Poetry Review

Soul Inspired
by Joshua Dillaha
Review by Heather Froeschl


Poetry is such a wonderful tool for self-expression, emotional release, and creative art. The written word can evoke the deepest feelings; bring a smile, or tear, and reach out to the reader in many ways. Joshua R. Dillaha has published a collection of his poems, titled, "Soul Inspired." Whether the title refers to the reader's soul being inspired or his own having been and the results are the poetry within, his collection bears his soul and deepest thoughts.

The fifty-seven works of words are an example of a growing, maturing poet. From the beginning page, readers will feel the emotion put into each poem. In rhyme and rhythm Joshua spells out feelings of love, hurt, anger, fear, gratitude and more. On topics including being in the midst of war, watching a lost love marry, and finding his religion, Joshua openly shares his thoughts in the form of a poem.

The writing is sometimes intense, sometimes funny, and an ever evolving art. One can see growth here, in the person and the poet. It is clear that the author has a passion for his craft. I expect the future will hold more volumes from Joshua Ryan Dillaha, as his soul continues to be inspired.

Humor Fiction Review

Life is a Buffet: So Save Room for Dessert
by Polly D Boyette
ISBN-10: 0595367976
review by Heather Froeschl

Polly Boyette lives with her sister, Robbie Lee and recently had her mother, AC, move in with her too. Yes, AC is her mother's full name; AC are not initials, and Robbie Lee's name is actually Robin Lynn. But where they come from, folks might have names that seem like nicknames and nicknames that sound pretty normal. And this sets the stage for the stories you will read about in "Life is a Buffet, So Save Room For Dessert."
This short book of short stories is sure to bring a smile to reader's faces. Here are three women living together, each with her own ideas and idiosyncrasies. Robbie Lee absolutely loves fried chicken, AC adores shopping for flowers to plant in the too small townhouse yard, and Polly has learned to laugh at it all. Each story is a glimpse into life in Virginia and some crazy times that involve Polly falling down the front steps in a foot cast in the pouring rain, Robbie Lee driving blind and getting a ticket, and AC's obsession with "daffneydils" (Daffodils). With each story Polly has chosen a quote from the Bible and includes her own interpretation of it, relating it to the tale. It is all so lightheartedly done that you'll find yourself laughing through the entire collection.

This is a Christian geared book. However, if one chooses to ignore the Bible verses and lessons, readers can easily enjoy the stories alone. This likely isn't the author's intention but I feel that non-Christians will still be able to find value here.

I enjoyed the read and found the writing to be enchanting. After all, if we can't laugh at ourselves, whom can we laugh at? Since Polly Boyette has put her experiences out there to be shared, we can all laugh along with her and have something to think about as well.

Fiction Review

Raising Sand
by Betty Davenport Tesh
ISBN-10: 1594537887
Review by Heather Froeschl

Raising sand means to stir up trouble, and like it or not, 65 year old Kate Porter is about to raise some sand. It all begins quite innocently; when her sister, Emmaline, makes the suggestion that now that Kate is retired she should be available to look after their mother and her sister, Aunt Beam. They've been living alone and little things here and there have suggested that they probably shouldn't be.

So Kate goes "home" to stay awhile. Home is Bliss County, North Carolina, where everybody knows everybody and everybody's business is everybody else's. And it's a good thing too or else William Henry and Luther wouldn't have noticed that Darrell Billips hid his car behind the garage. And then there wouldn't have been an investigation, AKA snooping, into why the county commissioners were sneaking around and not allowing the Democratic Process to run their meetings.

Kate has gotten a whole lot more involved in her hometown than just carting Aunt Beam places and making sure her Mama takes her pills. She's become a political activist, and what's more is that she's become reacquainted with a boy she nearly held hands with in high school. What is to become of her quiet life? What is to become of Bliss County?

This wonderful tale, "Raising Sand," by Betty Davenport Tesh, is a breath of fresh air. Small town America does still exist, thanks to folks like Kate Porter and Aunt Beam. And thanks to Betty Davenport Tesh we can all enjoy a glimpse at it. The writing here is down home good and will leave readers hankering for a pork barbecue sandwich and a road trip down south.

Memoir Review

I Have Been Blessed! Hard Work and Happiness
by James M. Hill Sr.
ISBN-10: 0977485994
Review by Heather Froeschl

"I Have Been Blessed!" by James M. Hill, Sr. is a blessing in itself. It brings back the lessons of life that have traditionally been handed down by our parents and grandparents, but in recent generations have been lost due to the frequency of the scattering of families and the shattering of family closeness. Pull up a chair and listen to your elders! There is much to be learned, entertained, and touched by.

This is a book of memoir, an autobiography, of a man who in many ways has been a typical American. He has lived through 92 years and shares his tales of living with ups and downs, life lessons, and a great deal of change. From his early days of gathering eggs laid by hens under the house to his getting stuck in the well while in his 70s, from his taking over the family farm at age 14 to his having great-great grandchildren, James Hill has stories to tell. He well remembers when electricity was brought to the house where he still resides, a house that was built in 1890 for his own great-grandfather. He recalls riding in a Ford model T as well as he remembers riding in his grandson's Porsche.

His stories of growing up as one of ten children, then those of raising his own five, are nothing short of being Walton-like. His admiration for his mother and father and the dedicated work they did for their family clearly shines through his stories. Hill's love for and life with first his wife of 50 years is an endearing portion of the book that tugs the heartstrings. And his enjoyment of life with his second and third wives is inspiring.

Through it all James Hill proves to be a person we would all be blessed to have in our family. He passes the things he has learned on to his readers and shares a story of America as seen from the foothills of North Carolina. The book reads like being at the side of our grandparents, with honesty and appreciation for life. "I Have Been Blessed!" is a touching, enlightening, and entertaining book to enjoy.

