Review From Here

• Rated 4 stars

“Miguel Estes has been born with a rare genetic skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or E.B. for short. Unsure of how much time he has left to live, his Aunt Shirley has helped him develop a To Do list - a place to keep track of all of the things he is afraid to try. She believes that it is necessary to conquer these fears to lead a more enriched existence. This certainly helps to motivate him and in spite of his daily struggles, keeps him in high spirits, after all, he can't let his aunt down. When his mother chooses to move in with her husband, Hunt, Miguel decides it is best for him to move in with his father, even though this means starting a new school, and changing doctors as well.

Aunt Shirley decides that when school starts, Miguel should start up an afterschool program called F.A.A.T. or Fear Ain't All That. She thinks that this will be a good way for him to get to know new students, and help them realize that life is what you make it, and fears are all relative. Thankfully he already has the support of his new best friend Samantha, his nurse's niece. And there is no one that needs F.A.A.T. or Miguels help more than she does.

This book was a rollercoaster ride, and it was so wonderful to read a book that was sure to inspire children and adults alike. We all fear something, but we need to look past all of that and make a To Do List - I believe it would help us all stay positive, and realize that there really is nothing to fear, anything can be overcome, even death. Thank you Clint for opening my eyes, and I think you will do the same for many people in the future.

Author Questions

How did you come up with the idea for this book, and the F.A.A.T. concept?

Honestly, I wrote DON 'T BE AFRAID OF HEAVEN as a tribute to my cat, Samantha. I named one of the main characters after her. I learned so much from Samantha, her life and the time she chose to die. Since my books all have to do with 'eliminating fear,' I decided to write about eliminating, or trying to help teens eliminate the most common fear of all, the fear of death. I hadn't seen many of these for the teen market (not novels anyway)...so I thought I'd give it a shot. In my mid-thirties, I began to feel certain that fear is something that is completely learned, not natural in any of us. I wanted the themes in all my books to be the same; lives begin to change only when fear is absent.

Do you have any books currently in the works?

Yes, I do. After having published four novels for teens, I've decided to try something different. My newest novel is a suspense thriller for adults titled, THE SEVEN RITUALS. Two plots run consecutively throughout; the two protagonists are the same person, yet one offers an innocent outlook at something rather perverse and dangerous, while the other shows incredible determination to discover the truth that will inevitably set him free.

What made you decide to have Miguel suffer from E.B., as opposed to some other ailment?

Good question. A long while ago I attended a fundraising concert in San Francisco ...not really knowing what the particular cause was. It ended up being a benefit event for kids that live with this rare disease, E.B. Shortly after the concert, I got to meet several of these brave kids. Their courage inspired me incredibly; I learned as much as I could about E.B. and I decided to continue writing about a boy living with E.B. as a tribute to them, those kids that have chosen to live without fear.

Do you have any other hobbies?

I love meeting people from as many countries as possible and learning as much as possible about their lives and their cultures. This is my favorite hobby, as well as being my greatest opportunity to learn.

A copy of this book is going to be raffled off the first week in March. To enter, all you need to do is visit www.uponfurtherreview.org and sign the guestbook under each book you are interested in.
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Review From Here wrote this review Thursday, January 31 2008. ( reply | permalink )

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“With mental health issues being so prevelant in society I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. Let me tell you that as hard as it was I read it in one sitting - it grabbed hold and would not let go.

All Destiny wants is to get a job and try to have a semblance of a normal life. Instead she is burdened with the responsibilty of taking care of her mentally ill mother and trying to protect her younger sister Cassidy from the violent rages and outbursts that have become more common than not. Destiny's life has never been anything but that of a constant caregiver and mediator...especially since the incident at Crater Lake. She loves her mother, and even though she knows that this is not a normal family life she is willing to do what her father asks and help keep her mother in their home, for better or worse.

As this book unfolds you watch this family go on such a downward spiral that my heart was literally breaking. As much as I hated to turn to the next page for fear of what was going to happen next, I was compelled to do so in hopes that a ray of light would be found and something positive would happen to change some of the bad to good. At first I was unsure if this could really happen - how could both parents let their children go through this living hell? I then thought of my own life, and the lengths I may go to keep my family in tact. Love is a very powerful emotion, and nothing is more powerful than the love between a parent and their children. As Ms. Gregerson points out in her Author's Note, children that come from abusive families are even more loyal to their parents than children who don't. They seem to constantly be searching for a way to gain acceptance and love from the parent(s) who neglects or abuses them.

