Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

OH DADDY CHRONICLES: The Tasting by Barry Robbins – Political Satire, Political Humor, Political and Popular Culture Lampoon

For those of you who still have heartburn from the last administration, Barry Robbins, sharp-as-a-whip satirist, has come to our rescue with his new short work lampooning Donald J. Trump, #45, in his uproarious short story, Oh Daddy Chronicles – The Tasting.

This book draws from two earlier books, Oh Daddy Chronicles and Oh Daddy Chronicles 2: Return of Covfefe. These enlightening and downright hysterical parodies place readers squarely in the Oval Office and at Mar-a-Lago, respectively.

Oh Daddy Chronicles: The Tasting samples each previous book plus some new material. They come together in a hands-down, laugh-out-loud lampooning of #45 – and everyone else in sight. From Ivanka to Jared, Vladimir to White House staffers, Robbins pulls no punches and hits his target every time. Even Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are fair game along with Fauci and the Cheneys.

Robbins sees the funny everywhere, and thanks to him, so do we.

With episode titles like Hydroxy and Me, Billy Bob and Bobbie Sue, Cheneys vs. Trumps, to name a few, Robbins gives readers material in which we can frame those years and put them in a manageable perspective. We learn how much #45 hates the color blue – and why. Readers also learn why his special relationship with the Russian dictator may be more worrisome than any of us previously thought, and oh so much more.

Robbins’ unique and engaging short work will no doubt drive readers to the first two books.

Another way Robbins engages his readers is via a poll. Readers get to choose which answer they like best from a number of possibilities given by political figures mentioned in the book to the question of, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Simply brilliant.

December 3, 2021
The CRYSTAL SKULL: A Sentinel 10 Novel by Daniela Valenti – Thriller and Suspense Action Fiction, Romantic Action/Adventure, Psychic Thriller

Med student Amanda Griffith can see the supernatural world in Daniela Valenti’s supernatural thriller, The Crystal Skull: A Sentinel 10 Novel.

Over a year ago, Amanda joined a secret group of people with similar gifts, becoming a Sentinel 10. They fight the evil that normal humans can’t see. As a Sentinel 10, she strikes fear in entities seeking to harm her world. With the support of her fiancé James, a fellow Sentinel, Amanda has defeated every challenge – until now.

Someone or something kills lower-level Sentinels around the globe, draining them of their powers and their lives.

Wrongly accused herself, Amanda debates whether she wants to help the Committee. However, when the entity attacks her and her mentor, Basil, Amanda knows she has to fight. She finds an unlikely ally who bears a striking resemblance to her dead fiancé, Alain. He makes Amanda question her feelings for her current fiancé.

With her emotions in tatters, Amanda has to protect her best friend, Lydia, a Sentinel 4, when she becomes the next victim. Uncertain whether or not she can win and doubted by those she cares for most, Amanda decides to take the fight to the one responsible. But will she be enough to save humanity?

The relationship between Amanda and James presents a strange duality, fraught and uncertain.

James, a war veteran with his share of emotional scars, has an innate need to protect. His physical strength belies a significant emotional weakness. The ravages of war in the Middle East have left behind a neediness that far outstrips his prowess.

He often projects this neediness onto Amanda and disguises his over-protectiveness as love. James wants a wife raising his children at home, not saving lives in the hospital or with her psychic power. He becomes upset when she saves him, threatening the traditional male-female roles.

Amanda, though not physically potent, wields abilities incomparable to any other Sentinel.

Though she has doubts at times, Amanda possesses a mental confidence in her power. She knows her role in the group and her duty to the world. However, she still needs to feel loved and comforted. She needs that from James even if he can never give her exactly what she desires.

With a shared loss of their first fiancés, Amanda and James understand loss in a way most couples do not. They both know that their current love can never reach that of first loves. For a time, the relationship between the two creates its own balance. The two lovers metaphorically complete each other, not soulmates – never that – but the “next-best” thing.

