Life in a Whirlwind
of Numbers, 26 years of OCD, 2nd
Edition
978-1502555540
Life in a
Whirlwind of
Numbers (Twenty-Six Years of OCD) shares David Dahlberg's
experience of OCD
and what it feels like to live such a life. It is NOT a case study but
an
autobiography: in this respect, the usual medical descriptions of
treatments
and options are contained within the realm of personal discovery and
revelations rather than self-help advice, and are related within the
context of
the author's personal experience of OCD.
OCD
is the brain's perception of
slings and arrows
(sometimes real, too often imagined) paired with a flight-or-flight
response
mechanism that contributes to an ongoing cycle of anxiety. Because the
perceived fears aren't intrinsic to physical reality, often OCD
behavior is
deemed inappropriate or odd; and because it's relentless and ongoing,
the OCD
victim is kept in a state of high anxiety over 'little things'.
While
any not suffering from OCD
can't really know what it
feels like, readers will come close with Life
in a Whirlwind of Numbers, which clearly documents the
perceptions,
emotions and reactions of those with OCD: "The
danger is imaginary. But the feeling
of danger
is absolutely real. Your body’s response is exactly the same as If it
were
actually happening. You become caught in an endless, inescapable, and
debilitating loop. All because your nervous system grossly overreacted
to an
image that would simply pass through the minds of other, "normal"
people."
Even
as a small child, Dahlberg was
cognizant the feeling
that he had to interact with the world in a specific way, through a
series of
habits and repetitions, before he felt 'right'. Being able to stop repetitious behaviors was part of
what made him feel good.
As
chapters move through the author's
life and experiences,
readers along for the wild ride that is OCD learn about the perceptions
and
actions of the OCD individual from an 'insider's' viewpoint: something
most
other books on the subject don't begin to adequately address.
From
a roommate good at directing and
manipulating
dysfunctional people to carry out his own hidden agendas, who wins such
friends
by charm, to how Dahlberg's personal rituals fit into the world (or
not), Life in a Whirlwind of Numbers offers
up
a tumultuous swirl of emotions, experiences, and compensating habits
that help
Dalhberg fit into his world.
Even
more revealing is how he gains
help in the process of
moving through life. From getting through college to taking on a
teaching job,
Dahlberg's rituals and obsessions eventually come to find useful places
as he
deals with career and life: "Staying
calm with students was easy. Having dealt with the anxieties of OCD, I
found
the reality of a real classroom much less nerve-wracking. As a result,
I was
always able to maintain an even keel with my students. They knew I
wouldn't
yell, and I knew they would respect my requests and reactions."
How
does Dahlberg eventually resist
these rituals and
compulsions to participate in OCD behaviors? Through a combination of
recognition, hard work, and adjustment; which readers will find both
specifically detailed and applicable to some circumstances in their own
lives.
It's not a medical book and not a self-help guide; but in exploring the progression of one man's OCD from childhood to adulthood, Life in a Whirlwind of Numbers documents the process of seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel of discord, and ultimately paints a picture of hope and understanding for those who live with OCD.
Life in a Whirlwind of Numbers
The
Healers:
Donna Labermeier
978-0-9885526-1-6
$10.99 - paperback
$2.99 - e-book
www.amazon.com
www.healerstrilogy.com
In order
for any
beginning to be truly new, worlds must be shattered and rebuilt. And in
such an
endeavor, there's always the risk that no phoenix will arise from such
ashes. In
Crystal Caverns there is no single
phoenix; just three remarkable teens. And, still, the threat of
complete
destruction.
The Healers:
They aren't alone in their quest; they're guided by the venerable old Agostino. Evil doesn't operate without support either, on its side: guided equally expertly by Venceslao, its new goal isn't just to defeat the Healers; it's to capture them to tap their powers for its own evil purposes.
Much of
the setting
was described in prior books (not seen by this reviewer), but newcomers
need
little prior familiarity to jump right into the story line, with its
liquid,
flowing descriptions and ability to pinpoint protagonist interests and
psyches.
And, it's Donna Labermeier's evocative imagery which proves just one of
the
strong points that set The Healers:
Crystal Caverns apart from other young adult fantasy
odysseys: "His mind was quicksilver fast, but
his hands
were uncoordinated, and he approached physical tasks with a
toffee-dripping
care to be sure his innate clumsiness never got the better of him. He
was
hardly a great warrior and so trailed his prey with his customary
restraint,
patiently padding just out of sight behind the enemy’s circle."
What
appears to be a
pure fantasy adventure is, in fact, a satisfying blend of spirituality,
philosophical reflection, and a focus on both individual and collective
transformation: themes that permeate its action and provide many
opportunities
for deeper reflection: "…barely a
handful of non-Healers had managed to replicate any of their amazing
skills. It
seemed that confidence was the key. Ultimately, no one could allow
themselves
to fully believe in humanity’s ability to ascend to the next level of
spiritual
evolution. As a species, it appeared we were fatally infected with
doubt - a
tiny gap inside of us, like a broken circuit at the heart of an
elaborate
electronic array, across which electricity could never flow…Almost never."
From
seemingly-supernatural powers that face down disasters few others could
confront to channeling healing energy that plants a seed of hope in an
increasingly dysfunctional world, the teen heroes are but a microcosm
of wider
issues humanity faces both in this fantasy setting and now; an approach
that
lends to a vigorous read offering subliminal personal connections
throughout.
And
that's yet
another strength of Book Three: The
Healers: Crystal Caverns emphasizes connections that also are
fluid: at
times they are presented as strengths; at other times, as flaws that
will
"wreck the world". They
can't be both; so are they attributes or dangers? That's up for the
Healers to
solidify and for readers to ultimately determine.
Action is
swift and
centers upon a series of increasingly difficult challenges which each
Healer is
tasked with facing down. As various truths about the mysterious
crystals
emerges (they don't seem to be from this planet, for one thing), a
virtual maze
of possibilities materializes to present both dead-ends and prospects
of
redemption.
Yes, it's
a
good-versus-evil story line; make no doubt about it. And in the course
of
events there are elements of manipulation, betrayal, power struggles
between
light and darkness, and a few good warrior heroes who may be all that
straddles
the line between the two.
Ultimately,
it's
human misery and darkness that fuels the greatest darkness of all: can
three
teens, however talented, defeat mankind's own inner demons?
Readers
should be
prepared for any possibility in The
Healers: Crystal Caverns. Those who seek a singular action
read might find
the interwoven spiritual and philosophical perspectives here add more
complexity than is desired from a purely entertaining fantasy - but
that's what
makes this story stand out.
"You are part of what
comes next. Understand
that you are on the Earth to help create wonderful and miraculous things…"
It's ultimately a tale about endings and beginnings; self-defeating
world
paradigms and what could replace them.
In
order for any beginning to be
truly new, worlds must be
shattered and rebuilt. And in such an endeavor, there's always the risk
that no
phoenix will arise from such ashes. That The
Healers: Crystal Caverns
leaves all possibilities open right
up to the end
is a final testimony to its ability to surprise, delight, and involve
readers
on more than a singular level.
The
Healers: Crystal Caverns
Perilous
Land
J.M. Haug, Publisher
No
ISBN
$2.99
Author's
blog: http://jmhaugwrites.tumblr.com/
Order from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Perilous-Land-Fall-Lida-Azhad-ebook/dp/B00EFJ24QA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1409080922&sr=8-4&keywords=perilous+land
Order from Barnes
and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perilous-land-jm-haug/1119972867?ean=2940149683468
It would
be all too
easy to anticipate a standard fantasy and a straightforward read; but
one of
the delights of Perilous Land (and, note: it won't
be a delight
to those who seek a light, unchallenging pursuit: readers be warned!)
is its
lyrical style and descriptions that pull outsiders into this colorful,
demanding setting: "Thunder, like unto the hate-forged tempest
what
birthed them. Ever had that been their sound, the waves. Serpentine,
they
slithered from out the east, howling and hungry, an endless blue-gray
roil of
vengeance mythological. Coiling. Crashing. Failing. Then would come
once more
the dragon’s roar of retribution…"
There are
ancient
storytellers and an exceptionally brave (or, foolhardy: take your pick)
protagonist, Lida Azhad, whose struggles and passion forge new paths
for
herself and those around her.
All this
presented
against the backdrop of a land replete with fierce dangers, narrated
with a
dialogue that takes some getting used to, but which only adds to the
satisfying
complexity and well-rounded attention to detail that sets Perilous
Land
apart from a genre standard: "It is good to hear you zay as
muzh,
because I had begun to wonder if my artifizer knuhs the aczhual duties
of her
puzt.” Cool curiosity presses her brow higher, a challenging glance
o’er the
edge of the prop page in the hopes that if the letter itself be not
thick
enough, the sheer force of pretense will maintain the deception, for at
the
moment does this sample of a grand duke’s missive sit upside down in
her grasp."
These
quoted
passages give some idea of J.M.
Haug's approach, and
should serve as
fair warning for the dense, realistic devices employed to make the
story line
believable and immediate. Through winding descriptions that take their
time
linking past to present events to extensive slang dialogue that
initially is
taxing but ultimately spices the story line, Perilous
Land doesn't just set its table with light, fragile
trappings: it embraces the sights, smells, and textures of a creaking
ship and
a journey replete with voyages and dangers.
And Lida
Azhad? A
woman would initially seem to hold no place in a pirate's plundering
goals or
in a world replete with myths, blasphemies, harsh lands and harsher
labors; but
Azhad has been forced into the role of a queen and leader, and seeks to
win her
imprisoned brother's freedom.
Her
assignment
takes her into jungles and loses her men. It challenges her until she
becomes
more than just another captain in a fleet of extraordinary ships, and
pits her
against dragons and politicians alike.
So if
it's an easy
fantasy leisure read that's desired - move along, please.
Oh, and
no neat
wrap-ups here…but then, the subtitle should warn that there's more to
come, and
so the cliffhanger shouldn't be entirely unexpected.
Magical
aromas
abound: take a breath, inhale … then become steeped in the sights,
sounds, and
feel of the strange new world that Perilous Land
provides. Few other
fantasies come close.
Three Days
to
Darkness
David Gittlin
978-0-9882635-0-5
$3.99
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Days-Darkness-world-lessons-ebook/dp/B00JDQU7JG/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396375761&sr=1-5&keywords=Three+Days+to+Darkness
Barnes And Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-days-to-darkness-david-gittlin/1113934358?ean=2940149542826
www.threedaystodarkness.com
The magic
number is three. Three days
to save the world.
Three people to help Darius McPherson succeed. And three important life
lessons
to learn in the process.
The setting
is a war being planned in
Heaven itself by a
reluctant warrior too young to be in Heaven in the first place, and the
mission
involves saving humanity from its own follies: no mean assignment for a
young
man killed in a drive-by shooting and suddenly tasked with saving the
world.
Three Days
to Darkness
is about magic on many levels: the incongruity of Heaven and its
purposes, the
absurdities of Mankind, and the passionate concerns of a boy faced with
apocalypse on a scale that moves beyond singular death and into the
destruction
of humanity itself.
As if this
wasn't enough, add demons
and a road that
literally leads to Hell (albeit paved with good intentions) and you
have a
fast-paced thriller novel that defies the usual genre definitions of
fantasy,
thriller or action piece and creeps into the realm of the impossible.
Three Days
to Darkness
darkens rapidly as Darius investigates company clinical trials, angel
operatives, and deadly courses of action, spicing his approach with a
cocky
blend of offense and defense that presumes a degree of training he
actually
lacks: "Crooking his arm, Darius
lifted his hand just below chin level with all five fingers splayed. He
reminded himself of David Carradine as Caine in a “Kung Fu” TV episode.
A more
experienced angel operative would certainly prepare to attack with “way
more”
subtlety, he figured."
Doses of
humor are tossed in for
effective comic relief as
Darius questions why a Heaven governed by the concept of free will
would intervene
in the affairs of man - and why it would choose to do so for one event
and not
another: "Darius sat perfectly still for a while with his
hands in his
lap before speaking again. “I’m confused,” he said with a solemn
expression.
“On the one hand, you say everything that happens to a man is the
result of
free will, and on the other hand, you send me to Earth to stop a pill
from
going on the market. I don’t get it.” “Good observation, Darius. It
sounds like
a contradiction, but it’s more like a distinction. We have to pick our
fights
carefully. We try not to interfere with the operation of human free
will. We
sat by and watched in horror, for example, when Roman soldiers
crucified Christ
and terrorists flew commercial airliners into the
What lessons
will Darius learn in his
latest incarnation as
a new angel? He has only three days to absorb them - or witness the end
of all
days.
Three Days
to Darkness
is a fast-paced, vivid read that incorporates all the elements of a
superior
mystery, thriller, and fantasy. It's certainly not a portrait of a
predictable
afterlife, a conventional Heaven, or a banal post-life mission. All
these
facets merge to create a uniquely involving story blending amusing
moments with
engrossing encounters between disparate forces; each with their own
special
interests and agendas.
And Darius?
He's in it for the ride,
and takes readers along
with him in an unexpected journey through Heaven, Hell, and beyond.
Tomorrow's
End
G.R. Morris
Dark Light Publishing
No ISBN, website, $TBA
In the
cleanest of scenarios in
novels, thrillers and mysteries
alike, the good guy wins. In such a world, free will and choice are
God-given
rights, and infuse the paths of the righteous with clear direction.
Evil
eventually is defeated in these paradigms, and good reigns. That's the
formula
for a traditional story line.
Now take
that formula and mix it up.
Assume there are, in
fact, no real choices and no free will; but an inevitability that leads
the
human race inexorably in one, fatal direction.
