The United Nations has assessed that 276 million people worldwide today are “severely food insecure.” Forty million are in “emergency” conditions, one step short of the UN’s technical definition of “famine.” By early this year the combined effects of the climate crisis, the economic fallout from Covid-19, armed conflict, and the rising costs of fuel […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2022/09/11/the-vanishing-point-of-the-laws-of-war-famine/
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
What a week. Hazel’s mommy had a horrible Thursday/Friday. Her cat accidentally licked a cleaner (while she was at work), and it burned her. In her struggle to wipe her face, the vet thinks she banged her head on the bed frame and broke her jaw. The cost is almost $1700.00 and involves a three-week recovery. She set up a GoFundMe. If you’d like to learn more or donate, here is the link: Nebula’s Surgery. This weekend it has cooled off with much needed rain. I’ve started my fall cleaning. I am almost caught up on reviews…it is so exciting to have a little breathing room. Stay Caffeinated.
Fairy Tale By Stephen King (audio review) Dance With The Devil By Kit Rocha (audio review) Thank You For Listening By Julia Whelan (audio review) Rebel Magic By Kim Richardson (audio review)
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Special thanks to Avon Books, Tantor Audio, Random House & narrator Kathleen Li
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/09/sunday-post-541-cooler-weather-rain.html
Beyond Amazon takes readers on a metaphysical journey through time and shows them how Curtis Trueheart came to live in the village of Duachi. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The inspiration for our story began with a dream, not unlike the prologue. As in a real dream, there were many details left out, but the seed of the story was planted. It took several years to completely seize the opportunity and flesh out the rest, mostly through daily meditations on the shores of the Salish Sea (the area you know as Puget Sound). Carolee and I thoroughly enjoyed bringing our shared perspectives to the table, making sure that all the loose ends wound up woven together to create the beautiful life in Duachi.
In addition, as a lifelong songwriter, the last twenty-five years of collaborating with Carolee has led us through a fruitful journey of imagination and wit. My performing experiences have served me well, allowing me to put myself into the story. Although Curtis Trueheart, the lead character, is also a performing songwriter, his journey has gone far beyond any of my experiences of traveling, playing music and meeting new people.
Curtis Trueheart is an interesting character that I enjoyed following. What were some driving ideals behind Curtis’s character development?
I wanted Curtis Trueheart to reflect the meaning of his name. There is a lot of my character in Curtis, as I, too, am just as curious. I consider myself a mystic and find meditation, aligning with nature, and knowing we are all connected, serves my spiritual walk on this planet Earth.
Though he met with many unbelievable situations, Curtis’ curiosity and respect for “possibilities” provided the impetus for his inclination to proceed, despite the unique situation in which he found himself. Though, in the Beyond he had little choice but to accept what was happening, the nurturing he received encouraged his willingness to remain. This reflects and inner struggle that allows something other than what we think to be true. Being true to one’s heart is “allowing” the possibilities.
Additionally, I also wanted to give voice to some of the ideas that have emerged regarding what happens when we pass from this level of consciousness. Using my own experiences of those who have crossed over, coupled with NDEs of friends and others, we were able to imagine how the afterlife might present itself. Of course, our ultimate goal was to create the life we want to experience, and that became Duachi by the Golden Sea.
What was the writing collaboration process like on this book?
Carolee and I are very intuitive in our creative processes. And so it is that we work well together, bouncing off ideas, laughing at many of them, and spending the many hundreds of hours it took to give the story and the characters the life they needed to become real to us. We try to never criticize, but rather, critique…. there is a huge difference, you know? One allows growth and trust to be the underpinning of this process, while the other is a recipe for getting nowhere!
The “meat” of Beyond Amazon comes from my meditations on the beach, after which, I go home and write them down in whatever fashion they tumble out. Carolee then helps with getting them into proper form, sentence structure and continuity. We often just sit and talk about what’s happening and brainstorm how the current scene with play out.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I wish I could answer this question. We, too, are excited to find out what the next adventure will be for Curtis and Li. We do so many things – music, writing, quilted crafts, children, grandchildren…. It will certainly center on a mystical journey, although what is “cooking” right now is hard to describe.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
The story begins in the fictional town of Dropwater, Montana, which is hosting the annual August Arts Festival. Curtis Trueheart, a high school graduate returning after many years, is one of its featured musicians. After his well-received performance, he meets a couple, Randy and Alecia, and their son, Luka, They quickly hit it off, and Curtis is invited to visit their home on Outhere Island, off the coast of Puget Sound, in the Salish Sea. Looking forward to a relaxing vacation, Curtis finds himself on a trip that will change his life forever.
