Fiona Ingram's Blog, page 16

TV Series review: Sherwood

 

I was initially put off watching Sherwood because I read a couple of iffy reviews. However, upon looking at the cast list, I decided to give it a go. It was well worth it but perhaps not for the reasons the producers would have wanted. Let’s start with the cast. You can’t go wrong with a stellar cast that includes David Morrissey, Robert Glenister, the ever-watchable Lesley Manville, Joanne Froggatt, Claire Rushbrook, Claire Holman, Philip Jackson (was there ever a better Inspector Japp?), the ever-lovely Lindsay Duncan, Kevin Doyle, Alun Armstrong, Adeel Akhtar, and many other familiar faces. Their performances were so true to life, as one would expect from these acting stalwarts.

The plot (inspired by true events) was something else. Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, a forest, one almost expects Robin Hood to appear. He does not but a bow-wielding killer does and someone with links to the past, the old miners’ strike of the 80s, is murdered in the wee hours. Said bowman then proceeds to terrorise a few people who seemingly don’t have any links to each other, or do they? It doesn’t take long for the police to get a DNA sample and the identity of the killer, which fractures a community already riven by old grievances over the scab labour and the ensuing police and miners battle in the past. Information comes to the surface about a police informant planted in the village to foment trouble who never left but stayed and created a new life for themselves. Are the killings related to someone searching for the identity of this person, who caused a lot of trouble. Ultimately the killer’s real motive was rather weak, not related to this dark secret, and left the ending quite flat.

However, the strength and utter beauty, if one can call it that, lies in the performances and the character portrayals. These are so riveting that you sit on the edge of your seat, you cry with them, bite your nails with them, and wonder how their story will end. I have to mention Adeel Akhtar who most superbly plays Andy Fisher, a train driver and train enthusiast. He had lost his wife to suicide, and his only son just got married. In a terrible moment of anger and despair, he kills his sharp-tongued new daughter-in-law by accident, and from that moment on his tragic life unravels at an alarming rate. Adeel deserves an award for his rendition of Andy, a man ripped apart by grief, guilt, shame, and anguish. He had me in tears! I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed as you watch this superb performance.

Performance value is high, as one would expect from a BBC production. There is nothing skimpy about any aspect. Audiences of a certain age will remember the Thatcher years and how the unions were dealt with. For those new to this part of history, the flashbacks are well done and incorporate actual news footage. Looking back on it now, a 21st century audience might wonder what all the fuss was about, and people could work if they wanted to. But it was not so simple back then. The series lays out the drama of those times very well and the fractured relationships people had in this little ‘once a mining village.’ This element also gives impetus to the healing that can come after a tragedy if people are willing to take a step towards reconciliation. In that respect, the plot threads come together, making this an eminently watchable series. I will certainly be on the lookout for season 2. Don’t miss this one.

 

Book Spotlight: Erica Rosen MD Trilogy by Deven Greene

 

 

Book 1 Unnatural: Dr. Erica Rosen is perplexed when she sees a young Chinese girl with blue eyes in her San Francisco pediatrics clinic. The girl’s mother, Ting, is secretive, and Erica suspects she has entered the country illegally. Later, Erica encounters Ting’s son and discovers he has an unusual mutation. Erica learns that Ting’s children underwent embryonic stem cell gene editing as part of a secret Chinese government-run program.

 Book 2 Unwitting: Dr. Erica Rosen’s world is turned upside down after a suicide bomber explodes amidst a large crowd entering Oracle Park baseball stadium, near her San Francisco home. Many are killed or injured, and police have no leads in solving the case. Erica becomes involved after a teacher of young autistic men contacts her. The teacher believes her students are involved in the bombing but is afraid to contact law enforcement. She reaches out to Erica, who has experience with special needs children. 

Book 3 Unforeseen: Pediatrician Erica Rosen is stymied when two of her patients don’t respond to medicine as expected. When other patients later develop strange, unexpected illnesses, she is determined to get to the bottom of it. Meanwhile, the department’s newest pediatrician, Dr. Nilsen, appears to be trying to steal her patients. Erica suspects he is after her job as the clinic director. She also discovers Dr. Nilsen has become romantically involved with her trusted assistant, Martha. One evening, while looking for patient information on Martha’s desk, Erica comes across a list with the names of some of her patients. A boy who recently became ill with a mysterious malady is on the list and has an asterisk by his name. What does that mean?