Assume that
being in charge of one's
life is an illusion;
that, in reality, others are
directing a play called 'life'. Then assume that there's another world
influencer about to rise, named Nightstalker, who has been a marionette
for
many lifetimes - but is now ready to cut the strings and up the ante
that is
humanity.
Mix up all
these elements and you
have the gist of Tomorrow's End, a
satisfying dance
between sci-fi, mystery, and spiritual reader which posits a new kind
of evil
force set loose in the world.
Prophecies
usually come packed with
accounts of battles,
saviors, and clear delineations between good and evil. They are seldom
packed
with accounts of aliens begging for death, of monsters claiming to be
loving
gods while in disguise, and of humans tasked with understanding the
impossible
motives of impossible beings - and whether or not killing, under such
conditions, is an act of good or of evil: "What
makes something evil is the objective negative outcome that it
creates in the universe. It’s how it affects everyone’s lives. Justice
and acts
of good such as killing in self-defense will gain you power of light
because
you have dominion over that person. The intruder who breaks into
someone’s
house in an attempt to murder will have lost so much light that the
person who
defends himself will be brighter, thus making it justified to kill in
self-defense. Humanity’s abundance of light is what gives them dominion
over
the plants, animals, and insects. Thus it’s not an act of evil to kill
them; so
it’s certainly not evil to delete a program pretending to be human.”
It all boils
down to what entity has
a soul and what doesn't
- and what is allowed for those with souls versus what is inhumane: "In many aspects they are just as real as any
human being. They can die like humans, have babies like humans, and
feel
emotions like humans. The only real difference is they don’t have a
soul.
Instead of being powered and guided by a spiritual essence, they are
projected,
created by that diamond you saw on the ground.”
Against
this
background, teenager Kevin is about to learn the secret of creation
itself;
only, the truth might not be pretty: "Beyond space and time,
there were
two fundamental forces. Infinitely dense and infinitely powerful, these
forces
govern physics, nature, and the laws of the cosmos. One of them was the
Darkness;
an emptiness, a nothing, but all that is negative…There was a light
inside that
darkness, a something inside the nothing. It was knowledge, choice, and
all
that is positive. There came a moment outside of time, where the
collective
something could choose to be something rather than nothing."
He's also
about to learn that he may be the true savior not just of humanity, but
of the
universe itself.
What,
exactly, are
the forces of good and evil, and how to do they operate in the world?
Is
existence itself a choice, and is the 'infinite collective' involves in
another
world-changing battle similar to time's beginning, when "The
convergence
of choice and existence became one."?
Tomorrow's
End is
about demons and battles and about creatures from hell and the tortures
they
exact on their victims. Readers should be prepared for scenes of
entrails-spilling violence as battles rage across the pages of a book
replete
with religious confrontation and a world ruled by right and wrong
choices
(which even the evil Nightstalker must bow to). They should also be
prepared
for time fluxes that place Kevin in another era, battling the Dragon
that's
linked to Hell itself; and for Kevin's evolution beyond his own
humanity with
eyes that can peer into atomic structures themselves.
Expect a
virtual conflagration of
forces that meet with the
atomic smash of a matter/antimatter collision, with humanity's ultimate
survival at the heart of world-altering confrontations.
And what do spaceships, aliens, a
transitioning teenager, a new kind of Eve, and a President used to (and
disgusted by) demons have to do with ultimate salvation and
transformation?
Aside from the violent struggles that permeate its pages, Tomorrow's End offers no pat plot and no
singular purpose on the
part of its protagonists.
Add the
unexpected Christian
references and alternate
viewpoints throughout ("But Adam’s
power was limited to change and not creation. Creation of life meant
pulling an
essence from existence to mold into a physical form. Everyone agreed
that this
kind of power was to be relegated only to the representatives, or
through the
biological choice of each living creature. You know, giving birth. “Adam chose to exist
unnaturally; he was
created, and not born. Both means were ultimately made through free
will.")
and you have a strange attractor that will grip Christian readers of
Revelations and secular readers of science fiction alike.
The
Becca Hardy
Rebecca Trelfa,
Publisher
No ISBN
$TBA
www.severxance.com
Billed as
Book One
of the 'Severxance Living Legacy Saga', The Warren already
states that
it's part of a series about some kind of legacy. What is striking from
its
first paragraph, however, is that this involves an alien stranded on
earth,
caught in a human torture chamber. And then things get interesting.
What if
you were
stranded on another world with no memory and no way home? What if you
were left
behind with an infant to care for, and what if your species was capable
of long
life and regeneration? And what if you devoted the centuries to filling
in many
blanks about your past and keeping your heritage a secret, only to find
out
that the way home is paved with strange intentions entwined with human
affairs?
That's
only the
opening salvo of a story that combines the best of alien investigations
and
human affairs to take hard sci fi to a whole new level.
Now, a
note: it's
been decades since hard sci fi was at its heyday. That position has
been eroded
over the years by a preponderance of sword and sorcery and urban
fantasy: two
genres that often eschew much of any science in favor of the trappings
of
magic. So it's especially refreshing and notable to find here not just
a
throwback to a genre that once rested firmly on hard science, but which
holds a
treasure trove of new possibilities.
Some of
the reasons
why this is possible is Becca Hardy's attention to building believable,
winning
protagonists, plus an overriding mystery that permeates the story line
and
truly involves readers with passion and effortless reading. A twist on
the
traditional Simak-like Way Station setting that has
her alien
protagonists unwilling (and unknowing) participants in a greater
experiment
than an accidental stranding doesn't hurt, either.
Another
reason lies
in the hard science itself. Attempts to reinvent alien transportation
devices,
considerations of collective memory's wider place in the universe, and
links
between memories and the shape of reality itself keep science-minded
readers
immersed and fascinated; and that's not an easy task in a genre
overwhelmed
with marginal plots, predictable routines, and (too often)
one-dimensional
characters.
For a
sci-fi book
to be truly engrossing, all of these elements must be present - and
rarely are.
The Warren thus stands out from the crowd in many
ways, and readers who
become hooked from its first words will find its action relentless, its
overall
science believable and sound, and its characters and their motivations
exquisitely logical: "Catching a secret government agency in
the act of
dissecting a fellow alien was no surprise. It was the main reason he’d
avoided
them so long… Physical pain he could watch—take. What he couldn’t take
was
being out of the loop. If he hadn’t been so desperate for answers, he
wouldn’t
have risked chasing down his kind at all. He knew three things about
the
torture victim. One: He was the only other alien Foster knew of on
Earth. Two:
They’d arrived together. Three: The guy wanted nothing to do with him.
He’d run
off so fast after they landed, Foster didn’t even learn his name."
The basic
questions
of identity, purpose, and life's meaning are universal ones: their
presentation
here takes another turn and makes them even more poignant.
Add
several aliens
to the mix, stir, give them uncertain (but definite) connections and
purpose
and add a healthy dose of interspecies interaction and conflict and you
have:
violence (at times strong), humor (always sharp and unexpected),
romance (a
surprise ingredient), mystery (all-pervading) and hard science (complex
yet
easily accessible).
The Warren: Severxance Living Legacy Saga - Book One
Chronicles
of a
Nation: The Founding Fathers, Families and Patriots
Joan Wheeler LaGrone
0967823028
WIN Publishers of
Website, $TBA
"There was a
fundamental difference concerning the meaning of the Revolution between
the
Founding Fathers." The opening introduction outlines this
difference
between
Chronicles
of a Nation
could all too easily have proven a dry, unremarkable coverage under
another
hand, but Joan Wheeler LaGrone's expertise lies in her ability to take
a piece
of American history and culture and turn it into a remarkable saga of
confrontation, change, and evolution.
Why rehash a
subject that has
received some degree of
analysis in other discussions of the Founding Fathers? LaGrone explains
it
best: "We must keep our true history
alive and teach it to our children. We cannot forget who we are. A
nation or a
people who do not remember where they came from, or their true
foundations, can
easily be destroyed from enemies without or within."
With this
perspective in mind,
American history readers
learn about the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, the Founding Fathers and their
interactions with and connections to early patriots, and more. At each
step of
the way traditional historical observation blends with critical
analysis of
events and how their interpretations changed over the decades.
By outlining
this process and its
results, LaGrone succeeds
in probing underlying elements of social and political process,
including the
interactions within and between major influential families of the
times, in a
lively story and dialogue that seeks to move beyond the usual facts of
events
to probe at their underlying psychological, social and political impact.
Among the
devices employed to bring
history to life are
liberal quotes from source documents and descriptions that read with
the vivid
immediacy of a novel's drama: "John
Hancock was first to sign his name with a large and bold signature. He
professed he wanted the King to be able to read it with out his glasses."
Chronicles
of a Nation
doesn't just focus on interactions in political and social circles; but
also
examines relationships between Indian and white man and encounters
between key
figures in both cultures. Again, source material quotes enliven the
text while
LaGrone's descriptions bond all together and lend life to a vivid
chronicle.
A number of
chapters take a
genealogical turn in describing
the backgrounds and culture of select major families of the times.
While at
first this might seem a digression, there's an underlying purpose in
mind; one
which embraces the notion of differing backgrounds interacting from
different
perspectives.
In this
regard, the family
genealogies work well, providing
necessary background on special interests and ethnic makeup and showing
how
various family members came to emigrate to
Color
illustrations from Wikipedia,
Ancestry and other
sources pepper a lively coverage of the political and social
connections
between families that cement political events with personal backgrounds
and
interactions, making for a powerful reminder of exactly where the roots
of
American political process really lies: in the hearts, minds, and
experiences
of ordinary people who should not be forgotten.
Chronicles
of a Nation
assures they won't be, and is a 'must' for any American history reader,
from
high school into adult circles.
It's All About
Muhammad: A Biography of the
World's Most Notorious Prophet
F.W. Burleigh
Zenga Books
978099604909
$16.95
www.Zengabooks.com
Plenty of
titles discuss Muhammad's
teachings and works, but
too few offer the kind of in-depth, critical approach to Muhammad’s
life and
influences, which is really necessary for a well-rounded understanding
of the
roots of Islam.
It's
All About Muhammad
remedies this lack, yet this
book is not for the casual reader seeking a light review of his life,
but for
those seeking specific connections between the events of Muhammad's
life and
the Koran - which, Burleigh maintains, is best viewed as a diary or a
blog.
Ultimately
the book is about
Muhammad's violent approach to
imposing his religion, and it probes that violent life based on a
line-by-line
study of some 20,000 pages of original source materials.
Muhammad's violence was fueled at first not so much by religious fervor as it was by a struggle to stay alive in a dangerous world: thus his attacks, murders, and conflicts demonstrated controlled, purposeful violence that was fanned by a delusional belief that God backed his actions.
References
to his delusional beliefs
abound: "He had constructed a fantasy world
peopled
with prophets and angels, and he lived inside his head with them as his
most
intimate companions. They were as real if not more so than his
flesh-and-blood
companions. The stories of the prophets, or at least his version of
their
stories, had become points of reference for him and served as a
framework for
his thinking."
Key to this
historical and
biographical review are instances
of Muhammad's exploitation of the Arabian religious customs of
tolerance:
"The Meccans were furious. It was
clear Muhammad was using their customs to gain an advantage over them.
He was
hiding behind the security of the sacred months even though he himself
had
little respect for the tradition. Neither did he have any respect for
their
tolerance. He was exploiting their openness…"
From
murderous rampages to peaceful
times, he added verse
after verse to his Koran in response to life events: "After
doing some thinking on the idea of returning a faithful woman to
a den of polytheists, Muhammad unilaterally changed the terms of the
Hudaybiyya
treaty to exclude the forced repatriation of women. He backed it up
with a new
Koran chapter…"
Don't expect
an admiring portrait of
the man. Burleigh
maintains and provides ample evidence for the notion that, ultimately,
Muhammad
was so morally deformed and ruthless that this book and other exposés revealing the
truth about him
could eventually result in the collapse of Islam. Burleigh admits that
such a
collapse won't be fostered by one book alone (or even a series of
them), but
from wide media exposure.
However, It's
All About
Muhammad is the beginning:
the opening salvo fired in a war against Islamic violence and all of
its roots.
Heavily footnoted with source material references throughout, this book
is the
best opening act one could wish for in a discussion of Islam’s
historical
precedent and how to stop its cycles of violence from reaching ever
more deeply
into modern times.
ADVANCE 3-D
CHESS:
The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model , Model III - Synergistic
Fusion of
Matrix Logistics Informatics - EDITION 4
VOL. 1
Siafa B. Neal
Heinz Duthel
1230000245230
$13.59
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-de/Search/Query?q=1230000245230
Online
gamers interested in war
gaming or chess will find
this fourth edition of Advance 3-D Chess
to be a winning explanation of the ongoing, advanced moves of the game
offering
specific insights on Single, Double, Triple, Quadruple and set-up modes.
It's
recommended that readers gain a
progressive benefit
from following the prior titles Siafa B. Neal has produced on the
topic. His
latest follows the same format and is for audiences who have the basics
firmly
in grasp, and who seek a more challenging game in the 3-D format.
Coordinates
on a conventional chess
board are supported by
equations and color positionings that set the stage both visually and
mathematically by beginning with traditional positionings, then moving
the
formulas and images to 3D by inviting players to imagine a structure
that forms
the basis of the Latitudinal Star Gate 14 Model.
Neal
establishes wood and glass chess
sets to help newcomers
distinguish between the two sets and their set-ups and their
strategies, and
provides insights on single, double, and unified and non-unified setup
modes.
