Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Review: Paris in Oakland by Eliza Q. Hemenway

Paris in Oakland

29519845

Follow Katherine and her mother, Eliza, as they navigate a medical nightmare seeking treatment for Katherine's Lyme disease. Never imagining an illness could be controversial, Katherine and her mother find themselves caught in the middle of a deeply divided medical community. This proves to be dangerous medicine, leaving young Katherine bedridden, in constant pain and ultimately fighting for her life in the pediatric intensive care unit.

From the pen of documentary filmmaker Eliza Hemenway, Paris in Oakland not only exposes the injustices of Lyme disease, but is also a story of faith and a compelling read for anyone suffering sickness or caught in circumstances beyond their control. If you are seeking inspiration, healing or hope, Paris in Oakland is the book for you.

My Take:
When Katherine began complaining of her legs hurting, strange rashes, and  frequent headaches, no one but her mother seemed to believe there was anything wrong. The varying ailments plaguing Katherine seemed unrelated, but they were puzzling, and none of the medical doctors her mother Eliza brought her to could identify the problem. Katherine and her mother became victims of a deep divide in the medical community on the existence and treatment of Lyme Disease.

As the disease continues to ravage and debilitate Katherine, leaving her bedridden and in constant pain, her mother navigates a frightening and depressing maze of roadblocks, rejections, and denial of service for her condition. Eventually this brings Katherine to the edge of death in an intensive care unit, where doctors are still denying there is a problem.

In this true story, documentary filmmaker Eliza Hemenway exposes the ravages of Lyme Disease, its struggle for recognition and available treatment in the medical community, and the unwavering faith of a mother championing the cause of her daughter against unimaginable odds. It is a chronicle of suffering, of political bureaucracy and abuse, but also a poignant record of hope in a very dark place.

And there are some places where only God can shine light.



Content:
This is a non-fiction account, but it reads like a novel, and I need to record the content.

Drug Content:
G - Other than antibiotics and herbal remedies, I don't believe there was anything in the story, not even drinking.    

Violence:
PG - The ravages of the disease was the most obvious source of violence in this story. Also in view was the abuse of doctors who refused to treat or acknowledge Lyme disease. The violence done throughout most of this book was emotional.

Language:
G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:
G - Clean.

Christian content:
Throughout, scripture is quoted where appropriate. The mother and her daughter find that their faith community seems to be almost the only support group they can rely on. God's provision and guiding hand is exposed and God is credited for the miracles He performs in arranging circumstances to meet Eliza and Katherine's needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Final analysis:
The story encapsulated in Paris in Oakland needed to be told. Just because symptoms do not lead to a predictable diagnosis, does not mean the symptoms don't exist, that they are psychosomatic. There are many people with debilitating diseases that need a relative, a friend, to champion their cause, and this book would give them and their champions hope.

I have known several people, including a close relative, suffering from Lyme Disease. One friend nearly died from it. It can be very debilitating, and this work gives me a better perspective of the pain, suffering, and risk the disease brought into their lives.

The stakes in this story were very high, the conflict palpable, the struggle fierce. The characters, as this is a true story, were starkly real, their doubt and faith, anger and love, were well-depicted. The story was gripping. That having been said, the pace had moments where it flagged like the failing daughter. The timeline was not chronological and the time jumps a bit disorienting. I found it a bit difficult keeping track of whether I was in the present or past. So, good story, relatable, timely and needed. Four Stars!


About the Author:

Eliza Q. Hemenway

ELIZA HEMENWAY has a M.A. in media studies, and has worked in photography, film and radio, directed the documentary film Uncommon Knowledge, and was the founder and director of the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. She has served as a judge on numerous film festivals and was an independent-film reviewer for KRCB-FM, National Public Radio. For updates on her current creative non-fiction projects, visit her website at www.hemenwayproductions.com.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Review: Profit Yourself Healthy by David Fuller

