To Save the World

To Save the World: The Arhka Chronicles, Volume I by Heather Hayashi

What would it feel like to have power racing through your body? How would it feel to control the elements and mold it to your will? How would it feel to be the ultimate being on a planet, take lives then return to your own world where you are ordinary and no one believes you?

Stephanie's mom Elise lived it. She manipulated ith'rya to her will, she fell in love with the prince of a realm but wanted to return to earth to let her family know she was OK. Unfortunately, when she got home, no one believed her amazing story. Her father threatened her with an insane asylum if she didn't stop talking about it. After years of therapy, she finally convinced herself there was no such world as Arhka and she was never there. After her father died, she and Stephanie returned to the family home and found a ring that pulled them back into Arhka and the wounds that never quite healed were ripped back open.

Unfortunately, Stephanie has no clue about any of this. She's can't figure out why her mom is so angry. Also, Stephanie likes the new world and like that she can manipulate the power as well. She has a lot of rage pent up as well and it feels good to have some control over something. If her friend Eris wasn't dragged along too, Stephanie would have no reason to return to Earth at all. Unfortunately, they are pulled into a war where Vampires are fighting Teregians and Dragons are fighting weird arrow shaped spaceships.

Heather's first book in the series is a good start for a budding author. She has a complex world with a lot of action. She is starting a series that will interest the reader and leave them wanting more.

Jack's Notebook

Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving by Gregg Fraley

How do you go from two dead end jobs to working the career of your dreams? Most people never find the answer to that question. It's the American Dream to get paid to do what you love but why is so hard to attain?

Jack Huber is a 20-something who faces this very conundrum. He struggles with two jobs he hates but must keep to put food on the table and a roof over his head. His passion is photography but he has no idea how to make a living from it. A chance meeting on a rainy night introduces him to Manny Gibran and the potential to live his dream.

Manny is a creativity consultant and his expertise is Creative Problem Solving. He takes Jack under his wing and introduces him to core concepts in identifying problems and finding creative solutions to overcome the obstacles. Manny's guidance as well as input from an intriguing and mysterious love interest, set Jack upon the path to finding the future he wants.

The concepts are clearly written, explained individually as well as shown as they are applied in this parable. The best part is the story isn't boring and forced. As well as showing a knack for explaining vague concepts concretely, Gregg Fraley creates characters that you care about. I found myself unable to put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next!

If you find yourself with barriers in your life that you can't seem to find a way around, BUY THIS BOOK! If you need more, I'm sure Mr. Fraley would fit you in his client list. His website is www.greggfraley.com.

Shades of Darkness, Shades ofGrace

Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace by Catherine Johnson

Shocking, stunning and compelling are the words that come to mind first when thinking about Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace. Inspired by a true story, this book takes you on a roller coaster ride that one family had to endure as one woman nearly ripped the entire family apart.

Paul Pierson finally found someone to replace the vacant hole in his life left when his first wife passed away. Surrounded by his close-knit family that all worked together in their own realty business, he looked forward to marrying Pamela. From the start, the family expressed misgivings about the marriage but instead of bringing up their concerns to Paul, they try to be patient and accept the marriage. After the marriage and a beautiful child, the whole family discovers that Pamela is the devil and they are in hell.

Pamela is all about material wealth and wants more and more and more from Paul. When they are taxed to the limit, she decides to move away to take a "better" job that will let them have more things. While Paul tries to make it work, he discovers that Pamela is committing adultery, embezzling funds from the family business and who knows what else. While things are bad while married, when Paul wants a divorce, Pamela's true claws come out and she gets Paul arrested, fined, milked dry for child support and publicly humiliated. She makes every woman look bad.

During this whole time, the family is powerless to do anything. They do their best to rally around Paul and even hold interventions to make him see how bad things are. While the family does their best to hold to their Christian tenets, Pamela stressed that determination to its breaking point.

This is a narrative that is gripping, frustrating and definitely a page-turner. the best part is an ending that you won't see coming! Read it, love it.

Irreparable Damages

Irreparable Damages by Karlene Heinkel

Murder, infidelity, drugs, betrayal and lies are at the core of this novel based in a small town. For anyone who has ever lived in a small town, you are keenly aware of the "good ole boys" group and how they can get away with almost murder. In irreparable Damages, the "good ole boy group" must deal with the murder of one of their own.

