Reprise Review: Ghost Cat by Christine Rains

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Mystery/Adventure/Myths

Description:

“Bigfoot is rampaging through a small fishing town, and he has friends.

The whispers say a boy is missing. Kinley Dorn can’t ignore them. The last time she did, a giant almost killed her. Her investigation in the boy’s disappearance leads her and her boyfriend, Ransom Averill, to a village on Lake Iliamna. Unfortunately, that boy isn’t the only child missing.

Some folks claim Bigfoot is taking the children, but the gentle creature usually stays away from humans. Kinley believes a totem is making Bigfoot act strangely, but can she and Ransom find it before more kids are abducted?”

Author:

“Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not reading or writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. and Untethered Realms. She has one novel and several novellas and short stories published.”

Check out her Amazon author page for all of her books or stalk her on Facebook.”

Appraisal:

Kinley Dorn is the middle sister, she has been the family caretaker since her mother died years earlier. She also inherited aspects of her mother’s gift. Kinley is competent and secure in her talent as an architect for their business. Their newest client wants her to do the interior design part of the job, primarily because he and Kinley share an interest in the same geeky, nerdy stuff. Ametta usually handles the interior design part of their jobs, but her style is more cutting edge modern. Kinley is excited to give it a try, but a seed of insecurity plants itself in her over her ability to handle the decor and it starts to grow into other aspects of her life. Namely her developing relationship with Ransom. Are they moving too fast? Why did Ransom let that woman kiss him on the lips? And why didn’t he introduce me as his girlfriend? Does he feel the same about me as I do about him?

When they see a flyer about a missing twelve year-old boy, and both Kinley and Ransom hear the whispered voice that says, “Find him,” they know they have to do all they can to track him down. Since Ransom grew up in the area where other children have also been disappearing without a trace, he is familiar with the area and the people who live in the remote fishing village by Lake Iliamna. Plus, there have been several Bigfoot sightings in the area lately. However, they are usually shy, docile creatures. Kinley and Ransom are both aware that if a totem token is in the area it will cause the creatures to act out of character and perhaps be aggressive.

Hearing the native myths and stories of the area was a bonus. There are a few surprising twists in this novella that I wasn’t expecting, which made the story more engaging and more personal for both Kinley and Ransom. I’m not sure why I was more emotionally involved in this story. Perhaps, I’ve decided that these two are my favorite and the most relatable couple? It was fun losing myself in their turmoil and hunt for the totem token. I must be more sadistic than I realized. I think everyone will enjoy Ghost Cat.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Ghost Cat is Novella Five in Ms. Rains Totem series. Contains adult language with several F-bombs. The Totem series of novellas build on each other and would be best enjoyed if read in order.

Original review published March 24, 2017.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: Wyrd Gods: Timelessness Book 1 by Susana Imaginário

 Genre: Myth and legend

Description:

The author says this book “combines mythology with science fiction and slipstream fantasy in a strange and introspective way.”

This is the first book in a tetralogy. Susana Imaginário wrote all four as a single 300,000+ word novel, then took pity on readers and cut the result up into more manageable chunks. She has set two major, ancient pantheons against each other: the Aesir (Norse) and the Olympians (Greek) now in competition for worlds and worshippers after The Merge.

The Aesir and the Olympians seem to know surprisingly little about other religions, including the Egyptian pantheon. Kali is mentioned. A stray Egyptian goddess turns up, who nobody apparently recognises. Buddhism and the Abrahamic religions do not feature.

There are suggestions that the two pantheons need to co-operate to avoid being subsumed by Chronos, the primal god of Time. This they find difficult. Gaea, the ancient mother goddess of all life, has got herself into a bit of a pickle with Chronos. She has been playing politics and things have gotten somewhat out of hand: the Underworld has gone missing.

The central character is Psyche, a human elevated to become the goddess of the soul. However, she has transgressed against the gods, been cursed, and imprisoned (as a wyrd god) inside the mind of a dryad called Ileanna.

Author:

Susana Imaginário describes herself as “a misfit from Portugal”. She says of her tetralogy, “what started as an exercise to improve my English ended in the realisation of a twenty-year-old dream.”

