Title: Old Gooseberry's Dilemma
Author: Patricia Perry
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0-7414-6150-1
Reviewer: Robert Medak
book (bo-ok), Noun: A written/printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn
together along one side and bound in covers
re·view (ri'vyoeo), Noun: A formal assessment/examination of something;
Verb: Examine or assess with the possibility/intention of instituting change if necessary.
Imagine a wager between God and Lucifer, with the Dean Brothers' final fate in the balance. Will the Dean Brothers end up with God, or with Lucifer (Gooseberry)? Gooseberry must watch over the as part of the bet.
Part of the bet is to keep the Deans out of trouble, which is not an easy task for anyone, even Old Gooseberry. Why would Gooseberry accept such a wager, especially when keeping track of the Dean Brothers is a full-time job? Who is going to torment the souls in Hades while Lucifer is busy watching over the Deans? This is Lucifer's favorite pass time, tormenting people and watching over his domain on TV in his office smoking cigars.
Follow along as Old Gooseberry tries his best to keep the Dean Brothers out of trouble so they will end up in heaven. Lucifer is afraid if he loses the bet the Dean Brother will upset his domain and perhaps try to take over from him. This cannot happen.
Old Gooseberry's Dilemma takes place from late afternoon on Wednesday, thru Saturday until 6:00.01 PM, during which time Lucifer must make sure the Dean Brothers do not get into any serious trouble.
Old Gooseberry's Dilemma is a fun read that follows Lucifer as he visits and tries to keep the Dean Brothers out of trouble on Earth. He becomes a mere shadow of himself because it takes a lot to keep the Deans out of trouble, that would cause him to lose the bet with God thru his emissary Michael the Archangel, who started to wager in the first place.
You will have to read Old Gooseberry's Dilemma to see how this wager ends. You may not be able to guess the outcome. Will it be God, or Old Gooseberry? This reviewer found Old Gooseberry's Dilemma at times, funny, sad, and left to contemplate if things like this really take place.
Grab yourself a copy of Old Gooseberry's Dilemma, sit in a comfy chair and enjoy the trials and tribulations of Old Gooseberry as he works hard to keep the Dean Brothers out of serious trouble in order to keep them out of his domain, Hades.
This reviewer awards four and one-half out of five stars to Old Gooseberry's Dilemma and recommends it as a must read.
For more info: buybooksontheweb.com
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Title: The Secret of the Red Stone
Author: Sydney Addae
Publisher: Sitting Bull Publishing
ISBN number: 9780983228790
Reviewer: Boyu Huang
Being handicapped is never something to rejoice about. Maybe that's why Austin Gray removed himself from all human contact to dwell a lonely existence with only his widowed mother as company. Or maybe it's because he also has to live with frightening visions of some horrible crimes being committed. How could a scarred cripple, who has daily meltdowns and blackouts ever function normally in society?
After losing everything in life he held dear in a car accident - his looks, his confidence and his father - Austin inevitably spiralled from a handsome high school sports star to a cynical man who never went outdoors. His visions bother and drain him constantly, and his only relief is his website, MidnightStreaming.com, where he sends what he learns of the world's darkest secrets off into cyberspace. It's his only way of feeling that he's done something to help.
When agent Persia Cullens comes knocking at Austin's door with an offer to collaborate with the FBI, Austin downright refuses. But the possibility of finally making a difference for the victims in the visions he sees pulls at him. As the The Secret of the Red Stone unfolds, Austin will dive into the world of crime, cults and love; only one thing is for sure - his gift of sight is becoming more dangerous than he'd ever imagined.
Sydney Addae has made The Secret of the Red Stone (e-Book) a true page-turner. This reviewer was caught by the very intro, and couldn't put it down. While some adult language makes it not completely appropriate for younger children under the age of 13, it is highly recommended.
Title: The Beautiful Evil
Author: Robbi Sommers Bryant
ISBN number: 978-1460998243
For more info: robbibryant.com
Reviewer: Barbara Watkins
"A Mind Blowing Experience"
'The Beautiful Evil,' by author, Robbi Sommers Bryant, takes you on a trip down a long dark path through madness. Under the control of a domineering mother, added to the loss of her father, Constance fights the demons that lurk at every corner.
Ms. Bryant manages to weave a story of psychological suspense using characters that are disturbingly real, and distressing situations that while maybe the reader cannot relate to - will certainly sympathize with. The author asks, "How well do you know yourself?" We all have our inner demons - no question of that. It is how we react to our evil thoughts that are of great importance. Why are some of us able to control our demons and others not? What happens when the mind loses all sense of reality? Insanity.
