Kirkus Indie Reviews Prehistoric Adventure

Title: Misfits and Heroes: West from Africa

Author: Kathleen Flanagan Rollins
Blog: misfitsandheroes.wordpress.com
Facebook: Misfits and Heroes
Genre: prehistoric adventure
ISBN: 978-1453755037
Page count: 442pp

Reviewer: Kirkus Indie Reviews

Rollins tells an epic tale of ancient conflict, migration, spirit-world mystery and love.

The story is set in 12,000 B.C. in the forests and on the grassy steppes of West Africa. From the get-go, Rollins establishes a lovely, haunting tone: “It was the smell that had brought him here, to this village, the complicated, heavy smell of men and women and children.” Naaba is an outcast and a wanderer, and in this village he will find a like soul in Asha, who has a deep affinity for the watery realm, but has so far had her yearnings thwarted. They quit the village and set out to find a home. They move through a world in flux—“There were powerful places in every community: certain hills or lakes or trees that held special energy… but this was different somehow; it was a deliberate manipulation of that power.” These early humans learn that power can be diabolical and that the gods of the proto-myths, once protective, could be just as cruelly fickle, happily killing humans “not for anything they’d done, but only because the gods found it entertaining…. [I]t was a difficult balance, to acknowledge the power of the gods and yet maintain the importance of individual life.” A dynamic tension runs through the quest, a push-pull of forces—cooperative captives, murderous love, surprising intersections of principal players—as Naaba and Asha move forward, still following their noses, through a number of different communities that Rollins draws with detailed color, and the pair gather a cast of characters around them, fashioned with panache by Rollins into breathing entities with unforeseen weaknesses and unexpected strengths. They also learn to sail and ride a hellacious storm to the Antilles. The variety of settings—brutal war scenes, sporting contests, mysterious happenings in sacred places, the spookiness of what lies beneath the ocean’s surface, island biogeography—are meticulously plotted, the language precise but not prim, with an intriguing contrapuntal melody between the cadenced formality of Dashona, the storyteller within the text, and the liquid nature of Rollin’s narrative.

The kind of dangerous book that makes you want to remove most of your clothing, climb in a dugout and just start paddling.

----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Karyn Saemann Reviews Military Memoir

Title: Mollie's War

Authors: Mollie Weinstein Schaffer and Cyndee Schaffer

Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Web link: www.mollieswar.com

Genre:  Nonfiction, WWII, memoir, women's issues

ISBN: 978-0-7864-4791-6

Reviewed by  Karyn Saemann for Midwest Book Review

Synposis of book:

Why did an average American woman become a WAC (Women’s Army Corps) during World War II and place herself in peril?

Authors Cyndee Schaffer and Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, answer this question and more in the book, Mollie’s War, a story weaved around the collection of letters that Mollie wrote home to her family during WWII along with historical commentary concurrent with the letters. Published by McFarland Publishers in August 2010, Mollie’s War documents the human side of life during the war – a life that alternates between fear and romance, exhaustion and leisure.

It took many letters home, sharing everything from daily challenges to exciting experiences (when the censors allowed) for her story, Mollie’s War, to emerge. What was it like to be in England while the country was under constant bombardment by unmanned German missiles? Imagine being among the first WACs to enter Normandy after the D-Day invasion. Consider using your foreign language skills from high school, as Mollie did in Normandy, and when she was transferred to Paris serving as informal interpreter in both work and social situations. Envision a young Jewish woman in Frankfurt, Germany, on Rosh Hashanah, 1945, and walking with other soldiers and officers to the rededication of the only standing synagogue.

The collection and story vividly depict Mollie’s experiences from her first train trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, for basic training in October, 1943, to the dramatic image of her seeing the illuminated figure of the Statue of Liberty in the midst of darkness as her ship approached the U.S. shores when she returned in November, 1945. This book may be the first collection of letters published by a Jewish American WAC.

Review:

 

Excellent editing, including a painstaking inclusion of explanatory text, elevates a collection of old letters into a warmly human, accessible account of a young Jewish woman's service in World War II Europe. From 1943 to 1945, while in the Women's Army Corps (WAC), Mollie Weinstein Schaffer saw England, France and Germany. Ultimately, her sister saved 350 pieces of correspondence penned by Schaffer, friends and family. About 200 make it into "Mollie's War," as do some brief diary entries. In her editing, Schaffer's daughter Cyndee judiciously excluded portions of longer letters, a wise decision that keeps things from bogging down, contributing to a wonderful novel-like flow. And she injects beaucoup explanatory notes, with just about every letter set up by a few lines. They flesh out details such as where Schaffer is geographically when she can't divulge that, significant battles and other events that have just or are about to occur, happenings and attitudes at home and weighty topics such as the role of female soldiers, whose participation wasn't always supported. And they reflect on the generally upbeat tone of the letters not being due to a lack of difficulties, but rather to the fact that Schaffer couldn't talk about her work with the Army's Medical Intelligence Division (whose duties ultimately included analyzing records left behind by Nazis of horrific experiments done on prisoners) and didn't want to worry her parents with news of hardship. Social activities were often all that was left to recount. Many of the letters are breezy accounts of dates, which female soldiers were asked out on constantly as they were far outnumbered by men. Others talk about living accommodations, food, sightseeing and nightlife in Paris. Sometimes they get intensely personal, particularly those detailing the simultaneous relationships Schaffer had with two men, both of whom she considered marrying. There are religious references, as Schaffer revels in gifts of her mother's Jewish pastries and marks holidays. And there is the reality of war, including stretches without heat or hot water, uncertainty over where the Army was sending her next and moments such as when she and her roommate woke to bombs overhead. "You can bet your boots we both felt to see if we were wearing our dog tags," she writes. Throughout, Schaffer's wit endears. "You should have seen me get ready to go out on my date last night," she writes to her sister from a muddy tent encampment in northern France two months after the June 1944 Normandy invasion. "You would have really laughed. " After a cold shower she fixes her hair with a mirror wedged in a tree limb, dons combat gear and then puts on "a few dashes of cologne to make me feel like I wasn't a soldier." Later from Paris, writing on letterhead left behind by the Nazis, she quips "Can you imagine - ME - with the "handle" that I've got (that is, her Jewish name) using Hitler's stationary?" Ultimately, that she found friends, love and time for laughter in the depths of war is a testament to Schaffer's personal strength. And her story is a historically vital representation of the role played by the 20,000 WACs sent overseas in World War II.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

K. M. Whittaker Reviews Suspenseful Novel

Title: Ring of Lies

Author: Victoria Howard
Author's website: www.victoriahoward.co.uk
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781935407683

Reviewed by K M Whittaker originally for Amazon

 

What happens when the man you have been married to for ten years is not who you thought he was? After Daniel Elliott dies in a car crash, Grace is left to deal with all the details regarding his will. Grace finds that Daniel has an alias, a lot of money, and a beach house in Miami that she knew nothing of. It seems that this loveless marriage, that Daniel kept Grace in, controlling her and keeping his secrets, was more than just connivance, but a lie. Her life with him was safe and stable, but now she is unsure who her husband really was.

Grace contacts an old friend, Jack West, an FBI agent, who she met 6 months previously. Jack agrees to help her get answers to questions and unravel the mystery behind all the secrecy in her marriage, and find out who Daniel Elliott really was, and where this money came from.

With strings of lies, deceit, murder and mystery, Jack protects Grace from harm’s way and uses his expertise to help Grace unravel all the mysteries and secrets. Family boundaries are pushed, heart breaking discoveries are made, and Grace finally decides to take her stance.

Review

An emotional roller coaster that was fast paced, filled with murder, suspense, lies, and romance. I really enjoyed this mysterious storyline. The plot smoothly flowed from one chapter to the next, and the end finalized swiftly, but efficiently, to give the reader a well delivered finale to a suspenseful read. Romance was present, but not the main factor in the read, but I felt this was evenly distributed to give us those elements we look forward in any suspenseful romance thriller. I was worried towards the end only 15 pages to go and still no deal was sealed. But Victoria ended it well, nothing left unfinished, and a finale which I am sure pleased the reader. I know I was impressed.

The main characters are very different, but fit the jigsaw well. Every little detail was included, giving an insight to the character’s personality and views. Descriptions were well portrayed -including thoughts, emotions and surroundings. I enjoy this in a read, as I am a visual reader!!!

I enjoyed Jack’s character - definitely not flawless, but his love for his daughter softened his hard exterior, good cop -hard arse. He knew what his responsibilities were and never faulted with either. He was brave, and respected, and gallant to the end.

Grace was a tortured soul. Living in a loveless marriage she stuck to her vows, no matter what. She was withdrawn in the beginning of the story, but in time her character grew strong and determined to move on with life, and start to live. I was happy to see Grace stand her ground no matter what happened to her. She had a strong will and in the end this showed in her character.

There are plenty of villains present creating that mystery and suspense that we all crave in a good thrilling read. Their characters coming across as callous and uncaring and just hard arse, this was portrayed well. You grew to hate the characters and what they stood for, but this also is part of a great story.

Overall, Victoria never disappoints in her writing, intriguing the reader into the world that she has created, drawing us into the suspense, and mystery and even little loving entwined. The romance wasn't a big part of the story, but I fell it was just perfect, giving us the insight to Jack and Grace's emotions and dragging us along in the moment.

All secondary characters meshed well with the story line, making it an enjoyable read, all necessary and blending in well with the plot.

I've now read two of Victoria's stories and have enjoyed both immensely. I certainly look forward to more of her stories in the future. A must read!! That will keep you on the edge of your seat, right till the very end

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Sleep Before Evening Reviewed by Joyce White

Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

Sleep Before Evening

By Magdalena Ball

$17.99Paperback: 296 pages Publisher: Bewrite Books (July 24, 2007)Language: English ISBN-10: 1904492967 ISBN-13: 978-1904492962 Author's Web site: www.compulsivereader.com/html
Also available for Kindle

Reviewed by Joyce White

Magdalena Ball says in this drug fiction slice-of-life drama, you can find good and bad in everything that happened which meant there is no such thing as luck only perception. She obviously loves writing and has mastered quantum jumping from a poet to a brilliant novelist. Her narration whispers, never intrudes. Her metaphors sing like most good poetry; and her scenes leave you wanting more. The reader can not only feel but hear and see each emotion change from page to page, being more like an opera than a novel.

I’ve often wondered if it was wise for a poet to try novel writing. Obviously Magdalene has a talent for both. It amazes me that this is her first novel. It is that good. To be obscurely clearly is a real talent. When something can be read without effort like her scenes, you can be sure great effort has gone into its writing.

One of my favorite metaphors and there are many, she describes Marianne, the young protagonist, as swimming in an ocean of amniotic fluid, cradling and nourishing her. Another metaphor I enjoyed was…feeling Miles’ arms like long tendrils of a parasitic vein, snaking around her body, taking her breath and her life away. Later, she says…There is no heaven, no hell, but there is music…sounds, smells, taste, touch, there is always music.

I recommend this story to all families, teenagers and college students. This is not a typical drug fiction book but a classic work of art.

~Reviewed by Joyce White of Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews www.wingedforhealing.com

 

Joyce White
Author
Sculpting the Heart with Art Therapy
Read Now - http://bit.ly/d1jGLN
Twitter - @wjoycewhite

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

TITLE: The Pumpkin Field

AUTHOR: Linda Nance

PUBLISHER: Create Space http://www.createspace.com

PAGES: 40

PRICE: $10.95 (US), £6.62 (UK), CDN$ 10.80 (CA)

FORMAT: Paperback

ISBN-10: 1461044812

ISBN-13: 9781461044819

Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry

Strange things happen on Halloween night or do they? In this picture book it is a chilly and misty night. It’s a perfect night for spooky things to happen. It’s a perfect night to be full of fright!

Do scarecrows jump from their posts and dance around on Halloween? Do pumpkins dance from their pumpkin patch? Or is it just shadows in the misty night air?

What was that flying through the air? Was it a bird?

In this delightful children’s book, we find out just what the answers are to these questions and more. Linda’s watercolor illustrations really bring the story to life!

A child will love this book. It explains the spooky things you see and the creepy sounds you hear. Adults will enjoy reading this to their children as it brings back memories of their own Halloween celebrations.

To learn more about Linda Nance, you can go to a couple of different places. You can go to Linda’s fan page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Nance-Fan-Page/162224753802546.

You can also learn more about The Pumpkin Field and Linda Nance at: http://linda-nance.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-is-pumpkin-field.html.

This entertaining book is sold in several places. You can pick The Pumpkin Field up at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.barnesandnoble.com in the US, at http://www.amazon.ca in Canada or http://www.amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom. You can also purchase this directly from the publisher at https://www.createspace.com/3588264.

 ~Reviewer Deb Hockenberry

The Bumpy Road http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com

Deb's Book Reviews http://debsbookreviews.blogspot.com

"When God closes a door, He always opens a window."

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Singh Reviews Indian Satire

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard By Kiran Desai Author:Kiran Desai Genre: Indian fiction/Comedy/Satire Reviewed by Aakanksha Singh originally for Book Reviews Galore The problem with reading an awesome novel by a particular author is the high expectations one has with the other novels and when that doesn't happen,you feel heartbroken for both yourself and the author. And that's exactly what happened with 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' written by Kiran Desai. Having read her other, more famous, Booker prize winning novel, 'The Inheritance Of Loss,' which is quite splendid weaving strands of varying themes into a beautiful story, I built up many sky high praises for Kiran Desai. But, unfortunately, her debut novel doesn't come close to her 2nd one. 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard,' is a good read nonetheless, yet lacks the brilliance that lights up the storyline of 'The Inheritnace of Loss.' Synopsis (from Christopher's Rare Books):   The plot of 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' begins with the birth of Sampath in an apparently middle class family living in a village named Shahkot. Then the novel does an Indian soap opera kind of leap and we see Sampath twenty years later, quite dull, and doomed as a failure by his father. Only his mother, Kulfi, has faith that her son will be able to be something in life. And ho! what do you know, he does manage to do just that. But not before getting fired from his clerk job in the post office and running away from Shahkot to be away from the misery of life. He then comes across a guava orchard and decides to climb on a guava tree and interestingly finds peace and solace over there. He feels uncluttered and unfettered on that tree. With a quirk of fate, he gets mistaken by a holy man atop a tree and his father gets a brilliant idea to juice out money from this venture. People flock to listen to his wise words and seek his advice and blessings! Sampath thus from being a good for nothing fellow becomes a famous Monkey Baba revered by one and all. Apart from Sampath, we get to see the rest of his peculiar family like his mother who relishes food and whipping up quite grand and glorious dishes. Then his sister, Pinky who falls in love with an ice cream seller, Hungry Hop. The one word for this novel is eccentric. 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' reminds one of the bumbling comedies staged during Elizabethan Age that had similar comic situations with myriad quirky characters. The book gives a satirical take on rural/town India and its obsession with godly figures. It highlights the dishonesty that prevails among the fake babas that spring up in all nooks and corners. Of course, Sampath never intended to become a Monkey Baba. He in fact wanted to run away from all things pretentious. So perhaps Desai is trying to bring out how holy men should be in their heart and soul? Well, one can interpret it in anyway one wants. The characters are also well fleshed out particularly Kulfi whose love for food has been highlighted since page 1. While the comic ans satirical part of the book is perfect, its the Bollywoodish touch and the simple, immature writing and the weak climax that make the book rather disappointing. Its quite entertaining and funny in its ludicrous situations but not really a must read, though a fun read! Well, you could either go for it and enjoy the fun or avoid it completely. Take your pick!

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Intellectually Stimulating, Emotionally Engaging Cold War Thriller

Title: The Allemagne Deception

 Author: Donald J. Farinacci

 Author’s Website: DonaldJFarinacci.com

 Genre: Historical Novel/Military

 ISBN: 10:0983416818

ISBN: 13:978-0983416814

Reviewed by Steve George Bustin originally for Independent Author Network and Amazon

 

Author Donald J. Farinacci's latest work, The Allemagne Deception, is a terrifyingly suspenseful and gripping account of a history that few Americans know. While the shooting war in Vietnam was hot and the bellicose actions of the Cold War were in the papers, an unknown, but strategically important and viciously executed secret war raged in Europe between the unsung intelligence services of Democracy and the Stalinesque forces of Communism.

