Quick Review - Technomage by Clayton Bye

Technomage
by Clayton Bye
Kindle Edition
4 Stars out of 5 * * * *
Mixing technology and magic to good effect.



I read the previous book, Sorcerer's Key, and enjoyed it a lot. So when I found the sequel, I jumped right on it.

As stated in the book's description, it is an epic story, and I think it deserves to be epic length (well, maybe not that long, but I wouldn't mind 90K-100K). Anybody who's read my reviews will notice that my complaint is almost invariably: too many words. This is one of the rare instances where I want more, not less.

Jack Lightfoot is a mage like no other. He can easily bridge the gap between Earth and Eden, the former a technological world, and the latter a world of magic. The mage who can combine the best of both is fairly unbeatable, however, Satan has been unbeatable for a long, long time, so Jack is not equipped for the initial assault that kills his entire family and destroys his human body.

He becomes the "ghost in the machine" by escaping into the Google global network. He hangs out for some years hiding from Satan and his technomage minions and trying to find somebody out in the world who can help him defeat the devil. A very tall order, indeed. The assistance comes in the form of two characters. Victoria, a child genius, grows up to provide all the technical assistance Jack needs to fight the devil. Brim, a preacher/shaman, is the spiritual powerhouse Jack requires.

With the help of these two, Jack can fight the very devil and, if not destroy him, can at least stop Satan's play to control both Earth and Eden. Any more would be a spoiler, so I'll leave that to the reader to discover.

I would love to see a novel starring Victoria, the only person who understands Jack in his form as an electronic ghost. He's legend within the geek community, but the rest of the world pretty much ignores him. Victoria is the one who gives Jack the body he needs. Reverend Brim is his spiritual force. So, I'd also like more on Brim's background. How does a Native American minister of the gospel combine the One God with the gods of his culture to help Jack defeat the devil?

Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out. There's a hint of another book in the From Earth to Eden series. I hope Mr. Bye is working on it. He's got a fan out here waiting for more.

***
Note: I'm going to start post my reviews on my blog. I've usually only posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and the like. Why not share my wisdom (quit laughing) with my blog readers as well? Marva

4-1/2 Book Review for First Duty

Books Complete Me reviewed First Duty, my YA science fiction novel.

http://www.bookscompleteme.com/2011/05/review-first-duty-by-marva-dasef.html

Available in ebook and print.

Review of The Tales of Abu Nuwas

Getting a review is great; getting a laudatory review is even greater.

Bamika on Goodreads is a fine writer from Australia. I'm eagerly awaiting the publication of her science fiction series on clones. I've read several stories in the universe she's created. She should be published and I hope she'll soon put together the stories in book form.

In the meantime, she was kind  enough to read and review one of my books. Lucky for all of you, The Tales of Abu Nuwas is a mere 99 cents (USD) on Amazon. I'm not sure what that is in Aussie dollars.

Click here to read her full review at Goodreads.

When I started reading the Tales of Abu Nuwas by Marva Dasef I was immediatly charmed by the sweet, innocent character of Setara. Setara is a girl on the verge of womanhood, itching to escape the clutches of her over-protective father and explore the world beyond the walls of her home.

And what a world it is, filled with bandits, pirates, demons, magic and djinn! Dasef has created an Arabian Nights landscape of bazaars and palaces, caves and stables. A never-was world of magic and adventure.

Review - A Past and a Future by Penny Ehrenkranz

Penny Lockwood Eherenhanz was my guest when her book "A Past and a Present" was released. I've had a chance to read the book and offer a brief review.

REVIEW:

It's difficult to evaluate an entire book of short stories, but I can say that I enjoyed them all to some degree. Unfortunately, this book is available only from one site for now, and in print to boot. We can only hope the publisher will get this out in ebook format to reach a wider audience.


Look for it here: http://sdpbookstore.com/anthologies.htm

Let me pick out my favorites for special mention.

ENCHANTRESS: Merlin knows the one he loves will be his downfall, but can he win in the end?

