Weird - Strange - You Can Depend on Michael Phillip Cash to Provide it in The History Major...

She perused the vaguely familiar room, her mouth so dry it was actually painful.She got clumsily to her knees and pulled herself onto the bed, closing her eyes against the bright glare from the drapeless window. 

"You'll be late," an irritatingly cheerful voice warned. "Come on, lazybones. Time to get up. You have so much to learn." 

Amanda put a flattened pillow over her head, shutting out the voice. Someone was pulling it. 

"Manda," the voice sang. "You don't want to miss the first day! Isn't school fun!"

 "Who are you?" Amanda's voice was muffled by the bedding. She rolled over, snatching the pillow to hold it protectively over her abdomen. She heard the familiar melody of a nursery thyme, one of her least favorites, "The Muffin Man."

 "Stop!" she snapped. She looked up groggily. Two faces swam before her. They wavered and then settled into a single image. Amanda studied the unfamiliar girl. "Do I know you? Her nasal contralto drifted into every nook and cranny of Amanda's abused head until Amanda's teeth drummed in time to the ditty. Amanda squeezed her eyes shut, holding her hands over her ears, the music growing louder until it sounded as though it were filling her brain... Amanda cleared her gravelly throat. "What's your name?"

"You don't remember?" The girl pouted prettily. Amanda fought the urge to smack her. "I'm your roommate." 

Did she have to sing every time she spoke? Amanda thought sourly. "My roommate? I don't think so." Amanda glanced around the room. "What happened to Tonya?" Amanda glanced around the room. "What happened to Tonya?"...

"Tonya? Who's Tonya?" Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm questioned, her white teeth making Amanda squint from their brightness. She stared at Amanda as if Amanda were an idiot, her head cocked to one side...

~~~

The History Major

By Michael Phillip Cash

Don't be surprised if you think you've entered The Twilight Zone as you read this book... It's not the usual suspense, because both the reader and the main character, has no idea what is going on... Is it just a really bad trip from drinking so much the night before? Or, maybe, somebody put something in her drinks that were causing these hallucinations? Dare you proceed?

Amanda Green was waking to her first day of classes. But she awoke so hung over that she could not move...the room smelled musty, sour--probably she got sick from all the vodka. She called out to her friend, Danielle, to shut off the lights but nothing happened. Then she felt a lump under her and came out with her cell phone--17 missed calls! Most from her mother! Hey, we just separated, she can't possibly need to talk to me! She called to her friends, but nobody answered. Then the phone rang...her mother again... She was hoping it was Patrick. Would they ever be able to get over the big fight they'd had? She thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye... She wished Patrick was here; he always took care of her... 

She shuddered and rolled onto her back, a chill caressing her shoulders, the knowing feeling of something hovering just out of her line of sight. It was a rapid movement, both teasing and elusive...She lay sprawled on the bed motionless, watching the play of light against the white wall of her room. The shape altered, like a pulsing lava lamp. She dismissed the annoying outline. It waves again, persistently. She tried to calm herself, forcing the noise and light attacking her sensitive eyes and ears to close down. It was no use. Everything ached, and, for the third time, she tried to remember what had happened after they started drinking shots...Movement from the window competed with her wandering attention. This time it banged on the glass so hard that she recoiled, afraid the window would break. Blinking hard, she twisted, suspiciously watching the large pane of glass in the center of the wall. It remained whole, the silhouette gone. The quiet was so think, it weighed her down. The light flickered. Amanda craned her neck, feeling a muscle cramp paralyzing her with pain. "Ouch," she cried out, angry at the world, but mostly at the specter taunting her vision peripherally...

~~~

Finding out her roommate was not one of her friends--and somebody she already couldn't stand--was bad enough. But when she finally got around to looking at the schedule for her first class and saw it was History, she exploded. She hated history, had not signed up for it, and was not about to take it...

First stop was to get out of the class. She saw a group of women who sat busily working, while one came to help her. Amanda explained that she had not signed up for History... To make that long story short, she was told everybody had to take History...and if she didn't go, she would be late... Apparently it was very important on this campus to be on time, since everybody seemed to imply something was important about it... "I need to speak with somebody with authority," Amanda told her with as much imperious dignity as her pounding head would allow. Beatrice glanced at the window. The woman next to Amanda touched her shoulder, then shook her head, her voice a timorous whisper. "You have to leave. Now. Sorry. You better go . Class starts soon...She moved forward her pudgy hands reaching out to poke Amanda. "Go!" she said urgently...You better get going before... Before you miss the class." Beatrice dismissed her, spinning in her chair to type furiously at her keyboard. The women all resumed working with an indifference that rattled Amanda to her toes. She searched the room, looking for a door to a superior's office.

