tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81209488562191926932024-03-18T10:00:04.300-04:00Feathered Quill Book ReviewsBook Reviews, Book Awards, Author Interviews, and News from the Publishing World.FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.comBlogger4327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-73039466034792509062024-03-18T09:59:00.000-04:002024-03-18T09:59:03.945-04:00#Bookreview of Mark's Way by Thomas Willis<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYPrZdBuVIRhyphenhyphenXF1yTN2g6vwucXExub-Urn0O3_eRbgIL1rEwm6ZhpKycMBOswgETpiz7M3rn7WnSWeMymynnBqv2InhWRhpYxYttcb0FKZQMSeNmBFa7y8gxwJiOWonAfsydlHHKhQB3EDI3vgpKpcDed-h-vh69H_EZVrB7JTW-4T9Yzl3lALT03sg/s1499/Mark's%20Way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYPrZdBuVIRhyphenhyphenXF1yTN2g6vwucXExub-Urn0O3_eRbgIL1rEwm6ZhpKycMBOswgETpiz7M3rn7WnSWeMymynnBqv2InhWRhpYxYttcb0FKZQMSeNmBFa7y8gxwJiOWonAfsydlHHKhQB3EDI3vgpKpcDed-h-vh69H_EZVrB7JTW-4T9Yzl3lALT03sg/w290-h435/Mark's%20Way.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br />Mark's Way</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Thomas Willis</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Tifton Press</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: July 2023</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 979-8989305209</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Diana Coyle</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: March 15, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When Jim Herbert decided to have a quick fling with a pretty woman, Tanya Griffin, who he met at a local bar, he could never have imagined that night would be the catalyst for his life changing forever. Now, being charged with suspicion of murder, Jim must find a way to prove his innocence in Mark's Way, a thriller that lives up to the name "thriller."</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Who would have thought a night of some fun could turn so seriously out of control for both Jim and Tanya? After waking, he realized he not only had to treat his pounding headache, but also needed to leave before things got awkward in the morning for the both of them. He decided to help himself to some aspirin in Tanya’s medicine cabinet, but in the process dropped the water glass, which caused it to shatter all over the bathroom floor. Quickly trying to clean up the mess and not disturb snoring Tanya, Jim cut himself badly and left blood all over the bathroom. During all the commotion, Tanya hadn’t budged and just kept snoring away. When Jim finally left her apartment, he not only made sure the door was locked behind him, but he also knew this was going to be a one-time fling. A short time later, when the police came to arrest him, things went from bad to worse in a hurry.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Mark Price and Jim became friends years ago when Jim was still married to Julie. Although they grew apart in their marriage, they shared custody with their special needs daughter, Libby. Jim was Libby’s world and they were extremely close. Julie believed Jim was innocent and would do anything to help him prove it, so she asked their mutual friend, Mark, to look into Jim’s case. Mark received top notch training in the Special Forces and had served his time during the Vietnam War. If anyone could find the person who framed Jim, it was Mark. Being visited in jail by Mark was a surprise Jim didn’t see coming, but a welcomed one when Mark decided to help Jim prove his innocence. Why was Jim framed for murder, and by whom? Can Mark find enough evidence before Jim is put to death for a murder he didn’t commit?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Readers will immediately be pulled into this riveting thriller. As you turn the pages, each chapter is dedicated to a specific character whose story will unfold specific details, little by little, that will lead you further along this harrowing tale. Each chapter builds on the last, which makes the story more intriguing by the minute. This is a thriller in which readers will find themselves gripping their books tighter than usual because they can’t help but become so entangled in Jim’s unfortunate life-changing circumstances. Willis does an excellent job placing the reader in Jim’s shoes and having them worry as each day ticks by, wondering if evidence will be found that will exonerate him. This reviewer enjoyed following Mark as he tried speaking with people who he hoped would provide enough evidence to free Jim of his life-altering criminal charge. Clearly you could see how Mark’s Special Forces training led him from one lead to another – making sure he obtained the information he was looking for from each of his contacts. He was on a mission to find evidence to help Jim, and he stopped at nothing to do it. Without a doubt you hope that Mark would be the right man, at the right time, to find the evidence that truly proved Jim’s innocence.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Mark’s Way is one thriller where readers will find their pulse quickening and their hearts pounding. It comes highly recommended by this reviewer!</div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-75595284802325001972024-03-18T09:43:00.001-04:002024-03-18T09:43:07.962-04:00#Bookreview of Eden by Jamie Lisa Forbes<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9hCWag6y6tk0pTjoNNu-rskMBHG6kx2XqUyI9AqG8B8J5B_7e2X8zTKoY4jqBfX3k99VGzkhWdMjciwSjphV4R8_CO8fIyGIKkqKp4Fs6TJI4oYVY1fHWfEkavRsl6E45uFofBXCvcfkh1rcFPDi42WxsSAGe1qhxNWMxTsM8mxKqlqM0tdIVpgT_BI/s1360/Eden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9hCWag6y6tk0pTjoNNu-rskMBHG6kx2XqUyI9AqG8B8J5B_7e2X8zTKoY4jqBfX3k99VGzkhWdMjciwSjphV4R8_CO8fIyGIKkqKp4Fs6TJI4oYVY1fHWfEkavRsl6E45uFofBXCvcfkh1rcFPDi42WxsSAGe1qhxNWMxTsM8mxKqlqM0tdIVpgT_BI/w283-h425/Eden.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br />Eden</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Jamie Lisa Forbes</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Pronghorn Press</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: May 22, 2020</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-1-941052-37-2</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Nellie Calanni</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: March 14, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/Jamielisaforbes?__cft__[0]=AZV6f5Mr9Cr9zfwV5oh1Pfabh8vEGpUj-znfH1KNuuGvh2xGhAYjYvX9LxxmLaUCBVWSo4-wlvQ6mgAiopfNsC1JufZEaoF6ubH67I-DjWBAk173M03WLXRjZi6ycmOSkP1x4qxrZpVrhXjjWy6L3zifuHF-Vu6nBuRHkeh9NpgzFg&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Jamie Lisa Forbes</span></a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When college-bound Rowen Hart is left reeling from his father’s suicide, he finds himself having to become the man of the house and navigate the waters of his rural, very racially divided town in 1950s North Carolina. What will his future hold now that the aftermath of his father’s death has left him and his mother in undesirable circumstances? Jamie Lisa Forbes takes readers along Rowen’s journey through manhood and adulthood and shines a light on the pivotal people he meets along the way in her newest novel Eden.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Eden begins with Rowen months after his father’s suicide, in his new home on the outskirts of town with his bedridden-from-grief Mama and devoted housekeeper Adeline. He is discouraged by his inability to hold a steady job and perform tasks that every man in White Rock, North Carolina is expected to have perfected by his age. Daddy never taught him how to fix anything or lift a finger for that matter, and so the broken gate out front remains broken and the land at Sawyer’s remains untended to. One morning, he decides to be late for work on Sawyer’s property, but not for any common excuse. There’s a murder trial taking place – Franklin White has been accused of killing his drunkard brother-in-law, Birch Whitney – and Rowen is curious and thankful for another scandal to be overshadowing his father’s untimely death.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Rowen’s interest in the case is soon piqued for another reason. Eden, the murder victim’s 10-year-old firecracker of a daughter, is called to the stand. She witnessed her uncle kill her father right before her eyes and is happy to tell anyone who will listen. Rest assured the whole town is listening, but believing her account is another story. Eden’s mother, if you can call her that, has decided she’s had enough of her daughter’s testimony and shameful presence, so what is a 10-year-old accused of lying to do? Run away to the outskirts of town and have someone else take her in.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When Eden shows up at Rowen’s home with only the clothes on her back, Adeline and Mama are pleased to take in the child. Rowen, however, is not. Eden is brash and brazen for her age, curious and ill-mannered too. Between his boss Sawyer, his co-worker Sammy, his greedy Uncle Hugh, Eden, Adeline, Mama, and his soon-to-be-wife Jewell constantly breathing down his neck, Rowen struggles to keep up with demands and expectations. An unforeseen bright spot throughout Rowen’s toils, however, is his budding friendship with Eden. As he spends more time with her, Rowen begins to see the world through her eyes, and regrets not being more of an open-minded young man. Then one day, everything changes – again. Eden’s mother has come to take her back. Rowen doesn’t know it yet, but he won’t see Eden again until she’s grown with adult struggles of her own. What will become of their reconciliation? It’s an emotional ride for readers as well as the characters in Eden.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Jamie Lisa Forbes details 1950s small-town North Carolina in a way that makes readers feel like they’re sweltering in the heat of the courtroom and shivering amidst the coldness of racial and class prejudices. To be able to communicate to the audience different relationship dynamics, whether it’s intimate relationships, friendships that break racial barriers, family ties, or the relationship an individual has with themselves, in such a heartbreaking and realistic way shows her dedication to understanding diverse backgrounds and what it meant to have grown up in the south during such emotionally charged times. This book is the perfect reminder for readers that life would be much less colorful if not for the people we meet along the way.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Unexpected relationships can be the most rewarding, and award-winning author Jamie Lisa Forbes details them beautifully throughout Eden.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information about Eden, please visit the author's website at: <a href="https://www.jamielisaforbes.com/">https://www.jamielisaforbes.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-5091905362974973802024-03-18T09:30:00.004-04:002024-03-18T09:30:59.290-04:00Meet Author Susan H. Hines<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="8opq9" data-offset-key="c9fk4-0-0" style="caret-color: rgb(15, 20, 25); color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="c9fk4-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="c9fk4-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEVsbupJuhgNXHBmVGExLYZsUEwZUc6sgPNNzzXItTBpsXZ-6DS1tD8MSBsU5Ot-7tXRhbWHjpra9fs6MerWMTNg2Dynhw69ugCwPAKBOmBRiLvFHxgaQ8_cyLlQKIdEZM7hqSDeieQLrZixImre0XTaJMPr-P0OKK0h9qygZ_Thc8cKkvO-yty0KHZY/s720/Susan%20Hines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEVsbupJuhgNXHBmVGExLYZsUEwZUc6sgPNNzzXItTBpsXZ-6DS1tD8MSBsU5Ot-7tXRhbWHjpra9fs6MerWMTNg2Dynhw69ugCwPAKBOmBRiLvFHxgaQ8_cyLlQKIdEZM7hqSDeieQLrZixImre0XTaJMPr-P0OKK0h9qygZ_Thc8cKkvO-yty0KHZY/s320/Susan%20Hines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Meet Author Susan H. Hines in her new author bio page and learn about her new book, Buckley's Family Fishing Trip. </span><span style="color: #1d9bf0;">@authorsusanhhines</span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="8opq9" data-offset-key="8pq61-0-0" style="caret-color: rgb(15, 20, 25); color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8pq61-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span style="color: #1d9bf0;">https://featheredquill.com/author-bios-susan-hines/</span></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-85964661563097212912024-03-15T11:38:00.001-04:002024-03-15T11:38:06.863-04:00March Book Giveaway<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ma7QJyJY-Ie8BfkP8zhAhpLZA0ncjEYxygc02TZuwqQKvXMEEzOqxBEstGexyp-3eAvFc-xCuelMPSG7cYJw7gqjQwd77ZNJH4-Pz8ndGZgA0dwVg1RhPaXXayizC-xUGKW6N5peXP7qT6ZafOfhsTbvCiFsB8JMz2QLkwdCDjHMwTdre0jKUM0AHcg/s1500/A%20Change%20in%20Destiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ma7QJyJY-Ie8BfkP8zhAhpLZA0ncjEYxygc02TZuwqQKvXMEEzOqxBEstGexyp-3eAvFc-xCuelMPSG7cYJw7gqjQwd77ZNJH4-Pz8ndGZgA0dwVg1RhPaXXayizC-xUGKW6N5peXP7qT6ZafOfhsTbvCiFsB8JMz2QLkwdCDjHMwTdre0jKUM0AHcg/s320/A%20Change%20in%20Destiny.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you entered this month's book giveaway yet? It's your chance to win a brand-new copy of "A Change in Destiny" by Janet Shawgo. This book was a winner in our 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards. The contest form is simple and only takes a minute to fill out. And... we don't save contact information so you don't have to worry about FQ contacting you after you enter. Just go to our main page, scroll to the bottom, and you'll see the entry form: </span><a class="x1fey0fg xmper1u x1edh9d7" href="https://featheredquill.com/"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">https://featheredquill.com</span></a><br /><br /></p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-57268160413488778852024-03-14T12:42:00.002-04:002024-03-14T12:42:19.436-04:00#Bookreview of Becoming Forever Families by Robert Callaway<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje939pc7aFHUroOR4nDSVMGtdvnAKDMLYCGWJcVQkeo3epsHmJ_UtNyRJftGvu2zz3_Wp4pmEK_dbFr-LSqrdRia6IOQj-uOxwjgfeqLOC2jqNMembjx4utiLqK1DnzB9hfpTYpuT9gwH_MQPr33_CKJUipedlTh3og6j5AejtAUDuiTq4bOhcgd4pmlg/s1500/Becoming%20Forever%20Families.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="971" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje939pc7aFHUroOR4nDSVMGtdvnAKDMLYCGWJcVQkeo3epsHmJ_UtNyRJftGvu2zz3_Wp4pmEK_dbFr-LSqrdRia6IOQj-uOxwjgfeqLOC2jqNMembjx4utiLqK1DnzB9hfpTYpuT9gwH_MQPr33_CKJUipedlTh3og6j5AejtAUDuiTq4bOhcgd4pmlg/w297-h460/Becoming%20Forever%20Families.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br />Becoming Forever Families</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Robert Callaway</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Atmosphere Press</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: May 16, 2023</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-1639888511</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Kathy Stickles</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: March 12, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Becoming Forever Families is an intriguing and easy-to-read book that delves into religion, spirituality, and the dynamics of family. The book addresses various ideas about family and what happens to them after their lives on earth are finished.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Becoming Forever Families is the continuation of the story of the Wilkinson Family that the author introduced us to in his previous books. In this newest offering, readers are shown what a “forever family” is as well as showing the reader exactly what the Lord’s plan is for us and our family members as we pass from this life into the next one. Reading the story of Sarah, her new husband Wayne, and her children, Ethan and Alexis, is quite uplifting. The reader will learn how this family came to be and how deeply they believe in the Lord making everything perfect for them and their friends as they move forward.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The connections of a strong family are front-and-center throughout the book and give the reader so very much to think about in terms of what the real purpose of family is and what Christ can do and give to us as we travel through life. It also shows what the plan is for those who may have no actual family in life and how they can become an extended part of the forever family created in the book. There are so many blessings that are bestowed on all of us every day, and Becoming Forever Families describes how to accept these blessings and make them a part of an entire family.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Robert Callaway has given his readers an interesting insight into his beliefs about what the Lord can do for each of us, regardless of the trials that we must deal with and overcome. Becoming Forever Families is a book that will show the reader the huge potential that their future offers if they embrace some of these views. The writing, while it may be a bit simplistic to some, is done well and the book is very well-organized so that readers who might want to revisit and explore a particular idea will be able to do so with ease. The reading guide at the end of the book is a much-needed and well-developed addition to the book and will prove very thought-provoking and encouraging to the reader.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Overall Becoming Forever Families is a good book that will be embraced by many who enjoy a spiritual story that may help them grow in their own beliefs as they read. It is one that will give the reader a deeper understanding of one man’s ideas about Christ’s plan for us and for our families. While I feel it will appeal to a smaller audience, those who are interested in it will adore it and I would recommend it easily to this group.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Becoming Forever Families is an interesting and moving look into what one's family will look like after this life. The author presents many interesting arguments that will cause readers to really dig into themselves and think hard.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Becoming Forever Families, please visit the author's website at: <a href="https://anewperspectiveonautism.com/">https://anewperspectiveonautism.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-39844622486468617912024-03-13T16:46:00.005-04:002024-03-18T09:32:11.597-04:00#AuthorInterview with Sarah H. Hines<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3jl8LxG67wMTM-xg9s4zOW9Ae6T_1mndGpMNFZaNGJGCFNRUx6WEt0NWFfL18VWZTR-MbXnFSHNdAjqdZhGgIiDC2Tm-OArhXSwLNfzWrhkxcydquPPYeihIgb508MNZe384Mp9riHIb5HVPt80gJeqHcFOxmjg_iReJInoI2lGsHS404-SoMo0kSLE/s1269/Buckleys%20Family%20Fishing%20Trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1269" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3jl8LxG67wMTM-xg9s4zOW9Ae6T_1mndGpMNFZaNGJGCFNRUx6WEt0NWFfL18VWZTR-MbXnFSHNdAjqdZhGgIiDC2Tm-OArhXSwLNfzWrhkxcydquPPYeihIgb508MNZe384Mp9riHIb5HVPt80gJeqHcFOxmjg_iReJInoI2lGsHS404-SoMo0kSLE/s320/Buckleys%20Family%20Fishing%20Trip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Holly Connors is talking with Susan H. Hines, author of <em>Buckley's Family Fishing Trip.</em><p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: Before asking questions about your book, I like to get to know the author. Please tell us (and our readers) a little bit about yourself - your background, what led you to want to become an author, and why children's books.</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: Hello, I'm Susan H. Hines, the owner of TJP Publications and the author of the Buckley children's book series. I am a lifelong learner who holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL and earned multiple advanced degrees in Business Administration and Information Systems. Additionally, I am a certified IT Project Manager with a background in supporting early childhood education in daycare systems. My commitment to continuous learning enables me to stay updated on technologies, enhancing my interactions with children. Staying informed about current trends highlights my dedication to early literacy goals. I have a 10-year-old grandson and currently live in the Atlanta Metropolitan area with my husband, Edward, and our Standard Schnauzer, Sir Winston Buckley, who is the main character in the Buckley Children Book Series.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: I noticed from reading your bio, your Amazon page, etc., that early childhood education is very important to you. Where did this passion come from? </b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: Growing up as the youngest among eight siblings has immersed me in a world of young children throughout my life. Actively taking part in the upbringing of my twenty-three nieces and nephews has shaped my perspective. I strongly believe that being around children keeps one youthful at heart, adventurous spirit and enables your inner child to explore boundless possibilities. Having a nurturing environment where learning is encouraged is crucial before the world's influences take hold of a child. Reflecting on my childhood, I cherished reading, creating, and performing adventure stories with my best friend Jennifer and my beloved rag doll Penelope. Our backyard escapades fueled our imaginative journeys. As an adult, I still enjoy creating stories and skits, which enables me to keep the spirit of adventure alive. and immerses me in a realm of creativity, evoking the comforting nostalgia of childhood. Writing has been a lifelong passion, highlighting my vivid imagination and artistic expression. A standout memory includes watching Star Wars with my family, igniting a creative spark that led to reenacting scenes at home. Reciting movie lines in front of the mirror, often with the help of my siblings, helped me keep details in a light-hearted and enjoyable manner. The magic of words and their musical harmony, enabling me to conjure vivid mental imagery, remains a source of endless fascination.