Fascinating and Unique

 

 

Saint Michael’s Sword: Tip of the Blade

Written by Cris Harding
Review by Linnea Tanner

Saint Michael’s Sword: Tip of the Blade by Cris Harding is set in 9th-century France during an era undergoing tumultuous change with the decline of Charlemagne’s empire and the upheaval of Viking invasions. The tale begins when Brother Anatole listens to the confession of Madelyn, an insane woman haunted with images of Satan fighting for her soul. To heal and find grace with God, she must unburden herself of the past. A quote that best describes Madelyn’s story is: “Destiny is a river we voyage. Once choices are made, our fortunes depend on the ability to survive dangerous waters and which fork we follow when the river divides.” Madelyn’s confession begins with the family history of her Christian father and druidic mother, who fall madly in love with each other and marry. We follow Madelyn from childhood to coming of age when she wrestles with her romantic feelings for an orphan raised by the Friars, whom she promises to wed. However, her destiny takes a fork when she is forced to marry an older man, and she faces the terror of Viking plundering.
Cris Harding’s narrative style is poetic, like a bard retelling a tragic story from the Middle Ages. Although the book cover depicts a whimsical childhood tale, the elements of the story are darker with adult themes. The strife caused by the different religious beliefs and rituals between the pagans and Christians are explored through Madelyn’s experiences.
Historical fiction readers interested in the conflicting cultures and tragic tales from the medieval period will find this novel fascinating and unique.

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Details

PUBLISHER

All Things That Matter Press

PUBLISHED

2018

PERIOD

Early Medieval (to 1337)

CENTURY

9th Century

Review

APPEARED IN

HNR Issue 87 (February 2019)

Kept me on the edge of my seat

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping story. Kept me on the edge of my seat, July 11, 2012

By 

Soccermom1960 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Ulasiga (Paperback)

First let me start with saying I read for enjoyment and I thouroughly enjoyed this novel.

I started the novel with a concern that this was going to be too much science fiction; of which I am not a fan. I was surprised to find a little horror, a little science fiction and a lot of adventure and mystery. The author paints a very clear picture of the heros in this story with realistic descriptions and personality developements.

The writers imagination took me to the forest, a grocery store and inside a cave. I felt sadness and joy along with the characters and especially cringed for Justin. I actually found myself smiling with the children Davy connected with. I also found myself cheering for Davy and Roberta as they struggled with everyday tasks.

Thank you Mr. Parkhurst for an incredible read.

I look forward to reading future books from this author

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Ulasiga-Glenn-Parkhurst/dp/0985006692/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1344077279&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+ulasiga

The Irish Focus On Martyrs & Traitors

Bohemians, Protestants and the 1916 Easter Rising

By Pete Maher

Publisher & Editor, The Irish Focus

http://www.amazon.com/Martyrs-Traitors-Marina-Julia-Neary/dp/0984651748/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325803179&sr=1-17

Anyone who has ever studied the cast of characters that went into the historic 1916 Easter Monday Rising in Dublin will tell you there was certainly no shortage of colorful individuals involved. Volumes have been dedicated to scrutinize the lives and motivations of the men and women who orchestrated the effort, those who swept into the General Post Office,  Jacob’s Biscuit Factory, the College of Surgeons, et. al., and in the telling such larger-than-life characters as rebel leaders Padraig Pearse, James Connelly or Constance Gore-Booth Markievicz  often take center stage.

So when approached to review a book of historical fiction based on the true life events surrounding a man named Bulmer Hobson, one of the least-heralded rebels of the Irish rebellion, I was more than intrigued.  After all, in most of the many accounts I had read about that fateful weekend, the name Bulmer Hobson was often mention in passing  as a traitor to the rising without context or background. So to read an account, albeit a fictionalized account, of this man’s role before, during and – perhaps even more importantly – after the rebellion held promise of a story well worth reading.

The author behind the 432-page tome “Martyrs and Traitors, a Tale of 1916” that would eventually land on my desk is Marina Julia Neary, who apparently takes a certain amount of pride in focusing her attention on such a relative unknown.

“My choice of focal character has been questioned on several occasions,” she writes in her afterward. “I have been asked ‘Why did you choose Bulmer Hobson for your protagonist? That’s not a name you hear frequently.” And my answer is because Michael Collins has been done to death, and I have nothing more to say about him.’”

In selecting Hobson - a non-drinking Quaker and devout Irish-speaking republican - as the central character in her story, Neary was able to shed some light on an element that played a pivotal role in the development of nationalism in Ireland – the Protestant North.

Perhaps equally important, at least in this reviewer’s opinion, is the role of the bohemian underground that both sheltered and encouraged some of the more radical elements in the Irish republican movement. As she builds her narrative, bringing the reader along as we learn of Hobson’s Antrim roots and early involvement in the Irish republican cause – as well as his sympatico attraction to the hero Wolfe Tone – we are also exposed to the eccentric people and lifestyles of the intellectual and creative elite of turn of the century Dublin.

As the story details Hobson’s emotional entanglements , the reader is exposed not only to a growing sense of Irish identity through Hobson’s involvement with the Dungannon Clubs in the North and the creation of the Irish Fianna – an Irish version of Sir Baden Powell’s British Boy Scouts – but also to the notions of free love and open sexuality that was flourishing at the same time among the city’s upper classes.

Also of interest in Hobson’s role in several key events that have long been woven into national lore without trace of his involvement – from the gunrunning incident at Howth to the inclusion of Redmond’s Volunteers into the republican organization and the subsequent rift resulting in two separate “Volunteer” organizations – as well as the sudden rise of a schoolteacher named Patrick Pearse onto the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) scene, where Pearse would eventually attain a sort of sainthood while Hobson would be quickly relegated to obscurity.

Overall, the writing of this narrative is clean and constantly moving forward, and the author does a superb job of keeping the characters and situations easily absorbed by the reader without cluttering up the narrative with extraneous details. Additionally, the narrative does provide some new perspective on such historical luminaries as James Connelly and Roger Casement, among others, that shows both the author’s depth of knowledge about these characters but no little bit of insight as well.

As someone who has read extensively on the Easter Rising of 1916, I can honestly say that Neary has brought some elements of this story to light that I had either never seen covered before and filled in some gaps in the narrative of that historic period that have often been studiously avoided by others.  This is clearly a narrative that falls into that rare “must have” category of books on Irish history.

“Currently, Bulmer Hobson is not a star in the popular epos of Irish nationalism, but he certainly was a star in his day – a star that was abruptly extinguished,” Neary writes. “The story of a man so precocious and egotistical in his politics, yet so naïve in matters of the heart, fascinated and moved me. This novel is my hymn for all prematurely extinguished stars.”

