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Voyage Of Pearl Of The Seas
Voyage Of Pearl Of The Seas is a magnificent fairy tale adventure of a girl and her two best friends who vow to travel the world in their boat. They’re determined to stick together and be the heroes of their adventure and go on a voyage together. I found this admirable in the sense that they stay by each other no matter the storm and through thick and thin, they will even fly together if they have to. This story takes the reader travel through time to enjoy the creative form of ancient poetry and literature borrowed from the renowned Shakespeare. Ruth Finnegan in her book Voyage of Pearl of the Seas smoothly harmonizes the essence of adventure, innocence and growth. Chris and Kate are two friends with different backgrounds who are joined by a deep friendship and together with their charming dog vow to be together in their adventure through the seas to create memories. Kate isn’t good with classwork but Chris doesn’t make her feel like the other mates do, and in her eyes he’s different.
Ruth Finnegan has created a work of art. She has an imagination that I have only rarely seen in fantasy novels. The integration of poetry and ancient reference is perfect for lovers of Shakespeare and lyrical literature. It’s mature for a children’s book but it will help expand imaginations. The style, ideas and story is magical. I loved the happy ending with gifts from the King and Queen, how sweet.
I thought that the story was a little hard to follow at first, but as you read more and more it all comes together and you get to understand the beauty of this adventurous book. The illustrations within Voyage Of Pearl Of The Seas were fascinating. My favorite is the tree with all the wild animals in it, the connection between children and animals is clearly described, we should be like little children, happy to help, ready to learn and joyous no matter the challenges they are facing. Like the classical folktale story of “The Little Hen”, the hen planted the seeds all by herself, while the dog, the cat and the duck couldn’t work with her, but came time to eat bread when they all want to enjoy it, the lesson is to teach children to be hardworking and persistent and respect everything around them. Voyage of Pearl of the Seas by Ruth Finnegan ends in a similar concept, hard work, respect and persistence.
Pages: 134 | ASIN: B079GPQMG1
An Apology For Shakespeare
An Apology For Shakespeare is a humble attempt to show that there is a need of awareness about Poetry in our life.
Study of poetry and its manifold forms need to be encouraged. It voices against the negative and indifferent attitude to virtues and good qualities. This book aims to create a conscience among the people about the vanishing values and ideals from many of us. The study of classics is significant in this end as they provide much knowledge and wisdom and have grave and serious themes.
If you meet William Shakespeare all of a sudden, unexpectedly, infront of you and he is ready to talk to you, what all topics would be coming up on?
The author addresses William Shakespeare whom he considers to be one of the greatest poet of all time, He seeks help to counter the vices and he expresses his weaknesses to do the same. He tells many topics to the great Master of Arts.
Tomorrow’s Edge Trilogy
Brett E Armstrong Author Interview
Day Moon is a genre-crossing novel with elements of a history, science fiction, and peeks at the future as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
I would say it was a little of both. When I was first inspired to write the story I knew it would be set in the future and because of the nature of the premise it would start to pull in threads of science fiction. I also knew I wanted to include the quotes from Shakespeare to help reinforce the importance of the book Elliott’s grandfather gave him and to fill the novel with a contrast in sound and nature to highlight a key theme of the book. That is the conflict between the old world and the new emerging one. Elliott lives in an area caught in that struggle, which is fortunate because it lets him realize that there are aspects of this new world that are not just dangerous but incredibly sinister. I think for any theme to work well in a book, the author can take steps to draw out the theme, but ultimately there has to be that kind of organic innate vibe to a story and the prose in order to make it resonate the way it needs to. Since I’m by nature someone who thoroughly enjoys history and science fiction, and am a dreamer as well, I think those aspects of me got carried through strongly enough to Day Moon to accentuate those elements and hopefully imbue that old world meets new feeling.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
First of all I’m glad you found them to be so. I had a lot of fun with just about all of the characters and how they interacted, particularly Lara and Elliott as they sorted out their feelings for each other. It was kind of an unexpected pleasure to write Director Ohlmstadt’s character. He’s only physically in the novel briefly, but his presence and philosophy kind of ripple out and touch so many other characters. Whether they realize it or not, both of Elliott’s co-workers Kendra and Terrance have bought into his “whatever it takes to meet an end” ideals. Though Agent Amar also has that conviction, he wouldn’t attribute it to Ohlmstadt.