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: In line with my last question, you state on your website that it's important for you to help develop "early literacy skills and enhance their imagination..." I truly believe that excellent quality children's books and parents reading to their children on a regular basis is very important. Why do you think so many parents leave the learning up to the child's phone or tablet? What would you tell parents about the importance of reading to their children?</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: The progression of technology has undoubtedly brought convenience, yet one must question its implications. What is the price we pay? This is a question I often ponder. I believe that certain aspects, no matter how convenient, cannot replace the value of human interactions. This belief was reinforced when I stumbled upon a TED Talk by Molly Wright, a 7-year-old, titled "How Every Child Can Thrive by Five." Wright presented compelling examples illustrating the significance of parental engagement through activities like playing, talking, and sharing laughter in a child's learning and growth. She emphasized that these early interactions are vital for a child's brain development, enabling them to reach their full potential. Five key areas highlighted by Wright for parent-child interaction are connecting, communicating, playing, keeping a healthy home environment, and engaging with the community. Children receive help from activities like mimicking games that foster connections, naming games that enhance focus and attention, and interactive games like peek-a-boo that aid in memory and trust-building. Such interactions instill life skills, nurture trust, and are essential for navigating the world. </p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">Early and frequent engagement with children is crucial. When children are deprived of parental attention due to excessive use of technology, their young minds can become disoriented. A child cannot feel secure and at ease when attention is diverted elsewhere. Establishing connections is crucial for fostering confidence, encouraging exploration, and trying new things. </p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">If young Molly Wright can eloquently articulate the significance of connection, why do so many parents overlook these vital steps? The rapid pace of work and increasing demands on parents lead to overwhelming situations where the focus shifts from the child to various distractions and responsibilities. Placing a child in front of a device may seem like a safe and quick fix for parents looking for a moment of relaxation. Technology offers benefits and can serve as an educational tool, but, there must be a balance between the two, as technical devices can never solely replace the profound connection essential for a child's healthy brain development.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: Now on to <em>Buckley's Family Fishing Trip!</em> This was such a fun book to read/review. First, I have to ask - is Buckley a real dog? If so, is he one of your dogs? Would you tell us a little about him?</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: I appreciate your kind words and I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the exciting story of Buckley’s Family fishing Trip. Buckley is not just a fictional character; he is a cherished member of our family. As the inspiration behind the Buckley children's book series, his full name is Sir Winston Buckley Hines, affectionately known as "Buckley." This 4-year-old Standard Schnauzer hails from a prestigious lineage of AKC show dogs. Buckley adores interacting with people but can get easily distracted. His remarkable intelligence shines through in his affectionate and childlike demeanor. Curious and playful, he craves attention and loves going for walks, always expecting the next adventure.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: <em>Buckley is a Busy Boy</em> was your first book about Buckley. Would you tell our readers a little about Buckley's first adventure?</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie95Zmebm5dGlfoGR9z2xhxQ1XYAHnQgYRhL-8GONM-r5j47CtP_LvjK8c1s5AeLNnGo9eokFa7cdH2D00c6vPzITSjW5ENoyAEN_2u2iFg0rMzkI_60Tv3tOZJPku41FS5msgG23kAb44FTXH_2AAIP-46XJGxH7ynyW640SkZsWzdiioo5N8PRTcSVg/s720/Susan%20Hines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie95Zmebm5dGlfoGR9z2xhxQ1XYAHnQgYRhL-8GONM-r5j47CtP_LvjK8c1s5AeLNnGo9eokFa7cdH2D00c6vPzITSjW5ENoyAEN_2u2iFg0rMzkI_60Tv3tOZJPku41FS5msgG23kAb44FTXH_2AAIP-46XJGxH7ynyW640SkZsWzdiioo5N8PRTcSVg/s320/Susan%20Hines.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Susan H. Hines</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: After closely observing Buckley's daily routine, I noticed his consistent behaviors and his passion for adopting healthy habits, enjoying the outdoors, and cherishing family connections. He naturally took on the role of the household alarm clock, rising at 5 am to kickstart everyone's day. Following his morning rituals of breakfast and grooming, he enthusiastically heads out to the backyard for new adventures and squirrel chasing. Sometimes, he pauses to watch the trees sway in the wind or the birds soaring above, displaying a calm and adaptable demeanor. My aim in capturing his vibrant personality in this book is to share his experiences with young readers, inspiring them to seek adventure in their daily activities, embrace creativity and connections, and show structured routines for a joyful day of playful learning. This adventure book uses simple rhyming techniques and sight words to help develop basic vocabulary skills.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: Why make fishing the focus of Buckley's second adventure? Is fishing a passion of yours? Is it an activity you share with family or friends?</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: I selected the Fishing Day tale to introduce fresh characters to the series. The story is inspired by a real fishing trip at the lake. My family loves fishing, and I join them to see and unwind. The serenity of nature outdoors is truly calming. Watching my husband and grandson fish fills me with happiness, especially when they feel a fish bite. We laugh when the fish and turtles slyly steal the worms from the line, and they only reel in a twig. However, the excitement is palpable when they do manage to hook a fish. These moments never fail to thrill everyone, including Buckley. However, it's common for them to catch and then release the fish.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: As I mentioned in my review, while the focus of the story is fishing, you impart lessons in problem-solving (how to find the worms) as well as sharing time with family and friends. These are life lessons that are so important for children to learn. How do you decide what lessons to include in your stories? Do you decide before writing the story what to focus on or do these things come to you as you write?</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: When brainstorming story ideas, I find inspiration in life events. Observing and experiencing these moments allows me to infuse my stories with emotions. As I put pen to paper, the words flow, creating a captivating narrative. Problem-solving becomes part of the adventure. I've discovered that life is simple, yet we tend to overcomplicate it by overthinking.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">In <em>Buckley’s Family Fishing Trip,</em> I emphasize the importance of planning to achieve a common goal. The book focuses on spending quality time together outdoors while fishing. Through a checklist, the story illustrates how planning steps can lead to a successful fishing trip. By highlighting teamwork and cooperation, the book conveys the message that together, we can conduct more.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: As an author, doing events and meeting "your public" is an important part of marketing your books. I see that you've done quite a few. What do you enjoy most about your school visits and other events? Do you have any fun stories about the children they meet and their reactions to Buckley? </b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: Engaging with students during Author and Career Day visits at schools brings me immense joy. Witnessing how children connect with the book, take part eagerly in Storytime, and try to guess the rhyming sentences is truly heartwarming. The Q&A sessions are special as they give an opportunity for the students to offer feedback on the book, share their likes, and suggest what they hope to see Buckley do next. Their anticipation for the next edition and inquiries about my return always bring a smile to my face, knowing the positive impact I am making on their lives. During my recent visit, the School Counselor shared feedback that students who previously showed little interest in reading or writing are now trying to construct sentences and create stories inspired by Buckley. This feedback deeply touched me. After our Storytime session, a student even inquired if I would come back next year and visit him in the next grade. Seeing children lining up with blank sheets of paper, eager for a personalized Buckley paw stamp and the author's autograph, is simply adorable.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: I just discovered your Buckley merchandise! Sooo cute! I love T-shirts and the Buckley stuffie is the best! Have they proven popular with readers? I have to believe that kids would absolutely love having their own Buckley as they read his books.</b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: Children adore having their own Buckley merchandise and reading with their Buckley Buddy, a plush toy that offers comfort and companionship. Additionally, they can collect Buckley patches by reading, which is a hit among the Girl and Boy Scouts. The appeal of Buckley merchandise extends beyond kids, as my books emphasize the value of family. I aimed to cater to everyone with the Buckley merchandise range, promoting shared experiences with family and friends. From Grandpa's coffee mug to Sister's water bottle tumblers, and unisex tees for both adults and kids, there's something for everyone. Even a frisbee is included for playing fetch with your dog if you have one.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>FQ: What is next up for Buckley? Have you started working on his next adventure, and if so, would you share with us a little preview? And/or are you working on another book going in a different direction (another children's book series, or a different genre)? </b></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">HINES: Yes, I am working on Buckley’s next adventure, I am gearing this book to the young middle grade students, as I hope for the Buckley books to grow with our readers. The next book will be Buckley’s backstory of how he came to be, the pressures he face from being a descent of prestigious show dogs and how a setback caused him to have to find his own way into the spotlight. How he overcomes challenges, makes friends, learns the importance of being his authentic self and he uncovers his superpowers, which helps him to develop leadership skills a path that leads him to own rewards. </p></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-9409150800031527552024-03-12T20:06:00.003-04:002024-03-12T20:06:52.706-04:00#Authorinterview with Robin Reams, author of Aboard Blackbeard's Queen<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-a9cPUclkIX9ujpHHH7z7NhF1A3QgykMJRQCcO_L_vtuE-kFxnDTqixZoX6yVW0KVV5M4aqQAdcy3cXk65Cw_ZRrRSPS4n3JfuaP_iFIBBCylvu2EYfouePWud8rO9-EyzYA4cSmyYafMFY8mWIg7COIcS3QqEsAbm0h6MMbrsGyST1v3y4y-MSzxDo/s1500/Aboard%20Blackbeard's%20Queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-a9cPUclkIX9ujpHHH7z7NhF1A3QgykMJRQCcO_L_vtuE-kFxnDTqixZoX6yVW0KVV5M4aqQAdcy3cXk65Cw_ZRrRSPS4n3JfuaP_iFIBBCylvu2EYfouePWud8rO9-EyzYA4cSmyYafMFY8mWIg7COIcS3QqEsAbm0h6MMbrsGyST1v3y4y-MSzxDo/w273-h409/Aboard%20Blackbeard's%20Queen.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br />Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Kathy Stickles is talking with Robin Reams, author of Aboard Blackbeard’s Queen.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: I must tell you that I absolutely adored this story. I loved the characters (animal and human) and the storyline. Where did the idea for the book come from?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed Cooper’s adventure. The idea for Aboard Blackbeard’s Queen came to me after listening to feedback I received from readers of my second book, Unlocking <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Blackbeard’s Skeletons. Back in 2018, there was a huge amount of information released on Blackbeard in preparation of the 300th anniversary of his death at Ocracoke, North Carolina. Much of what I was reading was different than what I previously knew about Blackbeard, and the conflicting accounts of what really happened intrigued me. After digging deeper and doing my own research, I decided to write Unlocking Blackbeard’s Skeletons. As readers started giving me feedback, they kept asking me about Blackbeard’s famed ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, which sank in June 1718. That’s when I decided to start outlining Aboard Blackbeard’s Queen.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: It was wonderful to see this story as well as the history of this period of time shown to readers through the eyes of a cat. What made you choose to make him the main character rather than one of the humans?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: I wanted to show a different perspective of Blackbeard than my other book, which is through human point of view. During my research, I discovered that all ships in colonial times had cats onboard. I decided to use a cat as the main character to show this important part of history. Cooper also allowed me to show another side of Blackbeard. By telling the story through a cat’s eyes, I was able to draw in children as well, introducing them to the pirate era and to history in general.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Blackbeard is certainly one of the most legendary pirates that you could have used for the story. Was the research that had to be done before writing the book extensive and difficult? Also, I know that the locations, etc. are real for the most part, so I have to ask, is Cooper real or was he your own creation to wrap the story around? Perhaps he was based on your own cat?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: Yes, I did quite a bit of research. Although my book is historical fiction, I wanted it to be as real as possible and to only use fiction when there was a gap in the timeline. I read books on all sorts of things, not just pirates. I obtained most of this information as I was preparing to write Unlocking Blackbeard’s Skeletons, so when I was writing Aboard Blackbeard’s Queen, I was able to reuse a lot of my knowledge. As for Cooper, I have had several cats over the years, but never an orange one. Research proves that pirate ships had cats, but there are no records of what color Blackbeard’s would have been. I did discover a legend about sailors and pirates in particular believing that only black cats were lucky, so I felt an orange cat would add some excitement to the story.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: The research, as I said, was excellent...is Blackbeard a particular favorite of yours or just pirates in general? I’m wondering what made you choose him as opposed to some other pirate for this story.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: The colonial era is a favorite of mine, although I enjoy many other aspects of history. Part of what fascinates me about pirates is why they became pirates in the first place. My interest in Blackbeard originated years ago as a child. Blackbeard is a legend of course, but particularly on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where I have spent so many summers. I knew that he wrecked his ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge at the inlet near Beaufort, North Carolina, and that he was captured and killed at Ocracoke. When I discovered that he also grew up as a teenager at North Carolina’s first town of Bath, I knew his story was something I wanted to share in an action-packed way where people could enjoy the book but also learn.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Can you tell your readers if there is another adventure in store for Cooper and Como, and the others, given the way this story ended? I would really like to know and hope the answer will be yes.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: Maybe. I really enjoyed writing Cooper’s adventure, so when it came to the point where I had to tie up the story lines, I decided to leave things so Cooper could at least live on in the minds of readers.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Can you give us an idea of what is coming next for Robin Reams? Are you working on something new and, if so, what is that going to be about?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: I currently have several projects that I am working on, some of which are not historical. Readers have shared their desires for me to write sequels to all three of my books. I also have some ideas of other historical fiction subjects. Every author has to make sure whatever project they are considering to work on is something they are going to put their heart into.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Do you always use animals in your books as main characters rather than humans? I found it a delightful perspective and am wondering if that is more enjoyable for you as a writer to show your stories through the eyes of an animal.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: My first book, Shadow of the Mountain, was written from the point of view of a feral cat named Shadow who joins his other cat friends on a journey to the mountains. Unlocking Blackbeard’s Skeletons was completely human perspective. For Aboard Blackbeard’s Queen, I wanted to utilize the aspect of a ship’s cat to give my readers a different angle of Blackbeard since Cooper could hear things that Blackbeard may have said privately. In a way, writing Aboard Blackbeard’s Queen was similar to Shadow of the Mountain as far as the animal instincts, but Cooper had interaction with the pirates, an element that Shadow didn’t experience. This was a new challenge for me since I had to make sure to limit Cooper’s actions as he interacted with human objects and even other animals. Readers of all ages can relate to animals and seem to enjoy looking at the world from a new perspective.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: I saw from the biography on the back of the book that you really enjoy visiting historical sites. That is something that we definitely have in common. What has been your favorite experience so far in terms of the historical places that you have seen?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: Over the years, I have visited thousands of historic sites. When I was growing up, my family would go to living history days which ignited my imagination. Even now, I immerse myself in whatever era of history is being presented as I imagine what it would have been like to live during that time and place. As an author, I visit and revisit historic places differently. I always look for unique points of view and study the small things such as tools or how things were accomplished so I can be a better writer when I’m explaining things. It’s hard to say what my favorite experience would be, because there are so many, but I suppose the best experiences have been local historic places that don’t have a museum. I have spent many hours learning about my own family’s past as well. That’s probably why Blackbeard’s story spoke to me. It’s easy for me to get lost in the world of pirates when I walk the same streets of Bath, NC where Blackbeard lived, or when I stand on the shore at Ocracoke, where Blackbeard took his last breath.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: When Robin Reams decides to read for fun rather than for research, what types of books/authors are your personal favorites?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: I am always on the lookout for books that inspire my curiosity. As a book lover and collector, I have quite a few interests including local stories, Bible studies, mysteries, and classics. Some of my favorite authors are Beverly Lewis and Audrey Penn, both of whom I have had the joy of meeting, and others such as C.S. Lewis, Mark Twain, Karen Kingsbury, John Grisham, and J.K. Rowling.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: One thing I always like to ask authors is what advice would you give to others who are hoping to break into the writing field?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">REAMS: Like Cooper learns in my book, you must work hard to overcome obstacles. Don’t give up on your dream. Being a writer isn’t easy and the work doesn’t stop once your book gets published. As Dr. Seuss said, “You’ll never be bored when you try something new. There’s really no limit to what you can do!”