Preview: Friends Like These – My Worldwide Quest to Find My Best Childhood Friends, Knock on Their Doors, and Ask Them to Come Out and Play by Danny Wallace

 

(covers US and Canada to left – two covers in the UK on right)

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (September 2, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0316042773

ISBN-13: 978-0316042772

Genre: Memoir – Humor

Book Info:

Danny Wallace has friends. He has a wife and goes to brunch, and his new house has a couch with throw pillows. But as he nears 30, he can't help wondering about his best childhood friends, whose names he finds in a long-forgotten address book. Where are they now-and where, really, is he?

Acting on an impulse we've all had at least once, he travels from London to Berlin, Tokyo, Australia, and California, risking rejection and ridicule to show up on his old pals' doorsteps. Memories of his 1980s childhood-from Michael Jackson to Ghostbusters-overwhelm him as he meets former buddies who have blossomed into rappers and ninjas, time-traveling pioneers, mediocre restaurant managers, and even Fijian royalty.

Danny's attempt to re-befriend them all gives remarkable new resonance to the age-old mantra, "friends forever!"

 Author Bio:

Daniel Frederick Wallace (born 16 November 1976) is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. (all links lead to Wikipedia.)

He lives in London, with his wife, an Australian publicist. Throughout Danny's books, his wife is referred to as "Lizzie", at her request.

From the UK – Scotland there’s a bit more info on him at his website at this link.

This book was received for review through Shelf Awareness.

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada, and for The Book Depository in Euro and AUD.

Personal review coming soon!

Preview for Mommy’s Black Eye: Children Dealing With Domestic Violence ~ by William Bentrim (illustrations by Christi Schofield)

 

This is a preview with author information, author’s book blurb and purchasing links. An opinion will come later in the review.

Mommy’s Black Eye ~ by William G. Bentrim

Book Description:  Domestic violence exists. That is a simple disturbing fact. It isn't something that should be ignored or swept under the rug. It is imperative to face this problem, acknowledge it's existence and do our best to aid those who are exposed to it. Children, all too often, are susceptible to accepting responsibility for their parent's bad behavior. They need to understand that they are not responsible for the violence. This book attempts to explain a very complicated issue to young children. It is focused on pre-school to middle school children. It is not designed as a panacea, merely an attempt to help them understand what is going on in their lives.

---

Author’s Personal Bio:    I'm a former teacher, guidance counselor and current parent and grandparent. After spending ten years in education as a teacher and guidance counselor, I purchased a convenience store and provided full service counseling with the bread and milk. The retail environment allowed the flexibility to work as many hours as I wanted as well as the flexibility to be a room parent for my children for 9 consecutive years. An agreement to make our children our primary priority and our careers secondary, was a precursor to my wife and I being parents. We have both endeavored to stay faithful to that agreement unto the next generation, our grandchildren. Prior to selling the convenience store, I founded a computer business. Computers and their myriad nuances occupied me until we sold that business several years ago and mostly retired. My time today is spent reveling in my grandchildren, babysitting, golfing, reading, blogging and enjoying the opportunity to try many things that were proscribed by tight time parameters in the past. As an avid reader, one of my life long goals has been to become an author. As I have a truly eclectic nature, I suspect that my work will span multiple genres. My hope is that what I write will be of benefit not just to me but perhaps to those who may enjoy or even learn from what I write. My life has been blessed by four decades of happy marriage, wonderful children and now astoundingly wonderful grandchildren. I learn new things everyday and hope to continue to learn as I age. My family has been my priority all my life and I see no reason to alter what has worked so well.

To contact the William Bentrim link to one of his blogs Pick of the Literate, Money Saving Tech Tips, his professional website, or to his page on Goodreads.

---

Amazon purchasing links for US|UK|Canada.

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (November 29, 2009)

William has several other books one which has be reviewed here - Daddy Goes on a Trip.

Personal thoughts and review coming soon!

Preview: The Adventures of Hardy Belch ~ by William G. Bentrim

 

A preview has author’s blurb, author bio, contact and purchasing links. An opinion is coming soon in a personal review.

