Crossing Day by William A. Glass

September 24, 2024 By 9 Comments


Crossing Day by William A. Glass
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Young Adult, Alternate History, Suspense
Rated: 3 stars
Review by Ginger

It’s been one hundred and sixty years since the Confederacy won its independence at the Battle of Altamaha Crossing. Slaves of African descent still perform most of the work in the South. This seems normal to Ryan Walters and his friends who attend high school in Huntsville, Alabama. Like teens everywhere, they enjoy sharing videos, playing sports, and hanging out with friends. Jaybird’s drive-in is their favorite gathering place. There, they befriend Mish, a slave girl who works as a car hop. When the drive-in’s owner sells Mish to a dirty old man, Ryan and his friends awaken to the injustice around them. Despite the danger, they decide to help Mish escape. Will they succeed?

I was drawn to Crossing Day for its unique perspective on American history. Set in a world where the Confederacy won the Battle of Altamaha Crossing, part of the American Civil War, the novel explores the lasting consequences of slavery and the continued oppression of marginalized groups.

The author skillfully weaves a complex narrative that parallels the horrors of the Nazi regime, highlighting the enduring themes of prejudice, injustice, and the power of human resilience. While the book’s heavy subject matter may not appeal to all readers, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of history and its impact on society. I could not help but make the connection between Isabel Wilkerson’s book titled Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, and how both books link the system of slavery in America with the Nazis’ use of racist theories to label groups of people as inferior.

Crossing Day is an enjoyable read that I would recommend to teenagers and young adults, and if they like soccer they will probably enjoy the context of the book even more. One of the novel’s strengths is that the author’s vivid imagination creates an engaging plot for younger readers through relatable characters. Though the theme can be seen as heavy and sensitive it resonates deeply and prompts moments of reflection on personal values and had me looking to see what bias I may have. The author offers a reminder of history, its impact on society and various cultures, and the importance of standing against cruel and oppressive laws and actions.

Melanie Montgomery, the mayor’s daughter, never gave much thought about having slaves and how wrong it was. Her friends, who only thought of their time in high school, soccer games, and hanging out at Jaybird’s now have a newfound sense of justice as they embark on their mission to help Mish flee her fate. The teenagers’ journey of selflessness, courage, and activism are inspiring and thought-provoking. However, the frequent shifts in perspective and the overwhelming number of characters can be disorienting at times. Some of the character’s stories end abruptly and feel a little disjointed. This did not give me much time to develop a connection with the characters, nonetheless, I felt empathy for them because of their circumstances.

Since the book is titled after the Battle of Altamaha Crossing, I would have appreciated a more in-depth exploration of its significance. There are a few paragraphs where Bryson Walters explains to his son Ryan why they commemorate Crossing Day, however, I was confused why Bryson would celebrate Crossing Day when he is part of The Resistance group that is against General Van Dorn.

Through the journey of standing up against injustice, some gained insight, adapted, and joined the fight. However, those who choose to control with power and prejudice will see that there is redemption in a just world. Ryan and his friends demonstrate resilience and offer inspiration and examples of selflessness where the world needs it. In summary, Crossing Day is a compelling and thought-provoking novel offering a unique perspective on American history. Its exploration of themes such as prejudice, injustice, and the power of human resilience makes it a valuable book for readers of all ages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

As a Little Child by Catalina Siri

December 13, 2023 By 4 Comments

As a Little Child (Come Into the Agape Boat) by Catalina Siri
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Genre: Children’s, Inspirational
Rated:
Review by Rose

I was inspired by Jesus to write this book. In combining nature and the sacred word of the Bible, my intention is to take the reader into a place of contemplation of the wonderful things God has created for the care, nourishment, and enjoyment of His creation, especially humanity. This book’s central theme is the character of love of our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Furthermore, this book is an introduction to young children to the knowledge of the God of the Bible, who is unknown to most of the Christian circle and the world at large. God is the source of Agape and He is inviting all to receive Agape from Him through His Son Jesus.

I loved the illustrations in this book, and I feel just those would be an excellent way for parents to use this book in expressing the message…that God loves all children. It expresses agape (pure love) as a river that all people can access.

