Book Review: Section 132 by Helga Zeiner

Heartwrenching, moving, and scary are all words I would use to describe Section 132 by Helga Zeiner.

At the age of 13, Lillian eagerly awaits her new life. Living on her father's secluded Bright Desert Light compound, she is excited she will soon marry the man the Elders selected for her. Dreams of a wonderful life soon evaporate when she marries a Canadian Bishop and is renamed Martha. Not only is he abusive, he works Martha's sister-wives near to death and they are always hungry. Escape from her guarded prison is the only option, but it's very dangerous.

Richard Bergman is a land developer who wishes to purchase the land next to the Bishop's compound. Even though his partner Daisy has told him what she has learned about this polygamous sect, Richard continues to pursue his dealings with the Bishop. Once he discovers what is truly going on at the compound, Richard faces decisions which could impact everyone involved.

Based upon a true story, Section 132 dives into life at a Mormon polygamous compound. Told alternately from Lillian/Martha's and Richard's points of view, the story forces the reader to consider if there are ethical boundaries when it comes to matters of faith. Zeiner has created a gripping novel that draws the reader in quickly. While the events unraveled a bit slow for my taste, there was never a dull moment. By the end, every scene combined to form a masterfully told story of a young woman's desire to escape the torturous life she was sold into.

Section 132 is filled with several memorable characters: Anna, Emma, Marion, and more. While Richard's character didn't do much for me, I like how the author brought him to where he was. In the end, this is not a book you will soon forget.

If you enjoy fact-based fiction, stories with strong female characters, or books where life-altering choices are made, you'll want to pick up Section 132  by Helga Zeiner.

File Size: 714 KB
Print Length: 460 pages
Publisher: POW WOW Books, Canada (August 7, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005GAWWGY

SRP: $7.99  (Also available in paperback)

Purchase at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Helga Zeiner is a Canadian and German citizen. At the age of 18, Helga completed her arts degree at the Art School of Bavaria, and then left Germany. She lived and worked for two years in Australia, and twelve years in Hong Kong.

Since 2004 she has lived with her husband Manfred in the wilderness of British Columbia, about 5 hours north of Vancouver. There they own over 500 acres which they have developed into a gated cabin community, the Rainbow Country Estate.


I received a free electronic version of this book from Partners in Crime Tours. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not received monetary compensation of any kind.

This is the 38th book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the 23rd book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the 9th book I've read for the following challenge:

Guest Blogger & Giveaway: Praise of Motherhood by Phil Jourdan

When Phil Jourdan's mother died suddenly in 2009, she left behind a legacy of kindness and charity; but she also left unanswered some troubling questions. Was she, as she once claimed, a spy? Had she suffered more profoundly as a woman and parent than she'd let on? Jourdan's recollections of his struggles with psychosis, and his reconstructions of conversations with his enigmatic mother, form the core of this memoir. Psychoanalysis, poetry and confession all merge to tell the story of an ordinary woman whose death turned her into a symbol for extraordinary motherhood.

Please enjoy this guest post by Phil Jourdan, author of the touching memoir, Praise of Motherhood. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $500 in Amazon gift cards and 5 autographed copies of the book.

The Story behind this Real-Life Story
by Phil Jourdan

Back in late 2009, when I began working on Praise of Motherhood, I had envisioned a book very different from what I ended up submitting to my publisher. I'd just lost the woman who'd raised me, and when I wasn't sitting around numb and brooding, I was frantically trying to contain the universe of loss and suffering in a single Word document on my laptop.

I wanted to write a book that expressed the impossibility of letting go. We're often told, when someone close to us dies, that we have to move on, that things will get better. I couldn't accept this back then: I didn't think it was possible to let go of my mother, who had been so patient and kind during my weird teenage years.

The first two versions were entirely different from each other in form and tone, but they did have a certain delight in chaos in common. I was mourning the only way I knew how: by adopting a hundred different voices, each trying to say something about my mother that the others couldn't say. One chapter was pure dialogue; another was a series of letters; for a while I wrote in breathless page-long paragraphs because it was the only way I could feel "honest" about what I felt. I'd swing from rage to self-pity to sadness to bliss to sheer bafflement.

