Julie A. Rainey's Blog, page 2
November 28, 2012
Author Spotlight - E.B. Black
Description:It all started the day her god raped her.
She transformed into an abomination through his touch. Her skin grew scales. Her eyes turned red. She screamed for help, but all who saw her became stone.
Medusa thought she would be alone forever, until the day a man came to kill her and fell in love instead. Now Perseus is running from those who hired him as he continues to love a girl who could kill him with a glance.
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Author Website:
E.B. Black
November 5, 2012
Author Spotlight- Mike Ronny
Description:"I Hate Cell Phones" is a short comic thriller about
Red Daley, a retired weapons expert sent to an assisted living home. Forced to play Bingo and checkers all day, Red attempts a daring escape. It’s no use. But then Red gets his hands on some wires, and a battery, and a timing device…
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Author Website:
Amazon Author Page
Mike Ronny
Reviews:
Amazon Reviews
Blog Review
October 25, 2012
Author Spotlight - Jack Thompson
Description:The crew of Mars Mission 31 discovers an alien artifact. Deciphering it reveals the events that transpired on Plixon, a distant planet similar to Earth. The story follows Ra’dall Simms, an ordinary citizen of Plixon--an oppressive, dystopian world where the population is monitored and controlled by a supercomputer known as the Godmachine. When his son is deliberately terminated by the Program, Ra'dall begins to question the Godmachine and finds himself thrust into the center of a battle for freedom on his planet. Forwarding the information and events of Plixon to Earth triggers a government cover-up that endangers the crew’s safe return.
A chilling vision of the future, Godmachine is a great read for any science fiction fan.
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Author Website:
Jack Writes
Reviews:
Great, Gripping Sci-Fi Story
This book is one of the best books I have read in a while, and is one of the few that truly held me until I finished it. I thought the storyline was great and the writing did a fantastic job of telling the story of this other world, Plixon, where freedom has been entirely sacrificed for the sake of efficiency, and people are controlled almost entirely in every way by a true god-machine. While I was reading this book I found it hard to stop and when I had to stop I was very eager to get back to it. I had a great time reading it, and I will definitely be buying some more books by Jack Thompson.
An Exemplary, Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Story
NASA astronauts make the first man landing on Mars to obtain a Hexbox that was discovered embedded in the red soil. What a timely story considering the recent landing of the Rover on Mars. The four astronauts pry loose the Hexbox from the side of a crevice and take it back aboard their space capsule. Their curiosity leads them to locate an opening on the Hexbox where they find several disks that are mathematically interpreted. And this is where the story really begins; a story of a world that is governed by a computer called the Godmachine. During the astronauts long flight back to earth, they are able to forward to NASA the information of some of the contents of the disks. NASA is informed by the National Security Agency (NSA) to directly forward all such messages directly to them for security purposes. Why? The data on the disks is the story of the planet Plixon, a planet very similar to Earth and how, overtime, life comes to an end on their planet. In many ways, this remarkably well-written story reminds me of the novel "1984" written by George Orwell. It depicts a scary world where people are controlled and free thought is not allowed. The masses become just slave-type workers who can be annihilated at any time. A griping story of warnings. Don't miss out on author Jack Thompson's other books. He's an amazing story teller.
Powerful dystopian science fiction
As a fan of classic pulp science fiction, this book is my idea of a perfect way to spend an evening. Thompson's style balances the adventure aspects with the cerebral and gets the mix just right.
When a crew of astronauts discover a metallic box of mystery discs on Mars, it leads them to decode their messages and uncover an epic story of life on the faraway but Earthlike planet Plixon. Plixon is very much a dystopian civilization, where everything - even the food one eats or how long one lives before being "deleted" - is controlled by a supercomputer called the Godmachine. Thompson delineates the characters and the action with cinematic clarity, and keeps the reader turning pages. Unlike many modern authors of dystopian fiction who clearly take glee in the misery they heap upon their characters, Thompson writes about a grim future with a ray of hope and a cautionary message for mankind.
I look forward to checking out other works by the author!
