North of Boston Exciting New Thriller by Elisabeth Elo! Pirio Kasparov Fantastic New Female Character!

If it had occurred during a sunny day, there may have been the possibility of avoiding the collision. It might have been detected by the Coast Guard and tragedy would not have happened. Ned would not have been killed...

"Turn off Survivor, folks; this is the real thing. After a collision at sea sank the fishing boat she was on, leaving the captain presumed drowned, this incredible young woman spent nearly four hours stranded in the North Atlantic in water temperatures of forty-two degrees before she was rescued. As far as we know, no one has ever done such a thing before, my friends. The longest the average person can expect to survive in such temperatures is one to two hours, max. She's an inspiring survivor, a medical marvel, and one very lucky young woman!" He turns to me, eyes glowing with generous admiration. "I thank you for coming, Pirio Kasparov. Now tell us what happened out there."
My throat closes up. I feel like bolting off the stage. Talking about the collision is going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I look at him in apologetic horror. He slides a microexpression of intense irritation my way. I tell the truth, knowing it sounds like a hedge. "I don't remember much, I'm afraid."

I must be blanching visibly, because Jared Jehobeth intervenes. "Go back to the moments just before the accident. What were you doing?" 

"It felt like...well, first...I was standing in the stern. My friend, Ned Rizzo--"

"The man who died. A father of one, am I right?"

"Yes." I trust Noah's not watching. He doesn't watch much TV, and Jared Jehobeth is not his kind of show, but I told Thomasina to keep him away from the television this morning anyway.

"I was baiting lobster traps. It was very foggy. From where I was standing, I could just make out Ned in the wheelhouse. He was wearing a yellow oilskin. Those things are so bright, You know?..." 

"I stopped baiting when I saw blood oozing from the base of my right thumb. The hinges on the lobster traps are really sharp. I dropped an empty bucket over the stern rail, pulled up seawater, and dipped my hand inside to numb it and make the bleeding stop." I hear myself speaking and am impressed. I sound so competent!

"You must have known that being immersed in water that temperature for even a short period of time was potentially fatal." He is a genius, this man.

"I wasn't thinking about that."

"But you knew."

"Yes..."

"Anyway, I was pretty miserable, and the fog made it worse.

I kept peering into it, trying to find the horizon line, but I

could barely see the bow Right before the, uh, collision, everything was quiet--too quiet. I noticed a huge black wall a few feet off the bow, sort of lurking there in the haze. At

first it didn't seem to be moving. Then I realized it was sliding quickly along the starboard side. The next thing I knew the steel hull of huge ship--so high I couldn't see the top--was crushing the gunwale about ten feet from where I stood.

"The deck started cracking under my feet. There was a horrible loud noise. The next thing I knew I was diving over the side. I don't remember being afraid. I was just thinking how unfair it was, that I was already miserable and now I would be soaked."

"What else were you thinking?" Jared asks breathlessly.

I close my eyes and concentrate. "I was thinking...

