The August 2024 issue of our online book review magazine "MBR Bookwatch" features a review of "The Running Club": https://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/aug_24.htm#dianedonovan
The full review is pasted in below:
The Running Club
Ben Gross
https://www.ben-gross.net
Moonshine Cove Publishing
https://moonshinecovepublishing.com/index.html
9781952439827 $20.00 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://a.co/d/0bV7WKTY
Mystery genre readers well know the levels to which the sub-definitions have gone, from cozy mysteries to psychological whodunits. Now add 'comic mystery' to the options, because Ben Gross's creation in The Running Club takes genre definitions into a satisfyingly different realm.
Part of the reason why The Running Club may resonate so strongly with the younger, active reader in particular is that its author mirrors many of the physical challenges and efforts that play out in his story. Even the short author bio which precedes the tale reflects the special blend of achievement and humor as Gross maintains that he is "...a fifteen-time Boston Marathoner who hikes, runs or skis every day of the year, mostly with his three dogs and sometimes with his reluctant teenagers. Long time ago he went to football games at Penn State and emerged with a degree in Political Science." Not everyone can also add that they were "briefly mayor" of a small town.
From the introductory subtle note Adam makes about an unlikely possible runner who sports frame like the Hulk to a detective's investigation which receives the unexpected culinary reference, Gross is adept at placing description and characters within the realm of the exceptional:
Custer procured a pen from his jacket pocket and probed the bloodstained ribbon wrapped around the dead man's neck, like he was fishing for the last shiitake mushroom in a bowl of udon noodles.
Quirkiness abounds, whether it's in characters, descriptions, or setting, as a Utah running club sets its eye on murdering a disgraced Mormon convert acquitted of human trafficking. Said club doesn't consist of seasoned pros in any realm... they are amateurs just testing the waters of not-so-divine retribution.
As Mitch the Red, Kate, and a host of characters come into play and toss their running skills in the same pot as their ability to exact justice, instructions on success emerge, from how to actually kill a victim to winning a bigger game.
The Running Club is not your usual singular cop-investigator piece, but a close consideration of group dynamics and personalities who join together in a cause far outside their original attractions or objectives.
Again: the comic relief that runs through even crime scene descriptions injects irony and satire throughout unfolding events, giving the story an edge that other murder mysteries don't embrace:
Neighbors, runners and cyclists stopped and took selfies in front of the Police Line Do Not Cross tape. An off-leash dog ran under the tape and returned from the backyard with a large bone, causing several onlookers to scream until someone figured out it was deer leg.
Investigator Custer enjoys being the object of media attention... as long as he actually can finger the perp in a timely manner. Evidence indicates he's dealing with a pro, but a surprise lurks in the wings of everyday experience that adds a twist to his theories about motivations and perp profiles.
As the culture of runners unfolds against the backdrop of uncommon pursuits, the finish line looms replete with many surprises mystery fans will find refreshingly original.
Fast action, strong and diverse characterization, and quirky twists paired with humor... what more could a mystery genre reader wish for; especially those more than tired of formula writing who seeking something truly different.
Libraries that choose The Running Club for these qualities will find it easy to recommend outside the usual genre-reading patron, to anyone interested in running, problem-solving, and just plain fun.
The full review is pasted in below:
The Running Club
Ben Gross
https://www.ben-gross.net
Moonshine Cove Publishing
https://moonshinecovepublishing.com/index.html
9781952439827 $20.00 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://a.co/d/0bV7WKTY
Mystery genre readers well know the levels to which the sub-definitions have gone, from cozy mysteries to psychological whodunits. Now add 'comic mystery' to the options, because Ben Gross's creation in The Running Club takes genre definitions into a satisfyingly different realm.
Part of the reason why The Running Club may resonate so strongly with the younger, active reader in particular is that its author mirrors many of the physical challenges and efforts that play out in his story. Even the short author bio which precedes the tale reflects the special blend of achievement and humor as Gross maintains that he is "...a fifteen-time Boston Marathoner who hikes, runs or skis every day of the year, mostly with his three dogs and sometimes with his reluctant teenagers. Long time ago he went to football games at Penn State and emerged with a degree in Political Science." Not everyone can also add that they were "briefly mayor" of a small town.
From the introductory subtle note Adam makes about an unlikely possible runner who sports frame like the Hulk to a detective's investigation which receives the unexpected culinary reference, Gross is adept at placing description and characters within the realm of the exceptional:
Custer procured a pen from his jacket pocket and probed the bloodstained ribbon wrapped around the dead man's neck, like he was fishing for the last shiitake mushroom in a bowl of udon noodles.
Quirkiness abounds, whether it's in characters, descriptions, or setting, as a Utah running club sets its eye on murdering a disgraced Mormon convert acquitted of human trafficking. Said club doesn't consist of seasoned pros in any realm... they are amateurs just testing the waters of not-so-divine retribution.
As Mitch the Red, Kate, and a host of characters come into play and toss their running skills in the same pot as their ability to exact justice, instructions on success emerge, from how to actually kill a victim to winning a bigger game.
The Running Club is not your usual singular cop-investigator piece, but a close consideration of group dynamics and personalities who join together in a cause far outside their original attractions or objectives.
Again: the comic relief that runs through even crime scene descriptions injects irony and satire throughout unfolding events, giving the story an edge that other murder mysteries don't embrace:
Neighbors, runners and cyclists stopped and took selfies in front of the Police Line Do Not Cross tape. An off-leash dog ran under the tape and returned from the backyard with a large bone, causing several onlookers to scream until someone figured out it was deer leg.
Investigator Custer enjoys being the object of media attention... as long as he actually can finger the perp in a timely manner. Evidence indicates he's dealing with a pro, but a surprise lurks in the wings of everyday experience that adds a twist to his theories about motivations and perp profiles.
As the culture of runners unfolds against the backdrop of uncommon pursuits, the finish line looms replete with many surprises mystery fans will find refreshingly original.
Fast action, strong and diverse characterization, and quirky twists paired with humor... what more could a mystery genre reader wish for; especially those more than tired of formula writing who seeking something truly different.
Libraries that choose The Running Club for these qualities will find it easy to recommend outside the usual genre-reading patron, to anyone interested in running, problem-solving, and just plain fun.
The prestigious HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY loves Mary Kendall novel CAMPBELL'S BOY. Click HERE to buy the print edition.
A glowing review of Angela Bier's THE ACCIDENTAL ARCHIVIST has just been published in the Evanston RoundTable. Click the image below to read the full review.
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Robert Gwaltney's hot new Southern Gothic THE CICADA TREE is reaping great reviews all over the place. Below are the latest in Southern Literary Review and Atlanta Review.
To read the full reviews, click on the linksbelow. To purchase the novel, click here.
SOUTHERN LITERARY REVIEW ATLANTA REVIEW
"""...the novel is an extraordinarily believable depiction of what takes place in a hospital's operating room when something goes wrong. The reader turns pages compulsively because of its ease in envisioning what is transpiring. It is also packed with articulate realistic dialogue that reading resembles watching a movie. The medical explanations are well-blended into the novel, adding to the richness of the fiction." Norm Goldman-Book Pleasures
Read the full BOOK PLEASURES review here.
Read the full BOOK PLEASURES review here.
A really positive review of Rich Marcello's new literary novel has just been published in the Sunday Worcester Telegram. A portion of the review is shown above and the full review is shown here:
https://www.telegram.com/story/lifestyle/2021/06/27/read-and-reap-harvard-novelist-rich-marcello-releases-cenographs/5310147001/
A Glowing Review of Terry Lewis' INCOGNITO has just been published in The Southern Literary Review. Here is the concluding paragraph:
“…The novel works well on so many levels. From the wealth of accurate history woven into the plot, one learns a lot (or renews one’s knowledge) about our country. The story also is authentic in its setting and sense of place, so it isn’t just the factual history on display, but the essence of what life was like back then. And the plot itself—part mystery, part action, part spy thriller, and with a hint of romance to boot—is fast paced and easy to read. It is hard to put down.”
The full review is here: SOUTHERN LITERARY REVIEW
Purchase a copy here: Amazon Barnes& Noble
“…The novel works well on so many levels. From the wealth of accurate history woven into the plot, one learns a lot (or renews one’s knowledge) about our country. The story also is authentic in its setting and sense of place, so it isn’t just the factual history on display, but the essence of what life was like back then. And the plot itself—part mystery, part action, part spy thriller, and with a hint of romance to boot—is fast paced and easy to read. It is hard to put down.”
