Book Review: ‘The Irish Healer’ by Nancy Herriman, 5 stars

The Irish Healer: A Novel by Nancy Herriman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nancy Herriman’s writing can be described as lovely, on time, and true. Her characters’ personalities and their flaws is what makes “The Irish Healer” such a wonderful read.

It is the 1830s and Rachel Dunne is leaving her home in Ireland to be an assistant to a physician in London. Back at home though, she was accused of murder and the town was set to gossip. At least in London working for the elusive, handsome Physician James Edmunds, Rachel may have a chance to start afresh and perhaps leave healing alone all together.

James Edmunds no longer trusts God with his medical practice or his family anymore. After his wife passed away, he had his sister in law take care of his daughter Amelia- to keep at bay his own mistakes from the past, yet when he meets Rachel Dunne, his new assistant, he wants her around more and more and he wonders if God may be giving him another chance.

What makes this story grand and pleasing, is that both characters are at odds with God. They have both placed their trust in Him at some point before but when things went sour, they lost their faith. So not only does Mr. Edmunds push against the grain of God’s will, Rachel does too as she refuses to help anyone sick for fear she may kill them, yet God keep placing her where she needs to be-

Especially when James Edmunds own daughter falls ill and it may be up to Rachel to push past her hurt pride to help. She endures the stereotypes and dreadful words from those who hate her simply because she is Irish but she does meet a few nice folk along the way who help put her faith back in place.

*Book was received from Worthy Publishing for my unbiased review.

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‘Antebellum’ by R. Kayeen Thomas, the spirit of words for change

With so many good things going for this book it is hard to pinpint what exactly made “Antebellum” so good: The writing? The superb storytelling? The overiding theme? Or is it the uniqueness?

Whatever you decide after reading the book and/or review, just know that R. Kayeen Thomas is an author to look out for. And with that being said, let’s explore the story and the many symbols tied into the message of what happens when we forget the stock from which we came from.

SPOLIER ALERT….THE STORY

Moses Jenkins. A.K.A. Da N****(“N” word) has the goal of becoming the most famous, richest rapper out there. He has the life any man would want: The glam, the money and the many, many chics who throw themselves at him and he gives each and every one of them the time they want. Meanwhile, Moses finds himself caught between two decisions: Be what the world wants him to be, or who he is called to be. One choice will lead him down a road of fame and possible brutal death while the other will reform and mold him into the man he was meant to be.

Mr. Rose, a white man and CEO of Cosmo Records brings to Moses’ attention a rival group who put out a dis record about Da N**** and he wants him to make a record to come out just as early dissing the group as well. SaTia, Da N****’s manager and friend since middle school advises that this is ghetto mess and can go bad real fast. Well, long story short Moses lived up to his stage name, put a out a dis record, his best friend got shot and his other best friend got mad that Moses did not want to retaliate and in essence Moses/Da N**** ended up getting shot by his own friend based on betrayal.

Moses finds himself back in slavery in the antebellum south and things get interesting from there, but without giving so much plot instead of commentary, let’s just say Moses went through such a horrific ordeal that I caution readers who easily lose their stomach. At some point he is beaten badly. He is starved then fed the worst slop ever created, and even worse…he is demoted from human to lesser than the family dog in a matter of time. He is now in a place where the “N” word has a very pure meaning and the only people who can help him is a healer named Sarah and Roka.

What happens when a rapper loses his ability to talk? Sarah helps Moses get his health together and spoke some wisdom to him saying: “Kinda world you come from where a man has dat much power in ‘is words, but ‘is spirit ain’t real…”(239). Where is our soul in our music? Are we slaves to what someone wants us to be? Could it be that we think the record won’t sell unless we sell out? Moses figured quickly that the “N” word, whether it ends with “a” or “er” is all wrong.

Moses loses his ability to speak after a while because of the trauma and his vocal chords being very useless, perhaps from the tortuous screams he has made. However, Sarah is determined to shine him up like gold and put his pirpose back in his soul. It ws prophesied he will come and save them and now he can’t speak. Once he find the will, he will speak again and they will be ready…

Fast forwarding again, there is a part in the story where Moses(now living up to his real name), stands up to the slave owner Bradley- who is by far the wickedest man in any story(but c’mon, they were that bad in real life too)- and he recites a rhyme “Ringing dem bells!” The slaves gather behind him, fearless they have “fallen behind my rhyme as if God synchronized us”(285) and the slave owner is so afraid he can’t shoot him. I had goosebumps fill my arms when I read the scene and could see it as if I were watching a HBO special premeiere.

