Stairway2 Heaven by Chaz Thompson-Review and Interview with the Author

STAIRWAY 2 HEAVEN by Chaz Thompson- Review and Interview with the Author

Stairway2 Heaven

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release November 2012

In the 22nd century, a burned-out, fatalistic psychic is blackmailed into recovering a stolen formula that separates the soul from the human body. Cerebral, acerbic, wry, profane, Stairway2 Heaven examines the relationship between consciousness and corporate religion and personal spiritual empowerment.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: STAIRWAY 2 HEAVEN is a sci-fi/futuristic fictional suspense novel that looks at the dirty side of corporate greed, big pharma and the philosophical/theological impact of separating the body and the soul. Whether you are a believer (or not) of all things spiritual or a version thereof, Stairway 2 Heaven will definitely make you think about the ‘what-ifs’ and ‘whys’ of the complicated Triad of big business, religion and medicine. And if you believe, you are like many skeptics, big business and medicine are inseparable and irrevocably connected to (and involved) in our daily lives.

The premise follows Matthias Chalmers, a retired psychic in the 22nd century and the fall-out of a research experiment gone horribly wrong–or right– depending on your view point, vantage or need. When Matthias’s twenty-nine year old son Lanier, a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome and a genius IQ ‘accidently’ separates his soul from his body while developing a new toothpaste for GORIS pharmaceuticals, Matt will become the pawn in a deadly quest for the ultimate prize.

The storyline is written from Matt’s POV covering various back and forth timelines and intersecting plots. We journey with Matt as he reflects on a lifetime of sins and the past indiscretions that got him to where he is today, all the while on the search for the elusive formula that has gone missing and presumably in the hands of someone close. With a price tag on his head and a target on his back, as well as threats against his family and friends, Matt will discover that even the Vatican is not exempt from the reaches of corporate greed and the possibility of life ever after-but the Vatican wants to destroy the procurer of the ultimate sin.

STAIRWAY 2 HEAVEN is awash in a philosophical and theological conundrum-if there is a way to separate the body from the soul, would you be willing to pay the ultimate price for a chance at a new life? Thompson’s writing pulls the reader into a storyline that will make you think about what really goes on behind the scenes of big corporations, medical research and the quest for the almighty dollar. Add organized religion and the Vatican-you have a story that will question the ideology of our society-who truly is in charge of our daily lives?

Stairway 2 Heaven reads like a movie-the reader is pulled into the fast paced action, the anger, the angst and the chase as Matthias Chalmers must find the stolen formula or face the possibility of his own death and the death of everyone he loves and knows. Chaz Thompson has written an amazing storyline that will fascinate as well as examine the possibilities of a pharmaceutical discovery that could change the concept of body, soul and life ever lasting.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview white:black

TRC: Hi Chaz and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Facebook

Chaz Thompson 2012Chaz: Born in the very early ’50s I am now on the brink of retirement. I dropped out of high school in 1969 and literally joined the circus. Just one of those southern Californian, suburban street-corner Barnum and Bailey “mini” circuses, but a circus, nonetheless. They had me cleaning up after the elephants and I imagined a cinematic life of adventure. They promised me a place on the payroll if I showed up in the morning. I was seventeen. When I returned the following morning with my guitar, the street corner was vacant.

So I hitchhiked around, ended up in Wisconsin where I played clubs and pubs and the ever-familiar street-corner. When Disco arrived it killed my folk-singing, songwriting career, so I took a job as a clerk at the Madison Capitol building. This introduced me to graphics and I spent the next thirty years as a graphic artist.

Tell me when to stop. I married twice, fathered a handful of children (whom I adore to this day) and left graphics for a career in Real Estate at the exact moment of our recent economic meltdown. Hello customer service.

Along the way, I began writing screenplays and short stories and novels, and when the Self-Publishing boom developed I eagerly took advantage of the opportunity. Which brings us to today.

Stairway2 HeavenTRC: STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN is your latest release. A sci-fi, dystopian look at the 22nd century. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Chaz: I understand STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN gets classified as dystopian, but I don’t really see it that way. I neither praise nor condemn our social future, and try to represent it as a mish-mash of advancements and setbacks. I chose the future simply because I wanted to control the environment in which this mystical event could occur.

TRC: Who or what was the inspiration for Stairway2 Heaven- the novel?

Chaz: About thirty years ago I wrote a short story called “Concrete Eden” which contained some of the basic plot elements and the focus of the soul becoming disengaged from the human body. Since I wrote many, many short stories, it got lost in the drawer with the rest. Back when Geocities was popular I dug out the story of the “soul-stealer” and posted it, but it wasn’t until early 2012 that I stumbled upon it and decided to flesh out the characters. I’ve studied mysticism and physics off and on, and found the premise ideal for combining my own observations on the two. I came up with a suitable ending and voila!

