Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
We Own the Sky by Sara Crawford (Book Review #440)
Sylvia also suffers from depression which swayed the story towards a different dimension. It added depth, meaning and made it more relatable. Sylvia’s character was very interesting and it was enjoyable to read.
What I felt could have improved was the relationship she had with Vincent. He appeared to have a stronger hold on Sylvia and that made the love interest between them questionable.
The literature was smooth and the way it was written caused the reader to feel the impact of certain scenes. This made the book stand out for me and afterward gave me a certain secure feeling about the whole storyline.
Sylvia is a school girl with the feelings of an ordinary teenager. I recommend this book to Young adult readers and fantasy lovers.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Hell’s Judgement by Michael D. Benson (Book Review #439)
Hell’s Judgment is a story about a priest named John, and how he is bestowed with supernatural powers in order to save and protect mankind from a deadly tsunami of which is headed towards England.
John’s story does not end there, as he then pursues to confront an evil force that plans to destroy all humanity. John also meets Annabelle Smithson. Annabelle is pregnant with a girl who possesses certain powers that sway towards the evil side of things and John is then left with a few choices of which he has to make.
The concept of the story was strong and it continued to remain that way until the end. Everything including the plot was reasonable to the extent of reaching a plausible storyline. The literature was strong and I believe the author clearly spent a long time creating a beautiful fantasy story.
Hell’s judgment stood out for me because it felt complex yet remained enjoyable to read. I recommend this book to fantasy readers.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Annual International Golf Story Writing Competition
Here is an opportunity for writers to become an International Award-Winning Writer – (something to add to the CV) and you don’t have to be a golfer as we give more weight to the quality of the story.
This is the Third Annual International Writing Competition and we receive entries from all over the world. The 700-word max. stories can b
e fiction or non-fiction and be in most all the genres – humor, documentaries, romance, etc. and even science fiction!
It’s a fun contest with no entry fee and the top three winning stories receive free Amazon Books of their choice, other prizes, and inclusion in our “Wonderful Golf Stories” anthology giving the writer added exposure.
The stories can be fiction or non-fiction and shouldn’t exceed 700 words. Entrants can also submit an Author Photo, a Bio, and other Photos (all optional) of yourself and/or the subject of your golf story. The Contest is open to all persons over 18 years of age.
Golf stories can be fiction or non-fiction and shouldn’t exceed 700 words and entries must be received by February 1, 2019. See all the details here.
The Art of Balance by Matt Doyle
The Art of Balance
Balance. It’s something that most of us seek in our day to day lives, whether it be via a work-life balance, finances, or even just where we choose to spend our time. The same concept applies to writing too.
For me personally, stories are one big balancing act. I tend to write hybrid genre tales, meaning that no one story is set in one particular style. For example, my current series The Cassie Tam Files is equal parts sci-fi and silver screen noir. The art of balance comes into play because science fiction and mystery readers will likely have different tolerance levels for different types of story. So, how do you approach something like that? Do you make it all about the mystery, and leave little in the way of futuristic elements? Do you get tech-heavy and let that lead the mystery instead of old-fashioned sleuthing? Or do you try to find a middle ground?
As with life, finding a middle-ground is the only path that you can guarantee will prove beneficial for all involved, but it’s also potentially the hardest route to take. The trick comes in knowing what elements of a story to push, and most importantly, when. For my PI Cassie, that means a ride through two different types of story but with a shared goal. In the first book, Addict, she’s investigating the death of a virtual reality junkie. At times, her methods take her down a very noir path, with her stubbornness and willingness to get her hands dirty being reminiscent of a female Sam Spade or a Jessica Jones without the super strength. Due to the setting though, she also needs to immerse herself in the tech-focused world that she lives in, tracing online interactions and interacting with people who use technology for all manner of things. From talking to Tech Shifters – people who use metal exoskeletons to roleplay as animals – to physically intimidating drug users, Cassie has to keep one foot in each world to function.
In the end, how well does a balance like this work though? Well, take a look at your favorite stories. The chances are that most of them contain elements and genre conventions from outside their primary classification. If after doing so, you want to check out whether Cassie and her cases balance things the right way for you, you can find more information in the links below.
Addict: https://mattdoylemedia.com/2017/05/01/addict-the-cassie-tam-files-1/
Matt Doyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattdoylemedia
The Talon Series
I, Gigi Sedlmayer, have several awards, including, finalists with “Book Excellence Awards”, Finalist with “IAN book of the year award”. Nominee with “Global Ebook Award, And sole award winner with “New Apple”. Also 5 star review for the first 4 books by “Reader’s Favorite”. Gold and silver for Book cover with Authorsdb.