The full review is here: SOUTHERN LITERARY REVIEW
Purchase a copy here: Amazon Barnes& Noble
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS—THE CORNMARKET CONSPIRACY BY SARAH HOISAGER:
“…a powerful saga that provides more than a conspiracy story, but a social examination that will keep readers engaged and thinking long past the tale's conclusion...”
Follow this link for the rest of the review: http://donovansliteraryservices.com/may-2021-issue.html#tcm
“…a powerful saga that provides more than a conspiracy story, but a social examination that will keep readers engaged and thinking long past the tale's conclusion...”
Follow this link for the rest of the review: http://donovansliteraryservices.com/may-2021-issue.html#tcm
A detailed review of THE JUDAS ROBE by Larry Rodness has just been published at FilmyLoop. Click here to read the review.
MEN READING BOOKS has just published a great review of Richard Meredith's THE CROW'S NEST.
The full review is here.
THE BARONESS'S BOOK TROVE HAS PUBLISHED A GLOWING REVIEW OF CLAIRE MATTURRO MYSTERY NOVEL PRIVILEGE. THE FULL REVIEW IS AVAILABLE HERE.
A marvelous review from the prestigious Historical Novel Society. Click on the book cover to read the full review.
ANOTHER FIVE-STAR REVIEW: For the full review click HERE
The New Jersey Journal has just published a review of Louis Michael Manzo's new novel AN IRISH LULLABY.
Click here for the full review.
Click on the cover to purchase the book.
Click here for the full review.
Click on the cover to purchase the book.
Two More Great Reviews for LOVE IS THE PUNCHLINE. To read the reviews, click on each site:
Toronto.com
Show Biz Guru Christopher Long
Mid West Book Review of LOVE IS THE PUNCHLINE
The Greensboro News Record has just published a great review of Anne Clinard Barnhill's new novel THE BEAUTICIAN'S NOTEBOOK.
The beginning of the review is shown to the right. To read the remainder of the review of click the link below. Review: Barnhill shifts gears smoothly in new novel set in contemporary N.C. Purchase the book here. 
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Randall Krzak's novel of the Kurd's struggle against Turkey, THE KURDISH CONNECTION, is so relevant that it reads like today's headline news.
KURDISH SCAVENGERS UNCOVER A CACHE OF NERVE GAS IN IRAQ AND OFFER THEM TO KURDISH FIGHTERS IN TURKEY. THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BEDLAM ALPHA TEAM MUST SECURE THE WEAPONS BEFORE THEY CAN BE USED. In their daily struggle for survival, Iraqi Kurdish scavengers uncover a cache of chemical weapons. They offer the weapons to Kurdish rebels in Turkey and Syria to assist in their quest to free an imprisoned leader and create a unified homeland. After receiving a tip from an unlikely source, the newly formed Special Operations Bedlam team is called to arms. Can the team recover the weapons before it’s too late? It has received an excellent review in The Lakeshore Guardian. Follow this link to read the full review. 
Great review of Kevin Robert's high-tension novel DECKER by the prestigious KIRKUS REVIEWS.
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A Reviewer in England has published a review of Vicki Salloum's CANDYLAND in COL'S CRIMINAL LIBRARY. Read the complete review here.
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Small Press Bookwatch: April 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Candyland
Vicki Salloum
www.vickisalloum.com
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
http://moonshinecovepublishing.com/index.html
9781937327828, $13.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Lazara overhears her brothers plotting to kill the teenage son of her employer for failing to pay his drug debt. Unable to bear the burden of the boy's murder on her conscience, she embarks on a crusade to save the boy, first alerting the boy's father then confronting her brothers and, finally, seeking help from a New Orleans cop. When all efforts fail, she steals a handgun and surprises her brothers during their rendezvous with the boy at the meth lab, Candyland, unleashing consequences she never expected or could ever have imagined.
Critique: A riveting read from first page to last, "Candyland" is replete with unexpected twists and surprising turns. Clearly author Vick Salloum is an exceptionally gifted novelist and one that will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next effort. "Candyland" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Candyland" is also available in a Kindle ($5.99).
Additionally, this review will be archived on our Midwest Book Review website for the next five years at http://www.midwestbookreview.com
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Candyland
Vicki Salloum
www.vickisalloum.com
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
http://moonshinecovepublishing.com/index.html
9781937327828, $13.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Lazara overhears her brothers plotting to kill the teenage son of her employer for failing to pay his drug debt. Unable to bear the burden of the boy's murder on her conscience, she embarks on a crusade to save the boy, first alerting the boy's father then confronting her brothers and, finally, seeking help from a New Orleans cop. When all efforts fail, she steals a handgun and surprises her brothers during their rendezvous with the boy at the meth lab, Candyland, unleashing consequences she never expected or could ever have imagined.
Critique: A riveting read from first page to last, "Candyland" is replete with unexpected twists and surprising turns. Clearly author Vick Salloum is an exceptionally gifted novelist and one that will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next effort. "Candyland" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Candyland" is also available in a Kindle ($5.99).
Additionally, this review will be archived on our Midwest Book Review website for the next five years at http://www.midwestbookreview.com
VICKI SALLOUM
CANDYLAND
(MOONSHINE COVE)
As thrillers go, Candyland is a standout mainly for its main character, one Lazara Maria Soto, a teenager who aspires to pull herself out of the orbit of her drug making and dealing family any way she can, as long as it’s legal. She talks her way into a new job as secretary to lawyer Eric Hutchins, only to discover Hutchins’ young son has run afoul of a pair of murderous criminals—her brothers. She goes to warn Hutchins, but realizes she must take matters into her own hands, even though opposing her own family to this extent could mean her own end. Candyland is author Vicki Salloum’s first attempt at this genre, and it shows in many places: some minor characters seem more like caricatures and certain scenes seem clunky, but Salloum keeps Lazara burning bright with purpose and chutzpah throughout her tale of the seamier side of New Orleans, something that even the lawyer Hutchins cannot fail to ignore. It is that student-mentor relationship between the teenager and the lawyer that keeps readers turning pages, possibly laying a foundation for a series of Soto-Hutchins novels. Though it could use some polish here and there, Candyland is an intriguing, if raw, gem. —Leigh Checkman
CANDYLAND
(MOONSHINE COVE)
As thrillers go, Candyland is a standout mainly for its main character, one Lazara Maria Soto, a teenager who aspires to pull herself out of the orbit of her drug making and dealing family any way she can, as long as it’s legal. She talks her way into a new job as secretary to lawyer Eric Hutchins, only to discover Hutchins’ young son has run afoul of a pair of murderous criminals—her brothers. She goes to warn Hutchins, but realizes she must take matters into her own hands, even though opposing her own family to this extent could mean her own end. Candyland is author Vicki Salloum’s first attempt at this genre, and it shows in many places: some minor characters seem more like caricatures and certain scenes seem clunky, but Salloum keeps Lazara burning bright with purpose and chutzpah throughout her tale of the seamier side of New Orleans, something that even the lawyer Hutchins cannot fail to ignore. It is that student-mentor relationship between the teenager and the lawyer that keeps readers turning pages, possibly laying a foundation for a series of Soto-Hutchins novels. Though it could use some polish here and there, Candyland is an intriguing, if raw, gem. —Leigh Checkman
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A glowing review of Brian J. Rogers' thrilling novel FREGOLI DELUSION was recently published in The SandPaper, the weekly newspaper of Long Beach, NJ.
The Compulsive Reader has posted a review of Vicki Salloum's exciting novel of New Orleans, CANDYLAND. The complete review is available at: http://www.compulsivereader.com/2016/02/19/a-review-of-candyland-by-vicki-salloum/
"A stunning work of fiction, it expertly melds intrigue, backstabbing, art and church history, feminism and journalism." — The New Jersey Star Ledger.
Read the rest of the glowing review of Hank Luce's exciting book of the Roman Catholic Church and the role of women in the church in New Jersey's most widely circulated newspaper.
Purchase the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Read the rest of the glowing review of Hank Luce's exciting book of the Roman Catholic Church and the role of women in the church in New Jersey's most widely circulated newspaper.
Purchase the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
The leading newspaper in Bermuda, The Royal Gazette, features Lee Slonimsky's exciting novel of hedge fund managers and the financing of terrorism here.