This book is a true eye opener, although it is fiction we can't turn a blind eye to the fact that there are families like this in every town in America. I am hopeful that this book will give some of these families the strength they need to get the help so desperately needed before it is too late and the children are damaged to a point of no return. It will hopefully also make people think closely about some people they know and maybe will give them the strength to intervene in situations they know are not healthy for the family involved. The author has done a true service by writing about an issue that should not be ignored.

Questions for the author:

What made you decide to write the story from the perspective of the oldest daughter?

Well, it was personal really. I was a parentified child, meaning that I was one of those kids who took care of my mother and my older sister when my family was spiraling out of control. I was the one who felt responsible to hold everything together because no one else would. And I believed that multitudes of people all around the world experience that same thing -- they become the savior of their families because no one else will. I wanted to shine a spotlight on that problem and what it does to a kid. And on another level, this is a cautionary tale: beware what you do to your children. When 5 children a day die in this country because their mother, a family member, or someone who knows their parent kills them, we're in deep trouble. We are allowing the ruin of our children and then we wonder why these kids can't learn in school or why they turn to crime, or why they're depressed. This book tells why, in some cases, our children are lost.

What was your inspiration for the story?

There were several things that inspired me. And in some sense, it was reaching critical mass and feeling that I had to say something about this problem. I tell everyone the story about meeting a man whose mother set their house on fire after locking him and his little brother in. There was Susan Smith and Andrea Yates. I thought they were anomalies, but I found out that they aren't. I started studying this issue and realized that 500 mothers a year kill their children. I started wondering what it would be like to live in a family like that. What if every day, your little sister's life was on the line and you couldn't do anything except be the one who stood between her and your mother? What if you knew your life was on the line and you had to live with one eye open so you could survive? These are the things I thought about, they're the questions that horrified me, as I wrote this book.

Do you have any books currently in the works?

I currently have one book in the works about a girl whose mother deserts her at the local grocery store, leaving the girl with her eccentric extended family and the question, "Why did she leave me?" I'm about a third through that and may get back to it soon. I also have another book finished about a girl in a trailer park who's the underdog and can't seem to find her way.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Oh, I'm an odd one. I love to research. That is really relaxing to me. I pick a topic and then I search it out. I travel a little. We have a summer place on a beautiful glacier fed lake and I love going there. I hang with my daughters who are almost 18 and 21. They're my greatest joy. I read some, mostly nonfiction. I have a few favorite TV shows like CSI and Ugly Betty. Other than that, I just hang and try to find things to laugh at. The absurdity of life amuses me.

A copy of this book will be raffled of to a reader of the website at www.uponfurtherreview.org the first week in March. To enter, all you need to do is sign the guestbook under each book you are interested in winning.




”

Review From Here wrote this review Thursday, January 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“After reading "A Soldier of Chance" I realized that not only did I not know much about the Holocaust, I didn't really understand what it meant to have to live through this horrific time, and the trials and tribulations that many individuals had to go through not only to survive, but to keep their sanity as well.
To put it into perspective let me give you some statistics (as found on the History Place):
Country Initial Jewish Population Estimated % Killed Estimated Killed Number of Survivors
POLAND 3,300,000 91% 3,000,000 300,000
USSR 3,020,000 36% 1,100,000 1,920,000
HUNGARY 800,000 74% 596,000 204,000
GERMANY 566,000 36% 200,000 366,000
FRANCE 350,000 22% 77,320 272,680
ROMANIA 342,000 84% 287,000 55,000
AUSTRIA 185,000 35% 65,000 120,000
LITHUANIA 168,000 85% 143,000 25,000
NETHERLANDS 140,000 71% 100,000 40,000
BOHEMIA
MORAVIA 118,310 60% 71,150 47,160
LATVIA 95,000 84% 80,000 15,000
SLOVAKIA 88,950 80% 71,000 17,950
YUGOSLAVIA 78,000 81% 63,300 14,700
GREECE 77,380 87% 67,000 10,380
BELGIUM 65,700 45% 28,900 36,800
ITALY 44,500 17% 7,680 36,820
BULGARIA 50,000 0% 50,000
DENMARK 7,800 .8% 60 7,740
ESTONIA 4,500 44% 2,000 2,500
LUXEMBOURG 3,500 55% 1,950 1,550
FINLAND 2,000 .03% 7 1,993
NORWAY 1,700 45% 762 938
TOTAL 9,508,340 63% 5,962,129 3,546,211