Betrayal becomes a major theme in Amanda’s story.

At every turn, Amanda feels that harsh sting. Her initial betrayal begins in the first novel of the series with the death of her fiancé, Alain. Alain and Amanda shared a unique, eternal love. He was the first man to show he loved and needed her, and his loss causes a resonating pain.

The darkness within Alain takes him from Amanda when he takes his own life. Her soul-deep love suffers, and throughout this novel, she continues to feel it.

When she reunites with a resurrected Alain, she again endures betrayal at his refusal to acknowledge her. He denies any memories of their life together and physically pushes her away. This resurgence of love for a dead man makes her feel as though she betrayed James, an arguably worthier partner than Alain had ever been.

She spends her days trying to force away a love that cannot be.

Worse yet, Amanda’s feelings of betrayal extend beyond her love life. When the monster attacks the Sentinels, Amanda becomes a possible suspect. Despite Amanda’s shock and disgust, her beloved mentor Basil does not defend her. In the short time that Amanda has been a Sentinel, Basil has become a father figure to her.

His lack of protection when others attack her integrity makes Amanda question her own loyalty to the Committee and its goals.

After she clears her name, Amanda’s fellow Sentinels betray her with lack of trust in her ability. Even James doesn’t think she can defeat the creature who attacked them. The Committee’s twenty-four-hour deadline doesn’t bolster confidence in the others. Only Amanda knows that she can defeat this evil and overcome this betrayal.

December 3, 2021
THE ALOHA SPIRIT by Linda Ulleseit – Hawaiian Cultural Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction, Women’s Divorce Fiction

In Linda Ulleseit’s novel The Aloha Spirit, we meet the plucky heroine, Dolores, as her father leaves her.

“Dolores’s father deemed her useless when she was seven. Neither he nor her older brother, Pablo, ever said that, but every detail of their leaving told her so. Papa had tried to explain the Hawaiian custom of hānai to her. All she understood was the giving away, leaving her to live with a family not her own.”

Her story starts in 1922; the place, multiethnic, multilingual Hawaii. Papa, a sugar cane cutter from Spain who worked in Hawaii, decides to take his son Pablo with him to seek his fortune in California. His wife died five years earlier. He leaves 7-year-old Dolores with a large family on Oahu in an arrangement called hānai, an informal adoption. Dolores doesn’t know the family well. She feels abandoned, with no idea when or if her father will send for her or return.

There follow years of drudgery in which she works as an adult, laundering clothes for many people at least six days a week as part of her hānai arrangement. The hard-working couple she lives with struggles to survive. Befriended by Maria, an older hānai girl, Dolores escapes her situation when Maria leaves to marry Peter. Dolores goes to live with them, to help Maria through her pregnancy, and for a while, she gets to share their happy family and have some things of her own.

At age 16, Dolores marries Manolo Medeiros, a boy she met on the beach and barely knows.

She becomes part of his large, extended Portuguese family, which includes Alberto, a nephew four years younger than Dolores. She hopes the Medeiroses will be the family she always wished for. When she met him on the beach, Manolo gave his interpretation of the aloha spirit: “Aloha begins with love.”… “Love yourself first.”… “Love the land.”… “Love the people.”… “Aloha is the joyous sharing of life’s energy.”

Dolores has her first child at age 17. But Manolo’s serious drinking problem, anger, and physical abuse of Dolores estranges him from her and the family, forcing her to take more control of her own life and protect her daughters. As Manolo’s behavior worsens, Alberto steps up to support Dolores, and they fall in love. But as part of a devout Catholic family, Dolores can’t possibly divorce Manolo.

Novelist Ulleseit gives us a vivid picture of the life of a hard-working Hawaiian woman and her community in the early decades of the 20th century.