She moved to England to pursue a career as an aerialist and now runs a Tabletop Gaming retreat in Ireland with her husband. Her hobbies include reading, playing board games, hanging upside down, poking around ancient ruins, talking to trees and being tired. She loves a good story, and claims not to talk much.

Appraisal:

This is a complex book. This first volume is just the tip of its iceberg. The action gallops along in short chapters. These are from a variety of different viewpoints: the Wyrd, Psyche/Ileana; Gaea; Chronos; Ideth, another dryad who Chiron the centaur calls ‘unbridled one’ for reasons still unclear to me; Chiron himself; another confined Wyrd God who is actually Odin; Loki, freshly broken out of Hades’ (now missing) realm; Hel (Loki’s daughter); a ‘Dharkan’ (a sexy, icy assassin); the Egyptian goddess of writing, Seshat; Iosh, a k a Judoc, a local lothario cum priest; and a human queen, Arianh. There may be a couple of others I’ve forgotten. It is a LOT of narrators. As the jump into a new narrator at the beginning of the chapter isn’t signposted for the reader, it means a couple of paragraphs of floundering before one establishes whose head we are in now. The author could have been kinder to her readers in this regard.

If you enjoy the sort of complex use of characters, pantheons and world building such as you encounter in Tolkien and George RR Martin, then although there is a bagginess about this first book, you will like it a lot, providing you can keep who is doing what to whom straight in your head. The beings to whom we are introduced in this first volume are very entertaining. The tone is witty and light. And the Dharkan is very sexy indeed.

No huge amount of progress towards whatever the over-arching goal of the four books is has been achieved by the end of this first one. Imaginário asks, in her author’s note, for patience from her readers and promises everything will make sense in the end.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some (mainly light-hearted) F-bombs

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Reprise Review: Duchess Rising (The Seven Realms of Ar'rothi) by Alison Naomi Holt

 

Genre: Fantasy/LBGT/Myths

Description:

“You are invited to enter Ar’rothi, a world as vividly realized as Narnia or Middle Earth, a world where animal spirits guide humans towards enlightenment, and in which an orphaned girl and a warrior duchess must join forces against an evil that threatens everything they have learned to love.

…Stormy clouds of war are moving against Anacafria on two fronts; the Tevaiedin, the dark spirits of the Seven Realms, and Desdamea, the cruel and grasping queen of the neighboring country of Organdy, are both gathering their forces in a bid to dominate and destroy the kingdom. The Duchess finds her loyalties divided between her adopted daughter, who is the only one who can lead a defense against the Tevaiedin and her king, who needs her skills as a warrior and as one of the commanders of his elite troops.”

Author:

Alison Naomi Holt grew up on a working cattle ranch in Arizona where she inherited her greatest passion, the love of animals, from her grandmother. After earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in writing at the University of Arizona she joined the police force where she worked every possible job that became available, changing assignments every few years just because she could. She has been a patrol officer, a detective, a hostage negotiator, commanded Undercover Units and Riot Control Squads, and became the Sergeant/Supervisor for the 11 man K9 squad. Ms. Holt hopes to share her passions and experiences through her writing. Learn more about her other stories at her website or follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

It has been about two and half years since I read Spirit Child, so I was a little concerned about picking up Duchess Rising cold, without at least skimming the last half of the first book. However, I didn’t. Partly because I wanted to know how long it takes me to get back into a story that I haven’t thought about for a long period of time. Yeah, occasionally I would see Spirit Child’s book cover, which I love, and I would remember I really liked that story. I think it speaks a lot to the author’s talent if I don’t need an in-depth recap to get back into their fantasy world. Ms. Holt’s must have really impressed me because I didn’t have any trouble getting back in tune with the story. Some names may have escaped my memory but the author has a glossary of names and terms at the end of the book.

