November 2019 Review Issue
David
- Savakerrva, Vol 1
Lawrence Brown
Independently Published
978-1096469919
$19.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.savakerrva.com
David - Savakerrva, Vol 1 is an intriguing sci-fi story that weaves
together the stories of an extraordinary boy from Detroit, an
extraterrestrial invasion that leads a king to flee to Earth, and the
prophecy of a son who will save the world with mystery, heroes and
legends. As it treads lightly between the story of an alien savior and
a boy's coming of age, it creates an epic, visionary read that is
remarkable and notable for its ability to take ordinary scenarios and
craft them into extraordinary challenges and opportunities.
Take the opening, where Ana faces a home invasion with feisty
determination: "Ana felt her fear boil into frustration, then into
rage, then she just didn’t care. She should have called the police and
sheltered in place, but sheltering sounded like surrender, and who
gives up in their very own house? This porch-banger had no right, and
more to the point, Ana had her gun." Not the kind of introduction one
expects from a world-sweeping saga.
But this is just the kind of setting that Lawrence Brown loves to play
with, because Ana Redhawk's encounter with an injured stranger on her
front porch leads to extraordinary events surrounding the visitors,
their origins, and their intentions. Eighteen months later, her life
has changed in ways she never could have predicted.
The visitors have left her with a legacy and a warning ("Not just a
child, he’d left her an alarm. But an alarm for what? She never asked.
Didn’t want to ask, because by his stories, those ale-oiled tales on
her couch, she already knew."), and her love and decisions have
unwittingly brought her into close contact with a kind of war and enemy
that her planet has never seen before.
Brown does an exquisite job of creating a memorable character in the
feisty Ana and her life-changing moments. This approach drives the
story from its introduction to events that unwind with an equally
astute attention to detail, psychological growth, and wider-ranging
dilemmas that aren't always predictable. The blend of intrigue and
mystery elevates thriller and sci-fi elements to new levels, spicing
action with descriptions designed to pull readers into these fast-paced
encounters: "No longer bleak, Michigan Central Station stood
transformed. Bright light streamed from every window and so did the
sound, some inexpressible melody from the million voices within. Garth
grabbed a tall train station door and pulled. Too heavy. He pulled
harder, strained with all he had left. The door yielded, started to
give. I’m not alone, his glorious thought, but the door slammed shut in
a blinding white blast."
From the searing image of Garth as a phoenix-like boy arising from what
seems like death ("Garth shot from the river afar in a convulsion of
flash. His mind electric and muscles afire, he screamed from a billion
lit nerves and waves of pummeling rush.") to his ongoing, increasing
confrontation with impossible forces, truths, and challenges, readers
will quickly find themselves drawn into a world that is vividly
portrayed with a fine balance between evocative description and
psychological insight.
From generals who battle the Beast to caves of fog, battlegrounds, and
Garth's learning curve as he faces impossible circumstances ("Do you
know nothing of their tribal god? Where that unholy bug breeds?” “I
don’t care about bugs, I’m talking about the cliffs!” “And so am I, Odd
Boy, do you not see?” Torgen tossed the souvenir cliffs to Garth. “Are
you blind to color, the blush on its face?” Painted orange flecks
glimmered the souvenir cliffs. “The spots?” asked Garth. “The spots,”
said Torgen, “mark the barbed-wing nimaj. And when they breed on Elka’s
cliffs, they turn the color of the Greater Sand.” Garth eyed the orange
flecks. “There’s—a lot?” “There’s millions, it’s their home!” said
Torgen. “And if anyone kills just one?” “They Walk?” “They Walk,”
Torgen replied. “But instead of killing just one nimaj? Oh, no, not
you, you’d bomb the cliffs and kill them all! Now, is this your plan,
what you’ll propose to the Sykah of Nimaj?” Garth wondered how a plan
so right went so wrong. “But—” “Some advice, Odd Boy.” Torgen grabbed a
cushion off the adjoining throne. “Next time you want to save a world?
Start with yours.”), David - Savakerrva, Vol 1 paints his world with
colorful details and believable characters both alien and human,
cementing all with a special purpose that makes the story nearly
impossible to put down.
The mark of a good sci-fi adventure lies in both its premise and how it
fills out characters and backgrounds to support the setting and
dilemmas of its worlds.
David - Savakerrva, Vol 1 demonstrates an almost uncanny ability to
reach into the minds and hearts of its readers to craft a story that is
mercurial and action-packed, yet populated with compellingly realistic
characters and situations that keep readers guessing and involved. In
another book, this level of complexity might prove a
challenge for a reader to absorb, but in David - Savakerrva, Vol 1, the
background and worlds are seamlessly explored within the context of
each character's perceptions and special interests.
The result is a gripping, imaginative, emotional rush that grasps mind
and heart and keeps pumping action up to an unsettled ending that
nicely completes this story of madness and strife while keeping the
door open for further adventures.
It should be noted that this Volume 1 encompasses the first two books
of the Savakerrva series. The series will be 4 books in total, and
books 3 and 4 will be released in early/mid 2020, respectively.
Sci-fi readers looking for stories of invasion, aliens, romance, and
war will find everything here—and more! It's a sweeping epic in the
true sense of the word, and a worthy standout from the crowd.
David
- Savakerrva, Vol 1
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to Index
The
Ethereal Vision
Liam Donnelly
Independently Published
978-1508603306
$9.99
Jane Conner has suppressed her paranormal abilities since a terrible
accident in her childhood, and has committed to living a life without
them until a new threat forces her to not only accept them, but learn
how to use them. In doing so, she accepts the help of Max, a
supernatural entity from her past, and faces the fact that she's in
danger whether she accepts her destiny and powers or not.
Set in the near future of 2028, The Ethereal Vision tells of Jane and her mother Nora, who have both coped with impossible powers and their legacy. The story then moves into the now-adult Jane's struggles to recall the past, confront her fears and powers, and accept the help of those who would help her awaken her long-dormant talents.
With Max at her side guiding her, Jane has a chance to regain memories from when she was young which could hold the key to her survival now. Max's ethereal presence in her life, combined with the story's near-future setting, contributes to a surreal feel to events which makes their progression at once logical and fantastic.
It should be noted that while this begins as a paranormal adventure with a hint of romance, The Ethereal Vision widens its vision and approach to embrace sci-fi as it turns out that Jane represents much more than just one individual with extraordinary talents.
As Jane's desire for a peaceful life gives way to bigger purposes and struggles, readers are carried into a greater war where Jane serves as a pivot point of danger until and unless she can control what lurks in her mind.
Her ethereal vision is a problem for those who oppose her because she (and it) cannot be controlled. And that poses a danger to society unless Lucas Johnson, charged with capturing and testing her, can change her abilities and mind.
Elements of sci-fi, paranormal mystery, thriller, and romance contribute to a multifaceted, engrossing story powered by Jane's powerful personality and determination.
Liam Donnelly does a fine job of depicting Jane's dilemmas, thoughts, and emotions. This contributes to a compelling saga of capture, escape, special interests, and radical threats as the nature and purpose of Ethereals is revealed.
Sci-fi readers seeking a satisfyingly engrossing story of mind control and paranormal abilities will find The Ethereal Vision hard to put down, filled with unexpected moments designed to keep readers engaged and on their toes.
The
Ethereal Vision
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to Index
Genesis
Rising
Elle Lewis
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68433-451-3 $16.95
(Use code PREORDER2019 to receive a 15% discount before publication
date 3/19/2020)
Genesis Rising returns Book 2 of The Glass Star Trilogy with a
satisfying sequel to the prior Dark Touch that features Sloan and other
characters in new adventures.
Sloan awakens in an unlikely place: a timeshare on an island, on a
planet Cato has long protected. In keeping with his charge to protect
her, he's brought her to this isolated place while they await
reinforcements and Aleo's return.
As with Dark Touch, supernatural elements are woven into the fantasy
story along with accounts of warriors, confrontations, and vivid
struggles, all powered by the struggles between the Warriors of the
Guild, the Dark Ones, and rising armies which portend dangerous clashes
in the future. And Sloan stands in the middle of this struggle as her
story opens, awaiting...what?
Given the Genesis Energy at birth, Sloan struggles with Darrow's Dark
Energy and a legacy that at times seems impossible to ignore. These
events, covered in the first book, form the background for her ongoing
struggles as she confronts not only outside forces, but those within
herself.
In many ways, Genesis Rising is a story of destiny. In other ways, it's
a tale of fate, redemption, and growth as Sloan continues to confront
unwanted inheritances she cannot change and dire circumstances she
holds the power to affect.
The story of her growth and self-discovery is intricately wound into a
battle that threatens everything she knows. This is part of what makes
Genesis Rising so compelling: the human story behind these social and
political struggles.
The force inside Sloan and the potential for its explosive disaster
concerns everyone around her—even her allies. Their mission to change
the events that threaten all of creation test those charged with
defending the universe as they struggle against all odds to locate the
Dark One and try to protect Sloan at the same time.
While Genesis Rising doesn't absolutely rely on familiarity with its
predecessor, those who have read and enjoyed Dark Touch will find it
easier to segue into Sloan's ongoing journey. However, newcomers do
receive enough background detail to find their entry-level position
into the story relatively smooth, since the first few chapters review
the background, scene, and prior events.
From Aleo's terrible powers of destruction and Sloan's struggle with
her destiny to the rising tides of war and unexpected romance, Genesis
Rising crafts an engrossing, action-packed story that ultimately rests
firmly on the shoulders of Sloan's own growth process. This is what
makes Genesis Rising among the most notable fantasy series titles of
2019, in for a compelling read that tests not only Sloan's rising
abilities, but her values.
Genesis
Rising
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to Index
Victoria
John Molik
Independently Published
978-0-473-48982-3 (paperback) $15.95
978-0-473-48984-7
(ebook)
$ 3.99
https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-John-Molik/dp/0473489821
Collective, global intelligence overseen by an artificial life form
combines two common sci-fi themes in the powerful Victoria. Think
Colossus and the Borg of Star Trek, add a dose of social and spiritual
inspection, then imagine the far future of 2430, when a near-extinction
solar event has evolved a model of perfection governed by the
authoritarian Victoria, a genetically engineered woman implanted with
an AI interface who directs the networked survivors with her artificial
love and high technology.
It's an approach which eschews religion. When a band of religious
zealots launch a terrorist attack against their genetically enhanced,
superior overseers, Victoria struggles to keep her perfect society, and
her role as its leader, intact.
The moral, ethical, and spiritual issues raised by these events is part
of what makes Victoria so inviting as it moves beyond the realm of an
AI's benevolent control and into issues of freedom, purpose, religious
struggles, and different perceptions of how survivors should live: "I
just don’t get it. These Luds and the metal nuts. What are they so
afraid of ? Knowledge? Evolution? Using educated skepticism?” Pierre
paused. “Themselves?”
Molik does a fine job of creating memorable characters who struggle for
different aspects of their future, from Conan and other ESP members
(viewed as 'electronic beasts' by Boniface and his people) to the
challenges of synthetic love's capacity to really care, and the nature
of different kinds of control that clash with religious perspectives
even in prison: "It was considered a sin for a MH member to use the
substance, as it reflected poorly on the requisite pure faith and
belief in Rodolpho whose texts clearly instructed that God is to
provide these feelings naturally. To the Luds, and especially the MHs,
drugs were artificial ways to provoke rebellion of all that had been
provided by God through Rodolpho."
Is Victoria a demon, an evil ghost, and the bane of humanity itself? Is
she a god, or a mixed-breed electronic beast? And will her purpose and
method ultimately prove the downfall of humanity?
Readers receive many thought-provoking themes to consider during the
struggle between Victoria and her ilk and the rebellious remnants of
humanity, who make the point that humanity's savior might actually be a
devil in disguise.
What does it mean to be human? And are Victoria's purpose, evolution,
and interests in sync with either divinity or nature itself?
A surprise conclusion about salvation, evolution, and human and
artificial life's boundaries lingers in the mind long after the story
is complete, making Victoria a powerful commentary on the core of
humanity's guiding lights.
Victoria
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to Index
Year
of the Child
R.L. Dean
Independently Published
9781691385690
$12.27 Paper/$6.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Child-Harmony-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07XF7Z2ZY
Year of the Child is the second book in the Harmony series and takes
place two months after the destruction of the Harmony dome.
Ganymede serves as the focal point of several disparate characters:
Misaki Iriyama, who destroyed the dome and flees her guilt; former
detective Tetsuya Takahashi, who has been reassigned but keeps
searching for Misaki; Alexandria, who is somehow connected to a new
discovery beneath the ice fields on Ganymede; and others who find their
lives unexpectedly entwined.
From privateers and plans for a better future to different
interplanetary landscapes and human attempts to create new, different,
better homes on them ("The Martian landscape as much a home to him was
also ... alien. No, not alien, he corrected himself immediately. That's
not the right word. It was something else, yet he couldn't deny the
primal part of his brain that said the craters and odd rock formations
were somehow wrong. He wanted, needed, to see green hills and blue
lakes. Mars wasn't alien, it was new. New in a way that had nothing to
do with geological age or cosmology. It was mankind's second chance ...
a chance to do things right. And Shultz was going to be the man to make
that happen. Well, I'll start the ball rolling, but I won't live to see
it. If he and Jung could pull the colony from Modi's grip."), Year of
the Child romps through social and political concerns, military
training, revised perceptions of humanity's place in the universe, and
more. All this is cemented by the different perceptions of strong
personalities who each confront their destinies and future on Ganymede.
In many ways, Year of the Child represents the quintessential coming of
age story not of a teen or child, but of the human race as it struggles
for control, direction, and new meanings for its endeavors.
Played against the backdrop of a stellar chessboard of cat-and-mouse
moves, this story of power struggles and the clash between a civilian
science mission and a military undertaking will delight not only prior
fans of the first book, but sci-fi buffs who enjoy military sci-fi and
political struggle blends.
Year of the Child does a fine job of adding onto the characters,
atmosphere, and efforts of the crew of the Sadie and the Harmony
milieu. It's recommended both for readers who enjoyed The Rhine and
newcomers alike.
Year of the Child
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Deliciously Holistic - Inspired Favorites
A Bad Hair Day Cookbook
Nancy J. Cohen
Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN:
978-0-9997932-4-4
$ 4.99
Print ISBN:
978-0-9997932-5-1
$15.99
https://nancyjcohen.com/books/
Fans of Nancy Cohen's prior books already know that her Bad Hair Day
series of cozy mysteries are compelling reads, but A Bad Hair Day
Cookbook offers something different in presenting recipes by 'Marla
Vail', the fictional Florida hairstylist and salon owner whose exploits
powered Cohen's Bad Hair Day series.
These recipes are anything but fictional, however. They not only
supplement the series with a fun nonfiction twist, but emphasize Nancy
J. Cohen's original creations (along with recipes from friends and
family), designed for busy cooks who may not be out solving crimes, but
whose time is equally challenged.
This focus on saving time means that sometimes 'from scratch' efforts
are set aside in favor of quick cake mixes, for example. An
introductory section covers basic cooking tips for novices, leading to
recipes for quick appetizers, one-dish wonders such as Chicken Eggplant
or Chicken Orzo, and side dishes such as a Potato Onion Bake.
Jewish flavors, international influences, and fare that has been
updated to be quick and easy are hallmarks of a cookbook that defines
'simple' and 'quick'.
Marla's notes preface each dish and add a dash of appeal, history, and
enticement to the recipe, as in the Spinach Mushroom Casserole: "Would
you like to serve a side dish for company that isn’t the same standard
fare? Whip up this recipe and surprise everyone. I had it at a pot-luck
dinner at a friend’s house one night when I was still married to Stan.
It’s not something I make often, but my guests are pleased when I do.
The curry gives it an unexpected flavor."
