by Jan Sikes
“Brother’s Keeper” is a short story centered on two brothers. Quentin is the older brother whose job it has been to watch over his younger brother, Rowdy. An event when they were children cemented that caretaking into adulthood. The mother created this situation and still pushed it. I detested her, which shows how well the author writes characters. My sympathy was for Quentin, whose loyalty was misplaced. It saddened and frustrated me what happened to Quentin, but it suited his personality. A well-written quick read. Five-Stars.
by Jan Sikes
“Brazos Wind” is a western short story set in Texas in the 1880s. Jack McClean comes across the widow Savannah as her house burns and then takes it upon himself to help her. I immediately fell in love with Jack’s character. He was strong, kind, and had some mystery mixed in. Savannah’s sad state was understandable after she shared her story. The friendship that developed between Savannah and Jack felt very real. This is a fantastic read, and I would love to see a book come from it. There is so much more I want to know about both characters. I highly recommend it! Five-Stars!
“The Agent of Death” is a short story that focuses on several deaths in one family. It starts with a dream and goes into how unexpected deaths are dealt with in the spirit realm. The uniquely told story explores how to break the curse believed to be placed on the family. A lot was going on, making it hard to keep up, but it was also insightful and surprising. This was an interesting read for me. Four-Stars.
by Donna Owens
“Eternal Darkness” is Ms. Owen’s debut poetry collection. Her words are dark and disturbing. The untitled poems deal with subjects including abuse, suicide, and murder. The reader gets the perspective of both sides, killer/abuser, and victim. The poetry is emotional-based and in the genre of horror with a good dose of painful reality. This is meant for mature readers—a read for horror fans and those who like to delve into the darkness.
I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right leaving a review in that case, but I have been known to email the author:) Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!
UPDATE:
Next week I will be debuting the cover to my new paranormal short story, “I Wouldn’t Be Surprised!” I’ll be sharing the real-life event behind this story. I hope to release it on my birthday–it will depend on how next week goes. No, it didn’t make the contest deadline, but I was still determined to release it.
Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn
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