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Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Thomas Kemp's First Book of Poetry...
20+ years, Blogging/Reviewing, Worked PT with Christian Publisher, various positions at West Virginia University, last Associate Director, FPM
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Excerpt From Poetry I Wrote For You... Review Coming...
with your eyes,
as well as your heart?
Your ears were hidden
beneath your beautiful hair.
beneath your beautiful hair.
Intently you gather the harvest
from the world’s deck
from the world’s deck
Apples and tomatoes,
grapes and sunbeams…
grapes and sunbeams…
words, my thoughts,
From the mature potted plants,
It was easy to see them
all reflected in pools
of wet dreams.
of wet dreams.
Endless blue hot days of July
With only tears for rain
from getting on
to anguished thoughts.
to anguished thoughts.
That was all before
we waywardly met.
we waywardly met.
Before the chilly darkness,
left your own heart
from my pen.
Did I chase you too far?
Thomas T Kemp
POETRY I wrote FOR YOU
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20+ years, Blogging/Reviewing, Worked PT with Christian Publisher, various positions at West Virginia University, last Associate Director, FPM
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Jutta Profijt Provides Mystery With Humorous Punches!
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| "So we didn't spend the night together, Marlene and me. Yes, even disembodied spirits have to spend the night somewhere, although sleep is ruled out due to a lack of the physical prerequisites. We don't release sleeping hormones, and we don't have eyelids to close. We're always awake. Which is beyond crappy..." Morgue Drawer Four, US cover (Photo credit: robspiegel) |
By Jutta Profijt
I met Pascha Lerchenberg when he resided in Morgue Drawer Four. He has since had to give up that home because they buried his body and many others have used it since then. Still, when he met Marlene, he immediately indicated to her that she was in the drawer next door to his former domicile...
Martha, by the way, is her religious name. She had been a nun at the Convent of the Charitable Sisters of Saint Mary Magdalene. And she had been murdered. There had been a fire and the door to the room in which she had been located had been slammed shut. Another nun had heard her and had tried to get her out. Now she was in the critical care unit at the hospital, not expected to live.
Pasha was thrilled! Not because Martha was dead, of course, but he had been somewhat lonely since she was the first of the many individuals who had gone through the morgue in Cologne that had talked to him!
Funny thing though...Martin couldn't hear her...
And now Pasha was ready to take on the investigation of who had killed Marlene--and naturally required assistance from Martin! So to get Martin up to date, Marlene had to first tell Pasha exactly what happened, who then had to pass on that information to Martin, who couldn't hear her.
Finding out who had set the fire at the convent and caused Martha's death was going to be quite difficult. The convent had opened an annex to house the homeless and the neighbors were very upset because during the day, the mostly men would sit on the wall out front and litter the sidewalk--just their presence was upsetting to those who had moved into this residential neighborhood... Then Martin stayed at the annex one night and saw one of the residents leave and later come back. Had one of the homeless done it, perhaps even accidentally?
But then the other nun died and briefly talked to Martha...they discovered she had been hit on her head and also murdered! But, for her, she immediately went into the light, while Martha began to wonder why she was still here. Had she done something to disappoint God?
And then there was the secret that nobody outside of the convent knew about, except...
The trail was difficult to follow even with two ghosts flying here and there trying to gain information! And then...
Well, first, I have to tell you that Martin has a girlfriend--a very beautiful girl. Pasha can't figure out how she fell for him, but is convinced that she does have strong feelings for him... Soooo, why not ask her to help with the investigation! Birgit enthusiastically got involved, even as Martin tried to think of an alternative. But she went undercover, only to be kidnapped!
The mystery is complex enough to keep you interested, although I did figure it out before the end of the book. But let's face it, when you have two ghosts, a lot of possibilities of people who want changes at the convent, potential fire bugs among the homeless, there is lots of options. But for those of you have enjoy humor, the exchanges between Pasha, Marlene, Martin and even Brigit will perhaps delight more than solving the mystery... Not to mention Martin's friends who know about Pasha but refuse to acknowledge him... Especially since one of them is a cop! But, at least he's willing to listen to Martin's issues as they all try to solve the case!
All I can say is that I was glad that Sister Marlene finally left to go into the light...I don't think Martin could have accepted having a female ghost floating into his home and perhaps seeing he and Brigit...
Enjoy! Oh, and if you discover all of your cell phone numbers now go to the Catholic Confession Hotline, don't blame Pasha!