I enjoy re-tellings and add-ons to the Authurian legends. I'm not a purist who thinks a writer must follow the E.B. White classic. Learning more about the legendary characters just add to my experience. Some contradict each other (different ideas by different authors), but isn't history often have more than one interpretation? I just saw a History channel special on John Wilkes Booth. Three theories exist on what happened to Booth. Even for an event this close in our history, speculation is all over the place. That's why I love to see authors stretch their imagination when dealing with well-known tales.

THE BABY MAKERS – In a world where cloning is possible, will Reese be able to save his illegal newborn child from a government determined to make her a non-citizen?

In a completely different world than Merlin, we have a possible future already showing signs of coming to be. This is another one of my favorite imaginings. Not just the specific of cloning children, but I love the way Penny has come up with making this a fresh idea.

REBELS WITH A CAUSE – Shayleena is tired of living her life through holovision. She wants a real life with real people. Will she find it as a volunteer for juvenile offenders, or will she be mugged and left to die?

Again, Penny takes a social topic, and extrapolates a future in an original way. The disaffected rich and idle, given a steady diet of entertainment can become bored and wish something else. Shayleena tries for making herself relevant. I applaud her efforts since we need more people like her in the world.

New Review for Ultimate Duty

Jessica Subject reviews Ultimate Duty on her blog, now healed thanks to her wizard cousin.

Check out Jessica's Review Here.

Review - Pandora's Hope by Lisa Lane

Review of “Pandora's Hope”

by Lisa Lane http://newsensuality.blogspot.com/
Published by Ravenous Romance

Kindle
Trade Paperback 

In this second book of the Lust in Space series, Captain Nora Bradley has just discovered she's pregnant by her fiance Robert Smith. Suggesting that they move their wedding plans ahead, Nora gets a less than enthusiastic response from Robert. This sets her to fretting throughout the book on just exactly where his head is in regard to their relationship.

While that's going on with her personally, her ship, Pandora's Hope, is disabled in a battle with Space Pirates. Now, we've got some good old-fashioned space opera going on. The pirates are blown away by a unique use of the space-bending drive. Unfortunately, the engine has to be repaired, but a certain mineral is needed. The crew locates a source of the mineral and send a team headed by Robert to retrieve it from a mysterious planet. When the scout team lands, they find that the entire world—plants, trees, animals, insects–are all made of metal.

Anything I say beyond that will be too much spoiler, so I'll just add that this isn't the only adventure the crew has on the journey.

"Pandora's Hope" is a rousing scifi space opera in the fine tradition of Star Trek and Star Wars. However, I think Lisa does a far better job of explaining such engineering phenomena such as faster than light travel (the space-bender). The aliens are interesting and varied. My favorite are the Locaru, miniscule little people who are wizard engineers. When I say little, I mean teensy-weensy little. Captain Nora has to get over her fear of insects to work with the beings, but grows to admire and like them just as much as her normal-sized crew.

I enjoyed the science fiction aspects of this book a lot. I'll give it a four-star rating for that part of the story.

Now to the reason this book is science fiction erotica. There's lots of sex, between lots of different people and, yes, even the little Locaru get some action. You will not believe that part of the story! I admit I am not an erotica reader or writer, so for the multiple sex scenes, I'll just have to leave it to others to decide how well they're done.

Technically, the Ravenous Romance editors didn't do a good job for Lisa. I found lots of errors. However, I was a professional tech writer before becoming an author, so I spent years looking for those errors in documentation. I'm probably pickier than the average reader in that regard. I just wanted to mention this to tell you to not be put off by the errors. I don't think they detract from the story. Lisa has written a bang-up, exciting scifi novel.

Finally, here's my complaint about the characterizations. Everybody seems to be screwing like bunnies in the book, yet they all seem highly embarrassed by it and afraid somebody might catch them going at it. Considering the previous book's space flu, which evidenced itself by a shipwide orgy, I'd think that the crew would be feeling pretty comfortable with the idea that they're all having sex in their mostly monogamous relationships. So, I don't understand their fear of being “caught in the act.”