Anyone interested in the history of Hawaii or in women’s history will enjoy this book. This book centers on abuse, overwork, and alcoholism as major themes, described in a matter-of-fact way. Dolores lives through interesting times, including the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into the war, rationing, and the removal of Japanese Americans from Hawaii. Dolores goes to California and visits the World’s Fair, so we get to see the fair through her eyes. A glossary at the end of the book provides translations and a pronunciation guide for the many Hawaiian and Spanish words.

Linda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and taught elementary school in San José. In addition to The Aloha Spirit, she wrote Under the Almond Trees, another historical novel, which takes place in California starting in 1896. She has also written a series of Flying Horse books, young adult fantasy books set in medieval Wales. She has an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University, serves as marketing chair of Women Writing the West, and is a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers.

Linda Ulleseit’s The Aloha Spirit won Grand Prize in the 2020 CIBA Goethe Book Awards for post-1750s Historical Novels.

December 2, 2021
SPIRIT of the RABBIT PLACE (Choestoe Book 3) by J.R. Collins – Native American Literature, American Western Fiction, Historical Action & Adventure

When gold miners discover Choestoe Valley, Jebediah Collins must fight for his family – whether blood-related or not – in J.R. Collins’ historical adventure, Spirit of the Rabbit Place

Fourteen-year-old Jebediah Collins lives in paradise, also known as Choestoe Valley, or to the Cherokee as the “land where the rabbits dance.” The Collins consider Dancing Bear, a Cherokee elder, and his relatives as family. They share with and help each other in good times and bad.

When Jeb’s grandfather settled in the valley after immigrating from Ireland, he quickly learned the benefits of befriending the Native Americans living in the area. Now Jeb’s father, Thompie, gives freely of his farm’s bounty to the Cherokee, who help work the land and teach the Collins how to survive in this beautiful but deadly landscape. Cain, Jeb’s older brother even marries Rose, Dancing Bear’s daughter, and becomes a full-fledged Cherokee warrior in his own right. Dancing Bear symbolically adopts Jeb, who shares an age with his own son, Wolf. Jebediah and Wolf become blood brothers, learning to be Cherokee warriors together and taking on any and every adventure that comes their way.

Their adventures take a darker turn with the arrival of gold miners to their sacred valley.

These unscrupulous men threaten their very way of life. The ruthless miners capture Wolf and force him into slavery, pushing Jeb to risk himself for the chance to rescue his friend.

The third novel in the Choestoe series builds on a theme of unity. Jeb’s family and nearly all of the settlers in the valley honor and respect the Cherokee who inhabited this area long before the settlers arrived. From plowing fields to hunting game, the Collins family and Dancing Bear’s clan work seamlessly, easily with each other. Under the age-old adage, “treat folks how you want to be treated,” Jeb understands that what he does and says will be returned to him tenfold. Though the white man’s greed threatens to change his home forever, he would never make an enemy of the Cherokee, a people so much more knowledgeable than his own. He trusts implicitly and without question, and with that comes the need to protect and love his family.

The people of Choestoe take responsibility for one another.

Their hearts beat as one; their minds think as one. When any neighbor needs help, neither the settlers nor their Cherokee brethren forsake them, chasing down murderous outlaws and helping free slaves. More people than just Jeb’s family show this amazing generosity of spirit. Throughout the valley, families return in kind the goodness shown to them. Mrs. England, for example, takes in orphaned children, especially those with disabilities and special needs.

The settlers not only want to fight for their way of life, but also for the ancient ways of their Cherokee neighbors, who the gold seekers and US government treat more cruelly every day. This community defines the emotional journey of Spirit of the Rabbit Place.

Spiritualism plays an important role as well, with a mixture of and deep respect for Cherokee and Christian beliefs.

Jeb’s faith often brings him comfort and strength, and many times, the Cherokee turn to prayer for direction and guidance on huge decisions. Though he fears evil when he comes face-to-face with it, Jeb knows the Great Creator protects him and finds solace in the idea that no evil can hurt someone who is protected by the Peace of Jesus. All of the Cherokee warriors repeatedly assure Jeb, whose Cherokee name is Spirit Filled One, that he should trust in and heed the voice of the Spirit that comes to him; that very faith not only saves him and George Black Oak, Wolf’s blood uncle, but also shows them some much-needed information in the midst of an important emotional struggle. This faith shines through in Jeb’s loving nature and brings light to all those around him.