"Is there someone else who can help me?"
Beatrice held up a stick of gum, her face
closing up. The subject was finished.
"Gum?" she offered, her eyes narrowing.
Amanda crumbled the schedule in her
fist and left the office.
~~~

Walking across the campus was confusing as the buildings seemed to disappear much more quickly than they should. She finally reached the building for the History class, which she decided she would attend today and then work on getting out of it later. She watched as what seemed thousands of students entered the building, all going to a large lecture hall, which must have been huge! 

The students were pressing, picking out back seats so fast that soon, Amanda found herself in the first row, right in front of the teacher podium. She looked around the room, but was not able to see any of her friends who were also entered in the school. At last, she did enter into a conversation with the boy sitting next to her...

And he helped her get over the shock when the instructor walked in... Because she was looking at a man in his sixties with thinning hair but a full beard making him appear like a homeless man. But more shocking was that he was wearing a toga and leather sandals flapped against the stage floor... 


"You have got to be kidding me," she whispered, realizing that the professor had zeroed in on her face, his black eyes watching her intently.
"If this were a class on logic, I could spend the next ninety minutes discussing the reason for my appearance. It is explained extensively in my text Organon." He drew out the name slowly, his straight teeth showing brightly through his bearded smile.
There was the rumble of groans in the room. He held up a large square hand. "However, I have agreed." He wiggled bushy eyebrows to the group cheekily. "Under duress, but nevertheless, I have agreed to teach history this semester to you pack of beetle-witted, sorry excuses of humanity."
...So, instead, ladies and gentlemen, if you will open your texts to page four thousand eighty-five and discuss what you have read on the importance of dreams..."
"What...wait..." Amanda grabbed Nick's arm in panic, squeezing the spongy leather of his jacket. "Did I miss something? This is the first day...page four thousand eight-two. I didn't..."

~~~

Weird...Strange... there are no other words to best describe the book, except maybe horrible...because at some point there was a loud pounding on the entry door, so loud that it seemed the door would break down... The student next to Amanda turned around and seemed to put up his hand and the banging stopped. When she looked at him for an explanation, he merely said that if a student is late, he is not allowed into the class that day...  told you there was something strange about being late...

Actually Amanda didn't believe much of anything that was going on. And even Nick Fortune, with whom she started to spend time with, seemed to give her strange answers to most of her questions...

No wonder, the whole story will confound you, stunning you with an ongoing ease of wonder...What in the world is going on?

Thankfully, finally at the end, readers become aware of that very thing... But in the interim, Amanda is taken into various historical scenes, seemingly literally. And as each historical event occurs, something she sees, sets her into a flashback of her own life. But she can't quite figure out why... Nor can she escape from the monster that seems to always be there, just out of the corner of her eye...

OK,  I have to admit I hadn't a clue! In fact, I was relieved as the book got more toward the end. For someone who always asks the question "Why?" as I have done throughout my life, I found it difficult to become accustomed to not knowing and not even being able to guess what was happening. It was disquieting for me. Yet I could not stop reading until the book ended! I had to get the answers to the question on the back cover--Is this the mother of all hangovers or is something bigger happening?

Dare you...Can you endure the suspense of not knowing through an entire book? If you've read Cash before, you already know that he moves fluently from one genre to another--from one style of story to a completely different one next. I won't say this is a favorite, but I must acknowledge that from the very beginning it intrigued me...Note: I had entered The Twilight Zone and escaped happily... This novel is multi-genre, but closer to horror, I think. Check it out! There is an underlying learning experience to be had if you are astute. In fact, the author gives you two quotes at the beginning...I'll spotlight them for you as the only hint...

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.--George Santayana

History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul.--Lord Acton

Thought-provoking, stunning, fascinating... but not an exciting read... You decide, but I must commend the author on once again surprising me with his ability to conceive of an idea and create an entire story surrounding the idea. History? Wasn't my favorite subject either...LOL...

