miahpaws@gmail.com – Page 12

The Tiger Catcher by Paullina Simons

A truly heart-breaking and enthralling story is the only way to describe The Tiger Catcher by Paullina Simons. It is a gratifying romance story and it explores the lengths to which a person will go to be with the one they love.

Julian is living a happy and successful life in Los Angeles. He is surround by family and friends that love him and has a long-standing girlfriend that everyone expects him to marry. Then a chance encounter, at a New York City theatre, with a young girl named Josephine changes everything.

When Julian returns to L. A. he can’t stop thinking about Josephine. Then one day she waltzes right into his life and his heart. As far as Julian is concerned the world has not only stopped but melted away. He is so absorbed with Josephine that he forgets to go to work or write his daily Mr. Know-It-All newsletter. Yet, the fates have other plans and when Josephine is lost to Julian, he falls into a stupor and nothing is able to bring him back to reality.

Julian dreams frequently of Josephine. In his dreams, he is always at a café and she sees him and is walking towards him but is never able to reach him. He believes that the café is in London. Therefore, he moves to London in search of her. After a year and a half, and many miles of walking London’s streets for the café in his dream, he is no closer to answers than he was in L. A. That is until he meets a shaman who gives Julian the means to find Josephine. There is a catch, the trip is dangerous and he will have to give up everything and everyone he knows and loves.

I loved the characters in this book. Julian was especially well done. I liked how the author showed us the depth of his love and then the pain and sorrow of his loss. It was raw and very real to me. In addition, the story had just enough fantasy and realism to suit my tastes.

The only negative I found was the plot. It dragged a little in the middle. Ms. Simons’s writing is always a little on the verbose side; however, here it was a bit heavy handed. Despite this, I was already so invested in the story that I had to know what happened. Therefore, I rushed to get to the end and then I had to noodle on the book for a bit before I picked up another one. It is always a good sign when a book makes me ponder for a bit after I finish it.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I also feel it is not in the same league as The Bronze Horseman, which is one of my all-time favorites. Tough I still found the story compelling and entertaining. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series and I hope the wait is not too long.

The Tiger Catcher is the perfect book for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Paullina Simons and/or romance with a touch of magic.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Nobody People by Bob Proehl

The Nobody People by Bob Proehl is an X-Men like story about people who have special abilities that have been in hiding for decades or more. The story highlights how people are scared of anyone or anything that is different and they do not understand; and how this leads to prejudices then quickly turns to persecution.

The first portion of the story is told from the POV of Avi, a reporter, who is asked by a friend to look into a strange occurrence. What he stumbles onto is a new race of humans, they call themselves Resonants, who have special abilities. These abilities manifest around early adolescence. At about the same time, he learns his daughter has a special ability.

Avi is introduced to the group of people who run a school in New York City for Resonants and he is the one tasked with telling their story and introducing them to the world. Of course, this “coming out” does not go entirely as planned. Imagine that!

The story switches gears here and the author, for the most part, leaves Avi behind and tells the story through the eyes of the Resonants as Homeland Security starts rounding them up and putting them in camps. The Resonants must decide if they will continue to hide, submit, or fight.

This is an imaginative take on super heroes. I loved how the author betrayed what would happen when the Resonants came out, so to speak. It was spot on. Control anything you can’t understand and because they are different you can disregard the fact they are human. I also liked where the story went. If something like this were to happen, I can easily see the events occurring.

I liked the characters a lot. However, there was so much going on I did not get as much character development as I would have liked, with the exception of Avi. The pace of the plot was excellent and there were enough twists to keep me reading well past my bedtime.

One last comment I wish to make. I struggled with the rating because while it is not a five for me, it is better than a 4. I will make it as 4 but in reality I feel it is closer to 4.5.

This is a fresh look at super heroes and I enjoyed reading it. There is a lot left hanging so I am lookly forward to the next installment. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long. I recommend this book to anyone that likes science fiction stories. Especially those readers who are into super heroes. I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Buzz Books 2019: Fall/Winter by Publishers Launch

Buzz Books 2019: Fall/Winter by Publishers Launch is a compilation of the upcoming new titles from various publishers. It covers both fiction and nonfiction works. This reference book is the best all in one source for new titles and includes previews for a few upcoming ones.

