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 :

Title: Communication With All Life: Revelations of an Animal Communicator
Author: Joan Ranquet
www.joanranquet.com
Genre: non-fictionISBN-10: 9781401916817

Reviewed by Kelli Kozak, originall for Amazon.com

Joan Ranquet's "Communication with all Life, Revelations of an Animal Communicator" is not only truly fascinating reading, but is full of inspirational stories and lots of tools that any animal lover can use to communicate with animals. As the author notes, we are all animal communicators, whether we know it or not... even whether we believe in it or not!

There are many ways we communicate with our animal companions. We use words, of course, but what we don't realize is that we are constantly communicating using pictures and feelings, as well. For example, when we tell - in words - our animals not to do something, they don't understand the "not" part, because the picture we invariably have in our minds is of the animal actually doing what we wish they wouldn't. In our minds is, "Go ahead, pee on the couch." Our expectation is often, "Well, they going to do it again anyway!"

Another example of how we unknowingly send messages is by what we are feeling: When packing for a trip, we are apprehensive about leaving our animals behind, worrying that they will miss us and feel sad and that we will miss them terribly! This often leads to separation anxiety and depression. We can try being happy about the trip and about the fact that we will be back soon and that they will have a great time while we are gone!

This book contains many exercises we can use to deepen our intuition, as well, in order to get pictures, words and feelings from our companions. I have been working with the techniques and have been able to get images from my dogs and horse. My dogs were out late enjoying their nightly run. I began to worry - it had been an hour - and tuned in to the pack leader. I got an image of a large white curve. When the dogs returned five minutes later, I realized that the image was of the roof of the barn next door. That's what the pack leader saw from the distance and that's the direction they came back from!

This book contains many stories of how Joan's advanced communication skills saved many a relationship - between animal and steward, between animals in the same household and even between the human members of a family!

This is a truly fascinating read and one that will change forever the way you behave, communicate and think about the animals around you.

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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 :