Tag: Outskirts Press

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self Published Book Review of the Week: The Soldiers of the Cross

The Soldiers of the Cross

by J. Laurence Stillwell

This self-published book was recently reviewed by Reader Views:

I have to admit, I took a personal interest in reading this volume. As a Vietnam veteran myself, I was intrigued to read what this Vietnam vet had to say and how he said it. Mr. Stillwell writes a very good book of poetic verse, he writes what he lived. As a veteran, he was there, to see the carnage, to feel and hear the terrible things he has scribed in this book.

He states “Nature itself seemed to be at war, as the thunder crashed like waves. Over the hills and valleys by the score, over the mountains and in the caves.” I could feel the pain and the fright he felt. I could feel his anguish, the heartfelt expression of his feelings poured out with such bravado.

Page after page, Mr. Stillwell’s poetry spoke out about the war between good and evil – this struggle that plagued man from the dawn of time. Using many references to scripture, he assimilates war, with the struggles of good and evil, God and the Devil.

Unique in its presentation, “The Soldiers of the Cross” by J. Laurence Stillwell was entertaining and well written. I was absorbed in it from the first page to the last. It is a general audience volume that is well worth the price and I gave it a well-deserved A. Entertaining, interesting and thought provoking, I would recommend it as an addition to any library.

For more information or to order the book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/thesoldiersofthecross



Share this Post

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self Published Book Review of the Week: Through the Triangle

Through the Triangle

by C.P Stewart

This self-published book was recently reviewed by Reader Views:

August 13, 2005, started off promising for Jake Myers. He and his teenage son Nathan would be deep-sea fishing on a charter boat in the Atlantic Ocean. However, unbeknown to him, a fellow passenger has a dark secret and will stop at nothing to keep it from being discovered.

To make matters worse, a bad storm arises and after it passes, the crew has no idea where they presently are located. After exploring the seemingly deserted land, they discover they have been transported to nearly three-hundred years in the future. They befriend several other people who have “disappeared” in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle. However, they also encounter the Azujos who are a race of hooded warriors who patrol the streets and are unfriendly to humans.

This work of science fiction will appeal to all adults. The author demonstrates an impressive imagination through his ideas of incredible futuristic technology. He foresees laser weapons, underground travel by automobile, and food preparation at the touch of a button. He also includes genetic experimentation as well as many other scientific principles to try to explain time travel. I love the science lessons but I was disappointed at the minimum amount of discussion about the legend of the Bermuda Triangle. In fact, most of the characters on the charter seemed to have never heard of the lore.

“Through the Triangle” contains several different elements to keep the story interesting. There is the aforementioned scientific aspect. There is a lot of suspense as they struggle to remain safe from the Azujos. There is an emotional side as the characters realize everyone they knew before they left on their trip have long since died and never found out what happened to their loved ones. It was emotional as they searched the news archives and learned of the events that occurred in the three-hundred years they missed. Sprinkled within the plot is also a bit of romance.

“Through the Triangle” by C.P. Stewart is a novel that will challenge the reader to think about the possibilities for the future. I enjoyed the subject matter and plan to do further research about the Bermuda Triangle and its mysteries.

For more information or to order the book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/throughthetriangle


Share this Post
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self Published Book Review of the Week: Aurora of the Northern Lights

Aurora of the Northern Lights

by Holly Hardin

This self-published book was recently reviewed by Reader Views Kids:

“Aurora of the Northern Lights” is the story of a young girl named Aurora. Aurora’s parents meet in the cold lands of the Northern Fey.

Grace: “It’s cold and snowy here, do you think this is where the Northern Fey live Mom?”

Ella: “Maybe they live in the North Cold (what Ella calls the North Pole).”

Aurora’s father, William, becomes sick in the cold so her mother, Mistletoe, agrees to move to a farm where the weather wasn’t so cold.

Ella: “We moved but it’s still cold here, just like in Manitowoc.”

Mistletoe and William are thrilled with the birth of their daughter Aurora, and for seven years everything is wonderful. But, then all three of them get sick and Aurora’s parents don’t survive.

