Sandy Graham's Blog

Great Reviews

Politic or Not May 17, 2022

While You Speak for Me Now has been praised as a story, some reviews have said its political message is too one-sided. My initial reaction was to suggest that the story can be read for its entertainment value disregarding the political mission. Upon more reflection, I think it important to explain why it is one-sided.

In America’s highly charged political environment, there’s a pronounced tendency to take offence the instant one detects a difference in political leaning. That’s what creates the chasm in the land and prevents us from thinking objectively about issues most of us face in common. Apparently it also causes some readers to miss the predominant political theme woven into the story.

The days of a Democrat/Republican government shifting the country a little in the liberal or conservative direction, depending on the vote, disappeared in America over twenty years ago. Two parties working out compromises yet always moving the country forward. The political intent of You Speak for Me Now is to cause readers to pause, consider, and perhaps even conclude that the conflict is now between a rich minority trying to combine political control with their economic dominance and the rest of the population. In that context, I am unabashedly one-sided.

Over the past 3,000 years, hundreds of nations have gone down the path to autocracy, many in just my life-time. It’s always the same; a small group getting excessively rich driving the rest into poverty and oppression until it leads to revolution. We tend to forget that the American Revolution was to overthrow the royal autocracy. We see it today in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet we condone the American oligarchs that make their Russian counterparts look like paupers. Too many communication channels are already in their hands and their propaganda machine has duped too many of us.

Describing the situation like this will have no real effect on people’s thinking. Weaving it into a compelling story stands a little better chance. That’s the goal in You Speak for Me Now. Yes, it’s one-sided, not in a party sense but rather in a national one. This would be clearer if the authoritarian forces were not hiding their efforts behind a Republican Party smoke screen. Renaming it the Autocratic Party would reveal the truth.

The $6,000 Book April 4, 2022

As you are probably aware by now, I decided to actively market my latest book, You Speak for Me Now. Hired a publicity agent and professional cover designer, ran two giveaway programs, made videos, etc. Obtained three very good reviews by industry leading reviewers (and one fairly good one). Did two radio interviews, one of which by John Busbee of The Culture Buzz, was extremely positive. The few ratings received to date on Goodreads average 4.3 out of 5 stars and the consensus of the reviewers seems to be that the book is both entertaining and informative – to a high degree. And I’ve made it available in paperback, hardcover and eBook formats.

Sounds wonderful, except that I haven’t sold a print book in the last three months. In fact, Amazon reported only three paperbacks have been purchased so far, and I purchased one of them. Until recently, I told myself to relax. It takes a while for customers to materialize. Over a month ago, I sent out an email to many of my friends announcing its release. Not wanting anyone to feel an obligation, I informed them that I have no way of knowing who buys a book. All I get is a count of sales. It never dawned on me that perhaps none of them would buy it. Hopefully, at least one will part with fourteen dollars so I can assume whoever I’m talking to must certainly be the one.

Even an optimist suffers a twinge of doubt eventually. Still, one never knows when some small segment of humanity will find the book, recognize it predates Biden’s concern regarding the battle between democracy and autocracy, buy it, and maybe even recommend it to their friends. Till then, it remains a $6,000 book project.

Best Book List March 21, 2022

Shepherd.com is a new rival to GoodReads that offers a novel approach for finding novels. It requires authors to create a list of five books which the author believes are the best dealing with the theme of the list, and then tell why they were chosen. The goal is to attract readers searching for books related to the list theme.

The focus is on helping authors reach an audience while giving readers an easier way to find books. It may be unfair, but my impression of GoodReads is that it has focused entirely on readers since acquired by Amazon. Happy to charge authors for giveaways but with no persuasion of winners to provide reviews or even ratings, unless the author pays an additional $500. Sound like the Amazon culture?