Overall, I give the book four stars, but hope that Lisa can get a little more editing done. Hey, Ravenous! Do right by your authors! It'll make you more money in the long run.

Review for Ultimate Duty

The lovely and sexy Lisa Lane reviewed my SFR, Ultimate Duty, on her blog. Read it here:

http://newsensuality.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-ultimate-duty-by-marva-dasef.html

Review of Tales of a Texas Boy - Featured Book

BOOK REVIEW (Reviewed in 2008)

STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE

BOOK: Tales of a Texas Boy

AUTHOR: Marva Dasef

PUBLISHER: Texas Boy Publications (2007)

ISBN: 978-061514896-0 (trade paperback)
ISBN: 978-061515240-0 (large print 8x11)
ISBN: 978-143823545-5 (large print 7x10)

Kindle Edition

READING LEVEL: ages 9-12, Senior Citizens too
RATING: 5 stars
REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker

This book is a collection of twenty stories told by Edward Perkins (Eddie) who lived during the Depression with his Pa, Ma, younger sister Dorothy (Sister), and little brothers James and John, on a 640-acre farm near Hereford, TX, in the panhandle of the state. It gives a picture of days when life was simpler as viewed by an eleven-year-old boy, whose experiences are reminiscent of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and Tom Sawyer. A note in the front of the book says, "All characters and events in this book are fictitious." However, a note on the back cover says, "The author's father is the real Eddie narrating the stories inside this book."

In fact, at the end of one story about how Eddie's Pa asked a fairly well known amateur detective named Frank Norfleet to help find a con man who had cheated him, a note says, "Frank Norfleet and Burke Mathes were real people. Eddie and his father did not actually meet them. In other words, this is a Texas Tall Tale." Thus, we may conclude that the stories in the book are perhaps based on some real events but many have been fictionalized. I found the book to be very entertaining. Children, and adults too, should get a lot of laughs out of reading all about Eddie and his exploits--whether they are from Texas or not.

Parents who try to be careful about the language in the books their children read will just want to be aware that the "d" word is found once in a story where a stranger uses it to describe his daughter who had tried to steal something from Eddie and his Pa on a trip, but Pa soundly criticizes him for saying it and it is very minor. Tales of a Texas Boy is a lot of fun. So you are invited to sit down, take your shoes off, and hear all about Dad Boles with his tame bear Sophie, Bucephalus (Beau) the jackass, skunks in the corn patch, the mammoth bones at Clovis, the rather strange Luck twins, Cage McNatt's prize sow, Mae West, and many others.

Related website: http://marvadasef.com/

Review: The Sorcerer's Key by Clayton Bye

The Sorcerer's Key
by Clayton Bye
Buy the book in either:
Print or
Ebook

Also available through Amazon and other on-line stores.

Jack Lightfoot's parents were on the run from their homeworld of Eden. The nasty sorcerer, Morgan, wanted what the Lightfoot family had: the ability to cross over into Earth to take advantage of the technology that Earth has, something that Eden does not.

When Morgan finds a way to send an assassin after the Lightfoot family to find the key to opening the door between worlds, Jack is thrown into a battle between sorcerers. Only problem is, Jack has lived on Earth his entire life and all the magic he knows is entirely theoretical.

With only the training his father has given him, Jack has to jump worlds and learn to use his magic ... fast. Morgan is out to kill Jack for the key to move between worlds.

The Sorcerer's Key is a fast action tale of magic and action. It's fast moving from the first page onward. I knew I'd like this book from the beginning.

It's modern, rather than medieval, setting makes Jack a young man who might be the teenager down the street. Very modern Jack has to cope with the 19th C. non-technological, yet highly magical, world of Eden.

Clayton Bye's writing is smooth and exciting. He keeps the reader on their toes, or at least propped up in bed reading into the wee hours.

I'd definitely recommend this book for all fantasy fans.

Rating: ***** for fantasy action and goodness.

