Midwest Book Review Recommends Book on Eastern Thought

The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening

Subtitle: A Commentary on Jesus’ Sayings as Recorded by the Apostle Thomas

Author: Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

http://ocoy.org

Genre: Nonfiction: spirituality, religion, Christianity, esoteric, Eastern thought

• ISBN-10: 1507722540
• ISBN-13: 978-1507722541
• 
  
• Reviewed by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, originaly for

Midwest Book Review

Book available at Amazon: http://a.co/1dO6G3k

Small Press Bookwatch: February 2016

Midwest Book Review

"An extraordinary work of theological commentary by Abbot George Burke (who is also known as Swami Nirmalananda Giri), "The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening" is as informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring. 

"Very highly recommended to clergy and non-specialist general readers with an interest in The Gospel of Thomas, this outstanding volume is very highly recommended for seminary, church, community, and academic library Christian Studies reference collections in general, and The Gospel of Thomas supplemental studies in particular. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRESS

Reach Light of the Spirit Press at

www.ocoy.org or

lightofthespiritpress.com. 

P. O. Box 1370

Cedar Crest, NM 87008

505.281.4888

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/light.of.spirit

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Light_of_Spirit

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/light-of-the-spirit-press

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 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.

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.

Massachusetts Newspaper Reviews Jendi Reiter's Debut Novel

TITLE: Two Natures

AUTHOR: Jendi Reiter

PUBLISHER: Saddle Road Press

WEBSITE: www.jendireiter.com

GENRE: Fiction (Gay/Lesbian)

ISBN: 978-0-9969074-2-2

REVIEWER: Tinky Weisblat

PUBLICATION: The Recorder (Greenfield, MA newspaper)

http://www.recorder.com/Tinky-Weisblat-5348397

Reviewed by Tinky Weisblat originally for The Recorder in Greenfield, MA

REVIEW TEXT:

“Two Natures” is an unconventional but sweet romance set in an era that is at once far from us and very near indeed.

This engrossing debut novel by poet Jendi Reiter of Northampton tells the story of Julian Selkirk. A Georgia boy from a conservative, religious family, Julian arrives in New York in the early 1990s. He hopes to break into two often related worlds: fashion photography and gay culture.

He makes friends quickly, but it takes him years to find the true love for whom he longs.

Julian enjoys the sense of belonging that being gay in New York in the 1990s gives him. Although his siblings have guessed at his sexual orientation and his parents may know about it at a subliminal level, he was never able to come out back home in Georgia. In the city he can at last be himself.

Nevertheless, life in New York is far from perfect. Added to the difficulties all young people face in growing into their best selves and finding romance, Julian must face the promiscuity that is part of gay culture at the time.

He is thrilled to be able to enjoy sex at last and openly. Although he longs for exclusivity, he fears asking for it, however — and fears mentioning love to the object of his affection.

In addition, Julian and all of his friends must deal with the threat of AIDS, then at its height in this country.

And although they live from day to day in a subculture in which their sexuality is accepted and even often celebrated, they still come into contact with the larger society. There, being gay is viewed as an aberration by most and a sin by many.

When AIDS strikes close to home, they realize that the legal system offers them few protections from discrimination.

Julian is an engaging protagonist. His friends are varied and often funny, and Reiter’s careful, evocative prose brings the reader vividly into his life and world.

Julian’s struggles to establish a career, find a home and connect with someone with whom he can share his life will ring true to anyone who has ever been a young person trying to become established in the big city.

Jendi Reiter will read from “Two Natures” and sign copies of her book on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield. Food will be served. Reiter will also appear at the Broadside Bookshop in Northampton on Wednesday, Oct. 19, beginning at 7 p.m.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jendi Reiter is the author of the newly released novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press)

See the book trailer at http://bit.ly/twonaturestrailer  

She is  also an award-winning poet and editor of WinningWriters.com , named to  Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers."  Midwest Book Review says "Intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay...a powerful saga,: 

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

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.

