Upcoming Reviews for February

Here's a brief look at the books up and coming in the ol' queue. Hoping to dig my way through at least these by end of month!

The Space Between

by Shawn D Brink

When Hunter and his wife Nora begin to have nightmarish visions of evil and death, they feel driven to find what truth lies behind them. But the truth that they find is terrifying. The enemy they must face is powerful and unless defeated, will mean the end of the world as they know it.
Only by standing firm and relying on each other as well as on God, can they achieve victory. But is victory even possible? For Hunter and Nora, only time can reveal these answers.

Immaculate Assumptions: All the Stuff You Heard About the Bible That Isn't True

by Cornelia Scott Cree

In a society increasingly ruled by secular humanism the notion that the unseen, unable-to be-seen-spirit world rules the natural seems almost quaint especially since modern men only want solutions not ideas. But increasingly the data of reality and science makes this more probable than not.

If we do the radical thing, accept the Holy Bible as truth whether we understand it or not, we can join theology with the movement of history as a spiritual exercise. This book is not about religion; religion is the day-to-day practice of faith. This book exposes the assumptions we have about faith and practice which keep us from learning and realizing truth in our daily lives. 

Shattered Roses: A Beauty and the Beast retelling

by E.L. Parfitt

A book for all Beauty and the Beast fans! A contemporary retelling viewed through the eyes of a teenager. Sixteen year old Megan wants to be a doctor. When Megan volunteers at a residential home she meets Lady. Lady tells a fragmented and confusing story of a duke who never aged; his fate tied to the roses that grew in his garden. As Megan hears more of Lady’s tale she is intrigued to know whether the duke existed or if he is a figment of Lady’s imagination. As Megan embarks on unravelling the mystery of the beast a hidden family secret emerges... will it shatter her life forever?

How to Remove a Brain and Other Bizarre Medical Practices

by David Haviland 

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to digest chewing gum? What hiccups are for? Whether it's safe to fly with breast implants? Taking in everything from the outrageous (yes, Hitler was addicted to crystal meth) to the eye-watering (such as the renowned surgeon who accidentally cut off his patient's left testicle) to the downright disgusting (like the cure for toothache used by the Egyptians involving dead mouse paste), this book proves that medical science is not for the faint-hearted, lily-livered or weak-stomached!

Review: The Landlord by Hannah Ross

The Landlord

by Hannah Ross

When Allie Morton rents an isolated lake cabin near the picturesque village of Gosbury, she only wants a quiet place to sort herself out after an abusive marriage. The last thing she expects is an encounter with a ghost that takes her back to the Regency era. At first Allie doubts her own sanity, but when she delves into the tragic fate of Elizabeth Williamson, the mysterious woman from two centuries ago, she doesn't just uncover a dark secret of the past - she opens a new venue to her future.

My Take:

Allie Morton is so done with her old life. Reeling from an ongoing, messy divorce from an emotionally abusive tyrant, she desperately seeks a quiet, peaceful place to recover. She snaps up a rental cabin by a peaceful lake near Gosbury for an unbelievable price. She quickly finds that the amazingly low rent has a reason. The cabin is in disrepair, far from the beaten path, and hasn't seen a tenant in decades. And that's before she learns there's a ghost.

The peaceful lake is home to a forlorn 200-year-old ghost trying to get resolution for her tragic end. Allie first believes the visions and dreams she has are stress-induced hallucinations, visions of a beautiful woman named Elizabeth Williamson, from the Regency era. When she finds out that Elizabeth did in fact exist around that time, she delves into her tragic story and death, aided by her ghost, uncovering a dark secret buried deep in the past, and inadvertently opening a new hope for her own future.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Alcohol is consumed a few times, there are a few scenes at a bar. One of the patrons at the village bar gets wasted, as well as an underage boy.

Violence:

PG - There is a shooting death, and a death under mysterious circumstances. Violence and death are threatened multiple times.

Language:

PG - The Lord's name is taken in vain once, there are a few other mild expletives.

Adult Content:

PG - Affairs are discussed. A man has a reputation as a ladies' man, advances are made on married women. A gentleman uses position to attempt to seduce women of lesser state.  