"adventure, battles, ancient civilizations and symbolism, secret societies, love triangles, sex"

"The second book in the Waking God Trilogy, The Sacred Rota does not disappoint.We continue to witness the battle between "good" in the form of Lucifer and "evil" in the form of the archangel Michael, while continuing the adventures of an assortment of characters both mythical and human.Harris and Doe give the reader all in this novel- adventure, battles, ancient civilizations and symbolism, secret societies, love triangles, sex- all in the name to save humanity from it's demise from blindly following the dogma of organized religion.The message, I think, is that there is "God" in all of us and all around us and that we have the ability to create our own universe and universal truths.But aside from that, this is a good read- it is a fast paced adventure novel that is difficult to put down.Can't wait to read Book III and see how it all turns out!"



REVIEWER, Jen Sculli

A NEW CLASSIC

REVIEW BY SANDY COHEN found at:
http://sandy-cohen.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-classic.html



What should we expect from a classic children’s tale? Imaginary gardens with real toads in them? An enchanting story told with wisdom and great charm? One you can read aloud to your own precocious, nearly-perfect child, then read again yourself for the adult insights and delights it reveals and the places of enchantment that it takes you to? Choose all of the above and enter into the plausible and implausible wise and whimsical, alluring world Professor Studdard has created for you in Six Weeks to Yehidah. It’s a story destined to be an adolescent-adult classic. Enter this wonderful world of the almost perfectly mannered Miss. Annalise of the Verdant Hills in this tale of wonder and delight. Take a child with you or be one yourself as you travel through the real imaginary places of clouds and seascapes and great truths. Your only regret will be that the story ends, though, of course, in it’s ending is it’s beginning, and the promise that one can begin again. Learning universal truths has never so much fun.

"...angels are devils, and devils are angels."

Waking God Book I: The Journey Begins...what a journey! A story reminiscent of a combination of Divinci Codes combined with Lost, this book takes you through the adventures of Andrew, a college professor who finds himself in the middle of a battle between good and evil in which neither good nor evil exists, in which angels are devils, and devils are angels; a battle in which the future of humanity is at stake. The reader is introduced to mythical creatures, ancient civilizations, and forgotten universal truths woven into a fast paced adventure book. Harris and Doe keep the reader guessing and questioning everything we have been led to believe about organized religion, as well as the capabilities and truth of humanity. Would love to see this in film format!
5.0 out of 5 stars Waking God, August 8, 2011
By
Jen

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW OF "LET THERE BE EVOLUTION"

Who says faith and science needs to be mutually exclusive? "And God Said, 'Let There be Evolution!': Reconciling the Book of Genesis, the Qur'an, and the Theory of Evolution" is a meeting of science, faith, and more as Charles Wynn and Arthur Wiggins as they try meet the three Abrahamic with the commonly accepted theory of evolution. Presenting a picture which science and God are not enemies, they remind readers that they do not have to abandon their faith for science. "And God Said, 'Let There be Evolution!'" is a strong pick for any fan of both faith and logic, highly recommended.

PIERS ANTHONY REVIEW OF SECOND COMING

New York Times best selling author, Piers Anthony reviewed WAKING GOD BOOK III: THE SECOND COMING OF HUMANITY, released by ATTMPress. he said:

I read Waking God III, The Second Coming of Humanity, the conclusion of a trilogy by Philip F Harris and Brian L Doe, published electronically (and in print) by ALL THINGS THAT MATTER PRESS. Like the prior volumes it has heavy action interspersed by the religious theme. It begins with a dense summary of the prior volumes, then gets to the continuation. The essence, if I understand it correctly, is that the child, Adam, has been conceived, who when born will herald the new order. Naturally there are those who wish to prevent this child from being born and who don't hesitate at murder; the minions of Evil don't pussyfoot. His parents have to travel deviously to Jerusalem, avoiding killers. At one point a woman who looks like the mother runs to intercept the bullet meant for the mother, giving her life for the child. The novel concludes with alternate endings, and a series of maxims from the Da Vinci Prophecies from the Codex Atlanticus, such as “OF CRUCIFIXES WHICH ARE SOLD: I see Christ again sold and crucified, and his saints suffering martyrdom.” I don't pretend to understand all this, but it's interesting, and I think exactly what would happen to Jesus Christ if he came again and tried to thwart the special interests who govern our society. Religion, the opiate of the masses, is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with business; that's as true in our day as it was in his day. So I recommend this for those who are more into adventurous religion than I am, who may be more competent to relate to its nuances. The authors obviously take religion and prophecy seriously."

His review can be found at: http://www.hipiers.com/newsletter.html

Writing mature characters is Knox at her best.

Review: 'To Begin Again'
By Marisela Chavez
Special to the Express-News



Struggling with the isolating effect of sudden change stirs inner turmoil. And when it's not yours, it's entertaining. Few can resist gawking at a car crash or watching competing drag queens and chefs standing on a televised chopping block.

Jen Knox, a San Antonio College instructor and author of the memoir “Musical Chairs,” sets the cast of her new story collection, “To Begin Again,” in moments of transition and isolation, be it within a family, the world or one's aging mind.

Similar to how fans of the personal essay eavesdrop by invitation while essayists explore the human condition, readers of these 23 stories overhear characters working through their own understanding of life.

Although “To Begin Again” is a work of fiction, Knox's skill as a memoirist permeates. Whether told in first or third person, the language reads confessional; narrator and speaker alike expound on life's tribulations in voices both unapologetic and reflective. The book's title hints at a conclusion the characters never explicitly draw: begin again, start over, try again because you can.

The opening story, “At the Window,” lays the collection's foundation. While walking down the street, a homeless man unexpectedly socks the speaker in the jaw, and although numerous people observe, no one intervenes. The victim questions her assailant's motivation and the witnesses' lack of response. She confesses: “It was, to my mind, more an act of nature than one of aggression, or even free will. In a strange way, in fact, I feel as though he were as much a victim of his own rage as I had been. So why not extend the same sympathies to the people in the window?”

The stories that follow echo this contemplative focus on the various incarnations of isolation and the two-headed beast, perpetrator and victim, within each of us.

In “Asleep” and “Composure,” young women reflect on social, romantic and geographic isolation. The protagonist of “Asleep” is awakened by a visit from her sickly mother, who wheels in and begins a spontaneous love affair with a much younger man and, in turn, pushes her daughter to take control of her own love life. A young girl contemplates independence and co-dependence on a family visit in “Composure.” Subjection to rowdy neighbors in her aunt's apartment building widens the girl's perspective, more so when her aunt later stabs the abusive neighbor to death.

Writing mature characters is Knox at her best. Although the heroes of “Absurd Hunger” and “Disengaged” battle dulling minds, they shine with self-assurance. The refreshingly brash Walter of “Absurd Hunger” finds solace by writing hilariously touching letters to his dead wife. The task begins as an assignment in grief therapy but turns into something much larger. The speaker's mind in “Disengaged” gently deteriorates alongside a keepsake sunflower given to her by Henry, a man she befriended, maybe loved, at an age well past their prime. Her pragmatic voice slowly sweetens and leaves the reader with an affecting image of an old woman isolated in a nursing home but surrounded by memories.

“To Begin Again” is slim but packed. Any of the 23 stories could grow into a longer work, and, it is hoped, one will.

