Quote of the Week

The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk.  This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to.  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Quote of the Week

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
  ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Review of Eve a Novel of the First Woman by Elissa Elliott

Eve, the debut novel from Elissa Elliott, is a finely crafted tale of not only humankind’s first woman, but also her family and especially her daughters. Elliott creates her novel out of the bones of the biblical account of Adam and Eve in Genesis 1-4, but using her imagination and some thorough research on this era of human history, she fleshes out this story into a fascinating storyline, including a few twists that might take some readers by surprise. Take Eve’s daughters, for instance; although not mentioned in the scriptural account, Elliott imagines Eve to have had three daughters: Naava, Aya, and Dara, all of whom were younger than Cain and Abel, the most prominent of Adam and Eve’s children in the Genesis story. Elliott tells this story completely through the eyes of the women only. Giving us glimpses into each daughter’s perspective of the events of their lives, including their belief, or not, in Elohim (God).

Much of Eve’s chapters revolve around her relationship with Adam both before their fall from the Garden and after. This depiction of Adam and Eve’s marriage is indicative of the darkness that lurks just beneath the surface of this story, a darkness that bears the ring of truth for many readers. However, the story is not consumed by its darkness, as is most vividly seen in the trajectory of its main character. From the heights of life in Eden’s garden – where she sees and converses with Elohim her creator, and where she is one with her husband, Eve plunges into the turmoil of life after the fall: tense relations with her husband and her children, and doubt stemming from the evasiveness of Elohim. As the story draws to its close, however, she begins to find a sort of peace even in the fallen world.  In the book’s epilogue, Eve says:

I am at peace now. My hands and feet and eyes and heart see Elohim every day, maybe not in the way I expect, but He is there, waiting to be discovered. [Adam] and I had our differences, true, but after that heart breaking summer when Abel died we came together again, like many strands of rope plaited together, rendering it stronger, tougher. (407)

Elliott creates a world of deep and twisted brokenness, and yet one that is saturated with an even deeper hope.

Much of the dramatic tension in Eve is rooted in the relationships that Eve and Adam’s family have with the pagan tribe whose city is the family’s closest neighbor. The existence of this people might prove theologically troublesome to some readers, but Elliott takes the existence of other peoples as axiomatic, a helpful way to explain some of the difficult parts of the Genesis account that imply the possibility of other peoples – e.g. Cain’s taking of a wife, or the questions of who God was protecting Cain from when God cursed him for killing Abel. The idols of this pagan people, chief of whom was Inanna, prove tempting for Adam and Eve’s family, especially early on in the novel when they are acutely feeling the distance of Elohim. These gods are particularly tempting for Cain, who worships both Elohim and these pagan gods, in order to cover all his bases. The riches of the city, many of which have come in trade with other peoples, also prove tempting to the first family.

Through Eve’s occasional flashbacks to life in the Garden of Eden, Elliott covers the full story of Eve and Adam creating a rich context in which the doubt and struggles of their life in exile are made credible. At the end of one such flashback, Eve uses the analogy of a grafted tree to describe how she and Adam had been joined together and joined to Elohim. Of life outside the garden she concludes “I felt cut off from Adam, shorn from the main stem of our love [Elohim], and pruned so far back that any growth was impossible.” (67).

The fallen world in which Eve and her family live is one of both deep sorrow and great joy. In an eloquent flourish at the end of the book Elliott pens the following words spoken by Eve:
 

Belief is not always easy.

It is equal parts doubt and astonishment and gratitude and confusion.

And then you see how deeply colored the sky is, how the grass is so sharply fragrant, how the fields are a dazzling gold, and you have to step back and breathe in this wild fabulous world. We live in the space of abundant questions and inadequate answers. How else can we live?

Open your heart, and all the uncertainty fills it—the dimpled earth, the generous sky, the shaking flowers—all of it crowding into your grateful heart. Don’t you see?

Everything ordinary is extraordinary and points to one luminous thing, to a love that has already given its response. You have only to receive it (408).

