March 2018 Review Issue
Denver
Moon: The Minds of Mars Denver
Moon: The Minds of Mars is noir
sci-fi at its best, set on Mars in a future where artificial
intelligence and
human aspirations clash in a surprising manner. What is 'sci-fi noir'?
Take the
hardboiled detective and place her in a futuristic setting and you have
the
basic elements of a combination of gumshoe investigation and high-tech
futuristic challenges that make up an especially spicy, engrossing
mystery. Denver
Moon's opening prologue sets the
fast pace and riveting mystery by portraying a mysterious trapped man
who can't
remember how he came to Mars and awakened to a stark stone room with a
desolate
landscape above him. As
he survives on freeze-dried rations and faces isolation and possible
death, he
comes to accept the fact that he's been marooned and will die when his
food
runs out. The
problem is: death doesn't offer a way out of his dilemma. Instead, air
drops of
food keep him supplied and isolated. The
third-person opener changes characters in chapter one to a first-person
observational as Denver, a female PI, faces a crime scene "Vivid enough to provide for
several lifetimes
worth of nightmares." A
big puzzle emerges from these foundations, and Denver just keeps
sticking her
nose further into trouble and into a simmering war between bots and
humans, a
fluid situations that began when her grandfather was stranded on Mars,
and a
series of messages that pushes Denver to probe why her grandfather
archived her
memory for her to find, and why this mystery still holds vast
implications for
human and AI futures. Vivid
descriptions, powerful sci-fi settings and mysteries, social issues and
the
implications for AI and human intelligence, and murder involving bots
and human
plots make for a fast-paced, riveting story filled with tense twists
and turns
that will keep readers guessing up to the end. Pair
a multifaceted noir mystery with a Martian setting and add the complex
politics
and social issues surrounding bots and their evolution and connections
to
humans for a powerful story that is hard to put down and highly
recommended for
mystery and sci-fi fans alike.
Warren Hammond and Joshua Viola
Hex Publishers
978-0-9986667-2-3 (print) $9.48
Paper/16.62 Hardcover
978-0-9986667-3-0 (ebook) $4.99
www.hexpublishers.com
Return to Index
His True and "Unveiled" Face! A
Personal Search and Perspective
Charles Anemelu (Rev. Fr.)
Lumen Educational Publications
978-1-941065-43-3(
Paperback)
$27.73
978-1-941065-44-0 (ebook)
$ 9.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079HTDW51
His
True and
"Unveiled" Face! A Personal Search and Perspective represents a spiritual and personal search
for the literal and religious 'face' of Christ and its meaning in human
lives,
and is a strong recommendation for Christian thinkers who would more
closely
examine the ideals and images of Christ in their lives.
Social media is only the latest way images
of Christ are depicted and translated into everyday lives. Such media
expanded
traditional portraits into artistic realms, resulting in revitalized
and
different renditions; many of which posed much food for thought.
Given the extent of artistic license, beauty
and especially accuracy are not necessarily the end goals of such
imagery.
Neither are they necessarily measurably accurate. When Father Charles
Anemelu closely
examined even the most disturbing alternative depictions of Christ,
considering
how these images influenced and affected his faith and his personal
vision of
Christ both as an image and spiritually, he evolved a response to such
reflections: that the "...conviction that a diligent,
systematic,
transparent, and analytical scan of relevant pages of the Holy
Scripture, as
well as the use of available information on related subjects, might
provide a
deep insight into what, perhaps, was previously “unknown” as much as
bring up
what deserves further attention and comprehension."
His
True and
"Unveiled" Face! A Personal Search and Perspective represents that reflective journey and
takes religious readers under its wing for a studied, Scripture-based
examination of the fundamentals of the human nature of Christ and his
portrayal
on different levels, providing in-depth research on what the living
Word of God
actually looked like.
Chapters closely examine assumptions about
Christ's identity, from genealogical influences on personal appearance
to pre-
and post-Baptismal clues from the Bible, images of Christ as both
ever-suffering and content (even cheerful), and the results of forensic
anthropology as the extent of Christ's different portraits are
considered.
In the process of examining physical
possibilities, artistic license, spiritual perceptions, Biblical and
scientific
depictions, and a history of the changing depictions of Jesus through
the ages,
Anemelu provides a studied, scholarly, yet accessible discourse that
invites
reflection on far more than Christ's physical incarnation.
A key thread to understanding this
analytical process is actually presented not in the conclusion, but as
a
guideline right from the start: "All that we have in images,
pictures,
icons, portraits, and sculptures are only imperfect representations of
Christ.
The Lord, probably — and this speculation is my own — hid what he truly
looked
like in the flesh from this generation and earlier generations, at
least from
the time of his glorious ascension till this day, so that we all could
continue
searching for his “true face” as a personal, theological, and, above
all,
spiritual experience."
Ultimately, the real search for what Jesus
might have looked like should not be limited to historical,
genealogical, or
scientific approaches; but should embrace the wider content of
spiritual
influence, uniquely personal appearances (and, thus, their widely
differing
artistic perceptions); and the quest for Christ's authentic, unique
face as it
relates to deeper religious understanding.
Too few religious inspections that begin
with a personal quest ever succeed in branching out into well-studied,
research-supported arenas; but Father Charles Anemelu's treatise
achieves just
that, and is especially recommended for Bible students who would ponder
just
one of the ironies and inconsistencies involved in a deeper search for
God and
Christ in everyday human affairs.
Return to Index
August Murder
T. Miranda
T. Miranda, Publisher
978-1973414384
$11.47
http://a.co/9QDquPd
August Murder creates a fast-paced
thriller about terrorism,
murder, politics, and one man who doesn't believe the report of events
surrounding his son's death in Puerto Rico, and who assembles a posse
of
lawyers and investigators to uncover the truth.
The story is
actually
based on real life - there was such an event in Puerto Rico. Two young
men were
murdered by police agents on one of the country’s mountains, and said
agents
were later detained at the insistence of the Puerto Rico Legislature,
investigated, tried, and found guilty of police wrongdoing (despite
other
probes that exonerated them, conducted by the FBI and police agencies).
Although August Murder is loosely based on these
events, it adds drama, thriller elements, and suspense to wind Puerto
Rico's
real-world culture and history into the true story.
The
underlying focus
on political investigations and a web of intrigue and conspiracy,
combined with
a heavy dose of Puerto Rican politics and cultural insights, lends to a
creation which serves to both entertain and enlighten.
It takes a
talented
hand to wind nonfiction facts into a fictional mystery, grapple with a
myriad
of characters which prove compelling and recognizable in their own
rights
through the story line, and maintain a flow of action and drama that
easily
holds reader attention.
August Murder succeeds in all these
aspects, and is a compelling
saga of conflicting evidence and motivations for murder, crafting an
especially
astute eye to capturing Puerto Rican daily lives and experiences: "Mr. Miller, policemen in Puerto Rico don’t
make a lot of money. The average salary for a police officer is around
$30,000,
about the same as the average salary for a teacher. For that kind of
money,
they risk their lives in dangerous places. They have to deal with young
delinquents in the projects who may make $30,000 in one week, and who
are much
better armed than any policeman. It’s amazing that more of them are not
taking
money to look the other way or do worse."
T. Miranda's
ability
to take a real-world scandal and use its details to enlighten readers
about the
underlying culture, social issues, and political pressures in Puerto
Rico
contributes to an outstanding thriller especially recommended for
modern
readers who would gain a sense of the island's processes and peoples.
Return to Index
The
Blasphemy Law
Salman Shami
Shami Books
978-0648230205
Paperback: $24.33 (discounted
to 16.73 on Amazon)
ebook: $5.99 (discounted
to $4.07)
Website: http://salmanshami.com
Ordering
link: https://www.amazon.com/Blasphemy-Law-Salman-Shami/dp/0648230201/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515464689&sr=8-2&keywords=the+blasphemy+law
The Blasphemy Law is set in Pakistan, a
country posed on the brink
of political and social transformation (or danger, depending on
perspective),
and tells of an Australian solar engineer who runs into trouble when a
ruthless
landowner involves a terrorist group in framing her for blasphemy. But
it's not
enough for Jane to face imprisonment and death: her family, too, is
targeted;
and this embroils them in a life and death struggle between good and
evil.
One of the
special
features of the story lies in Salman Shami's ability to bring
Pakistan's
environment and culture to life. From daily village activities ("Jane breathed in the earthy smells of
freshly tilled fields, cow dung fires and boiling chai.
The chirping of birds mixed with the gentle hubbub of
early risers, people conversing in quiet, polite tones. Women were
making
flatbread and churning lassi for
workers heading out into the fields. The village was gently waking from
its
peaceful slumber.") to terrorist movements and actions, those
who
would help Jane are pitted against professionals who would exact
revenge.
Whether it's
obsessive assassins, ambushes and confrontations, or a series of close
encounters
with tenacious military intelligence agents, The
Blasphemy Law is replete with political and social strife and
terrorist cat-and-mouse games that keep thriller readers involved and
immersed
in the conundrums of all involved. The well-written plot, strong
characterization, and logical progression of events keeps action
fast-paced and
readers on the edges of their seats.
Shami's
ability to
get inside the hearts and minds of all his characters keeps the story
fast-paced and filled with insights that lend authenticity to
motivations and
special interests: "Fazal yawned.
What did the major think he was going to learn by letting these
foreigners run
free. It was obvious they were going to Karachi. He could think of only
one
reason why that was the case. Karachi was the favourite route for
people-smugglers. If he wanted a publicly known figure to leave the
country
that is the way he would have chosen as well. He was no longer
following the
spy movie on TV. It had become needlessly complicated. Life was rarely
ever
like that."
The result
is a
thriller that brings its readers right onto the soil and perceptions of
the
Pakistani people of all walks. It pairs high-octane action with
gripping
suspense to keep readers on edge until the final, unpredictable
conclusion,
which cunningly leaves the door open for more while deftly finishing
the
adventure at hand.
