Reprise Review: Eulalie and Washerwoman by Malcolm R. Campbell

 Genre: Magical Realism/Fantasy/Folk Tales

Description:

“Torreya, a small 1950s Florida Panhandle town, is losing its men. They disappear on nights with no moon and no witnesses. Foreclosure signs appear in their yards the following day while thugs associated with the Klan take everything of value from inside treasured homes that will soon be torn down. The police won't investigate, and the church keeps its distance from all social and political discord.

Conjure woman Eulalie Jenkins, her shamanistic cat, Lena, and neighbor Willie Tate discover that the new 'whites only' policy at the once friendly mercantile and the creation of a plantation-style subdivision are linked to corrupt city fathers, the disappearing men, rigged numbers gambling, and a powerful hoodoo man named Washerwoman. After he refuses to carry Eulalie's herbs and eggs and Willie's corn, mercantile owner Lane Walker is drawn into the web of lies before he, too, disappears.

Washerwoman knows how to cover his tracks with the magic he learned from Florida's most famous root doctor, Uncle Monday, so he is more elusive than hen's teeth, more dangerous that the Klan, and threatens to brutally remove any obstacle in the way of his profits. In this follow up to Conjure Woman's Cat, Eulalie and Lena face their greatest challenge with scarce support from townspeople who are scared of their own shadows. Even though Eulalie is older than dirt, her faith in the good Lord and her endless supply of spells guarantee she will give Washerwoman a run for his ill-gotten money in this swamps and piney woods story.”

Author:

Malcolm R. Campbell lives in north Georgia and has worked as a corporate communications director, technical writer, and college journalism instructor. He now works as a grant writer for museums and other nonprofit organizations.

“Campbell's fantasy novels were inspired by his work in Glacier National Park, an aircraft carrier cruise, and time spent in Florida's swamps. His paranormal ghost stories were inspired (of course) by his experiences with things that go bump in the night.”

To learn more check out Mr. Campbell’s website, blog, or follow him on Facebook.

Appraisal:

I love Lena’s irreverent narration throughout this story. She is able to give us a unique perspective of an era from the past most of us haven’t experienced. Since Lena is a cat she can’t be bothered by human emotions, unless you are scratching her behind her ears. This tale, while being fiction, rings true on many facts. The addition of magical realism brings us an eccentric, enthralling, and entertaining history of days gone by.

It wasn’t all white mistreatment and abuse on the black population, there was black on black abuse as well. Greed is the common agent that knows no color. Thank goodness Eulalie is around to try to set some misdeeds right. Pitted against a powerful hoodoo man, who practices black magic, it’s questionable whether Eulalie can outwit and best Washerwoman to return a more even balance of powers in her corner of the world. The struggles are realistic of the time.

I love that Eulalie’s and Willie Tate’s relationship is more fully explained and I am glad Adelaide, Eulalie’s daughter, is back in town. Old family secrets are exposed and this made my heart smile. Please be aware that the language in this story is not always politically correct, however it is true to the era. I found this a thoroughly enjoyable tale and while the main story arc was brought to a satisfactory end for the time being, things are still open. Also, Eulalie takes off on a whole new adventure that is sure to be entertaining on an emotional level.

I can’t wait!

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Eulalie and Washerwoman is book two in Malcolm R. Campbell’s, Florida Folk Magic Stories. I believe this can be read as a standalone, however the characters are unique and some depth could be lost. Also, please be aware that the language is not always politically correct, however it is true to the era.

Original review posted January 23, 2017.

Format/Typo Issues:

I came across a small number of proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Review: Ghosts of Sherwood by T S Maynard and W J McNally

 

Genre: Folklore mashup

Description:

This little book is not what I was expecting. The well known and loved characters from Sherwood Forest are present, sometimes in a book of stories about their deeds, sometimes as LRP gamers, sometimes in ways that are less easy to explain.

So mashed up is the book that I cannot even tell you with any confidence if it is meant for grownups or children. Suffice it to say that I – who am a grownup – enjoyed it, and I believe that children who enjoy stories about characters out of legend and fairy stories will find this well worth their time. The story gallops along: there is never a dull moment.

In short, it is an allegorical morality tale told in a twenty-first century way by using this borrowed genre.

