I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A powerful book of poetry that dives into the complex nature of female identity and the roles they’ve been forced into playing in society throughout history comes to life in author and poet Elizabeth Hazen’s book, “Girls Like Us”.
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The Synopsis
Girls Like Us is packed with fierce, eloquent, and deeply intelligent poetry focused on female identity and the contradictory personas women are expected to embody. The women in these poems sometimes fear and sometimes knowingly provoke the male gaze. At times, they try to reconcile themselves to the violence that such attentions may bring; at others, they actively defy it. Hazen’s insights into the conflict between desire and wholeness, between self and self-destruction, are harrowing and wise. The predicaments confronted in Girls Like Us are age-old and universal—but in our current era, Hazen’s work has a particular weight, power, and value.
The Review
What a moving work of poetry. The author does an incredible job of bringing the pain and emotion that many women in life have had to endure through society’s expectations and the roles cast upon them through her work. As someone who considers himself a feminist and someone who has always wanted to live in a world where my mother and sister could live knowing they were viewed by everyone as equals and were respected, this poetry really spoke to me on a personal level while also feeling personal to the author at the same time.
What really captured my attention as a reader was the way the author writes, in which many of the poems were written with such precision and detail-oriented writing, and yet felt personal to the author and broad enough for others to connect to on their own personal levels. The complexity of the layers of this poetry speaks to the simple desire for equality so many seek throughout their lives, and the ongoing fight to bring that equality to life.
The Verdict
A truly one of a kind read, the author and poet Elizabeth Hazen and her book “Girls Like Us” is a truly amazing work of poems. The raw emotions combined with the true and often sad realities the poems capture of life connect with readers on an intimate level, and the theme and heart of the book speak to so many that readers will not be able to put it down. Be sure to grab this quick yet powerful read today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author:
Elizabeth Hazen is a poet, essayist, and teacher. A Maryland native, she came of age in a suburb of Washington, D.C. in the pre-internet, grunge-tinted 1990s, when women were riding the third wave of feminism and fighting the accompanying backlash. She began writing poems when she was in middle school, after a kind-hearted librarian handed her Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s A Coney Island of the Mind. She has been reading and writing poems ever since.
Hazen’s work explores issues of addiction, mental health, and sexual trauma, as well as the restorative power of love and forgiveness. Her poems have appeared in Best American Poetry, American Literary Review, Shenandoah, Southwest Review, The Threepenny Review, The Normal School, and other journals. Alan Squire Publishing released her first book, Chaos Theories, in 2016. Girls Like Us is her second collection. She lives in Baltimore with her family.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A man shipwrecked and rescued finds himself on not only a different world, but a different time altogether in author A.G. Rivett’s novel “The Seaborne”.
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The Synopsis
Seaborne. The word echoes in Dermot’s mind. Washed up from who knows where, with no people to belong to, no clan to speak for him: aa man alone in the world. If this man lives, what will he turn out to be? What might he bring among the Islanders?
John had not dreamed that anywhere in the North Atlantic could be this remote. There must be someone, if not here, then not far away, who even if they didn’t speak English would at least recognise it.
John Finlay, engineer, is running away from his failed business, his failed relationship and his debts. He runs away to sea. Dermot, pulling a body, barely alive, from the water, has never seen anyone so strangely dressed. His Celtic island knows nothing of debt or of engineering. And John, waking among a people who cannot understand his language, struggles to accept that he has been carried across time and into another world.
From this starting point, tensions build between cultures and outlooks, and focus on Shinane, the blacksmith’s daughter, who is looking for something beyond. John and Dermot find themselves stretched to their limits. It is a matter of survival, or transformation. Choice is key – and not only for John, Dermot and Shinane: the whole community finds itself caught up in conflict over The Seaborne.
The Review
This was such an engaging read. The author does a great job of creating a breathtaking world that draws the reader in and populates it with characters that keep the reader invested throughout.
The interesting concept of how society has evolved and the ways in which people choose to live are thoroughly showcased throughout the narrative. The thing that fascinates me as a reader is how John’s mentality and way of life from his own time and the way of life he learns to have while in this new world is interesting to see, both in their similarities and differences. In the end, is it not true that the past and the future both have their ups and downs, and can impact the present?
