RIP THE SKY

 

by

 

Mark Packard

 

 

Speculative Fiction / Fantasy / Science Fiction

Publisher: Bluestreak Publishing

Page Count: 317 pages

Publication Date: August 21, 2023

 

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After a shocking courtroom tragedy, a disturbed Vietnam veteran and the vindictive judge who sent him to prison become an unlikely pair of time travelers in a chaotic multiverse. The fallen angel who rescues them wants to guide them to a radiant new life. But first they must return to the scene of a ghastly crime.

Billy Worster was a naïve teenager ill-prepared for the gruesome realities of war. The sole survivor of a deadly massacre in a Vietnamese jungle, he avoided certain death only because he ran away when the shooting started. Riddled with guilt, he comes home to a dusty Texas farm with post-traumatic stress disorder and the crazy notion that he can fly in and out of parallel worlds.

As Billy struggles with addiction and questions his sanity, he is arrested on a drug charge and ends up in the courtroom of Judge Madeline Johnston, a bitter old judge tormented by a dark secret surrounding her father’s death. She callously tosses Billy into prison, but when a greedy executor files a lawsuit to steal his inherited land, Billy is hauled back to her courtroom in chains, where a stunning twist of fate launches them into the sky on an odyssey of discovery and healing.

Spanning forty years from the jungles of Vietnam through infinite, parallel worlds, Rip the Sky examines how the power of forgiveness can lead us toward a better life, no matter how many worlds we may live in.

 

 

 

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Deleted Scene, Part Two

 

 from Rip the Sky

 

by Mark Packard

 

CLICK TO READ PART ONE OF THE DELETED SCENE

 

It was quiet. The radio in the old truck had long been broken, and the only sound was the hot wind whistling through the open windows. Neither one spoke for several minutes. Finally, Billy broke the silence, “Were you scared when you were over in Normandy? I remember you telling me when I was a boy about how you waded to the shore, and there was dead bodies floating face down in the water. They got drowned cause their packs strapped to their backs were too heavy.” Billy couldn’t help gesturing with his hands as visions of the littered battlefield played out in his mind. “And then when you got to the sand you had to step over body parts, and everything was on fire, smoke coming from everywhere. And I remember you saying how lucky you were that you were not one of the first ones to land, ‘cause they never had a chance.”

Floyd took another drag from his cigarette, inhaled deeply and methodically, holding in the smoke for what seemed like half an hour, and then let out a long, hard exhale, as if he were respirating bad memories.

“We did what we had to do,” he said, “and so will you.”

The sun blasted the pavement, and Billy stared at the highway ahead, fascinated by the illusory sheets of water, the mirages that appeared and instantly vanished on the highway. They always looked so real. He counted them, tried to pinpoint the exact spot when the phantom mist evaporated from sight, but could never really figure out where they were when they vanished. Billy squirmed again in his seat.

“Dad, I guess I am a little scared,” he said.

Floyd turned to look at Billy, staring hard at his pimply-faced, scrawny son. Floyd’s eyes glassed over, and Billy felt—measured, even pitied. And he hated that.

“I was afraid when I went to war too,” Floyd said. “A man would have to be crazy not to be scared. There ain’t nothing wrong with being scared, Billy.”

Billy nodded, unable to look away from his father’s gaze.

“But if I could make it,” Floyd continued, “so can you. You’re just as good as anybody else, especially all those long-haired city boys.”

“I will,” Billy said, “Thanks, Dad.”

There was another long silence, and then Floyd cleared his throat, rubbed his eyes, and whispered, “Damned pollen.” Billy knew better than to speak when the pollen made his father’s eyes water. The old man’s eyes had watered just two days before, during a whisky-filled night,

when Billy saw his dad pound the coffee table with his fist, muttering about how only poor kids get drafted, about how he wished Billy could have gone to college so they wouldn’t have to drive to Abbeville. Billy didn’t speak then either.

Floyd drove slowly in the right-hand lane, and another pickup passed in the left lane, the driver in the cowboy hat giving Floyd’ the “thumbs up” signal as he blew by them. “Must like my bumper stickers,” Floyd said, and as the passing pickup sped away Billy noticed the same bumper stickers that were patched onto the back of Floyd’s truck that read “America, Love it or Leave it” and “America, My Country Right or Wrong.”

Billy watched the pickup disappear into the horizon, then read the white letters and numbers on the green road sign that flashed by, barely having time to learn that Abbeville was 30 miles away.

