September 2018 Review Issue
Beware of
Redemption
Patrick K. Jaynes PhD
and Darlien C. Breeze
Double Dragon eBooks
ASIN: B07GBFNHDB
$5.99
http://a.co/d/3njNLfy
Beware of Redemption is Book Two in the
Beware series, and blends
sci-fi with political thriller elements to create a fast-paced story.
Book One was
not read
by this reviewer, and the authors do urge readers to partake of the
book in
series; but an excellent prologue sums up the background explored in
the first
book and sets the stage nicely for events in Beware
of Redemption, which swirl around aliens operating secretly
on Earth, the first contact situation humanity faces, and the responses
of
political leaders around the world to these unusual alien visitors.
It should be
noted
that Beware of Redemption holds a
series of subplots, investigations, intrigue, and plots among nations
that
lends a feel to the story somewhat between James Bond, Indiana Jones,
and
Sherlock Holmes. Action is nicely woven into the story and reveals
conspiracies
and plots, creating a winding account with astute insights into special
interests, processes of adaptation, and the changes knowledge brings to
all
involved: "According to Peter,
Ionlin comes off as logical and fairly non-violent. If he’s correct,
maybe the
group living among us for all these years has adopted some of our
aggression?”
“Stuart followed her thought line. “People certainly socialize in such
a
manner. Peaceful people, exposed to enough violence, certainly can
become more
aggressive."
From lives
devoted to
justice and prejudice against aliens to the disconnect between
individual
perceptions, purposes, and government special interests, Beware
of Redemption offers a complex set of insights not for the
faint-hearted or quick leisure reader, but for those who like their
stories
well-detailed, intriguing, multifaceted, and filled with food for
thought.
Too many
series
titles don't link well to one another, or are really one book
artificially
divided. Beware of Redemption
invites
newcomers to begin at the beginning with the prior book's details, then
provides a solid continuation.
Riveting and
revealing, Beware of Redemption
will
engross and enlighten with intriguing considerations of the
opportunities and
dangers Earth faces.
Sci-fi fans
who
appreciate elements of romance, political action, and investigative
intrigue
woven into their storylines will appreciate the many paths Beware of Redemption takes in the course
of presenting a
thought-provoking story of a president's connections with alien special
interests.
Return to Index
Chroma
Crossing
Chronicles: Blood Moon
S. Yurvati
CreateSpace
978-0692622100
$12.99 Paper/$2.99 Kindle
http://a.co/fOyNu8R
Chroma Crossing Chronicles: Blood Moon is
the perfect example of
fantasy writing at its best. It's also a love story juxtaposing
overseer gods
and their whimsies with the life of Candy, a city girl who inherits a
house in
Savannah that comes complete with promises for her artistic endeavors
and
barriers from the stepmother and disturbed son who reside in that house.
As S.
Yurvati expands
the story, readers come to realize this is not about love, games and
control by
The Gods, or even blossoming sexual adventure (although all these
elements are
included as part of the plot). It's about a young woman whose
inheritance
changes the course of her life and allows her to tap unrealized
artistic dreams
and create a new life in a historic city she doesn't really understand.
In many
ways, Blood Moon defies genre
categorization.
Is it a romance? It doesn't feature the usual approach to love and the
kind of
laser focus a romance story alone provides. A fantasy? There are
artistic and
historical backdrops set in the real world that defy the often-singular
focus
on fantastic elements in a standard fantasy read. A tale of intrigue
and
survival? Certainly all these elements are part of the whole; but to
pick out
any one and say that this is the overriding power of the story would be
to do a
disservice to a multifaceted read which keeps reads involved,
intrigued, and
happily challenged by a myriad of subplots and characters.
Blood Moon is anything but formula
writing, and the very things
that makes its nature elusive is the strength that sets it apart from
most
fantasy, romance, or other genre productions.
As the plot
flipflops
and expands, readers will note that the points of view change, as well.
All are
nicely delineated by chapter headings which keep readers from becoming
lost as
perspectives juxtapose with changing events.
It should be
noted
that language and sexual descriptions are often graphic; but always in
keeping
with the plot's evolution. Readers who avoid such explicit descriptions
should
likely look elsewhere; but they'll be missing a special story whose
strength
lies as much in its artistic vision as in its explorations of changing
relationships and their impact on the world.
The result
is billed
as a fantasy/romance but in actuality supersedes either description and
actually defies formula categorization. Suffice it to say that readers
of fantasy,
romance, intrigue, and women's fiction who enjoy artistic explorations,
descriptions of sometimes-disturbing personalities, and the backdrop of
a
colorless world splashed with one woman's colorful passion will find
much to
like in the complex Blood Moon. It
excels in many surprising twists and turns as Candy and Thorne face
their
flaws, weaknesses, dreams, and a danger that ventures into paranormal
realms. A
final caution: Blood Moon concludes
with a light cliff-hanger, inviting readers to look for more books down
the
line.
Return to Index
The Foundry:
Dianis,
A World in Turmoil
Frank Dravis
Six Factors Publishing, LLC
978-1976911583
$2.99 Kindle/$12.89 Paper
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thefoundrybookone/
Ordering links: https://www.amazon.com/Foundry-Dianis-World-Turmoil/dp/1976911583/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531873263&sr=8-1&keywords=the+foundry+frank+dravis
The Foundry launches a new series that
centers on cultural
anthropologist Chief Inspector Achelous Forushen and his
struggle with the
galaxy-wide mining conglomerate Nordarken Mining, which would plumb the
riches
of the primitive world Dianis. Originally charged with
protecting this
world, Forushen is reassigned far away under suspicious circumstances
and thus
finds his loyalties and mission sorely tested.
An extensive
cast of
characters list at the story's beginning is ample warning that The Foundry's world and people are
complicated and many. Readers anticipating either a political or
military
sci-fi tale with clear boundaries and simple events will soon discover
this
crafts a complex scenario that builds not just a world, but a universe.
In much the
manner of
Lois McMaster Bujold, Frank Dravis creates
an adventure
that is multifaceted, sweeping, and complicated. Readers of Bujold are
just one
audience likely to appreciate the unusually well-detailed approach that
allows
for a sociologist and an anthropologist's perspective of peoples,
planets, and
events as well as evolving political issues of citizen rights,
Federation
processes, and plots to exploit other worlds.
The politics
and
purposes of these different characters and groups fold nicely into an
overall
saga that embraces not just greed but efforts to subjugate and control
people,
belief systems, and high-tech investigative processes.
The dilemmas
of
various characters are closely examined ("The
whole escapade demonstrates two things. First, any determined corsair
with
resources can breach and elude the surveillance system. With the right
equipment, intel, and planning they could do it virtually undetected.
All they
need to do is search long and hard enough, and they will find the
holes. If we
leave Dianis, dismantle the thin solar surveillance network, the planet
will be
wide open to exploitation."), while a desperate investigation
and
search to uncover the truth blends nicely into issues of genocide and
greed.
The result
is
especially astute in revealing that the people caught between various
factions
have their own lives and perspectives that differ from those battling
both on
their behalf and against each other. Strong characterization and
subplots and
probes of motives and approaches to managing worlds create the feel of
an
investigative piece combined with an epic world-changing perspective.
The focus
on a man who leads a double life makes for a thrillingly complicated
story
worth all the hours that will undoubtedly be put into understanding its
many
subplots and perspectives.
Sci-fi
readers who
like their worlds complex will relish the many thought-provoking
surprises that
makes The Foundry a standout in the
genre of epic, galaxy-building stories.
Return to Index
A Printer’s Choice
W. L. Patenaude
Izzard Ink Publishing
Softback:
978-1-64228-006-7
$22.95
Hardback:
978-1-64228-007-4
$27.95
eBook:
978-1-64228-005-0
$
7.99
www.aprinterschoice.com
A
Printer’s Choice is sci-fi set in
2088, when the first
homicide of an ordinary laborer in space leads parish priest Father
John
Francis McClellan (also a retired US Marine Corps expert) to
investigate a
puzzling murder involving "high-defs" (artificially intelligent
three-dimensional printers that built this new world).
There are many unexpected features and
moments in this complex, absorbing blend of detective piece and
futuristic
examination of faith and technology. One of its most notable strengths
lies in
its multifaceted settings (both on Earth and in space) and detailed
exploration
of political and social turmoil against which murder plays only one
part in a
larger puzzle. Equally strong are its detailed discussions of the
intersections
of faith, morality, and ethical behaviors in an artificially
manipulated world.
Military programming, revenge, and church
influences on transformative processes are just a few of the subplots
running
through a story line that's especially potent in its inclusion of
thought-provoking
character insights: "As I grow older,” Zhèng
continued, “and as every day I see the results of people’s choices and
failures—most especially my own, as you know—and as I deal with so much
suffering in a world that was to have outlawed suffering, I’m more
certain that
the answers we seek do not come from any of us—not our actions or our
intellect
or our technologies. It comes from something greater. Otherwise it
doesn’t
exist at all.”
These
philosophical,
reflective pieces juxtapose church and political elements in a
satisfying and
original manner that bring to life the world and characters who move
through A
Printer’s Choice. There are just
enough connections to present-day situations to feel familiar; but
enough
futuristic trappings to come across as unique.
From powerful programmer and reprogrammer
engineers to poor choices, temptations, pride, and an evolving truth
about what
Tanglao had been attempting, who had killed him, and why, A
Printer’s Choice
walks a delicate line between a sci-fi thriller, a detective piece, and
a
survey of spiritual and moral challenges. All these facets are set
against the
backdrop of a society that has evolved into a world where engineers
virtually
recreate society and moral values.
Complex, action-packed and thought-provoking
all at once, A Printer’s Choice is a uniquely
crafted piece that doesn't
handily limit itself to a single genre, but spreads its message and
vision
across a broad spectrum to attract a diverse audience of readers who
like their
sci-fi intricate, original and compelling.
Return to Index
Sunlight 24
Merritt Graves
9781949272048
Denied these
opportunities, these poor characters do the one thing they can achieve
without
it: robbing houses, a surprisingly satisfying endeavor that allows them
to save
up for the coveted self-enhancement program and achieve many of their
dreams.
But what
began as a
dream turns into a nightmare as they realize that their goal is in
hand, but is
sparking a series of changes that revises not only opportunities, but
their
very personalities.
Dorian wants
to step
away and reassess, but he's caught in a deadly trap that seems to lead
far from
his original persona and dreams, and he seems to have no easy way out
of the
ambition that has become an irresolvable dilemma.
Dorian has
always
been a deeper thinker than his peers, often flummoxing them with
observations
supported by facts: "Here’s the
thing: If the world was working, I would gladly just shut up. But it’s
not. One
percent of people own everything, and three quarters of the rest are
too
distracted by the link and VR to realize or care that they’re being
fucked." His social observations aren't always welcomed ("...they want to be told they can keep
doing exactly what they’re already doing—playing more games and taking
more
drugs. Everyone knows that something doesn’t feel right, but they’re
too
entertained to figure out why.” “Saying that won’t motivate them, and
if it
does, it’ll be the destructive kind,” said Chris. “When you start
giving up on
the world, the world starts giving up on you.”), but they are
astute, and
when he decides to take control of his own future and defy the
boundaries and
promise of Revision, real changes begin to ripple into everything
around him.
In many
ways, Sunlight 24 mirrors the
present-day
world, between separate opportunities in rich and poor worlds, the
promise of
an ever-elusive revised state of mind for some, and the collective
costs of
mental preoccupation and obsession. Readers concerned about present-day
social
structures will find the familiar backdrop in Sunlight
24, and its extrapolation into the future, to be
frightening.
It's this
basis in
modern events that makes the story line so vivid, believable, and
thought-provoking, with its anti-hero characters fighting for something
that
often eludes modern-day democratic societies.
The
intricate,
winding nature of Dorian's choice is cemented by strong
characterization and
interactions through different strata of society, making Sunlight
24 the kind of read that lingers in the mind far after its
conclusion, which revolves around trust, action, and world-changing
games made
not from the top levels of society, but from an activist who hovers
somewhere
in between.
Sci-fi
readers
interested in high tech, social and political issues, and individual
struggle
will relish the setting and unusual paths Sunlight
24 takes in its vivid journey through a society hell-bent on
recreating
itself based on its own visions of what it should be, against all odds
and
costs.
Return to Index
Almost Heaven
Carroll Green
Love Your Neighbor
Publishing
978-0-692-06649-2
$22.00
www.loveyourneighborpublishing.com
Almost Heaven It Was Not Even Close — A Legacy Of
Love offers
slice-of-life vignettes about Carroll Green's world and the people in
it in the
unincorporated community of Bishop and beyond from the 1940s to modern
times.
It surveys his early years, Carroll Green's stint in the Marines, his
family's
growth and expansion, and the social, political and psychological
forces that
divide, then reunite communities and families.
Plenty of
memoirs
focus on individual experiences; but few tie them to greater social
movements,
issues, and forces as adeptly as Almost
Heaven.
This
intention is
stated in the introductory pages ("Through
it all, I have seen what this country is and is not: The claim to
greatness and
the failure to achieve it. The promise of opportunity and the bigotry
that
litters the path to it. The hate and greed that pervade society’s
institutions
and the determination to maintain the status quo, ensure an upward
climb to
achieve and succeed. It is always good to know from whence one came.
