#BookReview - Boo!

Boo! A Chilling Tale of Too-Too #MeToo

By: Simon Plaster
Publisher: Mossik Press
Publication Date: September 7, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9994-1851-2
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: October 25, 2018 

Let us begin with the fact that if you’re a fan of Halloween, this is one cover you are absolutely going to love. And that’s only the half of it, considering the story is fun, suspenseful, and stars a cast that many readers have already had the good fortune to meet and fall in love with. 

Her name is Henrietta. She’s a journalist who works for the OKC SCENE News Group, but one day wishes with all her heart to win a Pulitzer for far more serious stories. Alas, for now, she’s stuck reporting on the Oklahoma nightlife ‘scene’ that is most definitely not serious enough to get her recognized...yet.

This time around, we catch up with Henrietta at work, staring at a copy of her resume on the computer screen. Why is she ready to give up? Well, it seems that her new boss, Nigel Fleetwood, has turned into something she didn’t quite expect when he’d first introduced himself. (Or, as Henrietta says, “hisself.” You gotta love that accent!) Anyway, Nigel certainly seemed to know the newspaper business and, upon taking over, did announce that he was doing away with the zone editions that just focused on local nightlife. Instead, he wanted to print a single city-wide paper called SCENE that would also cover real news from around the world. 

Unfortunately, after appointing Henrietta Assistant Editor, this weekly paper was revealed as being something even worse than a tabloid. Nigel likes to “borrow” from other papers when it comes to stories for SCENE, and the stories he borrows are amazingly tacky. (Example: Launching SCENE with a post-Christmas edition, the borrowed headline read, “Get the Tart Who Used My Flu for a Loo!”) Henrietta is tired of all this and even more upset when Nigel shows her a recent ridiculous story regarding a haunting in HRH’s palace in London. He tells Henrietta to find a local story that would somehow fit the same premise of ghosts and sexual harassment taking place in a haunted palace.

We then meet up with Wynona Sue Lehough, Henrietta’s mother, who has had a slew of interesting marriages and divorces, to say the least. She’s had to deal with everything from cheating to sexual harassment, and is currently laying on a couch and speaking to her head doctor, Gloria Stern, about her latest issue. Turns out that a producer/director by the name of Deano DeBoffo came into her small town two years ago, having chosen Wynona’s salon, Hair House, to be the setting for the pilot of a reality TV series he was shooting. He had lied and broken her heart back then, and the situation had even caused her own “hotshot journalist” daughter to turn against her. Not only that, but the F.B.I. even arrested the man for murdering an actress with a poisoned spicy meatball at an Academy Award banquet.

Let us just say (not wanting to give too much away) that Deano DeBoffo is scheduled to return. However, even though his visit is on the down-low, there is a ton of gossip and anger as memories and information regarding his sexual harassment attacks rise to the surface. This mogul, nicknamed the “Weinkenstein monster,” will find himself linked up with The Haunted Castle – a run-down dinner theater with an infamous history and a ghostly vibe. (Sounds just like the “local slant” Henrietta was told to look for, doesn’t it?)

Victims of the Weinkenstein monster’s harassment, along with a psychic who will be utilized to call a ghost from the “other side” in order to testify on behalf of the accused, and many more, will all play a part in figuring out if Deano DeBoffo is truly a guilty fiend or an actual victim of a cold-hearted liar who aims to destroy him. 

With Henrietta covering the event at The Haunted Castle, it is amazing what unfolds as this author does, yet again, another outstanding job of telling a great mystery. He should also be commended for covering such a hot topic in today’s world as he introduces great characters and a fast-moving plot, while keeping the fantastic Henrietta at its core. 

Quill says: This is one series that no reader who loves sarcasm and suspense should miss!

#BookReview - The Tiny Tree

The Tiny Tree

By: Norman Whaler
Illustrated by: Hrytskova Polina
Publisher: Beneath Another Sky Books
Publication Date: December 2017
ISBN: 978-1948131117
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: October 2018

A tiny, scraggly cypress tree finds herself surrounded by big, strong trees that make fun of her in Norman Whaler's The Tiny Tree. Will the little tree ever find acceptance?

On a lovely sunny day, a forest ranger walked into the woods with a watering can and a tiny cypress sapling. He found a perfect spot to plan the little tree, in a place near many big, beautiful trees. The forest ranger planted the tree, watered it, and then left to do other chores – it was now up to the cypress tree to grow big and strong. Unfortunately, the other tress had never seen a cypress tree and made fun of the little twig. 

Now, this young twig was different from the others.
She didn’t look like her tree sisters or tree brothers.
They all had beautiful and colourful leaves.
She instead had needles and big knobby knees.

The other trees told the little, scraggly cypress tree to leave their forest because she wasn’t like them. 

This made the tiny tree feel very, very sad,
For to be different must be very, very bad.

Time went by and the cypress tree grew big and strong, but still the other trees would not speak to her. Then one day, a terrible storm blew through the forest. The winds were so powerful that the big, strong trees were worried they’d be blown over. But the cypress tree had roots that went much deeper into the ground. She could withstand the strong winds – would she help the other trees survive the storm?