It was only when I decided to turn this book into something that others could actually read without going insane that I figured out how to structure a book like this. I cut a great number chapters because they were "honest" but unhelpful. I tried to make myself a sort of antagonist, so my mother's qualities as a human being could be emphasized. I left things relatively ambiguous instead of offering anything like words of wisdom to my readers. I tried to leave the book as open as the wound that stayed after my mother died.

This has irritated some people. They ask why I don't provide a real sense of what my mother was like on a day-to-day basis, or why I focused so much on how she affected my life instead of just writing about her, as a person in her own right. Fair questions — but I never set out to just "write about my mom". I wanted to write about the struggle of losing her, and what made losing her so painful. That's why I ask questions in the book that I never really answer: because I was never able to answer them myself. They are questions that will remain.

Praise of Motherhood isn't a book praising all mothers across all ages. It's not meant to praise the idea of "motherhood" itself as some glorious ideal. I wrote this book because I wanted to transmit something of my mother to those who didn't know her; those who, perhaps, need to hear that it's okay to say you love your mommy and you wish she could still be here when you feel like crying.





As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Praise of Motherhood eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $500 in Amazon gift cards and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

1. Purchase your copy of Praise of Motherhood for just 99 cents
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About the book: Praise of Motherhood is a son's tribute to the woman who not only gave him life, but helped him live: through various psychotic breakdowns, tumultuous teenage years, and years of feeling out of place in the world. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the author: Phil Jourdan fronts the lit-rock band Paris and the Hiltons, runs the fiction press Perfect Edge Books, and occasionally works on a PhD. Visit Phil on his blog, music site, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.


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Interview with Alicia Singleton, Author of Dark Side of Valor

Born and raised in Philadelphia, the Howard University graduate embraced the written word at an early age. She credits this to her loving, older sister whom, while they were youngsters, made the author eat lotion on a regular basis. Realizing the need to sound-out the ingredients on the lotion label, Alicia stopped the lotion-eating practice, but continued to read the labels of the concoctions her sister brought for her to try. This early necessity to read flowered to a passion; hence, a writer was born.The award winning author resides in Maryland with her wonderful husband and son.  Still an avid reader, label or otherwise, Alicia is hard at work completing her next suspense novel.Her latest book is the suspense novel, DarkSide of Valor.

Visit Alicia’s website at www.aliciasingleton.com.

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Can you tell us a bit about yourself?   

Born and raised in Philadelphia, I’m a wife, mother, business owner, retired registered nurse, lover of any sentence containing the words travel or road trip, consummate optimist; that pretty much sums me up.  

When did you begin writing? 

My elementary school reading tutor stoked my love of reading and hence my passion to write. By the time I was well into the second grade, I could not read. Not even simple words like, ‘See Spot Run’. My teacher told my mother that if I didn’t get help, I would be functionally illiterate. When my mother hired a reading tutor, my hate for reading turned into a love of reading. I loved suspenseful, conflict driven novels. From classics like Romeo and Juliet, The Odyssey, The Iliad to contemporary books like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys Mysteries and anything Edgar Allen Poe wrote.

After I fell in love with reading, I believe in my spirit, I wanted to become a writer, but I went to Howard University to get my Bachelor’s in Nursing.  In my sophomore year, I wanted to change my major to journalism, but I didn’t know what changing one’s major entailed. Too intimidated to go to the Registrar’s Office and too afraid to go home and tell my mom that I wanted to follow another career path, I stuck it out.  A couple of years after I graduated, I began to attend writing classes, reading books, attending seminars, conferences and workshops on the writing process. That education coupled with my overactive imagination for plotting storylines and my love of reading was why I became a writer.

What is this book about?

Dark Side of Valor is a suspense novel about Lelia Freeman. The former runaway turned child advocate gets summoned to Washington to serve on a subcommittee that aids the children of a war-torn African nation. She stumbles onto sinister, political secrets that turns her life into a nightmare then has to depend on a tall, dark handsome stranger to save her life. But he has secrets of his own.

What inspired you to write it? 

