Rowena Dawn's Blog, page 3

SPOKES OF AN UNEVEN WHEEL - COLIN DODDS

About Spokes of an Uneven Wheel
Spokes of an Uneven Wheel is a compact, ambitious work of poetry, due out from Main Street Rag Publishing this July.       

When I read Colin’s work, one of his own lines comes to mind: “What persists / is glad amazement.” His work consistently delights with humor, inventiveness, a blessed dose of sarcasm and, yes, wisdom (despite his best intentions). We are all “born for that other thing,” and this is that other thing.
- Sharon Mesmer, author, Greetings from My Girlie Leisure Place


Spokes of an Uneven Wheel speaks for noses out of joint, joints out of town, and entire towns out of luck. And we are there too, among the overcast of characters. Like a singer songwriter who’s masterpiece depends on laryngitis and a guitar in the pawnshop, in total exile from easy street. But exile from is also exile to, where despite the bleak economics, overbooked disappointment calendars, and a landscape of scapegoats, we prevail together.
- Brendan Lorber, author, If this is paradise why are we still driving?

Colin Dodds is a writer. He grew up in Massachusetts and lived in California briefly, before finishing his education in New York City. Since then, he’s made his living as a journalist, editor, copywriter and video producer. His poems, short stories and essays have appeared in more than three hundred publications, been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net Anthology. He has also directed a short film and built a twelve-foot-high pyramid out of PVC pipe, plywood and zip ties. One time, he rode his bicycle a hundred miles in a day. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter. You can find more of his work at thecolindodds.com.

L'aurore de la Sagesse: POÈMES (French Edition) by Vatsala Radhakeesoon

L’aurore de la sagesse

Quand j’aurai vécu
des siècles
auprès de l’Infini
l’Absolu
la lumière parfaite
Chère Terre Mère, 
à l’aurore de la sagesse
dans les bras de ta tendresse
je renaîtrai
et un jour
de nouveau
j’écrirai des vers
à l’encre pensive
de l’éternité.


"Vatsala Radhakeesoon écrit avec tout son cœur, et nous transmet, par sa poésie, un peu de son aventure intérieure, comme elle nous l'explique très bien dans son texte d'introduction en énumérant sa recherche du bonheur, son émerveillement pour les beautés de la nature, et le fait qu'elle ait « exploré la spiritualité en lisant les textes sacrés de l'hindouisme tels que les Védas, l'Upanishad » en y trouvant son identité et un sens à sa vie." 
Bernard Perroy

Golden Skies (The New Order Trilogy) (Volume 1) by Juan Zapata

New Release - Payback Is a Bitch

He looked for payback. She looked for closure. Will they find out what they are looking for?
 
This short-story introduces the main character of a new crime series Josh Aldridge – PI. The story is a standalone, as the following novels will be as well. Meet Josh Aldridge, a former Saskatoon police officer, now turned PI in Toronto. Learn about his past and what makes him tick. 

PRE-ORDER IN ENGLISH

RELATIVE BONDS
BOOK THREE
​MCNAMARA SERIES
This crime novel will be released on June 21 2018


​McNamara’s on the hunt again. An apparent suicide leads the detective to a terrorist plot. What will he do when his lady’s life is on the line?
JAY'S SALVATION
BOOK THREE
THE WINSTONS SERIES
PRE-ORDER - RELEASE ON JULY 31st 2018

Jay was just looking for fun. What he got was losing his heart and peace of mind.
Jay is not a very good guy. He can read minds - even though not very well and not all the time. Yet, he uses his ability to play cards and win the pot. 
He plays once too many times. He loses his money and hardly escapes with his life and that only because he has a guardian angel. Now, he needs to decide if what he feels for his angel is love or gratitude.
​
PULLED IN
BOOK THREE
THE WINSTONS SERIES
PRE-ORDER: RELEASE ON AUGUST 31st 2018


​Nick wanted only to be left in peace so that he could forget of the ugliness of the outside world. Yet, his world is invaded and he finds himself in the position of the white knight. 
She wanted shelter but she can't trust another man.
Two strong people, caught in a tough situation - will they find a common ground?