Return to Index
Blind Eye
Meg Lelvis
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68433-009-6
$18.95
www.meglelvis.com
Blind Eye opens with a beloved nun's
murder, but when another body
turns up holding a similar Bible verse, Jack Bailey realizes he has a
serial
killer on his hands - and the timing couldn't be worse for
investigating the
case. Jack's abrasive female sergeant poses an unrelenting challenge to
his
expertise and authority, and his work life is complicated by family
matters.
Jack's track
record
with women is 'dismal' and he's not looking for a relationship; but
somehow one
enters the picture. Will he ever find a woman after the love of his
life was
lost twelve years ago? After
three
murders, the killer’s motive assumes a personal form, and with this
knowledge
comes the certainty that he's missing something big.
Meg Lelvis's ability to weave recovery attempts into
a bigger picture—embracing a detective's job and his perceptions of the
greater
world and his place in it—makes for a compelling investigative piece
that pulls
no punches.
Besides
Jack, other
quirky characters round out the story: his partner, Sherk, quotes
Shakespeare;
his mother, Maureen, fancies herself as Maureen O’Hara; the office
computer
geek; and many more relatable folks who appear as the story progresses.
Readers
familiar with Chicago will appreciate the references to both Mayor
Daleys and the
city's iconic scenes.
Mystery
readers who
look for more depth and personal involvement from their detective
protagonists
will find Jack's ongoing relationship issues with his mother and
family, his
PTSD, his dreams and nightmares, and his professional challenges to be
equally
compelling. At first these threads assume the pieces of a jigsaw
puzzle; but as
seemingly disparate elements draw together, readers receive a powerful
and
magnetic result that proves hard to put down, replete in themes of
betrayal
and, ultimately, redemption on many unexpected levels.
Blind Eye is highly recommended for
mystery enthusiasts who also
like their stories well grounded in a sense of place and personal
struggle as
characters confront their blind eyes and uncover new ways of seeing.
Return to Index
Defiant Souls
Kathleen Chadwick
Black Rose Writing
9781612969411
$18.95 Paper, $4.99
Kindle; $23.95 Hardcover
www.blackrosewriting.com
Defiant Souls tells of young aspiring
archaeologist Kyle, who
eagerly accepts his aunt's invitation to spend the summer with her with
its
opportunity to go caving and search for relics.
He didn't
expect to
face a madman, evil, and a cache of imprisoned people struggling for
their
lives; but Kyle finds he's walked into another world far beyond that of
tracking down relics - one which portends a deadly future if he can't
stop an
evil force's rise.
It's
difficult to
easily identify the audience for Defiant
Souls. While the protagonist is a young adult, those around
him are adults
who are caught up in a web of horror. His Aunt Cindy treats him as an
equal
early on, inviting him to drop the 'Aunt' and just call her by her
first name,
and as soon as they hit the desert they encounter evil men who imprison
them.
All this places Defiant Souls in
the
arena of mature teen to adult audiences who will appreciate the
creeping terror
and tone of a supernatural horror thriller that jumps right into the
occult
after sketching a setting that explains Kyle's purpose and life up to
that
point.
Graphic (yet
appropriate) descriptions of this evil force and those who are killed
under its
influence also place the audience of this occult read well beyond the
young
adult and into the circles of adults who enjoyed Indiana Jones-style
intrigue
paired with fast-paced action. These
readers will find Kyle's youth does not indicate a teen read.
Can one
inexperienced
young man stand between Satan and the rise of a powerful force in the
world? As
Kyle unearths more clues, from a diary to relics that indicate evil's
long
history, he finds he must prevent a transformation that joins two
disparate
entities into one powerful force. His youth is on his side: he's
treated like a
kid, when in actuality he's growing into being a formidable opposition,
himself.
With its
fast-paced
action, cast of characters ranging from the youthful, impulsive Kyle to
his
aunt, Jack, Damon, and others caught in the growing web of evil and its
explosive confrontations, Defiant Souls
will be thoroughly enjoyed by horror fans who will appreciate its
progressive
evolution, twists of plot, and the journey of a young adult to manhood
against
impossible odds.
Return to Index
Foreign
Threat
Mitch Goldstein
Elevation Book
Publishing
978-1-943904-13-6 (hc)
$24.95
978-1-943904-15-0 (pb)
$16.95
http://a.co/fK1KNfn
Foreign Threat is a medical espionage
thriller with a touch of
something different, winding a romance into the bigger picture of a
young
medical intern caught up in circumstances far greater than the
professional
circles he's training for. It's a winning pick for thriller readers
looking for
more personal touches than the typical Robin Cook-style read.
Steve always
knew
he'd be a doctor, just like his father. His experience as an intern
leads him
in the direction of becoming a surgeon, but a blossoming romance in his
personal life may become his greatest accomplishment yet.
However, a
clever
foreign operative is at work behind the scenes, locating interns who
badly need
money and are less likely to ask questions about dubious ethics.
Combine the
egotistical residents Jake and Sally with the aspiring Steve and there
are more
than enough reasons why a would-be physician finds his career and
morals going
astray.
Unlike
Cook's
thrillers, Mitch Goldstein's Foreign
Threat centers as much upon rookie interns and their learning
processes and
relationships to one another as the evolving plot that targets them as
possible
partners in a wide-ranging collusion scheme.
As Steve's
relationship with Erica evolves, so do his talents in the medical field
and a
conundrum that involves Middle Eastern operatives on a deadly mission
in the
U.S.
Readers
might not
anticipate the broader implication of Steve's growth process, but
within the
guise of an international spy story and a situation that immerses the
medical
community is the vivid tale of a young man's interactions with the CIA
and a
chance encounter with a foreigner that changes everything. The ordeal
he faces
involves payoffs, promises of a life in paradise, and ill-construed
decisions
that hold dark consequences for all.
Replete with
romance,
individual and professional choices, and dark intrigue, Foreign
Threat's deeper attention to evolving personal and
professional relationships and moral and ethical challenges will
delight
readers who enjoy medical thrillers and international intrigue with
more of
focus on interpersonal relationships and romance than most; all
centered around
Steve Carmichael's challenging internship and a blossoming career that
leads
him on an unexpected journey alien to everything he's aspired to in his
life.
Return to Index
Craig N. Hooper
Endeavour Press
ASIN: B078WYDBV1
$3.99
www.amazon.com
The Greatest Good is a powerful suspense
thriller that opens with
Agent Garrison Chase's lie and the reasons behind his questionable
actions,
quickly revealing that he's on suspension from his job. His specialty
was
cybercrimes, but what happens when he lies about an intruder's break-in
involves
far more personal than professional challenges when he faces the
possibility of
losing a new job he is slated to begin that day, and thus losing
custody of his
son.
One
first-rate
feature of The Greatest Good lies
how
it builds its story while leaving readers guessing at various points.
This
approach begins as early as the end of the first chapter, when a police
station
interrogation session leads Chase to see something in his own house
that he
hadn't expected.
As
cliffhangers are
explained in evolving scenes, they succeed in creating a jigsaw puzzle
effect
in which a myriad of seemingly disparate pieces are created and then
begin to
fall into place.
Chase's
puzzles
become the reader's scenarios of intrigue and keep interest levels high
and
attention riveted to details as the story unfolds, revealing that Chase
has a
lot to lose no matter what his investigations uncover or how good (or
bad) his
choices become.
As The Greatest Good develops, a perp with
a penchant for explosives and a kid Agent Chase is charged with
protecting, who
is scheduled to die, become the centerpieces in a powerful
cat-and-mouse game
in which Agent Chase struggles to keep everyone safe around him,
against all
odds.
Can a man
who made
his former living as a spy adequately pinpoint the motivations and
purposes of
the governor's son, Stanley Tuchek? Can one liar see through the lies
of
another? And how can he make the best choices for himself, his son
Stanley, and
national security interests alike?
Something
has to be
sacrificed for the greater good, and as readers are treated to a
breathtaking
hop through close encounters with death and special interest forces,
Agent
Chase lives up to his name and the rigors of his duty in a vivid
thriller that
will keep readers guessing right up to a conclusion, which embraces an
ethical
conundrum.
The Greatest Good represents everything a
suspense reader could
desire from the thriller format: strong characterization, swift action,
and an
approach that takes time to build its setting, motive, and
personalities as it
tiptoes through murders, terrorist interests, corruption, and a good
agent's
desperate attempts to do the right thing. Genre readers will find The Greatest Good a powerful read that
stands out from the crowd.
Return to Index
Gypsy Blood
Jeff Gunhus
Seven Guns Press
978-0998217772
$12.95
www.JeffGunhus.com
Gypsy Blood represents horror writing at
its most chilling and
begins when Corbin, a struggling writer living in Paris, witnesses a
brutal
attack on an old gypsy man by three knife-wielding thugs. The old man
dies in
his arms, but his legacy lives on when Corbin discovers that the
gypsy's soul
has entered his body and is intent in punishing his killers, using
Corbin's
body as its vehicle.
Before this
encounter,
Corbin was in limbo, producing a notebook filled with anything but the
writing
his publisher has been pressuring him to produce for his next novel. He never thought he'd
become mired in the
French justice system's pursuit of a lunatic killer, and never imagined
he
would be challenged with newfound self-awareness, self loathing, and
possible
death influenced by Margot, the mysterious woman who somehow is
involved in
everything that swirls around him.
As he
becomes
immersed in ancient rituals and a tortured dead man who has become a
living
entity, the mysterious Tacho R'asa and their capacity for bringing back
the
dead, and a relentless new voice in his head that drives him to kill,
Corbin
finds that everything he's taken for granted in the world, including
its
reality, is changing.
Readers are
swept
into the rising horror of a writer who finds that Paris harbors some
deadly
secrets, and who inadvertently finds himself swept into the heart of
these
affairs through chance encounters with a woman, assassins, and an old
gypsy's
powers.
