In the December 22, 2022, issue of the magazine, Rebecca Giggs reviews The Sea Trilogy, an omnibus edition of Rachel Carson’s books from the 1940s about ocean life. While Carson was a marine biologist, she is best known for her landmark 1962 book, Silent Spring,which highlighted the environmental harms of pesticides—and, by extension, the insidious […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/12/17/the-intertidal-zone-rebecca-giggs/
Sophia Rose is here with another novel in Anne Perry’s Christmas Stories series. Curl up with some hot cocoa and check out her five star review of A Christmas Deliverance.
A Christmas Deliverance
by Anne Perry
Series: Christmas Stories #19
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
A courageous doctor and his apprentice fight to save London’s poor–and discover that the hearts of men can be colder than a winter chill–in this gripping holiday mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
Scuff has come a long way from his time as a penniless orphan scraping together a living on the banks of the Thames. Now he’s studying medicine at a free clinic run by Dr. Crowe. Lately Crowe has grown distracted after witnessing an altercation between a former patient of his named Ellie–a woman he not only treated but grew to love–and her controlling fiancé. It seems someone is forcing Ellie to marry the man, and as Crowe’s emotions come flooding back, he sets out to uncover the troubling connection between Ellie, her father, and her betrothed.
With Crowe engrossed in his investigation just weeks before the holidays, Scuff is left to fend for himself, performing surgery after surgery on London’s poor and vulnerable. He is desperate for help, so when a needy young girl named Mattie comes to the clinic for treatment, Scuff offers her a place to live in exchange for assistance with his medical work. Together, Scuff and Mattie must not only run the clinic but also fend off the police, who are growing suspicious of Crowe’s amateur sleuthing. Will Crowe be able to help Ellie, and will Scuff and Mattie ensure all of their patients–and they themselves–can manage to have a peaceful Christmas?
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Victorian London during the Christmas season conjures up warm, nostalgic feelings of glowing lights, greenery and berries, holiday parties, roasted chestnuts… but Anne Perry’s latest takes the reader to the bleak streets and back alleys, a clinic for the poor, and a rush to get answers to a mystery that might save a sweet young woman from a cruel fate for Christmas.
In this nineteenth Christmas stories release, A Christmas Deliverance returns us to the world of William Monk mysteries and focuses on engaging side characters, Crowe and Scuff. Readers don’t have to have read the William Monk series to enjoy the story, but long-time fans of the series will be well-rewarded to see what has come along since the events of the last book for the man practicing medicine without his degree in the meaner parts of London and the one-time mudlark orphan taken in by William and Hester Monk who wishes to follow his adopted mother into medicine.
Crowe finds himself in what he believes is a one-sided unrequited love for a sweet daughter of a wealthy London businessman who owns warehouses and a wharf along the Thames. He knows she’s out of his class and he tries to be content with thinking of her fondly. But then her father plans to marry her to the cruel, abusive son of his business partner. Crowe knows the only way to save her might not save her at all- but he has to try. He has to return to the mysterious events of the fire that consumed one of her father’s warehouses and his business partner’s goods, the death of the night watchman, and the subsequent insurance payout that increased their wealth. Scuff backs him completely even though they both face danger from someone who doesn’t want the incident brought back to light again since Monk and his River Police didn’t find evidence at the time of foul play.
I love how the author blends sweet elements like the little street girl and her kitty, the homey feeling at the clinic that Crowe and Scuff run together and then the harder biting mystery they must solve out on London’s streets and along the Thames set against the holidays. It was all so marvelously done and I was reluctant to let the book go when the last page was reached.
Amazon | Audible
In A Christmas Deliverance, Anne Perry blends sweet elements with a hard biting mystery set against the holidays. #ChristmasStories #SophiaRose #bookreview
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Juliet Hulme a British historical novelist took the name “Anne Perry,” the latter being her stepfather’s surname. Her first novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published under this name in 1979. Her works generally fall into one of several categories of genre fiction, including historical murder mysteries and detective fiction. Many of them feature a number of recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt, who appeared in her first novel, and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in her 1990 novel The Face of a Stranger. As of 2003 she had published 47 novels, and several collections of short stories. Her story “Heroes,” which first appeared the 1999 anthology Murder and Obsession, edited by Otto Penzler, won the 2001 Edgar Award for Best Short Story.
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Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/12/a-christmas-deliverance-by-anne-perry.html
The French House follows a young college student who moves into a French emersion house while in college, where she discovers more mysteries than answers. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The French House at the University of Wisconsin Madison is an actual residence home for French exchange students and those majoring in the language. I used to frequent their Wednesday night dinners when the home was open to the public. Over candlelight we’d discuss literature and French politics, the ambiance so dreamy I knew it was the beginning of a beautiful setting—and plot. Because the University of Wisconsin also has a history of mind control research with psychedelics, and because that’s an area of obsession for me (I’ve written about psychedelic therapy for years and am directing and producing a docu-series about them) I had the perfect brew for a novel! What I love about psychedelics is their ability to transform the way you see yourself and the paradigms in which we live; they provide a clarity which inspires questions you never would have thought to ask prior to said transformation. Rabbit holes. Love them.
Simone wants to find a place to belong but discovers some things not as they appear. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Simone grew up in a small town where she was chastised for being different as an immigrant with an accent. When she learns about The French House on campus, she believes she’s finally found the place where she belongs. I wanted to show how our hopes and beliefs cloud our ability to see objectively. When Simone begins to question her perceptions, she begins a rite of passage and as such sees the world anew. Eventually, she’s able to leave behind her old set of beliefs and judgments and question everything as an observer.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main theme I explore in The French House is around the power of suggestion. Our suggestibility varies throughout our lives and we’re certainly more prone to suggestion as we come of age. Simone, the protagonist, has an incredibly malleable mind because of her desire to fit in and find a niche, and because of the plant tinctures she’s taken since she was a child. By placing her in a setting designed to be a simulation it creates the perfect test to ask just how powerful suggestion can be? What’s real, what’s imagined, what’s a simulation, or are they all one in the same?
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next novel is another suspense titled The Scent of Lost Girls and will be available in the summer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Designed to offer a simulated experience of studying abroad, the French House at the University of Wisconsin instead repeatedly falls victim to tragedy. But for college freshman Simone Duchamps, an American of French descent, the residence provides her first niche. Finally, a place where she belongs. But the illusion slowly dispels as her hopes for bohemian values are sullied by social hierarchy and segregation. When one of the residents is found dead, Simone fears she’s going mad, just as her mother once had. Throughout police investigation she draws connections to everything—from her family’s plagued history to the rumors The French House was once used for mind control research via psychedelic drugs. With twists and ambiguities, The French House explores the concept of life imitating art through the power of suggestion, and ultimately asks: what is a simulation and what is reality?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/17/rabbit-holes-love-them/
Talia has lived a vastly different life from most girls. She has been sheltered, taught politics are of the devil, told that men are superior to women, and used to recruit members to her family’s religion at a very young age. Her years as a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have taken a toll on her. She wants more than anything to have a normal life with a husband who values her while holding onto the love of her devout family members. Finding that balance is nearly impossible when you are a member of a cult.
Cult Girls, by Natalie Grand, captures the essence of what it means to grow up in a religious cult and slowly fade away from the only life you have known. Talia, the book’s main character, knows she wants no part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses now that she is an adult, but she struggles to find a way to keep her family and friends from being hurt as she transitions away from that life. Her story is a poignant one told in the form of a graphic novel and based on a true story.
I had my reservations at first about the format of the book, and I expected a much less serious tone than the author provides. I was, however, genuinely surprised at how effective the format is in delivering Talia’s message. I can see how incredibly useful Grand’s choice of format will be in reaching younger readers. Girls who are considering leaving a situation similar to Talia’s are much more likely to pick up a book like Cult Girls than a self-help book or a book with a religious tone.
In a time when cult escapism is becoming increasingly prevalent, Talia’s experience will resonate with many readers. Unfortunately, young women around the globe will relate to Talia’s life and her desire to be free of the life she knew as a young girl. Grand has gifted readers with a guidebook to living a life away from the influence of a cult.
Cult Girls has taken unmatched courage and determination to write so openly about life as Jehovah’s Witness. Repercussions for speaking out against the church are real and the author clearly understands the impact her work will have on both members and those who may be recruited. I can honestly say that Grand’s work is one of the most unique takes on religion and the characteristics of a cult I have ever encountered. It is a definite must-read for anyone considering leaving their church or considering joining an organization like the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Pages: 95 | ASIN: B09VNYW5SX
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/17/cult-girls/
Fan Mail follows a family of adopted brothers who are threatened and their father nearly dies, they must figure out a way to hold the family together and survive the threat. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
This was a logical step in the family dynamics, especially after the last book, Blaze In, Blaze Out. I wanted to show that love can conquer any strain and stress, if you are willing to trust in yourself and each other. These characters have appeared in each of my books. This story, a coming-of-age story embedded in a thriller tells the story about the makeup of the Evans Family. Their struggles, their joys, there love for each other, and their individual paths they walk on.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the characters’ personalities grow organically as you were writing?
Because these characters are in my previous books, my readers and I know what to expect from them. I don’t outline. I had a vague idea how the book was to end, but as I wrote it, the ending appeared to me. As much as anything, besides the story of the Evans Family, this is Brian’s story, his struggles with past demons, his struggle with who he is and his seeking acceptance of it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Love and relationships within the family. Each boy is adopted, but there are sibling groupings: George and Michael (Two) are step-brothers; Brett and Bobby are biological brothers- sons of Vicky (mom); Randy and Billy are twins, but were adopted separately. The only one without a true sibling is Brian. In many respects, this shows throughout this book and the others. His struggle with who he is and accepting who he is. That’s a struggle and an exploration all adolescents go through, and to some extent, adults.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on At Any Cost which is a true thriller in every sense of the word. Twin storylines converge. And of course, the backdrop is the cops trying to solve two cases that closely align with each other, and the Evans Family saga within it. It is almost a sequel to my book, Caught in a Web.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Randy and Bobby, along with fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that turns menacing. They ignore it, but to their detriment. The sender turns up the heat. Violence upends their world. It rocks the relationship between the boys and ripples through their family, nearly killing their dad.
As these boys turn on each other, adopted brother Brian flashes back to that event in Arizona where he nearly lost his life saving his brothers. The scars on his face and arms healed, but not his heart. Would he once again have to put himself in harm’s way to save them? And, if faced with that choice, will he?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/17/love-can-conquer-any-strain/
Loving Artemis follows the lives of women who were trying to figure out who they were at a time when being LGBTQ+ was not accepted. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When I wrote Loving Artemis, it was more than seven years ago. I didn’t know it at the time but now when I look back, I see that I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of the background that I fled from. My novel, Loving Artemis, an endearing tale of revolution, love and marriage (published in 2022 by Thorned Heart Press) was the culmination of that process.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
Loving Artemis is fiction, but the story is based on my own experience and that of other girls who were actual people. As I told a friend, I probably gave the girls better endings than they actually had. Because the characters were based on actual people, I don’t remember it being difficult to write any of the characters. The thing that was the most difficult was getting all the history straight, so to speak. Like most writers, I tend to be more right-brained. So I really had to make sure that all the dates and facts of history were accurate. I did live through that history. Like my main character Grace (who I identified most with even though the writing was fiction, and her character was a composite), I married my partner after we were together for more than two decades.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
In a broad sense, I explored the idea of being yourself as a young person amid a sea of conformity and how to survive. In the process, I explored the theme of growing up as young lesbians in the era where it was still “the love that dare not speak its name,” meaning that being yourself was forbidden. Not everyone got out alive.
A historian friend commented to me that I documented an important piece of history leading up to marriage equality. That history is still with us. I was amazed in 2015 when same-sex marriage was ruled by the Supreme Court of the United States to be legal nationwide.
And I was amazed today when I learned that “The Respect For Marriage Act” (protecting the right to same-sex and interracial marriage nationwide in the U.S.) was passed by the House and is expected to be signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden.
One of the themes that I didn’t think about until after the final edit of the book was empowerment. I had such a hard time growing up (like one of my main characters, Grace, I fled from my working-class conventional background) that I actually dreaded going back and editing the book. When I was through the editing process, I actually felt like I had been more empowered than I thought. Actually, I felt a little victorious. Like Grace, I had escaped into my life and history was on my side.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The novel I just finished writing and am still revising is a little different. It features a talking, pregnant whale telling her story—that of the beauty and importance of the sea which is her home and her process of working through her knowledge of history (especially, the history of humans hunting whales) and learning to trust some humans whose help she needs.
I tend to have a novel published every two years. Before Loving Artemis was published in 2022, my novel The Unicorn, The Mystery was published in 2020 by Adelaide Books. So I’m hoping my new novel will be published by 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Meanwhile, Grace, running from her past, starts a life with Thalia. At a pride parade, Grace spots someone who reminds her of Artemis, who she was briefly involved with in her youth. Old feelings are rekindled. A lifetime of rejection, abandonment, and fleeing rears its head. Now she must come to terms with her past, put her relationship with Artemis to rest–or risk losing everything.
Artemis and Grace embark on a journey of revolution, love, and marriage and discover that love finds us when we least expect it.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/17/history-was-on-my-side/
Into the Night is the first story of Volume One of an immersive paranormal saga. Into the Night introduces Samuel on his journey of self-realization and discovery. Samuel is a naïve yet adventurous loner in a world that is in a dark place. Vampires scour the lands at night hunting, Barbarians randomly attack villages and townsfolk during the day. Samuel grew up hearing about these incidents but not seeing them for himself. Samuel is oblivious to what is about to take place.
In one of the towns, he meets Valencia, a confident, streetwise, and worldly vampire slayer who is bewildered that Samuel has managed to stay alive for so long. Valencia is attracted to Samuel’s innocence and optimism, something that she lost long ago.
What I loved the most about Jerry J.C. Veit’s story is the bond between Samuel and Valencia and the humorous dialogue between them. At times I felt the same feelings of frustration that Valencia felt towards Samuel’s ignorance and naivety. J.C. Veit has created memorable characters in this first installment of this action-packed adventure.
The Glass Demon is the second installment in Samuel and Valencia’s journey. The story picks up after Samuel and Valencia’s first fight against vampires. Instead of being a scared bystander, Samuel took part and learned how to fight. We see Samuel grow in confidence and he learns more about Valencia’s traumatic past enabling him to empathize with her and understand why she is so hardened. It is just them against that horrible world and its comforting for readers to know they are safe together.
J.C. Veit is great at immersing readers in fantastical worlds and settings and making them feel what the main characters feel. I felt like I had no clue what was happening next and I love that in a story. Readers who enjoy original story lines and read supernatural adventures / thrillers filled with vampires, barbarians and well portrayed action will enjoy this novella.
Pages: 285 | ASIN : B0BK5LLV3K
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/17/into-the-night-2/