Contrasts
between platforms offer
insights on differences, distinguishing
characteristics, physical and abstract squares, and the psychological
warfare
strategies that differ between conventional chess boards and the 3D
model
options, while The photos and diagrams showing the trapezoidal platform
arrangements
make it easier to view the strategic organization, the player moves and
the progression
of plays at the 3-dimensional level.
From
abbreviations for trapezoidal
platform organizations
that make it easier to view strategic organization and player moves to
the progression
of plays that operate on a 3D level, this fourth edition continues to
go where
few chess guides attempt. Diagrams, illustrations and drawings form the
foundations of advanced theory explanations which are accessible to any
chess
player looking for greater challenges.
The coordinates on the non-conventional chess board are
amplified by
Equations and color positions for added clarification.
Expect a
healthy degree of
mathematical formulas, detailed
color-coded multi-dimensional game boards, and specific strategies
perfect for
handling the longitudinal model's particular structure and strengths.
A Plan for
Life
Eric C. Wentworth
Charles Stephen
Publishing
978–0–9911983–0–6
$19.95
A Plan for
Life: The
21st Century Guide to Success in Wealth,
Health, Career, Education,
Love, Place...and You covers a wide range of topics relating
to an overall
life plan, and provides an excellent motivational title revealing
everything
from mind/body connections to making better choices that reinforce a
good life.
From why
financial planning is
challenging to many and why
the rich get richer to the physical and emotional fitness necessary for
lasting
health, developing an 'Over-40 Plan B' career (to thwart the
increasingly
common ritual of age-related unemployment), and managing living
situations for
optimum happiness, A Plan for Life
eschews singular approaches to any one topic. Instead, it blends
seemingly-disparate threads into a unified theory for overall wellness
and
success that neatly moves beyond typical life planning.
Here are not
only admonitions for
leading a better life, but
proven approaches and tools that lend to success. Here, too, are keys
to
understanding the path to fulfillment and the mechanics of making
better
decisions that lead in this direction. Finally, it's a plan not just
for a
specific age group, but for a wide audience from recent college grads
to
Boomers considering retirement.
Such a plan
usually involves an
author's singular
perspective: not so with A Plan for Life,
which represents some of the best critical thinking of great minds
combined
with the latest scientific research findings and some 500 resources,
both on-
and off-line.
Chapters
thus are wide-ranging; from
'foods' to avoid at all
cost (cupcakes, muffins, cereal and sugars) to how rising medical
expenses can
erode savings ("Medical costs
increase substantially after age 70. Even with Medicare, your entire
Social
Security income could be consumed by medical costs. Fidelity
Investments
estimates (as of 2012) that you will need an average of $240,000 just
to pay
for your medical expenses after age 65."), Wentworth's
approach is to
combine these latest statistics and research with the latest strategies
on how
to build a better life.
Actually,
it's really all about reinventing
your life - on many levels.
So be forewarned: those not
interested in doing the work, shouldn't be looking at this wide-ranging
approach.
Wentworth is
a marketing veteran, has
owned numerous
businesses, and has his finger on the pulse of macro trends that are
changing
lives. His examples are rooted in reality and facts, not ideals - and
his
solutions include positive and uplifting supportive documentation of
those who
tried this approach and succeeded: "Re–evaluation
and re–invention can come from an honest self–analysis of failure.
“Sometimes
our old self has to die for complete rebirth,” says Julie Wainwright,
former
CEO of the now defunct Pets.com. “Remember, the best is yet to come.”
In her
book ReBoot: My Five Life–Changing
Mistakes
and How I Have Moved On, Wainwright describes her own
journey from
public failure to depression to resurrection. She is now the CEO of a
successful new startup The Real Real."
Don't expect
a pat formula here, and
don't expect a short
coverage of easy routes to follow. Some five hundred pages pack in
specifics,
and readers should be open-minded about all kinds of approaches to
life's
re-invention process, from personal health and finances to
understanding what
creates true happiness. Thus, advice ranges from downsizing and
reducing one's
'must have' list to becoming better organized and building a workable
plan for
the future that embraces all facets of well-being.
It's
ultimately about ridding oneself
of negativity and
understanding trends and options to make the best choices. In this, A Plan for Life stands out from the
crowd of self-help books covering the planning process with its
concrete
examples backed by real statistics and the life experiences of
successful
entrepreneurs and achievers who successfully completed their own
personal
transformations.
Blood Line
John J. Davis
978-0-9903144-1-7
$TBA
Simon & Winter Inc.
www.simonandwinter.com
A clash of
thunder echoes through the
house, awakens a man
and his wife, and prompts the surprisingly-immediate observation that
such an
explosion should have set off the
house alarm … but didn't. Seconds later, two men are dead. And that's
just the
opening salvo in a series of explosive encounters that involves Ron
Granger and
his family in a deadly game.
Blood Line
is a
story of retirement gone wrong, of ongoing confrontations and threats,
and of
one family's struggle in the center of a vortex that becomes
increasingly
complex and all-encompassing.
It blurs the
line between criminal
and entrepreneur and
between opportunistic and chance events as the story follows an ex-CIA
agent's
reluctant return to the fold from a rural retirement when his family is
threatened by unknown forces.
As events
progress, Ron and wife Val
must choose between an
impossible mission and their family; between peace of mind and the
larger
issues of a power play that could change the world.
Now, all
these elements appear in
standard thriller writing
in one form or another: Blood Line's
exception is that all these facets are packed into a saga that
incorporates
action, reaction and twists and turns from its very first page. The
story
represents the difference between a single-shot pistol and an AK-42:
pace and
events are unrelenting and allow little 'down time' for ennui or
reflection.
And that's just one of the notable attributes of Blood
Line that elevates it from standard genre thriller
productions.
Another
'plus': its attention to
building a complex set of
interlocked puzzlers that keep readers guessing on motivations,
connections,
and ultimate results of choices. At every turn Ron and Val are
challenged to
reassess their personal goals, beliefs and lives in comparison to a
larger
worldview. At every step they face threats from a variety of unexpected
places:
threats that successfully involve readers without revealing the entire
purposes
and forces behind the plot. And at every step, the protagonists feel
their
control over their lives and future slipping away.
Blood Line's
psychology
is exquisitely wrought, its action is elegantly played out against the
backdrop
of political and criminal forces, and its ultimate results are
satisfyingly
unpredictable. The aforementioned psychology weaves through the story
line in a
delicate dance between motivation, anticipation and control: "Moore and company thinks we’ll play it safe
because of Leecy. That’s why we’re going to do the exact opposite.” “I
like
it,” I said, gesturing toward the trunk. “And Julia?” “We need her to
play a
part. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t involve her. She’s manic.”
“Abused?”
“If not physically, definitely mentally. We’ll use her, but treat her
with kid
gloves.”
Add a
surprise conclusion that
skillfully ends the saga
while leaving the door open for future developments and the end result
is a
thriller that proves haunting and unique, recommended for even the most
seasoned thriller genre reader.
Blur
Vijay S. Shertukde
Self-Published
9780991392612
$17.99
www.vbooksite.com
Blur
is an
international thriller that takes terrorist plots to a whole new level
as it
explores a new weapon: a blast that leaves no destruction, just corpses.
'The Blur'
attack in
Now,
thriller novels have (especially
in the last decade)
come to embrace both high technology and terrorist plots: that's
nothing new.
What is
new is the
addition of a mystery that's seemingly unsolvable, paired with a
feisty, brave
woman who will stop at nothing to understand the new force, its
motivations and
its limitations - if any.
So don't
expect a singular, easy
read, here. Though promoted
as a story for children and adults alike, it's the quite mature teen
(on the
cusp of adult thriller reading), and the adult thriller reader used to
formula
constructions (who seeks something more complex and puzzling in content
and
outcome) who will be the biggest fans of Blur.
Now, there's
lots of background
detail, historical
reference, and even the occasional linguistic lesson: Blur
holds many such references and sometimes reads with the depth
of nonfiction. But, despite its title, 'a quick read' is not what Blur is all about. And it's this depth
that lends it an extra dimension not present in competing novels.
Just as its
disaster strikes out of
the blue and poses many
mysteries, so it's up to the reader (as well as protagonist Kiran) to
understand other cultures, politics, power plays and purposes in order
to
arrive at the final, satisfyingly unexpected truth in Blur.
For some
readers, the best thriller
elements lie in a
component of predictability paired with solid character development.
But for
those well steeped in the genre who seek something a cut above the
species, Blur offers the kinds of
in-depth detail
and explanation lacking in most and uses all these disparate rudiments
to weave
a fine plot replete with challenges for reader and protagonist alike -
and
that's the mark of a truly superior genre production.
The Devil's Crib
Frank Ritter
Trenchcoat Press, a
Division of Diverse Publications
9780970635174
$4.99
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Frank%20Ritter
Not every
thriller
writer can claim a career of forty years as a professional investigator
and
bodyguard, but Frank Ritter's background lends
depth and authenticity to the highly-charged events in The
Devil's Crib
that take place in the Middle East,
Let's
back up a
step to also mention that The Devil's Crib is as
gritty as Frank
Ritter's last novel The Killing Games - which
means, in a nutshell, that
readers offended by sex and violence and who seek milder, more casual
international thrillers should look elsewhere lest their sensibilities
be
affronted by circumstances which demand liberal doses of X-rated action
throughout the story.
That's
not to say
that The Devil's Crib is unnecessarily
laden with sex and
violence: more that in the course of its realistic settings and events,
these
elements are not glossed over nor sugar-coated, but revealed in all
their
passionate and bloody incarnations. And that's just one of the many
devices
that sets this novel apart from the usual story of international
intrigue.
Another
is its
ability to wind an intricate, complex web of details that gets under
one's skin
and probes the minds and motivations of every protagonist, creating
layers of
elaborate psychology that emerge only under extreme duress - all provided in the
course of action that
unfolds on personal and political arenas alike.
Proceedings
circle
around the fabled Crib of Balthasar, a priceless Vatican relic in the
hands of
a Pope who reveals his plan to use it to fund the integration of
Palestinian
refugees into Israeli society: a plan fully supported by
When a
high-level
kidnapping occurs with a resulting escalation of threats to kill
bishops around
the world unless PLO leaders are released from prison, it falls upon a
Swiss
Guard and an Israeli Mossad agent to thwart international tensions that
could
ultimately lead to a world war.
The
Devil's Crib's writing is lean,
mean, and so packed with
dramatic scenarios that
there's barely time to absorb the twists of one encounter before
another rich
confrontation is set forth.
How could
a
meaningless legendary relic that resurfaces in the chaos of the 1990s
serve as
the pivot point for nations teetering on the brink of annihilation? As
the
affairs of popes, cardinals, politicians and professional spies come to
light,
an intricate dance of detail, motivation and passion evolves that
brings KGB
myths (such as that of Ivan the Terrible) to life with scenes injected
with
sometimes-cruel sex and equally brutal violence.
All the
trappings
of a solid novel of intrigue are here, from codes locked away in
libraries to
colonels who cross the line of military protocol in quest of personal
revenge.
Not every
thriller
writer can lay claim to a background that mirrors much of the realistic
approaches of his novel's characters; and not every thriller can
deliver the
repeated punches of surprise that will engross even the most seasoned
genre
reader.
That The
Devil's
Crib holds the ability to provide a genuinely revealing story
of terrorism
and redemption is testimony to Ritter's dramatic skills, attention to
historical detail, and ability to immerse readers in an intricate story
of
political and social entanglements involving murderers, failed
friendships, and
the horrible deaths sparked by an ancient artifact.
Empty Shell
Ashley Fontainne
RMSW Press
978-0692291368
$13.99
www.ashleyfontainne.com
One week of
revelations, infidelity,
a broken heart, and
lives changed by romance and murder: that's the fragile shell of
circumstances
surrounding Melody's life, changed by one simple discovery of a pair of
pink
silk panties.
But what
seems like an ending (of
twenty years of marriage)
turns out to be only the beginning of a nightmare when Jack's lover
proves to
be someone Melody knows. When she is murdered, Jack is arrested - and
then
events really begin to snowball.
Thus begins
Melody's descent from a
calm, ordered,
predictable life into one of chaos, which leads her to question the
essence of
love, commitment, and rage and seems to indicate that the man she has
known and
trusted is not whom she thought. Or, is he?
The basic
premises of Empty
Shell (infidelity and murder) have been done elsewhere. What
is unique
about this story is its focus on the emotional changes protagonists
face as
they confront the turmoil of re-ordered lives - a turmoil quietly
simmering
even before events spiral out of hand: "With a
sheepish grin, I held out the noisy thing to him. He didn’t even
try to hide his irritation as he yanked the screeching clock from my
fumbling
hands. His body language made clear his thoughts about my inability to
perform
such a simple task. His angry hands used to touch me with gentle
caresses. God,
how I miss them."
One of the
story's more powerful
devices is its first-person
narration, intimately depicting a character's emotional response to
jarring
situations. Through Melody's eyes, the reader doesn't just see events,
but
experiences the storm of emotions ever-present throughout the
sometimes-at-odds
juxtaposition of wife and legal professional: "There
was no way I could ever come
up with the bond money. All of our remaining assets were used up in the
house
renovations. I didn’t own anything worth the one-hundred-fifty thousand
dollars
it would take to secure a bond, nor did I know anyone who did. The
paralegal
disappeared at this latest news. The horrified wife emerged."
Throughout Empty
Shell
Melody navigates a thin balance between her two personas, with each
strength
vying for position and lending support for what will prove to be the
greatest
series of challenges in her life.
When you
take the issue of infidelity
and all its emotional
conflicts and then add in the specter of murder and the possibility
that one
has been long married to a dangerous killer, the possibilities ramp up
from a
singular event to a series of body punches that just keep coming.