Some start
ahead of the line, some at the line, yet others from behind the line.
It is
only after arrival can one measure the distance traveled and progress
attained. Progress by any measure, we trust."), and Green
keeps to
this blueprint of action in the course of linking his life experiences
and
events to bigger-picture thinking.
Vintage
black and
white photos throughout lend visual embellishment as readers follow
Green's
journey through Bishop, a community changed by civil rights efforts,
and
comments on forces of corporate and religious oppression that continue
to
operate in modern times: "The unsung
heroes — Uncle Buddy, Mr. Colin, Mr. Lambright, Cousins Carl and
Shirley, the
village elders and their forefathers — waged intense activism and
fought
diligently to ensure that those of us who came later, would face a
somewhat
diminished form of white supremacy. To a huge degree they were
successful. We
learned very early on in our lives, that the fallacies and
contradictions of
white supremacy, Jim Crow and separatism are fostered by the state and
corporate America, and endorsed by the American church. It is quite
ironic that
one of the earliest civil rights movements began in a house of worship
and has
become perhaps the most enduring of efforts to end the subjugation of
people of
color in this country."
These kinds
of
observations juxtapose nicely with Green's heritage, the major people
who
influenced his life (both through their personal interactions in it and
by
their social and political efforts), and the forces he encounters that
influence his own successes and failures, which are candidly outlined
in his
story.
At no point
does the
narration lag or become self-serving. Even more importantly, Green
draws
important connections between key decisions in his life and points
where they
failed others: "Youthful decisions
can be tantamount to disaster. My decision to serve my country over
serving my
son proved to be a fatal flaw in his development. Serving in Beirut,
Lebanon;
Subic Bay, Philippines; and Chu Lai, Vietnam proved be a disservice to
Tyrone.
His formative years were the times he needed me most. The prolonged
delay in
assuming my parental responsibilities simply made a very bad situation
worse.
He was a troubled child having been exposed to wrongdoing and misdeeds
at a
very young age. Wrongdoing unfortunately, became the norm for him."
These clear
insights,
paired with experiences, life lessons, and observations of both his own
efforts
and those of others in his community, elevate Carroll Green's story to
more
than just a singular experience. It reflects the kinds of perceptions,
choices,
consequences and behaviors that lead to important social changes, for
better or
for worse, and this all contributes to a superior autobiography that is
riveting, revealing, and thought-provoking.
No civil
rights,
social issues, or memoir collection should be without Green's story,
which
affords much insight into raising a family and becoming an active
member of a
changing community.
Return to Index
Skinny House
Julie Seely
Skinny House Press, a
division of Skinny House Productions, LLC
ISBN 978-0-9968777-0-1
(paperback) $19.99
ISBN
978-0-9968777-1-8 (ePub) $9.99
ISBN
978-0-9968777-2-5 (Mobi) $9.99
www.skinnyhouse.org
Nathan Seely
was one
of the first African-American homebuilders in New York. In 1925 he
established
a successful business with his brother in Mamaroneck, building homes
such as
the Skinny House that still stands today. While Skinny House is a quiet
tribute
to his skills, until now, what has also remained silent is the full
story
behind this family's most notable member, and his history.
Readers
might expect
a family memoir that holds a singular value to primarily the family and
perhaps
to the regional geographic history involved; but what proves highly
delightful
is the fact that Nathan Seely's story is a vivid account that is not
just about
one man and one family's struggles; but represents a microcosm of the
African-American experience as a whole.
Thus, it's
appropriate to say that Skinny House
belongs in a variety of collections; from regional New York,
architectural
history and memoir holdings to those strong in early civil rights
issues.
Seely's
granddaughter
researched and documents the story of an iconic three-story,
ten-foot-wide
house known locally as the “Skinny House” built by her ambitious
carpenter
grandfather, who owned a successful construction business in the
Roaring
Twenties.
The Great
Depression
decimated Nathan Seely's business and life. Skinny House was
constructed as a
refuge for his family, but became so much more as generations of the
Seely
family moved from good times into poverty and back.
Loaded with
family
photos and vintage images, Skinny House
is packed with astute and captivating observations not just about the
social
and economic challenges of the past, but the divisions in one family as
they
struggled to survive: "I am
convinced the two men loved each other dearly, but they struggled to
express
their feelings, so they ended up resenting each other. I also believe
there was
a part of my father that was proud of Nathan’s accomplishments,
including
building the Skinny House. However the Great Depression made
reconciliation
impossible because it roared through the country like a freight train
and
hijacked opportunities for forgiveness between fathers and sons that no
amount
of ransom would satisfy."
Readers who
might
have anticipated a narrow vision from this narrow little house's life
history
receive instead a sweeping saga of various social, economic, and family
psychological issues that make for thoroughly engrossing,
thought-provoking
reading.
Skinny House is a testimony not only to a
family's changes and
survival strategies; but to the endurance of a dream and how its legacy
was
passed between generations. It's very highly recommended for a wide
range of
readers; from those concerned with African-American achievement and
history to
general-interest readers who simply enjoy engrossing family memoirs.
Return to Index
Death of
Vultures
Susan Wingate
Roberts Press (an
imprint of False Bay Books)
978-0-9898078-7-6
$9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Vultures-Psychological-Suspense-Womens-Fiction-ebook/dp/B07DKR216S/
Readers
seeking a
thriller mystery set in the San Juan Islands revolving around heroin
addiction,
drug cartels, and psychological suspense will find the Death
of Vultures the sweeping saga of a woman who has already lost
everything she loves, and has nothing more to lose.
Meg is on
the move,
both psychologically and physically. Her changes are well detailed and
designed
to draw in readers from the start ("You
don’t suddenly awaken as a wailing, angry, distant woman.")
as she
moves from the kind of woman she wants to be to the kind of woman she
never
imagined.
She's
struggled with
her daughter Lily's addiction for years, only to see it meet its
inevitable
fate. Her husband is gone, as well. Not quite a widow (although his
departure
leads her to feel like one; and to relate to the empty widows in her
church),
she no longer fits into any neat category in her life. All that's left
is
revenge; and it's a dish best served cold.
But Jay
isn't out of
her life just yet: he's involved in a dangerous game that draws Meg
back into
the world she feels so distant from, recharging her batteries of
passion as she
finds a new, albeit dangerous, purpose to her life.
Past and
present in
Meg's world are neatly juxtaposed in passages which move between
memories and
experiences in both worlds: "She
sipped her coffee and stretched her legs to release a tension that had
grown in
them during the ride. All the cars rocked in rhythm with the ferry as
it glided
over the water. She remembered the words to an old lullaby she used to
sing to
Lily as an infant in her cradle, Rock-a-bye Baby, and how, in that
tune, the
bough had broken."
The
first-person
passages by daughter Lily which reflect on her life and her own
changing
perspectives provide excellent relief and additional embellishment for
comprehending Meg's thought process, family connections, and
progression.
Susan
Wingate's
ability to craft evocative phrases that pair swift action with
psychological
insight keep readers not just on edge over confrontations and
challenges; but
immersed in a series of realizations about everything from suicide and
normalcy
to another inevitable death. Surprises range from revelations about
Lily's
death to a hidden secret about Lee's involvement with Wes and its
underlying
influence on Lily's choices.
Meg's now
set to do
something about death and its impact on her life. Grief, guilt, and
punishment
for crimes walk closely together in an evolving story which brings both
Meg and
her readers on the brink of disaster as reconciliation and recovery
remain
elusive goals for many of the characters.
The result
is a
riveting, action-packed inspection of one woman's life gone awry as she
sets
out to rescue others only to come full-circle to discover her own
strength and
ability to survive.
Return to Index
Devil's Den
Jeff Altabef
Evolved Publishing
9781622531388
$15.95 Paper; eBook: $3.95
www.evolvedpub.com
Steven
Cabbott has
become used to seeing demons; but
it's quite a different experience to be actively fighting
them. Yet, this is what transpires when, after years of
silence between Steven and his unrequited love Kate, she asks for his
help in
locating her kidnapped daughter Megan.
What seems
to be a
case for the police turns out to be much more complicated because
Steven
discovers that not only is his personal demon involved; but a cult
intent on
transforming Megan into something unworldly. If they succeed, she will
be lost
to Kate forever.
The events
in Devil's Den proceed with the
fast pace
of a thriller, inject regular insights into Steven's supernatural
encounters
with demons in the past, and succeeds in crafting a story of intrigue
and
danger when an impossible rescue attempt draws Kate and Steven together
despite
the difficulties posed by Steven's personal demons.
Readers who
enjoy an
injection of the supernatural rather than a story based entirely on
otherworldly forces will appreciate just the right blend of paranormal
tension
and intrigue that bring this thriller to life.
The
unexpected twists
and turns are well done, the story moves deftly from one man's
psychological
struggles to bigger-picture thinking about cults in society, and
readers will
especially relish the realistic characterization derived from a
combination of
fast-paced story line and attention to psychological motivation and
detail.
The result
is a
vivid, winning tale of a former couple's confrontation with themselves,
each
other, and a wider-ranging threat that grabs the reader from the
beginning and
proves nearly impossible to put down. Thriller audiences will find Devil's Den more than a notch above
others in the genre.
Return to Index
FlabberGassed
Michael Craft
Questover Press
Hardcover:
$24.95 ISBN 978-0-692-13611-9
Paperback:
$14.95 ISBN 978-0-692-13599-0
Kindle:
$
4.95 ASIN B07DP837VG
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/f2vEzcRIJ5M
FlabberGassed
introduces
the new "Mister Puss" mystery series and opens with one of the most
intriguing introductions seen in the mystery genre, deftly setting the
tone
using a minimum of words: "A weight-loss miracle. A dashing
gay
architect. A talking cat. What could possibly go wrong?"
When
a wealthy
widow, Mary Questman, adopts a stray cat that seems to speak to her,
Mary's
younger gay friend, Brody Norris, is concerned. When she decides to
fund a
bizarre weight-loss enterprise called FlabberGas, Brody's worry ramps
up a
notch. And when a clinic volunteer is murdered, Brody moves from
concerned
friend to amateur sleuth to discover the truth about Mister Puss,
wisdom, and a
winding investigation with murder at its core.
The
first
strength to note about FlabberGassed is its
powerful attention to the
sights, smells, and sounds of its environments. This is reflected in
the
beginning, from the compelling way in which widow Mary adopts her new
charge:
"His warm breath carried the smell of bacon, but deeper from his
quivering
body rose a potpourri of subtle, more exotic scents. Closing her eyes,
Mary
inhaled the sandy dryness of a vast desert—plus a trace of something
very old
and delicate, perhaps papyrus—and a pungent whiff of kyphi, the sacred
temple
perfume of once-great dynasties. Mary rubbed cheeks with the cat. She
felt his
nose climb her face until the fur of his chin touched the opening of
her ear.
His purr thundered. And soon, from the drone of his purr, other sounds
arose.
The rustle of reeds in a delta marsh. The ripple of a crocodile plying
the
great life-giving river. The hiss of an asp. And rising above it
all—gibberish—Egyptian gibberish, the babble of an ancient
marketplace."
As
evidence
mounts that Mister Puss really is speaking to Mary through his purrs,
and is
actually giving her good advice (such as changing her mind about being
part of
an experimental weight-loss procedure), tension mounts. And as Brody
and his
husband Marson become immersed in a dangerous investigation, trouble
threatens
them all.
FlabberGassed is especially strong in its portrait of deadly
mischief, a new sleuth's
challenge in recognizing clues as simple as fingerprints, the
friendship
between Mary and Brody and an uncommon cat, and too many possible
suspects that
attend the victim's funeral: "We all had our reasons for being
there
that day. Some truly mourned the loss of Jason, as their lives had been
forever
changed by his death. Others may not have felt the loss directly, but
they were
there to support and respect those who grieved. Still others may have
had no
connection to those touched by the tragedy, but they were drawn there
by the
news, as members of an affected community. Others, just curious
onlookers. Plus, there was someone else. I was fairly certain
that—for
whatever perverse reason—Jason’s killer was there among us. Perhaps the
guilty
one simply had to be there; if it was someone close to the deceased, by
blood
or by association, their absence would be deemed strange or even
suspicious.
But the guilty one may have had little or no connection to the victim,
other
than the crime itself, and may have been there that day for the sport
of it,
for the thrill of witnessing communal grief. And if so, what did that
imply
about the many nameless others in the crowd? Was each a potential
killer?"
What
is Brody to
make of a talking cat that makes sassy observations about people, who
may have
actual clues about what going's on, but from a cat's perspective?
The
blend of
whimsical cat interactions with humans, amateur sleuth Brody's ability
to
change gears from architectural to police procedural concerns, and an
attention
to the details of his relationship with friends, husband, and community
crafts
an involving story that is especially strong in its depictions of how a
temporary investigator is changed by pursuits far from his usual
comfort zone.
Readers
used to
the usual progression of a murder mystery will find many exceptional
twists in
this story; from a feline character to a gay architect's involvement in
a case demanding skills
that he fears he may not possess.
FlabberGassed is quirky, original, and a delightful read
especially recommended for
mystery fans who enjoy feline references in their story lines.
