Reprise Review: Broken Christmas by David Henderson

Genre: Short Story Collection

Description:

This is a collection of three short Christmas stories.

Fourth Wish

A homeless man finds himself leading a trio of privileged but neglected youths on Christmas Eve journey to fulfill their Christmas wishes.

Best Christmas Ever

An eight year-olds remembrance of a Christmas Eve his parents would rather forget.

Broken Christmas

A soldier leaves the frozen battlefield behind and goes home for Christmas via his dreams.

Author:

There is very little information about David Henderson! Except this on Goodreads, and it says nothing. ~sigh~ However, he has website you can check out now.

Appraisal:

The Fourth Wish

Conrad seems to fit the typical homeless man at the beginning of this story. Until three eleven year-old boys spending their Christmas at a boarding school find him drunk and passed out on the snowy steps of their school. They manage to drag him into the school and down the hall to the showers. The only clothes they have for him to put on is a Santa suit, which they had been playing dress-up with to entertain themselves on Christmas Eve. Once Conrad dons the suit, the magic of Christmas takes over. Somehow Conrad finds it in himself to try and fulfill the three boys Christmas wishes. It is amazing what can be accomplished with a little ingenuity. The journey that Conrad takes the boys on is a well-told story that will make you smile. I loved this story.

Best Christmas Ever

The events of this Christmas Eve through the eyes of eight year-old Jimmy is hysterical. Nothing about this Christmas Eve is typical or what you would expect. The memorable day flowed seamlessly as they escalated and I laughed out  loud. This is the best story ever!

Broken Christmas

You can tell after reading the first two stories, this author knows what he is doing. I knew from the title of the story this one was going to be heart wrenching, but that still didn’t prepare me for what was coming.

David Henderson has given us a sampling of his range in these three short stories. I found his stories easy to get drawn into and I cared about the characters. I think all the stories had a nice pacing and flowed well. I look forward to reading more from this author.

If you find yourself needing to escape for a few minutes during the Christmas rush this book would be a good choice.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Added for Reprise Review: Broken Christmas by David Henderson was a nominee in the Short Story Collections and Anthologies category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran November 8, 2012.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Review: Grams' Christmas Baby by Barbara Silkstone

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Humor/Woman Sleuth/Novella

Description:

~*~ Christmas Eve ~*~

“Grams finds a baby on her doorstep—but what about the body in the bay?

Unarmed, can Olive keep the thugs away until the cops arrive?

Will Lizzy overcook the roasted faux goose?

Is WonderDog’s bite worse than his bark?

Will all this fit in one mini-read?”

Author:

 “Barbara Silkstone's most current series is Florence Nightingale Comedy Mysteries...The Giggling Corpse, The Killer Corset, and The Cheeky Coroner. Cozies all.

Silkstone is the best-selling author of both Regency Pride and Prejudice variations, including the popular the MISTER DARCY SERIES OF COMEDIC MYSTERIES ~ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE contemporary variations. All her books are light-hearted adventures based on Jane Austen's timeless tales of love denied and love discovered. ‘Feel good’ tales to warm your heart.

She is also the author of the Wendy Darlin Comedy Mystery series. Five coffee-snorting tales that combine cozy with outrageous adventures.”

For more from Barbara, visit her website and her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

When Grams finds a baby on her doorstep on Christmas Eve, she thinks he’s the answer to her prayers. She names him Herbie. Olive nor Lizzy want to turn Herbie over to Child Protective Services on Christmas Eve. With baby Herbie safely tucked away at Lizzy’s house, Olive, Grams, and WonderDog head back to Grams’ house.

Soon the focus of who baby Herbie is changes to how to protect him and his mother from the thugs who are chasing them. Olive is only armed with her trusty can of hairspray, Grams with her large brass candle stick, and WonderDog. They become trapped with a thug at the front door and another at the back door. Can Olive and gang stay hidden until the police arrive? These bargain basement thugs have no idea what they are in for.

Ms. Silkstone is an entertaining storyteller. Her plots are well thought out, clever, and endearing. This is a short read, but well worth your time. Enjoy!  

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Grams' Christmas Baby is book 5 in Ms. Silkstone’s, COLD CREAM MURDERS series. “Each book contains a recipe for homemade cosmetics!”

