Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Book of Souls


The Book Of Souls (An Imelda Stone Adventure)




The Book of Souls (An Imelda Stone Adventure)
Written by Mackenzie Brown

Reviewed by R. Murry

Imelda Stone’s adventure kept my attention for two reading sessions, which is a rarity.  I try to pace my reading to understand the flow of the story for a least three to four.  However, Mr. Brown’s prose captured me with writing that kept my attention.

Two akin souls, Imelda and Edward her father, venture into the world everyone dare not go into – the world of the unknown, where your spirit captures your imagination.

They are out to preserve each other’s souls, unlike that of conforming to that of human beliefs, and the concept of redemption for the world salvation – The Book of Souls.  In their endeavor they must traverse and enter into the unknown, using their moral and intuitive abilities to survive.

For me to explain all that is overcome by the two main characters, I would have to give away the plot.  All I will say is that Imelda with faith and love follows her father into the non-plausible by jumping into a well which represents the unknown.  She does this with such devoutness that she is able to recruit friends to help her fulfill her goal – bringing her father home safely.

Edward on the other hand has his purpose, which is to keep Janus, most likely the devil, from capturing The Book of Souls.  This would strike a negative blow to humanity – the devil having the control of the souls of the world. 

He recruits no other than Merlin, by happenstance, and a strong intelligent man by the name of Bek.  These two icons contribute to Edward’s effort is unintelligible, but effective to the cause. 

Imelda is the linchpin, who in the final act overcomes her fears and adversity to become one of the perfect souls in The Book of Souls by saving the day.  Her soul is what we all should try to attain.

A must read for soul searchers and lovers of overcoming the impossible.

For US kindle go to; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008036ZM6 & http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005F6DT98 Check local market.




Mackenize Brown



Interview with Mackenize
Brown, author of
The Book of Souls (An Imelda
Stone Adventure)

Questions by R. Murry



Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I’m a positive person. Very rarely do I suffer mood swings and I’m as happy as can be at present, living the dream as an independent author. I've always loved to read a wide variety of fiction and I love nothing more than reading a good book. I have many other interests. I’m a bit of a keep fit fanatic, I go running as often as possible and this helps my little grey cells get to work on something I’m usually writing. I also take part in a weekly keep fit club that involves an hour of intensive circuit training. I love the theater and movies and like most males I love sports, particularly football (soccer) following Everton one of the two Liverpool based premiership teams. I am happily married and have two teenage daughters.
Do you remember the first story you wrote?
The first properly constructed story I wrote was a rambling horror story, the title eludes me. It wasn't very well plotted or written and overly descriptive. But it was a start.
Were you inspired by someone or something?
I was always fascinated by the exploits of my maternal grandparents and the life they led before and during WW2. I promised myself I’d write their story one day and I did, but as yet this novel isn't fit for publication. My grandfather in particular was a man I looked up to. I still think of him as a personal role model. He was one of life’s true gentlemen.
What do you like about writing a story?
I enjoy the entire process. Getting the first and in my case generally rough first draft down on paper, followed by a process of molding and mending the text in a series of re-writes. These days I've also come to look forward to selecting covers and everything that involves getting a book to market.
Can you tell us about your book?
The Book of Souls (An Imelda Stone Adventure) was written for my daughters and is a book that can be enjoyed by readers from 10 years of age and upwards. I completed the original version some years ago, but always intended to publish it immediately after The Shifting.
11 year old Imelda Stone has always known she was different but could never understand why and on the day she and on the day her family move back to where her father lived as a boy, he takes her to one side and confirms what she has always suspected. She has inherited certain gifts from him, but she realizes quickly that he has disclosed this because something is worrying him. When he storms out of their home in the middle of the night and does not return, the Police presume he has drowned, but Imelda knows different. Voices from the old dry well confirm some of what she suspects, but she soon learns that a cunning creature older than time itself, means to have The Book Of Souls and she must stand in his way, to not only save her father, but the entire planet…..
I plan to write a follow up and already have an idea cooking in my mind.
How did you come up with the story?
If I’m honest I wanted to simply entertain my children. What started as a story, developed into a book and I’m pleased with the result.
What genre best fits for the book?
Young and Adult Fantasy
Are you working on something new at the moment?
I’m preparing the release of my next book, Lost Boys. Set in Liverpool during the political upheaval of the 1970’s, the story is told through the eyes of 13 year old Carol Blake. Unknown to Carol and her friends and most of the local community Delbert Walsh, a retired, world renowned detective is living in the area and is convinced young boys have been abducted over a 20 year period. The disappearance of his own son 5 years before and his inability to locate the boy influenced his heavy drinking and ultimately brought his illustrious career to a halt. But as we join the story Walsh is closing in on the scent….
I am also writing the first draft of a sequel to my first book The Shifting, that I call The Burning.
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Write as often as you can if you enjoy the process. Don’t expect too much from your first draft, but try to finish everything you start and when the first draft is done, edit it until you’re sick of the sight of it.
Which authors inspire you?
James Lee Burke, Stephen King, Howard Spring, F Scott Fitzgerald, Dickens, Steinbeck, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Peter Straub, Raymond Chandler, George Orwell and so many, many more.
Where can people go to read your work?
Amazon only at the moment, but both of my books are available for kindle and in paperback.