The way this story starts, drops the reader right in the midst of the action as Kaiti stalks up on King Leopold, in the midst of camp, to test the guards’ readiness for an assassination attempt. King Leopold and Commander Jathez become fully developed characters as the plot progresses. As well as several other secondary characters that I suspect will play major parts as this series continues. The author does an extraordinary job with her Spirit Guides as well. Each has their own personality and can be very outspoken. It’s a good thing the King has not become enlightened enough to hear or see them yet. I am a little surprised that Kaiti has not started picking up some of the language spoken by Bree so far. And Bree doesn’t seem to be making an effort to learn Kaiti’s language either. I would think since Prince Darius and Kaiti are the same age they would try harder to communicate as well.

King Leopold and his imperial guard are on their trek back to King’s City after gathering fighting troops from the outer lying dioceses of the kingdom to prepare for war. He also would like to enlist the Natives from the Shona tribe for assistance as well as repair diplomatic relations between their nations that had been destroyed through one of his dioceses warring. There are several plot twists as treachery, and treasonous acts erupt within camp when the Tevaiedin, the dark spirits, find black hearts to latch onto within some of the troops in camp at a very bad time. The conclusion comes to a somewhat satisfying end, however, with a nefarious note. I am anxious to see what will happen now, I hope it doesn’t take another two years to find out. I am a bit disappointed they all didn’t make it back to Kings City before the story ended.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

“Duchess Rising is the second book in a powerful and moving fantasy series by Alison Naomi Holt that will appeal to fans of Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey — one that blends the lyrical and mystical with pulse-pounding action.”

I would also recommend reading Spirit Child first before reading book 2. I should also mention there is a short sexy scene between Healer Becca and her lover Nashotah, a female Shona healer.

Original review posted February 18, 2016

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues with proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Monster Walk by Melissa Bowersock

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Native American/Myths

Description:

“Two recent murders have rocked the small town of Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation. Navajo Tribal Police have found no connection between the victims even though both were killed the same way and brutally mutilated. Lieutenant John Stoneburner has no choice but to call in medium Sam Firecloud and his partner, Lacey Fitzpatrick, to see if they can make sense of the grisly facts. When it becomes clear to Sam that the murders are related to ancient Navajo mythology, he enlists the help of an elder, his grandfather Ben, who leads them all into the perilous realm of gods and monsters.”

Author:

“Melissa Bowersock is an eclectic, award-winning author who writes in a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres: biography, contemporary, western, action, romance, fantasy, paranormal and spiritual. She has been both traditionally and independently published and is a regular contributor to the superblog Indies Unlimited. She has a tattoo on the inside of her left wrist that says IMAGINE. In her next life, she plans to be an astronaut. She lives in a small community in northern Arizona with her husband and an Airedale terrier. She also writes under the pen name Amber Flame.”

Learn more about Ms. Bowersock and her other books on her website or on Facebook.

Appraisal:

We first met Lieutenant John Stoneburner of the Navajo Tribal Police in book 11, Spirit Walk. Lieutenant Stoneburner wasn’t raised with the old ways and is therefore not a believer in Navajo mysticism or aware of their legends and myths. While Lt. Stoneburner is investigating two recent gruesome ritualistic looking murders that seem unrelated, he enlists Sam Firecloud to get his opinion on the mysterious connection between these two murders. After walking the site of the murders, Sam’s memories of a Navajo myth are stirred and he decides he needs to consult with his grandfather Ben.

After seeking advice from Ben, Ben’s own curiosity is piqued, He decides to tag along on this case, uninvited. Of course he is welcomed with open arms. (I was thrilled to get to spend more time with Ben.) So, off Sam, Lacey, and Ben head to Canyon de Chelly. The Canyon is a geologic and cultural wonder that sports Spider Rock, a sandstone spire that thrusts up 750 feet from the canyon floor unconnected to any other monolith.

The plan is to camp up on the rim to watch to see if their suspicions are correct. They suspect that the killers are invoking the gods from the legend of Monster Slayer. Learning Navajo myths drew me into the story and the way Sam was able to merge the past with modern myths was genius. Ha! Here I am giving Sam the credit when the credit actually goes to the prolific imagination of Ms. Bowersock. She also weaves in a little of the Firecloud family history which is especially heartwarming.