PRE-ORDER IN ROMANIAN - MIROSUR ȘI UMBRE

LANSARE:  13 IUNIE 2018

Un ucigaș improbabil. Un detective încăpățânat. Dovezi înșelătoare. 
Nimic nu este ce pare a fi. O victimă decapitată duce la desoperirea unei povești sordide. Încă o nouă crimă și te pierzi în noianul de dovezi.
Urmărește investigația lui McNamara și a echipei sale în căutarea unui criminal îndrăzneț. 
Chiar dacă mulți cred că ucigașul ar trebui decorat, McNamara trebuie să urmeze litera legii. 
O poveste de dragoste timidă condimentează întunescimea crimelor.
Dacă îți place un roman polițist traditional, atunci aceasta este o carte pentru tine. Cumpăr-o și petrece o după-masă plăcută – sau poate două – cu o povestire interesantă.

NEW BOOK RELEASES - IN ROMANIAN

Lăcomie Înfrântă Piesă de teatru & Scenariu de film
Acțiunea are loc în timpul primului an de domnie a lui Mihnea cel Rău, urmaşul lui Radu cel Mare, voievod care a domnit între anii 1508-1510. 
Mihnea-Vodă, care are gânduri mărețe de îmbogăţire, vrea cu orice preţ averea boierilor Craioveşti pe care îi pizmuieşte amarnic pentru că sunt cei mai puternici şi bogaţi oameni din Ţara Românească. 
Ar vrea să-i ucidă, dar nu are nici un temei pentru a o face făţiş şi pentru a le lua averea şi, de altfel, se teme să o facă pe faţă pentru că poporul îi iubeşte prea mult şi pentru că au o putere politică şi militară destul de mare, mult mai mare decât a lui. Un Imigrant Cartea a doua din seria polițistă  MacKay - Detectiv Canadian  este un roman de sine stătător.
Victor se află pe urmele unor ucigași fără conștiință, dar ajunge să facă cunoștință cu lama unui pumnal. Va supraviețui oare?
Un Imigrant  este un roman polițist împletit cu suspans, întorsături de situație și surprize. Totul este asezonat cu urme de paranormal, dragoste și umor (uneori sec, alteori cinic...). Te va intriga și nu-l vei putea lăsa din mână.
Nu pierde șansa de a pătrunde într-o intrigă elaborată și de a întâlni personaje unice.
Oh, și să nu uităm - vei primi și un bonus la finalul romanului: rețeta pentru una dintre cele mai delicioase prăjituri românești. Ți se topește în gură, într-o explozie de nuanțe, Atenție: gustul este pe măsura caloriilor și este extrem de adictiv.
Trezirea Beckăi ​Becka dorea puterea si banii. In schimb, si-a pierdut inima. 

Becka este o vrajitoare si nu una foarte buna. Blestemata de catre strabunica ei, nu are nici cea mai mica idee cum sa scape de soarta ei. Cand isi varsa cafeaua pe un barbat strain, afla ca viata inseamna mai mult decat credea ea. Dar este ea pregatita pentru aceasta?

Trezirea Beckai este prima carte din seria Familiei Winston scrisa de Rowena Dawn. Daca iti place o poveste de dragoste cu paranormal, atunci iti va place si aceasta serie care prezinta personaje convingatoare. 

