Ingrid Hall's Blog, page 9

Review of: Clockworkers by Ramsey Isler

Clockworkers by Ramsey Isler

Review by Don Sloan

Ramsey Isler is an author, screenwriter, software developer, and designer who lives in Los Angeles. He loves books, anything with circuits and wires, and cats.

For fiction, Ramsey usually writes urban fantasy that blends elements of science fiction and suspense. His stories feature young protagonists that are often unsure of themselves, but they find the strength to persevere when faced with extreme circumstances. Ramsey does not write traditional “evil” villains or black-and-white morality tales; he instead opts for antagonists and anti-heroes who have viewpoints and ideals that pose difficult moral challenges for the protagonists, and the worlds they inhabit.

Clockworkers is a delightful, whimsical tale about a young woman who encounters an elf, originally a friend of her late father’s.

The elf, whose name is Piv, is clever, and — as it turns out — he has a lot of little elf friends. Together, they apply their singular skills to help the young woman, Sam, build a thriving luxury watch company.

But Sam is headstrong, stubborn, and singleminded — to the eventual detriment of the enterprise. Although, it’s not her fault when, about halfway through the book, things take a decidedly dark turn involving the bossy senior partner in the watch venture.

Without giving too much away, let me just say that one of the elves turns out to not be as jolly as his compatriots, and grim results ensue.

I liked Clockworkers a lot. It’s well-written and edited perfectly, and the plotline moves along nicely, keeping the reader engaged to the very end. Oh, and did I mention that it’s also a love story?

The novel is a cautionary look at what happens when we get what we wish for sometimes, as the old saying goes. Sam is a fully fleshed-out character with plenty of flaws — as any good protagonist should be, for credibility’s sake.

There are several good lines:

“Sarah’s couch was narrow and leathery, and it had serpentine curves that were pleasing to the eye, but tortuous on the human spine. Sleeping on it was like resting on the belly of a malnourished crocodile with scoliosis.”

And another:

“It’s the American way,” Sam said. “Steal the best ideas from other cultures, remix them and make them your own.”

The book is set in the Detroit area, not exactly known for its beauty, but the author somehow imbues the settings for the novel in ways that make me wish I could visit the area sometime. The elves love woods and flowers above all other settings, and all they could ever want are found right there in the middle of what I always thought was the Rust Belt. Who knew?

Review of: Geisha With Green Eyes by India Millar

Geisha With Green Eyes by India Millar

Review by Don Sloan

In Geisha With Green Eyes, nineteenth century Tokyo (called Edo, in the Floating World that was Japan in those days), comes alive with suspense and enough torrid romance to satisfy even the most prurient of readers.

A masterpiece of good storytelling with meticulous attention to detail, Geisha With Green Eyes is an historical romance of the first order, with a strong central female character that you will quickly come to care deeply about.

Midori No Me is the Geisha With Green Eyes — the product of a union between a famous Geisha and a red-haired Englishman, raised from birth in The Hidden House, adjacent to The Green Tea House, each one housing beautiful and delicate geisha and courtesans available for the pleasure and amusement of men.

For it is a world ruled by men — make no mistake. The author does a wonderful job of painting her characters with just the right amount of resignation and fierce pride that ruled the days — and nights — of these remarkable women.

Midori is supported by an enchanting ensemble of memorable women who share her fate — to be ready and willing to pleasure the men who visit The Hidden House. And pleasure them they do, in the most explicit ways.

The book is essentially a well-plotted tale of romance and intrigue as Midori No Me tries to find true love among the near-constant stream of “clients” who frequent the establishment ruled by a domineering Japanese madam known as Auntie, and policed by a pair of muscle-bound male Geisha named Big and Bigger (I’ll leave it to you to figure out how they got their names.)

Here’s a sample of the writing style employed so well by the author:

“Danjuro put his hands on my shoulders, his thumbs digging into the base of my neck. I felt his strength, could almost smell his desire. I trembled, wanting him to take me any way he wished . . .”

Midori visits the Kabuki Theatre, where her beloved Danjuro is the lead actor. She longs to perform onstage alongside him, but this, of course, is only one of the many roles forbidden in this feudal society. Of equal importance is the submissive posture that must be assumed by all women in nineteenth century Japan — a fact that seems foreign to those of us brought up to accept women as equals today.

