign investigates
the missing women, the social and political flavor of the Caribbean
islands
comes to life and adds atmospheric intrigue as Tom helps puzzled
authorities
tackle a problem that threatens tourism and health alike.
When his own
family
becomes a possible target, Tom discovers more is at stake than the
lives of
strangers.
Eric Redmon
is
especially adept at winding family issues into the story, both from the
murder's heritage and the potential hero's perspective. As a search for
justice
becomes a mission to thwart a predator, readers will find themselves
drawn by
more than one character and more than one purpose.
Readers
looking for a
compelling story of a murder spree gone awry and the one man who may be
able to
stop it will find Cut from the Fold
a
strong production. It's highly recommended for suspense readers who
enjoy
stories of international intrigue and family relationships.
Return to Index
The Discovery
Patrick M. Garry
Kenric Books
978-0-9833703-7-6
$14.50
www.amazon.com
When scandal drives Frank Horgan from his
law firm job, he can't seem to let go of his dream of being involved in
a
big-ticket case, even though he's relocated from the big city (where
such cases
are common) to a small town (where lawyers tend to operate in relative
obscurity).
When he becomes involved in what at first
seems to be a family spat, only to find it leads directly to a Wall
Street
investment scam, he may have his big break at last. It's then that
further
family issues emerge in The Discovery, a fine story
about big
aspirations and immense trouble in small town places.
As Frank becomes increasingly privy to
small-town secrets and more aware of their ties to Wall Street, he
finds his
low-key legal operation turning into something far more challenging
than he
anticipated. Will the price of professional fame perhaps be too much to
pay?
From bodies that could prove or disprove
dubious connections to why a lawyer from New York is being hired to
oversee a
small-town case, the mystery deepens as Frank finds himself drawn into
the
secrets that both fuel the town's undercurrent of society and threaten
various
lives in different ways.
When his
father
Seamus Horgan suffers a heart attack, Frank's loyalties are tested. His
ability
to field both personal and professional challenges becomes mercurial as
he tackles
too many circumstances beyond his control.
Patrick M.
Garry
presents his case and Frank's story from alternating viewpoints. From
the
insights of former colleague Parker Longren to a hospital worker who
admits
Frank's father, these different perspectives add meat to the story,
flushing
out Frank's character and presenting him as he appears to others: "I went to law school in California,
but I started at the firm the same time Frank did. There were eight of
us who
started at the same time. The first couple of weeks, we, the new
attorneys,
went out for lunch together, and stayed late at night and talked about
our
assignments and all the odd senior partners at the firm. But after
that, Frank
went his own way. He didn’t work in the library with the rest of us; he
worked
alone in his office. He was friendly on the surface, when you’d pass
him in the
hall. In fact, he was a real glad-hander and backslapper. But his
conversations
never lasted more than a minute."
The result
is an
intriguing series of observations that dig up dirt, provide insights
and
inspect motivations, poverty, and wealth, and probe Frank's own process
of
self-discovery, which proves every bit as important as his goals of
being a
famous, effective lawyer.
Readers
interested in
legal and personal investigations will find The Discovery an excellent exploration of not just court
proceedings, but a lawyer charged with family burdens and changes that
bring
him full circle back to the roots he left so long ago. It's an
excellent,
involving story that's especially recommended for those who look for
legal-based dilemmas beyond courtroom confrontation.
Return to Index
Enemies of
Doves
Shanessa Gluhm
TouchPoint Press
978-1946920911
$17.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Enemies-Doves-Shanessa-Gluhm/dp/1946920916
It's 1932 in
East
Texas. Twelve-year-old Joel Fitchett enters a diner seeking
help for his
unconscious little brother Clancy. Both have been badly beaten, and
both claim
amnesia about the circumstances surrounding their mishap.
Thirteen
years later,
each still struggles with that deadly night and the tale they invented
to hide
a terrible truth. It's a decision that keeps returning to haunt them in
different ways. When a murder investigation threatens to expose the
truth,
Clancy vanishes.
Enter
Garrison Stark,
who holds evidence that the missing Clancy was his biological
grandfather. In
1991, he begins a journey that starts with a probe of his heritage
which evolves
into the dangerous discovery of long-hidden truths that threaten to
change
different lives.
Enemies of Doves weaves a timeline of
events between these three
characters that makes for compelling reading. It's an ecological system
of
interlocking decisions, discoveries, and circumstances that spans some
sixty
years of love, danger, and revelations.
Under a
different
hand, the sweeping timeline of Enemies of
Doves might have proved challenging. Creating believable,
engaging
characters that operate on different levels of truth over the decades
while
keeping the story's progression fresh and exciting is no light task,
but the
effortless unveiling of the truth and unraveling of individual lives
and
personalities proves hard to put down.
Garrison's
involvement
with a prisoner, his determined probe of Joel's demons, Lorraine's
involvement
with Clancy in the 1940s, and cold trails that lead to hot tempers and
danger
permeate a story that is complex, yet compellingly powered with strong
characters and mercurial circumstances that keep them forging new
pathways in
their lives.
Social
issues such as
increasing opportunities for women and struggles in shifting social
circles
serve as important backdrops for these changing times and lives. This
lends
strength to a story that moves inexorably towards a nightmare scenario
that
will change Joel, Lorraine, and Clancy's lives forever.
Readers who
enjoy
historical mysteries flavored with powerful interplays between
characters over
the years will find Enemies of Doves
a powerful account of the search for peace of mind, redemption,
spiritual
enlightenment, and a long-buried truth.
Return to Index
The Good
Family
Fitzgerald
Joseph Di Prisco
Rare Bird Books
978-1644280782
$21.50 Hardover/$14.99 Kindle
Publisher: www.rarebirdbooks.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Family-Fitzgerald-Joseph-Prisco/dp/1644280787
The Good Family Fitzgerald is driven by
Joseph Di Prisco's lovely
descriptions, replete with literary prowess as they link the sights,
smells,
sounds, and challenges of daily living in a manner that feels
especially
immediate and compelling: "Francesca
resifted memories of what had seemed to be an ordinary day, the day her
husband
didn’t return with the fish as he promised. Sparkling summer had
mercifully
descended after a pitiless winter. The fat heirloom tomatoes were
ripening
bright red in their raised beds: the prospect of a bountiful harvest.
Honeybees
zoomed and hummingbirds darted, peony to sage to goldenrod and beyond.
She
answered mail, returned calls, paid bills, did chores, ran errands,
scheduled
meetings, worked out, watered plants, watered plants again, ate lunch.
How
genially purposeful was her routine. That was before everything changed
for
Anthony and for her and for everybody she cared about. Memory is a
funny thing,
even if it isn’t a thing and there is nothing funny about it."
This opening
paragraph is especially compelling and revealing given its enhanced
relevance
for modern plague times, drawing readers into a world that feels
ordinary one
moment and changed forever the next.
Events swirl
around a
wealthy family obsessed with privilege and money. Padraic Fitzgerald,
the family's
aging patriarch, faces troubled business and personal relationships,
struggles
to maintain everything he's built, and remains uncertain about his role
as the head
of a family he can't really communicate with.
His three
sons -
Anthony, Philip and Matty - face their own flaws, tragedies, and
different
visions of the family's special privileges and challenges.
His only
daughter Colleen proves to be the conscience of the family (no
small task
with the Fitzgerald clan). And his younger girlfriend, the stunning and
intelligent Caitlin, upends almost every assumption of Paddy's complex
life.
The women
become the
driving force of change and challenge as the focal point shifts from a
patriarch's habits and rule to revised values and roles influenced by
strong
women who affect the family.
As each
character is
developed and changes their roles in life, Di Prisco crafts a
remarkablely
compelling interplay of emotions, purposes, and perceptions, using
language
that is precise and revealing throughout: "Sex
could be about relief from hurt, but it could also be about dishing it
out. It
could be about peopling the loneliness, and it was about being lost and
solitary in the dark. It was walking along the springtime shore, it was
sprinting into a burning house. It might feel like making love, it
might feel
like soul searching, it might feel like fun house mirrors—and it might
be all
in sequence, or simultaneously."
As readers
explore
the milieu of this troubled family and the juxtaposition of its wealth
and poverty
alike, the story evolves into a pointed observational piece about
redemption,
life purpose, and changing values.
Family
history,
secrets, loss, and logic are all revealed as each character grows and
learns. Business
interests, moral choices, emotional ties, and family history intersect
in a story
filled with different disclosures, keeping reader interest high: "When it came to deal-making, every bit
as important as the specifics, you needed to figure out what the other
party
wanted. Amateurs think it’s about cash, but that proves why they are
amateurs.
Cash pushes deals only to a point, and then the real interests kick in.
It was
usually a version of respect, or fear, or some preciously held
preconception,
usually about family or financial security or ego. Beyond all that you
need to
ask: Why were the parties engaged now?
Figure out the timing, assess the urgency, everything else should fall
into
place."
The
connections made
between characters, life, and family and business pursuits are well
done and
nicely presented. As crisis, spiritual messages and their implications,
and
changing relationships evolve against the backdrop of a dynasty's rigid
issues,
readers interested in moving stories of family history and discovery
will find The Good Family Fitzgerald
evocative and
hard to put down as life lessons and the quest for redemption are
carried into
the family's structure, changing it forever.
Return to Index
How the Deer Moon Hungers
Susan Wingate
Roberts Press
(Imprint of False Bay Books)
9798629230182
Paperback: $14.99; eBook:
$9.99
www.falsebaybooks.com
A child's death changes
everything, whitewashing the
dreams of siblings and family and replacing them with overwhelming,
ongoing
sadness that stretches through lives and years.
How
the Deer Moon
Hungers opens with a moonlight bike ride, but the demise of
seven-year-old
Tessa is only the beginning of the story, not the end. The actual
beginning
lies in her older sister's life after the event, and moves through the
many
changes she experiences, from language and relationships ("Allegedly became
an important word for me after Tessa died. It’s weird when I think back
on how
much I liked the word after learning it, and then how much I hated it
afterward, when I heard the cop use it. “Allegedly,”
he’d said, “the younger one was in the older sister’s care,” and then
as though
no one understood, “the older one was supposed to be watching the
younger one.”