Instead of mining for money, Shepherd puts authors to work coming up with a theme appropriate for their latest book, compiling a list of the best supporting books, and explaining why they belong on the list. To see my list, go to https://shepherd.com/best-books/to-influence-human-society

Culture Buzz February 25, 2022

In an effort to market a book for a change, I hired a publicity agent, Javier Perez. It cost quite a few sheckles but it has generated some good reviews, email interviews, and two radio interview. There’s an art to participating in a radio interview, which I’m in the beginning stage of learning. With no advance knowledge of what will be asked, there’s a lot of on-the-spot fumbling. However, a pattern is becoming apparent which should help in future.

The latest interview was with John Busbee, who hosts The Culture Buzz using a format of eight fifteen-minute interviews each week on all aspects of the arts. You can find it on www.SandysPen.com by clicking on the book image and selecting Videos & Reviews.

Reviewers are supporting my belief that this book has real merit. Nevertheless, like all new books not written by or for celebrities, it’s very difficult to get it exposure even with those sheckles mentioned earlier. (Spell-checker wants to change “sheckles” to “shackles”, which might not be too far off base when applied to my book.) In the past, I’ve broadcasted a book announcement to most friends in my address book. So far, not this time. Why? Well, even though it’s a gripping read, it has political overtones which I’m reluctant to trust to the open-mindedness of my conservative friends. That’s ironic since the main goal of the book is to get everyone thinking about the issues that are keeping us apart in our fragmented society.

Maybe I’ll put my hands where my mouth is and rectify that.

Politic Or Not

While You Speak for Me Now has been praised as a story, some reviews have said its political message is too one-sided. My initial reaction was to suggest that the story can be read for its entertainment value disregarding the political mission. Upon more reflection, I think it important to explain why it is one-sided.

In America’s highly charged political environment, there’s a pronounced tendency to take offence the instant one detects a difference in political leaning. That’s what creates the chasm in the land and prevents us from thinking objectively about issues most of us face in common. Apparently it also causes some readers to miss the predominant political theme woven into the story.

The days of a Democrat/Republican government shifting the country a little in the liberal or conservative direction, depending on the vote, disappeared in America over twenty years ago. Two parties working out compromises yet always moving the country forward. The political intent of You Speak for Me Now is to cause readers to pause, consider, and perhaps even conclude that the conflict is now between a rich minority trying to combine political control with their economic dominance and the rest of the population. In that context, I am unabashedly one-sided.

Over the past 3,000 years, hundreds of nations have gone down the path to autocracy, many in just my life-time. It’s always the same; a small group getting excessively rich driving the rest into poverty and oppression until it leads to revolution. We tend to forget that the American Revolution was to overthrow the royal autocracy. We see it today in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet we condone the American oligarchs that make their Russian counterparts look like paupers. Too many communication channels are already in their hands and their propaganda machine has duped too many of us.

Describing the situation like this will have no real effect on people’s thinking. Weaving it into a compelling story stands a little better chance. That’s the goal in You Speak for Me Now. Yes, it’s one-sided, not in a party sense but rather in a national one. This would be clearer if the authoritarian forces were not hiding their efforts behind a Republican Party smoke screen. Renaming it the Autocratic Party would reveal the truth.