Monster Walk may be my new favorite story in this series. The undercurrent of this tale swept me away.  

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Monster Walk is book 24 in Ms. Bowersock’s, A LACEY FITZPATRICK and SAM FIRECLOUD MYSTERY SERIES. This series does not need to be read in order. However, you may miss some character development.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Tales of the Whirling Rainbow: Myths & Mysteries for Our Times by Steven McFadden

Genre: Myths/Religion

Description:

“Tales of the Whirling Rainbow is a journalist’s account of some of the key myths and mysteries of the Americas, and an electrifying exploration of how those myths are echoed in real time. Veteran journalist Steven McFadden weaves the living myths together seamlessly in a tightly written ebook that is highly authoritative, informative, and soul-resonant.”

Author:

Steven McFadden describes himself as an “independent journalist.” He is the author of at least 15 nonfiction books.

Appraisal:

A short read that would especially appeal to readers who have a passion for getting to know more about the myths, religion, and spirituality of the indigenous people of the Americas. While I don’t think I’m in the target audience I found the commonality in some of the stories and fables of people who aren’t that close geographically interesting. That so many used common imagery was thought-provoking as well.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 12-13,000 words

Review: Ghost Cat by Christine Rains

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Mystery/Adventure/Myths

Description:

“Bigfoot is rampaging through a small fishing town, and he has friends.

The whispers say a boy is missing. Kinley Dorn can’t ignore them. The last time she did, a giant almost killed her. Her investigation in the boy’s disappearance leads her and her boyfriend, Ransom Averill, to a village on Lake Iliamna. Unfortunately, that boy isn’t the only child missing.

Some folks claim Bigfoot is taking the children, but the gentle creature usually stays away from humans. Kinley believes a totem is making Bigfoot act strangely, but can she and Ransom find it before more kids are abducted?”

Author:

“Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not reading or writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. and Untethered Realms. She has one novel and several novellas and short stories published.”

Check out her Amazon author page for all of her books or stalk her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Kinley Dorn is the middle sister, she has been the family caretaker since her mother died years earlier. She also inherited aspects of her mother’s gift. Kinley is competent and secure in her talent as an architect for their business. Their newest client wants her to do the interior design part of the job, primarily because he and Kinley share an interest in the same geeky, nerdy stuff. Ametta usually handles the interior design part of their jobs, but her style is more cutting edge modern. Kinley is excited to give it a try, but a seed of insecurity plants itself in her over her ability to handle the decor and it starts to grow into other aspects of her life. Namely her developing relationship with Ransom. Are they moving too fast? Why did Ransom let that woman kiss him on the lips? And why didn’t he introduce me as his girlfriend? Does he feel the same about me as I do about him?

When they see a flyer about a missing twelve year-old boy, and both Kinley and Ransom hear the whispered voice that says, “Find him,” they know they have to do all they can to track him down. Since Ransom grew up in the area where other children have also been disappearing without a trace, he is familiar with the area and the people who live in the remote fishing village by Lake Iliamna. Plus, there have been several Bigfoot sightings in the area lately. However, they are usually shy, docile creatures. Kinley and Ransom are both aware that if a totem token is in the area it will cause the creatures to act out of character and perhaps be aggressive.

Hearing the native myths and stories of the area was a bonus. There are a few surprising twists in this novella that I wasn’t expecting, which made the story more engaging and more personal for both Kinley and Ransom. I’m not sure why I was more emotionally involved in this story. Perhaps, I’ve decided that these two are my favorite and the most relatable couple? It was fun losing myself in their turmoil and hunt for the totem token. I must be more sadistic than I realized. I think everyone will enjoy Ghost Cat.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

  

FYI:

Ghost Cat is Novella Five in Ms. Rains Totem series. Contains adult language with several F-bombs. The Totem series of novellas build on each other and would be best enjoyed if read in order.