 

Fiction writer Deven Greenelives in the San Francisco Bay area. Ever since childhood, Deven has been interested in science.  After receiving a doctorate in biochemistry, she went to medical school and trained as a pathologist. She worked for several decades in that field before starting to write fiction. Deven incorporates elements of medicine or science in most of her writing. She has published several short stories. Her debut novel, Unnatural, is the first book of the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy, and was released in January 2021. Unwitting, released in October 2021, is the second Erica Rosen MD novel. Unforeseenis the final book in the Trilogy. Visit her website at www.devengreene.comor connect with her on Twitterand Instagram.

 

 

Book Review: The Atlantean Horse by Cheryl Carpinello

 
One Epic Task   The Task: Retrieve the Five Feathers of the Phoenix to raise Atlantis so its people can return home. The Chosen: Cousins Rosa & Jerome embark upon a perilous and personal quest to retrieve the first Feather. Rosa’s special gift, kept far in the Past, will be revealed, and Jerome will discover his. The Opponents: The Four Deadly Horsemen of the Apocalypse will stop at nothing, not even murder, to possess the Feathers.   Join Rosa & Jerome as they risk all in their search for the First Feather!  

 

My review of The Atlantean Horse: I’m a huge fan of anything to do with Atlantis. Just say the word and I’m there. Having read the start of Rosa’s adventures in Sons of the Sphinx, I was also keen to see where her gift had taken her. I was not disappointed. Author Cheryl Carpinello sets the scene right away with a mysterious, yet familiar stranger who appears to tell Rosa she is needed again. This is a special and possibly perilous mission that just happens to coincide with Rosa and her cousin Jerome’s family visit to a small, out of the way (can you even find it on the map?) island called Kalymnos in the Mediterranean, near Greece. From the moment they arrive and their mission is revealed – to find the first of the Five Feathers of the Phoenix – danger and a deadly enemy stalk them. I won’t give too much away but suffice to say there is enough action, adventure, intrigue, mystery, history, mythology, and legends to please young (and young at heart readers) who find the ancient world and its stories fascinating. The story arc is complete but refers to the next adventure in store. After all, there are five feathers so one down, four more to go!

Cheryl Carpinello does not dumb down the writing for middle grade and young adult readers, and parents (who might also enjoy dipping into the book) will appreciate a high level of complexity and vocabulary to keep readers on their toes and learning new words as they embark on this adventure with Rosa and Jerome. There is enough fresh information to delight readers who already enjoy history and mythology and to encourage readers new to the series to read further. The author refers to Rosa’s previous adventure a few times so, to put everything into context, I’d recommend reading Sons of the Sphinx as well to catch up on Rosa’s gift. The book includes end notes on mythology, Atlantis, biblical lore, and the actual islands of Kalymnos and Telendos mentioned. This book would be a great addition to any history class to encourage young readers to enjoy reading more about the past and learning from it.

 

 

  About the Author: I'm a lover of mythology, myths, legends, and tales from the ancient/medieval worlds. I enjoy exploring how these have transcended time/space to influence our world today. Myths and legends don't fade away; they are just repackaged for a new audience. As a high school English teacher, I continually challenged my students to find connections between today and times long gone by. Some took more digging than others, but the connections were always there. One of my favorites, Star Wars, borrows several concepts from the Legend of King Arthur. The Star Trek series goes even further back into the mythology of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt as well as others. I write Arthurian Legend for young readers and teens (I never refuse to let mature readers enjoy my stories!). These stories exhibit what I consider to be cornerstones of that Legend: Courage, Honor, Loyalty, and Friendship. My tales from Egypt and my new series Feathers of the Phoenix meld the ancient/medieval worlds with today. The Atlantean Horse (Book 1 of Feathers of the Phoenix) also brings the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse out of the Bibleand into the modern world. They and my main characters are after the feathers of the Phoenix in order to bring Atlantis alive again. P.S. I believe in magic and Unicorns!!

