Blog Archives
The Day That A Ran Away
![The Day That A Ran Away by [Fegan, B.C.R.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Rs%2B3rXL%2BL._SX260_.jpg)
The Day that A Ran Away is an adorably witty story about the letters of the alphabet just deciding not to report for duty one day. Master Jet is trying to write the alphabet and he just can’t do it with all the letters on holiday. Each letter has either decided not to show up or has had something that prevented it from showing up. Understandably, it’s hard to write the alphabet without even one of the letters. Master Jet may think he is fooling his teacher, but Mrs. May is way too smart to fall for his creative tricks.
My kids are much older now, but they would have loved this book when they were little. The writing is catchy and flows well for reading aloud. The rhymes are cute. The colors are bright and eye-catching. This was especially always a hit with my own children. The illustrations are beautiful. It is very visually pleasing. It is also funny. It made me laugh a couple of times. I actually think it would be fun to read aloud. Any parent who has had to read the same book one hundred times can tell you how important it is to have a story that flows well verbally.
My favorite part of the book is the beautiful illustrations. They are by Lenny Wen. As with most children’s books, the illustrations are a huge part of whether the book is a hit or not. Since most kids are being read to at this stage, the illustrations have to really appeal to them. A nice touch was adding a few “hidden” images within each letter’s page—having the kids match the letter with the object. My kids would have loved trying to find these little gems. Overall, the artwork is beautifully done.
Together B.C.R. Fegan and Lenny Wen have created a catchy, appealing story for little kids and their parents. I really enjoyed it. I believe kids and parents everywhere would enjoy it as well.
Pages: 33 | ASIN: B07DMN4VVP
Artistic and Creative Minds
C. Penticoff Author Interview
Weathering the Wicked is a genre-crossing novel with elements of a fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
I definitely had this in mind when writing this series. I began writing this book at the ripe age of 12, believe it or not! I revised this story and started from scratch at 25 years of age, starting with a detailed outline of everything that would happen in the book.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
My favorite character to write for was June, the main character. This is because June is completely based off of my own life’s journey, experiences, and personality. That may make me sound a bit self-absorbed, but the reason writing this character was my favorite is because it was very therapeutic. As June goes through this journey, and is mentored by Jeremiah, Margaret, and Alexis, they were also mentoring me, even if unintentionally.
I learned a lot about myself while creating June.
The writing in your story is very artful and creative. Was it a conscious effort to create a story in this fashion or is this style of writing reflective of your writing style in general?
Honestly, a little bit of both. It is true that my writing style is more artistic and (almost) poetic by nature. However, I made it a point to really let my artistic writing strength shine in this series; I did this because I knew that the spiritual and fantastical theme in this book would appeal to artistic and creative minds.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be published?
The next book that will be released will be book 2 of this series, The Chronicles of Folklaria. This will be released in December, but I don’t have a specific date yet. Of course, people can always sign up for my mailing list to be alerted with this information.
In book 2, Enduring the Energy, we will get to watch June grow into a true warrior.
I am also working on a book for a 2019 release that will be a new series for young adults called “Corrupted Enchantment Saga”. It will feature familiar fairy tale lands and characters who are fighting a corrupt government system.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![Weathering the Wicked (Chronicles of Folklaria Book 1) by [Penticoff, C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vy3CfTzPL.jpg)
How far would you go to rescue someone you love? Would you travel to a magic and spiritually enlightening land that would instantly change the course of your life?
If traveling to another realm wasn’t troublesome enough, befriending a fairy, developing feelings for Ryder, and facing off with a wicked sorcerer was enough to send June’s reality into a hazy mess.
From the ashes of mortal humanity rises a young female savior to take on the wicked forces of Folklaria. With the odds stacked against her, can June conquer her fears and uncertainties to rescue, not only her sister, but an entire land riddled with wicked magic?
Weathering the Wicked
![Weathering the Wicked (Chronicles of Folklaria Book 1) by [Penticoff, C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EqPcI80vL.jpg)
Presented with a captivating plot line, charming characters, and a world full of fantasies, C. Penticoff blends worlds of reality with a captivating realm of fantastical discoveries in Weathering the Wicked.
Introducing Book One in the series, C. Penticoff demonstrates a clear focus and powerful imagination in her creation of fictional fantasy. With her sister missing and her total existence going up in flames, Jane attempts to find out what is going on, and what has happened to her sister.
