Reprise Review: Drawing Breath / Laurie Boris

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 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:

A freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and former graphic designer, this is Laurie Boris’ second novel. Her first, The Joke’s on Me, was published by 4RV Publishing in 2011. Boris lives with her husband in the Hudson Valley of New York.

For more, visit her website.

Description:

“Students often fall in love with their teachers. Despite warnings from her mother, that's exactly what 16-year-old Caitlin Kelly does. But Daniel Benedetto isn't just any art teacher. Not only is he more than twice Caitlin's age, he rents the Kelly’s upstairs apartment and suffers from cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disease.”

Appraisal:

A well-written and thought provoking story, Drawing Breath may be a disappointment to those who jump to conclusions after skimming the description and seeing mention of a 16-year old girl, an adult man, and something about falling in love. But those who don’t come to the story with misplaced expectations will discover a tale that should stick with them long after the afterglow of satisfying their prurient interests would have faded. Drawing Breath is a coming-of-age story that raises questions of how we relate to those with serious diseases or handicaps and the roadblocks that even well meaning people may create for them in leading the most normal lives they’re able.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

How to Live Life / John Vorhaus

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Self-Help

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Availability

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

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Author:

John Vorhaus is an accomplished screenwriter, novelist, and non-fiction author. As a writing instructor he has “taught at such institutions as Northwestern University, the American Film Institute and the Writers Program of the UCLA Extension.”

Description:

“Life is a problem -- a problem you can solve! All you need are some simple, insightful ways of looking at yourself and your world, plus frank, straightforward tools for developing your philosophy, addressing your feelings and clarifying your goals. And they’re all here for you – in abundance – in John Vorhaus’s down-to-earth guide to lofty concerns, How to Live Life. Using the plain-spoken, exercise-driven approach of his many successful writing books, How to Live Life offers no magic solutions, just practical strategies for advancing your self-awareness, acquiring self-acceptance and closing the gap between the person you are and the person you want to be. If spiritual matters matter to you, if you want to make your life rise, and if you wish to gain a better grasp of the questions that confront us all, this little book will have a great big impact on you.”

Appraisal:

As a rule, I'm not a fan of self-help books. But I am a fan of John Vorhaus, having read and benefited from several of his books on poker nine or ten years ago and after getting an ereader, reading and liking a novel and one of his non-fiction offerings. His irreverent writing style and his humor keeps things light, while still being serious when the subject requires it. I was torn, so I decided to read a sample before making the decision to read this book, which I rarely do.

The title of the first chapter, “where i get off,” (yeah, that lack of capitalization is a style choice) promised to address my biggest concern, as did the first few lines:

So, first question…

Where the hell do I get off writing a book called how to live life? 

After all, I have no credentials in psychology, theology or any other –ology. Nor have I scholarship in philosophy, theosophy or any other –osophy. Indeed, I bear no academic qualifications of any kind, bar the lowly BA that got me my first job out of college and hasn’t done much for me since...

He then proceeds to make his case. If you're interested in the details, check out the sample. After having read the book, I have my own explanation.

Do you have a friend or family member who is your go-to person for advice? They're non-judgmental. They may or may not have any expertise in the area you're struggling with, but by listening and asking questions they lead you (or sometimes actually help you lead yourself) to the right answers?

To me, How to Live Life is the book equivalent to that person. A lot of life's bigger questions and the right answer for you (which is different than the right answer for me, or anyone else) comes from self-awareness. They come from figuring out what makes you tick. From your purpose in life and the things you're passionate about. Vorhaus asks the questions to help you focus on what the right answers are for you, rather than telling you what he thinks your answers should be. (Much different from many self-help books.) He'll give some of his answers, not claiming they're the right answer for you (many obviously aren't), but as examples to help you understand the questions better. You'll still want to go to that friend sometimes for advice (after all, their purpose and passion might be to help others), but we can all use more help, right? How to Live Life is a way to help ourselves.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reprise Review: Nine Feet Under / Morgan C. Talbot

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Mystery

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 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:

Morgan C. Talbot is a fan of puzzles and enjoys geocaching as a hobby as well as many other outdoor activities. She lives with her family in Eastern Washington. This is her third book in this series and I just discovered she has written several books in a different genre using a different name.

Description:

“Margarita and Bindi have big plans for the Fourth of July, involving borrowed bicycles, a geocaching power trail, live podcasts, and plenty of fun. But their day quickly goes awry when they stumble upon what looks like a murder in progress.

