This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
This is my 300th blog post for this blog and today I am reviewing and promoting a very good book on poetry, Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine by Dawn Pisturino. I bought the paperback version from US Amazon. I should mention that the focus of my blog is Leonberger dogs, but I also blog about other things.
Paperback – Publisher Horse Mesa Press (November 30, 2024), ASIN : B0DPDL87CJ, ISBN-13 : 979-8991244749, 74 pages, Item Weight : 5.8 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.17 x 9 inches, it cost $6.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher Horse Mesa Press (November 29, 2024), ASIN : B0DPCV65KT, 65 pages, it costs $3.99 on US Amazon but is free with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version book.
Amazon’s Description of Sun Haiku
This collection of traditional and non-traditional haiku is dedicated to the sun and its effects on people, animals, and the environment. Many ancient cultures worshipped the sun as the giver and sustainer of life. As the center of our solar system, life on Earth depends on the sun to grow and thrive. Of course, like anything else, too much of a good thing can have negative consequences: skin cancer, drought, cataracts, shriveled up crops, and more. That’s why we do what we can to protect ourselves while taking advantage of the sun’s positive energy. Come join me in honoring the most important body in our solar system!
To see my Review of Sun Haiku on Amazon Click Here
The Sun Gives Us Life and Death. Poems for the Mind and Spirit
Sun Haiku is a delightful poetry book featuring 365 Haiku poems about the sun, followed by a few leap year poems, two short stories, and two longer bonus poems. The poems cover a lot of sun related topics. The poems tell us that the sun gives us warmth, light, colors, beauty, sustenance, birds and flowers, uplifting freedom, it heals the mind and spirit, but it can also burn us, give us cancer, and cause draught. Be careful. The poems elaborate on the midnight sun, the solar system, and the death of the sun and the white dwarf star that it will become.
The poems are imaginative, original, clever, captivating, and a lot of fun to read. The stories were also imaginative, original and intriguing. I think my favorite poem was the bonus poem at the end called summer heat. I think it was the longest poem in the book stretching one and half pages. The words and the verses were full of life and evoked beautiful, dreamy visions of nature and sunshine. The author dedicated her book to her brother, a man who loved the outdoors but died from skin cancer. This background added an emotive aspect to her sun poems. I highly recommend this beautiful book of poems.
Other Books by Dawn Pisturino
I’ve posted about a few of Dawn Pisturino’s books.
Back cover of Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version book.
About Dawn Pisturino
Dawn Pisturino’s international publishing credits include poems, short stories, and articles. Her debut poetry book, Ariel’s Song: Published Poems, 1987 – 2023, earned five-star reviews and ranked #60 on the Amazon Best Seller list for Haiku & Japanese Poetry. Her short chapbook, Lunar Gazing Haiku, became a #1 Amazon New Release in six categories.
Haiku for the Midnight Hour, her third book, achieved #1 Amazon New Release status in three categories. Her fourth book, Sun Haiku: 365 Days of Sunshine, climbed to #1 Amazon New Release in Japanese Poetry & Haiku. She is a member of several author organizations.
When I was a teenager, I read a few of Jean M. Auels novels about pre-historic humans. I loved them and I saw the movie. Now I am reading Jacqui Murray’s novels about pre-historic humans. Jacqui Murray’s books are even more fascinating and very realistic and well researched. The latest Jacqui Murray book I’ve read is Endangered Species, the first book in her new series Savage Lands. This book is set to take place 75,000 years ago among Neanderthals and ancient Homo sapiens. I love all her books, but especially Endangered Species. You can read my Amazon review for Endangered Species by clicking here. I was also happy that she included canines as heroes in the book (Ump, White Streak, etc.) I am a dog lover after all.
Today I’m very pleased to host Jacqui Murray to help launch her new series.
Surprise! Neanderthals Never Lived in Africa
Neanderthals were widespread despite numbering only about 100,000 at a time. Their remains have been found in many areas of Eurasia, including:
Krapina, Croatia
Weasel Cave, Russia
La Ferassie, France
Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains, Russia
Sha Cave, Iraq
Kebara Cave, Israel
La Chapelle aux Saintes. France
Feldhofer Cave, Germany, the Neander Valley of Germany
Ortvale Klde, Georgia
Here’s a good map of their spread:
Yellow indicates where the Neanderthals lived.
Though their tribes covered a vast swath of geography, where you won’t find them is Africa. Yes, you will find their genetics, but this likely comes from African natives mating with Neanderthals in Eurasia and returning to Africa.
Summary
Savage Land is the third prehistoric man trilogy in the series, Man. Vs. Nature. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each tribe starring in the story considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face.
Endangered Species
In Endangered Species, Book One of the trilogy, Yu’ung’s Neanderthal tribe must join with Fierce’s Tall Ones—a Homo sapiens tribe–on a cross-continent journey that starts in the Siberian Mountains. The goal: a new homeland far from the devastation caused by the worst volcanic eruption ever experienced by Man. How they collaborate despite their instinctive distrust could end the journey before it starts or forge new relationships that will serve both well in the future.
Badlands
In Badlands, Book Two, the tribes must split up, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. They struggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral than human. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groups or escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.
Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to potentially life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.
Trailer for Endangered Species
Book Information Endangered Species
Paperback – Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ISBN-10 : 1942101643, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101642, 301 pages, Item Weight : 1.15 pounds, Dimensions : 6 x 0.68 x 9 inches, it currently cost $ 15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ASIN : B0DJ9Y7PQ8, 323 pages, it costs $4.99 on US Amazon but is free with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audio – ASIN : B0CY6YQL83, Narrator : Virtual Voice, Listening Length : 8 hours 1 minutes, it costs $1.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Book Information Badlands
At the moment the only the Kindle version of Badlands is available for preorder. Again, the publisher is Structured Learning LLC and the release is scheduled for April 15, 2025. It cost $4.99 on US Amazon. Click here to pre-order it from Amazon.com.