Website Link:  https://www.cherylcarpinello.com

Blog Link: http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com/

Twitter Link:  https://twitter.com/ccarpinello

Facebook Link:  https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.carpinello1

Goodreads Link:     https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2924554.Cheryl_Carpinello

Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/ccarpine1/

 

Guest Post: The Importance of Finding a Writing Community by Amy S. Cutler

When Annabelle flees her abusive husband and moves into an 1860s farmhouse, she soon learns that she is not alone; she shares her home with Christian, the ghost of a poet who killed himself in 1917. Christian, wanting nothing but solitude, tries to scare Annabelle away, but once they come together while she is dreaming, they fall in love. The clock is ticking for Christian. Moments after his hanging, his fiancée magically cursed his spirit to be stuck on earth for one hundred years, and his time is almost up. With Annabelle's ex threatening her and the spirit she has fallen in love with on the verge of disappearing, Annabelle becomes obsessed with staying with Christian, and will do anything to be with him. Being in love with a ghost is bad enough, but for Annabelle, discovering that her true love will be crossing over at any moment pushes her over the edge of reckless behavior.

 

 The Importance of Finding a Writing Community

To be honest, part of the pull of being a writer was the aloneness of it. Writing is not a group activity, and therefore it fits my persona pretty well. Of course, I am not a full-time writer. I work with the public for many months of the year, which is probably why I daydream about being alone with my thoughts, computer, and nature.

It wasn’t until I went to graduate school for my MFA in creative writing that I learned the importance of having a writing community. For the first time ever, I felt like I had found my people. Total strangers, many of us were introverts, some of us not, but we had one major thing in common: we all saw the world a little bit differently, and we all wanted to write about it.

After I graduated, I was lucky enough to be invited by a writer that had graduated a semester before me to join a speculative fiction writing group. We meet virtually, and not only is each member an excellent writer, but they are kind and constructive, as well. They keep me writing during times where I may have paused. Even a well-timed writing prompt can pull one out of their thoughts and get words on a page. I do not know how the world sees me, which role I fill to the people around me. But to this group of people, I am a writer. They push me to be better, and for that I am eternally grateful.

I cannot stress enough how much finding a writing community has helped me. Just being with and talking to other writers gets ideas flowing. Feedback on a work in progress can be invaluable. More than that, talking to other writers gives you insight as to what is out there that you may not know about, what anthologies or journals are opening for submission, what are the big contest winners doing to be noticed. Craft talks, book clubs, writing nights – they are all imperative so that we can keep each other moving forward. I have never felt in competition with any writer that I know, and I am always so happy and proud when someone I know is published.

While I used to think that writers were separate from one another, I now know that the opposite is also true. Writers need to bond together, for that is how we get better, and these are the people we celebrate the wins with. Living behind a computer screen or inside a notebook was great, but once I learned that it was safe to peek out and interact, I learned that I was not alone. I am part of a large community of amazing and talented people, and I am proud to call a few of those people my friends.

About the Author: Amy S Cutler, author of A Shadow of Love earned her master’s degree in Creative Writing from Goddard College. Most recently she was published in Slut Vomit: An Anthology of Sex Work and featured in the Tales to Terrify Podcast, among others. Her writing focus is suspense, horror, science fiction, and ghost stories. She can be contacted through AmysHippieHut.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

Guest Post: Mother-Daughter Relationships; It's Tricky! by Catherine Forster

In the 1960s, a relentless school bully makes Catherine’s life a living hell. She retreats inward, relying on a rich fantasy life––swinging through the jungle wrapped in Tarzan’s protective arms––and fervent prayers to a God she does not trust. She fasts until she feels faint, she ties a rough rope around her waist as penance, hoping God will see her worthy of His help. As the second of eight children, Catherine is Mommy’s little helper, and like Mommy, Catherine is overwhelmed. The bullying and the adult responsibilities together foment her anger. She starts smacking her siblings and becomes her younger sister’s nemesis. Spooked by who she is becoming, Catherine vows to escape for real, before she hurts someone—or herself. Catherine finds salvation in a high school exchange program: new town, new school, new family, new persona. A passport celebrity. In New Zealand, nobody knows her history or her fears. Except for her Kiwi “mum,” who sees through Catherine’s façade and pulls her out from her inner safe house. Exposed, her sense of self implodes. Catherine must finally rethink who she is.

