“May I Only Leave Rose Petals” is a collection of poems written by J S Drake. This poetry book takes readers on the journey from brokenness to wholeness, from darkness to light, from fear to love.
In these poems, the author has expressed her deep emotions. I appreciate the way the author has opened up her heart to the readers.
Some of my favorite poems from the collection are: Love, Wanting More Answers, Forgiveness, etc. The poem “Everything is Within You” tells the readers that whatever is sought for in the outer world is within us.
Beginning to see through the eyes of love, I see the chains that bind, I choose to forgive. I choose to forgive. Set free.
Above lines are of poem Forgiveness. After reading this poetry book, it’s time for me to take a journey into my heart and find my inner light. I loved the quotes by famous personalities that are included in this book.
This book is an inspiration to those people who are in the dark and looking for a light in their life. If you are looking to find your way to Home, then go ahead with this poetry book. These poems are relatable, thought provoking and written beautifully. Language used in the poems is lucid so one could understand these poems easily. I enjoyed reading these poems. It takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Book: Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds And Discovered Healing, Happiness And Love
Author: Justin and Alexis Black
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love” written by Justin and Alexis Black is a captivating memoir that hooked me from page one.
This is the story of two foster kids: Justin and Alexis. Alexis became an orphan at the age of 13 and Justin entered foster care at 9 years old. Alexis promised her foster parents: Kim and Brian that she won’t date for at least a year and she will figure out who she is. Alexis was in her third year at Western Michigan University when she met Justin, a freshman.
Alexis lived with her mother until she was six. After her mother’s death, family members, neighbors, friends, babysitters, etc abused her. Alexis’ biological father abused her physically and mentally. He abused her for eight years and was finally sent to prison. Justin also had many challenges in his life.
This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. It’s amazing to read how Alexis and Justin overcame the difficulties in their lives and grew together. They both are an inspiration for others. I really appreciate the strength of Alexis. She is an inspiration to other ladies. This is a must read book. It has great content and it is worth reading. I highly appreciate the authors for sharing their journey with the readers and showing them a ray of hope. Well written book. Those who love reading true stories should get their hands on this book.
Book: Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol And Gain A Happier, More Confident You
Author: Karolina Rzadkowolska
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You” by the author Karolina Rzadkowolska is an insightful book to read. In this book, the author has shared why going alcohol free was the best decision of her life. One day, the author decided to take a month-long break from alcohol. Karolina took another break from alcohol and she traveled to New Orleans, Hawaii, and Japan, all while alcohol-free. After that, she started her journey to become the woman she is meant to be. She fulfilled her dreams.
I am a kinda person who loves experiencing life fully alive. This book inspired me to set new goals for myself and live a confident life. The author has shared an eight-week plan that will help people who drink to ditch alcohol and become a happy and confident person. I liked the Journaling Homework that is given in the book for the readers.
Cover photo of the book is nice. The title is suitable. Language used in the book is lucid so more and more people could benefit from this book. I am glad to get my hands on this amazing book. Huge thanks to the author for sharing her experiences and knowledge with us. I highly recommend this book to more and more people.
Book: Fear Traps: Escape The Triggers That Keep You Stuck
Author: Nancy Stella
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Fear Traps: Escape the Triggers That Keep You Stuck” is an insightful book penned by the author Nancy Stella. In this book, the author has shared how we can get rid of our fears. Nancy has mentioned about the Courageous Brain Process which is a six step method for overcoming old triggers and developing new courage. The six steps are very simple and once we implement them in our life, we will find them helpful.
Nancy has shared about the time when she herself fell into the fear trap because her marriage ended. This book guides us to deal with our fears otherwise we might stay trapped in it for years.
I am a kinda person who is controlled by my emotions. This book helped me to control my emotions and I also learned how I can respond in a healthy way. If you feel stuck this book will guide you to move beyond. Language used in the book is lucid so readers would be able to understand it easily. I am glad to get my hands on this amazing life manual. Final Focused Meditation Exercise given at the end of the book will help the readers in becoming more courageous and self-confident.