Authors:

Maynard and NcNally have been friends since childhood. This short novel is a joint project between the two of them, with Maynard acting as publisher. Maynard has been writing stories for over 25 years and has recently begun adapting them into books and novellas with McNally. This is their first book.

Appraisal:

The story keeps you on your toes as to where and when the action is currently taking place: are we in Sherwood Forest, somewhere in a bit of 21st century American wilderness, or are we now getting a lesson in work-life balance? The authors generate plenty of sympathy for the main characters, so caught up in work that their family breaks down. The myths and legends in the book have all turned to the dark side at the beginning through espousing the American way of business. However, the book doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the life lessons are delivered with plenty of humour. This is partly generated by mashing together multiple British myths and legends. Half the fun is in spotting these coming, so I will only mention a single example: Camelot Inc is a particularly noxious invention. Much amusement is also derived from juxtaposing ye olde horse-drawn, sword-wielding world of the legends with, eg, smart phones and not being able to get a signal wherever and in whatever century we’re currently stuck.

If your work-life balance is out of whack I recommend you read this with your neglected offspring. You will all enjoy it thoroughly and it will give them an opportunity to perform tutting, tooth sucking and head shaking at intervals, as the book has much wisdom within it, as well as a lot of laughs. You will come to see the error of your overworked ways.

If your work-life balance is tickety-boo, you can pity the poor saps at the beginning with the superiority of one who has all this down pat, worry about the sadly altered state of fairytale land in the middle and feel surprisingly good at the end when nearly everything comes out right.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Format/Typo Issues:

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Reprise Review: A Billion Gods and Goddesses: The Mythology Behind the Pipe Woman Chronicles by Lynne Cantwell

 

Genre: Mythology/Legends/Folk Tales/Native American/Spirituality

Description:

“More than forty deities, representative of fifteen pantheons from around the world, have found Their way into the ten books (and counting!) of the Pipe Woman Chronicles story cycle. In A Billion Gods and Goddesses: The Mythology Behind the Pipe Woman Chronicles, you will find additional information on each of the deities in the urban fantasy series, as well as a brief foundation in comparative mythology.

The gods and goddesses in the Pipe Woman Chronicles hail from Alaska to Mexico, and from Russia and Scandinavia to Ireland and Japan – with pantheons of several Native American tribes well represented. The book is organized by type of deity: creators, tricksters, and so on. The gods are also cross-listed by pantheon, as well as by Their first appearance in the series.

A Billion Gods and Goddesses is meant to be a companion volume to the Pipe Woman Chronicles novels, but it also serves as a wide-ranging introduction to the subject of mythology. Anyone curious about what others believe will find something to interest them here.”

Author:

Lynne Cantwell is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited where she shares her knowledge about Indie publishing and promotion. She has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and is a former broadcast journalist who has written for CNN and Mutual/NBC Radio News, among other places. Ms. Cantwell currently lives near Washington, DC. You can connect with her at her website or on her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

I found this a comprehensive guide for the Pipe Woman Chronicles, Pipe Woman's Legacy, and Land, Sea, Sky Trilogy. I wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy just reading about the gods and goddesses but Ms. Cantwell is a storyteller at heart. It would be extremely wordy to include every detail about each and every god or goddesses she included in her stories. Besides you would get distracted from the story itself that she was trying to tell.

In this book she has included more information she liked and expands a bit further. As an example, “To most people these days, myth is a derogatory term that denotes a story based on a lie. But to anthropologists, a myth a simply a sacred narrative.” And it turns out there are a lot of similarities between most if not all mythic cultures around the world.

I like the way Ms. Cantwell has organized her extensive research referencing and cross-referencing, and cross-cross-referencing. I can’t even imagine the tangled webs she wove and unwove for our benefit. Thanks for going to so much trouble for your readers' benefit, Ms. Cantwell.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

This is where I generally mention foul language or sexual content… I got nuttin’.

Original review posted February 12, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

I don’t recall any proofing or editing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Review: Fate’s Arrows by Malcolm Campbell

Editors Note: This is the second half of a doubleshot review. Today we'll see ?wazithinkin's thoughts on this book. In case you missed it, our prior review gave Judi Moore's views on the same book.

