Guest Post by KJ Steele

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KJ Steele is an emerging writer who has learned that the process is not so much about choosing what to write as it is about having the courage to write what chooses to be written. Having spent the first half of her life creating an amazing family with her husband, Victor, she intends to spend the rest of it creating equally amazing fiction.

You can find out more about her and her book by visiting her website at http://kjsteele.com, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KJSteele4 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Story-to-Tell/122592254511039

No Story To Tell By K J Steele

ebook, 388 pages - Published by The Fiction Studio

The Book Blurb:

Victoria Lackey, a once extraordinarily promising dancer, now finds herself mired down in a joyless marriage, tending to a heart full of secrets, her dream of being a dancer buried deep within her.

Buried within her, that is, until Elliot, a newcomer to the small, gritty town of Hinckly and a sensual artist, recognizes the dancer’s spirit within her. Believing in her abilities, he encourages her to open a dance studio, something previously forbidden by Victoria’s boorish husband, Bobby.

With Elliot’s attentions sparking the flame of desire within her, Victoria suddenly begins to receive softly seductive anonymous telephone calls. Encouraged by her best friend, Rose, Victoria slowly allows herself to start enjoying the calls, eventually creating a perfect fantasy lover in her mind. Eventually, she slips from listener to speaker and begins to divulge the intimate and profound secrets that haunt her soul.

Inevitable tensions begin to arise between Victoria and Bobby as he attempts to keep her newfound freedom from taking root. Desperate to resuscitate the woman she was truly meant to be, Victoria is in for the struggle of her life. With a burden of secrets collapsing around her and a life hanging in jeopardy if she embraces her own, Fate devilishly delivers her to an impossible fork in the road.

Where Stories Begin

I did not grow up in a house filled with stories. I did not sit around the dinner table being astounded by tales of familial adventures or mis-adventures. For many years I wished that I had. I envied other writers who seemed to have such a treasure-trove of interesting stories to rummage through when creating their novels. I felt that I had a bit of an arid history. But, then, of course, I realized that wasn’t true at all.

In the absence of stories gifted to me through passed down verbal lore, I was forced to allow the observances of life to congregate upon my page. And congregate they did. It amazed me how one small detail, of no real particular interest in and of itself, could flourish into a riveting story. As if the detail was merely an innocuous door the imagination steps through in order to access the world in behind.

I didn’t realize quite how adroit my mind had become at picking out details from my surroundings and stepping through into a story, until my daughters pointed it out to me one day. I had been out dancing the night before, and was regaling them with some story about one of the men I’d been covertly observing all night. Now, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t watching him because I wasinterested in him. I just found him interesting. He was a very methodical, accomplished dancer. Great care had gone into the selection of his evening attire. Obviously, he loved to dance and did so nearly every song, going around the room asking various ladies onto the floor to join him. But, what interested me was that although he loved to dance, he really had no one to dance with. He arrived alone, sat alone, and left alone. Curious.

So, without my even realizing I was doing it, I began to create his story. All the reasons as to why he was alone arose in my mind. Was he happy, sad, a widower, or a pervert in planning stage? The possibilities were endless. And it wasn’t until my daughters pointed it out to me, that I realized I had stepped through the observance of his aloneness, into the creation of a story in an attempt to explain it.

And that ability, which we all possess, to create something beyond the smallest detail, is the point where all stories begin. Truly, no one has an arid history. Every day provides us with countless entry points into the what-ifs of life. We simply have to be willing to wake-up and become keen observers.

Comments Always Welcome!

Surviving the Angel of Death - Eva Mozes Kor, Lisa Rojany Buccieri

Surviving the Angel of Death: The True Story of A Mengele Twin at Auschwitz

by Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri

Hardcover, 141 pages

Tanglewood Press


* This is a Net Galley review. I received no compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Eva Mozes Kor was 10 years old when she arrived in Auschwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. Mengele's twins were granted the privileges of keeping their own clothes and hair, but they were also subjected to sadistic medical experiments and forced to fight daily for their own survival, as most of the twins died as a result of the experiements or from the disease and hunger pervasive in the camp. In a narrative told with emotion and restraint, readers will learn of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil. The book also includes an epilogue on Eva's recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she has dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and working toward goals of forgiveness, peace, and the elimination of hatred and prejudice in the world.


