Yecheilyah Book Reviews: A Tale of Three Cities by Alexander McCabe

Title: A Tale of Three Cities
Author: Alexander McCabe
ISBN: 978-0-9940447-1-6
Release Date: November 2, 2015
Advanced Review Copy Edition

 A Tale of Three Cities is a fantastic story involving two women who do not intimately know each other but whose lives become connected in a horrific span of events that will forever change both women. 

While occupying the waiting room of a dental office, bank cashier Melissa Chisholm is reading a magazine when her attention is snagged by a missing persons headline accompanied by a photograph of a woman she is sure she knows. Enticed by the million-dollar reward for any information regarding Kristy Bradley, Melissa sets out to redeem the much-needed cash, being reassured that she does know the woman who changed her name to Lady Penelope Munro. 

According to the article, the two love birds married out of High School. They settled into a financially stable and happy life before Kristy was allegedly kidnapped by Anthony Di Silva, a mob boss masquerading as CEO of a Waste Management Company and currently serving 25 to life after 34 million dollars, and Michael’s wife went missing. Now Melissa is flying from Glasgow, Scotland, to Harrison, New York, to assist Kristy’s poor husband find his long-lost wife.

Sitting in her car outside Michael’s front door, Melissa is unaware of the man behind the smile in the magazine. As she waits nervously for him to read the documents she slipped into his home and to listen to her message on his answering machine, she has no idea of the maniac she has just involved herself with. As she waits, watching Michael faint at the contents of the documents with tears colliding down his face, Melissa doesn’t know about the secret hatred more than love pulsating through his veins. When his true character is revealed, it made me think about the stigmas surrounding a woman’s submission, what it means, and how abusive men take advantage of women who do. Nonetheless, as Melissa waits, it will be a hard lesson for her.

I was pleasantly surprised. I was not too excited when I discovered this book was 500 pages long. However, McCabe has written an adventurous tale that will engage all of your senses. His attention to detail is remarkable, and I found Z’s sense of humor hilarious at times. I also enjoyed how the author displays Michael’s deranged demeanor against Melissa’s sympathy for his loss. Having lost her parents in a car wreck years ago, her loss drives the naivety and compassion she feels for a man who has seemingly, like her, lost everything. I also enjoyed the parallels between Melissa’s life and Kristy’s, and like a single thread that weaves fabric together, the dynamics involving the two women bring it all in.

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A Tale of Three Cities releases November 2, 2015. Please visit Alexander at his social networking sites and be sure to pick up this book! It is a must read. Though I read it already, I would love to still purchase the paperback for my collection when it releases.

Website: http://aasmccabe.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aasmccabe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandermccabeauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/aasmccabe/

#Book #Review for Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line by Cynthia Brooks

Title: Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line
Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Published: July 27, 2015
Released: August 24, 2015
ASIN: B013PQCKK8
Pages: 64
Rating: 5/5

Genre: Black Literature, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Story

Although “Stella: Beyond The Colored Line” is fiction, the racial tone is very real. The setting is within a time when Blacks (Colored or Negro at that time) were trying to find their identity and struggling for civil rights at the same time. Even within the Black (Colored or Negro) community, there was a color division. If your skin was lighter, you were hated by those of a darker complexion, and vice versa. But nothing has changed in these modern times. Blacks are still identifying each other by color, but still struggling to find their own identity.

Stella makes a decision to use her light skin to blend in with the white community to gain status and to become more accepted by “society”. What would you have done if you were in her shoes? Would you go “beyond the colored line”?

This book will make you cry, it will make you laugh, and it will make you angry at times. The theme is easy to follow and it’s a Must Read for all!”

–Cynthia Brooks

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Thanks Cynthia!

 

Purchase Beyond The Colored Line on Amazon Kindle or any of the major eBook distribution outlets. (Click here for all eBook links or to get it in print)

#Book #Review for Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line by Christa Wojciechowski

Title: Stella Book #2: Beyond The Colored Line
Author: Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Published: July 27, 2015
Released: August 24, 2015
ASIN: B013PQCKK8
Pages: 64
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Black Literature, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Story

Nothing is Simply Black or White

Stella: Beyond the Colored Line is a fascinating walk through the ages–from slavery, to segregation, to the black power movement, to modern times.

Through the eyes of one mixed race woman, the author touches on major events in African American history, allowing the reader to experience them in real time.

The story deepens when Stella decides to live as a white woman and raise her children as whites. As her family grows and develops within a changing society, Stella and her children reveal complex perspectives and attitudes that make it clear that it doesn’t matter who your ancestors were. Nothing is just simply black or white.

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They are coming in slowly but they are coming! Special thanks go out to Christa for this review; it makes my second five stars! OK so its only two reviews BUT both are five stars, I’ll take it! Every small victory is worth appreciating. In case you’re wondering why these reviews are so short, it’s really a short read, a novella if you will. If you would like to receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review please email me. It really will not take up too much of your time. In any event, I appreciate both the positive AND constructive criticism I am getting on the back end. It lets me know the reviews are real deal  and is EXTREMELY helpful in the polishing off of Book #3, whose release date and book cover I will be announcing soon. The Stella Trilogy is almost complete!

#Book #Review by Anna Kopp “Beyond the Colored Line” by Yecheilyah Ysrayl

Special Thank You to Anna Kopp for this wonderful Review. Beyond The Colored Line is Available now in Print, Amazon Kindle, B&N NOOK, Kobo, iTunes and Google Play.

View this Review on Goodreads

What is a Book Review (and how to schedule yours)

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What is a Book Review?