Review: Prisoners of Gender

Prisoners of Gender

by John Bushore

Buy the trade paperback at Amazon for $9.95

Buy the ebook at Eternal Press $6.95

First off a disclaimer. I am not a regular reader of "spicy" literature. I write kids' books and I generally like to remain pure of heart (quit laughing, you people who know me!).

When John Bushore asked if I'd read "Prisoners of Gender" and I'd seen an excerpt, I enthusiastically agreed.

I'm not sorry. Hey, John! You're a hot guy! No MonkeyJohn kiddie books here for sure.

This is a wonderful fantasy, sexy, fun read.

Princess Marissa and gallant soldier Bardak are the victims of a badly handled curse. They switch bodies and have to learn to live with a huge change in their lives, all the while seeking the nasty Wizard who could make them swap back to their original bodies.

Marissa starts to like the rugged, strong, sexy male body she now occupies. Bardak is torn. He has sworn to protect the Princess, but the Princess is now in two places. Not only is he wearing her body, he has to also protect the mighty warrior occupied by the princess. Confusion ensues.

Well, you can see where the title comes from. As the two learn how to deal with their decidedly different circumstances, they bicker while being mightily attracted to their own bodies worn by the other person. I was reminded of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy arguing it out in the 40's comedies which (way ahead of their time) showed gender prejudice for what it was--a stupid set of societal rules. Unfortunately, there are countries that still think along the lines of weaker-stronger sex.

John has shown this to be the false piece of lies that every feminist has known for years. His handling of Bardak in Marissa's body and Marissa in Bardak's shows his sensitivity to both sides of the physical spectrum.

Now, this is also a somewhat epic fantasy, which I define as set in an alternate fantasy world unrelated to the world in which we live. I say 'somewhat' only because the book is not 200,000 words long with way too many mighty thews. I'm not a fan of epic, so I really enjoyed John's take on the fully fantasy world that epic's usually inhabit.

The writing is crisp and fast-moving. "Prisoners" is a fun romp and a good fantasy book, too.

Stars? Hey, on a five-star scale, I'd give this one 4-1/2 at least.

Book Review: The Sex Club by L.J. Sellers

THE SEX CLUB
L.J. SELLERS
Paperback: 347 pages
Publisher: Spellbinder Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2007) Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979518202
ISBN-13: 978-097951820

Next to fantasy/science fiction, I love a mystery. My usual choices in mystery are the women crime solvers, from Agatha Christie to Nora Roberts.

So, I might not have chosen this book off the bookstore or library shelf. Luckily for me, I met L.J. at a local book and art event and I got my copy straight from the author. She says, "People say they can't put it down." Well, I put it down, but only when I was too sleepy to track the words on the page. She's telling the truth when she calls it a page-turner.

Detective Jackson is a workaholic policeman on the homicide squad of a smallish town (Eugene, Oregon). But we don't start with him. We first meet Kera Kilmorgan, a counselor at the local Planned Parenthood. When a girl who visited PP is murdered, the two come together to find out what happened.

Kera is also threatened by "God's Messenger," a religious fanatic setting bombs in the local PP--Kera's place of work.

Sellers skips back and forth between Jackson and Kera, with stops along the way with some of the teen girls and their parents, some of whom are involved in both crimes.

Can't say anymore because a mystery's ending is sacred to those who trouble to read it.

In my estimation, anybody who enjoys a detective mystery is bound to enjoy this book. If you live in Oregon, especially Eugene (which I do), then the settings have their own fascination. I know exactly which streets L.J. describes. I know which places are real and which are imagination, but it's always a ton of fun figuring out the secondary mystery--where the heck is that!?

I look forward to the next Detective Jackson book due for release in September titled "Secrets to Die For."

How to Write a Book Review by Bryan Catherman

My good friend Bryan Catherman gives some helpful hints on how to write a book review.

A good book review usually tells as much about the reviewer as it does about the book although the reviewer should seek balance between the two.

What is a book review?
A book review is a reader’s opinion that serves as advice or a recommendation to other readers. In our world of limited time and competing books, a review should help others sift through the marketing. However, one review is just one review and not anything to be taken too seriously.