If it's a quick and easy, tested cookbook that is desired, A Bad Hair
Day Cookbook should be the item of choice. And if you're already a cozy
mystery reader of Cohen's books, this cookbook makes for a delightful
complementary volume to the series, and possible gift for any fan of
the series.
A
Bad Hair Day Cookbook
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to Index
Valerie Penz
Shellback Publishing, LLC
9781733335805
(paperback)
$21.95 plus tax (where applicable) & S/H
www.holistichealthbyvalerie.com/book
Deliciously Holistic - Inspired Favorites is written by a nutritional
therapist who debunks the myths that eating well involves expense,
time, or the need to consume unappetizing fare for the sake of healthy
eating.
While there are no processed ingredients here (nor gluten, dairy, corn,
or refined sugars), that doesn't translate to dull food, strange
flavors, or time-consuming preparations. Deliciously Holistic is all
about making healthier foods accessible to the ordinary, busy cook and
family, and the recipes chosen for this book are especially crafted to
please all.
An introductory pantry list reveals some special staples the cook may
need to acquire. Nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, and raw coconut oil
may not be in every kitchen, but they are essential for the successful
pursuit of this cookbook.
Next comes the recipes, accompanied by bright color photos of completed
dishes. These will prove inviting and easy, as in a Pleasing Pea Salad
which contains fresh basil, peppers, peas and garbanzo beans, lemon,
onion and tomatoes, among other ingredients.
As cooks move from salads and side dishes to dishes such as a Please
Eat Pot Roast (note: this cookbook doesn't eschew red meat: only the
typical methods used to consume it) with sweet potatoes and veggies or
a Truly Tasty Turkey Meatloaf that acknowledges the usual problems with
turkey being too dry or tasteless (overcoming these obstacles with
added oats, balsamic vinegar, garlic and onion), it's evident that
Valerie Penz does more than gather recipes. She addresses common
obstacles to their use, modifies approaches that have resulted in
negative experiences in the past, and puts together a deliciously
holistic cookbook of flavor-rich dishes designed to appeal to the
entire family's tastes.
There are many healthy, natural, holistic cookbooks on the market these
days; but Deliciously Holistic - Inspired Favorites stands out from
most with its tested, flavor-filled dishes, mouth-watering color photos
of completed dishes, ease of preparation, and an approach that combines
healthier eating goals with flavors that can't be beat.
Anyone looking to make the transition into better eating should start
with Deliciously Holistic - Inspired Favorites. It's a foolproof way of
engaging cook and diner over a delicious culinary experience.
Deliciously Holistic - Inspired Favorites
Return to Index
Christmas in
Newfoundland
Mike Martin
Ottawa Press and Publishing
Paperback: 978-1-988437-25-5
Epub:
978-1-988437-27-9
$2.99
www.ottawapressandpublishing.com
Christmas in Newfoundland adds another book to the Sgt. Windflower
mystery series for a special seasonal treat not only directed to prior
fans of Canadian Mountie Windflower, but those who harbor affection for
Christmas, snow, and small-town seasonal atmospheres.
Stroll through the snow-packed winter of Grand Bank, Newfoundland in a
series of short reflections and memories born of Mike Martin's
background and of the other series titles, then imbibe of characters
who thrive against a "...bitter and hard season in old-time Grand
Bank", whose lives and pleasures are built around Christmas and its
anticipation.
Sip from the cup of atmosphere that brews heady holiday pleasures and
traditions, provides first-person observations of the expectations of
Christmas, and tempers these pieces with Wildflower investigations that
sprinkle a seasonal love of Christmas color with an overlay of intrigue
and affection.
While mystery readers expecting a traditional whodunit may be surprised
by the atmospheric reads and holiday celebrations throughout, it's
important to note that Christmas in Newfoundland is about just
that—small town ambiance—and is not solely about the mystery.
If it's an atmospheric river of celebration and relationship
connections that is desired, with a meditation on winter in a small
town juxtaposing first and third person styles, then Christmas in
Newfoundland is the perfect choice for a cold night by a hot fire.
Christmas
in
Newfoundland
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to Index
Corruption
in the O.R.
Barbara Ebel, M.D.
Barbara Mary Ebel, Publisher
Paperback: 978-1-7324466-6-3 $11.95
eBook:
978-1-7324466-7-0
$ 3.99
https://www.amazon.com/Corruption-R-Thriller-Outlander-Physician/dp/1732446660
Anesthesiologist Viktoria Thorsdottir's first day on a new job is
fraught with difficult patients and situations as she assesses and
interacts with those who would use her services and the medical systems
and personnel that support them. However, matters are about to go from
bad to worse when her first day on the job takes on an ominous tinge of
future disaster. And the fact that she's only signed on for a 4-week
stint in her temporary position doesn't belay the fact that she's about
to delve into some hospital secrets that set this facility apart from
any she's experienced in the past.
Corruption in the O.R. is the first book in Dr. Ebel's 'Outlander
Physician' series, and is highly recommended for medical mystery and
thriller fans who will find it just as riveting as not only Dr. Ebel's
past medical novels, but any Robin Cook thriller.
The first thing to note is that Dr. Ebel takes the time to capture the
political and social atmosphere of the O.R. and its personnel's
interactions through the experiences of the feisty newcomer: "Viktoria
immediately regretted speaking her private thoughts aloud. It was not
her style to chastise the few less diligent anesthesia care providers.
Dr. Berry gasped. “I harbor a love-hate relationship with anesthesia
personnel and you just confirmed my thoughts about their diversions at
the head of the table. And just like you were out of line, my love-hate
comment can stay in this room.” He pointed his bird-like nose at the
tech and then the RN. They both looked the other way like they didn’t
hear a thing."
Viktoria loves her career choice, but looks forward to a change.
Masonville General Hospital and its surrounding Long Island culture
isn't what she'd aimed for. As she finds an abused, abandoned dog and
begins to get a better sense of O.R. interactions, she begins to sense
that something is wrong. When a search of a doctor's office's reference
library for information about a patient's rare form of epilepsy leads
to an unusual discovery, she begins to realize the dangers underlying
this hospital's interactions and secrets.
Dr. Ebel takes the time to build her story carefully, from Viktoria's
Icelandic roots and exotic presence as part of a temporary support
staff to her slow realization that something is wrong. Readers
anticipating the nonstop action of a Cook thriller's cliffhangers may
find the pace of Corruption in the O.R. slower, but the time taken to
build characters, motives, and social and political insights results in
a wealth of rich description and detail which ultimately elevates this
story above many other medical mysteries.
As relationships are explored between physicians, medical personnel,
and patients, readers are treated to realistic and insightful scenarios
that juxtapose Viktoria's medical techniques and O.R. experiences with
issues ranging from illicit dealings and substance abuse to hidden
motives.
As the seemingly disparate threads of her new dog and the hospital's
processes begin to come together, readers who enjoy well-developed
medical mysteries will find the story excels in subplots and
connections that reveal pleasing surprises.
The result is a medical mystery that tempers its thriller component
with a fine attention to building detail, atmosphere, and the character
of a temp worker who stumbles into more than she'd expected from her
new assignment.
These touches make Corruption in the O.R. an excellent story that
delves into moral and ethical conundrums and the choices of a young
woman whose job and life are changed by her new assignment: a read
designed to keep readers thinking long after its well-done conclusion.
Corruption
in the O.R.
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to Index
Demons,
Well-Seasoned
Patricia V. Davis
HD Media Press
Hardcover Special Edition: 978-1-7320649-1-1 $34.95
Trade Paper: 978-1-7320649-6-6
$15.95
Kindle:
978-1-7320649-7-3
$5.99
www.hdmediapress.com
Demons, Well-Seasoned is the third and last book in the Secret Spice
Cafe Trilogy which began with Cooking for Ghosts, and contains the same
momentum and formula for success as its predecessors. While newcomers
to the series could conceivably enter into this story without prior
knowledge of the other books, it is highly recommended that these tales
be absorbed in chronological order because the background events
enhance and complete this final book's strength and the series as a
whole.
It should be noted that, like its predecessors, Demons, Well-Seasoned
stands apart from mystery, novel, or strict literary genre definitions.
It and its fellow series titles are in a category of their own, making
them a delightful recommendation for readers seeking something
different.
Demons, Well-Seasoned incorporates mystery and problem-solving, but
also adds a dash of spice. The prologue introduces an era just before
Hitler has just been made the ruler of Germany, when Queen Mary of Teck
christens her ship of the same name, and where a baby born in Louisiana
faces an uncertain future without her mother.
Now fast forward (in the first chapter) to 2020, some hours before a
predicted apocalypse, when kindergartener Alana Miceli falls into a
trance for the first time. The Queen Mary is docked some thirty miles
from her, but in her mind's eye it's right there—and it feels scary and
out of place in her schoolyard setting.
Perhaps this is because, in her vision, the ship seems to be bleeding,
and also because she's wrenched out of her familiar school and into the
ship's Secret Spice Café (her grandmother's restaurant), which now
seems gloomy and threatening rather than the cheerful place she
remembers. There is also the presence of the mysterious Marisol, whom
her father says was a hero.
As the literal spirits of the Queen Mary draw connections between past
and present events and season them with new possibilities, readers are
treated to a compelling story that is especially powerful when
considered in light of the prior books in the trilogy.
Historical events provide a realistic backdrop. They have been
well-researched and come to life as Patricia V. Davis lends the same
attention to detail that made her other books so powerful, expanding
the story into spiritual realms in unexpected, satisfyingly persuasive
ways.
Fabrications made in the interest of creating a more intriguing story
are juxtaposed by well-researched facts that lend authenticity to the
Queen Mary environment and characters, many of which are based on
actual places and people.
It should also be noted that characters from prior books (such as Avi,
who made only a cameo appearance in Book II, but becomes a primary
figurehead for good causes) are expanded upon, here. Thus further
strengthens the contention that the biggest fans of Demons,
Well-Seasoned will be prior readers who will find this concluding
volume satisfying, complex, and strongly rooted in prior events.
To call Demons, Well-Seasoned a work of mystery, romance, historical
fiction or intrigue would be to do it an injustice. It's all these
things and more: quite simply, a lovely literary romp through time,
place, and interconnected lives and spirits that draws in readers and
proves riveting to the end.
Demons,
Well-Seasoned
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to Index
Fire, Fog
and Water
Mike Martin
Ottawa Press and Publishing
Paperback: 978-1-988437-28-6 $14.99
Epub:
978-1-988437-30-9
$ 2.99
MOBI:
978-1-988437-29-3
$ 2.99
www.ottawapressandpublishing.com
Canadian Mountie Sergeant Winston Windflower faces not one but three
mysteries in Fire, Fog and Water, a dilemma that tests his normal good
nature as much as the weather and his new boss (both have become
challenging).
Grand Bank may seem a relatively tranquil outpost for the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, but it appears that fire and homicide have
come to town in a big way and these pressures lead him to fight with
his beloved wife, yell at his co-workers, and turn to his Uncle Herb
for wisdom.
Sgt. Windflower's dilemmas, which begin at home and blossom into
everything he touches at work, are one of the strong driving points of
a story that rests firmly on psychological inspection and
self-examination: "It’s like I’ve lost my voice. I don’t even know who
I am anymore. I’ve turned into a husband and a father and a Mountie.
But who am I, really? I feel overworked and under-appreciated.”
These revelations and the growing discord on both the home and business
front create a backdrop of angst and struggle that is heightened by a
puzzling, challenging investigative process. Windflower's self-doubt
and questions keep his probe on a very human level ("He thought about
what he knew, which was a little, and what he didn’t, which
unfortunately was a lot."), and when his integrity is called into
question, he finds himself defending more than his uncommon responses
to work and home situations ("Windflower spent the next 20 minutes
running through his relationship with Raymond and detailing as many
incidents as he could remember. “I felt undermined and disrespected,”
said Windflower as he started to wrap up.").
Most murder mysteries create a cat-and-mouse interplay between perp and
investigator, but the fact that Sgt. Windflower is also probing his own
motives, reactions, and life adds an extra dimension of interest to the
story that makes for rich and absorbing reading indeed.
From fires to drug operations, co-worker struggles and even attacks,
and Windflower's confrontation with the results of pride and difficult
decisions that stem from it, readers receive a solid backdrop of
Newfoundland, a small town's struggle with a series of challenging
events, and a loyal, determined cop's difficult choices.
Set these topics against the sizzle of steaks on the grill and
interpersonal relationships on and off the job for a mystery that
probes more than criminal intentions, involving readers in Sgt.
Windflower's ultimate quest for personal satisfaction and happiness.
Readers seeking a fine story steeped in psychological inspection will
relish both the character of Mountie Windflower and his ability to
navigate the murky waters of self, community, and home.
Fire,
Fog and Water
Return
to Index
I Eat Men
Like Air
Alice Berman
Audible
ASIN:
B07VBPFPYB
$24.47
https://www.audible.com/pd/I-Eat-Men-Like-Air-Audiobook/B07VGZFNCG?qid=1571752323&sr=1-1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=9HK8AJRCQASSM3N5Q77Q&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1
The scenario is familiar for a murder mystery: as
snow isolates the New
Hampshire countryside, a group of seven gather to celebrate a
forthcoming wedding, only to find that the past catches up to them and
leads to a grisly murder.
Podcast reporter Tyler, who found Alex's body before he was officially
declared dead, has just an inkling of the past connections within this
group that could have led to such a disaster, but he's determined to
use his investigative skills to probe deeper. After all, his podcast
Crime and Question has solved such mysteries in the past.
As tension ramps up and matters unfold in a classic Agatha
Christie-style approach, Tyler at first isn't sure what there is to
investigate and what there isn't. As he probes the lives of the rich,
their relationships, and their entwined interests and pasts, a
different kind of mystery evolves.
Under a different hand, I Eat Men Like Air could have become a
predictable, staid Christie-like story of intrigue, but Alice Berman
takes the time to explore the relationships between not just Alex Sable
but Maxie, Lulu, Freddie, and the others, winding these stories into a
compelling probe of all bridal party members and their friendships.
The dual timelines and changing focuses on different members is well
done and easy to understand, but especially notable is Alice Berman's
evocative descriptions of the characters' perceptions of their lives:
"He walked into the building he didn’t like and took the elevator up to
the apartment he hadn’t picked. She was awake, scrolling through
Instagram in long john pajamas that it was too warm for. The lights
were very bright, very bright and very white in the living room full of
shiny things. She didn’t say anything and he didn’t say anything and
for a moment, while he stood there with the door open and her
pretending she hadn’t noticed him come in, he had the urge to walk
right back out of it and keep walking and walking and walking until he
was completely gone. Why hadn’t modern life created an application for
an easy out from the life you didn’t like? An automatic service that
completed your break up and found you a new apartment and quit your job
and sent you listings of new positions, that changed your name and your
phone number and your email so no one from your past could ever find
you again, that fed you the potent drugs of Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind and let you rise from the ashes of the disaster you’d
stumbled into, and begin again."
These reflective moments, peppered throughout, enhance the
psychological interplays between characters and spice the events,
narrated from different angles, which led up to a disaster affecting
all.
Loss and love, wedding promises nearly broken by tragedy before they
even begin, and little cruelties and love assume different forms both
before and after the event, creating a multifaceted, absorbing read
that contrasts different lives and values.
I Eat Men Like Air's ability to grasp and twist the same event from
different perspectives results in a gripping story of invisible
justice, changing love, and a revealing mystery surrounding not only
what really happened, but why.
Murder mystery fans will find it astute, compellingly complex, powerful
in its psychological depictions, and hard to put down.
I
Eat Men Like Air
Return
to Index
Mind in
Chains
Bruce M. Perrin
Mind Sleuth Publications
978-1-7320835-2-3
(paperback)
$10.99
eBook Amazon ASIN: B07XQHRRS9 $ 3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XQHRRS9
Mind in Chains is the third book in The Mind Sleuth series. This
installment revolves around terrorists and medical politics that affect
health access for all (versus only for a few).
