Hey everyone, I’m so thrilled to announce that I’ve been given the opportunity to share my book, Identity, as well as my list of books that speak to the theme of identity. From Stephen King and Dean Koontz to Alan McGill and more, this list will showcase the high points of what my book and the theme encompass. I hope you’ll check it out for yourselves.
https://shepherd.com/best-books/thriller-books-that-question-identity
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A grieving husband hoping to give himself and his young son a fresh start after their loss finds himself caught between two warring criminal organizations in the wooded community he moves to in Vermont in author Mark Lavine’s “Windekind: A Novel”.
After the tragic death of his young wife, Sam Thibeau and his eight-year-old son Harry move from California to a co-housing community deep in the Vermont woods, where they hope to leave behind their painful memories and start over in an unfamiliar land of snow and maple syrup.
Just as they’re settling in, Sam comes across a series of strange clues and messages which appear to be meant just for him. The clues lead to what at first appears to be a financial windfall, but before long he finds himself caught between a Mexican cartel and a drug-running syndicate based in nearby Montreal.
Left with no other choice, he enlists the aid of Cindy Yates, a local police detective, who not only helps him begin the healing of old wounds, but also has an idea for a way out of his predicament. Together, they attempt a daring scheme to turn the tables on the cartel and free Sam and his son from its deadly reach.
Looking for peace and quiet in the Vermont countryside? You won’t find it here in this fast-paced thriller that’ll have you up late turning the pages.
This was a captivating and engaging crime thriller. The harrowing experiences the protagonist endures and the dynamic setting were brilliant marks in which the reader could get invested immediately. The layering of the criminal activities and the mystery surrounding this commune the protagonist finds himself living in, as well as the mystery surrounding its inhabitants, made this story really come to life on the page.
To me, the author found a really special balance of captivating character development, a rich setting, and dynamic imagery within the author’s writing that tied all of this together. The chemistry the protagonist found with Cindy and the complicated relationship he develops with her as he continues to mourn his wife’s loss yet still feels himself being pulled closer and closer to her makes for some stellar character arcs, and an emotional undercoat beneath the adrenaline-fueled crime story. The woods of Vermont have never felt more alive than in this thriller and kept drawing the reader in more and more.
Driven, captivating, and engaging, author Mark Lavine’s “Windekind” is a must-read crime thriller. The narrative, character growth and interactions, and stellar setting all reminded me of the rich stories found in the Fargo film and subsequent series. The blend of small-town life and ordinary people caught in chilling crime settings and set in a small, northern town made this compelling narrative that readers will be hard-pressed to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Mark Lavine is the author of four novels: Dr Prozac, ForeverChild, Victimless Crimes, and Windekind. He lives in the mountains of Vermont with his wife, daughter, and King Charles Spaniel (Luna). Luna follows him tirelessly on his many hikes and cross-country skis through the woods near his home. Luna sleeps tirelessly while Mark spends a few hours of every day working on his next book. He also loves to play classical piano, and Beethoven in particular. To get acquainted with his work, Mark recommends ForeverChild for scifi fans, and Windekind for thriller fans.
Hey guys! I know there was no new post today. I’m busy getting my house ready to be listed for sale and the realtor is coming out tomorrow, which means lots of work for me today. I will be back hopefully tomorrow and I’ll have not only the typical book related content, but my review of the latest Conjuring film, and some new listicle content. You guys will not be disappointed. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I’ll be back again soon.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young girl who dreams of life outside of her castle walls finds solace with a new friend whom she hides her true identity from, but soon discovers another adventure awaits her in Leen Lefebre’s “Soraia, Child of the Sea”.
On an island in the Atlantic Sea lives Soraia, Princess of the Azores. Father cleaves through the waves with his war fleet but she is never allowed to go along. From her balcony, she dreams of one day sailing those waters herself. Out of sheer necessity, she now finds joy in a book with hero stories.
Soraia soon falls ill with a desire for adventure. The lady-in-waiting and jester agree that she may go explore. A chance to be free presents itself. In the dale, she meets a shepherd boy. After a day together in the mountains, they are in love. But then, totally unexpectedly, King Netuno returns home.
This was a beautiful and memorable new fantasy tale like no other. The author does an incredible job of crafting a wholly unique story with a classic fairy tale vibe and memorable characters that keep the reader invested throughout the narrative.