Intimate Review of LGBTQ Novel by Well-Known Poet

Title: Two Natures
Author: Jendi Reiter
Author website: http://www.jendireiter.com
Genre: Literary fiction
ISBN: 0996907424
Published by: Saddle Road Press
Where to buy it as paperback or e-book.
Special Offer: 99 cents for the e-book from Sept. 1-28, 2016!
Name of reviewer: Kittredge Cherry
Original review publication: Jesus in Love Blog

REVIEWED BY KITTREDGE CHERRY ORIGINALLY FOR JESUS IN LOVE BLOG

A gay fashion photographer who was raised Southern Baptist moves to New York City for a sexual and spiritual odyssey during the AIDS crisis of the early 1990s in “Two Natures” by Jendi Reiter.

This stylish debut novel from a gifted poet is a rare combination of erotic gay romance and intelligent reflection on Christian faith. Narrator Julian Selkirk seeks glamor and often-fleeting affairs to replace the religion that rejected him. He learns by experience to look beyond shame, surface attractions and short-term desires.

In the five-year period covered chronologically by the novel, he has relationships with three men who embody different archetypes: immature personal trainer Phil Shanahan, cosmopolitan editor Richard Molineux, and earnest activist Peter Edelman. The dense and varied literary coming-of-age novel ranges from comic scenes that could easily become a hit movie to the explicitly sexual and the touchingly tragic. Reiter brings alive LGBTQ touchstones of the era: the visit from out-of-town and out-of-it parents to their closeted son, the AIDS death and awkward funeral, and so on.

Jendi Reiter is a first-class poet and essayist, and her Reiter’s Block is one of my all-time favorite blogs. While reading "Two Natures," I sometimes wished for more of her incisive interpretations rather than her narrator’s witty voice leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Female characters and experiences such as abortion are also portrayed well in “Two Natures.” Perhaps this is not surprising for an author who recently came out as a “genderqueer femme” on her blog.

Raised by two mothers on the Lower East Side of New York City, Reiter is able to portray New York with the casual realism of a native. Now living in western Massachusetts, she is a member of the Episcopal church and experienced first-hand how LGBTQ issues tore apart church groups, including the writing group where she was working on the earliest drafts of “Two Natures.”

Religious references in her novel are subtle… as are the allusions to AIDS in most of the first half of the 374-page novel. Julian finds no easy answers as he wrestles with his faith.The title is based upon the

two natures of Christ, who is fully human and fully divine in the eyes of believers. Julian observes:If what the preachers said

about Christ's two natures was true, I didn't know how he could stand his life anyhow, being split down the middle between the part of him that remembered heaven and the human part that would have touched me back.

I did find myself wondering sometimes whether gay men actually thought like her narrator Julian. I dared to explore this same challenging territory myself, writing as a lesbian author from the viewpoint of a queer male Christ in my “Jesus in Love” novels.

I can only say that “Two Natures” got rave reviews from gay male reviewers whom I respect. Toby Johnson called it “a pleasure to read” and Amos Lassen declared, “We all know someone like Julian and many of us see ourselves in him… You owe it to yourselves to read this wonderful novel.”

As art historian, I especially enjoyed the way that some of Julian’s spiritual reflections were provoked by art. For instance, Julian’s inner spiritual conflict is portrayed at first through his responses to “Piss Christ,” a controversial photograph by Andres Serrano.

The novel is also significant as an example of how a new generation tries to make sense of an AIDS crisis that they were too young to experience firsthand. I happened to read “Two Natures” at the same time that I was rereading my own journals for an oral history interview about doing AIDS ministry at Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco in the late 1980s. Perhaps no novel can capture the agony, ecstasy and desperate intensity of those times.

Julian never found the kind of LGBTQ-affirming church home that we provided at MCC-SF. Sadly that may be true for many young gay men in the early 1990s, and even now. But there’s good news: Reiter is already working on a sequel. 

Julian will have another chance to find long-term love and a gay-positive spiritual community, with readers invited along for the ride.
###

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jendi Reiter is the author of the newly released novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press)

See the book trailer at http://bit.ly/twonaturestrailer.Midwest Book Review says,  "Intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay...a powerful saga" --

Jendi is editor of WinningWriters.com, a Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers"

"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise."
Surangama Sutra

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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.