Unaware that he’s being sucked into the adventure of a lifetime, Curtis follows his friends on a two-day trip to Outhere Island, where he soon realizes that nothing is as it seems and the island hides wonderful secrets. An evening walk reveals mysterious events, such as an eight-foot tall man who comes and goes into the ethers, and a puppy-like creature who is entrusted to Curtis’ care. After demanding an explanation from Alecia, she challenges him to expand his understanding about time-travel, shape-shifting and genetic engineering.
All of Curtis’ beliefs and ideas about what is possible are laid bare as he, himself, falls into a transportal and lands in The Beyond, a place between dimensions, protected, where its creator, Dr. Manu Nanda, can conduct his experiments in an attempt to create more peaceful humans.
Curtis’ visit to The Beyond changes him forever in ways he could not imagine. Of course, there’s someone there to fall in love with, a tall, slender crystalline female being from the future, with fiber-optic hair and a mission to help Dr. Manu Nanda reach his challenging goal.
How Curtis and Li find their way to a life together is fraught with dangers and the stuff science fiction is made of. But rest assured, this story has a happy ending, and you will fall in love with how it all turns out.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/11/allowing-the-possibilities/
A Light in the Wilderness by James Snyder is a well-researched book on Florida’s appealing history. The author provides the reader with interesting information about the construction of the Jupiter lighthouse in South Florida in 1860. It became a center point for hunters, surveyors, Civil War blockade runners, Union gunboats, and pioneer farmers.
For generations, Florida was completely occupied by wilderness and wildlife until the Jupiter lighthouse attracted families to Florida, and now the coast is home to millions of families. Snyder also provides the history of Florida, from slavery to the building of the railroad, to the Civil War and many more historical moments. Vintage maps, letters, and rare photos are also used to describe the ancient story of how Florida survived the civil war.
Snyder has written a book that is not a big topic, and hard to find a book on the history of Florida being built from the ground up. However, the author has done his research, which shows in his book detailed accounts, maps, and images of historical figures that inhabited Florida. I enjoyed that the author started from the beginning when Southeast Florida was just wilderness and no one occupied the land, allowing the reader to get a complete picture of what Florida was many years ago.
If you are not one that is keen on history, this may be one book that is a little difficult to get through because it is factual, and it is similar to watching a documentary on the History Channel. For example, it was interesting to read that Florida was an integral part of the Navy, capturing over 100 Confederate ships. Interesting facts like this make this book a worthy and appealing read. The Jupiter Lighthouse brought diverse people together and served the local community.
A Light in the Wilderness is an engaging read that will have readers appreciating the history of Florida and how it became a prosperous state today. I highly recommend this book to history buffs and those who want something new to learn.
Pages: 309 | ASIN : B00CSV5QJE
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/11/a-light-in-the-wilderness/
Walter follows a dog who is neglected by his owner and embarks on a journey to find his forever home. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I believe that educating younger generations is the key to ensure more responsible and loving pet owners.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Edixon Rodriguez?
Working with Edixon was a great experience. I talked to him a couple of times about each chapter and what I wanted to be portrayed in each illustration.
I sent him pictures of Walter and in a few weeks sketches were ready.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Walter explores important themes like irresponsible ownership of a dog, mistreatment, abuse, and the suffering of animals who have no voice. At the same time, Walter reflects what all dogs really yearn for, that is to be close to humans, to be loved and cared for. The ancestral connection between dogs and humans is an unbreakable bond that some of us don’t even deserve. When you read the story, you realize that Walter is also a brave dog who dared to jump the fence to see the world beyond, a world he never had the chance to see before. Sometimes we, humans, like to live comfortably in our patios, and we never dare to see what is on the other side, beyond the fence.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on “The Mouse in the Pumpkin”. It is a chapter book for children 8 years and up. It is the story of a family who is suddenly forced to flee their beloved home. I found inspiration for this book on our own journey as immigrants to the US back in 2016. Hopefully available by summer 2023.