These figures are mind boggling - to call this a tragedy would be somewhat of a joke. This book is written by the son of holocaust survivor, Alex Rosenfeld. Alex came from a family of extremely hard workers. He wasn't booksmart as some of his siblings were but preferred to learn a trade, something that may have had an integral part in his survival during the Nazi takeover.
Alex certainly had luck on his side, as you will see repeatedly when you read this book. He is able to disguise his identity as a Polish Jew not once, but numerous times, and is able to convince the people in his life that he is a Frenchman who lost his family at birth and was adopted by a family with the last name Rosenfeld. Unfortunately, truth be told, he does end up losing his parents and sisters to the holocaust.
Instead of being sentenced to a concentration camp he is called to the police station where he is served his working papers. Upon receiving these he volunteers to work in Germany in their factories (something he would have been eventually ordered to do anyway). He has not choice as he is almost out of ration cards and will starve if he doesn't leave. He ends up excelling at his work and even becomes friendly to some of the Germans including his bosses. They have nothing bad to say about him and even award him a plaque commending him on being an exemplary employee, something else that may have attributed to his survival at a later point.
Working in Germany eventually takes its toll, so on one of his vacations he decides it is time to stay in France and "do the right thing" by joining the French Resistance. This also almost costs him his life numerous times, as the Germans continued to try and keep their reign of terror at an all time high, even though it appeared they were starting to weaken and lose their power.
One of the things I liked most about this book is you felt like you were there walking along the path that Alex followed. Nathan adds wonderful historical documentation through photographs to help blend the historical aspects with his fathers personal experiences to truly give you an understanding of all this man went through to survive.
This book is a true eye-opener and a refreshing view on how it is possible to overcome and survive anything as long as you don't give up and fight for what you believe in.
For more information on the holocaust, please visit The Holocaust Cybrary - it is a fascinating site.
A copy of this book is to be raffled off the first week in March. To enter the contest, please visit www.uponfurtherreview.org and sign your name to the guestbook below any book you are interested in.
As always, if you have any questions or problems, please email me at tracee@uponfurtherreview.org
”

Review From Here wrote this review Sunday, January 20 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This book has done something that no other book has ever done for me, made me truly interested in history and anxious to read more. To be perfectly honest this is a subject I am usually not very interested in. Fortunately I was provided this book by a great publishing group -Triad. I knew that it was on my to be read pile, and because it isn't very long thought I would pick it up and "get it over with". Wow, how judgemental can I be, right? Well, thank you Sharon M. Clarke and Vern Firestone for making me see that I literally can't judge a book by it's cover.

To say that being a coal miner is a dangerous job would be an understatement - each year there are over 93 deaths and thousands of injuries. Sharon M. Clarke has written a wonderful story which uses mining as a backdrop for some extraordinary characters, and leads you on a journey that will tug on your heartstrings. It is not one you are soon to forget.

The Evans family have nothing holding them back after Mari loses her
mother, and Rhodri's job at the mine is rendered redundant. They decide that now is as good a time as any to start over, and what better place than America. So they pack a few items and board a ship with their 3 young boys.

Once here they decide that New York is not for them and they settle in New Salem, PA. It is a mining town, which is ok with the Evans' as this is the life that they are accustomed to. Unfortunately, working in the mines was similar to slavery - you arrived here with nothing and the mine set you up with a place to live and the essentials, but you used credit that the mine set up. It became almost impossible to get ahead so you became trapped in a very dangerous and very hard life.

The sorrow that this book exudes is overwhelming at times. I think what makes it so is the fact that this is how people lived their lives. The author has an uncanny ability to weave historical elements into the story, and really make you feel as if you understand what the individuals were going through. Starting with the sinking of the Titanic and the effect that it has on Mari's neighbor and best friend Catherine, to the effects of a heartbreaking loss due to Anthrax, and what emotions are evoked when the oldest boy enlists in the military to fight in WWI.

