The Riveners: Beginnings

By V.E. Rayner

Five out of Five Stars

In terms of pure reading enjoyment, The Riveners: Beginnings by V.E. Rayner is one of those novels that reminded me why I love reading so much. A fantasy novel, which isn’t normally my go-to genre, The Riveners: Beginnings immersed me in a world that not only held my attention, but that I also fell in love with.

Now, before I go any further, I must give full disclosure, I’ve traded emails with V.E. Rayner, as a mutual associate of ours asked me to read the book for editing purposes. That’s how I came about reading a fantasy novel. What I discovered was a well-written, entertaining manuscript that needed very little work.

The book itself centers on the various denizens of Overview, a quaint little town where local physic Nicholas Beech, through necessity, is introduced to its darker nature – a fact that will have a lasting effect on him and his family. Along with the Beech family, V.E. introduces us to a wealth of colourful characters, some who are equally as engaging as the Beech family, and some who are abhorrent in nature. As for the Riveners themselves, creatures V.E. wrote me originated in a dream, they’re quite fascinating. V.E. takes these deadly creatures and gives them a personality of their own – at times you’ll be rooting for them, and at others, fearing them.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot of the novel, as it is wide in scope, but never too wide that the author loses the reader. What is created is a fascinating world, populated by equally fascinating characters. What struck me about the novel – and why I’m writing this review – was that in reading it, I was surprised to find myself thinking about Overview and its residents, even when I put it down. The story and characters stuck with me in a way that is rare – yet thrilling.

I enjoyed the world I explored, and knowing that The Riveners: Beginnings is merely the first in a series of novels; I’m looking forward to revisiting it, and, luckily, have been asked to go over the manuscript for the second novel. All in all, The Riveners: Beginnings is a great read – a novel and new author worth taking a chance on, if you enjoy well developed stories, great characters, and a little bit of the fantastical.

Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney

By Howard Sounces

Four out of Five Stars

I’ve pretty much been a lifelong Beatles fan; a fan that has also grown to appreciate the music John, Paul, George and Ringo (yes, Ringo) made as solo artists. I’ve read a lot of books on the Beatles, and have several lined up to read in the future. It’s a compulsion, as, despite the fact the story never changes, and I know it so well, I still continue to read the books. Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney, at least allowed me to not only read about his Beatle years, but also his solo career, which I haven’t thoroughly explored – so at least, I knew there’d be something different here.

Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney by Howard Sounes, was a solid read – one I enjoyed. The trick to writing a book about a Beatle these days, is to say your book offers new insights, but based on the amount that has been written about them, these new insights are often negligible. Fab is no different in this regard, and those insights were not that exciting, at least for me. I have to remember though, if you’re just starting to explore the world of the Beatles, everything in this book is new, and as such, interesting.

Howard Sounes is an excellent writer, with an easy-going style. He reports on aspects of Paul’s life, without falling into the trap some writers do when writing about musicians, of over-analyzing their musical work. He does comment on the songs and their strengths, and I do agree with him that lacking John Lennon’s contribution, a lot of Paul’s work with Wings, and as a solo artist, didn’t have the same impact. In fairness to Paul, however, we can say the same for John’s work; the two seemed to counter balance one another beautifully. That’s not to take away from moments of brilliance in song writing – it’s just when you look at that brilliance over the ten years of the Beatles, the solo years seemed leaner.

The book did give me a new appreciation of Paul as a family man, and one can’t help feeling bad about his experiences with second wife Heather Mills, after a long and successful marriage with the Lovely Linda. Heather does not not come off well in the book; seeing as she recently criticized Paul after he worked with Kanye West, saying he was irrelevant, I tend to believe her character skews towards what Howard Sounes has written about her. Maybe it’s time she let go of the anger.

Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney is a great place for anyone to start, if they’re exploring the Beatles as both a band and solo artists; for those of us well entrenched in their lives, it’s still a solid read. Some may disagree; all I can say was I enjoyed the read, and in the long run, as a reader that’s all that really counts.

Remembering Those Who Inspired

June 8, 2015

I’ve been working hard re-writing and polishing my fourth novel, Barkerton. Trying to balance that with blogging and getting on Twitter, and...well...failing. Yesterday, however, I was given pause to think and reflect. It was four years ago, June 7th, that my Father passed away. I know they say time heals all wounds, but no matter how much I appear to be coping, his loss, and that of my Mother still hits me hard.

My Mom has been gone for eleven years now. It was a loss that struck me to the core of my being; I had a great relationship with my Mom, and she provided a voice and guidance that I could turn to when life became complicated – or just when I wanted someone to talk to. If your Mom is still around, do not underestimate the value of being able to pick up the phone and call her; for me, it is now just a dream.

My Mother dedicated herself to raising her kids, and gave her all to us. Now that I look back, I honestly believe she was a frustrated writer; it was my Mother that instilled a love of reading and writing in me. She wrote well, and I can’t help but wonder what she would have written if she’d actually nurtured her talent. Instead she nurtured my talent. I believe she sacrificed her dreams, to give me my dream; she set me on the path, that has now developed into novel writing, and that is a gift I am unable to truly thank her for, as I’ve realized all of this only after her passing.

Dad, well, Dad was a presence; he was a giant of a man with a good heart. He never failed to help others, and did so because he really truly cared. Dad wasn’t an avid reader of books, but he consumed newspapers on a daily basis, as well as magazines devoted to history. In his own way, he was a well-read and intelligent man. What he gave me is whatever strength of character I currently have. He showed me what it was to be a good human being, and while I know I’ll never completely measure up to him, by making me strive to do so, he has made me a better man. My Dad and I were close, and his passing still haunts me to this day. You see, when Mom became sick with cancer, Dad was her main caretaker, and it wasn’t until that wretched disease afflicted him, and my wife and I became his main caretaker, that I realized all he had done for her and all he had gone through – with grace, dignity and no complaints.

Don’t get me wrong, my parents were not perfect, but from what I do know, in being born as their son, I did win a biological lottery. So much of whom and what they were, makes me who and what I am today. I believe that is reflected in my writing and my ability to have become a writer.

I miss them.