A fateful
night, a terrified husband,
and a wife (also a
legal professional) who nearly overnight comes to doubt everything
she's let
into her world: these are the elements of superior, racy reading. And
when she
goes searching for answers, that's when things really get interesting -
because
nothing is as it first seemed when Melody learned the one truth that
was a
deal-breaker to her marriage.
Empty Shell
is
about what happens when one woman gives up, one man gives in, and
another steps
in to manipulate lives and hearts. It's about what's left when the love
runs
out, when death changes everything, and when a woman who leaves faith
behind
finds lives ruined because of her choices and reactions.
And the
murder? Empty
Shell is, most of all, about the outer edge of what some will
do to get
what they want. Nothing is left untouched in Melody's pursuit of truth.
With its
religious overtones,
emotional drive, and winding,
wondering blend of spirituality and romance, Empty
Shell will fill readers with a vivid story line that leads
Melody away from her faith, then ultimately comes full circle with a
new
perspective surprisingly formed by complete strangers and uncertain old
friendships.
And that's
perhaps its greatest
strength: the ability to
shock, amaze, and ultimately bring about a conclusion that represents
Melody's
return to the familiar, albeit in a very different form. For more,
you'll just
have to read the book.
The Lupane Legacy
Darby G. Holladay
Manor Minor Press
Clothbound ISBN:
978-1-942024-00-2
Paperback
ISBN:978-1-942024-01-9
$6.99 Kindle,
$12.99 paperback, $22.99 clothbound
Ordering: http://www.amazon.com/Lupane-Legacy-Joshua-Denham-Devon-ebook/dp/B00N9AOEZK
International
thriller readers are in for a treat with The Lupane Legacy.
For one
thing, it comes from the pen of a State Department employee who writes
about
something he knows intimately: the Gukurahundi massacres in
post-independence
The first
thing to
note is that The Lupane Legacy is billed as a
'Joshua Denham and Devon
Kerr novel'. Neither character is evident in the opening scenes, a
prologue set
in a small 1983
Now fast
forward to
October 2012, where Joshua Denham makes his home in
Patrick
has come a
long way from his childhood's sudden end, growing up as an orphan to
achieve a
certain amount of status and power in
Patrick
allegedly
is interested in and concerned with records organization; but
underneath the
veneer of a dedicated records manager lies the steaming heart of a
five-year-old who has witnessed his entire village's destruction - and
this
heart leads Patrick to a second, undercover career that involves
intrigue,
deception, and political alliances.
When
Joshua Denham
meets up again with the lovely Devon Kerr, who is now a lobbyist, an
unlikely
new partnership forms as political events not only throw them together
but send
them on one of the most dangerous journeys of their lives.
What does
a woman
from his past, a feisty cousin facing sudden disaster, and an overseas
assignment have to do with
And it
seems
everyone is hiding secrets, from
Romance,
intrigue,
international cat-and-mouse games, and ultimate goals: all the facets
of a
solid novel of international conspiracies are here, paved with the good
intentions and special interests of each protagonist as they circle
their
separate realities.
As
readers journey
with the protagonists from
The fact
that there
are no easy answers, no predictable, logical courses of action, and
plenty of
emotional involvement on the parts of all concerned just makes the
intrigue and
action all the more engrossing, making The Lupane Legacy
a
recommendation for even the most seasoned thriller reader.
And
without
spilling beans, suffice it to say that what neatly concludes as an
ending holds
the seeds for possible new beginnings, as well.
Nowhere Out
Vincent J. Sachar
Divont Publishers
9780989813327
Paperback: $12.25
ebook: $2.99
www.vincentsachar.com
Conspiracy
and murder are nearly
everyday themes in
mysteries these days: what's less common is the story of recluse Ron
Woodruff
(alias Kent Taylor), who has lived an isolated life in upstate New York
for
five years, until an FBI agent on a covert mission and an elusive new
killer
breaks into his world and threatens to destroy it.
Assassins,
corruption, and even
romance suddenly spill into
Ron's self-imposed isolation and what opens as a theme of withdrawal
from life
and conflict becomes steeped in threats brought about by a
juxtaposition of
past experience and present events.
As memories
turn into nightmares and
blossoming romance
breaks down even the most rigid of barriers, Ron finds his carefully
constructed fortress of solitude crumbling on many levels: "Woodruff could scarcely believe that he
would ever be so lacking in self-control, so foolish to open any door
even a
crack. The extent of relationship he could have with someone like Katie
was not
something that might be limited, occasional, or even something simply
neighborly."
Still, there
are a lot of surprises
yet to be explored in
Ron's carefully-constructed world, and romance proves the least of his
problems
as he struggles with past and present threats to remain a survivor on
his own
terms.
Nowhere Out
is
about self-invention and control, the fine lines between murder and
justice,
and, ultimately, about the inevitability of life's connections and
patterns.
It's a
sequel to similar events in Nowhere Man,
so one might initially
believe a familiarity with the
prior book is needed - or, that the events in this one will mirror
those of its
predecessor. Not so: Nowhere Out
needs no prior introduction and stands well on its own (although
readers who
enjoy this novel will likely want to read its predecessor). Some
precedents for
Ron's isolation are set in the events of Nowhere
Man, but Nowhere Out is a
rare
beast in that its story line, although connected to prior events,
doesn't need
any explanation to stand completely on its own - and, that's rare in a
sequel.
Can one
completely retire from life
with the specter of a ruthless
killer at large - a killer that only a few men can stop? Apparently
not…and
just as Ron can't run from either his past or present, so readers will
find its
story line gripping enough to feel compelled to read through all of its
twists
and turns to discover a satisfyingly complex conclusion that leaves no
loose
ends.
A Patriot's Act
Kenneth Eade
978-1500284992 $4.99
http://www.amazon.com/Thrillers-Mysteries-thrillers-political-courtroom-ebook/dp/B00MQ9TK0O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409410384&sr=8-1&keywords=9781500284992
A courtroom
would seem the last place
to find Marks when a
naturalized American citizen goes missing in 
And events
don't stop in the
courtroom's boundaries or
jurisdiction, either, as they lead to detention and torture in
A wife's
determination to locate her
missing husband in
Be
forewarned: there are periods of
(and graphic accounts)
torture; and while these scenes are in keeping with both the plot and
real-world events, that doesn't mean that A
Patriot's Act is a recommendation for the light thriller
reader. Sometimes
the juxtapositions of life at
It's all
about delicate balance of
power and experience -
something gone awry in A Patriot's Act,
and something explored through intimate descriptions: "Debbie’s
home cooking was great, but the
company was even better. As the candles dwindled, they drained the
bottle of
Pinot Grigio. Brent’s thoughts drifted to Ahmed. It’s true that life is
a
balance between hardship and joy. Everybody suffers. But in Ahmed’s
case the
balance was decidedly tipped toward suffering, and the joy was only in
his
memories."
As Eade
deftly juxtaposes the lives
of two very different
Americans experiencing two very different circumstances, he delves into
the
politics and processes of prisoners and military men alike, exposing
the wounds
of their experience and psyches and the points at which man's
inhumanity stems
from a worldview that dehumanizes and rips apart systems and people.
It's a
machine-gun staccato of
relentless violence,
unremitting action, and underlying issues of freedom, sacrifice, and
the
ultimate results of
If Eade's
intention is to grab his
readers by the collar and
shake them up with an exposé of detainees who have no freedoms, rights,
or
hopes under the Patriot Act, concluding with courtroom activities that
define
the very nature of freedom itself, then he's more than succeeded in
providing
such a story under the guise of a legal thriller that probes the
foundations of
America's belief system against the backdrop of terrorist activities.
Have the
terrorists won their quest
for freedom's erosion,
exposing its underbelly of inconsistencies and repression - and will
Brent
Marks win his quest for justice? That's for the reader to learn in a
novel that
deftly winds its way around the world and through the hearts and minds
of its
audience as it provides a compelling, thought-provoking (and not an easy) read.
Shatter Point
Jeff Altabef
Evolved Publishing LLC
ASIN: B00N56E7ZA
$3.99
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Shatter-Point-Jeff-Altabef-ebook/dp/B00N56E7ZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409695313&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+altabef
Paperback: $14.95
Ordering: http://www.evolvedpub.com/product/shatter-point/
Everything
comes together with a
bang, here; from decades of
a killer's careful plots to a future
One would
expect the story to open
with its protagonist
Maggie, or perhaps her stalker Cooper: instead, it all begins in a lab
where
scientists are experimenting with a drug that regenerates brain tissue
- a drug
about to be used on a young patient, which holds the potential to end
Alzheimer's and improve cognitive function - or kill.
From genetic
manipulation and twists
of fate to cold-blooded
murder, scenarios change with a snap but succeed in bringing readers
along for
what evolves into a wild ride of not just murder and mayhem, but social
inspection: "Without extraordinary
vines,
truly superior wine cannot flourish. The same is true with humans. Only
those
with the proper genetic code can truly be exceptional.”
As events
evolve from lab to real
world and spill over into
2041 interactions and political possibilities, the focus on a dangerous
drug's
development and use centers Shatter Point
and keeps it a turbulent story with a powerful focal point. And one of
the
points is: the drug has its pros and cons. Like everything else in Shatter Point, nothing is simple or
cut-and-dried.
It's when
you add the social issues,
however, that the story
really gets interesting and departs
from anticipated routes: "That’s the
best part.” Wickersham laughed. “‘We can brainwash the ghettos and transform them into hard-working
citizens at the same time. Some will even work themselves to death
without
realizing what they’re doing.”
The promise
of a cancer vaccine, the
secret Project Qing
that involves the highest levels of government, a Vice President of the
U.S.
who believes his superior genes gives him the right to not only
manipulate but
kill - all this coalesces in a thriller that grabs readers and doesn't
let go,
skillfully twisting, turning, and manipulating its plot for maximum
impact.
Now, readers
of the prior Fourteenth Colony (of
which this reviewer
is not) will likely be
satisfied with a sequel which further adds social and political
perspectives to
the futuristic setting; but newcomers will find absolutely no prior
familiarity
is necessary to enjoy Shatter Point
as the stand-alone thriller that it is - and that's saying a lot in a
publishing world where too many books that should ideally be singular
volumes
are broken down into cliff-hanging trilogies and beyond.
The
dystopian world posited by Shatter Point,
in which wealth and
privilege is concentrated in a
relatively small pool and everyone else struggles with marginal lives
in
tightly regulated circles, is more than believable. Issues of poverty
are taken
to new levels here, while characters share often-cloudy degrees of
responsibility to themselves and each other. At the heart of many
issues is the
ideal of superiority and the 'right' of some individuals to decide for
others;
even in life-or-death situations.
In such a
scenario, individual
actions and responsibility
become equally murky, and even the strongest protagonist (such as Maggie) can find
herself confused
about the points where a little knowledge translates to social
responsibility
and when it should be limited to protecting one's turf.
From the
moral and ethical dilemmas
posed by drug testing to
the control of violence in a society dominated by privilege, Shatter Point reveals much food for
thought. Add the overlap of romance, murder mystery, and political
thriller and
you have a truly multifaceted read that grabs a hold with powerful
protagonists
and issues and won't let go till its logical, satisfyingly unexpected
conclusion: a neat wrap-up perfect for a precisely-evolving thriller.
Surviving
the Endgame
Alan L. Moss
Whiskey Creek Press
978-1-63355-625-6 Paperback: $16.99 at Amazon.com and
Whiskey Creek Press
978-1-63355-600-3 E-Book: $3.99 at Amazon.com, Barnes &
Noble, and Whiskey Creek
Amazon Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1633556255/sr=8-1/qid=1410354387/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1410354387&sr=8-1
Amazon E-Book
http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Endgame-Alan-L-Moss-ebook/dp/B00MBLFOXY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410811639&sr=1-1&keywords=surviving+the+endgame
Barnes & Noble Nook
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surviving-the-endgame-alan-l-moss/1120038365?ean=2940149642151
Whiskey Creek Press E-Book and Paperback
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1238&zenid=cbe7a8e1734d0d48d97f5dff10361ed0
Surviving
the Endgame moves
with the precision of a game of
chess. It opens
with the promise of a quiet life for
its protagonist, but as additional moves take place, soon it becomes
evident
that he will continue to be an unwilling pawn in the greater game of
international intrigue.
Rob Taylor
is back in
Unfortunately,
a quiet, drama-free
life is not in Rob's cards. When
he finds that the newspaper exposé has
been shelved, he also discovers that the conspiracy has re-grouped
under new,
vicious leadership. This
time the goal
is to elect a presidential candidate under their thumb regardless of
what might
be required.
When
professional killers come after
Rob and his wife, they
abandon their new life and initiate a wild escape assisted by a friend
with a
pilot’s license and Piper aircraft.
Once
again, Rob must match wits with the international terrorist group with
unlimited
funding and capabilities usually reserved for national security
agencies.
Surviving
the Endgame
carefully plots its moves and
characters. As the conspiracy seeks control of the national election
campaign,
those who have suffered at their hands investigate past crimes and plot
to
defeat the conspirator’s presidential candidate.
Chess usually features willing players, but
Rob and his allies have been given no choice but to die or fight back
with
death-defying close encounters and a bold campaign strategy.
Entanglements
range from the highest
levels of political
office to the Cloud itself, with circles of conspiracy ever-widening in
a
satisfyingly complex manner. Rob and an interesting cast of supporting
characters battle right down to the last page of the novel. Especially interesting are
Anna Goddard, CEO
of Mid-Continent Energy and new leader of the conspiracy; Seymour
Rothstein, a
dogged reporter for The Sound newspaper; and Larry Knowles, Goddard’s
paramour
who seeks corporate promotions in return for his silence.
Surviving
the Endgame
is recommended for any who
enjoy the action of thrillers, especially those that revolve around
international intrigue, politics, and presidential campaigns.
Without
giving too much away, suffice
it to say that events
hold many surprises as they unwind, and nothing is guaranteed - not
even the
survival of favorite characters. It's about loss of life, survival
against all
odds, and capturing power in a seemingly endless game that perhaps
nobody can
truly win. Even the
most seasoned
thriller reader will find Surviving the Endgame
filled with delightfully
unexpected moments.
Twisted
Kennedy Obohwemu
First Edition Design Publishing
9781622876785
$18.95
Website: http://TheNovelTwisted.com
Ordering link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1622876784
Cover art
can be a big determiner of
whether or not to pick
up a novel; so it's worth mentioning the exceptionally memorable cover
image of
Twisted, featuring a giant
businessman sitting amongst small urban buildings, head in hand, with
lightning
sparking all around him and a subtitle that compels: "Before
things went sour, he needed a minor miracle. Now, he needs the
And that’s
just the opener and draw
for Twisted, which is inspired by
actual events and which integrates
themes of terrorist plots with romance and a man unwittingly caught in
a net of
intrigue and shocking revelations about his past.
Don't expect
your usual thriller
format, however; for
protagonist author Mofe Esiri's only starting his impossible journey
with these
revelations: a trip that includes time travel, family ties, a clever
killer
with international and mafia ties, and more.
At times it
feels that Mofe is
trapped in so many ways that
he will never untangle the twisted web he's spun for himself through
his
actions and investigations. Nigerean culture permeates the story line,
from the
blossoming film industry that is 'Nollywood' to the pageantry of rising
wealth
and the country's blossoming tourist industry. Against this backdrop,
Mofe's
impossible world emerges; one that evolves from his status as an
acclaimed
Nigerian writer who lives outside of his country and which follows his
unwitting entry into danger after having lived a peaceful life filled
with rare
(for a Nigerian) literary acclaim.
It seems
inevitable that anyone who
sits in the hot seat of success
will experience a downfall - but not the kind of downfall any could
expect from
Expect a
story line replete with the
ups and downs of
success and failure, with some of these elements coming from personal
achievement and others stemming from romance. Expect, also, a story
filled with
intrigue and action; a surreal thriller couched not just in the specter
of
international intrigue, but the daily challenges of infidelity,
oppression,
court cases and police activities, and one man's unwitting involvement
in a
criminal outfit more than capable of murder.
Within such
a scenario the seeds of
human bonds and
relationships are born. Against the threat of violence emerges love.
And as the
hopes of a man tempted to live out his erotic fantasies becomes
inexorably
entwined with the world of assassins, he finds himself not just
navigating a
strange land, but maneuvering through the changes it will introduce to
a life
seemingly laced with good luck and unprecedented literary success.
Anyone
unfamiliar with Nigerian
politics and culture will
find Twisted a welcome
introduction,
while those with a degree of knowledge about
It holds all
the trappings of
mystery, suspense and romance
without the usually-Western settings and sentiments that permeate these
genres,
and it offers both believable and absorbing protagonists with a locale
steeped
in
The result
will especially please
literary-minded readers
who enjoy all three genres, but who seek more depth than the usual
thriller affords.
A Cat Out of
C. L. Francisco, PhD
CreateSpace
978-1500776411 $11.98
http://clfrancisco.com/
A
Cat Out of Egypt is billed as a
prequel to Yeshua's Cat
(…not seen by this
reviewer), and opens with a prologue that deftly sets the first-person
character as cat Miw, called 'Daughter of Fire' among her people. Born
with the
rare ability to communicate with humans, Miw is growing old and thus is
motivated to share her story about her encounters with humans she
normally
eschews and one special human in particular. A Cat Out of
Egypt is her
story and will attract a range of readers from young adult through
adults.
But if
you think
you're getting the typical cat's-eye view of a cat's life, think again:
this
story begins with the birth of a baby in a manger, where the magi
aren't the
only ones to see a strange star in the sky and wonder. So does the
Great Cat
Who is Bast, as she gives birth to kittens - and thus begins a journey
of
transformation and fear: one in which vipers and sacred dancers mingle
and
portents spark an ancient cat culture to view human events with a new
perspective.
As one
special cat
interacts with young Yeshua and imparts wisdom on what it means to live
in a
cat's world, readers are in for a treat that presents Biblical events
and times
from quite a different (cat-oriented) vantage point wedded to the
notion of a
Goddess overseeing all, rather than a male God: "The goddess
is simply
the One who is. And it makes sense. Among cats, mothers feed and care
for the
young. Fathers go their own ways and care little for their children. If
a male
cat offers neither love nor sustenance to his kittens, why should a
male deity
do more?”
Spiritual
revolution
is in the air and human and cat worlds alike find their focal points in
one
child who will grow up to change everything: "Who was this
child who
held the power of life in his hand? Had he spoken truly when he said
all gods
but the One Creator were lesser gods, unfit to be called by that name?
Was her
beloved Bast, Flame of the Morning and Mother of Light, no more than a
trembling wraith who thinned and vanished before the brilliance of the
god
Yeshua called the One?"
Sons and
mothers,
friendships between animal and human, the birthing of kittens and new
possibilities, and (most of all) the evolution of a new force in the
world
saturate a striking blend of spiritual history and feline observation
that
holds many important spiritual conversations and observations: "I
know
there was a time when people everywhere knew the face of the Creator.
Our
scriptures tell us so. But scripture doesn’t explain how they could
have
forgotten the name of the One who formed them from the dust, and
confused him
with the small spirits of the Earth. Even the beasts are not so blind.
“I
wonder if the glory of the One was too great? Perhaps the human heart
cries out
for a god it can see and touch."
Enchanting,
poetic,
engrossing, and vivid, A Cat Out of Egypt is simply
a delight, and
highly recommended for Christian readers who would gain a different,
fictional,
cat's-eye perspective on Jesus' early experiences and his interactions
with the
world.
Dead Soul Mary: A Novel
M.J. Winn
Janday Publishing
ISBN Kindle
Edition: 978-0-9840269-5-1
ISBN ePUB
Edition: 978-0-9840269-7-5
ISBN Trade
Paperback Edition: 978-0-09840269-4-4
Price: Kindle
Edition: $3.95
Price ePUB Edition
$3.95
Trade Paperback
Edition $14.99
www.jandaypublishing.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Soul-Mary-M-J-Winn-ebook/dp/B00IQEH8XY/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-soul-mary-mj-winn/1119726410
Apple iBooks:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dead-soul-mary-a-novel/id903479816
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/M_J_Winn_Dead_Soul_Mary_A_Novel?id=12_sAwAAQBAJ
Don't
expect a
singular story line in Dead Soul Mary, however: it
presents many twists
of theme that elevate it beyond the usual horror genre production.
Megan's
an adopted
Korean-American teen who has her hands full as she battles an infected
sociopath bent on spreading the soul-killing disease he carries. It's a
disease
that masks right from wrong, that leads to killing sprees, and which is
likely
responsible for much of society's descent into a bloodbath of
atrocities. It's
one that infects innocent people with
hate - and it's a disease that host Desmond has successfully
transmitted to
Megan.
A vast
number of
horror novels produced today represent genre formula writing at its
worst, with
shallow characters, predictable plots, and story premises that don't
seem very
extraordinary, at all. Not so Dead Soul Mary, which
begins with the
premise of a soul-infecting plague, draws in readers with a
multi-dimensional
young protagonist who struggles with her own self as well as the wider
outside
world, and who serves as a focal point for the vast social changes to
come.
Through
Megan's
eyes events come to life - and through Desmond's eyes, his evolution
from a
'marked' but happy child with an impish spirit to a soul consumed by
hatred is
also well drawn. Because the novel revolves around these two, it spans
a number
of decades from the late 1960s to modern times, following the different
paths
and worlds of each protagonist until they ultimately, inevitably,
intersect.
As with
any horror
story, there are gruesome scenes described; so despite its
protagonist's age, Dead
Soul Mary is recommended for mature teen to adult readers.
This audience
will find the plot peppered with so much more than overt horror: i.e.
the
complex issues of race relations, the seeds of the downtrodden that
grow into
attitudes, and the determination to survive even at the cost of one's
soul ("And it happened. As she
pulled the door
toward her to greet the bony, grim-faced Mr. Tully, the best part of
Delores
unceremoniously disappeared from view. Everything was gone."). All these facets entwine in a story
line that is rich with psychological insight as well as slowly-building
horror.
Horror
readers shouldn't expect nonstop action, here, either.
M.J.
Winn takes plenty of time to build up plot and protagonist - and it
pays off
big time, in a progression of believable events fueled by realistic
motivation
and protagonist responses.
In the
course of
describing events, there are scenes where Megan encounters racism even
among
friends, and learns that her heritage alone may spark unreasonable
hatred:
"Hearing him say “these people”
stung. Megan had a special fondness for Trisha’s grandfather, and she
thought
he had felt the same for her; he used to call her Chinadoll and offer
coins
from his pockets. While growing up, she had liked to pretend he was her
grandfather, and now he was treating her like a stranger. But worse
than that,
he seemed bitter, like he reviled her or perhaps blamed her."
At the
heart of it all is a virus that only Megan can battle; a plague
that soon becomes public knowledge despite its impossible progression: “Haven’t
you been watching the news? It’s
gotten
much worse since this morning. People are going berserk from this new
Stutterbug Virus. Normal folks attacking
strangers for no reason, mothers hurting their babies and shit like
that…"
In real
life, true
horror often evolves slowly - it doesn't always drop into one's world
with a
bang, like so many horror writers portray. So it's a real pleasure to
find a
slowly-building plot where the horror element is tempered by the
motivations,
influences and history of realistic people just trying to live their
lives.
And
perhaps that's Dead
Soul Mary's greatest talent: its ability to depict a social
breakdown and
spreading virus that holds roots in believable possibility. Fueled by a
young
protagonist who struggles with moral and spiritual faith and makes
deadly
mistakes despite good intentions, this is a spirited and
slowly-evolving horror
story made all the more compelling for its links to modern concerns
over
escalating world violence.
Glorious
Sunset
Ava Bleu
Urban Christian Books / Kensington Press Distributors
9781601626707
$TBA
http://www.avableu.com
Be careful
what you wish for: it can
come back in an
unexpected form and bite you. That's just one of the messages in the
multi-faceted story Glorious Sunset,
which toes a fine line between romance and fantasy and injects a
healthy dose
of humor into the mix for good measure.
A romance
between a
four-hundred-year-old genie and a
contemporary interior designer with no memory of their past love sounds
like an
unlikely scenario for humor, much less spiritual reflection; but Glorious Sunset comes steeped in a blend
of wry observation and irony (which makes for a satisfyingly unique,
edgy
style) while spiritual concerns are only one strong thread running
through a
winding, changing saga.
The story
opens in 1600 A.D. in West
Africa, where a king
and warrior faces his own death, the fiery destruction of his village
and -
most importantly - the end of his one love in life. Taka can't handle
the reality
that his beloved queen is dead, and in his madness he awakens the one
force
that has saved and counseled him through the eons: Aniweto, a friend
and
guardian angel.
Aniweto is
the vessel of God, God's
messenger, and the means
by which Taka perceives meaning and purpose in his
constantly-conflicted life.
Taka demands that his love be reunited with him; but even if she could,
she
does not have his warrior personality and it's likely she won't accept
being
awakened or saved in the aftermath of their entire village's
destruction:
"She has not years of battle; has
never seen this much destruction or dreamed she would have to survive
it. She
is a strong spirit but this is too much for most of my children to
bear. Too
much for all but a man weaned, trained and protected by his guardian
angel. You
are the only one with the strength of mind and spirit to withstand this
horror,
Taka."
In defiance,
Taka struggles with his
messenger and its
higher power and makes a decision that will change his life forever: "Two years with Zahara could never be enough.
A lifetime could never be enough. “You are a false and cruel Entity to play games such as
this. What is the purpose?
Are we just toys? Playthings to amuse You?” “Taka, I allow you license
to speak
because my love for you is great, but it is not your right to question
my
purpose.” “If I cannot question Your purpose—if Your reply to me is
that I have
no more right to question my
existence than a child should question why he must take his sustenance
every
day—then it is obvious to me You have no respect for me."
And so the
only logical action is
taken by the diety to
alter the world of Taka and his eternal love: a course that creates a
genie and
the path Taka will forever walk in search of the impossible.
To say that Glorious
Sunset opens with a bang is to understate its power. In just
one chapter, Ava Bleu captures a timeless
dialogue between
human and deity and deftly explains
how a genie becomes a trapped, wandering soul. In the first chapter
Taka's
unending journey and limitations are set: it's up to the remainder of
the book
to play out his eternal search - and Glorious
Sunset does so with a deft hand and an attention to detail
that perfectly
captures spiritual and human objectives alike.
From this
emotionally and spiritually-charged beginning, fast forward to the
present to
one Violet Jackson, an ambitious interior designer. The last thing she
needs -
or believes in - is Taka's love; so his task is formidable even after
he finds
her.
And even
when Violet
comes to believe in his genie powers, she's fixated not on his love,
but on his
abilities: "Listen, your concern
is much
appreciated. You obviously
have a lot of time to spend pondering the meaning of life but I really
just
want you to grant my wish." "To make you like a stick?" "Size
eight, no larger." "You
are already larger, are you not?" "I can afford to lose a
pound or
two." "I do not want to grant this wish. Can you not believe me when
I tell you you are beautiful as you are?" "Once again,
very sweet, but let me explain this in terms you can understand. You …” she pointed at his chest.
