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You Are Not Alone
Ninety Days is a powerful collection of poetry that takes readers through the six stages of relationships. Why was this an important collection for you to write?
The most important section for me to write was the healing section of the book. Writing the book was a therapeutic process for me and this part was especially important in my process.
My favorite poem from the book was the second one under Attraction. Do you have a favorite poem in this collection?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite. I put so much emotion into each and every poem, but one that I really felt connected with even after publishing was the 11th poem under the healing section. It really speaks to the growth and the developing love for myself after such a traumatic experience.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
You are beautiful, you are valuable, you are worthy of all good things.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your collection of poetry?
I want my readers to know that they are not alone, that in this lifetime we will all experience pain, heartbreak and loss. Healing isn’t linear but eventually you do come home to yourself and find peace.
Author Links: Website
Ninety Days
In her second book, Ninety Days, author Chyenne Daley shares a collection of poems about tragic love life. Broken down into six stages: Attraction, Intimacy, Uncertainty, Betrayal, Nostalgia, and Healing. Through her poems Daley depicts the good, the bad, and the ugly side of falling in love, facing the denial and gaslighting of a cheater, and recovering from the heartache and mental problems that can arise from a toxic relationship.
These collections of poems are graphic and depict a powerful truth of what some women and men go through when facing a cheater; worse, a toxic cheater. Daley uses very few metaphors in her poetry. Her poems are very blunt, direct and there is almost no room for misinterpreting her words. “There was always red flags, There is always red flags.”
At the beginning of Daley’s book, the poems began with rhythm. As I continued reading her collection, the poems slowly lose rhythm and became more symbolic. For example, “I remember when I saw those eyes, I knew they were for me, I declared you my own before you even got, the chance to know me…” The beginning of this poem has a decent rhythm to it, but by the end: “Protecting myself such ideas was, Essential despite the potential bliss, I could have eaten you up almost immediately, But I told myself to wait.” The poem’s end is abrupt with the change in rhythm, and I was pleasantly surprised by the change of pace.
I liked that the author didn’t stick to one way of writing poetry, instead she jumped from strong symbolism without rhythm or focus on a balance between rhythm and symbolism. This leaves the author’s poetry open for interpretation and unpredictable. In the section of Uncertainly the author looks to have shifted perspective from first POV to second POV. Where the author used “I” and “me,” Daley uses “You.” “…Will you take it as a sign to proceed, Will you risk the danger…” I do not know if this is intentional, but it threw me for a loop. I was not expecting this change in POV so abruptly. I did have to take a step back to reread the poem again but it didn’t take away from the meaning of the poem. I found Daley’s poetry deep and I easily connected to the emotional content.
Ninety Days is an emotion invoking read that will have you wanting more. This thought-provoking collection of poetry will have readers experiencing a wide span of emotions.
Pages: 44 | ASIN : B09PZF462P
War Merchant – Trailer
In a world of espionage, deception, betrayal, terrorism, and murder, Dydre uses the next assignment Zsigmond gives her—the deliverance of new technology to terrorists—to escape his merciless grip.
Dydre, a single mother, is caught up in a world she doesn’t want. Her boss Clayborne Zsigmond—a black market arms dealer—uses her six-year-old son as a pawn to keep her in line. Visitation is a reward for her obedient behavior.
Forced to deal with the worst terrorists and dictators around the world, she uses disguises and a deadly poison to give her an edge in dealing with those that want to kill her. To stay alive she has honed her skills that few could defeat.
When an opportunity occurs to break free from Zsigmond, she moves fast but the risks she takes puts her on the firing line when her plan goes deadly wrong, and success looks bleak. Those she thought she could trust betray her. Not only is her life in jeopardy but also her son’s as she finds herself pitted against Zsigmond, his mercenaries, a double-crossing businessman, terrorists, the FBI, and a man from the Department of Defense.
