The (In)Fidelity Factor / Elda M. Lopez

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Non-Fiction/Self Help

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

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Author:

“Elda has been on both sides of the (in)fidelity fence. Her experiences, and those she's witnessed one time too many, led her to write a credible account of the whys and why nots before stepping into the infidelity pit. A native Southern Californian; she was born in Glendale, reared in Lincoln Heights until the age of two, and lived in Norwalk thereafter.”

For more, visit the author’s website.

http://eldamlopez.com/

Description:

“A much needed book for those with a desire to know and those in the throes of desire re: (in)fidelity in a committed relationship. It includes invaluable information, statistics, commentary, personal stories (including the author's) and surveys for examination.”

Appraisal:

The subtitle, “points to ponder before you cheat,” says it all. Although the author doesn’t appear to have any special credentials in this subject area (psychologist, sociologist, etc), she makes a good case for why people cheat, what the repercussions are, and the alternative reactions to the root cause. If the goal is to get the reader to think before jumping, which I think it is based on the “ponder” in the subtitle, then it might do the trick.

Much of the author’s case is based on anecdotal evidence, largely stories (both her own and others) and surveys (although those done by the author were with small samples, they did help illustrate her points). Were this purely anecdotal I’d think it had done a good job. Readers could use common sense, compare their own experience and observation to Lopez’s conclusions, and quite possibly agree with them.

However, she didn’t. And that’s where I have some concerns. To bolster some of the contentions the author quoted various studies and surveys. This added some real numbers and authority, which is a good thing. These facts are too often not sourced. If I don’t know anything about where the numbers came from, there is no way to evaluate their accuracy, relevance, or the author’s interpretation. And some of these numbers made me want to dig deeper. I’ll give a couple examples.

The author is making the case that children from broken homes suffer repercussions. Several things are mentioned in a section with the subheading of “Other Crucial Statistics.” First, she says that the possibility of suicide is doubled for children from broken homes compared to non-broken homes. I’m willing to believe this statistic is true, but would like to know more about the study it came from. Based on what we’re given I’m not sure that it shows what it appears to be intended to show (that cheating, if it leads to a divorce as it often does, doubles the odds of your children committing suicide). There are some potential problems with that interpretation. The main one is that correlation doesn’t prove causation. Another possible interpretation would be that mental health issues often have genetic roots. Perhaps parents more prone to mental health problems are also more likely to divorce (while also passing those genes onto their offspring who are going to be more prone to suicide). Or possibly not. From this statistic, we can’t tell.

Later in the same section I found this:

In case of children belonging to fatherless homes:

o 85 percent have behavioral disorders

o 90 percent are homeless and runaway children

o 63 percent commit youth suicide

I saw this and my BS meter went off the scale. Either these statistics are being misquoted, there are relevant facts being left out (maybe other factors in the study besides these children being from fatherless homes), or all the people I know who grew up in a “fatherless home” did much better than the average.

I think much of what the author has to say is relevant and her high level conclusions are correct, so I’d be inclined to recommend reading this book if you’re in its target audience, but I’m torn. If you promise to take the statistics with a ton of salt, I’d say go for it. However, if you can’t do that, maybe you’d be better trying to find an alternative to convince you that cheating isn’t the way to go.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: *** Three stars

A Not-Really-a-Guest Post from Keith Nixon, author of The Fix

I read an article recently that said the best-selling genres in 2012/13 have been romance and crime – unfortunately (and quite typically) I can’t now lay my hands on these words. As a male of the species, my literary tastes skip right past the former and onto the latter. What is certainly true is two of last year’s most successful books - Fifty Shades and Gone Girl - were originally independently published, as was Hugh Howey’s Wool. Change is well underway in the book industry, although you’d have to have lived in a cave for a few years not to have noticed this.

My tastes have changed over the years. When I was a kid I devoured mounds of sci-fi (Asimov, Moorcock, Harrison, ScottCard) and then shifted to thrillers (Ludlum, Maclean, Forbes). More years ago than I’d like to recall my wife (ok I confess I wasn’t a kid by then) bought me three Ian Rankin books for Christmas after I’d read an article (another one) on him. Which opened up crime.