Excerpt: Chapter 1 of Endangered Species
75,000 years ago,
What we call Germany today
Jun was lost. Again. He gripped his thick-shafted spear in one hand, throwing stones in the other, and brushed aside the prickle of fear that flooded his body.
It wasn’t being alone that worried him. This was his first time hunting with the clan. He’d wanted to do well.
Initially, Jun had kept pace with the hunters, his strides long and easy, eyes firmly locked on the back of the male in front of him, but—as too often happened—he became distracted by a bird’s call and wandered off to find it, maybe talk to it. Someone shouted his name, far away and so muted, he barely heard it. He didn’t respond, of course. Upright voices would frighten the bird if it hadn’t already fled. He hunkered into the underbrush, reduced his breathing, and squatted there long … longer … but the bird fell silent.
I’ll look for it next time I’m out here.
He stood. Feet spread, ears perked, he twisted around, and to his horror, didn’t recognize where he was. Nor did he hear the sounds of his fellow hunters moving along Deer’s trail.
I wandered farther than I intended, and hurried away, through the leaves and dirt, hoping to find Deer’s trace or his clan’s prints, but found neither so he shouted. The sound echoed harshly through the trees.
No response.
They can’t be far. By now, they must know I’m not with them.
He hugged his arms around his chest, suddenly cold, and tilted his head up. Sun had moved, a lot. Instead of worrying him, it comforted him.
I’ll stay here until they return.
He crouched, picked at the forest’s hearty overgrowth, ate a few worms, and waited. No one came. He called several times, but all he heard were insects, a snake slithering, and squirrels chattering.
I’ll go where Deer is.
He knew where the herd headed because he’d followed it several times to where it ate the fresh young grasses, safe, it thought, from prying eyes. He trotted down what he hoped would end up their trail, searching for trace, listening for the rustle of hide-covered bodies passing through dense brush carrying carcasses. Finally, later than expected, he found Deer’s path, but they didn’t stop in their usual place. They must have known they were being stalked—the hunters were noisy—and trotted into a scree pile as though knowing that would conceal prints, which it did. Jun could either keep wandering until he re-located the clan’s path or make his way back to the camp.
He checked Sun, but it was now hidden by clouds.
He crouched, comfortable in his waiting. No one would be surprised. He often returned late with tales of an excursion rather than armloads of meat to feed the clan. The group would have ejected him, forcing him to make his way alone, but his mother was the clan healer and wouldn’t allow it. She was training him to take over when her stiff joints and failing eyesight meant she could no longer fulfill her duties. He had no interest in illnesses, but understood he must fulfill some duty or lose the tribe’s protection. As a result, he assisted her if he couldn’t avoid it and learned enough about herbs and mulches and poultices to be tolerated.
None of which helped him now.
I can’t wait, and scrambled up a hillock, found a landmark he knew, and headed toward it along a debris-laden forest floor, head up, eyes shut to concentrate on a panoply of delightful odors. He heard the hiss but as background noise to his meandering daydreams. By the time it stiffened his hackles and his eyes popped open, it was too late.
Snake!
Jun stabbed with his spear, to frighten not kill, but missed. Snake didn’t. A blur of movement and pain seared through Jun’s body. He collapsed with a thud and Snake slithered away. Jun attempted to stand and crumpled.
I’ll crawl along the path. The hunters will see me on their way back. Sweat broke out across his forehead. As will predators.
He scuttled into the dirt-clotted root ball of a towering tree, sharing the cozy space with worms, slugs, and spiders.
I’ll call out if I hear someone.
He tamped down the pain and dug through his shoulder sack. No surprise, he forgot to restock his treatments. He tried to blink the dust from his eyes and then rubbed, using the cleanest part of a grubby finger. He mulled over what to do as his ankle swelled bigger than his calf and heat flushed through his body. Everything around him spun and his eyes drooped. The more he strained to think, the more his head throbbed. He tucked his legs against his chest and imagined Snake’s poison infecting his insides.
How do I stop it before it stops me?
He solved it by passing out.
The scrape of a foot awoke Jun. Every part of his body hurt, but he managed to crack one eye. An Upright female not his kind strode toward him, a spear in one hand and a blistering frown on her face. He should say something, but his mouth was too dry.
She acts like she knows me.
He tried to rise, but no part of his body cooperated so he stared at her, worried and somewhat disturbed by the dark fury she directed at him.
Why is she so angry? I’ve done nothing to her.
Seeing his swollen red ankle did nothing to soften her attitude. Disgust washed over her in waves and her fists clenched a rough-hewn lance so tightly, the whites of her knuckles gleamed.
There is something familiar about her….
She had the small skull, long limbs, and narrow torso of a Primitive, lacking the musculature common to Jun’s kind. And it hit him.
“Xhosa?”
She growled in response, a sound so like hatred, he would have pulled back if the tree trunk didn’t stop him.
The female Xhosa visited his dreams often and they got along well. They discussed topics no one shared his interest in—where the herds went during their migrations, why Spider’s thin silken strands were so strong, why Sun left if Moon arrived. Did one orb fear the other or had they arranged to share the sky in this way? These types of curious queries annoyed everyone in his tribe, but excited Xhosa.
“Why are you here? I only see you in dreams.” He squiggled, attempted to stand, and collapsed. “Am I dreaming?”
“No, Shanadar. You have forced me to come in person. Night is approaching. It is not safe to be out here alone. Return to your homebase. I have plans for you and being eaten by Cat isn’t one of them.”
Her lips didn’t move nor were her words the clan’s, but he understood what she said. He wanted to ask why she cared if the night stalkers ate him, but what he said was something else entirely.
“Snake poisoned me.”
Shock flashed through her eyes and she scowled. “I see. You won’t be leaving on schedule.”
His head spun, started to ask what schedule, but stopped himself. Whatever the answer no longer mattered.