Penticoff captives her readers by blending the ideas of magic, wonder and prophecies. Right from the beginning readers are drawn into a fantastical world of discovery in the hopes that June finds her sister, January. Without giving too much away, the story is set in a spiritual land called Folklaria which blends together the good and the evil. The readers then join June on her journey in this magical land in search for her sister. With June’s hopes resting on a complete stranger, can she control her fears and uncertainty to find her sister and restore the peace?
Magic, evil, suspense and mystery… are all words that I would use to describe the themes and narrative of this book. From evil wizards to witch doctors and fairies, C Penticoff really does her best to enter a world full of pure imagination.
What makes this read a truly great one is how the book is presented to the reader. In the table of contents, we see that the book has been broken into lots of small chapters, each with a character’s name. This highlights what the chapter is going to be about, which allows the reader to anticipate what is to come.
Overall, I would rate C. Penticoff’s Weathering the Wicked a 4 out of 5 stars. Whilst I appreciate a strong writing style, creative flair, and original thoughts, I found the concepts a little far-fetched. Of course, this is something you would usually expect from this genre, and would be appealing to a lover of fantasy books.
I applaud Penticoff in her creative writing and articulate use of words; and can honestly say that it offered a compelling read; something that I find often lacks in fantasy books. A triumphant and artistic piece of writing brought to you by C. Penticoff. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who takes an interest in artificial intelligence, compassion, and a longing for discovery and resolution. I look forward to reading Book 2 of this series, Weathering the Wicked.
Pages: 228 | ASIN: B075W2KYWK
Away From Home
Away from Home by Joanne Clairmont is a very real and heartbreaking look into the troubled thoughts and insecure feelings many children and teens experience when part of the foster care system. As an experienced foster mom, Clairmont has dealt with a number of heart-breaking cases of fostered teens feeling lonely, isolated, and abandoned upon entering her home. She writes vividly about the struggles and emotions those in her care have faced, and the unseen turmoil brewing within them as they are placed into yet another new environment. Oftentimes sorrowful, Away from Home is an important read in understanding the ups and downs of the foster care system by those directly experiencing it.
A short book broken up into six sections, Away from Home shares Clairmont’s foster care experiences in poem form. Each section contains several poems related to a specific type of foster child, such as The Unsettled Teenager and The Challenging Teenager. Most of the six sections share the pain and loss of security many fostered teenagers can relate to when thrust into a foster situation. The last section, titled The Independent Teenager, completes the journey of emotional growth of the foster care teenager and consists of more uplifting and positive poems.
I appreciated that the author could interpret the actions of her fostered teenagers from the first night they arrived at her house until they had grown and moved on with their lives. I found the poems in The Unaccompanied Minor and The Unsettled Teenager especially easy to connect with due to their complete realization and understanding of how a teenager would feel upon entering a new foster placement. They presented a personal psychology into the effects of the instability and adaption foster children must cope with through no fault of their own.
I especially liked how the author construed the emotions of a new placement in “Don’t know if I am coming or going.” It was a simple and realistic take on how a newly placed teenager may feel upon arriving in a new place after enduring several former placements. It captures the frustration and identifies the protective wall that has been built up to shield the fostered teenager from experiencing any more emotional loss.
While there were many poems that hit the mark in eliciting a feeling or emotion when read, there were also a few that didn’t do it for me. “It is not cool” and “No school today” seemed like unfinished thoughts or small snippets that could have been better fleshed out. I think the book would greatly benefit from some additional structuring and the addition of more personalized images. The images in the book are generic and vary in artistic design. More simplified, original artwork would do wonders to visually present the ideas and feelings of the poems.
Overall I thought Away From Home really presented the emotional psychology and depth of the foster care system and those who live it. It created a descriptive and realistic picture for those who may not be familiar with the tragedy and distress many teens experience while in foster care. Aside from the few issues I had in reading, this book was an intense, creatively written study of an important subject.
Pages: 52 | ASIN: B077QLBKSC
Because It Was Raining
Because It Was Raining, written by Skyler Worley, tells a story of a man who goes by the name of Louis. He is a complex man dealing with death, loss, and mourning whilst trying to find his place in the world. Louis joins two other lost souls, the three dysfunctional amigos, who mask their loneliness with the swirl of a pipe. Together they venture into Kansas City where they find broken homes and people, lost in the filth of their demise. Will Louis break free from the demons that haunt him and finally find himself or will he be forever lost in a world of chaos?