I’m into crime in three arenas – as a reader (the place we all start, of course), a writer (having dabbled originally in comedy and historical fiction) and most recently as a reviewer for Al. Other than getting married and having kids (I say that because my family will likely pick up this article) these are my three favourite things in life and I count myself very lucky to be involved. One followed the other, sort of, and these days they are interlinked and indispensable. Why crime? I’ve no idea. Why do I like tomato ketchup and the next person hates it? It’s just taste. Okay, that was a cop out… Joke not originally intended.

I’ll assume everyone who reads Al’s blog is a reader so in this post I’ll concentrate on why reviewing?

Well, it was somewhat a happy accident. Having self-published my book (The Fix, available in a few good bookstores) I was looking for an approach to widen my reach and knowledge of the industry. Endlessly tweeting into the social webosphere was frankly wearing (I use  Facebook much more these days, feel free to look me up) and it was rare to get much back from all the digital shouting (still is). By pure chance I happened across Books & Pals and sent Al an e-mail. Within days I was reviewing self and independently published books.

This latter point is also important, so please allow me a moment’s diversion. I’m a big believer in the little guy. I like to see the underdog win. I like to see change. My day job (most writers earn next to nothing) is all about change – I’m involved in transitioning traditional, analogue industries across to digital processes. Ironic really.

As alluded to previously, this upheaval is also underway in the book industry. The big houses still have their place, and always should, but there’s a shift in the landscape. Authors that wouldn’t have gotten a bite from either agent or publisher   a decade ago, are now in ‘print’. And we should all rejoice at that fact. Last Christmas I stood in a large national bookstore chain and looked at their top 50 books. Over half were by celebrities, many others were cookbooks. It was depressing. Go to an e-book store and the choice is huge. And therein lies the problem.

It is regularly said (far too often I think) that everyone has a book inside them. Really? Well, maybe. But… not everybody wants to write a book. Of those that do put finger to keyboard many simply aren’t capable of effectively communicating the story in a fashion that captivates the reader. So, you could argue most people’s books should stay exactly there – inside them. This explosion of self-publishing means there are a lot of new books bouncing around in the world. The Amazon UK Kindle store says it contains 2,262,348 items with 198,382 added in the last 90 days. That’s some growth.

And that’s where ‘why review’ comes in. Or one half of it, at least.

My (self-imposed) role in reviewing (although Al does scare me) is to tell readers of this blog what is worth reading and what isn’t, but crucially why - with the caveat that this is a personal taste aspect (which I’ll always attempt to qualify). I will also state clearly what I do and don’t like about a story and often pepper my review with examples of the writing. The ultimate purpose is to let you, the blog reader, decide. I’ll also point out format or technical errors because I see no excuse for these.

There are a couple of outcomes from reviewing. Not everyone has liked my assessments. I’ve had negative feedback from a couple of readers as well as writers. But – bad reviews are part of being an author, we all get them.

Another is there are strata when it comes to writing ability. Some authors are not so good and will more than likely never progress. A large chunk are in the middle. They are okay and may or may not progress, but there are a relatively small number that are up there, high quality writers. Most of these in the latter segment tend, over time, to get indie deals or transition into traditional publishing deals.

Which leads to the other half of why review. I’ve learnt a huge amount. I’ve seen good, bad and indifferent books. It’s taught me a lot about the craft of writing for the reader – Hugh Howey of Wool fame said something similar.  And I’ve made some fantastic contacts in the writing and publishing world. It’s a very competitive market, but ironically not between the authors themselves. The people I now know (in crime) couldn’t be a nicer bunch and are always willing to help with promotion and advice. Ultimately that’s what makes the world go around. People helping others.

Long may it continue.

Get your copy of Keith's book, The Fix, recently re-released by a small British publisher, from Amazon US (ebook or paper) or Amazon UK (ebook or paper).

The Neumarian Chronicles: Weighted / Ciara Knight

Reviewed by: Michael Thal

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Approximate word count: 10-11,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Ciara Knight is the author of YA novels and speculative fiction. A native of Tampa, Florida, she currently resides in Kennesaw, Georgia where she is working on the third installment of The Neumarian Chronicles series, Balance. When not writing, Knight loves to travel. She’s even landed in a helicopter on an Alaskan glacier. 