Farinacci has expertly crafted a complex, multi-layered web of deceit, loyalty, patriotism and greed, all within the greater context of the Cold War. As he did in his previous book, Truman, he provides both a global and individual perspective while keeping you in doubt of the final outcome of history.

The heretofore unheralded heroes of this war finally get their due in this story that spans decades and countries, yet remains timeless. There is such detail and credibility in the great prose, one has to wonder if in fact Mr. Farinacci was closer to the actual intelligence operations of the time than anyone but he knows.

Intellectually stimulating, emotionally engaging and certainly a page-turner, The Allemagne Deception is a superb work of the clandestine sacrifices of a highly select group of dedicated Americans who selflessly served without acknowledgement by anyone outside of their small community. This is a movie begging to be made.

~Reviewer Steven George Bustin is the author of Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII .

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Author Shares Fave Review of Contemporary Fiction

Title: Appalachian Justice
Author: Melinda Clayton
Author's blog link: http://authormelindaclayton.xanga.com
Genre: Contemporary fiction
ISBN: ISBN 978-1-935407-92-8
Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing
Reviewer's rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by Tracy Riva on her blog and originally for Midwest Book Review

"Rarely has a character stuck in my head the way Billy May Platte of Appalachian Justice has. Melinda Clayton does such a rich job with the character you can hear her speaking plain as day by the end of her first chapter and her voices resonates long after she leaves the pages of the book behind. Other characters in the book are just as deeply drawn out, especially the antagonist who will make your skin crawl, almost literally.

Appalachian Justice is a tale of the cost of prejudice, the value of love and the price of courage. It is the story of everyday characters who happen to be settled in the Appalachian mountains during a period of time from the forties through modern day, though the vast majority of the story covers two critical times, one, a single day in the life of Billy May Platte that would change her forever, the other a few critical weeks, in the lives of four families that will once again change the face of the small mountain town and the lives of those living in it.

Appalachian Justice is visceral, reaching out to grab your emotions and senses from the first pages until the last. The tension is well-developed growing exponentially until it finally reaches the breaking point. It is a wonderful début album for Melinda Clayton and deserves to be read by every family trying to teach tolerance and the cost of prejudice. The story, set in the past unfortunately still happens today in community after community, most of which aren’t able to find a little Appalachian Justice.


Open the pages, but be prepared, while Appalachian Justice works to break down barriers and to bring about understanding of a few key issues it is raw and at times violent though both factors are critical to the story and are not done simply for shock value. It is a crucial story for our time and for the ages to come, by reading it we may evolve enough as a people to never need Appalachian Justice."
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Short Story Collection Honors Crones

Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones
By Vila SpiderHawk
http://www.vilaspiderhawk.com
Short story collection FantasyISBN 978-0-9796545-6-5Perfect Paperback 300pp $15.95Available in paperback or Kindle and Nook at Barnes and Noble. Also available at author's Web site: http://tinyurl.com/3x2np4c

Reviewed by Lisa Mc Sherry, originally for Facing North
    
How appropriate that this book came to me at this time of the year – the time of the Crone (and Sage), the ending of the year. Moreover, this is a wonderful book written in the spirit (and pattern) of folktales while retaining its relevance to modern life. Author Vila SpiderHawk's writing is clear and lucid without losing a rich sense of passion.

Much like Pinkolas’ Women Who Run with the Wolves, Hidden Passages uses storytelling to explore deeper patterns, honoring women of all ages. These are not tales of drifting away from life, as anyone who knows a crone will recognize, but juicy stories of transformation, of loss and of life, of somber reflection and joyful discovery. Lessons are provided for those who look a little deeper, but these are not morality plays, bluntly shoving the point into the readers’ face.

Eight short stories tell the tales of eight wonderfully ordinary women. Full of beauty, and strength, the women take us with them on part of their journey through life. I found the tales to be incredibly evocative, at times coming eerily close to personal experiences (not literally, but in resonance, certainly – and isn’t that a mark of good fiction?).

Entertaining, well-written, and just plain good, Hidden Passages is a wonderful book for women of all ages. Highly recommended!

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Be Inspired by Amazing Women

Title: Amazing WomenAuthor: Dr. Charles Margerison, The Amazing People Club. www.amazingpeopleclub.com

Genre: Non-Fiction/Inspirational/History

Product Link: http://www.amazingpeopleclub.com/product/amazing-women

Format: ebook

ISBN: 978-1-921629-19-8

Reviewed by Cindy Taylor for www.allbooksreviewint.com

Let’s face it. Women have come a long way, but we still have quite a distance to go before we are considered on equal footing with men. One way to further this progress is to inspire women, young and old, to reach for the stars and fulfill their dreams, and what better way to inspire than a book that focuses on the accomplishments of famous women in history. Amazing Women by Dr. Charles Margerison fits the bill perfectly.

Amazing Women is part of a series of BioViews, a form of literature created by Dr. Margerison to resemble autobiographies of famous people as if they were alive today and either writing their stories themselves or relaying them to an interviewer. Each story in Amazing Women revolves around a woman in history, who took the bull by the horns and let nothing stop her from reaching her goals. Each account is short and sweet and to the point. They give the essence of each person – what made them tick, what was important to them, and how they achieved their goals. Granted, some liberties have probably been taken in the interpretations of these women’s lives, but the author makes a point to also list the historical facts at the end of the book, as well as each woman’s known contributions to history.

In this collection, among many others, we meet Elizabeth Blackwell, who tirelessly fought the prejudice over women in medicine and became the first woman to qualify as a medical doctor in the United States, even though no hospitals would hire her. She believed in educating, not just doctoring, and fought to convince people that social conditions were the cause of much disease. She even opened a clinic in the slums where the most help was needed. We also meet Marie Curie, who helped to discover ways to cure illness with radiotherapy treatments, and was the only woman to win two Nobel Peace Prizes, and Elizabeth Macarthur, one of the founding mothers of Australia, who helped develop the colony and established agriculture and commerce there. Readers will be in awe of Irene Sendler, who risked her life on numerous occasions to smuggle children out of the ghetto in Warsaw where the Jews were held, and Mother Teresa, who lived among the poor and devoted her life to helping those in need. The list goes on and on, but one common thread emerges. Each woman was a trailblazer who led by being a pioneer and paved the way for future changes in the world. For each of them, the cause was always worth the trials and tribulations, and they were all incredibly tough, resilient, and determined. Most of them lived in a time where women were still expected to get married and stay at home and have babies and education was not an option, but they refused to accept this. They wanted to make a difference in the world and all thrived on challenge, and so somehow they balanced their personal lives and work lives and still made huge impacts on the world. Some had the support and encouragement of family and/or friends while others had to go against family to achieve their goals. Although I was familiar with some of the names in this book, I found it amazing how many women were behind great ideas in history but were left virtually unknown. It is wonderful to see them recognized.

What is truly beautiful about this book is that Margerison is a natural storyteller who doesn’t bog the reader down with unnecessary details but provides a neat summary of the accomplishments of each of these incredible women in flowing story format. There are some people who enjoy losing themselves in a lengthy history tome, but the average person just becomes bored by drawn-out accounts of history. Therefore, Amazing Women provides an effective tool for people to learn without feeling overwhelmed. What a wonderful inspiration to women of all ages everywhere in the world but especially to the up and coming female success stories. Anyone lacking in confidence, but especially females, can read this book and come away with the knowledge that any dream is possible. I would love to see this book in the school systems to be utilized as a tool to encourage girls who don’t have the courage to chase their dreams. Turning the last page of this book, I was left with the knowledge that the battle was worth it and must continue!

Dr. Charles Margerison is a Chartered Psychologist and a member of the Royal Institution and the Royal Literature Society. He is Chairman of Viewpoint Resources Ltd. and was previously Professor of Management at the Universities of Cranfield (UK) and Queensland, Australia. He was also a co-founder of Emerald, the world’s leading publisher of management journals and databases.

~ Submitted by Marion Andersson
Business Development Consultant
E: marion@amazingpeopleclub.com
www.amazingpeopleclub.com
T: +61 405 829199
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Be Struck by Your Own Incredible Power: Igniting the Genius Within

 Ignite the Genius Within

By Dr. Christine Ranck and Christopher Lee Nutter
Publisher: Plume

224 Pages 

Here is a new groundbreaking and experiential book. It includes loads of beautiful photos and images and a soundtrack that can inspire and help you. It allows you to travel through space and time—and sometimes to take a trip into yourself unlike anything you’ve experienced before. When you buy the book, you'll claim dozens bonuses, too - check it out:

Using a revolutionary system based on the latest in brain science and technology, this utterly unique book/soundtrack combo will help you uncover and then release the deeply-held, secret blocks and beliefs that stop you from getting what you want in life.

Ignite the Genius Within combines adaptations of two new and powerful therapy treatments—EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Brainspotting TM.

Dr. Ranck, a psychotherapist in NYC, who along with her traditional practice specializes in creativity and performance enhancement, witnessed many astonishing and “impossible” transformations while using these fast and effective mind/body techniques. She wanted to provide the experience and results in a book for the general public.

Your genius brain and system already have all the answers you need inside you—you just haven't had easy access to them…until now.

Ignite the Genius Within is a different kind of book altogether. It’s a book that works from the inside out. It is mostly a doing book rather than a reading book that works on two levels:

1. POWERFUL COLOR IMAGES AND ARTWORK, accompanied by penetrating questions guide you to deep-brain processing. A picture paints a thousand words. Pictures are a short-cut into you.
2. A BILATERAL SOUNDTRACK with music and nature sounds that oscillate back and forth (instead of stereo), stimulates both sides of the brain, distracting the thinking brain, and giving access to dream processing—which usually happens while we're sleeping. Proven to enhance creativity, this soundtrack allows you to travel through space and time—and sometimes to take a trip into yourself unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

By forcing the brain to process information differently, we can begin to see and experience events and ideas through new eyes. A new perspective can potentially change everything. Ignite's powerful elements uncover and deliver the answers—that are already there—in order to make change happen within the deepest part of you.

And here's the greatest part: when you buy the book, you'll receive dozens of similar downloadable bonuses!  http://bit.ly/qjzO1Y

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Title: Glorious

Author Patricia Snodgrass
Website http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Glorious
ISBN 978-1-60659-243-4
Genre: Historical/Southern Gothic/ Suspense
Name of publisher: Mundania Press
Rating: highly recommended

Reviewed by Zita for Romancing the Book

Syopsis:

Emily Prudhomme is terrified of her stepfather, and for good reason. A man who was raised by an abusive father and uncle, he is convinced that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is talking to him personally through a radio he keeps in his office. Emily, alienated by her stepfather's bizarre behaviour, is befriended by Glorious, an African-American girl with beautiful amber-coloured eyes and the ability to see the thoughts of others. Outcast because of their differences, the girls become fast friends. When a tragic accident occurs on the banks of the Little Missouri river leaving one girl dead and the other hopelessly maimed for life, rage and revenge creates a firestorm that not only destroys a town but the lives of two families.

Review: 

This is a very intense and stirring story set during the late ‘60s, a particularly troubling time in US history. Racism is rampant, but at the same time lawmakers are legislating desegregation on a unwilling populace. One thing Ms. Snodgrass portrays particularly well in this story is both sides of the conflict. It wasn’t only the whites who didn’t want blacks in their schools, the blacks didn’t particularly want to go to a white school, either. Bad decisions and poor choices were made on both sides and the mounting tension finally results in a horrific explosion of violence and hatred. In the end, two young girls, lifelong outcasts who found friendship for the first time with each other, are thrown headlong into that violence. And when the wheels of justice roll, they end up rolling right over their families. As sad and shocking as this story was, I enjoyed it very much. It’s a story that is powerfully told and held my attention to the very end. I think the saddest thing about the story is how very believable it is. Thank you, Ms. Snodgrass, for writing such a poignant story and for treating the issues with such respect. Job well done!

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Maestro: Unveiling Karma and Reincarnation By Rachel Madorsky and Avanty House (Paperback - Apr 16, 2011) Buy new: $19.95ISBN: 978-0-9705349-6-5Author's Web site at Authorsden.com
245 Pages with Handy Bibliography in the back

Reviewed by Joyce White

As a student of life, I find the title Maestro very interesting. The word Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician or a master in an artistic field, usually someone who listens with their mind’s eyes and ears; much like this author, historian, healer, and clairvoyant , Rachel Madorsky.

I like the image of mankind given by Trifonov’s novel, The Other Life, that our human destinies resemble threads. …and that human beings do not give in to death because they have an inborn sense of the infinite threads.

Rachel is also a historian who studies how we are destined to meet the same loved ones, relatives or friends over and over again. She tells us, “If we develop the skills and understanding to access the information about our karma and past lives, we are forewarned; and we may be able to correct many things that seem otherwise impossible to change.”

There is a growing audience today of all ages, who are not afraid of openly exploring the Unknown. The words “Know Thyself” keeps us all questioning why we were born…what is our purpose for living…and whether we will be rewarded or punished this time around?

Rachel‘s many patients seem to absorb her words, her energy, her electric wellness. Her book is kind of a diary packed with information to back up her beliefs. Her patients use her warmth, energy and clairvoyance for healing their healing.

Many of us wonder why some preach, some teach, and some kill? To the questions can we beat our DNA or outfox our Karma, Rachel warns us that Karma is similar to a gun shot; once the bullet is fired, its consequences cannot be controlled. (much like our tongue).

Abraham Lincoln’s quote at the beginning of her book says, “I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.” Rachel's one-on-one healing has given her insight into a world most of us know very little about.

My hope would be others do not fear their destiny but invest in their souls by studying Rachel’s books, Maestro, Create Your Own Destiny and Symphony of Your Karma. I have been privileged to read and write reviews for all three you can find here on Authorsden.com.

I’d like to leave you with the lines…We live to have this time we live in…To have this life that we are looking for…To be the person of our life…Is life within itself our time? By Nathaniel Madorsky, Rachel’s talented son.

Five Stars for Amazon.com

Information on the reviewer:

Joyce White
Author
Sculpting the Heart with Art Therapy
Read Now - http://bit.ly/d1jGLN
Twitter - @wjoycewhite

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Splinters On The Carpenter's Floor

Author: Randolph Nicholas Alvis
Website: www.CreationsCarpenter.com
Genre: Spiritual Help
ISBN: 978-1-60383-183-3
Publisher: Holy Fire Publishing Company

Reviewed by Dominique Sessons, originally for Apex Reviews

 

Stuck in the midst of a deep, worsening depression, Randolph Alvis prayed fervently to God to release him from his metal and emotional affliction. In turn, God not only heard Randolph's prayers and freed him from his spiritual plight, but He also directed him to record his prayers in written form for the benefit of the countless others worldwide who continue to suffer from depression everyday. As a result Splinters On The Carpenter's Floor is the fruit of Randolph's labors.

Comprised of more than 40 insighful musings, Splinters addresses a wide range of different topics, allowing Alvis to strike a personal chord with readers from all walks of life. Touching on everything from having patience to fighting peer pressure to adopting a more humble attitude, Splinters is a ready source of constant inspiration for anyone struggling to overcome the vast and sundry challenges of their lives. From the start, Alvis doesn't claim to be a biblical scholar, but his sagacious insights are based on the considerable wealth of his real life experiences, and, therefore, have just as much potential to have a sound, solid impact on the lives of many who seek such practical direction and guidance.

 

From a deep, heartfelt place, Randolph Alvis has forged an inspirational, deeply moving offering sure to serve as a balm for the daily spiritual maladies of the masses. Kudos to Alvis for taking such a courageous, selfless step in helping to improve the lot of his fellow man.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :