Book Review - Love! Laugh! Panic!

Love! Laugh! Panic! Life with my Mother

By: Rosemary Mild
Publisher: Magic Island Literary Works
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9838597-7-2
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: April 16, 2014

Rosemary Mild pens a bittersweet memoir in her latest work, Love! Laugh! Panic! Life with my Mother.

The story begins in 1943. Rosemary introduces her mother, Luby (Bragernick) Pollack and shares her recollection of having to take weekly piano lessons with Miss Parchel. Her parents’ (mother’s) goal was to provide Rosemary with cultural rounding. There is a distinct tone concerning Lucy’s persona once she insisted upon something and Rosemary’s only choice was to embrace the notion. Complaints from Rosemary were not an option (even if she didn’t have the talent). Somehow, through the many choices her mother made on Rosemary’s behalf; the outcome usually had a silver lining. In the case of piano lessons, handsome Tommy Brown was the prize. Easy on the eyes, Tommy had a propensity for mischief which translated to something to look forward to for Rosemary.

As the story progresses, I couldn’t help but think the purpose of Ms. Mild penning this story was to pay homage to the intricate workings of her mother’s larger than life persona. While each chapter is devoted to the experiences Ms. Mild had growing up, there is a distinct spotlight that is constantly shone upon her mother. Early on, there is an entire chapter devoted to Luby (Bragarnick) Pollack’s education. It details the immediate launch of her journalism career shortly after her graduation from the University of Wisconsin in 1929. She lands her first job with the Boston Store in Milwaukee shortly after graduation and eludes such accomplishment was merely a door opener to a long and fruitful career as an esteemed writer.

In many respects, Ms. Mild paints a clear picture of the devotion and undying love she has (and had) for her mother, yet there is also a perception that no matter what Rosemary accomplished (at least while her mother was alive), there was an innate sense she never quite measured up to her mother's standards. This is not a pontification of malice toward her mother by any means. Rather, I interpret this story to be a cathartic account that Ms. Mild needed to set to paper.

My interpretation of Love! Laugh! Panic! Life with my Mother is that Ms. Mild embarked upon a journey to pay homage to a woman who was a tremendously important cornerstone in her life. She portrayed Luby Pollack’s strengths (sometimes overbearing), but her insistence that she was the most important teacher in Ms. Mild’s life resonated throughout. I give her great props for penning the myriad of accounts ranging from utter embarrassment to borderline rage. The overall message, however, was an account written by a daughter in memory of a mother whose life ended too soon. Luby (Bragarnick) Pollack died of stomach cancer in her early 40’s. Her legacy to her daughter was a trunk filled with memories of her larger than life existence and how integral her presence was in molding the woman Ms. Mild became. In short, the author has written a sometimes whimsical, other times eyebrow raising account of her life and what it meant to be the daughter of Luby Pollack.

Quill says: Live! Laugh! Panic! is a daughter’s heart-felt rendition of memories of the most important person in her life… her mother.

Books In For Review

Here's a quick peek at some of the books that have just come in for review.  Check them out and then stop by our site in a few weeks to read the reviews.



Sting of the Drone by Richard A. Clarke In Washington, the Kill Committee gathers in the White House's Situation Room to pick the next targets for the United States drone program. At an airbase just outside Las Vegas, a team of pilots, military personnel and intelligence officers follow through on the committee's orders, finding the men who have been deemed a threat to national security and sentenced to death. On the other side of the world, in the mountains where the drones hunt their prey, someone has decided to fight back. And not just against the unmanned planes that circle their skies, but against the Americans at home who control them.  

Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed by John F. Ross At the turn of the twentieth century two new technologies—the car and airplane—took the nation’s imagination by storm as they burst, like comets, into American life. The brave souls that leaped into these dangerous contraptions and pushed them to unexplored extremes became new American heroes: the race car driver and the flying ace. No individual did more to create and intensify these raw new roles than the tall, gangly Eddie Rickenbacker, who defied death over and over with such courage and pluck that a generation of Americans came to know his face better than the president’s. The son of poor, German-speaking Swiss immigrants in Columbus, Ohio, Rickenbacker overcame the specter of his father’s violent death, a debilitating handicap, and, later, accusations of being a German spy, to become the American military ace of aces in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient. He and his high-spirited, all-too-short-lived pilot comrades, created a new kind of aviation warfare, as they pushed their machines to the edge of destruction—and often over it—without parachutes, radios, or radar.  