Neither said another word, and at long last they pulled into Abbeville, drove past the Air Force base where pilots learned to drop bombs and napalm on the North Vietnamese hiding in the jungles of Vietnam, past the tall buildings that adorned the sky, and into the parking lot at the Continental Trailways Bus Station.

The long truck ride was over, but Billy didn’t want to get out yet, keeping his head down, staring at the fabric of the cloth seat beneath him.

A long, awkward minute passed, until Billy, with his head still bowed, muttered the words, “I love you, Dad.”

This time Floyd squirmed, cleared his throat again, but didn’t speak right away. He gripped Billy’s hand and shook it hard. “I’ll miss you too son. Pay attention and remember that everybody in Langtry is praying for you.”

Billy’s throat felt tight and swollen, and his eyes were moist. “Yes sir,” he mumbled, as he climbed out of the pickup, scooped up his duffle bag out of the rusted bed, and waved goodbye.

Floyd watched his son walk into the bus station and wiped his eyes.

“They never stood a chance.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Packard spent the last 38 years as a trial attorney and is now retired from the courtroom and working as a mediator. In a life before lawyering, he was a journalist and regrets waiting far too long before returning to his roots to write his first novel, Rip the Sky. Though he knows he should have jumped off the merry-go-round years ago, he hopes to hang around long enough to craft a few more tales. Connect with the author:

 

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Synopsis

 

Josh Tanner, was trying to fix his life and get back to his four-year-old daughter Sophie. Then he was pulled into the multidimensional world of the Immortals simply by being the last person on the elevator after lunch . . . and carrying a briefcase!

Senyak Marztanak needs to reacquire his immortality and his place on his family’s ruling seat. Both having been stripped away when he failed his grandfather’s trial.

Now, after being bonded through karma, Josh and Sen are forced to rise together through the levels of mortal cultivation to reach transcendence.

In a new and fully developed sci/fi-fantasy universe. Chock full of multiethnic mythology, ageless powers, saviors and treacherous villains. Josh & Sen Save the Multiverse tells the tale of two unlikely heroes pushed together by the fates, karma, and the most powerful immortals in existence. Through hilarious and life-threatening adventures, they form bonds of friendship and brotherhood. All while having to rely on each other’s unique qualities to survive eight iterations away from their universe of origin.

Follow Josh and Sen as they grow, fight, live, laugh, love and cry. They don’t know it yet . . . But for each to get home they will not only have to save their own lives . . . but the entire Multiverse!

 

 

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Interview with the Author

 

You wrote this novel partly in response to the hopelessness amid the Covid-19 pandemic. What do you hope readers will take away when they read Josh and Sen’s story?

 

Everyone in the world has been affected by the pandemic. It is true that we can see the silver lining in some of the changes, and feel brought back to our roots in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, many of the changes have been devastating and will continue to be so for many years. You can see this very prominently in third world countries where the economies of tourism were completely shut down for long periods of time. When I first started noticing this, I remember thinking, “How good would it be if there were a couple of guys who would be willing to go to the wall to save us all?”

 

How did you create Josh and Sen? Were there any sci-fi/fantasy figures from your childhood that inspired the character’s stories?

 

Everytime I sit down to write about Josh and Sen I learn more about myself and my motivations. Some things even surprise me. But, ever since I was twelve years old and my father took me to Merrionette Park in Chicago’s south side to see Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy’s been my hero. One of my favorite spots is the classic line where he is trying to steal the ark back from the nazi’s, he lays out a plan and ends it with, “I dunno, I’m making this up as I go . . .” I would have to say this is a major inspiration for Josh and Sen. Don’t ask them how beforehand, but they will find a way to get where they need to be.

 

Why did you decide to weave bits of Greek mythology into the book?

 

When I was growing up there wasn’t a lot of fantasy literature or TV shows. Where I turned to get it was the classics.  I loved Greek mythology when I was a kid. Particularly stories from the Age of Heros. When I started the first book and wanted Josh and Sen to travel underground to get their first Earth Attunement, Gaia, Mother of the Earth was just a natural fit. But you can’t talk about Gaia without getting into the serious family drama she has with her husband and the multiple sets of kids and grandkids, can you? Not to mention, all the stuff is public domain.

 

What can we expect next from you as a writer? What are your big plans for Josh and Sen?

