Stop the Whistleblower by Charles Deemer

Reading the novella, Stop the Whistleblower, is compelling.  The book is written like a screenplay and I’m fascinated by the no fluff writing style of Charles Deemer.

As the title suggests, the book is about a whistleblower. Ray is a white man who works for BeautiLine. VitaTan is a new suntan pill the company manufactures and according to Ray, the pill is not safe and he can prove it, and we all know what happens to whistleblowers.

Drastic measures are taken to keep Ray quiet – an overdose of VitaTan – and Ray is now a black man. Trying to convince everyone he is Ray, the white man, is where the story becomes full of suspense and humor. That’s right, I found it to be quite comical at times, which makes it an entertaining read.

Experiencing life as a black man is eye-opening for Ray, his situations range from not being able to hail a cab, to sleeping with a black woman, to being arrested. This all happens while he tries to deal with a jealous half-brother and revenge plans for BeautiLine.

No spoilers here, you’ll have to read, Stop the Whistleblower, by Charles Deemer, to see if Ray lives his life as a free white man or an incarcerated black man.

The Tegen Cave by Inge-Lise Goss

A Spider’s Web of Crime and Corruption

Escaping from her boyfriend, Conner, and his mafia-style life of organized crime, Sara Jones becomes a silent hero in this tangled web of mystery and suspense.

Spiders remain busy spinning a murderous web when they are signaled by a unique sound heard only by spiders. Possessing poisonous venom, the spiders complete their mission consistently.

Sara learns she is immune to the poison, and this is where the story begins to build up suspense on every page.

Caught in a web of deceit, Sara isn’t sure who to trust, Conner, the gorgeous hunk of a boyfriend who entangled her into his life of crime, or the other gorgeous hunk of a boyfriend, Brett, who replaces Conner. Yes, there’s plenty of sex interweaved with horror and violence in The Tegen Cave.

Keeping up with Sara’s libido as she tries to spin a web of moral survival is incredibly entertaining. All the characters become real in this particular world of spiders and creative fiction by Inge-Lise Goss.

Appreciating extraordinary writing was a pleasure. I was engaged throughout the story as there was never a predictable event. I’m hoping for a sequel to The Tegan Cave, by Inge-Lise Goss.

The Dream You Make by Christine Nolfi

Complex relationships

Annie McDaniel is in her thirties – owns and manages Green Interiors, a greenhouse – acting like a teenager at times, in other respects, an intelligent business woman. Michael Rowe is in his thirties - owns and manages Rowe Marketing, a successful marketing firm – acting like a brute at times, in other respects, a caring and generous boss. When the two meet, during Annie’s interview to work at Rowe’s Marketing Firm, there is an immediate attraction.

Annie tries to keep her personal life from her boss, Michael Rowe. Any relationship would jeopardize her chances of gaining custody of her nephew. The secrecy drives Michael crazy, and his way of handling bad situations is to pack up and leave.

While Annie reciprocates Michael’s love, she must put her nephew first, which creates feelings of angst in the relationship.

During most of the story, I couldn’t stand Michael, but I grew to understand and love the guy. The same could be said for Annie, at times, her behavior drove me nuts. Their relationship was complex and is thought provoking – do I judge people too quickly, too harsh – do I give people a chance?

The Dream You Make is all about second and even third chances. Both Annie and Michael forgave each other many times for a chance of happiness.

While I enjoyed the story, I agreed with a remark made by Michael, during a usual work day, “Damn it! I’m sick and tired of the theatrics!” 

Understanding the first section of chapter one served as an introduction, the information was more enjoyable when it was integrated afterward and into the first chapters.

The Dream You Make by Christine Nolfi gives hope to all relationships.

What the Hell is Going On in My Life?: Using the "NEW" Astrology to Find Serious Answers by Larry Schwimmer

Filled with entertaining stories about how the “new” astrology played a part in decision making in people’s lives, What the Hell is Going On in My Life?: Using the "NEW" Astrology to Find Serious Answers, was a fun and interesting read.

Appreciative it was a book of advice written in a sensitive manner vs. an ‘in your face’ style of self-help book was refreshing. One could take away useful information and choose to apply it to their life, or not, without feeling the book was read in vain.

Larry Schwimmer offered a free transit calculator to assist his readers in understanding how they could use the new astrology to improve when, where, and how to make more productive decisions.

As a new fan of the “new” astrology, I’ll be updating my transit calculator when needed and taking advantage of the advice.

See a Heart Share a Heart by Eric Telchin

Reminded of the saying, ‘stop and smell the roses’, See a Heart Share a Heart, is a beautiful comparison to this sentiment.

Each page has captured a heart that is found in a folded leaf, paint drips, a butterfly’s shadow, and a shell on a beach, just to name several.

Captions attached to each heart are thought provoking and the illustrations are striking.

Eric Telchin’s message throughout his inspirational book is: Hearts bring love.

Readers will enjoy taking a moment to stop and See a Heart Share a Heart.

Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye: The World's Greatest Detective Tackles the Bible's Ultimate Mysteries by Len Bailey

More effective as a Bible study.

An unusual idea for readers to enjoy Holmes, but I wasn’t impressed. The book began with the Needle’s Eye, the means to Holmes and Watson’s ability to time travel, but I was left confused.

It continued with ten Biblical mysteries to be investigated. Holmes and Watson took the time traveling trips where they witnessed scenes and discussed clues. Holmes recited Scriptures from memory and the two connected the dots. I found it odd that Holmes memorized Scriptures when he doesn’t share the faith, and Watson was his typical annoying self.

Reading the book as a novel, my thoughts turned to thinking maybe it was more effective as a Bible study. The reader would answer questions provided in the back of the book, which included specific scriptures to follow.

Desiring to finish the book with a pearl or two, as much as I was confused and frustrated, I decided to read the investigative questions provided. They were thought provoking enough for pondering - always a good thing.

To be fair: the book was presented with two suggestions on how to read it, as a Bible study or as a novel/collection of individual mysteries.