Blog Archives - GRANT LEISHMAN

Laurel's choices by exie wilde henson

30/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Laurel was a young woman from a middle-class family who followed her beloved father into teaching. When she meets and marries Justin Worth, a professional photographer, her life will change forever. Justin has a sense of adventure and realising photography, alone, cannot sustain a family, he moves Laurel and his young children to a ramshackle hut in the middle of the Pisgah Forest in the mountains of Western North Carolina, to set up a logging team. Set in the early 1920’s and flowing through to the War years, Laurel’s Choices by Exie Wilde Henson takes us on a remarkable journey, with this incredible family, as they endure the hardships and dangers of live in a primitive logging camp, the privations of losses of The Great Depression, and the heartbreak of World War II. All through this Laurel and Justin attempt to bring their family up with love and respect for each other and the utmost love and respect for, their neighbours, the wonderful, proud, but hard-living mountain people of Western North Carolina. They face all their trials and tribulations with humour, dignity and a profound sense of faith in a power greater than them. Anything the Worth’s can do to help their fellow man or woman, they will gladly do.

I read a lot and few books have moved me as much as this simple story of familial love and devotion presented to us by Exie Wilde Henson, in Laurel’s Choices. I am sure the story, although fictionalised, was a recounting of the author’s own experiences growing up and as such it provides a truly wonderful social commentary on that particular region and that particular period of history. The two main characters, Laurel and Justin were selfless, dedicated and showed compassion and love beyond what anyone could expect, given the difficult circumstances they faced. This was truly one of those books I didn’t want to end and deliberately slowed down as I came toward the finale. The writer’s style is so natural, flowing and so easy to read. Her knowledge of the area and the social history was extensive and leant an absolute realism to the story. I love historical novels, but most importantly I love historical novels with a purpose and a message for us in today’s world. This book truly does that, with its simple, yet profound comments on what constitutes a “life well lived”. I can’t recommend this story enough – it’s an absolute winner.

Go take a look at Laurel's Choices, here on Exie Wilde Henson's Amazon page:

blood ties (noble of blood #2) by a.l. Wright

27/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Nikkola is a Noble Princess, but she understands little of that, she only knows what her father Dartein has told her of her heritage and the life she was born into when her father fled the palace nineteen years earlier to escape the terrible grief of her mother’s death giving birth to her. Nikkola understands she is special and has magical powers but is loath to share this knowledge with her father or her protector, her father’s best friend Victor. Blood Ties: Noble of Blood Book 2 by Alicia Lynn Wright presents us with a fantasy world where the immortal nobles are charged with protecting and saving the humans from the predation of marauding goblins. Thousands of years ago, three warlocks led by Nikkola’s grandfather, The Patriarch, believed they had destroyed the goblins and their evil leader for good, but it appears the goblins are now re-gathering to strike again and Dartein must reconcile with his father, join forces with him and the other two warlocks to defeat the goblins again. Nikkola must learn and understand the powers she has been born with in order to fulfil the prophecy that she is the one who will save the world.

I found Blood Ties: Noble of Blood Book 2 to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. As a fantasy, it is short and as part of a series, does leave the reader hanging and thirsting for more knowledge and information, but nonetheless, the story holds together extremely well. Author Alicia Lynn Wright has created characters that are believable and easy to identify with. Even the immortal nobles are not immune to many of the flaws of humanity. The human girl, Friesa who becomes best friends with Nikkola adds a normality to the magical, immortal story, which I found refreshing. What I did particularly like, about this story, were the use of common and easily readable names, rather than the difficult to pronounce and to differentiate names, so many fantasy authors seem wont to use these days. The writer’s style is simple, straightforward and easy to read, which makes it so much more enjoyable and easy to follow. As a second book in a series and despite not having read the first book, I could quickly grasp and follow the story and its history with excellent references to the past scattered throughout the tale, by Wright. I would happily read book three now, to see where the battle against the evil Deep Dweller heads, for these characters.

You can find Blood Ties: Noble of Blood #2, here on A.L. Wrights Amazon page:

stolen: a kieran yeats mystery by linda j wright

25/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Stolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery by Linda J Wright takes us to Vancouver Island, off the coast of Canada, where former crown prosecutor and poet aficionado, Kieran Yeats now lives with her two cats, Trey and Vlad. A passionate animal lover and disillusioned with the law, especially as it relates to animal cruelty matters, Kieran quit her job in Toronto and moved to Vancouver Island where she now operates a private detective agency specialising in animal crime and animal cruelty issues. When her distraught, thirteen-year-old god-daughter, Jen comes to her and begs her to help find some stolen, very expensive, Bengal cats, she was babysitting at a cattery, Kieran has to pull herself out from her annual funk and try to help her. What she discovers is that not only have the Bengal cats been stolen, but a whole raft of neighbourhood pets have also gone missing. Clearly it is the work of evil “bunchers” who steal animals, to order, for research at Universities, Government laboratories and private labs. Kieran is determined to bring these “bunchers” to heel, but she is also weighed down by her own personal issues and the expectations of so many lonely, lost neighbours, who are mourning the loss of their beloved family members; their pets.