Elements of a book review:
At a minimum, a good book review should include a brief synopsis of the book itself. It should be fair. Try to accurately describe the book’s plot, argument, or reason for its existence. Even if the book is terrible, try writing this synopsis factually. For example, “Joe Author attempts to explain….” Another example might read, “The Great American Novel is a fictional novel about…” WARNING: Never give away twists or the ending. DO NOT spoil the book for others. (Many reviews, especially on amazon.com, will leave out the synopsis altogether. I advise against doing this in the event that a reader has never heard of the book and has no idea what it’s about.)

The next element necessary for a good book review is the reviewer’s opinion. This is an opinion so it’s not necessary to include statements like, “I think,” or “in my opinion.” But stay fair. And whatever you do, do not use vague, unsupported adjectives like boring and fantastic. Try to explain why you feel the way you feel about the book. Simply saying, “This book is great and everybody should read it,” or “this book was a waste of money,” doesn’t help anybody. Try to explain in detail. Support your statements. Give examples. You can also recommend that people read or not read the book, but your explicit recommendation is not a requirement of a good book review. (Many reviews stick with the implied.)

That’s it. Reviewing a book is not as tough as people make it out to be. There’s nothing to be scared of.

Additional (but not required) items to include in a book review:
A grading system is popular. Give the book a grade or rate it with stars or spoons or something. (I recommend not using a thumbs up or down because that’s an all-or-nothing proposition. A five-star system is good but a ten-star system allows for a greater depth in rating.) Try not to make the grading system complicated; the entire reason for the grade is to simplify the review. And stay consistent in the grading process.

A history of the book or of the author can be informative if it doesn’t clutter or bog down the review.

A counter argument is warranted on occasion, but only if the book is a non-fiction argument. However, your book review is not a counter argument; it’s a review. Include the mandatory items and then include your counter argument only as an expansion of the review.

Pictures often enhance book reviews. The cover is the most obvious choice.

Author background if interesting or relevant to the book.

Sales history if it’s meaningful. Did the book do poorly for a long while and then something changed? Why?

How about an interview with the author if you can get one?

Additional media is nice if it’s available. Websites, videos, trailers, sound bites.

Sampling of the first couple of pages or a chapter helps the reader get a feel for the author’s style. (This is normally done with permission to avoid sticky copyright issues.)

How about comparing and contrasting the book you are reviewing with other books? This works well when reviewing books in a series and the comparison is made against an earlier book. “Book three was not as well written as the first two books….” This also helps readers understand a book they haven’t read by comparing to one they have.

Providing a location or link where the book may be purchased is always appreciated by the author and publishing people. (Even if you give the book a poor review.)

Is the author something other than an author? Does she wrestle tigers or is he also a religious leader or whatever. This may be worth including.

Be creative and make the review fun and informative for the reader. Otherwise, you’re wasting their time in a world where the review is meant to help save time.

Review: Glory Rose and the Gloaming

Glory Rose and the Gloaming
by S.M. Brandsma
275 pages
Available at Amazon

This is a very enjoyable first installment in a series about the adventures of a half-fairy girl, Glory Rose.

Set in the magical time when the young Arthur is not yet King, Brandsma deftly weaves in myth and folklore in what she calls the Ensorcelled Realm. Some of the standard mythological characters live up to their advertising: trolls and stupid and ugly, and fairies are as you would expect them to be. Brandsma takes off from the old tales to make giants and dragons good guys, which pleases me no end. So, don’t expect the same old tired magical creatures. Brandsma wisely varied from the trite retelling.

The villain, a creature of hell, is not a myth I recognize. I love when I find something in a myth-based fantasy, taken from well off the beaten path. Bassarab (or Basarab) turns out to be the family name of a certain Vlad Draculea. I’m a fan of Vlad and I missed this dynasty name in my own research. Kudos to Brandsma for mixing things up a little more.

As for writing, Glory Rose is an easy read for its young adult target audience. I believe that kids as young as ten will love the stories, the many great personalities, and the action revolving around Glory’s role as the Chosen One.