The Adventures of Hardy Belch ~ by William G. Bentrim

Book Info:    The Adventures of Hardy Belch chronicle the exciting and unbelievable adventures of a normal 12 year old boy and his 240 pound telepathic dog. Hardy and Tiny (his best friend and dog) find themselves in many predicaments but as a team and best friends they always end up helping others. Combining mystery and humor each story is written to entertain, and highlight the value of friendship, planning and selfless actions.

---

Author’s Personal Bio:    I am currently working hard to become an author, my 4th career. I owned and operated a computer networking company for 25 years. I was a school teacher and counselor with 10 years of experience in the public schools. I owned and operated a convenience store for 10 years. I am a proud husband, father and grandfather. I am someone who cares about the people around me, who wants to improve the society we all live in, who hopes on a daily basis to leave the planet a little better than it was the previous day and who is cognizant that the impact I have on the world is minimal. Tilting at windmills is a part of my character as is a deep love for all those who need to be loved. In my own mind I am a complex, multi-layered, unique character in the kaleidoscoping drama of life.

To contact the author link to his blogs Pick of the Literate, Money Saving Tech Tips, his professional website, and to his page on Goodreads.

---

William G. Bentrim has written several other books Mommy’s Black Eye, Daddy Goes on a Trip (reviews linked to titles), and I like to Whine.

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (December 7, 2009)
• Genre: Pre Teen to Young Adult Adventure  

Personal review coming soon!

Preview: The Army of the Republic by Stuart Archer Cohen

Book Data:

Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Picador (September 29, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312429053

ISBN-13: 978-0312429058

Genre: Science Fiction - Dystopia

Book Info from Goodreads:

CEO and Washington D.C. insider James Sands has made billions by privatizing bankrupt municipal water supplies, but his command of a dwindling resource infuriates citizen and environmental groups. When his partner is assassinated by the shadowy Army of the Republic, Sands begins to lose control of his company and his life. Desperate to save his empire, he turns to Whitehall Security, the massive private intelligence firm with far-reaching political connections. For a steep monthly fee, Whitehall will hunt down and destroy the enemies of Sands’ enterprise, and disrupt any civil organizations that still oppose him.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, a guerilla named Lando leads The Army of the Republic on a dangerous campaign against the alliance of big business and government. Charismatic, cunning, and driven, Lando is obsessed with the idea of saving the country from itself, no matter what.

Lando’s reluctant ally is savvy political organizer Emily Cortwright, coordinator of a network of civil action groups that seek to inspire a mass movement powerful enough to overthrow the corrupt ruling party. But when peaceful public protests quickly give way to violence, Lando, Emily, and James Sands become lost in a welter of assumed identities and conflicting loyalties. With increasing intensity, rife with secret lives, deadly compromises, and false identities, all of them struggle to both redeem and destroy the people they love most.

Powerful, disturbing, and unforgettable, The Army of the Republic is a brilliant novel about what it means to live in a democracy.

Author Bio:

Stuart Archer Cohen lives in Juneau, Alaska, where he owns Invisible World, an international company dealing in wool, silk, alpaca and cashmere in Asia and South America.  His previous two novels, Invisible World and 17 Stone Angels, have been translated into 10 languages.

Connect with the author on Goodreads, and his blog.

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada, The Book Depository in Euros and AUD

Review, author interview and giveaway coming soon!

EBook Preview: Alone by Marissa Farrar

• Publisher: Vamplit Publishing (November 2009)
• ISBN: 978-1-907366-07-09
• Ebook - pages 225
• Genre: Horror - Romance

Book Info:

When Serenity reaches the end of her tether no one can save her. The men in her life to date have all been takers, users, people who suck the life out her and then somehow make her feel as if it’s her fault. This was Serenity’s life until she crosses paths with the mysterious Sebastian.

From the moment they meet Serenity’s life changes, but Sebastian has a dark secret and a past that threatens Serenity’s future. Finally Serenity is alone, but does she now have the strength to conquer her fears and save herself.

This vampire novel is a romance not just between a man and a woman or between vampire and human. It is a novel that looks at how we are all alone and how we can actually draw strength from our past to face the future.

Author Bio:

Writing since she was a young girl Alone is Marissa’s first novel. She has always had a connection with horror, and as a child would sneak downstairs to read her mother’s horror books when everyone else was asleep.

She has a degree in Zoology, has traveled the world and currently lives in Spain with her husband and daughter. She will always consider Devon, England her home

 

To connect with Marissa link to her blog. She is a new author and would love to hear from you!