Cumpara astazi acest roman de dragoste cu paranormal,  plin de caldura senzuala! Dilema lui Matt După o experiență nefericită, Matt Winston, membru al unei familii cu abilități paranormale urmărite de un blestem, se implică doar în relații de dragoste de scurtă durată pentru că nu mai dorește să-și implice inima. Blestemul pus pe capul lui Matt are un termen limită, iar el mai are doar două luni să-l învingă și știe că nu mai are suficient timp. Decide să-și trăiască viața așa cum vrea și să uite de blesteme sau iubire. Dar viața i-o aruncă în cale pe Nora Barnes și schimbă absolut totul.
Dacă îți place un roman de dragoste cu o tentă de paranormal, cu personaje puternice și o mică doză de umor, atunci aceasta este cartea pentru tine. Familia Winston
​Cartea Întâi Dacă îți place o carte de dragoste cu o tentă de paranormal, cu personaje puternice și o mică doză de umor, atunci aceasta este cartea pentru tine. Cartea Întâi din Familia Winston vă oferă două romane de dragoste, Trezirea Beckăi & Dilema Lui Matt.
Becka dorea puterea și banii. În schimb, și-a pierdut inima. 
Becka este o vrăjitoare și nu una foarte bună. Blestemată de către străbunica ei, nu are nici cea mai mică idee cum să scape de soarta ei. Când își varsă cafeaua pe un bărbat străin, află că viața înseamnă mai mult decât credea ea. Dar este ea oare pregatită pentru aceasta?
După o experiență nefericită, Matt Winston, membru al unei familii cu abilități paranormale urmărite de un blestem, se implică doar în relații de dragoste de scurtă durată pentru că nu mai dorește să-și implice inima. Blestemul pus pe capul lui Matt are un termen limită, iar el mai are doar două luni să-l învingă și știe că nu mai are suficient timp. Decide să-și trăiască viața așa cum vrea și să uite de blesteme sau iubire. Dar viața i-o aruncă în cale pe Nora Barnes și schimbă absolut totul. Jumătatea Perfectă
Cartea Întâi Savurati aceste doua romane din seria Jumatatea Perfecta, ambele fiind despre iubire, aventura si conspiratii. In fiecare dintre ele, un barbat dur, de actiune, musca tarana (figurativ vorbind) si isi pierde inima. 
Daca va place un roman de suspans si de dragoste, atunci aceasta este cartea perfecta. Personaje puternice si suspans va asteapta sa va farmece dupa-mesele. Seria Jumatatea Perfecta va fi alcatuita din patru romane si veti intalni toate personajele masculine in primele doua romane, care se gasesc in Cartea Intai. 
Cu Dublu Tais, un roman despre iubire, aventura si a doua sansa, o urmareste pe Kate, proprietara unui mic magazine in cautarea iubirii si fericirii. In ciuda propriei judecati, impotriva dorintelor sale, ii permite prietenei sale sa o impinga in lumea matrimonialelor pe internet, unde intalneste pe cel mai enervant, straniu, si in acelasi timp, cel mai interesant barbat pe care l-a cunoscut vreodata. Dupa cateva luni de corespondenta, Kate devine implicata intr-o aventura globala alaturi de un barbat despre care nu stie foarte multe. 
Descoperiti aceasta poveste de iubire, prima din seria inspirationala si cu nunti Jumatatea Perfecta, care descrie relatii contemporane, iubire, aventura si conspiratii. 
Ochi In Intuneric prezinta doua personaje interesante, Diane si Adam.
Ea vrea sa-si gaseasca linistea, iar el cauta razbunarea. Amandoi obtin ce doresc, dar cu o surpriza. 
Diane este pictorita si a fost crescuta la oras. Mosteneste ferma matusii sale si se muta acolo pentru a se redescoperi pe sine insasi. Dar mai intai, descopera ca mostenirea vine cu anumite conditii si ca sunt oameni dornici sa ucida pentru a o obtine. 
Adam, fost soldat si mercenar, vrea sa razbune moartea fratelui sau. Diane reprezinta pentru el numai un mijloc de a-si atinge scopul – sau asa crede el. Cand lucrurile se inrautatesc, Adam descopera ca unii oameni pot sa ti se strecoare in suflet pentru totdeauna.

