Review: The Tell-All by Libby Howard

  The Tell-All

by Libby Howard

Life at sixty isn't quite what Kay Carrera expected. She's working as a skip-tracer for a PI who is desperate to land his own reality TV show. She has a new roommate who arrived with more than the usual amount of baggage. And her attempts at knitting are less than stellar – way less than stellar. Worse, the cataract surgery that restored her sight has also delivered an unexpected and disturbing side-effect. Kay sees ghosts. And when the dead turn to her for help, she just can't say no.

My Take:

Kay Carrera is getting life redefined at sixty, the hard way.  Her husband she's spent her life with has recently passed after suffering for years after a terrible accident. She's picked up a job as a skip-tracer for a PI, one who'd rather be a star. In order to keep her house, she's had to take on boarders... ones with problems of their own. She's had cataract surgery too, which cleared things up a lot, but gave her an unexpected side-effect - she's seeing ghosts. In the small town of Locust Point, there's not a lot of excitement... but all of that is about to change too.

With the discovery of a prostitution ring in their small town, things get really dicey, especially when the Madam turns up dead. And the ghost in Kay's eye is asking for help to solve the murder.

 

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - There's a significant amount of drinking in this, mainly social drinking, but there's also a keg party where teens are drinking. The main character chides herself over how often she's seen with alcohol by her new tenant.

Violence:

PG - This is a murder mystery, so somebody is killed. Not a lot of blood and gore though.

Language:

G - The language in this book is squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

R - Sorry to pop an R on this one, as there's no real sexual content on screen at all. This isn't erotica, which I don't review. But there's a prostitution ring that was operating in the city, and there are a ton of kinks discussed in some detail in the book, or at least defined. People can be pretty sick. 

Christian content:

Nada. There's one mention of praying, but it's to a goddess, and likely that's in jest. That having been said, there's some value here in at least the desire of a dad to hold his family together, and love of family. There's an instance where someone puts themselves in harm's way for someone else. There's also an undercurrent of persistence and diligence in getting to the bottom of an injustice. As many of us have had to do, Kay deals with a recent death of a loved one with grace and a few tears. Death is something all of us have to deal with here, and this book touches on grief well.

Final analysis:

I'll drop a warning here that there's a few short passages in here that might be triggers for some. But the writing in this novel is entertaining, witty, and engrossing. It rolls across the pages as a comfortable cozy mystery with a bit of spice and sauce, and I found it hard to put down. I liked the character development and even through all the sauce and sass there were some real moments. Five Stars!

About the Author

Libby Howard lives in a little house in the woods with her sons and two exuberant bloodhounds. She occasionally knits, occasionally bakes, and occasionally manages to do a load of laundry. Most of her writing is done in a bar where she can combine work with people-watching, a decent micro-brew, and a plate of Old Bay wings.

Review: Glory Revealed by Paula K Parker

 Glory Revealed

by Paula K Parker

Beauty Unveiled, the first book of the SISTERS OF LAZARUS series, introduces Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus, who couldn't have been more different. Martha, the elder, is plain and self-conscious; Mary, the younger, is beautiful and vain. One saw her value only in serving, while the other believed her outward appearance was her only asset. Their worlds were turned upside down when Lazarus offered hospitality to an intriguing new teacher named Jesus.

GLORY REVEALED: Sisters of Lazarus, Book Two picks up immediately where Beauty Unveiled ended, and carries the story of Christ to its glorious conclusion as seen through the eyes of those who witnessed firsthand the greatest story ever told.
Paula K. Parker's evocative writing draws readers in, allowing them to feel like a fellow guest sharing the sisters' wonder at meeting Jesus and his transforming power.

My Take:

When Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha invite the Teacher Jesus ben Joseph to visit one night a week before Passover, they know that they are inviting more than just a rabbi into their home. After all, raising Lazarus from the dead is only one of many miracles this prophet has performed.

But when Mary breaks open an alabaster vessel of spikenard that night and anoints Jesus' head and feet with it, the scandalous and wasteful act contributes to the untimely death of their friend. But, WAS it untimely? As WAS the act wasteful, or a pure act of worship to one who is far more than he seems? 

 

Content:

Drug Content:

G - While wine is used in this novel, it's squeaky clean. The Roman soldiers are accused of being drunk, but even THEY weren't having any excess..

Violence:

PG-13 - You cannot talk about or in any way describe the flogging by a Roman soldier, the abusive games by them, or the horrors of crucifixion, without getting rather gory. While this novel did a reasonable job describing the events of the crucifixion, the descriptions are not wantonly graphic, and fall far short of the Mel Gibson movie, Passion of the Christ. In one place the flogging, as it's going on, is dispassionately described as the torture it is, by one of the Roman characters.

Language:

G - While there is some swearing in this book it contains none of the common curse words in English, and involves oaths more than cursing. The language in this book is squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

PG - There are quite a few conversations about marriage and the consummation of a wedding, but no details at all. A significant part of this book revolves around one of the characters and her fielding hopefuls for her hand in marriage, and the alignment of houses. In some ways the interactions could make the book more of a romance, but again, it's squeaky clean..

Christian content:

This is a retelling of the last week leading up to the Passover and crucifixion of Jesus. Christian content is heavily laced throughout. It covers the social and spiritual interactions leading up to that critical historical event from the juxtaposed perspectives of characters that are either aligned FOR, or AGAINST, the savior.

Final analysis:

This is a masterfully written, immersive vignette into the lives of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and the impact crater of Jesus Christ on their lives, both socially, and spiritually. The world-building is phenomenal. The plot is incredibly gripping, no matter how often you've read the biblical account. The character arcs are fully three-dimensional, and you get a better feel for the conflicts in such pivotal characters as Judas Iscariot, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Nicodemus. I couldn't put this book down, it made me late coming home from work, I had to finish it! Five Stars!

About the Author:

Paula K. Parker has been writing as long as she can remember. With a poet father, writer mother and a story-teller grandmother, she has always been comfortable in the world of words. Early training in music and theater led Paula to a life-long love for the arts. This passion eventually brought her to Nashville, Tennessee, where she—along with her writer husband, Mike--helped establish Carpenter’s Playhouse and Springhouse Theatre Company [formerly LampLighter’s Theatre].

A stint in the public schools, along with seventeen years of home schooling her five children, resulted in not only a quick wit and a unique sense of humor, but also the ability to effectively communicate ideas on a broad range of subjects to a wide age of readers.

Since 1995, Paula has been a professional freelance writer, with more than 1000 articles, sketches, plays, scripts, corporate copy-writing, nonfiction books and novels to her credit. She has written for such national publications as Christian Single, Christian Health, Clarity, Family Fun (Disney), Citizen (Focus on the Family), HomeLife, Living with Teenagers, the National Drama Service, ParentLife, Release Ink, PB&J, Profile and Bible Express magazines. She contributed to The Young Believer's Case Files with Stephen Arterburn (Tyndale), Thomas Nelson's award-winning Thomas Nelson Bible-zine, Becoming and their American Women's Bible. Online she has written for Crosswalk.com and was a contributing writer for the entertainment page at LifeWay.com for over twelve years. She is the Senior Editor for the online entertainment magazine, BuddyHollywood.com. Since 2013, she has written curriculum for the WinShape summer camp program.

Paula is an accomplished playwright, having written numerous produced full-length plays—which have been performed internationally—short sketches, and One-Acts. She is best known for her sparkling stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility and Jane Austen’s Emma.