 

Right now I’m finishing the third book. The second, “Karma and Bigger Fish” is already written and being polished for final release between 3-6 months after the Path of One comes out.

Josh and Sen will be meeting some new folks. Some friends and some decidedly not so friendly. One of the things they are going to learn is that the iteration is a lot bigger than they are right now. They are also going to learn that Karma and Reality have some pretty big plans for them and the people that they care about.

 

 

About the Author

 

DAVID BEHLING is a Chicago born sci-fi, fantasy, and video game admirer. When he was younger and stronger, he was able to fight off his infatuation long enough to work as a Honolulu-based plaintiff’s malpractice lawyer for five years before attending med school and residency. Now he treats his patients on Oahu, where his office has been for the last fifteen years. He has trained in several fields of martial arts over the years, including Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Older now, he would rather be surfing, snowboarding, and skating when he is brave enough! Most importantly, he is the proud father of four amazing children: Indigo, Tristan, Kireina, and Nina. They even text him sometimes. He is also the lucky owner of the world’s cutest chihuahua, Rosie.

 

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Synopsis

 

Six years after emerging from a fountain of youth, siblings Bill, Paul, and Annie Carpenter, time travelers from 2022, make their way in 1911.

In New York, Bill and wife Cassie finish a year as educators and struggle to start a family, while Annie tries her hand as a society reporter. In Arizona, Paul and Andy Lee, sergeants and brothers-in-law, attempt to keep the Mexican Revolution from spilling across the border.

For all, life marches on. Then the soldiers receive new orders, Paul and Annie meet alluring strangers, and the family’s fortunes take dramatic turns.

In ANNIE’S APPLE, the sweeping sequel to THE FOUNTAIN, five young adults find love, danger, and adventure in the age of factory fires, high society, and the sinking of the Titanic.

 

 

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Review

 

This is one of my favorite authors who writes time travel novels. The details are well researched when it comes to actual events, and it feels like you might be there with the characters.

This is the second in this series, and it primarily focuses on Annie’s life. There is a lot with Paul as well, but it is really Annie’s turn to shine. She is 20 but quite a pistol. This shouldn’t be very surprising since she is really much older and is living her life over. However, she has found a position that is something she is familiar with, journalism. Granted, back then, it was more about writing the society column, but it immerses her in a world that she may have never considered before.

In the early 1900s, women didn’t wait long to get married and start a family, and Annie’s desire was no different. Her problem? Her crush was more interested in the military than starting a life with her. I can see both sides of this issue. Annie is ready to move forward with Andy, but he has a strong desire to see more action in the military. Considering WWI is not far off, he could get more than he bargained for, but only time will tell. Andy isn’t the only one interested in Annie; there is also Charlie Rusk. Charlie is from a society family and meets Annie by chance. But it isn’t a moment he would change for the world, but will Annie come round, or will her love for Andy hold her back?

Paul is a major character but a minor one at the same time. He meets a young woman who catches his eye, but there is more to her story than meets the eye. If you read the book, you will most likely figure out what it is, but I won’t spoil it for you. Will this young woman help him move past his love for Pauline? Maybe!

I have always appreciated the historical detail in Heldt’s novels. In this novel, we have the incident with the Titanic and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I wasn’t as familiar with the second as the first, but I appreciated the details that made me feel like I was there. There was a comment in the book from Bill about how the Titanic incident created new regulations for cruise ships. The same happened with the fire, but it wasn’t as detailed in the book.

The book, while primarily positive, does have some issues that arise for the characters to add some depth to the story. Sadly, I can’t tell you about them because it would give away some of the story. So just pick up the book and read it!

This book did seem to move at a slower pace than other books by this author. This is not a bad thing, but it took me longer to read than normal. I still enjoyed the book and following along. I can’t wait for the last book in this trilogy to see what happens to this family.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life on his blog.

 

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Synopsis

 

Michael’s story continues from A Reservoir Man (2022) where we find him teaching at a university ready to retire. He unexpectedly meets a young man named Ron who becomes his protege and journeys in a haphazard adventure with him throughout America and Europe, each twist and turn of the road bringing unexpected adventures. The journey taken is one of joy, friendship and discovery.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

As the ferry entered the river, one would barely know they were sailing. The breeze brushed against his face; he saw the water pass him just as life had. He looked at the stern of the ferry seeing all his relationships, career, and spirituality disappear in an endless stream of the river, moving them away but not forgotten. Michael felt as if the bow moving upriver was pushing towards his future with the thrust of a young man stealing second base.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a well-built, nice looking young man, nerdy, longish dirty blonde hair that either needed cutting or a ponytail.

