Character Interview: Coach Dave

An Interview with Coach Dave

Today it's my privilege to have as a guest one of the characters in a book series I recently reviewed, Coach Dave: Season Two: All Stars. It's a novel by Al Ainsworth, about a young baseball coach who begins coaching a team of twelve-year-olds in Southburg, bumping up against some entrenched ideas, hard-nosed parents, and win-at-all-cost coaches. For more information on this series, click on the link.

Coach, welcome, I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind, for the avid readers and baseball fans that might want to know a little more about you.

1. So, first up, why don't you tell us what got you into baseball? Did you play as a kid, and if so, what positions did you play?

I think I started playing baseball about the same time I started to walk. That might be exaggerating a tiny bit, but I don’t really recall a time when I didn’t play. My dad taught me the game in our backyard. He wasn’t one of those guys who pushed me hard to live out his unfulfilled dreams, so my memories of learning the game were fun memories. I was fortunate to have a youth coach who thought his players should be exposed to every position on the field. That was very important to me in high school because I was what they now call a super-sub, a guy who can play multiple positions.

2. What brought you to Southburg? Was it a job opportunity?

I did my student teaching at nearby River City Middle School and decided that this area was where I wanted to live. I was already in talks with the principal at Southburg Middle when I signed on to coach in the summer league in Southburg. I am now a history teacher at SMS, but I was pleasantly surprised to get the opportunity to coach baseball here, as well.

3. What motivated you to begin coaching twelve-year-old boys in baseball? 

Twelve is a great age—old enough to have some skills and knowledge and young enough to not know it all yet.

4. You brought the Scarlet Knights through an incredible season. What has been your most difficult challenge in coaching so far?

Turning the tide against the win-at-all-costs mentality is a challenge that all youth coaches face. I can’t tell my guys enough that who they are becoming is more important than what they are becoming on the baseball field. If winning is all youth sports is about, that comes to an end at some point. What then? I think there is more to teach than the sport itself, life lessons that carry far beyond these young men’s playing days.

5. What was the motivation behind picking Kevin, a twelve-year-old, to be your assistant coach for the All Stars team? That seems pretty radical to me, and I just wondered whether that's common in baseball.

No, it’s certainly not common, but Kevin has a unique set of skills—especially for his age—as a coach. I didn’t go looking for a twelve-year-old assistant coach, but I like to keep all of my players, even the ones who aren’t in the game at a particular time. It’s not that Kevin doesn’t have any baseball skills, but he wasn’t a starter for our team. I saw that he has a mind for the game and wanted to stay involved. He stands for all the right things in the game, so as I was working through the process of building the all-star coaching staff, Kevin seemed like a natural to me. He just so happens to be twelve years old.

6. The boys are almost always easier to deal with on a League Team, than the parents are. Who has been your most challenging parent, and how did you deal with them?

Ha ha—it’s no secret around our team that Gary “Rooster” Hamilton struggled at first to understand the philosophy we wanted to build. My coaching methods were beyond his experience in the past, and he’ll be the first to tell you that he wasn’t a fan of anything new. However, he has proved himself to be as coachable as a parent as our players have been as players. Rooster has bought in to what we’re trying to accomplish beyond just baseball, and I dare say he has grown quite a bit himself.

7. Umpires don't always make the right calls, and this can lead to bitterness and anger in your players, their parents, and even yourself. How do you deal with these bumps along the road?

I’ll be perfectly open with you—nothing gets under my skin more quickly than an unprepared or an inconsistent umpire. So much of what you try to teach your players about the game and what you try to get your players and parents to respect about the game can fly out the window in a flash with a bad umpire. When players and coaches (who aren’t getting paid) are putting in so much more effort than the only guys on the field who are getting paid, that can get under a coach’s skin. However, dealing with what can seem an unfair situation is another life lesson that we can learn together.

8. Tell us a little about the most interesting game you've played or coached. What did it teach you about the game, or life in general?

I don’t think I will ever coach another team that wins a game on a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam like the Scarlet Knights did in the first game of the summer season. Hudson Jones had been hitless in our two scrimmages and in the game prior to his at bat. He had hit some hard foul balls and had just missed some pitches, so we knew that it was a matter of time before he came around. Wow, though, he picked a most opportune time, and we got a fortunate ricochet off the fence. He never slowed down around the bases and just beat the catcher’s tag. That’s the way boys for generations have played it out in their backyards. We got to see it play out that way in real life. I must say that Bryce Ford’s pinch-hit home run to win the tournament championship at the end of the summer was the stuff of dreams, too.