Brandsma is also an adept artist and the clever line drawings at the beginning of each chapter are a delight.

I’m looking forward to "Glory Rose and the Book of Shadows." The first chapter of the second book in the series is excerpted at the end of "Glory Rose and the Gloaming."

One last thought. Gloaming is not a familiar word and, while it is explained in the book, it doesn’t give any immediate wow factor when searching for something to read. Fortunately, Brandsma’s cover art dragon takes care of that.

"First Duty" Review

Reviewed by Ed Cox for Beyond Centauri issue 22

Beyond Centauri is a magazine of fantasy, science fiction, and ewww-gross for younger readers [for readers of all ages], published quarterly on the 1st day of January, April, July, and October. Beyond Centauri publishes short stories, poems, illustrations, puzzles, articles, and movie reviews.

FIRST DUTY

by Marva Dasef

Dilemma is an important part of storytelling. There must be a problem for characters to first discover, then explore, and finally overcome. From historical fiction to tales of the far future, the dilemma, the quandary, the catch-22, is always present. With her science fiction novel First Duty, Marva Dasef weighs in with a dilemma that might just change the rule of the universe.

Nyra is a recent graduate of the Space Service. She is eager to prove her worth within an interstellar police force that is controlled by the mighty government-cum-corporation IncPlan. Nyra’s service begins in a baptism of fire when her first mission is to guard the transfer of the infamous criminal Caspar. Caspar is the head of a rebellion fighting against IncPlan, and he is just about the most wanted man in the universe. But when he escapes from custody, Nyra’s troubles begin, and not in the way she expects.

Dasef has researched her novel well, and the plot and landscape are developed and presented clearly. Earth’s population had spread to colonise a multitude of other planets. On occasion, human physiology has been adapted to survive in differing atmospheres, and this ensures the side characters who enter the story are interesting and often unique. Space Service’s primary function is to police the huge gulfs of space between the human colonies, and to ensure that IncPlan’s law is followed to the letter, without question. The universe is safe under IncPlan’s rule, but nothing is ever as it seems.

When Nyra next meets Caspar, it is as his hostage. She comes to learn that he is far from the savage criminal IncPlan has drawn him to be. Caspar is a gentleman, a man of morals, fighting what he claims is the good fight against the injustices of the hierarchy. Nyra is intrigued by Caspar, but not convinced by his reason, and she’s willing to play along for now. However, when certain facts arise concerning IncPlan, and her family, Nyra’s beliefs and loyalties are shaken up. But where does her first duty lie? To the pursuit of truth? Or to the laws of her masters which she has sworn to enforce?

Although First Duty has depth and detail, Dasef ensures that her first duty is to entertainment, as this kind of science fiction demands. The plot and characters have their dilemmas and intricacies, but this tale never forgets to have fun. Dasef has created a universe here, a future for an ever-changing human race that’s just begging to be filled with more stories.

IAG Featured Writer

Barry Yelton Of Scarecrows and Scots

Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (September 26, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0595401856
ISBN-13: 978-0595401857

Buy it at Amazon.com

Barry Yelton’s story, Scarecrow in Gray, is a fictionalized account of his own great-grandfather’s service in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. We first meet Francis Yelton as he’s plowing his fields and thinking what a lucky guy he is: farm, good wife, two beautiful daughters. He knows the war is going on, but hasn’t felt any urge to join up. He’s not a slaveholder and doesn’t particularly agree with slavery, but he just wants to continue with the bucolic life he’s living.

However, war does impinge on his life. Local men have taken on the task of conscripting (drafting) any male of more or less the right age and physical condition. Francis doesn’t want to be thought a shirker, so he decides to enlist rather than be conscripted.

Francis goes off to sign up with his neighbor Whit. They end up spending their entire service together for the last few months of the war. By this time, the Confederate Army is almost a shambles, still fighting only through the stubbornness of the Generals. Robert E. Lee is worshipped by his men, but I have a very difficult time sympathizing with the leaders on either side of this war. Lee continued the war well past any decency, all for some mystical "honor." What is honorable about sending wounded and starving men against the well-fed and well-equipped Federals?