The efforts of Dr. James Conroy, Jr., who leads a movement to improve
medical access in America, directly oppose those of the Crusaders for
Common Sense, who maintain that medicine is dominated by self-interest
and edging too close to impinging on God's judgment.
As violence increases and Sam “Doc” Price, Nicole Veles, and FBI agent
Rebecca Marte face the Crusaders in a series of escalating
confrontations, readers receive a medical thriller that takes place
over one month in May where everything changes.
The story begins seven years earlier, when a baby goes missing from a
hospital. There are no clues, and Martha Wilson, who was in charge of
the newborn, feels that she has failed in her duty.
Fast forward to May 3rd, when Sam and biomedical engineer Nicole
announce wedding news to the family. Only a few days later, Reverend
Micah Eastin leads his flock in a dangerous direction as he maintains
they are "surrounded by evil" and outlines a threat not just from
opioid addition, but the medical community he views as inherently
greedy and evil: "Is change in this epidemic before us, you may ask? I
say, it is not. Nothing will change because despite all the
evidence—the addiction, the betrayals, the deaths—the men of medicine
will not allow it. They continue to foist their false beliefs upon us.
In fact, if the group assembled in this house of worship represents the
norm for our state, we will be told over 215 times in the coming year,
‘here, take this drug, it’ll fix everything.’ And under their breath,
the men of medicine will whisper, ‘and it will make you its slave.’ Two
hundred and fifteen times! That’s the number of prescriptions for
opioids the 300 of us could expect if we represent the state’s norm.
Thankfully, we’re not average.”
As the Crusaders become synonymous with serial killers and domestic
terrorism, medical community and American values both fall under siege
in a manner that challenges everyone, from religious circles and FBI
investigators to a couple in love. As their relationship changes based
on threats and new pursuits, Bruce M. Perrin creates an absorbing
interplay between social issues and struggles and the couple's changed
focus: "My throat tightened as I realized the possible implications of
her question. “Have I been ignoring you?” “Oh, no,” Nicole replied,
sitting forward to look back at me. “You’ve been a bit preoccupied, but
I understand that entirely. And even in the midst of everything that’s
been happening, you’ve been very sweet, letting me crash at your place
on Thursday. And now, staying here. Having you around has really helped
get things back to normal. Better than normal actually. Thanks, Sam.”
The best medical thrillers juxtapose the personal and the political,
crafting conundrums that affect both. Mind in Chains moves deftly
between church matters and perceptions, misconceptions about technology
fostered by the Council for the Right and other influencers, and
interplays between the medical community, believers, individuals with
other motivations, and Sam and Nicole.
As Mind in Chains examines different beliefs and motivations, readers
are treated to a fast-paced thriller that grows intrigue, crafts
delusions, and moves back into the introduction's events with new
perceptions of its significance. The premise which evolves is riveting,
original, and thought-provoking.
Readers seeking a well-developed medical thriller that injects a
substantial dose of moral, ethical, and social considerations into its
story, tempering all with strong psychological growth in its
characters, will find Mind in Chains just the ticket. It's a
multifaceted, absorbing read that lingers in the mind long after the
final revelation which examines issues of justice and humanity, as it
crafts a growing story of horror.
Mind
in Chains
Return
to Index
Odell's Fall
Norman Bacal
Barlow Books
978-1-988025-43-8
$0.99 Kindle
www.barlowbooks.com
Odell's Fall is a story set against the background of racism in modern
day Alabama, involving love, jealousy and deceit, culminating in a
murder in a rich lawyer's apartment. But who did it?
Odell Moore leads his diverse team of hardworking lawyers in midtown
Manhattan, based on trust. His moves come carefully calculated. He is
the master of legally preying on adversaries; but in the game of
romance, politics, and dangerous associations, who is the cat and who
is the mouse? In order to have Dee, the woman of his dreams,
Odell, a successful African American, must break the ethical and social
rules still governing southern life in order to have her. He
has risen from a troubled past to become a leader. Can he and
his new bride make a life in a big city with the past still
haunting his choices?
This question, asked early on in the story, becomes one of its central
pivot points as Odell faces challenges and changes that redirect the
course of his career and life.
Readers anticipating a staid mystery, courtroom drama, or legal office
political discussion will quickly discover that the tone, setting, and
most of all, the ethical conundrums presented in Odell's Fall make it a
little bit of all the above, but none of these, exclusively.
Dee's father, a racist Alabama senator, who opposes the marriage, joins
forces with Odells's protege, Jackson Sherman, to unsettle this
marriage and change its course, and the entwining of
political ambitions, wealth, devious plotting and murder create a
complex, absorbing read that relies on no familiar genre atmosphere,
but challenges its readers with delightful twists and thought-provoking
confrontations.
As Odell's Fall unfolds, Odell is revealed to be a strategist,
perfectionist, and clever man whose remorse changes everything in his
life.
Revelations are presented in chapters which capture almost
moment-by-moment changes as Odell traverses an uncertain course into
disaster, faces an internal rational response system which hits the
wall over Dee's fate, and questions his own role in what really
happened. Between his lack of memory, an unbelievable story and
premise, and losing battles of credibility among his colleagues and
mother-in-law, Odell faces not just a personal and professional
downfall, but one of the biggest puzzles of his life.
From political deals to corporate takeovers, to detective
investigations, clues about motivations and entwined lives, and the
history of Odell's reactions to adversity ("He hesitated, then heard
the heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. He took off to his room and
ran to his closet. The safe room. The only room in the house where life
made any sense. He pushed his back up against the wall and pulled his
knees up to his chest. Then he opened the box. He didn’t need any light
to feel around for the Union general. His favourite tin soldier. He
reached in and pulled out a couple of lower rank Confederate soldiers.
After a minute or two his eyes adjusted. In short order the entire
battlefield was set. He knew what was about to happen because he
controlled the outcome. Odell felt a growing sense of calm."), Odell's
Fall does more than play cat-and-mouse games with the protagonist's
psyche: it translates these matches into challenges for readers pulled
into the complex interactions and motives of everyone around Odell.
Odell's Fall covers romance, partnerships, lives lost and won, the
legacy of Odell's heritage and its influences, and the mystery
surrounding his actions with a deft attention to detail.
Under another hand, these multifaceted subplots might have proved
confusing; but Norman Bacal excels in seamlessly entwining different
perspectives, motivations, and personal, political and legal affairs.
His ability to capture the personal and professional conundrums of a
man with a secret to hide not only from the world, but from himself,
makes for a riveting production from beginning to end: a story that
will leave readers thinking long after the final revelations come to
light.
Odell's
Fall
Return
to Index
Ready for
the People
Mike Langan
Hilliard & Harris
978-1591334361
$18.95
www.mikelangan.com
Ready for the People is a Hank Fisher mystery that continues the
private detective's career's rocky changes as, reeling from his past
challenges, he uses his legal prowess to investigate white collar
crimes. He teams up with a former police officer who has also struggled
with his career due to some poor choices, but this doesn't mean that
success will follow either man.
Their efforts flounder and place Hank in the precarious position of
applying for a loan to keep his practice afloat. It's a move that leads
to bigger, even more dangerous choices as Hank finds himself accepting
an offer that leads him from investigating white collar issues to
probing a terrorist network's operations.
Hank Fisher isn't your ordinary aspiring legal beagle. He has a
checkered past, and those who are offering him this new challenge well
know it: "Put someone else on trial so I wouldn’t be put on trial? I
started to stand but Aaron put a hand over mine. He said, “Of course
we’d have to make sure his bar status is still active.” I sat back down
and gave Aaron a look of suppressed alarm. They were talking about me
actually prosecuting someone for a capital offense. Me, the guy who
changes jobs every few years, bends the law for a living and takes meds
for fainting spells. My bar status was the least of my concerns."
But it's an offer Hank just can't refuse, and his venture into
uncharted waters leads him to legal and political investigations that
test him in new ways.
Mike Langan's prior background as a Washington, D.C. litigator lends
authenticity and authority to his fast-paced legal story of Hank's
downfall, rise, and challenges. Each step, choice, and consideration is
backed by realistic scenarios and encounters that contrast career
challenges with conundrums affecting Hank's personal life: "What was I
doing? I was about to destroy the guy. I didn’t have a choice. Forget
about bankruptcy. Forget about prison. I would be accused of killing
Amelia’s step-uncle, my own client."
It should be noted that while this story is steeped in legal and
political dilemmas, it also holds a literary accent that is
refreshingly unexpected in a legal mystery: "I walked to the end of a
pier and stared out onto Lake Erie. The sky was clear, the moon and
stars shining. Waves emerged from the darkness and crashed into the
shore beneath me. I closed my eyes and tried to picture myself
surrounded by water, an island in a peaceful ocean. But all I could
hear were pages of federal regulations falling around me, rising up to
bury me. For the first time I felt I really understood the last line of
a short story by James Joyce that I used to teach, about a young woman
who was too afraid to leave home—All the seas of the world tumbled upon
her heart."
Langan excels not only in crafting a sense of purpose, but a sense of
place, winding Hank's career and personal dilemmas into an atmospheric
production that is compellingly realistic and which blends moments of
comic relief and observation with high-octane action and confrontation.
These elements keep the story on track, fast-paced but realistic, and
thoroughly absorbing not just for prior fans of Hank Fisher, but
newcomers.
The result is a legal mystery that nicely blends a struggling
protagonist's life with a touch of romance and ambition to keep readers
guessing about many outcomes, both personal and professional, right up
to the end, which highlights the ultimate consequences of Hank's
choices.
Ready
for the People
Return
to Index
Schizoid
Johan Fundin
Asioni Press
Paper:
978-1-9999817-2-3
$15.99
e-book:
978-1-9999817-3-0
$ 2.99
www.johanfundin.com
Imagine an eccentric scientist who fancies becoming a writer, but
discovers that the murder mystery he is crafting, still in manuscript
format, is actually mirroring real-world events.
Consider the schizoid personality's potential for turning into a serial
murderer. Then add a bizarre chemical signature that the murderer
employs to brand his victims, a cat, and a girlfriend into the mix to
get a sense of this multifaceted story that blends romance with a
medical murder mystery.
The best murder mysteries do more than tell a story. They get into the
mind of the perp and others to impart a "you are there" feel to the
events, creating a deeper understanding than is typically gained from
observing a killer's modus operandi. Schizoid achieves this atmosphere
as it probes the killer's fantasies, nightmares, life history and
influences, and relationships.
From crystal chemistry to strings pulled and favors called in to make a
potentially career-busting psychological diagnosis go away, Schizoid
provides the kind of gripping tension that keeps readers on their toes
and involved.
Johan Fundin is at his best when capturing small, succinct moments of
observation and insight that connect different worlds: "You could use
the telescope for other purposes than studies of the sky. He mounted
the equipment. The telescope caught images from Rebecka’s bedroom. From
one world to another. From Saturn’s rings to Sara’s eyelashes. It took
only a fraction of a second to shift the telescope’s angle of
incidence. Via the telescopic eye, multiple worlds were in continuous
juxtaposition with one another."
Readers may not expect references to nanotechnology to evolve, nor
Kenneth's dubious position as either a killer or an innocent schizoid
caught up in a nefarious plot. Fundin weaves in many elements that make
his story's outcome delightfully elusive.
Schizoid is a thriller worthy of high praise: a medical mystery that
combines psychology, science, and the quirks of interpersonal
relationships with an edge that keeps readers guessing to the end, as a
writer's dreams become his worst nightmare.
Schizoid
Return
to Index
The Tao of
the Viper
Linda Watkins
Argon Press
Ebook: 978-1-944815-10-3 $4.99
Paper: 978-1-944815-11-0
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Viper-Pomeroy-Mystery-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B07WK55C45
The Tao of the Viper is the second book in the Dr. Kate Pomeroy mystery
series and is set some time after the events of the first book, from
which Kate is still struggling to recover.
She still dreams of the dead and has nightmares, but thinks her life is
finally getting back on track until an old man appears to introduce new
threats into her half-stabilized world. As secrets are exposed and new
revelations come to light, Kate discovers she's in a pivotal role that
requires her to take charge of not only her trauma over the deaths of
her father and relatives at Stormview and her ongoing
conflicted emotions, but her ongoing responsibility to Steve,
Jeremy, and other island community members.
Medical mysteries, unnatural threats, a diary filled with superstitions
that may not be all myths, and the involvements of Russian mafia and
other forces make for a riveting mystery that goes beyond a medical
thriller to delve into political, paranormal, and romantic influences
on events.
Unlike many mystery genre reads, Linda Watkins cultivates a unique
voice and an ability to weave disparate themes into her story of a
doctor recovering from her own life's blows.
Contrasts between character traits and underlying motivations and
influences are well done, while Watkins injects fine, thought-provoking
moments into Kate's discoveries that continually challenge reader
anticipation and presumptions: "I felt confused. How could that evil
old man have made a home like that? It didn’t make sense. But, then,
what did I expect? A dark, dreary old house, full of cobwebs, roaches,
and bats? No, Morrison thought he was privileged and liked the better
things in life. It made sense that his home would reflect that taste."
This device allows readers to not only follow the plot, but the winding
and ever-changing reactions, growth, and insights which Kate hones as
she moves through her world and looks at bigger goals than lasting
recovery.
Perhaps this mystery is just what Kate needs. Or, it could be the straw
that broke the camel's back. Either way, The Tao of the Viper a
satisfying series of questions, conundrums, and revelations that keep
mystery readers, prior fans, and newcomers alike involved in not only
Kate's investigations, but the changing course of her life.
It's a top pick for mystery readers who look for more than the usual
whodunit. And, it should be cautioned that this story ends in a
cliffhanger. By the time it does, readers will be thoroughly hooked.
And that's not a bad thing.
The
Tao of the Viper
Return
to Index
Toxic Spirits
Mani
Calumet Editions, 2019
Paperback ISBN-13:
978-1950743100
$16.99
Kindle: ASIN:
B07WSXR5PM $2.99
Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/2kkmxfc
Novel website: www.tinyurl.com/toxicspirits
It's rare to see an international thriller that captures the
intricacies of a complex story so succinctly. Toxic Spirits achieves
this and more, adding dashes of humor, social inspection, and insights
into multiculturalism. These keep readers engaged throughout this
fascinating story of a retired, widowed African-American intelligence
analyst's romp across Thailand. The novel also offers thrilling
back-stories set in the US and India.
Benton Sims did not come to Thailand for romance or intrigue. But his
intelligence background and nose for trouble is awakened when he's
first enchanted by a beautiful bar singer from a hill tribe, then
dismayed by her abrupt disappearance. As his investigations uncover
secret drug trials and a genetically engineered drug that could change
the world, his own transformation begins on more than one level.
Multicultural insights are woven into the plot so deftly that these
casual injections become part of the intrigue: "He remembered then what
Little John had told him. One should never make a Thai lose face.
Especially a woman. She was now muttering under her breath as her
fingers clenched the knife."
Benton is still recovering from the death of Sylvia and the guilt he
harbors over his choices: "Let me be me. He hadn’t, had he? He had
screwed up that last segment of her life, the part when he should have
made everything as beautiful as she wanted so she could cry and rage
and tear things up and go blazing like a meteor into the night." He
never expected to fall in love again. Now he has new choices to make,
and their impact will go far beyond individual lives.
Mani's attention to detail is nicely done, and his descriptions are
just complex enough to intrigue and add atmosphere while contributing
to the story's fast pace. It should be cautioned that graphic
descriptions of torture are part of the story line, and not for the
faint-hearted. As hate, shame, and revenge evolve into a tale of
hacking and intrigue, readers are drawn into Benton's investigations
and dilemmas against the backdrop of a country where anything can
happen.