Genre: Magical Realism/Fantasy/Folk Tales

Description:

“In 1954, the small Florida Panhandle town of Torreya had more Klansmen per acre than fire ants. Sparrow, a bag lady; Pollyanna, an auditor; and Jack, the owner of Slade’s Diner, step on fire ants and Klansmen whenever they can while an unknown archer fires fate-changing arrows at the Klan’s leadership. They are not who they appear to be, and while they take risks, they must be discrete lest they end up in the Klan’s gunsights.

When Julia and Eldon, a married couple from Harlem, New York, run afoul of the Klan because of Eldon’s pro-union stance at the sawmill, they find themselves down at the ancient hanging tree where two policemen, hiding their identity beneath white robes and hoods, are the ones holding the noose.

Meanwhile, Sparrow seems to have disappeared. When the ne’er-do-well Shelton brothers beat up the Klavern’s exalted cyclops because they think he harmed Sparrow, they, too, find themselves the focus of a KKK manhunt.

Bolstered by support from a black cat and an older-than-dirt conjure woman, Pollyanna persists in her fight against the Klan, determined to restore law and order to a town overwhelmed by corruption.”

Author:

Malcolm R. Campbell, “previously worked as an insurance company's training materials designer, a police management school's course materials developer, a mental health department unit manager, a technical writer, a grant writer, a corporate communications director, and a railway museum’s volunteer collections manager.

His fantasy novels were inspired by Glacier Park Montana where he worked as a bellman and from a tour of duty aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War.

He grew up in the Florida Panhandle, a wondrous place often called “the other Florida” and “the forgotten coast,” that was the perfect environment for growing up and learning about writing and magical realism.

Campbell lives on a north Georgia farm with his wife, Lesa, and their two cats.” He dreams that one day their menagerie will include two miniature burros, and a couple of fainting goats for his wife, Lesa.

To learn more check-out Mr. Campbell’s website, or follow him on Facebook.

Appraisal:

The blurb for Fate’s Arrows says it all. The plot moves at a nice pace and the twists and turns pack lots of surprise. Tension runs high as the Klan exerts their power over the town of Torreya. The archer is an unknown entity fighting the good fight but never killing. Pollyanna is a different story, she can be deadly when pushed to her limits.

Torreya is a tangled web of corruption and Klan members. However, Rudy Flowers, the chief of police, is a good man as well as some of the business owners around town. The problem is they are outnumbered by the Klan and it doesn’t take much to get your name on the short list.

I loved the talk Willie had with Eldon. Wise words were spoken, I’m just not sure the advice hit the mark as deeply as they needed to go. Old habits are hard to break.

Eulalie is feeling her age, but does what she can to bolster Pollyanna with her fight against the Klan. And Lena is ever present to keep Eulalie and Pollyanna apprised. Lena is the best secret agent ever.

The ending I did not see coming! You think you know somebody then BAM, right out of left field it knocks you for a loop! I found Fate’s Arrows well told with several threads woven together to make it an encompassing tale of the era. It’s raw and fraught with danger. The Klan may operate differently these days, but it is still alive and well.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Fate’s Arrows is book #4 in Malcolm Campbell’s, Florida Folk Magic Stories. Brace yourself, there are a few F-bombs dropped, and racist language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A few more proofing errors than I like to see in this length of book. Mostly missing letters that change a word, extra words, or wrong words.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: The Night Before Krampus by Peter Johnson

Genre: Folk Tale/Middle Grade/YA/Fantasy/Christmas

Description:

“It’s two days before Christmas and a quiet Rhode Island town is about to be visited by a number of unexpected guests—including a pair of very different Krampuses. Are they there to protect the innocent, or to exact revenge for a long-forgotten tragedy? Some curses fade over time, while others grow stronger. In this homage to Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, a young boy named Christoph and his friends must find some way to atone for a wrong committed a generation before they were born.”

Author:

“Peter Johnson is the critically acclaimed author of several collections of poetry, short stories, and YA and middle grade novels… Johnson is the recipient of two creative writing awards from Rhode Council on the Arts and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a Professor Emeritus at Providence College where he still teaches, and he lives in Barrington, RI with his family and his black pug, Winnie.”

To learn more please check out his website.

Appraisal:

The Night Before Krampus is a deliciously twisted novella about a curse, which has taken a generation to come to fruition. It takes place in a small Rhode Island town where two wealthy, bigoted, mean-spirited men decide to run a small destitute family out of town. Despite some well-meaning citizens’ compassion, they succeed. All to protect the town’s economic standing.

