My review of GHOST HEART, by Weston Ochse and Yvonne Navarro. An excellent entry in the YA genre, I really enjoyed this modern fantasy tale.

Striking cover art by Vincent Chong

There's a number of really good authors working in the YA (Young Adult) genre, and some great stories being told. Of course, YA is a rather sweeping tag, that encompasses a great number of different types of story; thriller, mystery, adventure, sci-fi, and others. The best stories share an ability to transcend the YA label, and have a universal appeal, easily enjoyed by both adults and younger readers. In my mind, Ghost Heart, by the husband and wife team of Weston Ochse and Yvonne Navarro, is one of those stories. Available from Dark Regions Press, this 167 page modern fantasy release was enjoyable from beginning to end, and I had a great deal of fun reading it. The story is extremely engaging, and once started, I had a hard time putting it down. This is my first encounter with both Weston and Yvonne's writing, but after reading such a high quality story, I'll be seeking out more entries from both authors. Here's a synopsis of this modern day fairy tale, and then I'll give you my thoughts on what I enjoyed about the release....





Matt Cady seems like a perfectly normal young man, at first glance. He lives in Rapid City, at the foot of the Black Hills mountain range, where things have always seemed exceedingly simple. He likes playing Cowboys and Indians with his dog Kubla (short for Kubla Khan, natch). He has two imaginary friends named Jacket and Raisin, and he loves his best friend Regina Running Deer, who's a bit older than him. And he, of definitely loves his Mother and Father most of all. Look a little closer, however, and you'll get a bit of a surprise. Jacket and Raisin (short for Raisin Cain, which had me smiling when I read the name) aren't imaginary at all, they're Guardian Spirits, invisible to all but their wards, and to other supernatural creatures. Jacket is still hale and hearty, but Raisin is getting a bit fuzzy around the edges. You see, Guardian Spirits only last as long as their ward believes in them, and Regina is Raisin's ward. Now that she is getting older, she has cast aside what she views as childish beliefs, and unfortunately for Raisin, he's one of those beliefs. Which is why he is slowly fading into away... Matt's belief in the old biker called Jacket is still strong, and thus Jacket is still strongly tied to the world, and Matt. He's quite unhappy to see his old friend Raisin fading, and knows that, inevitably, he will share the same fate in the near future. One of the main things that has led Regina to cast off her childhood memories is her parents recent divorce. Her father is moving away and she feels that he has forgotten about her, and moved on with his new life. Matt's parents have recently separated, and he is deathly afraid that the same thing will happen with his family. So when Regina decides to run away on her old army bike, Matt hatches a desperate plan. If he disappears with her, surely his mom and dad will join together in searching for him, and everything will go back to normal. Forcing his way into the adventure over Regina and Jacket's protests (by threatening to tell on Regina), they set off towards Sturgis, where Regina means to join up with her cousin, and travel the States, with her rock star cousin. After reaching their destination, the true adventure really begins. There are beings out in the world of the Black Hills that Matt has no inkling of, that he will soon encounter... such as trolls, witches, spirits, and something that is darker and more murderous than them all. Will Matt's plan succeed? Which of the group will make it to the end of the line? You'll have to read the story, as I'm keeping mum on the subject...




I have a great love of good fiction, regardless of genre, whether it's marketed towards younger readers or adults. Ghost Heart falls squarely into this category, and I'm giving you notice that this is a story that transcends into the realm of myth. It's the type of tale that people like you and me have been sharing since the beginning of time, through our artwork, through the oral tradition, and through the written word. This is a classic take on both the coming of age tale, and the hero's journey. Anyone that feels a little leery about picking this up, since you're an adult, and this has a YA label on it, stop. Really, please stop... There are a great many outstanding works waiting for you in this genre, if you can get past the label, and this is definitely one of them. Weston and Yvonne have really created something that will draw you in, and totally satisfy, if you just take that step, and start READING! They take a classic type of story, add their own personality and unique viewpoint to it, and you're left with a story that you'll come away from with a huge grin on your face... and possibly a tear or two. The story effortlessly carries you along the trail, and before you know it, you're done, and wondering where the time has gone... And wanting MORE. The writing flows along like a river, the characters are engaging, and the adventure itself is absolutely mighty... What more do you want? This comes with my highest recommendations, and anyone who loves a well told tale should seek this out, and get to reading. Enjoy the journey!


Here's the Dark Regions site. Here's the Amazon page for Ghost Heart. Here's Weston's site. Here's Yvonne's blog. Get out there, start exploring, and read something new! If you like a story, let the authors know, leave a review, and promote reading in general. With that, I'll sign off... Happy reading, all!

