Author and entrepreneur Kris Kelso made a discovery about himself that he shares with others in his book, Overcoming The Impostor: Silence Your Inner Critique and Lead with Confidence.
The author was surprised in a first meeting at a new job to be referred to as an “expert.” It raised doubts in his mind about whether he had earned such a title, but it also forced him to do things he’d never done before and succeed in the process. But the voices in his head persisted, even as he went from accomplishment to accomplishment. His shadow, The Impostor, told him he didn’t know how to do a certain thing; moreover, he was making it up. The Impostor relentlessly mocked him, saying that just been lucky, he wasn’t a “real” businessman at all. When he learned about “Impostor Syndrome” – “a psychological pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments” – he realized that we all have an “Inner Impostor” that needs to be recognized, dealt with, and banished.
Kelso often faced “figure-it-out moments” for problems he’d never encountered before. That’s when The Impostor would creep in. But gradually, Kelso began to see that in those critical moments, hidden abilities came to light. Analyzing his past business history, he soon realized that those moments where The Impostor spoke the loudest were the most pivotal, positive steps in his career.
Soon, it became clear, challenges are often the pathways to growth.
At a meeting with new work colleagues, Kelso introduced himself and then gave a brief picture of the syndrome, and others quickly chimed in, expressing their own experience of it. He studied other people’s approaches to their Impostors, learning that even high achievers may be quite susceptible to The Impostor’s negative voice. Entrepreneurs are often beset by The Impostor’s negative messages. Instead of feeling proud of their unique abilities that lead to their successes, they often categorized their accomplishments as an anomaly.
In addition to numerous examples of the syndrome from his cohort of businesspeople, Kelso offers a ten-step process for dealing with and silencing The Impostor. First, Identify its presence; Remember that failure is part of success; Recognize that learning on the job is a strength; Avoid the trap of comparing yourself to others; Trust those who believe in you. Then act: Accept compliments, Say “I don’t know,” when appropriate, Find mentors, Be open and vulnerable, and, Share your own story. He advises focusing on one step at a time until your success becomes a habit.
Kelso’s dynamic, well-thought-out methods to revise and revitalize one’s inner self-confidence will undoubtedly be a wellspring of hope and encouragement, not just in the business world but to anyone seeking a fresh, creative approach to new projects and lifelong aspirations. Recommended!
Thirties: The Album in Portrait and Prose is a companion book to the album “Thirties” by Indie-folk singer Jill Andrews and both are very personal and poignant.
Thirties: The Album in Portrait and Prose features lush photography that illustrates the prose as any good coffee table book should. But it is more than a book of pictures and writing to add to your décor. The album was written during Jill’s transformative third decade of challenge and change, of love and loss. The book came from the feeling that there was more to tell that would “go deeper than a three-minute song” could take the singer/song writer and the listener and so the book idea was born to share the journey. There are times it feels like we are reading a personal journal as Jill struggles to come to terms with the ideals and dreams of her younger years, that in her “thirties” she would have all those things one imagines should be in place as an adult, a family, career, and a loving relationship.
The cover of both the book and the album hint at what is to come, a picture of Jill dancing, her arms around no one, but her shadow silhouette dancing with a partner.
The book starts after the birth of a new baby girl with a second partner, and the growing dark clouds of alcoholism and absence that are threatening to end this relationship. “He sleeps when it’s bright and beautiful outside, long after the baby’s first morning cry for milk.” As Jill navigates her journey through this crumbling relationship and all of the pressures of, once again, being a single mom, her joy and sadness are tangible.
Each chapter corresponds with a song on the album and lyrics are sprinkled throughout. The photographs are both glossy color and brilliant black and white, each choice enhancing the chapters they illustrate. Some of the photos harken back to a bygone era, with Jill in Vintage Riding clothes astride a beautiful horse (My Own Way) or in a 40’s style polka-dot two-piece in the river with dazzling red lipstick (River Swimming) to a haunting “evolution” photo of infant girl to Jill now (The Way to Go). Although the book is about separation and loss, readers (and listeners) will also find a deep longing and hope for the future, hope that there is still a chance for love.
Fans of Jill Andrews will find this book to be a perfect companion to the album and find the same hopefulness in the book as in her lyrics and those who pick up this book to read it may find themselves going to the “book extras” on the web page to listen to samples of the album and find a richer experience for it.
