Category: weekly self published book review

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

“Still Marching On” : A Saturday Self-Published Book Review

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Observations From a Simple Life:

Still Marching On by Lynda Stephenson

Still Marching On

by Lynda Stephenson

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478771982

Synopsis*:

Frankilee Baxter is back! And she is as sassy and resolute as ever. In Still Marching On, Miss Baxter aspires to participate in the Civil Rights Movement, become editor of the Athena College newspaper, and marry Calvin Morris–and odds are, she’ll make her dreams come true with sheer force of personality. A witty young woman with nerve and verve, Frankilee is in no way the traditional Southern sorority girl, which brings disappointment and alarm to her family, as well as shock and dismay to Calvin’s parents. With humor and heart, this highly anticipated third novel by award-winning author Lynda Stephenson depicts the triumphs and the failures of a plucky girl determined not only to stand against the Southern customs she loathes but also to marry the man she loves.

“Here is the story of the irrepressible Frankilee Baxter, who, while she may be a disappointment to the 1960s down-south establishment, will fight to the end for life and liberty, and all that she believes in. I loved it.”

-Carolyn Wall, author of Sweeping Up Glass and Playing with Matches

Critique:

Still Marching On by Lynda Stephenson is the story of a young college girl at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. She must fight against the injustice of the Jim Crow laws and as well as social practices which could keep her from following her dreams.

Frankilee Baxter is a young white college student at Athena College where her roommate, Eleanor, is African American. Together, they join the Civil Rights Movement when racial tensions are very explosive. Frankilee is the type of girl who likes to shock people and study their reactions. She begins to conduct social experiments and writing about her experiences. She is able to sell a few of her stories to the New York Times. She joins sit-ins at a local department store who refused to serve African Americans. She joins Freedom Rides which leads to time in jail. While she fights for social change, she must deal with the everyday issues at home. Her mom is sick. Her dad is having trouble with the bank. Her aunt is trying to bully everyone to follow her plan for the grandfather’s ranch land. And she falls in love with Calvin Morris, a law student who seeks the social change she does. Will Frankilee succeed in her dreams of journalism? Will she be able to forge the social change she seeks to see in the world? Will her dream of marrying Calvin come true?

I enjoyed Still Marching On. It is an interesting book with a passionate retelling of the Civil Rights Movement from a participant who seems so unlikely. The details the author put into the events are graphic but very real. You shiver as you know that person suffered injustices and cruelties as they fought for civil rights. Frankilee is passionate, rash, impulsive and ready to take on the social injustices. The debates between Frankilee and those on the other side and the opinions expressed are dealt with realistically. I highly recommend Still Marching On.

[ reviewed by Jennifer Lara at Observations From a Simple Life ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Another outstanding book by Lynda Stephenson. Great character development, and very authentic to the period. If you were a college student during the 1960’s you can really identify with the subjects dealt with in this book. The civil rights movement, the freedom riders, the limited professional opportunities for women college graduates, and the predetermined expectations of parents for their children, especially girls. Frankilee, the main character, takes on all these issues with wit, humor, passion, and, yes, her rebellious ways. Ms. Stephenson’s previous book in the Frankilee Baxter series focuses on Frankilee’s freshman and sophomore year; in this book the focus is her junior and senior year. She is more mature, more thoughtful, and more concerned about social inequality. She truly grows into adulthood. Obviously, this is a great book for anyone that was a young adult in the 1960’s, but if you have parents or grandparents that lived through that period and you want to know what they experienced and what life was like, then this book is for you. FINALLY, THE BOOK HAS A GREAT ENDING!

– Amazon Reviewer AdaBill

In Marching On, Frankilee Baxter is fundamentally the same wonderful, perplexing, and often perplexed character that we came to know and love in Dancing With Elvis and The Southern Chapter of the Big Girl Panties Club. In this third novel of the series, author Lynda Stephenson expands upon the theme of integration as it developed in the 50’s and early 60’s. The struggle for civil rights in the South becomes the central factor in Frankilee’s personal struggle to establish her worth and purpose in life. More than ever, she is an idealist who pays dearly for pursuing social and moral goals that clash with purveyors of deeply entrenched bigotry. Though tempered by her comical girlhood blunders, Frankilee at the same time leads the patient reader down (or up) a primrose path seriously darkened by physical and emotional pain.

Looking for structure, Frankilee attempts to summarize her life in literary terms: as classical comedy, which ends with a wedding, rather than as tragedy, which ends in death. Yet more specifically one might say that her willful suffering bespeaks a more complicated persona than one finds in Jane Austin or Emily Dickinson, two of Frankilee’s heroines.

Nor is Frankilee’s journey deeply tragic in the Shakespearian sense of an uber-complicated Hamlet. Her sacrificial cause is rooted in the powerful utopian dream of idealists such as John Lewis and Martin Luther King, Jr. Buttressed by the somewhat enlightened progressives among her friends and family, her optimistic belief in a more just world seems realistically achievable.

Marching On is the story of a small town girl in the throes of becoming a world class woman. She entertains us with an overlay of buffoonery, but she is defined by her capacity for love, including love for her friends, for her family (no matter how obtuse or obnoxious); for her man, and, most importantly, for the unvarnished Truth, however awkward or undignified that makes her feel. In her own personable way, Frankilee Baxter embodies the correct side of our unfolding history.

– Amazon Reviewer James A. Moore

Book Trailer:

* = courtesy of the book’s Amazon book page.

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Book Reviews, goodreads, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

“The Blow-Up Man” : A Saturday Self-Published Book Review

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Read Rate Review:

the blow-up man by nina blakeman

The Blow-Up Man

by Nina Blakeman

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478766629

Synopsis*:

The Blow-Up Man is a psychological thriller that takes place in a dispirited region of West Texas. It is where pests, weeds, predators, and strong winds make living in the region a burden to most. West Texas is not a place for the weak or a naive, young woman with a head full of fantasy. Abandoned homesteads along the barren countryside represent the many dreams that didn’t come true, but the nightmares that did. In the middle of the vast rural region is Ethanville, an agrarian town of 100,000. It is an unlikely place to find a university. A barbed wire fence is all that separates the institution of higher learning from the adjacent grazing land.

Inside the hallowed halls of Cullen State University is where Faye Brady falls in love. Thirty-year-old Faye has lived a sheltered life. With a deceased father, and an emotionally detached mother, Faye exists in a world derived from the imagination of the many authors she s read and falling in love means living happily ever after. Life without a father has left Faye with many unresolved issues. They’re major contributors to her falling long and hard for her older mentor, Dr. Todd Davis.

Dr. Todd Davis is a well-respected researcher in the area of pharmaceutical sciences, and it’s under his direction that Faye earns her PhD. He’s handsome, and his intellect, experience, and confidence are all powerful enticements that draw Faye into his world. Faye’s mother, Madeline Brady, is concerned about her daughter s relationship with Todd. Faye interprets her concerns as intrusive, but its Todd’s age and baggage that cause Madeline to worry.

Fourteen years ago, Todd had a relationship with a woman named Annette Dolce. Annette has father issues of her own. But unlike Faye, she s impulsive, manipulative, and dangerous. She s also the mother of Todd s twin girls. The girls are on the cusp of adolescence, and even though the twins are identical, their personalities have diverged in two separate directions. Emma is most like her mother, and in Annette’s eyes, Emma can do no wrong.

Ella is quiet, reserved, and serious. It is Ella who is often the target of her mother’s displaced anger. When things get overwhelming at home, Ella seeks refuge down the road at the home of Margaret Carson. More than once, the widowed neighbor proves herself to be Ella s champion against the vengeful mother. Todd doesn’t want to believe that Annette is all bad. To do that, he has to face that he gave his children that kind of mother. The righteous Todd will do whatever it takes for his children to believe in family; however, it s his loneliness that pushes him towards the younger Faye. He wants to build a life with her. When Todd informs Annette of his decision to marry Faye, the psychologically disturbed Annette is pushed to the edge. Faye is frightened of Annette and she should be. The world of books has left Faye totally unprepared to deal with Annette. Does Faye have what it takes to overcome the toxic mistakes of Todd s past, and the nightmare that is about to come true?”