In the end, Moses would not even respond to his nickname, Mo’ or Da Nigga. They both died in the antebellum. You must call him Moses now. He has been broken down, kicked, punched, sliced, and fed slop, worked the fields, and had love taken from him and still he remained standing…

The Symbols, The Allusion in Antebellum

As this is a book presented by Zane for Strebor Books, on first look we think smut fiction and erotica, but you will not find that here. In fact, the sensuality and the nudity and rape scenes in this book push the story where it needs to go and you get the feeling that the idea is about more than fame and sex. In the midst of the people and their actions, I caught several symbols.

For example, Mr. Rose represents modern society. He is white, owns a record company and is comfortable keeping Moses as Da N****. At one point he reminds him that he “owns him and he must do what he says” if people want Da N*****…you give them that.

Bradley and the other slave owner Talbert, represents the Antebellum South. They are no different from Mr. Rose in that they want Moses to remain enslaved.

At one point, Moses had a dream( a wet dream) where three brown skinned girls were nude and wanted to cater to him, but when he saw a white female, he felt she represented innocence. She was simply different. Once she had sex with him, she wanted him to call himself a n*****and to do as she said. Moses had to make a decision…give in to the overwheming passion he felt or stop and regain his own manhood and dignity.

The white girl shouldn’t be viewed as simply a female in this dream. She is a symbol of the illusion that states, “Just do as we say and debase yourself, disrespect yourself and we’ll give you money. She is no different from his ex best friends, Mr. Rose, or Talbert and Bradley. She just looked good.

The story was also an allusion to Moses in the bible. Moses freed the slaves with the power of his words while Moses of the bible freed the slaves in Egypt with the power of God with him.

Moses eventually got so broken down, scared witless and nearly lost his mind that he did lose his mind. His “rabbit mind” as the old folks used to say.

But he got the right one back.

The book ended as if there will be next installment and I am glad to announce that “the Seven Days” will be out in 2013.

A contemporary parable: The story of Yeres

Yeres

There once was a beautiful woman named Yeres, who was comfortable in the confines of her boudoir. Men came from all over the country, nearly the world to lay with her because the saying went: “She elicited unknown pleasures from men without producing of a child thus protecting him from his wife and his wallet. Yeres took a fellow to bed each night. Each night a different man whether of the religious cloth, a governor, prince or king. She began to tire of these fruitless nights.

She wanted a child.

She would think about how her mother prayed to this unseen god and would pray to his faceless face and Yeres would laugh inside. “There is none but us mother,” she’ll say after her mother’s prayers. But one day, after a gentle prodding from somewhere, Yeres went into the Night Temple and offered a prayer to the top of the dome. She could not dig to find tears. She was a hard woman.

Nothing happened.

Photographer/ miyukiutada

The next night, Yeres went into the Night Temple and offered a prayer and a few more moments of worship. She did this for three successive nights. Nothing. She did not feel warm inside, instead, she felt even more alone than before. She went to the witches, the soothsayers, the astrologers to give her some guidance and direction and they all told her the same thing: “You’re womb is closed.”

One night, while everyone was asleep in the village, Yeres thought: “I don’t want to pray for a child if my womb is closed. God has saw fit for me to remain in my boudoir.” She instead prayed for her long lost sister, whom she hadn’t seen in years. She prayed for her dying king, and she prayed that the rains would bring forth a good harvest this time. After a few days, the townspeople noticed a gray storm appearing overhead and a great burst of cool, rain melted upon the earth. It is said that the king’s spirits rose great that day and a stranger- a woman who looked like Yeres came into town, with a small child in her arms.

Yeres met the woman and it was confirmed they were sisters. The child was sweet and warm. A little girl with a smile like sunshine. Yeres sister had not long to live but commissioned Yeres to care for her little girl once she left the Earth.

Yeres kept that promise.

Copyright© 2012 Erica Jean Smith

All Rights Reserved

Juicy blurbs update: A girl meets a young Shakespeare, a retelling of little red riding hood, and more…

Recently I wrote an article about the Christian Fiction I will be reading and reviewing to close out Spring 2012. However, below you will find a listing for other books I plan to review involving a girl who travels back through time to meet Shakespeare, Bergren’s pervious historical about a gifted race of people and more…

Cascading through Spring 2012 brings some bad news and a bit of good news in fiction…

First of all, the bad news: A local Norfolk bookstore is closing down June 1st, 2012 and the owner is saying, “Make me an offer”. You can have some 9,000 volumes of classics and reference materials for a loaded $15,000 dollars. See Bookstore Closing in Hampton Roads for more details.

View slide show:Cascading through Spring Titles

Now the good news you have been waiting for. Upcoming reviews for Christian Fiction you would not want to miss, including a nonfiction title that explains inspiration for most of this author’s Amish Fiction! Below you’ll find the upcoming reviews to close out properly, Spring 2012!(Read more on Examiner)

Here’s the list you’ve been waiting for:

Image Courtesy of Random House Children’s Books

A modern-day girl is transported back to 16th-century England, where she gets to meet a young William Shakespeare.

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school’s staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide.

