Christian Futuristic Sci-Fi Book Applauded

Release date: February 7, 2016

$15.95

6x9 Trade paperback
242 pages

Science Fiction (FIC028000) / Christian Futuristic Fiction (FIC0402020)

Print ISBN 978-1-939844-29-3
eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-30-9

Order through Ingram, Follett, or from the publisher

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

THE REMNANT

by William Michael Davidson

One nation, without God...

Colton Pierce apprehends Abberants—those who display symptoms of faith—and quarantines them on a remote island to ensure public safety.  Years prior, the government released a genetically-engineered super flu that destroyed the genes believed to be the biological source of spiritual experience in an effort to rid the world of terrorism. As an extractor with the Center for Theological Control, Colton is dedicated to the cause, his only distraction a new CTC employee, Selma.

But Colton's steadfast commitment is challenged when he learns his own son has been targeted for extraction. An underground militia, the Remnant, contacts him, and he discovers the purpose of Selma’s interest. The Remnant agrees to help Colton save his son in exchange for his assistance with their plan to free the Aberrants on the island.

Colton is faced with the most important decision of his life. Does he remain faithful to the CTC? Or trust Selma and the Remnant and give up everything to save his son?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Michael Davidson lives in Long Beach, California with his wife and two daughters. A believer that "good living produces good writing," Davidson writes early in the morning so he can get outside, exercise, spend time with people, and experience as much as possible. A writer of speculative fiction, he enjoys stories that deal with humanity's inherent need for redemption.

https://www.facebook.com/WilliamMichaelDavidson/

https://twitter.com/realwmdavidson

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER 

L. Diane Wolfe is the publisher of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. Inquiries may be sent to:

inquiries@dancinglemurpressllc.com

www.dancinglemurpress.com

She is also known as  Spunk On A Stick author. She is a professional speaker. Learn more about her at: 

http://spunkonastick.net/
http://dancinglemurpress.com/
http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

ABOUT THE NEW BOOK REVIEW

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.

Jenny Twist's Sci-Fi Book Gets High Praise

The Owl GoddessAuthor: Jenny Twist
Author's Web site: https://sites.google.com/site/jennytwistauthor/home 
Genre: SciFi
ISBN-13: 978-1530594665Reviewer’s Rating 5 out of 5 stars
Buy link: myBook.to/OG

Reviewed by Mary Patterson Thornburg, http://www.marypattersonthornburg.com/

"The Owl Goddess" is one of the most entertaining and original books I've read in a long time.

On one level, it's a story based in a familiar science-fiction theme: a spacefaring vessel is wrecked on a planet inhabited by an intelligent but technologically primitive race. One of the native tribes discovers the accidental visitors' camp, and the novel follows the two groups over a period of a couple of years, as they interact with and endeavor to understand each other.

But from the very first page, it's obvious this is a completely different "first contact" story. The twelve shipwrecked spacefarers have familiar names: Athena, Zeus, Hera, Artemis, Apollo... Yet the members of both groups are definitely human, physically and emotionally very like each other despite the fact that the accidental visitors are far from their home world. What's going on here? It's a mystery the twelve visitors attempt to solve even as they struggle to build a base for themselves on this strange – but not entirely strange – new planet. And the solution is so clever that I gasped and then laughed out loud when I discovered it.

The story is told from multiple points of view (including, briefly, that of a young owl), but the two central characters are Athena, the youngest of the visitors, daughter of the ship's captain, sixteen when the novel begins, and Prometheus, a teenaged member of the stone-age tribe. Stunned by the unusual habits and abilities they observe in these new people, the natives take them for supernatural beings; the spacefarers, equally baffled by the cave-dwelling tribe's way of life, suppose the natives are mentally as well as technologically primitive. But Athena and Prometheus become friends, and their friendship leads both groups into a series of adventures.

This novel will be appealing to readers of all ages, interesting and amusing whether they are familiar with the ancient Greek myths or not. It's well and clearly written, in straightforward and colloquial language. It humanizes all the characters – not only the "gods and goddesses," who after all are very human in the mythic stories themselves, but maybe more importantly the stone-age people, who are just as human as we are despite their primitive technology. As a retired teacher, I couldn't help thinking how much a middle-school or high-school class would love this. I'd certainly teach it in a unit about mythology. And as a movie producer (in my dreams), I'd grab this one in a minute.

Jenny Twist is an amazing author whom I discovered only recently. I can't wait to read more of her work!

ABOUT THE NEW REVIEW BLOGGER

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.