Spirit of the Rabbit Place (Choestoe Book 3) by J.R. Collins won 1st place in the 2019 CIBA Laramie Book Awards for Western and Americana fiction.

Click on these titles to read our reviews of the first two books in this powerful series, The Boy Who Danced with Rabbits and Living Where the Rabbits Dance.

November 23, 2021
HALE: The Rise of the Griffins by J.K. Noble – YA Fiction Self-Esteem, YA Dragons & Mythical Creatures Fantasy, YA Sword and Sorcery Fantasy

J.K. Noble’s first installment in her new YA series, Hale: The Rise of the Griffins, is a fast-paced adventure through a magical realm full of danger, deception, and mythical beasts.

Sixteen-year-old Hale was orphaned at a young age; his parents both mysteriously killed while on a family camping trip. His older sister, Carly, took him under her wing and raised him, making sure he was safe and that he always wore the amulet given to him by his father. But two years later, when Hale and Carly are both abducted and held captive by a violent man, Hale’s life takes another drastic turn he isn’t expecting. He’s swiftly ushered into a magical realm known as The Extraordinary Division of Malphora – a sister realm to The Human Division of Malphora – where Griffin’s reign supreme and monsters lurk across the lands.

Accompanied by a group of other kids also pulled into The Extraordinary Division of Malphora, Hale learns that he isn’t a simple human boy – he’s a Griffin with the power of Endurance, the strongest of powers among his kind.

Aided by his new friend River, Hale navigates the brutal world of young Griffin training set up by the leader of the Griffins – the powerful and respected Bayo. Except, Bayo isn’t entirely what he seems. He’s hiding a dark secret from Hale that could flip their entire world upside down, and if he’s not careful, Hale could end up bringing about his demise.

Noble crafts an intricate and vast world full of lore that will keep even the most avid fantasy reader engrossed.

The magic system uniquely draws upon many familiar mythological creatures – harpies, nymphs, witches – but offers its own spin, combining these old legends with the modern era’s ingenuity. It is clear that an immense amount of planning and work went into the creation of Malphora, and while some details may feel rushed at times, Noble gives the reader an adventure of a lifetime that they won’t be able to put down.

Not only does Noble’s magic system draw the reader in, but so do her characters.

The emotional ties between the cast are one of the book’s most vital attributes, exploring the trials of friendship, the heartbreak of love, and the dangerous things we’ll do to protect our family. The bond between Hale and Carly provides a solid start to the book. The friendship that forms between Hale and fellow Griffin River keeps the reader invested, not to mention the plethora of other characters and their interesting and often complicated personal ties to one another. Emotions run high in Hale: The Rise of the Griffins, and they will make any reader laugh, cry, and sing Nobel’s praises.

November 22, 2021
Hot Air: An Arnold Falls Novel, Book 2 by Charlie Suisman – Humorous Contemporary Fiction, Small Town Humor, Cultural Humor

Charlie Suisman returns to the unique fictional town of Arnold Falls in his humorous novel, Hot Air.

Arnold Falls bristles with zany events, quirky locals, and colorful newbies. Above all, this memorable enclave buoys its people through heart, soul, wit, and a true sense of collective spirit.

Jeebie Walker returns as the story’s central narrator.

The successful voice-over artist stands as a solid fixture in the town, now in a loving relationship with his partner Will. A volunteer fireman, illustrator, and candidate for an MA in Conservation Biology, Will jokingly claims that Jeebie makes “bossing others around” a superpower.

In the midst of a mid-life crisis, Jeebie takes on a project of implementing little library cabinets throughout the town. Due to some unscrupulous financial administrators, he also worries about the sudden lack of funding for arts programs at the local hospital.