Heart-pounding action! Great read for fans of Science Fiction
If you've been following the story of the recent landing of NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover, or if you're a fan of NASA's Apollo missions, they you'll almost certainly enjoy reading Godmachine.
As a bonus for all readers, along with the tale of the astronauts' journey to Mars, Thompson cleverly weaves in the tale of the Godmachine. Both stories are heart-pounding and action packed.
These stories are skillfully crafted in such a way that Thompson is able to make us take an introspective look at our own human strengths and weaknesses.
I highly recommend this book for fans of Science Fiction and Space Travel, or for anyone who's just looking for a quality book that's fun to read.
Great nail biter
This was a great "computer takes over the world" story that I really enjoyed. Although I was tempted to skip ahead to discover how things turned out, I'm glad I didn't because I would have missed the ride. Congratulations for a great book.
October 14, 2012
Thoughts?
Okay, so I'm jacked back in to the Matrix for a bit. Mostly because editing makes me cranky and I needed a break.
I was hoping to get a bit of feedback for the new direction I'm taking with book one of the Lost Princess series. Some reviewers pointed out a few things that I hadn't realized (like the opening being very similar to Superman. I've never even watched the films actually. Oops. ). I've fixed a few things and I've changed the characters a bit to hopefully make them more realistic.
I'm not sure which chapter to post so I think I'll start with chapter three because it has the most changes, I think. Anywho, I hope you all like it and please don't be afraid to comment.
Chapter Three
The quiet street’s peaceful tranquility was soon disrupted by the sounds of martial discord coming from inside 921 Euclid Avenue. The neighbors simply turned up their televisions. It was commonplace to mind to your own affairs and not get involved in someone else’s. The sound of a ceramic what-knot shattering against the wall seeped outside. The door then flung open and slammed shut, the woman involved in the fight had decided to walk, or stomp, away from the dispute. The door slammed behind her right after the man yelled that it was best for her not to come back along with various obscenities.
Tears streamed down her face as she plopped down on the top step leading up to her small concrete porch. She let out a small exasperated sigh before placing her head in her hands and sobbing. A small rustling sound turned her attention from herself to a possible intruder. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she turned to see if she could locate the noise. It was hard to see anything on the moonless night and of course her husband had turned the porch light off to let her stew alone in the dark.
Another of his ridiculous attempts to keep the fight going. He loved to fight and picked fights more often than not. These episodes were part of a vicious cycle they had found themselves caught up in. They would fight, and then they would pretend as if the other didn’t exist for a few days, then they would make up as husbands and wives often do and then they would be totally and completely devoted to each other for all of a day before the fighting would start again.
It was nothing new and she wondered how much longer their marriage would last before it imploded in on itself. Of course she knew exactly why they fought as they did. It had nothing to do with money or lack of one doing their fair share of house work. No, most of their fights, if not all, were rooted in the fact that she was unable to give him a child. He never said it like that but it was exactly what she felt. She thought somehow that she had failed him in some respect, even though he never said so. They had tried for years, first with herbal solutions, then medications and finally in-vitro fertilization. After the last miscarriage she had sworn off any further attempts. In her mind, it wasn’t meant to be.
With all this heartache came walls. Margaret had become a master at building walls around her heart to ease the pain of loss she felt. In doing so however, she also blocked out her husband or anyone else who tried to get close. She didn’t even realize she was doing it until someone pointed it out and even then, she had not a clue how to tear them down. Deep down, she didn’t want to.
The rustling noise had stopped, but in its place came a small whimper. Listening carefully she realized that the sound was coming from just a few feet below her. Squinting in the darkness and using the street light for guidance, she made her way to the bottom step where the most shocking site came into view. Lying right there on her step, was a tremendous gift, a baby.
Margaret searched the street for signs of who might have possibly abandoned it, but no one was around. She gently scooped up the child and pulled back the blanket. For a brief second, her eyes met with the child’s. They seemed to bore straight to her sole, terrifying her instantly. All of her work to shut out the world was on the verge of being undone by a tiny baby girl, with deep pools of green for eyes.