GABixlerReviews

Michael Phillip Cash is an award-winning screenwriter and novelist. He's written eleven books including the best-selling Brood X, Stillwell, The Flip, The After House, The Hanging Tree, Witches Protection Program, Pokergeist, Monsterland and Battle for Darracia series.
Michael resides on the North Shore of Long Island. He writes full-time with his screaming kids in the background.
Connect with Michael on:
Facebook: facebook.com/michaelphillipcash
Twitter: twitter.com/michaelpcash
Web: www.michaelphillipcash.com
Email: michaelphillipcash@gmail.com

Trevor Ennis Second in Series Outstanding Drama!

Friday came around, and the class was in another one of their reserved study periods, but not everyone studied. Some used the time to conveniently catch up on missed sleep, while others gossiped and chatted about nothing of great importance. In the midst of the classroom turmoil, a strange White student entered the room unnoticed. He was someone whom Angelica might have seen around on the campus but never spoken to. Like a United Parcel Post deliveryman, he simply handed Quame a folded paper, then quickly disappeared as fast as he had appeared. He didn’t wait for an answer; he just delivered and disappeared in a sort of hasty kind of way as if rushing to make other deliveries. A few seconds later after reading the note, a concerned Quame bid Sasha in a soon-be-back fashion and got up and left. Immediately, Angelica saw the six perverted boys from the “brainless player gang” gather together and could barely stand to see the sight of them. Feeling disgusted, she rose and left the classroom. After only a few strides down the corridor she heard the trampling footsteps and stepped aside when she realized it was the same six gang boys who stampeded past her. They moved without militancy but with great urgency as they hurried ahead and soon disappeared down a flight of steps. Not long after, Angelica heard another rush behind and was about to step aside when Sasha almost ran her over. “Slow down, girl! What’s with everybody and this rushing?” Angelica held her arms out to slow Sasha’s pace but immediately saw the fear in her eyes. “They are gonna do something to him; got to warn him,” Sasha remarked while hastily trying to pull away from Angelica. Angelica would not let her go. “Something to whom? Warn who …?” “Quame!” her quivering voice was broken and urgent. “They are going to trap him,” she pointed in the direction of the disappearing boys. “Jenny B. said she heard them say it. They are planning to beat him up in the gym.” Again she tried to break away, but Angelica would not let her. She had conspired against others before, and so recognized the fear she saw in Sasha. “What’s the matter with you? Can’t you see I’ve got to go? Get your hands off me!” Sasha yelled while tugging at Angelica’s hold. “No! Sasha! Listen to me, girl. You can’t go alone. You can’t go. Just go to the dean’s office … tell him … tell him that Quame the big Black guy is trying to rape me in the gym. Lie! Say it or they will never come to his aid. I’ll go and try to delay them.” “No, I’ve got to go to Quame now! They are going to hurt him.”

White Lies, Black Blood II: 

Unveiling Lies Exposing the 

Eighth Deadly Sin

(Black Blood Series)

By Trevor Ennis

White Lies, Black Blood had left me waiting... I hate cliff-hangers because I'm always afraid I'll miss the ending and never know what happened, simply because I forget to check... But as soon as I heard this was out, I went out, downloaded, thankful I had a Kindle, and started reading... I know it was out of schedule, but I'd been waiting a long time to see what happened! The first book was fantastic; the followup outstanding!

Most of you who follow my reviews may have noticed that I tend to pick novels that spotlight today's headline issues. I applaud writers who are using their skills to highlight major issues at the same time they provide a book that proves to be both informative and exciting in the selected drama. This series, however, as many do these days, crosses genre...

Trevor Ennis is an exciting romance writer who has created two characters that prove to be riveting, seductive and yet, young hesitant lovers and we are privy to their intimate thoughts and actions...Just this story could easily stand as a stand-alone story...

For that reason, although these books could stand alone, I really think you would be making a mistake by not starting at the beginning. You need to meet Angelica as she was in the past...

Because she is quite different, changed in the second novel!

The love story between Angelica and Kazeem reminded me somewhat of Love Story for those who remember it, but the story of this couple is soooooo much more...Find out why!

I want to point out that there are extremely graphic scenes in this novel that are hard to read. First I must applaud Ennis for writing those scenes as I know they must have been extremely hard to have been done so effectively. These scenes are part of the book that deals with the Eighth Deadly Sin...

