My Review of
A Horse Called Trouble
by C. K. Volnek
Perfect read for teens
This is a lovely uplifting book about a troubled girl and a troublesome horse who find love and trust in each other. The ranch setting is appealing and provides a great contrast for the dark, internal and external conflicts which drive the story.
In ‘A Horse Called Trouble’, Ms Volnek explores the sensitive issues in childhood and adolescence of ‘the haves’ and ‘have nots’, of friendships and jealousies, of rejection and bullying, and shows us a strong central character who fights on, and grows, in spite of the odds. We are drawn into the story from the start, and held there, feeling we are participants in 13-year-old Tara’s life. How we love Tara and Trouble.
Beautifully written, evoking a gamut of emotions, ‘A Horse Called Trouble’ is a lesson for bullies and encouragement for those who are treated unfairly. But more than this, the book is a gripping adventure to be loved and passed on from generation to generation. ‘A Horse Called Trouble’ is up there with the classics. I loved it.
A Horse Called Trouble
by C. K. Volnek
Perfect read for teens
This is a lovely uplifting book about a troubled girl and a troublesome horse who find love and trust in each other. The ranch setting is appealing and provides a great contrast for the dark, internal and external conflicts which drive the story.
In ‘A Horse Called Trouble’, Ms Volnek explores the sensitive issues in childhood and adolescence of ‘the haves’ and ‘have nots’, of friendships and jealousies, of rejection and bullying, and shows us a strong central character who fights on, and grows, in spite of the odds. We are drawn into the story from the start, and held there, feeling we are participants in 13-year-old Tara’s life. How we love Tara and Trouble.
Beautifully written, evoking a gamut of emotions, ‘A Horse Called Trouble’ is a lesson for bullies and encouragement for those who are treated unfairly. But more than this, the book is a gripping adventure to be loved and passed on from generation to generation. ‘A Horse Called Trouble’ is up there with the classics. I loved it.
My Review of
THE SUGAR HOUSE by JEAN SCHEFFLER
For history lovers and those particularly interested in the prohibition era and the developing criminal culture of the time, The Sugar House is a well researched history of Detroit in the early 20th century. The settings are clearly visible and the characters well defined and contrasted, especially Marya and Cappie. The author captures all of the unique voices.
We follow Joe, a likeable young Polish boy growing up in America from the age of eight, and are drawn into his home and the daily life of his family. We taste their food, pray with them, laugh and cry with them. We care about them. Children like Joe had to grow up fast in the Polish section of Detroit, but there were moments at the beginning when I thought the language and concepts relating to the eight-year old boy were too advanced for such a young age. I had to remind myself he wasn’t fourteen. A few descriptions, e.g the baseball game and the drive with the doctor to look at famous houses, were too long and slowed the pace of the story, as did some back-story when inserted into the action.
However, as Joe developed, the novel flowed beautifully and the fascinating drama in the story drew me right in and held my undivided attention. I gained a real sense of Joe’s goals and his motivation. The Sugar House helps us understand, without condoning, why a youth can be lured to the wrong path.
Ms Scheffler has created a believable family whose tragedy impacts on the reader. While transporting us back in time to a most entertaining episode in American history, Ms Scheffler makes us think. Would we have coped as Joe did, or would we be more like Marya? I guess, unless you read The Sugar House you will never know.
I recommend this book.
THE SUGAR HOUSE by JEAN SCHEFFLER
For history lovers and those particularly interested in the prohibition era and the developing criminal culture of the time, The Sugar House is a well researched history of Detroit in the early 20th century. The settings are clearly visible and the characters well defined and contrasted, especially Marya and Cappie. The author captures all of the unique voices.
We follow Joe, a likeable young Polish boy growing up in America from the age of eight, and are drawn into his home and the daily life of his family. We taste their food, pray with them, laugh and cry with them. We care about them. Children like Joe had to grow up fast in the Polish section of Detroit, but there were moments at the beginning when I thought the language and concepts relating to the eight-year old boy were too advanced for such a young age. I had to remind myself he wasn’t fourteen. A few descriptions, e.g the baseball game and the drive with the doctor to look at famous houses, were too long and slowed the pace of the story, as did some back-story when inserted into the action.
However, as Joe developed, the novel flowed beautifully and the fascinating drama in the story drew me right in and held my undivided attention. I gained a real sense of Joe’s goals and his motivation. The Sugar House helps us understand, without condoning, why a youth can be lured to the wrong path.
Ms Scheffler has created a believable family whose tragedy impacts on the reader. While transporting us back in time to a most entertaining episode in American history, Ms Scheffler makes us think. Would we have coped as Joe did, or would we be more like Marya? I guess, unless you read The Sugar House you will never know.
I recommend this book.
My Review of
INVADED: THE DARKEST DAY by ROSALIE SKINNER
Book Five in the Chronicles of Caleath series.
This is a fast paced novel trapping the reader in a full-on experience
of the power and intensity that dark magic has, especially on the immortal
Caleath as he battles with forces of evil.
In his mission to rescue the
Kentorian princess, Corrine, and to save the planet Allorn from invaders,
Caleath is thrust back into the deadly game. Caleath becomes Tag in order to
hide his identity. When exposed, he suffers great physical pain from his
enemies, but his impossible struggle to contain the vengeful warrior, Wrath,
within himself, ignites a bloodlust he abhors and threatens to destroy his last
feeble grip on innocence and compassion.
Ms Skinner’s beautiful writing and vivid imagination delivers an
amazing other world filled with such memorable characters as Merkatt, the dragon
Queen; Tallowbrand, the ghost
archmarge; and the dreaded dark lord, Cassius, who wears a cloak that absorbs
light and power. We also welcome back Caleath’s loyal friends, among them
Penwryt the wizard; Gwilt; Raul; Etham; Jenna, the young witch bethrothed to
Spider with the mismatched eyes; and Joel a young wizard. Ms Skinner skilfully
uses violent Nature as the atmospheric backdrop to the violence in this story,
so that Nature is almost a character in itself.