He was talking to himself, no, Michael thought, “he is talking on the phone.” But no, the young man was actually talking to himself, or a bird. Suddenly, the young man saw Michael and flashed a small smile.

“Oh no I have been here too many times; those moments are up the river,” thought Michael. The young man approached Michael asking if he knew him.

“I could not imagine how,” said Michael, in disbelief.

“Yes,” the young man said, “in the park near the university. You were always reading on that same bench. I remember when the pigeons shit on your book and once on your jacket; the whole bench was full of shit,” the young man said with a slight devilish smile.

“Right!” said Michael. “Are you getting off here?”

“In the middle of the river, how could I?”

“You could always try,” said Michael, with a slight but cold smile.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. He taught at over 7 universities in America. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

 

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Giveaway

 

 

LJ Ambrosio giving away one $20 Amazon Gift Card & an Autographed Copy of Reflections on the Boulevard!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive either a $20 Amazon Gift Card or an autographed copy of Reflections on the Boulevard.
• This giveaway starts August 28 and ends September 22.
• Winner will be contacted via email on September 23.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

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Synopsis

 

A multi-generational biblical saga of captivity, romance, faith, and redemption, set against the Judean exile in Babylon.

Everything changes for Sarah the day Nebuchadnezzar’s army storms Jerusalem. In an instant, her peaceful life on the farm is ripped away: her city sacked, her temple desecrated, her people enslaved. Marched across unforgiving desert sands to Babylon, Sarah and the remaining Judean people must find a way to keep their faith alive in a new and unforgiving home.

Displaced within an empire of strange gods and unimaginable wealth, Sarah and her descendants bear witness to palace intrigue, betrayal, brutal sacrifice, regicide, and a new war brewing in the east. Through every trial, the Hebrew people attempt to preserve their religion. Uri, Sarah’s son, transcribes incredible stories of prophets and visions, Creation and Exodus—stories that establish the central tenets of the Hebrew faith.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Part One: The Captives

 

586 BCE–Year 1 of the Exile

 

Sarah Under Siege

 

Sarah stood at the window of the family farm outside of Jerusalem, staring across the hills into the confusion of the city. Flames and smoke rose from Mount Moriah. But it couldn’t be—

“Papa,” Sarah choked out.

“How many times have I said to stay away from that window?” Baruch, her father, pushed her aside to stand in front of the window himself. “God help us,” he gasped.

Flames were shooting up from the Temple Mount. Solomon’s Temple—God’s Temple—was burning. “How could they?” she whispered.

Her father wheeled on her. “They’re idolators; that’s how. Placed on this Earth for no other purpose but evil.”

It was inconceivable. Why hadn’t God stopped them? Sarah could almost smell the rich scent of the cedar and fir walls that lined the Temple as they smoldered in flame. Even at this distance, she saw the Chaldean forces gleefully loading carts with the gold and silver ornaments of the Lord, seizing them as war loot to enrich the coffers of the Babylonians. How could anyone destroy such beauty?

Her father irritably brushed aside her comment, his hand smacking the air.

Unable to bear it, she looked in another direction. Beyond the Temple Mount, outside the city, soldiers raced back and forth on the solid earthen banks they’d built up over the past weeks to attack Jerusalem’s sacred stone walls. They made Sarah think of wasps buzzing angrily in date palms, swarming about her head as she collected ripe fruit. She watched, helpless, as the enemy cast heavy stones from giant catapults while shower after shower of arrows fell upon the city. The air was acrid with the smell of dust and smoke and of oil bubbling on Judean fires, sent scalding down the walls to repel the attackers.

“We’ll see an end to this before nightfall,” her father said, his voice heavy with resignation.

They had not seen daylight for many days. The skies were dark and angry, brooding, as if God Himself wished to add to the assault’s fury. The prophets had warned them, Father had growled just last night. Jeremiah had warned them. Still Sarah prayed, trying to ignore the tumult surrounding her. It was no use. God was angry with His people, the prophets proclaimed, and had sent the bold Babylonian conquerors to punish them. Sarah believed them.

After all, Sarah’s God was always angry. Just like her father. She often confused the two.

“What will they do to us?” moaned Aliza, Sarah’s mother.

