The Seers’ Table July 2017
The Seers Table!
July is National Anti-Boredom month. How better to add excitement than to check out work by the following creators!
Ace Antonio-Hall recommends:
Award-winning gospel singer Evie Rhodes is the author of the psychological horror novels Expired, Criss Cross, Out “A” Order. Ms. Rhodes is the recipient of The Esther Award bestowed upon her for her Outstanding Contribution to Literature from the organization Purpose Driven Sisters in New York City, founded by a reporter of the historic Amsterdam Newspaper. Her novel, Expired, is recognized as an important work in literature by The African American Academy of Arts and Letters. “The Forgotten Spirit” is a featured article in Today’s Black Woman, a national magazine publication, which has noted her writing as Undefined in contemporary times. Historically, “The Forgotten Spirit” is the First African-American Christmas story in the country based on the Gospels of Jesus Christ.
Novel of Interest: Out “A” Order.
Summary: Newark, New Jersey’s Central Ward is home to some of the most notorious, ruthless thugs alive. It’s also home to citizens who are struggling to have a better way of life. Citizens trying for a second chance, like ex-convict Shannon Davenport, whose eight-year-old daughter, Jasmine, is the light of his life. But when Jasmine is cut down by a sniper’s bullet, Shannon vows to find his daughter’s killer. But Jasmine is not just another innocent casualty in the world of gang warfare. There’s something more sinister than Shannon can possibly imagine. A legendary curse cloaks the Ward in an invisible shroud, poisoning its residents, destroying their minds and their souls. As Shannon’s obsessive search for his daughter’s real killer drives him to the edge of insanity, an evil spirit remains loose and those who die young, escaping with their souls, are the lucky ones.
Contact: http://www.evierhodes.com/.
Janet Holden recommends:
Gin Phillips is the author of five novels. Her debut novel, The Well and the Mine, was the winner of the 2009 Barnes & Noble Discover Award. Since then her work has been sold in 29 countries.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Gin graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in political journalism. She worked as a magazine writer for more than a decade, living in Ireland, New York, and Washington D.C., before eventually moving back to Alabama. She currently lives in Birmingham with her family.
Recommended reading: Fierce Kingdom, an electrifying novel about the primal and unyielding bond between a mother and her son, and the lengths she’ll go to protect him.
The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours—the entire scope of the novel—she keeps on running.
Joan’s intimate knowledge of her son and of the zoo itself—the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines—is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger.
A masterful thrill ride and an exploration of motherhood itself—from its tender moments of grace to its savage power—Fierce Kingdom asks where the boundary is between our animal instinct to survive and our human duty to protect one another. For whom should a mother risk her life?
Find out more at Phillips’ site: https://ginphillips.com.
Kate Jonez recommends:
Hari Kunzru is the author of the novels The Impressionist (2002), Transmission (2004), My Revolutions (2007), and Gods Without Men (2011), as well as a short story collection, Noise (2006). His work has been translated into twenty-one languages and won him prizes including the Somerset Maugham award, the Betty Trask prize of the Society of Authors, a Pushcart prize, and a British Book Award.
In 2003 Granta named him one of its twenty best young British novelists. Lire magazine named him one of its 50 “écrivains pour demain.” He is Deputy President of English PEN, a patron of the Refugee Council, and a member of the editorial board of Mute magazine. His short stories and journalism have appeared in diverse publications, including The New York Times, Guardian, New Yorker, Financial Times, Times of India, Wired, and New Statesman. He lives in New York City.
Recommended reading: White Tears. White Tears is a ghost story, a terrifying murder mystery, a timely meditation on race, and a love letter to all the forgotten geniuses of American music and Delta Mississippi Blues.
You can find more at http://www.harikunzru.com; twitter=@harikunzru.
Kate Maruyama recommends:
Jennifer Hillier writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she currently lives in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set. She loves her son, her husband, her cat Kobe, the Seahawks, and Stephen King. Not equally, but close. She’s the author of the thrillers Wonderland (2015), The Butcher (2014), Freak (2012), and Creep (2011), all published by Gallery Books. Her agent is Victoria Skurnick of Levine Greenberg Rostan.
Her new book, Jar of Hearts, is upcoming from St. Martin’s Press.
She blogs about writing, publishing, and life in general at SerialKillerFiles.com. Check out her official Web site at JenniferHillier.ca.
Lauren Candia recommends:
Sara Elizabeth Santana is a YA and NA fiction writer. She has worked as a smoothie artist, Disneyland cast member, restaurant supervisor, nanny, photographer, pizza delivery driver, and barista, but writing is what she loves most. She runs her own nerd girl/book review blog, What A Nerd Girl Says. She lives in Southern California with her dad, five siblings, and two dogs. Her debut novel is The Awakened.
Find the author at: http://sesantanawrites.com.
Recommended Reading: The Awakened. Zoey Valentine is concerned with two things: surviving the multitude of self-defense classes her dad makes her take and avoiding Ash Matthews.
That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They’re faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave, human flesh.
The United States is in a panic, and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every major city overrun with the awakened.
Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country.
Linda Addison recommends:
Denise N. Tapscott was born and raised in California. She left her heart in San Francisco, but somehow managed to leave her soul in New Orleans. When she’s not creating and cultivating her characters, she enjoys dining on spicy tuna rolls, sharing a bottle of red wine with friends, and watching the latest flick (especially scary films). From time to time this radiant left-handed pirate will even challenge others to a fencing match or two. But, watch out—this Gemini is determined to win!
She often references her favorite quotes. Below is Denise’s favorite motto by Hans Christian Andersen: “Just living is not enough … one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”
Check out her book, Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes. Can any good transpire when Gypsy magic collides with Voodoo Magic? For Voodoo High-priestess Grandmother Zenobia, the answer is unclear.
Find the author at http://denisetapscott.com.