Those
seeking a
gripping thriller/horror blend which excels in scenes of terror and
transformation, and who like their horror stories steeped in blood and
long-buried physical and psychological skeletons, will relish the
fast-paced
progression and twists of Gypsy Blood
and a character whose innocuous life becomes an exercise in surviving
supernatural forces well outside his experience and comfort zone.
Return to Index
Murder at Venegoni’s
Chris M. Rutledge
CreateSpace
978-1537377957
$13.99 Paper; $9.99 Kindle
Available: Amazon, iBooks, Barnes
& Noble
Giuseppe
Joseph
Venegoni never wanted to be Don of his family dynasty. He's perfectly
happy
living a plush lifestyle, and doesn't really harbor a desire for
revenge when
tragedy seems to require such an impulse.
Unfortunately,
his
family loyalties and ties seem to demand it, and exact a price from him
that may
be at odds with what he truly values in the lifestyle he's both
inherited and
built.
While murder
lies at
the heart of matters, Murder at
Venegoni's is also about the price to be paid for loyalty
when a seemingly
simple matter of armed robbery at the Venegoni Wine & Spirits
liquor store
results in a convoluted and changed set of relationships in the
Venegoni
family.
Also central
to
unfolding events is a probe of differing purposes, motivations, and the
yin/yang of family operations and connections that subtly embrace even
the
lowest of workers in the complex structures fostered by the Venegonis: "Although they are highly trained culinary
experts, they are also highly trained killers and criminals."
Small
references to
changed lives and multiple skill sets create a story where nothing is a
simple
matter, whether it be exacting vengeance for murder, taking one's place
as head
of a powerful Italian family, dealing with loyal assassins and the
process of
severing connections and stopping ongoing wars, and encounters that
involve
even the Pope.
There is
nothing
circumspect or small about this murder: its impact just keeps
expanding,
embracing conflict and confrontation at the highest levels of Italian
society.
Overseeing matters is an uncertain warrior and reluctant hero who
directs the
Graziano War and struggles to keep personal secrets separate from the
evolving
conflict.
Readers
should
anticipate graphic descriptions of murders, foul language realistically
sprinkled throughout the encounters (not overdone; but present), and an
attention to political and psychological detail that makes for a
satisfyingly
complex and realistic story line.
The story
line takes a Godfather theme and
elevates it a step
further, carefully inspecting underlying motives, family relationships
that
entwine with political factors, and issues of succession and personal
conflict.
These psychological nuances are deeply explored, probing the boundaries
between
personal and political associations - and this is just one strength of Murder at Venegoni's: its ability to
move beyond events surrounding conspiracy and murder to link deeply
held
beliefs with family ties and the clash of motivations. While this may
surprise
those who thought they were entering a murder mystery alone (or a mafia
story
of action-packed conflict), the psychological depth is an added and
unexpected
bonus.
Fans of The Godfather and similar titles who
enjoy stories of high-level, powerful Italian families and
personalities will
relish this fast-paced, involving thriller that ultimately centers as
much upon
one powerful man's choices as a murder that involves everyone in an
endless war
that may prove unstoppable.
Return to Index
Ninety
Million and
Change
Stan Freeman
Hampshire House
Publishing Co.
978-0-9893333-7-5 $15.95
paperback, $3.99
ebook
www.hampshirehousepub.com
Many may
imagine
themselves the winner of a lotto jackpot; but when one struggling young
couple
finds they hold the winning ticket to a fortune, their lives change -
and not
necessarily for the better, because money doesn't always solve
everything.
Readers may
anticipate the unfolding of this life-changing game, but what they
won't
anticipate is a powerful story of mystery, love, and a process that
takes Karen
and Ron LaFrancis far from their difficult yet familiar blue-collar
financial
struggles and into a world of the affluent that they are ill prepared
to
handle.
From
questions of who
are friends and who are enemies in the face of newly acquired wealth
beyond
imagination to underlying distain for the privileged class, reflected
in
messages as subtle as clothing choice, and a newfound realization that
they are
wealthy, readers grow along with the couple and come to understand
other
players in the social game they've entered.
In some
ways, Ninety Million and Change is
fairly
straightforward and unsurprising; but one doesn't anticipate the
underlying
mystery that takes center stage, and events that transpire certainly
don't
offer a degree of predictability that would lead a reader to ennui.
From the
underlying messages involved in how the couple chooses to handle such a
fortune
and the changed relationships that stem from it to bigger pictures
about the
impact of these choices ("America,
it’s …Look, when people have big houses, it gives everyone else
something to
shoot for. Everyone tries to find a way to make money to live in places
like
this, to take vacations in Europe, to own a big car, so they
work hard. Wealth is what makes America run."),
readers are given
plenty to think about as they follow Ron and Karen's growth.
Even more
importantly, Ninety Million and Change
is about a future with and without things as basic as children, and
it's these
underlying social messages that place the story on a much deeper level
than a
get-rich-quick saga: "You've been a
one percenter since the day you were born,” Shelley said. “And how’s
that? We
were poor teachers,” Karen said. “One percenters in the world. Just about everyone in America
with a job is.” “That
can’t be true,” said Ron. Challenged, Shelley whipped out her iPhone. A
few
taps on Google and the answer was on her screen. She held up the proof
for
everyone to see. “There. Thirty-four thousand a year and you’re a
global one
percenter,” Shelley said. “So whatever terrible shame you feel now, you
should
have been feeling it back when you were a teacher – but you weren’t,
were you?
You shouldn’t be feeling it now either. It’s how life is. Rich people,
poor
people. It’s the reality. It always has been.”
Sometimes
it's hard
to see how educated teachers Ron and Karen could have been oblivious to
some of
the economic and social realities of the world which are revealed to
them only
after wealth changes their lives. As Carl and Shelley point out what
should be
somewhat obvious and attempt to negate Karen's guilt trips and tendency
to be
self-righteous about her charity work, the story takes a darker turn,
leading
readers down a dangerous road that holds no pat or easy solutions.
Thought-provoking,
intriguing, and revealing, Ninety Million
and Change isn't just a story of newly acquired fortune: it's
a probe into
how one struggling couple reassesses their values and purpose in life
after it
arrives; and what happens when everything goes horribly wrong during
that
process.
Mystery and general novel readers alike will find the story compelling.
Ninety Million and ChangeReturn to Index
Plea for Justice
Liz Lazarus
Mitchell Cove Publishing
978-0-9909374-3-2 $12.95
www.pleaforjustice.com
www.lizlazarus.com
Amazon Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/Plea-Justice-Liz-Lazarus/dp/0990937437/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517510864&sr=8-3&keywords=plea+for+justice
Amazon Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079MFWSYP/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517958095&sr=1-2&keywords=plea+for+justice+by+liz+lazarus
B&N Nook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plea-for-justice-liz-lazarus/1127621387?ean=2940154648346
Plea for Justice presents two viewpoints
that narrate story of
paralegal Jackie Siegel and convicted felon Aaron Slater, who have
evolved from
childhood friendship to find themselves on opposite sides of the legal
system,
as adults. In high school, it was Aaron who abandoned their
relationship, discarding
Jackie without any explanation after graduation.
When Jackie
sees
Aaron (who wouldn't hurt a fly) on television accepting a plea bargain
in a
murder case, she feels compelled to help; even if Aaron may be relying
on their
personal history and her professional status. Jackie finds herself
confronting
not only what was, but what is. Is Aaron just toying with her emotions
in his
time of need to use her skills to gain freedom; or is something more
going on
that requires all her professional capability to solve?
Although
she's drawn
to help Aaron on many levels, Jackie uncovers a series of bizarre
circumstances
that seem to refute not only what he says, but everything she believes
about
justice and the legal system's effectiveness as she embarks on the
oddest
personal and professional journey of her life and career.
Plea for Justice features several unusual
approaches that elevate
its action and premises beyond the usual courtroom drama. One is the
point of
view, which alternates from Jackie's observations and experiences to
the
first-person experiences of "Me," the killer. These two viewpoints,
clearly delineated by chapter headings, deftly probe into the emotions
of each
character and neatly juxtapose the perceptions of each.
Jackie feels
her way
through an emotional jungle ("A
surge of conflicting emotions swelled up in me—overwhelming pity at his
physical diminishment collided with buried anger from his decade-long
betrayal.
But the flash of resentment quickly dissipated and I felt myself back
in high
school, reunited with my long-lost friend...This
was no joking matter and I’m sure reminiscing about high school
brought him no joy. I imagine it was crushing to think about the life
he had
before and the future life that would never be."), while
"Me" plays a dangerous game that revolves around IT savvy and disdain
of women.
Has Aaron
been set
up? Or is he a secret psychopath determined to bring down Jackie's best
efforts? As Jackie's probe reveals strange truths and a dangerous
possibility,
both find that their lives and perceptions of justice and the law
creates a
cat-and-mouse game that focuses on their relationship, throwing out new
challenges and deadly ramifications. Is taking a life just a game?
Readers may
expect
more courtroom drama from this approach, yet Plea
for Justice is more about a paralegal's private investigation
of a case that seems cut-and-dry to the courts, but holds many
unexplored
avenues than it is about courtroom proceedings.
Readers who
like
stories of investigations that hold many unexpected twists and turns
will
relish Plea for Justice, which
tackles entangled emotions past and present, long-hidden secrets, and
the
specter of a perp who has the perfect alibi to excuse his actions.
The blend of
psychological inspection, legal process, and complex, revolving
relationships
is just right in a mystery that percolates with a satisfying blend of
investigative action and thought-provoking revelations from start to
finish.
Return to Index
The Rabbit Skinners
John Eidswick
Independently Published
978-1976755149
$12.99 Print/$4.99
Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Skinners-John-Eidswick/dp/197675514X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1516583110&sr=8-1
FBI agent James Strait was once deemed a
hero for uncovering and stopping a terrorist attack. Sidelined by a
rare
disease and facing a life of disability, the heyday of his
accomplishments
seems to be over - or, is it?