Deception: The Ultimate Betrayal
![Deception: The Ultimate Betrayal by [White, Jackie]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TOKyCh0-L._SY346_.jpg)
Jackie White’s Deception is built around Asia McKay, a beautiful, high flying career woman who is thrown into a whirlwind of hurt, betrayal, infidelity, confusion and depression. Her marriage comes to an abrupt end when she discovers that her husband, David, has been having an affair with her friend, Gina, an affair that leads to pregnancy producing twins- Reign and Raven in the long run. Asia and David have to go their separate ways. Moving on with her life, Asia meets a good-looking, randy medical doctor, Zaire, who follows her to Aruba and sneaks into her hotel room, subjecting her to sexual assault that results in pregnancy. On discovering that she is pregnant from Zaire, she becomes downcast and comes up with the idea of falsifying a DNA test in favor of David in order to keep Zaire far away from her and her child.
Deception is a compelling novel full of intrigue, irony and suspense that depicts the grim realities of life. The book is not larger than life, I found most of the characters believable to a heart breaking extent. The book’s laudable strength consists in its ability to hold its readers sway from start to finish, paying critical attention to details when describing events, places and people with felicitous phrasing. The omnipresent narrator has a sharp eye for details.
While I found the book to be highly entertaining and thrilling there was humor injected at just the right moments to bring a bit of levity to an otherwise suspenseful novel; a moment to relax your shoulders before the next twist. The novel employs the intense use of soliloquies with some characters like Asia, Gina and Zarie thinking aloud in their respective distressing and lonely moments. Conversations leading to overwhelming emotional outbursts are recurrent in the novel. As stated earlier, the author’s literary mastery shines through, describing turns of intricate events with sheer creativity, maturity and ingenuity.
The novel explores so many provocative themes in a way that is engaging yet understandable. Themes like betrayal, deception, infidelity, lust and love can be found in any one of our lives, but how Asia deals with these emotional obstacles is what kept me turning pages.
Pages: 280 | ASIN: B0792LCPRZ
The Spell: The Shaman’s Lover Trilogy
![The Spell (The Shaman's Lover Trilogy Book 1) by [Kemm, Georgina Lucy]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519IlVPFy1L._SY346_.jpg)
Georgina Kemm is a woman driven to rediscover herself and heal the deep-seated wounds from her past. Her journey of self-examination leads her to Peru and to the somewhat beguiling arms of one shaman named Puma. After enduring the contemptuous complacency of her husband and battling the demons continuing to rise within her own psyche, Georgina finds herself almost inexplicably drawn to return to Peru following her best friend’s final fall from grace and admission of a friend’s ultimate betrayal. Her connection to Puma and the rituals in which she participates while visiting Peru haunt her and, in the end, pull her back to the place where her life actually began.
The Spell: The Shaman’s Lover Trilogy Book I is an autobiographical account by author Georgina Kemm. Georgina lays out her experiences in a simple but spellbinding manner. As she retraces her steps during the most painful years of her adult life using first person point of view, the reader is slowly absorbed into the events of those weeks in Peru and feels present in each of the mind-bending ceremonies.
Georgina weaves the most intricate details into her descriptions of the ceremonies and the intense and overpowering sensations she feels during each session with the shaman who seems to see right into her very soul. At times, I was left wondering how Georgina was able to survive her time in the wilderness of Peru, and I was always amazed as each new day began and she was still alive to tell about it. Though her tale is one of self-discovery, it is also one of endurance and immense amounts of physical and emotional strength.
One of the most effective portions of Georgina’s story is tucked neatly within the descriptions of her apologies to her husband and the inner battle she wages when she faces her own infidelity. Though she is angry with herself, she can’t seem to understand why. Georgina has communicated her own self doubt and feelings of inadequacies eloquently and powerfully for her readers.
Another powerful aspect of her tale is the relationship she has with her best friend, Sandy. As the weeks in Peru progress, Sandy and Georgina find themselves bouncing back and forth between confidantes and strangers. I was amazed at the way the two could seem to distance themselves from one another in the jungle thousands of miles from home. It is a true testament to the spell placed on both of them as the weeks went by. After seeing the way Book I ends, I fully expect to hear more of the strained relationship between the two women in subsequent installments.