Meanwhile, the friend he helped elect as the town’s first female mayor has her own hands full.

She bonds with her adoptive Haitian son while reluctantly considering a temporary Arnold Falls name change to bring in money and tourists. Her newfound attraction to the local record store/weed emporium aficionado complicates her life further. A sudden string of thefts involving odd but meaningful town memorabilia certainly also needs the mayor’s attention.

Coincidentally, a new TV series – based on several New Yorker stories about a hapless, Hudson Valley hamlet resembling Arnold Falls – starts using the town for filming. Here an indie film actress heads up the cast and brings about a whole other set of calamities.

Hot Air calls back to characters and incidents from the original, award-winning novel, Arnold Falls, bringing unfamiliar readers up to speed.

Comical references like the amorous adventures of a town turkey saved from the chopping block and the former mayor accidentally sending bomb-making supplies to a sister city in Romania will draw new readers to Suisman’s previous novel.

Suisman continues to shine in his ability to drive a well-crafted narrative through creative characters, action, and detail.

Many small storylines intertwine. An old-time resident nearing his final days receives a toast of Clagger – the local hooch. The recordings from a former Arnold Falls Chamber Ensemble reappear. A jazzy chanteuse uses her talents to draw wandering cows home. A high-tech museum installation honors the life of a flatulent nonagenarian’s mother, a popular black madam.

In this unforgettable world, Suisman conjures unique and lively scenes.

A Martha Washington mannequin sits on a porch, complete with a “may have belonged to MW” mobcap. Drag queens teach hot yoga. A “Witness Protection” face cream hawked at the farmer’s market will leave users speechless. And a mayoral assistant/fashionista dresses to honor “National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.” Once again, this hideaway proves itself as a charmingly lyrical landscape, where the spark of levity is never far behind.

Like the first Arnold Falls novel, here the final fun-filled, open-air wind-up exudes the caring and commitment of these multi-faceted characters woven into the richly textured fabric of their community. Wrapped in its inspiring and imaginative literary warmth, fans will be happy to learn the epilogue suggestively hints at more ventures to come.

November 19, 2021
UP NORTH by Abena Sankofa – The Great Migration Historical Fiction, Black Historical Fiction, African American Historical Fiction

One young Black woman turns detective when she realizes her family is in jeopardy in Abena Sankofa’s debut novel, Up North.

Teenage songbird Phyllis Joiner dreamed of one day seeing the glamorous North. But when her Uncle has been apprehended for an alleged crime, her wish may be about to be granted in the most distressing manner, beginning in 1933.

Phyllis Joiner always managed to get in trouble in one form or other. But she has no idea what ‘trouble’ will look like. Nineteen-year-old Phyllis is well-known for her spirited singing and piano playing in her Pa’s joint – “Daddy Joiner’s” local Music Club in Colchester County, Louisiana. But the Joiners live in a county where black schools do not go beyond the middle grade, and white supremacy rules the land.

Problems multiply when Phyllis’ Uncle, Zachariah, has been apprehended for an alleged crime.

His accuser, the notoriously ruthless landowner Smith Owens, isn’t interested in justice, but something else entirely. He has a reputation for getting all who cross him jailed and worked to death on his land.

In a rare twist of fate for the Joiners, an African-American family in the Jim Crow South, they take their case to the court and win, but it turns out to be a Pyrrhic victory when a chilling threat letter arrives in the mail, warning them to pay $250 or “Get what’s coming to you on the Full Moon.” The tattered note is signed in none other than Smith Owens’ hand. Now even their congenial white neighbors do not want to be seen speaking to her family after they have been “marked” for retaliation by the Owens’ minions.

