Reader Views

In All Cases Whatsoever

Howard S. Ford’s novel entitled “In All Cases Whatsoever” is based during the early battles of the Revolutionary War between the British Empire and the separatists from the new colonies in America. While the British troops are determined to regain control of the colonial separatists, those who support the idea of separation from Great Britain are equally determined to keep their newfound freedom.

The first part of the book centers on James “Jamie” Claveraque, a stand-up member of the separatist movement. Jamie, a newlywed, with his wife Olivia celebrates their first anniversary together and dream of many more years of marriage. This is a risky endeavor due to the British army pillaging the homes of the separatists and also the threat of those loyal to the British government.

Claveraque must find balance between two higher ranking colonels who often give Jamie conflicting orders. Luckily for him, the colonel who is first in command protects Jamie over his nemesis counterpart.

Jamie proves his value upon the capture of a British deserter who is suspected as being a spy. Instead of using techniques of torture, he gains the trust of the “prisoner” by treating him as a human being. This method proves invaluable to the Separatists’ cause.

The second part of the book focuses on Trevor Shaw, a general store owner and real estate entrepreneur in New York City. He is also a stand-up person and he supports the Separatists. Due to the British troops who frequent his store, Trevor must appear to be neutral so he can keep his business while also allowing him to gain strategic plans the British are using to defeat the Americans.

Despite his efforts to appear neutral, Trevor endures several hardships and predicaments which almost cost him his business and his life. Fortunately, Trevor is wise and sly in many ways and he is able to survive many of his challenges.

“In All Cases Whatsoever” by Howard S. Ford is a well written and descriptive book that brings the reader back in time to the Revolutionary War. It shows the struggles of not only the Americans and the British, but it includes the interactive challenges of the various Native Indian tribes and their roles during the war. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good historic novel.

In All Cases Whatsoever
Howard S. Ford
AuthorHouse (2012)
ISBN 9781477280515
Reviewed by Daryn Watson for Reader Views (4/13)

Haze

“Haze” by Michael Chavez is the story of Andrew. Growing up overweight and very reserved, Andrew never had a chance to feel like part of a group. When he goes to college and meets his first love, Nat, everything changes.  Nat completely accepts Andrew just as he is. He also encourages him to join his circle of friends. When Nat is involved in a horrifying accident, Andrew’s life is completely torn apart. While he stays loyal to Nat, he becomes best friends with Ilario. Ilario is haunted by memories of being brutally violated in high school. Efron, the person who led the assault, shows up in Andrew’s life after Ilario commits suicide. 

Andrew is filled with anger towards Efron. Vengeance is on his mind. When an opportunity to take revenge presents itself, Andrew actually backs down but he put himself in a position of being blackmailed by a witness. Since Efron has no clue who he is, Andrew decides to drastically alter his appearance by losing weight and getting fit.  By sticking to this plan, Andrew becomes more confident and assertive, especially at work.

Encountering Efron again, Andrew sees that he is still deceptive and disloyal to those who are close to him. At this time, Andrew’s change is complete and he is unrecognizable to Efron. When Andrew’s place of work has serious allegations made against them, Efron comes into the picture as part of the legal counsel for the opposing side.  When given the chance, Efron betrays Andrew to help his side. When he realizes what happened, Andrew has to reach inside himself to see how strong he really is. He knows that by doing what is right, he will risk losing everything.

“Haze” by Michael Chavez is a very complex novel. There are several dramas unfolding around the main one. Each one is connected in some way, yet at the heart of the novel is Andrew’s story.  I was really impressed with how the author managed to tie everything together. His subplots were also very complex, and he presented them all so that they stood well on their own. Tying everything together made “Haze” stand out as an extremely well written, thought-provoking story about redemption - I highly recommend reading “Haze.”

Haze
Michael Chavez
Regal Crest Enterprises (2013)
ISBN 9781619290969
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/13)

Shadows & Wings

“Shadows & Wings” by Niki Tulk is a very interesting book that was a joy to read. The fast-moving story kept my attention drawn to every page from the first to the last. Niki Tulk’s characters are portrayed completely and leave nothing to be desired. She gives the reader a detailed description of Lara, an Australian girl and her beloved grandpa, and a good lead in to the main story.

After her grandpa’s death, Lara is left with a mysterious box full of unusual trinkets, each of which had special meaning to her grandpa and Lara was determined to find out what that special meaning was. What secret the trinkets held was to be an enlightening quest for the inquisitive young girl and takes her on an adventure she would never forget. Her adventure takes her from Australia to Germany to find out what secret her grandpa kept all those years. Her search to discover the story of her grandfather’s life in Germany before he emigrated to Australia after WWII is a memorable adventure that the reader is so privileged to share - so memorable and touching it will pull at your heartstrings. Even the jumping from present to past, from Australia to Germany, and back again, the transitions were done in a very professional style so as not to disrupt the reader’s train of thought.

Ms. Tulk has a definite style that was appealing and kept this reader’s attention and interest. I gave it a strong B on my scale and would recommend it to everyone. “Shadows & Wings” is a Well crafted, well written book which engages both emotion and intellect. It has a combination of all the ingredients that make for a best seller. Nicely crafted, her 384 plus page book is exceptionally well written, and holds your interest making it difficult to stop reading. I strongly recommend “Shadows & Wings” by Niki Tulk to the general audience and hope that other readers enjoy it as much as I did.

Shadows & Wings
Niki Tulk
Small House Press (2012)
ISBN 9780985842802
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (5/13)

Scorpio Love

“Scorpio Love” by S. Tamanaha grabbed me from the first chapter. Susan lives in Hawaii and attends a fundraiser where she finds and buys a crystal globe mounted on an eagle’s claw. The woman who sells her the crystal globe tells her she is a Scorpio. Susan was surprised that she knew that. The woman tells her “Scorpios who are Eagles can soar to great heights and accomplish things that others would consider miracles by sheer will power. They have within themselves the power to manifest their dreams as long as they truly believe. Dreams play a very important role in the life of an Eagle.”

Susan returns home with her crystal globe and the dreams begin. The more she dreams the more clear they become. She jumps on a plane to attempt to save a life of a famous actor, whom she has never met. It would take a friend pulling some strings to get her close to the actor. She immediately connects and recognizes a bond between them. After this encounter, their lives are changed forever.

The love they share is passionate and crazy. S. Tamanaha writes so smoothly you cannot help but to keep turning the pages. I was a little intimidated at first by the 394 pages. Every single page is worth it. The story is creative, magical, passionate, romantic and sexy. This story is one that people can relate to. Somewhere in the back of my mind, these romantic fairy tales could come true.

Being a Leo, I found it was very hard to be in a relationship with a Scorpio. I need S. Tamanaha to create another book about Leo Love! Just for me! I can see it now….I am waiting…(wink).

“Scorpio Love” by S. Tamanaha gets ten stars from me but since I can only give five….that’s what it has to be.

Scorpio Love
S. Tamanaha
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN 9781466275652
Reviewed by Jennifer Hass for Reader Views (5/13)

New York Roommates: Where Do These People Come From?

“New York Roommates: Where Do These People Come From?” by Howard Boger is a fictional story about Hank and the myriad roommates with whom he has shared his New York apartment. Hank, a photographer, has vowed to never again share his home with another male. However, his experiences with female roommates have ranged from bizarre to downright dangerous. As this story begins, he is actively seeking his latest roommate. After deciding to give Aurora a chance, he regales her with stories about his former tenants, completely unaware of the secret that she possesses. Will this relationship be able to last longer than the others?

There is also a subplot to this story involving politics and foreign affairs. One faction of Congress wants to strike the enemies of the United States before they decide to act first. However, the other members believe it would be unwise to antagonize countries that have done nothing to harm our nation. As they wrangle over this matter, terrorist plots and bombings are occurring in New York but it is uncertain who is behind them and what their agenda may be. As the days progress, deeper ramifications arise regarding the security of the city.

While the plot for this book was fairly interesting, many other aspects left me disappointed. The characters were not particularly well-developed. I could not picture them or relate to them in any way. The dialogue was stiff and filled with clichés. The stories about Hank's ex-roommates were randomly inserted and really did nothing to advance the plot. Instead, I felt the author used them in an attempt to infuse humor into the book. There are also some editing issues. Scene breaks are not clearly delineated and there are numerous punctuation and spelling errors. Lastly, the story ended too abruptly. An epilogue of possible events that occurred after the climax would have been appreciated.

“New York Roommates: Where Do These People Come From?” by Howard Boger would best be categorized as an action/adventure book with elements of science fiction. It is definitely intended for an adult audience. While my above comments may seem harsh, there are some positive aspects of this story including mystery, political infighting, and lively recollections of days past.

New York Roommates: Where Do These People Come From?
Howard Boger
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432796815
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (1/13)

Embrace of the Daimon

“Embrace of the Daimon” by Sandra Lee Dennis, PhD, has been revised since it was first published in 2001. A lot has happened in the past decade that made the author’s decision to do this revision. The news is rampant with sex scandals. The media is bringing more violence and sexuality into our day-to-day lives.  This includes what we see in video games, in the news, in books, movies and television. It is everywhere.  If we don’t learn to embrace the darker aspects of ourselves then we miss out on an opportunity to attain a higher level of awareness.  By gaining an acceptance of the aspects of ourselves that frighten us, we can learn to grow and attain a higher level of consciousness.  By repressing and avoiding dealing with the dark archetype we actually give it more power and in doing so we become weaker.  This is when it can seem to transform itself from daimonic to demonic.

Daimons are described as “messengers of the gods” who would connect heaven and earth by exchanging messages between the human and divine realms. When Dr. Dennis started doing work with them through imaginal visitations, she found that they deepened her connection life. Initially, however, she found the images, that she was seeing, to be horrifying. But she also discovered that they revealed information to her from our collective psyche because many of them seemed to be coming from our ancestral or collective history. Delving deeper into Jungian based psychology, she finds that these connections bring sense to what we are experiencing.

Through writing this book, Dr. Dennis shares a tremendous amount of personal information about her self and the dark visions that she was seeing so that we can gain a better understanding of her experiences and the value in applying this information to our own lives. I found her willingness to share these dark visions to be helpful because they made me realize I am not alone in having this experience. If she didn’t go into such depth, I might not have been sure that her visions were as dark as some of mine have been. She also does a great job of analyzing what she has experienced. By bringing these thoughts to light, and analyzing them it reduces the impact of the darkness surrounding them.

While Dr. Dennis discusses the ways in which we can embrace the “Daimon,” I personally would not be comfortable in embarking on this journey without professional help.  Her book has helped me to understand the importance and the path to leading myself to wholeness, yet I also realize that I would not do well in embarking on this adventure on my own.  I think that it is incredibly important that “Embrace of the Daimon,” is read, especially by mental health professionals so that we can learn how to use this aspect of ourselves to heal and grow.

I also found it interesting that the title, “Embrace of the Daimon,” was unsettling to me. If it was a romance novel, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. Yet I think this is the point that the author, Sandra Lee Dennis, PhD, is trying to make.  If I feel it is okay to immerse myself into a darkly erotic novel, I don’t feel disturbed. Yet, to read a non-fiction book that is written about embracing the darker aspects of myself, I feel some discomfort.  It is kind of funny because it is these aspects of myself that I feel draw me into enjoying fiction in which characters have actually embraced their daimons!

Embrace of the Daimon
Sandra Lee Dennis, PhD
LC Enterprises (2013)
ISBN 9781939812032
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/13)

Chasing Demons: A Luc Actar Novel

In this second in the Luc Actar crime fiction novels, “Chasing Demons” by Melissa M. Garcia, Luc is ready to exchange his life of crime for the legitimacy of honest work. He wants to enjoy the paradise and romance shared with his girlfriend Mattie Hardwin in her large Malibu home, overlooking the ocean. He is anticipating the fulfillment of a life he has always longed for.