'Til the Well Runs Dry: A Novel by Lauren Francis-Sharma Lauren Francis-Sharma's 'Til the Well Runs Dry opens in a seaside village in the north of Trinidad where young Marcia Garcia, a gifted and smart-mouthed 16-year-old seamstress, lives alone, raising two small boys and guarding a family secret. When she meets Farouk Karam, an ambitious young policeman (so taken with Marcia that he elicits the help of a tea-brewing obeah woman to guarantee her ardor), the risks and rewards in Marcia’s life amplify forever. On an island rich with laughter, Calypso, Carnival, cricket, beaches and salty air, sweet fruits and spicy stews, the novel follows Marcia and Farouk from their amusing and passionate courtship through personal and historical events that threaten Marcia’s secret, entangle the couple and their children in a scandal, and endanger the future for all of them.  

The Beautiful American by Jeanne Mackin As recovery from World War II begins, expat American Nora Tours travels from her home in southern France to London in search of her missing sixteen-year-old daughter. There, she unexpectedly meets up with an old acquaintance, famous model-turned-photographer Lee Miller. Neither has emerged from the war unscathed. Nora is racked with the fear that her efforts to survive under the Vichy regime may have cost her daughter’s life. Lee suffers from what she witnessed as a war correspondent photographing the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Nora and Lee knew each other in the heady days of late 1920s Paris, when Nora was giddy with love for her childhood sweetheart, Lee became the celebrated mistress of the artist Man Ray, and Lee’s magnetic beauty drew them all into the glamorous lives of famous artists and their wealthy patrons. But Lee fails to realize that her friendship with Nora is even older, that it goes back to their days as children in Poughkeepsie, New York, when a devastating trauma marked Lee forever. Will Nora’s reunion with Lee give them a chance to forgive past betrayals…and break years of silence to forge a meaningful connection as women who have shared the best and the worst that life can offer?  

Authorpreneur in Pajamas: Building Your Author's Platform Without Leaving Your Home by Geraldine Solon This may be the best time to be an author, but with thousands of books released daily, what will make your book stand out from the rest? Whether you’re published through a traditional publishing house or are self-published, every author should market their book. Although authors need to have a strong face-to-face presence, Authorpreneur in Pajamas focuses on how authors can build their platform in their pajamas while using online tools that increase exposure and visibility. We live in a virtual world, where digital has taken over paper, where smart phones, tablets and eReaders are now necessities, and where building your author’s platform can be done with a push of a button. Authopreneur in Pajamas teaches you how to build your author’s platform without leaving your home.  

An Autobiography of Black Chicago by Dempsey Travis Few were more qualified than Dempsey Travis to write the history of African Americans in Chicago, and none would be able to do it with the same command of firsthand sources. This seminal paperback reissue of Travis's best-known work, An Autobiography of Black Chicago, depicts Chicago's African-American community through the personal experiences of Dempsey Travis, his family, and his circle. Starting with John Baptiste Point du Sable, who was the first non–Native American to settle on the mouth of the Chicago River, and ending with Travis's own successes leading the city's NAACP chapter, organizing Martin Luther King's first march in the city, and providing equal housing opportunities for black Chicagoans.

Interview with Author Cynthia Morrison

Today we're talking with Cynthia Morrison, one of the authors of Scary Story: An Anthology

FQ: First why the horror genre? What drew you to it, what keeps you coming back?

MORRISON: I was drawn to the Horror genre at an early age through Hollywood productions of Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne type stories. I love the suspense involved and the anticipation of what may be just around the corner.

FQ: Along the same lines, why short stories? People don’t appreciate just how hard it is to pull off a good short story. Do you find it more of a challenge, than say, writing a novel?

MORRISON: Not a challenge at all. I stumbled upon a call for submissions of short stories when I was searching theatre submissions. I am also an award winning Playwright. My short stories have received great interest and I do plan a novel in the future.