Lori Soard Writes Heat-Tugging Romance

Cupid’s Quest

By Lori Soard

Genre: Fiction Romance/Christian

2016

ISBN: 9781519389064
Purchase at Amazon

A Heart-Tugging Romance

When a radio station in Hoosier country runs a scavenger hunt with a big cash prize, it turns out that money could be put to good use by at least two deserving residents in this Cupid Corners and, amazingly, it isn’t just the intrigue about which of them might win (or not win!), but also the conflict one feels about who to root for and how that conflict could possibly be resolved.

It has been a long time since I read a romance; so many of them didn’t stay with me beyond the moment I turned the last page. Cupid’s Quest by Lori Soard  is not one of those romances. It is a well-written story about dimensional characters that tug at one’s heart. They are living in situations all too familiar these days. It has characters that every generation can identify with. Anyone who loves romances and wants reading that is fun, easy, and heartwarming  should make a point of visiting Cupid Corners and following Cupid’s Quest.

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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.

Diane Donovan Lauds Jendi Reiter's Newest Book, Two Natures

Title: Two Natures

Author: Jendi Reiter

Author website: http://www.jendireiter.com/

Genre: Literary fiction

ISBN: 0996907424

Published by: Saddle Road Press (www.saddleroadpress.com) 

Where to buy it:

https://www.amazon.com/Two-Natures-Jendi-Reiter/dp/0996907424?

Name of reviewer: Diane Donovan

Original review publication: Midwest Book Review

Reviewer's link:

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/jul_16.htm#donovan

Reviewed by Diane Donovan originally for Midwest Book Review

Julian is a Southern boy and transplanted aspiring fashion photographer in New York City in the 1990s; a gay man facing the height of the AIDS epidemic and professional, social, and spiritual struggles alike as he questions himself, God's will, and Christian values in the advent of a specific kind of apocalypse.

It's rare to discover within a gay love story an equally-powerful undercurrent of political and spiritual examination. Too many gay novels focus on evolving sexuality or love and skim over underlying religious values systems; but one of the special attributes of Two Natures isn't just its focus on duality, but its intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay.

In many ways, Julian is the epitome of a powerful, conflicting blend of emotions. Take the story's opening line, for one example. Readers might not anticipate a photographer's nightmare which bleeds heavily into evolving social realization and philosophy: "I woke from another nightmare about photographing a wedding. The bride was very loud and everyone's red lipstick was smeared across their teeth like vampires, except vampires would never wear lavender taffeta prom dresses. It's always the wrong people who can't see themselves in mirrors."

Even the language exquisitely portrays this dichotomy: Julian's parents are still "Mama" and "Daddy", his language and many of his attitudes remain delightfully Southern ("You know, back where I come from, that was the first thing you asked a new fellow: what does your Daddy do, and where do you go to church?"), and his experiences with men, female friends, his evolving photography career, and life in general are wonderfully depicted, drawing readers into not just the trappings and essence of his life, but the course of his psychological, philosophical and spiritual examinations.

As Julian explores this world, readers should expect sexually graphic (but well-done) scenes designed to enhance the storyline (not shock it with departures or dominant heaviness), an attention to the social and political environment of the 90s that swirls around Julian and changes his perspectives and decisions, and a gritty set of candid descriptions that probe real-world experience.

Readers of gay fiction seeking more than a casual series of insights into the world of New York City's culture, enhanced by the deeper perspectives of a young man who spiritually struggles to find his place even as he fine-tunes his career and life, will welcome the close inspection of truth, love, and life provided in Jendi Reiter's Two Natures, powerful saga of Southern etiquette and perspectives turned upside down and the risks involved in moving beyond one's safe zone.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jendi Reiter is also the author of  Bullies in Love (Little Red Tree International Poetry Prize):

http://littleredtree.com/bullies-in-love. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jendireiter.

"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise."

Surangama Sutra

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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.

Denise Buss Pens Christian Story to Inspire

Title: Original Design: Set Free to Be Who God Created
Author: Denise BussAuthor Website: www.DeniseBuss.com
Genre: Christian narrative nonfictionISBN: 978-0-9903583-7-4Reviewer: Peggy Joyce Ruth; www.Peggyjoyceruth.org
Can buy the book at www.DeniseBuss.com

 Reviewed by Peggy Joyce Ruth

More and more people are being hit with depression, fear, and anxiety. Mind-altering drugs and sleeping pills have become regular items in many medicine cabinets. People are searching for the peace that eludes them. Denise Buss was no exception. She became paralyzed by fear and anxiety and couldn’t see a way out. As Denise’s story unfolds in the pages of this book, you will find encouragement that you are not alone. And even more importantly, you will see that there is a way out of the oppression that torments you or someone you love.