He said “one” like we were buttons on a conveyor belt at some stupid
button
factory. The jerk.") to a new habit adopted from Tessa's last
fascination in life: "Mom showed up
and fell apart, and that’s around the time I started counting the days
of the
moon as it grew through its phases from crescent to half to gibbous to
crescent
again. I call it moon-spying. I run outside every month when the moon
is ripe
to find the deer Tessa saw, but more, maybe, to spot my little sister
somewhere
inside that big ol’ cheese wheel. Maybe seeing that dreamy face of hers
searching for me."
How
the Deer Moon
Hungers is allegedly about death, recovery, growth, and
rebuilding a new
life, but it's also about recapturing a piece of the old life and
celebrating
its roots.
As sibling narrator
Mackenzie moves through this process
into an "intellectual love" for another girl that operates on a level
quite different from anyone else around her, readers gain insights into
how
relationships flourish not just because they are more than different,
but because
they hold the ability to heal: "Gemma
had a way to make me forget my troubles."
As she enters the world of
separated families, divorce,
moral conundrums revolving around love and money, and correction
officers and
facilities, redemption and sorrow struggle for top billing in a story
that
wrenches the heart as it follows the ongoing pain of Mackenzie and
anyone who
knew her sister Tessa.
From the ashes rises the
phoenix. As a family descends
into an abyss of pain, so Mackenzie fights to discover her own way out
of the
overwhelming circumstances of her sibling's death.
Surprises include changing
viewpoints between Tessa and
Mackenzie (all nicely documented in chapter headings which eliminate
any
potential confusion), insights into the origins of love, alienation and
hope,
and a focus on changed interpersonal relationships which, like a pebble
in
water, spread outward from a given event horizon to touch all manner of
choices, decisions, and their consequences.
Susan Wingate is gifted at
capturing these shifting nuances
as events continue to pull characters apart and put them back together
like
puzzles, albeit in a different way. How
the Deer Moon Hungers carries the reader through this
process, creating a
powerful and memorable saga that is hard to put down, lingering in the
mind
long after the story is over.
Return to Index
The Letter
Anthony Sciarratta
Post Hill Press
9781642934229
$16.00
www.posthillpress.com
Famous writer Victor
Esposito has dedicated every book
he's written to a mysterious woman. In The
Letter, he falls into a coma and Eva Abrams moves from her
predictable life
on Long Island to remembering a love affair in her past in a process
that
propels her to make new changes to her present world.
Eva and Victor are soul
mates, but their trajectories
separated them long ago. Can they come together at this late stage,
under
seemingly impossible odds?
Readers explore Eva's
relationship with Victor and her
involvement with him even after marriage: "She
didn’t make any eye contact with Victor; otherwise he would know she
loved him
too. Eva worried that if she ever let those words cross her lips, it
would be
just as bad as sleeping with him. She would never be able to look her
husband
in the face again."
One of the facets that sets The Letter apart from similar-sounding
novels is Anthony
Sciarratta's attention to the details of how relationships both evolve
and
become complicated. Descriptions of emotions prompted by attitudes,
decisions,
and possibilities are well drawn and capture the conundrums on both
sides: "Eva was going through different kinds
of emotions, noticing that Victor couldn’t have been sincerer. Without
realizing it, Victor was bringing Eva closer to cracking as he
indirectly
pushed her towards him. Eva’s mind was split. She’d always had mixed
feelings
about the situation. A part of her wanted to receive Victor’s love and
care,
but another part of her was angry he was telling her that he loved her.
It only
made things worse and made her feel less wanted in her own
relationship."
From Victor's confrontation
with emasculation, the power
of money and fame, and the choices involved in love to Eva's return and
involvement in Victor's recovery, The
Letter captures two hearts which have come together,
separated, then become
conjoined by circumstance and tragedy.
It also deftly considers the
allure of a safe yet
unsatisfying relationship and the choices Eva faces through her renewed
choices
with Victor: "Stanley was dealing
with this the way he dealt with everything, by not bringing it up. He
expected
Eva to forget what was said and for their lives to go back to normal.
That’s
what he was hoping for at least. Stanley felt perfectly fine sitting in
relationship limbo with Eva. He provided for her, kept a roof over her
head,
and treated her respectfully. Stanley thought she should be more than
happy
with this because most people don’t have that kind of stability."
This attention to the
influences and perceptions at work
on all sides is wonderfully displayed, but The
Letter is also a love story about survival, and about how a
letter written
but never delivered comes full circle.
Fans of Nicholas Sparks and
other writers who capture
lasting love and its progression through time and catastrophe will
relish The Letter's moving story of
the forces
that analyze moral behaviors, lead to individual growth and self-love,
and
ultimately return to the roots of romance. It's a heady story that is
compelling, moving, and hard to put down.
Return to Index
Me and the
Spirits
Jacob Michael King
Mutineer Press
$2.99
https://mutineer-press.com/
Me and the Spirits tells of an unusual
father-son endeavor. This
father can talk to spirits, and his son can read minds. Jacob Michael
King
captures first-person reflections on their lives using a sense of
description
that is captivating and atmospheric: "It
was just me standing outside, and I only came out there for the stink,
and
because I could hear the buzzing from inside. When I looked, I saw our
dog
slumped over by the fence and he looked empty and torn up, like the dog
soul
that stuck around in his body all those years had up and left."
Jordy's
perceptions
and voice represent a shining light of insight and description that
keeps
readers immersed in this evolving story of extrasensory perceptions: "He was real scared at the end, when he
felt the bobcat’s teeth. He didn’t think about that: he’s a dog, so he
can’t
think about much. All he wanted was to be gone. But the getting there
is the
hard part, he found that out. He was scared worse than he’d ever been
in his
life. And he was thinking that he didn’t want to go. That he just
wanted it to
stop. He couldn’t say it, but he was thinking that maybe it wasn’t so
bad after
all to walk with rickety bones and aching teeth, and to be slow and
old."
As Joseph
imparts his
special spirit knowledge to others about what it's like to live and
die, and
son Jordy fills in the blanks with his own abilities, readers are drawn
into a
story that begins to center upon one Howard Farmer's life and choices
as much
as it does upon the dead. The consequences of one man's actions ripple
through
the lives of everyone around him, including two individuals who find
themselves
confronting a dangerous psychopath.
As beliefs,
dreams,
and nightmares challenge Jordy's world, readers are immersed in a story
of
violence, redemption, and a union between spirit and human worlds that
lead
Jordy and his father into dangerous territory.
It should be
noted
that violence and descriptions of it are an intrinsic part of Me and the Spirits. While these
descriptions are in keeping with the evolving plot and the conundrums
of the
characters, those who want lighter descriptions should look elsewhere
for their
quasi-horror reading. Me and the Spirits
is astute in its discoveries and representations of conflicts and the
making of
'spirit food', and this attention to detail is also part of the
wide-ranging
power in this story of spirits, broken hearts, and sick minds.
Jacob
Michael King
has crafted an extraordinary intersection between horror, supernatural,
and
literary piece that will live in the reader's mind long after the
story's
crescendo of confrontation and realization.
Return to Index
Nod
J.M. Stephen
D.X. Varos, Ltd.
Paperback:
978-1-941072-74-5 $18.95
Ebook:
978-1-941072-75-2
$ 6.99
https://www.amazon.com/Nod-J-M-Stephen/dp/1941072747
Nod is a
Biblical
land that receives only very limited mention in the Bible, but in J.M.
Stephen's Nod, it receives an
embellishment
that brings it to life in a compellingly original manner.
J.M.
Stephen's
ability to pull readers into this story is evident from the first
sentences of Nod, which are unlike
anything a reader
might expect or has read before. The evocative, compelling twist on the
story
of Nod shines in this introduction and throughout the story that
follows: "We have always been here. We have
always lived this way. We were together, tightly compacted and then
something
shattered and went skipping about into so many fragments and it
started. They
call it time now. It fell from the great expanse that hovered above us
like
rain, like wind, it wasn’t and then it was and we move through it now.
It
started when they came, those who have walked with Giants, the first
second
ticking into the next and the next and the next and we have been
forever bound
by it. Before we delved into that soupy mix of time, before our hands
ran
through the thick sludge of matter, of dirt, of earth and ground,
before
thought, when we did not grow old and we did not grow, before we were,
we were
here. We have always been here. We have always lived this way. They
were not of
this world."
Stephen
points out
that a river runs through this land, but it's the same creative force
that
powers her story with such a passionate voice that the story proves
unexpected
and hard to put down. The surprise lies in the creative descriptions,
which are
anything but a staid Biblical re-enactment of events. Whether this is
because
of Stephen's unique descriptive style, her extrapolations of this
strange
land's peoples, purposes, and reality, or her use of compelling
first-person
narrator Lailah (who relates encounters with Biblical peoples and
couches
Biblical events within the framework of the reality in Nod), Nod is an exquisitely original story
that is delightful in its encounters: "Cain
turned to go; he waved once more, turned back, looked at me again, and
followed
his brother west, to the west. For so long whenever I saw them they
were
heading west. I watched for a while, wondering if I could find this
place again
on my own, if I could go in their direction and see Cain with his
mother and
father, Abel and the sheep, where they lived, these people from the
west who
were not like us."
Time offers
a steady
progression and movement and is documented and noted as Cain, Abel,
Haval, and
others form connections and relationships in Nod. The relationships
between
these Biblical figures are probed as events both parallel Biblical
mention and
extrapolate on other areas only vaguely alluded to in the Bible.
Stephen's
language is
compelling, her perspective is unique and constantly surprising, and
through
the eyes of a Nod resident, Cain and Abel come to life: "I
watched Cain, wondering what it was that had changed, what it
was that was not Cain. The mark had cursed him but he seemed to have
moved
beyond it. I saw Abel in his face but something else, something more.
Nod was
his..."
Unlike most
Biblical
stories and recreations, Nod holds
the ability to reach beyond its likely Christian audience and into
secular
circles with its beautiful phrasing, involving story, and compelling
account of
two very different, almost alien peoples and the intersections which
change
their lives.
Very, very
highly
recommended as an original work that takes an 'origin story' and turns
it
upside down.