Don't die, Ned."

~~~

North of Boston

By Elisabeth Elo

Most of you know that I love lead characters, both male and female, that are dynamic, action-oriented, and acts on their own to respond to injustice. But this woman, the lead in North of Boston--well, there were several times I just thought she was crazy for getting involved as she did! Of course, I loved her! Especially when she acts in the climax as she did!!! Just a little clue of that at the bottom of today's article...

Pirio Kasparov is her name...I've only ever talked to one Russian--Yuri was from New York...but I could tell that he wasn't the same type of Kasparov, Talanov and others I've met in fiction novels! LOL It appeared that there might be a chance that Elo is planning a sequel or a series...Here's one reader is shouts, YES! Let me tell you a little about the character. 

Pirio's father and mother had started a perfume company and Pirio was one day to take over. Her mother had been the one who was talented in identifying and merging the unique blend of plants that was used. She and Pirio would travel a month each year to a rented cabin and spent the time collecting, identifying and experimenting... But she had died quite some time ago... 

Her father had been so in love, obsessed actually, with his beautiful wife that he really never took time for Pirio, and now, even though he had remarried, everybody knew he was also not in love with her. Pirio and he didn't get along, naturally. Readers will learn of her anguish toward her father and watch as, when he learns he is dying, they attempt to come together... 

Pirio has a long-time friend, who has turned to alcohol, while Thomasina's son is a genius and has captured Pirio's heart as her Godson... It is the never-married father of Noah, Ned, with whom Pirio is out on the ocean, trying to help him, when the collision occurs. Ned is killed and Pirio is miraculously saved after being in the cold water for more hours than it was known possible. Of course, the government soon takes an interest in her and practically demands that, for the good of the country, she undergo a regiment of tests and interviews...

At the same time, while she does work at her family's company, she takes much time off, and gets involved in the investigation as to what ship had been responsible for slicing their fishing boat in half! Of course nobody knows anything and they merely state that more hit-and-run accidents happen on the water than on land... Well, you know what this aggressive, self-confident woman is going to do! She'll find out herself!

But there is somebody else asking questions as well. First he lies, but then Pirio confirms that he is a journalist, but he's also personally involved... At least, now, there are two people sharing the information, because the issue is much larger than one ship and one man being destroyed...

And unfortunately, Noah is right in the middle because his father sent pictures to him, even though nobody knew what they were...

Nothing's out of place; nothing's been moved. The last rays of sun slant through the vertical blinds the way they usually do on a September evening--long, honey-gold beams latticing the rug and coffee table. And yet. Something's off. A subtle scne hangs in the air. Just the merest whiff. A woody smell, but sour. An olfactory note foreign to my apartment...
That's why I'm sure someone's been in my apartment. If they'd stayed a bit longer or been there more recently, I might hazard a few guesses...It's oud wood. Yes, I'm sure of it. Dark, soft, spicy, medicinal. The smell of South Asian religious rituals...You either love oud wood or hate it; and there's no confusing it with anything else.

...I play my favorite jazz pianist, Akiko Grace, and try to relax. But for once the beautiful music doesn't take my mind off my problems....I flash on a vivid image of a guy in a crappy bar, throwing back his boilermaker and laughing like an idiot. So pleased with himself and his sterling career. Thinking he go away with leaving a little fishing boat in splinters and the human beings inside it to bob on the waves in terror until they sank. My hands grip the wheel so tightly that my knuckes whiten. It probably didn't occur to him that anyone would survive...

~~~

Fantastic! Exciting and unbelievably horrible scenes as the book moves toward its ending. Like I said, you'll be on the edge of your seat when Pirio runs off on her own and runs right into...one...big...bloody...mess! Action Adventure at its finest! Enjoy!

GABixlerReviews

Elisabeth Elo teaches writing in the Boston area. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts

Irving A. Greenfield is Back With Literary Thriller!

Snow Giants Dancing 


by Irving A. Greenfield

I was honored to be a first reader of Snow Giants Dancing! That was quite some time ago since this prolific author is busy all the time, so I was happy to learn that this novel is now available as an e-book. I bought it right away since I had developed a small library of Irving Greenfield's books, some of which are no longer available in print. Hopefully, with the rise in e-book popularity, many of his earlier books, such as Tagget, that was made into a popular movie, will once again be made available to today's audience!

You know, I read so many books that often I cannot remember the plot unless I refer back to the book; but with Snow Giants Dancing, I could remember the entire story, except the names of the characters. Greenfield not only entertains in this novel, he presents such an intimate look into the lives of his characters that, in some cases, it may force readers to look into themselves. There is prejudice, there is hatred and murder--there is also love...

