Tag: Book Review

lifeteller

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NaPowriMo#3 A Haiku & Review of Séduire by Michele Lee

AI-Generated image with a Black woman who has her hair in a natural updo. She is wearing a midnight blue top and slacks that match. She is looking at a White woman who has strikingly silver hair, wearing a tan long-sleeve shirt, and jeans. They are both sitting on a couch deep in thought – pausing to reflect.

storytellers dwell
in the corners of l o s t paths
waiting for their sun

I am honored to share a review and interview from the incomparable and indomitable Michele Lee at my inspired life.

“Storytelling can entertain and offer escape, but those with the courage to offer life telling – exposing destructive situations and sinister behavior that can lurk in the shadows – offer a path for change.

Author Tremaine (trE) L. Loadholt is one such lifeteller, a term I thought of (last night) when thinking about her storytelling abilities. She does captivate the reader with her writing; however, she writes stories that reflect real life, which can be real tragic, abusive, and not always have a happy ending. I applaud trE for weaving difficult subjects into her short story collection, Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction. Her stories offer hope, too, which highlights this writer’s ability to not only write about darkness and evil but attempt to transform it.

Séduire is separated into fourteen stories that introduce a variety of characters who seem so real, it is hard to believe that they aren’t! The author’s talent for character development is what stood out to me when I finished reading her collection and what compelled me to send trE a few questions, which she graciously answered (below). For those who appreciate real life scenarios, complex characters, and diverse dialogue offered in short story form, I highly recommend Seduire, and if you’re a writer, you may also be inspired to become more observant about human behavior after reading trE’s book.

Questions for trE about reading and writing:

Tell us about the inspiration for your characters. (real people, movies, other books, observations, a combination)

To be honest, characters speak to me. They present themselves to me whether I want to be an intruder in their lives or not. They come to me with their problems, their joy, their sadness, accomplishments, etc. And they will NOT SHUT UP until I’ve written their story.

I wish there was something else I could tell you, some writing exercise that I do to coax a story or character to life, but really that’s mainly it. They speak. I listen. Then, I write.

Who is your favorite character from a book you’ve read and what makes that character stand out?

Tangy Mae, a character in the book The Darkest Child, by Delores Phillips. Tangy is brilliant. She is resilient while living a life full of struggles and dealing with a mom who verbally and physically shows her disdain for her children. She is a fully-developed character who made my soul ache, and I will read that book a million times over to feel what I feel each time I read it.

It is apparent in reading your work that you have great empathy for others. Please describe how writing may help you process all that you may feel in relation to the burden of others.

Writing is a release. I am hypersensitive and an Empath; so much so that in the past, when I didn’t have quite the best grip on my emotions and how the pain of others would affect me, I would be in physical pain because I would take on the hurt of my loved ones.

That is not a healthy life to live. Writing and therapy have helped me with continuing to acknowledge the pain of others but to detach from it. I can be aware and stand in solidarity with the hurting ones and recognize their voices should be shared and heard without hurting myself.

What do you find most challenging about creating and developing characters?

Honestly, it’s not really creating characters that’s a challenge for me, it’s getting them to be quiet. Sometimes, I don’t feel like writing. I would rather not experience their pain or tell a happy tale or share their defeats with others. But I’m forced because these fully-formed characters will not let me rest until I’ve completed their life’s story. I actually have more of a problem letting go of some of the characters I’ve created, and some readers do, too.

One character, Aunt May, from an ongoing series I did had reached her end–I wrote her death into an installment and then, the funeral in the next. Readers were LEGIT mad at me for months for killing off the character, but she was becoming such a part of my life that it was going to be harder to let her go if I didn’t do so when I did.
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Anything else you would like us to know about Séduire or your writing process?

I write because I have to. I write because it is a healer. It has given me life that I needed and had forgotten I could live. If you read Séduire, I am almost certain, you will feel that.”

To read the entire breakdown and post, please visit Michele’s wondrous site for “Lifeteller (writer spotlight)“.

Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet? I recently signed up to write for Substack as well. My first post, “I Said I Wouldn’t Do It” is live, and my second post “Unknowingly Inviting a Beast to Dinner” was published yesterday morning. I welcome your visit.

Poetry As Your Guide To Intelligence

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A Book Review

We Are Poetry. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Sometimes, a book takes you down so many “Memory Lanes” that you just have to sit with it longer than you would. Kym Gordon Moore’s We Are Poetry is one of those books. I can tell that the author loves poetry, and she also loves learning about poetry.

