Showing posts with label Fiction: Literary. Show all posts

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Reviewer Tracey Quintin Calls Fiction Emotionally Provoking

Title: Bittersweet

Author: K.S. Thomas

Genre: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Inspirational, Romance, Women’s Fiction,

ISBN #: B00TPBIC3M

Reviewer's Rating: 5 star

Where people can purchase the book: http://www.amazon.com/K.S.-Thomas/e/B00HQWTA10/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Reviewed by Tracey Quintin originally for Goodreads

What an OUTSTANDING EMOTIONAL, COULDN'T PUT DOWN, PAGE TURNING read. I was hooked from Chapter 1 on. I completely fell in love with Esi and Carter and was so emotionally invested in this "grab boxes of Kleenex" story.

Truly touched my heart and soul. Esi and Carter are absolute soul mates and have a love and connection like no other.

Their story didn't just tug my heart strings, I seriously fell in love with these characters. I felt everything going on and had a HUGE lump in my throat throughout most of the story until I HAD to let the tears just fall. If I wasn't in a public setting I'm sure I would have cried my eyes out...THAT'S how emotion provoking it was for me. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE TYPES OF STORIES!

So beautifully written, K.S. Thomas did an incredible job. This is the first book I've read from this author and I REALLY hope she has written more of this type. Outstanding and can't wait to read more of her work. I very highly recommend reading this. It is a story that will stay in my heart forever.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. S. Thomas connections:

Website: http://www.ksthomas.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friedgatortail/?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/friedgatortail

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/332809.K_S_Thomas?from_search=true&search_version=service

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/K.S.-Thomas/e/B00HQWTA10/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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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.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Hard to Read But Loving It! Rarity from the Hollow

Title: Rarity from the Hollow
Author: Robert Eggleton
Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com
Genre: Literary Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781907133060; 1907133062
Name of Reviewer: Melody, Flower To The Rain
Review Site: Diamante Lavendar
Link: https://flowertotherain.wordpress.com/
Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508

http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow

Reviewed by Melody, Flower to the Rain, originally for Diamante Lavendar

4 of 5 stars: I Loved It

Rarity from the Hollow was so hard for me to read through that I frequently had to put it down. Not because that the writing was hard to read, because it was so well-written and easy to go through, and not because it wasn't interesting because that is the complete opposite. It was simply very dark. Especially at the beginning of the novel. It opens up to talks of abuse and very dark themes that I wasn't completely expecting after I'd received the novel from the Novel/Publisher. I had read a resume of it and known that it would approach it, but I didn't know how. The reason why it was difficult to read through was because the connection with the main character is so well-established at the beginning that it was what made me feel too much to read it in one go; but I wouldn't have this book any other way.

But (as there is always a but), it was hard in some places to follow what the author was trying to say. A lot of the time I could follow along very well, but other times it was hard to catch onto what was passing, certain things seemed to appear in the rearview and then disappear all too quickly. However, this could be said for typical children's book, so it may simply be that the style was meant to recapture that feeling.

Rarity from the Hollow was an amazing ride throughout, touching fantastic themes and continuing toward sci-fi, to create a beautiful and dark novel. However, this is not for the faint of heart. If you are easily triggered by themes such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, any type of abuse really, then I would suggest to stay away from this book altogether because it goes into those subjects very deeply and doesn't let you forget that it's there. Otherwise, I would suggest everybody give this book a try as it is such an amazing journey.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Diamante Lavendar Praises Literary/Sci-Fi Novel

Title: Rarity from the Hollow
Author: Robert Eggleton
Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com
Genre: Literary Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781907133060; 1907133062
Name of Reviewer: Diamante Lavendar
Review Site: Diamante Lavendar
Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508

http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow

Reviewed by Diamante Lavendar originally for http://diamantelavendar.com/

Synopsis:

Lacy Dawn is a true daughter of Appalachia , and then some. She lives in a hollow with her worn-out mom, her Iraq War disabled dad, and her mutt Brownie, a dog who’s very skilled at laying fiber optic cable. Lacy Dawn’s android boyfriend has come to the hollow with a mission. His equipment includes infomercial videos of Earth’s earliest proto-humans from millennia ago. He was sent by the Manager of the Mall on planet Shptiludrp (Shop ’till You Drop): he must recruit Lacy Dawn to save the Universe in exchange for the designation of Earth as a planet which is eligible for continued existence within a universal economic structure that exploits underdeveloped planets for their mineral content. Lacy Dawn’s magic enables her to save the universe, Earth, and, most importantly, her own family.