I found the wording itself to be a little on the old side for the target audience of small kids, but it would be a good start for parents to put the message in their own words. The author also includes Bible verses that back up the text and the message of the story, as well as a glossary in the back to also help parents explain the story to their kids.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Movie Review: That Night

July 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


That Night
Director: Zachary Trussell
Writer: Zachary Trussell
Stars: Julio Alexander, Oscar Mansky, Julie Gester, Maureen Azzun, Boogie Williams, Kendall McCarthy, Michael C. Hyatt, and Alexander Louis
Rated: 3 Stars (6 stars on IMDB)
Review by: Astilbe

THAT NIGHT tells the story of a young unknown artist who is forced to confront his career ambitions and win back his ex-girlfriend during a drunken night in Chicago with his irreverent friends. Any night out in a big city has the potential to be a good night, the risk of being a bad night, and typically ends up somewhere in between, but only some nights can claim to be “That Night”—the night where little choices lead to big decisions, chance encounters to second chances, Uber drivers keep themselves busy in the strangest of ways and taking the wrong pill can be really bad for the upholstery. For STACY, an artist with one eye on the future of design and the other stuck looking hopelessly at his ex-lover, that night is tonight—and the city, Chicago. So yes, there will be drinking.

Anything can happen overnight.

I loved this film’s varied sense of humor. There was something here for everyone, whether you like jokes about the pitfalls of accidentally taking the wrong medication or how one should properly milk an almond. All of the characters had a good sense of humour and weren’t afraid to gently poke fun at themselves or others if the conversation warranted it. There is definitely something to be said for that!

It would have been helpful to have more character development. I don’t mind watching stories about people who may not be terribly likeable at first glance as those can often be the most interesting characters of them all, but I was hoping to see everyone mature a bit more as a result of their wild night. There were a few signs that the protagonist was going to work on his flaws, and I appreciated that. Had I seen it in his friends, too, I would have happily chosen a higher rating.

The romantic storyline was fresh and realistic, and I’m saying this as a viewer who was honestly not that impressed with it in the beginning. It’s always nice to be proven wrong, especially with something as creative as this. I loved the way the director included little hints about where he was going with the romance early on while still leaving space to interpret them in multiple ways. That’s a fantastic way to foreshadow the conclusion without spelling things out too directly, and it makes me want to see more from these characters and this crew.

That Night kept me guessing.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review Tagged With: , , ,

From Under a Rock by Tam MacPhee

March 14, 2023 By 5 Comments


From Under a Rock by Tam MacPhee
Publisher: Tellwell
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Rated: 3 stars
Review by Rose

In this compelling memoir, author Tam MacPhee bares her soul and shares her deepest memories. As a little girl she battles through abuse, with her innocence betrayed by the males closest to her. Becoming a single parent at the age of eighteen, she is determined to work hard to create a better future for herself and her child.

Soon after turning nineteen, she meets a man whom she believed to be the man of her dreams. But she had no idea that the toughest lessons in her life were still to be learned. Secrets are revealed and a piece of her heart is broken off forever.

Realizing she deserves more, Tam finds her path set out by the universe that brings her love and success. But the journey also includes a new heartbreaking diagnosis and many challenges. Join Tam as she recounts her story, sharing her experiences and life’s lessons.

Ms. MacPhee is to be commended for her honesty in telling her story so frankly. The book begins with her birth in 1974 (from what she has been told and from what she remembers as a child) and continues through Covid and her care of her mom during her final days. The book is written just as the author remembers things – very stream-of-conscious writing. Because of this it can come across as a bit disjointed at times, but the authenticity of her life shines through.

The author includes a large section of pictures and letters from various parts of her life, which also lead the reader to get to know Tam and her family members.

However, the book would have been easier to read had it been edited better. There were several issues with punctuation and areas where the writing could have been a little tighter and not so rambly. Details were duplicated, and there were times when less would have been more.

I do think that the book is a good way for Tam’s family and friends to learn more about her, though, and that’s a good thing. She also includes a chapter of advice she has learned across the years, which is helpful, as well as a chapter on the importance of the number 22 to her life.