This story, for me, was unique in that it focuses on an area I have read little about in the past. That in itself was interesting – who knew there were PI’s specialising in animal cases? Linda J Wright is as clearly as passionate and as concerned about animal rights and welfare issues as her fictional heroine, Kieran Yeats and that passion shows through in her writing. Stolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery was a wonderfully easy read and one I quickly got caught up in. The characters were all sharply defined and it was easy to identify, to empathise, and to root, for all of them, especially the young child known only as “Trouble”. The author used the story to raise awareness of the need for more protection for animals, under law, in Canada and I am always impressed, as a reader, when social issues are able to be promoted in fiction, without drawing away from the enjoyment of the story and this author does it extremely well. I’m unsure if this was a debut novel by this author, but I am certain she has found a niche market for her books and especially her heroine, the flawed, but good-hearted, Kieran Yeats. I look forward to more adventures from her. This is a highly-readable and fascinating story that I recommend to all.

You can find Stolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery, by Linda J Wright, here on Amazon:

brandenburg: a story of berlin by james cloud

20/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin by James Cloud takes us on a journey through the Germany of the early twentieth Century, through the eyes of some ordinary and not so ordinary Berliners. Beginning with the declaration of WWI by Kaiser Wilhelm, we travel through the false bravado and patriotism of a nation at war to explore the horrors and senselessness of the killing fields of Ypres, The Somme and Passchendaele. With the war and the deprivations it brought, almost over, the people of Germany must then face, along with the rest of the world, the ravages of the Spanish Flu. What follows, is the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles, the incredible hyper-inflation of the early twenties, five years of relative prosperity to be followed by the share-market crash of 1929 and the perfect storm that would see the rise, in Germany, of two competing ideologies, Communism and its vicious and violent enemy, Nazism and Adolf Hitler. Through the eyes of a young Prussian aristocrat and his beautiful Jewish wife, along with their best friends, a working-class girl and her farming-stock husband, the author examines the class structures and the political pressures that were exerted on Germany during this period that would lead to one of the darkest times in world history.

I particularly enjoyed this simple, story of love and family; Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin by James Cloud is set against the momentous event of the first third of the twentieth Century. The author clearly is well versed in the city of Berlin and its history. I really appreciated his main characters that represented all stratum of German society. In Herbert, we could see the young, liberal, Prussian aristocrat who wanted to go his own way and saw nothing unusual or wrong in falling in love and marrying a rich, young Jewess. That their best friends should be from a working-class and a rural background provided a wonderful counterpoint to the political turmoil that was happening all around them. That their families were able to generally reconcile and accept the breaking down of class, religious and political barriers within German society, was well expressed by the author. This book did a wonderful job, for me, in laying the groundwork for what was soon to plunge Germany and the world into further chaos, as Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933. That this story ended there gives me hope that there is a sequel coming, as I for one am excited to find out what happens to this diverse range of characters as Nazism takes over and dominates Germany for the next ten plus years. I highly recommended this read to all historical fiction buffs and readers in general.

You can find Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin, here on James Cloud's Amazon page:

death at crooked creek (jessie o'bourne art mysteries book 2) by mary ann cherry

16/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

When Jessie O’Bourne is asked to stand in, at the last minute for an indisposed friend, as guest artist at the annual Crooked Creek Art Expo in Montana, she is thrilled to do so. Travelling in her beloved RV, she’s nicknamed Hawk, along with her ‘ornery, ginger tom cat, the King Jack Dempsey, she is excited about the opportunity to present her work, run some workshops, and possibly sell some of her paintings at the Expo. Although she lives and paints in Santa Fe, these days, Jessie is a born and bred Montanan, coming from just up the road from Crooked Creek, in Sage Bluff. She knows she will run into many old friends at the expo, both from Montana, as well as among the group of fellow artists who tour the Art Expos of the Mid-west, as part of their business. What she doesn’t expect is that she will be caught up in a murder-mystery that just gets deeper and odder, the further she delves into it. This is the scenario Mary Ann Cherry presents us, the readers, with, in her murder mystery, Death at Crooked Creek. Currently sworn off men, after a messy encounter with FBI Agent, Grant Kennedy and a difficult breakup with her childhood sweetheart, Russell Bonham, now sheriff of Sage Bluff, Jessie certainly does not expects the romance that comes her way in this story, either.

