Review: A Trail of Ink by Mel Starr & GC Contest

A Trail of Ink: The Third Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon (Book 3, Hugh de Singleton)

by Mel Starr

Release Date: February 28, 2011

2011 Monarch Books

Softcover Edition; 240 Pages

ISBN: 978-1-854-24974-6

Genre: Historical Mystery

Source: Review Copy provided by Liftuse Blog Tours

Liftuse Publicity Group

Summary

An excellent medieval whodunit by the author of The Unquiet Bones and A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel

Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate?

One of the stolen books turns up alongside the drowned body of a poor Oxford scholar. Another accident? Hugh certainly doesn t think so, but it will take all of his surgeon s skills to prove.

So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton. Masterfully researched by medieval scholar Mel Starr, the setting of the novel can be visited and recognized in modern-day England. Enjoy more of Hugh s dry wit, romantic interests, evolving faith, and dogged determination as he pursues his third case as bailiff of Bampton.

My Thoughts
As always, it takes me several chapters to get used to the style of writing in these novels as Mr. Starr chooses to use language that is more appropriate to the style of the time.  While I can adapt and even enjoy the style of the time, some readers may have difficulty with this and it may even be unappealing to some.  Thankfully, a glossary is provided at the beginning of the book which enables the reader to check some of the words and terms and understand what is being talked about.  It does slow down the development of the plot and characters if you are constantly checking, but perseverance does pay off as this was an interesting mystery, with a lot of depth and interesting detail of fourteenth century life.

I absolutely love historical fiction and appreciate the enormous amount of research an author has to do to bring a period to life in such a way.  From the archaic way the people spoke, to the way they dressed, to the food they ate, and to their living conditions, the novel held a fascinating description of life in all of its forms.  I was especially interested in the practice of medicine and the thoughts and beliefs that people practiced during that time.  The court system was also interesting, and how closely Hugh came to being hanged based on the word of a noble was downright scary.  And when he claimed the Benefit of Clergy in order to save his life, something I had never heard of, Hugh had to read a Bible passage in Latin perfectly and the 'judge' would decide if he read it perfectly or not.  It was a joke as the judge could already have it in for you and if he decides you're guilty, you're guilty.  The judge and the sheriff were the same person in this case, someone who had it in for Hugh.  Scary stuff!!  It was interesting to me that someone in the clergy would not be present to see if the passage was read correctly as the 'judge' may not even be able to read Latin.

I really like the way historical figures were presented in a candid way, with their problems laid out before them realistically.  It took me a few chapters to realize that the John Wyclif portrayed in the novel was the man who would become famous for his English Bible translations.  In this novel he was just a man trying to deal with the constant conflict between the secular and religious scholars. 

One of my concerns with this novel was the plot.  While the story was filled with interesting and charming characters and fascinating tidbits of the time period, the plot took a long time to get going and I wasn't totally certain exactly what the mystery was about until many chapters into the novel.  It wasn't until Hugh was captured and jailed that I really found myself into the novel and captivated from that point on.  Until that point, I felt like I was reading just to read.   While I love reading from the first person, I do find that it is more difficult to weave more complex plot elements from that viewpoint.  I also found the ending was somewhat abrupt and didn't quite tie up all the loose elements.  Despite this, I enjoyed the novel and all its various quirks, and I definitely love the teaser in the final paragraph.

Verdict
A Trail of Ink is a fascinating description of fourteenth century life as Hugh searches for lost books.  While that doesn't seem like much today, twenty-two books would have been a fortune for a monk during this time period.  While the plot took a long time to pick up speed, once it did, it hooked me completely and I was fascinated and enthralled.  With a less than satisfying ending, it did leave off with a tantalyzing hook for the next book in the series, Unhallowed Ground, which I am really looking forward to reading.  What Mel Starr does so well, however, is make you feel as if you're standing in fourteenth century England, with vivid descriptions and beautiful attention to detail.  All in all it was a satisfying read.

About the Author
Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren.  http://www.melstarr.org/
 
 
 
 
 
Contest Time!!
Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift card for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! Woo-hoo (thanks Kregel!) All you have to do to enter is either tweet (see TWEET THIS below) or share the book on Facebook using this link: http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Ink-Chronicle-Singleton-Surgeon/dp/1854249746/ref=sprightly-20


TWEET THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. RT for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k #litfuse
(and be sure to use the hashtag #litfuse to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing and no need to email that you tweeted - we'll be able to track it via the hashtag.)

FACEBOOK THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. Share on your wall for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k

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March 13th - March20th - Away on Holidays!!

Curling Up By The Fire is away on holidays!  Have a great week everybody!

