Book Review - The Glittering World

The Glittering World 

By: Robert Levy
Illustrated By: Laywan Kwan
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: February 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4767-7452-7
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: February 12, 2015

Many times when we think of a different world or different species of beings we look to the sky picturing faraway places among the stars. However, in Robert Levy’s book, The Glittering World, a species known as the “fae” dwell under the ground deep below the depths of the land. Some people in the land of Novia Scotia believe that these are evil beings that only mean harm while others see them as amazing creatures that could hold the cure to many ailments that plague the human race. It is exceedingly rare to catch a glimpse of the fae and even more rare to see their homes for the entrances are constantly changing never to be in the same place twice. It is not until four people travel to this seemingly magical place that the world of the fae is truly seen.

When Blue Whitley learns that his grandmother left him her house after her death he comes to the conclusion that it will be best to see the house and then quickly sell it. This will pay some crucial debts that continue to haunt him back in New York City. Seeing this trip as a time for a little rest and relaxation, Blue invites three people to accompany him - his best friend Elisa, her husband Jason, and also another friend and employee of Blue’s named Gabe. However, it soon becomes clear that this trip will not be in any way a vacation, as Blue quickly feels a pull to this land that may not let him return to New York at all.

For all his life Blue’s mother would never tell him much about where he was born and the family he came from but the woods around Novia Scotia seem to be calling him home, his real home. Suddenly flashes of his childhood start coming back and he begins to wonder if he is actually meant to be a part of this world or one that lives below the ground.

After reading the synopsis of this book it did sound like an entertaining and interesting story but unfortunately as I continued reading I never really hit a point where I truly enjoyed this novel. I am not denying that this storyline was quite unique and original but there was not a point where I felt I understood the direction of this book. For me I enjoy having a clear picture of who the hero is and who I should be rooting for as I dive deeper into a story, and I never had that moment. This book is written from the perspective of four different characters and while I was able to learn different attributes of each character, I never felt that I could say which person was the actual main character of this novel. There was no one to cheer for, and not an evil to fight against or overcome and for me, those are factors that make a book a great read.

Quill says: A unique novel but unfortunately a very confusing and unsatisfying storyline.

Books In For Review

Here they are - the latest batch of books to arrive for review.  Check them out and then stop by our review site, Feathered Quill Book Reviews, in a few weeks to read the reviews!




Liberated: A Novel of Germany, 1945 by Steve Anderson It’s May 1945, the war’s just over, and Harry Kaspar, an American captain in Germany, is about to take a new posting in the US occupation—running a Bavarian town named Heimgau. When Harry loses the command to Major Membre, he’ll do almost anything to win the job back. When Harry discovers a horrific scene—three German men tortured and murdered—he reckons that solving the crime could teach the conquered townspeople about American justice, as well as help him reclaim that better posting. The only problem is that Harry’s quest for the real killer will lead him straight back to his commander, Membre, and eventually to his mentor, a can-do rebel US colonel named Spanner. Spanner is a gangster run rampant, plundering the war-torn land for all its grim worth. Harry’s lover, Katarina, a gutsy German actress, helps him realize he must fight back. Recognizing that absolute power corrupted and then destroyed Major Membre and Colonel Spanner, Harry takes it upon himself to overcome any obstacle that gets in his way and set a new American example by which a terrorized town and a mix of battered peoples can rise up from the ashes of a brutal, demoralizing war.  

Winston Churchill and the Treasure of Mapungubwe Hill by Chris AngusThere is vast treasure hidden in an almost impregnable Central African fortress surrounded by cliffs. The mountain is a honeycomb of ancient tombs and palaces, as well as the ancient burial place of a Nubian queen mysteriously wedded to a Roman. Young Winston Churchill, a prisoner during the Boer War, is offered a secret deal for freedom by Britain’s enemy Louis Botha: with Botha’s agent, Zeila, Winston must seek out and protect the greatest secret of the dark continent, a fabulous Nubian treasure known only as Mapungubwe Hill. But a rogue member of the British royal family, Lord Sterne, is also after the treasure. Can Winston and the lovely Zeila both survive being entombed? And will their relationship go further than their mission? Decades later, in the middle of a raging World War II, Winston’s special agent Martin Rand struggles to unlock Mapungubwe’s secrets again before German forces, lead by Nazi-sympathizer Lord Sterne, can overwhelm and capture it. Will Winston prevail over the Nazis, or will the Nubian warriors take matters into their own hands? And will Winston’s secret tryst with Zeila come back to ruin everything?