The Tiny Tree is a story that tackles the topics of being different and bullying in a story that children will easily understand. Without getting preachy, the author has written a story in a gentle rhyme that delivers a fun tale that also provides an important anti-bullying message. Young readers will see how the big trees’ bullying makes the little cypress tree feel, and realize it isn’t a nice thing to do. They’ll also see how being different can be a wonderful thing when everybody works together. The pictures are simple and bright, with all the trees sporting great expressions that easily show children what each is thinking. If you’re looking for a book for either the classroom or the home bookshelf that will teach children about bullying and how to handle feeling different from others, consider The Tiny Tree.

Quill says: A powerful lesson on fighting racism and bullying, that delivers its lesson wrapped in a lovely story of a little cypress tree.

For more information on The Tiny Tree, please visit the author's website at: www.normanwhaler.com.

#BookReveiw - Am I Black or Am I White?

Am I Black or Am I White?

By: Norman Whaler
Illustrated by: Jasmine Mills
Publisher: Beneath Another Sky Books
Publication Date: March 2018
ISBN: 978-1948131087
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: October 2018

Tara is a beautiful young girl with a problem – she is the product of a biracial marriage and gets teased by both white and black children. What can she do?

Most of the children at Tara’s school were nice to her but it seemed that there was always somebody who wanted to tease her. “Are you Black or are you White?” they’d ask her as they laughed. Children can be so cruel to each other!

Most Black kids didn’t make a fuss.
And most White kids said, “Come, sit with us!”
But, some didn’t like her from the start,
That she was too light or she was too dark.

The teasing hurt Tara and she often found herself in fights at school with those who went out of their way to pick on the young girl. Those cruel children also mocked Tara's parents for marrying and expected her to pick one over the other. But how could she choose? She loved both her parents and the mix of cultures they gifted her with. Tara felt lost and cried to her mother. She needed her parents' help to decide “Am I Black or am I White?” Would Tara ever be able to find her place in the World?

Am I Black or Am I White? touches on a sensitive subject that is often overlooked – how the children of biracial marriages cope with the teasing they often receive from schoolmates. The book opens with a page honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., and is dedicated to Dr. Alveda King. There is also a page of Biblical quotes related to the story and a strong Christian message of love and acceptance throughout the tale. The book has a beautiful message of love and “...to be brave against the lies of hate.” Readers also learn that “Everyone should be proud of who they are, whether born here or come from afar.” It is nice to see a children's book tackling this difficult subject in a sensitive way and youngsters who have experienced hate will find comfort in this book.

Quill says: Am I Black or Am I White? bravely takes on a tough subject with love and understanding, helping to teach children how to deal with the teasing that biracial children frequently encounter.

For more information on Am I Black or Am I White?, please visit the author's website at: www.normanwhaler.com.

#BookReview - Going to Wings @seworsham1

Going to Wings

By: Sandra Worsham
Publisher: Third Lung Press
Publication Date: August 2017
ISBN: 9781548828106
Reviewed by: Anita Lock
Date: October 22, 2018

Sandra Worsham bares her soul in her moving memoir Going to Wings.

Worsham opens her debut in 1975, the year she earmarks “The Telling” when she reveals to her mother the extramarital affair she had in 1969 with not a man, but a woman—Ellen, a fellow teacher. The result is devastating. Her mother’s rejection compels her to cut off her relationship with Ellen and find a way to “fit in” regardless of her unrelenting attraction to females. Guilt-ridden, she determines to please her mother. Making her marriage work is her first order of business, but fitting into her wifely duties is easier said than done.

Two years after her stint with Ellen, Worsham meets Mary-Louise, a flamboyant church organist who is a woman twice her age. A Pygmalion relationship ensues. Worsham is a willing participant, committed to taking on a new identity via this teacher-student connection until rumors arise about her close ties to the worldly woman. More identify changes occur with Teeny, another fellow teacher, in 1975. Although their platonic relationship lasts for thirty years (2005), the last ten years are filled with unresolved conflict after the death of her mother (1995). With life appearing gloomier than ever, the last thing she expects—and in the most unexpected of circumstances—is true love.

Worsham covers a near fifty-year span of time in her page-turning memoir. Delicately covering the nuances of a heavily-laced patriarchal society in the heart of the Bible Belt, Worsham candidly lays out her past, voluntarily airing out her dirty laundry. What she spells out in her presentation is embarrassing, to be sure, but at the same time, not uncommon to anyone in the LGBTQ community who has struggled with issues of right and wrong, good and evil, and overcoming fear in various forms in the fight for truth and identity.

A captivating raconteur, Worsham fast forwards slightly before taking readers through a chronological journey riddled with pain and the hope for a better tomorrow. Her writing style is frank but not crass. Sections dealing with sex are straightforward but not explicit. Her human-interest stories flow—at least to this reviewer—like a Harper Lee novel.

Divided into four sections, Going to Wings provides readers with so much more than personal identity as Worsham explores spirituality and realities that come with losing loved ones.

Quill says: Going to Wings is a powerful must-read and a delightfully welcomed addition to the LQBTQ literary collection.

For more information on Going to Wings, please visit the author's website at: www.sworsham.com.

#AuthorInterview with Amiee Cabo Nikolov @godisthecure1

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diane Lunsford is talking with Aimee Cabo Nikolov, author of
Love is the Answer, God is the Cure.

FQ: I’ve often used the catch phrase: ‘You just can’t make this stuff up.’ I lost count of the number of times I reflected on this notion while reading Love is the Answer, God is the Cure.  When did you have your ‘moment’ and make the decision to write your memoir?

