Book Review Vision of Power by Charlee James

 

Review of Vision of Power by Charlee James

What often catapults a story from very good to outstanding is the underlying comparison of what is a well-balanced, utopian societal family that is compared to characters who are enslaved because of psychological or moral trauma. In Vision of Power by Charlee James, we have page-after-page of engaging trauma without the energizing contrast.

Lead characters Kinley Wright nee Miller, a detective, and Easton Adair, an FBI agent, have enough personal trauma to overwhelm an entire college of social workers plus psychologists. In addition to them, a serial killer who first tortures young girls before ending their lives. The only one to escape is Kinley. The reader is spoon-fed this information in a lengthy prologue that for all intent and purposes dulls the story’s overall suspense. Like sugar, the horror would’ve had greater effectiveness if sprinkled in like Easton’s backstory.

The plot is simple and straightforward. Without a spoiler, it’s the so often common thread of a woman in peril seeking justice that borders on revenge. There are threats, e.g. a note under a car wiper blade, left vague by no detail, as if handwritten (spur-of-the-moment) or typed (planned and premeditative). There is a woman found dead, murdered, in a Victorian house. While this may have been an opportunity to connect society to the characters, it doesn’t. Kinley refers to the house as the “Addams Family House,” but the out-of-balance sitcom was not known for its crime drama.

If the reader loves high-speed car chases, you’ll find them a constant companion, even if it glosses over the injuries caused by flying glass. The verb “loves” in the prior sentence was deliberately chosen. Trauma, car chases, and murders overpower the interjected romance between Kinley and Easton, often presented as tingling, unadulterated lust.

In sum, a dark, intense, non-stop read that won’t answer your exam question about the big bang theory.

Author Donan Berg received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and he's leaving this review voluntarily.

He's the author of twelve novels, the latest a Gold Award fantasy entitled Lucia's Fantasy World that is available for free on KindleUnlimited at www.amazon.com/dp/B09YCVQ4JD.

The above link will lead you to his other award-winning titles.

Aria's Bayou Child Reviews-- Five Stars

 First Aria's Bayou Child Review -- Five Stars

A five-star review of Donan Berg's latest novel, Aria's Bayou Child,

is posted on his Amazon.com book page. Click here Donan Berg Novels .

Here are review excerpts:

"Rich and satisfying"  "one hell of a journey"

"The tensions between LeRoy and Aria provide another layer to a narrative that

already carries the hauntings of Aria's troubled past . . ."

"Aria's Bayou Child takes many intriguing turns, steadily unfolding dark secrets from

the past and its share of surprises in isolated locales."

"Berg imbues the novel with nice touches."

Read the full review at Full Five Star Review . 

Second Aria's Bayou Child Review - Five Stars

A second five-star review of Donan Berg's Aria's Bayou Child

is posted at Feathered Quill.com. Find Aria's Bayou Child under reviews.

Here are review excerpts:

"Mr. Berg has yet to fall below the extremely high expectations

his amazing writing has set."

"We are talking pure action here. The steps she (Aria Gleason) must take,

the horrible people she must meet, the terrifying moments she must live through

that make prison look like a garden party - everything comes at her as events

unfold. With each page comes a new suspense."

"Aria . . .  is challenged, harmed, and shaken to her very core by some of the

worst of mankind, but the one thing they cannot shake is her resolve. It is

no surprise that Donan Berg's books have won award after award.

You see, not only does he pen tales that keep the reader entranced until the final

page, he also creates tales that stick in the mind long after the book has been read . . . ."

"Aria's Bayou Child lifts the term 'psychological thriller' to new heights. . . . reading 

his books is a true treasure."