In 2010, her first novel was released, YHWH, The Flood, The Fish and The Giant, and the sequel, YESHUA, The King, The Demon and The Traitor, co-written with NY Times best-selling author, GP Taylor. Her biblical novel, SISTERS OF LAZARUS; Beauty Unveiled, reached Amazon’s Top Ten Best-seller’s list for biblical fiction. The sequel, GLORY REVEALED: Sisters of Lazarus, Book Two, hit Amazon’s Top 100 Hot New Releases in Christian Historical Fiction. The third in the series, GRACE EXTENDED, reached Amazon’s Top Ten Hot New Releases list for biblical fiction, and Amazon’s Top One Hundred List for Hot New Releases for Ancient History Fiction. Her novel, THE CARPENTER AND HIS BRIDE; The Birth of Hope debuted at #39 on the Bestsellers in Biblical Fiction chart.

Review: 2700 Miles by Norbert Reichert

 2700 Miles

by Norbert Reichert

After a nuclear holocaust, a mutated virus sweeps across the nation. Scientists find a cure, but not enough medicine is left to manufacture it. Frank and Simko leave their small community in a decrepit old semi truck, one of the few vehicles still working, to search through what is left of civilization for medical supplies.

My Take:

Radiation from a nuclear holocaust produces a mutated virus that threatens to wipe out what is left of humanity. Scientists at what's left of the CDC race to find a cure, but even after one is found, supplies are too low to manufacture it. Simko and Frank leave the shelter of the barricaded facility in an armored semi, to raid hospitals around North America, to retrieve enough supplies to save a remnant of society. But the anarchy outside threatens to destroy them at every stop. 

 

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - Characters are attacked by drunken raiders. Crystal meth is mentioned, the effects of drugs described, as is getting high.

Violence:

R - There's a good deal of graphic and gratuitous violence in this book. People are hunted like animals, and skeletal remains paint a stark portrait of the depravity of the human soul. Wounded humans are gunned down, run over, burned alive. Human cannibalism is a concern. Murder for sport is common.

Language:

PG-13 - Jesus' name is taken in vain 6 times. God's name is taken in vain 25 times. Various other swear words are used periodically throughout. It's liberally salted with a significant dose of language. 

Adult Content:

PG-13 - There are multiple references to gang rape, sex slaves, and necrophilia.  Nothing occurs onscreen, though.

Christian content:

The Virgin Mary is mentioned, and there are several instances where characters pray. Some characters struggle with the overwhelming desire to do what is right, in a world where only the evil seem to survive. Even in such a harsh world, there are some who care for and help others, and even risk their lives for total strangers. Others seem irredeemably evil, finding entertainment in killing strangers for fun. One enemy is praying over his killed son, and the characters feel hesitant to kill him while he's praying.

Final analysis:

I have to admit, while the pacing of this book seemed slow in parts, (735 pages!) and very slow to start, it was a gripping adventure once the direct action of the main characters began, and they seemed pitted against insurmountable odds. Every city they visited seemed to have its own deadly traps, enemies, and roadblocks. Some characters were three dimensional, and displayed haunting backstories and fatal flaws, while others had no depth at all. The worldbuilding was immersive, the characters reasonably real, the stakes as high as they could be. I would have given this a higher rating except for the tremendous length and pacing. Four Stars!

About the Author:

Norbert Reichert was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1977. He emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1989, and became a citizen in 1992. He went to college to became an electrical engineering technician, then soon after he started an apprenticeship in the elevator trade. Somewhere about 2011, he read a highly acclaimed book which he found unreadable, making him think that he could do better. That day he bought a laptop, and all the endless stories in his head started emerging on screen. While building the scaffolding of his first novel, he wrote the first two children's books in the Susie and Shadow series.

Review: Heirs of Power by Kay MacLeod

 Heirs of Power

by 

Kay MacLeod

Those gifted with power don’t get to choose a normal life.

Kitty Fairlow’s hunting skills come from more than years of protecting her secluded village. She inherited an ancient spirit, a secret long kept, even from her. Until now.

Grey-skinned creatures out of portals to a barren land rip Kitty away from her idyllic life. Her quest is to gather a group of heroes capable of defending their world against a race that devours life energy. Though she hasn’t prepared for this duty, she was born for it. She is a Constellation.