Panicked, she ran inside and handed over the child to Tony who was still visibly fuming over their argument.
“What the hell…” he stopped mid sentence to stare at the beautiful sight before him. It was a child. Out of nowhere his prayers had been answered. The look on his wife’s face instantly sent his blood boiling.
“She won’t bite you know,” he spat.
“I know that you idiot. I didn’t want, I just, ugh,” she gave up trying to retaliate. She was too tired to play his game right now and way too stressed.
“I’m going to bed. Have fun.”
“What? This is a gift from--”
“Don’t say it. Don’t even start with me about that. She’s not ours. She’s someone else’s. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be. First thing in the morning, I’m taking her to the police and report that someone has abandoned her.”
“The hell you will,” Tony retorted. He took the baby and stormed off down the hall to what used to be the computer room. He had recently moved in a bed to escape the iciness of his wife. The door slammed shut a little too loudly, startling the baby. She cried out and Tony held her close. After a few moments together, he was instantly in love. He gently placed her on the bed and unwrapped the tightly wound blanket from around her.
“What’s this?” he said out loud. He ran his fingers across a small design embroidered on the right side of the girls light blue, silvery dress. It was a simple circle that contained a square and inside the square was a triangle. In the exact center of the shapes was an ornate “S”.
It was strange attire for a child who had been abandoned. The dress appeared to be of high quality and not the rags you would expect a child who was unloved to be placed in. Pushing it from his mind he continued to make sure the baby was alright, examining her for cuts or bruises or signs of malnourishment. He was stunned to find her in perfect health. It didn’t make sense and he began to wonder if Margaret had been right. Should he report her discovery to the police?
He knew what would happen and it was too much to bear. If her parents couldn’t be located, which he had a feeling they wouldn’t. After all, what loving parents just leave their child on a stranger’s doorstep in the middle of the night? When no parents would be located, the child would end up in foster care and be ward of the state. He couldn’t let that happen. In his mind, he was the best choice for the child.
“You’re with me now kiddo,” he said, touching his finger to the baby’s nose, sending her into a fit of giggles.
“Time for a bath,” Tony announced and the pair went off to the bathroom.
The baby girl laughed and giggled as she was scrubbed clean. Tony gazed at her lovingly and grew more attached to her as each moment passed. Margaret stood at the edge of the doorway, listening to the two from a distance.
A new emotion grew inside of her, jealously. This child would be his whole world now and she knew it. How could she compete with that? Her first instinct was to run, but somewhere inside she still loved her husband. It was what he wanted for so long, how could she take that from him now? It would be hard, but she would try her best. Hopefully that would be enough. It had been Margaret who was unable to provide her husband with what he desired most in this world. Now that he had it, she wouldn’t be the one to take it away.
Margaret had been so lost in thought that she didn’t hear when Tony let the water out of the tub. He brushed by her without so much as a single word. He went into the spare bedroom, the room that was supposed to be their first child’s. When they had finally been able to conceive, Tony went a little over board. He bought bottles, diapers, and a crib, everything a newborn baby would require. It was all for not however. Two weeks later, Margaret lost the child and that was the end of their attempts.
Tony readied the child for bed as if he was an old pro. After all, he had grown up in a house with five siblings. He was the second to the oldest and he helped his mother out with rearing his younger brothers and sisters. It was that experience in life that had led him to seek out a family of his own. Margaret however, was an only child. Her mother had had a baby before her that had not lived past a few days. It was something that had been kept from her most of her childhood but as she suffered through her own troubles getting pregnant, her mother felt it time to share.
Margaret had been heartbroken to learn she had a big sister and never knew it. It was then that she realized that maybe it wasn’t entirely her fault for her difficulties getting pregnant. It could be genetics, but it didn’t stop her from hating herself anyway.
“There you are. Here,” Tony said handing the freshly bundled baby over to her, “hold her while I fix her a bottle.” Margaret froze for a moment, uncertain of what to do next.
“Uhh, hi there,” she said as she looked down at her. Her big beautiful eyes looked back at her once more, peering into to heart, attempting to thaw it.