Here is my review, which is shared via Amazon & Goodreads:

“Informative And Creative

Kym Gordon Moore does a fantastic job sharing her thoughts and observations about poetry, its origin, the writers who are well-known for it, and how we can all grow from it, and learn to use poetry as a form of expressiveness and encouragement.

I love how she pinpoints society’s best known poets against lesser known phenomenal writers and how we should be aware of them as well.

She not only shares these facts, but she also gives readers a tutorial of sorts into the various forms of poetry and how to write them. If you’re a lover of this genre of writing, you are going to be in heaven as you thumb through the pages of this book.

She closes the book with her original poems that make up a good portion of the book’s ending. I have to admit, for me, this is the meat of “We Are Poetry”–the part that fills the reader up.

Every poem stirs up a different emotion, and they are all very well-written. Kym did an excellent job weaving in comedic verse and reflective poems, too.

If you’re interested in learning different forms of poetry, reminiscing along with an author, and experiencing several emotions, too, then I recommend “We Are Poetry” to you. Your heart and mind will thank you.”

Get your thinking caps on and grab your learning tools. It’s time to give poetry the respect it is due!

Leaving a Gaslighter Where They Should Be . . . Alone.

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A Book Review

Pieces of Me by Maggie Watson. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

I started reading this book directly after The Keeper of the Key by Nicole Willson, and I read about fifteen pages then. I wanted to start fresh the next day without remnants of gothic horror on my brain, and this is what I did. I like to give the books I read my full attention. This occurrence was no different.

I will never understand the mind of an abuser. I will never know how someone can knowingly attempt to damage another. Maggie shares a bit of her experience through poetry in Pieces of Me, and reading through some of the poems . . . I know it took courage to do so.

Here is the review I shared on Amazon and Goodreads for it:

“It Takes Courage To Free One’s Pain

And then share it with the world. That is exactly what Maggie Watson has done with her collection of poetry, Pieces of Me.

There are many poems within this collection I could highlight, and since I am old-school, I literally highlighted phrases and made comments/notes in the margins.

Reading one’s triumph over their abuser in the form of poetry is a testimonial experience. I felt as though I was watching the writer release her pain with every poem shared.

Starting off slow, a few of the poems in the first section didn’t hit me nearly as hard as the poems in the second and last section. But I most definitely felt something–it stirred up emotions within me I thought had been buried.

I commend the writer for being vulnerable enough to share with the world a traumatic life-event that didn’t ruin her outlook on how she lives, but instead gave her the strength to fully live.”

If it were up to me, the world would be rid of abusers in every form. A book of poems such as Pieces of Me should not have to be written. Still, I am glad the writer/author shared her experience as a form of testimony and also included other instances not directly linked to her that so many people have experienced.

The world in which we live is a horrible place under the surface. But there is always a spark, a glimmer, a modicum of love and care waiting to spring forth. I believe Maggie wants that for everyone–love springing forth. And I also believe her writing will help facilitate that.

Séduire: Reviewed By a Phenomenal Storyteller, Nigel Byng

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Clover & that girl Phara: A review of Séduire by Tremaine Loadholt

Séduire: E-Book Version Cover

To say that I fill up with joy upon reading what writers and readers alike have said/are saying about Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction is a surefire understatement.

I have to sit back with myself, take in the peace surrounding me, and nod my head at what appears to be, a job well done. I selected the stories in this collection because I knew readers would connect with at least one or two and fall in love with a few of the characters.

They were designed to be liked/loved/understood/empathized/hated/revered. And so far, they have done exactly that and more.

Nigel Byng, of Helping You To Succeed, is a passionately talented storyteller who recently reviewed Séduire. Below is some of what he had to say about this collection:

I had intended to race through this book by Tremaine Loadholt, as the early stories in this collection are fast-paced, short, and easy on the heart.

Of course, like all great storytellers, Tremaine lifts the veil on the community, the neighborhoods, and the villages we call home. Her characters are the people we encounter daily and may even know personally. And within the pages of Séduire, I found two characters who immediately set my world ablaze.

When I met Phara for the first time, which was the morning after I got the book, her story impacted the next few days of my world. Without going into details, there is enough in the opening lines of her story to fill the reader with rage, hate, and pain. Phara’s is a story that hobbles the heart. Within the first few paragraphs, Tremaine Loadholt, in her masterful style of weaving a narrative, brings home the sad, horrendous reality of what happens behind closed doors in many homes. It is a five-star read, cushioned just at the end of the first section of the book.

I love what Nigel offers to this community and how he goes about sharing his talent. To have my work reviewed by him is truly an honor.

If you want to read the complete review, please head to his blog by clicking here.

Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?