San Antonian Marisela Chavez is a San Antonio writer and tutor at Our Lady of the Lake

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/books/article/Isolation-transition-more-entertaining-than-it-1456966.php#ixzz1RjCRIilD

REVIEW: THE HEALINGS

Nice review from:


Neat cover isn't it?It really sets the tone for the novel, which includes a talking cat! The Healings is about a depressed man and his significant other - the cat - on their journey from healer to healer for wholeness.

The book is compiled of short stories, chapters if you will, of each healing session. They depict what man, He, and cat, Her, are doing, how they got there, and what they are hoping to achieve. The answer is not always what they were looking for, but it offers great insight to the man and the cat.

Each time He realizes something, he shares it with Her. And she usually has something to say about it. They really do make the perfect pair - they balance one another impeccably. Often times humorous, each session reveals a truth about mankind. Sometimes it's bewildering, and other times you will be nodding your head in agreement with the scenarios play out on their quest.

One of my favorite healing sessions was the Healing Session of Hobbies. He's bored, so He tells her so. She is so rattled, her hair stands on end. But She doesn't say a word and He embarqs on finding his hobby. After trying a few different things, He decides he already has a hobby - his depression! How sad, yet he realizes that it is his hobby that keeps him adventuring.

Oana has written a stunning, thought-provoking novel of a voyage of two flawed characters who compliment one another impeccably. The writing is constant and true, keeping this reader entertained long into the night turning the pages sharing their journey. Character development is strong and brilliant. He and Her are amazing characters that sparkle, even when they are morose. Oana has a keen sense of humor that shines through in her writing. I highly recommend The Healings to any reader!!

One of science fiction’s most outstanding rising stars

Remnant by Roland Allnach Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb



http://www.bestsellersworld.com/2011/02/14/remnant-by-roland-allnach/

One of science fiction’s most outstanding rising stars, the talented author Roland Allnach, has an anthology of three creative and brilliant novellas out now, Remnant, that should be a hit with anyone who loves science fiction, in general, and the Military SF genre in particular. He’s already had one of his short stories nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and he’s had several of them appear in various publications. Remnant’s three novellas, “All the Fallen Angels,” “Enemy, I Know You Not,” and “Remnant,” mark a distinct growth for the author, and each are gems of suspense and craftmanship that will keep you on the edge of your seat. They’re all great stories on their own merits, but collected together in the pages of this anthology, they make for a must-read volume. In this review, I’ll briefly discuss each of the three novellas that make up Remnant and get into some of the reasons I think each one is worth reading, and why the name of Roland Allnach is rapidly garnishing the attention of science fiction fans around the world.

“All the Fallen Angels,”starts off the anthology with a bang. Captain Stohko Jansing (he was a Colonel and is referred to as such in scenes from his past in the short story) has had a history that was both distinguished and infamous, in turn. He is haunted by his memories of what happened to him on the beautiful and spell-binding planet Hermium, how he went from being a peacekeeper to a killer, and his and his wife’s desires to have children. Stohko discovers he can’t escape his past, and having been put on trial for his war-crimes, including shooting and killing a nine-year-old girl.

He is the captain of his own ship, trying to leave his past behind him, but he’s drawn back into dealing with the military when an IS agent, Colonel Osler, makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Stohko’s ship will be repaired, and his mounting debts paid off, if he will agree to towing a ship, the Chyrsopoeia, to Hermium to dump it off there. It’s a high-risk transport–Stohko is not told what is inside the ship, but it seems that whatever it is makes the job one no one else wants to take. It’s a cursed ship, that even its rats abandoned. But, can he and his crew make it to Hermium, without an effect known as Hermium euphoria driving them to actions they wouldn’t ordinarily commit?

“Enemy, I Know You Not,” is an excellent story about what happens when one’s enemies can attack you, even in the realm of virtual reality, within one’s own mind, and transform people who are seemingly your allies into your enemies. What can you do to fight an enemy who knows how to infiltrate your mind, and make you into a mole, ready to turn against and kill people on your own side? And, when you realize that it might be yourself who is the traitorous mole, acting against your own will, can you live with the guilt? When virtual reality becomes actual reality, and your actions cause your fellow soldiers to die, is there any way to right the wrongs you’ve committed?

That’s the basic premise of “Enemy, I Know You Not.” Training Officer Sheffield has got some “new meat,” trainees who are inexperienced, to replace those Sergeant Ellister and Lieutenant Hovland lost in their mission to end an insurgency that took place on the planet Tropico. Before the new soldiers engage in battle, they have to undergo a virtual training exercise, or “sim run”. They are linked up together, and while unconscious, engage the enemy in a training exercise. They can be “killed,” but as long as they are awakened in time, they will return back to life. But, if too much time elapses, they cannot be brought back, and they will die in reality. This is a very cool story, and I liked reading about what happens when the men finally realize they have a traitor in their midst, and wonder who it is, and paranoia strikes a chord of fear in them.

The final tale in the trilogy, the title story, “Remnant,” is a suspenseful, page-turning conclusion to the anthology. It’s about what happens when a terrible plague hits the Earth, and kills billions of people. Only one in fifty thousand are left alive, those who have a natural immunity. This story is about how one of humanity’s “remnants,” a man known in it as Peter, tries to survive and start a new life for himself in Connecticut. Pockets of the survivors have gathered together, for basic protection and to better obtain the necessities of life, like food, shelter, and clothing for everyone. But, this also means living under the rules of the community, and giving up a part of one’s freedom. Will the plague prove to be a chance for mankind’s remnants to create a better world for themselves, or will it only result in a return to how they were prior to the plague?

Peter (teamed up with another survivor, Jim MacPherson) rescues a woman, Emily Lewis, from a man who has been chasing after her for two days. The man claims to be a cop, but Peter believes he’s been trying to catch Emily for other reasons, so he shoots and kills the man. Peter rationalizes that if he hadn’t killed the man, he would have come back, and tried to kill them. Will he find love with Emily, or is she just using him, trying to recruit him to her point of view? This concluding story is probably my favorite of the three. Each deals with the decisions we sometimes have to face, and how are lives, and those of others, is effected by them. Do our choices, like those of Peter’s in “Remnant,” make us “more human,” or “less human”?

Remnant is an action-packed anthology of Military SF, with the title story dealing with how mankind’s remnants survive after a global plague. Each of the three novellas is a beautifully crafted gem of a story, making the collection one I would highly recommend to any fans of science fiction. Roland Allnach is an author who is one of SF’s rising stars, and if you like Military SF, this is an anthology you’ll definitely want to check out!

The Nebish In The Garden Of The Gods and Philosophers

The joy in reading Revelations is that it is an uniquely differentiated, old-fashion fiction. Unlike the multitude of formalistic and derivative styled novels; Revelations is a refreshing type of literature written with: Multidimensional characters rooted in a multilayer story, told in a wonderfully-rich prose.  The author gives us on one level an compelling journey full of humor, action and bawdiness.  All the elements of an entertaining read.  On a other level, the author suggests a Greek Tragedy, wrapped in a farce, told from the point-of-view of a genuine-nebbish.  Still on another level, we are presented with a volume of philosophical arguments all woven in a rich and vivid tapestry.