Indeed, this world is the same one in which we live today, the world that has been passed down to us from Eve and Adam through many generations. I read a lot of historical fiction and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this fleshing out of the original Genesis stories. I highly recommend you picking up a copy and entering the world of Eve and her family.

Quote of the Week

Boy, when you're dead, they really fix you up.  I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something.  Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery.  People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap.  Who wants flowers when you're dead?  Nobody.
~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, 1945

Quote of the Week

The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me. 
~Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Special Holiday Price!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. R.M. Brand, the author I edit for, has announced special holiday pricing on By Virtues' Design. I encourage anyone that hasn't picked up their own personal ecopy to do so this month.

Quote of the Week

TV.  If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six.  Open your child's imagination.  Open a book.  ~Author Unknown

Quote of the Week

“But Charlie Brown, it’s Thanksgiving….One of the greatest traditions we have is the Thanksgiving Day football game and the biggest, most important tradition of all is the kicking off of the football.”
–Lucy, explaining to Charlie Brown why she won’t pull the ball away this time

Review of Tales From Watership Down by Richard Adams

Welcome back to the beautiful and unique world of the rabbits of Watership Down. In this book of short stories Richard Adams not only gives us a glimpse into the lives of our favorite rabbits after the defeat of General Woundwort but allows us to learn some of the great folk stories well known to all rabbits.

Here’s the Introduction from the book:

The tales in this book have been divided into three parts. First come five traditional stories, which all rabbits know, about the hero El-ahrairah (“The Prince with a Thousand Enemies”) and some of his deeds and adventures. Two of these, “The Fox in the Water” and “The Hole in the Sky,” are glancingly mentioned by Dandelion and Hawkbit toward the end of Chapter 30 of Watership Down, and Bigwig, during his fight with General Woundwort (Chapter 47), hears behind him Bluebell telling “The Fox in the Water” to the does. At the end of Part I have been included two tales, “The Rabbit’s Ghost Story” and “Speedwell’s Story.” The later seemed worth including as representative of the kind of nonsense tales which rabbits enjoy.

Part II contains four of the many stories which are told of the adventures of El-ahrairah and his stalwart, Rabscuttle, in the course of their long journey home from their terrible encounter with the Black Rabbit of Inlé.

In Part III are further tales of Hazel and his rabbits, which took place during the winter, spring and early summer following the defeat of General Woundwort.

My Review:

Watership Down is one of my all-time favorite books. I was extremely pleased to find this gem tucked away in my local library. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting my rabbit friends and hearing their folk tales. Keep in mind this is truly a companion piece to the original novel and will have deeper meaning for the lovers of the rabbits of Watership Down.

By Virtues' Design: Now Available in Paperback

I'm pleased to announce that By Virtues' Design is now available in paperback. You can purchase it through Amazon's CreateSpace store (eventually, the title will be available via Amazon's main site). You can still purchase ebook versions of the novel for your Kindle, Nook, and other devices.

As part of the paperback launch, there is a new book trailer. Be sure to watch it in 1080p (high definition).

In Honor of Veterns Day

In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned.  When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.
~Mark Twain, Notebook, 1935

Quote of the Week

Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable.

 ~Louisa May Alcott

Quote of the Week

A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read. 
~Mark Twain

Review of Teri Thackston's Border Heat

Murderous drug runners, a wildfire in the Texas desert and the President's runaway daughter…Game Warden Shannon Walker didn't sign up for any of this. Add the arrival of Tucker Daye—a sexy Secret Service Agent that Shannon used to date—unexpected betrayal and a desperate escape into the desert, and the border becomes hotter than Shannon can handle.

Here’s a short excerpt from the book:

She strode right up to him and, with one hand on her hip, she jabbed the index finger of her other hand into his breastbone. “Let’s get one thing straight, Tucker Daye. I am in charge of this facility and this Wildlife Management Area. You and those other spies are welcome to help me and Sgt. Sanchez guard the prisoner, but we call the shots. Got it?”

