Literary Journal Editor Reviews Poetry

Compartments: Poems on Nature, Femininity and Other Realms

By Carol Smallwood 

Paper, $15,

ISBN: 978-1-937-53600-8

146 pp, 6x9

Anaphora Literary Press  

Buy on Amazon

 

If there is one thing that vexes a woman, it is her sewing box. Carol Smallwood is the sorter, a poet who can enter a poem and untangle thread.

 

"The Sewing Box" is only one example of how Carol uses language and listing to empty and separate the compartments of our lives. Paying attention to detail she enters myth and the mundane with the same eye. Echoing in Carol's poem, We Are Told, is "It is Beauty alone that remained in Pandora's Box when she opened it-not Hope as we are told."

 

Both poet and practitioner of this understanding, Carol relocates a spider from a gas station to Queen Anne's lace in her backyard, considers ants and their inherent sense to venture out of their home, takes the risk of comparing the tiny creatures to Lewis and Clark and ventures herself into topics that question our femininity. She pushes back, wags her finger at women concerned with Avon or who have masked their voice as a man, revisits her childhood centering on women's ability to gang up on one another, and enters the house behind the "white picket fence." She flips our trained understanding of violence on women towards an understanding that cancer is just as violent. She never ceases to remind us of the ugliness that pervades society that keeps us from loving our neighbor and even seeps into our relationships with family. In A Need to Know Basis she puts a spotlight on our human instinct to look away.

 

Carol can envy and love what is wild. She can shed light on what is cultivated and domestic where there is rain and gray sky. She does not disappoint and will keep your ear tuned to what is outside your window and what enters.

~Reviewer Dr. Christine Redman-Waldemeyer is founder and editor of Adanna Literary Journal and author of two books of poetry with Muse-Pie Press.

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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 :

World War II Fiction Praised by Author/Reviewer

A Spent Bullet: Louisiana 1941

Author: Curt Iles
Publisher: WestBow Books, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4497-2234-0
Author's website: http://www.creekbank.net
Genre: Mainstream Fiction

Reviewed by Jan Rider Newman for The New Book Review

A Spent Bullet: Louisiana 1941, like the eight books preceding it, tells a tale of the Louisiana Piney Woods. This is a section of the state little written about. It isn’t anywhere near the glamorous big city of New Orleans. The Piney Woods borders Texas north of the Louisiana Gulf Coast. It’s called the Piney Woods for the obvious reason.

This area became familiar to lots of Army soldiers in the past and even today. Fort Polk used to be Camp Polk, and in the years leading up to the Second World War, there were other Army camps scattered through Louisiana. In the summer of 1941 many soldiers from all over the U.S. found themselves in Louisiana on maneuvers led by the likes of Eisenhower and Patton.

A Spent Bullet tells the story of Harry Miller, a private from Milwaukee. Harry hates Louisiana—the bugs, the heat, the dust that so quickly turns to impassable mud during the rainy seasons. Harry’s past holds a painful secret involving the death of his sister and alienation from his parents. He’s so bitter, he even thinks he hates Louisiana girls until his buddies play a trick on him and prove him wrong.

One day, Elizabeth Reed, a pretty young school teacher with her own painful past, stands alongside a dusty road waiting for a convoy of soldiers to drive past. In those days soldiers used to write their names, addresses, and "Write to me" on scraps of paper and stuff them into spent cartridges. These were tossed to girls they saw along the roads. One such cartridge lands at Elizabeth’s feet. She ignores it, but her little brother Ben picks it up and takes it to their grandmother. What happens after that is some gentle conniving and serendipity.

Iles has a good ear for dialogue and old-fashioned country sayings. His descriptions evoke not only 1941 Louisiana, but the nation as it spoke and thought and lived at that time. Although his work is based on a lively faith, he isn’t afraid to take on issues such as racial prejudice, alcohol abuse and out-of-wedlock pregnancy. His characters are earthy but spirit-filled. They are generally a pleasure to get to know.

Those readers who enjoy an abundance of local color will revel in A Spent Bullet. I found it a very pleasant and interesting read and enjoyed the development of Elizabeth’s and Harry’s characters and their relationship. I did get impatient with the local color aspect. In my opinion, a little goes a long way. “Every tub sits on its own bottom” got a few too many mentions in A Spent Bullet. But Iles’s books are very popular, so obviously there’s room for disagreement on that point.