There are plenty of references and quotes to Shakespeare in this book. Did you do a lot of research to maintain accuracy of the subject?
I used an online tool that lets you dig down into each of Shakespeare’s manuscripts and search them line by line and by keywords and phrases. That helped ensure I go the quotations right and I tried to keep them contextually and thematically in line with the original text’s spirit. It helped that I’ve been reading Shakespeare’s plays just about all of my life. I knew including them would be a way to ground people in the familiar as well. Most people know at least a little bit of Shakespeare, whether they realize it or not. And though I think Day Moon’s world already looks much like ours, with a futuristic veneer, I wanted to make sure people had some elements woven through it that they could reach out and relate to along the way.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be published?
I’m working on Veiled Sun, the next book in the Tomorrow’s Edge Trilogy and its about 75% of the way through its first draft. Originally I meant for Day Moon to be a standalone but realized towards the end of what is Day Moon that the story arc was too big to reasonably fit in one novel. Particularly for a new-to-publishing author. Making it a trilogy has broken it up enough that the chunks should be manageable for readers and make it more appealing to my publisher. I’m hoping my publisher likes it and it can be out by mid or late 2018. Veiled Sun has some competition with me though, because I’ve had another manuscript that kicks off an epic fantasy series rooting around in my mind for almost ten years now. It’s been through multiple drafts and rewrites and finally taking a shape that I think makes it ready for publishing. I call it Quest of Fire, and I’m hoping it will find its way to readers by late 2018 as well.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Website
![Day Moon (Tomorrow's Edge Book 1) by [Armstrong, Brett]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51AawfNYdxL.jpg)
In A.D. 2039, a prodigious seventeen year old, Elliott, is assigned to work on a global soft-ware initiative his deceased grandfather helped found. Project Alexandria is intended to provide the entire world secure and equal access to all accumulated human knowledge. All forms of print are destroyed in good faith, to ensure everyone has equal footing, and Elliott knows he must soon part with his final treasure: a book of Shakespeare’s complete works gifted him by his grandfather. Before it is destroyed, Elliott notices something is amiss with the book, or rather Project Alexandria. The two do not match, including an extra sonnet titled “Day Moon”. When Elliott investigates, he uncovers far more than he bargained for. There are sinister forces backing Project Alexandria who have no intention of using it for its public purpose. Elliott soon finds himself on the run from federal authorities and facing betrayals and deceit from those closest to him. Following clues left by his grandfather, with agents close at hand, Elliott desperately hopes to find a way to stop Project Alexandria. All of history past and yet to be depend on it.
Crazy Extremists’ Dream
Douglas Wells Author Interview
The Secrets of all Secrets follows Zane who receives a USB from a stranger that contains a message that promises the Secret of All Secrets. What was the inspiration for the setup to this fun novel?
I wanted the premise of the story to be wacky and like a fairy tale with epistemological overtones. Many of us grew up with fairy tales of one sort or another, so the concept is recognizable. The USB is Jack’s bean stalk. Once it’s there, he has to climb it. The USB idea occurred to me because I use them in my work as a college professor. I wondered what would happen if all knowledge, the meaning of life, etc. were on one? The next question: What parties would want to pursue The Secrets and to what lengths will they go to get them?
In this story you combine irony with wry humor and manage to keep it all topical. What themes did you want to explore when you started this book?
The overarching theme is illustrated by Shakespeare’s line from The Tempest: “The stuff that dreams are made on,” which is what The Secrets represent. What would be the government’s dream for getting The Secrets? Probably something to do with gaining ultimate power. Corporate America’s dream? Wasn’t there someone who said there’s no such thing as making too much money? The two crazy extremists’ dream is to create an Anti-Amerika, “Amerika with a k.” That the representatives of these entities are comical bunglers illustrates the way in which human beings can wreck any mission. As for the two main characters, Zane and Dali—Everyman and Everywoman—the dream is more about self discovery. It’s a classic conflict: individuals versus institutions and malevolent factions. Jack versus the Giant.