Grace: “That is so sad. That’s why we get shots, so we don’t get sick, right Mom? Are her Mom and Dad in Heaven now?”

Aurora feels lost, and when she wanders into town the people of the town shun her. She doesn’t know what to do when suddenly a witch gives her a charm to protect her from harm, and tells her that this is not her true home, she needs to head to the forest.

Ella: “What a pretty necklace!”

She does head to the forest, where she does meet some Fey. But, these are not her people and they too tell her to move on. But, their queen provides her with a nice wool cloak and oak staff for her journey.

Grace: “At least she’ll be nice and warm.”

After traveling through the bitter cold, Aurora is about to give up when she comes upon a castle. When she knocks, the door is opened by Santa Claus.

Grace: “Look Mom, Santa! I can’t wait until he comes!”

Ella: “Don’t forget to put a cotton ball on my calendar so I know how many more days.”

Santa invites Aurora in where she is welcomed by all, but she then sees a woman who looks like her. This woman is so happy to see her, because she is her Grandmother.

Overall I thought that “Aurora of the Northern Lights” by Holly Hardin was a well-written book; the only issue I had was that little Aurora was only seven when her parents died, and she was on her own and shunned by adults. But, it does show children that life isn’t always easy, and even if you are different you can always find people who will love you no matter what.

For more information or to order the book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/hollyhardin



Share this Post

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Published Book Review of the Week: Moaning Banshee

The Mystery of the Moaning Banshee

by Barbara Carroll

This self-published book was recently reviewed by www.readerviews.com:

I forgot how much I love reading a good Gothic tale until I read this story. The author captures the reader from page one until the very end. It is a great story to read as a family, or for older readers to read alone.

When Cassie Baker inherits her great grandfather’s old Victorian mansion in a small town on the Maine coast, she gets a lot more than she bargains for. Cassie, at thirteen, is the oldest of eight very adventurous siblings. The estate includes an old mansion with secret passages and unexplained happenings, a Carriage House, Care Takers cottage, an old lighthouse, a spooky marsh and cemetery and a beach house. Silas, the spooky old caretaker, warns Cassie about the dangers of the estate.

As Cassie and her brothers and sisters begin exploring the old estate they encounter many scary and unexplainable things. Apparently ghosts and banshees come with the estate that has been closed up for over fifty years due to an unexpected death of a relative. But it is rumored that the estate is also home to a hidden fortune and Cassie needs to find it to pay off long-time unpaid bills and save her family’s home from auction. Many exciting adventures await Cassie and her family as they look for the treasure and the answers to so many mysteries.

As these brave children encounter puzzles, ghosts, crooks and thieves, elements of this story remind me of one of my favorite movies “The Goonies.” Hopefully “The Mystery of the Moaning Banshee” by Barbara Carroll will not be the last time that we have heard from Cassie and her family.

For more information or to purchase a copy, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtspress.com/moaningbanshee



Share this Post

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Published Book Review of the Week: Mediterranean Madness

This self-published book was recently reviewed by ReviewYourBook.com:

Living in a port community this book was very intrguing and exciding to read. The imagination of the author and the great thrill of this story grabed my attention in a way that keeped me wanting to read on, and not put it down. I love books that have great plots and lots of excitement, and this story is one that should be put in movie form, “It was that good.”

The research that Mr.Rafkin did, along with plenty of action and suspense is why I say that this is a must read. The characters that he uses are true heroes in this fight that we have against terrorism in the world today. The combination of how the North Korean and Iranian extremists that want to hurt us, along with their ambitions to destroy the freedoms that we enjoy, is why the heroes in this book are real and make me feel like being part of the story.

–Terry Katnic, Amazon Review

These events later served as inspiration for his first non-fiction true life adventure, Red Sky Morning.

He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and later Graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with degrees in economics and marketing. He is a successful entrepreneur and president of Palos Verdes Security Systems, and certified by the Department of Homeland Security.
Andrew has published three books and is currently finishing up the trilogy to Creating Madness.  He lives with his wife, Lynn in San Pedro, California, and spends his spare time reading, fishing, hunting, golfing, and making wine.

Visit his website: www.andrewrafkin.com