Category: Share the Love

Book Review: Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge

Stopover at the Backworlds Edge by MPaxStopover at the Backworlds’ Edge is the second book in Mary Pax’s Backworlds series about bio-engineered human life forms that were created to be able to thrive in the harsh environments of planets that are not exactly, “Earth Normal”.

The Story

In this tale we find Craze and his new-found friends from the first book encamped at Pardeep Station, a sort of rest stop along the galactic interstate system, except Pardeep is out in the sticks, galactically speaking, and not an especially inviting place to go.

Continue reading “Book Review: Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge”

Book Review: The Cowchip Café (Cowchip Al)

The Cowchip Café (Cowchip, Al) by Norman Morrison.  Reviewed in Kindle format. Book length is listed as 45 printed pages. Price: $0.99 at Amazon.com.

The Story

Cowchip Cafe, eBook, sci-fi, norman MorrisonThe Cowchip Café by Norman Morrison is a delightful novelette set mostly in the only restaurant in the small rural town of Cowchip Alabama.  The cast of characters include:

  • Lewis Stubbs: the restaurant owner, rebel, idealist.
  • Port Love: the cook. An older black man living in a typical southern town and dealing graciously with the prejudice that entails.
  • An assortment of “old farts” having their weekly get-together for coffee and tale swapping. Included is the former town mayor.
  • And a nutty alien who orders a burger and triple hash browns before threatening to destroy the planet.

Along the way we learn something of the town of Cowchip Alabama’s quirky history, how Lewis came to own the restaurant, and some interesting background on Port Love. The “old farts” discussion includes a flash of light seen the night before and their experiences (real or imagined) with alien visitation.  The Mayor’s diplomatic background comes into play in resolving the current instance of otherworldly invasion. Continue reading “Book Review: The Cowchip Café (Cowchip Al)”

Patti-n-Me: First Times

About a year ago Patricia Carrigan and I were DMing back and forth in Twitter about this and that… whaz-at?  Not a year ago? Oh, well let me think… yeah, you’re right, it was just a couple of months- err weeks?  Oh, *A* week! Yeah, that’s what I meant; a week ago.

Patrician Carrigan, author, Antiserum, vampire novelsAnyway Patti asked if I’d do a guest post for her blog.  I’m sure you know Patricia Carrigan is the author of the Antiserum vampire series.  I had to confess that I’d never read the series because, well, because vampires are just way to scary for my delicate psyche.  I like to sleep at night. But she graciously said that it didn’t have to be about vampires, or it could be about being vampirely clueless.  I had to do a little thinking on that so I did what I usually do: fire up the tractor and go mow some lawn.

It worked, I wrote up what came to me and fired it off. It just went live, with this preamble from Patti:

I have enjoyed tweeting with Doug for some time and so I begged him to do a post for me.  Well, technically, I asked and he said yes. Then he pondered about what to write for a while (I don’t give to many constraints) And then after writing it… I got busy!! … I mean, we’re talking… totally swamped..don’t know where my head is type busy!

So, FINALLY… I’m letting the world see the wonderful post Doug wrote for me!!  He was so sweet about having to wait. huge hugs Doug!!

My pleasure Patti, it’s been fun.

Please pop over to Patti’s blog and give it  a read: First Times.  Thanks!

Book Review: ENUFF a Guidebook for Simple Living

If you have grown weary of the rat race and are looking for an alternative, Kate Carpenter’s book ENUFF is a good place to start.  ENUFF is an acronym for Eliminate the Needless, Useless, Foolish and Frivolous and in it you will find a primer on minimalism and tips for simple living.

ENUFF – The Book

ENUFF, Kate carpenter, minimalism, simple livingThe book itself follows the tenets it teaches by not being stuffed full of pontification.  It takes a direct and entertaining approach.  In each chapter Carpenter explains her topic, explains the need, and offers a supportive anecdote, then uses great quotes from famous people, charts or illustrations, to make the point.  Most chapters include an expanded reading list and a list of movies that embrace the topic of that chapter.  Most of these outside resources are not about minimalism, they are popular books and movies about people and life, but they embody the simple living principle being discussed as a part of their story. Continue reading “Book Review: ENUFF a Guidebook for Simple Living”

Book Review: lilabean by K.C. White

Today, Dear Readers,  I welcome children’s author and health blogger Joy O’Hare as she reviews K.C. White’s book lilabean – a storybook about simplicity for grown-up girls.

simplicity, simple living, booklilabean is a truly enchanting story.  It could apply to any of us, struggling to find ourselves among possessions and the struggle of day to day living.  Learning to clear the clutter and find the true meaning of life is a great way to simplify and make life what we want it to be.  Kudos for putting things into perspective!  Hoarders beware.