My Pitch:
“Teaching Children Self-Confidence through Service to Others.” Children today face immense pressure to fit in with their peers. This pressure is leading to record rates of depression among preteens and teenagers and this to suicide. Parents look for ways to build their children’s self-esteem; however, teens look to their peers and popular culture for acceptance rather than their parents. This puts parents in a challenging situation. Most children of this age group have issues with acceptance and this is explored and resolved in a positive manner within the story line of the Talon series, Matica shows children and teens that they can overcome great obstacles with love, patience and a selfless attitude toward helping others and experience exciting adventure on the way.
I wanted to let children and parents know, that they don’t need to suffer more than they already do. So:
Children suffer from all sorts of afflictions and through my book they can learn how to coup with everything, as Matica did, the main character in my TALON books. She had to learn it in her early life. Children can find a “Condor” as Matica did. Not literally a condor, but every child or adult for that matter, they are battling with none curable afflictions, should find something that let them forget what is happening to them. Finding a “Condor” would help them to overcome that.
Parents can read my book to younger children so they can see that they are not alone, but that they can overcome it in a positive way, not in a negative way.
I say: Children with special needs or with a disability, or are handicapped don’t have an illness, so there is no cure and it’s not contagious. They want what we all want, to be accepted.
I let my main Character, Matica, speak for herself:
My name is Matica and I am a special needs child with a growth disability. I am stuck in the body of a two-year-old, even though I am ten years old when my story begins in the first book of the Talon series, TALON, COME FLY WITH ME.
Because of that disability, (I am saying ‘that’ disability, not ‘my’ disability because it’s a thing that happens to me, nothing more and because I am not accepting it as something bad. I can say that now after I learned to cope with it.) I was rejected by the local Indians as they couldn’t understand that that condition is not a sickness and so it can’t be cured. It’s just a disorder of my body.
But I never gave up on life and so I had lots of adventures roaming around the plateau where we live in Peru, South America, with my mum’s and dad’s blessings. But after I made friends with my condors I named Tamo and Tima, everything changed. It changed for the good. I was finally loved and accepted by the Indians. I am the hero now and I embrace my problem. In better words: I had embraced my problem before I made friends with my condors Tamo and Tima. I held onto it but I still felt sorry for myself and cried a lot, wanting to run away or something worse.
But would it have helped me? Would it have become better? Would I grow taller? No, nothing of that would have happened. I didn’t have those questions when I was still in my sorrow, but all these questions came to me later, after I was loved and was cherished.
One day I looked up into the sky and saw the majestic condors flying in the air. Here and now, I made up my mind. I wanted to become friends with them. I believed, if I could achieve that, all my sorrow and rejection would be over. And true enough, it was over. I was loved. I even became famous. (You can read all about it in the series) And so, if you are in a situation, with whatever your problem is, find something you could rely on and stick to it, love that and do with that what you were meant to do. And I never run from conflicts.
“Her disability is her greatest strength”
Fun in Blogging by Esther
I want to use this blog post to tell you guys about maintaining the fun, in blogging, but still having a busy life next to it.
And when I talk about busy, I really mean busy. I work 40 hours on contract, which means there are weeks I can clock in 50, but sometimes 45 as well.
Next, to it, I love to do sports, usually 2 nights a week. I’m also going to evening school to become a physical ed. Teacher, which is after my day of work.
I love to do things with friends, like going to a movie, or grab dinner together and I take the time to watch my series and TV-shows.
Next to that, comes my passion; blogging.
People ask me; where do you find the time to read all those books?! I just take books with me everywhere and grab every minute I have to read books.
I see a lot of bloggers struggling with the time they have to bl
og, next to their busy life. It’s a simple fact that we still need to make money, and we don’t do it by blogging.
For me, it comes easy. I just blog when I have the time. I don’t work in a schedule or enforce myself to write for my blog. When I finish a book or want to write a post, I check my calendar and plan in a good time. When I can’t get to it, I just postpone it.
This does mean that I don’t post regularly or on a daily basis. I just post something when I feel like it and when I finish a book or plan to write something.
If you feel too busy and lose the love for blogging, my tip for you is; Take it by the day and don’t plan too far ahead! Remember; you’re doing this for fun, and let’s keep it that way!
Please share your blogging-tips schedule-wise with me! What works for you…?
