Book Review: On the Isle of Sound and Wonder by Alyson Grauer

Book:  On the Isle of Sound and Wonder

Author:  Alyson Grauer
Pages:   309
Format:  Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited
Publisher:  Xchyler Publishing
Book Source:  company project
Category:  Steampunk
Style:  Literary prose with complex characters, strong plot, and vivid world-building

Synopsis: 

All but alone, wild but resourceful Mira dreams of life beyond the shores of her mystical island. Isolated by her father, a dark sorcerer bent on vengeance, she has only his servants, an air spirit and a misshapen cast-off, to share her company. When Dante conjures a terrible storm to wash ashore his mortal enemies, Mira must chose between her loyalties to her father and what she knows is right.

Sail the skies and soar the seas surrounding this Isle of Sound and Wonder as Alyson Grauer masterfully retells William Shakespeare’s classic, The Tempest, bedecked in the trappings of Steampunk.

About the Author:  

Alyson Grauer is a storyteller in multiple mediums, her two primary canvases being the stage and the page. On stage she is often seen in the Chicago area, primarily at Piccolo Theatre, Plan 9 Burlesque, and the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Her nonfiction work has been published in the Journal for Perinatal Education for Lamaze International. Her short fiction can be found in Tales from the Archives (Volume 2) for The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences and in two anthologies from Xchyler Publishing, "Lavenza, or The Modern Galatea" in Mechanized Masterpieces: A Steampunk Anthology (MMSA) and "The Brother-Sister Fable" in Legends and Lore: an Anthology of Mythic Proportions. Alyson is a proud graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and hails originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is her first novel.

Author and Thespian Alyson Grauer

The Process:

I first "met" Alyson (by the interweb definition) when she won one of Xchyler Publishing's first short story competitions. Her "Lavenza, or The Modern Galatea" anchored MMSA. Besides being a brilliant writer, I found her witty, intelligent, and a delight to work with. I wanted to see more of her work.

Guest Post: Laura Besley on Writing Flash Fiction

Today's guest post is from my flash fiction guru, Laura Besley.  Originally from the UK, Laura currently lives in Hong Kong where she teaches English as a second language.  She is a published author, her short story "Dear Sylvia" can be found in As We See It:  Hong Kong, by the Hong Kong Writer's Circle.

Laura maintains a blog, Living Loving and Writing, wherein she shares the flavor of Hong Kong and the product of her flash fiction adventures.

Find my review of As We See It: Hong Kong and an interview with Laura here.

  —A Chaotic Mind

And now, our feature attraction:

Little and Often — How Flash Fiction can help you improve your writing

by Laura Besley

Background

Flash Fiction is the new kid on the block, so to speak, and the definition isn’t yet 100% concrete, but basically it’s a piece of fiction that is really short. Flash Fiction is usually between 250-1000 words, but I’ve personally set my limit at max of 500 words (no minimum). Due to people’s increasing lack of time and the fact that it can easily be read on an iphone or ipad, the popularity is growing.

On 4th May 2012 I started a writing challenge: to write a piece of flash fiction every day and to put ‘the best of the week’ up onto my blog on a Friday and that’s how, for me, Friday Flash Fiction was launched.

It's Here! The Great Promise Release

It's here, it's here!  The Great Promise by Frederick L. Coxen has been released and is now available on Amazon.com.

This is a compelling memoir of a British World War I soldier that reveals the horrors of war, as well as some of the ways the men grasped onto normalcy.  See my book review and author interviews below:

Book Review:  The Great Promise by Frederick L. Coxen
Author Interview Part One
Author Interview Part Two
Author Interview Part Three
Author Interview Part Four

I think it's apropos that they first made available on Amazon.com the same day as our Peace Blitz.  If anything bespeaks the need for peace, this book talks loud and clear.  Buy it.  Read it.  Share it.  Those who do not learn from history are compelled to repeat it.

Thanks, Rick, for bringing this book to print.

Bridge of Deaths: Peace Blitz Blog Hop

Today, August 15, 2012, is the 73^rd anniversary of the crash of flight G-AESY, flying from London, UK to Hamburg, Germany, to Stockholm, Sweden.  What’s the big deal, you ask?  Well, this particular flight happened shortly before the start of the Second World War, with passengers some believe to have been a secret peace delegation tragically thwarted.