Where can people find you on the internet?

Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
I would advise any aspiring author to ensure their work is as error free as possible before publication. It has never been easier for an aspiring writer to get their work in print or e-book format, but I have made mistakes that I have been forced to rectify and learn from. I uploaded a flawed version of The Shifting initially and will not make the same mistake again. A couple of bad reviews can ruin a books chance of success. Even as we speak I have employed the services of a proof reader for my current books and any future publications. As writers we’re blind to some errors in the text and I am only too aware that The Shifting and The Book Of Souls both still contain some minor errors that I can and will correct. We owe it to all indie writers to ensure our final versions are as professional as possible, but most of all to the reader who after all is parting with his or her hard earned cash.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

INZARED


INZARED,
QUEEN OF THE ELEPHANT RIDERS

Written by Author L. Leander

Reviewed by R. Murry


We all wanted to run away to join the circus at one time or another – to follow our dream.  It is a difficult decision that few, who are not happy with their present situation, take.  Ms. Leander’s character makes that choice that affects those around her and her farming family forever.

She leaves her mountain hard working family, without telling a soul, and joins the Romanoff gypsy family circus for the mesmerizing adventure of being a headliner – an elephant rider.  The author contrasts the two lives of the young lady, soon to be woman, throughout this novel.  Both are hardworking endeavors. 

However, Bertha, now INZARED, proclaimed by the gypsy ring leader, finds out what many of us never have - work is not work, when you love what you’re doing.  Inzared trains and performs as only a gypsy could, to the applause of her new family and the audiences she and her elephant’s act hypnotizes.  She is a natural on top of a pachyderm.

There is a love story here to the point of pleasant boredom, but it works all in all.  Paytre, owner of the elephant Cecil, falls in love with Inzared; they marry; have a child; and buy the red wagon they always wanted.  Ms. Leander does a much better job at romance than I do.  She details the love affair with cute prose, including the Cecil – Inzared love affair.

Lurking in the background is a spoiler, who disrupts the function of the circus. These upsetting distractions are brought to a conclusion in the last act with an event that literally brings down the Big Top.

This is a read for Romance and Circus’ lovers.  And we all like to laugh and cry.  Ms. Linda Leander does the deed.

Purchased at http://www.amazon.com/INZARED-Queen-Elephant-Riders-ebook/dp/B008FD5O1E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342119804&sr=8-1&keywords=inzared

