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My Mom Says...
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Heroes Arise Heroes Arise Death Roll Christmasville Christmasville Christmasville A Stroke of Courage A Stroke of Courage Horns of a Dilemma Bitter End The Blackgloom Bounty Over The Edge |
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Title: Heroes Arise |
| Author: Laurel Anne Hill | |
| Genre: General Fiction/Fantasy | |
| ISBN: 978-0-9772081-4-2 | |
| Reviewer: Laurel Anne Hill for the deceased Verna Mae Turnbull | |
| Relationship: Author speaking for Mom |
"Who am I this time?" Mom would have said if she had lived long
enough to read my parable, HEROES ARISE. "Is that crud, Kan, supposed
to be me? Or am I Zydra, the meek little creature with pale leathery skin?"
I can almost hear the "I gotcha" lilt to Mom's voice, see her thin smug smile. She always thought the personal weaknesses of my characters reflected her own. The exact opposite would have been closer to the truth. My mother and hers planted the seeds of my inner strength and sense of right and wrong. My characters' abilities to endure, survive, dream and make a difference sprouted in my own childhood.
So there, Mom. You would have loved HEROES ARISE. Well, maybe not the part about all those venomous creepy-crawlers in the cave. You never had much use for yellow-jackets or black widow spiders.
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Title: Heroes Arise |
| Author: Laurel Anne Hill | |
| Genre: General Fiction/Fantasy | |
| ISBN:978-0-9772081-4-2 | |
| Reviewer: David I. Hill | |
| Relationship: Husband |
How can a devoted member of the family of dedicated dedicatees review such
a book?
Not easily.
When the author informs me that she has modeled a significant character after me, I accept that with modesty. Without that clue, I approached my first reading of Heroes Arise with an open mind. Only upon reflection have I puzzled over the question of my identity. Am I in the book or not?
Rheemar is of the several characters sufficiently human to bear any physical resemblance to me and is easily excluded by his early juvenile behavior. Tar, the villain, certainly bears no resemblance---I, as a senior citizen, can identify with any of the Krens--scaly skin, even molders in some of the unfortunate. Perhaps Zel, the slow, large, exothermic sandship lizard is my embodiment. (I did not know my breath was so foul.)
By exclusion there is Gundack, the main character. Although not an insectivore and unwilling to scale down vertical cliffs headfirst, I do fancy I might share some of his remarkable qualities of honor, devotion, and sense of justice in a tribal community.
Perhaps my key to discussing Heroes Arise is self-recognition.
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Title: Death Roll |
| Author: Marilyn Victor / Michael Allan Mallory | |
| Genre: Mystery | |
| ISBN: 1-59414-544-X | |
| Reviewer: Michael Allan Mallory | |
| Relationship: Myself |
Death Roll, my debut mystery novel written with Marilyn Victor, finally came
out in hardcover three weeks ago. When I gave my mother a copy of the book
her only words were: "Why isn't your name on top?"
Mom's big on the Harry Potter series. Good thing my book came out a month earlier than the final Potter; otherwise it would be read second.
When the second-largest newspaper in the state ran a feature article on me and Marilyn last Sunday, with nearly a full-page spread and a large photo of the two of us, a very big deal, Mom's comment was that the photo didn't look like me.
At least the book critic for "The St. Paul Pioneer Press" loves the book, so much so she wanted to do a feature story on us. So far Mom hasn't offered anything better.
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Title: Christmasville |
| Author: Michael Dutton | |
| Genre: Magical Realism | |
| ISBN: 0978665503 | |
| Reviewer: Dan E Dutton | |
| Relationship: Brother |
I have been a storyteller for several years---consequently, I treasure good
stories. Once in a while a story comes to life that brings universal meaning
and substance to our lives. The characters in Christmasville, especially
Mary Jane, reflect the desires, the searching that all of us have in our
own interaction with each other and the world. The journey Mary Jane experiences
is our journey as well. The prose and images in the story are excellent---it
would make a great movie.