Review:

Rarity from the Hollow dives into the trenches of the human condition and explores dark societal issues such as sexual abuse and psychological problems.

While not for the faint of heart, Rarity from the Hollow is peppered with satire to lighten the tone of the story. This story is intended for adult reading as it has frequent reference to sexual situations. However, the author of this book has written with a tone of sarcasm and wit that will appeal to those who have dealt with the “trenches” in society…those who can relate to the hardships of the human condition and accept them for their true nature.

Rarity from the Hollow is well written. The author has truly come to understand and reference many problems found in society. If one reads this book with a semi serious nature, one will come to understand the mindset of those who have suffered greatly from the addressed societal traumas in the storyline. Abuse in the life of those who have suffered almost becomes an accepted, every day way of living. Rarity from the Hollow expounds on this fact.

Rarity from the Hollow was written to help children who have been abused. I commend the author and wish him all the best in his endeavors. His book is interesting with its mix of science fiction, fantasy and satire.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

University Press Published Fiction Hits a Chord for Top Reviewer

Review by Bookreporter.com
Title: Don't Forget Me, BrBy John Michael Cummings
Publisher: Stephen F. Austin State University Press

Reprinted with permission from Pauline Finch, Bookreporter.com

Reviewed by Pauline Finch originally for Bookreporter.com

Families: they love us, they hate us, they confuse us, they support us, they believe in us, they hurt us, they forgive us, they never forget our mistakes. . .

It’s no good picking and choosing which of the above (in what could be an interminably long list) best applies to your particular family, or mine, because today’s assumption will become tomorrow’s irrelevance.

As author John Michael Cummings shows with such poignant and searing skill in DON’T FORGET ME, BRO families contain all of it. There’s simply no tidy, predictable emotional or dynamic boundary to draw around these most primal of human units. Even those who don’t know their biological families have collective relationships that daily test their autonomy, individuality, self-worth and dreams.

Cummings, who’s spent more than three decades writing about human beings, mainly of the everyday American persuasion, excels in uncovering those beneath-the-skin familial stories that realistically probe uncomfortable, often invisible, areas of life. And even in our current decade of sociological transparency, perhaps nothing is more resistant to illumination in this context than mental illness.

As a broad collection of chemical, biological and/or psychiatric disorders of the brain, it eludes clear-cut treatments and solutions as successfully as families elude pat definitions of who and what they are. When families and their perceptions of mental illness collide, as happens with such gritty persistence in Don't Forget Me, Bro all the discomfort of relationships, normal and otherwise, comes to the fore.
Returning home to West Virginia to deal with the premature death of his older brother Steve, long diagnosed as schizophrenic, Mark Barr carries plenty of his own emotional and psychological baggage, including a deep-seated distaste for a father he remembers as abusive, a mother who seems a passive bystander to life, and a middle brother who comes across as just plain weird. With a number of failed relationships on record – including the one that’s falling apart even as he sets out from New York – he’s not so sure about his own mental health either.

“Going back home” stories are often based on narrow cliché-filled themes that focus on a single character or experience. Like series TV shows, they are easier to control and wrap up in a satisfying sentimental or tragic package at the end.

Fortunately, Don't Forget Me, Bro isn’t one of them. It’s a gripping emotional and literary journey that hits just about every pothole one can expect to find on life’s road; that part is engaging and sometimes oddly familiar. And when Cummings throws in a few unexpected left turns, thanks to his character’s unpredictable relatives and colleagues, there are moments of surprise and difference to ponder as well. That skilfully managed dichotomy in itself sets this author apart, drawing the reader into places that challenge assumption and attitude.

At the outset, Mark does think this back-home story is all about him, but he’s not driven by ego or self-absorption as much as by fear, worry and chronic indecision. His own identity, perhaps even his future, are on the line.

But as he blunders into memories, people, and artifacts from the chaotic mosaic of his dead brother’s life he rediscovers who Steve really was. In spite of himself he grows into a kind of belated and bewildered stewardship over his brother’s cremated remains, which become a catalyst for revealing ever-deeper layers of family stories he never really knew.

Haunted by the last words he heard Steve utter – “Don’t forget me, bro” – Mark realizes that at the heart of every human existence is the fear of being forgotten, of simply disappearing into cosmic anonymity. After all, even families that can’t stand each other tenaciously remember their own.

