review Archives – Janshea Bowens

Month in Review-February ’19

Here we are, at the end of another month. So that means it is time to check in and see how it went. Read on for a glimpse at my February 2019 Month in Review.

This little spot here:

I feel good about my blogging efforts this month. This will be my second post for the month, which means I hit my goal. I made a goal for my career that included posting two blog posts each month. I felt this was something I could handle as I got back to doing what I love.

Now, I often feel like I should be doing more, but I am working hard to stifle my need to compare. Comparison to another person often leads to disappointment. No one likes disappointment, so why set yourself up for failure. I had let my blog go dark for way too long. I was a bit depressed, but not writing did not help me. Looking back, I totally should have been writing anyway, it may have gotten me out on the other side a little sooner. I want to see what my readers want more of, so make sure you leave a comment to tell me just that.

Being a Wordsmith:

I don’t feel quite as good as I want to about this item. I have stopped going forward with my latest story, Camille, because I got stuck in the wheres and hows needed to move the story forward. In response to this, I have been on a month long journey to learn more about planning and plotting novels.

My idea was that I could plan, more fully, what I wanted to say in the book, then re-plot my original idea into a complete story. The re-plot would be a more detailed road map of where I was going and how I might get there. I still think this is a grand idea, unfortunately anxiety indecision has struck. Deciding on a plan has been hard. I just keep finding more and more websites and videos on how to do it.

There has also been no starting the re-plot because I can’t seem to land on a plotting scheme that fits. I am doing the same as with the planning. My anxiety often rears its head in my thoughts as I can’t get it right, because I don’t have enough information. I make copious notes on what I need to do, without doing much else. I endeavor to break this cycle next month.

On the other hand, some positive movement is happening with my finished manuscript. It is titled Life in Time, but I am pretty sure it won’t stick! Anyway, I have been researching developmental edits. In this type of edit the editor will look at your story, making sure it is a fully realized story, the characters are well rounded, the pace is good, etc. So, I have movement on that and a plan. It makes me happy.

Daily Efforts:

My habit tracker is looking good, mostly filled in. I hurt my leg late last month, so my goals for walking have been left in the dust. Hardly any walking was done this month. I also realized through my habit tracking, that I need a better cleaning system/schedule. I am leaving a lot of cleaning on the table, so to speak, as I go through my days. So, next month I “plan” to have a better plan. Hah!

Now, as far as journaling is concerned, nope! I really didn’t do well here. Very little mention of gratitude, very few entries as to my days. I don’t really know why this happened. Journaling and seeking daily gratitude are goals in my emotion category. I feel it not only helps me process my feelings, but I often look back on it and realize things weren’t half as bad as I thought.

What’s the March Plan?

This is a great question for the end of the month. Looking back to see what worked for you and what didn’t. Then you can tweak your plans and goals to get the results you desire.

I believe, my blogging goals are okay, for now. I am working on consistency first. Writing needs some work. I must buckle down and stop the endless educational loop I’m in. If I need to go back and revisit something, I will. But, I’m hoping to spend more time plotting in order to get back to the story. With habits and journaling, I am committing more time to actually journaling. Or at least, jot down a one sentence gratitude. These things make me feel better, more aware, and show me the positive when I have forgotten. I also plan to work on that cleaning schedule and get to work. Next month, I need to have a better report in that area.

Alright, I’ve shared my wobbly month, how about you? Did you make goals at the beginning of the month? Did you meet them, some of them? Let me know. And don’t forget to let me know what kinds of things you like to read about here.

Happily waiting,

Janshea

Books I’m Looking Forward to this January

So, I think we all know I love to read at this point. I have done numerous posts about some of the books and characters I enjoy. Now that it is a new year, I don’t want to talk about resolutions, so let’s talk about a few books I am looking forward to this January as I reset my goals and habits.

J.R. Ward – Blood Fury, releases January 9, 2018. This much-anticipated third installment in the Black Dagger Legacy series actually becomes available on the day of this writing. I stumbled upon the Black Dagger Brotherhood series years ago and was enthralled from the first. This series deals with a race of vampires just trying to live their lives steeped in their antiquated caste system while keeping their identity safe from humans. The Brotherhood is an elite group of warriors led by a king who doesn’t want the throne and tasked with keeping the worse of their society policed as the community is broiled in politics and plots that don’t care about remaining secret. Great world building, great action, and love too! The Legacy series is a spinoff/followup to the Brotherhood that deals with the training of the next generation of warriors. Blood Fury is the story of Peyton and Novo, an unlikely duo of warriors, both out to prove themselves.