9. Different coaches have different styles, and yours is pretty different from the competitive cut-throat mentality. If you had only one thing to tell your boys about the game, or life in general, what would that be?

Work harder on who you are becoming than what you are becoming. Baseball ends for almost every player before he is ready for it to end, so we try to focus as much on life beyond baseball than we do on the game itself.

10. One final question, Coach. As a young coach, you have a lot of life ahead of you. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Since I didn’t see myself in Southburg even a year ago, that’s a tough question to answer. I suppose in some way I will still be investing in the next generation. I would love for that to happen through a game that I love and from which I have learned so much in my own life.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, Coach, and good luck with next season!

Thank you. We’ll be working hard so that our preparation will meet opportunity.

Review: Pale Highway by Nicolas Conley

Pale Highway
by Nicolas Conley

Gabriel Schist is spending his remaining years at Bright New Day, a nursing home. He once won the Nobel Prize for inventing a vaccine for AIDS. But now, he has Alzheimer’s, and his mind is slowly slipping away.

When one of the residents comes down with a horrific virus, Gabriel realizes that he is the only one who can find a cure. Encouraged by Victor, an odd stranger, he convinces the administrator to allow him to study the virus. Soon, reality begins to shift, and Gabriel’s hallucinations interfere with his work.

As the death count mounts, Gabriel is in a race against the clock and his own mind. Can he find a cure before his brain deteriorates past the point of no return?

My Take:
Gabriel Schist is a bitter old man. He's the world's most brilliant immunologist, a Nobel Prize laureate for creating a cure for AIDS, but now his brilliant mind is failing to the ravages of Alzheimer's. His life is an implosion of disappointment and loss. He's lost his wife to divorce and later to cancer, lost his best friend to old age, and lost many jobs due to his preoccupation with AIDS and perhaps his alcoholism.

As his mental acuity slips away, a new and deadly virus begins to take down the world's population. Only Gabriel has a chance of finding a cure for it, but it is a race against time to see if he can defeat the new disease, before his mind completely goes.

Content:

Violence:
R - The ravages of this new virus destroy a victim from the inside out, liquifying organs and demolishing the body, leaving remains reminiscent of Alien.

Language:
R - The F-bomb occurs quite often. The main character's favorite epithet is GD, which he uses so frequently, other characters call him down for it.

Drug Content:
Cigarettes and Alcohol are used to excess throughout, and there is liberal use of anesthetizing combinations on the inmates of the nursing home Gabriel resides at. There is some mention of Marijuana usage and abuse.

Adult Content:
PG-13 - There are a couple points in the book where sex is mentioned but the book doesn't go into graphic detail. In one instance Gabriel thinks he's about to have relations with his wife and wakes up climbing in bed with another Alzheimer's patient.

Christian content:
The main character is an avowed atheist, militant, almost. One of the characters in a Catholic priest, and the book presents a god of sorts that is a Creator God. But no nod is given to the God of the bible, or Jesus.

Final analysis:

This book begins in geriatric hell, and there's a significant number of flashbacks to past times in the main character's life. These flashbacks almost seem like a dreamworld Gabriel retreats to when he is tired of dealing with his current life. The book gave me a better understanding of the frustrating and virtually hopeless outlook of Alzheimer's patients, and Gabriel was a well-developed character, fully lifelike, if raw, bitter, and generally unlikable through the first half of the book. I almost put the book down, until the slugs started talking. Then, I couldn't put the book down no matter what. I found it an eye-opener, a page-turner. Five Stars.

About the Author:
Nicholas Conley's passion for storytelling began at an early age, prompted by a love of science fiction novels, comic books and horror movies. When not busy writing, Nicholas spends his time reading, traveling to new places, and indulging in a lifelong coffee habit. In order to better establish himself on the planet Earth, Nicholas has currently made his home in New Hampshire. To learn more about him, take a stroll over to www.NicholasConley.com.

