Few pieces of federal legislation merit as much and receive as little attention as the Farm Bill.1 Most people who slog through this five-hundred-page-document are stunned by its breadth and complexity. Its many provisions deal with the production of a vast range of food commodities, some well-known (cotton, feed corn, beef, and dairy) and others […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2024/03/10/eyes-on-the-farm-bill/
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
So that stuffy nose and cough turned into bronchitis. I am on steroids and antibiotics. This time my hubby got sick too. We Spring Forward tonight. I wish my state could get their act together and get rid of daylight savings, but all they do is argue. Needless to say I am woefully behind and have to write reviews today. Stay Caffeinated.
Learn more:
A special thanks to Subterranean Press, Tantor Audio
Before you link up: Please be sure your weekly post includes a link back to Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Post
Never miss a post by adding Caffeinated to your Inbox
Subscribe
Source
Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/03/sunday-post-618-spring-forward.html
Ultimatum follows a Marine Raider living in a post-apocalyptic world who has one mission: to reach Three Mile Island at any cost. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I am a sci-fi and fantasy lover. The inspiration for this story was wanting to make my sci-fi classic. My favorite movies are Aliens ’86, Jurassic Park, and Terminator. I love cyberpunk also. I believe if you look through the book you can see the inspiration of all those stories in this novel.
One of the stand-out features in this novel is the character development. Were the characters’ backstory something you always had, or did it develop as you were writing?
As for character development, I am someone who likes teamwork. My first draft was so bad. My main character D was a genetic uber-competent superman. He was the only real character in a story where he travels through the broken world to find out how this happened. That story was a train wreck. My next draft needed more characters, and all of them needed to have traits that complemented D and filled in facts for the reader in a natural way, so I created Zach and gave him tech smarts, Hank with long military experience, Betty with psychological knowledge, and Cella with bioscience knowledge. From there I had to round out the characters and their motivations. I used myself, other family members, and the many people I’ve met in my life to flesh out the main characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The themes of this book are for people to care for resource management and to understand that war is not a game.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
This is the first book of a planned trilogy. I plan to release the second novel, Ultimatum: Fallout County, later this year 2024.
Author Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/10/war-is-not-a-game/
Lost Grove: Part One follows a tenacious lawman who digs into the mystery of a woman’s death, discovering the town is hiding more secrets than he anticipated. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Charlotte: The idea first originated when I visited the quaint and stunning Victorian town of Ferndale, CA. I was inspired by the picturesque surroundings and the magical vibes it made me feel. While I was there, I came up with the idea of a series of interconnected weird tales, something akin to Josh Mallerman’s Goblin, six separate tales that all happen in the same town, with some loose connections. A few of the original stories I came up with were one about The Green Man, one about Mary the Vampire, and one about a mysterious institute (which became the Orbriallis).
Alex: When Charlotte brought the idea to me, I came up with the concept of tying them all together through a detective story, which are my favorite books to read.
Charlotte: I came up with the idea and image of Sarah Elizabeth’s body being found on a beach. With Mary being there.
Alex: And I grabbed the baton from there to come up with the actual case.
Sergeant Seth Wolfe is an intelligent and intense character who is set on discovering the secrets that the town has hidden even as the clues drift away. What was the inspiration for the main character’s traits and dialogue?
Charlotte: I think Seth was an amalgamation of some of my favorite detective characters from books, as well as my husband.
Alex: Insider secret – that’s me. The husband. But what else are you leaving out, Charlotte? Don’t hold back.
Charlotte: Ugh, fine. Yes, I will also admit there was a little bit of Seth Rollins, the current WWE Champion, in there.
Alex: There ya go. So, Charlotte established his overall character and then passed him off to me, knowing my penchant for detectives. I wrote the majority of Seth’s dialogue and really leaned into the stoic nature that Charlotte came up with. He’s seen things in his almost twenty years as a homicide detective in San Francisco that make it hard for him to get phased by much. I also consciously forced his dialogue to not be from my personal voice.
Charlotte: Right, because truthfully, you talk more like Nate Abbot, one of our favorite teen characters.
Alex: Very true, which is why I had to rewrite a lot of his dialogue to make him awesome and hilarious.