FQ: Before we talk about your story, would you tell our readers a little about how Scary Story: An Anthology came about? How did you get involved?

MORRISON: The publisher of Scary Story: An Anthology contacted me after she had read a work of mine on a literary website. I then submitted “Fire of Faith“ to her and the work was accepted to be part of her project.

FQ: Now on to your story, "Fire of Faith." May I first say that the story had a definite creep factor and I wanted to bat Morgan, the wife, over the head (this is a compliment to your writing!). It is truly a unique tale. Without giving too much away, where did the idea come from?

MORRISON: I hold a Baccalaureate degree in Theology. Therefore, having knowledge of the Biblical reference of the earth being destroyed by fire, I used this to create a phobia for the Doctor in my story. Also, my being a history buff I chose the Victorian era as my setting. I combined the fire phobia and the bizarre types of experiments for the possibility of human flight to escape the burning tragedy. Hence, Fire of Faith.

FQ: I found Morgan, the all-too-trusting wife, a very interesting character. As the title says, the story really depends on her faith. Faith in her new husband, faith in what he could do, that he would protect her and that she would be helping humanity. Why was she so trusting?

MORRISON: Morgan’s decision to be her husband’s “Guinea pig” was not entirely based on trust alone. She decided to hand him her trust based more on the decision of not wanting to lose her position as a Physician’s wife and all the social grandeur that is part of that status. She also considered her Family’s approval of the marriage and didn’t want to disappoint them. We must remember that Victorian era thinking for women was based on certain principles of an antiquated cultural society. At least Morgan’s “character” had thoughts along those lines. Basically, Morgan’s faith was spawned by her own fear of losing social status. Phobias are ever present within “Fire of Faith.” Phobias are found to be a strong factor within mad scientist tales as is desperation to find a means of ending the madness.

FQ: How much of Morgan’s decision was based on trust and how much was based on her belief that success meant an increase in social status and an “influx of wealth” ?

MORRISON: Answered above.

FQ: Edward, the husband and aspiring physician, was a rather selfish character, particularly since he was willing to put his wife’s life at risk for his experiment. Did you want your readers to dislike him?

MORRISON: Edward, in “his” mind, was not selfish. Edward is controlled by an over bearing phobia that stems from his childhood when he learned of the earth burning someday. I personally hold sympathy for Edward. His attempts, although deceptive through the eyes of normality, are actually driven by a psychological force that has altered his judgement. Then ultimately losing a loving wife and career due to his untreated state of mind.

FQ: You write about tendons, muscles, and use some medical jargon. Did you have to do research before coming up with Edward’s experiment?

MORRISON: Remnants of High school Biology class I suppose.

FQ: I see that you are a three-time International Jousting champion! Tell me how that has played a role in some of your writing? (I have 12 horses and would love to try jousting so I had to include this question!)

MORRISON: Twelve Horses?! Where do you find time for Interviews? So far I have only brought Jousting into a Poem and a Monologue. I have no plans on bringing it into a tale but one never knows what the future may hold.

FQ: I found your bio quite interesting, particularly since you are a woman of many varied talents. Writing, acting, film production, and composing musical scores to name a few. Wow! Do you have a favorite or do you like to jump around from one to another?

MORRISON: I simply attribute this to being an Artist. This has long been a part of my being in different areas. I am also a performance artist which involves being “the human firecracker” (igniting thousands of firecrackers upon myself while protected by leather), fire eating and knife throwing with human target.

FQ: Are you working on a new project? Another short story? Would you give our readers a sneak peek?

MORRISON: Yes. I recently finished a murder mystery! A short story based on my own experience of an attempt to wake a man who I thought was asleep on the beach but the Police announced his status differently. That was a chilling experience to say the least. Readers may stay tuned for “Lady Luck”!

To learn more about Scary Story: An Anthology please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - Ferry Tail

Ferry Tail

By: Katharine Kenah
Illustrated by: Nicole Wong
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: April 2014
ISBN: 978-1585368297
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: April 2014

Ah, the ocean breeze felt so good against the tip of Walter’s nose! The ferry boat churned through the water leaving a wake behind and a small blue flag flapped in the breeze. There was a lot of work to be done on a ferry and as soon as the cars began to board, Walter sprang into action. Those seagulls needed to be chased away and he “posed in family pictures, and kept an eye on babies.” Captain needed that newspaper and Engineer needed to know when it was time to head out. “Come here, Walter,” exclaimed Cook, “Taste this bacon for me.” Such was the life of a ferry dog. That ferry just could not manage without Walter, like ever.

Everyone needed him except for one critter ... Captain’s cat. Cupcake “wore a collar with jewels” and “slept in a fully round bed in the Captain’s cabin.” That horrid Cupcake would practically poke him in the eye when he got close. Ouch! One terrible gray day the ferry worked its way through churning waves and everyone stayed inside. There was not a lick of work for Walter to do and he felt so unwanted. Cupcake was taking over his job and got him into trouble when she rip, rip, ripped up that newspaper. “Bad dog,” shouted Captain. If no one needed him, it looked like Walter would have to leave. Perhaps the people on the island would need him, or would they?

This is a wonderfully charming story of Walter the ferry dog that children will love. Of course Walter had a lot of work to do, but once he felt no one appreciated him, it was time to leave. Children will immediately fall in love with Walter and laugh when Cupcake swats him. Everyone wants to be appreciated, including Walter, and when things are not going their way it can be discouraging. Walter feels, as they say, that the grass is greener on the other side, and leaves thinking things will be better somewhere else. The artwork is lively, whimsical, and has great kid appeal. Walter is just one of those marvelously appealing dogs everyone will fall in love with. Cupcake? Well that’s quite another story!

Quill says: Everyone will fall in love with Walter the ferry dog, except perhaps those cats out there!

Book Review - Hot Dog! Eleanor Roosevelt Throws a Picnic

Hot Dog! Eleanor Roosevelt Throws a Picnic

By: Leslie Kimmelman
Illustrated by: Victor Juhasz
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: April 2014
ISBN: 978-1585368303
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: April 2014

No two ways about it, Eleanor loved dogs. Hot dogs that is. Things got rather busy after she married Franklin and there “wasn’t much time for hot dog roasts.” Franklin may have been president, but he didn’t travel well and that part of the job belonged to Eleanor. Off to Ohio, off to Idaho, and lest anyone forget there was California. She kept the president up on all the news and needs of the states. Times were tough in the 1930s and there were problems all around the world, not just in the states. Eleanor was mighty worried about that war that was just around the corner and there wasn’t time to think about hot dogs.

There was a lot of company showing up at home in the White House. Dreams of dogs were dancing in Eleanor's head, but no dogs on that table. Eleanor couldn’t ask anyone to pass the mustard because it simply didn’t go with the roast. The butlers smiled as they served up a banquet fit for a king, but while Franklin smiled, Eleanor ... well, she didn’t. Soon thoughts moved to real royalty when “the king and queen of England announced they were coming” in 1939. “To celebrate the first royal visit,” Eleanor told Franklin, “we need an all-American picnic.” Of course there had to be hot dogs on the menu, but soon the indignant mail began to come in. No dogs on the table! Would America nix the idea of Eleanor’s hot dog picnic?

This is the fun and funny tale of Eleanor and her hot dog picnic that children will love. Of course everyone loves hot dogs, but when the mail came in, most people didn’t figure they were fit for a king. Certainly not for a queen. This tale is very lively and when those letters arrive saying things like “Must you feed the queen hot dogs?,” the tension and fun begins. The colorful, animated caricature artwork brings the tale to life, just begging the reader to try and keep a straight face. I loved the way Eleanor’s charming personality exuded from the pages. Young students will learn several interesting vignettes about wartime history and American ties to the British monarchy. In the back of the book is a short, but interesting historical sketch of the Roosevelts and their illustrious visitors to Hyde Park.

Quill says: If you like a dollop of mustard on that hot dog, try reading about Eleanor and learn a dollop of American history!

Book Review - Frog's Lucky Day

Frog and Friends: Frog's Lucky Day

By: Eve Bunting
Illustrated by: Josee Masse
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: April 2014
ISBN: 978-1585368938
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: April 11, 2014

Frog was all excited as he jumped from one foot to the other as he looked out over the rolling hills. "Look! I see a rainbow." It was a very exciting thing to see and all frog's friends gathered around to see the beautiful colors as they sparkled in the sky. Possum looked over at Chameleon and declared that the rainbow had all kinds of colors just like him. Everyone began to count the colors and after they were done Jumping Mouse announced the colors: “Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.” Yes, they were very beautiful, but she also knew all about a magic story. And then Jumping Mouse began, “There is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but no one ever found where the rainbow ends.”

Mmmmm, that was a very interesting story indeed and Frog and friends just might have to search for the end of the rainbow. Squirrel was very interested and immediately raced up into the branches of a tree to look into the distance. He pointed off toward the rainbow, convinced that he saw the end. “The end,” he claimed, “is in that field-that-nobody-owns.” Now that would be the perfect place to look for that mysterious pot of gold! Rabbit wasn’t so sure about that, but Frog was thinking it was behind a cloud. All at once everyone spotted something gold in that field-that-nobody-owns. Had Frog and friends really found that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Once again Frog and his friends get together in a couple of very humorous stories young readers will love. Of course that mysterious pot of gold was none other than a field of “golden dandelions,” something infinitely more valuable to everyone. In the second tale in this beginning chapter book, Frog is in a big dilemma when a fisherman disturbs his peace and quiet by fishing in his pond. Newly independent and confident readers can tackle this book alone or with a minimum of assistance with more difficult words such as “Chameleon.” The artwork, combined with the exciting, humorous tales with Frog and his friends, has high appeal that young readers are definitely drawn to.

Grades 1 -2

Quill says: If you have a young reader who loves a little humor and adventure, the Frog and Friends series has just the recipe for fun!

Book Review - Scary Story: An Anthology

Scary Story: An Anthology

By: Various Authors
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: August 2013
ISBN: 978-1492285434
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: April 2014

Six different authors, six very different plots, six short stories that will make you go ‘eek!’ as you quickly turn that last page. If you’re a fan of horror, then you should definitely check out Scary Story.

Each story in this anthology is fairly brief and at 93 pages for the whole book, you can probably read it all in one sitting. The time will pass quickly as you try to guess what is about to happen and it was all the more fun because not one author gave away the ending before that last page. What exactly was hiding in the house up on the hill, the house that nobody dare visit? Were those really zombies from down the street? Are they coming after her?

The only thing these tales share with each other is the horror genre; otherwise they are completely different in writing styles, plots, and the way the reader reacts to the conclusion. In brief, here are the stories:

Last Dawn – The street has gone quiet, the phone is dead, and something (or someone) is scratching at the door. A mother tries to protect her sleeping children from whatever is coming...


Paradise – A group of people are two miles below the ground, in a cavern with black coal dust. They are about to have a séance to find out what happened to so many of the townsfolk. The answer is not what they were expecting.


Fire of Faith – A new bride agrees to help her husband with an experiment that might help mankind survive the all-encompassing fire that he thinks will strike. Her absolute trust in him is not a good idea...


The Path of Dead Roses – A young girl doesn’t think her house is haunted, but when things start happening to her beloved rose bushes, she starts thinking that perhaps ‘something’ is outside the house every night.


Christmas Story: Silent Night – Emma can’t wait for the school Christmas pageant and when her excitement gets the best of her and she’s punished by her mother, the punishment is definitely worse than the crime!


The Wrinkled Duplex Halfway Up the Hill – All sorts of rumors are floating around about Mr. Rumple, who lives in a dilapidated house that is overgrown with weeds. Does he have a wife? What does he do all day? Only Eldon, a utility worker, is brave enough to explore the house, but he really should have stayed away!


Some of these stories are truly scary, others are more thought-provoking. I did not predict the ending to “Paradise” and it still haunts me. “Christmas Story” while not frightening in the traditional sense, will undoubtedly make you gasp or cringe, and following Eldon up the hill to the “Wrinkled Duplex” will find you shouting “No! Don’t do it!” With six different authors, the writing varied greatly. Some of the writers are truly talented, a few are still rough around the edges but all showed a talent for thinking up short stories that will grab the reader.

Quill says: Whether you prefer zombies or old houses with something hiding behind the creaky door, if you like to be scared, check out Scary Story. Just don’t turn off the lights!