November 2021 Review Issue
Fantasy & Sci Fi
Literature Mystery & Thrillers
Branded
Joseph T.
Humphrey
Pen
Publishing, L.L.C.
978-1-955729-02-4
$5.99
ebook
www.josephthumphrey.com
As
his
thoughts drift in a classroom, Henry hears screaming. It's coming from
outside.
It's a terrible sound the teacher also hears, but nobody is in the
corridors
when he checks. It's a sound he tries to forget, because after all,
he's only
seventeen, and "...the scream was
somebody else’s concern. He’d spent a long time steeling himself
against the
craziness of high school life and didn’t need this."
When
he's
dragged out of his complacency and forced outside his comfort zone,
only his
friend Charley, a girl who struggles with her own past trauma, is
beside him to
help.
Henry
is
already struggling ("The emotional
yanking was paralyzing. He was being drawn and quartered by all the
sudden
claims on his life."), but the screaming girl brings with her
a
different reality filled with dangerous creatures and even more puzzles
than he
faces from his regular life.
Joseph
T.
Humphrey shifts the point of view from Henry's world to Charley's
perceptions,
moving the story along in a fast but understandable series of events
that
challenge them both in new ways.
Charley's
drive to flee into solitude, to get away from these creates and
everything
else, mirrors Henry's preoccupations, but in a different manner. This
satisfying contrast between personas, perceptions, and objectives
creates a
fine adventure as the truth about Henry's parents, their flight, and
their
choices come to light.
The Nekura
are not
only after Henry and his family: their powers will change the world,
and only
the broken Henry and Charley may stand in the way of disaster. Another
threat
arises as Charley realizes her parents may already know of the
creatures and
have a vested interest in this battle.
Although the
age of
the characters will mean much of the audience for Branded
will be young adult, this blend of fantasy and supernatural
thriller will also reach into adult circles with action and inspections
that
are unexpected and descriptive: "The
grumbling volcano shook. Small rocks vibrated loose and fell into
crevices in
the ground. Charley had a hard time maintaining her footing on the
crumbling
surface beneath her. The heat was becoming intense."
From
beasts
such as the gladiatorial Bludgeon that can call forth volcanoes to the
onus on
Henry to be something he is not (brave and bold) in order to save
Charley and
his world, Humphrey crafts an excellent, fast-moving thriller that
forges new
paths in the realm of supernatural fantasy thrillers, melding three
genres into
an inspection that is vividly presented and filled with satisfying
twists and
turns.
YA
fantasy
readers seeking nonstop action and the twists and questions of a
thriller, as
well as many an adult seeking a compelling crossover read, will find Branded
hard to put down from beginning to end. It's a highly recommended pick
for
young adult into adult fantasy and thriller readers alike.
Return to Index
Chasing the
Darkness
Cassie Sanchez
Morgan James
Publishing
9781631956096
$17.95
cassiesanchez.com
In Chasing the Darkness, Azrael, the Angel
of Death, has become Pandaren's most powerful assassin. He is fueled
not only
by a passion for his job of destroying anyone with magic, but the
determination
to locate and kill a particular Fire Spectral who changed his life.
Ironically,
the
pursuit of his greatest goal leads Azrael to become the very thing he
despises
the most. When an experiment gone awry gives him magical abilities but
accompanies them with chaotic forces, Azrael finds his new abilities
change his
alliances, purpose, and life. This brings him full circle to accept
help from
those he once viewed as his mortal enemies.
The
twists and
turns in Chasing
the Darkness are simply delightful as Azrael
reconsiders everything he knew about the world and his motivation for
being a
soulless murderer.
He
can't be an
effective murderer when he begins to question his soul. And so Azrael
embarks
on a new series of confrontations, alongside new compatriots. His
revised
attitude even surprises those who'd expected something far different
from his
changed position: “Do you have a plan?” Kord said, kneeling next to
him, blowing
into his hands. “Yes, but let’s wait for the others to see what they
have to
say.” Kord lifted a brow. “What?” Azrael said. “Just figured you’d take
command
and expect people to follow.” Azrael shrugged. “A good leader isn’t
afraid to
hear other opinions.”
Readers
who like
stories about sword-and-sorcery fantasy worlds where the hero is deeply
flawed
and transforms from evil to good; where love is a new possibility and
redemption a driving purpose to life and justifying one's actions; and
where
physical form, magic, and the desire for a life of love sometimes
overwhelms
larger purposes will find Chasing the Darkness
compelling.
Its
ability to set
up characters for given roles, then change their psyches and abilities
mid-story, lends it an attraction missing from the typical
sword-and-sorcery
romance piece, fueling a series of engagements in which disparate
loners forge
new ties to become friends, family, and more.
Fantasy
readers
are in for a treat.
Return to Index
Chasing
Time
Thomas
Reilly
World
Castle Publishing, LLC
9781955086806
$10.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com
Who
has not wanted to predict or change the future, at some point in life?
And who
has had the tools to do so? In the sci-fi story Chasing
Time, retired history professor Tony Lucas must return to
the magic of his youth to find just that key...and when he does, his
decisions
on how to employ it change everything.
Readers
who expect a traditional opener will find this story's roots begin in
Rome in
AD 52, where merchant Lucius Fabius Antonius harbors an obsession with
time and
future prediction that is strengthened by a knack that has served him
well
throughout his life.
It
also leads him to a risky business venture that brings the olive oil
merchant
into new realms of possibility when mysterious forces affect his
business and
the pursuit of something impossible.
Fast
forward to 1965, when Anthony Lucas, also obsessed with time and
blessed with
an uncommon knack, finds a strange souvenir that changes everything for
him.
Time
is fluid in this story as he moves away from youthful discoveries and
pursuits,
only to remember them again when his wife is diagnosed with a terminal
illness
that he becomes determined to change.
As
Ann's health challenge threaten to overcome the very key that could
contribute
to her survival, Tony faces pressures on many fronts: "During
the next few days, Tony became so preoccupied with the
detailed planning of Ann’s care that he had little time to think about
the
ancient key or a potential miracle cure for ALS. Whenever such thoughts
did
enter his mind, he pushed them away and sadly reasoned that there
really wasn’t
much more he could do to unravel the clues from the 2025 newspaper
article."
Thomas
Reilly does a fine job of spinning a time-travel yarn that comes with
its own
charge of exploring last chances for survival, however extraordinary
they may
be.
His
protagonist struggles with death, a mystery, new possibilities, and
time
running out for business, health, and personal transformation alike.
Between
stumbling upon an unbelievable story and the pressure to share it to
make a
difference, Tony finds himself going out on a limb in more than one way
as he
navigates special interests and personal objectives against the
backdrop of a
discovery that could change the world.
From
how events in the future are interpreted (or disbelieved) by
present-day
players to how Tony navigates moral and ethical conundrums in the
course of
pursuing answers and cures, Chasing Time
is as much about chasing after hope as it is about creating new
opportunities
with future knowledge in hand.
Readers
who enjoy medical conundrums, time-travel experiences, and fantasy that
pairs
well with realism elements will find Chasing
Time a heartfelt, compelling story that both joins and stands
out in the
time-travel genre.
Return to Index
Fatal
Depth
Timothy S.
Johnston
Fitzhenry
& Whiteside, Ltd.
1554555574
$21.95
https://timothysjohnston.com/fataldepthpurchase/
Fatal
Depth: The Rise of
Oceania
is nautical thriller cli-fi reading at its best, and joins two others
in
navigating a flooded, collapsed world in the 2100s in which political
clashes
take place at sea.
In
2128, over
ten million now populate the ocean floor in twenty-nine cities. The
struggle
for independence against the United States and tensions with China
foster an
environment of war and conflict fostered by new technology and
alliances that crumble.
Set
in 2130
AD, Fatal Depth details this
ongoing
struggle. It opens with an alarm that alerts USSF
Lieutenant Cathy Lentz
(of the United States Submarine Fleet) of a threatening presence just
off the
shores of the eastern United States coast.
For
three
years, she's monitored the screens for incoming subs in Norfolk,
Virginia while
longing to be back under the water in a sub. Now the impossible is
happening,
bringing with it a tsunami of physical and mental proportions as
everything she
knows about sub technology is turned on end.
The
new
warship is a game-changer. It challenges not only the U.S. but Truman
McClusky,
Mayor of Trieste City, located underwater off Florida's coast, to
embark on a
new form of espionage and defense, as a result.
Military
sci-fi readers who enjoy tense action from the start, strong characters
who
react to and analyze their environments, and portraits of determined
captains
on all sides of the rising crisis will appreciate Timothy S. Johnston's
attention to nonstop action and detail.
He
explores
the motivations, perceptions, and political and social climates of all
sides
and the major characters who drive this story: "Captain
Ivan Arkady Ventinov stood on the bridge of his warsub,
the largest ever put to sea in the oceans—on the surface or below—and
felt
enormous pride surge through his body. His entire history had led him
to this
point in his career. Born to government officials, raised in Moscow and
socialized around aristocrats and politicians his entire life, he had
had a
meteoric rise in the Russian Submarine Fleet."
These
details
weave nicely into an unpredictable plot filled with social and
political twists
and turns as the survivors of a changing environment once again find
their
lives at risk.
It's
also
strengthened by the change from a third-person introduction of disaster
to
first-person reactions and experiences that neatly set the stage for
both
overall insights and personal "you are there" action: "Hopefully
we’d be adding enough mass
to the pile so that when the reaction really started to go critical,
there
would be enough uranium in the molten corium to cause an impressive
meltdown. China Syndrome. Only
this one would
go up."
Another
big
plus is that the action is laced with emotional responses, which brings
the
setting and situations to life: "The
thrum of the sound pulses
echoed through the hull. Johnny, my best friend and former partner in
Trieste
City Intelligence, was sitting in the co-pilot chair to my right, and
he
glanced at me. “It still doesn’t feel safe,” he muttered. “You
know it works.” “It’s new on this
ship.” I grunted. He was right. But the sound pulses that were
radiating out
from the blunt bow of SC-1 were
sending compression waves away from
the sub, and we
powered
into the lower pressure tunnel that they created."
Exquisite
in
its combination of futuristic vision, military maneuvering on all
sides,
conundrums facing survivors who keep encountering new situations, and
political
struggles that affect all communities above and below the tides of
change, Fatal Depth: The Rise of Oceania is both a powerful addition to
the series and a fine stand-alone read accessible to newcomers who may
not have
prior experience with this setting. Maps, a timeline, and succinct
description
paint all the background necessary to thoroughly enjoy this thriller,
which
should be on the shelves of any library strong in nautical cli-fi or
science
fiction powered by political and military clashes.
Return to Index
Lluck
Tim Rayborn
Thousand Acres Press
978-1-7372762-9-6
$14.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.timrayborn.com
Readers of
Rayborn's
prior fantasy Qwyrk will find Lluck, the next book in the series,
equally attractive, engaging reading.
It opens
with just
the kind of compelling one-liner that grabs attention and interest (“I’ll be dead in a few seconds… or worse.”),
then poses a new dilemma as an encounter with goblins quickly moves to
an
extraordinary festive celebration enjoyed by human Jilly Pleeth and the
magical
two-foot creature Blip.
Rayborn
excels in
descriptions which are vibrant representation of the atmosphere and
characters
that populate this extraordinary milieu: "Resembling
a bipedal frog sporting a handlebar moustache and a proper
Victorian-style
mutton chop beard, he strolled along the pavement in his Regency riding
boots,
while swinging an ornate walking stick, every so often accidentally
hitting a
passerby and eliciting an astonished yelp. A red, woolen scarf wrapped
snugly
around his short, froggy neck completed the ensemble."
But, don't
let Lluck's
whimsy and fun fool you. Serious matters are afoot which
challenge
a host of characters while juxtaposing humor (as in the specter of a
pillow
fight with Father Christmas).
As Qwyrk
(who has
been out of touch with them for a while, until now), Blip, and Jilly
once again
find themselves confronting strange happenings in a world replete with
magical
realism, a new adventure evolves to test all three with a situation
where "...crazy magic just happens right
under everyone’s noses and nobody even sees it.”
It is the
habit of
these extraordinary creatures "to be inconspicuous and let the mortal
world progress on its own.”
Tim Rayborn
does an
outstanding job of expanding this magical world and the challenges
posed by
changing friendships and adversity alike. His ability to explore both
outer and
inner battles and bring to life a realm of magic that overlays reality
and
involves a number of characters in life-changing events will attract
all ages, from
advanced elementary children through adults.
The vivid
stories as
Qwyrk's encounters with young abandoned orphan boy Lluck changes her
world adds
another misfit to the mix.
Tim
Rayborn's series
is fun, lively, unexpected, engrossing reading. Lluck
is just as highly recommended as its predecessor, adding
another series of encounters to an involving fantasy series.
Return to Index
Orion
L.K. Hingey
Independently
Published
979-8744173401
$13.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/ORION-Book-Two-Elyrian-Chronicles/dp/B096CXLRPL
While
some
series titles also stand alone as independent reads and provide easy
access to
past events for newcomers, it's simply not possible to place the
science
fiction epic Orion in the category of an "easy
read." It's
anything but...and that will also make it a delightfully complex and
rich
milieu for hard sci-fi readers of steampunk stories already familiar
with its
predecessor Kimber, the first story in The
Elyrian Chronicles.
Kimber
set the stage of a world still struggling twenty years after a solar
storm
ravages Earth. In 2209, the remnants of humanity have retired to
underground
abodes, and have been grafting human DNA
with radiation-resistant animals in an effort to ensure
its future survival.
In that
world, protagonist Kimber is one of twenty-three
members of a new subspecies of humans called Auroras, who are being
groomed for
survival even as they also are being treated like slaves.
Kimber sets the
stage for events in Orion, which
focuses on a journey that
uncovers inhumane crimes committed by the Bureau, fostering a dangerous
journey
by Kimber and those who struggle not just for survival and freedom, but
the
essence of what they will remake of their world and new species.
Orion continues
their journey of
discovery with new revelations about their underground city and its
place in
the world, their survey of America's remaining fragments, and the moral
and
ethical challenges which face their rebuilding process.
It should
be noted that this review's descriptions over-simplify
all the currents of action and dilemmas embraced by both Kimber
and Orion. There
are a host of characters, subplots, and scenarios that receive
concurrent
attention in the saga that make it as impossible to round up in the
space of a
relatively short review than Lord of the
Rings can be described as an 'epic journey and struggle
between darkness
and light'.
The
delight in
L.K. Hingey's works is that they take the time to build entire worlds
that rest
on the foundations of moral, ethical, and survival challenges that test
all the
characters. Physical and mental trials affect their relationships and
support
the characters as a whole, while the birth of "the first" baby Orion
Aeneas, which represents one of the positive pivot points in mother
Eve's world
and those around her, portends future world possibilites: "Kimber
recognized Eve’s desire to gift Orion with a name that would always be
a
reminder of love and strength instead of always haunting him with loss."
These
are only a
few of the remarkably thought-provoking scenarios and themes in Orion.
Sci-fi readers interested in sagas that build worlds and new
possibilities from
the ashes of old paradigms will find the interlinked Kimber
and Orion
novels vivid in their review of genetic engineering's promises and
perils in a
stormy human future.
Sci-fi
collections seeking epics that are more satisfyingly complex than the
average
adventure-oriented leisure read will find Orion a
worthy addition.
Return to Index
The Pystead
Group
James Pryor
The Techner Group
978-0-692-15699-5
$15.56
https://www.amazon.com/PYSTEAD-GROUP-Science-Adventure-Dystopian-ebook/dp/B09826GZKN
The second
edition of
The Pystead Group represents an
update that tightens the story and romance of a tale set in 2052, where
cognitive scientist Philip Russell seeks to escape the crippling fears
of life
in the U.S. by accepting a tech job in the West Indies.
At first his
new life
appears to be a success, as he falls in love with a fellow employee and
becomes
privy to company secrets. But, soon, those processes draw him into a
world just
as conflict-laden as life in the U.S. ever was, placing him in a
central
position of turmoil.
When he
finally
becomes privy to The Pystead Group's 'Plan B' and its impact, Philip
finds
himself entangled in a social, political, and technological experiment
that
tests his own moral mettle, leading to many questions and conundrums: "We
need an option for next year, after conditions have deteriorated. And
what are
the chances of Pystead being wrong about the future? Will the expressed
animosity of past and present minds meld mysteriously into individual
and
institutional decency? Will our dirty-tricks political party reform
itself?
Will terrorism abate? Will Den Haag stop cherry-picking laws and
venues? I
don’t think so! Once mature, most minds are done done! I know of no
general
success for the planned character rehabilitation of mature minds."
James
Pryor's special
blend of social, political, technological and psychological inspection
will
especially appeal to readers who look for more than action and
adventure from
their futuristic reads.
This updated
second
edition provides a tighter, more compelling set of encounters that
keeps a firm
hand on the rudder of moral decision-making while remaining strong in
the
adventure component. This will keep readers involved and guessing about
outcomes.
As humanity
faces its
greatest challenge and opportunity, The Pystead Group becomes a pivot
point of
transformation, opportunity, and danger that Phillip must navigate on
many
different levels.
His readers
will follow
in his footsteps as they receive an engaging, thought-provoking story
of
personal accountability in the face of technological and social change.
Any science
fiction
reader holding strong opinions about social and technological
inspection should
consider The Pystead Group a basic
acquisition that is both astute and involving.
Return to Index
Before Our
House Fell
Into the Ocean
William J. Cook
Independently
Published
9798461759896
$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Before-House-Fell-into-Ocean-ebook/dp/B09DTSSMXK
Before Our House Fell Into the Ocean: Stories of
Love and Death is
a literary collection of short works that each center on a bizarre
character's
dilemma. It is highly recommended for literature readers seeking
outside-the-box
representations and scenarios.
Take "Bad
Seed," for example. Here, a depressed husband faces a fed-up wife who
is
tired of his attitude and ongoing regrets over "the biggest failure of
his
life," and who walks away from the seminary and the priesthood to
become a
psychotherapist and husband.
What she
doesn't know
is that the demons of the past and the decision that causes him to hear
voices
and suffer are alive and well in the present. A visit to the source of
this
haunting reveals its roots. It also provides the narrator with a
different
choice.
William J.
Cook
writes these descriptive lives with an attention to description and
detail that
draws readers into each life: "The
dragon cannot be slain, only kept at bay. A deep weariness washes over
my body
and soul, like a receding tide sweeping debris from the beach."
Belief,
vows, faith,
and Church enter many of these works, which also offer astute
psychological
inspections from diverse perspectives. One example lies in "Coffee,"
in which a zombie longs not for flesh, but coffee made by the
"sorceress
of coffee" barista Suzie, who has a special gift. The sense of humor
over
Joey's dilemmas as a zombie comes to life: "Nobody
wants to date a zombie. And nobody wants to stay married to one,
either.
Righteous types call us the New Lepers."
The ironies
of
experiences which move into the territories of acquittal, social
dilemma, and
psychological transformation contribute to writings which are
compellingly
unique.
Before Our House Fell Into the Ocean is a
collection designed for
the literary thinker.
Its
inspections and
haunting stories of souls on fire in different ways will find a home in
any
literary collection, and in the hearts and minds of readers who enjoy
twists of
plot that leave them thinking.
Return to Index
Family
Snapshot
as a Poem in Time
G.H. Mosson
Finishing Line
Press
9781635348491
$14.99
www.finishinglinepress.com
Family Snapshot as
a Poem in Time is a poetry
collection the entire family
can enjoy, and captures a father's love for his daughter and son with
pieces
that celebrate growth and family connections.
These
free
verses offer readers the chance to view their own families in a
different light
against the mirror of G.H. Mosson's experience with time's passage,
growth, and
interactions with his kids: "Firecracker daughter,/your
volcano of
energy exhausts my imagination. I always thought/imagination meant
walking in a
moonlit field weeping/Where was I? And where have I traveled to? The
easy
answer: time."
The
narrator
questions the legacy he transmits to the next generation ("If
I am not
a dreamer, how will my son know me?") while also transmitting
to this
generation poetic pieces that will resonate with young listeners and
observers:
"Thinnest crescent in the night, your moonbeams gleam/a tinsel
light,
and two tiny stars nearby/are just as bright./I think you’ll play
together
tonight/when I’m not watching."
As
the pieces
for adults in the first half weave into verse for children in the
second half,
the entire family will find the arc of the book also evocative and
reflective
of the parenting experience: "Two years ago I showed my
daughter the
moon. I am too tired for stars./Yesterday, my son watched a squirrel
climb a
utility pole. His eyes bulged./I took him down the slide for the first
time, in
spring’s first glorious afternoon."
Family Snapshot as
a Poem in Time brings readers on
a journey through time,
child-rearing, and self-reflection; then returns to give younger
audiences an
evocative series of poems about nature, the universe, and family
connections.
It's unusual to see a poetry collection that can appeal across generations, but Family Snapshot as a Poem in Time is such a production. It thus is recommended not just for the usual poetry collection and reader, but for anyone who would absorb reflections on self, family, and the interconnectedness of life, at any age.
Family Snapshot as a Poem in TimeReturn to Index
Inside Out
Michael Tuberdyke
Five Senses
Publishing
978-0-578-98565-7
$10.00
www.shoplifters.store
The short
stories of Inside Out are entered
on the lives that
unfold in a three-story apartment building on Exchange Street. Managed
by
middle-aged woman Marge, the apartments are inhabited by tenants young
and old:
"...simple people whom like the
building itself reside on the edge of town with walls, which conceal
them from
the world outside."
As Michael
Tuberdyke
moves these tales from apartment to apartment, lives unfold.
In Apartment
Two,
Todd Brown listens to his radio after midnight, then arises. He's
always wanted
to be in show business. Now he listens to mood music from the past that
brings
this milieu to life; an observer rather than the participant he'd
imagined
himself to be.
He'll do
anything not
to be alone in the darkness that has become his apartment world.
Over in
Apartment
Three, Nick and Claire lead very different lives. Claire's last job
consumed
her, and she's beginning a new one in hopes that her life will change.
Although
connected in some ways, the couple is actually disconnected in
fundamental
manners of communication and expectation.
As Tuberdyke
navigates readers through these very different apartment dwellers'
lives, the
juxtaposition of their hopes, dreams, memories, and worlds comes to
life.
Succinct
language and
description contribute to a literary collection that is quietly
thought-provoking.
It should be
noted
that in order for these works to assume their status in a position of
literary
power, all of the stories need to
be closely
read.
While they
initially
might seem to be independent depictions, they build upon one another to
create
an intriguing synthesis of diverse experiences around a central theme:
a sense
of place that houses disparate personalities and ideals.
The
collection
operates as an intriguing inspection of home and disparate
personalities, and
will attract literature readers who will find within its pages a finely
tuned
instrument of life experiences that offer studies in contrasts.
Short story readers who enjoy slice-of-life vignettes will find Inside Out a treat.
Inside OutReturn to Index
Darkness
and
Grace
Kathryn Schleich
Chris Olsen Communications,
LLC
9798720084042
$16.95 Paper/$9.99 Kindle
Author website: https://www.kathrynschleich.com/product/darkness-and-grace-by-kathryn-schleich/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Grace-Kathryn-Schleich/dp/B08YQM9QC1
Paul
Pierson is
beginning his second marriage (a fact his family celebrates) after
grieving the
death of his first wife, but his siblings come to suspect that new wife
Pamela
is not what she seems, and strife arises in place of happiness and
hopes for a
better future.
Darkness and Grace is about good and evil intentions and
entanglements that change family
dynamics. It is made all the more powerful by events that hold their
foundations in reality, in Kathryn Schleich's family.
But,
more than a
story of overt evil, it's the tale of how subterfuge and malicious
intent
invade a Midwestern family's loving circles to change relationships,
hearts,
and minds.
This
makes for a
powerful story that originally appeared in 2007 with the same title,
but under
a pseudonym.
Readers
may
anticipate the depth of psychological inspection that such a story
embraces,
but Schleich adds an overlay of historical detail, from news reports of
the
times to authentic settings, imbibing this fictionalization with
newfound life
and the compelling feel of a thriller.
The
prologue
introduces events with a report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune about
a dog
who returns home bearing the gift of a woman's severed leg. This
creates a
compelling scenario that demands reader attention from the start.
The
events that
unfold are no less riveting as Schleich rounds out news reports and
events by
dovetailing them with the insidious moral and ethical dilemmas that
unfold when
a family unwittingly brings a special form of evil into their circle,
only to
slowly recognize and acknowledge its powers.
Perhaps
the most
frightening aspect of this novel lies in the possibility that similar
events
could all too easily alter other families who think that their close
ties
cannot be broken.
As
the thriller
evolves and psychological inspections ramp up, readers will remain on
the edge
of their seats with unexpected twists and turns that keep them
wondering about
outcomes, moral resolution, and psychological healing under such duress.
As
Pamela's real
identity and intentions become clear, the narrator resists the
stalking,
intimidation, and threats Pamela continually poses to everyone around
her.
Pamela is "trouble" with a vengeance, and as courtroom brawls and
legal entanglements stalk the family and bring them into unbelievable
struggles, readers receive a gripping story that is hard to put down.
This
powerful
cautionary tale profiles a dangerous situation. Paul receives support
from his
narrator sister and his entire family...but even this circle of love
may not be
enough to thwart the lasting impact of a malicious woman's attentions.
Thriller
collections
and any strong in psychological inspections of family and legal
entanglements
will find Darkness and Grace a powerful saga that
grabs readers by the
throat and just won't let go. Is a cardinal sin the only path to
resolution?
The question and events will leave readers gasping as the story
delivers
powerful messages about struggle and choice: "I have come to
understand
that goodness and evil each present us with choices, and they are never
as
simple as they might appear. What one may view as the ultimate act of
malice,
another may see as the necessary destruction of evil."
Darkness and Grace is very, very highly recommended for its exquisite
development of
tension and characters and the many surprises it unfolds.
Return to Index
Dear
Heroin
Linda Morrison
Wise Ink
9781634894203
$15.99
www.DearHeroinBook.com
Dear Heroin, a "Memoir of Goodbyes," is highly recommended
reading for
anyone living alongside someone caught in the web of a substance use
disorder
(addiction) or in the aftermath of one’s death by suicide. It documents
Linda
Morrison's four-year struggles with her son Michael, a heroin addict.
Addiction
changed not just her son, but her entire family's lives. His death by
suicide
did not end the suffering, but expanded it to new realms as Morrison
struggled
to find resolution and build a new life in the aftermath of
devastation. Anyone
who has a loved one addicted to a substance will find, in Dear
Heroin, a
resonating pulse of pain as Michael's story unfolds.
Also
contained
within its pages is the supportive approach of family and friends and a
relationship with God which all provided strength and help during
impossible
times.
The
title of
Dear Heroin refers to an actual letter Michael wrote in the
throes of trying
to divorce himself from his drug of choice. It's a moving testimony to
a
process that began in high school with an addiction that moved from
OxyContin
to deadlier substances.
As
Morrison
embarked on a long road to recognizing her beloved son's addictive
tendencies
and downward spiral, she transmits this process to audiences who will
find her
book a moving story of failed treatments, ongoing cycles of relapse,
heartbreak, and lessons on how families facing similar circumstances
can
recognize the danger signs of addiction and know what can be done to
help.
Sprinkled throughout the book are times of sobriety when Morrison hopes
he will
stay on the path of recovery.
Morrison's
anguish shines through her story of discovery and family interactions.
Parents
will readily relate to her experiences and will absorb that constant
juxtaposition of hope and failure until the final choice is made...and
beyond.
Although
death
changes her, Morrison’s journey does not end with a life consumed with
grief
and sorrow, but walks into finding abundance after unimaginable loss.
At
each step of
this heart-warming (and heart-wrenching) read, Morrison chronicles the
emotional, spiritual, and relationship changes that represent the ups
and downs
of addiction as well as everyday life: "As the two of them
talked,
laughed, and shared inside jokes, Allan and I looked on with deep
gratitude in
our hearts. It's hard to describe the feeling I had watching my son in
his new
world—so happy, carefree, and sober. I can't say it was worth the
harrowing
nights of Mike's drug use, but it was a joy to see how far he'd come."
Any
reader who
has lived through a loved one's addiction patterns will see themselves
in this
memoir, while those outside the process gain a better understanding of
family
impact and choices.
Ideally,
Dear
Heroin will find its way into libraries strong in family
issues, social
issues, addiction, and recovery. Its path to faith and serenity is
charted with
an unfailing honesty and offers tribute not just to son Michael, but to
the
sense of purpose that drove Linda Morrison to capture the evolutionary
process
of her entire family.
Return to Index
Three Funerals for My Father
Jolie Phuong Hoang
Tidewater Press
978-1-990160-04-2
CAD
$21.95 (print)/$14.95 (ebook)
www.tidewaterpress.ca
Three
Funerals for
My Father: Love, Loss, and Escape from Vietnam is an unusual
memoir. It
captures the experiences of a large family faced with not one, but
three
separate challenges to escape the Communist regime that took over in
Vietnam in
the 1970s.
Jolie Hoang's father
arranged three escapes for his
family of ten children. One cost him his livelihood. One successfully
brought
six of the kids to safety in Canada. And one cost him his life.