Publication Date: August 14, 2012

They are gifted and in 14th Century Italy…

At the height of the Inquisition, a secret half a millennium old is about to be exposed-a lost letter said to have been written by Paul and part of what was to become the foundation of the Christian canon. It speaks of men and women-the Gifted-with mysterious spiritual gifts that struck fear in the heart of the Church. Now the letter has surfaced. The Gifted ones are coming together. Their prophecy is coming true. (Summary from Amazon.com)

                                                                                                Publication Date: September 4, 2007

Image Courtesy of Simon Pulse

 

Ruth’s grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the “evil” that the townsfolk believed she practiced. But if studying the stars, learning about nature, and dreaming of flying is evil, then Ruth is guilty of it too. Whenever Ruth took food and supplies to her grandmother, she would sit with the old woman for hours, listening and learning.

When she wasn’t in the woods, Ruth was learning the trade of her father, a blacksmith, now that her brother would never return from the Crusades.

Publication Date: April 6, 2004

‘Red Sky’, Native American history splashed with colorful romance

Red Sky by Renee Alexis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Justine Roberts-Peretti, a photojournalist with an adventurous spirit, takes on an assignment in Gallup, New Mexico. There, she meets the owner of a jewelry store who manages to sweep her off her feet and causes her to forget her own vow to leave men alone completely. It is literally love at first sight.

Darrius Red Sky, Native American, listens to his heart, the wind, his soul and they all told him that Justine is the woman he’s been waiting for. He falls head over heels for the saucy , African-American/Italian in a heartbeat and enjoys how she knows so much about his culture.

What’s to Love

I read this book in about two days max and I feel it has been awhile since an author has taken such time to paint the backdrop with the history of Native Americans to the point where I felt I was there eating the buffalo stew and corn muffins and the sights Justine experienced were also splashed in wild colors of reds, greens, blacks, and of course the hot touch of Darrius Sky’s lips and his instant love for her.

What’s to Really Love

Warning! There are some really decadent, spicy intimate scenes between Justine and Darrius. The great point though is that is from their love for each other and the scenes are not just there to be there. It literally places the characters where they want to end up. The book was hefty with stories about the tribes and my favorite- the Koshari clown(which I will be looking up), but it serves up a nice story.

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Two different books, one tells the story, marketing uses story

Daughters of Africa by Margaret Busby

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I chose plenty of narratives and stories to read while curled up on the couch. The words were so inspiring and so real, it punches the soul and takes you to the place in Africa country, or African hearts in America.

The slave narratives, although gritty and real, provided words of encouragement for today. Words by Maria Stewart and “Old Elizabeth”

“I mourned sore like a dove and chattered forth my sorrow, moaning in the corners of the field, and under the fences.”

From Elizabeth(“Old Elizabeth”)[1863]- spent first thirty years in bondage in Maryland and at the age of forty-two began preaching career.

This is just a piece of the intelligent, soulful writing from women in the past. This is why the book received five stars from me and I hope others sample more from this book of biblical proportions.

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StoryBranding: Creating Stand-Out Brands Through The Power of Story by Jim Signorelli

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As someone who writes stories and is interested in how to market brands for others, Jim Signorelli’s book, StoryBranding is right on time and because there was just so much information, I decided to focus on a couple of real key items which unlocked my perspective some on the brand marketing idea.

First, Jim Signorelli’s definition of a story goes like this: “A narrative about a character dealing with some obstacle to achieve some important goal” (p.31) With this in mind he tells us that both prospects and brands have an obstacle to cross and the barrier can only be broken down once we know the prospect’s inner and outer layer and the brand’s inner and outer layers. He brings on a bus load of examples of how to’s and what not to dos using McDonald’s, Denny’s, Oldsmobile and Old Spice as brands to study.

Second, Signorelli offers a review of basic principles at the end of each chapter so it sort of clarifies things for you if you’re feeling overwhelmed or just a simple study guide.
The downside could be the simple misspellings found in the book, but then again, it was an uncorrected proof and is probably fixed at this time.

If you’re looking for a book which cajoles you to think outside of the box and if you are reading to try your creative minds in learning how to tell a story, the marketing communications way, the this book is definitely for you.

Book Details:
StoryBranding
Author: Jim Signorelli
Published: Greenleaf Book Group Press(2012)
ISBN: 978-1-60832-145-2
228p

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Another self pubbed author strikes the gold…

Another author who has sent in her manuscript to dozens of publishers and been rejected has finally been picked up byS&S books for young readers and she is now sitting on top of a six figure three book deal.

I’m talking about Brittany Geragotelis, author of the self pubbed Life’s a Witch. In a sentence, the protagonist is a descendant of a woman accused for being a witch, the woman was executed and now the teen must face contemporary times in high school while facing supernatural presence from the past[Read more about Brittany Geragotelis on Publisher's Weekly]

Now, when you hear stories like these, it is easy to read the headline, the plot line and then close out of the page.