Katy Novacs is haunted, both by her past and the laughing specter that reminds her of it. When her friends bring her to Niagara-on-the-Lake in the hopes of lifting her spirits, she finds that their inn has a ghost of its own who has a tale that might save her.
Katy comes to the Niagara Inn in a mire of sorrow, fear, and trauma. Though her friends try to help her move forward with her life, to fall in love and open herself up to other people again, Katy’s stay at the inn only seems to drain her further. Both she and her friends question her sanity as she becomes certain that she’s sharing a room with the spirit of a dead woman, but when Abigail eventually reveals herself, it is to tell Katy a story that she needs to hear—that of Abigail’s life.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Abigail Kirby finds her own love in Will Bender. They cross the lines of class to be together, but Abigail’s story doesn’t end when she wins Will’s heart; there are far greater struggles, sorrows, and the dark shadows of the past waiting to fall upon her. What strings have fate wrapped around Abigail, and will Katy be able to find the message that she so desperately needs?
Abigail’s Window is threaded through with evocative descriptions. The cold and snow of Niagara-on-the-Lake surrounds the Niagara Inn, which is built up with foreboding and emotional energy that suffuses parts of the old house. Abigail’s story is even more expansive in its description, building the whole town as it was long in the past; this old picture gives the reader a strong sense of Abigail and the world that she lived in, from the small social circles of Niagara-on-the-Lake to an exploration of the far-reaching American Civil War.
Susan Lynn Solomon creates animated, complex characters whose personalities show through in everything they do and say. Katy’s emotional exhaustion is palpable on the page, shading the entire beginning of the story; her narration is intimately understandable even at its most troubled. Her experiences show a deep alienation from the people around her and draw the reader into her world which is, at least early on, truly private. Among that fear and isolation from Katy’s struggles, the story introduces a slow, powerful development of the friendship and emotional connection that Abigail and Katy share as they tell each other what they’ve both been through; their life stories carry parallels that help them understand one another while remaining distinct characters with their own voices and ways of seeing the world.
The reader learns the mysteries of Katy and Abigail at the same time the two women learn them, their stories interwoven. The pacing of Abigail’s Window is excellent. The story takes its time revealing Abigail, giving space for Katy to settle into the house and teach the reader about herself. Katy’s fear of the ghost doesn’t change to comfort all at once, but over time as Abigail becomes more and more present. Once they begin sharing, both of their stories are given the space they need to be told, to explore the feelings within them and show the reader who these characters were before they came to share a bedroom in the Niagara Inn. Those stories come together as Abigail’s Window picks up the pace for a tense and affecting climax.
Common themes connect Abigail and Katy. Abigail’s story is marked by fate, how what happened to her before could only have led to what came after, and how she tried to fight against it. Katy struggles to accept the love that’s waiting for her because of her own past. Abigail’s Window doesn’t shy away from the deep emotional pain of its characters, but the story is strung together with the idea that a true connection with someone else has the power to heal the soul, and the trust that love will survive, no matter what else.
Abigail’s Window is a touching, fascinating story of two wonderful characters, and the connection they form across a century and a half. This novel by Susan Lynn Solomon won Grand Prize in the CIBA 2019 Paranormal Awards for supernatural fiction.
Inuit of the Canadian Arctic are known for creating stone structures used as navigational points and message centers for fellow travelers. Some of these directional monuments provide a spiritual connotation meant to enrich the journey.
Gathering Pebbles is David Okerlund’s own “inukshuk” of sorts, a book filled with stories, recollections, and memorable life events that have become part of his personal road map for living. Okerlund, a world-class inspirational speaker, shares his best stories to help you create your own life-path. He shares this collection of nuggets in the interest of helping others along their chosen path and hoping to encourage their own “gathering” and sharing of valuable knowledge.
Okerlund directs his writing in a casual, user-friendly style. Each of the book’s chapters is highlighted as a pebble gathered on his winding life’s path. Titles are effectively posed as questions to help draw readers into the topic at hand. Each chapter is formatted with a variable mixture of contemplative quotes, poetry, recaptured historical moments, and personal experiences, to showcase qualities such as perseverance, retaining a sense of childhood wonderment, the importance of faith, and following your dreams.