Luc is working as journalist for the Crime Reporter newspaper as their top investigative reporter. Luc has uncovered incidents of corruption, cover up and abuse by political officials, bureaucrats, police officers and “dirty” cops in Los Angeles County.

When an incident from Luc’s former life of crime threatens to destroy his newly found idyllic life, Luc takes an aggressive stance in defense of his girlfriend Mattie and his own principles, to stay out of jail, which ultimately becomes a fight for his life.

“Chasing Demons” is reminiscent of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. Like Spenser, Luc is working to expose evil and to protect the innocent; however, he is not above stretching the law to accomplish his desired end.

Melissa M. Garcia artfully choreographs her characters with clearly defined dialog and interactions, using smooth transitions, realistic plot conflicts, plot twists, and suspense building action that is packed with surprises right up to the unexpected conclusion.

Garcia’s descriptions of Los Angeles and its environs are accurate. Her writing instills a sensation of uncertainty and sensitivity in her key characters, their emotions and motivations. Her writing is engaging with amazing insight into human nature, the impact of pride, greed, abuse, and the hopelessness of the homeless.

“Chasing Demons” by Melissa M. Garcia is filled with nonstop, fast action and suspense that leaves a lingering sense of wanting more. I am looking forward to the next book in the Luc Actar crime series.

Chasing Demons: A Luc Actar Novel
Melissa M. Garcia
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN 9781480258112
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (4/13)

Bringing Home the War

Theresa Brandt’s autobiography “Bringing Home the War” begins with the end of her war.

In her second marriage as an ‘Army Wife’ to a Green Beret, John, the casualties of war Brandt describes, both on her home front (as well as the war John fought), are incredulous to say the least. The story opens with Theresa returning to her Missouri roots. This time, however, she is returning with her three sons, Nick, Gabe and Ben. She has left John behind, in the Tennessee home they made together the previous twelve years. As the story builds, Brandt reflects to her beginning and over the next couple-hundred pages, guides the reader as she fills in the details of her tumultuous and abusive life with John.

Over time, Brandt explains and defines the dynamics of her choices in not one but two men who demonstrated deep-seated abuse. Her first husband, Mark, as Brandt describes: ‘…was mad at the world and I was the easiest person to take out his anger on…’ In her second walk down the aisle, this time with John, it doesn’t take the reader long to figure out his tenacious appetite to pepper Brandt with the consistent dysfunctional behavior of emotional and mental incapacitation. Initially, John’s character is defined as a loving, caring and doting man—the kind of man Brandt is worthy of.

Brandt is methodical in the telling of her story as she steps the reader through her meeting John, eventually marrying and beginning to build a family with the imminent birth of their first son, Nick, followed by two more sons over the ensuing years. Through the process, Brandt has assumed the role of military wife as she adapts to military life. The precursor to the perfect military wife is to be sure all needs of their soldier are met and supported. All John ever wanted since he was nine-years-old was to follow in the footsteps of his familial, military heritage. With strong reservations, Brandt eventually acquiesces to John’s desires to become a Green Beret. He serves not one, two, three, but four tours in Iraq. Brandt struggles with John’s long departures and realizes after John’s return from his second tour that life as they had set out together to conquer was trickling a little further away with each return from his mounting tours of active duty. It is understandable why Brandt insists on standing by her man; if for nothing else, but for the sake of their children. However, this logic becomes more distorted the further into the story and the question that becomes more prevalent is: Why does she stay?

I have a lot of admiration and respect for Brandt’s telling of her story - the word ‘courage’ comes to mind. Some of the personal tragedies she shares concerning the continued victory John achieved toward the chipping away of her spirit are nothing less than inhumane and unconscionable. Overall, “Bringing Home the War” is well-organized. If I could want for something more, it would have been for Brandt to play more on the strengths she eventually found within herself once she began her journey toward personal healing. From an editorial standpoint, a keener focus would have been beneficial. Throughout the book, double wording, missed wording and words used in the wrong context are found. This is a difficult biography to read based on content, but I do give Brandt credit for jarring this reader on more than one occasion because of the content.

Bringing Home the War
Theresa Brandt
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781478719564
Reviewed by Diane Lunsford for Reader Views (1/13)

Barbed Wire and Daisies

In her debut novel “Barbed Wire and Daisies,” author Carol Strazer delivers an emotional and, at times, heart-wrenching historical account of German refugee Marike Wiens and her family.

The story opens during the final days of World War II in war-ravaged Prussia. Marike, her four children and her sister Agathe and her two children take flight from the only home they have ever known. The Russian army is closing in and their mission is to destroy the final remnants of what was once a tight-knit Mennonite community of indelible faith. Marike and the children are huddled in the basement of an abandoned row house in Danzig, Germany. They are waiting for her sister Agathe to return, hopefully with food. They are going to Denmark - a place of safety; yet a country that wanted none of the responsibility or the onus to care for any of the thousands of displaced German refugees.

Marike and Agathe continue their journey into the fear of the unknown. They are without their husbands, Horst and Herman; yet with each step, they wonder if they will ever see them again. They are lost to a war that contradicts the very fiber of Mennonite beliefs - an undying oath-taking to the conviction of non-violence and all-encompassing faith in Christ. Prussia is no longer and to turn around in hopes that things would be different simply isn’t an option anymore. When they arrive at the home of Abelhard and Theresa, Marike’s brother and sister-in-law, their safety is temporary as they plan the next leg of their journey.

Through endless crossing of land and sometimes sea, they arrive at their destination - the first of many refugee camps filled with conditions and horrors that will be their lives for the next several years. It is the strength of character and tenacity of their human perseverance that enables these families to prepare for a life where anything truly is possible.

I admire Carol Strazer’s ability to write such a compelling story in “Barbed Wire and Daisies.” War is rarely a topic that leads to a happily-ever-after ending, particularly the topics targeting the outlandish tragedies of World War II. Strazer delivered sensitivity as she patiently developed her work of fiction. Her infusion of real circumstances breathed a depth of credibility into each character she introduced. World War II is a time when any historian must question the existence of humanity. It is admirable for Strazer to have selected this topic because she maintained a level of poise and grace through her words as she delivered a tragic work of fiction. This is not a novel for the faint of heart; rather, it is a thought-provoking story that leads the reader on a journey toward the resurrection of faith.

Barbed Wire and Daisies
Carol Strazer
Outskirts Press (2012)
ISBN 9781432793807
Reviewed by Diane Lunsford for Reader Views (1/13)

Horace Helfin’s Horrifying Halloween

 

“Horace Helfin’s Horrifying Halloween” by John Philip McCarthy is the story of nine-year-old Sally Connors and her friends who must try to stop the evil Goblin King before he conquers the planet.  Aided by the elf Horace Helfin and his apprentice Hector, the group must defeat the evil Goblin King before he turns everyone into his mindless red eyed slaves.  Can Sally and Horace defeat the Goblin King before it’s too late?

After coming to Earth, the Goblin King began to possess people to gain access to certain facilities.  He enslaved the owners of a major chocolate factory on Halloween and used their factory and workers to mass produce chocolates that would turn people into his minions.  Can Sally and Horace reverse the evil spell?

The book had a pretty interesting idea for the plot, but the author failed to develop the suspense and intrigue that would have captivated readers.  The scenes tended to jump back and forth and I was often left wondering how certain things had happened.  Problems were often solved just a little too easily by some freak occurrence or magic that had not been revealed or developed prior to the scene.

I would recommend “Horace Helfin’s Horrifying Halloween” by John Philip McCarthy to people who like fantasy books.  I think that this book would be most enjoyed by young readers, eight to ten-years-old.  This is the second book in the “Horace Helfin” series.  I would recommend reading the first book in the series before this one because it would help readers to understand the characters a little more as well as referencing events that happened prior to“Horace Helfin’s Horrifying Halloween.”


Horace Helfin’s Horrifying Halloween
John Philip McCarthy
Boathouse Entertainment (2012)
ISBN 9780961482916
Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 14) for Reader Views (1/13)