Charlotte: Is that why? (laughs)
What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story, where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?
Charlotte: I think one of the hardest parts of writing a mystery story is keeping track of the clues and what’s been revealed, when, and by whom.
Alex: And this is where our obsessiveness pays off. We did an epic amount of prep work before digging in to start actually writing the novel(s). Coming up with the overall story arc first, and then using flashcards to break it down event-by-event, date-by-date, covering our entire living room floor with them.
Charlotte: Yes, that was very important. But we also had to allow for natural surprises to come out in the process of writing the novel and not be fully tied to these pre-planned events.
Alex: Right. Much like preparing for an opponent in sports. Like if I were a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves—-
Charlotte: You’re not.
Alex: No, but if I were, it would be practice, practice, practice, study tape, read reports. But then, when the game comes, we’d have to be willing to throw all of that aside and just go play. Allow for the opponent, in this case, our story, to challenge you and force you to switch gears.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?
Charlotte: I’m going to take a queue from Mr. Scott Gimple, franchise boss of The Walking Dead Universe, and vaguely reply: you’ll get answers.
Alex: (laughs) Oh, I think we can say a little more than that. Every now and then, Gimple will actually give the audience something to chew on. I will say this: the title of book two is The Orbriallis Institute, which one could logically conclude that you’ll learn a lot more about the mysterious research facility.
Charlotte: Very true. I will add that you’ll also see the teenager’s friendships grow and that their mystery will take less of a backseat in this one.
Alex: And you’ll learn more about the Green Man and that Peter Andalu—
Charlotte: Okay, that’s enough.
Alex: Fine, fine. Can we at least tell them the date?
Charlotte: Absolutely. The Orbriallis Institute: Lost Grove Part Two will be released on Tuesday, October 8th.
Alex: And that’s this year, 2024. So, not long to wait! Just the way we planned it.
Charlotte Zang Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Alex J. Knudsen Author Links: Goodreads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In the eerie, enigmatic town of Lost Grove, where secrets whispered among the rustling pines are as thick as the fog rolling in from the sea, the discovery of Sarah Elizabeth Grahams’ lifeless corpse on the windswept beach is but the first note in a haunting symphony of mysteries.
Sergeant Seth Wolfe, the town’s tenacious lawman, penetrates the cryptic and labyrinthine secrets veiled beneath the town’s murky facade. A connection to Sarah Elizabeth, one he could never have fathomed, begins to take shape, blurring the lines between his own existence and the mysteries that enshroud the town. Suspects multiply like whispers in a haunted forest, but each lead unravels, and the mysteries of the case deepen.
Meanwhile, a group of local teenagers embark on their own harrowing mission, driven by a relentless desire to answer the riddle of their friend’s vanished brother and expose the sinister secrets harbored by an affluent institute nestled in the heart of Lost Grove. Bringing their disturbing findings to Seth, he discovers eerie parallels between their quest and his case.
As Seth dives deeper into the abyss of darkness gripping Lost Grove, an unsettling incident threatens to derail his investigation and shatter the illusions of safety the town has harbored for far too long. A chilling web of malevolence begins to tighten its grip, ensnaring them all in a nightmarish dance that will test the limits of their resolve.
Readers who love the eerie, unsettling mystery of Stephen King’s The Outsider and the monstrous legends of Brian McGreevy’s Hemlock Grove will enjoy this twisty, taut thriller.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/10/obsessiveness-pays-off/
Codex follows a former FBI agent living off the grid after his wife’s death who becomes the suspect in two separate murders after being gifted three million dollars. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As a writer and a reader, I’m always inspired by human stories of people who are at rock bottom and life circumstances force them to look within and rebuild themselves from the bottom up. This is Angus Mariner at the beginning of the story – off-grid after his wife’s death, blaming himself for the accident that killed her, separated from everything and everyone. And it is here, in this rich moment of loss and desperation, that his heart and soul are most impressionable to the events that begin to unfold.
The fast-paced action in this novel makes it feel like there is a new twist in every chapter, adding depth to the story and keeping readers in suspense. How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
I think it’s just that – there needs to be a balance so that readers have time to figure out the story on their own a bit. Readers want to feel smart, but I also think they like to be surprised.