Strange rivalries and secret alliances test Margarita’s puzzle-solving skills, and Bindi suffers a rather painful setback when she comes face to face with someone she never thought she’d see again.

The overly stoic sheriff can’t be in two places at once, so the girls need to figure out whodunit and rescue the next potential victim before the explosive finale.”

Appraisal:

This is the third book of Talbot’s Caching Out series and my favorite thus far. Trying to understand why it was my favorite I had an epiphany. Although varied in the specifics, they all have many of the same things. Margarita and her roommate, Bindi, who is a native of Australia, are the main characters. Their hobby of geocaching is part of the story in some way, although how much of the story and mystery involves this pastime is inconsistent. They always stumble onto an apparent murder victim and Margarita’s obsession with solving puzzles drives her to try and solve the crime. But none of that explains why this is my favorite.

One possibility is that instead of the main characters being Margarita and her sidekick, this time around Bindi took a more central role, seeming like less of a sidekick and more of an equal. I liked that, but don’t think that’s the answer. Finally I came to the conclusion that there were two reasons. One, just a touch of humor seemed to have crept into the writing that either wasn’t there before, or I maybe I didn’t notice it. One example is this description of Bindi’s former fiancé, who we’ve never met in person, but certainly heard about.

Garrick had been her knight in shining armor. She wouldn’t have cared if he’d had a harelip, a third eyeball, and a burning desire to enter politics.

Another example was a reference to the FSM (the Flying Spaghetti Monster, for the uninitiated). That’s a reference many wouldn’t get and relatively few would be as amused by it as I was.

I also concluded that with a series like this an author has a balancing act between formula and keeping things fresh. There is a certain formula that develops (same characters, similar situations, settings, and so on). That might not sound good, but to a point it is because the reader gets to “know” the characters and develop an affinity for them. Which is what I think has happened with me.

FYI:

Although part of a series, each book stands alone and shouldn’t require reading prior books to understand and enjoy later books in the series.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

The Catalyst / GJ (Gordon) Brown

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Psychological thriller

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 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:

Gordon Brown is a marketing executive by trade. He has lived and worked abroad, including a stint in Canada. He was born and still resides in Scotland with his family. When not working Gordon writes and is a founder member of the Bloody Scotland literary festival and he shares the same name as the ex-Prime Minister of the UK. Apparently Gordon is very bad at playing golf. Catalyst is his third novel.

You can learn more about the author at his website.

Description:

Craig McIntyre, ex US military turned bodyguard, has a powerful and uncontrollable affliction: his mere presence removes people's inhibitions, transforming their darkest thoughts into action.

When a US senator sees the unique potential to create the ultimate assassin he orders a covert agency to capture Craig and Craig's wife, Lorraine.

In an attempt to mould him into a lethal weapon, the senator has Craig drugged and tortured and forces him to witness Lorraine's murder.

Craig escapes and, distraught at the death of his wife, he vows to kill the senator. But he has to act fast because the agency has orders to hunt him down and bring him back: dead or alive.

Appraisal:

Well, this is an interesting novel and a different take on the use of a person as a weapon. McIntyre, is no slouch when it comes to his military abilities, but throw in his ability to force people to turn on each other he’s deadly. The trouble is McIntyre is at first unaware of his ‘skill’. Once he gains awareness (by force) he can’t figure out how to control it. Instead a US senator tried to turn him into a killer to be directed as he sees fit. McIntyre wants to break out, but he can’t and in the process he ends up killing the few people around him he cares about and many more beside. And there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it.

Overall it’s brightly written. Brown has a taut, very economic style to his narrative that whips the story along at pace. Descriptions are minimal, which adds to the breakneck speed. Being written in the first person adds greatly, the reader becomes immersed in McIntyre’s world, sensing his confusion, his loss and, ultimately, his hate.

I thoroughly enjoyed Catalyst and read it over a couple of sittings. It slips along easily, the twists and turns in the plot kept me well entertained. If you like something a little different, this is the book for you. Cleverly plotted it’s a winner.

FYI:

Nothing major.

Format/Typo Issues:

Ditto.

Rating: **** Four Stars.

Midnight Burning / Karissa Laurel

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Romance/Mythology

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 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:

“Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin. When it snows, you'll find her on the slopes.

Karissa also paints and draws and harbors a grand delusion that she might finish a graphic novel someday.”

Find out more about Karissa Laurel on her website or Facebook.

