FROM THE DESK OF
DONA PENZA TATTLE, ESQ.
AND
ASSOCIATE WRYE
BALDERDASH
Greetings,
“Humph!”
Wyre stares at Tattle’s red face and folded
arms. “Why all in a huff?”
“They wouldn’t let me take my turkey to
church.”
“Why would you want to take a…. Oh, never mind,
why didn’t they let you.”
“They said turkeys use FOWL language.” Giggles at her quirky joke.
Wrye groans.
“Well, at least the police didn’t arrest your turkey for FOWL play.”
“So funny I forgot to laugh.” But she does then
crooks her arms, “Ready to join me on our monthly Love of Literature Leap
Reviews!”
“As a space turkey would say, Hubble, hubble,
hubble, let’s go!”
Tattle gives Wrye a look that queries his
sanity.
The eccentric duet take a gander at SILENT AUTUMN, a sci-fi romance by Veronica H. Hart.
“In 2179, Taylor Left Hand Female 8635 and
Maximilian Male are fleeing the North like the White Rabbit late for a date.”
Tattle hops like a bunny as if for emphasis. “However, it remains to be
realized if they’ll be late or on time to warn the West that the pseudo-elected
president of the North and the Chairman of the South plan to destroy the
Chairman of the West to obtain sole power over food production.”
“You heard her right, ladies and germs,” Wrye
announces in a Vaudeville-like tone. “We’re talking about a futuristic
non-united American. North, South and West are separate countries, and like ole
Abe predicted, there is nothing standing strong about them. The North and South are fully corrupt with
rigged elections and drugged food to keep the citizenship pliant and obedient
and unexpectedly infertile.”
“Yup, babies are created with artificial
insemination.” Tattle’s expression turns sour. “Even Taylor had provided two
children in her teens, which is mandatory since the population had dwindled
horribly. Now that her contribution is
completed, she is a top cosmetic designer, tasked with the responsibility of
making women more attractive to men so they’ll…”
Wrye interrupts as he makes a few insinuating
gestures along with his infamous eyebrow jiggle. “Oh, yeah, baby, time for the
wild thing, the horizontal tango, the foxy trot, the…” Pauses, winks and
adds, “You get my meaning?”
“Geeze, I think everyone this side of the Milky
Way gets your meaning.” An elaborate sigh escapes Tattle, before she continues,
“Only, in the North and South they aren’t doing the horizontal whatever. They
are controlled with microchip implants and drugged-up lives. Taylor, however,
at an out-of the way power station overhears and tapes the North’s President
and the South’s Chairman making their nefarious plans. Once they leave, she is
discovered by secret service. Maximilian saves her from a fellow secret service
agent, Randall, who disregards the respect
for life law and wants to kill her.
Hence the escape, followed by encountering a woman who commits suicide
upon delivering her baby. Just what they need, instant parenthood.”
Holding up an imaginary microphone, Wrye spits
out his questions in newscaster style. “However, just why is Maximilian helping
Taylor? What is up with all the unique
and unexpected groupings of people in the West? And will they be in time to
stop a catastrophe?”
Tattle snares the pretend microphone. “Veronica
H. Hart writes a fantastic sci-fi themed story as if it is a contemporary
novel. The reader is so integrated into the plotline that you are experiencing
it rather than just reading. Especially, once Taylor comes out of her drug
induced fog when she stops eating government food. You can’t help but be
impressed that this timid soul is actually fierce, courageous and exceptionally
maternal. I, also, like how the book
keeps you guessing. You never know who to really trust, especially when they
encounter groups of people that seem to be helpful, but… Then there is Maximilian, who keep things
close to the chest one moment and is completely open the next. It creates an
emotional roller coaster ride. You know the type that plunges nearly straight
down and also turns upside down.”
“There is a serious underpinning to this story
that keeps your heart racing and your thoughts riveted to the storyline. If you are able to put the book down, you are
still thinking about the possibilities that could happen. The writing is snappy
and quick, and the twist and turns are unexpected. Yet, here and there a campy
light-hearted moment occurs that makes you smile. Only, don’t get too attached to that smile,
soon you’ll be driven by the story’s intensity once more. Can’t wait to see
more from Veronica H. Hart.”
Tattle and Wrye warp into TRAITOR KNIGHT, a fantasy by Keith W. Willis
“The instant you meet Morgan McRobbie, Knight
Commander of the King’s Legion aka The Dark Knight… Da da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaa…,”
Wrye expresses loudly. “You know he is going to be an interesting character. Though heroic, he is certainly not your
typical cookie cutter hero. He is the champion of the wars against the
Rhuddlani invaders, and is more comfortable around a sword, or a dragon than a
beautiful woman, which of course happens.”
“It is this dark-skinned half breed that comes
to a beautiful damsel’s rescue. He is also the man everyone whispers had turned
traitor against Kilbourne. A cad? A villain? Not possible, is it? After all, he is so darn
appealing.” Tattle fans herself and feigns a young girl’s swoon-sigh. “Roguishly handsome, he also has a humorous
bent, adopts an atypical attitude, with just the right amount of foibles. You, also, can’t help but adore his very
likeable, if somewhat show-off horse, Arnicus.”
“Upon reading, I started chuckling immediately.”
Wrye offers his best deep-throated chuckle. “ It was inevitable considering the
heroine stared at the about-to-be-toasted knight with disdain, while a
terrifying dragon, who after a display of grandiose flames and fury, burps up a
bit of steam and a few hiccups. Morgan didn’t defeat the dragon as much as the
dragon appeared to be tired of the gambit.”
“Ah, but it is not all fun and games.” Eyes narrowing suspiciously, Tattle studies
the heroine. “Though many suspected
Morgan to be a traitorous knight to his King, finding this damsel-in-tenacity alone in the woods, snack fare for the first
dragon to be seen in three hundred years, one cannot help wondering if she,
indeed is the real traitor. Of course, Morgan does wonder. Though she professes
to be gathering flowers for her mistress Queen Gwyndoln, Marissa duBerry,
lady-in-waiting is no shrinking daffodil.”
“And that is just the opening draw of this
magnetic story. There is just the right blend of fun, sinister play and
manners-all-soooo-proper-when-at-court dalliances. If anyone can remember
swashbuckler Technicolor Errol Flynn pirate flicks, it has the same wonderful
tendencies of dark drama, flippancy and fun.
The dialogue is clean. The writing style, in this book, is smooth and
direct. The author is one of my favorites.”
“I can’t say enough about the talent oozing
from the storyline. There is never any down time with the plot, it keeps
rolling and picking up steam. Keith is a story-teller puppeteer, just pulling
our strings as we dance to his magnificent prose. Through it all, you see
Keith’s unique writing technique. It is not an imitation of the ole Masters yet
it is still fantasy at its finest with that wonderful wash of enchantment that
brings out the possibility that magic can happen. I have read all of Keith W.
Willis’ work, and I do believe TRAITOR
KNIGHT is now my favorite. Hmmm,
that is until he writes a new book, that new one might end up taking top spot.
Each book gets better!”
Another leap and the two review the paranormal SILVER CORD by J. C. Mead.
“Kat Cambridge heads for the deep south when
her not-so-wonderful Catholic/Atheist husband has a heart attack and gives up
the ghost. Which is quite ironic
considering a different ghost attacks Kat’s heart but in that goose-bump,
hubba-hubba way.” Wrye leans forward and does the infamous eye-brow lift and
wiggle. “Once there, she absorbs nature and reconnects with her old wiccan practices.”
“The oooh yum-yum Scottish soldier specter might
be just what single mom Kat needs, in a strange sort of way, to help her forget
the nasty past as she makes a new start. Jess Greenleaf, also a single mom, joins Kat and the two intend to restore an old home.” Tattle tilts her head and
scrunches up her face as she re-reads a few chapters. “Then again that ghostly
owner might have another agenda. His
soul is drifting and he needs Kat’s and Jess’ witchy spell skills before he
simply is no more.”
“Warning!
Warning! Warning!” declares Wrye,
waving his arms around like a derelict robot.
“Misdirection plans to take you on a little spin around, especially when
Colin MacKay shoots an arrow of interest into Kat’s heart.”
“Ah yes, while Kat digs into the house’s
history, this new hunka-hunka, all muscle and flesh and real-to-the-touch man
reveals ghost-soldier’s identity.” Tattle's eyes widened, mouth forms an ‘O’ and
she smacks the sides of her cheeks, going into full ut-oh mode. “What a choice… Alive or dead? Who does she
choose? Surprisingly, the ghost seduces
her right into his… Oh, not going to
read-n-tell.”
“Especially don’t reveal any of the lurking
secrets or the humorous barbs,” Wrye adds.
“All in all J. C. Mead did an excellent job of making Wicca spells seem
real, ghost more than a possibility, and has created characters that you want
to hang with on a daily basis. Kat’s and Jess’ friendship is very believable,
and the relationships with their children have naturalistic appeal. They truly act like typical moms.”
“I like the well-paced writing style and how
the story keeps you guessing. There is plenty
of romance but it doesn’t overwhelm the mystery, magic and momentum of the
storyline. It totally held my attention. I found myself propping up my e-reader
and following along even as I was cooking. Errr, yes, I burnt the chicken.
Shame on you, J. C. distracting me that way.
Tsk… Tsk!”
“Oh, just go have some Mead and stop
complaining, that is always Kat’s and Jess’ go-to,” Wrye says with a big grin.
“Seriously, this a great read, smooth plot,
creative twist on what could have been an old theme, interesting and clever
dialogue and appealing, ageless, realistic characters - even the ones you don’t
like, you enjoy disliking them. Great
book, it is in my to-be-read-again pile!”
Hope you all enjoyed our jaunt into reviewing books
by CBG authors. Until next month, keep
reading.
Happy Gobble-Gobble Day to those in the U. S.
and a belated Happy Thanksgiving to those in Canada.
Dona
Penza Rutabaga Tattle, Esq. and Associate Wrye Balderdash
of
Blather City, Wannachat
Created
and written by
Angelica Hart and Zi
Books by
Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER
DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~
CHASING
YESTERDAY ~ CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL
Books by
Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
STEEL
EMBRACE
BOOK
NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM
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