Profit Yourself Healthy


31703193Does Your Business Need to Make More Profit?
You started your business because you wanted to live the dream. The dream that included a balanced healthy life where you worked less and made more money than you would working for someone else. Like many business owners that dream probably faded somewhere along the way between then and now. Like many business owners you might be more stressed as you work longer hours for less pay.
This book is for you if you answer yes to any of these questions.
Are you drawing on your line of credit to pay your bills?
Do you have up to 50 employees and stress over payroll?
Do you have sales up to $5 Million dollars but think that you might never afford to retire?
Are you working too much for too little pay?
Are you fighting with your spouse over household bills?
Do you wonder why you ever got into business for yourself?
Do you envy people that have a “real job” paying “real money”?
Is the stress of your business affecting your health?
Would you like to worry less and earn more?
If yes is your answer to any of these the problem is simple. Your Business Needs to Make More Profits!! Make Healthy Profits is a book that will put you and your business on the right track to earning more money and reducing your stress levels.
This book will
-Give you strategies to make your business more profitable and successful
-Help you identify pricing tactics that will increase your profits
-Show you new ways of looking at business so you can actually make money
-Help you read your financial statements so you can use them
-Provide you with ways to find clarity about what the biggest issues are facing your business
-Identify the drivers that create real dollar values in your business for your future
If you want your business to Make Healthy Profits that you can live on, retire with, and share with your family and community, start reading today and get your business working! Every page will challenge you and give you ideas that you can put to use in your own business starting today!

My Take:
Profit Yourself Healthy is an in-depth look at small business issues that lead to cash hemorrhaging, lost customers, profitability issues, and eventual closing of the doors. It's no secret that money issues in small business promote ulcers, stress related heart attacks and strokes, high blood pressure, and many other physical ailments.

Correcting business management and cash flow issues in your business can be a huge step forward in reducing the risk of many of these killers. With anecdotal stories and real world help backed by mounds of research, Dave Fuller leverages several decades of real world success in helping small business owners turn flagging businesses around in this must-read for entrepreneurs everywhere.


Content:
Even though this is non-fiction, figured I'd better put a bit about the content in here.

Drug Content:
PG - The only place i recall drinking occurring is in a recommendation to remove alcoholic beverages from expense accounts.   

Violence:
PG - There's a true story in here about an encounter with a bear in the middle of the night, when one of the campers gets mauled and shot in the confusion.

Language:
G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:
G - Clean.

Christian content:
Nada. Not that it's needed in a non-fiction anyway. One of the positive messages placed in here, which is relatively faith based but generic, is that being altruistic, helping others, is a positive move that usually improves your attitude and outlook.

Final analysis:
David has constructed a solid self-help manual here for any small business owner to take their investment from concept, through planning, marketing, funding, staffing, managing, and eventually, retiring. All stages in the life cycle of a small business are covered, and every problem conceivable is covered in depth.

Proactive activities are given throughout, that lead the reader through each stage of development, implementation, and management of their business. Powerful anecdotal stories begin each chapter, each one a flashback through Dave's own life, but applied to the issue at hand. Each chapter ends with holistic and medical assistance with various ailments that can arise from the stress of managing a small business. Filled with helpful subjects like stopping the bleeding, setting realistic goals, measuring your business's true potential, how to leverage proper advertising, cutting costs, increasing margin, the power of existing customer base, measuring your lifeblood via timely reports, positioning your company to sell, and developing a good exit strategy, this book can be a powerful tool to help a small businessman in the lifecycle of his business. Tools like Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and Just in Time, are discussed, as well as their benefits.

To get perspective, I've had over 25 years working in IT in midrange and large corporations in many manufacturing fields, and many of the ideas embedded in this book I've seen implemented in large businesses with great success. I found Profit Yourself Healthy concise, informative, a good tool that belongs in every small business owner's toolbox. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Dave Fuller has an entrepreneurial drive that has helped him start and run successful small businesses for over three decades. When not involved running his own businesses, Dave engages with other small business owners as a business coach to help them achieve profitability, success, and balance in their lives. His expertise is backed by a Master's Degree in Business Administration but it is based on his real world experiences of building his own businesses from the ground up. He has co-founded several grassroots organizations and run successful campaigns for better quality air and water. Dave has a proven ability for developing strategies that work for businesses and a track record of success with his clients.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Review: Alfred Arnold's Great Adventure of No Direction Whatsoever by Phoenix Ward

Alfred Arnold's Great Adventure of No Direction Whatsoever (The Alfred Arnold Saga #1)


27244880Alfred Arnold, reader. Reader, Alfred Arnold. Although he is the hero of our story and has no knowledge of you, I would like you to get to know him. He is an eccentric man who finds himself in the fantastic and bizarre world of Serdame. With no memory of his arrival, he undertakes the first ever expedition in the land with the help of the retired knight Sir Procrastination and the curious Lavandra.