Because It Was Raining is a novel about grief and how we can be trapped within the constraints of our own minds. The story is simple but effective, following a friendship group who are living in a world where they attempt to solve and mask their problems with drugs and dodgy relationships.
Skyler Worley writes with a creative flair, pulling the reader in with emotive words and concepts. The language is beautiful, carefully curated together to produce a complex and vivid picture of the scenery and characters. The story seems to switch between a hazed, drug-fuelled state to a deep and contemplative mindset. Louis wants to understand the meaning of life but is tortured by the losses of his past, finding analogies in his current life situation.
Because It Was Raining deals with the complexity of death and how it can shape your life in ways you least expect. There are so many emotions and raw situations that the reader will be able to relate to, especially if they have lost a loved one.
I enjoyed watching the character progression of the character “Boobe” as she takes on a motherly role whilst still involving herself in tools to mask her depression. She has profound moments of wisdom which provokes the reader to consider life and its meaning. For example, she states that the world lacks equality and some of us are born with a silver spoon, others with a plastic fork. You can then either choose to change your fate but only within your ability to alter it. Her life is complex as well as the characters she invites into her life and home. Boobe’s story is uncovered the further you move throughout the novel, exposing explanations and reasoning to her behavior.
Each character has their own personal backstory which has led them to a place that is lonely and dark. It’s a reminder that drugs are often a coping mechanism for those who are crying out for help. Because It Was Raining triggers a sense of empathy for the characters and the tragedies that they have endured.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a story about finding life after loss and all the complexities that come with grief.
Pages: 156 | ASIN: B075ZNPVDL
The Power of Imagination
B.C.R. Fegan Author Interview
Henry and the Hidden Treasure is the story of one little boy’s quest to keep his treasure a secret from his sister. How did the initial idea for this story come about and how did it evolve as you wrote?
Imagination. Secrets. Spies. Treasure. These were all the things that I loved to read about when I was a child, so it made sense that I would incorporate these themes into a picture book sooner or later. Probably the very first thought I had when I set about writing Henry and the Hidden Treasure centered on the idea of treasure. What makes the concept of treasure so appealing to children? From there it wasn’t hard to extend this idea and ask the question: What constitutes real treasure within a family?
The story leads the reader on a journey into a child’s imagination and its endless possibilities. What do you hope your readers take away from the story?
Exactly that! I try to write every one of my books to encourage imagination. I think the mark of a great picture book is when children go beyond the written narrative and begin to explore the world of the story for themselves. Of course, it’s important to have positive themes and morals, but I try to make them subtle, or at least secondary to the imaginative qualities of the tale.
I love the brother vs. sister dynamic in this book. What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
I think anyone reading Henry and the Hidden Treasure will immediately identify with the dynamic between Henry and his younger sister. Henry has the traits of a child who is perhaps a little possessive and who is certainly suspicious of Lucy’s place in the family. Lucy is a lot more enigmatic throughout the story, but her own qualities end up challenging Henry’s perceptions.
There are a number of morals that can be highlighted in the story. Henry’s possessiveness with his ‘treasure’ not only examines his exclusive approach to playing, but has a valuable lesson in listening to parental advice. His suspicion of Lucy also challenges his ideas of what it is to have a little sister, and what it means to be the big brother. In addition to this, there are other teaching points in the story, such as the use of ordinal numbers, understanding the broad use of financial institutions, and of course, the power of imagination.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The next book coming out is called Titch the Itch. It centres on the idea of friendship and how this can be difficult when you’re an itch. It will be available on November 30 2017.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Henry and the Hidden Treasure is an imaginative adventure a young child has in defending his pocket money against his little sister. Henry constructs elaborate defensive measures that he is sure will stand up to the clever ambitions of Lucy. Little does he know, Lucy has a few tricks of her own.With a focus on introducing children to the use of ordinal numbers, Henry and the Hidden Treasure also draws out some important qualities of being a kid – such as creativity, the value of listening to parental advice, and of course, being nice to your sister.
The Victim Became Human
Kwen D. Griffeth Author Interview
The Ghost in the Mini Skirt takes an unexpected turn with ghosts, tortured souls and a darkness that leads Jack towards a supernatural mystery. What was the initial idea behind this story and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?