Moody and atmospheric, compellingly swift and surprising, and steeped
in intrigue and Thai culture, Toxic Spirits is an engrossing read on
many levels, juxtaposing personal conundrums with issues of greater
good and high-tech experiments conducted in the jungles of another
world. It's a puzzle piece with a surprise bang to its ending that will
not only keep readers on their toes, but leaves the door open for
another book even as it deftly concludes a powerful, stand-alone story.
Toxic Spirits
Return to Index
After Olympus
Santiago Xaman
LoneThink Press
978-1-73380-170-6
www.lonethink.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com/After-Olympus-Santiago-Xaman/dp/1733801707/
After Olympus blends magical realism and science in a hard-hitting,
fast-paced story representing a genre blender of humor, fantasy,
philosophy, mythology, and more. Perhaps this is why Santiago Xaman
chooses to label his production 'quasi-fiction', because its
wide-ranging scenarios incorporate so many elements of fiction,
nonfiction, and sci-fi that it fits into no particular box.
With so many formula genre reads these days, it's satisfying to see an
unexpected, category-defying story like After Olympus. Original themes
and approaches are both unique and rare in the book world. One reason
is the challenge of branding, marketing and filing such a creation.
How do you define and describe a book with so many facets? Xaman opens
by defining his own creation, 'quasi-fiction': "1. A narrative
combining fictional characters with published facts of minor historical
significance. 2. The form of realism evoked by quasi-fictional
content."
But this definition is only the tip of the iceberg, because After
Olympus touches upon so many reading nerves that it's actually
impossible to adequately describe. Mystery? There's plenty of intrigue
in the plot, as Ephraim Martz faces death on a stormy Santa Cruz
mountain road before the story segues into Aliya Hathaway's prologue,
in which she reviews a lost and found manuscript by Santiago Xaman
which comes with a faded photo of the reader's mother, and an odd
puzzle.
The crux of the story opens in 1978, when Xaman confronts evidence of
Olympus' fall to earth in the remote mountains, receives a rare visit
from strangers who have observed a falling star and who are
investigating, and faces many possibilities, including the crash of a
Soviet craft in his own backyard (that, or aliens).
From magicians and prophecies to the evolving anguish of life, Xaman
employs poetic and metaphorical descriptions that are compellingly
vivid: "There’s a mystery that binds us in this quiet space via some
invisible umbilical cord — in spite of Luca, in spite of my curse, in
spite of my ever-present mission to steal the magicians’ wings; yes, in
spite of everything, there’s a constant rebalancing of expectations in
our mixing of sweat. That is the yin-yang of our lives: she anchors on
the very thing that drives me like a rhinoceros through the wild. That
is the seduction of our common existence. I dream sometimes of a child,
a daughter perhaps, who might capture this splendid dance of opposites
in her spirit. But it is only a dream."
By now it should be more than evident that Xaman's After Olympus isn't
some genre-bending fluff adventure, but a literary achievement that is
compelling not just for its strong plot and characterization (not to
mention its unique twists and turns), but for its literary prowess.
Whether it's futuristic designer drugs to alleviate generational
inheritances of medical conditions or the financial frustrations of a
would-be miracle drug inventor ("For Holmes, imagining new molecules
with new functions was an exquisite delight. He enjoyed building
function into a minimal sequence of amino acids that would be cheap to
make, sit on a shelf for years without spoiling, be clever enough to
penetrate, say, the skin, enter a nearby nerve, travel to (say) the
nucleus accumbens in the brain, and trigger such traits as boldness. Or
go somewhere else and reverse pain signals, depression, or apathy. He
was certain that some of the future of medicine was his to invent. The
insane part was figuring out how to do it on just a few hundred dollars
a month."), After Olympus traverses pitfalls, conundrums, miracles and
madness with a relentless march through irony, possibility, and the
magic and reality of transformational processes.
Is this a manuscript of imagination or new possibilities? Does it
arrive at an end, or promise a new beginning?
The real pleasure in After Olympus lies in its ability to inject magic
into realism. Readers seeking a wide-ranging, original, creatively
compelling read will find this literary work presses all the buttons of
a solidly engrossing, superior masterpiece.
After
Olympus
Return
to Index
Marc Grossberg
Greenleaf Book Group Press
Print:
978-1-62634-655-0
$23.95
eBook: 978-1-62634-656-7
www.gbgpress.com
In many ways, Paddy Moran is approaching the end of his best game at
age thirty-six, as an ex-cop. In other ways, in The Best People: A Tale
of Trials and Errors, he is posed at the beginning of new opportunities
as a new Houston divorce attorney who finds himself quickly rising in
his new career after some public acclaim elevates his name and career.
He sees himself not just as one of the good people, but one of the
best.
The time seems ripe for change to enter into his world in the form of
the beautiful but flawed Pilar Galt, a single mother from the barrios
who struggles in a different way.
In many ways, Paddy has gotten a late start while Pilar has gotten the
short end of the stick. As their lives collide and entwine against the
bigger picture of corporate corruption and dirty politics, they find
that what looks like disparate, very different purposes and experiences
actually dovetail in an unusual manner.
As court proceedings and litigation efforts, Paddy's big day in court,
and Pilar's efforts to redeem herself coalesce, readers receive a story
peppered by Paddy's temper and sometimes-crude reactions to crime and
the consequences of running up against the Internal Revenue Service.
When disaster strikes and Paddy and his partner Will face a terrible
dilemma that threatens to repeat destructive patterns of the past, it's
Pilar who, despite her own desperation, may be the one to save them
all.
From an aggressive divorce push and its political impact to legal
obstacles to success, The Best People pushes the buttons of legal
process and personal lives in a way that will delight fans of courtroom
procedurals.
Money, power, and corruption currents in a smaller city are captured in
an engrossing story contrasting the elite and downtrodden of Houston,
creating a milieu that promises either riches and redemption or the
biggest downfall in Paddy's life.
The fine line Paddy walks between these promises and pitfalls will keep
readers thoroughly engrossed and guessing about Pilar and Patty's
future and the consequences of their choices, right up to the end.
The
Best People
Return
to Index
Black Volta
Pete KJ
Pete KJ, Publisher
ISBN:
9781541102620
$12.95
ASIN:
B07XJZ8F2L
$ 2.99
Author website: https://www.petekj.com/WP2/
Order link:
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Volta-Pete-KJ-ebook/dp/B07XJZ8F2L/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=pete+kj&qid=1570229125&sr=8-2
Carlos Mario committed many crimes as a young man, but now it's time
for him to go back to Ghana and make amends.
Liz left Ghana to create a very different, successful life; but now
finds herself supporting her poverty-stricken family back home. She has
her own new family in America, but cheap fares to Ghana prompt a long
journey in hopes that her presence will make a difference in her needy
siblings and mothers' lives, which are always in economic crisis.
Each feels compelled to return to Africa, and in Black Volta, both find
that going backwards to revisit something familiar is an effort tainted
by the circumstances that birthed their new lives.
Liz and Carlos face difficult decisions in Ghana, wondering if its pull
will let them leave Africa unchanged. The difference between them?
Carlos is actually fine with the way things are. And Liz needs her
family to change if she's to ever find lasting peace. Their destinies
entwine as the Black Volta River becomes a backdrop for further
confrontations and change (although Ghana is still a familiar home, in
many ways).
One notable feature of Black Volta is its ability to add insights that
contrast with traditional views of African culture and ways of
navigating the country. This thought-provoking conclusion to Liz's
attempt to get around a rule that could thwart her journey before it
begins is one example of a very different way of viewing these third
world processes: "Along with all the insidious and damaging drawbacks,
the Ghanaian system of corruption had a silver lining. It gave a person
an option in a situation such as this. What if it had been the other
way around, and she was trying to enter the United States without valid
documentation? She looked with gratitude at the Port Health woman’s
face, and watched it brighten."
As she travels near her father's village where her life began and
unearths memories of the past, Liz discovers that her present and
future are not only tied to it, but will be changed by current
decisions made in Ghana.
Bound for Wa and determined to see the country, enjoy his journey, and
keep his memories and concerns repressed, Carlos faces an uncanny
reunion with a town at once familiar and much-changed. He also
encounters stranger Liz, who feels the same about her Ghana roots and
new experiences.
As Carlos muses about the possibilities of elusive love ("What about
love? Carlos Mario asked himself a few days later, as he sat in his
room at the Konatey Lodge. He wondered if true love existed in this Wa
society, just like he wondered if it existed anywhere else in the
world. No matter where he went, everything always seemed to be based on
some type of exchange. As for love, he sensed the people of Wa probably
strove for it, or for their concept of it anyway, just like people did
in Puerto Rico including himself. Puerto Ricans seemed to be yearning
for love. But at the same time, they treated it like it was something
superfluous. Other things were always more important: success, money,
power, prestige. These were everyone’s daily priorities. Despite being
starved for love, they treated it like it was a luxury, not a
necessity."), he compares his revised expectations of life between his
former 19-year-old self to his present-day perspective twenty-six years
later.
As their Ghana experiences change both their lives, readers receive a
warm, vibrant story steeped in African culture and society—one which
lingers in the mind long after the reading. Liz's real journey is just
beginning. And Carlos is about to embark on the greatest transformation
of all.
Readers interested in literary psychological explorations of African
cultural roots will find Black Volta as compelling for its social
inspections and atmospheric descriptions of the country as it is an
absorbing story of two very different individuals who dare to go
backwards in time; there to rediscover their roots and wings.
Black
Volta
Return
to Index
Distant Signs
Anne Richter
Neem Tree Press
978-1-911107-08-8
(hardback)
$22.45
978-1-911107-09-5
(paperback)
$12.99
978-1-911107-16-3
(e-book)
$ 9.99
https://www.neemtreepress.com/book/distant-signs/
Distant Signs opens in an unnamed city in East Germany in the
mid-1960s, when two students, Hans, a villager, and Margret, a girl
from the city, meet and marry despite their different backgrounds.
Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of the East German state and
the exposure of family secrets, the couple forges new lives for
themselves and faces a set of circumstances that nobody could have
predicted.
Readers of novels set in modern Germany will find that, more so than
most, Distant Signs offers an astute and lyrical examination of
changing personal relationships and values affected by political and
social strife.
This story is also presented on a multigenerational level, which means
that the resounding impact of many choices affect not just the
present-day, but future generations who move ever more distantly from
their roots.
One reason why the atmosphere and events in Distant Signs seems so real
is that Anne Richter's portrait of family life behind the Iron Curtain
is partially based on her personal and family experiences. She was 16
years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall, and her memories combine with
considerable research to provide the background for a story that
closely considers how family patterns evolve, change, and are
transmitted.
This focus makes for more than a political investigative piece,
incorporating observations not just of East Germany, but a changing
Europe as a whole: "How the city must have changed! I mean Prague, with
its wonderful lanes and bridges, its unique history. How well the
people will now be faring in their warm apartments, in newly built,
unostentatious buildings that perhaps look a little odd next to the
houses from the turn of the century. But beauty is something we will
think about as soon as no one needs to watch their pennies anymore."
Richter's ability to capture the sights, sounds, and effects of social
and political changes as they reverberate throughout Germany and the
world makes for a perceptive observational piece that is
thought-provoking and revealing. Late in the novel, Hans, a man who has
conformed with state socialism, reflects with ambivalence upon German
reunification: "At the third stop, through the window Hans watched some
petite women, barely older than him, one of whom was holding out her
open shopping bag to the others. The women were bent over the bag in
rapture. Hans pressed his worn briefcase tighter to his stomach. Here,
on the other hand, was a clear correspondence: between the greed with
which people now carried home their wares in oversized plastic bags,
filled their apartments with them, discarded their old things, tried to
forget; and the disconcerting call for a united Fatherland, which had
first rung out two years ago in streets across the country and which
had unsettled even Margret who, unlike him, came back at first from
every pro-reform demonstration with a gleam of hope in her eyes."
The result is a hard-hitting examination that takes East German society
and politics and places it squarely in the personal worlds of not only
those who lived through the times, but generations to follow.
Anyone who would understand the East German experience and psyche will
relish Distant Signs for its ability to pick up the pieces of a
shattered nation and era and recreate them in all their complexity, as
a legacy for future generations.
Distant
Signs
Return
to Index
Finding Lisa
Sigrid Macdonald
Total Recall Press
978-1-59095-828-5
$6.93 Kindle/$14.89 Paper
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Finding-Lisa-Sigrid-MacDonald/dp/1590952510
Website: http://www.bookmagic.ca/sigrids-books/
Tara is leading an unhappy but safe life, stuck in a career and
marriage she doesn't like, until her best friend vanishes. Finding Lisa
is about having everything, losing something important, and
re-evaluating life, love, and purpose as a result.
It stands out from other stories of disappearance and searching because
of its focus on a variety of themes beyond the event itself. These
include women's connections and friendships, the kinds of shared
interactions that keep such connections alive, and underlying issues of
spousal abuse, midlife changes, and new possibilities.
The first step to making meaningful changes is to confront evidence
that one's values, perceptions, and patterns are no longer serving
their purpose. As long as Lisa is part of her life, Tara isn't
compelled to take this step or make these realizations; but Lisa's
disappearance prompts a cascade of grief, self-examination, and
determination in ways than one, and this in turn fosters new
experiences and choices.
Set against the backdrop of Canadian culture, Finding Lisa follows
Tara's journey as she learns to trust strangers, runs into danger and
even possible romance, and navigates strange new worlds in which her
usual responses need revision: "Alain had been sincere in his offer to
locate Lisa. I was impressed but couldn't picture myself in a pool hall
drinking with Alain. It seemed surreal, like I had walked through a
portal into a parallel universe."
Her shortcomings and failures are reassessed ("Lisa had always wanted
me to go with her to a meeting, but I’d never gotten around to it.
Never made her addiction a priority in my life.") as her search leads
to not only dead ends, but a passage of time that gives her the feeling
that Lisa is being left behind as life moves forward without her: "The
Steve Miller band was singing, "Time keeps on slipping, slipping into
the future." I had a sense of motion. The car was moving forward, and
with every traffic light I passed, I was moving farther away from Lisa
and our routine evenings at the ByTowne Theatre. The rest of us were
going ahead, and Lisa had been left behind. I wanted to go back, not
just to last Thursday night, but to my university days, so I could live
my life all over again."
As she faces questions about whether Lisa lost her sobriety and whether
her boyfriend Ryan was involved, Tara confronts her own life decisions.
Ultimately, Finding Lisa is about Tara finding herself, her place in
the world, and her own willingness to accept pat answers and
appearances that defy easy explanations.
The emotionally charged conclusion that takes an unexpected twist will
delight readers who anticipated a very different ending from Tara's
thought processes, making Finding Lisa a delightful study in surprises
that holds the power to thoroughly engross right up to its stormy
conclusion.
Finding
Lisa
Return
to Index
The Hanging Doll
Robert Rubenstein
Independently Published
978-1086963137
$7.70 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
http://www.bookmagic.ca/sigrids-books/
The Hanging Doll crafts a literary search for meaning steeped with
atmosphere and opens with a first-person review of the progress of the
'silent generation' of war babies who lived through the aftermath of
the atomic bombing of Japan. It comes from the pen of a fictional
75-year-old noir horror writer whose literary errors haunt his
potential legacy, and who faces a slow death tempered only by the
determination to craft a literary work of art inspired by best friend
Fallon's experiences in Asia: a goal which sparks to life after
Fallon's suicide.
The first thing to note is Robert Rubenstein's talent at weaving his
character's first-person autobiographical survey with life-changing
events around him. He creates a surreal and evocative set of
descriptions that linger in the mind: "I was not ready in the now to
accept his death. I thought I could live in the past, or at least join
the dig of archeologists that roamed the grassy hillside for artifacts.