Personal Time!

Hi everyone! I really enjoy the Thursday memes where it's time to get personal and share a little bit about yourself.  Although I focus mainly on reviewing books and guard my privacy like crazy, I do like to share some things about myself. 

Enquiring Minds Want to Know is a weekly meme hosted by Dollycas's Thoughts.  It's a fun way to share some interesting things about yourself that you wouldn't normally discuss in a regular post.  We spend a lot of time on our computers, often sharing thoughts and comments, but we don't really know each other that well.  As they do in the younger grades, something I always rather enjoyed which says a lot about my mental state, it's "special share day".

1. Author Jessica Park commented this week on Facebook that "Naming characters takes me almost as long as it does to write the book." which led me to start thinking about names. Is there a story behind your first name?


I was supposed to be named Jennifer.  My mother really wanted her first child to have that name and throughout her pregnancy she insisted on calling me Jennifer, even insisting she was carrying a girl.  As soon as I was born, she called me Stephanie and that was that.  My dad tried reminding her about the 'Jennifer' name, but you don't ever argue with someone who just went through labour as she insisted on Stephanie, and Stephanie it is.  I'm really glad I wasn't named Jennifer as I went through elementary school with four Jennifers in my class and that would not have been fun.

2. Do you think parents today give more thought to the names they give their children than our parents did?

I don't really think so.  I've seen some pretty unusual names, but I also see many of the traditional come through all the time too.  My grandmother's name was Jeanne D'Arc.  In English, that would be Joan of Arc, and today that would be pretty original and unprecedented.  Even for a girl born in the early twenties in a rural French community, it was pretty unusual.

3. What is the most unusual child's name you have noticed recently?

I have no idea.  I am a teacher so I come across some pretty unusual and fascinating names all of the time.  What I really like is the unusual spellings of everyday names such as Kamron, Holleigh, Ashleigh, Ashelynne, Quinne, Margherhite, Aprille, and so on.  I see a lot of that now and it's pretty neat. 

Booking Through Thursday

Do you multi-task when you read? Do other things like stirring things on the stove, brushing your teeth, watching television, knitting, walking, et cetera?


Or is it just me, and you sit and do nothing but focus on what you’re reading?

(Or, if you do both, why, when, and which do you prefer?)

I do both actually, but it depends on what I am doing.  I can definitely read while watching television, but when things get interesting on television, or in my book, I will give either my undivided attention instead of just part of my concentration.   My husband is always amazed that I can do that as he definitely can't.  Maybe it's a skill I've learned through watching my mom do it when I was young as she always read and watched tv and always knew what was going on.  And I always tried to emulate my mom.

I can definitely read and cook and do other things.  I can't read and exercise though.  I've tried and it just doesn't work.  I've switched to audiobooks for that as I can't hold a book and walk without walking into something, you know, like a tree, a car, a hole, and hurt myself terribly.  And hurts take a lot longer to heal today than they did twenty years ago.  Besides, I like looking at things when I walk.  And reading is for passing the time when I am bored. 

Which one do I prefer?  Oh, reading quietly with no distractions, for sure.  I still have a list when I was five years old of the ten things I could never do without and BOOKS were at the top of my list then and would probably still be at the top of my list today.  Today, however, it would say EREADER as it can hold more books.

Review: Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers

Bride of New France
by Suzanne Desrochers
Release Date:  January 18, 2011
2011 Penguin Canada
Softcover Edition; 294 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-14-317338-0
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Bride of New France was an interesting and fascinating tale of life in both France and in New France by debut author Suzanne Desrochers.

Bride of New France tells the story of Laure Beausejour, who at seven-years-old, was taken away from her parents and sent to live in Salpetriere, a dormitory in Paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten women.  With her closest friend Madeleine, she learns needlework skills and dreams of one day opening her own shop and marrying well.  But in 1669, due to circumstances beyond her control, Madeleine and Laure are sent to New France as filles du roi, part of the king's mandate to clean the streets of the destitute, but also to populate his new colony in the new world by sending women to marry the men and bear children.  Laure and Madeleine now have to face a terrible journey across the Atlantic into an unknown destination where all they've heard about is the ferocious winters and men who eat the heart of French priests.  To be banished to Canada is a terrible fate and Laure wonders what she has done to deserve this fate.

As a Canadian with roots in French Canada, I was excited to be able to read this novel.  Ms. Desrochers has a way of bringing history to life and I could picture the way everything looked, felt, and smelt.  The early lives of these settlers were pretty brutal and many people died or couldn't handle it and returned to France.  Because the story revolved around Laure, many of the details of the settlement did fade into the background which disappointed me as I wanted to learn more, but it is a fiction novel and not a non-fiction tale.