Here are a few that caught my eye:

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale); Nan A. Talese – Pub. Date: 9/10
Dead Astronauts by Jeff VenderMerr; MCD – Pub. Date: 12/3
The Book of Science and Antiquities by Thomas Keneally; Atria – Pub. Date: 12/10
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste; Norton – Pub. Date: 9/24
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo; Flatiron – Pub. Date: 10/1
Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay; William Morrow – 9/17
The Deserter by Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille; Simon and Schuster – Pub. Date: 10/22
The Warehouse by Rob Hart; Crown – 8/20
The Nobody People by Bob Proehl; Del Ray – Pub. Date: 9/3
The Rise of Magicks: Chronicles of The One by Nora Roberts; St. Martin’s – Pub. Date: 11/26

This is a short list of what has interested me. There are just too many others to mention and they cover every genre from YA to Thriller including debut novels of note. Several of these titles I have already received ARCs from the publisher. In addition, I have already read and reviewed The Warehouse and The Nobody People with more reviews to come.

If you love previews and are interested in keeping up to date on what and when new titles are being published, this is the book for you. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy. As always, my opinions are my own.

Coming Back by K. L. Denman

Coming Back by K. L. Denman is a novella about a young woman, Julie, who has been in a horrific car accident. She has no memory of the accident and has been in therapy for over a year. Julie has been diagnosed with PTSD. Her therapist suggests that she get an emotional support animal to help her.

Her therapist was thinking a dog or cat would be the ideal animal; but Julie decides she wants a horse. She had ridden some when she was a young girl and loved the connection she felt with a horse. She is hoping that she will have that again. Also, a horse will force her to leave her home and interact with people.

Julie lays out her plan to her therapist and after some consideration she agrees. She does her research and purchases a lovely young mare she names Scarlett. Julie finds a dressage show barn that she is able to board Scarlett at. She can even take lessons there. Unfortunately, it turns out a show barn is not the right fit for her. She looks for another barn and finds one that does “natural horsemanship”. Yet it turns out to be not as advertised and she soon realizes she has moved from the frying pan to fire.

This book had everything going for it. I especially love stories centered around horses since I have ridden my entire life. The plot was good and the horse related stuff was correct. I know the pace was good because I flew through this book in under a day. Yet, there was something missing for me.

I am struggling to put my feelings into words here. That in itself says something. I think it is because the story did not match the prose. Let me explain further. I felt the writing was too simplistic for an adult or young adult reader. The writing style was best suited for a middle grade reader yet the story, which billed as young adult, had a decided adult theme to it. Therefore, it left me wanting more.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer’s program, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Three Sheets to the Wind: The Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions by Cynthia Barrett

I loved, Three Sheets to the Wind by Cynthia Barrett. It is now a coffee table book at my lake house. Guests never fail to remark about this book. Everyone is surprised by the numbers of everyday expressions that have a nautical background.

One of my favorites is posh. This little word of luxury came about when wealthy Europeans where traveling to and from the Orient by ship. Without air conditioning a ship quickly got hot and stuffy. Therefore, wealthy individuals would select the more expensive cabins that did not get the sun on the port side of the ship when travel to their destination and starboard side traveling back home. Thus the acronym P.O.S.H. standing for portside out, starboard side home.

There are lots of terms that are just as interesting, too many to mention them all. Each term has the origin, the modern definition and an illustration from literature. In summary, this little gem of a book is quirky, funny, educational and thoroughly entertaining!

If you are fascinated by the origins of our language or are a sailing/nautical enthusiasts this is the book for you. Maybe you are a book nerd like me, then you too will enjoy. It has started many a wordy conversation in my house. Thanks to the author for my free copy.

Writers of the Future Vol. 35 edited by David Farland

Writers of the Future Vol. 35, edited by David Farland, is an anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by up-and-coming new authors. In total there are twelve stories chosen from an international writing contest conducted on a quarterly schedule. Therefore, the top 3 stories from each quarter is what appears in the volume. In addition, this volume contains short stories from established, well-known writers and advice for new writers and illustrators.

The book also contains illustrations for each short story. The illustrations are chosen in the same way as the short stories and I felt were a nice bonus to the book. I also liked that each story was prefaced by a short introduction to both the writer and illustrator. I enjoyed learning about these debut authors and illustrators in the industry.

In an effort at brevity I am going to touch on only two of my favorite stories in this collection. The first story I want to talk about is Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt. In this Fantasy story, a young man must choose between what he has been trained for most of his life and what he knows is right even though the choice will cost him his life.