“Xhosa. Snake killed me. Well, there are treatments for Snake’s venom, but I didn’t bring them. Mother has them, but I can’t get to her fast enough. And the hunters—I don’t know what happened to them. They should have come by now….”
His voice trailed off. Talking exhausted him. Still, he owed her one more explanation. “Whatever your plan, it can no longer include me.”
She dismissed him with a flip of her fingers. “You’re not going to die, Shanadar. Come. My kith can take care of you.”
“Shanadar,” he mumbled. “She keeps calling me Shanadar.” She didn’t explain why and he didn’t ask. Or mind.
But he did ask about kith as Xhosa yanked him to his feet—foot, the injured one dangling uselessly above the ground—encircled her arm around his waist and draped his around her shoulder before replying.
“You call your group a clan. Ours is kith. The Tall Ones are a band, the Canis Pack.”
Tall Ones? He tried to make sense of her answer, but the words got lost in his muddy thoughts.
I’ll ask later.
They slid through the forest, well beyond his clan’s area and Deer’s favorite eating spots, past a tree tall enough to touch Sun. He’d never seen it before. Did it just grow? Soon, they reached a gathering of Primitives the size of Jun’s clan crouched by an overhang. All had low foreheads, prominent brow ridges, and body shapes like a shorter version of the tall slender strangers who occasionally passed through the clan’s territory—
That’s who she called Tall Ones!
The kith members wore long wraps or capes like Xhosa’s, unsewn, as though they simply cut a hole in a pelt big enough for their head to push through. No capes or wraps, and foot coverings were fur or bark strapped to feet.
But the dark, deep eyes, fixed on the new arrival, shone with intelligence. They blinked a greeting before resuming their work.
“They expected us?”
“No. They have adjusted to strangers trailing in here with me.”
Jun’s eyes popped open. “Other Uprights?”
She chuckled, the first smile he’d seen from her since she showed up. “Usually pawed and tailed.”
He had no idea what to ask about that and didn’t bother trying. Ignoring the growing ache in his leg took all his energy. She has much to explain, but it will wait until I recover.
Xhosa pushed him gently toward a boulder. “Crouch there.”
He collapsed. His good leg was numb. Even if she hadn’t told him to rest, he couldn’t have gone farther. The relief to his pounding ankle was overwhelming. He stilled his entire body, his breathing shallow as another Primitive approached, holding supplies eerily similar to those Jun’s mother carried. Then, before he could blink, she cut across Snake’s puncture and squeezed. He started to scream, but stopped because he felt nothing. The poison dried up and Xhosa scrubbed the puncture. Once she deemed it clean, she applied moss to suck out new impurities, as his mother would. All Xhosa’s ministrations were like his mother’s except Xhosa’s didn’t hurt. Mother’s always did.
Xhosa rotated back on her heels with a grunt of either satisfaction or hopelessness. Jun was too hot, tired, and sick to care.
She stood. “I will deposit you where I found you. You will awake groggy, feeling unwell, but you will be fine.”
When I awake? What does she mean?
“I am—”
But Xhosa wasn’t listening.
Author Bio
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes 100+ books on tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.
Author’s Social Media Contacts
Click on the links below to visit the author’s media
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Today I am posting about Green Earth (Science in the Capital Trilogy) by Kim Stanley Robinson, a thick book. It is 1,088 pages to be exact. I gave it four stars, not five, so I am not entirely enthusiastic about it. It featured a few pages of anti-capitalist rhetoric (the author is very left-wing), which I found to be annoying and out of place, as well as some distracting dialogue and subplots that I thought the book could have done without. A book with more than 1,000 pages should be as lean and fast paced as possible.
I am still promoting it because I think Kim Stanley Robinson’s books in general are very good books and it is one of the more prominent books in a relatively new genre that is gaining significant traction, so called cli-fi, or climate science fiction. Cli-fi deals with the impacts of climate change and global warming and is one of the fastest-growing literary subgenres. Major publishers are releasing more titles in the genre and some cli-fi works are being adapted into films, TV series, and other media formats. Amazon typically lists these books as science fiction. It is a subgenre to keep an eye on.
Paperback – Publisher : Del Rey; Abridged edition (November 3, 2015), ISBN-10 : 1101964839, ISBN-13 : 978-1101964835, 1088 pages, Item Weight : 2.22 pounds, Dimensions : 6.1 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches, it cost $ 19.39 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Green Earth. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s Description of Green Earth
The landmark trilogy of cutting-edge science, international politics, and the real-life ramifications of climate change—updated and abridged into a single novel
More than a decade ago, bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson began a groundbreaking series of near-future eco-thrillers—Forty Signs of Rain, Fifty Degrees Below, and Sixty Days and Counting—that grew increasingly urgent and vital as global warming continued unchecked. Now, condensed into one volume and updated with the latest research, this sweeping trilogy gains new life as Green Earth, a chillingly realistic novel that plunges readers into great floods, a modern Ice Age, and the political fight for all our lives.
The Arctic ice pack averaged thirty feet thick in midwinter when it was first measured in the 1950s. By the end of the century it was down to fifteen. One August the ice broke. The next year the breakup started in July. The third year it began in May. That was last year.
It’s a muggy summer in Washington, D.C., as Senate environmental staffer Charlie Quibler and his scientist wife, Anna, work to call attention to the growing crisis of global warming. But as they fight to align the extraordinary march of modern technology with the awesome forces of nature, fate puts an unusual twist on their efforts—one that will pit science against politics in the heart of the coming storm.