Do you know what that is?

If you don't know it under that specific name, you will nevertheless have witnessed it during your life. I have and it's not pretty, especially when I've always lived in an area where there are few African-Americans.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KKK_BW.JPG

Later, a more experienced rugged-faced slob with a fat belly hanging over his pants and uncombed blond hair entered and scornfully scrutinized him. He looked across the room, saw and dismissed the bored younger cop, who seemed very relieved as he got up, and quickly left the room. “Well, what have we here?” his belly jerked with every word that came out of his mouth. “The devil’s kin has come to grace our jail. What’s the matter, boy? Hell doesn’t want its bastards anymore? Is Satan now using earth as his garbage bin? Heh-heh-heh …. Well, those horned devils sure did send you to the right place. This is actually where they send all their rejects for punishment. You are going to find that this here place is ten times worse than your hell-home. This is my hell-house, my torture chamber for all you piss-poor nigger-rejects from hell, heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.” 
Kazeem was silent. His face shone a calm strength that threatened to explode.
~~~

When I moved into high school and then into a professional career, sure, I began to meet others of a different color. M. Davis was one of my first Black friends in junior-high...She non-verbally taught me, just as members of my family had also given me signals. I remember I was shocked when another high school friend got married and I was told that her husband was part of the KKK! What? Why would there be a group involved in this non-Black area, I thought... 

What I've come to realize, though, is that if you are a hater, you hate anywhere you happen to live...

Note that this novel is set in the present time: President Obama is now in office... His election set off many of the actions??? The novel doesn't say but I doubt it, because I heard news and headlines about the issue during the election periods... There may not be those that wear the white uniform these days, which is worse in a way, because these haters dress like you or me...they go to church with us or we interact with them in stores, online, on the job...and, in this novel, we find them in the police station...and the church...

And in Angelica's home...

Readers learned about her father's participation in the first book, but his true involvement was clearly defined in actions in this second novel...

“I don’t mean to break up your playhouse of peace, harmony and love. Unlike most here, I am not fooled by fake unity and I am going to speak frankly. I think this is the biggest crock of staged crap that anybody could ever witness. Show rating … ha! What is all this display of Black-White love bull crap supposed to do … boost Oprah’s ratings? Today we hug and kiss but tomorrow we can go back to hating each other. Tomorrow a White George will pull a gun and a Black Trayvon will die. That’s the way it has been and that’s the way it is always going to be. So if this is one of them ‘stop the violence’ shows, it is not going to work. Then why are we here …? RATINGS …. That’s why you dragged us here - for your ratings? Since we are on camera, let me break it down for all our Negro audience … and don’t cut me off, Oprah, because you said this is our show; not just for the Blacks.”
~~~

One very effective way by which the Author shared regarding the Eighth Deadly Sin was to create an Oprah Show bringing together white students from a predominantly white college and black students from a predominantly black student college, which I thought was brilliant both in concept and in carrying out the drama, closing when she is shot by a member of the audience!

Then, as a writer who wants to keep us in suspense, after dropping that bombshell, proceeds on with his story of Angelica's life as if readers are not going crazy wanting to know if Oprah is alive!!! As a reviewer, my first thought was, did he just skip a closure???

But no, Ennis closed that much, much later in his novel... Then left us hanging on a scene with Kazeem! Damn! He's going to write another book, I just know it--and I'm going to be left hanging for months...

So will you, readers, because if you haven't realized it, I call this a must-read! 

And here's a special dare for all you white people out there--yes, you--who wouldn't pick up a book with black people on the cover... I dare you to read this series! If you won't even consider this, then You may be committing the Eighth Deadly Sin...

The Eighth Deadly Sin just may be the downfall of our nation... Do you care?

GABixlerReviews

Trevor Ennis was born on the small island of Jamaica in 1963. He grew up as the third child of six siblings and attended Alpha Primary School, Jamaica College and Excelsior Community College where he graduated before leaving for the United States in 1987. After living in New York for a year, he joined the United States Air Force, completed basic military training and went on to Plattsburgh Air Force Base where he met and married Ina. Together they visited numerous other countries and after twenty years of military service, Trevor and Ina retired. They are blessed with 3 children, 2 boys and a girl and have settled in New Jersey where they now call home. Visit Web site at www.trevorennis.com

Review: The Raising by Laura Kasischke

Image by rememberthrough via Flickr

The Raising


By Laura Kasischke














A literary masterpiece of Deception and Betrayal. Just as other reviewers quoted on the cover, I was pulled into Laura Kasischke's story of life on campus. A life I had lived in one way or another for nearly 40 years. It took me through about half-way before I started to pick up the clues the author was leaving for her readers. I could see what was coming; still I hoped it was going to be different.

