Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

J. Laurence Stillwell uses a unique medium to convey his message. Few authors could successfully accomplish this feat. The story of Paul is told in a soft poetic form. God speaks to Paul through a dream. He takes him on an incredible journey to see the spiritual world surrounding him. Paul discovers that a spiritual battle surrounds all of us. Paul sees war through a new perspective. He realizes that he must take action.

Stillwell has quite a message for readers. We can no longer be an innocent bystander, for there are no innocent bystanders. By doing nothing we are doing something. As an example people who refuse to vote for or against something have basically cast a vote. I see a deeper meaning in Stillwell’s art. I am a Christian and tend to see things through that perspective. If you love the Lord and serve Him then you must share the Good News with your family, neighbor and the whole world. Few people would let a child starve yet they starve spiritually. Few people would turn their back on a neighbor that needs help yet if you do not share the Good News you have turned you back on their need. There is a spiritual battle surrounding us. We cannot set back and do nothing we must take a stand. "He who is not with me is against me…” Matthew 12:30a.

Stillwell incorporates over 300 scripture into his story. As a former marine he has seen war. He brings his experience and emotions to his work. Soldiers of the Cross is beautifully written. I highly recommend it to all.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Screwing the Pooch is seven short stories by J.B. Bergstad.

Milton’s Pickle

The setting is September 25, 1978 Provo, Utah. Seven year old Milton was the victim of bullies, nine year old Phillip Tanner, Leonard Brown and Myron Duncan. They bloody his nose at every opportunity. Yet Milton continued agreeing to play cars with them. On top of school problems his father had killed himself and his mother appears to be certifiably insane. Terrified Milton knew he had to take desperate measures.

BearClaw at the CoffeeCaker

The setting is Venice, California, the CoffeeCaker Coffee Shop. Nancy Twigly is the owner and Lincoln Pascoe is her customer. Pascoe has been blind for three years. He spent a lot of time in the coffee shop and he and Nancy had formed a strong bond of friendship. She assumed he was a homeless man and he hadn’t told her different. Every day she looked forward to seeing Lincoln. She realized she was falling in love with him.

The Puppy Murders

Jim looks back on his childhood, climbing a tree, setting a broom on fire. Then there was the day he was asked to put a puppy down. The memory of killing the puppy haunts him long into his adult years.

The Brass Rail

Ray Martelli was arrested for drunk driving. It was his third strike. His wife had warned him. When he got out of jail she and the kids were gone. He declared he wasn’t an alcoholic, he could quit at any time. Years later he’s still declaring it as he takes another drink.

Rot Like Me

Vince was a young predator. His father’s transfer was perfect timing. No questions about the missing girls and a new hunting ground. Ann was the first at the new school. He raped her. When she threatened to tell her father he killed her in a fit of rage.
There was a fifty year old legend that on Halloween night the ghost of a young woman named Leslie came looking for the man that raped and murdered her.

Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel is a Letter from a father to his son. It is not your typical letter but a letter of confession.

It was a stupid teenage prank that left death in its wake.

Hank Straker, SA

Hank’s life was a happy one. He was the sheriff of Riversbend, Wyoming. He loved his wife dearly. There only disappointment was no children until the day they found the mass in her breast. She didn’t make it. He was relieved when he made the decision to “take a bullet train.” That was before a thief entered his home. How ironic, a thief gave him back his will to live.

Screwing the Pooch is a unique book. I had to look up the definition of screwing the pooch. It means to make a catastrophic error or failure. The connecting thread in these short stories are catastrophic errors. Naturally I enjoyed some of the stories better than others. I think Hank Straker, SA was probably my favorite, running a close second was BearClaw at the CoffeeCaker. Readers may find some of the other stories a little difficult to find appealing.

Rot Like Me makes a good Halloween story but was my least favorite. The Puppy Murders was heart wrenching. Milton’s Pickle was rather sad in a startling way. Screwing the Pooch is different; it isn’t your normal everyday read. I’m trying to decide what genre this book fits in. Author J.B. Bergstad offers readers a bit of everything, love, romance, suspense, thrills, and definitely chills. This eclectic read has something for everyone.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

John Crippen begins his book by describing the take down. When a patient becomes violent the staff must restrain him/her to prevent injury. It takes several people to perform this procedure. Crippen humorously describes the dangers, these include: a worker with extremely bad breath, a patient capable of passing gas upon will, and a patient capable of projectile.