Return to Index
Sins in Blue
Brian Kaufman
Black Rose Writing
1944715592
Hardcover $21.95 Kindle $5.99
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sins-Blue-Brian-Kaufman/dp/1944715592
Sins
in Blue follows the unlikely
relationship between
two music-loving truth seekers: young would-be-musical-talent-manager
Kennedy
Barnes and aging ex-blues musician Willie Johnson. It's the 1960s.
Kennedy stumbles
upon an old rock 'n roll song first recorded by a 1930s blues musician
and
embarks on a quest to find that extraordinary unheralded genius, whom
he
believes fostered the birth of rock 'n roll.
Music has always been a part of Kennedy's
life, as much as it influenced Willie's youth. A blow-up with his
family over
his attitude and trajectory leads to the loss of his believed record
collection
as well as a home, so he has nothing left to lose and much to get from
a
journey that could connect him with an undiscovered genius.
Indeed, both music lovers have much to gain
from their encounter, if trust and a relationship can be built between
strangers who are generations apart in age.
Brian
Kaufman excels
at capturing the gritty, spunky styles of each of his characters. He
also
deftly creates realistic scenarios of the music world, from
relationships
between managers and musicians to often-stormy connections between
musicians
and their audiences and club owners: "Willie
pocketed the money and headed for the side exit. There was no use
arguing. If
he hit the man, he’d end up in jail or worse. He gripped the neck of
the
guitar, choking it, and stepped into the alley. The sun was gone, and
the air
was cold and wet. Fucking Chicago. I
hate this place. Willie paused to calm himself, reluctant
to leave. He
needed the job. That little stage manager might realize he’d made a
mistake and
follow him out. There was a show bill to fill out, after all, and those
manager
types always turned their foul tempers on the next victim the moment
something
else went wrong, which was, in the entertainment business, every five
minutes.
He might realize that Willie wasn’t the enemy. Might even rehire him."
Many of the characters and settings are based on real figures, either overtly or in fictional settings (Alan Lomax, for one example, is a real music historian who captured many source recordings and documented music history that would otherwise have been list. He features in the story, as well).
Each
character is charged with finding his place in the music world. As the
story evolves, Kaufman excels at capturing this process as it unwinds
for two
disparate individuals at odds with society and themselves: "Do
what you
love.
Can’t
make any
money at that. The first voice was Willie’s. The answering
voice was his
father’s. Where’s my voice? he wondered. What
do I want to do?"
Each character also traverses the charged
and changing racial relations of their times. A cultural odyssey
emerges which
influences their decisions, music, and relationships. As behaviors and
patterns
of racial encounters change, so, surprisingly, does opportunity and
musical
ambition.
Blues history and the cultural influences
which lead it to become an intrinsic part of American rock 'n roll is
just one
of the powerful roots in this novel, which celebrates a strong,
uncertain love
of music on many levels.
The result is a potent journey through 1960s
music history and the two very different yet interconnected worlds of a
musician and a wanna-be manager who struggle to find their places in a
changing
world.
It's a compelling story especially
recommended for readers who love music and music history, who will
appreciate
this different take on two music-loving individuals who change their
worlds and
the music industry as a whole. Sins in Blue is a
'must' for readers of
American music history and blues in particular.
Return to Index
Someday Everything Will All
Make Sense
Carol LaHines
Adelaide Books
978-1-949180-91-6
$19.60
eBook: https://www.amazon.com/Someday-Everything-Will-Make-Sense-ebook/dp/B07PY4YN8S
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Someday-Everything-Will-Make-Sense/dp/1949180913
Bookstore: https://bookshop.org/books/someday-everything-will-all-make-sense/9781949180916
Someday
Everything
Will All Make Sense tells of an eccentric music professor who
faces the
death of his mother and the challenges it brings to his perception of
daily
life with its prejudices and ironies. It imparts a sense of staid
observation
and dark humor as Luther van der Loon struggles with a revised life.
The story opens with an
exhibit of this special brand of
irony: "Mother choked on a bowl of
wonton soup. A tangle of bok choy, a larger-than-expected dumpling. A
wayward
thatch no one could foresee." As in the rest of his story,
the
juxtaposition of dark reflection and fun observation makes for a blend
of
horror and humor which is refreshingly different.
Stunned by his mother's
sudden demise and unable to
deflect the assaults of death-related decision-making challenges and
loss in
his life, Luther moves through the stages of grief with the same
singular
perseverance he once reserved for his passion for early music.
As sleep, religion, and loss
coalesce in the course of
his struggles, readers receive a sharp reminder of the progression of
grieving
and the movements to reject its inevitability and final results: "I donned a mask in an attempt to shut
out visual distractions. I recited the Latin rite of vespers, hoping
that sleep
would inevitably overcome me and I could dispel, once and for all, the
notion
that I was unable to accept Mother’s death and the fact that my life,
unwound
from hers, would continue."
Neurotic obsession combines
with end-of-life plans and
impact in this survey of Luther's life and reflections. Music
references
throughout the story supply unusual and pointed streams of thought that
lend
insights into this process. This contributes psychological, artistic,
and
literary depth to the story of his life and its meaning: "I
had learned, over the course of the last year, that we have no
control over externalities, that life is a divertimento, a caprice, not
a
rigidly-constructed sonata with a predictable A-B-A section. Like
Brahms’
unfinished symphony, it seems to go somewhere, to have an overarching
purpose,
only to end abruptly mid-movement, after an agonizing slow section. Who
knows
on any given day whether he will have to dial the fateful numbers
9-1-1, to
state the nature of the emergency.
Whether he will find himself in conversation with the amiable mortician
Mr. M.,
cowering in a windowless room, not wanting to say his final goodbyes to
the
body in the casket (no matter how skillfully presented and preserved by
the
crack staff at the funeral home)."
Someday
Everything
Will All Make Sense's literary and artistic survey of a
neurotic who is
forced to release ties to his mother that perhaps should have been
loosened
during her life will appeal to readers who enjoy psychological and
musical
inspections. The dark humor overlay is surprising, astute, and
revealing, all
in one. Someday Everything Will All Make
Sense is highly recommended for readers of family
relationship tales who
will find this particular survey of loss and recovery is pointed and
revealing
as Luther comes full circle in a musical and relationship compromise
with
survivor guilt.
Return to Index
Tom and the Sagittarius
Brian Karre
Independently Published
978-1532082641
$13.99
Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Sagittarius-Brian-Karre/dp/1532082649
Tom and Leigh are friends
who live in a small mountain
town and meet for coffee every morning. Leigh is an avid follower of
astrology
and always carefully pursues her horoscope for her Sagittarius sign.
Tom
respects her passion until a prediction indicates that she should move
out of
his life in a different direction.
Suddenly, horoscopes are not
just personal but a threat
as Tom reassesses Leigh's role in his world and considers how to
mitigate the
horoscope's message that she should move away. How can someone grow on
him in
only a year?
As he faces his illusions,
heritage, and reactions to
life, readers receive both a review of his past and indicators of how
he will
react to not just Leigh, but future events: "He
remembered growing up as this kind of cloudy, careless time of joy
and love and happiness. But if you put a magnifying glass up to it all,
you
would see that it really was one mess after another and his time as a
young
adult was just uncomfortable and weird." Traditional
relationships
don't come easy to Tom because of his personality and other influences.
When he becomes involved in
chance and writing horoscopes
himself, he encounters a cast of characters who each change his psyche
and
worldview in different ways.
Tom
and the
Sagittarius is a powerful survey of not just Tom's journey,
but Leigh's
revised life as she enters a strange period of life, propelled by
horoscope
predictions, which allows her to break away from set patterns and
anticipations.
At some point in time, both
characters get what they
asked for. But as they nearly simultaneously pursue and assess the
impact of
horoscopes on their lives, they also come to ask if what they wanted is
actually the same as what they truly needed or already had in a
different form.
As Leigh begins to question
both reality and predictions,
Tom also moves in a direction that comes full circle in many ways.
Readers interested in
romance, personality clashes and
encounters, horoscopes, and endings that lead to new beginnings will
find this
story embarks on a journey that gradually returns to where everything
began.
Tom
and the
Sagittarius is a compelling, delightful read that is funny,
uplifting,
ironic, and thought-provoking, all wrapped up in one appealing package.
Return to Index
The Western Nebraska Hard
Fescue Greater Prairie Chickens
Brian Karre
Independently Published
978-1532074622
$10.99
Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Western-Nebraska-Greater-Prairie-Chickens/dp/153207462X
Mystery and fun blends in an
unusual manner in the wry
story The Western Nebraska Hard Fescue
Greater Prairie Chickens. It documents the adventures
surrounding former
disc jockey Bill "Cannonball" Cafferty's journey to Nebraska to
accompany adventurous students who think the media should cover a
theory they
are seeking to prove about celebrity deaths.
In another life, a strange
media inquiry like this would
not have been given a second glance, but Caff is desperate with time on
his
hands, and so he undertakes a rollicking ride on a strange mission that
promises to at least entertain, if not provide him with a new purpose
in life.
Are his new friends onto
something real, or is it
imagination? Is this journey an old-fashioned Midwestern potboiler or
something
more? As a wild ride through physics, proof, and life results in a
strange
series of events, Caff discovers something more to living than the
purpose he'd
once believed in.
Caff's journey takes him
into the world of a threatened
ball team, the subterfuge of rescuing ball players by assuming their
roles, and
the ironies of life, death, and the ability to manipulate physics and
fate
itself.
It's hard to easily 'peg'
this multifaceted romp. Mystery,
humor, and interpersonal relationships blend with a physics bent that
makes The Western Nebraska Hard Fescue
Greater
Prairie Chickens delightfully complex, accessible, and hard
to categorize.
The characterization and premise are particularly well done and
logical, given
the different nature of the conundrums faced by a gang of unlikely
heroes.
As an odd kidnapping,
strange Major League games, and
explorations of ghosts, reality, and a physics gang's increasing
involvement in
saving a ball team takes place, readers are sent on a strange journey
through
the eyes of the heroes of The Western
Nebraska Hard Fescue Greater Prairie Chickens. It's a rollicking ride through strange
situations that will leave
readers guessing and involved right up to the surprising end.