The story mostly takes place in Godwin Honors Hall, where a new coed program had just begun. While most of the students were high school honors students, Craig Clements-Rabbitt's father used his influence to get him admitted, although Craig did not realize it until he was already there on campus. Craig's background is a little bit shaky, having gone through periods of depression, but in general he's an intelligent individual, troubled and making it through with a little help from drugs. He's cynical, but begins to change as he starts to become friends with his roommate Perry and a number of others, including Nicole Werner.

Readers learn in the Prologue that Craig and Nicole have been in a terrible car accident. Shelly, who works on campus, was first on the scene and quickly calls to Craig not to move Nicole, since she was thrown from the car. Sporadically thereafter, Shelly tries to have her voice heard--to "correct" what has been printed about the accident, her role in coming upon the scene and her actions...Because according to every account she has read, Nicole was found in the car, burned beyond recognition, and everybody believes Craig caused her death while driving under the influence.

While the accident actually occurred late into the semester, readers learn the details of events leading up to what finally happened. Normal life of college students? I hope not. There is an underlying revelation of not just sexual escapades, but a norm of lies and deception between and among them as different sexual roles are "played" for different relationships.

The roles of sororities and fraternities become dominant as Nicole decides to join a sorority while Craig does not. Influence by sorority members seem to take control, while Craig is slowly denied access to even talk with her whenever they wanted.

Beginning a new semester, we find Craig back at the campus, still rooming with Perry. Both of them have moved into an apartment building since Craig was not permitted to come back to Godwin Hall. Perry shows just how good a friend he is by sticking with Craig, who has no memory of what happened after the accident. But Perry does remember and he's worried because there are signs of Craig being haunted by Nicole--and even of another ghost who inhabited Godwin Hall...

Perry begs to audit a freshman course on death and dying, suggesting to the instructor, who is in need of meeting the "writing or perish" issue faced by non-tenured faculty, that she explore the deaths that occurred on college campuses, and, in particular, right there on theirs! Soon there are quite a number of on-campus individuals involved--those who want to know what happened and what is now going on.

And those who will do anything to prevent that from happening...

Campus politics gave me the first clue and I was on to the end before each page was turned. It is in the very potential reality that I found myself turning more and more away from this book. I knew how it was going to end and I didn't want to feel that devastation of knowing, yes, this is reality. Peer pressure is scary stuff, lies to protect an institution or careers do indeed occur. Kasischke created a masterpiece of reality that I hated to finish, because of what story it revealed (confirmed?) of college life.

Still, it is an excellent book that may be just what you are looking for! Like a little bit of paranormal, scary campus thrills and a murder mystery with twists and turns that keep you on the edge? This is it. Kasischke's writing is wonderfully creative and insightful of college life.

Book Received Via
Kelley and Hall Book Publicity

GABixlerReviews

Review: New Cozy Mystery Author, Amanda Flower's Book Out in June!

Maid Of Murder

By Amanda Flower
Five Star Publishing
281 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-59414-864-4


Publication Date 6/16/10

Amanda Flower certainly picked out the right publishing company for her “Five Star” Cozy Mystery, Maid of Murder. Plan on taking this fun novel, due out in June, with you on vacation or for a weekend you plan to “gift” to yourself!

I guarantee you’ll not only enjoy the whodunit, you’ll also be smiling often as you enjoy the characters, including two fighting felines and a nosy neighbor.

This is an India Hayes mystery, which, to me, means that we can plan on meeting her again in the future. Let me warn you now, India doesn’t get along too well with her parents, who have never grown old enough to give up picketing for any cause that comes along. In fact, when India’s brother is accused of the murder, they picketed!

Let me tell you a little about Mark. When India was a child, she became friends with Olivia Blocken and therefore Mark was around them quite often. Mark fell in love with Olivia early in their lives; however, Olivia never returned his feelings, although she never actually spurned him totally. However, when she comes back to her hometown to marry, she not only asked India to serve as a bridesmaid, but finds that Mark still loves her and wants to convince her not to proceed with the wedding.

