Intended Consequences

Available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com

Intended Consequences is a collection of short essays about faith, life, and Christianity in America.  The range of topics includes charity, art, patriotism, addiction, freedom, gratitude, and Bruce Lee.

Robert Lampros is an author of Christian poetry, essays, and fiction who lives in St. Louis.  His books include Fits of Tranquility, Afternoon, and Last Year's Resolution.

William Faulkner

                                                   * hosted by Debdatta Sahay, http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in
                                                                                         

An American writer of novels, short stories, essays, and screenplays, William Cuthbert Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897, and is best known for his novels and stories about the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, which is based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where he lived for much of his life.  Three of his novels, The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, and Light in August made the Modern Library’s list of the top one hundred English-language novels of the twentieth century.  Surprisingly Faulkner remained mostly unknown to the public until winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949.  Two of his books, A Fable (1954), and The Reivers (1962), won Pulitzer Prizes for fiction.

His most popular, and what many consider his greatest work, The Sound and the Fury, was published in 1929 when William was only thirty-two years-old.  The story progresses through stream of consciousness narratives in four different sections.  Three of them feature first-person narrators, each a member of the Compson family, recounting events of both the present and the past in highly stylized, overlapping layers of brilliant prose.  The fourth section uses a third-person omniscient narrator to follow Dilsey, the Compsons’ faithful servant and a strong African American mother.  This book reigns as an indisputable masterpiece and towering achievement of American Literature.

The title, The Sound and the Fury, comes from a monologue in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, when the despairing king finds himself overwhelmed by fears, sins, and dangers.  “She should have died hereafter/There would have been time for such a word./To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow/Creeps in this petty pace from day to day/To the last syllable of recorded time/And all our yesterdays have lighted fools/The way to dusty death.  Out, out brief candle!/Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/That struts and frets his hour upon the stage/And then is heard no more: it is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing.”

The passage echoes the words of King Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “All is vanity,” and reading Faulkner one feels the apparent futility of the characters’ struggles, yet can’t help caring for them as they fight for hope and dignity while also fighting among themselves.  He wrote his first novel, Soldier’s Pay, in 1925 in New Orleans, after Sherwood Anderson (Winesburg, Ohio) urged him to start writing fiction.  Anderson helped with the publication of Soldier’s Pay and his second novel, Mosquitoes, by recommending the books to his own publisher.

William Faulkner pioneered the new form of stream of consciousness prose, simultaneously documenting Southern life in the early twentieth century, and weaving magnificent tales of hardship, faith, and perseverance.  The Compson family along with his other characters face obstacles that would level most families and leave them crying in the dust, but these carry on, forge ahead hoping their promise waits around the next bend.  The poetry of his narratives is breathtaking, the journeys inspiring, fascinating, and heartbreaking.  William passed away in 1962, two days after the 4th of July.  Rest in peace, Mr. Faulkner.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Last Year's Resolution

by Robert Lampros

Giveaway ends July 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Last Year's Resolution Reviews

Available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com
“I genuinely liked reading this book from beginning to end. The writing was simple and felt like a classic book I should have read years ago. The characters were well developed and the gentle romance felt sincere and really carried the story well… It is Christian enough to be called Christian romance but it’s also secular enough to pass as a simple love story. One of the things I liked most about this book was that it intertwined the characters’ faith with romance and realistic events… A comfortable cross between contemporary fiction and love.” - Valicity Garris, Author

“I am continually amazed by some of Mr. Lampros' imagery… Thematically, I would say that this novel is about friendship, love, Christ… a real knack for dialogue and characterization through said dialogue, rounding out the characters even if the description of where they are and what they see is subservient to the plot and the overall thrust of the story. Bravo!” - John Morris, Author

“This is a very well-written Christian novel with a plot running in fast pace… The author did a superb job creating characters that are lovable, and the book is definitely a boost to our faith… I recommend this book to the permanent library of all readers who appreciate a well-written novel, very entertaining, with a strong Christian theme.” - Roberto Mattos, BooksAndMovieReviews

“Great writing, great story! I could've read it in just a few days but you kind of want to take your time with it and reflect on some of the passages and things that happen… a great book, fun and exciting and even edge-of-your-seat action at times. I highly recommend it!” B. Hill, Goodreads Reviewer

Ghost Eagle

Ghost Eagle is a graphic novel that is currently being illustrated, available now in a text-only format as a free download.  The story follows Curtis Thompson and his girlfriend Mel as they fight for survival in an increasingly dark and menacing dystopia where police, gangs, and government agents grapple for power over society.  Only Curtis’s own super powers, his faith in God, and the help of Jesus Christ can save them now and set them free.

Link to Ghost Eagle

More Great Reads

1)  S.T.E.A.M.  Island Under Siege

S.T.E.A.M. Island Under Siege is a new graphic novel, written by Ashley Eric Peschel and illustrated by Peter Magro, that takes place on the island of Malta near the end of the second World War.  A gang of renegade soldiers and freedom fighters battles a slew of supernatural villains ranging from ghoulish Nazi officers to fiendish vampires and bloodthirsty werewolves, however now they must face a new and far worse threat—an evil unkillable beast the likes of which they’ve never seen.  Expertly illustrated and skillfully written, this is an entertaining and exciting read for fans of the graphic novel medium.  * some mild bad language and comic book violence.

Available at Amazon

Summary:  Set against the conflict of the Second World War, something terrifying has been released on the small island of Malta.  Realising they are in over their heads, the local authorities request help in tracking a sadistic killer whose body count already stands at five.  A special team is dispatched to deal with the murderer—and so the hunt begins on the war torn island for a killer that the team soon discovers is unlike anything they have encountered before….  If this were not bad enough, the team also have to face off against a mysterious Nazi team, who are also hunting the killer, but for darker reasons.  It all boils down to a 166-page adventure full of action and comedy.  

