September 2014 Review Issue
Table Of
Contents
Biography
& Autobiography
A
Child of Royalty
Diana Ketterman
No ISBN, Publisher, $TBA
http://www.achildofroyalty.com/
In the modern U.S., many believe we have social systems to address the special issues of dysfunctional families; but the reality is that many fall through the cracks, and A Child of Royalty testifies and documents one of these events. It covers the life of a woman whose mother suffered from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia, whose father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor that affected his mental capacities when she was 13, and of a family where 'head of household' became the author - at age 17.
You'd think social services would step in to help this family. You'd think a special cry for help from the oldest child would result in the embrace of a support system at the least and in viable foster homes at the worst. But none of this happened for Diana Ketterman, and A Child of Royalty is the story of what happens when calls for help fall on deaf ears.
Ketterman struggled to get psychological help for her mother, tried to keep her siblings safe and the family functioning on the most rudimentary level, and found even the comfort of church missing as the Pentecostal faith she was raised in cared more about punishment and miracles than saving one of their flock on a more realistic level.
And so a search for a more supportive religion entered the mix of Ketterman's journey, opening A Child of Royalty with her discovery (as an adult) of such a sanctuary.
How does one not only endure but excel from a childhood filled with fear, manipulation, control and uncertainty? If the results were a formula that worked for all, Ketterman would be rich. Here, it's enough that she survived to tell a story that will enrich (spiritually and psychologically) any who have suffered uncertain childhood years and struggles far beyond their abilities to cope.
All this is no mean feat in a home where God is seen as a threatening punisher backing parental insanity and not as a force of love: "My mother’s religious delusions of grandeur were an outside force that I could not escape. If I had displeased my mother surely I had displeased God!"
Because Ketterman's evolving relationship with God is an intrinsic part of her autobiography, A Child of Royalty is especially recommended for spirituality readers. Half of her story takes place before the age of 17 (when her father finally died from his brain cancer); the other half reveals her increased abilities to help her siblings and forge her own, (more positive) path in life.
Her ability to not just escape home (most memoirs focus on this piece) but to leave the environment while remaining in place as the home's one consistent rock of responsibility and adult intervention is testimony to Ketterman's ability, even as a teen, to see the bigger picture: "Even though I no longer lived at home, I was still very much involved and connected to the situation. I continued to handle all of the finances from my mother’s household. I paid her bills and deposited her and my siblings’ social security checks every month."
As Ketterman discovers family secrets that include a history of mental illness, she continues to forge the kind of life that embraces love and a more giving God, and continues to act as a dependable force of stability in a chaotic world.
And perhaps this is the greatest asset of A Child of Royalty: its focus on how an individual overcomes much to recognize and celebrate life and God. Eventually she does find effective counseling - and such means the difference between night and day: "I was growing spiritually and once again I sought out counseling to help me grow emotionally….I was asked how I felt in different situations, but I just didn’t know. It was the strangest thing in that I knew what the emotions were, I just could not pinpoint how I felt and which emotions were tied to my different circumstances….I was growing little by little and slowly healing, but most of the time it didn’t seem like it."
Many memoirs chronicle difficult roots and adult challenges; but few document not only the consistent failure of social services, but how joy was uncovered and celebrated in the process of growth despite it all.
Readers who seek the 'how' rather than the 'why' will find A Child of Royalty a spiritually uplifting saga which stands out in the crowd of stories about difficult childhoods and family mental illness.
Diana Ketterman
No ISBN, Publisher, $TBA
http://www.achildofroyalty.com/
In the modern U.S., many believe we have social systems to address the special issues of dysfunctional families; but the reality is that many fall through the cracks, and A Child of Royalty testifies and documents one of these events. It covers the life of a woman whose mother suffered from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia, whose father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor that affected his mental capacities when she was 13, and of a family where 'head of household' became the author - at age 17.
You'd think social services would step in to help this family. You'd think a special cry for help from the oldest child would result in the embrace of a support system at the least and in viable foster homes at the worst. But none of this happened for Diana Ketterman, and A Child of Royalty is the story of what happens when calls for help fall on deaf ears.
Ketterman struggled to get psychological help for her mother, tried to keep her siblings safe and the family functioning on the most rudimentary level, and found even the comfort of church missing as the Pentecostal faith she was raised in cared more about punishment and miracles than saving one of their flock on a more realistic level.
And so a search for a more supportive religion entered the mix of Ketterman's journey, opening A Child of Royalty with her discovery (as an adult) of such a sanctuary.
How does one not only endure but excel from a childhood filled with fear, manipulation, control and uncertainty? If the results were a formula that worked for all, Ketterman would be rich. Here, it's enough that she survived to tell a story that will enrich (spiritually and psychologically) any who have suffered uncertain childhood years and struggles far beyond their abilities to cope.
All this is no mean feat in a home where God is seen as a threatening punisher backing parental insanity and not as a force of love: "My mother’s religious delusions of grandeur were an outside force that I could not escape. If I had displeased my mother surely I had displeased God!"
Because Ketterman's evolving relationship with God is an intrinsic part of her autobiography, A Child of Royalty is especially recommended for spirituality readers. Half of her story takes place before the age of 17 (when her father finally died from his brain cancer); the other half reveals her increased abilities to help her siblings and forge her own, (more positive) path in life.
Her ability to not just escape home (most memoirs focus on this piece) but to leave the environment while remaining in place as the home's one consistent rock of responsibility and adult intervention is testimony to Ketterman's ability, even as a teen, to see the bigger picture: "Even though I no longer lived at home, I was still very much involved and connected to the situation. I continued to handle all of the finances from my mother’s household. I paid her bills and deposited her and my siblings’ social security checks every month."
As Ketterman discovers family secrets that include a history of mental illness, she continues to forge the kind of life that embraces love and a more giving God, and continues to act as a dependable force of stability in a chaotic world.
And perhaps this is the greatest asset of A Child of Royalty: its focus on how an individual overcomes much to recognize and celebrate life and God. Eventually she does find effective counseling - and such means the difference between night and day: "I was growing spiritually and once again I sought out counseling to help me grow emotionally….I was asked how I felt in different situations, but I just didn’t know. It was the strangest thing in that I knew what the emotions were, I just could not pinpoint how I felt and which emotions were tied to my different circumstances….I was growing little by little and slowly healing, but most of the time it didn’t seem like it."
Many memoirs chronicle difficult roots and adult challenges; but few document not only the consistent failure of social services, but how joy was uncovered and celebrated in the process of growth despite it all.
Readers who seek the 'how' rather than the 'why' will find A Child of Royalty a spiritually uplifting saga which stands out in the crowd of stories about difficult childhoods and family mental illness.
When
All Balls Drop - The Upside of Losing Everything
Heidi Siefkas
Wheatmark
ISBN: 978-1-62787-121-1 (paperback) $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-62787-122-8 (ebook) $9.99
www.heidisiefkas.com www.wheatmark.com
http://www.amazon.com/When-All-Balls-Drop-Everything/dp/1627871217/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406912946&sr=1-1&keywords=When+all+balls+drop
When All Balls Drop - The Upside of Losing Everything seems to present a conundrum right from the start; for what could possibly be an 'upside' to losing everything?
Clues lie in quotes chosen for the book's introduction; especially Joseph Campbell's "We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
The life-changing accident that author Heidi Siefkas experienced was pure chance: she was struck by a falling tree limb when leaving her apartment building, and awoke in the hospital five days later with no memory of the accident. But this is only the beginning of an odyssey that changed her life, her perspective, and her health.
So how does a lifetime over-achiever cope with a life-changing accident with unknown outcomes, all out of her control? That's the meat of When All Balls Drop, which documents the many mental and physical adjustments required of a spunky go-getter who previously took her good health and high energy for granted.
The process of her recovery involved not just physical recuperation, but mental adjustments: "Would super woman take a broken neck and neurosurgery lightly? Perhaps I either didn’t understand my situation or couldn’t comprehend it because of brain damage—or because of denial."
Those who attack life with a similar combination of high energy and achievement will surely recognize Siefkas' attitude, which served her well when healthy, but which actually became somewhat of a detriment to her recovery process.
All this is made apparent from the start, as her drive for quick progress is thwarted by her body's slow healing processes: "I wanted to progress. Moving to another floor meant I was one step closer to returning to my life. Little did I know this hospital stay was only one stage—and a very minor stage at that—in regaining the life I knew." However, there was another hurdle slowing her recovery, the discovery of her husband's infidelity.
The reality was: Siefkas would be dependent upon others for months to come; and the life she knew and loved would never be quite the same: "…this was just the tip of the iceberg as far as regaining my lost freedoms. I didn’t know I would be like a child for months, dependent on doctors, family, friends, and coworkers."
One would think this saga would appeal primarily to those also struggling with physical challenges or sudden accidents; but When All Balls Drop shouldn't be limited to those struggling with sudden health challenges. Its real value lies in outlining not just the recovery process, but the method of modifying one's routines, goals, and very independence in the face of life-changing forces.
Often one must be truly 'lost' before discovery and transformation can take place: so Siefkas finds herself adrift in routines and relationships she once took for granted: "Will I overcome these fears? Will I always live like this? Can I regain the ballsy person I once was? I’m not well enough to even call myself me."
While When All Balls Drop may sound like a chronicle of despair and frustration (and it does incorporate elements of these trying experiences), it's also a powerful chronicle of ultimate change and recovery. This is its strength: pointing out the light at the end of the tunnel. How Siefkas arrives at this point makes for a powerful story of adjustment and (ultimately) newfound growth and happiness.
Heidi Siefkas
Wheatmark
ISBN: 978-1-62787-121-1 (paperback) $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-62787-122-8 (ebook) $9.99
www.heidisiefkas.com www.wheatmark.com
http://www.amazon.com/When-All-Balls-Drop-Everything/dp/1627871217/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406912946&sr=1-1&keywords=When+all+balls+drop
When All Balls Drop - The Upside of Losing Everything seems to present a conundrum right from the start; for what could possibly be an 'upside' to losing everything?
Clues lie in quotes chosen for the book's introduction; especially Joseph Campbell's "We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
The life-changing accident that author Heidi Siefkas experienced was pure chance: she was struck by a falling tree limb when leaving her apartment building, and awoke in the hospital five days later with no memory of the accident. But this is only the beginning of an odyssey that changed her life, her perspective, and her health.
So how does a lifetime over-achiever cope with a life-changing accident with unknown outcomes, all out of her control? That's the meat of When All Balls Drop, which documents the many mental and physical adjustments required of a spunky go-getter who previously took her good health and high energy for granted.
The process of her recovery involved not just physical recuperation, but mental adjustments: "Would super woman take a broken neck and neurosurgery lightly? Perhaps I either didn’t understand my situation or couldn’t comprehend it because of brain damage—or because of denial."
Those who attack life with a similar combination of high energy and achievement will surely recognize Siefkas' attitude, which served her well when healthy, but which actually became somewhat of a detriment to her recovery process.
All this is made apparent from the start, as her drive for quick progress is thwarted by her body's slow healing processes: "I wanted to progress. Moving to another floor meant I was one step closer to returning to my life. Little did I know this hospital stay was only one stage—and a very minor stage at that—in regaining the life I knew." However, there was another hurdle slowing her recovery, the discovery of her husband's infidelity.
The reality was: Siefkas would be dependent upon others for months to come; and the life she knew and loved would never be quite the same: "…this was just the tip of the iceberg as far as regaining my lost freedoms. I didn’t know I would be like a child for months, dependent on doctors, family, friends, and coworkers."
One would think this saga would appeal primarily to those also struggling with physical challenges or sudden accidents; but When All Balls Drop shouldn't be limited to those struggling with sudden health challenges. Its real value lies in outlining not just the recovery process, but the method of modifying one's routines, goals, and very independence in the face of life-changing forces.
Often one must be truly 'lost' before discovery and transformation can take place: so Siefkas finds herself adrift in routines and relationships she once took for granted: "Will I overcome these fears? Will I always live like this? Can I regain the ballsy person I once was? I’m not well enough to even call myself me."
While When All Balls Drop may sound like a chronicle of despair and frustration (and it does incorporate elements of these trying experiences), it's also a powerful chronicle of ultimate change and recovery. This is its strength: pointing out the light at the end of the tunnel. How Siefkas arrives at this point makes for a powerful story of adjustment and (ultimately) newfound growth and happiness.
Business
Aesop’s
Keys to Profitable Marketing
Dr. Betsy Kruger
Publishing Directions
9781928782582 $17.95
www.betsykruger.com
Business leaders who look for more than the usual dry approach to marketing, who wonder whether the 80/20 rule is a proven fact, and who seek real-world applications of this cornerstone of business achievement will find Aesop’s Keys to Profitable Marketing to be a vivid, essential discussion.
In fact, Aesop's Keys doesn't just sprinkle in real-world models to spice up theory: it centers upon some 24 examples that clearly show how to apply the 80/20 rule to various marketing decisions, explaining basics such as why quality beats quantity every time, when discounted pricing fails, and how to leverage limited resources by using suppliers.
Where other business books would approach marketing decisions with generalities, Aesop’s Keys provides specifics; right down to tables that predict how much a narrow focus will magnify profits. For example, one marketing decision is to develop distribution channels that consistently 'wow' customers in its target market.
Each business insight is cemented by a business-oriented vignette paired with an actual Aesop tale. In one tale, a businessman asks Aesop to evaluate a promotion for his business and Aesop mocks him for being “his own trumpeter.” In contrast, effective promotions empathize with key customers, demonstrate value, and provide prospects with concrete and specific information. Business savvy about promotions is summarized with the Aesop Key to “trumpet empathy.”
Key marketing strategies such as profiling preferred customers, adding value, and pruning unprofitable products or services are introduced and then applied at every step of the way. More than merely conveying the 80/20 rule, Aesop’s Keys encourages business leaders to revise their marketing plans and effectively apply the 80/20 rule to various aspects of marketing their businesses.
All aspects have been covered elsewhere to some degree or another; but presenting them under one cover in a format that consistently and effectively cements theory with real-world marketing decisions makes Aesop's Keys a powerful standout in a genre replete with overly complex or poorly thought-out works.
The bottom line? Business leaders seeking profitable results through new, applied directions will find that Aesop’s Keys to Profitable Marketing provides an easy formula of success for virtually any business endeavor, from running a health clinic to selling product.
Dr. Betsy Kruger
Publishing Directions
9781928782582 $17.95
www.betsykruger.com
Business leaders who look for more than the usual dry approach to marketing, who wonder whether the 80/20 rule is a proven fact, and who seek real-world applications of this cornerstone of business achievement will find Aesop’s Keys to Profitable Marketing to be a vivid, essential discussion.
In fact, Aesop's Keys doesn't just sprinkle in real-world models to spice up theory: it centers upon some 24 examples that clearly show how to apply the 80/20 rule to various marketing decisions, explaining basics such as why quality beats quantity every time, when discounted pricing fails, and how to leverage limited resources by using suppliers.
Where other business books would approach marketing decisions with generalities, Aesop’s Keys provides specifics; right down to tables that predict how much a narrow focus will magnify profits. For example, one marketing decision is to develop distribution channels that consistently 'wow' customers in its target market.
Each business insight is cemented by a business-oriented vignette paired with an actual Aesop tale. In one tale, a businessman asks Aesop to evaluate a promotion for his business and Aesop mocks him for being “his own trumpeter.” In contrast, effective promotions empathize with key customers, demonstrate value, and provide prospects with concrete and specific information. Business savvy about promotions is summarized with the Aesop Key to “trumpet empathy.”
Key marketing strategies such as profiling preferred customers, adding value, and pruning unprofitable products or services are introduced and then applied at every step of the way. More than merely conveying the 80/20 rule, Aesop’s Keys encourages business leaders to revise their marketing plans and effectively apply the 80/20 rule to various aspects of marketing their businesses.
All aspects have been covered elsewhere to some degree or another; but presenting them under one cover in a format that consistently and effectively cements theory with real-world marketing decisions makes Aesop's Keys a powerful standout in a genre replete with overly complex or poorly thought-out works.
The bottom line? Business leaders seeking profitable results through new, applied directions will find that Aesop’s Keys to Profitable Marketing provides an easy formula of success for virtually any business endeavor, from running a health clinic to selling product.
Build
Wealth & Spend It: Live the Life You Earned
Stanley Riggs
Monetary Publishing
9780991521500 $27.95 www.monetarypublishing.com
At first glance Build Wealth & Spend It: Live the Life You Earned sounds like yet another financial management title - with same message about the importance of saving and investment strategies.
But, wait - while 'build wealth' is a very familiar admonition, 'spend it' is a surprise twist on the topic… and financial planning readers who have been bombarded with books about cultivating frugality or investment game plans are in for something different, here.
Riggs's idea was sparked when he visited his aging mother in a nursing home and observed that her hard-earned savings were being drained by caretakers because she had money saved, while other residents who had spent their money were receiving the same services for free.
So Stanley Riggs, an orthopedic surgeon and 'serial entrepreneur', reassessed ideals of saving, spending, and economics to come up with Build Wealth & Spend It, which gives advice first on how to build net worth, and then how (and when) to strategically spend and gift it down.
Build Wealth offers some eye-opening ideas: among them that IRAs, 401(k) and Roth plans may not be good investments in comparison to investing in real assets keyed to economic cycles.
And the chapters on 'how to spend' don't just advocate draining one's assets, but managing them to protect retirement and lifestyle priorities.
If it sounds like the goal is to become penniless… it's not. It's all about strategically spending and managing wealth to avoid poverty and insurance scams alike, and teaches the basics of this management process.
There are many nuggets of wisdom along the way; from the difference between ownership of a business versus a job to understanding the distinction between investing in assets versus liabilities, and comprehending the divergences between a good investment, a forced savings plan, and a payroll confiscatory plan (when it comes to an IRA offered by one's job).
Build Wealth & Spend It: Live the Life You Earned takes conventional financial planning wisdom and turns it upside down. It acknowledges strong points of investment management processes but keeps an eye on the ultimate goal; which should be to live one's desired lifestyle in retirement years.
The result is certain to turn financial tradition on end, and provides much food for thought; especially for readers who have been bombarded with traditional financial plans and who want to place a finger on the pulse of a bigger picture.
Stanley Riggs
Monetary Publishing
9780991521500 $27.95 www.monetarypublishing.com
At first glance Build Wealth & Spend It: Live the Life You Earned sounds like yet another financial management title - with same message about the importance of saving and investment strategies.
But, wait - while 'build wealth' is a very familiar admonition, 'spend it' is a surprise twist on the topic… and financial planning readers who have been bombarded with books about cultivating frugality or investment game plans are in for something different, here.
Riggs's idea was sparked when he visited his aging mother in a nursing home and observed that her hard-earned savings were being drained by caretakers because she had money saved, while other residents who had spent their money were receiving the same services for free.
So Stanley Riggs, an orthopedic surgeon and 'serial entrepreneur', reassessed ideals of saving, spending, and economics to come up with Build Wealth & Spend It, which gives advice first on how to build net worth, and then how (and when) to strategically spend and gift it down.
Build Wealth offers some eye-opening ideas: among them that IRAs, 401(k) and Roth plans may not be good investments in comparison to investing in real assets keyed to economic cycles.
And the chapters on 'how to spend' don't just advocate draining one's assets, but managing them to protect retirement and lifestyle priorities.
If it sounds like the goal is to become penniless… it's not. It's all about strategically spending and managing wealth to avoid poverty and insurance scams alike, and teaches the basics of this management process.
There are many nuggets of wisdom along the way; from the difference between ownership of a business versus a job to understanding the distinction between investing in assets versus liabilities, and comprehending the divergences between a good investment, a forced savings plan, and a payroll confiscatory plan (when it comes to an IRA offered by one's job).
Build Wealth & Spend It: Live the Life You Earned takes conventional financial planning wisdom and turns it upside down. It acknowledges strong points of investment management processes but keeps an eye on the ultimate goal; which should be to live one's desired lifestyle in retirement years.
The result is certain to turn financial tradition on end, and provides much food for thought; especially for readers who have been bombarded with traditional financial plans and who want to place a finger on the pulse of a bigger picture.
Fantasy
& Sci Fi
The
Calamities
Bruce Dundore
Authorhouse
978-1-4969-1525-2(sc)
http://www.amazon.com/Calamities-Bruce-Dundore-ebook/dp/B00LGY1FZI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1406141827&sr=8-7&keywords=THE+CALAMITIES
http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=THE%20CALAMITIES
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-calamities-bruce-dundore/1119891560?ean=9781496915252
It's the end of the 21st century, Earth has been decimated by a blend of natural and man-made disasters, and in the chaos, communications systems and human knowledge have all but been destroyed.
Into this world awakens John Smith, "semi-fresh" from a coma with few memories of his past. But, don't expect a flaccid opener: his revised life begins with the proverbial bang of an erection attained via miracle machine ("Thanks to my GOBOYGO Ultra-Lite Penis Pump, I’m in full salute. Marsha flips the HARD switch from the ON to the OFF position."); and this unusual beginning alerts readers to not expect the usual sci-fi progression of your typical dystopian novel.
The Calamities centers upon a couple's losses and gains, on John's conviction that his arm will grow back after a deadly attack by a pack of steroid-enhanced coyotes, and on the boundaries of sanity and insanity in a much-changed world.
As John navigates this mad world, the question of who is crazier - he, or his situation - emerges. In this dark world he relies on his girlfriend Marsha to fill gaps in his memory. It's pure circumstance that any humans remain alive in the wake of ongoing calamities that can strike from human and natural sources without notice: "Once a week, Marsha fills in my historical cavity as it relates to The Calamities. A top ten hits history lesson. It hurts her to tell those stories. She’s sweet to try, but she lost her whole family in the firebombing of Sacramento, and lost her best friend when she was struck by an errant piece of satellite that had descended to Earth while she was taking a bath. A fucking fluke. Imagine, soaking in the tub, getting all wrinkly and sleepy, and the next thing you know, you hear a deafening crash and then that’s it. Over. Cut to black. Life is a bitch and a half and you better like what you have now. You better appreciate it. Better not sit around and mope ’cause it’s not perfect. ’Cause it’s never perfect. Nothing is anymore, if it ever was."
In such a setting, dreams and nightmares are often synonymous and flourish side by side. In such a world, scientists are studying the effects of the stress of 'The Calamities', fascinated by phenomenon that gives birth to meaningless scenarios and cultural oddities.
This is why John and Marsha forge lives born of desperation and angst while readers absorb the rudimentary devices of satire and emotional adaptation as the couple struggles with the boundaries and limits of delusional thinking and altered realities: "She continues stand at a distance, not breaking the plane of the door, not sure she wants to be in the room with me, which I understand, because mortals tend to stay at least three feet away from potential gods."
Readers should expect gritty, dark scenarios spiced by an altered reality that eventually leads full circle back to the real reason why John has no memories.
Without giving away its surprising conclusion, suffice it to say that few readers will guess where the plot of The Calamities will wind up - which makes it a compelling, if dark, commentary on a possible future not just of the human race, but of fairly unremarkable individuals just trying to survive the impossible.
It's difficult to imagine a story that is both bleak and intriguing; one that winds elements of cultural criticism and irony into a bigger picture of the human race's ultimate evolution. The Calamities is all about surprises and provides light even in the face of an overwhelming dark set of circumstances. Impossible? Possibly. Insane? Very likely. Satisfyingly different from any other futuristic novel? Most definitely!
Bruce Dundore
Authorhouse
978-1-4969-1525-2(sc)
http://www.amazon.com/Calamities-Bruce-Dundore-ebook/dp/B00LGY1FZI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1406141827&sr=8-7&keywords=THE+CALAMITIES
http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=THE%20CALAMITIES
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-calamities-bruce-dundore/1119891560?ean=9781496915252
It's the end of the 21st century, Earth has been decimated by a blend of natural and man-made disasters, and in the chaos, communications systems and human knowledge have all but been destroyed.
Into this world awakens John Smith, "semi-fresh" from a coma with few memories of his past. But, don't expect a flaccid opener: his revised life begins with the proverbial bang of an erection attained via miracle machine ("Thanks to my GOBOYGO Ultra-Lite Penis Pump, I’m in full salute. Marsha flips the HARD switch from the ON to the OFF position."); and this unusual beginning alerts readers to not expect the usual sci-fi progression of your typical dystopian novel.
The Calamities centers upon a couple's losses and gains, on John's conviction that his arm will grow back after a deadly attack by a pack of steroid-enhanced coyotes, and on the boundaries of sanity and insanity in a much-changed world.
As John navigates this mad world, the question of who is crazier - he, or his situation - emerges. In this dark world he relies on his girlfriend Marsha to fill gaps in his memory. It's pure circumstance that any humans remain alive in the wake of ongoing calamities that can strike from human and natural sources without notice: "Once a week, Marsha fills in my historical cavity as it relates to The Calamities. A top ten hits history lesson. It hurts her to tell those stories. She’s sweet to try, but she lost her whole family in the firebombing of Sacramento, and lost her best friend when she was struck by an errant piece of satellite that had descended to Earth while she was taking a bath. A fucking fluke. Imagine, soaking in the tub, getting all wrinkly and sleepy, and the next thing you know, you hear a deafening crash and then that’s it. Over. Cut to black. Life is a bitch and a half and you better like what you have now. You better appreciate it. Better not sit around and mope ’cause it’s not perfect. ’Cause it’s never perfect. Nothing is anymore, if it ever was."
In such a setting, dreams and nightmares are often synonymous and flourish side by side. In such a world, scientists are studying the effects of the stress of 'The Calamities', fascinated by phenomenon that gives birth to meaningless scenarios and cultural oddities.
This is why John and Marsha forge lives born of desperation and angst while readers absorb the rudimentary devices of satire and emotional adaptation as the couple struggles with the boundaries and limits of delusional thinking and altered realities: "She continues stand at a distance, not breaking the plane of the door, not sure she wants to be in the room with me, which I understand, because mortals tend to stay at least three feet away from potential gods."
Readers should expect gritty, dark scenarios spiced by an altered reality that eventually leads full circle back to the real reason why John has no memories.
Without giving away its surprising conclusion, suffice it to say that few readers will guess where the plot of The Calamities will wind up - which makes it a compelling, if dark, commentary on a possible future not just of the human race, but of fairly unremarkable individuals just trying to survive the impossible.
It's difficult to imagine a story that is both bleak and intriguing; one that winds elements of cultural criticism and irony into a bigger picture of the human race's ultimate evolution. The Calamities is all about surprises and provides light even in the face of an overwhelming dark set of circumstances. Impossible? Possibly. Insane? Very likely. Satisfyingly different from any other futuristic novel? Most definitely!
The
Circuit: Executor Rising
Rhett C. Bruno
Mundania Press
ISBN-13: 978-1606594049 ASIN: B00KY04RIC $4.39
www.rhettbruno.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Executor-Rhett-C-Bruno-ebook/dp/B00KY04RIC/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-circuit-rhett-bruno/1119716216?ean=9781606594049
The hallmarks of a good science fiction read are lively action leading to page-turning adventures hard to put down; but the trademark of a great read lies in its ability to tantalize with mystery, surprise with action, and create a believable, technologically different setting that supports the perspectives and lives of all its protagonists. The Circuit: Executor Rising is such a read, bonding many diverse themes under the sci-fi genre and injecting a splash of romance for good measure.
Science fiction stories set in a future world where Earth is either threatened or devastated are common. What is less ordinary is The Circuit: Executor Rising's scenario, where Earth has been all but destroyed but humanity survives on interlinked solar ark transports (known as the Kepler Circuit, dominated by a religious faction).
And this is just the beginning of a fast-paced read that takes off when a series of attacks prompts religious leaders to hire noted investigator Cassius and his sidekick robot to locate the perps and stop the attacks. The only problem: there's a fox in this henhouse; for Cassius is actually the instigator of said attacks.
When a beautiful spy infiltrates his ranks, Cassius has his hands full handling events that deftly blend science fiction, political insights and a rollicking investigative inquiry packed with battle.
Modern science fiction stories often incorporate elements of the thriller and investigative genres; but too often this approach only serves to create chaotic plots, insufficiently- developed protagonists, and action based on so many disparate threads that the science fiction framework itself becomes lost. Not so with The Circuit: Executor Rising: it retains a firm grasp on its science fiction foundation; in part by creating powerful protagonists and believable science grounded in vivid imagery: "The interior of the vessel was as unspectacular as the outside, with exposed circuitry skirting along the inner walls of low passages. He was on the starboard wing, making his way down auxiliary channels utilized mostly for a buffer between the controlled interior and the freezing abyss on the other side of the armored exterior."
The 'you are there' devices Rhett C. Bruno employs throughout lend a realistic feel to the sights, sounds, and events of The Circuit: Executor Rising and create a solid support structure for the believable, involving events that follow. And the key word here is 'involving': where other sci-fi genre reads fail to take the time to fully grow, The Circuit: Executor Rising packs in well-developed emotions and scenarios that compliment action.
It's these moments, liberally peppered throughout the story line, that keep The Circuit personal and involving on a human as well as a futuristic perspective: "She was always excited to watch the transports come and go to Ceres. Talon was the same way when he was younger, but it often troubled him with her. In his experience, he found that there wasn’t much out there for the dreamer who wished to trace the worlds of the Circuit."
Too often emotion is lost in the wash of eye-popping action, humanity lost in a quagmire of political maneuvering and the heat of battle and confrontation, and romance charged with one-sided perspective. Not so here - and herein lies the final strength of Bruno's story.
Vivid battle scenes are here too: "By the time he turned into the Hall of Holographic Busts it was already lined with bodies killed at the hands of his androids. There were soldiers scattered like bloody rags over the floor and against the walls. Even the water troughs running down the edges of the hall were stained red."
Bruno is an architect as well as a lifelong writer - and it shows. The order, the attention to detail, and his passion for the genre is evident in every page.
Now, this is Book One in a series, so be forewarned: the ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger. The Circuit is bound by many elements: blood, politics, androids, love, and the mysterious force Gravitum, which holds everything together. The struggle over this force is just beginning - and The Circuit: Executor Rising promises a rollicking ride, indeed.
Rhett C. Bruno
Mundania Press
ISBN-13: 978-1606594049 ASIN: B00KY04RIC $4.39
www.rhettbruno.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Executor-Rhett-C-Bruno-ebook/dp/B00KY04RIC/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-circuit-rhett-bruno/1119716216?ean=9781606594049
The hallmarks of a good science fiction read are lively action leading to page-turning adventures hard to put down; but the trademark of a great read lies in its ability to tantalize with mystery, surprise with action, and create a believable, technologically different setting that supports the perspectives and lives of all its protagonists. The Circuit: Executor Rising is such a read, bonding many diverse themes under the sci-fi genre and injecting a splash of romance for good measure.
Science fiction stories set in a future world where Earth is either threatened or devastated are common. What is less ordinary is The Circuit: Executor Rising's scenario, where Earth has been all but destroyed but humanity survives on interlinked solar ark transports (known as the Kepler Circuit, dominated by a religious faction).
And this is just the beginning of a fast-paced read that takes off when a series of attacks prompts religious leaders to hire noted investigator Cassius and his sidekick robot to locate the perps and stop the attacks. The only problem: there's a fox in this henhouse; for Cassius is actually the instigator of said attacks.
When a beautiful spy infiltrates his ranks, Cassius has his hands full handling events that deftly blend science fiction, political insights and a rollicking investigative inquiry packed with battle.
Modern science fiction stories often incorporate elements of the thriller and investigative genres; but too often this approach only serves to create chaotic plots, insufficiently- developed protagonists, and action based on so many disparate threads that the science fiction framework itself becomes lost. Not so with The Circuit: Executor Rising: it retains a firm grasp on its science fiction foundation; in part by creating powerful protagonists and believable science grounded in vivid imagery: "The interior of the vessel was as unspectacular as the outside, with exposed circuitry skirting along the inner walls of low passages. He was on the starboard wing, making his way down auxiliary channels utilized mostly for a buffer between the controlled interior and the freezing abyss on the other side of the armored exterior."
The 'you are there' devices Rhett C. Bruno employs throughout lend a realistic feel to the sights, sounds, and events of The Circuit: Executor Rising and create a solid support structure for the believable, involving events that follow. And the key word here is 'involving': where other sci-fi genre reads fail to take the time to fully grow, The Circuit: Executor Rising packs in well-developed emotions and scenarios that compliment action.
It's these moments, liberally peppered throughout the story line, that keep The Circuit personal and involving on a human as well as a futuristic perspective: "She was always excited to watch the transports come and go to Ceres. Talon was the same way when he was younger, but it often troubled him with her. In his experience, he found that there wasn’t much out there for the dreamer who wished to trace the worlds of the Circuit."
Too often emotion is lost in the wash of eye-popping action, humanity lost in a quagmire of political maneuvering and the heat of battle and confrontation, and romance charged with one-sided perspective. Not so here - and herein lies the final strength of Bruno's story.
Vivid battle scenes are here too: "By the time he turned into the Hall of Holographic Busts it was already lined with bodies killed at the hands of his androids. There were soldiers scattered like bloody rags over the floor and against the walls. Even the water troughs running down the edges of the hall were stained red."
Bruno is an architect as well as a lifelong writer - and it shows. The order, the attention to detail, and his passion for the genre is evident in every page.
Now, this is Book One in a series, so be forewarned: the ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger. The Circuit is bound by many elements: blood, politics, androids, love, and the mysterious force Gravitum, which holds everything together. The struggle over this force is just beginning - and The Circuit: Executor Rising promises a rollicking ride, indeed.
Meritropolis
Joel Ohman
Joel Ohman, Publisher
978-1500189600 $TBA
www.meritropolis.com
The ideal sci-fi book should ultimately prove not just entertaining, but a superior read; providing more than just a memorable plot and protagonist by attending to deeper issues such as the consequences of individual decisions and actions. Meritropolis achieves this and more, and stands out from the masses of apocalyptic survival works permeating today's sci-fi market.
In the year AE 3 everyone is assigned a 'merit number'; but instead of a Scouting badge, this number decides an individual's worth to society and whether that person will live or die. It's Meritropolis's way of ensuring survival of the fittest after the Event. Charley is blessed with a high score ensuring his survival - but that doesn't mean he agrees with the system. In fact, he's fighting it.
In a world where the threat of Judgment Day has been replaced by the weekly ritual of Assessment Day, civilization's inhabitants meekly accept a custom that smacks of moral and ethical problems.
Overseeing it all is a savior's son who has grown up to become a dictator. To Orson, the System is the perfect tool for making tough decisions on managing people, and he's come to believe he's an expert in its manipulation. Everything hinges on one basic principle: "The welfare of Meritropolis took precedence over the selfishness of the individual." And each citizen has to agree to the System to enjoy the benefits of living within the City's gated walls of protection.
There's only one real threat to the System… something that comes from inside and could bring it down: teenagers.
Orson's belief in the System's integrity is just as strong as seventeen-year-old Charley's perception that it's intrinsically wrong. It'll take a group outing outside the city's walls to show both that neither idea is quite valid - and it'll take much more to challenge and change engrained survival mechanisms that no longer work.
Orson's perspective is quite clear: he's in charge of an entire city's survival and the System clearly perpetuates that process: "The System puts food on the table. The System is always right. In the end, that’s all that matters,” Orson stated briskly. “You will come to realize that, of course. Youth is impetuous and idealistic. I understand that. In the end, however, we all accept what life has dealt us. If there is a God, then He has left us to fend for ourselves in this hellhole.”
As questions of God, free will, and choice enter the picture, Charley finds himself changing sides and helping low-number people survive the system. While the story line is predictable, Charley's interactions with various individuals (who work within and outside the system) keep its pace fast and personal. It's the buildup of protagonist motivations and experiences which make Meritropolis an inviting sci-fi read.
Stories of survival in end-of-days scenarios are numerous. So are confrontations between different forces charged with preserving humanity through efforts that aren't entirely moral or ethical.
What differentiates Meritropolis from other genre reads is its focus on a take-charge teen who refutes the notion that the greater good lies in crossing ethical and moral lines, and who considers the remnants of humanity's social links to be just as important as the mechanisms devised for survival of the Event.
To ultimately prove a superior read, an ideal sci-fi book should include insights on consequences of decisions and actions. Charley is a powerful protagonist finding his own way in a much-changed world, and brings readers along for a ride which will prove wild at times, always involving, and filled with depth and ethical insights.
Joel Ohman
Joel Ohman, Publisher
978-1500189600 $TBA
www.meritropolis.com
The ideal sci-fi book should ultimately prove not just entertaining, but a superior read; providing more than just a memorable plot and protagonist by attending to deeper issues such as the consequences of individual decisions and actions. Meritropolis achieves this and more, and stands out from the masses of apocalyptic survival works permeating today's sci-fi market.
In the year AE 3 everyone is assigned a 'merit number'; but instead of a Scouting badge, this number decides an individual's worth to society and whether that person will live or die. It's Meritropolis's way of ensuring survival of the fittest after the Event. Charley is blessed with a high score ensuring his survival - but that doesn't mean he agrees with the system. In fact, he's fighting it.
In a world where the threat of Judgment Day has been replaced by the weekly ritual of Assessment Day, civilization's inhabitants meekly accept a custom that smacks of moral and ethical problems.
Overseeing it all is a savior's son who has grown up to become a dictator. To Orson, the System is the perfect tool for making tough decisions on managing people, and he's come to believe he's an expert in its manipulation. Everything hinges on one basic principle: "The welfare of Meritropolis took precedence over the selfishness of the individual." And each citizen has to agree to the System to enjoy the benefits of living within the City's gated walls of protection.
There's only one real threat to the System… something that comes from inside and could bring it down: teenagers.
Orson's belief in the System's integrity is just as strong as seventeen-year-old Charley's perception that it's intrinsically wrong. It'll take a group outing outside the city's walls to show both that neither idea is quite valid - and it'll take much more to challenge and change engrained survival mechanisms that no longer work.
Orson's perspective is quite clear: he's in charge of an entire city's survival and the System clearly perpetuates that process: "The System puts food on the table. The System is always right. In the end, that’s all that matters,” Orson stated briskly. “You will come to realize that, of course. Youth is impetuous and idealistic. I understand that. In the end, however, we all accept what life has dealt us. If there is a God, then He has left us to fend for ourselves in this hellhole.”
As questions of God, free will, and choice enter the picture, Charley finds himself changing sides and helping low-number people survive the system. While the story line is predictable, Charley's interactions with various individuals (who work within and outside the system) keep its pace fast and personal. It's the buildup of protagonist motivations and experiences which make Meritropolis an inviting sci-fi read.
Stories of survival in end-of-days scenarios are numerous. So are confrontations between different forces charged with preserving humanity through efforts that aren't entirely moral or ethical.
What differentiates Meritropolis from other genre reads is its focus on a take-charge teen who refutes the notion that the greater good lies in crossing ethical and moral lines, and who considers the remnants of humanity's social links to be just as important as the mechanisms devised for survival of the Event.
To ultimately prove a superior read, an ideal sci-fi book should include insights on consequences of decisions and actions. Charley is a powerful protagonist finding his own way in a much-changed world, and brings readers along for a ride which will prove wild at times, always involving, and filled with depth and ethical insights.
A
Path Toward Home
Heather R. Lorenz
Rosway Press
978-0-9905966-0-8 $2.99
www.heatherlorenzbooks.com
http://www.amazon.com/Path-Toward-Home-Annals-Avonea-ebook/dp/B00GW9EN92
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Path-Toward-Annals-Avonea-Volume/dp/0990596613
https://www.createspace.com/4907228
Does the literary world really need another fantasy that reads like a Narnia dream and involves a lonely teen's discovery of another world where she meets a prince and discovers magic? The answer is 'yes' - if the elements are finely done, refreshingly contemporary, and come from the pen of a teenager with an unusual flare for capturing the unpredictable.
A Path Toward Home takes the classic story of a girl trapped in another world and expands it with many elements that lend toward a invigorating read. It's the first book in a series by teen writer Heather R. Lorenz and creates a mesmerizing character in the form of Constance, a typical bored teen who inadvertently opens the door to a strange world and discovers her mother visited this world before her.
The family link is one unusual device used successfully, here. It's fairly common to find teen protagonists stumbling into other universes or worlds: it's more unusual to discover that a parental figure has made the journey before them, creating somewhat of a legendary legacy in the process.
Constance's close relationship with her mother is introduced in the prologue: "She loved singing songs at Sunday school and playing at the park playground, pushed on a swing by her mother. The time that made her feel the warmest inside, though, was just before she went to sleep. She splashed in her bath, wiggled into her pajamas, said her prayers while kneeling by her bed, and listened to the latest episode of the never-ending story about the prince and the nurse." And carries the story line as she rediscovers a world her mother has long loved.
It's extraordinary to find a young adult fantasy that will appeal equally to ten-year-olds and adults, but A Path Toward Home achieves this goal with a winning, older teen protagonist, a setting that embraces adult concerns (such as financial pressures), and a fantasy yarn that spins adventure and problem-solving scenarios.
The introductory 'Cast of Characters' at the story's beginning at first seems unnecessary, but ultimately proves handy as a host of characters with odd names and relationships are quickly introduced. It's not too much to ask that the reader refer to this Cast a few times in the progress of reading.
As Constance develops new relationships in this strange world (some adversarial, as when she starts off on the wrong foot with Reagan), she also comes to view injustices and decides for herself how to react to them and what sides she should take in the evolving struggle between royalty: "Constance could not believe what she was hearing. How could a father do that to his own daughter! Something must be done about it!"
A big plus to A Path Toward Home is its focus on protagonist choices in events that unfold. At many junctions Constance makes a conscious choice to become involved, back off, or pursue her own agenda. It's this attention to choices, consequences and transition points that makes the story line pop, creating a realistic, vivid protagonist whose goals change with influences and events. And, ultimately, she'll question her real focus as she seemingly achieves her heart's desire, only to lose something more precious.
The literary world - especially its young adult mirror - does really need another Narnia-like fantasy; especially if it's as compelling as A Path Toward Home, which blends fantasy with supportive emotional twists and insights.
Heather R. Lorenz
Rosway Press
978-0-9905966-0-8 $2.99
www.heatherlorenzbooks.com
http://www.amazon.com/Path-Toward-Home-Annals-Avonea-ebook/dp/B00GW9EN92
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Path-Toward-Annals-Avonea-Volume/dp/0990596613
https://www.createspace.com/4907228
Does the literary world really need another fantasy that reads like a Narnia dream and involves a lonely teen's discovery of another world where she meets a prince and discovers magic? The answer is 'yes' - if the elements are finely done, refreshingly contemporary, and come from the pen of a teenager with an unusual flare for capturing the unpredictable.
A Path Toward Home takes the classic story of a girl trapped in another world and expands it with many elements that lend toward a invigorating read. It's the first book in a series by teen writer Heather R. Lorenz and creates a mesmerizing character in the form of Constance, a typical bored teen who inadvertently opens the door to a strange world and discovers her mother visited this world before her.
The family link is one unusual device used successfully, here. It's fairly common to find teen protagonists stumbling into other universes or worlds: it's more unusual to discover that a parental figure has made the journey before them, creating somewhat of a legendary legacy in the process.
Constance's close relationship with her mother is introduced in the prologue: "She loved singing songs at Sunday school and playing at the park playground, pushed on a swing by her mother. The time that made her feel the warmest inside, though, was just before she went to sleep. She splashed in her bath, wiggled into her pajamas, said her prayers while kneeling by her bed, and listened to the latest episode of the never-ending story about the prince and the nurse." And carries the story line as she rediscovers a world her mother has long loved.
It's extraordinary to find a young adult fantasy that will appeal equally to ten-year-olds and adults, but A Path Toward Home achieves this goal with a winning, older teen protagonist, a setting that embraces adult concerns (such as financial pressures), and a fantasy yarn that spins adventure and problem-solving scenarios.
The introductory 'Cast of Characters' at the story's beginning at first seems unnecessary, but ultimately proves handy as a host of characters with odd names and relationships are quickly introduced. It's not too much to ask that the reader refer to this Cast a few times in the progress of reading.
As Constance develops new relationships in this strange world (some adversarial, as when she starts off on the wrong foot with Reagan), she also comes to view injustices and decides for herself how to react to them and what sides she should take in the evolving struggle between royalty: "Constance could not believe what she was hearing. How could a father do that to his own daughter! Something must be done about it!"
A big plus to A Path Toward Home is its focus on protagonist choices in events that unfold. At many junctions Constance makes a conscious choice to become involved, back off, or pursue her own agenda. It's this attention to choices, consequences and transition points that makes the story line pop, creating a realistic, vivid protagonist whose goals change with influences and events. And, ultimately, she'll question her real focus as she seemingly achieves her heart's desire, only to lose something more precious.
The literary world - especially its young adult mirror - does really need another Narnia-like fantasy; especially if it's as compelling as A Path Toward Home, which blends fantasy with supportive emotional twists and insights.
The
Silver Tower
Colee Firman
No ISBN, Website, $TBA
The Silver Tower is Book One of a series, and tells of an eighteen-year-old whose life seems predetermined, as has her parents: to become a Guide for The Silver Tower after she graduates from school and leaves home. All that's left to do before this goal is reached is to complete some seemingly-routine fieldwork - and that's where the unexpected occurs.
Sophie's encounters are anything but what she anticipates, from fellow classmates using an ancient, forbidden relic outside school grounds to Leo, whose appearance and involvement in her life brings with it a sense of adventure and disaster that keep her on a precarious emotional footing.
One interesting thing to note: many key objects and concepts are in capital letters. In the first paragraph alone there's the Compass, Sophie is Hailed, and she may be late to meet her Grantee. Though these capitalizations of common words may at first feel annoying, they serve to highlight important concepts as through further explanations stem from an encounter with one Bert: "The reason she was Hailed to them was always the same. They were doing something to interfere with enough of the right people that the Silver Tower was hired to adjust their actions. It was kind of like putting a hit out on them without the messy death part. Although the exact way their Compasses worked was a carefully guarded secret, it was all rooted in science. Like a fingerprint, each human brain sends out a unique signal called a Glint. To someone with the right tools, the Glint could act as a beacon, leading you to them. "
Of necessity, there's a lot of such explanation in the first few chapters as they set the stage for what is to come. The capitalizations continue as Collectors, Sandstone, and other devices and ideas enter the story, and serve to identify and reinforce some of the relics and concepts of The Silver Tower.
With setting and paranormal concepts under their belt, readers are able to enter the heart of the story: a combination of mystery, romance, and fantasy where Sophie proves not just another Academy graduate, but a pivotal force in a world-changing conflict.
Sophie's world has never been normal: committed to The Silver Tower, she's not allowed to date, has been taught to set aside personal desire for the greater good, and is about to break all the rules that have injected her life with a higher purpose.
While some of the ideas seem predictable, it's Sophie's spunky personality and reactions to events that make for a story line that's satisfyingly rich in concept, setting, and psychology.
From Sophie's issues with her parents ("Her mother looked down at the phone and then back at Sophie. “You didn’t have to do that.” “I know,” she said, stretching the shoulder she’d dislocated when she fell into the well. It had been basically pain free for the last week or so, but between lugging Gabby around and the roll in the grass with Leo, it was pretty sore. “So remember that the next time you stand by and watch while Dad tries to screw me over.” Anastacia circled her eyes from Sophie to Dominic. “She’s more like her father than I thought.”) to her blossoming romance, independence, and investigation into a mystery, readers are drawn (some might even say, compelled) to absorb the atmosphere and dark drama that is The Silver Tower.
For mature teens to adult readers, The Silver Tower offers action, tension and a satisfyingly complex story line that appears overly intricate in the first few chapters, but quickly transforms into an absorbing read that's hard to put down.
Colee Firman
No ISBN, Website, $TBA
The Silver Tower is Book One of a series, and tells of an eighteen-year-old whose life seems predetermined, as has her parents: to become a Guide for The Silver Tower after she graduates from school and leaves home. All that's left to do before this goal is reached is to complete some seemingly-routine fieldwork - and that's where the unexpected occurs.
Sophie's encounters are anything but what she anticipates, from fellow classmates using an ancient, forbidden relic outside school grounds to Leo, whose appearance and involvement in her life brings with it a sense of adventure and disaster that keep her on a precarious emotional footing.
One interesting thing to note: many key objects and concepts are in capital letters. In the first paragraph alone there's the Compass, Sophie is Hailed, and she may be late to meet her Grantee. Though these capitalizations of common words may at first feel annoying, they serve to highlight important concepts as through further explanations stem from an encounter with one Bert: "The reason she was Hailed to them was always the same. They were doing something to interfere with enough of the right people that the Silver Tower was hired to adjust their actions. It was kind of like putting a hit out on them without the messy death part. Although the exact way their Compasses worked was a carefully guarded secret, it was all rooted in science. Like a fingerprint, each human brain sends out a unique signal called a Glint. To someone with the right tools, the Glint could act as a beacon, leading you to them. "
Of necessity, there's a lot of such explanation in the first few chapters as they set the stage for what is to come. The capitalizations continue as Collectors, Sandstone, and other devices and ideas enter the story, and serve to identify and reinforce some of the relics and concepts of The Silver Tower.
With setting and paranormal concepts under their belt, readers are able to enter the heart of the story: a combination of mystery, romance, and fantasy where Sophie proves not just another Academy graduate, but a pivotal force in a world-changing conflict.
Sophie's world has never been normal: committed to The Silver Tower, she's not allowed to date, has been taught to set aside personal desire for the greater good, and is about to break all the rules that have injected her life with a higher purpose.
While some of the ideas seem predictable, it's Sophie's spunky personality and reactions to events that make for a story line that's satisfyingly rich in concept, setting, and psychology.
From Sophie's issues with her parents ("Her mother looked down at the phone and then back at Sophie. “You didn’t have to do that.” “I know,” she said, stretching the shoulder she’d dislocated when she fell into the well. It had been basically pain free for the last week or so, but between lugging Gabby around and the roll in the grass with Leo, it was pretty sore. “So remember that the next time you stand by and watch while Dad tries to screw me over.” Anastacia circled her eyes from Sophie to Dominic. “She’s more like her father than I thought.”) to her blossoming romance, independence, and investigation into a mystery, readers are drawn (some might even say, compelled) to absorb the atmosphere and dark drama that is The Silver Tower.
For mature teens to adult readers, The Silver Tower offers action, tension and a satisfyingly complex story line that appears overly intricate in the first few chapters, but quickly transforms into an absorbing read that's hard to put down.
Whitehorse
Peak
P.G. Badzey
CreateSpace
ASIN: B00I5S9B1S $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Whitehorse-Peak-Grey-Riders-Badzey-ebook/dp/B00I5S9B1S/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1405525005
Goblins, wizards and elves are the foundations of fantasy writing - and so have long lost their allure as exceptional draws to the genre. And every fantasy seems to revolve around an epic quest. So what's left to draw in readers? The force of psychological connection remains a good reason for choosing one fantasy read over another.
As Book One of the 'Grey Riders' series, Whitehorse Peak promises goblins, wizards, elves, and further books in a series. But even ancient prophecy and epic quests would be one-dimensional without the binding force of interpersonal relationships to involve readers - and here's where Whitehorse Peak excels, standing out from the crowd of fantasy adventures by providing a tale replete with friendships and strong connections between protagonists.
Dar Cabot is the force tying all these associations together, but at first he doesn't seem to be much more than a hunter and a goblin fighter. Adept in these skills, Dar has changed thanks to much training: the only problem is that those who have long known him don't see these changes. Part of the problem lies in local history and part lies with the path he's chosen: "Free-lance mercenaries were people who came and went from Forester, larger-than-life figures with exotic tales and more exotic magic. They weren’t hometown boys who’d once been toddlers wandering around in diapers. Most thought "taking the free-lance" was the pastime of idiots: years of training for a chance to get killed at an early age."
Another 'plus' - there are touches of emotional connection throughout the story - even feelings towards a mortal enemy ("Past encounters, usually in the company of his mentor, let him see death in its finality, but he still felt an emptiness and nausea, even for a creature of Darkness.") - and this approach leads to involvements on a different level than that of a single adventure story, reaching deeper to create a riveting, emotionally powerful story line.
All the trappings of a good fantasy are here (an epic quest, ruins, magic, powerful beings), but all this would be lost were it not for the added emotional impact of enemies and friendships, equally-strong male and female protagonists, and (for those who enjoy military clashes) battle scenes that are vibrant with realistic action: "The Forester soldiery burst forth from the main gate, bristling with spearpoints like some massive, many-legged hedgehog, the citizens right behind them. Nolan rode at their head, shining bright in full armor. The force thundered out into the smoke and fire. A hail of arrows soared from the town walls overhead, arcing out at the unseen enemy."
It's these psychological insights and revelations ("She had a kind, gentle heart and he found, to his surprise, that she detested violence. From the way she handled herself in combat, he would have come to a different conclusion.") that keep readers on their toes and prevent the ennui that can stem from the kinds of dry, predictable characters and outcomes that too often dominate the fantasy genre.
Though there's much (necessary) detail initially provided on setting, history, and protagonists in the first few chapters, Whitehorse Peak sets its story line and then flies with an epic fantasy quest replete with battles, confrontations, and a key dose of emotional insight throughout.
P.G. Badzey
CreateSpace
ASIN: B00I5S9B1S $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Whitehorse-Peak-Grey-Riders-Badzey-ebook/dp/B00I5S9B1S/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1405525005
Goblins, wizards and elves are the foundations of fantasy writing - and so have long lost their allure as exceptional draws to the genre. And every fantasy seems to revolve around an epic quest. So what's left to draw in readers? The force of psychological connection remains a good reason for choosing one fantasy read over another.
As Book One of the 'Grey Riders' series, Whitehorse Peak promises goblins, wizards, elves, and further books in a series. But even ancient prophecy and epic quests would be one-dimensional without the binding force of interpersonal relationships to involve readers - and here's where Whitehorse Peak excels, standing out from the crowd of fantasy adventures by providing a tale replete with friendships and strong connections between protagonists.
Dar Cabot is the force tying all these associations together, but at first he doesn't seem to be much more than a hunter and a goblin fighter. Adept in these skills, Dar has changed thanks to much training: the only problem is that those who have long known him don't see these changes. Part of the problem lies in local history and part lies with the path he's chosen: "Free-lance mercenaries were people who came and went from Forester, larger-than-life figures with exotic tales and more exotic magic. They weren’t hometown boys who’d once been toddlers wandering around in diapers. Most thought "taking the free-lance" was the pastime of idiots: years of training for a chance to get killed at an early age."
Another 'plus' - there are touches of emotional connection throughout the story - even feelings towards a mortal enemy ("Past encounters, usually in the company of his mentor, let him see death in its finality, but he still felt an emptiness and nausea, even for a creature of Darkness.") - and this approach leads to involvements on a different level than that of a single adventure story, reaching deeper to create a riveting, emotionally powerful story line.
All the trappings of a good fantasy are here (an epic quest, ruins, magic, powerful beings), but all this would be lost were it not for the added emotional impact of enemies and friendships, equally-strong male and female protagonists, and (for those who enjoy military clashes) battle scenes that are vibrant with realistic action: "The Forester soldiery burst forth from the main gate, bristling with spearpoints like some massive, many-legged hedgehog, the citizens right behind them. Nolan rode at their head, shining bright in full armor. The force thundered out into the smoke and fire. A hail of arrows soared from the town walls overhead, arcing out at the unseen enemy."
It's these psychological insights and revelations ("She had a kind, gentle heart and he found, to his surprise, that she detested violence. From the way she handled herself in combat, he would have come to a different conclusion.") that keep readers on their toes and prevent the ennui that can stem from the kinds of dry, predictable characters and outcomes that too often dominate the fantasy genre.
Though there's much (necessary) detail initially provided on setting, history, and protagonists in the first few chapters, Whitehorse Peak sets its story line and then flies with an epic fantasy quest replete with battles, confrontations, and a key dose of emotional insight throughout.
How To
Advance
Chess: The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model
III: Renaissance to the Dawn of a
New Age - Edition 2, Volume I
Siafa B. Neal
Heinz Duthel, Publisher
1230000230922 $13.59
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-de/Search/Query?q=1230000230922
Advance Chess: The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III: Renaissance to the Dawn of a New Age - Edition 2, Volume I is not for your average chess player, your everyday gamer, or for casual pursuit: if the title itself doesn't provide fair warning, the text will.
For this isn't about conventional chess strategies or even advanced traditional chess; but about three-dimensional chess - and it requires a game board model (sold separately, due to logistics challenges) and advanced playing skills to prove inviting.
Mind you, this game is new to the market: as such, it holds great potential and invites conventional chess gamers to ramp up their skills with something different.
Model III (the The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model being offered here) takes the 2-D form of conventional chess and integrates these concepts into a set of dynamic games that offer players the opportunity to play on different levels: singles, doubles, triple or quadruple sets. The games may also be played using two separate chess sets, or three or for sets, where the pieces may interact simultaneously or sporadically.
Even the art of checkmate has been elevated to a finer art, as the winner must win three out of four games being played simultaneously, with arrangements taking the form of linear versus non-linear setups.
Two chess boards or platforms can work together as a single unit: all this is explained both in directions and with visuals that include 'coordinates' for bases, top and bottom levels of models. If this sounds confusing, that's because the visuals are key to understanding platform positions and players: diagrams display a conventional chess board with a linear traditional set-up of chess players and the coordinates of a classical chess board, and then photos support non-linear setups, from non-linear uniform setups to non-linear non-uniform and beyond.
Color layouts help explain the sequencing and positioning of players in various scenarios with front center, top views and more examining layouts from a range of angles.
The ideal reader of this technical gamer guide won't be a newcomer to chess, but will be well versed in both traditional strategy and chess setups, and will have some computer background as well. This audience will find the positional configurations and discussions technical, grounded in traditional chess theory, and a step above the usual focus on strategy alone. In 3D chess the positions are different, the equations are more complex, and the entire game both challenges and builds upon traditional methods of playing chess.
The use of robotic hardware and software in chess is just beginning - and Siafa B. Neal's Advance Chess: The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III: Renaissance to the Dawn of a New Age is the opening move in a whole new era of computer-based chess modeling games with new challenges and rules for 3D chess players around the world.
Siafa B. Neal
Heinz Duthel, Publisher
1230000230922 $13.59
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-de/Search/Query?q=1230000230922
Advance Chess: The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III: Renaissance to the Dawn of a New Age - Edition 2, Volume I is not for your average chess player, your everyday gamer, or for casual pursuit: if the title itself doesn't provide fair warning, the text will.
For this isn't about conventional chess strategies or even advanced traditional chess; but about three-dimensional chess - and it requires a game board model (sold separately, due to logistics challenges) and advanced playing skills to prove inviting.
Mind you, this game is new to the market: as such, it holds great potential and invites conventional chess gamers to ramp up their skills with something different.
Model III (the The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model being offered here) takes the 2-D form of conventional chess and integrates these concepts into a set of dynamic games that offer players the opportunity to play on different levels: singles, doubles, triple or quadruple sets. The games may also be played using two separate chess sets, or three or for sets, where the pieces may interact simultaneously or sporadically.
Even the art of checkmate has been elevated to a finer art, as the winner must win three out of four games being played simultaneously, with arrangements taking the form of linear versus non-linear setups.
Two chess boards or platforms can work together as a single unit: all this is explained both in directions and with visuals that include 'coordinates' for bases, top and bottom levels of models. If this sounds confusing, that's because the visuals are key to understanding platform positions and players: diagrams display a conventional chess board with a linear traditional set-up of chess players and the coordinates of a classical chess board, and then photos support non-linear setups, from non-linear uniform setups to non-linear non-uniform and beyond.
Color layouts help explain the sequencing and positioning of players in various scenarios with front center, top views and more examining layouts from a range of angles.
The ideal reader of this technical gamer guide won't be a newcomer to chess, but will be well versed in both traditional strategy and chess setups, and will have some computer background as well. This audience will find the positional configurations and discussions technical, grounded in traditional chess theory, and a step above the usual focus on strategy alone. In 3D chess the positions are different, the equations are more complex, and the entire game both challenges and builds upon traditional methods of playing chess.
The use of robotic hardware and software in chess is just beginning - and Siafa B. Neal's Advance Chess: The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III: Renaissance to the Dawn of a New Age is the opening move in a whole new era of computer-based chess modeling games with new challenges and rules for 3D chess players around the world.
Advance
Chess -
The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III -
Applicable
Prognostics of Spectral Inferential Analysis for Distributive Cognitive
Logistics Edition 3 Volume 1: A Synergistic Modulation Synopsis of
Vector
Logistics
Siafa Neal
No Publisher, ISBN Price: $13.06
http://www.xinxii.com/en/advance-chess-the-longitudinal-star-gate-14-p-353320.html
Fans of Advance 3D Chess already know that the forms, strategies and methods of this advanced chess game more than challenges traditional chess; especially on an international level where players are global - so there's likely already an audience for Advance Chess - The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III - Applicable Prognostics of Spectral Inferential Analysis for Distributive Cognitive Logistics Edition 3 Volume 1, a technical discussion of spectral inferential analysis of the game.
Diagrams include equations and coordinate layouts for conventional boards and movements, create a shared base of player knowledge about these methods, then illustrate the projection of two playing surface platforms involved in the Latitudinal Star Gate 14 Model.
Neal provides a step-by-step, piece-by-piece assessment of moves, strategy, and chess piece formations that takes conventional chess board knowledge and builds upon it. Ideal readers should not be newcomers to the game, but should be familiar with pieces, boards, layouts and some degree of strategy before they move into the advance chess 3D gaming model.
The visual, color-coded board displays are one key to success in Neal's coverage; another key is the equations which, for intermediate players, form a concrete base for identifying board layout options and potential movements.
From initial position set-up configurations to single and double sets (and beyond), non-uniform modes and options, and the differences between Latitudinal (vertical) models and Longitudinal (horizontal) models, Advance Chess - The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III covers moves involving captures, responses, and different kinds of advance options.
The color coding throughout is key to this formula's success and clarifies the Coordinates and their views and options.
It's highly recommended that the first two editions be pursued first, to gain a better idea for the games for this particular model. The drawings and photos illustrating this focus in Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model III will be clearer with such a foundation, while the possible position scenarios of the Latitudinal Star Gate 14 Model II and the Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model III illustrate these model's many possibilities.
Another plus: chess players need not be proficient in English. The visual displays and equations do much of the work in explaining and exploring the advanced chess playing theory involved in these particular models.
Siafa Neal
No Publisher, ISBN Price: $13.06
http://www.xinxii.com/en/advance-chess-the-longitudinal-star-gate-14-p-353320.html
Fans of Advance 3D Chess already know that the forms, strategies and methods of this advanced chess game more than challenges traditional chess; especially on an international level where players are global - so there's likely already an audience for Advance Chess - The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III - Applicable Prognostics of Spectral Inferential Analysis for Distributive Cognitive Logistics Edition 3 Volume 1, a technical discussion of spectral inferential analysis of the game.
Diagrams include equations and coordinate layouts for conventional boards and movements, create a shared base of player knowledge about these methods, then illustrate the projection of two playing surface platforms involved in the Latitudinal Star Gate 14 Model.
Neal provides a step-by-step, piece-by-piece assessment of moves, strategy, and chess piece formations that takes conventional chess board knowledge and builds upon it. Ideal readers should not be newcomers to the game, but should be familiar with pieces, boards, layouts and some degree of strategy before they move into the advance chess 3D gaming model.
The visual, color-coded board displays are one key to success in Neal's coverage; another key is the equations which, for intermediate players, form a concrete base for identifying board layout options and potential movements.
From initial position set-up configurations to single and double sets (and beyond), non-uniform modes and options, and the differences between Latitudinal (vertical) models and Longitudinal (horizontal) models, Advance Chess - The Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model, Model III covers moves involving captures, responses, and different kinds of advance options.
The color coding throughout is key to this formula's success and clarifies the Coordinates and their views and options.
It's highly recommended that the first two editions be pursued first, to gain a better idea for the games for this particular model. The drawings and photos illustrating this focus in Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model III will be clearer with such a foundation, while the possible position scenarios of the Latitudinal Star Gate 14 Model II and the Longitudinal Star Gate 14 Model III illustrate these model's many possibilities.
Another plus: chess players need not be proficient in English. The visual displays and equations do much of the work in explaining and exploring the advanced chess playing theory involved in these particular models.
Blogging
For Smarties: Blogging for Authors and Speakers
Yvonne Wu
The YP Publishing
978-0-9813025-1-5
$15.00 with video access/ $6.00 without
http://theyppublishing.com/about-2/bloggingforsmarties/
RSS feeds. WordPress. Web hosting options. It all sounds like Greek if you haven't blogged before; but blogging has moved neatly beyond the personal journal and into social networking, becoming a requirement for authors who want to promote their books. Those who have no prior blogging experience should begin here, with a basic introduction to terminology, process, and logical blogging progression: Yvonne Wu has done all the footwork for this easy, step-by-step discussion accessible to those with little prior computer experience and no blogging background.
The foundation here lies in setting up a WordPress blog - including the 'why' of having a blog. Wu's ebook comes with companion videos to offer visuals for beginning and advanced readers: another benefit lending the step-by-step process illustration at every point.
Basic computer skills in downloading and accessing files are presumed, along with knowledge on how to purchase a domain name and host.
With these basics down, would-be bloggers receive clear direction on the nature, purpose, and progression of a blog, from creating pages for different purposes to identifying a target audience and understanding concepts of branding and content value: the main factors that attract and maintain audiences.
Chapters are geared to bloggers or those promoting public speaking either through podcasts or blogging, and offer clear insights into the advantages and disadvantages of using WordPress.
Also included are details on how to administer one's blog, from using tracking options and metrics to analytics and viral marketing.
From making money with blogs and podcasting and using WordPress for either or both to understanding how feeds work, Blogging For Smarties ideally will reach prospective bloggers before a blog goes live, and details an approach that considers building a bigger picture with better online exposure.
Newcomers to blogging, podcasting or online marketing will find it an important key in many decision-making processes surrounding constructing, promoting and using a blog.
Yvonne Wu
The YP Publishing
978-0-9813025-1-5
$15.00 with video access/ $6.00 without
http://theyppublishing.com/about-2/bloggingforsmarties/
RSS feeds. WordPress. Web hosting options. It all sounds like Greek if you haven't blogged before; but blogging has moved neatly beyond the personal journal and into social networking, becoming a requirement for authors who want to promote their books. Those who have no prior blogging experience should begin here, with a basic introduction to terminology, process, and logical blogging progression: Yvonne Wu has done all the footwork for this easy, step-by-step discussion accessible to those with little prior computer experience and no blogging background.
The foundation here lies in setting up a WordPress blog - including the 'why' of having a blog. Wu's ebook comes with companion videos to offer visuals for beginning and advanced readers: another benefit lending the step-by-step process illustration at every point.
Basic computer skills in downloading and accessing files are presumed, along with knowledge on how to purchase a domain name and host.
With these basics down, would-be bloggers receive clear direction on the nature, purpose, and progression of a blog, from creating pages for different purposes to identifying a target audience and understanding concepts of branding and content value: the main factors that attract and maintain audiences.
Chapters are geared to bloggers or those promoting public speaking either through podcasts or blogging, and offer clear insights into the advantages and disadvantages of using WordPress.
Also included are details on how to administer one's blog, from using tracking options and metrics to analytics and viral marketing.
From making money with blogs and podcasting and using WordPress for either or both to understanding how feeds work, Blogging For Smarties ideally will reach prospective bloggers before a blog goes live, and details an approach that considers building a bigger picture with better online exposure.
Newcomers to blogging, podcasting or online marketing will find it an important key in many decision-making processes surrounding constructing, promoting and using a blog.
Creative
Writer's Journal and Handbook
Trisha Sugarek
Publisher: Indie
9781499728750 $12.95
http://www.writeratplay.com/shop/the-creative-writers-journal-and-handbook/
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Writers-Journal-Handbook/dp/1499728751/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404407060&sr=1-3&keywords=creative+writer%27s+journal
The 'Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook' series was developed for students, women, and men and is customized to spark creative writing. Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook begins where so many writers' guides should: with the basics of how to pursue one's dream job as a writer. The problem with most writers' guides is that they assume some prior degree of excellence or experience; but this handbook poses something different: the opportunity to begin with absolutely no prior skill level or experience. All that's needed is the desire and passion to be a writer: everything flows from there.
So if you 'scribble', if you like words, if your stories 'find' you, and if you aspire to be something more (say, a published blogger); then here's the next step in the process.
Now, those who have no experience writing may find themselves stymied by a blank page, or by 'scribblings' that need much development. Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook takes the guesswork out of the next step: "You have a story idea in your mind. Write the first sentence. Write two more that are different for the same story idea. Now choose the one that is your ‘hook’. Ideally, the start of a book should capture the reader from the first sentence. This will launch your writing and your story. Be certain that the main characters are well developed before you get too far into the story. There is a chapter here for ‘character building and character analysis. Use this chapter to not only develop your fictional characters but to jot down your observations of real people that you see."
From how ideas begin to how they are nurtured and written down (there to be refined until they see the light of day - i.e. other readers), this journal offers support, insight, and ideas for jump-starting the creative process and linking it to action.
White, lined journal pages offer a workbook approach that augments white space with inspirational quotes from other, successful writers: so while you're staring at the usual journal blank pages, inspiration can ignite from others' experiences and insights.
This isn't just about prose, either: Sugarek includes sections on different formats, from haiku poetry to writing a stage play. Each section offers inspirational insights into format, structure, and writing challenges - then uses the journal/quote format to encourage readers to put something down on paper.
With its nuggets of information spiced with the encouragement of fresh lined, white space that, Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook offers a success formula beginners can easily absorb; all packaged in a survey that assumes no prior familiarity with the writing process.
Trisha Sugarek
Publisher: Indie
9781499728750 $12.95
http://www.writeratplay.com/shop/the-creative-writers-journal-and-handbook/
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Writers-Journal-Handbook/dp/1499728751/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404407060&sr=1-3&keywords=creative+writer%27s+journal
The 'Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook' series was developed for students, women, and men and is customized to spark creative writing. Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook begins where so many writers' guides should: with the basics of how to pursue one's dream job as a writer. The problem with most writers' guides is that they assume some prior degree of excellence or experience; but this handbook poses something different: the opportunity to begin with absolutely no prior skill level or experience. All that's needed is the desire and passion to be a writer: everything flows from there.
So if you 'scribble', if you like words, if your stories 'find' you, and if you aspire to be something more (say, a published blogger); then here's the next step in the process.
Now, those who have no experience writing may find themselves stymied by a blank page, or by 'scribblings' that need much development. Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook takes the guesswork out of the next step: "You have a story idea in your mind. Write the first sentence. Write two more that are different for the same story idea. Now choose the one that is your ‘hook’. Ideally, the start of a book should capture the reader from the first sentence. This will launch your writing and your story. Be certain that the main characters are well developed before you get too far into the story. There is a chapter here for ‘character building and character analysis. Use this chapter to not only develop your fictional characters but to jot down your observations of real people that you see."
From how ideas begin to how they are nurtured and written down (there to be refined until they see the light of day - i.e. other readers), this journal offers support, insight, and ideas for jump-starting the creative process and linking it to action.
White, lined journal pages offer a workbook approach that augments white space with inspirational quotes from other, successful writers: so while you're staring at the usual journal blank pages, inspiration can ignite from others' experiences and insights.
This isn't just about prose, either: Sugarek includes sections on different formats, from haiku poetry to writing a stage play. Each section offers inspirational insights into format, structure, and writing challenges - then uses the journal/quote format to encourage readers to put something down on paper.
With its nuggets of information spiced with the encouragement of fresh lined, white space that, Creative Writer's Journal and Handbook offers a success formula beginners can easily absorb; all packaged in a survey that assumes no prior familiarity with the writing process.
Mystery
& Thrillers
Absolute
Justice
Larry W. Pitts
Yawn's Publishing
Hardcover:ISBN: 987-1-940395-43-2 $29.95
Ebook: ISBN: 987-1-940395-45-6
www.yawnspublishing.com
www.larrywpitts.com
It's not immediately clear, from its title alone, that Absolute Justice is actually a murder mystery about a missing lawyer and not a story about the criminal justice system; but a mystery is what evolves when a wife's search for her missing husband uncovers a wider circle of greed, murder, and devious motivations.
Private investigator Nick Price was hired to locate a missing person, but becomes involved in something entirely outside of his area of expertise when he tracks a murderer with a greater motivation for embarking on a killing spree.
What sets Absolute Justice apart in the murder mystery genre is its attention to detail: the details of unscrupulous business connections gone wrong, of a feisty secretary (Mable) who contributes to Nick Price's investigation, and of police department and criminal connections which create a murky path to any clear resolution process.
And let's not forget the humor: an unusual device in a murder mystery to be sure, but one which lends a satisfying tongue-in-cheek tone to Nick's first-person observational: "Judging by the boastful list of services, it was easy to imagine teams of agents working diligently on your behalf—but in reality, there was only a lone-wolf investigator working from a hole-in-the-wall office in the low-rent section of downtown Atlanta."
There's an Indian girlfriend, Naija Patel, who forms the other half of a blossoming odd couple, a police officer friend who finds inside information for Nick's investigation, and fun reflections and colorful descriptions one normally doesn't anticipate from a murder mystery: "She looked at me a moment. Today I was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt with pale blue stripes, and a red and blue striped tie. I still had on my charcoal Borsalino fedora. I hoped she liked what she saw. I knew I liked what I saw. “You look like you just stepped out of a 1940’s movie,” she said. I love the nostalgic look from the late 1940’s and 50’s, and my fedora with its wide brim that tilted down above the eyes emanated the persona of a classic private detective. If it makes me look as if I just stepped from a 1940’s movie, all the better."
In the process of casting Nick as a somewhat wry P.I., Larry W. Pitts nails the character and the routines of a P.I.'s investigative techniques: "I hadn’t gotten any concrete clues to Garrett’s whereabouts, but now I knew two things: that somehow Southeast Realty was involved in the case, and that somebody named Barton was very interested in what I was doing. Plus, I had a suspicion that Lawson was somehow involved in Garrett’s disappearance."
The 'hard-boiled detective' tone of Absolute Justice is gritty and clear, reminiscent of 1940s gumshoe atmosphere but with a modern persona and setting. The personal psychology is also solid, interspersed with the mechanics of puzzle-solving and the built-in drama of a complex, evolving case: "When someone you know suddenly dies it reminds you how fragile and precious life is, because you never know when it could suddenly end. And murder makes it that much harder to accept."
All these elements join forces to present a memorable story line, a well-rounded protagonist whose personal life is filled with both challenging and supportive characters, and a series of puzzlers that will keep investigators (and most readers) guessing to the end.
Larry W. Pitts
Yawn's Publishing
Hardcover:ISBN: 987-1-940395-43-2 $29.95
Ebook: ISBN: 987-1-940395-45-6
www.yawnspublishing.com
www.larrywpitts.com
It's not immediately clear, from its title alone, that Absolute Justice is actually a murder mystery about a missing lawyer and not a story about the criminal justice system; but a mystery is what evolves when a wife's search for her missing husband uncovers a wider circle of greed, murder, and devious motivations.
Private investigator Nick Price was hired to locate a missing person, but becomes involved in something entirely outside of his area of expertise when he tracks a murderer with a greater motivation for embarking on a killing spree.
What sets Absolute Justice apart in the murder mystery genre is its attention to detail: the details of unscrupulous business connections gone wrong, of a feisty secretary (Mable) who contributes to Nick Price's investigation, and of police department and criminal connections which create a murky path to any clear resolution process.
And let's not forget the humor: an unusual device in a murder mystery to be sure, but one which lends a satisfying tongue-in-cheek tone to Nick's first-person observational: "Judging by the boastful list of services, it was easy to imagine teams of agents working diligently on your behalf—but in reality, there was only a lone-wolf investigator working from a hole-in-the-wall office in the low-rent section of downtown Atlanta."
There's an Indian girlfriend, Naija Patel, who forms the other half of a blossoming odd couple, a police officer friend who finds inside information for Nick's investigation, and fun reflections and colorful descriptions one normally doesn't anticipate from a murder mystery: "She looked at me a moment. Today I was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt with pale blue stripes, and a red and blue striped tie. I still had on my charcoal Borsalino fedora. I hoped she liked what she saw. I knew I liked what I saw. “You look like you just stepped out of a 1940’s movie,” she said. I love the nostalgic look from the late 1940’s and 50’s, and my fedora with its wide brim that tilted down above the eyes emanated the persona of a classic private detective. If it makes me look as if I just stepped from a 1940’s movie, all the better."
In the process of casting Nick as a somewhat wry P.I., Larry W. Pitts nails the character and the routines of a P.I.'s investigative techniques: "I hadn’t gotten any concrete clues to Garrett’s whereabouts, but now I knew two things: that somehow Southeast Realty was involved in the case, and that somebody named Barton was very interested in what I was doing. Plus, I had a suspicion that Lawson was somehow involved in Garrett’s disappearance."
The 'hard-boiled detective' tone of Absolute Justice is gritty and clear, reminiscent of 1940s gumshoe atmosphere but with a modern persona and setting. The personal psychology is also solid, interspersed with the mechanics of puzzle-solving and the built-in drama of a complex, evolving case: "When someone you know suddenly dies it reminds you how fragile and precious life is, because you never know when it could suddenly end. And murder makes it that much harder to accept."
All these elements join forces to present a memorable story line, a well-rounded protagonist whose personal life is filled with both challenging and supportive characters, and a series of puzzlers that will keep investigators (and most readers) guessing to the end.
The
Angel of Murder
Trisha Sugarek
CreateSpace Independent Publishing
978-1494945879 $9.95
http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Murder-World-Series-Volume/dp/1494945878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404492281&sr=8-1&keywords=angel+of+murder%2C+sugarek and
http://www.writeratplay.com/shop/the-angel-of-murder-book-4-in-the-world-of-murder-series/
The Angel of Murder is Book Four in the 'World of Murder' sequence, and though it can easily be picked up by those with no prior familiarity with the series, it is (ideally) a choice for former fans of cops O’Roarke and Garcia, who face yet another puzzling murderer.
This serial killer is after children and leaves their bodies around New York, dressed up for communion. There are no clues left behind to help track him, so there's nothing the two investigators can use to even begin building a profile or a solid search. Even more appealing is the fact that readers (even those solidly immersed in the murder mystery genre) remain just as puzzled as the police throughout the story.
If it's one thing you can say about the murder mystery genre, it's that it tends toward redundancy. It's always about the crime, there are savvy investigators (either professional or unprofessional), motives tend to become clear as the plot thickens… and most of this is about as predictable as can be. In terms of a dance, it's the type of ballet where the art lies more in conventional movement than surprising leaps of faith.
But the avid murder mystery fan keeps searching for those gems that offer something different, such as emotionally compelling and involving characters, events that don't form linear patterns or move in logical, predictable paths, and conclusions that are satisfyingly unexpected. For this reader, The Angel of Murder is a winner.
It's chillingly realistic, its setting and plot are both believable and ever-changing, and The Angel of Murder both relies on the personalities of protagonists developed in previous books and introduces brand new characters who hold different concerns and strengths.
It takes a tightrope artist of a writer to create chapters that successfully delve into a killer's thoughts without revealing his identity in the process, but Sugarek achieves this with a dance of introspection that reveals a killer's religious rituals and the emotional turmoil surrounding everyone involved, from families mourning their children to officers trying to investigate a crime with no clues.
P.I. Vito's discovery could break the case wide open - but what he finds will challenge police protocol and shake religious foundations alike.
There's a series of movements involved in The Angel of Murder : the focal point of ritual, discovery, revelation, religious justification encircled by a cutting edge of insanity. Sugarek creates this dance and eventually not only characters but readers find themselves gingerly treading on dangerous ground as the truth moves closer and closer.
It's also a dance on the part of this reviewer not to reveal the surprise outcome of this murder investigation. And so Angel of Murder is about confessions, heaven and hell, innocence defiled, and ultimately the involvement of church and state in a case about an evil allowed to blossom in the very heart of religious institutions.
As this performance draws to a close, the ballet evolves into a complex series of rituals and steps that eventually reveal the killer's identity - but at a great cost to all involved. It's the ultimate consequences of this kind of crime that will pull at reader heartstrings even as it injects elements of surprise into a presentation that draws to a close not just with a whisper of motion and emotion, but with a sudden leap of insight and faith.
Trisha Sugarek
CreateSpace Independent Publishing
978-1494945879 $9.95
http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Murder-World-Series-Volume/dp/1494945878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404492281&sr=8-1&keywords=angel+of+murder%2C+sugarek and
http://www.writeratplay.com/shop/the-angel-of-murder-book-4-in-the-world-of-murder-series/
The Angel of Murder is Book Four in the 'World of Murder' sequence, and though it can easily be picked up by those with no prior familiarity with the series, it is (ideally) a choice for former fans of cops O’Roarke and Garcia, who face yet another puzzling murderer.
This serial killer is after children and leaves their bodies around New York, dressed up for communion. There are no clues left behind to help track him, so there's nothing the two investigators can use to even begin building a profile or a solid search. Even more appealing is the fact that readers (even those solidly immersed in the murder mystery genre) remain just as puzzled as the police throughout the story.
If it's one thing you can say about the murder mystery genre, it's that it tends toward redundancy. It's always about the crime, there are savvy investigators (either professional or unprofessional), motives tend to become clear as the plot thickens… and most of this is about as predictable as can be. In terms of a dance, it's the type of ballet where the art lies more in conventional movement than surprising leaps of faith.
But the avid murder mystery fan keeps searching for those gems that offer something different, such as emotionally compelling and involving characters, events that don't form linear patterns or move in logical, predictable paths, and conclusions that are satisfyingly unexpected. For this reader, The Angel of Murder is a winner.
It's chillingly realistic, its setting and plot are both believable and ever-changing, and The Angel of Murder both relies on the personalities of protagonists developed in previous books and introduces brand new characters who hold different concerns and strengths.
It takes a tightrope artist of a writer to create chapters that successfully delve into a killer's thoughts without revealing his identity in the process, but Sugarek achieves this with a dance of introspection that reveals a killer's religious rituals and the emotional turmoil surrounding everyone involved, from families mourning their children to officers trying to investigate a crime with no clues.
P.I. Vito's discovery could break the case wide open - but what he finds will challenge police protocol and shake religious foundations alike.
There's a series of movements involved in The Angel of Murder : the focal point of ritual, discovery, revelation, religious justification encircled by a cutting edge of insanity. Sugarek creates this dance and eventually not only characters but readers find themselves gingerly treading on dangerous ground as the truth moves closer and closer.
It's also a dance on the part of this reviewer not to reveal the surprise outcome of this murder investigation. And so Angel of Murder is about confessions, heaven and hell, innocence defiled, and ultimately the involvement of church and state in a case about an evil allowed to blossom in the very heart of religious institutions.
As this performance draws to a close, the ballet evolves into a complex series of rituals and steps that eventually reveal the killer's identity - but at a great cost to all involved. It's the ultimate consequences of this kind of crime that will pull at reader heartstrings even as it injects elements of surprise into a presentation that draws to a close not just with a whisper of motion and emotion, but with a sudden leap of insight and faith.
Cannon
Fodder
Margaret Taylor
Margaret Taylor, Publisher
9781311269942 $3.99
Website: http://steamtrainsandghosts.wordpress.com/
Ordering links: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424257
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cannon-fodder-margaret-r-taylor/1119059298
http://www.amazon.com/Cannon-Fodder-Margaret-R-Taylor-ebook/dp/B00JD0GNEU
If you heard glass breaking downstairs, wouldn't you investigate further? And if a book opened with that event ("Alec could already hear glass breaking downstairs. It was a wake for an evil overlord, after all."), wouldn't you continue investigating? That's the compelling beginning of Cannon Fodder, which opens with a bang (or a shatter, as the case may be) and keeps its action vivid and engrossing from its very first sentence.
It's no easy trick to keep such a pace: invariably books fall short (or readers fall behind) with such swift action. Not so with Cannon Fodder, which succeeds in blending fantasy with mystery, injects a teen protagonist with the savvy and commitment to solve his aunt's murder, and revolves around the first evil scheme in young Alec Nightshade's evolution as a member of the Norgolian Society of Evil Overlords.
One wouldn't expect to find such a plot replete with an undercurrent of humor, but its there - and proves a very satisfying addition to the story line: "What have you killed so far?" The man put his fists up. "Huh? Huh?" What the heck was he supposed to do? Were they supposed to fight? Then to his relief, he spotted a face he recognized in the crowd. It was the Merchant of Death."
The problem is that Alec isn't inherently evil - thus, his lack of a proper Evil Scheme. And when he stumbles upon a threat to the world in the form of the Eggbeater of Doom (a device that can summon a destructive god into the world to wreak vengeance upon humans), his first inclination is not to hatch an evil scheme so much as to manipulate circumstances to elevate his position as an Evil Overlord and hopefully thwart the short life expectancy his family suffers.
When the Eggbeater is eggnapped, Alec and his faithful minions find themselves in a race against time to not destroy a city, but save it. And isn't this pursuit contrary to an Evil Overlord's agenda?
As Alec accomplishes both good and evil deeds, Margaret Taylor's humor proves an unrelenting, fun stream running through all proceedings: "Captain Egregious!" the Merchant said once the connection went through. He tilted his head as if looking around behind Alec. "Oh, an Imperial landship." "Yeah, stole it," Alec said. "Well done. Er, evilly done. You know what I mean." The Merchant fell silent. For a moment, there was only the sound of branches scraping the hull of the landship. "You missed the appointment for picking up the key to the kraken," he said."
And as the Eggbeater changes hands and purposes and challenges even the evilest of intentions, action moves from unrelenting to become a comic tour de farce and a lesson in intention and achievement. It's all about building a proper scheme, handling forces that would mess with it, and struggling with influences on all sides.
Can Alec handle the heat? Perhaps … if he escapes the pressure cooker of juggling too many disparate interests, including the world's future existence. It all boils down to trust and breaking rules, including those of Evil Overlords. And under these conditions, does Alec even want to become a ruler?
Cannon Fodder's vivid blend of humor and fantasy, and ironic twists will keep readers of all ages guessing right up to its unexpected conclusion, which leaves the door wide open for many future possibilities in one of the most exciting, involving fantasy/mystery/young adult reads of the year.
Margaret Taylor
Margaret Taylor, Publisher
9781311269942 $3.99
Website: http://steamtrainsandghosts.wordpress.com/
Ordering links: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424257
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cannon-fodder-margaret-r-taylor/1119059298
http://www.amazon.com/Cannon-Fodder-Margaret-R-Taylor-ebook/dp/B00JD0GNEU
If you heard glass breaking downstairs, wouldn't you investigate further? And if a book opened with that event ("Alec could already hear glass breaking downstairs. It was a wake for an evil overlord, after all."), wouldn't you continue investigating? That's the compelling beginning of Cannon Fodder, which opens with a bang (or a shatter, as the case may be) and keeps its action vivid and engrossing from its very first sentence.
It's no easy trick to keep such a pace: invariably books fall short (or readers fall behind) with such swift action. Not so with Cannon Fodder, which succeeds in blending fantasy with mystery, injects a teen protagonist with the savvy and commitment to solve his aunt's murder, and revolves around the first evil scheme in young Alec Nightshade's evolution as a member of the Norgolian Society of Evil Overlords.
One wouldn't expect to find such a plot replete with an undercurrent of humor, but its there - and proves a very satisfying addition to the story line: "What have you killed so far?" The man put his fists up. "Huh? Huh?" What the heck was he supposed to do? Were they supposed to fight? Then to his relief, he spotted a face he recognized in the crowd. It was the Merchant of Death."
The problem is that Alec isn't inherently evil - thus, his lack of a proper Evil Scheme. And when he stumbles upon a threat to the world in the form of the Eggbeater of Doom (a device that can summon a destructive god into the world to wreak vengeance upon humans), his first inclination is not to hatch an evil scheme so much as to manipulate circumstances to elevate his position as an Evil Overlord and hopefully thwart the short life expectancy his family suffers.
When the Eggbeater is eggnapped, Alec and his faithful minions find themselves in a race against time to not destroy a city, but save it. And isn't this pursuit contrary to an Evil Overlord's agenda?
As Alec accomplishes both good and evil deeds, Margaret Taylor's humor proves an unrelenting, fun stream running through all proceedings: "Captain Egregious!" the Merchant said once the connection went through. He tilted his head as if looking around behind Alec. "Oh, an Imperial landship." "Yeah, stole it," Alec said. "Well done. Er, evilly done. You know what I mean." The Merchant fell silent. For a moment, there was only the sound of branches scraping the hull of the landship. "You missed the appointment for picking up the key to the kraken," he said."
And as the Eggbeater changes hands and purposes and challenges even the evilest of intentions, action moves from unrelenting to become a comic tour de farce and a lesson in intention and achievement. It's all about building a proper scheme, handling forces that would mess with it, and struggling with influences on all sides.
Can Alec handle the heat? Perhaps … if he escapes the pressure cooker of juggling too many disparate interests, including the world's future existence. It all boils down to trust and breaking rules, including those of Evil Overlords. And under these conditions, does Alec even want to become a ruler?
Cannon Fodder's vivid blend of humor and fantasy, and ironic twists will keep readers of all ages guessing right up to its unexpected conclusion, which leaves the door wide open for many future possibilities in one of the most exciting, involving fantasy/mystery/young adult reads of the year.
Cash
Kills (An Angelina Bonaparte Mystery)
Nanci Rathbun
Cozy Cat Press
978-1-939816-44-3 Price: $14.95 paperback, $2.99 ebook
Website: http://nancirathbun.com
Ordering Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cash-Kills-Angelina-Bonaparte-Mystery/dp/1939816440
Angelina Bonaparte is a P.I. - and this means that she specializes in tracking down information, not solving murders. The challenge comes in the usual (for a murder mystery) form when her latest client hires her to investigate the source of her poor immigrant parents' sudden wealth (for which they were murdered), setting off a string of murders.
Now Angelina is in over her head: as a P.I., she's developed finely honed talents for investigation - but, not murder.
The story actually begins in Yugoslavia, though Adriana's parents immigrated to the U.S. when she was only four. The integration process followed the usual form as the poor immigrant family made good but lived a modest lifestyle, opening a small store and struggling financially. That a burglary gone awry took her parents' lives is almost no surprise in such a scenario: what is shocking is the revelation that Adriana has inherited millions.
Thus what seems an open-and-shut case of a simple robbery gone bad suddenly becomes something much more - and something way out of Angelina's area of expertise.
It's concern for her young, naïve, recently bereaved and newly-rich client that keeps Angelina involved and prevents her from referring Adriana to someone better versed in murder. By the time a second murder takes out Adriana's lawyer, Angelina is hooked into a deadly spiral of events where her client is the center of a maelstrom of disaster.
Up until now, the scenario is both plausible and predictable. Angie's ongoing investigation of Adriana's parents unearths clues to the source of their wealth and reasons for keeping secrets: clues that go back to the Bosnian War of the 1980s.
And despite their efforts to keep Adriana's new status under wraps, it's obvious somebody knows about the money: someone who will do anything to tap it.
Cash Kills provides both predictable outcomes and unpredictable moments and it sneaks in observations that hold a wry sense of humor to provide a bit of comic interlude to the serious story line: "I raised the window and deftly slipped the Ram into the spot closest to the stairway. Just because you’re small, it doesn’t mean you can’t park with the big boys."
As her persistent probe results in an equally-relentless survey of hidden lives and purposes, Angelina finds herself ever drawn into her client's life beyond the usual professional boundaries, and the search for clues also becomes a search for places where Adriana can fit in, be safe, and learn about life: "The Mulcaheys would provide her with protection from the press, but, more important, she’d be with a loving family and learn from their interactions. It was a good solution."
Because it's also about old war crimes and Serbian politics, readers receive a healthy dose of political and cultural insight in the course of Angelina's investigation: something usually lacking in your typical P.I. mystery. The author's attention to realistically portraying facets of the Bosnian War add depth and spice to the story line. And when Angelina's own perception of romance is tested, she must make some hard decisions about not just Adriana's life, but her own.
Angelina may be in over her head in many ways; but the reader won't be. No prior knowledge of the Bosnian War times is assumed, interrelationships and their logic are deftly portrayed, and Cash Kills follows a time-tested (and successful) path in the mystery genre by creating a spunky protagonist who steps up to the plate to take charge. It's a solid mystery with enough political and psychological depth to keep readers involved to the end.
Nanci Rathbun
Cozy Cat Press
978-1-939816-44-3 Price: $14.95 paperback, $2.99 ebook
Website: http://nancirathbun.com
Ordering Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cash-Kills-Angelina-Bonaparte-Mystery/dp/1939816440
Angelina Bonaparte is a P.I. - and this means that she specializes in tracking down information, not solving murders. The challenge comes in the usual (for a murder mystery) form when her latest client hires her to investigate the source of her poor immigrant parents' sudden wealth (for which they were murdered), setting off a string of murders.
Now Angelina is in over her head: as a P.I., she's developed finely honed talents for investigation - but, not murder.
The story actually begins in Yugoslavia, though Adriana's parents immigrated to the U.S. when she was only four. The integration process followed the usual form as the poor immigrant family made good but lived a modest lifestyle, opening a small store and struggling financially. That a burglary gone awry took her parents' lives is almost no surprise in such a scenario: what is shocking is the revelation that Adriana has inherited millions.
Thus what seems an open-and-shut case of a simple robbery gone bad suddenly becomes something much more - and something way out of Angelina's area of expertise.
It's concern for her young, naïve, recently bereaved and newly-rich client that keeps Angelina involved and prevents her from referring Adriana to someone better versed in murder. By the time a second murder takes out Adriana's lawyer, Angelina is hooked into a deadly spiral of events where her client is the center of a maelstrom of disaster.
Up until now, the scenario is both plausible and predictable. Angie's ongoing investigation of Adriana's parents unearths clues to the source of their wealth and reasons for keeping secrets: clues that go back to the Bosnian War of the 1980s.
And despite their efforts to keep Adriana's new status under wraps, it's obvious somebody knows about the money: someone who will do anything to tap it.
Cash Kills provides both predictable outcomes and unpredictable moments and it sneaks in observations that hold a wry sense of humor to provide a bit of comic interlude to the serious story line: "I raised the window and deftly slipped the Ram into the spot closest to the stairway. Just because you’re small, it doesn’t mean you can’t park with the big boys."
As her persistent probe results in an equally-relentless survey of hidden lives and purposes, Angelina finds herself ever drawn into her client's life beyond the usual professional boundaries, and the search for clues also becomes a search for places where Adriana can fit in, be safe, and learn about life: "The Mulcaheys would provide her with protection from the press, but, more important, she’d be with a loving family and learn from their interactions. It was a good solution."
Because it's also about old war crimes and Serbian politics, readers receive a healthy dose of political and cultural insight in the course of Angelina's investigation: something usually lacking in your typical P.I. mystery. The author's attention to realistically portraying facets of the Bosnian War add depth and spice to the story line. And when Angelina's own perception of romance is tested, she must make some hard decisions about not just Adriana's life, but her own.
Angelina may be in over her head in many ways; but the reader won't be. No prior knowledge of the Bosnian War times is assumed, interrelationships and their logic are deftly portrayed, and Cash Kills follows a time-tested (and successful) path in the mystery genre by creating a spunky protagonist who steps up to the plate to take charge. It's a solid mystery with enough political and psychological depth to keep readers involved to the end.
Faith
Defiled
Alex Siegel
Amazon Kindle
ASIN: B00L5V9HXE $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Defiled-Gray-Spear-Society-ebook/dp/B00L5V9HXE
Faith Defiled is the fourteenth book in the Gray Spear series! And it's important to note that each powerful book contributes to the growth of what is turning out to be an epic succession of thrillers with an edgy twist. Faith Defiled continues the tradition of exceptional thriller reading, will not disappoint any who turn to it after thirteen hair-raising adventures.
Shades of apocalypse are present in the latest confrontation: angels wing over San Francisco painting mysterious, unreadable messages in the skies and Marina and her team are tasked with discovering their real intentions.
Where most of the previous Gray Spear stories have revolved around Marina and her lover Aaron, this time Aaron is largely out of the picture (in Chicago, struggling with a cannibal outbreak), leaving Marina to test her (relatively new) capabilities as leader of the West Coast cell of the Gray Spear legionnaires.
This isn't to say that Marina and Aaron don't meet: indeed, Marina will have to journey to Aaron's increasingly-secret turf and projects to resolve her own challenges. But in this latest conflict she has some tough decisions to make, and their results will prove whether her leadership capabilities are up to the Society's greatest test yet.
God's hand is more apparent here than in many of the other Gray Spear books. The Lord holds frequent meetings, for one example, with a pair of extraordinary twins who are working on a project to make the universe safer for all life, and is an ever-present force guiding the Gray Spear's purposes.
As events unfold and Marina learns of Aaron's real work, she comes to understand that a new band of legionnaires is in the making: an immortal group that would "…police the universe forever as an immortal band of demigods. It wasn't just a new Society. It was a new reality."
But is this the kind of reality Marina envisions for her world? And in her role as leader of this group, can she accept the notion of wider responsibility not just for the Earth, but for protecting the entire universe?
All these changes are driven by love: the love of Marina and Aaron for one another, and their mutual love for the good in their world. And in a scenario where one all-important relationship could keep the universe glued together (or not), what are Marina's choices?
Expect a highly charged conclusion to the Gray Spear saga which churns out everything from monsters and angels to lovers tasked with the impossible. Against this backdrop lies the paradox of free will, the wider potential of the Society to spread its influence across not just the world but the universe, and God's hand in all matters. Stir up a gripping, challenging conclusion and you have a recommendation not for newcomers to the series, but for those who have faithfully followed the Society's evolution and who are prepared for its final incarnation and purpose.
Is the Gray Spear series truly at an end? It's hard to say; but one thing is certain: Faith Defiled is one of the most powerful since the series began, is filled with surprises and twists, and won't disappoint!
Alex Siegel
Amazon Kindle
ASIN: B00L5V9HXE $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Defiled-Gray-Spear-Society-ebook/dp/B00L5V9HXE
Faith Defiled is the fourteenth book in the Gray Spear series! And it's important to note that each powerful book contributes to the growth of what is turning out to be an epic succession of thrillers with an edgy twist. Faith Defiled continues the tradition of exceptional thriller reading, will not disappoint any who turn to it after thirteen hair-raising adventures.
Shades of apocalypse are present in the latest confrontation: angels wing over San Francisco painting mysterious, unreadable messages in the skies and Marina and her team are tasked with discovering their real intentions.