I’ve read a few murder mysteries in my time, but few of them have been as cleverly crafted, with as many red-herrings thrown in, as this story, Death at Crooked Creek, by Mary Ann Cherry. This is superbly written, with as plot that takes you on twists and turns you don’t expect and leaves you guessing, or even better makes you think you know, “whodunit” before the actual reveal. I loved the artistic setting of the story and the fact that the author, an artist of note herself, was able to inject her knowledge into the story naturally and without artifice. As someone who struggles to draw a stick-figure, I could really appreciate the skill and artistry of the characters, described in the story. The book is so easy to read that I just kept going, effectively finishing the story in one long sitting. I’ve never read any of this author’s work before, but this book has definitely awakened my interest in her writing and I will be checking out what else she has published. I cannot pay this author any higher compliment than to say, I want to read more about Jessie O’Bourne’s crime-solving adventures. I note there are currently two Jessie O’Bourne books in the marketplace and I can only hope there are more on the way. A highly-recommended read.

Do pop on over to Amazon and take a look at Death at Crooked Creek on Mary Ann Cherry's Amazon page:

into the hearth: poems volume 14 by wendy e. slater

13/8/2018

How often do we hear people say, "oh, well, I'm not really a poetry person". I know I've said that myself on occasions, but one thing I do like to do, as a reader and as a reviewer is dip my toes into genres and areas that I would not normally choose. To me, this is one of the greatest joys of reading; to move outside your comfort zone and read something that is unusual, challenging and different to you.

As an author, I've always had a quiet respect for poets and their ability to play with word and evoke feelings and reactions with minimal word usage. I often refer to poets as wordsmiths, simply because they are able to create such intense emotions by manipulating words in such a way as to touch us deeply. Certainly Wendy Slater has that ability. This collection of what are generally short and pithy poems, take us on a journey, a journey of self-discovery and a journey of questioning what it true and what is important in our lives. I will attest that some of her poems went over my head, somewhat, but I suspect what is required here is a thorough re-reading of the material to garner what is there, for me personally.

As with any collection of poems, there are some that stood out and gripped me instantly. Unlike most poetry collections, Slater's works are unnamed, just delineated by numbers, and often one poem or the essence of the idea would flow into the next. Three poems that really stood out for me, among many, were: 1/ Number 1419, a gentle reminder that we are all one, all the same under heaven and earth, regardless of who we are and that we can all reside in peace. 2/ Number 1426, a poem that took me on a journey through life and that described for me perfectly the pitfalls and pleasures to be discovered along the way, as we finally come to the realisation of life's purpose. 3/ Also, number 1465, which although short spoke of the family and the importance of being together.

This is a selection of poetry that flows, with an unending rhythm that will speak something different to each person that reads it and even something different each time you read it, again. I suspect this is a book that is worth going back time and time again to browse as you will get something new and meaningful from it, each time.

You can check out Into the Hearth along with the rest of Wendy E. Slater's works here on her Amazon page:

a rubber face with a stripper's name by katja berg

13/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Katja Berg is your average, every-day, solo-mum who has gone through the trials and tribulations of falling in love with the wrong person and being left saddled with two children and a mountain of debts by her wastrel partner. A Rubber Face with a Stripper’s Name is her poignant story of her struggle to cope with the pressures of everyday life that being left in that situation can put on you. Born and raised in Denmark, Katja emigrated to Britain when she was eighteen and followed her love of flowers into opening up her own floral shop in Richmond, London. The birth of her twins Pepper and Magnus and the realisation that her partner and “soul-mate” Casper was a cheat, a liar, and a thief from their own savings and business, meant she had to face the dilemma of debt collectors, bailiffs and family court, while still trying to bring a sense of normalcy to her children’s lives and somehow find her own inner peace. We follow Katja as she attempts to navigate the judgements of other parents, family and friends whilst still trying to find her own happiness again, in the world of being a single mother.