 

Mother-Daughter Relationships, It’s Tricky!

Ah, mothers and daughters. It’s complicated. We are attached through an umbilical cord and something much stronger once that cord is cut: the push and pull of emotional connection, sometimes bouncing back and forth at the high speed of a ping pong ball in competitive play, and at other times detached, as if the ball was wacked right out into outer space. We mirror our mothers when we are young, trying to be like them, thinking that is what a woman, a mother, a wife should be. But we are not them. Tension, separation, misunderstandings, dislike, even hate vacillates under the surface when daughters seek to become who they are meant to be, and mothers hold ever tighter, fearing the loss of their child. It is a different kind of separation than with mothers and sons––a decoupling that is expected.

I am the second of eight children and the eldest daughter. I was Mommy’s little helper by the age of four, and an expert diaper changer by the time I turned six. Two years later, I no longer appreciated the title, as I had become my mother’s go-to housekeeper and babysitter. Probably she thought I was a good helper, but I felt used. Those early years marked the beginning of our discord, a never-overt conflict. As I began writing ChasingTarzan, I had no idea that my relationship with my mother would become central to the story, or that I would go on to explore two mother-daughter relationships: one with the mother who raised me, the other with a surrogate mother who saved me.

My own mother depended on me, yet she wasn’t there for me. She didn’t do what I wanted her to do. She didn’t release me from my duties so that I could go out and play, nor did she intervene to protect me from the bullies I faced both at school and at home (a cruel school bully and my sadistic older brother). There were many who let me down, but it was my mother who I blamed. She was the one who sent me off to school every day, year after year, promising that if I ignored my tormentors, they would get bored and leave me alone. They did not. Without recourse for my pain, anger welled up inside me and I turned it on my mother, refusing to let her get close to me. I did this purposefully––making her pay––but I didn't fully comprehend why at the time.

I turned on my siblings, too. Being bullied is supposed to build character, or so I was told––but I didn’t like the character I was becoming. Not even Tarzan, my imaginary friend and confidant, could rescue me from myself. I had to escape, and I did, becoming an exchange student to New Zealand, seven thousand miles away. A new beginning for me; no one knew my fears, my foibles, or my history, but by this time, I had completely shut down.

My New Zealand host mother was a different kind of mother. She was strong, assertive and a bit of a sleuth; she saw through my aloofness and did not stand for it. By gradually eroding my defenses, she helped me look beyond my own fears and trust people, including my own mother. For the first time, I saw my mother in all her complexities and limitations, some of which she had no control over. I learned that she did her best, which is all any of us can do. I learned I loved her more than I knew. I learned that her love was important to me, that I didn’t want to be her, would never be her, and that that didn’t matter. It was no longer scary that we would always be bound together in many ways.

Chasing Tarzan is about the ripple effects of bullying, how it shapes who we become, and impacts our closest relationships. I invite my readers to grasp a vine and fly through the jungle, drop to the ground and advance forward beyond the baobab trees, advancing through the clearing, finding their way home, as I did.

 

About the Author: Catherine Forster is an artist, filmmaker, and writer living in the Pacific Northwest … at the moment. Her work and love of travel have led her to six continents, including Sub-Saharan African, the source of her childhood fantasies. She still holds a fondness for Tarzan, but when trekking in the bush, hiking mountain trails, or exploring a new city, she prefers the company of her beloved husband Kevin.

 

Guest Post: The Inspiration Behind The Rescue by Sher J. Stultz

 

 

It all starts when the sheets go slack, and Aeneas vanishes! He and his two best friends, C.J. and Tabitha are spellbound as they watch the video feed of his disappearance and witness him climbing through his bedroom window an hour later, wearing different socks. Aeneas Entwistle, a slightly above average eighth grader is about to discover that the mystery of waking up with different socks is much more than just a prank.