Review: The Rocks of Aserol by Richard Dee

The Rocks of Aserol
by Richard Dee

Norlandia is a country in the midst of a technological explosion. since the development of machines of Brass and Steel, powered by Steam and Gas, it has become a force in the World.
Now Horis Strongman, from the Ministry of Coal is given a job by his superior, “Find out what’s happening at the Waster Mine.” It means a long journey over a holiday, so he thinks he’s been given the job because he’s the junior. But other, darker forces are at work, and he finds himself involved as the scapegoat for a terrible crime.
With his new found friends, and unsure who he can trust, he sets off to clear his name, but for all his efforts there will be a price to pay.
As he discovers more, he comes to see a bigger picture, corruption and the ruthless use of power to keep the status quo.
Now it becomes a race to save everything, and Horis will need all his wits about him to survive.
Set against a background of strange new things, in a world how ours might have been, from the Ocean to the Mines and the Skies above, the Rocks of Aserol could change the World.

My Take:
Dee has created an immersive world of steampunk in this delightful novel. His descriptions of the technology and contraptions in the city, and its comparison to the relative rural primitive nature of the mining town of Aserol, are full of dimension.

The characters in the book were likeable as well, and in the final analysis, just as deep. The innocent perspective Horis puts on life at the beginning, and his dependence on the law and structure, is reminiscent of Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins, without any of the bald arrogance. It makes for a captivating contrast to the ex-military jadedness of Maloney and his friends, and the naivete of Grace, who plays the part of the Damsel a bit too well.

In the end Grace proves quite resourceful, and Horis rides a painful and jarring character arc to a clear understanding of the criminals he works for and the lengths they will go to.

Content:

Drug Content:
PG - There is a significant amount of drinking in this book, wine and ale, and a discussion between the soldiers of whether to stay at a particular inn because they refused to serve ale.

Violence:
PG-13 - There are several violent scenes in the book, one where a person is shot to death, one stabbing, and an attack by dragons (Drogans) where several people are decapitated, and several burn to death.

Language:
PG - There is very little swearing in the book, but there is some.

Adult Content:
PG-13. There is a scene where two people who have just met have sex in a hotel room. The act is not described but it's enough for me to bump it past PG.

Christian content:
Well, not any, really. There is significant homage of a god named Bal. (A little close to Baal for my taste, your mileage may vary.) This god seems to be Lord of the Harvest and a provider. The good characters seem to be believers in Bal, and try to live their lives honestly. There is no real spiritual attack or help.

Final analysis:

The Rocks of Aserol is an entertaining read, full of intrigue, action, and a liberal dose of steampunk. It is well-written and immersive, with a love story full of romance and rescue. Five Stars.

About the Author:
Richard Dee is a native of Brixham in Devon, England. He left Devon in his teens and travelled the world in the Merchant Navy, qualifying as a Master Mariner in 1986. Coming ashore to be with his growing family, he flirted with various jobs, including Dockmaster, Marine Insurance surveyor, and Port Control Officer, finally becoming a Thames Pilot over twenty years ago.

He regularly took vessels of all sizes through the Thames Barrier and upriver as far as London Bridge. He recently returned to live in Brixham, where he has taken up food writing and blogging. He retired from pilotage in 2015.

The Rocks of Aserol is his third science Fiction novel; his other titles, Freefall and Ribbonworld are available in paperback and electronically. He is married with three adult children.

Review: Hurst (The Hurst Chronicles Book 1) by Robin Crumby

Hurst (The Hurst Chronicles Book 1) 
by Robin Crumby

The survivors of the Millennial Virus now face a much greater danger: each other.

Civilization has collapsed following the outbreak of a pandemic virus that devastated the world’s population. Those that survive scrape a living in remote outposts. Hiding behind high walls, far away from the smoking ruins of the cities, waiting, hoping.

At the end of the world, surrounded by the tidal waters of the Solent, Hurst Castle stands alone. Its seventy-four occupants united in a struggle for survival against all the odds. The Millennial Virus is the least of their concerns.

When the arrival of outsiders threatens to tip the balance of power, Hurst is faced with a desperate choice: set aside their differences and join an alliance that promises new hope or unite against the newcomers and their plans for reconstruction. Who can be trusted? Only time will tell.

The battle for Hurst has begun.

My Take:
After the Millennial Virus decimated the world's population, the surviving few band together in hopes of rebuilding society. But without law and order, with the underpinnings of society snuffed out in a matter of days, there's nothing stopping the ruthless from destroying what's left of mankind.