NIKOLOV: When I was 15 years old, being already through so much that a nurse at the psychiatric ward I was placed on told me I should write a book, I knew all these years I should write my book but it wasn’t until I played a video rosary through Facebook every day that I got the idea I should write it now, but it wasn’t until much later in time when I was 43 years old. And indeed a lot of different things have happened to me, I don’t even believe it now how I kept going.

FQ: I have a great love for both reading and writing. I find the art of writing to be extremely cathartic at times. Were there moments when you experienced the euphoria of healing when penning your memoir?

NIKOLOV: Yes, I felt proud of myself as U was able to let go as writing was really therapeutic for me. There were moments that were difficult to revisit as I had set aside memories for along time but even more rewarding as I revisited triumphant moments and graces received that changed my life.

FQ: In line with question 2 above, were there moments when you had doubts you would ever publish your story given the gravity of what you experienced?

NIKOLOV: Yes, there were moments I was not sure I can finish the book as I am a very private person, only my husband new all the details of my life and my past. I knew that publishing meant exposing all my secrets to the public, though I believed that truth would set me free. And writing it turned these shameful secretes of mine into vehicle of helping others.

FQ: I am not familiar with the national notoriety your mother and step-father had when the abuse was exposed. I am horrified at what appears to have been a justice system rife with corruption toward what appeared to be the burden of proof to be the responsibility of the victim (you). How did you persevere during those dark times?

NIKOLOV: The police and the media were fooled by my parents. Though it gave me solace that both judges believed me and my stepfather was found guilty of sexually abusing me. What was most hurtful was that my mother chose not to believe me the second time around. I was so busy trying to survive it’s difficult to even have time to think about it, and there is nothing else to do but to move forward. I know that  a man is considered innocent until proven guilty but I had proof which kept the kids away from the parents for 5 years and suspended my fathers license but my stepfather never got help and never went to jail and eventually the system would cave in and return the kids.  I had tape-recorded my stepfather confessing before the caser ended. Which brings to light the significance of the media and false representations there, which kept pressure on the judicial system to eventually return the five youngest kids.

FQ: What are some of your fondest memories of your early childhood in the Dominican Republic? Have you been back as an adult? 

NIKOLOV: My fondest memories are happy times for example riding in a open jeep through festivities and throwing flour at the police singing a chant like the locals would do or any family trips we would have. I only returned to the Dominican Republic the time I meant my husband. Another happy memory is my mother singing to me when I was really young, when she was nice, before she started beating me.

FQ: Your faith is admirable. I am a true believer in not only the strength and power of prayer, but also the notion of the ‘signs’ all around us. I was touched by the inspiration behind your cover design. Was that something that came to you while writing your memoir? You say you were able to ‘...capture that image before the hurricane came...’ Which hurricane? Was the tree lost to the ‘hurricane’?

NIKOLOV: I saw the virgin Mary and son after looking at that area of my tree while praying many times the rosary video from Facebook, which I did daily. That portion of my hundred years old tree was destroyed when it stopped a tornado from devastating our house at the time that Miami was hit by hurricane Irma. Thankfully I had taken a picture before that happened.

FQ: Having been misdiagnosed with bi-polar disease at one point during your counseling journey, how difficult was it to find a counselor you could trust thereafter?

NIKOLOV: I haven’t sought counseling other than reading spiritual posts in Facebook and random signs that I get all the time. That’s what I find therapeutic, other than that my friends are therapeutic too, so I take one day at a time and except whatever comes my way as I come to realize that there are circumstances in life of which one has no control, but we can always control how we react to it.

FQ: I cannot express enough how much courage you portrayed in penning your memoir. I am appalled (and quite disgusted, frankly) at the ignorance and abuse your daughter Danielle’s father (and his wife) bestowed on you for years. I’m curious, does Danielle have any sort of a relationship with either of them today? If so, how is that working out?

NIKOLOV: Danielle has been happily leaving with us for 3 years now and barely has a relationship with her father. It can be sad at times how she struggles for his attention but gets disappointed often. This is not unusual, this has been her story most of her life, her father main objective was to punish me. I left Danielle’s father to leave the abuse but he was able to use the judicial system to continue abusing us both for many years, which took a tall on us both. For someone who truly believes in justice ii is very frustrating how it is possible for somebody to make somebody’s life miserable using the legal system so long as he has money to pay for it. I hope that with my book I can create awareness because something needs to change.

FQ: It’s hard to get my head around the inhumane treatment you endured in your own home growing up. Do you work with advocacy groups against such abuse today? If so, beyond faith, what are some of the words of encouragement you would have for such innocent victims?

NIKOLOV: Faith, hope, perseverance are the words that comes most to mind. Prayer has been the source of strength and my faith in God has been my piece of mind. Love like Jesus is the best advise I can give anyone and live like Jesus. God places special people in your life along the way, he opens doors while others close, he makes the impossible possible again. There are so many blessing in life if you only live with your eyes open instead of walking around with your eyes half closed. I started a radio talk show called “The Cure” locally in Miami for now at 880AM The Bizz, www.880TheBiz.com available online too, every Friday 2 to 3 pm EST, to create awareness and empower others.

FQ: It’s been a pleasure spending time with you today Ms. Nikolov. You are truly an inspiration and a brave human being. I’m hoping you are working on your next book. If so, are you able to share?