The story is told through an omniscient narrator with multiple points-of-view that centers mostly on a small group of middle schoolers. Christoph, Clarisse, Bullet, a recent new comer, and Studs, the school bully. The town has also attracted some strange new citizens recently. Like the new disabled and kindhearted baker, Mr. Engle, who is delightful. Ms. Bright who is the new drama teacher directing the school Christmas play, The Night Before Krampus. And Adrian Hasty, the creature posing as Bullet’s father.

Mr. Johnson weaves this contemporary tale of old world creatures, ghosts, magic, and humor into a captivating and entertaining Christmas story. Compassion rises in the most unlikely places as the story unfolds. The theme is a classic good struggling to overcome evil, with the possibility of redemption. Which is why no two Krampus stories will ever be the same. I am glad I picked up this novella, it was a frightfully fun read with heart.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some scenes could be distressing to readers.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Lena by Malcolm R. Campbell

Genre: Magical Realism/Fantasy/Folk Tales

Description:

“When Police Chief Alton Gravely and Officer Carothers escalate the feud between ‘Torreya’s finest’ and conjure woman Eulalie Jenkins by running her off the road into a north Florida swamp, the borrowed pickup truck is salvaged but Eulalie is missing and presumed dead. Her cat Lena survives. Lena could provide an accurate account of the crime, but the county sheriff is unlikely to interview a pet.

Lena doesn’t think Eulalie is dead, but the conjure woman’s family and friends don’t believe her. Eulalie’s daughter Adelaide wants to stir things up, and the church deacon wants everyone to stay out of sight. There’s talk of an eyewitness, but either Adelaide made that up to worry the police, or the witness is too scared to come forward.

When the feared Black Robes of the Klan attack the first responder who believes the wreck might have been staged, Lena is the only one who can help him try to fight them off. After that, all hope seems lost, because if Eulalie is alive and finds her way back to Torreya, there are plenty of people waiting to kill her and make sure she stays dead.”

Author:

Malcolm R. Campbell lives in north Georgia and has worked as a corporate communications director, technical writer, and college journalism instructor. He now works as a grant writer for museums and other nonprofit organizations.

“Campbell's fantasy novels were inspired by his work in Glacier National Park, an aircraft carrier cruise, and time spent in Florida's swamps. His paranormal ghost stories were inspired (of course) by his experiences with things that go bump in the night.”

To learn more check out Mr. Campbell’s website or follow him onFacebook.

Appraisal:

I have been looking forward to this book. At the end of Eulalie and Washerwoman Eulalie was leaving to fetch Willie back home. They’ve had a long-standing relationship and Eulalie was ready to take it to the next level. Being a romantic at heart I was ready for this relationship to move forward. So, what does Mr. Campbell do? He puts Eulalie in peril! Which in turn kept me reading late into the night.

Thank goodness Lena survived the wreck into the swamp, but Eulalie is missing and feared dead. Fortunately Eulalie’s daughter Adelaide has some of her mama’s conjure ability. However, she is a little too head-strong and undisciplined. Pollyanna, is a new character with a lot of spit-fire and potential. I really liked her and can’t wait to see more of her. And I really want to know who her father is.

The plot twists really shouldn’t surprise me. The town of Torreya is full of high-positioned men who secretly belong to the KKK. They are cruel, evil, and easy to hate. Towards the end of the book Joe Moore, the local raccoon, scared the bejeezus out of me with his prophesy to Lena about the coming day. After my heart started beating again, and the tense cluster... uhhh... a mess of a climax. I was completely satisfied and it left me with a smile on my face.

My favorite sentence in this story:

“Like a conjure woman, the good Lord does his work with the materials at hand,”

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Lena is the third book in Mr. Campbell’s Florida Folk Magic Stories. Following Conjure Woman’s Cat, and Eulalie and Washerwoman. Please be aware the language is not always politically correct, however it is true to the era.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing errors, nothing that threw me out of the story.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Review: Eulalie and Washerwoman by Malcolm R. Campbell

Genre: Magical Realism/Fantasy/Folk Tales

Description:

“Torreya, a small 1950s Florida Panhandle town, is losing its men. They disappear on nights with no moon and no witnesses. Foreclosure signs appear in their yards the following day while thugs associated with the Klan take everything of value from inside treasured homes that will soon be torn down. The police won't investigate, and the church keeps its distance from all social and political discord.

