Review by Deborah K. Frontiera Once again, Hilton Everett Moore writes about those subjects people don’t want to talk about; the things that often happen to friends, family, and neighbors in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (and in other places, too) more often than we care to admit. And, once again, he…
Review by Mack Hassler “Choose a Hawaiian Shirt, or dress….. Or just wear something bright, colorful or a plain Bright color…. Look Festive!! Smile!!! It brightens everyone’s mood.” — A flyer posted by my Retirement Home “And with wandering steps and slow, [our first parents] through Eden made their Solitary way.” …
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Craig A. Brockman’s Dead Ships: Eternity Is a Frozen Sea tells the story of a party of four, burdened with regret and sorrow, who survived a haunting kayaking adventure on the majestic and harrowing Lake Superior. The story takes place in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.), and it…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Sara Maurer’s A Good Animal offers an unforgettable story about the rural ways of life, the trials and tribulations of young love, and the joys and challenges of raising farm animals. It took place at a country setting outside of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Kelly Peach’s The Whore: or of Bureaucracy an Adult Fable weaves a tale of satire, horror, and social critique while examining the human condition in an indifferent world. The story took place in northern Magritte and other fictional locations. Peach was born in Detroit, but he currently lives…
Review by Tyler R. Tichelaar Sara Maurer’s debut novel, A Good Animal, perfectly reflects a writer following the advice of writing what you know, and what Maurer knows is something many of us will find unfamiliar and yet fascinating. In its barebone structure, the novel presents us with a fairly…
Review by Jon C. Stott In the early 1960s, Bob (“R.H.”) Miller, an instructor in the English Department of Michigan Tech, discovered the joys of fly fishing in the Upper Peninsula’s many trout streams. Now, his fishing days over, he has delved into what he calls a “creel full of…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Jim Bolone’s Zombie Seagulls: And 13 Other Bite-Sized Nightmares! offers spooky tales that will have any reader bracing for ultimate suspense and surprise. This book was meant for young readers. This collection of horror stories prepares even the less avid readers to embrace the written word, with…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Out of the Darkness: Classic Short Fiction from Sweden offers a splendid view of refuge, psychological mysteries and explores what makes life meaningful. The stories take place in Sweden, and authors from the 1880s to the 1950s tell a variety of stories. Some of the authors were…
Review by Mack Hassler “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve ofthem,whom he also designated apostles [special messengers]” Luke 6:12-13 I particularly like reading nonfiction storytelling…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Nathan Shore’s “The New King” offers a view of an extremely dangerous and corrupt organization hidden under the guise of a benevolent religious cult. A couple of wealthy parents from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P) hired a disbarred lawyer to find their daughter. Hirsch found their…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Helen Mitsios’ (Editor) “Out of the Blue: New Short Fiction from Iceland” offers a variety of the island’s personal realities concerning life, love, and family. Twenty Icelandic Authors wrote the stories, which are filled with mystery and culture. The stories took place in Iceland and other parts…
Review by Deborah K Frontiera Edd Tury has been writing short stories for many years, published in several different anthologies, but until now, not collected in one volume. The Boy Who Growled at Thunder has two sections, The Big Woods, and Urban Legends, each reflecting the setting of the stories…
Review by Mack Hassler “Special Agent Gracie Hart … is eager to be the next Miss United States … Sandra Bullock stars as an [undercover] operative posing as a contestant In order to ferret out a terrorist targeting the event” — Product information for the film, “Miss Congeniality” (DVD 2000)…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Thomas L. Pelissero’s Bring One Home: A Memoir of Boyhood, Basketball, and Hometown Spirit brought to life a basketball team’s multiple losses: the town’s loss of jobs, the school’s financial strife, amongst a never-ending hometown spirit. The story took place during the 1960s in the small town of…
Review by Mack Hassler “…In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Fourth Gospel, by Saint John, 1:1 I have…
Review by Mack Hassler A beautifully-designed chapbook by Amy Hansen, Superior Stories is the product of workshopping for creative writers and chosen by chief judge Brian Gruley as the latest of this long series of chapbook winners. I have not reviewed any of the series previously, but the work of…
Reviewer: Sharon Brunner Dylan Bolander’s Until We Meow Again spun a web of supernatural heroism. The story took place in Texas, New Jersey, Marquette, Michigan, an Upper Peninsula of Michigan city (U.P.), rainbow bridges, and various realms outside of the Earth’s plane. In the story there was more than one…