But this isn’t really a story about war, but about one man’s experience of it. Francis is an honorable man; that’s why he continues the fight. He feels regret at the killing and sympathy for even the dying Union man from whom he asks forgiveness. Francis knows full well that the scenes of war and his role in it will haunt him the rest of his life.

Mr. Yelton clearly wants to paint a sympathetic portrait of his great-grandfather. We can only hope that his positive portrayal of Francis was close to the truth. The fact that Francis did not join the Confederacy until late in the war shows he was a reluctant soldier. Mr. Yelton describes many incidents of Francis showing humanity and sympathy for both his fellow soldiers and even the blacks he’s fighting to keep enslaved. He shares food with a black man and is beaten up by some of his fellow soldiers for doing so. He asks a dying Union soldier to forgive him. It’s clear that Francis does not relish war or killing.

"Band of Brothers" is an apt description of the real reason why men fight in wars. Do they ever fight for their country? They might say so, but men go to war for very personal reasons. The man fighting next to them, their mothers and fathers back at home, their wives and children.

This is what Francis Yelton did and we can sympathize with him, no matter what we feel about a war waged to enslave another people.

Now, to the mechanics. Is the book well-written? Yes. I was very pleased with Mr. Yelton’s writing ability. He’s darned good. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Civil War lore. I’ll warn that some of the fighting scenes and the aftermath are fairly graphic, but no more than you might see in PG-13 movies. Descriptions are vivid and on-point. Just a note here about what that means. I’ve found more than one book that takes an extended break from anything having to do with the characters and storyline. This annoys me. I don’t want a multi-page gap in the story describing mountains or flowers. Stick to the point and you’ll keep me reading. Mr. Yelton puts in just the right amount of descriptive information to keep you in the scene.

Very well done. I'm glad I had a chance to read it.

Two New Reviews

Tales has received a couple of new reviews over the last week.

Womblin, an editor for the sadly-departed The Deepening, posted a review on her blog.
Womblin's World

Indeed, these tales are addictive. I challenge anyone to only read one without wanting to continue to the next. Overall, a lovely and valuable collection, I highly recommend it.

Ed Cox, author of Living Stone writes critiques for Sam's Dot Publishing. Read the entire review at Storyteller

All in all, there’s nothing to dislike about Tales of a Texas Boy. With the help of her father’s testaments, Dasef recreates the era with real clarity. She conjures the characters and landscape until you can hear that southern drawl, and taste the dust in your mouth. One day a scriptwriter will find this book, and discover that it lends itself just as entertainingly to a TV series.

Weirdly Gets Its First Review

The first review of the horror anthology Weirdly is on Cocktail Reviews.

Buy the ebook at Wild Child Publishing.

Being an egotistical writer, here's a quote from the review on one of my stories:

The Country Faire

Oh! Much delight with this one. Gritty, to the point, the voice in this story is punchy and spot on for the subject matter. MC has an unfortunate incident happen at the country faire. One that she insists on correcting year after year…

Payback is a bitch.

This tale got my evil side going. Yeah, now where’s my knife…?

Review written by White Russian of Cocktail Reviews.

Review - Archelaus Hosken's Dilemma

Archelaus Hosken's Dilemma
by F J Warren
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Exposure Publishing (June 18, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1846858194
ISBN-13: 978-1846858192

Archelaus Hosken's Dilemma is a quick read. It's also sweet, lovable, readable, and fun. It didn't take too long for me to feel I was reading Dickens, but a more entertaining Dickens. Sure don't want to put you off on that. F J Warren has a knack for the 19th Century style. Set in 1808, the story follows the intrepid Archie when he is both saved (from the noose) and condemned (to marriage) all within days. His Dilemma is how to handle a firebrand wife who controls his every move and (of course) the money. Leave her and he faces gaol if not hanging. Stay and he faces a harridan the rest of his life. As it turns out, his dilemma is solved but in a surprising way. No, I won't tell you because I'm sure you'll enjoy reading the book and finding out for yourself. I'm making it my reviewing policy to not award five stars to any books, so Warren's book gets my top rating of four stars. I'll knock off the one star for some typos, okay? There's certainly nothing wrong with the plot (darling), writing (workmanlike), or typography (nice wide gutter so you don't have to break the book's spine).