The flight also carried the grandfather of my author friend, M.C.V. Egan.  Here is my review her book, Bridge of Deaths.  To commemorate the event and her commitment to peace, Catalina and Innovative Online Book Tours have organized a Peace Hop Blitz today, involving many bloggers from around the world posting about peace.  I welcomed the opportunity to participate.

For several days, I have been asking myself what I have to say about peace.  The image comes to mind of Sandra Bullock's character, in the film Miss Congeniality, answering her beauty pageant scholarship program interview question, “If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?” (or something to that effect) with, “stronger penalties for multiple offenders . . . [dead air] . . . and world peace.”*  

What does that mean?  More importantly, where does it start?  How does it happen?  Who do we blame when it doesn’t?

Author Interview: Holly Barbo, author of The Founders

Today, we're very proud to participate in the blog hop for Holly Barbo and her book The Founders. See my review of the book here.

Author Bio:  

Holly Barbo's world is shaped by her love of her family, the beauty of the natural world in Northwest Washington State and an irrepressible creative drive.

Living where the scenery is incredible with a rich abundance of wildlife "is so special and soothing that it feels like a quiet kind of magic," according to Barbo. She is drawn to creating stories where there is just a bit of something unworldly, perhaps it is magic or psychic skills. Her stories are mostly in non-urban settings and usually have some focus on nature, building a discordant drama inside the peaceful frame.

Author Interview:

Penny:  Ms. Barbo, I enjoyed the world you created in The Founders and look forward to learning more about it. First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Holly: My world is shaped by my love of my family, the beauty of the natural world in Northwest Washington State and an irrepressible creative drive. I draw wildlife, make beautiful things out of wood and I write.

Penny:  Who are the authors that have influenced you the most?

Holly:  I read many genres and authors but some of my favorites are Anne McCaffrey and Patricia McKillip.

Penny:  Do you write only science fiction/fantasy? In which genre would you catalog The Founders?

Holly:  If you disregard the fact that The Founders takes place on another world and that the planet and the sages have interesting idiosyncrasies ...some of the books could be murder mysteries while others classic mystery or suspense.

Author Interview: Rick Coxen of The Great Promise (Part Four)

Previous Installments:
Book Review:  The Great Promise by Frederick G. and Frederick L. Coxen
Author Interview Part 1:  Rick Coxen
Author Interview Part 2:  Rick Coxen
Author Interview Part 3:  Rick Coxen

As discussed in my original review, World War I soldier Frederick G. Coxen kept a journal which ultimately fell into his grandson's hands.  Upon discovering it, Rick Coxen recognized its intrinsic value, edited and compiled it, and subsequently created the soon-to-be-released memoir, The Great Promise.  In the book, when discussing his journey into his grandfather's past, Rick has this to say:

     I've learned a great deal while writing this book, but the most significant lesson is the importance of people writing down their personal stories.  I used to believe that I didn't have [stories] to tell, or at least not important ones.  I have since discovered that this belief is false.  I now realize that our stories are created from the daily experiences of life.  We consider some to eventful, while most are not. Combined together over time, our stories take on patterns that define who we are and what we believe.
      . . . Through my research and exposure to my grandfather's journal, I've been inspired by the rewarding aspect of recorded stories, as well as the regret that can stem from unrecorded ones.  The pleasure of reading my grandfather's journal epitomizes the joy that can be derived from possessing such a family treasure.
      . . . My grandfather's journal is a prime example of the value of documenting events in one's life. It has been through his writing that I've gotten to know the man behind the stoic exterior, presenting me with a peek into his tender, loving side.  Reading his war experiences, has helped me define his true character.  For this, I'm eternally grateful.    —Rick Coxen, The Great Promise

Several ancestors in my own family left behind them the records of notable lives and I have often considered fictionalizing their stories.  Mr. Coxen's experience with Captain Coxen's journal sparked our discussion about personal and family history and the importance they have gained in his own life.

Author Interview: Rick Coxen of The Great Promise (Part Three)

Previous Installments:
Book Review:  The Great Promise by Frederick G. and Frederick L. Coxen
Author Interview Part 1:  Rick Coxen
Author Interview Part 2:  Rick Coxen

Rick Coxen's initial curiosity about some keepsakes turned into a  several-year pilgrimage from discovery to transcription to the publishing of the World War I memoirs of his grandfather, Frederick G. Coxen.  In this interview segment, we discuss the process of transforming a 100-year-old journal into a work as compelling for the public as it is for his family.