A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review can be a primary source opinion piece, summary review or scholarly review. Part of the purpose of a good book review is to help the reader ascertain whether the author accomplishes his/her goal or not so they can determine if they should read the book. Books are written to entertain, inform, persuade and overall to advance ideas and book reviews are written to further the discussion the author has started. A good book review doesn’t just answer questions related to why the book was written but expands the conversation of the book in order to advance the discussion. This in turn, expands the author’s message, helping readers get a feel for who he or she is and whether or not their style of writing is worth investing both their time and money in.

About Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews

My Book Reviews are honest and thorough. I approach each project with the same level of professionalism and care as I would a big company. I show no partiality and I do not publish constructive criticism. This means that any review under a 4 will not be published unless otherwise requested by the author. I believe there is some good in everything if we are willing to see it. So before I provide critical feedback I do so while first highlighting the positive points of where I think the author does well. The writer believed enough in his/her topic to write on it, so I believe the reviewer should acknowledge where the writer has been successful. This helps the author to feel that I understood his arguments, and it also helps the reader to understand that not everything in the book is bad.

The Process

Book Reviews are scheduled in the order in which they are received. After receiving your book in the mail (or email), I will begin reading and analyzing your book in the order in which I have received it (I will let you know if someone is in front of you and the estimated wait time). Please give me time to read your book. I will then write the review and then publish it to this blog as well as my social media sites. Again, I do not publish reviews under a 4 star rating, though I will send you a copy of the review via email. The purpose is not to badger you as author nor is it to overwhelm you, but to provide thoughtful feedback. I believe in this way the criticism is not more negative than it is helpful, but engages the author’s thoughts from the book.

Ratings

After studying the material, my final rating is based on the following system ( I rate on a scale of 1-5):

 
Plot Movement / Strength
Entertainment Factor
Characterization
Authenticity / Believable
Thought Provoking
Recommendation

Ratings of 4 and 5 stars are published to my blog and social networking sites. Links to author website, blog, and social networks are also promoted. Authors are also sent a free PDF copy of the review for their personal records. Reviews are free. If you like the review, I only ask for permission to use your feedback in the furthering of this service, such as the quote used in the AD above.

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Eternal Traces by Shonda Brock

Title: Eternal Traces

Author: Shonda Brock

Website: http://www.shondabrock.com/

ISBN 13: 978-0-9904242-0-8(ebk)

ASIN: B00KH8VGT4

Published: May 20, 2014

Publisher: Shonda Brock

Pages: 248

Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Multicultural, Multicultural Paranormal Romance, Fiction

Rating: 4/5


Eternal Traces is a Multicultural Paranormal Romance novel surrounding the life of Veteran and Cardiologist Meryt Brownstone. Brownstone is an African American woman who struggles to lay claim to her personal and mental life despite her professional success. While Meryt dreams of a change of scenery, she prefers to avoid getting too close to people and prefers to fly under the radar. She has not been involved in any serious romantic relationship in some time and frequents daydreams of an ancient world. Hardworking and driven, Brownstone is also an undercover agent for the government and divides her time between work, chatting with her friend Cindy, secret missions, and experimenting with synthetic blood.

Speaking of blood, Meryt’s life changes dramatically when she meets Dr. Fitzgerald and Dr. Rene Daniels, two brothers who start working at the hospital and are very interested in her study on synthetic hemoglobin. Meryt’s sexual trance is immediately sparked with even the slightest glimpse of Rene. She is drawn to him on many levels, and she is unable to keep her eyes off of him. Meryt is guarded with her heart and refuses to let love develop naturally, despite Cindy’s insinuations that she has feelings for the new doctor.

But Dr. Rene’s attraction goes above and beyond her expectations, and the tingling sensation of need makes her crazy. In addition to being hypnotic, Rene avoids her like the plague after first meeting her despite having stunning blue eyes. Meryt’s curiosity about him is further piqued by this as she starts to wonder why. Meryt is a former soldier with military training who occasionally carries out covert operations, but Rene has a secret of his own to be concerned about that, despite his ravenous need, keeps him apart from Meryt.

As the story begins to unfold, I enjoyed the Egyptian and African connection and the parallels between the past and present as expressed by the author. As the story picks up, we see that ancient Egypt is a key figure in Meryt’s visions and an important mission to the Sudan becomes a major turning point in the novel as the lines between dream and reality become blurred. Historically, Egypt is blood brothers to the Nubian and they both descend from Ham whose name means hot, burnt, and black. This means the Egyptians would have looked just like the African American today. In addition, the Kushites (Ethiopians or Nubians), whose name means burnt face, lived south of Egypt in what is called the Sudan today.

Meryt’s mission to the Sudan, therefore, was a nice complement. I also enjoyed the symbolism of which there were many. One example is Meryt’s temper when she’s upset and her career as a cardiologist, paralleled against the details of Rene’s life. It created an interesting bridge of commonality between the two. How so? You’d have to read the book to find out!

As my first ever Multicultural Paranormal Romance novel, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take a plunge on this one. However, I must say it’s one of those books where, even if you disagree with the concepts, it is hard to put down. You will want to get to the end and see how it all plays out. It also has a unique storyline, so I am glad I took the chance.

While some parts left me anxiously anticipating action, when similarities arose between Meryt’s life and that of Queen Nitocris, I was happy to see that my thirst for answers were quenched as the plot thickened. Between Dr. Daniel’s charm, Meryt’s stubborn ways, and their colliding worlds, Meryt’s carefully composed life will never be the same again. Shonda makes sure to have readers holding onto their seats and holding their breaths for one adventurous ride of Eternal Traces.

Ratings:

Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5

Entertainment Factor: 4/5

Characterization: 4/5

Authenticity / Believable: 4/5

Thought Provoking: 4/5

Recommendation: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

Also check out Part 2 “Eternal Burns”. To learn more about Meryt and Shonda, visit them online: Website: http://www.shondabrock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/shondabrock

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