Review - Tonia of Trelawney

Tonia of Trelawney by Jacqueline C. Grant
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (December 20, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0595394175 ISBN-13: 978-0595394173

About the Book:
In the charming novel Tonia of Trelawney, two young girls set sail upon treacherous and pirate-infested seas to escape the tyranny of an angry slave master. Author Jacqueline C. Grant paints a vivid picture of life on a sugar plantation in seventeenth-century Jamaica.

In 1670, Tonia, a young slave girl, lives at the Trelawney Sugar Estate on the island of Jamaica. She thinks this is the only life she will ever lead until she forms an unlikely friendship with an English girl named Maggie, whose family recently moved to Jamaica.

For reasons unknown to Tonia, Master William, the plantation owner's nephew, hates her. She longs for nothing more than to buy her and her mother's freedom so they can flee from William's cruel authority. Tonia and Maggie devise a daring plan to leave Trelawney by disguising themselves as boys. By hiding in hogshead barrels being sent to the port for shipping, Tonia and Maggie escape from the plantation and set off on their journey to find the great pirate Henry Morgan and hire on as part of his crew.

Tonia of Trelawney tells the adventurous tale of two brave girls who become the most unlikely of buccaneers. Come along on their turbulent voyage as they learn the ways of the ocean and reach beyond the limits of their strength and courage.

About the Author:
Jamaican-born Jacqueline C. Grant holds a master’s degree in Latin American history and gender studies and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Caribbean history at the University of Miami. She called Trelawney Sugar Estate home for several years and now lives with her two children in Miami, Florida.

I just finished Tonia of Trelawney and my main complaint is that I wished the book was longer. Ms. Grant tempts us with a story about a time and place that most of us only know from Pirates of the Caribbean. What I read, I liked...a lot.

What I wanted was more. We get a glimpse into plantation life in Jamaica and the buccaneers inhabiting the area in the 17th Century. Darn it! More! I learned that the name 'buccaneer' comes from 'boucon' for the smoked meat the pirates took on their voyages. I learned some about sugar cane plantations.

I think Ms. Grant has a wealth of knowledge about the location and era and she could have doubled the size of this book giving us more details.

I was entertained and my interest piqued with the story of two girls adventuring with pirates to earn Tonia's life out of slavery. This is exciting stuff and very readable for girls and boys.

Add to it, Jacqueline! How about a sequel, following Tonia's and Maggie's lives after this adventure?

Reviews

My latest review comes from Prof. Stephen Holder, past Chair of English Language and Literature at Central Michigan University:

"I enjoyed reading Marva's book. American local color writing has always been a favorite genre, and she handles this very well. She creates characters colorfully and effectively. She was smart, I think, to avoid having the boy make any thematic conclusions on his own, and leave them for the reader to think about. The book is a very nice snapshot of one kind of life. I tell students that the chief reason for reading literature is to gain insight into the possibilities of the human experience, and that certainly would be true in this case. Overall, my compliments!"

My husband happens to be an old friend of Steve's and he wrote telling him I was pleased to get the kind words. Professor Holder responded:

"Glad I could make Marva's day, but it wasn't just polite praise: I really liked the book. I think in genre it is somewhere between what we call Regional Realism (e.g., Garland, Jewett, Harte, Kirkland, et al.) and Creative Nonfiction (e.g., E.B.White, Roger Angell, et al.)."

To be compared to Bret Harte is fabulous. Now, I'll have to look up the rest of those people and see who the heck they are. It's amazing how much I've forgotten about American literature since college. As you might know, I attended Bedrock U. with Fred Flintstone so most American Lit of the time was limited to some wall decor created by the Anasazi. I graduated Magma cum Lava, of course.