Green Eggs and Weezie / Cathy Oliffe-Webster

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Women’s fiction

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 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:

Cathy Olliffe-Webster was born in 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The daughter of a railroad engineer, she moved many times during her childhood, always seeking permanence in the books she read (her favorites being Nancy Drew, the Black Stallion and Harriet the Spy). After studying journalism, she continued her gypsy ways, working at community newspapers in Gravenhurst, Milton, Port Perry, Peterborough, Haliburton, Huntsville and Bracebridge. She also worked for a national medical newspaper, Family Practice, in downtown Toronto. After 20+ years of award-winning reporting, she decided she'd had enough of covering bowling banquets and curling bonspiels and turned to the graphic design side of the business. As outsourcing and the internet took a toll on traditional newspaper publishing, she retired and decided to do what she'd always dreamed of doing: write a novel.

Description:

Weezie is happy in her marriage to Butch Polk. He’s no oil painting, and the romance has long gone from their relationship, but he’s a good provider for their two kids. Until, that is, their humdrum existence is shattered when Butch has an affair with his secretary. The story follows Weezie as she comes to terms with life as a cuckolded wife.

Appraisal:

I must say, when I search for my next book tonight, I’m going to miss spending time with Weezie. Mid-forties and overweight, she’s neither beautiful, nor brilliant, but she sure grew on me. A caring person, her most endearing attributes are her sunny view of life and the positive opinion she forms of everyone she meets. And when life serves up lemons, she certainly does turn them into lemonade.

Because this is a story told in first person and solely focused on Weezie’s journey, pretty well anything plot-wise that I reveal would be a spoiler. So, suffice to say, I really enjoyed this tale. Ms. Oliffe-Webster is a heck of a writer. Her prose are so easy on the eye, I ended up turning one last page on many occasions.

To sum up: this is a ‘feel good’ book with plenty of wry humor splashed about for good measure.

As a special bonus, the author includes a few of Weezie’s favorite recipes at the end of the story. The tale turned out in a satisfying and believable way, and left plenty of room for a sequel. IMO, Weezie deserves one.

Format/Typo Issues:

None to mention.

The book is set in Canada and uses Canadian spelling.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Joyce Carol Oates & Me: A guest post from Rita Plush

Back in the summer of 2004, after reading that Joyce Carol Oates was giving an author talk at a local library, I decided to print out the first chapter of my novel, Lily Steps Out (Penumbra Publishing 2012), enclose it in a SASE and bring it to the reading. She’ll say NO? She’ll say NO. Nothing ventured. Nothing gained.

Off the library I went, and sat through her talk clutching my offering with sweaty hands and a pounding heart, all the while instructing myself, DO IT! DO IT!—Full disclosure: I was starting to chicken-out. Her presentation over, I queued up to buy her book and ask her—beg if necessary—to read my chapter. My turn came. She autographed my book. I mustered all my courage.

“Ms. Oates,” I said, “I’m a writer too and I’ve written a novel. It would mean so much to me if you would read the first chapter.”

 “Oh, I can’t,” she said. “People ask me all the time. I just don’t have the time.”

 “Ms. Oates,” I said. “You’re like a movie star to me.” (This is true.) “I’ve read almost all of your novels and you’re collections of short stories more than once.”

I could sense the impatience of the crowd behind me waiting their turn. Move it lady, someone muttered behind me, but lady didn’t move. Lady stood there citing short stories Oates had written years and years before, until finally, I heard, “Send it to me at Princeton.” Words from heaven. I flew home, called the college, got her address and ran to the post office.

About a month or so later I received this typewritten postcard:

Sept. 17. 2004

                        ONTARIO REVIEW PRESS

                        9 Honey Brook Drive

                        Princeton, New Jersey 08540

Dear Rita Plush,

Your story is very engagingly written. The voice is shrewd, sharp, funny, and yet tender. Perhaps the theme of the “Middle-aged housewife who becomes impatient with her life” is somewhat familiar, so it’s difficult to make such material distinction. Still this is promising, and might well make a readable and marketable novel. Good luck!