Such is the depressing backdrop in which we find ourselves, as Jack tries to protect and grow the families in his care, isolated and safe sequestered in Hurst Castle, on the southern shore of England, within sight of the Isle of Wight.

Jack, Terra, Zed, Tommy, Joe, and a handful of survivors spend their weeks scavenging through the devastated cities for supplies, while gangs and the infected roam at will. To be seen is to die. When Zed, Riley, Joe, and Will head out on a scavenging hunt, Will is captured by well-armed paramilitary thugs, and taken to their Nazi-like base inside a local hospital. Zed isn't going to give up on Will, and attempts to rescue him, but ends up with a couple of victimized girls and the wrath of the group's psychotic leader.

Content:

Violence:
PG-13 - While action and suspense were the main focuses of the novel, there was significant graphic violence to tip the scales. The ravages of the disease were described in some detail, and the horrific aftermath of a worldwide plague isn't hidden from view, with bodies everywhere, along with the smell. People are enslaved and experimented on. One person is captured, tied up, and practically left to die in his own filth.

Language:
PG - I don't remember more than mild expletives.

Adult Content:
PG-13 - Women are degraded and taken advantage of. Some men are held captive and bred to continue the species. Nothing is described, and we don't visit those scenes, but they are mentioned.

Christian content:
I'm not positive where to put this. The book is a peek into the dark heart of mankind, when placed without limits, on a level with Lord of the Flies. It arguably could be a useful tool for that. In one part scripture is quoted and applied clearly to a situation, but the religious person quoting it is depicted as a psychopath, who may or may not have changed for the better. Several people are atheists. There's a few people of faith in the book depicted in a positive light. God is blamed for the virus.

Final analysis:

Hurst is, as I said, a diatribe on the dark heart of man, and the only glimmer of hope in the mix appears to be the will to survive, and an alliance with an outside party. I would hesitate giving it to a younger teen, but it's a well-written adventure story. It's an edge-of-your-seat page turner, but it's pretty dark nonetheless. The characters were real and raw, the antagonists were dark and the stakes were pegged at survival of the species. The pace was fast and the setting was immersive. Five Stars.

About the Author:

Robin Crumby is an author and writer living in London with his wife and two children. Since reading John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids as a child, he became fascinated by end of the world dystopian literature.

More recently, re-reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven inspired him to start writing. Why? Because post-apocalyptic fiction fires the imagination like nothing else. Pondering what comes next, who would survive, what would life look like?

Much of the best fiction in this popular genre focuses on brain-eating zombies or events unfolding in the USA so Robin determined to write a story set in the UK. His Eureka moment came wandering the shingle beach at Milford-on-sea, inspired by the beauty and rich history of the Solent. Where better to survive the end of the world than a medieval castle surrounded by water? Robin spent much of his childhood messing about in boats, exploring the many waterways, ports and military forts of the Isle of Wight, where The Hurst Chronicles are set.

Review: Riker's Calling by Rico Lamoureaux

Riker's Calling
by Rico Lamoureaux

From school bullies to the crime-ridden streets of his hometown of Los Angeles, Jeremy Riker has always felt the need to do something about the injustice surrounding him. Just as he sets out on his journey as an urban warrior, he unknowingly gives rise to an obsessive adversary, who ends up becoming one of the most notorious serial killers the city has ever known. Dubbed by the news media as The Spyderco Killer, the methodical psychopath roots himself deep into Riker's life for the long haul, until his own madness propels everything into an intense climax.

My Take:
 - Warning - the descriptions in this review, while whitewashed, may be offensive by themselves...
Jeremy Riker's a veteran at being down but not out. After a tragic stray bullet prevents him from becoming a policeman, his police friends assist him in rebuilding his life in a vain attempt to make it back into the running to join the force. In a depression, he goes to the train station, considering ending it all, when he notices a woman weeping, sitting on a bench. He goes up to console her, but notices she's zip-tied to the bench. And things don't slow down from that moment on.

This novella had me on the edge of my seat from the start to the finish. This has some adult content and graphic descriptions of violence, as it's about a serial killer. It's not YA fiction, and I wouldn't hand it to a teen to read. It's a dark read but does end on a better note.