Read Amy Lignor.'s full review at Aria's Bayou Child Review

Five-Star Review - A Body To Bones

 

Top reviews from the United States

Michael P. Hartnett

5.0 out of 5 stars An American Gothic of Charming Complexities

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2021

Verified Purchase

Donan Berg’s A Body To Bones offers an enthralling mystery that is evocatively embedded in middle-American small town life of the 1960s. Berg’s ability to draw the reader completely into this Iowa town, using the Tom Hamilton’s local newspaper as both the historical and social heartbeat of community, makes this novel stand out from most in the genre.
Yes, the presence of hidden bones in a factory provide intrigue that will carry the reader through the deftly crafted plot, but it is the immersion in the small-town of fifty years ago that makes the work such a pleasure. Berg knows how to develop characters. The shady lawyer George Windhurst is folksy hoot, constantly cajoling Tom and others in ways that can be alternately effective and incompetent. Myron is also memorable, a young dreamer who is navigating both the careful construction of a glider and a wholesome romance with Wanda. And Wanda is another live wire, whom Berg described, “She lives at home to save money for her dreams, not yet completely defined, which include stylish clothes.”
The village gossip and the expanding discoveries about the bones give the novel other layers of intrigue, as does a lurid history connected to the priest Father Cornelius Murphy. While Tom’s wife Sarah (with her reticence and her secrets) certainly is the emotional and moral locus of the novel, so many other characters contribute both curious theories and discoveries. Indeed, A Body To Bones is American Gothic as an entertaining ensemble play.
As a local resident explained about the increasingly disturbing revelations, “It’s been too gruesome around here lately. All the black humor.” Such is the nature of a novel that will grippingly propel forward right through to its satisfying conclusion. So I highly recommend you pick up A Body To Bones as much for the neighbors you get to visit as for the mystery they have to solve.

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Five-star review of Donan Berg's novel Into the Dark

A Complex Mystery That Keeps You Guessing

Very late in Donan Berg's  exciting crime mystery Into the Dark, a line metaphorically serves as emblematic of our protagonist's quest for what often appears to be the murkiest of truths: "His weakened flashlight batteries strained to illuminate the unknown."

From the exciting opening, Donan Berg's Into the Dark relentlessly builds a thrilling mystery centering around election tampering, a stack of money, a counterfeiting operation, and a dead body. In order to reveal the truth, Sheriff Jonas McHugh finds himself compulsively returning to a rustic cabin with hidden compartments and trap doors and to a cave that is the source of more than its share of secrets and disturbing activity. As Jonas simultaneously investigates the money and counterfeiting issues, the election fraud angle, and the death of operative Ed Telling, the reader follows along; plot threads first complicate and then eventually align to great satisfaction.

Methodically and doggedly, Jonas edges toward insight. "Bonnie's statement of the obvious unleashed within Jonas a mental lightning bolt to illuminate what had been dark." A novel smartly riddled with Biblical quotes and allusions, Into the Dark follows Jonas's journey toward enlightenment, one that paradoxically will send him into a fair share of hellish, subterranean places.

At the heart of the mystery is the beautiful, mercurial Kayla, for whom Jonas possesses contrary feelings of attraction and mistrust. Her presence and Iowa's political environment's home of high-stake caucuses inform the novel with layers of compromised motivations and machinations.

Throughout Berg peppers the story with terse phrasing that echoes Jonas's mindset: "Telling's killer is still free. Bogus bills infest Silver County wallets. Unfed, unclothed teens flood rural roads."

Berg's skillful sorting out Jonas's complicated thoughts as he reaches disturbing conclusions makes Into the Dark a smart, engaging novel.

Michael Hartnett, author of The Blue Rat.

