Indie Author Spotlight – Jack Geurts “The Fire And The Forge”

I find him to be the most sympathetic and empathetic character in the book, a man who has done terrible things and who is trying desperately to forget, or redeem himself if he can. I know this probably isn’t how a lot of other writers do it, but when I envision a character, I’ll usually think of the actor I imagine playing them in the movie. It might be a hold-over from when I was studying screenplays before I turned to writing novels, but I always imagined Andre Braugher in the role. He has this careful deliberation and gravitas about him, a quiet power. Very eloquent, enunciating every syllable.

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I’m Going To Talk About Inequality – Die Mad About It

I've spent the better part of my life being belittled for having the audacity to have actual feelings and....get this...showing them. I know, how dare I inconvenience the world with my empathy. How dare I think it's ok to cry at a sad part in a book in public. I mean, what if someones kid sees me. I might ruin someones $5 coffee for god sakes.

“Daring The Pilot” Jeannie Moon – Book Review

Keely Andersen hasn’t visited her hometown more than a handful of times in the last ten years, but when her doctoral research sends her back to Marietta for the immediate future, she can’t wait to reconnect with the community and the mountains she missed so much. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and Keely’s truck breaks down a few miles outside of town. When help arrives, she finds herself face to face with her brother’s best friend – the guy she used to call big, bad and gorgeous – Jonah Clark.

Kids Book Review “The Nest” Kenneth Oppel

For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, it’s just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp’s nest looming ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams, offering to “fix” the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered.

Age Appropriate Censoring Is Not The Same As Banning.

When you ban a book or a movie or a song, what you're really doing is taking away your kids ability to have empathy for another. You're taking away the chance that they will see another person as another person and not buy into some nonsensical stereotype. You're taking away the chance to build self esteem in your kid and you're taking away a chance for them to find who they are in the safety of a parent relationship.  So, think about it before you swing that ban hammer. The consequences could be more than you bargained for.

“The Liar” Nora Roberts

The book opens with Shelby's abrupt drop into widowhood and the realization that her now dead husband deceived her in almost everything.  Crushed by millions of dollars worth of debt Shelby gets clever. She takes stock of the fancy home with it's ugly expensive furniture and begins to sell it all off. This brings further realizations of her late husbands lying which is a reoccurring theme throughout the book. The guy really was a total douchebag.

“When Wolf Comes” John Pappas

Historical adventure, 1801. A survivor from an attack on a trade ship is sold as a slave to the Makah tribe of the Northwest Washington Coast. In a beautiful hostile land of people with strange spiritual ways he will become teacher and student, find friendship and even love, and realize escape comes in many guises, and survival is not always as simple as saving your own life.

“Emotive” Kevin Laymon

Sam will boggle your mind. He's a total psycho, of that I have no doubt, but he also has one glimpse of remorse for poor Linus. I had a bit of hope for our little K9 hero but that hope was quickly dashed when Sam fell deeper into his obsession and paranoia. It was hard to see Sam discard Linus from his affection. It was hard to see Linus' basic needs not be met and realize how animals must feel when us humans don't make them a priority. When we forget to feed them on time or their water bowl doesn't get refilled or we make them wait hours and hours on end before we let them out to potty. It was eye opening to see how emotionally devastating it is to animal kind to be at the absolute mercy of someone else's compassion......or lack there of.

“Naveed – Through My Eyes” John Heffernan

After a bomb took away his father and severely injured his sister, Naveed's family lives in a hovel and their situation is precarious. The land lord is a bad man who has even worse friends and cares for no one but himself. He sets his eyes on Naveed's mother and I held my breath with worry about Naveed's family and how or if they would find a way out of that nasty man's reach.

“Double Dealing In Dubuque” Dean Klinkenberg

Writer Frank Dodge is feeling optimistic for a change. He just landed a plum assignment from a national magazine to write about the growth of boutique food in the Midwest. Dodge's mood quickly turns sour, though, when his scheming rival Helen shows up--is she trying to steal another story from him? When a fire erupts at the food convention Dodge is scouting out, two people die and Dodge can't shake the feeling that the fire was no accident.