Draped in Deceit penned by the author M D Charles is a captivating story that has the power to hook the readers till the last page. Main character of the story is a seventeen years old guy named Dan. His adoptive mother Fran died recently. After Fran’s death, Dan’s adoptive father Greg and his sister Charlotte haven’t talked much to Dan. He feels weird in the house with them. This made Dan determined to know about his birth parents.
After Fran’s death, for a long time he disappeared and didn’t have any contact with his girlfriend Nicola, his best friend Mallory Edwards, Tess Brinham and Jules Harvey. One day, Dan called Nicola to meet. He told her that he wants to find out about his birth mother. Nic offered her help to Dan and they even searched Greg’s office to find some details related to it. Read this book to know how things unveil for Dan.
Author’s writing style is nice. Cover of the book is well designed. Pace of the story is fast and I didn’t feel bored anytime while reading it. Narration is smooth and I enjoyed reading this story in a flow. I am interested in reading more novels by M D Charles in future.
Book: Peaceful Meridian: Sailing Into War, Protesting At Home
Author: David Rogers Jr
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 4/5
“Peaceful Meridian: Sailing into War, Protesting at Home” is an interesting story penned by David Rogers Jr. One day, David was feeling bored. He wanted to do something different, something new, adventurous. Also, because of the financial need and boredom, David went ahead with choosing the military. In mid-Jan of 2004, David entered into Boot camp for nine weeks. Initially, boot camp was all about medical examinations and immunizations. David is terrified of needles but his fear of shots is cured now. Jon Hutto and David were put together in boot camp so they can keep eye on each other. In bootcamp, David had different and some strange experiences.
After graduation, David went to Virginia to report to USS Hawes, FFG-53. While living on ship, many of the shipmates were waiting for their enlistment to end. David himself felt lonely, semi-homeless but after earning the housing allowance, he felt a bit better. Read this story to know about more inner and outer struggles of David in a military life.
Writing style of the author is nice. Language used in the book is lucid so I was able to understand the story easily. Pace of the story is fast and I didn’t feel bored anytime while reading it. This book is an insightful read and I like to highly recommend it to others.
“The Series Of Kindness: Volume 1” by Salma Soliman is an interesting book to read. This book is a collection of different short stories for kids.
The Cursed Village is a beautiful story that teaches the readers about kindness. It is about a small village where the sun shines brightly but there is no warmth within the hearts of the people who live in this village. Read this story to find out how the residents of this village will become kind from unkind.
Plot of these stories are amazing. I really appreciate the storytelling skills of the author. Kids could enjoy one story at a time. I am glad to get my hands on this amazing book. I truly enjoyed this story. This book is not only for kids but adults will also have a great time reading these stories.
Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
I live in New Zealand, a tiny country at the bottom of the world. There are two main Islands, the North and the South Island. My home town is a beautiful 9km beach location in the North Island of about four thousand people. From the top to the bottom of New Zealand there is amazing scenery, from beautiful sandy beaches to snowcapped mountains, bubbling hot mud pools and paddocks of green, green grass. A great environment for writing a book. I have two adult children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Gate In The Fence’ book?
I acquired an aggressive B cell lymphoma cancer when the book was only a few chapters old. I went through ten months of regular three weekly intravenous chemotherapy. I came out the other side but for three years I was very ill and never wrote at all during that time. Then I had a business failure and declined into serious depression. Once again there were long periods of no writing.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
To be honest, I hardly read at all. Maybe one book a year while I am on holiday. My wife is the big reader in our family. I have always been a bit of a story teller though and when I first went into the Airforce, I was asked to write an essay about my life to date. The comment from my instructor was that he had asked for an essay, not a book, so maybe I have always had one in me.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
We live in a pretty special place, so it is hard to find somewhere better to go on holiday. However, we have a timeshare in Fiji and have enjoyed many family holidays there over the years and plan to return to relax, play golf, swim and enjoy the fabulous Fijian hospitality as soon as the pandemic allows. We have also spent a lot of time traveling, working and holidaying all over beautiful New Zealand.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
As this was my first book, I didn’t have a clue where to start. My modus operandi was to start and see where it took me. I wanted to engage the reader right from the start and to draw them further into the story with each page read. I purposely wanted to be edgy, controversial, fast moving with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing what was going to happen next. I was asked to describe the book in one sentence and I replied Fifty Shades of Grey on steroids. It also had to be something I would enjoy reading myself.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Gate In The Fence’ book?