At the center of the story we have a diminished-hero, Manny Markovitz, who is a grief-stricken, widower in search of 'a place of light, to Greece, to find some equilibrium in his life'.  The reader is cautioned from the very start that 'this is not a memoir, but a memory, a sort-of myth.' From this cue the reader finds himself in an almost dream-scape, or allegory. All the characters we encounter through Manny's eyes have multiple-persona’s.  Especially Manny's guide, and sort-of spiritual leader and 'Life force', Abis.

Abis is a wonderful trickster.  He constantly deceives, lies and basically tortures Manny on many levels both physical and mental.  He also is Manny-man's (as Abis dub him) spiritual-guide and mentor.  Abis is the friend that you wish you never met, but once you become a victim of his charismatic-charm you find you also can't survive without him.  It is through Abis that Manny is exposed to the natural-world.  The world of nature, of living off-of-the-land and exploring your own abilities as a free-soul.  Exploring the world of nature far from Manny-man's pristine and protected academia.  Abis is constantly placing Manny-man in harms way. Poisonous snakes, bad-fruit and poison ivy to list just a few.   In each case Abis presents Manny with his home-spun philosophy as when Manny-man is suffering with poison ivy:

                        Try to ignore it, Manny-man. This is what Abis is doing, trying to ignore

                         your pain. Now it does not bother me hardly at all. Do not worry. The

                         itch will vanish, never to return, just like the national debt.  It will be gone

                         in a few hours.

Abis is portrayed as a prevaricator, womanizer, a fool, a thief, a clown and interestingly also a mentor.  Through all his deceptions and manipulations of Manny-man he is always looking out for Manny-man's best interest.  He inadvertently leads by example and always is surprised by his own foolishness.  As Manny observes:

I guess the strangest thing is that he [Abis] doesn't only play his tricks on me, but on himself as well. That's why he's always been able to trick me. One never expects a fool to be a fool in his own mouth. His foolishness is a mask he wears, like a dancer in a ritual. It keeps him from getting stuck with the fool before the mask.

 A central theme of the story deals directly with a humanistic approach to life and nature. It was David Hume, the Scottish philosopher and scientist that posit: that desire rather than reason governed human behavior.  It is from this premise we are introduced to the hero's journey.  Abis wants to take Manny-man to his boss's, William Love, mansion.  This becomes the focal point of the second half of the novel.  It is the great quest motif; only in this context the quest is for knowledge. Why Abis was sent by William Love, his mysterious boss, for Manny and why Manny was chosen?

In the traditional quest narrative our hero must endure many trials and overcome the great forces of nature.  All the elements of the heroic novel are put into place as Abis takes Manny on an often hilarious and sometimes treacherous journey through the woods and backwaters of Greece and later through the backwaters and forests of South Georgia.  Here the narrative also becomes very much a richly-textured, initiation-story for Manny.  Through each pitfall, accident and meanderings Abis is forever testing and nurturing Manny-man into a world he has absolutely no knowledge of or ability to cope. It is through the initiation that Abis is portrayed at his finest in both as a trickster and a mentor.

Besides, sometimes you cannot eliminate all the dangers from life. Sometimes you must take chances in order to enjoy the full, rich melody of living and not just hear the same stale notes over and over. Do not worry so much. Maybe we will get lucky this time...

Manny and Abis go in search of Abis' boss, William Love, an eccentric and mysterious man of incredible wealth and knowledge.  So from his initiations in Greece and the backwoods of S. Georgia they venture off to the barrier islands of S. Georgia to William Love’s estate (one of many). It is in the setting of opulent-wealth and antiquity that Manny finds himself.  He is a guest of the demi-gods and their he finds all the trappings of paradise including his ultimate love, Diana.

Diana becomes Manny's mysterious mistress and tutor in both understanding his grief (the death of his first wife from cancer) and his ignorance of life.  She shares her love of life with Manny and tries to open his mind to just living life to it fullest.  Not questioning everything or trying to find great truths. 

This concept of living life and accepting that we live through our passions rather than our reasoning is probably the most central theme of the narrative.  Through Hume, Love's butler and valet, we hear the voice of the philosopher, David Hume.  Hume is always seems to be present.  He is the constant voice of reason; forever positing his observations about life.  As Hume the philosopher, who concluded that “...desire rather than reason govern human behavior. Reason is and ought only be a slave of passions.”

Hume wears a mask to hide his awful deformities caused by an unexplained fire.  The masks serves him both as a means to hide his grotesqueness and his persona.  He is a complete character who possess a strange intelligence and serves as a voice for his employer, William Love and the author as well.  Abis and Hume are both teachers of the humanities to Manny.  Abis is often seen as a fool, but he also possess a define philosophy of life very similar to Hume's.  Each, in their own manner, try to instill into Manny a sense of life that he just doesn't seem to comprehend.  As Abis said: “The heart knows what the brain cannot fathom.”

When Manny-man finally has his meeting with William Love he is in a drunken stupor.  The meeting takes on a very surreal texture.  William Love's intellect is so powerful it stupefies Manny and he cannot formulate a coherent dialog with the man he has quested for.  “I have longed for all this time to ask the eternal questions. Now that I can, I can't. I've been betrayed by my own paltry intellect.”

He the author suggests, that in the presence of greatness we become ignorant and powerless to understand enough to even ask an intelligent question.  What would we really ask of God given the opportunity?

In the end the great revelation of Revelations is that we are born and we die and the time between those events are our eternity.

Ink Slinger's Whimsey: A Year in Review: WITS' Top 15 Book Picks for 2010

Book Title: Memoirs from the Asylum
Author: Kenneth Weene
ISBN: 978-0984421954
Publisher: All Things that Matter Press, 2010

This tragi-comedic novel takes the reader inside the asylum, inside the worlds of three central characters: a narrator who has taken refuge from his fears of the world, a psychiatrist whose own life has been damaged by his father's depression, and a catatonic schizophrenic whose world is trapped inside a crack in the wall opposite her bed. The best aspect of the book is how the author has written from the perspective or inner thoughts of the characters. This is done with such realism, understanding and truth that it is easy to relate with the patient’s fears, frustrations, joys and triumphs. It is obvious that the author is writing from a deeper understanding of human motivation and psychosis. His treatment of his characters is compassionate and without judgment, allowing the reader to formulate their own opinions and confront their own preconceptions and prejudices. Well crafted, Memoirs from the Asylum proves itself in the great tradition of writing.

Thank you for this great review!

Memoirs From The Asylum diagnoses 5 healthy stars.

http://www.basilandspice.com/journal/72010-book-review-memoirs-from-the-asylum-by-kenneth-weene.html

The reviewer – yours truly – would like to start off with a few bits of trivia that have absolutely nothing – and at the same time everything – to do with the book under discussion.