Author Interview, Part 3: About the Book

Penny:  In The Great Promise, you talk about the process of going through your grandfather's effects when they came to you.  How long had you been reading the journal before you decided it had to be turned into a book?

Author Interview: Rick Coxen of The Great Promise (Part Two)

Previous Installments:

Book Review:  The Great Promise by Frederick G. & Frederick L. Coxen
Author Interview Part 1: Rick Coxen

This is the third week I've featured author Rick Coxen and his book, The Great Promise, the soon-to-be-released memoir of his grandfather's experience in the First World War.  The book is poignant, action-packed, and disturbing in some places, but I find it an important contribution to anyone's library who understands that if we do not know our history, we are condemned to repeat it.

Author Interview, Part 2: Getting to Know Your Grandfather 

Penny:  Let's start with the lighter side of your grandfather's journals.  I adore his flare for classic British understatement.  I can just hear his accent in my head saying, "we had a rather rough time of it" as he and his mates scuttled through heavy fire and mortars to repair telephone lines, or "it's a bit hot" with shells bursting over his head as fast as machine-gun fire and missiles big enough to make 25-foot deep craters blowing up all around him.

The next salvo sent a good-sized piece that grazed my cheek, ultimately burying itself about 2 inches into the ground at my feet.  After scratching it out of the ground, I thought to myself that if I had been a couple of inches closer it would not doubt have given me a nasty knock.

Then there's the detached unflappability: the gunners taking bets about whether or not the German shells will take down a specific structure and what not.  Or this:

While waiting for George and Collins to return, I was entertained by the combination of bursting shells, artillery fire, and rockets being launched from both our and the Germans' trenches.  They lit up the heavens like a gigantic fireworks display, similar to the ones I watched as a child.

Then there's his very British obsession with tea that got him and his mates in more than one scrape.  I always suspected the stereotype a gross caricature, but apparently not.  He also doesn't think much of the French (classic British).  Do you have a favorite passage of wit or humor that stands out especially?

Author Interview: Rick Coxen of The Great Promise (Part 1)

Last week, I reviewed The Great Promise by Frederick L. and Frederick G. Coxen, a grandson transcribing and editing his grandfather's World War I journal. The book is powerful and thought-provoking.  You can read my review here.  Rick also writes an interesting blog about his experiences getting this book to print.

I thought it appropriate that on that one day a year when we celebrate this nation's independence and give thanks for the men and women who fought and died to gain and retain it, that I share the first installment of my interview with Rick.  We will never stop needing reminders of the cost of the freedoms we enjoy.  Frederick L. Coxen was British who emigrated to the United States when the damage his lungs suffered due to toxic gases in the war forced him out of his homeland.  His sons went on to fight for the USA in the Second World War.  The Coxen family is just one of innumerable to whom we indebted.

The Author Interview (part 1):

[Note:  this section actually includes the last few questions I asked, but I thought it important to include them today of all days.]

About Frederick G. Coxen and war:

Book Review: Sarah's Quilt & The Star Garden by Nancy E. Turner

Book: Sarah's Quilt Author: Nancy E. Turner Pages: 402 Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Publisher:  Thomas Dunne Books Book Source:  Public Library System Category:  Historical Fiction, Western Style:   First person, some violence

Book: The Star Garden Author: Nancy E. Turner Pages: 306 Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Book Source:  Public Library System Category:  Historical Fiction, Western Style: First person, some violence

Sarah's Quilt Synopsis from GoodReads:

In These Is My Words, Sarah Agnes Prine told the spellbinding story of an extraordinary pioneer woman and her struggle to make a home in the Arizona Territories. Now, in this mesmerizing sequel, a three-year drought has made Sarah desperate for water. And just when it seems that life couldn't get worse, she learns that her brother and his family are trapped in the Great San Francisco Earthquake. A heartwarming blend of stubbornness and compassion, Sarah Agnes Prine will once again capture the hearts of readers everywhere. more. . .