My Take:
Alfred Arnold is a reclusive writer trapped in his burning house. His life's work was a fantasy land called Serdame. While attempting to save his precious full color hand-drawn map of the fantasy world from the engulfing flames, he is transported into the world he created, with a serious case of amnesia.

With little memory of the world he came from, plagued by debilitating panic attacks, and threatened by the denizens of outlandish creatures and characters he created, Alfred Arnold undertakes a journey with the help of the retired knight Sir Procrastination to restore his memory and learn who he truly is.

Content:

Drug Content:
PG - Some drinking occurs. A magical brew is imbibed which gives all the effects of being drunk without actually 'being' drunk, or suffering the aftereffects.  

Violence:
PG - Much of the violence in this book is mild, nothing graphic. A zombie has its leg ripped off to use as a torch. 

Language:
G - There are two mild curse words in the entire book. No F-bombs.

Adult Content:
PG - Other than one incident of two men fighting madly over a sponge that appears to be a female object of 'lust', the book is very clean.

Christian content:
Nada. One cult in the book worships some deity and appears to have a practice of human sacrifice. None of which is described or occurs onstage. Some life lessons are apparent in the plot. For instance, Sir Procrastination is a personification of laziness and procrastination. The village of Villedge appears to be a lesson in isolationism, something the recluse Alfred Arnold deals with. A possessed glowing sponge appears to be a personification of lust. Revenge, greed, denial, all play a part in this odd tale.

Final analysis:
At the beginning I thought this would be a Christian allegory similar to John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress', or perhaps a crass and humorous ride like Hitchhiker's Guide, but it ended up more like Through the Looking Glass. The bizarre collection of creatures and characters in the tale, from Sir Procrastination to the Singing Zombie Chorus, seemed to lead me to believe there were allegories and personifications everywhere. But if so, many were lost on me. The world building in this book was excellent, sort of a mashup of Hitchhiker's Guide, Through the Looking Glass, and Gulliver's Travels. The characters, especially the main character, showed significant character arcs, and were likable, but not tremendously realistic.

I entered this book with some great expectations. A writer trapped in his own created world was an opportunity to take advantage of his creative genius, as was done in the InkHeart series. The beginning lines and book title gave a strong impression we were chasing an Arthur Dent clone through another inept adventure. An allegory can powerfully communicate life lessons without coming across as preachy, while a political satire,  like Through the Looking Glass, which uses some of the same devices, can expose ills in the powers that be, and galvanize a country to right those wrongs.

In Alfred Arnold's adventure, there were some traits of all of these, which might be a bit problematic as it lost focus trying to do all of them. It began well enough, but lost some steam midway through the journey, and the so-so characters and flagging pace made it difficult to plow through the midpoint. Glad I did continue, though, as it gathered steam on the downhill stretch, giving Alfred Arnold more dimension, and resolution to the main conflict. The story has a decent ending, but definitely left room for a sequel or two, and left some major questions unanswered. Can't help but feel a bit disappointed with a relatively abrupt ending that left too much unanswered. All in all, this was a good read, but will probably require the sequel for a satisfying end. Great World-building, decent plot, likable characters, but some focus and pacing issues. Four Stars!

About the Author:
Phoenix  WardPhoenix Ward is the author of thought-provoking science fiction and dark thrillers. The inventive mind behind A Guardian Angel, Oneironaut, the Alfred Arnold Saga, and the Installed Intelligence series, Phoenix captures the bizarre eccentricities that make reading unique.

When he’s not writing foreboding tales of futures-to-be, Phoenix is an avid gamer. In fact, he is the owner and primary contributor for a video game blog called Ham Goblin Gaming.

