Book Review - From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between

From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between

By: Elizabeth Atkinson
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Publication Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-1467708616
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: May 18, 2013

Puh-lease! There just had to be another eleven-year-old in the new neighborhood. Alice Bunt and her family had moved from Boston to this cookie-cutter house on Hemlock Trail in Oakville. Alice’s mom commuted to Boston to work and she had a SAHD. Jim, her “stay-at-home-dad” was awesome, but that sort of thing was a little different. He told her to invite the neighbors over to have a bite of dessert, but there wasn’t anyone close to her age. Alice thought to herself, “The Reeds are dull, the Lees are rude, and the Kings are a nightmare!” True, but then she met Zenithal Stevie Wonder Malinowski. Zen for short.

Zen was as good as it gets in the age department being a year older than Alice, but he sure was different. Alice had “little interest in typical girl stuff like dolls and jewelry and makeup,” but Zen read “Tween Magazine” and curled and crimped his hair with a curling iron. Seriously, he did. And he knew all about fashion and wanted to eventually open a “total body salon.” Zen’s grandmother, Babs, only had eyes for Andy Griffith, but Zen had his eyes on Alice. He was going to make her into a perfectly popular and prissy student for the first day of school at Sachem Regional Middle School.

Alice was really interested in fitting in and went along with Zen’s plan. He was a perfect friend and gave her quizzes that would help her pick out friends that were high on the popularity scale and Rebecca Aulowitz wasn’t one of them. Rebecca smiled at Alice and looked like someone she’d like, but ignore was the word for it. Alice soon was in the “in” crowd and loving every minute of it. Not. Alice was going to sit with Zen in the lunchroom when Haley exclaimed, “He’s only the weirdest, most revolting person in the entire school district.” All the popular girls wanted to do was gossip, act mean, and watch “Another Life.” Where had the real Alice Bunt disappeared to? Did she really want to be popular?

This is a fabulous tale of Alice Bunt and her struggle to be true to herself. Most ‘tweeners are insecure when they first enter middle school, but Alice has to decide whether she wants to be popular or just be plain old Alice. Zen of course, is a young man who has to deal with the angst of being who he is without wavering. He’s just Zen and wouldn’t change himself for the world. There is a haven for him in a “bizarre church that made everyone feel so normal,” but Alice doesn’t know which way to turn. The tale is perhaps one that plays itself out in every middle school and is one that most young people can relate to. The twist at the end was an excellent culmination to a truly unique tale that will appeal to a wide audience. It’s a marvelous tale that tells its young audience that diversity and individuality are very special things.

Quill says: This is a perfect book for those 'tweeners who need to know that it's fine to be who they are ... perfect actually!

Book Review - Meerkat Madness (Awesome Animals)

Meerkat Madness (Awesome Animals)

By: Ian Whybrow
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
Publication Date: April 2013
ISBN: 978-1438003030
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: May 2013

Uncle Fearless was tending to the motherless meerkats, Skeema, Little Dream, and Mimi. Their mother, Princess Fragrant, has been “taken by a wild dog” when they were wee things. They remembered that Flower had nursed them, but most of all they loved Uncle Fearless. They were getting ready to head to the Upworld and he tried to reassure them that everything would be just fine. Uncle Fearless would often tell them about his Glory Days, those fantastic days when he met up with the blah blahs and the oolooks. They were strange creatures who were led by Chief Click-click and there were really unusual things like vroom vrooms.

“I’m not making this up!” declared Uncle Fearless, but no one believed him except his little ones. Ever since the eagle owl attack took out his eye and practically killed him he was a nobody to the Sharpeyes. Queen Heartless no longer wanted him as king and took his younger brother, Chancer, as king. Uncle Fearless was nothing but an old washed up babysitter who made up stories. He was once a fearless king, but no one believed this one-eyed fool. “We’re going on an adventure,” exclaimed Little Dream. They had dug up a mysterious egg chamber and crossing the desert to see those blah blahs and oolooks would prove that Uncle Fearless was really a king. Was he really a king or just a BIG liar?

