Storybook Mouse 4

A happy ending!

Favourite Animal: TIGER

Happy Easter!

Shadow and Sage

Sages’ sayings and sage suggestion from the shadows of souls

Download free here: http://smashwords.com/b/54205

A good one!

Review: MARIE: An Inspector Monde Tale of Strange and Terrible Adventures

Marie

An Inspector Monde Tale of Strange and Terrible Adventures

By John Booth

Brilliant! A short story set in Paris, starring the unflappable Inspector Monde, a case of strange ‘suicides’, a missing girl, a seedy bar...and the darkness of the river.

Told with dry precision and underlying quirkiness, John Booth swiftly draws the reader into the underbelly of Paris and keeps you enthralled to the last word.

Definitely worth reading, and I hope John Booth collects all the Inspector’s Strange and Terrible Adventures into one soon!

Elaina J Davidson

April 2011

Review: Iron Admiral by Greta van der Rol

Iron Admiral

Authour: Greta van der Rol

How to describe Iron Admiral? Sci-fi? Absolutely. Romance? Yep. Adventure? Another yep. This is a quick read (the kind you pick up...and then don’t put down until done!), fast-paced with loads of action and changes and scenery.

Iron Admiral is also cleverly constructed, the details of other worlds, politics and races woven throughout to create a synergy of backstory and tale that never feels contrived (I am somewhat in awe of that!). World descriptions are good, with everything the reader needs without resorting to huge chucks of words. The plot is excellent, from weapons trading and a nasty virus to the shenanigans of politicians and two races in conflict. I am very impressed by Greta van der Rol’s writing style: she uses minimal words to say much and really pulls it off.

Characters are believable. Allysha is a likable heroine and seriously clever. Saarehn is the kind of man we like to read about- strong and capable, but also enigmatic. The lesser characters are colourful, some downright dastardly- but we like that!

I got to the end of Iron Admiral...and wanted to find out what happens next...and that is always a good sign. Can’t wait to read the next one!

Elaina J Davidson

April 2011

Nails in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed.

They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'

Please forgive me if I have ever left a 'hole' in your fence.

Review: Shrouded Secrets by Joel McGrath

Shrouded Secrets by Joel McGrath

Shrouded Secrets is firmly in the YA category, from home situations between siblings and figures of authority to the daily school routine. Throw in a strange vacation, and you have the interest of your reader...but when that strangeness spills over into ordinary life, you have a tale worth following. I have to insert here that ‘Shrouded Secrets’ is a great title- it certainly grabbed my attention.


The story is good. A world that exists in the dark matter surrounding us, much like Earth...with a few tweaks. A boy able to step through the thinning to help Earth, and a boy from our world able to wield the power of that other place. And a supporting cast both otherworldly and ordinary.

However, I feel Shrouded Secrets needs a little tweaking itself. It reads (to a fellow writer) like a first draft, when we make the mistake of inserting too many adjectives and extra words. There is as well a sense of formality many YA readers may not identify with. The pace is a little slow. From my perspective, I would like to see Shrouded Secrets undergo a thorough edit...and then the tale will shine bright.

Elaina
April 2011

It's official! Gathering of Rain in Paperback soon!

Friends, I simply have to share the news! Gathering of Rain has been picked up by Night Publishing and will launch July/Aug!

Watch this space for updates and links.

*dances a jig of joy*

Elaina

Mirrors

Mirrors make me.

And mirrors break me.

Shards of shiny glass, reflection pond, polished metal, ornately framed, it’s of no import.

As you read this and I play the role of storyteller, a new looking glass rises from the mercury I wade through. I haven’t seen one like it before and, momentarily its existence stumps me. Only momentarily, for a mirror is a mirror and here, now, another lesson awaits.

Allow me to step aside for a while before we peer into this mirror together. You need a little back story, but only a little. Your patience will be rewarded.

Have you tried this? Position two mirrors facing each other and stand between them. Magically you see yourself reflected into what feels like infinity. It’s not magic, of course, it’s science, but it feels as if sorcery could be at work, playing with your perceptions- for a few thumping beats of your heart you are drawn into another space and time. And when the dog barks or someone calls out or a door slams...the spell is broken.

Here’s another one: stare into a mirror, into your eyes reflected back at you. Really stare. Concentrate, focus, block out peripheral images. Look into your eyes...except it’s not you over there, is it? The real you is who others see, the one you see in photographs. But it feels like you and if you stare long enough, you begin to see your soul. The instant you recognise the essence of a presence, you shiver. If it works for you, it is magic; science cannot reveal essence. When the dog barks, etc, you are relieved to have the spell broken. It’s downright scary.

Except, it isn't your soul. It’s the soul of a reflection. Now that can lead to nightmares.

Back to back story. I have dark eyes. Hard to read, people tell me. Not that I believe you read someone’s eyes, that all emotion is on display there- that’s achieved in minute facial expressions. A crinkle at the corner of an eye could be amusement. Slight tightening of lips could be disagreement. An eyebrow lifted just a tick could be disbelief...you get the picture. Eyes are not crystal balls. You disagree? You might have a point and I might be in denial.

You see, I looked into my dark eyes, apparently so hard to read, and recognised that essence I mentioned earlier. Except, something moved in those eyes...and it wasn’t me. When my reflection blinked, and I know I did not, I was utterly spooked.

Couldn't look in the mirror for some while.

I am not one to wimp out long, however, and thus I tried the two mirror trick; safer I thought (well, I did say I was spooked). All gods in all heavens, the sixth reflection turned her head. I don’t know if six has significance, don’t care- she moved. If I was spooked before, imagine what that engendered.

My fascination with mirrors began then. I would see one and shy away. Always made sure I knew where the mirrors were in a new place in order to avoid them. A strange situation. A friend avoids mirrors because she doesn’t like herself; I avoided them because I do like myself...and wanted to keep me intact.

There really is no avoiding your reflection, however. Look into a rain puddle when retrieving something dropped. Windows are wonderful mirrors, did you know that? The silvery side of metallic wrapping, while distorted, can surprise you. And, honestly, it’s not long before you take the risk of a real mirror anyway...after perhaps the second poke of a mascara wand. Ego will force you. And so will self-worth.

And thus I stared one day at my reflection...and everything changed.

A great review for Gathering of Rain!