October 2016 Review Issue
The
Other Side of Bipolar: Revealing Your Strengths to Move Beyond the
Diagnosis
Lauren Polly
Over and Above Press
978-0-9971077-0-8
$15.95
www.laurenpolly.com
What can be expected from life after a diagnosis of mental disorder at the age of fourteen? How does an individual struggling for normalcy face years of being drugged, disempowered, and criticized?
The Other Side of Bipolar documents what happens after a diagnosis of bipolar depression and recounts life before and after this event. But its strength lies in its candid revelations of the process that led Lauren Polly to journey from a life filled with medications to a radical new transformative perspective about her abilities.
It's this journey that sets The Other Side of Bipolar apart from other autobiographical surveys of psychological struggles, offering readers the rare opportunity to explore and utilize many of the gifts formerly identified as disabilities. Any who have faced such a diagnosis will find this an inspiring, engrossing saga which offers hope, revelation, and much food for thought as it follows a journey that takes the identification of 'bipolar' and turns it upside down.
It's the author's passion for her life and for her special gifts which offer the most encouragement and hope: "You may think that you are so insignificant that your absence will not be missed, that life will go on and no one will even remember you. But what if you are important beyond measure? What if your absence will rob the world of what only you can offer it? What if the bullies, the judgmental people, the hate and sadness in this world aren’t more real or true than your kindness, gentleness and hope? I am here to let you know there is a possibility for your life far beyond what you can see right now. There is freedom from this pain."
The division of her story into sections (pre-diagnosis, after diagnosis, and after she frees herself of the treatments and embarks on a different path) makes for clear discussions of the perceptions and feelings that direct her life: "What I see is not what I feel. Is what I’m feeling wrong? What’s going on here? … I gasp for breath. I become more and more confused as each person tries to engage with me. Do I respond to their words or the wave of emotion flowing through them and into me? Nobody else seems to be aware of these undercurrents. Is it real or am I crazy?"
These shining passages illustrate her evolving feelings of control over loss, confusing intersections of life and psyche, and achieving independence despite a roller coaster of life experiences. The book as a whole captures her choices to overcome the confusion within professional support systems, as she figures out for herself the pros and cons of various strategies and discovers her own path through the darkness.
Beyond 'stable' and 'safe', there is success. Lauren leads those who would reach beyond maintenance into new worlds of achievement and guides them there, from a world of traditional approaches to an alternative of hope.
Any who have been diagnosed as bipolar or who want a clear roadmap to a better approach will find The Other Side of Bipolar an engrossing, essential portrait of one woman who learned about mental health empowerment and how to reclaim hope. What can be expected from life after this process? There's no better indicator of all the possibilities than The Other Side of Bipolar.
The Other Side of Bipolar: Revealing Your Strengths to Move Beyond the Diagnosis
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Azriel
Dancer
Bob Jenkins
Shiva Puri Press
ISBN: 978 0
9979960-0-5 Price:
$12.99
www.amazon.com
Book One of the 'Daughters of the Kali Yuga' series features an intriguing cover art piece depicting two women, a gun, and a growling beast above them; but this is science fiction reading at its best, not a survivalist or wilderness adventure; and the lead-in cover art makes for an alluring attraction to a story that begins in California.
On a rugged, boulder-filled land, "One unseasonably warm Tuesday, while clearing rocks from Nisenan Hill, the farmers of Shiva Puri dug up an honest-to-goodness miracle." Two women on the team struggle to clear a particularly large, eleven-foot-long granite boulder in their way - and that's where the miracle lies in wait.
Shiva Puri Village, which Azriel and Simone call home, is about to be transformed beyond its utopian ideals and roots in Eastern religious beliefs; and this change brings with it a ripple that could spread into the world outside their village. As a result of her unusual encounter in the field, Azriel becomes mysteriously pregnant with fraternal twins who are destined to spark the Kali Yuga apocalypse.
Azriel Dancer is the kind of sci-fi read that rarely crosses a reviewer's desk. It contains fast action, but holds a plot with the ability to move quickly without the artificial pace of events that too often imbibe sci-fi adventure stories with a sense of desperation and haste.
While Bob Jenkins presents a story with a different kind of beginning (female partners who live in an idealistic rural village of believers), his care in building this alternative lifestyle setting is only the foundation to a far-reaching story that engulfs the two main characters in a whirlwind of life-challenging (and life-affirming) changes.
In this world, demons can assume unlikely forms to walk the Earth: "Adorned in baggy shorts and ribbed undershirt, Udamakali, Lord Enormity of Demons, stood at the sink of his subterranean apartment. The thin face staring back from the mirror was that of an elderly Indian gentleman, slight of build and unremarkable of feature."
Descriptions of prayers, events, and psyches are atmospheric and steeped in delightful descriptions that are hauntingly evocative and original: "Azriel sat up on her cushion, pulled her legs into a comfortable half lotus, covered her lap and feet with a blanket. She turned off the lantern. Lastly, she wrapped the other blanket around her shoulders and pulled it up over her head like a hood, a secret den she could peek from like a fox. Without the lantern light, the gymnasium, holy temple of the Lost Shivites, was jet black, at first, but after her eyes adjusted, she could see an orange glow seeping from the wood stove. Still too much light. She closed her eyes. I want darkness so thick I can hide in it. A place nobody can find me. Not even myself. Especially myself."
Female Marines, miracles, treks, and an Eater of Worlds collide with Eastern philosophical references and religious beliefs to create a story line as driven by its protagonists' differences as it is by outside events that coalesce to change the world. As the demon lord Kali nears, Azriel faces some of the biggest changes in her life.
Azriel Dancer is a gem: there's nothing staid or predictable about its characters or story line; but most of all, events are narrated with a gripping "you are there" immediacy that makes for a story nearly impossible to put down or predict. Science fiction fans are in for a real treat; but should be prepared: Azriel Dancer is like no other read, and it avoids typical approaches and predictable paths with a satisfying vengeance.
Azriel Dancer
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The
Darkleich Files: The Raptarian
Bryan R. Barton
Light Switch Press
ASIN: B00X01BQ7W
$6.99
https://amzn.com/B00X01BQ7W
Darkleich is an interplanetary investigator who is charged with tracking down and apprehending criminals across planets. In The Darkleich Files: The Raptarian, he's trying to capture a Raptarian, Zigart, on the run from assassinating Prime Minister Toolun. The assignment seems to fall neatly into Darkleich's skill sets - but as he's to find out, this case will prove quite a challenge.
Though there's a short prologue setting forth some history and perspective, action clearly begins in the first chapter, which is set in the year 2624 on the planet Buchean Prime, where a chase is winding down to its conclusion: "There is a commotion amongst the crowd. There are people twirling around to see what is happening. A cloaked man is chasing a large man like reptilian through the busy market streets. The man’s left arm becomes exposed beneath his cloak glinting with the lightening, his automatic pistol brushes against the side of a worn and torn long green leather jacket."
While there are occasional incongruities in the writing (automatic pistols are still used in 2624, on another planet? One would think some other high-tech weaponry would be employed, by then; although later in the story, long-range pulse rifles come into play), and a few places where better punctuation could have been more used ("I am fine Oterix, please prep the ship" would have read smoother with a comma after "fine"; and "Oterix, I have lost Zigart where is the ship docked" could similarly use a comma or a period after 'Zigart', for two examples), vivid scenes and quick action shots (with a video-like feel in its staccato of impressions) would seem to have the story ending before it's started, with the successful capture of Zigart.
But in a satisfying twist, Darkleich misses his opportunity to snag his perp, and the story continues with a pattern that evolves into a cat-and-mouse game between a determined (yet older) detective and an elusive, ever-moving target.
Telepaths, reptile-influenced Raptarians, assassins assigned to political figures, and nano-bots that allow Darkleich to operate in different environments are only a few of the devices affecting the detective's pursuit of an elusive and dangerous killer and the challenges of facing different worlds in a cross-planetary chase.
While the character of Darkleich is nicely portrayed, with some emotional interludes outlining his psyche ("Darkleich is visibly emotional, and is trying to fight back his feelings, "Rizzum, you have to hang in there."), Bryan R. Barton's focus isn't on psychological depth so much as good, solid action. Readers looking for a piece where characters and personalities are deeply flushed out might find these surface impressions too light; but others who look for powerful leisure reads which focus on atmosphere, intrigue, and alien interactions will be quite pleased with the story's approach.
Science fiction readers who also enjoy political intrigue and detective work will relish the atmosphere and fast pace of The Darkleich Files: The Raptarian.
The Darkleich Files: The Raptarian
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Opaque
Calix Leigh-Reign
Nnylluc Book Group LLC
9780997923988 (paperback)
$14.99
9781684197392
(ebook)
$ 7.99
Website ordering links: http://www.amazon.com/dp/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
https://store.kobobooks.com/
Adam is a troubled young adult who hates the world and holds the latent power to change it: an ability which awakens with deadly consequences when he reaches the age of sixteen.
But Opaque is far more than the story of this angst-ridden teen's coming of age. It embraces mutants, Russian involvements, programmed hearts and minds, and purposes far greater than one individual's quest or vision, using language that is complex and often startling, evident from its very first paragraph: "The rust scented liquid oozes from my nostrils as I focus my thoughts on the rustic aperture. There’s a tiny ping inside of my throbbing head, as if something has recoiled. My oxygen supply is cut off, and my body convulses violently. I resist the ictal attack but my sight and hearing simultaneously abandon me. I’m trapped inside of an electrical storm. I wait ambivalently for it to pass and I lose track of time. Regaining my ability to swallow, the taste of copper invades my mouth. The sound of my bedroom window slamming closed startles me."
Visceral, angry, and hard-hitting in its descriptions, readers should expect nothing less of Opaque than an emotional roller coaster ride that begins with a bang and drives forcefully through a teen's perspective of his world: "Society molds our emotions to be absent compassion for our fellow man, to judge without mercy, to worship currency and empty our minds of rational thought. But one must think in order to perform the murderous tasks set before us. A vote of guilty for instance. I rebel only to relent. The daily realizations frustrate me and my once-godly thoughts disembark their positive spiritual flight. I merely allow them to return to their comfort zone. I could literally kill every living creature and feel the same nothing I already feel."
But this is only the opening salvo in the war: there's a mother's journal, sealed with a blood line that only family DNA can decode; there's sexual and terrifying connections between Adam and the women around him ("Under normal circumstances, I likely would’ve gotten a boner but this woman terrifies me. I like her. I like her a lot. “I sense that you are a predator who has thought of doing many horrible things. Your unnatural feelings for your mother fuel your predatory side.” She’s speaking very low and through her perfect teeth, so no one else can hear. She pins me to the wall with her energy, and stares directly into my eyes. “You have no times to hurt my daughter. All descendants can become predatory if they so choose.” Her LR flashes brightly. “If we can turn it on, we can turn it off. Find your off-switch or it will be found for you.”), and there's a gritty immediacy to his evolutionary process that will leave readers not just on the edges of their seats, but gasping for air.
No light read and no casual coming-of-age story, Opaque is laden with angst, psychological power, and is a tale of dysfunction in a world where supernatural abilities can thwart mental illness, where a mysterious Afro-Russian girl who holds the power to divert Adam from the apocalypse he's preparing for the future.