With the unexpected complicity of his equally dysfunctional remaining brother, Mark hangs around his hometown, stumbling upon ways to build better memories than the ones he’d fled more than a decade earlier when he went to New York seeking success.

The Barr family changes a little, just enough for its surviving members to actually remain civilly in the same room together. That’s about it. Cummings doesn’t make their story television-comfortable, nor does he eliminate the heavy reality of an uncertain future.

Set against the larger contexts of contemporary economic depression, social despair, fear of the known and unknown, as well as multiple shades of guilt, remorse and anger, in the end Don't Forget Me, Bro can only exhale in a long sigh of acceptance.

Cummings adeptly leaves the reader suspended in that fragile moment before the next breath must be taken, yet strangely satisfied that compassion and justice have been attained. Don't Forget Me, Bro is a rare thing, a brilliant addition to a theme in which so many other novels under-achieve.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

John Michael Cummings is an award-winning novelist and short story writer from Harpers Ferry, WV. His fiction has appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including The Iowa Review, North American Review, and The Kenyon Review, and has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize.

His debut novel The Night I Freed John Brown (Penguin Group, 2008) won the Paterson Prize, and his short story collection Ugly To Start With (West Virginia University Press, 2011) was an IndieFab Award Finalist.

His latest novel, Don’t Forget Me, Bro (Stephen F. Austin State University Press) has been excerpted in The Chicago Tribune.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Michael_Cummings

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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.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Gut Reaction Reviews of Psychological (and Literary!) Fiction

TITLE: Saints in the Shadows

AUTHOR: Alana Cash
ISBNs: 13: 978-1497511170
10: 1497511178
GENRES: Psychological/Paranormal/Literary Fiction

Reviewed by Don Grant originally for Gut Reaction Reviews and Amazon

https://gutreactionreviews.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/thum.jpg

Madame Budska or Maud Strand……… ****

Wow. Sometimes one finds a diamond in the rough. Having been asked to review this book I bought it for my kindle as I was drawn to the description which said it “dabbles in provocative subjects such as psychic phenomena, economics, morality, masochism, color, jazz, history, and a bit of romance with an NYPD detective”. I was not disappointed.

First, let me talk about the negative aspect of the book. The author would have made this even better with just a bit more editing and maybe one more pass with a copy editor. Each scene change has a heading which in the beginning was distracting but I will say as the story developed this was not as bothersome.

The story itself is gripping and I found it hard to put down. The writer draws you in quickly and at times I forgot I was reading a work of fiction. If you have ever seen a film with a famous actor who makes you forget that you are watching them act, then you know what I mean. The transition from past to present was easy to follow and never “pulled” me out of the story.

The character, Maud Strand, is one I would like to read more about. She seemed to me, to be more interesting than Madame Budska. Based on the title the author seems to disagree, hopefully she will change her mind.

The ending was slightly rushed and left me wondering about what was going to happen to Maud. Maybe it all wrapped up too fast. But I will say I look forward to more books by Alana Cash. This gets a well earned four stars!

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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.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

New York Editor Praises "American Sycamore"

American Sycamore

By Karen Fielding

Paperback

Publisher: Seren
ISBN-10: 1781721173
ISBN-13: 978-1781721179
Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
Available for purchase on Amazon com and Amazon UK

Reviewed by Dana Micheli, New York Editor, Writers in the Sky
A Goodreads five-star review

"Fielding captures America's unique physical landscape -- and dysfunction -- in a truly palpable way. Not since reading Joyce Carol Oates could I so easily step into a book." Dana Micheli

Her longer review is as follows:

It is a rare pleasure to be completely immersed in a book-when a writer is able to engage all five senses so the reader feels like they are truly there. That's what Karen Fielding did when she created the beautiful, tragic world of American Sycamore. It is the story of Alice Sycamore, a young girl coming of age in the rural Pennsylvania of the 1970s, as well as the turmoil of dealing with her mentally ill brother.

Fielding's prose is achingly beautiful, with descriptions of nature so vivid it reminded me of Alice Hoffman. With every page of American Sycamore, I could smell the brackish odor of the Susquehanna River, feel the desolation of walking along it on an icy winter day, and the insects landing on my skin during a hot, sticky summer.