Praise for the Science in the Capital trilogy
“Perhaps it’s no coincidence that one of our most visionary hard sci-fi writers is also a profoundly good nature writer—all the better to tell us what it is we have to lose.”—Los Angeles Times
“An unforgettable demonstration of what can go wrong when an ecological balance is upset.”—The New York Times Book Review
An Interesting but Frightening Vision of the Future plus some Unnecessary Filler
In a future that is not too distant climate change / global warming is beginning to cause havoc. An island nation founded by Tibetan refugees is washed away due to sea level rise, the west Antarctic ice sheet is breaking up, the arctic ice disappears in the summer, the gulf stream is beginning to shut down, there’s severe storms, floods, extreme heat and drought, as well as extreme cold. Washington DC is ironically hard hit by natural disasters. The story is focused on Washington DC and to a lesser degree San Diego, California. There are scientists looking for solutions and politicians deflecting and other politicians who act on the problem.
One of the main characters is Frank Vanderwals, a respected scientist working for the National Science Foundation, falls in love with a woman, Caroline, who is involved in a very dangerous high level political intrigue and plots. He is homeless for a period of time during which Washington DC is hit by a record winter storm. Other characters in the book are Diane, who is the director of the National Science Foundation, Senator Phil Chase who is running for President, scientists Charlie and Anna Quibler and their children Nick and Joe. Charlie is an advisor to Phil Chase. Yann Pierzinski is a genius scientist who developed some algorithms that may be important for human genome editing and for solving climate change. I can add that the National Science Foundation is a real organization that I have a special connection with because they funded robotics research I did when I was young. I thought this was a fun aspect of the book. Other organizations mentioned were often made up.
This book has a lot to offer. There’s interesting science, climate change discussions, political intrigue, deadly games, thorough and well-done character development, and a lot of interesting subplots. The plot is rich and complicated but for the most part interesting. I enjoyed the discussions on gene editing, climate change, and the discussion on how to prevent the shut down of the Atlantic current. I enjoyed the discussions on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, Yann Pierzinski’s algorithms, and Frank’s experiences as a homeless man. I slept in tents in the forest in northern Sweden when I did my Swedish army service and it was 40 below, so I very much identified with Frank during the winter storm in Washington DC. Some creepy but interesting features of the plot were the secret microchipping of people and the possibility of manipulating voting machines. I have a lot of good things to say about this book.
A few things I did not like about the book was that some of the dialogues and subplots seemed unnecessary and contained references to drugs or detailed romantic courtship that seemed out of place and added more pages than necessary to a book that is 1088 pages long. Sometimes the character development was too slow and featured unnecessary details. Frank was throwing frisbees with homeless people for a considerable amount of pages. Both Frank and Charlie seemed a bit incompetent despite their high-level positions. I also did not appreciate the leftwing / socialist propaganda around page 500. I realize that is how the author views the world, but it is not how I see things. The book seems to take place somewhere between 2030 and 2050 based on the futuristic technology and science described as well as the effects of climate change and yet there are payphones and Vietnam veterans. But maybe people will live longer, and payphones will make a comeback. Overall, I liked the book, and I recommend it, even though I think it would have been better, and 100 or 200 pages shorter, if the content I just complained about had been taken out.
Back cover of Green Earth. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version of the book.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Today I would like to promote a hilarious and fun travel memoir by D.G. Kay called “Have Bags Will Travel” (editor Talia Leduc). I bought the paperback version.
Paperback – Publisher : D.G. Kaye (September 18, 2015), ISBN-10 : 0992097495, ISBN-13 : 978-0992097493, 88 pages, Item Weight : 3.35 ounces, Dimensions : 5.06 x 0.2 x 7.81 inches, it cost $8.24 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : D.G. Kaye (September 16, 2015), ASIN : B015HP1R6S, 90 pages, it costs $2.99 on US Amazon. It is free with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Have Bags Will Travel. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
“An honest MUST-READ memoir (psst…it WILL fit in your carry-on tote or purse!) filled with solid advice for the uninitiated and nostalgia for the seasoned traveler. An endearing whirlwind jaunt with the humor, wit, and good ol’ common sense we’ve come to expect from the fiery-haired shopaholic author, D.G. Kaye!”—Deborah A. Bowman, advanced clinical psychological hypnotherapist (ACPH), author of the Denny Ryder Paranormal Crime Series “Travel, shopping, fabulous locations—and an insider tip on where to buy the best-priced designer shoes. What more could a girl want?”—Deborah Jay, author of the epic fantasy The Prince’s Man and Desprite Measures, a Caledonian Sprite urban fantasy D.G. Kaye is back, and as she reflects on some of her more memorable vacations and travel snags, she finds herself constantly struggling to keep one step ahead of the ever-changing guidelines of the airlines—with her overweight luggage in tow.
Her stories alert us to some of the pitfalls of being an obsessive shopper, especially when it comes time for D.G. to bring her treasures home, and remind us of the simpler days when traveling was a breeze. In her quest to keep from tipping the scales, D.G. strives to devise new tricks to fit everything in her suitcases on each trip. Why is she consistently a target for Canada customs on her return journeys? D.G.’s witty tales take us from airports, to travel escapades with best friends, to reflections on how time can change the places we hold dear in our hearts. Her memories will entertain and have you reminiscing about some of your own most treasured journeys—and perhaps make you contemplate revamping your packing strategies.
The author loves to travel, and she loves to shop, especially for shoes. As a result, she overpacks, which leads to complications. In addition, she quite frequently has problems with the Canadian customs. They can see her shopping face and know that she is guilty. She also has problems with security. She might have OCD and suffer from germophobia, which complicates her travelling. How do you survive planes and hotels having germophobia? Well, you need elaborate procedures which may be exhausting to the author but comical to the reader. In the book she claims it is not a disorder but a lifestyle.
This book is a travel memoir with some travel advice, but primarily I think it is comedy. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. I’ve traveled to many countries myself, but I usually pack very light, and I don’t do much shopping. I even went on a 3 weeklong business trip to India with only a small carry-on bag. Therefore, I don’t entirely understand why she overpacks so much, but then I don’t need a dozen pair of shoes everywhere I go. Her travel adventures are very entertaining, but I can imagine that being her travel companion would be stressful. It was a fun short book.