The inspiration for Dark Side of Valor came from a news article of a woman’s plight to return to her country after being kidnapped and taken to a foreign land.   To start the plotting, I began to research runaways from foreign lands.  Every time I’d type in the search parameters, books, reports and articles popped up about teen runaways and homeless teens.  After several hours, I gave up and read one of the articles, then another, then a report, then a life account.  After about an hour, I was sitting in front of the library computer blubbering.  As I finished reading, Dark Side of Valor morphed into another novel and Lelia Freeman, the heroine, was born.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

From the start of my writing career to the time I received a publishing contract was 16 ½ years.  After I signed the contract, it was another year and a half before I held Dark Side of Valor in my hands. 

During the 16 ½ year wait, I attended numerous conferences, shook the hands of many editors and received many rejection letters.  Through it all I never gave up.  Now, don’t misunderstand, there were times that I quit writing.  But the next day, I’d ditch my pity-party and get back to work.   

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Readers can purchase Dark Side of Valor from Amazon, Barnes and Noble Powells, Indie Bound, their favorite bookseller or wherever books are sold.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

Yes, my website is www.aliciasingleton.com, there readers will find a book page, book trailer, reviews, a media page, photos, some fun facts and much more.

What is up next for you?

The research for my next suspense has taken me to a South Carolina swamp, a rice plantation where one of Mel Gibson’s movies was filmed, on a Civil War naval battle ship, and a graveyard.  It was phenomenal!  I hope to take readers on a thrill ride they won’t soon forget.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you so much for the interview, its been a blast!  Please connect with me through my website at, www.aliciasingleton.com, email, alicia@aliciasingleton.com, Facebook at, www.facebook.com/aliciamsingleton.com, Twitter at, http://twitter.com/aliciasingleton and I’m also available through Skype and conference calls for book club chats.   

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Pump Up Your Book and Alicia Singleton are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $100 Visa Card!

Visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/05/21/pump-up-your-book-presents-dark-side-of-valor-virtual-book-publicity-tour-2012/ for details!

Book Review: 5 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom by Duane Harden

I owe the author and Pump Up Your Book a huge apology for this being late today. We had a lightning strike in our area yesterday during a storm, and we just got our services restored about an hour ago.

Entrepreneur and author, Duane Harden has written an inspiring and engaging book that will help you fulfill your financial dreams. 5 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom: Do What You Love and Get Rich Doing It is an amazing book that provides an abundance of useful advice and worksheets to help you transform your life. It empowers you to take the necessary steps to move from the life you have to the life you want.

Written in an easy to understand, conversational, down-to-earth style, Harden's advice and worksheets will give you the tools to get you started on the right path. I've read other books about turning your passion into profit, but 5 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom is more than just an inspirational book to motivate you. The assignments help you focus on what is right for you, and that's because Harden has not only been there--he's still there, finding new ways to make his dreams a reality by taking advantage of his many years of experience. As you read along, you'll see he has strong, diverse portfolio, and he's eager for you to have that too. You'll find a 90-day action plan to get you started.

Some specifics that hit home for me are: being careful who you listen to; what kinds of people you need to surround yourself with; how to embrace fear and how performing an asset litmus test will help you past your fears; and how to leverage your assets to create more assets. This book also includes several appendices that share testimonials, compile all the life assignments included in the book into one place, share the keys of life and also provide multiple helpful resources--some of which I've already used.

It's obvious a great deal of thought went into 5 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom. Harden's book stands out from the crowd. I highly recommend it if you are considering going into business for yourself or if you're tired of working hard while others reap the benefits. This book could also be beneficial to those out of work and those looking for new opportunities.

Paperback: 216 pages

Publisher: CEOeBooks (April 11, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0984822704

ISBN-13: 978-0984822706

SRP: $14.95 (Also available in electronic formats)

I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

This is the 37th book I've read for the following challenge:

Library Bargain Books

I visited the Wilbraham Public Library yesterday to return Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The Lil Diva (10) and I are reading it together. As I was about to walk out, when I noticed a spinning rack of bargain books. These paperbacks were 50 cents each or 3 for $1, and if you bought $2 worth of books you received a free cloth bag. I ended up with nine books.

Early Warning by Michael Walsh for Dad (I'll probably read it too.)

Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson for me

‘A’ is for Alibi by Sue Grafton for me

Christy by Catherine Marshall for me

Books 1 – 4 of the Beacon Street Girls by Annie Bryant

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The last five books are for the Lil Diva and the Lil Princess (8) to share. The Lil Diva has inherited my love of mysteries. The Lil Princess will read just about anything.

I'm so thrilled I stopped by the library today.

Does your library run book sales? What is the best book bargain (outside of free ebook downloads) that you've taken advantage of?

First Chapter Review: Liberty Belle by Patricia PacJac Carroll

It's been so long since I did one of these, I almost forgot the format. Life has been crazy since we've returned from vacation. It will probably stay that way for a few more weeks until the girls return to school.

BLURB: Set in 1859 Denver, Liberty Belle is a story of finding freedom and forgiveness. A jilted bride, a wayward sheriff, a small boy, outlaws, and a gallows provide plenty of action, romance, and hope.

Liberty Longstreet was left at the altar, but that wasn’t the worst of her day. She awakens to the fact that she needs to declare independence from her controlling mother. Wanting her freedom and to find a man of her choosing, Libby leaves home for faraway Denver. She just doesn't count on being robbed, falling for a wayward sheriff, or being accused of murder. Sheriff Wade Calder throws down his badge in a quest for revenge. Instead, he takes responsibility for his enemy’s young son. Wanting only to be free, Wade runs into Libby, and she wins what is left of his heart. Unfortunately, he has nothing to offer her until he picks up his badge. His honor is restored, but it may cost Libby her life. Together they learn the cost of freedom and the wealth of forgiveness.

COVER:  Beautiful. The female lead on the front, the male lead turned away from her and riding off, it speaks to the conflict of the story.The mountains behind make you think of Denver.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Liberty Auraria Longstreet is getting ready in the church dressing room. Soon she will marry Thomas Garvey. Not that she wants to, but her mother's dying wish is that the girl marry well. When Thomas doesn't show, chaos erupts. As Liberty is leaving the church, a handsome lawman comes to her aid. He quickly disappears, but not before Liberty sees him toss his badge on the ground. She's not sure how her mother is going to take the news of her being left at the altar, but her thoughts are suddenly filled with images of the angry lawman whose badge she picked up.

KEEP READING:  Yes. I can't say I was blown away by the opening chapter, but there is enough conflict and mystery to make me continue. Carroll has created a sympathetic and confused main character in the beginning. Liberty doesn't want to marry a man she doesn't love, but her mother is dying and she wants her mother to be happy. Then she gets stood up by the guy she didn't want to marry in the first place. The day is not lost, however, because she meets this gorgeous lawman.

The author has set up this story well. While its sparse on setting details, I like that the conflict took center stage. This looks like it will be a fun read.

This book is currently FREE for Kindle!

File Size: 532 KB

Print Length: 359 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0982067348

Publisher: PacJac Publishing; 1 edition (May 27, 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B0086WMFES

SRP: $14.95

I downloaded a free copy of this book to my Kindle. I received no monetary compensation for this First Chapter Review.

Who Can You Trust? - Ethics in Publishing

This week brought with it another story of a writer fabricating information in a nonfiction book. Jonah Lehrer, a staff reporter at The New Yorker magazine resigned his position after admitting he fabricated quotes from Bob Dylan in his book, Imagine: How Creativity Works.

According to an article from The Wall Street Journal, journalist Michal Moynihan, regular contributor to Tablet magazine, contacted Lehrer via email to ask about some of the Dylan quotes included in his book, which is how the story unraveled. Lehrer was also criticized earlier this year when it was discovered he repurposed material he had originally written elsewhere.

This isn't what the publishing industry needs right now. The publisher of Imagine has halted sales of the physical and digital editions and retailers are pulling the book from its shelves. Does any publisher need to take that hit when the industry is still trying to learn how to cope with the influx of digital books, self-published titles and free downloads? How about agents? They work hard to get a writer a favorable book deal and then don't get to reap any rewards because of the writer's dishonesty.

How many times can the publishing industry recover from a writer's questionable integrity?

When will readers stop trusting that the nonfiction books they purchase are accurate?

Will other writers pay the price for the mistakes made by Lehrer and others whose books and articles have been found to include erroneous information?

Writers need a variety of traits to be successful. Honesty and integrity top the list. Without those, a writer is just another hack trying to make a quick buck. I hope this is the last we've seen of these types of writers.