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 12-13,000 words

Cold, Cold Water by Marie S. Crosswell

Genre: Dystopian/Western

Description:

“In a lawless American West transformed by the Second Civil War, part-time bounty huntresses Ramona del Toro and Jo Lilly take a job: find and capture a mysterious woman named Cottonmouth, accused of murdering an innocent man. As they track her through northern Arizona, southern Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, Ramona and Jo encounter colorful people who can only point them in Cottonmouth’s direction. When Jo and Ramona finally catch up to Cottonmouth, she reveals the truth. Will the bounty huntresses join their target or trade her for a bag of cash?”

Author:

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College in upstate New York, Marie Crosswell now makes her home in the American West where she writes fiction of varying lengths and genres. She also writes poetry that, thus far, she’s been keeping mostly to herself.

For more, visit Crosswell’s website.

Appraisal:

This story takes place a few years from now, in 2043. But in those few short years things have happened that have changed the world in ways both obvious and subtle. The most obvious is that the Second Civil War in the US is now over. You didn’t even realize it was going to happen? Sorry for the spoiler. It’s now over and one of the results is that law enforcement is spotty, so people have had to take over enforcing social norms themselves. This has meant the rise of bounty hunters like Ramona and Jo, the main characters of our story, who for a price will track down wrongdoers, possibly bringing them back to the person who hired them so the client can exact whatever punishment they see fit.

I wasn’t sure what I’d think of this genre, described as “Western Dystopian,” which is just like what it sounds like. It’s dystopian, in that it happens in a future world that has changed in ways that aren’t so good. But it’s Western, in that in the largely rural area of the western US where this story takes place, things are lawless, with the fastest gun being the ultimate authority.

I not only enjoyed the basic story, but was drawn into it even more by the creative and different aspects to the characters and the story world. Not just the unique combination of dystopian and western genres, but also the non-traditional sexuality of the main characters. Overall this made for a quick, entertaining, and often thought-provoking read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Review: Ghosters 3: Secrets of the Bloody Tower by Diana Corbitt

Genre: Middle Grade/Paranormal Mystery/Ghosts

Description:

“When Theresa and her little brother Joey tour The Tower of London with their good friend Kerry, the kids expect to see a ghost or two, but they never imagined they’d find themselves involved in one of history’s most infamous missing person cases. They’ve got a pair of very impatient spirits on their hands and for good reason. The two 15th-century English princes have been forced to haunt The Tower for more than five-hundred years, all because someone else is buried in their Westminster Abbey tomb.” 

Author:

“Diana Corbitt is a retired elementary school teacher living in northern California. Her work has appeared in Bewildering Stories and Encounters Magazine. She had a podcast on Manor House and one of her short stories was anthologized in Wax and Wane: A Gathering of Witch Tales.”

To learn more about Ms. Corbitt check out her website.

Appraisal:

In this addition to the Ghosters series, Theresa, Kerry, and Joey get to take a hop across the pond. Theresa and Joey Martinez’s father is an author who is invited to do a two-week book tour in the United Kingdom. It would be an educational trip for the kids, and a shame for them to miss out on. It would also be a bummer if they had to traipse their father around to all the book tour stops. Luckily, their good friend and fellow ghost chaser, Kerry Addison, is from England and her grandmother lives in London. Grandma is more than willing to have the three kids stay with her while dad is gallivanting around the countryside on his book tour. It’s been a year since Gran has seen Kerry, so she’s overjoyed about the visit. Gran happens to be a retired history professor and an ex-tour guide at the Towers of London, so she knows the best attractions to get the kids tickets for. She is also ghost savvy. 

Not two days into their visit Gran suffers an appendicitis attack and ends up in the hospital. Luckily Aunt Ginny lives right next door to Gran. The kids are allowed to tour London on their own during the day since Gran has it all planned out for them, then they’ll report back to Aunt Ginny’s every evening for dinner.

When a small boy appears to Joey in the Bloody Tower, he and the girls are curious. When they see the boy’s likeness in the portrait gallery, they are off and running to try to figure out why he and his brother are stuck in a small Bloody Tower room instead of properly buried in Westminster Abby, where their bones belong. They learn that there was scuttlebutt back in the day that the two young princes were murdered and their bodies hidden in an unmarked grave. No one knows whose bones are actually in the Abby in their place.

It’s a fun and educational adventure. As you can imagine there are lots of ghosts around London, some are new and some hundreds of years old, many of which are friendly and helpful or in need of help. Each encounter is different and engaging.

