Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
Go Deep By Cathryn Vogeley
“I can’t publish a book. I’m not a real writer,” I said to my peers when they pushed me to publish. I discovered a passion for writing after retiring from four decades of nursing. Classes for beginners such as Bones of Storytelling with details of story structure gave me the foundation that I needed. Close critique of assigned books taught me how to build tension, consider the reader, revise, stay in my zone and write (instead of surfing the web). I loved the mental exercise and camaraderie of my classmates.
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Now Entering Alaska Time by Ken Waldman (BookReview #1258)
Now entering Alaska is a fictional short story divided into five parts. It is a unique blend of drama, death, loss, and comedy. Zan, a 28-year-old divorce’ and a musician moves to Frainbanks and, after experiencing love and loss, meets Melinda, a 27-year-old who has experienced her own crisis.
Read MoreSimple Preaching Prep by Mark Messmore (Book Review #1257)
Simple preaching prep is a nonfiction self-help book written for those who wish to perfect preaching or want the recourses to help train and become one. The book is short but compact. It is helpful for those who like to read explicit material and enables you to finish your first sermon without reading too much.
Read MoreBlood Legacy by Tej Turner (Book Review #1256)
Blood Legacy is a dark fantasy action-adventure story. It is the second book of the “Avatars of Ruin” series. The story picks up from where it left off. I had read the author’s first book, “Bloodsworn,” so I was excited to see what happens in the sequel.
Read MoreTudo by Nigel Joslin (Book Review #1255) 
Tudo is an action thriller story set in the year 2052. Humans have colonized Mars. Sarah and Owen, two scientists, arrive on a spacecraft while back on earth; Dexter and Otto plan to put an end to the Mars project. However, Cecily, an MI6 agent, is catching up on their troublemaking attempts creating an action-packed science-focused story to enjoy.
Read MoreThe Short story collective: 13 Tales from Japan by Andrew Innes (Book Review #1254)
Thirteen tales from Japan is a collection of stories discussing the contemporary issues facing Japan. It introduces the reader to a wide range of inspirational and thought-provoking scenes keeping you intrigued.
Read MoreBalancing business and family in Allison Pearson’s “I Don’t Know How She Does It” and Iris Novak’s “An Independent Woman in Yugoslavia”
Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It and Iris Novak’s An Independent Woman in Yugoslavia were written in two different countries and describe different times: the first speaks about the U.K. in the 21st century and the second about the ex- Yugoslavia in 20th century. The first is a novel, the second is a memoir. But both main female characters have the same problem: how to balance business and family.
Read MoreHow did The Short Story Collective come about? by Andrew Innes
The greatest trick the writer ever pulled off was to convince the reader that the worlds and images painted within the mind through the written word are real. Perhaps the second greatest trick was to convince them that this all came about through some linear process; as though the entirety of the story already existed and simply needed putting down on paper.
Read MoreThe Adversary by Maurício Limeira (Book Review #1253)
The adversary is a crime thriller and is about Zeca, a journalist seeking revenge for the killers of his girlfriend. He feels horrible and responsible for her death. Justice to himself is only achieved when he hires a professional killer, Casimir, to find the people who attacked.
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