And she’s not the only one.

Kitty, along with a high-born dancer and snarky juggler who can’t stand each other, must find the rest of their kind soon. Because otherwise they’ll be dead before they even realise they are the last hope to save the world.

My Take:

When Kitty Fairlaw discovers a group of men trying to activate what looks like a magic urn, it tosses her headlong into an adventure of discovery - about who she is, and where her incredible skills as an archer come from. On the way she discovers that a group of humans were empowered by a dying race with supernatural gifts and abilities, each different, to defend their world from an evil race bent on invasion and destruction.. 

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There are several instances of drinking, and one in which a girl's judgement is clouded by drinking, and she's almost taken advantage of..

Violence:

PG-13 - There is about as much violence as you'd expect in Lord of the Rings. A few decapitations, a hand gets dismembered, there is some torture, and some creatures get stabbed in the eye. In this kind of war-level medieval adventure, these violent exchanges are expected, but enough of it gets described to earn this a PG-13.

Language:

PG - A few mild expletives salt the pages in only a few places. 

Adult Content:

PG-13 - While there is no casual sex or unmarried sex, there are two scenes of attempted rape. Nothing happens, but a girl's outer garments are removed and she's tied to a tree. It's a fairly critical plot point, and it doesn't go further. 

Several times a male attacker is kneed in the groin. One time a joke is made with an innuendo attached

Christian content:

There's nothing specifically Christian about this novel. Yet there are some eternal truths that are exposed in its plot. This book is packed with examples of selflessness and self-sacrifice for the benefit of others, even for the benefit of others who have no idea there is a sacrifice being made, even for those who revile and persecute, and try to destroy. Loving your enemies. Giving or witholding quarter. Loyalty and a higher purpose are on display here, and trusting to the point of imminent death.
Families can find much to discuss here that would give them a chance to point so someone else who was willing to sacrifice himself. Just saying.

Final analysis:

This was an outstanding, well-written adventure story filled with epic fantasy elements of magic and swashbuckling, the things I love to read about. The world-building here is phenomenal, epic backstories that are mostly merely hinted at, a multi-dimensional immersive rollercoaster ride. The characters are fully three-dimensional, with abilities, fatal flaws, and character arcs to identify with. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Authentic characters, innovative abilities, serious snark!

Kay MacLeod is a fantasy addict from Nottinghamshire in England. She loves magical worlds and spends much more time in them than that boring real one.

If Kay isn’t writing, or thinking about writing, she’ll be immersed in reading, gaming, playing bass at church, or painting miniatures. She grew up addicted to Terry Pratchett books, Magic: The Gathering, and lording it over her fellow nerds as the DM in Dungeons & Dragons games. Fortunately, this gave her plenty of storytelling practice and made her grateful that all the characters do as they’re told now other people aren’t controlling them.

Kay’s gaming experience shines through in her works, from the Pokemon-inspired Maiyamon books to her epic fantasy, which readers say has a hint of a Dragon Age tale.

With character development at the heart of each story, they’re backed up by distinctive magic systems and a dash of sarcastic humour that gives Kay MacLeod her unique voice.

You can reach her at her website at kaymacleodbooks.com or follow her on Twitter @KayMacLeodBooks

Review: The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West

The Secrets of Islayne

by 

Kari Lynn West

A powerful island. A dangerous mystery. An impossible choice.

For centuries, the island of Islayne has given certain residents the ability to revive other people’s memories. These gifted individuals are known as luminators, and sixteen-year-old Ronan Saunders desperately desires to join their illustrious ranks. As he struggles against the prejudice of the old, powerful families who have an iron grip on the trade, Ronan falls under the tutelage of a reclusive luminator, rumored to be insane.

Just when his long-desired future is within reach, Ronan and his three friends discover a deadly secret on the island. As they delve deeper into the mystery, what they find forces them to question their loyalties, doubt long-held beliefs, and wrestle with the dire consequences of revealing the truth. Ronan finds himself torn between everything he loves and the only future he’s ever wanted. The entire fate of the lumination trade hangs in the balance of his decision. 