Three
Funerals for
My Father is presented in a dual narrative style by daughter
Jolie Hoang, who
juxtaposes her experiences with reflections from her father's ghost.
This unusual approach allows
for a more personal contrast
between family experiences, opening with a captivating introduction
that neatly
sets the stage for the memoir that follows: "I
died on June 15, 1985, when I was fifty-nine years old. My death was
not
natural. I died escaping Vietnam with my wife and my three younger
children,
hoping to reunite with my six older children who were living in Canada,
halfway
around the world. I died in the Pacific Ocean, trying to shorten the
distance
between us all."
More so than most stories of
immigrant experiences (even
the ones replete with danger and drama, such as this), Three
Funerals for My Father features a passionate disparity
between generations and lives that captures and contrasts parallel
worlds and
experiences.
More so than most such
stories, the saga captures the
essence of life under Communist rule in Vietnam when a family is
divided: "Word quickly spread through the
neighbourhood and the schools that my children had escaped. A month
later, we
received word that they were safe. My wife and I could breathe again.
But I had
to keep my joy concealed from the officials who made frequent visits to
the
house to question me. They were eager to imprison the organizer so it
was
imperative that I keep my status as the boat owner hidden. Even without
concrete evidence, they frequently threatened to arrest me. After about
a year,
as the investigation progressed, my wife and I felt we had no choice
but to
move to Saigon with the younger children. Saigon was a good hiding
place but Phổ,
Phấn and Lan Phương could not attend school and we could not have a
permanent
home. My remaining small family moved numerous times, from place to
place, to
avoid being caught."
Daughter Jolie Phuong
Hoang's ability to give voice to
her father's experiences, concerns, and conflicts brings this world to
life and
furthers the cause of understanding immigrant ideals, experiences, and
the
trials many endure when embarking on the long road to freedom.
At no other time in history
is this story and its underlying
message so necessary as in modern times, as immigrants are maligned and
questioned in American circles that traditionally welcomed them.
These experiences come to
life in a rare look at
sacrifices made during the quest for freedom, providing an intimate
examination
of hardship and courage that should be on the shelves of any collection
strong
in immigrant stories about Vietnam refugees, in particular.
Return to Index
Blaze In,
Blaze Out
Joseph Lewis
Black Rose Writing
978-1-68433-853-5
$21.95 paper/$7.99 ebook
www.blackrosewriting.com
Blaze In, Blaze Out is a detective story
that takes place in the
aftermath of the conviction of a Ukrainian crime ring. Detectives Pat
O'Connor
and Paul Eiselmann have finally brought the perps to court, and justice
has
been served.
You'd think
this
would be the end of the story; but in fact, it's the prologue to a new
conundrum which opens with an intriguing image: "He
sat his boney ass on the unyielding wooden bench in nearly the
same spot, sometimes for up to six or seven marathon hours give or
take, minus
a lunch break or whenever the judge decided to give the jury a break.
It wasn’t
often, but it was enough."
Neither
detective
expected head honcho Dmitry Andruko to organize a vendetta against them
from
jail—but this is what takes place, and the quiet repose each officer
sought
after their challenging case takes an ominous turn as elusive contract
killers
threaten everything they love.
Joseph Lewis
specializes in a fast-paced action story that takes the time to build
compelling atmosphere around its events. There are also subtle moments
of comic
relief injected into the story of multiple killers and attacks from all
sides:
"Being up in a tree helped
O’Connor’s cell reception. So much so, his cell had vibrated almost
nonstop."
Lewis also
presents
the point of view of the contract killer challenged to do his job. This
nicely
rounds out the dilemma and viewpoint of the detectives as they face
their
pursuers and struggle to survive long enough to capture them.
It should be
noted
that some of the violent encounters, as when Indian boy Two is
attacked, are quite
graphically described. Mystery and detective readers will be used to
this kind
of description, though, and it's entirely in keeping with the plot.
There are
also many
surprises, as when the killer proves to have a heart, saving a
potential victim
even as he plots to complete his assignment.
It only goes
to show
that proving guilt is sometimes the beginning of the journey—not the
end.
Blaze In, Blaze Out is highly recommended
for detective story
readers and libraries catering to them. Mystery readers seeking a
compelling
saga will find this story of detectives and four teen adopted brothers
who face
a clever killer to be fast-paced, involving, and filled with
satisfyingly
unpredictable moments. All this is tempered by fine tension that builds
up to a
thought-provoking conclusion, leaving the door ajar for more.
Return to Index
The Camel
Driver
Leonard Krishtalka
Anamcara Press LLC
978-1941237328
$29.99
Hardcover/$18.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Camel-Driver-Harry-Przewalski-Novel/dp/1941237320
The
Camel Driver is a Harry
Przewalski P.I. story recommended for fans of historical mysteries and
hard-boiled detective audiences, and profiles
paleontologist-turned-investigator
Harry's latest case.
The destruction of a famous
140-year-old museum diorama
invites Harry to finger the perps, but when he applies his penchant for
meticulous excavation to this case, what he uncovers turns out to be
more than
a prank.
His journey leads him into a
historical inspection of a
stolen, mysterious bundle of goods that results in not just further
museum
attacks, but revealing the trail of a globe-spanning mystery that takes
him
from Africa to Europe.
The saga
opens with a bang that is immediately
satisfyingly puzzling: "Somebody
sewed a child up in the camel’s
belly.” Detective John Mazeroski took a toothpick out of his pocket and
looked
around Stewart’s office for the reaction."
No other
investigator
seems as uniquely qualified to find out what was in that stolen bundle.
And
nobody else can make the historical connections that lead to surprising
facts
like Harry does.
Leonard
Krishtalka is
adept at connecting the dots between past and present, providing
chapters that
juxtapose legal and criminal processes of different eras and characters
who
each contribute a piece to the puzzle.
The overall
intellectual tone of the probe and its revelations incorporates a dose
of humor
and social and political inspection to elevate the story's appeal to
circles
who look for more than a simple whodunit: "Harry
pointed at the orangutan astride the woman. “Could Frémiet be depicting
the
ape’s revenge for the European rape of the colonies?” Christine arched
an eyebrow.
“Interesting thought. Some French art historians think the sculpture
expresses
our angst about that … a savage progenitor siring a civilized heir.
They called
it our “existential ambivalence.” “A useful catchall,” Harry quipped,
“French
existentialism. It goes well with pernod, garlic, and berets, but no
one knows
what it means.”
Readers
seeking
open-and-shut cases and processes may be surprised at the amount of
historical
and archaeological inspection that surrounds Harry's process. However,
mystery
buffs looking for more complex reads will be simply delighted by the
attention
to detail that contributes to unexpected twists and turns throughout.
Harry moves
through
events that lead to a scholarly bombshell and explain why relics that
represent
events of ancient times are worth killing for in modern ones, and the
sub
stories work together to contribute to the main event.
Readers
might anticipate
that a prior familiarity with the art or history worlds is required.
But the
only prerequisites for appreciating this delightful, educational romp
through
time are an interest in noir detective stories and an appreciation for
unique,
complex problem-solving approaches.
Any
collection strong
in historical mysteries or hard-boiled, noir detective pieces needs to
include The Camel Driver in its
holdings.
Its tension,
characterization, backdrop, and suspense components are simply
outstanding.
Return to Index
The
Choices
Alan L. Moss
Cresting Wave
Publishing
978-1-7354135-8-7
$12.99 paperback/$1.99 Kindle
www.amazon.com
Thriller
readers
will enjoy a blend of high-octane action set against the backdrop of a
treasure
hunt that leads Gary Levine, wife Sharon, and other characters through
the
dangerous threats of hate groups and international affairs in The
Choices.
More
so than
most genre reads, Alan L. Moss cultivates the ability to craft a
suspense story
that comes with its own special blend of atmosphere and intrigue that
rest as
much upon psychological undercurrents as it does upon action.
Moss
takes the
time to outline evolving relationships, connections between action and
choices,
and a treasure hunt that not only tests legal standards, but challenges
the
expectations of those involved in an expedition that turns deadly.
From
code breaking
and unexpected deaths that prove to have nefarious sources to the
influence of
a dangerous business that includes Adrienne's revenge on a man who took
her
love away, grad student Mia finds that her innovative idea to retrieve
a
diamond treasure has led her into the world of powerful, dangerous men
who
operate on both sides of the law.
As
Gary's past
returns to haunt him over his choices in unexpected ways and other
characters
confront their own changing worlds, Moss crafts a story of moral and
ethical
conundrums that provides a more complicated backdrop than most genre
reads.
This
story
demands of its readers an ability to navigate a range of special
circumstances
and changing intentions. A synagogue shooting leads Gary on a dark hunt
that
drives him to enter a dangerous world to investigate a seductively
dangerous
operation.
Just
when you
think you know where the story is heading, it changes yet again. The
myriad of
characters, special influences, conflicting choices, and blend of
intrigue and
ethical problems keeps The Choices
thought-provoking on a level that
goes beyond an adventure and action saga alone.
Readers
are
challenged to consider a range of issues. These include domestic
terrorism and
personal motivations for gain to relics, rewards, and a hunt that
reveals as
much about the soul as it does about the pursuit of happiness, love, or
justice.
The Choices
is a multifaceted read that is a delight to pursue. Just when you think
you
know its intentions and purposes, everything changes yet again. While
this
atmosphere may stymie those who want action alone, it's the perfect
formula for
attracting an audience that appreciates higher-level thinking and more
engrossing situations than the usual thriller story provides.
The Choices
is very highly recommended reading as a cut above most suspense
stories. It
focuses on the decisions and choices that change not only outcomes, but
the
hearts and minds of all involved.
Return to Index
Deadly
Serious
A. J. Thibault
Encircle Publications
978-1-64599-184-7
$26.99 Hardcover/$16.99
Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Serious-J-Thibault-ebook/dp/B08YKJ65M4/
Suspense,
mystery,
and thriller genre readers should prepare for a treat, because Deadly Serious is as deadly grave about
stand-up comic Dan Goodis and his determination to solve a
puzzle as it is
about his probe into a hermit scientist's murder and his CIA father's
mercurial
life.
When Dan
inadvertently comes to possess a secret code given to him by the
physicist
before he dies, he becomes as determined to learn its secrets as he was
to hone
comedy as a professional career.
Goodis is
forty...long past the prime age for conducting an active investigation
with a
fresh young mind. Perhaps this and his unique background are the best
preparations for the strange circumstances he's about to enter into,
because
they are well beyond his comfort zone to test his problem-solving
abilities and
friendships alike.
A comedian
would seem
a relatively simple target for a seasoned Russian assassin intent on
taking
revenge for Dan's role in his brother's death. Think again. Dan leads
his
would-be killer on a merry chase and stumbles from one situation into
another
in the course of his attempts to solve an increasingly dangerous puzzle
that
changes not just his life, but everyone around him...including new
lover Lauren.
Life is
funny. Dan
never expected the events and coincidences that would lead him to a
violent
confrontation on his own property: "If
Dan had known where this would lead, he never would have left teaching,
bought
a dog, or gone jogging, and he
never
would have met Lauren."
George Aiken
is a
career spy also in his mid-forties. As Dan and George's lives become
entwined,
black comedy winds into the mystery with struggles Dan never could have
imagined for his life, carrying readers into a cat-and-mouse game of
subterfuge, confrontation, and different types of predators even as he
navigates his uncertain relationship with Lauren.
Is Lauren a
friend or
foe? Why has she been lying?
Dan is
forced to
reconsider not only his new romance, but the courses of his life and
the
motivations of those around him as he begins to realize he's in too
deep to
walk away unscathed.
A. J.
Thibault takes
the time to fully explore Dan's psyche, evolving life, and motivations
for
taking on and biting off more than he can chew.
His
concurrent
concerns with the mystery, the increasing threats, and his personal
struggles
with life and growth nicely accent the story's intriguing twists and
turns as
he, like Br'er Rabbit, stumbles deeper and deeper into pitfalls with
seemingly
no choice but to forge ahead.
The tension
is
exquisite. The juxtapositions between daily life concerns and the
special
circumstances of violence that the puzzle introduces, and the
combination of
perspectives between Dan and Lauren as she comes to understand she's
involved
with both a rising star and a dangerous man, make for a delightful
dance
between psychological examination and action.
The result
is a
mystery/thriller that will be enticing to genre fans as well as fiction
readers
who want an absorbing story of budding career, romance, and the
conundrums a
forty-something man faces over the choices that impact his world.
Return to Index
Death
Rules
the Night
Rosemary and
Larry Mild
Magic Island
Literary Works
978-0-9905472-6-6
$14.95
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Rules-Night-Rosemary-Mild/dp/0990547264
Death
Rules the Night
will appeal to mystery readers who hold
special affection for bookstores and detective stories. It tells of
truck driver
Tom Dwyer, whose life is derailed when fellow driver trainee Frank and
he flee
a hit-and-run accident that threatens their careers.
Readers
who
anticipate a fairly straightforward progression of events from here
should be
advised that Death Rules the Night
chooses no easy or predictable paths. A myriad of characters are
introduced,
whose lives and choices feed into the main event.
Vintage
bookstore owners Dan and Rivka Sherman pursue the mystery of a vanished
book of
Atkins family history, only to find it likely contains clues to a crime
so
insidious that the perp has taken pains to confiscate every known copy
of the
book.
As
members of
the Atkins family are introduced and people go missing, the mystery
strengthens
and only makes Dan more determined to get at the heart of the events
that shake
their community.
The
Mystery
Writers’ Critique Group is also a big part of the community's process
of
problem-solving. They are an active membership whose approaches add
experienced
eyes that consider both mystery writing and town events: "Whenever
attrition took its toll on
membership, other writers, some seasoned authors, some wannabes,
stepped in to
take their place. Each left an inkling of their skills and wisdom at
the long
table and the others benefited. Each meeting brought story parts and
bits to be
read and criticism in the form of kindness to be dispensed, so that
learning
for all prevailed."
The
blend of
literary review and community inspection added to the growing mystery's
components will delight mystery fans who like their stories
multifaceted and
unpredictable.
Rosemary
and
Larry Mild take the time to craft and intersect the lives of a number
of
individuals. Those who anticipate a more singular focus and coverage
may at
first find this broad cast of characters daunting, but as they all
contribute
to a bigger picture of intrigue, the story assumes a life that a more
casual
interplay of a few characters could not have matched.
Dialogue,
too,
is compelling and realistic: “Dan!”
scolded Rivka, “I told you this blasted manuscript business was going
to end up
being dangerous—trouble we could have avoided. And now look what you’ve
done.
It involves poor Ivy, who shouldn’t have to worry about anything like
this.
After all, she’s getting married next week.” “Hey, I know. There’s no
way I
could have predicted the sneaky little bastard would take things this
far. All
I wanted was an explanation of why those books disappeared. I’m sorry.”
Death
Rules the Night's
lively inspections of death, marriage,
threats, and redemption makes it a standout especially recommended for
mystery
genre readers who like their stories realistic, engaging, and full of
surprises
as they move into the big secret Muddy Akins is determined to keep
against all
odds and prying town eyes...at any cost.
Return to Index
Deep
in the
Forest
Lynda McDaniel
Lynda McDaniel
Books
ebook: 978-1-7346371-5-1
$ 4.99
Print: 978-1-7346371-4-4
$14.95
Website:
https://www.lyndamcdanielbooks.com
"Am I dead?" I whispered in the cold, dark
emptiness
surrounding me...As I pulled the covers up, I could just make out the
sound of
someone breathing deeply. I couldn’t tell where that was coming
from—this room
or somewhere nearby? I didn’t want to wake it, afraid what that might
unleash.
I had no idea how I got there, just that I had been in England, away
from my
home and my family. My head ached real bad, and I needed to take a leak
even
worse. But I laid there quiet-like, afraid for my life. If I still had
one."
Deep
in the Forest
is the fifth book in McDaniel's Appalachian
Mountain Mysteries, and
provides mystery readers with an involving story that opens with a
bang. After
this gripping opener, Abit Bradshaw's story moves backwards to nine
days
earlier to fill in details of his family life with Fiona and the
magical pulls
of home and kin.
How
thirty-six-year-old Abit moves from this life to one in which he holds
no
memory of his present circumstances makes for a gripping story as he
heads into
a "long battle" that moves back and forth in time.
Juxtaposed
with
Abit's perspective and tale is the story of Della Kincaid (whom he has
known
since he was fifteen) and Nigel Steadman, an Englishman who moved to
the U.S.
and became Della's good friend before fleeing back to England. He's
also been
an ongoing source of trouble for Abit and Della, dragging them into a
series of
escapades.
As Nigel,
Della and
Abit face a mole in their midst, a stakeout gone awry, and people who
exist in
the "deep forest" of complex interactions and trouble, readers
receive a solid dose of British atmosphere as they sojourn through
pubs,
mysteries, and danger.
Unlike the
other
books in this series, the British Isles focus provides a satisfying
difference,
challenging the characters with a new milieu. As travels expose
underlying
prejudices and social differences, each character grows beyond their
roots and
experiences as they confront the "deep forest" both outside and
within themselves.
Mystery fans who
enjoyed the prior books will welcome this departure in physical place,
and Lynda
McDaniel's
ongoing ability to present realistic characters who operate against the
backdrop of a challenging mystery. Her ability to weave psychological
perspectives and changes into the bigger picture of a series of
mistakes that
lead each character to question their abilities and sense of purpose
creates a
story that is thought-provoking on more than the mystery level alone.
Deep
in the Forest
deserves a spot in any mystery
collection, irregardless of whether the prior books in the series are
familiar
or not. It stands well alone, and as a nice addition to the prior
adventures.
Return to Index
A Final Call
Eliot Parker
Headline Books
978-1951556662
$19.95
Author website: www.eliotparker.com
Publisher: www.headlinebooks.com
Readers of
Eliot
Parker's Code for Murder who longed
for more now have their wishes granted with A
Final Call, a Stacy Tavitt story that revolves around police
investigators
Stacy and Austin's latest probe, which holds a personal note from the
start.
Stacy is a
savvy
investigator who stays one step ahead of the perps she pursues: "Her instincts kicked in. The gunshots
coming from the front of the house were a diversion to keep the police
from
gaining entrance. Stacy knew that if Brandon Dearfield oversaw his
crew, he
knew the way to catch the police by surprise in these situations was to
hide in
the shadows and use deceit whenever possible."
She also has
a
problem. She's confronting fellow cop Brandon, who doesn't have much to
lose.
As she tries to uncover the truth about special interests, what really
happened
to Chance, and cops and bad guys involved with each other, the tension
mounts.
From
exploding safe
houses to igniting hearts, Eliot Parker is especially adept at
capturing action
and emotion, entwining the two in a gripping story that profiles
motivation,
intrigue, and matters of the heart alike.
The
Cleveland Police
Department procedurals are realistically narrated and come to life, as
does the
adrenaline of an investigation that holds many twists, turns, and
challenges
for Stacy's world.
From
decisions that
influenced Chance's imprisonment to the threats that place Stacy's life
in the
balance, the story is fast-paced and hard to put down.
Parker takes
the time
to build a cast of characters, motivations, and connections that are
designed
to keep readers both informed and guessing about outcomes and
interconnected
interests.
As a sequel
to Code for Murder, Stacy's
routines and
perspective continues to grow. As a stand-alone mystery, A
Final Call needs no prior familiarity in order to prove
thoroughly engrossing, riveting, and filled with surprises and nonstop
action
from beginning to end.
Return to Index
Final
Chance
Van Fleisher
Independently
Published
978-1-7320833-3-2
www.amazon.com
The
story
opens with U.S. President Bo Sanders relaxing in Camp David under a
protective
forested dome that protects residents from the harsh environment
outside. Under
his leadership, the U.S. has fostered a doming project to stave off
human
extinction as the climate changed, and terrorists have been sent to
prison,
making the world a safer place.
Or,
is it?
In
short
order, disaster strikes.
Leaving
this
futuristic setting, the story moves forty-six years back in time to
2020, where
polarizing politics and disasters set the stage for what is to come.
The
technique
of presenting a disaster, then immediately moving away to set its roots
may
stymie those who want a linear production, but it succeeds in capturing
reader
interest from the start, then creating a backdrop of understanding
against
which future events evolve.
As
a series of
pandemics and concurrent environmental challenges emerge, readers will
find
this arena all too recognizable. It's the perfect place for better
understanding the events which stem from these conflicts, making Final Chance a prophetic thriller in
more ways than one.
Operating
within this milieu of the turbulent 2020s is scientist Vijay Patel,
whose work
and character received center attention in Van Fleisher's previous
stories.
In
the past,
Vijay, his business partner Alek, and their company VitalTech's
brainchild (a
watch that can predict the wearer's death date) morph to new levels as
the
device is fine-tuned to detect Coronavirus and becomes a key instrument
in the
battle against the always-evolving plagues.
Even
though
Vijay is out of the picture, his legacy lives on. The decisions
surrounding the
use of technology to mitigate environmental and politics issues in this
futuristic society offers not just last chances, but final changes for
the
survival of humanity.
From
investigations of political irregularities and threats to the pursuit
of a
deadly traitor who is far too close to the trusted offices that hold
the fate
of many in its hands, Fleisher excels in building a political and
social
inspection that feels realistic and familiar because its foundations
lie in
present-day experience.
Readers
will
not only find it easy to delve into the action and intrigue of Final Chance without benefit of its
predecessors, but will find that its message and impact feel all too
familiar.
As
Vijay
Patel’s twenty-six-year-old daughter, Karima, assumes center stage and
grapples
with many legacies, the Patel family remains entwined in a social and
political
experiment that blends both high technology and gripping issues facing
the
world today.
Between
the
ethics of microchip tracking and murders contemplated when one's death
date is
known to the concurrent threats of climate change, political change,
and
pandemics, Final Chance embraces
many
moral and ethical conundrums as it surveys crimes, punishments, and new
possibilities.
It
takes a
seasoned hand to incorporate all these questions and considerations
into a
gripping suspense story. Van Fleisher represents that talent.
Readers
of Final Chance will find its
special mix
of familiar past and all-too-frightening future to be hard to put down.
Seasoned with action and intrigue, these characters face questions
modern man
grapples with today, on a level that makes their choices and
consequences
anything but predictable.
Return to Index
Katie,
Bar the Door
Ruth Hull Chatlien
Amika Press
978-1-937484-93-4
$17.95 Paper/$5.95 ebook
Author website: https://ruthhullchatlienbooks.com
Ordering: https://bit.ly/order_KBtD
It's
rare that
the title of a book proves original and compelling in and of itself,
but Katie, Bar the Door
is such a creation. It will appeal to readers of modern women's fiction
with
its astute story of Katie Thompson, a first-person story which captives
not
only by its title, but in its first few lines: "I
felt as though I were being driven to a sentencing, not my
wedding."
Katie harbors big dreams for her future
which do not embrace the conventional paths others around her believe
she
should follow.
In the opening lines of her story, she and
Ritchie have eloped, and are to be married without benefit of ceremony.
The
couple has known each other since childhood. Forbidden from embarking
on this
relationship by a strict mother who caught them necking, Katie's taken
the step
into sexuality, and is the driving force behind insisting that they now
marry.
The reason, however, isn't for love. It's
because of lack of options: "Even if
I got to a phone and reached my mother, I wasn’t sure she’d take me
back. She
had forbidden my relationship with Ritchie over a year ago after she
caught us
necking and told me that, in God’s eyes, I was as guilty as if I’d
slept with
him. Defying her low opinion of me, I had clung stubbornly to my
virginity
until we ran away, surrendering it then only because of the promise
that I’d be
Mrs. Richard Pelletier in the morning—and because Ritchie’s rage at
being asked
to wait one more day was too menacing to defy. Now that the deed was
done,
according to the stringent doctrines of my mother and my church, my
only chance
to redeem myself was to marry the partner of my lust."
As Katie faces domestic violence, being a
runaway from her family and faith, and reviews dead-end roads and
future
options, readers journey alongside her as she faces a series of men who
become
bosses, lovers, and potential protectors, unified in their desire to
control
her in some way.
Even her professor, Dr. Peter Taylor,
becomes entangled in Katie's life and dreams as she moves from a
history
student in his class to something more.
Katie rewrote a history paper when she
realized that her facts and sources were outdated. Can she rewrite her
life?
Ruth Hull Chatlien crafts a
vivid story of abuse, growth, repression, and changing perceptions and
attitudes as she documents a young woman's journey to self-empowerment
and
self-realization.
As the story moves full circle
to embrace the relationships between mother and daughter and
generations of
belief, readers receive an engrossing examination of how past memories
and
experiences transform into future changes and new possibilities.
Katie, Bar the Door
takes no simple paths in exploring these revelations. It provides many
twists
and surprises that will delight readers interested in a moving story of
a young
woman's dreams, misconceptions, and growth. It will appeal to those
interested
in emotional trauma, recovery, and transformation, as well as in
evocative
women's fictional writings.
Return to Index
Let's
Say Jack Kennedy Killed the Girl
William F.
Crandell
Hawkshaw Press
978-1-7340918-6-1
$14.99 Softcover/$24.95 Hardcover
www.hawkshawpress.com
Let's
Say
Jack Kennedy Killed the Girl
is the first book in the Jack Griffin
Detective Series, and is recommended for hard-boiled detective fiction
readers
who appreciate mysteries set in the politics of the past, and which
reflect and
interpret history in an inviting, thought-provoking manner.
Like
all exceptional reads, it opens with a compelling image: "Jack
Kennedy and I had nothing in common when we met but our first names,
the Purple
Heart, and the hots for Betty Dyson."
Thirty-four-year-old
ex-Army P.I. Jack Griffin meets politician Jack
Kennedy and acknowledges their very different lives, which come
together when
the aforementioned Betty Dyson drags them both into a murder.
Under
William
F. Crandell's hand, the politics and atmosphere of D.C. come to life as
events
unfold against the backdrop of turbulent times. All remain firmly
grounded in
Griffin's experience and observations, which lends this story a
personal touch
that goes beyond a murder investigation alone: "Every
man my age in America seemed to be getting married,
fathering half a dozen kids and buying a bungalow on the G.I. Bill at
the edge
of some town. I lived alone in a two-room apartment in Washington—three
if the
bathroom counted. I dated a lot of women and had fun with them ’til
they found
their calendars full of evenings with more typical men, guys who didn’t
sit up
nights guarding their hearts. My empty private life felt like a guilty
secret."
This
attention
to personal detail and experience does more than add to the milieu of
politics,
culture, and Jack Kennedy's involvements. It adds a subset of
experience and
emotion that will attract even readers not usually interested in either
P.I.
mysteries or historical fiction.
As
the story
unfolds, Griffin struggles to keep young Congressman Kennedy from being
identified as the perp in a terrible murder. The overwhelming evidence
against
Kennedy, including six solid witnesses who place him at the scene of
the crime,
seems insurmountable, but wealth and position work together to keep the
wolves
at bay as Griffin does his job.
The
candid,
wry observations of this milieu as seen from the first-person
experiences of
Griffin combine with historical backdrops to bring the story to life in
many
different ways.
Satisfying
twists and turns will intrigue mystery readers who might not see some
of them
coming, while newcomers to the genre will find the emotional
inspections of
both Griffin and Kennedy drive the plot with connections that make the
story
hard to put down beyond the mystery it presents.
The
result is
a compelling tale highly recommended for a wider audience than the
usual P.I.
enthusiast alone. Between Let's Say Jack Kennedy Killed the
Girl's catchy title and
intriguing
personalities, it should reach into novel and historical fiction reader
circles
alike, with vivid, unique brand of action and political and
psychological
interplays that make for a heck of a story.
Return to Index
Murder in
Second
Position
Level Best Books
Independently
Published
978-1-68512-021-4
$16.95
Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.lorirobbins.com/
Murder in Second Position represents the
second book in the ballet
mystery series, providing cozy mystery readers with a satisfying blend
of
intrigue, humor, and ballet experiences.
Ballerina
Leah
Siderova faces many new challenges in this story, from the involvement
of her
stepmother in her ballet company to the influence of ballet director
Pavel
Baron, a man who is "pure poison.” Leah finds, one fateful February
day,
that she must once again engage in an investigation both within and
outside of
the ballet milieu.
Lori Robbins
draws
readers into these dovetailing worlds from the opening lines of the
story: "I belong onstage. Not in an
interrogation room at Manhattan’s Twentieth Precinct. And yet, for the
second
time in less than a year, that’s where I had a starring role. As part
of my
official statement, I’d like to go on the record to confirm this simple
fact:
When dancers say, “ballet can be murder,” they’re speaking
metaphorically. Most
of the time. More to the point, if I were going to kill someone, it
would have
been Savannah Collier."
From chilly
New York
City rehearsal days to stormy interpersonal relationships experienced
by Leah,
her friend Olivia, and others, Robbins brings to life both the intrigue
and the
ballet world's many challenges.
As astutely
as the
action plays out, Robbins doesn't neglect a dash of ironic wit that
laces the
story with personality and fun: "I
took a few deep breaths, wishing my practice tutu wasn’t quite so
tight. Tragic
swan queens had no business gaining weight, and I was self-conscious
about
recent dietary indiscretions regarding salted caramel chocolates."