A glowing review of Bermuda Gold is available in the “Short Takes” section of Chronogram, a Hudson Valley regional journal
A glowing review of Bermuda Gold is available in the “Short Takes” section of Chronogram, a Hudson Valley regional journal
Author Len Abram's interview with radio personality Morgan White on WBZ concerning his novel DEBRIS about the sinking of the liner LUSITANIA in 1915 can be heard in its entirety by clicking on the link below:
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE (Issue #140, pp 47-48) features a review of author Clive Rosengren's exciting mystery RED DESERT. The full review is reproduced below:
Successful actors make lousy detectives—they’re too busy acting—but that’s not a problem for Eddie Collins, the D-list actor in Clive Rosengren’s Red Desert (Moonshine Cove, $12.95). Collins’ film career has been so unsuccessful that he’s begun doing PI work for the film industry just to keep food on the table. This time out (after Murder Unscripted), he is investigating the death of a young woman killed during the theft of a movie director’s Oscar. Collins suspects the theft-turned-tragedy may be payback for a rape that occurred years’ earlier when the director, an old friend of Collins, was working on a film titled Red Desert. In typical Tinsel Town fashion, the rape got hushed up, and after the film wrapped, everyone went their merry way—except for the victim and the man she said raped her. At one point in the book, the murderer ups the ante by kidnapping the director’s six-year old daughter. And by that time, we know that the killer is crazy enough to kill a child just to make a point. Because we are immediately told who the murderer/kidnapper is (several scenes are set in his point-of-view), Red Desert is more thriller than mystery, but it’s a twisty thriller in which motives don’t always turn out to be what they at first seemed to be. And that’s always fun. But wait, there’s more! Besides the standard pleasures of a well-plotted mystery-thriller, the Eddie Collins novels excel in delivering a giggle-fest of Hollywood history and gossip. Author Rosengren is an actor (his friend Tom Hanks actually furnished a blurb for the book), and delivers quips from Hollywood’s late and great, such as Victor Mature’s hilarious, “I’m not an actor, and I’ve got 64 pictures to prove it.”
-Betty Webb
Successful actors make lousy detectives—they’re too busy acting—but that’s not a problem for Eddie Collins, the D-list actor in Clive Rosengren’s Red Desert (Moonshine Cove, $12.95). Collins’ film career has been so unsuccessful that he’s begun doing PI work for the film industry just to keep food on the table. This time out (after Murder Unscripted), he is investigating the death of a young woman killed during the theft of a movie director’s Oscar. Collins suspects the theft-turned-tragedy may be payback for a rape that occurred years’ earlier when the director, an old friend of Collins, was working on a film titled Red Desert. In typical Tinsel Town fashion, the rape got hushed up, and after the film wrapped, everyone went their merry way—except for the victim and the man she said raped her. At one point in the book, the murderer ups the ante by kidnapping the director’s six-year old daughter. And by that time, we know that the killer is crazy enough to kill a child just to make a point. Because we are immediately told who the murderer/kidnapper is (several scenes are set in his point-of-view), Red Desert is more thriller than mystery, but it’s a twisty thriller in which motives don’t always turn out to be what they at first seemed to be. And that’s always fun. But wait, there’s more! Besides the standard pleasures of a well-plotted mystery-thriller, the Eddie Collins novels excel in delivering a giggle-fest of Hollywood history and gossip. Author Rosengren is an actor (his friend Tom Hanks actually furnished a blurb for the book), and delivers quips from Hollywood’s late and great, such as Victor Mature’s hilarious, “I’m not an actor, and I’ve got 64 pictures to prove it.”
-Betty Webb
INLAND SEAS, the quarterly journal of the Great Lakes Historical Society,includes a glowing review of R.C. Durkee's thrilling historical novel of Lake Erie during the 1920s Prohibition Era. The complete review follows:
Rum Run, by R.C. Durkee. Moonshine Cove Publishing, Abbeville, South Carolina, 2014. Fiction Softcover. 6.7x9.6. 396 pages. $14.95.
A dark night on the Lake Erie shoreline. Flashing lights signal from the water. Guns fire and a body drops to the beach. Rum Run opens with a scene that sets a dynamic mood, and that excitement is sustained throughout the novel. Set in the declining days of Prohibition, the story immerses the reader quickly in the dangerous waters of Western Lake Erie during the last days of rum-running before Prohibition was repealed.
Historians will appreciate the details provided to recreate life in the post WWI Western Lake Erie region in the 1920s. Durkee describes life in a steel mill town, the shipping industry, boat building and racing, and fishing. Characters travel on the Lakeshore Electric interurban streetcar to jobs (and dancehalls), and boat to the Lake Erie islands where the once profitable vineyards struggle to survive the economic repercussions of Prohibition. The book is a wonderful blending of historical realism and fictional characters who demonstrate clearly the complexity of living with the realities of Prohibition.
Perhaps the strongest feature of the novel is Durkee’s use of characters who are likable, believable, and complex. In fact, Durkee skillfully includes figures who might easily become stereotypes, but her careful use of description prevents oversimplification. For example, the central rum-runner and main character of the book, Rusty, is no typical criminal, but rather a WWI veteran and husband struggling to make a living in a way that keeps him close to the Lake that he loves. Similarly, the Trapani family suggests the classic image of Sicilian gangsters. Yet, like Rusty, the Trapani family are too complex to be labeled so simply. In fact, it is Al Trapani who most clearly expresses the primary theme of the book when he asks,
Can you tell me honestly who are the bad guys and who are the good? Law abiding fishermen are running just to make ends meet . . . law enforcement is doing shakedowns and hijacking booze to line their pockets. Prohibition has made criminals out of the average Joe and corruption in the legal system. Legitimate vintners . . . had the carpet yanked out from under them and went under and for what? So a bunch of teetotalling grannies don’t get offended when they see a glass of whiskey. We never made trouble or asked for it, but it found us. So tell me . . . who are the bad guys? (184).
Prohibition brought unique challenges to the Great Lakes region, and R.C. Durkee does an excellent job of recreating the era and commenting on the complexities that are sometimes lost in tales of gangsters and Coast Guard heroics. For more information about the book and about Prohibition on the Great Lakes, visit the author’s web site at: http://www.rcdurkee.com/.
Jacqueline Justice, PhD
Associate Professor
BGSU Firelands College
Rum Run, by R.C. Durkee. Moonshine Cove Publishing, Abbeville, South Carolina, 2014. Fiction Softcover. 6.7x9.6. 396 pages. $14.95.
A dark night on the Lake Erie shoreline. Flashing lights signal from the water. Guns fire and a body drops to the beach. Rum Run opens with a scene that sets a dynamic mood, and that excitement is sustained throughout the novel. Set in the declining days of Prohibition, the story immerses the reader quickly in the dangerous waters of Western Lake Erie during the last days of rum-running before Prohibition was repealed.
Historians will appreciate the details provided to recreate life in the post WWI Western Lake Erie region in the 1920s. Durkee describes life in a steel mill town, the shipping industry, boat building and racing, and fishing. Characters travel on the Lakeshore Electric interurban streetcar to jobs (and dancehalls), and boat to the Lake Erie islands where the once profitable vineyards struggle to survive the economic repercussions of Prohibition. The book is a wonderful blending of historical realism and fictional characters who demonstrate clearly the complexity of living with the realities of Prohibition.
Perhaps the strongest feature of the novel is Durkee’s use of characters who are likable, believable, and complex. In fact, Durkee skillfully includes figures who might easily become stereotypes, but her careful use of description prevents oversimplification. For example, the central rum-runner and main character of the book, Rusty, is no typical criminal, but rather a WWI veteran and husband struggling to make a living in a way that keeps him close to the Lake that he loves. Similarly, the Trapani family suggests the classic image of Sicilian gangsters. Yet, like Rusty, the Trapani family are too complex to be labeled so simply. In fact, it is Al Trapani who most clearly expresses the primary theme of the book when he asks,
Can you tell me honestly who are the bad guys and who are the good? Law abiding fishermen are running just to make ends meet . . . law enforcement is doing shakedowns and hijacking booze to line their pockets. Prohibition has made criminals out of the average Joe and corruption in the legal system. Legitimate vintners . . . had the carpet yanked out from under them and went under and for what? So a bunch of teetotalling grannies don’t get offended when they see a glass of whiskey. We never made trouble or asked for it, but it found us. So tell me . . . who are the bad guys? (184).