When Denise cried out to God for help, her heavenly Father sent someone to bring about God’s plan for her life. Her courage and obedience to God broke the demonic hold that Satan had on her. Denise’s most important realization was that it wasn’t just one incident that put her in this pit of agony, but layers and layers of wrong thinking and abuse. Therefore, it was going to take not just a renewal of her mind, but also deliverance and inner healing. Forgiving wrongs that had been done to her was an important step to her spiritual freedom. Because Denise was willing to make the effort and be persistent, her life was transformed into His Original Design—the glorious creation God had always intended it to be. You may not have a friend like she did to walk you out of your imprisonment, but we all have the precious Holy Spirit, the Helper, to guide us into freedom.

Original Design is a treasure chest of personal stories, valuable examples, and the most relevant Scriptures. If you are seeking the peace and happiness that our Father intended for us to enjoy, Denise’s experience, as told in this book, will give you a boldness to put on the Armor of God and fight against the enemy who works to destroy us all.

 —Peggy Joyce Ruth

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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.

Honoring Ann McGovern and Her Stone Soup

On occasion I just can't resist popping in my usual approach to letting authors, reviewers, and readers talk about the books they want to share with others.  Here is a little blurb from my newsletter about the death of a favorite writer and one of my favorite books:

I loved the children’s book Stone Soup. I always thought it was a traditional fairy tale. You know, like Grimm or Perrault or Hans Christian Andersen. Though it may have sold darn near as many books as those authors, it was written in 1968 and the author, Ann McGovern, recently died of cancer at the age of 85. Just knowing she is gone . . . well, I shall miss her. I have a love affair with fairy tales—new or old—and with nursery rhymes. Readers of my poetry find allusions to them sprinkled throughout. Now, perhaps I shall write something with at least a nod to Ann and the fairy tale that really wasn’t. Or was. Does a genre ever really die?

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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.

Second Book in Luana Ehrlich Series Maintains the Thrills

Title:  Two Days in Caracas
Series: A Titus Ray Thriller

Author:  Luana Ehrlich

Website: http://www.luanaehrlich.com

Genre: Christian thriller

ISBN: 1511628650

ASIN: B00ZPQYHIK

Amazon Purchase Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Two-Days-Caracas-Titus-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00ZPQYHIK

Originally reviewed by Ron English for Amazon

It has been said that a new author often will produce a good book on her first time out, but then struggle to produce a second. That has not been your case Luana Ehrlich. Two Days in
Caracas beautifully dovetails into the wake of your first book, One Night in Tehran. I somewhat expected your new work might have toned down the action of Titus Ray, or at the least just drift into his next adventure. No. That was not the case. 

Two Days in Caracas delivers new thrills, more depth into the mind and life of your growing character, Titus Ray, while promising more intrigue from future stories. You delivered such skill in drawing me into Titus Ray’s background of family and old hurts and then wove into his heart a new, growing affection for the police detective, Nikki Saxon. Where one might expect a passionate display of fast moving sex and love you handle this relationship with the kind of drama I recall from the old westerns where the cowboy has grace and reluctance and then rides off into the sunset leaving the reader wanting more. This book has it all. Danger—plenty of that, travel to foreign lands--for sure; characters that are so believable you might sense you know these folks. You surely develop an interest in turning the page to see what will happen next. Since I live in Norman, Oklahoma, I kept hoping that Titus Ray would return and let me glimpse more of his new life in our familiar surroundings. You did not disappoint. I marvel at the way you let Titus Ray grow into his new faith. You have not forced any religion onto these pages, but let this part of his life make a gentle impression on the reader as it does so in his expanding experience. His learning to pray is so new to him it reminds one of a child growing in grace and knowledge. His faith, while strange to him, is such a natural part of who he is and who he is becoming. His love for Nikki is refreshingly tender with just the right amount of desire and fear one might expect from a decent man living a dangerous life and chasing bad guys. And chase them he does. Not a curse word in the book and yet nothing is taken away from this adult story of action, love, assassins, kidnapping and murder. Great book. You have introduced me to a new kind of fiction where I can believe this story is a true life adventure of a man, his work, his love, his dog making me care for them all. Now I must wait for your provoking promise of Titus ray’s next adventure in Washington. Hurry, please.

