Sunday

Slaying the Mouse: A True Story of Healing in the Spiritual Realms



Slaying the Mouse: A True Story of Healing in the Spiritual Realms
by Wendy Stofan Halley
Lulu
Lulu.com
Non-fiction, 144 pages, $18.00
ISBN: 1847283993
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

Wendy Stofan Halley is a talented practitioner as well as a talented writer, she is a practitioner in the indigenous healing methods and has the unique ability to be in touch with another persons subconscious by spiritual means. Slaying the Mouse is a true story that will astound as well as amaze you. You will learn how Wendy was able to help a nineteen year old man whom she calls Jason in order to protect his identity his name has been changed. Wendy’s brother Tim is dating Jason’s sister and they need Wendy’s help, so Wendy’s father calls to ask for the much needed help. Her father does not quite understand exactly what she does but he has enormous faith in her abilities.

Jason has slipped into a deep coma and Wendy develops a spiritual connection with him to help him heal over the distance that separates them. Wendy’s ability allows her to spiritually connect with Jason, talk with him, and to help him begin to face and understand his fears and to overcome those fears. The story is an account of roughly a nine month spiritual healing process. Wendy’s is in constant contact with the family via email and is a very compassionate and caring lady. Have you ever wondered what patients know or hear while being in a coma state? What happens at the subconscious level? What experiences they may have while in the coma? Do they know you are there? Can they hear you when you speak to them?

Wendy Stofan Halley has penned a remarkable and miraculous story. She has developed a writing style that flows smoothly and includes vivid details which creates a powerful sensory image with the reader. The story is emotional, uplifting and a intriguing and engaging read. I found no faults and think both the concept and writing as a whole was excellent. The author writes the story in a first person narrative style which is superbly written.

I highly recommend Slaying the Mouse to everyone who has a desire to be amazed by a true story that will truly leave you in a state of awe.

Reading this title was a great pleasure!

Living The Truth



Living The Truth
by Keith Ablow, MD
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 978-0-316-01781-7
Self-help, 307 pages, $25.99
Reviewed by Terry South for Armchair Interviews

Dr. Keith Ablow tells as well as shows us how ignoring or even burying painful memories and experience can affect every aspect of our lives negatively. In “Living The Truth” he presents strategies and exercises to help you transform the pain of the past into the power of your future.

In the beginning he describes this as “your journey” as being one of a working partnership with him. He presents you with exercises where you write down your thoughts and feelings as well as answering questions throughout the entire book. You are able to write your answers within the pages of the book itself as he has provided adequate space with lined pages. If you prefer to preserve your copy to pass onto a friend or family member I would suggest you record your answers within a journal or a notebook, plus this will provide privacy so no one else sees what you have answered.

Dr. Ablow’s core message is that no one has a perfect life and states that everyone has pain in which they must overcome. He has many strategies to help you overcome the negatives and to face your conflicts head on which will give you more control over your life experiences. He describes his book as his “most ambitious attempt to help people do what I finally did – face the truth about the past, however uncomfortable, sad, or frightening – and experience the remarkable power that comes from that journey.”

Living The Truth is a book that tells you as well as shows you how to change your life. This book is idea for the people who feel their lives are way off track, maybe feeling a little depressed, down on their luck, or even just the general down feeling, or the feeling of everything in your life is going wrong. Or for those of us that wish to make a positive change in our lives. He has a very easy reading style, while incorporating explanations, examples and simple steps to follow. He beams with positive energy. I highly recommend reading it and giving it a try, you have nothing to lose except maybe some pain.

Dr. Ablow is a powerful writer and he empowers you to embrace reality about the painful times of your life experiences. He describes to us how to face our own individual life stories and to feel the pain and then push forward and grow beyond the pain. This is a journey of self-discovery which he presents in such a concise way making one want to live the truth. I found the exercises to be very helpful and I have started Living The Truth. He is one of the leading voices in America on healing and delivering the message that no one has a perfect life. Why not start your self-discovery by choosing to Live The Truth today.

Keith Ablow, MD., psychiatrist and host of the Dr. Keith Ablow Show, and is a New York Times best-selling author. He graduated from
Brown University and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is on the faculty of New England Medical Center in Boston, he has appeared on the Today show and many other shows numerous times, and is a leading authority in his field.

The Eye of Alloria



The Eye of Alloria
by Rae Lindley
ISBN: 978-0-9793674-0-3
Illustrated Novella, 107 pages
www.raelori.com
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

The Eye of Alloria takes place in the late 21st century here on Earth. With new technological advances man has been able to create machines that merge with bodies of their fallen comrades.

After the banning of technology the ruler of Orland, Saron Bravewind learns his daughter has an incurable illness. Saron is now on the search of finding a higher life to help his daughter. Will he find what he is looking for or will he find something so unthinkable?

Lindley has penned a novella that encompasses both fantasy and science fiction. Her characters are interesting and distinctive. She has a great imagination as well as the ability to ignite the imagination of her readers. The Eye of Alloria contains two of Lindley’s talents; her artwork enhances the plot, each complimenting the other.

Rachel “Rae” Lindley is a writer, artist and filmmaker. She currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bridge of the Gods



Bridge of the Gods
book 1 of 6
by Len Robertson
ISBN: 0-595-12418-6 $26.95
iUniverse
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

The Bridge of the Gods follows Mary Brown, a middle aged divorced mother that finds her life turned upside down. One Saturday morning she finds herself not only carjacked but kidnapped as well. She is taken into the world of Galatia. Here she finds herself in a new body with new abilities and a new fate that awaits her.

Mary learns she has been wisked away to this new world in order to save it. But Mary’s life becomes more complicated when she meets Fred as his expectations of her saving the world are stern. Will Mary be able to save this world with her new found abilities?

Robertson has developed a steady plot as well as some very interesting characters. Bridge of the Gods is an entertaining read, although the book has a few typos, it is very well written. I look forward to reading book 2.

Wednesday

Rant



Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
by Chuck Palahniuk
Doubleday
ISBN: 978-0-385-51787-4
$24.95 319 pages
Review by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

I am having a really rough time writing a review for this one. I could sum the review up in 2 words or 20 pages. The 2 words are: Mind Blowing, this is one book that I will keep and add to my collection. Words just really cannot describe how I felt reading this. I have never read anything by Chuck Palahniuk and really had never heard of him until requesting this one for review, needless to say I am adding him to my favorite author list, and will be dishing out some major bucks to get all of his earlier books. (lol)

Will try to have the review up by this weekend, even if it is the two words above MIND BLOWING as this was one mind blowing experience and my head is still spinning and the wheels in my brain are ever so constantly turning.

As you can see the cover art is intriguing and enticing which originally drew me to read the blurb in the catalog before requesting this one for review.

The Sacred Bones



The Sacred Bones
By Michael Byrnes
ISBN: 0061146072
$24.95 – Hardcover – 304 pages
Harper Collins Publishers
www.thesacredbones.comReviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

The Sacred Bones is set at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. An ancient artifact is stolen from a vault beneath the Temple Mount. The theft has left many soldiers and policemen dead, leaving the Palestinians angry; tensions run high between the Israelis and the Palestinians.Charlotte Hennesey, an American forensic scientist has been hired by the Vatican to examine the ossuary which contains the bones of an unknown man who was crucified. Charlotte is joined by Giovanni Bersei, an Italian anthropologist and together they uncover forensic and genetic data that lead them to wonder if the bones could be those of Jesus.

As Charlotte and Giovanni become closer to solving the true identity of the man in which these bones once belonged, the Vatican’s security begins to have a much greater watchful eye on her. Are the bones discovered those of Jesus? Will the Vatican allow the information on the discovering or keep the secrets hidden? With her identifying the man these bones once belonged to, will Charlotte be silenced?

Byrnes has penned a superbly crafted debut novel that tantalizes with a sense of drama and of suspense as the story races forward. It is evident that he has done a great deal of research which combines historical fact and protreptic fiction. Byrnes novel is powerful and opens an emotional vein in you leaving you with the desire to read through to the end.

Michael Byrnes currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. Byrnes attended Montclair State University in NJ and earned his undergraduate degree in marketing, and later his graduate degree in business administration at Rutgers. The Sacred Bones is his debut novel.

This was one explosive and thrilling 5 star read and one genuine page-turner to the very end.

The Black Sheep



The Black Sheep
by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0156-7
YA, Fiction: Ages 12 and up
Hyperion Books for Children
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

The Black Sheep is a funny and entertaining read. The setting is New York and then off to California. It begins as Kendra Bishop a fifteen year old who has had enough of her parents and all their rules; they even keep a binder filled with these rules. There is a reality TV show that offers teens a chance to swap families, so Kendra decides to write to the show for her chance to get away from it all. The winner is chosen on the basis of the most pathetic letter written, Kendra is excited to find she has actually won.

Kendra is taken from her apartment in Manhattan to California to live with the Mulligan family. They are so different, the parents are both hippies, have five children and a pet ferret. Kendra learns quickly the chaos of sharing a bathroom with so many, having to watch her belongings, and living with a ferret that wants to sleep in her bed. But her biggest problem is the pushy producer who will do anything to get higher ratings. And to top all of this Kendra falls for one of the Mulligan’s, Mitch who is seventeen and despises everything this show stands for. Will Kendra win Mitch over or will things continue to decline for her?

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout bring us a cast of characters who are engaging and winsome. The story is well crafted and pulls the reader into the conflicted feelings and reasoning of Kendra so well.