The title is actually a tongue-in-cheek formula that reads Stairway(squared) equals Heaven. The Stairway(squared) represents the link between our daily experience and our connection with divinity. It also implies it’s a two-way street, a notion frowned upon by most established religions.

TRC: What research challenges or difficulties (logistical, medical, theologian) did you encounter when writing this particular novel?

Chaz: Research was a combination of what I had studied on the subjects of mysticism and physics prior to writing the story, and acquiring knowledge of Europe for the events that took place there, specifically Italy, since I have never traveled overseas. I will be eternally grateful for YouTube and Wikepedia. I am inherently an impatient writer, so the challenge was to patiently describe the environments in a manner that would engage the reader and not slow down the narrative.

TRC: If you gave your leading character Matthias an opportunity to speak for himself, what would he have to say?

Chaz: Matthias Chalmers is a very jaded, fatalistic individual, but by the end of the story he has come to a place where he has to admit that if Life doesn’t always make sense, at least we do have some sense of control, whether we admit to it or not. And his basic summary of his experience are the final words of the novel. However, he might address the world at large with these words: “I love you all, but leave me alone.”

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about the storyline premise?

Chaz: That I am anti-Christian. Whereas I am certainly suspicious of the true motives of most corporate religions, every living consciousness deserves to benefit or suffer according to their own choices, physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. I would never dream of encouraging anyone to abandon their commitment to their church or temple or whatever based on my personal beliefs. The events in STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN reflect a dramatic fiction meant to represent ideals and concepts.

TRC: Many authors bound ideas and information with other authors or family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Chaz: My wife and a select collection of very twisted friends. And the secret society of personalities between my ears.

TRC: What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

Chaz: My goals are very generic, looking out ten years. Fundamental happiness through the experience of success, expression of creativity, and love. Specifically, I hope to achieve these through writing and my personal relationships.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about yourself?

Chaz: That I am secretive, anti-social even.

TRC: If you could select one reality show in which you were one of the contestants, which show would you choose and why?

Chaz: Oh, I loathe reality programs. The best reality show is out my window. The thing is, a window is a two-way portal.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Chaz: My next novel is the story of the relationship between two prostitutes, one of them has an ability which can only be described as paranormal (there I go being secretive again), and the other woman is homicidal.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Chaz: STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN is my attempt to offer a unique concept to anyone brave enough to read the story. I recommend no specific doctrine of knowledge or behavior, just the willingness and enthusiasm to venture toward new ideas, to expand deliberately.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food

Dark-Choloate-covered almonds.

Favorite Dessert

Dark-Chocolate-covered almonds.

Favorite TV Show

Big Bang Theory.

Last Movie You Saw

Les Miserables.

Favorite Car

Nissan 300ZX

Last Vacation Destination

San Diego.

Do you have any pets?

Dogs and cats.

TRC: Thank you Chaz for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of Stairway2 Heaven. We wish you all the best in your writing career.

Chaz: Thank you for the opportunity!

 

Share

Word and Deed (Wordless Chronicles #2) by Susannah Noel-a review

Word and Deed (Wordless Chronicles #2) by Susannah Noel

About the book: Released December 15, 2012

Until three months ago, Riana lived a safe, quiet life as a Reader for the Union government, but her life is no longer quiet or safe.

She is now part of an underground rebellion called the Front, and she works closely with Connor, the covert leader of the movement and her best friend. Together, they’re trying to translate a mysterious book that might give them answers about the disaster that transformed their world.

Union officials want to arrest them, and radical Zealots want to destroy them. And Mikel, her Soul-Breather boyfriend, wants Riana to stop putting herself in danger for a cause he doesn’t support.

Then it gets even worse, when the Zealots start to frame the Front for violent acts of terrorism. Riana has to stay alive and juggle conflicting loyalties, deciding who to trust, where her heart lies, and what she really believes in.

Review:

Word and Deed begins three months after Word and Breath. Still trying to decode the Book, Riana and Connor walk into the Exhibition to find and read a passage in a book that will help them with their code. Being the leader of The Front, Connor, a.ka., the Librarian, knows the risks all to well. And Riana, who is a Reader, knows the risks as well. Riana’s grandfather had owned half of the books in the Exhibition which were confiscated when he died. Only those known as Readers could actually read in this dystopian world created by Noel.

The government, known as The Union, doesn’t believe in reading. They believe that the spoken word is the only way. There was an event, the Cataclysm, that launched the world into its hatred of the written word. There are three factions:

The Union, which is the governing body
The Front, which is an underground rebellion fighting to save the written word
The Zealots, who, for lack of a better description, don’t think that the Union is doing enough to stop the Front, are zealous in their efforts to stop every and anything that they don’t agree with.

We are not privy to what exactly was the Cataclysm and hopefully that will be explained in the next book.

