Chanticleer Book Reviews

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The SATISFIED WORKBOOK: A Spiritual Guide to Recovery and Food Freedom by Dr. Rhona Epstein, PsyD, CAC – Food Addiction Recovery, 12 Step Recovery, Weight Management and Weight Loss

Dr. Rhona Epstein, PsyD, CAC is the leading expert on Food Addiction Recovery.

She is a therapist who has recovered from the problems she now focuses on, seeking to help those who suffer from food addiction to recognize their problem and solve it with spiritual guidance.

Epstein has based this manual around the 12 Steps, a program originally geared to alcoholism and based on Christian principles, but gradually secularized to facilitate outreach to a broader group. The 12 Steps take the addict, of whatever sort, through a series of deepening inner questions and resolutions. Initially, the addict must admit he or she has an addiction – in this case, to food and overeating, resulting in bingeing and other disorders such as bulimia. From that point, there will be a diligent search for relief, aided by faith in God’s care, and concluding with the possibility of helping others with the same problems.

Epstein has organized her book extremely carefully, each chapter considering one of the steps.

The chapters contain an initial Overview followed by Real Talk by Dr. Rhona, who speaks with two voices. As a psychologist, she recounts case studies concerning people whose problems illustrate the need for the steps. As a former food addict, she recalls her ways of dealing with, or dodging, the issues. It took her several years to conquer her overeating and related compulsions, and, as she reminds her readers, the need for diligence, or what she calls “daily housekeeping,” is a constant. For each step, she offers Recovery Questions, makes challenges, and sometimes presents multiple pages of Scriptural Meditations since her work and wisdom are heavily steeped in a Christian viewpoint. Throughout the book, she will urge her readers to give their burdens to God while also suggesting some secular solutions such as meditation and music, attendance in group therapy, and individual counseling, both professional and friend-and-family based.

The author, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and many years of experience counseling in the field of food-related addiction, references food as both a physical poison that can lead to and perpetuate addiction and as a symbolic spiritual satisfaction when it comes, as healing, from the grace of God.

As a recovered addict, Dr. Rhona is frank about the work it may take at times to acknowledge and overcome food obsessions fully. It is precisely this perspective that gives her strategies credibility. Anyone experiencing food or other addiction problem may benefit from reading Epstein’s highly relevant work. The questions and exercises contained within the book would make an excellent tool for therapeutic workshops.

March 25, 2021
OVERCOMING The IMPOSTOR: Silence Your Inner Critic and Lead with Confidence by Kris Kelso – Motivational Business Management, Business Motivation and Self Improvement, Business Leadership

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!

March 24, 2021
THIRTIES: The Album in Portrait and Prose by Jill Andrews – Actor and Entertainer Biographies Actor and Entertainer Biographies, Photo Essays, Composer & Musician Biographies

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.

March 23, 2021
The YOU BEYOND YOU The Knowledge of the Willing by Ramzi Najjar – Personal Transformation, Motivational, Spiritual Growth Self-Help

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 21^st 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.

March 15, 2021
TOMORROW’s END (Book One) by G.R. Morris – Cyberpunk Sci-fi, Horror Literature & Fiction, Philosophy

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!

March 13, 2021
SUGAR BIRDS by Cheryl Grey Bostrom – Coming-of-Age Fiction, Small Town Fiction, Friendships and Relationships

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.

March 11, 2021
NIGHT RAIN, TOKYO by John W. Feist – Men’s Adventure Fiction, Terrorism Thrillers, Crime Action/Adventure

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, there is 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.

March 10, 2021
SCEPTER of FLINT (The Lord Hani Mysteries, Book 3) by N. L. Holmes – Historical Mysteries, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller & Suspense Fiction

The yearning for justice is a heartfelt sentiment that has stirred people through the ages. The price for justice can be high, and it’s not always predictable who will pay. In this third Lord Hani mystery of ancient Egypt, Lord Hani is confronted with a puzzling dichotomy. It’s a pool of two truths that cannot coexist. And for Lord Hani, neither truth has the desired outcome. Yet, the King has assigned him to solve this mystery of the stealthy tomb robbers. They have broken into several sacred resting places and stolen valuable contents meant to sustain the spirits of those who passed on. Lord Hani must uncover the secret leader to stop these villains, the one determined to wield a Scepter of Flint to spark fires of division, suspicion, desperation, and greed.

As Lord Hani begins the investigation with his reliable assistant and son-in-law Maya, longtime enemy Mahu the police chief continually shows up looking for trouble and looking to get Hani off what Mahu sees as his case. However, Hani continues to puzzle out the mystery of the tomb robbers, why their crimes have started now, and where they may strike next. As he follows the clues, he finds more to this spree than robbery – much more. And now, it’s not just property that is threatened. Now lives are at stake.

Interviewing suspects and witnesses keeps Hani busy between the political new capital and the beloved old capital, a boat ride apart. He and Maya are not alone in their pursuit for the truth; generations of his passionate family, including his father, brother, dear wife, and daughter, join in. From their diverse interests and work Hani gleans insightful information. To make matters even more dire, a terrifying plague sprouts in the capital. So extra care must be taken, and their days are surrounded by the tragedy of the illness.

What Hani ultimately uncovers is shocking, and in the end, the reach of the scepter will put his family and many other innocents at risk. Hani’s trust in others – even his boss – will be tested. If he makes the wrong choices, more innocent victims will suffer. If Hani can’t complete his fight for justice in time, will they all succumb to the Scepter of Flint?

While tomb robberies serve to remind all that nothing on this earth is guaranteed to last, and political forces are turning intolerant toward divergent views, those connected to Lord Hani have the company of a true and trusted friend. Hani and his wife keep a house that is as busy as ever with family and friends coming and going. It often feels like a safe harbor, where all are welcome.

N.L. Holmes arms her fascinating characters with motives and dreams that tug at the heart and places them in a world of highly relatable circumstances. Because Holmes masterfully lays out the unique story and situation of each character, there are no real minor characters. She contrasts the very human foibles with the stunning descriptive passages of the natural beauty surrounding these characters, if only they appreciate it. The reader certainly does. The author’s poetic depictions capture the spirit and renders us helpless in her grasp, then she draws us back to conspiracies, machinations, and perilous plot twists that spark fears of the Scepter of Flint.

The third book in the Lord Hani mysteries, Scepter of Flint, will keep readers glued to the page – and dying for the next book in the series, The North Wind Descends. Those who are new to the series will undoubtedly want to read the first two books, Bird in a Snare and The Crocodile Makes No Sound.

March 5, 2021
END of the RACE by Judith Kirscht – Contemporary Literature, Family Drama, Women’s Literature, Women’s Fiction

An intricate mystery set in a small fictional town in northern Michigan, End of the Race is contemporary fiction at its finest. Annika Wolfson is a young mother and accomplished swimmer that has faced adversity in many areas of her life. Growing up in the Berglund household was rarely quiet for Annika because her father struggled with mental health and his unwavering feud against the affluent Wolfson family. Despite the long feud between the two families, Brian Wolfson and Annika bond as kids over swimming and their dream of the Olympics. Fast-forward a handful of years, Brian and Annika are now married and have a daughter. Their dreams of Olympic gold have been close to reality but always just out of reach.

After facing defeat in Athens a few years prior, Annika dives back into training for one last shot at Olympic gold, but then tragedy strikes. While in a low and vulnerable place, her husband Brian leaves to go on a sailing trip with friends from college and ends up missing. As Annika tries to unravel what has happened to her husband, she begins to suspect that the Wolfsons are not all they appear on the surface. Navigating a complicated family dynamic, she races to find answers as her life comes crumbling down around her and her daughter.

Kirscht keeps readers on the edge of their seats as she delicately deepens the mystery of Brian Wolfson’s disappearance. This mystery is far from the only one within the story. What happened that caused Annika to miss the Sydney and Athens Olympics? What happened all those years ago between Tom Berglund and Karl Wolfson that has created an almost Shakespearean divide between their houses? As the story progresses, Kirscht answers these questions bit by bit as the narrative alternates between the past and present. Towards the end of the novel, the timelines catch up with one another. There are still many things left unsaid and plenty of room for interpretation after the novel’s conclusion.

The mystery is presented mostly through Annika’s eyes, so readers only learn what she does. The full picture of the Wolfson family and their secretive attitude towards any outsiders is never fully explained. Even though Annika is a Wolfson by marriage, she is an outsider to her in-laws and her own family. The frustration and confusion she feels as a result adds complexity to the story as a whole.

Journey to the rustic setting of northern Michigan, where the idea of family may not be as simple as it seems. End of the Race is a quiet and refreshing story that will have readers longing for a trip out on the water.

End of the Race won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Somerset Awards for Literary novels.

March 3, 2021
WANDERS FAR – An Unlikely Hero’s Journey: Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series by David Fitz-Gerald – Native American Literature, Historical Fantasy Fiction, Folklore

An engaging history of ancient Native American peoples is brought to magical life by author David Fitz-Gerald.

In the early 1100s, in a region now known to us as the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York, a small band of tribal people is living in longhouses, growing crops, fishing, hunting, and enjoying certain rituals such as face and body painting, occasional migration for food survival, and even seasonal “vacations,” all while willingly obeying a simple form of governance with elements of basic democracy. In this tribe, we meet Wanders Far, a child who earns his nickname after showing a propensity to disappear and explore since he could walk. His mother, Bear Fat, is the recognized chieftainess of their group, mother of a large brood, one of whom is stolen as the book opens. Wanders Far would be considered an unusual child in any society, gifted with a highly accurate memory and the ability to visualize future events. He can also run like the wind, and with his love for travel, he is often the first to see and warn his people of danger, such as a cadre of warriors from a hostile tribe heading towards his home settlement.

Fitz-Gerald’s book interweaves family chronology, legend (such as tales of Hiawatha), and fact-weighted history into what is essentially a human drama focused on the personal lives of Wanders Far and his cultural community. Through the happenings described, we learn more about how such indigenous people survived and progressed. We see them fishing, hunting, and foraging, as well as loving, celebrating, and mourning. One dominant theme concerns the mixture of tribes in the area – Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca. We see how they interact, with some being more generally friendly and others being enemies who may become allies as, in the future, they will meld into what is called The Iroquois Confederacy, serving a significant role in the founding of the first European colonies. We see Wanders Far and his relatives – all with earthy, practical names like Squash, Gentle Breeze, and Big Canoe – as real people who laugh and cry, fall in love, make war and form alliances in their nature-bound, intuitively guided, pre-technological circumstances.

Imbuing his hero with “second sight” along with exceptional physical prowess, Fitz-Gerald states that he was drawn to compose the story of Wanders Far through his own powers of imagination coupled with a fascination for the region where he himself has lived and explored. He draws a dynamic portrait of how specially gifted people were and can still be welcomed into the fold despite their differences. Wanders Far will experience a long life, here skipping from his early twenties to his mid-seventies, and readers will hope that a future novel may reveal more of the exploits of his full manhood. A small hint at the book’s end alludes to a distant identity and makes us want to see more from this multi-talented, highly creative author.

Wanders Far won First Place in the CIBA 2019 Laramie Awards for American Western Fiction.

February 27, 2021