NIKOLOV: It was a pleasure answering your questions, Thank you so much for your interests and caring on such on a difficult subject matter. I am aware that it maybe difficult for some people to read, just as it was difficult for my sisters to have a relationship with me until I got married. But I pray that will help those who not only get strength from knowing that they are not alone but Have hope and believe in God’s unconditional love. I don’t consider myself a writer, I never taught writing is my thing, I simply found writing this book the only way to help others.

#BookReview - Love is the Answer, God is the Cure @godisthecure1

Love is the Answer, God is the Cure

By: Aimee Cabo Nikolov
Publisher: Inspirational Books Publishing
Publication Date: August 2018
ISBN: 978-0-692-15958-3
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: October 15, 2018

Aimee Cabo Nikolov’s memoir, Love is the Answer, God is the Cure, is a story of true grit, courage and impenetrable faith.

Aimee Cabo Nikolov chronicles her life experiences of tragedy, horror and despicable accounts; yet, throughout her memoir, she consistently weaves a sublime and solid insistence of faith and perseverance. Her story begins with memories of happy times as a young child who was born in Miami. A Cuban American, when she was just three years old, she and her three siblings moved to the Dominican Republic with their mother. Perhaps the reason wasn’t a happy one, but it’s what her mother chose to do because she left her husband and their father. While in medical school, the author's mother met three Cuban men. Their names were David, Antonio and Andres. Ms. Nikolov’s recollection of David: “…always nice to all of us, and we liked him… but my mother was not sure about David…” Nikolov didn’t have much to say about Antonio, but then there was Andres. While sitting around the table one evening, her mother presented the question to her children: “…Who should I marry? Andres or David? ...” Nikolov recounts how her siblings immediately pick David because he was ‘the fun one.’ Yet Nikolov felt sorry for Andres and was the only one to vote for him. 

As Nikolov’s memoir gains momentum, it is difficult to imagine there weren’t many times throughout the story that she reflected on that moment of championing her vote for Andres. There are countless instances of blatant and savage abuse—too many to address in a one-page review. Tantamount to Nikolov’s unwavering faith during years of sexual, mental and physical abuse is her analogy: "…a monstrous bull, sent by the devil, came charging at me. Behind me was a small, fragile wooden dog house. I knew the dog house could not stand up against this bull and instead, I decided to kneel in front of it because I knew that if I sought shelter within the house, it would just fall to pieces once the bull charged. I had a lot of faith and I remembered my mother saying, 'If you seek God, He will help you.' So, in my dream, I got down on my knees and asked God to save me. The bull, his nostrils fuming and his large, scary horns, was now coming at me with all his power. I knew my hideout would shatter but I did not give up hope and I prayed fervently. That’s when the bull stopped in front of me and lay down to go to sleep…”

Aimee Cabo Nikolov’s memoir is one of the most disturbing accounts I’ve read in many years. I am in absolute awe of this woman’s tenacious style in capturing the essence through words of how she faced her demons and recounts the horrors of a childhood that was unquestionably ripped from her by her parents. Through graphic and succinct prose, she plants her pen solidly from page to page and shares intimate details of wrongs with unfathomable depth and detail. In my opinion, we are a society drawn to memoirs of iconic Hollywood types or war criminals or psychopathic dregs of society. The fame tied to the subject draws the audience in. Rarely do we hear the story of one of, in my opinion, many innocent unknowns who have been robbed of their youth and left with the burden of physical and emotional scars they must carry the remainder of their lives. I thank Ms. Nikolov for her profound writing in telling her horrific truths. I also commend her for the bravery in doing so. She certainly exposed the monsters who surrounded (and continue to surround) her life through the power of her pen. Exceptional writing!

Quill says: Love is the Answer, God is the Cure is not only an apropos title, but it’s also a beacon of light to shine on how to overcome and cope with egregious tragedies bestowed upon a human life.

For more information on Love is the Answer, God is the Cure, please visit the author's website at: www.godisthecure.com

#AuthorInterview with Sandra Worsham @seworsham1

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with Sandra Worsham, author of Patterns: Stories.

FQ: How place-specific (Southern) did you envision these stories to be?

WORSHAM: I intended for these stories to take place in the Southern town of Milledgeville, Georgia, home of Flannery O’Connor and my hometown. It is a real town, of course, but in my mind it is also a fictional town which overlays the real one. Milledgeville was the antebellum capital of Georgia, and the history here is palpable. I grew up in a segregated society, and the first words I learned to read were “white” and “colored.” My life in Milledgeville is a story; no, many stories which I will write and write as long as I live.

FQ: Are there situations depicted that could only happen in the South?

WORSHAM: I believe that, while the characters and settings take place in the South and have a southern flavor, the situations and themes could happen anywhere. Death, loss, jealousy, envy, prejudice—these are not exclusive to the South.

FQ: Was there an intention to weave the same or similar characters into the different stories (example, Lauren)?

WORSHAM: Yes. I hope that these are connected stories, joined by the characters and the place. At the same time, writing one story doesn’t prepare you to write the next, for each story is a different journey, a different way of looking at the same character, the same place.

FQ: You write a lot about death; is this something that has touched you, as it seems, deeply and more than once?