Back cover of Have Bags Will Travel. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the kindle version of the book.
About the Author
D.G. Kaye was born and resides in Toronto, Canada. She is the author of Conflicted Hearts – A Daughter’s Quest for Solace From Emotional Guilt, Meno-What? – A Memoir, Words We Carry, Have Bags, Will Travel, P.S. I Forgive You, and her newest release – Twenty Years: After “I Do”. Kaye is a nonfiction/memoir writer and writes about her life experiences, matters of the heart and women’s issues.
Kaye writes to inspire others. Her writing encompasses stories taken from events she encountered in her own life, and the lessons that were taken from them. Her sunny outlook on life developed from learning to overcome some of the many obstacles that challenged her. From an emotionally neglected childhood, to growing up with a narcissistic mother, leaving her with a severely deflated self-esteem, D.G. began seeking a path to rise above her issues. When she isn’t writing intimate memoirs, Kaye brings her natural sense of humor into her other works.
D.G. began writing when pen and paper became tools to express her pent-up emotions during a turbulent childhood. Her writing began as notes and cards she wrote for the people she loved and admired when she was afraid to use her voice.
Through the years, Kaye journaled about life, writing about her opinions on people and events and later began writing poetry and health articles for a Canadian magazine as her interest grew in natural healthcare. Kaye became interested in natural healing and remedies after encountering a few serious health issues. Against many odds, D.G. has overcome adversity several times throughout her life.
D.G. began writing books to share her stories and inspiration. Her compassion and life experiences inspire her to write from the heart. She looks for the good and the positive in everything, and believes in paying it forward.
“For every kindness, there should be kindness in return, Wouldn’t that just make the world right?”
D.G.’s Favorite Saying: “Live. Laugh. Love …and don’t forget to breathe!”
When D.G. is not writing, she’s reading. Her favorite genres of reading are: biographies, memoirs, writing and natural health. Kaye loves to read about people who overcome adversity, victories and redemption and believes we have to keep learning–there is always room for improvement! She loves to cook, travel, and play poker (when she gets the chance).
You can find D.G. on social media and her author and blog pages:
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Today I would like to promote a very good and uplifting supernatural thriller by Gwen M Plano called “The Soul Whisperer’s Decision”. I bought the paperback version.
Paperback – Publisher : Fresh Ink Group (January 15, 2024), ISBN-10 : 1958922625, ISBN-13 : 978-1958922620, 146 pages, Item Weight : 7.2 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.31 x 9 inches, it cost $16.95 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Hardcover – Publisher : Fresh Ink Group (January 15, 2024), ISBN-10 : 1958922633, ISBN-13 : 978-1958922637, 146 pages, Item Weight : 12.5 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.38 x 9 inches, it cost $25.95 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Fresh Ink Group (January 15, 2024), ASIN : B0CPGXLD95, 149 pages, it costs $4.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of The Soul Whisperers Decision. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
Sarah Jameson, a nurse at County Central Hospital, survives an accident that kills her two young children. While comatose, she travels into the heavenly realm where she visits with her precious little ones. She is given a choice – return to her husband, Jack, or remain with her children in their celestial home.
Jack was not in the fated automobile. Though he heard the crash and ran to help, there was nothing he could do. He suffers the loss of his children, fears the potential demise of his wife, and wonders about his own sanity. His struggle with PTSD from his military years has returned and at times, he cannot distinguish between the present and the past.
An accident tragically changed the lives of this young family, but out of sorrow emerges unexpected blessings.
This is my five-star review for The Soul Whisperer’s Decision by Gwen M Plano
A Beautiful Feel-Good Story
A devastating tragedy strikes a happy family. A drunk truck driver runs a red light and smashes into Sarah’s car and kills her two young children as well as her, well sort of. Jack, Sarah’s husband is a veteran from the Afghanistan war, and he already suffers PTSD from what he experienced there, including seeing the Taliban killing children. Jack does not cope very well. Sarah visits a spiritual realm where she is given the choice of staying with her children in the spiritual realm or returning to earth. Because Jack is suffering so badly, she chooses to return to life to help him. Her physical recovery is difficult but from the spiritual realm she acquires a supernatural gift or ability, which brings to mind what Stephen King refers to as “shining”. In other words, she began to shine to use King’s terminology. Thereof the name “soul whisperer”.
The story will take you to a place of deep despair then return you to a place of hope and happiness. Not only does Sarah recover, but she is able to help her family and other people using compassion and her gift and things get better and better, like a happy dream. I think the message is that there is a bigger reality that is beyond the earthly realm, and therefore it is possible to get from a place of darkness and despair and back to happiness if you choose love. The book has a religious angle but not in a way that is exclusive. You don’t choose between religions; you choose between love or not love. The book teaches you that choosing love and forgiveness is the right choice. It was an emotive but hopeful and enjoyable feel-good story that I highly recommend.
Back cover of The Soul Whisperers Decision. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardcover version of the book.
About the Author
Gwen M. Plano, aka Gwendolyn M. Plano, grew up in Southern California and spent most of her professional life in higher education. She taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. Gwen’s academic background is in theology and counseling. Recently retired, she now lives in the high desert of Arizona, where she writes, gardens, and travels with her husband.
Gwen’s first book is an acclaimed memoir, Letting Go into Perfect Love. Her second book, The Contract between heaven and earth, is a thriller fiction novel, co-authored by John W. Howell. It has received multiple awards and is an Amazon Best Seller. The Choice, the unexpected heroes, is the sequel to The Contract. It is also a thriller, involving the attempt of an unfriendly nation to take over the world. The third book in the series, The Culmination, a new beginning is an action-packed military thriller that spans the globe and involves multiple Heads of State and the threat of World War III. Only love can change the fate of humanity.