Christian content:

The pastor of the town church in the Regency era struggles with the decision of whether to expose a grievous sin, when it would be futile. He leaves judgement in the hands of a higher and later court. Faith plays a part in his life, but not much in the lives of any of the other characters. Sin is condemned soundly by certain characters in the novel, though their harsh judgmental condemnation is of the person, not the sin. Friendship, loyalty, forbearance, mercy, and grace all play a part in this work.

Final analysis:

Allie is a very believable character, and Elizabeth also has depth of character. The setting was immersive and the supporting cast were likable and real. I found the demarcations between the past and present a bit difficult to follow, but a great plot device. The pace was steady and fast, the action thrilling, the suspense tangible. I'm not a big fan of Regency but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Hannah Ross wrote her first story at the age of six and hasn’t stopped since. Wishing to have a steady profession, she trained as a clinical nutritionist, but the writing bug was too strong and Hannah continued to write fiction in the form of short stories, novels, poetry and plays, as well as many non-fiction essays and articles. 

Hannah enjoys a quiet life in the country with her husband, three children, two cats and a flock of chickens.

Review: The Missing Teacher II: The German Connection by Jeremy E. Owen

The Missing Teacher II: The German Connection

by Jeremy E. Owen

Recent high school graduate Dorothy Reine has dreams of studying to be an architect in America. But her father's disappearance two years earlier has put a damper on those plans. Frustrated by people who tell her to let the authorities handle his case, she decides to take matters into her own hands. 

As she discovers about her father's Stasi past, redemption, and suffering, will she be able to pursue her dream? Maybe, but not in any way that she ever expected!

My Take:

Dorothy Reine works hard at her Great Uncle Trotz' restaurant in Berlin, marginally aware of his past involvement in the Stasi, a neo-Nazi secret police operating in East Berlin shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her father's disappearance two years earlier is the biggest obstacle in the way of fulfilling her dreams of going to America to study to be an architect.

As people at every turn stymie her efforts to uncover the truth of her father's disappearance, she discovers a secret room in the restaurant basement, revealing troubling clues to Herr Trotz' involvement in nefarious operations that might have something to do with her father's mysterious absence.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Alcohol is consumed a few times, there are a few scenes at a bar.

Violence:

PG - Torture is threatened multiple times, and occurs once off screen. While danger lurks in the background, actual violence rarely appears onstage.

Language:

G - None.

Adult Content:

PG - Dorothy is propositioned a few times, by various suitors, and her desire to give interested men the cold shoulder is discussed and rebuked a few times. She has trouble reconciling the bible and good friends who came out as gay. 

Christian content:

Pivotal decisions are made by characters based on the testimony of Deitrich Boenhoffer, and the main character struggles with her faith, due to her father's disappearance, among other things. Faith plays a backseat role through most of the book, though providence is visible in how things progress. Characters are encouraged to pray when doubting. Family loyalty is preferred over monetary gain.

Final analysis:

Dorothy appeared rather clueless as forces swirled around her without her notice. The action was gripping, though, and the plot kept me involved. I finished much of the book in one sitting, it was that engrossing. The settings were realistic, the action intense. The characters somewhat believable. All in all, an enjoyable and gripping high stakes adventure story. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Jeremy E Owen is the author of the Missing Teacher Trilogy and the Tim Cauling, Amateur PI series. He grew up in a small town in North America, but presently is an associate professor in South Korea, where he lives with his wife and two amazing daughters.

Review: Hope of Home by Samuel Cronin

Hope of Home

by Samuel Cronin

It's finally Christmas Eve. The entire Straw family has gathered to celebrate the best day of the year. But there's a problem. Grandpa Straw, a wounded veteran of World War II, on the brink of retirement, and facing cancer, has lost the spirit of their tradition. When the family goes caroling, he stays home alone. And perhaps he wants it this way, where he does not have to face the season with all its promise of good tidings and joy. But when his family does not come back, events transpire that encourage him to confront his bruised past and embrace his family, becoming the warm grandpa everyone longs to love. A story within a story, Hope of Home is a novel that Grandpa Straw has penned and gifted to his estranged grandson Marcus, written in the hope of helping him reunite with his family and bring him home. 