At first, the use of so many Japanese terms without explanation is a little disconcerting, forcing the reader to quickly accept the terms and move on as the action heats up. But after awhile, the many references become just a part of the unfolding story, riveting the reader literally to his or her chair.

I give Geisha With Green Eyes five stars and recommend it to anyone who likes their romance unequivocally steamy.

Review of An Empire of Traitors by Serban Valentin Constantin Enache

 

Review by Carlton Rolle

  Serban Valentin Constantin Enache was born on March 25, 1989 in Bucharest, Romania. He is licensed in journalism and is the creator of the Of Hate And Laughter series. His interests are: MMT (modern monetary theory), politics, history, literature, television, movies, games, and music (from epic soundtracks to gothic metal).

An Empire of Traitors is the first book in a series titled Of Hate and Laughter. It’s a story about a far off land and its inhabitants. The land is split into five different realms, each of which is governed by noble families of the area. All together the empire is ruled over by royal blood known as the Sun Born. All families seek to gain honor and fortunes. Some are loyal and honorable to the throne and oaths that they have taken. Other members are willing to do whatever it takes to gain more power.

The story takes place eight years after a severely bloody civil war between the Empire’s Inquisition and a worshipper of blood gods known as Zygar Ferus. The Sun Born emperor, Hagyai Rovines Mero, is worried about the progression of his blood line through his son. The emperor sends a named Sycarus to a far off land to re-ignite an ancient custom of marrying with Desertland people known as Aharo. As people in the empire discover the emperor’s plans, dissention begins to spread wide. Being pre-occupied with his own thoughts, he fails to notice and act on the treachery that is spreading in his realm. From another distant land his exiled brother, Amarius Soronius decides to conquer the throne and take back his seat as the emperor of the land.

 With the aid of several nobles, Amarius returns to the empire. He locks his brother in a prison cell and takes the crown for himself. He begins to settle debts and honor those that assisted him. While things seem to work out in the aftermath, the tidal wave of dissent is fully in motion.

In another part of the empire, a woman of the holy faith named Drakanes witnesses the lies and deceit of people in power. She witnesses a falsehood of a public trail and decides to defend the man. After a grueling argument and trail by battle, Drakanes wins. She is honored by moving up in the ranks of the holy faith. In her new seat of power, she learns of even more treachery as her life is placed on the line again.

The story also takes points of interest in the Northlands. This area is ruled by Kalafar Sodomis. While him and his brother act accordingly for their family, they notice the change of the lands in the South with the emperor. Weighing on the side of caution, the family decides to wait further to see the outcome of the war. In the midst of handling affairs, past deeds of other lords come to the forefront and the Warden of Northlands must take action or justice.

One quote that stood out to me that encompasses the storyline (and much of “real life” as well) is “All the world’s a stage; a stage of actors, jugglers dancers, singers, storytellers. And the puppeteers are neither gods, nor kings, nor priests but simple men, wicked men, insidious and cruel, liar and sweet talkers. The stage is made through the toil of sheep. The sheep are kept in place, in part by shepherds, in part by wolves – and all of them are dogs. Golden fleeces adorn the outside of the stage, while the slaughter happens at the back, behind the curtains, under the loudness of music and cheer, whispers and shouts.”

As the plot unfolds for the various characters, my emotional balance and thoughts towards characters shifted. The book is in the same category of Game of Thrones. In some cases, maybe a little too similar. Nonetheless, it is an interesting book. If you are in need of a good read with a lot of twists, politics, and battle, I recommend reading An Empire Of Traitors and find out the depths in which people are willing to travel in the name of honor and power.

Check out more from the author at his site: http://serbanvcenache.blogspot.ro/

Free Download: Our Day of Passing – An Anthology of Short Stories, Poems and Essays

It’s here!

Our Day of Passing – An Anthology of Short Stories, Poems and Essays is now available to download FREE of charge! Simply click here to download in a format of your choice from Smashwords. A print version will be available in the Autumn (That’s the Fall to my American friends!)

Do you have a macabre fascination with death and the afterlife?

If so, then this anthology is definitely for you. While some see the subject of death as too morbid to contemplate, others such as the skilled writers that have contributed to this anthology, view it as the perfect subject to stimulate creative thinking. Much like ‘love’ and ‘war’, the topic of death has the ability to draw out some of the most thought-provoking pieces ever to fill a blank sheet of paper.

Our Day of Passing is formed from an eclectic and diverse mix of short stories, poems, fictions and essays. Contributions have been assembled from over 30 talented writers across the globe, each with their own fascinating interpretation of an event that comes to us all…eventually.