Whether referencing the words of Pablo Picasso, Chuck Norris, Colin Powell, or Mario Andretti, Okerlund taps into thought from the world at large. From Presidents and self-help gurus to business moguls and religious leaders, the inclusion of such a broad range of sentiment represents a treasure trove of relatable wisdom. In a chapter on self-esteem and learning to be content with your present situation, even troubled starlet Marilyn Monroe’s ponderings ring true, “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person that you are.”
In a similar light, included poems, primarily authored by Okerlund, often provide a whimsical complement to a chapter’s focus. Whether the narrative rhyming verse of “A Single Arrow” that emphasizes a need to stay on target to reach our goals, or the musings of “The Child Within” suggesting we retain the charms of our childlike curiosity and resilience. The messages are clear and heartfelt. “My Legacy” proves a down-to-earth embodiment of sincere gifts like smiles, laughter, dreams, and blessings.
Okerlund weaves many of the classic and time-honored lessons amidst his storytelling.
One narrative about efforts to avoid traffic pointedly entertains a “stop and smell the roses” philosophy. Additional directives to readers include being responsible for your actions, how to approach situations with a balanced head and heart when making decisions, and realizing that failure is often a prerequisite to success. The book has an interactive appeal with questions to ponder and simple exercises to help in assessing the likes of values, priorities, and needs vs. desires in our daily lives. A touching story about an unexpected friendship between a student with down-syndrome and a star athlete focuses on the importance of little things and how simple efforts can create positive change.
While the core messages of this book may not be new, the shared information of Okerlund’s own deconstructed “inukshuk” proves an inspiring worthwhile effort to help others navigate life’s winding path. Such positivity is always a good thing.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day my dear Chanticleerians! We love all the myriad topics that this holiday brings to mind, Irish History, Mystery, Magic, Romance, and maybe a little beer!
A few fun facts about the holiday:
St Patrick’s is held on the traditional Day of Death, not St. Patrick’s Birthday
Singing happy birthday to St. Patrick is a great idea, but the actual date of his birth is unknown?
Interestingly enough, the color associated with St. Patrick used to be blue!
Why all the beer?
St. Patrick’s Day is often seen as a religious tradition, but a holiday in the middle of Lent can be a little prohibitive in terms of how it’s celebrated. So, the Church would actually lift the restriction on alcohol consumption and meat for the day, so bring on the green beer and Rueben sandwiches!
Why the clover?
The supposed history of the shamrock is that St. Patrick used the three leaves of the clover to explain the Holy Trinity when he preached.
Closer to Home
The US hosts the largest St Patrick’s Day Parade in the World in New York City, though of course that is postponed due to the pandemic. Oddly though, St. Patrick’s Day is only recognized as an official holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, despite people all around the country choosing to celebrate it. However, we have declared March Irish Heritage Month since 1991.
It’s not easy being Green
Maybe skip the leprechaun outfits—no one likes to be a stereotype. Many Irish people, when they first migrated to the US during the potato famine of 1845-49, faced discrimination like most new arrivals here do to this day. They fought for both cultural and religious acceptance.
And Now!
Some of our favorite books we like to curl up with before the weather truly transitions to Spring.
Historical Fiction
To submit to one of our Historical Fiction Awards see the Chaucer Awards (pre-1750s Historical Fiction) here, the Goethe Awards (post-1750s Historical Fiction) here, and the Laramie Awards for Western Fiction here.
I’ll TAKE YOU HOME KATHLEEN by J.P. Kenna
Grand Prize Winner in the Goethe Awards
The 1800s was the age of expansion in the United States, and railroads played a major part in the efforts to move Americans and industry to the Western shores. By the 1860s, this great country, the American experiment as it was called, became engulfed in a brother versus brother bloody Civil War. As the century drew to a close in the late 1880s and early 1890s, America was still reeling from the emotional and economic damage the war had caused. J.P. Kenna uses this struggle as the backdrop for his book I’ll Take You Home Kathleen, the second in his series titled Beyond the Divide.
Kenna’s novel captures the years 1882 to 1898 with its focal point being the Irish immigrants who were seeking to escape famine, lack of land reform along with desiring religious freedom, came to America seeking a better life and more opportunity. The first wave of immigrants were seeking escape from one of the grimmest periods in Irish history–the Great Famine from 1845 to 1852. Author Kenna follows this hard-working group of immigrants who helped lead America into a post-Civil War, industrial, and economic boom that some have called the Second Industrial Revolution.