Don’t do that.

While reading the article I found that Geragotelis did some things that self pubbed and aspiring traditional pubbed writers should be doing:

• Writing. This is the difficult part, but in order to think about publishing, you should just write.
• Pay attention to trends. This certainly does not mean follow the trends, I certainly never do, but Brittany Gerogotelis is now capitalizing on the hugest market out there- Teen Supernatural Fiction.
•  Huge online following. At this point, if you do not have at least a blog, a website, or even Twitter you are not getting your name out there. In fact, creating a social network now and generating buzz NOW about your genre of choice is the key to having people love you and your works.
• Never giving up. Again, people like Amanda Hocking and Gerogotelis neve gave up. They submitted their manuscripts, got turned down, and decided to go ahead and self publish. Hey, that’s what Lulu, CreateSpace, and e-publishing is there for. When several doors close, one major free-way opens up.

Take this as a lesson: Never, ever give up.

Angels and love triangles, Henley and Burch books

More angelic reads coming up this month. To follow up Halflings, I am reading ‘Eye of the Sword’ by Karyn Henley. although similar in theme to Halflings by Heather Burch, I immediately see the differences in both writers’ approach to angels.

Here’s my little comparison chart. Any further discussion or opinions on this is welcome.

Halflings

• Contemporary Fiction
• Modern Teenage ‘lingo’
• Seems compatible to other YA supernatural literature out there
• Very short, brief
• Sensual love Triangle(love it!)
• Unique approach to the idea of half angel/half human

Angeleon Series(Breath of Angel & Eye of the Sword)

• Historical/Fantasy Fiction(ancient times as the setting)
• Teenage issues, but not so modern
• Not really compatible with other YA- its more “intricate”
• Not a long, book, not short either and multiple character and place names(I forget them sometimes)
• One prince, one princess, possible triangle, but not sole focus of the story
• Unique approach to half angels using music and fantasy

So based off those points, I’ll say this year is bringing on the best in fiction/fantasy writers and their take on these magnificient heavenly creatures!

For more on the study of Angels and other unique angel books, head to these blog links:

Fallen Angels and Redemption

Angel Study and Wendy Alec’s books

Breath of Angel Book Review

Dr. Jeremiah’s ‘Angels’

Book Review: ‘Sweeter Than Birdsong’

Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This historical fiction was well-written as the journey takes us from Otterbein College where Kate Hanby attends and 50 Grove Street where Ben Hanby lives.

Kate Wintry is incredibly shy, too shy to give a speech during her orations, but Ben Hanby see more in her. She is intelligent and have fierce passions for justice. Ben is a musician and teacher and he is astounded and amazed when Kate let’s her voice carry a tune so wonderful he wants to her more from this mysterious lady.

To be near Kate, Ben has some obstacles, including her mother, his family background and another gentleman who wants Kate’s hand in marriage.

What is a guy to do?

What I really like about this story was the history of the free blacks in America and the history of the Hanby’s. I also hoped for more romance because I am a romantic and I kept waiting for the interactions between Ben and Kate and when I finally got it- was not disappointed.

This book could be classified more as historical fiction than Historical/Romantic Fiction.

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Historical romances without black voices…should I keep reading them?

Microsoft Images

As a child I used to go into my grandmother’s old, worn basket which sat by her bed full of Harlequin Historicals and romances. As a bibliophile, I loved books and wanted to read ANYTHING. So in essence I moved from R. L.Stine to Babysitter’s club to Historicals with women on the cover who looked nothing like me.

Let me explain briefly. I am still so totally in love with historicals as they were one of the books that captured my imagination and feelings. However eventually, becoming a teen I realized that those ladies being courted and described as buxom and beautiful looked nothing like me. There I was a lithe, athletic black girl with long braids reading books about women from every culture but mine.

But I loved them anyway. They’re just books…right?

Well, I believe the reason most blacks stay away from historicals is because blacks in history did not have it totally good: no possessions to call their own, losing their families, and should I mention slavery?. I mean, there I am reading a wonderful romance about a red haired chic and her chisled beau and thinking: “Wow, what a dream! I can write like this!”

But it will have to be drastically different.

For one, my black characters will have to be realistically set in the 1400s, 1500s, 1600s….their talk and walk, struggles, appearances..

Second, what kind of romance can spring up for us in times of slavery? Sure some taboo, some uneasy lusts and of course the absolute dominace of a person because of their culture and that is really not romantic at all.

Most blacks don’t want to be reminded of any of that.

However I have read Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed series and must say her creation of Doro and Anyanwu as Africans with special gifts put a wonderful spin on things.

Goes to show there is still some areas in history that can be plotted out.

Bottom line: A story is a story. I read anything, just get me hooked with the plot and I’m good.