Written by Ingrid Hall, Franco Esposito, Dennis Higgins, Virginia Wright, Candida Spillard, Valeri Beers, Dada Vedaprajinananda, Strider Marcus Jones, Adam E. Morrison, Allyson Lima, D. B. Mauldin, David A. Slater, David King, Dee Thompson, Donald Illich, Edward Meiman, Eileen Hugo, Emily Olson, Joan McNerney, J.S. Little, Kin Asdi, Madison Meadows, Malobi Sinha, Marianne Szlyk, Mark Aspa, Mark David McClure, Megan Caito, Michael Brookes, Michael Burke, Pijush Kanti Deb, Prince Adewale Oreshade, Rafeeq O. McGiveron, Robin Reiss, Sasha Kasoff, Stephanie Buosi, Talia Haven

Whether they resonate with your own circumstances or provide new wisdom or something to ponder over, each of these carefully selected pieces will undoubtedly unlock a series of emotions within you. The anthology has been written in such a way that it can either be devoured or dipped in and out of as your emotions dictate. Either way, you can expect to feel a greater sense of self and enlightenment from reading it.

Review of: …And Death Will Seize the Doctor, Too by Jeremiah H. Swanson

…And Death Will Seize the Doctor, Too by Jeremiah H. Swanson

Review by Don Sloan

Christian is a man with his whole life in front of him. Several lives, in fact.

But wait — I’m getting ahead of the story.

Christian Thompson is the lead character in the book And Death Will Seize the Doctor, Too. His gift is unique: he can take one person’s life and give it to another. In fact, the book opens with him extracting the life essence from a condemned killer by placing his hand over the man’s heart.

“He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply once again, forcing himself to ignore the prison stench of cement, bleach and urine as his awareness expanded further, to the grip and push of Walter’s heart muscles and the dizzying swirl of blood flowing through the veins . . .”

Thus begins this rich and complex mystery, which leads the reader across continents and into back alleys around the world, always in search of Christian’s next victim, and his next recipient.

Christian gives the life essence of the felon to a ruthless man named Julian Stark — even though the transfer is intended to save the life of his comatose wife, Elizabeth. The forced transfer takes place at the point of a gun, and the rest of the book chronicles Christian’s desperate search for an alternative donor that will save the woman he loves.

This novel explores the depths of moral vicissitudes and, in often rapid-fire dialogue, follows Christian and Julian around the world, always tied to each other now through an unholy bond that continually feeds Christian’s hunger for more and more life essences.

We find out how Christian got his “gift,” and he finds out that “the scariest moment in a dark room is just before you turn on the light.” He must make a life-altering decision about using his powers for good — or evil.

“Was the dark so terrible?” he asks himself. “Contentment can be found in struggle and misery can be tamed.”

So he succumbs to an ungodly search for life essences — always seeking more, searching for the one that will bring Elizabeth back to him. It’s a long journey, with many unexpected twists and turns. Does he finally succeed?

That’s the tantalizing question that haunts the reader right up to the end.

Interwoven through this tale are fascinating subplots, and characters like Anna, who sacrifices both arms in the African wilderness, yet finds wholeness and redemption for her tormented soul and body  eventually through another key figure, Lydia. What do they have to do with the story’s rich and satisfying denouement? You must read the book all the way to its conclusion to find out.

I give And Death Will Seize the Doctor five solid stars, and hope to see more from this talented author in the near future.

Review of According to Adam compiled and edited by Beryl Belsky

Review by Don Sloan

Beryl Belsky, the owner of The Writer’s Drawer website, and compiler and editor of the book, According to Adam, is an academic editor and writer. She has pulled together twenty tales from writers around the world, and has done an outstanding job. All the stories are first-rate.

In “The Affair,”a rendezvous is recounted long years after the fact in aching detail — a man and woman, not married to each other, meet for one glorious day at a resort on Mount Tambourine in Australia. The ending is bittersweet, and I won’t give it away, but there is one touching passage I want to highlight from the story:

“What do I see ahead now? For me there is no blackness, no rebirth, just an eternity of nothingness interrupted by a wonderful moment of sentience.”