This is a fabulously fun and zany adventure with Uncle Fearless and the meerkat pups. Uncle Fearless and his “adopted” pups are considered to be a bunch of misfits in Sharpeye society, but the discerning young reader instinctively knows that the old meerkat is no fool. Of course the trick is to cross that mighty desert and prove to everyone that his Glory Days were the real thing. The story line is told from the vantage point of the meerkats who think blah blahs and oolooks (humans) and their vroom vrooms (cars) and quite odd. Young adventurous readers will certainly enjoy this zany bunch and will learn a lot about meerkats in the process.

Quill says: The “Awesome Animals” series is perfect for young mischief makers who enjoy seeing other young critters in action!

Interview with Author Michael Kasenow

Today we're talking with Michael Kasenow, author of A Wicked Thing

FQ: Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your work. Were the reader takeaways you envisioned (and intended) to be as much about 'good vs. evil' as they were about encouraging the reader to consider what it would be like to have the opportunity to crossover (and return) before death actually happens?


'Good vs evil' was certainly one of the conflicts I tried to develop, and in a philosophical manner—for Tara is very dangerous, but also very smart. Many crazy people are intelligent, and often justify their sadism using a narcissistic viewpoint, and in Tara’s case, considering the people she kills, she enjoys the challenge, thinking she can out-think her opponents. But yes, the prospect of crossing over to the side of death (or life) and then returning was another aspect that grew from the story. Death is a mystery to all of us. To contemplate what it would be like to be dead or to be in a place where the dead reside allows the imagination to go into many directions. I didn’t want the dead place to be like a zombie haven, but something worth striving for, that is, to live a good life to get there, and then enjoying that type of eternity. And to ponder, like we all do, what happens to the soul once the life we live is over.

FQ: There is such sincerity in the way you depict the environment in the 'afterlife.' There is a strong element of serenity in your writing toward this point because it provides the reader with a strong sense that all sorrows, woes, and complexities of life are swept away. Yet, there are still 'rules' to be followed. I’m not sure I ever thoroughly understood the ‘rules’ your character Mary McLaughlin alluded to. Would it be too much of a spoiler for you to further elaborate on this particular theme?

The "rules" are really simple, and they do make sense in a God-like-heaven, the dead cannot help the living make decisions because, as Mary says, “The dead know too much.” The living must find their own path; the dead cannot interfere or help. As much as the dead may want to help the living, especially those they love, they can’t, because they could suffer banishment from heaven if they do so. As Mary points out the rules in heaven must be followed, just like the living must follow the “rule or law of gravity” and other such physical rules. The dead are tempted to help, but as the living must deal with mortal temptations, the dead, in order to remain in heaven cannot interfere with the path of the living, the dead must allow the living to stumble into their own afterlife, just as the dead had to. The dead cannot interfere with life; the living must make their own choices. That is the basic rule.

FQ: In our last interview, I acknowledged and asked about your philosophical style and thoroughly enjoyed your response: “…The story should always come first in any novel. Few like to be preached to. So I write in regard to the story. I don't want to be cast into any genre…” To have characters as rich and full-bodied, I’d be curious to know which of your past and wonderfully colorful jobs was the stock most drawn from to develop this lot?

Most likely from my bartending days. I served drinks for about 3-4 years in a neighborhood bar, and met a whole bunch of personalities in doing so. I draw from that stock a lot, and have in most of my stories. I’ve generally been a listener, and not too much of a talker. I’ve kept those stories and personalities in my personal reserve. By listening you can gain perspectives about anger, love, prejudice, guilt, shame, pride, loneliness and so on. I still listen a great deal; I enjoy laughing at the fun stories that people share. But in my bartending days I also met and avoided some dangerous people—you can hear the danger in their voice and see it in their eyes. Some eyes I will never forget. I did a lot of drugs in my wasted youth, and bumped into some dangerous people on that road too.

FQ: Do you ever write the ending first when you are developing a new book project?

I never write the ending first, although I sometimes think I know how the story will end. But honestly, I’m as surprised as any reader on how my characters develop. I don’t know where the story will take them or how they will get there. For me that is the joy of writing, creating characters, but letting them take me into a story and into their lives. I don’t really know how a book will end until about 1/2-to-2/3rds of the way through. And when bad things happen to good characters I cry, for they have lived inside my head for a year or so, and I want good things to happen for them, but as in real life, sometimes bad things happen to good people. I did throw away the first chapter once the book was completed, and created a new beginning to match the integrity and ambiance of the story.

