Brooklyn Girl Reads

 [AW1]

Two Indians and a Dead Man is like reading a Louis L'Amour-esque romance novel, but with an Agatha Christie vibe for extra excitement. James Robertson is a southern gent from New Orleans who’s ostracized from his family after the war because he fought for the Union instead of the Confederacy during the War of Northern Aggression. His old war buddy Norman lives out west in Oregon, and James sells up everything and decides to try living in a new locale. Lundin shows just because the Civil War was over did not mean that the nation was united, and that divide even separated families. During his travels, he comes across an Indian named Two Fingers McCracken with a wild tale of his daughter who's been abducted by a white man, and he requires the assistance of a white man to get her back. James agrees when he sees the wound Two Fingers received from the abductor when he tried to protect his daughter. James finds Two Fingers daughter who’s strong, smart and has gumption to spare. She’s been kidnapped, held as a prisoner, and sexually assaulted several times by this man, and her first question when she meets James isn’t, “when do we leave?” instead, it’s “how’s my father?” Emmalee is that girl. Norman, James’ old war buddy is in the mix because he’s doing a railroad lobby with Emmalee’s kidnapper named Aymes. Her kidnapper is masquerading as someone else, and he has Emmalee pretending to be his wife. Aymes has killed the real Aymes and his wife on the road, stolen his papers and assumed his identity. He kidnapped Emmalee because he needed a woman to pretend to be the wife. Norman and James’ mutual Army Lieutenant was Mrs. Aymes’ cousin and sent word to Norman to expect them. When a dead body shows up later, as my grandmother used to say, “truth will out,” The narrow-minded Sheriff thinks that all the victims are in cahoots with the perpetrators. Now the victim of the crimes must become the detectives, if for no other reason than to clear their names. During all this, James and Emmalee are slowly falling for each other. Attempts are made on their lives because what’s a western without someone shooting at you? They are also getting too close to the truth, and Aymes has a co-conspirator, but like any good mystery novel, the ultimate bad guy is the last person you’d suspect. The author tackles a multitude of issues in this work; war, racial prejudice, societal corruption, violation of norms/mores, abortion, and plain greed for the almighty dollar. However, Lundin ends the book with two things that should trump all the topics I listed above, love, and hope for the future.

Would I recommend it? YES. If you''re a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft or Stephen King that would be a double, YES.

This novel is written in first person narration from a male perspective which is unusual for a love story, but it's also interesting. Two scenes are written omnisciently which is a bit jarring, but you get past it because it's merely used to drive the plot. Getting past the language may be difficult for some because it's not written in modern standard English but a flavored English/ Hindi hybrid. As a reader, if you can get past that, you'll find yourself falling into a good narrative. Vivan who's a Hindu falls for a Muslim girl, Sayra at the hospital where he works when he and his mentor fail to save her father' life. It's a love at first sight deal for him. Vivan performs random acts of kindness with Sayra's father's burial and gets Sayra a job while getting to know her. His two buddies razz Vivan about Sayra and the impossibleness of the situation, but being good friends, they have his back. Vivan also has his parents pressuring him to marry and a mentor trying to fix him up with his niece. The novel does a subtle commentary on arranged marriages and the lack of choice versus choice and happiness. You'll also question if the two are mutually exclusive. Vivan meets Shruti, his mentor's niece who is also a fellow physician and the two hit it off, although she's aware of his feelings for Sayra, she, unfortunately, falls for Vivan, hard. Vivan is a man left with nothing but choice. However, being a story from India (I grew up on them) some twists are unexpected, followed by death and if you are expecting a HEA, this is not the book for you, be warned. What you do get is a wonderfully woven narrative where our narrator reaches a stage of incredible growth and satisfaction as a person. As the reader, that has to be enough because the book ends with hope and what is life without hope?

I LOVED this book and read it in one sitting. I was fortunate enough to purchase my copy at a book signing. Mr. Hough writes movingly about his love for animals but more importantly how the love animals give us can heal, nurture and uplift us. I am in complete agreement with this sentiment. The stories are vignettes which show us the love, comfort, laughter, and blessing from God our pets can be to us. Hough, displays how and why these bundles of fur and personalities make perfect companions for us. They keep us grounded, make us laugh and are very adaptable to our quirks and characters as we are to theirs. Hough, made me want to run out and get another pet and I already have a beautiful dog. A great read about loving the furry members of our family and being grateful for them. I highly recommend it.

