I was excited about reading this book. The premise was promising and the introduction of the main characters was well depicted. I noticed almost immediately however, that Ms Jensen had decided to enthrall us with some of the most rarely used words in the English Thesaurus.  I found some phrases effective, delivering the occasional nice little punch, but too much became tiring and it certainly made the book a much harder read. What's wrong with plain English I ask you? We learn at the beginning of this story that paraplegic Art Therapist Gabrielle Fox is assigned the case of fifteen year old Bethany Krall; a matricidal, dangerous and disturbed young girl incarcerated in a mental institution. The immediate relationship between Fox and Krall is borderline sadistic as Gabrielle is nicknamed 'Wheels,' privately abused, bullied and used as a verbal punching bag by this freakishly weird girl, who I envisaged to be a direct cross between the vomit-spewing girl from The Exorcist and one of the spoilt teenage brats from The Disney Channel. Since Gabrielle Fox is characterised as extremely pessismistic and seems to suffer a large degree of self-pity and depression post-car accident - 'I am no longer a whole woman,' by example - one wonders why she would be handed this devil spawn to deal with at all? Bethany begins to sketch global catastrophes, volcanic eruptions, floods and earthquakes pinpointing the exact dates of their occurence. Gabrielle is little more than curious initially, until the events ...

The Sacrificial Man by Ruth Dugdall Plot The plot revolves around a teacher named Alice who has helped her “boyfriend” commit assisted suicide. The details of the case are very strange. There is a gruesome element to the death that even makes the hardened police man who visits the scene throw up. Alice or Robin as she likes to be known now faces a court case and it is up to her probation officer to give a recommendation around sentencing. The rest of the book leads us through Alice’s explanation for her involvement and uncovers much of the back story of her life. The book has ample twists in the plot to keep sustained interest. However this makes the job of reviewing it difficult. Anything discussed in depth could be potential spoilers and as such I’ve gone into certain subjects in much less  depth than I would normally find appropriate. Themes The key focus for the sacrificial man is an exploration into the moral dilemmas posed by assisted suicide. This is a difficult and interesting subject, both sides of the argument are covered. The pro assisted suicide stance is delivered to us through the main character’s dialogue. The arguments against are shown to us within the ...

Released this month of July are the first couple of booklets in a series that will focus on writing for beginners. The series of self help books will be made available on the Amazon Kindle in both the UK and US Amazon stores as individual downloads. The first in the series are entitled: ‘Inspire Me To Get Writing’ and ‘Inspire Me With Writing Ideas.’ Other books will follow in the ‘Inspire Me’ series and together will make a complete and whopping all-in-one guide on how to become a writer. "The books concentrate on my experience of teaching and guiding students within a writers group atmosphere. I  focus on all the usual elements of fiction individually, as well as other areas such as publishing and writing a novel. Using a no formula, jargon-friendly approach the books contain heaps of  advice, tips, reliable sources, prompts and concrete examples of how to get started in writing, and how to keep up the motivation to continue. Inspired by my own writing group members over the years these books will encourage those who have never had the confidence to try writing before." Carla Acheson You can download Booklets 1 or 2 from all Amazon outlets priced at a very reasonable £1.49 from the ...

As an aspiring writer, one of the things I love to do is follow the journey of other authors in the published world. Recently, I was honoured to make contact with and interview Sophie Duffy, a hardworking writer who has steadily followed her own literary dream.  Through the fruits of hard labour she has now reached an admirable peak with the successful launch of her debut novel, The Generation Game. Winner of the 2010 'Luke Bitmead Bursary' award 'The Generation Game,' is published by Legend Press and can be pre-ordered at Amazon bookstore. Book Description - Philippa Smith is in her forties and has a beautiful newborn baby girl. She also has no husband, and nowhere to turn. So she turns to the only place she knows: the beginning. Retracing her life, she confronts the daily obstacles that shaped her very existence. From the tragic events of her childhood abandonment, to the astonishing accomplishments of those close to her, Philippa learns of the sacrifices others chose to make, and the outcome of buried secrets. Philippa discovers a celebration of life, love, and the Golden era of television. A reflection of everyday people, in not so everyday situations. The Interview 'Sophie, congratulations on your publishing success. How would you describe your book to us?' 'The Generation Game is ...

"The only book that I can recall in a long, long time that forced me to sit up in bed at 4 am, still reading bleary-eyed on my kindle in the dark because I could not stop reading it!" It's difficult to review a second book in a Trilogy series because there is such a build up of story matter by this point that one has to be careful not to induce spoilers for those who want to read the entire series. I highly commended Book 1: The Hunger Games in my initial review a few months ago, though it took me a while to get started on this second book; likely due to just my backlog of books to be read. I found the first book exceptional both in plot and pace. It held on to my attention throughout reading as I found it so unique, if not slightly distasteful, in its concept, but not enough to put me off by far. The Hunger Games are set in a dystopian 'future world' where America is divided into 'Districts'  that are warlorded over by 'The Capitol.'  Try to think of a very powerful yet evil-capable Government. (Ah yes, that wasn't hard at all was ...

Take one talented writer, and a well known British comic and what do you get? Simple! An entertaining and very funny audiobook entitled ‘Cutey and the Sofaguard,’ penned by Chris Wade. Cutey and the Sofaguard is described as a ‘surreal mindbender with a shocking twist,’ a fantastical and jaunty tale of love and broken elevators. Also a definite breath of fresh air amidst today’s predictable literature. Wade's quirky and unconventional characters are brought to life by the unique and well known whimsical voice of Rik Mayall; the English born actor well known for his comedy partnerships and the star of ‘The Young Ones’ and ‘Bottom.’  Examples of Chris’ other works are a  biography about Leeds born actor Malcolm McDowell as well as ‘The Hoover Dam Companion,’ an analysis of an album by former ‘Stranglers’ frontman Hugh Cornwall. ‘Books You Love’ has just interviewed Chris Wade about his most recent book, including how he came upon the concept, how his writing career took off, plus he imparts some sound advice for fledgling writers! The Interview When did you first want to become a writer?    I never really wanted to be a writer as such but as a kid I was interested in writing. I used to write stories as a really small kid. ...

Heaven is for Real is the story of a four year old boy who sheds some remarkable experiences of visiting heaven and meeting God after life threatening surgery. Colton Burpo witnesses his own little body from 'above' as Doctor's battle to save his life. He also sees his own father praying in the waiting room. Other information Colton later reveals to his parents are having met his own 'miscarried' sister (of which he knew nothing about) in Heaven. God apparently, sits in a large chair and there is a last and final battle between good and evil, to which (according to this little chap,) his own Dad will yield a sword and fight. Astonishingly, this book has gained immense popularity, setting off most believers on a heavenly glow of smug satisfaction. If we are to believe an innocent four year old then surely God and Heaven truly DO exist? My first thoughts on the book were rather neutral. Then I scanned the back cover blurb and realised Colton's father was a Pastor and thought... 'Oh here we go again..yet another bible-bashing nut keen to cash in on yet more holy bible babble! But as a believer myself, should I really not 'doubt' this man's account of his son's experience? Should I just accept it as truth that a four ...

There isn’t a soul around today who hasn’t heard of the mysterious disappearance of Madeline McCann. If they haven’t heard of it, they have surely spotted a poster of the adorable little girl’s familiar and innocent face in their local supermarket noticeboard; or perhaps watched news footage of the McCann’s slow and terrifying descent into despair, as their vulnerable three year old apparently simply vanished into thin air.  We all held our breath for weeks and months, and alternatively sympathised and felt anger for this elusive couple, who by all accounts appear as the victims in the matter. Well, perhaps they are to some extent, but surely the one and only victim here is Madeleine herself? The mute little angel who has obviously suffered at the hands of some grave injustice. Kate and Gerry McCann have been the focus of much public vitriol in the last four years. We can recall Kate’s gaunt and withdrawn stature on that fateful night on May 3rd 2007. The stark image of a mother ravaged with pain as she silently stood amongst the throng of cameras and police officials, all at a loss as to what happened to the little girl. We all felt her desperation, her sense ...