Critique:

In the opening chapters of ‘The Blow-Up Man’ by Nina Blakeman, we meet Annette Dolce, the apparently wronged ex-lover of Todd, and her current man discussing the list of complaints she had against Todd, the father of her twin girls Ella and Emma. The reader hears from Annette of the things that have been done to her, sympathises with her, empathises with her hurt feelings – and then throughout the rest of the story learns how wrong they were!

Annette is a user; a manipulative, impulsive and psychologically disturbed woman who uses whatever it takes to have her own way – people, family, items – apparently at times not even sure she actually knows what she really wants. She is an abusive wife and partner, and a neglectful and abusive mother, particularly of one of the twins, Ella. Dr Todd Davis, a gentleman, respectful and respected is in a new relationship with a gentle, sheltered and consequently a naïve woman called Faye. When Todd announces to Annette that he is to marry Faye her jealousy knows no bounds, and fuelled by rage she sets out to exact her revenge on the people who have wronged her!

A compelling and deeply psychological read, demonstrating that women can be abusive too, and men are just as likely to be the abused. Cleverly, Nina Blakeman has caught us up at the beginning with Annette as the victim; however, as the story unravels we realise how deceptive people can be as the truth about the complicated relationships between the characters is revealed.

[ reviewed by Jo at Read Rate Review ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Annette Dolce feels betrayed by life and by the father of her two illegitimate children. She is the mother of twin girls, Ella and Emma – who couldn’t be more different from each other in personality. Emma takes after her mother; Ella, her father. The girls’ father, Dr. Todd Davis, Ph.D., is a professor at the local university. He has recently found success in his pharmacological research on a new drug for treating prostate cancer, and his love life when he falls in love with his student, and much younger woman, Dr. Faye Brady.

Annette and daughter, Emma, don’t accept Todd’s new liaison nor his subsequent marriage and make no secret of their displeasure. Ella is accepting but is the scapegoat for the unhappiness and frustration of her mother and sister. When the local lifestyle magazine publishes a big spread on the new super-couple, Dr. & Dr. Davis, and “their” daughters, Annette goes off the deep end and plans to get revenge for all her past perceived insults, injuries, and betrayals.

The Blow-Up Man by Nina Blakeman was a suspense-filled story of a madwoman scorned. Fast-paced with interesting characters in a rural West Texas location (which I loved!) The author’s descriptions of the various settings were vivid and creepy, yet familiar. (Like the author, I, too, am a Texan.) The plot incorporates intense scenes of torture and child abuse.

Good, strong secondary characters in Faye’s mother, Madeline; Annette’s live-in boyfriend, Angel; an obnoxious and privileged med student, Matthew Nolan; and the new priest in town, Father Sweeney all add depth and help to advance the story. Cool medical terminology lent a feeling of authenticity and genuineness but some of the details of the research were a little much for me on occasion.

I highly recommend this tense and highly readable novel for those that like their suspense “gritty.” I was pleased to see mentioned somewhere online that there is a sequel in the works. Yay!

– Goodreads Reviewer Karen Siddall

The Blow-Up Man by Nina Blakeman, shows a disdained woman fueled from her mad desires after an emotionally damaging marriage is tossed back into her lap after her former husband marries another woman and dumps there kids into her lap. The definition of a Woman Scorned is the premise for this quick pace west Texas account. Fully developed details with incredibly eerie depictions, draws the reader into the story line specifically. Caution however, this story tells of torture and abuse of children, so for the squeamish at heart you are for warned. If you want the tenacious suspense and the professionally cruel story telling, Nina Blakeman and The Blow-Up Man, delivers!

– Goodreads Reviewer Jay

* = courtesy of the book’s Goodreads book page.

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Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

“Lonesome Cowboy” : A Saturday Self-Published Book Review

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Observations From a Simple Life:

Lonesome Cowboy by Frank Lowe

Lonesome Cowboy

by Frank Lowe

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478758563

Synopsis*:

A FAMOUS SINGER, TRUE LOVE, AND A DEADLY RISK … Tenacious and talented Kyle Kelly holds on to his dream of becoming a famous country-western singer and songwriter. He and his father, Cowboy Red, keep pushing through disappointments and small-time gigs until suddenly, they land the opening of Wonderland Park. Their Nashville careers skyrocket, and the future looks bright until Kyle meets and falls in love with Miranda, a waitress in a Mexican restaurant. Kyle is offered a lucrative movie contract, and he plans to marry Miranda and live happily ever after…until a tragic accident sends Miranda and her family back to Mexico. But Kyle knows what it means to pursue a dream, and he goes after her. He could never have imagined the dangerous and tangled web surrounding the love of his life-she’s not who she appears to be, and Kyle will find himself the target of merciless forces in Mexico who are determined to keep them apart. Kyle enlists all the help he can get, no matter how eccentric, to find and marry the woman he loves. Thrilling, heartfelt, and entertaining, Lonesome Cowboy is a story you’ll never forget!

Critique:

The story opens with Red, a singing cowboy, getting ready to sing in a town he swore he’d never return to. He only returned because his son, Kyle, urged him too. But Red has seen a very painful life, a life that his son knew very little of. Kyle will soon learn the painful secret his father has been hiding. Once Red, whose real name is David, confronts his past, it opens a world of opportunity for his son. Kyle soon meets Miranda Romero-Durante, a beautiful Mexican woman who works at her family’s restaurant. After a sudden tragedy, the family is forced to return to Mexico, leaving Kyle behind to figure out a way for his future with Miranda. He is faced with a great challenge as he is not Mexican and Miranda’s family will look to her to carry on the family name with a Mexican man. Will Kyle be able to find a way to build a life with Miranda?

I enjoyed this book. I thought it would be about a struggling singer who finally makes it big but it was better than that. I loved a line which David speaks to Kyle, “Never only means not yet,” meaning don’t give up. I also loved the final confrontation with Miranda’s scheming aunt. It was a great “HA! In your face!” moment. I highly recommendLonesome Cowboy as a story of inspiration and following your dreams.

[ reviewed by Jennifer Lara at Observations From a Simple Life ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Lonesome Cowboy is a book I read in one sitting. It gives the reader a taste of what it’s like to believe in a love so strongly that you are willing to do anything… to give up everything to pursue it. It touches on the rough life of country singers trying to break into the business and how random success can be. It touches on family and the responsibilities that are passed on from generation to generation and the solid and ever changing bond between a father and his son. It highlights the differences between life in the United States and in Mexico as well as the similarities. The characters, both primary and secondary are well drawn and engaging and the hero Kyle and heroine Miranda inspire a sense of admiration as they quietly go about making a life with one another through one obstacle after another.

The story is fairly well written although there were a few errors in the text such as words missing from sentences and occasionally, especially in the beginning, the story drags just a bit. But overall this is a fast paced tale about a man who chased a dream, only to give it up for a love so deep that he was willing to change his language, his country, his way of life and even his name. The journey he takes while he creates this new life will keep you turning the pages. Four solid stars for Frank Lowe and Lone Cowboy.

– Amazon Reviewer terrylynn

The first word that comes to mind to describe this Drama is lovely…appealing to both men and women in sharing of deep love for both friends and loved ones. Although listed as a thriller–I would not consider it that, rather a family drama that has a number of fascinating characters, and two sets of cultural backgrounds that sets up a wall between two lovers. Can it be breached?

Kyle, the son of a country singer, becomes the primary character. He has admired and been best friends with his father since he was young and had quickly begun to learn guitar and sing with him. Then he had become their manager. Without knowing it, Kyle had scheduled them to play in Red’s home town! With that, it brought not only an unexpected welcome for Red’s return, but also many surprises for Kyle, one of which was that they had been using an alias name! Kyle was finding details out as old friends came to talk to Red and became more and more anxious about what had happened many years ago in this town…

Red had chosen not to sing Lonesome Cowboy for his own loss, but in having Kyle sing solo that first night, it started a following and subsequent movie career that may have fulfilled Kyle’s long-term goals, but certainly made him realize that things were moving too fast… But there wasn’t a choice now, for Red had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital, with the later recommendation that he give up working. Now Kyle was the only bread winner for the two of them…

Readers will like Kyle. While he’s comfortable as his father’s sidekick, he was not anxious to be on his own. Yet, because of his quiet, relaxed performances that complemented his beautiful voice and good looks, his following of fans grew and grew. When he was offered a film, he felt he had to accept to keep money coming in. But even then, his warmth and kindness, plus his ability to speak Spanish, soon made he and the director friends. With his help, they were able to salvage a movie that really had less than a great story.

In the meantime, with the acceptance of Red’s return, except by a few people who weren’t well liked by the community, Kyle was able to continue their gig and the two men decided to make their stay permanent…

Which led to meeting Miranda and her wealthy family from Mexico. Kyle fell in love with Miranda at first sight. Without going into details, however, a tragedy occurred which resulted in the family’s return to Mexico. He and Miranda kept in touch, but Miranda early had told Kyle that she would never be able to marry someone who was not Mexican… But Kyle was not willing to accept that decision…

The book has two sub-plots about love between men. This is the second book I’ve read with a similar theme where confusion has arisen, apparently because of the changes in homosexuality laws, that seems to have denigrated or sullied the potential of close friendships between men that has nothing to do with sex. How sad. Fortunately, the author has shown both the positive and negative sides so that readers realize that philia (friendship) love between men is quite natural and does not lead to eros interaction. Kudos to the author for spotlighting this important matter.

Lowe’s descriptive talent for the two primary settings, peopled with appropriate complementary characters moves this story forward in a gripping fashion to attract readers’ immediate attention. The intrigue of the hidden as well as the continued movement by Kyle into new challenges kept my interest piqued and anxious. I’m not a fan of the usual soap opera drama common to television, so I do want to point out that the book is definitely family friendly and will reveal deep loves, family loyalty and dedication. A heartbreaking as well as heartwarming story well worth your consideration.

– Amazon Reviewer Glenda

* = courtesy of the book’s Amazon book page.

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Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

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Saturday Book Review: “Gramma Darling”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of The Fairview Review:

Gramma Darling by Lissa Schroeder

Gramma Darling

by Lissa Schroeder

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478757900

Synopsis*:

It is truly extraordinary, the difference one woman can make in the life of a child. Beautifully written and stunningly illustrated, this delightful book for children, parents, and grandparents paints a nostalgic picture of unhurried summer days at a dear grandmother’s house. Seen and felt through the eyes of a child, every discovery is full of innocence and wonder; from an attic brimming with treasures to running through the fields at twilight catching fireflies. You will laugh and remember your own childhood and feel as though you are there sharing in all the small adventures of her little world; the baby birds, the gardening, the stormy days, and bedtime baths. And through it all, in the background, is Gramma Darling and her laughter. You sense the atmosphere of nurturing, protection, and worth that she provides; and far more importantly, you get a glimpse into the wisdom of a woman whose genuine genius for simply loving, inspires wholehearted lifetime devotion. It will leave you uplifted and looking for ways to spend quality time with the little ones in your own life.

Critique:

Schroeder’s reminiscences of childhood days spent at her grandmother’s house make a wonderful picture book. Whether it is the memory of playing in the enclosed front porch during a rain storm while Gramma works at her sewing machine, or Gramma tucking kids in at the end of another long summer day, the memories are full of love and warmth. Anyone lucky enough to have a grandmother like Gramma Darling will feel an instant kinship with the remembrance of delicious desserts made with lots of love or the safety of performing a song or skit knowing that she is always there to applaud. The circular nature of the story is a reflection of the “circle of life,” with the book opening on the scene of a grandchild just learning to walk across the rug and into Gramma’s arms, and closing with a similar scene -but this time with a great-grandchild toddling into those arms.