SHAME the DEVIL by Donna Scott
First Place Winner in the Chaucer Awards
Colin and Roddy Blackburne are sent into indentured servitude in England in 1643 with their father. Gavan Blackburne supported the divine right of King Charles I. Still, after the tragic death of his wife that both Colin and Roddy witnessed, he relinquishes his efforts to protect the remainder of his family.
The Blackburnes become stable hands at Appleton Hall, where the viscount’s daughter Emma quickly catches the eye of young Colin. Emma is curious about the young Scots in the stable and drags along Alston, the son of Lord Stillingfleet. The four children start a friendship that intertwines their lives forever.
FENIAN’S TRACE by Sean P. Mahoney
First Place Winner in the Goethe Awards
Rory McCabe and Conor O’Neill are hard-working 12-year-olds, whose exploits and progress are narrated by the namesake of Clancy’s Pub who’s taken a liking to them. At times, he rewards the boys’ efforts with tales of their shared Irish heritage, its heroes and its glories. The boys have very different personalities, as Clancy discerns from their reactions to his lore. Rory is outraged as he hears of Ireland’s treatment by the British, while Conor accepts the information more quietly, studiously.
The two boys will soon meet a beautiful girl, Maria, the daughter of a well-to-do neighbor secretly aligned with a revolutionary resistance movement. Both will fall in love, but of the two, Rory will be the more open about his interest, while Conor will hold back, respectful but clearly smitten.
To submit to one of our Mystery or Thriller Fiction Awards see the Mystery & Mayhem Awards here, the Clue Awards here, and the Global Thriller Awards here.
EVIL UNDER the STARS: The Agatha Christie Book Club (Book 3) by C.A. Larmer
First Place Winner in the Mystery & Mayhem Awards
Who commits a murder in a crowd of a hundred people relaxing in a park, and how did the Agatha Christie Book Club miss the entire thing from only a few feet away? In the trendy Sydney suburb of Balmain, Kat Mumford, social media interior design star, has been murdered during the inaugural Cinema Under the Stars. Her distraught husband, Eliot, is clearly the prime suspect, but at the time of Kat’s strangulation, he is nowhere near her. In fact, no one was sitting near Kat, and the crowd seems to have been so absorbed by the movie, Agatha Christie’s Evil Under Sun, that no one saw a thing out of the ordinary.
The question is not if history will catch up with you but instead, when will it attack with a vengeance. Characters with a Legacy of Lies discover they can run, but they can’t hide from past actions. When Caren Johnson sees her family and life literally explode in flames, her uncertain future falls into the hands of a mysterious Irishman. His name is Declan Malone, and he claims he’s been sent by her brother to save her from assassins determined to kill her too. How can that be when her brother’s death was reported ten years ago? Declan’s reasons for a hasty departure from Ireland appear suspect and put a target on his back too.
To submit to one of our Romance or Contemporary Fiction Awards see the Chatelaine Awards here and the Somerset Awards here.
The PARTICULAR APPEAL of GILLIAN PUGSLEY by Susan Örnbratt
First Place Winner in the Chatelaine Awards
Irish-born Gillian McAllister knew she was meant for bigger things than a quiet life among her large extended family. Leaving home at seventeen against her protective father’s wishes, Gillian is looking for adventure – and that’s exactly what she finds. She was a nanny for a maharaja, a caretaker for WWII internees, and a nurse on the Isle of Man before finally becoming a wife, mother, and grandmother in London, Canada, where she spent the majority of her eighty-nine years.
However, with only weeks to live after being stricken by cancer, she knows her time with her beloved granddaughter and namesake is truly precious. Before she goes, she wants to pass on the poems that capture her long, adventurous life to the junior Gilly in hopes the girl will use the poems to write about her adventure – her hidden love story.
BLAME it on the BET (Whiskey Sisters, Book 1) by L.E. Rico
First Place Winner in the Chatelaine Awards
Twenty-six-year-old Hennessy O’Halloran should have it all. She should be enjoying her overpriced apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota, her successful legal career, and her “friends with benefits” neighbor, but in the month since her father’s sudden death, all of those things have become unimportant.