"A Body To Bones" Book Reviews

A Body To Bones, First Skeleton Series Mystery Author Donan Berg Review Number One: By E. Harris (Reader) 6/25/2018 Ten years ago Sarah Hamilton made a mistake. Never far from her mind were the reminders of the consequences. Not wanting to dwell on the past, she tried to look towards the future. This was not to be when an investigation into recently found skeletal remains threatens not only her secrets, but her safety as well. Will she survive the turmoil? The author has crafted an intriguing and suspenseful mystery novel. The tension builds slowly and keeps the reader engrossed throughout. When least expected, the narrative takes unexpected twists and turns. The well-drawn characters are an interesting group as are their roles in the story. I found this to be a well written and engrossing novel. Highly recommended. I received a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed are my own. Review Number Two: By Laura H. (Reader) 5/8/2018
The meticulous and lengthy descriptions of the characters in this story are an integral piece of recognizing the clues. The masterful way Berg entwined them into the story shows the extent of his creativity, imagination, and depth of writing. As a debut novel, this book deserves the praise it has received. If this publication is any indication, this writer has a prolific career ahead as a novelist. The twisting and turning storyline keeps the reader enthralled and wondering 'who done it' and 'why' to the end. What this reader supposed happened and why--was way off! The reader quickly becomes invested in the character's lives as horrific findings are unveiled. The complex secrets, lives changed, and Sarah's role--brings the town and its events into focus. Sarah's difficult decisions and finally confrontation with the past are written beautifully. The book highlights how incredibly complicated a police investigation is and how the simplest observation, say: a key, can change the future of an entire town. This reader is looking forward to reading the next novel in this series. One can hope it is as well-written and engaging as this one. Also a big plus is the price is reasonable.  Review Number Three By Glenda Bixler (07/2018) Reading the Prologue of Berg's first book certainly will grab readers and have them continue to learn what happens! Ten years has passed for Sarah Hamilton with a burden hanging over her... Clearly she had not yet felt God's forgiveness for her act... I have often thought that God sees our contrite heart and forgives us long before we are able to fully accept that... Then, too, what of the man who had been involved? Had he even thought to seek forgiveness, especially when we later learn, that Sarah was not the only woman with whom he had been involved... The small-town intrigue and gossip is alive and well in Clinton... The morality of the characters in the novel plays an important part as, ten years later, a body is found...or should I say, bones of a body... For this skeleton had missing bones that soon became part of the mystery... There was mystery in town this past week as every citizen wondered about the disappearance of Father Cornelius Murphy, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Clinton. ~~~ But before then, we learn more about the lives in Clinton a small town, of less than 900...for, of course, each is known and involved in some way in those events that the Pioneer Ledger shares to its readers once a week. Sarah and her husband are well-known and respected, and involved with local church activities. Sarah Hamilton is married to the editor/owner. One of those moral issues she has suffered under was her mother's dictates of how a Christian woman should act. One definitely was that she should take care of the home and not work outside it. But the Hamiltons actually lived in the building where the newspaper was created and printed... and her husband really did need her help. So, while agreeing to help with the paper, once more she buried her personal feelings of guilt and sense of doing something wrong... I had great sympathy for this woman living very much like I did in a small town... Throughout the story, the Hamiltons, not only because of their news-gathering activities, remain involved...We soon learn that there had been two disappearances around the mid-50s... One of them was the wife of the neighbor of the Hamiltons, who also owned a large warehouse in which the bones were later found. The other was the disappearance of a local priest... The officials, including local and federal, do an excellent job in pulling the investigation together and the created characters add greatly to the enjoyment of the hunt for whodunit! And the possible villains, including even Sarah, are explored as we learn more about the bodies, keeping us guessing. My intuition was right again, but the author keeps readers on the edge until almost the end of the book, as Sarah faces danger from the killer! I was pleased how the author allowed our main character's family to come together after all that had happened and we find a quite satisfactory ending after more than a decade of hidden secrets... A solid whodunit mystery that I highly recommend! GABixlerReviews (End of Reviews) Read this and other reviews of Author Donan Berg novels at Author Donan Berg Website . In addition, Author Berg's most popular story, "Inspiration" and most popular article "Aisle Two Romance, Chapter One" are both at the above website. Also see earlier post of "Inspiration" that appears on this blog. Thank you to E. Harris, Laura H., and G. Bixler and other readers for your continued strong support.

Review: Fools in the Magic Kingdom by Michael Hartnett

Fools in the Magic Kingdom by Michael Hartnett is a captivating satire of true-to-life undercurrents of present day American culture. Metaphors abound, striking close to home. There is Walt Disney’s creation of a magic kingdom and a world of nations on Florida’s swampy terrain. Think of Shakespeare’s character Jaques who says in As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage.” and “One man in his time plays many parts.” With a past-her-prime actress and a gullible documentary filmmaker, remember Gilligan’s Island. Sprinkle in the budding romance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. From Orson Welles’s “War of the Worlds” add a full portion of invading green-skinned Martians (portrayed by Dreamers in green T-shirts) where Halloween is supplanted by April Fool’s Day.