Michael Stanford is engaged and ready to finally marry after many years of heartbreak. He has found someone and he's finally going to be happy. His bliss is cut short when he receives the news that his girlfriend is pregnant. After a confusing fight he storms out the door and never comes home. His brothers and friends don't know about the fight and don't know who would have murdered him. For all intents and purposes, everyone loved Michael.

Sheriff Charlie Whitman was one of the good ole boys in high school before he left the area and paved his own path. He was best friends with Michael at one time and is shocked at his passing. As shocked as he is, he knows that he needs to be at the top of his game to handle Michael's brothers and their short-fuses as they deal with their grief. Charlie knows the clock is against him as he struggles to find the killer before his brothers start taking action. As more murders happen, the small town of Hillcrest is suddenly in the national news and there is even more pressure on Charlie to close this case.

This murder mystery is a good read. There are plenty of twists and surprises to keep your attention. Irreparable Damages definitely should be on your list if you're looking for a mystery to curl up with.

He's Not Autistic, But . . .

He's Not Autistic, But . . .: How we pulled our son from the mouth of the abyss by Tenna Merchent, M.H.

Autism is a frightening word for most parents. There is good reason for that and I know first hand the full impact an autistic child has on a family. My oldest began exhibiting autistic behaviors when he was 20 mos. Luckily for us, a family friend referred us to services quickly and he began therapy early. After reading He's Not Autistic, But . . ., I feel like there's so much more we could have done early on that could have helped even more. I recognize that hindsight is 20/20 but there is valuable information in this book that most families should read!

He's Not Autistic, But . . . chronicles the author, Tenna Merchent's journey of trying to diagnose the problems her son Clay was facing. He was sickly, he wouldn't ride in vehicles without screaming bloody murder, he had apparent sensory integration disorders, he banged his head and walked on his toes. These are all signs of autism and probably would have been diagnosed as such if Mrs. Merchant had her son evaluated but her school district or a professional in behaviors. Out of desperation, she veered from modern western medicine and looked into alternative therapies that ultimately solved the health issues.

Tenna decided to see an herbalist that her mother referred her to and finally received validation that her son was miserable. Tenna learned about aluminum and its effects on the body from this herbalist. She learned that aluminum is in many different places and throws off the body's natural balance between yeast and good bacteria. This imbalance was what triggered Clay's
symptoms and caused many of the problems. Meeting this herbalist and what she learned there is just the beginning of the road for her though. This path of alternative healing led her to many other discoveries that impacted her and her families lives for the better.

I found this book fascinating and enlightening. I shared the information about aluminum with my breastfeeding group and I think some moms might be looking at what they eat and wear now. I hope many more people can benefit from the important information contained between these covers!

It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke

It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke: A personal account of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations in Jacksonville, Florida and Ax Handle Saturday. by Rodney L. Hurst Sr.

Just by the title, the reader knows that this book is charged. Most everyone in the country from young children to elderly adults knows about the super-charged racial tensions in the South during the 1960's. Most adults are keenly aware of the tension between "blacks" and "whites" still existing. With this presidential election containing an African American candidate, the race issue is upfront and personal in our nation. As Colbert King, an op-ed columnist for the Washington Post brought up in a recent article, race can no longer be a non-issue. It is an issue. It will be an issue until people of all colors of skin can sit and have open, honest dialog. I say, it's about time!

It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke is an honest and in depth look at the community of Jacksonville Florida during the height of the civil rights movement in the United States from the perspective of an African American male. It is written by the then president of the Jacksonville Youth Council NAACP. He was there and helped organize the sit-ins that challenged the segregation policies. The anger from this challenge led to unforgivable (in my mind) Ax Handle Saturday.

What this book has to offer beyond what I have read in other places is the unsung heroes. Rodney Hurst Sr. has done his homework and presents pictures, newspaper articles and names of the key people from both sides of the issue. The good and the bad, Mr. Hurst documents the situation well.