When a nine-year-old vanishes on a lonely
country road and her best friend entreats him to find her, James can't
turn his
back on her pleading, even if his spirit and body are broken. And so he
undertakes a task that initially seems far less demanding than his
higher-profile terrorist encounters of the past; but which soon proves
that
he's neither lost his skills nor faces a dilemma with any easy
resolution.
His investigation places him at odds with
racists in his own hometown. It tears apart everything he knows and
values in
his life, and it ultimately involves a battle with his past,
authorities in
charge, and his own disability.
Having a mystery powered by a former career
investigator sidelined by his physical demise adds an extra dimension
to
proceedings which gives the story line an added dose of personality and
compelling attraction. James isn't just fighting a criminal element;
he's
battling his own restrictions and past - and these facets meld with an
overall
compelling saga filled with satisfying twists and turns of plot
throughout.
James thought that having this diversion
would be therapeutic for him, after so many medical challenges. He's
being
forced out of the FBI, so his efforts in this arena could bring him
renewed
self-worth and confirm that his ability hasn't paled. But as events
unfold and
he begins to believe the wrong man has been fingered for kidnapping the
girl,
he finds himself on a deadly road to face a bigger perp than he'd
initially
envisioned.
Part of what makes The Rabbit Skinners
more than a one-dimensional mystery surrounding a kidnapped child is
that John
Eidswick takes the time to explore small town relationships,
from
infidelity and dubious friendships to the social and political
connections that
make or break a small town's people.
James doesn't operate in a vacuum, and the
atmosphere and special interests of a wide range of characters
contribute to a
compelling and intriguing story of why several children become mired in
adult
affairs. Even more compelling is the story of how he deals with his
disability
and changed status with the FBI and how life events dovetail neatly
with his
ability or inability to recognize the clues that could solve both the
mystery and
his own dilemmas.
Tense, revealing, and replete with different
characters' special interests and evolution, The Rabbit
Skinners
embraces themes of good and evil, courage and fear, prejudice and love,
and an
unexpected touch of romance. Mystery readers will find it a compelling
read
from beginning to end.
Return to Index
Touch of Rain
Teyla Branton
White Star Press
978-1-939203-89-2
$17.95 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
www.whitestarpress.com
A young woman is gone, and there are no
clues as to her disappearance. Only one avenue holds any hope at all:
consulting psychic Autumn Rain, who can read the imprints of emotions
from
objects, and whose skills aid police investigators and conclude
impossible
cases.
Autumn's special skill has always been a
challenge to her because it's not always under her control. She can
read
imprints and events from the most ordinary of circumstances and
objects, so her
psyche is always being flooded with impressions, emotions, and usually
unwanted
insights from the world around her.
Wounded by fears and intense discoveries,
Autumn has "...learned the hard way that some emotions left
imprinted
on random objects were better off undiscovered." But in the
case of
grieving parents and a P.I. investigator who harbors her own mourning
for the
missing, Autumn is drawn into a probe that reveals something much
greater than
personal loss or her own challenging ability, and finds her past and
present
worlds coalescing as she draws closer to a dangerous truth.
Part of what makes this paranormal
investigation account so invigorating is Teyla Branton's attention to
strong
characterization throughout. Not only Autumn but those around her are
given
three-dimensional quality and depth, and this attention to detail and
emotion
builds sympathetic characters readers will empathize with and, in some
case,
even fall in love with.
More than just suspense drives the story
line: there are flavors of intrigue designed to keep readers guessing
up to the
end; but there are also many personal revelations, struggles, changing
perceptions, and twists around Autumn's life that introduces a plethora
of
individuals and their own special interests.
Cruelty and domestic violence, an evolving
romance where Autumn moves beyond her original premises to truly
understand
another's perceptions, a refuge that might be a prison for some, and a
home
people can't leave entwine in an unexpected story that certainly
doesn't move
in predictable directions.
Fueled by characters who are realistic and a
story that is compellingly different, Touch of Rain's
debut of a
paranormal suspense series is not to be missed by any reader who looks
for a
vivid, solid opening act.
Return to Index
The Wingman
David Pepper
St. Helena Press
9781619848719
$15.99/$8.99 Kindle
www.davidpepper.com
The Wingman presents a Jack Sharpe
political thriller as vibrant
and gripping as Sharpe's prior appearance in The
People's House, and opens with a debate in New Hampshire,
where
Jack is moderating a heated discussion between four candidates for
President.
In a
game-changing
moment during the debate, Jack creates the kinds of questions and
conditions
which save the day; but
his ability to
gain an emotional reaction from his audience and a clear viewpoint
beyond
political posturing from his candidates also introduces a conundrum. As
skilled
at reading body language as he is at being a political reporter, he
finds that
the eyes of a ex-military hero who reluctantly tells his war story
indicates
that something is wrong.
Jack never
expected
this subliminal hint of discomfort to lead to a powerful political
investigation into not just one candidate's war experience; but a
series of
encounters. They stem from a civil war within the pentagon and
politicians who
are kidnapped, coerced, threatened, and manipulated in a scenario where
the
forces lean towards resolving conflict through drones and robots.
The changing
nature
of how war is conducted portends a slippery slope to a state of
permanent,
covert warfare; and as Jack Sharpe and fellow reporter Alex Fischer dig
into
the secrets closely held by DroneTech and their brutal scheme, time is
running
out for everyone.
When due
diligence
combines with a nose for troubling truths and a determination to expose
deeply-held corruption, anything can happen - and, it does.
One of the
powerful
facets of The Wingman is that
nothing
is cut-and-dried. Jack believes his investigative skills and his
near-genius
Pentagon insider expert Alex create an outstanding investigative
approach - but
is Jack actually being manipulated and carefully led in predetermined
routes
that veer from the actual truth?
As the story
unfolds,
it becomes less obvious and more uncertain as to what Jack's real
discoveries
are, and how they influence the election process. Mirroring today's
political
puzzle, readers receive clues that keep digressing and moving deeper
and deeper
into a closely-held Pentagon secret.
Adding just
the right
dose of personal perspective, political savvy, tension, and intrigue, The Wingman provides another powerful
Jack Sharpe thriller that stands nicely on its own and supplements and
supports
Pepper's prior Sharpe book. It will engage and absorb readers who look
for
political scenarios that are frighteningly realistic and compellingly
nonstop
in their relentless drive to reveal truths and consequences.
Return to Index
You Only Live Once
Haris Orkin
Imajin Books
Kindle eBook: 978-1-77223-359-9 $4.99
USD
Trade paperback: 978-1-77223-360-5 $15.99 USD
http://www.imajinbooks.com/home/
You
Only Live Once's
opening scene presents what looks like a burglar scenario as Flynn
breaks into
a facility and crawls through ductwork to reach his objective: a room
where a
sleeping young woman awakens to greet him not with terror, but delight.
They
are then discovered - but the hulking nurse on duty isn't a threat,
either.
In the next instant, readers
realize that the seemingly
straightforward opening scene isn't really what's actually happening;
but by
then, they are hooked. You Only Live Once
is a thriller set in Los Angeles; but to call it a 'thriller' alone
would be a
misnomer, because a healthy dose of humor and irony is added to the
action to
create a story about a misfit in search of a mission.
Much like Don Quixote, Flynn
finds himself flailing about
rather than being effective, and the story romps through his
womanizing, his
proclivity for getting into trouble (whether it be bars, beds, or
social circumstances),
and his sad and painful efforts to rescue women, among other things.
Elements of James Bond -
only with an added dose of
incompetence and irony - permeate a story line where James Flynn
cultivates a
kind of fear that makes him "sharp and dangerous" as events carry him
far from Los Angeles to a Moorish castle, whose atmosphere he remarks
on with a
wry sense of humor: "The lair of our
nemesis I imagine,” said Flynn. “Now we’re finally getting somewhere.”
From a secret technology and
threats of torture to
Flynn's unwilling sidekick Dulcie, who finds herself in way over her
head, You Only Live Once's unique
brand of a
bumbling but determined Bond-like figure who has his own way of living
makes
for an engrossing read offering many satisfying twists and turns.
Fans of
thrillers who expect a staid, formula production
will be delighted by the various nuances Haris Orkin brings to the
table as he
introduces a quasi-hero who ultimately faces success despite himself.
Return to Index
Awakening
Billy McCoy
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B079KV9HX9
$7.99
https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Billy-McCoy-ebook/dp/B079KV9HX9/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1518019713&sr=8-7&keywords=billy+mccoy
Many wish to believe they can change the world. Few
can actually achieve this
goal. But much of the applause lies in the effort as much as the
results; and
in this, the protagonist in Awakening
excels. But is the act of attempting such change in itself an indicator
of some
underlying idea that human nature is inherently asleep or tainted; and
that
those who awaken and strive should be considered rarities or
reflections of a
disturbance in the force?
Awakening
might thwart readers who anticipate and seek a linear progression from
their
novels. There is no real 'heroine', no true salvation, and no easy
summation or
an ending where everything wrong is made right and what is obscure
becomes
clear. Like the most intriguing of philosophical reflections, it's
mercurial in
its approach to the traditional trappings of fiction - and that is one
of its
delights.
Readers enter a world where Holly's
altruistic determination to save others is not always a good thing.
But, how
could that be? Does not one of the higher-level pursuits of man involve
an
effort to better not only one's own life; but those of others? And what
happens
when an individual who is persuaded that she can make a big difference
falls
short of her goals?
The story opens with Holly's early years in
a tumultuous family with a warring mother and father who are consumed
by
possessions. Holly hasn't yet had the years or experience to absorb
just one of
the lessons she'll gain from life: "I
hadn’t the slightest idea that those much-vaulted possessions were not
worth a
passing thought, it was all a stinking lie; it was all an illusion of
happiness
and peace. I hadn’t the eyes to see that they were doomed to decay.
Moreover,
my long arduous path to enlightenment would require me to learn from
others and
from the natural world, with a dose of stubborn disobedience and
experiencing
the world for myself."