The Star Garden Synopsis from GoodReads:

It is winter 1906, and nearing bankruptcy after surviving drought, storms, and the rustling of her cattle, Sarah remains a stalwart pillar to her extended family. Then a stagecoach accident puts in her path three strangers who will change her life. In sickness and in health, neighbor Udell Hanna remains a trusted friend, pressing for Sarah to marry. When he reveals a plan to grant Sarah her dearest wish, she is overwhelmed with passion and excitement. She soon discovers, however, that there is more to a formal education than she bargained for.  more . . .

My Take:

I'm lumping these two reviews together because in my opinion, for all intents and purposes, they are one book.  At least, they are one story.  However, Ms. Turner would have had a 700-page book on her hands had she treated it as such, which can be daunting to many readers (myself not among them, of course).

Book Review: Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Book: Dreams of Joy
Author: Lisa See
Pages: 354
Format: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle/ebook, audiobook
Publisher:  Random House
Book Source: Public Library System
Category: Historical fiction
Style: Bleak, disturbing imagery

Synopsis from GoodReads:  

Reeling from newly uncovered family secrets, and anger at her mother and aunt for keeping them from her, Joy runs away to Shanghai in early 1957 to find her birth father—the artist Z.G. Li, with whom both May and Pearl were once in love. Dazzled by him, and blinded by idealism and defiance, Joy throws herself into the New Society of Red China, heedless of the dangers in the communist regime.

Devastated by Joy’s flight and terrified for her safety, Pearl is determined to save her daughter, no matter the personal cost. From the crowded city to remote villages, Pearl confronts old demons and almost insurmountable challenges as she follows Joy, hoping for reconciliation. Yet even as Joy’s and Pearl’s separate journeys converge, one of the most tragic episodes in China’s history threatens their very lives.  read more . . .

My Take:

I didn't care for Shanghai Girls, the sequel of which Dreams of Joy is.  I found it bleak, oppressive and far too graphically violent in a scene where the protagonist is sexually assaulted by a gang of soldiers.  From that nadir, it improved precious little.  I found no hope in it.  However, I read a reviewer who indicated that the sequel, Dreams of Joy, improves the first.  That made sense to me, especially at the particular place Ms. See breaks the story.  A sequel bespoke resolution, and the front half could well be improved by the back.

So, I reserved Dreams of Joy at the library.  I wish I hadn't.  I have so many better things to read.

Book Review: The Great Promise by Rick Coxen

Book: The Great Promise
Author: Frederick L. Coxen and Frederick G. Coxen
Pages: 154
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Create Space
Release Date: August, 2012 (approximately)
Book Source: Provided by author in manuscript form
Category: History, Memoirs
Style: Powerful commentary, disturbing violence

Royal Field Artillery testing new phones 1909
Source:  Rick Coxen http://bit.ly/MDLT9o

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Frederick L. Coxen’s debut is a fascinating, visceral journey into the hell of war, the hearts of the men engaging in battle, and the search for closure for those left in its wake. Nearly one hundred years after the BEF’s initial engagement, Captain Coxen’s grandson was given his grandfather’s journal—and a letter he wrote in 1945 detailing the promise that was made but never kept. With these two items in hand, his grandson begins a quest: to find the families of the fallen men and make good on the promise left so long unfinished. Interspersing sections of the grandfather’s journal with key historical background the author transcends the reader beyond the historical depiction of the War, transporting them into the trenches through the experiences of one man who survived while millions of men perished. The Author goes on to describe the grandson's journey as he attempts to track down the families of the deceased in order to close the circle so long left open. The book delivers a surprise conclusion fitting for such a remarkable journey. . . . more

Background:

Have I mentioned I'm a history buff?  When Rick Coxen posted the comment "Isn't anyone interested in World War I history?" on a Book Blog forum, I had to respond.  How could I ignore such a plea?  I cannot say how glad I did.

Rick asked me to read his soon-to-be-published book about his grandfather's experience nearly one hundred years ago as an artilleryman and an officer in the Royal Artillery of the United Kingdom.

Rick based his book on a journal Frederick G. Coxen kept and which eventually made its way into Rick's hands.  When he discovered his grandfather had made a pact with three other soldiers to contact their families if they should never return, and when he read his grandfather express his anguish that he had never done so (all three died in the war), Rick knew that he not only had a mission to accomplish, but a story to tell.  Thus, "The Great Promise" was conceived.

