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book reviews |
The John Bailey Saga (Book 1) Multivolume, multi-genre author, John Bailey introduces us to the first volume in the John Bailey Saga, “The Other Side of the Hayfields”: As the clouds of the civil war rise, a young man becomes entangled in a slave dispute and struggles to find the path to justice. John Bailey lives on a humble Virginia farm. He discovers the world around him with his younger brother Benjamin and his best friend Danny, who lives at the plantation across the fields. As the years roll on, Mr. Kraus tutors them at the plantation home, but as John grows older, he grapples to understand the greed and prejudice among some of the ruling class, including his best friend. Questions run deep in his heart as he sees his family farm struggle. Dismay haunts him as plantation owners use slaves to bask in their wealth. John also wrestles with a deepening attachment to Sarah, who lives on the plantation. It’s a secret friendship – she’s a slave. But how can he tell her he must leave the farm? He seeks to build his own life. Then one brutal night, just before John is to leave, he is confronted by the horrors of slavery and must make a choice: Live with the moral consequences of standing silent in a world where the lines of right and wrong are becoming increasingly blurred or choose the dangerous and deadly road to justice. Ill-prepared for the consequences, John flees with Sarah and her brother Josiah to navigate the treacherous waters of a divided society. Will the common man help them? Will John be able to uncover the mysterious underground railroad? Can he survive the wrath of slave owners and bounty hunters as he holds dear to his dreams, and those he loves? The Other Side of the Hayfields is a gripping historical novel that explores the moral dilemmas of a young man facing poverty, war, and social injustice while a nation is torn apart with the clouds of civil war rising on the horizon.  This is a wonderful story, examining the immediate world of a teenage boy on the cusp of manhood in the mid-1800s and how circumstances force many changes on him and those around him. I love the story and the writing. The author varies the pace from a casual stroll to a frenetic race against time and enemies. I also love how the author weaves local and faraway historical events to move the story on its path. Very good story, I look forward to more. 4.8 stars from me.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Hayfields-John-Bailey-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-other-side-of-the-hayfields You can follow the author: https://www.rtdouglass.com https://www.twitter.com/rtdouglassLit https://www.facebook.com/rtdouglassAuthor https://www.instagram.com/rtdouglass.author https://www.threads.com/rtdouglass.author American historical fiction, United States, suspense, action, underground railroad, slavery, North, South, Civil War Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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Multi-volume author, Steve Schuler introduces us to his intimate memoir, "Rock, Paper, Innocence": Struggling through his teenage years, he seldom smiled, rarely laughed. Then one day, while walking down the steps of Kimball high, a girl with mousey brown hair and a crooked smile stopped him mid-step. She asked his name. Said she knew his sister. Neither realized this would be the beginnings of a lifelong love affair—and much like the steps where they met, their journey would have its ups and downs. At seventeen, an anonymous letter would upend both their lives, but none as significant as cancer. Hoping to leave more than broken hearts and faded photographs, they decided to share their secrets. Swirling around a lifetime of memories was a medallion, a ring, an emerald cross, and an anonymous letter. Writing this book has been an emotional release for me and helps soften the anger and lessen the hurt of a broken heart. I hope these writings will give insight into what shaped our destiny and how we became inseparable and forever in love. May our story also help heal your wounds as much as it has mine. I have heartfelt joy in sharing this story with you  I loved this memoir. I am almost the same age as the author and lived through many similar circumstances. High School was torturous in many ways, not the least of which was asking girls out on dates. The Vietnam War and the protests against it are a familiar backdrop for me. I did not get drafted because the war was winding down. I still have my draft card. Steve's story of Ryan and Lilla is so much more than any of those phases of life, this story goes to the heart of how difficult it can be to create and build a family. There are so many things that work against any success in that endeavor. Ryan and Lilla are archetypes of so many teens in many decades. Fabulous story and good writing!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Paper-Innocence-Memoir-Love-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-rock-paper-innocence You can connect with the author: https://steveschuler.com https://twitter.com/whizwordoz https://www.facebook.com/Whizword Copyright @ 2024 Mark Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Craig Crawford introduces us to his satirical book on negative morality, “The Beginner’s Guide to Being Evil”: Hey! I'm Dave. And you have questions. You're probably starting with this one: "Why should I not only buy, but actually read this book?" Look, no matter what religious doctrine, books, laws, or commandments you follow (and even if you don't), 100% of you have committed sins, shameful deeds, etc. (Quit lying to yourself, yes you have. For some of you, it probably happened within the past hour.) Ergo, when you reach the afterlife, for a lot of you there’s going to be a closed door to the escalator heading Upstairs, probably guarded by two big goons with big stupid wings. Shock of all shockers! You’re headed Downstairs. "So, what happens down there, Dave? Is it really all that bad?" Welp, I'll be honest. Most of you are probably looking at spending the rest of eternity working in wart diagnostics, slaving away in a food court (haha, "food"), or any of a thousand other awful careers. Did I mention the plumbing level? "Isn’t there any hope, Dave?" Oh, I'm so very glad you asked! In my book, I give you the skinny and the lowdown on EVIL. What it is, how it works, and how to use said information therein to make your afterlife less pitiful. Heck, there’s even a test to assess your evil skills to see where you stack up and decide if you should work a little harder to better your situation. Because you can! Better your afterlife situation, that is. Sure, you can ignore me. But while I’m not all "omniscient" like the Big Guy Upstairs (cheater), I’ll know whether you snubbed me because the old adage stands: you can’t bullsh-- a bullsh--er. What’s a few measly bucks anyway if it earns you a decent apartment in the hereafter? Then you can point and laugh at all your friends who gave you crap for buying the book. (Trust me, they’re on their way Downstairs, too.) So, come on! Don’t be afraid. You might actually learn something of value…not like high school and college—and it’s a lot cheaper! ~ Dave E. Lish  I have read several of Craig's sci-fi/horror books and had no idea he could write such funny stuff! There were a few funny lines scattered here and there in those other books that I loved so much but there was no hint of Craig's real comedic genius. I am committed to not giving spoilers but I will say don't ignore the footnotes. There is a joke and humor around almost every comma and period. I loved this book! 4.9 stars from me!  You can buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-to-Being-Evil-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-beginner-s-guide-to-being-evil https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-beginners-guide-to-being-evil-craig-crawford https://books.apple.com/us/the-beginners-guide-to-being-evil You can connect with the author: https://twitter.com/CRAIGLCrawford https://www.facebook.com/CraigLCrawfordWriter https://craiglcrawfordbooks.com https://projectthreshold.com Here is a link to the fourth book in the Project Threshold series, “Finale”, I have reviewed all of them so far: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/project-threshold-finale I have reviewed the fifth book in the Project Threshold series, Season Two: "Team Berger": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/p-t-season-2-team-berger I have reviewed the sixth book in the Project Threshold series, season two, "Team Riker": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/project-threshold-season-2-team-riker I reviewed another book by the author: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/zombunny-by-craig-crawford Tags: spiritual, comedy, satire, afterlife, heaven, hell, devil Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
May 2025
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