Strap yourself in for another exhilarating, fabulous adventure in a
fantasy world like no other, teeming with vibrant life. You’ll keep coming back
for more of this series The Chronicles of Caleath.
INVADED: THE DARKEST DAY by ROSALIE SKINNER
Book Five in the Chronicles of Caleath series.
This is a fast paced novel trapping the reader in a full-on experience
of the power and intensity that dark magic has, especially on the immortal
Caleath as he battles with forces of evil.
In his mission to rescue the
Kentorian princess, Corrine, and to save the planet Allorn from invaders,
Caleath is thrust back into the deadly game. Caleath becomes Tag in order to
hide his identity. When exposed, he suffers great physical pain from his
enemies, but his impossible struggle to contain the vengeful warrior, Wrath,
within himself, ignites a bloodlust he abhors and threatens to destroy his last
feeble grip on innocence and compassion.
Ms Skinner’s beautiful writing and vivid imagination delivers an
amazing other world filled with such memorable characters as Merkatt, the dragon
Queen; Tallowbrand, the ghost
archmarge; and the dreaded dark lord, Cassius, who wears a cloak that absorbs
light and power. We also welcome back Caleath’s loyal friends, among them
Penwryt the wizard; Gwilt; Raul; Etham; Jenna, the young witch bethrothed to
Spider with the mismatched eyes; and Joel a young wizard. Ms Skinner skilfully
uses violent Nature as the atmospheric backdrop to the violence in this story,
so that Nature is almost a character in itself.
Strap yourself in for another exhilarating, fabulous adventure in a
fantasy world like no other, teeming with vibrant life. You’ll keep coming back
for more of this series The Chronicles of Caleath.
My review of
STRAYS OF RIO by EDITH PARZEFALL.
Scarred, Scared, Stalked. A Social Statement.
Strays of Rio by Edith Parzefall
is an action packed thriller in which homeless children are targets of a private
death squad, and their protector is at risk from an unknown
stalker.
Scarred by her own abusive childhood, bookstore owner
Lisa Kerry shelters a group of homeless children in fashionable Copacabana,
Rio de Janeiro, from the private death squad hunting them down.
Acting on her vow to protect the street urchins and rid the city of the killers,
Lisa is drawn into the terrifying world of drug lords and corrupt officialdom,
and she takes us with her.
Lisa is a tortured young woman who resembles Lisbet Salandar,
but with a softer side. She finds her purpose in life, but the purpose could
destroy her body and soul at the very moment she is discovering love
for the first time, awakened in her by a handsome, persistent American. Her
determination to avenge the street kids threatens to compromise her integrity
and her chance for happiness.
As we ride through the streets of Rio, frozen in fear with Lisa, the author, Edith
Parzefall, makes us question our own values. Faced with the terrifying plight of
street urchins, how far would we go for a principle? Would we turn a blind eye
or, like Lisa, become vigilantes risking our own morals and safety and those of
the one man who loves us, in our quest for retribution? With moments of
incredible warmth as well as edge-of-the-seat horror, Strays of Riois a novel of
striking contrasts: wealth and poverty; the powerful and powerless; the honest
and corrupt; hunter and hunted, but what is most shocking is that these opposing
forces can be switched on and off in the same person good or bad. This is a
violent book right from the beginning and it is unnervingly real.
If you’ve never visited Rio de Janeiro, just open the pages of Edith
Parzefall’s novel, Strays of Rio. She transports you there and immediately you
become part of the exotic scene. From the police on the beaches to the capuchin
monkeys in the bars, to the affluent houses within view of the hillside favelas
(shanty towns), the setting absorbs you. Drug lords rule the favelas, but these
impoverished communities are so dangerous one drug lord insists his young
brother must live on the street in a gang with other urchins, for his own safety.
The characters have real personalities, real concerns and real agendas and the
grubby little thieves have a way of getting under your skin. That's what endeared
the street kids to me.
Strays of Rio
is a most worthwhile book, timely and topical, especially since the city is
being cleaned up in time for the Olympics of 2016. This story needs to be heard
if street children everywhere are to be valued, protected and cared for. I highly recommend
it.
My Reivew of FLASH HARRY by CAROLE SUTTON
Dramatic Thriller set in Asia.
The mystery of who killed Liz Tremaine’s mother and the animosity of the controlling boyfriend are ever present concerns while Liz sets about finding her father, Harry, whom she hasn’t seen for seventeen years. Her search takes her from
Australia, and Sydney’s fashionable suburbs, to Thailand and the seedy side of Bangkok. In a Bangkok night club, Liz meets her father’s ex business partner who is less than helpful; he sends his thugs to follow and intimidate her. The call girls who like ‘Flash Harry’ are more forth coming with information, but they haven’t seen him for two years. Shocked by the revelations about her father’s business and his associates, but refusing to heed the many warnings to leave Bangkok, Liz becomes caught in a web of international pornography and trafficking. The bad guys are determined to be rid of her at any cost.
Liz teams up with Coby Archer, the Australian policeman tracking down Harry for his own reasons. He is helpful and attentive, a much nicer person to be around than her boyfriend back home, and Coby protects her whether she wants him to or not, but he is risking his own life to do so.
The author, Carole Sutton, is a wonderful story teller. She is a master of suspense and has a knack of drawing the reader inside the setting and holding him there. I’m sure the author must have visited the location because the details of the streets, the people’s expressions and the climate have a realism that comes only from first hand experience. That’s why I believed everything Liz saw and suffered and I endured the boat chase, spray and all, as if I were on it, too. Behind-the-scenes Bangkok seems very real and scary even with Sutton’s brave heroine and hero to guide us through.
Clever phrases and unexpected turns enrich the writing in this exposé which keeps us guessing until the end. From the chilling prologue and tragic first chapter through to
the brutally satisfying end, I found Flash Harry to be gripping, entertaining, enlightening and a thoroughly satisfying read.
Highly recommended.
Dramatic Thriller set in Asia.