It is true what they say that the best memoirs are often those of ordinary people, just like ourselves. We can all find something to identify with, in Katja Berg’s emotional and at times heart-wrenching story of love, loss and friendship. As a solo-father myself (for a period) I could readily identify with the struggles she went through. Berg said she wrote A Rubber Face with a Strippers Name to reach out to all solo-mums and tell them one simple thing; “you are not alone”. I think there is something in this simple story for any reader to extract. The essence that came across the most, to me, from Berg’s story was simply; friendship is something that must be treasured and it is not our right to judge anyone for their choices in life. We have no comprehension of the road they are walking and all we need do for our friends is be supportive, be there and listen – but don’t judge. The writing is clear, simple and to the point, with no restraint on language. There is no attempt to varnish the truth or hide from her own shortcomings. Berg understands that both parties in a relationship are responsible for the growth and development of their partnership. I thoroughly enjoyed this simple read and took much from the author’s perspective on life.

You can find A Rubber Face with a Stripper's Name, here, on Katja Berg's Amazon page:

the lazarus continuum (resurrection chronicles #2) by ken fry

13/8/2018

As regular readers of my reviews will know, I am a big fan of Ken Fry's novels, especially those with a religious conspiracy twist and The Lazarus Continuum is a continuation of that fine tradition of his. A sequel to Fry's acclaimed The Lazarus Succession, this book finds its target with unerring accuracy. The important thing for me, as a reader, is that a sequel must build on the original, develop the story and move on, into different areas of exploration. The Lazarus Continuum does exactly that, whilst still keeping many of the characters that we met and fell in love with, in The Lazarus Succession.

You don't have to have read the first book, to enjoy this, as it is a standalone story and the author does an exceptional job at dropping little gems into the story to explain the backstory from the first book. That having been said, I would still recommend reading the Lazarus Succession first, if for no other reason than it is a superb story, by the incomparable Ken Fry. When it comes to religious icons and fantastical religious conspiracy theories, I have found none better in the genre than Fry. What makes this author stand out more than most is his innate ability to make the reader believe the unbelievable and the mystical. By the end of the book, nothing surprises you, as a reader, and you just accept the fantastic, as being merely normal and expected. This is the mark of a superb author and Ken Fry is one of those.

In this story, our heroes from the first book, Brodie and Ulla are still present, but the mantle is picked up by their daughter, Martha. The healing Lazarus painting has resided for many years now in a Monastery in Spain, guarded by Abbot Louis and Brodie himself, as Brother Baez. The legend of the powers of the painting has resurfaced though and this time, two unscrupulous rogues are determined to get their hands on it. One, Silas Shepherd, a typical American Super Church pastor has dreams of immense power and immense wealth when he has this miraculous religious icon in his hands and he controls the greatest church in the world, that he will found, The Church of the Lazacrucians. The other, a ruthless, casino owner, billionaire, John D Bower, who dreams of the immense wealth the painting can bring him. They will join forces to hunt down the Lazarus painting and it will be all hands on deck for those that must protect it from the usurpers.

As always, in Fry's novels, the action is fast-paced and exciting. I read the book, essentially in one sitting and cliched as it may be, I found it impossible to put it down. The Lazarus Continuum just adds to the already magnificent body of work in the area of religious conspiracy theories by this author. I, for one, wait with bated breath to see what his next contribution will be. Fry is an author par excellence and right at the top of the "Indie Author Tree" in my opinion. This is not to be missed - a "must read".

Absolutely do pop on over to Amazon and check out The Lazarus Continuum, along with all of Ken Fry's amazing works, on his author page. I can guarantee you there is not a dud among them and I've read them all.

blitzball by barton ludwig

10/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Richfield High may be a mythical place in Barton Ludwig’s, Blitzball, but to the predominately white, Aryan residents of the town of Upper Richfield, the school and more importantly its soccer team is the focus of their pride, their hopes, and their dreams. Unfortunately, Upper Richfield’s Soccer team spearheaded by Addie and his motley collection of oddball team-mates is on a real losing streak. Their nemesis is the Lower Richfield, North Prep School, which is predominately populated by immigrants, a collection of Mexican, Brazilian and Filipino students. When Richfield High is beaten again, by North Prep and to add insult to injury, their team is led by a girl, Shaylee, Addie determines to discover what black magic this girl is using to always beat up on their beloved team. What Addie discovers when he delves into Lower Richfield will surprise and shock him, challenging all his preconceived notions of Aryan Supremacy and the purpose of his life.