Description:

Raeth Arteres, a Neumarian, is a prisoner on board the Queen’s airship. She is about to be interrogated by one of the queen’s henchmen using an experimental neuro-alterer. Raeth doesn’t expect to live to see adulthood. Her only hope is to keep the knowledge of her power from the evil Queen so as not to betray her family or her people.

Appraisal:

Weighted is a gripping novella about survival and loyalty. Ciara Knight does a wonderful job whetting the appetites of her readers with this 44-page thriller prequel to The Neumarian Chronicles series. In so doing, the author does an amazing job of developing her characters, especially the evil Queen and her naïve daughter, Princess Semara. Raeth soon learns that Semara may be her only hope for survival, or is she the good cop building trust to uncover Raeth’s biggest secret?

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five stars

#Free for your #Kindle, 8/29/2013

The author of each of these books has indicated their intent to schedule these books for a free day for the Kindle versions today on Amazon. Sometimes plans change or mistakes happen, so be sure to verify the price before hitting that "buy me" button.

Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone by Dora Machado

Amazon US

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Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone by Dora Machado

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stone by Dora Machado

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Means of Clockwork Selection by Polenth Blake

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Author's interested in having their free book featured either here on a Thursday or a sister site on a Monday, visit this page for details.

Found Objects / Peter Gelfan

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A novelist, screenwriter, and freelance book editor, Peter Gelfan lives in New York City.

Description:

“Aldo Zoria, a successful commercial photographer, lives with his wife and their lover in a happy household that includes the lover’s two young children. Domestic bliss shatters when an unexpected guest arrives and threatens to turn their world upside down.”

Appraisal:

I’m going to start with a quote plucked from the Wikipedia article on polyamory: 

Polyamory, often abbreviated as poly, is often described as "consensual, ethical, and responsible non-monogamy." The word is sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to sexual or romantic relationships that are not sexually exclusive, though there is disagreement on how broadly it applies; an emphasis on ethics, honesty, and transparency all around is widely regarded as the crucial defining characteristic.

This is the situation Aldo, his wife Erica, and their mutual lover, Marie, have. Throw in Jasmine and Dominic, Marie’s two kids, and we’ve got one big, happy, and very nontraditional family.

Wikipedia also says that “People who identify as polyamorous typically reject the view that sexual and relational exclusivity are necessary for deep, committed, long-term loving relationships.” A 2009 article Newsweek Magazine Online contended that there were more than 500,000 polyamorous relationships in the US at that time. It doesn’t work for me, but apparently it does for some people, and it appeared to be working for Aldo, Erica, and Marie. At least it was until their delicate balance was upset by a visit from Jonah, the husband who had abandoned Marie and her kids.

If this book doesn’t get you thinking about relationships, families, and what separates the good from the not, you weren’t paying attention. If that happens, the “Questions for Discussion” section at the end might help (as well as being a good starting point for your book club’s discussion). One of those questions is, “Some reviewers saw Found Objects as a cautionary tale, others as a challenge to conventional mores. How did it work for you?” Can I pick both?

FYI:

Adult language and content.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four stars

Reprise Review: The Fix / Keith Nixon

This is the first installment of a new feature we've decided to try out. It was inspired by a post by Jim Devitt at Indies Unlimited a week ago called Is Your Old Blog Post an Antique or New Content? In it he discussed how old blog posts were actually new for those who missed them the first time around. In some instances, when republishing an old post there might be pertinent updates. So we've decided to periodically reprise older reviews. (We'll stick with the good ones, for all the obvious reasons.) For our first, I picked this review of Pal Keith Nixon's book, because it was just republished by a small indie publisher and it gives me a chance to update the buy links and cover.

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Crime/Comedic

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Keith Nixon started writing at an early age, it's something he's always done, like tooth ache the need to write never quite goes away.

Keith still has to work for a living but he has been able to travel extensively with his job and meet many interesting people, some of which may be in his books.

His measure of success in life is whether tie, socks and watch have been permanently discarded.”