Where most of the previous Gray Spear stories have revolved around Marina and her lover Aaron, this time Aaron is largely out of the picture (in Chicago, struggling with a cannibal outbreak), leaving Marina to test her (relatively new) capabilities as leader of the West Coast cell of the Gray Spear legionnaires.
This isn't to say that Marina and Aaron don't meet: indeed, Marina will have to journey to Aaron's increasingly-secret turf and projects to resolve her own challenges. But in this latest conflict she has some tough decisions to make, and their results will prove whether her leadership capabilities are up to the Society's greatest test yet.
God's hand is more apparent here than in many of the other Gray Spear books. The Lord holds frequent meetings, for one example, with a pair of extraordinary twins who are working on a project to make the universe safer for all life, and is an ever-present force guiding the Gray Spear's purposes.
As events unfold and Marina learns of Aaron's real work, she comes to understand that a new band of legionnaires is in the making: an immortal group that would "…police the universe forever as an immortal band of demigods. It wasn't just a new Society. It was a new reality."
But is this the kind of reality Marina envisions for her world? And in her role as leader of this group, can she accept the notion of wider responsibility not just for the Earth, but for protecting the entire universe?
All these changes are driven by love: the love of Marina and Aaron for one another, and their mutual love for the good in their world. And in a scenario where one all-important relationship could keep the universe glued together (or not), what are Marina's choices?
Expect a highly charged conclusion to the Gray Spear saga which churns out everything from monsters and angels to lovers tasked with the impossible. Against this backdrop lies the paradox of free will, the wider potential of the Society to spread its influence across not just the world but the universe, and God's hand in all matters. Stir up a gripping, challenging conclusion and you have a recommendation not for newcomers to the series, but for those who have faithfully followed the Society's evolution and who are prepared for its final incarnation and purpose.
Is the Gray Spear series truly at an end? It's hard to say; but one thing is certain: Faith Defiled is one of the most powerful since the series began, is filled with surprises and twists, and won't disappoint!
The
Game Plan Twisted
Foley Western
Links: www.Facebook.com/authorfoleywestern
www.foleywestern.com
www.Twitter.com/foleywestern
No Publisher, ISBN, Price
It's meeting time again, and investigative agent Holly's dreams of becoming a P.I. have been set aside for the moment - or have they?
Despite the many obstacles she and partner Dan successfully survived in The Game Plan (including kidnappings, a host of international special interests, and possible disaster), Holly's familiarity with international politics doesn't mean she's now a shoe-in for her most coveted role in life. Indeed, her cousin Jack enjoys still needling her that she's not among the ranks of licensed professionals, despite the fact that she and Dan successfully pulled off what no professional could, busting a big case that had stymied police.
All this is about to change - and drastically - in The Game Plan Twisted, which takes the original story's premises and twists them into a new direction. And this is why it's recommended that readers know the original tale in order to completely appreciate the new directions this sequel provides.
As before, thriller writing for Foley Western becomes a delicate dance in which characters waltz around romance, intrigue, personal differences and career changes; all the while deftly circling terrorism and threats. Her attention to detail and a blend of personal introspection and action keep The Game Plan Twisted as fluid and exciting as its predecessor - and that's a big accomplishment in a genre where sequels are both common and just as often fall flat.
Just because Holly's planning for a wedding doesn't mean she's completely out of the picture when it comes to intrigue and danger, and as events unfold, the plot's precision in nailing down concurrent special interests makes for an involving read on many levels; not the least of which is in its unexpected changes (thus, The Game Plan Twisted).
In this scenario Eric (a newer, young client who has become unexpectedly wealthy at a very young age after inventing an eBay-like website) brings new issues and complexity to the table, using Holly's services to decide how to invest his largess - a potential warning sign in her mind when he asks if she'll take over his investing for him.
More questions arise when a mother Holly hasn't seen in over twenty years unexpectedly shows up sporting an large sum of money and a story that wrenches at her heartstrings, sparking new, sad memories of being raised by a single parent father after her mother abandons the family.
By mid-read there's a lot of loose ends, tangled family ties, twisted intentions and misread cues promising a host of threats to Holly's impending happiness.
Love, crime, abandonment, and changed dreams lie at the heart of so many disrupted game plans here that it seems like the story line's going to be one big series of personal and professional disasters, with a lot of protagonist regrets becoming collateral damage in the process: "When did his life become so bizarre? He had spent his entire life wishing for a father, and for siblings. He wanted what his friends had, the thing that money couldn’t buy him, a family. Now that he had one, he was hoping that it wasn’t too late to give them back."
Crime, love, and the best of intentions aren't that simple, however, as Holly, Eric, Dan and others come to find out. As Holly discovers Eric's family intricacy proves more troubled than her own, she pursues leads to even more impossible situations, tempered by her and Dan's growing love: "There were so many times in the past year that I thought we would never make it to this place.” “Aruba?” he said with a grin. “You know what I mean,” she said with a playful scowl. “This place where our lives are finally content and we don’t have to look over our shoulders.” “I don’t mean to be a killjoy here,” he said, “But there is still the matter of a missing terrorist, and a kingpin of a mother they haven’t found."
Gut-wrenching truths about family connections emerge before everything winds down. The progression of mystery and intricate social links between protagonists keep The Game Plan Twisted compelling; especially for prior readers of the first book, who will find protagonists, backgrounds, hidden logic and events merge to satisfying depth and conclusion, all spiced with the same fast-paced intrigue and action that marked The Game Plan.
Foley Western
Links: www.Facebook.com/authorfoleywestern
www.foleywestern.com
www.Twitter.com/foleywestern
No Publisher, ISBN, Price
It's meeting time again, and investigative agent Holly's dreams of becoming a P.I. have been set aside for the moment - or have they?
Despite the many obstacles she and partner Dan successfully survived in The Game Plan (including kidnappings, a host of international special interests, and possible disaster), Holly's familiarity with international politics doesn't mean she's now a shoe-in for her most coveted role in life. Indeed, her cousin Jack enjoys still needling her that she's not among the ranks of licensed professionals, despite the fact that she and Dan successfully pulled off what no professional could, busting a big case that had stymied police.
All this is about to change - and drastically - in The Game Plan Twisted, which takes the original story's premises and twists them into a new direction. And this is why it's recommended that readers know the original tale in order to completely appreciate the new directions this sequel provides.
As before, thriller writing for Foley Western becomes a delicate dance in which characters waltz around romance, intrigue, personal differences and career changes; all the while deftly circling terrorism and threats. Her attention to detail and a blend of personal introspection and action keep The Game Plan Twisted as fluid and exciting as its predecessor - and that's a big accomplishment in a genre where sequels are both common and just as often fall flat.
Just because Holly's planning for a wedding doesn't mean she's completely out of the picture when it comes to intrigue and danger, and as events unfold, the plot's precision in nailing down concurrent special interests makes for an involving read on many levels; not the least of which is in its unexpected changes (thus, The Game Plan Twisted).
In this scenario Eric (a newer, young client who has become unexpectedly wealthy at a very young age after inventing an eBay-like website) brings new issues and complexity to the table, using Holly's services to decide how to invest his largess - a potential warning sign in her mind when he asks if she'll take over his investing for him.
More questions arise when a mother Holly hasn't seen in over twenty years unexpectedly shows up sporting an large sum of money and a story that wrenches at her heartstrings, sparking new, sad memories of being raised by a single parent father after her mother abandons the family.
By mid-read there's a lot of loose ends, tangled family ties, twisted intentions and misread cues promising a host of threats to Holly's impending happiness.
Love, crime, abandonment, and changed dreams lie at the heart of so many disrupted game plans here that it seems like the story line's going to be one big series of personal and professional disasters, with a lot of protagonist regrets becoming collateral damage in the process: "When did his life become so bizarre? He had spent his entire life wishing for a father, and for siblings. He wanted what his friends had, the thing that money couldn’t buy him, a family. Now that he had one, he was hoping that it wasn’t too late to give them back."
Crime, love, and the best of intentions aren't that simple, however, as Holly, Eric, Dan and others come to find out. As Holly discovers Eric's family intricacy proves more troubled than her own, she pursues leads to even more impossible situations, tempered by her and Dan's growing love: "There were so many times in the past year that I thought we would never make it to this place.” “Aruba?” he said with a grin. “You know what I mean,” she said with a playful scowl. “This place where our lives are finally content and we don’t have to look over our shoulders.” “I don’t mean to be a killjoy here,” he said, “But there is still the matter of a missing terrorist, and a kingpin of a mother they haven’t found."
Gut-wrenching truths about family connections emerge before everything winds down. The progression of mystery and intricate social links between protagonists keep The Game Plan Twisted compelling; especially for prior readers of the first book, who will find protagonists, backgrounds, hidden logic and events merge to satisfying depth and conclusion, all spiced with the same fast-paced intrigue and action that marked The Game Plan.
Kentucky
Bestiary
Joseph Hirsch
Paragraph Line
978-0-9844223-6-4 $12.95
www.amazon.com
Officer Peter Silone has been involved in big-city police work for most of his adult life, and it's been a long time since he's been back to the small Kentucky Appalachian town where he spent many a happy summer as a child. Perhaps it's a longing to go back to simpler times and places (or, to go home again) that prompts him to accept a job in a neighboring rural county. Whatever the motivation, it's a position that proves anything but low-key as Peter battles both a meth amphetamine and the possibility of monsters inhabiting long-abandoned coalmines.
If this sounds like an unusual blend of paranormal and mystery, that's because Kentucky Bestiary is all about cutting-edge writing when it comes to juggling two disparate genres for maximum effect. A number of notable devices contribute to this exceptional pairing.
The first of them is a sense of place: Joseph Hirsch first builds a solid foundation and then, like a painter, constructs a vivid set of landscape impressions cemented by the protagonists' observations of and interactions with their environment: "The town hall and the courthouse and the fire station were built from those ancient slabs and boulders, each rock shelf with the dimensions of the tablets Moses had brought down from the hills. Their substantial nature was a thing of beauty, but it was also what made the newer buildings so tacky to his eye."
Facts about this Appalachia setting are so finely woven into the story line that readers, too, will find themselves immersed in this sense of place, with its human and natural history: "The windows were rolled down, letting in warm spring air, and he spied a looming peregrine falcon gliding through the blue sky before it disappeared on the other side of a sheer outcropping of Rimrock. This part of Appalachia was still a major part of a great migratory flyway, one that had been used by all manner of birds since a time long before the passenger pigeon had disappeared into the mists of extinction."
Secondly, a sense of history and culture completes a strong local portrait of the small town's changes: "The cryptozoologist grinned. “You’re a bit younger than me, so you wouldn’t know what Roosevelt meant to the people of my parents’ generation. But for them, he was about as close as you could get to Jesus without being nailed to a cross.”
Last but not least, elements of the supernatural come into play after being intriguingly insinuated at numerous points. Readers may be prepared for these elements; but not for where they will lead under Peter Silone's inquiry - and this is the heart of a story that successfully draws readers where few others dare to go, into the heart of rural culture, rural clashes, and impossible nightmares.
Keep in mind that demons come in all forms; and so Kentucky Bestiary imparts challenging transformations on all manner of beasts, natural and supernatural alike. As Peter probes long-sleeping dogs and awakens brutal forces during the course of his investigations, readers become immersed in the sights, sounds and vision of a small town under fire from many places.
So many 'supernatural mysteries' fail because they don't properly create a solid sense of place, purpose, and mystery. In some cases the supernatural forces are either too predictable or outright confusing.
That's why Kentucky Bestiary is so satisfyingly different: it succeeds in all aspects of cementing mystery, purpose, and place with an intriguing supernatural aspect that is both surprising and logical - and that makes it a recommendation above many other similar-sounding supernatural/mystery cross-genre reads.
Joseph Hirsch
Paragraph Line
978-0-9844223-6-4 $12.95
www.amazon.com
Officer Peter Silone has been involved in big-city police work for most of his adult life, and it's been a long time since he's been back to the small Kentucky Appalachian town where he spent many a happy summer as a child. Perhaps it's a longing to go back to simpler times and places (or, to go home again) that prompts him to accept a job in a neighboring rural county. Whatever the motivation, it's a position that proves anything but low-key as Peter battles both a meth amphetamine and the possibility of monsters inhabiting long-abandoned coalmines.
If this sounds like an unusual blend of paranormal and mystery, that's because Kentucky Bestiary is all about cutting-edge writing when it comes to juggling two disparate genres for maximum effect. A number of notable devices contribute to this exceptional pairing.
The first of them is a sense of place: Joseph Hirsch first builds a solid foundation and then, like a painter, constructs a vivid set of landscape impressions cemented by the protagonists' observations of and interactions with their environment: "The town hall and the courthouse and the fire station were built from those ancient slabs and boulders, each rock shelf with the dimensions of the tablets Moses had brought down from the hills. Their substantial nature was a thing of beauty, but it was also what made the newer buildings so tacky to his eye."
Facts about this Appalachia setting are so finely woven into the story line that readers, too, will find themselves immersed in this sense of place, with its human and natural history: "The windows were rolled down, letting in warm spring air, and he spied a looming peregrine falcon gliding through the blue sky before it disappeared on the other side of a sheer outcropping of Rimrock. This part of Appalachia was still a major part of a great migratory flyway, one that had been used by all manner of birds since a time long before the passenger pigeon had disappeared into the mists of extinction."
Secondly, a sense of history and culture completes a strong local portrait of the small town's changes: "The cryptozoologist grinned. “You’re a bit younger than me, so you wouldn’t know what Roosevelt meant to the people of my parents’ generation. But for them, he was about as close as you could get to Jesus without being nailed to a cross.”
Last but not least, elements of the supernatural come into play after being intriguingly insinuated at numerous points. Readers may be prepared for these elements; but not for where they will lead under Peter Silone's inquiry - and this is the heart of a story that successfully draws readers where few others dare to go, into the heart of rural culture, rural clashes, and impossible nightmares.
Keep in mind that demons come in all forms; and so Kentucky Bestiary imparts challenging transformations on all manner of beasts, natural and supernatural alike. As Peter probes long-sleeping dogs and awakens brutal forces during the course of his investigations, readers become immersed in the sights, sounds and vision of a small town under fire from many places.
So many 'supernatural mysteries' fail because they don't properly create a solid sense of place, purpose, and mystery. In some cases the supernatural forces are either too predictable or outright confusing.
That's why Kentucky Bestiary is so satisfyingly different: it succeeds in all aspects of cementing mystery, purpose, and place with an intriguing supernatural aspect that is both surprising and logical - and that makes it a recommendation above many other similar-sounding supernatural/mystery cross-genre reads.
Revenge
is Sweet
Betta Ferrendelli
Betta Ferrendelli, Publisher
ASIN: B00GM727G0 $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Sweet-Samantha-Church-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00GM727G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406644576&sr=1-1&keywords=revenge+is+sweet
Everyone has harbored feelings of wanting to seek revenge; but few have the process 'down' as well as the perps in Revenge is Sweet, who have faced down Samantha in the previous novel The Friday Edition and lost the first round of battle.
Few make consistently rational, good decisions when facing adversity, either. There's often a level of "should have/could have" in any approach (that's what makes us human), and the character of Samantha Church reflects this process; more so than most mysteries that would portray a protagonist as spunky, strong, and inhumanly irrepressible.
Samantha Church faces the fact that the drug dealers she confronted in The Friday Edition have moved past the motive of personal profit and into the realm of revenge. They've kidnapped her and publisher Wilson Cole Jr. and the end seems near before the book's beginning even gets off the ground.
Suddenly, a change of scene: Samantha awakens in a hospital bed: beaten, confused, and surprised to be alive. Why did they let her go?
The reason is sinister, challenging, and threatens Sam's entire world. Keep in mind the book's plot ('revenge') for a sense of what's in store for Samantha, who also struggles with her alcoholism and (at book's opening) is all of only two weeks sober as she confronts one of the most dangerous cat-and-mouse games of her life.
It's a pleasure having concurrent themes run through the story line, even if some of them are truly dark: themes that add dimension to the protagonist's persona and involve readers in more than a single obstacle or series of events.
A series of strong, deft scenes are quickly painted to introduce new readers to Samantha and her psyche: "He knew of her past, the problems she had as a reporter at the Denver Post. He knew why she lost her job at the large metropolitan daily and that it stemmed from her use of alcohol. He knew that there were other journalists in the Denver media who thought she was a pariah. None of that, however, mattered to Wilson Cole Jr. He knew there was something different about Sam, that she had an inner determination. He knew it was something lost just beneath that forlorn surface. Given enough time, it would resurface. He was sure of it."
It's one mark of a good writer of multiple books that such scenes pepper a book's introduction and recap events without resorting to a prologue or other lengthy device to repeat the events of prior novels. Newcomers to Samantha Church receive all the background needed to appreciate this mystery, while old fans can lightly read through descriptions that neatly fold past events into present, new scenarios.
Through a series of flashbooks, letters and other devices, Samantha's character and relationships are deftly explored: "Your father was so supportive in the beginning. That changed after we had you. He didn’t like that I drank around you. In fact, he hated it and always told me so. I couldn’t seem to help myself. I can’t touch the stuff again if I ever hope to get you back, but still the urge for just one drink is always there. And I can never seem to get that feeling to leave. I wear it as if it were my own skin. Not as if it is my skin, it simply is my skin."
As events unfold to threaten her beloved daughter, Samantha not only becomes involved in a desperate search to save her, but comes to examine more closely her own habits, failings and attitudes in life which may have brought her to a point of no return.
Revenge is Sweet isn't just about revenge (although this is the unifying factor throughout the story): it's about coming to terms with actions, consequences, reactions and fear. As events take a gruesome turn, Samantha must marshal all her resources to win what is becoming a deadly game where all her loved ones are pawns, and at risk.
Sam's on a road to recovery on many levels, but she's also on a journey of self-discovery as well: one that will change all their lives.
Revenge is Sweet is a satisfying, involving mystery that gets its strength from a strong yet realistic protagonist who faces many personal hurdles in her life. Dealing with perps who have an exacting revenge in mind is only one facet of a story line that successfully integrates intrigue with the personal struggles of a protagonist who battles her own self-destructive inclinations on a road which can lead to either success or ruin.
Under Betta Ferrendelli's hand, a rosy ending is not at all predictable (indeed, events embrace death, torture, kidnapping and more - so don't expect a light read!) and seemingly impossible at many points - and that's the strength of a novel that takes the concept of 'revenge' to new levels of tension and intrigue.
Betta Ferrendelli
Betta Ferrendelli, Publisher
ASIN: B00GM727G0 $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Sweet-Samantha-Church-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00GM727G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406644576&sr=1-1&keywords=revenge+is+sweet
Everyone has harbored feelings of wanting to seek revenge; but few have the process 'down' as well as the perps in Revenge is Sweet, who have faced down Samantha in the previous novel The Friday Edition and lost the first round of battle.
Few make consistently rational, good decisions when facing adversity, either. There's often a level of "should have/could have" in any approach (that's what makes us human), and the character of Samantha Church reflects this process; more so than most mysteries that would portray a protagonist as spunky, strong, and inhumanly irrepressible.
Samantha Church faces the fact that the drug dealers she confronted in The Friday Edition have moved past the motive of personal profit and into the realm of revenge. They've kidnapped her and publisher Wilson Cole Jr. and the end seems near before the book's beginning even gets off the ground.
Suddenly, a change of scene: Samantha awakens in a hospital bed: beaten, confused, and surprised to be alive. Why did they let her go?
The reason is sinister, challenging, and threatens Sam's entire world. Keep in mind the book's plot ('revenge') for a sense of what's in store for Samantha, who also struggles with her alcoholism and (at book's opening) is all of only two weeks sober as she confronts one of the most dangerous cat-and-mouse games of her life.
It's a pleasure having concurrent themes run through the story line, even if some of them are truly dark: themes that add dimension to the protagonist's persona and involve readers in more than a single obstacle or series of events.
A series of strong, deft scenes are quickly painted to introduce new readers to Samantha and her psyche: "He knew of her past, the problems she had as a reporter at the Denver Post. He knew why she lost her job at the large metropolitan daily and that it stemmed from her use of alcohol. He knew that there were other journalists in the Denver media who thought she was a pariah. None of that, however, mattered to Wilson Cole Jr. He knew there was something different about Sam, that she had an inner determination. He knew it was something lost just beneath that forlorn surface. Given enough time, it would resurface. He was sure of it."
It's one mark of a good writer of multiple books that such scenes pepper a book's introduction and recap events without resorting to a prologue or other lengthy device to repeat the events of prior novels. Newcomers to Samantha Church receive all the background needed to appreciate this mystery, while old fans can lightly read through descriptions that neatly fold past events into present, new scenarios.
Through a series of flashbooks, letters and other devices, Samantha's character and relationships are deftly explored: "Your father was so supportive in the beginning. That changed after we had you. He didn’t like that I drank around you. In fact, he hated it and always told me so. I couldn’t seem to help myself. I can’t touch the stuff again if I ever hope to get you back, but still the urge for just one drink is always there. And I can never seem to get that feeling to leave. I wear it as if it were my own skin. Not as if it is my skin, it simply is my skin."
As events unfold to threaten her beloved daughter, Samantha not only becomes involved in a desperate search to save her, but comes to examine more closely her own habits, failings and attitudes in life which may have brought her to a point of no return.
Revenge is Sweet isn't just about revenge (although this is the unifying factor throughout the story): it's about coming to terms with actions, consequences, reactions and fear. As events take a gruesome turn, Samantha must marshal all her resources to win what is becoming a deadly game where all her loved ones are pawns, and at risk.
Sam's on a road to recovery on many levels, but she's also on a journey of self-discovery as well: one that will change all their lives.
Revenge is Sweet is a satisfying, involving mystery that gets its strength from a strong yet realistic protagonist who faces many personal hurdles in her life. Dealing with perps who have an exacting revenge in mind is only one facet of a story line that successfully integrates intrigue with the personal struggles of a protagonist who battles her own self-destructive inclinations on a road which can lead to either success or ruin.
Under Betta Ferrendelli's hand, a rosy ending is not at all predictable (indeed, events embrace death, torture, kidnapping and more - so don't expect a light read!) and seemingly impossible at many points - and that's the strength of a novel that takes the concept of 'revenge' to new levels of tension and intrigue.
A
Woman To Blame
Vincent Panettiere
Author House
978-1-4969-2435-4
Price: $23.95 softcover $3.99 ebook
www.authorhouse.com
A good investigative mystery read is like a jigsaw puzzle: at first there's a boxful of disparate pieces that appear to bear no relationship to one other; but as the game progresses, each piece becomes entwined with another to create a bigger picture.
A Woman to Blame is such a mystery; so if you don’t like jigsaw puzzles or stories replete with interconnected characters and find a lot of detail puzzling, this complex read won't be the item of choice. Readers who not only appreciate, but search out such challenging puzzlers (which are too few and far between in the genre) will find A Woman to Blame's story line thrilling and well detailed.
Mike is a police detective forced to retire on disability. His job of handling crime scenes and investigations seems to be at an end - until a promising winning horse collapses and his trainer is discovered dead a few hours later.
To the police, it's a cut-and-dry case: the trainer murdered the horse, then committed suicide. To Mike, it's not that simple.
A swarm of protagonists are introduced in rapid succession; all with their own lives, motives for misdeeds, and connections that ultimate lead back to the horse racing world and its underworld of high-stakes bets.
Readers may receive some insights on these disparate forces, but Mike is kept in the dark from the beginning and payoffs, predators and dark associations proliferate.
Reading A Woman To Blame involves putting together the equivalent of a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle: at first all the sub characters and threads look to be of the same color and their links appear mercurial and dubious at best. Even Mike admits that pieces of this particular puzzle don't mesh, at first: "All the pieces have to fit. That’s why it’s a puzzle. When you join all the pieces, you see the big picture.”
But Mike's personality and focus solidifies the set of circumstances and even though complexity is one of its features, A Woman To Blame doesn't descend into the madness of illogic but evolves to a steady set of interlinked circumstances that draws readers into a complex series of motives and challenges.
Throughout it all Mike Hegan is determined to face down professional and personal challenges and to ferret out all the possibilities in a murder with too many scenarios.
By involving himself in this particular case and solving it, Hegan might just succeed in ridding himself of the ghosts of his previous errors, which have cost too many lives.
A Woman To Blame is a study in characters, from the joy of the ill-fated female trainer in landing a job that allows her to work with her beloved horses to Hegan's own motivations in pursuing what the police have deemed a one-dimensional, dead-end case.
The rainbow at the end of this satisfyingly multifaceted read is the bigger picture. And that's what a good mystery is all about, and what separates a superior saga from the lighter read.
Vincent Panettiere
Author House
978-1-4969-2435-4
Price: $23.95 softcover $3.99 ebook
www.authorhouse.com
A good investigative mystery read is like a jigsaw puzzle: at first there's a boxful of disparate pieces that appear to bear no relationship to one other; but as the game progresses, each piece becomes entwined with another to create a bigger picture.
A Woman to Blame is such a mystery; so if you don’t like jigsaw puzzles or stories replete with interconnected characters and find a lot of detail puzzling, this complex read won't be the item of choice. Readers who not only appreciate, but search out such challenging puzzlers (which are too few and far between in the genre) will find A Woman to Blame's story line thrilling and well detailed.
Mike is a police detective forced to retire on disability. His job of handling crime scenes and investigations seems to be at an end - until a promising winning horse collapses and his trainer is discovered dead a few hours later.
To the police, it's a cut-and-dry case: the trainer murdered the horse, then committed suicide. To Mike, it's not that simple.
A swarm of protagonists are introduced in rapid succession; all with their own lives, motives for misdeeds, and connections that ultimate lead back to the horse racing world and its underworld of high-stakes bets.
Readers may receive some insights on these disparate forces, but Mike is kept in the dark from the beginning and payoffs, predators and dark associations proliferate.
Reading A Woman To Blame involves putting together the equivalent of a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle: at first all the sub characters and threads look to be of the same color and their links appear mercurial and dubious at best. Even Mike admits that pieces of this particular puzzle don't mesh, at first: "All the pieces have to fit. That’s why it’s a puzzle. When you join all the pieces, you see the big picture.”
But Mike's personality and focus solidifies the set of circumstances and even though complexity is one of its features, A Woman To Blame doesn't descend into the madness of illogic but evolves to a steady set of interlinked circumstances that draws readers into a complex series of motives and challenges.
Throughout it all Mike Hegan is determined to face down professional and personal challenges and to ferret out all the possibilities in a murder with too many scenarios.
By involving himself in this particular case and solving it, Hegan might just succeed in ridding himself of the ghosts of his previous errors, which have cost too many lives.
A Woman To Blame is a study in characters, from the joy of the ill-fated female trainer in landing a job that allows her to work with her beloved horses to Hegan's own motivations in pursuing what the police have deemed a one-dimensional, dead-end case.
The rainbow at the end of this satisfyingly multifaceted read is the bigger picture. And that's what a good mystery is all about, and what separates a superior saga from the lighter read.
Novels
Arctic
Storm
Joanne Sundell
Five Star Publishing
9781432829162 $25.95
www.joannesundell.com www.amazon.com
At what point do stories featuring thirteen-year-old protagonists become accessible and of interest to adult readers as well as young adults? It's when action and events woven into the story line spark a level of complexity that challenges and involves all ages, when human and spiritual connections embrace nightmares and positive possibilities alike, and when a book such as Arctic Storm focuses as much on the emotional development of each protagonist as it does on the wider story line of sled dogs in the line of fire.
A pending multi-volume production warning is there on the cover (Arctic Storm is Book One of the 'Watch Eyes Trilogy') - but what isn't as immediately evident is an indication that young adult and adult readers alike are in for a treat with Arctic Storm: one they won't want to see concluded in a single book.
The story centers around Anya, a young medium who is able to connect to the spirit world and who will do anything to protect her beloved dogs from any threat; even from a deadly ice storm.
Since dogs feature so prevalently in Arctic Storm, it's important to note that readers with a prior affection for canines will find the sled dog insights compelling; not to mention that the saga is set in 1908, an unusual feature for a crossover novel of fantasy.
Anya's abilities pair with her take-charge determination to lead her on a desperate journey to save everything she loves, and highlights the idea of 'spirit' on many levels; from supernatural connections to self-inspired decisions.
All the elements of a good read are here, from the possible romance involved in a journey with sixteen-year-old Rune to interpretations of the meaning of 'spirit' in all its incarnations: "Her husky counterpart could shift in appearance and color in the spirit world, even disappear and reappear. It could not on Native earth. It didn't exist there but…she did. Could she have such powers on native Earth, able to disguise her human shape and fool dark spirits? Her heart raced at the possibility, refusing to slow, refusing to disbelieve ever again that she was a medium, a shaman honored by the ancestors and guided by the gods."
Woven into the realistic story line are accounts of sled dog practices, the conflicts between a boy who loves the sea and a girl who is bound to the land, and the underlying belief of each that the other won't truly understand their world: "She would keep that secret from Rune. She would not tell Rune about her Spirit, either. Rune would never accept such mysticism and magic, but think her a "messed up girl." She shouldn't care what Rune thought, but she did."
But nothing is set in stone in this title: as night becomes day in more ways than one, the connections between very different worlds begin to merge - and suddenly the impossible comes to light.
Set against the backdrop of Siberia and a world beset upon by darkness and light, it's all about choices and direction as well as spiritual connections, and what seems an ending is really just the beginning.
At what point do stories featuring thirteen-year-old protagonists become accessible and of interest to adult readers as well? It's when the human element is so well-developed that age groups are forgotten and the compelling story reaches out to embrace all ages in a storm of conflict, purpose and hope.
Joanne Sundell
Five Star Publishing
9781432829162 $25.95
www.joannesundell.com www.amazon.com
At what point do stories featuring thirteen-year-old protagonists become accessible and of interest to adult readers as well as young adults? It's when action and events woven into the story line spark a level of complexity that challenges and involves all ages, when human and spiritual connections embrace nightmares and positive possibilities alike, and when a book such as Arctic Storm focuses as much on the emotional development of each protagonist as it does on the wider story line of sled dogs in the line of fire.
A pending multi-volume production warning is there on the cover (Arctic Storm is Book One of the 'Watch Eyes Trilogy') - but what isn't as immediately evident is an indication that young adult and adult readers alike are in for a treat with Arctic Storm: one they won't want to see concluded in a single book.
The story centers around Anya, a young medium who is able to connect to the spirit world and who will do anything to protect her beloved dogs from any threat; even from a deadly ice storm.
Since dogs feature so prevalently in Arctic Storm, it's important to note that readers with a prior affection for canines will find the sled dog insights compelling; not to mention that the saga is set in 1908, an unusual feature for a crossover novel of fantasy.
Anya's abilities pair with her take-charge determination to lead her on a desperate journey to save everything she loves, and highlights the idea of 'spirit' on many levels; from supernatural connections to self-inspired decisions.
All the elements of a good read are here, from the possible romance involved in a journey with sixteen-year-old Rune to interpretations of the meaning of 'spirit' in all its incarnations: "Her husky counterpart could shift in appearance and color in the spirit world, even disappear and reappear. It could not on Native earth. It didn't exist there but…she did. Could she have such powers on native Earth, able to disguise her human shape and fool dark spirits? Her heart raced at the possibility, refusing to slow, refusing to disbelieve ever again that she was a medium, a shaman honored by the ancestors and guided by the gods."
Woven into the realistic story line are accounts of sled dog practices, the conflicts between a boy who loves the sea and a girl who is bound to the land, and the underlying belief of each that the other won't truly understand their world: "She would keep that secret from Rune. She would not tell Rune about her Spirit, either. Rune would never accept such mysticism and magic, but think her a "messed up girl." She shouldn't care what Rune thought, but she did."
But nothing is set in stone in this title: as night becomes day in more ways than one, the connections between very different worlds begin to merge - and suddenly the impossible comes to light.
Set against the backdrop of Siberia and a world beset upon by darkness and light, it's all about choices and direction as well as spiritual connections, and what seems an ending is really just the beginning.
At what point do stories featuring thirteen-year-old protagonists become accessible and of interest to adult readers as well? It's when the human element is so well-developed that age groups are forgotten and the compelling story reaches out to embrace all ages in a storm of conflict, purpose and hope.
Defector
in Our Midst
Tom Fitzgerald
Mascot Books
9781620865408 $24.95
http://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/fiction/defector-midst/
It would seem unlikely that newborn twins hidden from the Nazis when their village was destroyed could play a key role in future events; but such is the case in Defector in Our Midst, which points out the lasting legacy of violence.
The son of one of these survivors is a top CIA Agent charged with pursuing a cunning terrorist group, but the real heart of the story lies in the evolving scenario of a dangerous defector's dual alliances.
When New York City's power is permanently cut, Agent Myk finds himself immersed in a struggle to not only identify the defector, but piece together puzzles in his own background that could ultimately influence a dangerous game being played on a worldwide arena.
At this point savvy thriller readers may think they'll know the plot's ultimate progression; but soft: there are many surprises along the way. At stake (and upping the ante) is a new electromagnetic technology that could change or destroy the world.