To read the first chapter of Alone, as well as purchase and download it - link here to EbookUndead.com. 

This book was won at a contest on Nicole Hadaway’s Blog, where she has an ebook contest every Friday. Thanks Nicole and Marissa!

For more horror, fantasy, science fiction, and vampire ebooks link to:

 

Review coming soon!

Preview: The Novice – Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit and What I Learned by Stephen Schettini

Book Stats:

Hardcover: 349 pages

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (September 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1608320057

ISBN-13: 978-1608320059

Genre: Memoir

Book Blurb:

A life of comfort and security awaits Stephen Schettini but, feeling trapped by the expectations of his parents and culture, he scorns his unhappy childhood and determines to pursue his deepest hopes and dreams. This intimate memoir tells the story of a disillusioned young man who sabotages his university finals and abandons home, family, and possessions to journey through Europe, the Middle East and Asia in search of a more meaningful life. After narrowly escaping illness and drug addiction, he encounters Tibetan refugees in exile. Entranced, he finally stops running. In introspective detail and lyrical prose, Schettini recounts his monkhood in the Buddhist tradition. With eye-opening accounts of the most famous Tibetan lamas to escape Chinese occupation, descriptions of faraway places, and dozens of evocative photographs, The Novice is destined to become a classic memoir of faith in oneself and the search for ultimate truth.

Author Bio:

Stephen Schettini is the author of The Novice: Why I Became A Buddhist Monk, Why I Quit and What I Learned. This memoir opens with the frustrated childhood that led him as a young man on an exciting overland trip through Iran, Afghanistan and the Swat Valley before settling down among the Tibetans for a life of study and meditation.

He resides with his wife, Caroline, in Quebec, Canada.

For more information click on the author’s picture to link to his website.

This book was sent to Layers of Thought for review by Planned TV Arts.

• Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada, and The Book Depository in EUR, and AUD.

The Novice will be included in the World Religion Challenge 2010. To link to Layers of Thought’s post and review links for the challenge please click on the badge below.

Preview: The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, MD

Book Stats:

Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: Doubleday Religion (October 6, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0767920643

ISBN-13: 978-0767920643

Genre: Religion - Buddhism

Book Info:

Blending common sense and modern psychiatry, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World applies Buddhist tradition to twenty-first-century struggles in a relevant way. The result is a wise approach to dealing with human problems that is both optimistic and realistic, even in the most challenging times. How can we expect to find happiness and meaning in our lives when the modern world seems such an unhappy place?

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has suffered enormously throughout his life, yet he always seems to be smiling and serene. How does he do it? In The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, Dr. Cutler walks readers through the Dalai Lama's philosophy on how to achieve peace of mind and come to terms with life's inherent suffering. Together, the two examine the roots of many of the problems facing the world and show us how we can approach these calamities in a way that alleviates suffering, and helps us along in our personal quests to be happy. Through stories, meditations, and in-depth conversations, the Dalai Lama teaches readers to identify the cultural influences and ways of thinking that lead to personal unhappiness, making sense of the hardships we face personally, as well as the afflictions suffered by others.

 Author Bio:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. He is a recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg Congressional Human Rights Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, and the Nobel Peace Prize. He lives in Dharamsala, India.

(for the link for the Dalai Lama’s web site click on his picture)

Co Author Bio:

Howard C. Cutler, MD, is a psychiatrist, bestselling author, and speaker. He is coauthor, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, of the acclaimed Art of Happiness series of books. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is on the editorial board of The American Journal of Psychotherapy. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

(click on Dr. Cutler’s picture for his website)

• Amazon purchasing links US/UK/Canada, and The Book Depository in EUR, and AUD.

This book was sent to Layers of Thought for review from Planned TV Arts.

*Because the above is a second in a series I have also included the first of the series.

(Covers for US on left and Canada/UK on right)

Book Stats:

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; 10 Anv edition (October 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1594488894

ISBN-13: 978-1594488894

Genre: Religion - Buddhism 

Book Info:

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with the Dalai Lama and really press him about life's persistent questions? Why are so many people unhappy? How can I abjure loneliness? How can we reduce conflict? Is romantic love true love? Why do we suffer? How should we deal with unfairness and anger? How do you handle the death of a loved one? These are the conundrums that psychiatrist Howard Cutler poses to the Dalai Lama during an extended period of interviews in The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. 