Author Hartnett does a masterful job of creating a Chinese box, a play within a play. In fast-paced action, the reader follows three sets of well-developed characters who on one day enter Disney World for diverse purposes only to become embroiled in a rising tide of emotional and physical tension. Dare I refer to the tidal wave of Typhoon Lagoon? Readers exposed to character gullibility, racism and greed are led to understand, if not to endorse, resentment, confusion, and life’s perils within a satirical tale of an enticing culture created in a make-believe world. Haunting parallels exist to life in the United States where God is not replaced by a mouse and wrist bands need not be purchased for magic or enchantment.

His writing, interlaced with humor, is sharp and detailed, yet not excessive. One need not wait for a fast pass to enjoy the plot twists. He wraps the reader inside a cocoon of physical description and emotional reaching out. For example, the different nose colors of Chip ‘n’ Dale. Further examples of vivid metaphors include: “Marlene suckled on the sweet milk of distant memory.” And “… sky fell upon them like the clouds were equipped with Jacuzzi jets.”

Both the Disney World novice and veteran will enjoy experiencing the world of Author Hartnett. His world won’t be found in either the Burnham or Unofficial guide, and that is notable. His world’s journey is a tour where the question is not “We there yet?” but “What will happen next?”

Book Review. Tom Brokaw, A Lucky Life Interrupted

Tom Brokaw's seventh novel, A Lucky Life Interrupted, need not interrupt your life.

It's a short work, 256 pages in its Random House large print edition. The story's hook is the famed journalist and NBC anchorman's diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a treatable but incurable cancer affecting the blood's plasma cells

While there are memorable artful twists of the English language, e.g., the neighborhood of life has no long term leases, they are too few. The constant straying from the disease to past events and celebrity name-dropping is disheartening. The back page blurb says Brokaw writes to help others. That may be his intent, but how many people jump on planes from Minnesota's Mayo Clinic to Sloan-Kettering in New York and have General Electric subsidize the cost of a $500 chemo pill, taken twice daily. Brokaw said his co-pay was $15 per pill. Thus, he pays out-of-pocket $30 while GE pays $970 and Brokaw doesn't mention the cost of two other major drugs and other injections and/or care.

Even the presented facts (which are not disputed) get jumbled to lose apple to apple comparison. For example, "The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015 1,658,370 new cancer cases will be diagnosed and that in the same year about 1,600 people will die from cancer-related conditions daily." Doesn't it seem that deaths are low?  Then note that the first is an annual figure and the second is daily.  To be comparable, the second must be multiplied by 365.  Moreover, let's not forget that the elapsed time between diagnosis to death is not always less than twelve months or one year. There is overlap and it's left uncommented upon.

If that is not disquieting, the ending is. At page 253, Brokaw asks the rhetorical questions: "Has cancer changed  me? Am I a better person? That's for others to judge."  The word "copout" rings in the mind. It's ironic that a great communicator can't say, or more likely won't, which is the impression given.

Brokaw does acknowledge in brief sketches that his situation, based on income, doctors in the family, being a Mayo Clinic public trustee, and with employer insurance coverage, he is far from the everyman experience. One might even say light years from the experience of the World War II generation he wrote eloquently about in his first book.

It is not a research book if a reader is concerned about the United States healthcare crisis.


Donan Berg is a freelance editor and independent author. His latest novel, One Paper Heart, won the 2016 Feathered Quill Gold 1st Place Romance Book Award. One Paper Heart e-book or One Paper Heart trade paperback .  His mysteries and other stories can be found at Amazon .

No Foolin' New 5-star Review for A Body To Bones

No fooling. April 1, 2015 brought forth a Five Star review for Donan Berg's A Body To Bones, First Skeleton Series Mystery.

As published on Amazon.com by Karsun:

In-Depth Characters and Background

"A Body To Bones by Donan Berg is a book that is the first Skeleton Series Mystery and it immediately drew me in.

"The book is about an old secret, one that won't remain buried and threatens to not only involve Sarah's family but she is the target of a killer.

