Reader Views

The Island of the Seven Kings: Book I

Article first published as Book Review: The Island of the Seven Kings: Book I by Ken Stephenson on Blogcritics.

“The Island of the Seven Kings” takes us to a beautiful land.  A high god and seven servant gods beneath him are worshipped by the people.  This island also has a main ruler known as the Great Father and seven kings below him who are in charge of the cities located here.  The people of this place are relatively peaceful, and follow the rules of the city in which they reside.  Especially unique to this land are the dragons.  While they are still young and unable to produce fire, specially selected individuals are trained to ride them.  They develop a special bond with them until they have to release them when they start producing fire. This is to protect the rider.

When visitors come to the island by ship, the peace is disturbed. Even though they initially pretend to be friendly, they are really interested in gathering information so that they can invade the cities.  At the arrival of the strangers, several of the best dragon riders team up to demonstrate their abilities with the dragons. They form a group called the “Sky Raiders.”  Pretending to be a military unit that has been in existence for a while, they practice incredible maneuvers over the arriving ships.  This definitely captures the attention and concern of the invaders.

One of the team members secretly has a plan in which he thinks he can work with the dragons so that they can stay with their riders past their period of maturation.  It is heartbreaking to have to leave these wonderful creatures after having years of being bonded with them.  While all this is happening, several of the main characters are also dealing with affairs of the heart and coming into their own as couples.  As usual, complications arise that affect their progress.  This adds a great deal of depth to the unfolding drama.

“The Island of the Seven Kings” tells a wonderful story.  I felt that it was the perfect mixture of fantasy, romance and suspense.  The author does an excellent job bringing both the human and the dragon characters to life.  Everything is described in vivid detail. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of errors with grammar and punctuation that could easily be resolved with proper editing.  Fixing these issues would really make it a perfect story.  I am happy to see that this is the first book in a series and think that readers will find themselves waiting for more books to be released so that they can revisit this incredible place.


The Island of the Seven Kings: Book I
Ken Stephenson
AuthorHouse (2012)
ISBN 9781468543704
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/12)

Words & Graphics: A Collection of Works

Article first published as Book Review: Words & Graphics: A Collection of Works by C.O.B. on Blogcritics.

“Words & Graphics” is an extremely simple title for a complex collection of writings which includes poems, dialogues, short stories, statements and plays.  There are also artistic images that contribute greatly to this novel.  Some of the writings make brief and blunt statements; others are more in-depth and incredibly descriptive considering that they don’t take up many pages. The author also includes H.O.T.Ds - “Highlights of the Day.”  These are interspersed throughout the book and they focus on brutally honest and, at times, disturbing observances made by an employee regarding his day at work.  I really enjoyed reading these because sometimes I feel the same way.

Every important aspect of life is included in these writings. This includes parenting, religion, love, loss, and death.  Nothing is simple or joyful, yet the complexity of the writings left me with some very intense feelings. I also appreciated that the short stories and the screenplay left me wanting more. While this might sound negative, it is actually positive because I wanted to be able to sink myself further into what the characters were experiencing.  I admire the author for being able to draw me in and quickly connect me to the characters in the stories.  The artistic works also added a visual connection to the writings. They can also be enjoyed on their own.  Each one is unique and also made me pause to ponder them.

The author notes that it took ten years to create “Words & Graphics.”  I totally enjoyed every page and highly recommend it.  Readers will enjoy the uniqueness of how the works are presented and appreciate having the opportunity to get their hands on something different.  This book would also make an excellent gift for the person who has everything!


Words & Graphics: A Collection of Works
C.O.B.
Grey Line Press (20122)
ISBN 9780983002826
ASIN: B007K1EF9E
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/12)

White Lies, Black Blood: An Epic Tale of Love and Race

Article first published as Book Review: White Lies, Black Blood: An Epic Tale of Love and Race by Trevor Ennis on Blogcritics.

The story begins in a scene with white men, who on the surface appear to be fine, upstanding, church going members of their community in Kentucky. Their surface appearance is betrayed by the fact that they are heinously attacking a young man simply because he is black. The attack is brutal and meant to end his life. These men consider themselves to be on the hunt to rid their society of the African Americans who reside in it because they deem them to be less than human. It is obvious that they are the ones lacking humanity.

One of these men is the father of an eighteen-year-old, young lady named Angelica. Raised with her father’s racist beliefs, she caters to them, but is unaware of how depraved his actions are. Dating a rich white male named Judas, while attending an all white college, her life seems set for her. In spite of this, she has a yearning in her heart which she is having difficulty with identifying exactly what it means.

When two black students from Jamaica arrive at her college, both Angelica and the community are outraged. She is one of the most outspoken of all of them. However, when the female is brutally attacked, her feelings start to change. She didn’t think things would go that far, she just wanted to make sure that they knew their place and stayed in it.

A chance meeting at an airport connects Angelica with a very handsome black athlete, named Kazeem ‘Kaz’ Asano from Jamaica. In spite of her beliefs, Angelica finds herself attracted to him. She is also embarrassed by her group’s behavior in their attempts to demean and embarrass him. Her belief system slowly starts to change.

When her family decides to take a vacation, Jessica convinces them to go to Jamaica for a month. Without telling them, she hopes to seek out Kaz. When she finally does find him, she sees that he is also attracted to her. They begin a relationship in which she finds herself falling in love. He treats her with a great deal of respect, and she also has a chance to see that the people of his race are not as she assumed they would be. She must keep her relationship a secret from her father.

Angelica’s dilemma revolves around following her heart to what could be true happiness or keeping her family happy and returning with them to continue her relationship with Judas. She is very open with Kaz about her turmoil. He finds her reticence to be with him devastating. Neither has a clue how much her choice to be with him can put his life in danger because of her father. Time will tell what is in store for them.

I found “White Lies, Black Blood,” to be a very compelling, thought-provoking novel. Having the story start with a young man being brutalized simply because of his color was very unsettling and gut-wrenching to read, but the author definitely got his point across. Expecting this story to be set at least fifty years ago, I was surprised that it was not; it was happening during recent times. Because I live in an area where as a Caucasian, I am a minority I see differences among the Mexican, white and black races, but not hatred to this degree. Thank God this is the case. I have always felt that racism and prejudice are based upon hatred and ignorance and this book further strengthened my belief. I highly recommend “White Lies, Black Blood” for both the thought-provoking aspects that it contains and also for the beautiful romance in which a woman is truly treated with a great deal of respect. The respect part was very refreshing, even if I didn’t think that she always earned it.


White Lies, Black Blood: An Epic Tale of Love and Race
Trevor Ennis
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432770181
Read by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/12)

Pearls: Spirits of the Belleview Biltmore

Article first published as Book Review: Pearls: Spirits of the Belleview Biltmore by on Blogcritics.

Honor Macklin is beginning to realize that she should not be in business with her unfaithful ex-husband. As other betrayals come to light regarding issues with him in the business, she decides to go down to Florida to finish clearing out her deceased mother’s home. Even though her mother had a house there, she spent a lot of time at the Belleview Biltmore Hotel. Since the house no longer has furniture, Honor decides that she will stay at the Belleview Biltmore as well. Shortly after arriving at the beautiful hotel, she meets Josh and his precocious four-year-old son Cody. Cody has an unusual gift of being able to communicate with spirits. Being a rational software developer makes it very hard for Honor to accept this, but when Cody starts giving her messages from her mother and she starts having some unusual experiences herself, she starts to believe. She also finds herself falling for Josh.

When Honor starts reading a journal that she found in an old hatbox, she starts having visions where she travels into the past and is able to see how the author, a woman, lived. She also meets other spirits and starts learning about how things were for them back in time. She wonders why she can communicate with them, but not her mother. As she looks for a connection, she finds herself becoming more and more intrigued with their history. She also initiates an investigation into her ex-husband’s activities. The lessons that she learns from the women in her past, one in particular, helps her to develop a strategy to unite honest, hardworking women at her business and in doing so she is also able to gather more information on the illegal activities that might be going on. Honor, Josh and Cody also start seeing themselves as a family. Her friends from the past help her find her true self in the present.

