Review: Elphie Meets the End of the World by Hagit R. Oron

 

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Description:

“The end of the world is coming. Today. They said so on TV!

When Elphie overhears an older boy talking about the end of the world, he runs home to find a better place to hide. Luckily, Mom and Dad are there and the three of them manage to deal with the dreadful news.:

Author:

A lifelong love-affair with books eventually led to Hagit R. Oron writing books of her own. For more, check out Ms Oron’s website.

Appraisal:

I enlisted my granddaughter (we’ll call her LBG) who just started second grade to read Elphie Meets the End of the World to me while I looked at the pictures. LBG did a pretty decent job, struggling a bit with some of the bigger words, but between sounding them out and a bit of help from me she got all the way through. The story might be one that hits a bit close to home in these strange times, but with the help of family Elphie makes it through okay. When she was done reading I asked LBG whether she liked the story and what she thought of the pictures. Her immediate response was “I loved all of it.” As she was reading she’d point out subtle things in the pictures that she thought were important or that amused her, one example was when Elphie took a “sip” of a drink, but after just that one sip the glass was almost empty. Since that initial read LBG has borrowed my Kindle fire to re-read Elphie’s adventures. I think we can safely say we’d both recommend this book for early readers or for others to read to younger, non-reading children.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 16 pages

Review: The Disappearing Shore by Roberta Park

 

Genre: General Fiction/Eco-Lit

Description:

“This enigmatic three-part novella imagines what might happen if the nice environmentalist next door finally snapped and started telling the truth—the real truth about his overwhelming guilt, rage, and fear. As the story unfolds, others break their silence in a desperate bid to save their corner of the world from the recklessness that has led us here.

From the confessions of today’s unlikely heroes — full of candour and dark humour — The Disappearing Shore depicts a much different tomorrow, and the struggle of those determined to continue the human story.

We are at an extraordinary point in human history, and this eco-lit tale by Roberta Park addresses the fears and responsibility we must face.”

Author:

Roberta Park is the pen name used, at least for this book, by an author and community activist who lives in Canada. For more, visit her blog.

Appraisal:

This book is fiction and it’s not. It isn’t true, yet it is. It reads like non-fiction with several authors, but is actually fiction with multiple characters. Confused? I’ll try to explain.

The Disappearing Shore appears to be a series of short essays by a variety of people with expertise in different areas, each relating a bit on their experiences and thoughts on things that are generally related to the environment. The reality is the people aren’t real (although maybe they’re based on real people), but it gives us a series of characters to view how the world and our environment is changing over time and give us some different points of view on environmental issues. At a minimum this should get you thinking. Ideally that will be followed by action. (What that action should be, I’ll leave to you to decide.)

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

The author is from Canada and her spelling reflects this.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words.

Review: One Hundred Bullets by EJ Finorff

 

Genre: Thriller/Crime

Description:

“Captain Lou Rush of the New Orleans police department is the leader of the Tribunal, a band of ten cops dedicated to eliminating the criminals that fall through the cracks of the justice system. Their success has made them powerful, and untouchable in the Crescent City, but that is about to change.

After two decades, the time has come for Lou Rush’s son Nick to join the Tribunal as aging members are due to retire. However, a fellow officer is killed by the Tribunal, and Nick discovers that his father may have also murdered an innocent man.

For years, Nick’s fiancé Cali Maddox quietly blends into the background. With an agenda of her own, her secrets will force father and son to decide where their true loyalties lie - with the Tribunal or with the love of Nick’s life, because one of them will not survive the aftermath.”

Author:

“New Orleans and all its dark weirdness laid the foundation for every story E.J. has written since high school up to present day. He was born and raised in the Crescent City, but now lives in Chicago.”