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Title: Christmasville |
| Author: Michael Dutton | |
| Genre: Magical Realism | |
| ISBN: 0978665503 | |
| Reviewer: Carol Dutton | |
| Relationship: Wife |
I am so proud of my husband, Michael, who wrote and published his first novel
entitled Christmasville. People of all ages will fall in love with Mary
Jane Higgins, a very precocious fourteen-year-old who knows there is something
more to the magical town that she lives in. The book was very entertaining
and the ending caught me by surprise. This book is a true classic and will
be on the top of everyone's Christmas list this year.
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Title: Christmasville |
| Author: Michael Dutton | |
| Genre: Fiction (Magical Realism) | |
| ISBN: 0978665503 | |
| Reviewer: Kate | |
| Relationship: Daughter |
My father has created another world in his novel Christmasville. He enchants
the reader through language and creates a very clear and concise dream-like
world in which Mary Jane Higgins lives. This is a great book for readers
old and young, and I can see this book standing the test of time. The characters
and situations are very unique and contemporary, and it was fun to follow
Mary Jane along on her exciting adventures!
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Title: A Stroke of Courage |
| Author: Sandra L. Hardy | |
| Genre: Young Adult | |
| ISBN: 1420853090 | |
| Reviewer: Krystol Bell | |
| Relationship: Daughter |
Youths everywhere should read this book, Hardy does an outstanding job capturing
the life and struggles of a young girl. She tackles fears, injury, competition,
parental, family, friend, and peer relationships, and much more. Reading
this book will encourage youths to work through their problems in a positive
way and help them realize that they are not alone in their struggles. The
story is captivating and intense; youths and adults alike will find something
they can relate to in the story.
As a professional in the field of children and youths, I highly recommend this book. It gives youths someone to identify with. It shows them that problems can be overcome if you are willing to work at them and trust those who care about you. It is an inspiring story that will capture the hearts and feelings of those who read it.
(Krystol Bell is the owner of Trusted Care Nanny and Sitter Services and has a degree in Recreation Management.)
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Title: A Stroke of Courage |
| Author: Sandra L. Hardy | |
| Genre: Young Adult | |
| ISBN: 1420853090 | |
| Reviewer: Chantel Yeates | |
| Relationship: Daughter |
Everyone young and old needs to read this book, it will touch your heart,
and warm your soul as you walk alongside Gillian as she faces her fears
and develops the courage to realize her dreams. The author is unmatched
in her ability to make the story come alive and feel real. I developed
a relationship with Gillian and her team, I felt like I was there as she
struggled, and I cheered when she triumphed! I cried for sorrows and I
cried with joy! This book was an inspiration to me and will be for all---the
hope it instills and its message of courage will not be forgotten.
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Title: Horns of a Dilemma |
| Author: Jo A Hiestand | |
| Genre: English mystery | |
| ISBN: 1-59133-204-4 | |
| Reviewer: Jo A Hiestand | |
| Relationship: Mom |
Jo writes classic English mysteries from one of the character's first-person
POV. This is incredibly powerful, as it puts the reader in Brenna's head
and heart. And there's a lot going on besides sorting out the murder! Brenna's
having a lot of man troubles, all related to her co-workers, so you get
to know Bren very well very quickly. Brenna has a crush on her boss, Detective-Chief
Inspector Geoffrey Graham, but is trying to get over that because a work/love
relationship just doesn't cut it. Horns of a Dilemma is the fifth novel
in the series, so if you aren't familiar with the Taylor & Graham series,
you might want to start with the first, Death of an
Ordinary Guy, to see
how Brenna sorts things out with the guys. Horns of a Dilemma is extremely
atmospheric, which doesn't surprise me, because Jo is very good with description.
You really feel you're in the English countryside. It's a smashing novel
with great characters and great description. Hope you agree!
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Title: Bitter End |
| Author: Christine Kling | |
| Genre: Mystery | |
| ISBN: 0-345-47903-3 | |
| Reviewer: Pat Gray | |
| Relationship: Very Proud MOM! |
Christine writes a mystery that will keep you turning pages as she uses her
familiarity with the waterfront of Ft Lauderdale and her knowledge of sailors.
Throw in a local murder and surprises about relationships and it makes
a heckuva read. Michael Connelly says it "is no ride up the lazy river
-- it's a bouncing ride on the rapids." It's the third book in Christine's
series about Seychelle Sullivan, the woman operator of a tugboat. If you
like Seychelle, February 2007 brings out a new book, WRECKER'S KEY, to
tell her further adventures.
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Title: The Blackgloom Bounty |
| Author: Jon Baxley | |
| Genre: Fantasy | |
| ISBN: 1594144516 | |
| Reviewer: Jon Baxley | |
| Relationship: Self |
Sadly, my mom went to her rewards many moons ago. However, her influence
on me shows in my writing style, love of words and grammatical correctness
to the point of distraction. Why? She was an English teacher, and I mean
the kind that would correct you in the grocery store in front of 30 people--even
if you were a stranger.
Too bad there aren't more like her today. Maybe our sadly deteriorating language and spelling abilities might be improved in some small way. Oh well. Here's what she might have said, had she hung around long enough to participate in this amazing Internet experience:
"Jon must have been listening most of those times when I corrected his speech, spelling and sense of self. It shows in his work, even though his writing is too much like Clancy's for my taste.
"You see, he always read and studied history. He loved wars, battle descriptions and weapons. All that paid off in The Blackgloom Bounty. It's very historical despite being a 'fantasy' tale. You should read it."
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Title: Over The Edge |
| Author: Marc Paul Kaplan | |
| Genre: Outdoor Thriller | |
| ISBN: 978-0-9772081-0-4 | |
| Reviewer: Bette Kaplan | |
| Relationship: Mother |
First off my son Marc uses far too much vulgarity. And he describes too
much. All those trees, mountains. All that nature. But that boy of mine can
write a wonderful story with real characters. Wesley, David, even Kurt the
ski instructor. They are alive to me. And I love them. I even felt badly
for that little guy Franky Fiorini. What awful brothers he had. Then there's
the ending. Boy, what an ending. Big impact. Perfect.
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Title: Over The Edge |
| Author: Marc Paul Kaplan | |
| Genre: Outdoor Thriller | |
| ISBN: 978-0-9772081-0-4 | |
| Reviewer: Charlotte Cook | |
| Relationship: Publisher and friend |
People say that I'm biased, but isn't that the point? If I don't believe in a book, why would I publish it? Over the Edge is dark. I like dark. The main character Matthew is terribly troubled and for good reason, being a Vietnam vet. And it takes another vet (Wesley) from another war (the Korean War) reaching out to Matthew for us to find some real sympathy for the man. How strange that a more sympathetic and charismatic person makes us more vulnerable to troubled people. But that's how our world works, isn't it? Maybe that's how it's supposed to be ... when we reach out from our pain and struggles to others we bring humanity back into the picture. Then too I love all that description. I don't ski and don't want to. And I flat out don't like being in the snow. But I remember my first reading of Jack London's "To Light a Fire" and the snap of the cold in that book. Marc has that same glorious talent to place me in the scene--weather, rugged terrain and all. And finally I love the ending too. Any other ending would have disappointed Wesley and me.
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Title: Over The Edge |
| Author: Marc Paul Kaplan | |
| Genre: Outdoor Thriller | |
| ISBN: 978-0-9772081-0-4 | |
| Reviewer: Jan Corwin | |
| Relationship: Chiropractor |
Having treated the author for his many skiing related adventures, I always
knew he appreciated the outdoors and above all skiing. Since I have never
been to the ski resort he describes so vividly and with detail, I now feel
like I have been there. I could relate to the characters that the author
develops throughout the book. For me the book was enjoyable, as I was involved
with the character and imagining the beauty of Jackson Hole was entertaining.
The plot was always present so I did look forward to picking up the book
as often as I could.