While You Speak for Me Now has been praised as a story, some reviews have said its political message is too one-sided. My initial reaction was to suggest that the story can be read for its entertainment value disregarding the political mission. Upon more reflection, I think it important to explain why it is one-sided.
In America’s highly charged political environment, there’s a pronounced tendency to take offence the instant one detects a difference in political leaning. That’s what creates the chasm in the land and prevents us from thinking objectively about issues most of us face in common. Apparently it also causes some readers to miss the predominant political theme woven into the story.
The days of a Democrat/Republican government shifting the country a little in the liberal or conservative direction, depending on the vote, disappeared in America over twenty years ago. Two parties working out compromises yet always moving the country forward. The political intent of You Speak for Me Now is to cause readers to pause, consider, and perhaps even conclude that the conflict is now between a rich minority trying to combine political control with their economic dominance and the rest of the population. In that context, I am unabashedly one-sided.
Over the past 3,000 years, hundreds of nations have gone down the path to autocracy, many in just my life-time. It’s always the same; a small group getting excessively rich driving the rest into poverty and oppression until it leads to revolution. We tend to forget that the American Revolution was to overthrow the royal autocracy. We see it today in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet we condone the American oligarchs that make their Russian counterparts look like paupers. Too many communication channels are already in their hands and their propaganda machine has duped too many of us.
Describing the situation like this will have no real effect on people’s thinking. Weaving it into a compelling story stands a little better chance. That’s the goal in You Speak for Me Now. Yes, it’s one-sided, not in a party sense but rather in a national one. This would be clearer if the authoritarian forces were not hiding their efforts behind a Republican Party smoke screen. Renaming it the Autocratic Party would reveal the truth.

The $6,000 Book April 4, 2022

As you are probably aware by now, I decided to actively market my latest book, You Speak for Me Now. Hired a publicity agent and professional cover designer, ran two giveaway programs, made videos, etc. Obtained three very good reviews by industry leading reviewers (and one fairly good one). Did two radio interviews, one of which by John Busbee of The Culture Buzz, was extremely positive. The few ratings received to date on Goodreads average 4.3 out of 5 stars and the consensus of the reviewers seems to be that the book is both entertaining and informative – to a high degree. And I’ve made it available in paperback, hardcover and eBook formats.

Sounds wonderful, except that I haven’t sold a print book in the last three months. In fact, Amazon reported only three paperbacks have been purchased so far, and I purchased one of them. Until recently, I told myself to relax. It takes a while for customers to materialize. Over a month ago, I sent out an email to many of my friends announcing its release. Not wanting anyone to feel an obligation, I informed them that I have no way of knowing who buys a book. All I get is a count of sales. It never dawned on me that perhaps none of them would buy it. Hopefully, at least one will part with fourteen dollars so I can assume whoever I’m talking to must certainly be the one.

Even an optimist suffers a twinge of doubt eventually. Still, one never knows when some small segment of humanity will find the book, recognize it predates Biden’s concern regarding the battle between democracy and autocracy, buy it, and maybe even recommend it to their friends. Till then, it remains a $6,000 book project.

Best Book List March 21, 2022

Shepherd.com is a new rival to GoodReads that offers a novel approach for finding novels. It requires authors to create a list of five books which the author believes are the best dealing with the theme of the list, and then tell why they were chosen. The goal is to attract readers searching for books related to the list theme.

The focus is on helping authors reach an audience while giving readers an easier way to find books. It may be unfair, but my impression of GoodReads is that it has focused entirely on readers since acquired by Amazon. Happy to charge authors for giveaways but with no persuasion of winners to provide reviews or even ratings, unless the author pays an additional $500. Sound like the Amazon culture?

Instead of mining for money, Shepherd puts authors to work coming up with a theme appropriate for their latest book, compiling a list of the best supporting books, and explaining why they belong on the list. To see my list, go to https://shepherd.com/best-books/to-influence-human-society

Culture Buzz February 25, 2022

In an effort to market a book for a change, I hired a publicity agent, Javier Perez. It cost quite a few sheckles but it has generated some good reviews, email interviews, and two radio interview. There’s an art to participating in a radio interview, which I’m in the beginning stage of learning. With no advance knowledge of what will be asked, there’s a lot of on-the-spot fumbling. However, a pattern is becoming apparent which should help in future.

The latest interview was with John Busbee, who hosts The Culture Buzz using a format of eight fifteen-minute interviews each week on all aspects of the arts. You can find it on www.SandysPen.com by clicking on the book image and selecting Videos & Reviews.