This story encompasses so much history and brings it to light in such a fantastic way, it was truly a page turner. Many people today, myself included, are not aware of the hardships that these people went through just to survive daily - the children received a knitted scarf and an orange for Christmas gifts and were THRILLED - can you imagine that happening today?

This may be the story of just one family, but we all should be able to read this and see what are ancestors did in order to provide us with the way of living most of us are accustomed to - I am hopeful this will make some of us take stock in our lives and do things that will leave a lasting impact on
our descendents.

I don't give out 5 stars on a book lightly - it doesn't mean that I didn't like the book, in fact I love a lot of books that I only give 4 stars to. It takes a special book to earn 5 stars, and this one has done it. Thanks to Sharon M. Clarke, and hope to read more by you soon!


This book will be raffled off the first week in February. To enter this raffle visit www.uponfurtherreview.org and sign the guestbook underneath any book you are interested in.

As always if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at tracee@uponfurtherreview.org

”

Review From Here wrote this review Thursday, January 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“We all know a kid like Willie. Smarter than all of the other kids, and due to this he has trouble making friends. Perhaps other students are threatened by him. After all, he is 2 years younger than all of them, and still surpasses most of them when it comes to intelligence. He even has a hard time at home due to his brother and sister and their constant razzing. The only place he can go to escape and feel comfortable is an abandonded cellar just next to his property.

One day, just after he has come out of the cellar and is laying in the grass, he meets Huby. Huby seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but they develop a wonderful friendship, and Huby helps Willie gain the confidence he so desperately needs. Having this new confidence even gains him a few friends at school. But there is something not quite right about Huby. Like the fact that he seems to just disappear and appear out of thin air. And the fact that his parents have yet to see him.

The real problem, though, is that something is in the cellar. Not something menacing, just the spirit of a boy who died tragically years earlier. So, when Willie proposes the field where the cellar is located be turned into a baseball field, they need to make sure that "Daniel" finds his way home.

This book was totally engaging and even though it is geared towards tweens, it held my interest the whole way through. I am thankful that I have books like this to review, as they really open my eyes as to the fantastic stories available for the younger crowd. There were only a few authors like this when I was growing up.

Hopefully this is not the last we hear from Fran Orenstein!

Questions for the author:

Any chance of a sequel to this book?

A first draft of the sequel, at the request of the publisher, is complete. This will be the second in a Huby series, as he is the continuing character. This next book, called The Goblin Murder Mystery, is a Halloween based story which will come out next fall, in time for, guess what, Halloween (also my birthday).

In March, the next book to be published, will be the first in a fantasy series. It is called The Book of Mysteries, The Wizard of Balalac. It's about 2 boys in New York City who are sent to a mysterious, disappearing bookstore to find The Book of Mysteries. The Wizard of Balalac will be first, then next year it will be followed by The Gargoyles of Blackthorne (working title).

What are you currently working on?

I am currently doing a final draft read through on The Fat Girls From Outer Space, expected out by July. It is a contemporary Tween story of pre-teen obesity and the intolerant and cruel culture we live in. Don't worry, though, the girls get their revenge in the end and come out shining stars.

What is your favorite book, or character?

My favorite Tween book is Holes by L. Sachar. My favorite Tween characters are Harry Potter and the gang, expecially Hermione, who reminds me of me.

As an added bonus a copy of The Ghost Under Third Base will be raffled off. All you need to do to enter is sign the guestbook under this book (and any other books you are interested in) at www.uponfurtherreview.org . The winner will be announced the first week in February on the website under Raffle Winners.

”

Review From Here wrote this review Tuesday, January 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“I wanted to start this review by looking up the definition of the word Mother. There were multiple definitions, but the one that I liked best was "maternal tenderness or affection". Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never had my children. I know that there are many people out there who would do anything to be able to have and/or raise a child, and others who try but somehow fail - this is one of those stories.

Meet Veronica Hartman. At 13 she has been in and out of 9 foster homes, 10 if you count the time she stayed with her Aunt and Uncle - that's where she went after her mother packed up her two brothers and fled for Alaska telling Ronnie "I need you to listen. We can't take you with us. There's not enough room." Shaken down to her very core, Ronnie has been trying everything in order to get reunited with her family. Riddled with behavioral problems from lying to stealing to anger issues, her case worker has turned to Alison as a last resort. Alison is a therapist and is willing to take Ronnie in and give her one last chance to prove that she can change her ways.