Content:

Violence:
R - The serial killer in this novella gets to leave a trail of bodies, all killed in a similar way, leaving a 'signature', of sorts. Their murders are described fairly graphically. In several instances the victims are left to rot before being discovered, according to plan.

Language:
R - There's a liberal dose of profanity in this book, with F-bombs dropped throughout.

Adult Content:
R - One of the female victims is forced to disrobe before being murdered. Multiple of the victims are left naked. There is some discussion of conquests and illegitimate children, one night stands, and clubbing. One character is a stripper. One person is getting an obscene tattoo. There is a bust of a sex trafficking ring, and a brief description of how they trapped the girls into it. A girl is freed from a dungeon where she was imprisoned for years because of that ring.

Christian content:
None.

Final analysis:

Oh, this one was dark. A gripping, edge of your seat suspense crime thriller. The action kept me going but the content was disturbing. This was not for the kiddies. The book was well-written as crime thrillers go, though there were some minor editing issues and serial killers are not my cup of tea. The content was enough to make me want to pass on this one, but the action and suspense was enough to keep me going. Four Stars.

About the Author:
Rico Lamoureux considers himself a dramatist. He believes too much emphasis is put on genre nowadays, and not enough on actual story. From Historical Fiction to Contemporary Romance. From shocking Horror to edge-of-your-page Thrillers. A great story transcends genre, with dramatic elements being the utmost of importance.

Review: Bent, Not Broken (The Death Watchers Book 1) by Suki Sather

Bent, Not Broken (The Death Watchers Book 1)
by Suki Sather

Delaney is an ordinary college student with good grades and a bright future in anthropology and a part-time job at the mall with her best friend for as long as she can remember. She loves music and is working to master Krav Magra. Her loving adoptive parents and three foster sisters are the center of her very routine, normal life.
Delaney also struggles with strange dreams and feeling lost and afraid, and though her Death Watcher is always right next to her, she has no clue he is there in the shadows protecting her, or the truths about her past that make it so important for her to be shielded in the stability and normalcy those who love her crusade to maintain around her.
The fight has only just begun in a war that has raged since the birth of humanity.
Can darkness conquer the light or will Delaney awaken and decide that ordinary is truly over rated?

My Take:
Let's start by saying this book is definitely not YA, and has a very strong sexual tension running throughout. While I would not label it erotica, it's not something I'd hand a 15yo to enjoy. There are graphic scenes of torture, murder, decapitations, and a few scenes of physical torture and sexual abuse. There are two long erotic scenes that culminate in sex. The things the characters survive in this book are not survivable, unless you have a magical talent at healing. Which, fortunately for them, they do. As Iago says in Return of Jafar, "you'd be surprised what you can live through."

The tension between Delaney and Malik is palpable throughout, and it's obvious that they have a 'history' that she doesn't remember, and he does. As her memory has been repeatedly wiped to prevent her from being tracked, she doesn't remember their past, and he's tortured by the memory of a love he can't have, a forbidden love with a girl that doesn't know he exists. He protects her constantly, and she can't even see him; she only senses the hint of cinnamon in the air.

The baddies in this book are very very bad. The goodies, well, they're mostly just 'not so bad'. The combination becomes very dark, and Delaney starts to wonder whether she will destroy everyone she cares about before she gains control of the incredible power buried inside.

Content:

Violence:
R - As I stated earlier, there's a lot. Head smashing, chest crushing, impaling, decapitation, blood everywhere. There were many graphic scenes of bloody violence, ones people would not normally survive, and often didn't. There's a good bit of dying, as it appears to be an ages-old war between many paranormally empowered classes of semi-demi-gods.

Language:
R - There's a liberal dose of profanity in this book, with several F-bombs dropped throughout.

Adult Content:
R+ - There are two sex scenes that are borderline erotica, and a lot of sexual tension and language throughout. It's discussed that one female victim is repeatedly abused sexually by the baddies. I won't label the book erotica, as that's not what the book is centered on, but the two main characters have quite a lot of interest in each other when not fighting for their lives.

