Who knew that wildfires have personalities or that they like to play "Russian Roulette?" Who can imagine the power of an updraft, twenty thousand feet high or a heat generated in excess of thirteen hundred degrees? In the riveting read "One Foot in the Black",...

“How to Make Compost” written by Renee Benzaim is a good introductory guide into the world of compost. This mini-guide explains many different methods that can be employed to create compost in both indoor and outdoor settings. The many benefits of composting are the first...

Z.E. Frey's "Open: Candid Haikus about Everyday Life" is an interesting take on the standard haiku format. The book is divided into seven sections, each devoted to a different theme, including sections on love, work, faith, racism and friendship. Don't expect the old conventions --...

The poems in this book are all inspiring. They speak of life, love and lore. The poems also are categorized under these three sections. A lot of poems are written in different forms. Form poetry had taken a backseat with the advent of contemporary poetry....

“Dead Burn” by Jennifer Chase is at least the fourth Emily Stone thriller skillfully woven by the author. In this episode Emily is trying to figure out a serial killer arsonist, whose method of trapping his victims in some situation from which they cannot escape...

“The premise of 'The Broken Gift' is: The rigorous approach of science and a careful and equally rigorous analysis of Genesis produce the same events and timelines for the appearance and early history of humanity.” Author, Daniel Friedmann begins his book by defining Science and...

J.T Lewis is back with another gripping mystery to tackle "Gabriel’s Revenge". When investigator Gabriel Celtic receives a one line telegram notifying him of the death of his former investigation partner and best friend, little does he know the power that he is up against...

“Lady Justice and the Cruise Ship Murders” by Robert Thornhill is Episode #11 of the 'Lady Justice series', an ongoing collection of comedy/mystery stories spawned in the creative mind of the author. In this story Walt, a Kansas City Police Department creator and member of...

Tiong Bahru, Singapore. This piece of writing introduces readers to a short history of this part of Singapore - more specifically from the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War Two to communist Singapore. It uses Seng Poh Road as its focal point to demonstrate...

You know that you are in for a good story when you are introduced to the heroine as she is finding her strength and who she is as a woman. Bethany Lopez got it right in "I Choose You" by starting the main character, Nicole,...

Medical reference books are often either readable or comprehensive. Erica Verrillo's "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" manages to be both. She explains every aspect of the disorder in accurate and adequate detail without overwhelming the reader with too much medical jargon. She also offers extensive lists of...

“Half Italian (and then some)” is a tribute to the author’s immigrant grandparents and his “first-generation” mother. In a series of memories he tells about his maternal grandmother who sailed from Italy in the early part of last century and crossed our continent, not knowing...

"The Ultimate Inferior Beings" is an enchanting science-fiction comedy by Mark Roman. When a ship lands ahead of schedule at the human colony Tenalp, the sole survivor whispers something inaudible to the leader of the colony. In an effort to discover the reason behind the...

Jane Pate is a woman with a mission. Determined, strong and focused on what she does, she is a fiercely independent person whose choice of profession is as unusual as she is. Other than being a snake catcher, she also doubles up as a writer...

Jacob Rohn is part of a special investigation team under the control of the State of Alaska's Attorney General. It is based in Anchorage, where Rohn lives with his black Labrador retriever, Archie. Rohn has been assigned to look into a six-month old case in...

If you’re looking for some cheeky matchmaking tale similar to those reality television matchmakers, then Haley Hill’s "It’s Got to Be Perfect" is not the book for you. No, instead of an endless stream of expletives, screaming and gut-wrenching tears "It’s Got to Be Perfect"...

Catherine Barrett arrives in Virginia as a foreigner to her closest kin and secretly engaged to the one man her grandmother would frown upon — her seafaring grandfather’s apprentice Nathaniel. Add to her troubles the rich and intriguing older brother of her secret betrothed, Dawson...

Adamant Aggressors: How to Recognize and Deal with Them by Bruce D. Thatcher is the first book in the History Speaks Today series. It focuses on analyzing the adamant aggression of infamous historical figures and concludes invaluable lessons and discussion for influential policymakers in America...

This is a first book by Priscilla Whitaker. In "Mr. Blue," we are introduced to a great blue heron who occupies space at a local pond. We first learn how the heron got his name. The child listener then learns about the physical characteristics of...

Markos Adams, a well-known Jazz musician, has just committed yet another suicide attempt and it is all over the news. A year later, he is back on stage while struggling to shape up, trying to straighten out his life. Through his ordeals to keep his...