The Joy of Travel II is an eclectic mix of random stories, poems and recollections. They span from the early 1900s to the present day. Author Darlene Ingram Kidd gathered these memoirs as ones that were special to herself and her associates. Those who like ‘down home’ stories will find many to which they will relate. These anecdotes and poetic jottings may also trigger memories of a reader’s own.
Cheating Fate by Audrey Pfitzenmaier Published by Thistledown Press Review by Judith Silverthorne $12.95 ISBN 978-1-897235-41-6 Gripping from the outset, Cheating Fate is a young adult novel that will be remembered long after it’s read. Audrey Pfitzenmaier skilfully weaves together the intertwining stories of the four main characters, who have been best friends since early childhood. Now teenagers, they remain closely bound, but a serious accident and the resulting shared near death experience shakes their lives. They come to believe that their destinies are tied and that they will die together at some unknown time. Their solution is to separate into pairs in the hopes of cheating fate. Through an intriguing premise and great character development, we come to know these four teens as if they were people we knew. Each has a distinctive background and each handles their reluctance to tempt fate in a different way and on their own terms, as they struggle with everyday problems of growing up. Over time, the three boys come to believe they are invincible. The only girl in the group worries about the way their recklessness increases. The flaws of their decision to split become glaringly apparent as all their lives seem…
Jeannie Guthrie, a sixteen-year-old Scottish farm worker, discovers that she has a frightening talent the day she is attacked by her cousin. Believing that she has killed him and fearing that she will be branded as a witch, she flees. The only thing she takes is a journal through which she tells her intriguing tale of myth and magic.
Cline also gives his opinions on controversial and popular issues. He gives clarity about stories in the media. He talks about the toll his career took on his personal life and the hopes and dreams he had as a politician. He relates humorous and embarrassing encounters, travel stories and human interest material. He reveals the many challenges and victories involved in working in a governing role.