Reviewers are supporting my belief that this book has real merit. Nevertheless, like all new books not written by or for celebrities, it’s very difficult to get it exposure even with those sheckles mentioned earlier. (Spell-checker wants to change “sheckles” to “shackles”, which might not be too far off base when applied to my book.) In the past, I’ve broadcasted a book announcement to most friends in my address book. So far, not this time. Why? Well, even though it’s a gripping read, it has political overtones which I’m reluctant to trust to the open-mindedness of my conservative friends. That’s ironic since the main goal of the book is to get everyone thinking about the issues that are keeping us apart in our fragmented society.

Maybe I’ll put my hands where my mouth is and rectify that.

The $6,000 Book

As you are probably aware by now, I decided to actively market my latest book, You Speak for Me Now. Hired a publicity agent and professional cover designer, ran two giveaway programs, made videos, etc. Obtained three very good reviews by industry leading reviewers (and one fairly good one). Did two radio interviews, one of which by John Busbee of The Culture Buzz, was extremely positive. The few ratings received to date on Goodreads average 4.3 out of 5 stars and the consensus of the reviewers seems to be that the book is both entertaining and informative – to a high degree. And I’ve made it available in paperback, hardcover and eBook formats.

Sounds wonderful, except that I haven’t sold a print book in the last three months. In fact, Amazon reported only three paperbacks have been purchased so far, and I purchased one of them. Until recently, I told myself to relax. It takes a while for customers to materialize. Over a month ago, I sent out an email to many of my friends announcing its release. Not wanting anyone to feel an obligation, I informed them that I have no way of knowing who buys a book. All I get is a count of sales. It never dawned on me that perhaps none of them would buy it. Hopefully, at least one will part with fourteen dollars so I can assume whoever I’m talking to must certainly be the one.

Even an optimist suffers a twinge of doubt eventually. Still, one never knows when some small segment of humanity will find the book, recognize it predates Biden’s concern regarding the battle between democracy and autocracy, buy it, and maybe even recommend it to their friends. Till then, it remains a $6,000 book project.

Best Book List March 21, 2022

Shepherd.com is a new rival to GoodReads that offers a novel approach for finding novels. It requires authors to create a list of five books which the author believes are the best dealing with the theme of the list, and then tell why they were chosen. The goal is to attract readers searching for books related to the list theme.

The focus is on helping authors reach an audience while giving readers an easier way to find books. It may be unfair, but my impression of GoodReads is that it has focused entirely on readers since acquired by Amazon. Happy to charge authors for giveaways but with no persuasion of winners to provide reviews or even ratings, unless the author pays an additional $500. Sound like the Amazon culture?

Instead of mining for money, Shepherd puts authors to work coming up with a theme appropriate for their latest book, compiling a list of the best supporting books, and explaining why they belong on the list. To see my list, go to https://shepherd.com/best-books/to-influence-human-society

Culture Buzz February 25, 2022

In an effort to market a book for a change, I hired a publicity agent, Javier Perez. It cost quite a few sheckles but it has generated some good reviews, email interviews, and two radio interview. There’s an art to participating in a radio interview, which I’m in the beginning stage of learning. With no advance knowledge of what will be asked, there’s a lot of on-the-spot fumbling. However, a pattern is becoming apparent which should help in future.

The latest interview was with John Busbee, who hosts The Culture Buzz using a format of eight fifteen-minute interviews each week on all aspects of the arts. You can find it on www.SandysPen.com by clicking on the book image and selecting Videos & Reviews.

Reviewers are supporting my belief that this book has real merit. Nevertheless, like all new books not written by or for celebrities, it’s very difficult to get it exposure even with those sheckles mentioned earlier. (Spell-checker wants to change “sheckles” to “shackles”, which might not be too far off base when applied to my book.) In the past, I’ve broadcasted a book announcement to most friends in my address book. So far, not this time. Why? Well, even though it’s a gripping read, it has political overtones which I’m reluctant to trust to the open-mindedness of my conservative friends. That’s ironic since the main goal of the book is to get everyone thinking about the issues that are keeping us apart in our fragmented society.