Linda Leander




Linda Leander, author of Inzared, Queen of the Elephant Riders

Questions by R. Murry

Linda: Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I have to write.  I’m married to someone I love spending time with.  My favorite color is green and I love roller coasters.  I play fiddle, guitar and a few other instruments and am a singer/songwriter.  I like to camp and lead the choir at my church. 
Do you remember the first story you wrote?
It was in the second or third grade and I wrote it about a poor girl.  She had very little and kids made fun of her.  It made me mad so I wrote a story.  I can’t remember what I called it but my mother was impressed, I remember that.
Were you inspired by someone or something? 
I have been inspired by a lot of people in my life.  My parents were very supportive and encouraged me to succeed.  They both wrote short stories and poems (my dad wrote some songs too) and read a lot.  It’s definitely from them that I get my love of books.  My other big inspirations were my fourth grade English teacher, our town librarian when I was a child and my high school band and Literature teachers.  They all saw something in me I didn’t even know I had and encouraged me to share my thoughts and feelings on paper and through music.
What do you like about writing a story? 
The actual writing is what I love best.  Creating a story and writing without thinking.  Getting it on paper.  Not worrying about errors or format or misspellings.  Just writing and being lost in the characters and the plot. 
Can you tell us about your book?
INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders is a story about a poor Appalachian girl in 1843.  She is destined to marry one of the local boys down the mountain.  All her life she has yearned to travel and see things that are new and exciting but the opportunity has never presented itself.  Until now.  A Gypsy circus comes to town and by some twist of fate Bertha Maude Anderson becomes INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders.  She joins the troupe of performers and learns to ride Cecil the elephant.  What happens after that is the story of her becoming a woman, learning to trust and stand up for herself, and enduring prejudice and hardships while seeking to solve a mystery that has plagued the circus for years.    
How did you come up with the story? 
The story came up with me!  Really!  I sat down to write and I couldn’t type fast enough to get the words down.  Inzared spoke to me in her regional dialect and she was just like some old girlfriend I hadn’t seen in years.  Many nights we talked until the wee hours until we drifted off to sleep.  And she’s not done yet!
What genre best fits for the book?
Young Adult Historical Fiction, I think, although mostly adults have read and reviewed it so far.  There is no sex in the book and only two swear words (from circus roustabouts).
Are you working on something new at the moment? 
At present I am finishing the second book in the INZARED Series.  I don’t have a title for it but I’m thinking it will be called something like INZARED, The Healer (Book 2).  My plan is for it to be published by Christmas 2012.
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Don’t take critique personally.  It’s hard, I know.  I have enough rejection letters from music publishers to paper a wall, but I finally did get songs published.  It’s necessary to put on a thick skin and believe in yourself.  Take all criticism positively and try to make your writing better.  I have cried at unkind comments and gotten angry over some but after I settle down I think over what has been said and apply it to my writing.  It always makes it better!
Which authors inspire you? 
Thomas Hardy is one of my favorite authors and I love the fluidity of his writing.  Stephen King and J.K. Rowling are great examples of writers with imagination and sheer literary genius.  Margaret Mitchell and Barbara Kingsolver’s description and depth are helpful to me.  When I want an entertaining read, I turn to Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly or Ken Follett and Dean Koontz.  I absolutely love Ann Rule because I get so engrossed in the true crime stories she portrays so well.  There are many, many others!
Where can people go to read your work? 
INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders is available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook.  It will soon be out in paperback.
Where can people find you on the Internet? 
www.lleander.com is my website.  Readers can access my Facebook author page, Twitter page and blog from there, as well as the awesome video trailer for the book.  My Amazon Author Page is here:   http://www.amazon.com/L.-Leander/e/B008IVRNU8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1346994653&sr=1-2-ent
I’m also on Goodreads and Shelfari. 
Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers? 
I love to hear from readers!  I answer all emails and questions and love to chat.  I review books in my spare time and am currently working to add those reviews to my blog.  My goal is to be the best writer I can be!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Assassin's Village



The Assassin's Village
Author Faith Mortimer

Review by R. Murry



Ms. Mortimer’s novel starts you off with a zinger that holds your attention until the last ‘t’ is crossed and the last ‘i’ is dotted in the final chapter.  And even then, you’re not certain as to if the mystery is solved.  Agatha Christie novels kept me on the edge, as this well written “Who done it?” tale.  A little Macbeth is appropriately used as the “Lead in” on each chapter.  Who could ask for anything more?   Well, this mystery makes you think – Is it him?  Or, is it her?

Our sleuth, named Diana, is a foreigner living in a small village on the island of Cyprus where everyone knows everyone.  The reality is that the villagers don’t have a clue as to what their neighbors’ rumored backgrounds are.  They only surmise as to what is real or not. One relocated Englishman is murdered and everyone is suspect except the ones who were at the restaurant with Diana and her husband Steven – of course.

Diana, a writer, lists all that could have committed the crime.   Its Ms. Mortimer’s prose that paints a vivid character picture of these would be murders.  This is all portrayed in the colorful scenery of a beautiful island. It would seem that any of her finely developed characters on the list could have done the deed, because Leslie, the victim, has negatively commingled with many of them.

What is the instrument of the murder?  This is what the reader my pick up on, but I do not think that will happen until the end of this book. It’s when Diana learns the truth about one of the characters.  This is my kind of mystery – you think you know who did it, but you don’t until the end.

If you’re like me, this gem of a book will grab you and you will want to read another of Faith Mortimer’s novels.  See all links at end of her interview below:

Where can people go to read your work?
Amazon US http://amzn.to/1IuMOMV
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/qe90Lf
The book depository (paperbacks) http://bit.ly/oCON7U
Snippets and chapters are often found on my website www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Where can people find you on the internet?
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer
My website www.faithmortimerauthor.com   
   



Faith Mortimer


   

Interview of Faith Mortimer
Author of The Assassins' Village

Questions by R. Murry


Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Good morning Roy. May I take this opportunity to thank you for having me as your guest author this week.

Briefly, I live in an old stone-house in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains on Cyprus. It’s a beautiful Mediterranean island and known as Aphrodite’s own. I originally come from England. I began writing seriously around 2000, when I had completed a degree in Biology. The degree studying ensured I had the dedication, stamina and confidence to finally finish my first novel. Before then I had qualified as a Registered nurse (in my twenties) and latterly run my own business from home. I am a qualified Yachtmaster and before we settled in Cyprus, my husband and I explored the seas from as far north as New York down the east coast of the USA to the Caribbean and Venezuela and then back across the Atlantic into the Mediterranean where we finished our travels in Turkey – a fantastic eight years living on our sailing yacht – just the right place to write books!

Do you remember the first story you wrote?
I’ve always written stories ever since I can remember. The most serious was when I was about fourteen. It was a romance set in Borneo!

Were you inspired by someone or something?
I just liked playing around with words. I’ve already read masses of books and I wanted to write my own stories

What do you like about writing a story?
Oh that’s easy. It’s MY world. My people, my places, my feelings. I love drawing the characters from people/friends and then taking a bit from one person and adding another – a real mix and great fun.

Can you tell us about your book?
I’ve now written six books. Three are mystery suspense with a fourth lodged with my editor. The titles include, The Assassins’ Village, Children of the Plantation, The Surgeon’s Blade and COMING SOON, Camera, Action…Murder!
My others are romantic suspense/historical fiction/family drama; these are The Seeds of Time and Harvest. They are 2 in a series. I’m currently writing another romantic suspense set in France, ‘A Very French Affair.’ Lastly I have a short story collection entitled, The Bamboo Mirror.

How did you come up with the story?
Almost all my stories feature either something I’ve experienced, or they are set somewhere where I’ve lived. If I like an idea I’ll go with it and set it down as soon as I can find time.


Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Yes – never give up. It is often a lonely occupation and only you can write your story. Don’t let others put you off, or tell you what you’re doing and how you’re doing it is wrong…it is how you feel and think and more often than not you will be right. Stick to your plans!

Which authors inspire you?
MM Kaye. Tolkien. Dickens.  I can read a great novel and I then go around thinking about it for days – the author may have a style that I admire and it gives me the impetus to get down and begin to write a new book. No one writer or person inspires me though.

Where can people go to read your work?
Amazon US  http://amzn.to/oLQt8c
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/qe90Lf
The book depository (paperbacks) http://bit.ly/oCON7U
Snippets and chapters are often found on my website www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Where can people find you on the internet?
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer
My website www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
Be yourself. Don’t judge others too harshly and always be there to give a helping hand – it could be you wanting that help some day. As I’ve already said it can be a hard slog. When you’re ready to publish make sure that the product you’re going to offer is as good as a paperback. Take time to edit and reedit, over and over. Be patient – it will take time to make any real progress. Be friendly and polite to everyone within the same market – you never know when you might need them and good manners never hurt. You can also learn lots from others as well.

Thank you so much for having me on here today!
                                               

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Apart From Love


Apart From Love
By Uvi Poznansky

Reviewed by R. Murry

The family dynamic has been written about since the beginning of time: the Biblical story of Joseph, Macbeth, and in the 1930s, William Faulkner’s The Sound and The Fury.  Like Faulkner, Ms. Poznansky uses more than one person to tell the story of “Apart From Love.”  Faulkner used four.  Ms. Poznansky uses two: Ben and Anita.  Their voices are orchestrated close to perfection in a loving way.

Each chapter is told by one or the other, explaining their understanding of the events which leads to conflict within the family circle: Ben’s father and Anita’s twice her age husband, Lenny; Lenny’s first wife and Ben’s mother, Natasha; Anita’s mom; and three aunts round out the family Kaminsky.

Interwoven into the main characters' discourses are the normal family emotions: greed, sex, hatred, control, loneliness, procreation, legacy, and everything you may think of  “Apart From Love.”  No one ever uses the love word as in the phrase “I love you.” 

Anita and Ben are young and are thinking about each other.  Lenny is old and is thinking about Natasha and what could have been had she not gone into a vegetable state.  Lenny is recording his fictional novel as to what he believes is happening between his son and second wife.  The novel turns out to be his memoir.

There are family mishaps, joyous times, secrets, and torments.  Each narrator fullfills their duty by translating their opinion of the events based on their background: Ben, a worldly educated one and Anita with her street smarts’ schooling.  They each speak a different language, although are of the same generation.  The reader will enjoy their terminologies.

Ms. Poznansky pulls off a well written story of dependency.  Every one of the characters are dependent on one another and are looking for support right up to the end of this skillfully developed novel.   A very good read if you’re looking for something “Apart From Love."