 Adding to that dilemma, Aeneas is struggling with new feelings for Tabitha and loses his cool during her birthday party. Meanwhile, Aeneas’s twenty-something daughter, Cassie has traveled thirty-eight years from the future hoping to find any small detail that might help locate her missing father. Enlisting Harold, the Entwistle’s quirky housekeeper, Cassie works to rescue a middle-aged Aeneas, who vanishes into the timestream when a 7.2 earthquake strikes northwest Washington in May of 2053. But Cassie’s presence in the past might have unforeseen consequences for everyone in her circle. As she struggles to find her father, a carefully guarded family secret is revealed, and Cassie must choose between altering the past or violating the shamanic rules of time travel!

 

The Inspiration Behind The Rescue

by Sher J. Stultz

I started writing this book for my 6th graders at Illahee Middle School in the fall of 2015. The school is in Federal Way, Washington, a community in southern King County known as melting pot of cultures. I developed biracial characters like Aeneas, C.J., and Sheila because many of my students were from families consisting of one or more cultures or races. Biracial people are not always reflected in fictional stories, and I wanted to showcase them in this series for my students to see people like themselves. 

The time travel piece evolved from my keen interest in Earth science and the uncertainty I felt living in the valley of a potentially destructive volcano (Mount Rainier). Being a proactive Hurricane Katrina survivor, I signed for up earthquake alerts from U.S.G.S and started checking the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network where I was stunned by the number of small earthquakes occurring each day along the Puget Sound and the coastlines of Oregon and British Columbia. I started wondering if the space-time continuum could be opened by the energy generated from an earthquake, could individuals whose genetic markers allowed them to withstand the timestream travel along their timelines? 

Meanwhile the three middle schoolers Aeneas, Tabitha and C.J. were percolating in my imagination and they needed families, friends, siblings, favorite things, and a mission, like solving a time travel mystery. After that, the story took on a life of its own. The Willoughbys, Entwistles and Harold Torkleson became my other family, following me around all day waiting for more of their story to take shape, but I had dilemma. I wasn’t sure where they should all live.

I stumbled on West Seattle by chance, never having ever made any plans to visit the area, but I was looking for a new doctor and happened to find one I thought would be a good fit. However, the office was in West Seattle an hour from my home. Eventually I decided the distance was irrelevant and gave it a go. 

One morning after an appointment, I explored the area near PCC Market, discovering The Swinery, Freshy's, The Admiral Bird Cafe and Hiawatha Playfield. Delighted at the unique small businesses in the area, I continued my explorations each time I visited. The people I encountered during my trips reminded me of the small coastal town where I grew up and I instantly fell head over heels in love with the place. Sometimes a place can make a story. Other times a story can make a place. And then occasionally, the right story and the right place come together in perfect synergy. That was the beginning of The Timestream Travelers series.

 

  

Sher Stultz lives with her family in the Puyallup river valley. The Timestream Travelers Chronicles is her debut series. Her inspiration for this series came from teaching middle school science and her deep curiosity with genetics and time travel. As a science teacher for seventeen years, she is always delighted to bump into former students and learn about the new adventures in their lives. In her spare time, she kayaks, dances, practices yoga, and goes camping or hiking. In the summertime Sher grows pollinator gardens for bees and hummingbirds, attends outdoor concerts, and reads in her hammock. An ardent conversationalist, Sher enjoys many genres of books and music and will happily converse with anyone on a variety of topics! Her first novel, The Rescuehas been warmly received, garnering an indie B.R.A.G. Medallion, a Bookfest gold medal, and was cited as Pacific Book Awards Finalist. Book two in the Timestream series is slated for release in early 2023.

Website: https://www.timestreamtravelerchronicles.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timestreamtraveler/

 

Guest Post: The Lingering Ghosts of Our Childhood Homes by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

While passing through her hometown a decade after she left, Amber Blake impulsively revisits her old house on Linden Way. She only means to stay a moment, to show her three-year-old daughter Bee the place where she grew up. But when the kindly new owners invite them inside, Amber cannot resist. Soon Bee is missing, the owners have disappeared, and Amber finds herself in a houseful of ghosts. Time takes on new meaning as she loses herself in living memories and a past that does not wish to be forgotten. As Amber fights the powerful lure of a childhood she’d long left behind, her tenuous hold on the real world slips further from her grasp. Is it merely nostalgia she’s battling, or something far more menacing? Who haunts the house on Linden Way, and where are they hiding her child? 