Her mind raced with thoughts of what his life could be like with a child finally in the mix. She gently touched her cheek. The baby cooed and smiled, chipping a small piece of that wall away.
Tony had been standing in front of the two of them for sometime before his clearing his throat in an attempt to stem the tears finally got Margaret’s attention. She looked up, startled at his presence.
“I didn’t see you there.”
“I was just watching you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.
“Does this mean you’re okay with this now?”
She hesitated. The girl was adorable for sure, but loving her was an entirely different matter. It would take time, although she could see Tony was well on his way.
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure?” Anger now replaced his teary demeanor from before. “You know what, never mind. I will take care of her.”
He snatched the baby from Margaret’s grasp and stormed off into his bedroom, careful not to slam the door quite as hard as before. He sat down on the bed to feed her, allowing his mind to wonder. How would he explain a brand new child to his family? Would they believe him if he told them the truth? What about when she got older and ready to go to school, he would have no Social Security number for her, no birth certificate, nothing. He yawned and looked at the clock. It was after midnight. These questions would have to be answered tomorrow. He let the baby girl finish eating, burped her and then the pair of them laid down for bed. In no time they were both sound asleep.
I was hoping to get a bit of feedback for the new direction I'm taking with book one of the Lost Princess series. Some reviewers pointed out a few things that I hadn't realized (like the opening being very similar to Superman. I've never even watched the films actually. Oops. ). I've fixed a few things and I've changed the characters a bit to hopefully make them more realistic.
I'm not sure which chapter to post so I think I'll start with chapter three because it has the most changes, I think. Anywho, I hope you all like it and please don't be afraid to comment.
Chapter Three
The quiet street’s peaceful tranquility was soon disrupted by the sounds of martial discord coming from inside 921 Euclid Avenue. The neighbors simply turned up their televisions. It was commonplace to mind to your own affairs and not get involved in someone else’s. The sound of a ceramic what-knot shattering against the wall seeped outside. The door then flung open and slammed shut, the woman involved in the fight had decided to walk, or stomp, away from the dispute. The door slammed behind her right after the man yelled that it was best for her not to come back along with various obscenities.
Tears streamed down her face as she plopped down on the top step leading up to her small concrete porch. She let out a small exasperated sigh before placing her head in her hands and sobbing. A small rustling sound turned her attention from herself to a possible intruder. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she turned to see if she could locate the noise. It was hard to see anything on the moonless night and of course her husband had turned the porch light off to let her stew alone in the dark.
Another of his ridiculous attempts to keep the fight going. He loved to fight and picked fights more often than not. These episodes were part of a vicious cycle they had found themselves caught up in. They would fight, and then they would pretend as if the other didn’t exist for a few days, then they would make up as husbands and wives often do and then they would be totally and completely devoted to each other for all of a day before the fighting would start again.
It was nothing new and she wondered how much longer their marriage would last before it imploded in on itself. Of course she knew exactly why they fought as they did. It had nothing to do with money or lack of one doing their fair share of house work. No, most of their fights, if not all, were rooted in the fact that she was unable to give him a child. He never said it like that but it was exactly what she felt. She thought somehow that she had failed him in some respect, even though he never said so. They had tried for years, first with herbal solutions, then medications and finally in-vitro fertilization. After the last miscarriage she had sworn off any further attempts. In her mind, it wasn’t meant to be.
With all this heartache came walls. Margaret had become a master at building walls around her heart to ease the pain of loss she felt. In doing so however, she also blocked out her husband or anyone else who tried to get close. She didn’t even realize she was doing it until someone pointed it out and even then, she had not a clue how to tear them down. Deep down, she didn’t want to.
The rustling noise had stopped, but in its place came a small whimper. Listening carefully she realized that the sound was coming from just a few feet below her. Squinting in the darkness and using the street light for guidance, she made her way to the bottom step where the most shocking site came into view. Lying right there on her step, was a tremendous gift, a baby.
Margaret searched the street for signs of who might have possibly abandoned it, but no one was around. She gently scooped up the child and pulled back the blanket. For a brief second, her eyes met with the child’s. They seemed to bore straight to her sole, terrifying her instantly. All of her work to shut out the world was on the verge of being undone by a tiny baby girl, with deep pools of green for eyes.
Panicked, she ran inside and handed over the child to Tony who was still visibly fuming over their argument.
“What the hell…” he stopped mid sentence to stare at the beautiful sight before him. It was a child. Out of nowhere his prayers had been answered. The look on his wife’s face instantly sent his blood boiling.
“She won’t bite you know,” he spat.
“I know that you idiot. I didn’t want, I just, ugh,” she gave up trying to retaliate. She was too tired to play his game right now and way too stressed.
“I’m going to bed. Have fun.”
“What? This is a gift from--”
“Don’t say it. Don’t even start with me about that. She’s not ours. She’s someone else’s. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be. First thing in the morning, I’m taking her to the police and report that someone has abandoned her.”
“The hell you will,” Tony retorted. He took the baby and stormed off down the hall to what used to be the computer room. He had recently moved in a bed to escape the iciness of his wife. The door slammed shut a little too loudly, startling the baby. She cried out and Tony held her close. After a few moments together, he was instantly in love. He gently placed her on the bed and unwrapped the tightly wound blanket from around her.
“What’s this?” he said out loud. He ran his fingers across a small design embroidered on the right side of the girls light blue, silvery dress. It was a simple circle that contained a square and inside the square was a triangle. In the exact center of the shapes was an ornate “S”.
It was strange attire for a child who had been abandoned. The dress appeared to be of high quality and not the rags you would expect a child who was unloved to be placed in. Pushing it from his mind he continued to make sure the baby was alright, examining her for cuts or bruises or signs of malnourishment. He was stunned to find her in perfect health. It didn’t make sense and he began to wonder if Margaret had been right. Should he report her discovery to the police?
He knew what would happen and it was too much to bear. If her parents couldn’t be located, which he had a feeling they wouldn’t. After all, what loving parents just leave their child on a stranger’s doorstep in the middle of the night? When no parents would be located, the child would end up in foster care and be ward of the state. He couldn’t let that happen. In his mind, he was the best choice for the child.
“You’re with me now kiddo,” he said, touching his finger to the baby’s nose, sending her into a fit of giggles.
“Time for a bath,” Tony announced and the pair went off to the bathroom.
The baby girl laughed and giggled as she was scrubbed clean. Tony gazed at her lovingly and grew more attached to her as each moment passed. Margaret stood at the edge of the doorway, listening to the two from a distance.
A new emotion grew inside of her, jealously. This child would be his whole world now and she knew it. How could she compete with that? Her first instinct was to run, but somewhere inside she still loved her husband. It was what he wanted for so long, how could she take that from him now? It would be hard, but she would try her best. Hopefully that would be enough. It had been Margaret who was unable to provide her husband with what he desired most in this world. Now that he had it, she wouldn’t be the one to take it away.
Margaret had been so lost in thought that she didn’t hear when Tony let the water out of the tub. He brushed by her without so much as a single word. He went into the spare bedroom, the room that was supposed to be their first child’s. When they had finally been able to conceive, Tony went a little over board. He bought bottles, diapers, and a crib, everything a newborn baby would require. It was all for not however. Two weeks later, Margaret lost the child and that was the end of their attempts.
Tony readied the child for bed as if he was an old pro. After all, he had grown up in a house with five siblings. He was the second to the oldest and he helped his mother out with rearing his younger brothers and sisters. It was that experience in life that had led him to seek out a family of his own. Margaret however, was an only child. Her mother had had a baby before her that had not lived past a few days. It was something that had been kept from her most of her childhood but as she suffered through her own troubles getting pregnant, her mother felt it time to share.
Margaret had been heartbroken to learn she had a big sister and never knew it. It was then that she realized that maybe it wasn’t entirely her fault for her difficulties getting pregnant. It could be genetics, but it didn’t stop her from hating herself anyway.
