Feathered Quill's New Store for Award-Winning Books

It's here! The new Feathered Quill Book Review site's new 'store' - your one-stop shop for all the books that have won awards in our first annual book award program. The link for the store can be found on every page of our book review site.

And The Winners Are...

Congratulations to the winners of our first annual awards program.  We had a HUGE response and our judges worked very, very hard to select the winners.  There were many top books, but we could only choose three per category.  Thanks to all the authors/publishers/publicists who nominated books.  And now, the Winners of the 2014 Feathered Quill Book Awards are:

FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS 2014

- Best Children's Illustrated
1. Summer Saltz by Connie Sewell
2. The Christmas Tree Elf by Valentine D’Arcy Sheldon 
3. Murphy and the Magical Hat by Kate David


- Best Juvenile/Young Adult Non-Fiction
1. The Depth of Grace by J. Bronson Haley
2. Tails of Sweetbrier by Deanie Humphrys-Dunne 
3. Life with Anna by Jane Kelly


- Best Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction, Graphic/Anime
1. The Silver Sphere by Michael Dadich 
2. 84 Ribbons by Paddy Eger
3. Fall Down Seven by Chuck Edmonson


- Best Adult Fiction (General)
1. The Magdalene Mystery by Christine Sunderland 
2. Vampire Defense by James Bell
3. The Rockin’ Chair by Steven Manchester


- Best Romance
1. Acadian Waltz by Alexandrea Weis 
2. Sand Dollar by Sebastian Cole
3. The Palomar Parodox by Richard Rydon

- Best Mystery/Thriller
1. Natalie’s Revenge by Susan Fleet
2. Too Much Blood by Jane Bennett Munro 
3. A Wicked Thing by Michael Kasenow


- Best Cozy Mystery

1. Shadows: A Jake Sommers Novel by Don Castel
2. Saving Faith by Patrick Garry
3. Off the Hook by James Twerell


- Best Non-Fiction Personal (Self-Help, Memoir, Inspirational)
1. Comet’s Tale by Steven Wolf
2. Up and In by Steve Kubicek
3. Dogs of Proud Spirit by Melanie Sue Bowles


- Best Non-Fiction Informational (Business, History, Parenting)
1. Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron
2. COMPASS: Creating Exceptional Organizations by William F. Brandt, Jr.
3. The Impending Monetary Revolution by Edmund Contoski


- Best Short Story
1. So Too My Love by Harvey Goodman 
2. Reflections of Life by Jon Nelson
3. Remnant by Roland Allnach


- Best Historical (both historical fiction and non-fiction)
1. The Warsaw Conspiracy by James Conroyd Martin 
2. Visibly Struck by Steve Kubicek
3. Law of the Desert Born by Beau L’Amour


- Best Humor
1. The Seraph Contingency: Anael’s Tale by Jennifer Fales
2. Jesse James and the Secret Legend of Captian Coytus by Alex Mueck
3. The Lost Mind of Buffalo Morgan by Barry Hemmerle


- Best Animal - Children's and YA
1. The Gentle Beagle by Karen Roberts
2. The Little Blue Dog Goes to School by Karen Roberts 
3. The Story of Moses by Jennifer Talbot Ross


- Best Animal - Adult (both fiction and non-fiction)

1. Comet’s Tale by Steven Wolf
2. The Belair Stud by Kimberly Gatto
3. The Dogs of Proud Spirit by Melanie Sue Bowles 

Book Review - Just Like Heaven

Just Like Heaven: A Sweetland Novel

By: Lacey Baker
Illustrated By: St. Martin’s Press
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: November 2013
ISBN: 978-1-250-01923-3
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: January 30, 2014

Moving on and overcoming her past were the two most important things on Heaven Montgomery’s mind as she traveled to a small quaint town in Maryland called Sweetland. She was there to adopt a chocolate lab puppy named Coco thinking what could be a better way of starting over than having a perfect companion with unconditional love, however she finds much more than she bargained for. Preston Cantrell, the current owner of this puppy, is drop dead gorgeous on top of being a smooth talker, so Heaven quickly finds herself pressing down the instant attraction to him. Her only reason for coming here was to adopt a puppy, she keeps reminding herself, but as a couple of days turn into a couple of weeks, Heaven finds herself falling in love with way more than a puppy. Preston, his family, and the wonderful town of Sweetland itself has her feeling that this place may be her new beginning, and hold her future. Unfortunately, when her past threatens to tear her from everything she is coming to love Heaven has to find the courage to fight for the chance to live her life and find her happiness.