Not often enough do we find individuals willing to come forward and bare their souls and show their battle wounds the way Kemm has done with this first in a trilogy. For her eloquent self-expression and her bravery, she is to be commended.
Pages: 308 | ASIN: B07D2N66WM
Inspired by my Love of Art and Music
Mallory O’Connor Author Interview
American River: Tributaries follows three immigrant families struggling to pursue their dreams during the turbulent 1960’s. What served as your inspiration while writing this book?
My love of Northern California, the place where I grew up, and the wonderful history of the area. I was also inspired by my love of art and music and my passion for social justice issues. Immigration and ethnic diversity are the cornerstones of the story.
This book has so many fascinating characters that are well developed. What were some themes you wanted to capture in your characters?
Basically, the story focuses on the creative search for meaning, knowledge, compassion and understanding in a tumultuous world filled with prejudice, obstacles, jealousy, and betrayal. As my characters encounter these obstacles, they discover their own strengths and weaknesses and grow beyond their self-centered ambitions.
I thoroughly enjoyed the historical backdrop to the story and how well researched it was. What historical milestones were important for you to highlight in this book?
The Gold Rush had a tremendous impact on the population and culture of California. Before the Gold Rush, the population consisted mainly of Native Californians and Californios (settlers and landowners of mixed Spanish, Native Californian, and African descent). But gold fever brought people to California from all over the country and the world. The Anglo Americans (of English, Irish, or Scots descent), other Europeans (including Italians, Russians, Greeks and East Europeans), Chinese, Japanese, African Americans, and many more who came and stayed. This changed the makeup of the state’s population making it one of the most ethnically diverse in the country. So, this cultural diversity sets the scene for later entanglements.
Most of the story takes place in the 1960s, that decade that Time Magazine recently termed “The decade that changed a generation.” So, I take the reader down memory lane as my characters encounter the major issues of the time: immigration, racial prejudice, migrant workers, gay rights, women’s rights and the Vietnam War.
This is book one in the American River Trilogy. What can readers expect in book two, American River: Currents?
In Book Two, American River: Currents, a cavalcade of disasters—both personal and public—threatens to overwhelm the scattered members of the McPhalan, Ashida, and Morales clans. Alliances fray, relationships dissolve, divisive secrets are revealed, and promises are broken as the members of three California families struggle to salvage their shattered dreams. The story follows the character’s journeys to places as distant as Cleveland, Ohio, Venice, Italy, and Kyoto, Japan. From the concert halls of Europe to the artist’s lofts of Manhattan, American River: Currents is filled with passionate and resolute characters who refuse to let go of their unique visions of success—even as life’s tumultuous currents threaten to sweep them all away.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
![American River: Tributaries: Book One of the American River Trilogy by [OâConnor, Mallory M.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51o27VrET0L.jpg)
In the mid-1800s, three immigrant familiesIrish, Japanese, and Mexicansettle along the American River in Northern California. A century later, only one family remains.
Owen McPhalans Mockingbird Valley Ranch is still a thriving family business in 1959. But when his wife, Marian, leaves Mockingbird to follow her dream of becoming a successful artist, she ignites a firestorm that impacts the descendants of all three families. As artists, musicians, writers, and politicians inherit their immigrant parents hopes, they are torn apart by ambition, prejudice, and deception while struggling through the turbulent 1960s. From the concert halls of Europe to Kyotos ancient avenues, and Manhattans artists lofts to San Franciscos North Beach, they each learn the price they must pay in order to realize their dreams. But just as the river is drawn to the sea, they eventually find themselves pulled back to the place that forged the original link between their destiniesa place called Mockingbird.
American River: Tributaries follows three California families as the descendants of Irish, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants embark on unique journeys to pursue their dreams amid an unsettled 1960s world.
Decrypto: Unlock Your Life Journey
There is a warm feeling that embraces you the moment you land on the first page. The author narrates her stories in a manner that makes the reader feel like they belong. Her wording is amazing and she used the most appropriate phrases in her explanations. The book starts with the writer sharing her childhood story of being born in England. Being the ninth child of a family of ten children, she knew early that she had to be aware of self as she was born into her crowd. She goes on to talk about her life; her family emigrated to Australia then to New Zealand. She also talks about getting children in her early twenties, selling her home, buying a yacht and sailing from New Zealand to England.