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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.

Letter to the Author from Reviewer Ron English

Title:  One Night in Tehran: A Titus Ray Thriller

Author:  Luana Ehrlich
Website: http://www.luanaehrlich.com
Genre: Christian thriller
ISBN: 1500157236
ASIN: B00MKK5HEM
Amazon Purchase Link:

Reviewed by Ron English originally for Amazon

Amazon Reviewer: Ranking 330,190

 

Mrs. Ehrlich, I have just completed reading your novel, "One Night in Tehran". To say I was delighted with the storyline is an absolute understatement. You are a wonderful writer and storyteller. I don't know what I was expecting, but you exceeded by a country mile all of them. You set the stage for the next book. Your skill matches beautifully that of John Grisham and James Patterson. I have often said that authors and TV dramas could be just as interesting without profanity if they majored on the story. You have proven this to be true. The skillful and beautiful way you handled the Christian faith aspect was so well done that no one outside the faith should be concerned or have any hesitation in picking your book up and diving in. Christians on the other hand will marvel at the wonderful treatment you provided your faith and ours. Our Lord, I am sure, is happy with your book and will bless you abundantly as people discover this work. God bless you richly and thank you for this powerful story of intrigue and local setting. With best wishes for your next book and the next appearance of Titus Ray, Your Norman Fan, Ron English

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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.

Historical Christian Fiction Is Much More Than Its Genres

Title              "...Like Footprints in the Wind: A Generation Lost"

Author:          Pamela Atherstone
Author Link:   http://atherstonep.wix.com/jahnlechronicles
Genre:           Historical Fiction/ Christian
ISBN:             9781432797737

Purchase on Amazon

Reviewed by F.T. Donereau for Rebecca’s Reads (8/13)   http://rebeccasreads.com/atherstonelikefootprintsinthewind

 

Pamela Atherstone's "...Like Footprints in the Wind: A Generation Lost," is certainly a Historical novel in every sense of the word. I do believe though, that it brings much more to the table than is normally associated with that particular genre. You have a sweeping tale of family and tribulations and love and faith. You have a place and time that evokes distance from modern life. All of this is the normal thing for such a work but somehow the author brings it to us in a way that makes us able to feel the world inhabited by the Jahnle family and those around them, as if it were actually us, or loved ones of our own. The story comes alive fully and enables us to live it along with the characters. This is rare in Historical undertakings. And welcome.

As the book opens Johannes Jahnle is a farmer about to harvest his crops. The yield looks promising and he is a contented man. The Russian world he lives in is his as much as anyone’s. He loves his wife and children and they are happy in their lives. Simply because they are of German descent though, they are in trouble. I had never heard of the Purge of the Kulaks prior to the reading of this fine novel. Based on real stories, the tale that unfolds is an astonishing, gut wrenching one. The family is torn from their land and all they know by Russian soldiers. They are forced to endure a harrowing journey that leads them to the isolating deprivation that is the labor camps on the coast of the White Sea, in Siberia. Getting there is a fraught existence. The world they arrive into ends up being an ice brick scratched out of some devil's frozen hell. Miss Atherstone carves these things to life in such a way as to make them as compellingly real as any moment that might have been truly experienced by the reader, employing the kind of writing that makes great fiction, great story telling.

The author does not rely on flowery prose to evoke her worlds. Clean hard lines are used to draw the pictures between the covers of "…Like Footprints In The Wind." This is as it should be. The story, at times, is brutal. The family faces trials that seem and probably were designed to tear them down to nothing. Sorrows within are immense. There is great cruelty, deprivation, and even death. If the words used were not cut out of stone, a false prettiness might have covered things, which would have only taken away from what is being laid down here.