“Pearls” is a phenomenal story that combines paranormal elements with history, mystery and romance. Even though some of the characters had endured horrible situations, it was inspiring to see how they overcame whatever happened to them and became empowered to be independent. I also loved that there was a beautiful romance in both times. Looking up the Belleview Biltmore Hotel on the author’s website and seeing the pictures really brought the story to life. The hotel is beautiful and I can totally understand why the author is passionate about seeing this beautiful piece of history preserved. I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy mysteries and romances that include paranormal and historical elements. “Pearls” would also be the perfect choice for women’s reader groups. “Pearls: Spirits of the Belleview Biltmore” is definitely a novel that will be cherished.


Pearls: Spirits of the Belleview Biltmore
BonSue Brandvik
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781468013832
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/12)

2012: A New Maya Nation Emerges

Article first published as Book Review: 2012: A New Maya Nation Emerges by Edward D. Curry on Blogcritics.

Edward D. Curry’s intuitive nature, vivid imagination, and extensive research are evident in “2012: A New Maya Nation Emerges,” the dramatic climax to the third novel in his Maya adventure series.

Through the use of a short but comprehensive prologue, Curry provides a synopsis of the earlier books in the series: “Temple of the Two Jaguars” and “2012 Maya End Date: A New Beginning.” This synopsis introduces new readers to the series and serves as a reminder to his followers of the main events leading up to the current book in the series, “2012: A New Maya Nation Emerges.”

Representatives from the Mexican government, Mayan leaders, and the Smithsonian Institution convene in Mexico City to consider presentations on the Celestial Awareness Program, the Maya end date projection, the future of Mesoamerica, and the advancement in plate tonic and remote sensing technology, (specifically LiDar and ALSM) for penetrating jungle foliage.

Plans are set in motion for a new Maya culture with a strategy for formation and relocation of the Maya to a newly created town, Nuevo Ciduad, in Guatemala.

A cast of over forty “real-as-life” characters, intricately interacting, add a unique dimension to a masterful character-driven plot which includes intrigue, suspense, adventure, and romance. Curry baits the reader with dialog that includes the promise of action and danger just ahead to build suspense, tension, conflict, and resolution.

Ryan Keshaw’s first person narration, sometimes overtly casual, helps the reader identify and become engaged in his characters. His stimulating dialog also helps move the story forward and establishes important background information. A behind the scenes look into life with his precocious young daughter, Lynn , their new baby son Ryan, his own work with Ryan Keshaw Consulting firm, and his wife Allie’s position as lead archaeologist at the Smithsonian, helps the reader relate to their personal hectic lifestyle, balancing parenting with successful careers.

Chapter titles add a touch of humor and lightness to a subject matter that might otherwise be wholly academic even as a work of fiction. Ryan’s humorous quips and uncanny wit left me quietly guffawing with a lingering smile right on through to the next chapter.

In a narrative beautifully describing the customs and simplicity of a Maya wedding, an emphasis on harmonious interaction with Mother Nature, and glimpses into the sacred book Popol Vuh, the introduction of demons residing in underground caves, psychic talent and crystal balls add another dimension to the range of topics considered in a storyline filled with the unexpected.

Curry’s writing is compelling. Rather than painting a doomsday scenario, he draws a picture of a world on the verge of change as a result of the 2012 Maya end date, which will impact the populace and economy extending beyond Mexico, Guatemala, and United States. This is intense, believable, historical fiction reflecting day-to-day living in a contemporary setting. The reader is transported to the highlands of Guatemala. Graphic descriptions of ancient rituals, rites, and ceremonies add to the colorful history of the Maya.

