Ashes and Asphalt

 

Ashes and Asphalt

Great Ride to Sturgis ~ Review by D Roberts

Ashes and Asphalt is a fantastic story, a road trip journey and a bit of a redemption and coming to terms for two brothers. Perhaps just a bit of growing up, learning your family and getting back to your true north and what makes up your character. Trevor Halloway easily brings a character driven story to life with really fun, unique individuals, with a strong feel and tone of being on the road and some of the codes of being a biker and riding. Everything flows naturally and many of the antics the brothers deal with and come across, grow and develop organically and many times with a lot of humor. Kyle is funny, a bit, bad pun funny, but most of the time just funny. That said, ya don’t ask questions when someone tells you they aren’t gonna kill you, so it’s nice to see Mike has his back. Great story about two brothers learning to reconnect and perhaps, move forward if they can survive their road trip.

That said, ya don’t ask questions when someone tells you they aren’t gonna kill you…

Book Description:

Bill Byrne is dead and his last request is for his estranged sons, Mike and Kyle, to bring his ashes to the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota. They have five days to travel two thousand miles and if they survive a renegade biker from New Orleans, three carjacking lunatics, and the police, they'll be home free...unless they kill one another first.

Ashes and Asphalt

The Great Pretender

The Great Pretender

"An excellent historical novel for younger readers" by Barb Nielsen

I loved this book. It's a coming of age novel that encompasses several adult themes like fighting, racism and dealing with betrayal. The story is set in Little Rock, Arkansas during that city's racial crisis in 1957 and the dramatic story adds to the reader's understanding of the South in the 1950s.

The main character is 12-year old Archie Lane, a basketball whiz with an overactive imagination and a budding crush on his 13 year old neighbor, Sandra. When Archie thinks he sees the man next door murder his own son, Archie and Sandra are plunged into a series of adventures with lots of exciting twists and turns.

The historical setting is accurate and the author avoids stereotypes and instead relies on well rounded, interesting characters. The dialogue is full of humor and Archie is a particularly memorable character. A good read. Highly recommended.

*****

Archie has uncovered that terrible secret, but no one will believe him.

Book Description:

Twelve-year old Archie Lane’s next door neighbor is a killer. Archie has uncovered that terrible secret, but no one will believe him. If he doesn’t find a way to convince his parents he witnessed a real murder, the results could be fatal for Archie.

Set in the fall of 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, a city torn apart by one of the nation’s first civil rights crises, Archie’s suspense-filled story recounts his transition from an idyllic world to the incomprehensible world of adults.

Throughout his story, the reader watches Archie struggle to come to terms with the subtleties of right and wrong.

The Great Pretender