Johannes Jahnle is a good man. He is wise and blessed with an inner strength his family would have been hard pressed to survive without. There is that kind of strength in his wife, Katerina, as well. It was lifting to find a woman protagonist who did not crumble and fade under enormous pressures. I confess though that I think my favorite of the characters may be the Jahnle's daughter, Anya. She is a spirit of high order and love becomes her. The family is bolstered by their faith. It is the thing, I think, that really brings them through. It is tested and finally clung to. That, as well, is refreshing.

Really I find this book an important work; it brings forth an historical happening, a tragic piece of history the world ought to know better. Miss Atherstone is a master story teller. The goodness that flows through the horror wrought is a dynamic any age needs more of. The Jahnle's are a people I would love to know. Their faith is a special thing. It all might have been less in the hands of someone not as capable as Pamela Atherstone. She should find great success with this saga. Trust me when I say, you will gain knowledge and feel things deeply simply by opening the pages and falling into them.

Added note:  This book is the Winner of the 2013 Best Fiction Award for Rebecca's Reads.  Permission to reprint reviews was granted by Rebecca's Reads as part of the contest.  This book is also currently a finalist in two categories in the Reader's Favorite Book Reviews and Awards Contest.

 

 

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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.

Targeted Resources To Get You Invited To Be a Radio Guest!

This is not exactly the usual New Book Review review. I am running it on this blog because I know that many of the authors and publishers who have offered their reviews to The New Book Review will find this series of booklets useful. They offer up-to-date opportunities for radio interviews.  The author, Fran Silverman, is also the author of
Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How To Get Invited published by McFarland Co. 2009. It was a National "USA Best Books 2009" Awards winner in the Business: Reference category. And her new booklets are especially valuable because they are targeted to specific topics and genres and are frugally priced!


The following ebooks for radio guests are available from Fran:


Animals ($12 for 46 shows) - Covers animal advocacy, health, care, competition, communication, behavior, longevity, dog relationships, pets and the paranormal, pet peeves, wildlife, training, shelter and rescue.

Authors ($12 for 52 shows) - Covers writing, editing, publishing, marketing, literary agents, Christian authors, author spotlights; genres include thrillers, suspense, action/adventures, novels, teen/YA, romance, poetry, science, historical, baseball, screenplays, songwriting.

Business ($25 for 274 Shows) - Covers workplace issues, innovation, entrepreneurship, business strategies, careers, finance, small business, sales, home-based businesses, law, investments, insurance, money management, customer service, and real estate.

Entertainment ($20 for 176 Shows) - Covers art, fashion, movies, music and comedy.

Environment ($12 for 39 shows) - Covers green lifestyles, sustainable communities, conservation, cleaner energy, natural healing and medical remedies, environmental news, non-toxic living, wildlife, and activism.

Food and Travel ($12 for 64 shows) - Covers grilling and barbequing, wines and spirits, tea, chefs and recipes and raw food, parties, special event planning; all kinds of travel: budget, frequent, upscale, good deals, cruises and medical and health tourism.   

Health ($20 for 178 Shows) - Covers healthy living and lifestyles, fitness, health as a business advantage, natural healing, alternative medicine, medical travel, issues, education and treatment, and overcoming adversities.

House and Garden ($12 for 26 shows) - Covers gardening, growing vegetables, going green, home improvement, repair, and remodeling, healthy home design trends, buying and selling homes, feng shui, organizing vegetable garden

Men and Women ($12 for 67 shows) - Covers chick lit books, female and Christian entrepreneurs, fun for women over 40, men's comedy, girl's math and science, women empowerment, life makeovers, interesting women, women's health, parenting, women's ministries and spirituality, women in business, medicine, politics, gay, lesbian and transgender issues.

New Age - ($25 for 220 Shows) - Covers astrology, metaphysics, Tarot, Angels, psychic development, paranormal, parapsychology, holistic health, healing, mysticism, occult, and mediums.

Parenting ($15 for 64 shows) - Covers parenting issues and pressures, education, security and safety, family life, parenting parents, health, home-school, child development, schooling, charter schools, mom entrepreneurship, homebirth, adoption, marriage, military moms, single mothers, childhood cancer, and money management.

Politics ($20 for 216 Shows)- Covers current events, conservatism, Christian conservatism, liberalism, Libertarianism, government, pop culture, U.S. Constitution, Tea Party movement, democracy, the military and labor.

Relationships ($15 for 72 shows) - Covers dating, relationship strategies, weddings, marriage, sex and divorce.

