#BookReview - Versus: A Tale of Zero-Sum Contestation

VERSUS: A Tale of Zero-Sum Contestation

By: Simon Plaster
Publisher: Mossik Press
Publication Date: October 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9994-1856-7
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: November 11, 2020

From BOO! to Geezers to Brokla and beyond, I can explain my continuing recommendations of this author in four simple words: I love this guy!

It is not a shocker to see a review of a Simon Plaster book that includes the word “brilliant” or the phrase “the king of satire.” This is an author who takes on the hideous (and at the same time, ridiculous) subjects of today’s world, face them, fight them if need be, and leave the reader not only laughing but finally understanding what the s##t in this world is all about.

I became a huge fan of Simon’s series of standalones that feature small-town reporter turned detective, Henrietta, who was named after her hometown Henryetta, Oklahoma, when they first began. Personally, I think this woman is one character in fiction that the whole state of Oklahoma should bow to because she gives them definite flair.

Beginning on a Tuesday, readers immediately start having fun with the news that an election is on the horizon. (Goodness knows, we finally just got over the last one in real-life). Here, however, we’re talking a race for the Governor. Henrietta is at a point in her life where she’s happy. She is getting a solid paycheck for her work as a private detective, and her boss, Leroy “Lero” O’Rourke has a ton of work on his plate now that he became a “big name” in town for defending an illegal Mexican who was wrongly charged with murder.

Heading into her boss’s office, Henrietta is ready for her next case to be assigned. Opening the door, she first sees political campaign posters of the two men running for Governor. One depicts the Democratic candidate, Richard “Big Dick” Goodman; the other shows his opponent, Montgomery “Big Johnson” Johnson, who is a Republican all about family values. After seeing that, she is passed a file by Lero labeled Crammer vs. Crammer. This case she’s about to take charge of involves a ‘wronged woman’ and a bad marriage. And that’s only a sneak peek at the plot-filled party that’s about to commence.

We soon get involved with two lawyers sitting in their fancy offices on the 20th floor. One is Randolph McCoy who is part of the divorce lawsuit; the other is Andrew Hartfield – opposing counsel – who can be found in the building right across the narrow street. In fact, Hatfield and McCoy (don’t you just love that?) can see each other through their windows. These men are longtime rivals who work hard to one-up the other on a daily basis. Ever since grade school these boys have been competing in every avenue of life: from sports to board games; from making their careers a success to landing women, and earning the highest salary. They do agree on one thing, though: In this life, there was no such thing as a “tie.” 

As this divorce case comes to pass, pitting a woman named Lilith against her estranged husband who just happens to be an extremely rich doctor who loves being at the top of society and being invited to any and all prestigious events, things get really out of hand. The doctor, by the way, is a die-hard Republican. Murder, of course, is a hot topic in this tale, and trying to figure out the ‘who, what, why and how’ is again one of Simon Plaster’s greatest gifts.

Not only is it a whole lot of fun to delve further into the Crammer matter, but readers will also be educated on organizations with names like, “Doctors Without Limits Political Action Committee” and the “Christian Family Circle.” (Think about those for a while.) It seems on every page there are people versus people, groups versus groups, and lawyers versus lawyers...everyone is battling. Henrietta remains the lone character with common sense (thank goodness) who can work through these ridiculous wars in order to solve every question that arises. 

The culmination of the tale where a revelation is offered occurs during a high-brow golf tournament with the backdrop of a huge storm, and adds even more fun to the whole political enchilada. This author needs a fan club set up for him, PRONTO! (You can count on me paying annual membership dues.)

Quill says: So funny, you’ll wish that THIS was the election we had to deal with instead of the real one. This one was far more entertaining.

For more information on VERSUS: A Tale of Zero-Sum Contestation, please visit the author's Goodreads page at: Goodreads.SimonPlaster.com

 

#BookReview - A Wild Day at the Zoo

A Wild Day at the Zoo (Little Polyglot Adventures, Book 2)

By: Victor Dias de Oliveira Santos
Illustrator: Eszter Miklós
Publisher: Linguacious
Publication Date: September 2020
ISBN: 978-1649620439
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: November 2020

A fun day at the zoo turns into a crazy adventure full of excitement in the newest book in the “Little Polyglot Adventures” series by Victor D.O. Santos.