My Take:

Ronan Saunders faces a serious uphill battle trying to break into the esteemed ranks of the luminators, a guild of psychics with the ability to pull out and enhance fading memories... for a price. It is a very lucrative business, but one shrouded in mystery. The only place on earth where this ability seems to manifest is on the tiny island of Islayne, in one region of the island. And only certain families who live there seem to possess the gifts necessary to become a luminator. 

Yet Ronan possesses these gifts, though he is not from one of the guild families. His abilities and perhaps his close teen friends on the island give him some hope that he will be able to break into the guild, but all the odds seem stacked against him. Until, after a final crushing defeat, he is taken on by a rogue luminator as an apprentice. 

As Ronan's powers develop, and he gets closer to becoming a full-fledged luminator, one of his friends stumbles into a carefully concealed secret; a secret long kept hidden, one that will blow the entire luminator practice wide open. A secret certain powerful people will stop at nothing to keep hidden. 

Content:

Drug Content:

G - There is a little alcohol use, among adults only. 

Violence:

PG - There are a couple violent scenes, one where a person is knocked out from behind. There is a kidnapping and restraint, but mostly the violence is internal and psychic.

Language:

PG - A few mild expletives salt the pages in only a few places. God's name is used in this book, but only as an expletive a number of times.

Adult Content:

PG - There are a few innuendos in the work, but no encounters. There's a bit of teen angst, and a bit of romance, but nothing further.

Christian content:

Not really any. I wouldn't have any issue handing this to my kids to read, as they are all into their teens or beyond. It's an amazing adventure story, and a quick read. It has loyalty, friendship, trust, and self-sacrifice in it. Truth and justice are strong themes in this fast-paced adventure.

Final analysis:

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Adventure, intrigue, mystery, and action. Good scenery, nice world-building, excellent plot twists and nice character development. For a fanciful getaway into adventure and suspense it's one to take home. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Kari Lynn West writes contemporary YA fantasy—normally while drinking far too much coffee. She likes to create character-driven stories that are set in the real world with a twist, weaving fantastical elements into everyday life. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters.

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Review: Tracy's Choices by Max Elliot Anderson

 

Tracy's Choices

by 

Max Elliot Anderson

Tracy would be the first to tell you that she never expected her life to turn out the way it did.

Tracy was the first person in the State of Illinois to be arrested, convicted, and sent to prison for the knowing attempt to transmit the AIDS virus. How could this happen? Tracy grew up in a middle-income home in Rockford, Illinois. But Tracy made choices early in her life that would have a direct effect on her life in the future. She began to use alcohol very early. In high school, she listened to peer pressure as friends introduced her to drugs. At seventeen, she quit school and took to life on the street as a prostitute in order to earn money for her growing drug habit.

Tracy was arrested by Lt. Jim Mays in a prostitution sting operation. Lt. Mays was instrumental in Tracy’s decision to put her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. As a result, her life completely changed. However, the years of substance abuse and the complications from HIV infection were taking their toll. The Governor of Illinois later granted Tracy a full pardon so that she could come home to die. But she didn’t die, and Tracy used her last months to reach out to young people. This is a documentation of her efforts. Tracy’s Choices illustrates the point that there may be many forces at work trying to get a young person off track, but in the end, You are Responsible for You.

My Take:

Tracy Eichman didn't start out a criminal. She didn't start out an addict, an alcoholic, an IV drug user, a prostitute, an HIV carrier, an AIDS patient, a liar and a thief. And she didn't end there either. The true story contained within the covers of this extraordinary book is a riveting chronicle of the devastation alcoholism, drug use, and AIDS can leave in the life of a promising young girl or boy.

Tracy didn't end up in the pit overnight. She didn't wake up one morning and state clearly that she was going to set out to deliberately ruin her life. Her descent into the pit was a series of unfortunate choices, and this book takes us on a journey through them, in an attempt to give us a warning of where the pitfalls are.