Phyllis’ Pa, who had already lived through voting riots when he was a boy, fears that a new riot will be around the corner if he doesn’t take appropriate action. And the situation with Phyllis’s education heading nowhere also bothers him, so Pa makes up his mind that the time has come for the Joiners and their extended families to sneak out of Colchester County. They plan to leave “by the light of the full moon” (which happens to be the end of the “death threat” letter’s grace period) to Chicago, where Ma Joiner’s sister, Ruth, lives.

The timing must coincide perfectly, especially since Pa could only procure train tickets to take them as far as St. Louis.

The family would need “agents” who could safely guide them to their destination. The Phantom Menace would be their last contact, getting them into the Black Belt of Chicago. Little do the Joiners know what harrowing adventures await them along the way, and even more once they get to Chicago. Although positive events occur, like Phyllis attending nursing school, and falling for a handsome Fairground officer, no amount of fitting in with the ways of the big city can protect her for long from her family’s hunted status.

When Smith Owens and his adult sons arrive in Chicago, he makes a deadly pact with one of the Windy City’s most terrible crime syndicates in a bid to hunt down the Joiner family for the location of a mysterious treasure he believes them to have inherited.

Now it falls to teenage Phyllis Joiner to turn sleuth, and track them down before they find her family – a goal that tosses her into the gritty reality of what it means to live “Up North” in the Windy City. It’s a reality that will force her to cast aside her lofty expectations, and become the Captain of her own fate, and her family’s protector in the process.

Enter Willard Lancaster, the Joiner family’s red-headed lawyer, a rebellious, street-smart scion attracted to any dangerous pursuit for a worthy cause. A throwback to his Abolitionist predecessor, he throws in his lot with Phyllis Joiner on her way to defend her family, only to find himself in the crosshairs of his own uncle’s wrath.

Rising author Abena Sankofa pens a fascinating story of one young Black woman’s “underground” journey from Louisiana to Chicago and ultimate sleuthing to protect her family from bounty hunters.

Sankofa provides a small but realistic cast set within the precarious years of The Great Migration. Her writing style varies from light to downright nail-biting. Phyllis (Sankofa’s heroine) performs in her father’s music clubs, faces harassment at nursing school, and falls in love – all amid several life-threatening situations.

Sankofa punctuates her fictional plot with factual information. Examples include a mix-and-match of Chicago’s expositions, maps that outline the Black Belt area of Chicago, and “patrons” (guardians, so to speak) to keep watch over Black neighbors. Even though the Black quarter of the city is a safe haven for her, at the all-Black Nursing School which she makes it into, Phyllis faces pressure from classist schoolmates. One particularly striking aspect is the generational viewpoints of Black history. Phyllis’s grandmother tells of the symbolism behind quilt making. Pa recollects sharecropping days and riots over voting rights. Both grandmother and father provide essential nuances of what Phyllis’s ancestors endured on the way to their freedom – all of which Phyllis should never forget even as she races to uncover the location of a rumored family inheritance worth millions.

Sankofa’s approach to storytelling preserves truth.

As she produces a story of perseverance and strength amid a burgeoning romance, she includes music from the gilded Jazz Age and classics that appropriately enhance her narrative. Some favorites include W. C. Handy‘s “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “St. Louis Blues,” and George and Ira Gershwin‘s “I’ve Got Rhythm,” Benny Goodman and his Orchestra‘s “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing),” and Ella Fitzgerald‘s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” to name a few.

Up North will touch a nerve and claim a place in today’s world. In short, Abena Sankofa’s debut novel is nothing short of brilliant and a novel we can highly recommend.

**Please Note: This author is currently seeking representation. Follow the process on Sankofa’s website by clicking here.

November 19, 2021
BARBED A Memoir by Julie Morrison – Women’s Biographies, Memoirs, Ranching

Julie Morrison saddles up to take us for a ride through the harsh dry mountains of northern Arizona and beyond in her memoir, Barbed.

Readers visit the ranch where Julie’s parents try to keep the family legacy alive. Julie reveals a cowboy’s world where she meets walls instead of doors but never gives up.