FQ: When you are full throttle in the depths of creating the story, do you dream about your characters?

Yes I do. I often times drift or daydream about my story and the characters that are in it. Fortunately I live with someone understands and gives me space to create like that. She’ll see me staring off into space and say something like, “You’re writing, right?” and I’ll smile and laugh with a happy nod. But it works.

FQ: I liken "writer’s block" to writing with a forced pen and trust me, when I read back a scene I have 'forced,' the outcome is definitely a product of something that was forced. When you experience a block with your writing, what do you do to get your train moving again?

For me, "writer’s block" is more like "writer's redundancy." I can always put something down on paper, but I'm wise enough to realize that I have repeated a philosophy, metaphors, a type of character, which for me is a lazy way to write. Not only do I not want to be classified in any genre, I don’t want to be labeled as a formula writer. When you duplicate something that you have written before, in a different way, then the writer is using an assembly line approach. That makes writing less fun to do and more like a job. To get out of that rut I read more, sometimes a lot more, until I feel comfortable with my daydreams and where they will be taking the story. I don’t worry about it all that much, it's more like an annoyance. If it’s a good story, it will eventually find itself.

FQ: When did you realize no matter what else you did in life, writing would be your constant for the rest of your life and how would you overcome the obstacles ahead of you once the decision was made?

I used to write poetry before I went into the university as a geologist. I still do. But when I went into science, for about 10 years I wrote science books through Water Resources Publications. So I always wrote, just not fiction. Sometime about 10-12 years ago I began thinking about fiction and began to dabble in it. I have a good job, so that allows me to avoid the obstacles, which can be income for most writers. The public reads headlines about writers getting 6-7 figure contracts, which is not the standard. Most writers, many of them very good, cannot support themselves. By making a plan and supporting that plan with my university work, I have been able to overcome the hardships that many writers confront—mainly, eating and paying the bills. Making a plan and following it, in any aspect in life, is very, very important. You cannot control the plan, but you can control the choices you make about the plan.

FQ: What one person has left the most indelible mark in your life in support of your writing?

Her name is Elsie. We've known each other for about 10 years. She simply has a good ear in regard to what I write and read to her. If too much is too much she tells me why. Sometimes I write into the very early morning (I am a night bird) and she’s just fine with it. She thinks I’m good at doing this and inspires me to continue. I take constructive criticism very well, in fact; I am my worst critic.

FQ: Thank you for your time Mr. Kasenow. It was an honor to have the opportunity to interview you once again. I must tell you when Feathered Quill asked if I was interested in reading (and reviewing) A Wicked Thing, I was elated. I knew before I read the first line that it would not only be another page-turner, but an overall fantastic read as well...and it was! You are a storyteller and a very gifted one at that. There must be a "next." Would you care to share?

You are very kind and your comments make me want to write more. Thank-you. There is a next story, right now I am processing it, and I have about 10,000 words down, but it's moving slow and will take sometime. I rarely, if ever talk about my new project, because it may very well become an old and discarded one. However, I am also putting together a new collection of poems, which will take some time, and I hope it will be completed by early next year. Again, thank-you so much for your kind words and your thoughtful questions.

To learn more about A Wicked Thing please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - A Wicked Thing

A Wicked Thing

By: Michael Kasenow
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
Publication Date: March 2013
ISBN: 978-0741482037
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: May 16, 2013

Michael Kasenow delivers a masterful thriller in his latest novel, A Wicked Thing. This is a thriller that addresses the innocence of good as much as the consequences of evil.

In the quaint maritime province of St. Martins, New Brunswick, Gwen and Stephen Burns have a good life—near perfect, actually. Between their thriving real estate business, the handful of cabins they own and rent and Gwen’s ghost tours, the notion of ever retiring simply wasn’t an option. It seems Gwen was a strong believer in the afterlife and there was plenty of that to be found when the fog rolled in most nights near the Bay of Fundy that fronted their property. Stephen Burns, on the other hand, didn’t believe in ghosts. Most nights he was content to ignore such nonsense and opt for his easy chair with a good read—often the likes of a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Quiet was about to change for the Burns.

