September Book Reviews! @BalroopShado @Virgilante @GodsAngel1 #bookreviews #whattoread #writingcommunity #readersoftwitter

Ever So Gently

By Lauren Scott

“Ever So Gently” is a beautiful collection of free verse and symbolic poetry. It is broken into three sections that cover nature, life’s moments, and some author insights. I love nature and I’m drawn to vivid images, but the emotions and insights explored in our shared experiences were equally intriguing. There was a peace within these pages that allowed me to drift off into a poetic slumber when I was done reading. Although I enjoyed the entire collection, here are a few lines that captured my heart. “Fresh raindrops/gently landed/on their wilted spirit/as I witnessed them lifting…”—Wilted Spirits, “You stowed dreams in the clouds,/imaginings rose higher than the heavens…”—First Breath, “Their presence graced my universe beautifully like an endless ceiling of bright blue sky. Then they were gone.”—Friendships Gone, and “Its glow will grow ever so gently/into a bright beacon of hope/rising with the golden sun/bringing clarity to our vision.”—Ever So Gently. A collection that I will be enjoying again and can highly recommend.

Tales from the Riverside

By Larry Landgraf

“Tales from the Riverside” is a collection of true-life stories that span several decades of Mr. Landgraf’s life. It is an entertaining account of life in the swamp and educational. I live in the forest, so I know little about swamps besides alligators living there. It is so much more than alligators as we are taken on fishing trips to catch, a favorite of mine, catfish, gardening, relationships, equipment, and survival. It is told through humor, but there are some very scary life-threatening parts. I stayed up late reading about hurricanes, snakes, and equipment problems, and enjoyed the author’s recipes and daily life stories. Although I will stick to living in the forest, I could appreciate the peace and independence found in the swamp. A short story memoir of living in Riverside are tales I can easily recommend!

Fusion: Poems of Life

By Balroop Singh

“Fusion: Poems of Life” takes the reader on a vivid journey through nature and life’s emotional aspects. I enjoyed the entire collection, but the nature-based poems really captivated me because I am so comfortable there. It was very hard to pick from the beautiful imagery, but here are a few of the many I highlighted. “The dream of my life was/To fly with the clouds/Drape their colors,/Adapt their shapes…”—Dreams, “Snow clad mountaintops/Kiss capricious clouds./Emerald lake watches,/As rosy hues of dawn smile…”—Ambrosial Love, “Stormy sea swallow/Stories of eons/Some shores speak…”—Changes, “Hold the first rays of sun/Softly in your hands or/Soak them gently in your eyes…”—Magic Moments, “The shimmer of violets allures me/A flower fairy sits smiling/Sprinkling her magic dust…”—Flower Fairy, and “The moment she wears her scarlet gown/She gets a call to cast her spell/Edgy enchantress grabs her crystal…”—The Scarlet Gown. A collection I read in one sitting, but one I will also revisit. I can highly recommend this to all poetry lovers.

The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack

By C.S. Boyack

“The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack” is a unique collection of short stories and had been sitting on my reading list for way too long. I’m so glad I finally picked it up. It was a fast read that was completely entertaining, down to the intermission. The book begins with “Jack O’ Lantern” which had a twist that made me grin. It was fun to see some favorite characters Lisa the Robot, along with Jason Fogg, and learn a bit more about their backstories. All the stories were full of imagination, with Mr. Boyack’s humor weaved into many of them. “50 Galloon Drum,” and “Soup Ladle of Destiny” are stories I won’t soon forget, but all the tales were great in their way. An excellent grouping of creative stories that I can highly recommend.

Delilah

By Kaye Lynne Booth

“Delilah” is set in the 1880s and follows a young woman who was just released from prison for defending herself and her family. She sets out to return to the family ranch with a young girl, Sarah when they are attacked. Delilah was beaten, raped, and almost lost her life when they tried to hang her. Instead of giving up, even with all the bad that’s happened to her, Delilah’s strength keeps her going. She’s determined to locate the men who attacked her and find Sarah, who was kidnapped. Luck brings her to a family who helps, but cruel fate intervenes and she’s on her own again. Her journey leads her to a thriving mining town and a job. When she isn’t protecting herself from criminals, there are grizzlies and other wild animals to deal with too. Delilah is a character I couldn’t help but root for. She’s not afraid of hard work or to stand up to injustice. I love some relationships she develops, including a potential love interest. My favorite though is the bond with a local Ute boy. The well-written settings and descriptions brought me deeper into Delilah’s world. This is a gritty, fast-paced Western with a strong female character that I can easily recommend. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Next week I will be debuting Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms new video—and celebrating release day!

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn

End of Spring Book Reviews!

 

The Contract Between Heaven and Earth

By John W. Howell & Gwen M. Plano

“The Contract Between Heaven and Earth” is an action-packed thriller with a deeply spiritual side. The story starts off with a horrific event that involves children, but they were taken to a place of safety and peace–or Heaven. Watching them arrive are Peter and Teresa who share a special love. Then, an alert is sounded and soon the couple is sent to Earth with a contract to save humanity. They go into this agreement with no memory of who they were before becoming a human. Theresa is now Sarah in a bad domestic situation and surrounded by unsavory characters. Peter becomes Brad who finds himself in a war zone and on a long path to recovery. I love the strength of both characters and how they dealt with their new lives. Individually they were strong, but I love when they meet up through outside forces– and are immediately drawn to each other. This is a story that not only entertains and is exciting, but it also makes you think about coincidences. If you love a book with a lot of action, intrigue, a bit of romance, and thought provoking– this is the book for you. It is a perfect blend of insight and excitement that I highly recommend!


The Alternative 

by Suzanne Burke (Author), Rich Bowden (Editor)

Ms. Burke wrote another amazing book of nine short stories. Each story had its own style of karma, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It would be hard to pick my favorite out of the bunch, so I won’t. There were parts where I found myself cheering out loud—other times cringing. The characters were well-written and the stories full of depth and emotion, along with some humor. If you love short stories with a dark twist, you won’t want to miss reading “The Alternative”.


The Master and the Maid: #1 in the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy (Heaven’s Pond Trilogy)

By Laura Libricz

“The Master and the Maid” is a historical fiction novel set in Germany in the 1600s. I was impressed with the research and the amount of details Ms. Libricz had in the story. I remember nothing of the thirty-year war, but I do remember the battle between the Catholics and Protestants. Greed and power is a theme that makes certain characters, like Ralf, do horrible things. This includes murder, land grabbing and accusing the main character, Katarina of being a witch. There’s a love story mixed in, but there is also the existence of a baby whose mother was brutally killed. Katarina is secretly handed this baby right after being betrayed by her lover, Willie, who sold her to pay off his debts to Herr Tucher. With Katarina just wanting to go home, she finds a new love blooming between her and her master. That relationship and the one with her adopted daughter are my favorite parts of the story. But, there is so much going on around them that surviving becomes more important. The ending answered some questions, but it also left many others unanswered for the next book–which I will be reading.


Watch for upcoming special edition blogs! You won’t want to miss them.

Next week I will reveal the cover for “The Button” and the monthly newsletter comes out!

You can pre-order my first short story: Bigfoot: A Short Story now. Release date is June 21st just in time for summer reading!

Please checkout my guest post about “Bigfoot” on Mark Bierman’s blog: Link

Thanks, Mark!

Happy Father’s Day to all those amazing fathers out there–which includes my amazing husband.

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D.L. Finn