The
references to the
strict rules that ballerinas must follow throughout their careers
appear
throughout the story, lending it a realistic, insightful feel: "Still painful to me was the memory of
watching a rehearsal director chastise a ballerina for gaining weight.
She had
dazzled audiences in her role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The
Nutcracker, and as
a young student, I idolized her. The year I joined the company, the
rehearsal
director began publicly referring to this red-haired dancer as
Plumpkin. He
wasn’t the only one. The former critic of The New York Times was
especially
brutal, speculating on the exact number of pounds the poor woman had
gained. It
was a cautionary tale I never forgot. One day you’re on top, and the
next
you’re teaching kindergarten classes at Dolly Dinkle’s School of
Ballet."
As she
probes the
many people around her who are keeping secrets for different reasons,
Leah
moves ever closer to the one secret that almost kills her. Only a
last-minute
costume change saved her. It may not do so again.
The mystery
component
is just as lively as the dance company descriptions and the
performances
themselves. Robbins brings all to life with a style that performs
deftly and
artistically, and this will attract both dance-oriented readers and
those with
little experience with the world of ballet.
The result
is an
engrossing murder mystery that operates on many different levels to
bring
readers on a rollicking ride through death, achievement, and ballet
politics
alike as a murderous rampage threatens more than just one life.
Return to Index
Primeval
Waters
William
Burke
Severed
Press
978-1-922551-99-3
$11.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
https://www.williamburkeauthor.com/
Primeval Waters
represents horror/thriller
adventure writing at its best. It tells of an Amazon River expedition
through
hell when Dr. Micah Clark, his nine-year-old daughter Faye, and his
assistant
Catalina Abril are kidnapped and forced to traverse an
environmentally
altered Amazon jungle.
So,
what's Dr. Clark doing in the jungle? What makes him famous—filming his
reality
adventure TV series Meteor Micah, the Outdoor
Exploration Network’s top
show, which searches out exotic destinations, creates gripping survival
challenges, and blends science with pop speculation about aliens and
ancient
mysteries: "Network executives had
christened him a modern day “Marlboro Man”—a ruggedly handsome
intellectual who
appealed to everyday viewers, especially ones who wore tin foil hats."
He's
investigating The Anomaly, an ancient meteorite long buried in a
lakebed. The
discovery defies ready identification, leading him into a field survey
that
goes awry from prehistoric threats.
The very ingredients which have made his series a success now
contribute to an
extraordinary foray into unprecedented dangers. Dr. Clark becomes
convinced
that an extraordinary alien intelligence is behind the new threats,
using them
as camouflage to hide secrets about the meteorite, which promises the
world
clean energy, but harbors other abilities that might not prove so
beneficial.
As
a
paramilitary operation, jungle Queen Caveira, and other forces struggle
for the
same treasure, Dr. Clark is drawn into a series of confrontations that
defy not
only his scientific knowledge and its process, but his ability to
survive.
Readers
seeking an Indiana Jones-type story with nonstop action will be
especially
pleased at the dilemmas and struggles that happen back-to-back, and at
the
vivid descriptions William Burke presents as he explores these
action-packed
encounters: "The snake slammed
straight down, using the front half of its body like an axe, crushing
the boat.
Both serpent and boat vanished beneath the water. A moment later, the
snake
resurfaced, a man clenched in its jaws. It turned to focus on its next
prey—the
yacht. Batista stared into its emerald-green eyes, his heartbeat
pounding in
his ears. That silence was shattered by machine gun fire. One of the
gunboats
came in fast, front machine guns blazing. Unfortunately, Batista’s
yacht was
also in the line of fire. Batista hit the deck while keying his walkie
talkie, shouting,
“You idiots are
shooting at us!”
William
Burke adds not only a host of special interests, but a variety of
different
threats to an adventure packed with unexpected twists and turns.
Pirates,
kidnappers, ancient monsters and cannibals, oh my!
Fans
of nautical horror and sci-fi scenarios will find these encounters make
for
edge-of-your-seat reading that grips with an introductory mystery and
doesn't
let go.
The
overlay of real-world Amazon nature and extraordinary events and
influences
blends two disparate environments with descriptions that are taunt and
grippingly realistic: "Micah sank
into a deep but remarkably clear pool. He was about to kick his way up
when he
saw something silhouetted against the sunlit surface. It was a fish, at
least
six feet long, with a tapered snout. Another equally large creature
swam by,
intentionally bumping him. Micah thought, Bull
sharks, while fighting the panic welling inside. Amazon
River bull sharks were as vicious as great whites—genuine man-eaters."
The
result is a thriller/horror/adventure mix that will attract a wide
audience,
from fans of William Hope Hodgson's special brand of horror to Indiana
Jones
adventure story readers who just can't get enough of this kind of
special blend
of fantasy and action.
Return to Index
The Reisman
Case
Andrew Diamond
Stolen Time Press
978-1734139235
$4.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Reisman-Case-Claire-Chastain-Book-ebook/dp/B09CWSWZ2P
Readers of
P.I.
thrillers are in for a treat with The
Reisman Case because its progression and intrigue offer many
surprising
twists, opening with the bang of a letter directed to "Freddy" that
lays out details of the Reisman events.
Once again,
Claire
Chastain is called upon to solve a case...this time, a
seemingly simple
open-and-shut affair of employee theft.
This
particular case,
however, evolves into something quite different and challenging as
Claire
senses that theft isn't the real issue. As events evolve that point to
Claire
as a murder suspect in her own investigation, she must call upon all
her
resources and savvy to solve an increasingly puzzling case. Its
elements
involve a dysfunctional family, investigator Freddy Ferguson's probe,
and Anton
Durant's penchant for charming juries in the face of irrefutable facts
as he
tries to help Claire prove her innocence.
Claire is
forced not
only to confront impossible facts, but how close she, herself, has come
to
mirroring the adult woman whose childhood fears have come to life: "I felt a sudden pang of sympathy for
that young girl and for the woman she had become. Looking at my own
face in the
mirror, I wondered how close I had come to being like her."
Diamond
demonstrates
a fine ability to bring not just the investigator's private life into a
bigger
picture of murder, dysfunction, and mystery; but to involve a host of
characters on both sides of the law in a growing dilemma.
His
inspections both
within and outside the courtroom and investigative process juxtapose
memorable,
likeable characters with events that test their ability to consider
options and
look at themselves in the mirror of their pasts, as well as present-day
evidence
about struggles and reality.
As The Reisman Case traverses DNA evidence,
suspicious associations and circumstances, and Claire's penchant for
honesty
over comfort, readers gain insights into her growth and recovery
processes and
how these intersect with her P.I. skills to create both opportunity and
adversity.
The result
is a
memorable mystery that will especially delight fans of Claire's prior
case, but
which needs no prior introduction to appeal to newcomers who appreciate
solid
mixes of psychological and crime revelations.
Return to Index
Still Not
Dead
Charles Levin
Munn Avenue Press
978-1-7352108-5-8
$17.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle
www.charleslevin.com
"When you fade away, what's left?"
Memories and motives.
Sam's son is angry at the constant comings and goings of his father,
even if
his father no longer walks among them.
Thriller
readers,
especially those who enjoyed the prior Sam Sunborn stories in the
series, will
find Still Not Dead a fitting,
compelling read that adds another adventure into the mix of Sam's
ongoing
escapades, which continue even beyond the traditional grave.
Family ties
and angst
don't end with the digital world, as Sam finds out in his non-corporeal
existence. Monica is angry with him, his son is dismayed, and work
pulls him to
the world of the living with yet another futuristic crime to solve.
This task
requires
wife Monica's help to stop a deadly female terrorist who has escaped
prison
with a new plan to launch a mass amnesia attack on America using a
neural
weapon.
It may take
a
presence from beyond the grave to stop her, but Sam is limited in his
new
milieu, while his deadly adversary employs all the options of the
physical
world in her quest to weaponize and attack the mind.
As D.C.
investigators
Michelle and Rich explore "wild ass theories," readers receive a
truly haunting story of a digitized personality who refuses to quit,
and who
remains as engaged in the world of the living as when he had a body.
Although
Charles
Levin's story joins others in the series, newcomers need have no prior
familiarity with past events to appreciate this stand-alone thriller.
It takes
a few chapters to absorb the milieu Sam operates from, but when readers
do, Sam's
world and that of the terrorists who plot another devious attack fueled
by high
technology comes to life.
Levin excels
in
crafting a cat-and-mouse series of encounters that revolve not just
around Sam,
but his wife Monica, his son Evan, and the technology that crashes his
reappearance in their family just as she's drawing back from asking him
for a
divorce.
From the
psychological challenges of living as an uploaded digitized personality
to
relationships challenged by physical and non-corporeal entities, Levin
creates
a thriller that operates on both personal and international political
arenas.
Readers who
look for
gripping action both in the field and at home, fueled by high-tech
snafus and
challenges, will find Still Not Dead
a powerful story. It operates well on both intrigue and psychological
levels,
creating a thriller that is unpredictable and hard to put down.
Return to Index
Styled
for Murder
Nancy
J. Cohen
Orange Grove Press
978-1-952886-22-5
$14.99 Print/$4.99 ebook
Website: https://nancyjcohen.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Styled-Murder-Nancy-Cohen/dp/1952886228
It's
not every day that a hair stylist is called upon to solve a murder,
much less
one stemming from a frantic call by a mother who finds a body in her
shower. In
Styled for Murder, Marla Vail once
again finds her talents for styling and sleuthing come into play in
just such a
scenario.
A
project manager foreman who was widely disliked in town is the victim,
but the
problem goes beyond too many perp possibilities as Marla uncovers clues
separate from police investigations which are moving towards fingering
her
stepfather as the prime suspect.
As
family and town secrets move to the foreground, Marla discovers
increasing
conflicts between family, business obligations, and her problem: "How could she keep up with everything?
Add one more item, and her life would topple over. She could barely
manage as
it was to get all her tasks done."
A
host of possibilities emerges, and Marla discovers that her penchant
for
sleuthing and uncovering trouble is also a focus on connecting the dots
in
unusual ways: "Unable to stay idle,
Marla put away a few developers that other stylists had taken down from
the
shelves and not replaced."
Once
again, Nancy J. Cohen brings to life not just a murder investigation,
but the
community at large's intersection with the hair stylist environment: "Marla sectioned off pieces of her hair
with large clips. “All dads are afraid to lose their little girls,” she
said
with a sympathetic smile. “My stepdaughter, Brianna, is a senior in
high
school. She’s been accepted at Boston University. My husband is still
coming to
terms with her leaving. Tell me, is there anyone else in your family?”
It's
a pleasure to see a sleuthing story evolve where the protagonist is
just as
vested in her business, family, and community interactions as she is in
her
investigation, which embraces all three concerns.
Cohen's
ability to bring these disparate facets to life in a story that moves
between
personal concerns and social and community change, weaving the "perfect
murder" scenario into these interplays, makes Styled
for Murder an intriguing read that returns the Bad Hair Days
amateur sleuth to prior fans while making her accessible to new readers.
The
mix of family, social, and mystery concerns are nicely balanced. This
makes for
a cozy mystery powered by Marla's special blend of savvy and
perceptions as a
home remodel project goes seriously awry, posing dangers to Marla and
possible
perps alike: "If
she wasn’t guilty, was she in danger?"
Return to Index
Sunshine
Chief
Eric Peterson
Huckleberry
House
978-1-7369834-0-9
$16.95
www.ericpetersonauthor.com
Sunshine
Chief
is the sequel to Eric Peterson's second
novel The Dining Car. It tells of food writer and
traveler Horace
Button, whose trip to Tucson involves him in investigating a crime
others are
not certain has actually been committed.
Sound
intriguing?
The mystery menu is spiced by witty observations and relationships,
whether of
family or associates who become caught up in various dilemmas around
him.
The
story is
narrated from the perspective of Horace's friend Jack, who has known
Horace for
a year and a half.
From
Horace's
penchant for purchasing train cars and traveling by rail to a wayward
niece who
joins them for the journey, and the unexpected murder of Chef
Jean-Claude, the
story picks up action and intrigue along the trip that keeps it
fast-paced and
unexpected.
Who
might have
wanted the chef dead? How can the precocious Jane and Florabelle help
solve a
crime?
As
Jack
battles with his wife as well as the girls and Horace, he evolves
revised
perceptions of a number of relationships and their changing
attractions: "At that moment I saw her at her
worst:
this self-righteous, uneducated, insular chef, this headstrong woman
with a
past that didn’t seem to exist."
This
illustrates one device Eric Peterson employs to keep readers engaged
and interested:
the ability to turn anticipated reactions, relationships, and
experiences
upside down for a different perspective.
As
Horace's
position as Tucson's honorary chief of police causes conflicts in his
business
and with Jack, the intrigue and interpersonal relationships heat up and
change
over an arrest warrant scheme gone awry.
While
mystery
readers will delight in the evolution of conundrums which keep Jack,
Horace,
and the characters on their toes with wild goose chases, fiction
readers who
enjoy train escapades, Tucson community insights, and stories of
strange
justice and redemption will find the story absorbing and unique.
Sunshine
Chief
's ability to appeal beyond the mystery
crowd to audiences who relish memorable characters of all ages, and who
love
escapades and adventures, makes it a top recommendation for fiction
collections
looking for something different.
Return to Index
The
Unseen and
the Unwilling
Kathleen Rapp
Padua
Publications
978-1-7358603-3-6
$9.98-ebook/$16.78-paperback
https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Unwilling-Third-Millennium-Neros-ebook/dp/B09FGZKKFB
The Unseen and the
Unwilling opens with the specter
of Congressman
Edward Trey Custren's quasi-leadership role as the Speaker of the
House,
tracing the corrupt forces that dog his footsteps as threats to
democracy come
in the form of political maneuvering and subterfuge.
As
murder,
intrigue, and manipulation enter the picture of this political
thriller,
Kathleen Rapp excels in creating a blend of moral and ethical
conundrums and
political undercurrents of change that keep readers on their toes and
guessing.
Reporter
Finn
Reese stumbles on a well-kept secret about a cabal operating
not in international
arenas, but in the very corridors of the nation's capital. It's up to
him to
convince others that this threat, however well-hidden and
well-connected,
exists. This places Finn in a personal position of adversity and danger
as he
enters a swirl of conflict that threatens to quash his reporting career
and his
life.
Finn
acknowledges the complexity of these investigations: “Missing
papers, hint
of murder involvement, and a threat. Those papers could reveal the big
and bad
your gut warned you about.” “Maybe, maybe not. Remember: head, not
heart.
‘Suspect’ is the operative word. My source could be
playing me, for all
I know.”
As
his choices
bring him deeper into a wider ranging threat than even he could have
envisioned, readers are treated to a tale of borrowed time and events
which
lead Finn to question the very foundations of democratic processes: “Checks
and balances only work if you use them. You tell me: who is doing the
checks to
balance things?” asked Finn."
Most
of all, The
Unseen and the Unwilling excels at chronicling the erosion
process in
specific, eye-opening ways that hold special meaning for modern times
and those
who would examine the foundations of democracy (and any threats to it)
more
closely: "You aren’t supposed to see it. This takeover has
the outward
appearance of a natural evolution, but it’s the farthest thing from
being
natural. It’s a manufactured debasement."
This
lends a
contemporary relevance to the tale as political strife rocks the
nation, and
makes it even more essential reading for modern audiences who will be
both
entertained and forewarned by its scenarios.
Collections
which specialize in political fiction and thrillers will find The
Unseen and
the Unwilling's thought-provoking navigation of a myriad of
social, political,
and legal challenges to be thoroughly involving (if not somewhat
unnerving) for
its poignant inspection of circumstances which hold important messages
for
modern times.
Return to Index
Unwitting
Deven Greene
Black Rose Writing
978-1684337934
$19.95
Website: https://www.devengreene.com/
Ordering Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Unwitting-Erica-Rosen-MD-Trilogy/dp/1684337933
Unwitting is the second book in the Erica
Rosen MD trilogy, and
opens with the physician facing the aftermath of a suicide bomber who
detonates
in a large stadium crowd in San Francisco.
How and why
does a
doctor become involved in an investigation like this? Because a teacher
of
autistic men, afraid of contacting authorities, chooses Erica as a
confessional
alternative because of her well-known background working with special
needs
children.
Dr. Rosen
also has a
personal stake in the investigation because her clinic and her condo
are
located quite near to the explosion at the Willie Mays Gate at Oracle
Park,
affecting her home and business alike. It turns out that an autistic
man does
hold the key to identifying the perp...if she can use her skills to get
him to
talk.
Newcomers to
Dr.
Rosen's life need not worry that familiarity with prior events may be a
prerequisite to enjoying Unwitting.
Deven Greene inserts a recap of the Chinese affair into the story to
provide a
seamless background on Dr. Rosen's China adventure which led her to
meet her
future husband Lim, setting the stage neatly for the perspectives and
reactions
in this story.
This is
important
because some characters from past events re-emerge in the present-day
dilemma.
Charged with
not only
preventing future bombings but protecting the autistic man who holds
the only
clues to future safety, Dr. Rosen faces numerous conundrums, both
ethical and
personal, as she employs her skills to prevent more tragedies.
Greene's
ability to
bring the characters, the San Francisco setting, and murder challenges
and
investigations to life enhances a realistic story that proves hard to
put down.
It can be
challenging
to weave past and present situations in such a way that newcomers don't
feel
left behind, but Greene achieves this in a manner that won't put off
prior
fans, engrossing all her readers in a story that rests as much upon
psychological revelations as it does upon logical investigations and
past
experience.
Surprising
outcomes,
twists of plot, and the interplays between Rosen and her husband Lim
and the
autistic Zaron, who becomes part of their lives create perfect tension.
It
evolves nicely in the course of a medical thriller that should attract
Robin
Cook fans with its special form of medical conundrums paired with
psychological
inspection and investigative revelations.
Readers
interested in
a well-balanced murder mystery and explorations of scientific process
will find
Unwitting just the ticket for a tale
steeped in an autistic client's abilities and disabilities.
Return to Index
The Woods of Hitchcock
Ann W. Jarvie
JazzComm Publishing
9780578932002
$29.00 Hardcover; $16.99 Paper; $4.99 Kindle
www.annwjarvie.com
Thriller readers with a
special affinity for horses,
psychic investigations, and murder will find The
Woods of Hitchcock a captivating, engrossing story. It's set
in
South Carolina, where a southern girl working in Chicago returns to her
beloved
home, only to find that angst and danger have followed her from the
city
streets into her rural haven.
Suzanne Clayborn's reading
of her grandmother's
manuscript uncovers eerie facts about her family's heritage and hidden
involvements in supernatural affairs. This dovetails nicely with her
own
psychic abilities, fostering new understandings that explain much about
not
only her past, but abilities she never wanted or completely accepted in
the
first place.
The first thing to note
about Suzanne's story is that it
reaches beyond her psyche to embrace and explore the lives of many
different
peoples around her, who support and reflect her world in unusual ways: "Pivoting, he rode ahead of her,
creating a tunnel of light that would lead them home, like he’d done so
many
times before. Suzanne smiled, feeling the love of a drunk who sometimes
came
through for her, usually when she least expected it."
With grandmother Henrietta's
words and wisdom as her
guide, Suzanne begins to hone and fine-tune the powers that not only
will
change her life, but reinforce her return home, her sanctuary, and her
newfound
connections to her community. The spiritual inspections are
particularly
interesting as these processes of self-discovery are revealed: “I’ve worked hard to make this estate a
sacred sanctuary of light, love, and peace.” Suzanne turned back to her
grandmother. “How have you done that?” “By following the advice of
Buddha and
Jesus.” “Oh? I was expecting you to say Bears Repeating,” Suzanne said
with a
laugh. “Where do you think he got it from?” Henrietta giggled. “Ha!”
“Buddha
taught us how to claim our power, space, and our God-given right to be
selfsovereign,” Henrietta said. “And Jesus taught us how to go within
to
connect with God and forgive others seventy times seven. In doing so,
we’re
able to establish healthy boundaries for our personal sanctuaries.”
It's unusual to find such
spiritual reflections in the
guise of a thriller that weaves paranormal and psychological tension
into its
murder mystery, but Ann W. Jarvie achieves this with a fine attention
to detail
and depth on many different levels.
This means that readers
anticipating a murder mystery or
thriller alone receive the added value of a spiritual and psychological
inspection in the story of a young woman just beginning to fall into
her heart's
desire in a new life and world: "What an incredible solution! It was a
beautiful blending of her old creative life and what felt like her new
life’s
mission unfolding. Or as Gran would’ve said: What
a beautiful synchronicity! Suddenly, she saw the big
picture of it. And it felt glorious."
Readers seeking a
multifaceted story that moves beyond
the 'thriller' label and into arenas packed with psychological
inspection and
growth will find The Woods of Hitchcock
excels in an evolving sense of place and purpose that places it a cut
above
most thriller adventures: "Because
of the nightmares in my life, I was finally able to know who I am,
accept my
God-given psychic and creative abilities with gratitude, and start
using them
correctly, which, in effect, has solved my own life’s riddle,” she
said."
Suzanne's evolutionary
growth makes for a thoroughly
engrossing story that's hard to put down.
The
Woods of Hitchcock
A Better Heart The
last thing
indie filmmaker Kevin Stacey expected was to become involved in animal
rights
issues. But, in A Better Heart, that's exactly what
happens when his
estranged father shows up on his doorstep sporting a gun and a monkey
that has
been liberated from a laboratory. The
second-to-last thing Kevin wanted was a relationship with his father.
Or a
monkey. But as he becomes more involved in the complex dilemmas of
both, Kevin
begins to grow on unexpected levels that hold ramifications not just
for their
father/son relationship, but his ability to change his life. A
road trip both
brings them together and reinforces their differences. Chuck Augello
presents
these with a wry dose of humor that excels in tongue-and-cheek
observations
beyond the normal family road trip experience: "In three
hours we’ve
gone exactly forty-five miles, the only “America” on view being the
rusted back
fender of the Ford Taurus in front of us and the yellow Roadwork signs
spaced
every hundred yards as a reminder of why exactly we’re in gridlock
Hell. In the
backseat Henry plays with a tangerine, content to rub his fingers over
the
smooth rind. He’s strapped into a car seat, dressed in blue overalls,
and any
onlookers would assume he’s my son, his grandfather in the passenger
seat,
three generations on the drive back to grandmother’s house for dinner." Ironic
satire
and comic relief permeate this uncertain journey to add levity into a
rollicking adventure that revolves around protecting Henry and
redeeming family
relationships. During the process, rifts are addressed and repaired in
many
different ways. Film
references
throughout keep the cultural backdrop and components alive while adding
atmosphere and insights to the evolving story: “Maybe I’m
wrong, but if
we’re going to help Henry, we need a leap of faith.” My father nods.
“Like
Butch and Sundance, right? The leap off the mountain top?” I know the
scene—a
great one—in which Dad’s so-called buddy Redford confesses that he
can’t swim,
but he and Butch leap into the river anyway. And survive, inexplicably.
Should
I tell Dad that, like Sundance, I can’t swim either, having grown up
without a
father to teach me?" Between
the
intrigue, the moral and ethical conundrums, a more personal experience
of
animal rights issues, and a father/son road trip that brings with it
new
opportunities, Augello creates a solid psychological and social
examination.
The tale embraces movie rights, individual rights, and choices and
their
consequences. These diverse subplots and themes will resonate with
different
readers. Think
Kerouac's On
the Road, but with contemporary social and relationship
inspections. Add in
film industry insider experiences; a son's desire for fame and
connections;
intrigue and escapes; and philosophical life inspections. The result is
a fun,
literary story that offers many sweeping lessons about the road to a
better
heart that will linger in the reader's mind long after the story ends. “I thought all I
was doing back then was making an
easy buck,” he says, “and it wound up changing our lives. I’ve met so
many
legends…Mr. Hitchcock, Peter Fonda, Bob Redford…” “Dad…” “Who would
have
thought the most memorable would turn out to be a monkey?” Covid
Seasons Covid Seasons may sound like nonfiction, but it's a novel that
embraces the special
seasons of challenge to heart and mind that began in 2020. It contrasts
the
lives of three very different couples which are in upheaval overnight,
providing an absorbing, familiar scenario of survival. Rick
Goeld
chooses three disparate scenarios to contrast, from an attractive
blonde
professional policewoman married to a staid lawyer to an evangelical
Trumper
whose husband is set for revenge and a Latina woman whose husband has
his eye
on another. Events
open in
late January with a mysterious illness and move through a "winter of
blissful ignorance" when Covid-19 was still off the radar of most
Americans. Goeld's
focus on
building the lives and characters of each couple, then injecting the
backdrop
of Covid and its influences on each, creates a thought-provoking set of
scenarios which operate on social, political, and psychological levels
alike. It's
no small
feat to juxtapose such different lives against the evolving challenges
and
nature of Covid, but this is exactly what happened in the real
world...and why
the shifting nature of reality becomes such an essential ingredient in
this
novel. As
each couple
and the individuals within it experience sea changes to their belief
systems,
brought about by Covid, readers gain a fine set of insights into the
disease's
more insidious impacts beyond physical survival alone. While
current
generations will more than recognize the mirrors being held up in this
story,
it's really future generations that stand to gain the most from Goeld's
careful
capture of the more elusive challenges of the pandemic. The
influence of
health on belief systems, relationships, perceptions of social and
political
forces, and its reflection both in society and in these couples comes
to life.
The plot winds through the choices and consequences each individual
makes in
the face of not just a life-threatening, but a life-changing disease. Nothing
is left
out of this bigger picture, whether it be news about China, illegal
immigrants,
or federal and state conflicts over decision-making processes and
regulations. The
result will
be more than familiar to anyone living in these times, but will prove
an astute
revelation that captures the real disturbing tides of overnight change
for
those who will read the story a few years from now. For
modern
audiences already well familiar with Covid's events, Covid
Seasons
offers the opportunity to reconsider the foundations of truth, lies,
and the
kinds of distancing that take place not just for health reasons, but
emotional
self-protection. The
novel's
careful blend of medical and political conundrums and its stories of
loss,
imploding relationships, and change will keep its audience reading,
wondering,
and involved as each character grasps revised truths and survival
tactics
alike. Crosshairs of the Devil In
his heyday, author Eddie Jablonski was a noted crime fiction writer;
but in Crosshairs of the Devil, he is now an old
man regulated (against
his will) to the inaptly-named Garden of Eden retirement community by a
daughter who cares only for his money. Unshaken
from his mission to write, Eddie continues to capture his
world, including its ironies. Yancey Williams presents these with a wry
sense
of humor from the start: "Location: Room 315. The Garden of
Eden,
Retirement Village & Nursing Facility. Senior Living and Memory
Care at its
Finest. Edek Jablonski, or Eddie, the resident, sits comfortably with
Jenkins,
his attendant-orderly. Jenkins has been Employee of the Month four
straight
months in a row. Jenkins doesn’t play favorites ... against company
policy. But
Eddie is his favorite." One
would think that the nd of the line at a retirement home would
stymie all creative forces, much less the efforts of a murder mystery
writer.
Think again. The elements of intrigue can be present everywhere, and as
Eddie
captures his milieu and pursues his craft, he comes to involve the real
world
in mobsters, crime, and his own dabbles in the past. What
is truth and what is fiction in his life is left for the reader to
discern as Eddie embarks on a flamboyant romp through the underworld
and
reality, bringing readers into a milieu where reality and fiction
blurs: "...as
usual, I knew I’d rummage around inside the vacant space of this brain
of mine
and I’d come up with something … right, wrong, or indifferent, maybe
something
just straight down the middle low and away, a sinker, a curveball, a
spitter or
a splitter, something that I couldn’t hit, a fast ball say, but
something.
Anything was better than where I was and what I was doing here in the
here and
now." As
Eddie goes on the lam and encounters some ghosts from the past and
threats in the present, mystery and missions move him right along.
These take his
readers on a vivid journey through mobsters and crime relationships
powered by
meetings of unusual minds, possible romance, and the unlikely
adventures of an
old man who is determined not to be forgotten. Readers
will appreciate the way Yancey
Williams involves his character Eddie in a myriad of challenges,
both from within himself and in the crime world, as well as the aging
process. This
multifaceted
story is not quite crime fiction, but more than the usual novel about
an aging
man. Crosshairs
of the Devil
will delight
readers who like
memorable personalities who simply refuse to quietly die. The
Downsizing of
Hudson Foster The Downsizing of Hudson Foster opens
with the protagonist and
narrator being downsized from his job, but moves into growth processes
as
Hudson confesses that "I guess
that’s what my story’s all about, really. Searching for a job and
finding
something much more." His efforts
to offer
"advice for the new millennium" results in a wild ride as he gains
employment from his demanding, perfectionist father, tackles corporate
greed,
and reconsiders his resilience, abilities, and his place in the world. Readers meet
his best
friend from college, Bill Gardner, who also has thumbed his nose at the
corporate cushy life to become a success in a way his
achievement-oriented
family can't understand: "His parents told him that his inheritance
would be null and void if he pursued a life of manual labor. But
Gardner turned
his back on the pressures of conformity and blazed his own path into
the world
of furniture making. He had always been good with his hands. Now, ten
years
later, he was recognized as one of the most successful furniture makers
in
L.A." Insights
stem from a
blend of Hudson's approaches to employment and the attitudes of
employers
offering jobs, mixing wry humor with social and business inspections: "Old
politics used to favor marrieds. The reasoning was they’d work harder
if they had a family to feed. Not anymore. Families are anchors now.