When Gwen is not writing, she’s often in the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, where she finds inspiration.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Halloween is over but I would like to promote a great thriller or horror story taking place at an astronomical observatory in New Mexico, The Astronomer’s Crypt by David Lee Summers. It is an action packed and fun story that is not as heavy as the previous book I reviewed (Mr. B. Gone).
Paperback – Publisher : Hadrosaur Press (June 2, 2020), ISBN-10 : 1885093918, ISBN-13 : 978-1885093912, 256 pages, Item Weight : 11.7 ounces, Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.64 x 8.5 inches, it cost $12.95 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Hadrosaur Press; 2nd edition (June 2, 2020), ASIN : B089LRV6BC, 258 pages, it costs $3.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of The Astronomer’s Crypt. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
Two years ago on a stormy night, in the dead of winter, Mike Teter experienced something that would change his life forever. Mike was a telescope operator at the world renowned Carson Peak Observatory in New Mexico. We won’t tell you what he saw that night on the mountain nor what happened afterward on a dark stretch of highway, because it would haunt you just as it has haunted Mike. But what we will tell you is that Mike is back at Carson Peak. And what he witnessed that night two years ago is about to become a reality…
An Intense and Fun Horror Thriller Taking Place in an Astronomical Observatory
The protagonist Mike Teter is a telescope operator at a fictitious observatory in New Mexico, the Carson Peak observatory. The Carson Peak observatory features two large buildings hosting a 5-meter and a 2.5-meter telescope. It is located on sacred land adjacent to an Apache reservation. There are caves nearby that host ancient sacred artifacts that should not be removed from the caves. The observatory is a labyrinthine and dangerous place that appears to be haunted. There are long corridors and hidden rooms. The observatory has a history of deadly accidents. For example, a Dr. Burroughs and a graduate student had been killed there.
One day Mike has what seems to be hallucinations. A large ancient evil creature looking like a mix of a dinosaur and a bird appears before him, and he encounters a talking coyote that gives him a warning about the sacred portals, he sees the ghost of Dr. Burroughs, and he witnesses the gruesome death of his friend the Astronomer Dr. Wallerstein. He’s had enough and he quit his job only to return to it at a later time. He thought that the things he saw were just nerves. However, this time things really go amiss. A creepy but wealthy lawyer by name of Mr. Vassago is trying to acquire sacred artifacts. There are drug cartel thugs, greedy adventurers, freak accidents, severe storms, hostage situations, ghosts, and ancient evil monsters. Mike Teter is faced with a very complicated and nightmarish situation.
The story is action packed, suspenseful and features a lot of plot twists. The characters are well-developed, relatable and multi-layered. The observatory is realistically described, and it is obvious that the author is very familiar with astronomical observatories. As you read this book you will learn something about observatories as well as the job of telescope operators. The author skillfully creates a chilling scenery of a dark haunted observatory, which brought my imagination to the spaceship in the movie Alien. It is obvious that the author is highly intelligent. A lot of things happened in just a few pages, and it was difficult to put the book down. It is one of the most intense and fun horror thrillers I’ve ever read, and I highly recommend it.
Back cover of The Astronomer’s Crypt. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the kindle version of the book.
About the Author
David Lee Summers is an author, editor and astronomer living somewhere between the western and final frontiers in Southern New Mexico. He is the author of twelve novels. His short stories and poems have appeared in numerous magazines including Cemetery Dance, Realms of Fantasy, Star*Line, and The Santa Clara Review.
David also edited Tales of the Talisman Magazine for ten years. When he’s not writing, he operates telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Since it is Halloween, I decided to post a review for one of the most disturbing horror books that I’ve ever read. The book is Mister B Gone by Clive Barker, and it is the memoirs of a Demon. If “Clive Barker” does not ring a bell, his novel Hellbound Heart was the foundation for the Hellraiser series of eleven movies (with Pinhead). Clive Barker’s books have spawned dozens of movies.
Warning
First a warning. As you read this book a demon from hell will start speaking to you inside your head. It happens to everybody reading this book. The book also contains information about good and evil not meant for humans. Ask yourself, do you really want to know? In fact, the first words of the book are “Burn this book. Go on. Quickly, while there’s still time. Don’t look at another word. Did you hear me? Not. One. More. Word.”
Unlike many other books by Clive Barker, this book is not about gore and the macabre. It is not disgusting. However, it is very creepy. The narrator of the story is a demon from hell by the name of Jakabok Botch. He is evil and he eats babies, but he’s got a lot of interesting things to say. The question is whether you can stomach it. I should say I got the hardcover version.
Paperback – Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (October 21, 2008), ISBN-10 : 0061562491, ISBN-13 : 978-0061562495, 248 pages, Item Weight : 10.4 ounces, Dimensions : 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches, it cost $ 14.39 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Hardcover – HarperCollins; First Edition (October 30, 2007), ISBN-10 : 0060182989, ISBN-13 : 978-0060182984, 256 pages, Item Weight : 1.1 pounds, Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.95 x 8.25 inches, it costs $17.03 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (October 13, 2009), ASIN : B000W9661Q, 258 pages, it costs $1.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audio – ASIN : B000Y4RRZ8, Narrator : Doug Bradley, Listening Length : 6 hours 28 minutes, it costs $0.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Mister B. Gone. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
From Clive Barker, the great master of horror and the macabre, comes a brilliant and truly unsettling tour de force of the supernatural—a terrifying work that escorts the reader on an intimate and revelatory journey to uncover the shocking truth of the battle between Good and Evil.
“Burn this book!”
So warns Jakerbok, the spellbinding narrator of this fabulously original “memoir,” a tale of good and evil deliberately “lost” for nearly six hundred years. Jakerbok is no ordinary soul; he is a minion of hell with a terrifying plan to cast the world into darkness and despair—a plan thwarted by a young apprentice of Johannes Gutenberg who buried the one and only copy of this damnable manuscript that his master printed in 1438.