St. Martins effortlessly delivered up many perfect blue sky days for summer beach dwellers. When a young boy and his mother happened upon Jonathan McAllister face-planted in the sandy shoreline, curiosity roused the boy’s imagination and he asked his mother if Jonathan was one of those beach bums as they passed by. Hearing the boy’s comment, Jonathan sat up and looked around. Dazed and confused, he couldn’t remember how he got there. What was more troubling was he had no idea where ‘there’ was. He shook off the night; picked himself up and set off in the direction of what he hoped would be town. He heard the voice of Ian McLaughlin before he saw the man, perched on the porch of the turn of the century Victorian. After a brief conversation and coming to the conclusion Jonathan needed a job and place to stay, Ian pointed him in the direction of the Burns. Maybe being here was a destiny; especially after the death of his wife and two sons. With the prospect of a place to stay in trade for some handyman work for the Burns, perhaps this was where he needed to be to sort things out over the summer ahead.

St. Martin was about to lose its innocence. Stunning, redheaded, blue-eyed beauty Tara Walsh was declared legally insane after she satiated the appetite of an industrial wood chipper with the likes of her husband. According to Tara, the two horrific years of marriage to her brute of a husband Charley was the most frightening experience of her life. Fact of the matter was nobody knew for sure if Charley was the awful beast Tara described. No matter, all she ever wanted from Charley was the endless acres of timber he owned and the money that went along with it. On trial for his murder, she knew exactly when to turn the waterworks on for the jury as much as when to toss a sultry glance toward the judge. In the end, nobody bought any of it as she was found guilty and insane before being shipped off to the sanitarium. St. Martins was going to regret that decision for a very long time to come.

Michael Kasenow is a master of the pen. He demonstrates this once again with his signature and fluid style. I had the pleasure of reading his previous book, A View From the Edge, and experienced an instant connection with his work. Such was also the case with A Wicked Thing. Mr. Kasenow deserves big props because it is clear to this writer; he knows how to write from his soul. He has an innate and natural ability to hold his audience willingly captive and engaged through the entire read. The man is a fantastic writer and without question, I am a fan. Keep writing Michael, you clearly have the gift.

Quill says: A Wicked Thing is a sit on the edge of your seat thriller that has been written by a truly gifted wordsmith.

For more information on A Wicked Thing, please visit the author's website at: www.michaelkasenow.com

Interview with Author Jane Gerencher

Today we're talking with Jane Gerencher, author of Santa's Sugar

FQ: First, I have to know – is Sugar based on a real cat?

My younger daughter had a black cat with green eyes and a stubby tail. Her name was Melba. I always liked her spirit and playfulness. She adored my daughter and loved to snuggle—when she was ready! She also was the queen of the household, keeping her "brother," Burrito, in his place, though he was 3 times her petite size! So although Sugar is white on the outside, I like to think that she is Melba inside.

FQ: Santa, elves and a cute kitty – a great combination! Where did the idea for the story come from?

My husband and I were traveling to visit our daughters one Christmas. There were decorations everywhere, holiday music around every corner, so my mind was stimulated by that. I thought about Santa and his calling and thought that at the end of his deliveries we tend to forget about him as a person. I started to think that Santa needed a pet to pay him special attention and to bring some personal joy to his life. A kitten seemed like the right fit for a busy person. Then I thought about how Santa would care for the kitten. He would want her loved and cared for when he couldn't be with her. A gentle spirited, playful elf who was struggling with his identity seemed like a good choice. Every good story must have a problem and someone who grows with having to solve that problem. Nugget fits that description.

Author Jane Gerencher

FQ: The story teaches a very important lesson about believing in yourself. Was that the intent from the start?

As the story line develops, I want readers of all ages to understand that we all make mistakes, but we are defined by how we resolve them. Nugget needed to get outside of his own problems and care about something else. In letting go of his own uncertainties, he was able to be brave and do the right thing. The wonderful results of that were beyond his wildest dreams. I think there is a little "Nugget" in each of us.

FQ: I wanted to hug poor Nugget when he found that Sugar was missing. He was so sad. Do you think children will relate this to how they've felt at times?