In the course of Rick's research and the writing of this book, he was featured on "The Story", a radio feature often aired on National Public Radio and American Public Media.  This podcast is available here and deeply moving.

The Book:

I opened this manuscript expecting a novel constructed around the framework of Captain (then artilleryman) Coxen.  However, I found the actual journal entries, and they are more powerful than any novelist could fictionalize.

In addition to the transcription of his grandfather's journals, Rick Coxen provides us with commentary about the battles, the war, some of the weapons Captain Coxen refers to, and his own experiences researching both the war and his grandfather's mates.  Because of this, and the fact that he had to clarify or guess at some of the entries, he originally thought to present it as historical fiction.  However, this is truly a memoir and a powerful one, not only of his grandfather's experiences but his own in uncovering a lost and forgotten past.

     I gently lifted the journal from the box and held it in my hands.  For a brief time I just started at it, reveling in the moment.  I'll never forget the emotional sequence that followed.  At first I was overcome by an exhilaration comparable to one might expect when uncovering a treasure chest or embarking upon an  adventurous journey.  This elation became intermingled with awe for the piece of history I was holding.  However, these sentiments were soon overshadowed by the riveting realization that I was holding my GRANDFATHER'S journal; a journal written astutely in his own fluent, cursive hand, almost one-hundred years ago. . . . By unraveling the poignantly historical thread of my grandfather's war years through the examination of his personal relics, I was able to sculpt together a more complete replica of the remarkabley complex man he was.     I could not have anticipated that further excavation into the box contents would have such a dramatic effect on the next few years of my life.

Book Review & Author Interview: As We See It: Hong Kong Stories by The Hong Kong Writers Circle

Book: As We See It: Hong Kong Stories
Author: members of The Hong Kong Writers Circle
Pages: 260
Format: Kindle
Publisher: The Hong Kong Writers Circle
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Book Source: Personal Purchase
Category: Anthology/Short Story
Style: Brisk short stories with rare language, primarily suspense/thriller themes

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Why do we read, if not to experience the world from a perspective other than our own? Why do we write, if not to deepen that experience by putting ourselves in another’s place? We write about the unknown in an attempt to know it. We explore the mysteries of life in an attempt to understand. By keeping an open mind, we welcome the surprises that life has to offer whenever we open another door, peek under a rock, or turn a page.  read more . . .

Background:

I first met Laura Besley on Book Blogs, a networking site for writers and bloggers, shortly after I read Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.  In the book, in the 1930s, residents of Shanghai look down on Hong Kong as somewhat provincial, and so stumbling upon this anthology intrigued me.  I was curious to see the other side of the story, which is in itself kind of freaky, in that the Writers Circle chose SIDES as their theme.  The concept of a writers association compiling their work for an annual publication also captured my imagination and I wanted to investigate the execution.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Laura about the book, writing, the HKWC, her blog, and Hong Kong.  We prearranged our dates (13-hour time difference) and place (Google Chat), I wrote up a few questions to have ready, and we went from there.   I have included that discussion below, with a few minor editorial changes for punctuation and continuity. Laura provided the graphics. 
Enjoy.  I know I enjoyed the chat as much as I enjoyed the book.

Laura in Norway

Author Interview:  Laura Besley

me: [delete a bit of chit-chat] Are you ready to start?

Laura: Sure Fire away

me: Okay. Why don't we start out with a brief bio. Where you're from originally, a little bit about yourself, etc.

Book Review: Trail of Storms by Marsha Ward

Book: Trail of Storms
Author: Marsha Ward
Pages: 264
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Publisher: iUniverse (March 2009)
Book Source: Provided by Author
Category: Western
Style: Compelling, some violence, rare profanity

Synopsis from GoodReads:

After her sister suffers a brutal attack, Jessie Bingham and her family flee post-Civil War Virginia and endure a perilous trek to New Mexico Territory. When she hears her former sweetheart, James Owen, has taken a wife, Jessie accepts Ned Heizer's marriage proposal on the condition they wait until journey's end to wed. But then Jessie encounters James again . . . read more . . .

Spoiler Disclaimer: Unlike Ride to Raton in relation to The Man From Shenandoah, it is very difficult to review Trail of Storms without risking the revelation of key plot developments of Road to Raton. I shall do my utmost, but I can't guarantee anything. If you have not read Road to Raton, be forewarned.