Conjure woman Eulalie Jenkins, her shamanistic cat, Lena, and neighbor Willie Tate discover that the new 'whites only' policy at the once friendly mercantile and the creation of a plantation-style subdivision are linked to corrupt city fathers, the disappearing men, rigged numbers gambling, and a powerful hoodoo man named Washerwoman. After he refuses to carry Eulalie's herbs and eggs and Willie's corn, mercantile owner Lane Walker is drawn into the web of lies before he, too, disappears.

Washerwoman knows how to cover his tracks with the magic he learned from Florida's most famous root doctor, Uncle Monday, so he is more elusive than hen's teeth, more dangerous that the Klan, and threatens to brutally remove any obstacle in the way of his profits. In this follow up to Conjure Woman's Cat, Eulalie and Lena face their greatest challenge with scarce support from townspeople who are scared of their own shadows. Even though Eulalie is older than dirt, her faith in the good Lord and her endless supply of spells guarantee she will give Washerwoman a run for his ill-gotten money in this swamps and piney woods story.”

Author:

Malcolm R. Campbell lives in north Georgia and has worked as a corporate communications director, technical writer, and college journalism instructor. He now works as a grant writer for museums and other nonprofit organizations.

“Campbell's fantasy novels were inspired by his work in Glacier National Park, an aircraft carrier cruise, and time spent in Florida's swamps. His paranormal ghost stories were inspired (of course) by his experiences with things that go bump in the night.”

To learn more check out Mr. Campbell’s website, blog, or follow him on Facebook.

Appraisal:

I love Lena’s irreverent narration throughout this story. She is able to give us a unique perspective of an era from the past most of us haven’t experienced. Since Lena is a cat she can’t be bothered by human emotions, unless you are scratching her behind her ears. This tale, while being fiction, rings true on many facts. The addition of magical realism brings us an eccentric, enthralling, and entertaining history of days gone by.

It wasn’t all white mistreatment and abuse on the black population, there was black on black abuse as well. Greed is the common agent that knows no color. Thank goodness Eulalie is around to try to set some misdeeds right. Pitted against a powerful hoodoo man, who practices black magic, it’s questionable whether Eulalie can outwit and best Washerwoman to return a more even balance of powers in her corner of the world. The struggles are realistic of the time.

I love that Eulalie’s and Willie Tate’s relationship is more fully explained and I am glad Adelaide, Eulalie’s daughter, is back in town. Old family secrets are exposed and this made my heart smile. Please be aware that the language in this story is not always politically correct, however it is true to the era. I found this a thoroughly enjoyable tale and while the main story arc was brought to a satisfactory end for the time being, things are still open. Also, Eulalie takes off on a whole new adventure that is sure to be entertaining on an emotional level. 

I can’t wait!

Buy now from:    Amazon US    Amazon UK

FYI:

Eulalie and Washerwoman is book two in Malcolm R. Campbell’s, Florida Folk Magic Stories. I believe this can be read as a standalone, however the characters are unique and some depth could be lost. Also, please be aware that the language is not always politically correct, however it is true to the era.

Format/Typo Issues:

I came across a small number of proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Review: All Darling Children by Katrina Monroe

Genre: Fantasy/Folk Tales

Description:

“On the tenth anniversary of her mother's death, fourteen-year-old Madge Darling’s grandmother suffers a heart attack. With the overbearing Grandma Wendy in the hospital, Madge runs away to Chicago, intent on tracking down a woman she believes is actually her mother.

On her way to the Windy City, a boy named Peter Pan lures Madge to Neverland, a magical place where children can remain young forever. While Pan plays puppet master in a twisted game only he understands, Madge discovers the disturbing price of Peter Pan's eternal youth.”

Author:

“Katrina Monroe is a novelist, mom, and snark-slinger extraordinaire.

Her worst habits include: eating pretty much anything with her fingers, yelling at inappropriate times, and being unable to focus on important things like dinner and putting on pants.

She collects quotes like most people collect, well, other things. Her favorite is, 'If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.' – Dorothy Parker

Readers can revel in her sarcasm at her website.”

