Win a Copy of Unnatural Selection!

I have exciting news! Unnatural Selection, by Thomas Pryce, is now available to the public. In case you don't remember, I wrote a review of this science fiction thriller last August (to read it, click here).

Reading the work of Pryce was such a pleasure, I'm thrilled to share it with my own readers. That's why you can WIN your very own copy of Unnatural Selection! To enter the drawing, simply leave a comment on this blog. In one week I will randomly select one of the commenters via a very high tech method that involves dropping all your names into a hat :) I will then notify the winner and ship a copy of the book directly to you.

For those of you who don't win, don't worry: you too can enjoy Unnatural Selection by purchasing it here.

Thank you to Thomas Pryce for sharing your book, I'm psyched to support you and can't wait to read your next piece.

Divining Daisy

Divining Daisy, by Elaine Watkins is a 178 page novel that boldly delivers a message of healing and redemption. More than a story about a woman and her garden, and more than a love story or family saga, it is a brilliant work of fiction that uses flowers, humor, and friendship to shine a gentle light into the shadowy recesses of the human psyche.

Daisy is a lovable protagonist with her unabashed reverence for Shirley Chisholm, self deprecating humor, and humble strength. She's determined to maintain the recent positive changes in her life, including significant weight loss and the beginning of her very own flower business, but not without contending with unexpected challenges along the way. Acceptance proves to be the toughest hurdle of all, as she struggles to see her own beauty as well as the true nature of her most precious relationships. Thanks to her jealous best friend, protective family, twice divorced ex boss, and the mysterious Roc, Daisy must learn to overcome self doubt and face a dark secret that has haunted her for most of her life.

What I love most about this story is the realistic evolution that takes place among the relatable cast of characters: some persevere and grow while others stumble headlong over their own mental limits. Watkins orchestrates their development with the precision of one who keenly understands the way our minds can fool us, and how our past can ruin our future if we let it. The positive message of self love is delivered without cheesy cliché and remains the central theme throughout each engaging twist of the plot. 

With charming, witty prose, the author skillfully tempers emotionally charged drama with sun dappled moments of comic relief. The playful dialogue and bright imagery of Daisy's garden give the story an uplifting feel that makes the dark revelation in the last third of the book more shocking and yet more palatable. The jarring climax is gritty, but offers a touching and satisfying end without subscribing to an impossible standard of "Happily Ever After".

I would recommend this book to a wide audience, from the casual poolside reader to those searching for deeper, spiritual fulfillment. Divining Daisy is a well written piece that truly does have something for almost everyone. I can't wait until it's published. And as usual I promise to let you know as soon as it is available!

Beatles: The Death and Replacement of Paul, The Untold Story

Beatles

The Death and Replacement of Paul

The Untold Story

By Ernie Schultze

Beatles, by Ernie Schultze, is a two hundred and fifty-eight page book that makes an incredible case for the controversial theory that the real Paul McCartney died at the height of the band’s success and was replaced by a look-alike. Initially, this subject caught me off guard. As an 80’s child, I knew little of the Beatles prior to reading this manuscript and I certainly knew nothing about a conspiracy surrounding Paul McCartney. Yet, after reading only a few pages I was hooked by Schultze’s enthusiasm and astounded by his intimate knowledge of the legendary band.

A mere few weeks ago I thought of the Beatles as just some trippy British guys that girls used to go crazy for, kind of like they did for New Kids on the Block when I was a child. While I knew the names of some of their albums, I had no idea of the significance behind those names or how groundbreaking their music really was. Luckily for me, this fabulous resource came along with twenty-one smartly written chapters that completely flipped upside-down what I thought I knew.

The mental fog dissipated as I read, and a clearer picture of not only the Beatles, but America, emerged. Schultze has skillfully woven cultural tidbits into the chapters, reminding the reader of what the world was experiencing at the time the Beatles became famous. He also lets us climb into the limo along with John, Paul, George and Ringo and feel their alarm as frenzied fans rock the vehicle side to side and press their tear streaked faces against the glass.

The pacing of this book is consistent and comfortable, making it easy to follow the unfolding events. The author keeps things refreshingly real in his depiction of the member’s lives, focusing much of the attention on John Lennon and Paul McCartney. I especially enjoyed the dialogue which is full of banter and had me laughing out loud more than once. The narrative is also well done, carefully detailing everything from their bad acid trips to the gruesome car wreck that takes the original McCartney’s life.

Schultze presents startling evidence of the elaborate cover-up of McCartney’s death. With great sensitivity he not only details the emotional repercussions it has on the band as well as the replacement “Paul” but he explains the economic hardships hitting England at that time and the British Government’s motives for the cover-up. A skeptic before reading the first page, I confess now I might just be a believer. I sincerely hope that Ernie Schultze pursues publication and I’ve asked him to keep me informed of his progress. When this enlightening book is available for purchase I’ll be sure to let you know!

Unnatural Selection

Unnatural Selection by Thomas Pryce is an unpublished science fiction novel comprised of 351 pages - 60 chapters organized into three parts. The story takes place in the future amidst environmental devastation where people are vulnerable to radiation, disease, starvation and cannibalism. Pacifica is a secret underwater civilization that serves as a safe haven for those survivors lucky enough to be a part of its small community. Our protagonist, Jesse, has been looking for an opportunity to escape the suffocating confines of Pacifica and it appears that his chance has arrived when he’s part of a team selected to brave the hazardous conditions on land in order to gather vital supplies. The odds are against the team as they face multiple threats including the sun’s lethal rays and desperate land dwellers that will do anything to stay alive. The team prepares for these threats as best they can but there’s no way they can prepare for what awaits them. A jarring discovery of unspeakable evil causes Jesse to separate from the rest of his team and transforms his mission into something that it seems no one could carry out let alone survive.

One of the neatest things about this book is the depiction of the wasteland our familiar world has become and the new way of life that’s born in the vivid descriptions of Pacifica. I easily sympathized with Jesse as he pined for the sun and open air after spending years in an underwater dome. His ache to be on dry land and his elation once that desire is realized makes him human and relatable while the other characters’ desire to stay put and live safely under water is equally realistic. 

Unnatural Selection is jam-packed with information and suspense, to put it lightly. The science behind each crazy concept throughout the book is explained to the reader in mostly layman’s terms so that the situation surrounding the protagonist and his friends is believable. For me, that’s important.

The first half of the book is slower moving than the rest, putting necessary pieces of plot in place, foreshadowing the events to come and building suspense. While reading the opening chapters I enjoyed the way the author introduced new and totally foreign concepts as the norms of Pacifica – a world that is not that hard to imagine given our current real life environmental concerns. 

The action comes steadily in Section Two (pg 112) and the climax begins its crescendo at page 241 with Jesse facing both tragic loss and dire circumstances. The adrenaline calms only slightly through the next few scenes but picks up again quickly and doesn’t quit until the very last chapter. The short epilogue alludes to the closure of some obvious loose ends while the reader’s pulse is still thumping from the explosive previous chapter. There is no decrescendo to wind down the adrenaline, making the end feel a little abrupt, but it’s a great segue to a sequel if the author chooses to write it. And judging by what I’ve read, he certainly doesn’t lack the imagination to do so.

The writer in me was very attracted to Pryce’s unique manipulation of prose – he has a clear talent for crafting metaphors and creating eloquent description that left me thinking “I wish I could do that!” I would compare his use of language to the likes of Cormac McCarthy but his voice is totally his own and contains an edge of playfulness even in the dark world he created for Unnatural Selection. I’m looking forward to seeing more from this author. Keep your eye out for Unnatural Selection. I’ve asked Tom to tell me when it’s published and available to readers, so when I get word I’ll let you know!

His Brother's Fiance

I am very happy to present my very first review of unpublished work. I hope there will be many more such reviews. Thank you to Patty for volunteering to be my first!

His Brother’s Fiancé is an interesting short story by Patricia Anne Hayes about Brian’s yearning for his younger brother Tim’s fiancé, Emily. The story begins with Anna Cole, mother of four grown children, happily at work on a dinner for her family. Immediately the tension between Brian and Emily is introduced when Anna says that Emily will be joining the family for dinner and Brian fidgets uncomfortably at the mention of her name. He struggles throughout the meal, his awkwardness compounded by the fact that Tim never shows up or calls.

The Cole’s are very real and endearing with their friendly banter and individual personalities. I felt like I was peeking in at a family I, or anyone else, could easily know. If she wanted to, the author could enhance the story even further by using Anna’s character to offer insight into Brian’s attraction and do some foreshadowing. That said, Hayes uses subtle family dialogue and setting description to effectively move the plot and build tension in a way that made me want to keep reading. I wanted to know where Tim was and what Brian was willing to do to get close to Emily.

The end drives me crazy in a good way. The build-up hits a climax in which our two main characters are alone and Emily’s fiancé is missing. The moment between the two could be slowed down even more if the author wants to tease us. Maybe long enough for the reader to get an idea as to where Emily stands. Does she share Brian’s feelings? Is she repulsed by him? Does she want him to stay until Tim comes home or does she want him to leave? Or maybe we’re supposed to be left wondering those things.

There are two distinct ways of looking at the ending:

1)    There’s no closure. The reader is left to allow their imagination to run amok and never really know where Tim is and how Brian continues to handle his attraction to Emily and whether Emily feels the same way. Or…

2)    There IS closure. It’s the story of hidden feelings and nothing more. The focus is unrequited love and the suppression of urges—merely a snapshot of normal sibling rivalry with an eerie undertone for good measure.

Perhaps it’s both. Either way, there is room for the story to expand and I hope it does. Hayes has set the stage for a story that could go in almost any direction: thriller, romance, mystery, etc. Thank you again Patty for sharing your art, it was a pleasure to read and review it. Keep on writing!