Sweetland was where Preston grew up and shared many good memories with his family but he is convinced that this small town could never be a place he would want to settle down. However, after the loss of his grandmother he joins the rest of his siblings in his hometown to come up with a plan on how to keep their family business thriving. Preston knows he owes his family that much but as soon as things are settled he plans to return to his life in Baltimore, that is until a beautiful woman named Heaven Montgomery comes to adopt the puppy he inherited after his grandma’s passing. Suddenly his smooth talking ways and reputation with the ladies are not doing him any good as he desperately tries to learn more about this gorgeous woman who is creeping her way into his heart. There has never been another woman who has made him feel like this and then when her former life becomes a threat Preston knows he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

When I picked up this book to start reading, I expected a typical romance story but was pleasantly surprised when I received much more. From the beginning it was shown that both Preston and Heaven had experiences in their past they were both trying to overcome and that added to the fun of the story as the reader is clued into both of their secrets. I think it always intriguing for a reader to get the impression they are behind the scenes and feel as if they have an upper hand on the characters, and that’s just want Lacey Baker did with this book. Of course that is what makes reading so enjoyable many times, as the thoughts of each character can be revealed in detail and Baker does a wonderful job of this. In addition to being an appealing romance, this story also held suspenseful elements of a mystery that kept me reading and hoping to find out what happens next.

Quill says: Such a great combination of a compelling romance and thrilling mystery!

Book Review - Baseball's Greatest

Sports Illustrated Baseball's Greatest

By: Editors of Sports Illustrated
Publisher: Sports Illustrated
Publication Date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-1618930552
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: January 30, 2014

Sports Illustrated has published some excellent coffee-table type books on various sports, with lists of the greatest, the best and the top ten, for both kids and adults. One of their newest offerings is a book on the best baseball has to offer, whether it be players, managers, or ballparks. This book is more than a coffee-table decoration – it should be read, enjoyed, and argued over! In essence, it’s a fun book to get us all thinking of opening day.

The book is divided into twenty chapters, the majority of which deal with players – a chapter on the best first basemen, another on the best second baseman, and so on, down the line of all the positions. Then it’s on to the best managers, games, franchises, etc., until the very last chapter that looks at the ‘best of the rest’ (uniforms, movies, quotes, and even best Sports Illustrated covers). Each of the ‘best of the rest’ list takes up a mere page, but for the major categories, there’s a full page devoted to each person, park, whatever the list is about, plus typically two pages devoted to the top position. Each page includes a photo of the honoree, what clubs they played for (and the years they were there), a comment from one of the Sports Illustrated panelists who selected the winners, brief career highlights, and a quote pulled from a Sports Illustrated article about that player, manager, park, game, etc.

If you’re looking for a book heavy with statistics, this is not that book. Rather, this is a big (288 pages), heavy (about 5 pounds) hardback, replete with fantastic action shots of our favorite players and ballparks. I agreed with many of the selections but then, found myself at times saying, ‘Nah, not that game,’ or ‘Really? That player?’ But truly, isn’t that the fun with these Best Of books? It’s impossible to come up with lists that everybody will agree with but it’s a great idea to put together a Top Ten and get us all talking. If you love baseball, check out this book!

Quill says: Thankfully, baseball season is just around the corner. Get ready for opening day with a great book on the best of the best and see you in April!

Book Review - Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel

By: Ransom Riggs
Illustrated by: Cassandra Jean
Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: October 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-24528-9
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: January 28, 2014

For those readers who have not yet been exposed to the absolute beauty, eerie horror, and hauntingly stunning story that is, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, this book is not only an amazing gift, but it will also have one and all running back to the bookstore in order to purchase the ‘original’ book, not to mention the highly-anticipated sequel.

This story by Ransom Riggs shot to the top in what seemed like moments after the book came out on the market. It was so different and so well-written, that a great many readers, authors, publishers - you name it - gasped when they read the words and saw the incredibly odd, haunting pictures that highlighted Riggs’ story.

Miss Peregrine’s was a book that took the world by storm, because the story was beyond inventive. But it also made many believe that oddities which ARE out there in the world may just be true after all. Our own fears, from aliens crashing in Roswell to bilocation to the existence of real angels, demons and ghosts, have always been placed in the category of the ‘supernatural.’ And if any actual evidence or photos are located, they are simply passed off as fake, because it remains easier to deal with them if they’re chalked up as nothing more than a joke. In some ways, Ransom Riggs’ story changed the way people think.