Woodstock was more myth less mellow. A savage muddy landscape of rain
and willing girls. Yeah, we saw Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and fixed our
bayonets on the loudspeakers. We told time by the fence that led to the
stage. But we were no hippie wildflowers from Frisco. The tie-dyed
phony crystal maharishis or cupcake selling gray haired hippies were
actually businessmen and women. Modern Woodstock was only about making
a groovy buck."
The psychological insights of the relationship between these two are
astute and thought-provoking: "Life was only a gateway to the monster
god of death. Horror willed out. Our ego was not our strength but our
weakness. His gave him no exit...If I had a succulent slice of brick
oven pizza could I have stopped him then? If only for a moment to talk
and change that trajectory that brought him to that end. Later, I
realized that it was not the conversation that I could have had if I
had been awake that night that mattered, but the conversations we
already had that I might have changed what was, in hindsight, his
inevitable behavior. But I didn’t pay enough attention. Only after,
when it was too late, did I mull over his words—certain inflections—the
grim silences—what he was trying to say between the walks, his love of
plants, of dogs, of life in a thousand conversations."
The horror lies in the questions of what choices would have created
different outcomes, in the juxtaposition of past and present angst, and
in the protagonist's journey, which brings him into contact with
Buddhist monks, atheists and worshippers, and the Asian 'dolls' who
come along for this anguished writer's ride.
The mercurial presence of Hiroshima's events and their resounding
impact on everything in the world winds through The Hanging Doll and
lends a surreal vision to its juxtaposition between a generation's
horrors and an aging man's reflections. Throughout it all, a potent
hanging doll puppet offers power and an opportunity to develop a
different voice and perspective.
Compelling, atmospheric, and revealing on both a personal and cultural
level, The Hanging Doll is a powerful literary story of achievement,
failure, life and death, and one man's ultimate search for redemption.
Readers of literature, mystery, historical and cultural pieces, and
philosophy alike will find The Hanging Doll comes packed with many
intriguing twists and turns and memorable moments.
The
Hanging Doll
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to Index
The Other Gloria
L A Villafane
Empire Publishing
978-0-9989496-7-3
$15.95 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Other-Gloria-L-Villafane/dp/00998949671
Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/the-other-Gloria-l-a-Villafane/1132970639
Imagine coming to consciousness while driving a car down a dark, lonely
road at night. The terrain is only vaguely familiar. The destination is
unknown, the past a blur. A road sign reminds Gloria that she lives in
Bakersfield and she senses that this drive is one she's often done; but
a blinding headache obscures any details. All she knows is that she's
in pain and driving on a road to nowhere.
Is this just a dream, or a living nightmare?
The opening paragraphs of The Other Gloria set the stage for the story
of a wife's abuse and manipulation, conflicts between mothers and
daughters, and the kinds of impossible choices that lead to disaster.
Various relationships fold into one another with the precision of
origami. Each weaves a tale of tumultuous interactions, the emotional
devastation of separation and violence, and the kinds of abuse that
often remain secret even within close-knit families.
As Gloria escapes the dead ends of her life and begins to experience
many hopeful 'firsts' (the first Christmas without her abusing husband;
the first tentative friendship with another man), she revels in her own
growth and the sense of freedom which comes from knowing that Charles
can't reach her (at least, temporarily). Thus, she moves forward slowly
in a relationship that could require her to open up fully for the first
time since her escape. A justifiable fear lies at the heart of her
reluctance to file for divorce and finally completely distance herself
from the past in order to fully embrace this new connection.
If she overcomes her fear, will she pay for her courage with her life?
Villafane does a remarkable job of depicting not just Gloria's
personality and experience, but the logic, reactions, and reasons
behind her choices both with and after Charles.
Also noteworthy is the fact that Gloria's new beau faces his own
conundrums about how he should react when he learns the reason why
Gloria's been waffling about making the final move: "A large part of me
wants to be your knight in shining armor, but I must admit, I am
concerned. I can’t encourage you to file for divorce if it would be
unsafe for you or Sarah. Obviously, I understand your fear.” After a
moment, he said, “Honestly, I’m beginning to have strong feelings for
you. Where do we go from here?” He asked, sounding confused."
It's this solid attention to psychological inspection (and, especially,
the rationale behind decision-making processes) that makes The Other
Gloria a standout in the world of fiction that explores the lives of
abused women and how they confront their abusers and change their
futures.
Readers looking for a memorable story that delves deeper into these
conundrums will find The Other Gloria both engrossingly realistic and
thought-provokingly astute.
The
Other Gloria
Return
to Index
Panicles
Richard Robbins
Evolved Publishing
978-1-62253-822-5
$6.99
www.evolvedpub.com
Panicles opens with a literal bang. Emerson Murnane has just had a car
accident after some light drinking, calls driver and caretaker Mike for
help, and wonders if this is the end of his goal of running for
office. But Mike has connections, cleans up and hides the
event, and Emerson is back on track with his political aspirations. Or,
is he?
Two powerful families are changed during the course of Panicles. The
Murnane family and the Wax family both experience the challenge of
playing by the rules (or not), building a comfortable life for
themselves and future generations, and dealing with high level
political power plays that challenge their ideals and decisions.
Richard Robbins creates a compelling series of events where the
juxtaposition of personal and political interests sparks conflict, but
is careful to inject family dynamics and legal considerations into his
saga of election processes and ethical decisions.
As readers move from Emerson's challenge and eventual fall to the
processes, politics, and meaning of leading a privileged life with all
of its underlying perks ("That’s one of the privileges of wealth: the
ability to hide things."), they receive a story fueled not just by
social and political aspirations, but the interrelationships of very
different families and individuals.
Readers who enjoy novels steeped in a sense of purpose and
psychological insight and inspection will relish this story because it
doesn't take the easy way out by following predictable social climbs,
but includes plenty of serious inspection of purpose and personal
responsibility as the characters hone their goals and test their values
against life's ups and downs.
Fame, fortune, and achievement leave each family in the story
considering the ultimate impact, costs, and effects of wealth and
power, and their considerations of these challenges and the extent of
their duty to self and country create involving scenarios and
revelations that make for a fast-paced, purposeful, well-written
production.
Novel readers who like their social and political insights steeped in
psychological revelation will relish Panicles, which places
history-changing events firmly in the realm of generational
aspirations, experiences, influences, and choices.
Panicles
Return
to Index
The Poker Players
Edward A. Dreyfus
Enchanted Villa Press
978-1080589647
$14.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
www.edwarddreyfusbooks.com
A group of men in their 70s gathers weekly for their beloved poker game
in The Poker Players, but their game is just that: an emotions-barred
affair that involves beer, gambling, and little more, until George's
divorce is revealed. It's an event six months in the making that he's
been unable to talk about to the men he's known for thirty years.
This revelation shakes the group and leads each player to confront his
own emotional failings and lack of connections to men, crafting story
that quickly evolves from poker to the game of hiding one's true
persona and life events even from those who are supposedly friends.
In many ways, The Poker Players feels like a throwback to the 1970s,
when men's groups and discussions of men's consciousness-raising became
part of a perfect storm of demand by women for men to be more
emotionally engaged. However, in this story, women are only
peripherally involved and it's the men who come to demand honesty and
transparency from one another. This is a different approach that Edward
A. Dreyfus employs with great precision and power to explore how a
disparate group of friends both hold each other at emotional arm's
length and learn how to dissolve the emotional barriers that create
distance between them.
Each poker game and each chapter brings a new revelation. It turns out
that each player holds a close emotional secret that shocks the group
and further reinforces the fact that these men's interactions have been
anything but close despite the decades of familiarity and a shared
gaming interest.
As readers traverse these life changes and confessions, the poker
players become more than gamers, finding themselves drawing closer in
emotionally frightening ways that they never anticipated from a men's
circle. Conversely, their discoveries about each other and their
revised reactions to these revelations begin to spill into their
personal lives.
As readers absorb this progression of events, they receive much
information about self-discovery, intimacy, sharing, and men's
emotional make-ups. It turns out that The Poker Players isn't about
poker, but the larger challenge of forming meaningful relationships in
life.
The main premise of the story revolves around revealing close-held
secrets to achieve greater intimacy ("I’ll bet we all have secrets.
More than one, I imagine. Things we’ve never told our wives or even our
best friends.” “I’m sure that’s true for most of us,” said Dave. “As
Richie said, the bigger issue is whether holding those secrets creates
distance in our closest relationships.”). As the men begin to let go of
shameful or life-altering experiences and share them with others, trust
builds—and so do changes based on group input and revised moral and
ethical goals.
Readers interested in psychological connections between men and the
impact of honesty on all kinds of relationships and life choices will
find The Poker Players a vivid, exciting exploration of what happens
when risks are taken in safe environments and the Pandora's Box of
intimacy is opened.
The
Poker Players
Return
to Index
The Poor and the Haunted
Dustin McKissen
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68433-364-6
$15.95 Paper/$5.99 Kindle
www.amazon.com/Poor-Haunted-Dustin-McKissen/dp/1684333644
Jimmy Lansford and his sister suffered abuse and trauma during their
childhoods. It's a legacy that carries into his future even as a
successful man, when purchasing his new home awakens dreams and threats
he'd thought were long-buried.
The Poor and the Haunted builds its horror story from events of the
past which meld with a supernatural force to return to life. This
involves not just Jimmy but his prodigy, who have some important
questions to ask: "Why,” Jessica asked, “do hauntings only happen to
poor people?”
As this and other questions begin to affect the plush life Jimmy has
created for his children, the hauntings begin to affect their lives in
strange ways.
The first thing to note about this story is Dustin McKissen's strength
in crafting atmospheric descriptions: "Jimmy thought of those storms,
the way the sky darkened his father’s face, the burst vessels of his
nose made redder by the weird shade of daylight that preceded the sound
of tornado sirens." This sets the stage for further revelations that
move between past trauma and present threat as Jimmy faces overwhelming
memories and moments: "With tears leaking from one eye and his little
girl’s head on his shoulder, Jimmy Lansford watched the story of a man
whose life was forever haunted by one unexplainable, horrific event."
As the story progresses, the bond between siblings who confront
impossible dangers in their lives, and the efforts of Jimmy to shield
his little sister from these horrors, is explored in vivid scenes of
confrontation and the violence that affects the family. Each member
survives through a different way of coping, and each carries the scars
forward.
Jimmy senses that something deadly travels with him, but his
acknowledgement of this malevolent presence goes unspoken as he finds
that nobody around him is capable of processing his degree of knowledge
about the threat.
Once again, it's up to Jimmy to confront and protect. Only, this time,
what are at stake are another family and a legacy of mental illness and
addiction which may be only part of the bigger picture.
Readers expecting a typical story of ghosts and haunting will find The
Poor and the Haunted takes forays into social issues, suicide, and the
psychology of Jimmy's search for light and truth, a process which even
includes a powerful out-of-body experience: "Jimmy floated up and up.
Though he could not see any of it, he felt the storage unit, his home,
his adopted city, his family, the hand towels and fresh organic soaps
of his bathroom, his daily run, his beautiful carefully constructed
storefront of ordinary disappear in the miles and then planets and then
universes beneath him. Jimmy rose and rose and rose and rose until even
a father with a rusty knife for an eye and an Oklahoma possum carcass
for a heart became less than the speck of dust Carl Sagan spoke of. He
floated out past the light of the last star, out past the edge of God’s
creation where the only thing left to see are memories careening off
the interior edges of your skull, a mad pinball game that requires no
quarters and never ends."
As the story focuses on his brutal conflicts with both father and
mother and his efforts to protect his young sister and identify the
force that threatens them all, readers receive a story not just of
ghosts, but of psychological growth and revelation that power a study
in violence. Readers anticipating a traditional ghost story may be
disappointed by these added dimensions, but those who look beyond the
trappings of supernatural influence to consider the roots of struggle
will find McKissen's story both thought-provoking and vivid. It's a
pragmatic survey of PTSD, suicide, family legacies, the consequences of
choices, and the raw wound of childhood trauma that Jimmy has kept a
secret for far too long.
During the process of learning about the particular devil that has
invaded Jimmy's life, readers receive a powerful story that's
ultimately as much about love as it is about anguish. Real love and
connections never end, even with distance, and so Jimmy and Kelly forge
their own, different stories from the foundations of disaster.
All these components keep The Poor and the Haunted unexpected,
unpredictable, and fast-paced. It's an emotional tear that grips the
heart and proves difficult to put down, even for those who thought that
the horror factor would come from a different direction.
The
Poor and the Haunted
Return
to Index
The Raffle
Randy Smith
Rude Cat, LLC
978-0-578-56245-2
$6.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Raffle-Complete-Novel-Parts-1-4-ebook/dp/B07X57KTP8
The Raffle is a futuristic story in four parts and is set in 2027, when
the New United States has survived a deadly biological, nuclear and
electromagnetic pulse attack that has changed not only the landscape of
California, but the politics of the nation.
In this world, The Raffle offers hope and challenge to M-V-16
Virus-stricken New Angelinos, who are segregated from the virus-free
New United States. Their only hope for normalcy, if they become
virus-free, is to hold a winning raffle ticket to rejoin this world and
any loved ones they may have been separated from when disaster struck
in 2016.
The price? A letter—nearly a forgotten art—written to any family living
in the New United States. After a ten-year effort, Raffle contestant
Ramsey Arami is finally at the point where he only needs to write this
letter to contemplate how close he is to achieving his goal.
His letter to his family is a vital part of what explains this
scenario, segregation, and its costs, because Ramsey was an eyewitness
to the biological attack on Los Angeles. He paints these events in
vivid detail that will prove especially satisfying to readers of EMP
attacks and other end-of-world disaster scenarios.
The dilemma presented in the first pages (Ramsey's decades-long
separation from the loved ones who flew to the East Coast shortly
before everything changed) provides the glue that cements the story of
not just survival and recovery efforts, as most dystopian novels
emphasize, but an individual's personal stake in how society changes,
afterwards.
His determination to head east to his family, even via bicycle, leads
him straight into the other segment of the multifaceted terrorist
attack, the virus: "M-V-16 was an emotional nuclear bomb. My guess now
is that the terrorists studied the inherent weakness of LA: its
historical problems with race and its unintended racial segregation,
and then they lit the powder keg with M-V-16."
By now, it's apparent that The Raffle is more than another dystopian
survival tale. Randy Smith's ability to take current political and
social events, construct a frighteningly realistic story of an attack
that holds its foundations in a clever enemy's ability to understand
the enemy's vulnerability and underlying prejudices and conflicts, and
weave them into a virus that affects the mind creates a riveting
dilemma for victims and survivors charged with carving out a new world
from the destruction of the old.
What better time to employ the help of an AI (artificial intelligence)?
And what a dangerous move: to rely on an AI's benevolence with no
ability to thwart its power.
The social and political dimensions narrated from this witness are not
just action-packed, but riveting, as Smith explores the foundations,
effects, and perceptions of prejudice and division. Smith's ability to
uncover roots of relationships and ethnic connections right down to DNA
traces makes for compelling reading: "I still think that the
half/partial-Asian/half/partial-other races actually chose to be among
us because of their mental feelings of safety. I think they were
primarily driven by what their dominant ethnic identity had triggered
in their minds as their safety group, whether it be white, African
American, Latino or Asian. And that their Virus-plagued minds exposed
the dominant DNA within them."
Randy's introduction to the other side of the barrier that purports to
lead to freedom, virtual reality, and a better life forms the second
chapter to his four-part exploration. By now, readers are thoroughly
hooked by the combination of realistic dilemmas, a determined
protagonist, and a much-changed, yet still familiar, United States.
Randy's determination to rejoin his family drives his journey through
this world and creates many revelations along the way, which include
revised decisions and knowledge of his place in it.