In a story from India, “A Tale from Ikkapur,” a woman on the way to visit her mother, with two small children in tow, must endure a dusty four-hour bus trip. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, the mother dies during preparation to meet her daughter and grandchildren. There are yet two more twists to this story, however, that leave the reader a little shaken. It too has a memorable passage:

“The funeral pyre was all burnt out, leaving only a few dying embers. The wisps of smoke rising from them created velvety curtains in the dusk. The unusual calm was deafening.”

In a story from Israel, “A Boy, a Girl, and the Sea,” a woman looks back fondly on her memories of an unconsummated teenage love. “Beyond the village is the Mediterranean Sea. I envy the Sea its coolness on this hot August day.”

In “Sign Language for the Blind,”a much-loved but taciturn grandfather who hangs himself is remembered years later: “Our world’s were separated by a fixed and impassable gulf that cut us off from him more surely than an iron-studded brick wall could have done.”

“Rain,” a reminiscence from Canberra, Australia, chronicles the dilemma of a farmstead locked in a drought 2,000 days long. It cannot deliver itself from foreclosure, and the owner hangs himself, overwrought with guilt and shame. His young son tries to sleep the night before the funeral. “It was a restless and disturbed slumber, full of dust and despair.”

“The Sleep of Reason” examines what may happen to you if you choose cryogenic sleep over cancer treatment, reasoning that a cure will be discovered by the time you wake up. “He finally distinguished the faces of those around: shapeless bulbs with disgusting fringes of flaccid flesh, hanging over things that could be eyes, or mouths, or beaks, or something else.” Deliciously creepy.

This fine collection of short stories is an international celebration of the craft of writing, and the editor deserves kudos for bringing them together.

You can also view our review of the first book in the series here

Review of Damascena – The Tale of Roses and Rumi by Holly Lynn Payne

Review by Don Sloan

Holly Lynn Payne is an internationally published novelist in ten countries whose work has been translated into eight languages. Her new novel, DAMASCENA: the Tale of Roses and Rumi, unravels the mystery surrounding a gifted orphaned girl who meets the great Persian poet and mystic Rumi in the 13th century and discovers the secret of the rose.

In Damascena, author Holly Payne writes so beautifully, you’ll want to cry.

The storyline follows a young girl from her tortured birth in a monastery through her adolescence, as she becomes a reluctant seer and saint — through no effort of her own. The imagery of roses — their scent and ability to heal — permeates this tale from start to finish

Damascena is raised by a monk named Ivan Balev, who is himself a tortured soul. The story centers — in the first part of the book, anyway — on the love-hate relationship between Ivan and Damascena. He tries to capitalize on her unique talents, and Damascena, for her part, only wants to find the mother who abandoned her so long ago.

The book is replete with the poetry of Melviana Rumi, a thirteenth century mystic who also serves as a spiritual guide to Damascena.

There are many superb passages:

“He wondered how a person so small and inexperienced in life could have so much power over someone eight times her size.”

“Her tear fell into Damascena’s head, and they held each other in the dark for one blessed moment, becoming for the other what they had lost.”

“She had no more ability to fix a broken wing than she did to repair the scars in her heart.”

Damascena is haunting, at turns lyrical and bewitching, at other times straightforward prose that carries this remarkable young girl toward her destiny. It was easy to relate to the book’s chief characters, and to be drawn toward the inescapable lesson most obvious in the book: that love should rule our lives daily — even when faced with fear and trepidation.

Reading of this book — and enjoyment of it — does not hinge on any prior knowledge of Sufism or the writings of Rumi. It is both captivating and educational, sending the reader on a journey to ancient Turkey and Bulgaria to witness first-hand Damascena’s trials and triumphs.

I enjoyed this book and give it five stars.

Our Day of Passing – An Anthology of Short Stories, Poems and Essays

FREE on Smashwords from 31st July 2015 – Print edition to follow within a couple of months.

Do you have a macabre fascination with death and the afterlife?

If so, then this anthology is definitely for you and best of all it is FREE. Whilst some see the subject of death as too morbid to contemplate, others such as the skilled writers that have contributed to this anthology, view it as the perfect subject to stimulate creative thinking. Much like ‘love’ and ‘war’, the topic of death has the ability to draw out some of the most thought-provoking pieces ever to fill a blank sheet of paper.

Our Day of Passing is formed from an eclectic and diverse mix of short stories, poems, and essays. Contributions have been assembled from over 30 talented writers across the globe, each with their own fascinating interpretation of an event that comes to us all…eventually.