Maybe I’ll put my hands where my mouth is and rectify that.

Best Book List

Shepherd.com is a new rival to GoodReads that offers a novel approach for finding novels. It requires authors to create a list of five books which the author believes are the best dealing with the theme of the list, and then tell why they were chosen. The goal is to attract readers searching for books related to the list theme.

The focus is on helping authors reach an audience while giving readers an easier way to find books. It may be unfair, but my impression of GoodReads is that it has focused entirely on readers since acquired by Amazon. Happy to charge authors for giveaways but with no persuasion of winners to provide reviews or even ratings, unless the author pays an additional $500. Sound like the Amazon culture?

Instead of mining for money, Shepherd puts authors to work coming up with a theme appropriate for their latest book, compiling a list of the best supporting books, and explaining why they belong on the list. To see my list, go to https://shepherd.com/best-books/to-influence-human-society

Culture Buzz February 25, 2022

In an effort to market a book for a change, I hired a publicity agent, Javier Perez. It cost quite a few sheckles but it has generated some good reviews, email interviews, and two radio interview. There’s an art to participating in a radio interview, which I’m in the beginning stage of learning. With no advance knowledge of what will be asked, there’s a lot of on-the-spot fumbling. However, a pattern is becoming apparent which should help in future.

The latest interview was with John Busbee, who hosts The Culture Buzz using a format of eight fifteen-minute interviews each week on all aspects of the arts. You can find it on www.SandysPen.com by clicking on the book image and selecting Videos & Reviews.

Reviewers are supporting my belief that this book has real merit. Nevertheless, like all new books not written by or for celebrities, it’s very difficult to get it exposure even with those sheckles mentioned earlier. (Spell-checker wants to change “sheckles” to “shackles”, which might not be too far off base when applied to my book.) In the past, I’ve broadcasted a book announcement to most friends in my address book. So far, not this time. Why? Well, even though it’s a gripping read, it has political overtones which I’m reluctant to trust to the open-mindedness of my conservative friends. That’s ironic since the main goal of the book is to get everyone thinking about the issues that are keeping us apart in our fragmented society.

Maybe I’ll put my hands where my mouth is and rectify that.

Culture Buzz

In an effort to market a book for a change, I hired a publicity agent, Javier Perez. It cost quite a few sheckles but it has generated some good reviews, email interviews, and two radio interview. There’s an art to participating in a radio interview, which I’m in the beginning stage of learning. With no advance knowledge of what will be asked, there’s a lot of on-the-spot fumbling. However, a pattern is becoming apparent which should help in future.

The latest interview was with John Busbee, who hosts The Culture Buzz using a format of eight fifteen-minute interviews each week on all aspects of the arts. You can find it on www.SandysPen.com by clicking on the book image and selecting Videos & Reviews.

Reviewers are supporting my belief that this book has real merit. Nevertheless, like all new books not written by or for celebrities, it’s very difficult to get it exposure even with those sheckles mentioned earlier. (Spell-checker wants to change “sheckles” to “shackles”, which might not be too far off base when applied to my book.) In the past, I’ve broadcasted a book announcement to most friends in my address book. So far, not this time. Why? Well, even though it’s a gripping read, it has political overtones which I’m reluctant to trust to the open-mindedness of my conservative friends. That’s ironic since the main goal of the book is to get everyone thinking about the issues that are keeping us apart in our fragmented society.

Maybe I’ll put my hands where my mouth is and rectify that.

Autocracies

We all know a democracy involves a government responsive to the will of a majority of its citizenry. Autocracies are much more nebulous though they have a common characteristic. A small group of insiders rule the nation using a figurehead they select to issue their rules. Often the power goes to the “leader’s” head, converting him to a dictator.  I used the “him” advisedly since they seem always to be male.

