“Wonderboy” is a deeply touching tome, best described as a coming-of-age story—where both Jack and Miller’s Creek must overcome obstacles to break free of what confines them. The uncertainties and insecurities of a young boy, and of an old way of thinking, are presented with keen insight and compassion, laying the groundwork for the misinterpretations, shallow perceptions, and stark actions fueling the controversy that virtually explodes as the novel nears its conclusion. Written with great flare and flawless attention to detail, Conyers’ work is rich with cultural references to music, theatre, and art and is spiked hard with twists and plenty of surprises, all of which are sure to not only entertain, but also enlighten, readers. All told, “Wonderboy” is quite a gem, a rarity that will stimulate your thoughts and feelings with its story, as well as its storytelling. Readers as young as 13 and as old as God allows them will find it incredibly revealing, honest, and compelling.
“Music can help you travel to places”—and so, too, can Tom Conyers’ latest novel, whence this line is taken. Set in 1975, against the Adelaide Hills of Australia, “Wonderboy” carries readers to a not-so-distant past where life is very different. The people of Miller’s Creek are behind in the times and still clinging tightly to yesterday’s customs, expectations, and standards. They care most about practical things and stay within arm’s reach of their problems. But one boy is different, and his concerns reach much further, past the length of his arm, to the fence at the end of his property, and beyond… Eleven-year-old Jack Bennett is imaginative and artistic, yet quite lonely and limited in his hillside hometown. The cessation of his youthful ambition is ever looming; the window for this young dreamer to keep dreaming, quickly closing. But when three colorful characters plop down in Miller’s Creek, Jack’s ordinary life takes extraordinary turns, and, once backward, he gains the momentum he needs to move forward. His imagination and interest in expression is re-enlivened by a lively girl, Mel, who becomes his neighbor, and, together, they each discover who they are and learn to embrace, and challenge, the world around them, for all its beauty and all its sadness. These lessons, however, come at a cost… and the outcome of this tale is sure to shock, sadden, and enrich you. “Wonderboy” is a deeply touching tome, best described as a coming-of-age story—where both Jack and Miller’s Creek must overcome obstacles to break free of what confines them. The uncertainties and insecurities of a young boy, and of an old way of thinking, are presented with keen insight and compassion, laying the groundwork for the misinterpretations, shallow perceptions, and stark actions fueling the controversy that virtually explodes as the novel nears its conclusion. Written with great flare and flawless attention to detail, Conyers’ work is rich with cultural references to music, theatre, and art and is spiked hard with twists and plenty of surprises, all of which are sure to not only entertain, but also enlighten, readers. All told, “Wonderboy” is quite a gem, a rarity that will stimulate your thoughts and feelings with its story, as well as its storytelling. Readers as young as 13 and as old as God allows them will find it incredibly revealing, honest, and compelling. Five Stars
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They say, before you can truly love someone, you must first be able to love yourself… The same can be said of other things as well, such as forgiveness, acceptance, and respect. But owning up to yourself isn’t always easy, especially when your past is flecked with what you consider unthinkable things. “Lara’s Shadow” by Alan Fleishman is a riveting story about two unlikely lovers trying to overcome the unthinkable things from their pasts so they can enjoy a future together. Set primarily in 1963, not even two decades after WWII, the story follows American-raised US Army Lieutenant Eli Schneider as he serves in Germany and falls hopelessly and helplessly in love with plain-Jane German shop girl Lara Kohler. The problem? Eli is Jewish, and he hates Germans—and, given his family history and the temporal setting of the book, he has pretty good reason to hate them. And, so it is that “Lara’s Shadow” focuses on Eli’s struggle to rise above his tightly held beliefs, hatred, and prejudice and find peace with a people, to forgive the majority for what a minority did and fully embrace one woman despite what may or may not “run in her blood.” But, alas, Eli is not the only one with dark issues he must face—Lara, too, has tightly held beliefs, and plenty of secrets, that are holding her back from loving, forgiving, accepting, and respecting herself and those around her, including Eli. “Lara’s Shadow” explores the intermingling of many different extremes—love and hate; past and