Monday's Lie by Jamie Mason Dee Aldrich rebelled against her off-center upbringing when she married the most conventional man she could imagine: Patrick, her college sweetheart. But now, years later, her marriage is falling apart and she’s starting to believe that her husband has his eye on a new life...a life without her, one way or another. Haunted by memories of her late mother Annette, a former covert operations asset, Dee reaches back into her childhood to resurrect her mother’s lessons and the “spy games” they played together, in which Dee learned memory tricks and, most importantly, how and when to lie. But just as she begins determining the course of the future, she makes a discovery that will change her life: her mother left her a lot of money and her own husband seems to know more about it than Dee does. Now, before it’s too late, she must investigate her suspicions and untangle conspiracy from coincidence, using her mother’s advice to steer her through the blind spots. The trick, in the end, will be in deciding if a “normal life” is really what she wants at all.  

Werewolves: A Hunter's Guide by Graeme Davis Fear the full moon; for on that day of lunacy the terrible wrath of the werewolves is unleashed. For thousands of years, from ancient Greek chronicles to modern news reports, from the depths of the darkest forests to dimly lit city streets, these dread beasts have stalked us in the realms of shadow and nightmare. Now, they are awakening. This book is the only thing standing between humanity and an overwhelming horde of snarling, ferocious lycanthropes. It reveals the secret societies devoted to studying their condition, providing information on where werewolves live, and what they do to survive. It illustrates the startling variety of werewolf subspecies, as diverse as humanity itself, collecting reports of skinwalkers, hengeyokai, and other shapeshifters from across the world. Werewolves offers the dearly bought information from those that have hunted them down through the centuries - the best techniques to find and slay these creatures of the night.  

Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia's Egg-citing Farm Adventure by Lidia Bastianich It is a sleepover extravaganza when Nonna Lidia has her grandkids over for a night full of campfire stories and homemade food. As they all share a meal of omelets the next morning, Nonna Lidia reminisces about growing up on the farm, raising chickens, and gathering their eggs, which inspires a family trip to the local farm, where the kids can have their own chicken-and-egg adventures. With farm-fresh recipes focused on chicken and eggs, America’s beloved Italian-American chef Lidia Matticchio Bastianich offers a variety family-friendly dishes and fun, safe ways kids can help cook. Buon appetito!  

Butterfly Kills: A Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery by Brenda Chapman Two separate crimes, two tragic outcomes. Jacques Rouleau has moved to Kingston to look after his father and take up the position of head of the town’s Criminal Investigations Division. One hot week in late September, university student Leah Sampson is murdered in her apartment. In another corner of the city, Della Munroe is raped by her husband. At first the crimes appear unrelated, but as Sergeant Rouleau and his new team of officers dig into the women’s pasts, they discover unsettling coincidences. When Kala Stonechild, one of Rouleau’s former officers from Ottawa, suddenly appears in Kingston, Rouleau enlists her to help. Stonechild isn’t sure if she wants to stay in Kingston, but agrees to help Rouleau in the short term. While she struggles with trying to decide if she can make a life in this new town, a ghost from her past starts to haunt her.

Interview with Award-Winning Author Lesley Dahlseng

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Amy Lignor is talking with Lesley Dahlseng, author of My Kiss Won't Miss

FQ: In the society that we are living in, My Kiss Won't Miss is truly a tale that’s needed for all kids out there. What made you head down this particular path to write this story of unconditional love?