The Verdict
A powerful, memorable, and evenly paced read, author A.G. Rivett has masterfully told a brilliant tale of a man outside of his own time, and the community impacted by his appearance, both good and bad. Fueled by culture, romance, questions of morality, and advancements in technology, mentality, and society, the novel does an excellent job of creating a thought-provoking narrative that will keep readers wanting more. Be sure to grab your copy of “The Seaborne” today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Andrew (A.G.) Rivett was born in London. He has lived in England, Nigeria, Scotland (where The Seaborne was drafted) and now in Wales.
The inspiration for The Seaborne, his debut novel, came twenty years ago on holiday in Ireland, at which time he wrote some opening chapters, relics of which remain in the published book. The Seaborne, the first book of the planned Island trilogy, was published in November 2019.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I grew up in a place called Beebetown, Ohio, at the corner of four counties. When I was a kid, it had a lot of old buildings from the 1800s. I lived in an old converted schoolhouse with a well for water. The old blacksmith shop was across the street and used by the neighbor as a barn. Fields and horses were nearby, and a little creek to sail wood boats along was down a hill with a giant pear tree. My parents had plenty of animals to care for, and I would spend many hours drawing them into my stories. Though I struggled with dyslexia, it did not prevent me from being creative. So doodling in class was familiar, but with the help of a tutor and plenty of reading, I eventually gravitated towards highly imaginative works by Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum, Edward Lear, and others.
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2. What inspired you to write your book?
The Goodbye Family and The Great Mountain, is the second novel in the Great Mountain series, about eccentric undertakers living in the Old Weird West. It follows Me’ ma and the Great Mountain that focuses on an Indigenous child named Me’ma who uses her traditional knowledge to battle a tyrant of the land. Shockwaves of this conflict are felt in the community of Nicklesworth, where the goodbyes have their business.
Back in 2009, my wife Valerie and I visited parts of the United Kingdom and later Paris. We always have had a morbid curiosity and interest in the Victorian era, spirit, and funerary customs. After all, my wife and I met at a Gothic club in 1996. So we visited as much of these places as we could, and I took to writing down ideas and a diary of our trip. On the streets of Paris, I began doodling the Goodbye family and their traits.
3. What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
The readers will find it full of laughs, adventure, and quirkiness that all together makes the Goodbye family so oddly unique. I will let the readers find their messages and takeaways from the book. I will say, though, that an underlying theme of my series is that you can fulfill your goals in life by being yourself and taking that first step outside the norm.
4. What drew you into this particular genre?
If the genre is Weird West, Gothic, Western, or Dark Humor, I suppose a lifetime of interest in it did the trick. However, I don’t think anyone of these quite describes what it is by itself. It’s dark, humorous, weird, and western. At one time, I thought Down West was a good moniker until people started calling it a Gothic Western, but then that sounds maybe too serious for the series? I’m not sure what to call it, but I guess a Western Gothic may be plausible. Now, what was the question? Oh yes, as a child, I wanted to be like Robert Conrad from the series The Wild Wild West and sought out every book I could on the subject of Native Americans and the Old West. I sometimes would wear a wool poncho to school and even made a Cowboy movie about the OK Corral in my early teens. I guess it all solidified for me with family trips visiting the Native American reservations, historic parks, Mexican American areas, and ghost towns in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. I lived in New York City for a time but knew I had to be out west. My wife and I moved across the country, visiting many more of the same on our way, and landed in Los Angeles where I worked at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian/the Autry Museum of the American West while receiving a bachelors in Anthropology. Then after, I started a Native American film series with some friends. I now live across from the CBS Lot where they filmed many TV Westerns including, you guessed it, The Wild Wild West.
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5. If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
What an interesting question. In my novels, there is one character that has appeared throughout, Frank Thorne, and we slowly understand his complexities. He will be unraveling more in my third novel, for better or worse. However, if I had a chance to ask him anything, I think I’d pass for fear of being shot.