Although Ronnie and Alison have a rocky beginning, before long Ronnie seems to be making improvements not only in her behavior, but in her socialization skills as well. She is part of the "in" crowd at school - even though to get there she had to betray the only true friend she had made, someone who accepted her for herself, rather than try to mold her into someone they wanted her to be. And, even though her mother has suffered from drug and alcohol abuse in the past, it seems as if she may have finally gotten her life back on track and will be ready to have Ronnie come and stay with her. The only question is, is it too late?

Reading this book made me think of what it was like growing up. The teenage years are not a pleasant experience for anyone, at least that is what I believe. I can't imagine the additional struggles that are faced by children that are part of the "system". I loved the way the author delved into each character, and even though some of them seemed pretty rotten, she still let you see that there was good in each of them. I think this is very important - people normally don't do bad things on purpose, but are sometimes victims themselves. We should all try to remember that, before we judge others too quickly.

This is a great read for anyone, not just young adults. Thanks for allowing us the opportunity!

Questions for the author:

Do you have any children?

Yes, I have two teen boys. I love writing and working with girls because I grew up in a very "girl" oriented family with two sisters, no brothers, and only one male cousin--and 10 female cousins!
Now that I am the only "girl" in my house (even our dog is a male) I tell my family that I write about and work with girls to get my "girl fix"!

I see that you are a therapist. Have you ever taken in a foster child or did you rely on your experience to help define your characters?

I've never taken in a foster child. But I have worked with many wonderful foster kids and families and this experience allows me to feel very confident about character motivations and story lines. Some of the people I work with have these very incredible things happen to them--good and bad--but I think just listening to voices of teens every week helps to keep my character voices "real".

Are any of your characters based on "real" people or are they just a combination of many?

Ronnie was based on a foster child I worked with many years ago. That is to say I was thinking about what she might be like as a teenager as I wrote Returnable Girl. I met this girl when she was 6 years old, and my own son was 6, and to think about a child having to move from place to place like she did (while my own son was snug in his own bed) was very heart-wrenching to say the least. But Ronnie's "story" is entirely made up as are all of my characters.

Do you have any additional books in the works?

Yes! I'm currently in the process of working on SPOTTING FOR NELLIE.

A copy of Returnable Girl is going to be raffled off the first week in February. To enter please visit www.uponfurtherreview.org and sign the guestbook under any book you are interested in winning. Winners will be announced at the website under Raffle Winners.

***Please note: I still have not been contacted by ANY of the January winners - please email me your shipping information so we can get these wonderful books out to you:)

Please contact me at uponfurtherreview@gmail.com with any questions or problems!

”

Review From Here wrote this review Sunday, January 13 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I was looking forward to reading The All-Soul's Faire because even though I have read more than my fair share of horror novels, I can't remember reading one dealing with the elements of dark magic. I am glad this was the first as I now have something to measure the others against.

Detective Cole Bryant finds himself immersed in his first homicide since becoming a detective for the Alleghany Sheriff's Department. It is not the fact that he has a homicide to deal with that bothers Cole, but the manner in which the body is found - partially petrified with a goat's head staring at him from within her bowels.

Lisa Hicks murder would be the first in a string of unusual homicides - homicides which would lead Cole down a path he never expected, more bodies that were found in the same location and in a similar state but even though they were obviously homicides the ME on the case wrote them off as suicides.

Not only do the homicides bother him, so does the reaction of the townspeople. They seem to go on as if nothing unusual has happened and no one is willing to talk about it - questions about it are avoided at all costs. The only thing that Cole hears are rumors surrounding the Hicks family and their bizarre lifestyle - a lifestyle he gains firsthand knowledge of and even though he knows better has a hard time letting go of.

Let me first say that Kristy Tallman has hit a chord in me that not too many authors do. I literally let the wash sit and the dishes go…if I didn't have 2 little ones I would not have put this down until it was finished. Look out world, the face of horror has a new name and I for one look forward to anything this bright young author brings my way.

Thanks again Kristy for allowing my group to review your book!