1. Varanus exanthematicus

By now – you, the reader – are thinking to yourself:  this guy is nuts, meshuga, cuckoo, balmy and/or one brick short of a load.  The reviewer – yours truly – ardently hopes this is  
not the case.  He maintains he is not insane.  Rather, he is trying to make a point.  And the point is this:  the distinction between sanity and insanity is quite small.
This distinction is the subject of Kenneth Weene’s tragicomic novel Memoirs From The Asylum, which is a little like reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as written by Joseph Heller, who was the author of Catch-22.  Or, if that poor analogy doesn’t work for you, try this one:  the Three Stooges meet Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
To put it simply, Weene has written a shockingly funny and funnily shocking novel about life in an asylum.  It’s shocking because it exposes the abuse and mistreatment the patients suffer at the hands of the hospital’s staff.  And it’s funny because – in the end – it’s hard to tell who’s crazier, the doctors and nurses or the patients.
The narrator of the story, who is a patient, is in the asylum due to fear, fear of everything.  Many other of the patients are schizophrenics, which means they have lost touch with reality.  They suffer hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking processes.  All of which leads to ‘abnormal behavior.’  One such patient is Marilyn.  In one reality, which is supposedly the real reality, Marilyn lives on a bed in the hospital.  She is catatonic and unresponsive.  In another reality, Marilyn lives in a crack in the wall next to her bed.  She lives there with her family – “the crack that is all truth.” 
Marilyn’s doctor is Dr. Buford Abrose, who is a first-year resident in psychiatry.  In reality, Dr. Abrose works in the asylum, treating patients.  In another reality, Dr. Abrose lives inside his head with his wife, who is a status-seeking gold-digger, who doesn’t like the fact that her husband works in a mental hospital, when he could be working elsewhere, making big bucks. 
The asylum is run by Orrin Parties, who is obsessed by paperwork.  He lacks humanity.  His ‘human touch’ has been misplaced.  And most of his staff is composed of sado-masochists, who hate their jobs, themselves, and their patients. 
The author of the book, Kenneth Weene, has not lost his ‘human touch,’ for he writes well and from the heart.  For example, when describing Mitch, who is one of the patients:  “Alzheimer’s has Mitch.  Every now and then it gets him restless, and he blows like an old geyser that’s running out of steam.  The rest of the time he wanders around talking to himself.  They say he was once a college professor.  So, it isn’t really that different; he’s just talking to himself in a new place.  Guess what?  Nobody cares.”
Memoirs From The Asylum is resplendent with such literary gems.  Weene has a real knack for putting together world-class sentences.  Humor and pathos drip from every page, along with compassion and kindness and insight.  And his narrative abilities pack a wallop that thumps your chest hard.    
Weene cares.  Which is what makes the novel so good.  Indeed, it ranks with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Girl, Interrupted for sheer cathartic storytelling.  In other words, it’s one of those novels you tell your friends about.
On the Read-O-Meter, which ranges from 1 star (sickly) to 5 stars (robust), Memoirs From The Asylum diagnoses 5 healthy stars.
Don’t miss this one!   
Memoirs From The Asylum (All Things That Matter Press/2010) By Kenneth Weene
Randall Radic is a former Old Catholic priest.  He is a graduate of the University of Arizona.  He holds a Master of Theology,  from Trinity Seminary, a Doctorate of Theology from Trinity Seminary,Th.D., and a Doctorate of Sacred Theology, S.T.D. from Agape Seminary.
After a midlife crisis, he spent time behind bars. Today, Radic has emerged a changed man.  He is the author of Gone To Hell: True Crimes of America’s Clergy (ECW Press/ Oct 2009), and A Priest in Hell: Gangs, Murderers and Snitching in a California Jail. Radic is currently working on some unusual book projects, including one titled Raising The Dead.  Visit Randall Radic Writer's Page.

A GREAT REVIEW FROM THE UK

I saw this review as a result of a Google Alert. I was very pleased by its content and wanted to share this with you. The book is published by ATTMPress and has been in the top 2% at Amazon for 2 years. It has also been in the top choices of books on the Law of Attraction and has often been paired on sale with books by Esther Hicks.

The article appeared in http://www.personal-development-coach.net/jesus-taught-it-too-summary-and-review.html and is written by Simona Rich.

Philip F. Harris "Jesus Taught It, Too!" Summary And Review

I was pleasantly surprised by the book “Jesus Taught It, Too! The Early Roots Of The Law of Attraction” by Philip F. Harris.

It's a perfect read for those who want to strengthen their faith in the laws of the universe.

Throughout the book Philip F. Harris quotes the Bible and explains the meanings of some Bible passages which were misinterpreted by religious institutions.

The church tends to interpret the Bible in a way that would give the church more power over the masses.

The church talks about the wrath of God and our sins to instil fear in the masses. (It's much easier to control people who are fearful than those who trust themselves.) The sacred texts therefore appear to be oppressing and cruel.

Philip F. Harris in the “Jesus Taught It, Too!” book offers to view the Bible without any judgements and beliefs imposed by religious institutions. He explains that the Bible was written when the church did not exist, therefore it's not directed at the teachings of the church.

The work of religious institutions

From the very beginning Philip F. Harris in the “Jesus Taught It, Too!” book starts off explaining the widely known but highly misinterpreted Bible quote “The meek shall inherit the earth”. He explains that “the meek” does not mean poor or disadvantaged in some way. “The meek” simply means those people who are quiet in nature and showing mildness. Church came up with the interpretation that “the meek” means poor to exploit people and use them with the sweet promise that when they die they will have all they want.

Philip F. Harris goes as far as to suggest that the Church halts the progress of the humanity and causes wars. He explains that the teaching of Jesus was never actually intended to become a religion that would suppress people rather than let them develop. The words of the great masters are meant to show the way and not be made into institutionalised religions. The great masters are not meant to be worshipped but listened to and understood.

The author of the “Jesus Taught It, Too!” book explains that many societies and individuals throughout ages tried to reveal the meanings of the sacred texts, however mass tortures and other cruel ways were used against them to leave the secret hidden. Religious institutions did not want people to know their real power because they wanted people to believe that religious institutions are more powerful than people. But despite the efforts of such institutions to never let the truth see the light, the secret is becoming more and more available for those who seek.

Philip F. Harris expresses his amazement how long religious institutions were able to convince the masses that it's only the religious institutions that hold the key to the meaning of the sacred texts. However because we entered into the Information Age, it became almost impossible to stop the instant communication between people, therefore the church is losing the power it once had over the masses.

Because of certain movies (like “The Secret”), Youtube videos and TV channels, religious institutions are under daily attack and therefore become gradually weaker. More and more people understand that the teachings of the church are false, fear-based and are meant to make people obey the church instead of achieving enlightenment.

Bible quotes misinterpretations

The “Jesus Taught It, Too!” author explains that in the book he interprets the Bible, but exactly the same truth can be revealed by reading any other religious text, such as the Jewish Kabala or the teachings of Buddha. He says that by studying the sacred texts the author kept noticing not only the descriptions of the law of attraction, but also the law of responsibility.