Science and Technology ($12 for 50 shows) - Covers hardware, software, wireless communication, clean energy technology, nanotechnology, engineering, film and video production, biology, astronomy, geology, robotics, physics, and outer space.

Self-Help ($20 for 231 Shows) - Covers personal and professional goals, growth and empowerment, emotional freedom techniques, motivation, creativity, living one's calling, making for a better world, transforming your life and self-realization

Sports ($20 for 100 Shows) - Covers wrestling, biking, gaming, fantasy sports, golf, fitness/health, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, thoroughbred racing, hunting, fishing, camping, birding, hiking, skiing, kayaking, and performance.
 
To order go to her buy page on her Web site: http://www.talkradioadvocate.com/Ebooks.html

Or e-mail her for more information at:
franalive@optonline.net. 

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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.

Intenet Review of Books Lauds Ester Benjamin Shifren

HIDING IN A CAVE OF TRUNKS:

A prominent Jewish Family’s Century in Shanghai and Internment in a WWII POW Camp
Author: Ester Benjamin Shifren
Non-fiction/memoir/history
ISBN 978 1479165384 and ISBN 1479165387
Available on Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/1479165387

RReviewed by Katherine Highcove originally for  Internet Review of Books (IRB)

 

Hiding in a Cave of Trunks is the saga of British family's century-long residence in Shanghai. Author Ester Benjamin Shifren is the descendant of Sephardic Jewish émigrés to the eastern city. Her ancestors sailed into Shanghai from India in the early 1840s and from Persia and the Mideast in 1917. For the next century, family members were active participants in Shanghai's multi-ethnic cultural life and commerce, while remaining faithful to the rites and rituals of their religion.

In Shanghai, Jews were not hampered by Christian prejudice, which enabled the immigrants to flourish. But like other Shanghai émigrés who chose to retain citizenship in their home countries, the Benjamin clan steadfastly maintained British citizenship during their hundred-year residency in the International Settlement - the section of the city where wealthy foreigners built and maintained spacious homes.

The chapters of Hiding in a Cave of Trunks are split into four sections: Early Childhood Days in Shanghai, From Freedom to Captivity, Homecoming, and Hong Kong. In preparation for the book, Shifren researched family records, copied photographs, sorted through correspondence, and interviewed old friends and living relatives to flesh out her own Shanghai memories.

The first section, Early Childhood Days, introduces the author's grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and servants. She reviews important incidents and devastating events in the family history, and outlines how the Benjamin family, generation by generation, integrated into the highest circles of Shanghai society. Shifren recalls her chaperoned excursions into exotic street scenes and the émigré community's social occasions at private clubs, weddings, funerals and the racetrack. Many members of her family owned racehorses and enjoyed that level of the city's sporting life.

Much of Shifren’s research for this book was based on several interviews, done over a period of seventeen years, with her parents. Their-first person input makes this story a poignant account of courage and parental fortitude in a time of high stress and danger.

The From Freedom to Captivity section recounts the family's traumatic experiences during WWII. After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese military swiftly invaded Shanghai and took over all of the city's profitable enterprises. The Allied nationals, who had owned many of the banks, shipping warehouses and businesses, lost much of their savings and possessions - even their family cars - to the invaders. Even worse, families who had retained citizenship in Allied countries were labeled security risks by the Japanese. All Allied families were soon forced to leave their luxurious homes and take up residence in a hastily prepared prisoner of war camp.

The author's family members, as British citizens, were also considered enemies of the Emperor. This poignant passage from Hiding in Cave of Trunks relates their last evening in their spacious ancestral home:

On the first morning of Pessach (Passover) in April 1943, we tearfully celebrated the Seder, eating matsoch and performing all the rituals. This was to be our last wonderful home-cooked festival meal for a long time.

The next morning Mummy and Daddy looked around our home for the last time…. Some Chinese men with large wheelbarrows arrived to collect our things. They grunted and groaned while they transported all our cases, kitbags, beds, and bare necessities to the Public Boys and Girls School on Yu Yuen Road, our designated camp, and “home” for the unforeseeable future.