I also thought the scene in which Elizabeth discusses her past with Harry fell a little flat. For its time, hers was a big secret. After exploring how Elizabeth dealt with her mistakes and her grief, I’d have liked to see more of Harry’s reaction and how he worked through the news—not that I wanted him to react in any other way than he did. But could he really not struggle even a little?

I recommend this novel of faith, love, forgiveness and redemption, especially to those who also like historical fiction and fiction set during or around the time of World War II. The era, which saw many changes in every way of life, lends itself to drama and soul-searching.

~Reviewer Jan Rider Newman has published short stories, poetry, nonfiction, and book reviews in Louisiana Literature, the New Orleans Review, Oasis Journal, LitStack, and others. She edits Swamp Lily Review: An Online Journal of Louisiana Literature & Arts (http://swamplily.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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Terri Mari Cheers Her Way to YOUR Success

Title: Your Inner Cheerleader Author: Terri Marie
Author's web site link: www.yourinnercheerleader.com
Genre category: Self-help and business strategies
ISBN 978-094347727-5

Blurbs/Endorsements:

The charming Inner Cheerleader in Terri Marie's book will seduce you to success with her heart, her strategies, and her spunk. Let a cheerleader show you how to use potent strategies to create a game in business or life that will support you in being the best "You" that you can be!" ~ Janet Bray Attwood - New York Times Co/author of The Passion Test

Instead of rah rah motivators, “Your Inner Cheerleader” delivers brilliant strategies for creating the best internal friend you’ve ever had. I especially loved the “Magic Moment” that a cheerleader takes before she acts. Terri Marie’s book is easy to read, and clear to follow, but the concepts are beautiful game changers. ~ Catherine Van Dien,(Oxenberg) Award-winning Actress


"Your Inner Cheerleader is well written, clear and easy to understand. It will undoubtedly help harness a person's greatest (and little understood) power of the subconscious mind. Congratulations on a fine piece of work!" ~ Ted Nicholas, The Success Margin
thin the pages of Terri Marie s Cheerleader book is a technique that can blast you into success. Hold on, get ready, you are about to change your whole game. See you in the winner s circle!" --John Assaraf, One Coach

"Terri Marie reveals a way for you to develop, own, and have push-button ready, your own cheerleader. It s a new voice in your head. It s a new you. It s the you that believes in you, your dreams, and your goals. It s your authentic self. It s more akin to your spirit."  ~ Joe Vitale, The Attractor Factor

Reviewed by Kelli

Terri Marie does it again! I loved her first book, and now she follows with "The Inner Cheerleader" which takes your own game to a new inner level with simple but profound techniques to use daily on your journey to your personal dreams. These are proven and practiced techniques Terri Marie has used for herself and coached others to their success.

The Inner Cheerleader shows how we need to not only cheer ourselves on continually and gives specific processes to do that, but how we also need to surround ourselves with other cheerleaders for our game. It tells about the value of alignment and giving ourselves positive energy on our journey. How to believe you can WIN at life and harness the powers within to support your life path.

The book shows that we each have a unique "Life Formula" we can discover and that we need to commit 100 percent to ourselves and gives us the tools to accomplish these goals. I am sending this book to several friends on their own personal journey of discovery and entrepreneurship. I now have notes from this book all around my home for my own journey. Another winner from a great cheerleader herself. Go Terri Marie!!!

~ The author Terri Marie, White Wing Entertainment, is an award-winning producer and author.
Visit http://www.spiritualarena.com and get a "Weekly Motivational Dose" of inspiration and Encouragement so you can tackle all those dreams of yours. Find her on www.facebook.com/pages/Terri-Marie/172305228839.

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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 :

A Cancer Experience Turns into a Page-Turner

Title: Getting It Off My Chest, A Journey Through Breast Cancer
Author: Sandra Fikus
Author's website: www.sandrafikuswrites.com
Genre: Autobiography/Health
ISBN: 9781456885052
Reviewer: Matt Joseph
Link: matt@josephlaw.com

Originally reviewed by Matt Joseph at Amazon. Rating: 4.0

You're cruising through life young and healthy, managing a busy and complex family, you have a career, children, are a success and you have a great future. Out of the blue one morning, "I brushed my hand across my chest and felt a lump."