Olivia agrees to meet to talk to Mark, but is murdered immediately before that meeting. In fact, Mark finds her in a water fountain display on the Martin College campus where both he and India works, he pulls her out and works to save her life! Naturally, he quickly becomes a prime suspect, is arrested, and India finds herself trying to solve the murder!

Town-gown issues and family problems abound—Mark is suspended and India’s job is being threatened because her parents have been picketing on campus. India also finds out just how much Olivia’s family disliked her family, finally being kicked out of the house by Mrs. Blocken.

Little by little India pulls together evidence to help clear Mark; and even if she doesn’t immediately share it with the police investigator, Detective Mains, she sees him enough to realize that he just may be interested in her. Well, after all, she’s been a bridesmaid six times, so she can’t afford not to notice!

The whole storyline worked for me. It took me back to the politics on a college campus, had a couple of fascinating cats as delightful characters, and a promise of romance for India in the future. The parents in the story were real—hateful and funny, respectively. I’m already looking forward to seeing the Hayes family in action in the next book.

This is a series I suggest that you start right at the beginning. If my review sounds like your kind of cozy mystery, then "Trackle" Amanda Flower today so that you’ll receive notice when Maid of Murder is out this June! A promising first book! Highly recommended!


(Visit Amanda's Site by clicking title of this article...)




G. A. Bixler

Review: She's My Dad Provides Provocative Drama!

She’s My Dad

By Iolanthe Woulff
Outskirts Press, Inc.
ISBN: 9781432743772
457 Pages

"Reverend Shorr sipped a glass of water. 'Sometimes I think that the scientific community has taken us all much too far, much too fast. Life was complicated enough before...But we mustn’t second-guess our Lord...'"

What a powerful suspense drama! She’s My Dad by Iolanthe Woulff is a provocative hold-no-bars book that successfully illustrates the power of both love and hate. Woulff does this through characters that are so alive with their emotions that readers are immediately caught within the honest reality portrayed. Fascinating!

By nature of the material covered, readers should be aware that some content might be offensive. Personally, I didn’t find it so because the characters that were offensive were those I enjoyed hating! Then, too, as Reverend Shorr admitted in the book, there is too little written and taught about today’s sexuality and our technological world. I believe this type of fiction is one of the ways by which it can be shown how love can triumph over hate. The novel is somewhat based upon the true experience of the author. She has my admiration for her courage.

Nickie Farrell graduated from Windfield College and then came back many years later to apply for a temporary position replacing an English professor. During her college years, she had participated in an affair with a local resident and a child had come from that relationship. Nickie was the father of that child.

During her absence, Nickie had undergone a medically monitored sex change and was now a beautiful woman. At least Alex Steward thought so since upon their first meeting, Nickie and Alex had been immediately attracted to each other.

Beautiful love story? Not!

There was an excessive amount of town-gown tension between Windfield students and local residents. There was sufficient history that was still remembered by residents, especially, Ambassador Eamon Douglass, of how the free-thinking liberal college had been started and the students who arrived in town were either ignored, hated or worse.

As Nickie became involved in teaching, one particularly zealous journalism major started noticing and wondering about Nickie’s background and started to investigate. In many ways, her news article set off much that occurred, but it was hate and fear that fed the major events, which finally culminated in a terrorist plan to bomb the College!

This book is about hope. Hope for a time when those who are different in some way are not automatically hated. There will always be evil people, but they cannot be stereotyped. They could be your neighbors or your supposed friends. As proclaimed several times in the book, “Hate destroys everything. Don’t let it destroy you.”

Thank you Iolanthe Woulff for She’s My Dad—a highly recommended, truly remarkable book!

G. A. Bixler

Review: YA Explorer X-Alpha - Exciting Adventure & More!

Explorer X-Alpha
By LM Preston
Phenomenal One Press
ISBN: 9780984198900
366 Pages


LM Preston, in Explorer X-Alpha, takes pre-teens and young adults not only into the future but also to outer space and beyond! What an action-packed, magically futuristic, suspenseful ride!