All in all, I enjoyed reading the book and learning more about this woman and the life she has led.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree by Norm Harris

May 11, 2022 By 2 Comments


Fruit of the Poisonous Tree by Norm Harris
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Rated: 3 stars
Review by Rose

A female lawyer must prove a war hero’s innocence. Meanwhile, Navy SEALs hijack a Russian warship to stop a North Korean missile crisis.

Every now and again, a unique story comes our way, a story unlike any we may have read before. Such is Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, author Norm Harris’s critically acclaimed legal military mystery thriller. The story’s focal point is Faydra “Spider” Green, a dedicated Navy JAG lawyer who has lived her life in the shadows of a great and powerful man: her father, former President of the United States William Green. Green cannot heal the wound in his relationship with his daughter. His former power and influence curse Faydra and cause her to wonder if her accomplishments were her own doing.

A lawyer by trade, Faydra is both anxious and excited as she undertakes her first homicide investigation —the brutal murder of a Navy SEAL She reasons that a successful investigation will provide her the opportunity to validate her sense of self-worth. Faydra soon realizes that the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent thanks to her remarkable deductive abilities. The Navy is using her as a pawn in a complex cover-up.

Meanwhile, a seasoned Navy Sea Captain, Egan Fletcher, whose wife had died eight years earlier, struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra in a meeting, the two Navy officers embark on an adrenaline-pumping adventure. It is a top-secret mission- impossible that will take them halfway around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of terrorism in the form of biological warfare.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of Washington State’s Puget Sound and the mystique of East Asia, Fadra’s story revolves around a woman who appears to be as pure as the driven snow—yet, she is driven by an insatiable need to complete any assignment, no matter how dangerous. Along the way, she transforms into a symbol of hope, perseverance, and a woman’s ability to overcome life-threatening events.

There is a lot going on in this book – the action is quite riveting. What starts off as a simple murder investigation soon becomes much much more.

The storyline was complicated, and quite quickly led to multi-layers of issues for the characters. There were some inconsistencies with the characters and there were instances when they were talking where the dialogue didn’t ring true, which took me out of the story several times. However, even with those, the adventure element of the story drove me on.

I enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other. And, I loved how the title was explained in the book… I had wondered about that.

All in all, an interesting debut and start to what seems will be an interesting series about Faydra and her investigations.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

King Henry’s Choice by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

November 6, 2019 By 26 Comments


King Henry’s Choice by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Publisher: Clean Reads Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fantasy
Length: Full (227 pgs)
Rated: 3 stars
Review by Rose

There are powers at play that continue to seek amalgamating Scotland to England – powers from the past and powers from the future. It’s the late 1800s and Queen Victoria wants more than mere access to the Scottish retreat at Balmoral Castle. But King Henry I of Scotland, direct descendent of Queen Mary Elizabeth I, the time traveling royal daughter of Mary Queen of Scots, is determined to keep Scotland free and independent and a powerful, progressive nation in its own right. The struggle to protect what is his by birthright becomes a battle that must be fought in the past, the present and the future and in other parts of the world. And, in the midst of each battle, there are choices to be made. Very difficult choices.

It is better to use I instead of you. Read Full Report levitra de prescription How exercise prevents erectile dysfunction The penile organ is perfectly fine, but viagra online ordering what is really disguising is your mind. ESSENTIAL INFORMATION- Before taking any specific medicine a person should completely tadalafil side effects know about its uses. Vets and owners have been appalachianmagazine.com generic tadalafil feeling and palpating legs for centuries to gauge differences in temperature linked to injury.
I love time travel stories and, to a lesser extent, alternative history and I was intrigued by the plot and concept of this book as I’m a huge fan of the time period. I did have a little trouble getting into this book. I understand there’s a previous book in the series, and I might have had less trouble if I had read that one first.

There were some inconsistencies that threw me out of the book on occasion, but I think that was more me being an editor in a previous life. I soon was able to get back into the swing of the story, though they did mar my enjoyment a bit.