Format/Typo Issues:

I only came across one minor proofing issue, a dropped ‘s’ on the word as. It should have read as huge as.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: Duchess Rising (The Seven Realms of Ar'rothi) by Alison Naomi Holt

Genre: Fantasy/LBGT/Myths

Description:

“You are invited to enter Ar’rothi, a world as vividly realized as Narnia or Middle Earth, a world where animal spirits guide humans towards enlightenment, and in which an orphaned girl and a warrior duchess must join forces against an evil that threatens everything they have learned to love.

…Stormy clouds of war are moving against Anacafria on two fronts; the Tevaiedin, the dark spirits of the Seven Realms, and Desdamea, the cruel and grasping queen of the neighboring country of Organdy, are both gathering their forces in a bid to dominate and destroy the kingdom. The Duchess finds her loyalties divided between her adopted daughter, who is the only one who can lead a defense against the Tevaiedin and her king, who needs her skills as a warrior and as one of the commanders of his elite troops.”

Author:

Alison Naomi Holt grew up on a working cattle ranch in Arizona where she inherited her greatest passion, the love of animals, from her grandmother. After earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in writing at the University of Arizona she joined the police force where she worked every possible job that became available, changing assignments every few years just because she could. She has been a patrol officer, a detective, a hostage negotiator, commanded Undercover Units and Riot Control Squads, and became the Sergeant/Supervisor for the 11 man K9 squad. Ms. Holt hopes to share her passions and experiences through her writing. Learn more about her other stories at her website or follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

It has been about two and half years since I read Spirit Child, so I was a little concerned about picking up Duchess Rising cold, without at least skimming the last half of the first book. However, I didn’t. Partly because I wanted to know how long it takes me to get back into a story that I haven’t thought about for a long period of time. Yeah, occasionally I would see Spirit Child’s book cover, which I love, and I would remember I really liked that story. I think it speaks a lot to the author’s talent if I don’t need an in-depth recap to get back into their fantasy world. Ms. Holt’s must have really impressed me because I didn’t have any trouble getting back in tune with the story. Some names may have escaped my memory but the author has a glossary of names and terms at the end of the book.

The way this story starts, drops the reader right in the midst of the action as Kaiti stalks up on King Leopold, in the midst of camp, to test the guards’ readiness for an assassination attempt. King Leopold and Commander Jathez become fully developed characters as the plot progresses. As well as several other secondary characters that I suspect will play major parts as this series continues. The author does an extraordinary job with her Spirit Guides as well. Each has their own personality and can be very outspoken. It’s a good thing the King has not become enlightened enough to hear or see them yet. I am a little surprised that Kaiti has not started picking up some of the language spoken by Bree so far. And Bree doesn’t seem to be making an effort to learn Kaiti’s language either. I would think since Prince Darius and Kaiti are the same age they would try harder to communicate as well.

King Leopold and his imperial guard are on their trek back to King’s City after gathering fighting troops from the outer lying dioceses of the kingdom to prepare for war. He also would like to enlist the Natives from the Shona tribe for assistance as well as repair diplomatic relations between their nations that had been destroyed through one of his dioceses warring. There are several plot twists as treachery, and treasonous acts erupt within camp when the Tevaiedin, the dark spirits, find black hearts to latch onto within some of the troops in camp at a very bad time. The conclusion comes to a somewhat satisfying end, however, with a nefarious note. I am anxious to see what will happen now, I hope it doesn’t take another two years to find out. I am a bit disappointed they all didn’t make it back to Kings City before the story ended.

Buy now from:      Amazon US      Amazon UK

FYI:

“Duchess Rising is the second book in a powerful and moving fantasy series by Alison Naomi Holt that will appeal to fans of Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey — one that blends the lyrical and mystical with pulse-pounding action.” I would also recommend reading Spirit Child first before reading book 2. I should also mention there is a short sexy scene between Healer Becca and her lover Nashotah, a female Shona healer."

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues with proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Fey by C.S. Feldman

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy/Myths

Description:

“Nessa Donnelly never expected to see her estranged and eccentric father again, but a phone call summons her back to her hometown and to the hospital in which the elder Donnelly lies in a comatose state for which his doctors have no explanation. Bit by bit, long-buried family secrets emerge, and Nessa begins to realize that those secrets were kept hidden from her for a reason.