Phoenix wears pajama pants under his jeans in the winter and has a ham tattooed on his chest. He draws inspiration from such science fiction legends as Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov. He currently resides in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Review: Murder, Curlers, and Cream (Valentine Beaumont #1) by Arlene McFarlane

Murder, Curlers, and Cream (Valentine Beaumont #1)


32706740Valentine Beaumont is a beautician with a problem. Not only has she got a meddling mother, a wacky staff, and a dying business, but now she’s got a dead client who was strangled while awaiting her facial. 

With business the way it is, combing through this mystery may be the only way to save her salon. Until a second murder, an explosion, a kidnapping, death threats, and the hard-nosed Detective Romero complicate things. But Valentine will do anything to untangle the crime. That’s if she can keep her tools of the trade in her bag, keep herself alive, and avoid falling for the tough detective.

In the end, how hard can that be?
 



My Take:
Valentine Beaumont owns a beautician salon in the small town of Reuland Massachusetts, a town where practically nothing happens. That is, if you don't count the dead socialite found in her salon, strangled while awaiting her facial.

What with a new salon down the street trying to steal customers, and her rent coming due, solving the murder may be the only way she can save her salon. Until a second murder, a kidnapping, death threats, a fire bomb, and the handsome and hard-nosed detective, Michael Romero, complicate things. 

Nothing seems to deter Valentine from her quest to solve the murder, that is, if she can stay alive and prevent herself from falling for the tough detective.

Content:



Drug Content:
PG - Some drinking occurs, and one character is shedding a past life in the drug trade. 

Violence:
PG - There are several murders, one by strangulation, one by gunshot. There are a couple stabbings with beauty supplies, and a bloody accident with a straight razor. There are a couple fires, and some eyelashes get singed. Nothing graphic.

Language:
PG - There are a scattering of curse words in the book, no F-bombs.

Adult Content:
PG-13 - There are multiple references to a past incident where the main character defeated a thug by crushing his... um... never mind, in a curling rod. There are several affairs that occur. One girl wears a bikini that is more string than clothing. There are multiple semi-steamy encounters. Several scenes where a man's abs are exposed and admired, one where a female character is wearing a semi-transparent top. Men ogle women, women admire men. One scene where a lady had to take a cold shower to calm down... No sex, not even a passionate kiss. But plenty of interest.

Christian content:
A little bit. Valentine is a church attender. She prays. God doesn't play a major role onstage or off in this one, but her faith seems real enough. Family loyalty, public service, determination, benefit of the doubt, vindication, play major roles in this work.

Final analysis:
Valentine is an incredibly likable semi-ditsy three-dimensional character. She's a brick. Stalwart and faithful to her friends to the end, she is very realistically painted on the canvas of this romantic comedy. I was laughing out loud in many places. The crash-and-burn blind dates, the disastrous incompetent assistant. The settings, action, and drama in the book were so well-done that I felt more like I was watching a movie than reading a novel.

Anyone who's ever gotten a bad haircut, a ruined perm, worked in a salon, or loves mystery or romance would probably enjoy this one. I'd recommend it for older teen to adult. Solid characters, fast-paced, immersive world-building, spicy clean romance. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Arlene McFarlaneArlene McFarlane is the author of the Murder, Curlers series. Previously an aesthetician, hairstylist, and owner of a full-service salon, Arlene now writes full time. When she’s not making up stories, or being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, cat-mom, or makeover artist, you’ll find her making music on the piano.

Arlene is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Toronto Romance Writers, SOWG, and the Golden Network. She’s won and placed in over 30 contests, including twice in the Golden Heart and twice in the Daphne du Maurier. 

Arlene lives with her family in Canada.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Review: Memoirs of a Girl Who Loves God by C.L. Wells

Memoirs of a Girl Who Loves God

25759924
At her new school, she makes one single friend, Em, who invites her to volunteer at the local homeless shelter. There, Krystal discovers fellow misfits, including Brandon, a boy from her school. How can Krystal start a new life when the scars of her old one will never fully heal?

My Take:
Some scars just can't stay hidden.

