Review: Anne of Oasis by Sharon Baltman

 

Genre: Woman’s Fiction/Psychological Fiction

Description:

“An eccentric seventy-year-old is obsessed with changing her life — or ending it. She bumbles through mysterious rituals with a talk-therapist, explodes secrets, re-jigs behaviours and embraces bliss in the arms of a woman who was right in front of her for fifty years.”

Author:

Author Sharon Baltman is a retired psychotherapist who lives in Toronto, Ontario when she’s not in her preferred place, hanging out on the beach in Mexico. She’s written lots of shorter works ranging from articles for the Globe and Mail, Toronto’s newspaper, to contributing to literary anthologies. Her first longer work was a memoir called Escape from the Bedside. This is her first novel.

Appraisal:

Although woman’s fiction, I found that the story here hit closer to home for me, a no-longer-very-young guy, more than I would have anticipated. The story revolves around Anne, a seventy-year-old woman who goes to a therapist for help in figuring out her life, both where she’s been and, more importantly, where she wants to go from here. I could see potentially anyone, at least any adult, enjoying this story and having it trigger thoughts about their own lives. I found that my age (a bit younger than Anne, but close enough) meant I could relate to a lot of the specific thoughts, feelings, and struggles she was going through, which added a lot to the story. I imagine most people would find some things that struck a chord with them in Anne’s life while other things wouldn’t fit (I luckily have a better relationship than Anne does with her kids, for example). One unique aspect of this story is how much of it is the reader figuratively sitting in Anne’s head, more involved in understanding and following her thoughts than on what’s happening in the world around her, the biggest exception being what her therapist has to say to her. But her story and her struggle to get to a better place kept me engaged throughout.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Uses Canadian spelling conventions.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: The Payoff by Lynne Cantwell

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy/ Psychological Fiction/Paranormal

Description:

“Choices have consequences…

Janis Fowler and Jan Marek grew up together, the only two students at the Institute, a research facility and school for children with paranormal abilities. Or so their parents were told. In reality, the Institute’s director, Dr. Denise Tandy, had her own plans for their talents – Janis can read a person’s past and Jan can see a person’s future – and when the kids resisted her, she was ruthless at getting them to comply.

At last, Janis and Jan escaped – and split up, knowing it was the only way to protect both themselves and each other. But they knew they would reunite someday, when the time was right.

Forty years later, the time has come. Their old tormentor has turned up again. Her game is the same, but her newest ruse is more dangerous than ever. And she’s recruiting more victims.

Jan and Janis must use their powers to put an end to Dr. Tandy’s vile scheming – without risking each other. It’s a tall order for two people who have been hiding in plain sight for four decades. But with age comes wisdom. And they have waited long enough to see justice served.”

Author:

“Lynne Cantwell writes mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romance, with a dash of magic realism when she’s feeling more serious. She is also a contributing author for Indies Unlimited. In a previous life, she was a broadcast journalist who worked at Mutual/NBC Radio News, CNN, and a bunch of other places you have probably never heard of. She has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in New Mexico.”

To learn more about Ms. Cantwell and discover her other Kindle books visit her website.

Appraisal:

The Payoff begins by introducing Janis Fowler and Jan Marek reuniting as adults. Their pasts growing up together as students at the Institute are told through flashbacks. They sought solace in each other while living under the claw of Dr. Denise Tandy. On the eve of his eighteenth birthday, Jan survives a failed suicide attempt, which gives Jan and Janis an escape route from Dr. Tandy’s clutches. However, she is able to escape justice for her abuses and other illegal activities by leaving for South America.

The intrigue and tension builds as Dr. Tandy resurfaces with another scam of epic proportions with a new victim, Antoine, to exploit. Jan has to hone his talent to identify this new player and his gift. Janis has to bite the bullet and dig into what Dr. Tandy has been up to these last forty years.

I found it entertaining to watch these two old friends interact, their dialogue was priceless. The sexual tension was strong and neither wanted to be the first to overstep the boundaries of friendship to test the waters. Both Jan and Janis were equally strong and respectful characters, one never out shined the other. There were two important secondary characters, aside from Dr. Tandy who cast her nasty shadow over everyone. Antoine reminds us of the power Dr. Tandy holds over her victims. She tears down his sense of worth with verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, however, he still feels indebted to her. Then there is Simone. She seems a little late to the party, she is Antoine’s secretary or Tandy’s office manager. She’s the only other employee and she fills both services. I really enjoyed her character, she seems impulsive and a no holds barred kind of young woman. I really liked her and so did Janis when she finally met her.