Questions for the author:

1. Where did you get your inspiration for the backwoods characters that you portray, they seem so authentic?

My family is originally from the area the book is written about and from time spent visiting in the summers and living there for two years just watching the people you begin to almost transform into the folks you come to love and admire for their true personalities. They seem authentic because many of them are based on people I knew with maybe an added flare here and there.

2. What authors do you feel should get more recognition (present company excluded)?

Wow - that's a good question and one not many have asked me or given me the opportunity to rise to the occasion of saying so! I would have to say many of the authors in the horror industry tend to get the cold shoulder simply because the market is saturated with other genres to the point there is little if any shelf space provided for them in bookstores. Poets too I think truly don't get the attention they deserve but that seems to stem from a political aspect rather than shelf space. To name a few though - Gary Frank is a very talented author as is Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc who began her career self-published and has beat the odds. I met Gaddy Bergmann at the Denver Co, MileHiCon and have been reading his work - outstanding point of view on an over done post apocalyptic world. His work breaks the boundaries of Sci-Fi and runs the gamut of great literary works to be.

3. Do you have any books in the works at the moment?

I just completed Crows on the Cross and it is scheduled to release Jan 1. There are always several books in the works for me but right now the only one I will divulge is the sequel to The All-Soul's Faire due to be released on October 31, 2008.

4. Do you have any hobbies other than writing?

Well I enjoy bowling and hanging out with my family. When you travel so much it tends to become a treat just to stay home and spend time with those you love. I also love riding motorcycles and listening to blues bands on the weekends when I can. I always say though when I tire of writing or find the free time I will get back to my art and my photography work.

A copy of The All-Soul's Faire will be raffled off to a reader the first week of February. Please sign the guestbook under this book at www.uponfurtherreview.org for your chance to win. Your name will automatically be entered in the drawing.

Winners will be announced on the website under Raffle Winners. Good luck and have a great day!

As always, if you have any questions or problems, please don't hesitate to contact me:)
”

Review From Here wrote this review Thursday, January 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“January 8, 2008

Review by Tracee Gleichner

Into the Spell by Norm Applegate

It has been a long time since I have read a book and when I was finished I wanted to pick it up and read it all over again. I read A LOT of books, and some of them are very good. But there is something about this one that just made me want to keep it close in case I had the chance to read it, even if it was only a few pages at a time.

Maybe it was the fact that the heroine, Kim Bennett, is a former madam who is into S&M and domination. Even though this would normally be enough to cause some readers to think down on her, she is someone I couldn't help but like and end up cheering on throughout the book. She has had a rough life, and despite this has remained strong - her only weakness is to count letters whenever she is nervous or anxious. I applaud the fact that he didn't dwell on all of the bad things in her past. Many people go through horrible situations, but sometimes it is dwelled on to the point where it doesn't seem real anymore. She is so well developed and is such a great character, I can't wait to read Into the Basement, and Mr. Applegate's upcoming novel Into the Haven.

Or, maybe it is Titus, the villian. He has the power of mind control (hypnosis) and previously used it in a night club to draw in customers and make a living. This bored him though, as he knew he possessed a power that comes around very rarely. He has moved on to bigger and better things - well, better in his mind. Even though he is constantly warned by communication with long dead Madam Blavatsky, a world renouned psychic from the turn of the 20th century, he decides to let his dark powers surface and take over his free will. He is the kind of murderer that is truly frightening - after all, when you can control someone elses mind you don't really need to get blood on your hands and can continue with wicked ways long after the supposed killer is caught. Not only does he use hypnosis for murder, no, no, no. He also has many sexual fantasies and perversions that he likes to play out, and once again the power of hypnosis allows him to delve into his dark mind to play out whatever he chooses at the moment.

You hear about stories that send a chill up your spine, and only a few authors have EVER had that effect on me. I am the queen of horror/suspense books and it really does take a lot to spook me. This book hit me on a different level. I loved how the villian was linked to a very well known serial killer and was involved in other mind control situations that make for great material for some sequels. I know that there are skeptics out there when it comes to psychic abilities, hypnosis, etc...but even if you don't believe (which I do), this book poses a very haunting set of circumstances.

Questions for the author:

What made you focus on hypnosis as the skill for the villian?