They want
too much money and way too much time off. If a business is to survive
in the
new global economy, then it’s got to be lean and mean. It’s a fact of
life, Mr.
Foster. Profit margins are shrinking, and the population is growing.
That means
more competition. Which means longer hours for less pay. But for a
young guy
like you, it means opportunity.” His tough-guy look grew harder. “Are
you
prepared to work nights and weekends when we need it?” “Absolutely,” I
said.
“Whatever it takes.” “Good. You a whiner?” “Excuse me?” “A lawsuit
hound. One
of those employees who’s ready to sue at the drop of a hat.” “I’m old
school,”
I said. “I don’t believe in suing. You won’t have a problem with me.”
“I didn’t
think so,” he said. “But I had to ask it. Just in case you planned on hopping aboard the sexual harassment
bandwagon.” “I’m far away from that bandwagon, sir.” The result
is an
engrossing journey that readers will want to take with Hudson, offering
insights on work, interpersonal relationships, and social development
which go
beyond the business world to probe life values and the definition of
opportunity. Novel
readers who
enjoyed Catcher in the Rye and
other
stories of growth and transformation will find The
Downsizing of Hudson Foster an intriguing series of lessons
about tradition, employment, and "trying to put a positive spin on all
of
the idiotic things" life throws at young people. The
Fortune Cookie Writer The Fortune Cookie Writer
is a novel about love, loss,
and a family recovering from the fallout of divorce. It opens with an
herbal description
that is unusually compelling: "My
mailbox reeks of oregano. Three parts oregano to one part rosemary and
basil,
to be exact. I realize this as I unlock the narrow metal door, and
suddenly
Mom’s ulterior motive in offering to get my mail on Friday is clear.
For a
split second, her protective herbal blend, bound in a makeshift
cheesecloth
sachet and secured with a garbage bag tie, teeters on the ledge. But
then, it
succumbs to the weight of the mail resting on top of it and bursts. The
contents of my mailbox tumble down in an avalanche of herbs, letters,
and
catalogs." From
the start, Nina Navisky couches events with an overlay of light humor
that
delights: "'Basil, rosemary, yarrow,
juniper, and anise. That must smell lovely.' 'I’m sure it does. You
know what
else smells great? Febreze. But that doesn’t mean it’s a ‘spiritual
protectant
against harmful forces.’ ” Marissa
is working three jobs and is heavily in debt after her unexpected
divorce. With
Owen to look after, added to her own family's support, Marissa retains
purpose
and emotional ties while still feeling overwhelmed by life. New
age spirituality, explorations into chakras and the hidden virtues of
the dead,
and intrigue entwine as Marissa uncovers the truth about neighbor (and
a man
she barely knew) Bernie Klein's combination-lock case, safety rules
that lead
to death, and a mother's postal antics gone awry. These events permeate
a story
rich in herbal and ritual references, recovery processes on many sides,
and
ghosts of the past. As
old photos and the mysterious case present Marissa with a mystery she
must
solve, she also works through her own obstacles to healing, success,
and moving
on. Nina
Navisky writes with a warm hand that leads readers into
thought-provoking
moments. These juxtapose nicely with the balanced mystery,
interpersonal
relationships, and evolution of Marissa's world, even adding a touch of
philosophy into the mix: "That’s the
meaning of ‘life cycle.’ It goes round and round in a circle, because
even when
there’s an ending for one living thing, it’s the beginning for another.” The
theme of endings and new beginnings runs through The
Fortune Cookie Writer. Marissa's probe of Jewish and new age
traditions and their relevance to her circumstances keeps the story
fast-paced
and revealing. Readers are thus treated to a warm story of evolution
that
traverses life's changes. It is especially strong at depicting
relationships
between children and adults and the kinds of life explanations designed
to
solve puzzles that can't be explained: "'But
in the worksheets the life cycle is a circle.
And circles go round and round and don’t end. But I don’t get that,
because
when you die, doesn’t everything stop?' 'That’s a hard one to answer.
The truth
is that no one knows what happens. That’s another reason grown-ups
don’t like
to talk about it. We want to be able to give kids all of the answers.'" With
its delicate probe into circles of life, restarts, and processes of
discovery, The Fortune Cookie Writer
will delight
women who look for psychologically astute stories firmly based in life
changes
and methods of coping. The
novel's multifaceted approach offers a warmth and evocative
presentation that
women will find understandable and involving. How
to Bury Your
Dog Fiction
readers
who enjoy growth stories will find How to
Bury Your Dog offers a satisfying blend of small-town
experience and
environmental concerns. It follows the
experiences of animal rescuer Lizzy, who faces the sad prospect of
putting down
her long-term charge, basset hound Happy. Lizzy faces
many
changes, both to her environment as developers move in to threaten it,
and to
her familiar world as friendships and life change. She lives
alone,
close to nature, and is a blood tech in a hospital. Her staid life also
is
subject to comments from friends who are concerned about her
trajectory: “Lizzy, you sure have forgotten
something—you’re alive. I don’t want to sound trite or insensitive, but
you
need a new life plan.” What that
life plan
will be when she is already busy burying many things around her evolves
into a
story of transformation. Readers will
be
especially pleased at the time taken to depict long-term relationships
of all
kinds, and how Lizzy grows away from her habits and comfort zone to
contemplate
new relationships and life purposes. The small
town
setting, environmental concerns, and intersections between the lure of
developer
interests and a rural area's bounty makes for an intriguing story
presented on
different levels, from the personal to the political. The burial
of Happy
lends another puzzle piece into an evolving war in a story replete in
thought-provoking moments that embrace visions, revised outcomes, and a
newfound appreciation for the environment. Readers
seeking a
story about connections between individuals, communities, and the
forces of
special interest that challenge them will find How to Bury Your Dog an outstanding story of transformation. It
weaves through different themes to arrive at an unexpected resolution
that
brings closure to a seemingly insurmountable problem. The
King of
Thieves Historical
fiction fans will find The King of Thieves: Tailor, Smuggler,
Spy is
based on the true story of Christian Andreas Kasebier. It opens in
Prague in
1757, where the first-person narrator gazes down upon a city his
beloved King
Frederick has just conquered. Christian
Andreas Kasebier was once a king himself, famous throughout Prussia by
his
nickname "The King of Thieves." Robbing from the rich to become
wealthy while giving to the poor, Kasebier's notoriety earned him a
reputation
for cunning that reached even the king's ears and helped stay his
execution
when he was finally caught. Freed
from years
of prison to employ his craft in the service of King Frederick,
Kasebier is
determined to fulfill his duties to the king and regain a normal
semblance of
life. Is freedom too much to ask for? As
readers learn
how Christian becomes the notorious King of Thieves, one of the most
infamous
criminals in Prussian history, they absorb the sights, sounds, and
politics and
social order of the times through Christian's eyes and experiences. Kevin
Casebier is
particularly adept at capturing these times and their influences. His
descriptions of prison experiences, political choices, and friendships
that
both endanger and support those involved in subterfuge and action add
to a
riveting story that requires no prior familiarity with Prussian history
or the
King of Thieves in order to be accessible: "Weeks became
months, and
while the situation with Olbrecht
did not improve, I at least became used to
Stettin. There was so much to despise: the cold, the smell, the food,
the lack
of space. And yet, I did admire how the other ‘lifers’ made the best of
such an
awful situation; and their ways helped Curt Richter and I to cope." From
soldiers to
watchmen and outright criminal behaviors, Casebier captures the
interests and
events that change lives as Christian navigates his world with constant
threats
to achieving his desire of a "simple, settled life." The
politics and
battles of the time come to life in a series of escapades that place
Christian
at the pivot point of many social changes. Readers will enjoy a vivid
story
which captures a sense of the times and the family and struggles which
lead
Christian to understand that the Austrians are simply protecting their
land
from invasion. 1700s
Bohemia
comes to life in a manner that keeps readers both engaged and educated
by a
story that follows one notable man's choices and struggles. Historical
fiction
collections should consider The King of Thieves: Tailor,
Smuggler, Spy a
notable acquisition for its vivid re-creation of the times. Marcela's
Army Book
2 of the Comfrey, Wyoming series, Marcela's
Army, continues the story of the
Crow twins and opens with a house afire in 1983 Comfrey, in which a
family
perishes. There
is one survivor. Vera's vantage
point from a tall tree gave her a birds-eye view of the fire's terrible
impact. As
this story of adoption, recovery, and
the lives of survivor Vera, Heidi Crow, and her twins Marcela and
Amadeus
evolves, the impact of events, coincidences, changed circumstances and
growth
lead families to join in unusual ways to survive and change. Betrayal,
redemption, and broken families
who find in each other newfound purpose and connection are probed in an
engrossing story that opens with tragedy, then progresses through the
lives and
influences of a small Wyoming community. As
the tale moves from Vera to Marcela,
Heidi, and Amadeus, Vera's growth as a potter and her artistic success
blend
into Marcela's special challenges to unite very different paths. Marcela,
too, is gifted with clay; but she
also struggles with an unusual charge to grow into her true self. It
will take
family and a village to support her during these endeavors. Daphne
Birkmyer presents a multifaceted
story of several young people faced with life-changing events and
decisions
that challenge their abilities, interests, and roles in their community. Her
warm juxtaposition of families
transformed by these events and her story of how responses become more
educated
and transformations come to be accepted makes for thought-provoking
reading
that many will find unexpected. Marcela's
Army
is not your traditional tale of small town
life and concerns. It's a gripping story of tragedies that resonate
through
personal worlds to change all the people involved. A
family who lives in fear of their
deepest secret being found and exposed finds new ways to trust and love
in a
gripping saga that will leave readers thinking about contemporary
family issues
and growth in an entirely unexpected new way. Collections
strong in stories of survival
and family ties will find Marcela's Army
an outstanding addition that stands out from many as guardian Heidi
oversees
the Crow twins' evolution. Nelson’s Folly Set against the backdrop of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1792, Nelson's
Folly is a story of a couple separated by war. They
conduct
themselves in different milieus under vastly changed conditions both at
home
and abroad. When Horatio finally returns to Fanny, albeit a
much-changed war hero after years in the Royal Navy, the true questions
of
duty, love, and the individual life pursuits of each come to the
foreground. The role Horatio Nelson envisions for his wife
and
family as he is away doing his duty is one that challenges Fanny on
many
levels: "'You, Fanny, have a
role to play for me and for
Josiah. I want you to be my representative in England. You will move up
in
society as I am promoted. I will have money then. You will buy good
dresses and
fine hats. And visit London and Bath and great country houses. We shall
write
to each other about everything.’" While on the surface, given the times, Fanny is
not
being asked to do anything extraordinary; given the nature of her own
heart and
the rebellion social change brings to it, she in fact finds herself
navigating
murky, dangerous waters indeed; both in her marriage and in her social
milieu. Horatio's interactions with his wife over the
years
give him a glimpse of these changes, giving readers thought-provoking
insights
into the times, Fanny's transformation, and the impact of war,
distance, and
social change on the family. Their acknowledgement of these changes is
astutely
captured: "Her knowledge of
current events startled him.
She saw too that his sense of destiny or ambition made the possibility
of an
early retirement, if he were to be reinstated, unlikely." Nelson's Folly is a compelling, vividly portrayed tale that is
well grounded in a
sense of the changing times, yet also nicely rooted in memorable
characters who
each are understandable as they make choices for both themselves and
each other
against the political and cultural currents of their times: "She
knew
Horatio would want the same as St Vincent and Duncan, at least. His
resentment
would know no bounds if there were a lack of recognition or an
implication that
his family were of insufficient quality." Perhaps
one
reason why this story proves so evocative and realistic is that Oliver
Greeves is a direct descendant of
the real Frances (Fanny), Viscountess Nelson and her son, Josiah
Nisbet. Years
of research on her life and times contribute to the authentic feel of Nelson's Folly as it examines the
concurrent impacts of duty and love. Both
Fanny and
Horatio are memorable, likeable characters. Their dilemmas are well
presented,
both individually and as a couple, making Nelson's Folly
an astute
consideration of duty, commitment, love, family, and social aspirations
alike. Historical
novel
and political history readers, as well as general-interest readers who
enjoy
stories of British society in 18th century England, will find it an
accessible,
thoroughly involving saga rich in psychological, political, and social
inspection. Searching
for Eden Searching for Eden is
a novel that chronicles Evan
Jordan’s search for answers and a mythical place after his teenage
daughter
dies of cancer. Evan
is not only crushed. He's angry: “Becoming
a father should be labeled like a cigarette pack!” That’s what Evan
Jordan
blurted to the first person he saw as he stormed out of the hospital,
fists
clenched. “I’m serious!” he said to an old man who was being wheeled
in, hooked
up to oxygen. “‘WARNING: Care too much for a child and it will kill
you!’ They
should put it right on the birth certificate. Or how about, ‘WARNING:
There are
10,000 things that can kill your child and you can’t do a damn thing
about half
of them!’ How about that one?” His
pain and anger drive him to questionable choices and the search for a
mythical
garden of perfection, and he embarks on a journey that leads him to
encounter
all manner of spiritual belief systems and people as he travels through
the
Middle East. Many
of these characters are given a depth and psychological examination
that moves
beyond a focus on one man's mission alone. This is one of the strengths
of Searching for Eden's diverse
perspectives: "Feeling rejected by
BehnAm, Afsaneh had indeed gone searching for Carmen, but couldn’t find
her
anywhere. She returned to her tent, where her aloneness at least seemed
appropriate. She lay down and tried to nap, but her spirit was still in
turmoil. As a woman in Iran, she had often felt unimportant, as if she
didn’t
belong, but she believed this place would be different. She tossed
around on
her cot for a while, and then got up and paced." From
traversing war zones to ancient archaeological digs and mysterious
findings,
Jordan's search for answers and resolution leads to an adventure that
operates
on many different levels, embracing action, spirituality, life's
meaning and
purpose, and military and political threats alike. Keith
Madsen excels in beginning with the microcosm of individual experience
and
blossoming events and encounters to the macrocosm of social unrest and
political issues. He injects social and spiritual inspections into the
story
that keep readers involved and guessing about outcomes. The
myriad of complex subplots that evolve are easy to understand and
thought-provoking
in their religious inspections. Jordon's journey assumes a fuller
flavor as it
evolves: “If you are looking for a place
where 14-year old girls will never die, then you won’t find such a
place in
Iran, or anywhere on the planet. But if you are looking for a place
where you
can come to some understanding about your own fear and hurt, a place
where you
can discover where humanity took a wrong turn, and ended up distrusting
and
fearful, then perhaps this is the place you should be." Searching for Eden is
highly recommended reading
for anyone interested in stories about grief, recovery, spiritual
inspection,
and journeys that embrace world events and special interests, unfolding
to
reveal treasures of action and perspective alike. Sleigh Bells
on Bread
Loaf Mountain In Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain, New
York fashion editor Roxanne Hudson finds herself more involved with
family
obligations than she would like when she reluctantly returns home to
celebrate
the holidays with her family at their Vermont cabin. A blizzard
redirects
her attention and life when she is rescued by a park ranger, Mark, who
represents
a contrary picture of everything staid and set about her life's
trajectory. Roxanne has
just
ended her on-again, off-again relationship with model boyfriend Hunter
currently away at an overseas photoshoot. She has a high-powered career
and
goals that place her in New York on the path to success. The last thing
she
expected (or needed) was a romantic obstacle and interlude. Perhaps
predictably,
both occur during the holiday season in a Hallmark-style story of the
unexpected. Less predictable is Roxanne's unexpected connections with
her
grandmother, who provides her with an alternate vision of what could
prove to be
a life-changing series of events. Lindy Miller
does an
excellent job of providing a cozy, warm holiday romance that follows a
sea change
in attitude and perspective. It moves from past to present and then
future
expectations while drawing readers through Roxanne's changing world and
its
contrasts: "Trust me, I didn’t move
to New York and get a job at the hottest fashion magazine in the
industry only
to go running back to play dress-up in the mountains.” She felt a pang
of
guilt. Once upon a time, she’d loved spending the holidays at her
family’s
cabin, but that had been a very long time ago, and life was different
now than
it was then. “But it’s Christmas, and my family wants me to come home.” As
Roxanne
becomes a better version of herself through revised experiences and
perceptions, readers follow her through the influences and encounters
that lead
to new revelations about her set course in life. Hers
is no
simple journey. Her reaction to some of these changes is to draw back
and feel
hemmed in and claustrophobic. Lindy
Miller's close
attention to following these emotional transformations and their
wellsprings
provides a realistic, understandable story that draws readers with
unexpected
twists and unanticipated connections. The result
is a
delightful holiday read highly recommended for romance readers seeking
a blend
of life-changing encounters and love to be found only when personal
values
change. Stella
Peabody's
Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore: A Novel-in-Stories The
problem in
too many novels is that they represent weighty reading for busy readers
or
those with short attention spans. That's one reason why Stella
Peabody's
Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore: A Novel-in-Stories will
prove
appealing to a broader audience than most. It cultivates a delicious
blend of
stories and recipes which lend to succinct bites of tasty reading. The
Wild
Librarian Bakery & Bookstore is an imaginary place populated by
fictional
characters and real recipes, in this book. The recipes have all been
tested and
range from "Magical Day Muffins" to "Scandalous Strawberry
Cupcakes" and "Poet's Beer Bread." Part
of the
magic of the story lies in the culinary descriptions peppered
throughout, but
the main attraction reposes in characters that sparkle in their daily
lives and
observations about growth and change: "Mary slept in the next
morning
with her cat Dr. Freud curled up against the small of her back. She
made coffee
and went out to sit under her avocado tree. Instead of reading the
newspaper or
a few pages from a book as she usually did, she sat with her bare feet
in the
grass, picking yellow paint off a corner of the chair, and looking
toward the
house. Dr. Freud was sitting at the French doors watching her. She
looked at
the Mexican tiles in the garden path until she found her favorite one
of the
crescent moon. She got up and knelt down on the ground, placing her
hand flat
on it. The tile was already warming up from the morning sun. Mary
looked at her
hand. It seemed weathered, old. “Had it looked like this for awhile?”
she
wondered. “What else about my body has changed?” A
sense of
whimsy blends nicely with the ingredients of solid characterization and
good
reads much in the manner of a cozy mystery, but without the intrigue
portion
the only power in the tale. "Cozy" is brought to life in the
descriptions, evolutionary processes, and book-and-food-based world of
characters that revolve around books and/or food in different ways. From
new recipes
"inspired by adventure" to travels that result in new shared stories
to spark imagination and change, a bookstore's commitment to community,
baking,
and love translates to vignettes about individuals who are changed not
just by
the store's presence, but by its varied offerings. Book
and food
enthusiasts alike will find much to relish in Stella
Peabody's Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore:
A Novel-in-Stories. As its
characters and world evolves, so does a sense of joie de vivre
that
inspires art in various forms, pays tribute to women's lives, and
centers on
the powers of imagination, questions, and cultivating creative fun in
peoples'
lives. Stella Peabody's
Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore's
delight resides in its delicious sense of
community and depiction of women's connections. It will reach its
appealing
aroma into the minds and hearts of readers that enjoy good books, tasty
recipes, and compelling stories alike. Still
Points Still
Points
is set in 1940 in rural Illinois, where
college grad Philip Zumwalt takes a job as a music teacher to save
money for
his goal of becoming a professional musician in Chicago. His
life is
changed when he meets Elinor Robinson, embarks on a romance that
threatens his
dreams, then faces the rise of World War II, which demands his
participation in
an unexpected conflict. As
battle and
love change his artistic dreams, Philip finds himself moving far from
his
life's passions and into uncharted waters that lead him to question
what he's
really fighting for. One
of the
reasons why Still Points comes
across
as so captivating is because of its foundations in reality. Philip's
journey is
loosely based on actual diaries written by the real Philip Zumwalt
during World
War II, and so assumes an immediacy and inspection that comes to life
under
Barry Lee Swanson's hand: "I
once was a fool for love and now I’m a
fighting fool, he thought. Though he did not love
everything, an
impossibility that El had proposed, he loved many things: music, great
literature, philosophy, and even, to some degree, religion. It went
without
saying that he loved his family and El. What confounded him was that
now he had
to add one more item to his list: combat. Strange. There was a certain
exhilaration in cheating death. There was a certain pride he felt when
taking
down an enemy Zero, in defeating an adversary intent on dominating
others. He
believed in freedom, and now, he had to admit to himself, he actually
loved
something else—being a man of action." Many
of the
letters presented in Still Point
came
from Swanson's imagination, but some are authentic or based on diary
entries.
The author's concluding notes provide insights and further research for
history
buffs looking for further real-world details. These
close
inspections of belief, inspiration, and revised meanings and goals in
life
drive a story further enhanced by letters between Philip and his love
El as
they embark on the journey that brings them together and then drives
them
apart. These
reflect
on far more than war alone, or even absence. They demonstrate the
ongoing
affection Philip harbors for literature and life itself, and combine
with his
maturity process to offer inspections steeped in poetic images: "When
I
think back to the moments we spent together, most of them could be
defined like
that, not just when we were dancing, but nearly every, single instance.
The
world stood still, El. It reminded me of acciaccatura, the musical term
I
taught you in band. Remember? A grace note, ornamental, a timeless
note, a
momentary pause, maybe even a moment of grace. It’s there, and then
it’s gone.
Time frozen in place." From
moments
in time and memory that help the soul survive to the evolution of self
in the
face of separation and battle, Swanson crafts an engaging, memorable
portrait
of a young man who sacrifices the dreams of his life, only to grow and
move
forward in different ways. The
milieu of
the Second World War and its psychological and social effects on all
involved
(whether in battle or waiting at home) is captured in a compelling saga
of
romance and growth that will keep readers engaged in the characters'
process of
preserving their love and dreams against all odds. Still
Points
belongs in any historical fiction
collection strong in World War II accounts. Stolen Historical
fiction readers who enjoy stories of Civil War experience will find Stolen the first volume in a family saga
that brings to life many under-covered aspects of the war's events and
impact.
These include the kidnapping of students who are to be sold into
slavery in the
period of time approaching the Civil War, as the South is seceding, and
is the
subject of Stolen. When
cousins
Hannah and Carl vanish in Cleveland, it takes months to uncover where
they are
and why they disappeared. A
close family
determined to find them embarks on a rescue mission that leads them
deep into
the heart of a South unfriendly to Northerners, and into the politics
and
growing threat of the Civil War looming on the horizon. Rosemary
Nichols strives for more than historical accuracy in her story. She
recreates
the sights, smells, and sense of the culture and politics of the 1860s
through
evocative descriptions that bring the era to life: "'We
can have staterooms on the Natchez. It
is a well known steamboat and has a captain, Thomas
Leathers, with a fine record for safety. The Natchez
carries the federal mail. They will stop at the landing
for Sarah’s plantation sometime Saturday.'
He continued emphatically. 'We
need to get out of this city. The citizens have gone mad. Only this
afternoon I
learned of another attack on a businessman from Philadelphia. He was
fortunate
not to be killed. And he had done nothing, merely seek to transact
business in
a whirlwind.'” All
is not a
whirlwind of conflict, in this story. Nichols strives to equally and
accurately
represent Northern and Southern viewpoints and culture in a manner that
explains and depicts both camps to allow for better reader
understanding of the
ordinary man's perceptions and interests. From
family
member interactions to floods, the rising tides of social and political
unrest,
and the positivity which concurrently runs through family and
communities
alike, Nichols strives for a Civil War depiction that is fair and
balanced: "With Caleb’s positive attitude
general
through the people, what could the Magnolia Ridge community expect but
success?" This
approach
also sets Stolen apart from other
Civil War battleground-oriented, conflict-focused approaches as it
recreates
not a singular vision, but the many positive and negative influences on
individuals and communities during these times. The
focus on
family ties, sympathetic contrasts in the atmosphere and differing
approaches
of Northerners and Southerners, and depiction of a journey that
challenges all
makes for an engrossing introduction to a series that goes far beyond
the usual
Civil War story. Stolen captures
the
nuances of history and perspective that provide a fresh view of events,
motivations, and interactions between family and community. Civil
War
collections and historical fiction readers will find Stolen
thought-provoking and unexpected on many different levels.
It stands apart from the usual Civil War analysis by personalizing all
lives,
on both sides, making for a top recommendation that stands out from the
crowd
in many ways. Thieves
of Paris Thieves of Paris is a
historical suspense story
that takes place during World War II. Ex-thief and soldier Max St Denis
flees
the Nazi invasion of France, only to find that his new job relies on
his
thievery skills for success. Tasked with saving valuable
paintings from the Nazis, including a piece especially dear to his
heart, Max
seems to fail in his endeavor—which only makes him all the more
determined to
eventually succeed against all odds. As he faces smugglers, romantic
possibilities, and challenges posed not only by his thieving expertise
but a
host of opportunistic fellow French citizens who hone their
own skills for
disparate purposes, Max moves through a world of expert thieves,
forgers, and
special interests that both dovetail with and attempt to thwart his
purposes: "She
had a point, that I had no right to jeopardize
others with my
obsession. But I couldn’t get it out of my mind that, with her help
substituting the copy, my chances were very good and discovery was
unlikely." Thieves of Paris is no
simple story. It fosters
satisfying twists and turns of plot, perception, and good and bad
participants
alike as war turns everything on end for everybody. Who
is in control? Everyone thinks they are, while, in reality, there are a
host of
special interests (and subplots) at play in Thieves
of
Paris. With
its roots based firmly in reality (Nazi
art theft and the unfolding danger to Jews during their occupation
of France), Thieves of Paris
excels in blending the
trappings of a suspense thriller with the historical realities of the
times.
This creates an engrossing series of cat-and-mouse interplays that will
especially delight mystery readers interested in World War II backdrops. The
action is ongoing, the characterization and moves of Max and those
around him
well described and intriguing, and the story proves hard to put down.
Its
special focus on those trying to live their lives and do damage control
in the
face of simmering threats and controversies that reach into France's
art world
and culture makes for an engrossing story, indeed. The Truth
About Elves His regular
gig is
working a bar in Las Vegas on the Strip; a job at which Curtis shines.
His
secret job is something far different. The
Truth About Elves explores what Curtis chooses to do with his
time three
months of every year after an event ten years ago changed everything.
It also depicts
what happens when Curtis is called upon to repay an extraordinary favor
with an
astonishing effort that shakes his comfort zone. Curtis isn't
the only
one who leads a double life. "When
she wasn’t working her Quarter Force shifts for Mr. C., Prerna lived in
Florida. Reading the Orlando papers always made her feel closer to home
when
she had to come to the Circle for her three months here." Ekta Garg
excels at
capturing nuances of the Christmas holiday season, from the all-popular
hot
chocolate that permeates the North Pole world to Curtis's challenge in
navigating a temporary job that doesn't include alcohol, but does
feature teen
angst. His special
assignment
takes him into a world of hope and discovery as Curtis moves towards a
surprising revelation about events at the Arctic Circle and comes to
realize
broader truths about his place in the world, his fears, and the holiday
spirit. Not only
Curtis, but Prerna
and Mr. C come to life: "He couldn’t
remember the number of times his elves had expressed wonderment about
how he
knew something would happen. These young whipper-snappers didn’t
realize he’d
been around for a long time. Times changed—fashions changed, he noted
wryly, as
he glanced down at his jeans—but people didn’t. And the longer he
lived, the
more life experience he had to help them." But, how can
a
holiday helper in Mr. C.'s world make a difference if he's afraid to
perform
the one function that makes Christmas possible? Arriving
just in time
to assuage the pain of another Covid year in 2021, The
Truth About Elves offers a romp through goodwill, new
possibilities, and transformations that represent a touch of fantasy
and a
heavy hand of psychological inspection. Its story of
hope and
revelation is the perfect seasonal literary hot chocolate for readers
seeking a
holiday story with a difference. The
Truth About Elves should be in any collection seeking to
represent a piece
of the Christmas spirit. Under the
Weeping
Willows Under the Weeping Willows is Book 2 of a
Christian historical
fiction series, and opens with a daughter's sorrowful reading of her
mother's
words in 1983. It then follows family lives changed by Alzheimer's,
historical
events, and new possibilities. In order to
capture
the full impact of these changed lives, Jenny Knipfer moves between
Robin
Holcomb's ongoing battles with trouble and mental illness in 1918 as
she moves
forward in her marriage and child-rearing, to adult daughter Enid
Fenton's
struggle to better understand her mother's past and its influence on
all their
lives. To call
Knipfer's
story historical fiction would be to assign it the impartial world of
facts and
a backdrop that, in truth, comes to life in a very personal manner in
her story.