My Take:

Marcus Straw has been estranged from his family, living as far across the United States as he can get from his strict and distant grandfather Douglas Straw, and his eccentric family. But shortly before Christmas Eve he receives an unexpected present from Grandpa Straw, a book, and an invitation to please return one final time to his home to face his past and the unreconciled pain residing there.

As Marcus takes a long train ride across the country, he reads the story his grandpa Douglas Straw has written about a family Christmas gone terribly wrong. Dealing with an aggressive form of cancer and a short and certain lifespan, Grandpa Douglas alienates his entire family and they leave him to go out and look at Christmas lights, just as an EF3 tornado rips through the valley, destroying everything, and taking away Douglas' entire family in a moment.

As Douglas deals with the unbelievable grief and confusion, his friends help him unwrap the Christmas gifts left by his missing family, and rediscover the burdens and triumphs of the past. But as he tries to make peace with his loss and his estranged family, can Douglas make peace with the Maker that took them away?

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - Alcoholism and alcohol-induced violence play a pivotal role in this poignant novel.

Violence:

PG-13 - The aftermath of the tornado, and the carnage it leaves behind, is rather graphic. Many people plead for help and die while waiting for assistance.

Language:

G - None.

Adult Content:

G - Squeaky clean.

Christian content:

The importance of family, the despair of catastrophic loss, reconciliation, redemption, and salvation are broad brush themes that permeate this dramatic tale of loss. Scripture is used in several places by the characters to encourage or admonish.

Final analysis:

The main character in this story within a story begins as a completely unlikable, unredeemable crotchety old rich man who never had time for his doting family or his patient and caring wife. As the story progresses, he grows less and less likable, until his despair and impotent rage reaches a critical mass. But his story is three dimensional and gripping, and his raw emotion and struggle is very real. The characters in this tale are real and the drama gripping, the character arc encouraging, and the conclusion satisfying. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Samuel Cronin was born in Burns, Oregon, and grew up in John Day, 70 miles north. He attended Corban University before transferring to Oregon State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English. He later attended Eastern Oregon University to obtain his Master in Education. In 1999 he sailed as a deckhand aboard Schooner Roseway, whose port of call was Camden, Maine. This experience laid the groundwork for his novel "How Well the Sailors Run". Growing up in Grant County, where gold was discovered on June 8, 1862, captured his interest in prospecting lore and romanticized his view of gold mining. These experiences helped shape his historical novel "Warm Gold". Golfing with his father and brothers helped fuel his interest in golf, forming the basis for "A Season for the Blessed." As a boy he remembers traveling to his grandparent's house at Christmas to experience a tradition on Christmas Eve that forms the groundwork for his fourth novel "Hope of Home." He lives in Idaho with his wife and son.

Review: Dark Water by Simon Thould

Dark Water

by Simon Thould

A girl goes missing – but has she been lost, or taken? Her frantic mother begs for help from the one man with the ruthless skills to track her down. Alex Rafter, former sniper, sees Madeleine Finch as a bad, erratic mother, and is reluctant to go back to a life he is trying to forget. But his own nightmares compel him to search, for the girl's sake.

Rafter embarks on a murderous hunt, aided by Gabriel Montero, another former soldier, that leads through the wilds of the New Forest to the squalid back streets of Southampton. Rebecca Grant, local veterinary, drug addict and would-be lover, offers help, but her own agenda threatens to send Rafter astray. It becomes a race against time to find the girl before she is lost forever to the heartless world of people traffickers.

My Take:

When Alex Rafter, former sniper for the British military, settles down in his old Uncle Max's cottage, Dark Water, in the New Forest community, he's expecting a tranquil change to the surgical killing he was used to. The last thing he really is looking for is more opportunities to use his deadly combat skills. That's a past he'd rather leave behind.

But when Madeleine Finch, local Mercedes dealership owner and erratic mother, begs him to find her missing teenage daughter, he reluctantly agrees to take on the task, for the girl Jac's sake.