Written by Esther
“What?! No Chicken Tikka Masala?? But we’re in India, man!” by Samuel G. Sterling
“What?! No Chicken Tikka Masala?? But we’re in India, man!” by Samuel G. Sterling
There has never been so much controversy about a culinary dish, crowned Britain’s National Dish! Its history: ambiguous; its heritage: equivocally more so. It doesn’t date back to the days of the Raj, nor earlier—with its heritage unclear; possibly murky. Some say it originated in Scotland; others claim it to be an Indian variation of ‘Chicken Tikka’ (kebabbed chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and bright red colourants: Red No.2 / Red No.40). Others emphatically state it was the creation of a frustrated Bangladeshi cook— in a state of desperation while finishing a late shift in a back-street restaurant somewhere in Britain. Then, there are the numerous conspiracy theories floating around… but that can be found in the sequel: “POPO GIGI: Shakespeare Goes Bollywood”.
What’s more, there is the further controversy of what is or should be the traditional ‘Mamma’s recipe’ for a perfect ‘Chicken Tikka Masala’. I’m willing to put my neck on the line by saying: No Mamma has ever claimed to have, or been passed down, the recipe for the perfect Chicken Tikka Masala. After dedicated research and various tastings from numerous eateries across the UK—with some still repeating on me—the only consistent ingredient is not the marinade; not the blend of spices; not the way it is meticulously prepared…but the chicken—unless you opt for the veggie option, ‘Paneer Tikka Masala’. Having established this; the rest is a ‘cook and prepare as you wish’ concoction, in varying proportions of tomato paste or purée, long life cream, possibly yogurt, and generous helpings of colourants (typically bright red; preferably from natural sources). Metaphorically speaking, it’s like a classical Indian dancer dressed in a disco outfit performing a Bollywood number—enough said.
So on my last visit to Mumbai, when the original 500 Rupee note was worth its weight in paper, at least, I was invited to dinner at an ‘almost-posh’ restaurant in Colaba. The quality of the cutlery had seriously affected its ratings on various international “Good Food” guides. But neither my host, nor I were there for its battered stainless-steel ware—I don’t think he ever bothered with them before, and I was more concerned with the fastest route to the nearest mūṭhri (toilet). The menu was limited to a couple of “Today’s Specials”—which is always a top-scorer when choosing an eatery. Having been brought up in England with Asian heritage, I was there mainly for two dishes: Samosas and ‘Scotch Broth’. It may sound like a strange cocktail—but, trust me; give it a go…
Anyway, the Samosa’s were of the ‘non-drip’ variety and only fried in limitedly-recycled, quality sunflower oil to a perfect crisp-crackle—with a veggie option available. Scotch Broth, as you may have guessed, is no Indian dish. In India, they use chicken as opposed to ‘scrag end’ (mutton) from Scotland. Understandably, in India, Scotch Broth in its fresh form is difficult to come by—alike in Britain.
We are suddenly disturbed by a party of six or so ‘slurping and burping’ Brits on the adjoining table—drunk as Lords, even by the highest of British standards. Amongst other things, they were having problems ordering: mainly because they couldn’t decipher the menu—presumably due to their drunken state. The waiter, a slim underweight man from South India, politely asks for their orders. They roar their response, almost in unison: “Chicken Tikka Masala brother: times six; twelve portions of poppadum’s, six rice, and don’t forget that mixed chutney tray of yours, mate”. The befuddled waiter shakes his head one way, and then the other—in typical Desi style—then goes deep into thought. After nervously scratching (his head) as if freshly infested with lice, he hesitantly replies: “Sorry sirs, we ONLY not preparing Chicken Tikka Masala”. “WHAT?!” the Brits yell, “NO CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA?? BUT WE’RE IN INDIA, MAN!” followed by a cacophony of burps. In indifference, the kowtowing waiter shuffles along gingerly to seek help from his ‘foreign-returned’ colleagues.
Just to update you on modern British culinary habits… NO Indian restaurant menu is complete without Britain’s ubiquitous National Dish: Chicken Tikka Masala (in one form or another), take my word for it. But Chicken Tikka Masala never originated in India, ipso facto. Of recent, actually, I have been informed by the Culinary Police in India that Chicken Tikka Masala is now being served in a limited number of restaurants across India.
Look, it’s all to do with crossover culture, traditionally, with Britain and India. Look at ‘Mulligatawny soup’: concocted by the British, but in India; to suit their delicate palates. Likewise with ‘Kedgeree’: an Indian dish adapted by the British, laced with curry- powder—for that colonially-indigenous flavour. It has never been a level playing field… after-all, the Brits were the ‘colonial’ masters.
Some strongly feel that this trait still runs in their DNA and is reflected by their contemporary day-to-day conduct, namely: ‘on-stage’ (diplomatically in public); ‘off- stage’ (in the company of their own) and ‘off guard’ (when under the influence of alcohol).
So, cutting back to the main course, Chicken Tikka Masala is now deeply embedded in the British lexicon. More details are revealed in the novel, “POPO GIGI: the earlier years— London to Bollywood”; which also examines the domination of Indian culture in contemporary Britain with food being its key ingredient—consider the interwoven social influences exported back and forth.
So now I ask you this: Has India given more to the British culture than the British have grabbed? The jury is out on CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA!
Written by Samuel G. Sterling
Author
POPO GIGI: the earlier years—London to Bollywood
Now available on Amazon.in and Amazon worldwide.
Nothing Is Predictable By Adalina Mae
Nothing Is Predictable
By Adalina Mae
Genre: Memoir
Zara is eight years old, her father, in a drunken rampage, accidentally shoots himself dead.
Her childhood memories leave her struggling with romantic attachments and hinder her from developing healthy relationships.
Seeking answers, She meets a monk for wisdom, and a gypsy for insight.
The journeys Adalina Mae takes us on are interspersed with heartbreaking moments as well as hilarious escapades.
This is life and nothing is predictable. The story keeps you on your toes and offers mysteries to solve:
Why does Zara have recurrent nightmares of her last night with her father?
Why does she struggle with love?
About the Author
Adalina Mae is the author of Nothing Is Predictable.
After leaving the corporate world of management, she decided to pursue her lifelong passion to write.
She’s also a lover of movies and hopes that her novels become a motion picture.
Adalina wrote Nothing Is Predictable to inspire optimism and positive thoughts, reminding us we are strong and can overcome life’s challenges. Particularly those who suffered childhood trauma like she has. She is determined to spread the message of forgiveness and love. Her life’s incidents have taught her, that Nothing Is Predictable and Nothing Can Last Forever.
On Facebook: http://bit.ly/AdalinaMaeAuthorFacebook
On Instagram: http://bit.ly/AdalinaMaeAuthorInstagram
Website: www.adalinamae.com
On Amazon: http://bit.ly/buybookfromamazon
Excerpt
“Run sweetheart, hurry, run! We will hide in the neighbor’s storeroom, he can’t find us there,” Mom whispered as we ran for our lives away from home hoping Dad would not find us. We entered the storeroom beside our neighbor’s old cottage. It was dark and moldy and infested with rats. From a distance, we could hear him following us and approaching.
I cried silently with my eyes shut, fearful about what was going to happen. That dreadful monster is back, what damage is he going to cause tonight?
“Shhh, don’t cry, he won’t find us here, we’ll be okay darling, don’t worry,” Mom whispered as she held me tight to comfort me, yet I could see in her eyes she was not convinced.
“Where are you? You think you can hide from me! I’ll show you who the man of the house is! You’re taking my daughter away from me, I’ll show you woman!” Dad shouted, his voice approaching closer and closer.
He was so drunk he didn’t realize Mom was only running to safety. He thought she was taking me away from him. How on earth do you come to that conclusion? His footsteps stomped louder, as he walked toward the storeroom where we were hiding.
“Where are you? How dare you run away!” his voice projected from outside the room.
And then, BANG! The wooden door was flung open and it bounced off the wall.
“Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” I screamed so loudly I can still hear the echo of my voice.
I was eight years old.
The Gene Police By Elliott D. Light
The Gene Police
By Elliott D. Light
Genre: Mystery
Before the words “white supremacy” filled the airways, before we learned of American Nazis and the alt-right, before there was a Muslim ban, before we considered building a wall or knew what DACA stands for, there was eugenics—a pseudo-science that promoted the belief that a race could be improved by controlling who was allowed to mate with whom.
It was eugenics that compelled white doctors to inform Carl and Betty Langard that their new born baby had died. And it is the cruelest of circumstances—the murder of Jennifer Rice—that fifty years later leads Shep Harrington to search for Baby Langard. 
As Shep soon learns, the quest brings him to the top of a slippery slope with an ill-defined edge. Question begets question, and the slide down the slope proves inevitable: What happened to the baby? Who took it? Why was he taken? And who killed Jennifer Rice?
When Shep learns that Baby Langard was born at a hospital run by Alton Nichols, a famous Virginia eugenicist, he is drawn into the dark history of the American eugenics movement and its proponents—the so-called “gene police.”
About the Author
I am a retired patent attorney living in Florida with my wife, Sonya, and our feline, Tsuki. I spent most of my life in the Washington, D.C. area. I grew up in McLean, Virginia before the beltway was constructed. Some of my classmates in grade school lived on nearby farms. McLean had a small town feel to it. Gossip spread without the Internet. Party lines were common. Secrets were hard to keep.
When I was in my early thirties, my life pivoted when I was accused of a crime I didn’t commit. My defense counsel and I discussed plans for my likely indictment and possible imprisonment. I could expect to be handcuffed and paraded in front of the media. This experience with the so-called justice system ended after a two-year ordeal without an indictment and without going to trial. Even so, it could have ended differently.
Sadly, I will never fully believe that prosecutors, investigators, or the government are as interested in the truth as they are in getting a conviction, an attitude that I share with the semi-fictional Shep Harrington.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/hSPDXiuQ4Po
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smalltownmysteries
On Twitter: @elliott_light
Website: smalltownmysteries.com
On Amazon: https://amzn.to/2K78DF8
On B&N: http://bit.ly/2qUf8T7
GIVEAWAY: The author is giving away 3 signed books! Get the details and enter the giveaway here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/70954c79169/?
Excerpt
I arrived early and found the bowling alley mostly deserted. I tossed the case file on the table and sat down. Chester Atkins brought me a cup of coffee, grunted a “howdy,” and departed. A few minutes later, the Reverend Billy Tripp ambled up to the table and lowered his massive posterior into the chair across from me. I will admit that the first thought that crossed my mind was how much weight the old wooden chair could hold.
“So how’s my favorite atheist?” he asked.
Billy was not really an ordained preacher, but a paroled felon who, by accident or providence, had gotten on the wrong bus and ended up in Lyle. The townsfolk thought he was their replacement minister, and he played the part. That was sixteen years ago, and he’s been playing the part ever since. When he’s not fretting over his hook ball, he is a voracious reader. He might be as close to an intellectual as Lyle has to offer.
I offered him a coffee or beer but he waved it all off. “Just need to tie my shoe. Takes me a while to get my leg up so I can reach my foot.” He tugged on his pants leg with both hands and forced his left leg across his right knee. “So I hear you’ve got yourself another murder investigation,” he said affably. “Last killing prompted questions about chimpanzees, the treatment of animals, and the Great Chain of Being. I thoroughly enjoyed that exercise. Any moral underpinnings of this killing that we can chat about?”
My Aunt Sarah joined us. “I thought you were done with investigating murders. Now you got Doc in a state. Like old times.” She turned to Billy. “What’s up with you?”
“Shep was about to tell me if the murder he’s investigating has an ethical component that is worthy of discussion,” replied Billy.
“Eugenics,” I said.
“Ah yes, the science that was supposed to provide a rational basis for racism. Being prejudiced is such a nasty state. But if it can be couched in scientific principles, we can be free of the moral burden that comes with hating someone who might be a different color or religion.”
“I doubt most people have ever heard of it. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you have.”
Billy pursed his lips. “Well, you might be surprised to learn that, in prison, I was once a member of a skinhead group called the White Brothers.”
“I’ll go out on a limb and guess that that’s not the name of a bowling team.”
“Nope.” Billy lowered his left leg, then repeated the shoelace tying process with the right leg. “We were dedicated to beating the crap out of non-whites. I never really understood why, but when you’re young and in prison for the first time, feeling safe is more important than loving your fellow man. Predictably, there was a brawl. I watched as these men punched and bit each other for no discernible reason. Since I didn’t join the fight, my membership in the White Brothers was short-lived. I got to know some of the older inmates, and one them told me about eugenics. I found some old books in the prison library and read them.”
…
“It wasn’t all about racism,” said Sarah. “I mean do you really want a jailbird with six kids he can’t support having more? That’s someone that needs to be neutered like an old tom cat.”
“I’m sure most people would agree with you,” replied Billy, “but the argument is without merit. It always comes down to who decides and what the criteria are. Three crimes? Two kids? Four kids? I think history shows us that giving that power to the government produces lots of unintended consequences.”
Sarah glowered at him, “Jesus, you don’t have to get all preachy,” she said standing. “I was just saying.” She managed one more dismissive stare for each of us, then turned and walked away.
Billy dropped his right foot to the floor but didn’t stand up. “To Sarah’s point, not all eugenics was about race. But keeping the race pure for the good of the species seems to be one modern invention we could have lived without. I guess that’s universally accepted, because we don’t teach it in school anymore. Of course, another reason for not teaching it is that history is written by our elders, and by today’s standards, their views on race would seem bigoted. Get a copy of The Passing of the Great Race published in 1916. It was a best seller, so it reflects the beliefs of its time. Some still believe it.”
…
“We never talk about it,” I said.
“I would like to say that we’ve learned from our mistakes, but since we don’t teach our children about our role in the development and practice of eugenics, it’s hard to be optimistic.”
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