Review: AWAKENING CONSCIOUSNESS: A BOY'S GUIDE by Robin Marvel

Awakening Consciousness: A Boy's Guide
By Robin Marvel
ISBN-10: 1932690913
ISBN-13: 978-1932690910
Paperback, 114 pages
June 10, 2009
Marvelous Spirit Press
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams


Finding ways to guide children spiritually without imposing religious tenets upon them can be a struggle at times. For those of us who follow a more broadened spiritual path, there seems to be little in the way of instructional material. This makes the release of Robin Marvel's Awakening Consciousness: A Boy's Guide, all the more exciting!

Marvel's guidebook is written with the child in mind, delivering spiritual information in a way that is relevant to a young boy. Colorful stories, mostly Native American lore, complement each lesson. Children become immersed in each chapter with activities that explore each concept. Marvel includes space for drawing and reflection, as well as instructions for fun crafts. Topics covered include chakras, meditation, spirit guides, and dreams, among many others.

This workbook is a hit with both of my boys. It holds their attention well with the activities within each chapter. The part that pleases me the most was the focus on building a child's self-esteem and well-being, things that tend to come naturally with spiritual training. The text is clear and easy to read, the stories are relevant to a child's world, and the message is positive. The parent may wish to explore some topics further as the child expresses interest, being that the chapters really only touch briefly on each concept. Awakening Consciousness will likely serve as a springboard to exploring spirituality.

Review: Jewelry by LuShae

Valentine's Day is coming up ladies, so why not direct him to Jewelry by LuShae for some ideas? Of course, I was naturally drawn to the shiny objects, but LuShae has some really gorgeous designs, and they're quite affordable. You can choose from a nice selection of necklaces, rings, and earrings.

While I had a great time perusing the site, and learned some very interesting information about the history of jewelry while I was browsing, I knew which piece I was choosing the instant I came across it. I had to try out this amazingly awesome skull and crossbones ring. This little beauty is made of Rhodium-bonded white gold with three round cubic zirconia for teeth. The skull is hollow, so you can see right through those eyes. Isn't he gorgeous? I placed my order, it shipped the same day, and arrived in just a few short days. I was impressed with the shipping time.

When my little beauty arrived, he was packaged in an attractive velvet-lined gift box and was everything I expected. Jewelry by LuShae touts the amazing Rhodium finish as the secret to their quality jewelry, so of course I had to test this out. Let it be known that I can be rough on jewelry. I've broken many a ring or necklace within a few days. The Rhodium finish is supposed to give it an added luster and protect the metal from scratches and tarnish. I put the ring on the same day, and have worn it for two weeks now, through hand-washings, lotions, cooking, cleaning, and showers. The ring still has a beautiful shine and shows absolutely no sign of wear. It still looks as if I had just pulled it out of the box. It definitely passed the Breeni stress test.

All of the jewelry on the site is easy on the wallet. This particular ring retails for $122, but LuShae has it on sale for $62.00. I feel confident buying from LuShae with their 100% satisfaction guarantee. They really do stand behind their products. Fellow bloggers should check out the $5000 sweepstakes. Final word: great service, great quality, great products.

Review: VICIOUS CIRCLE by Linda Robertson

Vicious Circle
By Linda Robertson
ISBN-10: 1439154287
ISBN-13: 978-1439154281
Paperback, 384 pages
June 30, 2009
Juno Books
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams

"Being a witch doesn't pay the bills..." Don't I know it. And it's as a Wiccan that I most enjoyed Linda Robertson's debut novel Vicious Circle. Robertson makes it easy to relate to her heroine Persephone Alcmedi, a traditional witch with a soft spot for waerewolves. While she's offering a safe place for waerewolves to kennel during the full moon, she's also taking on the responsibility of housing her feisty grandmother who has recently gotten ejected from a nursing home.

Tragically, a friend who used to kennel at Persephone's home is murdered. This leaves Lorrie's orphaned daughter, Beverley, of great concern to Seph, considering Lorrie was a single parent and her daughter is now in the care of Vivian Diamond, an esteemed but apathetic high priestess with the child rearing skills of Miss Hannigan. Of even more concern is the fact that Vivian apparently knows who killed Lorrie, and she insists on hiring Seph to avenge the waerewolf's death. In Robertson's world, waerewolves are treated as a sort of subspecies, and such a murder would brushed under the rug by authorities. Vivian knows that Persephone has broken the Witches' Rede for Lorrie in the past, and she wouldn't hesitate to use that information against her.

An even larger problem looms, however. The accused murderer, Goliath Kline, also happens to be a vampire with a nasty reputation. He does not take kindly to Persephone's investigation into his affairs and, as a result, another waere friend nearly loses her life. Persephone is desperately trying to save her friend while keeping herself alive in the midst of a vampire's ire.

Yes, it does has a bit of a Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood feel to it, but what doesn't these days? It would be easy to envision Goliath as Eric Northman or Vivian as Maryann Forrester, amongst plenty of other parallels. However, I was most intrigued by Persephone's internal conflict over how loosely she interprets the Witches' Rede. And her bad boy musician love interest is a far cry from Bill Compton. In fact, Johnny presents yet another conflict for Seph in that she's hesitant to let herself fall in love with someone so far removed from her idea of a respectable boyfriend. All told, Robertson combines an interesting mix of ritual and lore, contemporary affairs and mystery.

Guest Review: BABY SHARK'S JUGGLERS AT THE BORDER by Robert Fate

Baby Shark's Jugglers at the Border

by Robert Fate

ISBN-10: 0979996058

ISBN-13: 978-0979996054

Paperback, 280 pages

Capital Crime Press

September 1, 2009

Reviewed by Cynthia Murphy

After a few entries in a series, authors often run the risk of getting a bit lazy. Character development becomes sparse, or the prose becomes clichéd. Robert Fate skillfully sidesteps such a problem in the latest entry in the Baby Shark series, Jugglers at the Border. This is the fourth installment in the series starring former pool shark turned detective Kristin Van Dijk, and it is just as strong as the previous novels.

Jugglers at the Border is a fun, fast-paced read. It starts with Kristen being tied up in a remote cabin. When a mysterious gunman kills her captors, she seizes the opportunity for an escape. She ends up killing the gunman when she becomes a target for him. With all of the excitement in the first few chapters, the reader is likely to believe that this case will be focus of the story. However, this is just an introduction.

The main case in Jugglers at the Border involves the murder of the estranged wife of Kristin’s partner, Otis. There is an interesting back story about Otis’s ex, Dixie. She was a stripper known as “The Dallas Firecracker.” Their marriage was a stormy one, and it cost Otis his career with the police department. Although they had been separated for years, Otis still cared about Dixie, and he agrees to work with the police on the case.

The case is a complex mix of twists and turns. Dixie’s murder is immediately linked to a recent bank robbery in which a police officer was killed. Kristin and Otis have to figure out exactly how she was involved in the plot. The investigation pairs Kristin and Otis with a by-the-book cop named Carl Lynch. At first, their investigative styles clash, but they develop a mutual respect over time. The investigation reveals a dark side to Dixie’s life and another mystery. The team discovers a safety deposit box key taped underneath her coffee table, but they can’t figure out where the box is stored. This represents a key element of the bigger mystery of Dixie’s role in the bank robberies. All of the mysteries converge in an exciting climax that ties everything together.

Robert Fate does a great job with the pacing of this novel. The suspense remains steady throughout the book. There are no slow sections; everything keeps moving toward the climax. Fate creates suspense in a number of ways. He focuses much of his energy on the plot; it is jam-packed with action. The reader doesn’t really have time to recover from one event before something else happens. It makes for a fast, exciting read experience.
Fate uses his characteristic retro style language. Everything about this novel looks and sounds like a hard-boiled detective novel of the mid-twentieth century. Only the modern copyright date reminds the reader that this book was written in 2009. The dialogue is snappy, and Fate uses a staccato rhythm throughout the book. The overall effect is surprisingly smooth.