“…will be gone tomorrow and I'll be
stuck in a time where size fourteen is way too fat. I need to be
smaller. It’s
simple.”
Taka's
dilemma is constant: it turns
out that his former
queen Violet challenges his arrogance as much as his God did when he
made Taka
a genie, doomed to forever wander through time granting wishes and
seeking his
lost love.
Be careful
what you wish for. It can
come back and bite you,
as Glorious Sunset proves time and
again. It's about faith and power, arrogance and acceptance, tragedy
and
salvation, and (above all) different levels of love. It grabs readers
with
sharp passages of insight and thought-provoking events and cements its
hold
with humor and reflection. What's not to love?
Less Than
Nothing
R.E. Blake
Reprobatio Ltd.
978-1-63415-015-6
$2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQ2NPYS
Coming-of-age
romance novels are
nothing new: stories of
evolving love and maturity ever proliferate against different
backdrops, with
dissimilar protagonists fueling change.
What sets Less
Than
Nothing apart from the crowd are several added facets not
typical in your
usual love story. For one thing, the main protagonist, Sage, is
homeless; a
teenage runaway living in the streets of
Her street
savvy, quickly honed from
survival instincts,
includes just enough skills to evade cops and predators and make money
to feed
herself; but when she meets a fellow musician (Derek), her carefully
polished
abilities must expand to meet the unexpected challenge of including a
relationship.
Less Than
Nothing is
about this expansion process and charts the course of two
already-independent
teens who have more starry eyes than street savvy, and who handle their
unexpected relationship with caution.
The only reliable force in her life prior to Derek has
been her Yamaha
guitar ("…it’s the one thing in my
life that’s a constant, and now that I’m homeless, it’s doing double
duty
supporting me…"): now it's time for Sage to accept something
into her
life and heart that's not inanimate - and trust that it will support
her
equally well.
How trust
develops, how love evolves
from that, and how two
people living on the streets wind up pursing a dream bigger than each
of them
makes for a winding series of connections and interconnections that
bind the
two disparate characters together and capture reader interest.
Mature teens
to adults will find the
story holds believable
dialogue, themes of major changes and transitions between teens just
beginning
to realize possibilities in their lives, and a progressive discussion
that is
involving and tense.
A
coast-to-coast journey undertaken
by ambitious teens who
have little but one another, their dreams, and musical connections adds
spice
and a sense of adventure and discovery. As with many young adult
novels, adults
rarely factor into the interactions and events presented - until Derek
makes a
deal-killing mistake that causes Sage to question their goals and more
closely
refine her own, separate dreams.
Less Than
Nothing
is a road trip undertaken on the power of dreams and the certainty of
youth in
meeting the seemingly-impossible head-on. It's about a spunky girl who
has her
own well-developed psyche and who wants more than immersion in
another's dreams
- and it's about how two ambitions weave together in this milieu to
create
something better than either alone could have achieved.
While young
adults will be the likely
audience for Less Than Nothing,
let's not omit the
adult reader who enjoys romances spiced with stories of personal
transformation. It doesn't get much more realistic or optimistic than
this
story of how two lives collide, move apart, and then consider the pros
and cons
of coming back together, but in a whole new way.
The Metronome
D.R. Bell
http://www.amazon.com/dp/
As Book One
of a projected trilogy, The Metronome's
subtitle warns right away
that this will be no
light fling and that events will likely be supported and expanded by
further
books in the series. That said, expect a novel of international
intrigue that
stands well on its own while providing a prequel to the
already-published The Great Game.
That the
'old country' (in this case,
Pavel's
father was a detective, so
Pavel is used to family
secrets, even though he's now a physicist on Wall Street far from his
Russian
homeland and its mysteries. But
the
death of his father brings him back to Russia; there to uncover a
mystery that
will follow him, in turn, back to the U.S. and take over his life.
The Metronome's
theme (one of many) of unwanted memories that spring up to haunt a new
life in
a different country is just one facet of Pavel's experience that not
only rocks
his world but brings readers along for what turns out to be a wild ride
of
international intrigue, family secrets, and mystery.
So what does
an old metronome have to
do with the sequence
of events? It runs through Pavel's life as a recurring symbol, linking
disparate events and memories: "Sometimes
my parents would turn the metronome on. Click…click…click.
They would do it when they argued, then one would turn on
the device and
an argument would end. And sometimes the mother would say, “Today is
such-and-such date” and start the metronome. My parents would exchange
glances
and grow silent for a minute."
It shows up
in a journal with missing
pages that answers
some questions in the course of raising others: "But
mostly it’s a “click, click, click” sound of the metronome,
heartbeat of the starving, frozen city. We are not living, we are
surviving one
day at a time."
And in a
world of invisible bonds and
struggles for survival
in the midst of a brutal World War II siege of
The
metronome is a play and a
heartbeat; it's the sound that
reminds of life's vibrant and inevitable ticking progression, and it's
a son's
legacy linking present and past worlds, even across an ocean of
distance:
"I turn on the old metronome, the
way my parents did when I was a child. I listen to its sound, tuning
out the
noise of a busy New York street and imagining my parents as teenagers,
huddled
around a wooden crank radio, hungry and cold, armed only with their
will to
live."
Don't expect
a simple (or
easily-defined) novel, here: The Metronome
is a link between
Its twists
and turns are multifaceted
and delicately woven
and will delight readers who eschew the usual shallow leisure read for
something richer and steeped in other cultures. In this, The
Metronome shines, analyzing Pavel's life and the final
decision
that will set him free, once and for all.
Neither
Children Nor
Gods
Warren Albrecht
Infinity Publishing
Soft
Cover 978-1-4958-0399-4
Ebook 978-1-4958-0401-4
It's the
soldiers on
the field who pick up the political will of government and people and
enact
these ideals through wider struggle. It's the soldiers on the field who
ultimately pay the price of military and political maneuvering and
decisions.
And, in Neither Children Nor Gods,
it's the principles of war, their careful application, and their
outcome that
is closely examined in a military saga that will prove, on closer
inspection,
to be a horse of another color.
From
Events
also swirl
around the broken relationships between young officers, the aftermath
of trauma
which results in alcoholism and PRSD, a battle involving past romance
and
present-day dangers, and individuals forced to confront the lasting
impact of
their decisions.
Thus is
the real
cost of war chronicled from an everyday life: "…a
weary and cynical historian, a cloistered shadow of himself. His
presentations on the principles of war layered with doubt, he had
become an
atheistic military historian. A cloak of defiance and stubbornness
draped a
ragged and disquieted wraith that drank too much."
One
almost would
think this passage portends that the narrative will end with quiet
conclusion -
but Neither Children Nor Gods won't
end with a whimper; these are only the opening salvos setting the stage
of
world-changing paradigms to come. G.D. faces a new breed of cadet and a
military game changing with the rise of
Terrorism
slowly
embeds itself into military actions that sweep from
Few dare
to confront
terrorists; but then, Henry is about to die: he figures he has nothing
to lose
by presenting the truth: "Your lands
are not holy. Arab tribes have feuded and fought
over them for
ages, like dogs fighting
over dinner scraps.
A woman
held
hostage, a man with the savvy to inform American intelligence via hand
signal
Morse code about where they are being held, turbulent lives and
relationships
born in the military ("It was all
good fun - the laughs at someone else’s expense - the camaraderie
developed
within the four years of living the same turbulent life – the final
days until
graduation."): it's unusual to see so many disparate elements
under
the guise of military fiction - but that's actually the second strength
to note
about Neither Children Nor Gods.
Nothing is set in stone.
Tension
builds with
exquisite details, but it's the military insights, firmly grounded in
real-world encounters, which are its strength as cadets transition from
school
to battlefields ("They had learned
about character and honor. Now they were going to have to live those
ideals. It
was one thing to be a cadet officer and give orders to their peers. Now
they
were going to give orders to NCO’s and Joe’s who did not share the same
life
and had not been taught in the same rigid value system.") and
even the
most seasoned of military men find themselves stymied by old routines
that no
longer work.
Most
military
fiction churns out formula writing and a singular focus: one battle,
one
perspective, one ideal, one inevitable conclusion. Neither
Children Nor Gods follows none of this routine - and that's
its third notable exception to the rule of tired and battle worn
military
scenarios: its ability to take stories of officers, cadets, retired
personnel
and young hearts and minds on the brink of discovery and weave all
together
with evolving political and military challenges to create a powerful
saga of
survival and evolution.
There's
nothing
singular about this approach; so if it's just entertainment that is
desired -
or descriptions of military prowess - then, best to look elsewhere.
Plenty of
military novels offer this brand of leisure reading distraction. Neither Children Nor Gods stands out
from the crowd and examines acts of nobility. Its protagonists excel at
reaching beyond the call of duty. So does this novel.
The
Oblate's Confession
Secant Publishing
9780990460800
$25.99
www.secantpublishing.com
Readers
of
historical fiction typically value settings and history as much as
drama - and
that's where some historical stories fall short, focusing on events and
adding
only the faint trappings of the background that would fully explain
their
progression. And this point is where The Oblate's Confession
departs
from many other novels set in
The
Oblate's Confession is set in
seventh century
It's a
holy trinity
gone awry when the return of his natural father results in a clash
between the
child's monastic superior, the hermit, and the warrior stranger who
sired him.
That is
the basic
overview of a plot replete with politics, conflict, and Middle Ages
struggles
for survival. Now for the nitty-gritty … The Oblate's
Confession also
takes readers on a trip through time. This is not to say it's a
time-slip
story; just that its ability (through use of the first-person and
powerful
descriptions) to capture the sights, sounds, smells and feel of its
time will
successfully transport readers to the distant past like few others can
achieve:
"It was not as bright as I had expected but it was bright. I blinked and then looked
again. The sun was
well up now, mid-morning, and it
looked as if it would be a nice day.
It
had rained during the night and the air was sweet and fragrant. I placed my hands on the
windowsill and
leaned out. A
breeze moved over the
surface of the outer wall and the perspiration on my forehead began to
dry, the
skin there suddenly feeling cool and fresh."
Few
historical
novels take the time to create proper atmosphere. Most breeze (or, more
likely,
charge) through such descriptions in favor of fast-paced action; but
it's this
approach that truly immerses readers in the era - and that's what
superior
historical fiction is all about.
The
Oblate's Confession goes beyond
narration and a fast-paced story line
replete with personal
and political struggle to snare readers with a series of exquisite
descriptions
that do more than create a setting: they inject the present-day
follower with a
vivid sense of the past. All the senses, in fact.
Thus,
expect
passages of action tempered by the slow winding observational views of
a young
boy growing up and learning from his three very different fathers: "I
had to think about it for a while - seeing the raindrops falling on the
footprints, seeing other footprints falling on the raindrops - but when
it
finally came to me the solution seemed so obvious I couldn't believe I
hadn't
seen it before: "You can tell when thins happened!" I cried.
"You can tell when he passed through here by the raindrops!"
Under
A good
historical work
recreates the times and events that drive motive, action and decisions.
A
superior work tempers these events with solid characterization,
psychological
insights, and a sharp sense of place that captures the everyday.
From the
Benedictine monks and their world to a young oblate's struggles to live
in
different realities, The Oblate's Confession more
than succeeds in
recreating the Dark Ages in all their facets. Not since Rosemary
Sutcliff's
historical prowess has such a strong sense of the times succeeded in
drawing
this reader into a powerful historical saga.
The
Elena Maria Vidal
MayApple Books
9781500590628
$TBA
No Website
The Paradise
Tree
opens in 1887
Readers
seeking a spicy immigrant
saga replete with Catholic
faith and the search for spiritual and social freedom will find The Paradise Tree is just the ticket:
it's historical fiction writing at its best, bringing alive not just
the events
of one man's life, but the underlying motivations, perceptions and
struggles it
embraces.
Through
Elena Maria Vidal's
descriptions, the beliefs and
driving force behind a devout Catholic immigrant's experiences comes to
life
with driving passages of color and passion defining the forces that
ultimately
compel an immigrant to leave his homeland for the unknown: "During the night, the crash of the waves
sounded through the chambers of Daniel’s mind, speaking to him of
another
place, a faraway place mentioned in one of the old songs. The words
urged
themselves back into his memory: There
is a distant isle/Around which sea-horses glisten;/Let not your
intoxication
overcome thee; Begin a voyage across a clear sea . . . .Daniel
thought
of the legends of the western seas and the Blessed Otherworld, which
even holy
monks like St. Brendan had sought to find. An inexpressible yearning
welled in
the depths of his being, as if something indefinable called to him from
far
away."
Poetic,
lyrical passages skillfully
capture these
motivators, which range from social and political change to failed
crops and
specter of starvation and a clan's survival. No punches are pulled:
this is
also a story of addiction and depression: facets that many immigrant
stories
leave out when recounting struggles.
In order to
appreciate the
present-day events, the past
needs to be thoroughly explored. The
Paradise Tree does an outstanding job of creating this link
with its a
history of an Irish heritage, passed on from a grandfather's tales to
his young
grandson: "…so harsh were the laws
that many Protestant authorities would not enforce them, and looked the
other
way. The religious orders, the Franciscans, the Dominicans, and the
Carmelites
did not abandon us, but kept the faith of our people alive. They built
tiny
chapels, but those were few and far between. In my grandparents' day,
Catholics
went to Mass in private homes, at the back of the pub, or in the open
fields at
places called scathlans or
Mass
rocks. My parents went to hedge schools in the countryside, and the
brave
Presentation sisters taught many Irish children in and around
As the lives
of Daniel and his wife
Bridget come to life, so
are readers steeped in the culture, influences and motivations of a
family
unified by forces that invade their close-knit world and change the
course of
their lives.