"I loved this from the start, which was set in the past. Immediately it captured my interest and made me want to keep reading - from prologue to the end. I enjoy mysteries and this was not only written well but had depth and imagination without becoming too unrealistic. Instead, it was a story that made me want to keep tapping away at my Kindle in order to get to the next chapter.

"If you love a good mystery and characters that are rich in depth and background, this is definitely the book you'll want to read."

Book Review - The Harry Houdini Mysteries

Harry Houdini, well-known as an escape artist, becomes for Author Daniel Stashower the subject of mystery in his The Harry Houdini Mysteries published in paperback by Titan Books. The novel concerned with here is subtitled The Floating Lady Murder.

The reader never gets into the mind of Harry, as the narrator is his brother, Dash Hardeen, who also serves as Harry's manager and the scene opens with the-not-yet-famous Houdini trying to stake out a career as a performer.

The Floating Lady is a levitation illusion or trick that had already killed one woman, but had become an obsession for magician Harry Kellar. Houdini is hired by Kellar and works on finding the solution to performing "The Floating Lady."

There is an economy in telling the story while at the same time giving a full glimpse into Houdini's life and the era Houdini lived in.

The suspects are identified early, but the thought process to the reveal of the killer and the driving motive(s) leaves the reader out of the mix. Even when the reader is in the mind of Dash Hardeen and he has a revelation, the reader is not told of the truth flash. Not giving the reader clues to solve the murder is a major downer to the whodunit.

Dropping more earlier clues would definitely enhance the book's strength of description and varied pace of storytelling.

Multiple Five Stars for The Bones Dance Foxtrot

The author interrupts stock market whimsy to present breaking news from Writer's Digest where a judge has awarded multiple five-star ratings to The Bones Dance Foxtrot, Second Skeleton Series Mystery. The February 2012 announced results are as follows:

On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) the following scores were given to The Bones Dance Foxtrot.

Plot:  5

Grammar:  5

Character Development:  5

Production quality and cover design:  5

Judge's Commentary:

Engagingly titled, this mystery will keep readers absorbed until the satisfactorily detailed end. The main character is arrested after his arrival in a small town and accused of a murder he didn't commit. As the multi-faceted plot develops, mysterious signs, drug traffic, loot from a bank robbery, a kidnapping, and other murders all come into play.  Befriended by some locals, the protagonist takes root in the community. While his case is dismissed other accusations occur. Romance, involving participation in an acting group and dance sessions, also develops while the police try to piece together different crime strands. The characters are believable, the situations credible, and the dialogue is crisp.

The Bones Dance Foxtrot followed Donan Berg's debut mystery, A Body To Bones, First Skeleton Series Mystery. The third mystery, Baby Bones, is available in #E-book and Mp3 formats.  Another murder mystery published by Donan Berg available in E-book is Abbey Burning Love. See all at DOTDON Books

To go back to the stock market whimsy, click on the earlier February 7, 2012 blog post at this site.

Survival or Getting Through First Paragraphs

Review excerpt from Survival by A.M. Hargrove (Editor Sarajoy Porter) available on Smashwords.com.

Maddie slowly cracked opened (sic) her eyes to see the brilliance of the morning peeking through her tent. Squinting, she poked her nose out of her sleeping bag to test the temperature, and just as she imagined, the frost in the air nipped at her. She knew she would have to get up soon to use the facilities, if you could call the outhouse that, and also to make breakfast as well as break down (sic) her campsite.

(Three line paragraph excised. Think Christmas Day.)

She quickly unzipped her toasty sleeping bag, slipped her boots on, threw on a jacket, and unzipped the door to her tent. When she got her first glimpse of the morning, her jaw hit the ground, and she sucked in her breath. She was standing in a winter wonderland, complete with a three inch blanket of snow.

(Later....)

Cat was full of life. There was just no other way to describe her. From the first moment I met her. I knew we'd be BFF's-and I mean forever.  She was my soul sister. AND we were so much alike it was uncanny. Like me, she was constantly in a rush, and she always looked like she had just survived a hurricane. When Catherine made up her mind about something, well, that was it. She was as hardheaded as a cinder block, again, like me, in that regard - and funny! OMG, that girl could make me laugh until my sides were killing me.