The Lingering Ghosts of Our Childhood Homes

 My childhood home wasn’t mine for long. If a house has memories, I am the ghost of one—there and gone, like smoke. But my own memories are like ghosts themselves, the kind that linger, the kind that follow you in and out of dreams. We lived in that one-story red-brick home from the time I was nine until I was thirteen. That’s it—five years, and yet they seem to encompass my whole childhood. Bookending those years were stretches of poverty—subsidized housing, postage stamp apartments—as my mother, a Panamanian emigrant, struggled to support her children on a waitress’s income. It was her brief second marriage that lifted us temporarily into the middle class, where we were able to afford our own home, on a street called Linden Way. That home, with its basement bedrooms and red shag carpet, is clearer to me than any of the places I lived in during my teens or twenties. If I close my eyes and really try, I can remember them, but they mean nothing—they were simply places, walls and carpet, kitchens and bedrooms, a balcony or maybe a porch. Until I purchased the house where I would raise my children, decades later, the house on Linden Way was the only place I’d ever considered a home.

 I remember slumber parties in the basement, digging for worms in the backyard, lying on my bed and listening to records for entire afternoons. I remember my stepdad splitting wood for the fireplace, my brother playing his guitar in the room next to mine, my best friend tapping on my window and slipping through in the middle of the night. But I have no memory of leaving. My last memory is of my stepdad sitting at the kitchen table explaining to me that he was moving out. The next thing I remember is living with my mother in a two-bedroom second-floor apartment a few streets over. It was fine, I was fine. I could still walk to my best friend’s house in eight minutes flat, I could still hang out at the elementary school in the evenings, swinging or playing on the bars. I could also walk by my old house. The one that no longer belonged to me. And when I turned sixteen, after my mom and I moved to a rental on the other side of town, I could drive back to the house on Linden Way. Park across the street and just sit awhile. Eventually I moved away from my hometown, and in the thirty years since I’ve returned only once, when my daughter was three. I stopped by the house. I asked the owner to take a picture of my daughter and me standing in front of it.

 Many years later this moment would become the opening scene of a book, one where childhood homes have unworldly power and memories are living things. In the pages of this book, I wrote tributes to the house on Linden Way, a place that I would go back to if I could, but only for a little while. I wrote tributes to the basement bedrooms and red shag carpet, to the marvel and myth of memory, to the lingering ghosts of our childhood homes.

 

About the Author

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the award-winning author of The Fourth Wall (WiDo Publishing, 2014). Her short fiction and creative nonfiction have been published in Brevity Magazine, Superstition Review, Fractured Lit, The Portland Review, Hunger Mountain, Hospital Drive, Reservoir Road, Literary Mama, Motherwell, and a few other places. Her stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essay, and Best of the Net. All links to Elizabeth's work can be found on her website at elizabethmarianaranjo.com.

Book Spotlight: Flock by Tom Roy

 

 

Tom Roy shares his wisdom and knowledge and shows how transformational leadership can change everything. He gives easy to follow examples and lessons and reminds us all of what matters most when we are leading. He follows the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and reminds us that we cannot go wrong if we follow the Kingdom principles from the Bible that have changed the world. Read this book! It will encourage you and help you to be a better leader!

 
About the Author  

Longtime baseball coach Tom Roy served as the assistant coach for & team chaplain for Grace College’s baseball team in 2019. Roy has worked with the Lancers in three different decades. He was the Lancers' head baseball coach from 1980-83. He led Grace to two winning seasons in 1981 and 1982. He was also the squad’s pitching coach from 1970-73 and graduated from Grace with a Bachelor’s degree in 1974. Roy has spent close to 15 years as an associate scout for Major League Baseball. He was an associate scout for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1976-79 and was an associate international scout for the Atlanta Braves from 1993-99 and for the San Diego Padres from 2000-05. Roy also served as the varsity baseball coach at Tippecanoe Valley HS from 1974-76 and was the pitching coach at Huntington College from 1987-89.