Rafter relentlessly pursues the missing girl, stymied by local police and assisted by ex-military bar owner Gabriel Montero. The chase leads him from the wilds of the New Forest to the squalid seedy back streets of nearby Southampton, in a race against time to find her before she is lost forever in the dark world of sex trafficking.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - Ketamine, used by vets, is trafficked. Alcoholism is common here, with vodka, beer, and whisky consumed pretty much whenever people gather.

Violence:

PG - There are several battle scenes, with gunfire and methodical killing. Nothing gratuitous.

Language:

R - The F bomb is dropped 25 times. Other profanity is sprinkled lightly throughout

Adult Content:

R - This is a book about sex trafficking. There is one sex scene, not overly graphic or prolonged. There is a conversation about a sexual encounter, and there is some discussion about sex trafficking and the chances of the girls caught in it. Prostitution and pimps are discussed in a couple conversations. While the subject matter involves sex, abuse, and slavery, there's only casual come-ons, other than the one scene.

Christian content:

Um, not at all. There are no mentions of faith, praying, any gods, or church. God's name is used about 10 times but only as an epithet. On the other hand, there is camaraderie under fire, persistence, and an overarching theme of right and wrong. The lines may be off center. They say that in Texas, 'Your honor, he NEEDED killing' is an admissible defense. There is a bit of that here.

Final analysis:

Well, this one isn't for the little kids. The language is a bit rough for even teens. If you are looking for an adventure story, though, wanting to experience the bad guys getting taken down, this is a good read. The pace is slow in starting up, but the action held my attention and it grew rather gripping by midpoint. The internal struggles in the main character and the interactions between him and the ladies around him, and the friends on his team, made this a bit of a guilty pleasure, and I'm a fan of black ops and insurmountable odds rescues. There's plenty of that here. I'd love to give this a full five stars, but the pacing dragged in the beginning, and it was a bit tough getting started on the actual adventure. Four Stars!

About the Author:

Simon was born in 1945 in Somerset, England. He played sports at school with more enthusiasm than he studied but did manage to qualify as a Chartered Surveyor and practised for twenty years in London and throughout the south of England.
He completed two creative writing courses at night school and one correspondence course in his spare time. He also worked as a restaurant and bar manager in Hampshire before moving to Spain with his two cats for a year and a half where he wrote his first novel. He then moved back to the UK and took a position as resident groom/housekeeper in Kent and wrote a second novel.
Simon relocated to Charleston, South Carolina in the '90's for several years working in warehouse stock control, he sold insurance and artwork in a Thomas Kinkade gallery downtown.
Returning to the UK again, he worked as a mailman and in several retail positions and wrote a third unpublished novel.
Moving to Gozo in the Mediterranean in 2014, Simon wrote, 'Dark Water', a thriller introducing Alex Rafter. After a lifetime of rejections from publishers and agents with only minor success selling magazine articles, he made one more push to get published and sent sample chapters to more than fifty UK agents and was lucky to be picked up by David Haviland of the Andrew Lownie Literary Agency in London. 'Dark Water' was published in August 2017.
In the same month, Simon suffered a stroke and spent a week in hospital and for several months underwent tests and examinations before being singed off by the consultant at the Stroke Clinic, Blackpool where he now lives. Sucking down six pills a day, Simon continues with his recovery and therapy and has returned to writing work.
Simon's passion include horseracing, reading USA hard-bolied, noir novels and watching classic black and white movies.

Review: Toru: Wayfarer Returns (Sakura Steam #1) by Stephanie R. Sorensen

Toru: Wayfarer Returns (Sakura Steam #1)

by Stephanie R. Sorensen

Revolutionary young samurai take on the West in this alternate history steampunk techno-fantasy set in 1850's samurai-era Japan.

In Japan of 1852, the peace imposed by the Tokugawa Shoguns has lasted 250 years. Peace has turned to stagnation, however, as the commoners grow impoverished and their lords restless. Swords rust. Martial values decay. Foreign barbarians circle the island nation's closed borders like vultures, growing ever more demanding.