Compelling and direct, Jakerbok shares the secrets of his life, going back centuries to recall the events that shaped his childhood, including the traumas he suffered at the hands of his parents, super demons themselves. He explains how he rose from “minor” to “major” demon status, and gleefully reveals his nefarious plot to “invade” the minds and hearts of unwitting humans everywhere thanks to the ingenious Gutenberg and his invention. “Burn this book!” he advises throughout—a taunt, a warning, and a command that will actually unleash the evil with which he has hidden in every word and every page, infusing the very ink and paper upon which they are printed.
Inventive and irresistible, Mister B. Good reaffirms Clive Barker is one of our most brilliant and original voices, an artist with a keen insight into mysteries deep within the human heart.
Below is my review written for this blog post. I have not yet written a review for Amazon.
This is a quite unique book. It is both a story about a demon and a disturbing conversation with that demon. The demon, Jakabok Botch, escaped the ninth circle of Hell in the 14th century. He has been with us ever since and if you buy this book and read it, he will be with you too. Clive Barker has made sure, through his writing style, that you will hear the demon’s voice. He will be much closer to you than you could guess. Jakabok Botch is ugly, severely burned, he has two tails, he hates mankind, and he likes to take warm baths in the fresh blood of infants. He had a hellish childhood so despite him raising hell on earth and being so cruel, you also feel sorry for the demon, and you sort of start liking him too, like a beast you feel close too.
In the book there are several requests to stop reading the book and burn it instead. This may seem odd, but it sets the tone for the book. The book tells a strange and disturbing but good story. It is creepy as well as philosophical. The demon, Jakabok Botch, asks the reader at some point why demons are condemned to hell, but humans are given a chance to escape hell, when humans can be just as evil. The demon had just witnessed people in the 14th century lustfully murder and torture each other, including burning pregnant women as witches. He thinks he can’t do any worse himself, so why shouldn’t all humans be with him in hell. No wonder he hates humans. What choices do we have, and what choices do demons have?
An episode in the book that I found to be quite intriguing was the war and the subsequent negotiation between the angels of heaven and the demons of hell over the written word at the time and place of Gutenberg’s invention. This event determined our future, and this book also has a in this history.
I found the book to be interesting and creative. Clive Barker’s imagination is amazing. The comparisons between the heartless barbarism of people in less enlightened times, as well as today, and that of demons in hell were enlightening. Is earth just like another circle of hell in which we are our own demons? I think this book was an attempt by Clive Barker to reach a wider audience. A lot of people cannot stomach his gory, macabre and often disgusting stories. This book did not have much of that. Instead, it focused on maximizing the creepiness factor. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to horror fans, even those who are turned off by the gore in Clive Barkers more typical stories. However, be aware, it is very creepy, and you will hear the voice of a demon in your head.
Back cover of Mister B. Gone. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardcover version of the book.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Since Halloween is coming up, I decided to post a review for one of the most disturbing horror books that I’ve ever read, Books of Blood. Books of Blood is an anthology divided into six volumes. This book is volume one to three. If “Clive Barker” does not ring a bell, his novel Hellbound Heart was the foundation for the Hellraiser series of eleven movies (with Pinhead). Books of Blood spawned seven movies. I read the paperback version.
I should mention that the stories in Books of Blood are very imaginative but disturbing and macabre and should not be read by children, and perhaps not even by young adults. There are bizarre depictions of violent deaths as well as some sexual themes. Other than demons, Clive Barker’s books do not include many standard horror characters such as vampires or zombies, and his stories also tend to be unique.
Paperback – Published October 1, 1998, by Berkley, ISBN-10 : 0425165582, ISBN-13 : 978-0425165584, 507 pages, Item Weight : 1.1 pounds, Dimensions : 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches, it cost $13.13 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Hardcover – Published January 1, 1999, by Little, Brown, ISBN-10 : 0316853674, ISBN-13 : 978-0316853675, 512 pages, Item Weight : 1.26 pounds, it costs $32.10 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Books of Blood Volume 1-3. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
Rediscover the true meaning of fear in this collection of horror stories from New York Times bestselling author Clive Barker.
“The most provocative tales of terror ever published.”—The Washington Post
Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we’re opened, we’re red…
With the publication of Books of Blood, Clive Barker became an overnight literary sensation. His tour de force collection of brilliantly disturbing tales demonstrated a genius for dark invention that rivaled Poe and Sade. He was hailed by Stephen King as “the future of horror,” and won both the British and World Fantasy Awards.
Now, with his numerous bestsellers, graphic novels, and hit movies like the Hellraiser films, Clive Barker has become an industry unto himself. It is his powerful writing style and arresting imagery that have made Books of Blood a classic—and Clive Barker a cult phenomenon.
Below is my review written for this blog post. I have not yet written a review for Amazon.
Simon McNeal is a quack pretending to be a medium. He is pretending to channel the spirits in a house that he claims is haunted. Unbeknownst to Simon, the house is haunted for real, and it is located on the highway of the dead and haunted by thousands of spirits. His fakery angers the spirits of the dead who have real stories to tell, horrific stories. They capture him and carve their stories into his skin using sharp little needles. These stories constitute the rest of the book. The concept of the Books of Blood brings to mind Ray Bradbury’s the Illustrated Man whose skin also told stories but in the form of pictures.
This book features 16 stories, and as I mentioned, are the foundation for several movies including Candyman, Lord of Illusions, Dread, Rawhead Rex, and Midnight Meat Train. The stories are disturbing and sometimes gross and they are gloomy and sad. In one story “Son of Celluloid”, a cancer tumor survives its host and gains sentience as well as psychic powers. It attacks people and implants bizarre hallucinations in people’s minds, leading to some very strange and gruesome deaths.
In another story “Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament”, a woman acquires extremely powerful telekinetic powers after a suicide attempt. After Jacqueline’s husband admits to an affair, which he blames on her gloomy personality in the same breath, she gets so upset that she screams at him to “shut up”, which causes him to bite his own tongue off. This gives her ideas, and she decides to take revenge on bad men. Working as a prostitute she lures men to their own death. Let’s just say there is not much left of them when she is done with them, thus no crime to investigate.