Prohibition brought unique challenges to the Great Lakes region, and R.C. Durkee does an excellent job of recreating the era and commenting on the complexities that are sometimes lost in tales of gangsters and Coast Guard heroics. For more information about the book and about Prohibition on the Great Lakes, visit the author’s web site at: http://www.rcdurkee.com/.
Jacqueline Justice, PhD
Associate Professor
BGSU Firelands College
BASEBALL REFLECTIONS. COM HAS JUST PUBLISHED A GLOWING REVIEW OF MATTHEW KASTEL'S EXCITING BASEBALL MURDER MYSTERY, THE MANAGER'S DAUGHTER.
"If you are looking for a summer page turner, look no further than The Manager’s Daughter. Author Matthew Kastel combines the topics of baseball and murder mystery flawlessly in this book that keeps the reader guessing right up until the end...Total Rating 5/5"
The entire review is published here:
"If you are looking for a summer page turner, look no further than The Manager’s Daughter. Author Matthew Kastel combines the topics of baseball and murder mystery flawlessly in this book that keeps the reader guessing right up until the end...Total Rating 5/5"
The entire review is published here:
WALL-TO-WALL BOOKS has posted a review of Vera Jane Cook's PLEASANT DAY and awarded it their highest ranking, FIVE STARS!
"I just love this author (my 4th by her)! I always know I am going to be in for an eventful evening when I start reading one of hers.," the reviewer begins.
The full review is here:
To purchase your own copy, go here:
"I just love this author (my 4th by her)! I always know I am going to be in for an eventful evening when I start reading one of hers.," the reviewer begins.
The full review is here:
To purchase your own copy, go here:
The Midwest Book Review's online magazine California Bookwatch includes a review of author GC Rosenquist's exciting science fiction novel Second Coming. The full review follows:
When the world's richest astronomer spots a celestial abnormality as he resides on a giant telescope orbiting the Earth, he must question science itself: for the object has come from a black hole, it's heading straight for Earth, and it's defying everything science knows about black holes and space with its speed and approach.
Joshua was a child prodigy nurtured in his favored scientific pursuits by parents who recognized his genius early on; and as an adult, he's even more of a powerhouse of intellect and investigation - but underlying this is a religious perspective of the world that's shaken by the object and the three days of life that might be left for planet Earth.
Is the celestial object a message from God; perhaps a destroying angel? Where do the boundaries of science and belief intersect? In this story, it's in the observations and revelations of Joshua, neatly summed up early on: "The massive mirror will be the size of a football field and will consist of half a million individual mirrors that will be able to focus light so perfectly that it will be able to see the face of God at the beginning of the universe."
It's a story steeped in belief, questions, and answers - so readers anticipating just a sci-fi disaster thriller might want to look elsewhere, for something less spiritually introspective. Those who enjoy a healthy dose of religious inspection in a story that is at once vivid, engrossing, and thought-provoking will find in Second Coming a satisfying series of events firmly grounded in faith and Joshua's life experiences: "No, even if God did exist, it's not what I want. That telescope will make discoveries that will confound the world. It will open minds and solve questions that have confused us for millennia. It will see so far in the past that we'll be able to see the creation of the universe. Maybe then we'll stop all this stupid fighting over religion."
The mix of scientific and spiritual inquiry is spot-on and especially well done, while the end-of-world scenario and struggles are involving.
When the world's richest astronomer spots a celestial abnormality as he resides on a giant telescope orbiting the Earth, he must question science itself: for the object has come from a black hole, it's heading straight for Earth, and it's defying everything science knows about black holes and space with its speed and approach.
Joshua was a child prodigy nurtured in his favored scientific pursuits by parents who recognized his genius early on; and as an adult, he's even more of a powerhouse of intellect and investigation - but underlying this is a religious perspective of the world that's shaken by the object and the three days of life that might be left for planet Earth.
Is the celestial object a message from God; perhaps a destroying angel? Where do the boundaries of science and belief intersect? In this story, it's in the observations and revelations of Joshua, neatly summed up early on: "The massive mirror will be the size of a football field and will consist of half a million individual mirrors that will be able to focus light so perfectly that it will be able to see the face of God at the beginning of the universe."
It's a story steeped in belief, questions, and answers - so readers anticipating just a sci-fi disaster thriller might want to look elsewhere, for something less spiritually introspective. Those who enjoy a healthy dose of religious inspection in a story that is at once vivid, engrossing, and thought-provoking will find in Second Coming a satisfying series of events firmly grounded in faith and Joshua's life experiences: "No, even if God did exist, it's not what I want. That telescope will make discoveries that will confound the world. It will open minds and solve questions that have confused us for millennia. It will see so far in the past that we'll be able to see the creation of the universe. Maybe then we'll stop all this stupid fighting over religion."
The mix of scientific and spiritual inquiry is spot-on and especially well done, while the end-of-world scenario and struggles are involving.
cayocosta72 – Book Reviews has posted a review of Vera Jane Cook's delightful novel of the South.
The full review is available here.
The full review is available here.
"...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK." — The Historical Novel Society
The Historical Novel Society is an international literary society dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of historical fiction. Their glowing review of RUM RUN is presented below:
"During the summer of 1928, when Prohibition is in force, it has become profitable to transport alcohol across Lake Erie, from Canada to the Ohio shoreline. Rusty is a certified Able Bodied Seaman, working on the tugboat Cherokee, hoping to work his way up to Mate and earn more money for himself and his wife, Di. They live in a cottage near the lake in Sandusky, a small fishing village in Ohio. Rusty also charters his own boat, Rising Sun, on fishing excursions during weekends to make extra money. When the tugboat company goes under due to bad management, Rusty is left without a full-time job.
After his wife is nearly killed by Revenue men while crossing the lake after leaving a party, Rusty decides he must begin looking for new work. He strikes up a relationship with a known local gangster and builds a speedboat to help haul illegal liquor. By doing so, he is risking not only his life but also his marriage, should his wife discover his involvement in committing this crime.
The author’s superior knowledge of the Lake Erie’s southern shore is excellent. She drew me into the era with its sights, sounds, and smells. Her characters were believable for the timeline; likewise, the plot kept me interested in the story. Although this isn’t fast-paced book, the action is exciting when introduced. The author really brings this period of history to life.
An enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book".
The Historical Novel Society is an international literary society dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of historical fiction. Their glowing review of RUM RUN is presented below:
"During the summer of 1928, when Prohibition is in force, it has become profitable to transport alcohol across Lake Erie, from Canada to the Ohio shoreline. Rusty is a certified Able Bodied Seaman, working on the tugboat Cherokee, hoping to work his way up to Mate and earn more money for himself and his wife, Di. They live in a cottage near the lake in Sandusky, a small fishing village in Ohio. Rusty also charters his own boat, Rising Sun, on fishing excursions during weekends to make extra money. When the tugboat company goes under due to bad management, Rusty is left without a full-time job.
After his wife is nearly killed by Revenue men while crossing the lake after leaving a party, Rusty decides he must begin looking for new work. He strikes up a relationship with a known local gangster and builds a speedboat to help haul illegal liquor. By doing so, he is risking not only his life but also his marriage, should his wife discover his involvement in committing this crime.
The author’s superior knowledge of the Lake Erie’s southern shore is excellent. She drew me into the era with its sights, sounds, and smells. Her characters were believable for the timeline; likewise, the plot kept me interested in the story. Although this isn’t fast-paced book, the action is exciting when introduced. The author really brings this period of history to life.
An enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book".
READERS' FAVORITE published a glowing review of Charles Bush's book about a lawyer's attempt to save his client from Death Row through of the Appellate Court process.
The reviewer, Jessie Lilley says, "...an extraordinary book....exciting and infuriating by turns, giving the reader a delicious behind the scenes look at why it is, anyway, that it takes so long to put a person to death in this extraordinary country of ours....I’ll be purchasing some copies to hand around to friends this Christmas."
The entire review is published at Reader's Favorite.
The reviewer, Jessie Lilley says, "...an extraordinary book....exciting and infuriating by turns, giving the reader a delicious behind the scenes look at why it is, anyway, that it takes so long to put a person to death in this extraordinary country of ours....I’ll be purchasing some copies to hand around to friends this Christmas."
The entire review is published at Reader's Favorite.
THE WRITE CRIS - ON WRITING has posted an online interview with author G.J.C. McKitrick. Click here.
"...if you enjoy mystery or thriller novels, and certainly if you crave exotic locales, this exciting and fast-paced novel will not disappoint...a fascinating and grim story of murder and betrayal."