From the start, Holly has many astute
observations of her world's parameters: "Dad,
the realist saw the world primarily in patterns while Mom, the
dreamer saw the world in terms of immediate appearances." But
as time
inexorably moves forward to bring with it many new ideas not originally
part of
Holly's thought processes, she is persuaded to consider a bigger
purpose for
her life, and pursues this with the same determination she once tapped
to
survive her childhood angst.
As the microcosm of Holly's life evolves to
address and influence the macrocosm of social injustice and the "all
lives
matter" movement, readers are swept into a journey that holds no
boundaries, limitations, or even a logical progression of right and
wrong or a
promise of personal redemption.
Holly's choices move from awakening and
loftier visions to a disturbing series of choices that seem to
subconsciously
mirror her parents' choices and experiences, and readers begin to
realize that
nothing about Awakening is cut and
dried, or easy. Holly's
world is
satisfyingly complex, ever-changing, and not always upward-bound; and
this
mirror of life's actual routes and conundrums is one of the strengths
that
gives Awakening an edge that
shallower reads can't match.
Awakening
was viewed as a work-in-progress: better editing will undoubtedly
smooth
grammatical errors and create a clearer read, correcting the flaws that
pepper
an otherwise-engrossing novel of philosophical and psychological
evolution and social
inspection.
Readers who are interested in characters who
search for the fundamentals of serenity and peace in their lives will
find Awakening is a circumspect and
intriguing read that challenges perceptions and set paths of conflict
resolution, holds no clear bottom line or easy result, and provides a
blend of
philosophical read and social justice inspection that lingers in the
mind long
after its conclusion.
Return to Index
Deep Blue
Kristy McCaffrey
K. McCaffrey LLC
E-book ISBN-13: 978-0-9980907-4-0
$4.99
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-9980907-5-7
$11.99
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2EvkoFC
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/2sb667W
Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/2nLGJ8a
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2ENIvwV
Amazon IN: http://bit.ly/2BirM5l
iBooks: https://apple.co/2EcI8L4
Nook: http://bit.ly/2nUyndQ
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2GZcW40
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2EbV2cr
Print: http://a.co/f8H5qqB
Book 1 in the Pathway series, Deep Blue,
introduces a scenario in which Dr. Grace Mann's long-time close
relationships
with great white sharks attracts the interest of documentary filmmaker
Alec,
who finds himself at first a fan of her beauty and expertise; then a
potential
suitor.
Grace isn't so certain he belongs on her
scientific expedition; nor does she necessarily think his documentary
is a
great idea. Her focus is on the great whites which are her life's work;
not on
relationships, publicity, or romance.
On Alec's part, his attraction is a blend of
fascination for her endeavors, respect, and the sense that, unlike his
former
lovers, Grace is something different ("The picture of her with
a great
white shark may have flooded him with bone deep terror, but it also had
intrigued the hell out of him."). If he can capture her work,
it will
be a professional coup. If he can capture her heart, his life will
change.
And so the two begin their dance ... but
actually, it's a triad, with the great white shark forming the
complicated
third player in their encounters.
One thing to note is that Deep Blue
is not a 'G' rated read: strong language and sexual descriptions are
part of
the story; so circumspect romance readers seeking emotional ties alone
should
look elsewhere.
This is not to say that the novel is overly
racy. It's just realistic in its portrayal of two disparate individuals
who
reach beyond their professions to find connections and different
lifestyle and
purpose in each other's work. The very environment they operate in is
nicely
described ("The briny smell of saltwater greeted her,
triggering all
the happy places in her head and heart. It was such a relief to be out
of the
office and in the bosom of Mother Nature once again."), as
are
insights about why the ocean's ancient inhabitants feel so compelling
to Grace:
"Truly, they had entered another time and place, a Jurassic
Park filled
with ancient great white dinosaurs swimming around them."
In addition to these vivid sensory
experiences of land and sea, Kristy McCaffrey creates a compelling
dance
between two very likeable characters who face trouble when a tourist
boat ride
goes awry and Grace's deep kinship with the shark, including her
extraordinary
dream encounters with them, is revealed to Alec: one of the few times
in her
life that she's confided her deepest secret to another. Dr. Gracie Mann
has a
reputation for being all business. That reputation changes when she
faces new
challenges both in romance and in her professional career.
Swept along for a challenging adventure,
readers of Deep Blue who like romances that are
three-dimensional in
shape and form, holding characters who care about more than just each
other, will
find this a powerful story filled with compelling examinations of more
than one
kind of bond and more than one problem.
Return to Index
Gables Court
Alan S. Kessler
Black Rose Writing
9781612969886
$19.95
www.blackrosewriting.com
Gables Court presents the character of
twenty-four-year-old Samuel,
a romantic and a traditional thinker who is saving sex for marriage,
and who
falls in love with a feisty college girl. He dreams of marriage, but
her
personal agenda doesn't include the title 'wife', and her ideas of
sexuality
and commitment are in direct conflict with his own values and ideals.
Don't expect
your
usual romance with Gables Court,
despite the fact that this is one of its themes. It's far more complex,
because
besides being a young man harboring traditional hopes and dreams, he's
also a
lawyer who represents an accused Nazi war criminal, the son of the head
of a
crime family, and a new adult still coming of age in a turbulent world
whose
social norms seem far from his own.
Romance is
just a
piece of his journey, which takes place over a ten-year period of time
and
which explores how Sam reconciles his ideals with his background and
life's
realities, and how he makes and loses connections, faces loneliness
after hopes
are crushed, develops confidence and independence, and ultimately
revises of
his black-and-white perceptions of what the world should be.
In many
ways, Gables Court is a slice of
life wavering
from its uncertain course. Samuel is not a one-dimensional figure in
this arena
of change: he helps others, tests and is tested by life, and finds he's
not
always able to begin when he left off when people return.
Clues to his
evolution are subtly wound into revealing dialogues, language that
succinctly
captures the uncertainty of his connections and minute moments where
changes
surge to the forefront: "Sometimes
when I'm working on a painting I know no matter how hard I try the
colors will
never be right. That's a form of fate too. Some things aren't meant to
be. I
hope you make lots of money. Goodbye."
Against a
backdrop of
descriptions filled with different references to color and creation,
Samuel
navigates women, puzzling relationships, faith and perspective, choices
and
consequences, and in all of it, his changing place in the world.
Gables Court provides a powerfully
insightful saga of a young man
adrift in a changing world. As color flows through his life and brings
with it
psychological and social insights, Samuel slowly finds the impetus to
be
himself. Readers who seek a combination of psychological self-discovery
and
social awareness will find Samuel's journey ethereal, engrossing, and
all too
familiar. Highly recommended for thinking readers seeking more from
their
fiction than light entertainment.
Return to Index
House Without Lies
Rachel Branton
White Star Press
978-1-939203-69-4
$14.95
Paper/$3.99 Kindle
www.whitestarpress.com
House
Without Lies is Book 1
introducing the Lily's House
series about a girl who has grown up unloved, and who opens her home
and
apartment to runaway girls in trouble, as an adult. Her life is full,
between
providing them with a safe haven and struggling to have everyone live
well in a
small space.
Jameson works as a teen counselor and wants
Lily to become certified and legal as a foster parent so she can be
more
effective by working through the system; but Lily is worried that
committing to
that system's regulations will result in her inability to help those
runaways
who most need her.
As a romance blossoms between them, the
consequences of Lily's refusal to work within the system become
apparent when
several of her teens are endangered by vengeful fathers and
unprotective
mothers. Lily is an instinctive nurturer whose roots lie in privileges:
can she
make the kinds of choices on how to help that result in real change?
To call House Without Lies a
romance
will lead to disappointment in readers looking for heavy passion and an
overriding focus on budding relationships. There's a lot going on here,
between
Lily's passion to help others and her struggles with a system that
could both
help and harm her special cause. The issues of abuse, on many levels,
are
stronger than the evolving relationship conundrums Lily faces.
Readers seeking inspirational women's
stories with a broader focus than relationship-building moments will
find House
Without Lies just the ticket. It's filled with many different
characters
and diverse circumstances, but the overall plot holds true to its
intentions
and presents a vivid story made all the more immediate by Rachel
Branton's
choice of using the first person to capture Lily's daily life and
feelings.
Lily's accustomed to fighting for others:
can she fight for herself, as well? An engrossing read, it's also a
pleasure to
add a note that while House Without Lies is part of
a series, it's
actually a fine stand-alone story that neatly concludes its plot.
Readers will
want more, but won't be required to hang off a cliff waiting for
resolution -
and that's a huge bonus to the first book in this series.
Return to Index
Leaves of
the Linden
Tree
Marydale Stewart
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
Leaves of the Linden Tree provides a
sequel to The Wanderers as it
follows Corrie Holden, who embarks on a new
life when she opens her bookstore in the small town of Linden Grove and
embraces a budding romance with Jimmy, who is also starting over in
many ways.
An Illinois
small
town seems the perfect place to build a fresh life based on old dreams
and new
relationships; but when emerging racism results in a hate crime from a
completely unexpected direction, Corrie and Jimmy must reconsider many
things;
including their definitions of social justice and small-town
attractions.
Clues are
provided
early on, from the lack of diversity in the town to how it is divided
by income
status rather than nationality, that all may not be as idyllic as they
wish;
but as the story progresses, readers will be surprised by some
unexpected
revelations.
One might
expect that
familiarity with The Wanderers
would
be a prerequisite for enjoying its sequel, but the main characters in
the prior
book, Kurt and Sarah, take second place to the evolving structure and
purpose
of Corrie and Jimmy's lives. This means that newcomers will equally
appreciate
the story line's progression and will gain insights from a tale that
neatly
winds through affairs as diverse as Muslim perceptions, gun rights, the
motives
for an ordinary woman's involvement in arson, and what happens when a
fire is
lit under the town's hidden prejudices.
Natural
disasters
bring everyone together and supplant the human disaster in the making
in Leaves
of the Linden Tree, which places Corrie and Jimmy's evolving
relationship
in the context of bigger social issues and questions.