Christian content:
There's none. The book appears to be based on mystic Indian folklore and shaman beliefs, though it's not readily apparent until late in the book. There is a place where the main bad guy is described, making him out to be similar to the Grim Reaper gone rogue. Hell is discussed and demons, and there's a long discussion about the Creators, or Spirit People, who started the whole thing off and created the hybrids, and the tribes they started it with. The characters in the book are, for the most part, hybrid humans with animal DNA with special paranormal powers mixed in. It's sort of a cross between Brother Bear, Heroes, and the Avengers. They don't age or die easily, and have the ability to teleport or remain invisible, have super-strength or other paranormal powers.

Final analysis:

I love a good book with powered people struggling to survive in a high-stakes game against other powered people bent on their destruction for no particularly good reason, other than, well, nothing better to do. I may have missed the part where we find out why Isabeau and Caleb want everyone dead so badly. My impression was that they just really didn't like them very much...

There are a significant number of POV shifts that caused a bit of confusion while reading, and enough class names and nicknames for the powered hybrids to add to that. There were a noticeable number of typos. There were some places where the plot dragged a bit.  All in all, however, the plot was intriguing, the stakes high, the characters believable, the action fast-paced. It's definitely not YA, set clearly by content into Adult Fiction. It's a good read, but the issues above kept this reader from considering it a real page turner, as I'd hoped. Four Stars.

About the Author:
For more information on the Death Watcher series and the world Suki Sather created please check out sukisather.com

You can connect with Suki Sather on Facebook and Twitter.

Upcoming Reviews for August

Are you staying cool? Here in the sunny South, I'm trying to chill with a glass of iced tea and a good book or ten. While I'm working on getting kids prepped for college or homeschool, I'm taking time to read some interesting novels and non-fiction books. This month will be a mix of... well, see below. A bit of Dystopia, Urban Fantasy and some Dragons thrown in if time permits. Yum!

For a comprehensive list of books I'm going to review, check the widget at the top right.

Bent, Not Broken (The Death Watchers Book 1)
by Suki Sather

Delaney is an ordinary college student with good grades and a bright future in anthropology and a part-time job at the mall with her best friend for as long as she can remember. She loves music and is working to master Krav Magra. Her loving adoptive parents and three foster sisters are the center of her very routine, normal life.
Delaney also struggles with strange dreams and feeling lost and afraid, and though her Death Watcher is always right next to her, she has no clue he is there in the shadows protecting her, or the truths about her past that make it so important for her to be shielded in the stability and normalcy those who love her crusade to maintain around her.
The fight has only just begun in a war that has raged since the birth of humanity.
Can darkness conquer the light or will Delaney awaken and decide that ordinary is truly over rated?


Riker's Calling
by Rico Lamoureux

From school bullies to the crime-ridden streets of his hometown of Los Angeles, Jeremy Riker has always felt the need to do something about the injustice surrounding him. Just as he sets out on his journey as an urban warrior, he unknowingly gives rise to an obsessive adversary, who ends up becoming one of the most notorious serial killers the city has ever known. Dubbed by the news media as The Spyderco Killer, the methodical psychopath roots himself deep into Riker's life for the long haul, until his own madness propels everything into an intense climax.

Hurst (The Hurst Chronicles Book 1)
by Robin Crumby

The survivors of the Millennial Virus now face a much greater danger: each other.

Civilization has collapsed following the outbreak of a pandemic virus that devastated the world’s population. Those that survive scrape a living in remote outposts. Hiding behind high walls, far away from the smoking ruins of the cities, waiting, hoping.

At the end of the world, surrounded by the tidal waters of the Solent, Hurst Castle stands alone. Its seventy-four occupants united in a struggle for survival against all the odds. The Millennial Virus is the least of their concerns.

When the arrival of outsiders threatens to tip the balance of power, Hurst is faced with a desperate choice: set aside their differences and join an alliance that promises new hope or unite against the newcomers and their plans for reconstruction. Who can be trusted? Only time will tell.

The battle for Hurst has begun.

Pale Highway
by Nicholas Conley

Gabriel Schist is spending his remaining years at Bright New Day, a nursing home. He once won the Nobel Prize for inventing a vaccine for AIDS. But now, he has Alzheimer’s, and his mind is slowly slipping away.
When one of the residents comes down with a horrific virus, Gabriel realizes that he is the only one who can find a cure. Encouraged by Victor, an odd stranger, he convinces the administrator to allow him to study the virus. Soon, reality begins to shift, and Gabriel’s hallucinations interfere with his work.