Christine Feehan – Judgement Road, releases January 23, 2018. Christine Feehan is prolific and her worlds are full of vampires, shapeshifters, magic users, and those with extrasensory abilities. I have reviewed her writing here on the blog before. This book is the first in a new series called Torpedo Ink. It takes place close to Sea Haven, a town used in both her Drake Sisters and Sisters of the Heart series. There are motorcycles and trained killers, secrets, and love. I look forward to learning a whole new world of these men and women and how they are going to overcome circumstances the rest of us would run from.

Susan Mallery – Sisters Like Us, releases January 23, 2018. Susan Mallery writes great contemporary romances with the sort of real world feeling that makes you feel it could be you and your friends in similar situations. This new book revolves around sisters who appear to be opposites but are grappling with similar problems involving kids and their mother. I have a sister and we often feel dissimilar even though we love each other fiercely, but we have certainly felt even closer with adding kids to the mix and with the hi-jinx of our aging parents. I feel this story is one I will relate to in a fun way.

J.D. Robb – Dark In Death, releases January 30, 2018. J.D. Robb is the pseudonym of Nora Roberts and the vastly different books she rights under the two names has always fascinated me. Robb writes a close futuristic crime thrillers featuring the bitingly literal Eve Dallas and the people who inhabit her life as a police lieutenant in New York. These circle includes her mysterious husband Roarke, a thief turned billionaire business guru. This marks the 46th book in the series and most of the joy, for me, comes from Eve’s confusion over everyday sayings and items along with her keen mind for crime and seeing her dragged kicking and screaming into friendships. In this installment Eve is trying to find a killer employing scenes from an author’s stories. It sounds similar, but I am sure it will be fun anyway!

Ronen Bergman – Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, releases January 30, 2018. I have never read a Ronen Bergman book, but the title and premise of this one caught my attention. I love the fictional Israeli Mossad agent, Gabriel Allon, written by Daniel Silva. I have reviewed him on the blog, here. So, this real account of how Israel’s Mossad agents use something I have only read about in fiction sounded like my kind of book. I look forward to reading it.

An Intro to Bosch World

I am late to the party. I don’t mind being late to new, to me, characters. I love discovering people I want to read about, learn about, and spend time with. Because when you are reading a book series, it is like watching a television or movie series. In visual arts, you are waiting for next week, or maybe next year to see what happens next. In books, we have longer, sometimes just months but often a year or more waiting to know what happens to our new friend. Even if the story is wrapped up in the previous book, the life of that person doesn’t end, like yours doesn’t, what comes next and will it be as exciting as the last thing that happened? I get to fly through some of that unknown when I come to a character late in the series. The biggest meaning I am not impatiently waiting to know what happens in the character arc next. The downside, for me, is that I am a pretty fast reader, especially when I am excited about new books, so I sometimes catch-up before the next in the series is ready. Then I am like everyone else, stalking author websites and social media in hopes of learning the exact second the next book becomes available! So, I am late to the Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch party, but there are quite a few, so I should be okay with filling my Bosch world cup without pause for a long while.

Michael Connelly came to my knowledge with The Lincoln Lawyer, which I enjoyed. I didn’t spend a lot of time learning about the author, though, else I would have found Bosch World much sooner. So, when I was perusing my library offerings for an interesting read, I came across a Michael Connelly book that I hadn’t read nor was it involving Mickey Haller. Mr. Haller is the main character in The Lincoln Lawyer. The premise was interesting and he had written something I like before, so let’s give it a try. The Black Echo, the book that introduces us to Bosch World, was a gripping read. I am not gripped by a book and its characters all that often. I love a lot of books and characters but I am not always losing sleep to see what happens next! I was hooked and am spending way too much time reading each book. I am currently on book three, The Concrete Blond. Mr. Connelly is on book twenty, so I hope I don’t get caught up too soon. Though, as I have found after book two, Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch have overlapping lives and I can’t wait to reread the Haller books as they coincide with the Bosch books. It seems to be a vast and interlocking world and those are some of the best kind.