Keith is Books and Pals’ latest Pal and has quickly become one of our most prolific most prolific Pal. Follow Keith on Twitter or visit his blog, where he’ll reprise his Books and Pals reviews and more.

Description:

“It’s pre crash 2007 and financial investment banker Josh Dedman’s life is unravelling fast. He’s fired after £20 million goes missing from the bank. His long-time girlfriend cheats on him, then dumps him. His only friends are a Russian tramp who claims to be ex-KGB and a really irritating bloke he’s just met on the train. His waking hours are a nightmare and his dreams are haunted by a mystery blonde.”

Appraisal:

When I think comedic crime books, my immediate thought is Donald Westlake’s Dortmunder series (perhaps the most well known being The Hot Rock, which became a movie starring Robert Redford and George Segal). In these books, mastermind Dortmunder and his gang of criminals commit a series of well-planned crimes. They’re never caught, yet always end up empty handed in the end. The comedy comes from the idiosyncrasies of the characters and all the ways their best laid plans go awry.

In Keith Nixon’s debut novel, The Fix, the characters provide plenty of comedic moments with their quirks, but rather than a criminal as protagonist, we have a main character accused of the crime who keeps bumbling his way in deeper, providing some humorous moments. The protagonist, Josh, works for a bank, which also has some comedic moments, poking fun at the business world, not unlike what you might see in the movie and TV series The Office. Unlike Westlake’s humor, which at times could be almost slapstick-like and might remind someone of The Keystone Kops, Nixon’s humor is more subtle, as in, “Culpepper, being a banker, was as bereft of emotion as a corpse is of life.” As a former bank employee, this line really hit home for me.

Josh is a likeable character. The reader wants everything to work out for him. Does he manage to come out unscathed? Who stole the £20 million? Does Josh manage to get the girl? You’ll have to read The Fix yourself to find out.

FYI:

Some adult language and mild adult content.

Uses UK spelling conventions and slang.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five stars

Write What You Don't Know, a Guest Post from Harvey Chute, author of Stone and Silt

There's an old pearl of wisdom that advises authors to "Write What You Know."

Now that I’ve completed my first novel, I would argue that the reverse is true: Write what you don't know. Or perhaps, write what you *want* to know. Why? Because in the act of writing, you'll gain an understanding of your subject matter in delightful and unexpected ways.

Like any act of creativity, writing is about discovery. You start with a plan of sorts. And as you progress you encounter new twists, new puzzles, and even new characters that find their way into your story. You learn as you go.

I based my first novel, a YA historical mystery, in the Fraser Canyon area of British Columbia. It's where I grew up, so I knew the geography and some of the history of that area. I felt on solid footing. I was indeed writing from a place of familiarity.

What I didn't expect was how much more I would learn in the telling of the story. It's a question of going from the general to the specific... because that's what a story demands.

An example? I knew that pioneering families in that area ate a lot of river salmon as part of their diet. But what type of plates did they use? (Tin, or ceramic... and not the flecked ceramic you find in camping stores these days.)

Utensils? Why, the two-tined fork, of course. And for carving meat, manufactured knives were common but some native families still used cutting tools hand-ground from jade, called adzes.

What about weaponry? Bullets or lead balls? Muzzle loaders? Did arms from the Civil War make their way up into the northern colonies?

How about people's names? In those times it was fashionable to name your child after members of the royal family. So the census records are full of Edwards, Alberts, Victorias, and Georges. And for the First Nations peoples, they commonly used their native names as well as the first and last names applied to them by the Anglican church.

How common was interracial marriage during those days? The census records offer surprising clues as to how often whites, natives, and Chinese people intermarried in those pioneer days.

Those tiny details do more than add credibility... they help to breathe life into a novel's characters and setting.

For me, getting to those details required research. I found source material contemporary to that era: historical records of the First Nation culture; government census records, with their fascinating hand-written margin notes; and newspaper articles from the larger towns in the area.

Then my research got more personal. My parents have lived in that area for over 50 years, and my mom was able to correct me on details about local flora and basket-making. A family friend who works in the Lytton Museum gave me wonderful stories about 19th Century life in the colony. And one of my First Nation friends from high school was generous with her time, patiently explaining to me the details of native healing, ceremonial costumes and dance, and the everyday activity of meal-time fish preparation.

