General
ForeWord Review - Arrivals and Departures from Normal
February/05/2016 02:43 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
This candid view of the art world from the perspective of an ambitious woman will enthrall, and perhaps frighten, creative audiences. A gifted artist faced with formidable obstacles exceeds expectations in this mesmerizing, true-to-life story. Rose captivates and inspires, allowing an intimate look at what it takes to succeed in a competitive profession, while delving into the complicated realm of self-expression for public consumption.
ForeWord Review - Doubt of Love
July/17/2015 04:30 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Scott presents a touching story with an unusual conglomeration of inspirational romance and subtle intrigue. Excellent character development, exhibiting the flaws and idiosyncrasies of real people, brings to life an interesting cast. Add just a dash of heady realism and this novel is clearly mainstream fiction, not for readers who avoid dealing with gritty truth on the path to idyllic bliss. A deserted, foreboding Irish graveyard on the cover is reminiscent of the creepy Gothics of bygone days.
ForeWord Review - Succession
July/16/2015 02:12 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Opening in New York City during the final days of the Kennedy presidency in 1963, Lobsenz’s novel provides a behind-the-scenes look at blatant greed and high-powered manipulation in competitive manufacturing and its impact on private lives. This caustic trip into the not-so-distant past is a sour glimpse of the American dream. A distinctive, almost uncomfortable realism permeates every page.
ForeWord Review - Walking Home
May/27/2015 02:37 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A middle-aged man embarks on a journey into the soul along the winding Appalachian Trail in this revealing look at unfulfilled expectations and pronounced disillusionment. Herrick’s novel is a quest for lost youth and an inner battle to regain the zest that somehow got displaced on the way to mediocrity, what many like to call the “good life” in America. Vivid imagery of the Appalachian terrain and wildlife allows the timid to live vicariously through an adventurous hiker.
ForeWord Review - The Manuscript
February/18/2015 01:53 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A New York City editor encounters an eerie manuscript by a well-known author that triggers memories and evokes the emotions she experienced when her father left. She recalls the day he drove away, putting his pastel box into her hands. Now, thirty years later, she must relive these agonizing moments while reading the carefully crafted words of a skilled writer who hits a tad too close to reality. Fuschetti delivers an enlightening, soul-searching novel that does more than entertain.
ForeWord Review - Beautiful Woman
January/20/2015 02:16 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Contrasting the extravagant wealth and the devastating poverty of Miami, Mowbray’s book is a political statement as much as a novel. The protagonist, a liberal newspaper columnist, pits himself against a stratified city in this terrifying story of a successful journalist’s downfall after his romance with a Sanctuary Island socialite goes bad. A fascinating escapade into the dark elements of possessiveness and jealousy, this title will appeal to diverse readers interested in psychological probing as well as gritty action.
ForeWord Review - The Lives of Lyman Liri
January/15/2015 01:08 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Hidden within clouds of philosophical mist that shroud the narrative, Lyman Liri emerges in a series of brief sketches told from the viewpoint of those who knew him. Johnston-Brown shines a spotlight on human nature, exposing raw behavior and cruel intentions as well as sterling morals and simple kindnesses. She offers a parable that asks what would happen if key decisions could be reversed. Though some believe fate and destiny play a part in determining one’s happiness, this foggy perception can lead to a lack of action and no goal, rather than a potentially wrong goal. Lyrical and graphic, this innovative storytelling sets the book apart from other works of intellectual fiction.
ForeWord Review - Crazy Heat
June/27/2014 03:11 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A past affair, incarceration for murder, and a grudge have fueled this page-turner set in Tucson, Arizona, with sexually motivated greed and violence in just the right combination. The reading experience is similar to watching a movie rather than delving into a literary endeavor. Like most American crime fiction, the plot is revealed through character interaction, not soul-revealing introspection and prolonged stints of description.
ForeWord Review - Plumb's Bluff
May/28/2014 09:34 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Ely portrays a small community on the brink of paranoid, superstitious madness, along a river steeped in symbolic meaning and, on one unfortunate occasion, booby-trapped with barbed wire. Alternating between scathing depictions of a narrow-minded, sequestered town and investigative savvy, he charges his novel with the skills of a wordsmith. A witchcraft mentality in a traditional environment adds a chilling element, enhancing the ominous mood. Menacing and provocative, this exploration of the so-called bad seed within humankind will illuminate the contradictory impulses that drive some to violence and some to love.
ForeWord Review - Presidential Intentions
March/24/2014 09:04 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A candid look at the rise of an ambitious presidential candidate destined for greatness from the days of her youth, this complex novel is an exciting yet tragic behind-the-scenes examination of the political process. Wood presents factual events and real people within a fictional context, juxtaposing an analysis of recent situations with the activities of his protagonist. This in-depth story of a powerful, conservative feminist brings a figment of the imagination alive to a degree of vividness rarely seen in a debut.