Tucker lifted one eyebrow and resisted the impulse to push her finger away. Actually, his stronger impulse was to wrap his free hand around her wrist and haul her up close for a searing kiss on those pretty pink lips. They were entirely too tight for his taste and a long wet kiss would soften them up. He knew that about her, too.

But with the memory of Loretta apparently still fresh in Shannon’s mind, the odds on a long, wet kiss were about as low as his odds of riding a rocket to the moon. Not that it mattered. He’d made his choice on that score last February.

Besides that there were two teenage girls eavesdropping on their conversation. So instead of reacting the way he wanted, he relaxed his body and smiled at Shannon. “We’re not spies, sweetheart. We’re Secret Service agents. And I think we might know a little more about handling this situation than a couple of game wardens do.”

Her lips thinned more. “For your information, sweetheart, Texas game wardens probably receive more rigorous law enforcement training than you do.” The tip of her index finger pressed harder into his chest. “While you and your friends are here, you’ll do what I tell you.”

He cocked his head to once side. “I’ve missed you, Shannon,” he murmured, aware that the two teens had grown almost stone still. He lowered his voice a bit more. “Don’t tell me you haven’t missed me, too.”

My Review:

I found this to be a fast paced, well written thriller with a dash of romance that kept me turning the pages. The relationships between the main characters, (both the romantic leads as well as the teenage matchmakers) were believable and well developed. Never having read any of Teri Thackston’s work before this was a great introduction to a wonderful writer. I will definitely be picking up the rest of her books to read.

BORDER HEAT is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Smashwords.com. 

Quote of the Week

Hold on, man.  We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title.  ~From Scooby-Doo

Proof Readers Are Essential

One of the things that I have been noticing more and more when reading these days is the lack of good proof reading prior to going to publication. I’m not sure if this is happening more due to publishing houses trying to cut corners in these economic times, or the proliferation of writers relying upon spelling and grammar check programs on their computer systems. Either way it is truly doing a disservice to the writing community at large. Nothing is more distracting when you are immersed in a great story than to continually have to re read something because it just doesn’t make sense only to see that the wrong word is being used. Yes it is spelled correctly (thank you spell check) but it is not the correct word usage. Or somehow during the editing process things have been cut and moved around and either extra words have been left hanging or a sentence is not completed. Even worse is when the wrong character name is used. All of these things may seem minor but frankly they tend to ruin your book. This can all be easily preventable by utilizing the services of a final proof reader. Once all of your editing has been completed get a fresh set of eyes to completely read your manuscript prior to publication. You will be amazed at how many errors can be caught by those fresh eyes simply because both the writer and the editor have seen the manuscript so many times that they tend to miss things.

If you are self publishing you should still have at the very least a proof reader. You will find this service will elevate you to the next level, and may even aide you in generating repeat customers. As a self publisher you have complete control over what quality product you create. 

If you do not have someone you feel comfortable with asking to proof read your work I would be happy to discuss this service with you.

Quote of the Week

The chicken came first - God would look silly sitting on an egg.  ~Author Unknown

It's Finally Here!

After months of working RM Brand's epic series is now beginning! I have been editing her Judge Chronicles and she has just released the first book, By Virtues' Design, in this Scifi/Fantasy series. I may be biased (ok most likely I am) but seriously this is a well written, enthralling start to an exciting series. I highly recommend it! So go out and support an amazing new talent in the world of writing today!

Quote of the Week

Always watch where you are going.  Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake.  ~Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne

Review of Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

I discovered that Hell’s Corner is David Baldacci’s 5th book in the Camel Club series. I have not read the first four books in this series but luckily this book is able to stand on its own without requiring my setting it aside to read the others first. Like most “spy/assassin” novels these days the premise for Hell’s Corner is a little hard to swallow, but if you accept it, the rest of the book is a fun ride.

Oliver, who used to be known as John Carr, is an ex-US assassin who has been screwed over by his government
more times than a $2.00 hooker. He has avoided assassinations several times, and has recently saved the life of the President.