Blueberry Pancakes is like All My Children on crack! Yes, please, and thank you! I am all the way here for it. Love, love, love! Duncan, our narrator, is a songwriter who parades around during the day as an IT professional. He shares an apartment with Marlene. She’s a singer who for the most part comes off as a narcissistic diva who is only interested in Duncan writing her a hit song to drive her singing career. Marlene’s ex is Robin a wickedly talented guitar player, the relationship with these two is complicated, but not lacking in sex. Then there’s Silas, Duncan’s co-worker from his day job as an IT Programmer. The awesome foursome makes up a group called The Factory, they’ll write, and produce songs, make demo recordings and shop them to the industry, as well as trying to launch Marlene’s career in the process. They have some successes. Ego’s get in the way and get bruised, they get dumped from implied contracts, and things fall apart. Duncan, who is the book’s main thrust goes through an emotional rollercoaster in his personal life with his wishy-washy boyfriend Jessie, who is an unstable, unreliable, narcissist who continually breaks up with Duncan and then runs back to him. (Side note: It’s interesting to see women aren’t the only ones who go through this foolishness, good grief!) Poor Duncan also goes through a host of guys trying his best to rebound from his heartbreak and its one disaster after another. Then there is one frightening incident that shakes Duncan and the reader to the core. Through all these ups and downs, Duncan is still trying to create music and find stability in his personal life. It’s like no matter where he goes, Jessie always pops up, like that preverbal “bad penny.” A tragedy finally disbands The Factory for good and Duncan unlock a few mysteries that have been going on throughout the narrative. We don’t necessarily get a happy ending, but what we do get is some success and recognition for Duncan and Marlene’s musical talents. Also, FINALLY, Duncan refuses to take Jessie back for the millionth time. It feels liberating for the reader and leaves you feeling hopeful for Duncan’s future as long as Duncan can drown his sorrows at his favorite restaurant, Pancake Heaven with a perfect fluffy stack to suit the mood. He’ll come out better for the wear. Anton Lee Richards, you did that, Sir. To quote Duncan, “Star!”

Wow! There is just so much going on for Jamie and Sophie with this installment. The sheer number of children the Englands have left me exhausted. Lol. Bless them! However, these two are not only a super-parenting team; they are also a super-couple and true soul mates. Sophie’s plane crashes on the way to London from Rome, and she ends up with amnesia. She doesn’t know who she is for months but finds her way back home. Not only does she find her way back home to Italy, but she also finds her way back to practically her own front door. After some prodding from her sexy hubby, her memories return. She’s happily reunited with her numerous children, the little sweeties. Sophie and Jamie must brace and take care special with Sophie’s complicated, and dangerous pregnancy. All the while, dark forces are planning a vile plot to avenge themselves on the Englands, using the desperation of a mentally unstable nurse and the man who loves her. I have so much to say about this, but you know…spoilers. I just won’t do it. But it’s so, so good! The story and plot are action packed and fast paced, and you are never bored. Book three should be another winner. I say, job well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Bravo!!! One more thing, still waiting for Sophie to get her Spa Day, just saying… Ok, I know she’ll have one in Book Three.

Anchored in Misty Lake by Margaret Standafer I didn’t like this book all that much…I loved it! Shauna, you feel for her when she misses the perfect opportunity at her dream, and you also feel for Cort and his mission. It’s more complicated than the small-town girl with a business dream, and the hot-shot city-slicker comes in and crushes her dream. It turns out that Cort and Shauna are two halves of the same coin and are perfect for each other. Shauna’s brothers are like a mini football team protecting the ball, the ball being Shauna, but honestly, I wouldn’t expect it to be any other way. That’s what brothers are for, and as the only girl in the family, totally expected. However, you can tell her brothers have nothing but love for her, and her best interest at heart, especially Jake. The standouts for me are Shauna’s great-aunts. They ROCK! Everyone should have great-aunts like them. These senior citizens are two pistols, and I enjoyed the moments with them, probably more than I should have. The other standout was Shauna bumping into the NYC’s Naked Cowboy, literally. As a native New Yorker, I confessed I laughed hard at this scene because I’ve seen it happen in real life on several occasions to tourists. The book is beautifully written, and there are some touching moments with Cort and Shauna, like their first and second kiss. Then other moments are exceptional as well, like with the two are at Rockefeller Center in NYC on the skating rink, they let their hair down and are fun and childlike. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did indeed. Would I recommend it? Yes, I would indeed.