With its roots in modern-day reality and conflicts and its sci-fi
grounded in a survivor's transformative experiences, The Raffle is more
than another dystopian tale. It probes how social and political strife
can lead to disaster both from without and from within.
Smith's survey of many different facets of a newly-controlled freedom
raises many questions about everything from racial awareness and
prejudice to social convention, political intervention, and individual
freedom.
The Raffle's premise is unique and refreshingly original, the
protagonist and characters hold depth and attraction on more than a
surface level, and the result is a powerful read that's very, very
highly recommended above most others in this genre. It's a story that
will leave readers thinking about the roots of our fractured nation
long after Ramsey's sojourn is complete.
The
Raffle
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to Index
Reunion
P.W. Walters
Izzard Ink Publishing
Hardback ISBN:
978-1-64228-032-6
$34.95
Paperback ISBN:
978-1-64228-031-9
$27.95
eBook ISBN:
978-1-64228-030-2
$ 9.99
www.izzardink.com
Reunion: Abuse Has No Limits . . . But Neither Does Love is about a
devastating cycle of childhood abuse and how this translates to a
desire for revenge upon reaching adulthood.
Owen Crowley is only too familiar with sexually abusive adults, from
his family of origin to a seemingly loving relationship with an
adoptive family which also turns bad. His refuge in books and gathering
intelligence leads him to become an educated, attractive young man, but
his passions and positive life trajectory crumble too easily in the
face of adversity, and he finds himself repeating patterns and
confronting dark impulses.
As new beginnings, new enemies, and new ways of dealing with them rest
on old patterns, defense mechanisms, and impulses, Owen begins the slow
slide into the deprivation he suffered and rejected in his childhood,
and followers of his story are drawn into this course, which pulls the
reader in as steadily and inextricably as quicksand.
It's fascinating to observe the different levels Owen experiences
through first-person revelations based on his past, present, and
future. Even as he acknowledges his past and his efforts to move
forward ("It was time that I, too, went on my way. Life goes on. It has
to."), Owen discovers that changing his psyche and moving on is easier
said than done.
The foundations and feelings of sexual confusion are explored ("I
couldn’t help but gaze at the girls in the room. I drank them in as one
would marvel at a crimson sunset or a kaleidoscopic painting. The sight
of them stirred me feverishly. They were such magnificent creatures;
what a tragedy they weren’t as exquisite internally as they were
externally. I didn’t want to desire them…yet I did. I so wanted to have
command over my venereal hunger, but I could not resist it. Its
strength was pythonic and its roots fathomless. And it seemed the older
I got, the more intense my appetite became."), as is his almost
hypnotic progression towards the very things he's rejected from his
past.
Readers gain an astute, even frightening, vision of the evolution and
inheritance of depravity and its potential for disaster.
Themes of homosexuality, school violence, adult/children relationships,
depravity, and the formation of a logic system that moves into twisted
views of the world create a story that juxtaposes violent encounters
with reflections on evolving new value systems: "Nice guys end up
desperate…like you. And me. Besides, true niceness doesn’t even exist.
Every act of kindness is merely a pretty skin over an ugly skeleton.
How did Isaiah put it: And all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags.”
From paradoxes to life purposes, Reunion is no light read, but toes the
line between Stephen King's Carrie and a novel of psychological
suspense as Owen confronts the kinds of decisions that build, warp, and
direct his character towards an almost inevitable (yet unpredictable,
in many ways) outcome.
Reunion is about finding love, facing loss, and ultimately learning how
to view life on different terms. Owen's character is nicely drawn. His
dilemmas and their ultimate resolution will keep readers thinking long
after the final, passionate moments which press together broken hearts
in an outstanding, surprise conclusion to Owen's intense, gritty life
journey.
Reunion
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to Index
Shirley F'N Lyle: VIVA the REVOLUTION
Clayton Lindemuth
Hardgrave Enterprises
9781686889608
$14.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
www.amazon.com/Shirley-FN-Lyle-VIVA-REVOLUTION/dp/1686889607
Rarely does chic lit get so raunchy, outrageous, or fun as in Shirley
F'N Lyle: VIVA the REVOLUTION, a novel of big urban girl Shirley, who
is a successful hooker until she runs awry of a drug lord. Soon she
finds herself involved in a mystery that revolves around a Russian
stripper friend who has vanished under suspicious circumstances.
The opening paragraphs of her story are designed (much as Shirley) to
hook—and they do, representing the aftermath of yet another brush with
death: "Hands on the steering wheel, Shirley noticed a dark smear on
her arm. Blood. Should have checked yourself before leaving the
warehouse. Did it come from the meth zombies? Or from where she cut
open her chin on the cement?"
From the beginning it's just one ribald romp after another as the
sassy, large Shirley confronts her size, her world, danger, and her
choices with equal skill and always seems to land on the winning side
while falling into another conundrum that challenges her abilities.
Shirley has a good heart in a bad world, but her drive to help her
friend isn't the only thing that propels her to the wrong side.
Think 'urban fiction' but with a flair for words and situations that
keep challenging protagonist and reader with new revelations and escape
scenarios. Pepper it with Shirley's defiant new brand, VIVA the
REVOLUTION, and inject her underlying goodwill and desires with an
unexpected touch of philosophical reflection: "Maddix Heregger didn’t
have a plan. Or security. He was just a guy designated to be the bully
in any room he entered. Wouldn’t that be something? You reach heaven
and find out, some people don’t have a choice... Like, at birth, we’re
all actors, and some people are assigned the bad roles. Good, talented
people. They could have been anybody. Gandhi. The Dali Buddha. But they
draw the card that says, Hitler, so they have to spend their lives
providing the disasters that give everybody else the chance to grow.
“You’re just full of ideas, aren’t you, Old Shirley? Well riddle me
this. What about all the people they kill along the way? They don’t get
to grow, do they? Your cosmic good-will crap is just crap. Maddix
Heregger—and everyone like him—is an asshole. And nobody has the right
to be an asshole.”
Add big doses of high-octane confrontations and a story peppered with
nontraditional heroines, an aging woman's desire to do better, and a
series of snafus that keep readers engaged. Then finish the recipe with
a formula for success that ultimately pits Shirley against her own
inclinations and nature as she uses unconventional approaches to
achieve her goals.
The story is always spiced with bawdy comedy that borders on serious
observation, leaving readers thinking and laughing even during serious
pursuit such as gun-shopping: "That’s a Flash Bang holster. It has a
solid design. The firearm fits in the slot here. You gain access by
lifting the shirt. Then pull and shoot. Slick concept.” “Flash him,
then bang. I want.” “Might be a problem with the uh, they don’t make a
plus size.” “Story of my life. What about this one over here? What they
call this, the Side Boob Holster? Not in my size either, I bet. Which
is ridiculous. They make bra holsters for the iddie biddie titties, but
not these.” She swung herself to face him. “Check it out. Rack like
this? I’m the one that needs protection. But the Side Boob Holster
Company has no interest.”
Ribald, sometimes rude, rollicking, and risqué: that's Shirley and her
world, and this is the power and impact of a story that's a standout
whether you want to label it chic lit, women's literature, or urban
mystery. No matter what it's called, the out-of-the-box read that is
Shirley F'N Lyle: VIVA the REVOLUTION is highly recommended for readers
of contemporary women's fiction who like their characters urban, rough,
and outrageously hilarious.
Shirley
F'N Lyle: VIVA the REVOLUTION
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So Far from Paradise
Judy Alter
Alter Ego Press
0-9969935-4-8
$3.99
www.amazon.com/So-Far-Paradise-Judy-Alter-ebook/dp/B07XSDN3CV
So Far from Paradise is a Western ranching novel with several
differences: it takes place in North Texas, and it focuses on the
efforts and challenges of a rancher woman who tackles frontier life and
grows not only her ranch, but new approaches to ranching in Texas.
So Far from Paradise was first written in serial form in 1986 in
response to a call for stories celebrating the 150th anniversary of the
state. After its publication and the historic date's passing, Judy
Alter focused on other writings until she decided to resurrect So Far
from Paradise as an ebook.
The first-person observations and experiences of Cassie Belden come
alive in this tale, which opens in the form of recollections that
Cassie knows should be put down on paper rather than lost to future
generations. And so she begins with a contrast of past and present
Texas: "It’s hard to call up the past. Sitting here at my desk, a
slight Texas breeze blowing in through the open window, the joys and
trials of my younger years seem almost unreal. The breeze doesn’t smell
like the prairie but of city smells, and my view is not of wide-open
spaces but carefully manicured lawns, bushes and trees trimmed into
shapes that God never intended, gracefully curved paths. How can I sit
here and call back the vision of the prairie, where trees grew only
sparsely and then in wild shapes and paths were worn over the years by
buffalo and cattle? Dust, drouth, Indians and, yes, death, all seem
part of another, earlier life. Yet that past is a legacy to pass on,
one that must not die with Colin and me or even with our children who
have moved so far from those origins..."
As Cassie reviews her life and the experience of pioneer days in Texas,
readers are treated to a bit of history, some fiction, and an overlay
of drama in encounters that built the state, whether they were
confrontations with Indians or the rise of power plays and ranching
politics in the struggling frontier community of Paradise.
Descriptions of women's work and seasonal daily chores ("It was spring,
and we planted not only the field of corn, but a vegetable plot for
Mama with squash and beans, onions and potatoes. There was corn meal to
grind daily, and laundry to do weekly, soap to make in the great kettle
over the open fire, and a milk cow to care for and two mules to be
tended to.") contrast nicely with Cassie's fear of the prairie's
threats and her efforts to protect the family around her ("All through
the Christmas season, the weather was balmy. Shirtsleeve weather we
called it. Victoria rode her horse from dawn to dusk or so it seemed to
me. I had insisted on some fairly strict rules and limits. She was not,
for instance, to ride beyond the edge of town nor be gone at dusk or
later. She chafed at these, and I know she secretly ventured out on the
prairie a time or two. Once I saw her racing like the wind across a
rise in the direction of the old cabin, but I lacked the energy to
confront her about it, and I knew talking to Colin would do no good.
Sometimes it’s easier to pretend ignorance."). This is an evocative
story that captures all facets of frontier life as seen through the
eyes of a woman who confronts many changes.
As life moves from rural to urban and Cassie finds that her familiar
world is changing yet again, readers are carried into her family's
journey with a passionate observational tone that will resonate even
with those who may have relatively little familiarity with Texas or its
history: "It was all right, Cassie, for us to grow up free on the
prairie. It was a different world then. Victoria doesn’t need to know
the same things we did to survive. She needs a whole new kind of
knowledge, and she won’t get it in Paradise. I guess I’ve been more
convinced of that since I’ve been spending more time in the city. Like
Pa said that time we were all there, ranching is going to be done as
much in the city as it is on the prairie.”
The result is a thoroughly engrossing read that stays true to much of
Texas history, adds drama when and where needed, is candid and blunt
about perceptions and conflicts between white settlers, Indians, and
power plays between ranchers and others, and creates a rollicking good
read for all.
So
Far from Paradise
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to Index
The Trouble With Becoming a Witch
Amy Edwards
She Writes Press
Paperback: 978-1631524059 $16.00
Ebook:
B0788QXV53
$ 9.95
www.amyedwards.com
Veronica's life initially seems happy in The Trouble With Becoming a
Witch. She has a lovely daughter and lives in a fine suburban house.
Dabbling in witchcraft should be the last thing on her mind, but as
trouble ramps up with her husband, Veronica takes just such a course to
find that magic is changing her world and her relationship with her
husband.
The trouble with becoming a witch is that the effort involves
empowerment, and when that happens, all hell can break loose.
Veronica's trouble didn't begin with her newfound passion. It is
present from the story's beginning: "You know,” he spouted with a
finger pointed my direction, lockstep behind me, “I can’t ever say
anything to you about your weight.” He didn’t used to be like this. It
used to be fun and sweet and easy. Now it’s pointy and accusatory and
weird. It makes me want to run away. I want to see my friend
and have someone be nice to me, someone to have fun with."
Veronica has always lived up to others' expectations, but at the same
time, she maintains a feisty, defiant nature and is willing to
reconsider and repurpose her life. This serves her well, as a
miscarriage results in many changes and new challenges. What also works
in her favor is a determination that propels her into new
possibilities.
Amy Edwards is not above adding dashes of humor throughout, even to
such a serious subject as a first prayer to the Goddess: "Oh Goddess,
God, powers that listen and powers of nature and sky, please hear me
tonight. I don’t know you yet, but I want to. I ask for you to listen,
and I ask for help. I honor the spirits all around us, all the time,
and I honor nature, that natural, deep beauty that so often gets
ignored through the bustle of daily life.” I’m kind of impressed with
myself. I keep going."
Edwards does a fine job of juxtaposing Veronica's forays into a new
life with her dread of rocking a familiar boat, adding insights and
reflections that are compellingly familiar and realistic: "I know that
when I get home, I can use my little built-in buffer to avoid anything
I need to, at least until she goes to bed. I feel exhausted even
imagining what I may have to go through with him. There is nothing I
want to say anymore. I just want to be let go. I want it to be easy. I
just want him to know that I am no longer happy and I don’t think I
ever will be, not with you, Pete, and not in this marriage. Not here in
suburbia, not on a boat, not with a goat, not anywhere with you. I
know, deep down, that I have just started the beginning of the end,
that I have set in motion something that cannot be undone, and I wonder
if I was ready."
Readers receive insights into her feelings and the many avenues facing
her as well-meaning friends and relatives try to help ("I would be in
my car driving and just want to keep driving and never go home,” she
confides in a near whisper.
She tugs on the edge of her cardigan, which is peppered with
multicolored polka dots the size of ping-pong balls. “Then, we came out
the other side—we made it through. Now, he is my soul mate. I can’t
imagine life without him. It can get so much better, I promise you."),
but witchcraft pulls them apart even as it's gives Veronica the power
to confront her life's course.
Readers expecting a fantasy story about spells may be disappointed to
discover the story is really more about self-empowerment and
realization than the birth of a witch. Veronica's abilities lead her to
become a strong woman able to survive anything. This is actually the
central theme in a quirky, fun story of friendships, love, change, and
tapping one's inner strength to speak and live a more truthful life.
Chic lit and women's fiction fans will find The Trouble With Becoming a
Witch a gripping story that lends not only to a beach take-along or
leisure choice, but to thought-provoking insights about the sources of
growth and achievement.
The
Trouble With Becoming a Witch
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to Index
Undercover
David Nees
Independently Published
978-1696252041
$14.95 Paper/$3.99 ebook
www.davidnees.com
Undercover continues the story of Jason's movements through a post-EMP
world. This time, he's left his newfound home and family in Hillsboro
to journey to a nearby town of survivors which, he finds, is run by a
mob. They are getting back some semblance of civilization, but it's
built on a fragile foundation indeed, on the backs of laborers who are
not willing participants in this rebuild process.
Jason goes undercover in this city, seeking to gauge its threat to
himself and those that he loves. As he assumes his own position of
authority in this new world, his bravado and certainty power his
actions to the point that he seems almost superhuman and nearly
emotionless in his precise reactions to threats to both his own
survival and that of his home.
Prior fans of Jason and his world will find that he takes another step
forward in his emotional growth as well as his physical confrontations
in Undercover. In his desire to be proactive about his
information-seeking and threat to his loved ones, he comes across as
less than human. But as the cost of his actions and approaches becomes
apparent, readers will be surprised to find that Jason's nearly
superhuman abilities mask a vulnerability and fallacy in thinking.
If Jason doesn't confront who he has become, and the cost of survival,
he may very well turn into the type of survivor who eschews humanity.
This dilemma and others are set against a backdrop of action-packed
encounters and dilemmas that keep readers engaged and thinking. The
story is fast-paced, yet takes time to build characters on both a
social and political level. Especially strong is Jason's evolutionary
process, which prior readers will note from his past experiences as
compared to his present role here, as an undercover individual charged
with protecting his community and family.