Lit eZine, Vol 7: Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction

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A book review by Khaya Ronkainen

Séduire E-Book version

Sometimes, people have a way of making you believe in your work more than you did before reading their thoughts on it. Khaya Ronkainen is one such person. Her recent review of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction in Lit eZine, Vol 7 sets a gimmer of pride deep within my heart for the work I created. It is a blessing to read the following lines:

The book title Séduire—meaning “to seduce” in French—has an alluring ambiguity that could play out in several intriguing ways. When mulling over the title, three interpretations came to mind. First, the art of seduction where characters use charm and persuasion, sometimes edging into manipulation to achieve their goals. Another aspect is the case of the “forbidden,” enticing readers to explore risky or morally ambiguous choices made by characters. Then the intrigue of the mind examining how people, beliefs, or environments steer characters towards obsession, inspiration, or change.

These above interpretations are not far-fetched. Because the experience of reading Tremaine Loadholt’s collection of Serial Tales and Flash Fiction, Séduire, felt akin to delving into a jar of assorted cookies where one isn’t sure what to expect, owing to unique flavours and decorations that the author could have added in the batter, so to speak. However, this book should not be mistaken for the sweetness of cookies. It is an incredibly moving collection that explores dark themes such as loss of love, death of a loved one, racial prejudice, sexual abuse, among others.

Stories such as “We Don’t Talk About Daniela,” “Phara,” “Reflections of a Lost Love that Will Never Be Found,” and “Mr. Bradford and His Ox Collection” are deeply affecting, leaving a lasting impact on the reader. The serial story “Clover,” narrated by a child, captures a family’s aspirations as they climb the social ladder, despite racial prejudice they have to contend with. Yet, the collection balances darkness with warmth, including tales of lovers’ reconciliation, a rebellious teen transformed under the guidance of a caring aunt, first-time parents, and more, inviting readers to witness characters navigating life’s trials.

To read the review in its entirety, please direct yourself to the site for the eZine. I am honored and thankful to have a writer and reader of Khaya’s caliber review my book in a way that leaves me magnified by every word–pleased that I took a chance on myself. As writers–creatives, sometimes, we need this, and well . . . I needed this.

Séduire is a collection of serial fiction tales and flash fiction standalone stories written over a period of three years. Dive into the world of a little girl whose family uproots and moves to “The Deep South” because of a new opportunity presented to her father. Transport yourself to the life of a little girl who becomes a mother and a sister to her child at the hands of her sadistic and evil father. Walk with a grieving sister and her mother as they remember a woman who was brutally murdered by her partner. Her young boys live out her legacy as they mourn her.

Experience parenthood as you enter the world of soon-to-be young parents and their ups and downs in life change them significantly while they journey along their new path. Make a brief cameo into the hearts of a dedicated aunt and a rebellious teenage niece whose father has lost his grip on his child.

There are so many more characters with which to connect. As you thumb through each page, the author wants you to feel something; with these stories, you will.

Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?

The Littlest, Sweetest Girl Wins

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A Book Review

Matilda by Roald Dahl. Photo Credit by Tremaine L. Loadholt

I will be honest . . . I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. Matilda by Roald Dahl, was everything I needed at the time I read it (a week ago), and I am forever changed by this tall tale.

I had tried to watch the movie years ago, but I did not find it worth my while. It was a bit of a bore to me in the beginning, and I couldn’t get past a few scenes.

The book, however, is definitely powerful, it held my attention and raised my blood pressure a bit. The review is below:

“A Heart-wrenching Tale With a Happy Ending

I have tried to get through Matilda, the movie (the original), and I was not engaged enough to find it interesting. I have yet to view the most recent adaptation, and I do not think I will.

However, the book is superb! I expected nothing less from Roald Dahl and his eccentric ways of introducing characters and tying a reader to this story instantly. One moment, I thought I knew what would take place and the next moment, I was pleasantly surprised.

Matilda is an empathetic, sweet, overly-intelligent, and compact grown-up who catches on quickly. She doesn’t seem much like a child at all. And the adults in her life are all soulless, foul human beings–save for Ms. Jenny Honey.

I wanted so badly for Ms. Trunchbull, the Headmistress of Matilda’s school, to get her comeuppance, and when she did, I was elated! No child should experience what the children of that school endured by the abusive actions of the vulgar and heartless, Trunchbull.

This is a captivating story of patience, resilience, determination, application of simple powers, and love. And when there’s love, there’s always a way.

The ending is the cherry on top of the cake. And it brings the story together phenomenally. If you haven’t read Matilda, I urge you to do so, and soon.

You won’t regret it.”

Lately, I have been trying to find every happy place I can muster up. Reading this book became one. Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?