The ending is satisfying in a classy way. There were no tricks or sleight of hand, just truth. Finally, truth and justice is served. But, what of Janis and Jan? Only time will tell.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing to note.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: An Elegant Theory by Noah Milligan

Genre: Contemporary Literature/Psychological/Suspense

Description:

“Coulter Zahn sees reality differently than others. Much like light can theoretically be in all places at once, Coulter sees multiple versions of his life… An existential psychological thriller, An Elegant Theory explores how the construction of memory and consciousness can shape motive, guilt, and identity through the lens of a modern-day mad-scientist motif.”

Author:

“Noah Milligan splits his time between words and numbers and is a longtime student of physics, prompting him to write his debut novel, An Elegant Theory, a draft of which was shortlisted for the 2015 Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines, including MAKE, Storyscape Literary Journal, Empty Sink Publishing, and Santa Clara Review. He is a graduate of the MFA program at the University of Central Oklahoma, and he lives in Edmond, OK, with his wife and two children.”

Appraisal:

Coulter Zahn is a promising PhD candidate at MIT with a wife and a baby on the way. Understandably, he is under a lot of pressure writing his dissertation. When his hypothesis comes under criticism and his estranged mother (who suffers from mental illness herself) returns, his life starts unraveling or perhaps fracturing would be a better word? As Coulter loses control everyone’s life around him becomes irreparably changed forever.

Mr. Milligan uses a style writing An Elegant Theory that I have not experienced before. There are sudden time-warps where the story will jump either back in time or into a future you are not quite sure is real or imagined. He has employed this style to keep the reader as off balance as Coulter is feeling as his own mental health is deteriorating. And it works. At one point I was convinced Coulter was suffering from schizophrenia, however if you consider the subject of his dissertation it’s likely he was experiencing different planes of existence altogether.

The plot is character driven and not linear. The twists in the story are extreme and well thought out. The most important people are well developed and realistic. I’m wondering if I should warn the readers they may come away from this novel with a taste of quantum physics and string theory as well as what it may feel like to go slowly insane.

I think if I re-read this book, it’s possible, I may come away with a totally different theory about what was actually happening here. After saying that, this would be an excellent novel for discussion with a group or book club. Egads! I don’t think I have ever said that before in a review. I believe Noah Milligan is an author to keep an eye on in the future.

Buy now from:    Amazon US    Amazon UK

FYI:

**Warning** this book may change the way you see yourself, those around you, or life in general, forevermore.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing or formatting issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: A Sudden Gust of Gravity by Laurie Boris

This is the second half of a doubleshot review. If you missed it, check out BigAl's take on the same book from this morning.

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Psychological/Romance

Description:

“Christina Davenport, waitressing to pay the bills, has given up on becoming a magician—until she meets the mesmerizing Reynaldo the Magnificent. He offers her a job as his assistant in his magic and juggling show. She takes it, hoping she can revive her dream without cutting his giant ego in half.

Devon Park, a surgical resident escaping his own problems, visits the street performers in downtown Boston. But the young doctor worries that the bruises beneath Christina’s makeup go deeper than the training accident she professes.

Suspecting the doctor’s interest is more than clinical, the mercurial magician attempts to tighten his grip on Christina. Now she needs to decide—is the opportunity Reynaldo offers worth the price of admission?”

Author:

“Laurie Boris is a freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and former graphic designer. She has been writing fiction for over twenty-five years and is the award-winning author of five novels: The Joke's on Me, Drawing Breath, Don't Tell Anyone, Sliding Past Vertical, and Playing Charlie Cool. When not hanging out with the universe of imaginary people in her head, she enjoys baseball, cooking, reading, and helping aspiring novelists as a contributing writer and editor for Indies Unlimited. She lives in New York's lovely Hudson Valley.”

You can follow Ms. Boris on her Blog or stalk her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

What a fascinating character study. Christina is a strong personality, she’s smart, compassionate, and a part of her is broken from a devastating event in her past. In her quest to confront and overcome her broken pieces she takes up with a charming magician, Reynaldo the Magnificent, who isn’t as charming as he presents himself. Dr. Devon Park is facing a spiritual crisis of his own. His past was nothing like I would have imagined and set me back to consider the consequences and how they were affecting his present and future. This was not a light read for me, the emotional turmoil felt real.

The secondary characters are fully developed and vital to keep Christina balanced. I enjoyed each of them. They were realistic and added support in a believable way. Devon’s Asian background added a level of realism and responsibility, which was fitting, and I fully appreciated his dilemma.

This character driven plot moved at a realistic speed as events presented themselves for readers to consider how they might have handled each situation. Then turn their support fully to Christina for the best possible outcome. She handles it with class and determination. I thoroughly enjoyed her poignant journey as I cheered her on. Dr. Devon was a heart-throb. I really enjoyed his part in the book. Reynaldo the Magnificent was a unique and interesting character. I think my favorite character in this story was the old man, Herbert, who owned the magic shop.

Buy now from:     Amazon US      Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant errors in proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Paranoia and the Destiny Programme / Richard Godwin

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Science Fiction / Dystopian / Psychological

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 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:

Richard Godwin is a widely published author, with a focus on horror and crime, poet and playwright. He holds a BA and MA in English and American English. He splits his time between the UK and US.

You can learn more about the author at his website.

Description:

Dale Helix can’t make sense of the world. He thinks he may kill people on behalf of The Assembly, a shadowy group who run the dystopian city in which he resides. No one believes him, including his wife and daughters. The Destiny Programme is social engineering at its worst…

Appraisal:

This is a book whereby it is difficult to put a finger on the genre. It’s located in a science fictional world, yet many of the themes reminded me of Godwin’s previous work. Of those I’ve reviewed they split between mainstream and not, straightforward and highly complex. In the former camp is Confessions of a Hitman and One Lost Summer. In the latter Piquant Tales of the Mustard Man, Meaningful Conversations and now this novel. All bar Hitman have a very strong psychological element.

Personally I’ve preferred the mainstream output, in fact they’ve been some of the best books I’ve reviewed, but that is down to my preference as an individual – I don’t wander too far off the centre line and ultimately this affected my overall rating in comparison to Hitman and Summer.

One aspect is unarguable, the quality of the author’s writing is clear in all the cases, as it is here again. Godwin can no doubt write, and write damn well. He adopts a unique use of language. I guess in this case I struggled a little more to understand what the hell was going on. The style is present tense and from Dale’s perspective. He’s a mess – is he mad or going mad? Is the stuff that he thinks is happening actually occurring? Who are the people surrounding him? What is the Assembly? And the Programme itself? This novella sat in my mind long after I’d finished it.

In the end it does come together, in Godwin’s trademark fashion. This novel requires concentration and an open mind to best enjoy. If you like something a little different and with multiple layers of complexity then boy, is this the book for you…

FYI:

Several uses of the strongest of language.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Break Point / Kate Rigby

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 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:

Kate Rigby studied psychology although she is no longer able to work due to ill health. She has been writing for more than thirty years producing fourteen novels and short stories. Most of her works have been published over this time.

You can learn more about the author on her blog and more about her books on her website.

Description:

It’s June 1999 and Wimbledon is about to get underway. Robina, recently out of a long term relationship and looking for a new path in life takes a job as the carer for Gwen, a largely housebound old lady. As Robina learns more about Gwen she has more questions than answers, in particular what happened to her daughter Rosemary?

Appraisal:

Kate Rigby writes with an unconventional style. This is not a complaint, merely an observation. Some readers will appreciate it, others I guess will not. Thankfully, I sit in the former camp. Rigby writes with a local vernacular in punchy terms. It adds layer and depth to the first person narrative.

I’ve previously reviewed Flamingo Circus, which was, in effect, a coming of age diary that occurred over several years. However in Break Point we have quite a different beast. It is fundamentally an exploration of relationships – between Robina and a variety of people. Gwen (the eventually overbearing woman she’s caring for with her own secret), June (the ex-girlfriend we never meet), Tash (the person who split June and Robina up) and Elliot (her brother). Finally throw Shari, provocative colleague exploring her sexuality, into the mix and there’s a slow-burn melting pot of emotions.

Interestingly the story takes place with the back drop of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The author draws parallels between events and the particular game / players on at the time. As the finals near, the events wind to a crescendo and a neat little twist.

Overall an enjoyable read.

Format/Typo Issues:

None to speak of.

Rating: **** Four Stars