Return to Index
HoloHead
T.D. Holt
Available at
Amazon.com
978-0692158234
Paperback:
$12.99/Kindle: $6.99
www.tdholt.com
HoloHead is an intense novel highly
recommended for fans of
political fiction, sci-fi, thrillers, and reads that hold a touch of
romance
and messages about life purpose.
Think
'hologram' and
entertainment or art comes to mind; not politics. In
this T.D. Holt thriller, after the 2024 presidential election,
holograms have evolved beyond art and
entertainment to assume a
more ominous role in the U.S. political system, effectively taking
over the
figurehead of a President who is literally not in office.
A technical
introduction of hologram science and its potential for future expansion
provides theory and background for this story; but if readers think HoloHead is going to be a hard science
tale, be advised that it's not.
Politics and
romance
wind into a story of intrigue and crime in a scenario of innovation
gone wrong,
documenting the hijacking of the American government in an entirely new
way.
It's
immediately
apparent that the political events outlined here have an eerie parallel
to
modern times. Perhaps that's why the story feels so familiar within
just a few
paragraphs: "Placards and cries of
“Bring back the pillory; send him to
Gitmo!” erupted across America. Fortunately for the nation—especially
the
soon-to-be ex-President—the President-elect understood that her
number-one
priority was healing the long-divided country; to defuse the
acrimonious and
incendiary rhetoric of the headlines penned by the yet-to-be humbled
media.
Humbled? That will always be
fake news."
The newly
elected
President has a monumental responsibility. A 'real family' at last
seems to be
at the helm of U.S. politics and policies. But things change as key
people are
replaced by holo-impersonators controlled by forces who would take over
the
White House while keeping the image of its integrity intact.
How,
exactly, does
one kidnap the most prominent official in the country to replace her
with a
dubious duplicate? As the replacement android-like leader exerts her
powers,
those affected by them begin to question their own loyalties and
motivations.
T.D. Holt
has a real
gift for taking current events and projecting them to future scenarios;
but
perhaps the greatest attribute of HoloHead
lies in the timing of this story. What may have seemed improbable only
a few
years ago feels all too possible today. This makes its plot even more
compelling, between the realistic references to modern political
atmosphere and
Holt's combination of thriller/sci-fi genres and attention to building
detailed, fast-paced action.
Underlying
discussions of control, manipulation, and individual choice and courage
inject
thought-provoking moments throughout ("Starvation
was one form of control.") to create a solid story of enemies
of the
nation, issues of trust and faith, and the love between Blake and
Gloria and
Mac and Mindy, who find themselves caught up in events that place their
lives
and country in jeopardy.
A wide
variety of
readers will relish HoloHead for
many
of its components: a spiritual focus which adds a different dimension
to
considerations of loyalty, faith and ethical behavior; solid action
that keeps
the story line fast-paced; detailed political scenarios that are
pointed
extrapolations of modern-day events into future choices; and fine
characters
who juxtapose special interests with personal and social growth. Too
often, one
can predict plot outcomes in a story's first few paragraphs. Holohead has
a wonderful approach that will keep readers interested and riveted to
the end.
Return to Index
The Moving
Blade
Michael Pronko
Raked Gravel Press
978-1-942410-16-4
$5.99 Kindle
http://www.michaelpronko.com/raked-gravel-press/
The Moving Blade tells of a top
diplomat's murder, his puzzling
legacy of connections and research, and a determined daughter's return
to Japan
from America to ferret out the truth, aided by Tokyo detective Hiroshi
Shimizu
and ex-sumo wrestler Sakaguchi.
A powerful
note is
the fact that The Moving Blade is
well
steeped in Japanese history and culture: an unexpectedly delightful
backdrop to
an investigative 'whodunnit' mystery that actually teaches readers much
about
this culture and its people.
The fact that this is
the second thriller in the detective
Hiroshi series shouldn't stymie newcomers, who will find the
story
requires no prior familiarity with either Japanese culture or Hiroshi's
efforts
in order to prove immediately understandable and involving.
But the
diplomat's
murder isn't the only case on Hiroshi's plate: when two more bodies
surface, he
faces a personal challenge to step outside his investigative approaches
lest
his usual methods prove futile in this extraordinary case.
The blend of
personal
dilemma over professional process is another facet that elevates The Moving Blade to something more than
a light murder mystery. From the start, Michael Pronko weaves in
cultural
observations that enlighten readers about Japanese interactions.
One good
example is
the confrontation between Jamie, the diplomat's daughter, and Hiroshi's
bureau
chief, who initially wants to brush off any deep commitment to solving
the
crime because the diplomat was a foreigner and Jamie is a woman.
(Hiroshi
advises Jamie how to loudly make her case to convince the chief to take
it [and
her] more seriously in a way that Japanese women don't do.)
Another is
the
Japanese style of censorship called 'shelving the truth': something
that comes
into play as events unwind and forces attempt to quash dead diplomat
Mattson's
work so that it cannot be published. In Japan, power is wielded in a "...slow, steady, wear-you-down way.” Readers come to recognize
the strengths and
applications of this power as the story unfolds.
From a
vivid, uneven
battle between a tanto sword and Hiroshi's pipe to back alley battles
and
long-running feuds, half-Japanese daughter Jamie and Hiroshi find
themselves on
the fast track of involvement with military, political, and social
forces
alike.
"Maybes can lead to certainties"—but will
the revelations
come in time?
The
action-packed
plot, backed by solid research, makes for a story that is not just a
dramatic
whodunit piece, but a slice of life piece inspecting Japanese heart and
minds.
Readers who like their detective stories more than lightly flavored
with
cultural insight and history will relish The
Moving Blade's ability to move in both worlds, adding the
insights and
flare that keep the story fast-paced and informative all in one.
Mystery and
detective
readers, and any with an affinity for Japanese culture, are in for a
real
treat, here.
Return to Index
Past
& Present
Judy Penz Sheluk
Superior Shores Press
Trade Paperback:
978-0-9950007-3-5 Price:
$14.99
eBook:
978-0-9950007-4-2
Price: $
5.99
Publication Date: September 21, 2018
www.judypenzsheluk.com
Past & Present adds Book 2 to the
'Marketville Mystery' series
and returns Calamity (Callie) Barnstable to center stage. Prior readers
of her
adventures in Skeletons in the Attic
will learn that these events take place a year later from when she
originally
inherited her house and finally solved the mystery of who murdered her
mother
thirty years ago.
Callie has
decided to
remain in Marketville permanently, and has opened her own PI business,
Past
& Present Investigations. She has a new partner and her first
client: a
woman who is also searching for clues in a 'cold case' involving a
long-deceased
great-grandmother and the perp who killed her.
As Callie
follows
clues in a case eerily similar to her own, she relies on both her
recently-acquired skills and new revelations that arise from a past
murder and
a relative's present determination to solve it. What she didn't
anticipate was
that the case's similarities and ties to her own life will reach out to
immerse
her in a personal way that challenges her professional distance in the
investigation.
Although Past & Present requires no prior
familiarity in order to prove accessible, it's especially recommended
for
readers of Skeletons in the Attic,
who will find the logical continuations and extensions of Callie's life
and
personality craft an ongoing saga that continues her personal,
professional,
and psychological growth process.
This
audience will
take pleasure in the blend of psychological and professional expansion
that
allows Callie to use her past experience and newfound investigative
skills,
adding more than a light touch of genealogical inspection based on
real-life
conundrums in researching the past: "When
I’d researched my mother’s disappearance, her marriage certificate had
been a
huge help, even listing the current addresses of the bride and groom.
Not so
with this one, which offered nothing more than the basic facts: names,
date,
place, along with the signatures of the witnesses and City Hall
magistrate.
Even the witnesses’ names were a dead end. John J. Johnson and David P.
Smith.
There had to be a lot of Johnsons and Smiths out there."
Psychological
realizations and self-inspection are an exquisite touch to the story
and keep
readers not only engaged, but completely cognizant of the forces that
motivate
families, murderers, and investigators alike: "Why
would someone want to murder your father?” Because my dad had
left me a letter in a safety deposit box, and the safety harness wasn’t
the
only accident to happen to him at work. Because accepting it really was
an
unfortunate occupational
accident meant
I’d have to stop obsessing about his death and move on with that aspect
of my
life. Because I hated my grandfather and everything he stood for and as
long as
I could find a way to blame him, I could keep that hatred fueled."
It's this
attention
to detail that, like Skeletons in the
Attic, sets Callie's blossoming (yet new) investigative
prowess apart from
other books in the mystery genre. It adds various subplots and detail
to
enliven its plot, educates readers, and injects realistic scenarios
into a
mystery packed with unexpected and satisfying twists and turns.
As the
initial
concept behind Past & Present Investigations evolves, so do all
the
characters who interact with Callie. Each makes discoveries about their
present-day lives and their connections with the past. As Callie fills
in the
blanks to the past, she uncovers secrets she had never suspected.
The result
is a
tense, emotionally gripping, multifaceted mystery that serves both as a
perfect
continuation of Callie's life story and as a fine stand-alone read for
newcomers. Filled with surprises and revelations, Past
& Present is a gem in the mystery genre that should
not
remain hidden, but shines above and beyond the typical genre read with
a spark
of originality and compelling scenes that will keep readers engaged,
educated,
and looking for future cold cases for Callie to heat up with an
investigation.
Return to Index
Revoked
MK Pachan
Friesen Press
E-book
(978-1-5255-1662-7)
$2.99
Paperback
(978-1-5255-1661-0) $18.99
Hardcover
(978-1-5255-1660-3) $34.49
http://www.friesenpress.com
Its
detective Cam
Clay's first day back on the job after a forced 'vacation', but crime
doesn't
take a holiday for any reason and so the very first investigation he's
assigned
to turns out to be especially heart-wrenching: the grisly murder of a
mother
and child in a suburban home.
Clay's job
holds a
heavy toll and the last case forced him to the edge of sanity, so this
new
case, which opens with a bang, challenges not only his problem-solving
abilities, but his belief in how crime and punishment works. In the
fifty-eight
murder investigations he's participated in, this is the first in which
he's
discovered the bodies and made the call. Perhaps the small-town feel of
Calgary
and its relative safety just became a lot more complicated and
threatening, but
Clay feels completely overwhelmed after only his first day back.
As events
unfold, it
becomes evident that Revoked is
study
in complex human behavior. There's an obvious perp who has had a close
relationship with the victim; there's an ex-con brother who was at the
scene of
the crime; and there's an evident trail that leads to a fairly
straightforward
conclusion. Or, is it?
MK Pachan is
a master
at creating deception, so readers who expect a cut-and-dry case will
quickly
come to find that the story takes an unexpected turn midstream as more
begin to
die: people who could have held clues to the case's resolution.
Signs of
deceit and
lying, therapy sessions for Clay that began at the request of his
employer and
evolve into something he can actually use, and the juxtaposition of
Calgary's
lovely scenery with its underlying streak of cruelty blend in a
satisfying
story that leads readers through hell and back again. From
psychological agony
to physical brutality, Revoked is a
study in contrasts and challenges, creating a riveting story steeped in
layers
of complex interpersonal relationships.
As Clay
edges closer
to the truth, so his world teeters. Readers along for the ride will
find that a
tense detective cat-and-mouse game evolves which places Clay and
everything he
loves in the shadow of violence.
For a
thoroughly
engrossing whodunit balanced on step-by-step tightropes of tension, Revoked can't be beat and is highly
recommended for detective story enthusiasts who like complex,
multifaceted
reads.
Return to Index
Shadow of Murder
Trisha Sugarek
Writer at Play
978-1722482282
$7.99
www.writeratplay.com
Book 8 in the 'World of
Murder' series more than does
justice to its companions as it creates both a stand-alone read that
requires
no prior familiarity with the series, yet dovetails nicely with the
emotion-packed approaches and mystery themes of its predecessors.
Homicide detective Stella
Garcia and her partner Sergeant
Detective Jack O'Roarke are again challenged by murder, with Jack's new
marriage serving as a quiet opening success to events which quickly
turn into
hair-raising circumstances based on a true crime.
A deadly and gruesome mass
shooting of Indian women and
children in a family-run store, the killer's desire to destroy a lovely
young
woman who neither wanted nor knew him, and a just-returned newlywed's
immersion
into a world of murder. Unrequited love steeps the story line with a
passion
and drive that makes it feel true to life and hard to put down.
Forensic profiling has done
a good job of identifying the
pattern of the deaths; but now it's up to Garcia and O'Roarke to put
together
the pieces in a case that leads them to not only identify the perp, but
understand what happened and why.
The latter charge is what
readers are also tasked with in
a story line that moves back and forth across time and events to build
its case
for how events arrived at such a shocking crescendo of violence.
What keeps Shadow
of Murder thought-provoking and absorbing is not the
'whodunnit' piece; but
the 'why', which goes into revealing detail about the psychology of a
killer's
motivations and psyche.
Readers
looking for a gripping short murder story which
is more psychologically charged than most will appreciate this murder
mystery,
which pairs a gripping saga with insights that compel reflection long
after the
case is solved.
Return to Index
Trimmed to
Death
Nancy J. Cohen
Orange Grove Press
Ebook: ISBN 978-0-9985317-5-5
$4.99
Print:
ISBN 978-0-9985317-6-2
$14.99
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998531766/
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Trimmed-Death-Hair-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07F2FP55B/
Trimmed
to Death is the 15th book in the cozy mystery 'The Bad Hair
Day' series that profiles hairstylist/sleuth Marla
Vail. One would think that, with such a
long-standing series of adventures behind her, any newcomer to Marla's
world
would at least need some degree of prior familiarity with the series,
but no
such expertise is required in order to delve into the world of South
Florida
and Marla's endeavors to succeed.
In
this latest
story, Marla has entered a local charity bake-off contest at a Fall
festival,
and stumbles upon the dead body of fellow contestant Francine while she
awaits
the results. This sets off a chain of events in which Marla uncovers a
host of
food-related possible perps who each would have had a stake in
Francine's
demise.
As
Marla plans
her own benefit to support a local historical museum, the threat of
repeat
deaths looms over her promotion plans for her salon and the community.
One
reason why Nancy J.
Cohen is an award-winning cozy
mystery author is that her stories are packed with personality, upbeat
scenarios, and the solid pairing of a murder mystery with broader
community
entanglements. In this story, Marla isn't just a sole proprietor
operating
independent of her world: she's thoroughly connected to the community
through
her salon and work.
Descriptions
are thus
nicely crafted and filled with atmosphere and detail that bring Marla's
world
to life, sometimes with a touch of ironic observation, as when she and
her
companion venture into an eclectic restaurant during the course of
their
investigations and have to confront a decidedly sophisticated menu that
challenges their taste buds: "I don’t
see anything here that I like. You didn’t tell me the menu was this
eclectic.”
Marla took a look. Crawfish cocktail, conch fritters, gator bites,
deviled
crabs. Those didn’t appeal to her, either. “How about the guacamole?”
she asked
in a less than enthusiastic tone. It wouldn’t be her appetizer of
choice. “The
dip comes with pita bread. And what’s this pawpaw martini?” Dalton
asked. “Some
kind of fruit drink, maybe? We could always get a salad to start.”
“That seems
like the best bet. I wouldn’t want the sunray salad. That’s got oranges
and
onions and cream cheese balls. Ugh.”
As for the
investigation itself, it's filled with the kind of realistic flavor
that
cements the idea that Marla and her fellow partners in non-crime are
not
professionals, but informed amateurs: "Marla
drew a stool over to the counter, sat on the vinyl seat, and unwrapped
her
sandwich. After taking a few bites, she said, “We have some promising
leads,
but nobody stands out as the main suspect.” “Who do you have so far? In
the
mystery novel I just finished, the guilty party was the business
partner.”
From
fundraiser
activity, culinary insights, and probes into Marla's logic to recipes
and
romance which pepper the story line and embellish its twists and turns,
readers
who want a cozy mystery filled with atmosphere, intrigue, and adventure
should
settle a chair by the fire for a good evening's read.
Trimmed to Death is a delicious story to
savor primarily because
the focus on Marla and her community is so realistically and
compellingly done
that readers will relish the final results and the path that leads
Marla and
her detective hubby Dalton to move from the concerns of the Cut ’N Dye
Salon
and Day Spa to probing Francine's life and the motives of who would
want to
murder her.
Return to Index
Antebellum Struggles
Dickie Erman
Independently Published
Ebook: B07DFQLL8Q
$2.99
Paperback: 1981051457
$9.99
http://a.co/8LeLYLX
Antebellum
Struggles: A
Story of
Love, Lust, Pain & Freedom in the Deep South opens
in the summer of 1852, and tells of Amana, a Caribbean-born girl newly
elevated
to the status of 'house slave' in antebellum New Orleans.
Collette, in contrast, is a
Southern belle who has little to do with the slaves that keep her world
functioning. Immersed in her own life and achievements, Collette is a
devoted
wife and homemaker who lost her first child and spent two years
grieving.
Amana's arrival in the house
sparks jealousy and resentment in Collette, who struggles with her own
close-held secret and a life that at times feels out of control despite
its
rich outer appearance.
In many ways, Antebellum
Struggles is not just a study
in the contrast of lives, but in the differences between hearts, minds,
perceptions, and choices. Amana and Collette represent obvious
disparities in
this environment; but escaped field slave Tabari, the back-and-forth
maneuvers
between Collette and her husband the Colonel, and the always-scheming
Doctor's
self-serving approaches to life add more characters and insights into
the
methods and motivations of people living in the South in the late 1800s.
Realistic characters, dialogue,
and setting lend an aura of authenticity to the evolving story, which
also
delves nicely into the rationale behind and the structure fueling
America's
slave system: "Strong men were more
valuable than weaker women. Child bearing women more valuable than most
men.
Gender, age, strength. They were all considered in calculating their
value to
the plantation. Submission to their master’s dominance was crucial.
Rebellion,
in any form, would threaten the entire business enterprise, and thus
given zero
tolerance. Any hint of revolt, escape, or disrespect needed to be
immediately
eradicated, like a plague."
From those who would harbor
runaway slaves to Amana's lingering nightmares about the voyage that
brought
her to New Orleans, Antebellum Struggles
isn't about a singular character's struggles; but about the entire
era's
sentiments, structure, and moral and ethical tribulations.
Readers seeking a historical
piece well steeped in its times and multifaceted in its approach to
various
social stratas and their perceptions will relish Antebellum
Struggles for its involving and clear survey of what it
means to be a slave or free in the South of the 1800s.
Return to Index
Because I'm
Worth It
Linda Nielsen
Touchpoint Press
978-1-946920-37-9
$17.99 Paper/$5.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Because-Im-Worth-Linda-Nielsen/dp/1946920371/
Because I'm Worth It outlines a clash
between Skye Topple, who is
engaged to the spoiled Southern belle who is his employer's daughter,
and
follows the convoluted puzzle of their stormy lives together as family,
social,
and business pressures collide.
Eccentric
houses,
spoiled people, and impressive perks may sound like they'll contribute
to a
story of self-centered behaviors; but the heart of Because
I'm Worth It lies in its ability to depict the stormy
encounters of two very different families whose values and approaches
to life
are based on different concepts, from Northern and Southern culture to
ideas on
how to get ahead and relate to people.
Many
relationship
explorations focus on husband and wife; but Because
I'm Worth It adds in the dynamics between various family
factions to expand
one of its many themes: how disparate people do and don’t work together
after a
union born from psychological and business benefits.
Also nicely
detailed
and realistically presented is the unique lifestyle of California's Big
Sur
residents, the country club atmosphere of the rich, and the clash
between
different layers of California culture. As different generations from
wealth
view payoffs, motivations, and goals from upper-class perspectives,
readers are
treated to a blend of humor and thought-provoking insights that
pinpoint high
society approaches to life.
The thread
of humor,
more than lightly cast upon the waters of lavish displays, is a welcome
juxtaposition to the more serious events chronicled within and add some
astute
and pointed moments: "A photographer
took pictures of the bride and groom in a gold gilded carriage as the
guests
added their approval with applause. Weddings were meant to be fun, and
when the
carriage was removed, the couple snuggled together on a board placed
behind a
one-sided plywood boat, painted white with gold trim. It was set up on
an
artificial lake with a scenic backdrop, and the people clapped again. When the lake scene was
dismantled, a white
horse materialized. It whinnied and tossed its head as Charles climbed
on. His
bride was handed to him with great care. The wire hoop of her gown
spread
around the front of the saddle like an organdy cloud that had slipped
from the
sky “I can’t watch
this nonsense
anymore. Are all southern weddings this silly?” Evelyn’s eyebrow
arched,
indicating her bad-temper. “No,” Robert replied calmly. “I believe the
von Campe’s
have confused their royal background with a fairy tale.”
There were
minor grammatical errors sprinkled throughout; but
while this should
be noted, the overall strength of the story and its delivery is not
significantly affected.
How do
unmarried Big
Sur hippies coexist alongside the world of the wealthy? And how does
Skye
untangle himself from the web he's woven?
A fresh
perspective
on American classes and the ongoing clash between North and South
culture makes
for a lively story that readers of women's fiction will find fun and
enlightening.
Return to Index
A Brothel, Beauty,
& A Murderer!
Raymond Cook
Raymond Cook,
Publisher
ASIN: B01BXK5O1A
$4.99
http://a.co/5FSrQWd
A Brothel, Beauty, & A Murderer!
is set in 1899 in Silverton,
Colorado, where a fancy brothel caters to higher-class clientele than
the
average Gold Rush miner. Protagonist Annabelle flourishes under the
Madame who
runs this venerable establishment, with one of her repeat satisfied
customers
being rich businessman Greg.
When his
wallet goes
missing as he's leaving this establishment, Annabelle is high on the
list of
perps, and when she escapes his gunfire slaughter of revenge, he
embarks on a
vendetta to find and punish her.
It should be
noted
that A Brothel, Beauty, & A Murderer!
contains steamy sexual descriptions. It crafts well-detailed historical
background that informs readers about Colorado history, gold mining era
culture, and the importance of saloons and prostitutes in this milieu,
and
provides a degree of complexity unanticipated from a novel that
cautions it's
recommended for ages 18 and older because of its many explicit scenes.
Readers
anticipating
a soft porn production alone should be advised that A
Brothel, Beauty, & A Murderer! is much more, blending
a
historical novel, murder story, and cultural observation that winds hot
sex
into the overall mix of solid historical representation. The actual Blair House in this story was,
historically, the most famous brothel in Colorado's history.
From
precautions the
girls take to prevent the diseases which would earn the brothel a bad
reputation to how the Madame vetts her clientele ("My
clients are wealthy, mine owners or businessmen. They dress
sharp, are courteous, and respectful to me, and the women who pleasure
them."), it should be noted that "explicit" refers to more
than sexual description.
Chapters
take their
time to recreate the atmosphere, culture, politics and pursuits of
Silverton at
that point in its history. Readers are treated to a full-faceted
account that
documents a beautiful 24-year-old woman who loves sex, the
circumstances that
bring her into conflict with her job and place in a situation that
could cost
her life, and the background drama that leads up to the familiar
scenario of a
helpless woman tied to the train tracks.
Grammatical
errors
throughout could ideally have been addressed during a final proofread
(Quote
marks in successive paragraphs of a character's discourse are lacking,
for one
example; and errant commas appear in unexpected places), but, though
notable, won't
significantly mar the reading for all but the most editorially
conscious, who
may chafe at their regular appearance.
It should
also be
noted that descriptions are designed to be forthright, which may offend
some
when regular reference to the Madame is made as "the Jew". However,
this is all in keeping with the story line, the times, and the
atmosphere
Raymond Cook creates, and falls under the caution that if readers are
easily
offended by explicit descriptions either of a sexual or cultural
nature, they
should look elsewhere.
Combining a
Western
setting and atmosphere with a vivid story of murder, sex, and strife
would seem
a common device in many stories; but Raymond Cook's ability to candidly
review
these facets with no filters creates an authenticity lacking in more
sedate
productions which would skirt explicit description in favor of decorum.
Lovely
color photos sprinkled throughout reinforce the setting and landscapes
of
Cook's story: another unusual, effective approach that lends to a
standout production
that belays a common 'Western novel' label, pushing it into the
'erotica' realm
but with a more serious attention to historical detail than most.
Readers who
want a
healthy dose of graphic descriptions tempered by the drama and
confrontation of
a Gold Rush story will relish the slow burn of A
Brothel, Beauty, & A Murderer!, which takes passion
to a
different level as it reveals a beautiful woman's dangerous game and
the bounty
hunter who becomes involved in an unexpected journey.
A Brothel, Beauty, & A Murderer! is
recommended for its
effective cross-genre blend of erotica and historical detail.
Return to Index
Four Days to
Trinity
Bill Mesce Jr.
Endeavour Media
ASIN: B07FQH1RVH
Price: $3.99
http://mybook.to/4days
Henry
Gilmore is the
administrator of an assisted living facility that seems to grow more
vibrant
under his charge even as he feels that his job is pulling the life out
of him.
Reverend Owen Dawson is a preacher distributing illusions, dreams, and
possibilities who harbors some unholy approaches to life, such as
purchasing a
gun and aspiring to make an adult movie. Four
Days to Trinity tracks the good pastor's journey and the
people he affects
during his progress, introducing a host of small-town characters who,
in their
own ways, are quirky, funny, life-challenged, and themselves living on
the edge
in various ways.
The first
thing to
note about Four Days to Trinity is
Bill Mesce Jr.'s attention to small-town people, politics, and
atmosphere.
Dawson's trajectory is closely followed by many who speculate that he's
about
to embark on some kind of vendetta.
The second
notable
aspect to this tale is its sense of humor, which winds into the story
and
between characters in the most unexpected of ways, overlaying the most
serious
of observations: "The blurt of a
passing semi’s horn drowned out her reply. “Was that you, love? I’d stay away from the
empanadas from now
on. At least say
excuse me.”
Long truck
rides,
extended discussions between characters, and close inspection of
small-town
lives take the time to build a myriad of scenarios and backgrounds that
at
first seem unrelated; but which serve to deepen the plot as the
characters come
and go, interact and drink together, and ultimately play important
parts in the
buildup to Dawson's actions.
As it turns
out,
nothing evolves from random chance alone. Each character has a part to
play in
Owen's ultimate choices, and what feels like a confusing mishmash of
too many
characters in the beginning soon comes to be a flurry of important
influencers,
atmospheres, observers and decision-makers that each contribute to the
greater
story of a good man's intentions gone awry.
Henry
Gilmore didn't
expect to find himself involved in a murder investigation, helping to
eliminate
possibilities. But he and others find themselves in over their heads as
a
journey that holds its roots in infidelity blossoms into something much
more
wide-ranging.
Four Days to Trinity is a progressive
read that is complex,
absorbing, and unexpected in many ways. It takes its time crafting
relationship
and atmospheres, injects purpose and meaning into a seemingly disparate
set of
experiences, and provides hard to put down as it deconstructs the
threads of
many lives and weaves them back together for an unexpected journey.
The result
is
whimsical, alluring, fun, and disturbing, all in one. Readers seeking
an
original, complex, yet rewarding story will relish Four
Days to Trinity for its quirky cast of characters and the
serious threat and offers of redemption that craft a truly evocative
novel.
Return to Index
Her Morning
Shadow
Ron Semple
Top Hat Books
9781846944932
Paperback to be
published in 2018
www.tophat-books.com
Her Morning Shadow is set in the time of
World War I and tells of a
young Jewish Ukrainian immigrant to America who forms connections in
this
country just as the world is exploding overseas; but although the war
and its
changes form the backdrop for this story, it's the immigrant experience
which
powers the tale.
The story
literally
opens with the bang of real events as German saboteurs commit a
terrorist act
by planting a chemical bomb in a freight car loaded with ammunition at
Black
Tom on Jersey City’s Hudson River waterfront. The descriptions are
exquisitely
relayed to readers ("Rounds began to
cook off lighting up the sky and peppering the Statue of Liberty and
Ellis
Island with shrapnel.") as events unfold and an America not
yet
involved in the war finds its commitment to neutrality shaken, lending Her Morning Shadow an introduction
that's unexpectedly powered by real events in American history.
Private
Ashansky
("Abie") is introduced in the next chapter: a Ukraine immigrant who
ironically fled Russia, not wanting to get conscripted into the
military's war,
and who now finds himself defending his adopted country.
Nobody wants
to die
as a war is winding down. Millions are dead, millions more wounded, and
Abie
survives to see the Great War's conclusion even if everyone is too
weary and
battle-shocked to celebrate it.
But while
Allied
forces celebrate, many in other countries are devastated and suffering.
Abie is
tapped to continue his journeys beyond American shores, his fluent
French
deemed a useful skill to the military, in an effort that leads him on a
personal mission as well: to locate missing fiancée Rachel Zeidman and
bring
her to his adopted home in America.
Personal
quests, a
world torn apart by war and struggling to piece itself back together,
and a
Jewish man trying to make his way through life, forging new connections
and
renewing old ones, makes for the engrossing story of an immigrant's
journey
which unexpectedly takes place far from American shores.
Add a murder
investigation, social observations and prejudices, trials and
tribulations, and
a growing immersion of immigrant perspective into American culture
newly
redefined by different opportunities and connections and you have a
hard-hitting story. Her Morning Shadow winds
through military and civilian life, embracing the perspectives, special
challenges, and hard-fought achievements of a community where 'family'
is
defined not just by one's blood relatives, but by the values and roots
built
from adversity, strife, and danger.
Fiction
readers will
appreciate the powerful focus on how a cobbled-together family seeks
peace and
will find much to appreciate in this survey of how Abie's world not
only
unwinds, but expands to embrace others.
Her Morning Shadow is very highly
recommended, especially for
readers of immigrant experience who want a better-rounded perspective
than is
offered by most novels on the subject.
Return to Index
The Journal
Linda Lee Keenan
Linda Lee
Publications
Print: 9780692134146 $14.95
ePUB: 9780692141328 $ 2.99
www.amazon.com
http://www.lindaleepublications.com/
The
Journal is
described by the author as "A
Novel of World War II from Berlin Then
to Manhattan Now."
It's a story that emphasizes the
survival of love against all odds—even war—and tells of Julia Hamilton,
a
modern-day interior designer in Manhattan whose great-uncle joined the
underground forces in Germany to save people from the Nazis. World War
II's
events seem distant from Julia's life despite her family's connections
to the
opposition, but Uncle Per wants Julia to understand these experiences,
and a
journal is the perfect place to capture them for posterity.
As the
worlds of 2015
Manhattan and 1940 Berlin are juxtaposed and explored, readers receive
a
thought-provoking contrast in experiences and perceptions that captures
Uncle
Per's encounters with ordinary citizens both for and against the Nazis
("I
could not decide how to respond. She was obviously pro-Hitler and I was
in
Berlin to protect Sweden from Hitler.") and
contrasts them with Julia's own journaling efforts and her
increasing understanding of the past: "Until then, her
journal writing
was conducted without her conscious mind being present. Every other
time she’d
written what Uncle Per had told her, she had not comprehended it until
the next
day after resting. That night there was a change. She was acutely aware
on all
levels of what her uncle was saying while he was telling his story. Did
that
mean that she was in both places at once - in Manhattan in 2015 and in
Berlin
in 1940?"
As Julia
writes of
her uncle's experiences, she becomes immersed in not only his life,
times, and
challenges; but in the notion that there is more than a transient
connection
between events of the past and her life.
The contrast
between
Uncle Per's stories and experiences and Julia's world is nicely done,
using
italics to separate these two identities and their accounts. This
maintains
clarity, separating each character so that readers don't become lost.
Another plus is that the story takes many unexpected turns, venturing into areas of loss, heartbreak, love, and broken hearts as well as missions realized and thwarted.
Over time,
Julia comes to not just understand her uncle, but becomes immersed
in his experiences, choices, and the social, political and military
struggles
of Berlin during the war.
Astute in
its
observations, vivid in its representations, and nicely balanced in its
journeys
between past and present worlds, The
Journal is especially recommended for readers of historical
fiction,
thrillers, and history's mysteries who will find the combination of
intrigue,
sacrifice, and evolving romance nicely done and thought-provoking,
adopting an
unusual perspective that sets the story apart from other World War II
novels.
Return to Index
Sweden
Matthew Turner
The Mantle
978-0-9986423-1-4
$14.95
http://www.mantlethought.org/content/sweden
https://www.amazon.com/Sweden-Matthew-Turner/dp/0998642312/
https://squareup.com/market/themantle/item/sweden
Sweden is
a 1960s Vietnam War novel based on true events; but it should be noted
that the
story's progression is quite different from the usual military focus.
It
instead tells of a group of American deserters holed up in Japan who
plot their
escape overseas to Sweden.
Readers
won't
anticipate the appearance of hippie communes in Japan, the social
issues
revolving around Japanese peace activists who are involved with this
group of
Americans, and the challenges Flynn and his companions face as they
navigate
the strange ironies and inconsistencies of Japanese culture, assess
opportunities
for escape, and craft a fragile plan that depends on a series of
unlikely
circumstances to prove successful.
Also
satisfyingly surprising is Matthew
Turner's attention to navigating his characters through urban and rural
Japanese communities alike as they trek into danger and face the
unknown on
many different levels.
As the
characters of
Harper, Masuda, Santiago, and Flynn interact with and learn from
student peace
activists and face condemnation for being deserters, they and their
readers
come to understand the nuances of not just events in Vietnam and their
effects
on all levels of military and civilian personnel, but their
wide-ranging impact
on Asia as a whole.
Aside from
these
bigger pictures, life tends to change and go on in those smaller
communities
that Turner explores with much attention to cultural descriptions. The
microcosm of the hippie world which accepts the deserters and then
returns to a
semblance of normality is particularly well detailed ("It
was testimony to the cohesiveness and purposefulness of the
Tribe that they continued to function smoothly as a group despite the
distractions
caused by the presence of Masuda and the deserters. With the exception
of
Anala, who spent her free time either by Santiago’s side or watching
him from afar,
the hippies seemed intent on going about their lives normally, varying
their
routines only to the extent necessary to enable the new arrivals to
adjust, as
when Pran had taught the three how to fish with spears. And adjust they
did. As
the days went by, Santiago, Roberts, and Sullivan slept in less, were
less
inclined to congregate around the kitchen before meal times, and showed
more
interest in participating in the yoga sessions and other group
activities
during their free time."), as is how these cultural
influences, in
turn, change the deserters' perspectives.
The social
and
political maneuvering around the search for these deserters nicely
dovetails
with their interactions and travels, creating a pointed yet
steadily-moving
story that takes the elusive goal and promise of the freedom of Sweden
and
contrasts it nicely with the subcultures and realities of 1960s-era
Japan.
The result
is a
moving, multifaceted story that cements its plot with strong
characterization,
astute cultural insights and social inspection, and a backdrop that
will seem
both familiar to any regular reader of Vietnam novels and alien to
those
anticipating the usual military encounters.
It's rare to
see
social inspection so nicely wound into a Vietnam story line. Any
collection
strong in historical fiction will relish the different insights and
approach of
Sweden, a literary, historical piece
that focuses on the student protests overseas during the mid-1960s
which have
received comparatively little depth and attention in the annals of
Vietnam
stories.
Return to Index
This
Business of the
Flesh
C. Kubasta
Apprentice House
Press
Casebound ISBN:
978-1-62720-187-2
$22.99
Paperback ISBN:
978-1-62720-188-9
$13.99
Ebook ISBN:
978-1-62720-189-6
$ 6.99
https://www.apprenticehouse.com/?product=this-business-of-the-flesh
This Business of the Flesh is a suicide
story with a difference, because
when Tracy's brother Aaron commits suicide, she inherits not only
anguish but
his three large dogs: two pit bulls and mastiff Stella. As she
navigates the
unfamiliar territory of dog ownership, it's intriguing to note that This Business of the Flesh is as much
about dogs and their ability to challenge and heal as it is about
Aaron's
suicide and how mental illness is dealt with in a naturally-reserved
family.
It's also
about
Tracy's evolution, because she has a history of not fulfilling her
father's plans
for her ("Tracy had begun
disappointing her father when she’d majored in business and minored in
communication, definitely a “practical choice,” like the kids who
didn’t know
they could dream bigger: a pre-major that necessitated graduate school
and ensured
more years of study, a hefty starting salary and the prestige of
certain
letters that automatically attach to a person’s last name. She’d
continued
disappointing him when she’d decided not to go to graduate school and
returned
home.") and keeps her secrets close.
Can Tracy's
adoption
of her deceased brother's dogs heal not only herself, but her family?
Life in a small Wisconsin town holds both connections and alienation.
Tracy has
carefully honed her independence, sometimes against her parents'
wishes, and
has cultivated the kind of distance that too often belays close
relationships.
Tracy's
return from
her brother's cabin with the dogs in tow provokes the need for
introductory
communications about fences, pit bulls, and changing relationships as
she
assures neighbors and friends that things won't be changing for the
worse.
C. Kubasta
is
especially adept at describing psychological undercurrents as the story
evolves
and Tracy makes new discoveries about her brother when she visits his
world ("... there
would be Sam’s stories about Aaron, stories of an Aaron she didn’t
know: the Aaron who helped him fell trees and clear a space for a new
pole
building; the Aaron who joined him and his hunting buddies for beers;
the Aaron
who could tell a great story, entertaining everyone; the Aaron who
rescued the
silver bitch from the roadside where she’d been dumped, her puppies
drowned;
the red bait dog and Stella, returned six times to the shelter,
scheduled for
euthanasia.")
Tracy finds
her life
undergoing many changes for the sake of the dogs. She makes new friends
with
lesbian couple Lucy and Carla, finds deeper connections with her old
ones, and
ultimately confronts the fact that she's spent too much time separating
herself
from her family roots in particular and life in general.
This Business of the Flesh is about
flawed families, perceptions,
and the pursuit of meaning in life. It's also about the politics of pit
bulls,
their presence in her life, and what happens when an old suitor returns
to
change everything she's rebuilt from her brother's death.
While any
reader of
women's fiction will relish Tracy's story of growth, it's the dog lover
in
general and pit bull enthusiast in particular who will find much to
appreciate
about the changing relationships between man and beast that's just one
of the
strengths of This Business of the Flesh,
which is highly recommended for leisure readers interested in stories
of
recovery and pets.
Return to Index
Three Women
and the
River
William Harry Harding
Garden Oak Press
978-1-7323753-0-7
$24.95
Preorders/website: gardenoakpress.com/lymer-hart
After Nov 11th, 2018:
www.amazon.com
Three Women and the River or The Englishman Who
Forgot His Own Name
tells the vivid story of World War I in Europe and an aspiring writer
who finds
himself caught up not in the throes of literary achievement, but in the
struggles and aftermath of war.
Reg Olcutt
experiences
a series of trials in Italy during his service, from surviving battle
to being
rescued by Gabriella, whose family tends to him until he is captured by
the
Germans and eventually returns to his homeland, England.
After taking
a
winding journey far from his literary passions, can Reg forget the
woman who
cared for him as he resumes some semblance of normal life at home after
experiencing the horrors of war?
The theme of
an
ordinary citizen and boy turned soldier, exposed to a series of
challenges to
mental and physical survival, and returned to home and hearth where
everything
seems different is not an unusual one; but what is notable in Three Women and the River is how adept
William Harry Harding is at weaving historical fact into fiction. He
deftly
recreates the social and political atmosphere of Reg's times as he
encounters
the literary and political contemporaries that challenge his thinking.
The love
story
subplot provides a gentle undercurrent of hope embellishing a situation
which
is often dire, as Reg faces a trial and accusation of desertion, with
death the
punishment for his actions in the field.
Three women
enter and
leave his life at different times, each holding keys to Reg's safety
and
happiness. As his journey from a small English farm to the wilds of
Italy
includes both redemption and romance, readers are treated to an epic
swing
through World War I that personalizes the milieu and experiences of the
times.
Harding's
ability to
juxtapose bigger life experiences with Reg's return to environments
that hold
faded connections and new associations based on his trials makes for
especially
evocative passages that illustrate the changes war that brings to the
world: "In the place Gabby's garden once
stood, Reg found the pockmarked wheel hub that had served as a bird
bath for
her blue jay. Small green stalks grew out of it. He broke one off,
breathed in
the scent of licorice. Following the gentle slope above the flood
plain, he
walked toward the smoke, his mind flooded by memories he didn't know he
had of
approaches made on burning buildings in Flanders, where Germans hid or
lay in
wait."
From PTSD to
ongoing
survival challenges, Reg's experiences translate to a powerful and
sweeping
saga that captures the world's long journey towards peace and
acceptance.
Any
historical novel
reader interested in World War I's lasting impact on Europe will find
Reg's
story a satisfying microcosm reflecting a greater story of the times.
Return to Index
The Whole of
the Moon
Rush Leaming
Bridgewood
Paperback:
978-0-9997456-1-8 $15.99
Hardback: 978-0-9997456-0-1 $25.99
Ebook: 978-0-9997456-2-5 $
5.99
www.rushleaming.com
When a group
of
idealistic and aspiring young Americans land in Zaire, Africa in 1988
on a
mission to lend aid to those in need, they discover more than
altruistic
motivations at the heart of their mission in this prequel to Don't Go, Ramanya.
A year
living in a
village with no roads, no electricity, and no modern technology changes
them.
Their journey is narrated in a story that follows events that take
these
Americans from a high-tech society to an isolated bush existence and
back
again.
The Whole of the Moon deftly describes a
social learning process
that embraces disparate forms of change in a tale that opens with a
visual bang
of description: "There are certain
people who sizzle and burn. Gabriel was one of them. I first noticed
him
sitting near the front of a twin-engine prop plane as we made our
descent into
Bukavu, Zaire, long before the wax on his own wings would begin to
melt. Those
tiny foam chairs could barely contain him; you can't wrap a seat belt
around a
pulsar."
This
exquisite
descriptive language flows through The
Whole of the Moon like a prose poem, and is one of the
reasons why the
story line is much more compelling than any description of its plot
could
capture.
Another big
'plus' to
the tale lies in its ability to juxtapose the puzzles and ironies of
cross-cultural experiences with the fire of individual growth and
perception.
As Gabriel, Sheila, and others in the group change and the protagonist
looks
back on the events that led them to the present, readers embark on a
soul-searching journey through not only deepest darkest Africa, but
human
hearts and minds.
Replete with
events
that move from Gabriel's life-threatening bout with malaria to his
process of
transformation, the story carries readers into a blend of international
encounters and African cultural experience, sparkling with angst,
agony, and
emotional heartstrings that are tugged at every crossroads.
The result
aptly
demonstrates the difference between a singular story and a gripping
emotional
journey that grabs one's heart and doesn't let go. It cements that pull
with poetic
and lovely descriptions and psychological and social insights in an
approach
that makes The Whole of the Moon
highly recommended for any novel reader looking for a compelling saga
of tough
love and transformative changes.
Return to Index
Barry Boyce
The Baryon Press
ASIN: B07FMKTN3T
$9.99
www.barryboyce.com
Astronomy & Natural History Connections
from Darwin to Einstein
is a science course in a book, adopting the unusual approach of
blending
astronomy with natural history in a survey that successfully draws
important
connections between the two disciplines.
It's not
only unusual
to see the different disciplines thoroughly covered in a single volume;
but the
addition of scientist biographical sketches from classical Greek to
modern
times creates an approach that cements scientific developments with
insights on
individual pursuits and social history.
Astronomy & Natural History Connections covers
basic principles
but focuses on what thinkers such as Darwin did and
did not say. Classroom discussion and individual study are more
detailed than memorizing dates and theories, encouraging reflection on
how
ideas developed, were debated, and how they apply to lasting scientific
pursuits, pinpointing moments that were epiphanies and breakthroughs in
conventional
thinking.
As the
discussion
weaves back and forth between astronomy and natural history,
connections are
created which solidify not only basic concepts, but points of
disharmony and
contention and how these were addressed, providing far more depth than
the
traditional linear presentation of either subject.
It should be
warned
that many casual and conventional lay impressions of scientific
development,
processes, and theory will be challenged during the course of Barry
Boyce's
associative process. Among these concepts is the contention that
evolution is
not necessarily an adaptive process; that 'species' is a term that
should be
questioned; and that migratory processes may be seen as only breeding
strategy
in a mix of options.
It should
also be
mentioned that Boyce's appeal to lay audiences is strengthened by his
adoption
of a chatty tone that clearly explains matters to lay readers: "A lot of information has been
presented, and for some of you, a lot of the terminology may be new.
The
purpose, I assure, you was not to overwhelm or fry your chips; it was
to make
you feel more at ease with, and perhaps less than threatened by,
biology and
natural history. Scientists work in a formal, somewhat competitive
world, and
are obliged to use very technical language."
Concluding
statements
summarizing the important concepts of each chapter clarify the basics
with
material for classroom discussion or independent reader reflection.
The key
descriptor of
this piece lies in its "connections" portion. Astronomy
& Natural History Connections doesn't just summarize
major findings, but moves back and forth as it links the two subjects.
This
fluidity allows for an unexpectedly wide-ranging survey of the future
challenges of science, such as the pros and cons of colonizing and
terraforming
Mars or the search for answers about galaxy expansion processes.
Most
scientific
discussions come from either teachers or scientific researchers. Barry
Boyce
was a graduate student in the neurosciences, but spent 30 years
teaching
natural history and astronomy on expedition voyages to the Galápagos
Islands
and the Antarctic, so his experience with worlds outside the
traditional
classroom or lab structures affords a different focus and lingo that
nicely
explain and exploring these worlds, employing a more engrossing,
dramatic touch
than most.
Readers
seeking a
treatise for self-study will be delighted by the book's accessibility
and
ability to turn technical discussions into understandable ideas, while
teachers
looking for a more 'user-friendly' volume emphasizing
interdisciplinary approaches and research
processes will delight in the special approach of Astronomy
& Natural History Connections, a work highly
recommended for laymen and science students alike.
Return to Index
Home Ground
Don Gutteridge
Hidden Brook Press
978-1-927725-58-0
$19.99
www.hiddenbrookpress.com
Home Ground comes from a Canadian author
whose work is firmly
rooted in a sense of place; whether he's using the poetic structure to
inspect
the manicured grounds of the Point (which is his childhood home), the
lake
where "where the sand sang in the
sun/and thunder rang over its dune-dense immensity," or the
beginning
of changing habits and nature in one of Canada's long winters ("When Leckie’s field iced/over after a
thaw/and quick freeze, we skated/on glazed meadows/where once clover
bloomed,/wild mustard throve/and larks buffeted the air").
As sections
move
through memories of Don Gutteridge's childhood observations of people
and places,
encounters with peers as they skate through the ethereal world of
Canada's
landscapes, and the process of growing up, falling in love, and
appreciating
new landscapes both natural and human, they form a progressive dance in
which
readers are moved by description and experience alike. It's as though a
word
painter captured a delicate butterfly for a single moment in time,
forever
preserving that moment under a lens of inspection that moves to examine
the
microcosmic level of life's fullest moments: "In
your lemon-yellow dress/you stun the sun and the/fellow gazing
at you/debouching from your Volksmobile/unfazed/and effortless in your
element..."
Many a poet
strives
to do just the same; but Gutteridge's ability to succinctly capture the
quickest of impressions, presenting it for close inspection before
releasing it
to the next dovetailing moment in life, creates a more powerful series
of
vignettes than most. Individually, they are seconds in time; together,
they are
a timeline of life's meaningful bullets, nicely preserved for all to
reflect
upon.
Many of the
poems are
inspired by and dedicated to various individuals who presumably moved
through
Gutteridge's life: a nice touch solidifying the impact of not only
place but
people in his life.
"Words and joy collide" indeed in this
catch-and-release
collection, which holds the singular ability to capture these moments
of
passion; but readers should also expect the unexpected. These aren't
just light
vignettes about sunshine, love, and nature. Sometimes the darkness is
expressed
in the most unusual of ways, as in 'Sinister', which seems to be a
unique
comment on the game of golf before it explodes into something more
ominous and
reflective. Even here, there is always the attention to twists of
descriptor and
word to inject the unexpected into seemingly the most ordinary of
worlds: "My Uncle Tom and I/swung from the
sinister side and patrolled the Thames Valley/fairways in
tight tandem,/and while I
irritated my irons/with random rambunctions,/his wedge struck his
ball/aloft
and we watched it/in feathered flight as it/gravitated to the green..."
Individually,
the
works are clearly stand-alone slices of life; but when taken as a whole
in Home Ground, they assume a
richer,
deeper inspection of life's movement, evolution, confrontations with
truth, and
nature's winding influence as it paints humanity's psyche.
Evocative,
deeply
descriptive, yet rooted in autobiography and a sense of self and place,
Home Ground is highly recommended
for
enthusiasts of free verse who treasure exposés firmly rooted in
everyday experience.
Return to Index
Living in the
Zone
Sidney C. Walker
High Plains Publications
0-9621177-8-1 $16.95
Paper/$9.99 Kindle/Audio
http://www.livinginthezone.info/
Living
in the
Zone: Engage the Unstoppable Power of the Intuitive Spirit comes from a sales training coach who
moves beyond boardrooms and sales floors to apply the basics of his
concepts to
the bigger picture of living a better life. It is recommended reading
for
seekers with an interest in personal growth, but is different from any
similar-sounding approach. Why? It addresses changing negativity in the
world
starting with the core of this kernel of angst, the ego/self.
Readers who look to self-improvement
techniques to answer why they feel something is holding them back in
life will
find that Living in the Zone pinpoints
a problem both
difficult and theoretically easy to fix: one's own attitude,
perceptions, and
approaches to life. Other books might promote or insinuate that a
timeline is
involved in the process of self-evaluation and change; but because part
of
Sidney C. Walker's game plan involves intuition, there's no deadline
for
success in his approach.
Intuition takes time to tap into, time to
process, and represents a kind of 'zone' that can't be forced. This is
just one
of the messages in Living in the Zone.
It should be cautioned that this isn't a
scientifically-backed approach, as Walker himself points out in the
first few
paragraphs: "The information in this book is not
scientifically
proven. Everything presented comes from my own experience of more than
three
decades of coaching and personal research. Science is of indisputable
value.
But when it comes to philosophy, psychology, and transformation, our
intuitive
knowing is way beyond what we can prove scientifically, and I suspect
that may
always be the case."
This not only makes sense; but, actually is
a big plus in a world where information not backed by scientific
procedure and
testing methods tends to be discarded. As a matter of course, such
information
tends to be of an intuitive nature.
Living
in the Zone includes an
unexpected spiritual
component: "You could say that life on planet Earth
was created as
a game to play to give us something endlessly fascinating to do. Then
there was
another aspect added to our existence, which was internal guidance. We
were
guided by a Higher Power through our intuitive instincts and our
conscience.
Yes, we had control over the choices we made, but we were making
choices toward
what felt intuitively right, and we had a clear awareness of what our
path
was."
Readers who don't believe in a Higher Power
or guiding light may find this skirts too closely into spiritual realms
in
a psychological examination of change; but in
actuality, Living in
the Zone is a discourse on transformation; and this
process contains
the prerequisite of a belief in intuitive faith in order to prove
successful.
As chapters unfold, problems involved in
shifting to a wider perspective are outlined with an attention to not
only
charting the course of change, but the obstacles to reaching beyond
ego-centric
forces to intuitive recognition, acceptance, and success. The 'how'
aspect of
such achievement is nicely addressed in Living in the Zone,
in contrast
with competing new age books which would focus on the 'why' and provide
ideals
and explanations without explicit follow-through.
Living
in the
Zone requires a slow,
careful
pursuit. It's not a race to the finish line; but an opportunity to
reconsider
goals, achievement, definitions of winning, and the power of intuition
in the
process of real change.
From effective approaches to keep the ego
from judging and evaluating people and situations to avoiding the
tendency to
'sell' to people in favor of a more intuitive, sharing approach to
relationships, Living in the Zone provides
a succinct roadmap
to a new way of approaching life. This is highly recommended not just
as a
paradigm for change; but for its attention to the details involved in
inviting
transformation into one's world based on identifying, trusting, and
acting upon
something that's already present: one's own intuitive powers.
New age, self-help, and psychology readers
alike will find Living in the Zone direct,
accessible, packed
with examples from Walker's own life and experiences, and satisfyingly
specific
in its instructions.
Walker's approach creates a survey of
relationships that is highly personal in tone, in contrast with the
usual
psychology jargon infused into similar accounts of changing approaches
to life.
There is no comparison between the vivid transformative approach that
is
infused with personal experience in Living in the
Zone and the more
distant analytical tone cultivated in too many other reads.
There is no substitute for intuitive
connections and understanding based on personal experience.
Living in the
Zone shines in its achievement, here, and stands out
from the crowd of
self-help and improvement books by cultivating a series of connections
and
examples that stem directly from life itself. It's especially highly
recommended for readers who eschew typically dispassionate approaches
in favor
of a more passionate, personal consideration of intuition's
possibilities and
often-overlooked potentials.
Return to Index
Moonshots
Naveen Jain with John
Schroeter
Moonshots Press, an
imprint of John August Media, LLC
978-0-9997364-0-1 (Print)
$28.00
978-0-9997364-1-8
(eBook)
$14.99
www.moonshotspress.com
Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance
comes from a billionaire
entrepreneur who focuses on the types of disruptive innovations that
can not
only change human life, but improve it in various ways. It chronicles
an
approach to not just accepting this change, but cultivating its
presence in
everyday life.
The term
"moonshot" in Naveen Jain's lingo is designed to be a one-word
summation of the "super-entrepreneur" approach to innovation, which
can be applied beyond business pursuits to technological advancements
and
everyday life.
Jain holds a
specific
idea of abundance that holds strong roots in lofty ideals ("This convergence—unprecedented in human
history—will upend every
notion we have about our civilization: how we live, where
we live, how we work, how we get around, how we interact,
even what we are. And all of
these outcomes will be realized by the ushering in of a previously
unknown kind
of economy—an economy of abundance.
An economy whose very basis lies in sharp contrast to everything that’s
being
peddled to and simply taken for granted by a naïve public."),
pairing
these visions with practical insights on how these approaches can be
incorporated into everyday choices.
From
Flatland
discussions to Dostoevsky, philosophy, and the roots of entrepreneurial
thinking,
Jain encourages the idea that bigger-picture thinking needn't come from
a
foundation of expertise alone: "I am
not a rocket scientist, but that didn’t keep me from founding Moon
Express. Or
Viome, with no credentials or training whatsoever in physiology,
genetics, or
healthcare. My status as a nonexpert has actually been my greatest
asset as an
entrepreneur. This is why I have never started two companies in the
same
industry, ever...Every company I have started was not only in a
different
industry from the last, but an industry that was completely new to me.
My
belief is that once you become competent in a particular domain, you
can only
improve it incrementally—you can never disrupt it. Disruption happens
when
someone who has no idea about your industry begins to challenge the
very
foundations of everything that the experts have taken for granted."
Thinking investors and entrepreneurs who want to move outside the box will find much encouragement in Jain's 'moonshot' approach, which supports the reason why the process is so accessible to non-technical readers: "Moonshots are possible only because audacious entrepreneurs are able to look at a problem from a perspective that the experts have never considered. Thinking in the abstract is something the industry expert can no longer do."
Much is
involved in
cultivating this approach. It should be cautioned that Moonshots
is not a get-rich-quick scheme or blueprint for quick
action, but a read to be digested slowly, savored over a period of
time, and
approached with the respect for complexity that it deserves.
Would-be
entrepreneurs, investors, and individuals vested in bigger-scale
perceptions of
life's possibilities will find Moonshots
a detailed survey not just of Jain's processes and success, but the
types of
thinking on disruptive innovation that lead to success on many
different
levels.
Moonshots should be in any collection
strong in business, ideology,
self-help, philosophy or technology. It's a highly recommended,
decidedly
hopeful probe of mankind's next possible stage of self-driven
innovation and
evolution.
Return to Index
My Career as
a Book
Reviewer Defending the Faith
Maurice A. Williams
Maurice Williams,
Publisher
ASIN: B01F43ZUCA
$2.99
https://www.amazon.com/CAREER-BOOK-REVIEWER-DEFENDING-FAITH-ebook/dp/B01F43ZUCA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1531404336&sr=1-1&keywords=My+Career+as+a+Book+Reviewer+Defending+the+Faith
Regular
readers of
book reviews will find that Williams adopts a straightforward, critical
style
in contrast to some, letting the reader know right off the bat if a
given
production is lacking. Often this criticism of a book's effectiveness
is
because Williams disagrees with an author's approach or contentions,
pointing
out errors in either logic or delivery.
The second
thing to
note about these reviews is that they reflect the opinions and
approaches of
their writer, who personalizes his style by using 'I' in a manner often
omitted
from more formal approaches to book reviewing.
Thus, for
one
example, the first review contains the words "I have mixed opinions,"
"I was surprised," and "I think this is another flaw"
(speaking of A Secret of the Universe,
by Stephen L. Gibson). These injections of personal observation do not
come
unsupported. The review closely considers the work and pinpoints faults
and the
reasons why Williams chose to comment as he did, following flawless
logic as he
assesses each piece.
The review
of A.D. 62 Pompeii, in contrast,
largely outlines
the novel's plot of the novel, adding commentary on Rebecca East's
solid
character development and realistic portrait of the past based on her
background as a professor and archaeologist.
Each review
demonstrates a successful strategy on the part of the reviewer, showing
how critical
observations can be supported by a book's structure, approach, and
creation;
and how a reviewer's determination of value involve more than just
summarizing
a plot.
Not only
does My Career as a Book Reviewer Defending
the
Faith successfully sum up the extent of one book reviewer's
career; but it presents
different approaches to reviewing. Book reviewers new to the industry
and to
writing about others' creations would do well to look at this
collection as a
series of templates for producing powerful reviews, which could easily
serve as
a solid example for creative writing classes covering the fine art of
book
reviewing.
Return to Index
The Senator's Son
Charles Oldham
Foreword by Ray McAllister
Beach Glass Books
978-0-9987881-4-2
$26.00
www.BeachGlassBooks.com/titles/the-senators-son
The
Senator's Son:
The Shocking Disappearance, The Celebrated Trial, and The Mystery That
Remains
a Century Later comes
from an
attorney fascinated by history's mysteries who stumbled upon the true
story of
the disappearance and presumed murder of a state senator’s
eight-year-old son
in 1905, becoming immersed in a murder mystery over a hundred years old.
Plenty of
professional
detectives can't solve 'cold cases' under a decade old; let alone
re-open an
investigation after a century has passed. That's just one fascinating
aspect of
a piece that becomes 'living history', holding unexpectedly valuable
insights
and messages for present-day audiences as it probes the events,
reports,
politics and influences of the times.
One doesn't
anticipate that a broader theme of political entanglements, social
analysis,
and personal inspection will take what could have been a dry assembly
of facts
and imbibes them with new life; but Charles Oldham's ability to do so
belies
any notion that writings by an attorney are necessarily dry and staunch.
It takes a
real
storyteller to delve behind the scenes to capture not just the lives
but the
atmosphere of the times. Evidence of Oldham's ability is abundant and
vividly
insightful: "In the early 1890s, the
veneer of stability over race relations in the South began to crack. It
started
with economic hard times, which impacted blacks and whites alike. When
people
lose their jobs, it is natural to look for scapegoats, and for white
Southerners, blacks were the most obvious target. But it is interesting
to note
that the racial recriminations did not set in immediately. They took
awhile to
take effect, and it happened only after a series of unusual political
events."
Oldham goes
beyond
assembling facts probing secondary events, social evolution, influences
on
perception and action, and more. In addition, there are a wealth of
vintage
images that support this sense of place and time, providing emphasis
and
enlightenment that come from visual as well as literary representation.
His flare
for
language and accurate social and political depictions creates a history
that
reads with the drama of a novel and the insights of a well-researched
true
inquiry: "Whatever the true state of
Mrs. Beasley’s health, the press’s depiction of her need come as no
surprise.
Thirty years earlier, it had described Sarah Ross, Charley’s mother, in
virtually the same idealized terms. In all the years Charley’s story
was in the
news, the press almost never interviewed her or quoted her directly.
Her
husband spoke for her, as Senator Beasley later did for his wife. And
whenever
Mrs. Ross was mentioned, she came across as little more than a cliché:
she was
“the poor mother,” or “the stricken lady.” Her grief was a badge of
feminine
honor, described by the New York
Herald as “something so noble, so hopeful, so womanly."
As can be
seen above,
another surprise to The Senator's Son
lies in insights that hold relevance not only for understanding the
real nature
of the past, but its ongoing presence in modern-day social and
political
scenarios. It's as if Oldham embarked on a personal time-traveling
journey to
scope out the motivations, institutional structures, and snafus of the
past;
then translated them into language and scenarios many a reader will
recognize
from present-day affairs and reporting.
Readers
won't expect
the depth of insights into these social issues in a story about
politicians and
murder; but they are abundant and pointed ("As
it was in the Victorian 1870s, so it was in the Edwardian 1900s, and
especially
in the chivalrous South. Ladies lived on an exalted plane, untroubled
by the
right to vote, unsullied by the mundane hand of crime or political
strife. Or
at least proper white ladies, and that is certainly how the prosecution
intended for Cassie Beasley to appear to the jury, amid the day’s other
testimony about hog theft, saloons, “working girls,” and the like.").
This
juxtaposition of a particular case and its broader implications offers
a
priceless inspection not just of a historical mystery, but its lasting
impact.
The
conclusion
assesses political influence, legal proceedings, and narrows the
possibilities
of what really happened in an approach that raises questions even as it
wraps
up avenues the original investigation didn't touch.
One could
not hope
for a better exposé
than The Senator's Son. Filled with
passion, well-researched facts,
maps, photos and illustrations, and astute insights into state
senators,
financial influences, and special interests that led to disaster, the
story is
not just a historical recounting, but a vibrant, engrossing true tale
that
proves both educational and nearly impossible to stop reading.
Return to Index
A World
Worth Seeing
Brian Nelson
Outskirts Press Inc.
978-1-4787-8994-9
$14.95
http://www.outskirtspress.com
A World Worth Seeing recounts the
experiences of Brian Nelson, who
has visited over 190 countries on seven continents over the years. Here
he
documents these journeys using a step-by-step series of descriptions to
tell
how he traveled the world. From time to time, reflections are added on
the
lessons learned about how to travel and absorb cross-cultural
differences.
A World Worth Seeing separates chapters
by regions visited and
often includes thought-provoking insights not to be seen in the usual
travelogue: "Honestly, the world I
have gotten to know is much better than the media gives it credit for.
They
preach a world of war, hate, and crime. If the world was nice, people
would
long to see it, but if it’s evil, it must be better where you’re at."
Another
difference
between A World Worth Seeing and
other travel stories is the wealth of sharp, nicely-composed travel
photos that
pepper Nelson's story. These lend a visual component to his narration,
bringing
landscapes to life and nicely embellishing observations as vivid as a
different
view of the classic statues of Easter Island.
Nelson
adopts a
"you are here" feel to his descriptions, so readers also receive
specifics on how he navigates customs and foreign cultures, the
challenge of
arranging airfare and tours, and how he travels these strange worlds.
His story
is not just about inviting readers to see the world through his eyes,
but
covers the nuts and bolts of exactly how he made travel arrangements.
One might
wish for
more insights on how traveling through and observing these places
resulted in
insights about other cultures and life; but this isn't the ultimate
purpose of A World Worth Seeing.
It's a "come
along with me" travel resource for wanna-be world travelers that
follows
Nelson through foreign lands and outlines his journeys between them.
Readers with
a sense
of wanderlust who intend to travel the world will find World
Worth Seeing an excellent, inspirational guide to crafting
their own world journeys.
Return to Index
Dickensen
Academy
Christine Grabowski
The Wild Rose Press
Inc.
Print ISBN
978-1-5092-2123-3
$16.00
Digital ISBN
978-1-5092-2124-0
$ 5.99
https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/
Dickensen Academy is a young adult
paranormal story that holds the
power to reach out and grab not only protagonist Autumn Mattison, but
her
readers, as it opens with her first impression of one of the big dreams
of her
life, and a looming puzzle. Autumn's first day at the exclusive
Dicksensen
Academy introduces a bizarre secret that none of the new students sees
just
yet.
Besides her
impression of the physical academy's setting, Autumn experiences a
secondary
certainty: somehow, she's been on this campus before. But, that's
impossible.
Or, is it?
As she tries
out for
cross-country and seeks to expand her horizons, 15-year-old Autumn
seems on the
brink of achieving much, but she keeps feeling something is wrong;
especially
when one of her courses turns from a predictable study to incorporating
Dream
Management into its curriculum, leading students on a discussion that
introduces Autumn to some uncomfortable realizations: "My
theory: the school used these unforgettable dreams to convince
us to accept."
As the 'why'
behind
the 'how' becomes more and more apparent, Autumn and her classmates
face some
of the biggest decisions of their lives. From her struggles with her
parents
over her grades and objectives at Dickensen to persistent nightmares
and dreams
that spill into daily reality, the events, people, and secrets at
Dickensen are
about to take over.
Amidst all this, Autumn is finding herself and discovering the true
strengths
of attending Dickensen: "The
school’s culture seemed made for people like me. I was becoming who I
was supposed
to be because I didn’t have to hide my true self."