She thought she and her sisters had some time to figure out what to do with Jack’s legacy, an Irish pub he and their deceased mother built from scratch. Still, when they discover a substantial loan agreement secreted away in Jack’s belongings, they realize they only have six weeks to come up with over $100,000, money he borrowed against the business to help finance various expenses on his daughters’ behalves. She finds herself back home in Mayhem, Minnesota, living above the pub and trying desperately to find the funds to save the business.
Choileach, Chanticleer’s Irish cousin, wishes you this:
May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, and may your pockets always have a coin or two inside!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Sharon & Kiffer & David and the whole Chanticleer Team!
And Remember! You can join the Chanticleer Family Anytime!
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Join us at our (Virtual) Chanticleer Authors Conference April 21-25, 2021. Read more about our headliners and workshops for that here!
VCAC 21 will feature Bestselling Crime Author Cathy Ace, J.D. Barker – Master of Suspense, C.C. Humphreys – Historical Fiction with a twist, Jessica Morrell – Top-tiered Developmental Editor, and more!
Check out our Editorial Services here and our Manuscript Overviews here, OR, if your work is already polished to a fine shine, it’s time to submit to our Editorial Reviews here and our Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) here!
Chris Karlsen’s new work, The Ack-Ack Girl, is the first in her World War II series, Love and War, and serves up plenty of story on both sides of that equation in its portrayal of Ava Armstrong, the “Ack-Ack” girl of the title. And what a story it is!
Bombs are dropping on London in the heat and fire of the infamous Blitz. Shells are falling, as are the buildings that surround them, while fires spring up in the wake of the bombs that never seem to end. But when they finally stop, Ava and her friends are determined to get their loved ones somewhere safe and to find a way to serve up some revenge on the Germans.
The action follows Ava as she enlists in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army. She hopes to do more than just “her bit,” but to do it in one of the new ways that become available to women as the men are called to war.
Through Ava’s eyes, we experience her training as one of the “Ack-Ack Girls,” the women who crewed the anti-aircraft batteries placed on the English coasts. In her duties as a spotter, a predictor (calculator), and a gunner, Ava garners respect, pride in her accomplishments and those of her crew – both male and female. One day, love blooms between Ava and an RAF pilot. The new relationship thrills and frightens her at the same time, loving a man who has a dogfight with death every other day.
There are and will be, plenty of World War II stories.
In recent years there has been a plethora of such books featuring the contributions of women to the world-wide war effort, contributions that have frequently gone unsung until now. What makes The Ack-Ack Girl stand out above the crowd is the freshness of its voice and the world as it is seen through the perspective of its titular character.
Ava Armstrong is neither a pampered princess nor a bird in a gilded cage when the story opens. She’s respectably middle-class and has no pretensions. Ava’s doing her best to balance her love and respect for her widowed mother with her strong desire for independence and the need to make something of herself for herself.
The description of the selection and training process for the Ack-Ack crew is both fascinating and delightful because Ava is such a realist. It’s a treat to read about someone who discovers a job, learns they are good at it and is proud of their accomplishments. Nevertheless, Ava struggles over whether to marry or stay in her position where the need could not be greater. Her struggle feels authentic and, therefore, will likely resonate with 21st-century readers.
Chris Karlsen is a master at weaving pulse-pounding action scenes of battle into the heartwarming story of one woman who follows her heart and takes us with her. The Ack-Ack Girl is superb storytelling and one World War II-era novel we highly recommend.
In The YOU beyond you – The knowledge of the willing, Ramzi Najjar addresses his audience with the contemplative calm of a mystic guru and the fervor of an old-time evangelist, in a how-to guide to good health, happiness, and inner peace as a personal philosophic treatise addressing the physical and spiritual quality of life in the 21st century.
In the Preface, Najjar quickly captures readers’ attention with the question, “In a chaotic world, and a life of prevalent restlessness, how can we make sense of the non-sensical [sic]?”
Who doesn’t relate to that?
In seeking an answer to that question, rather than asking the who, what, when and whys of traditional philosophy, Najjar accepts that negative and “nonsensical” life conditions are a given and asks the question how.
How can one change the negative impacts of these conditions upon one’s own being?
Najjar contends, “… you become what you perceive … and what you permit to enter your body…,” and this is the underlying premise upon which the book is based.