Zane and Dali are both enthralling characters. How did you set about creating their dynamic relationship?
What’s kind of funny is that when I started the novel, there was no Dali. Once I got to the point in the story where Zane begins his quest, I knew he needed a partner, someone equally smart, resilient, and resourceful but with a different sensibility. Zane is an intellectual. Dali is more pragmatic. There is tension between them, but there’s also balance. “Two peas in a pod,” as is stated ironically early in the book. It doesn’t hurt that they are attracted to each from the start without admitting it to themselves.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on a satire of political correctness. I’m hoping to finish it and have it published in a year or two. Some of this is dictated by my teaching schedule, but if you know any publishers willing to give me a triple figure advance, I think I could work a little faster.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
![The Secrets of All Secrets by [Wells, Douglas]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tD9cXs3KL.jpg)
Zane, a seminary and grad school dropout, obtains a USB drive left by a cloaked figure on a bridge in the middle of the night. The drive’s content offers Zane “The Secrets of All Secrets”—a tantalizing proposal for someone who has nothing left to lose.
Following the drive’s directions, Zane heads to Florida where he encounters Dali, a poor waitress who received an identical USB. Initially clashing, they band together, taking a chance that The Secrets are genuine as they receive more instructions from their USBs.
Four conflicted government operatives; an extremely tall corporate executive with an extremely short, scholarly hit man in tow; and two crackbrained, fringe-element, anti-government separatists are after The Secrets—and are all willing to kill to get them.
Zane, Dali, and their pursuers encounter an armadillo festival, visit a nudist resort, and hang out with a presumed dead ’60s rocker. Pandemonium occurs at each venue with Zane and Dali one step ahead of everyone… that is, until all parties convene for a climactic confrontation over The Secrets.
Good Old Fashioned Heist
Quintin Peterson Author Interview
LT: The Voynich Gambit follows Special Police Officer Blalock as he is put to the test when D.C.’s most infamous artifact dealers set their sights on a mysterious treasure. What was your inspiration for this novel and how did it develop as you wrote?
Quintin Peterson: The Folger Shakespeare Library was the inspiration for The Voynich Gambit, like its prequel, Guarding Shakespeare. I worked there as a special police officer with its Department of Safety and Security following my retirement from the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC on April 23, 2010. (http://tinyurl.com/jppths4)
LT: The novel is set in modern day D.C., where you describe polished skyscrapers, historic landmarks, and endless traffic. Why did you choose this as the setting for you book?
Quintin Peterson: I wanted to write a noir mystery thriller using the Folger Shakespeare Library as the backdrop. The Folger Library is located in my hometown, Washington, DC. (http://www.folger.edu/)
LT: Lieutenant Norman Blalock works at the Folger Shakespeare Library as a security guard protecting its treasures for over two decades. What themes did you want to capture as you developed Norman’s character throughout the novel?
Quintin Peterson: I just wanted to write an entertaining and enlightening good old fashioned heist story. I had the same goal for the first in the Norman Blalock Mystery Series, Guarding Shakespeare, and I have the same goal for the third installment, The Shakespeare Redemption.
LT: What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Quintin Peterson: Right now I am working on the second installment of my Private Eye Luther Kane Series, The Last Goodbye. Afterward, I will working on The Shakespeare Redemption. Like all of my books, The Last Goodbye will be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Bound, et al.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![The Voynich Gambit: The Sequel to Guarding Shakespeare (Norman Blalock Mysteries Book 2) by [Peterson, Quintin]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51pqtOqmcHL.jpg)
Special Police Officer Lt. Norman Blalock, who has been guarding the treasures of the Folger Shakespeare Library for 25 years, has been coerced into a plot to heist from the Folger Museum “the most mysterious book in the world,” the Voynich Manuscript, on loan from Yale University. Under threat of suffering the consequences of their involvement in the botched plot to heist another priceless artifact from the Folger underground bank vault several months earlier, Blalock and his partner-in-crime Kavitha Netram are once again under the thumb of nefarious businessman Rupert Whyte, and have no choice but to play along.