More Info

You may get more information about lilabean, read a sample chapter and order the print book at www.lilabean.com or buy the eBook from Smashwords

author, childrens book Imagine That!Joy O’Hare lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her cat Libby and is the author of Imagine That!, a collection of short stories for children.  She also blogs about simpler living and returning to nature at Living More Naturally.

Friday Date Night: Destination Space

Destination Space, movie, scifi, classic, 1950sOne of the Simple Pleasures of life that Marie and I enjoy is a standing “date night” where we set time aside specifically to spend it relaxing together doing something we both enjoy.  One of our common interest is 1950’s Sci-Fi movies.  What we call Schlocky Sci-Fi.  We have quite a collection of our own, and we have discovered that we can “rent” others on-line and watch them on our television by patching my notebook computer into the TV with an HDMI cable.  Those we particularly enjoy we will purchase for the collection.

Rentals can be had from Amazon.com, Hulu.com, and Netflix.com.  Pricing generally runs either $1.99 or $2.99 from Amazon (our preferred provider) and both Amazon and Hulu offer some free rentals.

This week’s selection was “Destination Space”.  Details provided with the listing were: Continue reading “Friday Date Night: Destination Space”

Book Review: Torch Ginger by Toby Neal

mystery, crime novel, Hawaii, Toby Neal

Torch Ginger is the second book in the Lei Crime Novels series written by Toby Neal, the first being Blood Orchids.

In this book, main character Leilani Texeira is a police detective who must lead her team in solving serial murders that involve the disappearance of a certain class of tourists and are probably cult related.  These murders occur on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, which is, as Ms. Neal’s story describes it: “…the last of the Wild West, a jungle paradise of secretive people and strange spiritual forces.”

The first obstacle Detective Texiera encounters is the fact that murders have been occurring for some time and the police have not noticed.  The second comes in the form of the ambitions of others on the police force with whom she serves. And there is the issue of a past love, someone she is desperately trying to leave behind, being assigned to her team. Add in the fact that Lei falls in love with one of the suspects, and throw in a spiritualist who is consulting on the cultic aspect of the case, but seems more interested in Leilani’s personal life.  And there is Leilani’s past; something she doesn’t like to talk about but threatens to interfere with her ability to do her job, and you have the threads that weave the tapestry that is Torch Ginger. Continue reading “Book Review: Torch Ginger by Toby Neal”

The Firefly Connection

Today, Dear Reader, I have the extreme pleasure of playing host to one of my most favorite Indie Sci-Fi authors: Mary Pax.  Her short stories, which include Plant Girl, Translations, and Small Graces hooked me with her dynamic writing style.  When she came out with the novella Semper Audacia my infatuation with her work only deepened.  And now that she’s launching her first full length novel, which will be the first novel of a series I’m practically salivating with anticipation.  Especially since I learned that her inspiration for The Backworlds was the TV series Firefly.  Firefly was and still is my most favorite TV series; I have the series and it’s spin-off movie Serenity on DVD and re-watch them frequently.  In today’s guest post, Mary explains how Firefly influenced and inspired her new book, The Backworlds.

One of the biggest influences on my creation of The Backworlds was Firefly and the fact I still mourn its demise. Continue reading “The Firefly Connection”

Review Building an Author Platform that can Launch Anything: a Social Media Minibook.

author, platform, marketing, promotion, sales, networkingBuilding an Author Platform that can Launch Anything: a Social Media Minibook, by Toby Neal, is a concise yet information packed mini-book that gives straight-forward advice for authors on how to build an author platform (writer-speak for a system of marketing and promotional tools) that will build readership and excitement for both the author and their book.  The end result: sales!

Book Description:

Effective steps to building an author platform that can take advantage of free programs and launch any book into visibility and better sales.

Self published or not, today’s authors have to develop their own “platform” for reaching book buyers. This power-packed booklet contains tips based on author Toby Neal’s sales and psychology background and experience with her bestselling crime novel, Blood Orchids. These secrets maximize social media to build an author platform that can bring fast, wide-ranging visibility and increased sales to any book.   Continue reading “Review Building an Author Platform that can Launch Anything: a Social Media Minibook.”

Book Review: Sullivan’s War, All Good Men Serve the Devil

Sullivan’s War 1: The Story

book review, Sullivans War, Michael K Rose
Cover art,

Rick Sullivan is an idealist, bent on ending a corrupt government’s strangle hold on his home planet of Edaline.  Sullivan is the bad-guy and not above killing people to accomplish his goal.

Frank Allen is an investigator in the equivalent of a galaxy-spanning FBI.  Someone killed a planetary assemblyman, Frank is part of the team sent to investigate.  This quickly pits him against Sullivan in a planet hopping game of hide and seek that comes to involve an assembly of colorful and often loathsome characters.  There is little regard for The Law among the fringe planets and Allen and his team meet with opposition even from among their own side. Continue reading “Book Review: Sullivan’s War, All Good Men Serve the Devil”