Thus begins the engaging book "Getting It Off My Chest," a past-paced
chronicle of one Canadian woman's experience with Stage II breast cancer and its lingering aftermath. Sandra Fikus lives in Vancouver, B.C., and
seemingly has it all. She has no family history of breast cancer. She's done
all the right things and she's made all the right choices.

Then, discovery of a lump in her breast one day after Christmas in 2007
upends her life forever.

"Getting It Off My Chest" is presented in a diary format. Day-by-day, week
in and week out, the author describes, in often humorous and earthy
language, her immediate shock at first, her formal diagnosis, the vast
support system she depends on, the grinding treatments and her subsequent
healing. While there is perhaps more than we care to know about her family's internal dynamics, we learn much about the biology of cancer. Fikus is deeply grateful for her doctors, but the reader watches her dissatisfaction
with the traditional medical profession grow stronger with each passing day.


As the author recounts her story, there are interesting and important
detours along the way. We learn about nutrition, wellness, spirituality, and
yoga. We come to value second chances, and how surviving a serious illness
allows one to reevaluate the way they live and care for themselves. Fikus
raises many important questions about cancer. The answers to her questions
are beyond the scope of this book - or any book, really.

This was one of those rare reads I simply couldn't put down. A slim 165
pages, I finished "Getting It Off My Chest" during a single cross country
flight. My own family has been devastated by cancer and I could strongly
relate to this story. Fikus's testimony should be read by men as much as by
women. Hers is the voice of our mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts,
nieces, cousins and friends. Through the gritty challenges of one breast
cancer patient and survivor, we can perhaps better understand how the women battling cancer in our own lives are doing - what they may be thinking, feeling, and how they are coping.

~Review Matthew Joseph is a lawyer living in San Mateo, CA.  Learn more about him at www.josephlaw.com
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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 :

Literary Novel is Sci-Fi, Too

Twin-Bred

Karen A. Wyle

Author's Web site: www.karenawyle.net

Genre: Fiction: Science Fiction

ISBN: 978-1463578916 on CreateSpace,

E-book 978-1-4661-7456-6 on Smashwords

Amazon ASIN of B005VDVHQ2.

Reviewed by R. Lee Holz, originally for Amazon

Twin-Bred is one of the best science fiction novels I've read in decades. It is literary fiction as well as S-F. While the author mentions (and thus pays homage to) Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land and Rebirth, John Wyndham's 1955 classic, Twin-Bred is anything but derivative. To the contrary, it is one of the most original stories I've ever read, not an easy thing given the countless variations on human/alien encounters and relations already published. In addition, the book is beautifully written and riveting. The complex, flawlessly structured, plot evolves logically, but continues to surprise to the very end. There is appropriate dramatic tension throughout. Highly recommended for lovers of both cerebral S-F and literary fiction.

Learn more about the author at www.facebook.com/KarenAWyle.

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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 :

Help Yourself with the Swiss Cheese Theory of Life

The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life:

Subtitle: How To Get Through Life's Holes Without Getting Stuck In Them!
Genre: Nonfiction: Psychology/personal devlopment/self-help

     

 

Each of us has the ability to find within ourself the seeds of resilience to overcome obstacles, rise to life challenges, and convert failures into success. But just how do we do that? The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life: How to Get Through Life’s Holes Without Getting Stuck In Them! (PESI, ISBN 0982039891, Softcover $19.99, Self-Help, 247 pp.) will show you how. With both authors having over 30 years each of counseling and wellness speaking experience, this book unlocks loads of practical tips and tools for a happier life.

Using the analogy of Swiss cheese as a metaphor for life itself, this “user-friendly” self-help book serves up practical tips to its readers, using case examples, self-tests, inspirational quotes, mini-lessons, and current psychological research packaged in digestible “bites.” Psychological lessons are distilled and she crystallizes findings from many prominent experts in the self- help field.