As the death count mounts, Gabriel is in a race against the clock and his own mind. Can he find a cure before his brain deteriorates past the point of no return?

The Dragon of Time: Gods and Dragons
by Aaron Dennis

Scar, an amnesiac mercenary, has been hired by Zoltek, leader of the nation of Usaj, to battle Kulshedran soldiers. With the promise of asking Zmaj, the All God, about his past, Scar lends his fighting prowess, but there is more than kings warring for territory in the world of Tiamhaal; there are Gods and Dragons vying for men's souls.

Review: Bees in Loretta's Bonnet by Lois J Wickstrom

Bees in Loretta's Bonnet
by Lois J Wickstrom
Illustrated by Francie Mion

When Loretta dropped her armload of firewood on the hearth, a mysterious tube fell from between the logs. It was a leafcutter bee nest. Loretta took it back out to the woodpile and watched as holes appeared. But where were the bees?

She found more holes appearing in leaves on her rose bushes. And even some of the rose petals. But where were the bees?

Leafcutter bees are more efficient than honey bees for pollinating gardens. The book includes instructions for building a nest that may lure wild bees to your yard.

My Take:
Loretta's curiosity leads to discovery in this delightful illustrated children's book. Written on about a third grade level, this would be appropriate as either a read-aloud to your kids, or a relatively early reader for your young school age kids. There's also a science project for constructing a leaf cutter bee nest at the back, a great resource for a nature project for classroom or homeschool.

Content:
This is a children's book, and there's nothing offensive in it. Unless you don't like life on a farm, or bees. Personally, things that sting tend to be low on my list of friendly pets, but the leaf cutter bee is mild, and rarely stings unless handled. Also, their poison is milder than that of say the honey bee. They can damage prize rose bushes, so they are sometimes considered pests.

Final Analysis:
Bees in Loretta's Bonnet is an educational look into the life of the leafcutter bee and its contribution to life on a farm. There are clear instructions on how to create a nest for these relatively docile creatures, as a project for the kids. It's well illustrated, with watercolor pictures on every page.

Science projects are always a plus, and having one at the end of an entertaining illustrated children's book is a great combination. The instructions for building a leaf cutter bee nest are clear, and make for a great family project, whether your kids are homeschooled (like mine) or whether you are teaching a classroom. I've seen the inquisitive nature of kids in my four, and it's refreshing to see a girl who enjoys learning about bugs and their contribution to life. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Lois is the author of Oliver, A Story about Adoption, winner of the Read America award. She and Francie Mion (artist) have created the Loretta's Insect series: Ladybugs for Loretta, Bees in Loretta's Bonnet, and soon Loretta's Pet Caterpillar.  She is co-author of the Nessie’s Grotto series with Jean Lorrah, which won the IEBA award. Her Amanda Mini-Mysteries were published in Child Life, and voted “most popular series.”  She has also been published in The Friend and Highlights.  She is the author of the American Chemical Society video “Starting With Safety” and the HRM videos “It’s Chemical” series.  She was head science teacher at Science in the City in Philadelphia.  Her Imagenie science videos are on YouTube.  She is an avid gardener, experimental cook, exercise junky, and all-around silly person.

Here's a list of her works:
"Coal for Christmas" co-authored with Jean Lorrah won the Gold Remi at Worldfest for family filmscripts.
"Nessie and the Living Stone" co-authored with Jean Lorrah won the IEBA award for family ebooks
"Order of the Virgin Mothers" was performed by Trust Us Theater in South Carolina. It was also published in a play collection by Wildside / Borgo.
"Medea in Athens" was performed by Delaware Community College.
"Oliver, A Story about Adoption" won the Read America Award.
"The Amanda Mini-Mysteries" won the Reader's Favorite award at Child Life Magazine.
"Pop-Up Kids" co-authored with Jean Lorrah is currently a quarter-finalist at ScreenCraft Family Film Fest
"Starting With Safety" is the best-selling video at American Chemical Society
"It's Chemical" series was funded by NSF and distributed by Human Relations Media.  It won the Educational Video award from Video Maker Magazine.

About the Illustrator:
Francie Mion got a degree in fine art, then included fine art again into her life after a long career in therapeutic massage. She has illustrated multiple books for Lois Wickam. Francie also makes greeting cards and pet portraits. Her website is www.franciemion.com