The rest of the insightful review is in the November/December 2014 issue of "Faith Today."
http://digital.faithtoday.ca/faithtoday/20141112?pg=76#pg76
The rest of the insightful review is in the November/December 2014 issue of "Faith Today."
http://digital.faithtoday.ca/faithtoday/20141112?pg=76#pg76
The Medical College of South Carolina published a interesting interview with Dr. Roger Newman and a discussion of his medical thriller OCCAM'S RAZOR in their Summer/Fall issue, 2014. Although practicing medicine remains his first professional love, he says writing is now his second. “My creative process is not a flowing river — it’s more like a mud flow...."
To read more about how Dr. Newman came to write this book and how he approaches the creative process, as well as the full review, follow this link:
http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/alumni/PDFs/com-contineo-fall-2014.pdf
To read more about how Dr. Newman came to write this book and how he approaches the creative process, as well as the full review, follow this link:
http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/alumni/PDFs/com-contineo-fall-2014.pdf
PROFESSOR R.L. HANDY'S FASCINATING BOOK FORE AND THE FUTURE RECEIVES A VERY POSITVE REVIEW IN THE SEPTEMBER 2014 ISSUE OF THE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED MAGAZINE "CIVIL ENGINEERING.
The book is available for immediate purchase at Amazon
The book is available for immediate purchase at Amazon
CHRISTIAN FICTION REVIEWS has posted a glowing review of G.J.C. McKitrick's novel of Thailand, A WALK IN THE THAI SUN. The text is reprinted below:
A Walk in the Thai Sun is an intriguing look at the providence of God and how He uses people, even non-believers, to accomplish His Purpose in this world. The plot is absorbing and the characters are captivating, making this an enthralling and entertaining read. Mr. McKitrick’s style is enjoyable and gratifying. The reader has the feeling of experiencing the setting and meeting the characters personally, while maintaining a solid sense of reality. Perhaps the authenticity of the storyline is not in the narrative so much as in the “journey of questioning.” Most of us have had to work through many struggles with our own convictions and beliefs; but the deepest verdicts often are born when truth finds us, rather than our finding whatever we thought we were looking for.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Walk in the Thai Sun, and look forward to more from Mr. McKitrick.
A Walk in the Thai Sun is an intriguing look at the providence of God and how He uses people, even non-believers, to accomplish His Purpose in this world. The plot is absorbing and the characters are captivating, making this an enthralling and entertaining read. Mr. McKitrick’s style is enjoyable and gratifying. The reader has the feeling of experiencing the setting and meeting the characters personally, while maintaining a solid sense of reality. Perhaps the authenticity of the storyline is not in the narrative so much as in the “journey of questioning.” Most of us have had to work through many struggles with our own convictions and beliefs; but the deepest verdicts often are born when truth finds us, rather than our finding whatever we thought we were looking for.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Walk in the Thai Sun, and look forward to more from Mr. McKitrick.
Shelley Glodowski. Senior Reviewer for The Midwest Book Review, wrote the following about Anne R. Rachin's wonderful guide to Home Health Care for the elderly.
All That's Familiar: How to Remain in your Home and Age in Place
Anne R. Rachin
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
150 Willow Pt., Abbeville, SC 29620
9781937327156, $14.95, www.amazon.com
Anne R. Rachin has worked in the home care field for thirty years. She and her husband started Home Health Care in North Providence, Rhode Island. Her background includes a B.A. in Psychology, with experience working in community clinics and with Vietnam vets. Her passion is assisting aging adults with home care so they can remain in the places they love.
Anne Rachin writes compassionately of her goal in life, which is to assist aging adults in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with home care needs. She makes an excellent case for the elderly remaining at home, as nursing home rates have skyrocketed past the ability of most people, and the government, to pay. Nursing homes provide a regimented life for the elderly, and there are usually no familiar faces to add to the quality of life. Thus, most people die at an accelerated rate in nursing homes. Home Health Care can enable the elderly to remain at home with a fraction of the cost of institutional care, and Rachin provides many examples:
"We matched Bill and Dee, an aide experienced with clients suffering a chronic progressive disease. Dee was scheduled two hours per day, twice a week. Tuesday was designated laundry day. On Thursday, Dee vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and washed the floors. When leaving, Dee also book Bill's garbage to the trash barrel. Bill adapted to the new routine quickly. Looking forward to Dee's twice-weekly scheduled visits, Bill relished talking about what he did with his grandchildren or shared what he learned at his support group meeting."
Anne Rachin's "All That's Familiar: How to Remain in your Home and Age in Place" should be an eye-opener for baby boomers, who are now aging and developing health issues. Her love of the elderly positively shines through the book.
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
All That's Familiar: How to Remain in your Home and Age in Place
Anne R. Rachin
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
150 Willow Pt., Abbeville, SC 29620
9781937327156, $14.95, www.amazon.com
Anne R. Rachin has worked in the home care field for thirty years. She and her husband started Home Health Care in North Providence, Rhode Island. Her background includes a B.A. in Psychology, with experience working in community clinics and with Vietnam vets. Her passion is assisting aging adults with home care so they can remain in the places they love.
Anne Rachin writes compassionately of her goal in life, which is to assist aging adults in Rhode Island and Massachusetts with home care needs. She makes an excellent case for the elderly remaining at home, as nursing home rates have skyrocketed past the ability of most people, and the government, to pay. Nursing homes provide a regimented life for the elderly, and there are usually no familiar faces to add to the quality of life. Thus, most people die at an accelerated rate in nursing homes. Home Health Care can enable the elderly to remain at home with a fraction of the cost of institutional care, and Rachin provides many examples:
"We matched Bill and Dee, an aide experienced with clients suffering a chronic progressive disease. Dee was scheduled two hours per day, twice a week. Tuesday was designated laundry day. On Thursday, Dee vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and washed the floors. When leaving, Dee also book Bill's garbage to the trash barrel. Bill adapted to the new routine quickly. Looking forward to Dee's twice-weekly scheduled visits, Bill relished talking about what he did with his grandchildren or shared what he learned at his support group meeting."
Anne Rachin's "All That's Familiar: How to Remain in your Home and Age in Place" should be an eye-opener for baby boomers, who are now aging and developing health issues. Her love of the elderly positively shines through the book.
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
Poet Tyler Malone's Insightful Review
If Earnest Hemingway wrote Nick Adams’ stories to commune with nature, No Other Way captures and catalogs what Hemingway’s character found totally holy. Between urban development and the wild; between catcalls, call girls, the cries of ambulances, and the call of the wild is where the reader finds himself in No Other Way, among wet weeds, under the shadows of birds that aren’t found on the lamps in grocery store parking lots. No Other Way is written in clean third-person prose and is satiated with scientific descriptions of what lives in our skies, and written by a man who obviously knows a great deal about our lush world as well as what’s above it, hovering in the skies, what thrives above car roofs, making a reader realize just how little they look up to see what’s looking down at them.
Following a proclamation of a nature-centered novel, what should be mentioned is that No Other Way makes moralizing about our sacred world entertaining. It’s a work that doesn’t resemble an episode of Captain Planet or a high-kitsch early nineteen-nineties’ kids’ movie. No Other Way relates to how its main character, Samuel Leaton, thrives in the outdoors, almost alone. Samuel is a nature photographer, a man willing to live off the grid with no cell phone reception or a prayer against indifferent serpents or accidents.
"He kneeled in the dark space, took the small tarp from his rucksack and folded it atop the layer of pine needles. He tilted the mug, sipping the last of the coffee, including the crunchy grind sediment the filter didn’t catch. Some of it stayed on his tongue, grainy and bitter, before he swallowed it down. He put the empty thermos into one of the compartments before taking out the 200 mm long lens and clicking it onto his favorite camera, an older digital Nikon. The Nikon was a few inches bigger, and heavier than the newer models, and Samuel liked the sturdiness of it. He set the 300 mm lens on top of the pack where he could reach. The two plates of egg-and-bacon that he ate at the hotel would be wearing off soon. He took out two granola bars from the side compartment.
Waiting it out, leaning against the back of the old three-walled hunting station, he was grateful for the half-rotten, weathered structure that stood between him and the ptttt plunk plunk of the rain beginning to fall on the rusted roof.
He sat with his back against the shelter, his arms around his knees so only a few drops of the rain slanting down into the black soil splashed onto his boots. The wind came through in an unsteady whistle. It was high-pitched, silencing all other sounds, and then hesitant but rhythmic. Without the motion of the hike to keep him warm, the photographer of birds rubbed his hands together."