Starting back when I was 12 or 13 I purchased a Kreskin ESP kit and was drawn into the mystical world of the unexplained, that curiousity never left. Interestingly, when I was in my thirties the opportunity presented itself to train as a hypnotist and travel throughout a number of countries. I jumped at it. Creating the villian in "Spell," required someone that could control people's thoughts, and what a perfect resource but my own past and knowledge of the subject. To add layers to the villian, I had Titus Constantin Gorsky talk to the dead, H. P. Blavatsky, she's a real person with an interesting life. Then of course connecting this to the Son of Sam made sense since David Berkowitz had always claimed it was a cult that pulled him into the crime spree we have come to know as the summer of sam.

What books do you have in the works currently?

The third in the Kim Bennett series is called "Into the Haven," and as the title suggests it's about vampires. As Kim Bennett would say "Don't be stupid vampires aren't real," however, like spell, she is pulled into a horror/thriller of a story where she questions her own beliefs. The novel is at a half way point with a scheduled release for June or July and there are lots of twists and unexpected events for poor Kim. I enjoy punishing her...
Also, I'm writing the screenplay of my first novel "Into the Basement," with Kym Wilde, another interesting individual, and we are in discussions with an Indie film director.

Who/What is your inspiration?

I have become friends with best selling author David Hagberg who writes CIA terrorist novels, his most recent "Dance with the Dragon," is an excellent read and I consider him my mentor. As for inspiration, writing fills a creative desire and that animal needs to be released.

Do you have a favorite villian from a book/movie/tv show?

Dracula, evil, erotic, powerful, and the whole blood lust thing is sexual in nature, he's the best.

To view an interview with Norm Applegate about his book "Into the Basement" click below.

Video regarding "Into the Basement".

A copy of Into the Spell will be raffled off to a reader the first week of February. Please sign the guestbook under this book at for your chance to win. Your name will automatically be entered in the drawing.

Winners will be announced on the website under Raffle Winners. Good luck and have a great day!

As always, if you have any questions or problems, please don't hesitate to contact me:)
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Review From Here wrote this review Tuesday, January 8 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Review by Tim Gleichner

As the father of 4 and 2 1/2 year old girls, I read quite a few children’s books. Most of the reading I do with my girls is at bedtime, so I look for a few specific qualities in the books we read. "There's an Angel in My Closet" meets all of them for me.

1. Length of story. Since I read 2-3 books an evening, stories that aren't too long to hold my girls interest are a must.

2. The quality of the story. Even though a book may be only a few pages long, I still look for stories that capture my girls attention. "There's an Angel in My Closet" is a delightfully charming tale.

3. Illustrations. My girls (and myself included) love pictures. The illustrations in this book are first rate. They are vividly colored and very engaging.

This is a wonderful children’s book that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Questions to the author:

What inspired you to write a children's book?

When my grandson, Scott was a baby I would read stories to him and thought to myself “I can do better than these” So it was that I began writing stories with him in mind. Scott is now sixteen, but the stories keep coming.

Can we look forward to more children's books in the future?

Yes, actually I’ve written eight children’s stories thus far and will get them all out as soon as I locate the perfect illustrators for them. I have been blessed as I’ve found one that has captured the essence of a mischievous little angel bear who is the lead character in one of my story series titled “The Adventures of Little Bear Blue” which has an accompanying song that I wrote called “If You Believe in You”. I hope to get this released in 2008.


Just as an aside, all my children’s stories were “given” to me. By that I mean that I’ve never sat down and thought about the story – they simply came to me in one felt swoop and I’ve not changed one single word. Some people call it channeling, or a muse - I call it a gift…

For the older children, I am writing a story for the TWEENS called “The Prophecies of Jake Little Feather” which should find its way into the marketplace by the end of 2008.


What other hobbies do you enjoy? I write music and love doing outdoor activities. Anything that puts me out in nature nourishes my soul.

What is your favorite book? TV Show? Movie? I have several favorites:

Movies- E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Lake House, just to name a few.

For TV shows – I love good comedy series such as Gilmore Girls, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters.


My favorite books, besides my own (I write novels – LUPO-Conversations with an E.T. which is the first of a trilogy sequel with HYBRID-The Conversation Continues and KRYSTAL-The Final Saga), I enjoy self-help and metaphysical writers by a variety of authors. Some of my favorites are Sheldon Nilde, Jim Sparks, Esther Hicks (Abraham ) and of course Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Louise Aveni is part of the Triad Publishing Group - a publisher who takes self-publishing to a whole new level.