Curry combines information and insights from the studies of anthropology, Latin American history, ancient religion, mysticism, and astrological forecasting in the fictional account of the Mayan Civilization, its history, culture, art, architecture, symbolism, mythology, superstitions, and contributions to civilization

"2012: A New Maya Nation Emerges” is compelling, scholarly, entertaining creative fiction with a unique twist of wry humor. This is a must read for astrology followers, archeologists, and anthropologists, and just about every one else.


2012: A New Maya Nation Emerges
Edward D. Curry
Merlin & Associates (2012)
ISBN 9780981468433
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (2/12)

Return of the Legacy: The Portals of Destiny, Book 1

Article first published as Book Review: Return of the Legacy: The Portals of Destiny, Book 1 by KH LeMoyne on Blogcritics.

Yes, I know, I’ve said this before and more than once. I’ve always loved mysteries, and I got to truly love fantasy after discovering it for the first time a couple of years ago. I am a little less keen on romance, most of it is way too sappy for my taste, or simply so predictable that I can’t seem to be able to justify spending my time reading yet another cookie-cutter romantic story, where the only things that ever seem to change are the protagonists’ names. So when I saw the description of the genre in “Return of the Legacy” listed as Paranormal Romance/Fantasy Romance/Romantic Suspense I did not get overly excited. Then I made the mistake of reading the first chapter as a short break after lunch...

Needless to say, dinner was very late that night. I simply could not stop reading. KH LeMoyne’s fantasy world was irresistible. There were three vividly described magical dimensions and two main characters from two exceptional mystical bloodlines, that were clearly meant to belong together. There was a lot of magic, a lot of strife, and even more sizzle. I was actually surprised that the pages did not burst into flames at times, since Briallen and Logan sparked and sparkled so brightly. I found the characters exceptionally well developed, the plot suspenseful and anything but predictable, and the entire magical world in the book totally engrossing. What surprised me most of all was the fact that I equally enjoyed the descriptions of magic, the fights and the sizzling love scenes. Very few authors are good at all of those, but KH LeMoyne’s writing captivated me in all of those segments.

While I truly enjoyed reading about the oh-so-charming and self-assured empath Logan, I was even more intrigued by his cousin, Robert, and I do hope that the next book(s) in the series will tell us more about him, as well as about Briallen’s brothers, the young Fiona, the dashing Connor and pretty much everyone else in the story. This is a book that is clearly meant as a beginning of a series, and I can only hope it will be a long one. I would highly recommend “Return of the Legacy" to those readers who enjoy very well-crafted fantasy worlds and unusual magic, and who are not intimidated by sometimes quite explicit love scenes.


Return of the Legacy: The Portals of Destiny, Book 1
KH LeMoyne
Black Opal Books (2011)
ISBN 9780983268185
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/12)

Color My Horse

Article first published as Book Review: Color My Horse by Bev Pettersen on Blogcritics.

I’ll be the first to admit that I know next to nothing about the world of horse racing, and I never thought that a romance novel set in such a world could hold my attention for very long, yet I found myself truly hooked after the first few pages of the story. In some strange way all those details about the life in the stables and on the racetrack turned out to be fascinating, and very quickly I found myself caring for a good few of the characters in Bev Pettersen’s “Color My Horse,” which turned out to be a truly fun mixture of rather hot romance and intriguing mystery with international elements.

Jessica Boone was born into a rich family, but she decided to forge her own way in the world. After an accident in her chosen career at the time she was forced to abandon it, but she was determined not to give in to her rather tyrannical grandfather. She had a plan, but she needed just a bit of financial help to put it in motion, so she was forced to ask him for help. Needless to say the old man was less than impressed with her idea, and quite determined to have her work for him, so he devised a challenge. If she would work as a groom at the racetrack for a certain period of time, he will finance her venture. If not, she would come and work for him. Jessica found herself in a totally new world, one of which she knew absolutely nothing about, yet she was determined to make it work for her. After all, she was born into a rich family, but she has never been lazy or afraid to work. If the daily challenges of her work were not enough, there was also the fact that her new boss, Mark Russell, was very attractive, if not always pleasant. Could Jessica tough it out? Will the romance sizzle or fizzle? And who are those sinister people lurking around the stables?

I’ve greatly enjoyed both the romantic and the mystery components of the story. I found the characters believable and very diverse, and some of the minor ones actually became my favorites, particularly Maria and her “charge,” of whom I do not want to say too much here to protect the mystery. The daily life and travails of the people taking care of the horses proved to be far more interesting and engrossing than expected, and I was pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns of the storyline, as well as at the rather surprising ending. I would highly recommend “Color My Horse” to any lover of solid, intelligent romance and mystery, as long as they do not object to sometimes rather explicit sexual content.


Color My Horse
Bev Pettersen
Westerhall Books (2011)
ISBN 9780987671721
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (1/12)

Demon Soul

Rose Walters knows what it is like to have lost something.  Growing up, she had nothing of value for as long as she could remember.  She lost her mother at the age of sixteen, was kicked out of the house of the family who took her in and spent the remaining days of her own life in the streets and on drugs.  She has now been chosen for a different life after her death.  As a Soul Chalice, she is a protector of souls.   Her task is to protect Gabriel Cane and keep him from losing his soul.  Gabriel Cane is, part human, demon and fae.  He has spent many years being estranged from his family, mostly because he is ashamed of his demon heritage.   He blames himself for his mother’s death, because she died giving birth to him.  When he comes home, he has to face the fact that he has lost some of his soul to a vampire named Satine and she is fighting hard to reclaim the rest.  With the help of his family and friends, and now Rose, Gabriel must try to do whatever he can to keep the rest of his soul away from Satine.  Quickly they realize that Rose’s powers are demon-like similar to his own.  So Gabriel begins to work with Rose to teach her how to control them, much like how he has had to learn.  As Gabriel and Rose work on learning how Rose’s powers work, word has gotten back to Satine that Gabriel’s soul is being protected by Rose.  At first she didn’t recognize her, but as they both now realize, Satine and Rose discover that they were cousins when they were living.  As the stakes get higher, both sides are calling in all of their allies to help.  From vampires to werewolves to witches, they much use their strengths to save one soul that holds the soul of thousands.

“Demon Soul” is a very interesting book.  After reading the book, my first thought was this book is not “Twilight” and therefore, should not be read by the young teens who want to enjoy books about vampires these days.  So, I would caution anyone considering allowing elementary and middle school-aged children to read this book.  It does not appear to be the author’s intent, but this seemed, important to mention – just in case.  I also thought the authors writing style was very technical and mature in nature and would more than likely lose someone in that age bracket anyway.  The concept around “Demon Soul” is something that I have not come across before.  I would have to applaud Christine Ashworth for coming up with a plot that hadn’t already saturated the market.  The characters were different than what you would normally read about.  Although the book was a work of fiction, the author took real life issues and managed to weave them into the story in a very nice way.  So, the book went beyond a love story or a story about someone being rescued.  It went a little deeper and darker into family relationships and the issues that plague our society, such as drug addiction and created a story around that. “Demon Soul” is for those who want something different and want to go beyond the fluff that is out there today.


Demon Soul
Christine Ashworth
Crescent Moon Press (2011)
ISBN 9780984180592
Reviewed by Tracey Rock for Reader Views (1/12)

The Year I Learned to Text: Why Am I Having Sex with a Muslim in My Basement?

Article first published as Book Review: The Year I Learned to Text: Why Am I Having Sex with a Muslim in My Basement? by Juliet Montague on Blogcritics.

Sixty-year-old Juliet Montague is a part-time actress, comedian, and real estate agent. She has also been divorced four times. She lives a quiet life with her two dogs. Being a relationship kind of lady, when loneliness strikes she decides to try online dating. While she easily weeds out a few serious losers, she finds herself being drawn under the spell of a thirty-eight-year-old Persian Muslim named Ali. Initially she tries to convince him that he is crazy for wanting to date a woman her age, but he manages to win her over. After a couple of dates, she finds herself unable to stop thinking about him.