“There you are. Here,” Tony said handing the freshly bundled baby over to her, “hold her while I fix her a bottle.” Margaret froze for a moment, uncertain of what to do next.
“Uhh, hi there,” she said as she looked down at her. Her big beautiful eyes looked back at her once more, peering into to heart, attempting to thaw it.
Her mind raced with thoughts of what his life could be like with a child finally in the mix. She gently touched her cheek. The baby cooed and smiled, chipping a small piece of that wall away.
Tony had been standing in front of the two of them for sometime before his clearing his throat in an attempt to stem the tears finally got Margaret’s attention. She looked up, startled at his presence.
“I didn’t see you there.”
“I was just watching you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.
“Does this mean you’re okay with this now?”
She hesitated. The girl was adorable for sure, but loving her was an entirely different matter. It would take time, although she could see Tony was well on his way.
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure?” Anger now replaced his teary demeanor from before. “You know what, never mind. I will take care of her.”
He snatched the baby from Margaret’s grasp and stormed off into his bedroom, careful not to slam the door quite as hard as before. He sat down on the bed to feed her, allowing his mind to wonder. How would he explain a brand new child to his family? Would they believe him if he told them the truth? What about when she got older and ready to go to school, he would have no Social Security number for her, no birth certificate, nothing. He yawned and looked at the clock. It was after midnight. These questions would have to be answered tomorrow. He let the baby girl finish eating, burped her and then the pair of them laid down for bed. In no time they were both sound asleep.
September 24, 2012
Hiatus
I will be unplugging from the matrix, so to speak, for a while. I will be revising book one, finishing book two and three and re-releasing them all at once. That will probably take a while so goodbye until then...September 18, 2012
Author Spotlight - Victoria Greyson
Description:Chrisina discovers the truth about her past through a mysterious letter. Meanwhile, Mina is trying to aid in her sister's fight for freedom from prison. New evidence may reveal her innocence. Can the justice prevail and free an innocent woman?
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Description:Mina and her husband appear to be the perfect couple from the outside. They have serious intimacy issues within their marriage. Mina becomes more intrigued with afternoons spent with younger men, than repairing her marriage. When an unsuspected affair becomes public, it astounds their suburban circle,
***Contains Adult Material.
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Reviews:
By Holly C. - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Room One Thirty Eight (The Simplest Things) (Kindle Edition) I was really iffy about trying this book, but I could not put it down after I started reading. I kept picking it back up to see what happens next. I was totally surprised about how the events and people changed toward the end! It was long enough to hold the story, but not so long as it would take days to get through. Even though it is categorized as an erotic romance, it was not vulgar as some I have read. I don't believe there were any cuss words, or derogatory terms in the entire book, which I liked. I got the free price, but anything that holds my attention is worth paying for.
To read more, click here.
Author Websites:
Victoria Greyson
September 14, 2012
Droughts and Floods
It seems that in being a writer you occasionally, or not so occasionally, go through periods of dry spells. Writers block becomes a permanent fixture in your brain. You sit at your computer, or in front of your notepad, your marvelous story ideas just behind that impenetrable wall, comparable to that of the city of Troy. After several failed attempts to breach said wall, you finally resort to simply banging your head against your desk in hopes of knocking something loose, only stopping to prevent brain damage before giving up for the day and surfing the internet for funny things to post on your Facebook page.
And then there are the floods, where ideas are pouring out of your head faster than you can write, or type, them down. The Niagara Falls of thoughts flows so quickly your fearful that you will forget before you get it all on paper, or the screen. Your story comes together perfectly as you sit diligently typing away.
Is a nice, even flow of information too much to ask from my grey matter?
September 11, 2012
Brainstorms and Epiphanies
It never fails. I finally turn the TV off and start to attempt to go to sleep and my brain suddenly is wide awake. It kicks into overdrive, analyzing the days events and preparing for those to come. It's in these moments that most of my ideas for my writing seem to pop up. One problem with that, I usually can't remember them the next morning. So I have to silently crawl over my hubby, sneak over to my desk and jot down a few lines to jog my memory in the morning. Of course when I get to the morning the note I scribbled looks like a five year old's handwriting and it's barely discernible, but somehow I manage to decipher it and expand on the idea further. I just wish my brain would work like that when I'm sitting, staring at an empty page in Word, trying to think of something to write.