                Joyce Carol Oates

I couldn’t believe it! But there it was, from her brilliant fingertips—Joyce Carol Oates, the esteemed, the prolific—she has her own Book of the Month Club, and why shouldn’t she? the woman writes a book a month—the most fabulous of the fabulous, whose books I loved, whose short stories I swooned over—Joyce Carol Oates liked my chapter. She thought it PROMISING! If something could be worn out by looking at it, that postcard would be dust today.

When I knew my book was to be published, I scanned the post card onto a letter asking Ms. Oates if I could use the quote on the cover. A few weeks later I received the reply, “Yes you can. Good luck!”

And there it reads on the cover of Lily Steps Out:

                       

                        “…engagingly written. The voice is shrewd, sharp,

                        funny, and yet tender.”

Words I will always treasure… brought to me by Joyce Carol Oates.

This story was previously published on Jenny Milchman's blog.

BIO:

Rita Plush is an author, teacher and lecturer on the decorative arts. She is the facilitator of the Self-published Authors’ Roundtable that meets monthy at the Manhasset Library in Manhasset, LI.  During her thirty-five years as an interior designer, Rita was the coordinator of the Interior Design/Decorating Certificate Program at Queensborough Community College and taught several courses in the program.

The publication of her novel, Lily Steps Out (Penumbra 2012), was the subject of a feature article in Newsday’s Act II section in July, 2012 called, “Published & Proud,” followed by “Rita Steps Out,” in the Times Ledger, August, 2012.  Her short stories appeared in many literary journals including The Alaska Quarterly Review, The Iconoclast, The MacGuffin and Passager before they were included in the collection, Alterations (Penumbra 2013).

Rita's Website 

Books and Pals review of Lily Steps Out

Lily Steps Out    Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble

Alterations        Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble

The Wraithgillien: The Story of Maxwell Cain / David Matthiesen

Reviewed by: Michael Thal

Genre: YA/ Fantasy/ Occult

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 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:

David Matthiesen was educated in Texas and is currently the Director of Sales at Office Depot. One night he had an epiphany that culminated into Awakened. The Wraithgillien is the second book in the Maxwell Cain series.

Description:

Maxwell Cain awoke from a magic induced coma to find himself head of the powerful Cain Corporation. In Awakened: The Story of Maxwell Cain readers are placed into a world that is peeled away as we learn with Max its culture, problems, and Max’s amazing abilities.

In Wraithgillien: The Story of Maxwell Cain, the Corporation Max once headed is seeking more than just the bottom line, and the only force in its way is The Covenant.

Appraisal:

David Mattiesen creates a fascinating world of magically endowed humans holed away in a hideout training to battle the Wraithgillien, led by the infamous Merlin of Camelot fame. Max’s nemesis has more in mind than just the destruction of Max and The Covenant. World domination is his goal.

The Wraithgillien is an exciting read, however this reviewer suggests you read Awakened first, for The Wraithgillien is not a stand-alone novel.

FYI:

It is only fair warning that The Wraithgillien doesn’t have a satisfying ending. It will be necessary to read book three, when that’s available, to complete the Maxwell Cain trilogy.

Rating: **** Four Stars

A One Way Ticket to Dead / D.V. Berkom

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Thriller

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES

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

Author:

DV Berkom was “raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.” She is the author of two thriller series.

For more, visit her website.

Description:

“After years of running from her ex—a vicious Mexican drug lord—and his subsequent death, Kate Jones is ready to bury the past and try to piece together a new normal. But first there’s a loose end to tie and it involves digging up old ghosts that are best left alone.

Unaware her actions have attracted the notice of a powerful enemy Kate is plunged into a deadly fight for survival, as both her life and the lives of the children of a man she once loved hang in the balance. And, with the possibility of an informant inside the DEA, she doesn’t know who she can trust.