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1IuRToq


           

Interview with Uvi Poznasky



Interview with Uvi Poznasky
Author of Apart From Love
Interviewed by R. Murry
Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I am an artist, a poet and a writer. In the past, my professional life has undergone several changes, as so many of us are experiencing in this day and age. I have a master of architecture from RPI in Troy NY. Later I have earned a Master of Computer Science from the University of Michigan. I love to extend my skills, reinvent myself and find out the common areas between different disciplines.

Can you tell us about your book? 
My novel, Apart From Love, is an intimate peek into the life of a uniquely strange family: Natasha, the accomplished pianist, has been stricken with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Her ex-husband Lenny has never told their son Ben, who left home ten years ago, about her situation. At the same time he, Lenny, has been carrying on a love affair with a young redhead, who bears a striking physical resemblance to his wife--but unlike her, is uneducated, direct and unrefined. This is how things stand at this moment, the moment of Ben’s return to his childhood home, and to a contentious relationship with his father. 

The story is told from two points of view, Ben’s and Anita’s, which gives me an opportunity to illustrate how the same events, seen from different angles and through difference experiences in life, are interpreted in an entirely different way.

How did you come up with the story?
Over a year ago I wrote a short story about a twelve years old boy coming face to face, for the first time in his life, with the sad spectacle of death in the family. Stunned, Ben watches his father trying to revive his frail grandma. Later, Ben attempts the same technique of mouth-to-mouth recessitation, on the fish tilting upside down, dying in his new aquarium.

I set the story aside, thinking I was done with it. But the character of the boy, Ben, wouldn’t go away. He started chatting incessantly in my head, keeping me awake at night. So I asked myself, what if I ‘aged’ him by fifteen years? Would he still admire his father for ‘blowing life’ into the old woman--or will he be disillusioned at that point? What secrets would come to light in the life of this family? How would it feel for Ben to come back to his childhood home after a long absence, and have his memories play tricks on him? 

What if I introduce a girl, Anita, a redhead who looks as beautiful as his mother used to be--but is extremely different from her in all other respects? And what if this girl were married to his father? What if the father were an author, attempting to capture the thoughts, the voices of Ben and Anita, in order to write his book? 

Just asking these questions had an immediate affect on Ben: as if a page has turned, he grew up into his new age—but then, somehow, he forgot to mature... So the process of writing became, for me, simply listening to him, and to Anita, and trying, as fast as I could, to capture their thoughts. They chatted with such intensity! I wish I could record everything they said. After a full day of writing nonstop, just before my eyes closed, I would hear Ben whisper something in my ear, and promise myself I would put it on paper next morning—only to find the phrase gone by the time I woke up.

So, to slow down the chatter I would throw some obstacle in my characters’ way, and let them ponder how to find their way around it. This, I found, was such a fun method of developing the story, and it allowed the plot to twist and turn in unexpected ways.

Are you working on something new at the moment?
I am currently working on a book that will include poems by my father, who passed away at the age of ninety-four, as well as my own poems and stories inspired by his life. Home. Here is a poem I wrote; it will be on the opening page of the book:

Sucked in by a force, I'm flying through a tunnel
The tunnel of memory that leads me back home
The past blurs my present, so my vision is double
Walls of my childhood curve into a dome

From here I can see that home, tilting
And falling from place, all the lamps are aflame
My father's empty chair is slowly ascending
Tipped by the light, outlining its frame

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Read your work aloud, first of all to yourself, so your words will flow in the rhythms of your voice and breathing. You may even tape your reading, and listen to it afterwords. Then, read it in front of an audience. Listen not only to their comments, but during the read, listen if they gasp in the places you wanted them to gasp, if the laughed and cried where you intended the text to move them.

Then go back to the drawing table...

Which authors inspire you?
Surprisingly, I find poetry to be the greatest influence on my writing: I appreciate the nuances, the overloading of words, and the musical rhythms used in the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, the sonnets by Shakespeare, and the lyrical descriptions of Virginia Wolfe, to name but a few. I love The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, and  Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, for their expressive use of ‘stream of consciousness’. I love reading the work of great playwrights like Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams.

Where can people go to read your work?
Amazon Kindle:

Amazon paperback:

Barnes & Noble:


Where can people find you on the internet?
I invite you to visit my website, which is organized like an art gallery, with bronze and ceramic sculptures, paper sculptures, oil paintings, watercolor paintings, poems and short stories: http://uviart.com

Also, stop by my blog, which is organized like a diary where I post almost daily, discussing anything that goes through my mind that morning--be it a poem, a story, a paper engineering project, a birthday cake designed as a chess board, advice on publishing and writing, and the latest news and reviews of Apart From Love:http://uviart.blogspot.com/