The mystery of who killed Liz Tremaine’s mother and the animosity of the controlling boyfriend are ever present concerns while Liz sets about finding her father, Harry, whom she hasn’t seen for seventeen years. Her search takes her from
Australia, and Sydney’s fashionable suburbs, to Thailand and the seedy side of Bangkok. In a Bangkok night club, Liz meets her father’s ex business partner who is less than helpful; he sends his thugs to follow and intimidate her. The call girls who like ‘Flash Harry’ are more forth coming with information, but they haven’t seen him for two years. Shocked by the revelations about her father’s business and his associates, but refusing to heed the many warnings to leave Bangkok, Liz becomes caught in a web of international pornography and trafficking. The bad guys are determined to be rid of her at any cost.
Liz teams up with Coby Archer, the Australian policeman tracking down Harry for his own reasons. He is helpful and attentive, a much nicer person to be around than her boyfriend back home, and Coby protects her whether she wants him to or not, but he is risking his own life to do so.
The author, Carole Sutton, is a wonderful story teller. She is a master of suspense and has a knack of drawing the reader inside the setting and holding him there. I’m sure the author must have visited the location because the details of the streets, the people’s expressions and the climate have a realism that comes only from first hand experience. That’s why I believed everything Liz saw and suffered and I endured the boat chase, spray and all, as if I were on it, too. Behind-the-scenes Bangkok seems very real and scary even with Sutton’s brave heroine and hero to guide us through.
Clever phrases and unexpected turns enrich the writing in this exposé which keeps us guessing until the end. From the chilling prologue and tragic first chapter through to
the brutally satisfying end, I found Flash Harry to be gripping, entertaining, enlightening and a thoroughly satisfying read.
Highly recommended.
MY Review of CROSSROADS AT ISCA by LAUREL LAMPERD
TOGAS, TRIBUNES AND TABOOS
Crossroads at Isca draws us into the lives of Romans and Britains in a conquered land. We become part of a local family, or tribe, who rebel against Roman authority, in their different ways. This is a story about betrayal, manipulation, love, honour, duty and fear. Set during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138AD), Isca refers to a Roman legionary fortress and settlement, in South Wales on the plains below the ancient village of Ceobury. The two cultures clash and exploit each other. We watch both camps try to cooperate but also manipulate each other in order to survive and thrive, and our sympathies are constantly changing.
The story hooked me right from the start. I have grave concerns for the two cousins who are unaware of the potential betrayer in their midst. Marella, the dancer, is headed for trouble and she's determined to take Faine, the singer, with her. Faine is a sensible young woman but there is a Roman tribune, Titus, who intrigues her and who is infatuated with her.
I applaud the author, Laurel Lamperd, for her thorough research. This book is rich in history. It has everything from everyday life in the primitive village, where we become part of a family; eating, drinking, laughing, crying and journeying with them, even burying them, to kidnapping, murder and human sacrifice. We come to understand the significance of pagan sacrifice, on the one hand, and on the other, how necessary high priests are and how they become revered. We face the evil from within the clan, admire the strength of the women who carve out their own destinies against impossible odds, and respect the attributes of the Romans.
Lamperd creates believably flawed characters who drive the gripping plot, and she doesn’t shy away from the taboos of the times but handles them with the skill of a seasoned writer.
This historical adventure allows us to experience Roman Britain, first hand. The story is entertaining and enlightening and encourages us to question our own values. Would we succumb in the circumstances?
I must admit, I enjoy everything from this author’s pen.
Highly recommended.
My Review of JOURNEY FROM WALARA by LAUREL LAMPERD
Journey from Walara is a multi layered novel, well researched to give an accurate account of the times, with well chosen descriptions to place us inside the story. It's wonderful.
When Danny and Will Hennessy leave the dust and heat of their vast sheep station, Walara, in north-west Western Australia and sign up to serve in the Armed Forces they have no idea what they are letting themselves in for. Their experience in Australia and in foreign lands becomes the reader's experience and we gain many new friends along the
way.
The dialogue is lively and powers this character driven story. Every character has its own distinctive voice - from the children as they grow and change, to the men and women whose experience of love and war change them.
This second book in the compelling Danyari series, with its joy, humour and tragedy is presented with such loving care from the talented Western Australian author, Laurel Lamperd, who is in tune with her world. From the Western
Australian coast to England during the Blitz, from Sydney and its environs to the muddy track of the treacherous Kokoda trail in New Guinea, Journey from Walara is a physical as well as an emotional journey. This action packed novel
takes us there and makes us feel.
Laurel Lamperd deftly weaves sensual love with the heartache of loss and shows the horror of war with touching
moments and unexpected acts of compassion. I love the Hennessy family. Like friends from afar but often remembered, they remain with me after I close the book and leave Walara. I can't wait until Book 3 is released and I can return to Walara. #
Journey from Walara is a multi layered novel, well researched to give an accurate account of the times, with well chosen descriptions to place us inside the story. It's wonderful.
When Danny and Will Hennessy leave the dust and heat of their vast sheep station, Walara, in north-west Western Australia and sign up to serve in the Armed Forces they have no idea what they are letting themselves in for. Their experience in Australia and in foreign lands becomes the reader's experience and we gain many new friends along the
way.
The dialogue is lively and powers this character driven story. Every character has its own distinctive voice - from the children as they grow and change, to the men and women whose experience of love and war change them.
This second book in the compelling Danyari series, with its joy, humour and tragedy is presented with such loving care from the talented Western Australian author, Laurel Lamperd, who is in tune with her world. From the Western
Australian coast to England during the Blitz, from Sydney and its environs to the muddy track of the treacherous Kokoda trail in New Guinea, Journey from Walara is a physical as well as an emotional journey. This action packed novel
takes us there and makes us feel.
Laurel Lamperd deftly weaves sensual love with the heartache of loss and shows the horror of war with touching
moments and unexpected acts of compassion. I love the Hennessy family. Like friends from afar but often remembered, they remain with me after I close the book and leave Walara. I can't wait until Book 3 is released and I can return to Walara. #
My review of
WIND OVER TROUBLED WATERS
by
EDITH PARZEFALL & FRANCENE STANLEY.
Dark, Edgy, Confronting. Humanity in the raw.