Blitzball, I suspect, is intended as a comedic parody and in that it does perform extremely well. Author, Barton Ludwig, by ludicrously stretching our imaginations and challenging our prejudices, gives us a possible insight into our world today. Many of the situations and ingrained prejudices highlighted in this story have direct parallels with the rise of populism and nationalism that appears to be currently sweeping the Western world. I’m not 100% sure if that was the authors intent, but in many ways this story does smack us in the face and remind us that the veneer of western civilisation is indeed very thin and we don’t have to look far to see what evil can occur when “good men do nothing”. I found Ludwig’s writing style very suited to the nature of the material. It is potentially aimed at the Young Adult market and at its core it is a “coming of age” story that will resonate within the hearts of many of its readers who have also suffered the taunts, bullying, and unreasonable prejudices of their peers. I enjoyed the read, which did at times make me chuckle and can definitely recommend it as something outside the mainstream of young adult literature.

You can find Blitzball by Barton Ludwig, here on Amazon:

how we end up by douglas wells

3/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

How We End Up, by Douglas Wells is a contemporary drama that explores the relationships we form, the actions we take, and the consequences that flow from them. Jackson Levee is a Florida teacher who longs for recognition of his poetry. He considers poetry to be the highest form of the written art and yet, he understands the dilemma – nobody reads poetry anymore. Still, Jackson is a man of his poetic principles and he believes one day his time will come. When Jackson stumbles across two nine-year old twins, Hadley and Hayley, in serious trouble at the beach and about to drown, he does what we all like to think we would do – he swims out into the surf and regardless of his own safety rescues the two youngsters from the water. The rescue proves to be a seminal day for Jackson, as he discovers himself to be a hero, he writes a poem about the day of the rescue and suddenly finds himself on national television, with the twins and their mother, reading his poem to the masses. An extremely successful book deal and a “poet in residence” chair at a local University set Jackson up for his successful life and career, or so he thinks. The story follows the up and downs of the lives of Jackson and the twins, which now seem to be forever inextricably linked.

This book is a readable treatise on modern society, what we value, as a people and what is important to us as individuals. Douglas Wells pulls no punches in How We End Up as, through his characters, he shows up our flaws, our arrogance, but also our irrepressible hope for the future and the belief that there must be something better, just around the corner. The impermanence and the ease of jettisoning relationships in today’s world is probably the point that came through loudest and clearest for me, as a reader. All three main characters in this story; Jackson, Hadley, and Haley experience what they believe is the “perfect” person for them – their soul-mate, so to speak, yet with almost unerring certainty, they somehow manage to sabotage their relationship or outside circumstances allow them to justify tossing away what they have, for something that may, or may not be different or better. As a peek inside the minds of everyday, average people, struggling to survive and prosper in a world they either feel alien in or are unable to understand, the book does a good job of possibly making us, as readers, look in the mirror and see ourselves in these characters. This was an enjoyable and easy read, with the author’s style and language sophisticated and at times complex.

You can find How We End up, here on Douglas Wells' Amazon page:

dilby r dixon's the time dreamer by tony j. perri

1/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Dilby R Dixon’s The Time Dreamer by Tony J. Perri takes us on a magical adventure through our imaginations. Dilby Dixon is an eleven-year-old just about to graduate from Elementary School and head off to Junior High. Dilby was once a non-entity among his schoolmates, the butt of jokes and bullying, but since Dilby introduced his peers to his Dilbonary (a collection of made up words that Dilby has fashioned into a dictionary of sorts), Dilby has become a “cool kid” and not one to be messed with. Apart from his Dilbonary, Dilby has a secret that only his best friend Grace is totally aware of. Dilby is a Time Dreamer. Time Dreaming allows Dilby to travel to strange worlds, in his imagination, when he is asleep and to experience many things way above an eleven-year-old’s usual environment. When Dilby discover that he can bring people and things with him on his Time Dreams and also bring things back from the places he visits, an exciting and enthralling summer is ahead for the three friends, Dilby, Grace and George.

Dilby R Dixon’s The Time Dreamer is aimed at a middle-school audience and as such author Tony J. Perri hits the mark extremely well. The concept of time dreaming is not something I have come across before and as a unique construct, it allows the young readers to believe and hope that there is something special about them, no matter what their circumstances. I particularly enjoyed the way the author was able to weave in moral messages into Dilby’s thoughts and ideas, without coming across as too preachy. The author’s use of words from the Dilbonary, for a number of common things from the story was clever, but with the glossary of terms, in the ebook I read, being impossible to read because of its small size, I had to guess the words from their contexts, which in itself was enjoyable. This is a sweet, almost a coming-of-age story, as Dilby begins slowly to explore the feelings that may exists between himself and his best friend/ (possible girlfriend) Grace. Totally age appropriate this is a great adventure read for middle-school aged children. I enjoyed the story.

You can pop on over to Tony J. Perri's Amazon page to take a look at Dilby R Dixon's the Time Dreamer, here:

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