The section titled Survival Guide 101 is hilarious. My favorite one had to do with a laser pointer.

He tells us about a kid that thought he was raised by hippos and trained by Bruce Lee. There was a patient that rolled up little balls of feces and placed them on the window sill. There are a lot of stories about urine and feces.

The author of this book worked in the Atascadero State Hospital in California for of 13 years. In The Smell of Sweet Ash In The Morning he shares some of his experiences of working with the mentally ill. He warns readers that many of his tales are sarcastic. Those working in the mental health profession face bizarre situations each day. They face the angry and belligerent each day. Like the author if they did not find a way to laugh about it, they too would end of in the facility.

Because I’ve had just a little experience with someone who is mentally ill I can relate to much of this book. Readers will laugh at his stories. At 52 pages it is a short humorous read. Some people may find it offensive, I didn’t.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Frankie Mae Tyson was in love. She loved Michael Jackson for as long as she could remember and she had always dreamed of meeting him. One day while driving down the Santa Monica freeway, 20-year old, Frankie saw a large flashy limousine. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind it was Michael Jackson. They flirted as they drove down the highway.

Frankie Mae had never been a popular girl. In school the boys had made fun of her; but, Michael Jackson saw her picture in a vacant store window before he met her and he saw the plain girl in a special light. He cared about her. She cared about him and they were both successful in keeping their union secret from the world. He truly loved her. She had self confidence after meeting Jackson and she made it clear to him from the start she did not want anything but his love.

For many years Frankie refused Michael's attempts to free her from the ghetto. Michael and Frankie were careful to keep their relationship a secret from Oprah and the world, as Michael used doubles to cover for him when he was with his secret love, Frankie Mae. He even surprised her one day when just hours before his famous Moonwalk on Motown 25 he attended her Security Guard of the Month Award ceremony. "As Michael watched me through a peephole that day, I was proud of him for supporting me always as I was stunned to see the determination of opportunists and the media to bring Michael Jackson down.”

”When you love a man as much as I love Michael, death can be a surreal thing to go through. I am not going to take my life; I am going to live my life in memory of Michael Jackson. I am not worried, for he knows that I will be with him one day as I promised.”

When I began reading The Love He saved, I looked back to see if it was based on fact. This book is a work of fiction yet it reads like nonfiction. Frankie’s language bothered me a bit at first. It leans toward street slang. However, the language is necessary for it helps define the character. While on the surface author Carol Denise Mitchell appears to be writing about Jackson, this book is actually a character study of Frankie.

I see two options in this book:

1. Frankie Mae actually met Jackson and had a relationship with him for many years. After all he was a unique character and always did unusual, unexpected ways.

2. Frankie Mae was so obsessed with Jackson that she spent years day dreaming about him. In her mind they actually had a relationship.

I suspect the author will be pleased that she had me guessing and analyzing this much. Frankie Mae’s obsession for Jackson makes the most plausible part of this plot. Carol Mitchell is a talented author and her characters are very life-like. Remember the name Carol Denise Mitchell.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Ruby Dominguez writes as though this is a screen play. The scenes fade in and out, giving the reader just enough information to know the horror taking place. The opening setting is Salem during the 17th century. Fear at a high as neighbor accuses neighbor of practicing witch craft.

The Peruke Maker daughter is accused of being a witch. She has beautiful red hair. Never once does she admit to practicing the black arts. If she had her life might have been spared. Her hair and scalp are pulled from her head. He father creates a wig and a curse.

The second part of this book is current. A woman has a car crash that leaves her disfigured. Her lovely read hair is gone. She answers and ad in a paper concerning a wig. It quickly arrives at her door. The wig gives her confidence. At night in a dream like state she goes to bars and seeks out victims.

This is a story of revenge and forgiveness. The first half is well done. I found the second half to be amateurish. It didn’t have that same frightening quality of the first half. Dominguez style added to the depth of the first half but detracted from the second half.

This is a good Halloween tale.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Holly Collier spent the last seven years dedicated to her career of medical training in Neonatology. After Marc Suarez broke Holly’s heart in med school she vowed to never let it happen again. The anesthesiologist was back in town and working at the Washington Children’s Hospital. She was determined not to let him distract her again.

The story opened with a surgery and the delivery of twin girls. Marc watched as Holly works. She was better than good in her field. She was even more beautiful now than she was seven years ago. She had gained an air of assurance and maturity.

Holly rushed to the OR. There was an accident. The patient was pregnant. It was Marc’s sister in law Lydia. The baby boy was born by C-section as his mother died. His father, Marc’s brother was DOA. The tiny baby needed a father. Marc vowed he would be the type of father the child needed. The tiny preemie needed him in a way no one ever had. Marc needed Holly and turned to her for help.

This is Mona Risk at her best. The story will bring tears both sadness and joy. The reader watches as Marc matures and as Holly’s heart thaws. One tiny baby makes a difference in both their lives. The characters are easy to relate to. The plot is excellent. Fans of romance will love this story.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Gregory and Yolanda attend the same middle school. Gregory acquired a box that was left from his old science teacher. Among the items inside was an old red monocle. When he put it up to his eye he had a tingling feeling. He would see a tunnel in a concrete wall. When he took the monocle off the tunnel was gone. He put it back on and entered the tunnel. At the end he met up with two boys. They think he is a demon with a red eye. He escapes and returns home. The next day everything is messed up, people yell at him, his brother, his father and step mother and his teachers. No one is happy, except Yolanda. The world has completely changed.

Yolanda notices things are changed. Her favorite story book King Arthur has changed magically. Gregory shows Yolanda the monocle. Together they embark  on a fun filled adventure and end up back in time to just before Arthur became the king. They meet Merlin the Magician, The Lady of the Lake, and King Arthur’s sister.

The Taker and The Keeper is a grand story. Middle Schoolers will love the adventure. The plot is interesting and well developed. There is action, adventure and suspense.

Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is Book One in The Chronicles of the Stone middle grade adventure series by Fiona Ingram. Adventure seeking Adam and his cousin, Justin, vacation in Egypt with their Aunt Isabel and grandmother. A peddler gives Adam a mysterious Egyptian scarab, but an Egyptologist, Dr. Khalid, finds out and attempts to steal it. Archaeologist James Kinnaird, who claims to know the location of the legendary Scarab King's tomb, is missing and the boys are convinced the artefact is linked to his disappearance. The cousins find clues about the Scarab King while exploring the Sphinx and cruising on the Nile. The scarab’s aura lets Adam experience visions about ancient Egypt, and he and Justin manage to decipher some of its hieroglyphics. While they are exploring another historic site, Dr. Khalid's henchmen abduct the boys and take them into the desert, but a deadly sandstorm traps them while riding camels.

Adventure lovers will get the opportunity to become tourists on an exciting tour to Egypt through this magnificent novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram. This is an engrossing children’s mystery with non-stop action and interesting dialogue. I enjoyed the entertaining drama while learning about Egypt’s rich historical past. Justin and Adam are smart, fun, and brave. Each possesses distinctive skills that the other lacks. The other characters are also persuasive. Fiona Ingram impressed me immensely with her relaxed, eloquent storytelling that will delight both pre-teens and adults. I look forward to the continuing adventure in The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, Book Two.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

The Bermuda Triangle has long been an unsolved mystery. C.P. Stewart begins, Through The Triangle with the murder of Allen Cranston by Manny Contraldo. Manny heads on a deep sea fishing expedition in hopes of escaping the police.

Manny along with the other passengers, Mason Bankowski, Captain of the Oblique View and his first mate Juan, Jake and Nathan Meyers encounter into a freak storm which sends them over 300 years into the future. They must work together if they are to survive. Jake is very intelligent and seems to catch on to what is happening faster than the others. They meet mutant animals, half human/half animals, large ants and other dangers. The biggest danger may be the killer in their midst.

It has been a long time since I read a science fiction book that captivated me the way Through the Triangle did. It has elements that intrigue me time travel and the Devil’s Triangle. The main characters were well developed. Some of the secondary characters could have used some fleshing out. Stewart did a terrific job of imagining the technology of the future. Is this what we have ahead of us?

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Heidi Jo Trusler offers children a story about a miniature donkey that made a bad choice. Firecracker loved to kick his favorite ball. One day another miniature donkey took it away from him. Firecracker became angry and kicked the other donkey. He knew he did wrong. He went to his wise grandfather for advice.

The illustrations in this book are bright and cheerful. Firecracker is adorable with his smile. Grandfather has glasses that make him look filled with wisdom and a smile that makes him look lovable. The story is cute and sure to hold the attention of little ones. There are questions at the end of the book to encourage interaction between child and parent. This book has a Christian undertone. There is also a scripture at the end of the questions. I intend to share this book with my grandson. I know he will love it.