Under Calix Leigh-Reign's hand, a different kind of revolution is taking place. It's in the very cells of her characters, in the changed ways they interact with each other and the world, and in the blossoming power that give them new choices: "I feel her. Differently. I feel the energy inside of her cells and they’re calling out to me. Teleportation, increased speed, portal creation and interface. I wonder if she knows. I’m sure she does. But how do I know?"
As Opaque winds its way up to a crescendo of passion and angst, it carries readers on a roller coaster of emotion and change that dives right down into cellular layers of choice and struggles for survival. Regeneration, new awakenings, biokenretic energy and questions of immortality and immorality all blend into a heady mixture that considers how monsters are made and battled.
Suffice it to say that sci-fi readers from mature teens to adults who seek complex story lines and plots that steep their characters with awakening powers and new decision-making processes will find Opaque a powerful force. Complex, driven by clashes between darkness and light, and seriously overwhelming, it's a tense page-turner that does more than present a teen's world. It pulls the reader in to an evolutionary process that is far more than one of transition points, but embraces moral and ethical conundrums.
Opaque
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Titan
Michael Van Cleve
Amazon
ASIN: B00PDHRP3U
$2.99
https://www.amazon.com/Titan-
Titan's prologue opens with a poem; but readers should be advised that the story isn't narrated in verse format. This lament about America is merely the opener to an apocalyptic story that revolves around a family of survivors facing a much-changed world after a nuclear holocaust brings disease and devastation.
One of the story's introductory descriptions sets the tone for much of the atmosphere in the rest of the novel: "Around the room there are a number of strange and dissimilar objects. First, weapons: rifles, swords, grenades. Then scientific objects. Telescopes. Microscopes. A globe of the Earth. Along the walls are magnificent paintings of space: galaxies; the birth of stars and the death of stars."
This is a world replete with disease, mutants, and deadly confrontation. In such a changed America, the last known city holds perhaps the only hope for a semblance of civilization - or, does it?
It's a strange journey to undertake, moving through a land that is at once familiar and so starkly changed. It's also important to note that Titan is a novella, so a lengthy, epic saga it is not. Its action is succinct and takes place in a manner appropriate to the book's length, which often results in a staccato/quick manner.
It should also be mentioned that said 'action' involves no small degree of bloody confrontations ("Paris takes a step forward. Ring Leader throws out his right hand to grab her. Paris cuts his right arm completely off. Ring Leader screams in pain. Paris cuts off Ring Leader’s left arm. Ring Leader continues to scream. Blood runs from his arms."), so readers who struggle with violent descriptions should look elsewhere for their apocalyptic entertainment.
That said, this world would not seem realistic were it not for a degree of violent confrontations surrounding the struggle to survive; and Titan holds a powerful ability to contrast a world of daily violence with a society that doesn't have crime and refuses entry to those who live by other rules, outside its walls: "You know I couldn’t enter. You people have rules. You keep everyone outside, under penalty of death!” “But why wouldn’t you, a brilliant scientist, an absolutely genius inventor be able to find a way to communicate with this city through some other way other than violence?” “It’s possible but...” “So you admit it!” “I...” “You and your wife are the product of a violent world. You know violence. You adhere to violence. You think everyone else should too.”
The result is a powerful saga that questions killers, reveals the end results of cold fusion and scientific progress, injects a computer's wisdom, and posits a trial that gets to the heart of man's inhumanity to man: "Love and Loyalty to their fellow man. To the blood! You are at best, an intervener, and at worst, a revolutionary. You have no respect for the rules and society of this city! You sought to change us before you knew us! You’re selfish and you respected only your opinion. You represent the fall of man and the worst of man."
In a nuclear showdown at the end of a long series of manmade disasters, who will win? Fans of apocalyptic sci-fi will find Titan a short but powerful read that ultimately questions a scientist's final stand over the last technological miracle left on the planet.
Titan
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Arabian
Nights & Arabian Nights
Clive Johnson
Labyrinthe Press
ISBN 978-0-9932029-6-4 (Print
edition)
$13.95
ISBN 978-0-9932029-7-1 (Electronic edition) $ 3.99
www.labyrinthepublishers.com
Amazon: http://goo.gl/ks4rLB
Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/mIP8kB
Most readers recall the One Thousand and One Nights magical stories of Middle East culture from the vague memories of a child's perspective, having long ago been introduced to these tales; but this retelling of the classic stories isn't intended for children but for adults who will find fresh new insights in Clive Johnson's approach.
Arabian Nights & Arabian Nights highlights sexual politics and social issues (such as women's rights and customs) and provides an accompanying contemporary focus for each tale's underlying message by crafting a modern counterpart story to accompany each classic. As such, this is not intended to be a new, definitive translation of the originals so much as a new perspective on their contents and themes and their relevance to modern times.
Some of the stories chosen for this collection are famous ones (such as Scheherazade’s dilemma) while others are lesser-known adaptations of tales from the three main English translations (Edward Lane’s 1859 edition, John Payne’s nine volumes (published in 1882) and Sir Richard Burton's 1885 collection).
Having the juxtaposition of a contemporary counterpoint to each traditional tale offers much food for thought and refreshing new perspectives on how the messages of the original stories can be applied to modern times.
Some readers anticipating a mere retelling of the originals may be surprised at first at this dual focus and its movement between traditional story line and modern re-invention. But that's the beauty of Arabian Nights & Arabian Nights: by crafting stories to accompany these original gems, further insights are encouraged, including accompanying notes on interpretation processes.
The ideal readers of this collection will be teens through adults who will find the contemporary counterpart stories (crafted with adults in mind) to be especially enlightening windows into the relevance and visions of the originals.
High school to college-level classes studying the One Thousand and One Nights would also be good audiences for this collection, which also lends to classroom debate and discussions of each tale's connection to the moral, ethical and social dilemmas of modern times.
Arabian Nights & Arabian Nights is thus especially recommended for those who would view the original classics with a new eye to their lasting relevance to modern times.
Arabian Nights & Arabian Nights
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Noah's
Boat
CB Follett
Arctos Press
9780983367418 $18.00
www.Arctospress.com
Noah's Boat comes from an award-winning poet who has published numerous collections, has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes for her work, and who provides a gathering of animal-oriented works that will delight readers with an affection for nature.
The term "word artist" comes to mind because, in effect, these free verse productions are paintings of landscapes, animals, and human interactions and observations and provide succinct jewels of imagery and metaphor delicately laced with metaphysical reflection that juxtapose human and animal perspectives, as in a hawk's-eye view of bird watchers in 'Hawk Soaring': "Over at Stinson playing Icarus,/they strap on huge metal frames, harnessed/to their jellied bodies. They launch/themselves in my sky, usurp my thermals…"
From domestic animals (such as cows to bats, bears, frogs and fishes) to beaches and world nature areas, the wide-ranging Noah's Boat captures natural history from a broad range of perspectives and celebrates the labor of moles, the ravages of savage weather and wildness, and the views of the author, who is "one of those artists who recycle/such treasures" (a description poised in the story of a water-laden, rescued jewel of a dragonfly).
Delicate,
multifaceted, and filled with powerful contrasts between human and
animal perceptions,
Noah's Boat
offers up an ark of
poetic observation for any nature enthusiast who loves powerful
nature-oriented
poetry.
Noah's
Boat
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to Index
Lemoncella
Cocktail
Rene Natan
Archway Publishing
ASIN: B01IO4H182
$3.99
https://amzn.com/B01IO4H182
All Patrick Carter seeks in his twenty-five years of life is a calm, non-confrontational existence. He's had enough of struggle, drama and strife from his troubled childhood and has spent his life and energy making sure his past angst hasn't infected his adult pursuits.
This carefully-constructed effort has lead to his career as a lifeguard, helping people; but he's in over his head when he rescues teen Samantha in a river, only to find that her near-drowning may not be an accident, but a murder attempt.
Who would mark a teenager for death? As Patrick comes to discover it's because her look-alike older sister has seen too much, endangering both siblings, he find himself immersed in a situation that challenges his carefully-formed determination to keep his life on an even keel as he stumbles into the world of terrorist activities and an international weapons trading scheme.
Patrick resists involvement at every step of the way; but his initial helpful impulse leads to circumstances that thwart his efforts to remain dispassionate. How can a "man of a thousand trades" help professionals investigating a terrorist weapons clique? Ironically, Patrick's persona and background may be just the edge that an undercover operation needs to nap villains already savvy about their presence and people. A rogue outsider might be the perfect ace in the hole - for them.
One of the delights of Lemoncella Cocktail lies in a protagonist who isn't an inherent investigator, an espionage operative, or even an amateur sleuth; but an ordinary twenty-five-year-old boy who is drifting in his life even as he clings to personal security.
Such a man would be a reluctant participant in any kind of investigation or scheme; but Patrick needs the money too much to let his inherent caution get in the way. An accidental fatal accident in which he killed his father at the age of thirteen, feelings of abandonment between losing his mother at an early age and experiencing a succession of foster homes, and the isolation he's imposed upon himself are broken in big ways as he moves into circles and circumstances he's ill-equipped to handle.
As Patrick faces a series of tasks that lead to unexpected twists and turns, he slowly lets loose of his safety net and falls straight into increasing danger; discovering his hidden talents and propensity for survival in the course of a spirited series of cat-and-mouse encounters with mob actions, accidents and murder, and even unexpected fame.
Rene Natan creates a masterpiece in crafting a powerful story of not just a dangerous investigation, but how a personality that excels in safe situations moves into scenarios where personal survival is always in question.
Excellent tension, characterization, and the buildup of logical sequences of events keep Lemoncella Cocktail fast-paced and unpredictable, while attention to psychological foundations adds a realistic feel that elevates the story line above typical thrillers whose protagonists are quasi-professional investigators.
Readers who seek a protagonist who works outside the norm in addition to characters who add depth and intrigue to a complex, moving saga will find Lemoncella Cocktail just the recipe for a warm beach read, nicely steeped in the setting of southern Ontario's Lake Huron.
Lemoncella Cocktail
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True
Mercy
Idelle Kursman
Luck Can Change, LLC
978-0-9965922-0-8
$15.99
www.luckcanchange.com
It isn't every day that one of the central characters in a thriller story is autistic; but True Mercy pairs a widowed father struggling with his autistic teen son with a discovery that places both in danger, tossing them squarely in the world of a human trafficking ring, and uses autism's special challenges to provide an extra twist in an engrossing saga.
Marina's escape from the ring has been miraculous, and her stumbling into the yard of Adam and his father is another stroke of good luck for her. Her involvement with Adam and his family will change not only her life, but theirs.
Adam's autism is realistically portrayed in a saga that moves between 'voices' and perspectives, but keeps them easily identifiable, unswerving, and powerful through clear chapter headings.
Adam's emotions are plainly explored ("In the midst of happy memories of licking the chocolate chip cookie batter while his mother checked the cookies baking in the oven, Adam spotted a woman on the ground. He was afraid she was dead. On nature shows he occasionally saw an animal lying dead on the ground, still and lifeless. But before he panicked, he saw her thin, delicate fingers move…He stood staring at her, shaking his sweaty hands in the air and looking around. He was told to never touch a woman except to shake her right hand."), providing an unusual take on events that transpire. Even the perspectives of those involved in the human trafficking operation are revealed: "In a rare occasion, Andre failed to keep in mind that the weakest employees had the potential to bring down his entire operation. This time he allowed Vladimir sole authority to make the hiring decision; Vladimir’s instincts were usually right on target."