Mikel, who is a Soul-Breather, is in love with Riana, walks back into their lives after having been gone for the last three months. And Conner isn’t happy. Seems he’s in love with her too, but with the weight of the whole rebellion on his shoulders, he has yet to tell her.

As the plot unfolds, there is a play for power by one faction trying to frame another. There is a “plague”, some sort of sickness, that is claiming far too many. Lines are blurred between friend and foe, and split decisions have to be made. There is an assassination attempt on the President, but who will be blamed? There will be losses on all sides as the fight for the written word continues. And the battle for Riana continues as well……..

Word and Deed is based on a concept that was, in my opinion, refreshing. Can you imagine a world where reading was frowned upon? The characters are well developed and I look forward to finding out more about them. If I had one complaint about this story, it would be that it wasn’t fast paced enough. With that said, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next.

ORDER LINKS: Amazon / Barnes and Noble /

Copy supplied by Author.

Reviewed by Vickie M.

Share

Word and Breath by Susannah Noel-a review

Word and Breath (Wordless Chronicles #1) By Susannah Noel – a review


From author’s website:

Riana has learned how to stay out of trouble. She spends her days studying written texts in the government’s Office of Readers, and she spends her nights taking care of her sick sister. She always—always—follows the rules.  Despite her low profile, she has mysteriously become a target. Someone has kidnapped her sister. Someone else is trying to kill her. And someone has sent a Soul-Breather to beguile her out of her secrets. Her help comes from the mythic leader of an underground rebel movement. A man who used to be her friend. A man who has silently loved her for years. He disappeared from her life without a word, and now he expects her to trust him again. Then there’s the Soul-Breather, a man who can taste her spirit with only a touch. He makes her feel things she’s never experienced before, but she doesn’t know if the feelings are real. Hired to deceive and betray her, he offers to help her instead. Without both men, she can’t rescue her sister. And she can’t discover the world-changing knowledge—buried in her memory—that has made her a target in the first place.

Review:  Released August 2012

I have to be honest here as I really don’t know where to begin. This wasn’t my type of book/story. So it’s hard for me to write up a review on a book I didn’t connect with at all. From the short synopsis that is given by the author on her site it sounded like something I would like, but upon starting the story and realizing it’s very heavy in the dystopian genre, I knew it wouldn’t be my cup of tea. I’m not a fan of the dystopian genre, it was never my favourite subject in school and still isn’t to this day. So you see my issue here, so I will try my best to give an unbiased review and hope for the best. 😉

If you are a fan of the dystopian genre, intrigue, suspense, and a love triangle thrown in, then this book will be right up your alley. I found the plot development and storyline ideas to be well developed and moved along at a decent pace. For me I would have preferred more action, but I saw that the author was building up to something big for the last couple of chapters. Groundwork needed to be laid first to get to those chapters, and that’s just what the author did with the first half of the book. In doing so, we get to see the character’s develop on their own and with each other. Her characters are solid and real, and the element of the soul-breathers is pretty neat. However, I didn’t care for Mikeal, the soul breather hired by the Union to deceive and gather information from Rianna. Probably because I’m a romantic and believe in happy every after between two people who are meant to be together, and for me that was Rianna and her best friend Reed Connor, who had to go underground in order to become the leader of The Front. So for me the element of the love triangle in this story was a complete distraction for me, causing me to dislike Mikeal all the more.

As the story progresses we learn there are three fractions all working to obtain a different purpose since the cataclysm. To which we never truly learn what this major event was that caused the world to be the way it is in the book. That was another major issue with me, but since the book doesn’t really end with the last chapter I’m assuming we’ll learn more in the next installment. As I said earlier, she laid all kinds of groundwork, but really leaves the reader with more questions, than answers. At least that’s how I felt when I finished the book. I guess if I want these questions answered I’ll have to read her next installment Word and Deed which is scheduled for release this December.

Even though I’m not a fan of the dystopian genre and didn’t really make any major connections, I did find myself enjoying how Rianna went from a shy quiet, stay in the shadows type, to a woman of action and purpose. We really see her shine in the last part of the book and see that she has much more to offer. I guess you can say her character ‘grows up’ in this book, and discovers herself and finds her purpose in life. To unlock the mysteries her grandfather left her regarding the written word. As the book comes to a close Rianna makes the decision to go with Connor(Reed) and figure out just what her grandfather was trying to teach her as a young girl.

As I said earlier, I was left with more questions then answers at the conclusion of this book. Will Rianna learn the truth of these mysteries? Will Rianna and Connor grow closer and fall in love, or do her and Mikeal still have a chance? Will the Union and the Zealots send others after Rianna? Will The Front make any major headway against these two factions?

The questions for me are endless and I guess the only way to get them answered is to read the next book. Who knows, if I do, maybe I’ll make more of a connection with the story second time around.