Doron Ben-Ami’s illustrations are so clear and crisp readers may double-check to make sure that they are not really looking at photographs. The happiness on the children’s faces as they explore in Gramma’s yard, the pleasure on her face as she watches them eat her homemade pie, and the love beaming from her smile as she waits for those hesitant steps to carry her grandchild across the room and into her arms are all captured perfectly. This is a book that will become a family tradition among readers. And what’s better than snuggling in a grandmother’s lap for a read-aloud? (Although offering the recipe for Gramma Darling’s Chocolaty Cherry Cake is also very nice.)

[ reviewed by Suzanne Costner at The Fairview Review ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Remember Grandma and how she was a second Momma to you at times. I remember spending so much time with Grandma especially on the weekends. She lived down the street from us. She had such an influence on me and my sister. This book by Ms Schroeder is simply a loving book that will bring back so many good memories of your own Grandma. The story is based on actual memories. It is the author’s way of honoring a wondering, inspiring and influential person in her life. I remember going to Grandma’s on Saturday. First it was the day you went to town and the grocery store. What a thrill it was when Grandma would take you to Kresgee’s Five and Dime Store and you would get a lemonade at the soda fountain. Then after shopping you would go home and the afternoon was for baking. What wonderful pastries, cookies and treats. This book will take you through the author’s wonderful memories of a childhood spent with Grandma. You.as the reader, will relate so much to this wonderful story of times past, but times fondly remembered. You’ll remember how much Grandma loved you and you definitely will feel it as you turn these pages. Along with the story are some lovely illustrations, simply lovely. At the end of the book is the recipe for Gramma Darling’s Chocolaty Cherry Cake. I tried it and it is yummy. This is a wonderful book to add to a child’s bookshelf and a must for adults also.

– Amazon Reviewer gayle pace

Author Lissa Schroeder has written a beautiful book about her beloved grandmother entitled Gramma Darling. She takes us back to the time when she was young and enjoyed many happy visits with her gramma at her house in a little town in Minnesota. The story is lovingly told and will take you back to your youth if you have ever played in trees, caught fireflies, helped your grandma bake pies or snuggled under a warm quilt in your grandma’s old house with a creaky step! If all children in the world could enjoy the kind of visits this author had with her grandma, there is no doubt the world would be a much better place. And while the story is good and will sweep you and your children away to Schroeder’s life as a child, what set this book apart are the illustrations. They are quite simply some of the best I have even seen and they breathe life into the book on every page. If it were up to me this book would be nominated for both the Newberry and Caldecott book awards it’s that impressive. Gramma Darling is a wonderful journey you can take with your children, grandchildren or the kids in your classroom. Not only is it an engaging story but a visual feast for the senses. I can whole heartedly recommend this book for children roughly ages ten and under. Five Stars.

– Amazon Reviewer terrylynn

Book Trailer:

* = courtesy of the book’s Amazon book page.

saturday self-published book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

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Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “The Bus Bench”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Books, Reviews, Etc:

the bus bench by wes bundy

The Bus Bench

by Wes Bundy

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478765929

Synopsis:

Terribly naive and unworldly, unwed 17 year old Edna Rollins firmly believes that only married girls have babies. She is devastated, bringing a child into the world as the product of being raped nine months earlier. She rejects him and takes her own life two days after his birth.

The infant is adopted by a childless couple who christen him Gerry and raise him in an idyllic setting in the farmland of central Ohio. Gerry’s childish crush on a TV new woman becomes an overwhelming obsession as he matures. When the network moves her aside for a new face, he is overwhelmed with grief. Her celebrity quickly fades as promotional billboards, placards and posters throughout the city are scrapped except for a solitary and forgotten bus bench which bears her image. Fearful that the bench–which has become his shrine–will be discovered, he maneuvers it to an obscure place, enabling him to meet and communicate with the love of his life.

Learning that she has married a wealthy industrialist and moved to California, he orchestrates a cross country journey to find her. The improbable characters he encounters on his journey ridicule his efforts, serving only to plunge himself deeper into finding her. An unforgettable chain of events ends in a face to face meeting. He finds her terminally ill which he blames on her husband. He formulates a swift and brutal “payback”, then kidnaps her, taking her back home to Ohio and his beloved bus bench.

Critique:

Some 17 year olds are still a child and bringing a child into the world is a child having a child. In the case of Edna Rollins she had always thought only married women have babies. Nine months later she has a child born out of rape. She doesn’t know what to do. She’s not savvy about the world. Unmarried and no where to turn she acts as though she didn’t have a baby. The trauma was too much for Edna to bear, she kills herself. The baby is put up for adoption and is ultimately adopted. Central Ohio was to be the setting where Gerry was to be raised. A perfect setting for raising children, rolling hills and fertile farmland. He had been adopted by a couple who couldn’t have children. They named him Gerry. Gerry grows up with a childhood crush that has become obsessive in nature, on a woman who works for a TV network.

As in most cases, fresh and new faces appear and the old ones are set aside. This was the case with Gerry’s obsession. The only thing left of her in the city is one lonely bus bench. All advertisements around the city have been taken down and replaced with the new faces. Gerry, in his mind, sees something in the bench that he is afraid someone else will see. Her IMAGE. In his mind this has become a shrine, a place where he can go and meet and be with her. The fear of discovery is so great, he moves the bench to a different place where he can go and have private talks with her. Why shouldn’t he? after all, she is and has been the love of his life, or at least in his mind. He is beyond consoling when she marries and moves to California. He decides to try and find her. He is even more determined to find her after person after person make fun of his attempts to find this love of his life who is married and moved on. He eventually finds her although, it’s not the meeting he was expecting. She has a terminal illness. Gerry blames her husband, which in no way is his fault.

Gerry is seeing things in a world he is creating, where everything is as you want it to be. It reminds you of his birth mother. Naive and not in a real world. He takes matters into his own hands and takes revenge out on the husband. If that isn’t enough, he takes Tammy, now dead back to his shrine for her, the bus bench. Did Gerry kill Tammy and her husband? Why is Tammy dead? Did she die naturally or did Gerry kill her? What about Angela? What happened to her? Did Gerry kill her too? Gerry had been brought up with the best of everything. He was spoiled to the point of no end. Gerry lived in a fantasy world where everything went according to what Gerry wanted. What he wanted, he got, or so he thought.

The ending is rather sad and surprising. What happened to Gerry and his beloved bus bench? He was so obsessed with the childhood crush that he thought was love, that he wasn’t himself. I believe Gerry needed professional help in a big way. Love, or what you may think is love, can make a person do unthinkable things. Was bringing Tammy back to the bus bench going to let her always be there for Gerry? Grab a copy of this book and enter into Gerry’s world of romantic suspense. It will keep you on the edge of your chair and the pages will turn quickly. You can”t wait to find out what happens on the next page. I hope Mr. Bundy brings us more novels. It might be hard to surpass this one.

[ reviewed by Gayle Pace on Books, Reviews, Etc ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Wes Bundy has a writing style like another author that I really enjoy, so this book was a nice read for me. It was a change from what I’ve been reading lately and made me realize how much I miss reading this type of book.  It was hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.  A lot of oh my gosh’s as I read the book. If you like a story that will keep you guessing what will happen next and keep you on the edge of your seat while you read, I recommend The Bus Bench.

– Reviewer Marsha Cooper

“It was Rose’s comment that shocked Edna on a Saturday afternoon as she walked out with two small bags of groceries in her arms. Better be careful with those bags Edna, looks like your baby is due any day. Edna hurried away, feeling light-headed at such a comment. Baby? What baby? I’m not even married for crying out loud. Seventeen year old Edna Rollins murmured to herself, I’m not gonna have a baby.”

Four out of five stars!

– Goodreads Reviewer ireadnovels

 

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