Amazon purchasing links US/UK/Canada, and The Book Depository in EUR and AUD.

Both books will be included in the World Religion Challenge 2010. To link to Layers of Thought’s post and review links for the challenge please click on the badge below.

Preview: The Heart of the Buddha by Elsie Sze

Book Stats:

Paperback: 231 pages

Publisher: Emerald Book Company; 1 edition (October 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1934572306

ISBN-13: 978-1934572306

Genre: Novel – Romance

Book Info:

When Marian, an earnest romantic and idealist, goes missing in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, her twin sister Ruthie, a pragmatic skeptic, journeys from Canada to search for her. When Ruthie uncovers Marian's passion for a Bhutanese monk and her hazardous trek over a mountain pass to Tibet, she fears the worst. And those fears only intensify when a sinister Tibetan reveals that he is also in pursuit of Marian. As the sisters struggle to reach each other, they must overcome the demands of their own hearts and spirits.

In easy, poetic prose, Elsie Sze paints an enchanting picture of Bhutan as she spins a tale of mystery, adventure, and romance, recounting the two sisters' physical and spiritual journeys to find each other and their true selves.

Author Bio:

Elsie Sze grew up in Hong Kong, and currently lives in Toronto with her husband Michael. They have three sons, Benjamin, Samuel and Timothy. On March 28, 2009, she became a first-time grandmother when Michael (Misha) was born to Ben and his wife Inessa. A former teacher and librarian, she is an avid traveler, often to remote places which form the settings for her stories. Her first novel, Hui Gui: a Chinese story, was nominated for Foreword Magazine's Fiction Book of the Year Award, 2006. Her second novel, The Heart of the Buddha, was published in October, 2009.

For further information please click on the author’s picture to access her website.

• Amazon purchasing links US/UK/Canada, and The Book Depository in EUR and AUD.

This book was sent to Layers of Thought for review from PR by the Book. Thank you My-Lihn!

The Heart of the Buddha will be included in the World Religion Challenge 2010. To link to Layers of Thought’s post and review links for the challenge please click on the badge below.

Preview/Review Combo by JD: Life After 187 by Wade Halverson

 

Amazon Book Stats:

Paperback: 238 pages

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (August 4, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1441540261

ISBN-13: 978-1441540263

Genre: Action Thriller

John’s Summary and Thoughts:

Kane Silver is the son of a tough Special Forces army colonel, who treats him more like a recruit than a son. Silver himself grows up super-fit and tough and follows his dad into the army. Fast forward a few years and after Silver leaves the army his wife is assaulted and murdered by burglars who break into their home. He returns home seconds too late but on realizing what has happened he gives chase to the burglars, smashes into their car, and cold bloodedly executes them. As a result he is found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. (The book’s title comes from Penal Code 187: murder, to take the life of another).

While in a maximum security prison Silver and two other inmates are singled out by the warden for their fighting abilities. The warden has a fascination for illegal no-rules high-stakes fighting tournaments, and has been persuaded to create a team of fighters to appear at a prestigious but shady tournament. A lot of money is riding on this event and the success of his team, so the pressure is on Silver and his new-found colleagues. But the night of the tournament turns chaotic when a gang raids the event organizers and Silver and friends escape and disappear into the underworld. They surface in Hong Kong and eventually get embroiled in an escapade that leads them to fight in a tournament in South America that is organized by a drug baron.

This type of book is not my usual cup of tea, but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless. It was very easy to read and I blew through it in no time at all. It was action all of the way, with a big emphasis on the fight scenes – kind of a cross between kung fu and the UFC with a bit of the A-Team thrown in for good measure. If you like a good action read, you should give it a go. I’d rate this book 3 Stars.

Author Info:

Wade J. Halverson is the author of the 187 book series. For the past twenty years he has owned kickboxing gyms and has worked as a bodyguard. Living in Alaska, Miami, Colorado, Thailand, and Los Angeles. He currently resides in Southern California.

Life After 187’s web site.

This books was sent to Layers of Thought for review by the author. Thank you Wade!