“Little mouse knew fear. He was always afraid of being separated from his parents, he was afraid of his parents getting imprisoned for speaking their minds, he was afraid of him and his family facing starvation and mistreatments. He learned how to live in fear, being afraid can turn a little mouse into an adult one quickly. Little mouse learned to be brave and responsible, so he could face the dangers of the forced exile journey with his mom and dad; still, under the pumpkins and under the yellowish leaves, he became a little mouse again, running and laughing, climbing the fruits, swaying in the vines with joy”.
The Mouse in the Pumpkin-Sara V. Robinson 2022
Author Links: Facebook | Instagram
Walter es un perro cuya curiosidad y valentía lo llevan a saltar la cerca de su patio trasero y abandonar el único mundo que ha conocido. Se embarca en una aventura que lo obliga a cuestionar su antigua vida mientras enfrenta el miedo y la incertidumbre tras ser llevado a la perrera. Walter es inocente e ingenuo, pero pronto descubre lo desafiante que puede ser la vida real. Su viaje lo ayuda a confiar y amar nuevamente cuando su conexión ancestral con los humanos sea revivida al conocer a su amada familia Esta historia es ideal para defensores de los animales de todas las edades, ya que explora los problemas como el abandono y rescate de mascotas.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/11/what-all-dogs-really-yearn-for/
Leila Wells had not had a great few years, but she knew exactly who to blame for the trouble, Bryan Foster. Now that she and her dark side, the Phoenix had decided his life must end, there was nothing anyone else could do to dissuade her. Fortunately, Lelia was surrounded by people with the same objective, others who had been hurt and beaten down and taunted by Foster, namely Dragunov, the Russian military agent who had saved her life two years ago and shared a similar dark side. As the world’s best fighters made their way toward Panordom for the Rulers of the Realms Fighting Tournament, Lelia, Dragunov, and their friends would have to use every tool in their power to remain focused if they want to fulfill their goal.
Dueling with Snakes, by Jessica Piro, is the third installment in the action-packed Phoenix trilogy. The book follows Lelia on her path to finally getting revenge for the pain and suffering she has suffered at the hands of Foster. Her support group is with her every step of the way, putting themselves at risk for the greater good. Lelia, the Phoenix, and Dragunov, the Dragon, make an imposing team as they enter the fighting tournament, with Lelia having a good deal of notoriety as the winner of the first one. This made for an exciting cast of characters that I enjoyed following.
Author Jessica Piro surrounds Lelia with a wide variety of characters representing a plethora of cultures and personalities, placing them all perfectly within the narrative of the book and crafting a complete world for them to exist in. Since this is the third book in the series, in order to fully enjoy the story I think it is best to read books one and two prior to reading this book. I feel that this book is deserving of five stars due to the groundwork laid in previous novels. Seeing the story and character arcs over the series gives you a much better appreciation for the things that happen in Dueling with Snakes. Since I have read both books, I know there is a lot of history to Lelia that was necessary to the plot, from how she ended up in Russia to her relationships with the other characters, to Foster’s involvement in her life and it made the story supremely enjoyable.
The author provides the reader with just the right amount of backstory without bogging down the pace of the book. The premise is well crafted and exciting, with Piro creating a significant buildup of tension that saw a release in all the right spots. I highly recommend this amazing series to those who enjoy a fast-paced and hard-hitting action.
Pages: 361 | ASIN: B0B2QJ2PR1
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/11/dueling-with-snakes/
MINDBLOWN follows a woman who discovers that everything she knows about her family is wrong and seeks to find out where she came from. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
It’s loosely based on MY true story, I fictionalized characters but the content is true to form.
Soule is a riveting and well-drawn character. What were some driving ideals behind Soule’s character’s development?
I loved it, she is ME…I strive to be transparent, genuine, and relatable 
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Familial patterns, dysfunction, heritage/cultural norms, ancestral connections, and honest reactions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Ongoing series based on each character. Working on book 2 now, plans to be ready to start the new year off RIGHT Jan 2023.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/11/my-true-story/
Best-selling ‘The Inheritance Games’ author Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ favorite recent reads
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/celebritypicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light
Must-read mysteries and thrillers of fall
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light
Books to catapult your curiosity of the natural world
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light