The author developed the rationale for his guide from personal experience, learning, observations, and understandings, along with widely accepted, common-sense information, uncited hypotheses, and research from various disciplines. In addition to ideas borrowed from areas of psychology, metaphysics, and epistemology, the author includes some concepts found in Eastern religions. The author weaves these bits and pieces together to create a new paradigm for 21st-century spiritual enlightenment.
At 137 pages, The YOU beyond you is not a long book or a difficult read.
Ramzi Najjar provides detailed explanations, relevant metaphors, and personal anecdotes to support his conclusions. Along with a preface, lengthy forward, and conclusion, he presents his ideas in six chapters: “Body Pollution; Mind Pollution; Restoring our body and mind; Getting imprinted with the correct memory; The Source and how to access it; and, Letting the right Memory run our life.”
The first three chapters are relatively short and provide a fairly comprehensive review of the benefits of common-sense behaviors and choices, and of proven healthy practices that can pave the way to personal transformation. The latter chapters dip into metaphysics and spiritualism integrated with historical and current scientific thought regarding genetic memory found in contemporary neuroscience, energy medicine, and integrative physiology. If one follows the suggestions in Najjar’s latest guide, there is no doubt the outcome will lead to motivational and spiritual growth.
The YOU beyond you may appeal to a varied audience. While at times verbose and loquacious, the intensity of Najjar’s arguments keeps the reader engaged. Many readers will relate to his friendly sometimes pedagogical, first-person voice and will find the book motivating and inspirational. All in all, The YOU beyond you is an interesting and provocative read.
A cosmic force of evil is rising, come to consume whole worlds and plunge them into darkness. Earth is next, and the only chance for humanity to survive is a pair of young, destined heroes who have no idea what dangers lurk in their future.
Kevin Knight is a sixteen-year-old savior, the warrior foretold in an alien prophecy who will combat the Dragon. He’s also afraid of the dark and suffers the routine abuse of his stepdad. Though his mother Sara insists her son will have a bright future, Kevin refuses to believe it until the day his life is shattered. Kevin comes face to face with aliens, monsters, and a staggering truth about humanity. He must follow Robert’s teachings, an alien Changeling who reveals just as much as he keeps hidden. Oh, Kevin must also face down the very forces of Hell.
At the same time, an orphaned Changeling girl named Daren tries to find her place amongst the children who shun her and the adults in her life who have anything but her best interests at heart. As Daren grows and stumbles into the powers of her species, her desires are simple: to protect her only friend, Thomas, and find a mysterious figure whose destiny is bound to hers. But the more powerful she becomes, the more significant her trials, and the danger surrounding her surrounds the orphanage as well. Can she muster her strength fast enough to keep the powers of darkness at bay?
The characters of Tomorrow’s End are vibrant, each one driven by their own desires and philosophies. Kevin and Daren’s stories are focused on their internal struggles, with the fate of the world resting on their shoulders. Kevin must decide who to trust when he’s surrounded by mysterious people and morally dubious mentors. Daren must make do with no teachers at all. In time, both Kevin and Daren fight against bombastic, over-the-top enemies with ties to demonic power.
G.R. Morris fills this story with fantastic descriptions. The aliens and monsters are painted with inventive designs, creating visuals that are wholly unique and distinctive. The creatures, in particular, and the places they come from are visceral depictions of roiling, hellish things, all cast in darkness. The villains of Tomorrow’s End are intensely evil characters who commit graphic violence against nearly everyone around them—even innocent children, which Morris never shies away from showing.
The characters create and break illusory worlds, intricately shown in displays of light and color. These surreal mindscapes help illustrate the thoughts and desires of those meeting within them. Despite all of the otherworldly imagery in this dark science fiction, the regular lives from which Kevin and Daren originate are built with just as much care. Within the settings, expansive action scenes stretch for pages on end, mixing advanced technology with dangerous supernatural power, creating fight scenes larger than life.
Tomorrow’s End sets up its bizarre settings quickly, giving the characters space to breathe and ask questions ─ and their questions abound. This story’s world is full of mysterious societies and convoluted plans that stretch back and forth through time, involving cosmic beings, societal control, and Matrix-like technological constructs. Morris painstakingly develops the storyline, and, at times, the pacing of the novel seems to slow a bit. Things pick back up when the villains make their appearance. Morris shows the turmoil of individual characters as they understand what they should do and who they should choose to be.