</div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-25608885261914920642024-03-12T19:02:00.001-04:002024-03-12T19:02:09.216-04:00#Bookreview of Buckley's Family Fishing Trip by Susan H. Hines<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmBiA1Gs_tv5ZeEtWL4I9-fpMxehj1gMXPUu1FYOv8XhKd9NwYVErtuq1YrRuSaI_KZSU3aVZIv7eRUca49B4DeYIkqKFvDxqTOXUN4K_PPRbkHXA5fx90Rb6AVeEThPWym__ibv430URko2pB56aqubTk-4cvjKmUKfhUdkiXPZnq6dvLjLewlvm2rE/s1269/Buckleys%20Family%20Fishing%20Trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1269" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmBiA1Gs_tv5ZeEtWL4I9-fpMxehj1gMXPUu1FYOv8XhKd9NwYVErtuq1YrRuSaI_KZSU3aVZIv7eRUca49B4DeYIkqKFvDxqTOXUN4K_PPRbkHXA5fx90Rb6AVeEThPWym__ibv430URko2pB56aqubTk-4cvjKmUKfhUdkiXPZnq6dvLjLewlvm2rE/s320/Buckleys%20Family%20Fishing%20Trip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Buckley's Family Fishing Trip</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Susan H. Hines</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: January 10, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 979-8875727641</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Holly Connors</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Review Date: March 10, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanhhines?__cft__[0]=AZX6Pm1k45cNUpW1OBKesijUr4Q_4V1Di5thoyyRvuKu_R-2W3L9CKfzOpedis3pKrxrYftUFuPD-LowZC2yOYQ-l26oA1DPQhCDJYTXifPwXH9o4Fh5Aj9tRrKsLCL1drk&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Author Susan H Hines</span></a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Get ready to spend some fun on a great adventure with Buckley, an adorable little Schnauzer, his big brother Ralphel, and Grandpa as they set out to a nearby river to catch some fish.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Buckley is up early in the morning, too excited to sleep because today he is going fishing. Along with his best friend and “big brother” Ralphel, they will head out to Grandpa’s favorite fishing hole. He can’t wait to see what they will catch and imagines some yummy fish cooking on the grill. It smells so good!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Now it’s time to pack for the trip. Ralphel and Buckley head to the garage to find everything. Ralphel grabs a shovel and his fishing pole - don’t forget the yellow bucket and fishing hooks! Buckley closely watches the bucket to make sure they don’t forget to take it.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The cute little dog, eager to be a fishing pro, heads to the car and jumps in, too excited to wait. Wagging his tail to show his happiness, he looks out the window of the car, waiting for Grandpa. But wait...where is the bait? How could they forget the bait?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Buckley heads out to the backyard and starts digging. Will he find any worms? Time is running out if they want to spend the day fishing. Will they ever get to Grandpa’s favorite fishing hole and catch some delicious fish for dinner?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Susan Hines newest book about Buckley, an adorable Schnauzer, introduces the joys of fishing to young readers. This is the second book Hines has authored about Buckley and his delightful antics continue with a flare in this story as he enthusiastically shows readers everything involved in going fishing - from getting up early and packing, to collecting worms, as well as the time spent at the water's edge with friends. Buckley’s Family Fishing Trip is a great way to introduce youngsters to the joys of fishing, but it is more than just a fishing tale. When the group finally makes it to that elusive fishing spot, the author shows that fishing isn’t just about catching the biggest, best fish but about the time you spend with family and friends. Written in rhyme, with simple sentences and brightly illustrated images, the story makes a perfect bedtime tale for fans of the outdoors.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Young fishing fans will love Buckley’s Family Fishing Trip. It’s a fun story that shares the love of the outdoors and fishing. It also showcases the great time you can have with family and friends along the shores of your favorite fishing hole.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Buckley's Family Fishing Trip, please visit the author's Facebook page. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanhhines?__cft__[0]=AZX6Pm1k45cNUpW1OBKesijUr4Q_4V1Di5thoyyRvuKu_R-2W3L9CKfzOpedis3pKrxrYftUFuPD-LowZC2yOYQ-l26oA1DPQhCDJYTXifPwXH9o4Fh5Aj9tRrKsLCL1drk&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanhhines</span></a></span></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-58591303674828226182024-03-12T18:51:00.005-04:002024-03-12T18:52:36.567-04:00#Bookreview of Poetic Justice (The Publius Ovidius Mysteries, Book 1)<div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r4f:" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3gULPr_Gzhu-RewgSohhrlGXupWsHsSsiE23cCXOsYZYof1O8sbczwTPMRes0JJeFpNz0j3IiRWTSDkwe52-nYUSSUapeaGyKa9ahtQlxA9CkhyphenhyphenBIic0bprtY0YTAv_1T5lVJTNGR7M_6-PMUKm-p6fwxie5KZtfQ7la5d7TMlhze7OKvlfM3K4jNhc/s1500/Poetic%20Justice.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="940" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3gULPr_Gzhu-RewgSohhrlGXupWsHsSsiE23cCXOsYZYof1O8sbczwTPMRes0JJeFpNz0j3IiRWTSDkwe52-nYUSSUapeaGyKa9ahtQlxA9CkhyphenhyphenBIic0bprtY0YTAv_1T5lVJTNGR7M_6-PMUKm-p6fwxie5KZtfQ7la5d7TMlhze7OKvlfM3K4jNhc/w270-h430/Poetic%20Justice.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />Poetic Justice (The Publius Ovidius Mysteries, Book 1)</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Fiona Forsyth</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Sharpe Books</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: November 30, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 979-8871605691</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Trix Lee-Rainwater</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: March 9, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">What happens when a celebrated poet's own words become a blueprint for murder? Find out in Poetic Justice by Fiona Forsyth.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The year is 8 AD, and Ovid, the renowned Roman poet, has been banished from Rome to the remote town of Tomis by Emperor Augustus. Ovid struggles to adjust to his new life on the fringes of the empire, longing for the luxuries of the capital. He wallows in self-pity, drowning his sorrows in the local taverns and regaling anyone with tales of how he saw something secret that made the Emperor exile him. Little does he know, his new home is far from peaceful – for before his arrival, the remote town was shaken by a pair of bizarre animal killings: a burnt cat and a horse with its throat slit.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Ovid's former colleague Avitius, now a security advisor for the Governor, was tasked to apprehend the perpetrator. He then enlists Ovid’s help to solve the mystery. These animal killings soon pale in comparison to the grisly crimes that follow. When a young barmaid is found strangled with an odd chain with a silver crescent moon charm, it becomes clear that something more nefarious is at work in Tomis. As the duo delve deeper, a chilling pattern emerges: the killer is using the poet's stolen drafts of his unfinished Calendar of Festival poems as a blueprint for the ritualistic crimes. Ovid realizes with dawning horror that the animal killings marked the Altar of Peace and Festival of Equirria - preluding the strangulation that coincided with the Festival of Luna. With the next celebration looming, the investigators must race against time to identify the culprit before more innocent lives are sacrificed.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Poetic Justice is a riveting murder mystery that transports readers to the heart of the ancient Roman empire. Forsyth crafts her characters with nuanced depth, with Ovid himself an arrogant yet endearing protagonist whose fatal flaws and self-importance make his slow albeit redemptive character development shine. The novel deftly explores the fascinating what-ifs of Ovid's exile from Rome while serving as a study of the poet being forced to reckon with his own unfinished masterwork, the Fasti.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Forsyth's vivid prose immerses us in the realities and pagan traditions of the era, richly depicting macabre festivals like that of the Festival of Cybele. While the central mystery initially seems convoluted by a slew of names and potential suspects, it soon becomes clear that this sprawling cast is a deliberate move by Forsyth. As the fusion of poetry and grisly crime unfolds, readers will be captivated by the plot and immersive historical details, even as some loose threads regarding the killer's motivations are left untied by the end. This seems to be an intentional setup for further entries in what promises to be an engrossing saga exploring Ovid's banished life on the fringes of the empire. With its robust character work and compelling mystery steeped in legitimate poetry, Poetic Justice cements Forsyth as a master storyteller of historical fiction.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: This gripping mystery where a poet's own words take on a sinister life is a true literary feast.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Poetic Justice (The Publius Ovidius Mysteries, Book 1), please visit the author's website at: <a href="https://fionaforsythauthor.co.uk/" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">https://fionaforsythauthor.co.uk/</a></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="x1n2onr6" id=":r4g:" style="font-family: inherit; 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-webkit-line-clamp: 3; display: -webkit-box; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative;">Salvete! Fiona Forsyth The Sestius Files Sign-up to my Newsletter The Lucius Sestius books – Read more Contact me What people say – Reviews Mailing List Shop for Goodies Instagram ADVENTURE AND INTRIGUE Politics, power and dynasties; the shaping of a civilisation – Stories – BEHIND THE STORI...</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-39354591921382981482024-03-09T15:34:00.000-05:002024-03-09T15:34:16.201-05:00#bookreview of Rhapsody in Black: An Elena del Carral Mystery<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWOwW_X4sQf4Bhc97PYOuwJZHNq3muHug0ylUJMjjXJIsUcXDh35pbtXJcdtVmD3itqKkMsxErxa5-iyH5oGRBwbKJPAu4rY1WNp396M9ej8aqMBoH3xiCkFePiXItgm6mz1D4vi5dd5cqhFLqug51ZtVbpfaMkYhr7ll0cCHrXGukCTr7DJg6Y-_MsM/s1500/Rhapsody%20in%20Black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWOwW_X4sQf4Bhc97PYOuwJZHNq3muHug0ylUJMjjXJIsUcXDh35pbtXJcdtVmD3itqKkMsxErxa5-iyH5oGRBwbKJPAu4rY1WNp396M9ej8aqMBoH3xiCkFePiXItgm6mz1D4vi5dd5cqhFLqug51ZtVbpfaMkYhr7ll0cCHrXGukCTr7DJg6Y-_MsM/w254-h381/Rhapsody%20in%20Black.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>Rhapsody in Black: An Elena del Carral Mystery</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: February 14, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 979-8989-985814</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Rebecca Jane Johnson</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Review Date: March 7, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Rhapsody in Black is a riveting novella about a wildly successful professional ballerina and choreographer, Elena del Carral, and the sinister plots that try to destroy her. This cozy mystery, set in the renowned Terpsichore Ballet, in the New York City theater district, will enthrall readers, especially those intrigued by challenges, setbacks, and triumphs that professional dancers face every day. This is grown-up Dance Moms with sophisticated, literary flair.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As she has so deftly done in previous novels, award-winning author Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra once again combines suspense and romance. As her fourth work of fiction and the first in the Elena del Carral series, Alonso-Sierra delivers a moving page-turner with plenty of ballet movements to please ballet enthusiasts. Interestingly, the author wrote this book as a tribute to her mother—Elena del Cueto—the famous Cuban prima ballerina who sacrificed her career to save her children from an oppressive regime. A fine tribute it is!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In the novella, Elena del Carral receives an invitation to solo at a gala directed by a long-time friend of hers, and the founder of the Terpsichore Ballet, Derek Michaels. Five years have passed since Elena left Terpsichore to break free from a toxic relationship and to establish herself as a serious dancer and choreographer now based in Monaco. Now that she is known and loved all over Europe, returning to New York City fills her with a mixture of euphoria and dread. Unfortunately, soon after Elena returns to NYC, said toxic ex-lover (Justin) appears. Things turn tragic. After a grueling rehearsal, Elena discovers Justin knocked out with a head wound, and she quickly finds herself confronted by suspicious detectives and enraged fellow prima ballerinas. What is more, amidst a chaotic investigation and exhausting rehearsals, Elena finds herself being seduced by, and possibly falling for, Jake Forrester, the dance company’s beguiling insurance underwriter.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Eventually, Elena and Jake enjoy a date; however, the actual date is not described in the main plot narrative. Instead of bringing the reader on the date in real-time, the author chooses to have Elena recount the events of the special evening in her head the next day. After all the nice build-up of romantic tension, it was disappointing that she got too drunk to recall much of the details of the date. The reader cannot tell how she is really feeling about Jake other than she appreciates how he conveniently shows up exactly when she needs help or when she is bending over to unlace her shoes. Yes, the book has some comic relief.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The story develops in more detail as Elena grows more frustrated with Derek Michaels and his sidekick, Broderick. The two wield their power as directors and try to complicate matters involving the rights the ballet company has to the late, great genius René Fauchier’s choreography. While they appreciate her talent for the gala, it is also clear they want to undermine Elena’s career development and take away her power. In a climactic moment, Derek shares vital news about the legal snags surrounding Fauchier’s estate and legacy. Once again, readers only get this information through Elena’s friend, Francesca, who recounts the monumental moment as gossip, rather than the reader getting to witness the story develop in the primary narrative as part of the main plot unfolding. This minor flaw aside, the author does an admirable job of making the reader suspect a variety of characters behind the vandalism and assaults, making it fun to wonder who is the criminal behind the repeated acts of violence and even attempted murder. Before dress rehearsal for the gala, Elena walks into her dressing room to find the message, “YOU’RE NEXT!” in lipstick on her mirror. She bursts into anger and starts blaming Carolina, a long-time rival, and Martina, an 18-year-old up-and-coming ballerina. The drama between youthful and aging ballerinas is real!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Rhapsody in Black is filled with scenes that show high-level performers in the throes of histrionics over all things petty and serious. There is significant history between Elena’s mother and the co-founder of the Terpsichore company and famous choreographer, René Fouchier. When the dance company learns Elena’s role in some new developments in the company, all hell breaks loose. Who will be the next victim, and who is, or who are the offenders? Will Elena clear her name in the ballet world, or will she be taken down? The well-orchestrated mystery comes to a startling conclusion, leaving the reader emotionally provoked yet ready to read the next book in this series. Bravo!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Rhapsody in Black is an enticing cozy mystery that exposes the jealousy, rage, and sadness hovering beneath the elegance and perfection in the world of professional ballet.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To learn more about Rhapsody in Black: An Elena del Carral Mystery, please visit the author’s website at: <a href="https://mariaelenawrites.com/">https://mariaelenawrites.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-18958398109770641392024-03-07T11:43:00.004-05:002024-03-07T11:43:31.929-05:00#Bookreview of The Silver Cowgirls<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcaj_t5Ld8_CNtzMk7H_A9VtQ9_9Vh047pc0GqFSz_6z-Il2STcFW8Z7EdlZZfkMrZozdHme2U4cB-_pmyA8zC0u4FzHaaBH7SGmv6M3a4Yabr7JfUTCkH2B-zQat8ZS8_l78fY-f-zud5YnpRNMpw4g1M7tfnVD-Mb0zQhkkwAQfcnc1sLC3pgFwDzI/s1499/The%20Silver%20Cowgirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcaj_t5Ld8_CNtzMk7H_A9VtQ9_9Vh047pc0GqFSz_6z-Il2STcFW8Z7EdlZZfkMrZozdHme2U4cB-_pmyA8zC0u4FzHaaBH7SGmv6M3a4Yabr7JfUTCkH2B-zQat8ZS8_l78fY-f-zud5YnpRNMpw4g1M7tfnVD-Mb0zQhkkwAQfcnc1sLC3pgFwDzI/w315-h473/The%20Silver%20Cowgirls.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br />The Silver Cowgirls</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Alicia Stephens Martin</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Year of the Book</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: January 30, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-1-64649-385-2</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: March 4, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Alicia Stephens Martin’s latest novel, The Silver Cowgirls, is a fantastic story that chronicles the lives of four women and their friendship, brought together by a shared love of horses. Even though decades have passed since they last saw each other, they are about to learn that the bonds they formed long ago were never broken.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Presley Petrone is having the time of her life. She’s celebrating her fiftieth birthday and fulfilling a dream she had for many years. She is riding her beloved mare, Cleo, along the mighty ocean's pristine shoreline. The two are taunting the waves and basking in the glory of perfect sunshine: "...The surf surged onto the shore and practically touched the mare’s front hooves. Cleo pricked her ears forward with a snort as if rendering a warning in the event the approaching line of watery foam presented any danger..." (pg. 1) Presley and Cleo are one and in that very moment, they are invincible. Life doesn’t get much better than this, and then Presley wakes up. She is alone, lying flat on her back with her arms by her side. The surface feels like a concrete slab, and an incredibly bright light is bearing down on her from the tiled ceiling above. It was a dream...soon she will find out if she is in remission from her cancer. Rachel Snow’s best friend is a paper bag ever close to her side at all times. It is her safety mechanism at the ready to normalize her rapid breathing. She suffers from debilitating anxiety, and the root cause is complicated. On one hand, she blames herself for her husband’s accidental death many years prior. Her only child Jemma is about to spread her wings and leave home to begin her journey into adulthood. Rachel may be the success story of a widowed mom who single-handedly raised an amazing child, and her journey included several successful salons she managed to build with her own sweat equity and perseverance, but she doesn’t see her accomplishments. Louisa Mae Valspar (‘Wheezy’) is the penultimate definition of success. She began with humble means and her struggle from entry level to now had many roadblocks along the way. Her grandmother was her rock. She is gone. Years before her grandmother’s death, Wheezy unloaded some seriously negative baggage (her abusive husband) and continued her solo journey of raising two very accomplished twins. Wheezy reflects on the years from then to now. In mere moments, she will receive the news she has been anticipating for a while. She is about to receive the title and position of CEO of F.G. Transport (a renowned trucking company). She will honor her position and embrace her responsibilities...if she actually gets the promotion. Then there is Gigi (Tetless) Emerson. If ever there was a woman who is the true definition of privilege, it is Gigi Emerson. Gigi never learned the value of hard work and its rewards. Personal effort wasn’t part of who she was. From childhood through adolescence and into adulthood, it wasn’t necessary. There was always someone somewhere in her universe who was at her beck and call to do anything and everything for her. The one common bond these four women had among them was their love of horses. Would this be the connection point to reunite them decades later?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As the story unfolds in more than happenstance fashion, the four women are about to reunite. It’s been thirty years and the only connection they have had with each other from then to now is the last photograph they took together during the Silver Spur horse championship. They were so young and free, and the camera’s eye captured their innocence perfectly. Between Presley’s cancer, Rachel’s anxiety, Wheezy’s broken dream, and Gigi’s cheating husband, unbeknownst to them, their planets were aligning perfectly, and a long overdue reunion was about to happen.