My Opinion:
This is a very moving story. The courage and love of Eva and Miriam is incredibly touching. Eva's decision to forgive is remarkable. I am big on forgiveness as a way to move forward but I think I would have trouble forgiving this. I admire Eva so much. She took something horrifying and did all she could to plant peace in its place. As difficult as this subject matter is to read it is a book I recommend be read by all.    It is one of the most important books I have read. The Holocaust should never be forgotten. When history is forgotten is can be revived. We must do all we can together to insure that it will never be repeated with any group of people. I highly recommend this to middle grade readers and young adults who may not be as familiar with The Holocaust. I know many would say that middle grades may be to young, but, in my opinion we need to remember that Eva and Miriam were just 10 years old when this nightmare happened to them. I do recommend an adult read it with the middle grade reader to discuss it.  We need to share it responsibly with our children. A highlight to this book is that is does not just end with the war. Eva goes on to tell of her journey to finding peace from the horror. It is an awesome message. 
I believe the story to be well written. The vocabulary used is not to difficult for the middle grades. Lisa did a phenomenal job translating this book. The length of the book I feel is just right. It provides enough details without being overly graphic. I do not want to say that I enjoyed this book as it is difficult to enjoy reading something so horrifying. I did find it an interesting testimony of love, strength and determination to survive against all odds. With the message that Eva spreads we have a book that could have left us depressed but  instead leaves us a message of hope. It is an astounding testimony that dreams can come true if we never give up and that forgiveness does not mean forgetting. It means moving forward in love and remembering for peace.


I would like to thank Net Galley and Tanglewood Press for the privilege to read this book.

Turkey Monster Thanksgiving - Anne Warren Smith

 

Turkey Monster Thanksgiving by Anne Warren Smith

Paperback, 112 pages

Whitman, Albert & Company 

* This is a Net Galley review. I received no compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

This year, instead of celebrating Thanksgiving in the family's traditional way by eating pizza in their pajamas, nine-year-old Katie wants to create the perfect holiday and be just like a "real" family. But by Thanksgiving Day, Katie has invited guests Dad didn't expect, festooned the house with what may be poison oak, and set the sweet potatoes on fire. Ultimately everyone sits down to a most unusual dinner—one that succeeds because it comes from the heart.

My Opinion:

This was a fun book to read. I love the message that every family is a "real family" regardless of who is missing from the "traditional" family structure. The fact that it is a single dad who is in the home while the mother is not is a very welcome part of it. I know many men who are single dads. It is refreshing to see them get a nod. I think it is also reaffirming to the children who are being raised by single dads to see one portrayed in a holiday book. I loved how both the fathers who were in the book were written of in a positive way. I fell in love with Katie, not so much with Claire , (who I think I was friends with). I could picture all the scenes in the book. This is an absolutely delightful Thanksgiving book. I shared it with some children who ranged in ages from 4 to 10. They had a good time with it and we had a lively discussion of all the different ways families can celebrate. We all agreed it is a 5 star book. 

Comments Always Welcome!

The Value of Rain by Brandon Shire

The Value of Rain by Brandon Shire

ebook Published  by The Practical Group  ISBN: 9781465826

*I received this book with a request to review. I received no compensation for my review. My review is based upon my honest opinions and feelings.*

Good Reads:

The Value of Rain is an emotionally rich but corrosive tale of hate and revenge told by a most extraordinary narrator. 
Charles is 14 when he is dumped into a mental hospital to cure his gayness, after being found with his first love. For the next ten years he endures mental and physical torture as part of that cure. When he is finally free, he begins a relentless quest for revenge against the woman who abetted his commitment into that hospital, his mother Charlotte. Charlotte, an extraordinary woman in her own right, cruelly uses her family in her quest to maintain her secrets and exact her own revenge. The Value of Rain chronicles this profane and profound journey through hate to the unexpected beginning of redemption.

My view:

I found this to be an emotional read. It is a story filled with 'rip the band aid off' emotion.  When the author asked me to review his book he let me know in advance it was about a gay man. He shouldn't have. It wasn't needed, (*this is a personal opinion - some people may have a hard time with some of the scenes). Yes the main character is gay and his being gay is a huge part of the story. But honestly, I could see the family dynamics and emotions played out in gay and straight families.  