Return to Index
American Ripper
Patrick Kendrick
BlueWater Press
978-1-60542-155-9
$28.95
Publisher Website: https://www.bluewaterpress.com/
Ordering: www.amazon.com
Author Website: www.talesofpatrickkendrick.com
True crime readers looking for an in-depth
coverage of a high-profile serial killer's impact in the 1960s and 70s
will
find American Ripper eye-opening reading. It which
pulls no punches in
its coverage of Florida law enforcement officer and killer Gerard John
Schaefer.
American Ripper
is no light leisure crime story. This is an in-depth study that excels
in
including and reviewing court transcripts, evidence lists, interviews,
and
other technical papers relating to Schaefer's story. While this adds
length,
depth, and a form of complexity that may stymie casual readers, its
approach
will delight law enforcement, psychologist, and social issues readers
seeking
an exposé that embraces the entirety of the process.
As a further cautionary note, American
Ripper also includes case histories that capture
moment-by-moment graphic
experiences of victims and criminal. This is not a read for those who
would
casually learn a serial killer's modus operandi, but a detailed
exploration and
description of his victims and how he lured them into dangerous
territory
through an amiable approach and the power of his police badge.
As part of the well-rounded approach to
describing events, Patrick Kendrick includes the perp's own notes
documenting
these crimes, noting that "Schaefer’s own writings perhaps
best
describe what he felt and undoubtedly what he intended to do."
Interviews, court proceedings, written reports, and notes are all
detailed with
an eye to following how one man became a clever, sadistic murderer. The
details
provide in-depth coverage and leave no stone unturned, including
Kendrick's own
visits to and encounters with Schaefer, his interviews with families of
victims, and his documentation of the local, regional, and global
responses to
serial killer threats.
The intricate notes are woven into a story
that reads with the tension and drama of fiction, but delves into and
analyzes
all facts and connections in a well-researched, documented piece: "Of
the fact that Leigh knew Gerard Schaefer, there is no doubt. The two
grew up
together as neighbors just a few houses apart. They met in their early
teens
and often played tennis and went swimming together. Although Schaefer’s
name
appears only once in Leigh’s missing person’s report, a private
investigator,
William Marshall, found evidence that linked the two just prior to her
disappearance." Depositions, arguments for and against the
case,
questions on coincidence and the solidity of evidence, and issues of
subjective
interpretation of code and law all enter into Schaefer's ultimate fate.
The graphic nature of these descriptions of
such preparations may horrify and surprise readers not just because of
their
intricate planning, but because of the nature of the details. Kendrick
includes
memories of the victims who survived, as well, juxtaposing their
impressions
with those of Schaefer.
As facts emerge about his victims, his
methods, and the fact that nobody realized the extent of Schaefer's
dangerous
behaviors before multiple murders took place, readers receive a
gruesome,
gripping, and startling discussion of not just a murderer's threats,
but
justice and law enforcement systems gone awry.
Readers who regularly imbibe in true crime
memoirs and biographies will find that American Ripper
is a step up from
the ordinary fare—more challenging, more detailed, and replete with
lively
dramatic descriptions that usually are prevalent in fiction than
nonfiction.
American Ripper
is a powerful survey of not just one man's killing spree, but the
processes of
law enforcement, justice, and psychiatric evaluation in modern America.
More
than just a crime story or a saga of innocence and guilt, it's an
indictment of
an evolving psychosis and how it gained ground in an environment
replete with
conflicting information, processes, and purposes.
The toll this book has taken on its author
and his life are also revealed in a concluding twist that offers much
food for thought
about this type of focus and investigation and its ultimate impact and
costs on
the writer's life and those he questioned: "I've paid dues
for working
on this book beyond financial ones. In addition to the sheer physical
work of a
once young man tracking down details at a time when it was very
difficult and
uncomfortable to do, I've become part of the drama I'd just as soon
have not
played. It has cost me greatly and, along with my other traumatic work
in the
fire service, has plagued me with things seen that will never leave my
mind.
Going through this manuscript, even these many years later, has not
eased that,
and I have to ask why did I write it, and why has it stuck with me,
existential
questions that may never be answered. "
The broader questions posed by American
Ripper make it highly recommended reading beyond its likely
audience of
true crime aficionados, hopefully moving into law enforcement, legal
process,
and psychology circles as an in-depth example of not just a serial
killer's
modus operandi, but the systems that allowed him to continue his crime
spree
unchecked.
Return to Index
Bankruptcy
Didn't Break Me
Kassondra R. Lewis
KGSL Enterprises
978-0998676913
$9.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Bankruptcy-Didnt-Break-Me-increase/dp/0998676918
Many books
discuss
the mechanics of either avoiding bankruptcy completely or entering into
it. Few
add the benefit of personal experience, as does Kassondra R. Lewis in Bankruptcy Didn't Break Me: How to Learn the
Keys to Success To Increase Your Credit Scores.
This is a
guide to
coming out of the other side of bankruptcy and resuming one's life,
complete
with building the kinds of credit scores that lead to full recovery.
It's an
'insider's' perspective that doesn't come from a financial advisor, but
one who
has been there, done that, and not only survived, but flourished.
The key,
however,
isn't just recovery over a long period of time. Lewis advocates a
series of
strategies for quick recovery—ones which involve not just the ability
to regain
credit, but to garner the good credit terms enjoyed by those without a
bankruptcy on their records. As a living example of this success, Lewis
currently lives in her 'dream home' with a mortgage at a low interest
rate, and
has rebuilt her credit score to 700.
Her focus on
rebuilding credit and qualifying for these attractive rates, combined
with her
personal experience, crafts a bankruptcy guide like none other. As
chapters survey
emotional ups and downs, low points and lessons learned from them, and
her
determination that her bankruptcy should NOT prevent future success,
readers
absorb a candid account that doesn't say this process is easy, but does
maintain that it's achievable.
Facts about
the
bankruptcy process and its impact on one's credit and personal affairs,
debt-to-income ratios, accepting the temporary blow of bankruptcy with
an eye
to rebuilding a better future, and the best starting steps to getting a
new
credit card and rebuilding a positive credit history all make for a
practical
blend of financial and emotional recovery.
Lewis
includes
insights on exactly what lenders look at when examining a credit
history, how
to maximize the best score possible, and tips and tricks of making
financial
decisions. There are some unexpected insights provided during this
process,
such as the idea that one shouldn't close an account just because it's
not
being used because its background credit history will also
vanish—information
that could contribute to an overall credit picture.
Practical,
positive
money management strategies blend with bankruptcy-specific insights to
give
consumers a clear picture about how the process of financial recovery
works.
Anyone
considering,
in the midst of, or grappling with the aftermath of a bankruptcy should
place Bankruptcy Didn't Break Me at
the top of
their reading list. It goes above and beyond most other guides on the
topic,
pairing the emotional with business angles in a manner that makes the
subject
digestible and thoroughly understandable.
Return to Index
The Black Album: Writings on Art and Culture
(Expanded Second Edition)
Bradley Rubenstein
Meridian Art Press
Print: 978-1-7322219-3-2
$14.99
ebook: 978-1-7322219-2-5
$
7.99
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732221936
The
Black Album:
Writings on Art and Culture gathers writings by painter and
writer Bradley
Rubenstein and represents a decade of artistic commentary and
reflection
through art criticism that Bradley Rubenstein published online and in
printed
journals.
While this
description might lead readers to believe The Black Album is suitable only for art historians and
artists, Rubenstein's approach to presenting cultural, social,
political, and
artistic reflections under one cover expands its audience to many other
disciplines as well as the general public.
Another note is that usually art criticism
involves staid language, whether it's calmly presented or passionate in
nature.
Rubenstein's voice is both analytical and gritty, often moving into the
realm
of candid street talk tempered by an intellectual overlay that is
pointed,
intriguing, and anything but dull: "It was not that long ago
that David
Salle seemed to strike a collective nerve with his simulations of
paintings:
for some, he resurrected Painting; for others he fucked its necrotic
corpse.
Among critics he was praised for revivifying the art form, along with
his
colleagues Julian Schnabel and Eric Fischl, and vilified by feminist
critics
for his reified soft-core porn subject matter."
Readers need
not have
a prior familiarity with the art works under consideration. They don't
even
have to have a background in painting or sculpture, or any classical
training
in art criticism. All that is required in order to fully appreciate
Rubenstein's analyses is an interest in the intersection of art and
social and
cultural influences and an appreciation for succinct, pointed
literature.
Rubenstein
creates a
delightful interplay between criticism and outrage. He injects these
feelings
into writings that use eloquent language to point out an artist's
ironies and
inconsistencies: "If Smith’s
sculptures represent the Alpha of this exhibit, Pollock’s are the
Omega. By the
time of their Jersey weekend, Pollock had all but ceased producing
work.
Following an earlier intervention with Barnett Newman, who, along with
Smith
jumpstarted Pollock with the seeds of paint that became Blue Poles (1952), Smith again played
art therapist, presenting
Pollock with materials and objects for him to press into service as
sculpture.
The less said about the results here, the better. There is little that
can be
added to the cairn of Pollock lore that would shed any light on his
already
monumental achievements, and to dwell on his faltering end smacks too
much of
the gleeful necrophilia usually reserved for Marilyn Monroe, Jack
Kennedy, or
Elvis."
Through
these
examples, it should be evident that The Black Album is
a unique voice
and window on the art world that doesn't direct its observations to the
intellectual art community alone. This in and of itself is a refreshing
approach that opens the subject of art criticism and inspection to a
much wider
audience.
Return to Index
It Came From the
Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers
Directed by Joshua
Viola
Hex Publishers
Print ISBN-13:
978-1-7339177-5-9
$19.99
eBook ISBN-13:
978-1-7339177-6-6
$
2.99
www.HexPublishers.com
It Came From the
Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers
is an outstanding horror collection that
profiles such authors as Warren Hammond, Stephen Graham Jones, Steve
Rasnic
Tem, and others. Some will be new names to even the avid horror reader,
while
others will be familiar; but what unites them all is an attention to
detail and
chillers that are unpredictable, satisfyingly complex, film-oriented,
and
always compelling.
Orrin
Grey's
'Screen Haunt' is one example. It moves from a girl's litany of fears
to the
safety video of horror which she produced in the 1960s about missing
kids at
Halloween, then scrolls through her life of involvements with scary
movies and
a screenplay called The Haunt, which holds an uncommon power.