Toru, a shipwrecked young fisherman rescued by American traders and taken to America, defies the Shogun's ban on returning to Japan, determined to save his homeland from foreign invasion. Can he rouse his countrymen in time? Or will the cruel Shogun carry out his vow to execute all who set foot in Japan after traveling abroad? Armed only with his will, a few books, dirigible plans and dangerous ideas, Toru must transform the Emperor's realm before the Black Ships come.

My Take:

Japan in 1852 was a closed country, outlawing all trade or even contact with the outside world. The Tokugawa Shogun ruled in the Emporor's name with an iron fist. Anyone who violated the edict against contact with the rest of the world, met a violent untimely death. However, while Japan stagnates with primitive flintlocks, martial arts, and katanas as their primary means of defense, the rest of the world is industrializing, building cannon, airships, steamships, and rifles.

Toru begins his journey at the end of a journey. He is a humble shipwrecked fisherman who was rescued by American sailors and taken to the US, where his explorations take him across the country, gathering knowledge of the American factories, military, and people.

Their indomitable spirit, technological prowess and plans to force trade on the world, coupled with the recent forcing of trade with China, propels him to return at the inescapable forfeit of his life, to galvanize his beloved home country into action to prevent a foreign invasion. Armed with books, plans, and hope, he returns with the means to prevent the destruction of his beloved country.  Can he rouse his country to arms in time before he is executed?

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Quite a bit of sake is consumed through the course of the book, and a touch of drunkenness. 

Violence:

PG-13 - In several scenes, there are ambushes, where soldiers are dropped with arrows in their throats, through an eye, or decapitated by a sword. For a war book, there's not a lot of violence.

Language:

PG - Very few curse words that I recall.

Adult Content:

PG - There are a few scenes of geisha houses, but nothing happens. There is quite a bit of angst, but not even kissing.

Christian content:

The Christian book, the bible, is outlawed, on pain of death. But it is included in Toru's box of books he brings to Japan. Though it is mentioned several times as a dangerous thing to have, there is no scripture or even use of the book. It appears that no one reads it. A brief mention is made that Toru is afraid of what he has read in it.

There are multiple times when Toru and others pray to their gods, to Buddha, and even to the Christian god for help. Some characters have faith, but not in Christ. Toru and others are more than willing to give up their lives for the love of their country and others. Multiple people give their lives for others. The common people accept their starving and downtrodden lot in life under the boot of the samurai, but winds of change give hope for them, especially characterized in Toru's best friend Jiro, the coarse blacksmith. Friendship, self-sacrifice, patriotism, and hope are strong strokes in this beautiful picture of pre-industrial Japan.

Final analysis:

I gotta say, Japanese Steampunk is a rare combination, but it worked very well in this edge-of-the-seat action-packed adventure. From the time Toru hits the shore of Japan his life hangs by a thread. There is obvious a lot more to this humble fisherman than meets the eye. And as he stays one jump ahead of the headsman, he sets in motion a transformation of Japan from a stagnating relic to a world power. The characters, especially the supporting cast, are well defined and realistic. The setting is magnificent. The plot is stellar, and the action gripping. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Stephanie is a writer based in the Victorian mining town of Leadville, Colorado, where she lives at 10,152 feet with her husband, five chickens, two bantam English game hens and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. After a former life in big cities-New York City, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Boston, Mexico City, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Santa Fe-she now enjoys the birdsong and quiet writing time she finds in Leadville. When she's not writing, Stephanie stays busy sewing fancy gowns, playing MMOS, running the historic Tabor Opera House and working as a part-time technology venture capitalist. Her first novel draws on her experience living and working in Japan; her next historical novel is set in Mexico where she also lived for several years. As a Leadville local, she likes her Victorian attire spiced with a little neo-Victorian futurism and the biggest bustle possible.