Here are three things I learned about research during the writing of my novel:

1. Research is a two-edged adze. It can enrich your story, but it can be an awful time-sink as well, eating up many hours that might otherwise be spent writing. So there's a discipline where you have to say "enough," and get on with putting pen to paper.

2. The majority of what you learn in research won't make it into your story. At first I tried to put too much newfound information into my manuscript. Fortunately my wise content editor caught it, and rightly pointed out that it was breaking the pace of the story. I had to tell myself to resist the urge to show off, to make it all about "look how much I know." Nobody wants to read that!

3. And finally, take the "write what you know" mantra with a grain of salt. Instead, write what you want to know!

You can get your copy of Harvey's debut novel, Stone and Silt, from Amazon US (ebook or paper), Amazon UK (ebook or paper), or Barnes & Noble.


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Caribbean Romance / Leigh Morano

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Romance

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Leigh Morano says “My passion is writing stories that unleash the power of romantic relationships.  I focus on the characters feelings, thoughts and sensual sensations in contemporary life.  I write for women who are looking for escape in the form of romance, great sexual experiences that are positive and beautiful, thoughtful gestures and hunky heroes with a desire for adventure.  I live aboard a floating home in Sausalito, California with my boyfriend and cat.”

She has two other books available, Romance on the Bay and Broadway Dreams. Find out more about her on her website.

Description:

Vanessa, having had a string of abusive relationships, promises her friend that she will proceed with caution when entering new relationships. However she has been in a chat room with Marcelo for a while now. He is ready to take it to the next level and meet her in person. When he delivers an ultimatum to join him on a Caribbean cruise or go their separate ways Vanessa throws caution to the wind and gives into Marcelo’s manipulation to join him. As luck would have it Marcelo’s ex-fiancée turns up on the cruise as one of the exotic dancers.

Appraisal:

Vanessa is insecure but feels like she may be ready to enter another relationship. She has not shared all of her past experiences with Marcelo and he is definitely keeping secrets of his own. Set on a cruise ship and some beautiful island settings, Vanessa soon discovers she may be in over her head.

Although she felt like she knew Marcelo well enough from the chat rooms he has started to display behaviors which set off alarm bells reminding her of her past misjudgments. Marcelo is a confident, head strong, and passionate man who would set any woman’s heart afire. Vanessa’s journey is about trust, do you trust your heart or your head? Marcelo seems to have made up is mind; he just needs to convince Vanessa without giving away his secrets which becomes complicated when Andrea, Marcelo’s ex-fiancée, shows up.

The plot is well paced and Vanessa is an open book as the story is told mainly through her eyes which seems to me to be more like a sexy Chick-Lit story. We are given a few brief glimpses from Marcelo’s point of view, but not enough to give away his secret until the very end.

This novella is a quick read but has several minor proofing errors including extra words or words left out of sentences,  wrong words like lab top instead of laptop, head instead of heard, and ad instead of and. Others were form/from, lost/lose, two/too. There were also tense problems such as moved instead of move, phone instead of phoned and his/her confusion at least three times during the story. As you can see, there were far too many not to take away a star in the rating. The sad thing is these could have easily been picked up by beta readers. ~sigh~

FYI:

This book contains sexual situations that may be offensive to some.

Format/Typo Issues:

There were significant proofing errors that could have easily been weeded out with beta readers or with a professional proofreading. 

Rating: *** Three stars

Hadley’s Haunting / J. Rudolph

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Young Adult / Ghost story

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

J. Rudolph lives in Southern California with her family, collects turtles, and gathers nursing supplies for the zombie apocalypse. She is also a nurse and a full-time mother. This is her third novel and her first foray with ghosts. You can learn more about her on her website or join up with her on facebook.

Description:

Hadley Conley has a perfect life; she is in love and about to graduate from high school. She has plans to head off to college with her boyfriend Seth after summer vacation, eventually get married, have children, and live happily ever after. But plans change when she is murdered walking home alone after a party.  