Laure's character was an interesting persona.  To be honest, I wasn't sure if I liked her or not as she had this coldness about her that I couldn't understand a lot of the time.  She wrapped herself in a kind of aloofness that kept her from associating with other girls, whether in Salpetriere or on the ship or in the settlement in New France.  I understood that this aloofness was her way of fighting for whatever little bit she could get in an environment that was unforgiving and ruthless, but there were times when I wish she showed a little more compassion for others.  Knowing the challenges that she would have faced coming from France and trying to eke out a living in New France on her own, little expecting the brutality of a Canadian winter, I can understand her temerity to want to try to survive on her own, but there were times when I could have shaken her and told her it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help once in a while.  I also found her feelings of superiority to the other filles du roi somewhat snobby.  Again, I understand it's self-protection in a very difficult world, but I often wondered if she would have fared better if she trusted a little more.  Yet, despite all this, I rooted for her all of the time.  I wanted her to succeed, to be happy, and to get that little bit that should be hers. 

The first part of the novel takes place in France, and you get a vivid description of Laure's life during this time.  She suffers through many trials, always hungry, cold, and facing a life of dreadful poverty, and the descriptions of Paris are pretty amazing.  I felt like I was right there, feeling Laure's hunger and her desperation.  The rest of the novel deals with the voyage across the ocean and Laure's life in New France.  Again, the descriptions are vivid, with great descriptions of life and secondary characters in New France.  I especially enjoyed reading about Madame Rouillard and would have liked to have learned more about her.  The plot was interesting and in many parts, unexpected.  I certainly didn't expect Laure's life to go the way it did.  I am left wondering what happened to Laure and Madame Rouillard after the novel ended.

Bride of New France was a fascinating read about the early settlement in New France.  I am definitely looking forward to many more novels from Suzanne Desrochers.

30 Great Books That Teach Children To be Green

Hello everyone!  I was recently contacted by Jasmine who is working with a site called OnlineClasses.org.  Together, they have recently published an article entitled "30 Great Books That Teach Children To Be Green".  As a parent who is constantly on my children about preserving paper and saving energy and the benefits of recycling, this article really intrigued me.  I have spent a lot of time over the years looking for craft books that are "green" in nature, ones that focus on using what you already have in your house in order to make/create some great things.  Now my kids are on my case about recycling and I love that!!!  With Jasmine's permission, I am reposting the article here to highlight these great books.

30 Great Books That Teach Children To Be Green

It’s never to early to teach kids to be green. From the moment they are born, kids impact the world, and the sooner they learn to be conscientious of the environment, the better. Learning about protecting the world can be fun, and these books make becoming eco-friendly a fun experience for kids.


1. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth: Check out this book that tells kids the many ways they can contribute to saving the Earth.

2. The Giving Tree: Shel Silverstein’s book teaches kids about the relationship between kids and the forest.

3. My Bag and Me!: My Bag and Me! can teach your child to be eco-friendly by using reusable bags.

4. A Drop Around the World: Kids can follow a drop of water around the world in this book.

5. The Great Kapok Tree: In The Great Kapok Tree, a man changes his mind about chopping down a large tree in the Amazon when he hears the pleas of the animals.

6. George Saves the World by Lunchtime: George saves the world with simple everyday actions in this book.

7. The Tree in the Ancient Forest: In this book, Carol Reed-Jones writes about the web of plants and animals in the world.

8. Earth-Friendly Crafts for Kids: Here you’ll find 50 awesome recycled crafts projects.

9. The Forever Forest: Kids save a tropical treasure in The Forever Forest.

10. Charlotte’s Web: Charlotte’s Web teaches animal appreciation, life cycles, and ecosystems.

11. Green Wise Kids: Jean Clausen’s book teaches kids about doing simple things to improve the environment, sharing age appropriate activities.

12. The Empty Lot: This book’s hero sells off an empty lot, but after consideration, learns about all of the natural elements that make the lot more valuable than he thought.

13. My Favorite Tree: Kids can choose their favorite North American tree in My Favorite Tree.

14. One Well: One Well tells the story of water on Earth.

15. The Lorax: The Lorax offers kids an ecological warning about the disregard for the Earth’s environment.

16. We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers: These kids recycle their toys instead of throwing them away, and they even get their classmates involved.

17. Herb the Vegetarian Dragon: In this book, kids will read about eating vegetarian through Herb, the vegetarian dragon.

18. Oil Spill!: Kids can learn about the ecological damage of oil spills in this book.

19. Earth Book for Kids: Earth Book for Kids has activities to help heal the environment.

20. Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You: Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You tells the lessons of nature and the animal kingdom.

21. What’s It Like Living Green?: Kids teach kids how to live green in this book.

22. The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: This plastic bottle helps kids learn about recycling from a new perspective.

23. Recycled Crafts Box: Kids can make crafts out of recycled materials using this book.

24. The City of Ember: In The City of Ember, the heroes of the book live in a world run on hydro power.

25. Giggles the Green Bean: Giggles the Green Bean learns environmentally friendly lessons and transforms his stinky town to green in this book.

26. The Curious Garden: The Curious Garden tells a story of a little boy who becomes a city gardener in an urban, factory town.

27. Dear Children of the Earth: Mother Earth writes to children to get their help in this book.

28. World Beneath Our Feet: Kids can read about the world that exists in the soil in World Beneath Our Feet.

29. The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore): This family of bears learns about why we need to mend our polluting and wasteful ways.

30. Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?: Kids can read about the dangers of global warming in Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?

There are some really great books on this list.  As I was searching through for the links, I added quite a few to my wish list as I hadn't heard of some of them.  Some of them of course, are perennial favourites, such as Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree, and The Lorax, all of which I have and will never part with.  Have fun taking a look and see what draws your interest.  It can be fun to be green!!!

Review: A Collection of Short Stories by Alain Gomez

A Collection of Short Stories
by Alain Gomez
Source: Review Copy from Author

Celebrity Space
Release Date: December 27, 2010
Ebook Edition; 14 Pages (Approximately 2982 words)
Genre: Science Fiction / Short Story

Set in the not too distant future, a worker hopes that his new job at the spaceport will allow him to get his life back on track. While taking passengers to the space hotel "Moonwalk", a collision with an unknown object brings his dreams... and possibly his life... to a screeching halt.

Doctor Fleischer
Release Date: February 24, 2011
Ebook Edition; 11 Pages (Approximately 2602 words)
Genre: Science Fiction / Short Story


The Space Hotel Series continues from the viewpoint of Dr. Agatha Fleischer. Aliens made Dr. Fleischer an offer she couldn't refuse: unlimited resources for her research... and no ethics laws to speak of. A dream come true for the overly ambitious doctor. But will her atrocious acts in the name of science go unpunished?

A Model Railway Man
Release Date: February 9, 2011
Ebook Edition; (Approximately 2538 words)
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy / Short Story

Working on his model railroad set is more than just a hobby for John Wilson, it's his desperate attempt to fix the ghosts of his childhood. But his obsession with his creation may have an unexpected side-effect...

My Thoughts
With several twists and turns, and some unexpected endings, I found this short story collection by Alain Gomez to be interesting and riveting.

"Celebrity Space" is a futuristic tale about celebrities going to a space station in order to live it up.  On their way to the station, the space shuttle develops problems.  This one has a great and unexpected ending that came out of nowhere; I always enjoy it when an author can turn the tables on a reader and keep them guessing as I first thought the plot seemed a bit formulaic and predictable.  I also enjoyed the character development, the bantering between the characters, and thought the plot was well-developed.  It was an entertaining short story.

"Doctor Fleischer" is a sequel to "Celebrity Space" and this story revolves around genetitist Doctor Fleischer.  She has accepted a new job and her new employers are a bit unusual.  But with an unlimited budget and the ability to do whatever research she wants, who is she to complain?  This was another entertaining short story and I really enjoyed Doctor Fleischer's no-nonsense approach to life.  And according to her principles, people should give up their life to science if it advances research.  The interesting plot line, and the unexpected twist at the end make this short story worth reading.

"A Model Railway Man" took a bit longer to develop and I was left wondering what the purpose of the story was about, when suddenly, in the last three pages it took a sudden turn, and I felt like I was bowled over.  I have devloped a lot of respect for Ms. Gomez and her unexpected endings and I enjoyed this tremendously.  This story is about a man with such an obsession for trains that he neglects his wife of five years.  The results are not what he was expecting.

Verdict
These three stories are a quick read, but all have fascinating twists at the end that I did not expect.  Ms. Gomez has a nice writing style that draws the reader into the story immediately, something that is important when writing short stories.  She also doesn't rely overtly on description and therefore, the stories generally move along smoothly and easily, allowing the characters to develop and the plot to flow. 