present; nature versus nurture; and obligation versus deliberate choice. It also tackles topics like shame, family relationships, honesty, ignorance, and truth. Indeed, “Lara’s Shadow” is quite ambitious as far as the issues it concerns; but, as ambitious as it is, it is also insightful, and, to each of these topics and intermingling of extremes, it brings fresh insight, familiar adages, and a story that’s well worth the read. That said, for me, the book did raise some concerns. I’m not sure who Fleishman’s intended audience is, but his use of military terms, slang, and rank sometimes confounded me and detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story. Granted, I understand the book is set during a tumultuous, controversy-ridden time in in history, but, nonetheless, it is predominately a story about love, forgiveness, and redemption, some of which is lost in technical talk. Also, the story was a little unbelievable (as in, hard to believe) at times. In particular, Lara was afflicted with so many troublesome secrets, from start to end, that it all seemed a bit implausible—and, the ending, itself, seemed too expected, though unlikely, for my liking. Four Stars
Monsters, vampires, werewolves, clown-clad serial killers, and demons—there’s a lot to be afraid of in life, especially as portrayed in fiction. But, if you want to read a tale about the most relentless of villains, don’t turn to the works of King, Bradbury, Lovecraft, or Koontz, but, rather, to Eric Rill’s latest novel. According to recent statistics, at least thirty-six-million people across the globe are currently suffering with Alzheimer’s. In the United States alone, the disease claims more than 500,000 lives a year, and, with a new case being diagnosed approximately every sixty-seven seconds, it’s anticipated that many, many more folks will eventually fall victim. “An Absent Mind” by Eric Rill follows one man’s journey down the downward spiral of this disease, as delivered from his perspective and the perspectives of his wife, daughter, son, and doctor. Heartfelt, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all at the same time, it finds Canadian married father Saul on the brink of his slow, dark descent and chronicles the changes he endures over the next several years, as well as those endured by his family. Whether you’re new to information on Alzheimer's or are unfortunately familiar, this story is sure to affect and alarm you, and make you think more about your own future and how you would handle such a sickness, as patient, caregiver, friend, or family member. As apt as the story is, so, too, is the way it is written. Rill uses short first-person narrative chapters, in alternating voices, to record the goings-on, thoughts, and feelings experienced by Saul and his family, from before Saul’s initial diagnosis to his final lucid moments and beyond. Saul’s voice, in particular, changes drastically, as is expected—starting out with cohesive, eloquent memories; turning to scatterbrained, distracted entries that are full of suspicion and are unquestionably impulsive; and, near the end, simply spitting out a word or two, misspelled and misplaced in what barely passes for a sentence. Dovetailing Saul’s transformation are those of his wife and children, which won’t be mentioned here, for the sake of preserving many of the book’s tribulations and treasures. “An Absent Mind” by Eric Rill was, indeed, a very difficult novel to read, inasmuch as it explicitly depicts something most of us would like to avoid confronting unless we have to. But ignoring this disease won’t make it go away—and, until medical science can effectively do so, we must confront the disease and, dare say, embrace it, so that we can prepare ourselves for what will inevitably affect us, either directly or indirectly, in our future and find further impetus to feed, fuel, and fund the research necessary to combat this relentless villain… and, that’s exactly what this book will help you do. Kudos to Rill for his loving handling of the topic, for his compassion and sensitivity, and for his dedication to increasing public awareness. Five Stars
“I received this book for free, in exchange for an honest review.”