Constance Sartone Jacobson is a young woman struggling to find her identity. Stripped of all self-respect, taunted, and mentally abused from a young age by the hands of her mother, she desperately searches for inner peace - but to no avail. Grieving for her deceased father for whom she had thought was a saint, she finds out even he was not without flaws. When she visits an antique shop, she is mysteriously drawn to a Greek vase. After a strange encounter with the shopkeeper - a peculiar recluse of sorts, she purchases the vase and retreats. Upon opening the vase, she sets free 'Beautiful Evil.'
'The Beautiful Evil' is a riveting, hypnotic tale - one of which I believe its presentation is unique and genius. Bravo Ms. Bryant - Bravo! Highly recommended.
Title: Fire Season
Author: V H Folland
Publisher: Ragged Angel Ltd
ISBN : 978-0-9541227-7-5
For more info: fireseason.co.uk
Reviewer: Anthony Lund
First off, they say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and Fire Season is a really good example of why. There are no rights and wrongs to creating a book cover, but there is something a little dour about the front of Fire Season that could put off browsers of shelves and webpages alike.
So that is the down side out of the way, from here on it is pretty much all good.
Fire Season is a first look at the small town of Brooke's Vale, a community the likes of which have featured in some of the greatest works of fiction, where living has been rather kind when it comes to the subject of the book - forest fires. For many years, Brooke's Vale has escaped unscathed while other similar areas have constantly battled to survive. The all comes to an end during the three day period Fire Season's story is told over.
The heart of this story lies in the struggle of the townsfolk, including airstrip owner and flying club leader Matt, and transport pilot Jim, a hero among many who takes on the raging fires that threaten the town. Whatever the subject, novels like Fire Season rely on the workings of the community. Stephen King has often used the "town in peril" card to great effect, and some parts of this novel read like his best Castle Rock novels. The build up over the first hundred or so pages is slow, introducing characters, displaying their likes and dislikes, building the impending threat to these characters and their surroundings.
Once the action is set in motion, then the book virtually reads itself, making the small trek there all the more worthwhile. The events of Day Two and Three flow very cinematically, descriptions creating very vivid images as the fight to survive takes centre stage, and as you read you can imagine this playing out on the big screen.
By the time the epilogue comes around, and we move two months on from the climax of the main story, it is a nice chance to see how these people we have followed of the last few hundred pages are coping with the aftermath. There are too many novels so eager to get the action over and end that they don't take a short moment to close off the final threads of the story, giving the reader a sense that these people are not merely characters in a work of fiction, but continue on with their lives beyond. How those lives may pan out remains a mystery, but there is enough here to show that even after the worst of times, life does go on.
In the afterword, the author notes that a lot of research including his visit to see one of the only Shackleton planes in existence, and it is clear throughout the book that a lot of effort has gone into making sure that the facts within the fiction are authentic for those with knowledge of such things. My only experience with airplanes is to get on board one to go on holiday, so I would not know if any of the more specific details are correct or not. That doesn't mean the effort is any less appreciated when reading the book.
For anyone looking for a good old fashioned adventure thriller could do a lot worse than Fire Season. The human heart needed to make any story of peril work is written well, there are no real duff characters of note and the conversations and confrontations between the townsfolk is always believable and manages to avoid the usual clichés that can quite easily slip into this kind of story.
Well written, engaging and worth a read, I would happily recommend Fire Season to others and look forward to Days At Brooke's Vale, a short story collection that acts as a prequel of sorts and will hopefully continue in the vein of rich character developments shown in the novel.
Title: Stairway of the Gods
Author: Vic Warren
Publisher: Turning Heads
ISBN: 978-0-615-47706-0
For more info: vicwarren.com
Reviewer: Yuke Man
Gods is a story about an American couple's unexpected adventure and near death experience. The adventure begins on the rice terraces in a remote part of the Philippines. The locals call their rice terraces are 'stairways to the gods' because of the way the terraces are cut into a mountain's slope. They pray and rely on their gods to protect them and their rice cultivation because it sustains their very existence.
The story is actually based on a war legend. Second World War Japanese General, Tomoyuki Yamashita, supposedly hid stolen booty from the Japanese occupation of South-east Asia somewhere in the Philippines. In the book, the treasure is found in an underground cave under the rice terraces when the gods opened up the mountain for the middle aged, but young-at-heart American couple.