Also at stake are challenges on many levels. For Agent Myk, it's personal; from the death of his wife on their honeymoon to close-held family secrets. He's spent a lifetime honing the special agent skills that place him and those he dares to love in constant danger: now a bigger picture immerses him in probing old connections between his mother's estranged twin sister, his father's questionable, accidental death, and the development of an EMT weapon that could change everything under the wrong hands.
Part of his strategy lies, like a good chess game, in anticipating moves not yet made: "The only way to stop an avalanche is to keep it from ever getting started. And any hope of thwarting Hakeem’s plan depended on stopping it before it began."
From civilian to military tactics, Myk finds himself constantly on the losing end as he remains a step behind schemes and international conflicts. When the loose cannon of the EMT weapon raises questions about what's next, it seems that not only will Myk find himself unable to second-guess quickly enough, but that the loose ends in his own life will rise up to strangle everything he holds dear in life.
As Myk's quest for family history intersects with his search for an elusive defector, he comes to realize new truths about coincidences, consequences, and the lasting impact of history.
Defector in Our Midst's strength lies in its ability to create a dual progression of events both political and personal, and to intersect the two at many points on a timeline of intrigue. Action is swift and fast-paced, and while readers can anticipate a degree of violence (as in the interrogations), the events are always tempered with a level of decorum so that the violent interludes are an intrinsic facet of the story line.
When a legacy of death brings him full-circle into the family fold of carefully-preserved secrets and notions of revenge, Myk must make one of the most difficult choices of his life (a pleasing surprise to readers who might anticipate some events, but must eventually admit there's no real clue on where the story will wind up.)
Speaking of 'wind up', be advised that the door is left ajar for more - without being a cliffhanger. This in itself shows you that Tom Fitzgerald is a master at creating a story line with plausible events, believable and involving characters, action tempered by psychological insight, and intrigue backed with mystery.
A good read should leave the reader longing for more, not left at cliff's edge. And Defector in Our Midst is all about consequences played through to their bitter end, involving readers in thought-provoking questions throughout the journey.
Tom Fitzgerald
Mascot Books
9781620865408 $24.95
http://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/fiction/defector-midst/
It would seem unlikely that newborn twins hidden from the Nazis when their village was destroyed could play a key role in future events; but such is the case in Defector in Our Midst, which points out the lasting legacy of violence.
The son of one of these survivors is a top CIA Agent charged with pursuing a cunning terrorist group, but the real heart of the story lies in the evolving scenario of a dangerous defector's dual alliances.
When New York City's power is permanently cut, Agent Myk finds himself immersed in a struggle to not only identify the defector, but piece together puzzles in his own background that could ultimately influence a dangerous game being played on a worldwide arena.
At this point savvy thriller readers may think they'll know the plot's ultimate progression; but soft: there are many surprises along the way. At stake (and upping the ante) is a new electromagnetic technology that could change or destroy the world.
Also at stake are challenges on many levels. For Agent Myk, it's personal; from the death of his wife on their honeymoon to close-held family secrets. He's spent a lifetime honing the special agent skills that place him and those he dares to love in constant danger: now a bigger picture immerses him in probing old connections between his mother's estranged twin sister, his father's questionable, accidental death, and the development of an EMT weapon that could change everything under the wrong hands.
Part of his strategy lies, like a good chess game, in anticipating moves not yet made: "The only way to stop an avalanche is to keep it from ever getting started. And any hope of thwarting Hakeem’s plan depended on stopping it before it began."
From civilian to military tactics, Myk finds himself constantly on the losing end as he remains a step behind schemes and international conflicts. When the loose cannon of the EMT weapon raises questions about what's next, it seems that not only will Myk find himself unable to second-guess quickly enough, but that the loose ends in his own life will rise up to strangle everything he holds dear in life.
As Myk's quest for family history intersects with his search for an elusive defector, he comes to realize new truths about coincidences, consequences, and the lasting impact of history.
Defector in Our Midst's strength lies in its ability to create a dual progression of events both political and personal, and to intersect the two at many points on a timeline of intrigue. Action is swift and fast-paced, and while readers can anticipate a degree of violence (as in the interrogations), the events are always tempered with a level of decorum so that the violent interludes are an intrinsic facet of the story line.
When a legacy of death brings him full-circle into the family fold of carefully-preserved secrets and notions of revenge, Myk must make one of the most difficult choices of his life (a pleasing surprise to readers who might anticipate some events, but must eventually admit there's no real clue on where the story will wind up.)
Speaking of 'wind up', be advised that the door is left ajar for more - without being a cliffhanger. This in itself shows you that Tom Fitzgerald is a master at creating a story line with plausible events, believable and involving characters, action tempered by psychological insight, and intrigue backed with mystery.
A good read should leave the reader longing for more, not left at cliff's edge. And Defector in Our Midst is all about consequences played through to their bitter end, involving readers in thought-provoking questions throughout the journey.
The
Electric Affinities
Wade Stevenson
BlazeVOX Books
9781609641481 $18.00
http://www.blazevox.org/
It's the summer of 1969 (the year that everything changed), and for six affluent friends coming of age in New York, it's the ride of their lives, romping through a rapidly-evolving underground society where anything is possible and everything is different.
Now, plenty of novels have tackled this pivotal year in American history, examining the emergence of an underground bohemian culture that spilled into society and changed its course forever.
But few books tackle the topic with the focus on New York (rather than San Francisco's 'Summer of Love'), and even fewer juxtapose the concurrent development of six very different personalities who share affluent roots - and that's just one of the strengths of The Electric Affinities.
The matrix in this circle of disparate creatures is one Ben Steinberg, a successful architect who is a strange attractor to a variety of artists who move through his home in Sag Harbor. Within such a circle the six protagonists find their lives woven together as 'radical' sentiments evolve and reflect their individual journeys.
If all of this sounds like a supreme juggling act; it is. It's no easy task to take six disparate lives, create a central point for their intersection, and develop six different personality and life perspectives from this focal point.
That The Electric Affinities accomplishes all this deftly, reflecting both the evolving social/political sentiments of a rapidly-changing time and the concurrent blossoming of spirit of six youths who struggle to define their own perception of 'freedom', is tribute to a powerful play on characters that examines liberty and individual transformation on many levels.
As Robert, Louise, Carolina, Ben, Vico and other characters are changed by their interactions, so readers are brought along for the wild ride and immersed in a nostalgic look at a bygone era with all its sexual, emotional and political passions.
It's no mean accomplishment to achieve a sense of balance, logical progression, and psychological depth in a novel filled with the chaotic feel of the 1960s - but Stevenson accomplishes this and more in a lively read that's at once a romp through social change and a moving exploration of six different personalities as they flow through and affect their brave new world and everything within and around it.
Wade Stevenson
BlazeVOX Books
9781609641481 $18.00
http://www.blazevox.org/
It's the summer of 1969 (the year that everything changed), and for six affluent friends coming of age in New York, it's the ride of their lives, romping through a rapidly-evolving underground society where anything is possible and everything is different.
Now, plenty of novels have tackled this pivotal year in American history, examining the emergence of an underground bohemian culture that spilled into society and changed its course forever.
But few books tackle the topic with the focus on New York (rather than San Francisco's 'Summer of Love'), and even fewer juxtapose the concurrent development of six very different personalities who share affluent roots - and that's just one of the strengths of The Electric Affinities.
The matrix in this circle of disparate creatures is one Ben Steinberg, a successful architect who is a strange attractor to a variety of artists who move through his home in Sag Harbor. Within such a circle the six protagonists find their lives woven together as 'radical' sentiments evolve and reflect their individual journeys.
If all of this sounds like a supreme juggling act; it is. It's no easy task to take six disparate lives, create a central point for their intersection, and develop six different personality and life perspectives from this focal point.
That The Electric Affinities accomplishes all this deftly, reflecting both the evolving social/political sentiments of a rapidly-changing time and the concurrent blossoming of spirit of six youths who struggle to define their own perception of 'freedom', is tribute to a powerful play on characters that examines liberty and individual transformation on many levels.
As Robert, Louise, Carolina, Ben, Vico and other characters are changed by their interactions, so readers are brought along for the wild ride and immersed in a nostalgic look at a bygone era with all its sexual, emotional and political passions.
It's no mean accomplishment to achieve a sense of balance, logical progression, and psychological depth in a novel filled with the chaotic feel of the 1960s - but Stevenson accomplishes this and more in a lively read that's at once a romp through social change and a moving exploration of six different personalities as they flow through and affect their brave new world and everything within and around it.
Elusive
Catch
Renee L. Scott
Renee L. Scott, Publisher
ASIN: B00I1LH94A $4.95
http://www.amazon.com/ELUSIVE-CATCH-RENEE-L-SCOTT-ebook/dp/B00I1LH94A/ref=la_B00I2A3KH0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406818234&sr=1-1
Novels that attempt to blend romance with mystery are usually high-octane productions that barely give readers enough time to absorb characters and circumstances before action begins. Not so with Elusive Catch: this creates a slow-winding simmer of emotions and spices its story line with careful intrigue and believable, well-developed characters.
It's been a little over a year since a boating accident on the lake sent Kathleen into a long rehabilitation process, and she's back to the scene of the accident only because her best friend is getting married. Luckily she has gaps in her memory about the accident: lucky, because what she remembers could lead to a prison sentence for those involved.
But don't expect just a murder mystery here: quotes open the book with discussions of love and, ultimately, that's a big part of what Elusive Catch is all about: mercurial emotions, romance, and making dreams happen. It's also about family interactions, a melancholy summer spent recapturing lost (sometimes dangerous) memories, and a slow burn of passion that sparks both love and danger.
Elusive Catch captures elusive emotions, shadows that override joy, and one woman's struggle to recall a deadly secret. Just as its plot flows and shifts, so readers may come to believe its subject is elusive as well, because it keeps changing as family life flows into romance and back and simple pleasures are accompanied by a darker tinge of danger.
Kathleen 'catches' all these undercurrents, many of which are linked to her own incomplete memories. If it's a healing process that this summer portends, it's also evident that new revelations will stem from any curative outcome.
With a wedding at its focal point, Elusive Catch becomes even more complex and saturated with intrigue as Kathleen's slowly-returning memories provoke more questions than answers and some seemingly-impossible observations.
Don't expect the unrelenting drama of many a romance and mystery read: Elusive Catch offers its own special, particular brand of action that slowly builds a wide cast of characters and possibilities from a summer packed with family connections and concerns.
What's better: the slow simmer of a plot that takes its time to explore interpersonal relationships, or the rat-a-tat-tat of slapstick action that's unrelenting in force and appearance? Readers seeking the more gourmet approach of a tasteful novel that takes its time to properly evolve protagonists and motivation will find Elusive Catch a suitable leisure read, cemented by a long-lost love and spiced by themes of kidnapping, death and rebirth.
Renee L. Scott
Renee L. Scott, Publisher
ASIN: B00I1LH94A $4.95
http://www.amazon.com/ELUSIVE-CATCH-RENEE-L-SCOTT-ebook/dp/B00I1LH94A/ref=la_B00I2A3KH0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406818234&sr=1-1
Novels that attempt to blend romance with mystery are usually high-octane productions that barely give readers enough time to absorb characters and circumstances before action begins. Not so with Elusive Catch: this creates a slow-winding simmer of emotions and spices its story line with careful intrigue and believable, well-developed characters.
It's been a little over a year since a boating accident on the lake sent Kathleen into a long rehabilitation process, and she's back to the scene of the accident only because her best friend is getting married. Luckily she has gaps in her memory about the accident: lucky, because what she remembers could lead to a prison sentence for those involved.
But don't expect just a murder mystery here: quotes open the book with discussions of love and, ultimately, that's a big part of what Elusive Catch is all about: mercurial emotions, romance, and making dreams happen. It's also about family interactions, a melancholy summer spent recapturing lost (sometimes dangerous) memories, and a slow burn of passion that sparks both love and danger.
Elusive Catch captures elusive emotions, shadows that override joy, and one woman's struggle to recall a deadly secret. Just as its plot flows and shifts, so readers may come to believe its subject is elusive as well, because it keeps changing as family life flows into romance and back and simple pleasures are accompanied by a darker tinge of danger.
Kathleen 'catches' all these undercurrents, many of which are linked to her own incomplete memories. If it's a healing process that this summer portends, it's also evident that new revelations will stem from any curative outcome.
With a wedding at its focal point, Elusive Catch becomes even more complex and saturated with intrigue as Kathleen's slowly-returning memories provoke more questions than answers and some seemingly-impossible observations.
Don't expect the unrelenting drama of many a romance and mystery read: Elusive Catch offers its own special, particular brand of action that slowly builds a wide cast of characters and possibilities from a summer packed with family connections and concerns.
What's better: the slow simmer of a plot that takes its time to explore interpersonal relationships, or the rat-a-tat-tat of slapstick action that's unrelenting in force and appearance? Readers seeking the more gourmet approach of a tasteful novel that takes its time to properly evolve protagonists and motivation will find Elusive Catch a suitable leisure read, cemented by a long-lost love and spiced by themes of kidnapping, death and rebirth.
A
Fitting Place
Mary Gottschalk
Rising Sun Press
978-0-9797997-7-8 $TBA
www.risingsunpress.com
If it's one thing that can be said about life, it's: don't get too comfortable. Everything can change in an instant.
Take Lindsay, who has a family and a successful career. She's a social worker with problems: her husband has deserted her (thus freeing her from a marriage plagued with problems), leaving her with a teenage daughter and a host of self-destructive patterns that have not served Lindsay well in the past, and which influence every choice she makes.
But compared to clients she sees daily, who struggle with debilitating mental conditions and ongoing abuse, she deems many of her own problems insignificant. And the techniques she's honed to survive life are down to a fine art, even if they do allow her to coast through life without changing her psyche: "Ever the introvert, she found idle conversation with strangers exhausting. By accident as much as design, she’d chosen a profession that allowed her to watch and listen while others talked."
What can shake a placid, contented life perspective that's newly resettled into comfortable old habits after a husband's infidelity?
The combination of an undiagnosed physical ailment, a mythology class, and the prospect of a new, different relationship awaken unshakeable forces of change in Lindsay's life. That those forces include a hitherto-unthinkable relationship with a woman is only part of A Fitting Place's wider-ranging exploration of how real transformation is achieved.
Readers follow Lindsay through this entire process, from her shock at her husband's revelation of his double life to their separation, its impact on their daughter, and Lindsay's growing affection for a classmate. In the course of this growth she examines not only her own psyche but her perceptions of social convention, love, and commitment: "As Lindsey crossed the front hall, she came face to face with the mirrored image of a red-eyed, middle-aged woman in a bathrobe. The woman Ted had said he would love forever, but no longer did. Why? Had she misjudged his capacity to love … or was she not worthy of being loved forever? What did it mean to love someone forever?"
But, don't get too comfortable, yet. Plenty of novels chronicle the changes wrought by separation and divorce; and many also include explorations of alternative love options.
But A Fitting Place goes a step further in exploring not only new opportunities (…that approach has been used many, many other times) but the patterns of dependency which Lindsay honed to a fine art in her first marriage, that threaten any new relationship unless she can first change herself.
From her close friendship with a female confidante to her blossoming new love and sometimes-stormy relationship with a hurt, confused teen daughter, A Fitting Place isn't just about fitting in; it's about recognizing and enacting the kinds of personal transformations that truly lead to different outcomes.
This is the meat of A Fitting Place - and the heartbeat of a vivid read that explores the process of one woman's life as she moves away from familiar comfort zones and into unexplored territory.
But, don't get too comfortable. It's a wild ride with some unexpected turns along the way. If it's an emotionally-charged story of change that's desired, prepare to be delighted.
Mary Gottschalk
Rising Sun Press
978-0-9797997-7-8 $TBA
www.risingsunpress.com
If it's one thing that can be said about life, it's: don't get too comfortable. Everything can change in an instant.
Take Lindsay, who has a family and a successful career. She's a social worker with problems: her husband has deserted her (thus freeing her from a marriage plagued with problems), leaving her with a teenage daughter and a host of self-destructive patterns that have not served Lindsay well in the past, and which influence every choice she makes.
But compared to clients she sees daily, who struggle with debilitating mental conditions and ongoing abuse, she deems many of her own problems insignificant. And the techniques she's honed to survive life are down to a fine art, even if they do allow her to coast through life without changing her psyche: "Ever the introvert, she found idle conversation with strangers exhausting. By accident as much as design, she’d chosen a profession that allowed her to watch and listen while others talked."
What can shake a placid, contented life perspective that's newly resettled into comfortable old habits after a husband's infidelity?
The combination of an undiagnosed physical ailment, a mythology class, and the prospect of a new, different relationship awaken unshakeable forces of change in Lindsay's life. That those forces include a hitherto-unthinkable relationship with a woman is only part of A Fitting Place's wider-ranging exploration of how real transformation is achieved.
Readers follow Lindsay through this entire process, from her shock at her husband's revelation of his double life to their separation, its impact on their daughter, and Lindsay's growing affection for a classmate. In the course of this growth she examines not only her own psyche but her perceptions of social convention, love, and commitment: "As Lindsey crossed the front hall, she came face to face with the mirrored image of a red-eyed, middle-aged woman in a bathrobe. The woman Ted had said he would love forever, but no longer did. Why? Had she misjudged his capacity to love … or was she not worthy of being loved forever? What did it mean to love someone forever?"
But, don't get too comfortable, yet. Plenty of novels chronicle the changes wrought by separation and divorce; and many also include explorations of alternative love options.
But A Fitting Place goes a step further in exploring not only new opportunities (…that approach has been used many, many other times) but the patterns of dependency which Lindsay honed to a fine art in her first marriage, that threaten any new relationship unless she can first change herself.
From her close friendship with a female confidante to her blossoming new love and sometimes-stormy relationship with a hurt, confused teen daughter, A Fitting Place isn't just about fitting in; it's about recognizing and enacting the kinds of personal transformations that truly lead to different outcomes.
This is the meat of A Fitting Place - and the heartbeat of a vivid read that explores the process of one woman's life as she moves away from familiar comfort zones and into unexplored territory.
But, don't get too comfortable. It's a wild ride with some unexpected turns along the way. If it's an emotionally-charged story of change that's desired, prepare to be delighted.
Josh's
Wall
Cliff Ashpaugh
Spout Hill Press
9780615987729 $9.99 Print/$3.99 Kindle
www.cliffashpaugh.com www.amazon.com
It's the early 1960s in Southern California and the city (as well as the country) is reeling from the assassinations of Kennedy and King. You want passion? It's here.
At the same time six-year-old Joshua Crass is reeling in another way when he suffers a reaction to penicillin and awakens from a coma completely devoid of memories of his life.
It's a dual journey by nation and individual to get back their identities, confront death, and search for newfound meaning in a disjointed world - and that's just one of the strengths of Josh's Wall that sets it apart from your typical coming-of-age novel.
From learning karate to thwart a bully and successfully winning his first fight to his loss of faith in school because of its unfair politics, Josh is on a journey of transformation that reflects the nation's lessons on injustice, inequity and personal strengths and weaknesses.
In the process of discovering the power of choice and its counterpart in consequences, Josh arrives at new discoveries about his changed world, his changed life, and how revised perceptions lead him in different directions.
There are the usual trappings of nearly every coming of age story: changing family relationships, first love, altered ideas about parents and authority figures…but against this backdrop of change are also amended ideas of right and wrong, justice and how circumstances bend truth, and challenges to belief systems.
When Josh wants to explore the Latter Day Saints church because some of his new friends go there, his father injects a degree of suspicion into the matter when he identifies the fact that most of Josh's much more successful schoolmates (who always get good grades) attend the same church. Does the Church influence the school's processes?
When Josh looks for something he can be passionate about - something beyond the karate which saves him on some levels - he discovers science and hopes it will not be as corruptible and questionable as his world has become.
And when everything comes full circle back to the shots of penicillin that changed his life forever, it's with a bittersweet knowledge that what has changed can never be reset to what was.
Josh's Wall weaves delicate themes of transformation within the life of a typical adolescent. As many of Josh's decisions about facing life boil down to a simple worry: "…I wondered which was more important to me, not hurting or not getting hurt." he faces his fears and in the process makes new discoveries about the adult he will become.
From his growing realization about how he can hurt those around him to his conscious decisions about accepting responsibility for that pain and choosing other ways to change, Josh's journey ultimately affects not on his life, but all around him.
Josh's Wall is suitable and recommended for all ages well beyond its young adult audience and it's a reflection of 1960s California culture and the passionate world of its times; all wrapped up in one young individual's process of discovery. Seeking an avid story? It's here.
Cliff Ashpaugh
Spout Hill Press
9780615987729 $9.99 Print/$3.99 Kindle
www.cliffashpaugh.com www.amazon.com
It's the early 1960s in Southern California and the city (as well as the country) is reeling from the assassinations of Kennedy and King. You want passion? It's here.
At the same time six-year-old Joshua Crass is reeling in another way when he suffers a reaction to penicillin and awakens from a coma completely devoid of memories of his life.
It's a dual journey by nation and individual to get back their identities, confront death, and search for newfound meaning in a disjointed world - and that's just one of the strengths of Josh's Wall that sets it apart from your typical coming-of-age novel.
From learning karate to thwart a bully and successfully winning his first fight to his loss of faith in school because of its unfair politics, Josh is on a journey of transformation that reflects the nation's lessons on injustice, inequity and personal strengths and weaknesses.
In the process of discovering the power of choice and its counterpart in consequences, Josh arrives at new discoveries about his changed world, his changed life, and how revised perceptions lead him in different directions.
There are the usual trappings of nearly every coming of age story: changing family relationships, first love, altered ideas about parents and authority figures…but against this backdrop of change are also amended ideas of right and wrong, justice and how circumstances bend truth, and challenges to belief systems.
When Josh wants to explore the Latter Day Saints church because some of his new friends go there, his father injects a degree of suspicion into the matter when he identifies the fact that most of Josh's much more successful schoolmates (who always get good grades) attend the same church. Does the Church influence the school's processes?
When Josh looks for something he can be passionate about - something beyond the karate which saves him on some levels - he discovers science and hopes it will not be as corruptible and questionable as his world has become.
And when everything comes full circle back to the shots of penicillin that changed his life forever, it's with a bittersweet knowledge that what has changed can never be reset to what was.
Josh's Wall weaves delicate themes of transformation within the life of a typical adolescent. As many of Josh's decisions about facing life boil down to a simple worry: "…I wondered which was more important to me, not hurting or not getting hurt." he faces his fears and in the process makes new discoveries about the adult he will become.
From his growing realization about how he can hurt those around him to his conscious decisions about accepting responsibility for that pain and choosing other ways to change, Josh's journey ultimately affects not on his life, but all around him.
Josh's Wall is suitable and recommended for all ages well beyond its young adult audience and it's a reflection of 1960s California culture and the passionate world of its times; all wrapped up in one young individual's process of discovery. Seeking an avid story? It's here.
The
Many Lives of June Crandall
Suzanne Whitfield Vince
CreateSpace
9781499705317
Kindle $3.99; Print $12.99
http://suzannevince.com
Secrets can define a world. They can take over life and become its all-consuming purpose. And in the end they can even challenge every carefully-built perception of what life's all about. Such is the case in The Many Lives of June Crandall, which explores a life influenced by nothing but secrets.
Grace Adams has a history of neglect: she's been moved from many orphanages and foster homes and has never known a real home or security. Only in her dreams does she find a constant beacon in the form of one June Crandall, an enigmatic protector who follows her dream world through war and cultural challenges.
But who is June Crandall: could she be the birth mother Grace has never known? It seems possible; but when Grace's petition to open her birth records proves successful, she's in for a shock: June Crandall still seems to be only a figment of her imagination, as elusive as ever. It's time to set the past aside and move on.
Now an adult, Grace is an investigative journalist and is at a bookstore signing her first book (which revolves around the woman she's dreamt of all her life) when a stranger appears to offer clues about June Crandall's identity. Suddenly Grace is once again thrown into a search for the truth about her background: this one with more clues than she's had in the past.
From the start Grace is called upon to display courage: "…she would not run from this moment. This was her moment. A defining moment. One that would make her who she’d always wanted to be. A survivor. All she had to do was walk through the door and embrace it. But something held her back. Being a survivor carried with it certain expectations. Being a survivor meant that she could no longer cling to the past for protection. The walls she’d built to protect herself from all that had happened had served her. But she didn’t need them anymore. Writing the book had changed her. Had lessened the emotional scars. Had, in a way, healed her."
Her lifelong goal has been to be reunited with her birth family - indeed, to form a relationship within some kind of supportive family hierarchy. Her book shares that story and, in so sharing, opens the door to adding to and explaining the events that stem from her heart's desire.
What she hopes will prove a web of closeness becomes, instead, a web of intrigue as Grace discovers some shocking truths about her background and those who hold murky identities and unrevealed motivations behind their actions.
The tone of The Many Lives of June Crandall straddles the line between a mystery and a romance novel - and that's just one of the devices that makes for a pick beyond the usual mystery genre read. It centers as much upon Grace's choices in building the kind of life she never had (but idealizes) as upon the mystery of her background: "She was beginning to wonder whether she was destined to spend her life alone …She envied Valerie who, despite the fact that they’d shared the same miserable existence as children, was able to open her heart to love. She didn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life, but when she thought about being with someone, she just…she still couldn’t imagine it."
As her research into family reveals more clues about her past, Grace must reconcile elements affecting her present and future abilities to find, accept and give love; in the process discovering shocking facts about those who conspired to keep her from the only love she's felt in her life.
Even then, there's not a happy ending. Grace finds her perceptions of love and life challenged at every turn, and it's only by coming to terms with the past that she can make the kinds of changes that allow her to confront present illusions to gain the kinds of connections she's dreamed of all her life.
Themes of abandonment, reconciliation, and family ties lie at the heart of a novel also steeped in mystery and discovery. The Many Lives of June Crandall is a mystery, a romance, and a multi-faceted exploration of many lives - not only of the enigmatic June, but of Grace's legacy. It's entertaining, passionate, and thoroughly engrossing, and provides readers with a fine blend of entertainment and insights. In short, it provides everything one could hope for from a superior leisure read!
Suzanne Whitfield Vince
CreateSpace
9781499705317
Kindle $3.99; Print $12.99
http://suzannevince.com
Secrets can define a world. They can take over life and become its all-consuming purpose. And in the end they can even challenge every carefully-built perception of what life's all about. Such is the case in The Many Lives of June Crandall, which explores a life influenced by nothing but secrets.
Grace Adams has a history of neglect: she's been moved from many orphanages and foster homes and has never known a real home or security. Only in her dreams does she find a constant beacon in the form of one June Crandall, an enigmatic protector who follows her dream world through war and cultural challenges.
But who is June Crandall: could she be the birth mother Grace has never known? It seems possible; but when Grace's petition to open her birth records proves successful, she's in for a shock: June Crandall still seems to be only a figment of her imagination, as elusive as ever. It's time to set the past aside and move on.
Now an adult, Grace is an investigative journalist and is at a bookstore signing her first book (which revolves around the woman she's dreamt of all her life) when a stranger appears to offer clues about June Crandall's identity. Suddenly Grace is once again thrown into a search for the truth about her background: this one with more clues than she's had in the past.
From the start Grace is called upon to display courage: "…she would not run from this moment. This was her moment. A defining moment. One that would make her who she’d always wanted to be. A survivor. All she had to do was walk through the door and embrace it. But something held her back. Being a survivor carried with it certain expectations. Being a survivor meant that she could no longer cling to the past for protection. The walls she’d built to protect herself from all that had happened had served her. But she didn’t need them anymore. Writing the book had changed her. Had lessened the emotional scars. Had, in a way, healed her."
Her lifelong goal has been to be reunited with her birth family - indeed, to form a relationship within some kind of supportive family hierarchy. Her book shares that story and, in so sharing, opens the door to adding to and explaining the events that stem from her heart's desire.
What she hopes will prove a web of closeness becomes, instead, a web of intrigue as Grace discovers some shocking truths about her background and those who hold murky identities and unrevealed motivations behind their actions.
The tone of The Many Lives of June Crandall straddles the line between a mystery and a romance novel - and that's just one of the devices that makes for a pick beyond the usual mystery genre read. It centers as much upon Grace's choices in building the kind of life she never had (but idealizes) as upon the mystery of her background: "She was beginning to wonder whether she was destined to spend her life alone …She envied Valerie who, despite the fact that they’d shared the same miserable existence as children, was able to open her heart to love. She didn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life, but when she thought about being with someone, she just…she still couldn’t imagine it."
As her research into family reveals more clues about her past, Grace must reconcile elements affecting her present and future abilities to find, accept and give love; in the process discovering shocking facts about those who conspired to keep her from the only love she's felt in her life.
Even then, there's not a happy ending. Grace finds her perceptions of love and life challenged at every turn, and it's only by coming to terms with the past that she can make the kinds of changes that allow her to confront present illusions to gain the kinds of connections she's dreamed of all her life.
Themes of abandonment, reconciliation, and family ties lie at the heart of a novel also steeped in mystery and discovery. The Many Lives of June Crandall is a mystery, a romance, and a multi-faceted exploration of many lives - not only of the enigmatic June, but of Grace's legacy. It's entertaining, passionate, and thoroughly engrossing, and provides readers with a fine blend of entertainment and insights. In short, it provides everything one could hope for from a superior leisure read!
The
North Country Confessional
Craig C. Charles
Indie
No ISBN, website, $TBA
A good novel read is like a recipe for success: ideally it will create tension through conflict, present strong characters to snag and retain human interest elements, and perhaps add a dose of love into the mix. Readers seeking all these basics will find The North Country Confessional holds the formula of a winning read.
Pickford Marsh is a poor excuse for a human. He likes dark places (including his hotel's dark speakeasy) and he has a sinister plan, too. But all this is about to be transformed by a higher power that constantly moves through his life … and it's not a benevolent force, either.
Fast forward from third person observational to first person experience, where protagonist Darby is being chauffeured into the North Country, a world he grew up in but left long ago: "My driver recounted the history of Franconia Notch as we traversed the mountain pass. A pre-dawn rain had scoured the shear walls, leaving them glistening and flowing with tears disguised as falling cataracts. They wept for me, matching the pain that gnawed inside of me. Unsure what the future held, I knew the answers would be waiting for me in the Great North Woods."
It's a world where nothing really changes - and a world about to be altered by the biggest change of all. The protagonist introduces readers to just a piece of the setting before he begins his confession; and between the casting of Pickford as a villain being persecuted by a darker force and this protagonist (who is being honest for perhaps the first time in his life), the trap is laid to neatly ensnare readers who expected a light, perhaps religious read from the book's title.
The North Country Confessional is anything but 'light': readers quickly discover that the protagonist's family was destroyed by not just one but a series of horrible accidents that left the community abuzz with speculation. Darby returns in good time to check on his inheritance and despite his distinguished Medal of Honor status, remains an outsider in his own home town.
Family roots, teachings, and tradition permeate his life: they've given Darby the courage to survive under impossible conditions … but the most challenging of them all comes from an unexpected place: his return home: "The so-called “lucky ones” survive in spite of themselves. I was taught that luck is when preparedness encounters opportunity. This mantra for living was drilled into my psyche throughout my younger years in Bretton Woods. I never questioned it and I most certainly never challenged it until that brutally oppressive summer. The scorched and blackened days of August flowed seamlessly into the equally harsh ill winds of a muted autumn, testing my adult faith in this ancient family truism."
As heinous crimes peppered with riddles begin to plague the community, Darby's reappearance sparks an old rivalry between two families, releasing an evil to wreck vengeance upon everything around them. Darby's proposal of a truce between them not only fails to appease Pickford's thirst for retribution; it fuels it. And the town of Bretton Woods lies between the two when old passions ignite and set forth new determinations to win an old struggle: "I stood up and walked toward the door fuming, but determined to keep my head. I wouldn’t let Pickford incite me. There would be another time and place to avenge what was lost. He would not win."
The plot revolves around set-ups and murder against the backdrop of the North Country's harsh landscape: "Catching Finn by surprise, I pushed him off the sled and careened up the trestle in pursuit of my family’s nemesis. It was like navigating through a wet cotton ball. The whiteout conditions were extreme, made only worse by the ice. eeling my sled slip beneath me, I realized that there would be no stopping now unless I wanted to slide backwards and plunge to my death."
Add a splash of romance (in the form of one Emily) to the cocktail of action and all the ingredients are present for a series of encounters holding many possible outcomes with no clear line of resolution: a winning feature in any novel and a standout in this one.
Craig C. Charles
Indie
No ISBN, website, $TBA
A good novel read is like a recipe for success: ideally it will create tension through conflict, present strong characters to snag and retain human interest elements, and perhaps add a dose of love into the mix. Readers seeking all these basics will find The North Country Confessional holds the formula of a winning read.
Pickford Marsh is a poor excuse for a human. He likes dark places (including his hotel's dark speakeasy) and he has a sinister plan, too. But all this is about to be transformed by a higher power that constantly moves through his life … and it's not a benevolent force, either.