Poor Kerry has to lug around her electronic thingamajigs just to see and hear the blasted ghosts. And it’s always entertaining when Joey, who has Asperger syndrome, often takes words, rules, and common phrases quite literally. He also doesn’t like to be touched, so strangers aren’t allowed in his bubble. However, his sister, Theresa or Kerry, are always close by to protect, or explain situations and phrases for him. I especially enjoyed the times Theresa and Kerry tried to explain rule breaking to Joey, so he’d understand that sometimes rules have to be broken for the greater good.

Secrets of the Bloody Tower is a delightful romp through London with a big finale that makes this trip even more memorable. Don’t miss out on this story.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Secrets of the Bloody Tower is book 3 in Diana Corbitt’s, GHOSTERS Series.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing misses, such as missing, extra, or wrong words.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Letting Go by Len Joy

Genre: Short Story Collection

Description:

Author Len Joy says he’d write short fiction as a change of pace when he’d get stalled writing one of his two novels. He describes this collection as mostly being stories about “people who have lost something and are trying to find a way to move on with their lives.”

Author:

A small-town boy from upstate New York, Len Joy headed off for college and eventually ended up with a corporate job in Chicago. In addition to his writing (he’s written two novels plus this collection) Mr Joy is a nationally ranked triathlete.

Appraisal:

This collection of short stories fit the bill for me. As the author describes this collection, most of the stories are about someone who lost something and are trying to find a way to move on with their lives. I find I like to read stories like these. First, whatever happens to the people in the stories, it is always worse than whatever I might be complaining about in my own life at the time. It’s a good reminder that things could be worse. But even more I like to ponder the situation the characters find themselves in, ponder on how I think I would react if faced with the same situation, and consider how I or their actions and reactions could be improved. I found these stories to be entertaining and thought provoking.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Reprise Review: The Sparrow Conundrum by Bill Kirton

Genre: Crime/Satire

Description:

“Machin’s garden explodes, igniting a power struggle over lucrative North Sea oil and gas contracts. The Sparrow takes flight amidst chaos and violence that are the least of the strange goings-on.”

Author:

A former university lecturer, Bill Kirton was born in England and has lived most of his life in Scotland. He has written everything you could imagine, from academic essays and dissertations to songs and plays. He has several more short stories and novels available for your favorite eReader. You could find Kirton books on his Amazon author page.

Appraisal:

I saw this described as a “crime spoof,” which is a perfect description. It is full of humor, often dry and subtle, as the stereotype of English humor would indicate. I learned the names of obscure (to me) birds and fish, which are used as codenames amongst the criminals; thankfully, my Kindle dictionary knew them all. Many of the criminals, especially the protagonist Chris Machin, are likeable and sympathetic (with the exception of those crimes they’re supposed to be committing). In contrast, the police are anything but, not to mention much better at crime than the criminals.

Beyond the story, I enjoyed the way Kirton strings words together. For example, I love this line, for how it twists the cliché into something clever, rather than overused:

“Hawk would undoubtedly have been more suspicious, but he was desperate for a gift horse and its mouth was invisible at the other end of a telephone line.”

Kirton won the 2011 Forward National Literature Award in the humor category for this book, and the reason is apparent.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Uses UK spelling conventions and slang (possibly Scottish too, but I’m no expert).

Some adult language. While there is very little that is explicit, sexual themes and innuendo are constant. If the thought of anything sexual makes you blush, especially if it involves obscure kinks and fetishes (anything beyond a man, a woman, and a bed), this isn’t the book for you.

Added for Reprise Review: The Sparrow Conundrum by Bill Kirton was the WINNER in the Humor and Satire category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran April 3, 2012.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Review: Spirit Talk by Colleen McManus Hein

Genre: Metaphysical Fiction/Coming of Age

Description:

“In 1985, Fiona is a young woman from the suburbs of Chicago on the doorstep of the tidy life her parents planned for her: college, career, then hopefully marriage and children. Never mind the dead relatives who speak in Fiona’s ear. Never mind Fiona’s vivid dreams which then play out in real life. They are not part of the plan.

When a series of misfortunes interrupts Fiona’s fate, she finds herself living with her grandmother in a remote town in northern Minnesota. Grandma Mary has been shunned by Fiona’s parents due to her profession: fortune-teller and medium. As Fiona begins to learn her grandmother’s trade, she is finally allowed to embrace and explore the beautiful gift her parents tried to deny her.