My review of MYTHWORLD by Russ Anderson Jr. Absolutely loved it...

cover art by Steve Criado

A while back I was reading an interview Derrick Ferguson had with Russ Anderson Jr. on Derrick's BLOOD & INK site (here's the link if you'd like to take a look). I've read a number of shorts by Russ, and enjoyed them, but I was absolutely fascinated when he began talking about his (at the time) soon to be published novel MYTHWORLD. Originally written for Frontier Publishing, after close to ten years(!) the novel is finally getting a release. In the novel we are introduced to Charlie Reese, a modern day protagonist, as he is drawn into the affairs of the very real Greek gods, who wish to be worshiped by humanity once more. Russ describes it as "a little bit American Gods and a little bit The Matrix". I'll admit that I'm a big fan of Greek and Roman mythology, as I cut my teeth on it when I was a youngster. So Russ had already hooked me with his initial description; he landed me when he threw in the American Gods comment (a novel that I return to multiple times a year). By this time I knew I had to own the novel, so I waited patiently (well, okay, not that patiently), and rushed over to Amazon the minute it was released. Once I started reading, I was immediately enthralled. A wonderful journey, which I absolutely loved, from beginning to end. Let's get to the review. Here's a synopsis, followed by my thoughts on the release...




In MYTHWORLD we are introduced to our protagonist, Charlie Reese. In the opening prologue, ten year old Charlie and his little sister are being chased by a pack of schoolyard bullies. Trying to outrun them, Charlie realizes that they will never make it; his sister, Vonda is asthmatic, and can't keep up. Hiding her in up a tree, he cuts through Simmons' Gorge, hoping to lose his pursuers in the woods. After stumbling over a transient in the woods, Charlie takes a hard knock to the head... and everything changes! The everyday world is suddenly replaced by a mythic reality, the transient is now a centaur, the school bullies satyrs. The episode doesn't last long, and Charlie is saved by the intervention of an adult, but he is scared to death by his experience. Despite this, by the end of the day he has forgotten that anything extraordinary has happened. In fact he will remember nothing until much later, when he is an adult... Fast forward thirteen years. Charlie is newly graduated from college as an architect, and has found gainful employment at Dreyfus and Associates, a large design firm. He is currently winging his way to Pittsburgh, with his friend Mal, on the way to bid on a huge account. All the while he is wondering why he was included on such an important business trip. After all, he is a new employee of the firm. And to start out with Light-Ex (think UPS, Fed Ex, that sort of thing), owned by the multimillionaire (in fact, closer to a billionaire) Harold Lightfoot? He just can't fathom why he is involved in the deal. Arriving at the Light-Ex Building, Charlie and Mal are separated from each other, by one of the directors. Another puzzle for Charlie. A beautiful woman appears and explains that Mr. Lightfoot wants to meet Charlie personally. He's a bit doubtful about the whole thing, but entranced by her beauty, he blindly follows her to Lightfoot's office. This is where things begin to move at a faster pace. Lightfoot explains that the entire business venture is a ruse, although he will gladly pay Dreyfus and Associates in full for their work. The actual purpose behind the whole charade was assuring Charlie's presence, and securing his employment. Despite Charlie's protests, Lightfoot lays out his offer, and a shocking one it is. He wants Charlie's help in restoring the worship of the Greek pantheon of gods to the masses; thinking him absolutely off his nut, Charlie sensibly tries to leave. And that's when Lightfoot (actually Hermes/Mercury) draws him into the same mythic reality he experienced, that single time, as a child. It's too much for Charlie to accept, and he flees the building, despite the efforts of the mysterious beauty from earlier in the story (who is really Aphrodite). When he and Mal are attacked by mirror image "DEA" agents (trust me, when I say Russ really wowed me with who these "guys" really were, in the end) , and he is saved by the god Pan, the story hits the acceleration pedal. Reluctantly returning to Lightfoot Headquarters, Charlie finds himself working for Hermes, although he has a lot to learn, and a short time to get up to speed. He'll embark on an epic journey, and learn the truth behind the god's plan. Along the way, he'll find out a great deal about himself, lose many things dear to him, and possibly, become a better man.  And, oh yeah, save the world... maybe.




What did I think about MYTHWORLD? I thought it was an excellently written, bang-up adventure tale, which enthralled me from the first page, to the last. Charlie is a bit of an every-man type character, and a perfect foil to the more divine company he keeps. Although the overall description may seem similar to American Gods, they are two different animals, entirely, and you should have both on your shelf. The overall tone and execution are entirely different, and where the characters end (?) there journey are unique to each tale. The main similarity between the two novels, was that I was left wanting more! Cheers, Russ (and Neil Gaiman for American Gods)! I read through this at light speed (possibly at ludicrous speed, LOL), totally captivated by the story. Russ perfectly etches out the human characters, and conveys the disconnect that the gods experience when dealing with mortals. Filled with twists and turns galore, Russ takes us on an absolute roller coaster of a journey. By the time you get to the end, you realize that nothing is as it seems. And a dang good ending it was. This is a labor of love, and I don't believe Russ needs anyone validating it. But I'll do it anyways, totally validated, man. Loved it, and I hope many more people take a look! In my opinion, you should be reading this! One last thing... the story isn't over (it never is), and I would love more! Thank you Russ! With that, I wish everyone happy reading, whatever your genre of choice happens to be! Thanks for stopping by, and, by all means, take a shufti around. You will probably find something you like...


Here's the Amazon page for MYTHWORLD. Here's the author page for Russ on Amazon. Swing by and take a look.