Reviewer Would Give All the Stars in the Universe

• Title: Rarity from the Hollow
• Author: Robert Eggleton
• Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com  
• Genre: Adult Literary Science Fiction
• ISBN: 9781907133060;1907133062
• Name of Reviewer:  Charity Rowell-Stansbury
• Review Site: On My Kindle
• Amazon Link: Available in paper or as e-book.
• Rating from Reviewer: If I could, I would give it all the stars in the universe.

Reviewed by Charity Rowell-Stansbury originally for On My Kindle

Lacy Dawn seems like a typical Appalachian eleven-year-old girl; bright, resourceful, living in poverty, and trying desperately to "fix" her mother and father. Her father, Dwayne, is a war veteran who suffers from PTSD and prefers to self-medicate; when triggered, he becomes violent and Lacy Dawn and her mother become the target of his rage. Lacy Dawn's mother, Jenny, does her best to protect her daughter; however, she is worn down from years of abuse and sacrificing her dreams to take care of her daughter and husband.

Despite outward appearances, Lacy Dawn is a very unique and gifted child. She spends most of her free time talking to the trees in the Hollow; playing with her deceased friend, Faith, who dwells in the trees; and learning all she can from her anatomically incomplete and semi-organic boyfriend, DotCom. After helping Lacy Dawn implement a treatment plan for her parents, DotCom reveals his true purpose; he was sent to help Lacy Dawn evolve, and then recruit her for a mission to save the universe.

While DotCom has no idea what she is supposed to do to save the universe, the pair decide to let her family and Tom, family friend/local entrepreneur/drug dealer, in on the secret. With the help of friends, family, and the family's dog; Lacy Dawn and DotCom come up with an ingenious plan to save the universe.

When Eggleton requested a review of Rarity from the Hollow, I was hesitant to accept. I usually do not read or review books that discuss child abuse or domestic violence; however, I was intrigued by the excerpt and decided to give it a shot. I am glad that I took a risk; otherwise, I would have missed out on a fantastic story with a bright, resourceful, and strong protagonist that grabbed my heart and did not let go. It is not every day that I find a kindred spirit in a book, but I found one in Lacy Dawn! I admired her courage, her imagination, and her intelligence; I could go on for days about the excellent job that Eggleton did in developing Lacy Dawn's character, but I won't. What I will say is that even if you do not fully understand her perspective, you will admire her spunk.

I also greatly admire Eggleton's whimsical, witty, and understanding approach to sensitive and serious subject matters: child abuse, child poverty, domestic violence, PTSD, drug use, and alcoholism. Eggleton's matter-of-fact and irreverent tone about these subject matters conveys the gravity of the family's situation without sending readers into a spiral of suicidal depression, or being insulting.

Rarity from the Hollow brilliantly combines social commentary in a fantastical and intricate science fiction setting that readers can understand and relate to. It is one of those books that if it does not make you think, you are not really reading it.

FROM THE REVIEWER:

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

------

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.

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.

----- 
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.

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. 

----- 
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.

Former Reader's Digest Editor Gives Sci-Fi Book Huge Thumbs Up

 Title: Rarity from the Hollow

 Author: Robert Eggleton

 Author's Web link: http://www.lacydawnadventures.com

 Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy

 ISBN: ISBN-10: 1907133062

ISBN-13: 978-1907133060

Reviewer's Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Available in paperback or as an e-book. 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 

http://inpressbooks.co.uk/products/rarity-from-the-hollow 

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-20203207.html 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rarity-from-the-hollow-robert-eggleton/1118420669?ean=9781907133060 

http://www.mediander.com/books/9781907133060/rarity-from-the-hollow/?source=googleps# 

Reviewed by Temple Emmet Williams originally for the Warrior Patient blog

The most enjoyable science fiction novel I have read in several years

Rarity from the Hollow by Robert Eggleton is the most enjoyable science fiction novel I have read in several years. Who could think of an intergalactic handbook for entrepreneurs? Who could turn a tree-hugger into a paranormal event of death-defying significance? Who could create characters so believable, so funny, so astonishingly human (and not)?

Robert Eggleton, that’s who.

I put this book on my iPhone, and it followed me everywhere for several days. Strangers smiled politely at my unexpected laughter in the men’s room toilet stall. They looked away as I emerged, waving the IPhone at them as if it might explain something significant.

Oddly, the novel explains a great deal that has become significant in our society. Rarity from the Hollow is satire at its best and highest level. It is a psychological thriller, true to traits of mankind (and other species). It is an animal rights dissertation (you will laugh when you understand why I write that). It celebrates the vilest insect on earth (make that Universe).