Wind Over Troubled Waters, the first book in a futuristic fantasy series, is a dark, edgy novel, driven by flawed and tortured people struggling to survive in their battered and ruined communities. At its heart, seventeen-year old Cerridwen casts a shining light. She is the hope for humanity.
The story hooks us in the opening scene when Cerridwen flees with her mother from a devastating mudslide in the dead of night. She draws us into her primitive future - a future where derelict buildings and abandoned cars planted with wild herbs are the only evidence of an advanced civilization before the great flood destroyed it.
Cerridwen, named after the goddess of healing, sets out from Red Roof on a quest to find the wise old woman of Hailing who will guide her towards fulfilling her destiny. It is her mother’s dying wish that Cerridwen (Wen) make her country, Britland, a better place for everyone through the power of a moonstone ring.
Even at this young age, it is clear Wen is a gifted healer. She sees and interprets auras of those around her and has visions of the Britland of a bygone era. She comes to rely on a mysterious traveller, named Trevly, who has exceptionally well-developed senses and the ability to calm the wildest beast. Together they make the dangerous trek through Corn World to Hailing. Along the way, Wen brings hope and healing to the needy, in spite of the abuses they subject her to.
Cerridwen’s story runs parallel to Sasha’s, a manipulative, materialistic woman whose nature and purpose are in stark contrast to Wen’s. Sasha travels from the opposite direction, with her two ‘knights’, Boris, a rough brute, and Aron, the man who rescued her from a cruel ‘husk band’ in Pens Dance. Sasha delights in pitting the two men against each other while they travel through Corn World in search of a better future for her, but she becomes separated from them with dire consequences.
The contrast in the lives and nature of the two women is a striking reminder that most people seek a better life for themselves and their friends, but very few of us seek to improve the life of strangers.
In this violent age, where misconceptions lead men to torture the innocent, people still attempt to create order out of chaos. When men put aside rivalries for the love of a woman and communities overcome bias and anger to show mercy, we see the signs of human decency and dignity.
Wind Over Troubled Waters is the powerful creation of co-authors Edith Parzefall and Francene Stanley. The writing is seamless. I couldn't quess which characters belonged to which writer. But the scenes definitely came from an unusually high creative stimulus. The authors place before us an honest portrait of human nature at its best and worst. Every character and incident moves the story forward, forcing us to confront humanity in the raw…with eyes wide open. #
I posted my review first on Amazon US
My review of GARNET GALE GETS HER MAN
by
NAN D ARNOLD
Betrayal, Revenge, Forgiveness, Trust, Love
This Paranormal, Historical, Western Romance has something to hold every reader, most of all suspense.
From the title, GARNET GALE GETS HER MAN, one might gain the impression this is a western comedy, and at times there are humorous moments, but this is an ambitious work engaging all of the reader's emotions as we traverse the country from Lost Mast, a seafaring town in New England to Silver Hat on the goldfields in search of love and trust.
The principals, Abigail Hawthorne, Randolph Blessing and Captain Nathaniel Blaine
form an intriguing romantic triangle but not in the usual way. Each one pulls away from the others for their own painful reasons and yet they are tied together by an overpowering need for love.
Randolph wants no woman since his fiancé left him, but he is drawn to Abigail, whom he later marries and `deserts'. Abigail still clings to Nathaniel, the man who cast her aside, unable to let go even though he is now a ghost, and Nathaniel craves the peace Abigail denies him. At the centre is Gale's former best friend, sweet gentle Philippa, widow of Nathaniel and cousin of Randolph. Although she doesn't appear in many scenes her presence weighs heavily on the novel.
In one prideful moment, Abigail (Gale) turns away from the act of forgiveness when she discovers her garnet necklace does not deserve the sentimental value she affords it and thus sets in motion the retaliation of the mischievous, belligerent ghost of the sea captain.
A wonderfully created voodoo scene in the forest, early in the novel brings to mind images from The Crucible.
Love, betrayal, rejection, forgiveness, trust and revenge are strong, destructive motivators. Nan Arnold skilfully weaves them all, in and around her characters to confound and propel them forward until they find their inner truth.
The reader's emotions are torn between the three tragic figures and change from pity to loathing and back to sympathy, according to their changing attitudes and behaviour, which we understand without necessarily condoning.
A satisfying read which held my interest and allowed me to experience the difficult life in 19th century America while hoping for a resolution to seemingly impossible problems; restoring Gale's self worth and happiness and the release of Nathaniel to the afterlife.
Nan D Arnold shows through her characters that without forgiveness, love cannot flourish. Forgiveness restores order out of chaos.
I posted this review first on Amazon US & UK.
by
NAN D ARNOLD
Betrayal, Revenge, Forgiveness, Trust, Love
This Paranormal, Historical, Western Romance has something to hold every reader, most of all suspense.
From the title, GARNET GALE GETS HER MAN, one might gain the impression this is a western comedy, and at times there are humorous moments, but this is an ambitious work engaging all of the reader's emotions as we traverse the country from Lost Mast, a seafaring town in New England to Silver Hat on the goldfields in search of love and trust.
The principals, Abigail Hawthorne, Randolph Blessing and Captain Nathaniel Blaine
form an intriguing romantic triangle but not in the usual way. Each one pulls away from the others for their own painful reasons and yet they are tied together by an overpowering need for love.
Randolph wants no woman since his fiancé left him, but he is drawn to Abigail, whom he later marries and `deserts'. Abigail still clings to Nathaniel, the man who cast her aside, unable to let go even though he is now a ghost, and Nathaniel craves the peace Abigail denies him. At the centre is Gale's former best friend, sweet gentle Philippa, widow of Nathaniel and cousin of Randolph. Although she doesn't appear in many scenes her presence weighs heavily on the novel.
In one prideful moment, Abigail (Gale) turns away from the act of forgiveness when she discovers her garnet necklace does not deserve the sentimental value she affords it and thus sets in motion the retaliation of the mischievous, belligerent ghost of the sea captain.
A wonderfully created voodoo scene in the forest, early in the novel brings to mind images from The Crucible.