Siblings Dylan and Isabella are super excited to be going to the zoo. It is a special day, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of day because the zoo has designated it as a day when visitors can bring their own pets to the zoo. Most people bring their dogs, or cats, or other common animals while one family brings their ferret. But Dylan and Isabella steal the show by bringing Kiki, Dylan’s adorable pet chicken that he received for his last birthday. Kiki is just as excited as Dylan and Isabella. What a day it will be!

Stopping at the zoo’s gift shop, the kids’ parents buy Kiki a special backpack so she can “ride” on Dad’s back, while Isabella gets a soap bubble machine. Next it’s off to visit all the amazing zoo animals.

Isabella decides they should first visit the Africa section of the zoo. She tells her dad what types of animals live in Africa and he’s quite impressed. “Wow!” he exclaims. Then he asks the kids what else they know about the animals that live in Africa. They impress him with their knowledge, check out the animals, and then the family heads to the next section of the zoo.

When the family gets to the giraffe enclosure, they’re thrilled to meet a friendly giraffe who is quite curious about Kiki. The adorable chicken, however, isn’t so sure about the giraffe. Dad, thinking that this is the perfect time to get some pictures, puts Kiki, still in her backpack, down on a bench. And that’s when the inquisitive giraffe makes her move. When Dad turns his attention back to the giraffe enclosure, he’s startled to see poor Kiki running around the enclosure with the giraffe following close behind. A quick thinking Isabella may be Kiki’s only hope...

A Wild Day at the Zoo is indeed a wild and fun adventure story. Dylan and Isabella, the children at the center of the story, are sweet and curious, and their eagerness to learn is inspiring. They also speak several languages, English, Portuguese to their dad, Ukrainian to their mom, and Isabella even hopes to learn “dogenese” one day so she can speak to dogs. The author uses words from different languages in several places (with footnotes translating the words), and visitors to the zoo are representative of many different cultures. It’s a nice detail to an already creative story. Kiki’s rescue comes at the hands of a quick thinking Isabella which adds another nice element. The illustrations are lovely, with Kiki and her adorable expressions as the highlight. Wrap it all up and this is a charming book that should be on your child’s bookshelf.

Quill says: A Wild Day at the Zoo is indeed a culturally and linguistically diverse wild adventure that kids will love.

For more information on A Wild Day at the Zoo (Little Polyglot Adventures, Book 2),please visit the website: www.linguacious.net

 

#BookReview - Walk Away West by JF Collen

Walk Away West (Journey of Cornelia Rose Book 2)

By: JF Collen
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Publication Date: September 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62253-637-5
Reviewed by Diane Lunsford
Review Date: November 2020

Author JF Collen continues a raucous adventure in the second book of the Journey of Cornelia Rose series, Walk Away West.

It is 1852 in Sing Sing, New York. Newly married Cornelia Rose is ecstatic the further she settles into married life and all the comforts of the home she and her beloved Obadiah are making together. Born and raised along the Hudson, Cornelia cannot imagine ever living anywhere else. Add in the wondrous and glorious civilization of New York and everything seems perfect. Of course, her courting days are behind her, but she still loves to enjoy the festivities a visit to West Point has to offer. After all, that’s where she first met Obadiah. Her daddy is quite the ship master and happens to own the Henry Clay, one of the fastest ships on the Hudson. Little did anyone know that the tragedy of fire was awaiting the passengers on that fateful day in July 1852.

Time is a healer of wounds and the fire is a horrid, but thankfully distant memory. Cornelia and Obadiah’s family grows as they become more accustomed to life along the Hudson. Imagine Cornelia’s shock (and horror) when her brother-in-law, Armistead, happens to drop the news of an imminent move west to Chicago. Obadiah cannot possibly be serious of wanting to go west as well. However, when the opportunity of becoming a circuit judge in the Utah Territory is dangled for Obadiah’s taking, there is no hesitation in his acceptance of such an appointment. It does not matter how much time Cornelia spends educating herself about the unknown reaches of the West. The fact of the matter is reality has a way of painting a much different picture than the fantasies and wonders one’s mind can conjure up.

I had the pleasure of reading JF Collen’s first book in the Journey of Cornelia Rose series, Flirtation on the Hudson. Walk Away West was just as entertaining. As in the first book, Collen stays true to the credibility of characters and the period within which the story is written. The attention to detail of scenery complements dialogue and consistently takes the reader back to a time and place long before modern creature comforts and conveniences. There’s a lovely tone of pure innocence during the 1850’s as much as there is nuance of the harsh reality of vulnerability to the raw elements. Walk Away West has great pace and is a fun read. Collen has a flair when it comes to engaging the audience from the onset and has once again delivered an entertaining and wholesome read.