Fourteen-year-old Krystal's life is falling apart. Her parents have split up, and won't talk to each other, except through her. Being caught in the middle is bad enough, but being forced to stay with her unfaithful mom and the adulterous  man that knocked her up is driving her over the edge. She blames her mother for the wreckage of her family, but even more, she blames God.

To cope, she's been cutting herself. No one knows. Not even her best friend Em. When Em gets her to volunteer at the local homeless shelter, she finds purpose and meaning. Brandon, a boy from her school, is getting meals at the shelter while his family struggles, and Krystal vows to keep his secret, even if she knows she can never reveal her own to him.

As Krystal begins to rebuild her life, however, her well-hidden secret is about to blow up in her face.

Content:


Drug Content:
PG - A few characters have drug addictions at the shelter. One character had a serious alcohol problem in his past. 

Violence:
PG - A soldier is wounded, and his comrades are all killed. The main character has a long-standing habit of cutting, and it has left many scars, and draws blood. One person is shot and killed. None of the violence is graphic.  

Language:
G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:
PG-13 - Krystal's mother is unfaithful and ends up pregnant. A counselor asks questions about a couple's sex life. Two characters have been raped repeatedly by someone they know, though it's a past wound not on screen.   

Christian content:
This story covers the conversion stories of several characters at the shelter, and God is definitely at work in what appear to be amazing coincidences. God's hand in action is clearly displayed, and characters see answers to prayer. The disappointment that people face when God doesn't answer a prayer with a Yes, is a major topic of this novel.Dealing with grief, loss, and disillusionment, are major topics as well.  

Final analysis:
This was a well-written book that would find shelf space alongside good Christian teen books like the Lilly series. The characters are very real and the struggles they face are common to many teens. Issues like Anorexia and teen suicide are covered, and characters find hope in the midst of tragedy. The plot was well-constructed, the pace steady, the characters true to life. Five Stars!


About the Author:
C.L.  WellsC.L. Wells is a JANE-OF-ALL-TRADES, with a passion for writing and animals. She lives in Kansas with her family, which includes a fat doggie who is not named Toto and a cat who moonlights as an escape artist. Feel free to ask her about the ‘escape artist.’ She plans to write about it someday. She would love hearing from you.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

DNF Review: Johnny and Jamaal by K.M. Breakey

Johnny and Jamaal


30679683Two athletes from different planets are on the verge of greatness. Johnny’s a carefree Canadian making his mark in the NHL. Jamaal’s set to follow LeBron and Kyrie out of the ghetto. When their worlds collide, the catastrophic clash ignites racial conflict not seen since Ferguson. The incident tests the fledgling love of Johnny’s best friend Lucas and his African-American girlfriend Chantal, and sets them on a quest for truth and justice in the perverse racial landscape of 2016. 

As chaos escalates across American cities, an MLK-like voice rises from the ashes. Wilbur Rufus Holmes may be salvation for Luke and Chantal, but can he stop society’s relentless descent into racial discord? 

Johnny and Jamaal is awash with sports, violence and political taboo, as America’s seething dysfunction is laid bare.

My Take:
Two athletes from different worlds collide and spark a race war and chaos across a racially divided United States. Johnny is a carefree Canadian hockey player just rising to stardom. Jamaal is a lanky rising star aiming at the NBA. When these two collide in St. Louis, the clash ignites a tidal wave of racial conflict across the US. As Johnny's best friend Lucas and his African-American girlfriend Chantal try to keep their buffeted relationship afloat, the Black Lives Matter movement spreads chaos and violence across American cities.

An MLK-like voice rises from the ashes, as Wilbur Rufus Holmes tries to stop the violence and be a voice of reason against a war zone of racial hatred.

This book is a hard hitting expose' on racial tension and looks at racial violence, white supremacy, and the Black Lives Matter movement from all angles, exposing the dysfunction in the US. It's a gripping read. However, the violence, the pervasive foul language, and the difficult-to-follow ghetto language threw me out of the story about 25% through it, and I couldn't get my head back in, especially when the action was so painfully true to the reality we live. I'm giving a review, based on what I've read, but this is one I could. not. finish.





Content:

Drug Content:
R - The drug culture is alive and well, and weed and crack make appearance in several places. Drinking and drunkenness appear in a few places as well. 