Her characters tackle a difficult relationship made all the more
challenging by
the intersection of Alzheimer's and history. Driven by
emotional
interactions between all family members, the tale excels in capturing
both
daily challenges and the impact of a family secret in peril due to
dementia's
relentless progression. The multi-generational encounters are
especially well
presented: "I try to tamp down the
frustration igniting in my chest like heartburn. Cassie doesn’t fully
understand
what Mom is like when she doesn’t feel well. Usually, she’s pretty
placid, but
when she’s in pain, she’s cranky, belligerent, and just plain stubborn.
She
will not listen to direction." It's rare to
see a
love story entwined with a story of change and loss that operates on so
many
different levels beyond affection alone. From religious inspection and
the
heartbreak of seeing a mother change so essentially to a daughter's
revelations
about her mother (thanks to a diary which reconnects them), Knipfer is
astute
at creating memorable moments of discovery that will resonate with a
wide
audience: “You
are much more than I deserved. Love Mom.” I finally
understand those words now. At the time I thought they were weird. She
must not
have thought herself worthy. The depression ingrained a pattern of
behavior
toward me. She always tried too hard with me. Her sentiment, when
present,
smelled of falsehood. But after reading her diary entries and letters,
her
actions, or lack of, make more sense." An old
willow tree
gives forth its secrets as a daughter finds a way to include her infirm
mother
in the future one last time in a compelling story that proves hard to
put down. Part of the
charm of
Knipfer's writings lie in their spiritual inspection as the evolution
of relationships
moves through health crises and the passage of time. Her first-person
character's observations, emotions, and insights carry readers into
this world,
cementing these new discoveries with reflections on past and present.
These are
presented in an evocative manner that brings readers into the
experience of
grief and recovery alike. More than a
historical fiction piece, Knipfer provides a compelling family saga
that moves
from 1918 to 1988 choices and their contrasting impacts. Under
the Weeping Willows creates a candid story of Wisconsin
family legacies of depression, dementia, and the process of uncovering
treasures and wealth against all odds. Unspoken Imagine a happy, healthy child who quite suddenly
becomes shy and reclusive. Her best friend is somehow involved. And her
mother
is totally puzzled, at first, finding no reason for her daughter's
sudden
change or the distressing new cutting habit she's adopted. What's a
concerned
mother to do? Investigate, of course. And what she finds
is eye-opening. Unspoken
is a riveting, emotionally astute, unsettling story of abuse's ripple
effect on
family and community. It delves not just into secrets, but how they are
perpetuated
and their widespread impact. Rebecca Chianese does
an outstanding job of contrasting the rationales of two different
mothers and
their daughters. She does cursorily explain the male's perceptions, but
the
main focus is on the women of the community and their involvements with
one
another. The contrast between two mothers who hold very similar values
and
their different methods of tackling their daughters' challenges is
nicely
outlined, as are each mother's desire to recover from trauma,
themselves,
albeit in different ways: "She
wanted, more than anything, a
couple of hours to be alone in her house, away from other
people and
the burden
of fixing them. A trait she knew, people desired from her and despised
her
for." Unspoken
crafts a drama that builds, then evolves. It begins with the issue of
self-injury and its rationale and moves into unexpected circles of
confrontation, redemption, and change. Unspoken
is an outstanding story that lingers in the mind long after its
reading, and is
especially recommended for women's fiction readers and those who enjoy
stories
of contemporary mother/daughter relationships, community connections
and
struggles, and accounts of predators and their impact upon all. Where Flowers Grow Where
Flowers Grow
takes place in Watsonville, California. It weaves history with family
experience in a story that compellingly opens with the aftermath of a
whirlwind
courtship in which Richard Bankston impulsively has married, and is
awaiting
the arrival of his new bride, Gina, in California. In 1953, such quick
marriages were relatively rare. California residents and
those familiar with the Bay
Area, in particular, will be thrilled about the cultural contrasts
between the
sophisticated San Francisco and more rural Watsonville, many miles
away.
Barbara Anne King does a fine job of bringing both the times and
regional
differences to life, creating a backdrop for the history and drama
which unfold
to embrace and change Richard and everyone around him. Of particular note are the
cultural observations
resulting from unexpected encounters between races that are still
recovering
from the aftermath of World War II: "fairytales
are always in short supply. Take a look around. Most of these people
were sent to
an internment camp—Poston in the Arizona desert—hot and dusty and
crawling with
scorpions. Their lives were nothing but misery. Lynn was one of the
lucky
ones.” Tom and Richard arrived with their plates overflowing. “Besides
chicken
teriyaki, they have sushi and tempura,” Tom said. “They’re putting on a
show. I
guess this means Japantown is back.” “What do you mean by Japantown is
back?”
said Gina. “Before the war, there was a Japantown here. Watsonville was
one of
the few towns that had one. But with everything the happened during the
war,
some people didn’t return and Japantown dwindled. But now, it appears
to be
back.” As this milieu forces Gina
and Richard into new territory
and unexpected developments in their marriage, readers receive a social
and political
whirlwind of change that reaches out to touch the couple's lives and
separate
them. As they are introduced to
Japanese culture and the flower
farm efforts that Sam Yamamoto's family has been involved in, as
cultivators
and owners of flowers in California for almost one hundred years, the
lure and
history of the region's flower production begin to grow on Richard. This farming history and the
flower-growing effort
receives excellent attention in a book that considers the impact of a
new
flower farm's efforts, which fits in well with Richard's growing
bigger-picture
dream of a project that all the boys can get behind. Many details about
the
flower-growing effort provide realistic insights into farming and
social
challenges alike as everyone struggles with social and environmental
change. King is also adept at
injecting the headlines of the
times to place these changes in historical perspective: "In
early December, Federal Marshalls arrested Chavez and held him
in the Salinas jail. To add to the drama, the widow of Robert F.
Kennedy,
accompanied by Olympic athlete Rafer Johnson, stopped by the jailhouse
to visit
him, incurring attacks by an anti-union mob. By the end of the month,
Chavez
was released only to call for more strikes. In March, an agreement
between the
UFW and the Teamsters giving the UFW the right to organize farmworkers
brought
the strike to an end." The fact that readers
needn't be familiar with California
history or the evolving history of the times lends a special
educational quality
to Where Flowers Grow. It
juxtaposes
personal choice and consequence with broader political and social
influences
and concerns unique to the times and place. The Cosmos flower referenced
in book and title represents
love, but it needs to be protected from the wind. As the characters
adapt to this
changing world, they nurture survival skills, love, and feelings that
allow
them to be more interactive with their environment and more in touch
with their
feelings and responsibilities. Where Flowers Grow is
a powerful story that functions on many levels of historical, social,
and
psychological inspection. It's highly recommended for California and
history
readers alike—and for those interested in gardening history in general
and
flower farm evolution in particular. After
Meat After Meat: The Case for an
Amazing, Meat-Free World is a study in
ethics, values, and
science. It makes a case
for the unsustainability of using animals for food, clothing, and
various other
human purposes. Unlike
most similar-sounding books which focus on the moral and ethical issues
of
humane animal treatment, Dr. Sekar uses science (specifically, physics
and
biology) to make his case against how humanity currently views and uses
animals. More
than simply arguing against such approaches, however, Dr. Sekar
identifies
alternatives which make more sense on many different levels,
juxtaposing his
own quest for better products and alternatives to animal use with
scientific
inquiries into processes and products which are both sustainable and an
improvement on many different levels. His
ideas represent "the donkey cart giving way to the Tesla Model S,"
combining reasoned arguments and insights with footnoted references
that
document the scientific foundations of his thinking: "...there
is nothing special about animal protein versus
non-animal protein for our health. If anything, limiting ourselves to
only
animal protein will prove disadvantageous in the long run. We can
imagine a
future where the fermentation-based protein is tailored and
customizable." His
futuristic extrapolations of how non-animal uses can benefit not just
the
planet and human health, but business and production circles promotes
the
common sense of making informed decisions that lead to healthier,
better
choices on many different levels. This
brand of scientific assessment makes After
Meat a standout in animal rights literature. Where other
treatises are
largely idealistic or philosophical in their arguments, this
combination of
scientific and economic rationales, backed by footnoted references and
facts,
makes for a production whose futuristic vision is not just possible,
but makes
more sense than current standards. Any
collection strong in sustainable choices and social transformation
needs to
include After Meat in its holdings
as
an outstanding example of science-based future possibilities that
outline how
government and citizens can make fundamental changes work. American Tax
Trivia Anyone who thinks
they know the facts about the American tax system and its history
should
welcome the opportunity to test them with American Tax Trivia: The Ultimate Quiz on
U.S. Taxation. It's also a self-admitted
(says the author) "silly
book" that is designed to be fun for a wide audience—not just tax
professionals or accountants. The tax trivia knowledge
being tested is wide and ranges
from who authored particular quotes about taxation and the practice to
tax
regulations. History buffs will be
satisfied to know that the collection
embraces past history (not just present-day events and regulations);
while the
whimsical rating of test results includes fun categories that range
from
"Dunce" to "You Got Mad Skills" and "Tax Master!" No tax stone is left
unturned, here, from IRS tax codes
to audit processes, tax forms, and the intersection between politics
and
taxation. More than just a pairing of
trivia questions with serious
tax matters, American Tax Trivia offers
a wide audience the opportunity to test their knowledge and obtain a
laugh in
the process. Who said that taxes and
accounting are dull? Someone who
hasn't read American Tax Trivia,
which
is the perfect gift for the numbers-oriented professional, or for a
room full
of businesspeople who can bond over tax matters. Artwords Artwords
melds art and literature in a manner designed to
appeal to both art and literary audiences, and comes from an artist and
writer
who captures the visual impact of pairing poetry with art. Envisioning
the written word as an art form is nothing new; but Beatriz M. Robles
elevates
it to new levels as she presents calligrams (word images), redactive
("found") poetry, and color photos and artworks that blend words into
the art form itself. Of
necessity, Artwords requires a fine
eye to both
visual and verbal cues in order to prove accessible. In other words,
this is
not your usual poetry/art collection, but a representation in which
each form
supports the other and operates within the realm of the visual and
written
world. As
words and
images wrap and embrace, readers are not only treated to an exercise in
perception, but an exploration of how words can form visual images that
translate on different levels, as writing becomes art itself. The
intersection between prose, poetry, and art in Artwords
offers many surprises. It also serves to challenge
conventional thinking, whether about art, photography, or written
language. Readers
interested in alternatives to traditional style, form, and
representation will
find Artwords more than just
visually
appealing. It's a compelling work that defies easy categorization as
either
literature or art—and, thus, belongs in the collections of both. Badges
of
Honor Badges
of Honor: Stories of the Head,
Heart, and Hand
is
compiled by an Assistant Professor of Leadership for the USAF's Air
University,
and gathers examples of leaders, decision-making processes, and how to
cultivate strength and honor during the process. It should be given to
any
aspiring leader in any discipline, as it presents powerful examples of
fellow
leaders who cultivated not just a process, but a perspective about what
highly
effective leadership means. The
collection
begins with the note that these contributors write their own chapters
and
reflections. This diverse set of experiences and voices adds to a
survey that
takes no singular route in explaining and exploring examples of
leadership, but
follows the process of how these individuals rose under and overcame
different
circumstances to stand out from the crowd. The
book is
constructed so that readers can begin anywhere within it, to receive
snippets
of wisdom. This gives even the busiest reader or shortest attention
span an
accessible gathering of influential writings. Badges
of Honor opens,
appropriately, by reinforcing the
notion that the reader, too, can write about their own leadership
experience
and inspiration, presenting a reinforcing discussion by Martha J.
Sasnett,
"Everyone Has A Story." When Martha took command of 42d Force Support
Squadron in January 2015, she admitted she had her work cut out for her. How
she met
these challenges and cultivated a special brand of leadership with a
squadron
already demoralized and suspicious of any senior leader makes for
eye-opening insights
into the process of fostering shared objectives even when a group
seemingly
eschews guidance. Issues
of
guidance and decision-making undergo inspection in a very different way
in
"God Plants a Garden" by Demetrius N. Booth, who explores family and
religious connections, and the challenge of loving without condition
and
despite all odds. Each
story
comes from a very different world. Each shines with examples of honor,
value,
struggle, and achievement, and each provides another light that points
out the
various ways in which true leadership is cultivated. Leadership rests
on not
only a solid game plan, but thoughtful, flexible approaches to life and
others. The
inclusion
of experiences from all walks of life and between disparate people
proves that
leaders need not be associated with business or military circles alone,
nor
even come from a shared foundation of educational expertise. Leaders
emerge
from the hearts and minds of thoughtful, responsive, savvy individuals.
And, as
the book encourages, the reader can be one of them. That's
why
it's important that Badges of Honor not
be limited to military, business, or self-help shelves alone, but
should appear
as a choice for discussion groups or anyone strong in understanding how
honor
and leadership are built, and how they walk hand in hand to lead self
and
others to better lives and understanding. Chasing the Chinese Dream Business professor William
N. Brown doesn't present his
analysis, Chasing The Chinese Dream: Four
Decades Of Following China’s War On Poverty, from the safe
distance of
America. He teaches at Xiamen University, and his background and
physical
proximity to Chinese culture and its social issues lends to a personal
familiarity with his subject that couldn't be matched by those
analyzing a fair
distance from Chinese affairs. China's goal to alleviate
poverty may be surprising to
readers who might know little about their efforts, but it actually can
be held
up as a model not just of achievement, but of the processes that make a
difference in the real world. Given the nation's
complexity and bulk, these success
stories become all the more eye-opening. Dr. Brown provides an
inspection of
reforms that goes beyond major cities to examine all aspects of rural
and urban
Chinese experience. Neither does he operate from
the comfort of a city
classroom. Dr. Brown cultivates a hands-on attitude that captures both
his
enthusiasm and the diverse experiences of tackling poverty in China: "If I had scripted my own life from cradle
to grave, I could not have conjured up a more exciting or fulfilling
adventure
than witnessing firsthand the world’s most populous nation
single-mindedly
eradicate absolute poverty. For over three decades I’ve explored every
corner
of the country by bicycle, boat, car, train, plane—even farm tractor a
few
times, as well as on foot into inaccessible valleys. I’ve interviewed
hundreds
of people from all walks of life—farmers, fishermen, teachers, doctors,
engineers, merchants, street sweepers, barbers, scientists, and
athletes." His is a "social travelogue"
through Chinese
attitudes, experiments, cultures, and transformative efforts that
operates on
many different levels. As he undertakes his journey, Dr. Brown profiles
the
stories of individuals who contribute to this new era of possibility
and
achievement. In keeping with his research
background, Dr. Brown
peppers these accounts with footnoted references to facts, statistics,
and
examples to provide fellow researchers with further reading and
supportive
material. While his pro-China view may
provide special food for
thought for those well aware of its other social issues and history, in
this
case, it serves as a strong, positive viewpoint that pinpoints areas of
success
over failure: "China’s greatest
achievement, to me at least, is that it has consistently used its
newfound
wealth to tackle poverty. As provincial leaders explained to me, China
learned
early on from other nations’ examples that development alone does not
necessarily benefit impoverished people. There must be programs that
deliberately and strategically tackle poverty." No matter what the reader
may believe about China's
politics and social issues, it's hard to ignore the evidence of its
success in
its personal war on poverty throughout its nation, presented here in
much
detail and supported by personal observation and researched facts alike. While collections strong in
Chinese history and culture
obviously will be the recipients of this study, business collections
and those
interested in world-wide social issues and poverty would also do well
to
consider Chasing The Chinese Dream
an
essential addition. Its unique blend of
scholarly analysis and personal
experience, backed by an authoritative researcher who injects his own
observations into the study, makes Chasing
The Chinese Dream a standout in many genres. Coach,
Run,
Win Coach,
Run, Win: A Comprehensive Guide to
Coaching High School Cross Country, Running Fast, and Winning
Championships
comes from a coach who shares his
training methods for creating fast runners out of high school students.
His
focus goes beyond the usual coaching how-to model, however, to address
the
specifics of fostering fast, winning young runners. From
developing a championship mindset and dealing with school
administration,
parents, and booster clubs to fostering leadership qualities in winning
runners, Ken Sayles provides all the nuts and bolts needed to
understand
various aspects of the coaching process. Its
focus on
cross-country training methods, paired with Sayles' own track record of
producing consistent award-winning results from his coaching efforts,
creates a
book that should be on the desks of any high school track coach who
want to
move beyond ordinary processes into extraordinary achievements. From
individualized, season-long training routines to self-examination
documentation
which embraces visualization techniques, the survey pairs case studies
of
students with discussions of challenges to positive reinforcement
directions.
During the process, Coach, Run, Win
addresses common obstacles to success and shows how to overcome them on
many
different levels. From
the
criteria for varsity letters to school rules, standards of excellence,
and
setting expectations for behaviors both on and off campus, Sayles
leaves no
stone unturned in his outline of the processes of producing high
achievers in
the world of cross-country racing. Other
coaching
books are far more singular in approach and recommendation. One of the
outstanding features of Coach, Run, Win
lies in its multifaceted considerations of not just physical routine,
but the
politics of school and parent management and requirements and the
process of
fostering mental acuity in winning runners. This
wide-ranging coverage of all the influences on coaching winners should
be on
the radars (and in the collections) of any coach who wants to go above
and
beyond the usual routines and guidance effort, whether they're handling
teams
or individuals determined to succeed. Dark Side of
Memory Maybe it's
because
author Tessa Bridal was born and raised in Uruguay, leaving the country
at age
20 as military oppression began to take over. Or, perhaps it's her
evocative
writing as she combines memories of past with a return visit that
brings alive
the perils and plights of a people living under repeated oppression. Whatever the
reasons,
Dark Side of Memory: Uruguay's
Disappeared Children and the Families That Never Stopped Searching
is a
powerful story of Uruguay and its neighbors that should be part of any
collection strong in South American history and culture. The story
opens, as
Bridal returns to her homeland, with a rich observation: "As deep and as
wide as the sorrow its people have endured is the river that separates
Buenos
Aires from its small neighbor, Montevideo. As the plane banked
preparatory to
its descent into Montevideo Airport, I saw the Rio de la Plata below me
and
remembered how during the summer months of December, January, and
February,
thousands of Argentines would leave their sprawling capital and cross
the Río
de la Plata to bask on the golden sands of Uruguay’s beaches." In the
course of exploring
the rivers, streams, and scenes of her childhood and the nation, Bridal
blends
a deeply passionate affection for her people with an analytical study
of the
nation's heartbeat that mirrors her own ongoing connections to its
event. She outlines
the reason
for this introspection and inspection from the beginning: "I was twenty years old when my family decided to
immigrate to the
United States. I cried from the moment we boarded the Pan American
flight until
we were well on our way to Washington DC, at which point I finally fell
asleep.
I remember most poignantly the effort to adjust to what at the time
felt like
insurmountable cultural differences...As a means of mourning, of
celebrating,
and of escaping into the familiar, I began writing fictional stories,
published
later in two novels set in Uruguay. Now I was returning to interview
the
families of four of the Uruguayan children who disappeared during the
Cold War
years, when Uruguay’s democracy, one of the oldest in Latin America,
fell to a
military dictatorship, along with the democracies of Brazil, Argentina,
Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and
Honduras.
Resistance movements existed in all these countries, and each had a
story to
tell." And, such a
story it
is! It requires no prior familiarity with the nation or even South
American
history, politics, or culture in order to prove immediately gripping. As events
progress,
the standout themes of survival against all odds shine through various
interviews that capture the experiences of revolutionaries and ordinary
people
alike. Exceptionally moving are the stories of not just surviving
atrocities,
but efforts to improve the legacy being passed on to future generations
as
present-day people rebel against their bonds: "By
now, Sara thought, she should have become inured to horror.
She had chosen the path of revolution, but somehow, events had spun out
of
control. It was one thing to confront soldiers and policemen; to
destroy a few
political targets; even, painful as it was, to accept the occasional
accidental
death of an innocent bystander. But the extent of the violence that had
been
unleashed against the revolutionaries was incomprehensible to her. From
politics both
internal and influenced by other nations to Uruguay and Argentina's
revolutions
and struggles, Bridal captures the special impact of economic,
military,
political, and social strife on the everyday people of these nations. Her
compelling
interviews chart the search not just for those children and adults who
disappeared
with only hints of their fates, but broken individuals and families who
regroup
to try to assemble broken lives lived under ongoing political changes. As Bridal's
interviews and stories traverse different generations and their
experiences,
readers gain a new sense of the region's influences and the fractured
relationships that operate on different levels. Anyone
interested in
the ongoing connection between political and social forces of change must read Dark
Side of Memory. These families never give up...and never
stop
hoping. Readers will
never
stop, either. This story is a powerful choice not just for memoir and
South
American history collections, but for any library strong in family
experience
and the lasting psychological impact of political tides of change on
present
and future generations. Delivering
the
Digital Restaurant It's
hard to
think of a timelier restaurant business advice guide than Delivering
the
Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food. While
its advice
would have certainly been relevant pre-Covid, given the transformation
and
special challenges the pandemic has demanded of restaurants in
particular, Delivering
the Digital Restaurant is an even more essential read for any
who would
stay in business in this new milieu. Delivering the
Digital Restaurant is no light
coverage of one restaurant's
experience, but interviews a host of culinary professionals and
businesspeople
from all walks of the industry, gathering and synthesizing their
experiences
and advice for both existing establishments and newcomers who will
operate
under vastly revised conditions. The
crux of the
focus is on operating in a virtual environment, from establishing a
brand and
identity to managing promotions and fulfillment processes. From
operating
an effective delivery service and moving beyond dine-in options to
using
kitchens in a different way (such as 'ghost kitchens'), Delivering
the
Digital Restaurant not only represents a challenge to
conventional ideas of
what makes a restaurant, but provides options that support all levels
of food
processing, consumption, and delivery. The
authors
don't pretend this is an easy transformation. Indeed, chapters are
quite candid
about the obstacles involved: "Compared to dining in, the
digital
ordering interface all but guarantees a poor experience. We can browse
a
restaurant menu on a small smartphone screen, but we often then make
decisions
with less information compared to ordering in-restaurant. We may not
click through
to the detailed description. We don’t get to ask a member of the
restaurant
team a question about the food. We might be able to request some
changes to an
item, but our ability to customize will likely be limited by the
ordering
platform. A menu designed for a different ordering context simply
cannot
function well on a tiny screen with no human interaction. “Adapt your
menu for
delivery” is the advice of Henry Roberts, owner of Two Hands restaurant
in New
York City." This
attention
to hands-on and real-world experience moves Delivering the
Digital
Restaurant from concept to applied behavioral and structural
changes both
on the part of the restaurant and in meeting customer expectations. The
candid
assessments of common pitfalls and possibilities make this coverage a
standout
that no restaurateur should be without: "As consumer
interactions
become increasingly digital, the rules of the game change. No longer is
the
brand primarily about a restaurant’s location, its ambience, or its
servers.
Instead, the brand is now about a restaurant’s authentic voice online,
its
frictionless ease of use, and its ability to target, serve, and retain
relevant
customer segments. A word of caution here: some restaurateurs say,
“We’re
already there!” believing that possessing a website or an app makes
them a
virtual restaurant. Nothing could be further from the truth. A brand
may offer
online ordering and delivery fulfillment, but still be a far cry from
being a
virtual brand. Being digitally native requires designing
everything—from
consumer experience to operating model—based on digital interaction
being the
only interaction a consumer has with your restaurant. Think of it this
way: if
a guest never walked through your door—if you had no door to walk
through—what
would they experience, feel about, know about your brand?" Anyone
interested in food service in this new milieu would do well to consult Delivering
the Digital Restaurant. It should be not just in culinary
collections, but
in any business library holding as an essential key to adapting to the
modern
world while maintaining a culinary image that is both strong and
flexible in
the face of digital and Covid challenges alike. It is very, very highly
recommended as an essential guide. The Demon in
Disguise The Demon in
Disguise: Murder, Kidnapping, and the
Banty Rooster belongs in any
collection strong in true crime stories. It brings to life Ashley
Elliot's
experiences when her father was murdered and her mother kidnapped. Where
other
books often address such crimes from an outside investigative
reporter's
perspective, The Demon in Disguise stands out in
coming from a crime
victim's point of view, and turns a critical eye on the justice
system's
failings. Perhaps
the most
important reason for pursuing this victim's experience above others is
this
perspective. It's also the reason why some more personally involved
with the
case might question the need for this book. Elliot's
own
acknowledgement of these attitudes and why the reason for making her
experience
public supersedes any sense of decorum or the idea that recovery
involves
moving on and forgetting presents perhaps the most powerful case for
not doing
either, and for reading her book: "There will be people who
won’t be
happy I have written this book. Some will say what’s done is done. The
criminal
justice system ran its course, straight to the hallowed courtroom of
the
Arkansas Supreme Court. Move on, girl. Others won’t want the dirty
laundry of
yesteryear aired. Let bygones be bygones. Some family members may roll
their
eyes and lament—there I go again, stirring up shit, reminiscent of my
wilder
days. Time to grow up. I’ve heard it all before. When I pressed
prosecutors to
do their job, people told me, “you need to let this go.” I was warned I
risked
unleashing a hornets’ nest best left undisturbed and less harmful. I
paid them
little or no heed. I wanted the justice system to do what it was set up
to
do." She
provides not
only justification for making these events known to a broader audience,
but for
the book's inclusion in criminology and legal justice collections as an
example
of justice processes gone awry. As
her story
unfolds, readers receive a powerful, years-long probe into a mob-style
execution that had no witnesses and no resolution that morphs into a
kidnapping
case when Elliot's mother then vanishes. Her
struggles
with the legal system and her insights and investigations, which
traverse not
just state boundaries but differing legal systems, includes involving,
specific
descriptions: "I have no legal training, but even I can see
the
fundamental distinction between a kidnapping that occurred in two
states (Utah
and Nevada)—which might compel one jurisdiction to defer to another on
a
kidnapping charge—and other wrongs that occurred solely in one
jurisdiction
(Utah)." The
juxtaposition of a victim's search for truth and justice and her
struggles with
not just one but competing legal systems and their perceptions of the
pursuit
and identification of justice provides food for thought beyond her
experience
alone, offering debate material that legal students should find
engrossing. Her
story of how
judges treat victims in the courtroom is also eye-opening: "More
interesting—to no one probably but me—was the Court allowed Trey to
stay in the
courtroom when his testimony concluded. Not me, however. I had to stay
in the
conference room. While I appreciated the judge didn’t want another
outburst
from me, I also felt I had an absolute right to remain. So what if I
lost it on
the stand? I was confident it wasn’t the first time a victim let loose
some
tears in a criminal trial. I had rallied and knew I could hold it
together now
that I was a mere spectator. They never gave me the chance and, as far
as I was
concerned, that was flat-out wrong." Those
who fear
that publication of The Demon in Disguise will stir
up a hornet's nest
should know that, if all goes well, it should—and will. Ashley
Elliot's
story deserves far greater attention than being regulated to true crime
collections alone. It should not only be in law libraries, but used in
classrooms as debate material on a variety of subjects raised during
the course
of her eye-opening story. The Experience of Leadership The Experience of
Leadership: Proven Examples from
Successful Leaders is a
collection
of stories that exemplify the traits, approaches, and insights of
successful
leadership. It should appear in any military, business, or self-help
library as
a study in contrasts of achievement, and is also recommended for a wide
age
range of young adult readers into adult circles. Fred Stuvek, Jr. selected fifteen
individuals whose stories reflect a diverse array of personal
experiences and
achievements. Don't expect to find any of these names familiar. These
are
profiles of common courage and everyday example, and while the
individuals are
highly respected leaders in their own sectors, they aren't necessarily
at
national recognition levels. Introductory pages outline concepts that set
this book's subjects and their approaches apart from the usual emphasis
on
leadership traits: "Many theories of leadership focus on the
leader,
emphasizing physical traits such as height or bearing and personality
traits
such as charisma or energy. Such traits are clearly assets for someone
who
aspires to lead an organization. But, by focusing on the leader and not
the
people to be led, this perspective misses the point." The point is that effective leadership goes
beyond charisma. It embraces deliberate responses to adversity, setting
examples that foster respect rather than trying to teach by admonition
and
showing how management skills can be used to disseminate and share
responsibilities in a manner that encourages followers to step up to
become
leaders in their own right, rather than simply followers. Each contribution comes from a different
sector of experience, and offers another piece of the larger picture of
what it
means to lead effectively. The diversity of these examples and the
passion of each contributor as they explain their unique approaches and
the
results they have gained in comparison to other leaders supports a
collection
that is a powerful study in contrasts. Effective leaders grow other leaders,
"paying it forward" in a way that keeps the benefits flowing not just
from them, but through those that they influence. By
grounding ideals in proven experience, The
Experience of Leadership
creates a foundation for understanding a
process that takes different forms in those of different backgrounds;
but
ultimately feeds back to one central theme: real leadership is about
more than
simply providing support and direction. It's about growing a new
generation of
leaders, in turn. The Experience of
Leadership is essential to this
process. A Gathering
of Broken
Mirrors Like many a Holocaust
survivor's story, A Gathering of Broken
Mirrors: Memories of
New York Survivors should be featured in any definitive
collection about
New York City's places, peoples, and times. Their stories capture the
city's
atmosphere through various types of survivor memories, gathered here
lest their
immediacy and eyewitness perspectives be forgotten or diminished by
third-party
studies as time goes by. The first thing to note
about this collection is that it
moves back and forth in time, capturing different nuances of New York
City lives.