Soraia is a fantastic protagonist, who portrays the classic princess stuck in her castle who dreams of a life beyond the home she’s forced to live in. Readers can instantly sympathize with the protagonist as she dreams of adventure and finding her place in the world. The irony of her journey and how it brings her to her dream of life beyond her island and castle, but comes at the cost of losing the relationships she has built over the long years isolated on the island, showcasing that destiny and life often come at the cost of the past we all hold dear to us.
A short yet beautifully written fairy tale come to life, this Norse-driven mythological story is a must-read for middle graders and up. The characters are wonderfully written, and the theme of isolation, dreams and destiny are explored in-depth and honestly in this tale, making for a truly incredible reading experience. If you haven’t yet grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Leen Lefebre grew up in West Flanders where she works at the Local Heritage Service. As a kid, she threw herself upon each book that was available. Later, she turned around and settled on the worldwide web. She then emerged as a true explorer of literature, music, and sports. Leen is a dreamer and a doer – and this is how her stories rose up as charming and lively fairy tales for adventurers of all ages.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A nurse and a soldier must work together to escape a nefarious army in a dystopian landscape in author Dieter Ryckewaert’s “Journey of Hope and Tears”.
If you were a refugee, would you be able to move on when your loved ones have all perished?
Jill lives with her parents and brother in Greenwood. She longs for freedom, far away from the Seers Dynasty and their tyrannical regime. She works in her father’s practice as a nurse, and this brings her some joy in her life – a simple but meaningful life.
When Jill’s homeland is attacked by Cerynean soldiers, her dream of finding happiness shatters into a thousand pieces. Jill and her brother are summoned to defend their homeland, but the war is short-lived. Latania falls, and all hell breaks loose.
As soon as the Cerynean soldiers march into the streets of Greenwood, Jill’s father brings her to safety. Aboard an old boat, the Sabrielle, she can flee, but her parents and brother are left behind. Tormented by pain and agony, Jill sees no way out…
Sam, a foreign soldier of the Freedom Pact, lost and miles away from his unit, becomes her salvation. Onboard the Sabrielle, they both realise that they can only survive if they work together. Hunted by the Cerynean army, they begin their journey with only one goal: to escape Latania.
JOURNEY OF HOPE AND TEARS: an unusual story about the true meaning of love, set in a dystopian world, reflecting our own challenges as humankind.
A beautiful and emotional dystopian read, author Dieter Ryckewaert does an incredible job of blending brand new mythology with a memorable cast of characters that really showcase the horrors of war and the pain that comes with loss. Protagonists Jill and Sam are the heart of this story, each showcasing a different aspect of the world the author has created and highlighting the various aspects and impacts that war has on different people involved, from the soldiers on the front lines to the innocents who must witness their lives being torn apart.
The emotional pull of Jill and her story is what really drives this narrative forward in a great way. The relationship between her and her family, as well as the growing relationship with Sam in the midst of all this death and tragedy all around them, help elevate the stakes in regards to the novel’s action and more integral scenes. The author’s ability to craft this whole new world and narrative allows readers to gain a sense of imagery that really showcases the magnitude of the novel’s intense plotline as well, making this book excel above so many other dystopian reads.
An evenly paced, emotionally driven action & adventure/romantic dystopian read. The character growth of this novel is hauntingly beautiful, and the dystopian setting and deep cut in new mythology help this story stand out above the rest in the genre. Author Dieter Ryckewaert’s “Journey of Hope and Tears” is a must-read novel, so be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
When an author writes about his characters, or about the magical worlds in which they live, his or her pen never gets empty. Ask an author about the background of his or her latest protagonist, and the next hour you’re guaranteed not to get a letter in between.
What could be difficult about writing your own biography, you might think?
The answer to that question is already written in the question itself: the ‘own’ biography. Most authors write about everything and everyone, but mostly not… about themselves.
But anyway, let me introduce myself.
My name is Dieter Ryckewaert (1984) and I was born in Poperinge, a small town in West Flanders, a stone’s throw from the Belgian coast. When I was about three years old, we moved with our family to Zonnebeke, where me and my sister had a carefree childhood. The house in which we lived bordered a field and a forest, the dream playground for every child of my generation.
Together with the children of the neighbors, we played outside, and risked our lives several times in the branches of the trees. The garden of the neighbors was separated from our garden by a nine-foot high hedge. In the middle of that hedge was a hole big enough to give passage to an adult person. On day one of our time in Zonnebeke, my parents wanted to close the hedge, so we had a little more privacy in our garden. Of course, that didn’t match our idea about the hole (us as in: me, my sister, and the three children of the neighbors). The hole functioned as a passage from and especially to the new playmates. So close it? No way!