From the emerald green shores of Seattle to the lush Yucatan jungle and unforgiving Sonoran desert, Kate Jones must once again face her past...and hope she survives.”

Appraisal:

A One Way Ticket to Dead picks up Kate Jones’ story shortly after events in the previous book in the series, Yucatan Dead, ended. An error in judgment many years ago has forced Kate to live on the run and under the radar, hiding from her ex, a Mexican drug lord, who was determined to kill her. Now he’s dead and Kate’s ready to settle down in one place and get on with her life. It turns out that her ex isn’t the only one looking for a pound of flesh. By the time Kate realizes she still isn’t safe and can go to ground, her new nemesis has kidnapped the two children of an ex-lover, forcing her to do whatever is necessary to insure they’re returned safely.

Those who enjoyed Yucatan Dead will find this new installment in Kate’s life just as good. Although the stakes are different, the action is in the same vein, with Kate putting herself in harm’s way in the jungles and deserts of Mexico in a no-holds-barred quest to meet her goal.

FYI:

Some adult language.

Although part of a series, needed backstory is included, so reading this as a standalone shouldn’t be a problem.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Behind Is Where I Left It / David S. Henderson

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Availability    

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

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

Author:

David S. Henderson believes stories are meant to entertain and make the reader feel any number of emotions. He holds the tenet that a new idea must be different, completely unlike any other. This seems to hold true with his writing as well. 

Behind Is Where I Left It is Mr. Henderson's third published work, preceded by a novel, The Worth of Things, and a collection of short stories, Broken Christmas, which was a Big Al's Books and Pals 2013 Readers' Choice Award Finalist.

You can find David S. Henderson on Goodreads, which houses a blog. He also has a website to showcase his works.

Description:

“A compilation of three disparate tales which share a common theme.

In the first, a burned out Las Vegas magician, reignites the drive, passion and energy he once held for performing when he takes his colorful cast on the road to free his falsely arrested brother in this fun, fast paced adventure.

The second story is a slightly dark, "day in the life" portrait of a salesman who is pretty sure he's lost his mind.

The third story is an uplifting tale about a young man who finds out life's lessons are sometimes delivered when listening to the friends around you.”

Appraisal:

In The Amazing Kevin, the first of three stories, we meet Kevin as he is being fired from his job as a magician at a rundown Las Vegas casino. To make matters worse, he learns his brother has been arrested, on bogus drug charges, and is being held in a Mexican prison in Acapulco. If he can come up with $50,000 the lawyer who contacted him can make the charges disappear. Kevin's world seems to be crashing in around him. As he heads to Mexico with a couple of close colleagues he concocts a creative plan to bust his innocent brother out of prison. Kevin is a smart man. His plan morphs into an elaborate show of misdirection with the plot twisting and turning in unexpected directions. The characters are all well developed for a story of this length and the tale had a nice pace. It was fun watching the plan take shape and as the showdown approaches it was hard to put the story aside. I was totally surprised at the ending and found this story delightful and entertaining.

Oblivion Heights Commute is a short story where things are not as they seem. This was an interesting approach to Glenn's situation. At first glance it appears as though Glenn is leading a boring day to day life until he realizes he may be losing his grip on reality. In a way he is, but not like you would think. Mr. Henderson has taken a unique path with this story.

Behind Is Where I Left It is my favorite story in this collection. Told through the eyes of Edward Abbot who is presented with a unique situation during his first year of college. Edward seems to be an average student from a stable home who ends up rooming with an extraordinary young man, Troy Foster, who wasn't as lucky. What develops is a mutually beneficial relationship as Edward, Troy, and Troy's younger sister, Rose, make their way into adulthood. The characters are well developed, realistic, and engaging. The plot moves at a nice pace and takes us well beyond the first year of college. This is a wonderful, thought-provoking story. I loved that both Edward and Troy each had an enlightened perspective to share with each other and I enjoyed reading about their journey. Behind Is Where I Left It is the perfect title for this story.