NEW BOOK RELEASES IN ENGLISH

​ MacKay - Canadian Detectives Series - Book One ​Canadian Detectives, part of the police force or private investigators, are in pursuit of truth and justice. They navigate the twists and ugliness of their cases and in the end, they get more than they bargained for – they also lose their hearts.
A Suitable Epitaph introduces the Canadian Lieutenant Leah Mackay and her team while solving the case of Klavdiya’s murder. 
Klavdiya dreamed of money and love. Her dreams died with her under a merciless rain. 
Leah, a Canadian detective with empathetic skills, and her team engage in a tedious race to find the culprit. 
Leah is able to read people's minds and sense their feelings and she makes good use of her skills. However, when she encounters Axel, her abilities are blocked and she doesn't know if she found her killer or merely a witness to the murder. 
If you like a detective story with compelling characters, then this is the book for you.
An Immigrant brings a private detective in the mist of the Canadian detectives. 
Victor is on the trail of soulless killers and ends up at the tip of a blade. Will he survive with his hide in one piece?
‘An Immigrant’ is a crime novel weaved with suspense, twists and turns, romance and dry humor now and then. It will intrigue and hook you. A touch of paranormal will sprinkle the story and raise the interest a notch.
Don’t miss your chance to delve into a convoluted intrigue and meet unique characters. 
Oh, and don’t forget – you will get a bonus at the end of the novel – the recipe for one of the most delicious Romanian cakes. It melts in your mouth, with an explosion of flavors. Disclaimer: the taste matches the calories and it is addictive.  
The Winstons - Book One ​If you like paranormal romance, then you'll love a series that features compelling characters. Rebecca Winston, angry with her husband’s betrayal and her daughter’s suicide, cursed the younger generations of the family. The curse has a deadline, and some people of the young generation feel that their time is almost up. 
Becka's Awakening is the first book in Rowena Dawn's The Winstons Series (hot and spiced with love). Becka wanted the power and the money. What she got was losing her heart. 
Becka is a witch and not a very good one. With her great-grandmother's curse hanging over her she has no idea how to escape her fate. When she suddenly spills her coffee on a stranger she finds out there's more to life than what she thought. But is she ready for what that means? This is a paranormal romance filled with sensuous heat.
Matt’s Dilemma – the second book in the series, features Matt Winston. A member of a family with paranormal abilities, he is a good and caring man. After a bad experience, he enjoys only brief affairs, unwilling to engage his heart. Yet, life doles its own brand of fun and changes everything when it throws Nora Barnes into his path. 
Matt, Rebecca’s oldest great-grandson, with only two months to spare, knows he is out of time. He can’t beat the curse. He decides to live his life exactly the way he wants and forget about curses and love. He doesn't believe in a special someone to spend his life with and who could help him lift the curse. 
In this second novel of the Winston series, Matt finds his peace of mind and happiness after a long battle with himself and others, and especially with the woman he loves. 
If you love a paranormal romance, with strong characters and a touch of humor, then this is the book for you.  
 
The Perfect Halves Series - Book One Enjoy two stand-alone novels gathered in one book Perfect Halves, both of them about love, adventure and conspiracies. In each of them, a tough guy hits the ground and surrenders his heart. 
If you like suspense and romance, then this is the book for you. Strong characters and suspense are waiting to fill in your afternoons. Perfect Halves will have four books and you will meet all male characters in the first novel, Double-Edged, and the second novel, Eyes in the Dark.
Double-Edged, a novel about love and adventure and second chances, joins Kate, a small, independent shop owner on her quest for romance and happily ever after. Against her better judgment, against her wishes, she allows her friend to push her into the world of online dating, where she encounters the most infuriating, stranger, and yet most interesting man, she has ever come across. Over several intense months of correspondence, Kate becomes embroiled in a global adventure with a man she knows either too little or too much about and discovers the truth behind the old saying, 'What the heart wants, the heart gets.' Or was that how it went? If not, maybe it should be changed. Discover this sun-drenched romance, the first in the inspirational and wedding series Perfect Halves, which depicts contemporary relationships, love, adventure and conspiracies.
As a customer said: "Interesting romance. Plot develops nicely and actually held my attention unlike some recent romance out there. The story itself has something for more than just one age-group. Good for a wide audience. Female lead is amusing and plays along nicely with the rest of the cast. Fun, quite short book for some distraction."
Eyes in the Dark features two interesting characters, Diane and Adam.
She looks for peace of mind. He looks for revenge. They both get what they want but with a twist.
Diane's an artist and a city girl. She inherits her aunt's ranch house and land and moves there in a journey to rediscover herself. But first, she discovers her inheritance comes with strings attached and people are willing to kill over it. 
Adam, former soldier and mercenary, wants to avenge his brother's death. Diane is his only means to achieve his purpose. Or that's what he thinks. When things get bad - and they do, Adam finds out that some people just sneak into one's soul and haunt them for eternity.


​

BOOK REVIEW – BLACK AND WHITE BY BEN BURGESS JR.