Clive Barker mixes the gory, the disgusting and the brutal with good story telling. His imagination is macabre but amazing. Clive Barker uses vivid depictions and our fear of pain and death, and the fear of abandonment, and the losing of our humanity, to create dread and fear as we read these short stories. Books of Blood is a collection of stories for real horror fans, and it may not be for those looking for more lighthearted horror. For that we have Stephen King. They are both great story tellers, but Clive Barker pushes the macabre further than Stephen King does, and his stories are darker and less hopeful. I highly recommend Books of Blood to real horror fans but maybe not to everyone.
Back cover of Books of Blood Volume 1-3. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardcover version of the book.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This time I would like to promote Haiku for the Midnight Hour by Dawn Pisturino. This is a wonderful book featuring spooky poetry. I bought the paperback version from Amazon for $5.99 .
Paperback – Published September 1, 2024, by Horse Mesa Press, ASIN : B0DFW6CQ7S, ISBN-13 : 979-8991244718, 64 pages, Item Weight : 5.3 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.15 x 9 inches, it cost $5.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Published August 31, 2024, by Horse Mesa Press, ASIN : B0DD3SBP6N, 64 pages, it costs $2.99 on US Amazon but is free with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Haiku for the Midnight Hour by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
This collection of haiku challenges the traditional Japanese poetic art form. Experimenting with darker images and ideas, I have created non-traditional observations that address the other side of literature and life: monsters, ghosts, natural fears, supernatural forces, fearful gods and goddesses, and whatever constitutes the Otherworld. This book was written for people who like Halloween, scary stories, and being alone in the dark.
Haiku for the midnight hour feature more than 200 spooky Haiku poems divided into 17 chapters. All poems and chapters feature a different theme. There are poems about scary animals, paranormal beings, folklore, ghosts and demons, monsters, death, outer space, fairy tales, magic, occult practices, and much more. My two favorite chapters were Spellbinding and Wee Folk.
The poems are imaginative, varied, original, different, entertaining and a lot of fun to read, especially if you are into Halloween and all things spooky, like I am. I also learned something about paranormal beings and folklore that I did not know before. Do you know what Dagda, Samhein, Arachne, Nyarlathotep, or Lughnasadh is? I think Halloween and scary stories are about imagination, pushing the limits of reality, and having fun, and that is what this poetry book is about. It is not your typical Haiku poem book. I highly recommend Haiku for the midnight hour.
Other books by Dawn Pisturino
I should add that I was also delighted to find myself mentioned in the authors afterword regarding one of her other books.
Back cover of Haiku for the Midnight Hour by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Kindle version for the book.
About the Author
Dawn Pisturino is a retired nurse in Arizona whose international publishing credits include poems, short stories, and articles. Her first poetry book, Ariel’s Song: Published Poems, 1987 – 2023, debuted with five-star reviews. Her short chapbook, Lunar Gazing Haiku, became a #1 Amazon New Release in six categories.
Her newest release, Haiku for the Midnight Hour, achieved #1 Amazon New Release status in three categories. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, PEN America, and the Arizona Authors Association.
In my Leonberger blog I sometimes post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote, and this is a book that I would like to promote. I recently read Sounds in the Silence by D.L. Finn: a mystery novel and thriller with paranormal aspects. I found this book to be very imaginative, suspenseful and fun to read and therefore I would like to promote it. It comes in a paperback edition and a Kindle edition.
Paperback – June 22, 2024, ASIN : B0D7SQJJHD, ISBN-13 : 979-8986158785, 230 pages, item weight : 14.4 ounces, dimensions : 6 x 0.52 x 9 inches, it is currently $ 9.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – June 24, 2024, ASIN B0D4C82RVQ, 232 pages. It is currently $0.99 on Amazon.com but free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
This is a scan of the front cover of the book Sounds in the Silence. Click on the photo to go to the Amazon location for the paperback version of the book.
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
Maria and Logan Davis stumbled upon the perfect old house by a secluded lake—a prime candidate for their dream inn. They knew a renovation was involved but didn’t expect a persistent ghost that pleaded to be found. Determined, Maria delved into the mystery, only to uncover a haunting love story and murder from the Roaring Twenties. Yet, the young couple’s curiosity shifts to fear when they realize someone is taking a dangerous interest in their barn. With time ticking away, they must unravel the secrets of their home’s past before it’s too late.
A Captivating Murder Mystery with Paranormal Components
Helen and Charlie live in a mansion in a small town in the mid-twenties during the prohibition. They are a happy and outgoing couple who loves to party, but they are breaking the law by drinking and serving alcohol to the indignation of many of the locals who are under the spell of an ultra-religious and menacing preacher. Maria and Logan move into the same mansion 40 years later. Maria and Logan realize that their mansion harbors a ghostly presence who seems to want to communicate.
The story is told using two timelines, which at first seem disconnected. However, the two parallel stories are presented in a seamless fashion, and they eventually connect and merge in clever ways. The secrets of the past are discovered and explained 40 years later using this technique. I think this novel primarily is a detective story and a thriller with paranormal components. With the help of the hints from the ghost, and their keen minds and perceptiveness, Maria and Logan begin to unravel the dangerous mysteries from the past thus putting themselves in danger. The evil forces from the past are still lurking in the little town.
This book is quite thrilling as well as fun to read. The story is clever and unique and there is something unexpected and interesting happening on every page. The author’s idea of how ghosts behave and the explanation for their limited abilities in the world among the living is as believable as anything I’ve read or seen in the movies. I highly recommend this intriguing and fun book.
This is a scan of the back cover of the book Sounds in the Silence. Click on the photo to go to the Amazon location for the kindle version of the book.
About the Author
D.L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy.
She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
Leonberger Life 