Website: 

Facebook: 

Description:

“Solina Mundy lives a quiet life, running the family bakery in her small North Carolina hometown. But one night, she suffers a vivid nightmare in which a wolfish beast is devouring her twin brother, who lives in Alaska. The next morning, police notify her that Mani is dead. Driven to learn the truth, Solina heads for the Land of the Midnight Sun. Once there, she begins to suspect Mani’s friends know more about his death than they’ve let on. Skyla, an ex-Marine, is the only one willing to help her.

As Solina and Skyla delve into the mystery surrounding Mani’s death, Solina is stunned to learn that her own life is tied to Mani’s friends, his death, and the fate of the entire world. If she can’t learn to control her newfound gifts and keep her friends safe, a long-lost dominion over mortals will rise again, and everything she knows will fall into darkness.”

Appraisal:

This book did not take long to grab my attention. Steeped in Norse Mythology, wolves, and mystery, this was a no brainer for me. Solina Mundy considers herself a simple girl from North Carolina, however, she has always had prophetic dreams. Lately they have become terrifying as she continues to dream of her brother’s death in Alaska. Mani was attacked inside his apartment by a wolf. Solina intends to close out his affairs, apartment, and track down his murderers. The police really don’t have a clue, all they saw were the mundane facts of the case and they have exhausted any leads they had.

Mani’s employer, Aleksander Thorin, Mani’s best friend and Thorin’s business partner, Val Wotan, try to help Solina in her quest. However, she can tell the guys aren’t being completely honest with her. So Solina teams up with Skyla, Mani’s girlfriend and employee of Thorin Adventure Outfitters, and they quickly find themselves in over their heads. The wolf is now stalking Solina while Thorin, Val, and Skyla try to protect her.

Karissa Laurel does an excellent job of tying Norse Mythology into a modern setting with the living progeny of gods who were killed during the epic battle of Ragnarok. These descendants have become complacent in the status quo and have been drifting along for ages. One survivor of Ragnarok is in the process of shaking things up to take control and bring on another apocalypse. There is intrigue, mystery, romance, and danger for all concerned. The characters are diverse and well defined and all are flawed. These flaws are the main source of the twists in the plot that drove the story forward. I was totally drawn into the relationships between all the players: Thorin, Val, Solina, Skyla, the Valkyries, Baldur, the wolves, and Helen. This is an original story with unique characters from Norse Mythology that sucked me in, I blame author Lynne Cantwell for my obsession with Mythology right now.

This is a fascinating story that is well written, has entertaining dialogue, a fair amount of humor, and lots of tension. The ending caught me off guard with a huge twist. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

FYI:

I found no instances where this could not be considered young adult appropriate.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues in proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five stars

#Free for your #Kindle, 8/27/2015

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.

Drawing Breath by Laurie Boris

Amazon US

Amazon UK

No Good Deed by M.P. McDonald

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.

Recently at The IndieView

The most recent interviews at The IndieView starting with a refresher on the different kinds of interviews. 

The IndieView

This is an interview with a standard set of open ended questions. While they focus on a specific book, they also delve into the author's history as a writer and the path they took in becoming an indie author.

The BookView

This is a shorter interview format for authors who have already done an IndieView which focuses just on their most recent book.

Reviewer IndieView

These are interviews with reviewers who have their own review blog that delve into their approach to reviewing. A great way to find other book blogs you might like to follow. (For authors, there is also an extensive database of indie friendly review sites you might like to check out.)

Allirea's Realm

By invitation only, these are quirky, often irreverent interviews done by longtime Books and Pals follower, Allirea.

(Authors and reviewers interested in doing an IndieView should visit this page for details.)



Reviewer IndieView with Aly of Reading Shy with Aly

I think reading gives people an escape from their ordinary lives. Nobody is perfectly happy all the time and reading gives people the chance to choose how they want things to go. If they want a happy ending then they know that they can find it in a book.


IndieView with Kayne Milhomme, author of Grace & Disgrace

Stolen in 1896 from St. Peter’s Cathedral in Belfast, the Templar Diamond has been missing for six years, with the suspects still at large. Now there is hope of its discovery in Boston, if the cryptic invitation can be believed. But is it a ruse?


IndieView with Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins, authors of Foul is Fair

Megan had known for a long time that she wasn’t an entirely typical girl. But living with ADHD—and her mother’s obsessions—was a very different thing from finding out she wasn’t entirely human. Somewhere out there, in a completely different world, her father needs help.


Reviewer IndieView with RaeleighReads

For me, book reviews are like a time capsule, capturing a tiny picture of who I am as a person. There is nothing more personal than sharing your thoughts on a piece of literature with the entire world.