6. What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
Unfortunately, social media comes and goes. So you have to be on the tip of just about everything to some degree. All platforms should go back to one site. For me, it is lorinrichards.com. Facebook has been around the longest for me, so I have invested more time in it than others. But around the corner will be something new, and like any company/brand, I’ll need to put on my glasses and look into it (all while sighing, of course).
7. What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Just be yourself, don’t waste time, work routinely on your craft, explore new avenues, and find your niche. Once you find it, don’t take yourself too seriously and be open to accepting everyone as a potential reader.
8. What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
As mentioned, I am writing my next novel called Hollis Sorrow and the Great Mountain. It continues the story of Hollis Sorrow and Madeline Sage, whom readers that are familiar with the first book know their adventure to find Hollis’ old pals during the war is still ongoing. The story will take them into the sky world for answers. For fans of The Goodbye Family, I work daily on telling their stories through my comic series that appears on my social media and Tapas, a comic syndicate. Also, I am gradually putting together an animated series about their lives. I partnered with The Heathen Apostles for the series theme song.
Please visit lorinrichards.com if you’d like to learn more about my stories.
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About the Author
Lorin Morgan-Richards is an author and illustrator, known mostly for his YA fiction. A fan favorite is his daily comic series The Goodbye Family about a family of eccentric undertakers living in the Old Weird West with their daughter Orphie who oversees the town of Nicklesworth as their sheriff. Richards writing career started in 2009, with his latest novel The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain (2020) being his thirteenth release. In addition to writing and illustrating, Richards colorizes Old West and Victorian-era photography.
The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain follows the lives of Weird West undertakers Otis, Pyridine, and their daughter Orphie. Pyridine is a witch and matriarch mortician, Otis is a brainless but bold hearse driver, and Orphie is appointed grave digger for her strength of twenty men. Through bumbling, Otis discovers his neighbors are turning into zombies, a mystery that is directly affecting their burial business. In their backyard cemetery, they travel to the underworld for answers and uncover a plot to surface the evil entities that would otherwise burn in the Lake of Fire, have risen again through oil pumps that are bottled up as a tonic medicine for the ground above. The tonic goes fast, and the host takes over the body when the body perishes. Can the Goodbyes hilarious gaffes and revelations plug up the works?
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Race relations, immigration, and the role government plays in our daily lives take center stage in author Lisa Braxton’s historical fiction novel “The Talking Drum”.
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The Synopsis
Displacement/gentrification has been happening for generations, yet few novels have been written with the themes of gentrification, which makes this book unusual.
It is 1971. The fictional city of Bellport, Massachusetts, is in decline with an urban redevelopment project on the horizon expected to transform this dying factory town into a thriving economic center. This planned transformation has a profound effect on the residents who live in Bellport as their own personal transformations take place.
Sydney Stallworth steps away from her fellowship and law studies at an elite university to support husband Malachi’s dream of opening a business in the heart of the black community of his hometown, Bellport.
For Omar Bassari, an immigrant from Senegal, Bellport is where he will establish his drumming career and the launching pad from which he will spread African culture across the world, while trying to hold onto his marriage.
Della Tolliver has built a fragile sanctuary in Bellport for herself, boyfriend Kwamé Rodriguez, and daughter Jasmine, a troubled child prone to nightmares and outbursts.
Tensions rise as the demolition date moves closer, plans for gentrification are laid out, and the pace of suspicious fires picks up. The residents find themselves at odds with a political system manipulating their lives and question the future of their relationships.
The Talking Drum explores intra-racial, class, and cross-cultural tensions, along with the meaning of community and belonging.
The novel delves into the profound impact gentrification has on people in many neighborhoods, and the way in which being uprooted affects the fabric of their families, friendships, and emotional well-being. The Talking Drum not only explores the immigrant experience, but how the immigrant/African American neighborhood interface leads to friction and tension, a theme also not explored much in current literature involving immigrants.
The book is a springboard to an important discussion on race and class differences, the treatment of immigrants, as well as the government’s relationship to society.
The Review
There has never been a more relevant or prominent moment for a novel of this magnitude than now. Such a rich and powerful narrative takes center stage in this book, creating a tense and emotional atmosphere that many today can identify with.