Quill says: Walk Away West is a tremendous slice of historical pie with a healthy scoop of days gone by on top.

For more information on Walk Away West (Journey of Cornelia Rose Book 2), please visit the author's website at: www.jfcollen.com 

 

#BookReview - A Wish For A Christmas Fish

A Wish For A Christmas Fish: Secret Adventures Of The North Pole

By: Nancy and Eddie Sullivan
Publisher: Bookstand Publishing
Publication Date: December 2019
ISBN: 978-1634988766
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: November 8, 2020

A fish tale, in the truest sense of the word, has a town full of adorable little fish going on all sorts of adventures, ending in a twist that shows children the true meaning of Christmas.

Rufus is a rather mean, grumpy fish who just loves other fish. In fact, he loves them so much because, well, he eats them! Along with his friend Cliffy The Catfish, the two wreak havoc on their local part of a lake. In desperation, some of the members of that lake ask Dr. Gilfish to help them get rid of the two troublemakers. Dr. Gilfish is quite clever and comes up with a plan that meets with great success (you’ll have to read to see what he does).

Rufus and Cliffy eventually settle in the town of Jollybrook. It’s a town full of friendly fish, fish that Rufus has sworn not to eat. While the two friends settle into their new home, some of the other fish decide to play miniature golf. After a bit of play, as they get ready to start yet another round of golf, Frankie Fishy has an idea. “…Why don’t we go to the surface, and look for the Flying Orange Craft?” At first, the other fish don’t want to go on a search, especially since it means heading up to the surface to look for a flying craft that only Frankie has ever seen. Eventually, however, Frankie convinces his friends and off they go.

Amazingly, while looking for the Flying Orange Craft, the friends actually spot the strange vehicle. Together with the craft’s pilot, Eddie Elf, all the fish pack into the vehicle and go for a ride. They explore a nearby town and learn all about Santa and what Eddie Elf can do with his magic candy cane.

When the fish friends return to Jollybrook, they get ready to attend The Jolly Good Christmas Party. It’s an event the whole town is excited about. Santa’s Magical Christmas Wish Lantern is setup by the Christmas tree. Once the party is underway, each fish will make a wish at the lantern. Frankie’s wish is no surprise, “…Santa, my one and only Christmas wish…” is a Flying Orange Craft of his very own. But when Rufus and Cliffy arrive at the party, the celebration may not go as planned. It appears Rufus is reverting to his old ways and is about to eat poor Louie the axolotl (a Mexican walking fish)! Will Frankie be able to save his good friend Louie before it is too late? This is one “tail” that has a very exciting ending for both fish and readers alike.

A Wish For A Christmas Fish is by far one of the most original children’s stories I’ve read in a long time. It definitely takes a lot of imagination to come up with a story filled with fish adventures and keep it interesting. Initially focusing on Rufus and Cliffy for the first two chapters, the book then switches to the adventures of several other fish friends. Rufus and Cliffy seemed to disappear from the story and I found myself wondering what happened. But the authors had the tale well-planned out and the two miscreants reappear to cause problems and notch up the excitement level as the story reaches its climax. The easy-reading chapter book would be well suited for a child who has moved beyond the simple stories of the typical 32-page hardcover adventure, but not quite ready for more in-depth novels. Along with the modest but very bright illustrations, and the aforementioned creative story, A Wish For A Christmas Fish is a good story to keep young readers engaged.

Quill says: A cute and very unique story, full of holiday cheer that includes a wonderful Christmas message.

 

 

#BookReview - A Prison Without Locks by David Ruggerio

A Prison Without Locks

By: David Ruggerio
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: November 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68433-620-3
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: November 2020

As a girl who grew up in one of those so-called “quaint hamlets” out there, they have personally always brought me nightmares. Although you might think they’re lovely to live in, this book actually sums them up perfectly; from the gossip mongers to the people you know who have a secret buried and you find them at bit scary to talk to, yet they’re always around.

We first meet Marlene Bourke-White. This is a journalist not taken seriously because she works for JRW, a company that’s not seen as a “real” publishing force because the news they print is in the realm of entertainment and celebrity stories. Thus, Marlene decides it’s time to attempt writing her first book. Of course, as all writers know, we have to have a subject before being able to pen a great novel, which Marlene just happens to find in the strangest of places.