DAHLSENG: Our greatest need is to be loved. We were created for relationships. This issue has been dear to my heart for years, though I can't really take credit for the storyline. It came out of a personal experience with my daughter and an answer to prayer. When my daughter was around the age of three years old, she began resisting almost any affection I tried to offer. Hugs were fought, kisses were rejected. Nothing else developmentally raised any red flags, yet it was still a source of concern for me.

One day in my living room I asked in prayer how I could relate to my daughter. Immediately, the words popped into my head, "Blow her a kiss and it won't miss." So I made a game out of it. She would hide and I'd blow kisses and tell her there was no stopping them. It's such a simple idea, but I can't tell you the breakthrough that was felt that day. She loved it! That night I sat down to write what is now My Kiss Won't Miss. It's a message of a parent's love. Even more significant is that it points to the God who cared enough to answer my prayer in my living room. He's a personal, relational God who wants us to know Him.

FQ: Infants and toddlers are still away from the cell phones (thank goodness LOL). Do you feel that there is too much technology, and perhaps that we have lost the understanding of how important parent/child time is?

DAHLSENG: Wow. So much can be said about this! Technology advancements bring both blessings and curses. My general sense is that it's causing more problems, however. We're wiring our brains ever more increasingly to need outside stimulation. It's going to have repercussions on attention spans and our ability to learn without all the bells and whistles. With the constant demand for entertainment, how often do people stop and simply THINK anymore? I mean really think - evaluate, reflect, meditate? And despite our social networks, our children are lacking valuable social training because they can hide behind a text message.

The most tragic social neglect, however, is exactly as you alluded to in your question. Though I've been guilty of sticking my children in front of a movie as a sort of babysitter, I try to limit it. Right now our family owns one television set with no stations. With few exceptions, we are allowed one movie per week and the kids get one and a half hours per week on computer games. Even with these strict standards, I know my children would forego these privileges in a heartbeat for more personal family time.

Author Lesley Dahlseng

FQ: I know that books even mentioning the Lord are labeled Christian reading, but do you feel this is a book that really does speak to every child? A way, perhaps, to bring back the love of the Lord into children’s lives?

DAHLSENG: First, I'll say that Christ came for the world and not just a select few, so if something is a Christian message then I believe He wants it proclaimed everywhere. My own prayers have been that everyone (even the adults reading it to their children) would get a sense of their value - that they are loved. And it's my ultimate conviction that nothing will be wholly fulfilling except that which comes from God.

On another note, the majority of the book depicts the love between a parent and child. I recently gave the book as a gift to a little girl who's going through treatments for leukemia and no doubt has periods of time where her parents can't be with her at the hospital. This story is about a love that will cross any distance, and I wholeheartedly pray it can bring comfort to her. It made me consider the many difficult situations children face today - it could be a parent away on active duty, or one of the many cases of divorce that creates physical distance between a parent and child. I hope this book can minister to each of them in a way that other books may not.

FQ: I know you grew up on a small farm in North Dakota. I, too, have the background of a small town. How do you feel “small-town America” positively affects our children of today? Do you believe we have lost that way of life? If so, how can people/parents strive to bring that back in this time of constant running around?

DAHLSENG: I can always tell when I pass into rural North Dakota because everyone starts waving to you as you pass by. That's just the way I grew up. We acknowledge one another and there's a deeper sense of community that is lost in larger cities. When I moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, for a few years, I joined a church that was three times the size of my entire hometown. I rarely saw a familiar face in the service, and I couldn't help but feel like just another number. Also, if it takes a village to raise a child, then the larger "village" is not an advantage. There's a greater accountability in smaller numbers. You're more likely to consider your behavior when everyone around knows you.
And yes, I agree with your assessment that we are running around more and more. As a farm girl would say, we "run around like chickens with our heads cut off." Hope that's not too graphic! We don't have to stick our kids in every extracurricular activity! We don't have to spend all our time accumulating things when what's most precious is right in front of us! No matter our location, we can choose to simplify and prioritize. And one last point for small towns . . . who likes big-city traffic? Not me!

FQ: Was the study of Philosophy helpful in your writing endeavors? If so, can you tell us why?

DAHLSENG: Writing philosophy papers and writing for young children is about as different as you can get. Nonetheless, it trains you to look for the underlying meaning of everything. I'm conscious of what it is I'm attempting to instill in young minds. That intentionality drives my general life as well. You don't escape the deep questions of life when studying philosophy. I try to examine my purpose, goals, motivations, and actions and this inevitably makes whatever I put my hand to more meaningful - that includes writing.

FQ: Besides children’s books, are you interested in writing in other genres down the line? I heard you like poetry?

DAHLSENG: I loved writing poetry as a child. As a children's writer, I gravitate towards writing in rhyme. However, I don't foresee writing any specific collection of poems. Other than children's books, I've been ruminating over a couple of topics that would be within the adult Christian nonfiction arena. I jot down thoughts or quotes I come across to possibly include, but now would be premature to really dive into writing them. There's much more for me to learn.

FQ: Could you give a little information to readers regarding your blog? How they can be a part of it; where they can read your musings, etc.?

DAHLSENG: I began a blog in 2014. It was a challenge to decide what direction I wanted to go with it. I love children's books and I also care about issues involving Christianity. The question was whether to include both, since the audiences could be very different. I decided that they're both a part of me, so why try to be someone I'm not? Thus, part of my blog is dedicated to recommending children's books (mostly secular) I've come across of excellent quality and the other is simply sharing what's been in my heart concerning my relationship with God, often an offshoot of something that happened in my life. If anyone is interested, it can be found at www.lesleydahlseng.com.

FQ: Can you offer up a hint as to another title we may see, and when we may see it?

DAHLSENG: I have several children's stories written, all of which are picture books. I've been holding onto them until I feel the time is right, so I can't really give a timeframe...hopefully not too long from now! The manuscript I'm currently finishing is likely the one I'll first submit to see if publishers are interested. It's in an upbeat rhyme, meant for some simple fun, and would fit into the secular category.

To learn more about My Kiss Won't Miss please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Press Release Has Gone Out All Over the 'Net'

And the press release announcing our award winners has just gone out all over the net (and FYI - we used the 'upgraded/paid' service to get the press release out to more people/places):

http://pdf.free-press-release.com/pdf/download/201502/1423356091.pdf?91875

Winners of Our 2015 Annual Award Program Announced

FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS

Winners of Our 2015 Annual Award Program Announced

Started in 2008 by a small group of dedicated, enthusiastic reviewers, Feathered Quill Book Reviews has become one of the preeminent review sites on the Internet. In the summer of 2013, we opened submissions for our first annual award program, with winners announced February 1, 2014.  Now in our second year, the award program has grown by leaps and bounds and drawn submissions from all over the world, from the U.S. to the UK and as far away as Ukraine.  This year, we were honored by the large number of submissions, from the one book self-publisher all the way up to the major New York houses. 

When submissions closed on December 15, 2014, our judges had the daunting task of reading a HUGE number of excellent books and trying to decide the best of the best.  Every book was read, every book was judged, and often it was a mere point or two that separated the winners from the ‘almost won’ books. 

In addition to the prestige of winning a national award, all winning books have been listed in our online bookstore, accessible from all pages of our review site, www.featheredquill.com.  We also offered over ten special awards, valued between $100 and $1000.  For a complete list of winners, please visit our award page and click on ‘2015 winners’ -  www.featheredquill.com/awardprogram.shtml

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Book Review - Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point

Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point

By: Jodi Auborn
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: December 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4993-2123-4
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: February 3, 2015

Who would think a hundred-year-old ghost and a child in the present-day world would team up to stop a treasure hunter who is desperate to uncover a pirate legend and line their greedy pockets with fortune? Well...it can happen. And it has happened because of the extremely creative and fun mind of Jodi Auborn.
Everyone loves the Indiana Jones world, as well as the pirate kingdom; by adding a ghost into the mix, this plot becomes sheer perfection that will appeal to all sorts of readers.

In 1913, there were lighthouse keepers on our planet. There was no automation at that time to shine the light that let brave sailors see the rocky, jagged cliffs that would take down their boat in seconds. In Salvation Point, Maine, Matthias is one of those keepers. As a young boy, he had watched his father be taken from him by Mother Nature's storm, and he took over the job of lighthouse keeper to make sure that no one ever met that same horrible fate. He worked long and hard, waking up at all hours to trim the wicks before heading to the cottage and sitting with his calico cat. Unfortunately, his fate would end up being as heartbreaking as his loving father's...

Fast forward to a young man in 2013. Dylan is beyond excited for the family trip to Salvation Point. This small town with less than a thousand people in it, will be his host for the summer. His father has actually inherited a house from his Uncle Zack - who, for the most part, was a hermit during his lifetime. Uncle Zack had been the owner of a real lighthouse, with cottage, and Dylan is ecstatic to see it.

Dylan doesn't miss his home in New York City a bit; he spends his time roaming the small town and gets hooked on some pretty wild tales about pirate treasure - legends that are a true part of Salvation Point. But that's not all that amazes Dylan. He will soon discover a man named Matthias living in his bedroom. This is not just any man, this is a ghost - an old lighthouse keeper who speaks in gruff grunts, but soon teams up with the boy in order to stop a pretty villainous cad who's out to get wealthy, even if kidnapping is something that has to be done.

The fun; the imagination; the thrills and adventure - Matthias is a work that all readers - no matter what the age - will want to read. This is an escape, a creative escape. If you are a senior citizen who loves to feel like a kid again; or, you are a kid who thrives on the unknown, this book is for you.

Quill says: An A+ for this author. One of the very few books you keep on your shelf to read again and again when the need for adventure 'calls.'

Book Review - Wall, Watchtower, and Pencil Stub

Wall, Watchtower, and Pencil Stub: Writing During World War II

By: John R. Carpenter
Publisher: Yucca Publishing
Publishing Date: September 2014
ISBN: 978-1-63158-004-8
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review Date: February 5, 2015

This is an extremely well-written book by John R. Carpenter, about the various writers who involved themselves during the days, months and years that encompassed the Second World War from 1939 to 1945. The book refers to the various writings during the war itself when participants didn’t even believe it was a war and were still wondering why Germany was trying to kill everyone.
This excerpt from George Orwell, author of 1984 is a fine example. “As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me. They do not feel any enmity against me as an individual, nor I against them. They are only doing their duty, as the saying goes. Most of them, I have no doubt, are kind-hearted, law-abiding men who would never dream of committing murder in private life.”

Mr. Carpenter writes that these authors, that he mentions in the book, told of the events of the war as they happened before anyone really realized that these horrible things were happening. These authors were looking through some very scary glasses as they described real, up-to-the-minute drama as it happened. Before the United States entered the war, it seemed that there were umpteen secrets that were hidden behind a steel curtain that began with a so-called 'Hitler-Stalin Pact of 1939' that continued until the end of the war in 1945, and as readers will remember, Russia changed sides and Hitler invaded their country.

This book is really the story of writing and should be on the reading list in every school in the US as World War II seemed to disappear for a while, but now the stories are coming back little by little. It is apparent that civilians suffered most during the war as the first horror of the occupied Baltic states, under this Pact, were written about, followed by the concentration camps being set up across Europe, which left the victims in shock and some who couldn’t believe it was happening. Mr. Carpenter travels through the war by letting the readers in on works by all types of writers who wrote about the beauty of the countryside though the fact that this same countryside saw the most brutal ways of treating human beings.

This is another excerpt that will underline things that were happening under everyone’s noses. An anonymous author wrote this from “The Far Side of the Moon” describing an iron door closing on a train and tiny pieces of paper were thrown to the ground. The line reads: “From the gratings fluttered down showers of white scraps, tiny pieces of paper on which were written names and addresses, last messages begging not to be forgotten, broken sentences and prayers.”

Quill says: This is an amazing book that should be in everyone’s library!