The Paradise
Tree
is a solid example of historical fiction at its best, illustrating the
circumstances affecting its protagonists and capturing the drama of
lives well
lived. The fact that it's all based on the author's own family heritage
("…elements of The
Paradise Tree were gleaned from
private family papers and unpublished or privately published works,
including
assorted letters, newspaper clippings, and legal documents."),
documenting how the author's family emigrated from Ireland to Canada,
just
makes it all the more compelling.
Sofia Diana Gabel
Escargot Books and Music
ISBN (EPUB) 978-1-908191-99-1
ISBN (Paperback) 978-1-908191-29-8
Prices: $4.99 eBook, $9.99 print
Website : www.escargot-books.com
Readers
suffering from arachnophobia
will either have their
fears confirmed or should stay away from Sofia Diana Gabel's Pest Control, an environmental thriller
that revolves around a spider invasion of epic proportions. But it
would be a
shame for such a phobia to result in avoiding this novel; for its
arachnid-based action is exquisitely different from the usual thriller
and
revolves around an entirely new insect deterrent a professional killer
community finds revolutionary and appealing. So begins a story of
convoluted
horror as the new product, Arach-No-More, is touted as a pest
controller's
dream (soon to prove a nightmare).
There's more
than a hint of
tongue-in-cheek humor, here, as
a neurotoxin designed to exclusively attack the DNA of spiders hits the
market.
With the new product comes not only the promise of ending
arachnophobia, but
wiping out a new breed of aggressive spiders threatening
But as with
any new environmental
killer, the "new best
friend" soon turns into a nightmare of epic proportions - and that's
where
Pest Control really comes into its
own, offering a believable premise, a variety of involving characters
with
special interests, and an unexpected twist that ultimately makes even
the most
dangerous spider more desirable than the product that kills it.
Greed,
environmental battles, an
outdoor world made unsafe
by human meddling, and the rise of Pest No More as a top stock market
company
are all about to coalesce in a thunderous crash that will take down
spider and
human alike.
This much is
predictable from the
start; but what isn't
predictable is Pest Control's
lively
twists and turns that keep readers guessing about the outcome. And as
Arach-No-More's victims adopt a deadly genetic mutation in an effort to
adapt
to their newly poisonous environment, schoolgirl Amelia (who harbors a
beloved
pet tarantula) finds herself in the unlikely role of trying to saving
mankind
from its own fears - as well as the spiders she loves.
Has
Arach-No-More succeeded in
creating its own biggest
spider nightmare? And can an ornery teen face down men who are richer,
stronger, and nearly as clever as she?
What sets Pest
Control
apart from any other Michael Crichton look-alike is its attention to
detail.
Amelia's
motivations, background, and
sassy savvy are
logical and realistic and draw readers in with well-built human
interest. And
when the murders begin, her objectives lie at the heart of not only a
personal
struggle against environmental degradation and corporate greed, but a
new
technology that ultimately migrates into military hands and purposes.
As a new
spin-off product,
Insecti-Gone, threatens the
world, it's Amelia and her supporter Marvin against the evil Vogorev
and
special interests that embrace all aspects of what is wrong about
environmental
management efforts. But how can teenagers win over the tide of insect
fear
sweeping the nation: one that will result in irreversible decisions to
not just
control but eradicate anything perceived as a 'pest'?
Pest Control
asks
some hard questions in the course of its wild ride through murder,
manipulation, and environmental concerns. Its scenarios are not
unlikely and in
fact border on believable - and that's what makes it a powerful survey
of a
great scientific discovery, a world-ending decision based on greed, and
an even
greater experiment to possibly reverse the impossible.
Anticipate a
powerful blend of
environmental thriller and
murder mystery, all wrapped up in the passion and concerns of a feisty
teenager
determined to save what she loves.
Totem: Book
1: Scars
C. Michael Lorion
CML Publishing
ASIN: B00JJ4D8NY
$2.99
Author
website: http://cmichaellorion.com/
Ordering
links:
Amazon-http://www.amazon.com/Totem-Book-Scars-Michael-Lorion-ebook/dp/B00JJ4D8NY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1399469987&sr=1-1&keywords=totem+book+1+scars
Barnes & Noble-http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/totem-c-michael-lorion/1119269144?ean=2940045838085
Kobo-http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/totem-book-1-scars
Totem
will attract
not just young adult readers, but adults who will find satisfyingly
involving
its complex twists of plot and time-travel events. Another plus: this
is no
formula plot, but elegantly synthesizes fantasy, mystery, Native
American
cultural insight and teen angst to create a multi-faceted story that
doesn't
handily fit into any single genre.
It's shades
of Tony Hillerman's
Native American mysteries
but with the time-travel piece; it's parts of the best teen stories of
sibling
rivalry set against the backdrop of an epic quest; and it's steeped in
local
Massachusetts small-town culture.
Most of all,
Totem
is about spiritual connections to an evolving new world and the choices
that
confront four teens as they decide what kind of world they will
influence and,
ultimately, create. It's an epic story on a far grander scale than the
usual
coming-of-age saga, blending portions of this feel with the wider
ambitious
quest of a girl charged with finding the Totem that will heal all -
including
herself. And this first book in the trilogy focuses on a single day in
this
quest and battle, so be prepared for more.
Kimi's
connections to the divine are
anything but
straightforward: "She prayed to The
Great Spirit. She waited. Minutes passed. No voice. No vision. Nothing.
She
raised her head and opened her eye. She was on her own. No. That was
not true.
She felt as though she was on her own, but she knew that feelings most
often
were deceiving. This was simply the way it was between her and The
Great
Spirit. It was as elemental to her life as air was to breathing…No matter how long they were, or what form
they took, Kimi’s petitions had never once been answered with any sign
or
vision or voice. Still, she continued seeking The Great Spirit’s
guidance,
always knowing that her petitions did not go unheard, always believing
that The
Great Spirit was there, guiding and sustaining her. She had no other
choice but
to be sure of that much. "
Adding a
parallel line of scars and
conflict in the form of
teens Abby and Josh who struggle with both their relationship and
family
tragedy lends depth to a story line that successfully juxtaposes the
concerns
of supernaturally-influenced twins with those of a couple on the verge
of
breaking up (and breaking down). They, too, are unexpectedly given the
keys to
stopping an ancient evil force in their world, and so they find
themselves on a
far greater mission than healing their broken families and relationship.
Four teens,
a host of scars carried
forward through time,
and forces of evil and good that all circle around the Totem, which
creates a
maelstrom of confusion and possibility in their lives...there's a lot
of
potential for confusion under a lesser hand, but C. Michael Lorion
pulls it all
together.
With rich
events, a host of
supporting characters, and
plenty of drama, Totem succeeds in
entertaining and engrossing mature teen (because of its moments of
violence
that range from disfigurement to suicide) through adult readers, and
creates a
lively adventure story with many vibrant moments: "Kimi
ran. More accurately, she moved as fast as nature would allow her
to with a boy slung over her shoulder, a broken wrist in a splint, and
a bad
ankle that was getting worse now that Kimi had to run for her life. She
limped
and stumbled and scampered, the branches parted for her, and she was
grateful
to The Great Spirit for that. Since that time when the tree had saved
her life,
Kimi had, in times of danger, whether from animal or man, been in
similar
situations when the forest acted as her friend. Her protector. When the
forest
acted as if…as if it were alive. And it did not matter which forest it
was.
Whenever Kimi’s life had been threatened and she was close to a
forest—it had never
happened with a single tree—the forest acted on her behalf."
Readers who
enjoy trilogies packed
with strong
characterization and vivid events with more than a touch of
supernatural
influence will find Totem a
powerfully compelling pick.
The Color
Symphonies
Blazevox Books
9781609641757
$TBA
www.blazevox.org
Books on
synesthesia are typically
nonfiction accounts of
the ability to 'feel colors'; but to have a literary, poetic work
packed with
descriptions integrating colors with characters and life is truly a
horse of
another color. Perhaps equating The Color
Syphonies with Proust's flavorful writings would come
closest; but even
then, Proust is relatively inaccessible to all but the most literary
follower -
and The Color Symphonies is
eminently
accessible.
Like a
delicious ice cream, bits of
color flake off in the
mouth and leave pleasing impressions with every bite: "In
the playful day/jets of light were
launched,/the white spaces shuddered,/there was dazzling cobalt
blue/fused with
windblown yellow./You begin to hear colors/you never thought would speak."
Biographical
accounts have attempted
to explain the
perceptions and sensations of synesthesia; but few have truly
succeeded… until
now, it seemed one must be one of those rare individuals to 'feel
color' or
even understand descriptions of such a feeling.
The poems in
The
Color
Symphonies are like a blind man learning to see for the first
time: they
bring with them an extra dimension of perception and, for just a
moment, take
readers along on the journey that is synesthesia: a heightened sense of
color
perception that integrates color with sound and movement to create a
symphony
of extrasensory impressions.
It's rare
that a poetic work can be
recommended for that
fellow artist, the painter or capturer of colors. Usually wordsmiths
and painters
are separate creatures, each striving to capture the color-haunted
world in a
different manner, with different tools.
Here the
synthesis comes together -
once more, a symphony of
color - and invites the fellow artist working in another medium to come
on in,
sit down, and partake.
The language
of colors, their
interactions, and their
presentation all come to life in a collection where colors are the main
characters, assuming the vibrant words of a canvas and interacting with
calls
and responses in the world that contains them, keeps them from
spilling, merges
and dissolves them, and simply dances.
A good
poetry collection describes. A
better poetry
collection captures. But a superior work absorbs, dissolves, recreates,
immerses, and then dances … such is The
Color Symphonies. There's simply quite nothing like its
animated free verse
and light-filled perspective, even in today's overloaded poetry genre.
Running
Down
Broken Cement
Nancy Scott
Main Street Rag
Publishing Company
978-1-59948-488-4
$14.00
www.nancyscott.net
http://mainstreetrag.com/bookstore/product/running-down-broken-cement/
A number of Nancy Scott's poems have appeared in journals and blogs;
but
published appearance alone doesn't necessarily mean literary
achievement - not
if you consider the wealth of opportunities on the market for
publishing poetry
these days.
In fact,
there are
so many, many poetry collections on the market these days that it takes
a
unique voice to stand out from the crowd. Ideally, something that goes
beyond
personal revelation and observation to embrace larger worldviews in
such a way
that the poetic structure itself lends to a different kind of
achievement that
moves beyond the traditional into the realm of exceptional. Running Down Broken Cement is that kind of achievement, and comes not
from an isolated at-home literary writer but from a caseworker for the
State of
Her
messages are thus narrated from a unique perspective and purposeful
life, and fictionalizes many of the stories she heard and the
experiences 'in
the trenches' of her work and life. These poems are, in fact, a
testimony, to
"…bear witness, to give voice to all the children and adults
who
struggle daily against the odds."
Take the
opener 'Sometimes What We Miss', for example. Against the
backdrop of a handicapped mother who responds to the nighttime cries of
a baby,
the poignancy of her handicap (immediately compared to the newborn's
more
perfect body) is quickly cemented not by a contrast in physical
abilities or
limitations, but by what the mother gives to her baby: "She
crooned a
lullaby of lemon trees/ and goat bells tinkling,/ the music of
laughter/ of
shoes dancing, hands clapping/to the beat of the tarantella./ In this
way
Rosalita taught the child/ how to make its body sing."
Timeless
ethnic traditions passed down within a single nighttime
lullaby - and all imparted in a succinct 21 lines of precise free verse
that
wastes not a word. Now, that's talent!
Don't
expect every poem to assume similar proportions, however. Many
are vignettes of cases narrated in stanza style. Such is the case with
'The
Tweed Jacket', which relates the dilemma of Jenny, whose mother and
stepfather
abused, then abandoned her. So why is she wearing the tweed jacket of
her
abuser? " All the kids wear their dad’s jacket/ besides it
has a nice
tobacco smell./ Jenny clutched her tweed arms/ tight around her budding
body."
There's
no singular theme to these sagas; no age group that is immune
from the caseworker's inspection. And sometimes trauma comes from
within, from
aging bodies, minds, and attitudes; as with an 81-year-old
Precarious
people, precarious lives, and hints of rough diamonds and
hope beneath thin skins of desperation: these are the urban visions
captured in
Running Down Broken Cement, which illuminates lives
of quiet
desperation.
Any
looking for poems cemented in the urban reality of mental illness,
personal struggle, and survival will find attention to real-life
scenarios
powerfully entwined with free verse's accessible experiences; all
neatly
packaged into meetings that succeed in placing poetry readers at the
heart of a
caseworker who works with homeless families and abused children and
who,
herself, has adopted and fostered these children.
Simple But
Deep
Beth Francis Butler
Bookhouse
9780991307838
$45.00
www.bebookhouse.com
The dawn of
a new day brings forth
responses in nature as
creatures awaken and embark on their pursuits (largely surrounding
survival):
so such a dawn awakens pursuits in human lives, and the course of a day
may
mirror the course of a lifetime of journeys.
Poetry
readers who enjoy vivid blends
of nature photos and
simple free verse celebrating life and emotion will find much to love
in Simple But Deep, which creates a
progressive series of insights into these human pursuits and
connections with
nature.
Simple But
Deep
opens with several nature pieces; the most striking of which is a photo
of
sunflowers against the backdrop of a rising (or setting) sun, pairing
image
with a simple haiku-like, 6-line verse linking morning's unfolding with
a
flower's awakening.
The
transition from tulips, pines,
sunflowers and nature to
blood-soaked human battles and huge ships may be jarring after the
'happy
chorus' created by the natural observations; but expect these unusual
juxtapositions to continue throughout the work, which excels in
contrasts.
From
observations of human pursuits
and nature to
expressions of personal emotions ("I
have hurt you/I know I have/Never did I mean to…"), Simple But Deep never leaves readers
behind in its jumps between personal and wider worlds.
Now, the
field of poetry is replete
with intellectual
pursuits, verse constructed in the strictest of rhythmical rules, and
'deep'
revelations that often lose readers seeking the simple observational
tone of a
free verse production. It's also replete with complexity and
technically-adept
writers who don't write for the general public, but for an audience of
literary-minded giants.
Don't expect
this from Simple
But Deep: it's constructed with the basic everyday poetry
reader in mind,
and offers a series of vignettes honed from a combination of life
experience,
personal observation, and poetic translation.
Any who seek
familiar emotions
couched in simple verse and
matched with truly striking imagery will find Simple
But Deep is the collection of choice.
Vanilla Milk
Chanel Brenner
Silver Birch Press
978-0692267479
$TBA
www.silverbirchpress.com
Memoirs and
poetry collections flood
the market; often to
the point that a reviewer or editor's desk can be crowded with genre
reads;
many of which don't impart distinction or surprise. Such is not the
case with Vanilla Milk, which holds
both; not the
least of which is a surprising blend of formats which melds a memoir to
poetry. And so, the
first prerequisite
for appreciating Vanilla Milk is
affection for poems and memoirs alike.
Chanel
Brenner is not the first to
use poems to immortalize
and capture the events surrounding a child's death: Stan Rice's Some Lamb is one example of an
outstanding synthesis of poem/memoir - and Vanilla
Milk deserves to take its place alongside it, on the shelf of
exceptional
writings.
The night
her son Riley died, Brenner
began to write a poem
- only the fifth she'd ever written in her life. She began taking her
journal
everywhere, channeling her grief into something cathartic and concrete.
Vanilla Milk
is
the result, sending the pain "somewhere" - and that 'somewhere'
proves to be a collection that honors her son, keeps a piece of him
alive, and
transmits a small bit about him to the wider world.
A quick
glance at the table of
contents listing poem titles
shows that these pieces adopt unusual perspectives: 'Toy Venom', 'Riley
Died
Again Yesterday', and 'God as a Waiter' aren't approaches to be found
in every
poetry collection, but are solid examples of the flood of changing
emotions and
perceptions death (especially the death of a child) brings to life.
The verses
themselves can best be
described as 'free verse
tinged with unveiled emotions' - so be prepared for heart-wrenching
immersion
in the author's experiences: "Nothing
belongs to us, not our hair, not our thoughts,/not our sons…. A washing
machine
outlives a little boy./These are the ruins: hair, eyes, teeth, flesh
over
bones./What parts of his body do we want to give away?"
Readers who
choose Vanilla
Milk will find the purpose here is not to rhyme stanzas nor
create poetic
works steeped in literary excellence, but to capture the essence of
both Riley
and the world that all too briefly swirled around him and his death.
Those
looking for total immersion in
Brenner's experiences
and who want a memoir that tackles all facets of a mother's response to
a son's
death and the grief process will find Vanilla
Milk laced with warmth and pain alike: a satisfying,
involving hot drink
perfect for a winter's day and an understanding of the process so
blithely
described as 'grieving'.
Vanilla Milk
="">Parallel
Sharon
Erby
A
linked set of short stories revolving around a working-class
woman is an unusual approach, but Parallel's
collection is a standout with short tales that correspond to American
lives and
working-class hearts, and is a special recommendation for women's
literary
collections and general-interest readers looking for realistic stories
of an ordinary
woman experiencing life's changes.
Collecting
Feathers:
Tales from the Other
Side
Daniela I. Norris
Soul Rocks
978-1782796718
$12.95
www.soulrocksbooks.com
Its
focus
is on
human connections and love, and it imparts these basics using a variety
of
protagonists, settings and circumstances that reach into everyday lives
and
flavor them with a dose of spicy reflection; whether those events be as
mundane
as shopping in a grocery store, as poignant as visiting a child's
grave, or as
world-changing as a suicide attempt.
Many
universal
messages are embedded in these vignettes, from health struggles
depicted in 'A
Reason to Go On' to portraits of loss, despair, struggle and
redemption.
Throughout them all, Daniela I. Norris's lyrical, poetic hand adroitly
captures
the heart and feel of lives at crossroads, even in seemingly-ordinary
scenes:
"We saw storms in the eyes of the other patients. They stared
at us
enviously as we walked away on that grey, miserable morning. Could they
have
seen us both? We were the ones getting out, they were staying behind.
Or was it
the other way round?"
Does
darkness hide
everywhere - or is it the individual who refuses to let it go? Each
story is
replete with some kind of darkness and some kind of light; whether it
be
physical, psychological, or spiritual. And each is permeated with
Norris's
attention to detail, which betrays a poetic hand lurking in the
background of
vivid description: "I could hear the early summer winds
whistling their
melancholic tunes, accompanied by the sound of a distant piano. They
whistled
at me, for me. No one else seemed to hear them. Whoosh, whoosh,
they would say, and I whooshed back at them,
ignoring the loud protests of the starlings which must
have been trying to distract me."
It
would
be all too
easy to present the trappings of what each short story in this
collection is
estimably about - but that would be doing the overall collection a
grave
disservice. Really, it's about reasons to go on living and where (and
how)
these reasons are found.
Birth,
death,
afterbirth and afterlife are all intricately wind together against the
backdrop
of tragedies happening daily and how people cope, move on, and move
outward.
That's
the living,
breathing, beating heart of Collecting Feathers,
especially recommended
not for those who expect entertainment from their short stories, but
for
readers more interested in reflective pieces spiced with poetic imagery
and
succinct (but striking) revelations.
Mystery
and
Misadventure - An Old
Acquaintance
M.D. Hall
ASIN: B00NBA6UUA
$2.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBA6UUA
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NBA6UUA
It's
back
- and
we're talking about another fine addition to M.D. Hall's works in the
form of Mystery
and Misadventure - An Old Acquaintance, a companion to the
original Mystery
and Misadventure short story collection. And if you think
you're in for the
usual succinct vignette that entertains, be prepared for something very
different: the same exquisite twists of story line that made the
original stand
out are back, and just as powerful here. Think Twilight Zone with a
dose of
smoky intrigue and quietly compelling, fluid plots.
Take
the
opener,
'The Clock'. The mysterious narrator S.P. best describes his own take: "Have
you ever wished that time could have the fluidity of water, or that you
could
rewind time, not unlike a fishing line? Robert is about to discover
things
about time he could never have imagined…" When a teacher and
amateur
clock collector stumbles upon a puzzling ad and its hidden potential,
he finds
an 18th century marvel in a clock that holds a mirror to time itself.
It's just
awaiting its keeper… Nobody can own it, for the clock itself is the
mechanism
for an extraordinary relationship.
Its
silent magic
draws Robert into the world of a killer, and he becomes the unwitting
wielder
of an ultimate power in this story of corruption, evil, and slavery to
an
inanimate object.
'The
Chamber' is
another such read, opening with Brian's awakening in a hyperbaric
chamber and
revealing the results of what was to be the most exciting dive of the
century,
investigating a mysterious 'siren circle' area where ships vanish
without a
trace.
His
is
not a
scientific investigation; it's a secret salvage operation - but what is
uncovered isn't just gold, it's a trail of dangerous crumbs leading to
a sunken
navy ship that holds a deadly power.
What
happens next
is unpredictable, amazing, and unleashes a storm of impossible truths.
And much
like a good Twilight Zone scene, the everyday and the expected are
transformed
into the extraordinarily unexpected in an otherworldly twist packed
with
intrigue. Would that other short story writers wrote this well!
From
a
theatre
critic to a deep-sea diver searching for treasure, an exceptionally
successful
(nee: crooked) businessman whose 'failures' are human lives, to
characters who
just don't survive the impossibilities of their lives, Mystery
and
Misadventure - An Old Acquaintance's eminently unpredictable
short stories
will delight both prior readers of the original book and newcomers.
And,
unlike most
introductions and afterwords, the beginning and ending featuring the
chatty,
surreal voice of 'S.P.' is as compelling as the reads themselves,
capturing an
eerie sense of irony that permeates all the stories in a very highly
recommended, well-polished collection that cuts its sharp teeth on the
hidden
edge of the impossible.
Mystery and Misadventure - An Old Acquaintance
Mother's
Love Can Conquer Any Fear!
Subhash Kommuru
Kommuru Books
Email: KommuruBooks@gmail.com
978-0-9903178-2-1
$7.99
46 Pages
www.kommurubooks.com
Sujata
Kommuru provides warm, fun
crayoned backgrounds and
drawings for the picture book Mother's
Love Can Conquer Any Fear!, which requires good reading
skills (or parental
assistance) and revolves around Anand Nagar, a chicken farm sporting a
wise old
chicken who oversees a contented flock where everyone is happy.
But
there's
always a bad boy in every
peaceable kingdom and
here it takes the form of Kaalia, a vile crow who is always up to no
good and
who only seeks to bring dissention and strife into the peaceful world.
His
insistence on changing happiness introduces a darkness into the
barnyard that
requires innovative plans to put an end to the evil that infects Anand
Nagar.
As
repeated
efforts are thwarted by
the clever crow, which
sees through every plan, the chickens are discouraged as the atmosphere
of
their home changes from one of freedom and happiness to one of watchful
caution.
It
may take
a bit of magic to truly
find the way to stop
Kaalia from infecting the coop - and that magic is born from an
unexpected
place, right at home.
The
overall
theme celebrating
motherhood and bravery is
accompanied by insights on the threat of evil and how to handle it.
While
the
lovely crayon illustrations
appear to be directed
to an easier reader than the accompanying text, they do lend a bright
personality to the overall effort that will delight budding young
artists,
while the story's gentle moral messages and celebration of mothers
successfully
evolves in an unexpected way.
The
result
is a picture book reader
that is a fun, different
standout from the fable-oriented stories typically available to young
readers,
and a special recommendation for any collection strong in multicultural
settings, fables, and animal stories.
Porter
Searches for Santa
Author/Illustrator: Jonathan I. Gonzales
N.B. 498 Press
Publisher E-mail: info@nb498.com
978-0-9960610-0-1
$16.95
36 Pages
www.porterpenguin.com
A
mis-delivered letter changes all
that; and Porter finds
himself searching through his penguin world for someone who knows who
the
mysterious Santa might be.
Fun
penguin
illustrations in full
color depict a unique (but
appealingly different) penguin and his fun world, which is filled with
not just
snow but multicolored swing sets, books and tables, and the specter of
Old
Rockhopper, the biggest penguin Porter's ever seen, and a wise but
grouchy
curmudgeon.
Good
reading
skills (or parental
assistance) will be
required: this isn't a collection of one-liners, but paragraphs of
dialogue and
information geared for young picture book readers who have some basic
skills
under their belts.
Pages
consist of 2-3 paragraphs of
description as they
chronicle the search of a once-happy little penguin who seemingly fails
in his
mission to locate the elusive Santa.
And
just
when all seems lost,
something magical happens…
The
strengths of Porter
Searches for Santa lie in an unpredictable, different story
line and truly
engaging, colorful claymation scenes by Jonathan I. Gonzales. The
combination
offers a refreshing difference for kids looking for seasonal reads that
provide
something other than the usual, predictable Santa tale. Parents, too,
will be
delighted to read aloud the story of a tenacious little penguin whose
dreams
and knowledge of the wider world are fueled by one mis-delivered letter…
Princess
Lizzie and the Time
Travelling Magic Cloak
Dr. Van
MultiCulturalMe
Email: victoriazhong@msn.com
978-0-9913352-2-0
26 Pages
Hardcover: $23, Paperback: $17.99, Ebook: $3.99
www.princesslizzie.com
Princess
Lizzie and
the Time Travelling Magic Cloak is Book Three of a series,
and familiarity
with the prior books is recommended for any who would imbibe. This
latest opens
with an assumption of such prior awareness of Princess Lizzie and the
makeup of
her court: "King Harry, upon hearing
of Hippopotamus's talent for fixing royal items, made him a knight…"
It
also
holds some larger words to
encourage picture book
readers to expand their vocabularies; so don't expect a picture book
geared to
the very young reader: "…Princess
Lizzie and her smart assistant, Monkey, collaborated on a new project."
Whimsical
color drawings accompany
the fun story of a royal
ball, a princess with a magic cloak and (forbidden) time-traveling
capabilities, and her growing realization that resources not
distributed fairly
result in poverty and suffering.
Two
friends
accompany her on a
journey to save her friend's
life when her hippo friend falls ill. Princess Lizzie is given the gift
of
magic medicine that could save his life and help others.
But
what
about the kingdom's wider
problems? It takes a
savvy, spunky young princess and a gentle wife to change a king's
legacy of an
ancient, unfair law that banishes wrongdoers and their families from
his
kingdom forever.
The
story is
a simple one about
justice and fairness. It's
also about how one individual can move outside their world, return to
it with
gifts, and change even entrenched beliefs and status quo thinking.
All
this is
packaged in a picture
book that combines vivid,
wordless color images by Juniardi Satyanagara with passages of
description,
inviting readers who have some basic skills under their belts, but who
are not
yet ready for long passages or chapter books.
Its message is clear and the blend of fairy tale and fable with an encouraging conclusion teaches basic concepts of empowerment and choice to young children who ordinarily wouldn't receive such a lesson at the picture book level.
Princess Lizzie and the Time Travelling Magic Cloak