The writer talks about being distressed, going through emotional agony, feeling guilty, going through betrayal and experiencing grief. It was not easy for her. Even with the trauma that Linda K. Ford went through, she was able to emerge strong in the end. I admire her attitude and perspective on life. There is a lot of wise words she shared throughout the book.
On inaccuracies of thoughts, the author discusses how we respond to the situations we are faced with on a daily basis. The author says that each one of us has the potential to experience happiness. We all can be cheerful at all times. Life is supposed to be joyful. Our past sometimes restricts us from experiencing infinite joy. I loved that in between the lines, the author posed questions for the reader to ponder over. Trauma is never a good thing. A troubling past can haunt you for years, making you feel like life is not worth it. The author also mentioned that the stronger one is emotional, the deeper they are bound to sink. How unfortunate that must be.
Her style of giving real-life example when explaining a topic is what made me enjoy this book. One of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter where she explained mental versus physical tiredness. Both are draining and can break a person. At the end of it all, the author assured the reader that there is still some hope. Don’t sit and be depressed about things that you can’t change. Life may not be a walk in the park, but there are instances and people who make our life in this universe worthwhile. When you get emotional, look for things that work for you. Talk to people who care, read a book, watch your favorite TV show, engage in a simple physical exercise; don’t just sit with a dark cloud hovering around you.
Decrypto: Unlock Your Life Journey is a book everyone who is on a quest to discover self should read. The words shared are a gem. The author enables the reader to have some hope even when things don’t go as planned.
Pages: 164 | ISBN: 0648299007
Revelations: The Colburn Curse
Natalie leads a life like no other woman. The man in her life is not her husband and her son is not her own. As a woman in the pre-Civil War days, she does as she is told, and her life is simply not her own. Her son, Matt, who she lovingly protects from the hatred and violence of his brother, the man in her life, is being raised with no idea of what true love is. As Natalie continues to serve Pete and put up with his endless brutality, she simultaneously succeeds in teaching Matt how to recognize his brother’s faults and steers him toward the life he deserves.
Catalina DuBois’s Revelations: The Colburn Curse contains rich tidbits of various genres, and they all seem to blend flawlessly into one breathtaking piece. With mystery being the underlying and ever-present element, DuBois’s book is laced with romance, historical fiction, and tantalizing snippets of fantasy.
As I read, I felt as if I were on an emotional roller coaster of the most bizarre kind. I desperately hated Pete from the moment he entered the picture. There was not a signal redeeming quality present in him, and I felt no qualms about despising the sight of his name. Then DuBois throws a monkey wrench into the equation– a complete game-changer. I was amazed at how swiftly the author was able to make me change my mind. Then, as quickly as she brought me to a new line of thinking, she reintroduces the Pete of old. DuBois is a master of the plot twist. I was two breaths away from an audible gasp when she had Natalie suddenly reveal her own revelation about Pete’s true identity. Who doesn’t yearn for a book that gives them that feeling?
I will admit that I had a difficult time in the early chapters seeing how the vast array of characters would fit together by the book’s end. DuBois, however, is more than adept at pulling together characters from settings that are seemingly unrelated. I might add, when she does, it is amazing.
The storyline centering about Ambassador Florian Lafayette and his sister, Embrasia, is the most engaging in the book. The two are, without a doubt, bent on living on the edge. Their antics would seem to lead them down a path of destruction, but a few chance meetings change the siblings and their wild ways like no amount of preaching could. I find their storyline to be filled with the most rapidly moving action.
Having read several other books by the author, I can say this one is, by far, my favorite. When you can finish a book and feel immediately like rereading it, you know you have found a keeper. DuBois is the queen of prologues. I never ceased to be amazed at her ability to pull me in within the first paragraphs. There is no one else out there penning romances with touches of fantasy based on historical fiction like Catalina DuBois.
Pages: 285 | ASIN: 1973233002
LITERARY TITAN 