It's these personal touches throughout that make True Mercy more than a story about human trafficking, but a saga of the human heart and a family's special challenges.
Against such a backdrop, Adam and his father's relationship unfolds. Adam isn't just a tertiary adjunct in the story: he's one of the central characters, who comes alive and stays alive throughout the process: "Where’s Marina, Daddy? Where’s Marina?” Adam asked endlessly as he stared out the front window, his hands waving. The more he asked, the more vigorously his hands waved, signaling his growing impatience."
Add a touch of (perhaps predictable) evolving romance enhances an exceptional thriller which includes subtle, wry humor injected at unexpected moments, a logical progression of events and encounters between characters, and a moving story of healing and mercy that is far more emotionally-driven than an action read usually provides.
Readers who look for more than casual psychological depth in their thrillers will find True Mercy a revealing, involving story.
True Mercy
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The
Augury Assignment Teen
Toby's mother has been murdered and his father jailed, so at age
fifteen he's
facing not only a new school and friendships, but a new family with a
bullying
cousin. There's already a lot on his plate; but life is about to get
tougher
when a simple creative writing lesson turns into a horror
story. While
written for teen audiences, The Augury
Assignment is recommended for older teens to
new adult readers: the
underlying violence which permeates Toby's life enhances the horror
aspect of
this story's events and contributes numerous stark and dark moments
along the
way: perfect devices for those mature enough to handle the
angst. This
propensity for graphic detail is introduced from the first page ("Dear Future Self, I am a
fifteen-year-old serial
masturbator."); but this caution aside, horror
genre fans are
in for a treat with The
Augury Assignment.
Toby's letters to his "future self" are designed to shock (maybe the
teacher; because Toby's protesting what he views as a useless and
"inane,
unproductive" assignment from Ms. Augury) and gain attention, but they
also contribute to understanding a complex and blossoming personality
who has
already been through much. The
letter-writing assignment doesn't mean the story assumes a series of
journal
entries, however: a third-person narration of events creates a
satisfying story
line that winds through Toby's evolutionary process and his awakening
inner
consciousness. As
Toby grapples with hate, his father's trial and deceptions, new
relationships,
and school and social challenges, his life dips to new lows and evolves
an
increasing determination to confront his demons, whether they be his
father or
something more dangerous. Readers
receive a powerful novel of horror and awakening which juxtaposes
Toby's
"future self" journal entries with accounts of his deadly growth in
an escalating series of events that provide clear insights into the
evolution
of cruelty and evil from both within and without. Life
holds a different plan for Toby than his mother could have imagined:
his story
is gripping, compelling, and hard to put down. Beautiful
Chaos Some
novels hit the reader in the face with their first opening sentences,
offering
an immediate, hard-hitting intensity. Beautiful
Chaos opens with a rich flavor of words that
immerses readers in the
sights, sounds, and smells of a powerful world ("As soon as Brady O’Connell
pulled open the back door
to McGuire’s Pub, the all-too-familiar smells hit him in the face:
corned beef
soaking in sauerkraut, sweat-stained flannel on top of smoke-filled
denim, beer
breath laced with whiskey, and always a hint of Old Spice thrown in for
good
measure."); and that's just one of the devices
that makes Alex
Tully's story a sensual delight juxtaposing experience with intense
environmental descriptions. Beautiful
Chaos is driven by such moments
as it presents the story of a chaotic teen world where
normally-responsible
teen Brady decides to break the rules just one time, and finds himself
paying for
his decision. What
does an envelope of money, a sassy redhead, a struggle to retrieve lost
funds,
and an evolving romance have to do with his life? Plenty, as Brady is
about to
find out! As
Brady confides in Viviene about his family's method of making extra
money from
their business efforts (money which is dubious in its ethics), the two
unlikely
associates begin to bond over more than a search for a missing
backpack, money,
and the truth. Issues
of guilt, honesty, a savant's uncanny calculation abilities, and
dubious
connections between love and money make contribute to a fast-paced
story that
is a surprising mix of romance and adventure as these two teens join
forces,
break apart, and face the chaos in their individual lives and with each
other. In
a series of evolving scenarios, love is captured in all its succinct
detail and
immediacy: "When
he was with Vivienne,
things just felt right. Life felt right. And from that moment on, he
wanted to
do everything right." Mature
teens and new adults are brought along for an involving ride that moves
well
beyond a genre romance and into the realm of hijinks, adventure, and
psychological understanding in a fun, thought-provoking read highly
recommended
for audiences seeking something different and more realistic than
romance-tinged novels usually offer. Constant
Guests Isa
is a typical Parisian girl whose world revolves around fun and parties.
She's
confident of who she is, until she discovers that her parents are not
really
her real parents and her background is mired in dark secrets and
threatening
truths. The
story doesn't open with parties and fun, however: it opens with a
serious
description of angst and drowning: "The
vortex pulls me down strongly. I feel my hair breaking. A ray of light
is
coming from somewhere below. I see a skeleton. No, there are two
skeletons
entangled in the weeds. I'm diving next to them. I see the glowing
skulls
shining in the dim light. I'm suffocating. Do not inhale! I tell
myself. I'm in
my twenties and I threw my life away. Why? What for? I don't know any
more.
I’ve made a terrible mistake. I'll drown. There's no more air left. I
don't
want to inhale water, but I inhale. I shouldn't have…" Only
after setting this compelling opening scene does Patricia Nedelea turn
to the
specter of a girl wakes up one morning believing she's in a jail, with
no
memories of what she's done the night before. Isa won't be spending any
serious
time behind bars from what's transpired during her latest binge at a
club; but
what is
unexpected is a mystery
that hinges on tarot cards, immersing skeptic Isa in a journey that is
anything
but linear. Colorful
illustrations peppered throughout the story line enhance the text with
visual
support and provide clues to Isa's searching journey as Isa explores
her
dangerous past and a present threatened by kidnapping and a man who
treats his
'special guests' to his fascination with medieval torture (warning:
parts of
this saga are graphic!). An
artist who paints his scenes of pain using actual blood, provoking
tragedy in
others' lives as part of his process of capturing reality, robberies
and thefts
of tarot 'virtue' cards, and a desperate European search contribute to
an
action story filled with intrigue, threats, and mystery. Readers
should not expect a plethora of psychological depth: characterization
is, of
necessity, light in order to focus on a winding plot that specializes
in
steeping its action with the unexpected. Constant
Guests excels in unexpected twists that will
keep readers on edge
and surprised: a delight to note in any genre. The
result is a powerful read that's hard to put down, filled with
compelling
action and intrigue throughout. An
Enlightening Quiche It's
an unusual move to center a women's fiction piece on a single food
(quiche),
but An
Enlightening Quiche demonstrates
how rich the results can be when a quiche recipe joins with other
elements to
capture the senses, smells, and events of a certain fall/winter season
on Rhode
Island. Readers
might normally expect that mention of a food-garnished women's book
will
indicate light, breezy beach reading; but An
Enlightening Quiche is anything but vapid,
offering hard-hitting
insights and reflections from the prologue: "Lindsay and I scraped, stacked,
and carried the leavings from the
dining room into the kitchen, reminiscing and reflecting upon morsels
of life
scattered by a quiche. Unbridled passions are at best self-serving and
tend to
spawn turmoil, upheaval, and devastation to those we hold dear. This
painful
realization forces one to rein in the spirit, modify ambitions, curb
appetites,
stifle forbidden desires, and abandon wildness albeit reluctantly at
first." Women
who look for easy beach reads might find this book's revealing
philosophical
and psychological examination a bit more demanding than anticipated;
but the
pleasure of An
Enlightening Quiche
lies in its very complexity, which offers more than a light dose of
food
reflections linked to insights on lives well-lived. As
Augusta moves through her world, digesting changed family interactions,
new
truths and revelations, and food, readers closely follow her path and
some of
its hard-won insights: "…and
as time
went on, even if I wanted to display what I felt in my heart for you, I
didn’t
know how to reach you. I not only blew the one chance God gave me to be
a
mother, but selfishly never shared any memories about the woman who
gave birth
to you. I hope you can forgive me.” Emotionally
charged with events that lead Augusta to evolve and change, An Enlightening Quiche
follows the winding
process of a life that stretches beyond familiar boundaries, with a
host of
powerful female supporting acts driving a story line that closely
examines
love, motivations, broken promises, paternal rights, and more. No
breezy beach read, this will attract (and delight) readers of women's
fiction
who look for more psychological and philosophical depth in their books
than
most genre reads can offer.
Mark Mathis
RyCon Publishing House
ASIN: B01IFI8YYC
$1.99
https://amzn.com/B01IFI8YYC
The
Augury Assignment
Return
to Index
Alex Tully
CreateSpace
978-1533441096 $8.99
https://amzn.com/153344109X
Beautiful
Chaos
Return
to Index
Patricia Nedelea
Patricia Nedelea, Publisher
ASIN:
B01G0VYTYK
$4.99/0.99
https://amzn.com/B01G0VYTYK
Constant
Guests
Return
to Index
Eva
Pasco
Infinity Publishing
978-1-4958-1084-8
$31.95
(Print) $3.99 (eBook)
Amazon:
https://amzn.com/1495810844
www.myBook.to/AnEQuiche
An
Enlightening Quiche
Return
to Index
Finding
Billy Battles
Ronald
E. Yates
California
Times Publishing
ASIN: B00KQAYMA8
$5.99
978-1494854447
$12.99
https://amzn.com/1493130307
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
http://ronaldyatesbooks.com/
Finding
Billy Battles opens in 1860 Kansas
(where Billy Battles is born on the prairie off the Santa
Fe Trail), it's the first book in a trilogy, and it is partially
based on fact, using the trappings and embellishments of fiction to add
characters and events to flush out facts. Although this may translate
to a
Western story (and indeed, Ronald Yates captures the language and
scenes of
those years for historical accuracy and atmosphere), to call Finding Billy Battles
a "Western
novel" is to limit its potential audience beyond fairness. In
fact, this story traverses different world locales in the 1860s (yes,
people
did travel the world during those times; albeit much differently and
more
laboriously than now), and thus employs a much more sweeping feel than
your
typical American-centered Western. The
first-person approach opening Billy's story creates a compelling
immediacy that
is well followed through in the rest of the piece: "Chances are you have never heard
of William Fitzroy
Raglan Battles, and there is no reason why you should have. I know I
hadn’t—until that humid afternoon in the waning days of the Eisenhower
era.
Today, I often wonder how I could not have known about Battles, how a
life as
full and audacious as his could have gone unnoticed for so many
generations.
God, how I wish I could have known him better. But his life—as was no
doubt the
case with that of millions of other anonymous participants in
history—was
simply lost, crushed underfoot in the unrelenting stride of time." Billy's
journals, discovered a century later in an old trunk, form the basis
for these
reflective experiences as a dutiful great-grandson assembles the pieces
of
Billy's life, which revolves around confrontations and
struggle. Dialogue
between characters is powerfully compelling and easy to follow: "They caught up with Kenedy, who
was riding hard for Texas,
a few days later. He was wounded when Bat Masterson shot him in the
shoulder
with his .50 caliber buffalo rifle. “Did I get that bastard Kelley?”