But what I loved most about Fielding's writing is its subtlety. Humor in the face of emotional agony and matter-of-fact statements must be used by only the most skilled writers, and even then very carefully, lest they downplay the drama of the story. In Fielding's hands, they give this drama yet another layer of realism. We see the ignorance of these times through the eyes (and funny, cryptic statements) of Joseph Lightfoot, a Native American who is trivialized by white society but gains wisdom from the ghosts of his ancestors. This also serves as a bit of irony, for Alice's brother, Billy-a manic depressive- also sees things that others cannot. Is Billy completely crazy, or does he also possess a particular brand of supernatural wisdom? While it is most likely the former, it did give me pause. I would be hard-pressed to name many authors--Joyce Carol Oates being one of them--that conveys human emotions and family dysfunctions so simply and so honestly.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Atlantis Mystery Plays Out on Archaelogical Dig

Title – Travels in Elysium
Author – William Azuski
Author's website link -
Genre or category – metaphysical mystery/psychological thriller/literary fiction

ISBN-10: 3952401528

ISBN-13: 978-3952401521

Available on Amazon

Reviewed by archaeologist and historian Haighleagh Winslade for Travels in Elysium

A Story of Archaeology and Greek Culture That I Could Not Put Down

I started reading Travels in Elysium by William Azuski on a cold and wet spring day it proved to be the perfect tonic for such a dismal day. Travels in Elysium is the story of former student Nicholas Pedrosa who lands a position as assistant to archaeologist Marcus Huxley on Huxley's excavations of the lost settlement on the Greek island of Santorini (Thera) destroyed by the colossal eruption that occurred c. 3600 years ago during the time of the Minoan civilization.
Mr Azuski is a master at setting the scene and placing the characters and action in the landscape. After describing Nicholas Pedrosa's journey across Europe and the graphic account of the treacherous storm that blew up as the ship that he was travelling in crossed the Aegean Sea, on landing on Santorini the other main characters are introduced when Nicholas Pedrosa becomes entangled in the funeral procession of Benjamin Randal his predecessor who died on the excavation in mysterious circumstances. The funeral also provides the opportunity to introduce one of the main themes in the novel that of the Grecian burial rite of placing a silver coin in the mouth of the deceased to pay the boatman Charon for their journey across the river Styx to the afterlife.
The narrative of the excavation is cleverly entwined with the mythology of the afterlife and there is a good twist in the plot. Without giving anything away my favourite scene was where Nicholas Pedrosa is in Charon's boat and his barrage of questions and remarks to Charon about the journey across the Styx results in Charon pushing Pedrosa from his boat into the river! All in all an excellent book which I could not put down and a recommended read for anyone interested in Greek culture!

— Archaeologist and historian Haighleagh Winslade

Synopsis

It was the chance of a lifetime. A dream job in the southern Aegean. Apprentice to the great archaeologist Marcus Huxley, lifting a golden civilisation from the dead... Yet trading rural England for the scarred volcanic island of Santorini, 22‐year old Nicholas Pedrosa is about to blunder into an ancient mystery that will threaten his liberty, his life, even his most fundamental concepts of reality.

‘Then chalk it up to experience, Mr Pedrosa. Trust no one. Believe no one. Question everything. Remember, there is nothing here you can take at face value... No — not even yourself.’
An island that blew apart with the force of 100,000 atomic bombs... A civilisation prised out of the ash, its exquisite frescoes bearing a haunting resemblance to Plato’s lost island paradise, Atlantis... An archaeologist on a collision course with a brutal police state... A death that may have been murder... And a string of inexplicable events entwining past and present with bewildering intensity... Can this ancient conundrum be understood before it engulfs them all?

About William Azuski

William Azuski was born in the United Kingdom, and is of British and Yugoslav descent. Travelling widely through the Mediterranean since childhood, his frequent sojourns in Greece included several months on Santorini in the 1970s, an experience that provided firsthand experience for this exceptional novel’s local setting. Writing as William Miles Johnson, Azuski is also author of the critically-acclaimed The Rose-Tinted Menagerie, an Observer Book of the Year (nonfiction), and Making a Killing, an end of the world satire, both titles recently republished by Iridescent.

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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.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Reader Calls Novel Glittering Masterpiece

Title: A Glittering Chaos

Author: Lisa de Nikolits

Author's Web site link: www.lisadenikolitswriter.com

Genre, Literary Fiction

ISBN: 192670892X

Reviewed by Brittany Clayton

Lisa de Nikolits does it again with this lip-biting, on the edge-of-your-seat-tale that takes you on a spiritual journey with Melusine through heartache, tears and the unexpected.

Expect late sleepless nights as you endevour on this journey with Melusine and experience the good, the bad, and the ugly. This book certainly goes against everything you've heard about Vegas… what happens in Vegas did NOT stay in Vegas this time!

A recommended read for anyone and everyone who enjoys a read that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

No Predictable Plot in this Sexy Book

A Glittering Chaos

Author: Lisa de Nikolits
Genre: Literary Fiction
ISBN: 192670892X
Author's Web site: www.lisadenikolitswriter.com

Reviewed by Beth Tropp

A Glittering Chaos reaches out and grabs your attention with that old favorite: sex. But it quickly becomes clear that this book isn't about that. It is an exploration of many different types of relationships. Melusine, a German housewife, comes to Las Vegas on a business trip with her husband Hans. Turns out their relationship isn't what we (and Melusine) thought. Melusine falls into a one night stand with a fellow tourist. And that turns out to be more than it originally seems. All of the relationships in this book are fascinating and full of many facets, reflecting the real world. Because whose relationship is what it appears to be?

Too often, the plots of books are predictable. You can sort of see where you are headed. It doesn't ruin the book because you still get to enjoy the journey but, well...surprise is fun. A Glittering Chaos is one surprise after another. This plot is no straight line from Point A to Point B. The characters themselves are quite wild. Even Melusine, who starts out so conventional and familiar, transforms into someone you never would have guessed. If you want a summer read that will be memorable, something you can recommend to your friends that will stand apart from all the other books on the Summer Reading Lists, try A Glittering Chaos.

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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.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Dr. Eileen Brennan Reviews Literary Novel

Title: Orange Peels and Cobblestones

Author: Rose Marie Dunphy

Author Website link: http://rosemariedunphy.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/authorrosedunphy

Genre or Category: Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

ISBN: 978-0-615-69671-3

Reviewer: Dr. Eileen Brennan, Licensed Psychoanalyst in Private Practice originally for Amazon

"Orange Peels and Cobblestones is a great read that provokes our interest and satisfies our soul. While Brooklyn has long been home to churches and immigrants, it is Marietta's journey that dramatizes the intimate joys and cold challenges nurtured within this transitional community. This young girl's hunger for family and friendship, emerging in the1950's and maturing in the `60's, dances life-filled into the new millennium.

Personally, through this novel, I treasure joining Marietta revisiting my own immigrant, isolating and tender school days housed in a multi-generational, downtown brownstone. Psychoanalytically, in reading, and re-reading portions of, Orange Peels and Cobblestones I experience Marietta's deep creative instincts driving her birthing of self and of family.

Orange Peels provokes our hunger for life that emerges in the innocent manipulations of play and matures in the risks that scaffold the joys of other-centered adulthood. Cobblestones supports our vision of life grounded passionately in the security of family and open to the vast potential of a shared future.

Thank you Rose Marie Dunphy for a novel gift of life."

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Monday, March 18, 2013

Fun and Educational Novel Set in Utah

Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys

By Janet Kay Jensen

Author: Janet Kay Jensen

Author's Web site: www.janetjensen.com

Author's blog: www.janetkayjensen.blogspot.com

Author on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetKayJensenAuthor

Genre: literary fiction, cultural fiction

Publisher: Bonneville Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort

326 pagesISBN: 159955075XAvailable in paperback and ebook from amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Dont-You-Marry-Mormon-Boys/dp/159955075X
and barnes and noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-you-marry-the-mormon-boys-janet-kay-jensen/1100070141

Reviewed by Christopher C. Y. Loke, originally for Amazon

Janet's debut novel proves to be a brilliant piece of work with all its characters well depicted and its story masterfully crafted. One word of caution: Do not expect to be bored!

"Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys" is not your typical LDS/Christian romance; it is a piece of fiction that not only focuses on a wonderful plot and convincing characters, it is also a novel that finds victory in its use of words. Janet beautifully-composed sentences read poetically and are measured with intricate details and care. Although the relationship between the two lead characters is the driving force of the story, the real core of the novel lies in the underlying theme that continues to play masterfully between the lines--the true meaning of family, love, redemption and forgiveness. It is not a story about a group of Mormons; on the contrary, it is about a group of ordinary people who happen to be of the Mormon faith. Janet plays with her theme wittily, teasing the reader with traditional tales and urban myths about Mormons and polygamy. I will not expose the plot here for everyone; it will only take away the pleasure of your reading. Instead, I will tell you this: if this novel were to be a movie, it will definitely be Oscar-worthy. A literary fiction at its best, perhaps the best contemporary LDS fiction in years. I would read and reread a certain passage just to savor it before moving on to the next best passage. Janet is a promising writer who will undoubtedly break into the general market in no time. And this is a promise.

