Reviews Archives - Page 2 of 7

The Ghosts of Royston | Eric Dove, author

Eric Dove channels Dean Koontz in his first novel and in a departure from his music career..

The Danner family was just cruising along in life when horror just took them by the scruff of the neck and shook them all to pieces!

The Danner’s and their friends are each tender, tough and tenacious to get past what could be the truth or be a bad dream. Their opportunistic torturers are a wide range of characters — from coldest, murderous crazy to radical crazy to just plain old simple crazy — with two who have a soul and a speck of honor and integrity.

I was pretty amazed at the ninja abilities of Cole and Derek to take on injury, beatings, stabbing and survive. Punk is a dog anyone would want and the force that turns the tables. I love the way he ‘thinks’; his process is flawed flawless and to repeat, he is The Force. Sophie is a sweet heroine, but it is Natalie that tears at your heart.

I just really enjoyed this book and recommend it if you want a thriller that will keep you sorta guessing. I hope there are more books of this caliber coming from Eric Dove

Life After Hell | Surviving Sexual Abuse | Gladys Guintal, author.

I found Life After Hell to be a shocking and painful book to read. No platitudes can meet the pain endured by the author and her brother both from their tormentor and the biological parents who abandoned them.

Life After Hell is not a book for the “woose” to read and click a sympathetic tongue. Ms. Quintal writes stunning, yet clinical reports of her life almost day by day. If Hell is the address for the experience these children endured, they must have been at the depths.

The children survived, both for a time. But in the end, only Ms. Quintal lives and breathes today with a loving husband and precious children. More reading finds Gladys Quintal longing for beauty, abundance and a dream life. Gladys Quintal wrote a guest blog post for Cardinal Bluff entitled “Life After Hell | Surviving Sexual Abuse, Gladys Quintal, author.”

Added to her childhood days of damnation, she endured the legal system in her efforts to gather evidence on her own with the help of aunts and other family victims so that her tormenting step-father could be further prosecuted and legal justice meted out. There was no spiritual justice coming from either the perpetrator or the children’s natural mother….nothing but wrongful accusation for the ‘whining’ victims.

Gladys Quintal is a hero in my eyes! She survived and she gathered strength to tattle and keep tattling until she found a level of victory that she can use to move on in her life.

She has an interesting therapy in her choice of artistic statement. She WRITES novels where the hero is an avenging vampire. A vampire (a character type often selected by other authors for castigation) who defends the defenseless with whatever means are necessary. Every story becomes a validation for her own survival and represents her much desired rescue. I don’t usually choose Vampire stories, but I did get a copy of Gladys Quintal’s novel, The Man of My Dreams to read her style and learn more about her. I found a Beauty and the Beast story that will appeal to vampire fans. Reflections of the author’s childhood with abuse added to neglect appear in the descriptions of luxury, ample wealth, food and clothing. Ms. Quintal’s heroine is everything she wished to be as a child, complete with a rescuing hero. Especially appealing for readers to know a little more about the depth of their favorite author.

Rose Bush | Stephen Koster, Author

Totally different story with a totally different vocabulary and totally less gore (but still some gore). Yet this story, from the first pages said ” Similar to Man in Full style”. Wolfe had the touch, Stephen Doster has it too. Maybe better because it doesn’t take him so long to get around the story and solve the mystery.

The cast of characters is wide and over the top. The romances are so not-realistic as to probably be accurate because that is how life goes. There is political manipulation, murder and abuse, violence (For a couple of guys pushing middle age, Charlie and Dudley endure getting the snot beat out of them pretty well), corruption, honor, racism, racism kicked in the teeth.

All stirred together in a colorful Southern stew that features some beautiful roses. A story that will have you teary, smiley, giggley, saddened, angered and rewarded with justice in the end. There’s some shocking events and plenty of candor, but yet there is a pleasant, encouraging spirituality with some sunshine and clarity.

I liked the book a lot, if you haven’t guessed. Doster wrote well on this one. Don’t argue with the outrageous, just go with it and enjoy the ride. A book that you won’t want to put down and one that will be on your mind long after you finish.

Rose Bush is a smiling example of Koster’s ability and I hope he will write more books.

Noel — Lovely Dog

I love a good dog story and Noel, an all business Great Pyrenees guardian fits that model.

Noel was born on Christmas day and is the last of a line of long time family dogs who’ve served the farm. Her instincts care for the animals and people on the farm, plus she accomplishes a moving rescue on Christmas Eve in the midst of an enormous blizzard. I sort of expected a little more ‘connection’ between the characters, but then this was a story about Noel and her sense of responsibility for anyone and anything in need.

I love the way Noel thinks..she has a sort of dry humor in her.

This story will intrigue kids, but it doesn’t talk down to them. If you have a Great Pyrenees at your house or if you have known one of these sweet, serious dogs, you will enjoy Noel and relate to the heroic, sensitive qualities that you know in your friend.

A quick pleasure read that won’t do you wrong!

Because I love you — a Read With Me Book for Children

A puppy learns why some restrictions are put on him. “Because I love you…” he must wear a hat in the rain, take a bath after a sloppy day in the mud puddles, eat food that will help him grow big and strong, play, have lots of adventures and be happy.

The illustrations tell the story along with the text which could easily fit beginner readers. A great little story that my grandchildren enjoyed reading along with me.

Little books like this permit me to share the reading and story experience with the children.

Blue Hole | Rolland Love, author

I kept thinking “Turn back!”

Brothers Tommy and Dub set off on a camping trip — that’s what they tell their parents. Supposedly Tommy, the older brother, has to face his fears at a camp after being bitten by a snake the season before. Tommy’s life has been on a buzz since the dramatic Christmas birth of his brother Dwayne (Dub), when Tommy was about 3 yrs old — the events of a night time home birth were scary for a toddler.

Actually, the brothers have a mystery to solve and their experiences through the story are right up there with True Grit. They venture into brushy woods with treacherous paths, steep drop-offs, wild water, stinky caves and the Blue Hole looking for answers. They face off ‘sorta’ bad guys and escape real bad guys while losing tools and equipment that they will want and need.

As each scene closes and another tight spot pinches on them, you won’t be able to put the book down! Rolland Love writes believably of the Ozarks — I live in the Ozarks and recognized names of creeks and places. That only scared me more! He skillfully takes these two boys through a maze of scary events that sometimes makes you laugh or cry and sometimes almost makes you wet your pants!

Just because I can tell you that they make it out of the woods in one piece, don’t think that you’ve learned all about the puzzle in this review! The end was a surprise, but a nice, positive surprise.

Reserve a place on the edge of your seat and hang on for a backwoods adventure! The action is fast and furious, crammed into a couple humid, spidery, snake infested and murderous days in the Ozarks.