He also explains that many religious institutions were able to convince the masses of the false meanings of the Bible quotes because they quoted the words of the Bible without the context. This made it easy for them to interpret the quotes in any way they liked. For correct interpretation of sacred texts it's important to follow the stream of thought instead of just picking any quote and interpreting it subjectively.

Interestingly, Philip F. Harris mentions that there are three levels of interpretation of sacred texts. The first level is an objective analysis. These are the literal conclusions that result from reading the text. The second level is subjective. This is a deeper analysis which answers the question “What does this passage mean to me?”.

The third level is the spiritual meaning. Not many get that far in interpreting sacred texts because it is left up to the churches to interpret the texts on this level. To interpret sacred texts on this level requires getting detached from your conditioning and beliefs. It requires you to open your mind to receive a deeper understanding. Such level of interpretation can result in personal revelation.

Wealth

Philip F. Harris mentions throughout the book a couple of quotes concerned with material wealth. The Church likes to interpret such quotes in a way that suggests that wealth is bad. However religious institutions are extremely wealthy which makes their interpretations questionable.

Bible quotes about wealth, as Philip F. Harris interprets, do not indicate that wealth is bad. They simply say that wealth should not be your final destination because if you choose wealth as your final goal you will be unhappy. There is much more to life than wealth. Wealth can be used to achieve something higher, like happiness or freedom, but wealth itself does not make people happy or free.

That's why Jesus said that “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It's not because being rich is bad, but when you see wealth as the be all and end all, you become selfish and lose your own sense of conscience. So that makes it very hard for you to find the heaven inside, because you got attached to the illusion that all material things are.

Conscious manifestation

The author of “Jesus Taught It, Too!” quotes several passages and concludes that whatever you wish to have is already in your possession in an energy form. Because of that you should thank for it and open your sight to see your desires manifested. If you complain that you don't have something, the universe will provide further lack of the things that you want. If you, however, give thanks for things that you want and see them as already in your possession, you will soon get them.

That's how Jesus was able to heal people. He refused to see their diseases and saw them as already healed. This sight of truth enabled him to heal those who were very ill. So whatever thing you want to manifest, know that it's already there and don't accept the false appearances that are surrounding you.

Philip F. Harris tells that the reason people fail to manifest things is because those things are not what they really want. Most people are so prone to influences that they don't realise that it's not them who make decisions in their lives. Therefore they select goals and wants that do not express their hearts' desires. Because of that they fail to consciously manifest and complain that the law of attraction does not work.

The “Jesus Taught It, Too!” author mentions the importance of sound. When you put your feelings and thoughts into words, they are more likely to manifest. Sound is a very strong vibration that helps materialise your desires and worries. So be careful about what words come from your mouth.

He also explains the Bible quote about the house built on a solid foundation and a house built on a weak foundation. This foundation can be interpreted as our knowledge. If we know the truth, no illusions, no negative words of others can affect us. If, however, our mental house is built on illusion, it's easy for us to get influenced by others.

How to see the truth

The author of “Jesus Taught It, Too!” suggests to wake up every day without any preconceived notions. If you meet each day as it is, without any judgement, you will be “born again”. You will see the world as it is and not through the lens that your ego views the world.

This is, however, not easy to do. We tend to be consistent and behave in the same way every day. We tend to hope for the same things and fear for the same things day in and day out. But if you manage to meet every day and every event without judgement and beliefs, you will see the world as it really is. Your old negative habits will eventually disappear and you will be a changed person. This attitude will bring much more positive events in your life because your mind will not create the unpleasant circumstances.

Philip F. Harris also mentions in a couple of places in the book that Bible often explains that the Kingdom of God is not somewhere in heaven but inside you. It's in every man's heart and it's available now. Don't look for it outside of you because you will be unhappy. The Bible also mentions in parables that you should change the way you look at the world and this will make you a happy person.

The Church, however, doesn't want people to believe that the heaven is in each of us. Religious institutions try to convince people (sometimes successfully) that heaven is somewhere far away in a galaxy and only those who are good and obedient will reach it after death.

The nature of a person

It's very damaging for people to believe what religious institutions talk about our nature. They say that our nature is inherently evil and that we are sinners and undeserving. They say that by being poor you will go to heaven and be rewarded for your lack of money.

In reality every single person is deserving and can have anything he or she wants now. But because most people believe what churches say, they don't think they deserve a better life. And if they don't knock, the doors cannot be opened to them.

The author takes this quote from the Bible to interpret:

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

This quote proves that we are deserving everything this life has to offer. We don't have to work hard to get what we want. We don't even have to worry about our survival (because worry itself creates the things we worry about). Everything is abundantly provided to us but our negative thinking restricts us from becoming aware of the abundance we are entitled to.

However with so many people believing that there is lack in this world, is hard to block out this influence. Even if you think that you understand that there is enough of everything for all, you probably still have some kind of belief in limitation. Your parents passed it on to you and this belief in lack has been instilled in many generations before you. So it's not easy to break out of this mass illusion and experience the abundance that this universe has to offer.

Worry vs. faith

The author of “Jesus Taught It, Too!” emphasises that our worries create all the lack there is in the world. When you worry about something, that thing is likely to happen to you. Also, when you know something will happen, it does.

If you know you won't get a new job, you won't. If you know that you will pass the exam, you will. However it's much harder to believe in something positive to the point of knowing than to worry that something negative will happen to you. This is the case because of the habits that we have.

The author gives another beautiful quote from the Bible:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

This quote alone proves that the kingdom of God is here and now and not reached when you die, as churches try to convince the masses. If you want to find happiness, have wealth and health, seek the God inside you and all these things will be added to you. All you need is to really want to know and find that place within you and you will be directed to find it because when you ask the answer is always given.

The kingdom of God is not only inside you, but it's everywhere because God is omnipotent and omnipresent. You can see God in every event and in every thing if you look without limiting beliefs and judgements.

Profound quotes

“Ask, and it shall be given to you” is a well-known Bible quote. It is the heart of the law of attraction. However if you ask but don't believe that you will receive what you desire, you won't. So for the conscious manifestation to work you absolutely must have faith in it.

The “Seek and you shall find” quote implies that there should be some action on our part to realise your goals. If you want to find your soulmate, for example, you can't just sit at home and expect him or her to knock on your door – it doesn't work this way. You have to seek for her/him and believe that you will find your second half.

“Knock and the door shall be opened onto you” has a very deep meaning and actually I experienced personal revelation when I was thinking about this quote. When you knock, the doors are opened to you. But the question you should be asking yourself is if the doors you have been knocking on are the doors that will lead you to a good life. Most people knock on the doors that they expect to be opened and don't even bother knocking on the doors that they know would lead them to a great life.

For example, most people search for average jobs because they believe they can get such employment. But just a few seek the best jobs and don't give up until they get them. So use this knowledge to your advantage. Don't knock on the doors you don't want to enter, raise your standards and only set your sights to the destination you truly want to reach.