Readers
looking for a
revealing, involving chronicle will find Leaves
of the Linden Tree moves through ordinary lives and bigger
concerns like a
train: sometimes smooth and modern and at other times noisy and replete
with
thundering wheels of change, nicely revealing of the mechanisms
surrounding
restorative justice and the roots of resistance.
Return to Index
Love's Hidden Promise
M. Jean Pike
L. Cooper Press
ASIN: B078XMC3GQ
$4.27
http://a.co/cghUHzm
Love’s Hidden Promise: An Enchanting Tale of Love,
Loss, and the Magic
of Believing takes fantasy and paranormal elements
and winds them into
an overall romance that revolves around Willow, whose life is turned
upside
down when she receives a medical diagnosis just as her support partner,
Tom,
leaves her for someone else.
She's out of
her
comfort zone in more ways than one when she jettisons her familiar big
city for
the wilderness, longing to photograph an eagle, and instead finds love
in the
most improbable of places under the most improbable of circumstances.
Reclusive
hermit
Darby is also an unlikely candidate for love. He harbors his own
secrets and
reason for eschewing civilization; but somehow, when they meet, Willow
knows
she is meant to spend her final days in his presence.
Love's Hidden Promise is about endings
and beginnings. Even more
importantly, it's about life's challenges and who stays and who leaves.
Themes
of abandonment, pain, and friendship lead to greater stories of
survival,
commitment, and love; each holding key lessons that challenge Willy's
psyche:
"She had tried to love
spontaneously, to loosen the chains she kept carefully locked around
her heart.
But fear was a way of life for girls like Willy and Sid. They'd grown
up
knowing the sting of rejection, of never being quite good enough. As a
result,
Willy had never taken a chance on anything that mattered, never known
how to
really love. And now it was too late to learn."
Retreat in
the face
of impossible odds is the best thing - but both characters instead defy
what
seems to be a logical course of action. Fantasy elements and a
subliminal
Christian tone wind into the tale while the paranormal elements contain
somewhat of a surprise as they enhance the underlying theme of the
story.
As clues are
presented and acts of heroism emerge, readers enjoy a delightful story
that
keeps its powerful moments in tune with emotional and psychic
revelations.
The result
is as much
a story of evolution as it is a romance, offering a few surprises and
much food
for thought to delight readers who like their drama psychological and
their
insights connected to affairs of the heart and deeper concerns about
adversity,
choice, and life's deeper meaning even in an isolated Garden of Eden
carefully
crafted by two hurting individuals. Genre readers who appreciate
passion
entwined with these wider-ranging philosophical and spiritual elements
will
love the winding story of Willow, Darby, Patrick, and life's surprising
opportunities for transformation.
Return to Index
The Pas de Deux: A Classical Ballet Romance
Erin Bomboy
Curtain Call Press
Print ISBN:
978-0-9984830-2-3
$14.95
Ebook ISBN:
978-0-9984830-5-4
$3.99
http://a.co/gIkc6Jl
Can an aging
ballerina and dying ballet company enjoy new energy from young blood
and
romance? Sure they can, as The Pas de Deux: A Classical
Ballet Romance demonstrates with
a compelling ballet saga
that blends the romance of a couple with eleven years' difference
between them
with a revitalization process that affects everyone around them.
Chapter headings infused with ballet
terminology set the stage for each event that unfolds, imbibing the
story with
ballet culture as it uses the structure of a classical ballet grand
pas
de deux to trace the evolution of a fiery onstage love affair
which leads
the ballet director, Mr. D., to separate his head ballerina from her
romantic
partner.
Separation not only makes their hearts and
determination grow stronger; but is woven into the overlay of change as
Peri
faces the slow death of her own dancing skills as she ages ("Peri
herself was dying, but it was a different death—the death of a dancer.
What
once was easy was now hard, and what once was hard was now impossible.
Maintaining the illusion of brilliance was chewing at her.").
Themes of intolerance, acceptance, and
professional and personal challenge permeate the demands of dance,
which
requires supreme sacrifice from all involved, creating an engrossing
story that
will prove particularly compelling to anyone who has a background in or
affinity for the dance world.
Invigorated by her newfound passion, Peri
dances like never before. But how long can she maintain her new ability
before
everything comes crashing down around her? As young Mark faces his own
demons,
from a drunken father who thinks his ballet dancing equates to him
being a
homosexual to a possessive ballet company director, he faces the
ultimate
heartbreak from the very one he trusts, who has an ulterior motive for
letting
him go: "I broke your heart, so I wouldn’t break your spirit,
she
telegraphed to Mark, wherever he was now. I said I didn’t
love you because I
did love you, and loving you meant letting you go."
As dancing challenges, raw emotions,
separations and reunifications, and transformations ensue, everything
changes. Erin
Bomboy's uncanny ability to capture all the subtle nuances of everyone
involved
in a ballet company production creates a powerful story that captures
not only
love's trials and errors, but a fading ballet company's road to a
comeback.
Romance
readers with
a special affinity for the world of dance will relish this powerful
saga that
blends insights on history, love, choreography, and the climatic
buildup of the
grand pas de deux as it
plays
out on stage and in hearts against a wider backdrop of social and
political
change.
Return to Index
Playing the
Pauses
Michelle Hazen
Michelle Hazen,
Publisher
9781386099758
$2.99
Author website: http://michellehazenbooks.com/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2CAceLb
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2qrxY7g
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2CCqy5J
iBooks/iTunes: https://apple.co/2lXyLrC
Playing the Pauses is Book 2 of the 'Sex,
Love, and Rock & Roll'
series, and will reach female readers of romance whether or not they
have read
the prior book, A Cruel Kind of Beautiful.
Romance
would seem
inevitable when two powerful personalities collide during a rock music
tour.
New manager Kate is jazzed about her first big international band tour
assignment, while 'bad boy' musician and tattoo artist Danny seems to
be her
opposite.
Kate, having
been
many things and played many parts in her life, is now operating far
outside of
her usual comfort zone and is exploring "what
kind of person I’m about to become." Part of her process
involves a deliberate intention to seek change; but part of it, she
acknowledges, comes from chance encounters with life where different
roles are
assumed: “Tours started out as my consolation
prize when I turned out to suck as a musician. Because sometimes the
most
beautiful things happen by accident.”
Sleeping
with one's
employer is a challenge, particularly when you're business and travel
colleagues; but exploring new sexual avenues with S&M adds an
extra
dimension to the journey.
By now it
should be
evident that sex is a big part of Kate and Danny's discoveries about
each other
and the possibilities of their expanding worlds. Readers who are
circumspect
about the nature and frequency of a romance story's sexual component
should
look elsewhere; because this erotic story is firmly based in sexual
discovery
as it presents a woman's growth both as a professional and in her
sexual
identity.
There are
two major
loves that Kate and Danny share: a love for music and the road, and a
growing
love for each other. This creates a collision course even as it opens
up new
opportunities for play and self-awareness.
Readers
receive
graphic sexual descriptions, strong language, and an approach that
nicely mixes
sex scenes with an overall attention to a solid story development.
While their
sexual
encounter is a central theme of the story, to call Playing
the Pauses an erotic novel alone would be to belie its
equally strong explorations of the boundaries between personal, career,
and
sexual growth.
Readers who
are not
adverse to alternative sleeping arrangements and sexual encounters will
find
this saga of lives and careers on the road which are challenged by a
developing
relationship that careens into forbidden territory to be an engrossing,
revealing tale of sex, drugs, rock music, and evolutionary processes
that
reveal many surprises along the way.
Return to Index
Stone Circle
Kate Murdoch
Fireship Press, LLC
978-1-61179-386-4,
978-1-61179-387-1
$17.95 paperback,
$5.95 e-Book
www.fireshippress.com
When
Antonius' father
dies, he has no economic option but to go to work as a servant in a
rich man's
home. In 16th century Italy, there are not a lot of choices: the
population is
either rich or poor, with few in between. His only escape route from a
life of
servitude lies in a competition to become a seer's apprentice; but his
adversary is not only his current employer's son, but is bent on
gaining both
the apprenticeship and the beautiful daughter it involves.
Antonius has
already
walked away from everything he's known to build a new life, facing his
father's
death and separating from his family at the age of seventeen. His
mentor's
daughter has her eye on a more interesting life, even though her father
has
provided nicely for her and even though a more exciting suitor might
not hold
her father's financial savvy.
The blend of
Renaissance history and romance would, in and of themselves, be an
attraction
to many; but add a fantasy element to the story and it successfully
moves in
unexpected directions that sweep Antonius, Giulia, Nichola, and
everyone around
them into a vivid world of spirits, initiations, unusual dreams, and
struggles
with social status and special talents.
While a
simmering
rivalry fuels both boys to become men and recognize their own inherent
abilities, it also drives a story line that revolves around a seer's
vision, a
church's growing concern over magic realism and threats to its visions
and
control, and young boy's coming of age in a rapidly changing society.
The delicate
balance
of history, magic, romance and growth is nicely done and moves deftly
through
the streets and culture of Italy. Readers seeking a historical fantasy
romance
story will find Stone Circle a
powerful exploration of sad endings, new beginnings, and change as its
characters search for new homes and a sense of place in a world that's
shifting
under their feet.
Return to Index
Take Me Home
Rachel Branton
White Star Press
978-1-939203-83-0
$15.95 paper/$4.99 Kindle
www.whitestarpress.com
Take Me Home is the
first book in the Finding Home series and tells of
an adult who faces being an adopted child plagued by vague, haunting
memories
of her birth parents and early life.
Liana has always felt conflicted about her
uncertain past and being adopted after her parents' plane accident in
India
left her an orphan; but the questions have only increased as she enters
into
adulthood with baggage that interferes with her ability to form
meaningful
relationships.
Successful businessman Austin Walker has
faced his own demons of the past and seemingly overcome them; but he's
still
similarly affected by unresolved issues and emotional conundrums.