The tale followed Jacob Portman. This boy found himself on somewhat of a mission trying to unravel fact versus fiction in the stories that his grandfather told him regarding his own life during WWII, where he dwelled at Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, with some of the most amazing kids imaginable.

Jacob sees pictures of these children - some with supposed ‘gifts’ that Jacob feels could not possibly be real. He sees some things as nothing more than a product of his grandfather’s imagination until…Jacob sees with his own eyes what Miss Peregrine’s is all about.

A book feasted on by readers, is now a graphic novel that is truly a ‘feast’ for the eyes.

Quill says: Do not miss out on entering the peculiar world of Miss Peregrine.

Book Review - Duffy's World

Duffy’s World: Seeing the World Through a Dog’s Eyes

By: Faith McCune
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Publication Date: December 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61448-719-7
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: January 2014

Your canine is your friend, companion, perhaps even a long lost soul that you swear you’ve met in another life. The reason for these honorable traits comes from the fact that dogs are the most honorable and loyal of animals out there, and they give to their owners/friends times of laughter, magic, and even help change our points of view with their non-judgmental attitudes. (Okay...they may judge a cat or two, but those felines can be seriously mean).

A reader falls in love with Duffy in this unique and heartfelt memoir, from the first page. In fact, the story of finding Duffy and how he learned the basics of life, from potty training to cuddling, reminds a dog lover of their first experience when they saw their ‘favorite friend’ who had a way of changing their lives for the better.

Told mostly from Duffy’s point of view, the stories in this book are truly sweet and captivating. Seeing the world through a dog’s eyes can open our own in a big way. Even though we are talking about kind and funny tales...Duffy truly shows us what it’s like to not judge, not yell and scream, and not constantly have to wear down or put down others in order to make oneself feel better.

The homecoming, the first bath, learning to live with the parents who will treat you as a privilege and not a chore - Duffy experiences all these things. He experiences his chew toy, Girl Scout cookies, the love of grandmothers, and meets new friends while also adventuring into day care.

The most difficult part of the journey, of course, is when that feeling comes upon him; a body that is not feeling well combined with a mind that has an idea that age eventually comes upon us all. There is always the day when time stops passing and just...stops, and this is something none of us - not even a magical companion who has more sense and intelligence than most humans will ever know - can stop.

Included in this story are tips for better dog care, from leash training to the right foods to good veterinary care all dogs need throughout life. But, in the end, the best lessons we learn from Duffy are the fact that we should enjoy life to the absolute fullest, make each moment count, and make sure we constantly honor, respect and love the people - and canines - who love us.

Quill says: Humorous, kind, sweet - readers will find it an absolute privilege to meet Duffy!

Interview with Author Christopher Grey

Today we're talking with Christopher Grey, author of Will Shakespeare and the Ships of Solomon

FQ: How long did you research for this book before you started writing?

GREY: There were really three different levels of research that occurred with Will Shakespeare and the Ships of Solomon. Firstly, the details and nature of the secret societies the book explored including Knights Templar, the Freemasons, secret orders of the Catholic Church, the Rosicrucians and Golden Dawn (to name a few) came from research I’ve done over the years beginning in about the mid 90s when I was first introduced to the “masonic conspiracies.” Secondly, the specific conspiracy theories in this book were derived heavily from Pirates and the Lost Templar Fleet by David Hatcher Childress. I was absolutely compelled to bring these fascinating conspiracies to life in a novel. The book went into detail about the identity of Shakespeare, the arrival of Scottish masons to Canada before Columbus, as well as the more exciting scenes surrounding Oak Island and ultimately the Holy Grail’s final resting place in Bermuda. The last layer of research was in location and period. All in all, it took years, but much of the fact-checking occurred after the novel was written in the editing phase. That said, the conspiracies and secret societies discussed in this book are, long term, in the same literary world as my other existing and long-term works so, fortunately, much of the heavy lifting has already been done.

FQ: There can be many different versions of the facts when researching these secret societies and conspiracy theories. How do you decide what to include in your books?

GREY: I think that the word “fact” gets thrown around too much in the world of conspiracy theories. I am, through my fiction, working hard to dispel the hysteria and disinformation enforced by the conspiracy theory community. So, to that end, my focus is on a plausible approach to conspiracies using a realistic depiction of the secret societies. I’ll go so far as to accept secret societies have more control and influence than I believe they actually do, but in the vein of providing context for who they are and why they exist.