Violence:
R+ - In a critical scene, a character is beaten to death, beaten until he is completely unrecognizable, his skull destroyed and internal organs compromised, broken ribs, you get it. There's a lot more violence, gunplay in the book, but I can't speak to that as it's beyond where I read. A lot of violence to a dead body, including desecration.

Language:
X - The F bomb appears on just about every page, sometimes as many as six times. Other expletives are even more common. There's so much bad language I couldn't continue. The N-word in multiple forms was common throughout, spoken primarily by blacks but also by whites. Cracker was used extensively as was many other racial slurs and epithets.

Adult Content:
PG-13 - As far as I read, there were many references to sexual encounters but nothing occurs on screen. 

Christian content:
Not so much. The Lord's name appears fairly often but only as a curse word. There are a couple places where a Christian speaks out about faith and hope, but it's practically drowned out in the pervasive darkness.

Final analysis:
Gee. Where to begin? Racial division and the hopes of reconciliation, and efforts in that direction, have been the focus of so many circles in the US, that this seems like a must-read. I entered it with high hopes. But this book was so real, so full of triggers I couldn't get more than a quarter through. The characters seemed to be quite real and the social problems this book raises are raw, divisive, and so close to home it was a painful read from page to page. I'd say that, what I read was very well-written, gripping, and a book that needs to be read. But unfortunately, the language was so foul, the violence so real, it was not something I could wade through. Four Stars.

About the Author:
K.M. BreakeyK.M. Breakey was born in Toronto and educated at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. He spent 25 years in software development before turning full attention to writing in 2016, with the success of his 3rd novel, Johnny and Jamaal. In it, he fearlessly explores racial dysfunction in America, from perspectives you won't hear in mainstream media. Mr. Breakey states that, while Johnny and Jamaal solves America's racial problem, his forthcoming title is slightly more ambitious. Coming in November 2017.

He has also published Creator Class and The World Clicks. To learn more, kmbreakey.com.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Review: Lost Hunters, Second Edition by Deanne Devine

Lost Hunters, Second Edition


29540857"Amberly County would be a great place to live if it weren't for this stupid curse."
Jake Nichols, televised interview, "Peculiar People and Places." WYOY TV, May 28, 1979.

The tale of John Barker's Hunt has been handed down for generations in Amberly County. Stories about the Hunt are mostly told around campfires, but there are some who claim it to be true. According to the old timers, the county is cursed, and once every generation the ghost of John Barker returns to hunt down the person who killed him. Oddly enough, roughly every 20 years the county does suffer a cluster of bizarre deaths. 

Nineteen years have passed since the last Hunt, but the citizens of the quiet town of Miltonville are too absorbed in their own problems to take notice. Cindy Swift is preoccupied with her upcoming suicide; Troy Ivers is worrying about the midnight ceremony he plans to hold in a rural cemetery; and Leslie Vickers is very concerned that the mannequin down the hall wants to kill her. 

Ed Philips is the one person in Amberly County who is aware that trouble is about to arrive. It approaches in the form of a phantom, walking in the body of a dead man. Ed knows the real story behind the legend of the Hunt, but has spent most of his life denying the truth. Now, with the fate of a young woman in his hands, he must decide whether to continue feeding his demons of cowardice and regret, or face them head on, and attempt to put an end to John Barker's Hunt. 


My Take:
Every 20 years or so, Amberly County experienced a brief and puzzling string of deaths, linked, at least in some people's minds, to the massacre of John Barker and his bizarre commune over 200 years ago. Legend has it that Barker returns every 20 years to hunt down and kill the descendants of his old rival, Lucas Vanderkellen. 

Only Ed Phillips knows the truth, a truth he has been denying his entire life, a truth involving Leslie, daughter of his best friend, who was brutally murdered in the last hunt. Entrusted with the only means to end the deadly killing sprees carried on by the tormented angry spirit of John Barker, Ed must confront his own inner demons and defeat John Barker once and for all, before Barker regains his life and releases a horde of demons on an unsuspecting world.




Content:

Drug Content:
R - There is a tremendous amount of underage drinking and drinking to excess by most of the cast. It would almost appear to be the norm in this county. Marijuana is almost as common as the alcohol, harder drugs also make their appearance, and a stolen drug shipment plays a pivotal part in backstory. 