Don't get discouraged if others will tell you that you won't achieve what you try to. It's very likely they have no idea what the reality is about, they've never heard about the universal laws and their own lives are full of disappointments and negativity.

The “Jesus Taught It, Too!” author also interprets further quotes that talk about the false words and the words of truth. If you listen to false concepts, they will lead you to misery. If you believe that there is lack, you will suffer because you believe that the illusions are true. Only when your mind awakens and sees the illusion will you be happy and experience real freedom.

Further on, the author quotes many Bible paragraphs in which Jesus mentions the importance of faith. If you have faith everything is possible for you. The only reason people don't get what they want is because they don't believe they will.

Jesus also says in one of the quotes that it's important to find your own way and not to follow others. If you believe in yourself and listen to your own heart, you will happiness and fulfilment.

The “Jesus Taught It, Too!” author, after his quote interpretations, gives some quotes for you to ponder on and interpret what they mean to you. He asks you to interpret them independently, without remembering how religious institutions interpreted them.

He finishes the chapter by summarising what Jesus tried to tell in most of the passages in the Bible:

“What you are within, you express outwardly. What you believe, you attract. What you believe, you create. These words and phrases are being echoed like a spiritual shot heard around the world. The Great Awakening is upon us. Fear not, for there is no judgement, no punishment, and none will be left behind!”

Universal rules, gratitude and visualisation

In the next chapter the author gives 33 rules for the law of attraction to work in your life. The law works all the time, but to use it consciously and create the life you like you need to know certain things that the author covers in the rules.

In the next chapter Philip F. Harris explains the importance of gratitude and how to use it in your everyday life. If you are grateful for what you have, more of the things you are grateful for will be given to you. The same goes with things that you are still manifesting. Be grateful for the things that you want and believe that you already have them. Such attitude attracts to you the things that you desire.

In the following two chapters the “Jesus Taught It, Too!” author explains how to visualise to attract your desires. He talks about the mistake people make when they try to visualise something and how proper visualisation differs from simply seeing images in your mind.

The interview with Dr. Demartini

In the next chapter the author transcribes the interview he had with Dr. John Demartini. You may know Dr. Demartini from the movie “The Secret”. He is an incredible person having overcome many limiting beliefs that others tried to impose on him.

The author and Dr. Demartini discuss some of the topics that concern many people, such as negative manifestations, the importance of taking action in trying to manifest your desires and the seven fears that prevent people from being able to consciously create their lives.

Quotes to remember

The author of the “Jesus Taught It, Too! ” book ends the book by providing many quotes of the great Masters to ponder on. These quotes are very deep and some of them cannot be interpreted literally. They require you to set aside all your judgements and beliefs to see their true spiritual meaning.

I think that this book is great for those who want to understand the law of attraction further or are new to this universal law. This book, however, deals with more than this law alone. It shows how the universe works and how you can become awakened by making some adjustments in your life.

I really recommend this book for those who want to strengthen their faith, who are waking up from the illusion that religious institutions want us to buy into and those who just want to read something very positive and enriching.

BUY ON AMAZON AT http://www.amazon.com/JESUS-TAUGHT-TOO-EARLY-ATTRACTION/dp/0982205600/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

AN AMERICAN GIRL IN A MUSLIM LAND

NICE REVIEW OF "THE PUNJABI'S WIFE by Lara Lyons FROM ALL THINGS THAT MATTER PRESS

Our upbringing and early experiences
shape us into the people we are and guide the choices we make in our lives. The statement is true for both of the primary subjects in The Punjabi’s Wife. The book is a true story told by a young college student from the Midwest who in the 1960s met, fell in love with and married an older Pakistani man and moved with him to his country where she lived for two years as a traditional Muslim wife.
With vivid description and compelling re-enactments, author Lara Lyons transports the reader to another part of the world and provides a window into the culture and religion that are at the very foundation of ancient and modern Middle Eastern attitudes toward woman, children and Americans.

When Lara met her husband to be, she was a curious and sheltered young woman seeking to see and know and learn more about the world. Her desire for experience and adventure led her into a marriage to a man she hardly knew and a life in a culture she did not understand, only to find her husband was a controlling and calculating man who married her to acquire U.S. citizenship with little regard for her feelings or well being. The story is startling, sad, striking, and framed with historic and religious explanations that provide context for the events explained.

28 | The Brfioomfielder™ | July 2009
After returning to the United States with her husband and giving birth to his twin daughters, Lara eventually left him, taking their children and turning her back on his culture, religion and oppression. She would not raise her daughters in an environment where women and children were viewed as no more than possessions. A desire to caution other American girls from being lured into similar relationships fueled Lara to write her story years later.
Though Lara, did not keep a journal of the marriage, her descriptions of the country and occurrences are as clear as if they happened yesterday, “It is hard to forget. It is like being in a Technicolor movie. It is so beautiful and so colorful and just different than America or England or any other place. It does not leave your mind easily,” she recalled.

Just like the images of the country, the thumbprint of the oppressive society remains etched in her mind. After decades of reflection and study she does have some understanding. “To him, life in Pakistan was normal. The treatment of women and the structure of the household were normal to him. It showed me a world totally different than I had ever seen,” she said. “Through years of thinking and analyzing I have come to some understanding and resolution.”

In retrospect, though she values the experience, “I would not go back to a Muslim country ever,” said Lara. “In the past 40 years, that part of the world has changed. Things are very different and extremely dangerous, but the social structures remain the same. Women and children are viewed as no more than property.”
Her story provides some insight into world events of recent years and what motivates and drives men from this part of the world to do things that many of us cannot begin to fathom. “How can boys and men learn caring and love when they do not see it in the marriages of their own parents?” she asked explaining that who these men are is deeply seeded in their religion, culture and history and would take hundreds of years to change. “Things are not getting better there,” she added.

The Punjabi’s Wife is the adventure story of a young woman who had the opportunity to live as an American inside the Pakistani culture and gain insight into the belief systems that drive ancient attitudes toward women and other people in general that still stand today.

Today Lara Lyons works for a local hospital as a fundraiser. Her book is available on Amazon.com. For more information visit www.Lara-Lyons.com.

REVIEWS OF MUSICAL CHAIRS

WHAT FOLLOWS ARE JUST 3 REVIEWS OF MUSICAL CHAIRS by JEN KNOX as posted on Amazon.com. They all same the same.

Courageous Writing, November 2, 2009
By Kenneth A. Weene (Scottsdale, AZ)
"Musical Chairs" is Jen Knox's gutsy autobiographical story. It is also the weaving together of four generations of family pain and coping into a tapestry rich in that most elusive quality - the truly human.

This is a no-holds-barred book. Knox is painfully honest about herself, her past, and her battles with anxiety, restlessness, and booze. She doesn't offer rationalizations, psychobabble, or excuses. Instead, she looks for and finds the strength that comes from facing life with honesty and acceptance.

