REFLECTION & REASON

This book did exactly what I hoped it would do for me, when I purchased it from author N. Marie at the Seattle Urban Book Expo a little while back. It was my first time visiting Seattle, Washington, and my first time taking a look at the culture, the vibe, and the overall personality of the city. After my inaugural weekend in the town, I was so impressed with how laid back, how mature, metropolitan, and clean the city was. It felt pleasant. And although I was about 2600 miles (3300 km) away from home in Toronto, there were elements of it that felt very, very familiar. When reading " Love & Dance ," N. Marie's first novel (completed in 2015), I got that uniquely Seattle vibe that I was looking for, and truly felt like I knew the main character Daisha, her intentions, her standards, and her dreams. It was a complicated story, to say the least. A woman mourning the loss of her husband, who failed to return from time spent fighting with the military in Iraq. She...

One of the beautiful things about literature has always been its ability to communicate messages and express sentiments that are often difficult to share or process in the non-fiction world. This is the case with mature subjects, as well as the most delicate of topics. This is particularly true when it comes to communicating challenging messages to children. In his 2016 release "Why is Jane So Mad?" Seattle-based author Jeffrey L. Cheatham II explored the "beauty of friendship and the value of human connection, while also skillfully illustrating the limitations of childhood when it comes to understanding more complex emotions." With the same empathetic spirit, " Hi Blue Sky " manages to present an otherwise devastating event, with a gentle tone that is easy for children to digest and even enjoy. Jeffrey's passion for writing is rooted in his love and nurturing for his daughter. His goals: to write and publish as many enjoyable stories as huma...