The best part of this narration, to me as a white woman reading It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke, was the fairness. This book could easily have been a black supremacy, whites are evil manifesto. Many white people committed atrocious crimes in that era (and many other times) and justified it by thinking somehow a few genes' difference made them better than another. Instead, the narration of the book simply states the actions taken by the parties in the area. There are countless stories of senseless actions that justify anger and hatred but the book is instead filled with dignity and respect. I applaud the author for treating this subject with divine amounts of grace and tact.

To me, race is one of those things that I was raised to ignore. I credit my mom mostly for that. She is the epitome of the "Aryan" race with blue eyes and naturally light blond hair but she taught me from an early age that the color of someone's skin doesn't matter one whit. I still think she's right. She taught me "by their fruits ye shall know them" and I believe her. Underneath it all, we are human. We all bleed red. Some stupid cosmetic difference does not grant one person more rights than another.

I also know that I have never endured racism. I have friends that are minorities that have told me stories of having to physically protect themselves from being attacked simply because of the color of their skin or the slant of their eyes. I feel blessed that I have only once witnessed racism. Without incriminating myself, I was appalled and took steps to ensure the event never repeated. I think the most shocking thing to me was that racism STILL existed and it was close to home. Shouldn't we be enlightened by now? Really, is it that hard just to play nice and get along?

Mr. Hurst states in the book that there isn't a simple answer to this problem. I don't have any magical solutions to this problem which has affected our nation for centuries either. I feel at times I am an insignificant speck in a pool of tension and not big enough to make a difference. I am not wise enough to have the magic key but I do have hope for the future. As I looked into my baby daughter's eyes after finishing this book, her smile gave me hope. Maybe, if I'm a good enough mother and teach my children to follow the example of our Savior and love everyone regardless of frivolous differences, I will be a part of the solution.

This book is awesome and eye opening. This is a book everyone, regardless of race, religion or creed should read. I hope teachers everywhere will consider this book as part of curriculum in American History classes. I also hope it can be a tool to opening people's eyes to the damage stupidity and ignorance can bring. Bless Mr. Hurst for this non-media biased peek into the events of that era in out history.

ARC of Braenlicach

ARC of Braenlicach by Michelle L. Levigne reviewed by Belinda Kennington

This is a story told in the view point of a man named Mrillis. It is about the world he lives and the troubles of this world and his own. There are three main races of this world. Noveni, the race that held the most ability of imbrose, which is magic. Then there is the race, Rey'kil, they do not have as much ability for imbrose but some have shown the ability for a little bit of imbrose like small healings. The two races, Noveni and Rey'kil, have an understanding, and work together to bring peace to this world. However, there is distrust between them since the Rey'kil do not have much imbrose. The final race is called the Encindi. They are a race of barbarians. They kill and take what they want and are not open for negotiations.

The story begins with a meeting of the leaders of the different races. They are discussing what to do about the threat on their world. Mrillis stands behind Ceera, the Queen of Snows, and the woman he loves but has not admitted out loud. They have grown up with each other and know each other well. He stands as her protector now. As for their threat, no one is for sure who the threat is. They call this person the Nameless One. They think the Nameless One could be a man with a lot of power but they think he is dead. This man had three children, Endor, Triska and Nainan. Some fear that their father cast spells around them and now control them through that. Endor was Mrillis's friend when they were young but Mrillis now feels he has changed and does not trust him. Endor also showed an interest in Ceera but she turned him down. From guilt and not wanting to jump to conclusion they keept him in their circle. Triska is Ceera's heir, to be the Queen of Snow if something should happen to Ceera. Triska has become a very selfish person. Every time she does not receive what she thinks she should she throws a tantrum. Nainan was an unpleasant child, she was a bully and very mean. However, as she grew, she became a good person with strong healing powers.

Eventually, Mrillis expressed his feelings for Ceera, she felt the same way and they were wed. Through out their lives together they had many trials to conquer, like a spell that was cast on many people that made a lot of people get sick and many died. They had to go out and use the Zygradon to heal them. The Zygradon is a bowl which was forged from star-metal when they were younger with other leaders, which tied everyone together, to contain the power. Years later they forged another bowl which they called Braenlicach, with Endor and Triska linked to the bowl along with others. Mrillis and Ceera also had a baby girl who they called Emrillian. Many years go by in this story that follows most of their lives.

For anyone who likes tales about love, deception and magic, this is a good book for them. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to all who enjoy stories about love and magic mixed with action.