The incarceration of Allied civilians in the Far East has been dramatized in several movies and television shows. The dramas usually emphasize extreme hardships: torture, forced marches, rapes, and other types of inhumane treatment inflicted by the merciless Japanese military. And the movies re-create, or a scriptwriter fantasizes, dramatic acts of resistance by heroic civilians. Extreme cruelty is easy to dramatize. But everyday tedium, limited bland nutrition, and less onerous deprivations - like never providing kosher meat to the Jewish families - are considered ho-hum matters to a movie director.

Shifren provides a vivid picture of real life in the POW camp. Although Hiding in a Cave of Trunks chronicles cruel and sadistic acts by the Japanese Commandant, the author puts the emphasis on the subtle mind games that were played every day between the military captors and the Allied prisoners.

All through their three-year captivity, the inmates of the prison camp found ways to work together and make their imprisonment bearable. For example, they had a secret communication system that imported outside news of key battles and Allied victories, even though the Japanese threatened death to anyone who participated in this grapevine. And the community resisted their captors and demonstrated loyalty to the Allied forces by staying physically and mentally active. The women of the camp found ways to nourish and educate the children; the men did heavy work and repaired their ramshackle housing when the Japanese allowed such activity. This daily effort to maintain esprit de corps and community well-being was heroism on a less flashy level.

When the Allies began to win key battles in the Pacific arena, the news eventually sifted through the camp news sources. Hope grew weekly. But the closer the battle came to Shanghai, the more recalcitrant the camp's Japanese commandant became. New rules and requirements amped up the mind games until the last day of incarceration.

After the official Japanese surrender, the truth could no longer be denied. One morning the captors melted away into the postwar mayhem and confusion in the city, and the Allied families slowly realized they were free to leave their prison. They eased their way back into the streets of Shanghai and rejoiced.

And yet, the former captives soon realized that they couldn't simply take up where they left off before the war. Their property was now in other hands. The Communists were on the horizon. Shifren's parents, like many other camp survivors, came to understand that they had to start over again … but not in Shanghai.

In the last two sections of this memoir, Homecoming and Hong Kong, Shifren relates how her family slowly let go of their friends and the Jewish community in Shanghai, and moved to Hong Kong. But as mainland China steadily morphed into a repressive Communist society, the family decided to break with their ancestral home. They boarded a plane to Israel. Émigrés once again.

I asked the author what had inspired her memoir. She replied:

 "I wrote the book because I felt I had to tell the little-known story of the history of the multi-ethnic groups living in Shanghai, "The Paris of the East," and the brutal Japanese occupation of the Far East during WWII. Of great importance was letting the world know about the internment of all Allied civilians, and the resultant losses of material wealth, optimum health, and dislocation that we endured."

With the completion and publication of this intimate memoir, Ester Benjamin Shifren has given the reader a valuable eyewitness account of a little-known historical event. Her story is especially valuable for those who study and seek to preserve Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Eastern Jewish history.

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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.

Former Journalist Pens 5 Star Mystery--Humor, Too!

Coda to Murder

Author: J.Q. Rose

Author's Web Site: http://www.JQRose.com
Genre: Christian romance and mystery
ISBN 978-1-77127-274-2

Reviewer: Sue Pernz 

Reviewer's Link: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com/

Buy Link: Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/ap376tb

bn.com and major online booksellers.

 

 

Reviewed by Sue Pernz  originally published on amazon.com

5 star review

This review is from: Coda to Murder (Kindle Edition)

At first this seems like an ordinary murder with romance, but J.Q. Rose has brought in her usual (or should I say unusual) sense of humor. A cat, pig and kangaroo also take major parts in the story. Christine gets into all sorts of situations, both dangerous and funny, when she tries to solve the murder mystery.

I have read J.Q. Rose's books before and this is another good one. The author has that uncanny knack of putting together a serious situation with a touch of humor. Not too much, just enough to lighten the thread, without being insulting to the deceased. J.Q. Rose managed to make romance and murder a believable possibility and for this I commend her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which says a lot as I don't usually read inspirational books, but this is a definite "can't put it down" book. Well done Ms Rose, can't wait for the next book from your writing desk.

About J.Q. Rose

After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella, Sunshine Boulevard, released by MuseItUp Publishing in 2011. Her latest mystery, Coda to Murder, was released in February. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

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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.