GABixlerReviews
Back in Germany I served an apprenticeship in the export business and passed international exams as a translator for English and French as well. For about nine years I worked as a project manager in companies importing or exporting plants and machinery. In 1996 I felt a need for change and set up my own business as a translator and teacher for Business English and Business French. Although my days were packed full of work I started writing my first novel in 2002 - and it became an unexpected success.
I've been working as a full-time freelance writer since 2006.
20+ years, Blogging/Reviewing, Worked PT with Christian Publisher, various positions at West Virginia University, last Associate Director, FPM
Monday, September 17, 2012
Wow! Have You Read Gregg Hurwitz's The Survivor?!
By Gregg Hurwitz
Wow! No wonder Gregg Hurtwitz is an international bestselling author! The Survivor is a fantastic novel! And the story is amazing! For thriller readers, this has to be a must-read! Need I say anything more?
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| "Before consciousness there was pain. In the thick soup of his head; in his feet, cold and numb; in his thighs, bitten lengthwise as if by a hand saw. The sockets of his shoulders, tendons screaming. And his wrists overhead. Oh, his wrists... "When he looked down, it seemed that his lower half had disappeared. Incredulous, he realized that his legs were, bizarrely, encased in ice. Claustrophobia crowded in on him, and he tried, stupidly, to lift his feet, to kick, to run, but there was nothing except the cold cast, enveloping him to the thighs... "He will make you pay in ways you can't imagine..." |
Psyching yourself up to jump...
How would Fate intervene if it just wasn't what was planned for you?
Wellll, how about adding that the edge of the building was just outside of a bank and a robbery was taking place! Glancing down you see a woman has been shot!
Nate Overbay had PTSD which had caused him to lose his wife and child when he returned home. Now he had been diagnosed with ALS! Why not take his life when and how he chose to?
You know, though, he didn't even stop to think about it! When he realized what was going on, he immediately returned inside and takes out each man one by one. He was quickly becoming a hero, instead of a...dead man...
But the last robber alive gave a warning: "He will make you pay in ways you can't imagine." The sad part about that was that the man was right!
Pavlo was Ukrainian, a member of the mob and mastermind behind the robbery. Nate Overbay had ruined his plan. He must pay.
He now had to get the item Pavlo required. It was in one of the safe deposit boxes, as the robbery was just a front for the real reason they had broken into the bank. Overbay must get it or his family would be slowly tortured and killed!
Nate had no clues as to what he was to obtained. All he knew was that they had already broken into his house and his wife's place, had found his daughter's diary, and was using that information to threaten him. Suddenly, there was only one thing Nate knew--they would not hurt his family! Now Nate was the one making threats, "...my entire life will narrow to the single focus of killing you."
Nate has only one thing going for him. In stopping the robbery, he had become a hero and became known to the police and the bank officials. Now he had to use those connections to discover what it was he must find and then get it out of the bank without getting caught himself! But, will that even be enough to end all this?!!!
Readers have the mystery and suspense of determining what was to be stolen, while we have the action of a fast-paced thriller as provided by this best-selling author of both novels and comics. Many will find this fast-paced adventure so compelling that they'll do what I did--read it into the night and happily go to sleep by realizing what a positively perfect ending provides for reader's satisfaction!
GABixlerReviews
Now Enjoy Lee Child Reading the First Chapter!
Gregg has written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to Disney, Paramount, Warners, MGM and many of the other major studios, and written, developed, and produced television (including ABC's "V") for various networks. He has also written comics for Marvel and DC, tackling characters ranging from Wolverine to Batman. He has also published numerous academic articles on Shakespeare, taught fiction writing in the USC English Department, and guest lectured for UCLA, and for Harvard in the United States and internationally. In the course of researching his thrillers, he has sneaked onto demolition ranges with Navy SEALs, swum with sharks in the Galápagos, and gone undercover into mind-control cults.
Hurwitz grew up in the Bay Area. While completing a BA from Harvard ('95) and a master's from Trinity College, Oxford in Shakespearean tragedy ('96), he wrote his first novel. He was the undergraduate scholar-athlete of the year at Harvard for his pole-vaulting exploits, and played college soccer in England, where he was a Knox fellow. He now lives in L.A. where he continues to play soccer, frequently injuring himself.
20+ years, Blogging/Reviewing, Worked PT with Christian Publisher, various positions at West Virginia University, last Associate Director, FPM
Sunday, September 16, 2012
A Simple Love Story by John Herrick Produces Powerful Impact!
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"For some reason, I decided to write a song that's a play on opposing ideas. Here's what I came up with."
YOU'RE MY DIVISION
And you are the gold that betrays me
You are the joke that slays me Unceasing to amaze me You break me down
You're my struggle and survival
My hero and my rival You're my honesty's denial You're really something
CHORUS:
You are my division You're my indecision When you lift me up I fall for you You are my division On the inner part of me I'm tied to you And with you I'm free
And you are the desert sun that blinds me
You're the tension that unwinds me The missing part that finds me The clarity of rain CHORUS
Copyright 2012 John Herrick
Danny (Photo credit: Steven Vance) |
By John Herrick
"With tender care...Meghan kissed the blond boy on the head. "I love you, baby Danny..."
Is it time for you to read a precious, endearing romantic story--one that will totally engulf your thoughts and memories? One that will have you swooning that if only you could find such a man... Well, here it is! I read somewhere that the author was surprised when a reader called the story "sweet." But, well, it just is! But don't get me wrong, it's not a book that would not appeal to men as well--it is after all, primarily about the lead character, Danny Bale. An uncomplicated story that is both heartwarming and irritating... Of course, I loved it!
Irritating because sometimes we humans just don't allow things to happen naturally...even if they seemed fated from the beginning...
It was the mothers who were good friends, close enough that they kept in touch even after they were married and had children. They even spent time together at least once a year. So it was natural that the children became friends as well. Of course, the ages of the siblings did not totally fit. For instance, Meghan Harting was over a year older than Danny Bales but they had become close friends who continued a relationship beyond the once-a-year visits.
The book is written in time sequences moving to different time periods, perhaps as Danny is remembering...
Because he does a lot of thinking about the past, what he should have done, what he could have done...
He knew he loved Meghan. But she was living with somebody else...
Remembering took him back to the days when the parents would settle down after dinner and the kids would all go out to see what they could get into. One funny scene about changing drivers without stopping the car will have readers totally confused as to how it was done. They had always had fun though, and that little relocation resulted in Meghan in the back seat sitting next to Danny--Cool! They always had shared so much...
If you didn't have a book in your hand, seeing the cover with a young man singing, you might think this was a story somebody was telling about their son or daughter. Herrick creates characters that are real and honest, allowing us to see what and how they are feeling. The characters reflect an integrity that you know comes from the author himself. His first book published, From the Dead, became a best seller--with good reason. Although The Landing is an entirely different book, I believe it has the potential to be one also.
The Landing is a short read, just 185 pages into which is packed the lives of one young man who had fallen in love with an older girl when he was just a young boy who found it hard to share his feelings openly. He often allowed it to be reflected in the songs that he wrote and sang and even shared with her, Meghan. Yes, her heart was affected, but, especially when school put them into separate circles and friends, a distance had developed. Now, Danny knew he either had to act or be alone, possibly forever...
So, he wrote a song...
Don't miss this one...
GABixlerReviews
Author website: www.JohnHerrick.net
When he decided to become a novelist, John Herrick did not expect to invest the next twenty years in what would seem a grueling, disconnected process.
A native of St. Louis, Herrick fell in love with writing fiction at eight years old, and by eleven, his goal shifted from short stories to a novel--and turning a hobby into a career. Challenged with a constant flow of fresh ideas and lack of patience to complete such long-term projects, he merged the written word with another love: music. Herrick spent fifteen years developing his songwriting and lent several songs to benefit recordings by nonprofit entities.
Herrick attended his first year of college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He completed his studies at University of Missouri--Columbia, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in mass communication.
While he gained ghostwriting and voice-over experience for print, radio and the Internet, Herrick spent nearly a decade in the information technology arena. To his surprise, through technical work he acquired analytical and project-management skills that would help shape his personal writing process. His project work included software development and support for the media and fund-development arenas.
Eventually fund-development executives approached Herrick and asked him to manage donor marketing and analytics for a national nonprofit media syndicate. Intrigued by the prospect of combining his creative and technical skills, Herrick accepted the challenge. By the end of his first year at the helm, the program experienced its strongest revenue performance in four years. His sense of calling, however, remained alive. When offered a promotion to directorship, Herrick respectfully declined, sensing a need to preserve his evenings for his true passion as a writer.
While he worked behind a desk at a nonprofit organization, Herrick struggled with the need to write. Armed with a concept that had burned within him for three years, he chipped away for an hour or two each evening until he completed the manuscript for his first novel, The Landing. The novel became a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. In response to reader requests, The Landing hit bookshelves in 2012.