Having been a child, having had children of my own, and now revisiting childhood through my darling granddaughter, I have no doubt that children can be very empathetic. It is important for children to learn that being human involves feeling sad at times and then coming to terms with the sadness through some constructive way.

FQ: I mentioned the illustrations in my review – they're wonderful. Would you tell me a little bit about Michael Patch, your illustrator?

Michael is a young professional illustrator I met at a Book Rack bookstore in Mesa, AZ. The owner who knew of his talent introduced us. Michael showed me his work and I loved it. His pictures do not disappoint, do they? We had a good time collaborating on the artwork for the book to achieve the timelessness of the story I was hoping for.

FQ: Another question about the artwork. There is quite a bit of it in your book. Would you tell our readers about the process of working with your illustrator, coming up with ideas, discussing your vision for the book, etc.?

Santa, Sugar and Nugget

As a writer, I find I picture my writing in my head, like a little movie. I had a good idea what pictures I wanted when the story was done. I wanted the appearance of the book to resemble a copy of Clement Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas I had as a child. As an artist Michael lives in a world of pictures. This required me to explain what pictures I envisioned to complement the text. Not being an artist, I had to find words that connected to his talent. It sounds harder than it was. I found it exciting waiting for the next batch of pictures to arrive, a little like Christmas morning! With a little tweak here and a little tweak there, we reached the delightful pictures in the book. (Whew! I’m glad you didn't ask me which is my favorite picture!)

FQ: There are a lot of Christmas books on the market but so many of them are, well, commercialized to the point of missing the message of Christmas. Was that something you wanted to bring back to children - that Christmas isn't about toys but really, about love?

I never intended to make a commercial book. I wrote the story for the pleasure of writing a story. Every good story should challenge us to think. I wanted children to know that children like Nugget and even adults as famous as Santa make mistakes. How we deal with our mistakes is what builds character. Friendship, forgiveness and kindness are also important values that Nugget discovers as modeled by Santa and Mrs. Claus, the cooperative efforts of the elves, and the respect paid to the reindeer. When Nugget decides to follow his heart, he has grown considerably. He is willing to take the consequences of his choice because he wants to do the right thing. And, this is a children's story, so it is only fair that his actions would lead to a happy ending with Sugar safe, Santa proud of Nugget, and Nugget having a new friend in the reindeer Twizzle. He feels taller too which is another way of saying he feels more grown-up and confident.

To learn more about Santa's Sugar, please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - Bible Bullies

Bible Bullies: How Fundamentalists Got The Good Book So Wrong

By: C. Arthur Ellis, Jr.
Publisher: Gadfly Publishing
Publication Date: April 2013
ISBN: 978-0982094099
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: May 2013

As a society, we all thrive on the opinions and advice of others. The diverse universe we find ourselves in is, in part, welcomed into our homes through the Internet and our televisions. We feel free to select and explore things that interest us, things that support our belief systems. Likewise in our “real” lives we surround ourselves with those of similar belief systems and lifestyles. Perhaps even the foods we eat can be said to be influenced in part by our beliefs. The only barriers are those of our own creation and making ... until now. It used to be understood by most of us that it’s a my house, my rules world, but it has slowly turned into one in which the rules of others are now encroaching on our very doorsteps via insidious Bible bullies.

Since when did it become fashionable for others to tell you what to do? Since the evangelical Christians decided to shake hands with the Republican party, that’s when. The Republican party has evolved into a conservative one and the marriage was a match made in heaven, one that revitalized a party that was fractionalized and fraught with dissension. Mudslinging was rampant as the more conservative members labeled other more progressive members RINOs, Republicans in Name Only. Now we have the Teavangelicals whose outlook on your life and mine is biblically based. The Republican party now has cohesion with many adhering to a biblical world view.

The intent of this book is to help us “learn to identify Bible bullies -- their personality traits, their tactics, and how they use the Bible to push others around” while exploring topics so near and dear to their hearts (and Bible). Undoubtedly, few people need to read a book to learn how to identify those who have a Bible verse at the ready to back up their political beliefs, beliefs based on their religious ones. We all are prone to confirmation bias and can find support for our beliefs on many levels, but Bible bullies are armed and ready to spew their “unvarnished hatred, ostensibly justified in the name of religion.” Perhaps the terminology is a bit strong, but the Ellises counter their verses and voices with a little logic and points that defy argument.

