Publisher: Legacy Book Publishing; First edition (June 1, 2017) Language: English
ISBN-10: 193795207X
ISBN-13: 978-1937952075
Book Description
A syndicated book critic now turns his attention on a new endeavor, the short story, by writing his own science fiction collection. Some are as short as 66 words, which is a true test of an author’s ability to tell in so few words. There are seven adventures of the scary stuffed bear named Slotski, who has rare abilities. This compilation contains other slices of life in the near future: technology gone amuck, a smart phone that is smarter than it should be, a radio broadcast that isn’t all it sounds, a cat that has a message for humanity, and a woman who doesn’t want to just make money in a research study, are among some of the intriguing stories you’ll find in Journey.
My Review
Gary Roen’s book Journey is a creative and intriguing read! In this collection of diverse short stories, the reader will experience a remarkable journey through the author’s insightful, witty, unique, and cringeworthy stories.
The book starts with several short stories about a captivating character named Slotski Bear–a disembodied soul possessing a creepy-looking stuffed bear (a bear you can’t help but love) who guides and helps certain people in need. The author’s other short stories in this book have spell-binding characters, as various as they come, venturing into peculiar situations with unexpected results.
Journey is full of twists and tangles that will keep the reader wanting more. Highly recommended.
N.B. Some short stories have adult content.
About the Author
Gary S. Roen, author, nationally syndicated book critic/writer, consultant has been writing close to 45 years. He is the author of “Journey, A Collection of Science Fiction Short Stories” Legacy Book Publishing, “Slotski’s World” another collection of sf short stories and “The Forgotten Father” a book of poetry from Taylor and Seal Publishing, and the co-author of “Cats Cats and More Cats Royal Fireworks Press Roen is the author of two books of poetry, “Look at Me World,” Chateau Publishing, “Made By Man” Nest Egg Publications; his poems have also been published in numerous small magazines. He has published in short story collections like Computer Legends Lies and Lores Ageless Press, Anotherealm SF magazine, and Mercury Sky online. He is also the author of a satirical play entitled “Vamp His syndicated reviews have appeared in hundreds of daily, weekly newspapers and other periodicals that currently include Midwest Book Review, West Orlando News, Sodo News, Orlando Advocate, St. Cloud In the News, Osceola News-Gazette, Bivouac Magazine, Arrhythmic Souls and Beach Side Reader Brevard County Florida.
Readers of all ages love fantasy, but kids are especially likely to get hooked on this fantastic genre, where imagination runs wild, magic is real, and the world is inhabited by strange and beautiful creatures. The ten captivating books listed here allow young readers to escape to new worlds, where they can experience amazing adventures. https://wiki.ezvid.com/m/10-captivating-fantasy-books-for-young-readers-J7iRlnKs8VQYg
A great way to start is to get a bookshelf
for your child’s room. If they have access to their own collection of
books, it’ll be easy for them to read at their own pace. And if they’re
looking at the shelf everyday, reading will always be on their mind.
It’s also important to give your kids a comfortable place to sit. This
can be anything from a rocking chair to a couch to a dedicated reading nook.
If they have a space that’s just for them, it makes reading time all
the more special. As they grow, your young ones will start to read more
challenging books with words they don’t know. Encourage them to look up
unfamiliar terms in the dictionary
so they can expand their vocabulary. Finally, if you’re having trouble
getting your kid interested in books in the first place, try bridging
the gap between visual media and literature with graphic novels.
What is Fantasy?
In Depth
No genre can capture the imagination quite like fantasy,
where readers are invited to envision impossible worlds, daring heroes,
and strange creatures living in the land of myth and legend. There’s a
reason why so many speculative stories spellbind young readers with
their tales of misfits, outcasts, and kids with untapped stores of
tremendous bravery.
For young readers on the lookout for adventure, here, in no
particular order, are some stunningly imaginative books that will bring
out the magic in everyday life.
In the #1 spot is “Charis: Journey to Pandora’s Jar” by Nicole Y.
Walters. Charis has been waiting all her life for a chance to show her
stuff. Now, it’s up to the hyper-imaginative thirteen-year-old to save
the world by visiting Pandora’s Jar, the place where demons and kind
spirits dwell. The catch? She’s only got five days to release the spirit
of Hope from the jar before mankind is officially doomed forever. With
the help of a few trusty deities and her best friend Gabe, Charis has to
summon up all her courage to set things right.
She’s only got five days to release the spirit of Hope from the jar before mankind is officially doomed forever.
At #2, we have Diane Mae Robinson’s “Sir Princess Petra.” Even
Princesses get bored of being pampered sometimes. In this series,
nine-year-old Petra decides that she wants to become a knight. But even
though she’s got courage and cunning to spare, knighthood comes with its
own set of pressures and obstacles, like having to silence a dragon and
visit the spooky Forest of Doom. If she can overcome a few kooky
quests, she’ll find her true place in the kingdom.
At #3 is “The Hob and the Deerman” by Pat Walsh. Crowfield Abbey is
a peculiar place. It’s a portal, of sorts, between the world we know
and the Otherworld, a place where demons, boggarts, and all kinds of
creatures freely roam. When Walter, a “hob” spirit, returns to find
everything in disarray, he knows he needs to take action to help put all
the troubled spirits in the abbey to rest. But it will take a lot of
help, and a lot of courage, to cross paths with the Deerman of the
forest and live to tell the tale.
At #4 is Tomi Ungerer’s “Fog Island.” No one ever returns from Fog
Island. It’s a place shrouded in mystery, a place that Finn and Cara
have been warned against visiting. But when the two siblings disobey
their father and head for the far-off island, they’re in for more than
they bargained for. Is the ancient place just a pile of ruins? Or is
there a deeper mystery lurking, something that only the mercurial Fog
Man can unlock?
But when the two siblings disobey their father and head for the far-off island, they’re in for more than they bargained for.
For #5 we have “There May Be a Castle” by Piers Torday.
Eleven-year-old Mouse knows he shouldn’t have survived the car crash
when he was thrown from the vehicle during a Christmas Eve drive to his
grandparents’ house. He woke totally fine, but in a world he barely
recognized. With the help of a magical sheep and a sardonic talking
horse, he’ll need to find his way to the castle if he wants to regain
entry to his own life. That is, if this place everyone speaks of is more
than the stuff of legend.
Coming in at #6 is Clayton Smith’s “Mabel Gray and the Wizard Who
Swallowed the Sun.” The people of Brightsbane have had a rough time ever
since the eternal night started. After a wizard took away the daytime
from the land, he decided he needed to come back to steal a book of
magic spells that holds the key to the township’s total destruction.
Luckily, a spirited orphan named Mabel is going to set things right.
If she can summon up the courage to deal with a series of
fantastical creatures and hair-raising quests, she might find a way to
break her hometown’s terrible curse forever.
If she can summon up the courage to deal with a series of
fantastical creatures and hair-raising quests, she might find a way to
break her hometown’s terrible curse forever.
At #7 is Heather Mackey’s “Dreamwood.” Runaway Lucy has a fair
amount of experience with supernatural forces. Her father is an expert
on the subject, and she’s on a quest to find him and bring him back so
she doesn’t have to go to that dreadful boarding school anymore. The
problem is, her father isn’t where she thought he’d be. Could it be that
the enchanted forest of Dreamwood proved too powerful a match for him?
There’s only one way to find out: by heading into the heart of the
living grove, no matter the consequences.
Coming in at #8 is “The Secret Life of Daisy Fitzjohn” by Tania
Unsworth. Some might call Daisy’s life unusual: her best friends are a
talking rat and a ghost, and she lives in an old estate that’s slowly
falling apart. When her mother leaves on a strange expedition and
doesn’t return, Daisy knows she can’t hide within the walls of
Brightwood Hall any longer. She’ll have to do what it takes to save her
home and keep her family together, with only the help of her eclectic
sidekicks to guide her.
At #9 we find Pseudonymous Bosch’s “Bad Magic.” Clay knows there’s
no such thing as magic. He’s seen a million sleight-of-hand shows and he
knows they’re just tricks. That said, there are a few things happening
at Earth Ranch that he can’t explain. Clay was supposed to be sent to
the rehabilitation camp to be “scared straight.” But there’s more at
work here than a few obstacle courses and hikes. For one thing, he’s
having conversations with llamas.
For one thing, he’s having conversations with llamas.
For another, he may or may not have just seen a ghost. If there’s
magic on Earth Ranch, Clay needs to make sure it’s not the deadly kind.
If he can make it off the volcanic island without causing an explosion,
he’ll count himself lucky.
Finally, at #10, is “The Mad Wolf’s Daughter” by Diane Magras. When Drest’s family of male warriors is taken captive, she finds herself in a unique position. All her life, her father and brothers took care of her. Now, she’s got to free her kin with the help of a witch, a soft-spoken knight, and her own fierce courage. With a mysterious bandit out to get her and her sense of independence growing by the day, Drest will find herself taking chances, slaying personal demons, and doing things she never dreamed herself capable of.