The characters are true standouts, as the author expertly creates relatable and memorable characters that do an amazing job of embodying the theme of immigration, race relations, and government roles as a whole. While a historical fiction and fiction setting, the message, and heart of the story shines brightly through and conveys the hardships that have come with trying to find common ground, find equality, and integrate it into everyone’s daily lives.
Especially when readers are taken into an often overlooked subject like the tension that can arise in communities such as African American/Black neighborhoods amongst its citizens and immigrants settling into the area, and the need to find common ground and come together as a whole community in the face of great upheaval and tragedy.
The Verdict
A well-read, highly engaging and richly drawn-out narrative, author Lisa Braxton’s “The Talking Drum” explores so much, from history and the culture of a group of people and the importance of remembering that culture, to the struggles for immigrants to make a new life for themselves and the hardships that come with intra-racial relationships as well. It’s a novel that speaks volumes in its message and theme and deserves to be read during these tumultuous times. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Lisa Braxton is an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, an essayist, short story writer, and novelist. She is a fellow of the Kimbilio Fiction Writers Program and was a finalist in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University, her M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, and her B.A. in Mass Media from Hampton University. Her stories have been published in anthologies and literary journals. She lives in the Boston, Massachusetts area. www.lisabraxton.com
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A writer with a haunting past must face his history and forge a new path forward in author James Rourke’s novel “Out of the Basement”.
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The Synopsis
Michael Tanner is a citizen of two worlds. His outer world as a respected college professor affords him the opportunity to quietly pursue his joy of learning. His inner world, shaped by childhood abuse, is a prison of shame and pain where he battles mythological monsters that draw power from his nightmarish memories.
Though Michael has mastered the art of hiding his pain while in full view, the unexpected success of his new book, Bruce and Buddha: How Rock and Roll and Ancient Wisdom Can Guide your Life, pushes him well beyond his comfortable existence.
Bolstered by the possibility of romance, the encouragement of old friends, and a new ally, he decides he must face his past. Only by challenging humiliation can he earn the inner victory necessary to bring authentic peace to his life.
The Review
A truly powerful read, the author does an amazing job of creating a personal story of inner-turmoil that the protagonist has to fight from bleeding into his everyday life. Interspersed with the protagonist’s personal struggles is a fantastic and intellectual study of philosophy and mythology that really fascinated me.
While exploring the study of great philosophers and how modern-day equivalents exist even unwittingly in music, television, and film from some of pop culture’s greatest artists was a fantastic concept to explore. One of the early discussions that the protagonist had with a reporter that immediately stood out to me was the concept of synchronicity, as this is something that has played into my daily life for the last year or so and the study of it has been a truly remarkable journey to undertake, so getting to see the protagonist’s perspective was incredible.
The Verdict
Thought-provoking, emotional, and grounding, this was a quick yet engaging psychological drama that readers will instantly love. Memorable and relatable characters showcase the inner demons so many people must face and yet hide behind a carefully orchestrated mask to hide the pain, creating a truly one of a kind narrative that cannot be ignored. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
James Rourke has been a high school of teacher of history, psychology, and philosophy for twenty-five years. His commitment to the idea that these three disciplines can assist his students to connect not only with his material, but to the unifying aspects of humanity, also guides his writing. “The Comic Book Curriculum” is praised for revealing”how major superheroes and their stories raise some of the deepest and most important ethical and psychological questions we all need to ask and answer.” This aspect of storytelling, the quest to tell stories that entertain, challenge, and uplift the reader, inspires James in his fiction as well.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Thomas Jordan takes readers on a journey to examine how previous relationships of love in one’s life and a failure to learn from them can affect how much of their love life they control in the book, “Learn to Love: Guide to Healing Your Disappointing Love Life”.
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The Synopsis
After 30 years of clinical research and treatment of patients with unhealthy love lives, Dr. Thomas Jordan has recognized that most people aren’t actually in control of their own love lives. Why? Because most people don’t know how to identify and change what they’ve learned from the love relationships in their lives. In Learn to Love: Guide to Healing Your Disappointing Love Life, you will learn how to make real—and lasting—improvements in your love life.