She also realizes that there is something in the woods behind her father’s house that he never told her about, something that can’t be explained. And she is also not as alone in his house as she thought she was…”

Author:

“C. S. Feldman loves all things fantasy related and writes both novels and screenplays. Stop by and say hi on Facebook” Also check outher website for an upcoming release.

Appraisal:

This fantasy novella seems to be Ms. Feldman’s debut. I found this tale enthralling and well written. If you are not familiar with Fey folk this is an excellent introduction to them. I was a bit puzzled about Nessa in the beginning. She’s aloof and seems uncaring, but as the story unfolds one begins to understand why she is the way she is. Nessa’s story is unique and as it unfolds she is presented with a mystery that must be solved rather quickly to save herself as well as her sick father. The dynamics of the relationships in this story is what brings the story full circle. The fact that there was a majestic cock in the story was a bonus for me.

This is a quick story with some important lessons about looking at life or situations from different points of view to understand and see the full picture. The Fey puts an interesting spin on the whole story. I hope to see more stories like this from Ms Feldman in the future.

Buy now from:      Amazon US      Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing worth noting.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Widow As Butterfly Dealing with Grief and Loss / Ty Nolan

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir/Self-Help/Native American/Myths/Legends

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Availability

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

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

Author:

Ty Nolan is a professional storyteller and a therapist. He was asked to teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) professors how to use Storytelling (a retelling of traditional Native American Stories) to more effectively communicate complex concepts about technology to a general audience. Most recently he has worked with the National Science Foundation's Flagship Project, Synergy.

He currently lives in Arizona near South Mountain Community College, where one can be certified as a storyteller at one of the only Storytelling Institutes in the United States.

“The author studied with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in working with the various aspects of Death and Dying. His book, Coyote Still Going: Native American Legends and Contemporary Stories received the 2014 BP (BigAl’s Books and Pals) Readers’ Choice Award for Short Story Collections and Anthologies.”

For more information check out Mr. Nolan’s website or follow him on Facebook.

Description:

“There are two things the dying can take with them when they go. One is the Story of how to deal with leaving life behind and what is believed to happen next. The other is Love. This book shares the gifts also given by the dying to the living—the power of memories. The Stories the living take with them help make sense of their own lives and relationships. Trained as a traditional American Indian Storyteller and One Who Buries, the author has had decades of experience in helping in the final ceremonies for the dead and in comforting the survivors. Traditional Native American legends and rituals that provide a framework for understanding death and dying are woven in with systemic family therapy and psychological studies of bereavement—and healing.

The title—Widow As Butterfly—refers to a traditional Sahaptin legend. Just as life repeats art, this Story sets a pattern the Sahaptin people use in accepting the loss of a loved one.

The author's personal history led to a major keynote for the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam and over thirty years of working with families, children and Hospice programs on a national and international level in coping with grief and loss. Importantly, the work also examines the needs of health care professionals—who cares for the caretakers?”

Appraisal:

I pulled this from the introduction of Widow As Butterfly. I shortened it some but thought it was important to note:

“This book is an outgrowth of my many years of working with Death on a number of levels… It reflects the many workshops on Grief and Loss I have led across the United States, Canada, and Europe… The approaches and techniques described in this book don’t lessen the pain of loss. That’s part of our humanity.”

I was impressed and am in awe of Ty Nolan’s wisdom in how he approaches his work and most likely people in general. He seeks to learn each patient or clients own personal story through their culture, nationality, religion/beliefs, and history to provide a map to follow or use as a guide. Everyone’s is different in one degree or another and the map is fluid/changeable to fit ones needs. Not only does he tell Native American Stories but also accesses Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Celtic, and other Myths to relate. There is a Jewish story that I particularly liked, it made me smile.

Mr. Nolan also talks about perspective and relates stories of those he has helped guide through their grief or depression. No matter what kind of loss is being dealt with, I found his insights into people’s soul remarkable.