Love, betrayal, rejection, forgiveness, trust and revenge are strong, destructive motivators. Nan Arnold skilfully weaves them all, in and around her characters to confound and propel them forward until they find their inner truth.
The reader's emotions are torn between the three tragic figures and change from pity to loathing and back to sympathy, according to their changing attitudes and behaviour, which we understand without necessarily condoning.
A satisfying read which held my interest and allowed me to experience the difficult life in 19th century America while hoping for a resolution to seemingly impossible problems; restoring Gale's self worth and happiness and the release of Nathaniel to the afterlife.
Nan D Arnold shows through her characters that without forgiveness, love cannot flourish. Forgiveness restores order out of chaos.
I posted this review first on Amazon US & UK.
My Review of
Glancing Through the Glimmer
by
Pat McDermott
Bewitching Adventure In Magical Ireland
In Glancing Through the Glimmer, author Pat McDermott turns Irish history on its head and draws us into a fantasy so real we never want to leave. Enchanted, we roam Dublin’s fair city, dance with ancient fairies veiled in glimmer, and wander the magical labyrinths within the hills of Howth and beneath a royal castle.
On entering this magical world with American teen, Janet Gleason, granddaughter of the American Ambassador, and her friend Matti, we meet handsome Liam Boru – the prince who might have been – and Finvarra, King of the Fairies who depends on…no…demands royal patronage. We meet the memorable Nora, with power to charm and deceive, who turns up at the right and wrong times. We adore the lovely Talty, Crown Princess of Ms McDermott’s mythical Ireland.
Janet dreads meeting the royal family and having to dance with a prince because she can’t dance, and Prince Liam doesn’t want to escort another American upstart to this year’s Royal Ball. So, it is fortunate that young love blossoms between the pair when both are still unaware of each other’s true identity.
However, mischief, cunning and selfishness born of need are traits attributed to the desperate fairies. They are dangerous to unwary humans. Janet and Liam find themselves separated and adrift in their own frightening adventures.
Written from the heart, Ms McDermott’s hauntingly lovely story will enthral both young and adult readers. I love Glancing Through The Glimmer. It feels personal.
So, when you step inside these pages, heed my simple warning, ‘Beware bewitching music on the misty hills above the Irish sea.’ #
I also placed this review on Amazon US & UK.
Glancing Through the Glimmer
by
Pat McDermott
Bewitching Adventure In Magical Ireland
In Glancing Through the Glimmer, author Pat McDermott turns Irish history on its head and draws us into a fantasy so real we never want to leave. Enchanted, we roam Dublin’s fair city, dance with ancient fairies veiled in glimmer, and wander the magical labyrinths within the hills of Howth and beneath a royal castle.
On entering this magical world with American teen, Janet Gleason, granddaughter of the American Ambassador, and her friend Matti, we meet handsome Liam Boru – the prince who might have been – and Finvarra, King of the Fairies who depends on…no…demands royal patronage. We meet the memorable Nora, with power to charm and deceive, who turns up at the right and wrong times. We adore the lovely Talty, Crown Princess of Ms McDermott’s mythical Ireland.
Janet dreads meeting the royal family and having to dance with a prince because she can’t dance, and Prince Liam doesn’t want to escort another American upstart to this year’s Royal Ball. So, it is fortunate that young love blossoms between the pair when both are still unaware of each other’s true identity.
However, mischief, cunning and selfishness born of need are traits attributed to the desperate fairies. They are dangerous to unwary humans. Janet and Liam find themselves separated and adrift in their own frightening adventures.
Written from the heart, Ms McDermott’s hauntingly lovely story will enthral both young and adult readers. I love Glancing Through The Glimmer. It feels personal.
So, when you step inside these pages, heed my simple warning, ‘Beware bewitching music on the misty hills above the Irish sea.’ #
I also placed this review on Amazon US & UK.
Mirella Sichirollo Patzer Author |
THE BLIGHTED TROTH
A Review by Wendy Laharnar
From the dramatic opening scene in The Blighted Troth, Ms Patzer draws us into the early 18th century with the skill of a classic artist and keeps us there, hooked on history.
In 1702, beautiful Emilie Basseaux and Robert Lanzille, the miller, are in love and about to marry, but their selfish, egotistical overload, Seigneur Richard Tonnacour, decides otherwise. Fearing the lord will kill Robert and seize Emilie for himself, the lovers are forced to leave their cosy community of Pointe-du-Lac, New France, to take refuge in monasteries in Quebec . Here, they are meant to wait for help to arrive from a trusted bishop.
However, powerful people in the landed gentry and the Church ensure this sanctuary and help are denied them. The lovers are separated, both to face their own dangerous future while seeking the means to be reunited. In this age of power and intrigue, it is not surprising that, by their trust and innocence, Emilie and Robert exacerbate their plight.
However, powerful people in the landed gentry and the Church ensure this sanctuary and help are denied them. The lovers are separated, both to face their own dangerous future while seeking the means to be reunited. In this age of power and intrigue, it is not surprising that, by their trust and innocence, Emilie and Robert exacerbate their plight.
Historically, we experience the early 1700s; its agricultural life dominated by the nobility and influenced by the Church. We are swept up in the riots brought on by famine, and suffer the horrors of the plague with its victims in homes, in the streets and in the hospitals.
Ms Patzer’s knowledge of the setting and her well-researched era enrich the story. She takes us into taverns, monasteries, manor houses and ordinary homes and compels us to explore the themes of Cowardice and Honour; Trust and Betrayal; Faith, Love and Loss, at all levels of society.
Characters the innocent lovers encounter are, like themselves, tainted by circumstance: some tragic, some sinful, some wicked but all in need of love and forgiveness. Issues they face still have relevance today.
The quote in the front of the book, by Charlotte Bronte, begins “Forgiveness is the mightiest sword…” The Blighted Troth made me question this. Should there be degrees of forgiveness, or is Forgiveness the essence of itself? When you read this beautifully written literary novel, you can be the judge.
My Review of Much Ado About Marshals by Jacquie Rogers.