~Janet Kay Jensen is also the coauthor of The Book Lover’s Cookbook

and author of Gabriel’s Daughters (Jolly Fish Press, 2013). The sequal or "Mormon Boys" will soon be available.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

World of Ink Tours Women's Novel

Title of Book: Gabriela and The Widow

Author: Jack Remick
Author Website: http://jackremick.com
Blog Address: http://bobandjackswritingblog.com
Twitter URL: @jackremick
Publisher: Coffeetown Press
ISBN Number: ISBN: 978-1-60381-147-7
Publication Date: January 15, 2013
Genre of Book: women’s literary fiction

Review provided by: World of Ink Network

About the Book:

Through the intimate bond of a companion and benefactor, Gabriela reconciles the painful experiences of her youth as she is reshaped by the Widow, La Viuda. Together, day after day, night after night, La Viuda immerses Gabriela in lists, boxes, places, times, objects, photos, and stories, captivating and life-changing stories. It seems Gabriela is not just hired to cook and clean; she has been chosen to curate La Viuda’s mementos while taking care of the old woman’s failing health. “As you grow thick, I grow thin,” says the widow, portending the secret of immortality that will overtake both women.

Gabriela and The Widow is the story of Gabriela, a 19 year old Mexican woman who migrates north (to El Norte) where she meets a dying 92 year old woman, The Widow. The novel is their story.

What Reviewers Are Saying About the Book:

Each character in the story feels real, even the ones we only meet for a short time. You can hear, see and feel them moving about as Gabriela slowly finds her way, both in life and internally. You will feel the deepness of this young girl and her desire to find a place to call home. A safe place she can finally put down roots and build a future. The widow also has deepness to her. She draws you in and as this happens, you feel her arms encircling you, comforting you just as a grandmother would. However, you can feel through this wisdom a sadness. Maybe it is her desire to pass down her life, strength and memories...or maybe it is a slight weakness knowing her life is coming to the end. I really can't say as each reader will see and feel something different depending on their own life's journey. ~The Writing Mama (http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com)

Although some might not enjoy this story, the reader would be lax if he or she could not acknowledge the skill and talent of the author in weaving this complex story in such a direct and graphic way. It is a master tale by a master talent. ~Terri Forehand (http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com)

Faces in the mirror might deceit us all, as the distortions are many and the exaggerations great when viewing and image from different angles. Life is a deception, we all endure pain, degradation at times but the unbreakable bond between these two women will endure. Two women caught up in their own final journeys in different ways in order to find a new path in life. ~Fran Lewis (http://gabina49.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/gabriela-and-the-widow-five-stars/)

About the Author:

Jack Remick is a poet, short story writer, and novelist. In 2012, Coffeetown Press published the first two volumes of Jack’s California Quartet series, The Deification and Valley Boy. The final two volumes will be released in 2013: The Book of Changes and Trio of Lost Souls. Blood, A Novel was published by Camel Press, an imprint of Coffeetown Press, in 2011. You can find Jack online at http://jackremick.com

Learn more about Jack Remick, his books, and World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/akw7kk6

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Pages

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Reviewer Tracey Quintin Calls Fiction Emotionally Provoking

Monday, October 26, 2015

Hard to Read But Loving It! Rarity from the Hollow

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Diamante Lavendar Praises Literary/Sci-Fi Novel

Reviewed by Diamante Lavendar originally for http://diamantelavendar.com/

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

University Press Published Fiction Hits a Chord for Top Reviewer

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Gut Reaction Reviews of Psychological (and Literary!) Fiction

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

New York Editor Praises "American Sycamore"

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Atlantis Mystery Plays Out on Archaelogical Dig

Friday, July 26, 2013

Reader Calls Novel Glittering Masterpiece

Thursday, June 27, 2013

No Predictable Plot in this Sexy Book

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Dr. Eileen Brennan Reviews Literary Novel

Monday, March 18, 2013

Fun and Educational Novel Set in Utah

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

World of Ink Tours Women's Novel

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