Fast forward from third person observational to first person experience, where protagonist Darby is being chauffeured into the North Country, a world he grew up in but left long ago: "My driver recounted the history of Franconia Notch as we traversed the mountain pass. A pre-dawn rain had scoured the shear walls, leaving them glistening and flowing with tears disguised as falling cataracts. They wept for me, matching the pain that gnawed inside of me. Unsure what the future held, I knew the answers would be waiting for me in the Great North Woods."
It's a world where nothing really changes - and a world about to be altered by the biggest change of all. The protagonist introduces readers to just a piece of the setting before he begins his confession; and between the casting of Pickford as a villain being persecuted by a darker force and this protagonist (who is being honest for perhaps the first time in his life), the trap is laid to neatly ensnare readers who expected a light, perhaps religious read from the book's title.
The North Country Confessional is anything but 'light': readers quickly discover that the protagonist's family was destroyed by not just one but a series of horrible accidents that left the community abuzz with speculation. Darby returns in good time to check on his inheritance and despite his distinguished Medal of Honor status, remains an outsider in his own home town.
Family roots, teachings, and tradition permeate his life: they've given Darby the courage to survive under impossible conditions … but the most challenging of them all comes from an unexpected place: his return home: "The so-called “lucky ones” survive in spite of themselves. I was taught that luck is when preparedness encounters opportunity. This mantra for living was drilled into my psyche throughout my younger years in Bretton Woods. I never questioned it and I most certainly never challenged it until that brutally oppressive summer. The scorched and blackened days of August flowed seamlessly into the equally harsh ill winds of a muted autumn, testing my adult faith in this ancient family truism."
As heinous crimes peppered with riddles begin to plague the community, Darby's reappearance sparks an old rivalry between two families, releasing an evil to wreck vengeance upon everything around them. Darby's proposal of a truce between them not only fails to appease Pickford's thirst for retribution; it fuels it. And the town of Bretton Woods lies between the two when old passions ignite and set forth new determinations to win an old struggle: "I stood up and walked toward the door fuming, but determined to keep my head. I wouldn’t let Pickford incite me. There would be another time and place to avenge what was lost. He would not win."
The plot revolves around set-ups and murder against the backdrop of the North Country's harsh landscape: "Catching Finn by surprise, I pushed him off the sled and careened up the trestle in pursuit of my family’s nemesis. It was like navigating through a wet cotton ball. The whiteout conditions were extreme, made only worse by the ice. eeling my sled slip beneath me, I realized that there would be no stopping now unless I wanted to slide backwards and plunge to my death."
Add a splash of romance (in the form of one Emily) to the cocktail of action and all the ingredients are present for a series of encounters holding many possible outcomes with no clear line of resolution: a winning feature in any novel and a standout in this one.
Puzzling
Love: Part I: Distant Meeting
Christopher Tenney
CreateSpace
978-1499514063 $7.95
https://www.createspace.com/4800883
James Suoh is going to college, he's autistic, and he's newly in love with an older girl he met on Facebook. Normally introducing a new girlfriend to his parents would be cause enough for worry; but given that he's long been under the watchful eye and care of his parents, his newfound independence at college (even at age 19) is not the typical freedom of your usual nearly-twenty-year-old.
James hasn't fought this because he's "… afraid of the real world because he was scared that nobody will help him because he’s Autistic." And he has his own dreams of how he wants to make a living, which don't embrace his mother's notion that any kind of job will teach him discipline in life.
All this is about to come to a head with his first real love relationship, and thus the real impact of autism on adult pursuits is introduced to readers via a realistic protagonist and his ongoing concerns about his life and how to live it.
While those who are autistic (or familiar with the disorder) will readily recognize James' challenges, it's the newcomer to autism who will receive eye-opening insights on what this means for adulthood.
When his supportive grandmother dies, James struggles to cope with failing grades and his grandmother's passing and finds himself lost.
Narration is provided in a very simple style that clearly outlines James' dilemmas and thought processes as he interacts with family and his new love Serena: a style that reflects autistic thought processes and embraces common fears and reactions to everyday life: "They were now watching the National Geographic Channel. James, however, felt scared because the network was broadcasting a show about the 2012 Mayan calendar apocalypse. "Mom, Dad, can we please not watch this channel?" he asked while shuddering. "I don’t like this show."
From panic attacks sparked by television's portrait of possible disasters to how close family members can either help or hinder an autistic young adult, chapters weave realistic experiences into the story of James' ongoing confusion over everyday interactions which even involve his beloved parents and their attitudes: "James had never before heard his mom speak vaguely or angrily about him having a girlfriend. In fact, James was used to being teased by his mom and sister about girls. He was confused at his mom’s sudden switch."
Add a protective, domineering mother determined to control her autistic young adult's life and you have an unusual romance story that doesn't follow the usual channels of progression, yet provides excellent insights into the feelings, perceptions and interactions of a functional autistic.
With its simple dialogue, thought processes and short presentation, Puzzling Love: Part I: Distant Meeting presents a rare opportunity to delve inside the mind of an autistic teen hovering on the brink of adulthood.
Don't expect the standard romance story here, despite its title. DO anticipate a unique survey of the fears and challenges facing those diagnosed with autism: a personal story of brain disorder that embraces daily experiences and confusion with equal attention to detail.
A don't expect a logical progression to a firm conclusion, either. After all, the title itself mentions that Puzzling Love is only the first piece of an on-going journey that will bring James out into a wider world and invites readers along for a ride towards greater understanding of the autistic's special challenges in life, love, and the pursuit of satisfying relationships.
Christopher Tenney
CreateSpace
978-1499514063 $7.95
https://www.createspace.com/4800883
James Suoh is going to college, he's autistic, and he's newly in love with an older girl he met on Facebook. Normally introducing a new girlfriend to his parents would be cause enough for worry; but given that he's long been under the watchful eye and care of his parents, his newfound independence at college (even at age 19) is not the typical freedom of your usual nearly-twenty-year-old.
James hasn't fought this because he's "… afraid of the real world because he was scared that nobody will help him because he’s Autistic." And he has his own dreams of how he wants to make a living, which don't embrace his mother's notion that any kind of job will teach him discipline in life.
All this is about to come to a head with his first real love relationship, and thus the real impact of autism on adult pursuits is introduced to readers via a realistic protagonist and his ongoing concerns about his life and how to live it.
While those who are autistic (or familiar with the disorder) will readily recognize James' challenges, it's the newcomer to autism who will receive eye-opening insights on what this means for adulthood.
When his supportive grandmother dies, James struggles to cope with failing grades and his grandmother's passing and finds himself lost.
Narration is provided in a very simple style that clearly outlines James' dilemmas and thought processes as he interacts with family and his new love Serena: a style that reflects autistic thought processes and embraces common fears and reactions to everyday life: "They were now watching the National Geographic Channel. James, however, felt scared because the network was broadcasting a show about the 2012 Mayan calendar apocalypse. "Mom, Dad, can we please not watch this channel?" he asked while shuddering. "I don’t like this show."
From panic attacks sparked by television's portrait of possible disasters to how close family members can either help or hinder an autistic young adult, chapters weave realistic experiences into the story of James' ongoing confusion over everyday interactions which even involve his beloved parents and their attitudes: "James had never before heard his mom speak vaguely or angrily about him having a girlfriend. In fact, James was used to being teased by his mom and sister about girls. He was confused at his mom’s sudden switch."
Add a protective, domineering mother determined to control her autistic young adult's life and you have an unusual romance story that doesn't follow the usual channels of progression, yet provides excellent insights into the feelings, perceptions and interactions of a functional autistic.
With its simple dialogue, thought processes and short presentation, Puzzling Love: Part I: Distant Meeting presents a rare opportunity to delve inside the mind of an autistic teen hovering on the brink of adulthood.
Don't expect the standard romance story here, despite its title. DO anticipate a unique survey of the fears and challenges facing those diagnosed with autism: a personal story of brain disorder that embraces daily experiences and confusion with equal attention to detail.
A don't expect a logical progression to a firm conclusion, either. After all, the title itself mentions that Puzzling Love is only the first piece of an on-going journey that will bring James out into a wider world and invites readers along for a ride towards greater understanding of the autistic's special challenges in life, love, and the pursuit of satisfying relationships.
Rum
Run
R.C. Durkee
Moonshine Cove Publishing
9781937327552 www.monshinecovepublishing.com
In 1928, Prohibition was at its height and rumrunners regularly moved through Canada and into the U.S. along rivers and waterways - a lucrative (if not dangerous) affair. Rum Run, set in this era, begins when Rusty loses his satisfying job at the tug yard and is offered a position hauling 'grape juice' for a family's island vineyard: the start of a new career that blossoms into a full-fledged, lucrative rum running operation.
At this point Rum Run could have moved in any direction: as a novel of intrigue, a story of danger and passion or as a mystery; but, thankfully, it takes a different course that embraces psychological depth as well as higher levels of politics in deception, and that's what sets Rum Run apart from many other stories of Prohibition activities.
As chapters build a believable plot based on historical fact, readers are introduced to the underground world of illegal rum running operations: a world that challenges principles and lives and somehow embraces the fundamental values of American freedom and innovation.
Having stumbled inadvertently into the darker side of rum running, Rusty must decide whether the money is worth its price tag and whether he can even turn down a series of increasingly dangerous involvements.
Expect gunfire, chases, and confrontations, and specifics on rum running to include the daily trials and challenges of eluding capture: "They headed out into the lake, invisible against the inky waters. The fishing ground where they were headed was mostly deserted except for two small boats outfitted with lanterns for night fishing. In the distance, they could see running lights from various vessels. Some would be pleasure boats still out and about, not wanting Friday night to end, some would be at anchor while the occupants slept off a drunk, while others would be returning from the dance hall on Put-in-Bay or Cedar Point. Most assuredly, he knew, harbor patrol and picket boats would be among the mix, tearing their hair out trying to weed out the good boats from the bad."
Prohibition was not only a failure: the illegal actions it sparked lured good citizens to make bad decisions and created a subculture of alcohol more deadly than legalizing the substance. Crime increased and many an innocent man (like Rusty) found himself on the wrong side of the law for the first time in his life.
Rum Run is all about this subculture of boating 'runners', and brings history and events to life through Rusty's eyes and experiences. From outrunning the Coast Guard dragnet to family relationships affected by Rusty's activities, it offers a set of insights not just on the process of Prohibition-era 'running', but the experiences and motivations behind those who make the trips.
It's all these elements, wound into a satisfying and realistic story line backed by historical fact, that make Rum Run a winning account.
R.C. Durkee
Moonshine Cove Publishing
9781937327552 www.monshinecovepublishing.com
In 1928, Prohibition was at its height and rumrunners regularly moved through Canada and into the U.S. along rivers and waterways - a lucrative (if not dangerous) affair. Rum Run, set in this era, begins when Rusty loses his satisfying job at the tug yard and is offered a position hauling 'grape juice' for a family's island vineyard: the start of a new career that blossoms into a full-fledged, lucrative rum running operation.
At this point Rum Run could have moved in any direction: as a novel of intrigue, a story of danger and passion or as a mystery; but, thankfully, it takes a different course that embraces psychological depth as well as higher levels of politics in deception, and that's what sets Rum Run apart from many other stories of Prohibition activities.
As chapters build a believable plot based on historical fact, readers are introduced to the underground world of illegal rum running operations: a world that challenges principles and lives and somehow embraces the fundamental values of American freedom and innovation.
Having stumbled inadvertently into the darker side of rum running, Rusty must decide whether the money is worth its price tag and whether he can even turn down a series of increasingly dangerous involvements.
Expect gunfire, chases, and confrontations, and specifics on rum running to include the daily trials and challenges of eluding capture: "They headed out into the lake, invisible against the inky waters. The fishing ground where they were headed was mostly deserted except for two small boats outfitted with lanterns for night fishing. In the distance, they could see running lights from various vessels. Some would be pleasure boats still out and about, not wanting Friday night to end, some would be at anchor while the occupants slept off a drunk, while others would be returning from the dance hall on Put-in-Bay or Cedar Point. Most assuredly, he knew, harbor patrol and picket boats would be among the mix, tearing their hair out trying to weed out the good boats from the bad."
Prohibition was not only a failure: the illegal actions it sparked lured good citizens to make bad decisions and created a subculture of alcohol more deadly than legalizing the substance. Crime increased and many an innocent man (like Rusty) found himself on the wrong side of the law for the first time in his life.
Rum Run is all about this subculture of boating 'runners', and brings history and events to life through Rusty's eyes and experiences. From outrunning the Coast Guard dragnet to family relationships affected by Rusty's activities, it offers a set of insights not just on the process of Prohibition-era 'running', but the experiences and motivations behind those who make the trips.
It's all these elements, wound into a satisfying and realistic story line backed by historical fact, that make Rum Run a winning account.
The
Rummy Club
Anoop Ahuja Judge
Daggerhorn Publishing
978-0-9910810-1-1 $16.95
Ordering links: Website: http://therummyclub-anovel.com/
Amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00JDZ7PRY
Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anoop_Ahuja_Judge_The_Rummy_Club?id=DsFxAwAAQBAJ
Women's friendships are notorious: notorious for their emotional complexity, volatility, and an undertone of competition that tends to permeate the atmosphere when groups of women gather in social settings. They smolder, spark, and die back…as was the case for protagonist Divya Kapoor, whose childhood friendships became lost in adult concerns.
The Rummy Club is Joy Luck Club with an Indian cultural twist and centers upon Divya's cross-country move from a New York immigrant community to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she re-unites with three of her closest boarding school friends (now all conveniently living in California) and starts a weekly get-together revolving around the popular Indian game Rummy.
The women meet in each others' homes and share food, gossip and confidences; but what begins as a casual pursuit of connections based on past familiarity becomes something more because each woman is experiencing personal crisis in her life - and it spills over into the group's social setting.
Yes, there are many books about women's friendships and their underlying complexity. Some offer a singular focus on group dynamics over individual experience while others select a single protagonist to focus upon and develop that three-dimensional woman, often at the cost of the other characters.
The Rummy Club neatly sidesteps these pitfalls and develops four distinctly different personalities, lives, and reactions to life. Add the insights on Indian culture and you have a well-developed story line fueled by four dissimilar lives and their accompanying choices: one which embraces group dynamics and individual perspective as well.
This is not to say that The Rummy Club is seamless: the lives of three women are related in the third person while the primary protagonist (Divya) narrates her impressions in the first person. While this approach allows readers to absorb both observations and emotional impacts, it can, at times, serve to confuse (even though chapter headings clearly state which protagonist is the center focus at the time).
And placing the 'Indian Terms Glossary' at the beginning (rather than at novel's conclusion) is quite useful because it warns readers that there may be unusual terms peppered into the story line that are handily defined from the start.
Divya's feeling of being an 'outsider' in her world and life permeates The Rummy Club and focuses upon her longing to return to a world where she was part of an inner circle, connected and accepted. For Divya, that's the impetus for organizing The Rummy Club; only the desire for a simpler world becomes lost in the complexity of adult lives. Is this really the kind of connection she envisioned?
Women's friendships are notoriously complex and rich with action, reaction, and change. Providing the taste of something different, The Rummy Club is steeped in the curry of India, which adds an extra dimension to the story: "It was a welcoming, homey household. Her mom walked to the produce market every day, choosing from ripe, just-picked okra and cabbage. Raju brought freshly slaughtered goat or chicken from the local butcher. Every meal was freshly cooked. In the kitchen, her mom and her grandma gave directions to the maidservant for grinding fresh amchoor powder for the chickpea curry, smoldering cumin in the skillet for rice pilaf, cutting up knobs of ginger for lamb curry, or squeezing lemons from the garden for succulent fish stew."
The Rummy Club smolders, sparks, and reaches a crescendo with all women experiencing life changes and accompanying choices in their reactions. Readers who enjoy novels of cross-cultural encounters and women's friendships will find it an engrossing, revealing saga.
Anoop Ahuja Judge
Daggerhorn Publishing
978-0-9910810-1-1 $16.95
Ordering links: Website: http://therummyclub-anovel.com/
Amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00JDZ7PRY
Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anoop_Ahuja_Judge_The_Rummy_Club?id=DsFxAwAAQBAJ
Women's friendships are notorious: notorious for their emotional complexity, volatility, and an undertone of competition that tends to permeate the atmosphere when groups of women gather in social settings. They smolder, spark, and die back…as was the case for protagonist Divya Kapoor, whose childhood friendships became lost in adult concerns.
The Rummy Club is Joy Luck Club with an Indian cultural twist and centers upon Divya's cross-country move from a New York immigrant community to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she re-unites with three of her closest boarding school friends (now all conveniently living in California) and starts a weekly get-together revolving around the popular Indian game Rummy.
The women meet in each others' homes and share food, gossip and confidences; but what begins as a casual pursuit of connections based on past familiarity becomes something more because each woman is experiencing personal crisis in her life - and it spills over into the group's social setting.
Yes, there are many books about women's friendships and their underlying complexity. Some offer a singular focus on group dynamics over individual experience while others select a single protagonist to focus upon and develop that three-dimensional woman, often at the cost of the other characters.
The Rummy Club neatly sidesteps these pitfalls and develops four distinctly different personalities, lives, and reactions to life. Add the insights on Indian culture and you have a well-developed story line fueled by four dissimilar lives and their accompanying choices: one which embraces group dynamics and individual perspective as well.
This is not to say that The Rummy Club is seamless: the lives of three women are related in the third person while the primary protagonist (Divya) narrates her impressions in the first person. While this approach allows readers to absorb both observations and emotional impacts, it can, at times, serve to confuse (even though chapter headings clearly state which protagonist is the center focus at the time).
And placing the 'Indian Terms Glossary' at the beginning (rather than at novel's conclusion) is quite useful because it warns readers that there may be unusual terms peppered into the story line that are handily defined from the start.
Divya's feeling of being an 'outsider' in her world and life permeates The Rummy Club and focuses upon her longing to return to a world where she was part of an inner circle, connected and accepted. For Divya, that's the impetus for organizing The Rummy Club; only the desire for a simpler world becomes lost in the complexity of adult lives. Is this really the kind of connection she envisioned?
Women's friendships are notoriously complex and rich with action, reaction, and change. Providing the taste of something different, The Rummy Club is steeped in the curry of India, which adds an extra dimension to the story: "It was a welcoming, homey household. Her mom walked to the produce market every day, choosing from ripe, just-picked okra and cabbage. Raju brought freshly slaughtered goat or chicken from the local butcher. Every meal was freshly cooked. In the kitchen, her mom and her grandma gave directions to the maidservant for grinding fresh amchoor powder for the chickpea curry, smoldering cumin in the skillet for rice pilaf, cutting up knobs of ginger for lamb curry, or squeezing lemons from the garden for succulent fish stew."
The Rummy Club smolders, sparks, and reaches a crescendo with all women experiencing life changes and accompanying choices in their reactions. Readers who enjoy novels of cross-cultural encounters and women's friendships will find it an engrossing, revealing saga.
The
Second Coming: A Love Story
Scott Pinsker
Scott Pinsker Publishing/CreateSpace
ASIN: B00KT6B3G0 $3.16
Paperback: 978-1500167219 $13.57
E-Book Purchasing: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Coming-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00KT6B3G0/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Paperback Purchasing: http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Coming-Love-Story/dp/1500167215/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
www.secondcomingishere.com
In a world where America is already divided by Red America and Blue America, two self-declared saviors arrive simultaneously on Earth: one attracting right-wing Christians; the other entrancing left-wing liberals. The rush towards Armageddon is thus fueled by a combination of political association and religious sentiment, creating an entirely different scenario for the Second Coming than Biblical prophecy.
The Second Coming: A Love Story isn't recommended for devout believers alone: instead, it's a tongue-in-cheek parody presenting two very different trains of thought and inviting readers to truly understand just what differentiates devils from angels. Just as the sun and moon mirror each other in such a world, so Armageddon's threat brings with it sage reflections on how humans think, believe, and perceive differences between heaven and earth. The fact that these perceived differences in fact hold some startling similarities is only one component of The Second Coming.
One doesn't expect a tour de farce from the topic of Armageddon or the reappearance of Christ at the End of Days; but such is the case in The Second Coming, which considers of who earns a place in Heaven, what defines Satan, and how to identify signs of good and evil in the modern world.
Against this backdrop are contemporary renditions not just of Christ and Satan, but such characters as Mary Magdalene (a.k.a. unscrupulous lawyer Margaret Magdala, Esquire, who has had a change of heart about her techniques and lifestyle), follower 'Ismail', (the first follower of Israel, who harbors an ongoing affection for hiphop), and 'apostle' Michael Waters (who lives with his boyfriend and the dubious 'blessing' of a strange prophecy he can't understand).
From false miracles that "spread like locusts throughout the land, enticing and devouring those who embrace Bible-based deviancy" to signs of hope and love in a world gone mad, The Second Coming tackles questions of miracles and miracle-makers, false gods and real demons, and the transformations of ordinary men and women who rise above their influences and pasts to answer the beckoning calls of either heaven or hell.
Brisk dialogue spiced with contemporary lingo keep the story fast-paced and in sync with modern urban experience: "Is it true that the leader of your church claims to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? 'Cause that's the rumor floating round town. And if so, have you seen him perform any miracles? You know - like healing the sick, curing PMS, or levitating the dead?" Now, it wasn't that Acostes disliked Peter or even Christianity itself; he simply enjoyed fucking with people. In his own mind, Acostes was standing up for the ambiguous principles of skepticism and trust."
The story is helter-skelter much the way life is, moving through a disparate variety of characters; each of whom support, contest, or compete with ideas of Christianity and what it means to be a spiritual leader. As a result, believers and non-believers alike will be attracted to a fast-paced, often zany plot that considers spiritual interpretations, consequences of events, and the bigger picture of not just religion but society's perceptions of strength and weakness.
The Second Coming's wry observational style and broad cast of characters creates a mystery that examines relationships with God and often-startling perspectives describing traditional belief systems: "Adam was God's mud-based temper tantrum…and nothing more."
In such a world, intention, predetermination, freedom and responsibility are turned upside down and treated to an inspection process that combines spiritual insight with witty, gritty, wry humor and observations on modern society's ironies.
At the end of the day will prayers be answered, or is history doomed to repeat itself? Keep in mind that this is presented as a love story: if so, where (and when) does the path turn from love towards something different?
Keep in mind that this is just the first book in a trilogy: nothing neatly resolves at book's end … unless it's the resolution to obtain and read the next piece of an emerging puzzle centered upon a Divine Plan and all its infinite possibilities.
Scott Pinsker
Scott Pinsker Publishing/CreateSpace
ASIN: B00KT6B3G0 $3.16
Paperback: 978-1500167219 $13.57
E-Book Purchasing: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Coming-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00KT6B3G0/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Paperback Purchasing: http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Coming-Love-Story/dp/1500167215/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
www.secondcomingishere.com
In a world where America is already divided by Red America and Blue America, two self-declared saviors arrive simultaneously on Earth: one attracting right-wing Christians; the other entrancing left-wing liberals. The rush towards Armageddon is thus fueled by a combination of political association and religious sentiment, creating an entirely different scenario for the Second Coming than Biblical prophecy.
The Second Coming: A Love Story isn't recommended for devout believers alone: instead, it's a tongue-in-cheek parody presenting two very different trains of thought and inviting readers to truly understand just what differentiates devils from angels. Just as the sun and moon mirror each other in such a world, so Armageddon's threat brings with it sage reflections on how humans think, believe, and perceive differences between heaven and earth. The fact that these perceived differences in fact hold some startling similarities is only one component of The Second Coming.
One doesn't expect a tour de farce from the topic of Armageddon or the reappearance of Christ at the End of Days; but such is the case in The Second Coming, which considers of who earns a place in Heaven, what defines Satan, and how to identify signs of good and evil in the modern world.
Against this backdrop are contemporary renditions not just of Christ and Satan, but such characters as Mary Magdalene (a.k.a. unscrupulous lawyer Margaret Magdala, Esquire, who has had a change of heart about her techniques and lifestyle), follower 'Ismail', (the first follower of Israel, who harbors an ongoing affection for hiphop), and 'apostle' Michael Waters (who lives with his boyfriend and the dubious 'blessing' of a strange prophecy he can't understand).
From false miracles that "spread like locusts throughout the land, enticing and devouring those who embrace Bible-based deviancy" to signs of hope and love in a world gone mad, The Second Coming tackles questions of miracles and miracle-makers, false gods and real demons, and the transformations of ordinary men and women who rise above their influences and pasts to answer the beckoning calls of either heaven or hell.
Brisk dialogue spiced with contemporary lingo keep the story fast-paced and in sync with modern urban experience: "Is it true that the leader of your church claims to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? 'Cause that's the rumor floating round town. And if so, have you seen him perform any miracles? You know - like healing the sick, curing PMS, or levitating the dead?" Now, it wasn't that Acostes disliked Peter or even Christianity itself; he simply enjoyed fucking with people. In his own mind, Acostes was standing up for the ambiguous principles of skepticism and trust."
The story is helter-skelter much the way life is, moving through a disparate variety of characters; each of whom support, contest, or compete with ideas of Christianity and what it means to be a spiritual leader. As a result, believers and non-believers alike will be attracted to a fast-paced, often zany plot that considers spiritual interpretations, consequences of events, and the bigger picture of not just religion but society's perceptions of strength and weakness.
The Second Coming's wry observational style and broad cast of characters creates a mystery that examines relationships with God and often-startling perspectives describing traditional belief systems: "Adam was God's mud-based temper tantrum…and nothing more."
In such a world, intention, predetermination, freedom and responsibility are turned upside down and treated to an inspection process that combines spiritual insight with witty, gritty, wry humor and observations on modern society's ironies.
At the end of the day will prayers be answered, or is history doomed to repeat itself? Keep in mind that this is presented as a love story: if so, where (and when) does the path turn from love towards something different?
Keep in mind that this is just the first book in a trilogy: nothing neatly resolves at book's end … unless it's the resolution to obtain and read the next piece of an emerging puzzle centered upon a Divine Plan and all its infinite possibilities.
Sequence
of Self
Don Balch
Booktagon
ASIN: B00KMSUZGE $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMSUZGE
January is a mother of two who supports herself with petty white collar crime and lives a life on the edge; but her transgressions are fairly innocuous … so when she's attacked and beaten in her home, she has two clear choices: exact revenge on the perp (whom she actually knows), or change her lifestyle.
While it may seem clear to the reader what her choice should be, it's not clear to January, whose life (as always) been one of struggle and wrong decisions. And as with many life-altering catastrophes, the attack sends January on a journey not only to pick a different path through life, but to better see opportunities for change.
Sequence of Self therefore appears to readers in the guise of a thriller, but incorporates enough psychological introspection to elevate it to the status of a versatile novel examining layers of action, reaction, and possibility: delightfully intricate approaches one normally doesn't anticipate from a story of intrigue and revenge.
So if it's a quick, entertaining mystery you seek without depth and complexity, look elsewhere: there are plenty of genre writings that don't hold a candle of complexity to Sequence of Self - and therein lays its unique strength.
All this is narrated in the form of 'sequences' that begin 722 days prior, with January trying to pick out a perp from a lineup. From the start, descriptions are exceptionally vivid in their sense of sight and impressions of atmosphere: readers almost feel like they are part of January: "Before she could brace herself, the room erupted: green light; deep ocean-green, and she faced off against five men, all of whom stood in this light, all of whom squinted into the window. The cop with the cough moved behind her as his hack turned grotesquely productive."
A memory flashback carries readers 13 days prior to that event, presenting impressions from one Rey as he is being released from prison into a (hopefully) new life. Once again the sights, smells, and sounds of events all weave into Rey's observations to not just inform readers, but to involve and immerse every step of the way: "The clutch‘s gears shrieked quite a bit, but Henry finally sank it, and the bus rolled away. Rey stood there, toes east. After eight fucking years, the damp, gloomy morning never looked so good. Exhaust fumes couldn‘t have smelled better."
The pizza scam (which January and her boyfriend George have honed into a fine art) is lucrative, but George always has dreams for more money and bigger schemes: schemes that could land them in jail and lose her children - and this, January won't tolerate.
She's also been careful to let loose of some of her self-destructive patterns of the past, which have included obviously-abusive relationships: "She had to know he was one of the good ones, a good egg as Harold had described her, different from the others, her father for instance, who always piled blame on her mother for the very same type of so-called accidents. She needed to know George was different from the boyfriend she‘d run away with so many years ago, a guy who had also accidentally hit her, but with a lamp."
As George moves on to bigger and better schemes, January is faced with decisions that will involve her with a host of other characters and their special interests and plans; but it's the attack that ignites her survival instinct and pushes her to do what the justice system won't: see that the attacker she knows is punished for his crime, and prevent her boyfriend from exacting the kind of revenge that could result in life in prison.
Jan faces a virtual smorgasbord of decisions, choices, and life-altering paths in Sequence of Self: all of which trace her ballet dance between a life of crime, squalor and increasing threat to a world which incorporates family and better choices.
Before she can truly change, Jan has to hone her own sense of self - and to realize the 'tipping points' separating this self from her boyfriends' desires: "You get an idea in your head that pertains to me—that‘s why I hung those pictures in my office—of the water—and when she said this, he glanced around as if they were still downstairs, ―to remind me—it‘s like I want to snorkel, but you want to go boating, and instead of acceding to whatever I want or need, you somehow end up dragging me not toward the boat because that would be too direct. Instead, you start dragging me toward the bottom of the ocean—gradually, inch-by-inch, so that it‘s sort of in line with what I was wanting but not really. Then the pressure increases, but you go so slowly, I‘m not even aware of how the pressure is really increasing or what it‘ll even do. When everything becomes too much, you‘re right there, which is especially useful if I panic. Then—goodbye snorkeling—off to safety we go—to the boat, which is where you wanted to go in the first place. We‘re supposed to be working together, but the more I think about it, the more I realize just how much energy I expend to combat you."
Readers are swept along in January's dance between justice and revenge, independence and connection, and abuse and freedom. Her passion is charismatic, her confusion between opportunity and bad decisions is realistic and involving, and her attempts to seek justice on her own terms are unpredictable and therefore engrossing.
Anticipate a thriller, a psychological drama, and a feisty protagonist determined to make better decisions and take control of her life: that's the heart of Sequence of Self, recommended for novel readers seeking far more than one-dimensional protagonists or conflicts.
Don Balch
Booktagon
ASIN: B00KMSUZGE $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMSUZGE
January is a mother of two who supports herself with petty white collar crime and lives a life on the edge; but her transgressions are fairly innocuous … so when she's attacked and beaten in her home, she has two clear choices: exact revenge on the perp (whom she actually knows), or change her lifestyle.
While it may seem clear to the reader what her choice should be, it's not clear to January, whose life (as always) been one of struggle and wrong decisions. And as with many life-altering catastrophes, the attack sends January on a journey not only to pick a different path through life, but to better see opportunities for change.
Sequence of Self therefore appears to readers in the guise of a thriller, but incorporates enough psychological introspection to elevate it to the status of a versatile novel examining layers of action, reaction, and possibility: delightfully intricate approaches one normally doesn't anticipate from a story of intrigue and revenge.
So if it's a quick, entertaining mystery you seek without depth and complexity, look elsewhere: there are plenty of genre writings that don't hold a candle of complexity to Sequence of Self - and therein lays its unique strength.
All this is narrated in the form of 'sequences' that begin 722 days prior, with January trying to pick out a perp from a lineup. From the start, descriptions are exceptionally vivid in their sense of sight and impressions of atmosphere: readers almost feel like they are part of January: "Before she could brace herself, the room erupted: green light; deep ocean-green, and she faced off against five men, all of whom stood in this light, all of whom squinted into the window. The cop with the cough moved behind her as his hack turned grotesquely productive."
A memory flashback carries readers 13 days prior to that event, presenting impressions from one Rey as he is being released from prison into a (hopefully) new life. Once again the sights, smells, and sounds of events all weave into Rey's observations to not just inform readers, but to involve and immerse every step of the way: "The clutch‘s gears shrieked quite a bit, but Henry finally sank it, and the bus rolled away. Rey stood there, toes east. After eight fucking years, the damp, gloomy morning never looked so good. Exhaust fumes couldn‘t have smelled better."
The pizza scam (which January and her boyfriend George have honed into a fine art) is lucrative, but George always has dreams for more money and bigger schemes: schemes that could land them in jail and lose her children - and this, January won't tolerate.
She's also been careful to let loose of some of her self-destructive patterns of the past, which have included obviously-abusive relationships: "She had to know he was one of the good ones, a good egg as Harold had described her, different from the others, her father for instance, who always piled blame on her mother for the very same type of so-called accidents. She needed to know George was different from the boyfriend she‘d run away with so many years ago, a guy who had also accidentally hit her, but with a lamp."