I really enjoy the stories Mr. Henderson tells. They are always unique, honest, and insightful. However, there are a small number of editing misses I would like to see addressed. Perhaps some beta readers would be helpful? I think the stories are worth the effort to overlook these issues but I know there are readers out there who don't feel that way.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of editing issues, such as missing words, extra words, and wrong words used.

Rating: **** Four stars

Rawhide 'N Roses: A Western Romance Anthology / Various

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Western Romance

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Availability    

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

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

Author:

Authors contributing to this anthology are: Alison Bruce, Celia Yeary, Simone Beaudelaire, Caroline Clemmons, Charlene Raddon, Rain Trueax, Chad Strong, Margaret Tanner, Susan Horsnell, Carol A. Spradling, Paty Jager, Lyn Horner, Peggy L. Henderson, Jacquie Rogers, and Cheri Kay Clifton.

Description:

Fifteen short stories, all Western Romance, some set in the old west and some in more contemporary times.

Appraisal:

Anthologies like this seem  to be a win for everyone. Fans of the genre (technically I guess Western Romance is a subgenre) can pick up the book for the stories from their favorites contributors and, in the process of reading, discover other authors whose stories strike a chord. It’s a win for authors for the same reason. It’s a marketing technique that exposes them to new readers with a minimal investment, mostly in time. (Depending on the financial arrangements, it might even turn a profit.)

If you’re a Western Romance reader, I think you’ll find more than your money’s worth here. While I thought some stories were better than others, none were bad. Chances are you’ll feel the same, even if your choices of which stories are best turn out different than mine. You should be able to find authors whose writing style, characterization, and story lines are to your taste.

The only concern I have with this collection is a weakness inherent in what is being attempted. A short story has to be limited in scope, for obvious reasons, yet a romance requires a story arc that goes from the hero and heroine meeting to an apparent happily-ever-after ending. That’s hard to do in an average of two or three thousand words and in some of the stories that relationship arc felt like it culminated way too fast. However, as a collection of quick reads and a low risk way for readers to try new authors, Rawhide ‘n Roses still fits the bill.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Inter-Galactica, An Otherworldly Brief Romance / Ida Tornovski

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Short Story

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Availability    

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

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

Author:

“Ida Tornovski was born into a politically divided Europe. Writing only in English now, she spends her time between the 'Old Country' and the United States.”

Description:

“In her short fantasy Inter-Galactica, An Otherworldly Brief Romance, Ida Tornovski shares one woman's encounter with an interstellar man, who may or may not be the man of her dreams.”

Appraisal:

This is a strange little story set in present-day Boston. It is told through first person point-of-view by the main character who is self described as “a spinster lady.” During lunch one day in the park a man sits on the bench beside her and introduces himself as Heaven. He is a chameleon of sorts, somehow able to change his appearance at will, and they become friends. The story is told with a dry wit. I had a problem suspending my disbelief with the ease our main character did about him being from another planet. It is unclear whether she is daydreaming about their time together and shaping him into who and what she desires. To play Devil’s advocate, perhaps he is a predator filling her full of lies to get what he desires and then leaves her to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Or perhaps Heaven is an alien and our world is doomed and he will return to her for their happily ever after. She seemed resolved and content with this end.

Some may call this a romance, while others may call this a personal descent into madness. It is a thought-provoking story that takes on its own chameleon-like qualities and may be seen through different perspectives to have a different meaning altogether. Personally, I chose to interpret this as a character study because love can drive people crazy. I wouldn't be surprised to see this short story with a wide range of ratings. We all bring our own experiences into any story and I may have revealed more about myself in this review than I did about the story itself. ~sigh~

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four stars

The Cabinetmaker / Alan Jones

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 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:

I couldn’t find a bio on the author. However you can learn more about the book, its setting and themes at this website.

Description:

John McDaid’s first day in CID and he steps straight into the middle of a murder case. A young man has been beaten to death. McDaid and his colleagues quickly catch the offenders, but they get off on a technicality. And so begins a career long case for McDaid, from the late 70’s through to the 00’s when he finally learns all the answers to what really happened that fateful night.

