#BookReview - Stolen: Civil War Series, Volume 1

Stolen: Civil War Series, Volume 1

By: Rosemary Nichols

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: August 2021

ISBN: 978-1639889969

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: October 5, 2021

High principles vie with low morals, love and respect triumph over fear and hatred, all tangled in the lives of an extended family in pre-Civil War America. Rosemary Nichols’ tale combines tender empathy and life-threatening peril, seen through the eyes of a curious young girl.

It is September 1860. Thirteen-year-old Amaranda Van der Peyster is beginning studies at an exclusive academy, concerned about her limited grasp of algebra, when tragedy enters her formerly comfortable life, and suddenly, only a few crucial matters will beg her attention. Her Aunt Alice has lost her adopted children, the dark-skinned twins Carl and Hannah, who, having prospered and developed through their new family connections, were on their way from Albany to begin college at Oberlin when they simply disappeared. Overnight Ama and her family are caught up in the search for the twins, with the help of Pinkerton detectives. By exploring every clue and questioning every possible witness, Pinkertons Webster and Wilson will come to learn, and explain to the family, that the two have been kidnapped by someone intending to sell them into slavery. To assist in the search, the Van der Peysters will relocate to Louisiana, where they begin to see the true outlines of the coming armed conflict that not even the election of Abraham Lincoln can prevent.

This fact-charged narrative manages to include a visit to the family’s Baton Rouge-based mansion by General Tecumseh Sherman, who forebodingly expresses his opinion that if there is a war, the South cannot win. The lush life of plantation owners, even the best, most benevolent, is detailed, along with the lives of their slaves, based on the bedrock of historical research. Travel by steamship and dressing for fancy occasions are vividly depicted, along with a solemn funeral and a truly shocking slave auction, all occasions for Ama to observe and learn as she moves toward her fourteenth birthday, on the first day of the fateful year, 1861. Styled as a series, readers will be anticipating the further adventures of this dynamic brood, caught as they must inevitably become in the upheavals of active warfare.

Nichols has written previous historical fiction and finds herself fascinated by the Civil War years. Her diligent attention to the subject is recounted in an “Author’s Note” in which she cites some of the real events, places, and people on which this wide-ranging story is based. Some official particulars of the hunt for the children’s captors come from the author’s solid background in the legal profession. The stealing and selling of free black children were crimes common in the timeframe, and Pinkertons were known not only as detectives but as spies during the building conflict.

Quill says: In total, Nichols has brought the rapidly mounting fires of conflict between North and South in the 1860s to life for a new generation of readers, with a likable young heroine providing focus for the many issues under examination.

For more information on Stolen: Civil War Series, Volume 1, please visit the author's website at: http://rosemarygailnichols.com

#AuthorInterview with Mark M. Bello, author of Betrayal at the Border

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with Mark M. Bello, author of Betrayal at the Border (A Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Book 7).

FQ: In view of recent headlines, do you think readers will take special notice of this new work?

BELLO: I certainly hope so. Immigration is an important topic in this country. What's going on at the southern border is abhorrent to me. Our foreign policy in the Middle East has been an abject failure. The book tries to tackle both situations, both policy failures.

Many of us are ignorant to the plight of immigrants or just don't care because the issue doesn't effect them in their everyday lives. But, it does or has. Unless you are a native American, you are the children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of immigrants. For me the question is simple: This is America. We are better than this. How can we possibly be the country that incarcerates people who are trying to escape tyranny? Would we have wanted our ancestor treated like this when they arrived at Ellis Island?

FQ: How do you organize your time and energy to write the Blake series, given what must be a very busy life of legal work?

BELLO: I have retired from practicing law. For an old man like me, self-publishing and marketing novels and hosting a pro-justice podcast keeps me very busy (but I love it!). What you have to watch out for is trying to do too many things at once. See answers below, it doesn't usually work out so well.

FQ: Are there any storied attorneys that would serve as models for Blake and Mann’s grit and principles?