Memoir,Religious Mythology Review

The Dharma Videos Of Lust And Bust: A Novel of Religious Mysteries
by Anoop Chandola
ISBN-10: 1419611445
Review by Heather Froeschl

Where does our mythology, religion, and belief system end and where does culture, social custom and individualism begin? Is there any distinction really? In the novel "The Dharma Videos of Lust and Bust" author Anoop Chandola, PhD, explores this notion and allows readers to take what they will from the wisdom he shares.

A Sociolinguistic professor and Hindu priest, Dr. Chaube, upon retirement as a professor in America, is given a package of video tapes from the people he has assisted over the years in various ceremonies. Each tape shows the ceremony and evokes the professor's memory of the personal interaction. His help goes beyond performing the specific ceremony and includes helping the participants to fully understand the meaning of it and what it represents in life. The narrative memory then becomes a lesson in mythology and religious belief instruction, complete with tales of old. It is a rich lesson, and each video, each chapter of the book, becomes an interesting contemplation of how our beliefs, customs, and social interactions shape who we are, as well as how they affect the characters in the book.

At times the professor encourages the people he is helping to turn away from certain beliefs and customs, inspiring them to think for themselves with the benefit of knowing the background of tradition, thus reinventing it. It is an honor to the old ways with respect to conventional thought. There are discussions of recent and current politics, attitudes towards women, human rights and much more. All are presented in such an enlightening way that the book could really be used in social study aspects. The professor also gives continuing lessons in linguistics, which is very interesting indeed.

I found the book refreshing in its exploration of Indian mythology and tradition and also in the social influence these things have on us. The political message in the last part of the book, that "no war is holy," is one that I agree with and feel must be highlighted as one of the greatest wisdoms in the novel. There is so much more to say about this book but I feel that giving it my highest recommendation will have to be sufficient.

Mystery Review

Witness at the Bridge
by Gini Anding
ISBN-10: 0595366465
Review by Heather Froeschl

Return to Paris where mystery seems to surround Amy Page, a middle aged American enjoying an extended stay on the Ile Saint-Louis. In the middle of the night the phone brings the news to Amy and her lover, Inspector Jean-Michel Jolivet, that a man has been found, murdered. The victim is someone whom Amy knows from back in the states, and someone whom she just had lunch with in Paris. She seems to have been the last person to see him alive, save for his murderer.
The plot thickens, as Amy's story is unraveled. She had accompanied the man on a shopping spree that would rival one of Paris Hilton's. Jewels, expensive perfumes, and high-end lingerie were acquired, lunch consumed and then a hasty departure on Amy's account, due to an oncoming storm. Every detail is meticulously reported to Jean-Michel's office in hopes of discovering any clues to the man's death. The focus is shifted then, as Amy's flat is broken into, she is nearly raped, and she shoots the perpetrators in self-defense. What could one event have to do with the other? What could any of this have to do with a new designer drug that is showing up on both sides of the pond?

Even more plot twists develop as Jean-Michel and Amy try to sort things through, including their romantic relationship. Things have progressed and emotions run strong and deep. So why won't Amy consent to moving in with him? That in itself is a mystery that both parties contemplate throughout the book.

Gini Anding's writing is a delicious mix of mystery, romance and traditional whodunit. Woven into the tale are background details of history and tidbits of interest about Ile Saint-Louis. Readers will feel as though they have visited in person. While it is enjoyable to read this second Amy Page/Jean-Michel Jolivet tale, it is by no means a prerequisite to have read the first. The novels stand on their own as works of fiction, but readers are lucky to have both books available.

Non-Fiction/Self Help Review

24/7 or Dead: A Handbook for Families with a Loved One in the Hospital
by Jari Holland Buck
ISBN-10: 142085982X
Review by Heather Froeschl

When your loved one is in the hospital you want to be able to trust that things will be okay, you want to be able to focus on simply loving the person, holding their hand and being supportive. Unfortunately, while we need to do that, we need to do so much more. Becoming an advocate for your loved one is now so vitally important. Jari Holland Buck’s book should be required reading for every American.

Jari has been there and done that and you will thank her for telling her story so that you can learn from it. She is a non-medical person, a regular, every day woman, whose advocacy for her husband Bill more than likely, nearly absolutely, saved his life. He was in four different hospitals over the course of nearly nine months. She was by his side 24/7. Because of her witness and attention to every detail of his treatment she was able to advocate for what was best for him, at numerous moments of dire need. Bill nearly died, several times. If Jari hadn’t been there, he likely wouldn’t be here today.

What did she do and how did she do it? Jari shares her story but also offers advice to readers in the position of being a loved one’s advocate. From the very first moments of hospitalization, to dealing with the hospital’s policies on patient files, rooming in, permissions for treatment etc., to Power of Attorney, Living Wills, Patient Rights and most important, taking care of yourself, Jari offers guidance in every step and instance. Each chapter is detailed and covers the topic in a no-nonsense, been there-done that sort of way. Readers will have an understanding of Jari and Bill’s experience but will also learn a great deal and have applicable steps to take in being an advocate themselves.

24/7 or Dead is straightforward, well written and easy to understand. It is a learning tool in layman’s terms. Gentle and open for those in grave need and morale boosting support for those ready to take action. I trust that all who read it become the latter.

I only wish I’d had this book to guide me in earlier needs. Patients and their loved ones do not have to sit placidly and silently obey what the mighty doctor has to say. This isn’t an attack on doctors, nurses or hospitals but it is a call to become a partner with those medical professionals. Through this partnership we can all help our loved ones and avoid unnecessary mistakes. Don’t wait until you need this book to read it. In any medical circumstance, dire or routine, you are best to be aware of what you can do to be an advocate, for yourself, and for your loved ones.