Usually we do a separate preview and a review of a book however John scooped this one up and read it so fast that a preview/review combo has been given instead.

Amazon purchasing links are as follows US/UK/Canada.

Preview: The Piano Teacher – A Novel by Janice Y. K. Lee

(US cover/UK cover)

Book Stats from Amazon: 

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (November 17, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0143116533

ISBN-13: 978-0143116530

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Info from Goodreads:

In 1942, Will Truesdale, an Englishman newly arrived in Hong Kong, falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their love affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Will is sent to an internment camp, where he and other foreigners struggle daily for survival. Meanwhile, Trudy remains outside, forced to form dangerous alliances with the Japanese—in particular, the malevolent head of the gendarmerie, whose desperate attempts to locate a priceless collection of Chinese art lead to a chain of terrible betrayals.

Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong and is hired by the wealthy Chen family as their daughter’s piano teacher. A provincial English newlywed, Claire is seduced by the heady social life of the expatriate community. At one of its elegant cocktail parties, she meets Will, to whom she is instantly attracted—but as their affair intensifies, Claire discovers that Will’s enigmatic persona hides a devastating past. As she begins to understand the true nature of the world she has entered, and long-buried secrets start to emerge, Claire learns that sometimes the price of survival is love.

Author Mini Bio:

Janice was born and raised in Hong Kong and went to boarding school in the United States before attending Harvard College. A graduate of Hunter College’s MFA program and a freelance writer, Lee is a former features editor at Elle and Mirabella magazines in New York.

For further information on the author please see her web page.

Amazon purchasing links are as follows US/UK/Canada – Book Depository link in Euros

Book received for review from Penguin. Thank you Gabriel!

Preview: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand – A Novel by Helen Simonson

(US cover/UK cover/Canadian cover)

Amazon Book Stats:

Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: Random House (March 2, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1400068932

ISBN-13: 978-1400068937

Genre: General Fiction

Amazon Book Info:

You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.

The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?

Author Bio:

Helen Simonson was born in England and spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex. A graduate of the London School of Economics with an MFA from Stony Brook Southampton, she is a former travel advertising executive who has lived in America for the last two decades. A longtime resident of Brooklyn, she now lives with her husband and two sons in the Washington, D.C. area. This is her first novel.

To find out more information contact the author on Goodreads and at the book’s website.

Amazon purchasing links are as follows US/UK/Canada – Book Depository link in Euros.

Book received for promotion from Shelf Awareness.

Preview: Chasing Stardust ~ by Laurel-Rain Snow

 

About the Book:  Laurel-Rain Snow, author of An Accidental Life, Miles To Go, Web of Tyranny, and Embrace the Whirlwind, now tells her most triumphant story yet in Chasing Stardust. Compassionate and wise, this novel examines life, love, and parenting in the modern world. Once again, the author creates wonderfully flawed characters that readers will find impossible not to love for their dogged misdirected affections. In this tale, a single mother will learn to love herself after years of defeat, humiliation, and self-loathing and figure out what makes her happy as a parent, as a professional, and as a woman. With her hands full at home and at the office, love comes late in more ways than one. It's not exactly the love she was looking for, but finally, for once, love comes to stay and she's no longer chasing stardust, she's dancing in it.

Author Bio:  Laurel-Rain Snow is the pen name for Lorraine Frost Sandone, who was born in California's Central Valley, attending community college in Modesto, CA, after which she transferred to San Francisco State University in the sixties. She transferred again and graduated from California State University in Sacramento, with a BA in psychology.

Ms. Snow moved to Fresno, CA, in the early seventies, where she then worked in the social work profession for over thirty years, specializing primarily in child welfare cases. She earned her MA in counseling from California State University of Fresno in the seventies.

Ms. Snow, now retired from social work, lives in Fresno, CA, and is the mother of four grown children and proud grandmother of seven. After retiring from the social work profession, Ms.Snow turned to an old dream – writing, and has published five novels, available on Amazon.com.

The author weaves three decades of experience into her novels, which sets them apart and lends authenticity to the characterizations.

For more information about Laurel you can connect with her on her Goodreads page, Twitter, and her Web Page, and one of her blogs (she has so many I have lost count!).

Amazon purchasing links US/UK/Canada and at the Book Depository in Euros.

