A Look at Books by BP Authors

By A.M. Stickel

     To start, I’d like to mention Paul Edwards first. His Now That I’ve Lost You short story collection was accepted in May 2008 by Steve Upham of Screaming Dreams Press. Congratulations, Paul. Two other authors are making their debut in this issue of Black Petals. Jeani Rector is featured with “Cat’s Eye” (an edited reprint) and “The Dead Man” (an original written just for us). Whitney Lakin presents “The Last Dance.” These talented ladies have books out courtesy of Publish America (which actually boasts about not editing). Their reviews are long overdue, so I appreciate their patience.

     Ms. Rector (www.opengravenovel.com) authored a short story-novella collection, titled Open Grave: The Book of Horror. Our edition of her “Cat’s Eye” gives the reader a nice sample of her offerings. Reading the Open Grave (title of the novella) collection is a cross-cultural horror experience, covering not only some scary subcultures in modern America, but also visiting our Native American and African roots. Her portrayals of illness, whether mental or physical, let the reader empathize with her characters, most notably where children are featured. The novella has an incredible number of plot twists in the author’s home setting—Sacramento, especially the area near the American River. Due to my time studying at U.C. Davis, I recognized this setting, and found her depiction of it right on.

     Of the 9 short stories in Open Grave, I had my favorites, among them, “Ghoul-The Unabridged Version,” in which a snooty doctor gets his comeuppance, then turns out to be better off for it—creepy, but showing remarkable knowledge of voodoo. Another excellent cultural treat is “The Burial,” which deals with Navajo beliefs. Ms. Rector shows sensitivity, respect, and moral insight in her tales. The novella making up the second half of the book tells an eerie coming-of-age tale about a young college student involved with two different women, and a hair-raising walk on the dark side of the supernatural realm, where he eventually learns the secret of his family tree. While I prefer gothic horror, I thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary presentation of old-time themes. The copyediting was fair, considering that Publish America doesn’t bother. All in all, I enjoyed the book and rate Jeani Rector as yet another excellent California writer.

     Gorgeous Whitney Lakin’s Mutiny in Heaven, set in a gritty New Orleans, is an entirely different work (with fewer typos too). Written around an angel-human hybrid (Nephilim) character, Neil Alan Victory, it shows just how far the rebel Fallen Angels have fallen. These Abila—who speak Enochian among themselves, fly on massive black wings, and wield a pretty mean computer—rankle under their lowly positions at the Ministry of Death…although partners Iaida and Iaidon (and a few of their cronies) have other, more ‘creative’ outlets. Like Hitler, they strive to create a hybrid master race to replace that exterminated by the Great Flood. Miam, an Abila whose duty it is to retrieve souls, has an obsession of mating with beauties who capture his fancy in the death window assigned them. Neil and the lovely Gris are the result of Miam’s passion. Human blood, not water, is the beverage of choice on breaks, although not in the vampiric sense.   

     Among the many colorful characters in this clever adventure, but one comes across as entirely gratuitous—serial killer David Vine, who is driven by a “shadow” of evil. Overlook this flaw, and read the book simply for the fun of tasting the mouth-watering food, hearing the music, and admiring the lush scenery of New Orleans. Well done!