Day Moon
As the first book in the Tomorrow’s Edge trilogy, Day Moon is an outstanding contribution to the world of futuristic creation. The author, Brett Armstrong, provides a novel which allows any reader to question the “what ifs” of the world.
The story is set in 2039, where a seventeen-year-old boy, Elliott, is assigned to work on a project instigated by his deceased grandfather. After all forms of print are destroyed, Elliott must let go of his beloved book of the complete works of Shakespeare.
Elliott soon realises that in the complete works of Shakespeare, something unusual occurs. For some reason, an extra sonnet “Day Moon” had been inserted. This unusual event is the start of the unravelling journey of Project Alexandria; a journey which has no intentions of using the project for its original purpose. Can Elliott unravel the mystery and prevent Project Alexandria being launched?
A fantastic attempt to draw upon the unknown possibilities of the world. Armstrong creates a strong, imaginative plot line, with relatable characters and emotions; this is a remarkable read which creates a vibrant and thought-provoking storyline.
Based on the originality of his ideas, and Brett’s noble attempt to write in a world of pure creation, I could look beyond our everyday lives, and recognise a possibility of how the world could look in years to come.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about Day Moon was a mixture of themes including passion, distrust, uncertainty and suspense. What also sets this book apart from others in this genre, is the small quotes inserted at the beginning of each chapter. Each quote has been taken from a work of Shakespeare; which ties in beautifully with the underlying concept of the narrative. In that respect, I think Brett Armstrong demonstrates a huge amount of commitment and passion in regards to his ideas for his trilogy in Tomorrow’s Edge.
Whilst reading through this book, I recognised that the author had put a tremendous amount of attention to detail in regards to his layout, consistency, flow in writing and grammar, which all adds to the book’s qualities. Not only does the book contain a strong narrative full of suspense, drive, and futurist qualities, but it also blends our world of reality with a world that could be.
A fast-paced, diverse, intense piece of writing that falls under categories of Historical Fiction, Science Fiction and Futuristic genres. I highly recommend this book for anyone who shows an interest in the genres as mentioned. Although the narrative lagged at times, this does not detract from the quality of Brett Armstrong’s creative writing.
Packed full of inspiration, creation and innovation, this novel provides a great insight in to a world that is not real, but not impossible either. A fantastic read, and a great beginning to the Tomorrow’s Edge series.
Pages: 389 | ASIN: B06XWDM49Z
Sacrificing Yourself
Sara Butler Zalesky Author Interview
Wheeler is a suspenseful romance novel that follows a strong female cyclist battling both physical and emotional challenges. What was your inspiration for this thrilling novel?
I have been been a fan of cycling for some years now but over the last five years I’ve been hugely influenced by the women’s peloton. Their grace under pressure, heart and incredible talent is an inspiration. My ultimate goal for the hard copy of Wheeler is for the proceeds of each book sold to be donated to the Homestretch Foundation, founded by Kathryn Bertine, a former pro cyclist. She saw a need for women cyclists who wanted to compete but financially, had no way to train and earn a living. Homestretch provides the housing, equipment, training and nutrition for elite riders to have a chance to compete at the pro level.
Loren and Graham connection develops into a complex relationship through the novel. What were the driving ideals behind the characters development throughout the story?
Relationships among creative types can begin intensely, with all the Shakespeare quotes and French terms of endearment, only to burn out in a few short months. Loren and Graham are both isolated and lonely, even though they are surrounded by friends and family. They each have personal issues to overcome and are willing support each other through their trials in order to make the relationship work, just like real people.
Wheeler starts in the middle of Loren’s cycling competition. What is your experience with the sport and why was this a good setup for your novel?
Being a cyclist myself, understand most of what they go through: the training, the discipline, sacrificing yourself for your teammates. I know the intense physical discomfort (i.e. pain) of taking your body to the limit and beyond.