Eight years later, when we moved back to Poperinge, the hole was still there.
Back in Poperinge I was first confronted with my ‘writing itch’ when we got the chance at school to work on a collection of poems about love. As a fourteen year old adolescent I found the idea as corny as it could be. Really, shouldn’t we be tough like men? Well, I gave it a chance… and it turned out that ‘writing’ was much more fun than I first thought. When the words flowed out of my pen (we didn’t have a computer yet), ‘poetry and rhyming’ became quite fun.
From poetry, it logically turned into short stories. And I remember my first short story very well. I was so proud of my little Sci-Fi work! In hindsight, the quality was way below par, but one has to begin somewhere, right?
Many short stories followed, and as the writing itch continued to rise, I ventured into my first ‘real’ novel.
Once I graduated, I wanted my writing to blossom further. Bringing new worlds and characters to life and sharing them with readers gives me enormous satisfaction. Not only that, but also the fact that stories with a positive note inspire people and give them a chance to escape from the – hectic or not – life.
I first learned about Sarah Breedlove — or Madam C.J. Walker as she would come to be known — in my early 20s. I remember it clearly because when I read her story in A’Lelia Perry Bundles’ wonderful book Madam C.J Walker Entrepreneur, my jaw literally dropped. Prior to reading her book, it never occurred to me that a woman like Walker could even exist. African American history, such as it was taught in my early school years, was biased and flimsy at best. That her life story was not a standard part of the curriculum was offensive to me.
I was taught about Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart, Florence Nightingale, Susan B Anthony, Joan of Arc… But where my people were concerned, all I learned was that we were slaves and one day a slave named Harriet Tubman chose to devote her life to freeing her follow slaves from bondage. An important and inspiring story no doubt, but as a black girl, it would have been so edifying to have learned about Madam C.J. Walker, too.
After discovering her, I devoured everything I could find about Madam Walker, which included a second biography, On Her Own Ground The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, also written by her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Perry Bundles. There were also a handful of other biographies and two novelised accounts of her life.
Fast forward to 2018. When I started to write Out of No Way, I returned to these biographies as well as material I found on online, namely old Walker advertisements for her hair care products. On Her Own Ground proved invaluable for providing timelines, dates, locations, events, and names, which became the foundation for my poems: the who, what, when, where, and to some degree, the why. But the thing that became clear to me in re-reading the books a second time around was how starved I felt for personal details, for a more intimate voice, particularly with regard to Madam Walker’s relationship to her daughter, A’Lelia, as a working mother. Because of my deep desire for more intimate knowledge of their relationship, the mother/daughter dynamic became the overarching theme of Out of No Way, the lens through which all the poems were written.
Like any successful entrepreneur, Madam C.J. Walker was driven. How else as a black woman could she have become America’s first self-made female millionaire during one of the most racially violent periods in American history? As a mother myself, I’ve always been intrigued by highly successful working moms. Knowing that great achievement requires great sacrifice I wondered, what were Madam Walker’s sacrifices?
I started with this question, and it led to many more: What did money mean to Sarah? How did her daughter feel about their journey from rags to riches? What, if any, were the drawbacks of their wealth? Did Sarah’s ambitions have an impact on Lelia’s sense of self? Could the death of her own mother when she was a child have compromised Sarah’s more nurturing instincts? And how did they really feel about their hair?
I took all these questions and attempted to answer them through verse. While I enjoy a lot of contemporary poetry, I felt her story would be best served by turning to the kind of poetry that relied on meter, rhyme, and structure. So I re-read a lot of my favourite ‘old school’ poets (Hughes, Cullins, Poe, Angelou, Yeats, to name a few) as part of my research as well.
I then organised the research into themes, or issues, that were relevant to their lives. Then, in thinking about my overarching theme of the mother/daughter relationship, a flash of inspiration hit me. The words Mother and Daughter gave way to a kind of acrostic structure that allowed me to divide the themes into chapters so that the entire book itself became an acrostic poem.
Money
Orphan
Travel
Hair
Envy
Resilience
Death
Art
U…
Generations
Hatred
Transcendence
Education
Regrets
Once I landed on this structure, I had another flash of inspiration — to write each chapter in a different form of poetry. This made the task infinitely more enjoyable. I love working within a defined structure. I am most creative when I have boundaries, and working within the boundaries of say a haiku or a sonnet meant that I had to focus my research into a fine point for each poem, which in turn helped me to stay on theme. The experience gave me a newfound appreciation and respect for poetry and for great poets, from Shakespeare to the rapper Stormzy.
It is my hope that Out of No Way will introduce readers to Madam C.J. Walker’s incredible legacy while also serving as a kind of instructional guide to different poetic forms. At the very least I hope it will introduce young readers to the joys of structure, rhyme, and meter.
Rojé Augustin is a native New Yorker who grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her first novel, The Unraveling of Bebe Jones, won the 2013 National Indie Excellence Award in African American fiction. She wrote the novel while living in London and Sydney as a stay-at-home-mom. She established Breaknight Films shortly after her move to Sydney in 2009 to develop and produce television projects across a range of formats, including television, web, and audio. Her first Sydney based project was a podcast and visual web series called The Right Space, which explores the relationship between creatives and their workspace. Rojé continues to work as a television producer while also writing in her spare time. She is an Australian citizen who currently lives in Sydney with her Aussie husband and two daughters.
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Available on Amazon.
Blog Tour Schedule:
Sept. 9: The Book Connection (Review)
Sept. 16: Anthony Avina Blog (Guest Post)
Sept. 18: Anthony Avina Blog (Review)
Sept. 23: Impressions in Ink (Review)
Sept. 24: The Book Lover’s Boudoir (Review)
Sept. 29 Diary of an Eccentric (Guest Post)
Oct. 5: Jorie Loves A Story (Interview)
Oct. 8: Everything Distils into Reading (Review)
Oct. 14: Suko’s Notebook (Review)
Oct. 20: True Book Addict (Guest Post)
Oct. 26: CelticLady’s Reviews (Review)
Oct. 29: True Book Addict (Review)
Follow the blog tour with the hashtag #OutofNoWay #MadamC.J.Walker #RojeAugustin
Enter the Giveaway:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A truly unique memoir tells the story of a young writer who struggled with addiction and mental health, and found a way to overcome it all through love in author Israfel Sivad’s “Disorder”.
Disorder is the story of Michael Adams, the man behind the pen name, Israfel Sivad. At 37-years-old, Michael wasn’t sure any longer if he was hipstered out or truly beat. He was a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. He’d been in psych wards, and he’d spent almost a decade writing his second novel. But then, he found himself inspired in a whole new way. He believed he might be falling in love…
Disorder traces Michael’s experiences from a period of homelessness at the age of 32 through his battles with alcoholism and psychosis back to his birth in Southern California. Simultaneously, it weaves a tale of the relationship Michael is trying to build with his girlfriend, Pam.
In this story, the author develops a groundbreaking, nonlinear style that captures both the disjointed madness of psychosis and the natural rhythms of memory. He reveals the reality behind what many of us believe we would never be able to live through: drug addiction, alcoholism and psychotic breaks… and his ability to overcome those demons to discover love, even when it seemed he was already too damaged to let that emotion take hold.
The author does a fantastic job of conveying a powerfully painful and harsh period of time in their lives, using a non-linear style storytelling device to convey the author’s life. From memories of childhood having lost a grandfather and best friend to dark times living in and out of psych wards and the streets of Richmond, the author doesn’t hold back on the physical and mental toll his life took when he was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and the psychosis that he endured as well.
The imagery really conveys the struggle the author had in his life to the reader, while the story between himself and Pam is the beginning of a path to redemption that anyone who is struggling in life can hang onto and see for themselves that the trials and tribulations in their life aren’t forever. While the writing style can change sometimes throughout the narrative of the author’s life, it adds to the allure and interest of the non-linear storytelling, making this a fascinating read.
Powerful, emotional, and a brilliant read, author Israfel Sivad’s “Disorder” is a truly one of a kind memoir both stylistically and intellectually, giving voice to the struggles of those with mental health struggles and addiction in a way that few have ever really captured before. Grab your copy on September 8th, 2020, and see for yourselves how this amazing author came to be.
Israfel Sivad is the founder of Ursprung Collective, which has been referred to as “fantastic brain food” on ReverbNation. His first novel, “Crossroads Blues”, has been compared to the work of Fyodor Dostoevsky (Palmetto Review). His second novel, “The Adversary’s Good News”, was a finalist for the 2016 Chanticleer Paranormal Book Award. His stories and poems have appeared in the Santa Fe Literary Review, The Stray Branch and Badlands Literary Journal.