Author Bio:  Ashley Eric Peschel has been writing since he was a young child and S.T.E.A.M. Island Under Siege is his first graphic novel, it is the result of three years work with artist Peter Magro.  Ashley is also a self-confessed geek who loves everything from Deadpool to Doctor Who.

Book Details:
File Size:  78012 KB
Print Length:  165 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage:  Unlimited
Publisher:  savage piggy publishers (December 15, 2015)
Publication Date:  December 15, 2015
Sold by:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language:  English
ASIN:  B01987NY6W

2)  The Fulfillment

The Fulfillment is an imaginative, fast-paced read about a group of seemingly normal teens who discover they’re in a fight for the life of the world.  Vicki-Ann Bush’s prose is vivid and alive as she weaves a modern myth from the ancient truths found in the Bible.  High school students Luke, Mary, and Jason must prevail over the forces of darkness to fulfill God’s plan and defeat the fallen angels.  An exciting first installment in this series.

Available for Kindle at Amazon

Summary:  Luke Jacob was a typical teenager who enjoyed all the amenities of being the star quarterback on his high school football team and the local hero.  Living in the small town of Boulder City Nevada, life was predictable and comfortable.  With graduation soon approaching his life was on a carefully planned road.  Until he spots a mysterious and beautiful girl in the crowd at one of his games—Mary.  Their lives intertwine and a bond of inseparable love is forged.  Discovering a life changing secret that is revealed to them by their parents, it is then that everything Luke thought about his family, friends, and neighbors is shattered, unearthing a truth that is older than time and greater than anything he could ever imagine.

Author Bio:  I originally came from Floral Park, NY, where I fell in love with writing during a school contest in the eighth grade.  At fourteen, my family moved to California.  And with the huge change in my life, writing became a personal escape that was tucked away in a box.  After several years and encouragement from my daughters, I started sending in submissions.  A small publishing house in Wisconsin, Salt of the Earth Press, was the first to offer a contract for my children's book, Winslow Willow the Woodland Fairy, and afterward, The Queen of It.  But I found my niche with YA fiction.  My YA novelette series, The Dusk Chronicles, is a trilogy that's available individually as E-books and in paperback, featuring a compilation of the three books.  I am currently contracted with Solstice Publishing and my work includes the YA historical romance, The Garden of Two, the paranormal romance novella series, The Fulfillment, and the sci-fi adventure, Room 629.  I love writing and couldn't imagine ever stopping.  There are too many characters floating around in my head. ;)

Book Details:
File Size:  934 KB
Print Length:  59 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage:  Unlimited
Publisher:  Solstice Shadows (November 26, 2014)
Publication Date:  November 26, 2014
Sold by:  Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language:  English
ASIN:  B00PSJ7DJO

3)  Places and Times

Places and Times, by Arthur Turfa, is a beautiful book, descriptive and revelatory as the poems take us along on travels and adventures in Europe and America.  Walt Whitman and Robert Frost came to mind as I read, although the author's style is unique, expressing at once wisdom, nostalgia, reverence, and humor.  An authentic and inspiring read, I highly recommend this collection.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:  About half of my life has been spent in various parts of Pennsylvania.  Most of the rest has been spent in New Mexico, California, Virginia, South Carolina, and Germany.  My career path has been bivocational; I am a Lutheran pastor and Army chaplain (Retired Reservist with veteran status) and educator on secondary and post-secondary levels.  I wrote a lot of poetry when younger, then I took a 20-year break, and resumed around 2002.  eLectio Publishing released my first book of poetry, Places and Times, in April 2015.  Currently I live in the Midlands of South Carolina with or near my family.

Book Details:
Paperback:  64 pages
Publisher:  eLectio Publishing (April 7, 2015)
Language:  English
ISBN-10:  1632130963
ISBN-13:  978-1632130969

Afternoon (book review)

Reviewed by Lisa McCombs

When high school junior Drew finds himself in an unexpected conflict with his friends on the last day of school, he contemplates the existence of guardian angels, or higher powers that interfere with destiny.  The Sink is a local hangout full of mystery, but never danger.  The Sink is the meeting hole for young folks in town and that is where he, Daniel, Angie, Jane, and Robby go to begin the first day of summer vacation.  Drew is already at odds with his mother because of his decision to spend money on a 1969 Fender Stratocaster guitar instead of paying the balance on his Guatemalan mission trip.  He insists that his journey to Guatemala is in his plans and he assures her that he will be responsible for his debt in an attempt to ease her already concerned motherly mind.  Drew’s life decisions are just not in line with her expectations of him at the moment.  But Drew is content with his commitments and content with his friendships until he and Daniel conflict at The Sink.  Neither of them had ever entertained the idea of inflicting bodily harm on one another.  Was Drew destined to die at the hands of his friend?  Was this his destiny?

Afternoon, a novella by Robert Lampros, introduces a different view of teenage conflicts faced today.  Drew wants to maintain his friendships but he struggles with the existence of Jesus and his own faith responsibilities.  The uncertainty of sharing his experience with friends and family reflects a common uncertainty in each teenager’s life’s decisions.  It is refreshing to find YA fiction based on a religious/spiritual theme.  Thank you, Robert Lampros, for publicizing this touchy subject for your young adult readers.  Afternoon is a very readable, age-appropriate story that will surely appeal to those readers in need of acceptance.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble