Thank you to talented writer, Esther Chilton, for sharing a delightful post about Something Fancy and a wonderful review. Esther has several excellent books, both fiction and non-fiction, which you will find on her site.
Esther is a very generous and supportive blogger and has a Guest Writer Spot on a Friday where she shares stories, poems and promotional articles by various bloggers. In Esther’s words:
“If you’d like to be included in this slot, please get in touch: estherchilton@gmail.com. Poems can be up to 60 lines and prose 2000 words. If you’d like to add a short bio and photo, then great. All I ask is that there’s nothing offensive.”
This week’s guest is familiar to many of you. Robbie Cheadle is a prolific writer and so supportive of other bloggers. Please give her a warm welcome as she shares her new book, which I’ve just read. You’ll find my review below. For now, over to Robbie:
Something Fancy, A Winter Wonderland Celebration book 1
Christmas in South Africa
Christmas in South Africa is a different experience to Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere. It is summer here and the temperatures on Christmas Day are frequently in the mid 30 C’s. Our Christmas menu is designed for hot weather and tends towards salads, cold meats, and light desserts rather than the hot meal enjoyed in colder climates and the heavy puddings. That being said, my family always have a traditional Christmas Cake to enjoy on and after the day. We also usually have either a chocolate house or a gingerbread house on display which goes down well with the children.
On several occasions, I have used a summer fun theme for my Christmas confectionaries. One of my favourite Christmas cakes features Santa on the Beach.
Picture caption: Cover for Unbury the Dead by Laurel Hanlon
I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.
Picture caption: Emblem for Rosie’s Book Review Team
I always enjoy a good vampire novel, especially during Halloween month. Unbury the Dead, debut novel by Laurel Hanlon introduces the novel concept of vampire mafia. The main character, Phil, has fallen foul of his mafia boss father-in-law, resulting in his being interned in a concrete crypt beneath the ocean. The novel starts with Phil finally finding some success in wriggling himself free of his watery grave and making an escape. Phil knows he has been interned for a lengthily period but doesn’t know how long.
The great escape kicks off a fast paced and entertaining story about a vampire misplaced in time and astounded by the wonders of the 21st century. Hunting humans is certainly more difficult with modern technology like cameras on streets and in stores, credit cards, and cell phones. Phil must adjust to these enormous changes while on the run from his father-in-law’s mafia henchmen who become aware of his presence in New York due to his publicized indiscretions.
This book introduces fresh and interesting ideas to the well know vampire mythology and sets the characters in an intensely modern 21st century setting. I enjoyed the ‘culture shock’ and acclimatization aspects very much. There is also an intriguing romance thread that allows for the introduction of some of Phil’s backstory and a deep dive into the cause of his incarceration and current problems.
All in, this is an entertaining retelling of the well-known vampire story and worth the time if you enjoy vampire tales and mythology.
Picture caption: book cover of A Bold Bargain featuring an old fashioned motor cycle and a wolf-like dog
This is the third book in the Bargainer Series and my personal favourite. I am really enjoying these uplifting stories filled with kindness. These books restore my faith in the goodness of humanity, and I appreciate that in our current world of endless bad news.
Jack made his entrance in book 2 as the younger brother of the main character, Rose. His strength of character and innate goodness were evident in that book and this one builds on the reader’s previous interactions with this interesting young man. It is not necessary to read the earlier novels to appreciate this book, but it does help with a greater understanding of Jack’s past and the childhood setbacks he has overcome to get where he is at the beginning of this book.
I was delighted to discover Jack working as a substitute conservationist and knocking heads with vicious poachers of wild animals. Jack’s deep love of animals really resonates with me, and I was also thrilled at his adoption of first a young puppy (possibly part wolf), and then other creatures in need. Jack’s willingness to help other in need leads to his meeting and assisting and elderly woman who is slowly going blind and suffering other effects of an illness and also, a young lady who is on her own mission to help her aging grandfather.
These threads of catching poachers, helping Mrs Fletcher, meeting Finley, and developing bonds with various animals, all weave together into a beautiful and uplifting story. This is a wonderful book to read in the lead up to the Christmas season or at any other time when your spirits need lifting.
When I was eight, my sister, Catherine, was four, and Hayley and Laura were fifteen months and six weeks old, respectively, my family moved to a small coastal village called Fish Hoek in the Western Cape. Our cottage was a temporary furnished rental for a period of three months while the partly built house my parents purchased was finished.
Mom was busy all day long with the babies, so Catherine and I walked to the beach on our own. Our route took us through the town and past the local grocery store. Catherine and I had been taught to be kind and helpful to others, especially elderly people. I had also been a Brownie for a few months before my family relocated from Johannesburg. Helping others was an important part of the Brownies Association’s ethos.
During one of our walks through the town, we happened to see an elderly lady struggling to carry heavy shopping bags. In those days the bags were made of brown paper and the bottoms had to be supported or they broke. Naturally, I immediately seized this opportunity to be a good Brownie and rushed over with an offer to carry the old lady’s bags for her. She accepted gratefully, and I carried the two heavy bags to her flat a few streets away. Her apartment block had stairs and no lift, which necessitated my carrying the bags up four long flights of stairs before we finally reached the door to her flat. I remember my arms aching from carrying those bags with the bottom one cradled in both my arms and the second laid on top of it. It was most uncomfortable.
The lady was pleased and invited us in for a cup of tea. This was the beginning of a lovely friendship. Once a week, Cath and I would visit this old lady and have a cup of tea with her. She always provided a delicious spread of homemade biscuits. She loved to crochet and showed me some beautiful pin cushions she’d made. I admired them so much she gifted me one on the day of our last visit before moving to our new home. I kept that pin cushion, bright green with white edging, for years and years.
I have often wondered over the years what happened to her. I hope she was happy and managed to get her groceries home without incident. I have no idea how she would have carried them up the stairs.
All the photographs below were taken in the afternoon. The first three are London scenes from the balcony of our hotel room near Westminster Bridge and the street art consists of photographs of construction walling street art taken in Bruxelles, Belgium. These pictures all relate to one length of construction walling.
Picture caption: You can see The Shard in the background.Picture caption: Close up of The ShardPicture caption: I snapped this street art picture on the way to the airport on our last day in Bruxelles
Picture caption: Cover of The Power of Three depicting three young men facing a house with a ghostly female figure rising from the roof with menacing yellow eyes.
What Amazon says
“Polen weaves an imaginative paranormal tale brimming with engaging characters, thrilling action, and well-crafted suspense. Perfect for fans of Supernatural and Grimm, The Power of Three will keep you on the edge of your seat until you turn the final page.” –Jane McGarry, fantasy author
Yesterday, a curse. Today, an inheritance. Tomorrow…may never come.
Beck Teller’s family bounced from one rental to another his entire life. When his father inherits an ancestral home, he and his siblings are thrilled to finally settle down, especially somewhere his family has roots. And those roots run deep—right to the on-site family cemetery where tombstone dates prove too many members met untimely fates.
When Beck and his two brothers begin experiencing inexplicable things, they grasp for practical explanations. Then their little sister gets a warning from beyond the grave, and the time for rationalizing is over. They pledge to protect their family and set out to identify the source of the danger and a means to defeat it.
They never expected to discover their house is haunted by a vengeful spirit who has vowed to destroy every descendant in the Teller line.
Centuries earlier, three Teller brothers battled the evil entity. Since then, her wrath has caused generations of suffering and untimely deaths. Now, three more Teller brothers will stand against this wicked being. But this time, the curse must be broken. If they win the final fight, they’ll banish the malevolent force forever. But if they lose, their family line ends…and they unleash hell on Earth.
My review
I really enjoyed this fast paced and interesting supernatural mystery story by Teri Polen. I have read other books by this author, all of which were terrific reads, but this one really absorbed and enthralled me.
Life has been a financial struggle for the Teller parents who have always rented a house, lived hand-to-mouth, and battled to pay the bills and keep their three sons in school. Their relationship was going through a rocky patch when Harper, a fourth late child, was born. Harper nearly died at birth and the Teller family all drew together to help her fight for survival. She is now the glue that holds the family together and her three older brothers and parents adore her.
The family’s luck appears to have changed when Mr. Teller learns that, as the last surviving Teller, he has inherited the mansion-styled ancestral Teller home. Thrilled, the family move into their new home, spirits and hope high. You never know whether an event is for the good or bad in life though and each of the three brothers quickly starts experiencing strange and unpleasant sensations and noises. After discovering the family graveyard, packed with the remains of Tellers, many of whom died very young and often within quick succession of other immediate family members, and some revealing equipment and books about the family’s history, the three brothers realise there is something very wrong with the house. They are slowly drawn into the drama of the greater Teller family’s past.
The author’s depictions of the three adolescent boys and their relationships with each other and their parents were realistic and enjoyable. The humour in day-to-day interactions, love interests, and the competitiveness between siblings is a great tool to lighten the darkness of the storyline from time to time. The devotion of the three brothers to their younger sister was heartwarming and an enjoyable addition to the book.
The introduction of the various ghosts and the supernatural elements in the novel are well done and quite believable. I had to read carefully to ensure I picked up all the scattered foreshadowing and hints at what was to come. There are a number of threads that all tie together neatly at the end in a satisfying way.
With its modern approach to romantic relationships and life for young people, this book is perfect for a young adult audience and the story is sufficiently complex and compelling to be enjoyed by a more mature and experienced reading audience too.
I am back from my trip to London and Brussels. It was very busy, and I didn’t do much reading of any kind. I do have lots of pictures to share with you over the next few weeks.
First, my review of Tidalscribe Tales by Janet Gogerty.
Picture caption: cover of Tidalscribe Tales by Janet Gogerty featuring a beach and ocean scene.
What Amazon says
Tales light and dark, bending reality, unexpected endings… Dip into an ABC of stories including four chapters of flash fiction.
My review
A delightful and unusual collection of short stories. The stories are widely varied in their topics, but each has a common thread of the human experience that is nicely captured by the characters who are well developed, despite the length of the stories.
I enjoyed the Englishness of these stories which is reflected in the reactions and dialogue of the characters. The author has captured the essence of the English very well and it was entertaining and relatable for me.
My three favourite of the stories:
A New Family Member – this is the opening story in the collection and is about a man who wants to get a dog for himself and a family. He has specific requirements as to the size and look of the dog as it will be a bit of an ego extension for him. The moral is that you must be careful what you ask for as you just might get it.
Dream Machine – an intriguing tale about a unsatisfied school teacher who dreams of being a famous writer. He believes he has his best ideas while sleeping but can’t remember the details when he wakes up. If only he could write down his dreams as the sleeps. Nothing in life is ever as you expect it to be as is revealed by this fascinating short story.
Trinity Tree – a story about nature’s revenge on a spoiled and selfish man. I was delighted that nature, for once, got the upper hand in this intriguing short story.
A well writing and highly entertaining collection of short stories that will make you think.
Picture caption: Cover of Run for the Roses featuring an axe, a fluffy hat and a bunch of red roses
What Amazon says
The Headless Horseman has mellowed over the centuries, somewhat. Who knew that he is a horse lover, and needs Lizzie’s help. An unaffiliated witch is torturing race horses in an effort to skew the parimutuel betting odds.
Can Lizzie and the hat find this renegade witch before one of these beautiful animals gets hurt? Can they do it before Detlef, The Horseman, takes things into his own hands and violates the terms of his magical parole.
It seems like everyone is standing in their way this time, including a team of YouTube ghost hunters and members of the coven itself.
Saddle up for this supernatural ride through the world of Lizzie and the hat.
My review
Run for the Roses is another dive into a world of supernatural events directed by mythical creatures who fly just below the perception of humanity. All of humanity, except for Lizzie, the possessor of ‘the Hat’, an unusual and ancient creature who choses to take the form of various hats that can be worn by the current member of the family it has adopted. The Hat has been in Lizzie’s family for decades and came to her following the death of her grandfather. Together, Lizzie and the Hat have been on seven previous adventures where they fight mythical creatures who have chosen to follow a selfish path of personal gain of some sort. Lizzie and the Hat are, in essence, the champions of ‘good’ mythical creatures who want to live in harmony with humanity. The duo, together with helpers and friends, prevent discord and disruption in the human world that could have negative implications for everyone.