What I liked about the story was the character development. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven and this story is a perfect example of how a good author does not need a hundred plus pages to give the reader a character that is relatable. It also helped that the plot was spot on. This story I would rate as five stars.

The next story I want to talk about is a Sci-Fi story, Super-Duper Moon Girl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler written by Wulf Moon and illustrated by Alice Wang. This story actually made me cry. It is about a young girl living on the moon with her parents. She is the sole surviving student of a school bombing that left her unable to breathe on her own. She has an AI unit in the shape of a dog who breathes for her and is her protector. Yet, some times protectors are too good at what they do. This is also a five-star story. Same as the previous story, I loved the character and felt a real connection.

There are other stories that I feel rated five stars or close and some I would give a four too. There was only one I was not crazy about and that was Yellow Submarine. I felt the plot was not very inventive. Yet, the prose was good. I would rate that one as three stars.

As a whole, I was surprised at the quality of the writing and illustrations. There was a big variety in this collection and the stories were, for the most part, first-rate. Therefore, it made me want to read the next story and the next, until the end, which came a bit too quickly for me. I am left with the quandary of how to rate the book overall. As a whole, I would rate this collection as 4 stars, maybe even pushing 4.5.

I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There is something to love in every story and the illustrations were fabulous. I am excited to see what the future holders for these new authors and illustrators and once you read this collection I suspect you will be too.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Not Gonna Write Poems by Michael A. Lee

Not Gonna Write Poems is a whimsical and quirky collection of poems written by Michael A. Lee. The author wrote these poems for his daughter. The collection is truly the perfect introduction to poetry that any child will adore!

In this humorous, and down to earth, collection of poems, the subjects include things like: Homework, Slime, Hair, and the Boogey Monster. All subjects that will no doubt appeal to all discerning young readers. All the poems are no more than a page long; therefore, even the most restless child can enjoy these. There are drawings for kids to accompany all the poems too.

One my favorite poems in this collection was The Gator Waiter. I found myself chucking at the idea of an alligator serving guests their food. Another favorite was King of the Castle. In this poem the King finds out he is not truly in charge, imagine that! I could go on, but in short, this is a funny, whimsical collection for children and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them.

Not Gonna Write Poems will appeal to children of all ages, even those over grown children such as myself. I especially recommend this poetry collection for all adults who like to read to their children. I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Interview with Rich Green

ME: What did you find hardest about this book?

We worked on this book over the span of 3+ years. As an illustrator, my skills grew tremendously with each new piece we added to the project. In the end, I illustrated over 60 scenes. It was sometimes hard to keep myself from going back into a previously finished piece to make a small adjustment or change based on some new technical skill I had picked up along the way.

ME: What emotion are you trying to evoke in the reader?

Without question we want to bring a sense of joy and delight to the reader. Many of the classic fairy tales have some darker themes in them, but we wanted to keep the focus on telling positive stories that made each one of the featured children shine.

ME: What is the most memorable thing about creating this book?

For me it would be imagining the looks on the kids’ (and their families’) faces when they saw the final illustrated scenes featuring them as the main characters. Many of them were posing for their photos in their classroom or in a home and had no idea what we were about to do to transport them into these fantasy worlds and situations. Knowing that it would make each one of them feel like a star is my favorite memory about the process.

ME: Can you explain how your writing/creative process effected the final product in a book like this?

Since this book is based on fairy tales, folk tales and nursery rhymes, the process always began with research. First, I reread stories that I have heard my entire life, but I went back looking for other details and storytelling elements that could be worked into the illustrations. I took all kinds of notes, so that once the illustration was completed, I could then work on a draft for its accompanying Chicago Pretender newspaper-style article that would fit with the clever twists we added to tell our versions. It was that combination of figuring out what details to show in the images and what details to include in the written story that made them work so well together.

ME: Did you identify with any one part of this book over others? Why?

Larry Broutman did all of the photography, so I did not meet any of the children featured in the illustrations I was creating until the book launch celebration, with one exception. My niece, MacKenzie, and nephew, Decklyn, are featured in the circus-themed illustration. Their favorite movie at the time was The Greatest Showman, so I transformed them into the trapeze artist and the ringmaster. I loved being able to include them in this project. They were so excited to show it off to their teachers and friends.

ME: What was the most rewarding thing about this project?

There are two things I found the most rewarding about working on this project. The first is how this book celebrates access and inclusion for all children, regardless of gender, race or ability. It not only shows the children featured in the book that anything is possible, it subtly shows readers of the book that all children are capable of great things. The other rewarding aspect for me personally was getting to work with coauthor and photographer Larry Broutman. This is the fourth book in a series of books Larry has published. It has been such an incredible experience getting to work with Larry. Through this process, I have come to consider him a great friend. His kindness, his philanthropy and his friendship have impacted my life in ways he will never know.

ME: If an author/illustrator asked you for advice on a project like this, what would you tell them?

Do it! This project has given back to everyone involved in so many ways. The author proceeds from the book are being donated to The Chicago Lighthouse and Access Living. The children featured have been part of radio, tv, newspaper and magazine articles. The families have been touched by how special this made their children feel. It is spreading a message of access and inclusion for all. It shines a positive light on the city of Chicago and reminds everyone that Chicago’s greatest treasure is its children.

ME: Do you have any plans to do other similar projects?

Larry has plans for all kinds of future book projects, some of which he is already hard at work on. I myself am working on some ideas I have for my own children’s book pitches.

Rich Green is the illustrator and co-author of newly released Chicago Treasure. Rich created the Chicago Treasure Lighthouse sculpture that was displayed during the summer of 2018 on Michigan Avenue as part of Lighthouses on The Mag Mile and now permanently resides at The Chicago Lighthouse. Rich also illustrated the A Girl With A Pink Cape series, A Boy With A Cape, and Niko & Kate. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Computer Graphics and Animation and interned with Disney. Rich is the Chicago-Area Illustrators Network Representative for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an Executive Board Member of The Artist Guild of Lockport. His artwork can be found in regional galleries.

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

This picture book, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, honors the Cherokee way of being grateful for the many blessings received. In a sense, it is a celebration of all things Cherokee. The author, being Cherokee herself, has brought her special brand of insight to the views of her people and how they celebrate throughout the year.

It is beautifully illustrated by Frane` Lessac in the folk art tradition. The colors are vivid, imaginative and want to jump off the page. You can see that special care was given to each scene depicted in order to make this book special.

I liked that the text is in both English and in Cherokee and how the author explained the Cherokee celebrations in such a way that all can understand. There is really not a plot here. It read more like a commentary, which I am not faulting, because it is a picture book after all.

This is a lovely picture book for ages 3 to 8 years that is thoughtfully done. My granddaughter and I have already read it several times and I think this will be one of her favorites. I highly recommend this to all young readers. I received a free copy from the author at BEA in exchange for my honest opinion.

Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn

Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn is the continuing story of the Little Detective Agency and is book nine in the series (Chet and Bernie mystery). In this quirky and sometimes humorous mystery which is narrated by Chet (who is the canine part of this crime solving duo), Bernie and his loveable assistant Chet attempt to solve the murder of the manager of an aging country singer. It appears to be cut and dry; but as cases go, it turns out to be much more.

The story opens when Bernie and Chet are invited to hear Lotty Pilgrim sing at a dive bar on the outskirts of town. Bernie and Chet, both being fans of country music, decide to leave a generous tip in Lotty’s jar. Lotty never sees the tip because it is quickly stolen right out of the jar under everyone’s nose. Chet quickly runs down the “perp” and Bernie returns it to Lotty only to see it being taken away by her manager.

Bernie senses something is not right here. He decides to make an impromptu visit to Lotty. Before he and Chet know it, they are drawn into the murder case and find that it is rooted deeply in Lotty’s past. Someone is trying to keep her past buried and another murder is not too high a price to silence anyone who digs too deep.

Because I have a no spoiler policy, I am going to remain vague. Instead I would like to talk a little about Chet, my favorite character. Chet gives a running dialogue of observations and information that the reader needs to understand what is going on. So it is not necessary to have read any of the other books in the series. Not only is Chet my favorite, he is spot on in his observation of humans. The author did a great job here.

The plot was a little slow at the beginning and I was wondering just where the story was going. Then bam, the murder happens and Bernie and Chet start working to put the pieces together. The plot picks up and runs along nicely after that. In addition, there were a few things I was not totally sure about until near the end and I enjoyed the suspension. Then Chet wraps it all up nicely for us at the end and he even gets a song written just for him. Awww….

I would definitely categorize this as a cozy mystery and I recommend this to anyone who enjoys them. I also think any dog or animal lover would appreciate the wit and wisdom of Chet. I am looking forward to reading more about this crime solving duo.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.