My Take:

Trail of Storms is Book 3 of The Owen Family Saga.  Six years elapsed between the publishing of volumes 2 and 3, but Ms. Ward picks right up from where she left off in the powerful ending of Ride to Raton.  However, she leaves the James Owen, et al, in Colorado territory and whisks us back to the Shenandoah Valley  where the left-behind Bingham family is suffering their own misfortunes.  The Yankee occupiers continue to oppress the little town of Mount Jackson, rapscallions and scallywags carry on an unchecked reign of terror.

Book Review: The Man from Shenandoah by Marsha Ward

Book: The Man From Shenandoah
Author: Marsha Ward
Pages: 246
Format: Paperback, Kindle/ebook
Publisher: iUniverse (January 2003)
Book Source: Provided by Author
Category: Historical Fiction, Western
Style: Character-driven

Synopsis from Amazon:

Carl Owen returns from the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the continent, Carl falls in love with his brother's fianceé while set to wed another girl, but he might lose everything if the murderous outlaw Berto Acosta has his way. Carl battles a band of outlaws, a prairie fire, blizzards, a trackless waterless desert, and his own brother—all for the hand of feisty Ellen Bates.

My Take:

The Owen family is large, with five living sons and two daughters, having put two sons in the ground during the Civil War. With the final return of the four soldiers of the family (Rulon, Carl, James, and father Rod), the family decides to leave their farm in the Shenandoah Valley, destroyed by the Union Army, and set off to Colorado territory to raise beef cattle.

Rod sets about gathering up families (including Rulon and his wife) to make up a wagon train, two of whom conveniently have daughters for Carl and James. Without letting on to the boys, he arranges for the marriages to take place the evening before they hit the trail. However, his plans are foiled when the preacher is called away to a dying woman's side. The two couple are forced to make the journey unhitched. Conflicts ensue.

Note to Self: It's the Story, Stupid!

Recently I've been asking myself this vital question:  am I a writer? or a storyteller?  I think the answer at this point is writer.  I want to be a storyteller.  But primarily, I want to be both.  Not all authors are.

One of my favorite adaptations of
Dickens' Oliver Twist

Let's face it.  Some of the best storytellers in the English language were deplorable writers.  Charles Dickens could not structure a sentence properly to save his life.  As an editor, I writhe in agony reading his grammar. I marvel that he got away with structuring his story arcs as he did, writing for periodicals notwithstanding.  But, as a storyteller, he was second to none.  He knew how to captivate, to compel, to reach into a person's gut, grab hold and twist—and leave them begging for more.

My First Blog Tour

Fun!  I was just chosen to participate in my first book blog tour, and I'm a bit trepidatious.  I'll get to interview the author and have a book giveaway, which should be really fun.  So, mark your calendars now for August 5, 2012, for a full-court press of Shadowlands by CM Gray.

Book Review: Bridge of Deaths by M. C. V. Egan

Book: Bridge of Deaths

Author:  M. C. V. Egan

Pages:   374

Format:  Kindle/ebook

Publisher:  Author House (June 2011)

Book Source:   Provided by Author

Category:   Historical Fiction

Style:   Character-driven

The date: August 15, 1939. The place:   Storstrombroen in Denmark. The people: a pilot, a copilot, two oil-company executives, a German corporate lawyer and a British member of Parliament.  A fiery crash, suspicious circumstances, conflicting reports, five deaths, and one survivor.  A world on the brink of war.  All true facts, all meticulously documented.

Add in Zionists, Palestinians, an arms race, the military industrial complex on three continents, psychics, nightmares, hypnotists, past life regression, a Peruvian shaman and espionage.  Garnish with a famous bridge and landmark notorious for Nazis gun placements, a watery grave for scores of Allied aircraft and a popular suicide destination.  Stir well and you have a really great action/suspense thriller.  All the elements are there.

Tom Clancy would have spun a tale of spy vs. spy, arms dealers, intercontinental assassins and Nazi infiltrators.  John Grisham could have produced a novel rife with Big Oil, political intrigue, corporate posturing, dirty dealings, and sabotage.  Dan Brown would have lead the reader down a maze of cold, hard facts and totalitarianism vs. deep conviction and heroic sacrifice, all against a backdrop of spiritual intensity and intricate relationships with consequences on a global scale spanning more than seven decades.