ORDER LINKS: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Reading Cafe /

Copy supplied by author

Reviewed by Marcie

Share

Black City by Elizabeth Richards – a Review

Black City by Elizabeth Richards – a Review

Description:
Dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.


When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Review:

Black City by Elizabeth Richards is another YA Dystopian story.  I have read many of these this year, and most of them were excellent.  Richards’ Black City is now being added to the excellent dystopian novels of the year that I have read.

Black City is city in ruins, with the city divided by the Sentry, who are in charge; the humans, who want to revolt against the government and their horrible living conditions; and lastly, the Darklings, who are living in worse conditions, and most are segregated by a wall, that separates them from the rest of the people. What is a Darkling you ask?  They are sort of vampires, as they are pale, have fangs, and need blood.  Their taking of human blood, gives humans a high, like a drug.  There are different kinds of darklings, but most live in peace, until their lives where threatened by this government.  Now they want to fight back for their freedom.  Black City is on the brink of war, and the government is determined to eliminate all the dissidents

We meet our hero and heroine almost from the start.  Natalie Buchanan has only been in Black City for a short time; she is the Emissary’s daughter, which gives her a privileged life.  Natalie’s mother was sent to Black City by Purian Rose, the leader of this world, to clean up the budding revolution against the evil Rose. Natalie isn’t happy, as she sneaks out at night to wander the streets, and sees all the destruction, and unsettling conditions. 

It is there she meets Ash Fisher, a half Darkling; he is a twin blood; with a human father and a darkling mother.  Ash, lives in poor conditions, with his human father, and nightly he goes out to sell his blood to give humans a drug high.  This is what he does to help his family survive.  If he is caught, he will be put to death.  Natalie sees Ash taking the blood of a young girl, whom she didn’t realize was paying for the drug high.  Both start off on the wrong foot, neither trusting each other.  Ash, warns Natalie, if she tells anyone, he will kill her.  She says nothing, and hurries back home before anyone notices her missing.  The days ahead she sees Ash at school, and they both ignore one another. 

We also learn early that Natalie’s life isn’t as easy as people may think.  Her father was killed by the government for information, as he watched his other daughter Polly be tortured, and was subsequently killed anyway.  Her mother, who is working for the evil Purian Rose, is very hated in Black City, as she is manipulating, sadistic, and cold hearted.  Natalie has no relationship with her mother, and is always forced to have guards with her, since being part of the Sentry and being the Emissary’s daughter puts her in danger.  One of the guards is her ex boyfriend, Sebastian, who becomes a major character, though not a good one in this story.

Natalie being lonely at a new school, becomes friends with Day, who lives in poor conditions, but has high hopes of becoming part of the Sentry.  Beetle is Day’s former boyfriend, and Ash’s friend, and he is also part of the Human group fighting the government.  Though Day hates Ash, since she feels he made Beetle an addict giving him his blood for a Haze high. But, they all become friends, which pushes Natalie and Ash to be together more often, and their dislike of each other begins to change. 

Elizabeth Richards does a wonderful job bringing Natalie and Ash together, despite their so many differences.  It turns out to be a beautiful romance, that at first is slow to build, but wonderfully done, as they both felt the sparks straight to their hearts.  I loved Natalie and Ash together, and how despite the difficulties for them to meet, as their romance was forbidden, they would find a way…since they were Blood Mates.  There were quite a few surprises and twists along the way.  But the crux of the story, besides their love, was the dangers involved; the developing unrest that would put Ash’s life in danger more then once, was the discovering of the conspiracies by the government that threatened to destroy them all. Natalie at first torn, sees the evil plotting that her mother, the Sentry and Purian Rose are plotting, decides to help Ash, Beetle, find out the truth. 

Elizabeth Richards has also created some amazing villains, from the evil Purian Rose, who is terrible dictator; Natalie’s mom, who will let nothing stand in her way to her own reasons, which we learn later on; Sebastian, who slowly is becoming an evil disciple of Rose; and the horrible Gregory, who I wanted to kill from the start.  Very well done by Richards, in creating these villians. 

The ending was very exciting, wild, and very emotional. I can’t tell you much more without being a spoiler, other then it was an emotional train wreck that left you drained.  Things do get tied up, but enough is left open for the next book to continue this series.  Black City was an excellent first novel for Elizabeth Richards, and I cannot wait for the next book.  

Reviewed by Barb

Share

MYSTIC CITY (Mystic City #1) by Theo Lawrence-a review

MYSTIC CITY (Mystic City #1) by Theo Lawrence-a review

MYSTIC CITY (Mystic City #1) by Theo Lawrence

MYSTIC CITY is the first storyline (October 9th, 2012 release) in Theo Lawrence dystopian young adult Mystic City series. When 18year old Aria Rose awakens in a hospital from a drug over-dose, she has no recollection of ever taking the drug or of her fiancé Thomas Foster. Set in the futuristic dystopian Mystic City and Manhattan, the political minefield centers on the two ruling and rival families-the Rose’s and the Foster’s and their hatred of one another. The merging of the two families is seen as a political coup in the privileged families, but Aria has no memory of ever dating Thomas. The rumors swirl that prior to her over-dose, they were meeting secretly behind everyone’s backs, but something doesn’t add up, especially when she finds a locket, a note telling her to REMEMBER and secret letters hidden away. When a rebel mystic saves her life, not once but twice, Aria suspects that she has connections to the mystics and this man, that no one wants her to remember.

Mystics are a group of people from the Depths of New York who have a power that is both feared and used by those in control. Considered the lowest of the low, mystics are, by law, forced to register and to have their powers drained until there remains only a shell of their former selves. But there is an underground faction of rebel mystics who are trying to make everyone aware that those in control are using these powers for illegal, unethical, immoral purposes and financial gain. And when a staged series of demonstrations become deadly, the mystics are targeted once again.

Aria continues to struggle with her memory loss, and her visits to the doctor both help and hinder with the struggle. Her relationship with Thomas feels forced and fabricated, and her parents desire for a perfect union, is nothing short of a nightmare. Hoping to discover the truth, Aria sets out on a path to uncover the mystery and the truth behind the lies she has believed all of her life. And an upcoming election will pit family against family, and mystics against everyone else.

Throughout the storyline Aria begins to fall in love-not with Thomas-but with a young mystic who shows her the truth about the world in which she lives. And there are others, who will help Aria understand the pain and sorrow that engulf the mystics who have become slaves in a world of bigotry, racism and hate. But Aria has been betrayed by the people who profess to love her and with little time left, Aria will discover there are people who are willing to help, but she is no longer sure whom to trust.

MYSTIC CITY is a fascinating tale of love and betrayal, discrimination and hate. Theo Lawrence builds up a world that will both fascinate and repulse, and the character development is amazing. Almost immediately you know that something is amiss. A fantastic start to a new series that is filled with non stop action and a heroine who wants to make everything right. I am looking forward to Mystic City #2. Congratulations to Theo Lawrence on the release of Mystic City.

LINKS TO PRE-ORDER:
The Book Depository
Amazon Books
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook and Paper

Copy supplied by Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi-a review

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, is her debut novel in what is expected to be a trilogy.  With this first book, Rossi has impressed me very much with her writing and how she moves the storyline so seamlessly.  The reader is caught up in the worldbuilding that Rossi has created.

Under the Never Sky takes place in a world that is decimated by deadly Aether storms, with much of the human race divided. Rossi immediately brings us into this story of two worlds..an outer wasteland and futuristic domes.  This is considered YA, as it is a dystopian story, with a feel of paranormal. But like most YA lately, this is not just for teens.  It has teenage heroes, but the story is totally adult.

We first meet Aria, who has led a sheltered life inside the dome society, where they live in virtual realms.  They know very little of the outside world, as the powers that be have created an environment that protects those inside from the dangers that has destroyed earth from those storms. The virtual reality realms keeps everyone content.  But Aria misses her mom, who works within another dome, and she is determined to get in touch with her.  She and her friend go on a forbidden trip with some other boys, to see what is on the outside world, thinking she may be able to contact her mother. When the outing turns disastrous, Aria’s life is about to change for the worse.

Perry is an Outsider who has lived all his life outside of the domes. He has learned to live in this harsh world, with his family and tribe to fight off the elements. The outsiders world is filled with fear, due to the Aether sky, disease, and starvation. During his hunt for food to bring back to his people, Perry comes across the dwellers (Aria and her friends).  He watches from afar, but when one of the boys begins to attack Aria and her girlfriend, Perry comes to the rescue, and brings an unconscious Aria inside the Dome to be found later.  Only Soren, the boy who masterminded the trip, and who attacked Aria, survives besides Aria.  His father is one of the most powerful consuls, and to protect his son, Aria is framed for the other deaths.  She is exiled and sent out to die, to the outside death zone.  At the same time, Perry’s nephew is kidnapped by the Dweller Guards, and Perry sets out to find him.

Alone in what looks like a desert, and the Aether sky, Aria slowly feels like she is dying.  Perry comes across Aria, and though he dislikes her, he must help her, because she is the only link to find his nephew. The two of them clash immediately and only the need to survive, keeps them together in a forced alliance.  Aria looks at Perry as savage, and he sees her as a mole.

Perry is strong, and feral, but he has compassion and begins to feel sorry for Aria.  But she makes things difficult, as she was out of her element and the only way she knew how to handle herself was obnoxiously. Lol  She was very rude to Perry, who in a sense was keeping her alive.