… In compliance with FCC guidelines, when reviewing a book received for free from an author or author’s authorized agent, readers are urged to disclose said fact, which is usually accomplished through some form or other of the above statement. I am not one to challenge the FCC, so, here ya’ go, for the record: I received this book for free, and, rest assured, the following review is unflinchingly honest. I was initially drawn to “Secrets of the Porch” by Sue Ann Sellon because of the compelling back cover text. The brief blurb highlighted the plight of a troubled teen unwittingly cast into a unique multigenerational relationship and latent coming of age situation, and was ripe with keywords that caught—and held—my attention. Agony, danger, and four instances of the word “secret”… But when the book arrived in the mail, I was a little disappointed. I thumbed through the pages and saw many references to God, faith, and love, and, alas, I hadn’t expected this to be one of “those books.” You see, I’m an analytical thinker, and while I don’t discount the idea of God, I don’t dwell on it either. I was born on the tail-end of Generation X and, over the past two decades, most of my conversations with The Almighty have centered on one question: Why? I lost my mother, sister, father, and grandmother all within seven years of each other; I recently separated from my husband and am tormented by complicated child custody issues; and, if there is a God, well, let’s just say, I’m fairly certain my other relationships with men would offend, rather than please, Him. I’ve been where I’ve been and seen what I’ve seen, and the last thing on earth (or in hell or heaven) I need is a cleverly concealed piece of Christian fiction to tell me about life, love, and loss… Nonetheless, I decided to read “Secrets of the Porch,” because, when you order a bacon cheeseburger, you can’t turn your nose on it ‘cause it ain’t kosher. Much to my surprise, this cleverly concealed piece of Christian fiction tugged at my heart’s strings and struck a chord deep within me. Its 224 pages spoke volumes about life, love, and loss in a way that even someone like me could completely relate to and understand. The two central characters—sixteen-year-old Sophie and her seemingly perfect grandmother, Lila—stand in stark contrast to each other, though, taken together, they represent two threads of the same torn psyche. Between the two of them, they’ve been where I’ve been and seen what I’ve seen, and then some—yet, somehow, firm beliefs in God, faith, and love manifest in their story, while they’ve been woefully absent from mine, which begs a familiar question… Why? The answer spills from just about every page in this remarkably tender tome. Both Sophie and Lila brim with a sense of hope that I have not lost, but have abandoned, and each exudes an openness to possibilities, both earthly and divine, to which I have otherwise closed my eyes. I could say that I’m jealous of these fictitious females, but I am not. If anything, I’ve learned a great deal from them—and, even if you are battered, bruised, and broken, you probably will, too. They say God works in mysterious ways, and, hell, maybe He does. I received this book for free, in exchange for an honest review, and, in the end, I got a lot more than I bargained for. “Secrets of the Porch” truly was a gift to me, at exactly the right moment in my life, when I needed to be reminded that I am not alone, in any sense of the word, and that there is more to life than the dark shadows looming on yesterday's horizon. I give it four, rather than five, stars because, although the story is entirely realistic, at times, the dialogue is not, and there is some incongruity in the timeline and progression of seasons, which, for this reader, was a touch troublesome as Sophie's personal growth is frequently likened to nature. Four Stars
For many, being a rock star would be a dream come true… But, for Dark Cross axe-grinder Sonny Wells, it was a living nightmare. Sure, it was great to play on stage and share his artistry with the world—and, the fame, fortune, and feral females were fabulous, of course. But, everything else? Not so much. As Dark Cross rose to dominate the 70’s rock scene, Sonny stood by as everything else around him fell apart and crumbled to the ground. The long-term friendships amongst his bandmates deteriorated almost as quickly as the drugs destroyed their minds, and creative differences, greed, and ego further forged a drastic divide. Enough was enough, and Sonny opened his eyes. He took a deep breath, walked away from it all, and never looked back again… until now. “Rock Star” by Gary Sprague finds fifty-something Sonny in an unlikely place and unthinkable situation. Clad in work boots, mud-stained flannels, and a John Deere cap atop his scraggly grey strands, Sonny makes his home on a farm in rural Maine, where he lives in peace under an assumed name and no one is privy to his past. He’s clean, sober, and bedding a babe over thirty, and, for the past three decades, he’s strummed only for his faithful canine companion, the disabled kids at a nearby school, and the rock icons who hang on the walls of his well-hidden music room. But, unfortunately for Sonny, most of that’s about to change… When an overambitious journalist discovers Sonny’s whereabouts, there’s a media frenzy and corporate chase to get Dark Cross back on the stage. Equally as concerned with the band’s legacy as with his own serenity, Sonny is deadest against it at first—but, when he sees an opportunity to help those he loves, he reluctantly signs on and embarks upon a very lucrative reunion tour. Yet with the millions of dollars comes innumerable woes, and Sonny is once again forced to face those things he tried so hard to avoid, including coming to terms with the consequences of the decisions he’s made. A delightfully down-to-earth and entirely entertaining piece, “Rock Star” takes readers on an incredible journey to places they might not necessarily want to go. Very realistic, revealing, and raw, it presents a world stripped of all the glam, glory, and gregarious good times we rock-star-wannabe-dreamers dream to find and shows how, believe it or not, the grass ain’t always greener on the other side. Read it for pleasure; read it for perspective; read it for any reason, or for no reason at all. “Rock Star” gets five stars for its touching, thought-provoking portrayal of one. Five Stars
Depending on who you ask, the answer is a little different, but, generally, most reliable resources put the average human life expectancy at around 75 years. Seventy-five years. That might not seem like a lot of time—and maybe it isn’t—but it certainly provides ample opportunity for memorable moments, both large and small, whether life-changing or largely internal, which punctuate the equilibrium of mundane, everyday life with spikes of the exceptional, uncanny, and/or absurd. “Einstein’s Beach House” by Jacob M. Appel is a collection of short stories about those memorable moments in life, as written from eight different voices whose tales are all told in the same tone. Reflective, candid, and rich with irony, sadness, and humor, the stories each center on discreet events and feelings that occur behind the scenes, or in the fuzziest recesses, of the characters’ otherwise ordinary lives, focusing the lens on what, to them, is very real, though, to those on the outside, including the reader, may seem surreal. But just like the proverbial “they” say about beauty, the intensity, or impact, of each thing we experience is measured by the eye of the beholder—or, put another way, just like the infamous Einstein kinda said about movement through space and time, everything’s relative… And, so, too is the tenor of each story in this book, and of Appel’s work as a whole. From much ado about tiny-brained animals who hold a major place in a loved one’s heart and childhood encounters with men of conviction and convicted men, alike, to the vestigial regret, resentment, or redemption felt in hindsight of lost love and the unimaginable consequences of our imaginations, human frailties, and creative minds, each plot presents situations that are foreign, yet familiar, to what we’ve all experienced in our own lives. The scenery, sounds, and scents are different, but these are our stories, like the ones we bring up in chitchat or gossipy conversation. Appel’s writing, moreover, gives off that effect. What could be construed as complex sentence structure flows like actual dialogue, including idiosyncratic back information and inevitable instances of hyperbole, given shape through clever wordplay and considerate, albeit sometimes aloof, word choice. This title will be well-received by readers in search of something eloquent, entertaining, and on-target. 5 Stars
“Don’t cry over spilt milk” – it’s a phrase we’ve all heard and all said. But what happens when it isn’t milk that spills, but, rather, beer instead? ‘Portrait of a Prisoner’ by Martin Line finds twenty-something dockworker David Cuthbertson on the woeful end of a tipped pint. When a group of wealthy, out-of-place university students make a ruckus at a local Manchester pub, one of them knocks over David’s coworker’s beer and refuses to buy him another. A hellacious fight ensues, and David ends up punching one of the boys square in the jaw. After a routine police call to the scene, that bloke later ends up dead, and David ends up behind Her Majesty’s prison walls, serving seven to ten on a questionable manslaughter charge. David quickly learns the ropes, however – and, in no time, is climbing them. He ascends to a position of power within the prison, not by abandon or brute force, but because of his incredible intelligence, strong sensibilities, and compassion toward the other men. Even the guards take notice of David’s astonishing attributes, and so, too, do visitors from the outside world. When David is interrogated by the police for complicity in another crime, his honesty and uncanny insight turn him from a suspect into an asset, and he gets unexpected help from a woman with an exceptional gift that enables her to see something to which justice had been blind. ‘Portrait of a Prisoner’ is a multi-layered piece that involves poignant plot points other than those mentioned above. Like a painting, it is rich with both dark and light hues that come together to tell a full story greater than any single shade could tell. From domestic violence, mental illness, jealousy, and revenge, to young love, artistry, genius, and getting what one deserves, it explores the totality of David’s circumstances and exposes both the beauty and chaos of his life, including the secrets buried in his past and inner self, as well as in his backyard. A clever and compelling tome, ‘Portrait of a Prisoner’ is, put simply, well worth the read. 5 Stars ** This review was first published on redcityreview.com **
"Come Hell or High Water: Part One: Wellspring" by Stephen Morris: A Haunting Tale Well Told2/11/2015 In 1356, an entire town turned against one woman. Driven by religious fervor, they proclaimed her a witch and put her to death without a proper trial or formal sentence. But, as Fen’ka inhaled the smoke surrounding her on the stake to which she was affixed, she issued her own verdict – and with it came a punishment that would endure for centuries… until justice, however harsh, was once and for all served. ‘Come Hell or High Water: Part One: Wellspring’ by Stephen Morris carries readers back in time to witness this age-old injustice and follow the consequences, and culmination, of Fen’ka’s curse on the city of Prague. The chapters alternate between this fourteenth century storyline and another, set in 2002, centered on a young girl named Magdalena, whose fascination with the occult and determination to do more with her life have inexorably drawn her into Fen’ka’s post-mortem quest for justice. As Magdalena comes to terms with her otherworldly assignment in one chapter, the ways Fen’ka’s final words came back to haunt the villagers of Prague is explored in the next – and, so on and so forth it goes, masterfully, until the end of this, the first installment in the Come Hell or High Water trilogy. ‘Wellspring’ is an entirely enthralling, incredibly intense novel that seamlessly weaves together elements of history, folklore, popular culture, and religious, spiritual, and occult practices and beliefs – among other things. Author Stephen Morris’ passion for, and commitment to, his cast of characters is evident in his prose, which is fluid, dynamic, and absolutely haunting at times. As eloquently told as it is informative and thought-provoking, ‘Wellspring’ is a title worthy of standing on the shelf alongside acclaimed works such as those in The Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches series penned by the mother of all things occult, Anne Rice. It’s definitely a page-turner and will hold your interest from start to end, though its end isn’t really and ending, but, rather, an invitation to the next book. 5 Stars ** This review was first published on redcityreview.com ** Product Info for "Come Hell or High Water: Part One: Wellspring" by Stephen Morris.
Thrilling, chilling, profound, and alarming – these are but a few of the words one could use to describe One Shot by Tom Conyers. Though, if this reviewer had to choose just one word, it’d be… “Wow!” (exclamation point included). The story starts out in a somewhat familiar fashion – humankind has been carried to the brink of extinction due to the rapid spread of what’s more or less a zombie virus – but, from there, it takes off in unexpected, deliciously deep directions that guide readers through the darkest expanses of the human condition. As expected, the storyline itself, is rather sensational and is full of fights, flights, strange encounters, and unthinkable behaviors. But the thread of psychological fiction that runs through the plot is truly exceptional, and it gives One Shot an undeniably moving momentum. As main character Rex confronts challenge after challenge in his post-apocalyptic surroundings, he teeters between an existentialist dilemma and an altruistic mission, determined to die but stay alive long enough to save others – first his dog, and then a young child – from suffering before their inevitable deaths. All the while, he is haunted by memories and dreams of his former life, each of which foreshadow the totality of grim circumstances that seem only to damn him and further blur the lines between reality and delusion, between life and death, and between this universe and countless others. One Shot is a masterpiece of literary fiction that’s sure to appeal to readers on many different levels. It explores urgency, futility, purpose, and reflection in an uncanny way and tells a tale that’ll really make your jaw drop. There’s plenty of action and plenty of inner thought, and both are achieved in perfect balance, through eloquent writing that’s otherwise been lamentably lost in the modern market. At the risk of sounding cliché, One Shot deserves way more than five stars. 5 Stars ** This review was first published on redcityreview.com **
5 Stars ** This review was first published on redcityreview.com **
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sbr martinreading, writing, and sharing my thoughts on both archives
April 2015
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