 

He has visited over 65 different countries teaching and coaching the game of baseball. He is the former president and founder of Unlimited Potential, Inc and started SHEPHERD COACH NETWORK in 2019. He played briefly in the San Francisco Giants organization before starting his career. He authored an autobiography about his experience with UPI entitled "Released." Roy serves as a board member for the Warsaw YMCA, UPI, and Fellowship Mission. He has authored four books entitled "Released", "Shepherd Coach", and "FLOCK" and has co-written six books entitled “Beyond Betrayal”, "Take it on, Suit up, sit down", "9 Innings of Memories and Heroes", “Sandusky Bay", "Ellison Bay", and "Lake of Bays." He resides in Winona Lake with his wife Carin. They have daughters (Amy and Lindsay) and 6 grandchildren. His latest book is the Christian leadership book, Flock: Lead Your Tribe, Feed Your Team, Protect Your People).You can visit his website at www.shepherdcoachnetwork.com or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

Book Spotlight: Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

 

Templeton Academy, the superhero high school is finally open! The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body. The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive. Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade. However, his best friend Aarush Patel has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff. Even school bully Elwood Bledsoe is attending. If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend. Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be?

  "Roman's writing is excellent: portraying wonderful, complex characters. Narrated by Grady, the story reveals his kindness and humor. ("Aarush lived in a smart home as opposed to my stupid home," he tells readers). It also illustrates the lovely symbiotic friendship between Grady and Aarush, who protect each other from trouble and ridicule...With the book's many touching, funny, and edge-of-your-seat moments, readers will be cheering to hear more from Grady." Blue Ink Review   "With a page-turning plot and exciting twists and turns, this book is sure to become a treasured favorite."- Review by Book Excellence   "If I were to give a book to every young adult in this world, I would give them Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman without blinking. I absolutely loved every moment of this uplifting and fascinating story. It's filled with valuable life lessons, adventure, peril, and highly relatable and lovable characters." Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers' Favorite   "Harry Potter meets Sky High. If you're a fan of young adult stories where protagonists go to mysterious schools to train their superhuman abilities, don't miss out on Grady Whill and The Templeton Codex." Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Reader's Favorite   "With a detailed descriptive narrative, great character development, and compelling dialogue, the author has created a story that will have young readers engaged to the very end." Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Reader's Favorite

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages. Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium. She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the 'mother of reinvention.' She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren. Her latest book is the YA Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex. Visit her website at www.CarolePRoman.com or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Author Spotlight: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Colette R. Harrell

In 1859, Junie Benson was a twelve-year-old genius and enslaved. His older sister, Sari, had her own difficulties, including being auctioned to the highest bidder. She was also beautiful, flighty, and had a repetitive dream about a hazel-eyed white stranger. Everybody with the good sense God had given them knew even her dream was forbidden. In 2022, three things troubled ex-Special Forces Lt. Colonel Zachary Trumble . . . his new job as director of security for Burstein Labs, his loveless marriage, and the green-eyed siren who won’t let him sleep in peace. Then time’s fickle hand brewed a recipe for a miracle . . . Stir in three runaway slaves, an avalanche, one mad scientist, and an unhappy, in-love hero to create a dish for revenge best served . . . Later.

 

10 Things You Might Not Know About Colette R. Harrell

1. Let’s start at the beginning; LATERwas written by Colette R. Harrell and is her first Indie Project.

2. As an author, Colette R. Harrell strives to put something supernatural in each plot because miracles happen daily. 

3. LATER is her first book with historical overtones.

4. She secretly loves time travel fantasy books that stretch the imagination. Her challenge was to incorporate that love in LATER, a different way. 

5.   She writes sweet romances with an edge. 

6.   This one is top secret; when it comes to self-publishing, she’s doing it trembling

7.   She is already working on her next novel, A Life Kissing Frogs. The release date is February/March 2023.

8.   Colette is also writing a series for children and middle schoolers. 

9.   She works to add humor and golden nuggets of wisdom to every novel she writes. She hopes her readers walk away with a complete meal, dessert included.  

10.  Colette has only just begun; stay tuned!