Title: Equilibrium Author: Evie Woolmore Publisher: allonymbooks Genre: Historical fiction /metaphysical fiction Equilibrium is a lyrical multilayered mystery of spiritualism, love, betrayal and learning the distinction between our perception of a situation and the reality of it. It's also about revisiting the past in order to find a sense of peace and balance, not only for oneself, but also for others affected by one's ill-considered actions. There’s a sadness to the book, but also a healthy sense of cleansing and new beginnings. It starts slowly. At first, I wondered what was going on and where it was going, because the author dishes out information in tantalizingly brief snippets, but the elegant writing held me, and I soon became ensnared in the mystery of what happened to a young man who went from England to south Africa during the Boer War and never returned. The method of unravelling his fate falls to a medium who, despite one bit of subterfuge in her 'act', seems to be … [Read more...]
An AIA award for ‘Lethal Inheritance’
The Awesome Indies has announced my AIA Seal of Excellence in independent fiction award for 'Lethal Inheritance'. If you feel like giving a helping hand, pop over there and share the post link with your social networks. Also if you buy the book from there, you will be supporting the site. http://awesomeindies.net/2013/05/22/aia-seal-of-approval-for-excellence-in-fiction-awarded-to-lethal-inheritance-by-tahlia-newland/ It's nice to know that my own work meets the standards I set for receiving the Seal! I was worried there for a moment. … [Read more...]
‘Just like the first book, this one kept me on the edge of my seat!’ A blog tour review of ‘Stalking Shadows’
Another glowing review of Stalking Shadows. This kind of response is what keeps us authors writing, and the reviewer is from my target audience - a real young adult. A quote: 'This story is never what you expect. I eagerly await the next book!' I'm glad I can keep the surprises coming. Wait until you see the next book, Ariel's mum does something even I never expected. Be supportive and pop over to the Librarian's Book shelf to read the full review. http://thelibrariansbookshelf.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/mini-review-and-blog-tour-stalking.html … [Read more...]
Fantasy review: Colandra’s Crusade by Susie Pilkington-Wood
Title: Colandra's Crusade Angels, Demons and Possessed Cats Collide Author: Susie Pilkington-Wood Publisher: Fingerpress The idea behind this book is an interesting one - basically a vision of an afterlife bureaucracy involved in moving souls up, or down, the spiritual ladder, and a soul looking for its comatose body - but it doesn't succeed as well as it could. The prologue shows subtlety, attention to detail and insight in the writing, and the beginning chapters when Colandra finds himself in a rat's body and learns what has happened to him held my attention, but the early promise is not fulfilled by the rest of the book. There is a naivety about the writing that comes across as being a little shallow. Good and evil are too clearly defined and too rigidly judged. It's a simplistic vision which wouldn't, perhaps, be such a problem if it was well written. Unfortunately however, the prose is passive a lot of the time, with an overuse of various manifestations of the verb 'to be', … [Read more...]
Review: The Second Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks – a murder mystery with a metaphysical touch
Title: The Second Rule Of Ten, A Tenzing Norbu Mystery Author: Gay Hendricks Publisher: Hay House Visions Genre: murder mystery with a metaphysical touch The Second Rule of Ten is my kind of book. It's a great story about a delightful character and has a metaphysical element that gives it extra depth and makes it stand out from the crowd. As a murder mystery, it has all the elements required to make it a good example of the genre. The protagonist is an ex-cop, now a private investigator, and what makes it unusual and adds a slight complication to the story is that he is also an ex-Tibetan monk. As a practicing Buddhist, he evaluates his actions in the light of his Buddhist faith, the essentials of which are to, as much as possible, do no harm, treat others with compassion and check your mind for the source of your troubles. While he searches for the killer of a movie director, we also follow his inner development in relation to his father and his relationship with … [Read more...]