The first part of the book deals with topics near and dear to the Bible bully’s heart: misogyny, child abuse, family planning, sexual diversity, alcohol, social programs, creationism, and public prayer. In a firm, conversational style, the Ellises open their Bibles and find the verses the Bible bullies so often use to support their arguments, arguments that are often weak and cannot be attributed to the teachings of Jesus. WWJD is not the question, but rather it’s what did Jesus say? Many Bible thumping bullies cite verses that Paul penned. For example, “The only verses in the New Testament that sanction child discipline are attributed not to Jesus, but to Paul.”

Perhaps someone should alert the Pearl family of this faux pas. The second and third parts of the book use confirmation bias (what’s good for the goose is good for the gander) to further voice and support the Ellis’s viewpoints. Of particular interest to the reader will be an exploration of Paul’s teachings in contrast to Jesus’s. What I did appreciate was the fact that there was no venom in these pages. There was an attempt to give an historical overview of an issue, relay what the evangelical Christian or Bible bully might cite for “proof,” and examine what actually is in the Bible, or isn’t as the case may be. The book itself is a challenging read and if you want to challenge Bible bullies, you’ll find this to be a fascinating read with plenty of food for thought.

Quill says: Bible Bullies is an excellent way to explore the mindset of the fundamentalist Christian Bible bully.

For more information on Bible Bullies: How Fundamentalists Got The Good Book So Wrong, please visit the book's website at: www.biblebullies.com

Books In For Review

Here's a sample of the books that have come in for review recently.  Check them out and then stop by our site in a few weeks to read the reviews.  Enjoy!  :-)





The Man Inside the Mountain by Suzanne Mays The Man Inside the Mountain is the fictional story of Essie Bell, a woman living on her farm in rural West Virginia in the last few months of the Civil War. Her only son has been presumed dead by the Union Army, but late nights, she studies his picture. She believes that somehow, he is okay. Essie's farm is her salvation while she waits for news of her son. She grows a big garden, raises chickens, and bakes bread to sell in town. When her husband dies, everyone says she must sell the farm and move to town, but she knows this will kill her. Suddenly alone, with only her faithful dog for a companion, Essie faces the cold, harsh winter. Yet, one by one, new people begin to enter Essie's life and she finds that she is still needed. As her story unfolds, you will be drawn into a story of secrets, renewed relationships, and ultimately new life.

Christian Controversies by Scott S. Haraburda "The Greatest is Love." God wants us to love our neighbors. If this is the premise of being Christian, then why do thousands of denominations claim to be the "right and true" one, implying that all others are false? The author searches for truth and explores real world issues concerning Christians throughout history and today, and the future of Christianity in this ever-changing world. Join the author as he challenges you to think outside of your comfort zone and questions what you might have been told not to question about the Word of God. This book contains many facts and true stories, some you might recognize and some from the author's own life, as he logically discusses controversial subjects such as a Perfect Bible, sex, lying, killing, ethics, Christian leadership, Bible-thumping judgment, and women's rights. It is well documented and written in easy-to-understand language to arm you with the knowledge you need to discuss Scripture in an educated and meaningful way, and to develop a real-world perspective of Christianity; a must-read for all who profess to be Christian!

Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck From New York to Paris, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald reigned as king and queen of the Jazz Age, seeming to float on champagne bubbles above the mundane cares of the world. But to those who truly knew them, the endless parties were only a distraction from their inner turmoil, and from a love that united them with a scorching intensity. When Zelda is committed to a Baltimore psychiatric clinic in 1932, vacillating between lucidity and madness in her struggle to forge an identity separate from her husband, the famous writer, she finds a sympathetic friend in her nurse, Anna Howard. Held captive by her own tragic past, Anna is increasingly drawn into the Fitzgeralds’ tumultuous relationship. As she becomes privy to Zelda’s most intimate confessions, written in a secret memoir meant only for her, Anna begins to wonder which Fitzgerald is the true genius. But in taking ever greater emotional risks to save Zelda, Anna may end up paying a far higher price than she intended...