Review: The Kensei by Jon F. Merz

The Kensei (Lawson Vampire Novels, Book 5)
by Jon F. Merz
Release Date: January 18, 2011
2011 St. Martin's Griffin
Paperback Edition; 304 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-312-66223-3
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Source: Review Copy from Author

Summary
Meet Lawson. A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando -- James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home. In The Kensei, a battle-weary Lawson heads to Japan for a little rest and some advanced ninja training. But he no sooner steps off the plane than lands in the midst of a Yakuza turf war orchestrated by a shadowy figure known as the Kensei. With the help of Talya, a former KGB-assassin, Lawson must put a stop to the Kensei's organ trafficking networks, prevent the creation of an army of vampire-human hybrids, and save his own skin in the process.


My Thoughts
The Kensei hooked me right from the beginning as the non-stop action and Lawson's dry, sarcastic, witty humour drew me into a world that is familiar, but at the same time, pretty surreal.  I enjoyed the whole craziness of vampires who study martial arts and become vampire ninjas, at the center of which is a man who is tired of the fighting and needs a holiday.
 
At the center of all of this craziness is Lawson, a centuries old vampire known as the Fixer, whose job it is to settle scores in the vampire world and to put things to right no matter how he has to do it.  Unfortunately, Lawson has one big secret he needs to hide from the Council, and it is tearing him up inside.  Throw in a brother out for revenge, one who is also messing with vampires and is creating a whole new breed, and you have quite a mess.  I love how Lawson handles the whole mess with panache and style, all the while complaning about his holiday, or lack thereof.  He has also grown tired of being a Fixer; tired from all the killing, accidental and intentional, and is left at a crossroads at his life, which is why he is in Japan.  He is seeking peace and tranquility in his martial art, ninjutsu.  With assasins following him everywhere, the peace he seeks is nonexistent, and he is left wondering why he draws these issues to himself all of the time.
 
Talya, his big secret, also shows up in Tokyo on an agenda of her own.  The sparks fly and soon they are both questioning their lives and wondering how they can make things work out.  I adore Talya and love her kick-ass attitude.  She can be vulnerable at times, but I love how she lays it all on the line and how she never seems afraid of anything.  I was afraid the love story would become gushing, but luckily, Merz kept the gushing to a minimum and Talya was allowed to do what she does best, fight and destroy. 
 
While the plot is a little predictable, and I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending between The Kensei and Lawson, I did really enjoy the characters.  I also really enjoyed the writing style, even if it was a little choppy, as the bantor between the characters was witty, intriguing, and interesting.  All of the characters had unique peronality traits and quirky personalities that set them apart and I found myself rooting for them, even the so-called evil ones.  I also liked how Merz gives you just enough background information to understand what is happening in the novel so that it doesn't become intrusive;  you know where Lawson is coming from, the conspiracies he has dealt with, but not much more history than that.  I like that so I can go back and read the other novels without feeling like I've already read them.
 
Verdict
The Kensei has plenty of twists and turns that will keep you interested, and the pace doesn't let up until the end.  Although it is the fifth book in the series, it can be read and understood as a stand-alone or you can go ahead and start at the beginning.  The setting for The Kensei is pretty incredible, and I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the various locations around Tokyo as it a place I have never visited and I appreciated the information.  For vampire lovers, you will enjoy the refreshing take on vampire myth in this novel as his imagination and creativity are something new, and for others, it is a good espionage novel.  I am looking forward to the sixth Lawson novel as he attempts to uncover some more conspiracies that are hinted at in The Kensei. 

WOW: The Rose Garden and Some Immorality

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.  For those of us who like to scour the net looking at new releases just because we get a thrill knowing what's going to be released, this meme gives us a chance to highlight what we have found.

The Rose Garden
by Susanna Kearsley
Release Date: May 11, 2011

When Eva's film star sister Katrina dies, she leaves California and returns to Cornwall, where they spent their childhood summers, to scatter Katrina's ashes and in doing so return her to the place where she belongs. But Eva must also confront the ghosts from her own past, as well as those from a time long before her own. For the house where she so often stayed as a child is home not only to her old friends the Halletts, but also to the people who had lived there in the eighteenth century. When Eva finally accepts that she is able to slip between centuries and see and talk to the inhabitants from hundreds of years ago, she soon finds herself falling for Daniel Butler, a man who lived - and died - long before she herself was born. Eva begins to question her place in the present, and in laying her sister to rest, comes to realise that she too must decide where she really belongs, choosing between the life she knows and the past she feels so drawn towards.

The Immorality Engine (Book 3, Newbury and Hobbes Investigations)
by George Mann
Release Date: September 27, 2011

A thrilling new steampunk mystery from a unique voice.

Come read the adventures of Sir Maurice Newbury and his indomitable assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes as they attempt to solve another electrifying mystery.

What new discoveries did you find that needs to be added to my wish list and TBR pile?