Appraisal:

I really wanted to like this story, it’s exactly the sort I tend to reach for (as BigAl said, “It screamed Keith Nixon”). Unfortunately it didn’t quite match up to expectations, but it did have merit.

As the description outlines, the plot is the reminiscences of a now retired policeman as he looks back over a case which stretched back over his career. And the author does manage this aspect well. McDaid’s voice is that of an old man and is written as a reflection. Jones also deals satisfactorily with the resultant large time gaps in the narrative – in some cases years between events – and builds a warm relationship between McDaid and Francis Hare, the father of the murdered young man, that the rest of the narrative hangs off. The segments where McDaid is embroiled in a crime feels convincing.

However, the timeframe and approach in themselves create issues. There were long stretches where McDaid undertook two pastimes with Hare – cabinet making and playing football in a local team together. The former is in particular highly detailed and the construction of a piece can take page upon page. Both bring McDaid close to Hare, so it’s worth doing, but the word count to do so is far too high - in these sections I was seriously considering giving The Cabinetmaker two stars because it switched me off. The narrative wasn’t being driven along sufficiently and it floundered.

The quality of Jones’ writing veered between unpractised and excellent. Here’s an example of the latter:

Barlinnie prison is one of these places that should have the effect of discouraging criminals from their profession – the grey imposing exterior is matched inside by a cold drabness that no amount of modernization and bright paint can cover up.

I really enjoyed that paragraph. But the narrative is peppered with basic errors in punctuation, repeated words and an over use of names that undermines the enjoyment of The Cabinetmaker.

In terms of punctuation it would be rare to go a page without seeing something. Whether it was a comma the wrong side of a speech mark, speech marks on lines that weren’t dialogue or missing full stops, incorrect capitalization (e.g. Rats) and speech marks that varied between ‘ and “. A desire to underline words to emphasize them also crept in during the second half of the story.

Repeating words is quite common in self-published works. It’s something that drives me to distraction because it’s a basic error that simply isn’t necessary. Heavy use of names is less seen, but I think the author suffered from a need to tell rather than show – lots of words used to point out how he or the character was feeling also crept in. Sometimes the wrong surname was used – O’Hare instead of Hare, but I didn’t find a spelling mistake.

Here are some examples:

“That had been my first day. Naively I had thought that every day would be the same, but here we were a day later…”

“I enjoyed chatting with you yesterday, you are a nice guy, aren’t you?”

A couple of other issues – the book starts in the 1970’s and, other than a Life On Mars angle (for UK readers, yes one of the characters does drive a Capri) and runs through to the 00’s, however I got no sense of the time and very little of place. It didn’t help that characters would drop in and out of Scottish dialect, often across a single page. A language guide accompanies the novel, but I didn’t need it until the very end.

All of that being said, on balance I did enjoy the story. It kept me going through to the end which, given the above, says quite a lot. If the author wielded a knife on some of the less valuable segments and employed an editor this could be a pretty decent novel deserving of a higher rating.

FYI:

Plenty of swearing, with the strongest of words used often.

Format/Typo Issues:

Lots and lots of them, see above.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Keeping Private Idaho / Rick Just

This is the second half of a doubleshot review. If you missed the first half where BigAl provided his thoughts along with some cultural and historical context, check it out, too.

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Satire

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 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:

“Rick Just is a native Idahoan who grew up on a ranch along the Blackfoot River. He is a former Marine, a whitewater kayaker, a sculptor, a sports car buff and the alpha male of his schnauzer pack... He was the editor of 100 Years, Idaho and its Parks, the centennial history of Idaho's state parks system. He is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild.”