"When you’re scared
of everything, you learn how
to compartmentalize. That’s how you get through each day." As the narrator finds her nightmare emerging
in both real and film worlds, she is inadvertently immersed in the
horror
creation she's made as both a tribute and a testimony to herself and
her
friend.
'Coming
Attractions' by Stephen Graham Jones also delves into the movie world's
macabre
connections to reality as it presents an ancient movie theater's allure
to
explorers who uncover more than just ghosts watching movies.
As
the narrator
and his friends uncover layers to the old theater that indicate it's
far more
than a benign relic, the real power of the screen emerges in an
exploration
that exposes a deadly trap.
These
movie-centered horror pieces are unique, literary, well-done
productions that
linger in the mind long after each work is read. Fans of horror and
film will
find this intersection of literature and horror excellent, and the
diversity
and talents of the short story contributors to be exceptionally well
done.
Return to Index
Juggling -
What It Is And How To Do It
Thom Wall
Modern Vaudeville
Press
Price: $25.00
www.modernvaudevillepress.com
Most
juggling books
take the same approach to learning basic juggling – that is, whatever
method
the writer used to learn. Juggling - What It Is And
How To Do It, however, combines
a variety of
approaches, including siteswap notation, to offer the first fully
comprehensive
manual on juggling. No competing trade books employ siteswap
notation,
despite it being the primary tool in juggling instruction for the past
two
decades. There are also no serious books that provide in-depth
discussions
about posture and mechanics.
Thom Wall
presents
his primer as a "learning" book more than a "doing"
book," and this will delight both newcomers to the hobby as well as
serious jugglers who want to absorb and perfect the art with
a step-by-step survey of the basics.
An overview
of
juggling history moves to working with three balls, understanding
common
mistakes and how to overcome them, and absorbing the vocabulary
jugglers use to
perfect their art, from 'reading' to balance.
Specific
information
about the center of gravity in juggling balls, methods for predicting
the way
the balls will move, and drills for moving from beginning to more
advanced
juggling challenges cover both theory and operation in a book designed
for
jugglers who have the equipment (or are willing to craft their own
props using
the guide in the back of the book) and desire, but lack technique and
basic
learning approaches.
Drills not
only
emphasize this technique, but comment on the emotional overlay involved
in
juggling efforts and practice: "Work on your five
flashes and
longer runs while standing on a chair. (Work on the four ball drills
this way,
too!) Isolating your body in space will make you realize how much
you’re
relying on corrections, rather than perfect throws. It’s sobering, but
don’t
beat yourself up about it if you find it frustrating!"
Also
included are
explorations of more difficult moves and why some may prove impossible,
as
concepts such as “fusion” are explored in a guest chapter by the
legendary Jay
Gilligan: "No one ever juggles 7 clubs with one eye
closed, or
does 5 club backcrosses standing on one leg. These would both be very
hard
tricks to do, but only because juggling culture does not count the
variation of
closing one eye, or standing on one leg as valid criteria for a trick.
If
closing one eye was accepted as something a juggler can explore to add
complexity to a trick, then the technique of closing one eye would be
spread
and practiced, and eventually incorporated into the general technique
pool that
new jugglers learn. Closing one eye would then end up not being a novel
or
foreign idea and lots of jugglers could (more) easily do it. Fusion is
motivated by these cultural observations and is the simple idea of
choosing to
join 2 body parts together and exploring
that physical reality
while juggling."
Thom Wall's
practical
guide should be the first step in embarking on a practiced juggling
career. It
uses illustrations, physics, psychology, and other approaches to
explain the
approaches, purposes, and achievements of juggling. All this makes for
a solid
exploration that goes beyond simple tricks to thoroughly explain the
science
and actions behind juggling success and lays a solid foundation for
anyone
interested in getting on stage.
Return to Index
Life Cycles
- Coincidences
Neil Killion
Life Cycles
Publications
https://www.lifecyclespublications.com/
Life
Cycles -
Coincidences is the fourth book
in
psychologist Neil Killion's series which maintains that life
experiences run on
12-year cyclic patterns, verifiable by statistical data based on
biographical
analysis.
Killion
states that
his main aim is to introduce the Life Cycles Theory as a brand new form
of
coincidence. This coincidence does not involve the people being studied
or
their reactions at all. He builds on the long past history of writings
about
the subject to suggest that his objective and predetermined
coincidences are
best suited to challenging the orthodox position of statisticians and
rationalists; that all coincidences can be explained by mathematical
principles.
Further than
this,
however, he approaches a leading worldwide skeptics organization with
his
evidence and gets them to agree to an ad-hoc test, the results of which
are so
astounding, that they have produced no answer or rebuttal. This, he
says, is
almost unheard of.
Statistical
validation of Killion's theory in general and coincidences in
particular
juxtaposes with unexpected personal touches such as emails and
dialogues,
creating an accessible survey that will reach not just scholarly or
psychologist readers, but general-interest thinkers.
The depth of
references mentioned in or connected to this discussion may challenge
those who
anticipate or want a casual survey. From J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter
series and
its success, to how Sister Theresa became Mother Teresa, Star Trek's
evolution,
and how the Beatles got their recording contract; these examples and
many more
document the kinds of coincidences Killion studies and connects. From
popular
culture to various scientific disciplines, this wide-ranging approach
holds
value to a much more diverse audience than psychologists alone. Readers
who
enjoy biographies and motivational true stories will find much of
interest
here.
Some
striking
coincidences are documented throughout history, from two women murdered
157
years apart to many, many other events and patterns: "The men
accused
of these horrific murders of both women had the same last name of
Thornton and
both of them were acquitted of their crimes. Some other strange
coincidences
were that the women were both 20 years old when murdered and they
shared the
same birthday! Both women had visited a friend the evening they were
killed.
They had changed into brand new dresses and also went to a dance on the
same
night. The odds of this happening by pure chance are just enormous and
would
look like a long string of zeros following the first number. Maybe
these crazy
similarities could just happen and if not, then what else could be
posited? Are
we talking about the weird possibility of some form of reincarnation of
both
the original woman and the original killer, resulting in a replay of
the same
events around 150 years later?"
It's one
thing to
have these stories peppered in diverse accounts over the decades; but
juxtaposing them side-by-side, complete with statistical evidence for
life
cycles and their accompanying coincidental qualities, makes for
thoroughly
engrossing, thought-provoking reading.
Killion is
frequently
surprised by the results of his own data and research on coincidences:
"This sort of amazing correlation happens on such a regular basis that,
though I am grateful to find each separate case, on the other hand I’m
less
surprised than I should be." This admission lends a humbling
sense of
discovery to efforts based not on preconceived theories, but on
uncovering
strange connections that turn out to be prevalent throughout human
history. (He
confirms that he is the first and only person to come upon these
straightforward correlations, which he says have been hiding in plain
sight).
His most
in-depth
study is of just two weeks worth of Obituaries from one source. The
discussion
delves into the data, summarizes its results to arrive at (some
thought-provoking) conclusions, and further evidences Killion's
critical
process: "...in terms of random occurrence, very little by way
of
evidence drawn from the obituary text could be expected. Perhaps one
example of
a “Year of Revolution” and equally one example of a “Year of Broken
Pathways”,
and not necessarily found together….(followed by
“instead we find 26
instances listed for 12 Obituary texts...if we were to look at this as
26 times
a successful roll of the dice (which I know it isn’t exactly) then it
would be
a huge number, 1 chance in 17,058,173 trillion, trillion to 1) (Leaving
out
In terms of a clear-cut instance of the overall importance of
the age 36
“Year of Revolution” to the person's whole life mission, we could not
even
reasonably expect one random example, when taken on its own. I mean,
literally
speaking, why should it? I have a fairly explicit definition of what I
am
seeking and this, of course, is totally unique to “Life Cycles Theory”.
Maybe
the one “Year of Revolution” example, that we could expect, might
coincide and
maybe it mightn't.")
Life
Cycles -
Coincidences offers lay readers the opportunity to delve
into scientific
and statistical inquiry by considering connections in their own lives
and
throughout history. It adds to the series and ideally should be pursued
by
those with prior familiarity with the Life Cycles concept and its
analytical
direction.
However, it
can also
be enjoyed by those who want to consider the mechanics and direction of
life in
general and their own patterns in particular. Anyone interested in
exploring
the framework that underlies life's progression and choices will find
intriguing, accessible, and absorbing; the theory and examples packed
into
Life Cycles - Coincidences.
Return to Index
Life in the
Camel
Lane
Doreen M. Cumberford
White Heather Press
978-0-578-60735-1
$19.95
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Camel-Lane-Embrace-Adventure/dp/0578607352
In 1994,
Doreen M.
Cumberford left a comfortable job and life in the U.S. to move to Japan
for
eighteen months, then Saudi Arabia with her husband and
toddler. Life
in the Camel Lane documents her experience, which
changed from
adjusting to different living conditions in a corporate compound to
learning
another culture's very different rules and perceptions of
life.
As a
"corporate
spouse," Cumberford embraced the opportunity and adventure promised by
the
move. She not only adapted to this new world, but assimilated its
lessons,
turning 15 years of experience into a new job as a life coach.
Cumberford
was in
Saudi Arabia when 9/11 changed the world. Her documentation of the
ripples
through Saudi culture that this event sparked, along with concerns over
her
safety and ability to get back home, are immediate and
involving: "...streams
of alarm shot through my body as part of a response to this event back
in my
recently adopted “home” country. If planes were being flown
into
buildings, how could we ever go back home ... it would take a plane to
get
there, was my first thought. The feeling of isolation, being cut off
and
wondering what was happening, was similar to what every person around
the world
wondered. How strange the fleeting thoughts are that pass through one’s
mind
during a flight or fight reaction. Many of us wondered, Are we safe
here? If
there is an organization called Al-Qaeda, are they really here in
Saudi; even
more worrisome are they on the compound? Are they my neighbor? If they
are my
neighbor, how would I know this?”
The event
served to
solidify her growing relationships with Saudi peoples, from neighbors
to bus
drivers who displayed kindness and help during this time: "Buried
in that statement was the heart and soul of most of the Saudi people.
Here was
a Saudi telling an American that although a great crime had been
committed on
home soil in the US, he personally felt connected to us and was
willing to do
his part to protect our kids if called to do so.