More so than most post-apocalyptic survivor stories, Jason's story is
one of personal evolution and the difficult return of morals and ethics
to a world that has descended into chaos and madness. Nees does a fine
job of incorporating this psychological growth into the overall action
in a post-EMP scenario; especially as compared to other books in this
genre.
Readers well steeped in Jason's prior adventures will find Undercover a
solid addition to the series that retains the tone and objectives of
prior books while moving Jason into areas of growth and change that
reflect society's struggle to regain its sense of humanity.
Undercover
Return to Index
Buddha
at
Work
Geetanjali Pandit
Bright Hart Books
978-1950355013
$16.95
www.amazon.com/Buddha-Work-Finding-Happiness-Workplace/dp/1950355012/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=buddha+at+work+geetanjali&qid=1570648087&s=books&sr=1-1
Buddha at Work: Finding Balance, Purpose and Happiness at Your
Workplace comes from an HR professional whose Buddhist perspective
gives an unusual twist to the usual workplace advice guide.
Personal and professional breakthroughs are outlined in a book that
doesn't require readers to have any prior knowledge of or affinity with
Buddhism. All that's needed is an interest in creating and
participating in a better work environment.
As chapters apply Buddhist principles to such topics as reducing job
stress, finding happiness in work, linking profit goals with respect,
and making money equate with making better life connections and
choices, business readers receive admonitions backed by workplace
realities: "I was beginning to realize that making good money,
achieving professional success, and earning credibility in the
workplace were not the be-all and end-all of existence. Suddenly, the
satisfaction I had hoped to enjoy wasn’t there any longer. When I
looked around at my peers and colleagues, I could sense I was not alone
in my predicament. I could see my fatigue and stress reflected in
others."
Geetanjali Pandit's own life experiences along with those of co-workers
combine with these lessons to create a set of admonitions as grounded
in real life experience as they are in spiritual ideals, and this is
one of the strengths of this approach.
As business readers delve into topics of work performance, intentions,
leadership issues and strife, Buddhist beliefs and principles are
applied in a manner that helps all readers think about choices,
consequences, and ultimate goals based on these teachings: "The
Buddha’s life holds valuable lessons in deflecting criticism and
negativity as you progress toward the fulfillment of your purpose. The
idea is to remain undeterred.
There are plenty of books about workplace success, and plenty about
Buddhist ideals and principles. Having both under one cover translates
to an inspirational read firmly grounded in workplace experience and
filled with thought-provoking insights especially recommended for
readers who would adopt different, more positive approaches to work
goals and life.
Buddha
at
Work
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to Index
Sarah Mane
Findhorn Press
Print: 9781620559550 $16.99
Ebook: 9781620559567 $11.99
www.findhornpress.com
Conscious Confidence: Use the Wisdom of Sanskrit to Find Clarity and Success comes from a motivational confidence coach and Sanskrit scholar whose practice involves apply Sanskrit to life experiences.
This is more than a review of Sanskrit practices: she takes these lessons and weaves them into larger life goals and a confidence-boosting program designed to apply to all walks of people in different stages of their spiritual or life journeys. This creates an environment of positive thinking and reflection which forms the foundation of a treatise that is flexible enough to be applied to many situations on many different levels.
Take the boxed parable 'Well, Let’s Just See How Things Turn Out'. A kindly farmer lets his aging horse free to live out the rest of his life without work or restraints. Kind neighbors mourn the loss of his helper horse, but the wise old man takes the position that life will turn out—and his kindness is returned in unexpectedly rich ways.
The lesson of his ability to remain calm and flexible as this and other potential disasters buffet his life is just one of the strong lessons Sarah Mane profiles as she gently guides readers on how to view the glass of life as being perpetually half-full when it often feels half-empty: "You are not being encouraged to settle for passivity or a lack of feeling but rather a detachment from the highs and lows of emotions you associate with events and circumstances."
Because life delivers many blows and challenges to such positive thinking, Conscious Confidence delivers an especially powerful message that encourages readers to constantly examine their perceptions and impulses to adopt a calmer countenance and make choices based not on reaction, but on maintaining better balance.
Sanskrit may be an ancient practice, but it's filled with invaluable applications to modern life. As Mane defines the terminology and basic concepts of Sanskrit, her program applies these ideals to better choices in thinking and reactions; all of which develop confidence in a more reasoned, methodical approach that advocates responsible behavior and thinking patterns: "To be a conqueror and victor in life, is to take ownership of our own experience, to be accountable for our own decisions and to take responsibility for the outcomes."
The result is a handbook on far more than conscious confidence. It's a program that can apply to the most simple and complex approaches to life, and one which empowers readers to "live each day with enthusiasm, creativity, and vitality." What self-help or inspirational reader wouldn't want to achieve this ultimate goal? The key is placed in the reader's hand through the parables and clear admonitions of Conscious Confidence.
Conscious Confidence
Return to Index
Deep Agroecology
Steven McFadden
Light and Sound Press
978-1-7923-0928-1 $16.95
www.lightandsoundpress.com
Readers interested in farming and agricultural challenges will find Deep Agroecology an important examination of a different approach to growing food: one that views the farm as an ecosystem rather than just a resource to be exploited for better productivity.
Steven McFadden is neither a farmer nor a researcher, but a journalist. He reports on the changing face of farming and agricultural management, with a focus on the overall importance of agriculture beyond human concerns.
His focus on "deep agroecology" is more than the promotion of another growing system. It represents a fundamental change in the perceptions of humans about the choices they make in planting, harvesting, and eating food, incorporating an ecological perspective that has its foundations in the long history of agrarian idealism.
McFadden's journalist roots are reflected in an approach based on reports from media coverage as well as research. As he examines the vast, fragile, increasingly fragmented agricultural pursuits and systems of communities and nations around the world, he pursues the historic roots of the present-day agroecology movement: "Agroecology recognizes farms as ecosystems embedded in broader landscapes and social settings, with which they interact continually and significantly."
From interviews with Native Americans about concepts of natural law and resource considerations that move into spiritual realms ("Native people know already that the spirit lives not only in the land, but also within in their relationships with it and with one another. As part of their way, for thousands of years they have had the understanding of spirit life on a practical level.”) to paradoxical conflicts between economic and ecological interests, Deep Agroecology goes beyond farming systems to probe the philosophical, spiritual, and moral roots of human relationships with the land.
The result is a hard-hitting, powerful survey that takes the food system ideal a step further by interrelating it to pursuits of justice, freedom, and health for the entire plant.
Agricultural to new age readers will find Deep Agroecology filled with food for thought, backed by different perspectives that join forces to support the ideal of agricultural practices. All this is linked to a deeper understanding of the importance of supporting ecological systems for the greater good of the planet.
Deep Agroecology
Return to Index
Love is the Law
Marieta Oslanec, Esq.
LITL Publishing
Hardcover: 9781733305419 $18.19
www.amazon.com/Love-Law-Universal-Activate-Humanity/dp/1733305416
Love is the Law: 21 Universal Laws to Activate Your Inner Genius & Uplift Humanity is motivational success writing at its best. Author Marieta Oslanec moved to the U.S. with only $700 to her name and no English in her skill set, put herself through law school and became a licensed New York attorney, then began her own practice. During this process, she gathered and cultivated 'laws' to follow that range from self-love and balance to self-healing and loving others.
While Love is the Law stems from her determination and experiences, it also holds a spiritual component that will especially attract readers who search for the intersection between love, success, and bettering the world.
Chapters discuss these foundations of love with an eye to not just describing the journey to achieve them, but to defining what they actually mean: "Loving myself means respecting who I am by setting healthier boundaries, saying no to others, while saying yes to myself. Loving myself means following my desires, no matter what people think. Loving myself means doing what feels right for me when my mind tells me otherwise."
Love is the Law is not a passive instructional, but is filled with challenges and admonitions that invite and direct readers to commit to tackling fears, defining (or redefining) success, and taking the steps needed to both direct the future and "...collaborate with the Universe by simply letting go."
The blends of admonition, insight, exercise, and reinforcing insights on how to envision, then hone, a new life are quite specific and best used by readers open to applying these 'laws' to their own self-examination process: "Write down the wrong limiting beliefs and then scratch every limiting belief and next to it write the new belief. Make sure to use present tense all the time."
Where other motivational guides would use generalities and ideals, Oslanec focuses on specifics from small steps to large, creating a foundation that serves as a series of stepping-stones to change.
The result is a motivational guide that takes readers by the hand and leaves nothing to wonder: a purpose-driven series of insights and applications that will prompt thinking readers to redirect their purposes and aspirations with a key goal in mind: "Your life purpose is to become your true self that is love." Spiritual and inspirational readers, especially, will find that this message resonates.
Love is the Law
Return to Index
Near and Far
Al Zolynas
Garden Oak Press
978-1-7323753-6-9 $15.95
www.amazon.com
Near and Far features 91 poems peppered with comets, planets, and observations of life close and distant, and captures and grasps succinct moments of life, juxtaposing them with small celebrations of bigger pictures.
Examining the poems of Near and Far is like training a far-reaching telescope on the microscopic world. One might think that a lens that can be focussed so sharply on distant objects would become blurry or questionable when narrowing inspections to matters closer to home, but one of the compelling aspects of the poems comprising Near and Far is their ability to draw new connections between the two.
Take the title poem 'Near and Far', which considers a lunar event's impact on observers on Earth. As the poem moves from observation to irony, the writer/observer using not a telescope but a smartphone camera to capture a rare lunar eclipse, readers are treated first to a macrocosmic effort of trying to pinpoint a moment in time and then the impact of irony as the results, viewed the next morning, prove to be something quite different.
The surprise factor enters into a number of these poems, as in 'Phosphenes and Mother Light', in which both mysteries of the universe and obvious answers remain elusive on many levels. Perhaps the greatest influence on the observer is not the disparate objects being observed nor traditional methods of analyzing their logic and meaning, but the observer's own reactions: "When you're startled from darkness into light,/or when you rub your eyes,/those lights you see are your own pattern."
There are also visionary dreams—flights of fancy that bring readers into realms of possible and impossible, as in the jaunty 'When Pigs Fly', which presents a fun dream adventure on the subject: "As he turns the handle,/something begins to slide/out of the wall—a huge, pink, plastic pig,/looking like one of those old-time merry-go-round creatures./The pig, too, sports little hand-holds/here and there on its surface with neatly/printed signs, ―Grab me/and ―Hang on tight/...they spiral down, the dreamer and his dream pig, until the ground/finally appears clearly. With one more graceful quarter arc,/the pig lands with a squishing slide just/as the morning sun slants in and lights up/the familiar pig-pen world/with its rollicking and terrible life..."
The metaphors and descriptions are exquisite, whether Al Zolynas is speaking of the stuff of dreams, the solidity of reality...or something in between.
From lucid dreaming to mall visions and café observations, each poem holds the power to grasp heart and soul, inject philosophical reflection, pinpoint moments of self-absorption and the irony of self-importance, and couch all in a reflective, fun voice that will leave readers thinking long past the final verse.
Is Near and Far a collection of the stuff of dreams, or a celebration of bigger pictures? Readers will find these pieces compellingly revealing.
Near and Far
Return to Index
Why Can't We Trust God?
Tom P. Wise
Zion Press/Crosslink Publishing
978-1633571891 $11.95
https://amzn.to/2B6NtUo
His Way: Trust in the Father is recommended reading for Christian adult believers and thinkers, and focuses on the latest scientific evidence supporting belief and the Word of God. Tom P. Wise's purpose and focus is clearly presented in introductory paragraphs that combine science, news, and affairs of belief and the heart: "In this book we are going to explore what it means to trust in Jesus, and to trust in our God––who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As we broach this subject, we will dig into concepts of suffering as they are presented in the Bible and in issues of trust as they are described in current academic research. Combining the two elements of academia and faith may provide for us a picture by which we may choose to trust in Jesus, God’s only son."
This blend of perspectives from both scientific and faith-based examinations allows readers to contemplate not just the meaning of God's Word and Biblical promises, but the scientific evidence that supports them. Additionally, Wise creates a blueprint for this progressive examination and follows it religiously: "As we progress through this discussion, we will learn together how the three bases of trust form our ability to choose to trust. These bases are personality, cognition, and institutional trust."
Chapters stick to Wise's plan as they document God's consistency in His message, advocating a form of attention and listening which encourages not only introspection and belief, but cultivating time to truly listen and perceive this message in daily life: "God does not need us in order to carry out his plans. He provides us with opportunities to participate in his plans so that we are blessed by doing his work, and that others can see God in us and in our lives. By listening carefully, God will tell us what he is doing and then we can do his will."
One doesn't anticipate the injection of autobiography into such a treatise, but Wise adds observations of life that includes his own, juxtaposing Biblical passages and quotes with his own experiences to pinpoint moments of enlightenment and realization. This creates a multifaceted, human approach to spiritual understanding that encourages his readers to adopt their own reflective process from a combination of reasoned examination and Biblical study, daily life experiences, and scientific knowledge.
The result is a survey recommended for any thinking Christian who would better understand the nature of God's actions in the world, the process of both watching and acting, and how to link personal objectives and goals with God-driven belief.
Christians will find His Way: Trust in the Father empowering, enlightening, and rooted in personal, political, religious and scientific experience.
Why Can't We Trust God?
Return to Index
First
Earth
Cami Murdock Jensen
Independently Published
164570792X $4.99 ebook, $34.99 hardback;
$15.99 Paper
Paperback: www.amazon.com/First-Earth-Book-Arch-Mage/dp/1645707938
Hardcover: www.amazon.com/First-Earth-Book-Arch-Mage/dp/164570792X
First Earth, Book One in the Arch Mage series, provides many compelling
surprises in the course of its fantasy adventure, from the more
familiar wizards to an interplanetary journey made by a victim who is
not a wannabe female wizard, but who suffers from physical ailments and
many uncertainties.
Agnes, a scarred burn victim, seems the least likely candidate for such
an extraordinary task, but her drive and perseverance in the face of
insurmountable odds is what makes her a heroine even before she becomes
involved with mages and other worlds.
Teen readers who like their characters spunky and determined with their
actions powered by extraordinary scenarios will relish the pace of
First Earth, but it's important to note that Cami Murdock Jensen takes
the time to portray evocative scenes through descriptions that are
alluring and precise: "The sun does chase me,” I insisted. “Scientists
say light travels in straight lines, but I can’t accept that when the
sun dodges buildings just to find me.”
In her drive to be normal, Agnes faces the possibility of a magical
cure, but finds that even magical solutions are not that easy.
Second Earth is unremarkable. First Earth tests Agnes even when
assessments of her abilities would seem to indicate she holds no
special powers—not even the rudimentary skills of an entry-level
candidate. But what she does possess is equally extraordinary and
different. First Earth explores this special brand of magic that brings
her into a war she'd never opted into.
Good fantasies focus on adventures and quests. Extraordinary reads,
however, inject into the mix a blend of emotional uncertainty, growth,
and confrontations with self as well as the outside world(s). The
characters' reactions to extraordinary situations drive change and make
for a vivid read.
As Agnes learns that the best part of her adventures doesn't lie in the
discovery of her abilities but in her connections to others, readers
enjoy a vivid and fast-paced story powered not just by action, but by
Agnes' personality and self-discovery.
First Earth is highly recommended for teens seeking not just the usual
fantasy trappings or quest story, but a powerful character in a spunky
young protagonist who has already found her survival skills tested long
before mages, wizards, and war transported her to another realm.
First
Earth
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to Index
Into the Fairy Forest
J.M. Stephen
D. X. Varos, Ltd.
978-1-941072-58-5
$18.95 (paperback) $6.99 (ebook)
www.dxvaros.com/into-the-fairy-forest
Into the Fairy Forest is Book 1 in the Chronicles of Pan series and
gives young adult readers the engrossing fantasy story of ordinary girl
Pippa, who finds her life turned upside down after her mother dies and
she is attacked by a mysterious fire that seems both sentient and
intent on her death, too.