Appraisal:

Ms. Monroe has forever changed the story of Peter Pan for me. I try to stay away from dark themes, for personal reasons, however the cover for All Darling Children sucked me in. I also have a fondness for retold fairy-tales. Honestly, I was hoping for some humor to stave off the darkness, but no, I can’t say there was enough humor to save me from the depravity that is Pan. Ms. Monroe takes the story of Peter Pan and skillfully weaves in a Lord of the Flies type drama.  *shivers*

This story centers on Madge Darling, Wendy Darling’s grand-daughter. Madge wishes to escape her cold, tyrannical grandmother and find her mother. It just so happens Pan has been watching Madge for years and assists in her escape by whisking her off to Neverland. Madge is spunky, however she doesn’t come across as a strong character, and I kept having to remind myself she was only fourteen years-old. Pan’s transformation into a maniacal madman with powers of persuasion over the lost boys and the whole island of Neverland makes magical sense in the context of the story. As Madge begins to see the truth surrounding Pan and Neverland, she determines she has to confront Peter and try to set things right. But does she have the courage, strength, and cunning to pull it off?

The narrative is broken up with selections from Wendy’s diary entries from her time in Neverland, which paints a whole new picture of Wendy’s character. This gives the reader a better understanding of Wendy Darling’s later adult years as well. Flashbacks are used to fill-in other reimagined events and characters, such as Captain Hook and Tiger Lily. The twists in this reworking of the tale takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride you won’t soon forget. The end left me reeling and a little unnerved.

If you are into demented, twisted, reimagined fairy tales this may be a book you will enjoy.

Buy now from:    Amazon US    Amazon UK

FYI:

There are a few F-bombs dropped and some gory battle scenes. This is not a child’s fairy tale.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues with proofing or formatting.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: A Billion Gods and Goddesses: The Mythology Behind the Pipe Woman Chronicles by Lynne Cantwell

Genre: Mythology/Legends/Folk Tales/Native American/Spirituality

Description:

“More than forty deities, representative of fifteen pantheons from around the world, have found Their way into the ten books (and counting!) of the Pipe Woman Chronicles story cycle. In A Billion Gods and Goddesses: The Mythology Behind the Pipe Woman Chronicles, you will find additional information on each of the deities in the urban fantasy series, as well as a brief foundation in comparative mythology.

The gods and goddesses in the Pipe Woman Chronicles hail from Alaska to Mexico, and from Russia and Scandinavia to Ireland and Japan – with pantheons of several Native American tribes well represented. The book is organized by type of deity: creators, tricksters, and so on. The gods are also cross-listed by pantheon, as well as by Their first appearance in the series.

A Billion Gods and Goddesses is meant to be a companion volume to the Pipe Woman Chronicles novels, but it also serves as a wide-ranging introduction to the subject of mythology. Anyone curious about what others believe will find something to interest them here.”

Author:

Lynne Cantwell is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited where she shares her knowledge about Indie publishing and promotion. She has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and is a former broadcast journalist who has written for CNN and Mutual/NBC Radio News, among other places. Ms. Cantwell currently lives near Washington, DC. You can connect with her at her website or on her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

I found this a comprehensive guide for the Pipe Woman Chronicles, Pipe Woman's Legacy, and Land, Sea, Sky Trilogy. I wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy just reading about the gods and goddesses but Ms. Cantwell is a storyteller at heart. It would be extremely wordy to include every detail about each and every god or goddesses she included in her stories. Besides you would get distracted from the story itself that she was trying to tell.

In this book she has included more information she liked and expands a bit further. As an example, “To most people these days, myth is a derogatory term that denotes a story based on a lie. But to anthropologists, a myth a simply a sacred narrative.” And it turns out there are a lot of similarities between most if not all mythic cultures around the world.

I like the way Ms. Cantwell has organized her extensive research referencing and cross-referencing, and cross-cross-referencing. I can’t even imagine the tangled webs she wove and unwove for our benefit. Thanks for going to so much trouble for your readers' benefit, Ms. Cantwell.

Buy now from:      Amazon US      Amazon UK

FYI:

This is where I generally mention foul language or sexual content… I got nuttin’.