So, Hieronymus Bosch is a man intimately acquainted with violence and being alone. His mother names him after a Dutch painter and he doesn’t know his father. His mother is murdered when he is eleven and he spends the rest of his growing years being shuttled between foster homes and the state-run youth hall. He joins the army and becomes a tunnel rat during the Vietnam War. When he leaves, he joins the Los Angeles Police Department and works himself into a prestigious detective position. But, when we meet him in The Black Echo, he has been demoted and disgraced which sets up the characterization of Harry as a lone shark who is out for the truth, no matter the cost. It is costing him plenty and he seems to be accepting of this truth. Each book, so far, is written on a timeline closely following the previous one. This series writing is really fun because no matter the time between publishing, it feels as if you have missed nothing of the character’s life. You feel intimately connected to their lives and invested in what happens next. I would think it might be good for the writer too, it is like writing how we live, which can lead to an abundance of information and less room to make errors about the people we have written about. Bosch has a highly developed sense of right and wrong, he wants the answer, because the right answer is more important than the political line of the police force. He finds the politics and familial attitude of the department a bit stifling, beneath him, and really I think he has no real idea how to be in a family. He doesn’t have a lot of history of familial bonds, no way to transfer that kind of devotion to a job he sees as very black and white. Now, this in no way means he won’t bend the rules to get to the truth, but he seems to make sure that when he does, they won’t impede on prosecuting the culprit in the end. So, his separation inside the department is its own character because everyone else is in the departmental family, they don’t have any problem with the politics, they go along to get along. Harry being apart is an affront to some and no problem to others. How this impacts each book looms large in the first two books, I look forward to figuring out if it continues to play a part.

These crime thrillers are just the thing for a good story. The twists have been good, the back story is revealed a bit at a time, steadily giving us insight into Harry and how he lives his life and performs his job, which he will tell you is his mission not a job. If you enjoy crime thrillers, or if you are looking for something new to try, give Hieronymus Bosch a go, then let me know if he excites you too… or not!

Classic Book Review: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

I enjoy going back periodically and reading books I read long ago or are considered classics of literature. Now, to be honest, I can’t remember if I ever actually read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey before. I do remember seeing the movie adaptation with my grandmother. Spending time with my grandmother watching old movies and television shows is one of the more loved memories I have of her. I have a love of movie musicals, films from the 1930s through the 1950s, and cheesy television Westerns like The Rifleman and Big Valley; all because there was one television and she controlled what we watched and cartoons and kid specific programming only came on Saturday mornings. I know for some reading this, the concept is absolutely unbelievable. There are just so many more options for occupying our kids (for good or bad). So, when I needed a contemporary reading break, this title caught my eye.

The blurb on book read: “In this classic of the 1960s, Ken Kesey’s hero is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, brawling, fun-loving rebel who swaggers into the world of a mental hospital and takes over. A lusty, life-affirming fighter, McMurphy rallies the other patients around him by challenging the dictatorship of Nurse Ratched. He promotes gambling in the ward, smuggles in wine and women, and openly defies the rules at every turn. But this defiance, which starts as a sport, soon develops into a grim struggle, an all-out war between two relentless opponents: Nurse Ratched, back by the full power of authority, and McMurphy, who has only his own indomitable will. What happens when Nurse Ratched uses her ultimate weapon against McMurphy provides the story’s shocking climax.”

Now, you know as much as I remembered when I picked it up. It was in many ways a shockingly realistic picture of 1960s mental health in America. This to say, there are horrible medical practises in place such as shock therapy and lobotomies which today no one would think to be a reasonable or acceptable standard of care for the mentally ill. It also includes vernacular of the day which is demeaning to black people. If these ideas are offensive, I certainly suggest not reading the book. But I caution those who dislike reading or studying historically accurate snapshots of the past, those snapshots help us see where we were wrong and how we can hopefully improve. Many also speak to the dichotomy of the big bad nurse who is there to thwart all happiness in the men she is supposed to care for and the boisterous ideal of a “real man” who doesn’t go quietly along with her domination. He blows in and looks around and seems to decide that all these shrugging, quiet men are in need of toughening up to the status quo. But to me, the real gem in this book is the narrator, he is a mixed race man of great stature who we learn early on has been here a long time and is faking at being deaf and voiceless (dumb in the book). The Chief as he is called, is part Native American (the book is not so correct in its wording) and part white and tall, but no one pays him much attention and as such he sees all. His thoughts on the rules and rulers of the medical ward are fantastical such as you might expect from the mentally ill, but they are superb examples of how our actions to assimilate and control can be viewed as a mindless machine, much in the vein of ‘Big Brother’.

The writing is full of imagery and flows in a very conversational tone. You feel like you are sitting in on a secret being whispered and you feel a little honored to be in on it all. There are many characters peppered in the story and you will find yourself horrified, saddened, angry and probably exceedingly invested in what happens to each. This novel gives it all to you and you feel like you are there amidst the white walls and green patient uniforms.

Go checkout One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and be transported as I was. I believe you will be glad you did or you just might be a little upset, that is good too. The writing will stay with you long after the last word is read.

Book Review – The Blackbirds by Eric Jerome Dickey

This was a 500+ page turner that took me a while. I took so long to finish because it was so full of knowledge that sometimes my brain just wasn’t ready. I needed short, sweet, and fun to make it through the day. While The Blackbirds is long, lush, complicated, and both fun and not so much simultaneously. I had to take my time reading the tale of 4 girlfriends living in Los Angeles who happen to be Black and African. They are in their twenties now, but their lives have been intertwined and filled with heartache, despair, turmoil, misunderstandings and the simple human longing for love and understanding. As we go through each of the ladies’ present lives on the occasion of their birthdays, we learn their struggle, their abiding love and support for one another above all and finally their acceptance with themselves.

Kwanzaa, Indigo, Destiny, and Ericka are shaped by bad choices, wrongs perpetuated against them, health issues, familial and cultural ties that don’t always fit, and an abiding friendship that keeps them grounded while allowing them to experiment and figure things out for themselves. This book of life felt so true to me, I felt that the women here could be any group of friends but even more surprisingly me and my friends. The writing about them is lush and full of sentiment that makes you feel for them and root for them. They remind you of your own mistakes and how blessed you are to have been able to move past them. It is a small slice of life that feels immediate and relevant, especially to black women who don’t often see themselves depicted in literature in a way they can relate too.

Towards the end Mr. Dickey gives us a surprising twist that seems to be contradictory, but helps tie the end of the story back together, as you have been separated in each woman’s immediate story. I won’t give out the end, but will say I felt it was brave and left a large feeling of truth in me. I felt I had the answer to the final page and I liked it that way, I liked thinking what I would of the continuing story of Kwanzaa, Indigo, Destiny, and Ericka. I don’t usually like stories that compel you to come to your own conclusion of what the author might mean, but this time, I was right with Mr. Dickey to the end and was pleasantly surprised to be so satisfied at the conclusion.

I will lastly say that these women have appeared at earlier times in their lives in earlier books by Mr. Dickey, as he says in his remarks at the end. I have read other books but don’t really remember these characters and admit it didn’t change my involvement in their current story and I don’t feel I missed anything by not having really ‘met’ them before. I say, if you hunger for a deep read that will speak to you about life and choice and coming back from the brink, pick up The Blackbirds by Eric Jerome Dickey, I don’t think you will be disappointed. Go here for your own copy!

Book Review: The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter

What better way to start a new year than with a review of a scrumptious book? I can’t think of one, so let’s go!

I recently finished the long awaited title The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter. It is number 16 in the Lords of the Underworld series. I have read each book, I have genuinely enjoyed each of them too, which is why I still reading 16 books in. The Darkest Torment tells the story of Baden, recently returned to life, sort of, and a dog trainer caught in the wrong place at what turns out to be the right time. Baden has recently been returned to life to rejoin his friends who comprise the Lords and of course such a thing comes with a lot of strings. Not only does every story build upon the previous ones, but they each stand alone as a complete story and can be enjoyed if you stumbled over, say number 10 first. You may discover them out of order, but I am sure your curiosity will get the better of you and force to you go back and get each person’s complete story for yourself. Ms. Showalter’s world is richly imagined and vivid with details. One of my favorite visuals this time around was the fact that Lucifer’s palace was built of blood and bones and surrounded by a moat of acid and tears of the damned! Just reading that made me want to turn around and run. Baden is described by referencing Jamie Fraser of Outlander book and now show, fame. It is a series many of her readers will be familiar with and brings the contemporary believably into her fantasy world. As Baden and Katarina, the dog trainer, collide we have some typical butting of heads with one or both lying about themselves and their situations. I always think, “Can’t anyone tell the truth so we can have a little bit of a smoother ride?” But let’s face it, most of us love the conflict and enjoy screaming at our books when the characters make ridiculous choices (I certainly do). I didn’t like Katarina a lot at the beginning because I was so caught up in what I saw has her needless tales, but it didn’t last and you will have to read it to see if you feel the same, but I came to enjoy her story more as it unfolded and my first impression was definitely changed.

One of the other things that often go into serial books is secondary stories as set up to forthcoming books. When they are done well, as Ms. Showalter does here, they are integral to the current story and whet your appetite for the other character’s book as well. There are two major secondary stories in this installment, that of Cameo (a female Lord, so a Lady of the Underworld?) and of William the Ever Randy (great name, right?). I wanted both these characters to have their day in the spotlight right now based on the continuation of their private situations that came to a bit of a head in this book. I don’t know which one will be next, but I can’t wait!

Back to the main story, as Baden and Katarina are forced into a longer and longer involvement, they start learning truths not clearly evident in the beginning and feeling proprietary towards each other. It is played out masterfully with a return of hellhounds, a decisive independent stance by Katarina in a world populated by demons and immortals, and an explosive twisty ending that shows smart character development. The Lords are also collectively battling to save their lives as they each fall in love, every story expounds on this and shows a maturing of the characters and their thoughts from a simple black/white and good/bad outlook, to one that is nuanced and shaped by caring for others and understanding that we all want to live.

I have long enjoyed Ms. Showalter’s writing and Lords of the Underworld was the first of her books I enjoyed, but she writes seemingly as voraciously as I read and has other series you may enjoy including contemporary romance with no fantasy worlds involved! I hope you get a chance to read The Darkest Torment, it was a delicious treat filled with misunderstood people trying their best, like you and me.

Restaurant Review: Marlow’s Tavern

I had the opportunity to sample the latest Spring/Summer Seasonal Menu at Marlow’s Tavern in Winter Park, Florida. I and other bloggers were seated in the courtyard extension at the bar. It is a lovely area with long hightop tables for large groups, regular tables, and comfy couches and chairs for lounging with your cocktails.

Marlow’s Tavern has a nice mix of wines and a number of signature cocktails. Some favorites of the evening included the Paso Serantellos Albariño, Rias Biaxas of 2013 (a lovely white wine), the Pineapple Chill Margarita, and the refreshing Tommy’s Favorite White Sangria.

Along with our cocktails were a trio of tummy satisfying appetizers to appeal to a wide range of tastes. I tried the JT’s Kettle Chips which were thinly sliced potato chips topped with mounds of gorgonzola, bacon, tomato, and scallions. They were delicious and didn’t become soggy from the toppings at all. Crisp till the end…Nice! There was Marlow’s Famous Hummus, which I wanted to rename World Famous. It came with triangle slices of pita and fresh veggies for dipping and was topped with a swirl of olive oil and seasoned seeds. Hummus is a simple dish, but easy to get wrong. Marlow’s got it very right. If only the portion had been larger. Lastly came the miniature pot of Warm Brie Fondue with Pretzel Sticks. The fondue is a combination of brie, swiss, and mascarpone cheeses and Chardonnay. The soft pretzel sticks gave the gooey cheese just enough salt and the combination was very good. If you love cheese, try it, it won’t disappoint.

After appetizers, I had no idea how I was going to actually eat more food, it might not sound filling, but I had to stop dipping chips in my left over fondue in order to ensure there would be room for more food! There were four entrees to try along with dessert. I was not passing on dessert, so this took strategic tasting. Only a few bites to ensure I got the flavor and had room to try it all.

There was Banh Mi Chicken Wraps that have a firecracker sauce that tends to sink to the bottom of the crunchy, tasty dish. The sauce takes the flavor up but isn’t so heated you need to drink a gallon of milk.

The Chicken Chopped Salad was a blend of flavors with some ingredients I wouldn’t normally eat. Yet, together in this dish even the garbanzo beans and chopped egg were consumed along with romaine lettuce, summer squash, California olives, shiitake mushrooms, applewood bacon and an avocado basil vinaigrette. It was light and pleasing to the palate.

The Crispy Chicken Milanese was a surprising mix of hot and cold that worked well. The chicken is panko crusted then topped with chilled baby arugula lettuce, Italian parsley, shaved asiago cheese, slices of Roma tomatoes, lemonette, pine nuts and fresh lemon on the side. It was a great mix in my mouth and was like having salad and entree at once, in a great way. Try it as something different than your norm, you will be pleased.

Finally, I got a chance to try the Pan seared barramundi, which is fish. I love fish, almost any seafood really, but did not enjoy this dish, it was not flavorful and could have used some spices to enliven and enmesh its parts. The fish is scallion crusted and served over quinoa ‘fried rice’, edamame, baby carrots, Napa cabbage, ginger and scallions in a sesame soy glaze.

Finally was the best part of any meal, DESSERT. This night it happened to be one of my favorites, cheesecake. This slice of NY style cheesecake has peanut butter, milk chocolate and a pretzel crust that is drizzled with salted caramel. It was seriously good. A friend ordered the creme brûlée which was some of the freshest I have ever tasted.

Marlow’s had a great atmosphere and a menu filled with seasonal food, prepared in inspiring and tasty ways. They host several special events in addition to be a great place to eat.

Wednesday – Girls Night Out with drink and small plate specials

Thursday – 1/2 Price Bottle of Wine

Friday and Saturday – Live Music

Sunday – Brunch with Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

There are several Marlow’s Tavern locations, if there is one in your area, I feel it is well worth it to spend some time there.