Book number seven in the series! Yes, some questions are answered, but unfortunately, we are left with more questions at the end of the story. Now we've got to wait for book eight in the series, ahhhhh! Totally not fair! But, I suppose that what a good series does, keeps you coming back for more. Get your coffee or herbal tea and prepare to be transported, and follow Iambre and Bilan as they search for Solancei. There's danger, violence, and a misunderstanding that nearly becomes fatal and the two become separated. Iambre goes it alone on her quest to return to the keep. She has a run in with a naked sailor (too funny), a kid who steals her parcel and does some serious soul searching regarding her feelings towards Bilan. If you like introspective, descriptive prose, you'll love these areas of the novel. Bilan for his part, escapes death (or killing someone) and is confronted by the Chief and we don't know what happens after that, we're left hanging. Ahhhh! We are treated to pages from Solancei's journal although she remains missing in this book of the series. We do, however, get to know Solancei on a more intimate level which is enjoyable. Nefer is given to us in a tiny does as well, and there are some misogyny issues at play in her apprenticeship. However, you get the feeling that Nefer, is going to be the cream that rises to the top when all is said and done. I don't want to give too much away in the way of the plot but the writing in very prosaic, if you like narration that gets to the point, and are not a lover of character-driven internal dialogs, then I am afraid this is not the book for you. For my part, I'll be awaiting book eight which I think will be hitting stores in December 2019.

I was hooked from the first chapter however, I'd like to applaud the books' cover. It's an accurate representation of everything in the book, and it is also beautifully executed, so kudos on that. Alessia hears voices and everyone thinks she's crazy but she's not. Her loving aunt Kate at the end of her tether sends Alessia to a mental institution on an island in the Indian Ocean. Our young heroine tries to make her escape on her birthday, she's taken out by a rogue wave and awakes in a new land that's under the ocean. Zeneshia is the new land that Alessia has found herself; she's also discovered her maternal grandmother there too. It turns out Alessia's mother wasn't human. She goes through the process of trying to learn Zeneshian history and customs, and she falls in love with Dante a handsome red-eyed youth. Dante is the heir apparent to the Ocean Crown of the whole place (he keeps this from Alessia), and he seems to run from her whenever his feelings become too much for him, this annoys Alessia (and the reader) and saddens her greatly. There are several ruling houses in this land, and some vie for power, some use their ability to manipulate, others try to keep the peace between the houses. There's also a shield that protects them from a group of warriors who are ruthless and seem blood thirty. This shield is failing, and this is a cause for high tension and discord amongst the houses. The middle of the book drags a bit telling of Dante's history, how his mother was kidnapped and forced to marry and have him against her will. Years later he escaped his father with his mother, however, she died due to an arrow shot at her from his father's hand. Alessia is kidnapped, well more like hypnotically compelled by the water creatures, who brought her to the land she's in, and Dante and a party of soldiers rescue her. Dante gets himself into trouble, and Alessia's powers come forth to save her beloved and blow everyone's minds, including her own. Alessia nows that she's incredibly powerful. She has the destiny to protect this land, and only she can power the failing shield that protects them all. She must accept all this while she's trying to figure out how she and Dante can keep their budding relationship going. We'll all find out in the next installment. The writing is engaging; the characters are rich and multifaceted. I'm hoping that our heroine gets a bit more teeth during the series. Dante seems to be the most conflicted character coming from two different races, one perceived as good the other as evil. He seems to be continually battling his dual nature when in reality, we all have that duality in us. Zaira, Alessia's grandmother, appears to only see Alessa as a replacement for her daughter and not as her sentient self. There's also a host of other characters, like Dante's family who is funny and loving. Then there's Gradho, from one of the neighboring houses who's a power-hungry, a social-climbing manipulator who is always trying to cause discord. He reminds me of that uncle you only see at holidays and wish you didn't. All in all, I think this is going to be an exciting series.

Well done!

I have a new appreciation for unseen disabilities! The author tells his story without self-pity or a defeatist attitude. He's been living in and with pain for some time and yet, somehow, he manages to tell the story of his journey with courage, clarity and most importantly, humor. He has given me a genuine appreciation for those who suffer in silence every day and don't look ill or disable. Like the author, these brave souls continue when many of us don't know. We'll never know the constant medical visits shown by the author and the eternal hopes of relief- dashed when new treatments do not work. I liked the bravery shown in this work. It's difficult to talk and write about something so very personal. However, it's done in such a way that for the reader it's informative and relatable.