BELLO: Broadly, yes, there are pieces of many different lawyers in Zachary, Marshall, and my new character, Amy Fletcher. Some are names people might recognize; some are not. I will not name names. There are certainly elements of my personality in Blake's.

FQ: What episode in this complex story was the most challenging to construct?

BELLO: My biggest challenges are always those scenes that are not based on legal issues. Conveying the politics of the day correctly is important. For this novel, the rescue attempt in Syria was probably the biggest challenge and one I did a lot of research on to complete.

FQ: How did you research the settings in the book, such as the Syrian airport and countryside, and the immigrant holding cells in El Paso?

BELLO: Lot's of time on the Internet and in the library—reading accounts of real events or fictional accounts in other novels with similar settings helps me set the table.

FQ: Whom do you envision as the ideal reader for this book, the kind of person you hope most to reach and influence?

BELLO: People who like legal thrillers or political thrillers should like all of my Blake novels. People in the immigration system, immigrant families who might relate to these stories are certainly people who would enjoy reading Betrayal at the Border. People interested in social justice and a fair system will enjoy my books—people who want to see David have a fair shot at beating Goliath. I am a lawyer and a social justice advocate, someone who wants a fair shake for people who can't seem to catch a break or who need a certain specialist to push them over the top. Anybody like me will enjoy a Zachary Blake Social Justice Legal Thriller.

FQ: How long did it take to write this work, considering the many interlocking plot threads that had to be brought together?

Author Mark M. Bello

BELLO: The book took me a little over a year to write. I started writing it before I finished Supreme Betrayal. I had never tried to write two books at the same time, but I needed a rest from Supreme, so I gave it a try. It didn't work out too well, and the bulk of the book was written after the release of Supreme Betrayal. I recently wrote a few children's picture books, staying with social justice and safety themes. I firmly believe we are introducing these concepts and issue too late in life, hence my kids' books. One of the books deals with distracted driving and the dangers of trying to do two things or more at a time. In this case, I ignored my own advice.

Since I am not an immigration lawyer, and the field is highly specialized, I had to do a lot of research, including talking with multiple attorneys who practice in that system. Keep in mind that this is a NOVEL—I don't have to be legally factual, which helps a bit, but I did my best to accurately portray what immigrants face, every day.

FQ: How much of Zachary Blake is really Mark Bello?

BELLO: Zachary is a cocky, arrogant, aggressive, and tenacious advocate for his clients. He is relentless in his pursuit of justice and he has become extremely wealthy and charitable over the span of 7 legal thrillers. He's not deeply religious, but he's very conscious of his Judaism and Jewish Heritage. I share his feelings about his faith (probably where he is most like me), his relentless pursuit of justice, his advocacy and passion for his clients, but I am not cocky, arrogant or overly aggressive. To your previous question about "storied" lawyers, some of these "negative" (positives for lawyers, depending upon the situation) characteristics are found in those guys.

Unfortunately, I never had the wealth that Zack has accumulated. His wealth permits him the luxury to pick and choose his cases and do lots of pro bono and charity work. Tough cases are easier when you have the money to work them up. He's probably close to the lawyer I would have liked to become (without the cockiness).

#BookReview - Betrayal at the Border by Mark M. Bello

Betrayal at the Border (A Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Book 7)

By: Mark M. Bello

Publisher: 8Grand Publications

Publication Date: October 2021

ASIN‏ : ‎ B09FYJ6MWN

Reviewed By: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Review Date: September 2, 2021

Two family stories, their pasts separated by continents, unite at the conclusion of this highly topical action-packed tale by writer Mark M. Bello.