Appraisal:

Wow. This was quite a story. Few stories keep me as on edge, unsure of what was going to happen next, pulling for the good guys (but at times not positive who the good guys really are), as this one did. Just when I’d think I had a handle on things, not where the story was going to go, but at least who was good and who wasn’t, or what was fact and what wasn’t, something would happen to show me I was wrong. Or maybe not, as what I was sure of changed, then changed back (but with more details and a more nuanced opinion). It was a great story, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, with a unique set of characters and a new take on an old premise. (A group of vigilantes taking out the bad guys has been around since the old west, or at least the westerns that pretend to be from then, right?)

So why am I raving about the great story and giving it a mediocre ranking? One of the knocks against self-publishing is that too often indie authors don’t polish their prose to acceptable levels, letting way too many grammar issues, typos, and other such things that should be eradicated prior to publication get through to the book that goes on sale. My experience has been that for the most part, this complaint is overstated. But when I do read a book that has issues with inadequate proofing, if I don’t discard it up front, if the number of issues I flagged while reading it go over a certain number, I’ll mention it and knock off stars to reflect the inadequate proofing. This book exceeded my limit. In fact, it has double the number of errors it takes for me to consider a book over the line. These are all minor (missing words, extra words, wrong words, etc) but all things that make me stumble over the sentences as I’m reading, throwing me out of the story. It’s sad when such a fantastic story is sullied by proofreading as atrocious as this.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Lots of proofing issues. Missing or extra words, wrong words, and assorted other issues. Way beyond what is acceptable.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: Barclay: Bachelors & Babies by Charlene Raddon

 

Genre: Sweet Romance/Western/Historical

Description:

“No bachelor could be prepared for what happens to the Givens brothers one stormy night in 1876. Finding a pregnant woman on their road, they take her in. Before they can learn anything about her, she gives birth to triplets and disappears. Luckily, the doctor supplies a much-needed wet-nurse— Cynara, a recent widow who lost her baby. Her sad eyes and gentle acceptance awaken something in Barclay's staid soul. But she's not ready for a new man in her life. She'll stay at the ranch and tend the babies, but that's all.

Meanwhile, where is the babies' real mother? Who and where is the father? And what will become of these helpless infants?”

Author:

“Charlene Raddon fell in love with the wild west as a child, listening to western music with her dad and sitting in his lap while he read Zane Gray’s books. She never intended to become a writer. Charlene was an artist. She majored in fine arts in college.

In 1971, she moved to Utah, excited for the opportunity to paint landscapes. Then her sister introduced her to romance novels. She never picked up a paintbrush again… Instead of painting pictures with a brush, Charlene uses words.”

For more information about Ms. Raddon feel free to visit her website.

Appraisal:

Bachelors & Babies is a multi-author endeavor. Barclay is the oldest of three Givens brothers running the family ranch, and the first of Ms. Raddon’s contributions to the series. Each brother gets his own book, and I think Barclay sets a nice foundation for the other two brother’s stories. However, the last thing this ranch needs are more babies.

The prolog to this story is tragic and heartbreaking. Cynara Stratton is a young widow who has lost everything and most recently her own baby.

The story proper starts one stormy night when the Givens brothers take in a pregnant woman coming up their road to the ranch house. Cold, wet, obviously abused, and in the early stages of labor she is seeking sanctuary for the night. She warily accepts their help, but refuses to even give them her name or where she is from. The brothers are flying blind having only birthed calves. After the baby is born they think they are home free, however the mother doesn’t even want to look at him or hold him. Then the labor pains start again. Doc has been sent for, but is delayed because of the storm and the flooded creek. By the time he arrives a third baby has been born. Since the baby momma won’t give the men even her name they call her Minnie (no relation to the mouse). Doc gives the babies a clean bill of health, despite their small size, and tells Minnie to rest and stay in bed for a few days. However, by the next morning she has run off leaving the babies behind.

Doc brings Cynara to the Givens ranch to be a wet nurse for the premature triplets hoping it will help heal the hole in her soul. She blends in well with the men knowing this is just a temporary situation, but can’t help loving each of the babies. I thought it was endearing how each brother claimed and named a baby. The plot twists and turns as other secondary characters are brought into the story. It’s a rollercoaster ride running the ranch and dealing with more personal attacks. Barclay’s life is turned upside down and inside out as tension builds in the last few chapters for an explosive turn of events.