This story steps up the role of the ‘Headless Horseman’. Detlef made an appearance in an earlier book and it was very enjoyable to see him making a greater appearance in this book. Detlef is a champion of horses and is angered by the actions of witches who have summoned a ‘maar’ to terrify and torture horses for the purpose of changing the outcome of horse races. Detlef needs Lizzie and the Hat to help him destroy the maar and end the reign of terror.
As always, this short and fast story is packed with dark humour, fascinating mythical creatures, and an exciting story line. This book introduces the Gravedigger who I really enjoyed. Lizzie’s interactions with her band and their various gigs create a fun and relatable background setting for the adventures.
If you are looking to escape the anxieties of life through some well written and highly entertaining escapism, you will love this book.
Picture caption: Book cover of A Life in Frames featuring a few small trees in the desert
What Amazon says
A photojournalist consumed by his passion for telling stories through his camera lens, a father and son at a war of wills, and lovers struggling to find a way to each other.
A Life in Frames follows the life of Namibian photojournalist Lejf Busher as he navigates through childhood and manhood in this coming-of-age literary saga. Two women are central to Lejf’s existence: his mother and the woman he loves. Destined for success and international acclaim, he discovers the complex reality of a career that separates him from his relationships. His mother is a beacon of strength, but he feels unsupported by his father. Lejf wants that acceptance. He also longs to succeed romantically with his great love, but her own search for independence and escape from a conservative upbringing widens the distance between them. Lejf’s expectations of a world and people he cannot change force him to confront his fears and choices when he can no longer run from them.
A Life in Frames is about the push and pull between the ties that bind us and the desires that motivate us. It is also about coming to grips with the consequences of unspoken and misinterpreted words.
My review
Picture caption: Badge for Rosie’s Book Review Team
I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.
I was attracted to this book for two reasons: It is set in Namibia and it focuses on photography. As a South African with a passion for wildlife photography I knew I would enjoy reading a story set in our neighbouring country of Namibia and I also knew there must be a focus on wildlife photography. I was correct on both counts and I loved the beautiful descriptions of the main character’s, Lejf Busher, home in a small town in Namibia and his trips into the bush to discover amazing photographic opportunities. I related completely to Lejf’s love for his country and its wildlife and people. The author described the small town attitudes of the people who surround Lejf as a child, including his father, with a sharp pen, and I enjoyed the disruptions to their thinking caused by Lejf’s mother, a Swede with an open-minded European mindset. The scenes about a book about sex, written by Lejf’s mother to teach her five sons about women, and its making the rounds of the town’s people made me laugh. It would be like that here in conservative South African towns too.
Lejf’s father’s lack of support of his son’s choice of career also rang true for me, having experienced this attitude of creative careers being unreliable as pay cheque jobs in my own family. The clashes between Lejf and his father over many things were well portrayed and realistic. A conservative farmer from a small Namibian town would react to a dramatic and creative personality like Lejf’s with concern and a lack of understanding. The author has a very initiate understanding of small town people in southern Africa.
This is a coming of age story and follows Lejf’s life from a boy of ten into later adulthood. It beautifully depicts a man driven by deep empathy for the first nation people of this planet who have been displaced and their way of life decimated by interlopers. There is a great tragedy and sadness in the scenes of Lejf’s visits to these people and places. The author must have first hand experience of such peoples and places and has done a lot of research.
In summary, this is a beautifully written book filled with thought provoking and interesting scenes and well worth reading. It is literary fiction and the pace is slow and considered so it is aimed at a certain readership.
Just a reminder that I am having surgery tomorrow, so I won’t be around much from about lunch time tomorrow until next week, Wednesday. Apologies in advance for any delays in responding to comments.
The Mystery of Folly’s End by Jaye Marie
What Amazon Says
Two estranged sisters, a dead husband, a mysterious hotel and a ghost?
Charlie’s sister Angela is not her favourite person after deliberately stealing the love of her life.
Years later, Angel’s husband dies mysteriously, leaving her with two children and no money. She begs her big sister to help her.
Can Charlie find it in her heart to forgive her sister, or will old feelings destroy any chance of a reunion?
Can they work together to solve their problems, or would that be asking for the impossible?
My review
I don’t often read murder mystery books of this nature so this was an unusual book choice for me. The story was engaging and there were a few great twists although I did have a good idea of how the murder element was going to pan out early in the story. This is not uncommon for me and one of the reasons I don’t read many books in this genre. In this case, it did not hinder my enjoyment of the book as the characters were interesting albeit not being my version of nice in any way.
I thought the main character, Charlie, was a kind person but her relationship with her sister, Angie, a horrible and entirely selfish woman, was astonishing to me. She was a bit of a doormat despite being a fairly successful woman in her chosen career in interior design. This aspect of Charlie’s personality was evident throughout the story in her relationships with her boss, Maggie, lover, Peter Channing, and finally with Stuart Rankin, Angie’s apparent nemesis and business partner to Tom, Angie’s missing husband and Charlie’s ex-boyfriend. The fact that Angie’s missing husband was also Charlie’s ex-boyfriend and the reason the two sisters were no longer close is very indicative of Angie’s grasping and me centric personality.
Although I found Charlie’s behaviour mystifying, I did understand it because I have seen similar behaviour by many women I know. Many women seem desperate to please at any cost to themselves. I think this is one of the reasons I enjoyed this story despite my dislike of most of the characters including Maggie, Angie, Stuart, and Peter. Angie’s two daughters were sweet girls and quite neglected by their mother, so they were a nice intervention into the storyline. Charlie’s psychology was quite fascinating, and I enjoyed trying to unravel what made her tick and why she put up with the abuse she suffered from practically every person in her life. In the end, I believe it was a desire to be accepted and loved that made Charlie the way she was. That is my opinion and I’d be interested in other readers opinions in this regard.
On the whole, an interesting book that is well worth the time investment.
Winter Journeys: A Novel of Music and Memory by Audrey Driscoll
What Amazon says
Winter Journeys is a story about the power of music and imagination.
In 1827, a year before his death, composer Franz Schubert wrote twenty-four songs that trace the physical and mental trajectory of a man who has parted from the young woman for whom he had romantic feelings. Wandering the winter countryside, he passes from sorrow to disillusion, anger, confusion, irony, loneliness, and a final surrender—to madness?
In 1987, Ilona Miller’s final year at university, she is enchanted by a recorded voice singing those twenty-four songs. A misfit who has struggled to please and succeed, she becomes an explorer of uncontrolled emotions. When she meets a man who seems to embody the marvellous voice, she acts out her romantic imaginings, but her giddy joy soon spirals into chaos.
In 2007, Ilona Miller is downsized from her office job. Instead of adjusting her attitude, upgrading her skills, and sending out resumes, she retreats into grief and paranoid imaginings. Her walks along streets and seashores awaken a long-suppressed alter ego and summon a parade of lost memories. Did the choices she made twenty years ago harm someone besides herself? Who is the man whose harmonica she hears at night? And where is she going now?
My review
This is an extraordinary book of literary fiction that reminded me in many ways of various works by the Bronte sisters. The writing is beautiful and vivid, and the main character, for me, was compelling in a strange and almost dark way. It was clear from the start of the story that Llona Miller was a woman with severe mental health issues. She obviously had difficulties in relating to other people and suffered from a persecution complex where she believed her colleagues were conspiring against her.
The story starts with Llona rushing to get to the bank during her lunch break. She spots a homeless man playing a harmonica which makes no tangible sound. She believes this man to be someone she knew from her collage days. She dwells on the man, Davy Dawson, in a rather obsessive way, but the reader gets the impression this would have passed had Llona not had the misfortune to be retrenched during a downsizing exercise. She disbelieves management’s commentary that her retrenchment is due to her being the most recent introduction to the team and becomes more and more certain that, somehow, her past has infiltrated her work environment, and people can sense she is different. Llona starts her slow descent into a complete withdrawal from functional society. Her obsession with finding Davy Dawson grows and she starts searching for him. As she walks about in the depths of the Canadian winter, trying to find him, she relives the story of her life and how she became immersed in the music of Franz Schubert to a point where writing an essay about his life takes over all her time and focus.
This is a sad story of a woman’s mental degeneration and the related collapse of her life. Llona’s life story is one of tragedy and loss. It was never clear to me as to whether the homeless man she thought was Davy Dawson actually existed or whether he was a figment of her imagination.