Anthony E. Shaw focuses on the process of daily survival. Each profile
selects
a different individual whose unique place in time in that city reflects
a
different milieu and survival tactic. Think "survivor" and "New
York City"
and the specter of 9/11 automatically comes to mind; but as Shaw
demonstrates,
the resilience and determination of New Yorkers extends far before and
after
this event, and is reflected in these stories. Their diversity is notable.
"On the
Mountaintop," for example, is set in 1999 New York's Manhattan
financial
district and reflects on a femme fatale, love and loss, and processes
of
self-destructive behavior patterns: "I
confessed bitterly to a friend, “I slept with Satan.” Half of that
devil was
me. It invades lives every day. It destroys and laughs. It is the most
beautiful thing you can imagine. It can be a man or a woman or anything
else It
wants to be to you. It transforms Itself at will. It speaks enchanting
words.
It tempts you to feast on sweet poison. It can make you eat your own
excrement,
return to your mistakes, and have you kill for more. It is attractive
and funny
and captivating. It is ubiquitous. It is all you can see. It shines so
alluringly. It dazzles. It is roaring, unquenchable fire. We light our
fuse for
this self-destructive blaze." In contrast, "Civic Duties,"
set in Brooklyn
Heights in 1977, considers a union job, the Italian restaurant
business, ethnic
pride ("There are Italians like
this. Their heritage is such a thing of beauty that they’ve traced the
roots of
family names and can tell you within a town or two where your family is
from.
That’s Italian pride."), and political involvements: "I made a nice sum for my Election Day
troubles, meaning the troubles I helped cause others. Thinking about it
afterward, that was like blood money, the reward for taking something
by
trickery to give to someone else who didn’t work for it, with a crumb
or two
left over for me. It was dirty money. Not my way of earning my daily
bread.
Another union steward once warned me, “Lie down with dogs, wake up with
fleas.”
That struck me. The politicians were flea-bitten, mangy mutts, and I
wasn’t
going to be." Shaw adopts no singular
perspective or approach in
compiling this collection. Its purpose is to gather atmospheric
vignettes that
center on individual experiences, yet reflect the City's diversity and
scope
over the decades. Any collection interested in
New York culture and
experience must include A Gathering of
Broken Mirrors, while individuals seeking a personal set of
life-changing
encounters that resonate beyond a singular memoir alone will find it
compelling, thought-provoking reading. Together, these 24 stories
are portraits not just of
individual courage and conviction, but represent the heartbeat that is
New York
City. Ghoul n'
the
Cape Josh
Malerman's special brand of horror is evident in past writings which
have
embraced a wide range of themes, from the Netflix-adapted futuristic
story of
plague and monsters that is Bird Box
to the specter of an occupied house in a lake. This
attention
to unexpected, gripping descriptions continues in Ghoul
n' the Cape, a horror tale that, like Bird
Box, is difficult to categorize and impossible to predict. The
stories of
a disparate group of characters whose lives intersect in the arena of
the
unexpected create a roller coaster of a novel which resides somewhere
in the
outer limits of horror, social and philosophical inspection, ghost
story, and
inspections of possible and impossible worlds. More
literary
than the usual horror novel, more philosophical than the typical social
inspection piece, and driven by Ghoul's insane romp across America that
leads
far from any type of home one can imagine, Ghoul
n' the Cape is a work not for the faint of heart or
entertainment-oriented
reader alone. Its
observers
aren't just adults; but teens who (as in Ray Bradbury's classic Something Wicked This Way Comes) fall
into a carnival of myth and imagination that transforms everyday
perception: "The shadows just wouldn’t go
away.
Like he was wearing a cowboy hat. Like the brim of an invisible hat hid
what
they wanted to see and kept him hidden from a world which could not
observe him
fully in return. “Sheesh,” the boy said. The mood had fallen off. Not
so funny
anymore. Truth was, the guy was a little scary. Rode as erect as a flag
pole,
gripped the reins like a racecar driver, egged the horse on with dirty
boots.
“More coffee?’ the waitress asked. Her voice, sudden as it was, scared
the
couple-to-be, but neither took their eyes off the rider. And they
didn’t
respond, either. They only stared. As dust rose around the hooves of
the stoic
beast, as the shadows increased, pooling upon the man’s features just
as he
came level with the diner, so close to them both behind the glass." Many
of the
devices of Bird Box and Malerman's
previous writings return to haunt readers with considerations of sight,
perception, and different interpretations of reality. As the Cape and
Ghoul
make their cross-country journey, each explores the limits of their
transformations, abilities, and interactions with the world: "The Cape knew he couldn’t Sway the
trooper, not from this distance, and certainly not with the mind alone.
He had
a way with words, maybe. Often, he didn’t even think he had that. What
he
really had was a personality people seemed to believe. Some called it
calming,
though the Cape rarely felt calm himself. Recently he’d felt quite the
opposite. Fleeing his post was not an easy thing to do and required a
brazen
bravery heretofore unknown to himself." As
Ghoul and the Cape make their way
across America, witches, ghouls, and journeys coalesce. Malerman's
unique descriptive abilities lend sharp angles into the story, which
are
delightfully creative and unexpected: "He
looked back, once, and wished he hadn’t. The thing was in the left eye
again,
licking what looked like the edge of a knife, a bright knife, so bright
that,
when Marcel turned back toward deck, he couldn’t see properly, couldn’t
see
much at all, didn’t even know that he’d crossed the threshold, had left
the
statue’s head, and had joined the pilgrim in the abyss of a cruel and
limitless
sky." Ghoul
n' the Cape
offers a thought-provoking story that
crosses the threshold of imagination and surreal life. It will demand
of its
readers a slow reading and attention to detail because, like a cake
that
visually appears one way yet tastes quite different, its ability to
melt in the
mouth depends on its reader's ability to take things slow. The
blend of
literary, horror, and philosophical inspection is exquisite, making Ghoul n' the Cape a top recommendation
that defies neat categorization or quick interpretation. Much
like Bird Box, it's a specialty
read that
will attract a wide audience of intellectual readers who look for
extraordinary, thought-provoking stories that live outside the box. God
4.0 God
4.0: On the Nature of Higher
Consciousness and the Experience Called God is
recommended for psychology and
spirituality collections alike, and considers the intersection between
the two
as it probes different notions of God and higher consciousness. Intrinsic
to
this discussion are reflections on the nature of personal reality and
perception. These demonstrate how ideas of transcendence and belief
have, in
modern times, moved to re-evaluating the connections between science
and
spirituality. Ideally,
for a
smooth continuation of Robert Ornstein's theme, his prior The
Evolution of
Consciousness should be read first, because it sets the stage
for God 4.0, which expands the
discussion
from its original foundations. God
4.0 is the
third and last book in Ornstein's trilogy. It can be read first, or
readers may
wish to take the full journey by starting with The
Psychology
of Consciousness, his groundbreaking
classic study introducing
the two modes of consciousness of the left and right
hemispheres of the
brain. The second book in the trilogy, The
Evolution of
Consciousness, provides a critical understanding of
how the brain
evolved. The three books together represent a fundamental
reconsideration
of ancient religious and spiritual traditions in the light of advances
in brain
science and psychology, exploring the potential and relevance of this
knowledge
to contemporary needs, and to our shared future. New
scientific
findings across a range of disciplines contribute answers to
sociological
puzzles about how the concept of and search for transcendence has
affected
humankind. Even more importantly, they lay a foundation of scientific
inquiry
for God 4.0 which endeavors to
explain and explore the shift in consciousness which many call "seeing
God." Ornstein
strives for a "unified theory" that links scientific and spiritual
disciplines to create a new structure with which to view this process
of
transcendence and discovery. His goal is to foster new avenues of
thought from
these modern revelations—ones that lend to a "new spiritual
literacy." As
chapters
reveal this history, readers are treated to a discourse that considers
not just
science and religion, but life's purpose. As
with many
scholarly presentations, God 4.0 is
heavily footnoted with supporting studies and reference materials.
Unlike most
academic research, however, the lively tone of historical, social,
scientific,
and religious inspection is quite accessible to lay readers as Ornstein
points
out fallacies and truths in thinking, through the ages: "It
must be acknowledged that the doctrines of all of the
Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam— hold that there
was one
Creation, in which God “created” everything. But these dicta were
produced a
millennium or more before the last 600 years of science and have not
been
revised. They were never intended to be taken literally." This
quote
illustrates an important prerequisite for the complete enjoyment of God 4.0. Readers should be flexible in
their belief systems, whether they stem from religious or scientific
foundations, and should be willing to reconsider long-held assumptions
about
religious truths and what constitutes reality. Those
with
such an attribute, who look for a science-based overview of history,
principles, tools, and processes of thought and belief, will find God 4.0 not just worthy reading, but a
study
which ideally lends to discussion group debates and consideration. Religion,
science, psychology, and historical collections will find this study of
social
rules and laws both ancient and modern to be revealing and unique. Great
Discoveries in Psychiatry Great
Discoveries in Psychiatry
presents a history of the discipline through
various discoveries, but it is anything but the anticipated staid
survey.
Ronald Chase provides a chronological inspection of the major changes
that
formed psychiatry over the years, embracing the sometimes long
processes that
led up to these changes. Chase's
different approach is most notable in the perspective sections
and chapter headings. Thus, the first chapter, "Kindness," reveals
the foundations of psychiatry in a growing concern for the mental
health of
one's fellow citizens. It concludes: “Everyone
would
agree that kindness is better than humiliation and brutality, but
kindness is
not simply a matter of ethics. It actually improved the mental health
of
patients, and this fact alone forever changed the practice of
psychiatry.” Footnoted
references to reports, studies, history, and other studies,
as well as vintage black and white photos, support Chase's survey. Many
of his connections between the evolution of psychiatry and social
issues are intriguing: "Despite all the damaging evidence,
the exact
nature of Asperger's involvement in Nazi activities remains uncertain.
He did
not join the National Socialist party, and he never admitted to
knowingly
committing the horrible crimes of which he has been accused. Since he
would
have put his career in jeopardy if he had not cooperated with the
Nazis, one
could say that autistic psychopathy was an invention born of necessity,
and
everything else flowed from the same imperative." Readers
should expect a healthy dose of science as well as history.
Perhaps most notable, however, is the attention to details of the
various kinds
of social, political, and scientific influences that led to discoveries
that
furthered the discipline. These are presented using lively language and
unexpected associations that encourage readers to think not just about
psychiatry's evolution as a discipline, but also the diverse paths to
discovery
and change. Chase's
ability to cultivate a winning, lively tone in a study that could all
too
easily have been dry and fact-laden instead of fact-inspired sets Great
Discoveries in Psychiatry apart
from other histories. It deserves a place as a foundation read in not
just
mental health collections, but for general-interest readers who will
find its
special blend of scholarship and investigative insights just the right
formula
for an accessible, inviting read. The
High-Performing Real Estate Team The High-Performing Real Estate
Team: 5 Keys to Dramatically Increasing Production and Commissions
should be in any real estate
library, as well as in the hands of sales teams who would work together
to
improve sales results. It outlines a set of best practices that result
in the
best bottom lines for agents and offices alike. Brian
Icehower's background as a real estate coach lends to an approach that
covers
both group dynamics and team operations and individual sales processes.
Chapters address both as they cover the nuts and bolts of understanding
what
differentiates a high-performing team from an ordinary sales force. Subjects
range from focusing on metrics and building a pipeline of success to
understanding what activities can be delegated to improve sales,
fostering an
office atmosphere of growth and accountability, and using behavioral
models to
help teams understand their individual differences to sync up with
bigger-picture sales results. Icehower provides lessons that will
resonate with
any office and team seeking more than ordinary results. He
addresses the needs and perceptions and leaders and members alike,
during this
process: "Real estate team leaders
must keep giving team members those positive nudges, much like a parent
would.
Leaders must expect, going in, that team members are going to struggle
with a
lot of things. They are not going to always hit their numbers. Leaders
should
be surprised if they do hit their numbers! It’s all about shifting the
context
of the dashboard (which we will dive into in Part 4 of this book) and
reframing
the way we look at our team members. Our context must shift to that of
a loving
parent/child relationship. All team members must take this to heart,
too. This
is not just advice for the team leader. As you know, with growth comes
more
opportunity for leadership positions on a real estate team. All team
members
should be trained to have this mindset because it may apply to them as
they
grow with the team." His
result formula for success works only if a real estate office and its
agents
are committed to the team ideal for achievement, and work together to
make this
an overall goal. There's
no mystery, here, on how to achieve this. The
High-Performing Real Estate Team provides the tools needed to
move
attitudes and processes from the everyday to the pinnacle of sales
success,
addressing perspectives, performance, and new possibilities for revised
individual and group dynamics. No
real estate collection should be without it. Hope
Disappearing Hope Disappearing:
A Population Left Behind is a
study in homelessness and social
issues that should be on the shelves of any collection strong in local
and
federal housing issues. It
documents the
events of 2017, when some 200 homeless people waiting for a place in a
transitional housing program were suddenly jettisoned from this
possibility.
They were left to their own devices due to a federal program's policy
change
and abrupt termination. The
irony
was—there was already an established, supportive community program in
place
performing much-needed services to help the homeless transition to
employment
and housing. It changed the lives of thousands who successfully
participated in
it. Years
of
experience at this proven, successful model went down the drain as
Northern
California's Mather Community Campus lost federal support and became
just
another shelter, ultimately costing the community much more money while
providing
only temporary respite rather than the permanent solutions it had so
successfully fostered over the years. One
might think
Mather's experience is an isolated example, but actually, it's only the
tip of
the iceberg of federal policy changes and their devastating impacts, as
Sherman
Haggerty documents in Hope Disappearing. If
there's one
thing to evolve from this book, it should be a sense of outrage.
Outrage that
proven-successful transitional programs to help the homeless have
fallen upon
the axe of political policy-making games; fury that those homeless who
wish to
change their lives have diminishing opportunities and support systems
to do so;
and anger that the issues Mather experienced mirror a broader problem
reverberating throughout communities all around America. Haggerty,
too,
is outraged; yet he takes the time to clarify his opinions and
perspectives,
cementing them to the wealth of facts he uncovers: "My view
(and it is
mine alone) is that there has been a focused effort to replace VOA
(Volunteers
of America) on all of the county contracts for programs where they were
providing homeless services. There is no option for recourse when
situations
like this happen with government agencies. All the power, money, and
direction
are fully controlled on that side of the ledger and out of the public
view." He
also strives
to present different perspectives on the issues and processes which he
highlights. This lends a more balanced feel to the story...and to,
perhaps, an
even greater sense of outrage. Haggerty's
experience operating local homeless programs adds more authority and
insider
insights to the equation than any outside reporter could have achieved. America's
homeless—especially those who would re-enter life off the streets—are
being
systematically and deliberately thrown under the bus by policy changes
at the
federal level. Hope Disappearing testifies about this process on their behalf. It
should be in any
social issues collection as a powerful analysis of transitional housing
models
and the political forces behind them, either supporting them or closing
them
down. It
keeps its
finger on the pulse of vanishing opportunities and ultimately points
out why
America has a "homeless problem" it can't seem to solve: "Placing
individuals with these co-occurring disorders into housing without
intensive
services only touches the surface of the deep-seated issues facing most
chronically homeless people." Life
After
Lockdown Life
After Lockdown: Resetting Perceptions
of Autism
not only stands
out from the surge of Covid-subject books on the market today, but
promises to
remain in that position in the future. This is because its
focus—covering the
psychological impact of Covid's quarantine on those on the autism
spectrum—finally gives voice to the experiences and perceptions of
those
already struggling with sensory integration dysfunction. Life
After Lockdown
is recommended for teachers of children
with disabilities, caregivers, and parents alike. It takes a
post-pandemic
approach to re-integrating kids on the spectrum into daily revised
lives,
addressing a myriad of concerns specific to this group such as anxiety,
social
challenges, reconnecting school and home life in a newly non-virtual
environment, and being adults on the spectrum in the new age of Covid. As
chapters
reveal the reboot experience, they cover coping methods and special
concerns
from the eyes of educators, those on the spectrum, and community
members alike. The
pandemic
has added new levels of unpredictability, uncertainty, anxiety, and
fear to all
lives; but those on the spectrum face special challenges that are
outlined in
this book. These concerns are addressed by 40 well-known professionals
and
individuals with ASD who are in the perfect position to enlighten
readers about
these issues. It's
hard to
neatly peg the wide-ranging value of Life
After Lockdown. If readers turn to it as a self-help guide,
it does fit
that category. If those outside the spectrum consult it for guidelines
to
rebuilding skills lost during the pandemic, it also fits that bill.
But, most
of all, it's the diversity of the shared experiences about pandemic
living for
this specific group that rounds out the advice and gives this book a
personal
edge that can't be beat. Lives
already
shaped by autism were further touched by the pandemic in different
ways, and in
ways different from those not on the spectrum. Their experiences
deserve a
voice...and receive one in Life After
Lockdown: "We older autistic
adults need to recognize our age AND our autism. We need to be gentle
with
ourselves, especially with a major undertaking like re-emerging after a
pandemic." Especially
notable are the conclusions to
each contribution which outline the contributions concerns and
excitement about
life after lockdown. In the above narrative, Wilma contributes: "As we enter life after
lockdown, I am most concerned about . .
.remembering how to interact with people in person. As we enter life
after
lockdown, I am most excited about . . .being able to walk around
anywhere and
celebrate our beautiful world." It's
hard to be
passionate, inspirational, and practical all at once, but Life
After Lockdown's
attention to capturing a range of experiences and advice from those on
the
spectrum who have and are coping with lockdown illustrates these
qualities in a
way that will educate, enlighten, and delight a broad audience. It
should be
in every collection strong in psychology, ASD issues, or the social and
community impact of Covid. Misplaced
Your
Body? When
Jane
Roberts channeled the spiritual entity Seth in her metaphysical
inspections,
she operated entirely in the nonfiction realm as Seth imparted
philosophical
and spiritual insights about the meaning of life, death, and afterlives. Misplaced
Your Body? No Problem,
Replacements Are Free
adopts a different tactic in presenting a novella that comes from an
intriguing
premise: that the spirit Mr.
Samoa Jens is collaborating with J Ward Anderson to produce a
"recording
of many of my observations and philosophical ponderings gathered during
my
lives on Earth." A wry sense
of humor
about the process evolves as Anderson mentions that "A
change of font seemed to be the best way to distinguish my
experiences from Mr. Jen’s slightly condescending, occasionally
long-winded
philosophical meanderings on a wide range of subjects, all of which,
surprisingly, directly relate to our bodily existence on this planet." During this
discourse, the observations and interactions between both entities
assume a
higher level of witty satirical inspection that will especially delight
fiction
readers who look for a high degree of fun in their stories. This
interactive pushme/pulley
of literary allusion offers amusing insights that belay a potential for
serious
contemplation alone, running wit and wisdom alongside one another for
maximum
effect: "Before we explore my
history with words, I’d like to say that the above blunt, rude comments
from
Mr. Jens could be skating the edge of what one might consider to be ‘an
amiable
manner’ mentioned in the prior chapter. If not, then be prepared. He
can be
difficult to predict." It's unusual
to see
this blend of serious inspection and witty supportive responses, much
less in
the format of fiction. Anderson's ability to bring to life and make
accessible
Mr. Jens's reflections on the nature of the universe, awareness, and
alien
encounters alongside a myriad of related subjects will appeal to a wide
audience interested in a different form of literary inspection that
takes the
form of a dialogue between two entities. It should be
noted
that, in addition to a sense of humor and appreciation for literary and
philosophical reflection, readers need to harbor few present notions of
propriety or religious certainty. These audiences may find offensive
some of
the light-hearted representations of human history: "At
first glance, you might envision Ms. Karma as always being
there, forever watching over your shoulder, taking turns with Mr.
Conscience to
somehow keep humans on the right side of HIS ‘best practices’ decrees
about
fornication, theft, and the like. You know, those Ten Commandment
thingies
Moses was all in a tizzy about, because, as he tells it, those lousy
Pharaoh
turds had no compunctions whatsoever when it came to the Pharaoh’s
Jewish
property: killin’, rapin’ and doing all sorts of vile and nasty things
to Mo’s
folks. This pissed old Mo off, and rightly so. As such, he got in a
pow-wow
with the Big Chief upstairs and they cooked up these ten rules. And
from then
on earth was a dull (but more civilized) place." Those who
look for
unique inspections into the "mountains the truths" that challenge
both the mind and its ability to adapt to alternate visions of
spiritual beings
and religious exercises will find absolutely delightful the reflections
in Misplaced
Your Body? It
deserves a
spot in any collection where satire—and social inspection—intersect
with
spiritual and philosophical speculations. Monologues
for Adults There's a
special
challenge in the dramatic monologue world, in presenting exercises for
adults
that are diverse, educational, and appealing. Many monologue titles are
directed to teens, and hold themes particularly interesting to this age
group. That's why Monologues
for Adults: 60 Original Monologues to Stand Out, Inspire, and Shine is especially recommended and relevant to
aspiring adult drama students. It focuses on original works designed to
instruct adults on various facets of the monologue's dramatic format,
providing
works that can be used not just as self-teaching exercises, but sources
for
auditions and family-friendly stage performances at the college level
and
beyond. Mike Kimmel crafts a diverse
selection of subjects and
monologue approaches. Examples of this diversity include a treatise on
kindness, "When People Don't Care," which begins with others and
evolves to an admonition to consider self-care equally important; "Bird
Watching," which opens with a criticism of the practice and evolves to
consider its underlying benefits; and "Pie in the Sky," about
dreaming big and doing work that "does more than pay the bills." Each monologue offers not
just the opportunity to
practice dramatic skills, but the chance to learn new ways of living,
finding
the positive even in events or approaches that may initially seem
negative or
unappealing. This elevates Monologues
for Adults into a series of meaningful expolorations and
dialogues that
hold value beyond their acting exercises. While Monologues
for Adults will, of course, appear in drama and acting
collections, it
ideally will also be considered as
a
succinct collection of life lessons and observations appropriate for
self-help
audiences, as well. Pandora's
Lockbox Memoirs about real estate
experiences typically don't
earn the
descriptors "vivid"
or "exciting" in their reviews; but Pandora's
Lockbox: An Award-Winning Real Estate Agent’s Memoir of
Love, Sex, Murders and an Alligator is this and more. It
documents a vivid
heyday of buying and selling in the 80s and 90s, when real estate agent
deals
were not as regulated (or staid) as they are today. The lack of computers,
automated systems, and instant
tracking lent the industry (as with so many others) a flexibility and
Wild
West-type atmosphere. Depicting this world is one of the strengths of Pandora's Lockbox, which captures these
deals and the heady atmosphere of emotionally charged client/agent
relationships. You really have to read it
to believe it. Pandora's Lockbox is
anything but
predictable: "She was making me an
accessory to MURDER, and she hadn’t even bought a house from me yet." Nico Griffith cultivates a
wry sense of humor about these
encounters and the special milieu of buyer/seller relationships as well
as the
camaraderie between fellow agents. This is evident not just in her
professional
encounters, but in descriptions of the influences that led her to
pursue a
career in real estate: "This was the
end of the beginning of my life as an adult, a monumental period I
still call
The Royal Flush. Not
as in the card game of Poker,
as in down the toilet flush. The first 20 years of my
married life had
officially gone down the toilet." From soap opera lives to
crazy open house experiences and
crime scenes involving real estate agents, Pandora's
Lockbox offers a wealth of unexpected events that keeps
readers laughing
and learning about an industry that is sometimes privy to some
close-held (and
potentially dangerous) secrets. While this
book will
certainly be added to many a memoir collection, it also deserves a
central spot
on any real estate professional or aspiring agent's reading list as a
powerful
romp through bygone years and real estate conundrums that are never
outlined in
the typical "how to be an agent" course. Nico won a
creative
writing contest in the memoir category for one of the
chapters from
Pandora's that she submitted. It's easy to see why: its vivid stories
will
delight the general public as well as would-be and existing real estate
pros as
they traverses a lively world filled with surprises and heart-stopping
moments. One thing is for certain:
readers will never think of the
real estate industry or agents in exactly the same way after absorbing
the
trials, tribulations, and some law-skirting home sellers that involve
the
agents in turbulence and trouble inside Pandora's
Lockbox. Queen
of the
Sugarhouse Queen of the
Sugarhouse provides a collection
of short stories that hones the cutting edge of
moral, ethical, and transformational decision-making. It is highly
recommended
literature for those who enjoy thought-provoking works about realistic
people
facing conundrums that test their mettle. Take
the opening
short piece 'Mercy', for example...one of several medical crisis
stories that
draws readers into a medical professional's conundrum—in this case,
when she
administers the wrong drug to an ICU patient. The
opening
lines move from everyday, familiar experience ("My car threw a
hub cap
on my drive to work. There are police in the parking lot as I pull into
my
spot. “Here, I’ll walk you in,” the cop says, one hand on his gun.")
to a life-changing situation: "Working short-staffed again.
Endless
interruptions. Phone calls. Lab tests. IVs to be changed. Sterile
dressings.
Head-to-toe assessments. I’m passing nine o’clock meds and the minute
that Tanya
Lewis swallows, I realize that I just handed her the wrong pill." Constance
Studer
gets right to the point in these works, creating atmosphere and dilemma
with
brisk, staccato descriptions which are compelling without being unduly
verbose.
This will especially appeal to those with shorter attention spans who
eschew
the normal descriptive challenges of even the short story piece in
favor of
stories like these, which make every word count. As
the pieces
unfold, readers will readily recognize aspects of their own response
and
thought processes when facing life-changing dilemmas. Another
example
of this strength lies in 'The Isolation Room', which follows writer
Mary's
revised world in a psychiatric institution after a suicide attempt. How
she
uses her writings and characters to work her way out of a dangerous
situation
makes for engrossing insights into her peculiar survival process. Each
character
draws upon moral, ethical, and psychological strengths and convictions
to find
their way past life-changing situations to revised ways of looking at
themselves and the world. Each
story
offers a passionate lesson in how to achieve this, and each fosters a
literary
and psychological depth as social and medical issues are explored. While
Queen
of the Sugarhouse will appeal to a wide audience of literary
short story
readers, fiction readers, and those seeking deep psychological
inspections, it
is especially highly recommended for medical professionals and
personnel. This
audience will find, in these characters and stories, much to relate to
and
understand about their own experiences, lives and potential
transformative
situations. The Science of Serial Killers The
Science of
Serial Killers: The Truth Behind Ted Bundy, Lizzie Borden, Jack the
Ripper, and
Other Notorious Murderers of Cinematic Legend will attract
two audiences:
those interested in true crime in general and serial killers in
particular, and
media studies students considering the cinematic representation of
these
crimes. Art and science blends in a
survey that analyzes both the
events surrounding the true crime and the choices made in film
representations
of these events. Each chapter reflects a
movie title and the killer's
name, gathering these movies under specific themes ("Crimes of the
Past," "Double Lives," "Traveling Killers," and
"Never Caught"). Each uses that theme to analyze both the crime and
choices
in cinematic representation: "This
chapter delves into the “wannabes.” These are the killers who took
their
victims’ lives because they wanted to feel intellectually superior.
They
wanted to bask in the glow of their kill, while frustrating the
detectives on
the case. The irony, of course, is that these men failed at living up
to their
own inflated egos. While they wanted to emulate BTK, or a murderer
never caught
like the Zodiac, they instead overestimated their murderous skills." The literary foundations of
the film, as well as its
sources of inspiration and how it chose to represent reality or
fictionalize
some of its contents, receive close inspection in a survey that will
satisfy
psychology and film studies readers alike. Even more compelling is that
the science portion of this
analysis draws upon many different types of studies and theories across
disciplines: "...perspectivism is
the idea that there is no absolute truth because every human perceives
an event
through varying perspectives. In the minds of young men like Leopold
and Loeb,
perspectivism became a weapon. They believed that there really is no
true right
or wrong, despite the morality they were taught in school or church.
Another
concept explored by Nietzsche was that of Übermensch, or “Superman.” In
his
book Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883)
Nietzsche utilized the fictional character Zarathustra to symbolize
the
Übermensch. It is a rather complicated concept that he wrote about in
various
works, an archetype not unlike a hero, who is above or better than the
average
human." This approach, especially
when supported by interviews
the writers conduct with book authors and screenwriters, creates a
multifaceted
analysis that explores how a killer's mentality is analyzed and
represented to
the public in different ways, and what the options are during this
process. Some productions maintain a
specific focus on only
corroborated facts, while others inject or fill in various degrees of
extrapolation to round out the cinematic effort. All these choices and their
influences are explored in a
science-based study that delves into the motivations of killers and
creators
alike. While The
Science
of Serial Killers will join other true crime analysis, its
close attention
to how these events are translated, represented, or interpreted makes
this an
outstanding addition to science and cinema studies collections, as well. Its detailed yet lively
inspection should not be missed. Shekhins Shekhins:
Uncovering the Universalism of John's Vision
is a scholarly consideration of belief
which was actually sparked by atheistic critic Christopher Hitchens.