Autocracies come in many forms:
Monarchs with their nobles (royalties before they were stripped of authority)
A military dictator with high-ranking generals (Genghis Kahn for example)
The Pope with Vatican officials
The Ayatollah with senior religious leaders
A political leader with supporting oligarchs (Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung,  Putin, ad nauseum)
The leader of a revolution with his lieutenants (Castro)
An emperor with his palace entourage (Japan, Roman empire)

I’m sure you can think up more types and examples. These cliques almost always become very rich at the expense of their exploited population. Their form of government is efficient because things get done without lengthy arguing or dissenting voices. They could even be good for all if they didn’t fall victim to greed or power. The general population suffers more with each passing year until the regime is finally overthrown.

Overthrow can be by a bloody revolution as happened in France, Russia, and America). It can be via a World War involving many nations as in the case of Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy. They can be almost bloodless as it was in England, Canada, and India. It may involve one autocracy taking over another, such as when the Ayatollah theocracy deposed the Shah of Iran. It may not even involve the government as when unions were created to end the industrial reign of railroad, mining, and manufacturing tycoons.

Democracy in the United States is facing its greatest threat since conception. Is it inevitable that our democracy will deteriorate into autocracy? 2,000 years ago, Plato said yes. He believed there is roughly a two-hundred-year cycle in which a democracy is overtaken by an autocracy that impoverishes the populace until the downtrodden revolt and re-establish a government of the people, for the people. He seems right in concept though far too restrictive in his time estimate.

How does all this relate to America today? Well, power is already in the hands of a relatively small group of corporate leaders and rich individuals. They own many media outlets, and a strong propaganda machine is in place. They have gained control of the Republican Party which now should be renamed the Autocratic Party. They have manipulated the presidential election system to enable a win with 47% or less of the popular vote. Their only large mistake to date was selecting a corrupt, unintelligent narcissist as their mouthpiece. They probably won’t make that mistake in the 2024 Democratic/Autocratic election.

Sadly, the myth they have created is believed by a significant percentage of the people being exploited. Not just believed, fervently believed. Effective propaganda accomplishes two things; namely, make people believe its story and then close their mind to argument or even discussion. The human brain is wired for that form of exploitation. Over millions of years, human survival depended on uniting behind a strong leader. Worked fine when all the leader got was adulation, perhaps more than one partner, but not a palace, four mansions, private jets, and billions salted away in secret bank accounts.

Can the process be reversed or is it too late? In America, we still have a House of Representatives, and recently they have tried to protect voting rights and improve the general economy. But each measure is blocked by a Senate with a razor thin Democratic majority. The will of the people remains thwarted. Only with a solid majority of Democrats over Autocrats in both House and Senate can a reversal be successful. That’s why 2024 is so pivotal to democracy in America.

Videos Now

Studio SG2022 (tongue in cheek)

This elaborately equipped home studio is the sight of a recent production of two videos now available on my website (www.SandysPen.com). In the first, on the main screen, I introduce myself and approach to books. The second is a trailer that can be tracked down from my ‘You Speak for Me Now’ page. Taping them was fun. Viewing them was humbling in the sense they too visibly reveal the ravages of time that our minds tend to deceptively hide.

In addition to a number of email interviews, I’ve now appeared on two live radio shows. Matching delivery with a professional host is an impossibility and I have yet to hear either broadcast. The second was taped and will soon be available for streaming, so hopefully I will be able to give you another laugh.

Writing Style

“

You Speak for Me Now is on the market in paperback and Kindle format!

Guess it speaks for me now.

It enjoys something foreign to my earlier books, attention to marketing. They, poor souls, were left to fend for themselves. Even enjoying high ratings and praise, they essentially remained lost in the sea of books floating about.

So, for the first time, I’ve brought a publicity agent into the fray as an experiment. To date, it’s cost roughly $4,500. Each $15.00 book generates $1.50 in royalties, so I need to sell 3,000 copies to break even (a daunting tasks with zero sales so far). That’s right, Amazon keeps 90% of the revenue and passes 10% to the author. How else can Bezos keep his 250 plus billion net worth growing. Poor fellow, if any of us were lucky enough to be able to invest a million dollars each year, we could match him in something over 250,000 years. That’s why the greed of Bezos, Musk and their ilk, together with large corporations, is driving economic disparity to nation destroying levels.