Violence:
R - The ghosts possess individuals, who end up dying during possession. The ghosts continue to animate the dead until they are unable to move. Most of the deaths do not involve blood, and appear to be brain aneurysms. One character's neck is snapped, several are shot, but most just... die.

Language:
G - While some of the things said seem pretty violent, curse words are almost completely absent.

Adult Content:
PG-13 - A drug scene involves a man coming home to his naked girlfriend and her naked friend. Several couples pair off for a tryst, but their antics don't appear on screen. Several affairs are discussed, a marriage is dissolved because of infidelity. One minor character is addicted to porn and is heavily harassed by a flock of demons. 

Christian content:
YES. I originally would not have thought so, and much of the book seemed so dark it was irredeemably demonic, several characters overcome the demonic influences by the power of Christ. Demons and angels fight in the spiritual realm, the afterlife is clearly discussed, the existence of God and the power of forgiveness, redemption, and self-sacrifice play central roles. The perils of a life yielded to demonic influence and inebriation show up in stark relief, and satanic rituals, curses, tarot cards show up, but are cast in a negative light.

Final analysis:
Not gonna lie, this is a horror story, and is pretty dark. The people throughout the story are alcoholics, drug addicts, and seem almost hopeless in their meandering through life in this small town. The evil ghosts, the satanic ritual close to the beginning, the depression, almost had me put this one down. But several scenes in the story gave me a glimmer of hope for it, and I kept plowing through to the exciting and glorious end. Glad I kept at it.

While the story was good and the action was gripping, the stakes were very high and the scenery well-developed, I found the characters to be a bit two-dimensional, and the pace a bit slow. I found the second half to be gripping, and hard to put down. The pace was racing at the finish, and the action enthralling, but not enough to give this one more than Four Stars.

About the Author:
Deanne Devine is a native of southwestern Ohio, a region rich in the everyday peculiarities and ordinary oddness that make good food for an overactive imagination. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in several small press magazines, back in the day when such publications actually came from a small press, and the original editions of her novels Lost Hunters and Live Armadillos were published in trade paperback by The Lighthouse Press, Inc. Currently, she is working on the ebook version of Live Armadillos, as well as filling her desk drawers with screenplays and short stories.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Review: 3 Days: A Passion by T.M. Fairman

3 Days: A Passion

30848192Within the aftermath of an epidemic that has been contained through sacrifice rather than cure, a young woman discovers she has contracted the Disease.

She has three days to live.

Society has deemed her irredeemable and requires her to pass her last three days in quarantine; a sacrifice for its own preservation. 

Her only link to the life she once had is her husband. Together they must try to battle with their demons. Together they must try to discover how their love can be expressed during separation and in the face of death. Together they must wrestle with the issues of love and loss, grief, depression and hope before finally having to say goodbye to each other.

My Take:

The telltale bright blue in the toilet gave the unmistakable and dreadful news - she had the disease. The worldwide pandemic that had decimated the population, that was incurable and terminal, and highly contagious. Her only course was to call the authorities, put herself into an isolation suit, and wait for pickup. To leave behind the man she loved immeasurably. Once you showed signs, you had three days to live.

He came home that afternoon, excited to spend his evening with her, the joy of his heart... only to discover the heartbreaking truth - that she was gone, self-quarantined to the Center for her remaining three days on earth. But he was determined she would not die alone.


Content:

Drug Content:
G - None.

Violence:
G - There is no violence whatsoever in this book, even the Disease simply causes the victim to succumb to sleep as they have less and less energy.

Language:
G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:
G - While there is a great deal of passion between the husband and his wife, they are separated by miles, and can only talk via a tablet.   

Christian content:
The front cover is a cross, and the book is partially a parallel between Jesus and the Church, and His crucifixion. There are several scripture passages exposed in the book, and scripture is usually applied aptly. Death and the afterlife, dealing with grief, and loss, are bold-brush themes throughout.