Hitchens
presented points that ultimately shook Hyobel's religious convictions
and led
him to more closely examine the foundations of his beliefs. Had Hyobel
not
encountered Hitchens' criticism, Shekhins might not
have been written to
offer a close inspection of the Book of Revelation and its tenets. As
he probes the
visionary and prophetic aspects of this Biblical book and its
concluding
journey, Hyobel considers science's issues with the visions of John,
giving a
nod to the scientific process that holds issue with them while adopting
the
middle ground in his study: "As much as ghost or spirit
sightings
cannot be verified, neither can they be dismissed. And such will be our
stance
in this book regarding visions: as much as science cannot verify
visions,
neither can it totally disprove them. I, for this reason, gave John of
Patmos
the benefit of the doubt, neither rejecting nor fully embracing his
vision." By
adopting this
unconventional approach, Hyobel is able to intersect religion with
science and
philosophy in a manner that will reach beyond Christian audiences
alone—ideally, into the worlds of skeptics and scientific-backed
processes that
embrace a wider world of religious belief. The Book of Revelation
itself,
Hyobel repeatedly points out, mirrors this approach by placing no
singular
religion at the center of its events. Hyobel
himself
adopts a critical tone in his scholarly process, considering some of
the major
issues that emerge from an in-depth study of Revelation: "I
outlined
four main obstacles that stall us from interpreting the Book of
Revelation,
three of which we shall tackle in this chapter. The first is the
apparent
paradox of our discovery on the vision’s character usage: if the vision
depicts
spiritual forces as angels and non-angels, why does the vision, for
simplicity,
not employ only one set of characters?... The second obstacle
that also hinders us from soundly
interpreting Revelation concerns the potential of spiritual
forces...The third
obstacle is quite crucial to the identification of characters in
Revelation.
This relates to the creators of spiritual forces: what or who creates
them?... The fourth
obstacle, which we shall deliberate in
separate chapters, concerns on “God” and “Satan” as they manifest in
Revelation.
Because we say that the characters in the Book of Revelation are
spiritual
forces without volition, must this view also apply to “God” and
“Satan”?..." These
and other
issues receive astute analysis that invites readers to more closely
examine not
only the stories of Revelation and the visions of John, but ways they
are
interpreted, and the underlying conflicts that emerged between various
Christian factions as they considered Revelation's meaning. Hoybel
is also
realistic about the obstacles involved in accepting the Universalist
perspective which, at times, does not adequately address conventional
thinking
about Revelation. Hoybel's
admits
that readers of this analytical process may not always agree: "Regardless
of what people may think, I firmly stand by our analytical handling of
the
vision of John. We did not, I believe, unnecessarily cross any line
just to
come up with a perspective because I, for one, detest such fallacious
purpose.
We primarily aimed to envisage faith-ideals in the Revelation,
relentlessly
verifying the legitimacy of most mainstream beliefs resolutely attached
to
Revelation. In such endeavor, we emerged with a number of intriguing
insights,
which a person may find either very elucidating, purely speculative or
plainly
outrageous. But, however one may find these, I stand by them." With
its
well-researched attention to detail and Biblical studies and its
reference-backed approach to Biblical interpretation, Shekhins will
most likely
appeal to academics and scholars. But the book can likewise attract
students of
Biblical history and people engaged in faith discussions, both of which
will
find the discourse both well-researched and accessible. The
result is a
unique examination that presents a new hermeneutical platform for
considering
Revelation, John, and Biblical representations. It is essential reading
for not
just Christians, but anyone studying the Bible's last book, no matter
what
their religious background. Unsettled Disruption Unsettled Disruption:
Step-by-Step Guide for Harnessing the Evolving Path of Purpose-Driven
Innovation is
a treatise on global marketing, economy, and business. It represents
one of the
first books to consider the revised process of doing business on a
global
scale, post-pandemic. Many
business books center on encouraging innovative processes in
traditional
business environments, but Juana-Catalina
Rodriguez's focus
on the concept and applications of "disruptive innovation" sets her
book apart from most others in the business world. Another difference lies not only
in how she creates her framework for change, but in her exploration of
real-world, proven processes that already work within this framework. Successful brands are held up as
examples and models of a transformation processes that will offer much
food for
thought to businesses that base their own approaches on traditional,
time-tested models without innovative thinking: "IKEA
became the world’s largest furniture retailer with 445
stores worldwide and 41.3 billion Euros global revenue in 2019 due to
unique
value delivery and customer engagement. Most incumbent businesses may
hesitate
to transition to an IKEA-like model. They still fear pushing away
customers who
are unwilling to take on tasks traditionally defined as a supplier’s
responsibilities." As 'disruptors' are identified
and their methodology analyzed, Juana-Catalina Rodriguez provides
engrossing
insights into what works, what does not, and the impact of disruptive
approaches on conventional operations: "New
generation disruptors succeed by first identifying an unsolved customer
problem
and then conducting an in-depth analysis of ways to stream the value
chain and
redefine the business models using modern technologies that others
haven’t
utilized effectively. The innovative use of technologies and
unconventional
strategies crushes the incumbents as new disruptors target their
mainstream
customers even quicker than ever. Often incumbents try to avoid
disruption and
focus on sustaining what they already have. However, they fail to
identify the
job-to-be-done...for incumbents to survive the deadly disruptors, they
have to
focus more on the industry’s unattended sectors instead of flooding
resources
to create the digital versions of their analog selves, as we have seen
in many
sectors. In the next chapter, we will review some examples of
incumbents that
failed to handle disruptive innovation." While Unsettled
Disruption certainly
would have held appeal pre-Covid, its contentions, business review, and
global
perspectives hold special messages and insights post-Covid as
disruptive
techniques take center stage and demonstrate the flexibility to adapt
to
quickly-changing conditions. The result is a global marketing
guide that offers solid alternatives, different perspectives, and new
options
for those struggling with the current environment and outdated models
of
business success. Unsettled Disruption
deserves a spot in any serious
global business collection as a spot-on guide to changing the business
game in
a sustainable, purposeful manner. The
Unwanted
Dead Based
on facts
surrounding World War II politics and history, The Unwanted
Dead: The
Shocking End of Zorba's Heretical Author is recommended for
readers of
modern Greek history and romance stories, and is translated from the
Greek
original by Niki Stavrou and Franjeska Nicole Brison-Chraniotis. Its
intriguing
blend of relationships and social inspection open in 1957 Freiburg with
an
intriguing conversation between husband and wife at his deathbed: “So?
Have
you finally found your God?” Helen asked her husband in the playful
manner they
loved to talk to one another, sparking a conversation that would surely
help
him forget the pain, even momentarily. But mostly, so that she might
assess his
clarity." As
Helen (now
the widow of Nikos Kazantzakis) returns to Greece to honor her
husband's burial
wishes, she faces not only his lasting legacy and impact, but changing
events
in Athens which test the results of lifetimes she and Nikos have spent
together
and the legacy of their choices. Readers
may
think they should have a background in Greek culture or history, here,
but one
of the delights of The Unwanted Dead its that its
milieu of fiction
based on fact requires no thorough grounding in Greek events or Nikos
Kazantzakis in order to prove accessible for newcomers. (For
those
unfamiliar with Kazantzakis' work, he produced such classics as Zorba,
a
worldwide bestseller whose movie adaptation was nominated for seven
Oscars (it
won three) and The Last Temptation of Christ.
Kazantzakis was nominated
nine times for a Nobel Prize in Literature, but his country (his
powerful
enemies) lobbied against him.) What
is
required is a prior interest in either subject, and in historical
fiction which
is cemented by facts and events. As
Helen's
efforts to fulfill her husband's last wishes bring her into a struggle
she'd
never anticipated, readers receive a powerful story of the death of a
great
author and the efforts of Greek political, religious, and social forces
to
quash his legacy. Astute
in its
ability to traverse psychological, social, and political challenges, The
Unwanted Dead holds the ability to educate readers about a
potentially
complex milieu through the eyes and heart of a widow and a determined
young
journalist whose efforts keep Kazantzakis's legacy alive. Collections
strong in Greek history and literature, romance story enthusiasts who
appreciate a strong historical and cultural foundation and readers who
maintain
a special interest in contemporary Greek culture and events will find The
Unwanted Dead a complex, powerful, compelling love story. When
author
Yorgos Pratanos first began his story and researched Kazantzakis' life,
the
first thing that impressed him was their love affair. The couple was
too
progressive, even in terms of modern times. The age difference, the war
which
Nikos' ex wife declared on them, the difficulties they face together,
and the
marriage which took place after 20 years of affair all contribute to a
powerful
story based on real events. The Unwanted Dead is highly recommended reading for those who wish
to absorb the basics
of Greek influence and events in a manner that brings its history to
life
through the heartbeat and ongoing influence of a wife's enduring love,
which
leads her to both influence him and interact with Kazantzakis' editors,
lawyers
in an era where women normally didn't have much of a voice or impact. The
Valley
Spirit The
Valley Spirit: Living a Tao-inspired
Life
is recommended for
new age readers interested in meditation and transformative techniques.
It
provides a guide to Tao and Buddhist thinking that can lead readers
towards
becoming more engaged in and sensitive about the world. From
new ways
of asking good questions to make their answers better and more relevant
to
positive change, to considerations of the foundations of estrangement,
alienation, and roots, The Valley Spirit
addresses a far-ranging series of considerations affecting the process
of
personal transformation. Issues
of what
should be taken literally or figuratively and the differences between
the two,
the task of handling conditioning to become more engaged in the moment,
and
sidestepping the split between mind and body that leads to physical and
mental
challenges alike are all tackled in this Buddhist-based approach to
life. Many
books
have promoted this approach, but often neglect to cover the process of
just how
to achieve this state of mind. In contrast, The
Valley Spirit focuses on how to arrive at this place, using
the author's
own brand of nature and social inspection as a foundation for walking
in the
footsteps of his journey towards a better perspective and outcome. Moving
from
the lessons learned from practicing Tai Chi forms to how conditioning
presents
barriers to moving into different mindsets, Altschuler provides
observations
and keys that allow for movement between conventional and
transformational
thinking, focusing on finding balance points at different junctures.
This
fosters forward momentum. Connections
between Gaia, achievement, and the importance of finding answers in
direct
experience draw important links between Tai Chi and meditative
processes, and
growth-oriented transformation. The
Valley Spirit
is a process-oriented book that gently
guides readers on their own path of self-discovery. It is highly
recommended
for new age, self-help, and spirituality collections alike. The
Visionary
Brand The
Visionary Brand: The Success Formula
Behind the Worlds Most Visionary Brands
belongs in any business collection focused on branding
success, and makes a case for fostering a visionary, market-driving
force that
achieves through innovation and inspiration. From
product
visions and engagement choices to creating a disruptive, different
brand that
stands out from the crowd, Bryan Smeltzer provides a series of
admonitions that
cover the processes of a successful formula for transformation and
change. Common
business book approaches such as discussions of positioning and
market-driven
processes thus receive a unique approach that turns tradition on end to
look at
new results and how to achieve, foster, and promote different forms of
vision and
success. Smeltzer
adopts a problem-solving approach in his discussions that draws on many
real-world examples from the start. One example is his survey of how
Oakley, a
successful eyewear brand, was missing the boat on expanding their
vision to
related products. That
there are
no easy answers to pursing this vision is supported in the Oakley
example that
introduces The Visionary Brand,
where
"Oakley’s little problem became a
much bigger problem—one that would alienate some of their core
community and drive
the entire brand culture in a different direction. Both category
authenticity
and channel distribution would quickly become problems whereas they
hadn’t been
before. Oakley began to lose its cultural direction, as well as those
loyal
brand ambassadors who stuck with the brand through its evolution over
the
decades. They had loved and embraced the brand for what it was, not
what it was
becoming." What
went
wrong? As their success story becomes one that threatens to crash and
burn,
Smeltzer follows the process whereby the company changed in a different
direction before all was lost. This
and other
examples explore visions gone awry as well as those which reached for
the sky
and found the stars, providing compelling insights that business
readers and
innovators alike will find both thought-provoking and inspirational. What
makes for
"a truly visionary brand as opposed to one that loses its way" lies
at the heart of these discussions, which encourage visionary thinkers
to not
just identify visionary qualities and pursuits, but understand what
leads to
success and what threatens failure. Smeltzer's
three decades in business lend a practical, real-world side to his
theories and
visions. These help fellow business visionaries understand the
foundations of
identifying what elements are involved in a successful visionary brand. From
pricing
and promoting revolutionary products to integrating a product strategy
that
embraces short- and long-term visions, Smeltzer's approach offers
business
thinkers new ways of branding and envisioning their goals. Business
collections will find his book specific and filled with opportunities
that
visionary thinkers will find enlightening and inspirational, grounded
in the
nuts and bolts of real-world experience. Belluna's
Big
Adventure in the Sky Belluna's Big Adventure in the Sky is a
special pick for ages 4-7
and the adults reading to or encouraging them. This vivid story of a
very
different family, and a daughter who unexpectedly flies into the world,
is accompanied
by movement exercises demonstrated by Ballerina Konora, who illustrates
the story's
action. Belluna is a
basketball player, sister, and the youngest daughter in the Noollab
clan, a
happy family that loves one another. Their differences still lend a
feel of
togetherness that's reinforced by shared activities. The father
works at a
wind farm, the mother is a photographer, son Baylun enjoys ice skating,
and
Belluna loves basketball, observing that her difference from the other
kids
gives her various strengths. One activity
the
family enjoys doing together is apple picking. One day, a storm blows
in, and
Belluna's search for a basketball left behind carries her into a realm
filled
with new experiences. Belluna's
adventure
is illustrated by dance poses that encourage young readers to jump,
play, and
stretch both their bodies and their imaginations. The
activities and
exercises not only encourage kids to move, but teaches them body
language and
how they may express emotions, experiences, and adventure through
movement. Belluna's Big Adventure in the Sky
operates on many different
levels: as a fun fantasy; as a story of family togetherness and
evolving
strengths from differences; and as a movement-oriented lesson that
teaches all
ages how to interpret the written word in a different way. Adults who
choose
this story to encourage kids to move and act will find that it lends
particularly well to new forms of expression. Black Hole
Radio -
Bilaluna Black Hole Radio - Bilaluna will reach
readers ages 8-12 with a
sci-fi action story that is the second book in the series. It requires
no prior
familiarity with Hawk and Matt's previous spacefaring venture to
appreciate
their latest adventure and the newest addition to their space club,
Celeste. Matt, Hawk,
and
Celeste are summoned (via Black Hole radio) to planet Pooponic's moon,
Bilaluna, which is inhabited by giant cyborg insects from Earth. They were
forced to leave
Pooponic to find a new home on Bilaluna...now this deadly threat is
poised to
destroy their paradise. And only they can stop it. From a
planet of bugs
where a queen bee reigns, to giant cyborgs, the action and environment
are
presented via first-person observations that bring the atmosphere to
life: "The other half of the moon is a lush
tropical rainforest with jungle-like vegetation and fast-moving
streams. A
cascading, silvery waterfall adds a cool mist to the perfect landscape.
My
senses are all popping right now. Tall palm trees fan out in front of
us,
interwoven with mangrove trees and large ferns. Underneath those,
beautiful
over-sized orchids and flowers grow in crazy colors, I’ve never even
imagined." This is
especially
notable because Black Hole Radio -
Bilaluna is not only an adventure sci-fi story, but "cli-fi"
that
considers threats and changes to the world's ecology. Having these
images of a
lush environment come alive for readers is one of the draws of cli-fi
reading. Ann
Birdgenaw does
more than create a rollicking good read. She incorporates ecological
threats
and concerns into a bigger picture that shows how these young
adventurers
become involved in saving the environment—and why. Young
readers will be
attracted by the action and extraordinary environment, but underlying
the
adventure is a sense of passion about seeing things differently and
helping
others do the same. These
facets,
combined with engaging black and white illustrations by E.M. Roberts
that
pepper the story and capture its action, make for a sci-fi read with
underlying
important messages. These include different causes, foreign invaders,
and environmental
concerns that go beyond entertainment value alone (of which there is
plenty) to
help young readers consider how their choices lead to different
outcomes. Middle grade
sci-fi
readers and collections that wish to include readings about
environmental
degradation and outside threats will find Black
Hole Radio - Bilaluna not just a satisfying story, but an
excellent sequel
to the first book, whether it's chosen as a stand-alone acquisition or
a series
addition. Bobos
Babes
Adventures: A Magical Halloween Bobos
Babes Adventures: A Magical
Halloween
joins others in
the Bobos Babes picture book series, inviting attention from young
readers who
enjoy stories of magical, close-knit families. Halloween
is
being celebrated in the land of Harmony, and the Babes are all set for
a good
time. As
a
rollicking rhyme follows the sisters through a world of talking
ladybugs,
costume challenges, and transformations that only Halloween could
represent,
young readers receive a lively and detailed story that focuses on fun,
laughter, and shared experiences rather than scary encounters. Parents,
too,
will find the rhyme and sisters' interactions lend to read-aloud
enjoyment that
offers a different take on Halloween celebrations. As
spells
bring enjoyment and fun into their celebrations, all ages will relish
the
colorful, whimsical drawings by Jazinel Libranda that bring the lively
sisters
and their Halloween encounters to life. Once
again, the
Bobos Babes feature fun-loving, sassy, joyful, and magical girls who
embrace
each other and new experiences as they enjoy an especially surprising
holiday
celebration that exceeds their expectations. Adults
who
want to impart a sense of togetherness and shared fun beyond the usual
focus on
Halloween horror will welcome the opportunity to present youngsters
with a more
positive survey of Halloween's possibilities for enjoyment and
interaction. Bobos
Babes Adventures: A Magical
Halloween
is a delightful
adventure that will keep kids (and their read-aloud parents) smiling
throughout. Bonez Advanced
elementary to middle grade readers interested in a story of action and
adventure will find Bonez a fine
leisure read choice. It explores friendship, achievement, and what
happens when
a "wild card," a good guy, and a cool guy find that their interests
lead them to compete in the activity they all love: skating. One
note about Bonez is that it
presents
a different, more succinct format to its dialogue and interactions than
many
written for this age group. Thus,
its descriptive language and dialogue are both presented and punctuated
differently: "We open up the story
with Quigz in a laughter. Then a slap to his back from Essie right
after. Quigz
– Hey, what was that for? I’m just trying to get Bonez to man up. He
just needs
to be smooth and be like, hey Peep what’s up." This
jovial mix of street lingo, slapstick humor, and metaphor create an
inviting
alternative to traditional methods of description and dialogue,
inviting kids
to partake of the flavor of action sparked by an attention to
rhyme—albeit not
presented in the usual verse structure. As
Bonez, Essie, Peep, and Quigz interact with each other and their peers,
lessons
about good intentions, slowing down to let feelings and relationships
develop,
and facing the world with revised approaches imparts gentle lessons to
ages 8
and older: "Bonez and Peep had a
moment where they both felt whole. Life slowed down for a minute; it
felt like
everything was in their control." Spiced
with compelling black and white drawings by Amber L. Luecke, the
lessons
learned by these young characters are outlined in admonitions about the
value
of hard work, positive thinking and focus, and staying true to
yourself, among
many others. The
result is a story that embraces with action, warms the heart with
friendship
encounters, and imparts the basics of better living through examples
that are
intriguing and filled with action. A
workbook of puzzles and activities at the end reinforces the story's
lessons. "The search for purpose and
meaning in life is everyone's true goal." Bonez
provides young people with keys on how to reach for better
living as it demonstrates how to work out problems in life with an eye
to
options that lead to a superior future. The
Defenders of
Dembroch: The Sinners Solemnities Book 1 of
the
Defenders of Dembroch series, The Age of
Dames and Knights, provided young adult readers with an epic
fantasy
surrounding Nick and his friends, who become involved with politics and
struggles in The Timeless Kingdom of Dembroch as adults, having been
named
knights and dames of the Reserves in their youth. Book 2
focuses on the
Queen of Dembroch's efforts to catch her husband's killer and stop the
threatening Sinners’ Solemnities rituals, which occur every thirty
years, when
a bloodbath is unleashed and evil tries to reclaim the world. Robbie and
Lucy have
discovered that their grandfather's writings and experiences are true
when they
are magically transported from America to Scotland. Older sister Lucy
is only
seven and Robbie a toddler, but they are already facing a threat that
Nick is
compelled to address, as they are his precocious grandchildren, and
their
journey is partially due to his stories. Can Nick, in
his old
age, enter the fray once again to prevent disaster from recurring? Patrick
Harris shifts
points of view to capture these stories, from the Queen's bodyguard to
Nick,
his grandchildren, and the citizens of Dembroch, who are the defenders
of their
home against the Sinners’ Solemnities. From the
hidden and
elusive King's Killer and his command over the Stricken Men to Meghan's
imprisonment by the Arborists and her struggles with unexpected and
unfamiliar
powerlessness, young adult fantasy readers will find this story filled
with
twists and turns, memorable characters, and mercurial special interests
that
keep them on their toes. Harris is
adept at
painting a full-bodied portrait of a kingdom struggling with different
factions
of social and political change. He adopts
just the
right blend of social inspection and individual challenge to keep
readers
engaged not just in one central character, but the evolving lives and
predicaments of a host of believable, memorable people whose realities
and
perceptions are different. While,
ideally, The Defenders of Dembroch: The
Sinners
Solemnities will be enjoyed by prior fans of The
Age of Dames and Knights, it is also accessible to young
newcomers who will find it easy to enter this world through the simple
recaps
of characters and events of the past that Harris provides at the
beginning of
the saga. Standing
well on its
own, but also complimenting and expanding its predecessor, The Defenders of Dembroch: The Sinners Solemnities
is a recommended
pick for young adult into adult fantasy collections; especially those
strong in
epic adventures powered by young peoples' perceptions and strengths. Emma and the
Lady
Aardvarks Emma and the Lady Aardvarks is a time
travel adventure about
climate change and a mystical forest that features sister Aardvarks,
who arrive
in the mystical forest quite by accident when their time travel
adventure goes
awry. Emma and the
Lady
Aardvarks adds another book to Trisha Sugarek's Fabled Forest series
for
advanced elementary to early middle grade readers. Sugarek's
Emma and
the Lady Aardvarks is both whimsical and thought-provoking and will
delight and
attract fiction and nonfiction young readers alike, as a new mandate to
save
the planet emerges. The
aardvarks meet
friendly elves, fairies, farm girl Emma, and a host of creatures who
inhabit a
rare habitat, indeed. Annie is the shy one. Her braver sister Agnes has
always
protected her young sister, but even she quakes at the strange
creatures and
dialogues that emerge at the beginning of their new adventure. Trisha
Sugarek's
dialogue and setting is anything but predictable, from a
Spanish-speaking
spider to a host of characters who greet the skittish sisters
Aardvarks: “Patsy, where are your manners?”
Donald
strolled over to Patsy. “Everyone is welcome in the fabled forest, as
long as
they come in peace.” “Dios mio, how do we know they come in peace,
pequeño? Se
ven como bandidos!” Donald laughed, “No
they are not bandits, Patsy. Don’t be silly.” Colorful
drawings
bring the forest and its creatures to life as Sugarek spins a colorful
yarn,
from a magical portal that discharges a posse of puppies to the
injection of facts
about extinction, global warming, and threats to wildlife. While
Sugarek's
Fabled Forest milieu has been explored previously in five prior
adventures, it
should be noted that newcomers need have no prior familiarity with its
creatures or history in order to appreciate this warm fantasy of a
magical
place and a mandate to try to stop climate change's impact. Young
readers just
past the picture book stage will find the peppering of colorful
drawings a fine
embellishment to a tale that weaves elements of fantasy and reality
into a
thought-provoking adventure. Fever
Dreams and
the End of All Things Fever Dreams and
the End of All Things is
Book 2 in the Where Dragonwoofs
Sleep and the Fading Creeps series, and gives teen and young
adult sword
and sorcery fantasy readers an epic journey through the magical realm
of
Meridia. Ben,
Avery, and
Marcus haven't visited this world since they stopped the Fading, but
they are
again called upon to thwart a new threat posed by The Ghastly Three,
who are
searching for a powerful artifact that can help them reshape the world. A.
J. Massey
populates this world with the unexpected, from a razor octopus ("a
gigantic
red creature with eight tentacles, each covered in what appeared to be
sharp,
jagged blades") to talking goats who impart wise observations
to those
who would listen. The
host of
magical encounters and vivid, action-packed scenes that permeate this
story
will keep young adults engaged and on their toes as unexpected
encounters with
ghouls, dragonwoofs, and more unfold. Massey
excels at
creating vivid scenarios, demanding circumstances, and unexpected
twists and
turns that challenge young heroes to engage in the biggest battle of
their
lives. As
magic is
wielded and altered on both sides, the young people come into their
strengths
as they are tested again and again, inching forward to make a
difference, once
more, in this world's survival. The
blend of
vivid action, unexpected creatures and threats, and power plays that
lead each
hero to question their purpose and abilities makes for engrossing
reading
indeed. The
lessons on
personal empowerment and perseverance are subtly woven into a fantasy
adventure
that's hard to put down, but holds underlying messages and meaning
peppered
throughout: “Why did the Creator choose us?” Ben asked.
“Maybe he thought we
had something in common with him,” Marcus said. “But I really think
it’s
because he knew we could save Meridia.” Kids
who like
coming-of-age fantasy stories packed with confrontation and action, yet
tempered with a philosophical flavor, will find Fever Dreams
and the End of
All Things a fine choice. Gallant:
The Call of the Trail Gallant: The Call of the
Trail is recommended for
horse-crazy teens
who enjoy stories of
girl/horse bonds and adversity. It tells of Gallant and Gracie, who are
separated by an accident when Gallant is five. Each pursues similar
courses of
interest in the horse world in a story that centers on not the usual
racing
scenario, but endurance riding. Another
difference that sets Gallant apart
from other horse stories is chapter titles that are revealing and
intriguing.
"How Was She Supposed to Say Goodbye," "We Won't Risk You Being
Hurt Again," and "I Think That Maybe I Did a Terrible Thing" are
a few examples of chapters that serve as captivating introductions to
their
stories. Another
draw is a shifting point of view that covers Gallant's perceptions and
feelings
as well as Gracie's: "Gallant wanted
to tell them his fear was valid. He had been hurt before, but he
realized they
probably didn’t care. They just saw him as a big baby who knew nothing
and
feared everything." As
Gallant and Gracie evolve separately and learn to become winners once
more, the
story pursues their independent learning processes, other
relationships, and
the irony of their life directions as each absorbs the kinds of lessons
that
will ultimately lead them to meet up in the future. Exceptional
black and white drawings by Phylicia Mann pepper the story and bring
horse and
girl to life. The specifics of endurance riding training add to the
story line
and are especially notable because relatively few horse stories depict
anything
other than the horse racing world. As
Gracie plots to reunite with Gallant and finds out that her parents
have been
keeping a secret from her about his whereabouts and ownership, she
seeks to
make her dreams come true against all odds. Claire
Eckard's focus on horse, girl, and
how each evolves and grow makes for a thoroughly engrossing story.
Especially
compelling are the moments in which Gallant begins to understand truths
about
cruelty and beauty in the world and those in it, whether they be
animals or
humans: "He was turning something
beautiful into something demeaning. He couldn’t understand how Flash
could be
so handsome on the outside and so ugly on the inside." While
Gallant
is about Gracie and Gallant's efforts to reconnect, and their
independent
lives, it's also about how each learn to cope without one another, and
with the
forces that influence their lives. Teens
are in for a treat with a horse
story that embraces psychological and horse training milieus that other
horse
tales for teens don't begin to touch. Collections catering to this
audience
will appreciate the story's special focuses and added attractions. Grigor,
the Competitive Tyrannosaur who Roared and Roared Picture
books about dinosaurs are a dime a dozen, and those that cover
achievement and
boasting abound. But, pair the two subjects and add the full-page,
colorful
drawings by Phil Wohlrab for an even more attractive experience that
young
readers and their read-aloud parents will find particularly engrossing. Grigor
is a little Tyrannosaur who is overly competitive. In fact, he's not
happy
unless he's the best in everything
he
does. And, he usually is. The
problem is...Grigor can play sports, but he's not a good
sport. In fact, he's a sore loser. And
whenever he loses, he roars in anger and despair. As
readers move through Grigor's reactions to not being the best and not
winning all
the time, adults will have much opportunity to reinforce the story's
gentle
lessons on adversity, attitude, and handling failure gracefully. Grigor
over-reacts to many things, but his tendency to roar begins to put off
even
fellow supportive players. These
insights into how attitude affects friendships, team efforts, and
ultimately
success are transmitted through fun illustrations that get the point
across as
they follow the various scenarios in which Grigor expresses his
disappointment
in his team and in himself. Read-aloud
parents looking to instill examples of good and bad sportsmanship will
find the
appealing drawings and Grigor's dino dilemma to be just the ticket for
some
pointed discussions. Hao and Sabine Buy
the World's Currencies Hao and Sabine Buy the World's Currencies
is a global trot through
the world's currencies that provides all ages with insights not into
the usual
valuation details of money, but the main motifs of money and how
countries
choose designs for their banknotes and coins. The
characters who
populate this journey aren't just Trinbagonian residents nine-year-old
Hao
Finley Lee and his younger sister Sabine Yi Lee, but include an
astronaut, a
millionaire, a museum curator and a chef, and even a "fairy." The
currency-purchasing adventure that Hao and Sabine embark upon follows
them
through different countries around the world as they uncover
geographical and
numismatic facts. Sidebars
with quotes
and data and an intensely visual format enhance the wealth of
information on
places, peoples, history, and currency development that are packed into
this
book. Good-sized
color
photos of the fronts and backs of selected world currencies are
accompanied by
explanations of their design and the choices that went into the final
product. Adults (as
well as
middle grades and older) will find that Hao
and Sabine Buy the World's Currencies requires slow reading
to fully
absorb. It would be daunting, were it not for the compelling
illustrations
throughout, the use of sidebars to impart quotes and other details, and
Sabine,
Hao, and others' insights. More than
the usual
discussion of world history and currency, Hao
and Sabine Buy the World's Currencies imparts facts in a
lively manner that
supplements many insights with the give-and-take of family members and
others
who navigate this world's diverse cultures (“The food here in Vietnam
is sooooo
good!”—SY, drinking pho (a traditional flat rice
noodle soup) “Uh-huh! I’m
really
liking this bún chả*.
Mummy, Daddy, thanks for getting us also some new non-las.”—HF “You’re
welcome. I
hope the original artworks that we just bought will arrive home without
damage.”—Mummy “Don’t forget the soy
sauce and vermicelli from Cu Da Village.”—SY"). The result
is a
wide-ranging account that demands much in the way of absorbing history,
but
provides solid returns with an unusual format that lends to
attention-grabbing
insights. Hao and Sabine Buy the World's Currencies
is highly recommended for
all ages interested not just in money or its history, but in different
cultures. Hummer If
Hummer
sounds familiar, that's because this is the 30th Anniversary re-launch
of a
middle-grade children's story that was nominated for both the Mark
Twain Award
and the Golden Sowers Award. Its appearance with a bright new cover,
new pencil
drawings, and newly revised writing will reach contemporary audiences
with a
story just as winning as it was when it was originally published. Twelve-year-old
Hummer's home life is anything but stable. From a mentally ill mother
and a
pigsty of a home to a father who lives in their barn, only the presence
of a
runaway Arabian horse enters her life as a potentially positive event. The
horse that
she's named Fox belongs to Old Man Riley, who normally wouldn't let
anyone
touch his prized animal. But as Hummer places her hopes and impossible
dreams
on her new find, her life begins to change: "Everything would
probably
start solving itself with Fox around, Hummer thought. Leona would
surely start
coming out of the house again to watch Hummer ride, and Virgil would
want to
take them to horse shows." Between
what is
fantasy and impossible and what can become a new reality lie hopes and
dreams
that Hummer cultivates successfully. This process, plus descriptions of
her
life on the farm, comes to life in a warm story that is delightful in
its
realistic scenarios and characters. Linda
Gruenberg
explores Hummer's struggles with family mental illness, dysfunction,
and her
own role in the world. Hummer's horse-loving personality succeeds in
confronting many things around her, and these facets also emerge as
middle
grade readers receive a realistic story of challenges and changes. It's
easy to see
why Hummer was nominated for awards. Gruenberg's
winning story of a
young girl's determination to succeed against all odds, Hummer's
unusual
friendship with a gruff old man challenged to go against his nature,
and her
ability to see the good in adversity makes this more than another story
of a
horse-crazy girl, but a compelling tale of success that proves hard to
put
down. Its
reappearance
in new form for new generations is to be celebrated as Hummer makes the
kinds
of choices that lead to unexpectedly positive results against all odds.
It's
the kind of success story young people especially need today more than
ever. The
Jayhawker
Cleveland Young
adults
who enjoy historical stories set in 1800s America will find The Jayhawker Cleveland: Phantom Horseman of
the Prairie holds all the elements of a compelling tale. It's
based on
newspaper reports of a notorious 1860s figure who liberated slaves and
horses
alike during the Kansas Missouri Border War. Contrasts
between the Free State of Kansas and the slave milieu of neighboring
Missouri
come to life in a saga that follows The Jayhawker (a.k.a. Charles Metz)
as he
assumes various personas and names and fosters causes in an era ruled
by
sickness and social clashes alike. A
stint in
prison changes Metz's feelings about slavery, and his evolving new
perspective
comes to life: “Slaves are property,”
said Metz, “according to Missouri law. Like horses or wagons, and we
have that
pro-slaver Buchanan as president who uses the Army to enforce that
law.” “When
I get out in a year or so,” said Moore, “I plan to break that law. I’ll
head to
Kansas and join the fight. We’re little more than slaves in here,
painting the
prison walls or hired out to work for farmers across the river.” “At
least you
have a date to look forward to for your freedom,” said Metz. “Slaves
have no
future to look forward to. I didn’t have much of an opinion, one way or
another
about the slavery question, but now that I am looking at three years
behind
bars I can better imagine their plight.” Young
adults
who follow this shifting perspective absorb not only the history and
biography
of this figure and his times, but the political participants in the
process of
a transformation that changed
hearts and
minds: “We’re going to Missouri. We’ve
all had enough of the slavers and border ruffians coming over here and
terrifying peaceful settlers.” Men cheered. Some waved pistols or big
knives in
the air as Jennison continued. “I, Charles Jennison, commissioned by
Governor
Robinson as Lieutenant Colonel, say that we do not care about your past
political opinions. No man will be persecuted because he differs from
us, but
now, neutrality is ended. If you are patriots, you must fight. If you
are
traitors, you will be punished. The time for fighting has come. Every
man who
feeds, harbors, protects, or in any way gives aid and comfort to the
enemies of
the Union will be held responsible for his treason, with his life and
property.” The
story unfolds
with much drama and historical information, but involves young people
in issues
ranging from political and legal decision-making to the story of how
one man's
versatility and changing presence influenced the outcome of slavery and
freedom
in two states. The
author's
concluding notes provides exceptional insights into why he chose his
subject,
how he researched events, and the challenges of pursuing facts based on
newspaper reports alone ("Hours of
searching might produce a single paragraph, or nothing at all."). While
the
result will educate and intrigue young readers of American history, it
also
provides discussion material and food for thought as it follows this
vivid
personality through his last ride. The
Cleveland
legend comes to life under David Hann's hand. It is highly recommended
reading
for all ages...anyone that looks for research-based fiction on early
legal,
political, and social issues in 1800s America. Kindreds Teen
readers
will discover that sixteen-year-old newly orphaned Lilah has a
lot on her
plate, despite her youth. She's moving into foster care, but with the
support
of something familiar in the way of her deceased twin brother's best
friend
Joey. She falls into a different world that provides her with revised
options
and some challenging choices. And she needs to learn to not only follow
her
heart, but sometimes overcome its impulses with logic. Kindreds
is about finding family and connections in unusual places. It
cultivates a
secret, revealing a hidden world and a scenario in which Lilah must
take into
consideration her future and her impulse to change and take control of
it. As
Lilah follows
Joey, uninvited, into a strange new world, she's forced to not only
make some
special decisions about her future, but acknowledge her own heart's
different
direction...something even Joey wonders about: “I would’ve
brought you here
myself if I thought it was the right thing to do. I just didn’t think
this was
something you’d be into,” he said." One
of the
messages B.B. Russell imparts in this powerful story is how to discern
the true
course of one's own heart from its connections with others. Despite
Lilah's
inclinations, she must make her own choices and accept their
consequences: "She
did love him, but she had lied. She wasn’t joining Nolianna, at least
not
without a fight." As
the story
progresses, Russell does an excellent job of outlining these choices,
Lilah's
pressures and influences to make them, and the evolution of her own
individuality in the face of both romantic and social pressures. In
addition to
being a fine story about new possibilities, change, and transformation,
Kindreds
is about self-empowerment in the face of manipulation and lies. It
shows how
individuals can rise above both influences and their own emotional
conundrums
to reach for better outcomes in their lives. Teens
need such
messages in this turbulent world as they enter into society and love. Kindreds
outlines the process whereby Lilah embarks on an adventure that leads
her not
only to examine her own heart, but make the kinds of choices that sync
with who
she wants to be. It
should be
advised that Kindreds leaves the door more than
ajar for more. Teens who
enjoy Lilah's life and adventure will welcome this opportunity, while
collections that eschew the often-abrupt mercurial conclusions of a
stated
series opener will appreciate the definitive conclusions in this
initial
encounter. Morning Puppa Australian
Shepherd dog Puppa likes nothing better than a warm cup of tea in his
favorite
mug, in the mornings. When he discovers that cup missing, one day, he
decides
to ask his crocodile friend Matcha to help him recover the purloined
porcelain. But,
mysteriously, Matcha is also missing...as is monkey Earl, and his other
friends. Why
are so many
beloved things vanishing from Puppa's life? Even food has gone missing,
and his
tummy is rumbling. P.
Anastasia
does a fine job of building the dilemma and tension in a picture book
story
that presents Puppa's startling discoveries in what must be the worst
morning
of his life. Zoe
Saunders
brings her story to life with large-size, colorful, whimsical
illustrations
that keep kids and read-aloud parents engaged and wondering about the
outcome
of Puppa's terrible day. A mystery, an
adventure, and a warm-hearted story of a problem-solving pup contribute
to a
gentle tale that kids will find absorbing and fun. Old Kicker
Legs:
Color Wars The third title in the Old Kicker Legs
series, Old
Kicker Legs:
Color Wars holds appeal for ages 12 and older with its
thought-provoking
story of a family in crisis. Cousin
Charlie is
like a brother to Toni. Old Kicker Legs is their grandfather. And,
everyone around
them seems somewhat unsettled as the story unfolds. Robert
Rubenstein
paints many dark pictures of disparate family relationships and
interactions,
but these forces come across as realistic. They depict to readers of
all ages how
these relationships translate to different responses by the next
generation,
from Charlie's feeling that "he was a bad person" to the power Old
Kicker Legs wields to change things for good or bad. As the Color
Wars open,
seasons and life change. Old Kicker Legs seems to be getting meaner. As
an evil
curse and karma collide and sibling rivals "race the wind," the games
begin and a curse's force is tested. When will Old Kicker Legs be happy
again?
When everything changes. Old Kicker Legs: Color Wars is
intellectually demanding, and not
the simple picture book presentation its shorter length and colorful
pictures
portend. A family's
hurt,
estrangement, and alienation are themes that come to life during the
course of family
changes and movements. Best
employed as a
read-aloud with adult guidance for younger audiences, Old
Kicker Legs: Color Wars holds many messages about family
connections, dysfunction, and interactions which will best be pursued
by adults
and young readers working together to absorb its underlying messages. Oliver and the
Wishing Star Oliver
and the Wishing Star is a fun picture book which opens with
Oliver's wish to go play instead of doing his homework. A savvy mother
catches
him before he goes out the door and insists that he forego swimming
with his
friend Finn in favor of walking the dog and then doing his homework. It's
simply
unfair, Oliver thinks. So unfair, that he must be cursed.
The curse lies in not living a carefree life like his dog,
and in having to do all the work of a human. What
happens
when he breaks the rules and wishes for a different life? Trouble. Chrish
Vindhy
provides good-size, colorful, captivating illustrations that bring
Oliver's
dilemma and problems to life. As
Oliver
searches for happiness, he slowly comes to realize its elusive nature
and why
he should feel gratitude for who he is and the creature comforts of his
life. Parents
who
choose Oliver
and the Wishing Star as a read-aloud for the very young will
find it a detailed story that holds an exciting adventure, a fantasy
encounter,
and a lesson. The humor
wound into
this tale of a dog's life adds fun moments into a quasi-serious
inspection of
what it takes to recognize the good aspects of one's reality. Dog-loving
picture
book readers are in for a treat. Pep
the Galapagos Tortoise Pep the Galapagos Tortoise
tells of a shy little tortoise
who seems an unlikely hero of his island family and friends. But
children ages
three to eight receive a surprise as Pep confronts island invaders to
save his
home. Jose
Simbaña and Ellen Griffiths provide a delightful picture book saga that
receives intriguing illustrations by Jenna Riggs as it pairs Galapagos
Islands
natural history facts with a fictional story of how one young tortoise
can make
a difference. The
idea is to pair this message about individual strength with facts about
the
islands' natural world. There's also a component of real-world threat
described
as invaders attempt to steal the tortoises from their island home. There
is a wealth of information about various Galapagos creatures in the
back of the
book that support young geography and natural history learners with
maps and
animal facts. The
underlying message of how one shy individual can make a difference
through some
creative thinking, friendships, and problem-solving activism is just as
valuable as the real-world Galapagos exploration portrait, and will
delight
read-aloud parents and independent readers, as well. Please
Don't Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit Picture
book readers ages 2-8, and adults who choose this story for read-aloud,
will
find Please Don't Tell Cooper That Jack
is a Rabbit a winning story about a rescue dog who decides to
make his
escape from his beloved home when he spies something irresistible
outside the
fenced yard: a rabbit. A
fun rhyme follows Cooper's escape and efforts to catch the bunny ("Don’t get me wrong, his intentions are
kind./It’s making a buddy that he has on his mind."). As
pursued and
pursuer race through town, causing havoc all around them, they discover
their
shared passion indicates that a new friend has been found. Anna
Mosca's lovely, colorful illustrations capture the whimsy and messages
of
Michelle Lander Feinberg's story about an unusual interspecies
friendship. Kids
receive a warm story of "...connections made where differences had
been" in a tale that covers similarities, differences, the elements of
friendship and relationships, and the process of being a "true pal." Parents
who choose this story for read-aloud will find it offers many
opportunities for
discussions on how to view and accept differences while building
meaningful
relationships. From
information on pet adoption to discussions of diversity, acceptance,
and
overcoming obstacles, Please Don't Tell
Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit embraces many themes that lend
to
opportunities for enlightenment for the very young. Why Can't
Sophomore
Summer Be Like Pizza? Why Can't Sophomore Summer Be Like Pizza?
adds the fourth book to
the Pizza Chronicles series for teen readers, continuing the story of
RV as he
embarks on a summer job, learns to drive, and continues to evolve. Unlike in
previous
books, Mr. Aniso, RV’s freshmen-year teacher, is away for the summer.
This leaves
RV to navigate his world without the injections of wisdom that Mr.
Aniso always
provided. Though RV
has had
numerous adventures in the past, newcomers who pick up this latest book
receive
a solid grounding in RV's world, and won't feel lost as they read of
the
now-sixteen-year-old's latest experiences. Andy Roamer
does an
exceptional job of exploring the emotions of a boy on the cusp of
adulthood: "Do I feel like an adult?
Sometimes.
And sometimes I still feel like that scared, confused kid with so much
to learn
about life." It's a new
summer, a
new beginning, and RV has learned to adapt his relationship with Bobby
to
different circumstances. Roamer is adept at presenting these and other
conundrums as a LBGTQ boy moves into the world, cognizant not only of
his
growth, but the changing milieu around him: "Bobby’s
hand was resting on the rock right next to mine. I wanted to place my
hand on
top of his, connecting to that moment a year ago. But I didn’t dare.
This was a
different summer. And a different beginning. “Crazy how things change,”
Bobby
said. “Who would have thought the beginning of this summer would be so
different? Last year we said it was magic. This year—” He stopped, and
his
voice grew quieter. “This year it’s about my trying to be a human being
again.”
As RV
explores
various aspects of his own growth, his mandate to make his father happy
and
proud, and his evolving life, teens receive a memorable story that
inspects all
these relationships during a pivotal summer that places the protagonist
on his
own as he troubleshoots his emotions and wonders why his life feels
especially
difficult, compared to some. When an
incident at a
pond brings up questions of courage and choosing what is right, young
adults
receive a fine inspection of growth and love that introduce RV and
readers to
new opportunities and challenges. The strength
of Why Can't Sophomore Summer Be Like Pizza?
lies in a powerful first-person voice that both narrates experiences
and questions
their impact and the protagonist's choices. It's a
thought-provoking, emotion-filled read that adopts a personal
inspection often
elusive in male teen characters, and will delight young adults looking
for an
evocative story that is revealing, candid, and growth-oriented. While Why Can't Sophomore Summer Be Like Pizza?
can stand without its predecessors, teens will want to pursue the
entire series
in chronological order to gain a sense of why this summer of RV's
sixteenth
year is so pivotal. Yellow
on Blonde Yellow on Blonde will appeal to readers of family stories involving
mixed ethnicities.
It tells of two sisters, Celeste Reyes in Los Angeles and Molly Reyes
in the
Philippines, who reach across vast distances and divides to establish
new
connections. Young
adult
readers receive a nice contrast between not only the two girls'
personalities,
but their different cultures before they meet. They come together with
revised
views of family and their place both within its larger context and in
their
relationship with one another. Family
is not a
connection Celeste has valued in the past, but when her set and
successful
world changes with the breakup of her romance and a car accident, she
embarks
on a physical and mental journey that brings her into Molly's world. Each
character
has a very different life and perspective on how to live it. Each
navigates
her own emotional needs and transformation in a different way, while
moving
closer to the kinds of family connections that strengthen their lives. As
Celeste moves
nearer to Molly in many different ways, young adults receive a story of
understanding and second changes that embrace forgiveness and the
emotional
experience and costs of depression. Celeste's journey fosters better
understanding, coping, and new possibilities for them both. King
creates a
moving saga that inspects intercultural relationships and family
conditions.
The very different personalities, upbringings, and focuses of Molly and
Celeste
come to life under his hand, capturing each character's revised
circumstances: "She
used to feel that there was always something to look forward to, and
that
helped motivate her with her schoolwork. That was gone now." Young adults
interested in stories about depression, family changes, multicultural
settings,
and teen romances gone wry will find many lessons and much food for
thought in Yellow
on Blonde as Celeste finds her way into a new world and Molly
cultivates
new understanding of her sister's dilemmas and attitudes towards life
and
family.
Return
to Index
Chuck
Augello
Black Rose
Writing
978-1-68433-826-9
$18.85
Black
Rose Writing
Return
to Index
Rick Goeld
GGFC Properties
LLC
978-0-9829453-9-1
$13.95 Paper/$6.95 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/COVID-SEASONS-Rick-Goeld/dp/0982945388
Return
to Index
Yancey Williams
YPress
978-0-9860316-5-6
$10.00 Paper/$7.00 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Crosshairs-Devil-Yancey-Williams/dp/0986031658
Return
to Index
Harlin Hailey
Independently
Published
978-1530066339
harlinhailey@gmail.com
Return
to Index
Nina
Navisky
28 Leaves
Press
978-1-7376972-1-3
$15.99 print/$3.99 ebook
www.ninanavisky.com
Return
to Index
Eva Silverfine
Black Rose
Writing
978-1-68433-821-4
$18.95
Website: www.blackrosewriting.com/books
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Bury-Your-Dog-Silverfine-ebook/dp/B09BRH1H2N
Return
to Index
Kevin Casebier
Vinings House
Press
978-1-7377716-1-6
Website: https://viningshousepress.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JFR35LP
Return
to Index
Daphne Birkmyer
Atmosphere Press
978-1639880300
$19.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.atmospherepress.com
Return
to Index
Oliver Greeves
Independently Published
9780645023701
$18.95
Paper/$5.99 Kindle
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Nelsons-Folly-Oliver-Greeves/dp/0645023701
Author website: www.fannynelsonfan.com
Return
to Index
Keith Madsen
Black Widow Books
978-1-7372037-7-3
$5.99 ebook
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/searching-for-eden
Return
to Index
Lindy Miller
Rosewind
978-1-64548-078-5
$14.95
Paper/$4.99 ebook
www.RosewindRomance.com
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to Index
Stacy Russo
Wild Librarian
Press
978-1-7376759-0-7
$16.95
Paperback/$10.99 E-book
www.wildlibrarianpress.com
Return
to Index
Barry Lee
Swanson
Boat House
Productions
978-1-7372855-1-9
$18.03 Paper/$28.95 Hardcover
www.boathouseproductionsnc.com
Return
to Index
Rosemary
Nichols
Atmosphere
Press
978-1639889969
$18.99
www.atmospherepress.com
Return
to Index
Helen
Schwartz
Independently
Published
979-8527353198
$10.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook
Website: helenschwartz.com
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/THIEVES-PARIS-Helen-Schwartz/dp/B098W7B1HL
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to Index
Ekta Garg
Atmosphere Press
978-0996443227
$13.95 paper/$7.99 ebook
www.atmospherepress.com
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Jenny Knipfer
Independently
Published
978-1-7333202-8-3
$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Under-Weeping-Willow-Sheltering-Trees-ebook/dp/B09BXBTCJW
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to Index
Rebecca Chianese
Mt. Nittany
Press/Eifrig Publishing
978-1-63233-277-6
Paperback: $16.99/Hardcover:
$29.99/ebook: $7.99
https://www.eifrigpublishing.com/products/unspoken
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Barbara Anne King
Cypress Point Press
978-1-7335369-7-4
$4.99 e-book; $16.99 print
Website: author@barbaraanneking.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
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to Index
Karthik Sekar, PhD
Independently
Published
978-0-578-94430-2
$30.00
Hardcover/$18.00 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.aftermeatbook.com
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to Index
Mike Kowis, Esq.
Lecture PRO
Publishing
978-1-7328630-4-0
$9.99
Paper/$2.99 Kindle
www.mikekowis.com
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to Index
Beatriz M.
Robles
Authors Press
978-1-64314-517-4
Paperback:
$12.99/Hardcover: $19.99/E-book: $3.99
Website: http://www.beatriz-robles.com/
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Artwords-Beatriz-M-Robles/dp/1643145177
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John M. Hinck,
PhD, Compiler
Bookpress
Publishing
978-1-947305-35-9
www.BookpressPublishing.com
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William N. Brown, PhD
Springer and NewChannel Education
978-981-16-0653-3
$59.99
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Chinese-Dream-Decades-Following-dp-9811606560/dp/9811606560
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Ken Sayles
Morgan James
Publishing
9781631956133
$16.95
Website: www.coachrunwin.com
Ordering: www.amazon.com
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Tessa Bridal
Invisible Ink
978-1-73693860-7
$16.99 (paperback); $9.99 (ebook)
Website: https://tessabridal.com/
Ordering link: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Side-Memory-Disappeared-Searching/dp/1736938606/
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Carl Orsbourn
and Meredith Sandland
Amplify
Publishing/Mascot Books
978-1-64543-949-3
$26.95 Hardcover/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Digital-Restaurant-Roadmap-Future/dp/1645439488
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Ashley Elliot
with Michael J. Coffino
Köehlerbooks
978-1-64663-430-9
$26.95
Hardcover/$18.95 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.koehlerbooks.com
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Fred Stuvek, Jr.
Triumvirate Press
978-1732306073
$14.99
Website: www.fredstuvek.com
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Leadership-Examples-Successful-Leaders/dp/1732306079/
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Anthony E. Shaw
Atmosphere Press
978-1639880560
$17.99 Paper/$7.99 Kindle
www.atmospherepress.com
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Josh Malerman
Earthling
Publications
978-1-7369284-2-4
$75.00 (Limited Edition)
www.earthlingpub.com
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to Index
Robert Ornstein with Sally M. Ornstein
Malor Books
978-1-949358-99-5
$24.99 Paper/$14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/God-4-0-Nature-Consciousness-Experience/dp/1949358992
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Ronald Chase
Logos Verlag (Berlin)
978-3-8325-5347-0
34.00
Euro
https://www.logos-verlag.com/cgi-bin/engbuchmid?isbn=5347&lng=eng&id=
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Brian Icenhower
Wiley
978-1119801856
$28.00
https://www.amazon.com/High-Performing-Real-Estate-Team-Dramatically/dp/1119801850
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to Index
Sherman Haggerty
Izzard Ink
Publishing
9781642280685
$27.95 Hardcover/$19.95
Paper/$9.99 Kindle
www.izzardink.com
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Edited by
Carol Burmeister, René DeLoss, Ruth Prystash, and Rebecca Silva
AAPC Publishing
9781956110036
$19.95 Paper/$9.99 ebook
www.aapcautismbooks.com
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J Ward
Anderson
Telemachus Press
978-1-956867-03-9
$2.99
ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JHYLQTM?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
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Mike Kimmel
Ben Rose Creative
Arts
978-1953057068
$14.97
https://www.amazon.com/Monologues-Adults-Original-Inspire-Professional/dp/1953057063
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Nico Griffith
Publisher: TBD
978-1-7377199-4-6
$15.95
www.PandorasLockboxBook.com
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to Index
Constance Studer
Atmosphere Press
978-1-63752-922-5
$16.99
https://go.authorsguild.org/sbx/sites/con19stud/pages/47625
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to Index
Meg Hafdahl & Kelly Florence
Skyhorse Publishing
978-1-5107-6414-9
$14.99
Paper/$10.99 Kindle
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
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JD Hyobel
Independently
Published
Kindle:
978-1-9196412-2-5
$ 5.99
Paperback:
978-1-9196412-0-1 $16.99
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Shekhins-Uncovering-Universalism-Universalist-Perspective-ebook/dp/B09DBPV1NN
Website: www.hyobel.com
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Juana-Catalina Rodriguez
Koehler Books
978-164663442
$25.95 Hardcover/$17.95
Paper/$7.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Unsettled-Disruption-Step-Step-Purpose-Driven/dp/164663442X
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Yorgos Pratanos
Black Rose
Writing
978-1-68433-794-1
$19.95 Paper/$6.99 Kindle
www.blackrosewriting.com
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to Index
Stephen C.
Altschuler
Sacajawea
Press
979-8540963251
$14.95 Paper/$.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Spirit-Living-Tao-inspired-Life/dp/B099ZSS7XM
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to Index
Bryan Smeltzer
LiquidMind
Press
978-1-7371881-0-0
$24.99 Hardcover/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Visionary-Brand-Success-Formula-Behind-ebook/dp/B096VGGW22
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to Index
Once Upon a Dance
Once Upon a Dance, Publisher
978-1-9555-5507-4
$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Bellunas-Big-Adventure-Dance-Out-ebook/dp/B09F7ZNMFR
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to Index
Ann Birdgenaw
DartFrog Plus
978-1-953910-50-9
$10.00 Paper/$3.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hole-Radio-Ann-Birdgenaw/dp/1953910505
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to Index
Karen M. Bobos
Bobos Babes,
Ltd.
978-1-7374375-7-4
$17.99
Hardcover/$12.99 Paperback/$3.99 ebook
Ordering:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DFLX6XK/
Website: https://www.bobosbabes.com
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Mr.
Roses
House
of Roses
978-0-9995676-4-7
$14.99
www.HouseOfRoses.org
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to Index
Patrick Harris
Independently
Published
978-1-0879-4817-1
$29.99
Ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Defenders-Dembroch-Book-Sinners-Solemnities/dp/1087948177
Author website: www.authorpatrickharris.com
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Trisha Sugarek
Writer at Play
9798599333814
$10.59
www.writeratplay.com
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to Index
A. J. Massey
Independently
Published
9781668516546
$5.99 ebook
dragonwoofs.com
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to Index
Claire
Eckard
Mill City Press
978-1-6628-2614-6
$17.99 Paper/$8.99 Kindle
www.millcitypress.net
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Alanna Goldstein
Phil Wohlrab, Publisher
9780578947303
$11.33
https://www.amazon.com/Grigor-Competitive-Tyrannosaur-Who-Roared-ebook/dp/B0999Q4SMC?asin=0578947307&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
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SB Hilarion
Independently
Published
978-0-578-93278-1
$48.95
www.sbhilarion.com
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Linda Gruenberg
Kenda Press
978-91-986317-0-8
$13.99
www.lindagruenberg.com
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David Hann
Anamcara Press
LLC
978-1941237786
$28.99 Hardcover/$19.99
Paper/$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Jayhawker-Cleveland-Phantom-Horseman-Prairie/dp/1941237789
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B.B. Russell
Green Writers
Press
978-1-7336534-6-6
$15.99 Paper/$6.99 Kindle
www.greenwriterspress.com
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to Index
P. Anastasia
Jackal Moon
Press
Hardcover:
978-1-952425-02-8
$18.99
Paper:
978-1-952425-00-4
$12.99
http://www.MorningPuppa.com
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Robert Rubenstein
Barnes and Noble
Press
9781668538470
$11.98
www.barnesandnoble.com
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to Index
Jennifer Decker and
Chrish Vindhy
Dandelion
Books
978-1737764403
$17.99
Hardcover/$11.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Wishing-Star-Jennifer-Decker/dp/1737764407
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to Index
Jose
Simbaña and Ellen Griffiths
Redwood
Publishing
9781952106934
$16.95
www.simbanagriffiths.com
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to Index
Michelle
Lander Feinberg
SDP
Publishing
978-1-7361990-3-9
$19.99 Hardcover/$13.95 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Tell-Cooper-Rabbit/dp/173619903X
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to Index
Andy Roamer
Ninestar Press
978-1-64890-346-5
www.ninestarpress.com
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Stephen M. King
Atmosphere Press
ASIN:
B09CLL7CDS
$7.99
www.atmospherepress.com
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