But in time, Aria begins to come into her own.  She goes from a helpless girl, to someone who is determined to survive, as she learns how to defend herself, and quickly grows up.  She becomes a fierce, durable tough kick ass heroine, who eventually joins hands with Perry to help him find his nephew, and her find her mom. Perry has heightened senses that make him one of the more powerful outsiders, and one who can lead his own tribe as a Blood Lord.  The last 2/3’s of the story was very well done.  It was exciting, lots of action.  The romance between Perry and Aria moves slowly, as trust must come first, and each must learn about themselves.

I thought Rossi did a great job, as this is her first book.  Her world building was very imaginative, and her characters were excellent.  I enjoyed Roar, liked Marron and his home, can’t wait to find out more about Perry’s sister, and Cinder was totally different, should be interesting to see what happens to him.  Rossi made Perry and Aria, two unlikely pairings work, and by the end you loved them together.  The only negativity I have for this book, is both the beginning and the end.  In the beginning it was a bit slow and confusing, but this was necessary to learn the worlds.  But the end, is some thing I truly personally hate…. a cliffhanger.  Of course, I will read the next book.  How can I not, it was a good book, and I want to know what happens.  But I so hate cliffhangers.

Reviewed by Barb

Share

Anne Mendel-Interview with the Author

Anne Mendel-Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe would like to welcome author Anne Mendel.

TRC: Hi Anne and welcome to The Reading Café. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Anne: I wrote an end-of-the-world book because I am an optimist. I believe my fears are based on what I don’t know. So, the more I know about disasters and survival and the better prepared I am, the less fearful I become. I’m a community organizer and my main character is one too, although she’s much stronger than I am. The book is more do as I say, not as I do, because in a terrible disaster I would probably end up on Darwin’s short list to extinction.

I have two sons, who have made it very clear they do not want to be in my books in any way, shape or form, so, Etiquette for an Apocalypse ended up with three generations of women living in the same house. It left a lot of room for conflict, intrigue and humor. My husband is neither a doctor nor Haitian, but we do live in Northwest Portland and the book is set in our neighborhood.

TRC: What was the catalyst that first sparked your interest in a career in writing?

Anne: Writing is just what I do. Can’t help it. But writing this book did have a specific moment when a light blub came on.

A few years ago I saw a movie about what happened in Cuba in 1990 when the Soviet Union collapsed and they lost all of their fuel overnight. The Long Emergency was about the things in Cuba that got better after the collapse. People lost 30 pounds, diabetes II disappeared and community flourished.

I thought it would be great to write a book that explained how, in hard times, some things can get better; BUT, it will be a lot easier if you start preparing now!

TRC: What have been some of the writing challenges you have faced?

Anne: Writing brings out all of my basic insecurities. I worry…. about everything. Am I good enough? Will people like me? Can I stick it out when the going gets tough? I worry I’ll be an utter failure. And, if I am successful, I worry I’ll never be that good again. I worry about big things like world peace and small things like what I’ll wear to a book signing. WORRY is my biggest life challenge and it seeps into everything…. will the answer to this question be good enough?!

TRC:  The answer is perfect!!

TRC: What challenges did you face on the road to publication?

Anne: It took years of writing research, persistence and many, many, many rejections just to get started on Etiquette for an Apocalypse. I’m not good with rejection. I think resilience is the most important personality trait to get us through rejection and hard times so I would say courting resilience helped me through the mess up and rejection. Publishing has been harder than writing the book. When I first found the book would be published I thought that was the perfect ending. I didn’t get that it’s a lot like giving birth to a baby and thinking that the hard part was over, and it was just beginning.

TRC: ETIQUETTE FOR AN APOCALYPE is your recent release. Would you please tell us something about the premise? CLICK HERE for our review

Anne: The simple premise of Etiquette for an Apocalypse is that an apocalypse leads to finding the limits of one’s human potential (if they survive, of course). My hope is that this book will inspire people to create and develop resilience, community and basic skills. 

TRC: The condo tenants are quite an eclectic mixture of characters and personalities.  What were some of your influences behind the personalities? Are any of the characterizations based on people in your own life?

Anne: Well, yes and no. There are bits and pieces of dozen of people I know in each character; for example, my protagonist’s mother. She is my mother’s obsession with weight, my best friend’s ability to strategize and she is also one of my neighbors, who trains show dogs. It’s a jigsaw puzzle of personality traits.

TRC: Do you have plans to write a series of novels featuring the Cohen’s and their condo friends?

Anne: Yes. I’m writing a sequel with most of the same characters. It’s about a rebellion. That’s about all I can say because I never know how a book is going to turn out till it’s finished.

TRC: How much research was involved in the writing of Etiquette for an Apocalypse?

Anne: I spent about a year taking classes and reading books about emergency preparedness. I now write a blog, “survival guide” which you can find on annemendel.com. I’m not an expert but I have collected a bunch of information.

TRC: Is there a message in your novel that you would like the reader to think about?