For his second novel--his first novel to hit the shelves (in 2010)--Herrick crafted From The Dead, where he weaves together themes of life, romance, and spiritual journey. In From The Dead, Herrick examines a character who rediscovers his true destiny, acquires a fatherhood role--and discovers how far a father would go to spare the life of his son.
Herrick's work has garnered critical acclaim. The Phantom Tollbooth wrote, "There is a heart and integrity to Herrick's writing."
Looking back on the life events that culminated in his career as a novelist, Herrick admits that, on many occasions, his circumstances appeared unrelated and without focus. Yet, with regard to the journey, Herrick acknowledges, "It was a challenge but also a growth process. At the time I wondered what God's plan could be. But in retrospect, I can see His fingerprints all over it."
When he decided to become a novelist, John Herrick did not expect to invest the next twenty years in what would seem a grueling, disconnected process.
A native of St. Louis, Herrick fell in love with writing fiction at eight years old, and by eleven, his goal shifted from short stories to a novel--and turning a hobby into a career. Challenged with a constant flow of fresh ideas and lack of patience to complete such long-term projects, he merged the written word with another love: music. Herrick spent fifteen years developing his songwriting and lent several songs to benefit recordings by nonprofit entities.
Herrick attended his first year of college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He completed his studies at University of Missouri--Columbia, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in mass communication.
While he gained ghostwriting and voice-over experience for print, radio and the Internet, Herrick spent nearly a decade in the information technology arena. To his surprise, through technical work he acquired analytical and project-management skills that would help shape his personal writing process. His project work included software development and support for the media and fund-development arenas.
Eventually fund-development executives approached Herrick and asked him to manage donor marketing and analytics for a national nonprofit media syndicate. Intrigued by the prospect of combining his creative and technical skills, Herrick accepted the challenge. By the end of his first year at the helm, the program experienced its strongest revenue performance in four years. His sense of calling, however, remained alive. When offered a promotion to directorship, Herrick respectfully declined, sensing a need to preserve his evenings for his true passion as a writer.
While he worked behind a desk at a nonprofit organization, Herrick struggled with the need to write. Armed with a concept that had burned within him for three years, he chipped away for an hour or two each evening until he completed the manuscript for his first novel, The Landing. The novel became a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. In response to reader requests, The Landing hit bookshelves in 2012.
For his second novel--his first novel to hit the shelves (in 2010)--Herrick crafted From The Dead, where he weaves together themes of life, romance, and spiritual journey. In From The Dead, Herrick examines a character who rediscovers his true destiny, acquires a fatherhood role--and discovers how far a father would go to spare the life of his son.
Herrick's work has garnered critical acclaim. The Phantom Tollbooth wrote, "There is a heart and integrity to Herrick's writing."
Looking back on the life events that culminated in his career as a novelist, Herrick admits that, on many occasions, his circumstances appeared unrelated and without focus. Yet, with regard to the journey, Herrick acknowledges, "It was a challenge but also a growth process. At the time I wondered what God's plan could be. But in retrospect, I can see His fingerprints all over it."
Related Articles
http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-tour-with-john-herrick-author-of_13.html
http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-modern-day-prodigal-son-story.html
20+ years, Blogging/Reviewing, Worked PT with Christian Publisher, various positions at West Virginia University, last Associate Director, FPM
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Deon Meyer Brings Benny Griessel Back in Seven Days!
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| http://www.deonmeyer.com/xtra/xtra_7dae.html Check out other pictures behind the book! "He reached for the case file, took out the crime-scene photographs one by one and arranged them in rows in front of him. In full colour, Hanneke Sloet lay on the big, highly polished marble tiles beside a single round pillar. The red- black blood in stark contrast to her sleeveless white dress and the light grey floor. She lay on her back, right arm over her body, the right hand pressed to the wound in her belly. She had tried to stem the massive blood loss to the very end... "Griessel examined the crime-scene photos again. Stabbed only once. She lay four metres from the front door, no signs of sex. That meant an absence of semen, of bruising on the victim... "looking for statements, found a white envelope...He opened it, removed the contents. Three large colour prints. Of a living Hanneke Sloet. They excited him immediately, making him forget what he was looking for... "Lovely woman. And she knew it. She liked it, she was displaying it a little..." |
By Deon Meyer
This is my third Novel from this great author and he doesn't disappoint in providing intense, complex novels that pulls reader into the "darkest" of Africa. Blood Safari and Thirteen Hours, which won the 2011 Barry Award for Best Thriller, are the other two, as well as Seven Days, and are all quite easy to recommend to you. Michael Connelly states on the back of this latest, "Deon Meyer is one of the unsung masters." I would go further to say that if you are a fan of Connelly's novels, then you will enjoy Meyer's police procedurals/crime thrillers...