Format/Typo Issues:

I don’t recall any proofing or editing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Goldilocks / Patria L. Dunn

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Fantasy / Folk Tales / Young Adult

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Patria L. Dunn hails from the small town of Louisa Virginia. Born in 1981, a true child of the 80's; her interests range from classic to unimaginable. A young woman with many talents and many titles such as: Pianist, Author, Poet and most importantly Mother, if you ask her about her accomplishments she will tell you: ‘The best is yet to come.’"

For more, visit Dunn's website.

Description:

“At seventeen years old, Hannah Adler has already lost her mother to a brutal murder, and her father to a job that keeps him away more often than not. It couldn’t get any worse for this depressed teen, except it does when she is abruptly uprooted from the city and only home she’s ever known and deposited in the gold rich mountains of Hinsdale Colorado. Never one to make friends easily, the only thing that keeps Hannah grounded is her star quality cross country talent. While running through the woods behind the cabin, that is now her home, gives her solace, Hannah quickly discovers that this seemingly enchanted forest is hiding something that no one is willing to talk about.”

Appraisal:

"There are three bears, a girl with honey gold blonde hair, and a secret lair, but this story is far from the children’s fairy tale our parents used to read to us when we were kids."

Paul Adler, trying to reconnect with his daughter, takes a job as a mine inspector for Golden Wonder Mines in Colorado, where he won’t have to travel as much. Leaving the D.C. area is not an easy adjustment for Hannah to make, at least her new school has a cross country team for her to join. The relationship between Paul and Hannah is strained for a while, however Hannah relents and vows to try to adjust to living in the middle of nowhere. At least their cabin has an indoor bathroom.

When school starts things seem quite ordinary and Hannah makes a couple of friends on the cross-country team. However there is one boy that seems to stand out from the rest at school, he is larger and a little different from the other boys. His name is Jake Bear and he intrigues Hanna. As the story unfolds she can tell that he is keeping things from her.

The mine is having trouble with cave-ins so Paul is very busy at work and gets worried about Hanna running in the woods. Hanna loves running in the woods until one day she is stalked by a huge wolf. Luckily a bear comes out of nowhere and saves her. Ms. Dunn has done an excellent job creating an ancient myth for this world, which makes the story read like an urban fantasy. The plot keeps a steady pace as new elements come to light and things start to change between Jake and Hanna. It’s a unique story that turns the old fairy tale upside down with a few unexpected twists. The characters are easy to like and the author’s descriptive prose paints realistic pictures of the wilderness. This is a fun read to get lost in.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found a small number of proofing problems that include missing, extra words, or wrong words.

Rating: **** Four stars

Little Red Robin Hood/ Emily & Amanda Bradburn

Reviewed by: Michael Thal

Genre: Folk Tales/Myths/Middle Grade

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

At 19, Emily Bradburn knows what excites little boys. Her first co-authored book is filled with the fantasy boys crave. She is also experimenting with sci-fi, mystery/thrillers, and historical fiction. When she’s not writing, Emily rides and trains horses.

Emily’s cousin, Amanda Bradburn enjoys writing Christian Fantasy. She first started writing at the age of seven. Her first novel, Keepers of Elenath, was published in 2009.

Description:

Robin Hood is a 12-year-old thief sponsored by “Grandma” who plans the crimes. Once the band of 10-12 year old thieves has the contraband, one of them needs to take the goods to Grandma’s house wearing a girl’s red riding hood. To Robin Hood, this is a fate worse than death.

This time, it’s Robin’s turn to make the drop-off. Begrudgingly, Robin dons the flower-scented girl wear and heads off to see Grandma. Along the path in Sherwood Forest he is stopped by the Sheriff of Noddinhead, the chief of a pack of no good Wolves.

Appraisal:

The Bradburn cousin writing team spins a fun yarn for 8-12 year old boys that will keep them turning pages. The short story is part Grimm’s Fairy Tale, part English folklore, with a touch of Dicken’s Oliver Twist.

This more mature reader felt that the setting could have been shown better from the start to bring the reader into the story faster. 

Throughout the plot there were clever references to the fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood and the English Robin Hood folktale; a gimmick that is sure to bring readers back for more of Robin’s future adventures.

Though the humor in the story kept this reader smiling, greater plot development, motivation for the crimes, and tension should be included in future episodes.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: *** Three stars