The parallels however lost me a bit, as Christ was vilely treated, tortured, publicly executed in agony as a criminal, and bodily resurrected after three days. While the people infected were treated as criminals until quarantined, they were given every accommodation, and treated with every dignity, and their death yielded no pain at all. One of the characters had a solid grounded Christian faith, one had a character arc that indicated he was looking for answers. A bible was presented to one character, but it was never really read, even though they were facing death in a day. There didn't seem to be any conviction of sin or regret over past mistakes. Christ was presented, but His purpose in dying wasn't clearly defined. 

Final analysis:
This was an incredibly poignant story. The characters had an amazing love for one another, and the devastation they went through was raw and quite real. Many tears shed over the course of these three days, and several passages had me in tears myself. That having been said, the pacing was slow, and the action was almost lethargic. The author may have been reaching for that, as there's not a lot a person in a rapid convalescent debilitating disease can do. The settings were well-described, and the character depictions were spot-on. The stakes were high, and I was moved by the angst. But the pacing dragged and the allegory seemed to lose steam. Four Stars!

About the Author:
T.M. FairmanTM Fairman is something of an unexpected author. Currently residing in the South of England, the father of four studied Economics and Econometrics, leading on to a career teaching Mathematics and Economics in secondary schools. Although reading has always been a hobby, the inspiration to write came as a bit of a shock for him and those around him.


The main inspiration for his work comes from a Christian faith and the wide variety of people that being a teacher gives him the privilege of meeting. From a literary point of view, writers such as Dumas, Tolkien and Sterne feature highly on his bookshelf although he lays no claim to being anywhere near belonging on the same shelf!

Friday, November 3, 2017

Review: Warscapia by Garrett Boggs

Warscapia

31277900Sparrow wants to be the greatest warrior in all of Warscapia. But he’s not. He’s just a kid with mediocre magic skills. 



My Take:
Sparrow is a wizard with mediocre skills who resides in Warscapia - a video game fantasy universe. His inept control over his fledgling magic and his bumbling melee skills manage to land him a coveted entry level position in Warrior Core - an elite mercenary band who defend the populace in the game from high-HP monsters.

Together with Rock, an axe-wielding egotistical warrior, and Jade, a ditsy ninja-skills bow-wielding huntress, they form a beginner-rank task team sent to battle increasingly difficult enemies. But when a common Vampire-Dragon reveals himself to be none other than Count Dragula, he steals their souls, and they have ten days to retrieve them, or they become his... forever!


Content:

Drug Content:
PG - There's a bit of drinking in the game, several encounters happen, as is common in video games, in bars. A popular drink called Dethbrew increases magical potency and strength.

Violence:
PG - Video game violence, and most of it is non-graphic. Enemies when defeated turn to dust, leaving goodies behind. Seriously, if you let your kids play Zelda, this is probably ok.

Language:
G - squeaky clean. I don't recall any cuss words in the novel.

Adult Content:
G - The worst thing in this novel is Rock bragging about how much of a ladies man he is.

Christian content:
Not a bit. The main characters struggle a bit with death and the hereafter, but mainly it's just a lighthearted tale without a lot of meat. Some veins of deeper content are loyalty, sacrifice, teamwork, and comraderie. There didn't seem to be reference to the real world in the novel, which made me wonder if they realized they were in a game at all (consulting wrist units for HP and MP stats makes it seem they did). The bit about their souls being stolen caused some reflection on whether life had purpose, and whether it was worth it to fight insurmountable odds to get your soul back.

Final analysis:
While the majority of this novel was fluff, it was light-hearted, humorous fluff that had me laughing out loud multiple times. I thoroughly enjoy a good RPG game, and the action, adventure, and stakes in this one were aimed to please. It's a fairly quick read, and was hard to put down. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Garrett BoggsGarrett Boggs has a degree in English, but his inspiration to write mainly comes from late nights playing video games like Runescape, Maplestory, and Skyrim.
You can also catch him checking out the latest indie games on Steam.

His dream is to be sponsored by Red Bull and to have a pet falcon.

Garrett writes LitRPG, a new genre that combines mechanics from role playing video games with fantasy or sci-fi writing.

Email: garrett.boggs@my.wheaton.edu

If you are interested in more LitRPG, check out this Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGGroup/