My girlfriend, Jila, gave me a gift on January 17, 2000 exclaiming, “Happy 17th!” I was speechless. It wasn’t my birthday, but I thanked her for the shirt, and asked, “What makes today so special?” “It’s the 17th!” “Oh, yeah. Right!” I thought it was a Persian thing and gave her a hug and a…
What are you reading? It’s a simple question that could elicit a complex response and an exchange of ideas. It’s a question that can cut through all the tedious niceties and get right to the issue—the depth of your mind and that of your friend. This is our time of year for resolutions. “I’ll lose…
Venus is the artificial intelligence of a submerged research facility in the North Atlantic Ocean. Mick is the son of the lead scientist team heading the mission. Their vision for their son’s future is radically different than Mick’s, setting up a conflict from the get-go. His mother and father insist he follows in their footsteps…
Mark Carter’s attitude has been “on the low side of pathetic.” He’s felt listless, out of touch, and even depressed. To the chagrin of his girlfriend, Kathy Montari, Mark decides to explore the Wyoming wilderness to find himself. Mark begins his trek in Kelly, Wyoming. There he hears about conflicting survival advice in the woods…
Twenty-three years ago I awoke to a profound silence. I thought it was an ear infection, but the ENT specialist had a different diagnosis—sudden sensoineural hearing loss (SSHL). Most of us call it sudden deafness. I lost the ability to hear at least 30 decibels in my left ear and over 50 in my right…
Readers of revised fairytale stories are wary of Once Upon a Cursed Time: Dark Fairytale Anthology edited by Rebecca Weeks and Aimee Shaye. To quote the editors, “[It’s] a collection of fourteen dark fairytale stories written by eleven twisted authors.” It is also a retelling of childhood favorites from a very dark perspective. First, I…
Echo is a beautifully orchestrated novel by award winning author Pam Munoz Ryan involving the lives of four different children. The book begins with Otto’s story, a young boy lost in a forbidden forest. There, three mysterious sisters—Eins, Zwei, and Drei—who give him a melodious harmonica, rescue him. It is this harmonica that becomes the…
Earlier this month the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards announced its winners in its Middle Grade Fiction category. Taking First Place was Star Sapphire and the Land of Gems: The Crystal Cavern (Book3) by Anthony Pardoe. The Second Place winner was Koolura and the Mayans (Koolura Series Book 3) by Michael Thal. The Royal Dragonfly Book…
Nine-year-old Portia Maddox needs to use the restroom every time she drinks water. She’s always thirsty and hungry and still bone thin. School Nurse Bryant recommends a doctor appointment, and Dr. Thomas confirms her suspicions—Portia has childhood diabetes. She now needs to test her blood regularly and inject herself with insulin; which turns out to…
Elle Chambers is a witch detective who works for Edinburgh’s coven. So when Ferguson Black, a Scottish solicitor and werewolf goes missing, its Elle’s job to find him and ensure this dangerous supernatural being doesn’t hurt anyone. Elle’s liaison with the coven is Rebecca, a powerful witch who keeps her “supplied with investigation jobs that…