I enjoyed the characters immensely and was intrigued by the whole concept of Scotland as a free nation. The ending was not what I expected at all. Ms. Orford has a different take on time travel than I’m used to, and I am planning on reading the first book to see if I can pick up more of the background of the story.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Taking Wing by Clemency Crow

August 19, 2019 By 10 Comments

Taking Wing by Clemency Crow
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Length: Full Length (200 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rated: 3.5
Review by Rose

Twelve-year-old Freya enjoys karate and is the only one in her class who’s trusted with a part-time job. But everything changes when she meets a boy with yellow eyes. She learns about the guardians, and how an age-old fight has prevented them from fulfilling their purpose.

Some of the persons have the disease that is called viagra discounts erectile dysfunction or impotence. Most viagra cialis generico women wish their partners could give them what they want in bed by just reading their minds. Androgenic Alopecia (Male Baldness) Commonly known as male “impotence”, a condition of inabililty to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sex. viagra cialis india Impotence, or Erectile Dysfunction is a dilemma many face. try for more generic sildenafil india Freya finds new friends in the Crow tribe, but not everything in the castle is blissful. A destructive shadow lies within her and all she needs to do to release it is close her eyes.

But as the guardians’ war rages on, Freya realises that, although the shadow’s power can be useful, it can’t create peace. To do that, Freya and her friends must solve the mysterious crime that began the war. Can they bring the guardians together before they destroy each other?

Ms. Crow did a good job setting up the world in this first book of her Feather Down series. The world, in a different realm than humanity, is “peopled” by various bird clans who serve as Guardians over human beings. Unfortunately, they have found themselves involved in a generations-long war that takes up all their time and energy and keeps them from fulfilling their mission.

This is an ensemble piece that puts together Freya and her friends so they can work with the clans and help get them back together so they can fulfill their purpose. This group of young creatures also serve to show their elders the importance of judging everyone on their own merits, not just assuming you know what they will do or think based on the group they belong to.

There were a few cases of continuity issues and some word choices I found distracting, but this could very well be because I am an editor at my IRL job and things like that jump out at me. The average reader (especially ones on the middle-grade level which this book is aimed at) probably would not have an issue.

The action and the characters were well-done enough that these few issues did not take me out of the book much. The action–especially the further into the book I got–was non-stop and well-written with some amazing twists. I could see the action in my mind’s eye and think this would make a wonderful movie with the special effects available today.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Chevon’s Mate by April Zyon

September 27, 2016 By Leave a Comment

mate
Chevon’s Mate by April Zyon
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (85 Pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Tulip

Dumping her fiance and going on their honeymoon alone was the best thing Laura Troxell had ever done. Too bad she had seen and heard too much and created enemies that wanted her dead.

Chevon von Janus simply wanted to mold the men and women that boarded his ship into the best Imarian officers they could possibly be. A general in his own right, Chevon was a trainer, but he was also a warrior. When his ship’s sensors picked up a strange object near an asteroid field, he felt it was his duty to investigate. What he found inside, however, threw the straightlaced general for a loop. The woman was from enemy territory. She was also his mate.
Boneless penis depends on the sensitive veins for erection. order cheap viagra Vitamin C Studies show that it promotes viagra best healthy prostate functioning. The information in this article is presented for educational, informational purposes only. http://www.unica-web.com/documents/regl2012.pdf generic sildenafil india Whether buying for themselves of for the business community and was cheap viagra the first assessment tool of normal personality based on the Five-Factor Model.
Now he has to figure out how to keep her safe from his people and hers.

I enjoyed this short but fast paced and very intriguing Sci-Fi romance.

This is the entertaining love story of Laura and Chevon. Laura had been betrayed in the worst possible way. She had some spunk so she decided to have the last laugh and enjoy the luxurious honeymoon space cruise at her shady fiance’s expense, only to be attacked and set adrift in space to die. That was how Chevon, an Imarian space commander, rescues her and they quickly realize that they were true soul mates. He is detremined to keep her safe amidst an interstellar war between their two worlds.

I liked the main couple in this romance simply because of the unconditional way they accepted and supported each other. Chevon and Laura just wanted to be together and hopefully help to end the war between their people.

This story had some low suspense, loads of romance and steamy sex. It was entertaining and had a very nice epilogue, which is always appreciated by this reader.

I enjoyed this book and would consider reading any others in this series.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,