Kenedy
asked as he lay on the ground, thinking he had been tracked down for
shooting
Mayor Kelley. “No, but you killed somebody else,” Wyatt answered. “Dora
Hand
was asleep in Kelley’s bed.” That news shook Kenedy, who was obviously
tormented by it. Then looking up at Masterson, who still held his
buffalo gun,
he said, “You son of a bitch, you should have made a better shot than
you did.” Despite
his many violent encounters, Billy himself is not a villain, but an
ambitious
young man operating in a rugged world where cattle rustling, gunfights,
showdowns, and even early ethnic confrontations shape his decisions and
choices. Readers
should expect a much fuller, more multi-faceted view of not just
Kansas, but
(eventually, in other books in the trilogy) the world of the 1860s as
Billy's
many adventures unfold, and will appreciate the fact that Ronald E.
Yates takes
what could have been the microcosm of a frontier life and expands
events way
beyond the usual boundaries, using the roots of the West to amplify
Billy's
world. While
those who are used to the lighter leisure read a typical "Western"
entails might feel stymied, at first, by this swirl of logical yet
wider-ranging activity, keep in mind that the author is a professor, is
incorporating more than casual attention to historical accuracy in the
course
of his story, and has created the first in a trilogy that is marked by
swift
action, strong characters, and settings and a history firmly based on
real
events. Finding
Billy Battles is a powerful
introduction to what promises to be a gripping saga, and is especially
recommended for fans of historical fiction who seek accuracy and depth
as much
as entertainment. Highway
Thirteen to Manhattan Highway
Thirteen to Manhattan is Book Two
of the 'Six Train to Wisconsin'
series and opens with a hospital setting; but in the first paragraph
it's
quickly evident that the patient is anything but typical: "Like most daughters, I loved my
parents, but right
now, I wanted them anywhere but here. Hospitals are always hard, but my
parents
managed to make it harder. My head was already pounding from all the
thoughts
and emotions coming at me. Not just from the patients and their
families and
the doctors and the nurses, but also from my mother and father. Instead
of
shielding their thoughts and trying to make it better for me, they let
their
emotions crash into me." Kai
Guhn is a telepath whose close brush with death has not only challenged
her
body, but her mind. Her powers are changing - and not for the good. Her
husband
is trying to help her (even though it's his fault that she's
struggling), but
Kai's evolution is moving her into unfamiliar territory. As she
struggles with
her husband's failures and her own shortcomings, a growing darkness
imparts
ideas to her that will change her world: "The
darkness whispered, You don’t need them. You never did. There, in the
darkness,
I sensed it. A strength that I needed. I started to reach out for it,
but
stopped. I didn’t trust it. I didn’t trust anything. Or anyone." As
Kai and Oliver continue to struggle with themselves and each other, Kai
becomes
convinced that leaving for New York
(a city that's brought telepathic agony to her in the past) will be one
of the
answers. Oliver knows the city does bad things to Kai - that's why he
dragged
her away five months earlier, to a smaller town. So why is she going
back? Dialogue
is realistic and hard-hitting as Oliver and Kai explore both their
connections
and the process of disconnecting, making for powerful interpersonal
moments set
against the backdrop of change: "I’m
still your husband. Does that mean anything to you? Anything at all?”
“It does.
But I can’t stay here. I’ve got to figure out who I am before I can
figure out
if we can work again.” “If you leave, this is you giving up on us. It’s
a
separation.” An ultimatum. I guess I should have expected that, but I
didn’t.
“Don’t threaten me.” “It’s not a threat, it’s the reality of what’s
happening
to us.” “According to you.” “It’s your decision.” It felt like he was
trying to
control me." This
dialogue is one of the strengths to a story line that embraces a search
for the
truth in chapters that alternate perspectives between Kai and Oliver,
offering
readers a blend of paranormal intrigue and romance that centers as much
upon
their evolving relationship as it does on the dark forces that are
tearing them
apart. As
Kai and Oliver fall deeper into uncovering facts about a purposeful
crime and
its consequences, they bring readers with them on a road of post-trauma
recovery and a process that translates to no neat or pat
endings. Fans
of paranormal fiction will appreciate the thread of romance and angst
that runs
deeply through Highway
Thirteen to Manhattan;
and while no prior familiarity with Book One is required, newcomers
will find
themselves wanting the details of The Six
Train to Wisconsin, as well.
Finding
Billy Battles
Return
to Index
Kourtney Heintz
Aurea Blue Press
ISBN Ebook:
978-0-9891326-7-1
$5.99
ISBN Paperback:
978-0-9891326-8-8 $17.99
https://amzn.com/B01JJ5CU4A
Highway
Thirteen to Manhattan
Return
to Index
The
Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles
Ronald E.
Yates
Xlibris
ASIN: B01GWH0CDO
$5.99
ISBN-13: 978-1514490129
$15.41
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KHDVZI/-/e/B00KQAYMA8/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
http://ronaldyatesbooks.com/
The
Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles
(Book 2 of the trilogy) is especially recommended for prior enthusiasts
who
have already enjoyed the setting, circumstances and approach of the
first novel
Finding Billy
Battles. Unlike
the first book, however, this one takes place far from the Kansas
world Billy operated in, and follows his far-reaching journeys which
begin in
1894, with Billy sailing to the Far East in
the firm clutches of dangerous associates. Wherever
Billy goes, he seems to have a penchant for attracting trouble. Spies,
revolutions, and the lure of the mysterious Orient indicate that the
gunslinger
is far from his Kansas
roots; but his psyche and habits continue with a lively, almost
swashbuckling
style that will lead even new readers unfamiliar with Book 1 to
appreciate
Billy's approach to life. Billy
tells his own saga (even though it stems from his diaries, discovered a
century
later by great-grandson Ted, who is writing this trilogy from them),
and
through of his encounters, readers receive a firm impression of various
peoples
and their lives and concerns: "The plan
unfolded as the ship took on coal at Nagasaki.
That spectacle caught the attention of most of the ship’s passengers.
While
just about everybody was watching the Japanese girls and boys load coal
into
the bunkers, Katharina and the chief matron of third-class made their
way to
the stern of the ship and down into the main deck." Plots
and subplots, feisty women and German threats, and confrontations which
are
influenced by Western characters ("With
that, I couldn’t help myself. I did what I had seen Wyatt Earp do in
Dodge
City. I drew my colt and slammed the barrel down on his
head. He was wearing a derby, so the blow was cushioned somewhat, but
Eichel
moaned and fell unconscious just the same.")
lend to a story
that does a fantastic job of capturing not just action and characters,
but the
look and feel of the times: "We
slithered three hundred yards through cogon grass rife with hobo
spiders,
poisonous grasshoppers, and ponerine ants—all insects native to the
Philippines
but alien to the boys from Kansas." Particularly
notable in The
Improbable Journeys are
contrasts between a Kansas
frontier environment and the rest of the world, which spring to life
through
the skills of an author who takes the time to clearly note these
differences
and how they affect outcomes and character decisions. The
Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles
is just as powerful a read as its predecessor, taking readers on a
realistic
and compelling journey from Kansas to the wider world and bringing with
it the
subtler nuances, emotions and feel of the late 1800s. Revolution and
turmoil are
in the air; and with Billy at the eye of the storm, a rollicking good
read is
the result: one highly recommended for fans of not just Westerns, but
powerful
historical action stories. The Inn on Grace
Bay Beach The
Inn on Grace
Bay Beach is Book 1 in the "Adventures with Jenny" series,
and opens with a
major challenge that Jenny faces with her lover Mark, involving
last-minute
changes in schooling for the plans they've made together, when she's
accepted
at another, more prestigious university with a full
scholarship. One
doesn't expect lovely color images to accompany a romance story which
begins
with a breakup and continues decades later, when a love that has
endured
separation and relationships with others is rekindled. Jenny is now a
successful photojournalist and Mark has moved on, too - or have
they? Bad
decisions made for the sake of a dream job, Jenny's photojournalism
career's
changes and challenges and her wrenching experiences in the Caribbean,
and her
increasing involvement in children who need help makes for an
engrossing,
involving story that's about more than Mark and Jenny's relationship
alone. With
social issues, global journeys, intrigue, and money-making schemes a
part of a
rich personal story for a search for happiness and success, readers of The Inn on Grace Bay
Beach will discover plenty of unexpected moments
that revolve around
grievous decisions of the past and opportunities for redemption offered
by the
future. Ultimately, it's
about the process of
healing on many levels, and offers much more than a predictable romance
as it
embraces the worlds of Jenny, Mark, and an effort greater than their
relationship.
Romance readers seeking more depth from their novels will find The Inn on Grace Bay Beach
a satisfyingly
compelling story. More
Muffia Not
only is the Muffia book club back for another adventure, but the dead
seemingly
arise from the grave in this sequel to The
Muffia, which is recommended reading for anyone
who enjoyed the
first story and wants a feisty follow-up. Author
Ann Royal Nicholas has been a member of the real-life Muffia Book Club
in Los
Angeles for fifteen years, and while some of the
encounters described in her books are real, others have been
embellished to
create an absorbing story line. From
webinars and email communiqués to dating site abuse, More Muffia
contains more personal inspection and analysis
than its predecessor, and thus builds an even more compelling
atmosphere, as a
result: "I knew
I shouldn’t have
answered that email. There’d been a reason why I’d gone on a date with
John
over Gary—though
at present I couldn’t remember the reason—when the reality was neither
of them
was a good fit. In fact, they were both the lowest of the low hanging
fruit—so
low as to be already on the ground. And it was my own fault. All my
life it
seems, most of the guys who come on to me are the ones I don’t want. I
was
kidding myself if I thought it would be any different now that the meat
market
has moved online." As
the group blends their individual life challenges with observations of
the
world around them and book readings that support insights, celebrity
talent
agent and book club member Quinn and Club members also become embroiled
in an
investigation that revolves around sabotage, intrigue, and unlikely
romance. It's
hard to neatly categorize the Muffia books: they contain romantic
elements,
humor, reflections on wider social issues, and infuse their woman's
group
encounters with a sense of self analysis that defies neat labels as a
'thriller,' 'mystery,' 'romance' or 'detective fiction' piece, while
handily
incorporating elements of all these genres. Suffice
it to say that, like its predecessor, More
Muffia is a powerful story that women will love;
recommended as a
beach read or a more serious pursuit by women who love books, book
discussion
groups, and intrigue. Moving
On Twenty
years after a terrible tragedy rips apart Tyler's childhood family and
leads
his grandfather to send him away from the family home, Tyler's finally
free to
return home to solve some mysteries about his past. But even after
passing
away, his grandfather has tried to keep him at arm's length. The family
mansion
has been willed to a woman Tyler
doesn't know. Kate,
on the other hand, already knows much about Tyler;
but she doesn't know all the reasons for his banishment. They both
embark on a
journey that involves a riveting probe of generational differences and
family
conflicts. Moving
On is about family dysfunction,
deadly secrets, and an evolving romance that centers on a will and its
impact
upon everyone involved. Issues of abandonment, an adopted
"granddaughter"
who believes she knows everything (but whose knowledge only scratches
the
surface of truth), and insights into the motivating forces of both Kate
and
Tyler ("Lean on
me if you’re getting
tired.” He didn’t think that she would. From previous conversations,
he’d
surmised that she didn’t like others to think she was weak.")
make for more than a light romance, adding depth and interest to an
evolving
conundrum between the two. At
times the writing style in Moving On
sounds awkward ("Someone
once told me
that life will be tiring if you have to do everything you should.”)
and some of its logic feels uncertain (small business owners with their
own
work rarely have the kind of ongoing free time Tyler and Kate seem to
enjoy,
for example). While an editor's touch might have smoothed some phrases,
this
does not seriously detract from enjoyment of the overall theme, which
deftly
combines suspense with romance and includes many thought-provoking
moments and
interactions with a host of other characters (though it may stymie
serious
wordsmiths and readers used to powerful phrases and perfection from
thoroughly
edited works). Readers
seeking a powerful leisure romance that includes numerous characters
and a
close examination of an evolving relationship influenced by family
heritage
will find Moving
On a fine beach
read perfect for leisure pursuit. The
Muffia The
Muffia is a ladies' book club which has provided an unexpected side
benefit to
single mom Madelyn Scott-Crane, who has found in its book selections
the
inspiration and impetus to sexually recharge her own languishing
libido. Under
a different hand, The
Muffia saga
(which is based on true events) could have turned into a story of
sexual
exploration alone; but there's more to this story. One
of Maddie's lovers drops dead during sex, and when his questionable
friends
arrive to collect the body, she's drawn into an exploration of her new
date's
background, drawing her book club members into an investigation that
rivals any
mystery book selection they could have made. When
their quest for answers leads them into international circles replete
with
espionage and danger, the book club faces its greatest challenge in a
story
that is replete with sex, scandal, and intrigue. Readers
should be forewarned that events in The
Muffia include sexual scenes. It also peppers
tweets and emails
throughout its dialogue and descriptions which can be sexually explicit
in nature. Discussions
of Maddie's encounters create some intriguing thoughts about her
blossoming
process ("Young
Israeli, older shiksa.
What did we have in common other than the need to put our bodies
together? It
might be a fantasy to think it could be more, but it was a fantasy I
was
willing to indulge, even if he broke my heart in the end. The sex was
just too
good not to."), while interactions between book
club members
inject other (more personal) concerns into the mix, from health
challenges to
home lives. These
features keep The
Muffia a
well-rounded read which includes elements particular to intrigue and
thriller
stories, but successfully keeps the tone and approach woman-centered
and filled
with the ups and downs of friendships and life. Since
October is National Reading Group Month, The
Muffia (and its companion read, More
Muffia) arrives just in time to celebrate the
group reading
experience. Therefore,
the result is recommended not so much for readers of 'thriller' or
'intrigue'
genres (who may be more used to formula approaches to these areas) as
for women
seeking leisure reads that are as well-rounded, captivating, and filled
with
women's life experiences as they are embedded with a sense of
adventure, fun,
discovery, and change. The
Six Train to Wisconsin The
Six Train to Wisconsin was
purposely
read after
its sequel Highway
Thirteen to Manhattan to gain a
sense of whether both books stood alone or rested upon one another, and
it
should be mentioned that they both stand nicely alone for readers who
would
choose to begin with one or the other. (Read both, though, for an even
more
powerful result than either stand-alone presentation can
offer.) Oliver's
wife Kai is telepathic, and this has always brought with it a host of
issues
and special challenges that most couples don't face. Oliver keeps her
secret
and protects her from being overwhelmed, but when their Manhattan
lifestyle is
impacted by her telepathic prowess, it's quickly evident that even
Oliver's
efforts can't shield her from the devastating impact of an entire
city's thoughts
and feelings. So
they pull up roots and flee to Butternut, Wisconsin
(Oliver's home town, which he left for a better life in New
York), and life changes again. If
readers expect the story line will revolve around Oliver saving Kai,
it's
satisfying to note that Kai saves Oliver, as well, at a pivotal point
in his
life when he contemplates suicide: "I
walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the ground below. The
tiny
figures moving across the pavement could cause significant damage. If I
let them.
And I hadn’t let them. Not since I left Butternut. A thought flitted
across my
brain like a lone snowflake batted around in the wind. A six-story drop
could
do a person in. I took one, two, three steps backwards and sat down. I
didn’t
want the end of me. Over a girl like her. Or a friend like him. Or even
a
father like mine. I leaned back on my elbows and stared up at the night
sky.
The moon was still the moon. Tonight she was almost full. I’ll admit
it. I let
myself fall for the lore about college being the place where we form
lifelong
bonds. I wanted that college bond shit to be true. But it was all shit." This
back-and-forth dance between Kai and Oliver as they learn more about
themselves
through each other makes for a powerful production packed with emotion
and
descriptions that are sumptuous in their approach: "It wasn’t about one memory. No.
This kind of pain
required the sum total of us. From the first rooftop meeting
to our
wedding. The memories cascaded through my mind. Best friend, lover,
wife.
Home. She was all of these to me. I gathered her into my arms
and let her
depression swarm me, buzzing in my ears and stinging the lining of my
heart. I
couldn’t chant my way out of this suffering. I sunk deeper under its
influence
the way I’d let Vicodin take me away from the agony of a broken arm.
Her pain
depressed my breathing, floated my brain, pixilated my vision, and
dismembered
my sense of self." Can
a kidnapping be justified by the certainty that the only hope of
preservation
lies in uprooting and change, even if it's against one's will? And does
the
prospect of going home again raise the specter of new psychic assaults
on both
Oliver and Kai that will threaten their lives and
relationship? As
events unwind in The
Six Train to Wisconsin,
one thing is certain: Kourtney Heintz's compelling brand of paranormal
intrigue
and psychological exploration embeds issues of loving, leaving,
betrayal, and
family relationships into a story line that is hard to put down. It
should be
mentioned that the many threads laid down here don't always result in
neatly-tied-up packages in the conclusion, paving the way for further
books. Readers
who look for stories that don't follow formula approaches and therefore
don't
neatly fit into a specific genre will relish the twists, turns, and
emotional
impact of The
Six Train to Wisconsin,
with its ability to immerse readers in a gritty, tense saga of what
mind-reading abilities could do to a relationship.
The
Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles
Return
to Index
Laurie Banton
Pebble
Bay Publishers
978-1-59585-547-3
$4.99
https://amzn.com/B00SX6K9EK
The
Inn on Grace
Bay Beach
Return
to Index
Ann Royal Nicholas
Bournos
978-0-9907080-2-5
$15.00
www.Bournos.com
More
Muffia
Return
to Index
Trisha Grace
Trisha Grace, Publisher
Print:
1470049627
$14.90
Ebook: B0071MZNQG $3.99
Website: http://www.trishagracenovels.
Ordering link (paperback): https://www.
Ordering link (ebook): https://www.amazon.
Moving
On
Return
to Index
Ann Royal Nicholas
Bournos
978-0-9907080-0-1
$15.00
www.Bournos.com
The
Muffia
Return
to Index
Kourtney Heintz
Aurea Blue Press
ISBN Paperback: 978-0-9891326-6-4 $17.99
ISBN Ebook:
978-0-9891326-0-2
$ 5.99
https://amzn.com/B00CJIXKG2
The
Six Train to Wisconsin
Return
to Index
Connected
Parent, Empowered Child Connected
Parent, Empowered Child: Five Keys to Raising
Happy, Confident, Responsible Kids
contends that kids learn
morality, ethical behavior, kindness, and responsibility from their
parents,
who must attend to teaching them these values through a combination of
lessons
and serving as an example. These are lofty ideals; but for parents
looking to
fine-tune the process of emotional learning and teaching, Connected Parent, Empowered Child
provides
the specifics leading to successful outcomes. The
key may lie in altering the ways in which parents engage their
children; but
the reality is that most parents have not experienced this approach in
their
own childhoods. That's why a lesson plan is needed: one which outlines
the
steps, offers real-world examples of their applications and results,
and which
assumes no prior knowledge of CORE Success routines or parenting
principles. Chapters
are specific in addressing the kinds of parenting issues that require
attitude
adjustments. Take, for example, the section on 'Discipline with
Dignity'. This chapter
highlights strategies to change attention-seeking behaviors, placing
these in a
box of 'CORE Success Tools for You' that lends to at-a-glance review;
and it
outlines the underlying beliefs in power or revenge seeking, considers
the
roots of insecurity that lie at the heart of bullying behaviors, and
provides
core approaches that contribute to a disciplined, calmer home
environment.
These can be as simple as waking children in a calm, loving way and
assessing
their moods to foster a good beginning to the day and
as specific as
distinguishing between teaching through consequences and
penalizing by
punishment. Lest
one believe that this is just another set of parenting tools (though of
course,
that's the major focus), it should be mentioned that there are side
benefits to
understanding and practicing these CORE success routines, which spill
over into
general approaches to life: "Facilitating
resolution and practicing these steps, you’ll become quite skilled at
using the
tools necessary for conflict resolution. This skillfulness will have a
profound
effect on other areas of your life." Thus,
Connected
Parent, Empowered Child
is recommended not just for parents, but for any who would revise their
attitudes towards life using the starting point of home and blossoming
out into
the world with the idea that "…your
home and family are the perfect environment to develop CORE Success." Contemplations
on God and Orgasm Contemplations
on God and Orgasm is a
short work (36 pages in length, to be precise) that offers a selection
of
reflections on why it's impossible to not
believe in God, and is recommended reading for anyone who would
consider the
unusual connections between the presence of God and the experience of
orgasm. Spiritual
readers may not readily understand or acknowledge this connection
between two
seemingly-diverse topics which are often explained or expressed using
the same
descriptions; but Catherine Fairfield Hayes makes not only a religious
but a
philosophical case for beliefs centering on the human body as well as
its soul,
and considers how erotic pleasure and symbols support the idea of
orgasm as the
ultimate evidence of God. One
might anticipate a weighty discussion (and how could this be, in a book
with
under forty pages to its name?), but one of the delights of Contemplations on God and Orgasm
lies not
just in its length, but in its delivery. Hayes provides her insights in
easily-digestible, thought-provoking paragraphs that take the
appearance of
succinct daily inspirationals that translate potentially-confusing
considerations into bites even the busiest reader can absorb. Some
examples include "Has
anyone ever
invoked God's name at the startling onset of orgasm? If so, was his
merely a
coincidence or does the Subconscience know more than we think?"
and "If the
experience of orgasm by our
prehistoric ancestors caused many alarming problems, wouldn't the fear
of it
need to be mystically transmuted, too, not just the glory? And would
this fear
become what we call Evil?" While
devout followers might question some of these contentions, especially
where
they tie into Biblical passages and teachings ("If the Church is the womb,
perhaps we are all the Virgin Mary and baby
Jesus (depending on our gender) when we enter to worship."),
there's one thing for certain: Catherine Fairfield Hayes's ability to
take
religious core beliefs, pair them with philosophical inspection, and
provide
food for thought in powerful bursts allows even those unused to
spiritual
inspection to contemplate new ways of thinking about
Christianity. Intended
Evolution: How Selection of Intelligence Guides Life Forward Darwin's
theory of evolution has become standard teaching in many circles; but
what if it's
only a part of a bigger picture of the evolutionary process? And if
there's
more to the story, as even Darwin
alluded to, what does this additional or expanded information mean for
the
future of human race? There's
nothing simple or easy about Intended
Evolution: How Selection of Intelligence Guides Life Forward.