A Case of Redemption by Adam Mitzner Dan Sorensen was once a high-powered New York City defense attorney . . . but that was before a horrifying accident killed the two people in his life who meant the most, plunging him into a downward spiral. As he approaches rock bottom, Dan is unexpectedly offered the opportunity of a lifetime: defend an up-and-coming rapper in a murder trial on the front page of every newspaper. Although his client swears he’s innocent of the brutal slaying of his pop star girlfriend, proving it will not be easy, especially because he’s suspected of bragging about the crime in one of the hottest songs in the country. Unsure that he’s ready to handle such a high-stakes case, Dan realizes that this chance to save a man he believes has been falsely accused of murder just may be his last and only hope to put his own life back on track and achieve redemption for his past sins. But as Dan delves deeper and deeper into the case, he learns that atonement comes at a very steep price. A powerful and riveting new voice in fiction, Adam Mitzner pulls out all the stops in his follow-up to the highly acclaimed A Conflict of Interest. A Case of Redemption is a gritty, sophisticated thriller that will draw fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham into a world of relentless suspense.  

Shades of Death: The Gauntlet Runner Book II by S. Thomas Bailey With the events of the past year freshly engraved in his mind, Jacob Murray lies in wait, just a stone's throw from a French outpost in the midst of the western Pennsylvania wilderness. Having teamed up with the two young men who helped his wife escape her Huron captors, he waits for any sign of Maggie or the French merchant who purchased her. A straightforward plan for ambush soon goes awry and Jacob and Joshua are separated from Maggie and One-Ear; the latter pair heads towards Canada, the former for Fort Duquesne. While Maggie's efforts to escape and avoid French captivity lead to unexpected encounters with the native tribes of New York and Canada, including the great Ottawa leader Pontiac, Jacob himself is taken captive by the French. With Joshua's help, he is able to escape, but life as a deserter is very dangerous, especially when the British army is amassing nearby under the watchful eye of Major General Edward Braddock. Jacob and Maggie Murray long for their peaceful life on the homestead in Pennsylvania, but with two great countries and their native allies battling over the Ohio Valley, their wishes must remain ungranted...at least for now.

A Wandering Warrior by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr. In twelfth-century England, a commoner and itinerant soldier, Thomas Beaumont, travels to avenge the cruel slaughter of his older brother while a captive after a battle lost. Along the way, he encounters a band of Travelers and falls in love with the dark beauty, Emalda, the leader's daughter. In his future wanderings, he finds many adventures involving battles, the rescue of two young ladies of nobility, the search for his lost love, trials of honor by combat, tragedy, new love, and encounters with knights and royalty.

Yarn to Go: A Yarn Retreat Mystery by Betty Hechtman When Casey finds out that her late aunt’s business, Yarn2Go, has one more yarn retreat scheduled, she decides to go ahead and host the event, despite her complete lack of experience as a knitter. At least the retreat is on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. But the idyllic setting is soured when a retreat regular is found murdered in her hotel room. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Casey begins to weave the clues together and detects a pattern which may shed light on her aunt’s suspicious death. Despite the danger, the last thing Casey plans to do is retreat. She’ll catch this killer…or dye trying.

Dining at the White House: From the President's Table to Yours by John Moeller This book provides an insider s view into the experience of dining at the White House and describes Chef Moeller's most memorable moments cooking for three First Families. It includes over 100 recipes for one-of-a-kind dishes featuring his trademark use of fresh, seasonal ingredients inspired by his classical French training with an American twist. Useful chef notes help adapt fine French cooking techniques for the home cook.

The 25,000 Mile Love Story: The Epic Story of the Couple Who Sacrificed Everything to Run the World by Serge Roetheli The 25,000 Mile Love Story is a love storybut not a love story in the traditional sense. It is not just about a man and woman; nor is it just about a husband and wife. There are many people who can write that story. Instead, this is a love story that has lasted a lifetimea love for the worlds roads and all the people who inhabit them. You will follow Serge Roetheli through his childhood as an adventurer, through his teen years as a boxer, and through his adult life as a runner and mountain guide. As he writes in this intriguing memoir, You will sit by my side as I fell in lovenot once, not twice, but three times. And you will run the road with me on The American Challenge and The World Tour. Then, you will return with me to where I belong, and I pray that you will take away some life lessons and the truth I have come to know so well.