Barbed opens with Morrison living in the rainy Seattle area with her husband. But the lure of a cowboy’s life on the range – working cattle and riding horseback – beckons them both. Julie needs salvation like this for her marriage, now distant and cold.

Reality turns their idealistic, romantic fantasies into a daily grind of working the land. Julie and her husband fight the losing battles of finding enough water and grassland for the cattle and keeping recreationalists from cutting their fence lines. And worse yet, who would have thought mud would be a problem in arid Arizona? Readers learn about the workings of a cattle ranch as Morrison tries one fix after another to save the property.

Morrison realizes that the operation hemorrhages money.

To move the budget from red to black, she must make some significant changes. But the cowboys she works with as a manager meet these changes with resistance at every step. The cowboys ride the horses until their joints are out of alignment and their feet are bruised and lame. Julie’s attempt at proper horse husbandry becomes another leak in the ranch’s finances, and she struggles between the money problems of the ranch and what she can do for these poor animals. Morrison soon reaches the breaking point.

Morrison’s exploration of self bolsters her in this harsh world. She sees the success of other ranch women and a select few men, people who support her efforts and encourage her even when she wants to drop from exhaustion and self-recrimination.

This memoir does not pussy-foot around complex issues that women experience in business or marriage.

Morrison never lets conflict stop her, though she acknowledges that depression can hold her back. Her bravery will inspire readers who might not have to stand toe-to-toe with hardened cowboys or encounter rattlesnakes during an average workday. As she works through the problems of the ranch, she also works through her own self-discovery.

She sees her father, a man she loves, as so pressured to continue the family legacy without incurring more expenses that he perpetuates problems rather than helping her solve them. Until her arrival, his deference to “the cowboy way” had gone unchallenged – as something acceptable. In addition, the similarity between the cowboys who work her family’s ranch and her husband shines too bright to ignore. Morrison pulls the cover off the lies we tell ourselves as women to remain in the security of failed relationships and not seek the path of healing and strength.

This memoir opens the book on a fascinating, nontraditional life filled with adventure and mishap.

Morrison, alone, supports her ideas and dreams of a better world for the horses she cares for – and for herself. However, the harsh life she lives and the disappointments she suffers do not break her. They move her forward toward the healing she needs.

Barbed abounds with sagacity and affirmations that ring true for readers who may never set foot on a ranch or ride a horse. This tough, savvy woman shows us how to persevere and survive in the harsh climate of a failing business and a failing marriage. She teaches us how to let go of what doesn’t work and find what does, and how to keep trying – even when all doors seem to be firmly shut. Morrison keeps on knocking.

Julie Morrison’s aptly titled memoir, Barbed, connects her myriad of encounters into one cohesive tapestry. She faces the difficulty of not backing down or taking the easy path of giving up and embraces what happens when she reaches the other side. Does she find Nirvana? Morrison finds a life worth living, and she moves forward to contentment. She saddles a new horse and rides a new path, and in the end, she finds herself.

November 17, 2021
Summer Girl by Linda Watkins – Coming of Age Fiction, Women’s Literature & Fiction, Romance Fiction

Visit an idyllic island off the coast of Maine, long before the days of the internet and social media, in Linda Watkins’ romance novel, Summer Girl.

Jake, a local teenage boy on Cutter Island meets Andi, who visits for the summer with her mom and stepdad. In this summer of 1965 the two hit it off almost immediately, spending every moment they can together.

But not long after they profess their love for one another, tragedy strikes, forcing them apart with little hope of ever seeing each other again.

Twenty years pass until the summer of 1985. Jake, now a successful writer, returns to Cutter Island with his wife and kids for the first time in many years. Andi also arrives with her husband and young son. Once they learn of each other’s presence on the island, all the memories of that summer long ago come flooding back. And so do the unanswered questions of what happened on that fateful night. But a different question burns in their hearts and demands to be answered. Does first love, true love, ever really die?

Watkins’ writing flows elegantly.