Before I continue with the review I want to share something that most likely played a part in why Brandon did not need to let me know his character was gay.  One of my sons is gay. I remember the day he told me. He thought it was going to be huge and I could see his fear in his face. I thought he was going to tell me he was dying. When he finally got out he was gay, I was still waiting for the bad news.  This reaction confused him. So we were both sitting there confused and waiting for some horror to pop out. He finally asked me if I was mad at him. That question really threw me. I really did not think of his being gay as anything different than the color of his hair or eyes. It was just a part of him. I had not really been aware that people could turn from their children for that reason. As I came to know his friends and more young people from the LBGT community, I had my eyes opened. There was so many kids in so much pain. I was really shocked. It never occurred to me to turn away from my son. He was still my child. I still do not truly understand how families turn away. I am "mom" now to many more kids than just my own. These kids mean so much to me. They have enriched my life and I still feel sorrow for their families. Those families have lost so much.  While reading The Value of Rain I kept thinking of all these young adults I know and what it must have been like for some of them.

The book tells a disturbing story of how far the need for revenge can go. It tells the destructive nature of unforgiveness, ( I have no other I would choose to use). It is a testament to the pain we endure as children that can last a lifetime, coloring every choice we make. It is to this pain and destruction that I say to you that this story is one that can be found in many lives, both gay and straight.  Charles made many choices from that point that hurt him and others. It was his legacy from his mother who made her choices and path of destruction from that same point.  It also tells of the bond between parent and child that is strong  whether it is in love or hate. I have long believed you  cannot hate someone unless you have loved them first. People may say they hate you and it may hurt but the pain and memory usually fade. That fading memory does not usually happen when we loved the person.  Unless we choose to conscientiously move on this memory will taint every relationship we have. I chose to forgive. This does not mean I forget. It means that I chose to move on and not let the pain someone caused me continue to harm me. I do not chose to forgive to help the other person. I do  it to help me.  Charlotte was straight, Charles gay, yet they both were governed by the pain of a memory they let rule them. This happens in life. It is up to each of us to chose which path we take.

The book also address a very graphic look at mental health issues. Charles was placed in a mental hospital.  He underwent therapies that were popular at one time. They are horrific. I would like to say they no longer happen but I am not so certain.  Most hospitals now take a more humane approach to therapy.  However mental health carries its own stigma. People do not wish to be associated with mental hospitals. Most people who choose to work in them, I believe, do so with real intent to help. But as with all institutions that we don't wish to be associated with the world inside is a world apart. As much as we would like for there to be no need for these places there is a need. With that need there is a responsibility to both the people who reside there for a time and to the people who work in them. I believe so many of the cruelties that went on in mental hospitals happened because they were a world on their own filled with throw away people. We have made a lot of progress, those who are gay , those who have autism, those who have severe depression are not warehoused in them any more, (I am speaking of the USA). Yet with all the progress we still have the stigmas attached. Some people are still frightened of gays, autism, depression, different religions and cultures as well as mental issues. This still leads to an alarming amount of animosity and to hate crimes. As this book shows this can be committed by those who should love us most.

It has taken me some time to write this up. If you think this rant is bad, you should have seen the first few. 

I believe this book is an eye opener into how much we can hurt someone we love. A sad part of this is that I believe Charlotte loved Charles and he loved her. The things that haunted Charlotte destroyed her ability to give that love to Charles. Instead she gave him a haunting for him to carry. Brandon wrote fiercely but also with beauty. It is an intense and vivid book that  will have you examining what pain you hold on to and what true value it brings to you. It is one that I would recommend to book clubs that choose books that examine life and its impact on us. 

Brandon has a website at http://brandonshire.com/

Social Media:

He is a Good Reads author : http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5080042.Brandon_Shire

He is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/brandonshire1

On Face Book : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brandon-Shire/253257421373935

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/u/0/110614707492570510705/posts

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/brandon-shire/38/964/b06

Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/user/brandon_shire/

StumbleUpon: http://video.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/brandonshire/

The Value of Rain can be found at: Amazon  Barnes&Noble  Smashwords

Comments Always Welcome!

Guest Post - David Rocklin

Imagine meeting someone that you really want to spend time with. You have exactly ten seconds to entice them to want to know more about you; wordlessly, you need to hint at greater depths, thrills and romance, a bit of sadness and a voice that would really speak to them if they'd just give you a chance. That's what it is to be a cover. It's one of the most fascinating and mysterious aspects of publishing to me. I watched my publisher really agonize over the right image; the one they choose was unbelievable serendipity given my novel's origins and inspiration (read here for a blog article on the strange meaning behind the cover of The Luminist: http://redroom.com/member/david-rocklin/blog/a-story-behind-an-image).

I'm a huge fan of e-readers (if the convenience factor means that more people turn to a book, I'm all for it), but I do fear we lose a little something by not holding a physical book in our hands. There's a social connection that can happen when we see someone reading. We look at that cover and think, I've heard of that. I should pick it up. Or, that looks interesting, I'm going to ask them about it. You don't have the same possibility of connection with the back of a device.

David is the author of:

The Luminist by David Rocklin 

Paperback, 322 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Hawthorne Books

From Good Reads:

Photography comprises the bright, tensile thread in the sweep of The Luminist,
drawing tight a narrative that shifts between the prejudices and passions of Victorian England and those of colonial Ceylon. It binds the destinies of Catherine Colebrook, the proper wife of a fading diplomat, who rebels against every convention to chase the romance of science through her lens, and Eligius, an Indian teenager thrust into servitude after his father is killed demanding native rights.
The Luminist is a weave of legend and history, science and art, politics and domesticity that are symphonic themes in the main title, the story of an enduring and forbidden friendship. Catherine and Eligius must each struggle with internal forces that inspire them and societal pressures that command them. Rocklin’s is a bold landscape, against which an intimate drama is poignantly played out. Just in this way, our minds recall in every detail the photo snapped at the moment of pain, while all the lovely scenes seem to run together.

David has a blog at: http://redroom.com/member/david-rocklin/blog

Review of Two Moons of Sera - Pavarti K Tyler

Two Moons of Sera by Pavarti K Tyler

ebook Published 2011 by Fighting Monkey Press

Good Reads:

In a world where water and earth teem with life, Serafay is an anomaly. The result of genetic experiments on her mother's water-borne line Serafay will have to face the very people responsible to discover who she really is. But is she the only one? 


All the Fun of YA written for Adults 


Two Moons of Sera is a Fantasy/Romance and will be released in a serial format. The first volume is just shy of 20,000 words and will be priced at $0.99. Anyone who purchases it will receive all future volumes for free. However if you wait to get it until later, the price will go up with each addition.

My Review:

I LOVE this book! It is in serial form so you are left with missing information that comes gradually and, of course, cliffhangers. Since I am impatient this part is hard for me. However I fell into the story line hard and will definitely finish out the series. 

Sera is, I believe half Sualwet and half Erdlander. She lives with her Sualwet mother, Nilafay,  and is basically shunned by the  Sualwet community. Her mother lives on land with Sera as Sera can only be under water for a shorter time than Nilafay  Her mother goes scavenging for treasures which she brings back to Sera. These they use for their home and with these Sera also learns the Erdlander language. They have lived like this for 16 years, with Nilafay being Sera's only real company.

One day Sera is drying pages from a book her mother found when an Erdlander swiftly steals them away. Sera, not knowing what it was and surprised by the theft, goes after them. At first she tries to decide what the creature is. Then the creature speaks and she knows it is an Erdlander. This is the beginning of Sera realizing how lonely she is. She seeks out the Erdlander. Eventually she befriends him and learns his name is Torkek, or Tor. Tor at first speaks very little, learning more and more words from Sera. She learns he is also an anomaly and is living by himself. Exactly what he is we do not know yet. 

Much of this book is about Sera, her relationship with her mother and then with Tor. This allows us to get to know her and care about her. So when tragedy strikes and Sera needs to run away with Tor, we care deeply and feel her pain, confusion and terror. When the book ended on the cliff hangar I almost died. I have read and loved several series, (Sookie Stackhouse, Midnight Breed, Chicagoland Vampire, Fever, Darkness Within, House of Night to name a few). This is ranking up there with them for me. I cannot wait for the next book.

More information on Pavarti: http://www.fightingmonkeypress.com/


Read her blog: http://pavarti.blogspot.com/


If your a writer: http://www.novelpublicity.com


Follow Pavarti on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/PavartiKTyler?sk=wall


Tweet with her: http://twitter.com/#!/PavartiKTyler


See what she is reading on Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4741652.Pavarti_K_Tyler

Comments Always Welcome!

Guest Post - Gregory Earls

I am pleased to bring you a guest post from author Gregory Earls to you today. Here is the cover shot of his book:

Gregory is a very talented young man. I checked out his website and was impressed with his photography and sketches. I admit I cannot draw stick people well so I am impressed with people who have talent. In addition to writing and art skills, Gregory is a director. Very cool huh?  He also seems to be a very down to earth and funny guy. So please check him out. After his post you will find all the info on how to stalk him  learn more about him. ;)

When I found out that my debut novel, Empire Of Light, was going to be published, one of the things I was most excited about was helping to design the front cover. As a frustrated artist, I was enamored with the idea of sketching out a concept and having an illustrator bring my idea to fruition. It wasn’t long before a nice tall bucket of cold water bitch-slapped me out of that daydream and snapped me back to reality.

As my Simon & Fig publisher explained to me in the bluntest of words, writers never have a say in what’s on their book’s cover. I would have a better chance writing the set list for The Police reunion tour (Stewart Copeland would want to punch me in the face ‘cause most of the songs would come from Dream Of The Blue Turtles). It just never happens and that’s the way the game is played.

She wanted to place the image of a vintage Kodak Brownie camera on the cover, an object that plays such a central role in Empire Of Light. In the story, the camera is enchanted by the gorgeous light of magic hour. Magic hour is that fleeting moment after the sun has set, yet its rays still illuminate the sky. Because the sun is low on the horizon, its rays pass through more of our atmosphere than normal, making them softer and warmer. The light also has more time to pass through all of the prayers sent to heaven from the good people below. It was this ethereal contact with this light that gives the holder of the Brownie the power to literally make dreams come true.

My publisher argued that this singular elegant image on the cover, of this art deco designed camera, would attract a potential reader’s eye. Incredibly sound logic, but I would have none of it. After a few minutes acting out like a child, my publisher let me have a crack the design.

“Okay. You pay for the artist, you can have a shot at the design.”

Victory!

What I soon discovered, however, was that her allowing me to design the book cover was akin to a parent forcing her child to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes after catching him stealing a drag behind the garage. I got what I wanted, but it would lead to me vomiting up my dinner on the lawn, humbled and lesson learned.

Since much of my manuscript revolves around the artwork of the talented, insane and perverse mind of Caravaggio, I thought it would be a great idea to have the book cover ape one of his paintings. I chose his masterpiece, The Conversion Of Paul. For those of you not up on your bible stories, one day this thug was on the road to Damascus to bring the pain to some followers of Christ, when suddenly he’s knocked off his horse by a blinding light, God’s light. He went blind for three days and when his sight returned, he, himself, became a follower of Christ.

I figured a great cover would be to ape the composition of this great painting, but instead of Paul on the ground, shielding his eyes, I’d have my protagonist, Jason Tisse. And instead of the light of God, he’d be blinded by an HMI movie light, with a crew of students watching on.

“What a clever boy, I am,” I thought.

So all I needed was an artist that could mock one of the greatest figurative painters this side of Michelangelo, who would work for about two hundred bucks. So I placed an ad on CraigsList.com.

…You know, It’s amazing how much of an ass I felt like merely typing the previous two sentences. Suffice it to say, my concept failed.

So in the end, I wasted a fist full of dough and my publisher ended up with the cover she wanted in the first place. And you know what, I think it’s spectacular, if I do say so myself. But I feel like I still made out ahead in the deal. I lost two hundred dollars, but at least I wasn’t left to turn blue behind a garage, throwing up my supper.

Close, but not quite.

Visit Gregory's website: http://www.gregoryearls.com/

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/GregoryEarls

On FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/EmpireOfLight

On Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5039828.Gregory_Earls

Empire of Light at B&N : http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Empire-of-Light/Gregory-Earls/e/9780615503196?r=1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1

Empire of Light at Amazon: Print Copy and Kindle Copy

Comments Always Welcome!