Clarissa willingly adopted her sister's
child after the accident, but feels her own conflicts over her
forever-unresolved estrangement with her sibling. Someday she will have
to tell
Liana the truth - and that day comes all too soon, despite the passage
of time.
From early on in the story, Rachel Branton
presents a candid view of adoptee Liana's conflicted feelings about her
family:
"As the meal progressed, Liana watched them interact, almost a
stranger
amidst her own family, her feelings confused and varied. She loved
Christian,
she trusted Bret, and she was grateful to her aunt and uncle, the
couple who
had adopted her and raised her as their own. Gratitude was something
she could
freely give them—much better than love, she’d told herself throughout
the
years. She still believed that. Gratitude didn’t make you shrivel up
inside
when someone died. Only love did that."
When Liana begins to dig deeper into her
past, what she finds sends her on an unexpected journey for the real
truth
about her heritage and her parents' deaths - a journey that involves
her
adoptive and birth mothers alike and brings them full circle, while
calling
into question everything they've known about her past.
Take
Me Home is about healing,
redemption, and
self-discovery. This powerful women's fiction piece will resonate
strongly with
any reader interested in stories of personal heritage and Ukrainian
orphanages,
adoption, and connections with those who would be accepted as family.
Return to Index
Feasible
Planet
Ken Kroes
1779671 Alberta Inc.
ISBN (electronic):
978-0995847057
$7.99
ISBN (paperback):
978-0995847040
$15.99
Purchase through: www.books2read.com/feasibleplanet
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36430861
Feasible Planet: A Guide to More Sustainable Living
joins a host of
other books on the topic, but several features and approaches set this
discussion apart from similar-sounding books on the market.
Where
similar books
propose individual actions that involve lifestyle changes based on
ideological
principles, Feasible Planet considers
feasibility's monetary benefits and incorporates a rational approach
that ties
many different kinds of beneficial economic results to more sustainable
choices.
Thus,
chapters
clearly explain the impact of less environmentally conscious choices,
which can
be as simple as choosing one type of fabric over another. For example: "A single wash of a
fleece (polyester) jacket can release as much as 1 ½
grams of micro fiber plastic. Half of this will probably not be picked
up by
water treatment and will end up in rivers." A chart contrasts the impact of
different fabrics, with hemp, linen and cotton winning heavily over
nylon,
acrylics, and polyester. (Many influences are profiled in this chart;
from
chemical usage to the ancillary effects of cashmere, produced from
goats
"that can cause significant land damage," or silk, which requires a
fair bit of land to produce.)
The notion
of
'environmental compromises' enters the picture in a discussion of the
issue of
hard water, which increases one's environmental footprint, costs money,
yet can
only be resolved by method which hold their own environmental impact.
Knowing
exactly what these consequences are or mean can translate neatly to
undertaking
the balancing act that results in the least damaging and most
financially
appropriate decisions, which Feasible
Planet excels in profiling.
One wouldn't
expect
discussions of random acts of kindness, humility, and child-rearing to
enter
this bigger picture, but Feasible Planet
promotes a holistic approach that moves from individual choice to
family
cooperation and community impact, and no real discussion would be
complete
without such a focus - again, something too often missed in
similar-sounding
books.
Feasible Planet is in many ways a wake-up
call: but it doesn't bat
its readers over the head: it gently taps them on the shoulder with
facts that
directly relate to personal choices.
Real facts,
motivations, and consequences for actions all form a solid foundation
from
which Feasible Planet advocates
changes that support economic growth, lifestyle improvement, and both
social
and environmental consciousness. It's difficult to impart all this
without
sounding 'preachy' or dogmatic, but another big difference between Ken
Kroes
and his contemporaries is that his book is invitational and
contemplative; not
a lecture that makes harsh judgment calls or promotes hard-line
approaches.
Sustainability
is a
big subject that's often overwhelming in scope. Readers newly embarking
on the
journey towards better choices that begin with the microcosm of daily
living
and move into broader social, political and economic realms would do
well to
begin here. Feasible Planet not
only
provides a road map, but embraces those new to these ideas and
processes by
providing an easy discussion clearly applied to daily life.
Return to Index
Happiness is Chosen Wisely: 3300 Axioms of
Self-Evident Truths
Byer
Byer Publishing
978-0692051146
$14.99
https://tinyurl.com/y85mmuhv
https://tinyurl.com/y955z5fe
Happiness
is
Chosen Wisely began as a
cathartic
search for truth and happiness and evolved into what it is today: a
consideration of how happiness and pleasure are really two different
states of
mind, and how they dovetail: "The cause of happiness is peace,
calm,
tranquility, bliss and harmony, but the effects are the same as the
cause. This
is our absence of desire from our higher thinking, wisdom, and
enlightenment
without any stress, anxiety or despair at all."
While the
book
contains over 3,000 axioms, it actually represents an abridged version
of the
original. If this still sounds like too much reading, be advised that Happiness
is Chosen Wisely also chooses its
words wisely, making the most of each axiom by numbering them so they
clearly
stand out, creating simple one-liners with a punch, and organizing the
results
to lend to smooth reading even for busy readers on the go.
As
far as content, sample a few: "It is more pleasurable to have
fun with
others than to be peaceful and calm," or "Our life
becomes a
love or hate relationship without thinking about it," and "When
one realizes that all we may have sought was meaningless, we are reborn
free."
Life isn't a
race,
and neither is reading this book. Readers who choose just a few axioms
a day
and take the time to reflect on them will find the many words of wisdom
not
only resonate but offer direction that embraces spirituality,
psychology, and
social considerations.
It's taken
Byer half
a life to identify and rid that life of what is meaningless. Readers on
the
road to true happiness now have a map offering clues of what those
distractions
may be and how to stay true to a journey that might take a few less
years,
thanks to this collection.
New age and
inspirational readers will be the best audiences for Byer's works;
particularly
those who decide to take the time to absorb so much wisdom - the work
of a
lifetime - without haste, cognizant of the idea that a new way of
thinking,
viewing, and living life could be the reward for a careful pursuit of Happiness
is Chosen Wisely.
Return to Index
Helene-True Story of a German
Girl's Resilience Growing Up During World War II
Helga Long and Helene Witzmann
Warren Publishing
978-1-943258-56-7
$14.95
www.warrenpublishing.net
Helene presents
the powerful true story of a girl who grew up in Europe
during World War II, and follows her growth and observations
during a
changing social and political landscape that eventually dominates her
young
life.
Helga Long grew up hearing her
mother's stories about the old country and life during the war, and in
the
1990s she got together with her mother and made some twenty tapes of
her tales,
then set them aside as life coaxed her in other directions. When she
finally
sat down to transcribe them, the journal format she'd envisioned for
them
turned into a biographical story filled with family and historical
references
that promises attraction to a wider audience than her own family's
circle.
Helene was "...a typical German
girl who felt the effects of the war and the Nazi regime; who grew into
womanhood with the dangers of a war surrounding her; and who, through
her
positive nature, continued to live a challenging, yet happy life."
All events in this book stem
from Helga's mother's memories; the facts checked against history to
provide a
supportive foundation, but not inflated by details her mother didn't
share in
the course of her narration. This lends a realistic tone to the entire
account
that eschews fictional drama and embellishment to probe a real life's
experiences.
What sets Helene
apart from many World War II accounts is this realistic and
candid collection of encounters from an everyday young German girl's
perspective. From the fun of parades and competitions, local
celebrations and
events, and the lure of the Hitler Youth groups to how ordinary Germans
became
embroiled in conflict, Helene provides a clear explanation of how life
slowly
changes and how the organizations and rituals of childhood take ominous
turns
that feel innocent at the time: "When
I was ten, I was able to join the Hitler Youth. You had to be ten years
old to
join, and I was excited because it was a fairly new organization in our
town.
At this time, it was not mandatory to be in the Hitler Youth, but I
couldn’t
wait to join....I enjoyed the companionship of my friends and thought
the
meetings were a lot of fun."
Also notable are the daily lives
of a wide range of average Germans, described against an atmosphere of
political and social change. Descriptions of everyday people's changing
daily lives are far more detailed
than
the usual World War II Germany story that focuses on broader political
forces
and their social impact, and offers a satisfyingly well-detailed flavor
of
German culture and affairs.
The result is a
remarkably
involved survey that is vivid, memorable, and hard to put down: a
revealing
documentary of ordinary German lives and perspectives changed by
Hitler's rise.
Helene-
True Story of a German
Girl's Resilience Growing Up During World War II
Return
to Index
Science
and Lust
Rebecca Coffey
Beck and Branch
Paperback: 978-0-9972644-3-2
$6.95
Kindle and ePub:
ISBN: 978-0-9972644-4-9
$2.99
www.beckandbranch.com
Science and Lust gathers essays for
Volume 1 in a series; but lest
readers anticipate a racy fictional exploration of sex; be advised that
this is
nonfiction, and falls in the area of biological fact rather than lusty
fiction.
The title, however, evokes an intriguing prospect of sexual exploration
that
many a fiction reader won't be able to put down despite its obvious
lack of
plot and story line.
The reason
why this
read is so compelling to general-interest audiences (and even those who
may
have little prior interest in science, in general) is because the essay
form,
combined with Rebecca Coffey's background in journalism and
general-interest
science writing, makes for a winning combination when it comes to
crafting a
nonfiction thriller.
What
constitutes
nonfiction thriller short works? Consider 'Some Like it Too Hot'. The
opening
gambit to this piece makes it intriguing, absorbing, and hard to quit
reading -
all the elements of a fictional thriller approach nicely applied to
science
fact: "Imagine a medical advisory
discreetly mailed to unfaithful men everywhere. “Warning,” it says. “Extramarital sex can kill.”
The medical staff
of the Andrology Clinic at the University of Florence has never
distributed any
such advisory. But maybe someone should."
Readers who
pursue
this piece beyond its compelling opener will discover "...intriguing
evidence that sudden coital death
in men is largely the problem of adulterers." The cold
analytical
realm of science just got a lot more upfront and personal - and this is
just
one example of an article that reflects the latest research, yet adds a
profoundly revealing twist to science, linking it to modern human
habits and
conundrums.
Or, take
'Was It Good
for You, Too?' Apparently males are the primary askers of this
question. And
the answer too often can't be trusted. But why would women understate
or
misjudge the extent of their own arousal? Despite extensive research
and
testing, perhaps science itself is not yet in a place where women's
sexuality
can be accurately measured.
These and
other
essays push the boundaries of sexual understanding and perceptions of
differences and desires between men and women, analyzing the sources of
much confusion
between the sexes.
Any reader
interested
in human sexuality who eschews the normally dry scientific study on the
matter
will relish this absorbing read which puts the 'lively' back into
matters and
draws direct connections between modern sexual activities, dilemmas and
questions, and the latest scientific findings.
Return to Index
The Writer’s Crucible: Meditations on
Emotion, Being and Creativity
Philip Kenney
Inkwater Press
978-1-62901-524-8
$15.95
www.amazon.com
The
Writer’s
Crucible: Meditations on Emotion, Being and Creativity offers a psychological examination of
typical obstacles that thwart the creative processes, and is directed
to
writers who struggle with the process of tapping their wellsprings
while facing
such barriers.
Other creative writing books have addressed
these issues; but The Writer’s Crucible's approach
is different. It
tackles self-reproach and the emotional challenges of putting pen to
paper by
discussing vulnerabilities from a psychotherapist's clinical viewpoint,
providing assessments and insights that crack perfectionist tendencies
and
creativity-thwarting negativity.
It's unusual to find a trained
psychotherapist who believes in the practice and approaches of
meditation and
spirituality. Writers looking for inspiration will find all three
facets
influence an approach that considers the motivations of human behavior
and
writers' efforts, considering the process of being psychologically and
spiritually lost and the impulses that stem from both that and the
attempt to
find one's path in life.
Creation and destruction are close
companions: this, too, is discussed on a psychological, social, and
spiritual
level, giving writers further insights on the 'rhythms of creation' and
how
they operate on different levels.
Most writers will anticipate some sort of
how-to title: perhaps a series of guided meditations, or an analysis
that takes
the process of producing a written gem and links it to psychological
understanding or exercises designed to stimulate that process. The
Writer’s
Crucible digs deeper and promises no quick insights or
exercise-based
guarantees of success.
Its insights stem from self-awareness and
healing processes and add a personal tone to make it more of a personal
reflection than a dispassionate professional assessment: "Maybe
you are
one of these talented people who can’t get going. Maybe you get going
but can’t
follow through and finish, or you have a dozen projects going and never
move
deeply into any of them. Maybe you discredit the work so completely
that it
ends up on the shelf. It’s okay. You aren’t alone, and you aren’t
hopeless. You
are constricted and might possibly be shackled by the trauma response.
Find
someone to help you undo the knots, and I think you’ll find the work
will flow."
Of course, this means that there are no easy
answers or solutions. Writers anticipating a course of miraculous
exercises
that can magically unlock creative impulses will discover instead that The
Writer’s Crucible is actually a call to action on many
levels, advocating
taking charge of one's
spiritual,
psychological and social self-discovery process.
Within the paradoxes of psychotherapy lie
routines and ideas that can stimulate and broaden the writer's efforts.
Those
who are willing to do the work to get to this place will find that
Philip
Kenney advocates making a greater effort for better writing results: "A
life of writing is like that river finding its way to the ocean. It
moves from
its source, bending with the layout of the land, changing directions
again and
again, searching for the low ground in a relentless journey to the sea.
The
adventure of exploration and discovery is one of the great thrills of a
creative life and a great liberator of the inner world. Developing a
relationship of curiosity with yourself is one way to disempower the
menacing
negating voices within."
The fact that The Writer’s Crucible
holds much more than exercises or mediations and addresses the heart of
what
keeps a writer from being effective and meaningful makes it a top
recommendation for writers who struggle to achieve their best against
the
barriers of anxiety, self-deprecation, and fear.
Return to Index
The Story of Evil - Volume
I: Heroes of the Siege
Tony Johnson
Amazon Digital
Services
ASIN: B00BAUTQW2 $0.99
Kindle; $6.42 Paper
http://a.co/gEujPEK
Three teens,
Stephen,
Tyrus and Kari, are participating in a joust meet when the event is
overrun by
monsters during an attack on their city, changing everything they've
taken for
granted in their lives.
Facing the
demise of
their family and friends and the ruin of their city, they make choices
to
battle the evil that has invaded; and this move involves the evolution
of
heroism in different forms, for each of them.
Stephen was
already a
hero in competition and a hero in the eyes of his faithful squires; but
now
he's engaged in the bigger, more dangerous game of life or death, and
the
grueling matches he's won only prove tests for the real struggle ahead.
Steve
and his friend Ty are orphans who grew up together as foster brothers,
so they
are more than comrades in arms. And Kari is a simple half-human,
half-elf
hunter who's grown up in a shadow of mystery surrounding her father's
murder
and her heartbroken mother's subsequent death, who is drawn into a
world she
never asked to be part of and a battle she's reluctant to participate
in. Her
observations stand in stark contrast to those of the warrior brothers
whose
perspectives on survival and fighting are quite different.
When the
battles
begin, there's an odd element of discussion between the brothers that
seems to
mock the seriousness of the situation. As monsters fall under their
skilled
hands, Steve and Ty banter about earning points and winning the 'game';
but
it's explained that Ty jokes when he's nervous or challenged, and Steve
clearly
is used to this and interacts in Ty's way of handling stress. This
joking
banter between the boys continues as events unfold, providing both
comic relief
and a sometimes jarring sense of odd reactions to life-challenging
confrontations ("Cutting it close
that time, huh?" Steve yelled over the sounds of destruction.").
But this
isn't
another jousting match: it's a life or death situation that extends far
beyond
the realms of championship jousters and comebacks, and involves a
struggle for
the control and existence of Celestial City itself.
Pre-teens
and teens
around the ages of 12 and a few years older will especially appreciate
a
fantasy that is steeped in adventure, castles, the evolution of young
warriors,
the struggles of humans, semi-humans and monsters such as dragons,
minotaurs,
and more.
From
Stephen's
perseverance, which earns him the title of Brightflame early in his
life and is
sorely tested during this struggle, to the ruthless Hooded Phantom and
his
skilled and deadly army, Heroes of the
Siege makes some pointed observations about heroism's
realities and costs.
In some
ways, this is
quite a complex read for pre-teen and early teen audiences. While the
battle
between good and evil is fairly cut and dried, the trappings of what
constitutes each is mercurial and provides much food for thought as the
story
line evolves. As time shifts between past and present occur seemingly
randomly
(and sometimes without easy staging), younger readers can become
confused at
some points, which are designed to inject history into the progress of
events.
Each hero is
tested,
the villains are clever enemies who employ all manner of skills in the
pursuit
of their goals, and readers are swept into a world that holds many
similarities
to medieval Earth, but with twists and differences to support the
fantasy theme
and keep readers guessing.
This
singular focus
on one invasion and the struggles surrounding it is an appropriate and
lively
read especially recommended for younger teens who enjoy tales of
courage,
swordplay, confrontation, and dungeons and dragons.
Return to Index
The Stronghold
Sebastian Bendix
Fire and Ice Young Adult Books (an imprint
of Melange Books, LLC)
9781680465907
$4.99
(eBook) $15.95 (print)
Website: http://sebastianbendix.com/the-stronghold
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stronghold-Sebastian-Bendix-ebook/dp/B077SRJSCV
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stronghold-sebbastian-bendix/1127552636
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-stronghold-8
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-stronghold/id1321245867
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/762115
Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/sebastian-bendix/the-stronghold/paperback/product-23389419.html
18-year-old Bowie is on the cusp of being an
adult at the height of his abilities. Trained in deadly combat, this
head of
his militia unit is slated to marry a pretty girl and is well on track
to
inherent the leadership of the Pacific North stronghold when a plane
crashes
into their island sanctuary, bringing with it a stranger who turns his
world
upside down.
Now Bowie is fighting for everything he once
took for granted, faces an uncertain future, and finds himself entering
a world
he never trained for in this dystopian survival story.
Bowie is used to testing his abilities - but
under controlled conditions. As everything in his life spirals out of
control,
he discovers that the home he would fight and die for is rejecting him
despite
his history as a good soldier and his potential to be a potential
stronghold
leader. Conditions are no longer in his control - and with this
revelation, his
life's set course changes drastically.
Many young adult dystopian stories center
upon individual and group survival, but The
Stronghold differs in posing questions about underlying
freedom, choice,
and what's worth living and dying for: "...I
want you to fight for whatever it is that you believe. But don’t die
for Fort Thunder, Bowie. That was never what I wanted for you.” I can’t
believe
he is saying this. Of course I would die for our home! “What better
thing is
there to die for?” I ask. “A family of your own,” he answers. “A life
you make
for yourself when you truly know what your options are. Not just the
options we
give you.” “I’m fine with those options,” I say. But for the first time
ever,
I’m not quite sure I believe it."
Pandemics and martial law forced the
stronghold's existence. Now it's time for Bowie to consider whether
that
structure continues to be viable for him and everyone else. And once he
leaves
everything he's loved and called home, can he ever return?
The best dystopian fiction doesn't just
focus on a protagonist's challenges and changes; it creates a
believable
society and world, places its foundations at risk, and follows
characters as
they face paradigm-changing events and continue to not just survive,
but thrive
and change.
The Stronghold
creates such scenarios for its mature teen to new adult audience,
crafts an
action-packed series of challenges that include confrontation,
downfall,
escape, survival and even a touch of romance, and comes full circle to
provide
a satisfying, unexpected conclusion.
Young adult and adult fans of dystopian
stories will find Bowie's military background, convictions, and special
determination powers a volatile and compelling series of encounters
that will
keep readers immersed and involved as an underlying story of special
purposes
and hidden intentions emerges.
Return to Index