Cut-away of the
Lockhead Electra

Unfortunately, Ms. Egan doesn't do any of these things.  Lost and floundering in a sea of conflicting loyalties (conventional scholarly research vs. journeys of faith), she cannot decide which approach to take, dabbles with each and ultimately accomplishes none.

In an attempt to better understand her grandfather and explain the reasons for his death, she poured her heart and soul into this book.  She sacrificed decades of her life and a significant amount of money to the effort.  She retraced her grandfather's footsteps and researched as carefully as any historian working on their doctorate dissertation.  However, her personal journey into the spiritual or supernatural arena left her doubting her own veracity (or at least growing fretful of what "true" historians would make of her work) and decided to make her research into fiction.

Book Review: Deconstructing Infatuation by Mercé Cardus

Book: Deconstructing Infatuation
Author:  Mercé Cardus

Pages:   148

Format:  Paperback, Kindle/ebook
Publisher:  CreateSpace (June 1, 2012)
Book Source:   Provided by Author

Category:   Contemporary Romance

Style:   Character-driven, some sexual situations, occasional profanity

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Sometimes, whether you're single or with a significant one, somebody appears in your life unexpectedly. We feel the need to know who this person is, the need to know exactly who this person is.

A story may offer different interpretations, even with several irreconcilable and contradictory meanings. As in Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta's story in Dante's Divine Comedy, this story is not about unfaithfulness either. This story is about infatuation: what burns inside of oneself when we let ourselves fall madly for someone.

My Take:

Central to the plot of Deconstructing Infatuation are Helen Hayes, a late thirty-something literary agent living in Manhattan, and Tiziano Conti, a handsome Florentine in town to run the New York Marathon (one would assume, referred as it is as the marathon). Helen has a significant other who lives in his own apartment across town when he is in town which is not often as he is traveling 360 days of the year.

Her roommate, Marlene, comes and goes, it would seem, although the reasons for her itinerancy are never explained. It's enough to the author and presumably to the reader that Marlene will be out of town for a month and wants to sublet her bedroom, which she has done in the past with less than satisfactory results. However, this negative experience does not deter the roommates, and the story opens on the pair holding an open house in an attempt to find the right temporary tenant.

Book/Film Review: Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

“Well, when I am fifty-three or so I would like to write a novel as good as Persuasion but with a modern setting, of course. For the next thirty years or so I shall be collecting material for it. If anyone asks me what I work at, I shall say, 'Collecting material'. No one can object to that.”
                                          ― Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm

	Book: Cold Comfort Farm Author:  Stella Gibbons Pages:   260 Format:  Paperback, Kindle/ebook Publisher:  Penguin Classics (org. ed. 1932) Book Source:   Public Library Category:   Classic Literature Style:   Humor, Parody
	Film:   Cold Comfort Farm (TV movie)  Starring:   Kate Beckinsale Released:   UK:  1995; US:  1996 Format:  available in DVD (95 minutes) Produced by:   BBC Films, BBC Film Source:   Netflix Category:   Romantic Comedy Style:   PG for brief sounds of heavy breathing

Synopsis from GoodReads:

THE DELIRIOUSLY ENTERTAINING Cold Comfort Farm is "very probably the funniest book ever written" (The Sunday Times, London), a hilarious parody of D. H. Lawrence's and Thomas Hardy's earthy, melodramatic novels. When the recently orphaned socialite Flora Poste descends on her relatives at the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm in deepest Sussex, she finds a singularly miserable group in dire need of her particular talent: organization.  Read movie synopsis at IMDB.com.

My Take:

I've wanted to see this movie ever since I saw Kate Beckinsale plug it on Letterman way back in the day, but I never got around to it.  Since then, I've followed Ms. Beckinsale's work from Much Ado About Nothing to Emma to Van Helsing and everything in between.  She is a talented actress, even as kick-butt vampire Selene in the Underworld series. When I finally caught Cold Comfort Farms on Netflix, she did not disappoint.  I enjoyed it so well, I had to scrounge our local library and actually read the book.  (As much as I like Gwyneth Paltrow, Ms. Beckinsale ruined Emma for any other actor).