Another story I really enjoyed was Dancing With Dash-Kayah, it is another traditional Sahaptin story retold by Ty Nolan. Dash-Kayah is a big scary monster, which can represent grief, addiction, or disease. A clever boy overcomes the monster to make it more manageable. This is the way Mr. Nolan teaches. I would highly recommend this book for everyone, grief-stricken or not. It’s never too late to learn your story.

Format/Typo Issues:

I noted a small number of proofing errors that included missing, extra, or wrong words.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

The Storyteller’s Bracelet / Smoky Zeidel

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Native American/ Myths/ Historical Fiction/ Magical Realism

Approximate word count:40-45,000 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:

“Smoky Zeidel is a novelist, poet, and earth mage, whose love of the natural world is thematic in all she writes. She taught writing and creativity workshops for many years at venues throughout the Midwest before succumbing to her bohemian urges and moving to Southern California. Her work has earned her two nominations for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

Smoky lives in a ramshackle cottage in the hills outside Los Angeles with her husband Scott and a plethora of animals, both domestic and wild.

After breaking with her former publisher, Smoky took all her books off the market and went on an 18-month sabbatical from writing, during which time she pursued her love for fiber arts, sculpture, and painting. But words are in her soul; she signed a new publishing contract with Thomas-Jacob Publishing, LLC.”

For more, visit Ms Zeidel's website or like her Facebook page.

Description:

“It is the late 1800s, and the U.S. Government has mandated native tribes send their youth to Indian schools where they are stripped of their native heritage by the people they think of as The Others. Otter and Sun Song are deeply in love, but when they are sent East to school, Otter, renamed Gideon, tries to adapt, where Sun Song does not, enduring brutal attacks from the school headmaster because of her refusal to so much as speak. Gideon, thinking Sun Song has spurned him, turns for comfort to Wendy Thatcher, the daughter of a wealthy school patron, beginning a forbidden affair of the heart.

But the Spirits have different plans for Gideon and Sun Song. They speak to Gideon through his magical storyteller’s bracelet, showing him both his past and his future. You are both child and mother of The Original People, Sun Song is told. When it is right, you will be safe once more. Will Gideon become Otter once again and return to Sun Song and his tribal roots, or attempt to remain with Wendy, with whom he can have no future?”

Appraisal:

I have to admit, I am partial to Native American themed stories. I appreciated the way Ms. Zeidel wove the tribal belief systems and symbols together to include all Native American people. Their connectedness to Mother Earth and sense of community is something I can identify with. This story depicts a history that has been excluded in United States history school books of the atrocities that Native American youth endured at the hands of the Others, the White Man. They were forcibly removed from their families and taken to schools far away from home to teach them how to assimilate into the white mans’ world. They were stripped of their native attire and names given to them by their parents. The school assigned everyone an English sounding name, handed them English styled clothes, and hard leather shoes. They were taught English and not allowed to use their native language. The male children were given haircuts and taught a trade. The girls were not allowed to braid their hair and they were taught housekeeping, gardening, and other menial jobs. More or less they were being taught how to be slaves for the Others.

Sun Song/Susan tried her hardest to hold onto her native roots, she was a storyteller at heart. Otter/Gideon was able to see some benefit in knowing the English language, which would make trading with the white man easier, for the tribe as a whole. He is a storyteller also, but tells his stories on silver with pictographs and tribal symbols. This is their story. Both are seventeen and see themselves married in the future. Little did they know what was in store for them both in the world of the Others. Although, Sun Song had a clue after watching her brother’s transformation upon returning from his schooling back East. As with all school systems there were a few good teachers who had compassion for the Native American plight. However, their hands were often tied and unable to change the system as a whole under the current administration.

The different storylines were easy to follow and woven together seamlessly. Sun Song and Otter were not allowed to socialize, even in the dining hall. With the third person perspective we are able to see Sun Song’s journey as well as Otter’s. The story is told with sensitivity and compassion. There are many twists in the plot that complicate matters and a few magical moments that had me in awe. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Native American tales. Ms. Zeidel’s prose is easy to read, highly descriptive, and inspiring.

Format/Typo Issues:

I was given an advanced readers’ copy for an honest review so I can’t gauge the final product in this area, although my copy was very clean.

Rating: ***** Five 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