Ali is an attractive man who seems to know how to hit all of Juliet’s vulnerable spots - her emotional ones anyway. Sexually, he knows that she craves a physical connection with him; however, he is a very selfish lover. Claiming religious reasons, he does not invite her into his home to meet his family. He also tells her that she can be his lover for five years, and then he has to marry a woman that will be of his faith and be able to bear him children. He is not willing to offer her much, yet she stays hooked on him. When their dates dwindle down to romantic encounters in her house, and phones calls become intermittent texts, Juliet still stays attached to him. Not even his constantly running nose can dissuade her from being with him.

Juliet does try to move forward with her life. She continues to do occasional dates with men from the Internet; however, none of them would be capable of helping her move beyond Ali. She also buys a small dream home in the mountains where she can escape from city life. Ali, of course, thinks that it is too far of a drive, even though he is willing to travel farther to be with friends. One thing Juliet is able to do is use her relationship with Ali as a great source for material for her stand up routines.

Juliet’s family, including her mother and daughters are extremely concerned for her. This is understandably so because no one wants to see a loved one being emotionally taken advantage of. Rather than heed their warnings, she just backs off on talking about him to them. As time passes, Juliet resorts to using the Internet to try to learn more about Ali’s faith and why he is like he is. What she reads teaches her that his religion promotes a great deal of his behavior. There will be no changing him, not for long anyway. But Juliet is in love…

“The Year I Learned to Text” contains a great deal of humorous stories, even when Ali is being bad. I also found it to be very educating and hopefully eye opening to women who might find themselves wandering down this same path with an emotionally unavailable man; having been there myself, I could totally relate to much of what she was experiencing. Juliet presents herself to be a woman who really deserves so much better than Ali has to offer. Her devotion to her dogs certainly earned her a lot of points with me. This is highly recommended reading, especially for women’s reader groups.


The Year I Learned to Text: Why Am I Having Sex with a Muslim in My Basement?
Juliet Montague
Xlibris (2011)
ISBN 9781456827137
Reviewed Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/12)

Singing Her Alive: A Fictional Memoir

Article first published as Book Review: Singing Her Alive: A Fictional Memoir by Diana K. Perkins on Blogcritics.

“Singing Her Alive” begins when the death of her grandmother takes a modern city dwelling woman, named Sarah, back to her roots.  When Sarah returns home to help her mother clear out her grandmother’s belongings, she finds herself feeling connected to the old homestead. Her interest is peaked when she discovers the diaries of both her grandmother Rebecca and her lifelong friend “Aunt” Doris.

Taking her back in time to the late 1800s, Sarah reads about how Doris and Rebecca met.  Sharing a bed in a room in a boarding house while they both worked in a textile mill started their friendship.  As their relationship blossomed, they encountered many complications and obstacles from others, who couldn’t accept that they were becoming more than just friends.  When a crisis forces them to look elsewhere for a fresh start, Sarah’s future grandfather helps them with this goal.
          
As Sarah reads these journals, she finds herself feeling pulled further and further away from her life in Boston.  Through her readings, Sarah is able to go back in time and see how life was for these two women.  As she sees how they discover each other, she also begins learning more about herself.  Her personal life becomes more involved in this little town. Family secrets that are revealed in the diaries also greatly complicate things.  Sarah has to figure out how she is to handle what information has been revealed to her, because it will still have a tremendous impact on those she cares about. As she works through this dilemma, she also is growing closer to her mother and has made some special friendships with two local people.

“Singing Her Alive” has two love stories. One is from the past, and the other is developing in the present.  Both involve difficulties, yet the people involved reveal themselves to be incredible characters that are worth fighting for.  Written as a fictional memoir, the author made it hard for me to believe that it didn’t really happen. Including a great deal of true historical information really helped with this. She peaked my interest so much, I found myself looking through a website that is included as a reference.  I highly recommend reading this novel.


Singing Her Alive: A Fictional Memoir
Diana K. Perkins
FriesenPress (2011)
ISBN 9781770671195
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/12)