This Historical Western Romance set in 1885, Oreana, Idaho. is a hoot. It's hot, funny, and romantic; in others words this is a seductive read. I couldn't put it down. Guilty secrets, love triangles, mistaken identity, forbidden love, Shakespeare couldn't have given us more, but Jacquie Rogers does. She includes bank robbers, a wannabe lady detective and a whole town full of memorable characters who take us on a rollicking ride in the Wild West.
Warmth of innocence and true love are endearing qualities in the main characters.
Cole Richards living a lie as the Marshal Sidney Adler is loveable because, as well as his fear of capture for his unintentional part in a bank robbery, it's his sense of honour and commitment to his new role and his love for the Mayor's daughter that prevents him revealing his true identity. The marshal clearly understands the difference between true love and lust.
Daisy Gardiner is lovable because she knows what she wants and in her innocence she works out how to get it. She wants the marshal. Married to this handsomely sexy man she can be his helpmate and pursue her career as private detective, like the fictional Honey Beaulieu in her detective novels. But first she must nurse him back to health after the gunshot wound to his leg and prove her usefulness by helping to capture two unethical miners.
Ms Roger's humour swings between slapstick (e.g. scenes with the boy and his dog) to irony (e.g. the proposed use of the medicinal "Dr Liebig's Lost Manhood Restorer.") She plays on Bosco Kunkle's love of food which brings out the sweet and sad side of the lonely widows who fawn over him. She uses the naivety of young women in this by-gone era and has her readers smiling and laughing out loud.
Much Ado About Marshals is an adult novel; educational too. It would make a perfect gift for the bride-to-be. :)
This Historical Western Romance set in 1885, Oreana, Idaho. is a hoot. It's hot, funny, and romantic; in others words this is a seductive read. I couldn't put it down. Guilty secrets, love triangles, mistaken identity, forbidden love, Shakespeare couldn't have given us more, but Jacquie Rogers does. She includes bank robbers, a wannabe lady detective and a whole town full of memorable characters who take us on a rollicking ride in the Wild West.
Warmth of innocence and true love are endearing qualities in the main characters.
Cole Richards living a lie as the Marshal Sidney Adler is loveable because, as well as his fear of capture for his unintentional part in a bank robbery, it's his sense of honour and commitment to his new role and his love for the Mayor's daughter that prevents him revealing his true identity. The marshal clearly understands the difference between true love and lust.
Daisy Gardiner is lovable because she knows what she wants and in her innocence she works out how to get it. She wants the marshal. Married to this handsomely sexy man she can be his helpmate and pursue her career as private detective, like the fictional Honey Beaulieu in her detective novels. But first she must nurse him back to health after the gunshot wound to his leg and prove her usefulness by helping to capture two unethical miners.
Ms Roger's humour swings between slapstick (e.g. scenes with the boy and his dog) to irony (e.g. the proposed use of the medicinal "Dr Liebig's Lost Manhood Restorer.") She plays on Bosco Kunkle's love of food which brings out the sweet and sad side of the lonely widows who fawn over him. She uses the naivety of young women in this by-gone era and has her readers smiling and laughing out loud.
Much Ado About Marshals is an adult novel; educational too. It would make a perfect gift for the bride-to-be. :)
Trencarrow Secret
by Anita Davison
My review
The vivid detail and tense love story had me turning the pages well into the night and first thing in the morning. This is a colourful, well researched story driven by aristocratic attitudes and relationships.
The engagement of beautiful, wealthy Isabelle Hart to the self-assured Jared Winters will be announced at Isabelle’s Twenty-First Birthday Ball. The match has been anticipated from childhood, but circumstances begin to pile up which cause Isabelle to question her readiness for marriage and her true feelings for Jared. Complications involve her courageous mother who is terminally ill, her adored father whom Isabelle sees kissing her mother’s nurse and the arrival of the gorgeous Lord Strachan, a houseguest who attracts Isabelle. Lord Strachan and Isabelle appear to have many interests in common and he obviously likes her. This is more apparent to the reader and the other characters than it is to Isabelle. The handsome nobleman seeks a wife, but since Isabelle is spoken for, her friend Ellie, once engaged to Isabelle’s brother David, hones in on the lord.
In Trencarrow’s beautiful Manor House, Ms Davison spins her intrigue, weaving threads of deception, misunderstandings and insecurity. Cads clash with admirable men, and manipulating women befriend genteel ladies, but at the heart of Trencarrow is gut wrenching sorrow and unconditional love.
All of the characters are distinct individuals with their own needs and agendas. All of them brought something substantial to the story. Trencarrow Secret tugs at the heartstrings on many levels, and, most unexpectedly, my heart broke for one of the women whose true story becomes suddenly evident at the end. Try as I might I could not hold back the tears.
Trencarrow Secret begins and ends in its maze, at the centre of which is a treasure some might consider more valuable than gold, and the maze gives up more than one secret. A symbol of wrong paths, fear and claustrophobia, the maze also symbolizes achievement, satisfaction and victory. Ms Davison provides all of these elements in Trencarrow Secret and its haunting atmosphere remains long after the book is closed.
If you love Historical Romance, you’ll love the characters and the story of the beautifully crafted Trencarrow Secret.
My Review of:
Substitute Bride
by Laurel Lamperd
Beautiful Emma Napier, an innocent though wilful young woman from Little Gosford, is draw into London society when she accompanies her runaway friend. On the way, in a dilapidated inn, a dangerous encounter changes her life.
Her friends and the other colourful characters with full intriguing lives, embrace that of the dignified, compassionate Emma, but only the dark, mysterious Marquis of Desborough from the 'tomb-like' Desborough House shares her scandalous secret. As she deals with the troubles and distresses of her companions, as well as the delighted expectations of her aunt when gentlemen call, Emma must fight against her own fears and her growing attraction for the man who could ruin her.
The author clearly understands romance and the Regency period, and with the ease of a skilled storyteller, Laurel Lamperd transports us to a fascinating age of carriage rides and high tea, of ornate drawings rooms, grand balls and matchmaking matrons. She also allows us to experience the bleaker side where disreputable women draw young men into seedy gaming houses and into their boudoirs.