Bello begins by introducing Miguel and Mary Carmen Gonzalez and their two children, nine-year-old Emma and seven-year-old Emilio. Playing games their mother taught them from her Venezuelan heritage and enjoying going to school in a Detroit suburb while their parents do factory work, the two children little imagine that they might wind up in prison, their loving parents helpless to release them because, although the children are US citizens, Mary Carmen and Miguel are not. The next family saga concerns Cana and Karim Izady, Kurds who fled from Syria in 2014 when ISIS attacked their home city. They attained US citizenship with the help of Marshall Mann, an immigration lawyer in the office of Zachary Blake, and soon had a lovely little daughter Hana. Learning that the US will soon withdraw its support from their home region, Canan is determined to take Hana to visit her extended family while she still can. But when she arrives, she is almost immediately kidnapped, the ransom being set at millions. Fortunately, both these couples will fall under the protective professional assistance of Blake and Mann. Blake is fearless and adventurous; he decides to lead an expedition into Syria aimed at freeing Canan and her little child from the hands of greedy, hate-filled criminals. Meanwhile, Mann, an expert in US immigration law, will make it his goal to locate Emma and Emilio Gonzalez, who disappeared from school the day their parents were rounded up by ICE operatives.

Blake will devise a brilliant, devious, and intrinsically life-threatening plan to get the Kurdish pair out of danger, while Mann will visit the grim El Paso holding pen where Emma and Emilio are being kept in conditions little better than animals. In the end, the two families will find a common ground, and aid and comfort one another; for despite their national and religious differences, they have much suffering and strong determination as transcending bonds of friendship.

Bello has continually given voice in his Zachary Blake Legal Thriller series, of which this is the seventh, to ideals of law rightfully enforced, lawbreakers given the full penalty, and innocents vigorously defended. Through the prodigious talents and character of Blake and Mann he succeeds once again, bringing to this saga a great deal of up to the minute jurisprudence regarding the treatment of immigrants to the United States, the situation at our southern border typified here by the Gonzales couple, and our conflicts in the chaotic ongoing situation in the Middle East, illustrated by the perils of a simple family visit by Canan to her former home. The latter scenario will doubtless stand out even more powerfully in the light of recent headlines. Both these well mated dramas give the reader a well-honed glimpse of Blake as daring and dedicated, Mann as equally determined and rooted in the letter of the law, and both as bold as brass and unafraid to act when they know they are in the right.

Quill says: The action that surges and builds on every page of Betrayal at the Border is incentive enough for Bello’s new readers to delve more seriously into his series, and for fans already familiar with his work to rush to get a copy of this latest international page-turner.

For more information on Betrayal at the Border, please visit the author's website at: www.markmbello.com

#AuthorInterview with Lin Wilder

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Katie Specht is talking with Lin Wilder, author of The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther.

FQ: Several of your books are based on historical figures from the Bible. Can you explain what led you to write this particular genre of book?

WILDER: Historical fiction was nothing I planned to write. But then again, neither was medical mystery fiction. The first of the ancient novel series, I, Claudia, “appeared in my head” during a time I was planning to write the fifth in the Lindsey McCall medical mystery series.

I once believed that control was the primary difference between fiction and nonfiction: you have it in nonfiction but lose it in fiction. But now I think that good writing requires giving up control in whatever genre we write. There is something undeniably mystical about writing. But if we can’t let the research, the work of creating the characters speak to us, change our thoughts and ideas, the characters just sit on a page.

FQ: What type of research did you conduct prior to writing The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther?

WILDER: A ton. I mean that. I had thought this third would more or less follow in the steps of Claudia and Saul but all too soon I learned that was not the case. There are a hundred reasons why but briefly, I had to dig to find information about the ancient Persian Empire and the Achaemenid Empire. So much of our knowledge of ancient history is based upon the interpretation of the Greek historians. They wrote. The Persians did not.

FQ: Can you share which characters from the book were imagined, if any, and how you developed these characters?

WILDER: Most of the female characters are imagined. The women with the most influence on Esther are Joanna, Mordecai’s wife, Hannah, her young friend and Queen Atossa, Esther’s mother-in-law. It is Hannah, daughter of the Chief Rabbi at the Temple who helps Esther grow into womanhood. Hannah is uncomplicated, unlike Esther. She is happy with herself, comfortable in her own skin. But she possesses an integrity of character that helps her see what most of the other girls are blind to. About herself and others. Like the superficiality of their conversation, the jealousy and rivalry playing out among young girls. While the other girls are intimidated by Esther, Hannah understands that Esther is special...touched by God. Rather than being envious, Hannah welcomes the chance to learn from her. Hannah balances out Esther, helps her see her world and the people in it more clearly.

The relationship between Esther and Queen Atossa surprised me. But during the writing about Esther’s experience in the harem and subsequent marriage to Xerxes, I realized Queen Atossa’s presence was essential to this story. The strength and nobility of this woman Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus the Great and wife of Darius the Great, made the coming together of the two queens inevitable. Of course Atossa would be intrigued by this uncommon young woman her son had selected to be queen. Naturally she would see a daughter in Esther.

FQ: After reading The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther, I can come to my own conclusions as to why Esther was reluctant to be queen. In your opinion, what made her the most reluctant about fulfilling the role of queen?

WILDER: Interesting question. The most obvious reason for her reluctance was being ‘taken...’ followed by the gruesome experience of competing for a “night with a king.” There are others but best left for readers to decide for themselves.

FQ: Is the story of Esther a biblical story that you knew well prior to writing this book, or did you have to conduct lengthy research to familiarize yourself with it?

WILDER: No. Not at all. I knew the vague outline but none of the details. And yes the lengthy research ensued once I learned that so many contemporary Biblical scholars believe the Book of Esther to be fictional. That stunned me. Then when I discovered Jewish and Christian scholars who were insistent that the Book of Esther is historical, that confirmed this book to be perfect for me to tackle. Controversy.

FQ: Your blog ranks among the top 100 Christian blogs. Where do you derive your inspiration for the topics that you write about in your blog?

WILDER: All kinds of sources: books, movies, homilies heard at mass are primary. But not infrequently, I get a nudge about a particular subject or reading for the liturgy of the day.

FQ: One of your books, Finding the Narrow Path, is a memoir. How did it compare writing a memoir versus the rest of your books?

WILDER: Kind of like pulling a band aid off of an extremely tender wound very, very, slowly. It was not a book I wanted to write, never mind publish. And would not have done so had it not been for the insistence of a very good friend.

FQ: You have written an assortment of books. I am sure it is impossible to choose a favorite, but does any one book stand out as having been the most gratifying for you to write?

WILDER: Probably the first. The Fragrance Shed By A Violet: Murder in the Medical Center. Mostly because I’d convinced myself that nonfiction was what I did. All that I did. I’d published nonfiction my whole life. I’d done it well and acquired notoriety in my field. It was safe.

Fiction? It is many things but safe isn’t one of them.

FQ: Your next novel, Plausible Liars, is due to be released in the Spring of 2022. Can you give us a sneak peek as to what the topic of this book will be?

WILDER: This is a difficult story. So much so that I wrote about 20,000 words and had to stop because I could not attain the distance I needed to get the story written well. It’s the fifth of the Lindsey McCall mystery series and reintroduces familiar characters from the last book Malthus Revisited. Like Morgan and LJ, now sophomores at Cal Poly. But a new character is introduced: Joey, a transgendered female to male. I am looking forward to tackling it again.

FQ: What was your favorite step of the process while writing The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther?

WILDER: That’s an easy one. It was the “AHA” I got about ten days after getting the reaction of the first iteration of the manuscript from my readers. Their response was...suffice to say not good. And it takes a while to get over honest criticism. Assimilate it and get the ego sufficiently out of the way to realize, “Yes! I can fix this!” There is no greater high. Well few anyway.

#BookReview - The Reluctant Queen by Lin Wilder

The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther

By: Lin Wilder

Publisher: Wilder Books

Publication Date: October 2021

ISBN: 978-0578991238

Reviewed by: Katie Specht

Review Date: September 24, 2021

From veteran author Lin Wilder comes the story of the orphaned Jewish girl Esther in The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther. Wilder’s story uniquely merges historical fact with imagined, well-developed characters.

The story of Esther begins sadly. At age four, Esther finds herself orphaned as both of her parents die. Her mother’s death is especially traumatic for Esther, as she dies in childbirth, along with who would have been Esther’s baby brother. Esther’s mother sends her to fetch a midwife, and while Esther does her best, by the time she returns with one, her mother and the baby are dead.

Fortunately for Esther, shortly thereafter, she is adopted by her uncle Mordecai, who was Esther’s father’s brother, and his wife Joanna. Joanna is especially thrilled to have Esther as her adopted daughter, as she is almost forty years old yet does not have any children of her own. Esther’s adjustment after her parents die is quite a challenge. She finds herself awakening from nightmares almost nightly, crying out in her sleep, “Are you a midwife? I need a midwife!” Mordecai explains to the young girl that it was not her fault that her mother died, and that her father had every intention of being there when the baby was born. From that point on, Esther does not have any more nightmares.

Esther soon becomes friends with a girl from the village named Hannah. Their friendship blossoms and is a positive relationship for both girls. One day, while the girls are in the marketplace, soldiers approach Hannah and Esther and attempt to take Hannah away. Esther quickly announces that Hannah is no longer a virgin since her betrothal to her husband, even though this is not true. Previously, Esther was warned by Mordecai that soldiers would be coming for all the virgins in the kingdom, so she was prepared, whereas Hannah had no idea what was happening or why. Esther’s quick thinking saves Hannah and allows her to return home to her family. The soldiers instead focus their attention on capturing Esther, which is how she becomes the wife of King Xerxes, the king of the Persians.

Once she is taken, Esther finds herself thrust into a role for which she had no training, nor does she have any desire to fulfill: the role of queen. She constantly finds herself feeling like an outsider, but she heeds Mordecai’s advice to not reveal to her new “family” that she is a Jew. Will Esther be able to fulfill the significant role of Xerxes’s wife, the Queen of Persia, while keeping her true identity a secret?

Wilder is no stranger to writing historical fact. With The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther, Wilder has another winner. She perfectly blends the historical facts with well-developed supporting characters to create a riveting story. Even readers that know the story of Esther from the Bible will find themselves eagerly anticipating the next page of the story. When an author can command interest of a story that the reader already knows the ending to, that is true literary skill. Wilder excels at this with The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther.

Quill says: Wilder has again penned a top-notch historical fact story with The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther. Her writing is fast-paced and intriguing and will leave the reader longing for more.

To learn more about The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther, please visit the author’s website at linwilder.com.

#BookReview - The Reformation of Nate Adare

The Reformation of Nate Adare

By: Max Willi Fischer

Publication Date: Not Available

ISBN: Not Available

Reviewed By: Lynette Latzko

Review Date: September 2021

Nate Adare is one of those teenagers who enjoys spending most of his time in class playing jokes, making silly or rude comments out loud, and other such behaviors that fellow students find hilarious, but teachers generally find quite disruptive. He is not only failing in school, but he’s getting into trouble outside of it as well. Unfortunately, like many children and teens exhibiting this same behavior, Nate has several underlying issues. He has been raised for the past decade solely by a mother with a serious health issue, and he recently lost his alcoholic father, who died while serving time in prison for a crime he swears he never committed. These issues alone make it difficult for anyone to positively move forward and to succeed in life, but Nate has another issue that has recently been plaguing him.

The first incident, which ultimately landed him in the emergency room diagnosed with a concussion, occurred one evening when he woke up near a brickyard with a nasty headache, and a large bump on the side of his forehead. He only vaguely remembered what he was doing in the hours before the incident. While waiting to see a doctor, Nate reluctantly told his mother about what he believed was a strange and vivid dream he had shortly after waking up. Though he wasn’t a part of the dream, he remembered it was some time in 1979, and concerned two arguing men, one of whom he believed was a man from his father’s past. The second incident Nate experienced was unfortunately much more severe, and followed an accident with a snowplow he’d been operating one snowy evening. This one resulted in another head injury, but this time he didn’t wake up, and was officially listed as being in a coma.

In addition to Nate's "incidents," a few extremely bizarre episodes took place while Nate was unconscious. The first time in front of his mother, the second and third time also included his girlfriend, a doctor and one of his close friends. Incredibly, while still unconscious, Nate would suddenly sit up, eyes open, and start a prolonged stream of talking, often as if speaking through more than one person, all in a British accent. And as abrupt as he began talking, he would just as quickly stop and flop back in the bed, eyes closed. Doctors were at first both fascinated and stumped by this odd manifestation, but as time went by, the doctors began to think a bit differently, and way outside of the normal medical science box. But what could possibly be waking Nate from his coma and giving him the ability to speak? Was it something supernatural, or something locked deep inside his memories?

The Reformation of Nate Adare, penned by Max Willi Fischer, is a novel of speculative fiction that is not your typical science fiction novel filled with aliens, superheroes or even artificial intelligence. While the story may at first seem to be about an ordinary mischief-making teen, it takes an unexpected turn when Nate suffers two head injuries. What follows is an interesting twist involving past memories that keeps readers not only wondering what will happen next, but also wondering if Nate’s afflictions could be something that might occur in real life, and not just in this fictional story. Though the characters are believable, they could be expanded upon in order to improve the overall readability and enjoyment of the story. However, a bit of mystery and lots of food for thought keeps readers interested in continuing through until the end, despite some confusing areas between the characters, and an ending that may leave readers dangling and looking for more.

Quill says: Are you seeking a story that’s a bit different than your average sci-fi read? If so, you won’t want to miss the latest novel by Max Willi Fischer, The Reformation of Nate Adare.

For more information on The Reformation of Nate Adare, please visit the author's website at: www.maxwilli.weebly.com

#BookReview - Ms. Goshsquash by Lola Coleman

Ms. Goshsquash

By: Lola Coleman

Illustrated by: Alexandra Rusu

Publisher: DartFrog Books

Publication Date: TBD

ISBN: 978-1-953910-83-7

Reviewed by: Holly Connors

Review Date: October 3, 2021

Welcome to the world of Ms. Goshsquash, a magical woman who knows just how to handle all the naughty children who might come her way.

Ms. Goshsquash was a small woman who “...was plump and round, and she always wore black. And she had the most unusual pet Yak.” But her yak wasn’t the only curious thing about Ms. Goshsquash – all the townspeople knew that if a child misbehaved, she was the one who could teach the child the error of their ways.

One day, when Ms. Goshsquash saw three children skipping school, “...she knew it was time for the Goshsquash rule.”

“The three unsuspecting children had no idea how,

But suddenly they found themselves staring at a cow.

They saw a woman and tried to be brave.

They didn’t know it then, but soon they’d learn to behave.”

The three schoolchildren soon found themselves in Ms. Goshsquash’s farmhouse, where she set to work teaching them a lesson they’d never forget. Roscoe was the first one to learn about the Goshsquash Rule. Nervous that something was about to happen, the boy’s knees began to shake. Then, as his two friends looked on, a hole appeared in the floor and Roscoe immediately disappeared into the abyss. Tilda and Billy screamed in disbelief. What just happened?

As his friends tried to figure out what happened, Roscoe suddenly appeared on the wrong side of a mirror. How could that be? But before they had time to figure it out, it was Tilda’s turn to learn about the Goshsquash Rule. Once she was gone behind the mirror, a defiant Billy thought he could outwit the old woman. The boy was stubborn and convinced that he wasn’t really “all that bad.” But he was no match for Ms. Goshsquash.

Ms. Goshsquash is a tale that reminded me of the classic Grimm Fairy Tales, with a magical old woman (a witch, perhaps?) and naughty children who get themselves into trouble. We never learn how Ms. Goshsquash does the magically things she does, but the children learn a very important lesson about how their actions hurt those around them. Stuck inside the mirror, they’re able to see those they tease and bully, and the tears and pain their actions caused. The story is told in rhyme and flows nicely as the story moves along quickly. Finally, the beautiful artwork must be mentioned – the gorgeous watercolor drawings really bring the story to life.

Quill says: Ms. Goshsquash is a fun and quirky story, with beautiful artwork and rhyming text that teaches children how being mean can hurt others.