That lengthy excerpt is Samuel’s world: Nikons, cups of coffee and rain drops. Samuel is a man who has lost human interaction after his wife, Lorine, died of cancer. He’s in hiding, in a manner of speaking. After his wife died, Samuel threw himself into his hobby, and embraced his love: nature photography, to seek out the countless mulligans in the form of birds. For Samuel, photography is a means to capture another sort of life, and capturing birds in his camera’s sensor means a life well lived. His main mulligan is the Northern Stilted Curlew, a bird thought to be extinct even by experts. Oh, you haven’t heard of such a thing? Get used to it. Bird names are dropped like famous names in a musician’s autobiography; in all that means a new reading experience: it’s something that most readers aren't challenged with but are introduced to through Samuel’s references as he analyzes warblers, pigeon’s, rails, owls, sparrows, all aves nearly extinct to casually common.
Samuel’s son, Ryan, a college educated blue collar worker, says his father has his head in the clouds (pg. 16). But that’s where Samuel has found his own humanity and passion; this is affirmed by how Samuel studies the world both around and above him. Roger Drouin’s prose becomes encyclopedic as it explains the evolutionary trajectory of birds, and how Samuel feels close to his bird brethren, if only under the skin.
"The bones are thin, hollow inside, filled with oxygen, and supported with trusses that keep them strong. The wing bones are fused to other bones to brace together the moving parts in flight and landing. Look at the bones of a bird and, although all stretched out, they will match a mammal’s skeleton. Side by side, compare those scientific sketches from college biology and see how the wings anatomically correspond exactly to each human bone from arm to the longest finger. But in birds, the bones are simplified, compacted so that the humerus, radius and metacarpals are welded into a single, pivoting elongated bone."
What makes No Other Way a genuinely standout novel is, other than the clean but vibrant prose, the book is written by an actual nature photographer as well as focused on one. Reading with one’s eyes is the great caveat of literature. Unimaginative authors cripple the world they wish to create by a broken vision, but here, the inhabitants of the world, both human and undomesticated are just as vibrant as the colors of birds contrasting in perfect ways. No Other Way becomes the reason why people will subscribe to National Geographic or watch Planet Earth: you want to see nature and have your senses assaulted by the natural world, Sun and all.
"Samuel drank his coffee and listened to a Scarlet Tanager somewhere close by singing his high-pitched song of chip-churr, chip-churr, chip-churrr, chip-churrrrr. He looked up to try to glimpse the brilliant contrast of red and black, but he wasn’t surprised when all he saw was the thick green leaves. Despite the male’s vivid coloring, this tiny guy is difficult to observe because he will perch motionless for long periods of time, hidden deep in trees or bushes.
The morning sun painted the water a softer reflection of clouds and sky as he paddled out past where the water lilies grew by the hundreds, past the second island of trees, towards the eucalyptus strand that looked like feathers growing right up against the edge of the water."
Both Samuel and Ryan deal with Lorine’s death as they both suffer through civilization; both Leatons are as different as the weather can become in a single day: sunshine to sharp rain, a warm morning that dissolves into skin stabbing chill. They are juxtaposed characters: a jaded workman willing to set art aside while he survives his chosen life of manual labor, and his romantic father. Both Leaton’s are opposing characters, until all paths lead to Idaho, where Ryan brings along Karia, a pill-popping, PTSD addled mess, who lets the reader know that Ryan only sees his father’s birds as beautiful myths. In Idaho, there’s Thomas, a park ranger and friend of caribou and wolverines, and his partner, a life-saving mutt named Japhy. Thomas can’t sleep because he dreams of drilling—oil drilling. What he loves most, the Rilla Lakes, is being prepared to be penetrated by No Other Way’s corporate villain: Centur Corp., and its hydrofracking shale drilling methods—the Empire and their Death Star.
No Other Way doesn’t give a voice to the speechless, it sings for itself by capturing the beauty rustling right outside window, away from computer screens. One beautiful thing can stop the world; it doesn’t need protecting. Humans are what need to be protected from themselves and what comes natural to us. No Other Way tells a story of songs and squawks of things that existed before the noise that carries itself across our concrete country. Roger Drouin utilizes intuitive and meditative methods of descriptions to bring our afflicted world to life in text. He creates a world that croons the tunes of what was here before us and what will be here after us—what howls and serenades after our silence, when birds and wild creatures carol the Sun to cold sleep.
If Earnest Hemingway wrote Nick Adams’ stories to commune with nature, No Other Way captures and catalogs what Hemingway’s character found totally holy. Between urban development and the wild; between catcalls, call girls, the cries of ambulances, and the call of the wild is where the reader finds himself in No Other Way, among wet weeds, under the shadows of birds that aren’t found on the lamps in grocery store parking lots. No Other Way is written in clean third-person prose and is satiated with scientific descriptions of what lives in our skies, and written by a man who obviously knows a great deal about our lush world as well as what’s above it, hovering in the skies, what thrives above car roofs, making a reader realize just how little they look up to see what’s looking down at them.
Following a proclamation of a nature-centered novel, what should be mentioned is that No Other Way makes moralizing about our sacred world entertaining. It’s a work that doesn’t resemble an episode of Captain Planet or a high-kitsch early nineteen-nineties’ kids’ movie. No Other Way relates to how its main character, Samuel Leaton, thrives in the outdoors, almost alone. Samuel is a nature photographer, a man willing to live off the grid with no cell phone reception or a prayer against indifferent serpents or accidents.
"He kneeled in the dark space, took the small tarp from his rucksack and folded it atop the layer of pine needles. He tilted the mug, sipping the last of the coffee, including the crunchy grind sediment the filter didn’t catch. Some of it stayed on his tongue, grainy and bitter, before he swallowed it down. He put the empty thermos into one of the compartments before taking out the 200 mm long lens and clicking it onto his favorite camera, an older digital Nikon. The Nikon was a few inches bigger, and heavier than the newer models, and Samuel liked the sturdiness of it. He set the 300 mm lens on top of the pack where he could reach. The two plates of egg-and-bacon that he ate at the hotel would be wearing off soon. He took out two granola bars from the side compartment.
Waiting it out, leaning against the back of the old three-walled hunting station, he was grateful for the half-rotten, weathered structure that stood between him and the ptttt plunk plunk of the rain beginning to fall on the rusted roof.
He sat with his back against the shelter, his arms around his knees so only a few drops of the rain slanting down into the black soil splashed onto his boots. The wind came through in an unsteady whistle. It was high-pitched, silencing all other sounds, and then hesitant but rhythmic. Without the motion of the hike to keep him warm, the photographer of birds rubbed his hands together."
That lengthy excerpt is Samuel’s world: Nikons, cups of coffee and rain drops. Samuel is a man who has lost human interaction after his wife, Lorine, died of cancer. He’s in hiding, in a manner of speaking. After his wife died, Samuel threw himself into his hobby, and embraced his love: nature photography, to seek out the countless mulligans in the form of birds. For Samuel, photography is a means to capture another sort of life, and capturing birds in his camera’s sensor means a life well lived. His main mulligan is the Northern Stilted Curlew, a bird thought to be extinct even by experts. Oh, you haven’t heard of such a thing? Get used to it. Bird names are dropped like famous names in a musician’s autobiography; in all that means a new reading experience: it’s something that most readers aren't challenged with but are introduced to through Samuel’s references as he analyzes warblers, pigeon’s, rails, owls, sparrows, all aves nearly extinct to casually common.
Samuel’s son, Ryan, a college educated blue collar worker, says his father has his head in the clouds (pg. 16). But that’s where Samuel has found his own humanity and passion; this is affirmed by how Samuel studies the world both around and above him. Roger Drouin’s prose becomes encyclopedic as it explains the evolutionary trajectory of birds, and how Samuel feels close to his bird brethren, if only under the skin.
"The bones are thin, hollow inside, filled with oxygen, and supported with trusses that keep them strong. The wing bones are fused to other bones to brace together the moving parts in flight and landing. Look at the bones of a bird and, although all stretched out, they will match a mammal’s skeleton. Side by side, compare those scientific sketches from college biology and see how the wings anatomically correspond exactly to each human bone from arm to the longest finger. But in birds, the bones are simplified, compacted so that the humerus, radius and metacarpals are welded into a single, pivoting elongated bone."