Paul Webster, a wannabe writer, is married to Joan Webster, a highly successful art historian. He wants to write a great American epic, but puts Joan's career and their children first. So he lives a mundane life and puts his passion on hold. Joan inherits a museum curator's job and rescues him by making him quit his job as a copy writer to follow her on a job assignment. That's how they end up in the Philippines, searching for artifacts for the museum. Problems arise between them on what should have been a relaxing time. They have had 25 years of happy married life, but this almost ends on the rice terraces of the Philippines. You have to read this book to find out all the intricacies of this spellbinding adventure.
The author, Vic Warren, skillfully weaves in actual political events into his tale, making it seem so real. I can't help but congratulate him for making me stop at parts and ask, is this fiction or fact?
The story is strangely reminiscent of the life of its author. Vic Warren was a copy writer who wanted to write a novel! The plot of his novel is complex and cleverly woven, making it an intriguing read. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy a gripping tale of high adventure.
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Title: Antiphony
Author: Chris Katsaropoulos
Publisher: Luminis Books
ISBN: 9781935462330
Reviewer: Joseph Yurt
Twain once said that "When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." That succinctly stated thought is at the heart of the new Chris Katsaropoulos novel, "Antiphony." This is a complex and challenging story that revolves around the book's central character Theodore Reveil, "one of the leading lights in String theory physics," a contender for the explanation for everything. Through Theodore, the author compels the reader to wonder if we are not all mad scientists whose lives are our laboratories where we experiment to find life's meaning and a way to embrace it.
The story begins with Theodore, on his way to present his latest research to an assemblage of his colleagues from around the world, discovering that he has lost the notes for his presentation. Unbeknown to the reader is that from this point forward, Katsaropoulos is about to take them along with Theodore to uncharted, unimaginable and incomprehensible territory of the mind.
In presenting Theodore's state of mind, Katsaropoulos' stream-of-consciousness style and the alternation between Theodore's seemingly clear, albeit quirky thoughts and the incoherent, often unfathomable expressions of his dissociative world, creates a powerful, excruciating portrait of an individual in the midst of a meltdown to madness. As the story progresses, visions and dreams begin to dominate Theodore's mind. In describing one of these dreams the author writes "…Everything collapses into nothing, and everything that makes him who he thinks he is is gone completely. He is drawn within and lifted within; he is every reason and no reason at all." Katsaropoulos' distinctive, mesmerizing cadence further adds to the ethereal feeling of these passages.
What I found most engaging about "Antiphony" are the questions it raises. For scientists, questioning is critical to finding possible explanations. And so it is for the reader of this book. Antiphony's greatest relevance is derived from the questions it cannot answer. For example, Theodore poses the unanswerable question "What if the universe, instead of being a giant machine, is really a giant thought?" Katsaropoulos raises many intriguing questions that offer metaphysical food for the mind.
The ultimate questions "Antiphony" poses for the reader are: What if Theodore isn't mad? What if, indeed, we are all? Read the book! The story is fascinating and the writing is powerful and poetic.
Title: My Annie: The True to Life Story of a Liberated Woman Written by her Husband
Author: Douglas Richie
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432779641
Reviewer: Vicki Liston
Born in mid-1926, Annie Whitaker Richie could have grown up to be exactly like all of the other girls living in this time period - quiet, submissive, a housewife and a stay at home mom, and someone with no life outside of the four walls they call 'home'. Yet despite the negative and demeaning experiences she endured from her own mother during a difficult childhood and the cultural norm of restriction for women, she fought to break free of the general mold labeled 'proper wife' and went on to live an uncommon and invigorating life. Call her forward-thinking, call her educated, or call her liberated. But to her husband - and the author of her biography - she's just 'My Annie'.
"My Annie: The True to Life Story of a Liberated Woman Written by her Husband" is an extensive biography. Written by her loving husband, the story follows Annie from the time she was a little girl, through college and their courtship, through four children and two surprise overseas adoptions, (where they went over to Korea for one child and came back with two), through international travels and volunteering, and up to present day where she happily lives with Douglas Richie in Carlsbad, California. She describes the high points in her life but she also shares the low ones - her husband's firing and brush with a breakdown, the eventual break from the two difficult Korean adoptees, and running away from her family to the tropical islands of Hawaii. Her amazing story is one of hope, faith, and determination.