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Alicia Stephens Martin has penned one of the best ‘feel good’ stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. The diversities and qualities she assigns to each character have outstanding depth. Presley emulates everything a woman of sound judgment and substance embodies. Rachel is quirky, and while she wears the weight of the world on her shoulders, she often manages a signature (and dark) humor. Wheezy is practical and direct. She’s had to fight for every success she’s managed, but she is clear she will never be a victim. Gigi is a spoiled brat but can’t help herself; it’s all she’s ever known. The dialogue is relatable, and the scenery throughout is tangible. It is abundantly clear Ms. Martin knows her way around a barn and all things equestrian, which was such a treat for me. I enjoy a great story that marries humans and horses together and this is done exceptionally well by Martin. She has done an admirable job of laying out a credible storyline and the anticipation, excitement, and situations along the journey are delicious. I give Ms. Martin two thumbs up for this most enjoyable read. May I have another please?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: The Silver Cowgirls is a sound testament of how true friendship never dies. Rather, it grows, changes, evolves, and like a boomerang, it’s simply a matter of time before it comes home to roost once more.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information about The Silver Cowgirls, please visit the author's website at: <a href="https://aliciastephensmartin.com/">https://aliciastephensmartin.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-8203949815730684552024-03-06T19:27:00.003-05:002024-03-06T19:27:49.796-05:00#authorinterview with Fred M. Kray<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQOvh8Arc9_h1Vtnj19gsVE5u67ttu_ZIi22W_Mj7qsdz0rEiEnJd8NIhadDEnoaSPTI-O3S4ofbljmGgy-1xs91ypBgh5T1nWvJPw5IrRYNvGBOVqpblo2hA9yYBB4Yh9kLrvmBPrDD7ygYHRNXVL5M_f139s3XiwNfXQWCbZzNpjVe9bBvYsV1kmm4/s1360/Broken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQOvh8Arc9_h1Vtnj19gsVE5u67ttu_ZIi22W_Mj7qsdz0rEiEnJd8NIhadDEnoaSPTI-O3S4ofbljmGgy-1xs91ypBgh5T1nWvJPw5IrRYNvGBOVqpblo2hA9yYBB4Yh9kLrvmBPrDD7ygYHRNXVL5M_f139s3XiwNfXQWCbZzNpjVe9bBvYsV1kmm4/w270-h406/Broken.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Kathy Stickles is talking with Fred M. Kray, author of <em>Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age.</em><p></p><p><b>FQ: <em>Broken</em> is such an amazing story and I was so impressed with the writing and attention to detail. Is this the first of this type of story that you have written, and what made you choose to write it?</b></p><p>KRAY: This was my first attempt at writing non-fiction. I’d started and abandoned several fictional legal mysteries before starting <em>Broken.</em></p><p>I fell in love with Alydar in 1978 watching him run in the Flamingo Stakes and the Florida Derby in Miami. At the time, I was a struggling trial lawyer overwhelmed by a new job. Watching Alydar’s determination in his stretch run was a personal message to me to persist.</p><p>My interest in Alydar’s death was piqued when, on an Ocala horse farm tour, I had an unexpected conversation with a former Calumet employee present the night of Alydar’s injury. She told me everybody on the farm knew what happened and refused to elaborate because she feared for her life. It was over thirty-five years ago! I followed up by obtaining the transcripts of the night watchman’s trial. I just wanted to solve the mystery of his death. It wasn’t until I saw the pictures of Alydar’s stall door taken the night of his injury I decided writing a book about Alydar was the best way to celebrate his legacy and answer the questions surrounding his alleged stall accident.</p><p><b>FQ: I know that you are an animal law attorney and deal with numerous cases involving all kinds of animals, but can you tell us about how you became so involved with Alydar and why you felt it so important to put this story on paper?</b></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-74395" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_74395" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-74395" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="288" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fred-Kray-300x288.jpg" srcset="https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fred-Kray-300x288.jpg 300w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fred-Kray-1024x981.jpg 1024w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fred-Kray-768x736.jpg 768w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fred-Kray-1536x1472.jpg 1536w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fred-Kray.jpg 1920w" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-74395">Author Fred M. Kray</figcaption></figure><p>KRAY: I’ll always remember the races where I watched him in person. I felt a kinship for Alydar and somehow in his debt for the help he gave me in continuing my career as an attorney. I followed his travails in his Triple Crown races, where he came in second to Affirmed. In the public eye, he was always the runner-up, never the winner. In the year he died, he was the greatest breeding stallion in the United States. His bloodline still runs through racing today. His breeding income carried Calumet Farm for a decade, while they overbred him for profit. He did everything asked of him, and he never got the credit or legacy he deserved. I wanted to change that.</p><p><b>FQ: Between all of the investigation into the details of what happened and the interviews for the book, etc., it must have taken up a huge portion of your life. How long did it take to write the story, and how important was it for you personally to get the facts out there?</b></p><p>KRAY: It was a five-year project. A labor of love, really. I would have enjoyed it whether I wrote a book about or not. I got to talk to the people closest to him, those that knew and loved him the most. His trainer, John Veitch, his exercise rider and grooms, they all had great tales to tell. It was heart-warming to hear those stories. The more I heard, the more determined I was to write a book about Alydar.</p><p><b>FQ: I realize this must have been a huge case for you to undertake, as they all are. Can you tell readers a bit about some other big cases you have handled trying to get the justice that animals deserve?</b></p><p>KRAY: The most rewarding cases were saving undeserving dogs from death row and reuniting them with their owners. Watching that reunion, there’s no case I’ve ever had that gave me such a feeling of joy. Suing pet stores for selling dogs raised in puppy mills was another type of case that was important to me. Some of the most interesting litigation involved challenges to laws that banished pit bull type dogs from a city or county based on an animal control officer with no training just looking at the dog and determining breed. Getting involved in the dog genome and canine DNA was fascinating. And of course, the highlight of my career, recovering a stolen Great Dane with a SWAT team.</p><p><b>FQ: I can only assume that your love of animals and taking care of them started at a young age, given your choice to go into the field of animal law. Are there any particular situations or animals that you can remember that started you on this path?</b></p><p>KRAY: When I was born, my parents decided to get a Great Dane. I was brought up in an era where stoicism and emotional control prevailed. It was, I think, a result of growing up in the post-depression era. Children were seen and not heard. Most of the expressed unconditional love that I got as a child came from our Great Dane. She was my protector, friend, and confidant. Being with her are some of my most cherished childhood memories.</p><p><b>FQ: I see that you have also taught courses on the subject of animal law. I have to wonder how much of a difference there is between having an animal as your client as opposed to a human who can speak for themselves. How hard is it to teach others how to handle such a situation?</b></p><p>KRAY: There’s a saying among animal lawyers, “Your client is always innocent.” It’s true. When you take on these cases, you immediately realize that it is always the animals that suffer when humans make mistakes.</p><p>It’s really a lot easier to have a dog as a client than a human. There’s no deception.</p><p>Most students take animal law as an elective, so it’s not hard to teach them empathy. It’s the opposite. You have to teach students to control their feelings about animal welfare so that they can be effective in presenting a legal case. Animals are considered property, and while you can argue to change that, you still have to fit your case into the existing framework. You can’t convince a judge or jury by lecturing them about animal rights.</p><p><b>FQ: How supportive is your family in terms of your career in animal law and the time and effort it must take to prepare for a trial, not to mention the time and effort it took to write this story?</b></p><p>KRAY: My family, particularly my wife, enabled me to write the book. At one point, during a year and half period, my dog died, my father died and my mother died. It all happened during COVID, which made it impossible to be with my parents when they passed. I could not write. Almost a year went by and I decided I wouldn’t finish the book. I was first time author with no agent or contract. Nobody would care. My wife encouraged me to complete what I started, and was an incredible help in dealing with all the loss. One day I was looking at the pictures of Alydar in my office, and it was as if Alydar said to me, “If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me.” And I did.</p><p><b>FQ: <em>Broken</em> is such a heartbreaking story, but I personally feel that you handled it so well and gave the reader everything they could want in terms of telling Alydar’s story. Do you have something in mind going forward for another book on another case?</b></p><p>KRAY: I haven’t really seriously considered my next book yet. Promoting a book is just as hard, if not harder, than writing it. I’m still on social media almost every day. I’m in the process of writing an epilogue to the book. A month ago, I was finally able to get onto Calumet Farm and see all the places I had written about. The Calumet office, the stallion barn, the breezeway, the breeding shed, the training barn, the veterinary clinic, the canteen, the mansion and the cemetery. It was an emotional experience and provided some closure to me.</p><p>I also just finished an eleven-episode companion audio podcast. I was not into podcasts, but my daughter does documentary films. She came to me and said, “You should do a podcast for your book. You have all the interviews on tape. It’s a great story.” I was reluctant. I didn’t know anything about podcasts. She did the perfect thing. She said, “Let’s make one and then you can decide.” When I heard it, I thought it was, in some ways, better than the book. Hearing the people speak in their own voice provided a depth of meaning that is hard to convey in a book. The podcast has music, race calls, and stories that didn’t make into the book because it was already published when I did the interview. It’s like watching a movie with your eyes closed.</p><p><b>FQ: When he isn’t researching or writing, what does Fred Kray do to relax and not think about such horrible facts and stories?</b></p><p>KRAY: We have six dogs, so that keeps us busy. A year and a half ago we rescued a smooth coat collie that had been hoarded with 200 other dogs in Illinois. I’d never rescued a dog from that situation before and it was challenging. It took four months to just touch her. We got a trainer, and he told us the best thing we could do was get a dog that had been socialized normally to help teach her what being a dog is really like. It worked. Seeing them play together and relaxing on the couch is so rewarding to see.</p><p>But to get away from it all I like to listen to music. I played the trumpet and was in the orchestra in grade school, and was in a “rock” band in high school and college. I played rhythm guitar, and because I was the worst at it, I was relegated to bass. I’m an old school audiophile and listen to hi-rez music with earbuds. It’s a very intimate way to listen, and you get away from all the problems with room acoustics. I also love listening to audio books with good narrators. The audiobook of <em>Broken</em> has a good narrator, by the way.</p><p><b>FQ: Is there anything you feel still needs to be told about Alydar and his life that was not in the book?</b></p><p>GRAY: The original manuscript was 600 pages, so there’s a lot that did not make it into the book. But the only thing I think has to be in the book, and I’m hoping to do it in the next few months, is an epilogue about my visit to Calumet.</p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-29291470135128330262024-03-05T10:24:00.003-05:002024-03-05T10:24:26.639-05:00#Bookreview of Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbhMzbZCM-kkPwLkeQ6EB_8EQ23OTCqd0-0OOOtorjV_DEqdXmdU9N5_Ucijq8D30CV4Zyyr8gEmQUUWeP2xkg7pphFjdOlJnan2UIl1kYUrafUCKDDhM3A8QtQmyzE6_LvCZIkgmVOw8vl5cb_WTCZ9YjP2-3WDl347FLJqhBiDwzjyZyaUOs__TizM/s1360/Broken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbhMzbZCM-kkPwLkeQ6EB_8EQ23OTCqd0-0OOOtorjV_DEqdXmdU9N5_Ucijq8D30CV4Zyyr8gEmQUUWeP2xkg7pphFjdOlJnan2UIl1kYUrafUCKDDhM3A8QtQmyzE6_LvCZIkgmVOw8vl5cb_WTCZ9YjP2-3WDl347FLJqhBiDwzjyZyaUOs__TizM/w284-h427/Broken.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br />Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age<p></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">By: Fred M. Kray<br />
Publisher: Live Oak Press<br />
Publication Date: April 28, 2023<br />
ISBN: 979-8987213810<br />
Reviewed by: Kathy Stickles<br />
Review Date: March 4, 2024</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i>Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age</i> is an incredible book that tells the story of Alydar and his career, the horrible details of his death, and the examination of all of the facts and obvious greed of those around the horse.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Calumet Farm is a place that any horse-racing fan will know. It was the location of some of the most cherished and famous horses of the time. A place where they should have been safe and well cared for. Unfortunately, it was also a place filled with injury, greed, and finally the destruction of an era. Alydar, a horse that rose quickly to fame during his career, is in his stall for the night as are the other horses and being watched over by Alton Stone, the night watchman on duty. Everything seems perfectly fine on this beautiful evening when Stone checks on the stallion. For some reason, he returns to check on the horse again because all of a sudden he has a bad feeling. What he finds is Alydar, who has somehow injured himself, and no apparent explanation of how it happened. What follows is an amazing story of the investigation into the death of Alydar, the huge insurance payment that was made to Calumet Farm, and the confusion and attempt to figure out what happened to the horse and why.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Author Fred M. Kray is an attorney who focuses on animal law and, after reading this book, I can also say that he is an amazing author who has given readers an intense and very in-depth look into this horrible mystery. Given his background, this author is definitely at the top of the list of people who are perfectly prepared to offer the world this tragic story. He covers everything from the life of Alydar…to the insurance investigations into the death...to the prosecutions of those who were possible culprits in the crime. He does so with excellent writing, deep and thorough research into the facts and beliefs surrounding the situation, and very in-depth and illuminating interviews with numerous witnesses. Throughout the story, the reader can see the deep admiration and love the author has for Alydar as well as the heartbreaking things that this horse suffered at the hands of those he trusted to care for him.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I really cannot recommend <i>Broken</i> enough. Mr. Kray’s writing is superb, and the facts are presented in such a comprehensive and logical manner that the reader cannot help but become completely immersed in the story and the hope that somehow Alydar will receive justice and those who were involved in this horrifying period in time will be held accountable. I found the book to be excellent, and I commend the author for all that he tried to do and for his deep love of all animals.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Quill says: While a tragic and horrifying story, <i>Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age,</i> is one that should be read by everyone. It is true crime at its best because of the fabulous and detailed writing regarding the investigation into the facts of this magnificent animal’s death.</p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-34491791238139614282024-03-04T13:29:00.003-05:002024-03-04T13:29:42.116-05:00#AuthorInterview with Raven Howell, author of Loved: A Mother's Celebration<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50ttnzjgoKM969UHKMWmmYpo9vPT9cTl6zJVFtQgE4497LVSeCn65AMDj7dXT-mcu2Iz_IdYLnyPKb5yeImqQF91XmvZaEqmD2Ul9lAA1OBA5jy8oGj2a56_rdWqAZFosVXzouBv4DtGqZMDzl_LfUIkWO6Q7ErTfozZywGz1uiZ4BO2Txi2b2vluB9Y/s1500/Loved%20A%20Mother's%20Celebration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1500" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50ttnzjgoKM969UHKMWmmYpo9vPT9cTl6zJVFtQgE4497LVSeCn65AMDj7dXT-mcu2Iz_IdYLnyPKb5yeImqQF91XmvZaEqmD2Ul9lAA1OBA5jy8oGj2a56_rdWqAZFosVXzouBv4DtGqZMDzl_LfUIkWO6Q7ErTfozZywGz1uiZ4BO2Txi2b2vluB9Y/s320/Loved%20A%20Mother's%20Celebration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Katie Specht is talking with Raven Howell, author of <em>Loved: A Mother's Celebration.</em><p></p><p><b>FQ: You are the author and poet of more than 20 children’s books, in addition to contributing to various magazines. Can you explain to your readers how you got your start in the field of writing? In other words, did you have a “big break” that you can recall and share?</b></p><p>HOWELL: I can’t say I had a “big break.” I had been writing since childhood and enjoyed work in the music business in song writing and publishing when I graduated school. I had a successful career and had the opportunity to meet and work with many wonderful artists. After a decade, I settled in the Hudson Valley (outside of NYC) where I raised my family and began to work in writing verse for greeting cards. It was fun and a conducive job to have while my sons were still small. In the 1990’s I began writing for children’s magazines, and from there, decided to try my hand at kids’ books.</p><p><b>FQ: <em>Loved: A Mother’s Celebration</em> is a simple story with a very meaningful message. Can you explain how you came up with the idea to write this story, and the inspiration behind the story?</b></p><p>HOWELL: <em>Loved</em> was composed as a prompt from a writing group I was involved with. It won 1st runner up in a contest I submitted it to and was encouraged to expand the text, and worked on editing it for several months.</p><p><b>FQ: Upon perusing your books a bit, it appears you have worked with many illustrators throughout your career. How do you decide who you will work with when you are ready to select an illustrator for a new story?</b></p><p>HOWELL: If I have the opportunity to choose an illustrator’s work to bring to the table, I do my best to imagine how their style matches the theme and vibe of the text. The publishers I’ve worked with, for the most part, include me in the decision making for choosing the artist. An editor may send me a few portfolio links to see if any of the artist’s work catches my eye and feels appropriate to the story.</p><p><b>FQ: You write a column for <em>Story Monsters Ink</em> magazine entitled The Book Bug. What topics do you typically cover when writing for this column?</b></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-74283" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_74283" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-74283" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Raven-Howell-300x300.jpg" srcset="https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Raven-Howell-300x300.jpg 300w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Raven-Howell-150x150.jpg 150w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Raven-Howell.jpg 576w" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-74283">Author Raven Howell</figcaption></figure><p>HOWELL: I love my Book Bug column and am so grateful to my publisher for giving me the freedom to pursue some terrifically fun interviews with the best kid lit authors and illustrators of our day. Topics are oriented toward the children’s community, always about literature, and tend to share uplifting messages to readers, especially students, around the world.</p><p><b>FQ: Since you contribute to so many magazines and present workshops, as well as work on your own manuscripts, how do you separate and organize your tasks to keep everything orderly? </b></p><p>HOWELL: I work 7 days a week! Ha! True. Lots of files on my computer and my calendar is marked.