Andi and Jake look back on their past with nostalgia, heartbreak, and regret. Cutter Island and the characters on it feel immediately familiar, like old friends in a place we’d like to visit. This summer vacation on a quiet island community off the coast of Maine, with all the fresh seafood at an arm’s reach, comes to life. Past and present in Summer Girl take place in a time before the internet became ingrained into everyday life. Readers can take a momentary break to disconnect and truly get lost in the story.

Jake and Andi show their impressive amount of depth, and accurately portray the simple naivete of youth during the fateful summer in which they meet. Their romance stays grounded and realistic. Watkins’ beautiful writing paints a picture of inexperienced teenagers with honesty and vulnerability that makes their parting even more emotional.

Summer Girl tells a story of love against all odds.

True love leaves an infinite effect on someone’s life, for better or for worse. This story stands on love, hope, and perseverance. Accept the invitation to the remote Cutter Island and smell the mouthwatering preparations of the summer night’s lobster bake. Keep an eye out for Jake and Andi among the hungry locals and vacationers.

Summer Girl by Linda Watkins won 1st Place in the 2018 CIBA Somerset Book Awards for contemporary literary novels.

November 15, 2021
NO PLACE LIKE ROME (A Lexi Carmichael Mystery Book 3) by Julie Moffett – Mystery, Satire Fiction, International Intrigue

Self-proclaimed first-class geek Lexi Carmichael might not handle small talk well, but she can hack nearly anything.

Lexi works for X-Corp Global Security Intelligence. When an enigmatic fellow hacker known as Slash hires X-Corp to catch a thief who has framed his uncle for laundering money from the Vatican Bank, Lexi jumps at the mystery. After all, who wouldn’t want to travel to Rome with a handsome possible spy? However, as soon as she begins her virtual snooping, Lexi learns that danger lurks under the surface. A man with an umbrella gun nearly kidnaps her; both she and Slash realize these criminals threaten more than his uncle’s reputation and the eighteen million euros.

A group of heavily encrypted files goes beyond even Lexi’s skills, and she calls in the help of some of the world’s greatest hackers to break the code. She leads them all deep into a historical mystery over 500 years in the making. But they aren’t the only people chasing answers, and the criminals will stop at nothing to capture their prize. Lexi needs more than computer skills to escape this time.

Feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty make Lexi more human than fiction, drawing readers to connect with her.

With her cringe-worthy social skills, Lexi doesn’t quite fit the mold of master detective. And yet, her hilarious, rambling talks with Slash make her endearing to him. Whether dealing with a jealous opera singer or a nosy Italian grandmother, Lexi makes one hysterical social misstep after another. Though clumsy and clueless when it comes to interacting with people, she proves herself otherwise smart and tough. Her hacking skills shine even to the computer-illiterate. She relies on a love of math and her quick thinking to save her friends and herself, all while standing up to gun-toting criminals. Lexi refuses to back down even when this mystery could cost her life.

Her budding, possible relationship with the delectable Slash adds just enough sizzling chemistry to satisfy romance readers.

As a secret agent for the NSA and a master hacker himself, Slash reeks of intrigue. He even refuses to tell Lexi his real name. The longer the two spend together, the more she struggles to resist his sensual temptation. Slash’s clear interest in Lexi presents some toe-curling scenes that walk the line between romantic and farcical.

Hidden clues in centuries-old paintings meet high-tech computer lingo in this third novel in the Lexi Carmichael series.

Engaging, well-developed characters fill this mystery story. The super-hacker twins, the trendy BFF, the sexy Italian mystery man, and his beefy buddy feel like old friends. The depth of the mystery will grip readers. From the Vatican to a secret crypt complete with booby-traps, No Place Like Rome boasts an adventure fit for a spy thriller.

No Place Like Rome by Julie Moffett won 1st Place in the 2014 CIBA M & M Awards for mystery and mayhem novels.

November 8, 2021