Fleeing this threat brings her into the arms of the mysterious boy Pan,
who introduces her to a whole new world far from familiar Irvine,
California or her upstate New York home with her Aunt Catty. The
Catskill Mountains surrounding her new abode are beautiful, but Pippa
feels at home and safe primarily in the house's garden, where she
senses that an inexplicable loving, protective presence is watching out
for her.
So when things go horribly awry in her life once again, she is able to
step away from a place that has become familiar and into the world of
this blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who is both a stranger and yet feels
familiar.
As Pan explains monsters of legend and the presence of two worlds and
how they were nearly destroyed, Pippa gets to meet Queen Mab, ruler of
the fairies, and discovers not only another reality underlying
everything she's known, but a new purpose and threat to her life.
Teens who enjoy atmospheric descriptions will appreciate J.M. Stephen's
close attention to detail, which creates a "you are here" feel to the
story: "Queen Mab opened her door and walked, or more like glided, out
of her tree. She looked fully rested, her long black hair was plaited
in gold, shining in the waning sunlight. A whisper of the moon
flickered in the darkening sky and the stars were peaking their shining
heads out, the day and night were in the midst of a shift change and
this was the only moment that all heavenly features were visible. Pippa
looked up at the sky as Queen Mab appeared to float toward her, two
glasses in her hand, followed by a flood of shimmering fairies."
When a threat evolves which indicates forces are against Pan himself,
Pippa finds herself in the middle of a conflict she never could have
imagined, serving as the pivot point to life or death.
Teens in middle to high school grades who appreciate fantasy quest
stories will relish this tale, thoroughly infused with fairies, hidden
relatives and family plots, legends, and an adventure that turns the
roots of good and evil upside down as Pippa uncovers who the enemies
really are.
Everything she's held true about her life and world has changed. Teens,
too, will find their concepts of fantasy altered by a fast-paced,
emotionally charged story that places Pippa in a whirlwind of action,
hard decisions, and nonstop revelations tinged with newfound love.
Although Into the Fairy Forest is the first in a projected series, it
stands well alone and concludes nicely, setting the stage for more
without relying on a frustrating cliffhanger.
The result is a compelling read that draws readers in, works its magic
with strong characters and a story filled with surprises, and then
concludes nicely while leaving the door open for more experiences.
It deserves a place in any teen fantasy collection and is especially
highly recommended for young readers looking for an added touch of
romance to their fantasy adventures.
Into
the Fairy Forest
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to Index
Neffatira’s First Challenge
Tom Xavier
Köehler Books
Softcover:
9781633938403
$17.95
Hardcover:
9781633938427
$25.95
http://www.koehlerbooks.com/book/neffatiras-first-challenge/
Neffatira’s First Challenge provides the setting and action for Book
One in The Light Guardian series, a teen story featuring a protagonist
who struggles with being of mixed race in a small town Iowa high
school. Neffie faces ridicule but risks much to hang out with the 'cool
gang' in school, even when her best interests aren't being served.
Neffie also keeps an embarrassing secret that only her parents know, so
she's in a doubly challenging position trying to fit into
Windmere's small-town atmosphere. When a daring stunt led by
the 'cool clique' turns into their introduction of just how odd Neffie
is, her life gets more complicated just as a solution to her dilemmas
lands in her lap.
Teen fantasy readers who enjoy stories that open with realistic
portraits of protagonists challenged by their backgrounds and
differences will find the fast-paced introduction to Neffie's life in
Neffatira’s First Challenge surveys different forms of life and
interpersonal relationship challenges.
As Neffie embarks on a search for her grandfather and uncovers some
surprising truths in the process, readers receive an engrossing story
of a teen's new life in an alternate world where she is not as
uncertain. Indeed, here she is a powerful, moving force in a scenario
where civil war demands her loyalty to one side and her death from
another.
Friends and enemies, an almost supernatural athletic talent that sets
her apart in both worlds, and a journey undertaken with Jessica that
tests both their evolving friendship and their different abilities
makes for an absorbing read which pairs an alternate world fantasy with
an exploration of Neffie's place in it.
When human Jessica becomes a prisoner in the world of Fastness, Neffie
is charged with working miracles even while resisting the forces that
would possess her.
Risks, battles, and the evolving powers of a teen who is at once human
and light guardian creates the riveting story fueled by Neffie's strong
personality and lessons. The blend of action, quest, and personal
growth encounters makes Neffie an appealing, believable character.
Teen fantasy readers are in for a treat with Neffatira’s First
Challenge as Neffie's world moves from a quest for popularity to a
pursuit of much bigger goals.
Neffatira’s
First Challenge
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to Index
Picco Puppy Loves Soccer
Michael Wong
Picco Puppy
978-1-925973-01-3
$0.99 Kindle
www.PiccoPuppy.com
Picco Puppy Loves Soccer is based on the true story of a little boy who
wanted to play soccer despite his inability to run or score a goal.
His dilemmas over the game are presented in rhymes that outline his
troubles with hot days and running, coordination, and all the other
components that make up a successful soccer effort.
As Picco Puppy sees peers scoring goals, running, and effectively
playing the game, he becomes discouraged, but his parents and both
sides of the team encourage him to keep trying, and things slowly
change.
Picco Puppy Loves Soccer is about more than persevering against all
odds. It adds a story of encouragement that provides a gentle lesson
not just to those who want to achieve against all odds, but friends and
family, who should be gently supportive.
This picture book is an excellent choice for read-aloud and for
boosting fragile egos that face failure from activities they would
otherwise love.
Arkhan Studio's big, bright pictures enhance the encouraging tale of a
little dog who perseveres, is supported in his goals, and eventually
achieves his dream in a surprising way.
Picco
Puppy Loves Soccer
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to Index
Porcupette and Moppet
Nadine Poper
Blue Whale Press
978-0-9814938-3-1 (hardcover) $16.99
978-0-9814938-4-8 (paperback) $10.99
www.bluewhalepress.com
Porcupette and Moppet is a lovely picture book featuring bright, vivid
drawings by Alicia Young, and will reach ages 4-8 with the fun story of
a bookworm and a predator who have very different views of life and
leisure.
Porcupette considers his forest a quiet sanctuary and loves to spend
his time reading alone, but Moppet, a fisher, is a chatty weasel-like
character who just can't stop talking. Porcupette reads up on him, but
still can’t understand him and resents the intrusion in his quiet life,
while Moppet just can't comprehend why the shy, subdued bookworm isn't
interested in him or the world outside of his books.
Facts about fishers are inserted into the fun encounters between these
two very different creatures, which come to life with the lovely
colorful, whimsical drawings. A surprise ending gives both characters
the opportunity to reflect on their choices and encounter.
Parents who choose Porcupette and Moppet for its read-aloud pleasure
will find this a thoroughly engaging, refreshingly original story,
while youngsters with rudimentary reading skills receive a fine lesson
in differences, predators and prey, and the value of information.
Highly recommended both for its leisure value and its pointed insights
about different personalities and creatures, Porcupette and Moppet is a
lovely picture book that promises lasting attraction and interest to
parents and library collections alike.
Porcupette and Moppet
Return to Index
Health and Self-Help
How to Suffer...in 10 Easy Steps
William H. Arntz
Watkins
9781786782748
$18.95
www.watkinspublishing.com
How to Suffer...in 10 Easy Steps: Discover, Embrace, and Own the
Mechanics of Misery is a startling exposé that takes a different
approach to misery. Rather than adopting the usual approach
of taking steps to mitigate misery, this book promotes embracing,
owning, and using it as a stepping-stone to success.
Everyone suffers, but the usual approach to misery is to develop
strategies to alleviate it. William Arntz maintains that embracing
suffering leads to better harmony and understanding—but there's a big
difference between wallowing in pain and using it as a growth
opportunity. He provides ten steps on how to suffer, lessons to be
gained from it, and then tells how to end misery properly, on an up
note of positive learning.
Alleviating suffering is the underlying premise of the majority of
self-help guides and programs, but the inherent desire to not suffer at
all is simply a fallacy. Arntz points to those who seemingly have
everything, but are still miserable. The point is not that everyone
suffers, but that they can do it better and more purposefully. In order
to do that, suffering must be "invited in" and not denied.
As chapters cover different kinds of suffering, outcomes, and
processes, readers gain many insights about moving more effectively
through suffering to gain peace and better understanding.
Humor is a constant thread throughout How to Suffer...in 10 Easy Steps,
providing comic relief which juxtaposes nicely with the serious
"self-hurt" wide-ranging messages that run the gamut from spirituality
and desire to good and bad, past and present, sex, reality, and
philosophy (among others).
The goal is not to alleviate suffering, but to embrace and direct it.
Perhaps the greatest message of this powerful survey is that suffering
is not just here to stay, but improves lives in unexpected ways, if
approached properly (and more differently than the norm).
The message is thought-provoking, backed by studies and considerations
of different schools of thought, and is a powerful revelation for
readers who think that a peaceful, pain-free life should be their goal.
It's highly recommended for self-help and psychology readers looking
for different ways to grow and evolve.
How
to Suffer...in 10 Easy Steps
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to Index
Your Vivid Life
Shayne Traviss
Watkins
9781788781628
$14.95
www.watkinspublishing.com
Your Vivid Life: An Invitation to Live a Radically Authentic Life
follows Shayne Traviss's personal journey after he left the corporate
world, claimed bankruptcy, and began his journey to freedom far from a
challenging job and demanding life structure. This journey offers keys
for readers who would lead a more engaged, meaningful existence.
Inspired by his revelations and self-examination, Traviss created and
promoted VividLife.me, a personal development movement and program. His
website and personal media assets were followed by Oprah Winfrey. Here
he shares not just his revelations, but more importantly, the specific
choices and paths that led to them.
Unlike other self-help books about self-examination, Your Vivid Life
narrows its focus to delve into the process of beginning the journey.
Its chapters cover such basics as how to identify and break free from
preconceived notions; how to identify long-held tenets; and addressing
rigid systems both within and reinforced by one's life experiences and
training.
There are many pitfalls during this process, which Traviss illustrates
with his own experiences: "I had set out on a journey to find myself,
only to return to the same role that was familiar to me. I thought I
had set myself free but I was still really a slave to the conditioning
of what success looked like, and still tied to the chains of
resistance."
Other books may advocate changing one's life, but fail to properly
address the 'how' (or these obstacles). Traviss is not afraid to
closely examine these common barriers to creating a vivid life. The
result is an important, thought-provoking survey that promotes
meditation and stillness in order to identify and dismantle old
patterns, conditioning, and barriers to self-awareness.
This focus sets Your Vivid Life apart from similar-sounding competitors
advocating self-discovery, creating an inspirational read of not just
theory, but applications and revelations. Your Vivid Life is not just
highly recommended, but is a 'must have' acquisition for anyone
beginning the process of a radical life change.
Your Vivid Life
Return to Index
Travel
The Adventurer's
Guide to
Mexico's Yucatán
Deanna Keahey
Uphill Zen
Ebook
ISBN:
978-0-9888392-4-3
$9.99
Paperback ISBN:
978-0-9888392-5-0
$21.95
www.amazon.com/dp/B07XNHGNRM
The Adventurer's Guide to
Mexico's Yucatán: Fifteen Adventures to Discover Lost Cities, Deserted
Beaches, and the Soul of the Yucatán serves as both an advance
planner's guide and a take-along tote, and is important reading for
adventure-oriented travelers who want to plan their own escapes. With
its many color photographs and evocative descriptions, even armchair
travelers will enjoy the read.
Why another travel guide to Mexico? Deanna Keahey says: "Millions of tourists each year arrive in Cancún. They come for the gorgeous beaches, turquoise seas, balmy weather, and luxurious resorts. ..[Yet] many people have no idea what they’re missing! The vast majority of visitors barely scratch the surface of what this amazing land has to offer."
Rather than a comprehensive guide to everything in the region, Keahey has created a specialty guide of fifteen specific, personally selected adventurous destinations stemming from her extensive drives throughout the Yucatán.
From pristine beaches to ancient ruins, tropical wildlife, small towns, and byways still off the traditional tourist paths, this book takes you to places most visitors never see. Its focus on 'off the beaten path' eschews popular tourist traps for the more authentic, lesser-known areas where English may not be spoken and tourism is not a primary industry.
Each of the 15 adventures in the book includes vivid color photos and descriptive text that immerses you in the scene. It then provides the nuts and bolts information you need to experience this yourself with details about where it is, how to get there, when to go, where to stay, special preparation notes, and more.
The Adventurer's Guide to Mexico's Yucatán covers everything from general travel tips to specific insights about selected, recommended areas. No prior knowledge of the region is needed. Keahey provides maps, color photos, basic history, geography, travel tips, and everything needed for the newcomer to Mexico.
From site details to camping information and special tips for planning for gas, water, and the basics, The Adventurer's Guide to Mexico's Yucatán provides a wealth of practical insights that are essential for planning an excellent getaway without professional guides or advice.
The book's charts are particularly notable, as in the early introduction that lists specific recommended areas, ideal number of days to spend there, main attractions (beaches, ruins), and whether or not a car is needed.
In addition, The Adventurer's Guide to Mexico's Yucatán shows that females can drive solo throughout "Mexico's safest state." All that's required is the physical fitness to undertake an adventure-oriented trip and an interest in independent travel far from the maddening crowds.
The Adventurer's Guide to Mexico's Yucatán is not a guide for those who like big hotels, guided tours, and familiar places. It's a highly recommended standout for the destination-bound visitor who wants family-oriented accommodations and food, an independent travel itinerary, and solid, practical tips on not just where to go, but how to get there.
The blend of lively discussions, extensive photographs, and enthusiastic observations sets The Adventurer's Guide to Mexico's Yucatán apart from other Mexican holiday guides, making it a top pick for those who want a Yucatán vacation that's more exotic, exciting and adventurous than the norm.
The
Adventurer's Guide to
Mexico's Yucatán
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to Index
Cruising the Mississippi
Al & Sunny
Lockwood
Front Porch Publishing
Paper:
9781642370782
$12.99
ebook:
B07XVPTNGR
$ 3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XVPTNGR/
Cruising the Mississippi:
From New Orleans to Memphis on a Genuine Paddlewheeler joins other
books from the Lockwoods and provides travel memoir enthusiasts with a
paddlewheeler guide that doesn't need a destination-oriented reader to
prove satisfying.
Al and Sunny were bitten
by the travel bug when they were kids. As adults, they traveled
extensively both before and after they got together. Cruising the
Mississippi follows their journey upriver, employing a "you are there"
tone to capture the steam powered paddlewheeler experience and
documenting the authors' first river journey, from their pre-board
ideas of what it would be like to the realties of life aboard the
American Queen, a riverboat holding some 400 passengers.
From descriptions of the
cabin to explorations of the culture and organization of a
paddlewheeler, readers are given the opportunity to take a virtual
trip, following the Lockwoods as they survey the ship and its various
stops.
Anticipate a step-by-step
coverage of these experiences, from the local history of each area and
insights about Southern culture and Mississippi's regional attractions
to onboard conversations and connections such as one with Fred Bishop,
a long-time singer who has performed on the American Queen since 1995.
The author was shocked to uncover a "family" connection with the
professional performer.
If it's a "you are there"
experiential survey of the paddlewheeler environment that is desired,
along with a heavy dose of Mississippi history and culture from a
tourist's viewpoint, then there could be no better virtual tour than
Cruising the Mississippi. This travel memoir brings its readers right
down to the water line and into the destinations explored by the
Mississippi paddlewheeler.
Cruising the Mississippi
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