I found Barclay and Cynara’s journey quite satisfying, and I was glad when Barclay finally found the right words he meant to convey to Cynara. This was a fun adventure into the wild west of Montana.  

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Barclay is book 4 in the Bachelors and Babies Books.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Reprise Review: Malocclusion, tales of misdemeanor by V.S. Kemanis

 

Genre: Short Story Collection

Description:

“Tempting little wrongs, moral dilemmas, subconscious desires. Blinded by self-deception, even the best of us are led astray. In these 14 stories, you'll encounter familiar misdemeanants from every walk of life and their unwitting—or complicit—victims.”

Author:

“V.S. Kemanis is a California native and currently resides in New York. As an attorney, she has been a criminal prosecutor for county and state agencies, argued criminal appeals for the prosecution and defense, conducted complex civil litigation, and worked for state appellate courts.”

Kemanis also has three short story collections available and is working on the second novel in her Dana Hargrove legal mystery series.

For more, visit her website.

Appraisal:

This is a collection of slice-of-life stories, each with a character who has a flaw, often exacerbated by a dose of self-delusion. With the exception of that flaw, they could be just like us. (Or maybe they are just like us and we don’t want to admit it.) Each is well told, with interesting characters, which might go without saying since it is usually the imperfections that make a character unique.

A few of the stories stood out, each for different reasons. Cat, for the twist ending that snuck up on me. Where I Am stood out because it is much different from the other stories in setting and genre, although that reality was slow in penetrating my consciousness. Last, A Simple Case, because it features Dana Hargrove, the protagonist in Kemanis’ novel Thursday’s List, which I had previously read. This story takes place prior to the novel. Dana learns some lessons that will be beneficial for her future.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Added for Reprise Review: Malocclusion, tales of misdemeanor by V.S. Kemanis was a nominee in the Short Story Collections and Anthologies category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran October 31, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Bitcoin: Just the Facts by Beverley Douglas

 

Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“Unless you have been subject to living underground for the last decade it would have been impossible for you to ignore the hype surrounding Bitcoin. Whether it would be your local news anchor hammering it as a scam or your neighbor trying to give your family free and fantastic investment advice, the phenomenon has swept through every major nation in the world. However, as your average citizen just trying to get on with your day you may have never truly known what the hype is all about. What exactly is Bitcoin? Why are so many people talking about it? Why should you care? Well, all of that and more will be answered in this book as we bring you Bitcoin: Just The Facts.”

Author:

No information readily available about the author, either in the book or on an author page on Amazon.

Appraisal:

I’m torn about this book. It’s a short read, on a subject where my existing knowledge was miniscule, at best, before reading it. Now I think my knowledge is slightly greater. I know a bit more than I did and have some direction for investigating ideas and concepts in more detail, either via other books or searching the internet. At least from what little I knew and knowledge I had from other areas (stock investing, for one) where some of the same ideas and concepts apply to some degree, what the book said, while basic, seems credible.

However, the author tells us nothing, either in the book or on an Amazon author’s page as to what makes them an expert on this subject. The number of proofreading issues I spotted (typos, wrong words, etc) were enough that I’d consider it problematic in a novel of 10-20 times as many words, which gave me concerns about the author’s attention to detail. But I’ll reiterate, the information seems limited, but accurate, so if you’re interested in learning more about this subject, this might be a good start if you have no knowledge and from here you’ll get a sense as to whether you want to pursue more details and, if so, which areas interest you most.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Too many typos or wrong words and other proofing issues for such a short read.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Review: The Spirit of Laughter by Johnathan R. Rose

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Description:

“Francisco Roberto Morelos is trapped in a school run by a cruel, sadistic, corrupt principal nicknamed Evil Espinosa, and she has chosen him to perform a Herculean task. As punishment for disobedience, he must paint 92 portraits of his classmates on a giant wall surrounding the school. He has only 3 weeks to do it, and the portraits must be perfect, or he will face terrible consequences. In his quest to bring those students to life on the wall, Francisco embarks on a journey into their hearts, minds and lives, where he discovers just how much Evil has affected each and every one of them. Evil can only win for so long however, and as his journey comes to an end, Francisco discovers that laughter is not just a means to oppose it, but a potent weapon that can be used to destroy it.

Inspired by the murals of victims of Evil painted on walls throughout Mexico, The Spirit of Laughter is a story about no longer accepting and enduring what Evil dishes out, but standing up and laughing in its face. So laugh, loud and proud, in the face of Evil, just as the children laugh.

A valuable antidote during this time when so many of our leaders are making toxic decisions.”

Author:

A native of Ontario, Canada where he recently returned to live, Johnathan R. Rose has a long history of wanderlust, having visited 35 countries, and lived in Mexico and Central America for nearly 12 years, before returning to Canada. This is his second novel.

Appraisal:

If you’ve ever read a book or watched a movie where the good guy is an underdog who is trying to win a battle against the bad guy who holds the strings of power, you’ve got the basic idea of this story, at least from a high-level perspective. But I doubt you’ve ever read something quite like this version of that particular trope. That Francisco is young and still figuring things out makes you pull for him even more than you might normally in what’s setup as a battle between good and evil. You might also feel like there is a lesson here for people much older than Francisco, like maybe Ms Espinosa is a stand in for others people who abuse the power they’ve been given, and I think you’re right there too. Whether you take it at face value or prefer to read deeper meanings into it, this story is a thoroughly enjoyable read that I highly recommend.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: Dead in the Water by Donna Collins

 

Genre: Thriller/Crime/Mystery

Description:

“Jason Wade is an East End boxer-turned-Police Crime Scene Investigator. He likes his job, has a good circle of friends, and is never short of female admirers. But, although on the outside his life looks an enviable one, behind closed doors he has more than one secret hidden away. When a female body is dragged from the Thames, the skeletons from Jason's past quickly begin to resurface and his near-perfect life slowly begins to spiral out of control. But, when a second victim is pulled from the Thames with amnesia, Jason questions if the two accidents are related to each other. With none of his colleagues believing there is a link between the two incidences, and ordered to stay away from the case by his boss, will investigating these seemingly unrelated cases lead Jason to his own downfall, and how many of his friends will he take with him?”

Author:

A native of England, Donna Collins is a fan of 70s and 80s TV shows which along with her reading books from the same time period she attributes as the reason she likes dark mysteries and thrillers, not just to read, but to write. Along with writing, Ms Collins has worked for multiple law enforcements organizations, which should give her some different perspectives to influence her storytelling. This is her fourth book.

Appraisal:

This was a strange story, and I mean that in a positive way, in that it kept me guessing, wondering who the good guys were and who the bad. Some, with good reason, would say they were all bad guys. Why? Because every member of law enforcement with any significant mention in this story, including our hero and protagonist, Jason, were stretching rules at a minimum, if not actually breaking laws. However, since it is fiction, I found it easy enough to go along with the credo of the ends justifying the means. If we’re going to be fair, had all the good guys strictly followed the rules here, the story would have been a lot different, less entertaining, and not a very satisfying read. As it is this was an intense thriller that kept me interested and guessing where things were headed and how Jason was going to find and prove what he needed to. This is the first of a planned series and based on the ending, I think we’ve got at least one story thread for book two (if not subsequent books as well) setup already.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

This is the first book in a series.

Author is from the UK and this is reflected in spelling conventions used.

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Reprise Review: Ice Diaries by Lexi Revellian

 

Genre: Romantic Thriller/Post-Apocalyptic

Description:

In 2018, the world’s population has been decimated by a virulent virus, and as if that’s not tough enough, a rapid freeze has covered England under snow and ice. London, where the story takes place, is buried by twenty meters of snow.

Author:

When she’s not writing fiction, Ms. Revellian designs and makes jewellery under her real name, Lexi Dick. She’s made pieces for Margaret Thatcher, 10 Downing Street, and Her Majesty the Queen.

Ice Diaries is her fifth novel. You can learn more about her at her website.

Appraisal:

In her Amazon author profile, Ms Revellian boasts that she has sold 60,000 self-published books. After reading Ice Diaries, my only question would be, “Why so few?”

I had a terrific time sharing a snow-swamped London with the characters in Ice Diaries. The author’s writing style is about as easy on the eye as any I can remember--like listening to a compelling after-dinner story told by a fascinating guest.

I particularly enjoyed the makeshift communities I spent time in with Tori, the twenty-three year-old protagonist. Her engaging nature and irreverent wit had me smiling, a lot. Tori hangs out with a small group of liberal-types. They have dug tunnels below the snow and live off the contents of the buried stores. This small group of survivors squat in apartments still above the snow level, furnish themselves with necessities from Argos (for Americans, think Sears), and live in hope that someone in the warmer south will send a helicopter to rescue them.

Along with Tori, I enjoyed her group of characters and the naive structure they force on themselves to retain a level of civility. They establish foraging rules and game nights and dinner parties—very British, in an eccentric but nice way.

Along comes Morgan, a rough, brooding, and dangerous cage fighter. He turns Tori’s head, forcing her to look outside the quaint but unrealistic life she has fallen into. When Morgan’s ex-gang members come looking for him, the pleasant balance of Tori’s community is turned upside down. Drawing on an inner strength that surprises everyone including Morgan, in the end she finds a way out of their difficulties, and in the process changes all their lives.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Added for Reprise Review: Ice Diaries by Lexi Revellianwas a nominee in the Thriller category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran October 24, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

English (UK) spelling.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: Blood by Choice by Rob Pierce

 

Genre: Noir/Hard-Boiled/Crime Fiction

Description:

“Two women and a child are murdered. Dust, who unknowingly set them up, returns to Berkeley to find the killer. With his old buddy Karma in tow, Dust discovers that one of the culprits was Vollmer, a ruthless hired gun working for Dust’s former boss, Rico. When Vollmer finds out Dust is in town the hunt becomes mutual.

In this, the third book of the Uncle Dust series, old debts are paid and new ones incurred. Brutish, dangerous men lurk in every corner and slaughter runs rampant.”

Author:

“Rob Pierce wrote the novels Uncle Dust and With The Right Enemies, the novella Vern In The Heat, and the short story collection The Things I Love Will Kill Me Yet. Editor of Swill Magazine, an editorial consultant with All Due Respect Books, and co-editor at Flash Fiction Offensive, Rob has been nominated for a Derringer Award for short crime fiction and has had stories published in numerous ugly magazines. He lives and will probably die in Oakland, California.”

Appraisal:

The protagonist of this book is technically named Dustin, but his nickname, Dust, fits him much better. Why? Well generally because he’s dirty, as in not a very nice person in many ways. He’s done a lot of bad things in his life and they don’t stop in our story here. But it’s easy to forgive him, even as the body counts are steadily climbing as the story goes on, because Dust is back on the streets of the East Bay, mainly in Oakland and Berkeley, with the intent of finding whoever it was that killed two of his former girlfriends along with a child of one of them. Those deaths might have happened in an effort to get Dust back in the Bay Area so the local crime boss could exact some revenge. Doesn’t matter. Dust can’t let this go unanswered. If you’re really into hard-boiled, maybe you like your hard-boiled eggs as hard as a rock and the bodies piled up as high as a San Francisco high rise, then this is definitely the book for you.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

This genre isn’t the one to read if you’re offended by strong language, adult situations, or violence of any kind in your reading material. Consider yourself warned. It appears that this is the third book in a series featuring Dust, but this story stands alone well, there is no need to have read prior books in the series to understand what is going on in this one.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance reader copy, so I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words