The case was cold and might have stayed that way until the emails started to come from "anonymous" who blamed the police for a cover up of the murder of Hanneke Sloet, a local lawyer. Using Bible reference, he threatens that unless the killer is arrested, he will begin shooting police officers daily...
The first were wounded, but then an officer moved during the shot and died... Benny Griessel, who is the main character, a member of an elite group called the Hawks was called in to take over While now sober, Benny constantly battles his alcohol addiction, and wasn't sure why he was brought in to head the murder case.I loved the playoff of two different but related cases, one of which was the murder headed up by Benny while Mbali, a woman after my own heart, is tasked with finding the shooter! Fortunately, both respected each other for their expertise, because both of them had a past that allowed other officers to question how they got where they were. But when the officers began falling to the sniper, all of them pulled together, working nonstop to not only solve the earlier murder which had initiated the shootings, but to also stop and arrest that shooter!
Readers will quickly pick up on the political environment within the government as well as Africa. Before long, the shooter was not happy with the response of the police and started writing to the newspaper, who then started the usual pressure and questioning whether the individual, no matter that he was shooting cops, was correct that there was a cover-up...
The amazing thing was that nobody that was involved knew anything about the murder of Hanneke Sloet! Nor could they figure out any connection that could result in the type of revenge that was happening... Benny studied the earlier file and went through all of the usual steps from the beginning and could find nothing that had been wrong or not found earlier.
And those involved in her life either were lying, or ignored some things, not understanding the possible relevance to her murder... The depth of the investigation soon was beyond belief and everybody was under the looking glass. Only one clue allowed me to hone in on my choice for the murder...but then I was wrong since Meyer followed through with a twisted ending...LOL
And then the techies become involved with the case! And as basic information on telephone calls, messaging, bank accounts, backgrounds of persons of interest are all merged and cross-matched, a member of the involved officials is pinpointed for questioning! All eyes turn toward the political arena where company fraud, money laundering, etc., are all explored. Illegal activities were being discovered, but they didn't help to solve the murder!
Benny has become a character with whom you will become emotionally involved. Now divorced, he tries to stay involved with his two children and has fallen for a star who is trying to make a comeback. But she is also an alcoholic and she both tempts Benny to drink, while at the same time, he's trying to save her and keep himself from drinking. You will almost feel his pain as she calls Benny while he is working the case, crying and asking him to come to her. The poignancy of his close relationships ensures that we recognize the danger as well as the damage to the personal lives of those who choose to serve as police officers.
Whew! Be prepared to pay attention as you start to read this one, or you might be just as lost as Benny and Mbali felt. But both kept pushing and clearing away information that did not fit...If you like shuffling through the clues, gathering the data, finding the connections, and following through to the end of a tough mystery...you gotta read this one! In fact, check out Deon Meyer's total collection. I think once you read one, you'll look for another, and another... Enjoy!
GABixlerReviews
After military duty and studying at the Potchefstroom University, he joined Die Volksblad, a daily newspaper in Bloemfontein as a reporter. Since then, he has worked as press liaison, advertising copywriter, creative director, web manager, Internet strategist, and brand consultant.
Deon wrote his first book when he was 14 years old, and bribed and blackmailed his two brothers into reading it. They were not impressed (hey, everybody is a critic ...)
Heeding their wisdom, he did not write fiction again until he was in his early thirties, when he started publishing short stories in South African magazines.
"I still believe that is the best way to learn the craft of writing. Short stories teach you a lot about story structure - and you have limited space to develop character and plot," says Deon.
In 1994 he published his first Afrikaans novel, which has not been translated, "simply because it was not good enough to compete on the international market. However, it was a wonderful learning experience."
All later novels have been translated into 25 languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Finnish, Czech, Romanian, Slovakian and Bulgarian.
Deon lives in Melkbosstrand on the South African West Coast with his wife, Anita, and they have four children to keep them busy: Lida, Liam, Johan and Konstanz.
20+ years, Blogging/Reviewing, Worked PT with Christian Publisher, various positions at West Virginia University, last Associate Director, FPM
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