WORSHAM: I believe that loss is the most difficult part of life. I have had many losses in my life, beginning with a favorite aunt when I was in the eighth grade. I remember wondering how one was supposed to act when “going over to the house.” Was I supposed to “look sad”? Children don’t know how to process death. Then the other losses followed, my father when I was a Freshman in college, my mother, my closest friend Teeny, other aunts, and finally, friends my own age. I’ve learned that no one death teaches you to handle the next, for they are all different. You may know that the death is coming, but the loss is always a surprise. Death is something I stare at with wonder and a sense of awe.

FQ: The shoe in the first story injects whimsy into an otherwise sad situation. Where did you get that idea?

WORSHAM: My friends and I actually did pass around the shoe at the time that our friend Carmen was dying with pancreatic cancer. That story is very autobiographical, what you might call a “found” story. I just strengthened the connection between the two.

FQ: You posit a group of female couples bonded like a family in Milledgeville. Is this a kind of camaraderie you have experienced?

WORSHAM: Yes, and we consider ourselves very lucky to have one another. We don’t believe that what we have exists everywhere. When I first “came out” at age sixty-three, I was welcomed into the group. Now my wife Letha and I are part of this group. We meet at a local restaurant every Tuesday, and there are usually 15-20 women there. When someone gets sick, everyone rallies round, giving support. I remember early in my time of being with this group, I thought, “This is like a Baptist Sunday School class!”

My memoir, Going to Wings, published in 2017, is the story of this group, as well as the real losses I have experienced in my life.

FQ: The illustrations are quite striking though non-representational; how did you choose the ”right” one for each story?

WORSHAM: When the publisher saw Letha’s drawings, he immediately wanted them included. I left it up to Letha to match the drawings with the stories, and I think she did fit them together well. Look closer.

FQ: Do you have plans to keep Milledgeville as a setting for future works, as other writers have done successfully (example, William Faulkner with Yoknapatawpha County)?

WORSHAM: Yes, I do, like Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. Milledgeville is the home of Flannery O’Connor, and I recognize her characters in mine. My head is filled with the fictional Milledgeville and its characters, some of them based on the real Milledgeville and its “characters.” Since I live here, I will never run out of stories.

#BookReview - Patterns: Stories @seworsham1

Patterns: Stories

By: Sandra Worsham
Publisher: Third Lung Press
Publication Date: June 2018
ISBN: 978-0692121481
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: October 10, 2018

Women are the focus of most of the stories in Sandra Worsham’s collection of quiet, astute observations of emotion in action, life resurgent as friends and family pass, ambitions crashed, hopes dashed and hopes rehashed.

The book gets immediate traction with the tale of “The Traveling Shoe,” in which a group of female couples try to evoke smiles as one of their number slowly fades from incurable disease. Her courage and her friends’ ability to make each other laugh give the tragedy a sweet side. In “The Washer’s Husband,” a nice guy named Henry is forced to endure his wife’s obsession with cleanliness that finally leads to her dumping out his small drawer full of cherished objects. When he asks her if she’s going to be washing every day of their life together, he reports, “Her face became a veil.” 

“The Second Mrs. Willis” is a young woman trapped in a loveless, moneyless, boring marriage to her out-of-work former English teacher, whose ennui is contrasted with the religious zeal of the heroine’s stepfather, a self-styled, annoyingly fanatical Preacher. A hairstylist argues with her sister over possession of a mother’s favorite, and only, boy doll, while privately mulling her recent, rather exciting discovery that she likes making love to girls. 

Worsham resides in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia, and has used this as the literal setting for about half of these offerings. Though some of the stories could take place in Anywhere, USA, others are redolent of the southern ambience. In “The Vacuum Cleaner,” the satisfying last long story of the aggregation, Worsham takes an up-close look at Southern culture in the multigenerational relationships among a mother, daughter, and maid, all of whom share admiration for a fancy Hoover. “Esther’s Real People” is a smile-evoking stream-of-consciousness rant written in delightfully southern cadence, from a woman who was sucked into a Mary Kay-type cosmetic sales career, until disillusionment seeped in and she’s back at her supermarket job. Some of the stories are wrapped around an impending death; others revisit the conflicts of a problematic childhood as they are revived in a confused or problem-laden adulthood. There is a sense of purposeful mystery in Worsham’s composition, as some characters seem to inhabit more than one scenario; and there are repeated phrases - notably the plaintive, relationship-baggage-laden query, “Is everything alright? Between us?”

All of Worsham’s stories open and close with complex pen and ink drawings created by her partner, illustrator Letha Hawkins. Worsham has garnered success with her short pieces, published in Chattahoochee Review and Carolina Quarterly among others, and an award-winning memoir, Going to Wings. She has a strong prose sense and the enviable ability to convert a mundane object like a vacuum cleaner, a doll or a shoe into a potent symbol. 

Quill says: This is intelligent, introspective storytelling with some wry and even hilarious moments, centered on real people and their real dreams and fantasies. 

For more information Patterns: Stories, please visit the author's website at: www.sworsham.com.

Feathered Quill #BookAwards

Feathered Quill Book Awards - Have you nominated your book yet? Awards sell books and having an award sticker on your book from a well-respected award program will help your book get noticed. 