But I digress. Let’s return to my microscopic little universe and review progress with You Speak for Me Now. So far it has resulted in three major reviews, three email interviews, and a half hour live radio interview. The reviews can be read on my website (www.SandysPen.com). Two are very positive, the third a little less, citing the reviewer thought the extensive use of dialog tedious.

“Tedious” dialog is surprising. I believe dialog allows the reader to engage with the characters and live through their triumphs and pitfalls. If anything, it makes the story move faster.  Mark Twain thought that also. Why did this reviewer feel differently? Probably he or she is constantly reviewing books and perhaps uses more of a scanning or speed-reading approach. That would explain it since dialog trips up a speed-reader who can skip over the background descriptive narrative without fear of missing key points. Bottom line: If your goal is to set a book volume record, skirt around my books. It it’s to enjoy living with the characters, home in on them.

Winter Garments

Our “citrus grove” has its winter cloak on’

“Grove” is stretching reality a bit. It contains one lime tree and one Safsumi mandarin orange which the nursery claimed was sufficiently hardy for our location. I doubt that. In an effort to prove them right, this gently heated eyesore will make an appearance each winter and be removed when the frost season ends. Of course, windstorms like we had on Monday may well end its life prematurely.

Here it is up close before the side panels were added, showing our two little friends. The roof is needed to handle a significant snowfall. Notice it’s tied on with short pieces of rope. It’s easy to remove, as are the end panels and the side panels roll down when the cold ends – or a windstorm is forecast. In summer, there’s a relatively inconspicuous pipe skeleton that holds up the deer fence.

Yes, it’s a way too much work for a few lemons and hopefully delicious oranges. But who can ignore a challenge? If you hear nothing about our citrus grove next year, you’ll know I failed and planted potatoes instead.

PS: Almost missed a “forest fire in the sky” sunset last night:

Pillage Trilogy Published

This series traces the tragedies and triumphs experienced by Delbert Pillage and Sylvia Cairns on British Columbia islands in the 1940-70 time period. Heart-wrenching, heart-warming historical fiction.

Some of you will recognize these books as the “Two Love” series re-titled and you will be right. They have received some refinement and editing, particularly Life Shattered, but the stories haven’t changed. So, why re-title them? Because a reviewer once said she expected a romance novel and while she thought the book was four star quality, gave it a two star rating instead. That has bothered me ever since, especially since it is the only bad rating Two Loves Lost has received.

These books are literary fiction that cross genre borders of young adult, romance, adventure, and historical fiction. Yes, the mid 1900’s are now history. Not just in years, but also in culture and lifestyle. It makes me melancholy to realize I’m a relic of that bygone era, yet there’s a measure of pride as well. People were more civil then, less materialistic, less stressed daily. They ate natural food for the most part and were spared the mental invasion of television. But yes, that’s history now.

If you haven’t read any of these books when cloaked in a Two Loves cover, I challenge you to read only one. Each whets the appetite for the next. In fact, I’m beginning to wish I had not labelled it a trilogy since thoughts are brewing for another one. Could it be called Volume 4 of the trilogy? Or do they have to all be changed to a tetralogy, quadrology, or whatever one calls a set of four. The smart thing would have been to simply call it a series.

If you haven’t read Volume 1, let me tell you that amongst the high ratings:

One woman read 116 pages the day she received it and finished it the next day.A man said he got up in the middle of the night to read some more chapters.Another woman cancelled a hair appointment so she could keep reading.

Foregoing a hair appointment is just about the highest praise a book could receive. In any case, if you’re unfamiliar with these books and now curious, you can peek inside on http://www.sandyspen.com.