Angus discovers his wife’s death was no accident; this changes everything in his life and the course of his future. Do you think there’s a single moment in everyone’s life, maybe not as traumatic, that is life-changing?
It’s always shocking to discover that things are not what they appeared to be. For almost two years, Angus has pulled farther away from everything and everyone he knew because he was racked with guilt and remorse. Once he discovers that they were targeted, this causes some old part of his heart to wake up with a new imperative of finding out who did this and why.
What is the next book you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I’m working on a new standalone thriller that I’m hoping will be out in November/December of 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/10/guilt-and-remorse/
In Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths: A Battle of Anxiety Vs. Trust, author Mark Cheverton presents the second installment in the Order of the Stones series, inviting readers back into the world of Cameron Poole, a seventh-grader at Camp Pontchartrain. Last summer’s experiences at camp left Cameron as an unexpected hero, but now he finds himself wrestling with an all-too-familiar adversary: anxiety. Despite the high regard of his peers, Cameron’s internal struggle clouds his self-perception, focusing his attention more on perceived failures than on his capabilities.
Even as a newcomer to the series, I found the book accessible and engaging, with sufficient background information provided to understand the characters and their journey. Cheverton skillfully portrays anxiety through Cameron, a character who resonates with those who experience similar challenges. The depiction of anxiety is nuanced, capturing its diverse manifestations and incorporating realistic coping strategies into the narrative without coming across as didactic.
The supporting characters enrich the story significantly. Figures like wise Mrs. Chakote, tech-savvy Bobby, and dependable Leonard add depth and diversity to the cast, paralleling the variety of magic in the story. Action sequences stand out with their vivid, almost cinematic quality, while the plot progresses at a steady pace, making for a captivating adventure that goes beyond mere fantasy. The integration of Chakra crystals, a fascinating element of the magic system, presents an opportunity for further exploration into practices like cleansing or recharging, enhancing the depth of the author’s richly imagined world.
Cameron and the Shadow-wraiths is a compelling tale that intertwines the themes of overcoming anxiety and epic fantasy. Cheverton’s storytelling is effective in conveying the emotional journey of the protagonist, demonstrating that anxiety, while challenging, can be confronted and overcome. This book, appropriate for readers aged 10 and up, merges fantasy elements with real-world issues, creating an engaging narrative that encourages awareness and understanding of anxiety.
Pages: 254 | ASIN : B0CBG5PHFT
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/10/cameron-and-the-shadow-wraiths-a-battle-of-anxiety-vs-trust/
In Gargoyle’s Spring, by Gracie Cooper, readers are introduced to a young witch from a prestigious clan set apart by her peculiar talent for derailing spells and hexes. Rejecting the suitor chosen by her influential family, she faces a future overshadowed by solitude, with her nights reserved for books, ice cream, and the company of her loyal familiars. However, a creative plan proposed by her best friend tilts her world in an unexpectedly positive direction.
Ibis, the protagonist, is a charmingly imperfect character, her endearing flaws forge a connection with the reader. The ensemble of eccentric characters that surround her complements her personality beautifully. The narrative takes a whimsical turn with the entrance of a prince charming unlike any other – a Gargoyle liberated from an ancient curse. The novel brims with chaos, adventure, and continuous humor, celebrating a character who embraces her uniqueness and maintains an optimistic outlook.
Gargoyle’s Spring is a lighthearted, engaging read that provides a comforting sense of warmth. Ibis, as the central character, is not only relatable and kind but also exudes a self-deprecating humor that reveals her inner strength and self-acceptance. The novel adeptly explores themes of friendship, familial bonds, and personal struggles, striking a balance that resonates with a wide audience without detracting from its playful tone. The plot is dynamic, characterized by witty exchanges that keep the narrative lively and fresh. While the romance in the book is subtly spiced, it doesn’t detract from the depth of the relationships, focusing instead on the evolving dynamics between characters.
Suitable for an evening’s leisurely read, Gargoyle’s Spring offers a delightful escape, transporting readers just far enough from reality to be thoroughly enjoyable without being overly fantastical. A highly recommended read for fans of the magical fantasy genre.
Pages: 187 | ASIN : B0CSG95P8T
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/10/gargoyles-spring/