There’s a parallel between being a pro athlete and an actor – long hours of training, constant travel, the media spotlight, but also the close relationships that can develop between teammates (co-stars). It takes the right mix of personalities to make it work or the film (or team) won’t succeed. I thought this would be an interesting, and realistic, pairing. They would need to understand how important their careers are, but also know that it could all end with one bad review, or the squeal of a car tire.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently wrapping up the first draft of the as unnamed follow up and I hope to have it to my editor by Autumn, 2017.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
To become an elite cyclist in Europe, Loren Mackenzie has overcome much in her life, but no one would know it. Her tragic past is hidden inside tarnished armor and her fear of it being uncovered has kept her out of the spotlight.
Known as the Ice Queen of the peloton, Loren rarely shows emotion in the heat of competition; she leads her team with quiet strength and determination. But when a chance meeting quickly develops into a whirlwind romance, the ice surrounding her heart begins to melt.
All is not rainbows and unicorns, though. The relationship with an A-list celebrity brings with it the microscope of tabloid-media attention but also exposes the jealousy and obsession of another, threatening to unravel Loren’s tightly wound life.
Can Loren open her heart to the love she has held at a distance, or will her fear and shame ultimately defeat her?
Wheeler
![Wheeler by [Zalesky, Sara Butler]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51JH7Sv%2BB8L.jpg)
A little bit romance novel, a little bit suspenseful thriller, and a thorough introduction to the world of women’s cycling, Wheeler by Sara Butler Zalesky is an enjoyable and well-written story of a strong female protagonist battling both physical and emotional challenges. Spanning just a few months in professional cyclist Loren MacKenzie’s life, Wheeler is a whirlwind of a read. It begins in the heat of her cycling competition season when she meets handsome actor, Graham Atherton, roadside after a well-timed popped tire and follows their blossoming romance as well as Loren’s cycling competitions across Europe. It’s not all easy riding for Graham and Loren though, as Zalesky weaves intricate relationships between Loren, her teammates, family, and a sinister former boyfriend who is dangerously obsessed with Loren.
Readers who are familiar with professional cycling will doubtless appreciate Zalesky’s attention to the sport, and even readers who have no prior knowledge will enjoy learning about the strategy, training, and teamwork involved in cycling. Zalesky expertly creates a believable and enthralling team dynamic, following Loren and her team through both victories and crashes. Crafting relatable characters and developing story lines over the course of the novel is one of Zalesky’s strengths. Though the first half of the story feels rather one-dimensional with clichéd characters (the hyper-driven female athlete; the handsome, Shakespeare-quoting actor; the jealous ex-boyfriend), Zalesky develops her characters so that by the second half of the story, each of these characters has a well-defined history and far exceeds expectations.
Whirlwind romances are, of course, fun to read and daydream about, but the almost instantaneous and passionate relationship that Loren and Graham form feels forced. Their relationship is full of Shakespeare quotes and French puppy-love nicknames (hundreds of variations on mon amour and ma cherie are tired after awhile). But midway through the novel, Zalesky seems to hit her groove and relies less on these easy wordplays for content, allowing Loren and Graham to have more meaningful conversations. This is pleasing for readers, who may not have realized the novel they were reading would have more Shakespeare than they had read since high school.
Overall, Wheeler offers readers an intriguing literary escape into the intense world of women’s cycling and creates a protagonist that readers will consider a good friend by the end of the story. While few people could withstand the physical challenges that Zalesky puts in front of Loren, it is the emotional challenges she faces that make Loren such a wonderful character. Wheeler examines challenging topics such as emotional and physical abuse, the difficulties of balancing work and relationships, and familial estrangement, and does not shy away from painful moments. Multi-dimensional, inspiring, and sometimes heartbreaking, Loren will have readers rooting for her successes and looking forward to a second installment. Hopefully Zalesky’s second novel will come soon, as Wheeler’s abrupt end may catch readers off-guard, feeling almost as if they’ve fallen off their bikes unexpectedly.
Pages: 456 | ASIN: B01I0DTSQU
LITERARY TITAN 