The underlying analogy of this whimsical yet informative book is based on the concept that life is not smooth and predictable like American or Cream Cheese. Life has holes, and it’s how you get through them that counts! Instead of wishing the holes away in our lives, the book’s ten self-help slices show readers how to get through life’s pitfalls without getting stuck in them! In fact, it is the holes in our lives that give us character and make our life rich in meaning, just as the larger the holes in the Swiss, the sweeter the taste of the cheese. Thus, we need holes in our lives to become who we are, and this book shows us the way to navigate them successfully!

This book makes an ideal book club book for women who enjoy self development and sharing with other women about issues that are important to them.

Empowering people to transform negativity into optimism and turning obstacles into opportunities for growth underlie the books mission. On the Swiss Cheese Theory web site we pose The Swiss Cheese Challenge to our viewers:

-Are you trying to make changes in your life, yet you find yourself digging deeper into a hole?

-Do you know better but can t seem to get out from under your unhealthy patterns or habits?

-Do you often have why does this happen to me thinking?

-Are you looking for happiness in all the wrong places?

-Are you ready to make healthy changes in your life ... physically, emotionally, spiritually?

If you answered yes to any of these questions help is here!

And whatever you do, don’t forget to “SMILE AND SAY CHEESE!”

Below are what some of the expert reviewers say:

An engagingly fun 'cookbook' of recipes for self-discovery. Tips, tests, tool-kits, and clever insights make for a practical handbook for harnessing your emotions and fulfilling your life-goals. --Neal Roese, Ph.D., Northwestern University, author of If Only: How To Turn Regret Into Opportunity

This book shows you how to take complete control of your thoughts and emotions, and live a wonderful life! --Brian Tracy, International Motivational Speaker and author of No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline

We often struggle to make sense of the bad hand that life sometimes deals us. The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life offers a simple, refreshing approach to helping us reshuffle the deck' and tap into that inner resilience that we need to achieve a more fruitful existence. --Frank M. Dattilio, Ph.D., ABPP, Harvard Medical School, author and editor of 18 professional books

"Even if you are lactose intolerant 'The Swiss Cheese Theory of life', will offer you some really valuable advice to help you get through difficult times and live life in a balanced way." - Sophie Keller, Happiness Expert and Author of 'How Happy is' book series.

“Smart, concise and clever, The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life offers brief therapy for dealing with disappointment, loss and leftovers from a dysfunctional childhood.”
- Jane Adams, Ph.D., Author of Boundary Issues and I’m Still Your Mother

~ Co-Authors Judy Belmont and Lora Shor are both psychotherapists, each with over 30 years of experience. They are professional speakers on issues relating to Resiliency and Wellness, and are both members of the National Speakers Association. They offer wellness presentations and trainings to a variety of corporations, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. They also speak on a variety of wellness topics for organization and association conferences. Visit their web sites at www.theswisscheesetheoryoflife.com or contact them at info@theswisscheesetheoryoflife.com

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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 :

Goodreads Reviewer Recommends New Mystery

Willowtree A Bruce DelReno Mystery

by Mike Bove
Author's Web site: http://www.mikebove.weebly.com
Genre: fiction, mystery
ISBN: 9781463720032

Reviewed by Pauline Tilbe, originally for goodreads.com

This was an enjoyable read. Mike Bove's first book, and the story behind the story is almost as good as the book itself.

I'll let you learn the details about Mike on your own, I'm here to review Willowtree.

Set in a small Arizona town, Bruce stumbles upon some bones. I know, you're thinking, dead person from long ago..nope, dead animal bones. It's AFTER he finds the bones that the real mystery starts. Bruce is retired and his wife is working a lot of hours, so he keeps himself busy and his mind sharp by helping the police, sort of..when he's not playing golf or giving gratis golf lessons to his friends.

It's an interesting cast of characters and the story is told by Bruce. It reads just like a narrative conversation you would imagine having over a cup of coffee, if Bruce was telling you the story in person. I don't think you need to know a lot about golf to read this, but if you know anything about golf, you will find this book quite interesting and "get" some of the underlying humor. I can't play golf worth a lick but I still "got" it.

It kept my attention. It's suitable for all adults and young readers also. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the next Bruce DelReno adventure.

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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 :