IndieView with Andrew Hanson, authors of Greenies

My own concerns over the long-term impacts of climate change on humanity and wildlife formed much of the motivation for writing the book.


IndieView with Malcolm Campbell, authors of Conjure Woman’s Cat

My family moved from Oregon to Florida just in time for me to start the first grade. I was too young, I think, to suddenly become a fish out of water suddenly tasked with understanding the place of Negroes in my new world, the Jim Crow era of separate restrooms and water fountains, why my birth outside the South got me dismissively labeled as a Yankee and a “Nigger Lover” before I had a clue why everyone was at odds with each other, and how and why a gang of thugs called the Klan was so entangled with the powers that be that it was too pervasive a cancer to remove.


IndieView with Michael J. Brooks, author of Exodus Conflict

Due to war, environmental mistreatment, and the overuse of natural resources, Earth was brought to the brink of catastrophe. In order to preserve human civilization, nations put aside their animosity and worked together to find a new home world within the Milky Way Galaxy. It appeared to be the perfect planet to call Second Earth, and humanity thought this new world would be all for their taking; however, a race of people known as the Zull also needed this planet for their salvation.


BookView with Manheim Wagner, author of What a Day for a Night

The story is mostly based on a day that I spent in Paris with a friend. I added a twist to the ending that didn’t happen in real life. But for the most part, everything in the book happened.


IndieView with Jill Meniketti, author of Welcome to Groove House

In 2003, things finally turned around and hard rock music had suddenly ripened into “classic rock.” As my guys returned to touring in 2003, seeing them up there, back on the big stages again playing arenas, the idea hit me to explore the twilight years of aging rock stars.


IndieView with Lisa W. Tetting, author of The Mistreatment of Zora Langston

For this particular book, I would like to target anyone who has suffered at the hand of an abuser and survived, or is trying to heal. I believe Zora can help with that.


IndieView with S.K. Kalsi, author of The Stove-Junker

The Stove-Junker is a novel about identity, memory, time, and loss; but it is much more. A reverie, an elegy, an existential ghost tale, a story of misguided passions, arson, family, religion, perhaps a philosophical investigation into meaning and love and language. It is an exploration of what makes us human, an investigation of our priorities and values.


IndieView with Brian Bandell, author of Famous After Death

So many people are posting stupid things online that they shouldn’t, like fights, self nudity, drugs, and violence. Even murderers are sharing photos of their victims. In my story three Miami teenagers want to film a prank to go viral, but a cop gets killed.


IndieView with Tom Conrad, author of That Semicolon Bitch had to Die

Well some reviewers on Amazon seem to think "That Semicolon Bitch had to Die" is autobiographical, which I take as a tremendous compliment. Part of writing fiction is convincing the reader your story is plausible, and so I take their comments as confirmation they found my fiction believable (the central premise, and much of the plot, is wholly invented and fictional, though).


IndieView with Bonny Capps, author of Deliverance for Amelia

I’m a big fan of erotica. I began riding along with my husband (he’s a truck driver), and I discovered the world of dark-erotica. I noticed a trend amongst these books where the heroine often falls in love with her captor, regardless of what was done to her while in captivity. One day I decided to give it a shot, but I wanted to make sure that the story didn’t have the cliché “happily ever after” attached to it.


IndieView with Eric Henderson, author of Stranded in Sunshine

I saw an article online with pictures of abandoned shopping malls, and I said, “Oh man, that’s so cool, I wanna live there.” Then I thought about it “No, I don’t really want to live there, why did I say that? But wait, what would be cool about that? What would it really be like?”


Indieview with Kimberley Gold, author of Dating Games

I worked as a Personal Assistant in various investment banks in London and used to go out to bars and nightclubs quite often with other PA’s who were also single at the time. I watched the games involved in modern dating and how the search for Mr Right quite often went very wrong, and this gave me the idea for "Dating Games."

The Garden of Unfortunate Souls / Eddie Mark

Reviewed by: Sam Waite

Genre: General fiction

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 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:

“Eddie Mark is a writer, researcher, educator, and former city chess champion of Buffalo, New York. His prize-winning short stories have appeared in the Hart House Review and the anthology Bloodlines: Tales from the African Diaspora. The Garden of Unfortunate Souls is his first published novel.”