Twelve years. There were many times when I thought I would never finish it. It is ironic that illness kept me from writing for long periods, but COVID helped me finish it. Being locked down was the perfect environment to create the discipline I needed to reach the 65,000 word target.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Gate In The Fence’ book to buy?
It is available in hardcopy, paperback, audio and ebook. You can buy it from the publisher, Austin Macauley, Amazon, Book Depository, Wheelers and more. https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/gate-fence
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Gate In The Fence’?
To be honest getting the cover right was harder than writing the book. With the publisher on the other side of the world and people working from home because of COVID it was really hard to convey what I wanted. I ended up doing a hand drawing myself. My objective was to keep it quite simple and plain while trying to convey a little of the mystery and dark side of the story. My perception was that there were not many white coloured covers so that a simple white cover with a black pencil drawing would stand out on the shelf. I can’t wait to see if that works. The title really picked itself. The fence between the neighboring properties in the story has a gate in it and is an integral part of the whole story.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I was conscious of trying to mix up the chapters. Some short, some a bit longer. I felt this allowed me to keep the story moving by taking the reader from place to place and situation to situation. While wanting to grow the characters, I didn’t spend too much time on this to ensure I didn’t loose the attention of the readers that wanted to know what was happening next, while giving the more intense readers enough information for them to grow each character themselves.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
I don’t want to reveal any secrets, just maybe some advice. Settle in, buckle up make sure you have taken your medication and get ready to spend a lot of time with your nose in this book, because my prediction is you are going to find it hard to put down.
“The Gate in the Fence” penned by the author Bob Menzies is the debut book of the author.
The story is about the two neighbours who live in houses separated by a fence with a gate in it. The gate provides easy access between the two properties. One of the neighbours is an ex-war vet David. The other neighbours are a married couple. Husband Michael is a Branch manager at a bank and his wife is Katie. One morning when Katie was talking to her friend De De on the phone, she heard a knock on the door. When she opened the door, it was David. He entered Katie’s house and abused her. Katie couldn’t free herself as David is a powerful man. He took her into his caravan where she lay naked on a double bed. Read this story yourself to unveil what happens next.
The twists and turns in the story made it very interesting. This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I read it. The story is so gripping, I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. The title of the story is according to the contents of the book and is therefore suitable. Cover photo is well designed. I appreciate the amazing storytelling skills of the author. The plot is interesting.
Those who love reading thriller or suspense novels shouldn’t miss to get their hands on this amazing book.
“The Lost Truth of April Dark” is a fantasy adventure novel penned by the author C Iron. It is the first installment in the trilogy. April has been suffering from an abnormal disease for some time. She felt a pain in her chest. Soon, in the hospital, her world went black. She regained consciousness in a magical world that seems so real.
In the magical world, April kept on wondering “what kind of place is it?”. She was rescued by the local villagers. The villagers rescued April from getting drowned in the water of the asylum. They also gave her shelter. April was taken to the healeress Kilara since the villagers find it difficult to believe in her story about how she came here. Kilara gave a potion to April. Then, one boy Fi told the villagers that he had seen April in the picture that he found in the burnt village. Read this story to find out who the evil is in the story. Will April get the answers to her questions – why is she in this magical world?
Storyline is interesting. Pace of the story is fast and I didn’t feel bored while reading it. I appreciate the author’s vivid imagination in creating this fantasy world. Language used in the book is lucid so I was easily able to follow the story.
If you love reading adventurous stories involving mystery then go ahead with this novel.
Sassy Reviews 