"I consider your site to be one of the few where it is a challenge to gain an award. Many sites offer, sometimes, a hundred categories, which is a bit crowded in my opinion." - Michael Kasenow, Author of Something's Bound to Happen, 2017 Gold Winner in the Best Poetry Category

Don't wait! Get your book nominated today. Learn more and nominate at: 

https://featheredquill.com/feathered-quill-book-awards/

#BookReview - Riding Standing Up @sparrowauthor

Riding Standing Up: A Memoir

By: Sparrow Spaulding
Publisher: Cage Free Publishing
Publication Date: July 2018
ISBN: 978-1732451209
Reviewed by: Lynette Latzko
Review Date: October 7, 2018

By all accounts, Sparrow Spaulding had a wonderful early life filled with a loving and caring family. Unfortunately, it all came to a screeching halt at the tender age of three when she was kidnapped and taken from her mother for over a year. The after effects of this traumatic event followed her throughout her life. 

Author Sparrow Spaulding skillfully pens a raw, no-holds-barred account of her life after her return to her mother, who, despite being a beautiful woman, suffered from a mental illness that left her unable to truly meet the physical and emotional needs of any of her children, including Sparrow. A mother who was more concerned with her numerous husbands, cigarettes and prescription medications than with providing a clean, loving home. Meanwhile, her father, who suffered from his own quirky issues, divorced her mother, and moved onto a new life that included several moves over the years, and a new stepmother for Sparrow and her siblings. Visiting them every summer was also a mix of both negative and positive experiences, that eventually grew to being mostly positive, as Sparrow matured.

What this reader particularly found refreshing while reading Riding Standing Up, is that the author, despite being raised in an obviously dysfunctional family by less than stellar parents (she once compared her family to the Munsters, where she felt like Marilyn, the only normal one), still managed to pull herself up by her bootstraps and persevered. There is no wallowing in self-pity, and the author is not looking for sympathy when she recounts the often horrifying, yet sometimes a bit funny, events in her childhood.

Sparrow Spaulding’s writing is excellent and she is wonderfully adept at recounting the events in her life so vividly that you will feel like you’re experiencing all of her highs, lows, and even the “melty moments” as you follow along. A few readers may get lost somewhere in the middle of this memoir when the author describes the antics of her teenage years, riddled with boys and sex, but this should not dissuade anyone from diving into this memoir and experiencing every chapter. In fact, this book is for everyone, regardless of their own childhood. Even if you had a fairytale experience, you may learn something about someone else’s experiences that you will find inspiring in your current life. Those readers with their own imperfect upbringings will be comforted knowing that, despite living in chaos and drama, you’re not alone and you can successfully move past the hard times and come out, perhaps a bit banged up, but still stronger in the end. 

Quill says: Riding Standing Up is a gritty, coming-of-age memoir filled with bits of love and heartache, but most importantly perseverance.

For more information on Riding Standing Up, please visit the author's website at: www.sparrowspaulding.com

#BookReview - The Last Rhino

The Last Rhino

By: Deborah Stevenson
Illustrated by: Morgan Spicer
Publisher: Frog Prince Books
Publication Date: September 2018
ISBN: 978-1732541047
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: October 2018

Ayubu (pronounced ah-YOO-boo) is a baby rhino living on the African savanna. Under his mother's careful watch, he romps along the open grasslands and plays with friends at the local watering hole. Life is good for Ayubu, but that is all about to change...

While Ayubu plays in the water, it's not just his mother that keeps an eye on him, but also Imari, a cattle egret who removes the insects and ticks from the rhinos' backs. In exchange, the egret alerts the rhinos to danger that he can spot while flying high above the savannah. Ayubu notices that his mother and Imari are always on the lookout for danger, and he quickly learns that they fear not just lions and other carnivores, but also human poachers. 

One evening, while listening to a story about his father and sister (who had been lost to poachers), Ayubu is startled when a herd of springboks come flying by them. "Poachers," screams Imari and they are all instantly on their feet and running for the safety of the brush. A narrow escape from the humans teaches Ayubu to always be on guard but unfortunately, it isn't long before his mother falls victim to the humans' appetite for rhino horns.

The bulk of The Last Rhino follows Ayubu as he grows up without his mother by his side, and shares exploits with his new best friend Raziya, a baby elephant. They go on fun adventures, meet a pair of very goofy monkeys, and even stumble upon a pride of lions. Of course, the presence of poachers is always of concern, and as Ayubu matures, and his horn grows, the danger becomes more pressing. A final showdown, where Ayubu will risk everything to help his dear friend Raziya, brings the story to a final, satisfying ending, and will have children clutching the pages to see what happens...

The Last Rhino is an early-reader chapter book that quickly engages the reader with a fun story. The writing is crisp, the dialogue believable (as long as you are willing to believe that animals talk and play "I Spy"), and the important message about conservation isn't thrust upon the reader but gently becomes a part of the story. The death of Ayubu's mother is handled perfectly, with her falling into a poacher's pit and that is the last we see of her. There are lovely drawings throughout, and on the pages between chapters where there is no text, the publisher has covered the page with a pretty African pattern. Finally, at the back of the book are several informational pages, including a page with proper pronunciation of the African names in the story, fun facts about rhinos, about symbiosis with birds, and what the reader can do to help rhinos. This book is the "total package" for young readers to learn about, and learn to care about, rhinos. 

Quill says: The Last Rhino is an excellent book for young readers who will discover a fun story that also teaches a very important lesson about conservation. After reading this book, they will be inspired to help and armed with the information at the back of the book, they'll know how to get started on their quest to save the rhinos. 