What makes No Other Way a genuinely standout novel is, other than the clean but vibrant prose, the book is written by an actual nature photographer as well as focused on one. Reading with one’s eyes is the great caveat of literature. Unimaginative authors cripple the world they wish to create by a broken vision, but here, the inhabitants of the world, both human and undomesticated are just as vibrant as the colors of birds contrasting in perfect ways. No Other Way becomes the reason why people will subscribe to National Geographic or watch Planet Earth: you want to see nature and have your senses assaulted by the natural world, Sun and all.
"Samuel drank his coffee and listened to a Scarlet Tanager somewhere close by singing his high-pitched song of chip-churr, chip-churr, chip-churrr, chip-churrrrr. He looked up to try to glimpse the brilliant contrast of red and black, but he wasn’t surprised when all he saw was the thick green leaves. Despite the male’s vivid coloring, this tiny guy is difficult to observe because he will perch motionless for long periods of time, hidden deep in trees or bushes.
The morning sun painted the water a softer reflection of clouds and sky as he paddled out past where the water lilies grew by the hundreds, past the second island of trees, towards the eucalyptus strand that looked like feathers growing right up against the edge of the water."
Both Samuel and Ryan deal with Lorine’s death as they both suffer through civilization; both Leatons are as different as the weather can become in a single day: sunshine to sharp rain, a warm morning that dissolves into skin stabbing chill. They are juxtaposed characters: a jaded workman willing to set art aside while he survives his chosen life of manual labor, and his romantic father. Both Leaton’s are opposing characters, until all paths lead to Idaho, where Ryan brings along Karia, a pill-popping, PTSD addled mess, who lets the reader know that Ryan only sees his father’s birds as beautiful myths. In Idaho, there’s Thomas, a park ranger and friend of caribou and wolverines, and his partner, a life-saving mutt named Japhy. Thomas can’t sleep because he dreams of drilling—oil drilling. What he loves most, the Rilla Lakes, is being prepared to be penetrated by No Other Way’s corporate villain: Centur Corp., and its hydrofracking shale drilling methods—the Empire and their Death Star.
No Other Way doesn’t give a voice to the speechless, it sings for itself by capturing the beauty rustling right outside window, away from computer screens. One beautiful thing can stop the world; it doesn’t need protecting. Humans are what need to be protected from themselves and what comes natural to us. No Other Way tells a story of songs and squawks of things that existed before the noise that carries itself across our concrete country. Roger Drouin utilizes intuitive and meditative methods of descriptions to bring our afflicted world to life in text. He creates a world that croons the tunes of what was here before us and what will be here after us—what howls and serenades after our silence, when birds and wild creatures carol the Sun to cold sleep.
Read What Amazon Reviewer Lorena Mateo Thinks About Flowers At Midnight:
I read this book in a single day on the beach and really enjoyed it. The story is gripping and the characters really come alive so that it keeps you turning the page. I also thought London came through well, too. Certainly I could tell that Nick Sweet knows London well, and he also writes good dialogue that has a realistic feel to it. I liked the way he has his upper class British characters talking completely differently from his criminal types; he clearly has a good ear for the vernacular, and that makes the whole thing feel credible. The story is quite involved, and I won't spoil it it for you by going into it here, but suffice to say there are enough murders and clues and red-herrings to keep you reading and guessing. I'll certainly be ordering Nick Sweet's next book when it comes out.
I read this book in a single day on the beach and really enjoyed it. The story is gripping and the characters really come alive so that it keeps you turning the page. I also thought London came through well, too. Certainly I could tell that Nick Sweet knows London well, and he also writes good dialogue that has a realistic feel to it. I liked the way he has his upper class British characters talking completely differently from his criminal types; he clearly has a good ear for the vernacular, and that makes the whole thing feel credible. The story is quite involved, and I won't spoil it it for you by going into it here, but suffice to say there are enough murders and clues and red-herrings to keep you reading and guessing. I'll certainly be ordering Nick Sweet's next book when it comes out.
PRAISE FOR INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM GOD
"... a fast-paced scientific thriller that explores how a world-shattering discovery would challenge not just existing beliefs, but also the power structures of our society."--James T. Downey, author of Communion of Dreams
"...an enticing beginning which instantly drew me in. There is drama, action, romance, and adventure, making this a very enjoyable story."--James Jackson, author of First Contact.
"...a fascinating first-rate novel about how science really works, with believable and very human characters. Highly recommend it to everyone, even those who normally would not purchase novels in the science fiction genre will find this book a good read and worthy of their time."--Joseph Vadalma, author of The Artifact, A Novel of Alien Contact"...a fast paced, one of a kind Sci-Fi suspense thriller. The tension builds from page one, and never lets up as evidence mounts that an object discovered in rock could be the most important discovery of all time. A must read."--Karl Bozicevic, author of Cardinal Hoax
"...a thrill ride with more twists and turns than a Möbius strip with a surprise ending."--Ronald W Hull, author of The Kaleidoscope Effect and Alone?
"...so captivating you don´t want to put the book down for a second." Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Professor of Astrobiology and author of Voids of Eternity: Alien Encounter "...an entertaining stew of a thriller that, once you start, you pretty much have to finish. "--Al Past, author of the Distant Cousin series
"... a fast-paced scientific thriller that explores how a world-shattering discovery would challenge not just existing beliefs, but also the power structures of our society."--James T. Downey, author of Communion of Dreams
"...an enticing beginning which instantly drew me in. There is drama, action, romance, and adventure, making this a very enjoyable story."--James Jackson, author of First Contact.
"...a fascinating first-rate novel about how science really works, with believable and very human characters. Highly recommend it to everyone, even those who normally would not purchase novels in the science fiction genre will find this book a good read and worthy of their time."--Joseph Vadalma, author of The Artifact, A Novel of Alien Contact"...a fast paced, one of a kind Sci-Fi suspense thriller. The tension builds from page one, and never lets up as evidence mounts that an object discovered in rock could be the most important discovery of all time. A must read."--Karl Bozicevic, author of Cardinal Hoax
"...a thrill ride with more twists and turns than a Möbius strip with a surprise ending."--Ronald W Hull, author of The Kaleidoscope Effect and Alone?
"...so captivating you don´t want to put the book down for a second." Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Professor of Astrobiology and author of Voids of Eternity: Alien Encounter "...an entertaining stew of a thriller that, once you start, you pretty much have to finish. "--Al Past, author of the Distant Cousin series
The controversy about global warming or climate change is about as questionable as the belief in green energy. Back when I was in Virginia, I attended a writing group where one member was a James Madison University geology professor named Gene Robinson. Our discussions rarely touched on politics but he did mention his belief that the theory of global warming was bunk. The Earth had seen many warming and cooling phases. Any slight variation of temperature was nothing unusual, the professor told us. Gene has expanded is thoughts into a book called “Global Warming: Alarmists, Skeptics & Deniers: A Geoscientists looks at the Science of Climate Change.”
After Dr. Robinson looks at it, there’s not much left. He has also penned several novels and perhaps his ability with fiction aided his science writing too. Some scientific articles can be so difficult to read it’s akin to hacking your way through a rain forest with a machete. The reader feels he will never get through the dense prose. But Gene writes smooth, easy-to-read sentences and explains in everyday language the foundational science of his views. He also shows how the scientific underpinnings of the global warming theory are actually weak and uncertain.
The book has won any number of compliments from fellow scientists.
Former Vice President Al Gore’s book “An Inconvenient Truth” was dishonest. His views on global warming were very convenient to a segment of society. They went gaga about it. They loved this news because it provided an excuse for big government to pass and enforce even more regulations. It also gave anti-oil groups the “scientific” facts to attack traditional energy companies.
As noted, we didn’t discuss much politics in the writing group but I suspect Gene’s political views are on the Democratic side of the spectrum but his appreciation of science, true science, trumped politics. George L. Duncan, Kemmerer (WY) Gazette, March 2012
EARLY PRAISE FOR GLOBAL WARMING: ALARMISTS, SKEPTICS AND DENIERS
“Global Warming: Alarmists, Skeptics and Deniers is a refreshing read on a topic of great societal importance; refreshing because, unlike many books published on this subject, the authors of this work evaluate key predictions and controversies of the global warming debate using logic and science. Most readers will appreciate the book’s arrangement. Each chapter presents a series of questions and answers that revolve around a central theme. The book is well written and easy to be understood by those with little knowledge or scientific background in the global warming debate.”—Dr. Craig D. Idso, founder and chairman of the board of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change.