Description:

“In 1980s Buffalo, New York, the recession has transformed the city's proudest African American neighborhood into a ghetto. Loretta Ford, an eccentric single mother and religious fanatic, survives for years by masquerading as the owner of a dead woman's house. Her reclusive life is interrupted when an unlikely incident brings the mayor of Buffalo to her home in the middle of the night. Their secret meeting sets off a chain of events that will leave two families altered forever.”

Appraisal:

The story of abuse, betrayal and violence is told with a poetically powerful voice that renders its characters as vivid as “Mac” McMurphy and "Chief" Bromden in Ken Kesey’s Cuckoo’s Nest. The Buffalo mayor’s family is brought down because of neglect of an apparently dyslectic and intellectually challenged child, who hides abuse by a teacher out of fear of disappointing his father. He seeks revenge in the only ways he can and brings destruction. A car accident connects the family to a mother who uses religious fervor to cover her own sins, and beats her son in revenge for betrayals by past lovers. The boy creates his own reality and uses it to escape not only the ghetto, but his mother’s ghost.

Eddie Mark’s debut novel should be required reading for any culture that embraces “spare the rod, spoil the child.”

Format/Typo Issues:

None

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Taken / Erica Conroy

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy/Romance

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 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:

“Erica lives in New Zealand--otherwise known to the rest of the world as: that pretty scenic place where they made the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. She spends most of her time writing (also procrastinating), reading, hanging with her long suffering husband and frolicking with the neighbour's cat. As a writer Erica delights in plotting evil and writing it all down for others to read and enjoy/despair… Oh, and she also likes cats.”

To learn more about Erica Conroy, check out her website or follow her onFacebook.

Description:

“Peace negotiations are easy right? Not when you're learning a language composed of hisses, growls and other guttural sounds. And that's not even the tough part for recently divorced diplomat Viktor Jacobs. No, that would be matching wits with the fiercely intelligent daughter of the opposing side. Between dodging her claws, avoiding a myriad of cultural taboos, and not accidentally getting married or killed, he has to somehow make the Lyrissians see that joining the Alliance of Worlds is the best choice for all of their futures.”

Appraisal:

I don’t generally read Science Fiction, but the beginning of this novella grabbed me. Viktor was having a rough start with his first Peacetalker mission trying to negotiate peace with the Lyrissian delegation aboard the Callisto. Peacetalker Tarn took offense when Viktor miscommunicated while trying to speak in the Lyrissian’s own language. Luckily, S’rea, Tarn’s daughter, was able to speak common so the Alliance of Worlds peace talks could move forward.

Viktor is confronted with several cultural differences as he learns more about the Lyrissian as the talks proceed. There are several humorous miscommunications between S’rea and Viktor dealing with mating rituals of the Lyrissian. S’rea has no intention to ever take a mate, she is a scientist and loves her profession. Viktor is recently divorced and has no intention of having any relationships right now.

Karo was the other Peacetalker dispatched by the Lyrissian to negotiate peace with the Orka in a neighboring galaxy. Karo has an agenda of his own which includes taking S’rea as a mate whether she agrees or not. The Orka are an aggressive and violent race who mutate their females into hideous monsters to use as warriors. They are a humanitarian nightmare.

This is an enjoyable story that moves at a nice pace. The reader will find humor, political intrigue, violent confrontations, and romance. I found it easy to become invested in the outcome from the humans on the Starship Callisto to the Lyrissian race as a whole. They had a fascinating hierarchy and culture.

The only thing I had a problem with was that S’rea was referred to as the eldest daughter of Tarn in the beginning of the story. However, at the end Ae’a is the eldest daughter. I understand why the birth order was changed. Due to certain privileges the eldest daughter is granted on Lyrissia, the story would have had an entirely different ending for S’rea and Viktor.

FYI:

The author uses British/New Zealand spelling conventions. Taken is the first book in the Callisto Series.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no issues except for the inconsistency I mentioned at the end of the review.

Rating: **** Four stars

Wishing Will / Daniel Harvell with Benjamin Lund

Reviewed by: Michael Thal

Genre: Fantasy

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

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:

Daniel Harvell began his storytelling career in the fourth grade with his widely successful short story, Murder on the Moon. A graduate of Florida State University, he is currently a small business owner in Austin, Texas.

Benjamin Lund is the author of Both Sides of Nowhere, a mystery thriller. He lives in the Salt Lake City area with his wife and two sons.

Description:

Will Cricket knows that November 11 is the luckiest day to make a wish with 11:11 AM or 11:11 PM as the times when the wishing magic is the strongest.