 Amazon Book Stats:

Paperback: 408 pages

Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (October 10, 2007)

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Chasing Stardust was sent to Layers of Thought by the author for review. Thank you Laurel!

Preview: POST -HUMAN by David Simpson

Amazon Book Stats:

Paperback: 180 pages

Publisher: IUniverse (April 15, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1440136874

ISBN-13: 978-1440136870

Genre: Science Fiction

Book Description:

The future should have been perfect. Microscopic robots known as nans could repair any damage to your body, keep you young by resetting your cellular clocks, and allow you to download upgrades like intelligence, muscle strength, and eyesight. You were supposed to be able to have anything you wanted with a simple thought, to be able to fly without the aid of a machine, to be able to live forever. But when a small group of five terraformers working on Venus return to Earth, they discover that every other human in the solar system has been gruesomely murdered. Now, James Keats and his four companions must discover what happened to the rest of humanity and fight back if they wish to avoid the same, horrifying fate. Welcome to the post-human era.

 

Author Bio:

David Simpson has a Master's degree in English Literature from the University of British Columbia and he lives in Vancouver, Canada. He was born in Northern Ireland and is the son of a Northern Irish Catholic father and a Scottish Protestant mother. He comes from a long line of writers including his distant relative, the immortal Robert Burns.

Post-Human was born out of David's Master's thesis in which he focused on dystopian, speculative fiction. His creative writing training, specifically in screenplay writing, helped him to create the fast-paced, movie-like feel of the novel.

He's currently working on the sequel to Post-Human while teaching English Literature and developing numerous writing projects. If he has any spare time, he watches the Vancouver Canucks not winning the Stanley Cup and breaking his heart or goes to a movie... IF he has any spare time.

Connect with David on Twitter, Goodreads, Post Human’s web site.

Watch the very cool extended version book trailer for Post Human

Post Human is only available through Amazon - links US/UK/Canada 

This book was given to Layers of Thought for review by the author. Thanks David!

Review coming soon!

Preview: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox

 

(for book website click on the cover picture above)

Book Stats from Amazon:

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 276 pages

Publisher: Two Harbors Press (January 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1935097172

ISBN-13: 978-1935097174

Genre: Children’s Fantasy 

Editorial Review:

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as ''the chosen one'', the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous ''Magic Warble,'' in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen s ''zelbocks'' before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Author Info:

 

Victoria, known as Vicki, was born in 1966, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She has one older sister, Jeannette. When Vicki was 7, she moved with her family to British Columbia. In her early twenties Vicki moved to Western Washington and now resides in Marysville WA. She has been married to her husband Russ, for nineteen years and they have three children; Toby, who is fifteen, Kristina, thirteen, and William, eight. She has home schooled her children for the past nine years, and she also teaches elementary school art. Vicki’s other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, two cats, Frodo, and Fritz, and two parakeets, Charlie, and Paulie. She did have a pet rat named Raymond when she started writing The Magic Warble, but sad to say, he has since passed away of old age. Vicki enjoys writing, painting watercolors, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and chauffeuring her kids around to their many activities. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and one of her fondest memories is when she was twelve. She would sit at the kitchen table and read The Chronicles of Narnia to her mother while she cooked dinner. These magical stories were very dear to Vicki and she remembers wishing, If only I could go to Narnia like Lucy and Susan. Vicki hopes that maybe, she can touch someone with her story in a similar way.

Access the book’s website here, the author’s blog, her Goodreads account, and an author interview here.

The books for review and give away where sent by the author to Layers of Thought through Pump up your Book Tours. Thank you Victoria and Dorothy!

Amazon purchasing links are as follows US/UK/Canada and for The Book Depository in Euros.

Stay tuned review and giveaway coming December 10!

Preview: The Manufactured Identity by Heath Sommer

 

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606965506
• ISBN-13: 978-1606965504
• Genre: Fiction – Suspense
  

Synopsis:

Months after his mysterious disappearance from a routine fishing trip, no one really expects over-the-hill Texas housewife Lory Latchley to find her missing husband—especially her husband. The Manufactured Identity is clinical psychologist Heath Sommer's ever-escalating immersion into the world of unlikely friends who each awaken to find their faithful companions missing without warning or reason. Desperate to find meaning in their pain, they are thrust by the auspices of fate into a common thread of mystery and human frailty. In the end, the fate of all may reside in the unstable hands of rookie pastor John Joe, but ultimately Lory and her newfound partners will uncover a truth so unnerving it makes even infidelity look palatable.