“Dr. G Dedrick Robinson comments in his Prologue that: 'As a geologist, I knew that climate has always changed,' and therein lies the core message of this informative book. Writing in an easily accessible style for all readers, and using Socratic dialogue, Robinson leads us systematically through the simple science information that is needed to answer the question, 'Are human carbon dioxide emissions causing dangerous global warming?' And the more surprised you are that the answer to this question is 'no,' then the more you need to read this excellent book.”--Professor Robert M. Carter, Marine Geophysical Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
“GLOBAL WARMING: ALARMISTS, SKEPTICS AND DENIERS is an excellent, accessible handbook for those interested in the science of global warming. Skeptics have long maintained that the bulk of the science is on their side. Anyone who reads Dr. Robinson's book with an open mind will find it hard not to agree.”--Iain Murray,author of The Really Inconvenient Truths
“GLOBAL WARMING: ALARMISTS, SKEPTICS AND DENIERS is an excellent analysis of the problems of climate science from the perspective of a veteran geologist. Particularly useful are Dr. Robinson's discussion of why climate models often fail, and how today's climate changes, when compared to those of the geological past, are clearly seen as well within natural variation. But there is much more science—enough, I'd think, to persuade all but die-hard global-warming believers that a skeptical position is much truer to the climate evidence than alarmism.”--Paul MacRae, author of False Alarm—Global Warming: Facts Versus Fears
After Dr. Robinson looks at it, there’s not much left. He has also penned several novels and perhaps his ability with fiction aided his science writing too. Some scientific articles can be so difficult to read it’s akin to hacking your way through a rain forest with a machete. The reader feels he will never get through the dense prose. But Gene writes smooth, easy-to-read sentences and explains in everyday language the foundational science of his views. He also shows how the scientific underpinnings of the global warming theory are actually weak and uncertain.
The book has won any number of compliments from fellow scientists.
Former Vice President Al Gore’s book “An Inconvenient Truth” was dishonest. His views on global warming were very convenient to a segment of society. They went gaga about it. They loved this news because it provided an excuse for big government to pass and enforce even more regulations. It also gave anti-oil groups the “scientific” facts to attack traditional energy companies.
As noted, we didn’t discuss much politics in the writing group but I suspect Gene’s political views are on the Democratic side of the spectrum but his appreciation of science, true science, trumped politics. George L. Duncan, Kemmerer (WY) Gazette, March 2012
EARLY PRAISE FOR GLOBAL WARMING: ALARMISTS, SKEPTICS AND DENIERS
“Global Warming: Alarmists, Skeptics and Deniers is a refreshing read on a topic of great societal importance; refreshing because, unlike many books published on this subject, the authors of this work evaluate key predictions and controversies of the global warming debate using logic and science. Most readers will appreciate the book’s arrangement. Each chapter presents a series of questions and answers that revolve around a central theme. The book is well written and easy to be understood by those with little knowledge or scientific background in the global warming debate.”—Dr. Craig D. Idso, founder and chairman of the board of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change.
“Dr. G Dedrick Robinson comments in his Prologue that: 'As a geologist, I knew that climate has always changed,' and therein lies the core message of this informative book. Writing in an easily accessible style for all readers, and using Socratic dialogue, Robinson leads us systematically through the simple science information that is needed to answer the question, 'Are human carbon dioxide emissions causing dangerous global warming?' And the more surprised you are that the answer to this question is 'no,' then the more you need to read this excellent book.”--Professor Robert M. Carter, Marine Geophysical Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
“GLOBAL WARMING: ALARMISTS, SKEPTICS AND DENIERS is an excellent, accessible handbook for those interested in the science of global warming. Skeptics have long maintained that the bulk of the science is on their side. Anyone who reads Dr. Robinson's book with an open mind will find it hard not to agree.”--Iain Murray,author of The Really Inconvenient Truths
“GLOBAL WARMING: ALARMISTS, SKEPTICS AND DENIERS is an excellent analysis of the problems of climate science from the perspective of a veteran geologist. Particularly useful are Dr. Robinson's discussion of why climate models often fail, and how today's climate changes, when compared to those of the geological past, are clearly seen as well within natural variation. But there is much more science—enough, I'd think, to persuade all but die-hard global-warming believers that a skeptical position is much truer to the climate evidence than alarmism.”--Paul MacRae, author of False Alarm—Global Warming: Facts Versus Fears
PRAISE FOR G DEDRICK ROBINSON'S BIOTHRILER BLOOD SCOURGE:
“An intriguing tale of a deadly virus that hits the world. A page-turner, impossible to put down – on a solid scientific basis.” Clemens P. Suter, Author of Two Journeys, Celeterra and Heavenland
“In Blood Scourge, Mr. Robinson paints a frightening picture of bio-terrorism taken to the extreme. Starting in the final days of the second World War, he meticulously plants the seeds of a global catastrophe before he starts tightening the screws, building up to a crescendo of disaster and hope that will keep you turning pages long into the night. The heroes are strong and the villains are pure evil, yet they are all grounded in reality. These people could be real. Blood Scourge is a must read! ”William Esmont – Author of Self Arrest, Fire and The Patriot Paradox
"An excellent book that combines medical investigative techniques, and wonderful character development. This one will keep you reading!"--Bill Clem – Author of Microbe, Immortal, They All Fall Down, Skin Deep, Bliss, Presidential Donor, Medicine Cup, Replica and Diencephalon
"G Dedrick Robinson has created an apocalyptic story of an unimaginable nightmare unleashed by man himself. The story takes us around the globe as the unrelenting Blood Scourge takes its toll on humanity. Be prepared for an edge of your seat ride."--Victor Grippi, Hollywood screenwriter and Author of The Butterfly Virus
“An intriguing tale of a deadly virus that hits the world. A page-turner, impossible to put down – on a solid scientific basis.” Clemens P. Suter, Author of Two Journeys, Celeterra and Heavenland
“In Blood Scourge, Mr. Robinson paints a frightening picture of bio-terrorism taken to the extreme. Starting in the final days of the second World War, he meticulously plants the seeds of a global catastrophe before he starts tightening the screws, building up to a crescendo of disaster and hope that will keep you turning pages long into the night. The heroes are strong and the villains are pure evil, yet they are all grounded in reality. These people could be real. Blood Scourge is a must read! ”William Esmont – Author of Self Arrest, Fire and The Patriot Paradox
"An excellent book that combines medical investigative techniques, and wonderful character development. This one will keep you reading!"--Bill Clem – Author of Microbe, Immortal, They All Fall Down, Skin Deep, Bliss, Presidential Donor, Medicine Cup, Replica and Diencephalon
"G Dedrick Robinson has created an apocalyptic story of an unimaginable nightmare unleashed by man himself. The story takes us around the globe as the unrelenting Blood Scourge takes its toll on humanity. Be prepared for an edge of your seat ride."--Victor Grippi, Hollywood screenwriter and Author of The Butterfly Virus
WHAT OTHER ROMANCE AUTHORS SAY ABOUT NO TIME TO CRY
"NO TIME TO CRY may be set in 1957 Kentucky , but it’s definitely not Richie Cunningham’s 'Happy Days.' Sue Munroe, a small-town gold-digging Lolita, mistress of the con, wants two things—riches and her own Prince Charming—and she’ll go to extremes to get them. Filled with intrigue, scandal, romance, betrayal and murder, this romantic suspense novel is a sizzling guilty pleasure read.”--Carole Bellacera, award-winning author of Tango's Edge and the upcoming Lily of the Springs
“Rose Campion's fresh and engaging voice comes through loud and clear on every page of No Time to Cry. With its vivid descriptions and fascinating characters, this book grabs you from the start and won't let go.”--Heather Huffman, author of Ties That Bind and Suddenly A Spy
"NO TIME TO CRY may be set in 1957 Kentucky , but it’s definitely not Richie Cunningham’s 'Happy Days.' Sue Munroe, a small-town gold-digging Lolita, mistress of the con, wants two things—riches and her own Prince Charming—and she’ll go to extremes to get them. Filled with intrigue, scandal, romance, betrayal and murder, this romantic suspense novel is a sizzling guilty pleasure read.”--Carole Bellacera, award-winning author of Tango's Edge and the upcoming Lily of the Springs
“Rose Campion's fresh and engaging voice comes through loud and clear on every page of No Time to Cry. With its vivid descriptions and fascinating characters, this book grabs you from the start and won't let go.”--Heather Huffman, author of Ties That Bind and Suddenly A Spy