</p><p><b>FQ: You have had a very successful writing career to date. Can you share with your readers one of your favorite aspects of being an author as well as one challenge that you have faced along your journey?</b></p><p>HOWELL: My personal favorite aspect of being an author is sharing books and stories with children, whether that’s in story time during a bookstore author visit, or in a classroom.</p><p>A challenging aspect of putting out a book is that it involves a lot of waiting for the whole thing to come together with the team whom you are working with to produce the book. There are many aspects to consider, and it really IS teamwork.</p><p><b>FQ: What advice would you give to a young reader of yours who is interested in becoming a published children’s book author or a poet?</b></p><p>HOWELL: Read what’s relevant today, read all sorts of books and keep writing. Write what you know.</p><p>Feeling stuck? Dig around for something unique that inspires you and write about it. Even by starting to write down a description of something or a general plot of a story is one step forward!</p><p><b>FQ: In your bio, you share that you also illustrate “a little.” In what books or magazines could we find some of your illustrations? Do you hope to expand this part of your career so it's more than "a little"?</b></p><p>HOWELL: I wish I had time to pursue illustrative teachings and work, but my writing fills ups my schedule these days. Still, I love creating art for fun – watercolors, sketching, acrylics, and I love arts and crafts.</p><p>I illustrated 2 books which are now out of print. I had fun with mixed media in one and used collage work for an older children’s acrostic poetry compilation I wrote called Gibber.</p><p>My illustrations were published in a couple of children’s magazines years back, <em>Once Upon a Time</em> and <em>Fun For Kidz</em>magazine.</p><p><b>FQ: The illustrations in <em>Loved: A Mother’s Celebration</em> are all heartfelt depictions of parents with their children. Do you have a favorite scene that your illustrator, Pamela Rice, created for this book?</b></p><p>HOWELL: I am always amazed at illustrator Pamela Rice’s artwork. She’s such a pro. And I can rely on her to depict what my words are trying to convey in beautiful images. The Loved book cover is my favorite! From the interior I love the page where my text mentions turning a frown upside down. Pamela’s sweet girl in that image is priceless!</p><p><b>FQ: Can you share a bit about what is up next for you? Do you have another story in the works? What can you tell us about what’s to come in your writing career?</b></p><p>HOWELL: I’m celebrating my first early reader chapter book releasing March 2024! It’s called <em>The Charms of U.S. Farms</em> and it’s about a fun classroom trip to a couple of farms where the students are surprised to find where our food comes from and how things are grown.</p><p>This spring is bustling with lots of children’s events, book fairs and story times. I’ll be at the local festivals and in classrooms and bookstores. And I hope if you’re in the Hudson Valley, you’ll come out and say hello!</p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-22195872941248282712024-03-01T08:00:00.002-05:002024-03-01T08:00:21.222-05:00#Bookreview of A Brief History of France by Dominic Haynes<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixg8oo6_88xRXADKfdNkGpocI_t75dc7JxP-AA8EYvpTEmz8-i_k8853-va3i9OcvcpZizhwhHZ_PBPqYjDp9fukDF2nfEtYe6xnbZNUZJaIB9VKKi6BoBPx9MAELXoTCQLP2bxg7LCp6Nzucq-V7juHQ97c8f_pWc8_bYy_0GiJCGoLkuPon9C2xU5Q4/s1500/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20France.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="971" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixg8oo6_88xRXADKfdNkGpocI_t75dc7JxP-AA8EYvpTEmz8-i_k8853-va3i9OcvcpZizhwhHZ_PBPqYjDp9fukDF2nfEtYe6xnbZNUZJaIB9VKKi6BoBPx9MAELXoTCQLP2bxg7LCp6Nzucq-V7juHQ97c8f_pWc8_bYy_0GiJCGoLkuPon9C2xU5Q4/w269-h416/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20France.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br />A Brief History of France: Empires, Kings, and Revolutions</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Dominic Haynes</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Dominic Haynes History</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: February 8, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-1915710543</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Douglas C. MacLeod, Jr.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 28, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It is hard not to be impressed by the amount of information Dominic Haynes has accrued for his newest work, A Brief History of France: Empires, Kings, and Revolutions. He certainly has done his research. Spanning from 3400 BCE to 2023 CE, Haynes presents a sweeping narrative filled with peace and war, love and hate, life and death, and everything else that may be generally associated with the tumultuous history of a forever changing country. With that said, he also inadvertently exposes, through his encyclopedic prose, how imperative it is that history and context do not get lost; that what has happened in the past leads all of us to where we are now and where we are going to be in the future. This is an age of misinformation, where history and other areas of the humanities are being disregarded and eradicated from our schools’ curriculums; and Haynes, with this text about just one country, is trying to keep the past alive, recognizing that even if in our silos, we are all still very much connected.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Haynes starts his work with Pre-Roman Gaul and continues on to speak about the Romanization of Gaul; the Merovingians and Carolingians; the rise of the House of Capet; the Renaissance; the Black Death; The Age of Absolutism; The French Revolution; the Belle Epoque; and, France after World War II (among other significant moments in French history). Haynes speaks about all of these periods of time in the span of less than two hundred pages, which is no easy feat; however, he is largely successful in maintaining flow and balance for a good portion of the work. Nearer to the end of A Brief History of France, when speaking about France during the 20th and 21st centuries, Haynes does start to condense a bit more, and in doing so, he skims through several decades, more specifically between the Korean and Vietnam wars, but he does seem to maintain pacing enough for those last two chapters to be educational and comprehensive.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">If there is one issue to be brought up about Haynes’s text, it is that the audience is not made aware of how he selected the events/individuals covered in A Brief History of France. Haynes states in his introduction that “the history of France is a crossroads of all different cultures that have walked the land,” and “France’s story reaches beyond a chronological account of events, highlighting the best and worst of what humanity has to offer.” This much is true, but one can say this about any country. All countries are a “mosaic of triumphs and tribulations, art and upheaval, and enlightenment and resistance [that form a] nation’s unique identity.” Rather than providing platitudes and summary in his introduction, it would have benefited readers to learn more about Haynes’s process, his sources, and his decision-making as to why go in one direction rather than another. He does claim that he is trying to construct a “light-speed odyssey through time,” which is meant to provide a constructed narrative filled with protagonists, antagonists, plot twists, and tragedy; however, ultimately, stories are inherent in the facts, and the facts rule over the storytelling in this particular instance.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">That is not to say, though, that Haynes is not a diligent researcher and precise writer. In reading through his canon of work, Haynes has written short histories about Italy, Ancient Greece, Ukraine, and Canada (among other countries and philosophies), so he knows how to produce reliable and credible information for his readers. And, his writing style, which is rich with actualities and trivia, can resonate with a mass audience that now gingerly skims through documents rather than pays close attention to them. In essence, Haynes, after writing multiple short histories, understands his audience and what it is that they are looking for as it pertains to accruing basic knowledge about a very complex country. That is a skill, and Haynes has that skill; thus, A Brief of History of France achieves what it sets out to be: a piece of developed research to help those who need to know more about French history, culture, politics, understanding of religion, art, and citizenship.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: A Brief History of France is a bit unbalanced, but an informative and educational narrative about France from antiquity to today.</div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-14832018228763118412024-02-27T18:05:00.000-05:002024-02-27T18:05:07.348-05:00#Bookreview of Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPNAgSBSP5FN5Vx0U2gTABpGDNxD-nRmikVD4epvNZM-bc9ZSGd3zO2oN8friFJHHODpvY1cDDiaSknOvYH0Dt0zN1eALdVCAJV1LHEHPDj2sDhrLA4YFK5wS_2ySOEys0YgYcAd2LNrGWpXEaccg1TRVpcxbPCenL_JsbK7I5zfkBIjGPJ2Z1ZzkB6s/s1500/Louis%20Mie.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="971" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPNAgSBSP5FN5Vx0U2gTABpGDNxD-nRmikVD4epvNZM-bc9ZSGd3zO2oN8friFJHHODpvY1cDDiaSknOvYH0Dt0zN1eALdVCAJV1LHEHPDj2sDhrLA4YFK5wS_2ySOEys0YgYcAd2LNrGWpXEaccg1TRVpcxbPCenL_JsbK7I5zfkBIjGPJ2Z1ZzkB6s/w288-h445/Louis%20Mie.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br />Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: L.M. Twist</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Books & Hooves Publishing, LLC</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: January 1, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-8-9892182-1-9</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by Diane Lunsford</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 26, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/lmtwistauthor?__cft__[0]=AZWD-XES2zfvUUMc_lQrCRGvLiW1dusJsfl6CGapJsYtzwN-F_-hdMUWa7dIRDsNq2TR4C_OG-DAhXsvZ_6_3wu6TdwX_dCYHmKJbhK9c1LA0IWFchKW38LuSgN8lv21g3k&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">L.M. Twist Author Page</span></a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye is a richly historical account set in 1870 Post-Napoleonic France that depicts the violent conflicts of war and murder that is nuanced with the allure of class, patriotism, and pride.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A new French Republic is born, and a man places his honor and marriage at risk in a personal battle between his idealism and ambition. It is August 16, 1870, in Hautefaye, France. The furthest thing on any of the townspeople’s minds was the thought of torturing and murdering their neighbors that day. However, shortly after noon on this stifling hot day, Alain de Monéys is bludgeoned to death. What began as hearty banter among the patronage in the pub digressed into a heated discussion that quickly faltered into deadly force. "...Emperor Napoleon is menaced, it’s our duty as patriots to help. Look at us, lucky enough to live in a time when another Bonaparte rules the country… Now the dirty Prussians have invaded and we can’t even do our small part to help him?...I’m just saying I can’t eat patriotism…What are you, a spy? Trying to poison us against the Emperor?..." (pg. 4) There is more to the blatant murder of Alain de Monéys and the introduction of Louis Mie (a republican lawyer) will find himself thrown into a spaghetti ball of political turmoil and moral challenge when he is the one to defend one of the murderers, Leonard Piarrouty.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As the evidence and investigation of the day in question mounts, Louis Mie comes to the realization that defending Piarrouty is much more complicated than he could have fathomed. Mie’s entire life is on the brink of falling apart and he has become more than obsessed with his task at hand. His marriage and essentially anything that does not involve this case are on the precipice of ruin. Mie is on a trajectory of time that is rapidly running out. He is faced with fine lines that divide justice and loyalty solely for the price of exposing the truth; a truth that nefarious men will kill to protect. Mie is at the crossroads of his resolve: save his client or his family?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">L.M. Twist demonstrates an exceptional ability to play out the many facets of obsession in this fantastic account based on a true story. Twist challenges the reader to consider public and political situations in one scenario; only to pit this concept against personal convictions and work ethic in the next. There is a superbly written plot that has a formula that can be applied in today’s world issues: violent conflict of war, patriotism, civic duty...to name a few. This is a captivating read that has a fantastic fiction overlay that focuses on an iconic (and factual) time in history.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye is a wonderful journey into history, politics, mob mentality, and obsessions that will have sparks flying off the turn of every page.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye, please visit the author's website at: <a href="https://lmtwist.wordpress.com/">https://lmtwist.wordpress.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-30172599271423884652024-02-26T12:08:00.004-05:002024-02-26T12:11:29.005-05:00#AuthorInterview with Mark Cheverton, author of Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths<p>Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Katie Specht is talking with Mark Cheverton, author of <em>Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths: A Battle of Anxiety vs. Trust (The Order of the Stones Book 2).</em></p><p><b>FQ: This is book two in your Order of the Stones series. It is rather unique not only with its cast of monsters and demons, but also that the main character struggles with anxiety. Can you explain where you derived the inspiration behind this series? </b></p><p>CHEVERTON: I wrote the Order of the Stones series because of the challenges my son faced with anxiety. It hit him when he was in 2nd grade and only grew worse over the years. We tried everything to help him, but noting seemed to work, so we pulled him out of school, I quit my job, and I homeschooled him. Today, he is thriving, studying computer science in college. A few years ago, I asked him what the daily panic attacks felt like to him, in his head and in his body. What he explained to me, the level of dread and hopelessness, was shocking. I knew I had to share this so other kids wouldn’t feel alone.</p><p><b>FQ: Your background is in teaching and research. What prompted you to make the shift from academia to writing novels?</b></p><p>CHEVERTON: As an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy, I foolishly decided one day to write a novel, though I knew nothing of the craft of writing. I wrote for science fiction novels and received hundreds of rejections from literary agents. I was ready to give up when my son was cyberbullied while playing Minecraft. To teach him that it wasn’t his fault, I wrote my first Minecraft novel, <em>Invasion of the Overworld.</em> When it was finished, we read it at bedtime, and he got it: the bullying wasn’t about him, it was about these kids needing to feel powerful at another’s expense. I self-published <em>Invasion of the Overworld</em> on Amazon just for fun. I didn’t expect it to sell, after all, I’d written four novels that were catastrophic failures. To my surprise, it sold 50,000 that year and made it to #29 on Amazon’s top 100...wow! Now, I had a publisher and agent approaching me to traditionally publish my books. I ended up writing 24 Minecraft-inspired novels with Sky Pony Press.</p><p><b>FQ: To date, you have published 28 books, which have been published in 31 countries. Can you explain how the process was for you when you realized that your book(s) were impactful, and how has this changed your professional life? Do you still teach or conduct any research?</b></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-74239" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_74239" style="width: 277px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-74239" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="416" sizes="(max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px" src="https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mark-Cheverton-200x300.jpg" srcset="https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mark-Cheverton-200x300.jpg 200w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mark-Cheverton-681x1024.jpg 681w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mark-Cheverton-768x1154.jpg 768w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mark-Cheverton-1022x1536.jpg 1022w, https://featheredquill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mark-Cheverton.jpg 1233w" width="277" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-74239">Author Mark Cheverton</figcaption></figure><p>CHEVERTON: It has truly been a remarkable experience. Everyone of my books has a theme to it, be it bullying, facing fears, sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, being the real you...and I’d receive countless emails from kids telling me how my books have helped them. It’s been fantastic. I was lucky enough to write full time for a while, just cranking out the Minecraft books - that was a lot of fun. But I found sitting at home, alone, writing all week very isolating. I eventually returned to my engineering job after COVID just to be around people. Now, I work 1/2 time as an engineer and write the rest of the time.</p><p><b>FQ: Having written that many books, are you able to claim one as your favorite, either based on the story itself, or how it was to write for you?</b></p><p>CHEVERTON: I think my favorite, without a doubt, is Book 1 in the Order of the Stones series, <em>Facing the Beast Within: The Anxiety of Cameron Stone.</em> This was the book that I wrote because of my son’s anxiety, and I feel it is my best writing to date. It is a fun and exciting fantasy story with a main character that you can’t help to root for because of his anxiety, with a battle scene at the end of the story that would make Tom Clancy proud, and a final chapter that will bring a tear to your eye. When I finished <em>Facing the Beast Within</em>, I gave it to a team of child psychologists. They read the book, then gave me all of their anxiety coping strategies, breathing exercises, and terminologies they use with their patients. I wove all these strategies throughout the story. When a child with anxiety reads the book, they’ll not only see practical coping strategies modeled by the main character, but also hear the teachings of their therapists echoed from the pages. I feel like I got that story right and said what I needed to say, hoping it will help kids who also struggle with anxiety.</p><p><b>FQ: Book three in the Order of the Stones series, <em>Cameron and the Gargoyles’ Revenge,</em> will be released in 2025. What can you share with your readers about the adventures you have in store for Cameron and his friends in this story?</b></p><p>CHEVERTON: Cameron’s enemy, the Demon Lord of Agartha, Malphas, will finally escape the Void and he has plans for his revenge against Cameron and humanity. Cameron and his friends must travel to New York City to stop Malphas before he can start another invasion of mythical creatures. But what Cameron doesn’t know is there’s a gargoyle army waiting for Malphas, and has been waiting for their freedom on the campus of the City College of New York for over a century. Check out their website and you can see all the gargoyles on their campus, they’re spectacular. But before the army of gargoyles is unleashed, Malphas plans to go back in time to destroy Cameron when he was a baby. How can Cameron save his baby-self when his lack of confidence and inner Beast makes it impossible to use his Earth-magic. I think it’s over for Cameron...or is it?</p><p><b>FQ: In your professional life, you have taught high school physics and math, researched planetary atmospherics, and worked as an engineer before beginning your journey of writing novels. Which one of these careers have you enjoyed the most, and which one would say has brought you the most challenges? </b></p><p>CHEVERTON: I’ve loved all of these careers. When I taught high school physics, I lived education. I created materials, developed hands-on experiments, and grew programs. But teaching is a hard job to sustain. To do a good job, you spend a lot of hours for not a lot of money. After earning a Master’s Degree in Physics, I decided I wanted a new challenge, and moved into engineering. This gave me a different challenge. Instead of trying to motivate kids, I had to find clever solutions to difficult technical problems. I loved that part of my life, and started writing while still working as an engineer. I applied many of the skills I developed while doing research to my books in how I outline the story, outline the character plots, develop the settings and themes. I think all of these careers have been equally has challenge and enriching, though writing was certainly filled with more rejection than the others. Querying agents with a new book is not fun!!!