75x75=Flash Fraction by Helena Mallett

This was fascinating!

Well written, well thought out stories, consisting of only 75 words - amazing!

Helena Mallett followed me on Twitter, so I followed back. Of course, I always go to a new follower’s site to see what cool writing the author is up to. When I saw this title, I was without question - intrigued.

I sent a tweet to Helena disclosing I was a book reviewer, and without delay she delivered a copy of 75x75=Flash Fraction for my Kindle. I read a few stories and was hooked and curious. So, I sent another tweet and asked her if it was hard to write a story in 75 words.

She tweeted back her answer:  “It's a discipline that I love - cutting and honing until there's 75words.”

I bet it’s a discipline, and Helena Mallett has mastered it. There is a subject for everyone in her collection of 75 stories. It’s a fun, quick, easy read, which activates your brain. Loved it!

In Helena’s original answer, she shared:  “I'm now writing a new book of 75 x 75 word conversations.” 

I can’t wait to read it!

75x75=Flash Fraction is for readers of all ages to enjoy. Love that title!

Mark of the Loon by Molly Greene

Great mystery and romance story for the Young Adult reader.

Climbing through a window, late at night, to check out a listing for an English cottage, is what starts Madison on her quest to solve the mystery behind the original owner’s past. Madison is a real estate agent who flips houses, because she is afraid of staying in one place. It is the perfect job until she falls in love with this listing.

It isn’t an easy purchase, and once she has moved in, the mysteries begin. Hidden keys, and plastered walls hiding secret rooms, intriguing messages, uninvited guests, are all clues to the puzzle. Madison is not alone in this quest; she has several close girlfriends who get involved. Molly Greene describes their close friendship in great detail throughout the story.

Of course, there has to be romance. That’s where Cole comes in. Madison is very cautious in her feelings for Cole, and Cole is a patient man, because he falls for her the minute he set eyes on her. He also plays an important role towards the end of the mystery.

There is much going on in Mark of the Loon;  the true meaning of friendship, compassion for Madison’s deep rooted problems, the blossoming of an innocent romance, the history of the original owners, all leading to the solved mystery.

The story is jam-packed with wordy details and descriptions that impeded my reading. I like to read a book in one sitting, but found I had to take quite a few breaks.

I think Madison’s main partner in crime, Gen, would have been sufficient for the story. Less is more, regarding her other friends, because they weren’t significant enough, therefore adding to the jam-packed effect.

The ending tied up all the loose ends in a couple of chapters. Sprinkling some of the conclusions a bit throughout the last half of the story, may have allowed the reader more time to appreciate the solving of the mystery.

Molly Greene’s imagination is superb. Mystery lovers will certainly enjoy sharing the ride with Madison and her friends solving the mystery of Mark of the Loon.

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen (pseudonym)

“I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions.”

I had mixed feelings about purchasing and reading this book. I saw ‘Mark’ interviewed, but I wanted to see why a Seal would write a book about a Seal mission. I thought there was a code among the Seals, so I googled and found this sentence included in the Seals code: “I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions.” My concern was about a Seal writing about a Seal mission. 

But . . . I admit I was curious, and there is nothing better than reading a first-hand account of any event. I have always respected the Seals for what they do. These men are exceptional American heroes, and I am glad they are working for me every day. Like the title states, Seals have No Easy Day. Therefore, I didn’t see the necessity to humanize the Seals in the way ‘Mark’ did. There was no reason to share their senseless pranks in a book such as this.

‘Mark’ also states this isn’t a political book. Yet, he mentions more than once about the Washington machine (his words) being slow in the decision-making, and how the military doesn’t have all they need. He comments on American tax dollars paying for a nice paved road, that isn’t in America.

‘Mark’ describes how he became a Seal; this degraded the Seals high standards, because he makes it sound like he barely made it. I don’t understand why he included this detailed information.

After reading, No Easy Day, I’m still not sure why ‘Mark’ wrote this book. I hope there’s nothing more sinister behind it except the monetary gain. No one wants to see repercussions for any of the Seals and their families.

The book was well written, and I did learn a few things from reading, No Easy Day:

1
        Seals should not get married. If the job comes before family,
        they shouldn’t have a family.

2

               I wasn’t aware how much the Seals dislike President Obama.

3

               Osama Bin Laden was more of a coward than I originally thought.