And speaking of denial, Fiona falls for the one man in town who is off-limits. As her psychic abilities unfold, so does her heart. But is it safe for Fiona to open metaphysical and emotional doors? When dealing with the occult, probably not, but Fiona discovers she has more courage than she knew.”

Author:

“Colleen McManus Hein is a book-lover, avid reader, and now an author. Writing a novel was a lifelong dream and finally accomplished as an empty-nester. She enjoys reading many genres, but has always been attracted to books with a paranormal theme. As an adolescent, Colleen especially enjoyed the novels of Lois Duncan.

Colleen, the mother of three grown children and soon to be a grandmother of two, lives north of Chicago with her husband. She is currently working on Book 2 in The Fiona Series. Occasionally, she reads cards and palms for neighbors and friends.”

To learn more about Ms. Hein check out her Amazon Author page.

Appraisal:

After a series of misfortunate events Fiona’s college plans are dashed. As a result of the tight financial situation Fiona sets off to live with her Grandma Mary in Fireside, Minnesota. Grandma Mary has a reputation as a tarot card reading fortuneteller, who also reads palms and communes with spirits. Fiona is excited by this move, finally she’ll have someone to guide her. Fiona has always heard voices and been able to find lost objects. However, these things were discouraged by her father. Grandma Mary is pleased to be able to pass her knowledge of the occult on to her granddaughter as well as giving her a more detailed family history. Fiona also enjoys hearing stories about her mother growing up.

Fiona is a quick study and starts to make a name for herself in their small community of Fireside. She’s also making friends and feels like she would love to make her move here permanent. However, fate intervenes again and the story takes a drastic turn. Spirit Talk doesn’t have a cliffhanger, but ends with a teaser about the direction Fiona’s life is taking.

My one complaint about Spirit Talk is how many times the tarot cards meanings are gone over. One. At. A. Time. The whole freaking deck of fifty-two cards, three different times. This bogged down and screwed up the pace of the story without moving the plot forward. When authors repeat things like this over and over it gives me the feeling that they are trying to raise their word count. Or don’t trust their readers to be smart enough to catch on. Authors’ please don’t do that! This story, in particular, is strong enough without the repetition of bloated text.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

If you want to learn to read tarot cards, this would be a good primer, and you get a story as a bonus.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing errors, mostly extra or wrong words.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Reprise Review: Dashing Druid (Retitled: Dashing Irish) by Lyn Horner

Genre: Western Romance/Historical Romance/Supernatural

Description:

 “Dashing Druid continues Lyn Horner’s unique Texas Druids saga. This sensual western romance stars Tye Devlin, the eldest of three psychically gifted siblings. Descended from legendary Irish Druids, Tye is an empath. He ‘feels’ others’ emotions. Over time, he has learned to block out most of the ‘racket’ in order to save his sanity, but when he meets Texas cowgirl Lil Crawford, he has no defense against her hidden pain.”

“Set in the 1870s, against a backdrop of Texas ranch life and an iconic cattle drive, this epic love story pits Tye and Lil against dangerous enemies and their own feuding families as they fight their personal demons. Will they decide love is worth the consequences? Will Tye’s gift turn out to be a blessing or a curse?”

Author:

Originally trained in the visual arts, Lyn Horner has worked as a fashion illustrator and an art instructor for Art Instruction Schools (famous for their “Draw Me” heads). Looking for a creative outlet after her kids left home, she started writing. Darlin’ Druid was the first of her Texas Druids series, which this book continues. She also has a Kindle ready memoir, Six Cats in My Kitchen.

For more, visit Horner’s website.

Appraisal:

I enjoyed Darlin’ Druid, the first book of this series. Its combination of a solid western romance storyline with a unique twist on the formula, provided by the infusion of a significant amount of the supernatural was a fun read that was very different. Dashin’ Druid continues the story, this time focusing on Tye Devlin, the brother of the heroine in the first book, and the romance that kindles between him and a neighbor who has a history with his new brother-in-law.

For much of this book, the supernatural aspect of the series felt almost absent; mentioned, but low key and insignificant to the plot. However, the sexual tension between the hero and heroine was so strong that throwing in too much of the supernatural would have felt like overkill. During the later part of the book, the supernatural talents of the Devlin family come more to the fore, as tension of all types increases.

In the final analysis, I enjoyed this book even more than the first. I suspect part of that is that I (and I’m guessing most people) are able to become engrossed in a book easier and quicker if they have already “established a relationship” with the characters by reading and liking a prior book in the series.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Dashing Druid has been retitled Dashing Irish and is book three in Ms. Horner’s, Texas Devlins series.

Some mild adult content.

Could be read as a stand-alone, although reading the initial book of the series first is probably preferable.

Added for Reprise Review: Dashing Druid/Dashing Irish by Lyn Horner was a nominee in the Romance category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran June 5, 2012.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 115-120,000 words

Review: Dakota Burn by D.V. Berkom

Genre: Thriller

Description:

“Former assassin Leine Basso was supposed to be in sunny LA, watching the first class of operatives graduate from the new anti-trafficking academy. Instead, she’s in North Dakota in the middle of a brutal winter, helping ex-poacher Derek van der Haar track down and eliminate a deadly group of criminals hell-bent on providing young girls to the highest bidder.

The closer Leine and Derek get to the organization, the more dangerous the mission becomes. Soon, it’s evident that the traffickers are playing for keeps—and don’t care who they kill.

In a story ripped from the headlines, Dakota Burn reveals the dark underbelly of the Bakken oil fields, where human life is a commodity and outlaws still rule.”

Author:

“DV Berkom is the USA Today bestselling author of two action-packed thriller series featuring strong female leads: Kate Jones and Leine Basso. Her love of creating resilient, kick-ass women characters stems from a lifelong addiction of reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages. After a lifetime of moving to places people like to visit on vacation, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and several imaginary characters who like to tell her what to do.”

Appraisal:

If you’ve read a few books in the Leine Basso series and liked them, odds are good you’ll like the others including this one. You’ll also have an idea of what you might expect. Someone will be involved in sex trafficking. SHEN, the association Leine works for will send her to investigate. There will probably be a few people shot. Some of those could be by the bad guys, some could be by the good guys and even though the legality of what happens is questionable, you’re not at all upset to see it happen. Spoiler alert: Eventually the operation will be shutdown with the major players facing justice, if they survive. Yeah, that’s not really a spoiler because who really expects the protagonist of a thriller to ever not survive?

The basic format is engaging and exciting, but what really sets each book apart are the specifics. Sometimes that’s the specific bad guys and what they’re doing. Sometimes it’s something about this case that is especially a big deal to Leine and the reader. Sometimes it’s the setting. For me, the last two things are what sets this volume apart. The something special is the involvement of Jinn, a character from a prior installment of this series who is now working with Leine. I also found the setting in North Dakota to be interesting and a change of pace. Many books in the series have taken place on the west coast which has been done to death in books, TV, and movies, almost to the point where a southern California location is about as close to generic as you can be. It’s easy to imagine that the oil boom in North Dakota could have had some negative side-effects. The author did a good job of evoking the qualities a rural middle-of-nowhere location like this has and integrating them into the story. As always, Leine let me hang out for an intense and at times gut-wrenching case and I’m glad I came along for the ride.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult content and language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: Ants In My Blood by Kevin Berg

Genre: Short Story Collection/Horror

Description:

“Love and parasites, painfully hungry work, people in the water, vindication at a price, itchy needles, lingering debts, ignored warnings, and the true cost of an epidemic. Experience the worst kind of parental guidance, watch the devil bleed, and wait for the eternal messengers to take you apart before carrying the last pieces of you away.

Straddling the boundaries between horror, suspense, dark humor, and the bizarre.”

Author:

“Kevin Berg is the author of Indifference and Daddy Monster. His dark fiction can be found at Pulp Metal Magazine, Near to the Knuckle, The Blood Red Experiment, Horror Sleaze Trash, Trembling With Fear, and Underbelly Magazine, among others.”

Appraisal:

In the acknowledgements at the end of this short story collection the author mentions that most of the stories were written during what he calls a “crazy and heartbreaking year.” It shows. While some of the stories could be classified as horror, many don’t fit that description, but they all have a dark side. Sure, you might laugh at points. I sure did when I discovered the name of the character in one story was Jesus Harold Christ, for example. However, after the initial laugh I quickly discovered that story had a dark side too. (It also had a point to ponder.) Most of the stories were like this. Well written, dark, and yet something more whether it is being thought-provoking, humorous, or entertaining in some other way.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words