Another situation that seems to happen more often than not is when I'm having a conversation with someone and a word or phrase they say sparks a solution to a problem I had been having in my writing. The epiphany occurs and I try desperately to listen but all the while my brain is writing a whole chapter in my book. Again, why don't these things happen when I want them to. Such is the life of a writer I guess.
Do you have similar problems/situations such as these?
September 10, 2012
Author Spotlight - Dee Doanes
Description:What does...
A prostitute,
A corrupt businessman, and
A disfigured young woman
Have in common with a mysterious, old
homeless man who carries a green suitcase?
The old man comes into people’s lives because it is
important for them to experience the visions that he is
somehow able to show them—visions that even he doesn’t
understand. But whoever he connects with will go through a
transformation that will change the course of their life,
for better or worse. The old man has no memory of who he is
or even what the suitcase holds.
This story is magical realism, realistic with paranormal elements, a mystery that needs to be solved, and a man and woman who will finally realize that they were meant to come into each other’s lives and remain forever.
Where to Buy:
Amazon - Paperback
Amazon - eBook
Barnes and Noble
Author Website:
The Man With the Green Suitcase
Dee Doanes
Reviews:
Five Stars
Some people come into your life for a short time, but affect you forever. So it is with the strange, homeless man who carries a mysterious, battered suitcase and meets up with a wealthy but corrupt real estate owner, a former prostitute, and a once-beautiful young woman.
Doanes seamlessly weaves their stories together and we discover that what happens to these characters is not by accident, but by design, however, none of them know that...yet.
The many twists and turns that the stories take, and how the characters' lives are changed--and why--makes for an exciting and intriguing read. We never know what is going to happen next, to whom or how. Told with suspense, mystery, paranormal and surreal experiences, the book also reveals its underlying theme of forgiveness, redemption and love in very unexpected ways. Doanes' writing poignantly brings her characters to life, and through the magical realism she creates, we learn how the universe provides us with what we need to know. A powerful novel.
Ann Fisher
Five Stars
Great Read!
This book is filled with characters trying to change for the better and they are all connected to the old man. Valerie, Gerald and Chantal are characters in which readers can identify with easily.
The old man just wants to be left alone and that doesn't happen. The story unfolds seamlessly and takes you deep into suspense. The big question is: what's in the old man's suitcase? And there's a great build up to that. Doanes doesn't reveal the old man's secret until the last chapter. And what an ending it is! You will never guess what happens, it's a total surprise. You can't skip a page or even a single word or you may miss a clue to the mystery. The book will appeal to all types of readers since the story is realistic. Very strong writing, full of mystery, and well developed characters.
LC
Five Stars
I loved this book. It's dark and gives you a lot to think about, even after you put it down. Doanes is a gifted storyteller and I can't wait to read more from her. Perfect for book groups--that is, book groups who like darker reads. If you like Anne Rice or Stephen King, you'll love this. Like Rice, Doanes uses the South as a backdrop and weaves paranormal/mystical themes into seemingly normal, everyday occurrences. Warning, it's an intense read. I found myself taking notes on the characters and having to block out time to read it because it's very involved and takes you into a different world.
Zoe Alexander
September 7, 2012
The Dreaded Comma
The comma. The word by itself isn't terrifying in the least but when you try to remember when and where to put the darn thing it becomes an evil monster of epic proportions. There are the obvious situations where you know you need one. A reviewer I had said it best:
"Let's eat, Grandpa!" as opposed to "Let's eat Grandpa!"
In this situation the comma morphs from an evil monster to a savior of grandpa. Aside from this instance, and one's similar to it, the lines become blurred for me. There are times when I think I'm using too many commas and times when I feel there aren't enough. It's a never ending game of "guess where to use the comma". I guess maybe I should brush up on my comma rules, but even then I don't think I'll get it right.
What are your thoughts on this mysterious form of punc