Substitute Bride is sparkling, fast past and suspenseful; a novel of intrigue, deception and revenge and above all of friendship and blossoming love.
Substitute Bride
by Laurel Lamperd
Beautiful Emma Napier, an innocent though wilful young woman from Little Gosford, is draw into London society when she accompanies her runaway friend. On the way, in a dilapidated inn, a dangerous encounter changes her life.
Her friends and the other colourful characters with full intriguing lives, embrace that of the dignified, compassionate Emma, but only the dark, mysterious Marquis of Desborough from the 'tomb-like' Desborough House shares her scandalous secret. As she deals with the troubles and distresses of her companions, as well as the delighted expectations of her aunt when gentlemen call, Emma must fight against her own fears and her growing attraction for the man who could ruin her.
The author clearly understands romance and the Regency period, and with the ease of a skilled storyteller, Laurel Lamperd transports us to a fascinating age of carriage rides and high tea, of ornate drawings rooms, grand balls and matchmaking matrons. She also allows us to experience the bleaker side where disreputable women draw young men into seedy gaming houses and into their boudoirs.
Substitute Bride is sparkling, fast past and suspenseful; a novel of intrigue, deception and revenge and above all of friendship and blossoming love.
My Review of
On Falcon’s Wings
by Lisa Yarde
Set in dangerous times preceding the Battle of Hastings, On Falcon’s Wings is the ardent story of forbidden love between a Norman noblewoman and a Saxon Lord. Avicia and Edric know their love is impossible, but circumstances dictated by the fate of kings thrust them together and wrench them apart.
Avicia, wife of a knight under William, Duke of Normandy, accepts a hasty marriage, but cannot forget Edric, the tall, blue-eyed Saxon with whom, in her youth, she shared a kiss and a love of falcons.
Edric of Newington, bound by blood and shame to England's royal line, struggles with his identity and blames his ambitious kinsmen, the Earls of Godwin, for cursing his life. He sides with Edward, but when the king clashes with the nobles and aligns himself to the Norman Duke, Edric's family demands his loyalty. He is forced into a loveless marriage, which increases his ardour for the beautiful, wilful Avicia across the English Channel.
When their paths cross, in England and Normandy, Avicia and Edric come together in an explosion of desire and guilt. They face ridicule, betrayal and retribution from the Duke and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, yet their love endures.
On Falcon’s Wings spans two continents and a quarter of a century in which Lisa Yarde lays bare the human condition in love and war. Ms Yarde opens a widescreen view of history to reveal the relationship between 11th century England and Normandy. Then, cleverly, she moves the lens closer to focus on the conflicting factions within the realms and closer still into the everyday lives of these ancient families. Yet all the while, she trains the spotlight on the passionate Edric and Avicia. At times, the lovers' plight brought me to tears
In the horse rides along mud-soaked roads and the taste of food in the great halls, in the steamy love scenes, the torture and the horrific battle scene – one of the best I've read – this is more than a love story. On Falcon’s Wings is an experience of medieval life on a grand scale, essential reading for history buffs and lovers of good books.
On Falcon’s Wings
by Lisa Yarde
Set in dangerous times preceding the Battle of Hastings, On Falcon’s Wings is the ardent story of forbidden love between a Norman noblewoman and a Saxon Lord. Avicia and Edric know their love is impossible, but circumstances dictated by the fate of kings thrust them together and wrench them apart.
Avicia, wife of a knight under William, Duke of Normandy, accepts a hasty marriage, but cannot forget Edric, the tall, blue-eyed Saxon with whom, in her youth, she shared a kiss and a love of falcons.
Edric of Newington, bound by blood and shame to England's royal line, struggles with his identity and blames his ambitious kinsmen, the Earls of Godwin, for cursing his life. He sides with Edward, but when the king clashes with the nobles and aligns himself to the Norman Duke, Edric's family demands his loyalty. He is forced into a loveless marriage, which increases his ardour for the beautiful, wilful Avicia across the English Channel.
When their paths cross, in England and Normandy, Avicia and Edric come together in an explosion of desire and guilt. They face ridicule, betrayal and retribution from the Duke and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, yet their love endures.
On Falcon’s Wings spans two continents and a quarter of a century in which Lisa Yarde lays bare the human condition in love and war. Ms Yarde opens a widescreen view of history to reveal the relationship between 11th century England and Normandy. Then, cleverly, she moves the lens closer to focus on the conflicting factions within the realms and closer still into the everyday lives of these ancient families. Yet all the while, she trains the spotlight on the passionate Edric and Avicia. At times, the lovers' plight brought me to tears
In the horse rides along mud-soaked roads and the taste of food in the great halls, in the steamy love scenes, the torture and the horrific battle scene – one of the best I've read – this is more than a love story. On Falcon’s Wings is an experience of medieval life on a grand scale, essential reading for history buffs and lovers of good books.
My Review of
Exiled Autumn's Peril
by Rosalie Skinner.
Game Master, Caleath, exiled from the planet Rampart 6, is pursued by ?Assassins? when it's discovered he could be an Ithaki spawn, one with unique skills and superior genes. Caleath's obsession with the 'Game' has tragic consequences. He is haunted by guilt and by ghostly accusers who died because of it. When he is shipwrecked on an alien planet, in Allorn, a land governed by mages, Caleath, has a chance at a new life if he keeps a low profile. But the evil Ephraim, who exiled him, knows his every move and the mages discover he carries vital data in his memory chip to save the planet from the giant ant creatures, known as the Tarack. The mages are determined to take this knowledge from him.
Tortured in mind and body, but terrified to use the healing nano technology in his possession, he is vengeance-driven with the need to serve justice on the madman, Ephraim, who has innocents tortured and killed in the name of the 'Game'. So, hunted by assassins and wizards, Caleath strives to find the satellite beacon and transmitter, his means to escape and return to Rampart 6, where wizards and magic exist only in virtual reality.