Starting with the family into which we’re born, we learn from all the love relationships in our lives, especially the unhealthy ones. Learn to Love will show you how these experiences help to form a psychological blueprint that controls the love life experiences we have as adults. If what you learned about love relationships was healthy, you’ll replicate this and have a meaningful and satisfying love life. But if what you learned was unhealthy, chances are you’ll continue to make the same love life mistakes over and over again. Learn to Love will show you how to unlearn this unhealthy learning and form the love relationships you’ve always wanted to have.
The simple formula presented within the pages of this book has helped many of my patients begin taking control of their own love lives, as well as helping me improve my own love life. Learn to Love will help you learn how to take control of your love life.
The Review
This was a captivating read, delving into the many aspects of love that influence a person’s life. From early childhood relationships and how even how a person’s parents interact can impact their viewpoint of love, to how modern-day relationships can lead to emotional baggage and so much more, this book covers a wide range of topics.
It was fascinating to see the various studies the author brought to the subject from the earliest chapters of the book. In one section the author talks about how hope impacts an unhealthy love life by bringing into it the concept of multiple disappointments. Another chapter delves into how we often will recreate the aspects of a previous relationship that made it so unhealthy in our current relationships. These studies and experiences the author relays are not only well written but speak to the reader on a personal level that can allow the reader to identify and understand aspects of their own lives in this book.
The Verdict
Informative, personal, and passionately written, author Thomas Jordan’s “Learn to Love” is a masterful reading experience that readers will not soon forget. Built to highlight the experiences of love throughout multiple aspects of one’s life and how we need to learn from those experiences to escape unhealthy relationships overall, this book is a quick yet fascinating journey into the aspect of love in our lives and deserves to be read. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Dr. Thomas Jordan is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice on the upper west side of Manhattan. He is a graduate of the New York University’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology, and a faculty member of the post-doctoral program. Dr. Jordan is the creator of the Love Life Webinar and Love Life Seminar, author of “Learn to Love,” “Healthy Love Relationship,” and “Individuation in Contemporary Psychoanalysis,” and co-founder of the lovelifelearningcenter.com. He specializes in the treatment of chronic love life problems. Dr. Jordan has been researching and treating unhealthy love lives for 30 years.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young FBI agent takes charge of a new team, and discovers that a series of new cases are mysteriously tied to a shadowy organization in author Mark Ravine’s novel, “The Tech”.
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The Synopsis
Alexandra has just taken charge of her new team, a motley crew of screw-ups at the Arizona Field Office, the latest in a series of forgettable assignments. With a history of rebelling against authority and blunt speaking, she vows to change her ways and make this assignment work.
Within minutes of her taking charge, she is drawn into a bank robbery case. She leads her new team to catch the robbers but discovers that there is much more to the case than meets the eye. The very next day three girls go missing. Before they could be trafficked out of the country, she races against time to rescue them. Soon, she begins to realize that all the cases coming her way are mysteriously connected. As she unravels the threads of a massive conspiracy, she discovers that a secret organization with immense power and authority is behind these horrific crimes. Forces within the FBI thwart her every move to discover the truth. Helping her navigate this maze is the shadowy Michael Patterson. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone? Soon, witnesses disappear, suspects are killed, with her life and the lives of her team in lethal danger. Will she come out of this alive? Will she uncover and expose this cabal? As time starts running out, Alexandra Cassidy has to evade indictment and defy death in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The Review
The author has excelled in his debut novel. The characters are fully developed and do an amazing job of pulling the reader into the narrative as a whole. The complexity of the plot really keeps the intrigue and suspense of this FBI thriller alive, weaving together various cases and plots involving human trafficking, bank robberies and murder.
The author does an amazing job of crafting a narrative that focuses on a tech-based approach to investigative work and yet makes it accessible and easy for the average reader to delve into, even venturing into sci-fi territory with the sophistication of the tech used in the investigations. Yet it is the character development that really shines the brightest in this novel, crafting a unique blend of suspense and bonding between the protagonist and the team of characters she finds herself surrounded by.
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The Verdict
A must-read action-fueled thriller, author Mark Ravine’s “The Tech” is a smash hit debut novel. The author has put together a memorable cast of characters and an amazingly interwoven plot that ticks every box in the classic FBI thriller and takes it up several notches. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Most of us have heard that walking is good for our bodies: walking can reduce our risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, dementia, diabetes, several types of cancer, and more. Some of us have heard that walking is good for our brains: walking can help improve our decision-making, boost our executive function, and fuel our creativity. And many of us have heard that walking is good for our emotional well-being: walking can boost our mood and can be a valuable tool in the battle against depression.
But what about loneliness? Can walking help there too?
We believe so. A study my company undertook last year revealed that women who regularly walk with their friends are 2.5 times less likely to feel lonely often.
Why is it that walking together is so powerful?
First, we are social beings and we are wired to crave — and enjoy — shared experiences. Researchers believe this comes directly from our biological need to belong: our ancestors were a whole lot safer walking in the woods with their tribe than they were walking the woods by themselves.
Second, our hormones help. Walking increases levels of oxytocin — a hormone that heightens our connections with others. So when you walk with a friend, your biology helps foster a deeper, more meaningful connection. And yes, oxytocin is the same hormone that is released during childbirth and nursing, which makes sense because it encourages us to bond with our babies.
Third, extensive research shows that our brains process differently when we are walking. Because only part of our brain is occupied with putting one foot in front of the other, the rest of our brain is free to roam, to think more deeply. More importantly, when we are walking together, we can comfortably take the moments of quiet to process and give ourselves the chance to think, and connect, more deeply.
Finally, because conversations tend to flow more easily and because walking together provides an activity — and one that takes place away from home — it is far more comfortable to invite a new friend for a walk than to invite them to your home. Indeed, many mom friendships have been formed from the question “Do you want to take a walk after school drop off?”
In short, walking together can be an incredibly powerful antidote to loneliness. It provides the perfect environment for conversation and connection. It offers time and space, free of distractions. It gives us the increased pleasure that comes from sharing an experience. It delivers a blast of oxytocin that encourages us to connect with one another. And it provides an easy way to begin to connect with a new friend.
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About the Author
Joyce Shulman, founder and CEO of 99 Walks and Macaroni Kid reaches millions of moms each month with hyper-local and national e-newsletters and websites, social media content, video and her Weekly Walk podcast. Having created a one-of-a-kind digital platform, she connects families to the wonders of their own communities and inspires women to chase their dreams and crush their goals.
Her most recent endeavor, 99 Walks, is on a mission to combat loneliness and improve fitness through the simple act of encouraging moms to walk together. Her mission? Nothing short of getting a million women walking.
Throughout her two decades as an entrepreneur, Joyce has guided SAHMs, teachers and even MBAs to success. Joyce shares how moms need to “take care of mama bear” and avoid the “martyr mom syndrome.” Her experience in business and leading mompreneurs makes her a coveted speaker where she shares tactics for beating burnout, fueling creativity, goal crushing, how walking can fuel productivity and performance, and more.
Joyce received her Bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of Maryland and her Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, from St. John’s University School of Law. After law school, she spent more than a dozen years as a New York City lawyer where her practice focused on complex commercial litigation.
A self-confessed idea junkie, in 1998, Joyce abandoned law firm life to liberate her entrepreneurial spirit and focus on the things that are most important to her: family, community and empowering women to chase their dreams.
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Grab your coffee and join us in celebrating the launch of Joyce Shulman’s book Walk Your Way to Better. You can read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.
Stop by Lisa’s blog again today where you can read a guest post by author Joyce Shulman where she talks about why do women need to take care of themselves. A timely post in this day and age!
Stop by Terri’s blog today and read her review of Joyce Shulman’s book Walk Your Way to Better. You can also read a guest post written by the author about the power of yet.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
After surviving a vicious attack, a young woman discovers a unique ability that could help her police officer fiancee catch a brutal serial killer in author Chris Stevenson’s “Earth Angel”.
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The Synopsis
Tag/Hook: Hell hath no fury when an angel gets mad.