Author Bio:

 
Doctor Heath Sommer earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Idaho State University and holds an additional degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. A native of Sacramento, California, he has enjoyed many opportunities for public speaking and regularly conducts workshops/gives lectures on psychologically related as well as theologically related domains. In addition to his literary interests, Dr. Sommer specializes in the assessment and treatment of trauma, anxiety, and marriage, family, and child development.

For more information and to contact the author - link here to the Manufactured Identity website – which includes the first chapter of the book, Heath’s website, his Goodreads account, and for a YouTube trailer.

This book was sent to Layers of Thought by the author for review. Thank you Heath!

Amazon purchasing links are as follows US/UK/Canada, and in Euros from The Book Depository.

Review coming soon!

Preview: The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer

Book Stats:

Paperback: 296 pages

Publisher: Decent Hearts Press (October 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1936073005

ISBN-13: 978-1936073009

Genre: Thriller

About the Book:

Flora, a Mayan teenager, has escaped Talapa, her civil war-torn Central American village where her parents have been slain - and where even being seen in native wear could result in summary execution.

Following her dream with nearly superhuman determination, she makes her way to San Diego, and against all odds, becomes a wife, mother and teacher. By hard work and shrewdness, she even obtains legal U.S. status. But her life takes a horrific turn when she's shot by her drug-dealing brother in-law.  As she lays unconscious and bleeding in front of her house, Mexican immigrants traveling on a freight train kidnap and claim her as their daughter, caring for her on a long, grueling cross-country flight.

Nearly a year later, still gravely wounded and disfigured, a freed Flora arrives at the Lake Michigan home of Kate Bowman, an American aide worker who had previously befriended Flora in Talapa.  Kate's nephew had vanished on that mission, leaving Kate devastated and overwhelmed with guilt for permitting him to remain in a civil war ravaged Central America while she returned home.

Now Flora, eager to heal her injuries and desperate to restore what remains of her family, reignites in Kate a fire to learn the fate of her long lost nephew. The two women embark on a harrowing journey that takes them to the ancient caves of northwestern Mexico in the Barrancas del Cobre, an exceedingly vast abyss of canyons, in search of a storied Indian healer. The cost of healing borders on the unendurable.

With breathtaking suspense, pulse-pounding action and authentic Indian culture, THE COST OF DREAMS is peopled by fully realized characters facing overwhelming obstacles and moral dilemmas. In short, it's a riveting and believable first-rate thriller.

The First Book in a Series of Novels Dramatizing the Struggle of the Downtrodden.

Set against the vivid backdrop of a Central American country in turmoil and a desolate Mexican wilderness, THE COST OF DREAMS introduces a masterful new writer of fiction. Gary Stelzer, a retired Midwest physician, draws upon an ordeal of one of his most memorable patients for a novel that's both a powerful, compelling page-turner and a poignant illumination of a woman's-and a people's-struggle to survive.

"Years ago," recalls Stelzer, "a foreign-born woman appeared at the ER of my small city hospital dreadfully injured by her drug-dealing brother-in-law. She had been shot at her family's home in the southwestern U.S. and her husband had driven her and their two small children to this northern Midwest locale. There I cared for her and directed her protracted rehab. Then the husband abandoned them all.

"She drifted away in the years following. But I always recalled how badly I felt for her and her children. Then one day in southwestern New Mexico, I watched as dozens of freight trains passed by and I began asking myself, 'what if...?'"

Thus the indomitable Flora Enriquez came to life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gary Stelzer wrote THE COST OF DREAMS while working full-time as a doctor. Now retired, he lives with his wife in the northern Midwest. The native Texan has studied Spanish and traveled to his novel's sites in Central America and Mexico and the USA. His intention in writing THE COST OF DREAMS, he says, was "to lend a voice to the struggle that the downtrodden of this earth make for a dignified and decent survival." His next several novels will adhere to this theme.
*Photo Credit: Barb Ray

Author’s web site - Here

This book was sent to Layers of Thought for review by Robyn Schechter from Carol Fass Publicity & Public Relations, Inc. Thank you Robyn!