It's a
hard-hitting, thought-provoking expansion of Darwin’s theory and posits
a
process that takes Natural Selection a step further to consider how
organism’s
can use environmental qualities to change themselves, in effect
instigating
their own evolutionary process in a purposeful manner extending beyond
environmental response and adaptation. The
key word in this idea is "intended", with intelligent and deliberate
intentions forming the foundation for such deliberate
transformation. It's
interesting to note that Dongxun Zhang's first endeavor was the
development of
a fitness program based on these concepts long before writing this
book. While
much of the work is based on generally accepted science, this is not a
scientific work. Its basis is three basic evolutionary influencers on
why
things change: external (Darwin’s
natural selection for example), internal (intelligent and intentional
change)
and a blend of external/internal factors (intelligent interaction with
the
environment), rather than on detailing exactly how things
change. If
this sounds confusing, keep in mind that Intended
Evolution is not light reading, but a complex
series of descriptions
that are not amenable to breezy, quick digestion but subject to a
complicated
thought process that lends more readily to reading bits and pieces,
debating
and processing them, then moving on. The book's division into two parts
(the
first creating a foundation of ideas; the second building on this
foundation to
move forward with revised or new concepts based upon its principles)
creates a
logical progression of ideas that would especially lend to classroom
discussion
and debate as it links the contentions and applications of these ideas
to human
endeavors and concerns. Some
of the most interesting aspects underlying this concept lie in
discussions of
cycles of information processing, which envisions information phases as
physical states, and how the potential for evolutionary processes
change in relationship
to the complexity of an organization and its ability to interact with
its
environment. From
the tendency for expansion versus self-preservation, to why organisms
change
functional ability differently via external influences, patterns of
repetition
or simulated experience, Intended
Evolution
makes readers think at every step. Intended
Evolution doesn't limit itself to
the realm of science. Chapters on health and wellness, how technology
actually
reflects the ongoing efforts of the human organism to evolve beyond its
environment, the structure of business and economic organizations and
their
relationship to biological processes, and modern fitness objectives all
show
how this theory fits into the bigger picture of mankind's growth
processes. Rich
in thought-provoking ideas, Intended
Evolution is not just a scientific idea, but a
framework for greater
understanding. The elements of this framework and how they relate to
human
endeavors as a whole is explored in a piece that holds the potential to
transform
and enhance this process through greater understanding. Any science or
social
issues reader will find its contentions thought-provoking, exciting,
and
challenging. Make,
Learn, Succeed Can
creativity be taught in school? Sure it can; but only by using an
approach such
as that cultivated in Make,
Learn, Succeed:
Building a Culture of Creativity in Your School,
a blend of learning
strategy and educational plan that connects creative processes with a
type of
engagement that encourages problem-solving and creative
solutions. Readers
familiar with the concept of Makers' Fairs, which feature creative,
hands-on,
original projects, will find
Make, Learn,
Succeed to be a mini-Maker's Fair in book form:
a series of projects
designed to stimulate creativity, relating this process to skills sets
employers seek. It
contends that technology supports and fosters student creativity when
applied
appropriately and deliberately beyond teaching systems and logic, and
it offers
teachers various insights on how to actually teach
creativity through technology in the classroom. Chapters
consider the types of activities that support this creativity and the
"aha
moments" that can lead to leaps in understanding as they review the
nature
of creative ideas and where they come from, how social media can
connect
creators and their works, how specific kinds of activities can help
students
more readily engage in the creative process, and how this in turn can
lead to
understanding the responsibilities and ethical concerns of operating in
an
interconnected world outside of the classroom. Wide-reaching
in scope but specific in many of its approaches, Make, Learn, Succeed
is a top recommendation for teachers
and comes from an educator with some three decades of experience to his
name. Organizing
for Your Lifestyle: Adaptable Inspirations from Socks to Suitcases Organizing
for Your Lifestyle: Adaptable Inspirations from
Socks to Suitcases joins a
blossoming number of 'how to
organize your home and life' titles on the market, but holds a
difference: its
admonitions involve lifestyle
changes
that incorporate organization into overall routines, and thus move
beyond
typical strategy-based approaches. The
difference between this approach and a typical how-to-organize guide
lies in
its basic perspectives about clutter. Discussions begin with home
organizational challenges, but move beyond systems for re-arranging and
filing
to consider the bigger picture, providing specific tips that are meant
to
inspire a reader's own creative processes; not to mimic what worked for
author
Jane Stoller. It
should be mentioned that organizing is Stoller's passion - and one that
may not
initially be shared by readers whose goals might not include a passion
for
de-cluttering. Chapters arranged by simple, common themes introduce the
process
to those whose interests may lie elsewhere, but the introduction
provides a
clear message on the effort, its results, and its enactment: "A constant theme to keep in mind
during reading is
that organizing is a lifestyle, but it isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Incorporating
organizing into your life shouldn’t, ultimately, involve changing who
you are,
but rather maximizing it." Recognizing
that readers may not have an inherent desire to stay organized,
discussions
pair the mechanics of creating systems that lend to staying on track
with line
drawings and photos throughout, illustrating different spaces and how
they can
be more effectively used and maintained. From
seasonal options and changes (yes, one's closet isn't static: "In the winter, I adjust the
shelving units in my
closet wardrobe to accommodate my varying boot heights. I also use boot
shapers
to make sure that my boots keep their shape. Boot shapers can be
purchased from
most department stores…") to cautions about
buying food in
bulk, Organizing
for Your Lifestyle
offers plenty of opportunities for enlightenment, customizing the
process of
creating an organizing system tailored around one's personal
lifestyle. From
tackling every room in the house to translating and sustaining the
change into
habitual routines, Organizing
for Your
Lifestyle is a great introduction highly
recommended for any who
would learn how to adapt and create an organizational system that
begins at
home and blossoms to include changed approaches and attitudes towards
the wider
world and one's place in it. Solomon’s
Temple and
Palace: New Archaeological Discoveries Solomon’s
Temple and Palace: New Archaeological Discoveries
is recommended for serious followers of Middle East history in general
and
archaeological excavations and new discoveries in particular, and tells
of
excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, which uncovered a rare stone carving
from the
early tenth century BCE. This was a model holding architectural
elements that
appeared centuries later in the Second
Temple, precluding the discovery of
the remains of a large temple that mirrored Biblical descriptions of
Solomon's Temple. The
importance of these discoveries to history and the archaeology world
could have
been limited to the attention of experts were it not for the authors'
focus on
making these discoveries accessible to lay readers. Solomon’s Temple and Palace takes
scientific articles
produced in professional journals and synthesizes this information for
the
general public, including illustrations and photos and also translating
the
original Hebrew into English to reach a wider audience. Were
it not for these special efforts, the importance of these discoveries
would likely
be quite limited; and general readers of archaeological discovery would
not
know about them or understand their lasting importance. Chapters
assume no prior knowledge (but they do assume more than a casual
interest in
archaeological history) as they clarify technical language and the
importance
of these discoveries at each step: "The
triglyph decoration in the temple model from Khirbet Qeiyafa predates
the Greek
temples several centuries; for example, it predates the Acropolis
temples of
Athens by about 500 years. Our new find revolutionizes the
understanding of the
development of public construction in biblical times and attests that
it began
as early as the late eleventh–early tenth centuries BCE. It also shows
that
architectural phenomena that developed in the East migrated and
influenced
Greek Classical architecture." Biblical
description combines with modern research to address factual
incongruities,
offer new interpretations based on the latest research, and explain
paradoxes
inherent in different approaches: "Modern
research has proposed, on the basis of examples at the temple
of Ain Dara in Syria,
that these were window-like elements carved in stone, but having no
real
opening. That example led some scholars, including Hurowitz, to exclude
windows
from their proposed reconstructions of the Temple.
The problem
with this interpretation is that it is
not at all certain that the elements discussed in the Ain Dara temple
indeed
symbolized windows." Tables
compare many different aspects of archaeological examination, such as
one which
contrasts the JPS Tanakh descriptions of 1985 with new interpretations.
The
authors' focus on clarifying why these discoveries are important is
also very
clearly presented: "It
would be no
exaggeration to say that the First Temple
in Jerusalem
is the most influential building in human history. Although nearly
3,000 years
have gone by since it was built and some 2,600 years since its
destruction, its
influence is seen to this day in the three major religions of Judaism,
Christianity
and Islam." Readers
interested in Biblical history, archaeological discoveries, and Middle
East ancient architecture, building, and heritage will thus find Solomon’s Temple and Palace
a revealing,
intricate balance between theory, fact, discoveries, and their greater
place in
and importance to the world. What
Do We Do About Inequality? The
questions raised in What
Do We Do About
Inequality? are perfect for debate, labor
relations classrooms, and
discussion groups revolving around worker's rights and appear in a book
linked
to a Labor Day publication date. This title is the first in a projected
series
of discussions that will consider the most pressing social and
environmental
issues, those referred to as “wicked problems”, known for their
resistance to
solutions, or even clear definition. The book takes a close look at
capitalism,
the global economy, and why so many facets of this evolving business
model
aren't working for so many people, presenting writings from a diverse
range of
professionals from university to social issues lecturers. A
number of books might seem to hold similar information and discussions,
but
usually stem from a singular source. The notable aspect of this
collective
approach is its ability to narrow its subject to one problem (in this
case,
inequality) and tackle it using different perspectives and
collaborative
insights, taking a simple contention that "matters will not improve of
their own accord" and reviewing different strategies that may be used
for
real change. From
the nature of work and intelligent labor to circumstances surrounding
or
fostering inequality and injustice, enhanced with local and global
perspectives
on workplace and social differences, this collection tackles some of
the
closest-held underlying assumptions in American society and gives them
a good
shake, revealing fundamental injustices that can lead to bigger
problems along
the way. Take
Robin Cangie's "The Empathy Deficit", for one example. Hers is a
hard-hitting assessment of the philosophical, social, and emotional
differences
between those born into or achieving wealth and others who struggle
with poverty:
"We have a
peculiar notion in the
United States that to be worthy of any sort of public help, or even be
granted
access to the same privileges that the wealthy take for granted (fresh
produce,
quality healthcare, a debt-free college education, and legal
representation, to
name just a few), you must be a saint. Truly a saint, with all the
impossible
character traits that accompany sainthood. In the face of such
impossible
standards, those born into poverty or misfortune are already beyond
help,
already fallen from grace, simply from the circumstances of their
birth, over
which they had no control…Yet stray just a little from this prevailing
narrative, and suddenly any help, regardless of how much it is needed,
becomes
a waste of taxpayer money and an insult to personal responsibility. The
darker
facets of humanity—envy, desire, impulsivity, addiction—are luxuries of
the
affluent, who can afford to paper over their transgressions. Virtue is
the only
currency allotted to the poor, and once lost, it cannot be regained.
Sinners
shall receive no mercy. It is an ugly, dehumanizing narrative that
Otherizes
the less fortunate and treats poverty as an original sin." From
paradoxes between growing prosperity and growing feelings of insecurity
fostered by old habits and perceptions to disconnects between business
movements and leadership routes and relationships, readers receive many
thought-provoking essays that require no degrees in either business and
economics or social issues to prove readily accessible. Another
major essay deserving special mention is Alex Cobham's "Inequality,
Uncounted", a treatise on tax evasion which that has been proved out by
the release of the Panama
Papers. In
this piece, the uncounted bookends of wealth and poverty at either end
of the
economic scale form the basis of unequality both vertically (between
people)
and horizontally (between groups of people). Those
who would believe that errors and omissions in counting are random
occurrences
should read "Inequality, Uncounted": it documents quite a different
series of events of purposeful exclusions by design, analyzing their
social and
political impact in nations around the world and showing how inequality
is
hidden through missing data, deliberate manipulation of data, or the
application
of flawed measurements. Cobham's
discussions of relationships between power, unequality, and systems of
accounting or being uncounted is unerringly striking, offering much
food for
thought that arrives on the cusp of today's breaking news reflecting
many of
his contentions. Some
of these pieces contrast the writings of different thinkers, whose
perspectives
round out and enhance the debate about the processes and connections
between
inequality and economic movements. Others offer a more global focus as
they
contrast the experiences of class divisions and inequality in other
countries
around the world with those in the U.S. With
article topics ranging from moral and ethical conundrums to very
specific
commentary on the problems of current economic models ("There’s no question that the
middle class needs jobs.
But it doesn’t follow that jobs by themselves can sustain a large
middle class
in the future. Most jobs today pay barely enough to make ends meet.
What a
large middle class needs is good-paying jobs in large numbers, and
those simply
aren’t being created."), there's no
better choice for
labor relations, economics, or business and social issues debates than
this
collection, which considers the roots of fairness and justice. In more
ways
than one, it's a real call for action couched in a different way of
thinking
about the human world and its often-dysfunctional, complex operating
systems.
Leeza Carlone Steindorf
Illustre Press International
ISBN 978-0-9969529-0-3 (softbound) $18.95
ISBN: 978-0-9969529-1-0
(e-book)
$4.99
https://amzn.com/099695290X
Connected
Parent, Empowered Child
Return
to Index
Catherine Fairfield
Hayes
Lynn Brown & Associates, Publishers
9781513607719 $9.95
https://amzn.com/1513607715
Contemplations
on God and Orgasm
Return
to Index
Dongxun Zhang and Bob Zhang
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B00XIDDRU6
$7.99
https://amzn.com/1632990180
Intended
Evolution: How Selection of Intelligence Guides Life Forward
Return
to Index
Mark Gura
International Society for Technology in Education
9781564843807
$39.95
www.iste.org
Make,
Learn, Succeed
Return
to Index
Jane Stoller
BookBaby
978-1-48357-095-2
$13.99
https://amzn.com/1483570959
Organizing
for Your Lifestyle: Adaptable Inspirations from Socks to Suitcases
Return
to Index
Yosef Garfinkel and Madeleine Mumcuoglu
Bible
Lands Museum
Jerusalem and
the Biblical Archaeology Society
978-96507027-30-1
$50.00
https://www.amazon.com/
Solomon’s
Temple and
Palace: New Archaeological Discoveries
Return
to Index
The Wicked Problems Collaborative
Editor: Chris Oestereich
The Wicked Problems Collaborative LLC
Paperback: 9781530305421 Price:
$17.95
Kindle: B01LFIWMGK Price: $9.95
www.
What
Do We Do About Inequality?
Return
to Index
The
Brightness Index The
Brightness Index is a diverse
selection of short stories all set in Arizona, designed to capture the
feel of
a region replete with bright light, strong people, and the magic of
interpersonal relationships. At times (in the beginning) this focus
feels
scattered and unconnected; but as the tales evolve, readers embark on a
roller
coaster of life experience that coalesce into a unified approach to
meaningful
encounters that are often fun, unexpected, and always candid
interpretations of
Arizona culture. Take
'Just Bring Your Own Food', for example. Its opener demands attention ("I knew I’d be canned the minute
she hired me. She had
that suspicious look in her beady gray eyes like she knew I wasn’t the
right
person for the job. I wondered why she hired me in the first place. She
must
have been as desperate as I was."), but as the
story evolves,
it's clear that more is at stake than employment. Stacie's
friends who come to visit her at work (!) refuse to eat the diner slop
on the
menu, so they order coffee and bring their own sandwiches. The owner
keeps
giving Stacie other tasks when she's in the middle of the last
assignment,
things keep breaking in the diner, the food's awful - and she needs to
keep the
job for a few more months, at least. The
diner is steeped in Arizona
atmosphere inside and out ("The next
morning was 110 degrees and the sun pierced my brain like a
well-sharpened stick.
Looking alive and well wasn’t easy, but I figured that if I looked
happy, I
might feel better."), but what really shines
brightly here is
Stacie's growing determination to get what she needs despite the
obstacles.
When she's challenged to nab a robber, an unexpected altruism kicks in
and,
surprisingly, her one act of real defiance earns her just what she
needs. This
is just one major example of how Grace Mattioli gives her short stories
little
twists to make seemingly-predictable plots turn into exceptional reads
through
a character's gritty determination to rise above their
circumstances. Or
take 'How Doc Holliday Saved Me'. What do a college girl's nightmares,
a
haunted house, and a pizza delivery man have in common? A place that
used to be
an insane asylum inhabited by Doc Holliday has a reputation for ghosts,
but New
Jersey girl Bree doesn't know much about what she's moved into - and
now she's
stuck. But what if she can talk to the ghost; ask it for help? And what
does
she do when help arrives in an unexpected way? All
these stories offer food for thought, and all are bound together by
positive
human contact. Set against an Arizona
backdrop, they're gems of interpersonal relationships that illustrate
how
"stuck" people become unstuck and change. Readers
of short stories in general and enthusiasts of Arizona
atmospheres in particular will find The
Brightness Index a powerfully connected set of
encounters. White
Mythology Fans
of the novella format will find White
Mythology's two novellas are powerful tales that
revolve around the
title theme, creating hard-hitting reflections in stories of different
lives. In
the introductory novella 'Skinner Boxed', meet Doctor Ed, a rigidly
controlled
physician who maintains a tight rein on life through sleep,
wakefulness, and
even dreams. Everything
reflects this particular approach to life; even his morning coffee
beans
("…psychotropic
Honduran beans that
came in smallish, cheap cellophane packs, which Dr. Ed’s wife poured by
the
dozen into a large Chock Full O’ Nuts tin and kept, erroneously, in the
freezer—a continual replenishment of which was couriered to him on a
regular
basis by an ophthalmologist colleague who performed charity work in
that
Central American hot spot."). Clarke's
attention to underlying psychology and rationale is what makes 'Skinner
Boxed'
an exceptional work, powered by Clarke's literary and psychological
attention
to detail: "…when
Dr. Ed had first met
his wife, her behaviour had been wildly un-predictable. She had been
all over
the place, doing all kinds of things, whereas he’d only been in a
couple of
(very similar) places, doing one particular thing. Her unpredictability
had
been the only stable thing about her, it had seemed to him back then.
In this
respect, she had resembled, and had surpassed, the two great loves of
Dr. Ed’s
life…" Through
this observational tone, readers receive very exact clues to Dr. Ed's
patterns,
life, and reactions to it; from his infatuation with donuts in times of
crisis
to his relationship with his wife and his views of women in general.
The
origins of his coping mechanisms makes for fascinating insights into
the psyche
of not just this one man, but others who walk in his
footsteps. Individual
quirks, oddities, and habits of characters are thus imparted with
precise,
clear, and well-detailed vignettes especially recommended for readers
who enjoy
stories steeped in psychological inspection and understanding. 'Love's
Alchemy' adopts quite a different approach in presenting five narrators
who
each provide monologues that at first seem to have little to do with
each other
(they take place in different locales around the world, through
different
perspectives and experiences), but which ultimately revolve around
love's
perspectives and conundrums. A
wry sense of humor is one of the foundations linking these characters
and their
lives, and there's also attention given to solid dialogue (in the
second
novella, particularly), charts and graphs which pepper the story line
with
relevant visuals, and a sharp inspection of how attitudes and ironies
evolve
from the point of contact between psychological construct and life's
realities. One
doesn't expect powerful visuals to pepper a novella. The startling
explosive-looking sky with its accompanying identifier ("This is the classic ‘windy sky'
which has spawned all
the lore about mares’ tails and in more modern times a song that speaks
of
‘rows and flows of angel hair’."), linked to the
ongoing
reflections of Dr. Ed in the chapter 'Cloud Illusions Or, Message in
the Wind',
is both unexpected and an enhancement to that segment of the story, to
take one
example. But
it's the perfect device to break up the text and not just accompany but
emphasize a clear moment of revelation and transition in Dr. Ed's
worldview:
"The moment of
pure, untainted
experience had passed, if indeed it had ever been there, and, from the
little
sun g-d’s-eye-view in his ‘mind’, he saw himself begin to ‘think’
etymologically, to try to examine what he ‘thought’ he saw beyond the
matrix of
his own peculiar, contingent sensibility. He examined it, classified
it, and,
to the limit of his powers, comprehended and understood it. Verstanden,
compréhension, savoir, he ‘thought’. I ‘see’. —I see, he said aloud to
the
wind. I see I really am. I see it now. T-trying. Trying to see." The
wordplay and the unusual approach of taking a linear thinker used to a
black-and-white world and pinpointing the moments of his change are
exquisitely
presented: "The
son disappeared. The
sun disappeared behind a cirrus cloud, momentarily giving the swells on
the
lake much more … contrast. —Sunflower, he ‘thought’,
tournesol.
Heliotrope, sun-turner, enslaved to the sun-god, to my father’s son, my
son’s
father. And here I am, turning tropes, imagineering, screwing it all
up, ’till,
’till I’m burnt by the Sun, no not the sun, the merely metaphorical
Sun. Fuck,
I see it." The
result is a more literary and powerful read than might be expected for
readers
who view novellas as light leisure reading choices; but one especially
recommended for those who want their protagonists well-rounded,
following rules
and perceptions of reality against which their lives play out, for
better or
for worse.
Grace Mattioli
Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B01JTH9EE2
.99
978-0990575139
$4.99
https://amzn.com/B01JTH9EE2
The
Brightness Index
Return
to Index
W.D. Clarke
All That Is Solid Press
978-0-9917100-2-7
$2.99 Kindle, $25.00 Hardcover
https://amzn.com/0991710037
White
Mythology
Return
to Index
Faking
It
Terri A. DeMitchell
Piscataqua Press
ISBN: 978-1-944393-30-4
Price: $9.95
www.terridemitchell.com
Teens Will and Rachel have a problem: someone is passing counterfeit money, Rachel's brother Steve is implicated, and Will has also fallen under suspicion because of his defense of Steve - so, it's up to them to solve not only the money issue; but the bigger problem of Steve's family's financial struggles in their lobster business.
Will's encounters with the restaurant owners he works with part-time and his efforts to help Rachel and her brother become increasingly complex as he works out what's really been going on with local counterfeiting, and he finds himself in danger when his sleuthing reveals the truth.
Faking It is an excellent middle school read: it's a pleasure to see a realistic protagonist without a bent for problem-solving who becomes involved solely because of his friendships and loyalty. Will is a believable, everyday kid and not a miniature Sherlock Holmes. His observations come from requirement and circumstance as much as an innate curiosity; and even though readers may put the clues together faster than Will, the story line remains vivid and realistic right up to the end.