ForeWord Review - Touched in the Dark
January/25/2014 10:02 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
This realistic and detailed medical romance features a young intern seeking abiding love and the calm resolution of a tormented childhood tainted by sexual abuse. In a break from tradition, the character of Dr. Tori Taggert replaces the stereotypical infatuated nurse who succumbs to the advances of a powerful physician, providing a fresh take on the popular hospital setting. Hanes explores the psyche of a woman fighting to come to terms with her difficult upbringing while advancing in a fast-paced career.
ForeWord Review - We
November/15/2013 12:13 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A forty-year-old man transcends space and time after an accident propels him into the body of his younger self. This extraordinary situation reveals the inner psyche struggling against the past, desperately seeking a favorable outcome long after traumatic actions have inflicted paralyzing damage. Scary and enlightening, Landweber’s story illuminates the darkest human motivations along with the noblest efforts to combat evil desires in unstable individuals.
ForeWord Review - My Waltzing Egypt
October/21/2013 01:26 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
This is the story of a Coptic Christian and a Muslim trapped in a society that will not condone their relationship, so they remain sequestered. Salama explores individual perceptions of God, definitions of a higher power, and how a personal comprehension of these concepts is frequently based on cultural and written indoctrination. A twenty-first century tragedy waiting to happen, this gripping adventure will appeal to readers of religious intrigue fiction, as well as romantics who devour tales of star-crossed lovers.
ForeWord Review - Open With Love
October/04/2013 03:09 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A woman escapes from an artificial role dictated by society and emerges an honest individual, recreated by herself and no one else. The story is confessed, much like a sequence of diary entries, from the viewpoint of a divorced heroine and overworked mother. Though personal and raw, the stylistic presentation on every page deserves high marks for ingenuity and sincerity.
ForeWord Review - The Guys' Guy's Guide to Love
August/29/2013 09:42 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
The exciting, high-stakes world of advertising and the lifestyle of the affluent, single man meet in Manni’s debut. This is the humorous story of a New York adman and his competitive relationship with his best friend, a committed playboy. Peppered with well-drawn supporting characters, personal-professional boundaries blur with intent, adding to the novel’s richness.
ForeWord Review - Here, Home, Hope
July/22/2013 10:11 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A woman reinvents her self-image to achieve happiness in this exploration of inner motivation and routine disillusionment. Inspirational and engaging, Rouda will touch readers who can relate to the frustration of being sidelined on the field of life, until finally experiencing the joy of participation.
ForeWord Review - Outside the Gate
July/17/2013 12:41 PM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Milton shines a spotlight on human trafficking, an appalling crime that persists. Rather than focusing on gritty descriptions of sexual assault, the author allows the reader to feel a mother’s pain as she contemplates her daughter’s terror. An authentic look at the international business of abducting and raping girls for profit.
ForeWord Review - Owen's Day
July/08/2013 10:30 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
An elusive, wealthy man risks his life to prevent a boy from drowning in a frozen river. This captivating novel is an exploration of the daily, sometimes dire incidents that lie like stumbling blocks throughout our lives. A small Canadian town’s need to glorify the hero, reward him, and place him on a pedestal does not elicit the desired reaction. The author explores the religious concept of “good deeds” and the obligation to pay for every privilege or service, inviting analysis of social issues.
ForeWord Review - Sand in My Eyes
June/24/2013 08:36 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
A lifestyle chosen for the sake of conformity does not meet a woman’s expectations in this perceptive exploration of time lost. Lemmon’s novel may be a subtle reprimand to those who fail to appreciate and control their lives, choosing instead to exist as cowards seeking social acceptance rather than fulfillment. Her story presents the consequences of allowing years to pass without truly living.
ForeWord Review - The Five O'Clock Follies
June/20/2013 09:10 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
An independent female correspondent in devastated Saigon faces skepticism and overt sexism from competitive men during the Vietnam War. This fictional exposé by a seasoned journalist is recommended for those who have participated in similar war-torn environments.
ForeWord Review - Silk
June/05/2013 09:56 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Fashion and pandemonium meet in this glitzy mainstream romance. Rough and demanding, these are protagonists with an attitude, coupled with an unrelenting desire to succeed. Written by London journalist Rupert James.
ForeWord Review - Where the Heart Lives
May/22/2013 09:41 AM Filed: ForeWord Reviews
Explore a glamorous alternative to metropolitan living set in the mid-1990s on the California Central Coast. This is the second installment of Purl’s Milford-Haven series. The contrast between a “should do” approach to living and a “must do” need to override one’s so-called voice of reason is a significant thread running throughout these interwoven novels.