This is a fascinating story which provides a lot of insight into mental illness and its effect not only on the sufferer but also on the people around them. A most worthy read for people who enjoy literary fiction and character driven books.
A few examples of the compelling writing: “That spring I wore sunglasses whenever I went outside. The light was intolerable, harsh, uncouth, needle-like, whether hazing a dusty window or jabbing laser-like into my eyes from chrome bumpers and trim on cars, or glassware and cutlery on a table.”
“It’s clear to her that Nicole is out of her depth. Her face is even redder, and her eyes dart from computer screen to window to her own fingers; she looks anywhere but at Ilona, who sits and gazes at her. (Ilona has done this before, but now she is doing it differently.”
I am not much of a team player. I have had some very bad experiences where my hard work and creative solutions have been accredited to more senior people on my so called team. I’ve also had situations where the team doesn’t listen and a crisis results. These situations have left a bad taste in my mouth and now I prefer to run my own processes with as little involvement from other people as possible.
Picture caption: Cover of Bugbies by Dave Williams in black and yellow
What Amazon says
These are not traditional zombies. These people have been zombified by parasitoid wasps. These are bugbies.
They don’t roam in search of brains to eat. They serve as hosts for wasp eggs and larvae, which aim to grow into adult wasps and find new hosts for the next generation.
Bugbies is about several people who are impacted by this fantastical shift of one wasp species to jump hosts from another insect to humans. Charlotte, who was nearly turned into a host. Isha, the neurosurgeon who treats her. Lucia, an entomologist who is brought in as an advisor. Brock, who wishes to buy a bugbie and show it off to his friends. His wife Daniella, and their gardener Lewis, who deal with that decision and take action in response.
My review
I really enjoyed this unique and interesting story. I am not sure what genre it is, but for me it’s a mix of sci-fi, dystopian fiction, family drama, with just the right amount of non-fiction information to make it work. The novel is told from the points of view of several characters from different backgrounds and social standings and I really liked that. It gave insight into the themes and main story line form a variety of different perspectives and was a clever way to share certain fact patterns and information. The author also made use of other innovative ideas like sharing the content (in writing) of homemade you tube videos shared on the internet and also blog posts. Another unique way of sharing events and information outside of the main characters lives and scope of knowledge.
The story starts off with Charlotte who is feeling unwell. Within a short period, Charlotte slips into a coma and her husband races her to the hospital. Charlotte undergoes a series of tests and astonishes the neurologist and the world when the tumours in her brain turn out to be something different to everyone’s experience and expectations. Charlotte is the first, but she is far from the last. The country is soon in the grip of anxiety and paranoia equal to what we experienced during the Covid 19 pandemic.
Lucia Ramirez is a young professor at a university. She is an expert in her field and she introduces different thoughts relating to the unusual situation. She also lectures young students which facilitates the introduction of ideas and thoughts about the situation from the younger generation. Clever! Lucia is a great role model for women as she has worked towards a goal and achieved her aims in a world that has historically been dominated by men.
Danielle Hawkins is the spoiled and wealthy older woman in this story. Her husband is a wealthy man who is desperate to keep up with the Jones or, even better, to be ahead of them. Their son is a spoiled rich kid but he has some redeeming characteristics, as does Danielle. Mr Hawkins is a selfish and egocentrical man who will stop at nothing to show off to his friends and family. I didn’t like him and he didn’t develop any redeeming qualities. He was, however, typical of a certain type of rich man and his actions and behaviours were very believable.
Lewis was my favourite character. He is a young father who has taken a job below his abilities due to need and circumstances. He works hard and tries to improve himself and take good care of his family. He is certainly not perfect and makes some silly decisions, but he is a good guy and he was easy to give wholehearted support too.
I thought this unusual story was well written and nicely paced. I read it quickly and was a bit sad when I reached the end. The ending was satisfying but I really liked some of the characters and could have spent more time with them.
Surely many people are named “Dave Williams” and this particular Dave is a redheaded one who enjoys writing speculative fiction, drawing, and reading. He lives in Maryland with his wonderful wife, two inspirational daughters, and two cats (a lazy one and a playful one).
roberta-writes.com 