Middle school leisure readers seeking realistic, likeable characters will find Faking It an excellent beach take-along perfect for lazy summer days, with its ocean side atmosphere and setting.
Faking It
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Giant
Slayers
Jeff Altabef and Ken Altabef
Cat's Cradle Press
978-1535509252 14.95
www.amazon.com
Teen musician David's special talent is using his music to chase away the King's nightmares, which stem from a curse. Before this newfound job, he was one of a family of eight sons, and always received the worst jobs (to his mind), such as sheepherding. Now he's finally doing something important. But is it rewarding enough?
At the same time, fifteen-year-old Michal, born into royalty and sheltered all her life, questions her own destiny and connections to the world outside the palace life which has left her inexperienced and vulnerable: "Look closely at a woman’s face and you can read her entire life story. It’s all there in the crevices and contours, the tiny expressions and doubts. Such little things, but they combine to give away her secrets. Men’s faces, however, were still mysteries to Michal. She’d spent so little time with men that their lines seemed written in a foreign language, unique and indecipherable."
Fueled by curiosity and a sense of rebellion ("Her father told stories of how he’d heard God’s voice when in its presence, how he knew God’s strength just by standing beside it. If it was fair for men to feel that strength, then it must be right for women also. After all, God had created men and women."), she takes a number of risks; among them, falling in love with the peasant boy who helps her father chase away his demons.
These two very opposite teens from different worlds face challenges to their lives and family not just from their newfound friendship, but from the demons and threats that stymie the adults around them. As both struggle with a brashness that both endangers them and offers perhaps the only hope of survival, they grow to embrace the social and political concerns of the adult world around them.
Giant Slayers is a fine fantasy remake of the David and Goliath legend. Its satisfying twists include different visions of love between not just the teens, but the giant and an unlikely woman behind him, and it offers a tense story of love, betrayal, evolving political insights, and more.
Teens who relish a good fantasy read will find the brave, sometimes brash, character of David contributes to an engrossing, compelling saga that's hard to put down. There are many remakes of myths and legends on the market; but Giant Slayers is a standout for its in-depth and complex portrayal of not just one boy's realization of his abilities, but for the underlying personalities, motivations, politics and social forces of his times which affect confrontations between individuals and the courses they choose in their lives.
Giant Slayers
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The
Gift of Gift: A Super Amazing Princess Heroes Adventure
Written by Sanjay Nambiar, Illustrated by Sedi Pak
Umiya Publishing
978-0-9889050-2-3
$17.99
https://amzn.com/0988905027
The Super Amazing Princess Heroes are building a school in Uganda for a small village. Who are they? They're Kinney, Oceana and Sammie, who hold the special ability to transform into princesses with super powers. But something is wrong with Kinney: she has a hole in her heart and is in danger. Can their super-abilities help her recover?
This is just the opener in a series of adventures that portray the youngsters as polite, helpful, and actively living in a world with fairies, special powers, and super-problems.
Kinney's heart problem may be easily fixed with Western medicine; but what about her counterpart, Ugandan girl Gift? And even if the powerful super-princesses can help Gift, what about the rest of the Ugandan people who don't have access to good medical care? How can they help everyone?
It may take more than their efforts (and success may hold more implications than they planned) in this lavish fantasy story that excels in gorgeous colorful drawings throughout by Sedi Pak and a plot that neatly moves beyond fantasy into the real world of tackling social issues and problem-solving.
Young picture book readers with good reading skills (or parental read-aloud assistance) will relish this uplifting fantasy which encourages girls to think about others and is loosely based on real events. It concludes with information about the World Children's Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare and information for kids in the U.S. and around the world.
The Gift of Gift: A Super Amazing Princess Heroes Adventure
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Kids
to the Rescue: Mammoth
Cave Adventures:
Adventures in the Worlds of In and Out
William Haponski
Caves and Kids Books
978-1-5370-3741-7
$12.99
www.amazon.com
Many pre-teen and teen readers go through a period of time in which they are attracted to stories about caves and caving. This interest was recognized early on by Mark Twain, who included a caving adventure in Tom Sawyer; but surprisingly few fictional stories offer kids more than a cursory brush with caving, and most that do usually eschew caving facts in favor of adventure.
In Kids to the Rescue: Mammoth Cave Adventures, caves aren't a setting for the action, but serve as the primary attraction to a story that adds to the "Adventures in the Worlds of In and Out" begun in William Haponski's prior Cave of Healing.
Science and cave touring facts are liberally embedded into an adventure story that takes place in Mammoth Cave, following Squiggly and his friends on a journey that juxtaposes action with different caving facts and atmospheres ("Since I came back from In I’ve been reading about Mammoth Cave,” said Peggy, “and Carlsbad Caverns, and some other caves. It’ll be interesting to see how the caves of In compare to Mammoth Cave.").
Despite the book's many caving insights, it should be emphasized that it includes a good dose of fantasy. Squiggly, Squatty and their companions are more familiar with their cave environments than cognizant of the technology and oddities of the "Out" world (outside of caves), so many things common to Henry and Peggy are startling and frightening to them: "Wait here, and I’ll back the van out.” …By the time Henry pressed the thing in his hand and the side door of the van slid open, the In children had begun to get used to Out miracles and just watched."
Having a grandfather as the story's protagonist represents a departure from most middle-grade reads featuring children, but Henry is anything but dottering: he's a lively, curious, and open-minded grandfather whose willingness to travel and experience new and strange worlds fuels a story that moves well beyond age stereotypes.
Henry keeps up with his young companions of both worlds as they journey into darkness and search for a missing young cave tourist who strays from a group expedition to the 400-mile-long cave. Dangerous cave encounters and practical science permeate an engrossing story, adding touches of realistic caving facts and experiences: "The passage in Sylvan at this point was only about three feet high. On the extreme left side of the breakdown was the small hole that Levy had identified. By working furiously with pry bars they had managed to enlarge it just enough…"
The juxtaposition of these real-world caving facts in the context of an adventure story is very well done and provides many insights to young would-be cavers during the course of Henry's adventure. From a clear outline of problems one might encounter during a long and complex cave rescue to secrets of the World of In, formulas for shrinking, and realistic descriptions of cave environments ("The gate was wide, extending the entire way across Houchins Narrows, about sixteen feet at this point. It was built in a zig zag of three sections, two of which had slats going from the floor up to the ceiling The middle section was a door."), Kids to the Rescue: Mammoth Cave Adventures performs a delicate tightrope walk between real-world caving facts and a fictional blend of adventures and fantasy, all making for a compelling story for pre-teen to adult readers looking for a caving adventure and fantasy blend.
Kids to the Rescue: Mammoth Cave Adventures:
Adventures in the Worlds of In and Out
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Tyrants
and Traitors
Joshua McHenry Miller
Blue Ink Press
978-0996867320 $14.95
www.blueinkpress.com
Available everywhere books are sold.
Tyrants and Traitors presents young adult readers with Book One in "The Lion's Destiny" series, and is set in Israel, where a young sheepherder who hates his flock becomes caught up in a wave of events that are destined to bring him in contact with those who would change his country.
One of the early hallmarks of a good read tends to be the first few lines or paragraphs of a story. Tyrants and Traitors opens with a powerful, compelling bang that gives young adults many reasons to read on: "This was the first step toward revolution, an adventure bards would retell for generations. It was also, technically, stealing."
Niklas is an imp, it's clear. It also quickly evolves that even though he's the eighth son in a big family, his importance to his country is destined rise above all else.
The first thing to note is that one of Joshua McHenry Miller's most powerful tools lies in his finer art of description, whether it be capturing personalities ("One man was not caught up in the mood. Alexander’s beady eyes showed no mirth. I wondered if the man actually had a beating heart or if accounting ink flowed through his veins. He noticed my entrance and gestured toward Erik."), strategies ("We needed a plan, some kind of advantage. Now that I’d gone and boasted about surviving, I’d better find a way to make good on it. I trusted our men’s ability, but by sheer numbers alone the Philistines could wear us down simply by overwhelming force. We required a scheme, but for that we needed more information."), emotions ("Crippling despair overwhelmed all other thoughts. Image after image flashed through my mind; every member of my family dead or enslaved, our home in flames, and everything we had built destroyed."), or conundrums ("Part of me wanted to run straight for the capital, alerting our commanders of the Philistines’ attack. However, the small hiccup in that idea was that I was a wanted convict, which would delay reinforcements being sent, if they believed me at all. I’d end up stuck in a prison cell, which seemed like a less-than-useful spot, given our current situation. Thus our best chance of surviving meant buying time.").
As Niklas finds his skills and importance growing, so his place in the world lands him squarely in the middle of conflicts that will challenge and change it. Whether events evolve for good or bad is largely up to Niklas and his choices.
Cowards and conflicts with authority figures, priests and Woolen Warriors, and Philistine invaders and battles for home, family, and survival all coalesce into scenes that always center their action with a satisfying combination of reflection, insight, emotion, and observation.
Niklas
is in the perfect position to become an unlikely player in this larger
game;
and young adults will find his story and evolution not just gripping,
but
containing the rare ability to thoroughly immerse its reader in the
sights,
sounds, and history of Israel's evolution in a saga replete with
surprises, a
hint of the supernatural, and fast-paced action as it retells the
original
story of the giant-slayer by giving events an entirely new twist and
perspective.
Tyrants and Traitors
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The
Whizbang Machine
Danielle A. Vann
Waldorf Publishing
978-1-943847-92-1
$14.95
www.WaldorfPublishing.com
Supernatural machinery is nothing new to fantasy (many a young adult and preteen read have included magical equipment), but a talented typewriter is something different, which Elizabeth discovers when a gift from her grandfather spells out new powers in the form of secrets revealed.
One delightful aspect of this story line is the old-fashioned type sprinkled throughout the pages, which capture the typewriter's special font and clarify that the messages are coming from a machine.
Another is the fact that a family curse brings granddaughter and grandfather together on a problem-solving mission spiked with supernatural overtones. As Elizabeth narrates her family's heritage and her increasing involvement with the magic typewriter that will change lives and destinies, she thoroughly involves readers in the quest: "The machine sighed to sleep with the flip of the red off button. I drew in a deep breath, stuffed Jack’s last postcard in my front jean pocket and stood eerily still. Jack, I thought. After all this time, he would finally be standing inside my house. The place he used to treasure before the bomb went off in both of our lives. It didn’t seem like today would ever come."
Mystery and supernatural elements are paired with strong characterization, believable scenarios and motives, and a host of challenges that keep Elizabeth and Jack on their toes. Readers follow the clues along with the investigator duo and will enjoy an ever-quickening pace as the two race against time to solve a series of impossible problems, with the Royal typewriter pushing them to hone their sleuthing skills before it's too late.
The result is a beautifully written page-turner recommended for young adult readers: one that does an excellent job of building its plot and characters and surrounds them with a mystery spiced with the dilemma of a Royal curse that may prove undefeatable, if the two family members can't solve it once and for all: "I repeated the sinister words the vendor chanted, “One thousand and forty years the curse will remain until the rightful owner shall turn back the hands of time and correct a Royal mistake. The secret will eat away at those who come to play like a disease.”
The Whizbang Machine
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