Infinite Sacrifice

Infinite Sacrifice

(Infinite Series: Book 1)

L.E. Waters (Rock Castle Publishing, 2011)

  I love the premise of this book; a person guided through past lives by a super-natural being. This person, who has recently died, delves into a past where she was an Egyptian King, an orphaned Irish lad, and a heroic figure during the Black Plague of Europe. Through each incarnation the soul evolves amid fellow evolving souls who were encountered previously. This idea fascinates me and the writer combines the metaphysical genre with historical fiction.
      The flaws with the book are in the writing. The third person narrative is somewhat flat and historically vague. Additionally, it is difficult to keep up with the characters over time. Finally, the conclusion with the so-called "soul guide" is overly long and somewhat incompatible with the writing style of the book. That being said; however, I will purchase the next book in this series as this premise is very intriguing. With tighter writing and a clearer narrative, this would be an excellent book. Both the author and story have great potential and I recommend this book while it is free on Kindle.

Garden on Sunset

The Garden on Sunset: A Novel of Golden-Era Hollywood
(Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Book 1)
Martin Turnbull (Amazon Unlimited, 2011)

     I devoured this book and anyone with a love of old Hollywood will do the same. Martin Turnbull has produced pure entertainment. The story follows three young people trying to make their way in the "Golden Age" of Hollywood. Turnbull seamlessly blends fact and fiction to paint a behind-the-scenes picture of what being a player in the movie business entailed. Big name stars are woven into the fabric of the lives of Kathryn, Gwendolyn, and Marcus. The story captures American history as experienced on Sunset Boulevard, the MGM lot, and the Coconut Grove.
     Turnbull also tackles issues that were---and still are---controversial and potentially career ending. The young protagonists of the story all come to The Garden of Allah hotel through various routes and reasons yet their goals are the same; to escape their pasts and live their dreams. They navigate their way with the help of rising movie stars,bootleggers, and a lot of bathtub gin.
     This story is at once humorous and sad;pensive and exciting;triumphant and heartbreaking. This exceptionally well-written story will keep you awake late into the night and immediately prompt you to buy the next book in the series.