For more information, please click on their name - it is really worth checking out if you are a writer looking for a fantastic company!

A copy of There's an Angel in my Closet will be raffled off to a reader the first week of February. Please sign the guestbook at www.uponfurtherreview.org. Your name will automatically be entered in the drawing.

Winners will be announced on the website under Raffle Winners. Good luck and have a great day!




”

Review From Here wrote this review Sunday, January 6 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I have never read a YA book set in Australia before, so was delighted when I was offered the opportunity to review The Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz. There has been a tragedy in the Green family, and when Suzy's dad is offered a new job in a new location it is the perfect chance for the whole family to try and move on and start over. Suzy has decided to stop being the "wild child", and maybe try to be a little more like her sister Rosie. In an attempt to reinvent herself she changes her music, her clothing, and her overall appearance. It works, as she quickly fits in in school and even begins dating one of the handsome popular boys in her class. Things are going great, until she is invited to join the Virginity Club, one of the extracurricular activities her new friends participate in.

Apparently Virginity Clubs are the latest craze and all of the "cool" people belong, pledging to save themselves for marriage and to refrain from any kind of inappropriate activities with the opposite sex, including touching and kissing. Suzy doesn't see any harm in joining, even though she isn't a virgin. After all, it's only one small little lie, and who will ever find out? That is until Ryan, her old boyfriend and the boy she lost her virginity to, moves to town. Is this the beginning of the end for Suzy? Can she keep up the lie and try and convince Ryan to help her...or does she even want to?

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and really made me remember what being a teenager is like. Trying to fit in sometimes means giving up some of the things you love - Suzy finds this out the hard way. All of the characters were so well developed, and one of my favorites was Maddie, the best friend who struggles to believe all that Suzy is going through to impress her "new" crowd of friends. I applaud the author for encouraging teens to just be themselves instead of trying to be something they aren't.

Questions for the author:

What hobbies do you enjoy apart from writing?

I LOVE GOING TO THE MOVIES (ESPECIALLY TEEN OR CHICK MOVIES), I ALSO DO JIGSAWS, HAVE STARTED TO KNIT, WATCH LOADS OF TV, AND GO WALKING (PREFERABLY ALONG THE BEACH).

Did you fit in with the "in" crowd as a teen? Depending on your answer, did it make it easier writing the book because of this?

AT SCHOOL I WAS MORE LIKE THE 'OLD' SUZY. I WAS ALWAYS IN TROUBLE AND SPENT MUCH OF MY TIME DISRUPTING LESSONS (I DID REDEEM MYSELF LATER AND WENT TO UNIVERSITY). THOUGH MY FRIENDS AND I WEREN'T THE 'IN' CROWD WE DID HAVE OUR OWN GROUP AND WERE HAPPY. I THINK MY WHOLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE HELPED ME WRITE THIS BOOK. I COULD EASILY RELATE TO OLD SUZY, AND TO NEW SUZY BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE TIMES WHEN I WOULD DECIDE TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF AT SCHOOL - UNFORTUNATELY IT DIDN'T LAST LONG BECAUSE I WAS TOO EASILY DISTRACTED!!

Do you have any plans for any sequels?

NOT AT THE MOMENT, THOUGH IN THE FUTURE I'D LIKE TO DO MADDIE'S STORY. SHE SEEMS TO BE A REAL FAVORITE WITH READERS, EVEN THOUGH SHE ONLY EVER APPEARS WHEN SHE'S TALKING ON THE PHONE TO SUZY.

Any books in the works?

I'VE JUST FINISHED A BOOK ABOUT A GIRL WHO SELLS PSYCHIC DATING ADVICE TO STUDENTS AT HER SCHOOL, IN ORDER TO PAY OFF A HUGE
DEBT.
As an added bonus, a copy of The Second Virginity of Suzy Green is to be raffled off to a reader. Enter by signing the guestbook at www.uponfurtherreview.org. To view other comments you just need to click on the View Guestbook tab.

The drawing will be held the first week in February. The winner will be announced on the website under Raffle Winners.

If you run into technical trouble, or have additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.”

Review From Here wrote this review Tuesday, January 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )