Category: Book Brief

Book Brief: Appalachian Justice

Appalachian Justice - Melinda ClaytonAppalachian Justice
by Melinda Clayton
Genre: Historical fiction, general fiction
Word count: 73,600

Billy May Platte is a half Irish, half Cherokee Appalachian woman who learned the hard way that 1940s West Virginia was no place to be different.

As Billy May explains, “We was sheltered in them hills. We didn’t know much of nothin’ about life outside of them mountains. I did not know the word lesbian; to us, gay meant havin’ fun and queer meant somethin’ strange.”

In 1945, when Billy May was fourteen years old and orphaned, three local boys witnessed an incident in which Billy May’s sexuality was called into question. Determined to teach her a lesson she would never forget, they orchestrated a brutal attack that changed the dynamics of the tiny coal mining village of Cedar Hollow, West Virginia forever.

Global Ebook Gold Winner in 2013, a finalist for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s Synergy Program in 2013, and voted Sapphic Readers Book Club Book of the Year in 2011 (under a different imprint), Appalachian Justice is a work of southern fiction that delves into social issues such as poverty, domestic violence, misogyny, and sexual orientation. Ultimately, however, Appalachian Justice delivers a message of hope.

This book is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: Appalachian Justice”

Book Brief – The Forgotten Mourners: Sibling Survivors of Suicide

Forgotten MournersThe Forgotten Mourners: Sibling Survivors of Suicide
by Magdaline DeSousa (pen name John’s Sister)
Genre: Self-Help; Death and Grief
Word count: 30,255

This book is meant for anyone who has lost a brother or sister to suicide – the forgotten mourners – and those who want to provide them support. Any loss is difficult, but a loss to suicide is heightened because of the helplessness and confusion surrounding it.

A sibling loss to suicide is even more unique because the sibling(s) left behind are often forgotten – mourning the loss of their brother or sister alone in the shadows of their parents’ grief. This book discusses some of the challenges sibling survivors of suicide will face, both individually and as a family unit, including:

  • What can I expect during the grieving process as a sibling survivor of suicide?
  • How can I set boundaries to take care of myself?
  • Will my relationship with my parents change?
  • How do I answer questions about my now-departed sibling?
  • Who am I without my sibling?
  • What can I do to get through the holidays and anniversaries?
  • How do I keep my brother or sister alive in my life, without him or her physically present?

These questions and more are answered directly from the author’s experiences following the loss of her eighteen year-old brother to suicide in November 2001. Hopefully, her experiences will give sibling survivors of suicide strength, hope, and peace in navigating the long road to healing ahead.

This book is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief – The Forgotten Mourners: Sibling Survivors of Suicide”

Book Brief: House on Bo-Kay Lane

The House on Bo-Kay LaneHouse on Bo-Kay Lane
by Greta Burroughs
Genre: MG/YA
Word count: 55,000

Gerald and Vernon believe their time with the wee people came to an end after they returned to their home world but begin to wonder when strange things started to happen at an abandoned house in their neighborhood. Ghostly images of familiar faces from the wee people village are seen in the windows, echoes of voices from the past haunt the boys’ dreams and an undeniable curiosity draws Gerald and Vernon to investigate the mysterious haunted house. What they find takes them back to the world of the wee people and a new adventure begins.

In “House on Bo-Kay Lane”, a mirror is found in a forgotten room in the far-seers’ training center. Sheela, a far-seer master and Alyson, an apprentice firestarter are unwillingly drawn into the depths of the mirror and wind up in the abandoned house on Bo-Kay Lane. Sheela uses her telepathic skills to enlist the aid of Gerald, Vernon and Gerald’s father, Andrew to help find the way back to the world of the wee people.

That problem resolved, they try to unravel the secrets of the mirror and find that it is a portal between their two worlds, as well as to a time in the future and possibly even to a parallel universe. They also discover that someone is trapped inside the mirror and the decision has to be made as to whether or not to help the trapped soul escape the confines of the portal.

This book is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: House on Bo-Kay Lane”

Book Brief: Between Boyfriends

Between BoyfriendsBetween Boyfriends
by Sarka-Jonae Miller
Genre: Chick Lit/ New Adult
Word count: 104,000

At first glance, twenty-one-year-old Jan Weston has it all: a gorgeous boyfriend, fun friends, and wealthy parents who take care of all those pesky credit card bills.

Then her boyfriend dumps her, her friendships fall apart, and her parents cut her off. Suddenly without money, without a man, and without a plan, it’s time for Jan to grow up.

Determined to get her life back on track, Jan decides it’s time to make it on her own. Can she find her way as a single lady in San Diego? Can she fix her friendships, her job prospects, and her hair? And can she keep her vow that she’ll never date again, even after she meets a guy who just might be perfect for her?

BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS is a sexy, hilarious story of living life, finding love, and growing up… but not necessarily in that order.

This book is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: Between Boyfriends”