Automaton by Cheryl Davies

A manipulated soap opera, or a controlled reality show?

It’s GameWorld, located on a remote island, sometime in the future. It’s a place where no one has to lock their doors because nothing bad ever happens. As a matter of fact, everyone must wear a sleep- mask before falling asleep, to stop bad thoughts from entering their minds.

GameWorld is an extremely successful business. The CEO, Madison, is in control, and his employees take orders. The people, or androids, are purchased for entertainment by the wealthy. To receive a birthday gift of a Character for GameWorld, is the best gift ever. Amelia receives just such a gift from her father, her name is Lily.

Lily’s husband, Dean, is really a nice guy and a good husband. But his owner, Luke, has a bad day and decides to take his anger out on his Character, Dean. He types in for Dean to cheat on Lily. Sadly, Dean has no control over his programming. Amelia won’t have her Character, Lily, hurt in this way. She talks to Madison, and Amelia becomes the first game changer in GameWorld.

To protect Lily, she wants to replace Dean. She is willing to finance the cost of owning a second Character. Madison approves the deal. He feels guilty because GameWorld is a happy place, where people fulfill their fantasies and morals, through their Characters. Very rarely do people type in something bad for their Characters to do, and this is where we realize GameWorld isn’t perfect after all. But Amelia wants a perfect man for Lily, and Madison provides her with one. Again she controls Lily’s life and her destiny with this new Character, Archie, a perfect man.

What happens to Dean? You must read Automaton to find out! Is he terminated, is he swapped for a twin, is he forced to retire, is retirement a good thing in GameWorld?

I continued to be entertained throughout, Automaton, by Cheryl Davies. I don’t know if it’s because I don’t participate in role playing games or watch reality TV, but whatever the reason, I found the story captivating.

Cheryl Davies writes in a succinct writing style. She doesn’t waste words with fluff descriptions. I appreciated reading a well written book applying this style. It served as an example of ‘less is more’ well done.  Every character and scene was flawless in description.

I recommend, Automaton, by Cheryl Davies, for readers of all ages. It will leave you pondering if a GameWorld is in our future!

Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog

Re-read 18 years later

I met, Mary Crow Dog, in 1994, at her book signing, in Phoenix, Arizona. I was impressed that Mary took the time to not only sign my book, but she wrote a note and drew a picture. Richard Erdoes accompanied Mary, and he also signed his name under Mary’s.

When I read Lakota Woman in 1994, I enjoyed what I learned about the Lakota Sioux Nation’s people, customs, and history. Re-reading the book in 2012, I read for a different purpose. I’m writing a historical novel, and need to validate any facts I might include in my book.

Lakota Woman is just as fascinating a read in 1994 as it was today. Mary grew up as a Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Much like today, Pine Ridge was poverty stricken. Mary described her life, but she included other American Indians in her book.

She was raised in a one room shack, filled with many family members, with no amenities, much like camping. She described the daily life of Sioux women, and Sioux men, differentiating their roles. Ignorance was bliss for Mary, as she thought this was how everyone lived.  She viewed her childhood as happy because she basically had love in her family.  Domestic abuse was rampant in reservations, and there were dysfunctional families, as we call them today.

Indian children were sent to boarding school to ‘become white’, to shed their Indian ways and customs. The students were beaten and punished if they didn’t succeed in the daily attempts to change their traditional values. Mary left and became a street smart Sioux, she drank and shoplifted to survive.

As every teenager looked for something to be a part of, Mary joined the AIM (American Indian Movement). She was empathetic to her people and other Indian’s struggles and was hungry for knowledge. Mary shared the AIM events with her readers. Not all of it is pretty, by any means, but that is what is so fascinating. It’s a first-hand account of what American Indians suffered in the 1970’s.

Mary had a baby during the siege at Wounded Knee. Here she met her husband, Leonard Crow Dog; he was a medicine man and a leader, and also had children of his own. She was a naïve wife and mother, but she learned how to do both well and stood by her husband during his imprisonment and adversities during these tumultuous times.

The book includes sixteen photos that illustrate traditional customs, and put faces to names and places. Whether you read Lakota Woman to learn about the Lakota Sioux in general, or to obtain precise facts for your own research, it is the perfect book.

It is written on a young adult level, so it’s an easy read that any age would enjoy. It’s always fun to learn history through reading a story such as Lakota Woman vs. a textbook.