She was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, so it was easy to find one thing we both loved. That was, no surprise, hiking. She had spent over the summer hiking the Appalachian Trail and was hooked.

Moments later, two adults appeared, which I correctly assumed were her parents. We quickly introduced ourselves and then the question I had so been dreading was popped.

"So Maddie, are your parents here?"

I felt my head swin a bit as I was thrust into another disturbing flashback. (End of quote.)

No star rating expressed since this reader stumbled with the distractions presented by the entrance into the novel's world. It's billed as a young adult paranormal, although the line of teendom and older becomes blurred by the main characters being in college. A male character, named "Henry," could be because the credits list a spouse as a Henry or it's a veiled reference to the character Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife.

Let me put forth my reaction to the excerpts presented, in no way highlighted as representative of the entire novel, just that the words arrived on early pages.

1. The words "cracked opened" in the first line must be a typo. The two words "break down" caused a reading hiccup. Perhaps the term should be "breaking down" or "strike," but, since these words apply primarily to the tent alone, the greater action may be to "pack up" the campsite.
2. Then there is the participle "Squinting." Participles are words ending in "ing" or "ed." They are to describe the subject of the conventional sentence. Does "squinting" describe the nose? Of course not.
3. Maddie supposedly sees the brilliance of the morning peeking through her tent. A paragraph later says, "When she got her first glimpse of the morning..." How can that be? If she had seen the peeking sun brilliance, she couldn't be first glimpse awe-struck when stepping outside her tent minutes later.
4. As one reads, one cannot help but be bombarded by the constant use of "to be" verbs. These inert verbs require the action to be exhumed and enlivened by vigorous verbs. Count the number of times the "to be" past tense verb "was" presents itself in the latter portion of the excerpt.  The inert verbs highlight the "telling" of a story, not its "showing." Review clauses such as "full of life," "were so much alike," and "like she had just survived a hurricane". What specifics are told? Are they cliches, overused and/or meaningless?
5. Metaphors can be confusing. Consider the use of the words "cinder block" connected to "hardheaded." A normal construction cinder block has a hollow core. Does the author wish to convery the character is an "airhead" or merely "stubborn." The traits could be polar opposites.
6. In the latter part of the excerpt, would  the two words "Moments later" be enough to avoid a mind-jarring interruption or merely slight confusion with the time shift from the past to the present?
7. Is all believable? Would a teenage female meeting her parents introduce herself? That's what the language says when it refers to "We quickly introduced outselves."
8. This final comment brings forth the question: Where's the present inciting action that sets forth the central conflict? The introduction travels through backstory with a minimal reader grounding. Yes, this is young adult literature, but how many teenagers spend today trudging through the past. If a teenager lost a parent, do they, at seventeen, lament their seventh birthday party when Mom lit the cake candles or do they suffer losing a job interview or being late for a longed for date when the car won't run and Dad's not there to fix it? And then, there's the placement of the two incidents on the conflict scale.

Author's Note:
Author Donan Berg writes murder mysteries with strong romantic elements and his latest E-book novels are Abbey Burning Love and Baby Bones, neither of which are young adult novels. They may be purchased at http://www.dotdonbooks.com/ and through major E-book retailers. Previews of all four Donan Berg novels are presented at http://www.amazon.com/ .

Book Reviewer You?--Yes, you

Many a book reader enjoys giving a review of a book read, usually oral to friends, but what about online? This article will explore how you approach the task. (Note, two cautions will be mentioned at the end of this article.)

Here's my take on Book Review 101.

1. Read the book, the whole book. Taking notes is optional. If you're a reader that sketches out character outlines, plot twists, or memorable quotes, sentences and words you mean to check out in a dictionary, keep doing it.

2. Consider the theme. Examples are a) loss and reconciliation, b) life and humanity, c) emotional and physical slavery, d) choices and, when they are present, sometimes not the choices we'd want to make, e) using knowledge to gain freedom, and f) forgiveness. Look at the world. There are many themes. Did I list the generic good versus evil?

3. Do the characters realistically interact? Are the scenes rationally and casually interrelated? Characters go from point A to point B for a reason, even if that reason is they don't have one. Has the author kept you in a constant point-of-view (POV) with clearly defined POV shifts. Emotional relationship to a character is strengthened by a consistent POV. The story, if not linear in time, should give mileposts to keep you informed.