Twenty one year-old Daryl Victoria and her fiancé, Dean Fowler, a rookie detective who has been working on a serial killer case that involves the murder of five high school girls, are parked in their car for some frolicking when a carjacking goes wrong. Both are gunned down. Daryl takes a bullet in the face, and as a result of the damage, needs a corneal transplant. Dean has been shot through the lungs. They’ve been ordered to quit work, heal and recoup. Dean suffers a nervous breakdown as the murders increase and he is powerless to help, coupled with his guilt of having placed his bride-to-be, Daryl, in harm’s way in a seedy little lovers’ lane.
Daryl finds out that her transplanted eye is causing what she thinks are hallucinations. She begins to see what she believes are glowing angelic escorts and rancid death stalkers who are following persons of the general populace. When these supernatural beings get too close, the person they’re following dies within a short period of time. She discovers there’s a mysterious formula to the manner and timing of the deaths.
Daryl discovers that the donor for her new cornea was a 14 year-old gifted medium with some heavy duty clairvoyant powers. Only sparse information can be gleaned from the young girl’s mother since the daughter has died in her own mysterious way.
Daryl’s good eye sees the normal world. The donor eye sees a totally different realm with its own rules. With the help of Daryl’s best friend, Abbey, they embark on a mission to use the gift and try and save lives. But Daryl has a better plan—she can stop the serial killer by using her, gift, brains and looks. All it will take is an ingenious trap. First, she has to find out how the killer is gaining access into the homes. Then she has to use herself as bait and stop this madman at any cost.
The Review
The mystery and suspense of the novel kickstarts immediately from the early pages of the novel. The sadistic nature of a new serial killer drives one cop to obsession, his mind wracked with guilt over not stopping the killer sooner. Then the protagonist Daryl finds her world turned upside-down when she and her police officer fiancee are attacked. From that point on the action ramps up as her recovery leads to a supernatural level ability that gives her insight into an entirely different world.
The author does a great job of balancing the supernatural elements of the story with character growth and the mystery and suspenseful nature of the thriller genre. The creation of this deadly new serial killer is balanced well with the complex relationship between Daryl and Dean throughout their recovery and the overwhelming nature of Daryl’s new abilities.
The Verdict
A memorable, heart-pounding thriller and supernatural drama, “Earth Angel” by Chris Stevenson is a must-read book! Reminiscent of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s “Black House” (the sequel to their first novel The Talisman), and the blend of fantasy driven storytelling with a monstrous serial killer, author Chris Stevenson has created a healthy blend of crime thriller with supernatural horror and emotional, relatable characters that readers can get behind. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Introduction Been writing for 32 years, publishing novels, non-fiction books, radio horror plays, short stories, reviews, interviews, poetry and thousands of non-fiction automotive articles. I’m on my third agent, and have had 10 books and twenty-two short stories published, beginning in 1988. Writing Credits and History BOOK CREDITS: Auto Repair Shams and Scams (Forward–Ralph Nader), 1990, Price Stern & Sloan, Los Angeles–226 pages, non-fiction, consumer warning book. Garage Sale Mania, 1988, Betterway Publications, Crozet, Virginia–190 pages, non-fiction book—1988. Word Wars, a SF novel, to Rain Publishing, Canada—May, 2007. Once Upon a Goddess, a Fantasy novel, to Rain Publishing, Canada—January, 2008 Planet Janitor—Custodian of the Stars, a SF novel sold to Engage Books, May 2009 Gate Walker, a Paranormal Fantasy, sold Lyrical Press—January, 2009. The Wolfen Strain, a fantasy thriller sold to LBF Books, February 2009
The Girll They Sold to the Moon, Intrigue Books
Blackmailed Bride to Melange Satin Romance. Screamcatcher: Web World by Melange Books.
Interests Hiking, paleontology, Ufos, cryptozoology, bigfoot, astronomy, lake monsters, ancient Egypt, archeology, geology
Favorite Movies Blade Runner, Time Cop, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Logun’s Run, Transformers, The Time Machine, Kickass
Favorite Music REM, Abbaa, When in Rome, Steve Miller Band, SF and fantasy soundtracks.
Favorite Books Icerigger, Virgin Planet, Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Lord of the Flies, Black Marble, Close Encounters, The Island, Black Marble, Dune, Riverworld, The Mote In God’s eye
How many books have I published? 10 to date, with three out on agent subs, and five more in the wings ready to go.