A massive
amount of
emotional energy and examination is often connected with journeying to
another
country, living in it for a period of time, then leaving. Cumberford
acknowledges these different facets of adjustment, offering many
insights into
the process and the changes it brings: "Leaving a
place looks like
it is a one-day simple process. You buy a ticket, put yourself on that
plane
and voilá, you arrive. Not even close! The reality is very different
and more
complex—especially when abandoning a foreign life where you have lived
and
loved through many seasons. Preparing to leave involves both the
insidiously
hidden and blatantly obvious parts of a process that is
an evolution
rather than an event. We frequently consider a move to be a simple
transaction
involving relocating ourselves (our physical bodies) while discounting
the
logistical, spiritual and emotional parts of the process. It’s easy to
disregard the energy and time required to process the massive amounts
of hidden
changes that are happening."
Cultural
education
comes in many forms, from weddings to confronting stereotypes and fears
in
Saudi homes and environments. Cumberford narrates her encounters and
the
opportunities for revised perceptions and transformation that each
brings. More
than the usual travelogue, this often involves inspections of the
sources of
cultural misunderstandings, their influences, the development and
fostering of
positive habits and reactions, and a type of flexibility that allows
room to
grow.
While her
experience
will likely be filed in the travelogue section of the library, to
limit Life
in the Camel Lane to the armchair adventurer alone
would be to do it a
disservice. Much more than a survey of another culture and
lifestyle, Life
in the Camel Lane is about making the kinds of
mental and social
adjustments that allows better understanding, revised perceptions of
humanity's
connections, and a better affinity for Middle Eastern cultures and
lifestyles.
It's also
highly
recommended for readers interested in personal growth and intercultural
opportunities—particularly those who would understand exactly how
attitudes
changed.
Return to Index
Pandemic
Aftermath:
How the Coronavirus Changes Global Society
Trond Undheim
Atmosphere Press
978-1-64826-190-9
www.atmospherepress.com
Pandemic Aftermath: How the Coronavirus Changes
Global Society is
possibly the first book to contrast the history of different global
pandemics,
the evolution of the coronavirus, how 'superspreader' viruses move
between
human populations, and likely worldwide social and political
transformations
that can be anticipated because of it. Its appearance may precede a
host of
others with similar approaches, but the focus on how societies handle
disaster
and change because of it is one likely not to receive such an astute
investigation in competing approaches.
Many books
currently
on the market tackle one piece of this puzzle, but Pandemic
Aftermath connects the dots with a pursuit of visions of
the world after coronavirus changes it. It is essential reading for
anyone
concerned about what that world will look like in the pandemic's
aftermath, and
how to operate in today's environment and survive it.
Chapters
offer
different scenarios surrounding these possibilities using a refreshing
approach
that takes into consideration changing outcomes that depend on human
choice,
attitude, and efforts. This is an especially notable course because it
advocates no one clear path to renewal, but reviews a series of options
on the
table at this point in time
as well as
the future.
Readers
might
anticipate negative, depressing possibilities no matter which course of
action
is undertaken or how the virus mutates and progresses, but another
notable
feature of Pandemic Aftermath lies
in
its takeaways, exercises, and positive perspectives about these
choices: "I’ll leave the ultimate discussion
of
what to do and how to act to those who pick up this book. Discuss. Tear
the
book apart. Disagree. But please make up your mind on what
Coronavirus—whether
it be COVID-19, a future genetically engineered bioweapon, or the next
zoonotic
virus—means for how we want to shape our next decade and beyond. Let’s
live through
the crisis in a dignified and meaningful way. And let’s start now,
because as
we all just discovered, whether we are experts or neophytes in either
public
health, politics, technology or compassion, tomorrow it may be too
late."
One example
of such a
takeaway in the chapter conclusion is: "Let’s
imagine the next 10 years will have less physical contact between
people than
ever before. Let’s also assume proximity enhancing technologies will
improve
drastically (feel free to disagree). What is the most likely balance to
be had
between safety from outbreak risks v. the two important imperatives of
freedom
and economic growth on the other hand? We are all wondering about what
the “new
normal” will be. What’s your take?"
Space is
provided for
journaling, encouraging reflection and discussion among readers.
These
approaches
negate the view that any discussion of this pandamic's aftermath must
include
negative assessments of revised habits, conditions, or life. While
changes in
habits, values, and perspectives are a certainty, Pandemic
Aftermath offers a positive approach that not only makes
sense of chaos, but considers different ways of returning the human
race not to
where it was, but to possibly a better place.
Trond Arne
Undheim is
a futurist with a vision. Pandemic
Aftermath offers a refreshing yet practical breath of fresh
air in a sea of
dystopian gloom and doom about the post-coronavirus future. It will
prove an
attitude-changer for those who wish a more encouraging view of life
than daily
reports provide: "I remain
optimistic that with resolve, we can bring COVID-19 and whatever else
may be
added to our burdens, to merely represent a chapter in a book about our
century, not to a lingering, dystopian future we need to constantly be
afraid
of awaking. I hope this for my children, and I hope this for myself
and, lastly,
I hope this for the human race."
Pandemic Aftermath is a very highly
recommended perspective we all
need at this exact point in human history.
Return to Index
Press Eject and Give Me the Tape
Bradley Rubenstein
Meridian Art Press
Paperback:
978-1-7322219-4-9 $14.99
Ebook:
978-1-7322219-5-6
$ 7.99
Publisher: www.meridianartpress.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1732221944/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
Press
Eject and
Give Me the Tape: Dialogues, Interviews, and Exchanges 2001–2020 represents two decades of interviews and
collaboration
between author/painter Bradley Rubenstein and some 35 fellow
contemporary
painters, sculptors, photographers, and performance and video artists.
These wide-ranging discussions hold
artistic, cultural, and social insights that will delight students of
sociology, the arts, and anyone who wants a close inspection of artist
working
methods, influences, and history.
Take the interview with artist Mira Schor,
for one example. As she charts the progression of her life and work,
interviews
probe the evolving cultural background which fostered her creations,
adding
historical insights most art history books wouldn't have thought to
capture: "There
was a goofy spirit at CalArts then that is best expressed in Pee-Wee’s
Playhouse—subversive but in a sweet, slightly anarchic rather than
nihilistic
manner. Paul Reubens, then Paul Reubenfeld, was at CalArts at the time
I was
there. Later the school became more earnest about conceptualism, more
dogmatic
about theory, and ever more savvy in terms of careerism, as the times
changed
in those directions and the history of the school was rewritten to make
the
success of some of my contemporaries, such as David Salle, seem like
manifest
destiny. And, surprise, surprise, the very existence of the Feminist
Art Program
was erased almost totally until, after the Northridge earthquake, a
student was
assigned to go over some books that were being junked. Lo and behold,
she found
copies of the catalog for the Womanhouse project from 1972 about to be
discarded. Students researched the existence of the program and
organized a
major conference. Now, the history is surely forgotten all over again."
Rubenstein's
questions and answers are designed not just to document the rise of
contemporary artists, but pinpoint their place and perspective in the
art world
as a whole. Chapters of interviews create intriguing surveys of the
cultural
milieu which fostered each artist and provide intriguing insights not
to be
found elsewhere.
Another
strength of
this collection lies in its ability to appeal across the board and
across
artistic categories. Readers need not be versed in any of these arts in
order
to access, understand, and appreciate the interviews because a good
deal of art
history and background is incorporated into each interview, providing
the
necessary references and explanations that lend to a complete
understanding.
One need not
even be
familiar with the artists involved. All that's required for a
delightful
experience is an overall interest in contemporary arts, modern artists'
lives
and influences, and the evolutionary process that fostered art and
creativity
in their lives.
Students of
modern
politics, contemporary culture, and the arts will find Press
Eject and Give
Me the Tape's intersection
of understanding essential for capturing the influences and nuances of
today's
working artists.
Return to Index
Beep, Beep,
Gizmo!
Suzanne Kline
Independently
Published
9780999234808
$17.99
www.surfsupgizmo.com
Beep, Beep, Gizmo! is a fun picture book
story of little dog Gizmo
and his attempt at surfing in the Fifth Annual Puppy Cup Surfing
Classic.
As Gizmo
faces a
bully, tests his abilities, and learns about winning and losing, kids
with good
reading skills receive a lively story about kindness, achievement, and
fun that
excels in colorful drawings by Jim Hunt.
His rude
bullying
peer, Riley, loves zipping past Gizmo and showing him up with "beep,
beep" noises. He's already pushed Gizmo's friend Kayla out of the
contest.
How can Gizmo compete against a rude bully who labels Gizmo a loser?
The fun
story
emphasizes overcoming adversity and cultivating kindness as it follows
the
determined Gizmo through a variety of challenges to not just his
skills, but
his confidence.
It's a fun
Gizmo
adventure that read-aloud parents will appreciate, offering
opportunities to
speak with kids about such wide-ranging subjects as handling bullies
and
developing self-confidence.
Return to Index
A Christmas
Love
Story
Maureen McCabe
The Christmas
Ornament Shop
9781734745511
www.AChristmasLoveStory.com
A Christmas Love Story: Nicholas Nutcracker and
Brittany Ballerina
provides picture book readers and their read-aloud parents with a
lovely
seasonal story based on The Nutcracker, but with a contemporary twist.
Harmonie
Homeowner is
prepared for all the rituals of the busy holiday to begin once
Thanksgiving
passes. She and Harrison look forward to the grandkids visiting for the
holidays.
Nicholas
Nutcracker
looks forward to them, as well. He resides in a box with other
'roommates' who
are toy soldiers from Germany, but Britt the ballerina is all alone in
her own
box, and can't perform her greatest piece without a beau to dance with
her.
Each
ornament knows
something is missing in their lives...something involving love. When
Christmas
arrives and everyone is unboxed, there is a Meeting of the Ornaments.
Nicholas
has already espied the most beautiful ornament, but she now resides a
few
branches down in the tree. Will True Love be thwarted by proximity
alone?
As Maureen
McCabe
unveils this gentle story of holiday romance, youngsters receive a fun
account
that follows the evolution of a friendship against all odds and
barriers,
becoming real love.
Kids with
good
reading skills or read-aloud parents will find A
Christmas Love Story a warm tale of ballet aspirations,
romance,
and overcoming obstacles. It's all set against a holiday backdrop that
is
beautifully rendered, nicely illustrated with colorful drawings by
Anastasiia
Khmelevska, and just the ticket for an original holiday read.
Return to Index
Courtney
Figures It
Out
James W. Lewis
Lewis Consulting
978-1-7347074-0-3
$14.95
This title can be
ordered direct from Ingram, where it is available at a standard trade
discount
and returnable.
The book is also
available online from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Courtney-Figures-Out-James-Lewis/dp/1734707402
) and Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/courtney-figures-it-out-james-w-lewis/1136943217?ean=9781734707403)
Courtney Figures It Out requires good
reading skills or read-aloud
parental assistance, providing young picture book readers with the
engrossing
story of a child with ADHD who wants to bring her pet heron to
show-and-tell at
school.
Most kids
bring toys.
But Aaron is more special than a toy...and much more challenging to
bring
anywhere. Step by step, Courtney figures everything out, from bringing
her
heron buddy indoors and getting him dressed for school to handling a
teacher's
blurry vision, which leads her to think that Aaron is the new kid in
class,
while the classroom goes wild.
Courtney
constantly
exhibits problem-solving skills throughout, including patience,
observance,
cleverness, and creativity.
While the
story is on
the fantastic side for a show-and-tell project and a host of adults who
somehow
overlook Aaron the Heron's non-human attributes, it's a fine example of
how a
ADHD child overcomes the challenges of daily living to make the most of
her
world.
Adults
looking for a
fun read-aloud filled with vibrant illustrations and a quirky sense of
humor to
supplement the underlying serious inspection of ADHD will find Courtney Figures It Out a vibrant,
positive, uplifting, educational story.
Return to Index
Giant
Greg Trine
Malamute Press
Hardcover:
978-1-7339589-4-3
$22.99
Paperback:
978-1-7339589-3-6 $ 9.99
https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Greg-Trine/dp/1733958932
Giant provides a different kind of Jack
and the Beanstalk story—one
in which the giant's fall from his stalk results in a crash into a
swimming
pool, amnesia, and a new life in a strange world.
Young
readers in
grades 2-6, ages 7-10, who have prior familiarity with the original
Jack story
will find the giant's perspective, tempered by amnesia, as thoroughly
engrossing as the tone Greg Trine uses to impart this revision: "Here’s
the short version: Jack climbed
a beanstalk and broke into an innocent man’s house. A rather giant
innocent
man. Jack stole his money, his singing harp, and a goose that laid
golden eggs. Bottom line? Jack was not a stand-up guy. He’s
the hero in
most
fairytales that tell his story, but basically, he’s a criminal. Never
forget
this fact: the giant was minding his own business, taking a nap in his
home in
the clouds. It was his right to do so. A man’s home is his castle, and
the
giant’s place really was a
castle."
Parents who
choose
this very different fairytale will find it just as absorbing, offering
lessons
in contrast and perspective that will prove especially valuable to
adults who
take the time to explain the different facets of Jack and the Giant's
perspectives.
As the giant
struggles to regain his memory and makes progress in an odd series of
encounters
with other human beings, readers are treated to a warm story of revised
plans,
contrasting personalities and perspectives, and the involvement of a
circus
which sometimes belays its own name (Happy Dan Circus).
As the giant
teams up
with Sam, a boy trying to escape his own evil circumstances, the duo
make a
splash in the world in more than one way...until Jack shows up again.
Greg Trine's
story is
sassy, original, and satisfyingly fun. The giant, Sam, and other
characters
interact on a level that leads to growth and evolution in many
different ways,
bringing young readers into a zany, rollicking adventure.
Kids and
parents
alike will find this a delightful story that takes a very familiar
scenario and
turns it on end for an unexpected, spirited story of fear, discovery,
and
growth.
Very highly
recommended as a completely different perspective, based on the classic!
Return to Index
Gizmo for
President!
Suzanne Kline &
Dulce Da Costa
2 Paws Up Studios LLC
9780999234822
$17.99
www.gizmo4president.com
Gizmo for President! is a fun picture
book about a little surfer
dog who begins a campaign to run for president so he can save the ocean.
Linking his
love of
nature to political involvement, Gizmo undertakes a campaign to save
his sea
friends and share his ideas for caring for the planet.
Parents will
appreciate the educational opportunities embedded in this fun story.
Some words
are in blue, linked to a glossary of definitions that helps expand
vocabularies.
Good reading
skills
are one requirement for the complete appreciation of Gizmo's latest
adventure.
Each page holds several paragraphs of detail as Gizmo contemplates his
latest
endeavor, learns about the process of campaigning, and crafts a
positive
approach to solving a broad problem in the world.
From picking
a
running mate and handling negative responses from the public to
"letting
every creature have a voice in his campaign," Gizmo explores his
capacity
not just for getting elected, but for effecting real change throughout
the
course of his efforts.
The result
teaches
kids about politics and campaigns, saving the environment, making a
difference,
and inclusive practices. It will delight parents who are moving their
kids from
picture book to chapter book arenas and who seek socially responsible
messages
from their leisure choices.
Return to Index
I
Have Feelings...and That's O.K.
Jordan Mayfield, LSCSW
Family Psychological Press
9781733462389
http://familypsychpress.com/
I
Have Feelings...and
That's O.K.
features colorful and fun drawings by Shelby Hild
and is written for ages 3-6, who will benefit from adult interaction as
they
review the story (told from a cat's observations) of young Grace and
her
friends, who may not be grown up, but who experience feelings "just as
big."
Each
panel explores an emotion and holds a facing colorful page
illustrating it. Avery, for example, feels sad over everything, from a
dropped
cookie to being regulated to timeout. But it's ok for her to feel sad.
On the
next page, she has another cookie...and timeout isn't permanent, but
ends soon.
Each
page presents an emotion, a dilemma, and its resolution. But each
page also reinforces that it is O.K. to go through that emotion to
experience
and accept it.
Whether
the different characters are feeling silly, frightened, happy,
or mad, it's all ok, because they can be proactive in managing their
emotions.
The very young not only learn how to readily identify an emotion and
its cause,
but how to both accept and mitigate any lasting negative impact or
outlook
about life in general.
Simple
message; direct proactive, emotion-accepting approach; great
book!
Return to Index
Legend of the Storm
Sneezer
Kristiana Sfirlea
Monster Ivy
Publishing
Hardcover: 1948095572
$21.99
Paperback: 1948095564
$15.99
E-book: 1948095556
$
3.99
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bwzWpg
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2QQ89Zk
Indiebound: https://bit.ly/39n3GDL
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3dyViEA
Website: www.kristianasquill.com
Legend of the Storm Sneezer is the first
book in the Stormwatch
Diaries and tells of Rosebud Thunder Rose (aka teen Rose Skylar), a
girl who
sneezed a magical storm at birth that plagues her life with unstable
magic and
unpredictable dilemmas. Sent to an asylum for patients with unstable
magic, she
quickly uncovers a mystery which lurks in the haunted forest and
graveyard that
surrounds it.
Complicating
matters
is the fact that there is more than one Rose Skylar, who is a time
traveler
extraordinaire. An introduction to this topic informs readers about
Rose's
unexpected additional talents in a 'time traveler's diary' format.
As letters
from the
future collide with mercurial events of the present, Rose is tasked
with
solving a mystery that traverses the barriers of time, space, and magic
alike,
bringing readers in elementary grade levels (who have good reading
skills) into
a romp through intrigue and abilities that have no clear path to
resolution
through much of the story.
Kristiana
Sfirlea's
ability to juxtapose mystery, fantasy, and humor into the tale of
Rose's
evolving conundrum contributes to a refreshingly different form of
ghost
story/time travel/coming of age experience that keeps readers on their
toes.
One of the
strengths
of Legend of the Storm Sneezer lies
in a sense of humor which permeates discoveries and revelations,
injecting a
fine degree of fun into the young peoples' explorations: "Hey!
What the—whoa.” Aiden picked up the rock.“Seph, look at
this! Is that—?” “Dried ectoplasm.” Sephone whipped out I Look Like I’ve Seen a Ghost: Memoirs of a Ghost
Hunter and
rifled through the pages. “White, crusty, it matches the description,
but … well,
it could be bird poop for all we know.”
Curses and
murders,
ghosts and graveyards, time travel, and wry observations of Rose's
ability to
redefine her world create a story that is lively and filled with
satisfying
insights and analyses: "Rose considered
herself something of an expert in heads that weren’t screwed on right,
and at
present, Sephone’s was as crooked as they come."
Charged with
saving
her world, Rose wonders if she can even save herself, given the
onslaught of
information and the accompanying puzzles and conundrums they raise.
While
readers of Legend of the Storm Sneezer
are
identified as 4-6 graders, older readers several age brackets above
this will
find the story especially accessible and fascinating reading. It's a
delightful, whimsical production that keeps the preteen thoroughly
engaged in a
story about growing up, solving dilemmas, and growing into one's powers.
Return to Index
Love Lottery
Leigha Huggins
Love Hugs and Books,
LLC
9781734202977
www.lovehugsandbooks.com
Love Lottery features lovely drawings by
Melanie Darling as it
explores the basic love, happiness and joy of daily living, and is the
perfect
picture book of choice for read-aloud for parents who want to create a
positive
perspective on life for young listeners.
A light
rhyme bounces
through these concepts and adds a lilting sense of language and
exploration as Love Lottery opens
with a life-affirming
admonition: "Believing in love and
light,/desiring all that was wrong to be right./Wishing upon the
glittering
sky/with feelings of trust and a tear to my eye."
As the young
narrator
realizes that attitude and welcoming positivity affects her life,
readers
receive an important message about approaching life with heartfelt
beliefs and influencing
it through attitude.
Read-aloud
adults
looking for a beautifully illustrated book encouraging positive
attitude and
approaches to daily living will find much food for thought and
discussion in
this basic reader, designed for youngsters just beginning to discover
the
impact of their attitudes towards life as a mother explores how her
child was
born from love.
Return to Index
Eva Dietrich
Sable Books
978-1731518217
$14.35
Paper/$5.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Mesopo-Eva-Dietrich/dp/1731518218
MESOPO
reaches
middle-grade fantasy readers with a mesmerizing story celebrating words
and
language, using Eva Dietrich's own special brand of captivating
description to
draw young readers in from the very first paragraph: "An
angry autumn wind blew across the hedges of the Gulzar Estate
at number one Lexington Road. The wind grew stronger and the hedges
seemed
ready to take off. Outside, clouds heavy with rain were ready to burst
at any moment.
Only the majestic, snow-white turrets of the Gulzar Estate itself
seemed
unaffected by the storm. Inside the house, and equally angry, Ankido
Gulzar, a
twelve-year-old British-Iraqi boy, woke to the dull and grey November
morning.
The discovery of a book, a
box, and another world leads
Ankido on a journey to the magical land of Mesopo to find his missing
father.
But there are even bigger issues at stake that lead him through
disturbing
words, the fate of a dying land that stands at a crossroads between two
worlds,
and the notion that words can save or destroy.
In Mesopo, words are
vanishing and taking with them the
light of the world. Ankido wants to help, but as he looks for hidden
clues in
letters, faces demons who suck words and life from their victims, and
confronts
the fact that his own spoken words may not be enough to heal this
world,
readers embark on an engrossing journey that celebrates a threatened
language.
Can words make an adversary
weaker, even as they hold the
potential to heal?
As Ankido navigates this
strange world and summons his
word powers, young readers receive a gentle series of insights about
language
and its importance, couched in a fantasy adventure that is atmospheric,
well
drawn, and involving.
Middle grade fantasy readers
will appreciate MESOPO as a
powerfully different quest story that ultimately fosters a newfound
appreciation for words, language, and the lasting consequences of
difficult
choices even when they are based on courage and a desire to help. Mesopo
seems to be loosely based on ancient
Mesopotamia, hence the name.
MESOPO is highly recommended
as a fantasy adventure with
an important literary message.
Return to Index
Raccoon
Retreat
Christa M. Miller
Christa M. Miller
Communications LLC
978-1-7346363-9-0
$12.99
Website: https://livingwildsidebyside.com/raccoon-retreat/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Raccoon-Retreat-Living-Wild-Side-ebook/dp/B0878T618B
Raccoon
Retreat—Book 2 in the
Living Wild Side by Side
series, and the sequel to Raccoon
Rescue—is illustrated
by
Christian Barratt, and tells of the challenges faced by raccoon
siblings Roxy,
Rufus, and Renae when their habitat is destroyed and they are forced to
look
for a new home in a strange new world.
Themes of
loss,
adaptation, survival, hope, and building a better life from the
shambles of the
old could not arrive at a better time for advanced elementary to early
middle
grade readers as they absorb the underlying dilemmas and messages in Raccoon Retreat.
Black and
white line
drawings invite coloring and add interest to this story as the young
raccoons
face many dangers. Interactions between humans and raccoons teach both
about
the different lives, needs, and actions of the other in a warm story
powered by
the young raccoons' viewpoints of life and its revised purposes.
The
observations and
sometimes ironic insights these raccoons hold about puzzling human
behaviors
and habits is particularly delightful: "Maybe
humans den together when it storms, just like we do,” Roxy said."
Kids with
good
reading skills who are beyond the picture book age but not too old to
appreciate lovely black and white line drawings and their coloring
potential
will relish the ecological message, warm personalities, and
interactions
between humans and raccoons that lends Raccoon
Retreat an excellent ecological spin.
Return to Index
Tavi Tales
Lisa Richman and Tavi
Richman
Independently
Published
978-0-578-66822-2
$12.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
Author Website: www.lkrichman.weebly.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Tavi-Tails-Through-Master-Trainer-ebook/dp/B087C58L9H
Tavi Tales - The Diary of a Dog contains
the fictional observations
of Tavi Richman, a puppy who observes his world and grows familiar with
human
affairs and the sometimes-puzzling courses of life.
One might
expect a
playful, fun approach given the age of the 'narrator' and his canine
origins,
but Tavi's story opens with a loss he can't quite comprehend,
introducing
readers of all ages to the process of grief which Tavi finds difficult
to
accept or understand: "Today I
discovered there is a different kind of Sad. I learned about Sad when I
was a
puppy, when we could not go out adventuring, and Sad when my mom was
sick, and
I had to snuggle close until she felt better, but today I learned there
is a
kind of Sad I cannot fix. My mom brought this Sad home with her from
school,
and even though she smiled when she said hello to us, it was not enough
to
touch that Sad, not even a little bit."
As the
stories
progress, readers receive a delightful set of life lessons and
experiences from
a growing dog's viewpoint of dog and human affairs. This collection of
tales
romps through such events with a blend of candid canine insights ("Mostly, I think my humans are smart, but
sometimes a puppy has to wonder.") and dog photos sprinkled
throughout.
From
handling
different friendships and obedience school demands to ongoing insights
into
special events, holidays, and relationships, Tavi's choice observations
and
discoveries, narrated in the first person, offer advanced
elementary-level
through adult readers a whimsical flare and approach that is
delightful: "Time for Happy New Year, Tavi,”
my mom
said, ruffling my ears. I looked around, but it looked like it always
does.
Nothing at all that could be Happy New Year, even though I heard the
neighbors
call it out as we headed inside. It is a good thing I am a very patient
puppy,
because whatever that Happy New Year was, it was taking a long time to
get here."
Parents
looking for
appropriate family life discussions from a different vantage point will
find
Tavi's lessons and revelations a wonderful blend of humor and life
experience,
offering starting points for fun family discussions.
Return to Index
Think
Outside the Box
Justine Avery &
Liuba Syrotiuk
Suteki Creative
9781948124577
$14.95
Hardcover/$7.95 Paper/$1.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Think-Outside-Box-Justine-Avery/dp/1948124580
'Think
outside the
box' is a common admonition when one is stymied about life's puzzles,
but how
many books take the time to explain the process of doing so; much less
how a
young person should approach this idea at an early age?
Justine
Avery &
Liuba Syrotiuk's picture book is just the ticket for kids navigating "...a world filled with rules/Where
there are so many different options,/When you need to find your own
way...".
From a solid
definition of the concept ("Thinking
outside the box is like coloring outside the lines—on purpose.")
to
the mechanics of how to conduct purposeful creative thinking, young
kids are
encouraged to visualize and approach problems with a different skill
set than
logic alone.
The lively
and fun
visuals illustrating this difficult, ethereal concept lend to a story
that will
best be enjoyed by read-aloud parents and kids together.
This picture
book
proves that creative thinking can begin at an early age, with just a
little
guidance from an adult and a fun approach like that encouraged by Think Outside the Box.
Return to Index
This Book
Wants to
Make You Laugh
Justine Avery and
Daria Yudina
Suteki Creative
978-1948124539
$.99 Kindle/$14.95
Hardcover/$7.95 Paperback
https://www.amazon.com/This-Book-Wants-Laugh-Living/dp/194812453X
This Book Wants to Make You Laugh is Book
2 of the 'Living Book'
series of picture books that features the perspective of a book that
interacts
with young readers in a personal way.
It's filled
with
jokes and fun, like many children's humor books—but this book has a
"super
secret plan" for its young readers. As the book admonishes this
audience
to turn pages and keep reading and chuckling, any adults along for the
read-aloud experience will find these encounters refreshingly original
and
delightful...certainly more so than the usual children's joke book.
Youngsters
embark on
some creative guesswork to uncover the purpose of the book's secret
promise.
What's this book's intention? Shhh-it's a secret which keeps youngsters
engaged
to the end.
The
interactions with
'the book' create a whimsical opportunity to laugh and enjoy. These,
and the
lovely, whimsical, fun-filled drawings by Russian artist Daria Yudina,
provide
the perfect visual accompaniment to a lively tale of laughter perfect
for adult
and child interactions.
Return to Index
What Color is My Hijab?
Hudda Ibrahim
Beaver's Pond Press
978-1-64343-920-4 $17.95
www.BeaversPondPress.com
What Color is My
Hijab? is about learning
colors as well as Muslim traditions, emphasizing both with lovely color
illustrations by Meenal Patel that pair beautifully with Hudda
Ibrahim's
celebration of hijab headware (scarf).
Picture book readers will
appreciate this lively
perspective: "Hijab is the crown/I wear every day./It
is worn many
ways,/and it comes in every color."
As the young narrator
recounts the various intelligent,
skilled women who wear the hijab—engineers, athletes, and stylish
models among them—she draws associations
between hijab choices
and the messages they impart to others as well as the strength they
lend to her
world.
As the young narrator
decides what hijab she
will wear that day and what message it will impart, readers receive a
colorful
and thought-provoking series of insights into what a hijab means and
why so
many Muslim women wear one proudly.
Any picture book collection
seeking to expand
cross-cultural insights and communication will relish this simple,
uplifting
exploration.
Return to Index
Who's First?: Chicken
and Egg Book 1
Deborah Stevenson
Frog Prince Books
978-1-7325410-3-0 $11.95
Paperback, $2.99 Kindle eBook
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UR0Q4O
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whos-first-deborah-stevenson/1136615096?ean=9781732541030
Publisher Website (and ordering for signed copies): www.FrogPrinceBooks.net
Who's First?: Chicken and Egg Book 1
receives fine illustrations by
David Stedmond as it tells of friends Chicken and Egg, who are
sweltering in a
heat wave. Each anticipates being cooked if they don't do something
soon, so a
visit to the local ice cream shop seems the perfect antidote to too
much heat.
The problem
arises
from an ironic place: both are too polite to enter the ice cream parlor
first.
What can be done to decide who enters?
A series of
tests
takes place out in the heat, but the outcomes range from woefully
inconclusive
to comically hazardous. When the winner finally is declared,
yet another
problem emerges and demands the two join forces to solve it.
Who's First? offers young readers an
exploration of friendly
competition, issues of fairness, and the kinds of social interactions
that
don't always result in a clear path of resolution.
Kids will
find this
story whimsical and fun, while read-aloud parents will appreciate the
opportunity to discuss issues of give-and-take in friendship, creative
problem-solving strategies, and more.
The drawings
are
excellent embellishments to a tale that is warm and friendly in tone,
and which
holds important lessons about the sometimes-surprisingly-complex topic
of
cooperation.
Book 2 in
the series,
Why Did Chicken Cross the Road? will be out this
fall.
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