Appraisal:

Hadley seems to have it all; she has no real enemies at school, parents who love each other, and a caring boyfriend. Her head is in the clouds when she decides to walk home from a graduation party, after all it is just a few blocks from her house, and nothing could go wrong, right? Ms. Rudolph captured Hadley’s invincible spirit in this story. When she is attacked on the way home we are right there with her. This story is told through her eyes, even as she wakes up dead and her spirit struggles to come to grips with that fact.

Ms. Rudolph showed a realistic grasp of the teenage mind as Hadley tried to make sense of her death and how this tragedy affected her closest friends. One of the most haunting elements is how Hadley’s spirit affected her parents. Hadley struggles to solve her own murder as she learns about new abilities she now possesses.  

The plot moves forward at a realistic pace as Hadley’s misjudgments and mistakes come into play. She is no super hero with awesome powers in this story. She never saw the person who killed her and the police have very little evidence to go on. When Hadley notices a girl watching her, she is delighted to have a person she can communicate with. Cailynn can see and talk to ghosts and together they investigate the likely suspects. The twist toward the end of the story was compelling and something I never saw coming. There are monsters in the most unsuspecting places. This heartbreaking story left me with a satisfied feeling of hope that healing will now begin for all who were touched by these tragic events. Nice job, Ms. Rudolph.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant editing issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Underground Nest / Kathleen Maher

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Kathleen Maher’s short fiction has appeared in a number of literary journals. Underground Nest originally appeared in serial form on her website. She lives in New York.

Description:

The story is a character study of Zach Severins. The author follows her character’s adulthood as he marries, has children, and builds a successful career in academia. But overconfidence and avarice and homophobia gradually eat away at his success.  

Appraisal:

This is a fast read, only eighty pages. I didn’t notice that when I picked it, and quite possibly my unfamiliarity with shorter works colored my impressions of this story, but I didn’t much enjoy the tale.

Zach is a details-oriented man. He’s determined to succeed. His every life move and decision is calculated. He plans his future like a game of chess where every meeting he attends is expected to increase his profile and enhance his resume. He chooses his wife, has a nuclear family, lives in the correct suburb, mixes with the right people, joins the right clubs. He brought to mind the characters in the movie, Pleasantville—black-and-white-and-grey.

And that was the problem for this reader. Zach is boring and flat. He shows no emotion. Even when he becomes unfaithful to his wife, it’s with a woman who can help his career. When his life begins to unravel, I didn’t feel any tension—a gay friend steps in and supports him and Zach partially revises his acute homophobia. When he loses his tenured position, the dean arranges for another, better position at another university.

When his teenage daughter writes him a scathing letter, she writes a second letter the next day recanting most of what she said.

On a positive note, the writing is crisp, and the text is well edited. The story just didn’t appeal to me.

Format/Typo Issues:

None noted.

Rating: *** Three stars

My Father Loves / R.G Rankine

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Short Story/Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 7-8,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

R.G. Rankine is a thirty-something author who lives in the UK. For more, visit his website.

Description:

“When Philip's father told him something unexpected it made him think carefully about his relationship with his father, his family and his past. Trivial matters can mean more than other people ever realise, they can offer up paths never before thought of and sometimes helping others is to help yourself.”

Appraisal:

Family dynamics are at the center of this short story, focusing on the relationship between grown kids and their parents as well as amongst siblings. As the oldest child in my family, I was easily able to imagine myself in the role of the protagonist, Philip, in this tale. It was an interesting exercise trying to decide how I would react in the same situation and picturing the reactions of my siblings. A short, yet thought-provoking read.

FYI:

The author is from the UK and uses his native spelling conventions.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four stars

#Free for your #Kindle, 8/22/2013

The author of each of these books has indicated their intent to schedule these books for a free day for the Kindle versions today on Amazon. Sometimes plans change or mistakes happen, so be sure to verify the price before hitting that "buy me" button.

Hot Property by Susanne O'Leary

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Two Birds (A Short Mystery) by Vicki Tyley

Amazon US

Amazon UK

At the Brink of Neverendings by Leonard Little

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Author's interested in having their free book featured either here on a Thursday or a sister site on a Monday, visit this page for details.