Young adults
who
enjoy boarding school stories, paranormal encounters, and stories of
growth of
a teen who receives lessons on romance, mistakes, and special abilities
will
find much to like about Dickensen Academy,
an institution which specializes in making dreams come true in more
than one
way.
Autumn's
first-person
character is nicely done and inviting, and the world of Dickensen with
all of
its conundrums and confusion comes to life through her eyes, making for
a story
that is hard to put down.
Return to Index
The Little Labradoodle:
Puppy Pickup Day
April M. Cox
Little Labradoodle Publishing, LLC
978-1-7324566-2-4
www.thelittlelabradoodle.com
Eight engaging labradoodle
puppies wake up to greet the
day in April M. Cox's engaging picture book story of a special day when
all the
puppies expect to get a new home.
They are fed, groomed, and
play, but one little pup,
smaller than his siblings, is rejected. As the rollicking rhyme follows
the fun
and games, young readers can't help but be concerned about one little
outcast
who falls off the puppy slide, is too small to play tag, and gets lost
too
easily.
As the countdown begins,
teaching numbers to young animal
lovers, the last little puppy begins to wonder if getting a new home is
something else he's going to miss out on. He's become lost (on Puppy
Pickup
Day, no less), but his friendly nature leads to help from unexpected
places,
and after his siblings are picked by new families, he discovers
something
important about courage and finding his place in the world even though
he's a
runt who can't do what his siblings enjoy.
A variety of messages are
wound into this fun-loving
story of a little puppy's adventure: counting, colorful fun, lessons on
friendship and helping, and embracing new experiences. Illustrator Len
Smith's
oversized, colorful panels are a huge draw to an equally-strong,
uplifting
story line that will delight young picture book readers and their
read-aloud
parents. He's a former Disney &
Hanna-Barbara illustrator, and so his background is perfect for
translating the
story into large-sized, exceptionally colorful characters designed to
provide
eye-catching excitement and action to enhance the story's visual
appeal. Each
panel is packed with not just vivid colors and playful action, but
emotion as
the little puppy moves through his choices and considers his options.
Not only
the puppy's emotions are involved: readers will find their heartstrings
similarly pulled as the story visually 'pops' with excitement.
Return to Index
Pysanky
Promise
Cathy Witbeck
Calico Barn Books
Paper:
978-17322626-2-1
$12.50
Hardcover: 978-1-7322626-0-7
$23.95
eBook: 978-1-7322626-1-4
$ 7.50
https://www.calicobarnbooks.com
Pysanky Promise refers to Ukrainian
Easter eggs called pysanky.
Here, both the eggs and the culture come to life in a delightfully
embellished
picture book story of Alena, who usually loves Spring rituals
surrounding
making pysanky, but discovers that this year, her grandmother is
unusually sad.
Good reading
skills
are required for this fine story of a grandmother who finds her
lifelong
tradition of making pysanky for the holidays is challenged by the
medicine that
makes her too shaky to create these delicate eggs. Even more important,
she
feels she's missed the opportunity to teach her young granddaughter how
to
carry on the tradition.
Alena
decides to
surprise her grandmother, but first she must learn the history of the
pysanky
tradition.
Exquisitely
embellished, colorful panels follow the step-by-step process and
history,
couching it with Alena's impressions, experiences, and thoughts to keep
young
readers interested. The borders of each illustration have pysanky
symbols which
are explained at the conclusion of the story.
It's hard to
imagine
a more effective, colorful, or inviting survey of the subject for young
readers. Pysanky Promise is simply
delightful, unique, and highly recommended for any picture book
collection
strong in holiday traditions, multicultural readers, or evocative
stories that
conclude with facts, website resources, and real information.
Return to Index
The Secret
Observations of Liliana Joo
SC McQueen
SC McQueen, Publisher
ASIN: BO7FM88532
$2.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMD8532
To Liliana
Joo, the
world is filled with "delicious,
delightful secrets—or, as she liked to call them, "fresh, edible meat."
This translates to a set of surprisingly mature observations from a
fifteen-year-old savvy not only about the source of secrets, but how
they can
be used.
Liliana is
an Asian
high school student who is cheerful, dramatic, and used to relative
easy achievements;
so when her junior year introduces unexpected challenges, she must
adjust both
her personality and her techniques to remedy problems, even if it means
employing other talents to get where she needs to go.
There's more
taking
place in her life than challenging academics, however. Her mother's
remarriage
and the price of her teetering world cost her much as her obsession
with
secrets turns into a newfound appreciation for lovers' trusts and the
challenge
of discovery.
The death of
her
father in a car crash when she was thirteen was the first time the mask
of her
life began to crack. As Lily feels that her persona and its foundations
are
moving into shaky secret-driven areas, she understands that much ties
her to
past that she fears to examine too closely.
From
scandals and
scoops to gay porn and disturbing teachers, Liliana is both dramatic
about the
process and determined to make her world better. She views life as a
theater of
people spontaneously interacting and acting roles. As she writes her
observations about this life, readers are treated to a romp through
drama,
interpersonal connections, and a teen's secret desire to get her two
male
teachers together in a steamy tryst.
In some
ways, The Secret Observations of Liliana Joo is
a bit like the Harriet the Spy
story,
but for older readers; holding more depth and maturity in its
observation
process. This pairs with a sexual component to reinforce the notion
that The Secret Observations of Liliana Joo is
not so much for teen readers, despite its protagonist's age, as for new
adults
who look for engrossing, surprising coming-of-age accounts.
Issues of
lies and
dishonesty, observation versus manipulation, Asian culture and a teen's
flair
for drama, and peer assessments of Liliana's world ("Liliana...has
these moments of sincerity that surprise me. She
seems like she's built this little façade so thickly that she can't be
honest
anymore, but in those rare moments, she seems herself. Like her honest
self.
She's not some character she plays on a stage and she's not some person
she
made up...") combine to
create a complex tale in which an astute observer of life loses herself
in her
own creations.
The Secret Observations of Liliana Joo is
an engrossing, revealing
probe of Asian teen culture, the boundaries of propriety, and a young
girl's
search for answers. It crafts a multifaceted story of breakdowns, peer
and
teacher relationships, and challenges that change Liliana's life and
lead her
to grow and fail accordingly.
Will Liliana's meddling improve life? The Secret Observations of Liliana Joo's embrace of Asian culture and a fangirl's foundations weaves diary entries with observations to keep the saga vivid and unexpected right up to the end.
The Secret Observations of Liliana JooReturn to Index
Health
The Healing
100
Cherie Kephart
Bazi Publishing
978-1-947127-06-7
(paperback)
978-1-947127-07-4
(ePub)
www.bazipublishing.com
Cherie
Kephart
struggled for years with an undiagnosed ailment that left her bedridden
and
barely alive. The fact that she moved from this state to a full life is
extraordinary in and of itself; but that she did so from her personal
investigation into a range of healing techniques is amazing.
The Healing 100 is both a memoir of her
battle and a list of the top
100 healing techniques that finally moved her from almost dying to
embracing an
active life. It holds much promise for those who eschew formula, "one
size
fits all" health routines that choose singular approaches.
Kephart's
survey does
hold a holistic, mind/body emphasis because traditional medical
techniques
largely failed her. That said, The
Healing 100 is specific in its outline of how these
'alternative therapies'
(some of which are as simple as getting an air purifier for a room and
cultivating positive thinking) helped.
Kephart is
not
obsessive in her focus. Her point is made early on: "I
believe that a combination of modalities promotes healing. The
key is to figure out when you can use a more natural remedy or
technique, and
when you require a more mainstream, medicinal approach."
Another big
plus to The Healing 100 are her
connections
between bigger-picture thinking and common observations: "It
is said that open and loving communication is crucial for
healthy relationships. One relationship that can benefit the most from
this is
the relationship we have with our body. Think about it. Our body
conducts
millions of processes each day without us even knowing what they are
and how
they work."
This gives a
grounded
perspective to her specifics about all kinds of therapies that too many
alternative health and new age books simply miss. When these
competitors often face
resistance from traditional health readers, The
Healing 100 reaches out to them, pointing out the reasons why
some of these
therapies work.
The third
big
attribute to this book is that these therapies and how they are
experienced are
cemented not just by theory but by Kephart's personal experience. This
lends a
"I did it/here's how it felt to me" feel that most health books don't
touch: "Since I started stretching
every day, my body feels stronger, and I am able to do certain
activities I
couldn’t do before. For example, when I bent forward, I used to be able
to
barely touch the tops of my feet. Now I can place my hands flat on the
floor,
and my hamstrings are much more relaxed."
Between
following no
single routine or philosophy but incorporating a blend of perspectives,
tempering belief systems with the author's own experience, and
exploring simple
routines and adjustments that don't require a big investments in time,
money,
or lifestyle changes, anyone struggling with health issues can find
plenty to appreciate
and much hope from The Healing 100,
which should be in every alternative health collection and many a
general-interest library.
Return to Index
Kick-Ass
Kinda Girl
Kathi Koll
Ward Publishing
978-1-7323649-0-5
$16.00
https://kathikoll.com
Kick-Ass Kinda Girl is an inspirational
memoir documenting author
Kathi Koll's challenges and achievements, presenting a blueprint on not
just
surviving life's slings and arrows, but finding joy despite adversity.
As Koll
describes from her colorful life adventures: "...there
really is a rainbow of happiness around each
challenge." Uncovering that rainbow under clouds of
contention is the
task outlined in a vivid story that embraces all kinds of adventures as
it
follows Koll's experiences.
Anyone who
has faced
illness and caregiving will especially appreciate Koll's journey as she
faces
her husband Don's debilitating stroke and assesses the only thing she
can
control about these events: her response to them.
From her
mother's
cancer to her father's alcoholism, world travels, and a
robber/kidnapper in
France, a sense of eternal optimism about life transfers its lessons to
Kathi,
giving her the strength and courage to approach life from a different
perspective.
Kathi
entertained
friends before, during, and after Don's demise. She kept their lives
full and
also kept alive the memories of a man "always on the go" and the
promise of recreating a life without him.
Readers of
books
about caregiving, survival, and being a widow will find a remarkable
energy
within Kick-Ass Kinda Girl that
belays the usual focus on mourning and picking up pieces to instead
follow a
passion for seeing the good about life even during the throes of grief.
The result
isn't just
a memoir by and about a "kick-ass" girl: it's a lesson plan others
can use to find their own rainbows behind the clouds, and represents a
standout
in the literature surrounding grief, recovery, and illness.
Return to Index
The Light in His Soul
Rebecca Schaper with Gerald Everett Jones
GreyHawk Media
978-0-9992771-4-0
$28.00
www.rebeccaschaper.com
There are plenty of
biographies and autobiographies about
schizophrenia in the family on mental health bookshelves, but The
Light in His Soul: Lessons from My
Brother’s Schizophrenia
stands
out from most with its story of a brother who goes missing for twenty
years,
only to return homeless, broke, and suffering from schizophrenia.
This sent sister Rebecca Schaper on a 14-year odyssey to care for her
adult
brother, and as they faced the trials of paranoid schizophrenia
together,
lessons were learned in both mental health and sibling relationships.
Thankfully, these lessons make up this combination of memoir and mental
health
primer by a woman who learned much from her brother's experiences and
her own
interactions with him.
If this story sounds
familiar to those who have long
studied mental health family experiences, that's because it
recaps the story of a 2012 award-winning documentary film,
"A Sister's Call," and adds further details on the film's
perspectives as Schaper reviews the process of not just dealing with
her
brother's condition, but returning him into the family.
Think 'schizophrenia' and
the common attitude is that
it's a disease to be managed, controlled, subjugated, and drugged into
submission. Schaper's attitude and perspective is refreshingly
different. Her
writing doesn't distance and analyze issues, but introduces readers to
the
feeling and perspective of one afflicted with schizophrenia as we see
Call
interact with daily life: "Understand—and
this might be difficult for you to take in at this point—you know you can’t trust your judgment.
You seldom know whether your perceptions are real or hallucinatory. And
yet you
are intelligent enough to know that there’s a difference. From moment
to
moment, you don’t trust yourself. You don’t trust your judgment about
whether
you’re sane or ill."
Belief, endurance,
and finding an underlying joy and purpose in even the most cruel of
adversities
lies at the heart of The Light in His
Soul. Where other memoirs and similar-sounding accounts focus
on darkness
and survival against all odds, Schaper's
story takes the extra step to uncover riches, understanding, learning
experiences and life-affirming joy against all odds; and this is what
makes The Light in His Soul a
unique story worth pursuing.
Black and white family
photos pepper the account, but
include headings that are not your usual identification of scenes or
people
alone; such as a childhood photo of Call that mentions that mother and
son both
suffered from schizophrenia.
Fueled by reflection, family
photos, inspection of the
roots of and reactions to mental conditions and family interactions,
and tips
on incorporating mental health and illness into daily living, The
Light in His Soul perhaps inadvertently serves as a blueprint
for not just
survival, but positive acceptance and healthier living with mental
illness.
It's a title designed
to not just capture a singular life or experience, but to expand
awareness of
the experience of interacting with a family member with schizophrenia
who
inherits a legacy of abuse and mental illness, but who is still loved,
respected, and treasured as part of that family.
Families in similar
circumstances will want to take away
a big piece of Schaper's positivity to apply to their own unique
situations.
Return to Index