A woman she works with and eats lunch with quite often, Tammy Russo, has told Marlene stories about her odd hometown. Tammy grew up in Wawarsing, a quaint hamlet in Upstate New York that has experienced everything from anemia to strange disappearances that seem to occur at an alarming rate. Although nothing has been enticing to Marlene as of yet, one day Tammy comes back with a story that just has to be written.

Readers find themselves transported to the Witch’s Hole State Forest in the village of Wawarsing. Everybody from local fly-fishermen to visiting hikers, tourists, and sightseers come here to gaze upon Stony Kill Falls. A major attraction for the area, the Falls top out at 87-feet, which is one reason why Wawarsing is one of the most “hilly” towns in the Appalachian foothills. (The northernmost point lies in the legendary Catskills, the same area where The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was set.)

This one October morning, Bobby, an overnight stocker at the local Wegman’s, decides to head to Stony Kill for a little fly casting. What he finds there, however, is a lot more than just a hungry trout. A pasty-faced boy is standing behind the cascading water, and when Bobby calls out to him, this young man turns his head and makes a sound that upsets the entire mass of woodland creatures and sends Bobby running back to town for help.

Shea Calhoun, a good Irish Catholic boy (now 60) is the pastor of St. Mary’s & St. Andrew’s Church. He was the one who got citizens to attend services in the clapboard church once again after he worked hard upon his arrival to Wawarsing. Reviving the church built in 1850, he also has an “ear” from his past who he seeks advice from on baffling matters, such as the one that’s about to be presented to him.

Local doctor, Roger Pretorius, is from a wealthy family. He chose to practice medicine in this middle-of-nowhere town because of a tremor in his left hand, as well as other “idiosyncrasies” he collected from his time in Haiti long ago that he believed would be more easily hidden in a small town.

We have a deputy named Harry and a town sheriff named Grady Lassard, who likes to drink quite a bit and is one of two lovers that a local married woman enjoys. When these people descend on Stony Kill Falls, they not only find a boy looking like a zombie, but they also are eye-witnesses to a horrific howl the boy expels right before he up and disappears. No one can find him. Even stranger is the fact that Deputy Harry knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the kid they all just saw was the same person who was already found dead by woodcutters in the area.

And that’s just a taste of the story! The characters are numerous and represent every “human and their storefront” that can be found in every small town. Mary Jacobs is the nurse who knows all the gossip; Josie owns the local Pump N’ Munch Market and has her own interesting sex life. We meet Bean Blossom, the greengrocer; Pop, who owns the local butcher shop – you name it, the cast is all there.

Soon, out of the past comes a woman from the doctor’s life named Epiphany, who has a talent for being a sorceress. You also enter a basement that has a warning written in ancient Coptic that reads: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” You’ll also race down a tunnel that holds a small army of mannequins that will seriously shake you up. Is a bottle of Holy Water gonna cut it, here? You’ll have to read to find out.

The best way to sum this up is that it takes me at least three days to read a book – on a good week, that is. This one? I opened it to commence reading for the normal amount of time and got so enveloped in this tale by the end of Page 2, I quite literally did nothing but read for the rest of the day. Yes, there will be repercussions from that but, I guarantee, you’ll do the same.

Quill says: Surprises, revelations, a plot that sent shock waves through my system—this story is one I will never forget!

For more information on A Prison Without Locks, please visit the author's website at: www.ruggeriobooks.com

 

#BookReview - Aldaraia by Burt Clinchandhill

Aldaraia (The Matthew Bishop Series - Book One)

By: Burt Clinchandhill
Published by: Evolved Publishing
Publication Date: October 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62253608-8
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: November 4, 2020

I always love the introduction of a new series in the literary world. And this one...well, this one just increases my belief that new series and/or trilogies should enter the realm more often. If you are one of “me” who hears the words “adventure” and “professor” and thinks of Indiana Jones in his heyday, this is the book for you. If you are one who is still to this day obsessed with Dan Brown’s magical conspiracy The Da Vinci Code – magical because it quite literally set a record for being at the top of bestseller lists for 28 weeks – then, this is also the book for you.

A conspiracy to the nth degree begins when we meet up with Jennifer Porter. Jennifer is a lovely, intelligent woman, now heartbroken and confused because her own father has succumbed to death supposedly at the hands of some mysterious illness. Not only did her father leave a lot of unanswered questions behind, he also left a lot of work undone. The biggest and perhaps most frightening thing he left was a book that’s over four centuries old. Translated, the title of the tome is The Book of Soyga, and it’s mysterious and a bit frightening because the words are written in a cryptic language that Jennifer cannot decipher.

Jennifer becomes more than a little obsessed, needing to find out if this book may have anything to do with her father’s sudden and strange demise. There is one person who supposedly can decode the book: enter...Matthew Bishop, a professor at Yale University. The adventure begins, a hunt, a chase, a journey that may have monumental repercussions...to race around the world following clues that will hopefully unearth hidden scrolls that will lead them closer to the truth. But, as it is with all thrillers, Jennifer and her helpful professor are not the only ones looking for these scrolls – and some are willing to commit murder in order to find what she and Bishop are looking for first so they can unearth the greatest secret the world has ever known.

Yes, this is a race against time. But not only is Jennifer a great character, and Matthew Bishop is sure to be on the big screen one day, The Book of Soyga becomes the reader’s obsession quite quickly, and allows each and every one of us to meet up with some truly unforgettable characters. One of my personal favorites is a philosopher by the name of John Dee, who just happens to focus on the occult.

I give the author a true high-five for this novel, especially since he tells the tale by utilizing various timelines, which is difficult to do, even for the masters of the written word. The suspense is monumental, the story never slows down, and it has that magic gift of blurring the lines of the seemingly impossible with something that almost feels like it could be based on absolute truth (AKA, Da Vinci Code).

I was told that this author’s background is in writing but also photography. This would make sense because while reading this you can definitely see a clear “picture” of the cool locations and dark moments that make the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention.

Quill says: Set to be a trilogy, the second Bishop installment, Lemuria, is one that already has me wishing it was 2021.

For more information on Aldaraia (The Matthew Bishop Series - Book One), please visit the author's website at: www.clinchandhill.com

 

#BookReview - The Augur's View by Victoria Lehrer

The Augur's View: A Post-Apocalyptic Adventure (New Earth Chronicles)

By: Victoria Lehrer
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Publication Date: March 2019
ISBN: 978-1622533701
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: November 2, 2020

 

Author Victoria Lehrer has created a fantastical look at Earth some fourteen years hence, after a major Solar Flash has all but destroyed structures and systems and turned the governance of the Americas into a cold, totalitarian new world.

When we first meet Eena, a central character in this first portion of New Earth Chronicles, she has been taken to a grim underground bunker in the newly reborn town of Transtopia, in an area that once contained Colorado Springs. Eena is a prize catch for the recently devised Union of the Americas, possessing a certain genetic combination of former royalty (her father) and that of her working class mother. This combo is just what U.A. and its Imperial Governor Charles Scholtz need to produce and clone the perfect, docile worker race that will support the controlling regime. But Eena, no fool and no coward, soon escapes with a gun and heads out to find herself in a mystical realm, possibly the mythological land of Mu, where people raise, train and ride enormous, seemingly psychic birds known as augurs. She will use her own personal augur and her own acute understanding to find a way to protect and enhearten the “runners” – those in the wrecked world who are fleeing the U.A’s dictatorship, resolved to rebel against it.

The next person on the scene is Gavin, a once-cooperative township man who begins to realize that the only hope for himself and his people is to flee, to get under the literal radar and seek a cadre of fellow rebels. He and Eena will recognize each other as kindred spirits, though each will find potential mates elsewhere: Eena with the farmer Chas, and Gavin with the scientifically gifted Leslie. Nathan is a rogue member of Eena’s alliance, the Sovereignty Movement; a pilot sent by U.A. to spy on the rebels, he moves freely among them, unsuspected. On Thunderbird Mountain lives Matoskah, a Native American sage who offers tidbits of wisdom to the alliance. And somewhere in the mountains may be an ancient gateway that offers hope of renewal for all.

With a southwestern setting and some familiar places like Durango and the Continental Divide that play a part in the panoramic plot, Lehrer has constructed a multilayered allegory that cries for graphic dimension. The dynamic players range from scurrilous humans to semi-divine seers, and some powerful avian allies.

Quill says: With a lifelong passion for reading and teaching and a wish to give readers some powerful stories to contemplate, series writer Victoria Lehrer is poised to take a place among the greats of dystopian fiction and science fantasy.

For more information on The Augur's View: A Post-Apocalyptic Adventure (New Earth Chronicles), please visit the website: www.newearthchronicles.net