The characters created by Robert Eggleton will bug your brain long after you smoke, uh, read the final page. Thanks for the laughs, the serious thoughts, the absolute wonder of your mind, Mr. Eggleton. A truly magnificent job.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Temple Emmet Williams is an author and former Reader’s Digest editor. He reviews books for the blog, Warrior Patient. 

----- 
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.

Book Review: Imagine a Universe on the Edge

• Title: Rarity from the Hollow
• Author: Robert Eggleton
• Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com
• Genre: Nontraditional SF/F, Cross-Genre
• ISBN: 9781907133060; 1907133062
• Name of Reviewer:  Bryan Zepp Jamieson  
• Journal: The Electric Review, A Universe on the Edge
• Publishd 2012 by Doghorn Publishing

 

Reviewed by Bryan Zepp Jamieson originally for Electric Review.net

Lacy Dawn is a little girl who lives in a magical forest where all the trees love her and she has a space alien friend who adores her and wants to make her queen of the universe. What’s more, all the boys admire her for her beauty and brains. Mommy is very beautiful and Daddy is very smart, and Daddy’s boss loves them all.

Excerpt

Lacy Dawn, the eleven year old protagonist, perches precariously between the psychosis of childhood and the multiple neuroses of adolescence, buffeted by powerful gusts of budding sexuality and infused with a yearning to escape the grim and brutal life of a rural Appalachian existence. In this world, Daddy is a drunk with severe PTSD, and Mommy is an insecure wraith. The boss is a dodgy lecher, not above leering at the flat chest of an eleven-year-old girl.

Yes, all in one book.

Rarity From The Hollow is written in a simple declarative style that’s well- suited to the imaginary diary of a desperate but intelligent eleven-year-old – the story bumping joyfully between the extraordinary and the banal.

The central planet of the universe is a vast shopping mall, and Lacy Dawn must save her world from a menace that arrives in the form of a cockroach infestation. Look again and the space alien has made Daddy smart and happy – or at least an eleven year old girl’s notion of what a smart and happy man should be. He has also made Mommy beautiful, giving her false teeth and getting the food stamp lady off her back.

About the only thing in the book that is believable is the nature of the narrative voice, and it is utterly compelling. You find yourself convinced that “Hollow” was written as a diary-based autobiography by a young girl and the banal stems from the limits of her environment, the extraordinary from her megalomania. And that’s what gives Rarity From The Hollow a chilling, engaging verisimilitude that deftly feeds on both the utter absurdity of the characters’ motivations and on the progression of the plot.

Indeed, there are moments of utter darkness: In one sequence, Lacy Dawn remarks matter-of-factly that a classmate was whipped to death, and notes that the assailant, the girl’s father, had to change his underpants afterward because they were soiled with semen. Odd, and often chilling notes, abound.

As I was reading it, I remembered when I first read Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle” at the age of 14. A veteran of Swift, Heller, and Frederick Brown, I understood absurdist humour in satire, but Vonnegut took that understanding and turned it on its ear.

In the spirit of Vonnegut, Eggleton (a psychotherapist focused on the adolescent patient) takes the genre and gives it another quarter turn. A lot of people hated Vonnegut, saying he didn’t know the rules of good writing. But that wasn’t true. Vonnegut knew the rules quite well, he just chose to ignore them, and that is what is happening in Eggleton’s novel, as well.

Not everyone will like Rarity From The Hollow. Nonetheless, it should not be ignored.

-----
Purchase Links:

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

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

 http://inpressbooks.co.uk/products/rarity-from-the-hollow

 http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-20203207.html

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rarity-from-the-hollow-robert-eggleton/1118420669?ean=9781907133060

 http://www.mediander.com/books/9781907133060/rarity-from-the-hollow/?source=googleps#

 -----

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.

Ebola in the News? How About a Hot Virus?

Title: Strike Three

Author:  Joy V. Smith

Genre: Science fiction (post-apocalyptic)

ISBN:  9781936099658

Reviewer:  Midwest Book Review

Publisher:  WolfSinger Publications

Reviewer's rating: NA

 Available an Amazon

 

Reviewed by Midwest Book Review 

 

Because of the 'hot virus', World War III's scenario is more deadly than any nuclear-powered conflict, and the missiles fired during conflict are far more deadly than any conventional battle could have envisioned. But the message of Strike Three isn't just about altered warfare, but altered survival mechanisms honed by feisty protagonists who seek to start over, against all odds and against the backdrop of an Earth devastated on many different levels. Against this scenario are a series of vivid protagonists who battle for not just survival but a revised world - and within their efforts to rise again will be the rudiments of a new kind of humanity. Strike Three is exceptional reading for any who enjoy apocalyptic stories, and offers many twists and turns unpredictable even for avid readers of end-of-world sagas.

 

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Joy has a writing blog at
http://pagadan.wordpress.com/

-----

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.

Readers' Favorite Reviews New Sci-Fi Novel

Title: Strike Three

Author: Joy V. Smith 
Genre: Science fiction
ISBN:   9781936099658
Review was originally published on Barnes & Noble
Publisher:  WolfSinger Publications
Reviewer's rating: 5 Stars
Availability:  For the print edition of Strike Three, go to Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/4876544   

If you prefer eBooks, go to Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/452298 

Reviewed by Michael McManus originally for Readers' Favorite

In her novel, Strike Three, Joy V. Smith introduces us to the aftermath of World War III, a short battle that claimed the lives of the majority of the Earth’s population. The survivors of the war that turned the planet brown, those who went underground well prepared, and those who survived in spite of poor planning, returned to find the world outside their caves, fallout shelters, missile silos and communication bunkers completely barren. Nothing had survived a “hot virus” that had been unleashed onto the world by an unknown enemy. Some places were obliterated by nuclear bombs, but the most severe devastation took place in the plant and animal worlds. Even the insects perished. Sheridan and Lea Zane emerged into the new world ready to organize a recovery of the planet, or at least their corner of it. They had plants and wildlife enough for their own survival, but they reached out to other survivors as they returned to the surface and began to reestablish their homes and farms. Soon, the development of a trade route brought hope to the many settlements that formed; hope that the nation and, indeed, the planet could be saved.

This story grabbed me from the start and would not let go. I read it in three sittings. Along with the plot moving at lightning speed, the characters are real and interesting in the way they react to the situation they have inherited. For the science freak, there is enough detail about the devastation and recovery to keep you going. There is also adventure, a bit of action and even politics. I happily recommend this book to a general audience.

 

 

-----
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.

Keeping Dreams Book Reviews New Karen Wyle Novel

Dear Carolyn --

 

Division
By Karen A. Wyle

Genre: Fiction: Near-future, Science Fiction, Mainstream

E-book  available from Amazon 

The multi-country link is:  http://smarturl.it/Division 

Available in other formats via at author's Web site:  http://www.karenawyle.net/buy-division.html. 

5 of 5 stars

 

Reviewed by Charles J. Kravetz originally for his blog Keeping Dreams Book Reviews

 

Can two individuals, joined together before birth, be two separate individuals?

Conjoined twins, raised as individuals, yet never being apart. Johnny would like to live a separate life now that it is possible. Gordon, on the other hand, believes him and Johnny can and will live together forever.

The author took the time to weave a delicate and sensitive story into a great novel. It is so much more than the idea that cloning could be acceptable at some time. It is much more than science fiction. It is the story of love and relationships between brothers. It is the story of the delicate threads that bind us together at times. It is also the story of fear and loathing that sometimes sneaks in to our relationships.

The author writes a very serious story with this book. She also writes a story of the love between brothers, and the battles that sometimes take place. This is a work of fiction, but who can say that it will not be a work of fact some day?

I have enjoyed every one of Karen A. Wyle’s books that I have read. She writes with authority about subjects that are near to her own heart. I would recommend this book to adults and teens alike.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Author Web site is at http://www.KarenAWyle.net.
Also find her on Facebook  at http://www.facebook.com/KarenAWyle.

-----

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.

Magic and Mayhem Blogger Gives New Novel Top Rating

Book title: Division

Author: Karen A. Wyle
Author web site: http://www.KarenAWyle.net
Genre: near-future science fiction (though the book is also intended for general audiences)
ISBN:  The paperback, due out on March 20, 2014, will have the ISBN 978-1493775989.
ASIN: For the e-book, B00G82BBQQ.

Reviewer by Samantha Saboviec, originall for her blog Magic and Mayhem

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.
Note: The reviewer received a free copy of Division in exchange for an honest review.

Division is one of the best books I read in 2013, a year in which I read Parasite and We Need to Talk About Kevin. (And the Divergent trilogy, but I didn’t actually like those books, so no competition there.) I liked it so much that I asked author Karen A. Wyle to write a guest post for the blog, which she did last Friday.