Anne: Yes! Take chocolate chip cookies to your neighbors TODAY. They are the one’s who will be pulling you out of the sinkhole. I have a weekly blog that give suggestions for one thing to do each week to better prepare. Anne Mendel’s website

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with other authors, or between family and friends. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Anne: I have the best writing group imaginable. The-Last-Writers-Group critiqued every word I wrote, sometimes two or three times. Marc Acitio, a well-known writer himself, is my coach, tutor and teacher. This book would not exist without these people.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Anne: I am spending most of my time and energy on promoting Etiquette for an Apocalypse. For years I fantasized about becoming published one day. I never imagined the efforts it would take to market my book.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Anne: Yes. Whether it’s a natural disaster such as a tornado or a financial disaster like Wall Street greed, the better prepared an individual is, both with skills and tools, the less fearful they will have to be. I know I’ve mentioned this earlier, but being prepared is so vital to one’s survival. You can check out my suggestions for building resilience on my blog at  Anne Mendel.com or follow me on Facebook.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: This is a much harder question than the ones you’ve already asked. Just one? Bar-b-qued ANYTHING.

Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Bread Pudding

Favorite TV Show: Arrested Development

Favorite Movie: Galaxy Quest

Last Movie you Saw: The Avengers

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark (No contest)

TRC: Thank you Anne for taking the time to answer our questions. We are looking forward to your next installment.   It is always a pleasure to meet the author behind the books we read and review.

Share

The Hunger Games Trilogy – a Review

With the upcoming Hunger Games movie coming next month, and this was a TRC recommend, here is a review of the Hunger Games Trilogy.  Enjoy!

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins,  was recommended to me by a few friends as a must read. Since this was considered a young adult novel,  I was undecided if I wanted to read YA, though I did love the Twilight series.  But the feedback on this was excellent, and the consensus was that this series was for Adults, as much as for Young Adults. 

The base of this futuristic story takes place in a nation called Panem, which was risen from the ruins of the United States and all of North America.  Panem was divided into thirteen districts, with each concentrating on one specialized skill, such as food, coal mining or electronics. The ruler of these districts was a powerful Capitol, which was very oppressive to the districts, as those in the Capitol were treated like the rich, and the other districts lived in poverty. A rebellion rose from the districts that the Capitol defeated, which brought about the destruction of district #13.  

To prevent any thought of a future uprising, the Capitol uses an annual Hunger Games event, which is a televised fight to the death in a hostile arena, which is meant to put fear into people. Every year two children from each district, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18, are chosen by lottery to represent their district.  The winner gets a life of ease for them and their family, and the loser gets death.  Only one winner out of 24 teenagers survives every year.

In the first book, “The Hunger Games”, we get to meet the heroine of this trilogy, Katniss Everdeen, who is from District 12. Katniss is around 16, when the story starts.  You meet some of her family and friends early on, such as her sister, Primrose; her mother, and her friend, Gale.  It was Gale and Katniss, who would go out together to hunt, which was against the rules of the District, but they would sneak out to hunt small animals and sell them for money or keep for food. 

At this years Reaping (the lottery drawing), Katniss is nervous, but she is more nervous for her sister.  Katniss is very protective of Prim, but she feels confident that Prim, who only has one name tag in the lottery pile, since she is at the youngest age and this is her first drawing.  As they get older, the more name tags go into the pot, increasing your chances to be picked.  Of course, Prim’s name is selected.  Katniss panics and runs as they take her sister away. She shouts out that she volunteers to take her sister’s place, which is allowed.  The boy’s name chosen was Peeta Mellark, who is the baker’s son, whom Katniss only knows from afar.  Peeta, pales in comparison to Gale, who at 18 is very handsome and as they say “smoldering”.   The last time District 12 had a winner was 30 years ago, with Haymitch, who will be their mentor for the games.  

Once you get past the introduction of the characters, and the choosing of the “Tributes”, the storyline gets very exciting, full of suspense, and very very violent. The 24 young kids are thrown into a violent environment, where only the strong survive, and in this case only one.   Prior to going into the fight at the arena, the stage is set, with other characters brought in as part of their team to dress them up for the opening night, where they are introduced to the television audience.  You meet and get to know the people who both Katniss and Peeta become close to, prior to the games.  Cinna, the stylist, who designs her clothes for the show, becomes very close to Katniss;  Haymitch, who is their mentor, and the one who has to get supporters to be able to occasionally send them help, such as medicine, food, etc during the games.  Katniss, who is the strong one of the two, and must protect Peeta early on, knows she can never become close to Peeta, as she will have to kill him at some point, in order to survive. The advising team, forces Katniss and Peeta to pretend they are falling in love, in order to win over the people to their side during the televised games.   