Mr. Just also has a few young adult fantasies published, The Wizards Trilogy and Anjel. To learn more please visit his website and blog.

website: <http://www.rickjust.com/>

Blog: <http://rickjust.blogspot.com/ >

Description:

“Coyote never seems to learn. Yet, he never fails to teach, mostly through the error of his ways. He taught the Nez Perce that they came from the Heart of the Monster. Now, he is teaching modern day Idahoans, they have a monster in their heart. This is Private Idaho, a place that exists in the minds of accidental natives and territorial pranksters who take out their resentments on tourists and real estate speculators. They are anonymous and deadly. In this tale of the New West, where the cowboys are women and the Indians wear Rollerblades, be alert for exploding potatoes, the allure of mineshafts and the terrible finesse of chainsaws.”

Appraisal:

This book takes a wry look at xenophobia from many different angles, it also applies to many other states or even countries. Idaho just happens to be the home state for Mr. Just and he is knowledgeable about many aspects that were explored in this book. The fact that the B-52's had a song titled Private Idaho is just icing on the cake. Yes, I had to Google it and then got caught up in all sorts of other 80s music. Really, I don't want to talk about it... don't judge me!

So what we have here is a serious character study laced with some humorous aspects and spotted with tragic consequences. Mr. Just does an outstanding job weaving this tale from many different points of view. However, I felt like Coyote was used as a scapegoat to avoid pointing fingers at any one person, group, or business. While I felt a little cheated about the personification of Coyote, I am pretty sure he was happy to fill that role so perfectly suited for his character.

This story reflects on several characters from different walks of life which were handled skillfully and realistically. Several concerns are addressed from multiple angles and I found it easy to be drawn into each person’s story. Here is where I wish there had been more personal interaction with Coyote, instead he mainly orchestrated the events that affected these characters lives. I was appalled at the lengths some people would go to in order to protect their own self interests, it's not easy for me to have my rose-colored glasses ripped off my face. I found this book interesting, entertaining, and a worthwhile read that has a valuable moral to be heeded.  

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Keeping Private Idaho / Rick Just

This is the first half of a doubleshot review. When you read this first half you'll see that I brought some cultural and historical knowledge to the setting of this story that most readers wouldn't have and wondered if the reaction of someone without that knowledge would react differently.

?wazithinkin' had already agreed to do a doubleshot review before I'd read the book and realized this, so I was curious to see what she had to say. Hopefully you will be too and will also read her take this afternoon.

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Satire

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 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:

“Rick Just is a native Idahoan who grew up on a ranch along the Blackfoot River. He is a former Marine, a whitewater kayaker, a sculptor, a sports car buff and the alpha male of his schnauzer pack. As a student, he served as editor of Boise State University's nationally acclaimed literary magazine, cold-drill. During Idaho's Centennial, Rick wrote and produced the official Centennial radio series, Idaho Snapshots, which aired daily on stations statewide. The program won the Governor's Take Pride in Idaho award and was honored in the national Take Pride in America program.”

Description:

“Coyote never seems to learn. Yet, he never fails to teach, mostly through the error of his ways. He taught the Nez Perce that they came from the Heart of the Monster. Now, he is teaching modern day Idahoans, they have a monster in their heart. This is Private Idaho, a place that exists in the minds of accidental natives and territorial pranksters who take out their resentments on tourists and real estate speculators. They are anonymous and deadly. In this tale of the New West, where the cowboys are women and the Indians wear Rollerblades, be alert for exploding potatoes, the allure of mineshafts and the terrible finesse of chainsaws.”

Appraisal:

I’m a sometimes Idahoan with roots in the state going back several generations. About twenty years ago I was living elsewhere and suggested to a co-worker, another expat-Idahoan, that beyond the obvious differences between rural and more populous areas common in most states, that Idaho was actually three states (maybe I should have said regions to be less divisive) with their own distinct cultural norms. The first of these is The Panhandle (which is a cross between their close neighbors of Eastern Oregon and Western Montana, with a dash of right-wing extremism thrown in to keep things interesting). Next is the Mormon influenced Southeast, in many ways more of a far-northern outpost of Utah. Last, is the Southwest, with Boise, the only significant urban area and Sun Valley, the two places most likely known to people largely unacquainted with the Gem State.

