Marooned: A Prequel to the Arcadia's Children Series

Marooned by Andrew Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An exciting and entertaining sci-fi adventure!

Forty-some years ago my uncle gave me a science fiction anthology. It was a thick red hardback that I read from cover to cover. It inspired a lifelong love of the genre. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. That book still remains in my collection today. The title is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It’s a substantial volume, 562 pages, with 43 stories divided into sections relating to a common theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.

MAROONED by Andrew R. Williams is a prequel to the Arcadia's Children Series. It’s a brilliantly written and richly descriptive novel with skillfully drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted sci-fi action and adventure that had me captivated from the start. Skillfully constructed, this exciting and energetic sci-fi had me turning the pages from beginning to end.

To summarize the synopsis: I'm 15, almost 16, and my name is Bee Bee, or at least that's what everyone calls me. After a difficult year, I've found myself on the Empress of Incognita, sailing through the stars to a new life with my father and stepmother. At the very least, that's how it should be. Things only become worse when the Empress collides with a deep-space mine. Not only are some of the other passengers dangerous, but as we leave the Empress and get to 'Arcadia,' we realize that the Great Ones that live there will make life incredibly difficult for us all. Read on to learn how we became stranded!

MAROONED is well-written and exactly the right length to give you excitement with many surprises along the way, and then it's over, leaving you feeling good but eagerly anticipating more. Very highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses

The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An award-winning action-adventure story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The story of five teen boys and how their worlds alter after they are exposed to an energy source that heightens their senses to extreme levels is told in K.N. Smith's novel THE URBAN BOYS: DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES. The turmoil that the youngsters are facing pushes them to doubt their new reality as the winds swirl in Danville Heights. They must, however, find a way to accept their fate.

A nerve-wracking encounter in a forbidden sanctuary heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that eternally change the world. The boys, on the other hand, face formidable challenges as they attempt to comprehend their sensory superpowers in order to save humanity. Despite the presence of light creatures and strange outsiders aggravating their predicament, will the boys be able to defeat the wicked Druth before it's too late?

To find out, you’ll have to turn the pages yourself in this well-written action-adventure Y/A story. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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The Scar: Tale of a Waterfall

The Scar: Tale of a Waterfall by Eva Fogel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Making difficult but vital issues more approachable for young readers...

More often than not children relate themselves with the characters of a good story. In such circumstances, reading fiction can help them to get inspiration from the characters. These stories often portray real life implications through anecdotes, and as such makes it easier for them to understand the complex aspects of life. Moreover, reading these stories at regular intervals can actually help them to develop a positive outlook towards life, which eventually proves beneficial for good character development.

THE SCAR: Tale of a Waterfall by Eva Fogel is a moving and wonderfully written story that makes some difficult but vital issues more approachable for young readers, helping them and the adults who care for them to gently handle big feelings and emotions that can be difficult to articulate.

To summarize the synopsis: Little Abassi is a six-year-old African boy from a small community. His homeland is a sunny paradise for all the children who cheerfully play together in the village center, but Abassi's situation is different. He is an outsider with a secret that he hides deep within his heart. With no other option but to flee the challenges he encounters at home and no one to turn to in his community, Abassi finds himself alone and on the run; nevertheless, can he truly outrun everything he has left behind before his opportunity is lost?

This book appears to have been written with a great deal of thought and insight, and it's evident that the author enjoys telling such fascinating stories. Thank you for sharing the gift that you have clearly worked so hard to refine. It's refreshing to see a children's author take on topics that many other authors would avoid. Overall, I thought the story was interesting, I will mention here that I think it could do with a little editing to give it a final polish. Special mention also to Remy Maicas for the excellent illustrations. I give it five stars since it is well-deserved for originality.

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Savant by Jim Alexander

Savant by Jim Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great sci-fi graphic novel with excellent artwork...

In today's mass culture, comic books and even long-form graphic novels are as universal as any other "legitimate" type of writing. Maybe it's because, like historical myths, people are drawn to fantastical tales about alien entities who share the same human flaws as the rest of us. It's also possible that they provide an escape into realms and conditions that are far removed from our own. Perhaps, more accurately, visual storytelling just provides a form of entertainment unencumbered by long and drawn-out prose. Whatever the case may be, graphic novels appear to be here to stay. They're just as popular now as they were when I was a kid. However, much like everything, there are a few that are a lot more worthy of the time and effort than others.

One such graphic novel is Savant by Jim Alexander, in which he presents Lode from the planet Savant. There, she seeks out battle zones, preferring to document the lives of those who are dying. Her explorations lead her to Hubris, a world torn apart by conflict. She is enlisted by government authorities to assist in the hunt for a war criminal. It's a path ‘that will ultimately take her to the mouth of madness. The End of Days itself.’

If you are a fan of graphic sci-fi novels, you’ll love this one. Of course, special mention also to Will Pickering for the excellent artwork, Fin Cramb (Colorist), Philip R. Simon for Editing, and Jim Campbell for Production & Lettering. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.


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Postcards From Beyond Reality: The Selected Poems of Michael Daniels

Postcards From Beyond Reality: The Selected Poems of Michael Daniels by Bernard Jan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

‘Cries of a heart longing to be understood’

Postcards From Beyond Reality: The Selected Poems of Michael Daniels by Bernard Jan is a collection of sixty poems written as an extension book to his YA cross-genre novel Cruel Summer, from the perspective of its main character, Michael Daniels.

The book description deepens the meaning of the poetry further: ‘His life has been a cocktail of melancholy, sorrow, and desire. When a skateboarder dips his pen into poetry, what will his passion create? After a lifetime of abuse and the tragic loss of his mother, NYC teen Michael Daniels needed an outlet. Despite his cheerful nature, his inner mind was teeming with the stark contrast of darkness and light. So, in this volume full of images and symbolism, his underground rhymes reflect days full of extreme sports, failed relationships, and nostalgic memories.’

If you are looking for the poet inside the poem, look for the undercurrent he has left, the continuous hint of feeling can be found everywhere throughout this work. It’s powerful and strong, yet delicate and descriptive His pictures of emotional moods are painted beautifully. He has essentially captured the essence of what a poet is.

Bernard Jan will make you fall in love with literature again. If you've never liked poetry, you'll love Postcards From Beyond Reality. If you haven't read much poetry, this is an excellent place to start. A highly recommended read and a well-deserved five stars.

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Consenting Adult by Peter Skeels

Consenting Adult by Peter Skeels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rewriting the Ten Commandments with a modern-day ‘Moses’...

Peter Skeels's novel CONSENTING ADULT is well-written and richly descriptive with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted philosophical narrative that serves, perhaps, as an allegory for the pains of being. It’s a unique work that will captivate the reader from the opening chapter. Skillfully constructed, this well-written tale of morality and ethics will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

To summarize the synopsis: Jonathan is hired as a creative writing instructor at the local community college. An idea occurs to him out of nowhere: what if there was a modern-day Moses who was told by God to rewrite the Ten Commandments, and what would they be like now if they were written? Jonathan is interested by the concept, but his students are not. If the Commandments get written, what would the present-day Commandments end up being?

This was a captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are scenes of a graphic sexual nature. Nevertheless, the themes and outcome are just as affecting in the arresting contemporary landscape. Recommended.

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Customer Escalations Management: The Golden Recipe

Customer Escalations Management: The Golden Recipe by Nikolaos Zormpas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Helping to grow customer loyalty...

Escalation Management is a well-defined and documented process. It is even handled or managed by a separate dedicated team of people. This "escalation center" function works closely with the service desk function. It also supports the field or on-site support staff who take on maintenance and support roles.

Escalation Management is intended to bring order, structure, focused management attention and additional resources to those customer situations which could otherwise result in a high level of customer dissatisfaction and/or damage to the Service Provider's reputation. These are situations which could lead to significant loss of business or where significant costs may be incurred by the Service Provider to resolve the customer situation. The criteria to trigger an escalation depends on the organization or service provider. But it should be well defined.

Customer Escalations Management: The Golden Recipe by Nikolaos Zormpas shows that being easy to do business with causes positive word-of-mouth to occur naturally and in customer-initiated ways that your marketing department may not otherwise be able to imagine or influence, minimizing the necessary investment in enticements.

Wisely aligning your company with what customers care about causes customers to fall in love with doing business with you, whereby re-purchases and customer loyalty, thereafter, occurs naturally and sustainably. Having a customer escalation management system in place is crucial in any business, regardless of how big or small it is. A very highly recommended book, and a well-deserved five stars from me.

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