"My Annie" is a cherished find for fans of biographies and autobiographies. The vivid recounting of the various stories is genuine and heartfelt while the sheer amount of detail included is surprising and impressive! I couldn't believe how clear each chapter's descriptions were - I really felt like I was put into the setting and could see what she was seeing or feel what she was feeling. For example, the meticulous elements of their first date are included: that there had been a polio epidemic that year, that the boys they hung out with were all in the glee club, that her and her eventual-husband talked of things like the trains, or that he had the same last name that the head of a work camp she'd gone to had, etc, etc, etc. Or the fact that she got penicillin every three hours, day and night, when she developed a horrible case of strep throat in college. This kind of detail is in every page, every story, and every chapter. The book took you through each phase of Annie's life and allowed you to be a part of her thought process and growth. While written by her husband, the book relays the entirety of her story in first person. I thought this might make the story more difficult to read but it gave the tone a deeply personal feel. Douglas Richie does an impeccable job 'becoming' Annie and bringing her story to life. He further excels at keeping the book flowing so as not to weigh down the reader or allow things to get boring. Both organization and editing are top-notch. I was disappointed that there weren't more photographs of Annie throughout the years, though. There are two pictures at the very end of the book - one family picture and one of her four children when they were very young. Inspirational and entertaining!
Title: Power and Tender
Author: Margret Russell
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432763756
Reviewer: Richard R. Blake
Margret Russell chronicles the lives of Arthur, Ben and Hannah Alton during the years immediately following World War I throughout the years leading up to and through World War II in "Power and Tender." This is more than a nostalgic stroll down memory lane. Russell writes of a significant era in American history. Through the Alton's she follows the impact and hardship experienced by rural families at a time when our country shifted from its agricultural roots to a culture of international trade, commerce, and industry.
Ben develops a love for the sea as a child, the result of hearing his uncle's heroic stories. He dreams of becoming a coastal pilot in Chesapeake Bay. Ben is devastated as after years of perseverance in combining working the land with his love for the water, boating, and fishing, he has attained the theory and experience necessary to qualify for an appointment as a government Pilot only to discover that the years of hard labor have left him physically disqualified.
Russell introduces a plethora of topics relative to the era in dialog depicting casual gossipy conversational dialog through informal settings at the town post office, the barber shop, in the home, or during routine chores and errands. Although often these seem irrelevant, they provide background and insight into the culture of the era, family life, and individual struggles of the protagonist.
The journal entries of Evan Griffith, a professor, employed during the summer by Ben Alton, afford additional points of interest and offer a noteworthy depth. They take shape as chapter summaries adding insight into the interaction, and core values of the Alton family. Lessons on parenting, family and social relationships, and insights into plant life and animal behavior are carefully woven into the warp and woof of the story line.
I have a new appreciation for the difficulties of the farming communities, crop failures, and food surpluses in the great depression era experienced throughout the country in the 1930s, as well as a better understanding of President Roosevelt's "New Deal" philosophy and policies.
Russell keeps the reader engaged thorough a fast-paced series of conflict and resolution. She skillfully incorporates expressive descriptions that involve all five senses. I could almost hear the howl and feel the force of the gale force winds, smell the charred scent of the smokehouse, and feel "the burning in the wood stove…it sizzled and lapped the logs down to knot heating to a bursting point - poupft."
Frequent instances of mixed tenses became confusing and often left me unclear as to voice of narrator. Margret Russell displays an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge, coupled with careful research and amazing insights into human nature, gained through personal experience. She often shows a gift for poetic prose in her writing. At other times her work is fragmented and scripted.
The novel is made up of three books divided into six parts. Russell may have attracted a larger readership with tighter writing and by publishing the book as a trilogy series. The voluminous size and sheer weight of this edition make it awkward, difficult, and intimidating for casual reading.
"Power and Tender" is engaging historical fiction. The writing is authentic and compelling. I became totally immersed in the characters. This is a memorable read with a lingering afterglow.
Title: Soulmate Proprietors: How To Run a Business With Your Spouse and STAY Married!
Author: Danelle Brown
Publisher: Queen Bee Consulting
ISBN: 9780982925706
Reviewer: Joseph Yurt
In her new book "Soulmate Proprietors," author, consultant and business coach, Danelle Brown grapples with the question of whether spouses can run a business together and still stay married. Many have tried and failed, some losing both their business and their marriage in the end. But after casting a wide net of interviews among a diverse range of "small business families," Brown reached the conclusion that despite a high degree of difficulty, not only can this arrangement work for spouses, there is indeed much to celebrate for the entire family.
Brown had a passion for writing this book that was borne out of necessity and intimate knowledge of the subject. Together with her husband, Marcel, she is co-owner and marketing director of MB Tech, Inc. which provides technology consulting services to small businesses and individuals. She is also the president and founder of Queen Bee Consulting which helps family and couple-owned companies grow their businesses. Danelle Brown is immersed in the issues she writes about.