When Oliver returns from Divine, Virginia, he’s visited by some men he assumes have come to clean up some loose ends and is rather surprised when he’s brought to see the President in person. If Oliver accepts one last mission, the President will wipe his slate clean. Before Oliver is able to undertake his mission to infiltrate and disrupt the Russian mafia drug trade in Mexico, a new problem arises. Somehow, someone was able to get a bomb into Lafayette Park aka Hell’s Corner, directly across the street from the White House and it looks like it could be related to the President’s request.

Hell’s Corner is a good thriller, with a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next and who is in charge of all the mischief. It has definitely peaked my interest enough to go search out the first four books of the series.

Quote of the Week

Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young.

William Somerset Maugham

Review of The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

This was a favorite book when I was in elementary school and one of the reasons I fell in love with historical fiction as a genre. Typically this book is recommended reading for 10-12 year olds and is a great companion piece if you are learning or teaching the Salem Witch Trials.

Kit was raised in Barbados but upon the death of her beloved grandfather, she sets sail on The Dolphin for the Connecticut Colony to live with her Aunt Rachel, her only relative. Once there, she struggles to fit in among the Puritans, although her cousins, Mercy and Judith, help show her the ropes. In Barbados, Kit was the privileged granddaughter of a wealthy aristocrat but in America, she is expected not only to work all day, but to do chores that her slaves wouldn't even lower themselves to do back home. Meanwhile the young man that Judith likes takes a shine to Kit, and she befriends an old lonely widow, Hannah, who is known as a witch. Hannah, a Quaker, was branded and exiled from Massachusetts. She also becomes friends with young Nat, the son of the captain of The Dolphin, and she begins tutoring Prudence, a child from the village. Kit's fancy ways and her finery and her impetuousness don't gain her any fast friends in the village. Meanwhile, the King is going to rescind the Connecticut charter and wants to give the colony to Massachusetts, which Kit's uncle and many of the other men in town are furious about. You can guess just from the title that at the end, Kit will be accused of being a witch herself.

I thought the resolution to the witchcraft trial was very simple and pat, with the judges showing a great deal of common sense which I'm sure is a bit unrealistic when you look at the history of that time and what went on during the Salem Witch Trials. But for kids this age, it's appropriate. Also the romances all get sorted properly, with Kit and her cousins all ending up with the best men for them. Kit learns to control her temper and her stubbornness a little, and learns that perhaps being taken care of in a fine house isn't all it's cracked up to be. She does a lot of growing up in her year in Connecticut, and I liked how she learned to bend while still remaining true to herself. She's resilient, resourceful, honest, and creative. Kit is a heroine all young girls should aspire to, and young boys ought to be able to identify with the history parts. While she does have a lot of fancy dresses, she's not overly girly. Overall, the book is excellent. It gives a good feel for the era without overly difficult language, has a lot of political and philosophical arguments that kids can debate, and made me want to delve deeper into the Salem Witch Trials.

Book Banning

Today I was reading an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal regarding reading a banned book today. This resonated with me deeply. I cannot express to you how wrong it is to ban books. Books allow us to learn, grow and become stronger members of society. We do not have to agree with the ideology that is being expressed in the book to learn something from it. I remember being horrified when I found out that a couple of my favorite books I read in elementary school were being banned in certain areas. The books were "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" and most recently "The Diary of Anne Frank." Both dealt with horrible periods in history, the Salem Witch Trials and the Holocaust. We cannot allow narrow minded people to control our views or rewrite history to suit their vision of what the world should be. Most especially not here in the United States where freedom of speech is one of our rights. If you do not feel that a particular book is suitable for particular ages in school curriculums then you do not teach them. That does not mean you ban them and remove them from local libraries.

Quote of the Week

"When somebody tries to ban a book, it's about more than control of the press. It's about controlling what people think, what they can and cannot believe, and the actions that they may or may not take as a result."

Steve Sebelius
Las Vegas Review-Journal