For more information on The Last Rhino, please visit the publisher's website at: www.FrogPrinceBooks.net

#BookReview - Norman @NormantheButton

Norman

By: Michelle Olson
Illustrated by: Brian Kester
Publisher: Bellie Button Books
Publication Date: October 2018
ISBN: 978-1732370708
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: October 6, 2018

Norman is a little red button who loved his job of keeping a coat closed, and keeping the person wearing said coat warm and comfortable. But that was all about to change...

The perfect job, and perfect life, that Norman had enjoyed all changed when the thread that held him in place started to come loose. He dangled and hung on, but soon, the thread broke and Norman tumbled to the ground. Without his job of keeping a coat closed and the person wearing the coat warm, he felt lost. He wandered about, not knowing what to do. Eventually he decided it was time to find a new job. But what?

Norman decided the best job would be one that would benefit the world the most. What could that be? The first job that came to mind was being a superhero. Now that sounded like fun! Norman rushed off to his parents' house to make his costume but when it was done, well, he just didn't look like a brave, fearless, fighter-of-crime superhero. It would never work. So what could he do? Next up, Norman thought of being a photographer. Wouldn't people love seeing photos taken from a button's perspective? Well, actually, it turns out that no, people wouldn't like those pictures. Would Norman ever find the right job?

When I first came upon Norman, I wondered how interesting a book about a button could be...surely, not very interesting. Boy was I wrong! What a great book. The story, while using the popular theme of "finding yourself," goes about it in a truly unique way. The story has plenty of "goofy" thrown in that kids will love, with silly comments and photographs. For example, Norman decides to become a dog walker because, "They're just dogs...how hard can it be?" But when the reader turns the page, there's a photo of Norman, head down in the mud, clutching a dog's leash for dear life, with the accompanying text, "Apparently, it was very hard, especially for someone only two inches tall." And speaking of the photographs, they are the stars of this book! Fantastic photos of a simple red button (with eyes and eyebrows added through the magic of Photoshop), doing all sorts of things, truly make this book unique. If you want the perfect bedtime story that both children AND parents will enjoy, check out Norman - you won't be disappointed.

Quill says: An absolutely unique, fun, and delightful story of a little button who lost his way. 

For more information on Norman, please visit the author's website at: www.michelle-olson.com

#BookReview - The Patchwork Bride

The Patchwork Bride

By: Sandra Dallas
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 2018
ISBN: 978-1250174031
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: October 4, 2018

Just like the art of fine quilting, Sandra Dallas stitches together fine writing in her latest novel, The Patchwork Bride.

Ellen is working on the wedding quilt she is making for her granddaughter’s wedding. She’s nearly finished and cannot wait to gift the quilt to her. Unfortunately, bride-to-be June has cold feet and her uncertain heart leads her to her grandma Ellen and grandpa Ben’s ranch. It’s not that June doesn’t love her fiancé. She’s just not sure he’s the one for the rest of her life. What if there’s someone else she is destined to spend the rest of her life with? After all, she thought her mother and father would be together forever and that didn’t happen.

When June wakes up the next morning, she wanders to the kitchen for a long visit with her grandmother. She loves the quilt she made but wonders if she’ll ever be the bride to receive it. Ellen decides it’s time to share the story of ‘Nellie Blue Eyes’ with her granddaughter. It turns out Nellie was a lot like her granddaughter in that she left her Kansas home and ventured to the high plains of New Mexico Territory in 1897 in search of a husband. The thing is, once Nellie arrives and thinks she meets the future husband of her dreams, she ends up running away from marriage twice before finding the one true love of her life. Through a series of mishaps, broken hearts and a lot of lessons in between, Ellen manages to impart a fair amount of sage wisdom on her granddaughter in hopes she will make the right decision when it comes to her wedding day, whenever that may be.

Sandra Dallas has served up a sweet story of true love. She uses main character, Ellen, as her storyteller and guides the reader through a series of stories about one, biscuit shooting cowgirl known as Nell. Ms. Dallas demonstrates a natural flair for storytelling and her audience will effortlessly turn the pages of this engaging story. Her characters are full of life and the dialogue is credible with the late 1800’s period. Tales of shenanigans and tomfoolery are bountiful, and the light shines bright on many ‘runaway bride’ moments. ‘Nellie Blue Eyes’ experiences will have the reader chuckling in one moment and questioning her motivations in the next. This heartfelt story is not predictable, and the ending is superbly done in ‘I gotcha’ fashion. I will have to make a point to go back and read more of Ms. Dallas’ work. Well done. I am a fan!

Quill Says: The Patchwork Bride is a fun and whimsical read.

#AuthorInterview with Helena P. Schrader @helenapschrader

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Amy Lignor is talking with Helena P. Schrader, author of
Rebels Against Tyranny: Civil War in the Crusader States.

FQ: Your works of fiction and non-fiction over the last 15+ years have been incredible. Can you speak to readers about what first led you down the path to focusing on the crusader states?

SCHRADER: Thank you! I work very hard on my writing, devoting the bulk of my “free” time to researching, writing and now marketing my books. So it is very rewarding to hear you think my works are “incredible.” Thank you again.