I read books to escape and be entertained, like everyone else. But more, I read books to be challenged intellectually, and Division does just that.

This is a story about a pair of conjoined twins. One twin wants to undergo an operation to separate them into two bodies, while the other wants to stay joined. This is set in the near future, where the twins must present their arguments in court because the procedure requires the use of clones and cloning is restricted. The book follows a variety of characters as they cope with the emotional atmosphere up to and after the decision

I get swept away by books like these that explore what it’s like living in the skin of an unusual, unexpected person. Division puts us into the experiences of a twin who want to be free, showing us what life is like chained to another person. It shows us the struggle the other twin undergoes when he’s–in his mind–rejected by someone closer than a lover could ever be. It even examines how their struggle affects their mother, who’s loved them unconditionally from birth and must watch their relationship fall apart. It follows a girlfriend who believed she would, someday soon, marry two people in one body.

A variety of moral questions are opened without direct treatment, which was skillful and impressive. Should the twins be allowed to leave their body for clones? Should a court have the responsibility to decide the future of their lives? Can there ever be a “right” answer when both of them want something mutually exclusive? Yet the morality was never heavy-handed, but was instead a backdrop for the interesting and subtle character interactions.

This book is one of the beautiful pieces of self-published literature that inspires me. The author, Karen A. Wyle, has published several other books that I’m eager to check out. Not to get on my soapbox again, but meticulous attention to detail–plot, character, premise, grammar–is what makes people want to read books. You don’t have to be traditionally published, though you may have to work your bum off twice as hard to get noticed. I heartily recommend this book.

Purchase links:

Amazon for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Division-Karen-Wyle-ebook/dp/B00G82BBQQ -- or the multi-country link, http://smarturl.it/Division

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/362640

Nook Store: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/division-karen-a-wyle/1117027466?ean=2940045297813

iBookstore: http://www.ibookstore.com/products.php?i=B00G82BBQQ

Kobobooks: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/division-1

Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/karen-a-wyle/division/_/R-400000000000001158857

 

-----
  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.

Dr. Bob Rich's Award-Winning Sci-Fi Reviewed

TITLE Ascending Spiral: Humanity's last chance

AUTHOR Bob Rich http://bobswriting.com/ascending.html
AWARD WINNER: Carolyn's Noble Award for 2013 (sponsored by MyShelf.com Back To Literature column)
GENRE Inspirational fiction + historical adventure + science fiction :)
ISBN 978-1-61599-186-0

Review by Florence Weinberg originally for Bobbing Around newsletter

 

Bob Rich’s remarkable novel is a valiant, vivid, at times brilliant attempt to solve the puzzle of the human animal. Consisting of gripping, interconnected narratives of the many lives of Pip Lipkin, the novel retells, in a most original way, the myth of Original Sin and the possibility of redemption. We humans have a broad streak of greed, malice, and willful destruction within us. “Humanity is a toddler” we are told, and our two dominant words are NO! and Mine! Nietzsche recognized this and called it the Will to Power, present in all life forms, all of us striving to grow by devouring the Other—only in the case of human beings, the Other is planet Earth. The lesson of the novel/primer/metaphor/parable is that we alone, among the interconnected species that make up the living surface of this ball of energy that is Earth, are capable of recognizing the final and horrific result of No! and Mine! We alone can curb our primitive impulses and learn to love unselfishly. Unlike Nietzsche, Bob is an optimist. He shouts a warning: We must and can act to halt the destruction of our Earth. Pip/Bob is a very old soul who has learned to heal with love, to build rather than devour. But what to do about the exploitative and destructive youngsters, “toddler souls” like Bob’s Vikings, his English in Ireland and Australia, his Mr. McQuade, our own entrepreneurs? Teach love. Give, not Gimme. Bravo, Bob! May you draw many readers, and may they join the healing effort!

 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

 

A native of Alamogordo, New Mexico, Florence Byham Weinberg traveled extensively with her military family during World War II. Travels continued after marriage to scholar-critic Kurt Weinberg in Canada, France, Spain, and Germany. After earning her PhD, she taught for twenty-two years at St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, and ten at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of "Anselm: a metamorphosis"

http://www.amazon.com/Anselm-Metamorphosis-Florence-Byham-Weinberg-ebook/dp/B00DSVDJ60/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386732292&sr=1-1&keywords=florence+weinberg

 

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Bob Rich
http://bobswriting.com
http://anxietyanddepression-help.com
http://mudsmith.net

MY BEST BOOK: http://bobswriting.com/ascending.html
Commit random acts of kindness

-----

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.