Tracy did not, ultimately, end up in that pit. This book also details her stunning conversion to Christ, and her subsequent life, in prison, in an institution, and in hospice. Perhaps the story of her transformed life recorded here can give warning to teens who might be considering some of the life-altering choices Tracy faced. 

Content:

Drug Content:

R - The majority of this book covers a lot of ground, from alcoholism to street drug addictions, and the destruction that accompany them. Cocaine, Heroin, Alcohol, and Marijuana are mentioned, as the main character dealt with all of them. 

Violence:

PG-13 - Tracy's story doesn't pull any punches. The trauma she went through, the repeated rapes and abuse she suffered while a member of a bike gang, are tragic, but they are recorded obliquely, without any graphic and gory details. Where this tale does in fact get a bit graphic is in the details of what AIDS as a disease does to a body. 

Language:

G - There is no profanity in here, it's squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

PG-13 - There is no graphic content in this book, though the work of a prostitute, the promiscuous life of a teen falling into temptation, the dangerous and sex-filled life of a gang member, are unpacked in sterile terms. 

Christian content:

The first half of this book covers a lot of deadly ground for a teen and young adult, but God doesn't seem to weigh into much of it at all. Yet Tracy's encounter with her arresting officer, a strong believer,  and the testimony of his home church, who opened their arms and hearts to this fallen and wayward prostitute, speak volumes of the grace and forgiveness of almighty God, and what it looks like on the ground floor, with skin on. Throughout this semi-autobiography, recorded by Anderson, there are clear calls for young people everywhere to learn from this girl's mistakes. It's not laced with scripture, but it's intended use is evident.

Final analysis:

I honestly wasn't sure what to make of this book by Max Elliot Anderson. I've read and reviewed some of his stuff before, and it's been Middle Grade fiction, exciting stuff, for boys, mostly. His self-definition is a writer of clean Christian adventure stories for boys, and he's very good at it. 

But this was a departure from the usual fare, so I picked it up with interest but some trepidation. What I found inside was essentially a journal of a young woman who had made a series of terrible choices, ones that destroyed her life, and the lives of others around her. It also contained her heart, a heart of compassion and care for the teens headed down the same dark path she tread. It is her warning cry in the night to avoid the path, to turn back, an echoing cry found on the lips of King Solomon in Proverbs 1:10-19.

And there, I believe is where we find the motivation for Anderson to pick up this story and share it. His heart is for young boys just about the age Tracy was when she first started hanging out with the outcasts and rejects, the pot smokers and misfits at her school. Like her, he wants to give them a clear call to stay away from drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex. To take the high road. 

I would love to have given this book five stars, but while the content was riveting and needful, the world building and scenery immersive, and the stakes high, the journal Anderson related tended to ramble and drag. So, If you are just looking for an interesting story about a prostitute, her adventures with drugs and the exciting life of an addict, you might want to move on. But for a needful book for teens, to warn them that all the excitement and glamor of premarital sex and drug use is a veneer over danger, suffering, and death, this book is an excellent choice. 

But in the final analysis, this book is about choices, Tracy's Choices, and more importantly, yours. So choose to pick up a copy and share it with a young teen considering chasing the wrong friends, and maybe they'll take warning. Four Stars.

About the Author:

Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a struggling reader. After surveying the market, he sensed the need for action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 – 13, especially boys.

Using his extensive experience in the production of dramatic motion pictures, videos, and television commercials, Mr. Anderson brings that same visual excitement and heart-pounding action to his stories. Each book has different characters, setting, and plot.

Ten middle grade books are published, ten more are under contract, with several additional manuscripts completed. Young readers have reported that reading one of his books is like actually being in an exciting movie. He is also a short story staff writer for Knowonder,com Magazine.

Books for Boys Blog: http://booksandboys.blogspot.com
Author Web Site: http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/index_1.html