If, at times, the reader is reminded of Camus at his best, it is because Knox too finds meaning within the helpless, repetitive pointlessness which is the human condition. And, if at times, the reader feels like the author's pain and struggle are reminiscent of Kafka, it is because "Musical Chairs" is told with an attention to detail that make every moment burn itself into consciousness.

I would recommend this book to every reader. I would particularly urge it for every young woman who feels ready to take responsibility for her own life. And, if it were in my power, I would make sure it was given to every teenaged girl who attends or should be attending AlaTeen or ALANON; for this is a book which offers much to those who would choose to learn. (Kenneth Weene, PhD, author and psychologist)

Musical Chairs: One of the Most Intelligent Memoirs in Years, December 17, 2009
By Marilyn Kallet
This is a gripping, well-paced and clearly written coming-of-age story, in which a young woman finds her voice, her balance, her connectedness with her grandmother--but to get to the point of self-confidence and voice, she must go through her own personal hell. The narrator was a teenage runaway who worked as a stripper for a short time. Her intelligent self-awareness during that phase of her life is inspiring, and yes, very sensual,

This book reminds me of Catcher in the Rye, though the book in hand is creative nonfiction. It's about time we had a heroine who's smart, sassy, brave, ready to deal with adversity from within her own mind and from the external world. I'm also reminded of Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle, which features another spunky articulate female narrator. Wall's book is a best-seller, and Jen Knox's book should be too.

I wish my sister had had this book when my niece began to experience a long series of troubles. No one in the convoluted health care system had much to offer. Luckily my niece was able to clean up and to survive dangerous streets. She is a painter and has landed on her feet with her visionary art.

For the narrator in Musical Chairs, words are the angels, hard-won.

Profoundly Honest & Deeply Moving Journey into Adulthood, December 11, 2009
By STUART MCCALLUM "Stuart / Beyond my Control" (Melbourne, Australia)
Jen Knox is an exceptionally gifted storyteller, and her memoir Musical Chairs is a captivating, emotionally charged page turner.

Soon after her parents' divorce, young Jen is riddled with teenage angst, and in desperate need to find her place in the world. Aged fifteen she leaves home and enters an adult world where some (are only too eager) to take advantage of her vulnerability. Jen grows up quick.

There is a tragic irony to Jen's story; she battles with booze which many in her family have struggled with and mental illness. I applaud Jen for facing her demons head on, and managing to restore her life while having many adversities to contend with.

I strongly believe Musical Chairs should be part of every school curriculum as the lessons in life are invaluable.

I highly recommend Jen's story as a must read for all.

ON AMAZON, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984259422/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1BNAWS4MXTZXV4987XXH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Literary Novel Finds Publisher and High Approval

The following was posted on http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/

It is nice to see that ATTMP books are getting positive reviews. Thank Carolyn foe the serive and writing blogs you provide to authors!

Shades of Luz
John Gorman
Genre: Fiction: Literary
ISBN 098409847X

Reviewed by Nannette Croce for A Book Review Blog

John Gorman's first novel Shades of Luz is a fun read, though I must admit I'm a little surprised it found a publisher. That's not criticism. It's just that the book is hard to classify, and classification末or genre末seems to carry far too much weight with agents and publishers these day. Happily All Things That Matter Press must be somewhat more flexible.

Shades of Luz is part coming-of-age novel and part love story and even a bit surreal at times. Benny Fluke is a 29-year-old still living at home and working on his Master's thesis, the subject of which he keeps changing. He meets the elusive Luz while selling stuffed animals for a fake charity, and from then on she threads through the story, popping in and out of his life, encouraging him to move out of his parents' house, eventually sharing his apartment, but always hovering between friend and lover. The story is enlivened still more by some oddball and humorous minor characters and Benny's unusual workplace where he goes from overseeing the monkeys who pick stocks on a dartboard to championship thumb wrestling within the same company. And then there's that strange secret about Benny's Mom.

As a Baby Boomer I'm used to thinking of coming-of-age novels dealing with teens, but 29 is probably on target for the current coming-of-age generation. One thing that did confuse me a bit about the novel was the time period in which it was set. While much of it seemed current, Benny's workplace seemed a little futuristic, though maybe it was just meant to be fantastic. Whatever, it added interest and humor.

I "met" John Gorman when I accepted and edited Boba Fett Blues, my last official job with The Rose & Thorn. So I wasn't surprised that Gorman is at his best in those scenes that reminisce on childhood and adolescence.

Here's wishing John Gorman success with Luz and all future endeavors.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

WANT YOUR BOOK REVIEWED/

AN INVITATION FROM TONY BURTON
We now have a younger reviewer on The GenReview, and I'm looking
specifically for some genre fiction titles that may appeal more to the
nineteen-to- twenty-something set. Fantasy and horror would be great
if you have something of that nature, but genre fiction is our specialty,
whatever the type.

I'm not restricting the books only to those with young protags or anything
like that, but I thought, since we do have this younger person reviewing,
we might as well try to capitalize on books that are aimed at that
target audience if we can!

So, if you are interested, drop by http://www.thegenre view.com
and look at the tab for "Want to have your book reviewed?" There you
will see the necessary information to figure out if you may have something
we could review for you.

And for that matter, drop by the site just to read the reviews. The site is
fairly new, but we have more reviews on the way.

Tony Burton
http://www.thegenre view.com/

Abe F. March's chilling novel They Plotted Revenge Against America.

BOOK REVIEW!

Terrorism frightens people because it operates outside the traditional rules of war. It's hard to combat because the attacks are no longer limited to people wearing military uniforms at well-formed battle lines: they can happen anywhere, at any time, and they may well target people who don't have any direct knowledge of the peoples and issues involved. Part of the terror is the pervasive feeling that nobody’s safe.

This is the arena of Abe F. March's chilling novel They Plotted Revenge Against America. The novel is chilling, not because it's filled with “just more violence” in the Middle East, but because the story occurs on American soil as survivors of the American attack on Baghdad blend in to mainstream society to personally extract revenge against everyday citizens.

They Plotted Revenge Against America is a plausible, sobering, intricate and effectively plotted story about a group of well-trained, well-coordinated teams who slip into the U.S. with forged papers and then painstakingly work through a plan that will infect food and water supplies with a deadly virus.

These team members are not the gun-wielding, grenade-throwing stereotypical terrorists we see in most TV shows and movies. They are everyday people who have suffered personal loss and who want to fight back. Once their mission is complete, they plan, if possible, to go back to their normal lives. As the mission unfolds, they alternate between excitement and doubt while trying to avoid detection, and in the process, they discover while blending into community life, that Americans are not the monsters they expected.

March’s story tends to humanize both the terrorists and their victims, showing Americans as largely unconcerned and ill-informed about the agendas and issues involved in the long-time conflicts between Israel and its Arab neighbors. On the other hand, the terrorists see themselves not as criminals but as soldiers responding to what they view as acts of war taken against their communities.
Reviewed by Malcolm R. Campbell for PODBRAM

For the complete review go to: http://podbram.blogspot.com/

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