As to what led me to the crusader states was literally my first trip to Cyprus. I came expecting ancient Greek ruins and modern tourism and stumbled (almost literally) over this piece of history about which I’d known nothing. I had lived in the U.K. Like so many Americans had learned a lot about British history. I knew my Plantagenets forwards and backwards, so-to-speak, and then suddenly I’m on a sun-soaked, Mediterranean island with enchanting vistas and weather and discovered that Richard the Lionheart had not only been there and married there but conquered the entire island. Furthermore, the island had remained in “Western” hands for the next four hundred years. That truly fascinated me – the mixture of cultures and influences, the dramatic castles, the exotic landscapes, everything.

FQ: Is there one historical icon you have yet to place on paper that you wish to bring to life in the future?

SCHRADER: Oh, yes. I plan to write a biographical novel about Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine, more commonly known as the Black Prince and his wife, Joan of Kent. There is a lot of misinformation about them both out there, and I think it is time for some “revisionist” interpretations of them and their relationship.

FQ: Your resume is so long and vivid, there was a time when you served as an American diplomat in Africa and Europe. Can you share a unique memory from this time, and/or person you met who served to inspire you in your writing?

SCHRADER: I just spent five years in Ethiopia and the tumultuous events leading to the rise of a dynamic, young, reforming Prime Minister are the inspiration for my novel The Last Crusader Kingdom. Yes, the book is set in 12thcentury Cyprus, and, yes, it follows the known historical facts, but human nature is such that an understanding of current affairs will provide us with insights into the factors at play in the past – and vice versa.

To be more specific, Ethiopian youth viewed the government of the ruling EPRDF party as oppressive and corrupt. They became rebellious but rather than attacking the police and military which could shoot back and arrest them, they started attacking and burning down factories and farms owned by people they believed supported the government. The argument was that by attacking the economic base of the country, they would weaken the government. Well and good, but it also destroyed jobs and often the charitable institutions supported by these factories and farms, too. I took an instance I had witness and included it in The Last Crusader Kingdomto show how the angry Greek population might have attempted to bring down the unpopular Lusignan regime. Balian’s frustrating attempt at negotiating with one of the rebel leaders is also based on my experience in talking to some opposition figures. I could give you many other examples as well.

FQ: Has the study of history always been a passion of yours? And when did you write your first book?

SCHRADER: I had the good fortune to travel to Europe when I was just four years old. I remember visiting the Colosseum in Rome and my father told me “this is where they fed the Christians to the lions.” Now that sparked a four-year-old’s imagination! I have been interested in history every since – particularly the history of places I have been, seen, touched….

My first book was written in second grade. It was not great.

Author Helena P. Schrader

FQ: With so much knowledge, you must be a fantastic mentor to others who seek to bring history back to life. What would be a piece of advice on what to do and what to avoid that you would give to new authors trying to make it in the industry?

SCHRADER: I would like to be a mentor to aspiring historical novelists. That is something I want to explore in my retirement (Dec. 2018!). Since each individual writer has different strengths and weaknesses, it’s hard to choose one thing that applies to all.

Maybe, don’t research just the facts of history. You can write non-fiction with the facts. Fiction, however, requires much more research. You also need to know about the architecture, the fashion, the cuisine, the climate and vegetation, the flora and fauna, the means of transportation and rates of travel, the legal structures, educational norms etc. etc. etc.

Another very important point which every academic understands but far too few novelists seem to grasp is that it isn’t enough to read one book on any subject. You need to read three or four to start understanding the different perspectives of historians and what aspects of a specific age or event are controversial.

FQ: Because branding is such a large part of publishing today, can you speak about your position on social media? Is this a large part of your own agenda when it comes to bringing your works to the public?

SCHRADER: Let’s put it this way, I have four blogs, four websites, a google + account, a Facebook page, and I try to contribute to about a dozen other google + and Facebook groups every week. I’m not sure if that’s enough – or too much. There is a very real risk of becoming so fragmented and so busy on social media that we can’t do serious research. I haven’t found the perfect balance yet.

FQ: Give us a bird’s eye view into your work area, if you could. Such as, is there a certain schedule you keep when writing? Do you set aside a certain number of hours per week or on a daily basis where writing is done, or do you write when the passion hits? Is there one thing you need to have while writing that perhaps relaxes you or takes you to these locations when you’re at the keyboard?

SCHRADER: During my working life I did research in the evenings after work, and wrote on the weekends, usually 6 to 8 hours each weekend day. In retirement my plan is to research and work on my non-fiction book in the week, and work on my novel on the weekends, essentially the same pattern, just with the non-fiction book replacing my paying job.

I like to write in a peaceful, well-lit setting from a desk looking out a window. In retirement, I will have a study with views to the Aegean from one window and my garden and orchard from the other. I also have a door onto an external stair that opens from the study, so I can go in and out, catching fresh air and breathing in the scents of the Mediterranean whenever I need a little break.

Getting exercise and a full night’s sleep is also important to working well.

FQ: Please give readers a head’s up on what to expect when it comes to upcoming Helena P. Schrader’s titles that are currently in the works.

SCHRADER: Rebels against Tyranny: Civil War in the Crusader States is the first book in a series.  I’m currently working on the second book, The Emperor Strikes Back. I hope to release it next September. After that comes With Pen and Sword, which would tentatively be published in 2020. Meanwhile, I’ll also be working on my non-fiction book Beyond the Seas: The Story of the Crusader States and hopefully release that in 2020 or 2021.

Other projects are ebooks of my early books on Sparta, and audio books of my Jerusalem Trilogy.

I am not going to be bored in retirement.