"In the gathering twilight, Eric looked down at the mount of his
mother's unmarked grave. He stood very still. His hands were
thrust deep into the pockets of his hooded winter cloak. A biting
wind came off the snowfield on the mountainside above the
village. The mound had already lost much of its convex shape.
When covered by the summer grass it would hardly be
distinguishable from the rest of the earth surrounding it.
"Eric remembered telling Max how beautiful his mother was. He
and Max were having a discussion about childhood...
"With memories of his mother running through his head, Eric
was not immediately aware of the ragged cross-like
arrangement of stones in the center of the mound. When he
became conscious of the shape, he could not believe his own
eyes. He knelt down to be sure, of what he was looking at...
"He stood up and looked toward the village. Someone else
remembered his mother. Someone took the trouble to mark her
grave with the Christian sign of forgiveness...
"The sun was far down in the west. Its light touched the snowfield,
where the wind was lifting great veils of snow high into the air.
Eric could not ever remember having seen such strange wisps of
snow coming off the top of the snowfield. They looked like the
tentacles of some beast..."

But there are also...the Snow Giants Dancing...

And when they do, good and evil may both fall to their mighty power...

Come with me, now, and visit Oberfest, a small village far up in the snow-covered mountains where the population is small and the traditions, the buildings and many of the families have been there for generations. They are self-governed, where a Bourgomeister is the leader of the community. But as sometimes happens, it is his wife, behind the scenes, who is the powerful one who really controls much of what happens there.

Eric Muller is the main character and had been the son of a prostitute, who claimed didn't know the father. After fighting in many wars, not caring on his side, he had returned to home, taking up residence in one of the towers of an old fort. Having grown tired of wars, he had taken up sculpture and had been commissioned to create two figures who would stand on either side of the entrance of the new church. Everyone in the village had contributed with either work or money. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprising, it had not been religious fervor that had been behind the construction--rather they had decided that it was something that they could do together--a tangible purpose.

Eric had not yet decided what those sculptures would portray, but The Bourgomeister and his family had come to find out why they were not yet finished, since he had already been paid for them. He promised they would be done by Easter...

Hilda, the wife of the Bourgomeister, was an invalid who never left her bed--but she always knew what was going on in the village. So after the talk with Eric, Hilda demanded to know what had been said and when the statues would be completed. Always claiming to be near death, she wanted the church completely done since the priest had submitted to Rome to have her name in the church as a major contributor.

All of the village attended the same church except for Chayym Zimmer, a Jew and his daughter, Shulamith. She was a very beautiful girl and was favorably looked upon by certain men in town, but it was Eric with whom she was in love. Prejudice again them by town residents had begun when they had first moved there and rumors flew about the two young people being lovers.

The people in the village were individuals, who mostly kept to their own activities but Hilda and her two nephews began to scheme related to Eric and the sculptures. And even the priest began to talk to Hilda, indicating that once the church was completely done, then the people would be idle and God might not be as protective as He was while they were all working together. And with so much depressing discussions, Hilda prayed and felt she had been given directions from God--by divine inspiration she was chosen to lead the people...

The story may be set in a strange land and the people may sound as if they lived long ago--but this story is really ageless. It speaks of those emotions that are still alive today and the drama that happens can be analogous with any location, any race, or any religion. When good and evil come face to face, we can be sure that a major event will result...

But nobody knew that the Snow Giants were dancing...

Fascinating in its content, this novel is not like the thrillers he wrote through the years that you might have read. This is a serious work that demands that readers realize what happens when man turns against man... Greenfield has provided us with a literary masterpiece that will haunt you...in many ways...for the rest of your life... I consider this a must-read...


GABixlerReviews

SOMTHING ABOUT ME

My latest project is a play within a play based loosely on the life and writing of Friedrich Nietzsche. This will be a full length drama with five or six players and a very simple set. While working on the play, I also continue to write short stories. These works represent some of my interests; namely, philosophy and human relationships at a particular time of an individual's life.

I was born in Brooklyn. I now live in Staten Island with my wife Anita, to whom I have been married to for well over 50 years. I spent many years teaching at Wagner College; I am still associated with college and hold the title of Research Fellow. My expertise is in the field of English Literature and in Composition. I was awarded a PhD for my work in fiction.

I found this site that has the entire library of this author...http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/irving-a-greenfield/