Each of these areas is represented by at least one significant character in Keeping Private Idaho, and the diversity of the characters in the novel is reflective of reality. Thrown into the mix is Coyote of Native American mythology as another major character. The large cast of characters was difficult to track in the beginning. As the story progressed and each distinctive personality solidified in my mind, that became less of a problem.

One thing each area of the state has in common is tourism as a significant industry. The timeframe when the story takes place (the mid-90s) was also a period when Idaho, along with many other western states, experienced conflict, with rapid growth, an influx of “outsiders” moving in (many from California), and rapid appreciation in housing prices. At times this caused disagreements and clashes between the natives and the newcomers, with bumper stickers saying “Don’t Californicate Idaho” as one obvious outward representation of those opposed to the changes.

It’s against this backdrop that the story of Keeping Private Idaho is told. It’s a cautionary tale (luckily the modern day Monkey Wrench Gang depicted here was never reality). Part of me realized while reading that some things, like a rural rancher wishing her city cousins would get as nostalgic about bucking hay as they did during branding season, wouldn’t evoke the same knowing chuckle from everyone as it did for me. Some of the subtle humor (the names of the children in the Thompson family, for example) wouldn’t tickle the funny bone for everyone, like it did for me. (In fact, most people would probably have to have it explained to even realize there was humor there.)

However, Keeping Private Idaho also explores some universal themes, dealing with change and the concept of geographical and cultural roots, being the two that resonated most with me. I would expect those parts of the story to be entertaining and thought provoking for all readers, even those who have never been within a thousand miles of the state.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Fallen Redemption / R.B. Austin

Reviewed by: Sooz

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 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:

Fallen Redemption is R.B. Austin’s debut novel. She writes paranormal romances and young adult novels. She includes knitting as one of her hobbies. 

You can learn more about Austin on her website.

Description:

Emma’s life is crumbling. She is laid off from her job, has no family, and decided to wash away her troubles with a night of drinking. This only leads to more problems as she is attacked on her way home from the bar. However, vampire-like creatures rescue her and while in their care, the leader of the group, Cade, falls for her. Cade and his men have to rid the world of evil, and he doesn’t want to fall in love again after blaming himself for the death of his wife. However, neither one of them may be able to stop what’s coming.

Appraisal:

R.B. Austin isn’t breaking new ground with Fallen Redemption. She uses themes regularly seen in paranormal books of good vs. evil, redemption, forgiveness and love.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

Austin creates compelling characters that show a range of emotions. The development of the main characters, Cade and Emma, are believable and inspired. Austin was able to write the characters in a way that make the readers care about what is going on.

Fallen Redemption reminded me of Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series (at least the first book), which has had comparisons to JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I had never read that series. Several paranormal creatures are part of Cade’s group whose job it is to hunt evil and rescue humans from it. These other characters are compelling as well, and could certainly be main characters in later books in the series. I wanted to learn more about them – just not yet. Austin does a nice job of not letting too many people get in the way of the main story.

The paranormal romance is believable. Emma was brought to the compound because she was attacked by a Fallen (one of the bad guys) and needed to be healed. Her initial reaction is that she has been kidnapped, and is frightened. However, as she realizes she is not a prisoner, she lets her guard down. That’s when Cade, timid and reluctant in the love department, envelops her, and both go down a road neither is prepared for.

As expected with paranormal romances, there were sex scenes, but none of them felt dirty or gratuitous. When a couple of Cade’s partners had to go out and take care of some, uh, needs, Austin didn’t go into details about this nameless club sex, which kept the story moving, but allowed you to understand what happened.

There was an interesting twist near the end of the book when Cade and Emma’s affair hit a roadblock, but it couldn’t be the end for them because that doesn’t make for a fun romance.

FYI:

There is sex and cursing in the book.

Format/Typo Issues:

No major issues

Rating: **** Four Stars