At Lamone Pledge Middle School, Will is considered a beached whale and terrorized by Diego Rouleau, a muscle bound bully. And the cheerleaders aren’t much better consistently making fun of Will’s weight issues.

At home he is treated with disdain by his sister and ignored by his parents. Though Grandma Nonnie is kind to him, she is an irritable and senile old woman. So all Will wishes for is a brand new life.

When his wish is made at 11:11 PM on November 11 three shooting stars rush into Will’s room to coalesce into a trio of amazing wish givers—Hollywood the Wish Giver, his assistant Reverie, and his chameleon boy apprentice, Tang.

Appraisal:

With an adept talent for creating unique worlds and interesting characters, the writing team of Daniel Harvell and Benjamin Lund have created a unique middle grade fantasy, Wishing Will.

For Will’s wish to come true, however, he must become a wish agent himself granting seven wishes during the course of a week. During that time he receives a daily unique super power called a Mizm. For example, one day he can fly to grant the needed wish while the next he may have super speed. Each power helps him ensure a wish to come true.

Will soon learns that danger lurks in every dark corner as Harvell and Lund unleashes a plot with surprising twists and turns. Wishing Will is an entertaining book children and their parents will easily enjoy reading together.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Fossils: Viagra, snuff, and Rock n Roll / Robert A. Webster

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Adventure/Humor/Culture

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 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:

“Robert A. Webster is a multi-genre author based in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Originally from Cleethorpes, UK, he embodies both hearty wit and adventurous vigor, making his prose insanely memorable and incessantly enjoyable…

His first novel Siam Storm received rave reviews in the expat community in Southeast Asia. Its sequels, Chalice and Bimat, were similarly acclaimed.

When he's not crafting unforgettable stories, he enjoys snorkelling, self-deprecating humour, and the warm climate of Cambodia.”

Description:

“When Charles Clark’s wife passed away, he thought life without his beloved Mary would be unbearable. Charles knew that his middle-aged children, who had families of their own, didn't want him burdening them, which is why they dumped him into Fossdyke Old Folks’ Home. However, unbeknownst to Charles, this is not the end of his life story, but rather the beginning of a new chapter.

What started out as fun for the four elderly musicians of a band called Fossils, has now, thanks to Kipper, spiralled out of control. Record companies, fans, and the nation’s media scour the country in search of the elusive, young, vibrant, four-piece band, unaware they have a combined age of 280 years.

The old rockers, fearing their families being ridiculed when the truth comes out, need to find a way to avoid attention in the UK until things can be resolved.

Fortunately, Steve has a plan... Follow their antics as the band tours the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand as they attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. They discover a new and carefree way of life, which they enjoy to its fullest.”

Appraisal:

Fossils was a fun read and very informative about Southeast Asian history and landmarks. You can tell Robert A. Webster loves living in that area of the world. Each character is well defined and realistic. Getting to know the old men as well as the secondary characters was entertaining.

Steve Baker is known for causing disruptions at Fossdyke Old Folks’ Home. He is a thorn in Mrs. Chew’s, known as the warden or Chewy by the residents, side because his daughter owns the home. So his eccentricities must be tolerated to a point. Things liven up around the home when new resident, Charles Clark, moves in with his piano. Steve quickly introduces Charles to Wayne and Elvin. Wayne plays the drums, is mostly deaf, and also writes music. Elvin plays an old double bass with the assistance of his small falsies. He lost a couple of fingers in the Navy several years ago and has fashioned himself with fake finger extensions so he can continue to play his double bass. Steve plays an old Fender Stratocaster and loves playing old Rock and Roll. It’s his idea to start a band. The problem is Charles only knows classical music. When Wayne reveals he writes music, he and Charles sit down to adapt Wayne’s pieces into music for their band. So they start playing their original music at a small bar down the road for fun.

Kipper, a local DJ, records their music onto a disc and then submits it to a local contest. When things get out of control, Steve, being familiar with and longing to revisit the Philippines, decides the Fossils need to tour and hide out from British promoters there. Steve is happy to be back in his old stomping ground and hooks up with old friends in the area. The other men have a great time chasing women and partying all night long after playing a set at a local bar. Until one British journalist happens upon their trail in Cambodia. This imaginative story is a randy romp of debauchery and a unique read where you never know what is about to happen next.

FYI:

British spelling conventions and slang. Adult situations and language including several F-bombs.

Format/Typo Issues:

I did come across a small number of proofing issues that included extra words, missing words, and wrong words.

Rating: **** Four stars