Aadi really didn’t want to go to space camp—he didn’t mind going to a summer camp, and just about any sports camp would be great—but Mom and Dad had already signed him up because the company where they worked was sponsoring the space camp. Now they were trying to convince him that he would enjoy it. Aadi knew that only geeky kids were going to the TEGRC space camp. The Technical Exploration and Genome Research Corporation had tested the kids and they were to be the first group to learn about space travel and be able to give feedback to make it even more fun for other kids in the future.

He really wasn’t convinced, especially since there were guys going that he didn’t like, but to please his parents, he finally gave in. Fortunately, he had two secrets to take along. Ebu was a miniature robot he had made that had an intelligence chip; he was his friend and easily fit into his backpack. The other was between he and his mom. Just before he left, he swallowed a “telenex” a prototype that his mother had created which allowed them to secretly communicate!

Just over the first half of the book follows Aadi and his new team as they go through simulations of space travel and other preparations necessary for their first real flight. Aadi’s test had shown he was a natural leader; however, in the contest immediately before the first flight, he was beat out by another pair. They didn’t play fair!

Of course, that had not surprised the team (by the way, you can meet the entire team on the complementary web site!). Eirena had caught Aadi’s eye when they first met and the interaction between them was both competitive and friendly, so that when they finally paired up to travel to Mars, he was pleased to have Eirena as his partner.

For they had discovered much on the large space camp ship that had already alerted them to the possible danger they all faced. Many of the kids had become sick immediately after they had received immunization shots. Aadi’s team had sneaked into other parts of the big ship and knew what had really happened to those kids, even though they were told that those children had been returned home.

It was Aadi’s ability to communicate and report to his mother that started an investigation at home; however, there was no way to stop the flight to Mars from proceeding! And on that flight, almost immediately, the individual ships with each pair of children were sucked into a black starlit path by an invisible pull that took them directly into a wormhole.

Aadi and Eirena then crash-landed on Shrenas... Where Jantik, of Nutah, discovered them...

There is so much to do, so much to discover! Explorer X-Alpha, by LM Preston is the first in a series and you’ll want to start right now to find out what was discovered when the Explorer X team toured the ship and later what happened to Aadi and Eirena on Shrenas...and, ah, be prepared for some strange physical changes to both their bodies and minds! In space, anything is possible! Exciting and strange adventure waits for those who dare to attend...the TEGRC space camp!

G. A. Bixler

Review: Murder on Campus! Great Whodunit!

Defending College Heights
By Stuart Nachbar
iUniverse
ISBN: 9780595496310
217 Pages

Stuart Nachbar's Defending College Heights brought back many memories of working within the political and town-gown relations on a university campus (for nearly 40 years). For recruiting commander Kevin Callahan, he didn't even have the opportunity to learn.

Soon after he came home from Iraq, Kevin was made commander of recruitment in the area surrounding Hudson Technical University. Hudson had a long association with the military service for campus recruitment as most federally supported universities do. As plans for the annual job fair were finalized, a protest against the war in Iraq was made in the most horrifying way possible--Kevin was killed, and left in one of the campus guardhouses. "No More Lies" had been left as a message on his t-shirt.

Jack Donnelly, Kevin's uncle, had helped raise Kevin and greatly cared for both his sister and Kevin. He went to identify the body and stayed. He was upset with the way the investigation was "not" being conducted, since the army was deferring to local police to handle the case.

But the president of the university was a savvy lady and she intended to ensure that her institution was saved in light of the potential damage that Kevin's murder could have. She convinced Jack to come and work for her, using his urban planning skills, and assured him that she would not interfere if he then conducted his own investigation in his off hours. Really gutsy president! I enjoyed watching her in action with peers, faculty and board members.

Student and/or community anti-war groups were suspected the most. As Jack began to both handle his new job assignments as well as make inquiries around town, he began to question quite a number of people. Interestingly, as things moved forward, it was the students who originally were protestors of the war that worked the hardest to help solve the case. I was pleased that Nachbar showed that the students were not involved!

For murder is a tool of those seeking power or more power. And that held true at Hudson Technical University. For the power sought was to be able to close this institution of higher learning and sell the property for non-educational uses!

Defending College Heights is a good solid whodunit, while providing readers the opportunity to learn about and evaluate armed forces recruitment within a university campus. Believe me, the political environment is really close to reality, in one way or another. Highly recommended.

G. A. Bixler