BOOK REVIEW
BLACK AND WHITE BY BEN BURGESS JR. I love it whenever I choose a book to read with some reluctance and I find myself so engrossed in the reading that I can’t put the book down (even if I have a lot of other things to do). This is one of those books. It surprised me from the beginning and kept my attention to the end. A real page turner, I must confess.

The author turned a controversial subject into something more than one would expect. Yes, it is a thriller, and yes, I can say that there is some romance (maybe more than some) but the subject and narrative goes beyond that.

Whenever I am stressed I stay away from books with serious subjects – what’s the point in getting more stressed? Well, don’t worry. Even if you’re stressed, you’ll forget everything about your problems while reading this book.

I cannot say I had a favorite character. I liked both male leading characters – Ben and Bill, and both leading female characters – Ebony and Rebecca. All of them are strong, and yet, each one of them has their quirks and fears, which make them more realistic. I felt a stronger connection with Ben, probably because he was the strongest of all of them. Becky and Ebony disappointed me with their actions in a certain moment, but that didn’t deflect from their likability. We are human, so we are feeble.  

My least favorite character was Gabby – she is the typical woman who doesn’t care for someone until someone else will have them. I always disliked such people and I disliked her. She has her role in the story though and not only in relation with Ben.

I think that Ebony had the most personal growth but I will not get into details – spoiler alert. However, Billy had the worst possible choice: his professional career or the possibility of looking at himself in the mirror without being ashamed with himself. I wouldn’t have liked to have been in his shoes. It’s easy to say you’d have made the honest choice as long as you don’t have to do it.

At the beginning, I had a problem with the point of view. Each chapter presented the story as told in the first person by a character. At the time, I thought it would be very confusing. Yet, after the first three chapters, I realized that the point of view was extremely important. The story was stronger and had more impact exactly because it was narrated like that.
This story showed me what I knew – people are very narrow-minded. It always angers me and it angered me during the reading as well. Yet, I liked the balance in the author’s perception: nothing is white or black. There’s ugliness on both sides. Prejudices don’t belong to one race or one community (unfortunately – they are global).

I consider this is a book worth reading. The writing style is very good. The author doesn’t try to impress anyone. He just tells his story, from various points of view and gives the reader the possibility to choose, think and draw his/her conclusions. The narrative is clear, the characters are well defined, rounded, with a clear evolution. I do see this book made into a movie – it’s got everything: reality, crime, love, social situations etc.
​
I highly recommend this book. Believe me, there are a lot of good authors – their writing is flawless, the story is well written and interesting and the characters are likable. Yet, there are few authors that go beyond that. Ben Burgess Jr. is one of them.
 
 

AN IMMIGRANT - ROXANA NASTASE

RELEASED ON JANUARY 9, 2018 Victor is on the trail of soulless killers and ends up at the tip of a blade. Will he survive with his hide in one piece?
‘An Immigrant’ is a crime novel weaved with suspense, twists and turns, romance and dry humor now and then. It will intrigue and hook you. A touch of paranormal will sprinkle the story and raise the interest a notch.
Don’t miss your chance to delve into a convoluted intrigue and meet unique characters. 
Oh, and don’t forget – you will get a bonus at the end of the novel – the recipe for one of the most delicious Romanian cakes. It melts in your mouth, with an explosion of flavors. Disclaimer: the taste matches the calories and it is addictive. 
​

This is a crime novel, with some paranormal elements, humor and a shy romance blooming in spite of the gloomy events.
It is also a brief insight into the life of an immigrant and its tribulations.

EXCERPTS ‘Bad move, Victor boy,’ Victor thought, glancing around him with his blue, sharp eyes, searching the surrounding shadows.
Unease whirled inside his chest, and he rubbed his fingers unconsciously. He was itching for a cigarette, and in a bad way. He had decided to quit, but his resolve was challenged once more. His job didn’t make quitting easy.
He had a bad feeling. It had been bothering him since he accepted the rendezvous with the so-called informant in the Music Garden. His eyes swept the grove again.
 

...

‘How much should I reveal?’ he mused, unsure of what he should do.
“Everything, Victor,” Axel observed quietly.
Victor’s eyes snapped at him, the dark blue stormy now.
“You do read my mind,” he accused. “And she does too,” he pointed to Leah in a huff.
Unconcerned with Victor’s anger, Axel just shrugged, “I thought we had already established that last night.”
“Then why bother to ask me questions?” Victor replied, and his voice shook in anger.
 
...

“Now, kneel there,” the carrot man barked pointing with the gun to the floor. “And put your hands behind your head,” he thought to add.
Victor shook his head in refusal, and the man scowled.
“Why would I comply?” Victor asked. “You will kill me anyway, so there’s nothing for me in obeying your orders,” he shrugged.
“But I can shoot you just enough to keep you alive for a while,” the man growled.
“So what?” Victor retorted.
“So it will be more painful for you while you wait for the death to come,” the carrot man pointed out.
“Considering that I will die soon enough, pain doesn’t bother me. It’s inconsequential,” Victor replied with indifference, and that made the other man grit his teeth.
“I will shoot you in the belly. That would be a long and painful death. Now, kneel,” he bellowed.
“Not necessarily,” Victor contradicted him, always in a calm voice, meant to grate on the other one’s nerves.
“What?” the shooter shouted, enraged with Victor’s continuous refusal to obey his orders.
“I was just saying that shooting me in the belly doesn’t necessarily mean that I will have a long and painful death,” Victor explained patiently. “It depends where the bullet travels, you know. And that’s not something you can plan beforehand. I might just well instantly die,” he pointed out.
“Are you out of your mind?” the man shouted again, in bewilderment.
“No,” Victor shook his head. “I’m very sane. But I also know what a bullet can do. In theory, I mean. I haven’t had such an experience yet. That you want me to suffer doesn’t automatically mean that I will,” he shrugged again, yet always surveying the man attentively.
He could swear that his attacker was very close to blowing his gasket. His face had contorted and his eyes had turned wild.
Victor didn’t know whether he had a chance to get out of that situation alive, but he hoped either to drive the man so mad that he would attack him physically, forgetting about the gun, or that he would gain enough time for Axel to arrive and help. He was confident he had already let Leah know about what was going on.
“You are a wacko,” the man said and raised the hand with the pistol. “I think I’d better shoot you now and wait for the woman afterward. I might have some fun with her first, before killing her, I mean,” he smirked and Victor saw red.
The man released the safety trigger and decocked the pistol. He stretched his arm, his mien cold and indifferent now.  His index started to press the trigger.
Victor resigned himself. He would probably die in the next second. He was aware that even if he had attacked the man, he wouldn’t have had time to get to him before the bullet had sawed him down. Yet, he knew he had to try, so he sprung forward, dropping the cell phone to the floor.
 

...


​After she had finished patching him again, she decided to make some coffee and didn’t want to listen to any of his arguments.
‘As if she wanted me to be wide awake so I could enjoy my aches better,’ he reflected with resentment, and his lips turned into a scowl.
…
When her gaze fell on the glass with whiskey, she scowled and stomped to him. She snatched the glass out of his hand exactly when he tried to sip some more, and the whiskey sloshed out of the glass and splashed him in the process.
“What the heck?” he exclaimed, livid, wiping his face off.
His eyes widened and an ugly glower set on his face. He couldn’t believe she had had the audacity to snatch the tumbler from him.
“You don’t drink alcohol in such a situation, you fool. You’ve just taken an antibiotic and a painkiller. I didn’t push the matter to have you go to the hospital, but that doesn’t mean I will stand aside and let you kill yourself,” she replied angrily, and poured the whiskey in the flower pot on the windowsill.
“That’s plastic,” he observed dryly. “The plant,” he clarified when she looked at him with bewilderment.
…
Victor might want to have his head.
Victor glowered at Liliana some more, then turned to the detectives.
“So what now?” he asked.
Then, to their amazement, he started out of the door. With no connection to what he had just said, he threw over his shoulder, “Let’s go out onto the patio. There isn’t enough space for all of us in here.”
In a couple of seconds, he had left the room and the detectives still looked after him, stunned by his behavior.
Liliana sighed and sauntered to the desk to put the cups back on the tray and take them outside to the patio. 


ANY QUESTIONS!
ANY CURIOSITY?
​JUST ASK!