A few years ago, while late at night, I was driving across the desert in Arizona. I could see tumble weeds and sage brush along the side of the road and I started thinking that if an animal jumped out in front of me I would not have time to stop before hitting them. From wondering about an animal, my thoughts drifted to the same question except the victim became human. I chuckled when I thought, “How weird would it be if a human figure jumped in front of me, and I hit him only to drive through him?” From that mind game, the novel grew.
Jack is proud, smart and at times stubborn and the contrast between him and Terri makes for a unique pairing. What was your inspiration for creating the kind of relationship that Jack and Terri have?
Jack is a human computer, close to being devoid of the emotions the rest of us, at time, struggle with. He is successful with both status and wealth, but from the beginning of the book, we learn he is lonely. He longs for emotional companionship and doesn’t know how to go about finding it.
Terri had to be as strong willed as Jack (if for no other reason that not be intimidated by him) and attractive to the point of fantasy to attract him. Where Jack is strong in logic, Terri had to be strong in intuition. I think they make a great pair and they were fun to write about.
I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists present themselves to you as you writing?
Elmore Leonard said if he knew exactly where writing a novel would take him, he didn’t write it as it would be too boring. Maybe that is not an exact quote, but the meaning is there. Anyway, when I start a book I know the beginning, the middle and the end. As I write and develop the characters, I let them tell me where the story goes. It may sound strange to non-writers, but Terri demanded I delete and rewrite 37,000 words in this novel. Her ideas were better.
Do you see a possible follow up novel to this book? Where do you think you can take the story in the next installment?
Yes, Jack and Terri are too strong of characters to not have more written about them. Jack and Terri make an appearance in The Tenth Nail, Nate and Clare Book One, as well as Dead Men Walking, Nate and Clare Book Two. I am starting book two of the Jack and Terri series and the working title is “The Ghost in the Senate Chamber.”
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Twitter | Facebook
Jack Mill was the king of hackers. He was a self-made man. He tested at the genius level and he had made a reputation as well as a fortune doing what he loved, hacking computers. Jack was not only in charge of his world, he ruled it.
Jack had no contemporaries and others in his field either respected him or feared him. Jack was the man in charge. Jack was the man in charge until the night he ran over a man who wasn’t there. A man, or what Jack thought was a man appeared in the traffic lane and Jack hit him, but he didn’t. There was no body, no damage to his car, and no blood. What was going on?
Suddenly, Jack’s life was out of control and he didn’t like it. One person was there to support him, an out of work show girl named Terri. As if he was given a protector, a way to stabilize his way through the mystery, Terri arrived only a few hours before the accident. Now, she helps him find his way back to stability and maybe a fuller life.
“The Ghost in the Mini Skirt” is a tale about ghosts, murder mystery and love story all rolled into one.
Bitter Awakenings
Bitter Awakenings is the first book from an up and coming author Kester Finley. With fantastically creative writing right from the get go and a unique tone that is quickly set from the very first chapter. The book does a lot to show Kester’s enormous potential.
The plot follows Truddie Mae Watts, a woman with supernatural backing and purpose. Truddie is a ‘keeper’, a woman chosen to protect and guard the ‘veil’ between our world and what lies beyond it. Truddie is seemingly immortal, inhabiting the body of a young girl while she uses her supernatural powers to protect the veil. The story starts with her peacefully spending time at home without worry, until the veil, and all the keepers who protect it, come under threat from an occult force who hungers to see her and all keepers dead. Truddie is forced out of her peaceful existence and into a world ending scenario.
Kester Finley does a fantastic job of setting the scene and establishing expectations for the rest of the book from chapter one by setting up the books dark supernatural undertones from the moment you start reading.
The plot seemed to bounce around a bit, leaving me confused at times. On the other hand, the premise is rather unique and executed very well. Kester has a fantastic writing style that dives into deep detail and explains almost everything with incredible craftsmanship that serves as an example of the author’s skill and the vividness with which he has imagined his world.
This first installment sets a firm foundation from which should come a rich story with vibrant characters. Even with this book being paranormal all the characters felt human, with real personalities behind them and dialogue that felt natural, which is a skill even some bigger authors lose. The characters were my favorite, with the banter and inside jokes, I could easily relate.
Bitter Awakenings is a fantastic first installment that paints a vivid picture of a imaginative world. The writing is fluid and descriptive, and the characters are well constructed.
Pages: 504 | ASIN: B073YG2NQP
LITERARY TITAN 