4. Is the setting realistic and actions consistent with the time period? Would you consider it disturbing if characters drank Tab before it came into being and/or watched color TV before its invention. That occurred in K. Sockett's bestselling The Help.

Considering the above points, what would your review consist of?

1. Go beyond "I liked the book." There should be many connection points in the book.

     a.  You can connect on a geographical level. The book takes place in your neighborhood or a place you visited. The protagonist is a Navy Seal, like you are or were. The neighbor bakes apple pie. You love to eat apple pie and just adore the smell of cinnamon.

     b.  You can connect on a personal human emotional level. You cry, laugh, or both.

     c.  Your passion is stirred. If not to action, you pound your fist on the table when crooks swindle the sweet older person out of a life's savings. You agree that the death penalty is wrong or that government is too big and taxes unfairly. You might even attend the next civic rally, or vote.

     d.  You agree with the author on an intellectual point. You understand the science.

     e.  You can't find any character depth. You're run across the stereotype before.

2. Articulate how the book made you feel and if it in any way changed your life, either permanently or temporarily.  If it didn't, was it merely a great time "passer."  Any book unliked at first reading can become an educational tool for a later read.

    To be continued....

    Referenced cautions: 1. You may be asked to do a review to snare an e-mail address and never receive any further reply. 2.  If you save ninety-nine cents ($.99) or more by doing a review, be honest and keep your integrity even if you feel compelled to "be nice" for the free book. You're not doing the author a favor, but building resentment against him or her by future readers. Visit Author's Website Read an excerpt of all Donan Berg novels at http://www.amazon.com/ using their inside the book feature.
  

This and That Opinion

Iowa Writers' Workshop Tidbits

Two news items mentioning graduates of the Iowa Writers' Workshop came across the desk today. As a summer enrollee keeping the school on the radar screen, there's always been an interest in whether or not attending fulltime would be beneficial.

First Article. Awards story about M. T. "M.T. received her M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in May 2011 and returned to waiting tables in Dallas."

Second Experience. From the library picked up the writing craft book written by Stephen Wilbers entitled (and it's hard to put title in writing for there's a three-key symbol and parenthesis around word "keys" above words "to Great Writing.") Obviously he's a professor who requires student book purchase. Inside the book he states he attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop and wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on the history of the program. So far the book content has not been unique or absorbed with staying power. If you're a business student struggling with English, probably beneficial. Did enjoy the description of the city of Minneapolis, which book cover blurb gave as home of the author. But then again, I'm a fan of the Twin Cities, if not its sports teams.

Forgiveness

After that last paragraph, perhaps it was good that Sunday's gospel lesson was Matthew 18:21-25.

The theme of forgiveness has multiple facets. Begin with the truth you've received forgiveness in your life. Someone has overlooked wrong that you've done. Someone has given you a new chance, a fresh start. Someone has released you from the ball and chain of your own wrongdoing. And, it need not be criminal in the eyes of the state. Thus, Matthew quotes Christ as being mad at one who does not forgive another.

Forgiveness is courage, endless courage.

Cutting for Stone

This book by Abraham Verghese was the subject this week of one of my book clubs. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that he too is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. While there was a group positive consensus for this New York Times bestseller, there was also a strong rip tide undercurrent of the book's verbosity. This latter comment exemplified by one person stating: "Should've cut 200 pages."

Other than wordiness, other writing examples surfaced. On page 319 at the top there is reference that character had no belt, no holster, no shirt. Then, at page 321, this character in the same continuing scene sticks gun deep into waistband "behind his belt buckle." What?

Readers got confused by numerous point of view shifts without warning and at one place where Thomas Stone could see the real world WHILE ASLEEP.  Or a character wears a gown and then is said to have tears on a blouse. Or a character's statement of what the future will be when he hasn't gotten there yet.

Trust Mr. Verghese will forgive for the above. The novel's passion burst forth even if the writing execution demonstrated faults. Should one also forgive if this blog is quoted as saying of Cutting for Stone that "The novel's passion burst forth...?"