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Self’s Blossom by David Russell. A Romantic Quest of Self Discovery.
Self’s Blossom is a short novella in the erotic romance genre, with Selene, a woman in search of her sexual identity, as the vibrant main character. Selene is intellectual, independent, free-spirited and totally trapped in the limitations of her peer group and society. pragmatic best friend Janice describes her as a dreamer, living in the cuckoo land of her imagination. Desperately looking to find herself and get a bit of erotic adventure, Selene goes on holiday to South America. Brought to life by the Sun, sea and holiday atmosphere, Selene's first erotic awakening comes about through the ocean – “the spirit of love beckoning her with a pulsing sinewy body”. After this, Selene searches for a lover and has a brief sexual encounter with an eighteen year old local.
But it is her through her meeting with the American anthropologist Hudson that Selene' erotic nature is awakened and she explores herself on many layers. Hudson is her intellectual rival and mentor, and he introduces Selene to the other side of South America – the primal elemental energy of the carnival, the 10,000 year history of South American civilisation and the breathtaking and often cruel power of its environment and landscape. With Hudson, Selene's holiday adventures suddenly become fraught with danger and intrigue – she is threatened with death by hunters when she plays environmentalist with Hudson and his friends, she is bitten by a deadly snake when she goes exploring with him, Hudson has to save her from a barroom brawl with the locals which suddenly explodes due to a sexual indiscretion. The indigenous population have an entirely different culture and life-rule than Selene knows from her predictable friends in London. Although Hudson is the catalyst for Selena’s awakening, it is fair to say that she challenges him intellectually and opens his world weary eyes for the magic of the moment also.
Their mutual search for something beyond the mundane leads them both to the top of a South American pyramid, where Selena visualises herself as a modern God Queen and Hudson as her God King. They have both gone on a dangerous and fascinating journey down through time and braving a foreign culture and environment. It is therefore significant that Selene does not seek full surrender to her lover in the passion of the moment on the moonlit beach – in fact she slaps his face when he attempts to do so – Instead she wants their love to be fully consummated through the pampered and luxurious Western trappings of the hotel Bridal Suite. “True Seduction was total theatre”, “The true ideal lay in laced artifice” not in ‘ideals of naturalness’. Here, in the luxurious trappings of traditional Western romance and eroticism, the adventure ends and the God Queen and God King sublimate their experience like some modern day High Priest and Priestess and the alchemy is complete.
Knowing that they will be unable to ever rival or surpass this moment of absolute sexual apotheosis, the lovers now part and go their separate ways – Hudson to his job in the US and Selene back to London. But the author leaves us with a sense that more has been accomplished here than just a nice holiday memory for Selene and her lover. Selene can now return to the humdrum of her everyday existence and the emptiness of her London life with the alchemical blossom inside her – the Blossom of the self which has been totally awakened inside her. There is the very real sense that Selene will never be the same again after this.
More About the Reviewer
Miranda Moondawn, author of Mooniana and the Secret of the Lost Chronicles of Sophia. 1-7-2015 Copenhagen Denmark.
NAME (AUTHOR OF BOOK): Anthology of short stories written both by Lois W. Stern (Publisher) and winning authors of her Tales2Inspire® contest)
GENRE OR CATEGORY: Anthology of Non-fiction, inspiring short stories
ISBN-10: 1505558166
ISBN-13: 978-1505558166
ASIN: B018DB2FL4
FORMATS: Paperback, Kindle, PDF
PAGE COUNT: 237
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AUTHOR/PUBLISHER BIO:
Lois W. Stern is a multi award-winning author whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Newsday, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV, and in live presentations in an assortment of varied venues. She has now published ten Tales2Inspire® books of her contest winners' stories. Fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul are particularly enamored of Tales2Inspire® books because, aside from their dynamic inspirational themes, they are filled with original photos to enhance the power of each story. Lois invites interested readers to get a FREE Tales2Inspire® sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts.
Website: http://www.tales2Inspire.com
Spend some media marketing time with Lois at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2 and to learn more about entering the next Tales2Inspire contest at: http://tales2inspire.com/enter-author-contest/.
She is also a regular contributor to this blog.
E-MAIL ADDRESS: tales2Inspire@optimum.net
FAVORITE LINKS:
www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2
www.facebook.com/tales2inspire.comTitle: In My Eyes
Genre: Street Poetry
Author: By Juelz
Copyright 2010
60 pages
ISBN: 978061542407
Juelz Publishing
Review by LB Sedlacek
Juelz put together this book of poems as a way to reach out to youth like him. He starts off this collection with a poem about growth. He follows that with a poem about being chosen by God and what his purpose should be. He has set himself the task of inspiring others from the start and he has done that so well.
From the poem “When my star dropped”: “I stared into the night time sky, I guess wondering why. No / tears, my eyes dry, wondering who we are, then I looked / over and noticed a star.” Juelz writes in a completely modern relatable way. His words are like a chorus of real life plus hope. Every line sizzles with good intentions.
From the poem “Struggle”: “My life is a struggle and I eat off my hustle. The concrete / I walk on is as hard as the souls of the youth.” His poetry obviously means something to him and he wants it to mean something to his readers, too.
The book is divided into 5 chapters. Original photos of the author are interspersed throughout.
From the poem “Violence and Guns”: “Five bullets, stuffed snug in a cold clip, compressed into a / handle with a comfortable rubber grip. The pain this can / cause is more than you can imagine, our young left dead.” Juelz’s poems cut right to the heart, his words are meant to touch and to transform.
These poems dwell on suffering, but also encourage change. He forces us to see for the first time maybe things we wish to avoid or pretend aren’t really happening. Each word has purpose.
The poems are mostly written in free verse, prose with some rhyming. They are well suited for most all ages. Plus they are relatable poems you can understand.
Juelz inspires with these poems with a message that is loud and clear. He brings the verse home, and that’s not always easy to do.
“In My Eyes” is his first poetry collection. “In My Eyes II” and “In My Little Eyes” are the follow up books.
~LB Sedlacek is the author of the poetry collections “I’m No ROBOT,” “Words and Bones,” “Simultaneous Submissions,” “The Adventures of Stick People on Cars,” and “The Poet Next Door.” Her first short story collection came out last year entitled “Four Thieves of Vinegar & Other Short Stories.” Her mystery novel “The Glass River” was nominated for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. She writes poetry reviews for “The Poetry Market Ezine” www.thepoetrymarket.com You can find out more about her at www.lbsedlacek.com
Facebook: @lbsedlacekpoet
Twitter @lbsedlacek
Instagram: @lbsedlacek
Tumblr: @lbsedlacek
TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection Series II (a double header
combining all the stories published in the Ruby and Sapphire Collections)
NAME (AUTHOR OF BOOK): Anthology of short stories written both by Lois W. Stern (Publisher) and winning authors of her Tales2Inspire® contest)
GENRE OR CATEGORY: Anthology of Non-fiction, inspiring short stories
ISBN-10: 1507618050
ISBN-13: 978-1507618059
ASIN: B0186FC73S
FORMATS: Paperback, Kindle, PDF
PAGE COUNT: 229
BEST REVIEWS:
REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Linda Maria Frank, Author of the Annie Tillery Mystery Series
AUTHOR/PUBLISHER BIO:
Lois W. Stern is a multi award-winning author whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Newsday, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV, and in live presentations in an assortment of varied venues. She has now published ten Tales2Inspire® books of her contest winners' stories. Fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul are particularly enamored of Tales2Inspire® books because, aside from their dynamic inspirational themes, they are filled with original photos to enhance the power of each story. Lois invites interested readers to get a FREE Tales2Inspire® sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts and to learn more about entering the next Tales2Inspire contest at: https://tales2inspire.com/contest-2/.
She is also a regular contributor to this blog.
E-MAIL ADDRESS: tales2Inspire@optimum.net
FAVORITE LINKS:
https://www.tales2inspire.com,
www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2,
www.facebook.com/tales2inspire.com
Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich
Think of this little book as an amusingly annotated dictionary of samples of likely word confusions. To expand:
It is little (my apologies short; an illegitimate word substitution not in it): less than 60 pages.
It does provide amusing reading, always a benefit of any writing.
Every item involves a brief examination of the meaning of the relevant word, and that’s what a dictionary is. It is annotated, thanks to Carolyn’s amusing commentary.
She has carefully chosen examples from among the tens of thousands of possible ways we can misuse words. Studying her little sample will enable the reader to make the correct choices for a great many more.
You don’t need to pay attention to the distinctions she deals with when writing a shopping list, but I do so even in emails. Her approach is essential in writings such as job applications, project proposals, and of course anything to do with the book trade.
Thoroughly recommended.
MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Dr Bob Rich is an Australian storyteller with 16 published books, and one due to join them soon. He has retired five times so far, but he’ll keep one occupation going as long as he is alive: that of professional grandfather. Any person under about 25 years of age qualifies as his grandbaby. They only need to apply.
Many do so by tracking him down and emailing him a cry for help. His words often make a difference, and some of these youngsters have been his friends for years.
He is not so much a writer as a recorder. He invents a character, who then talks to him. He faithfully writes down the story, which usually surprises him. Judged by the reviews his books receive, this process works
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