Capitol, especially President Snow, are all evil.  They have created an arena  (landscapes, forests, water, deserts)  that is dangerous, and horrific.   They have complete control of the environment, as they can control the weather, send in crazed animals, or change the terrain while the Games are in play. They do it as enjoyment for themselves, and as a tool to control the districts from ever rising up in rebellion, as the districts watch on television, their young children/family/friend fighting to survive a violent death…barbaric.  

It is pretty exciting to watch Katniss, fight to save herself, and eventually Peeta.  The Capital uses a ploy midway to change the game that if the district pair survives together, they will both be allowed to live.  But as evil as they are, at the end, when only Peeta and Katniss are alive, they change it again.  But Katniss manages to use her pretended love for Peeta as a trick to save them at the end.   I could not put this book down, and fortunately for me, I could immediately go to the next book.  Very exciting first book, but if you are planning to read, be prepared for the violence.

The second book of the series is “Catching Fire”, which picks up with Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark returning home from their victory as the last people standing from the Hunger Games.  Katniss and her family are living in a nicer home, with everything they need.  But she still likes to visit her old home, and her friend Gale, who became somewhat distant when she was away.  But their friendship resumes, as Katniss hardly sees Peeta anymore.   After a visit from President Snow, Katniss finds out that there is the beginning of unrest growing in the districts of Panem, and she is the face the rebels want to use for their fight.  All this because of her trick at the end of the games, to beat the Capitol, and to save both her and Peeta.  The President wants to make sure that Katniss proves to everyone that she does love Peeta, and use that to try to stop others from using her as the face of the rebellion. 

The pair must go on a Victory tour together, where they must both show that their love for one another is real.  The Capitol pulls another surprise, forcing all the victors of the Hunger Games from the past years to go back into the games this year.  Though we get to meet some of the old team, who helped style/mentor Katniss and Peeta, there are some new characters that are very good, such as Finnick & Johanna.  But it was great to get to know Gale even more, as well as Haymitch.   Catching Fire is very similar to the Hunger Games, as once you get past the first third of the book, you are back in the violent games.  The only thing different is a group of the Tributes have allied up with Katniss and Peeta, to help each other until the time comes that they have to separate to fight one another.   The story is the same, very exciting, brutal, suspenseful, and very violent. 

The major twist at the end, changes the game totally.  There was a reason why some allies were so willing to help Katniss and Peeta, and they have been split up.  Unfortunately the ending was a serious cliffhanger.  Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to wait. 

“Mockingjay is the third and final book in the Hunger Games Trilogy.  The book picks up with the few survivors totally broken up.  They are badly injured either physically or mentally.  Peeta and a few others are now captive with Capitol.  Katniss, and Finnick are mending in the now functional District #13, which has been behind the rebellion all along.  Katniss is bitter, because Haymitch and many of those who were helping the rebellion behind the scenes did not tell her or Peeta.  She blames them for Peeta possibly being tortured or worse dead, as at the end of Catching Fire, they had saved her and Finnick, leaving Peeta and the others to the Capitol.  Katniss has a hard time recovering, constantly being drugged to help relieve the pain of healing, and the nightmares.  But in time, she knows she cannot let the Capitol do what they have done to her and all the other young children.  She willingly becomes the face of the rebellion that will lead the uprising.  The 13th District is lead by President Coin, who doesn’t really like Katniss, but she needs Katniss to help with rebellion. 

Through most of the book, you follow Katniss and her team, which now includes Gale, to visit all the other Districts and get them to fight the Capitol.  Coin sends in her soldiers, and they slowly begin to win this war…..and it is a war….brutal, violent and many deaths. Katniss when helping to fight the enemy, is followed by her communications team, who film her, so that the revolution can see their hero. 

Peeta has been brainwashed by President Snow in the Capital, and is being forced to dispute the claims of Katniss and the rebellion.  Worried about his mental stability, Katniss asks for Coin to find a way to free Peeta.  The mission is successful, but once he comes back to them, he becomes a danger to Katniss, as he is fully brainwashed that she is the enemy. 

The story continues,  as they move to win this war, but make no mistake, it is very emotional, as so many lives are lost.  You feel the terror, the emotional ride along with Katniss, as she mourns the innocent and those she cared about, as she sees them die along the way to the Capitol.   The war is eventually won, but at terrible cost.  It breaks Katniss, as she has been through hell, and at near the end, there more twists that will blow you away.   As I said, it is a war, and Collins does not mince words, she shows you every detail throughout the entire series.

Katniss continues to love both Gale and Peeta, but in the end, once she mentally pulls herself back, though she will never be the same, she will make a choice.   I feel due to the content of this book, it is an Adult book.  Sure the story is YA, with the young heroine and hero.  But the violence, deaths, war, horror belongs in an Adult book.  However, many YA book are also Adult books, this is one of them.  I fully enjoyed this series, it was hard to put down, and I had to keep on reading.  Great story, great characters, and a great heroine. 

Barb

Here is the trailer for your viewing.  I can’t wait to see this movie.

Share