Written by Ingrid Hall, Franco Esposito, Dennis Higgins, Virginia Wright, Candida Spillard, Valeri Beers, Dada Vedaprajinananda, Strider Marcus Jones, Adam E. Morrison, Allyson Lima, D. B. Mauldin, David A. Slater, David King, Dee Thompson, Donald Illich, Edward Meiman, Eileen Hugo, Emily Olson, Joan McNerney, J.S. Little, Kin Asdi, Madison Meadows, Malobi Sinha, Marianne Szlyk, Mark Aspa, Mark David McClure, Megan Caito, Michael Brookes, Michael Burke, Pijush Kanti Deb, Prince Adewale Oreshade, Rafeeq O. McGiveron, Robin Reiss, Sasha Kasoff, Stephanie Buosi, Talia Haven

Whether they resonate with your own circumstances or provide new wisdom or something to ponder over, each of these carefully selected pieces will undoubtedly unlock a series of emotions within you. The anthology has been written in such a way that it can either be devoured or dipped in and out of as your emotions dictate. Either way, you can expect to feel a greater sense of self and enlightenment from reading it.

Review of Micro Stories for a Hectic World by Edward Meiman

 

Review by Carlton Rolle  

Edward Meiman was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1964. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Dayton in 1987 and received a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from George Mason University. He has lived in Louisville, KY; Dayton & Chillicothe, OH; Detroit, MI; Madison, WI; and Metro Washington, DC. Mr. Meiman has worked in Horse Racing, Paper Production, Industrial Chemical Production, Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Landscape Architecture, Behavioral Research, Government Consulting, and IT Development. His jobs have let him travel throughout most of the United States and to over 10 countries. His writings have included both creative and technical.

Micro Stories for a Hectic World, brings together many of the wide-ranging experiences and ideas he has gathered throughout his life. The novel is presented as short stories. The stories are made up of seven genres: Humor, Slice of Life, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Action and Adventure, and Different Perspective. All of the genres had interesting pieces that stood out to me.

“Always Archive What is Important To YOU” sheds light on a man named Martin Queiroz and his behavior of keeping a digital copy of all of his professional life. It opens the door to the legacy that people leave.

“Heavenly Strings” captures the story of a violist looking for a place to fit into the world. He travels through several areas to eventually finding a new home.

“The Dragon’s Tooth” puts you right in the middle of the action. A team of skilled fighters are battling a dragon.

“Night World” is a story about how people adapted to life on a rouge planet with no home sun. A narrative was from a tourist perspective of two major cities on the planet, Daybreak (known for its artificial Sun and paranoia culture) and Dreamscape (people who have gained heighted senses from their loss of sight).

“Their Time” was a story of the last moments of several people’s lives. A major earthquake struck off of the coast of San Diego, California and caused one of the largest and deadliest tsunami in history.

“Broaching the subject” delved into the guns-blazing version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. A criminal team cased their next place to rob. When they arrived, the team fell into a battle with a mysteriously strong female.

“The Dark Pool of Desire” is a letter sent from a man to his sister. In the letter, the man gives his farewell as he decides to kill himself after fulfilling his life’s destiny.

What’s even more interesting about most of these stories, is that they can be used as a mental or writing prompt. Some off the stories provide fresh insight into a different territory. I appreciated this book. Like many other people, Meiman seeks to make sense of everyday living, or just get away, either way it is “Cool” to me. This book is great for someone that doesn’t want to spend too much time searching for an interesting read. All of the stories are short and meaningful.

For more information on the book and the author, visit: http://www.meiman-ed.com/microstories

Some of Ed’s work will also appear in Our Day Of Passing – An Anthology of Short Stories, Essays and Poems which will be published July 31st 2015

 

Catherine Cookson – Her Life and Legacy

Originally posted on Johns blog:

Catherine Cookson is a literary giant – one of the most widely read authors in the UK, with over 100 million of her books being sold throughout history. While her books are some of the most exciting, emotional and gripping to have ever been written, her own life is just as interesting – a tale of poverty, hardship, distress and incredible success.

So, the below article won’t be about her literary creations – famous characters such as Tilly Trotter and Kate Hannigan – but instead about her. From her deprived childhood in South Shields through to her local legacy, surely Cookson herself is the most interesting part of her story?

Childhood

Catherine Ann McCullen was born in Tyne Dock, South Shields, in 1906. Immediately she was born into a life of poverty. She was brought up by her grandparents and lived with them alongside her sister – or who she…

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