Amazon purchasing information for US/UK/Canada

Review coming soon!

Preview: Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

Book Stats:

Paperback: 147 pages

Publisher: Livingston Press (AL) (March 30, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1604890304

ISBN-13: 978-1604890303

Genre: Fiction – Southern Gothic

Book Info:

Set in the slums of New Orleans, among clusters of crack houses and abandoned buildings, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses’s lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses’s twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape.

Author Bio:

Chris Tusa was born and raised in New Orleans. He holds a B.A. in English, an M.A in English, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Florida. Aside from teaching in the English Department at LSU, he also acts as Managing Editor for Poetry Southeast. With the help of a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, he was able to complete his first chapbook of poetry, Inventing an End. His debut collection of poems, Haunted Bones, was published by Louisiana Literature Press in 2006. His work has appeared in Connecticut Review, Texas Review, Prairie Schooner, The New Delta Review, South Dakota Review, Southeast Review, Passages North, Spoon River, New York Quarterly, Louisiana Literature, Tar River, StorySouth, and others. He has studied under a number of notable writers, including Tim Gautreaux, Sidney Wade, and Debora Gregor. His debut novel, Dirty Little Angels, was released by The University of West Alabama in March of 2009.

Tusa’s stories are, in effect, Southern-fried Greek tragedies. In his work, the backwoods Southern Gothicism of Faulkner and O’Connor intersects with a more contemporary, more urban depiction of the South. Typical themes include mental illness as well as the ways in which the contemporary, celebrity-driven American culture has managed to alter the landscape of the traditional Christ-haunted South.

To find out more about Dirty Little Angels and Chris Tusa link to his web site.

A copy of Dirty Little Angels was sent to Layers of Thought for review by the author. Thank you Chris!

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada and in Euros at The Book Depository.

Review Coming Soon!

Preview/Review by Shellie: Daddy Goes On a Trip ~ by William G. Bentrim

 

Daddy Goes On a Trip: Dealing with Travel and Deployment ~ William G. Bentrim

My Blurb:  Daddy is going away on a trip. A long trip. He will be gone a long time. It’s called deployment. A big word but a child hears it. It could mean anything but the child knows it’s important. What is a parent to do to help a little person, who knows something scary is happening to the family, to understand?

My Thoughts:  This book will help since its simple with cute pictures and a positive message that Daddy loves you even though he’s going away and he will be back.

It also has resources and suggestions for the parents. Giving both mom and dad constructive ways to help a young child (and older children too) deal with this re-occurring theme within children’s and parent’s lives with in the United States and other parts of the world. An excellent example of one of these ways to assist with the transition is to use colored tacks on a map to show where daddy (or mommy) will be staying, as well as weather research for the area of travel or deployment.

Being a teacher for a number of years myself, with some graduate level courses in early childhood education, and caring for young family members on a consistent basis – I have some personal and professional understanding and knowledge about small children. I highly recommend this book for use as a “teaching moment” tool. It would be wonderful to used for repeat readings, helping to provide comfort for a child to understand this difficult and all too common transition.  A very important book at 4 Stars.

---

Bio:   A Quixote personality, with abundant passion for family, kids, books and life. Sometimes I write merely to keep my head from exploding with ideas. I've always had a need for self expression which runs the gamut through performance, many types of media expression and word. I greet and end each day with the hope that I might make some small change that will improve life for someone. Some of what I write is to entertain, hopefully with some redeeming aspect being illustrated. My naiveté and cynicism clash with great frequency. 25 years of working with technology challenged my intellect but did little for my soul. I write to nourish that part of me that needs to feel like I am positively impacting life.

For more about William link to his blogs – Pick of the Literate, Money Saving Tech Tips, and Azure Dwarf.

---

Amazon purchasing for US|UK|Canada.

Paperback: 24 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace (October 15, 2009)

Genre: Children Ages 3-5

A special note:

Daddy Goes On a Trip  was given a 5 Star review from child Psychiatrist and award winning author of  A Circle of Souls, Preetham Grandhi M.D. It is one of my first reviews on Layers of Thought and is linked on the title.

A copy of Daddy Goes On a Trip was sent to Layers of Thought by the author for review. Thank you Bill!