As George moves on to bigger and better schemes, January is faced with decisions that will involve her with a host of other characters and their special interests and plans; but it's the attack that ignites her survival instinct and pushes her to do what the justice system won't: see that the attacker she knows is punished for his crime, and prevent her boyfriend from exacting the kind of revenge that could result in life in prison.
Jan faces a virtual smorgasbord of decisions, choices, and life-altering paths in Sequence of Self: all of which trace her ballet dance between a life of crime, squalor and increasing threat to a world which incorporates family and better choices.
Before she can truly change, Jan has to hone her own sense of self - and to realize the 'tipping points' separating this self from her boyfriends' desires: "You get an idea in your head that pertains to me—that‘s why I hung those pictures in my office—of the water—and when she said this, he glanced around as if they were still downstairs, ―to remind me—it‘s like I want to snorkel, but you want to go boating, and instead of acceding to whatever I want or need, you somehow end up dragging me not toward the boat because that would be too direct. Instead, you start dragging me toward the bottom of the ocean—gradually, inch-by-inch, so that it‘s sort of in line with what I was wanting but not really. Then the pressure increases, but you go so slowly, I‘m not even aware of how the pressure is really increasing or what it‘ll even do. When everything becomes too much, you‘re right there, which is especially useful if I panic. Then—goodbye snorkeling—off to safety we go—to the boat, which is where you wanted to go in the first place. We‘re supposed to be working together, but the more I think about it, the more I realize just how much energy I expend to combat you."
Readers are swept along in January's dance between justice and revenge, independence and connection, and abuse and freedom. Her passion is charismatic, her confusion between opportunity and bad decisions is realistic and involving, and her attempts to seek justice on her own terms are unpredictable and therefore engrossing.
Anticipate a thriller, a psychological drama, and a feisty protagonist determined to make better decisions and take control of her life: that's the heart of Sequence of Self, recommended for novel readers seeking far more than one-dimensional protagonists or conflicts.
The
Truth About Emily
Madi Brown
Concrete Jungle Publishing
978-0-692-25171-3 $7.99
www.amazon.com
'Havoc on Heels' aptly describes protagonist Emily from the first paragraph, who operates in a busy whirlwind of action that neatly sets the stage for a racy story of monogrammed designer clothing, the constant rush and hectic pace of modern-day New York City living, and the feel that Emily's life and career have both stalled amidst a maelstrom of activity.
Emily is hell-bent to have it all - love and a high-powered career - when both come to screeching halt, forcing her to consider that the two goals may actually be polar opposites cancelling each other out.
And this is just the beginning of a rollicking good read fueled by a passionate protagonist who, at nearly 30 years of age, comes to realize that there are major problems with her life and goals. It's an age when the urge to examine one's life typically begins, and so Emily's journey is a logical progression from the course she laid out for herself in her 20s.
Yet another strength of The Truth About Emily (besides the spunky protagonist and her objectives) lies in Madi Brown's ability to capture the atmosphere of big-city New York: "With no mass murderers behind her, it could have only been the mental shove of her New York City pace, Emily reasoned. It was the one that had everyone always rushing to go somewhere, even if it was to nowhere in particular. She had plenty of time left, at least twenty-five minutes worth, she told herself…"
The scene is set in the first chapter and cemented by Emily's growing conviction that in order to achieve all of her goals, she'll have to change. And when she opens up to change, the possibilities promise big payoffs peppered with huge risks.
As chapters reflect Emily's struggles with romance (often sad stories of disparate characters who just don't 'click' with her personality), they open with striking sayings ("It’s my belief that the body is to be treated as a temple, but if you consider yours to be a dumping ground, then perhaps The Garbage Jewelry Collection has a style of adornment especially suited for you…")
From the etiquette involved in one-night stands to how Emily comes to define the kind of mate that would compliment her life ("To make herself accountable, she began with making a concise list of what she wanted in a long-term mate (now that she knew that one-night-stands definitely weren’t going to cut it."), her pragmatic approach to life is, in turn, poignant, funny, and sassy.
As she comes to find promotions don't always come with raises, romance doesn't always spark from sex, and achievement doesn't always bring parental approval, Emily comes to re-define her own perceptions of what constitutes success. And only when she succeeds in clearing the 'ish' from her life (…and you'll just have to read the book to find out what this is!) does Emily realize the masks she's been wearing that deflect real achievement and real relationships alike.
Will Emily have to give up her 'havoc on heels' lifestyle and attitude in the process of finding herself? The truths she discovers will immerse readers in a quasi-romance that is really more about a career woman's modern lifestyle and business challenges than the typical romance novel imparts.
The added depth of character promises complexity but wraps everything in the saucy cloak of Emily's evolving personality and newfound beliefs about life, love, and the real nature of happiness. And this is where The Truth About Emily outshines many competitors, making it a recommended read for those seeking more than a standard romance novel.
Madi Brown
Concrete Jungle Publishing
978-0-692-25171-3 $7.99
www.amazon.com
'Havoc on Heels' aptly describes protagonist Emily from the first paragraph, who operates in a busy whirlwind of action that neatly sets the stage for a racy story of monogrammed designer clothing, the constant rush and hectic pace of modern-day New York City living, and the feel that Emily's life and career have both stalled amidst a maelstrom of activity.
Emily is hell-bent to have it all - love and a high-powered career - when both come to screeching halt, forcing her to consider that the two goals may actually be polar opposites cancelling each other out.
And this is just the beginning of a rollicking good read fueled by a passionate protagonist who, at nearly 30 years of age, comes to realize that there are major problems with her life and goals. It's an age when the urge to examine one's life typically begins, and so Emily's journey is a logical progression from the course she laid out for herself in her 20s.
Yet another strength of The Truth About Emily (besides the spunky protagonist and her objectives) lies in Madi Brown's ability to capture the atmosphere of big-city New York: "With no mass murderers behind her, it could have only been the mental shove of her New York City pace, Emily reasoned. It was the one that had everyone always rushing to go somewhere, even if it was to nowhere in particular. She had plenty of time left, at least twenty-five minutes worth, she told herself…"
The scene is set in the first chapter and cemented by Emily's growing conviction that in order to achieve all of her goals, she'll have to change. And when she opens up to change, the possibilities promise big payoffs peppered with huge risks.
As chapters reflect Emily's struggles with romance (often sad stories of disparate characters who just don't 'click' with her personality), they open with striking sayings ("It’s my belief that the body is to be treated as a temple, but if you consider yours to be a dumping ground, then perhaps The Garbage Jewelry Collection has a style of adornment especially suited for you…")
From the etiquette involved in one-night stands to how Emily comes to define the kind of mate that would compliment her life ("To make herself accountable, she began with making a concise list of what she wanted in a long-term mate (now that she knew that one-night-stands definitely weren’t going to cut it."), her pragmatic approach to life is, in turn, poignant, funny, and sassy.
As she comes to find promotions don't always come with raises, romance doesn't always spark from sex, and achievement doesn't always bring parental approval, Emily comes to re-define her own perceptions of what constitutes success. And only when she succeeds in clearing the 'ish' from her life (…and you'll just have to read the book to find out what this is!) does Emily realize the masks she's been wearing that deflect real achievement and real relationships alike.
Will Emily have to give up her 'havoc on heels' lifestyle and attitude in the process of finding herself? The truths she discovers will immerse readers in a quasi-romance that is really more about a career woman's modern lifestyle and business challenges than the typical romance novel imparts.
The added depth of character promises complexity but wraps everything in the saucy cloak of Emily's evolving personality and newfound beliefs about life, love, and the real nature of happiness. And this is where The Truth About Emily outshines many competitors, making it a recommended read for those seeking more than a standard romance novel.
Vanished
from Dust
Shea Norwood
Dust Devil Press
978-1492993407
$6.99 ebook $12.99 paperback
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBZXMHW
Dust, Texas isn't the sort of small town that tolerates differences, even if it's from one of its own - and it's undeniable that Eric Stark is different. That's why he has no close friends, and why even 7th graders tease and accuse him of being crazy because the phantoms he seems to sense.
When new kid Kyle moves to town, it's an opportunity for Eric to gain not only a friend, but support for his special abilities and in the possible disaster they portend.
Paranormal novels - even those that include other facets - are often too predictable. As supernatural threats lead to certain resolution, there are few surprises along the way: this is where the genre as a whole falters, as story after story tries to create something original out of events that often prove inevitable.
Not so with Vanished from Dust, where everything feels fresh and different; from the protagonist's teenage viewpoint and different take on the causes of isolation and alienation to the problem and toll of bullying.
It also takes time and circumstance to establish Eric and Kyle as close friends who share even impossible-sounding secrets, but Shea Norwood takes the time to build this scenario in a series of delicate chapters that follow Eric in his transformation from rejected, bullied loner to possible 'superhero' status with a supportive new best friend.
This isn't a short process (it takes six months for Eric and Kyle to become trusted friends) and during the course of their evolving friendship Eric continues to battle the feeling that he's alone in his perceptions and world: "Eric ate on autopilot, only nodding and responding with the occasional yes or no. He felt alone. No matter how many people were around him it was a feeling he could never shake."
As events reveal Dust's history and why only Eric can perceive the phantoms that coalesce upon the town, Eric struggles with remaining an outcast in a circle of peers that increasingly becomes sympathetic to him and less supportive of bully Greg, who won't leave Eric alone.
That Norwood depicts Eric's encounters as a series of ongoing events with no magical resolution by a sudden best friend is tribute to the realistic flavor of Vanished from Dust. Where other young adult stories cut corners by having a friendship magically transform and thwart bullying, this depicts an ongoing issue.
Where other young adult sagas of the paranormal would have events quickly explained, Eric (and the reader) remains in the dark for a very long time.
And when Eric finds his phantom visions threaten him and possibly the entire town, only he can summon the courage and forces to make some tough decisions.
Paranormal mysteries are not uncommon. What is uncommon - and powerful - in Vanished from Dust is an attention to providing details that, like life, hold no simple answers or pat resolutions.
Add an unexpected confrontation with time travel involved and you have a story line filled with complex twists of plot that never cuts corners with a shortcut - and that is its greatest strength of all.
Prepare for a cliffhanger: as it's Book One in a projected series, the action is just getting off the ground and the stage is set for more.
Shea Norwood
Dust Devil Press
978-1492993407
$6.99 ebook $12.99 paperback
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBZXMHW
Dust, Texas isn't the sort of small town that tolerates differences, even if it's from one of its own - and it's undeniable that Eric Stark is different. That's why he has no close friends, and why even 7th graders tease and accuse him of being crazy because the phantoms he seems to sense.
When new kid Kyle moves to town, it's an opportunity for Eric to gain not only a friend, but support for his special abilities and in the possible disaster they portend.
Paranormal novels - even those that include other facets - are often too predictable. As supernatural threats lead to certain resolution, there are few surprises along the way: this is where the genre as a whole falters, as story after story tries to create something original out of events that often prove inevitable.
Not so with Vanished from Dust, where everything feels fresh and different; from the protagonist's teenage viewpoint and different take on the causes of isolation and alienation to the problem and toll of bullying.
It also takes time and circumstance to establish Eric and Kyle as close friends who share even impossible-sounding secrets, but Shea Norwood takes the time to build this scenario in a series of delicate chapters that follow Eric in his transformation from rejected, bullied loner to possible 'superhero' status with a supportive new best friend.
This isn't a short process (it takes six months for Eric and Kyle to become trusted friends) and during the course of their evolving friendship Eric continues to battle the feeling that he's alone in his perceptions and world: "Eric ate on autopilot, only nodding and responding with the occasional yes or no. He felt alone. No matter how many people were around him it was a feeling he could never shake."
As events reveal Dust's history and why only Eric can perceive the phantoms that coalesce upon the town, Eric struggles with remaining an outcast in a circle of peers that increasingly becomes sympathetic to him and less supportive of bully Greg, who won't leave Eric alone.
That Norwood depicts Eric's encounters as a series of ongoing events with no magical resolution by a sudden best friend is tribute to the realistic flavor of Vanished from Dust. Where other young adult stories cut corners by having a friendship magically transform and thwart bullying, this depicts an ongoing issue.
Where other young adult sagas of the paranormal would have events quickly explained, Eric (and the reader) remains in the dark for a very long time.
And when Eric finds his phantom visions threaten him and possibly the entire town, only he can summon the courage and forces to make some tough decisions.
Paranormal mysteries are not uncommon. What is uncommon - and powerful - in Vanished from Dust is an attention to providing details that, like life, hold no simple answers or pat resolutions.
Add an unexpected confrontation with time travel involved and you have a story line filled with complex twists of plot that never cuts corners with a shortcut - and that is its greatest strength of all.
Prepare for a cliffhanger: as it's Book One in a projected series, the action is just getting off the ground and the stage is set for more.
Poetry
Airstream
Audrey Henderson
Homebound Publications
9781938846427 $16.95
Release date: November 11, 2014
http://homeboundpublications.com
The poetry collection Airstream has already earned the accolade of being a finalist in Homebound Publications' poetry contest - but that's not why it's being recommended, here.
Nor is it being recommended for its succinct verses, its grounding in literary technique, or even its striking imagery ("I can tell you that the road is gone. I can tell you/that the houses are gone and the gas station, but you will/not understand until you step on the tarmac and it crumbles/and you will say The road is gone! The houses are gone!/Their gardens, their petunias and photographs are sucked/into the brown roar.")
Its strength lies in its skill of observing and depicting the clashes between urbanization and rural environments, for its reflections on the process of change and transformation, and for its nuggets of combined wisdom and twists of story which incorporate powerful commentary within its scenarios: "The end of the world/is on our doorstep. People stare at it. You cannot go/any farther, they say. No-one has information. No-one/knows whether the whole world is gone or half the world or one millionth of it. We are solemn and gingerly by/the precipice."
The best free verse poem becomes more than the sum of its parts. As an observational piece, the work moves between chaos and surprise, creating a milieu that transcends personal experience and moves neatly into world observations and bigger pictures of transformation.
Airstream's ability to segue between personal and wider worlds is one device which sets it apart from other poetry collections: all it takes for Henderson to employ these connections is a single observation ("Please remove the everlasting light bulb./It casts a sterile glow on your small plot of land.") which moves into ever-widening circles of greater perspective ("…photons emitted from your light/have reached the constellation of Andromeda/where they believe you are the only god of a faded sun.")
That Airstream achieves all this is what makes it a standout from other poetry collections: a highly recommended pick for poetry enthusiasts who seek free verse, mind-popping images, and equally insightful commentary on the structures and blasphemies of man-made worlds.
Audrey Henderson
Homebound Publications
9781938846427 $16.95
Release date: November 11, 2014
http://homeboundpublications.com
The poetry collection Airstream has already earned the accolade of being a finalist in Homebound Publications' poetry contest - but that's not why it's being recommended, here.
Nor is it being recommended for its succinct verses, its grounding in literary technique, or even its striking imagery ("I can tell you that the road is gone. I can tell you/that the houses are gone and the gas station, but you will/not understand until you step on the tarmac and it crumbles/and you will say The road is gone! The houses are gone!/Their gardens, their petunias and photographs are sucked/into the brown roar.")
Its strength lies in its skill of observing and depicting the clashes between urbanization and rural environments, for its reflections on the process of change and transformation, and for its nuggets of combined wisdom and twists of story which incorporate powerful commentary within its scenarios: "The end of the world/is on our doorstep. People stare at it. You cannot go/any farther, they say. No-one has information. No-one/knows whether the whole world is gone or half the world or one millionth of it. We are solemn and gingerly by/the precipice."
The best free verse poem becomes more than the sum of its parts. As an observational piece, the work moves between chaos and surprise, creating a milieu that transcends personal experience and moves neatly into world observations and bigger pictures of transformation.
Airstream's ability to segue between personal and wider worlds is one device which sets it apart from other poetry collections: all it takes for Henderson to employ these connections is a single observation ("Please remove the everlasting light bulb./It casts a sterile glow on your small plot of land.") which moves into ever-widening circles of greater perspective ("…photons emitted from your light/have reached the constellation of Andromeda/where they believe you are the only god of a faded sun.")
That Airstream achieves all this is what makes it a standout from other poetry collections: a highly recommended pick for poetry enthusiasts who seek free verse, mind-popping images, and equally insightful commentary on the structures and blasphemies of man-made worlds.
Kissing
the Sky
Cristina Olsen
Suncloud Press
978-0-9905328-0-4 $21.95
http://www.cristinaolsen.com/
Kissing the Sky provides an unusual blend of autobiography, poetry, photography and art, and pairs Cristina Olsen's color photos with reflections on life in general and her experiences of it in particular. Light and color illuminate her perceptions of everything from parents to the wider world beyond home: "I was a small child in a crib/wailing alone in the night,/when in he rushed, a solar wind/flooding the room with light,/lifting me up and holding me tight."
From methods of 'keeping down pain' to expressions of celebration, poetry is the medium that weaves together the author's life and observations, with each poetic work enjoying a supportive color photo from her hand and art: "I am an open book/pouring myself out in rivers of print/from another time,/another place./Decades of underground torrents/of ancient springs dampened by silence/from another time, another place."
Kissing the Sky is one of those poetry books that are hard to neatly define. Readers who pursue it for its poetry alone will find the works are largely free verse and always autobiographical, connecting Olsen's life to greater questions of its meaning; while those attracted to its photographic embellishments will find her nature-oriented landscape images to be especially inviting and evocative.
Those who choose Kissing the Sky for what it is (a multi-faceted combination of literature and art, cemented by the author's life experiences) will be most satisfied by the amalgamation of forces evident throughout a mixture of sorrow, celebration of beauty, and revelations on surviving the "onslaught of living".
Pair this with landscape descriptions permeating color photo and poem alike and you have a winning, unusual combination recommended for readers who enjoy poetry, photos and autobiography.
Cristina Olsen
Suncloud Press
978-0-9905328-0-4 $21.95
http://www.cristinaolsen.com/
Kissing the Sky provides an unusual blend of autobiography, poetry, photography and art, and pairs Cristina Olsen's color photos with reflections on life in general and her experiences of it in particular. Light and color illuminate her perceptions of everything from parents to the wider world beyond home: "I was a small child in a crib/wailing alone in the night,/when in he rushed, a solar wind/flooding the room with light,/lifting me up and holding me tight."
From methods of 'keeping down pain' to expressions of celebration, poetry is the medium that weaves together the author's life and observations, with each poetic work enjoying a supportive color photo from her hand and art: "I am an open book/pouring myself out in rivers of print/from another time,/another place./Decades of underground torrents/of ancient springs dampened by silence/from another time, another place."
Kissing the Sky is one of those poetry books that are hard to neatly define. Readers who pursue it for its poetry alone will find the works are largely free verse and always autobiographical, connecting Olsen's life to greater questions of its meaning; while those attracted to its photographic embellishments will find her nature-oriented landscape images to be especially inviting and evocative.
Those who choose Kissing the Sky for what it is (a multi-faceted combination of literature and art, cemented by the author's life experiences) will be most satisfied by the amalgamation of forces evident throughout a mixture of sorrow, celebration of beauty, and revelations on surviving the "onslaught of living".
Pair this with landscape descriptions permeating color photo and poem alike and you have a winning, unusual combination recommended for readers who enjoy poetry, photos and autobiography.
Self-Help
Match:
Bringing Will and Heart into Alignment – 90 Days of Practice
Gunilla Norris
Homebound Publications
978-1-938846-22-9 $16.95
Release date: November 11, 2014
http://homeboundpublications.com
A striking book cover showing a close-up of a matchbook and a lit match visually captures the heart of a fiery account designed to inspire passion in those who would discover a method for bringing will and heart into alignment.
Match is not so much an inspirational piece as it is a practice workbook centered on making conscious decisions to align spirit with growth methods. As such, readers who turn to Match should be prepared to follow exercises, consider choices for different paths and beliefs, and commit to a 90-day regimen of self-improvement. Without such an intention, its message will be lost.
Match offers two sections: first, the beginning ('Why Practice') discusses 'deep intention' and why a serious commitment to this program is both beneficial and necessary. It basically warns that the 90 days mentioned is a requirement, not a suggestion; and it discusses what is required for such a course of action. From emotional involvement to understanding how this concrete method relates to honing the heart's desire, this introduction serves as both a warning and as an invitation to the work that follows.
Don't look to Match to do the work 'for you': it doesn't offer the kind of guidance that will lead to rote practices or blind following.
Instead, it outlines a basic course of action and reinforces these with a set of techniques for considering the effects of doubt, fear, and the process of owning one's life: "Real observation is asked of us. It is to notice, with respect the act of scratching the match-head on the strike plate of the matchbox, of seeing the fire flare up. It is to not skip one moment of the flame moving along the wood of the match. It is to feel our fingers grow warm as the heat comes closer. It is to be awake as our intent brands us into full owner-ship of it in mind and in body."
Self-improvement readers all too often receive books of admonitions that focus more on end results than the actual nuts and bolts of the process itself. Match is all about firing up a course of action and committing to its enactment: and if 90 days of focused meditations and reflection sounds easy - it's not. And if it's expected that 90 days will end the process, be advised: this is only the beginning of a lifelong journey: "…daring to live our longing is a process for a lifetime. It cannot be hurried. It will have its ups and its downs. There will be moments of lucid understanding and moments of dullness and discouragement. But not to be aware of and care for our inner being is merely to exist. It is not to live."
Those ready to undertake such a journey will find no better starting point than Match.
Gunilla Norris
Homebound Publications
978-1-938846-22-9 $16.95
Release date: November 11, 2014
http://homeboundpublications.com
A striking book cover showing a close-up of a matchbook and a lit match visually captures the heart of a fiery account designed to inspire passion in those who would discover a method for bringing will and heart into alignment.
Match is not so much an inspirational piece as it is a practice workbook centered on making conscious decisions to align spirit with growth methods. As such, readers who turn to Match should be prepared to follow exercises, consider choices for different paths and beliefs, and commit to a 90-day regimen of self-improvement. Without such an intention, its message will be lost.
Match offers two sections: first, the beginning ('Why Practice') discusses 'deep intention' and why a serious commitment to this program is both beneficial and necessary. It basically warns that the 90 days mentioned is a requirement, not a suggestion; and it discusses what is required for such a course of action. From emotional involvement to understanding how this concrete method relates to honing the heart's desire, this introduction serves as both a warning and as an invitation to the work that follows.
Don't look to Match to do the work 'for you': it doesn't offer the kind of guidance that will lead to rote practices or blind following.
Instead, it outlines a basic course of action and reinforces these with a set of techniques for considering the effects of doubt, fear, and the process of owning one's life: "Real observation is asked of us. It is to notice, with respect the act of scratching the match-head on the strike plate of the matchbox, of seeing the fire flare up. It is to not skip one moment of the flame moving along the wood of the match. It is to feel our fingers grow warm as the heat comes closer. It is to be awake as our intent brands us into full owner-ship of it in mind and in body."
Self-improvement readers all too often receive books of admonitions that focus more on end results than the actual nuts and bolts of the process itself. Match is all about firing up a course of action and committing to its enactment: and if 90 days of focused meditations and reflection sounds easy - it's not. And if it's expected that 90 days will end the process, be advised: this is only the beginning of a lifelong journey: "…daring to live our longing is a process for a lifetime. It cannot be hurried. It will have its ups and its downs. There will be moments of lucid understanding and moments of dullness and discouragement. But not to be aware of and care for our inner being is merely to exist. It is not to live."
Those ready to undertake such a journey will find no better starting point than Match.
Short Story
Mystery
and Misadventure
M.D. Hall
M.D. Hall Publisher
ASIN: B00K23LCXY $.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K23LCXY
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K23LCXY
Mystery and Misadventure is a collection of seven short stories which range from the smoky allure of a Victorian-style atmosphere to science fiction - all tinged with supernatural twists that will delight any fan of Twilight Zone and similar accounts of oddities and strange encounters.
To call these tales 'horror' in the classic sense would be to do them a disservice. They feature no trappings of the obvious: no zombies, no cannibals…just subtle turns of story that sneak up on readers and conclude with suitably creepy, skin-crawling scenarios.
Take its chatty introduction: it sounds friendly and succeeds in pulling the reader into the collection, but adds an ominous overtone of threat: "Ah, there you are. I was unsure whether you would make it….Some of you seem a little nervous. Perhaps you are afraid that something within the pages might reach out to you. Please do not let that concern you; such a notion is pure fantasy, is it not? Having said that, the strangest of things can befall people when they least expect it."
And therein lies the strength of each of these tales: they excel in creating the unexpected… and in a world where stories tend to be all too predictable (and outcomes all too logical), that's saying a lot.
Mystery is subtly fused with action so that the end result of each story is a satisfying bend on reader expectation. Pulled in by intrigue, each tale is not only precise in its evolution and unexpected changes, but is cemented by realistic people, situations, and a dose of challenge that prompts each protagonist to move outside his comfort zone and, ultimately, into another world of perception.
The opening story 'The Ticket' is one such scenario, building its tale from the seemingly-ordinary event of a man facing a simple parking ticket that then changes his life. Routine and predictability are the hallmarks of Derek's world: that a parking ticket could challenge and change this foundation is testimony to his obsession with order and the impact of its demise: "Derek loved order. With rules a person knew where he stood. Matters became complicated when people were lax and did not apply them, but that was their problem."
Since it's impossible for Derek to break the rules he holds so dear, the parking ticket must represent far more than a lapse in consciousness…but when slips keep on occurring, Derek is faced with an impossible world in which boundaries are fluid and 'rules' no longer apply.
What's happened to the reality he once counted on? That's for Derek (and readers) to find out.
Ditto with 'The Door', which sets the scene of a landlord who considers himself a down-to-earth businessman … until a stubborn door that won't close thwarts his efforts and changes his life. Said pesky door only opens to a bigger problem as Henry finds his pragmatic, callous attitude towards life comes back to bite him.
If there is such a thing as divine retribution or just desserts, it often appears in these stories, where protagonists eventually find that their expectations create realities they weren't expecting.
Any who appreciate the twists and turns of approaches such as Twilight Zone will find Mystery and Misadventure a winning collection, and anything but predictable!
M.D. Hall
M.D. Hall Publisher
ASIN: B00K23LCXY $.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K23LCXY
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K23LCXY
Mystery and Misadventure is a collection of seven short stories which range from the smoky allure of a Victorian-style atmosphere to science fiction - all tinged with supernatural twists that will delight any fan of Twilight Zone and similar accounts of oddities and strange encounters.
To call these tales 'horror' in the classic sense would be to do them a disservice. They feature no trappings of the obvious: no zombies, no cannibals…just subtle turns of story that sneak up on readers and conclude with suitably creepy, skin-crawling scenarios.
Take its chatty introduction: it sounds friendly and succeeds in pulling the reader into the collection, but adds an ominous overtone of threat: "Ah, there you are. I was unsure whether you would make it….Some of you seem a little nervous. Perhaps you are afraid that something within the pages might reach out to you. Please do not let that concern you; such a notion is pure fantasy, is it not? Having said that, the strangest of things can befall people when they least expect it."
And therein lies the strength of each of these tales: they excel in creating the unexpected… and in a world where stories tend to be all too predictable (and outcomes all too logical), that's saying a lot.
Mystery is subtly fused with action so that the end result of each story is a satisfying bend on reader expectation. Pulled in by intrigue, each tale is not only precise in its evolution and unexpected changes, but is cemented by realistic people, situations, and a dose of challenge that prompts each protagonist to move outside his comfort zone and, ultimately, into another world of perception.
The opening story 'The Ticket' is one such scenario, building its tale from the seemingly-ordinary event of a man facing a simple parking ticket that then changes his life. Routine and predictability are the hallmarks of Derek's world: that a parking ticket could challenge and change this foundation is testimony to his obsession with order and the impact of its demise: "Derek loved order. With rules a person knew where he stood. Matters became complicated when people were lax and did not apply them, but that was their problem."
Since it's impossible for Derek to break the rules he holds so dear, the parking ticket must represent far more than a lapse in consciousness…but when slips keep on occurring, Derek is faced with an impossible world in which boundaries are fluid and 'rules' no longer apply.
What's happened to the reality he once counted on? That's for Derek (and readers) to find out.
Ditto with 'The Door', which sets the scene of a landlord who considers himself a down-to-earth businessman … until a stubborn door that won't close thwarts his efforts and changes his life. Said pesky door only opens to a bigger problem as Henry finds his pragmatic, callous attitude towards life comes back to bite him.
If there is such a thing as divine retribution or just desserts, it often appears in these stories, where protagonists eventually find that their expectations create realities they weren't expecting.
Any who appreciate the twists and turns of approaches such as Twilight Zone will find Mystery and Misadventure a winning collection, and anything but predictable!
Seeking
Human Kindness
Various Authors
Reading Harbor
1500391395 Paperback: $14.95 ebook: $2.99
www.readingharbor.com www.amazon.com
Seeking Human Kindness's strength lies in a foundation of true experiences that cement inspirational short stories designed as quick, absorbing reads. The aim is simple: to collect real stories from authors around the world; stories that reflect elements of heroism, acts of kindness, and methods of achieving hope and inspiration.
If it sounds like this is a collection simply recounting good deeds, you aren't far wrong; but the real strength in Seeking Human Kindness lies in its vetted tales and their ability to serve as examples of passion and good behavior choices in everyday human existence.
The dream here was to put together a powerful collection reflecting the good in life…"Crazy random acts people did as a challenge to themselves to make the world a better place. We saw the skepticism with which it was met. We saw the effects it had on their lives and others when their incredulity turned to belief."
Big ideals, true: but big dreams (and those who dare to dream them) can, like ripples in a pond, serve as motivation for others - and because the stories are global in nature and origin (stemming from writers of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences), they represent an unusually diverse gathering of positive, hopeful accounts of finding gems of good in a world of hurt.
Take the first short story by Serbian writer Darko, 'A Hero's Heart', which opens with the rollerblading of a happy, active girl and turns dark with a dog attack and the fierce defense of a tiny dog who sacrifices himself for the child.
If one wonders what positive lesson one could gain from the heroic act of one small animal, read to the end to understand why this experience offers a lesson on "…why this world still deserves a chance" and why a "hero's heart" offers a key to courage.
From an office act of anonymous kindness to a new girl which changes her perspective ("I could not believe that somewhere in this office of mean and angry people, there was someone looking up from their desk and going out of their way to make the new girl feel happy.") to the frustration of a woman who has "…lost her faith in everyone and everything" and who believes "…my dream of changing the world, of making it a better place seemed impossible" until someone points the way, this is a book that focuses on how compassion is cultivated and dreams realized.
As an anecdote to the negativity of modern living, Seeking Human Kindness provides luminous and glowing stories of passion, hope, and inspiration. It is medicine much needed, wrapped in the guise of short story entertainment and true-life drama, and it's a breath of fresh air for a world too often marked by angst, conflict, and hopelessness; where small kindnesses are neither recognized nor celebrated.
Various Authors
Reading Harbor
1500391395 Paperback: $14.95 ebook: $2.99
www.readingharbor.com www.amazon.com
Seeking Human Kindness's strength lies in a foundation of true experiences that cement inspirational short stories designed as quick, absorbing reads. The aim is simple: to collect real stories from authors around the world; stories that reflect elements of heroism, acts of kindness, and methods of achieving hope and inspiration.
If it sounds like this is a collection simply recounting good deeds, you aren't far wrong; but the real strength in Seeking Human Kindness lies in its vetted tales and their ability to serve as examples of passion and good behavior choices in everyday human existence.
The dream here was to put together a powerful collection reflecting the good in life…"Crazy random acts people did as a challenge to themselves to make the world a better place. We saw the skepticism with which it was met. We saw the effects it had on their lives and others when their incredulity turned to belief."
Big ideals, true: but big dreams (and those who dare to dream them) can, like ripples in a pond, serve as motivation for others - and because the stories are global in nature and origin (stemming from writers of all ages, backgrounds and life experiences), they represent an unusually diverse gathering of positive, hopeful accounts of finding gems of good in a world of hurt.
Take the first short story by Serbian writer Darko, 'A Hero's Heart', which opens with the rollerblading of a happy, active girl and turns dark with a dog attack and the fierce defense of a tiny dog who sacrifices himself for the child.
If one wonders what positive lesson one could gain from the heroic act of one small animal, read to the end to understand why this experience offers a lesson on "…why this world still deserves a chance" and why a "hero's heart" offers a key to courage.
From an office act of anonymous kindness to a new girl which changes her perspective ("I could not believe that somewhere in this office of mean and angry people, there was someone looking up from their desk and going out of their way to make the new girl feel happy.") to the frustration of a woman who has "…lost her faith in everyone and everything" and who believes "…my dream of changing the world, of making it a better place seemed impossible" until someone points the way, this is a book that focuses on how compassion is cultivated and dreams realized.
As an anecdote to the negativity of modern living, Seeking Human Kindness provides luminous and glowing stories of passion, hope, and inspiration. It is medicine much needed, wrapped in the guise of short story entertainment and true-life drama, and it's a breath of fresh air for a world too often marked by angst, conflict, and hopelessness; where small kindnesses are neither recognized nor celebrated.
Spirituality
Islam:
Religion Of Health, Not Submission
Mohammad Babaee
Association for Muslims of United States
ISBN: 978-0-9898980-2-7 (sc)
ISBN: 978-0-9898980-3-4 (e)
There have been many, many books written analyzing Islam's religion and culture; but Islam: Religion Of Health, Not Submission offers something different: a perspective that focuses on and considers the concept of submission in a social and spiritual context, and provides a direct, supported rebuttal to the idea that 'submission' is the literal meaning of Islam rather than its true meaning (health).
For all creatures, the rules governing social organization are inherent in their structure and physiology. All human behaviors are due to physiology, and human physiology is a result of God's volition: ergo, these behaviors are a direct result of our obedience to God’s volition.
The most intriguing moments of Islam: Religion Of Health lie in its specific analysis of the idea and process of submission versus health. Chapters provide captivating snippets of reflection on this process, inviting believers in Islam and general spiritual readers alike to consider the wider ramifications of Islam in a religious context: "Submission can be said to be meaningful only when the submitted one has the option to oppose. It implies that a living creature can behave against his physiology and yet survive."
Chapters then provide a history of Muslim interactions with each other and with God, with overlaying themes of submission, defiance, health and spiritual insight woven into each story.
As to the 'health' part of the equation, in Islam: Religion Of Health, Islam is literally translated as meaning 'health': the way of making health, giving health and avoiding harm. Prior interpretations of the Quran have missed this point - and others - and so the entire topic needs re-interpretation and re-thinking. This book is a starting point: the author literally asks "Has self-awareness in human really reached its maximum?" No: we have a long ways to go in the goal of achieving physical, mental, spiritual and social health before we can truly realize the essence of Islam's message. The specific interpretation of numerous passages of Quran text as it relates to ideas of both submission and health make this a very fine analysis indeed, with an approach that documents specifics, not generalities.
It's a scholarly yet fluid read, accompanying many quotes from Islam texts and footnoted references with the history of how Islam came to be associated with a process of submission: "Arabs’ Rebellion temper and bellicosity of that time, and also the importance of property and wealth, were the first motivation for defining Islam as blind submission so that in this way not only to calm down the Arabs by the name of religion and God, but also to make Muslims who had problem with paying Zakat, obedient. At that time not accepting this issue was at the cost of losing life and property."
Now, don't expect perfect English, here. There are numerous issues of grammatical oddities throughout which are to be noted, but which largely don't detract from the book's underlying message.
Readers are admonished to 'seek the truth' in their religious studies and reading; and that is the strength of Islam: Religion Of Health, which will appeal to any who want a more studious assessment of the history of Islam, its most basic beliefs, and why most popular interpretations are off-base.
Mohammad Babaee
Association for Muslims of United States
ISBN: 978-0-9898980-2-7 (sc)
ISBN: 978-0-9898980-3-4 (e)
There have been many, many books written analyzing Islam's religion and culture; but Islam: Religion Of Health, Not Submission offers something different: a perspective that focuses on and considers the concept of submission in a social and spiritual context, and provides a direct, supported rebuttal to the idea that 'submission' is the literal meaning of Islam rather than its true meaning (health).
For all creatures, the rules governing social organization are inherent in their structure and physiology. All human behaviors are due to physiology, and human physiology is a result of God's volition: ergo, these behaviors are a direct result of our obedience to God’s volition.
The most intriguing moments of Islam: Religion Of Health lie in its specific analysis of the idea and process of submission versus health. Chapters provide captivating snippets of reflection on this process, inviting believers in Islam and general spiritual readers alike to consider the wider ramifications of Islam in a religious context: "Submission can be said to be meaningful only when the submitted one has the option to oppose. It implies that a living creature can behave against his physiology and yet survive."
Chapters then provide a history of Muslim interactions with each other and with God, with overlaying themes of submission, defiance, health and spiritual insight woven into each story.
As to the 'health' part of the equation, in Islam: Religion Of Health, Islam is literally translated as meaning 'health': the way of making health, giving health and avoiding harm. Prior interpretations of the Quran have missed this point - and others - and so the entire topic needs re-interpretation and re-thinking. This book is a starting point: the author literally asks "Has self-awareness in human really reached its maximum?" No: we have a long ways to go in the goal of achieving physical, mental, spiritual and social health before we can truly realize the essence of Islam's message. The specific interpretation of numerous passages of Quran text as it relates to ideas of both submission and health make this a very fine analysis indeed, with an approach that documents specifics, not generalities.
It's a scholarly yet fluid read, accompanying many quotes from Islam texts and footnoted references with the history of how Islam came to be associated with a process of submission: "Arabs’ Rebellion temper and bellicosity of that time, and also the importance of property and wealth, were the first motivation for defining Islam as blind submission so that in this way not only to calm down the Arabs by the name of religion and God, but also to make Muslims who had problem with paying Zakat, obedient. At that time not accepting this issue was at the cost of losing life and property."
Now, don't expect perfect English, here. There are numerous issues of grammatical oddities throughout which are to be noted, but which largely don't detract from the book's underlying message.
Readers are admonished to 'seek the truth' in their religious studies and reading; and that is the strength of Islam: Religion Of Health, which will appeal to any who want a more studious assessment of the history of Islam, its most basic beliefs, and why most popular interpretations are off-base.
Spirit
Tale Two: The Seven Teachers - The Dean
Rabbi Sipporah Joseph
Spirit Tales Books
9781497324930 $14.13
www.spirittalesbookseries.com
Spirit Tale Two: The Seven Teachers - The Dean begins a series of seven stories told by the Sephardic Jewish Grandpa Sereno. Rabbi Joseph's Spirit Tales series represents religious fiction that is based on Jewish tradition, values and storytelling, but written to be accessible to readers of all faiths.
The Wheelwork introduced this concept and the 'Seven Teachers' sequence of books takes it a step further, embarking on a journey whereby each teacher offers further spiritual and ethical insights. Familiarity with The Wheelwork is not a requirement for this second book, which will please newcomers and prior readers alike.
A prologue explains the character of Grandpa Sereno and his importance to a large family, while the tale itself is presented in a short, pamphlet-appearing booklet of under 40 pages, which makes it accessible to both busy learners and non-readers alike.
Connections are drawn between the spiritual/metaphysical world and life experiences, with individual strengths and purposes linked to their world impact: "Watch what you say. Because here everything you say becomes visible; even as much as seven times more than usual" the Dean explained."
Perhaps this is the most valuable lesson the Dean can impart: that individual actions, words, and choices impact and hold consequences for the wider world around us.
A being called the 'Announcer' is introduced by Grandpa, setting the stage for revelations about an invisible dimension of possibilities that all visitors to it perceive differently.
Exploration of this dimension and one's role in it is what Spirit Tale Two: The Seven Teachers - The Dean is all about, offering the framework and basic setting for a series of teachings connecting spiritual with earthly concerns and offering readers of all ages an opportunity to reflect on the larger meaning of experience and discovery.
Characters of students are tested, story sequences offer gentle reflections on life and God's meaning, and the end result is an easily-digested, authentic introduction to a series designed to lead all ages to a greater understanding of self and spirit.
Rabbi Sipporah Joseph
Spirit Tales Books
9781497324930 $14.13
www.spirittalesbookseries.com
Spirit Tale Two: The Seven Teachers - The Dean begins a series of seven stories told by the Sephardic Jewish Grandpa Sereno. Rabbi Joseph's Spirit Tales series represents religious fiction that is based on Jewish tradition, values and storytelling, but written to be accessible to readers of all faiths.
The Wheelwork introduced this concept and the 'Seven Teachers' sequence of books takes it a step further, embarking on a journey whereby each teacher offers further spiritual and ethical insights. Familiarity with The Wheelwork is not a requirement for this second book, which will please newcomers and prior readers alike.
A prologue explains the character of Grandpa Sereno and his importance to a large family, while the tale itself is presented in a short, pamphlet-appearing booklet of under 40 pages, which makes it accessible to both busy learners and non-readers alike.
Connections are drawn between the spiritual/metaphysical world and life experiences, with individual strengths and purposes linked to their world impact: "Watch what you say. Because here everything you say becomes visible; even as much as seven times more than usual" the Dean explained."
Perhaps this is the most valuable lesson the Dean can impart: that individual actions, words, and choices impact and hold consequences for the wider world around us.
A being called the 'Announcer' is introduced by Grandpa, setting the stage for revelations about an invisible dimension of possibilities that all visitors to it perceive differently.
Exploration of this dimension and one's role in it is what Spirit Tale Two: The Seven Teachers - The Dean is all about, offering the framework and basic setting for a series of teachings connecting spiritual with earthly concerns and offering readers of all ages an opportunity to reflect on the larger meaning of experience and discovery.
Characters of students are tested, story sequences offer gentle reflections on life and God's meaning, and the end result is an easily-digested, authentic introduction to a series designed to lead all ages to a greater understanding of self and spirit.
Young
Adult/Childrens
Laura's
Star and the
Dream-Monsters
Klaus Baumgart
Bastei Entertainment
ASIN: B00KLA7LCO $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLA7LCO?&referrer=utm_content%3D47a9657e-c055-4031-bde8-75b51ab5295b%26utm_medium%3Dad-analytics%26utm_source%3Dflurry%26utm_campaign%3DUS%252520-%252520Appency%252520Press%252520Release%252520-%252520Amazon
Laura is sleeping when Tommy rushes into her room, excited about a dream. Dream Monsters are threatening his Protect-Me Dog in this nightmare - and when he awakens, it's gone missing.
Big sister Laura tries to help, but the toy is truly gone … they'll have to search for it in the dream world, and Laura's lucky star will be the key to their success.
This interactive app features lovely bright color screens, small animations (the plane mobile moves and, if you look closely, so do some of the toys in Tommy's room), and a narrator's clear voice that tells the story as parents press the 'forward' or 'back' buttons for more, which allows time for all to absorb the colorful screen shots.
Laura's little star sprinkles stardust over Tommy's bed, it's changed to a boat, and the magic begins as they follow her star into the dream world; there to enter Tommy's City of Dreams with its storehouse of dreams.
They have to enter even deeper into the dream world, ignoring other dreams behind closed doors, to reach Tommy's particular dream and his lost toy dog.
A shadowy staircase leads to the nightmares: can Laura's star really be directing them down there? It gets scary - but not too scary for even very young picture book readers, who will appreciate an app where the characters move slightly and the scenes change as if by magic.
Yes, there are dream monsters - but they are whimsical rather than frightening. All have funny tongues and are different colors, and when Laura invites them to "get lost", each click of the 'next' button reduces them in size (quite a clever device) and as they shrink and vanish, Tommy discovers his missing dog.
Laura's star brings them past many doors, many gates, and many obstacles. It guides them on a soft journey and back again.
So the young reader will be guided through the world of dreams, in which a big sister helps her brother and wonders about her own dreams in the process.
As with the other Laura book app, this is a wonderful 'read-aloud' for parents who will enjoy the fact that the narration is done for them. This leaves adults better able to interact with a child as they both enjoy the narration and visuals, so both can appreciate the vivid, glowing color and lightly animated story!
Klaus Baumgart
Bastei Entertainment
ASIN: B00KLA7LCO $2.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLA7LCO?&referrer=utm_content%3D47a9657e-c055-4031-bde8-75b51ab5295b%26utm_medium%3Dad-analytics%26utm_source%3Dflurry%26utm_campaign%3DUS%252520-%252520Appency%252520Press%252520Release%252520-%252520Amazon
Laura is sleeping when Tommy rushes into her room, excited about a dream. Dream Monsters are threatening his Protect-Me Dog in this nightmare - and when he awakens, it's gone missing.
Big sister Laura tries to help, but the toy is truly gone … they'll have to search for it in the dream world, and Laura's lucky star will be the key to their success.
This interactive app features lovely bright color screens, small animations (the plane mobile moves and, if you look closely, so do some of the toys in Tommy's room), and a narrator's clear voice that tells the story as parents press the 'forward' or 'back' buttons for more, which allows time for all to absorb the colorful screen shots.
Laura's little star sprinkles stardust over Tommy's bed, it's changed to a boat, and the magic begins as they follow her star into the dream world; there to enter Tommy's City of Dreams with its storehouse of dreams.
They have to enter even deeper into the dream world, ignoring other dreams behind closed doors, to reach Tommy's particular dream and his lost toy dog.
A shadowy staircase leads to the nightmares: can Laura's star really be directing them down there? It gets scary - but not too scary for even very young picture book readers, who will appreciate an app where the characters move slightly and the scenes change as if by magic.
Yes, there are dream monsters - but they are whimsical rather than frightening. All have funny tongues and are different colors, and when Laura invites them to "get lost", each click of the 'next' button reduces them in size (quite a clever device) and as they shrink and vanish, Tommy discovers his missing dog.
Laura's star brings them past many doors, many gates, and many obstacles. It guides them on a soft journey and back again.
So the young reader will be guided through the world of dreams, in which a big sister helps her brother and wonders about her own dreams in the process.
As with the other Laura book app, this is a wonderful 'read-aloud' for parents who will enjoy the fact that the narration is done for them. This leaves adults better able to interact with a child as they both enjoy the narration and visuals, so both can appreciate the vivid, glowing color and lightly animated story!
The
Magic of Friendship
Subhash Kommuru
Kommuru Books
5816 Amy Drive, Edina MN 55436
Email: Kommurubooks@gmail.com
9780990317814 $7.99 40 Pages
www.kommurubooks.com
http://goo.gl/Ey5kRz (Barnes and Noble)
http://amzn.com/0990317811 (Amazon)
When it comes to stories about friendship, children's picture book literature is replete with tales of boys and girls who form mutually beneficial relationships; but The Magic of Friendship aims for something more and stands above most others in pairing vivid, colorful animal drawings (by Arul Anugragh Ross) with a narrative that at first seems predictable, but offers some satisfying differences.
Chotu's father is captain of a migratory flight of geese that makes its journey across central India, heading south for the winter. They are free to fly any route they choose - except over the huge Taboda Forest, home of Babbar, a fierce tiger who frightens every animal in India.
Why should a bird fear a land animal? Because Babbar's roar is so strong, it once brought down an entire flock of birds with its force. Only one bird made it out (Chotu's father) and so no bird has since dared fly over Babbar's forest.
There's no denying the authenticity of Chotu's father's own experience, but as Captain wisely observes, Babbar can have anything he wants except the one thing he truly desires: happiness.
It's also time for Kojagiri, a nighttime festival where animals gather together to play. From a funny entertainer donkey (reminiscent of Donkey in Shrek) to an owl who likes to pull pranks by threatening Babbar's appearance, even Babbar can hear the amusements and laughter, albeit from afar. The celebration offers amazing examples of how serious creatures can play and it sparks his longing for friends. But how can he have friends when everyone fears him?
When the owl again announces Babbar's presence, the animals believe he's joking… but this time it's real. Donkey Hasmukah falls over in a faint and awakens to find the fierce tiger's right over him. He is doomed…or, is he?
When Hasmukah discovers Babbar simply wants some tips on how to make creatures laugh, he in turn asks for lessons in ferocity - and so an unusual friendship begins. The lessons go on for days, with few results for either animal. Will they fail in their goals to change?
It takes a wise old bird's observation to point out the real value of friendship and its world-changing potentials in this winning, feel-good story perfect for read-aloud or young picture book readers.
Subhash Kommuru
Kommuru Books
5816 Amy Drive, Edina MN 55436
Email: Kommurubooks@gmail.com
9780990317814 $7.99 40 Pages
www.kommurubooks.com
http://goo.gl/Ey5kRz (Barnes and Noble)
http://amzn.com/0990317811 (Amazon)
When it comes to stories about friendship, children's picture book literature is replete with tales of boys and girls who form mutually beneficial relationships; but The Magic of Friendship aims for something more and stands above most others in pairing vivid, colorful animal drawings (by Arul Anugragh Ross) with a narrative that at first seems predictable, but offers some satisfying differences.
Chotu's father is captain of a migratory flight of geese that makes its journey across central India, heading south for the winter. They are free to fly any route they choose - except over the huge Taboda Forest, home of Babbar, a fierce tiger who frightens every animal in India.
Why should a bird fear a land animal? Because Babbar's roar is so strong, it once brought down an entire flock of birds with its force. Only one bird made it out (Chotu's father) and so no bird has since dared fly over Babbar's forest.
There's no denying the authenticity of Chotu's father's own experience, but as Captain wisely observes, Babbar can have anything he wants except the one thing he truly desires: happiness.
It's also time for Kojagiri, a nighttime festival where animals gather together to play. From a funny entertainer donkey (reminiscent of Donkey in Shrek) to an owl who likes to pull pranks by threatening Babbar's appearance, even Babbar can hear the amusements and laughter, albeit from afar. The celebration offers amazing examples of how serious creatures can play and it sparks his longing for friends. But how can he have friends when everyone fears him?
When the owl again announces Babbar's presence, the animals believe he's joking… but this time it's real. Donkey Hasmukah falls over in a faint and awakens to find the fierce tiger's right over him. He is doomed…or, is he?
When Hasmukah discovers Babbar simply wants some tips on how to make creatures laugh, he in turn asks for lessons in ferocity - and so an unusual friendship begins. The lessons go on for days, with few results for either animal. Will they fail in their goals to change?
It takes a wise old bird's observation to point out the real value of friendship and its world-changing potentials in this winning, feel-good story perfect for read-aloud or young picture book readers.
My
Kiss Won't Miss
Lesley Dahlseng
WhetWord Press, LLC
PO Box 492
Alexandria, MN 56308
Email: whetwordpress@outlook.com
9780615987040 $17.99 32 Pages
http://www.stl-distribution.com/s3/?keyword=My+kiss+won%27t+miss&search_only=&x=0&y=0
My Kiss Won't Miss is an excellent picture book for pre-school to kindergarten readers. It offers the dilemma of a mother whose young son doesn't just enjoy hiding by day, but sneaks out of bed at night to play hide-and-seek. The mother's idea is that her love will follow him wherever he goes; even when she can't see or find him - and it's part of a greater idea that God's love follows the same path.
Mirela Tufan provides vivid, compelling color illustrations throughout the story and her colors and hues are compelling and lovely enhancements of the story line. There are streams with swans, dreamscapes with lambs, rafts on water with cozy coves…all the trappings of dream fantasy worlds where a mother's love embraces a wayward son.
The rhyme is wonderful, the message simple, and the delivery was very easy to understand, all wrapped up with the lovely supportive illustrations. The conclusion seems somewhat abrupt for a bedtime story centering on a mother's love that only in the last few pages incorporates the quote from Romans: "Nothing in all creation, will separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ", but ultimately, it worked - and, very nicely, by pairing the familiar images of a loving mother who sees all and gives unconditional love with that of the wider concept of a God who does the same, the very young preschooler will receive an introduction to the concept based on something he may already be very familiar with.
Christian families seeking a strong starting point for relating God to a young child's experience will thus find My Kiss Won't Miss an excellent choice.
Lesley Dahlseng
WhetWord Press, LLC
PO Box 492
Alexandria, MN 56308
Email: whetwordpress@outlook.com
9780615987040 $17.99 32 Pages
http://www.stl-distribution.com/s3/?keyword=My+kiss+won%27t+miss&search_only=&x=0&y=0
My Kiss Won't Miss is an excellent picture book for pre-school to kindergarten readers. It offers the dilemma of a mother whose young son doesn't just enjoy hiding by day, but sneaks out of bed at night to play hide-and-seek. The mother's idea is that her love will follow him wherever he goes; even when she can't see or find him - and it's part of a greater idea that God's love follows the same path.
Mirela Tufan provides vivid, compelling color illustrations throughout the story and her colors and hues are compelling and lovely enhancements of the story line. There are streams with swans, dreamscapes with lambs, rafts on water with cozy coves…all the trappings of dream fantasy worlds where a mother's love embraces a wayward son.
The rhyme is wonderful, the message simple, and the delivery was very easy to understand, all wrapped up with the lovely supportive illustrations. The conclusion seems somewhat abrupt for a bedtime story centering on a mother's love that only in the last few pages incorporates the quote from Romans: "Nothing in all creation, will separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ", but ultimately, it worked - and, very nicely, by pairing the familiar images of a loving mother who sees all and gives unconditional love with that of the wider concept of a God who does the same, the very young preschooler will receive an introduction to the concept based on something he may already be very familiar with.
Christian families seeking a strong starting point for relating God to a young child's experience will thus find My Kiss Won't Miss an excellent choice.
A
Simple Idea to Empower Kids
Kathleen Boucher
Balboa Press Publisher
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
ISBN: 978-1-4525-9142-1 (sc) $13.95
ISBN: 978-1-4525-9143-8 (e) $3.99
Number of Pages: 25
www.balboapress.com
http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000730938/A-Simple-Idea-to-Empower-Kids.aspx
A Simple Idea to Empower Kids will reach young readers ages 8-12 with the same powerful goal of the 'Teens' version of the book: to empower kids based on three simple principles of love, choice and belief.
This book provides a far simpler format to impart the message to a younger age group, offering reader-friendly, simple drawings paired with uncomplicated admonitions that encourage kids to recognize how love powers the planet. It's also carefully designed to be easily memorized so that even a poor child receiving a parental read-aloud from a borrowed book can quickly and easily remember its message of hope and strength.
It starts with a basic perception ("From the beginning of time until the end of time there will only be one of you on Earth. Only one! This means you are very special exactly as you are right now.") and builds upon this basic tenant. This message is supported by ideas of 'giving permission', 'believing in yourself', and the inherent power in everyone to choose their thoughts and, conversely, their reactions to life's slings and arrows.
So you've heard all this before? Not for this age group, though: and that's where A Simple Idea to Empower Kids makes all the difference. It adopts an uncomplicated approach to empowerment and presents it to a much younger age group than is usual for such ideals.
In making the concept available to those with versatile, growing minds, it's more likely to take root at an early age; there to grow into a strategy for interacting with the world.
Kid-friendly drawings pair with simple, kid-accessible admonitions to make for a valuable, surprisingly simple lesson recommended for not just kids, but all ages.
Kathleen Boucher
Balboa Press Publisher
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
ISBN: 978-1-4525-9142-1 (sc) $13.95
ISBN: 978-1-4525-9143-8 (e) $3.99
Number of Pages: 25
www.balboapress.com
http://bookstore.balboapress.com/Products/SKU-000730938/A-Simple-Idea-to-Empower-Kids.aspx
A Simple Idea to Empower Kids will reach young readers ages 8-12 with the same powerful goal of the 'Teens' version of the book: to empower kids based on three simple principles of love, choice and belief.
This book provides a far simpler format to impart the message to a younger age group, offering reader-friendly, simple drawings paired with uncomplicated admonitions that encourage kids to recognize how love powers the planet. It's also carefully designed to be easily memorized so that even a poor child receiving a parental read-aloud from a borrowed book can quickly and easily remember its message of hope and strength.
It starts with a basic perception ("From the beginning of time until the end of time there will only be one of you on Earth. Only one! This means you are very special exactly as you are right now.") and builds upon this basic tenant. This message is supported by ideas of 'giving permission', 'believing in yourself', and the inherent power in everyone to choose their thoughts and, conversely, their reactions to life's slings and arrows.
So you've heard all this before? Not for this age group, though: and that's where A Simple Idea to Empower Kids makes all the difference. It adopts an uncomplicated approach to empowerment and presents it to a much younger age group than is usual for such ideals.
In making the concept available to those with versatile, growing minds, it's more likely to take root at an early age; there to grow into a strategy for interacting with the world.
Kid-friendly drawings pair with simple, kid-accessible admonitions to make for a valuable, surprisingly simple lesson recommended for not just kids, but all ages.
Thomas
Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven
K. M. Doherty
Wizard's Mark Press
27 Ash Street, Dover, NH 03820
Publisher's email: WizardsMarkPress@gmail.com
9780991572007 346 Pages
Price: $9.99 (Paperback) $3.99 (eBook - Kindle & Nook)
www.ThomasHollandBooks.net
Thomas Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven is a fantasy for young adult to adult audiences, and begins when a boy who does not believe in the supernatural discovers that he's the key prophecy in a universe run by magic: a universe Tom's mother and her team of scientists have unwittingly accessed through their experiments.
It's a world of impossible fantasy housing trolls, ogres, wizards and magic: a world where Tom and his robot Chloe clearly don't belong. But in a world run by enchantment they are deemed not only magical themselves, but the possible answer to a universe headed toward a deadly war that will destroy everything.
Tom makes friends in Elfhaven, but even his growing connections there can't guarantee he'll be able to single-handedly avert disaster. It will take a lot more than either fairy magic or technology to halt the relentless progress of an impossible war machine.
Although all the trappings of the usual fantasy seem to be here (a cast of magical characters, the specter of war, a lad just coming into his powers who finds his belief system tested), what lends a satisfyingly different feel to Thomas Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven is its attention to detail. Much like author K. M. Doherty, Tom is a budding young engineer (as evidenced by his creation, Chloe), and he has a vested interest in believing in the powers of technology over magic.
Furthermore, his high-tech world is cemented by personal experimentation and a solid focus on hard science: elements that don’t exist in the world of magic and which, as a result, lend him a distinct advantage. The difference between his inventor mindset and his mother's scientific mindset creates an unusual bond of understanding between them: a bond that also will be tested in the course of events that play out between both worlds.
As Tom receives basic lessons on magic and incantation, the power of visualization, and prophecy, he begins to truly come into the extent of his own powers, which straddle two very different universes and two very different realities.
Comic relief permeates part of the story line and is often an unexpected and pleasing diversion: "See, this is what I was talking about. No one listens to me. I’m just a lowly prince, I guess. They said they would follow my orders, but NOOOO!” The prince clenched his teeth, drew his sword and dashed off after them. Tom choked back a laugh as he fell in line behind him.", but that's just one of the devices that sets Thomas Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven apart from competitors.
Even romance takes a light bow towards the end, which offers an epilogue promising further adventures from Tom and his clan.
New friendships, new worlds, and new realities: all this is packed in a satisfyingly revealing adventure that will keep all ages involved in a fantasy filled with both resolutions and new beginnings.
K. M. Doherty
Wizard's Mark Press
27 Ash Street, Dover, NH 03820
Publisher's email: WizardsMarkPress@gmail.com
9780991572007 346 Pages
Price: $9.99 (Paperback) $3.99 (eBook - Kindle & Nook)
www.ThomasHollandBooks.net
Thomas Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven is a fantasy for young adult to adult audiences, and begins when a boy who does not believe in the supernatural discovers that he's the key prophecy in a universe run by magic: a universe Tom's mother and her team of scientists have unwittingly accessed through their experiments.
It's a world of impossible fantasy housing trolls, ogres, wizards and magic: a world where Tom and his robot Chloe clearly don't belong. But in a world run by enchantment they are deemed not only magical themselves, but the possible answer to a universe headed toward a deadly war that will destroy everything.
Tom makes friends in Elfhaven, but even his growing connections there can't guarantee he'll be able to single-handedly avert disaster. It will take a lot more than either fairy magic or technology to halt the relentless progress of an impossible war machine.
Although all the trappings of the usual fantasy seem to be here (a cast of magical characters, the specter of war, a lad just coming into his powers who finds his belief system tested), what lends a satisfyingly different feel to Thomas Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven is its attention to detail. Much like author K. M. Doherty, Tom is a budding young engineer (as evidenced by his creation, Chloe), and he has a vested interest in believing in the powers of technology over magic.
Furthermore, his high-tech world is cemented by personal experimentation and a solid focus on hard science: elements that don’t exist in the world of magic and which, as a result, lend him a distinct advantage. The difference between his inventor mindset and his mother's scientific mindset creates an unusual bond of understanding between them: a bond that also will be tested in the course of events that play out between both worlds.
As Tom receives basic lessons on magic and incantation, the power of visualization, and prophecy, he begins to truly come into the extent of his own powers, which straddle two very different universes and two very different realities.
Comic relief permeates part of the story line and is often an unexpected and pleasing diversion: "See, this is what I was talking about. No one listens to me. I’m just a lowly prince, I guess. They said they would follow my orders, but NOOOO!” The prince clenched his teeth, drew his sword and dashed off after them. Tom choked back a laugh as he fell in line behind him.", but that's just one of the devices that sets Thomas Holland and the Prophecy of Elfhaven apart from competitors.
Even romance takes a light bow towards the end, which offers an epilogue promising further adventures from Tom and his clan.
New friendships, new worlds, and new realities: all this is packed in a satisfyingly revealing adventure that will keep all ages involved in a fantasy filled with both resolutions and new beginnings.
Uncovered
in Istanbul
Melissa Mahle & Kathryn Dennis
Spygirls Press
P.O. Box 1537
Fairfax, VA 22038
Email: spygirls@verizon.net
9780985227371 196 Pages
Price: Paperback $8.99/ebook $5.99
www.spygirlspress.com
Relatively few young adult mystery reads are as steeped in a sense of non-Western place and culture as Uncovered in Instanbul: in fact, most adult mysteries don't come with such an immersion - and it's a shame. Turkey's sights, sounds and smells are exceptionally vivid here and are the perfect exotic backdrop to support a feisty female protagonist in her quest for the truth.
Young adult readers ages 9-13 (especially those familiar with Book One of the 'Anatolia Steppe' series) are in for a treat with Uncovered in Instanbul, where an old diary purchased in an Istanbul bazaar involves two teens who concurrently investigate a mysterious legend, an assassination plot, and Ana's father's secret life.
That's a lot of secrets for one saga, and without proper handling, such a story line could become overly complex and confusing; especially for young adults. But these potential problems aren't evident in Uncovered in Instanbul, which cements its story with a first-person perspective that sets forth a premise that unifies the story's contention that rules are "…only suggestions…The key is to know when and how to bend them."
A prologue of past events (in 1789) neatly sets the stage for events of present-day Instanbul, where Ana and Gordy face down pirates, sultans, ambushes, and an invitation to give up the mystery they're investigating: "I'm angry now. It's my journal and a clue to Aimee's mystery. I most definitely am not getting rid of it."
One wouldn't expect a dose of humor to permeate such a serious plot, but it's here and offers realistic comic relief to the nonstop adventure: "Coming home in a police car is never good. It is particularly bad when home is a five-star hotel and the welcoming committee is hotel security, one of the guards from the museum, and a brigade of chauffeurs. And Mom."
Ana is charged with a lot of tasks: solving a mystery, investigating her own father (who is playing dead), and even saving Gordy when forces involve them in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.
Through it all the legend of a young French girl lost at sea weaves a secret begging to be released into a vivid story of traps, danger, and a key that unifies all.
This is cemented by the brash, sassy, action-oriented protagonist of Anatolia Steppe (it's so satisfying to see a spunky, take-charge protagonist in a young adult mystery!) whose personal commitment and determination fuel a fast-paced, involving mystery that hovers on elements of hope and despair right up to the end.
Melissa Mahle & Kathryn Dennis
Spygirls Press
P.O. Box 1537
Fairfax, VA 22038
Email: spygirls@verizon.net
9780985227371 196 Pages
Price: Paperback $8.99/ebook $5.99
www.spygirlspress.com
Relatively few young adult mystery reads are as steeped in a sense of non-Western place and culture as Uncovered in Instanbul: in fact, most adult mysteries don't come with such an immersion - and it's a shame. Turkey's sights, sounds and smells are exceptionally vivid here and are the perfect exotic backdrop to support a feisty female protagonist in her quest for the truth.
Young adult readers ages 9-13 (especially those familiar with Book One of the 'Anatolia Steppe' series) are in for a treat with Uncovered in Instanbul, where an old diary purchased in an Istanbul bazaar involves two teens who concurrently investigate a mysterious legend, an assassination plot, and Ana's father's secret life.
That's a lot of secrets for one saga, and without proper handling, such a story line could become overly complex and confusing; especially for young adults. But these potential problems aren't evident in Uncovered in Instanbul, which cements its story with a first-person perspective that sets forth a premise that unifies the story's contention that rules are "…only suggestions…The key is to know when and how to bend them."
A prologue of past events (in 1789) neatly sets the stage for events of present-day Instanbul, where Ana and Gordy face down pirates, sultans, ambushes, and an invitation to give up the mystery they're investigating: "I'm angry now. It's my journal and a clue to Aimee's mystery. I most definitely am not getting rid of it."
One wouldn't expect a dose of humor to permeate such a serious plot, but it's here and offers realistic comic relief to the nonstop adventure: "Coming home in a police car is never good. It is particularly bad when home is a five-star hotel and the welcoming committee is hotel security, one of the guards from the museum, and a brigade of chauffeurs. And Mom."
Ana is charged with a lot of tasks: solving a mystery, investigating her own father (who is playing dead), and even saving Gordy when forces involve them in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.
Through it all the legend of a young French girl lost at sea weaves a secret begging to be released into a vivid story of traps, danger, and a key that unifies all.
This is cemented by the brash, sassy, action-oriented protagonist of Anatolia Steppe (it's so satisfying to see a spunky, take-charge protagonist in a young adult mystery!) whose personal commitment and determination fuel a fast-paced, involving mystery that hovers on elements of hope and despair right up to the end.