Mother sat on her stool near the hearth, having gathered her household treasures around her. In her lap was a pile of hand-worked linen, which she stroked compulsively.

“Aliza,” Baruch chided her, turning from the window, his face bleak. “With death lurking in every corner, why do you cling to that old cloth?”

But Sarah knew why. Her mother’s life was confined to the solidly built rooms and terraced fields of the sprawling white stone farmhouse. She needed to clasp something solid, gain comfort from softness she could touch and caress. As her father turned away, Mother snuck the cloth to her cheek, hand shaking. Sarah knelt by her stool, laying her head in her mother’s lap to both give and take comfort. Aliza’s trembling fingers moved from the cloth to Sarah’s hair.

It would not be long now, Sarah thought, her heartbeat rising in panic.

The servants, suspecting the worst, had fled the farm yesterday, leaving their rakes in the field and dinner half cooked. Only old Dina remained, too brittle and cloudy eyed to contemplate escape. The handmaid sat blinking in a corner of the room, her wrinkled face working in silent terror.

Sarah pictured the soldiers marching up the hillside in orderly rows, breastplates glinting in the sun. The family would huddle in a corner while the greedy troops seized her mother’s shining metal mirrors and soft goatskin rugs. They would round up the sheep and goats now bleating piteously in the pen behind the house. But then Sarah willed them to move on. After all, there was no reason for them to lay good farmland to waste.

But even if they burned this season’s crop in the field, Sarah thought, that would surely be the worst of it. Her father’s fears of death and destruction were groundless. They had to be. Sarah could not imagine life beyond the family farm, this safe, familiar place where she had lived every day of her young life.

 

 

About the Author

 

Michelle Cameron’s Beyond the Ghetto Gates (She Writes Press, 2020) was awarded a Silver Medal in Historical Fiction by the Independent Book Publishers, won First Place/Best of Category for the Chanticleer Goethe Awards and was a Foreword Indies finalist. Her previous historical novel, The Fruit of Her Hands (Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books, 2009), is based on the author’s thirteenth-century rabbi ancestor, Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg.

Michelle’s novel-in-verse, In the Shadow of the Globe (Lit Pot Press, 2003), was named Shakespeare Theatre of NJ’s 2003-4 Winter Book Selection. In addition, it was performed at a variety of venues, including the Stella Adler Studio’s Shakespeare Benefit.

She lived in Israel for fifteen years (including three weeks in a bomb shelter during the Yom Kippur War) and served as an officer in the Israeli Army teaching air force cadets technical English.

A director of The Writers Circle, Michelle teaches creative writing to children, teens, and adults in NJ and virtually. Residing in Chatham, NJ, with her husband, Michelle has two grown sons of whom she is inordinately proud.

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Synopsis

 

Have you ever felt like one of the least of these?

What do you know of the woman at the well? What led her to the well that day – the exact day Jesus would be there? What of the lepers, the blind man, the woman who dried Jesus’ feet with her hair? What of the Centurion who said at the cross, “Surely this was the Son of God”?

Stories of Jesus. You have heard them since you were young. But what about the parts that you’ve never heard?

The stories that need to be told? The stories you need to hear?

 

 

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Review

 

Have you ever read the stories in the bible and wondered about the backstory of the different men and women that are portrayed? How did they get to where they were? What drove them to seek out Jesus for healing or forgiveness? What was their life like before meeting the Messiah?

While we will never really know the stories of these people, this author has created a potential life for them. I really enjoyed the tales, and it makes each story become alive and have more meaning than the little that we read in the bible. And let’s be honest, the language is what always throws me off, and I don’t understand some of it anyway! But each story makes me feel a part of those times, and my understanding and compassion is increased. These are relatable stories no matter the times we live in today.

You don’t have to be religious or have read the bible to enjoy these short stories. I think they will inspire almost anyone. The stories are short and can be read quickly, but you might want to take your time to savor the words.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kathryn is a lover of words and a bearer of mood swings. When she feels the need to inspire, she writes a Christian fiction book. If a mystery is waiting to be uncovered, she finds it. If something otherworldly is finding its way through her fingertips, she travels to it.

Kathryn has been a reader since she was a young child. Although she took classes in writing as a teen, it wasn’t something she really thought would become her career until she was married. And even then, it took a few more years for something worthy enough to publish to manifest itself.

Kathryn’s first book was published in 2002. Since then, many other books have found their way out of her head, depending on the sort of day she is having. Kathryn is a journalist, a teacher, a mentor, an editor, a publisher, and a marketer.

Her greatest joy, other than writing her next book, is meeting with readers and authors who enjoy the craft of writing as much as she does.

 

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Synopsis

 

What’s a woman to do? Bertie Patchet has just graduated from college in New Haven, Connecticut, to become a grammar school teacher. But the year is 1936, and the country is deep in the throes of The Great Depression. Securing employment is nearly impossible for everyone, let alone a single inexperienced female. Going home is an ugly option to be avoided. Bertie absolutely must get away, but travel without an income? Forget it!

Bertie dresses like a man and turns to hopping railway boxcars to make her escape to better opportunities. A female hobo? Unheard of! It’s a man’s world, so how can she maneuver in this male atmosphere fraught with risk, danger, and loss? Will she ever find a teaching job? And will she dare to find romance in the bargain?

A charming new novel with an unforgettable protagonist, a setting to die for, and a mesmerizing plotline, On the Rails is on track to become another beloved tale by dynamic husband-and-wife duo Rosemary and Larry Mild.

 

 

 

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Review

 

This novel gives the reader a peek into what life might have been like riding the rails in boxcars.

Bertie has finished college and can be a teacher, but it is the summer, so she doesn’t have many options at the moment. The home life with her parents isn’t conducive to staying there long-term as her stepfather is a pervert. She had heard about someone else’s son riding the rails and decided to give it a shot. Luckily, she meets some kind souls along the way who help her out. There are also nefarious characters that aim to do her harm. Most of the time, she is disguised as a boy, but when it is to her benefit, she removes her cap, and it is obvious she is not a male.

I enjoyed this story and felt like it was well researched in regard to the Depression, the different government work programs, and what it was like to live in the mid-30s. Life was very different then compared to today. Imagine not having a number to leave for a callback because you don’t know where you will be. Or having to travel by train or bus to get to your destination versus your own car.

The story does not gloss over the dangers of her adventures. She did encounter some men who wanted only one thing. Others tried to rob her of what little she had in her possession.

It does have a happy ending and ties the story up nicely for Bertie.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Authors

 

Rosemary and Larry Mild coauthored the Dan & Rivka Sherman Mysteries; the Paco and the Molly Mysteries; Hawaii adventure/thrillers Cry Ohana and Honolulu Heat; and four volumes of short stories, including their new one, Charlie and the Magic Jug and Other Stories. Many of their stories appear in anthologies. The Milds, a happy husband-and-wife team, make their home in Honolulu, where they cherish time with their daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.

 

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Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 1 print copy and is open to the U.S. only

This giveaway ends on September 22, 2023 midnight, pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

 

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Synopsis

 

Art, math, obsession, and greed. An artist who confesses to murders through her drawings and a marginalized drifter involved in computer crime have their paths collide in Montana while both are struggling to make amends for past failures in love. Part Montana wilderness, part techno, and part misdirected love, Paper Targets is a story of confessed secrets. But more than crime, Paper Targets is infused with nature and solitude and unpacks questions about why people sometimes do bad things. Based on the actual fringe events of two of the world’s largest criminal frauds: the collapse of WorldCom and Enron.

Enzi, a drop-out and drifting runaway, becomes a criminal computer hacker who then falls in love with Kaori, an artist. When Kaori later confesses through her paintings to murder, Enzi starts questioning everything he has ever done. But as Enzi tries to extricate himself from the violent men he has become indebted to, he is pressured to keep “pounding code.” While Enzi plans his escape, he is forced to look inside for answers about his motivations.

 

 

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Review

 

This is a literary fiction novel that centers around Enzi.

The book starts off with his formative years, his home life, and the fact that he is dyslexic. We learn later in the book that he never learned to write and spells things phonetically. So it is somewhat surprising that he is now a computer programmer. He does love math and has learned how to look for patterns. Perhaps, his dyslexia is words only.

The story is told in first person, and the first few chapters (and they are long chapters) center around his life before this job as a programmer. However, when the transition occurs, we have no idea how he landed in this field until even later in the book. I felt disconnected from the character and had a hard time understanding what was happening. The story does start to flow when we meet Kaori, an artist that tells stories through her paintings. She is from Tokyo and has a different outlook on life and relationships. I don’t think Enzi had any idea what he was getting himself into when he bailed her out of jail. I don’t think any of us knew what was going to happen!

There are many fascinating supporting characters. Tsai is a fast-talking individual from Texas who wants Enzi to exploit the software he wrote for Tsai’s gain. There is also the bail bondsman, Pascal, that decides to take a step outside of his normal pattern when it comes to dealing with criminals. And, of course, Kaori. She has an outlook on life that doesn’t gel with what most people think, and is she capable of normalcy or not?

This book moves at a slow pace, and it is more about the human character than anything else. I noticed that there is a thriller label on this book. I wouldn’t count this as a mystery, suspense, or thriller. It has psychological aspects in understanding all of the characters and how they fit together.

This was an interesting read, and we give it 3 1/2 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Steve Saroff was a 14-year-old runaway who started and sold several software companies to public companies. He is the host of the popular podcast ‘Montana Voice,’ and the author of numerous traditionally published short stories, first printed in Redbook, as well as several books.

 

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Synopsis

 

Small chunks of life, perfectly wrapped and waiting for you to open is what you’ll get when you dive into Soaring by Nicole Fitton! A collection of 24 short stories told in 70 -2000 words.

Award-winning and short-listed pieces of prose sit alongside newer thoughtfully crafted short glimpses of human nature and 21st century life. You are invited to pause for a moment and reflect on the writer’s suggestions. They are sure to uplift and inspire you. The stories are perfect for today but will linger and stay with you for much longer.

 

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Chapeltown Books

 

 

Review

 

This collection of short stories is perfect to read while waiting at appointments, over lunch, or anytime that you have 5-10 minutes.

Each story is unique and brings a new perspective to life with the situations that the characters find themselves in. I don’t know if I could choose a favorite, but I devoured all of them in no time. The author was able to draw me in while I forgot about reality, even if for a moment.

Some of the stories do have an abstract feel, which only adds to the depth of the book.

There is something for everyone in this collection and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Nicole Fitton is an author who resides in the wonderful leafy countryside of Devon, U.K. Originally from London, she has lived in such glamorous locations as London, New York, and Croydon!

For over three decades, she worked in music PR and marketing in Europe and the USA before reinventing herself within the world of healthcare management. She mainly writes mystery thriller novels and an abundance of short stories. She has published two contemporary novels – All Tomorrow’s Parties and Forbidden Colours both of which have received many 5* reviews. Her first single author collection of short stories, Soaring, has recently been published by Chapeltown Books.

When not writing, she likes to take long swims in cold places (Fjords & lakes) and can often be found sharing secrets and treats with her trusty English Spaniel Spaniel Poppy.

 

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Synopsis

 

Trust in love and solutions will appear.

Alice Treemont has no intention of falling in love. Living in Blake’s Folly, a semi-ghost town, she cooks vegetarian meals, rescues unwanted dogs, and protects the most unloved creatures on earth: snakes. What man would share those interests?

Jace Constant is in Nevada, doing research for his new book, but he won’t be staying. He’s disgusted by desert dust on his fine Italian shoes and dog hair on his cashmere sweaters. As for snakes, he doesn’t just despise them: they terrify him.

So why does the air sizzle each time Alice and Jace meet? A romance would entail far too many compromises.

 

 

Amazon * Books2Read

 

 

Review

 

Take a trip back to Blake’s Folly. In this book, we focus on Alice and Jace. The story is told from both POVs, and it is interesting how their brains operate. Alice doesn’t want him in her life, but he is smitten with her and wants to have more of a relationship. I think Alice wants that too, but is just afraid to say so. It doesn’t help that the town is very small, with around 53 citizens, so any gossip spreads like wildfire.

I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and become something more. The book is filled with a variety of scenes that elicit different emotions. And it doesn’t hurt that there are MANY dogs involved. Alice is something of a dog whisperer and takes them in until she can find them a home. That is how she met Jace, through a dog he found on the road that he named Killer. The dog is anything but a killer. But that helps cement their relationship over time.

While this is the second in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel. The first book has a little background information, but not so much that you are missing anything by reading the books out of order.

I can’t wait to read the third book, and we give this one 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Writer, photographer, social critical artist, and impenitent teller of tall tales, J. Arlene Culiner was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a mud house on the Great Hungarian Plain, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, a haunted house on the English moors, and on a Dutch canal. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest where, much to local dismay, she protects spiders, snakes, and all weeds. She particularly enjoys incorporating into mysteries, non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities and her conversations with very odd characters.

 

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