Ultimately, my formula for determining what should be included is that it must be plausible (or difficult to disprove) and it must be consistent with the other theories and plot points that I am using. In my fictional world, many secret societies exist above society, but do not necessarily work against society. That is a unique position amidst the conspiracy theory community.

FQ: A few times in this book the conversations are given in foreign languages such as French, are you fluent in these languages?

GREY: It’s interesting to me that so much of my fiction ends up using French. This book, due to its location in Montreal and Nova Scotia, a recent short story about a haunting, and the novel I’m currently working on set in New Orleans all require the use of French. That is one language I am not confident in and had to triple-quadruple check with editors on my use of it. Given the location, it was important French was included and given the content, Latin was required as well. I believe that, especially for American readers, paying honest tribute to languages can add color to a story, but beside that, it would have been odd in Ships of Solomon if Will and Dorothy didn’t run into at least one French-Canadian.

FQ: What was the most enjoyable part of working on this book, the research or the writing of the story?

GREY: For me, it is all about the story. There may be a misconception that by dealing with the topics that I do that I have a hidden agenda—whether it be academic or philosophical—to bring issues or theories to light. I think, for instance, Dan Brown is very much compelled by this. My interest, however, is in telling a good story and I use the large breadth of conspiracy theories out there to find really good ones. In a way, I think it’s cheating—so much is out there, I have to do very little in conceiving the story. My task then is to lay out a narrative, make it interesting and fun, and then end with a punch.

FQ: During your research were you able to gather your information from interviews and written documents, books, etc.?

GREY: Almost all of my research was from books—and from secondary sources. If I were writing academically, or even in the literary genre, there would be value in going deeper than I did. However, since my focus was really at the same depth as a traditional pulp action/adventure, I focused more on the plot and character structures.

Author Christopher Grey

FQ: If you were able to use both types of information, while researching for this book which was more helpful, the interviews or the written documents?

GREY: I did conduct an email dialogue with a master mason, which was very helpful. In the future, I can definitely see the benefit of doing more of this type of research, as it adds authenticity and color to the narrative. Depending upon the novel’s objectives, in my case, to entertain and only secondarily to educate, run-of-the-mill book research was certainly adequate. It also helps to have a first-hand account of the subject matter. I spent a great deal of time looking at maps, reviewing photos and reading travel guides to get a good sense of Montreal and Bermuda, since I’d never been. I’m finding that in my current novel, set in New Orleans—a place I’m rather familiar, it is coming much easier for me, even if it is set in a different time.

FQ: Robert Louis Stevenson was mentioned when Will and Dorothy came upon treasure in one of the caves. Was Treasure Island a book you enjoyed in your childhood?

GREY: I’ve always been a very big reader of speculative fiction and adventure. I was a fan of classic adventures such as Treasure Island, Swiss Family Robinson, and almost anything Mark Twain and Jules Vern wrote. I think, however, I was mostly influenced by Piers Anthony, Douglas Adams, and more contemporary stories that wouldn’t have fit as a reference in this novel. Of course, if it isn’t completely obvious, film is a huge influence and I view my work on this novel and future ones as an extension of the Indiana Jones genre, a banner I proudly carry.

FQ: History can be a tough subject to write about as sometimes it is not viewed as very exciting by some. How do you personally go about creating an intriguing story combined with history?

GREY: As my career progresses, it is likely I will be known for being a historical fiction novelist, and generally I’m okay with that. I have always been eagerly fascinated by history and find a tremendous amount of inspiration from it. Few stories can be told better than actual events. Ships of Solomon deals quite a bit with history—the first Europeans to arrive to the New World, the true nature of William Shakespeare, the role of Francis Drake and Francis Bacon in the development of a Utopian ideal that would eventually become the United States of America, etc. It was important for me to address these ideas in a contemporary light, so that it could be relatable to the readers. It was also important to put it in a genre that was easy for a reader to navigate. I chose the post-war period as a setting, because it was consistent with the pulp adventure genre, and also avoided getting lost in the quagmire of advanced technology, complex world politics and falling into the spy genre. In answer to the question, history is an intriguing story, the trick for an author is to find the narrative and run with it.

To learn more about Will Shakespeare and the Ships of Solomon please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.