</p><p><b>FQ: What advice can you give to a young reader of yours who is interested in one day writing and publishing a book?</b></p><p>CHEVERTON: The one piece of advice I’d give a young writer is - commit to learning the craft. The rejections I received on my first four novels sucked, but I kept writing. With every book, my writing became better and better. After every rejected novel, I bought more books on writing and read, read, read. <em>Story Engineering</em> by Larry Brooks and <em>Save the Cat</em>by Blake Snyder were by far my favorites, but I read dozens of these pedagogical books. In my opinion, this is a necessary step to learning in learning the craft of writing. Write...query...if rejected, start a new book!</p><p><b>FQ: The settings and the monsters in your stories are quite specific and described so vividly. How do you develop such interesting and unique attributes in your narratives and subsequently bring them to life so well for your readers?</b></p><p>CHEVERTON: I spend a lot of time outlining the plot, character arc, characters, and settings. I make it a point to inject a lot of sensory details into the story, to draw the reader in so they feel like they’re actually in the story with the characters. I’ve put together some mini-tutorials for young writers, showing how I do this. You can find them on my website here: <a href="https://markcheverton.com/writing-tips-from-mark/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">markcheverton.com/writing-tips-from-mark/.</a> I try to write my stories with as much visual imagery as I can create to make the story feel immersive, and the detailed description of specific characteristics of the monsters and characters helps me do this. If you want to see a great example of visual imagery, go read Melissa Alberts fantastic novel, The Hazel Wood. I guess this is a long answer to the question, the short answer is...outline everything in more detail than you would use in the story, then pick the good stuff and use it.</p><p><b>FQ: It is obvious that you have done research into strategies for dealing with anxiety, which you incorporated into the story whenever Cameron’s anxiety would peak. What advice would you give to a reader who is struggling with anxiety and has never sought help for it before?</b></p><p>CHEVERTON: I know there is a terrible stigma around anxiety, and those who suffer from anxiety don’t want to ask for help because they think they’ll look weak, or will be shamed, or ??? I can only tell you this, when we found the solution for our son, which was homeschooling, it was remarkable to see the difference in him. He would smile again. He could relax. He could be him. If you’re struggling with anxiety, know that people want to help, but they don’t know how. You need to teach them how to help, because people who don’t have anxiety cannot understand. You must teach them. Pick one person you trust, and just tell that one person so you won’t be alone. It’s impossible to confront anxiety by yourself; you need others at your side to lean on. In <em>Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths,</em> there is a saying amongst: “In the Order of the Stones, no one walks alone.” In the story, that means people help each other, but it meant to mean more. If you have anxiety, you shouldn’t walk alone. You need someone at your side who understands, so find that person, confide in them, and teach them how they can help you. You’ll be surprised how much your friends want to help you if you let them in.</p><p><b>FQ: You are very clearly the epitome of a successful author. Can you share with your readers one aspect of being an author that you love, as well as one aspect of it that you don’t love quite as much? </b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a class="ts-button ts-button-style-default" data-currentbg="rgba(0,204,255, 1)" data-currentbor="#fffff" data-currentcolor="#ffffff" data-hoverback="#00CCFF" data-hovercolor="#ffffff" href="https://featheredquill.com/cameron-and-the-shadow-wraiths/" style="background: repeat rgb(0, 204, 255); border-color: rgb(0, 204, 255); border-radius: 5px; color: white;" target="_blank"><span style="border-radius: 5px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px 16px; text-shadow: none;"></span></a></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">CHEVERTON: I can say with absolute certainty that querying agents is a terrible process. You get a lot of rejections with no feedback on what you could do to make your story or query letter better. It’s just a very polite and respectful “no” or you just get crickets...no response. I also found, as I mentioned above, that being a full time author is very lonely and isolating. I got to know the servers at my local Panera Bread very well, because I’d go there to write every day, but you’re still alone. I don’t know how the big authors, like Robert Dugani or David Baldacci do it. They’re certainly making lots of money, as they should; they’re great writers. But you’re still sitting alone in your corner table at Panera or in your office or at home, alone...I found this difficult to sustain. The best part are the comments from the readers. I’ve received hundred and hundreds of emails from kids telling me how much they like my books. Right now, I’m sorta getting 2nd generation emails; kids who are graduating from high school or entering college are emailing me, telling me the impact my books had on them during their childhood. It can be very heartwarming and make me feel like I did something that’ll keep helping kids...what’s better than that?</p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-32778780826955978922024-02-25T20:18:00.004-05:002024-02-25T20:18:53.940-05:00#AuthorInterview with TG Hardy, author of Where the Sabiá Bird Sings<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxk2nni9y25y-cOQHI9o9QGhKqw0eF-9LWsjnbLCSmMyMo7aj73vYi_Z0tfdGnm9DoiBVuhMfMBmtasiUFot9JNex32fsnXSlnhum7xfsXBp_xRX3dFE8eChkvfeNy_zKc_A5DjpPQYLqPHK6R1Px8VeKoQUchJMsgcEKIFk2CO0iqYk5Mj3KRXSXbgQ/s1280/Where%20the%20Sabia%20Bird%20Sings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="800" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxk2nni9y25y-cOQHI9o9QGhKqw0eF-9LWsjnbLCSmMyMo7aj73vYi_Z0tfdGnm9DoiBVuhMfMBmtasiUFot9JNex32fsnXSlnhum7xfsXBp_xRX3dFE8eChkvfeNy_zKc_A5DjpPQYLqPHK6R1Px8VeKoQUchJMsgcEKIFk2CO0iqYk5Mj3KRXSXbgQ/w256-h409/Where%20the%20Sabia%20Bird%20Sings.png" width="256" /></a></div><br />Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Lily Andrews is talking with TG Hardy, author of Where the Sabiá Bird Sings.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: I love the title of the book. How did it come about?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: My brother suggested it and it was the only title that anyone in my circle thought appropriate after the last five years of major changes. The Sabiá bird is a Brazilian thrush, though I prefer to describe it as a tropical mockingbird. A Sabiá bird appears, trilling, on page 17 of the book, in a scene where <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Pé is spying on the knife sharpener’s daughter from high in a mango tree. Where the Sabiá Bird Sings is the last line of the chorus of Brazil’s national poem “Song of Exile,” which is the subject of a campfire discussion between Chico and Pé on page 32.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: You lived in the Brazilian settings and during the periods described in the novel, and I believe these places and times are near and dear to you. Would you tell our readers a bit about why those times/places hold such fond memories for you?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: My family lived in Rio in the 1950’s in a beachfront apartment in Ipanema, and my brother and I rode street cars to and from the American school, avoiding paying by clinging to the outside of the trolleys alongside street urchins, and saving our fare money to place bets after school with the crowds on the infield of the Jockey Club. Those years were idyllic, but then things got rough. We moved to a city in the interior and our parents thought we would benefit from attending a large, and apparently strict, parochial school a block from our house. We were not welcomed at the school, not by the students and even less by the priests and lay teachers, who looked the other way when we were beaten by classmates during the half-dozen coffee breaks each day in the central courtyard. We were fair-haired, foreign, taller than the other students, and Protestant, and to those boys that last bit translated to protestors. Whenever we could, we made sure our parents saw our cuts and bruises, but our father wouldn’t relent. Then, within months, all but a few tired of hating us. An abiding empathy was our gift from the experience. That, and a lesson in perseverance.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Later, during the early 1980s, I returned to Rio de Janeiro with my family for a three-year management assignment, during which I got to know the rest of the country including the Cocoa Coast setting I used for Jean-Pierre’s youth. Sharing Brazil with my family was a wonderful experience.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Given that the landscape and time periods covered in the story are so familiar to you, is the plot purely fictional, or was it inspired by real events? Ex., while the town of Penedo was fictional, it was based on a real town. Were there any characters in your novel that were based on people you knew/know?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: Penedo is an existing municipality, and also a river port, in a state further north than Bahia state, and one where the colonial architecture has been far better preserved than in the city of Maraú on the Cocoa Coast (which is the setting for all of chapter two). I used Penedo as a model for imaging the scenes in Maraú, and renamed it Penedo, because many readers these days research exotic settings on the web and if they were to check out Maraú they would see photos of newly-dilapidated, cinderblock buildings in the place of the lovely Portuguese colonial-era buildings that were there in the 1960’s.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The characters are entirely fictional except for my wife Pam, who appears briefly as a PanAm flight attendant (which she was) on page 109, and Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon who are mentioned in the final chapter as weekend browsers (which they were) at the independent bookstore in Kent, Connecticut.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Why did you choose to go for a character-driven narrative rather than a plot-driven tale? I think it was a smart decision but would love to know your thoughts on the matter.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: While I gravitate toward novels that are both plot and character driven, I savor those that are more character-driven, because they are not as plentiful (they don’t sell well), and because I find them more thought-provoking (and I’m a bit of a navel-gazer). Examples of the latter include: Crossing to Safety (by Wallace Stegner); The Pacific, and Other Stories (by Mark Helprin); The Tender Bar (by JR Moehringer); The Orchard (by Peter Heller). And it was Any Human Heart (by William Boyd) that gave me the idea of having the protagonist write an episodic family saga in memoir-style.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: I believe, from your telling, that you adore your protagonist, Jean-Pierre. What fascinates you most about him?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: That he became, in his mid-thirties, as much tested and wise as I was, when, at twice his age, I began putting the finishing touches on this manuscript. For if anything remains in the final version that is autobiographical, it would be my take-aways from what I experienced or carefully observed during my lifetime, and the related emotions that are seared in my memory. I tried to create a character with a distinctive, gentle, and humorous voice that would quickly engage the reader. Same with Papa, whose old-school civility, honor, humility, selflessness, and tolerance eventually rubbed off on Jean-Pierre -- qualities that I want to believe are still universally prevalent, but drowned out by the din surrounding glitz, entitlement, tribalism, and sanctimony.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Your manuscript has received in-depth professional critiques, as revealed at the end of the read. Which are some of the most impactful remarks that you would say have had the greatest impact on your writing career?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: Critiques – writing workshops, early readers, and one-on-one coaching – were vitally important for me in learning the craft of writing. And there is a huge element of craft to it. I started out thinking that my imagination and way-with-words would carry me, but they didn’t. This is not jet-skiing; think about writing as a skill sport, like gymnastics, where you’re not going to the Olympics simply because you were born with an uncanny sense of balance and a low center of gravity. So you need coaching, and you must be coachable.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And having your opus pilloried in a workshop is going to be devastating at first, but if you can hang in there, you’ll see the value in much of the feedback. You’ll develop a thicker skin, but your work can always be improved, so the criticism won’t cease altogether and will sting, but perhaps for a matter of hours, not days. Even best-selling authors need tough-love, and if you’re disappointed reading their third book, it might be because they’ve gotten smug, or their alpha readers are cowed and blowing smoke up their backside.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As to remarks that stand out: Perhaps when one workshop leader told me that he was going to be tough on me, perhaps at times brutally tough, because my writing was polished and well-structured, but that I was shallow, cinematic, and that he felt like a fly on the wall watching stony, soulless, characters, having to guess how they felt. You need to work on interiority, he said. And we did, for several years.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: What are some of the lessons that you intend your audience to learn from Where the Sabiá Bird Sings? Do you think that today’s youth have a tendency to want to indulge like Jean-Pierre?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: I’m not sure the youth today, though more coddled, are all that indulgent compared to my generation. I think that the period after World War II marks the beginning of that shift. Jean-Pierre’s grandparents were never in danger of being caught in the inertia of the shallow, stress-free, high-life that J-P crafted for himself as a talent agent in a city as intoxicating as Rio de Janeiro in the mid-seventies.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As to life lessons, this narrative is replete with them, but overall it was the overcoming of that high-life inertia, and how the introduction of uncertainty, stress, and hardship into J-P’s life brought him to a point where, in his mid-thirties, he found the purpose that was missing, a place in a larger community, and the prospect of fulfilling his long-standing yearning to have a big, boisterous, and loving family.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Was it hard to return to that long-ago, set-aside novel and bring it to life? How much time did you spend re-working the novel before Where the Sabiá Bird Sings was born? Would you share with our readers a few things you changed/updated? Was the time-period changed? Characters’ motivations altered?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: Not hard at all. I needed, as I’ve said, to learn and polish my craft, and I thought about how I might repot the novel for the three or four years I experimented with short prose. During that period, I worked especially on interiority and read all the character-driven novels that I could find.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The original manuscript was contemporary, set exclusively in high-life Rio, and it was auto-biographical and therefore boring. And the protagonist’s problem was that his marriage was failing because he was obsessed with his work and surfing – a totally mundane situation if you substitute golf and suburban Connecticut. So, as you know, I set the novel back a half century, still mainly in Rio but now including the slums and other less cosmopolitan areas of Brazil and included North America and Europe. The protagonist is entirely fictional and more sympathetic; his problem needs to be pointed out to him and is complicated and not readily fixed, certainly not on his own.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The original manuscript was plot-driven, and the novel you read is, of course, character-driven.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: In your biography, you mention writing short prose and that you have had works published in numerous publications. What made you decide to give the genre a try after setting that first novel aside, and how do you find writing short prose vs. a novel? Do you prefer one over the other?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HARDY: I switched to writing short prose because I needed to learn the craft, and the short form is ideally suited to workshop review and allows maximum opportunity to experiment quickly with alternative points-of-view, tenses, and narrative voices.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I like the challenge of creating spare and memorable short stories, especially love stories, and I’m eager to get back to that, with an eye to adding, say seven, to the three published ones I’m happy with. With ten keepers, I could self-publish a collection. You can read my three favorites in the SELECTED WORK section of my author website https://www.tghardy.net/</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-65382481490731626762024-02-24T13:02:00.002-05:002024-02-24T13:02:21.222-05:00#Bookreview of Loved: A Mother's Celebration by Raven Howell<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0aa6eJUmxwIHl-Hd2XvbaKa8cIvueXO7qbOZm9_F8-UoVUlBBve3mrc4CETtyitCOJfl2aNq8lktNrKieAhuadAOGEkUjn49igQBcdjWDMgwIUX-Qpdk1BH5gQ3j4yI82sPHjKqQ761M521f2KT8n-n6g3CqLdm7I2pVBHbnfnja-ahyphenhyphenHrOfvtehsQE/s1500/Loved%20A%20Mother's%20Celebration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1500" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0aa6eJUmxwIHl-Hd2XvbaKa8cIvueXO7qbOZm9_F8-UoVUlBBve3mrc4CETtyitCOJfl2aNq8lktNrKieAhuadAOGEkUjn49igQBcdjWDMgwIUX-Qpdk1BH5gQ3j4yI82sPHjKqQ761M521f2KT8n-n6g3CqLdm7I2pVBHbnfnja-ahyphenhyphenHrOfvtehsQE/w320-h247/Loved%20A%20Mother's%20Celebration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Loved: A Mother's Celebration</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Raven Howell</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Illustrated by: Pamela C. Rice</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: AcuteByDesign Publishing</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: September 1, 2023</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>ISBN: 978-1-943515-50-9</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Katie Specht</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 23, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">From award-winning author and poet Raven Howell comes Loved: A Mother’s Celebration, a story celebrating the love between a parent and a child. This joyful story is brought to life through illustrations by Pamela C. Rice.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Howell writes this story in rhyme, as she explores the meaningful connection between a parent and a child. The story delves into how parents will love their child even when she’s mad, offering hugs to make her feel better, being there to tend to her when she’s sick, holding her, playing together and being silly together, singing and dancing together; and ultimately, always keeping their child close.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A unique aspect of this story is that each page not only offers a beautifully phrased example of how the parent will connect with the child but also relates the action to a different color for each activity. For example, the author references the “brightest orange sunrise blaze,” “blackest cloud,” “purple play,” and “white turtledove.” To align with this color theme, the illustrations also match the descriptions on each page.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Loved: A Mother’s Celebration is the ultimate bedtime snuggle story for parents to share with their young children. This narrative lovingly reflects just some of the ways in which parents are there for their children, regardless of whether they are happy, mad, sick, healthy, playful, or upset. This story also reassures young kids that they can always depend on their parents, no matter the situation or mood they may be in.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The illustrations by Pamela C. Rice complement Howell’s rhyming story perfectly. They depict loving scenes of parents with their children: playing, cuddling, singing, dancing, and hugging, all while incorporating the color scheme mentioned previously on each page within the text.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Author Howell and illustrator Rice have come together to create a timeless bedtime story for young readers with Loved: A Mother’s Celebration. It is a beautiful commemoration of the loving relationship that exists between parent and child, which young readers and caregivers alike are sure to appreciate.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Loved: A Mother's Celebration, please visit the author's website at: <a href="http://ravenhowell.com/">http://ravenhowell.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-72050923329675546072024-02-24T12:45:00.001-05:002024-02-24T12:45:15.419-05:00#Bookreview of 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUch4U0vosfu6lYocDpbYdcbDUEGjOuRKnrNrBe5q1RpbRmkH5r0mTuVfGREPPHbldOtYbmdpsRlEEYFDRu6POb_ShSqfBGHbItFNy4LLBrWwm2NShv-BF_ZqKxq9kgJObqcPED3YddsxYiEoVgWTOV0kM9IkX0vGys-hJHOWlKxzTud93P0eT3r5k_o/s1430/10%20Minute%20Balance%20Exercises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="1000" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUch4U0vosfu6lYocDpbYdcbDUEGjOuRKnrNrBe5q1RpbRmkH5r0mTuVfGREPPHbldOtYbmdpsRlEEYFDRu6POb_ShSqfBGHbItFNy4LLBrWwm2NShv-BF_ZqKxq9kgJObqcPED3YddsxYiEoVgWTOV0kM9IkX0vGys-hJHOWlKxzTud93P0eT3r5k_o/w322-h460/10%20Minute%20Balance%20Exercises.jpg" width="322" /></a></div><br />10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: PrimeLife Wellness</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: PrimeLife Wellness</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: January 20, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>ISBN: 978-1915710512</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Douglas C. MacLeod, Jr.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 22, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors is a practical and easy-to-use guide to help senior citizens with an issue that affects millions of them yearly: falling. The work begins with a hair-raising statistic from the CDC that claims about 36 million falls are reported each year, 32,000 of which result in a senior’s death. In other words, falling is an epidemic, according to PrimeLife Wellness, the company producing this clearly written how-to book, that needs to be paid more attention to; and to do that is to know the reasons why this is happening: a lack of flexibility and balance. This new work provides comprehensive definitions of the different types of balance (static and dynamic) and systems (visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular) human beings use to maintain their balance, even when they are aging; hurting; losing their cognitive functioning; dealing with environmental hazards; or having emotional breakdowns when experiencing social and economic troubles. Primelife Wellness’s book also speaks to the importance of preventing falls and the solutions that ensure this dangerous life-event does not take place in more homes around the globe.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> The book claims senior citizens need to improve on their muscle strength, stability, coordination, and confidence; and, to accomplish these goals, they need to come up with an exercise regiment that fits their lifestyles. To do that, they first have to test their balance, which has several components associated with it: posture, stability, coordination, recovery, focus, and adaptability. The tests themselves are not difficult; however, it takes tenacity, training, warm-up and cool-down periods, good exercise equipment, and repetition to get a comprehensive understanding of what those tests are going to prove, as it pertains to a senior’s level of flexibility and balance. Once flexibility and a level of balance are determined, seniors can choose what sorts of exercises are most comfortable for them. Most of the book provides short instructions for each exercise and a rudimentary but instructional illustration for seniors to use to help them figure out what is most necessary for their respective needs. The types of exercises presented are seated, standing, walking, floor, core, and vestibular; the most intriguing being vestibular, which deals with eye and head movement, eye-hand coordination, and gaze stabilization.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> The head and the body have to work as one, and for this company to speak about what is generally an “undervalued component of our sensory apparatus,” brings 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors to another level. The vestibular system is “nestled” in the inner ear and gives human beings their equilibrium, their spatial navigation, and their stability. If the vestibular system is not functioning properly, anyone can become dizzy and off-balance; and, if seniors have medical issues such as vertigo and/or dizziness along with brittle bones and deteriorating muscle mass, they can easily fall and do serious damage to their entire body. This work, in a direct and simple way, speaks in-depth about how the mind, the senses, and the body coincide and connect with each other; and, if one of those things is dysfunctional, it is up to those having these issues to find ways to rehabilitate themselves, so all three can again work as one.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> Along with the illustrations, 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors smartly provides resources such as QR codes that lead to more exercise assistance, beginner planners and planners for those who want more of a challenge, exercise trackers, and others to assist those that may need more motivation or direction. For example, in the vestibular systems chapter, a small amount of information is provided about how The Brain and Spine Foundation can be of assistance in case the book does not provide enough to help with the rehabilitation of said system. These tips present seniors and readers with an honest assessment of the situation. Yes, these exercises can help but they may not be a panacea. Seniors can plan, strengthen their muscles, gain more confidence, rehabilitate their vestibular system and yet still fall and either hurt or kill themselves. There are no guarantees, but this work provides at least some steps to making sure a steady foundation can be created for those that are shaky and frail. In other words, this book is a step in the right direction for one to take a literal step in the right direction. 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors, ultimately, is a logical and uncomplicated book that gives readers a better sense as to what they need to stay flexible and balanced.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> Quill says: 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors is a substantive and informative how-to about a dangerous issue that rightfully needs addressing.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> For more information on 10-Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors, please visit the author's website: https://primelife-wellness.com/</div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-5736952768281092312024-02-24T12:31:00.002-05:002024-02-24T12:31:33.479-05:00#Bookreview of Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths by Mark Cheverton<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6OuUknB5Ik41Jr8zzAbn2tAqaaXYqi2bZvxEql3mDHFHlAwoIZnXTw544X0EHtAF5vRQCANHc3basW21bx1AoJHUDnxH_NDxgMpNAR71p6MnMKMCqHOyHbUO6F068AcajjnGf3R-MxI7cuGngjb7xJxurz9rC3I9mlNdegFOGPvUi9v1NeaRl6Fn3Gg/s1500/Cameron%20and%20the%20Shadow%20Wraiths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="956" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6OuUknB5Ik41Jr8zzAbn2tAqaaXYqi2bZvxEql3mDHFHlAwoIZnXTw544X0EHtAF5vRQCANHc3basW21bx1AoJHUDnxH_NDxgMpNAR71p6MnMKMCqHOyHbUO6F068AcajjnGf3R-MxI7cuGngjb7xJxurz9rC3I9mlNdegFOGPvUi9v1NeaRl6Fn3Gg/w263-h412/Cameron%20and%20the%20Shadow%20Wraiths.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths: A Battle of Anxiety vs. Trust (The Order of the Stones Book 2)<br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">By: Mark Cheverton</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher: Gameknight Publishing</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: April 15, 2024</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ISBN: 979-8989835508</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Reviewed by: Katie Specht</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Review Date: February 22, 2024</span><br /><br /><span class="xv78j7m" spellcheck="false" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mark Cheverton</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">From New York Times bestselling author Mark Cheverton comes the second book in his Order of the Stones series, Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths: A Battle of Anxiety vs. Trust. This book resumes a year after book one concluded, with Cameron having defeated the Demon Lord Malphas, thus saving New Orleans.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Our protagonist, Cameron Poole, has recently discovered that he possesses magic, which enables him to fight against the shadow-wraiths that have come to Earth. This time, one of Cameron’s friends has been abducted by them, which forces him to stand up to the anxiety that often overtakes him in order to save his friend.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cameron, along with his friends Elisa, Karl, Leonard, and Bobby, embark on a mission to close the Void so the Demon Lord Malphas can never escape while also rescuing their friends who have been taken by the demon along the way. What is especially significant is that this story is not simply a battle of good versus evil. Cameron also has to fight his what-ifs and automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) during the battle. What is even more noteworthy is that the monsters that Cameron and his friends are fighting know about his anxiety, and use this to their advantage as they are able to get inside his head and produce this negative self-talk. Essentially, Cameron has to fight two kinds of monsters in this story—physical ones and psychological ones.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cheverton has crafted a thrilling story of fantasy complete with monsters, battles, and magic, yet, he keeps his tale relatable to young readers by developing a protagonist with real characteristics: a middle schooler who struggles with anxiety and confidence. When writing a fantasy novel, it is easy to focus solely on the imaginary aspect of the story and allow that to overtake the narrative itself. However, Cheverton expertly walks this fine line, perfectly balancing the fantasy and made-up portions of the story while still developing real, relatable characters that readers will come to know, love, and root for during the course of the narrative.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cheverton’s target audience is preteens, but this book could easily be enjoyed by adults as well. The focus on Cameron’s anxiety and how he copes could be utilized by a reader who might be struggling with something similar. Reading about a reluctant hero who overcomes anxiety and finds his confidence may be the motivation a struggling child needs to take a first step in his own life. Obviously, this should always be closely overseen by the child’s parents.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Quill says: With Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths: A Battle of Anxiety vs. Trust, Cheverton has continued the success of the first book in his Order of the Stones series. This book has something for everyone: suspense, fight scenes, monsters, friendship, overcoming obstacles, and the important life lesson of believing in yourself.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For more information on Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths: A Battle of Anxiety vs. Trust (The Order of the Stones Book 2), please visit the author's website at: </span><a class="x1fey0fg xmper1u x1edh9d7" href="https://markcheverton.com/"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">https://markcheverton.com</span></a></p>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-78191329227551457252024-02-22T12:27:00.001-05:002024-02-22T12:27:15.085-05:00#Bookreview of Belle and Chloe: Reflections in the Mirror<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZKux_nU1qfUmgZZsCofI4uP0UNYFvyqIS7nv_Ksur4YBNjA66s9C0lsf9VL7aH26JMMFrxRA17qWoUyKSYr3WVszYZvvFT7h_b7BfCW3G9A8uSK4-uqAi_TtWn0FeJWi-TNXcI79bBUZnwiqAQateZLgX7bmk-EPqwCXmuhB8zboyc4lHSnfBdtUfig/s1500/Belle%20and%20Chloe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZKux_nU1qfUmgZZsCofI4uP0UNYFvyqIS7nv_Ksur4YBNjA66s9C0lsf9VL7aH26JMMFrxRA17qWoUyKSYr3WVszYZvvFT7h_b7BfCW3G9A8uSK4-uqAi_TtWn0FeJWi-TNXcI79bBUZnwiqAQateZLgX7bmk-EPqwCXmuhB8zboyc4lHSnfBdtUfig/s320/Belle%20and%20Chloe.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br />Belle and Chloe: Reflections In The Mirror</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Isabela Sardas</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Archway Publishing</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: July 10, 2023</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 978-1665741545</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Reviewed by: Holly Connors</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 20, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/belleandchloebook?__cft__[0]=AZUwBxp5So7KB-Q1mg5mAFyZB_bLfdYrzCedQL4SpEQ6a9P-40ct3fYRwM0cN8Jgm3UV0QdU3C8S0oqrbC40XDhAqTiE-gK3fE7V0YX-vOJ3SgBTiDibgGgG-e28JbZc-gZmqM70806a3moWlgt6hR9y&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Belle And Chloe - Reflections In The Mirror</span></a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A story that teaches young readers how to deal with trauma and coping with all the resultant issues – the pain of recovery, lowered self-esteem, and relationships is waiting within the pages of Belle and Chloe: Reflections in the Mirror.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Belle and Chloe are twins and also best friends. They play together, go to school together, and even have matching dogs, Muffin and Waffles. Both girls also love helping their mother make dinner, and that’s where our story begins....</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">One night, while Belle was helping her mother cook dinner, she reached for the hot pot of soup that was on the stove. The stove tipped forward, and the hot soup spilled all over Belle. The heat from the hot soup caused Belle to cry out in pain. Her mother acted swiftly, calling 911 and wrapping her daughter in a sheet. Belle was rushed to the hospital, where she was assessed and found to have third-degree burns over the upper parts of her body. Belle’s parents were told that their daughter would need to stay at the hospital for a few months and would also need numerous surgeries.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Eventually, Belle was able to come home from the hospital. She had gone through countless painful treatments, but the transition back to home life wasn’t easy. Belle needed lots of help from her mother, which made Chloe feel forgotten; Belle was afraid to be alone, she didn't want to go to the bathroom by herself, and she was even hesitant to leave her room; and then there were the nightmares...would they ever stop?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The author of Belle and Chloe: Reflections in the Mirror, Dr. Isabela Sardas, is a licensed clinical psychologist with many years of experience treating psychiatric disorders in youngsters. Her expertise shines through on the pages of this story where the reader sees Belle struggle with the various issues she must deal with - not just as her painful burns are treated, but also after she has returned home. Beyond the pain of the burns, Belle doesn’t want to look at her burns when the bandages are removed, and later, she’s convinced that her scars make her different. These are all real issues that both children and their parents may struggle with and they are discussed in a sensitive way so that readers will better understand what they may face. Through the author's expertise in presenting a relatable story, children who may be struggling with issues surrounding trauma will see themselves in the struggles of Belle and understand that they are not alone. In the story, Belle and her family go to a therapist and through their experience, we can see that it's not a scary thing but rather a very helpful activity to help begin the process of healing. These and so many other things are discussed in Belle and Chloe: Reflections in the Mirror, and it's definitely a book you should consider if a child you know is dealing with similar issues.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: Belle and Chloe: Reflections in the Mirror is a sensitive, caring story to help both children and their caregivers work through the many challenges that come with trauma. It is an excellent book to read together and is highly recommended to help children work through the many issues they face after a serious injury.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Belle and Chloe: Reflections In The Mirror, please visit the book's Facebook page at: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/belleandchloebook?__cft__[0]=AZUwBxp5So7KB-Q1mg5mAFyZB_bLfdYrzCedQL4SpEQ6a9P-40ct3fYRwM0cN8Jgm3UV0QdU3C8S0oqrbC40XDhAqTiE-gK3fE7V0YX-vOJ3SgBTiDibgGgG-e28JbZc-gZmqM70806a3moWlgt6hR9y&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">https://www.facebook.com/belleandchloebook/</span></a></span></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-2148002061386658402024-02-16T15:17:00.005-05:002024-02-16T15:17:35.920-05:00#Bookreview of The Things I Love by Christina M. Carroll<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieByqrbsQjLCixwSBik44jFh6HdniYDNm8kfDvUgttIG4kuuaNVsIGyTtq2bvxtlA1lxAvMeqxG6y7dhRknQuT6oQY2eueN74B-SC5lhsYdOwAfsZqBXTjB3YN-wsGKh3w_3MSIu31o4ROXcc2K-k0fkd0q-I_EsePgFsUUo74B3s7-zpQp3xeFBWSCtI/s1062/The%20Things%20I%20Love.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieByqrbsQjLCixwSBik44jFh6HdniYDNm8kfDvUgttIG4kuuaNVsIGyTtq2bvxtlA1lxAvMeqxG6y7dhRknQuT6oQY2eueN74B-SC5lhsYdOwAfsZqBXTjB3YN-wsGKh3w_3MSIu31o4ROXcc2K-k0fkd0q-I_EsePgFsUUo74B3s7-zpQp3xeFBWSCtI/s320/The%20Things%20I%20Love.png" width="316" /></a></div>The Things I Love</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Christina M. Carroll</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Illustrated by: Jenny Slife</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: The Orange Chair, LLC</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: June 1, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>ISBN: 979-8889740001</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Holly Connors</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 15, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/orangechairbook?__cft__[0]=AZXjCjGXwwX7ws6UYIiQkoAGC6ljPfirQWvlb0uIgSy4a_R8K2RyjfSoLtQxbXCPhZgYg3xCsfjYeK0Zvcn_rYz9fD5d5zSlSSqL_49IYh2olE1y8VPrXv5vrctNV2EEiCMZW4OEFQFggMJoTmLV4Xg1&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">The Orange Chair</span></a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The love between parent and child is at the heart of The Things I Love, and I guarantee you will love reading this book to your child.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The story opens with a delightful picture of a mother and her son. The young boy is sitting up in bed, with a favorite book in his lap, while his mom lovingly shares the book with him. It’s quite apparent that both are absolutely enjoying the moment. The only text on the page appears at the bottom and is just two simple words, “At 10...” Turn the page and...</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">On the next page, we learn what the young boy liked to do when he was ten:</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I loved experiments,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">to play defense,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">and camp in tents.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At the bottom of the page, we again have two simple words. This time, we’re told, “At 9The Things I Love</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Christina M. Carroll</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Illustrated by: Jenny Slife</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: The Orange Chair, LLC</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: June 1, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">ISBN: 979-8889740001</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Holly Connors</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: February 15, 2024</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The love between parent and child is at the heart of The Things I Love, and I guarantee you will love reading this book to your child.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The story opens with a delightful picture of a mother and her son. The young boy is sitting up in bed, with a favorite book in his lap, while his mom lovingly shares the book with him. It’s quite apparent that both are absolutely enjoying the moment. The only text on the page appears at the bottom and is just two simple words, “At 10...” Turn the page and...</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">On the next page, we learn what the young boy liked to do when he was ten:</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I loved experiments,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">to play defense,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">and camp in tents.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At the bottom of the page, we again have two simple words. This time, we’re told, “At 9...” And so the story continues, with a countdown of each year, going backward from 10 to 1 of what the young protagonist likes to do. We see him camping, playing basketball, making a cake with his grandmother, and even digging for bugs. A delightful surprise awaits on the last page of what the young protagonist loves most. And it’s something that I guarantee will make the reader, both young and old, really appreciate as they nod in agreement.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The Things I Love is a simple book with limited text that makes it perfect as a bedtime story for very young children. We never learn the protagonist’s name, which works well for this story because his name isn’t important; it’s the love he shares with his mother and the adventures he shares with the reader that are the focus of the book. The artwork is delightful, detailed, and playful, and it’s clear that the author worked closely with the illustrator to bring to life a vision of a happy childhood full of love. The Things I Love is a fantastic debut book for author Christina M. Carroll and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for future books.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: The Things I Love is such a sweet book, one that will make you smile on every page and one you’ll want to read snuggled up with your child at bedtime, each and every night. ” And so the story continues, with a countdown of each year, going backward from 10 to 1 of what the young protagonist likes to do. We see him camping, playing basketball, making a cake with his grandmother, and even digging for bugs. A delightful surprise awaits on the last page of what the young protagonist loves most. And it’s something that I guarantee will make the reader, both young and old, really appreciate as they nod in agreement.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The Things I Love is a simple book with limited text that makes it perfect as a bedtime story for very young children. We never learn the protagonist’s name, which works well for this story because his name isn’t important; it’s the love he shares with his mother and the adventures he shares with the reader that are the focus of the book. The artwork is delightful, detailed, and playful, and it’s clear that the author worked closely with the illustrator to bring to life a vision of a happy childhood full of love. The Things I Love is a fantastic debut book for author Christina M. Carroll and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for future books.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Quill says: The Things I Love is such a sweet book, one that will make you smile on every page and one you’ll want to read snuggled up with your child at bedtime, each and every night.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on The Things I Love, please visit the author's website at : <a href="https://theorangechair.com/">https://theorangechair.com/</a></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-37816787370474272092024-02-15T15:27:00.005-05:002024-02-15T15:27:54.635-05:00#AuthorInterview with Cynthia J. Bogard, author of Beach of the Dead<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8KruOaHRX-HFjsF30cXS7Fe4R8NkTvMPjECUjlyIan6Cs1wmBmJwz-BgdWPg-2MdNRxBIfNKYthN0C7yNmTTN61Bx5MoQDKa3skmcEG3FVoRxjpO6XHNUqmvOsgIyGj-5oUHkWNhFL7g-xVtNpP2ag8EW9qTXtOE2OU9r4JPCRrp-w8MRW3jP8HZUwM/s612/Beach-of-the-Dead-Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="396" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8KruOaHRX-HFjsF30cXS7Fe4R8NkTvMPjECUjlyIan6Cs1wmBmJwz-BgdWPg-2MdNRxBIfNKYthN0C7yNmTTN61Bx5MoQDKa3skmcEG3FVoRxjpO6XHNUqmvOsgIyGj-5oUHkWNhFL7g-xVtNpP2ag8EW9qTXtOE2OU9r4JPCRrp-w8MRW3jP8HZUwM/w264-h408/Beach-of-the-Dead-Cover.png" width="264" /></a></div><br />Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diane Lunsford is talking with Cynthia J. Bogard, author of Beach of the Dead (The Heartland Trilogy, Book Two).</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: What a treat it was to read your second book in the Heartland Trilogy, Beach of the Dead. I would like to start with where the story was set: Zipolite, Mexico. Why was Zipolite, Mexico the place for Ana (formerly ‘Jane Meyer’) to escape to?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I chose Zipolite because I wanted a place that was <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>stripped down to the essentials, close to nature, a simple, open society, so that the novel could focus on Jane/Ana’s inner life and struggles. For Jane, Zipolite was more of a desperate choice – she simply set out for the only obscure place in Mexico she’d heard about from a trusted source (her professor, Maddie).</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: In line with my previous question, you write so vividly of this paradise in Mexico, it makes me wonder if you have personally spent time there. Have you, and if so, what is your most memorable experience while there? If not, is it on your bucket list of places to visit?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: Yes, I spent the winter season there many years ago, when it truly was a simple stick hut village with no running water or electricity. Zipolite back then did have all the wonderful natural amenities that Ana experiences — and, sadly, the daily sea turtle truck. One unforgettable moment of my time there was recreated as the scene where Ana first encounters the pool and waterfall. I was a novice traveler that season and living in Zipolite was my first close encounter with a culture not my own. That winter started a passion for travel that’s never left me.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: There are two distinct considerations in your story line: the acceptance toward gay or lesbian and the ‘paving’ of raw beauty with ‘progress.’ If you were given a platform to address a community on what acceptance means, what would be your mission statement to encourage attendance? Similar question toward ‘progress’ - what would your mission statement be that would strike a balance in how progress can have a positive impact to a community?</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Author Cynthia Bogard</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: Our human community is enriched by embracing, not merely tolerating, or accepting, a wide array of individuals. I personally witnessed this as the university I worked for greatly increased its diversity (race, sexual orientation, ability status, ethnicity, religion) during my quarter century there. Our classroom discussions were enhanced, there were more creative ideas generated in departments ranging from medicine to drama, student friendship groups and organizations became more diverse, as students sought out people different from themselves for friends and colleagues. Eventually, students told us they were interested in coming to our university because its diversity represented the society at large better than many others and therefore prepared them for “real life” better than a more insular community. I learned so much from students who came from perspectives different from mine, and it was so much fun hearing about their experiences and backgrounds. We are an incredibly diverse species and the more we embrace that about ourselves, the more creatively we can live on our planet. In Beach of the Dead, the life of the community was much enhanced by listening to Thorpe’s wisdom about how to organize themselves more equitably and by her poker skills!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Progress is a slippery term – what might be progress for some can be profound loss and destruction for others. When a natural space becomes developed for human use, habitat, and lives of the creatures who had inhabited that space are destroyed. But people get places to live and work. For too long, we humans have mostly privileged our own progress (or what seems in the moment like progress) over respect for and caring for the natural world. That’s coming back to haunt us now in the form of climate chaos. We didn’t consider the impact of our use of fossil fuels on our planet’s atmosphere and climate. At first, that was because of ignorance; now, it is because almost all of the human world is addicted to fossil fuels and it’s hard to give it up. In Beach of the Dead, José thought his job killing sea turtles was progress — and, indeed, compared to working in the smelly factory or being in prison, it was, for him. But when he enlarged his perspective, he came to see that killing sea turtles took an unsustainable toll, on the turtles of course, but also on him as a moral being. The questions José asked himself are those we all should ask when confronted with decisions about “progress.” Are we thinking about the big picture? The future? What will be lost? Do we compromise ourselves morally by engaging in this type of progress? There are no easy answers to these questions.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Back to your credentials for a moment...Having been a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies, you referenced in your first interview how characters Jenny and Jane were developed as a result of: "...friends you knew in college and their childhood experiences..." You were incredibly respectful in your response, and I have to ask if you are still in touch with them both today?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: Sadly, I’m not sure what happened to either of them. I had my own struggles during the time I knew them and then I left the US and lived abroad for a number of years. When I returned, I moved to another part of the country. One of them I did have contact with years later and learned that she had become highly successful in her field (the Jenny character). The other woman changed her name to something very common (it was part of her healing process) and disappeared from my life. I am indebted to both of them for their friendship and for modeling the courage to continue after experiencing trauma.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: In line with my previous question, are there 'real' people who were the inspirations for the fictional characters in Beach of the Dead and if so, what in the story resonated with them?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: I have been privileged to know some excellent people in my life, people who have inspired me, who demonstrated the type of moral courage I tried to portray in Beach of the Dead. But most of those in this book are part of my younger life and probably will never know how they influenced the development of my characters. But they have shaped me, and I hope I’m honoring them by representing them in fiction.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: I enjoyed the homage you played to how precious the ecosystem is and the turtle refuge outside of Zipolite, where Ana finds work. How close is this to real work and studies being done in the region today?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: When I looked up modern-day Zipolite on a map, I saw that in neighboring Mazunte there is now the National Mexican Turtle Center, a small museum to make tourists and others aware of the work needed to protect sea turtles. It was a welcome discovery for me — as I sadly witnessed the sea turtle slaughter of decades ago. I thought linking this actual transformation to what José experiences was a way to exemplify the reshaping that some of us have done in our attitudes towards nature — from exploiter to protector. Nathan Nelson followed the old model of progress, “improving” nature to make it “civilized.” These contrasting attitudes remain a huge source of tension. Ironic, but typical, the only way José could pursue his vision of turtle saving was to work for Nelson.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: Toward the end of the story, there is a bittersweet ‘tying up of loose ends’ that you captured beautifully: "...When we drew closer, I saw that the huge yellow machines used to build roads had arrived in Zipolite. Nothing much had happened there yet, but the implications for the future were clear. There would someday be a road that reached from Puerto Escondido through Mazunte, through Zipolite, to Puerto Angel. This spot of paradise that had protected and nurtured me would be forever changed..." How does this relate to something you have personally experienced in terms of what was once ‘paradise’ is lost forever now?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: Change happens. Our childhood homes burn or become homeless shelters (both happened to me). Our treasured streams and fields become culverts and suburbs (also part of my history). We leave old selves behind, too. Thorpe’s attitude on this mirrors mine. “Nature does change things up unexpectedly and life must adapt. And does.” (p. 261) My current hometown, Montpelier, Vermont, recently experienced a devasting flood — the entire downtown business district was wiped out. While it is so very sad, our only choice now is to adapt and go forward. The past can only live on in our memories. The past cannot be restored because the very nature of reality is that it evolves, changes. We must fight to preserve what is worth saving in its pristine state, such as our national parks. But when nature (now assisted by our insistence on using fossil fuels) is experienced as floods, fires, tsunamis, tornadoes, and hurricanes, we humans have no choice but to adapt. Hopefully, we will relearn (as many ancient peoples knew) to work with the natural world instead of thinking we can conquer it.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: You didn’t touch too much on the character Thorpe’s work, but it was clear she is a research scientist of some sort. You alluded to her studies in the Rain Forest and something she had discovered that could be tied to the pharmaceutical industry. Is this a seed that has been planted and something we can anticipate being further developed in book three of this series? A miraculous (and potential cure) to some egregious disease?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: I’m glad you noticed that! Most definitely, Thorpe’s discovery will be a feature of a subsequent book.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">FQ: I want to thank you for your time today and once again express how very much I enjoyed reading Beach of the Dead. You have an innate gift for storytelling, and I cannot wait to settle into book three. When can we expect it (and are you able to shine a light on what we can expect)?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">BOGARD: I’m about a third of the way into the next story featuring some of these characters. I’m still deciding whether there needs to be a sequel and a prequel to the stories I’ve already told, or if they are best combined into a dual timeline novel. Both parts of the new narrative, the part that takes place in the 60s and 70s and the story that grows out of the 1980s timeline from the first two books, explore how women are shaped by the larger social forces around them. Because I’ve studied social movements in my career as a sociologist, readers can expect to see some of these important shapers of lives and society show up in my next stories. As to when the next book might be released, I’m hoping for 2025.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Much appreciation for these great questions. They made me reflect on my craft and my life, and for that, I’m thankful to you.</div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120948856219192693.post-24658512825044283442024-02-15T15:21:00.001-05:002024-02-15T15:21:11.042-05:00#Bookreview of Beach of the Dead (The Heartland Trilogy, Book Two)<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVEARHOjzEHEbhwy4Nr8KcUNevaHY3CfPZrRDMkRRo3TsoA-2qZnqs7ijVxZi_CnlE0WpgcKk2FNS3l3E7eZaLhjpjVLEkjwD3rdncJ6aZGpJzenjpkHlb5OL409FWnjxg0AlG8I0NSxxsuh-4MlTAyfPYwWDzF638l9UKHaRv3qtyHSkdaUJ1PKyG0s/s612/Beach-of-the-Dead-Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="396" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVEARHOjzEHEbhwy4Nr8KcUNevaHY3CfPZrRDMkRRo3TsoA-2qZnqs7ijVxZi_CnlE0WpgcKk2FNS3l3E7eZaLhjpjVLEkjwD3rdncJ6aZGpJzenjpkHlb5OL409FWnjxg0AlG8I0NSxxsuh-4MlTAyfPYwWDzF638l9UKHaRv3qtyHSkdaUJ1PKyG0s/w275-h425/Beach-of-the-Dead-Cover.png" width="275" /></a></div><br />Beach of the Dead (The Heartland Trilogy, Book Two)</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By: Cynthia J. Bogard</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher: Atmosphere Press</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date: February 15, 2024</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>ISBN: 978-1-63988-980-8</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Review Date: August 14, 2023</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> Beach of the Dead, book two in The Heartland Trilogy, author Cynthia J. Bogard takes the reader on a journey south of the border to Zipolite, Mexico, which is the place to be to escape and reinvent oneself.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> Jane Meyer needs to get out of Pine Hill Station, Texas now. She is on the run because she stabbed and killed her lover/graduate school advisor, Jonathan Wharton the Fifth. She knows there is no chance of un-ringing the bell of murder, and the first thing to shed from her past is her name. On her bus ride south, she meets Alex (Alejandro). Coincidentally, he is (sort of) on the run as well. He is gay and caught between the unacceptability of being gay in Texas (where his lover lives) and returning to his home in Mexico to figure out how he can explain to his family that at 26 years of age, this handsome man has not found a wife to settle down with and live happily ever after. As the journey continues from El Paso, to Jaurez, Mexico, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Perto Angel, and eventually for ‘Ana’, Zipolite, the two concoct a plan that could be mutually beneficial for them both.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> Ana and Alejandro part ways in Oaxaca where Alejandro will reunite with his family, but not before extracting a promise from Ana. He will meet her in three weeks’ time in Zipolite at which time they will be married, and she will be the answer to present to his family to mask the reality (in his family’s eyes a sin) that he is gay. Ana continues south from Oxaca on a terrifying bus ride to Puerto Angel. From there, she must walk the next miles (approximately thirty minutes) that will take her to her end destination: Zipolite, Beach of the Dead. Ana (formerly Jane) was a history major and was intrigued to learn how this mysterious Zipolite was referred to as the Beach of the Dead. Fronting the Pacific Ocean, a serious and terrifying undercurrent and undertow existed where people could get trapped in its torrent, dragged to sea and never be seen again. Swimming on this beach wasn’t a consideration. On guard upon her initial arrival to this utopian paradise, it doesn’t take long for ‘Ana’ to let her guard down and learn to blend in with the latent hippie community on the cliffside overlooking the Pacific. It is when an early season hurricane touches down on her paradise, that the lies Ana carefully crafted begin to unravel and it’s just a matter of time before she must set her truth free.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> In this second book of Ms. Bogard’s trilogy, she continues with a sound voice. Her storytelling ability is nuanced throughout with a strong tone of acceptance and ‘fitting in’ and she does an excellent job of assigning the voice to her main character Ana (formerly, Jane Meyer). She insists the premise of being gay or lesbian is not ‘abnormal.’ Rather, she artfully crafts scenes that portray perhaps there are still archaic thoughts toward being gay or lesbian and attempts to lay it out in more of a light of relationships should come from a place of love first no matter the union. I applaud her for writing the story in a frame of mind that doesn’t force feed the notion of gay and lesbianism. Rather, she uses characters to plead their stance; Thorpe, for example, is a lesbian and is comfortable with her preferences as much as Alejandro is with his affinity for men. Bogard captures the beauty of this magical place in Mexico with descriptive scenery that transports the reader to the moment and place in time: "...Eventually, the road straightened out to hills rather than mountains. The jungle gave way to farmland. We rounded a corner, and there it was, the sapphire Pacific. I had never seen an ocean before. Somehow the vastness of the horizon, so limitless, so unfathomable, scared me to the depths of my being..." (pg. 28). Having read the first book in the series, A History of Silence, I applaud the author once again for delivering a fantastic continuation of the story in book two.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> Quill Says: Beach of the Dead is a great experience to take pause and think about acceptance, what matters most in life, and how much the truth really can set one free.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> For more information on Beach of the Dead (The Heartland Trilogy, Book Two), please visit the author's website at: https://www.cynthiajbogard.com/</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div>FeatheredQuillBookReviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438963484248180656noreply@blogger.com0