Fate also does a bit more character development than usual in Jugglers at the Border. This time, he reveals more of Otis’s past and shows some of his emotions. For the most part, Otis has seemed like a tough former cop. In this book, his feelings regarding Dixie reveal a gentle side that hasn’t been evident in previous novels. Fate also reveals some confusion for Kristin in her relationship with her boyfriend, Lee. Their relationship has developed into something more serious than they had expected. Consequently, Kristin doesn’t know what she wants to do with the relationship and her life.

My biggest complaint about this novel is its title. I just don’t think the title suits the novel very well. It looks like Fate is trying too hard to be clever with the title. It’s too long, and doesn’t fit the action as well as some of the other entries in the series.

Overall, Jugglers at the Border is a fun thriller. The pacing is good, and the characters are likeable. Most importantly, it has a terrific plot that keeps the reader guessing. It feels like an old detective novel, but hopefully there will be more entries in the Baby Shark series.

Guest Review: THE GLENN MILLER CONSPIRACY by Hunton Downs

The Glenn Miller Conspiracy

by Hunton Downs

ISBN-10: 0977913163

ISBN-13: 978-0977913169

Paperback, 267 pages

Creative Book Publishers International

April 15, 2009

Reviewed by Cynthia Murphy

Conspiracy theories are always interesting to me. There’s just something intriguing about how some people don’t believe anything that they hear about a certain event, while other accept the story at face value. Until I picked up Hunton Downs new book, The Glenn Miller Conspiracy, I had absolutely no idea that there were conspiracy theories regarding Glenn Miller. In fact, I really didn’t know very much about Glenn Miller beyond his music. If you’re looking for an in-depth biography of Miller, this is not the book for you. I found myself looking up various details of Miller’s life. However, if you’ve always wondered about his death, you’ll enjoy The Glenn Miller Conspiracy.

The Glenn Miller Conspiracy was interesting, but also a bit disappointing. For one thing, I was expecting more information about Miller’s life in this book. Downs focuses much of his energy in tearing down the myths surrounding his death. While it does make sense to tear down the myths, I would have preferred to have more details about why Miller was regarded as such a hero. Another flaw was the time spent recounting how Downs uncovered the truth. At times, he spends too much time explaining how he got to one small detail. There is also a lack of balance in the way Downs covers the conspiracy. He doesn’t explain the public story of Miller’s death at first. That story surfaces after he has begun his attack on the military’s version of events.

Despite its flaws, this is an interesting book. Hunton Downs is a good storyteller, and he even makes some of the less interesting aspects of his research sound intriguing. Downs also reveals some really interesting details about Miller. For example, I had no idea that Glenn Miller was involved in a series of wartime recordings designed to encourage the Germans to surrender. He recorded numerous messages to the Germans. This actually led to his being marked for death by the Nazis. In fact, these recordings may have ultimately led to his death.

For those who don’t know, the public story of Miller’s death claims that he was lost in a plane crash over the English Channel. Conspiracy theorists have never believed the military’s account. Hunton Downs and several other researchers have spent years trying to find the truth about Miller’s death. Apparently, Miller was on “a secret mission for Ike” when he died. Downs gradually reveals that Miller was a key part of the failed Operation Eclipse. When Downs focuses on the details of Operation Eclipse, he provides some of the most interesting stories in the book.

One thing that is never quite clear is exactly what happened to Miller. Downs does manage to prove that Miller was found outside a Paris brothel after the time in which he supposedly disappeared into the English Channel. It appears that he was kidnapped and tortured for information. Otto Skorzeny’s plan to use Miller to get to Eisenhower ultimately failed, but it did cost Miller his life. Miller died from injuries soon after he was discovered by US servicemen in Paris. In the years that followed, the military stood by their original statement that Miller’s disappeared over the English Channel.

The Glenn Miller Conspiracy is an interesting, but somewhat disappointing book. Hunton Downs devotes so much time to describing his search for the truth that the reader is deprived of that “Eureka!” moment when all the pieces fall into place. The story itself is interesting, but it drifts along too much. Conspiracy theorists will not be disappointed, but diehard Glenn Miller fans may want to read another account of his life.