"Soulmate Proprietors" is basically a comprehensive, well-organized and easy-to-understand how-to guide. In addition to the wise and relevant counsel of the author, each of the book's seven chapters includes interview excerpts/case study comments from real spousal partners who were interviewed by Brown in preparation for writing the book. Each chapter also includes a "Soul Searching Questions" section that provides an important self-check summary to help the reader measure their understanding of the issues presented and promote reflection on those issues about which they have concerns. Each chapter is informative, entertaining and well written.
In Chapter One, "In It to Win It," the author's straight talk sets a strong, all or nothing standard for those contemplating running a business together. This challenge is echoed throughout the book, which proceeds to address the numerous issues involved such as is do you want to be in business with your spouse and is your marriage strong enough to make it work, how to divide your talents so that roles are clear, channeling stress to build a stronger relationship, dealing with the reality that the business becomes part of the family, bringing balance to your work and personal lives, and the fringe benefits of working with your spouse. And as Brown points out near the end of the book, believe it or not, this simply sets the foundation for a successful business with your spouse.
Danelle Brown says she really enjoys talking to people and helping and mentoring them. "Soulmate Proprietors" clearly shows this is so. Her writing style is warm and conversational, her counsel is candid, and her words are thoughtful and caring. Whether you're just beginning to consider the possibility of starting a business with your spouse, or at whatever point you are in running a business together, I believe this book can help you. I know it would have made a difference in my attempt. Ignore this book at your own peril.
Title: The Drug DUI Handbook
Author: David N. Jolly
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432777647
Reviewer: Carol Hoyer, PhD
Mr. Jolly has written a very comprehensive overview of how the drug DUI process works. It is easy to read and understand. Mr. Jolly is an expert in the field and is a Washington State DUI defense attorney. In addition he has written several other books on the DUI and Drug DUI process.
"The Drug DUI Handbook" covers topics from field sobriety tests and DUI-drug investigations to how they determine results for a variety of popular drugs. One of the interesting sections included the 12-step DRE (Drug Recognition Experts) protocol. The 12 steps include: breathalyzer; interviewing the arresting officer; preliminary examination and First Pulse. I was really amazed at the thoroughness of this assessment. Some of the drugs that are examined include: simulants; depressants; hallucinogens and narcotics. Another interesting point about the DRE is that it is done behind the scenes and most individuals who have been arrested never see this. This assessment can last up to 45-minutes, depending on the type of drug ingested.
One section I thought he should have expanded more on was investigating individuals over the age 60. Many of these individuals have medical problems, take medication and because of their age cannot complete the tasks required successfully. Another concern was the author citing lengthy references within the text; it was very distracting when reading. My suggestion would put footnotes and add the footnotes in the back of the book.
"The Drug DUI Handbook" is an excellent resource for those working in the field, or families that have been impacted by a drug DUI. It provides valuable information to use when consulting with legal counsel and education awareness in a Substance Abuse Program. This is one reference when teaching my Advanced Addiction Counseling college class.
Title: 33 Days
Author: Bill See
Publisher: Lulu
ISBN: 9780557758814
For more info: www.33daysthebook.com
Reviewer: Peter Klein
Seize the moment! Follow your dream! This is what "33 Days" is all about for a Rock & Roll band from LA., Divine Weeks, who spent 33 days on the road in 1987 as they toured up the coast and into Canada, then back down into the States as they worked they way home.
Bill See, the author and the lead singer of the band, says of the band during a radio station interview, "We're losers. No bodies in school. Music is the only thing that gives us a voice Individually, we're just self-loathing wannabe, never-will-be's. Together we believe we're capable of great things."
Great things happen on the tour. Each member grows individually and together, sleeping on floors and in an overcrowded van, subsisting on pizza and peanut butter & jelly, fighting for the pay they are due, so they have enough money for gas to reach the next town and gig.
Reading this true story, your minds wanders to such songs as "On the Road Again," "Turn the Page" and "Into the Great Wide Open."
This is a book that should be made into a movie. This is a band that achieved some success, but should have achieved more. It's a story about what it means to be an artist in any medium. It's all about being human even when some think you are a freak while others put you on a pedestal.
While everything is seen through the eyes of Bill See, his story is as much the story of the members of his band - Raj, George, Dave and their road manager Ian. All come to life as See remembers that very special time in their lives. Author, See makes you see past the glamour of the performers on stage. Through his well-crafted words, he makes you care for these guys, suffer what they suffer and cheer them on when they succeed.
Though Divine Weeks no longer records, Bill See continues with a solo recording career. He lives with his daughter, Maeve, his girlfriend Cindy and her two children, Emma and Alex, in Los Angeles. For more information, visit his 33 Days official website at for photos, videos and free MP3 downloads of Divine Week's music. Highly Recommended.