Review: The Wager: A Romantic Comedy as Christian Allegory by Mike Brister

The Wager: A Romantic Comedy as Christian Allegory

by Mike Brister

Sarah Morgan Leigh Dumont is rich, successful and famous. Matthew Ezra Shepherd is none of those things. Sarah, raised in Connecticut, is the oldest child in a prominent family. Matt, raised in Mississippi, is the youngest child in a farming family. Sarah is a winner in life’s lottery and has a home in Malibu. Matt, a former Marine, is putting the pieces of his life back together and would be homeless except for a 160 year old farmhouse that has no running water. Sarah is driven, focused, difficult, and intimidating. Matt is friendly and kind and smiles easily. Sarah is full of herself. Matt is full of mischief. 

They meet under false pretenses in New Orleans, the city built on false pretenses. She sees him only as the object of a wager; he sees her as an object to be avoided—and yet. 

What happens when love is uninvited, inconvenient, and demanding? When it keeps you up at night and distracts you during the day. When it counsels unreason, folly, and ruin. When it can breach any locked door, scale any high wall, or whisper above any noise. Fortunately, when it happens to someone else, it can be very funny. 

Seventy-five percent (75%) of the royalties from the sale of each book will go to But God Ministries and/or the Haiti Goat Project for the purchase of goats for the people of Haiti. Buy a book and help buy a goat. Buy one or be one. 

“Please buy this man’s book. It is a good book.” Pastor Mathurin Merystal, Thoman, Haiti. 

My Take:

Sarah Morgan Leigh Dumont has it all. Beauty, fame, wealth, power. Matthew Ezra Shepherd has none of these things. Sarah is the oldest child in a filthy rich family from Connecticut. Matt is the youngest child in a dirt poor family from Mississippi. Raised in the lap of luxury, a die-hard pacifist, Sarah has a home in Malibu. Matt is an ex-Marine, a soldier who has killed for his country, a vet with PTSD trying to put his life back together. Left scarred inside and out, he would be homeless except for a 160-year-old farmhouse with no running water.

Sarah is driven, focused, intimidating, full of herself. Matt is friendly, kind, with a quick smile, full of mischief.

They meet under false pretenses in New Orleans, the city built on false pretenses. She sees him only as the object of a wager; he sees her as an object to be avoided—and yet. You couldn't find two people more opposite, yet love scales any wall, breaches any barricade, crosses any divide.  

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Alcohol is mentioned rather often. Matt is a dangerous alcoholic, and the sheriff will arrest anyone who gives him any. 

Violence:

PG - There is a description of some of the conflict in war. A bar fight sends three men to the hospital. A character is knifed, and a purse snatcher is nearly beaten to death. 

Language:

G - A couple mild expletives.

Adult Content:

PG-13 - This is a romance. There's no sex, though it's sought after, and plotted. A woman ends up naked in a bathroom, underwear and its lack is discussed. There's a bit of kissing. Women discuss men's finer attributes, there are a few oblique references to anatomy.

Christian content:

Scripture is used in a few places. Faith is evident throughout, and the sovereign guiding hand of Providence is exposed. Spiritual battles are evident, and prayer is a common practice. Spiritual issues are covered well. Faith, atheism, mission work, the gospel, the power of God's Word, the importance of fighting for what's right. This is a faith-filled hilarious romance.

Final analysis:

Like Rooster Cogburn and the Lady, or Crocodile Dundee, the interactions between the leading man and lady are what makes this book outshine most romances I've ever read, or viewed on the silver screen, for that matter. The conversations these two polar opposites have are hilarious, no subject is taboo, and for the most part the reader has to interpret the conversation. It would make an outstanding  film, an entertaining romantic Christian comedy. Well written, hilarious, thought provoking, fast-paced. North meets South in a clash of cultures, with sparks flying everywhere! Five Stars!

About the Author:
Mike Brister was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1952. His father worked for the Illinois Central Railroad and in 1955 was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana. This began a lifelong relationship with one of the most unique cities in the world. Eventually, the family would return to Jackson. 

Mike received degrees in mathematics and spent his working career as a consulting actuary. Now retired, he has written his first novel. He has made numerous trips to Haiti and plans more. The hope is that the novel is a fun read and allows for the purchase of goats for families in Haiti. Seventy-five percent (75%) of all book royalties will go to But God Ministries and/or Haiti Goat Project.