Caleath is a fascinatingly complex character; slave, felon, hero, but with compassion in his nature he must suppress for the sake of survival. His protection of Gwilt, the lovable innocent, threatens to bring him down.
Gwilt is the light that contrasts Caleath's darkness. His admiration of, and desire to follow this exotic stranger brings to Caleath the gift of friendship, but proves to be a dangerous weapon against him. Through Gwilt's curiosity and lust for adventure, we are drawn into the terrifying world of 'a dark soul, black magic and a bloody sword'.
Micro chipped magic and advanced technology underpin the tense, conflict driven action that keeps the reader's heart rate soaring from the initial shipwreck to the climactic confrontation of wizardry. With the tendrils of her wizard's hex, Rosalie Skinner spins her magic. She writes with intelligence and a vivid imagination. Her beautiful phrasing colours the alien world and the characters that inhabit Caleath's bleak adventure. This is a spellbinding Fantasy and Science Fiction thriller.
Exiled Autumn's Peril
by Rosalie Skinner.
Game Master, Caleath, exiled from the planet Rampart 6, is pursued by ?Assassins? when it's discovered he could be an Ithaki spawn, one with unique skills and superior genes. Caleath's obsession with the 'Game' has tragic consequences. He is haunted by guilt and by ghostly accusers who died because of it. When he is shipwrecked on an alien planet, in Allorn, a land governed by mages, Caleath, has a chance at a new life if he keeps a low profile. But the evil Ephraim, who exiled him, knows his every move and the mages discover he carries vital data in his memory chip to save the planet from the giant ant creatures, known as the Tarack. The mages are determined to take this knowledge from him.
Tortured in mind and body, but terrified to use the healing nano technology in his possession, he is vengeance-driven with the need to serve justice on the madman, Ephraim, who has innocents tortured and killed in the name of the 'Game'. So, hunted by assassins and wizards, Caleath strives to find the satellite beacon and transmitter, his means to escape and return to Rampart 6, where wizards and magic exist only in virtual reality.
Caleath is a fascinatingly complex character; slave, felon, hero, but with compassion in his nature he must suppress for the sake of survival. His protection of Gwilt, the lovable innocent, threatens to bring him down.
Gwilt is the light that contrasts Caleath's darkness. His admiration of, and desire to follow this exotic stranger brings to Caleath the gift of friendship, but proves to be a dangerous weapon against him. Through Gwilt's curiosity and lust for adventure, we are drawn into the terrifying world of 'a dark soul, black magic and a bloody sword'.
Micro chipped magic and advanced technology underpin the tense, conflict driven action that keeps the reader's heart rate soaring from the initial shipwreck to the climactic confrontation of wizardry. With the tendrils of her wizard's hex, Rosalie Skinner spins her magic. She writes with intelligence and a vivid imagination. Her beautiful phrasing colours the alien world and the characters that inhabit Caleath's bleak adventure. This is a spellbinding Fantasy and Science Fiction thriller.
A Fantasy to Restore Faith in Reality.
My Review of
Laurel’s Miracle, by Nancy M Bell, is the type of story to hold a child spellbound; the type I loved to read.
Finding a miracle cure for her mother who is battling cancer is an impossible task for thirteen-year old Laurel from Alberta, Canada. This seems even more remote when her parents send her to stay with a family friend in Cornwall, UK. Laurel feels lonely and rejected. Time is running out, and without a miracle, Laurel is worried her mother might die before she gets to see her again.
Set in the rugged beauty of the Cornish countryside, rich in myth and legend, Laurel’s Miracle takes us on a magical journey. The scenery is so vivid, and the new relationships so fascinating, it is easy to imagine oneself walking with Laurel as part of her group and becoming immersed in her adventure.
Laurel has a plucky, endearing nature and the other characters, both young and old, are well rounded. All are caught in their own controversies which make them unique and interesting. With three young friends, who selflessly put their own problems aside for her sake, Laurel endeavours to solve the riddles she receives from the fairy-folk who guide her in her mission to find her miracle.
The relationship of this group of four children is Blytonesque, but Nancy Bell adds richness beyond Enid Blyton with the deeper layers of supernatural and magical themes. Laurel’s Miracle glows with the power of the Earth’s energy, or ley lines, Laurel follows in her quest, with an ease children can relate to.
Laurel’s Miracle is full of beautiful images: of the strange fairy folk, the Lady of the Lake, crystal horses and the labyrinth inside the Tor of Avalon. The touching sentiment of faith, hope, kindness and secrets revealed, reinforces the truth: there is magic in friendship.
My Review of
Laurel’s Miracle, by Nancy M Bell, is the type of story to hold a child spellbound; the type I loved to read.
Finding a miracle cure for her mother who is battling cancer is an impossible task for thirteen-year old Laurel from Alberta, Canada. This seems even more remote when her parents send her to stay with a family friend in Cornwall, UK. Laurel feels lonely and rejected. Time is running out, and without a miracle, Laurel is worried her mother might die before she gets to see her again.
Set in the rugged beauty of the Cornish countryside, rich in myth and legend, Laurel’s Miracle takes us on a magical journey. The scenery is so vivid, and the new relationships so fascinating, it is easy to imagine oneself walking with Laurel as part of her group and becoming immersed in her adventure.
Laurel has a plucky, endearing nature and the other characters, both young and old, are well rounded. All are caught in their own controversies which make them unique and interesting. With three young friends, who selflessly put their own problems aside for her sake, Laurel endeavours to solve the riddles she receives from the fairy-folk who guide her in her mission to find her miracle.
The relationship of this group of four children is Blytonesque, but Nancy Bell adds richness beyond Enid Blyton with the deeper layers of supernatural and magical themes. Laurel’s Miracle glows with the power of the Earth’s energy, or ley lines, Laurel follows in her quest, with an ease children can relate to.
Laurel’s Miracle is full of beautiful images: of the strange fairy folk, the Lady of the Lake, crystal horses and the labyrinth inside the Tor of Avalon. The touching sentiment of faith, hope, kindness and secrets revealed, reinforces the truth: there is magic in friendship.