Tomorrow’s End centers on a philosophy of free will and choice in every conflict. Evil and good are chosen rather than innate, and situations that appear random are always driven by earlier choices. Kevin must choose truth and have faith in his own purpose if he will have any chance to win the battle against the darkness. Daren learns that she’ll have to fight, to be defiant if she wants to keep those around her safe. And they both will have to understand that belief can change reality, that the choice to suffer could teach them the lessons they need, and that it’s not always so easy to pick light over darkness. All in all, readers will more than likely line up for Book II!
Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom is a heart-pounding coming-of-age story about two heartbroken girls who land at crossroads during one treacherous summer, as one runs to a dangerous forest and the other to a dangerous relationship in the Pacific Northwest.
As the story opens, Aggie, aged 10, and Celia, 16, have something in common: anger at their parents. That anger takes each of them on roads through very dark places – roads from which they barely manage to escape.
Aggie accidentally lights her family home on fire, then watches in horror as firefighters extract her unresponsive parents from the burning structure. She loses herself in the woods, practicing the survival techniques her father taught her, afraid that she caused her parents’ death and certain that she will be sent to jail if she is caught. But the arrest, she soon learns, is the least of her worries, as dangers imperil her survival and as guilt threatens to undo her. She is desperate and in constant danger – not from the searchers who only want to help her, but from being alone in the woods that she has never truly faced without her father’s protection.
Celia is angry with her parents for lying to her about pretty much everything involved with her summer exile to her grandmother’s farm. It’s when she joins the hunt for Aggie that Celia meets autistic savant Burnaby and charismatic, sensual Cabot. As her relationships with both grow, she must choose between the one who can help her understand herself and the one determined to claim her.
Aggie’s story is one of survival, while Celia’s is a more typical story of rebellious adolescence – or so it seems at first. Despite the difference in their ages, Aggie and Celia start from similar places. They have both lost trust in the adults in their lives and don’t know where to turn. Neither is mature enough to deal with the situations facing them.
Both girls are lost – until they come together just in time to save one another.
Readers who like survival stories will love Aggie’s journey, while those who enjoy coming-of-age stories featuring heroines who learn to rescue themselves will resonate with Celia’s path. Bostrom takes her readers gently by the hand and plunges them into an immersive tale straight from page one. Sugar Birds is a powerful coming-of-age story of betrayal and loss, rebellion and anger, friendship, forgiveness and redemption, all woven into a testament to the wondrous natural world.
A fast-paced political thriller, Night Rain, Tokyo is more than just bureaucratic intrigue. Brad Oaks is in Washington D.C. trying to get the Wishbone Pipeline project off the ground for Elgar Steel. Before he can make much progress in his task, he is called home by the news of the death of his boss and mentor, Ernie Elgar. Twin sisters Sarah and June Elgar are at odds about the Wishbone pipeline project. After their father’s death, the sisters have inherited control over Elgar Steel. But soon, they discover they have another sister in Tokyo. Brad is then sent across the world to meet with Amaya Mori to buy her Elgar Steel shares, but he quickly becomes caught in the crosshairs of international politics and his own heart.
Night Rain Tokyo is a heart-pounding, pulse-racing, political thriller that deals with the importance of family, identity, and love in an ever-increasingly complex world. John Feist pulls from his own experience in law and government relations, adding in the realities of bureaucratic hurdles, and this gives the plot a great touch of authenticity. In short, readers searching for an international, high-stakes political crime thriller that hits all the marks, look no further. Feist’s storytelling is smart. However, Feist understands there is more to an authentic political story than lobbying politicians and negotiating international business deals.
At the heart of Night Rain, Tokyo, are the personal struggles of its characters. Amaya has lived her whole life as an outsider in her own culture, while Brad is opening his heart again years after a significant loss. The Elgar sisters are at odds and struggle to maintain their familial bond at the cost of achieving their desired outcome for the Wishbone pipeline project. In real life, thereis always more than just what is on the surface, and Night Rain, Tokyo is much more than the international Wishbone project.
Night Rain, Tokyo is the first book in his political thriller series, and he sets the bar high. Readers will not want to miss the next book, Blind Trust, and the just-released third book, Debt and Doubt.
Katy Novacs is haunted, both by her past and the laughing specter that reminds her of it. When her friends bring her to Niagara-on-the-Lake in the hopes of lifting her spirits, she finds that their inn has a ghost of its own who has a tale that might save her.
